CHAPTER 7

It was hard for Vincent to have a hyperactive band member like Zack but to make trouble worst, it doubled. Cloud has turned to Zack. Right now, Yuffie was trying to calm both of them down from the news they had just received from Shinra.

"Tell him to do it himself! He wants us to perform another new and fresh song next week? And he only tells us now?" Cloud complained and Zack who stood behind him agreed. "Oh come on, we can get a free stay at the Gold Saucer hotel," Yuffie tried to convince them.

"Like that'll be any help," Zack muttered and Cloud nodded. It was disastrous when Cloud agreed with Zack. "It won't be that bad, right Vincent?" Yuffie silently begged for his assistance.

Vincent rose from his seat and made his way towards them. "If you waste more time then you'll have less time to compose the song right? Waste more time then," he said simply and walked away.

Cloud looked at him in disbelief. Was Vincent actually obeying what that Shinra guy wanted? Then it only hit him, they were under that Shinra guy contract. He grunted and he sat down as he took his guitar with him.

X X X

It was nice to see Cloud healthy as more energetic than the weeks he had been hospitalized. Ever since Denzel stayed with them, the house didn't feel so empty as always.

It was raining heavily.

Tifa was looking down from the balcony when she saw Cloud running in the rain. He seemed to be overjoyed and he was practically jumping up and down. "What does he think he's doing?"

The last time he was like that, he nearly set the house on fire. And this time, what would he do?

Tifa quickly grabbed an umbrella and rushed downstairs. "He really needs to grow up. He'll get sick if he plays in the rain like that!" Tifa talked to herself.

She made her way to him. The rough wind wasn't making it easy for her. Tifa kept on muttering something under her breath irritated.

"Cloud! What do you think you're doing in the rain!?" Tifa asked between the loud noises of the rain. She quickly covered him with the umbrella while holding it tightly. "You're going to get sick!"

"I just finished writing a song and that Shinra guy approved it on the first try!" Cloud replied enthusiastically. "That's good! But why are you celebrating like a madman on the lose?" Tifa said in sarcasm. Cloud just laughed heartily and ignored her comment.

"You're too tight Tifa! The song is called Caress of Venus!" he replied as he ran into the rain once again. "Heck!" Tifa ran after him. "He's really gonna get it!" He was singing in the rain happily and Tifa saw a few people walking by sending him glances.

"Cloud Strife! Get back here!" she called but he ignored her totally. An idea suddenly popped up. "Sorry for using you Aerith!"

"If you don't, I'm gonna tell Aerith that you once cross-dressed as a girl!" Tifa shouted and Cloud immediately stopped. He turned to her. "You don't dare," he said looking at her for seriousness.

"I can and I will if you don't get back here," Tifa warned him. He walked slowly towards her and Tifa's eyes never leave him. He might dash off again. He made an annoyed face and murmured under his breath, "You're such a spoil sport. And you made me cross dressed."

Tifa pretended like she didn't hear him and smiled in victory. "That's better," Tifa said in compliment.

As they made their way back, the wind blow hard and the umbrella Tifa was holding broke, leaving them both under the rain. "Oh man!" Tifa looked at her broken umbrella and tried to cover her head with her hands.

Cloud laughed at her but they ran for shelter. Inside her, Tifa was swearing like mad and wondered if it was just her bad day or his lucky day. She was about to reach the staircase to the apartment when she heard small meowing.

Tifa stopped and looked around. Cloud halted too when he saw Tifa stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked weirdly. She was the one acting as if the rain was like acid pouring from the sky.

Tifa spotted the small kitten soaked in the rain and quickly ran towards it. Cloud followed from behind and saw she picked up the kitten and they ran back to the apartment. Once they reached the shelter, Tifa looked at the kitten. It was shaking violently.

Its fur was messy and it didn't stop meowing. A female cat stuck its head out from beneath bundle of boxes and Tifa placed the kitten near it. It came out and picked up its baby and return back beneath the bundle once again.

Tifa turned to Cloud with a silly grin on her face. She was as wet as he was though she was the one who ordered him not to stay under the rain in the first place. They laughed at each other and made their way upstairs. She had to admit that he still look good even in the rain.

She opened the door and they were greeted with Marlene and Denzel who had an 'adult' look on their faces. Marlene was the one who spoke, "You played in the rain?"

Cloud just shrugged and Tifa just looked away. Marlene looked at Tifa and said, "You look like …" she was cut off by Tifa, "You don't wanna finish that sentence." Marlene swallowed back her words.

Tifa made a sweet smile on her face and said, "I'm going into the bathroom first." And she quickly made her way into the house.

"Ah!" Cloud realized he had to wait for her to come out then only he can shower. He turned to Denzel, "Don't be like her!" He brushed Denzel's hair and followed Tifa from behind. "Eww… I'm wet too," Denzel complained as he shook his head.

Marlene and Denzel heard a loud thud of the door and they knew that Cloud must hit his face on the door hard.

"Hey Denzel?" Marlene called. "What?" Denzel replied.

"Who are the adults? Them or us?" She continued and all she got back was just, "I'm not so sure myself."

X X X

Right now the kids were with Barret and they were on a trip to Corel Town for a few weeks. They invited Tifa to come along but Tifa thought it would be better if she stayed behind to watch over Cloud.

