Hey Guys, sorry for the late update. But I AM a college student. Lol. I had a few Homework assignments due and a test to prepare for. I will try to update more often. I am going to put in extra this weekend.
Chapter 6: Early Morning Encounter
Conflicting thoughts were running through her mind as she lay in her bed, there was no more sleep to come. There was an uncomfortable silence in the house, she never felt this way before, not while having all her friends around her. The night before every one had turned in early, there was not a soul at the bar past 1:00am. That was strange, sleep was usually at the bottom of the list when it came to AVALANCHE. She couldn't blame them though, yesterday was by far the strangest day any one of them had ever had. Throughout their recent journeys they had seen more than a fair share of strange but the resurrection of Aeris and...Sephiroth had taken the cake. As usual she was the first to get up and from the even breaths throughout the house she could tell that everyone else was sleeping. After all it was only eight in the morning and nobody else lay awake with thoughts on their minds of a house, with kids, and a husband that she would never have. It was only her, she was sure of it. A sudden movement next to her turned her head to the right and a small smile creeped onto her face as she saw Yuffie with a du-rag on, and her mouth hanging wide open, she couldn't even get annoyed or disgusted at the fact that there was a large and growing wet spot on her favorite bed set. She chuckled lightly at the memory of the night before when Yuffie had fought valiantly against Aeris to have the spot next to Tifa. After a while Yuffie conceded and offered the spot to the once deceased, now reborn flower girl. Aeris always looking for a way to make everyone happy suggested that they all sleep in the bed and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts and Yuffie falling out the bed, Aeris willingly gave up the spot and retired to the guest room with a warm smile. Tifa looked at the young ninja a bit longer, she was the sister that Tifa never had. After laying in the uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes she decided that she had better get up and at least get breakfast started before it was too late. She she easily slid herself off the bed and quietly made her way to the bathroom. After a quick shower she threw on her robe and entered the living room.
She saw heads and limbs sprawled all over the place, the whole of AVALANCHE, well mostly the guys and the big furry lion were all over. There seemed to be no kind of order, wherever they fell asleep thats where they stayed. She had to try really hard not to step on any of them. As she made her way through the jungle of bodies, of a sudden she felt like she was being watched. She turned her head slightly and even through there early morning darkness and all the lights in the house being off she saw them. She saw those two bright blood red eyes watching her. Vincent. She smiled a little because with his enhanced senses she knew he could see every detail on her face even though the house was shrouded in darkness. She waved a hand in greeting and she saw the two red orbs go down and up as he nodded his acknowledgement. She turned around and returned to her task of picking her way to the kitchen. She finally reached the steps to the kitchen she was surprised to see a soft glow coming from the bottom of the steps, indicating that someone was in the kitchen. She didn't think that an intruder would be able to slip and the entire team wouldn't notice, yet she still braced herself in case she had to fight. She would not let any harm come to her friends. She silently tip toed to the bottom of the steps and peered into the kitchen. She was shocked at what she saw, her first instinct was to jump into battle but she calmed herself as she watched the cascade of silver hair and black leather jacket. Sephiroth was in the kitchen alone, he sat there drinking coffee. She must say that she was surprised at him being up like this, she thought she was the only early riser.
Sephiroth took a sip of his coffee and winced, he knew someone was there but didn't turn around to see who it was. He didn't want to chance scaring the person with a sudden movement. During his SOILDER training he had been taught to be aware of his surroundings and to notice in an instant when some one was near to him. He knew she was coming before her toe hit the first step. He must admit she had did a wonderful job in not making a sound as she proceeded down the steps but there was no matching his instincts. If he had been paying attention he was sure he would have noticed when she got out of bed. He sighed at his own freakness and decided to prepare himself to face Ms. Lockhart. He didn't need to think twice about that either, he smelt her as she made her way closer to him.
Tifa was at a crossroad here, she was pretty sure that he knew she was there, with the way her heart was beating, in the still and quiet house she knew he heard it. She was a woman of her word and she did mean to get to know this man as best as she could. With the way thing were looking and with the new adventure at hand it didn't look like they were going to be without his presence any time soon. They were alone, what better way to try and get to know him when no one was watching. How she wished Cloud was here to make this easier. With Cloud around her there was no limit to the things that she felt she could do. After deliberating a while longer she sucked in her breath and decided to stop being a wuss and make her way over to him. It was now or never. She walked to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup.
She inhaled the smell of the liquid as if to lend her courage and turned to face him.
"Good Morning Sephiroth" she said with as genuine a smile that she could muster.
"Morning", Sephiroth said lowly. "Looks like you couldn't sleep last night either "he said attempting conversation, before sipping on his coffee and wincing again at the horrible taste.
He had made it himself and the results weren't too good. He had been down in the kitchen for a few hours now. Not really doing anything but thinking about the upcoming day. It didn't seem as dreary as he would have thought. His SOILDER training has bested him once again and he was up way before he needed to be. He to lay quiet and contemplating feeling very uncomfortable lying down and not sleeping. He had willed himself back to sleep and managed to squeeze out another half hour before getting up and dressing. He was given one of the guest rooms in the house, while everyone else chose to sleep on the living room floor. Nobody wanted to share a room with a mass murderer. He had shook his head at the thought and decided to head to the kitchen. While there it was like exploring a new land for the first time, everything looked completely foreign to him. Thank Gaia someone had left the coffee on the counter and he was pretty sure he knew how to operate the coffee machine, it couldn't be that hard. The end results to his little experiment didn't come out as he planned but he decided to drink it anyway. He would just throw the rest out before anybody came down. Things hadn't worked out the way he hoped Tifa came down early.
