The First Day

It was almost alarming.

Awakening in his own bed for once.

Last time he'd done that was… Cloud honestly didn't remember.

The night before he'd left?

No. Too many sleepless nights then. Hunched over his desk as he'd desperately fought to find a cure for Denzel's and later his own Geostigma. Any night he had gotten sleep then, he'd awoken with an Odin awful crick in his neck and papers stuck to his face. He'd spent plenty of time in the Sector Six slums as well, already camping out many nights in Aerith's church before it slowly became his only sleeping accommodation.

So how long had it been? The answer to his question then came to him as his enhanced sense of hearing altered him to the gentle breathing from the other rooms in Seventh Heaven. The quiet and familiar calm at the start of each day that he'd grown to cherish.

'Too long.'

Slowly rising out of bed, Cloud had to fight the urge to wince as he still felt the phantom wounds from the day prior. His fight against the corrupted Bahamut followed immediately with the exhilarating bike chase with Azul and Loz, his confrontation with Kadaj, and then…

Sephiroth.

The man whom he'd worshiped as a great hero. The man that had burned his hometown to ashes. The man that had killed his mother. The man that… there was simply too much to lay at the monster's feet, even off the top of his head.

However brief his revival may have lasted, there was still no denying what Cloud had gone through yesterday had been very real. He may have been healed after he'd almost become a part of the Lifestream permanently, but the memory of his many prior impalements was still strong.

"It'll fade," he promised himself aloud.

He had recent experience of letting old wounds heal, mental ones especially. But most importantly for now, he had promises to keep. One to Marlene that it was his turn to help his family. One with Denzel that he'd see him back at the bar (and stay there in Cloud's mind). And finally with Tifa…

Maybe he had kept his promise to her in the most unorthodox way imaginable, but there was still so much that he owed her… and he was going to make the effort to pay back it all, starting today.

Refusing to waste another minute trapped in his own head, he brought his feet to the cold office floor and forced himself to stand. Funny, the morning chill of these first steps had never bothered him before, but now he almost wished he'd picked up a pair of slippers. Most of the Seventh Heaven group wore their shoes indoors anyways since the first floor was a bar and daily cleanings were already common enough. Noticing the dust gathered on his floor, he realized that Tifa and kids likely didn't come in here very often and had left his little office alone for his privacy.

…Though Marlene had said she knew he'd left to find a cure for Denzel's Geostigma.

Glancing to his desk, Cloud realized that the young lady had been right; he DID need to clean it. Deciding that it was the best place to start, he began by looking over the cluttered documents. Potential leads to any chance of a cure, none of which had ever panned out. There was only one remedy for Geostigma and it was nothing short of a miracle. Taking a mere fraction of the papers that made up the clutter on his desk, Cloud briefly scanned through the pages before tossing them in the waste bin.

He couldn't throw it all out at once. Some of the documents were part of his delivery service; he'd need those once he got back to his actual job. For now though, he needed to take the new lease on life he'd been given and use it. A week off with Tifa and the kids at least. Maybe two if he could push it. Even after he'd all but exiled himself due to his condition, he'd continued running his services both through the bar and through his… cell phone.

'Going to need a replacement,' he thought bitterly. The type of phone he needed when he was making deliveries wasn't cheap. Nor was the plan he needed so he could call from his more out of the way delivery destinations. 'I can afford it and still take that week off. More importantly, this time I'm going to answer whenever someone calls me.' He already knew that much was going to take some getting used to. '…Maybe I'll even make a call once in a while myself. Even if it's just to say hi.'

That might've been too much too soon though; his friends would probably think he'd gone crazy.

Sorting the work on his desk wasn't difficult, but the dust he'd stirred up left him nearly coughing. Step one was done, but two through twenty needed to be started and sooner rather than later. Dusting everything off, vacuuming his floors, washing his bedsheets and abandoned clothes…

"Coffee."

Not on the list of things to do, but nonetheless a requirement for his day. Careful to step silently so he wouldn't awaken Tifa or the kids, he made his way down to the Seventh Heaven's bar proper before he noticed that Tifa's door was left open just a crack. Had she worried that he might've left in the middle of the night? He couldn't rule the idea out.

'I'm going to make things right,' he promised himself yet again. No more drama, no more distance from his family, just a genuine effort to do what was right for them and himself.

