NINETEEN

The drive back to Sector 7 was a quiet one, but comfortable. Jessie drove this time, her hair brushing past my face as I sat behind her. My lips still tingled from our intense kissing at the secret place, anxious for more. My hands rested lightly on either side of her waist as we sped on down the dirt road toward home.

When had the Sector 7 slums become home to me? When had that happened? I'd gotten used to the place over the last two months, but to be honest, I'd never really thought of it as home until recently. Maybe it was Jessie that made it feel that way. Tifa, too, good friend that she was. Even the others. A little, anyway. But just a little. Maybe it was because we'd been on a mission together now and I'd gotten to know them a bit. They'd begun to grow on me, not that I was ever gonna tell them. I still had an image to maintain, of course.

Jessie and I both deliberately avoided looking at the pillar complex as we raced past it, our eyes fixed on the road ahead. But as we went by, I slid my arms around her waist and squeezed her gently for a moment, telling her without a word that I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. She glanced back at me and smiled, then brought her eyes back to the front again as we rode on.

When we finally got back to her house, Jessie parked the bike next to it but didn't get off just yet. Instead, she turned around on the seat to face me and then draped her arms over my shoulders. I knew what she had in mind, and I held her close to me as our lips met. We stayed that way for a while, just kissing each other. Long, lingering ones that made my heart race and my skin tingle with warmth.

"Damn, Cloud," she murmured. "You are such a good kisser."

"I am?" I wondered.

She laughed. "Yep! The best!"

I felt my cheeks flush pink. "Um, well… thanks. Never did it before today, you know."

"I… I was your first?" Jessie breathed.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Just… never had anyone before."

She touched my cheek, her eyes gazing at me in wonder. "So, when I jumped on you after the match, it was..."

"One hell of a first kiss," I finished for her.

Jessie hugged me tight. "Wow! How lucky can a girl get?"

"I'm glad it was you," I said.

She replied with her lips, covering mine in a kiss so passionate it all but ripped the breath out of me. I responded by pressing her close and returning it, one hand sliding through the soft strands of her hair. The need to breathe forced us apart for a minute, but then we got back to it, our lips and tongues meshing seamlessly together while we sat there on the Hardy, lost in each other.

Eventually, we got off the bike and went inside the house. As soon as we did, Jessie filled her new vase with fresh water before moving the flower to it and cleaning out the old cup. After putting it and the rest of the stuff from the picnic away, we went back outside and spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around the slums together until we came to the weapon shop as the daylight was starting to fade.

"Hey, Cloud," Jessie said. "How about I get you something?"

I shrugged. "What for?"

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "You're too cute when you do that, you know? Anyway, since you bought me a nice gift, I wanted to do the same for you. And I figured this was more your style."

"Definitely," I agreed.

After checking out what the weapon shop had to offer, I picked out a mythril bangle, the last one they had in stock. It had two linked slots for materia and was a lot stronger than the plain bronze bracer I'd been using since I first came to Midgar. I planned to use the Restore materia Jessie had given me in Sector 8 in one of the two slots. Since they were linked, if I ever found a blue support materia such as Magnify, that link would apply its effect to the Restore materia.

"Nice pick!" Jessie winked. "Oughta be pretty useful."

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

She laughed. "No problem, Cloud. I'm really glad you like it. Kinda makes me wonder, though. You think I could ever learn to use materia like you do? It's pretty cool."

"Sure, Jessie. It's not that hard. Just takes practice."

"Maybe you could teach me sometime," she said as she paid for the bangle. "With… what I do, it would be handy."

That wasn't a bad idea. "If you want to. Just let me know."

"Great!" Jessie beamed.

On impulse, she went back to the shop's armor section, looked at it for a moment, and then picked out an iron bangle for herself. It wasn't as durable as the mythril one that she'd gotten me, and there was only a single materia slot in it, but it was a good piece for a beginner. She took it back to the counter and bought it. Now all that was left was for her to stop by the materia shop around the corner and pick out an orb to use. So we went over there to do just that.

They didn't have much of a selection, just the basics, really. Taking after me, Jessie went with Lightning, which didn't really surprise me. It fit her interest in machines and technology perfectly. She couldn't help grinning the whole time like a kid with a new toy. As we made our way back to her house to put our new gear away, she practically floated over the ground, as happy as she was.

Then we headed over to the bar. Jessie had promised everyone she would make the Midgar Special for dinner tonight, and while she and I had enjoyed it already for lunch this afternoon, we didn't mind having it again. It's that good, I'm telling you. As soon as we got to the Seventh Heaven, Jessie walked in ahead of me, still wearing the black sleeveless dress she'd worn to our picnic.

