Chapter 4: Sour

The sky soon turned from orange to deep violet, and the four warriors began to tire. Zidane and Bartz were taking up the rear now, and Tidus followed a few feet behind Cloud, sluggishly dragging his feet through the short grass. Tidus stopped in his tracks when he heard a sigh emerge from the man ahead.

"We should probably set up camp before it's completely dark," Cloud said, coming to a halt and analyzing the sky.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Tidus agreed. He was kind of thankful that Cloud had finally spoken. They had been silent for a while now, neither one of them quite knowing what to say while the other two men chatted up a storm behind them.

"Where should we set up?" Zidane asked. Cloud glanced around. A small pond lay to their left while more open field lay ahead. Cloud's eyes finally came to rest on a cluster of trees a few metres to their right.

"Maybe over there. It'd give us a bit of shelter," he answered, pointing to their destination.

"'Kay," Bartz joined in.

They followed Cloud over to the trees and set their gear and weapons down on the ground. Zidane let out a noisy yawn and raised his arms above his head. Bartz brushed himself off before taking a seat in the grass.

"Is anyone hungry?" he asked, turning his attention to his bag, which lay beside him.

"You bet, I am!" Tidus replied with excitement as he crouched down beside Bartz, peeking to see what kind of food was hiding in his knapsack.

"Bread?" Bartz offered, unfolding a cloth to reveal a loaf that was almost completely intact.

Though it went unnoticed by Bartz, Cloud saw the small wrinkle of Tidus' nose, indicating his displeasure. A smile quickly replaced that look, however; Tidus didn't want to look ungrateful, but Cloud could certainly understand his frustration. They had eaten enough bread to fill a flock of chocobos back when they had been travelling with Cecil and Firion. Nevertheless, neither Cloud nor Tidus was in a position to complain.

Each of the two men accepted a small portion of bread from Bartz, and began nibbling away at it. It was bland, but it did help to settle their growling stomachs. Bartz looked up from his snack to take in the sight of his tired companions. Tidus and Cloud looked like they'd been through the wringer; they were both a little pale, and their eyes looked like they wanted to droop closed.

"You guys look like you could use a good rest. Why don't you two use mine and Zidane's sleeping bags?"

"No, that's alright, Bartz. We'll be fine on the ground," Cloud replied, shaking his head. Tidus discreetly glanced up from his bread, hoping Cloud might change his mind about that.

"Don't be silly," Zidane said. "We don't mind. We have a tent."

"He's right," Bartz nodded. "It's not like we'd be sleeping on the ground."

Cloud cast a glance to his left to look at Tidus. Tidus gave him a quick nod, his mouth hidden behind his morsel of bread. Cloud turned his gaze back to Bartz once more.

"If you're sure you don't mind," he sighed.

"Not a bit," Bartz assured him.

"So, T?" Zidane spoke up between bites of bread. "Haven't talked to Yuna lately have, ya?"

"Yuna?" Tidus asked, raising a brow. His heart twinged anxiously, the familiar ache of their separation stirring within him. He swallowed hard, but managed an innocent smile.

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"Ran into her a few weeks back, but she was awful quiet. Didn't even mention you. Must've been a rough breakup, huh?" Zidane inquired, sounding a little too chipper.

"C'mon. Do we have to talk about that?" Tidus asked, forcing a weak chuckle.

"Just curious, man. Friends tell," Zidane replied, stuffing some more food into his mouth.

Tidus stared down at his half-eaten piece of bread, and bit his lip. He could feel Zidane's stare boring into him, making him feel ever so guilty for withholding information, and before he could stop himself, he found himself opening his mouth to speak.

"I guess... people change when they're apart for a while."

"How so?" Zidane tested.

"I don't know," Tidus replied, rubbing his arm, uncomfortably. "She acted differently, she dressed differently."

"Dressed differently?" Bartz asked.

Tidus hesitated, not exactly liking that he'd piqued another person's interest in such a personal affair. He was just thankful that Cloud didn't seem to be paying much attention, his eyes on the ground as he ate the remains of his bread.

"Yuna, she, uh... She wore a lot less," Tidus chuckled, timidly.

"Wait!" Zidane spoke up, shooting a hand up into the air to silence him. "So, she strips down, and you like her less? What the hell is wrong with you, T?"

