Chapter 7
The First Step
"What exactly is this surprise Barrett?", despite the painful moment Tifa had just shared, the closeness of her friends allowed her to smile.
"I just got in touch with Reeve and shared the news, I hope that's alright."
"Of course"
A little relieved he continued, "Recently Shinra bought the old Chocobo ranch outside Midgar. It's a little out of the way, but it'd be a great place to relax and live for awhile and get started on getting yourself on the right track."
Tifa grew excited and turned to Cloud for approval. He took a moment to think it over.
"So its completely away from any city life, nothing has sprung up around it has it?"
"Completely untouched."
Cloud turned to his girlfriend and smiled, "Then I don't see why we shouldn't try it out, it sounds perfect."
"Great I'll call Reeve back and make the arrangements, better start packing you two."
Tifa rushed up stairs unable to hide her excitement about the situation. Cloud followed her up the stairs with his eyes.
"Well I'm going to go call Sherra and tell her to keep an eye on Cid so he keeps true to his word", Yuffie ran to the back area to use the phone.
"You little brat get back here…humpff", Cid had tried to chase Yuffie but she had slammed a door straight into his face, and then locked it.
"You fuck'n lil brat, open this dam door. Don't you dare call my wife!", Cid then stepped away from the door and took a deep breath. He sighed and turned to the other two left in the room, "oh well looks like I'm stuck."
Barrett walked up to Cid laughing as he placed a hand on his friends shoulder, "Oh well at least this way you have to stick to your word."
"Guess so."
Cloud started to walk away from the group to the stairway, "Hey Spike where ya going?"
The swordsman simply pointed up the stairway, "Someone's gonna have to help her out, I've gotta get packed myself."
The group then departed to get everything arranged. Barrett and Cid agreed to accompany them all to the farm along with Yuffie.
Cloud trudged along the wooden deck of the Neo-Highwind with Tifa and his own luggage in tow. Tifa walked behind him smiling. Cid and Barrett were already inside the massive airship getting it ready for takeoff. All that was missing was one Yuffie Kisaragi.
"You want me to help you Cloud?"
Cloud continued down the stair's with the stuff in tow, "I've got it, why don't you just get situated in the cabin?"
"Ok", Surprising Cloud Tifa jumped over him and grabbed one of the heavier bags off the top of his pile, landed, and then skipped off to the cabin area.
"This is going to take some getting used too."
Cloud placed the baggage that they wouldn't need for the night in the hold and made his way to the bridge. Cid standing at the wheel was tapping his foot with Barrett pacing back and forth near by.
"Where the hell is that little squirt?"
Cid turned around and noticed Barrett was still pacing, "and would you stop with the dam pacing, its getting me on edge."
"The hells you're problem you've been like this since I've got here."
"I'm just sick of wait'n on everyone to get my dam bird in the sky."
Barrett smiled as the true answer to his question crossed his mind, "I see your getting jittery and bitchy cuz you aint had a cig."
"The f(K you say! No cig's controlling me just sit your ass down already."
Barrett put his hands up and with a huff walked over to a bench and sat. Cloud was dumbfounded at how easy Barrett had given up the fight, things must have changed more than he thought since he had seen the two.
Barrett noticed Clouds expression and winked at Cloud. He then threw a box to him when Cid had his back turned. Cloud opened the box which contained nicotine patches. Cloud knew what to do.
"Hey Cid we ready to go?"
"What is it with everyone wantin' to get going so damn quickly! Just hold your f'n horses we'll go when that brat gets here."
Cloud slapped the box of patches in Cid's hand and walked off. He heard some mumbling from Cid as he walked away from him. Cloud decided to walk back to the deck and watch for Yuffie.
When he got to the top Cloud noticed how beautiful the day was. Not a cloud in the sky. He would have noticed earlier if all the baggage hadn't been in his way when he boarded. Walking over to the handrail he looked out at the city; then something caught his eye. Looking down he saw Yuffie standing with Vincent. Cloud couldn't make out the words, but he could read Yuffie's mouth.
"Why do you always have to be so difficult?"
Vincent didn't seem to say much, but Cloud couldn't see his mouth. Yuffie was all to willing to respond though.
"Fine go do what you want, I'll be with Tifa and Cloud then."