Getting the coffee machine working downstairs in the bar wasn't too difficult, but Cloud had been given so much trouble with the machine in the past that he was honestly a little surprised. He'd made enough coffee for two cups and (moving silently as he could) had left a second cup on Tifa's nightstand while he got to work on his own projects.

About an hour later he was finishing up the last few lukewarm drops from his mug and observing his work. Dusting had been done so there was no longer a lingering layer of gray over his belongings. The floor had been swept and mopped to a shine, clearly needing the attention. His clothes were now in the washing machine, and he'd have to wait before either moving them to the dryer or hanging them out finish. He'd even gone through his drawers to perfectly organize his desk for when he'd begin his next series of deliveries.

"Thanks for the coffee," he heard Tifa say from the doorway. She was dressed in her regular white night gown and was wearing the pair of slippers that Marlene had gotten her for her birthday. "You've been busy this morning."

"Had a lot to get done," he answered evenly. "Are the others still around?"

"Almost everyone spent the night on the Shera." Right, Cid had parked his latest airship (named for his wife) just outside of Edge.

"Almost everyone? …Vincent?"

"He's still supportive in his own way. He actually left you a new phone downstairs before he left. He even made a note with a number to call if we needed to reach him. He'd said something yesterday about grabbing one, but I didn't expect him to do it so quickly."

"I guess he wanted to save me a trip to the store for a replacement." That was already another issue handled… provided Vincent had gotten him the right kind, but somehow he already knew that the former Turk had picked out the exact same model as his old device, if not better. "What about the kids?"

"Sleeping in after all the excitement we had yesterday. Didn't have the heart to wake them. Especially since Barret's about to smother Marlene completely while he's here… and after takes her back with him… and up until she grows up and moves away… and then he'll probably follow her anyways."

'I'd have a lot of gil riding on that bet.' "Surprised he didn't insist on spending the night here." It felt like it had been a while since they'd had such a casual conversation like this. "Are you planning to open the bar today?"

"I'm debating with myself on that. On one hand it would be nice to spend the day with just the old team and most families would be staying in with their loved ones now that Geostigma is finally gone, but there's also the chance that a lot of people are going to want to cut loose and enjoy themselves now that they've got the chance. Even with my bartender's intuition, I'm not sold either way. Maybe I could open later tonight so we have the chance to do both?"

"It's your bar, so it's your call either way," he reminded. Despite his calm complexion, he was really a nervous wreck for what he was about to ask. He had to wonder if Tifa had developed a method of picking up on that. "If you do end up opening for today, I'll help out."

"You will?"

"Why are you so surprised? I've helped during my fair share of rush hours." Only a few times even before he'd contracted Geostigma since his own business had kept him busy, but he knew his way around the bar enough to be more help than hindrance.

"If you want to… then yeah, I'll just open up an hour or two later than usual tonight," she said with a smile. He did his best to return it, hoping it didn't look nearly as awkward as he still felt.

"I was also thinking about taking some time off of the delivery service," he started cautiously. "Maybe just a week. Two at most."

"Oh? Did you have something pla…?" Tifa stopped herself. Before yesterday, Cloud was rather limited on the time he still had to make any plans. "Any reason?"

"I was hoping to stick around here for a while." Heavy as their conversation had gotten, he was already resolved to follow though. "Think I'm finally done chasing old memories and nightmares. All that dilly-dallying."

"…That's what I was hoping to hear," she said with a gentle smile. "And I think taking a week off from your deliveries sounds perfect. The kids could use some time with you, especially Denzel now that he's been cured and no longer needs to stay in bed for days at a time. And now that we don't have a pandemic, I'm sure the school will open before long."

'I didn't even know we had a school in Edge,' Cloud thought. "You'll be keeping the bar open though?"

"Of course, now that I know that you'll be around I'm going to have to cash in on that. Especially since you'll be responsible for bringing in plenty of new customers now that you've gone and saved the world again. Helping me with a small party for our friends will make sure you're ready for the big leagues."

"Heh. You're an even shrewder businesswoman than I remember," the ex-merc smirked.

"Even still, I'll be sure to make plenty of time that we can all spend in our own way. I'll even find a full day for the five of us, so think about what you want to do." Cloud hadn't the faintest idea. "I'm going to go get breakfast started before I shower and everyone shows up. You better take one yourself while you still have the chance."

"On it." Despite Tifa's suggestion, he would've liked to offer her help with the cooking, but he knew that in the kitchen he would be getting in the way more than helping.

