AN: This chapter has been edited to meet M-rating requirements. If you want the uncensored version, please visit MediaMiner and read the story there. Though, I'd prefer if you left comments, critiques and reviews on this account! Edited on to keep a little more plot in this chapter, even if you don't want to read the lemon.

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Chapter 7: Not Just a Fuckin' Step Over the Line

With a firm destination in mind, the strain of travelling together lifted slightly. It didn't disappear, however; Yuffie remembered Cid's whispered query very clearly and purposefully threw herself into concentrating on the route they chose. She steered them towards a low mountain pass in the hopes of making the rough trip a little easier on both of them. The reality of crossing a mountain with only a single chocobo, no matter how golden it was, was still a very daunting one however. When the ground began to slope gently upwards, she was already tired of riding; by the time the thick deciduous trees had thinned into sparser mountain pines, she gave up on trying to steer the chocobo at all and let it pick its own winding path up the mountainside.

Cid noticed the unusual tension in Yuffie as they rode together, and carefully kept his wandering hands in check. Feeling the warmth of her body as she leaned against him was tempting, but the ever-present fear that he might scare her somehow took precedence over his eagerness. By the time they were well underway in their rocky ascent, even he was ready for a break from the uninterrupted journey. He felt slightly guilty, knowing it was his lascivious teasing that had caused Yuffie to push them so hard. He found himself constantly trying to remind himself of her age; despite her flirtatious smiles and ability to respond to his innuendos with rapid-fire responses, she had no experience with men. That filled him with a sense of pride and anticipation that was matched only by his own nervousness and guilt.

"Yuffie," he finally said when the afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees began to wane, "we gotta take a fuckin' break." He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath, and another pang of guilt stabbed at him. "Take it easy, Yu, I ain't gonna bite you if we stop."

"Aww, shucks!" Yuffie quipped, though he noticed her shoulders sagged with relief. "Well, let's find some water before we set up camp," she added purposefully.

Cid gave her a slight nod of agreement, fiercely stamping down his disappointment at Yuffie's hesitation. She'll come to me when she's ready, he told himself. Directing his gaze onto the back of her slender neck, a small grin crept onto his face. Yeah, I'll just have to make fuckin' sure that she's ready.

They dismounted near a small stream that trickled down the mountainside; it was hardly large enough to be called anything more than runoff from the higher peaks, but the sprinkle of water that dripped off of the rocky outcrop was clean and startlingly cold. After drinking deeply, Cid looked up to see Yuffie cupping her hands together to gather the water and then splashing it on her face. He winced as he watched her; the chilled water quickly turned her cheeks a bright shade of red. "What the hell are ya doing?" he asked her incredulously. "That shit is pretty damn cold!"

Yuffie blinked and quickly shucked off her gauntlet and shoulder guard, giving Cid a careless shrug. "I don't see how you can stand not bathing for an entire day!" she replied, gritting her teeth as she gathered more water between her palms. She paused and gave Cid a mischievous smirk. "Well, I guess I can SEE it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Bathing is practically a ritual in Wutai, you know?" She splashed the water over her head and grimaced, then quickly steeled her expression as she ducked under the small outcrop and let the stream spill over her hair. "C-c-cold!" she hissed, her eyes squeezing shut.

"Then don't bother," Cid answered, settling himself onto the ground with a slight groan of pain before leaning back on his elbows with a smile.

"Y-you g-g-get used to it," Yuffie answered, her teeth chattering as she began to work the water through her hair with stiff fingers. "S'better than smelling like a chocobo," she added as the wince slowly faded and her shivers lessened. Soon, she was gathering the water in her palms again and busily scrubbing down her bare arms. Her wet hair was plastered to her face, and rivulets of water were running down her top, soaking it thoroughly.

"You're gonna get sick, Yu," Cid noted as patches of dampness turned the fabric of her shirt progressively darker.

"I've got my fire materia," she replied, ignoring him and splashing another handful of water over an outstretched arm.