Cloud saw Yuffie turn to board the Neo-Highwind when Vincent used his human hand to gently grab her arm and turn her to face him. Releasing her arm and gripping the bottom of her chin he gently brought her in for a kiss. Cloud watched as Yuffie brought her hand to her lips and then slowly turned and walked into the ship. Then without warning Vincent locked eyes with Cloud then turned and vanished. Cloud wasn't sure to make of the whole thing, but he definitely wasn't expecting Yuffie and Vincent to be a couple.
Tifa felt the airship's engines start to roar to life, but it couldn't die out the screams of a certain teenage ninja as she quickly made her way towards the cabin area.
"Tifa!"
"Yes Yuffie, I'm here."
Yuffie quickly followed Tifa's voice and then grabbed her in a hug, "Vinnie kissed me, Vinnie kissed me!"
"Woah quiet down. He kissed you?"
"Yep flat on the mouth. It felt so good he's never done that before."
"Well I'm happy for you Yuffie. By the way your acting it looks like that was your first kiss."
Yuffie got beet red and broke off the embrace, "Well ahh…"
"Yuffie?"
"…yea it was."
"What was?"
Yuffie grew more embarrassed by the second, "That was my…um…first kiss."
Tifa giggled a little, "My at 19 that is odd, but there's nothing wrong with it."
Yuffie was immediately put out, and Tifa realized she hadn't quite worded her sentence the best way. She went over to the ninja and put her arms around her, "Would you like to hear about my first kiss?"
"Yea, tell me. Who was it with?"
"Cloud."
"Cloud?"
"Well sort of. Here sit on the bed with me."
Yuffie obeyed Tifa's command and the two sit facing each other Indian style on the bed, "The night after I had my accident on the cliffs after my mom died Cloud snuck into my room. My father had chased him off with some other adults when they found me, and blamed him for it. I heard him come in and decided to pretend to be asleep; I can't remember why."
Yuffie grew more and more interested in the story as Tifa went on, "Now you can't tell Cloud this, because he doesn't know that I know."
Yuffie got curious, "How doesn't he know he kissed you?"
"Oh he knows he kissed me, he just doesn't know that I know. See he came up to me and talked to me in a whisper. He apologized for not being strong enough to save me, and he was sorry that I got hurt. I heard him get quiet, then I felt his breath on my face. I could tell he hesitated because it took a few seconds, but then I felt him kiss me."
"Oh how did you fake sleep when he was doing that?"
Tifa smiled as she blushed, "Well I liked Cloud even back then, so I did enjoy it. I had to try really hard not to smile, and part of me wanted to grab him and kiss him again."
Yuffie stared at Tifa as Tifa looked away to try and hide her embarrassment.
"Well Tifa that's a neat story; only one thing to do now."
Tifa noticed Yuffie's trademark grin and instantly she began to worry, "Yuffie you wouldn't."
Yuffie's smile grew bigger just before her mouth opened, "Cloud guess what!"
Yuffie ran off towards the control room. Tifa quickly stood to chase after her, "Yuffie, no wait!"
Meanwhile on the bridge the men had gathered at the bridge. Cid had just taken the wheel. His hand laid delicately on the throttle. His facial expression turned to one of relaxation as he felt the controls virtually mold to his hand.
"This is what I was born to do, its so relaxing. I don't even have to worry about smoking while flying I'm so relaxed."
Unfortunately for the now nicotine starved pilot his peaceful environment was about to be interrupted.
"Cloud guess what, guess what!"
Cid's facial expression quickly changed from relaxed to anger. His hand tightly gripped the controls almost snapping them in two. Luckily Cloud decided to cut in before Cid had a chance to add his well known dialogue to the conversation.
"What is it Yuffie?"
Yuffie opened her mouth, but then Tifa bounded into the bridge, "Yuffie don't say anything."
"Tifa what's going on?", Cloud was deeply confused.
"Well Cloud its pretty simple, but it may shock you."
"Yuffie!"
"I mean this doesn't happen everyday I get to tell you something like this."
"Yuffie no!"
"What is it Yuffie?"
Smiling Yuffie turned to Tifa, "Well Tifa should I tell him?"
"No!"
Yuffie turned to Cloud and took a deep breath, "Tifa and I have finished unpacking and are ready to depart."
Tifa face vaulted onto the cold hard floor. Yuffie had to control her laughter, and Cloud was still confused.
"Oook. Let's get out of here."