The crowd was smaller tonight, just a few regulars like Johnny here nursing their drinks. Tifa smiled at us from behind the bar while Biggs and Wedge sat at one of the tables with Marlene and that girl Lena that Wedge was seeing. I didn't miss for a second the fact that for once, Tifa wasn't the only woman in the room being ogled. More than few sets of eyes from the locals followed Jessie as she strode inside, but a cold look from me shut them down readily enough.

"Jealous, merc?" she whispered, her eyes dancing.

I shook my head. "I think they are."

She smirked. "You could be right. I haven't been noticed like this in a long time. Not since my acting days."

"You got this a lot?" I asked.

"Yep!" she nodded as we went over to join the others. "I was kinda famous back then, you know. Goes with the territory."

Made sense. "Guess that means you know how to handle it."

"Sure do!" she patted my arm.

Biggs let out a low whistle. "Whoa, Jessie! Lookin' hot tonight!"

Wedge gave her a big thumbs up. "Yeah! Like, totally smokin'! Any hotter and this place would be on fire!"

"Thanks, guys," Jessie hugged them and took a seat.

"You do look great," Lena smiled.

Jessie giggled. "Thank you. Had a hot date this afternoon."

"Uh, yeah…" I managed as I sat down next to her, very aware of all the eyes suddenly on me. "We went out."

"That right?" Biggs grinned. "Well, spill it! How'd it go?"

The others talked around me for a while as Jessie told them a basic rendition of what happened at our picnic, although she mercifully kept our passionate kissing session out of it. But whenever either of the guys looked at me, they always smirked as if they knew something I didn't. I had no idea why, and it wasn't until Barret came over to join us and got a good look at me that I found out.

"Damn, Cloud!" he chortled. "Looks like you an' Jessie really went at it today! She left her mark on ya, that's for sure."

I blinked. "What?"

Biggs' snarky explanation left Jessie and I both blushing. "You got a bit of her lipstick on ya, buddy. Guess you two had more fun out there than we thought!"

"Sorry, Cloud!" Jessie laughed. "I didn't notice."

"Um, just forget about it," I said, wiping my mouth off in a hurry as the others chuckled around me.

Biggs leaned back in his seat. "Great fight today, Jessie!"

"Yeah!" Wedge nodded. "Didn't know you could do the splits. That was totally awesome!"

Jessie winked at me. "Oh, I'm very flexible."

Once the rest of the crowd had left, Jessie got up and got started on dinner. It was as good as I'd known it would be, the smell filling the bar as we ate, and the breadsticks Tifa had baked to go along with the pizza were great, too. When we'd all finished eating, Biggs predictably helped Tifa with the cleanup, just as he had last night.

While Lena and Wedge went over to a corner of the room to have a little time to themselves, Jessie coaxed me into playing a game of darts with her. Barret and Marlene took on one of the pinball machines for a bit until he put her to bed a little while later.

Jessie and I left not long after that, Wedge and Lena joining us. We walked together for a bit down the road until we reached the side street that led to Wedge's place. When we got there, he and his girl waved and wished us goodnight before heading down the narrow lane toward his house. Jessie watched them go for a moment, a smile on her face, then tugged lightly on my arm, and we got moving again.

When we got to her door, she stopped in front of it, then turned to hug me. I held her for a while, my arms around her as hers slid around me and clung tight. Then she lifted her face toward mine, pressing her mouth against my own, and I returned the favor, my blood sizzling as I kissed her. She was like some strange, harmless, wonderful drug to me, one I couldn't possibly get enough of.

"Been quite a day, hasn't it?" Jessie smiled.

That was an understatement. "Hell of day. Good one, though."

She kissed me again and winked. "I thought so, too, SOLDIER boy. It'll be back to work tomorrow, though."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Getting ready for Reactor 5."

"Let's not think about that right now," she murmured.

I tilted her chin up from where she'd looked down. "You okay? I'm coming along, you know."

"It's not that," she sighed. "Just… other things."

I frowned. "Like what?"

Jessie shook her head. "It's kinda hard to talk about. Give me some time, okay? Let us have tonight."

"Sure," I agreed.

"Thanks, Cloud. And speaking of tonight…"

I swallowed nervously. "What is it?"

"Would you… like to stay with me again?" she whispered.

For a moment, I just gaped at her, knowing the full implications of her invitation but hardly able to believe she'd just made it. I didn't have any intention of refusing her, and my body, blood, and heart all reacted fiercely to the thought of what Jessie and I might do together. And with that in my mind, I let out a long, slow breath as I tried to find the right words to say to her. I decided to play it cool.