"W-well, you know," Tidus stuttered, cheeks reddening. "The Yuna I knew before was just so soft-spoken, so innocent. I never pictured her turning into..." He trailed off, not knowing how to explain his feelings.

He rubbed his arm a little harder, feeling ashamed. Maybe he was crazy for losing interest in Yuna, but he'd known from the moment he'd returned to Spira after his two years' sleep that she was different, that things between them were different. Ever since then, Tidus had felt the distance between them growing wider and wider, to the point where he had to break things off. And once he'd developed feelings for Cloud, there was no turning back.

"Never mind," Tidus spoke up, shaking his head, and pushing forth a strained smile. "Guess... I was stupid for breaking up with her, huh? I don't know what I was thinking."

Zidane got to his feet and stretched his arms above his head, obviously growing weary of Tidus' ceaseless babbling. He gave a smirk.

"Well, unlike you, I'm easy to please if they dress to tease," Zidane grinned. He walked over to give Tidus a hard pat on the back before proceeding toward their pile of gear. He grabbed his and Bartz's tent from the assortment of bags, and headed a few feet away from the group to begin setting it up.

Tidus' gaze wandered to each of his remaining companions, warily. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. It took a full six attempts before he was able to form a sentence.

"That wasn't the only reason why Yuna and I—" Tidus started, but Bartz was quick to speak up.

"We know that, but do you think he cares?" Bartz asked, nodding his head in Zidane's direction. He gave Tidus a gentle smile, and rose to his feet. Tidus watched as he strolled over to help Zidane with the tent, then his gaze fell toward the ground.

Tidus' hands entwined themselves, his fingers nervously knotted together. Tidus bit his lip again to try and hide the hurt. He hadn't expected Zidane to understand; he wondered why he'd agreed to divulge in the first place.

Tidus was startled when a gentle hand fell upon his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to see the Ex-SOLDIER behind him. He was surprised by Cloud's display of comfort, enough so that it distracted him from his embarrassment.

"Don't let what Zidane said bother you. People change. They grow apart. It happens all the time," Cloud told him, gently. Tidus was speechless; he wished his mouth would form a thank you, but his brain could only focus on Cloud's words.

Before Tidus could grow used to the feel of Cloud's touch, the man lifted his hand, and turned toward the supplies pile. Cloud gathered his friends' sleeping bags and got to work setting up for the night, while Tidus simply sat and watched. Tidus' shock lasted only a second or two, then a soft smile appeared on his face as his shoulder continued to give off a perpetual warmth.

Nightfall quickly arrived, and Tidus and Cloud said their good-nights to their friends as fast as they could, hoping to get in as many hours of sleep as possible. Tidus lay down and wriggled his way into the sleeping bag he'd borrowed from Zidane. He breathed in deeply, and stole a glance in Cloud's direction, just so he could memorize this moment. He thought back to the kind words that Cloud had spoken to him earlier, and yearned to close the distance between them. If he were just a few inches closer, he probably would have been able to rest his head on Cloud's shoulder.

"You comfortable?" Cloud asked, bringing Tidus out of his embarrassing thoughts.

"Yeah, fine," he replied, with a smile. His mind flickered back to the night before, down in the cold, wet canyon. "It sure beats last night's bed of rocks."

"That, it does," Cloud agreed, forcing a light chuckle. Tidus loved the sound of it, even though it was strained.

"I kinda like sleeping under the stars anyway," Tidus smiled, placing his hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky above.

Memories threatened to fill Cloud's mind. Cloud wanted to smile, but part of what made him want to smile also made him hurt. He didn't want to think about the past. It was too painful. He shoved those memories as far away as they would go, and stared up at the sky along with his companion. He focused, trying hard to see the beauty that Tidus saw—the beauty he used to see.

The dark sky was sprinkled with glimmering white dots, each giving off a different amount of light. Clearly, some burned brighter than others, but each held an element of beauty that Cloud couldn't help but admire.

"Sleeping outdoors is sort of nice, isn't it?" Cloud eventually said.

"Yeah, once you get used to all the bugs and stuff," Tidus chuckled. Cloud hummed in agreement.

They lay there for several minutes, staring at the tiny lights above before Cloud felt his eyelids start to fall closed again. He yawned and rolled onto his side.

"Goodnight, Tidus," he said, closing his eyes. Tidus glanced over at him, feeling soothed by how relaxed Cloud looked in that moment.