The Neo-Highwind gracefully lifted off and started towards the Chocobo ranch. Cid had calculated it take just one night to reach it. They could have easily made it by nightfall, but waiting for Yuffie and Vincent had delayed their launch time. The group didn't want to venture off the ship at night so they felt safer sleeping on the Neo-Highwind and then disembarking for the ranch in the morning.
The soothing sounds of the propeller motors dozed Yuffie, Barrett, and Cid off to sleep quickly. However on opposite sides of the ship a couple couldn't rest.
Cloud stood staring at the bunk on top of his. He couldn't drift off to sleep for some odd reason. There were no magical enemies to worry about, at least not now. His health was fine. He couldn't be happier now that he had Tifa.
"Tifa…"
Cloud then noticed why he wasn't able to sleep. The problems that Tifa was going through, and would be going through wrecked his brain. Guilt, although he had been able to deal with some of it, still drove at his mind. He knew he was partially to blame for the whole thing.
Silently Cloud slipped out of the bed. He quietly left the male cabin and started to make his way to the viewing deck.
Opening the door the cool night breeze greeted him. The beautiful mountain scenery with the fields they were passing over helped him relax. He noticed the slender frame of a one Tifa Lockheart sitting on the railing looking out.
Cloud quietly snuck up behind her and started to put his arms around her as quietly as he could.
Before Cloud could though Tifa broke the silence, "Couldn't sleep either Cloud?"
He smiled realizing no matter how sneaky he was he couldn't sneak up on the raven haired martial artist.
"No, care for some company?"
"Always."
Cloud sat down facing the scenery with Tifa in his lap. He kept his arms around her protectively. Just feeling her close made him feel easier.
Then a thought crossed Cloud's mind about the event earlier that day with Yuffie, "Tifa just what was Yuffie really going to tell me today at the bridge?"
Tifa was lucky her back was to Cloud otherwise he would have seen her blush, even though the night.
"It wasn't anything important."
"Well it seemed important to know, you were hell bent on keeping her from telling me."
Only when Tifa was sure she had her blush under control did she turn to face him, "Well its not every day I get unpacked and ready for departure so quickly."
"Oh so that's what had you so worked up huh? I don't by it for a second."
Tifa felt Clouds fingers go to her side and before she could pull away Cloud began to tickle her.
"Hahahaha, Cloud stop!"
"Gonna tell me the truth?"
"No!"
Cloud smiled, "Oh so you were lying huh? Well then guess the integration has to continue."
"Ahahaha, Cloud please, haha."
"Gonna tell me."
"Hahaha, its embarrassing!"
"That's just gonna make me tickly harder."
"Hahaha, ok, ok, haha, but I warned you!"
Cloud sat back and let Tifa face him. He noticed she wasn't making eye contact with him, her face watching the deck instead of making contact with his eyes.
"You remember back when we were kids and I got hurt really bad?"
Now Cloud started to feel awkward. He had hated that day. Everyone had blamed him for Tifa's injury, that included himself.
"Well that night I got a special memory."
Cloud thought what she could be talking about for awhile. Suddenly a brief thought of his actions that evening crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed them.
"I got my first kiss that night."
Without thinking about his previous realization Cloud acted defensively, "What? Who?"
Tifa giggled, "You."
Tifa smiled as she saw Cloud get embarrassed, "That's right mister I was awake."
"But, but how?"
"I pretended to be asleep when you came it. You took me by surprise when you kissed me."
"Tifa, I'm, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to."
Cloud had reacted instantly. He was so embarrassed he didn't know what else to do but apologize.
"Oh your being so silly. Besides I enjoyed it."
"Really?"
Tifa crawled up to Cloud and gently placed a kiss on his lips, "Yes, really."
The couple stared at each other and smiled. Cloud took Tifa up in his arms and started to walk inside.
"The beds in the girls cabin are doubles right?"
Tifa smiled, "Yep its built for the executives."
"Well I'm sure we'd both sleep better together. What do you think?"
Tifa hesitated for awhile. Cloud quickly caught on, "I'm just talking about sleeping nothing else."
"Tifa smiled and pulled herself up to kiss Cloud again. Let's get to bed then."
The couple slept peacefully though the night.
I'm really sorry this took so long. Classes at College aren't really an excuse. Guess I've been parting too much ;)
