Chapter Thirty-Six

-I Nicely Let You Go

Back in their room, Ryiah sat on her bed, playing with her phone.

Cloud looked over at her nervously. "Hey, Ryiah...do you...uh...want to maybe go on a da-"

Ryiah suddenly held up her phone as she received a text. "Hold that thought, Blondie, I got a text from an unknown number." She read it out loud: "'Meet me tonight on the beach. Wear formal, dress for the cameras.' Do you think it's Sephiroth?" She hugged her phone. "He has my number~!"

"Yeah...that's great..." Cloud said, then added, "Never mind, I wasn't going to say anything."

He picked up a book from Levei's bed and opened it with a sigh. "No pictures..."

"Maybe he's just saying dress for the cameras, and he really wants to have a romantic night with me on the beach," Ryiah continued.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Cloud said.

"Is that sarcasm, Cloud?"

"What?" Cloud said as he flipped through the book he wasn't actually reading.

"You were going to say something before, what was it?"

"Nothing."

"You were trying to ask me if I wanted to...what?"

"If you wanted to go bother Zack?"

"Cloud."

Cloud shrugged. "It was nothing."

Just then Zack and Levei walked back into the room.

"What's going on in here? The tension is thick..." Zack noticed.

"Cloud was trying to hit on me," Ryiah reported.

Cloud said nothing.

"But I wouldn't have it, and now he's butt hurt," Ryiah persisted.

Cloud shut the book.

"Yeah right, Cloud's not like that," Zack said.

"Do you know your friends at all?"

"I know them well enough to know Cloud wouldn't do that, and you to know you're a consistent liar."

Levei glanced at the book Cloud held. "Were you...reading my book?"

Cloud sighed and handed it to her. "A little."

"Oh, and...? What did you think?"

Cloud shrugged.

Levei shook her head and sat her bed. "Kids and their illiteracy..."

Ryiah sighed. "I feel like we've been over this before."

"You would think you would have gotten the idea by now," Zack pointed out.

"Let me see..." Ryiah said thoughtfully as she looked at Zack. "I was lying." She added a wink. "I'll be in my room preparing for my date."

With that, she walked out of the room.

Zack turned to Cloud. "She winked."

"So?" Cloud replied.

"You were hitting on her?"

"No."

"Sounds like someone's a little jealous," Levei commented.

Cloud sighed.

"Wait, back up. Did she say she has a date? With whom?" Zack asked.

"Who do you think?" Cloud said bitterly.

"Wow, Cloud..." Zack sat next to him on the bed. "You have to figure out where you stand...this isn't healthy..."

"What do you mean where I stand? I don't stand anywhere with Ryiah. You of all people should know how dangerous that is."

Zack stood up. "If that's how you're going to be, then fine. You're on your own."

Cloud crossed his arms and turned over on his bed, facing away from Zack.

Zack walked over to a small table in the room, and looked at one of Levei's books.

Levei looked from Zack to Cloud and sighed. "Cloud, Zack is just trying to help..."

"Why are you suddenly defending him now?" Cloud spat.

"Why don't you stop being such a girl, man up, and do something productive instead of moping?" Levei snapped.

"This vacation isn't doing anyone any good, why'd we even agree to come?" Cloud muttered.

"To support Ryiah," Zack said.

"She doesn't need us."

"She doesn't need you."

Cloud went quiet.

Once again, Levei looked between Zack's and Cloud's sullen faces. "Then why should we stay?"

The two turned to her as she continued, "Why don't we just leave? If she doesn't need us, there's no point in wasting our time here."

"Ryiah doesn't need us, but we need her. She's with us for a reason," Zack explained.

"We don't need her," Cloud argued.

"Cloud..."

"What? You've said it before, she just does whatever she wants without considering us or our feelings."

"I think you mean your feelings."

"I mean our feelings. We're supposed to be her friends? Friends need each other, she doesn't need us, you said it yourself."

Zack scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what's going on between you two..." He shook his head. "And it's none of my business. Let's just stick out the rest of the vacation. We've only got a day left, anyway."

Cloud crossed his arms and looked away.

"Don't worry, Cloud. You're not the only one who has had a roller coaster time here," Levei said, opening her book.

Cloud sighed.

Zack frowned at them. "Come on guys, cheer up!"