Later

Much as Tifa had suspected, Barret was all but smothering Marlene with all the affection and attention he was giving her. This wasn't of any of surprise to Cloud; even if Tifa was better at reading people than almost anyone he knew, Barret's overprotective nature with his daughter and the length since he'd last seen her made him all the more eager to make the most out of this chance. It had started off small when he'd insisted the two sit next to one another at the table. Cloud was pretty sure she'd have done so anyways, but for the past fifteen minutes she'd done nothing but list out every detail of her current life at her father's insistence.

Upon Barret's asking if she'd ever met a boy she liked, Cloud swore that the man with a gun-arm had a deathly aura that nearly rivaled Sephiroth himself.

'Wonder if all dads are like this.' he thought as he sipped his second cup of coffee that morning. Thinking back, he didn't have a father of his own to make the comparison to. Tifa's dad though… 'Seems like it at least.' He'd been at the receiving end of that protective rage.

"So…" he heard Yuffie begin from his direct left. "Don't keep us in suspense! Who's the kid!?"

"You mean Denzel?" Cloud asked as he turned to the child in question sitting on his right. With all of these new and especially energetic people, he didn't blame him for seeming more than a little uncomfortable (Cloud could empathize with his own socially barren childhood). "He's been staying with us for a while now. We were just trying our best to take care of him since he had Geostigma."

"Yeah, I got all of that. So, is he yours?" Cloud didn't understand the implication and it clearly showed in his facial features. Rolling her eyes, Yuffie quickly got Tifa's attention. "The kid? Is he yours? As in yours and Cloud's?" Now he understood. He did his best to remain silent as Tifa sputtered over her own words as she tried to give an answer. Both of their faces were tinged with an obvious pink that caused Cid to give a hearty laugh.

"It's only been two years; wee too little time to have a tyke the boy's age," Cait Sith had to remind. "Probably have to wait a mite longer before-"

"Cait!" Cloud interrupted sharply after finally finding his voice. The small doll apologetically waved both of his hands in front of him, like he was making a desperate defensive.

"I know THAT," Yuffie huffed. "But he could still be your kid. Couldn't you both have adopted him?"

"…It's a bit early for thinking like that," Cloud answered, trying to end the conversation before it got even more awkward for Denzel.

"Worth thinking about though."

Barret certainly spoke from experience after adopting Marlene once he'd lost his hometown of Corel, his wife, his arm, and his best friend Dyne. Before he'd left for his oil drilling projects, Barret had finally decided to come clean about who Marlene really was. That was before Cloud had developed his own problems, so he was there to see the how nervous the larger man had been as he dreaded finally giving the news that would alter the twos' relationship forever.

But it turned out there had been little to worry about. Nothing was going to ever change that Marlene was his little girl.

"This little missy's just tryin' ta stir up trouble anyhow. Just so it keeps eyes off'a her," Cid informed after he'd taken a long swig of his coffee. "Caught the little doomrat trying to make a run out in the middle of the night."

"I told you I was going for a walk, old man!" Yuffie protested.

"Last night you said that you were looking for Vincent," the pilot corrected. "And before you realized you'd been caught, you just so happened to be humming your usual Materia song."

"H-Hey! I can't help it if it's still catchy!"

'Some things are never going to change,' Cloud thought, having to partially fight a smirk as he tried to look authoritative to the young ninja. "Most of the Materia was probably destroyed in that explosion; don't think there's much you can salvage in the first place."

"If there isn't much there, then why is everyone trying to stop me from having a look!?"

"Principle of the matter~!"

"Shut it, Cait!" Yuffie shouted as she grabbed the feline doll by its face, lifting it in the air, and painfully stretching it out. As Cait protested with a pained series of meowing, the others laughed at the scene… including Cloud who'd surrendered to his own chuckling.

"You… can laugh?" Denzel asked with amazement. Cloud stopped immediately, giving him something of a sheepish look while everyone else was either enjoying the spectacle between Yuffie and Cait or actively trying to bring an end to it. "S-Sorry."

"I haven't had a lot to laugh about lately," he said honestly. "Guess you've never seen it before."

"Not an easy thing to bring out; I speak from experience." Crap. Tifa had overheard the two as she was sitting next to Denzel. "Back when we were still kids in Nibelheim, I'd just gotten this really big joke book for my birthday. Had a lot of adult material snuck into it, but my dad didn't know so I got to keep it. The day after I got it, I was telling a ton of jokes from it and all my friends were howling with laughter."

