Chapter 2 - Bar Trip
Cloud stepped out with the twins, locking the door.
"Are the dogs going to be alright?" Rin asked. She was much cuter cleaned up, even if the only thing for her to dress in was some of Denzel's old clothes. She still wore that white bow, which made it easier to tell her from Len.
"Yeah." Cloud replied. He was a bit surprised when each kid took a hand as they walked, swinging their arms back and forth. Cloud just shrugged, remembering how Marlene would do that, too. Still, it was a little awkward as they neared the bar.
"Where are we going?" Len asked.
"Seventh Heaven. I need to talk to a few of my friends there." Cloud still felt the twins stop, pulling his arms back, when he started to steer them towards the bar. "What is it?"
Rin pouted at him. "That's a bar." she stated.
Cloud pointed up to the sign, which said quite boldly in neon letters "Seven-h He-ven" with a pair of wings and a halo, of which only one wing was lit. He looked up when he saw the twins rather unimpressed stares. "Oh, Tifa's gonna have to fix that."
"Who's Tifa?" Rin asked.
"A friend." Cloud replied, finding his arm grabbed again. "If you want to call her that anymore." They walked into the bar, which was fairly loud, but only because Cid Highwind was drunk off his rocker again.
"Shera pregnant again or something?" Cloud asked, sitting the twins at a booth.
"Close." said Tifa as she walked over. "Shera just had twins." She blinked upon seeing the pair with Cloud. "Who are these?"
"Rin and Len Kagamine." Cloud replied. "They're staying with me."
"WHAT?!" Tifa shrieked.
The bar fell silent. Cloud frowned at her as he took his seat. "Did you really have to yell like that?" he asked.
"Cloud, children aren't like puppies." Barret said, walking over. "They take time. Just look at Marlene."
Cloud glared at him. "Yeah, just look at her. Ten and on birth control. You made a good example."
From behind him, Cloud heard Yuffie snicker. "Good one." she giggled.
"Can it, Yuffie." Cloud replied. "Or should I count your boyfriends?" He smirked as she turned in her seat and lightly clunked him on the head. "Come off it, you guys. I can handle it."
"Oh, sure. Just like you handled Denzel." said Tifa.
Cloud stood, glaring at her. "Don't you ever mention him again, got that?" His blue eyes seemed to flicker with an inward anger, and there was a light sparking at his hand.
Rin scooted closer to Len, scared. The room seemed to get colder for a moment before Cloud turned away from Tifa and sat down again. "Sorry." he said, more to the twins than to Tifa. "Order something, we're going to be here for a while."
The twins ordered almost the same thing. In fact, the only thing that differed was the drink. Rin ordered orange juice, Len ordered a banana smoothie.
"You two stay here. I need to talk to someone." said Cloud as the pair began eating. He got up and walked over to where Cid and Vincent were standing with Tifa.
"You know, Cloud, those two are going to need extra care." said Cid. He was the best of any of them to say anything, and Cloud knew it. Being a father of five counted for a lot.
"Any suggestions?" Cloud asked.
"A mother figure." Tifa replied.
"We've been over this, Tifa. I won't come live with you and Rude." Cloud returned. "You two need your space."
"Well without a woman to teach them they'll turn out hopeless!" Tifa snapped.
"We've never had parents."
Cloud turned to see Len standing there. "What?" he asked.
"We've always been alone." said Rin. "So Cloud being with us will be better than what we got before." She stood half-behind Len.
"I agree with the children." said Rude as he came downstairs.
"Yeek!" The twins were latched to Cloud faster than he thought possible. He put his arms around them and looked at them with a slight smile.
"That's only Rude. He may look scary, but he's not that bad. He makes fireworks."
That seemed to help the twins ease up, and they scooted back to the table and their meal.
Cloud sighed.
"Cloud, Tifa is right about something, though." Rude said.
"Hmm?"
"Rin is a girl. You may want a woman around to teach her a few things." Rude replied as Cloud went back to his table.
"Reno and Elena live nearby. I can ask Lanny." Cloud answered.
"Who's Elena?" asked Rin.
"My cousin." Cloud replied. "Distant cousin, who my mother only muttered about. We met under . . . controversial happenstance."
"Oh, that's a light way to put she was trying to kill us." said Yuffie. She bonked Cloud again.
"She wasn't trying to kill us." Cloud argued. "They were only after . . ." he stopped, sighed, and put his head down on the table. "They were only trying to get to her."
Len and Rin looked at each other, curious, but a look from the ravenette leaning over the back of the chair, and they decided to ask later.