A/N: I meant to put this up yesterday. But yesterday was crap, so I never got around to it. lol Enjoy...
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
Chapter Five
It was early the next day when Tifa awoke. Dawn was barely there, but as it was approaching, it brought with it a cool, damp atmosphere. She stood staring out her bedroom window, watching the streets below as they just began to come alive. She was still tired, but had been unable to get back to sleep. So here she was, figuring she should get an early start on the day.
She left the window and eventually the bedroom. She went through the hallway, passing by the sleeping kids' bedrooms. Shelke was usually the first to rise out of all of them, but today she was still sleeping. And Tifa was left to herself.
Cloud hadn't returned the night before, having decided to spend the night at the church with the three remnants. She didn't mind. She actually thought it was a good idea; Vincent was probably relieved to have those three off his head for a while. She couldn't imagine what living with them must be like, and could only smile at the thought of it. She had never pictured Vincent as the fatherly type, but he seemed to have adjusted to his new role well. He seemed a little more relaxed these days.
Tifa made her way downstairs to the bar. She heard a noise coming from behind the counter, and her first thought was that Cloud had returned early. But when she turned on the light, she was met with a surprise.
It wasn't Cloud behind the bar. It was Loz.
He was looking directly at her, a slightly shameful look in his emerald eyes. A smile was on his face, one that said he meant no harm.
"You know, trespassing is a crime," she said with a joking smile, as she walked down the rest of the stairs and went closer to the bar. She stood opposite of her usual place, watching Loz as he guiltily put down one of the bottles of liquor he had been holding.
"Where's Cloud?" she asked, after he said nothing.
"He took Kadaj to the WRO, to see what Vincent was up to," he answered, reaching below the counter and pulling out a set of glasses.
"What about Yazoo?"
"He's still at the church."
"I see. Does Cloud know you left the church?" she questioned, as he poured her a glass and set it front of her. He reached under the counter again, this time pulling out a bundle of flowers. He set them beside the glass.
"No. But I was careful. No one saw me come here."
She didn't say anything more, just stared at him suspiciously as she picked up the flowers and smelled their fragrance. She was familiar with their scent, but she never grew tired of it. She remembered the first time Cloud had given her one, after their first mission together after his return to Midgar. It seemed like such a long time ago...
She set the flowers down and looked back at the remnant as he drank from his glass. She shook her head as she walked away from the counter, taking the flowers and glass he had poured with her.
"You shouldn't drink so early in the morning. Besides, you need something substantial in your stomach." She joined him on the other side of the bar, gesturing for him to make room for her. "Take a seat and I'll make us some breakfast."
He smiled, eagerly slipping out of her way and taking a seat at the bar.
Tifa took an empty glass and filled it with some water, before setting the flowers inside and displaying them in the corner.
Yazoo watched the sunrise coming through the holes in the ceiling. He had woken a few hours earlier, but remained where he was, watching the line of light slowly make its way across the floor, and eventually his body. It was warm, bright, radiant. Contrasting the cool water which he had fallen asleep with his hand inside.
Birds were beginning to sing, the only sounds that morning. Everything was quiet.
He was completely alone there.
And completely bored.
Watching the sky could only entertain him for so long. Very soon, it would hold no more appeal, and very soon, not even his connection with his Mother would be able to keep him in this church. He knew Vincent, and Cloud, had told him to stay here. Well, they also told Loz that, but he was nowhere to be seen. He knew exactly where he was though, and anyone else with half a brain would be able to figure it out as well.
He sighed heavily, almost envying his brother. Loz had Tifa, Kadaj had Cloud. Yazoo, on the other hand, had nothing he came here for.
Well, there was Aeris. But she was always with him, so being here at the church didn't really make that much of a difference. It was important to him, but how was it supposed to hold his attention for the entire duration of their stay?
Deciding he'd had enough of the sky and the water, Yazoo pulled himself from the floor. Without taking a second to think about it, he made his way to the door, and left the church behind.
Kadaj watched as the bleak scenery of the old city of Midgar passed them by. He watched it absently, his mind in another time, dwelling only on the contentment he felt. He felt the wind whipping through his hair, felt it chap his skin and send shivers down his body. The chill of it was accented by the warmth he felt from Cloud, sitting so close to him. His hands were on the blonde's waist, keeping him anchored to the bike as they rode together, making their way back to the church.
He wished the ride had lasted long. He wished the two of them could just circle the city, no destination in mind. They could ride for hours, and he would let the peace consume him, and relish in the fact that this was what life was supposed to like.
