Chapter 7:

The Mystery of Nibelheim Home?

It was not long before Aerith noticed how life was much too different to bear without Zack by her side. Though Zack felt that emptiness revolving around his heart, his pride would not allow any slightest "more-than-friends" interaction with Aerith. Since then, Aerith had started to seek company in Rufus and Rude more often.

"And what of it?"

"Nothing… Just didn't expect you guys breaking up after all these years."

"Zack knew. He didn't say anything when it happened."

"Oh? What about you? How do you feel about this?"

"Feel? I wasn't even given the time to feel when he left. Just like that." Aerith had to fight back the tears that were brimming.

Rufus let off a soft scoff.

"Stop making it sound like you're the one suffering when he's the one who tolerated your volatility over these years."

"…"

"Gosh, really hate that part of you."

"Rufus, stop that." As silent as Rude always was, he chipped in.

"Stop acting like you're bearing all the sufferings yourself, O mighty Aerith." Rufus stood up from the lunch table and looked down at Aerith, who had shrunk into her shoulders.

Truth to be told, Rufus did not the least feel interested in Aerith. She was, to him, trying too hard to be saint-like. And that was annoying. Had it not been Zack, he would have shunned away from her. Zack, on the other hand, was his good friend, quite so for his carefree attitude. Zack would not want a lonely Aerith. Though Rufus wondered, how much – or little – their being with Aerith actually helped.

Rude shifted in his seat, uncomfortable at how blatant Rufus was, and more so at a sensitive girl like Aerith.

"Don't worry; his tongue is just as sharp as that. Didn't mean anything though, I apologise on his behalf." Rude patted Aerith softly on her shoulders.

Aerith felt, for the first time, she did not really belong anywhere then. Not with Rufus and Rude, not with Cloud and Tifa… Not with Zack, not anymore.

When Rude left, Aerith stayed behind. She laid her head on the table and covered her face with her arms, as tears involuntarily flowed down. Had she ever been lonelier?

"Miss Aerith-"

Aerith wiped her tears away in one swift movement and looked behind her.

Tifa had been feeling quite uncomfortable recently. Zack had been with them a lot lately, acting – or rather, trying to – as he had always been. Cracking jokes light heartedly, teasing her. But deep down, she knew how he must feel: dejected, lonely, miserable, depressed. Wretched, just wretched.

Cloud had been smiling more often, a miraculous phenomenon; must have been the recent happenings. When your friend is down, you do not fall with him, you pull him up again. Cloud's doing it right. Zack seems to appreciate it.

"Have I told you the time this guy peed his pants?"

"WHA- ZACK YOU-"

"Tell me!" Tife squealed, "Tell me!"

"ZACK, YOU BETTER DON'T-"

"It was when this chap first joined Home, he- ummph ummnphh?" Zack's voice was muffled by Cloud's hands, one tight around his neck, the other around his mouth.

"Awww, Cloud, please?" Tife pleaded, trying to peel Cloud from Zack.

"NO WAY IN HELL." Cloud groaned, "Especially not in front of you. Zack you ass, stop planting weird stories in her head!"

"Cloud, Cloud, please, I want to hear!" Tifa stomped her feet slightly, and wrapped her arms around Cloud.

"No."

"Please?"

In just a split second, Zack broke away from Cloud's grip and did an elaborated side kick to bring him down before pinning Cloud helpless on the ground.

"Man, you're still too young to challenge me, bro. Now, where was I?"

"You haven't really started." Tifa giggled, the sight of a tamed Cloud was too amusing to resist.

"Right, so it happened when Cloud was still quite new to Home, I guess he wasn't quite used to the bed here. He looked like some rich man's kid, a total smug."

"MMMPH! MMMM!"

"Looks like we've got some objection from Cloud. Anyways, continuing with the story, Cloud peed his bed one night, and he totally freaked out. He carried the whole mattress, with his wet pants, into the front porch and washed it with the gardening hose. It was an amusing sight indeed."

"Wait... Were you sleeping in a room with him?"

"Yeh."

"Just the both of you?"

"Yeh."

"You didn't help?" Tifa raised one of her eyebrows.

"Nope. It was too funny to watch. I was paralysed laughing. But I did do my part in waking Elmyra and embarrassing him."

"MMMPHHH MMMMMMHPPPPP!"