"Goodnight, Cloud," he answered, a smile tugging once again at the corners of his mouth.

Tidus tried to settle, but within seconds, he felt his stomach growling. He put a hand over it, trying to mute the sound a little, but it just grumbled even more loudly a minute later. Tidus heard Cloud stifle an amused noise.

"You hungry?" Cloud asked.

"Unfortunately, yeah," Tidus sighed, removing his hand from his stomach. Instead, he flopped it over his forehead. "Guess I shouldn't have tossed the rest of my supper."

"You threw it out, huh? A little tired of bread?" Cloud asked.

"Little would be an understatement," Tidus grinned.

"To be honest, I'm hungry, too," Cloud admitted. "All we have is Bartz's bread, though."

Tidus' hand flew back to his stomach, his face twisting into a look of disgust.

"And suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore," he mumbled. Cloud looked slightly amused, though it lasted only a moment.

"If you want, I can try fishing over there," Cloud suggested, nodding his head toward the pond on the left. Tidus lifted his head off the ground to glance at the pool of water. It was perfectly still, not a ripple to be seen, but Tidus hoped there might be more activity underneath the surface.

"Would you mind?" he asked, timidly.

"Not at all," Cloud assured him, sitting up and unzipping his sleeping bag. "Like I said, I'm hungry, too."

"Mm, good fish," Tidus smiled, leaning back on his elbows as he sat in front of the fire. The flames crackled as they rose into the air, but the sound wasn't nearly loud enough to wake Zidane and Bartz, something for which Tidus was grateful; he would never complain about having alone time with Cloud. In fact, the past hour or so had been incredible—the two of them trying to catch fish with nothing but their hands, weapons, and eventually a couple of makeshift spears. He was glad Zidane and Bartz had slept through the splashing water, Cloud's occasional curse word, and Tidus' nearly constant laughter.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to have eaten something besides bread!" Tidus beamed. Cloud felt his lips form an almost-smile.

"I'm glad you liked it. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out since I didn't have the proper seasonings. I had to make due with what I could find nearby," Cloud said.

He shyly averted his gaze when he saw the look of gentle surprise Tidus was giving him. His embarrassment didn't go unnoticed by Tidus; in fact, Tidus thought it was quite adorable.

"You know a lot about cooking?" Tidus asked, a small, curious smile on his face.

"Not really," Cloud said, shaking his head. "My mom taught me some stuff, but... that was quite a while ago now."

"Well, I guess it paid off. That was delicious," Tidus grinned, sincerely.

"Thanks," Cloud replied.

Tidus settled into a peaceful silence, but Cloud felt abnormally warm. He couldn't deny that that little compliment had gone a long way. He knew it was simple, but it had touched something inside him, something he hadn't felt in a long time: he felt appreciated.

Tidus cast quick glances Cloud's way, hoping he wouldn't notice, but Cloud seemed to be lost in thought. Tidus hid a smile. It was hard not to smile when all he could think of was their time together. His brain replayed memories in his head, each one containing a special moment with Cloud. Eventually, his mind reached one of their last campfires alone together, the one where the little spark had started.

That little spark—that's all it took. A little flicker of light that told Tidus he felt something for this other man. Tidus could only hope that his spark would take hold of Cloud, too. He knew from experience that even tiny sparks had a tendency to grow.

Morning came much too early for everyone—especially Cloud. He awoke with a lump in his throat, and though he tried to put aside thoughts of his horrible night's sleep, it was difficult. He turned his head toward the boy beside him, envious of Tidus' ability to sleep soundly. Tidus' soft snores had accompanied Cloud as he'd drifted in and out of nightmares, something for which Cloud was thankful; the sounds of the real world had kept that ounce of distance between him and his vivid dreams, protecting his fragile emotions, even if only a little bit.

Despite the warriors' desires for more rest, they quickly got up, packed up their gear, and headed out once again, hoping that the day ahead might bring them closer to Firion and Cecil, or even more importantly, their crystals. Tidus stared ahead at Cloud and Bartz as he walked, and Zidane strolled lazily at his side.

"Feels like I hardly slept," Zidane groaned.

"You feel like you hardly slept?" Tidus asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. What, were you up late or somethin'?" Zidane questioned. Tidus bit back a smile as memories of the night before danced happily in his brain.