"Maybe you need to cheer down..." Levei said.

Zack frowned, and crossed his arms. "I...hear they have an all-you-can-eat buffet!" Zack said, his voice ringing with enthusiasm.

"So?" Cloud said.

"With crab legs."

Cloud got up and grabbed his coat. "Fine, let's go."

"...I do like crabs..." Levei shut her book and stood up.

Zack grinned widely. "That's the spirit!" He followed them out with a skip in his step.

Levei turned to him. "Walk a little more normally..."

"Why, are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

Cloud and Levei spoke in synch, "Yes."

Zack frowned and crossed his arms as he continued walking normally behind them.

A while later, Cloud, Zack, and Levei sat back in their chairs with plates full of empty crab shells in front of them.

"That hit the spot," Zack said, rubbing his stomach.

"I think it hit the spot 12 crabs ago," Cloud concurred.

The two high fived.

Levei shook her head. "You two are helpless."

"Did you want a high five, too? Since you ate almost as much as us?" Zack asked.

"...the clam chowder filled me up..."

Zack held up a hand for a high five. Levei frowned at him.

A moment passed by and Zack didn't give up, continuing to hold his hand up.

"...really?" Levei said.

Zack smiled and nodded.

Levei sighed and reluctantly gave him a high five.

"Yeah!" Zack did a fist pump.

Cloud sat by watching the two when suddenly there was a voice next to him. "I don't know where you Soldier boys put all that food."

Cloud jumped and saw Ryiah sitting next to him, taking an uneaten roll off his plate and pulled it apart and grinning.

"What are you doing here?!" Cloud exclaimed.

"When did you get here? I thought you went to the beach," Zack said.

"I did, then I came back."

"Surprise, surprise," Cloud muttered.

"What was that about? What did Sephiroth want?" Zack asked.

"I would tell you Zack, because we're friends, and friends tell friends secrets, but...I don't know about these two," Ryiah said, nodding toward Levei and Cloud. "I hear they wanted to leave without me."

Levei turned to Cloud. "Now's our chance."

Cloud nodded.

"Aw, come on, Ryiah, they're just joking," Zack said, then realized the two were standing up. "Guys!"

Cloud glanced at Levei, then slowly sat back down.

"I'm going to go...see if they have any more rolls...yeah..." Levei said, walking off.

Cloud turned and watched her go, whispering, "Don't leave me..."

Zack turned to Ryiah. "Please continue."

Ryiah flicked a bit of roll at Levei as she walked away. "Rude...anyway!" She glanced at Zack before turning to Zack. "I understand things haven't been...ideal in our situation, but thanks for putting up with me."

"Yeah? This is unexpected."

Ryiah winked. "Like I owe you any gratitude!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Zack snapped another crab leg in half.

"Tch..." Cloud poked at his crab leg shells with his fork.

Zack glanced at Cloud, then turned to Ryiah. "So...when are we leaving again?" He smiled.

"Not soon enough..." Cloud mumbled.

Zack coughed, trying to drown out Cloud's remark.

"Aw, poor Blondie," Ryiah cooed, stroking Cloud's hair; he jerked away. "He didn't get very much sleep last night..." Then added with a whisper to Zack, "He was too busy watching me."

"That's not true," Cloud retorted.

"Please," Zack said, putting his hands up. "I don't want to hear this."

Cloud stood up. "I'm going to find Levei." And with that he walked off.

Zack watched Cloud walk away and ran his hand through his hair. "Don't...mind him. He's...just a little confused... Well, now that we're among friends, how did things go with Sephiroth?"

"We made love on the sand, under the crashing waves."

"What?! Why are you telling me that?!"

Ryiah shrugged. "You asked."

Zack stared at her.

"What?"

"I'm waiting."

"For...?"

Zack didn't answer her, just kept staring.

Ryiah sighed before winking.

"There we go," Zack said, letting out a small breath of relief. "So, really, what was that about?"

"Why so curious, Zack Fair?"

Zack shrugged. "Don't friends ask about other friends' stuff? And...other people might be curious, too, but I'm not naming anyone or anything...just...hypothetically speaking, you know? ...what was the question?" He nonchalantly sipped his water.

