#angrende

With his heart clenched by the fear of what his hero was going to utter, the boy hid his gaze by lowering it to the ground. In this position, he waited for Cloud's answer. It had to be his fault. Even his parents had left him behind; everyone had abandoned him. How unfair to disappear without an explanation. What was that he could do to make things better for everyone? What could he do to help his new family and to convince Cloud to stay? He didn't wish to be a burden to them, especially to this man. The blond's response made the boy open his orbs widely. It's not my fault? A stone appeared to have been lifted from his chest. Then he felt Cloud's hand touching his hair and a small smile appeared on his lips.

Tifa had asked him not to disturb Cloud when resting, especially since he had come home that afternoon wearing a tired expression. Denzel didn’t object Tifa’s request so he left the man alone. That was until evening arrived and dinner was prepared. The boy suggested that he would be the one to call his hero downstairs to eat with them. Thankfully, the woman gave him permission to do so and the kid rushed up the stairs, reaching Cloud’s room in no time. However, as soon as he entered, he witnessed the man wincing in his sleep. Is he in pain?

He really pissed her off today. It wasn’t like he was the only one suffering, the children were, too. Did he even know how hard it was to be left alone all the days of the week with two kids in her care? Denzel was the most affected in this situation and she had seen it. She had felt it. Sometimes she even heard his opinions regarding Cloud’s departures. Tifa often felt helpless in front of him, unable to understand how she could offer her assistance to him. That cut deep through her heart.

“ You had forgotten about your family!” She lashed out after his hurtful words, maybe even ready to fight him. But she concluded that violence could not solve this dispute at all. Her clenched fists opened as she reached that conclusion and, for a brief moment, her gaze drifted away from him. Tifa heard his apology but remained quiet.

After a while, she turned to face him, her features slightly softened.

She hadn’t expected that his words would hit her so hard. For a moment she felt her body freezing and her mind unable to come with a reply. He had already decided on this matter without consulting her. She was going to be left alone, wasn’t she? This thought made her chest ache. After all, they had been through together, it was still impossible to keep her family united. First Barret, now Cloud. Would the children leave her someday, too? The image of the sick Denzel passed through her mind. As far as they knew, there was no cure. She imagined his bed emptied, a saddened Marlene pausing her steps sometimes in front of it. Tifa shook her head at once. That vision almost destroyed all the courage she had fought to gather all this time.

Her ruby hues hesitantly looked at the blonde, but she couldn’t make out his expression clearly. As always, he tried to hide it away from her. She bit her lip whilst attempting to voice out her emotions:

“What… made you believe that?” In the end, her tone was slightly shaky. A sigh left her lips as she kept staring at him.

It was one of the rare days in which the boy could spend some time with his hero. On his visage he was wearing a pleasant smile, the mere thought of being with Cloud today filling his heart with excitement.

His blue orbs greeted the familiar silhouette of the blonde who was approaching with his order.

“Yes! That’s it! Thanks, Cloud!” Denzel expressed his gratitude as he stretched out his hand and took the offered ice cream cone. It was vanilla flavored and its smell made him melancholic. He remembered the first time his father had bought him one and how he had asked several times for more after that.