"No, no. It's just that you didn't spend a couple of days in a soggy old canyon. I should be more tired than you," Tidus grinned, glad that he'd conjured up such a quick explanation.

"Well, I'm sleepy anyway. Hey, Bartz! Will you piggy-back me?" Zidane asked, running up to his friend and jumping onto Bartz's back without awaiting his permission. Bartz let out a surprised yell, which was followed by laughter as he somehow managed to keep himself standing with Zidane securely on his back. Zidane chuckled as Bartz adjusted him.

"Ready?" Bartz asked.

"Ready!" Zidane cheered, throwing a fist into the air. His other arm was wrapped tightly around Bartz's neck.

"Here we go," Bartz grinned, taking off at a run towards Cloud who was once again leading the way. Tidus stopped to watch them, and chuckled as they charged past their unsuspecting leader.

"I'm slipping!" Zidane shouted.

Within seconds, he toppled off sideways and fell to the ground, causing Bartz to tumble along with him. They lay in shock for a moment before they both burst out laughing. Tidus ran ahead to catch up, and joined in the hilarity as he watched the two rolling around in hysterics. He quickly shut up when he heard Cloud sigh beside him.

"I'm going on alone," the man uttered, causing Bartz and Zidane to cease their laughter. Tidus held his breath.

"What? Why?" Zidane asked, quickly pushing himself up off the ground and brushing himself off. Bartz followed his lead.

"It might be best to split up to look for the others. We're all good fighters. Besides, I doubt we're going to find our crystals in the same place," Cloud replied.

"What you mean is we're annoying you, right? Sorry, Cloud. We were just having a bit of fun," Bartz said, hanging his head low.

"Yeah, sorry, Cloud," Zidane said, solemnly. "We'll behave."

"It's not just that," Cloud said, his brain scrolling through possible excuses to rid himself of their company. After such a miserable night of unrest, the rambunctiousness of those two was too much to take.

"Travelling in a large group is time-consuming, and it makes us an easy target for enemies. The rest of you can stick together if you want, but I'm going on alone," Cloud announced.

He dropped the sleeping bag he'd borrowed from Bartz before turning away from the group. The three watched him take off, disappointed and a little confused by his sudden urge to leave. Bartz made a move to follow him, but Zidane put an arm out to stop him.

"We've annoyed him enough," Zidane told his friend, frowning as he glanced in Tidus' direction.

"Is it just me, or is he especially moody this morning?" Bartz asked, watching the blond who had gone off ahead.

"It's not just you," Tidus replied. He was glad someone else had noticed. His Cloud-radar was off the charts, after all, and couldn't be trusted.

"Why don't you go with him, T?" Zidane asked, his eyes darting back to the figure in the distance. When Tidus didn't move, Zidane gave him a nudge with his elbow. Tidus gave him a worried glance, but Zidane winked at him, letting him know that this was his chance to talk to Cloud, though Zidane still couldn't fathom his reason why.

Tidus' heart pounded against his chest as he debated whether or not he should be the one to follow. Had Cloud wanted to escape the fun-loving Zidane and Bartz, or had he wanted to travel without Tidus, too? Tidus rocked back and forth nervously on the balls of his feet, but his thoughts of last night put him at ease. Cloud had been kind to him, and Cloud certainly hadn't seemed to mind his company. Maybe this was his opportunity.

"Alright, I'll go," Tidus announced, finding his confidence. "Can't let him go off on his own. It's too dangerous."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bartz asked. "I mean, you guys don't have any supplies or anything."

"Yeah, it'll be fine. We'll find a moogle or something," Tidus smiled.

"You'd better hurry. The guy sure knows how to make a quick exit," Zidane interjected, holding a hand above his eyes so that he could see Cloud disappearing into the brilliant sun. Tidus glanced behind him, shocked by how far Cloud had travelled in such a short time.

"Whoa!" he shouted, taking off at a run. "Cloud, wait up!"

"Bye!" Zidane called. "Good luck!"

Tidus proceeded toward Cloud, jogging in large strides so that Cloud wouldn't get too far ahead of him. His mind raced with possibilities of what he might say to Cloud to justify his following him, like 'Cecil and Firion will wonder what happened if you go back without me' and 'I don't want you to get hurt on your own.' His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a shimmering figure fly past Cloud.