Ryiah patted Zack on the arm. "It's okay, Zack, you don't have to be so nervous." She took another piece of roll, and rolled it into a ball. "Sephiroth just wanted to ask me a few questions, that's all. Mostly posing for the cameras." She smiled to herself.

"I thought the camera crews were done by 5, it's already 7..."

"Oh? Are they?"

Zack raised an eyebrow. "I want to ask, but at the same time I don't..."

Over in the food line, Cloud found Levei waiting with her plate.

"Levei!" he called out as he walked over.

Levei glanced at him.

"So...you really did go to get bread?"

"...I take bread very seriously," Levei replied, rearranging her rolls on her plate. "So things aren't going great, I assume?"

"What do you mean?"

"You came and found me. That insinuates you're either desperate, or you've finally fallen for my charm."

Cloud smirked. "It's the latter."

Levei rolled her eyes.

"I just...needed some air? Ryiah tends to suffocate those around her," Cloud said.

"Back for more?" the man working at the counter asked Cloud. "You're going to clean out the ocean!"

"No, no," Cloud said, shaking his head. "No more for me."

"Oh? Then get outta line!"

Levei turned and led Cloud out to a table right outside. "You and Zack did eat a lot of those crabs..."

Cloud smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but it did make me feel a little bit better..."

"Boys do love food. It has magical powers." Levei took a bite of her bread and looked out at the water.

Cloud followed her gaze. "Maybe...everything will get better when we get back."

"If we get back. There are no guarantees, Cloud." Levei smiled.

Cloud returned her smile with a weak one of his own.

"You look nice tonight, Zack Fair," Ryiah complimented.

"Hey, thanks, I didn't dress up or anything..." Zack smoothed out his shirt. "What's with the 'Zack Fair'?"

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but...it's weird to use the whole thing."

"It's like a reverse nickname, to show how much I like and respect you."

Zack narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you up to?"

"After much thought about your situation, I've come to several conclusions," Levei suddenly announced to Cloud, who looked at her curiously. "Now, I have a few suggestions, if you're willing to take them?"

Cloud shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Well, you could continue as you are, act like nothing is wrong, and...see where that takes you."

Cloud shook his head.

"You could stand up and make everything obvious and clear, and do an ultimatum-type deal."

"..."

"Right, you're not really the type... Or, you could show her what she's missing."

"How would I do that?"

Levei shrugged. "You're a decent guy, you could make it more obvious, or just wait for her to figure it out. Find another girl, make her jealous or something. I'll leave that to you. But these are just suggestions, you do what you think will work best."

"It's no use, I'm no hero, as she said. I'm not even Soldier...why would I want someone that treats me like a child, anyway?" He shook his head. "I don't even know why I ever liked her in the first place." Cloud looked at Levei, even though she didn't say anything. "You're right, it was the suit...and the undone buttons..." He blushed. "You know what, I think I will have some more crab."

Levei watched as he walked to the buffet. "Watch out for the man working there..." She turned back to look at the water thoughtfully.

"I'm a woman on a mission, Zack, you wouldn't understand."

"Tch, I know better than anyone!" Zack retorted.

Ryiah put her hands up and gave him a look.

"The mission part, the mission!" he exclaimed.

"Ooh-kay, Zack, whatever you say, ma'am," she said with a wink. "I think it's about time I turn in. Give Cloud and Twiggy a kiss good night for me." She stood up and walked off.

Zack waved. "Will do! ...wait, I'll tell them good night if that's what you meant! But I won't kiss Cloud, or...Levei..." He slowly lowered his hand and looked around. "I wonder where those two went..."

Standing up, he immediately noticed Cloud at the buffet table and walked over. "Hey, Cloud, you getting more crab?"

Cloud stared down at his plate full of crab. "My stomach says no, but my head says yes..."

"Maybe it'd be a good idea if we all went back to the rooms...we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"We're going to be on a plane for most of it," Cloud pointed out.

"50,000 feet in the air, what's bigger than that?!"

Cloud sighed and looked down at his plate again. "I guess you're right...I need to rest up for...sleeping on the plane..."

"Right!" Zack fist pumped. "Where's Levei?"

Cloud pointed to an empty table. "Uh...I guess she went ahead and returned to the room."

"Let's follow her example." Zack stretched and led Cloud out.