Cid opened his mouth to give her another smart reply, and then shut it as his gaze fixed itself onto her hands. He followed the motion of her fingertips as they trailed from her elbow to her shoulder and back, hypnotised. Fingers twitching into the ground, he found himself wishing he could follow her example and massage the warmth back into her arms. I'm the one that needs a fuckin' cold shower, he thought to himself. Turning his head slightly, he tried to discreetly sniff at his armpit without Yuffie noticing. Shit, I do smell like chocobo, he realized sourly. "Well, what the hell," he mumbled out loud as he sat up and removed his gloves and pulled the goggles away from his head.

Yuffie looked up, squeezing what water she could out of her short hair. "Uh-huh, stinky, I saw you do that!" she told him as she moved out of the way. "Don't worry, the water's not that cold!" she added with a grin.

"Yer fuckin' lips are blue," Cid replied, though he still placed a hand on the rock and dipped his head under the trickle of water a moment later. "Yeearg!" he yelled loudly as the frigid stream hit the back of his neck. "Holy shit, Yu, cold ain't the right fuckin word!" he yelped as he hurriedly rubbed the water through his hair. "I'd rather smell like the goddamn chicken than bathe in this!" he added ruefully as he came up. He noticed Yuffie trying to hold in a few snickers unsuccessfully, and shot her a curious glare. "So what are you laughin' at now?" he asked.

"Your hair," Yuffie snorted, pointing delicately at the blonde mop that was now dripping into Cid's eyes. Though it was mostly short and spiked, the one crest of hair that was usually propped up over his forehead by his goggles had sagged downwards into his face.

"Eh, that," Cid grumbled, running a hand through his wet hair. Then to Yuffie's dismay, he lowered his head and shook it wildly, sending droplets of cold water flying everywhere.

"Hey!" Yuffie shouted indignantly, trying to protect herself from the tiny shower. "I thought you said you didn't want me getting wet!" she screeched. Looking back, she noticed that disobedient spike of hair had regained its former position on his head and let out another giggle. "I like it better that way," she admitted as he grinned at her.

Cid's grin faded as Yuffie stood on her toes and experimentally fluffed the high tuft of his hair between her fingertips. His hands were around her waist before he knew what he was doing, and Yuffie froze, staring at him with wide eyes. Neither said a word, trapped in an uncomfortable state of hyper-awareness. He realized that he had forced them into a crossroad; he could let her go and still come home to Shera an honest man. Yuffie was known for being impulsive and careless; she was still so painfully young, and he had the chance to protect her from making a mistake that could stain her for the rest of her life. They would still be friends if he let her go, he knew. His grip loosened very slightly, but he couldn't draw himself away from her eyes. It was her eyes that were holding him back; he could see the need in them, a reflection of his own darker desires. Cid still couldn't figure out why or how, but she wanted him, and the look she was giving him was more addicting than any cigarette. He leaned forward, cursing himself silently, and sought out her lips.

The kiss was very gentle and cautious, as if they both realized something significant was changing and didn't want to rush forward into it carelessly. Cid brought his lips away from hers and pressed his cheek against Yuffie's own. "Are you sure?" he whispered, carefully brushing a wet tendril of hair behind her ear. He heard her swallow, then felt the faint bob of her head as she nodded. He turned his face towards her and kissed the small stretch of skin before her ear in response and was rewarded with a soft sigh. His hands were already moving, gently guiding her to the ground as he lowered himself over her body, scattering light kisses over her chin and neck.

Yuffie sighed again and felt herself melt into a boneless heap on the ground as his fingers began to dance over her skin. He traced a careful path down her throat, pausing briefly at the base of her collarbone before continuing to the zipper of her shirt. He pulled it down with agonizing slowness, his eyes drinking in every inch of pale skin that he exposed hungrily. She made the mistake of looking into his face as he pushed her vest open, and felt herself stomach curl with nervous warmth. The heat in his face contrasted sharply with the cold wetness of her skin, and she shivered slightly as the evening breeze drifted across her exposed chest.

"You don't wear a bra," he noted with a slight grin.

Yuffie blushed fiercely and looked away. "Well excuse me! So my chest is a little small!" she shot back, pushing back a sudden feeling of shame and embarrassment.

"I ain't complainin'," he laughed, bending down. He placed an electric kiss on the slight curve of one breast and looked up again, the hunger flashing in his eyes once more.