"What have you got to say, Cloud?"

"Zack, you were such a sadist since young. Ugh. Don't even talk about how Aerith rolled on the floor laughing when she heard it next morning."

Oops.

Tifa could see the smile on Zack's face harden, breaking away in its essence, while maintaining its physical presence.

"And Cloud? What was his reaction?"

"Cloud, Ol' Cloud shows no emotions. It's a habit from young."

"Not even when he was discovered?"

"Uh hmm. Please don't talk of me as if I'm not present here at the moment."

"Nope, not even when he was discovered. He just stared wide eyed. Though it was obvious that he totally freaked out."

"Right..."

The three of them sat by each other, Cloud and Zack each on the other side of Tifa, on the rooftop that once only held memories of Cloud and Tifa. Cloud placed his hand on Tifa's and whispered by her ear, "Forget what that jerkass said."

"No worries, I still love you." Tifa whispered back, by his ear, sending a streak of red straight down to his neck.

Tifa wondered, now that both of them had confessed, are they lovers, or merely special friends?

Zack looked away.

Two weeks before Cloud's birthday, Elmyra invited Tifa to her office for afternoon tea.

It was not something to get worked up for, but Tifa dressed appropriately, for she was told that there would be guests. The sound of leaves rustling could be heard through the open windows as Elmyra introduced the guests. He was dressed in a suit, much too carelessly. His supposed collared-shirt left largely unbuttoned beneath his jacket. The metallic cross that hung from his neck matched his crimson hair, glimmering under the sunlight. Two other man beside him stayed a safe three steps from them, they were aged close to Rude and Rufus, in their late teens, yet from the way they dress, they are more than just that.

Upon meeting, Tifa gave a small bow and addressed him politely, extending her hand to be shaken. He seemed to be taken off guard.

"Yo, you don't have to. Man... Alright. I'm Reno. Nice to uh, meet...You?"

"Nice to meet you too, Mr Reno, I'm Tifa." Tifa flashed him the most natural smile she could muster and looked at Elmyra.

"Tifa, Reno has something to ask of you."

"Sure." Though Tifa knew nothing about the man before her, neither had she ever met him, she knew better than to disgrace Elmyra.

After they have seated down, Reno took a sip of the wine prepared by Elmyra and Tifa had a small tasting of the Orange juice served for her.

"Tis' regarding Mr Shinra." Reno looked up at Tifa, his expression serious.

"Mr. Shinra? As in... President Shinra?" Tifa nearly gasped. There should not be anyone else named Shinra, for having the same name as the President could mean imprisonment as possible act of rebellion.

"Well, ye. In this case, Rufus Shinra too."

Tifa nearly choked on air. Rufus is... related to President Shinra?

"Young Master Rufus you see, lady. The President wants him back in the house. Not loiterin' aroun' here no more."

Reno took a short pause for Tifa to breathe.

"Miss, we would like to make you an offer."

Tifa swallowed.

"Would ya go to Midgar with Young Master Rufus?"

"Me? To Midgar!"

"Ye. Mr Rufus will be lonely there won't he? He hadn't been home for a long time now."

"Wait, I... I don't even know about Rufus being the president's son!"

"It doesn't matter. Only Rude and Elmyra knows."

So... Rude was sent to be Rufus' bodyguard... And Elmyra, a baby sitter. Is that the real story behind Nibelheim Home? What else are they hiding from us?

"Why haven't I see you before? How can I trust you?"

Reno flipped an ID card onto the table.

"This is my agent code. I'm a turk. Directly above me, is Tseng. And we receive direct commands from President Shinra."

"That's not what I mean..."

"Ya know, girl. You're of no status to refuse here. You're just a little stone that hinders us. Had it not been Elmyra adopting you, we'd have our jobs done much easier."

"Wha...what?"

"Miss Aerith and Young Master Rufus. They are of a different status from you. Right now, Rude had reported that Mr Rufus have taken a liking to you. So Miss, do your job and be a good consort for him."

"Aerith too? Aerith is the daughter of President Shinra as well?"

"Yes. We are here to escort both Miss Aerith and Mr Rufus back home in a week."

"Do they know about their lineage, and who they are?" Tifa looked over to Elmyra and asked.

"They have been hinted. I will tell them personally. They do have a little memories from their childhood, so it wouldn't be a surprise."

