Awkward Questions
After driving for a few hours in the general direction of Junon, Cloud slowed to a stop and put his hand to his face. What the hell was he thinking?
"Coward…" he muttered to himself.
What kind of man runs from something like that? This? Cloud had half a mind to turn around right then back to Edge, but the insistent prodding of pick-ups and deliveries pushed Cloud to start back to Junon once again.
"Sorry, Tifa," Cloud frowned.
Denzel ran up to Tifa, "So, is Cloud gone?"
"Yeah. He couldn't stay forever, you know," Tifa shrugged.
Denzel eyed Tifa, "Did he say anything?"
"No, actually. He usually says 'bye,' at least."
"Oh," had his and Marlene's plan failed? This could be bad.
"I'm going to go get the bar ready," Tifa huffed, clasping her hands behind her and popping her back, "You go ahead and play, but stay out of trouble."
"Okay!" Denzel ran off to find some of his friends at their usual place.
Once back inside, Tifa read the rest of Cloud's note. His handwriting was a bit nicer than she realized. In the note was…the beginning…then an apology that Cloud hadn't been brave enough to tell her the confession in person. Beyond that, the note was hardly more than ordinary. Pencil and eraser had left pockmarks all over the paper and there was an erased list of some kind in the corner, probably a list of where deliveries were to be made. Tifa folded the note carefully and put in a drawer. She thought about calling Cloud, but then remembered that he had lost his phone sometime in the mess with Kadaj. Why hadn't she thought to get him a new phone for his birthday?
Tifa went downstairs, sadly no one had come in to eat yet. Tifa went to the kitchen and cleaned up from breakfast.
"Hey, Tifa," Denzel hopped onto a barstool and rested his chin on the counter.
"Hi, Denzel," Tifa replied, "I thought you were out playing?"
"I got bored, so I came back home," Denzel shrugged. The boy stared at the bartender, "Is something wrong?"
"Hm? No, of course not, Denzel. It's just a bit quiet now with everyone gone. I wish some customers would show up."
"Yeah…"
Denzel sighed and laid his cheek on his folded arms.
As the day progressed, people came in during their free time, relieving Tifa of her brooding thoughts.
While she was back putting together several orders (Cloud and the others had been trying to get Tifa to order some help lately, but no one who responded to the advertisements was trustworthy enough to hire), Tifa heard a familiar voice shout out, "Tifa! We're back!"
"Hey, Barret!" Tifa waved through the window, "Care to help with the lunch rush?"
"Sure, looks like you've been slammed. Where do these go?" Barret picked up two platters of food and turned towards the restaurant .
"Over there for the platter in your left and. Over there for your right," Tifa pointed.
"Alright," Barret began working his way towards his intended tables.
A few hours later, Tifa was able to begin focusing on cleaning the kitchen between making meals for a steady trickle of customers. While wiping down the counter, the door opened and a familiar "Hey, Teef!" rang across the bar.
"Hey, Reno. Rude," Tifa nodded in their direction and continued wiping down the counter as Reno straddled a stool at the bar.
"How you been doin?" the red-haired turk asked, leaning forward.
Oh, same old, same old. Except Cloud told her that he loved her, but no biggie.
"Same as usual. You missed a fun party, though," Tifa replied.
"Party? What party?" Reno leaned his head to the side.
"…" Rude raised an eyebrow.
Tifa raised an eyebrow in return, "Didn't you get your invitation to Cloud's birthday? It was on the 19th."
"Wha?! Oh, come on! I never even realized Chocobo head HAD a birthday! I so should have been there!" he laughed jovially, "He's gonna get it next year!"
Rude shifted, "…"
"Go ahead and sit, Rude," Tifa smiled.
The dark turk nodded and sat in the chair next to Reno.
"So," Reno continued, "How old is the guy?"
"24."
"Eh? You mean he's younger than me? Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-hoh! I am SO holding that over him from now on!" Reno grinned evilly and slapped his knees.
"…What's wrong?" Rude asked.
"Wrong? What do you mean?"
A group of teenagers walked in, saving Tifa from awkward questions.
Cloud stopped by to pick something up in Junon before getting on a cargo ship. When he went to put the box under his seat before parking Fenrir, he found his remaining birthday gift. Cloud pulled it out and put his jacket in another compartment on his bike to make room for his delivery package. He stuck the present under his arm while he made his way to the cargo ship. He'd open it there.
Once paying for his ticket, popping two pills for motion sickness, and removing anything he might need from Fenrir (one sword included), he located his room and removed himself from society.