"Heeeeey…" she hissed, her indignant reply dying into a half-murmured moan. Yuffie's head dropped against the ground with a thump, and she began to squirm in Cid's arms, desperately trying to sooth the prickling spark of desire that his attentions were igniting without knowing what she was searching for. Cid only gripped her even more firmly and held her down, refusing to be shaken off, simply transferring his attention to the other breast when she began to pull at his hair in protest. "Cid!" she finally gasped, jabbing him sharply in the ribs with her knee.

"Ouch," he said dryly, his large hands moving to cup her over-sensitized chest as he slid down further. "Well, I can move on if you insist," he added with a smirk, trailing a path of kisses down her abdomen. Yuffie hardly noticed his comment, her head already digging into the ground as she moaned and twisted her hands through his hair. Encouraged by her vocal response to his touch, he reached for the waistband of her tiny shorts and pulled the zipper down. These fuckin' shorts, he groaned to himself as he pushed them away from her hips. Damn, Yuffie, you could peel these off with tweezers! He resolved immediately to convince Yuffie to change her wardrobe once they reached a shop; no fuckin' way you're wearin' those things around other guys, not anymore, he thought furiously The sight of her exposed thighs sent his thoughts into a tailspin; he hadn't thought that he would be so unnerved by seeing her almost naked when she wore so little to begin with. "Damn," he groaned out loud, burying his head against the edge of her hip as his fingers raked the shorts off of her legs.

Yuffie's fingers pulled suddenly at his hair, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. He looked up and froze as he saw the expression on her face. Her breathing was rapid and uneven and her eyes were closed tightly. The colour had drained from her face again, and she was biting her lip.

Cid could tell she was trying to remain quiet, but the girl's fear was almost palpable. His burgeoning lust was brought painfully into check, and he shifted his tight grip on her hips to a more gentle hold around her waist as he brought himself back up to face her. "Yuffie," he said, running his fingers down her chin and turning her face towards him. He held her back forcefully when she tried to lean forward to kiss him, refusing to allow her to distract him. "What's wrong, babe?" he asked neutrally, careful to keep his own rampaging frustration and fear hidden from her.

Yuffie let out a half-choked laugh and finally opened her eyes, amusement sparkling there despite her fears. "I regressed to a baby now?" she teased, though her voice quavered.

Cid returned the smile and gently stroked her cheek. "Babe," he corrected. "Big fuckin' difference in my world," he added placing a cautious kiss on her brow. When she didn't draw away, he pushed forward, trying to forget that he was holding the nearly-naked object of his fantasies in his arms. I won't fuckin' hurt her, he swore to himself vehemently. Ain't gonna be like with Shera this time, I won't let it… "I ain't gonna hurt you," he repeated out loud as he placed a kiss on her neck. "If I'm goin' too fast, Yu, ya just tell me to fuck off, I will. Ain't like I don't know how to deal with it," he continued mindlessly, feeling himself babble but unable to close his mouth in the face of her silence.

Yuffie stilled in his arms as he began to talk rapidly; she wondered if he knew how tightly he was holding her. His touch was much more telling than his words; she could hear him struggling to keep his tone calm and soothing, but he was trembling almost violently against her. He's… as scared as I am, she realized with a start. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched his cheek. His fell quiet mid-sentence, but she noticed that his trembling had stopped only to be replaced by a tense stiffness. "You must think I'm pretty pathetic," she whispered softly, drawing her hand back to her chest and burying her face in his neck. "Twenty-one and not even kissed until now. I really am a big baby," she whispered, closing her eyes miserably. "I'm sorry."

The stiffness eased out of Cid's body, and he carefully tucked her head under his chin, running his fingers through her hair in steady, soothing strokes. "Don't worry bout it, Yu," he answered, pausing briefly to plant a soft kiss over her head. "I ain't much better off… haven't gotten laid in four years," he admitted to her. "Fuckin' worse when you know what you're missin'," he joked.

Yuffie pulled herself out of Cid's grasp to regard him in bewilderment. "You haven't slept with Shera in four years?" she asked, her eyes widening. "But… but… you live together!" she sputtered. "How does she keep her hands off you?"

