Chapter 77: Entertainment

At the end, Cloud pushed himself up to one knee and that was all Tifa waited for. Before the floor with the monster corpse on it even started to sink, before the sound of the bell had even stopped, she was across the slick platform and skidding to her knees in front of Cloud, wrapping her arms around him. He made a noise when she did, part pained, part laugh, and he simply leaned forward into her and relaxed.

"I was supposed to come to you," he muttered against her and her own noise, part tears, part laugh, slipped out of her.

"You were late. I thought I'd come find you instead."

He gave a soft noise of approval and she called up her healing materia and cast it over him. The glow was strong and bright, swirling as it closed around him and helped knit torn skin and bruised flesh back together. He exhaled a long, slow sigh as he settled more comfortably slumped forward against her.

"You're an idiot," she chided him against his ear. "Yuffie could have – "

He shook his head and then got distracted, nuzzling just under her ear with his nose.

"Dangerous. Didn't want to risk – Gaia, you smell good…" His hands slipped down to wrap his fingers around the outsides of her thighs and he dragged her closer to him that way. She felt the heat flush from her stomach all the way up to her cheeks.

"Cloud – " it choked out of her and he laughed, a low, barely there sound that rumbled through her as his fingers spread and tightened on her.

"Cast another cure on me so I can carry you out of here. They've got rooms nearby."

That sounded… yes, that sounded… the single, persistent brain cell kicked in -

"No!" It squeaked out of her. "I mean – Cloud!"

"You son of a bitch!" Leon had made it up onto the square as well now and he actually pushed past one of the healers starting to climb onto the platform to march over. "If Tifa wasn't in the way, I'd kick your ass right now."

"Tifa," Cloud's voice was muffled against her and his lips rubbed along her throat. "Stay in the way."

"Sir," one of the healers was trying to reach Cloud except half of the team was already crowded around him as Shera and Aerith joined Leon. "I need to restore the contestant. It's part of the game's rules."

"You don't touch him," Tifa was surprised by how much like a snarl the statement came out of her and she turned hard, flashing eyes on the healer as her arms wrapped more tightly around Cloud. Whatever the healer saw in them, he actually jerked back an unintentional step. Tifa turned her face into Cloud's hair and murmured to him:

"That's my job," as she summoned the healing from the materia embedded in her gloves again and poured it out through her and into the man in her arms. Cloud sighed as the familiar green wove over and around and through him again. She hadn't been able to help him fight. Healing was the least she could do. Cloud gave another grunt as the green began to fade and Tifa felt him flex the muscles in his back and shoulders experimentally. She didn't know whether to hit him or kiss him. Clearing his throat, he raised his head and looked at the rest of his team gathered around him. Then he looked at Leon.

"I told you not to call anyone."

"Yeah, well, since I don't take my orders from you, I did," Leon answered with a shrug. Cloud slipped an arm around Tifa's shoulders and stood up, drawing her up with him. The edges of his lips moved and his eyes were steady as they met Leon's.

"Thanks."

Leon shrugged and Cloud looked at the rest of his team before spotting the Saucer employees standing behind them. His eyes went level.

"Tell Dio I'm coming for my prize."

If they'd stepped back from whatever had been in Tifa's eyes they positively retreated from Cloud's, stumbling backward with assurances. Aerith stepped forward to hesitantly touch Cloud's arm and he inhaled as he looked over at her.

"Thank you," she whispered weakly and Cloud's lips softened.

"It really belongs to you anyway."

It made her smile and it was so soft and beautiful and sad that Tifa had the worse feeling of premonition in her stomach and yet she had no idea what it meant. It made her reach out and take her friend's hand in hers however and Aerith smiled at her.

"Come on," Leon turned. "Let's get that piece and go. I'm done being 'entertained' here."

"Do you want to stop somewhere and clean up?" Tifa asked Cloud as they started out of the arena. She was surprised by how many of the people that had been watching crowded around and reached out to try to slap Cloud on the shoulder or called questions, job offers, and suggestions to him. Some of the Saucer employees moved in to form a protective barrier, apparently used to this kind of thing. Cloud looked over at Tifa from the sides of his eyes and his smile, subdued, was still predatory.

"No. I look more intimidating this way. I don't want to let him think he's getting out of his end of the bargain."

