Holy, the baby wolf 2 :
Disclaimer : Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Enix.
Author note : the second chapter! I don't really know where I am going with this story!
Also I'm searching for a beta reader (yeah, because bad grammar and all *cry*) so if you are interested, feel free to contact me. I'm nice and I don't bite, promise! Thank you! ;)
They soon arrived in Seventh Heaven where Marlene and Denzel were impatiently waiting, dashing in the garage as soon as they heard Fenrir approaching.
Both Tifa and Cloud were drenched because of the snow that had begun to fall on Edge.
The kids breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed Holy tucked into Cloud's sweater.
"How is she?" asked Marlene.
"Fine, don't worry" answered Cloud with a warm smile.
"Welcome in our home Holy!" said a happy Denzel, patting Holy on her head.
"Cloud, you're all wet, she's gonna catch a cold, you have to dry her!" pointed Marlene.
Tifa almost snorted at her comment.
"We're all gonna catch a cold if we don't dry ourself! It's chilling in here, everyone in the house!" said a dripping wet and not too happy Tifa.
The kids obeyed instantly but Cloud hesitated and caught Tifa's eyes, she took his hand.
"Come on."
"What about Holy? Didn't you say the garage would be for her?"
"Well, she can stay in your room. It's fine as long as she doesn't come into the bar and the kitchen."
He nodded at her. She took a step closer to him and sniffed at him. "You smell the beast... your pet too. Both of you go take a shower before I allow you to stay in this house." She almost laughed at his embarrassed face.
"Ah... you're right."
Cloud went in the bathroom with Holy in his arms, he wasn't sure if wolves like water or not. He had his answer quickly, it was a no. Wolves don't like water at all... at least this one doesn't.
Giving a shower to a baby wolf didn't seem to be easy from all the noises Tifa was hearing right now. Soon she even heard Cloud cursed and yelled at his new pet. Tifa sweat-dropped, Marlene and Denzel in awe at hearing the all too calm, cool and collected Cloud cursed like that.
Tifa really restrained herself from laughing. Marlene and Denzel exchanged glances between the bathroom's door and Tifa.
"Do you think we should help him?" asked Denzel.
"Well... no." Tifa answered with a sadistic smile.
She continued to dry her hair with the towel in her hand, waiting for Cloud to come out so she could take a shower... but it seemed she would have to wait a long time.
After a good amount of cursing from Cloud and a good amount of wolfy complaining noises, the situation seemed under control. Tifa who was beginning to be cold finally knocked on the door.
"Cloud, are you finished?"
"Not yet, wait a minute please." Again some wolfy whines came from the door and finally it was quiet. "It's ok you can come in if you want."
Tifa opened the door slowly, ready to face a messy battlefield... and it was indeed a total mess in the bathroom. Water was splashed everywhere, puddles on the floor, even the clean towels in the back corner of the bathroom were completely drenched.
Tifa winced, her eyes fell on Cloud who was crouched on the floor trying to keep his grasp on Holy, his hair was a greater mess than usual, his body still wet and his clean boxer, which he just put on was already wet as well. He turned to Tifa with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I will clean, promise!" She sighed.
Marlene and Denzel went into the bathroom to help Cloud with Holy. Marlene giggled commenting that Holy was like a cat with a hatred for water. Denzel who wanted to help his hero, currently in a pinch because of a tiny baby wolf, went downstairs to pick up a squeegee to clean the bathroom.
Marlene helped Cloud securing the baby in a towel. Tifa was watching tenderly the scene in front of her. Finally Cloud left the bathroom and was standing in the corridor.
Holy was still trying to escape Cloud's grasp and was almost succeeding. Tifa knew as soon as she will be on the floor she would shake herself and would splash water everywhere.
"Come here you little devil!" She grabbed her by the collar, to Cloud's worries, and brought her to his room.
"Tifa, wait! You're gonna hurt her!"
"No, don't worry, whether it's cats or dogs or wolves, it's the same. Mothers carry their babies like that, it's not hurtful for them."
She was holding a very quiet Holy to Cloud. The baby wolf, thinking she was held by her mom, wasn't moving an inch in Tifa's grasp.
"See! Bring a towel and dry her well."
Cloud ran with a towel in his hands and dry the grey fur while Tifa was holding her.