"Cloud! Look out!" Tidus shouted, causing Cloud to look up and see the manikin in front of him. Just as he did, more started to emerge from the surrounding trees.

"We're a-coming!" Zidane called from behind. Tidus could hear his two companions running to help. Cloud tried not to panic when he counted and realized they were greatly outnumbered. Eight manikins surrounded them.

"Tidus, you take that one!" Cloud ordered, referring to a spell-caster up ahead.

"Right," Tidus agreed, charging toward his target. Cloud suddenly found himself regretting sending Tidus away when he realized the other seven manikins were now focusing on him. Cloud frowned and held his ground until one of the manikins came his way. Cloud cringed as he found himself face-to-face with a Sephiroth clone, the first Sephiroth manikin he'd seen. He tried not to let his loathing for this man hamper his judgement. Instead, he tried to focus on his strategy before attacking. After all, this wasn't the real Sephiroth. The real Sephiroth was probably waiting for him somewhere down the line, and this was the perfect opportunity to learn his weaknesses.

Cloud released a small groan when he felt another manikin to his right, its blade cutting through his right arm. He looked to see the Gabranth manikin that had caused the damage. Cloud cursed as he was knocked down by a blast of magic from a Kefka manikin. Yes, he was certainly surrounded.

Bartz and Tidus arrived only seconds later and began hacking away at the manikins around him, giving Cloud time to get back on his feet. They worked on ridding themselves of the manikins, too preoccupied with their own battles to think about what anyone else was doing. It wasn't until they heard Zidane's cry from behind that they realized their friend was in trouble.

"Zidane!" Bartz yelled, abandoning the partly wounded manikin he'd been fighting, and hurrying to Zidane's aid. Tidus and Cloud made quick work of the remaining manikins, and ran to catch up with Bartz and Zidane. By this time, Bartz had finished off the last two manikins and was kneeling next to Zidane. As Cloud and Tidus approached, they could see Zidane clutching his leg. The boy trembled as Bartz tried to remove his hands and take a look.

"C'mon, Zidane. I've gotta see it," Bartz said, gently.

"You're gonna use a damn potion on it, aren't you?" Zidane asked, his eyes scrunched up in pain.

"Depends on how bad it is. Let us see," Cloud said, kneeling down as well. Bartz managed to pry Zidane's now bloodied gloves away from the wound. Tidus bent over to get a better look. A blade had obviously penetrated Zidane's calf muscle, causing blood to pour out of the deep gash in his leg.

"We're gonna have to try and stop the bleeding," Bartz said, looking a little nauseous. Cloud was the first to notice his pale face.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Sometimes I don't do so well around blood," Bartz admitted, putting a hand to his head.

"I'll tend to this. Do you have a potion?" Cloud asked, moving into Bartz's spot and pressing his hands tightly to Zidane's leg, causing the younger man to curse. Bartz moved to search his bag. Tidus crouched down beside Cloud and Zidane, and placed a gentle hand on Zidane's shoulder.

"It'll be okay," Tidus promised.

"I'll keep looking, Cloud, but so far I can't find a potion. Could you check Zidane's bag?" Bartz called from behind.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Cloud answered. "Tidus, will you...?"

Tidus looked up at Cloud and realized what he was being asked to do.

"Oh, yeah. Of course," Tidus agreed, moving in a bit closer and hesitantly putting his hands over Cloud's.

Cloud slowly and carefully pulled his hands out from underneath Tidus', allowing Tidus to continue holding pressure to Zidane's leg. Cloud then proceeded to where Zidane's bag had been haphazardly tossed aside before the fight had begun.

Zidane let out a heavy breath and hung his head back. Tidus glanced up at him, looking apologetic.

"Sorry, bud. This'll be over soon," Tidus said.

"Easy for you to say. Your leg wasn't skewered," Zidane muttered, through clenched teeth.

"Here's the potion," Cloud said, returning to Zidane's side along with Bartz.

"I don't think I've stopped the bleeding yet," Tidus announced, turning to Cloud for further instruction.

"Maybe there's not enough pressure on it," Cloud said.

He knelt beside Tidus, raising his hands, then hesitating. He felt shy to do so, but he knew he needed to help if they wanted to stop the bleeding. Cloud bravely placed his hands over Tidus' and helped press on the wound.

