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Denzel was worried.
He didn’t want to be. But being stuck in this same waiting room without much to distract him, it was hard not to let his mind wander.*
Tifa had been in the hospital for a long time now, and he didn’t know if she was okay. There were a lot of grown-ups telling him that everything would be fine, but he’d heard that before, a bunch of times, and had come to learn that it wasn’t always true.**
After what Denzel had been through; losing his parents when Sector 7 fell, living on the streets, catching Geostigma, Cloud leaving; he had finally reached a point where it felt like his life was changing for the better.
He didn’t want anything to put that in danger, or for anyone else to be taken away.
He knew it was dumb. Tifa was strong. The only time he’d seen her hurt was when those grey-haired guys had summoned a giant monster to attack the city.
This was nothing compared to that.
They had known this day was coming. Surely, everything would be okay.
Still, being away from her; not knowing exactly what was happening; Denzel couldn’t help but fear for the worst.
He hadn’t been there on the night his parents died.
Even though he knew there wasn’t anything he could have done to save them, he wondered if being there in their last moments would have at least brought him some comfort. Given him, at least, the chance to say goodbye.
Cloud had taken Tifa’s pickup truck to the hospital that morning. It felt weird. Denzel wasn’t used to seeing Cloud drive actual cars. He probably could’ve gotten there way faster on Fenrir, but there wouldn’t have been enough room for all of them. Still, Cloud managed to duck and weave through traffic, pushing the engine as fast as it could go. At another time, Denzel might have found the ride exciting.
But now, what stood out more than the truck’s high-speed, was how panicked Cloud looked as he spoke to Barret over the phone. Denzel always looked up to Cloud. The way he stayed cool and calm he even when there was danger. For him to be worried made Denzel realise how serious things must have been.
Once they made it to the hospital, Tifa was rushed to a room of her own, hooked up to complicated-looking machines and surrounded by nurses. Seeing all the people and equipment, Cloud had looked uncertain again, like he didn’t want to let Tifa go. But Tifa had cooperated.
After a while, a doctor spoke to them, saying that only Cloud could stay and Denzel would need to leave.
Hearing this, Cloud looked between Denzel and the doctor with a frown.
Though he’d never said, Denzel got the feeling that Cloud didn’t like doctors. There was something about people in white coats that seemed to put him on edge.
Denzel could understand; he also didn’t like hospitals. They were full of sick people, people weak and close to death. It reminded him of those he’d seen who caught Geostigma. Like Ruvie-san and that Moogle girl’s younger brother.
This hospital, in particular, held difficult memories. Denzel could still picture the crowds of people that had filled its halls back before the Stigma had even had a name. The staff had been overwhelmed, struggling to make sense of what was happening. They wanted to help, but nothing they tried worked. At that time, the most they could hope to do was ease these people's suffering and bring them some comfort before they eventually passed.
Thankfully, they weren’t as busy these days.
Still, Denzel thought they could trust this man. He seemed nice and was only trying to help Tifa.
But Cloud was having trouble making his mind up. He wanted to be there for Tifa. As strong as she was, he couldn’t stand to leave her alone. Not again. Not after he’d sworn to stay.
She’d always told them that they could fight through anything together, as a family. He wanted to honour his half of that promise.
At the same time, he couldn’t leave Denzel by himself, either. Denzel had managed on his own for a long time, but he didn’t need to anymore. Cloud and Tifa had always wanted to make sure he knew that.
Thankfully, after their earlier call, he knew Barret would be on the way soon. So, Denzel at least wouldn’t have to be on his own for long.
With that in mind, Cloud relented with a nod. He took a moment to turn to Denzel, stooping slightly to ruffle his hair.
“Don’t worry, Denzel. Tifa will be out of here before you know it.”
Denzel nodded, though he didn’t find the words entirely convincing.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Cloud, he just knew there was so much out of his hands.
If it came down to something simpler; like Cloud fighting a powerful enemy; Denzel would have had a lot more faith in him. But this was something beyond that.
Before he could go, Tifa stopped to hold Denzel’s hand and smile at him; something that had helped him feel better when he had been sick. This time, though, the smile didn’t feel quite right. Her face was scrunched up and one of her eyes was closed. It looked like she was in pain.
It made Denzel sad. He wasn’t sure why Tifa was trying to hide her pain. Maybe she thought it would make him less scared.
But, wasn’t that what Cloud had done before? Pretended that nothing was wrong when there was?
