Familiar Faces
Chapter 2
(Cloud POV)
So this is what they call Seventh Heaven. A bar and apparently a delivery service as I read outside – Strife's delivery service. Strife, that is my last name, right? What kinds of deliveries did I do?
I watched Tifa go inside and followed her. Some dust covered the floor and rays of sunlight exposed even more lingering in the air. But this bar had something I liked. Was it a familiar feeling? I took a seat and observed Tifa once again. She was the only one I had and most likely the key to my memory. She smiled at me as she was cleaning a few mugs and I smiled back. Something in her face told me though there was something wrong with my smile. Is there something stuck between my teeth?
(Cloud POV End)
"Come, I'll show you your room." Tifa said and strode to the door. "Come, what are you waiting for?" Cloud had hesitated and was still sitting on the chair. He eyed her closely, as though he was facing a stranger that tried to persuade him to get into a car with him. Reluctantly he moved walking over to where Tifa stood. She had her arm stretched out, as if she wanted him to hold hers. Giving her a brief nod he followed her upstairs.
His room, the room she told him he always slept in, was brightly lit and a bed with green with white bedsheets stood at the right. To the left, right in front of the door was a desk and a phone. On each side of the table was a fairly big pile of papers. 'Whose papers are those? Do they have something to do with this delivery job?' it ran through the warrior's mind.
"I'll leave you alone for a while. Go get some rest, I will call you when dinner is ready." announced Tifa and shut the door behind her. 'She was smiling again.'
(Cloud POV)
Judging from the bed's appearance somebody must have been tossing around at night. No actually, I have been tossing around at night. But why?
The bed, my bed, is comfortable. It's nice to sit on. Tifa, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. But where do I know her from? And for how long do I know her? Long I assume, or else I would not be living in the same house with her. And these orphans she has been talking about, where are they? I have not seen a single one yet. My eyes fell onto a frame - a picutre of me, Tifa and a little girl. There was something about this girl's eyes I remembered. Was it this childish gleam? Eyes that tell you "I am free."? Something appeared in front of my inner eye for a moment. It was a girl, about the age this girl on the picture was, just that she had longer black hair, falling onto her shoulders. Was that a memory? This face, it seems familiar.
I was not smiling at this picutre, I am wearing a look with no particual expression, as if I showed no interest. But why was looking like that? I was standing next to a beautiful woman and a cute little girl, and I was not smiling? I wonder.
(Cloud POV)
"Cloud, dinner's ready!" a voice yelled upstairs. Cloud placed the picture back where he had picked it up from and walked downstairs. 'I wonder wheter she's a good cook, I'm starving.'
Taking the seat he had before, Cloud patiently waited for his food. Marlene and Denzel joined them. Cloud immediately recognized Marlene's face from the picutre. She looked exactly the same.
"What's your name?" asked Cloud curiously. Marlene surprised about this sudden attack took a few steps away from the grown man. Tifa had informed them that Cloud was in the process of regaining his memory, but it appeared to be harder to talk with someone you know for years but who can not remember you.
"I am Marlene, and this is Denzel." informed the girl. Cloud smiled at both. Marlene jumped in joy before taking a seat. It was a smile, his smile.
---
(Cloud POV)
"You are my hero." explained Denzel as they sat on the porch. "Why am I?" I asked curiously. Me and a hero, hah, it seems like boys always see a hero in the grown-ups.
"You are strong and you often protect me, Tifa and Marlene." whorshipped the boy. My eyes fell onto my muscles. I must be strong with these muscles, right?
"But you are barely around." there was something depressing in Denzel's voice I did not like. "Why am I?"
"Tifa says, you need to earn a living for us with your deliveries, and that you love us, but you never really know how to express your feelings." Is that so? I understand that the delivery service is to earn money, but that it takes up so much time? I love the children, hm? What kind of a man must I be to leave them behind like that every so often? And now it seems as if I am somewhat anti-social too. Who exactly am I?
(Cloud POV End)
Cloud wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him tight. "I guess, I need to make up for that then, and be around here more often, right?" Cloud smiled at the young boy who smiled back exposing his white teeth. "Any suggestions what we could do tomorrow?"
Denzel touched his chin, thinking hard apparently. 'And I never find time to be around those adorable kids? I wonder.' It ran through his mind again.
"What about going for an icecream, the four of us?" cheered Denzel. His eyes, so big and innocent. How could he say no? Wait, he wouldn't even consider saying no.
"Yes I'ld like to treat you all for some icecream." Cloud smiled at him. The boy's head pressed against his side again.
---
"Marlene, come!" yelled Denzel. Cloud watched him jump in excitement. What a happy boy. There was something that worried Cloud though, the way Denzel had been talking yesterday. He was the man of the house, so why was he never around? There's no way he would not like these kids.
"Alright I am here!" cheered the girl and ran along with Denzel down the road. Tifa smiled at the blonde briefly and locked the door. "I haven't seem them this happy in a while." she giggeled.
"I am sorry to hear that." Cloud felt as though he should just enjoy this day and not ask any further. Something in his head told him he was to feel guilty for this, but having no memory of what happened, Cloud decided to ignore this feeling, blaming the medicine to make him feel a little out of sorts. 'Should I wrap my arm around her? Would she like that?' He glanced at the black haired woman walking next to him. Her way of walking had something graceful, as if she was a princess. The way she raised her chin while walking, her hair waving in the rhythm of her hips and how she swinged her arms on each side. 'I'd better not do it. She might not like me touching her.'
As they sat down in the park everyone with some icecream Tifa and Cloud watched the two kids chat and walk around between the trees. There was a large tree to their left. "I know that tree." said Cloud.
"Yes, we sometimes sat there. Only rarely anymore though." her cheerful voice wasn't so cheerful anymore. 'Did I say something wrong?' From the corner of his eyes he glanced at her. Her beautiful face wore a sad expression. 'The same expression you wore when I woke up. What happened over there?'
"I am sorry. I suppose, bringing this topic up was a bad idea." his head lowered.
"Oh no, not at all." laughed Tifa nervously. "I was just thinking." Giving him a fake smile she continued licking her icecream, pretending to enjoy it a lot. 'Are you lying to me?'
---
"Cloud, stop hurting me already!"
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So I decided to update. Thanks a lot for the reviews. This chapter might not really be that good and hopefully not dissappoitning seeing you guys liked the start, but I promise better ones will come – I hope. And the future chapters might be longer too. It's somewhat unusual for me to write short chapters if you read my other fanfics. :) Please keep reviewing! I'm glad about suggestions.