"Geez, you guys. That hurts," Zidane grumbled.

"Sorry, but it has to be done," Cloud told him, earning a scowl from his injured companion. Tidus looked up to see Bartz collapsed on his back, his limbs stretched out in all directions.

"This is too much for me," Bartz said, breathing deeply.

"Don't pass out on us," Tidus teased.

"I'll try not to," Bartz replied, with a half-smile.

Minutes passed, and both Tidus' and Cloud's embarrassment grew, though neither noticed the other was feeling the same way. Finally, Cloud released his grip and instructed Tidus to carefully do the same. The bleeding had stopped.

"Where did I put the potion?" Cloud asked. Tidus reached behind him and grabbed the vial.

"Right here," he replied, handing it to his companion.

"This will probably sting," Cloud informed Zidane as he began pouring the bottle's contents onto the cut.

"Gah! Probably?!" Zidane yelled. "News flash, fella! It does sting!"

Cloud ignored Zidane as he continued to pour out complaints, and instead watched as Bartz moved to look in his bag again.

"What are you looking for?" Cloud asked. Bartz turned around with the newly retrieved items in his hand.

"Bandages," he replied, returning to Cloud and Zidane.

"Oh, no, you don't! You can't torture me anymore," Zidane protested.

"Cool it, kiddo. We're just trying to help," Tidus cut in, ruffling Zidane's hair as Bartz wrapped the bandage around his leg.

"Kiddo?! I'm hardly any younger than you!"

"I think we're almost done here," Bartz said, with a weak smile, trying not to focus on the blood that threatened to seep through the freshly applied bandage.

"Can you walk?" Cloud asked, getting to his feet. Tidus offered Zidane a hand, which he reluctantly accepted when he was unable to push himself off the ground on his own. Zidane wobbled a bit as he stood. He tried to take a step, but felt his leg go limp.

"Ow!" he yelled, starting to fall, but Tidus caught him. Bartz got to his feet now, too, and proceeded to Zidane's side.

"You sure you can't walk? Try again," Bartz encouraged. Zidane shot him a dirty look, then huffed as he tried to take another step with Tidus' help.

"Ouch! No, there's no way!" he yelled.

"Okay. It's okay," Bartz said, gently, slipping Zidane's free arm around his neck to help hold him up.

"What do we do now?" Tidus asked. "Should we try and carry him?"

"I don't know. We'd probably be an easy target if we were travelling that slow," Cloud frowned, looking pensive.

"You and Tidus should go on ahead," Bartz suggested. "Zidane and I will set up camp and rest until he can move."

"I don't think we should leave you two when he's in this state," Cloud replied, shaking his head.

"Cloud's right. If a big group of manikins showed up like that again, you'd have to take them on by yourself, Bartz," Tidus added. Bartz looked thoughtful.

"That's true," he admitted.

"I hate to lose a days' worth of travel time, but I think letting Zidane rest is our best course of action right now," Cloud said. "Let's find a safe spot to set up camp, then we'll call it a day."

"Okay," Bartz reluctantly agreed, sorry for slowing Cloud down again.

Tidus and Bartz helped Zidane walk until Cloud found what he figured would be a safe enough place to settle down for a bit. They discovered a deep alcove in the side of a rocky mountain, accompanied by a large waterfall to its left. Once Cloud had explored the recess to make sure it was safe, he allowed the others to enter and set up their bedrolls inside. Tidus was thankful that the cave provided them enough shelter to avoid setting up a tent, and hoped the lack of work would put Cloud in a better mood.

Once Bartz had gotten Zidane situated comfortably on his bedroll, he looked up at Cloud and Tidus who were standing at the entrance of the alcove.

"What are you going to do now?" Bartz asked. Cloud pondered for a moment, looking up at the sky. It was still fairly early in the afternoon. They had lots of time before nightfall.

"I'm going to go take a look around. Clear the area of any possible threats," he replied.

Tidus' heart leapt as he dared to ask the question. "Can I go with you?"

Cloud turned to look at him, then gave him a nod.

"Sure," he answered. Tidus hid a smile.

"Will you be okay here?" Cloud asked, quieting his voice when he realized Zidane had already fallen asleep. Bartz glanced at the figure lying beside him and smiled.

"We'll be fine, but if you could find some food while you're out...?" Bartz started. Cloud nodded, understanding.