"Ok, I think you can let go of her now." he said.
"Mmmh, do you have a used sweater?"
"What?"
"A sweater you already wore. When you bring a pet in a new house, you have to let him with one of your clothes with your odour on it to reassure him."
"I didn't know that... Here, it's my T-shirt."
Tifa took the T-shirt, wrapped Holy in it and settled her on his bed.
"Holy, you stay here with Cloud, ok?" The baby wolf whined and put her head between her paws.
Tifa turned to Cloud with a triumphant smile on her lips. Cloud for his part was standing in the middle of his room, wide eyed at Tifa's expertise about pet, hair dripping wet, drop of water running on his body. He felt stupid.
Tifa eyed him from head to toe thinking a half naked dripping wet Cloud was a sexy view. She closed the distance between them, took her towel that was around her shoulders and began to dry his hair gently. Cloud didn't move and watched her attentively. Their intimate moment was interrupted by the kids who wanted to see Holy.
"Cloud, is she ok?" asked Denzel first.
"She is all clean, we can play with her now Tifa?" continued Marlene.
"Don't annoy her too much, she need to rest and to get used to her new home. You will have all the time you want tomorrow to play with her. For now, just say goodnight to her and go to bed, it's late, ok? And thanks for cleaning the bathroom you two."
"Ok!" they answered at the same time. They stood in front of Holy, petted her for five more minutes and went to their bedroom.
Cloud was still frozen, his eyes glued on Tifa.
She planted herself in front of him, put her arms around his shoulders and whispered in his ear : "I have milk in the fridge if you want to feed her. Goodnight Cloud." She left a light kiss on his cheek and headed back to her own room. She gave up on her hot shower considering there were no dry towels left in the house.
Cloud who had recovered from Tifa's closeness, went to the kitchen to give food to Holy. He came back to his bed and watched her lick the bowl of milk he gave her.
Cloud realized that, once again, Tifa was the woman of the situation, she knew how to handle any situation thrown at her, it amazed him. He didn't know how to express his gratitude to her, she was always here, always caring, always comprehensive with him. He even didn't thank her properly for her help, she was the one who found Holy, she was the one who handle the baby with easiness.
He sighed, he did felt like an idiot.
After being sure Holy was well settled and was not going to escape, Cloud went to Tifa's bedroom.
He noticed the light was still on. He pushed the door slightly.
"Hey, can I come in?"
"Sure."
She was in her pyjamas, reading a book. He sat on her bed.
"Tifa, I'm sorry I didn't let you know about Holy. And thank you for coming with me to search for her by this weather."
"No big deal, I can't blame you for being a kind person... but you can talk to me you know... I mean you can rely on me..."
She was trying to hide her uneasiness at him not trusting her enough to share his secret with her. She sighed, she wasn't able to force a smile on her face at the moment.
She was still cold and shivering from their earlier trip in the snow, it didn't go unnoticed to Cloud's keen eyes.
"Hey, you're alright?"
"Just cold... since Holy is finally settled in your room and that everyone in this house is no longer worried about that baby wolf, I think I'm gonna sleep." She closed her book.
"Tifa..." He shifted his position to sat right next to her and gently hugged her, rubbing her back to warm her a little.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden embrace. She was feeling the warmth radiating from his body, it was wonderful... but she knew it wouldn't last long, Cloud was Cloud after all. She indulged herself to bath in his warmth, holding him and keeping him close to her, as if to say she didn't want this moment to end. And surprisingly enough he indulged himself in their embrace as well.
"I like it when you're all nice with me like that." she whispered.
"Usually I'm not nice with you?"
"It's not you're not nice, you're just... not here at all." she confessed.
He felt a pang in his heart at her comment.
"I wasn't here, I know... but now I'm, so it will be all right."
"You promised?"
"Yes, I promised, Tifa. I will be here for you and the kids from now on." He smiled at the idea of her asking again a promise from him. But this one he was more than willing to make ; he already had made it to himself.
She held onto him tighter, wanting time to freeze for a moment.
He kissed her temple and her cheek. "Goodnight Teef."
"Goodnight to you too. You're careful with Holy, I don't want to find her tomorrow morning in another place than your room."
"Mmmh, understood." he nodded at her and left her room quietly.
another chapter soon! :)