There was no desperate longing here, no obsessive need to fulfill an oppressive wish. There was just peace, and the freedom he felt being in this moment, being with his "brother".
There were no thoughts distracting him, no disruptive voices in his head. There was only this moment.
Fenrir came to a stop just outside the church, the engine shutting down to leave them in silence. Kadaj pulled away from Cloud as he straightened himself out, turning back to give a light smile to his passenger. Kadaj returned the gesture as he got off the bike.
The two of them made their way to the church. Kadaj stepped through the entrance, suddenly realizing something.
Before his eyes confirmed it, he knew it inside: the church was empty.
Cloud stepped in beside him, looking around.
"Yazoo! Loz!" Kadaj called. But he knew it was pointless, they were gone.
Cloud walked further inside, still looking around to make sure they weren't out of view anywhere. He turned back to Kadaj, questions in his eyes.
The young remnant could only shake his head, leaving his spot by the door and going to his favorite pew. He threw himself down, resting his head back.
"Where are they?" Cloud asked.
"Loz is with your girlfriend."
Cloud paused for only a fraction of a second. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"What about Yazoo?"
"I don't know," he replied calmly.
"Can't you sense him, or something?"
"Yes, but...He's nearby, I just don't know where exactly."
Cloud sighed, grabbing his phone and pulling it from the holder on his belt. Kadaj watched him as he went through his contacts, then dialed Vincent's number. He placed the phone against his ear, and it was only a matter of seconds before Vincent answered.
"Cloud?" he simply said.
"Vincent, Loz and Yazoo left the church. Kadaj says Loz is at Seventh Heaven, but he doesn't know where Yazoo is."
He heard Vincent sigh in frustration on the other end, then heard Yuffie's voice coming from the distance, asking too many questions. Vincent ignored her, "Alright. I'll be there soon. Could you take Kadaj back with you, keep and eye on him?"
"Sure."
"And...maybe start checking the bars."
"Bars?"
Kadaj let out a dry laugh.
"Yazoo tends to take his boredom out on patrons in the bars. He might be at one."
"Isn't that risky? What if someone recognizes him from before?" Cloud wondered.
"That's probably what he's hoping for."
Great, Cloud thought. He glanced over at Kadaj, who was staring down at the floor, looking upset on an angry level.
"I'll get there as soon as I can."
"Alright. Good-bye." Cloud hung up the phone, replacing it in holder. "Come on, I'm going to take you home."
Kadaj lifted his head, his eyebrow raised in pleasant surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. Vincent wants me to keep an eye on you. Come on."
Kadaj smiled, rising from his seat and quickly following after Cloud, as they made their way back to Fenrir.
Shelke sat in her favorite booth by the window, absently watching outside as the usual crowd passed by. Her mind was only halfway on the sights. Her attention was directed toward Tifa and Loz, even though her gaze was not on them. They were both behind the bar, Loz helping Tifa rearrange some things in the cabinets by reaching the high places and doing the heavy lifting.
The both of them were happy, smiling, laughing.
It was late enough for them to have opened already, but they were still closed. Tifa said they could spare a few hours, since they were rearranging, but Shelke knew the real reason they hadn't opened yet was because of Loz. Tifa didn't want anyone spotting him, yet at the same time, she didn't want to send him away.
Shelke paid close attention to the remnant. Not necessarily because she didn't trust him. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do, like she owed it to Vincent.
The phone rang, giving Shelke good cause to turn around. She watched Tifa as she answered it, giving the usual Seventh Heaven greeting.
"Hey Cloud," she added, a smile touching her face. "Yeah, he's here." She said, her eyes going to Loz. She was still smiling, but that smile died away quickly. "Why? What is it?"
"What?" Loz asked, immediately sensing something was wrong.
"Alright, I'll see you then." Tifa hung up the phone, then turned to Loz and his questioning gaze. "It was Cloud. He said Yazoo is missing."
"Missing?"
"Yeah, he's on his way here with Kadaj. He says he wants you to stay here."
Shelke looked away from the two of them, her eyes down to the tabletop. She thought for a few long moment, before she made up her mind, and slid out of the booth. She didn't say anything to either of them, as she made her way to the door, and stepped outside.
A/N: A couple nights ago, I had a dream my sister and I were trying to make a low-budget film with Sephiroth. Well, it wasn't quite Sephiroth. It was some guy dressed like Sephiroth. In any case, I was rather weird. :/
Please review. Reviews make me happy. XD