Cid let out a deep, throaty laugh and pulled Yuffie back into his chest. "You could say she ain't quite as eager as you," he explained tiredly, circling his fingers over Yuffie's shoulders. "Well, now you know why I'm such a fuckin' horny bastard," he added uncomfortably as he shifted against her. "Shit, I think I just set you up for life with that kinda blackmail material," he joked.

Instead of responding to the joke, Yuffie raised her head and looked into his eyes. "Why didn't you find another woman?" she asked. "Someone to take the edge off at least? Why'd you wait so long? Why me?"

Cid stared at Yuffie, his hand unconsciously cupping her cheek as he searched her face. Why her? He couldn't answer that one. He opened his mouth to tell her that he loved Shera, but the words died in his throat; he couldn't say them when Yuffie was looking at him like that. "I don't want a fuckin' one night stand," he told her finally.

Yuffie stared at him, her face slipping into an unreadable mask as she searched his eyes for something that he didn't understand. She seemed satisfied after her momentary perusal and stretched upward to smother his mouth with a heady kiss.

Later, when she finally was able to feel her extremities again, she realized Cid was still clutching her to himself tightly, his mouth mashed against hers almost painfully. She pulled her head back, trying to catch her breath, and he relinquished his hold on her head almost instantly.

"You enjoyin' yourself?" he asked her with a slight hint of amusement.

"Hah… hah… bastard," Yuffie managed to gasp out, sucking in air hungrily as she processed the sensations that were still thundering through her body. "I think I wet your pants," she mumbled, dropping her head against his chest in embarrassment. She let out a tiny sigh of relief that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in as she felt his chest shake in laughter.

"Ain't your fault, babe," he told her with a touch too much pride, and she lifted her head to scowl at him. "But since you're feelin' guilty, you might as well take em off," he added, fixing her with a burning stare.

Yuffie swallowed, feeling like a mouse being cornered by a cat under his gaze. Then she allowed a tiny smile that looked more confident than she felt play across her face. "Aye aye, captain," she cooed, her fingers reaching for the hem of his shirt and tugging it upwards.

Cid sat up and lifted his arms, allowing her to pull the shirt over his head. He threw it off very quickly by himself when he felt her start to rise away from his lap, bringing her back down with a thump. "That your new pet name for me?" he asked amusedly as Yuffie let her fingers trace over the tattoo on his exposed bicep curiously. He could feel her questioning eyes on him, silently asking why he kept it covered. He didn't reply; like most of the questions he didn't have good answers for, it started and ended with Shera, and he didn't want to think of her while Yuffie was in his arms.

Noting his pained hesitation and guessing at the cause, Yuffie quickly set about to recapturing Cid's attention before his good mood could evaporate. "Yes sir!" Yuffie replied, her eyes flashing mischievously. "I think I better follow my captain's orders before I get in trouble," she added, rising off of him slightly and pulling at the drawstring of his pants. The rest of his clothing fell away under her nimble fingers in quick succession, and when she was finished, she leaned back to admire his muscular body briefly. "Wow, you really are built," she murmured appreciatively, her eyes trailing over the dusting of golden fuzz over his chest that deepened into the darker honey-coloured curls between his thighs.

"Like what you see?" Cid asked her, the faint humour of his question covering the fragile uncertainty with which he asked her.

Yuffie reached out and let her fingers trace across his chest curiously, stopping as she felt him jerk when she passed over his nipple. So it works both ways, huh, she thought with an evil smirk. I'll have to remember that. The smirk died out as her eyes rose to Cid's face. He was still watching her, waiting for her reply; his face still held a smile but his blue eyes were clear and hard, preparing for her answer.

He's not Cloud, she thought then, her wandering hands reaching his face once more and scratching against the stubble on his chin. There was nothing even vaguely feminine about Cid's hairy, muscle-bound body; he was a living embodiment of every testosterone stereotype she could come up with, right down to the extra-strong cigarettes he inhaled on an hourly basis. Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed him, wanting to taste the smoky flavour that permanently lingered in his mouth. She drew away after a moment and stared up at him through her eyelashes. "I like you the way you are," she whispered to him. "You're real man, not just a boy."

