- - - -

Why had the Pilot been interrupted yet again? Oh, the answer was quite simple. A certain blond swordsmen, naturally. Cloud wasn't one to readily admit his wrongs or to divulge that he had fault but the guilt had been eating him inside and he figured the best time to get things out would be now. Sure, the timing could've been better. But Cloud had to do it. Now or never. It was here that he sat, at the wooden table in Cid's kitchen, waiting. Cloud didn't know if he should confront Cid at the Rocket or just wait here in his home. He chose the latter. Cloud just informed one of his workers that he needed to see Cid.

Of course he wasn't foolish enough to tell who he was, or else he'd never make things right.

The door creaked open.

Cloud stood, preparing the words he had spoken in his mind over and over during the ride over here on Fenrir.

Tifa walked in and instantly gasped upon seeing who was sitting there at the table.

Seeing her disarmed Cloud and he faltered, words stuck in his throat.

He was expecting only Cid, not Tifa.

His mouth closed and opened again before he spoke. "Tifa. Hi."

She swallowed, and blinked back the burning in her eyes.

She wouldn't let him see her cry. Not after the last time. Tifa's mouth became a firm line and she hesitantly stepped into the room.

"What are you doing here?"

Then a figure shifted behind the fist fighter and Cloud's eyes darted to a point somewhere above her forehead.

Tifa, needing a lifeline now, reached out and grabbed Cid's arm. She squeezed the tense muscles she felt bunched there and shook her head.

"Stay." She said it at the same time Cloud demanded; "Don't."

Cloud stepped forward, shaking his head. "Wait, Cid. I wanted to talk to you. The both of you."

Cid wrapped a protective arm around Tifa. Cloud noticed this and said nothing.

"Our talks don't end well, Cloud." The Pilot uttered.

Cloud merely glanced down at the floor, boots scuffling on hardwood as he drew closer.

"I know. I apologize for that, Highwind. I just need five minutes."

Tifa slanted a look at Cid, then nodded. "Okay. Five minutes."

She reluctantly drew from Cid and walked past Cloud, sitting down at a chair opposite the one he'd vacated.

While the two men simply stared at one another, Tifa crossed her legs and folded her arms. She arched a brow to the silent testosterone match.

"Well?"

- - -

'Sgood, hm Vinnie?" Yuffie nudged him from where they sat underneath the large tree. The young ninjas legs were splayed out in front of her, her hands planted palms down in the grass, bracing herself as she snacked. The leaves swayed in the occasional breeze from the nearby ocean and Yuffie leaned into it. She leaned into the smell of bodies baked by the sun; the constant hum of blending voices, the stench of construction, melting wires and metal, and the lingering aroma of food everywhere.

It was sensory chaos. Yuffie loved it.

She inhaled deeply again and a happy smirk dawned on her face again.

Vincent - good hand holding an egg roll - bit into it, loudly crunching and shook his head.

Yuffie laughed and wriggled. "I knew it! These are almost as good as Wutai's egg rolls."

"Almost, pint." Reno agreed, sipping from his plastic cup filled with sake. Sake made him more amiable, less argumentative. Surprisingly, it mellowed him out. And so he sat, tie loosened and undid a few of the top buttons of his shirt, relaxing.

She leaned over, looking around Reno to Rude, who was sliding his shades off. He was still chewing at some sticky pork buns, wiping his hand with a napkin.

"Whaddya, think, Rude?"

He grunted his assent, allowing the Turk Standard Issue blazer from his shoulders to fall to the grass. Rude was in the middle of folding his blazer neatly before a cheery jingle erupted from his pocket. It rang yet again and with an irritated sound, Rude jerked it from his pocket and answered it.

"Hello? Oh ... yes. I'll come escort you to where we are. Yuffie bought Sake." Even at this, he was rising from his sitting position. He laughed then, a low and guttural sound. It made Yuffie's eyes widen. She never, ever heard Rude laugh.

"Coming." He closed the phone shut and glanced down at Reno.

"Elena's here. I'm going." Four words and he was off, bald head gleaming in the sun.

Yuffie, still shocked, glanced over at Reno. "He ... "

He smiled. "Yes. Elena makes him laugh. Quite often. It's creepy."

"Oh ... " Yuffie trailed off, idly plucking up strands of grass and tossing them away.

Thinking that the two men were occupied by Rude's sudden departure, Yuffie sneakily reached for the Sake.

Reno's eyes flamed and he wagged an accusing finger at her. "Don't even think about it, pint."

Simultaneously, Vincent muttered threateningly; "Yuffie, don't."

Not bothering to be irritated, Yuffie noticed that both Reno and Vincent had the same dark, warning look on their faces.

"For once, you two have something in common!"

She doubled over in laughter.