Last Night

It's safer with fewer people in the group to take Zell. You two go, and Barret can start helping me with Deepground. Try and make it back soon. Time is of the essence, and we need all the fighting power we can muster.

Tifa sat on the back of Fenrir and held onto Zell and Cloud as the trio sped westward. The plan was to go past Midgar, then turn south and skirt the mountain range near the run down city-state. They would then go as far south as possible and take a ferry to the island where the Temple of the Ancients used to stand. A bit southwest of that would be Edea's orphanage. It would take a week and a half at absolute bare minimum to get to the orphanage, but if Cloud and Tifa slept more than once every few days, it would take about two weeks. Luckily, the weather was clear, and the only stops the pair had to make were to take care of their delivery. This was the first time that Tifa truly wished she was Zell's mother, if nothing else than to make feeding him simpler.

After a week and a half of riding, the sea was in sight, and Cloud began searching for the dock that would take him, Tifa, and Zell across the water. Once found, Cloud took some of his pills and got their tickets.

He parked Fenrir and turned to Tifa, "How you holding up?"

"I'm fine. It's time to feed Zell again, though."

"Alright. Let's go find our room," Cloud placed his hand on the small of Tifa's back and started walking.

Once in the room, Tifa blinked. There was only one bed in the small room. Yes, she had technically shared a bed with Cloud before, but they had either been drunk and about to fall asleep where they stood, or Marlene and Denzel had slept between them. Zell gave a warning cry, hungry, and tired of Tifa standing still. Tifa sat on the edge of the bed and dug through her bag for some of his food, glad for a reason not to dwell on sleeping arrangements. However, when Tifa attempted to put the spoon in Zell's mouth, the baby smacked her hand and wailed.

"Hey. You eat this or go hungry," Tifa chided the infant, "And none of us wants to deal with a hungry Zell."

Several dual attempts at feeding later, Cloud, Tifa, and Zell were all splattered in baby food, Zell's guardians were just shy of chucking whatever was left of the mush into the ocean, and Zell was still yelling.

Cloud stood angrily, "I'm going to get us some food, unless you want me to force Zell's down his throat?"

Tifa rubbed her brow and grumbled, "Go ahead. I'm hungry, even if this one claims he isn't, and I'm just going to try and get him to sleep. I hate when he gets like this."

Cloud nodded in agreement and stomped out of the room. He walked down the hall and ran his hands through his hair.

At this rate, I'll go bald before I even have my own kid. Ugh, I do not do bald. Please don't let me go bald.

Cloud wasn't in a rush to get back to the room, so he took a slightly more scenic route to the upper deck where the food was. The ship wasn't made to be a pleasure cruise, that's for sure, Cloud noted as the vessel lurched under him. All of the ship's surfaces were naked metal, and only a thin elementary-school grade carpet covered some of the floor. The barren hallways were just wide enough for two average sized people to walk past each other without worry of brushing shoulders. Cloud climbed the stairs and exited onto the deck. Most of the few guests on the ship were lounging in the late evening sun, and Cloud was immediately able to see who had fallen asleep a few hours ago. A small buffet booth manned by a chipper girl was placed against the wall, out of the wind lest napkins go flying into the water.

"Hello, sir!" the girl called as soon as Cloud approached, "Can I help you with anything?"

He walked over, "Just two plates."

"Aal-right," the girl took two red plastic plates out from behind the booth and handed them to Cloud, "Here you go, sir!"

Cloud nodded and took the plates. He filled both, and started back to his and Tifa's room.

Immediately upon entry, Tifa stood and held the still screaming child out to Cloud, "Take this."

Cloud couldn't help but laugh a bit. Zell and Tifa were even more splattered in pumpkin colored mash than before he left. It didn't make it less funny that Tifa had actually gotten mad at Zell, and…

This is probably what it'll be like on occasion once me and Tifa have kids of our own. Wait. Did I just think that out loud? And why was that plural?

Cloud traded plates for Zell and sat quickly to hide his blush. Tifa stared suspiciously at him.

"What? Do you find it appealing when I'm covered in baby food?" she asked over Zell's screams.

Cloud laughed and called back, "Uh, no, not really."

"That's good," Tifa replied loudly, "But then why the blush?"

"It's nothing," Cloud said, trying to cover Zell's mouth.

"Nothing?" Tifa's voice rose as Zell's did.

"Nothing. God! How can one baby be so loud?! And how has he not lost his voice!" Cloud hollered.

Tifa made an aggravated noise, then grabbed and pounded something from her plate. She stuck a fingerfull of the pulverized hotdog in Zell's mouth, "Eat n' go tuh sleep, child!" she shouted.

"Uh…Tifa?"

"What?"

"Your acc'nt slipped out."

"Ih'did?" Tifa covered her mouth, "Dang. Ah, who cares? Yours did too, by th' way," she shrugged, lowering her hand, "Your accent's way worse'n mine, though, Mister Strife. And all that sets your's off is hearin' someone else talk 'Nibelheimian,'" she laughed.

"That's why ahm'not gonna be tawkin' much. The readers'll never let me hear th' end o' it."

"Very true," Tifa smirked, then she looked down at Zell with a surprised expression, "Well, waddaya know? Zell likes hotdog."

"What? Oh. Wow. It's quiet 'n here. Finally," Cloud said. He and Tifa rejoiced at the sight of Zell happiny and silently playing with and eating bits of mashed hotdog.

"Wanna go up to the main deck?" Tifa asked after a moment of blissful silence.

"Sure."

"Alright. Let's mosey," Tifa teased before grabbing her plate and leaving the room.

"Shuddup! That was a slip o' the tongue!" Cloud hollered, soon following with his plate and Zell.

The rest of that day passed without incident, but that evening held another trial. When Cloud got out of the shower, clad in a t-shirt and shorts with a towel sitting on his head and shoulders, Tifa was sitting on the bed with a serious expression on her face. Zell was soundly sleeping on his back next to her. Cloud raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Are you sure this bed is big enough for all three of us?"

"Zell doesn't take up much space, Tifa."

"Yeah, but I don't want him to get smothered and..." she twisted some of her hair around a finger.

"You're embarrassed sleeping so close to me when we're the only ones with conscious memory?"

Tifa hung her head. When he put it that way, she sounded like an embarrassed middle school girl.

Cloud sighed, "All right. Give me the big blanket and a pillow, then."

"Hm?" Tifa stood and did as Cloud asked.

"I'll sleep on the floor."

Tifa shook her head avidly, "No…! Cloud, that's not necessary," she fussed. She reached for the big blanket, "If anyone is going to sleep on the floor, it should be me. It's my fault if things are awkward, anyways."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Just make sure not to roll over onto Zell. I don't want to move him too much or he'll wake up."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

Tifa nodded, "Mmhm. You asked that already, Cloud. Go ahead," she took the blanket and spread it down on the floor, "Be careful of Zell."

"I will," Cloud looked once more over at Tifa, then got into bed. He pulled Zell a bit closer to him and went to sleep.