"Oh! Let me guess!" Yuffie was in this conversation now too!? Probably meant everyone was listening in. "Soon as you tried telling Cloud any of them, Stone Wall!"

Normally Cloud would fight such an accusation… normally he could fight the accusation. Here, the best he could do was reassign the blame.

"The jokes weren't even good; everyone else was probably just laughing because they were sucking up to Tifa like they always did."

"I thought they were funny." Cloud felt the slightest tinge of guilt at his housemate's words, but he resolved to stay strong through his pride.

"Remember any?" he challenged.

"Hmmm… Oh! I remember this one getting a big laugh," Tifa recalled. "Even my regulars laughed at this one a few weeks ago. How did the wrangler use a leash to cure his Chocobo's silence?" The lack of an answer left Tifa confident as she delivered the punchline. "By taking him for a wark!"

More silence to follow, even from the children present.

"Point: Cloud," Cid decided, leading Tifa to pout.

"I don't think any of us kids knew what a Chocobo was back then; too busy worried about the monsters to care about anything that wasn't local livestock," Cloud recalled.

"That's bull. Even somewhere outta the way like Correl, we knew 'bout those birds. So what makes you so sure about that, spiky?" Barret asked.

"Well, none of the local bullies ever called me a Chocobo Head for one."

"…Fair 'nough."

"Fine then; attempt two," Tifa declared. "Why are Tonberries so universally skilled?" Again, no guesses. "Because whenever they come across a new thing, they try to take a stab at it."

"…I guess that was better." Cloud's deadpanned expression made it clear it hadn't been by much.

"Yeah, I'm with Cloud's spiky butt on this one," Yuffie had to agree. "Even still, he's probably never laughed at a joke."

"Not true; I did laugh pretty hard at one of Aerith's," Cloud recalled. Everyone was a little more surprised that he was managing to casually say his late friend's name now. Was he finally forgiving himself after all? "…Still can't believe how many dirty ones she apparently knew."

"She did? I don't remember her telling any," Yuffie input.

"Because you were too young," Cid dismissed.

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Yuffie shouted.

"In Cid's defense; some of them were particularly… grimy," Nanaki said, trying to find the best description.

"Well, I'm old enough now to take it," the ninja insisted before looking expectingly at Cloud.

Relenting to give her what she wanted (whilst keeping Denzel and Marlene innocent), Cloud cupped his hand over Yuffie's ear and began whispering the details. Yuffie only nodded along excitedly in anticipation for the punchline… until she heard it and her face went slack.

"THAT'S DISGUSTING!" she shouted in horror… before bursting into laughter at the visual idea implanting itself in her mind.

"Which one…?" Tifa cautiously began.

"The one with a Cactuar," Cloud answered simply.

"Oh, I remember that gem," Cid recalled with a laugh. "That's the one where it used 1,000 needles inside someone's-"

"Not in front of the kids," Tifa, Cloud, and Barret ordered in unison.

"Right. Sorry."

After Breakfast

"You're really heading out, Spiky?" Barret asked as the blond former mercenary readied himself to step out. Anyone who wasn't going to be staying at the Seventh Heaven had already left to board the Shera for their ride home. This left Tifa in the kitchen as she was getting ready for the bar that night while Marlene and Denzel organized their room now that they didn't need to have so many medical supplies on hand.

"I'm just getting Fenrir back," Cloud informed, more than a little concerned over the state of his bike. "Swords too… might as well see if any of the Materia actually survived the blast." Rising as he finished lacing up, he turned his head back to face Barret. "Don't worry; I already promised Marlene I won't be leaving for long."

"Break a promise like that to my girl and I'll fill ya with lead," he threatened in his usual gun-arm based manner. Cloud scoffed it off like always. "Hey! I'm serious!"

"Of course you are. Just let Tifa know I'll be back in time to help out with the bar."

"From what I hear; you'll be doing that for the next while," Barret noted before scratching the back of his head. "How long you gonna keep puttin' this off for, man?"

"Putting… Barret."

"You both have known each other for how long now?"

"Barret."

"And have been raising my kid together like you're her second parents."

"That's mostly been Tifa and you know it."

