Frankokomando won the one-shot with the guess that Aerith, Tifa, and Cloud inspired Denzel's limit break. If you haven't seen it already, the one-shot is a story called "The Depth of Damnation". I put a lot of effort into this one so go on and read it.
For my "After Saving the World" readers, here is your chapter. Read, enjoy, and review. You guys are awesome. Bit of a warning, though. This chapter is Tifa-centric with hints of, oh, you know, this and that. Hehe! Enjoy!
His help came unexpectedly. Looking back on it, Tifa wasn't sure why she had been so surprised. Johnny had gone to grab a power driver, Cloud had left again to scavenger the Ruins nearly two hours ago, and Shelke had ducked inside to start making a late lunch. It was natural for any gentleman to step forward and catch the beam before it crushed her.
From the ground, Tifa frowned at herself. "Thank you, Rude. These tools don't like me very much. That's the second time I've stepped and slipped on them today."
Rude hefted the beam aside and offered Tifa a hand up. She looked at it for a moment before accepting it and coming to a stand. Behind Rude, Reno slouched forward, a curiously sober look in his eyes.
"What happened here? Stray piece of Meteor hit? The place is trash."
Tifa frowned deeply. "We are fixing it. Not our fault it caught on fire."
"A fire, huh?" Reno stepped closer, eyes squinting at the remains. He dug his hands deeper into his pockets, no doubt an unconscious gesture that he wasn't about to ask what he could do to help. "Any idea how it started?"
"No," Tifa deadpanned. "And frankly I don't care right now as long as it doesn't happen again." She turned her back on them and crouched to pick up the beam again, watching her footing carefully this time. "I'm getting back to work. If you're going to help, help. If not, please stay out of my way."
"Hmph," Reno stepped away. He must have been in a particularly good mood because as he led Rude away he called back, "Good luck."
As she lifted the beam back into place, Johnny came out of the bar with the driver. "Hey," he walked faster, "I thought you said you were going to wait until I got back so I could lift it."
Tifa held the beam in place while he started to drill holes into the wood. "Got tired of waiting," she returned.
Johnny smiled easily at her and started a one-sided conversation that rang in her ears like a brass band. Unconsciously Tifa wished Cloud would hurry and get back. Johnny's talkative nature didn't bother her too much, but there came a point where she literally craved Cloud's shy silence.
Johnny really wasn't a bad guy, but the noise was skinning her down to her nerves. Again, Tifa wondered. Where is Cloud? He should be back soon.
… … … …
Cloud leaned against the bundle of scrap tied onto the back of Fenrir's seat. Absently he nodded into his phone as he listened to Denzel through the speaker.
"…and Yuffie left today."
"Yeah?"
"Uh-huh. I guess she left sometime during the day because nobody knew where she was until she sent everyone a text saying goodbye." Denzel paused and stifled a laugh. "Except for Cid. She left him a message saying she had his clothes hidden in the cellar under his workshop in Rocket Town all along."
Cloud smiled. "Sounds like Yuffie."
Denzel laughed lightly. "Yeah, as bad as I feel for Cid, it was kinda funny watching him read it. He left an hour ago." Denzel paused, giving Cloud the chance to speak, but went on after a few seconds. "Nanaki left too. Vincent's staying though. He said something about investigating Dio and the Gold Saucer because of the hole Marlene and I found. I'm not sure what that's about. No one will tell me, but…" he sighed, "whatever, I guess."
Denzel went oddly silent. Cloud waited, getting onto Fenrir, ready to go back to the bar with the supplies. He was about to tell Denzel he needed to head off when Denzel spoke.
"I want to go home."
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked softly, noting the tremble in Denzel's words.
"I miss you and Tifa, and I'm tired of the Gold Saucer. I want to go home. I don't care if the bar's half gone and I'd have to sleep on the floor. I want to go home."
Cloud sat quietly, not sure what to say or how to handle the situation. "Denzel, I…I–"
"I know," he interrupted. "It's easier if you don't have to worry about us, and Barret would die before letting Marlene sleep on the floor, even if it was clean."
In the background, a cacophony of noise rose and Denzel fell silent. When the sound faded a bit, Denzel reported, "Barret wants his phone back. So, good night, Cloud."
"Denzel?" Cloud stopped him. He opened his mouth, shut it, and tried once more, "Denzel, I know you want to come home, but just wait a while, okay? And when you do get back…I'll be here."
Denzel, down enough not to care who heard him, answered gratefully, "I miss you too, Cloud. Good night."
"Night."
Cloud glanced up at the sun overhead as he hung up. He still had a long day ahead of him.