"I'll see what I can do," he replied. He led the way out of the alcove, getting his boots a little wet as he passed by the waterfall, and Tidus followed him closely.

They walked for a few minutes through the forest, keeping their eyes peeled for movement of any sort. Fortunately, they didn't see any, though Cloud wouldn't have minded a distraction. He hated the thought of wasting a whole day here. Perhaps it would be even longer than a day. He wasn't quite sure how he would cope if that were the case. His mind always seemed to wander to dark places when he wasn't keeping busy.

"Hey, Cloud?" Tidus asked, keeping his voice fairly low in case there were enemies about.

"Yeah?"

"That was really nice of you back there." Cloud paused in his tracks and turned to look at his companion.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you don't like staying in one spot for too long, but I think you did the right thing. Bartz and Zidane need our help right now. It was good of you not to leave them," Tidus said, smiling.

"Oh, that. It was nothing," Cloud replied, not quite knowing how to respond to the compliment.

"Now, come on. There might be something over this way," Cloud went on, waving for Tidus to follow him. Tidus watched with a smile before tagging along after the man he secretly adored.

Cloud and Tidus made it back to the alcove by nightfall. Cloud volunteered to take the first shift of night-watch and Bartz had promised to take over partway through, but Cloud was doubtful he actually would; he was out like a light, and Cloud couldn't be bothered to wake him.

The campsite was quiet except for the gently streaming waterfall and the soft breathing of Cloud's sleeping companions deeper within the alcove behind him. Cloud was tired, but he didn't want to sleep. Lately, sleep had been making him feel worse than if he hadn't rested at all. Cloud stared at the waterfall, his eyes blurring from fatigue.

"You fallin' asleep out here?" came Tidus' voice. Cloud's head popped up in surprise, not realizing how strong a hold his drowsiness had on him. He blinked a couple of times as Tidus sat down beside him.

"Sorry," Cloud said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Didn't think I'd be this tired."

"It's okay. I'll take over if you want," Tidus offered, with a smile.

"No, it's fine. I'd rather stay out here," Cloud replied.

"Works for me," Tidus grinned, pulling his knees up to his chest.

Silence set in, a silence they were used to. Much to Tidus' surprise, Cloud was the one to eventually break that silence.

"You couldn't sleep?" Cloud asked, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. He knew insomnia was odd for Tidus; Tidus was usually the first asleep, and the most difficult to wake. Tidus shook his head.

"Nah. Stuff on my mind, I guess," he replied, after a moment.

"I know what that's like," Cloud said, staring off into the distance.

Tidus' gaze darted to the side and lingered there as he tried to imagine what sort of thoughts usually filled his friend's head. It didn't take long for him to decide the question was one he couldn't answer without asking Cloud directly; there were just too many possibilities.

"What kind of stuff do you think about?" Tidus asked, cautiously, knowing Cloud might not respond well to such an intrusive inquiry. Cloud turned his head, and their eyes met for a moment. Tidus was caught off guard when Cloud gave him a small smile.

"Too much. I wouldn't even know where to begin. What about you?" Cloud ventured. Tidus sighed and turned his gaze back to the waterfall.

"I don't know," Tidus said, uneasily; he didn't want to go there. Thankfully, Cloud didn't coax him to explain further.

They were consumed by another period of silence, and Tidus could see Cloud starting to nod off again. Several times, Tidus almost spoke up, then debated just letting Cloud rest. Eventually, he decided Cloud didn't look comfortable enough to sleep in that position, with his back all slumped over against the rocks.

"Cloud, why don't you go in and get some sleep?" Tidus suggested, placing a gentle hand on Cloud's shoulder; he tried to ignore the way that touch made his pulse race. Cloud brought his head up again, and shook it to try and wake himself up.

"No, I'm okay," Cloud promised.

"Okay..." Tidus said, though he sounded uncertain.

"Hey, why don't we play a game to keep us awake?" he asked a moment later, enthusiasm popping into his voice.

"I don't know about—" Cloud started, but he was interrupted.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun!" Tidus grinned. Cloud looked uneasy, but Tidus just shrugged it off as he tried to come up with a game. He rested a hand on his chin as he thought, and within seconds, an idea formed—a perfect idea.