"What about Denzel and his Geostigma? I heard how you were fighting like hell to find a cure for him. That's a papa bear mentality if I've ever seen one."

"Like when you look in the mirror?"

"Exactly. Look man, everyone already knows how you too see each other, and I've already told you 'bout me and Myrna. Some of the happiest days of my life… but I didn't know how short it would end up lastin'." He shook his head. "After everything you both went through; you really tellin' me you're okay wastin' time an' saying there's nothin' there?"

"I…" Cloud started before he shook his head. "I owe her too much."

"Owe her!? So-!"

"So let me do right by her first… then we'll decide." Cloud quickly opened and shut the door behind him before Barret could stop him.

"Damn spiky pain in the ass," he grumbled. "He ain't just beating around a bush; that whole thing's a damn forest." Growling, he crossed his arms… before deciding to take some of that decision into his own hands. Taking his cell phone out, he sent off a quick text before yelling to the kitchen. "Tifa! Got a message from the motel that was gonna put me up! Damn idiots went an' overbooked!"

"Sorry! That's not too uncommon here in Edge! Probably got even worse with families coming in to cure their Geostigma!" It was a believable enough lie if Tifa so readily accepted it. "We'll figure something else out for all of us… Maybe Cloud can spend one more night at the Church for now?" She didn't like the idea of kicking him out, but this was a last-minute development.

"Hell naw! Boy's spent too much time hiding out there already! Plus, it's flooded!" Barret denied as he started heading up the stairs. "I can buy a new mattress and frame before the bar opens. Fer now, I'll focus on movin' Spiky's bed."

"Cloud's bed? What on Gaia are you talking about?" Tifa demanded as she finally exited the kitchen.

"Ain't enough room for both of us in that office, 'specially not with my king-sized frame! I'll get my own bed an' put Cloud's in yours."

"In my-? Barret!" Tifa shouted in protest, not that it stopped him from getting to the second floor.

"You got the room for two in there and I'll handle moving everything. No problems that way."

"But Barret, he just spent all morning cleaning that room!"

"Which means he got it ready for me!" he insisted. "Sides, it's just for a week! Then you'll have all the room you could ask for when I take Marlene back with me for a month!"

"Barret! You can't just-!"

"Sorry! Can't hear you over all this heavy furniture I'm moving!" he called downstairs, right before he started lifting. Tifa gave a lengthy sigh and facepalm; Cloud was going to love this when he got back.

"Daddy? What are you doing?" Marlene asked as her father began adjusting Cloud's bedframe so he could get it through the bedroom doorway with minimal scratching.

"Helping Cloud and Tifa, sweetie," Barret answered as he slowly fed the frame through the opening.

"Oh… can I help that too then?"

"You always do."

Later

Cloud's own grimace and facepalm was a mirror copy of Tifa's as she informed him of their new accommodations when he got in after retrieving Fenrir, his swords, and all the Materia shards he could find (there was a process to repair them, but it would take time).

"You realize that Seventh Heaven is your bar, right?" he asked, implying that Tifa could kick Barret somewhere else if she really wanted to.

"Right, but that's also your room and office," she argued back, laying equal responsibility at his feet.

"Not for the next week," he sighed. "How do you feel about this?"

"Probably the same as you right now," Tifa answered with her own sigh in return. "Keep your side organized and both of us have to knock three times before entering. Any other ground rules you'd like to set?"

"Open communication between us… which I really suck at, but I'm going to do my best." He nodded to affirm the decision to himself. "I don't think I can become the man my family needs overnight, but I'm going to fight like hell to get there."

"Silly, there's no man you'd need to become in first place," Tifa told him gently. "As long as we have our Cloud back… then that's enough."

"…I can still try to be better. I owe everyone the effort at least," he promised. Tifa rightly figured it was a matter of pride for him, so she left it at that. "I'm gonna head upstairs and get organized before we open, probably need another shower after that hike and drive."

"I moved some of stuff around in my dresser and closet. It's a bit of a tight fight, but you'll have your own side in each, even though you probably don't have enough stuff to fill up either." Cloud nodded thanks as he began to walk up the stairs. She was going to let him go, but… she couldn't with the thought at the back of her mind nagging her. It had been nagging her ever since he'd left those months ago. "Hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah?" He came to a stop halfway up. He could tell Tifa was hesitant in her words and that this was probably a conversation he needed to treat with care, but even with that preparation he was caught off guard with what she said next.