Cid let out a cynical laugh, grabbing Yuffie and pulling her towards him. His icy blue eyes had thawed somewhat at her words, though, giving away his relief. "I'll remind you of that when you complain about my smokin' again, babe," he growled lowly as he pulled her towards him.

"Hmm, we'll see," Yuffie smirked as she reached for him. Cid jerked and she released him quickly, her mouth opening in gasp of surprise. "Sorry!" she said quickly, feeling her face flush with embarrassment again. "Did I hurt you?"

"N..naw," Cid mumbled shakily, his fingers contracting around her hips uncontrollably just as they had earlier. "You just g-gotta be careful, Yu, or…" he breathed out, his eyes squeezing shut.

Yuffie felt her face twisting into a frown. He's still holding back, she realized suddenly. He still thinks he's going to hurt me somehow… did I really scare him that much? The thought annoyed her now; being gentle was one thing, but if Cid didn't start acting on his impulses soon, she was going to figure that he had a permanent phobia of sex. That thought made her suddenly want to punch Shera right then and there. Instead, she reached for Cid and grasped his face firmly between her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Are you deaf?" she asked him, straddling his thighs and glaring at him. "I already told you I want you." She saw him blink at her uncertainly, and let out a miniscule sigh. Well, time for guerrilla tactics. "Of course if you're going to leave me all hot and bothered like this, then I guess I could just try to find Cloud again and ask him to—"

His sudden grip startled her, as did the wrathful oath that rose out of him with frightening intensity. "You're fuckin' mine, Yuffie!" he growled. He knew she was just trying to tease him in to overcoming his own insecurities, but the mention of the other man's name had driven him into a burning, possessive, whisking away his caution and careful planning before he even realized what was happening. His already over-active imagination painted new possibilities of how Cloud might have managed to hurt her, and his grip became painful. Shit, he thought raggedly as he tried to control himself, ain't supposed to be happenin' this way… I'm losin' it…

And then he felt her hands wrap around his shoulders, squeezing him gently. He opened his eyes and looked at Yuffie, who was staring at him with a tiny smile. The world stopped spinning and Cid felt the churning rage in his stomach slowly settle. She was smiling, he grasped with a sense of wonder. He had been ready to take her by force if necessary, filled with an uncontrollable desire to purge the imagined presence of another man away from her body with his own, and she was smiling at him.

"Sorry for breaking the ice like that," she murmured softly. "You're such a jealous guy… it's cute," she giggled softly, letting it trail off into a gentle sigh. "Stupid man… don't you already know you're the only one?" she whispered again, her head rolling back as the gentle touch of her hands on his shoulders became punctuated by the grip of her nails. "Please, Cid… show me…" she moaned, moving against him.

Cid caught his breath as he stared at her, so vulnerable and yet so full of need, resting in his arms with complete trust. "Anything you want, babe," he answered her roughly, this time willingly losing himself into the dance their bodies created.

When it was over, he fell with a groan onto his forearms, barely able to keep himself upright over her tiny body. He was gasping and panting loudly, and Yuffie decided to relieve him a little by wrapping her legs firmly around his waist and tossing him to the ground at her side. He let out a grunt as he landed and blinked at her dumbly, then began to withdraw from her embrace. Yuffie smirked and tightened her legs around him, forcing him to remain put. "I like you there," she said, then leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek.

Cid gave up struggling and let himself go limp in Yuffie's embrace, breathing heavily. Shit, he thought as he closed his eyes, unable to keep the smile from turning up the corners of his mouth. That was good. That was fucking good. Why did I wait so long? He felt Yuffie snuggling against his chest and looked down reflexively. "You okay, babe?" he asked her mildly, though it was clear from both their position and the abstract smile on her face that he didn't need to ask.

"Yeah… I liked it," she said, glancing up at him with a blush. "I think you did too," she added, her blush deepening even as she held her gaze steady.

Cid gave her a crooked grin. "We're in neck deep now, ya know," he told her, and she nodded faintly, hiding her head in his chest again. His smiled dropped slightly, and as his euphoria began to fade, he felt the press of questions and problems gathering at the edges of his consciousness. Yuffie squeezed him tightly, and he knew she was thinking the same thing.