Tifa had just finished cleaning around the house and she looked around it. It felt so empty without Marlene or Denzel.

Tifa took the newspaper and read it. She flipped through the pages and stopped at one particular page. "Avalanche on the catwalk stage," she read the title.

"Avalanche vocalist, Cloud Strife who is rumoured to be going out with Ancient Beauty top supermodel Aerith Gainsborough was seen at a fashion show organized by the Ancient Beauty in conjunction with the new line under their company. Although he remained quiet when he was asked about their relationship but Aerith somehow hinted on their developing relationship.

The two was seen speaking to each other after the fashion show and they left the place together. Cloud who remained firm with his stand of not sharing his personal life with the public didn't comment anything about the rumour."

Tifa read the last line of the short article softly and she felt a pang of loss in her. She bit her lower lips and placed back the newspaper on the table. Last week, different news about them was published when the tabloid found them going at a shopping mall.

That time when they were asked if they're getting together, Aerith just said, "Going shopping together doesn't necessarily mean we're getting together right?

Apparently Cloud rarely spoke to her since he was busy with his performances and shows.

Tifa blew out her breath and leaned back on the sofa. "Stop acting like this already." Why was she acting this way? She pulled herself together and rose from the sofa and decided to occupy herself. "It's simply because Marlene forget to bring her toothbrush along with her!"

XXX

The next day, Tifa had a special visit from Cid and Yuffie who looked like they didn't sleep for days. "What happen to you guys?" Tifa eyed them as she let them entered the apartment.

"I'm surprised you're still breathing with that hyperactive chocobo living with you," Cid said as he sighed and sat on the couch without waiting for Tifa's invitation. Yuffie, the ever energetic person Tifa had ever seen also looked so exhausted and tired.

"Look, to make matter simple, we want you to become Cloud's chaperon," Cid said as Yuffie didn't bother to inform Tifa the main purpose of their visit. Tifa frowned, "A chaperon?"

"Yeah, they have a show at the Gold Saucer next weekend and Shinra wanted someone to 'supervise' Cloud during their stay there," Yuffie said as she had a troubled look on her face. Tifa felt more suspicious.

"What did he do this time?" Tifa asked in a mother-like voice and placed a hand on her hip.

"He went into Shinra's office when Shinra wasn't around and he made paper planes from the documents on that guy's desk. Shinra's really pissed," Cid said on Yuffie's behalf.

"And when he was busted, he said 'He was the one who made me wait for half an hour and I was boring' so casually," Yuffie imitated Cloud's voice. Tifa's face turned to a deeper frown. Now he's playing prank on other people.

"He's getting out of hand lately. Please, we need your help this time. I've run out of ideas of who can help us," Yuffie looked at Tifa with begging eyes.

"Do I have certain condition that I have to obey?" Tifa asked. She didn't want to be tricked into something she didn't like.

"You are not his fan and no romance," Cid concluded in a simple sentence. Tifa thought for a while and nodded, "Okay then. I'll do it."

XXX

"Nope. I won't wear it. It's too ugly," Cloud shrugged off the stylist idea of a jacket to be worn at their Gold Saucer performance. He continued to play with his guitar. The stylist looked like she was about to give up when Yuffie entered the room.

"Cloud, are you giving her more trouble again?" Yuffie asked Cloud. Cloud just ignored her. "The jacket is too ugly."

Yuffie blew out her breath. This was the third time she changed his stylist in two weeks and so far, she was the best stylist compared to the first two.

"I want you to meet your chaperon then. She'll be in charge of you from your personal to your performance preparations," Yuffie said clearly so that Cloud heard her.

"Hey, don't you think you're doing too much. It's getting overboard," Cloud protested. "It's not like it's going to work anyway."

"We'll see about that. Cid, bring her in," Yuffie commanded and someone opened the door.

"Cloud didn't bother to look at his new 'chaperon' he just played with his guitar in an arrogant manner. The chaperon stopped right in front of him and Cloud thought she felt familiar, too familiar.

He looked up and at the same time he was greeted, "Hello Cloud. I'm you chaperon. We'll be working together from now on. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," Tifa smiled as she placed both hands on her waist, a pose Cloud always seen back at his apartment whenever he got into trouble.

For Cloud, her smile looked like a knife on his neck as he drew back his breath. "Yo-yoroshiku," he stammered as his blue eyes were wide. Yuffie definitely went too far for him.

"Now, I heard you don't want to wear that jacket right?" Tifa pointed to the jacket his stylist was holding. "Let's see, what do you have here?" Tifa asked as she went to the wardrobe and looked for something.

Cloud sensed danger at her behavior and jumped out from his seat and grabbed the jacket from his stylist. The last time he let her decide what he should wear, he ended up cross-dressed as a girl. In a smooth movement, he put on the jacket and adjusted it, "On second thought, I think this one is alright."

'That was easy,' Tifa smiled to herself and turned. "I agree. It looks good on you," Tifa eyes him. The stylist raised her brows in amazement. "How'd she do it?"

"Now, I believe you have a few more for him to try on right?" Tifa turned to the stylist. She quickly nodded and rushed to her wardrobe.

Tifa sat on the couch nearby and smiled, "Take your time. I'm not rushing and I got the whole day just for him."

Cloud just sighed inwardly. Of all people, it had to be her.