"Do you… remember that night?"

Breathless for a moment, Cloud eventually found his words for confirmation. "You mean the one at the water tower in Nibelheim? …Or the one we spent under the Highwind?"

"The second one, but I guess it's good to know that haven't forgotten either of them," she answered, a rising pink glow in her cheeks.

"I'll never forget, not again," he promised before shooting a gentle smirk at Tifa. "Honestly though… I probably think back to the Highwind one a bit more than I should."

Despite the somewhat perverse implications, Tifa couldn't help but giggle. "I guess I'll come clean and admit that you're not the only one."

"That's a relief," Cloud answered as he joined in her laughter with his own.

"Hey, I got you to laugh after all," Tifa boasted proudly.

"Well, you weren't about to do it with one of your jokes," he taunted, leading her to cross her arms with a pout. "Just being honest with you."

"Yeah yeah, you're not the type to suck up to anyone. Go get showered, Strife. You'll be on the clock soon enough."

"Yes ma'am," Cloud answered with a half-hearted salute before making his way up the stairs. Despite being resolved to get things ready for that night, seeing Denzel waiting for him let him know he'd have to put that on hold. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better," he answered before raising his hair up. "See? Not a trace of the stigma on me."

"That's good, but it's not what I was really asking about," Cloud said as he headed Tifa's room. He was about to enter… but still gave three knocks even though he knew it was empty.

"Good job remembering!" came Tifa's call from below. He smirked to himself as he got a good look at his new set up. Sure, it would work, but…

He had to fight the mindset that a larger single bed would save on room. He didn't think either of them were ready for that yet.

"It was probably a lot meeting everyone today," Cloud said as he mentally mapped out how he was going to organize his side of the room.

"Things were more intense yesterday." He couldn't argue with Denzel there. "But, uh… they're really… uh…"

"Anything you'd think to say about them is probably both true and going easy on all of us," Cloud assured. "Still, did what Yuffie say make things… weird?"

"Kind of," Denzel admitted. "So… adoption?"

"Give it some time," Cloud told him. "You need to make sure it's the sort of thing that you'd want after everything you've been through, and… I'd need to make sure I'd be a good parent."

"I-I think you'd be a good one," Denzel tried to tell him. Cloud only smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Even still, it's a big decision. It's probably better if everyone's careful and sure about what they're going to do," he explained.

"Like you and Tifa?" Cloud was stonefaced at the insinuation. "Sorry, it's just… it feels like everyone's saying it."

"…It's exactly like that," he answered as honestly as he could. "Just don't tell Barret or Marlene I said that; they already moved my bed with asking so who knows what would be next?"

"Gotcha, it'll be our secret," Denzel promised, excited to have one to share with his role model.

"As long as you can manage to keep it," Cloud challenged. "I don't think there's anyone out there that can keep a secret from Marlene. And believe me when I say some of us have really tried."

"Then I'll be the first one," the young man promised confidently.

"I'm sure you will. Now go play with her; I've got a bar rush to get ready for."

Denzel nodded before running off to their shared room… and finding Marlene waiting for him with a suspicious face and her hands on her hips. Had Tifa taught her to look so authoritative?

"So, what did you need to talk to Cloud about?" she demanded.

"Just, uh… guy stuff. You wouldn't get it," he tried, hoping to end her interrogation quickly.

"Guy stuff?" Clearly she wasn't buying it. "What kind of guy stuff?"

"Just… just stuff?"

Two questions and he was already about to crack. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Back in Cloud's room, he was already starting to gather all of his belongings while Barret sat at his desk, making some minor repairs to his mechanical arm after yesterday's fight with Bahamut. Cloud had stayed silent as he gathered his things, up until he was about to leave.

"It's a wonder you've never gotten along with Yuffie if you both start these headaches. Try anything like that again, and I'm charging you rent on the room," he threatened, very done with Barret's idea of a game.

"It's your fault I gotta do this in the first place, man," Barret scoffed. "You're welcome by the way."

"…Two thousand. A night."

"Wha-!? That's highway robbery!"

"My room. I can charge what I want," Cloud coldly answered.

"TIFA!" Barret called, something Cloud compared to telling mom.

"My bar!" she called up, leading Barret to smirk victoriously at the blond. "Four thousand!"

"Hell no!"

Cloud had to admit… Tifa was better at getting him to laugh than he'd thought.