Tifa didn't think much of it after the first time Rude stopped by to help. After all, he had just happened by when she lost her footing. A chance encounter, really, but after he discovered the state of her home, he began showing up sporadically. He came unannounced (never with Reno), began to help where directed, and left silently after a few hours.
Tifa thought about talking to Cloud about it, but most evenings they both fell asleep too quickly to carry a legible discussion and otherwise Johnny was around to hinder a private conversation. Not that it was his fault. Johnny just enjoyed talking and flirting and trying to help Tifa in ways so embarrassing she almost wished she could disappear. Honestly, trying to coddle her after she smashed her finger with a hammer was too much. ("Martial artist or not, a metal hammerhead still hurts." "Yes, but I'm fine, Johnny. See?")
So Tifa hadn't mentioned her impressions of Rude's presence to Cloud. Rude continued to come, unbidden and unthanked, and though his reoccurring presence puzzled Tifa, she accepted the help. She had tried to thank him, but every time ended up in Johnny calling her over for one thing or another before she could get the words out. She suspected a blossoming jealousy, but it wasn't like anyone had claim on her!
She never managed to actually speak to Rude until the day Reno showed up trailing after him.
"Thought I'd see where Rude spends his free time loafing around," Reno commented as an excuse. After sitting in boredom for a half hour, even he picked up a hammer and started to help ("Wouldn't want a perfectly good bar to go to waste. You can get drunk anywhere, but this's the only place that serves decent food in this dump.") Either Tifa had more friends than she thought or Reno was truly dying of boredom.
It turned out that Reno created more problems than help. The third time he dropped the can of nails, Rude stepped in.
Raising his eyebrows at the look he assumed Rude wore behind his sunglasses, Reno remarked, "I guess I'm out. I'll just leave things to you and Hot Lips here." With that, Reno gave a flashing wave before leaving, hands in pockets, whistling a shrill tune in time to his steps.
Rude knelt to help Tifa collect the scattered nails. "I'm sorry."
Tifa smiled at him gratefully. "It's not your fault. Reno's Reno, and for all I know, he just got involved to cause trouble." She stopped herself. "No, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Forcing a smile on her face, she finally spoke the words she'd been trying to say, "Thank you for all your help on Seventh Heaven."
He nodded.
"But…why are you helping me?" She tilted her head. "I mean, don't you have, like, Turk business to keep you busy or something?" she spoke awkwardly. "Or…I don't know. I guess it just seems out of your Turk stereotype to be doing construction work."
Rude actually gave her a brief smile, perhaps the only time she had seen it. "I was something else before I was a Turk."
"What did you used to do?" She asked curiously, placing the remaining nails into the can.
Rude shrugged.
Tifa smiled and shook her head at his reticent nature. He managed to speak less than Cloud – Vincent even. Johnny, too talkative for his own good. Rude, too quiet for her tastes. Cloud…
Wait, how did Cloud's name come up? She wasn't even thinking of him. Back to work, Tifa, she scolded herself. Just think of the freedom of having a home again instead of just a dimly lit bar.
She never turned around so she missed Johnny watching Rude and Tifa from around the corner of the building as they started working again together.
"You want to what?" Tifa asked again. Normally she wasn't one to mishear people, but still she wanted to double check.
"We don't have to call it a date," The confidence Johnny had gained over the past week and a half had disappeared, swallowed inside Tifa's gaze.
"But if I go, who is going to make dinner for Cloud and Shelke?" Tifa stammered.
Shelke grinned. "We'll be fine."
Cloud nodded. "Have fun; we'll manage."
Johnny offered a smile. "I make the best alfredo on the Eastern Continent."
"B-but I…" She looked at Cloud for help. In all her life, as embarrassing as it was, she had never been on a "date". She didn't tell Cloud that she had not gone out with a single boy in Nibelheim due to that night on the town well. Certainly she had experienced many things in the world with men by her side, but she only defined a date as an event where she was formally asked.
If Tifa went with Johnny now, he would be her first date. Somehow the thought of Johnny being her official first date didn't sit well with her.
She searched Cloud's eyes for advice and comfort. Cloud smiled reassuringly at Tifa. That did it for her. Whenever she saw that rare smile, she felt like she could take on the world.
"Okay," she acquiesced, "but I'm only staying for dinner."
Johnny seemed to slump into the cement, relief and excitement melting him inside. "Sure thing! Let's get going."
They walked to his place in mutually nervous silence. At Johnny's little café, however, he began an awkward conversation with her, "So, how long have you and Cloud known each other?"
