Lean On Me (FF7)

1

~Tifa's POV~

"Denzel, go wash your hands!" I call to the young boy that wants so much to be like Cloud. Cloud... I shake my head. After he saved the town, he disappeared. Just vanished. That is, after he told me he just wanted to be friends now. I roll my eyes and smile. He was always a confusing one.

"I did!" he calls back, walking into the 7th Heaven, the local hangout I own inside Midgar. Miraculously, it's managed to stand through everything that's gone on in the last four years.

He jumps the counter and pushes past the curtain that divides the bar from the house. I sigh, glaring at the mud spot where his boot brushed the edge. He wants to be a little too much like Cloud. I'm about to chase after him when I hear the front door open again.

"Barret!" I squeal, pulling my tall, dark skinned friend into a hug. He laughs loudly and holds his adopted daughter, Marlene, out to me.

"Can you watch her for a few days? I need to finish our house in Corel."

"Don't you say hey anymore?" I tease him, taking her into my arms. She's growing up at the age of seven, but we still carry her around anyway. She plays with her pink bow for a second before expertly sliding out of my arms and running to the back, where she knows she'll find Denzel.

"Hey Tifa. Could you watch Marlene for a couple days while I finish our new home in Corel?"

"I don't know, are you going to spend more time with her?"

"I'm tryin' Tifa, it's just so hard when I'm just one a those people that can't resist an adventure."

"Which is why you need to stop coming back and forth between here and Corel. It'll do you some good."

"I have a house here, too," he admits.

"Thought so," I laugh. I knew there had to be another reason he kept visiting me. "Can I get you a drink?" I add. Might as well do my job while I can.

"The usual," he nods. "Please."

"Uh-oh," I smirk at him while fixing his drink. "Barret said please. What do you need this time?"

"A lift," He sighs, not bothering to put up a fight.

"I'll call Cid," I nod, giving him his glass.

"Hey, where's the cherry?" he whines.

"We're out until next week," I shush him.

"Hello?" Cid's cheerful voice fills my cell phone.

"Hey Cid!" I laugh back.

"Well if isn't miss Tifa," he chuckles back. "What's up?"

"Barret needs a lift to North Corel. Could you fire up the Highwind and get him there?"

"Yes indeed!" he says heartily. He's always been one of these bipolar people. He's either in really good mood or he's cursing like a sailor because he spilled his coffee.

"Okay, thanks!"

"No problem."

I hang up and look down at the small screen of my flip phone. My wallpaper makes me want to hug him, tell him how much he meant to us. But now he's alone and no one will find him for awhile. I miss Cloud...

"So can he?" Barret interrupts my thoughts.

"Yep. Hurry up with that, I need my cup back."

"No can do," he smirks.

"Barret," I whine.

"Hey Barret!" Denzel comes out behind me.

"Denz!" Barret high fives him and let's him sit down next to him. "How's it goin' bud?"

"Great! But Marlene still wants me to be her unicorn," he crinkles his nose.

"Tell her you'll be her chocobo," Barret laughs.

"I did. She said they're ugly. I mean, obviously she's never seen Rosco."

I feel my smile waver as I look down at my feet. Rosco was Cloud's golden chocobo that was handed down to Denzel when he disappeared. I stand up from my leaning position on the counter.

"I'll be in the back." I announce.

The buzz of the boys' conversation stops suddenly when the door jingles. I turn slowly, and my heart thumps out if my chest. Why... How... I gulp and force tears of confusion, frustration, and joy down.

"Cloud?!" Denzel finally speaks up.

THIS ALL MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY CONFUSING IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED OR SEEN THE FF7 MOVIE/GAME. I HAVEN'T EXACTLY BEAT THE GAME YET, STILL STUCK ON THE STUPID RUBY WEAPON. IT WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME... VOTE IF YOU ENJOYED!