"What about Zack? What will he do when all of us left?"

"He is old enough, Tifa. Cloud and him, they will stay together."

"But isn't Cloud Aerith's younger brother? Why isn't he invited?"

"Missy, ya better stop these nonsense questions. Who do ya think ya are?" Reno stood up and the two guards behind him took a step forward.

Tifa forcefully kept her lips shut.

"There is only one reaction we came to get from ya. Stop ya questions and just give us the reply we want. Girl, ya are going to Midgar with us."

"No. I won't leave Cloud alone."

"Right, so I heard. Young lovers aren't ya? Well, will ya still sacrifice this chance just this dumb puppy love after hearing what I'm going to say?"

Reno came uncomfortably close to Tifa, his lips pressing against her ears as he whispered.

Cloud heard a soft knock on the door. He was about to sleep when he heard it again, this time, with a soft whisper.

"Cloud, are you awake?"

It was Tifa. Cloud jumped off the bed and opened the door. His room was located at the furthest part of the house, separated from the others. Had he been with them, Elmyra would have caught Tifa.

Cloud pulled Tifa in and closed the door. Despite Elmyra being a gentle mother-like figure, she had made Zack camp under a tree for three months for spending the night with Aerith.

He looked down at Tifa, her hair was damp, and she was wearing a light blue nightgown. She held her pillow in her arms and looked nervous.

"Tifa?"

"Hmmm?"

"You sleeping over?"

Tifa looked up at him and smiled. Cloud could sense something beneath that smile. Was she, perhaps still worried about him leaving in two weeks?

"Yeah."

It was Cloud's turn to swallow. He thought about that night in the mansion and blushed.

"You know, I've never really been in here." Tifa said, setting her pillow on his bed.

"Y-yeah."

Tifa stopped by the window, and drew the curtains. The night wind blew, cold against her cheeks. Cloud came by her, his arms around her shoulders, sweeping her hair to the side of her neck.

She turned around and kissed him softly on his chin.

"Why the sudden?"

"Huh? I can't kiss you?" Tifa asked, her fingers on her lips.

"No, I mean-" Cloud's entire face lit up with red, "why come to my room?"

Tifa giggled. "I know. I was teasing you."

The way she laughed, sent waves down his entire body, straight to his soul.

"You need some discipline, you tease." Cloud murmured.

"Hmmm?"

Cloud grabbed Tifa by her waist and tickled her. The more he tickled her, the more she kicked and struggled, laughing. If the room was any closer to the rest, everyone would be awake. Tifa threw her head back as Cloud lifted her from her feet and continued his assault.

Cloud was taken in by her image; it was as though his soul had been sucked in by her, the peachy scent of her shampoo and body wash. His mind was in a mess.

"HAHAHAHAHHA! STOP! CLOUD STOP!"

"No."

"S-HAHAHA S-STOP!"

"Alright." Cloud stopped and set her on her feet.

"You're really stopping?" Tifa looked at Cloud, feeling a little disappointed.

"You want more?" Cloud kissed her on the side of the neck and whispered, "you bad girl."

Tifa flushed a bright red and Cloud poked her cheek, smirking.

"Alright you poor thing." Cloud hugged Tifa in his arms, her head rested on his shoulder. "Shall we go to bed now? It's past midnight."

Tifa hugged him tighter, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Gahhhhhh, you're heavy."

"That's punishment for tickling me."

Tifa seemed ridiculously cute to him, to the point where he almost asked for more punishment.

After switching off the lights, he laid her softly against the bed and held her as he fitted himself against her on the small bed. Tifa snuggled up against him, her cheeks against his chest, her legs folded. He wrapped his arms around her, and she could hear his heart beating fast.

"Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind... You come save me, all right?"

"What?"

"Whenever I"m in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once."

"What?"

"Come on-! Promise me-!"

"All right... I promise."

Tifa curled up against him as he brushed her hair softly and tucked her under the blanket with him.

"You silly girl."

Tifa shut her eyes tight, when Cloud fell asleep, Tifa sat up on the bed. She looked at him, his blonde eye lashes seemed transparent in the dark, his jaw line a perfect arc. She brushed her finger tips against his chin, across to his lips and cheeks. As Tifa touched him, tears rolled.

These days will soon end.