Even though he didn’t completely understand, Denzel would be brave. Even though it was true that, deep down, he did feel scared, he didn’t want Tifa to worry about him.
.
Denzel didn’t have to stay in the waiting room by himself for very long before Barret arrived.
For a while he was excited, knowing it meant he would get to spend time with Marlene. She wasn’t around as much these days and had been travelling around the planet with her dad.
Denzel would sometimes get lonely without someone else to play with.
Her being there helped distract him. Though, he was surprised that Marlene didn’t seem worried. She’d known Tifa for much longer than he had. He wondered how much Barret had told her, or if she was just handling it better than him.
It’s probably that, Denzel thought. Even though she was younger than him, Marlene could act like a grown-up when she wanted to.
Denzel was happy to see Barret also. He had always helped look after him and Marlene when Cloud and Tifa were busy. He used to read them stories and carry them on his shoulders. Denzel thought the gun on his arm was cool too, even though he still wasn’t sure if he should ask about it.
It wasn’t long before Cloud and Tifa’s other friends stopped by as well.
Denzel was a little shy around them, not knowing them as well. But they’d helped Cloud and Tifa fight that giant monster in the city. Cloud had even told him all about the adventures they’d been on together, saving the Planet. Denzel felt a little closer to them because of that.
Yuffie was fun. She had shuriken and smoke bombs and other things that she would let Denzel play with… so long as he promised not to tell Cloud. Denzel liked that she didn’t treat him like a kid. It was only a few years ago that she’d been a teenager herself.
Reeve-san would bring his puppet, Cait Sith, along. He sang and told fortunes and danced around on a giant Moogle. The show attracted a small crowd of kids and other patients who watched along happily. It was nice, keeping everyone distracted from their pain and sickness or worrying about their loved ones staying in the hospital.
It took some convincing for the staff to let Nanaki in. Hospitals normally didn’t allow animals. But, because he was one of the heroes who helped defeat Sephiroth, they changed their minds.
Denzel didn’t get to see everyone, though. Cloud hadn’t been able to reach their other friend Vincent, yet. He still didn’t have a phone and Cid could never stay for long before he had to go back outside to smoke a cigarette.
Still, whenever one of them had to leave, they would always smile and tell Denzel the same thing. That everything would be fine. Tifa would be fine. Each time, Denzel had to force a grin. It almost made him upset. They were lying. They had no way of knowing that.
It was starting to make his stomach ache, their constant need to reassure him. It made Denzel worry that something bad had already happened.
He sat down, hoping to hear anything, any word of Tifa’s condition. Just so that he didn’t have to bear the anxiety of waiting any more.
.
After a while, the door to the rooms burst open and Cloud came rushing out. He looked around the waiting room frantically, before finding Denzel and sprinting over. Denzel jumped to his feet at the sight of him, desperate to finally hear some news of Tifa.
At first, his stomach sank seeing the dark marks underneath Cloud’s eyes. It looked like he’d been crying.
Cloud tended to keep quiet. Sometimes, it was difficult to know what he was thinking or feeling. But, when it came to the people precious to him, he was always honest. You could see his thoughts and feelings in his face.
The longer Denzel looked, the more his worrying feelings began to fade.
Cloud was short of breath. His hair looked even messier than usual, but he was smiling. In fact, he seemed excited.
That made Denzel feel a bit better. Nothing bad could have happened if Cloud was happy.
“Denzel!” Cloud bounded toward him. His hands rested on his shoulders as he knelt down and took a moment to catch his breath. Denzel swallowed, eventually finding the urge to speak.
“What’s going on? Is Tifa okay?”
“She’s fine,” Cloud reassured, his voice finally stable. A small, calming smile crossed his lips. “Why don’t you come and see for yourself?”
The words held more weight than anyone else's, as Denzel knew Cloud had been with her and would know for sure that she was safe.
Still, Denzel frowned. He wasn’t used to seeing Cloud act like this. It was weird.
With a shrug, he took the older man’s hand and followed him down the halls.
The walk was nice after having to sit for so long. The excitement of their many visitors had been starting to fade and Denzel was feeling restless. He’d been tempted to go outside but knew the others might worry if they couldn’t find him.
Now that he knew Tifa was okay, his rushing mind could relax and let him take in what was around them. He noticed there were a lot of small gardens outside the Hospital, filled with more grass and plant life than he could remember seeing on Midgar’s Upper plates where he’d once lived.