"We'll ask each other questions, 'kay?" Tidus asked. He tried to ignore the look of hesitation on Cloud's face. This was a brilliant opportunity to learn more about Cloud, and by golly, he was going to take it.

"I guess so," Cloud finally replied, though he dreaded what he was about to do. He could only hope Tidus would bore quickly from his little game.

"Okay, I'll go first. Have you ever... eaten chocobo meat?" Tidus asked, and he could tell what the answer was going to be from the way Cloud turned up his nose.

"Of course not," Cloud replied, looking disgusted.

"Me neither," Tidus laughed. "Your turn."

Cloud eyed him for a moment, looking a little precarious, but Tidus gave him a nod, encouraging him to come up with a question. Cloud pondered for several seconds before opening his mouth.

"Have you ever... fought a Behemoth?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. Man, those things are tough!" Tidus gave an exasperated sigh, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I agree."

"Okay. Have you ever made your parents so mad you got grounded?" Tidus asked, his hand forming a fist. Cloud gave a light chuckle.

"No, but it sounds like you have." Tidus gave a huff, then laughed.

"Lots of times," he smiled. It had never taken much to get on Jecht's nerves, and for some reason, getting in trouble had never really bothered Tidus. To be honest, sometimes Tidus had acted out of line just to get his parents' attention.

"My turn?" Cloud asked. "Have you ever run away from home?"

"Ooh, good one. But no, I haven't," Tidus replied. He paused a minute, eyeing Cloud with a smirk. "Wait. Have you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cloud answered.

"Didn't see that coming," Tidus admitted, with a grin. "What happened?"

"It was just time to leave," Cloud said. "Being at home didn't feel comfortable anymore."

"Oh," Tidus nodded slowly, taking in every word and locking the information away in his brain.

"Your turn," Cloud reminded him, when Tidus looked like he might want to ask more questions about the uncomfortable subject.

"Right. Hmm... Have you ever been in love?" Tidus asked, the words rolling casually off his tongue. He honestly didn't know how he'd kept so calm.

Tidus held his breath, hoping Cloud would reply in some way, just enough to give him a hint of what the answer would be. He watched as Cloud's mood immediately shifted. His head lowered, and his eyes focused on the ground.

"That... That was a long time ago," he eventually answered.

"Cloud, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—" Tidus started, his brows curving upward, apologetically, and his heart racing a mile a minute. He hated to think he'd hurt Cloud in any way.

"What about you?" Cloud cut in, wanting to move past the incident as quickly as possible. Tidus knew what he was trying to do, and he decided to go along with it. He had crossed a line, no matter how unintentional it had been, and he didn't want to upset his friend further, even if part of him wanted to plead for more answers. Tidus paused a moment, and sucked in a deep breath before replying.

"Yeah, I have been," he nodded, wanting so desperately to smooth over the tension that had set in between them. "Yuna. She was a summoner, and I helped her complete her pilgrimage, even though that was a lot more complicated than it sounds."

"What happened to her?" Cloud asked, trying to distract himself from his memories, the ones that were on the verge of rising up and swallowing him. It didn't occur to him that his own question could have been hurting Tidus just as much.

"Like I told Zidane, we grew apart. At the end of our journey, I kinda... disappeared for a while. These things called the fayth, they were sort of the reason for my existence in Yuna's world in the first place. I was a dream. The fayth's dream. After I disappeared, Yuna prayed to the fayth and begged them for my revival. When I came back, she was just... different," Tidus tried to explain. Cloud was drawn in by the distant sadness in his companion's eyes.

"Must have been tough," Cloud said. Tidus shrugged his shoulders.

"It was really tough, but you have to move on, right?"

Cloud's muscles tensed at that statement, and Tidus immediately regretted his words. Tidus bit his lip for what seemed like the millionth time that day as Cloud averted his gaze. Their little game was over.

Cloud mulled over those words, those words that seemed to stab his heart with each beat. Move on, Cloud repeated to himself. Sometimes that was easier said than done.

A/N: And there's Chapter 4 for ya! I just want to point out the ages in this story: I chose to have Tidus come to Cosmos' world after the events of X-2, which I think would make him 19 (if not, he's still 19 in this story), and Cloud come to Cosmos' world at the end of his journey in FFVII, but he's still 21. Just thought I'd throw in that little bit of detail for you, readers! Please, feel free to leave me a nice review, and hope to see you back for Chapter 5!