She saw him wince at the taste of his own mug and stared down into hers. A small smile pulled at her lips at the thought of the great and all mighty General Sephiroth making a mug of coffee. Sephiroth saw her smile and before he could stop himself asked her:
"Hey...whats so funny?" he added a smile of his own just to show it was in no way intended to be a hostile question.
With wide eyes Tifa looked over to him and her smiled widened. She couldn't help it though. Her mind was alternating between memories of Cloud with her pink apron on while fooling around in the kitchen and Sephiroth making coffee with the very same apron on. Finally a soft chuckle made its way past her lips and she looked up.
"Oh nothing, just remembering something. Nothing serious" she said
"Well I appreciate a good joke as well" Sephiroth replied.
Tifa looked away slightly embarrassed, how could she tell him that she was laughing at him. How could she tell him she was picturing him in a pink apron in front of the coffee maker. She tried to think of a suitable substitute but couldn't find one. She would have to sacrifice Cloud. He wouldn't mind, she hoped he didn't. It wasn't exactly his favorite moment in history and he turned a noticeable shade of red whenever she brought it up. She looked back at him, and moved closer to the table he was sitting on.
"Well, there was this time when I put Cloud up to making breakfast for the both of us. It was on a day much like today, I had a little cold and he was determined to make me breakfast in bed, but I refused to let him burn down the bar so I said I would sit in the kitchen and watch. Well he agreed and by the time I got down to the kitchen lets just say he was wearing that" she pointed to the pink apron hanging on the coat rack by the door.
She chuckled again as she leaned back on her own counter and studied Sephiroth's face. After he turned to look at the apron on the wall, when he next looked at her he had the biggest grin on his face. Her breath was caught in her throat. She had never seen him look so amused, he looked like a little boy who had just been let in on the details of a very mischievous plan. Her first thought was that he was extremely handsome when he smiled. It was refreshing after seeing him with a stern face all the time, not smiling, not frowning, but hostile and stern. Maybe she could let him on the second part of her joke. Her heart hammered in her chest as she began.
" And then after realizing that it was you who made the coffee" she brought her voice down lower " I pictured you in the very same one" she laughed even though her heart was racing out of control.
The grin disappeared and transformed into a throaty laugh.
" Well it tastes damn good" he said before taking a long, long, long sip then immediately spitting it out afterwards.
This caused Tifa to laugh all the harder and caused Sephiroth to bow his head and hold his stomach.
I'm laughing with Sephiroth Tifa thought to herself. Maybe this isn't so bad she thought as tears of mirth ran down her face.
"Lets take a taste" she said and put her cup to her lips, all this time she had been standing there with the cup and hadn't even tasted it. When the coffee touched her tongue she reeled back in disgust.
"You forgot the main ingredient" she said stifling her laughter.
"And what might that be" Sephiroth said amused.
" The sugar" Tifa said plainly.
"No I put that in" he said getting up to go to one of the shelves and pulling down a bottle of white sandy substance.
Tifa couldn't hold it any more. She burst out laughing her stomach hurting her because Sephiroth's "sugar" was really salt. Sephiroth turned the bottle around at her outburst and finally saw it. He hung his head in mock shame and laughed.
Cloud must say that he was quite surprised. As he walked downstairs to the bar he heard laughter. Both of the laughs were familiar to him. One was Tifa's for sure and the other one was...Sephiroth's. other than being surprised he was quite happy. His two best friends that at one time hated each other were laughing together. after what had happened between them one would think that the feat was impossible. He walked into the kitchen and they immediately saw him.
"Morning Cloud" Sephiroth said ruffling his hair before taking his seat again.
Tifa approached cloud with a smile on her face and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek cloud was surprised and so was Tifa but they kept it to them selves.
As Cloud sat down, Tifa asked: "what do you guys want for breakfast?"
"Bacon and eggs with a toasted jelly bagel" They said in unison.
"Just like in SOILDER" Sephiroth said smiling
"Yea" Cloud agreed "but those chefs don't have anything on Teef" Cloud said laughing.
Tifa was on it immediately. While the eggs were on the frying pan Aeris came downstairs and was happy to see that Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth were all talking and making small talk as breakfast was being prepared.
" Good Morning" she said cheerfully.
After receiving good morning from the other 3 she took a seat next to Sephiroth and told Tifa that she would have what the other two were.
"So Cloud, what do you plan on doing when we get to icicle inn". Tifa asked
Cloud thought for a moment.
"Well I wanted to talk to Mariah but it seems like I won't be able too, being that she is in a coma and all" he said biting into his bagel.
"But I think I may have a solution for that" Aeris spoke up
Everyone turned to her and she went on.
" Well remember when we were in Wutai and Yuffie was fighting for the Leviathan-Materia. Well--"
"Yea, Yea, Yea. And I fainted and was unconscious" came a voice from the stairwell.
Yuffie came into the kitchen in her pajamas and sat at the table obviously still sleepy.
"Don't you people know that there are others sleeping in this house. You guys talk TOO LOUD!"
Everybody started laughing and Yuffie just sighed and put her head down.
" Like I was saying" Aeris said, "while she was unconscious I used Healing Wind to bring her back."
" But she is not unconscious. She is in a coma" Tifa cut in.
"I know Aeris said but she has only been like that for less than 24 hours so maybe...just maybe if I use it there is a chance that she can come back...maybe."
Everyone turned to Cloud.
"Well at least we have a plan" Cloud spoke up. "After breakfast we are going to Icicle Inn".
They all agreed and returned to their meals.