A/N I: Sorry for the late update people! Exams and assignments had me on my wits end :(

Chapter 6: Wake Up Calls

"Cloud, it's 6 am, don't you want to start on your deliveries? Or you want to take a few more days off?" Tifa asked the blonde in question as she gently woke him up for his work.

"Mmmm … Tifa … Just a couple more minutes," was Cloud's mumbled reply.

"Oh! Okay." And with that Tifa left the room a little confused. It was surprising how child-like Cloud was acting since just yesterday afternoon. Maybe talking really put some weight off of you and made you feel lighter and better. Yeah that must be it, she definitely shook her head as she headed downstairs to prepare breakfast for the kids and Cloud and pack some lunch for them too.

Even though just a week had passed by since the defeat of the Remnants, restoration had started with a lot of fervour and surprisingly, the first project to be finished was the building of a school. Everybody knew that kids belonged there more than on the streets and helped build, furnish and manage it.

"Morning Tifa~" came the chirp of two kids while she was still thinking about restoration projects.

"Where's Cloud?" asked Denzel perching himself up on a stool at the bar and reaching out for a plate of pancakes.

"Still asleep, I think he is a little tired," was Tifa's reply while she flipped pancakes.

"You guys stayed up till late last night, right?" piped up an ever inquisitive Marlene.

"Yeah, well we were setting up his room, then his office and getting his stuff finally settled so it was a bit around 2 am. Come to think of it, it is pretty legitimate of him to be tired at this time considering we got free at 2! Oh, I guess I'll eat his breakfast and make him some fresh meal whenever he wakes up," Tifa said as she went for his plate. However, she was interrupted in her activity by the timely presence of Cloud coming down the stairs.

"Who's breakfast are you eating?" He said moving towards the bar, "If I am not mistaken, I think this belongs to me," he continued as he took a plate from Tifa's hand with a smile on his face, "But don't worry I'll share it with you," he further added as he took the fork from her hand and started taking a bite.

The kids were baffled at his behaviour. Usually he was pretty reserved with everybody but since yesterday, he was acting much more friendly, he was smiling more and being playful too. Something happened yesterday and now they had to know what happened, or at least Marlene needed to know that. She had known these guys for longer than Denzel had and just like everybody else in Avalanche, she was waiting for something to happen between them, something concrete.

"I'm sure you will, after all you do look at me for your food and other dietary needs. So, if you won't please me, you won't get food the next day," Tifa replied with a slight smile of her own while handing the kids their lunch packs and then putting Cloud's next to him, "Sandwiches good with you guys? I worked on instinct today but I can make whatever you ask me from tomorrow onwards," she added, getting three very different responses. Cloud merely put his hand on hers and said a quiet Thank You while Denzel whooped and shouted about how her sandwiches were the best ever made in the history of sandwiches and Marlene grinned her thanks and said about how they were the perfect lunch since they could be eaten without a mess.

"How will they get to school?" Cloud asked amidst the breakfast noise.

"Well I decided to walk with them until there is a bus service up and running, I can do with the exercise of walking these two and shop for stuff required daily within the bar and such," Tifa replied to his query.

"Hmmm. Well you focus on the shopping, I'll drop off these guys until they have a bus. I can start local deliveries that way. Oh and don't worry, Yuffie will be responsible for picking them up and dropping them back at home since she is idling her time away here. I'll talk to her."

"Well … okay," replied Tifa. Even though Cloud had not said it with much force but he had said it with a finality in his tone. An indication that he was okay with dropping off the kids while Tifa focused on her work and not worry about them. However, something about the arrangement still struck her as wrong, "Yuffie has a habit of getting carried away so will it be alright to trust her with the kids?"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to her about that too. If I tell her that it is your wish, she'll never refuse me or divert from her itinerary," was the only reply Cloud gave to Tifa with a smirk that showed he meant to use the Tifa card on Yuffie.

"Cloud Strife! I do think that you are going to unnecessary lengths using my name what if-"

"Oh don't worry Tifa, if she asks something in return, then we'll think of something. She is our friend, she'll be happy to know that we are sharing our life with her, and the others in that process," the blonde warrior said interrupting his female companion.

Since when did Cloud become such an expert on friendships and feelings, Tifa thought as she started making a list of things she needed for the bar. She held her quiet but remembered to ask Cloud thatnext time she got the chance.

"We'll be on our way now, get ready Denz, Marle. I'll wait for you outside," Cloud announced a few minutes later as he got up from his stool. He watched the kids move upstairs as he gathered the plates and started carrying them towards the kitchen sink but he was stopped midway as Tifa took the plates from his hands and put them down.

"I'll focus on this, you go get the Fenrir ready," she said and feeling a little bold, kissed him on the cheek. "Have a safe day, take care," she continued, with just a slight hint of blush. Why she was blushing she had no idea. Maybe what had happened yesterday was one of those spur of the moment things and that is why she was feeling a little shy.

"Of course," was Cloud's only reply as he stood stunned. Even though he smiled at Tifa, he could feel a blush creeping up too. He thought about yesterday as being a single happy moment, not something he was counting on. To save each other an awkward moment, he thought of taking his leave. "See you later," he said with a smile and turned around to leave.

"Goodbye Tifa~" came the excited shout of two kids as they ran down the stairs holding their bags.

"Goodbye guys! Don't run down the stairs. Have fun, don't fight with others and eat your lunch!" Tifa replied as she started walking towards the door seeing her household leave for their day. It was evident how eager they were about their first day at school. Granted they were starting late but it was better than being home-schooled or not being schooled at all. They were smart kids and both she and Cloud knew that. Even the kids themselves knew that. "Oh and don't rush in making friends. Your friends define who you are, remember," she added as a caution for the kids.

"That's not entirely true Teef," Cloud suddenly interrupted her with a laugh, "Would you define us by looking at Cid or Yuffie? Or Vincent!"

Tifa could only roll her eyes when Cloud added in a serious tone, "But she is right guys, don't rush in making friends. You have time enough to know everybody in class before allowing them to be a friend or a close friend. Choose them wisely. Friends can make a tough journey all the more easier and fun."

"Of course Cloud! Now hurry up before we get late because then nobody would want to be friends with kids who are late on their first day," said Denzel rushing Cloud making far more sense than expected from a kid not even 10.

"Have fun guys!" Tifa shouted over the noise of the Fenrir as she waved to the three people she shared her life with, her family, before turning around and closing the door to the bar.

A/N II: It is kind of ironic that the next update was very late after you said it frostred. Thank you for reviewing my other story. I had a feeling it was Corel but than I looked at Auto-Correct and went with the suggestion :s And a huge welcome to all the new readers and reviewers! Of course Reno will be back and we'll have more Marlene fun! :D