Eventually, he and Cloud arrived back at the same room where Tifa was still lying in bed.
Denzel’s eyes widened, his heart swelling as he saw her, wide awake, the machines unhooked from her arms. She was sweating and looked tired, but a familiar life and colour had returned to her skin. Her smile was big and beautiful. Denzel couldn’t see any pain in it anymore.
She was looking down at some blankets in her arms. Her eyes lifted when he walked into the room and somehow, her face got even brighter. It made him feel warm in the chest.
Taking one hand away from the bundle, she motioned for him to come closer, her voice soft.
“Denzel..”
Despite being invited, Denzel hesitated at first, unsure. Tifa did look better, but… shouldn’t she be resting?
Putting his hands on his shoulders, Cloud gently guided him toward the bed. Denzel looked over his shoulder, confused, but Cloud nodded.
Dipping his own head tentatively, Denzel moved forward and Tifa’s free hand reached around to settle him against the bed at her side. He leaned into the touch, putting his arm around her back. It was a relief to be around her again and know that she was alright.
As he knelt, he noticed part of the blanket slipping down, revealing a flash of pink skin and dark, messy hair.
Denzel froze, surprised to see the bundle shuffling in Tifa’s arms. Its movement made more of the blanket fall away, revealing two wide, blue eyes looking around, confused. They stopped on him for a moment; their attention drawn to the new person in the room.
Curious, a small hand stretched from the bundle, reaching for him with a high-pitched exhale.
Still in awe, Denzel didn’t know how to react, letting the hand clasp one of his fingers with surprising strength.
His eyes widened before he looked back to Tifa, tears shining in her eyes.
“Denzel, say hello to your brother.”
In disbelief, Denzel’s gaze shifted back to the tiny body cradled in Tifa’s arms.
The dark hair matched hers, only it was shorter and in wild, messy spikes. The blue eyes shone with the same colour that was slowly returning to Cloud’s with each day. There was a softness and warmth in them that Denzel couldn’t help but tie to Tifa. Even from the tiny hand that tightly gripped his own, Denzel could feel their strength.
From beside Denzel, Cloud put an arm around his back, bringing him, Tifa and their
newborn son together in his embrace.
He stopped at the sight of the two interacting together for the first time. Denzel looked up at him, his hands hanging unsure, afraid to approach something that looked so small and delicate. Yet his eyes were trained on him, awed and attentive.
Cloud could still remember finding Denzel, frightened and sick outside of Aerith’s church and bringing him to Seventh Heaven. At the time, his future hadn’t been certain. Neither of theirs had.
Yet, he was with them today. Safe and sound, welcoming their newborn son into the world.
It was comforting to know that those children had been saved, that the Planet, the future, was a brighter, more secure place.
Cloud’s gaze shifted back to their newborn, still overwhelmed to see some of the features he loved most of Tifa’s in a different light, melded with some of his own.
He drew a shaky breath, his heart filling as he turned to Tifa, eyes awash with tears, the love and admiration he felt for her flaring up even stronger. He was drawn to how perfectly their son fit into her arms, cradled by the love she’d always shown so selflessly.
Even with the fatigue and stress of labour weighing on her, she had never looked more beautiful to him.
He pressed his forehead against Tifa’s, their lips coming together briefly as he muttered soft words against them; of gratitude, of pride and silent awe over what she had done, what they had created together.
Watching on from beside them, basking in their joy. It became clear to Denzel how blind he had been.
It hadn’t been a tragedy that awaited his family, but something that had grown it, made it even stronger, snuffing out so many of his old fears with it. Those thoughts had almost kept him from seeing the joy that had been unfolding right in front of him.
Now he felt comfortable in believing that he was finally truly free of the fear and misfortunate that had once shaped his life.
A rush of determination rose up in Denzel’s chest suddenly as he felt those tiny fingers flexing against his own. His cynicism and dread gave way to hope, excitement for the future that they would have together.
With as much as it had been a blessing to be gifted that place, Denzel knew that it came with a great responsibility. He realised now, that he couldn’t afford to think that way anymore, couldn’t let taint fear his life.
He had a place, he was needed. He had someone now who would look up to him, who he would need to protect and be there for whenever they were in a pinch.
He needed to be strong for them. He needed to be brave. Not only to believe that good things could exist in the world and the future, for their sake, but to do all he could in his power to ensure it.
With his free hand, Denzel held his brother’s fist, swearing the promise against it.