A smile played at his lips as, once again, he shook the box next to his ear to try and discern what was inside (something bulky) before opening it. Inside were a new pair of boots and a jar of polish for his swords. Cloud looked down at the boots he was wearing: scuffed up old things that had been through more mud in a week than most boots do in a year. He'd break the new shoes in when he got back to Edge. Or maybe around the cargo ship. Why not? It's not like he was going anywhere in a hurry for a while. He swapped his shoes and wriggled his toes in their new house before leaving his room to walk around outside. He was less likely to feel sick if he stayed outside. The ship lurched to a start and Cloud wobbled unsteadily. He pocketed the rest of his pills and went outside. There have got to be some pills or something that worked for more than an hour or two.
Once on the top deck, Cloud went to the rear of the ship and sat in an available chair to watch the receding coast of Junon, the wake the boat was leaving behind, and people. Despite common belief, Cloud didn't actually dislike people, he just preferred to keep them at arm's length if they were strangers. People normally ignored Cloud, as well, so that only made his life simpler.
After a while of watching the wake, Cloud glanced around the ship. A familiar figure caught his eye and the blond straightened to get a better look. There on the railing was a Cait Sith doll staring at the water. God, how many of these things did Reeve scatter?
Cloud walked over and leaned against the railing next to Cait.
"Cloud! Long time no see!" the cat hopped down from the railing onto his moogle counterpart.
"Hi, Cait," Cloud responded, "What are you doing out here?"
"There's just something on the ship I have to keep an eye on," Cait shrugged, that ever-present smile still on his face.
Cloud raised an eyebrow, "Anything I should know about?"
"Only if it gets loose, which shouldn't happen. But I'm not going to say anything else because I'l jinx it. You know how these things work! As soon as you say 'It'll never happen,' BANG! It happens!" Cait Sith laughed and bounced on the moogle.
"Anything remotely related to Hojo?"
"Oh, come on, Cloud! You're one of the only, if not the only, experiments of Hojo's left!"
Cloud's features darkened.
The cat covered its mouth and muttered an apology.
Cloud was already gone.
"Oi, what a mouth I've got on me," Cait sighed and shook its head, "Sorry, Cloud."
Sometime later, when the day was about done, Cloud was staring once again out to sea. There wasn't much else to do.
I'm still considered an experiment.
Cloud scowled and walked to the prow of the ship and leaned against the railing. He wasn't particularly fond of the sea. It made him think too much whenever he wasn't immobilized by an upset body. Cloud checked his watch. He'd need to take another pill in about a half hour. Nights were the worst.
…
I'm not someone's science fair project.
He clenched the rail.
"Hey, Cloud."
Cloud paid Cait Sith no attention and started walking away. Undisturbed, the cat followed him.
"Leave me alone," the blond tossed over his shoulder.
"Not until you accept my apology."
Cloud shot a glare at Cait.
"I know what I said was uncalled for, and I apologized, Cloud. What else can I do? I can't rewind clocks," the robot said with a shrug.
"Leave me alone."
"Oh, come on! You can't stay mad for the whole trip!"
"…Try me," Cloud began walking towards his room. Cramped or not, it was away from Cait Sith.
Cloud downed a pill and kicked his shoes off. His feet were a bit pink on the heel. He rubbed his foot. He changed and got into the small bed; he was nearly asleep when someone knocked at his door.
"Go away, Cait. I'm trying to sleep."
The persistent knocking didn't cease.
Cloud sighed and scowled before getting up to open the door, "Don't you ever sleep, Reeve?"
"Here," the cat tapped his moogle's head, which in turn offered something to Cloud.
He raised an eyebrow before taking the small box.
"Just open it," Cait Sith ordered.
Cloud leaned against the doorframe and opened the box. Inside was a replacement phone, much nicer than his last, but still simple in design. He turned it over in his hand, "…Thanks."
"It's already got everyone's numbers in it. So you don't have to ask awkward questions."
"Awkward?"
"Do you know Tifa and the Seventh Heaven's numbers by heart?"
"Yes."
"Oh, well then I saved you the grief of asking Barret for his number. You haven't memorized his number have you?"
"No."
"You have no idea how much trouble to get Yuffie, Cid, and Vincent's numbers," the robot said, fishing for a 'Thank you'.
"Yuffie probably threatened to do something awful to you if you didn't put her number in. Cid and was an employee of Shinra and you probably just found his number in a computer. I didn't know Vincent had a phone."
"He got one a bit after that mess with Kadaj. And, actually Yuffie saw your new phone as a chance to make you some prank calls. She'll be furious when she finds out you have her number."
"Hm."
"Well? Am I forgiven?"
"Fine. Thanks. I'm going to sleep now," Cloud closed the door.
A cheerful 'Goodnight!' was called through the metal.