"Um," she perched on the stool at the counter while he began cooking. "Nearly forever, I guess."
"Yeah? So you two are pretty close then."
"Well, not really…" she trailed off, thinking about all the struggles they had been through to get where they were. She had barely known him in Nibelheim, and when they met each other again years later, Cloud barely knew who he was. After regaining his identity, he'd been harrowed with guilt and fear. It was only now that she could begin to truly start to know him as himself.
"Hm, so you're more like," he paused to scan his spice cupboard for the salt. Finding it he continued, "new friends to each other."
"Something like that," Tifa conceded. Eager to get away from the personal prying, she asked, "What about you? Are you from around here? Or did you come in from the West Continent?"
That fixed the awkwardness. "You want to know?" Tifa poured her feminine wiles into a charming smile and nodded. "Well, since you asked…" Till dinner came off the stove and went into their stomachs, Johnny talked about his life growing up in the Sector 7 slums with his parents. Apparently he lived next door to Tifa's bar and she never knew it.
They traded what little common ground they had with each other: favorite color, a love for cooking, and a growing distaste for city living. By the end of the evening they both knew it wasn't enough ground to build on.
Tifa tried to think of some way to let Johnny down gently, but he sensed it coming. "I get it, Tifa," he picked up the dishes, carting them away to be washed. "You're not into me. I guess I've always known it." He set the bowls on the counter and faced her fully. "But I'm not going to give up. It makes no difference to me. I'll find a way to show you how much I care for you."
Taken aback by the forward honesty and determination, Tifa rearranged her words before replying. "Johnny, you're a nice guy, and I really appreciate your helping us with the bar. But…I think it's too soon for me to be jumping into anything. I've got so much to worry right now that getting into a relationship would just be too much." She hesitated. "Is it alright if we just stay friends?"
Johnny blinked at her. His face broke into a grin. "That would be great." She could almost hear him thinking, Something's better than nothing. "Still, can I walk you back? It's getting late."
She shook her head. "I'll be alright. Do you want help cleaning up before I go?"
Johnny looked down at the dirty dishes. "Nah, I'm good. Just so long as you're sure about getting back on your own."
Tifa smiled for real this time. "Believe me, I can handle any trouble that dares bother me."
With a mock shudder, he teased, "I don't doubt it."
As Tifa walked away, she felt drained. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. Absolutely drained and guilty for the way the night had gone. Dinner had taken longer than she would have liked and the sky overhead was a darkening navy. As she stalked the streets of Edge, Tifa couldn't help but wish Cloud would still be awake when she got back. Tifa needed someone to talk to.
Reaching the Seventh Heaven, Tifa stepped quietly through the front, careful not to ring the overhead bell too suddenly. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust in the darkness before glancing toward Cloud's usual sleeping spot.
Her heart stopped.
Cloud was gone.
Oh, no, no, no. Instantly her mind raced through everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. What had she said? What had she done? Did she ignore him? Upset him? Say something insensitive? What had happened?!
Before her panic tore her completely away from reason, the bathroom door opened and Cloud stepped out. He barely made it two steps before a mass of relief flung into him. Tifa wrapped her arms all the way around him. His body stiffened with startled rigidity. She hadn't known how scared she was of him leaving again until she thought he had gone.
"Uh, Tifa?" Cloud spoke tightly. She knew she was crossing the line of Cloud's personal don't-touch-me-don't-pop-my-personal-space-bubble, but she needed to feel him against her. "Are you okay?"
If anything, she wanted to feel his embrace in return, but she had his arms pinned to his sides, and she didn't want to loosen her hold. He fixed the problem for her, wiggling his arms free to hug her back. She savored the security she felt in that moment. After a minute Tifa stood down, knowing she was worrying him and causing discomfort.
"Are you okay?" Cloud asked again, his hand halfway to her as if he wanted to comfort her but didn't know how or if it was needed.
"I'm fine. I just…I needed that."
"Did something happen?"
"Not really," her heart warmed at his open concern and the protective hint in his voice. "I'm just tired." With that she moved to where Cloud had made up her bed on the bench. As she lay down, she murmured a good night. She kept her eyes on him until she fell asleep.
I know. Rude. I'm not a TifaxRude shipper at all, but the purpose of this entire fic was to give a chance to every legit guy I could think of in FFVII that has ever expressed interest in Tifa without having had adequate chance to catch her eye, and then to see who she would end up with. So that's why Rude's here.
And now…Johnny's out! Cloud's obviously gaining some ground here. I guess we'll see what happens. *grins mischievously*
-Dante