His arm stayed around her though and he kept her close against his side. Tifa knew he wasn't fully healed yet, that it would take rest and quiet. He was healthy enough for a quick chat with Dio though. They could rest when they'd gotten back to the Highwind.

Dio was in his office and Tifa looked at the man in surprise. Somehow she'd expected a man that ran a place like this to look – well, either grandfatherly to match the children's attractions or else slick and polished – like the bookies in Midgar. Dio was dressed in a business suit but he was built like a body builder and when he moved wrong the steams of his suit strained. He grinned when he saw Cloud come in and his teeth were very white in his tanned face.

"Cloud Strife! I've never seen anyone put on a show like that. You had them eating from hand!" He seemed honestly pleased and stood up with a small wooden box in his huge hands. "I'll go you double or nothing if you'll stay and do it again tomorrow."

Cloud snorted and gave Tifa's shoulders a squeeze before letting go to step forward and take the box.

"I'll pass on that Dio. You still owe me for the chocobo race the last time I was here." He handed the box to Aerith.

"What? That was fair and square," Dio boomed his protest with a grin. "I won a lot of money on my bets on you and you got out of Corel Prison. Fair and even all the way around."

Tifa turned her head to look at Cloud at the new revelation but he was looking at the body builder the same way Tifa had often found herself looking at Reno when he'd come in to infest her bar. Then he turned his head to look at Aerith.

"Is that what you need?"

Her green eyes were a little blurry and she had that soft smile on her lips but she nodded as she looked into the wooden box.

"Oh yes," she answered. "This wants to go home."

Dio gave her a puzzled look and then shrugged. He turned his attention on Tifa instead.

"I'm going to have to rebroadcast that show. You bursting in toward the end there sent ratings spiking. You know, you convince Blondie here to come back for a rematch or something and I'll double the price if you'll come with him and pull that hot little stunt of yours again."

Tifa felt her mouth drop open and quickly shut it, eyes wide and absolutely nothing came to mind to say in response. Cloud reached over and slipped his arm around her waist to draw her back up against his side.

"She's just for me, Dio." His voice was flat and the big man grinned.

"You never did get the concept of good entertainment, Strife. Can't blame a man for making the offer. You should have seen the flip in the betting when she showed up."

"You should have seen the bets we had on how long it was going to take them to get together in the first place," Tifa thought she heard Shera mutter but when she turned her head to look the other woman was looking curiously at the box Aerith was holding in her hands.

"As much as we've enjoyed your hospitality," Leon stepped in verbally. "We need to get back to the rest of our group."

Dio shrugged.

"Well, if they're anywhere but here, you're going to have to wait until we get the tram fixed."

"What?" Cloud's head turned to fix Dio with sharp, dangerous blue and the other man held up his hands quickly.

"I'm a man of my word, Strife. You know that. I didn't plan it this way. Look – I'll put you all up for the night, no charge, no strings. Customer satisfaction."

"Do we have a choice?" Leon asked dryly and Dio just offered his shrug again. Cloud shook his head but he looked more resigned and amused than annoyed.

"Come on. We'll call Cid and let him know and then we'll try to round up the kids."

No one asked if he meant more than just Denzel and Marlene.

"Take some free passes," Dio scooped them up from his desk and offered them with a shark's smile. "Go out and enjoy yourselves tonight. Take your girl out to one of the nice restaurants. Go on some of the rides. Be seen. Sign some autographs."

Cloud took the passes with a sigh and a good-natured shake of his head. Tifa wasn't sure how she felt about being a walking advertisement for the man's establishment but she had lived in the slums far too long to be able to pass up just about anything that said 'free'.

The same way she couldn't stop herself from politely saying:

"Thank you."

Dio beamed and nodded.

"Just remember. Come back anytime. We'll have special guest spots and everything."

Before Tifa's cheeks could go entirely red, Cloud had turned them all around and headed the group out the door. Shera took the passes from him and examined them. Aerith shut the box but turned it over and over in her hands contemplatively. Leon flipped open his phone and Tifa heard him talking to Cid.

"This will make the kids happy," Cloud murmured to her and she turned her head to smile at him.

"You mean Denzel and Marlene or Zack and Yuffie?"

He chuckled almost silently in response.

"Well, I already know who's going to be better behaved."