"Depends," I answered. "Am I sleeping on the floor again?"

Jessie's answer was immediate and uncompromising. "Not tonight, SOLDIER boy."

I kissed her. "Then I'm in."

After the others had left and Barret and Marlene had gone upstairs to bed, I watched as Biggs wiped down the counters and put the chairs up on the tables. I had tried to help, but after we'd finished washing the dishes, he had insisted I sit down and let him do the rest. I didn't mind since I'd been on my feet most of the day. That and I knew now why he did it. I wasn't going to take that away from him.

I didn't need to worry about how well he did, either. Biggs was a bit of a neat freak, even more than Jessie, so the bar was always spotless by the time he was finished. As I sipped my drink and watched him work, I let myself really notice him for the first time. Biggs was a manly kind of guy, ruggedly handsome. Not cute and boyish like Cloud. There was a certain charm to that, of course, but I was starting to like Biggs' style, too. It had a certain roguish appeal.

But more touching was the fact that as I watched Biggs work, I saw that he was doing it as much to make me happy as to help me out. And that meant more to me than his looks ever could. He had never tried to hit on me in all the time I'd known him, not once, unlike the men who were in here every day doing that very thing. That was something else I liked about him. He let his actions do the talking.

"Well," Biggs said, brushing off his hands. "I think that's it."

I got up. "Thanks for all your help tonight."

He nodded. "Not a problem, Tif. Guess I'll be headin' out now."

"Hey, Biggs?" I asked. "Before you go, how about we have a drink? We haven't done it in a while."

"Sure," he agreed. "We haven't, have we?"

While he slid onto a stool at the bar, I went around and got started on our drinks. I made his first, showing off a little as I did. Flipping the bottle around, catching it, that sort of thing. I knew he liked it. After he took it, he lifted it in a little toast before taking a sip. I watched, waiting on him before making another one for me.

He grinned. "Perfect!"

"Thanks!" I smiled. "That's the Cosmo Canyon for you."

After making one for myself, I came over and sat on the stool next to him. We nursed our drinks and chatted for a while, talking about his work at the orphanage in Sector 5, Lena, Wedge, how the three of them were doing, the bar, Cloud and Jessie and their newfound relationship, and the Reactor 5 mission, among other things.

Biggs glanced at me. "You're comin' with us, aren't you?"

"I don't know," I sighed.

"Somethin' botherin' you?" he asked.

I gazed at my drink. "It's just… is this the only way, Biggs? Can't we do something else to help the planet? I hate Shinra a lot, but you know how Reactor 1 turned out. Are we really going to do that again? There's gotta be another way…"

He shook his head. "Wish there was, but there isn't. We gotta force Shinra's hand, make 'em shut down the other reactors themselves. With luck, this'll be enough. Least I hope so."

"And if it isn't?" I wondered.

"Then we keep on going," Biggs replied.

I'd been afraid of that. "You know Shinra's going to retaliate. That's what really scares me. What they'll do in response."

Biggs nodded. "I know. We'll just have to be ready for it."

We moved on, talking about other things and finishing our drinks, and when we were done, we both got up. I washed the glasses while he pushed the stools in, and then I walked him to the door. But just before we got there, I took him by the shoulder and slid my arms around him for a minute. I'd never hugged Biggs before. It felt… good. Better than I expected, and I felt a flutter race through my heart.

"Uh, thanks, Tif," he said, tentatively putting his own arms around my waist. "Wasn't expecting this."

"I know," I said. "But I realized I'd never done it before."

Biggs gazed at me. "First time for everything, I guess. Be seein' you tomorrow morning at the meeting."

I let go of him almost reluctantly. "Right. Goodnight, Biggs."

"Night, Tif," he said. "Sleep tight."

"You too. And whatever happens with the mission, watch yourself, okay? Please be careful out there."

Biggs gave me thumbs up as he walked outside. "Will do."

"Thanks," I waved to him.

"No problem," he chuckled. "Guess there's no need to worry about you, Tifa. You specialize in kicking ass."

I laughed. "Damn right! Now, off you go, Biggs."

He did, walking down the road away from the Seventh Heaven. As I stood there in the doorway, I watched him go until I couldn't see him anymore, and then I closed the doors and locked up for the night. The bar was quiet as I crossed the room and made my way up the stairs, my thoughts on Biggs and the upcoming mission.

I hadn't fully decided yet on whether I was going to go with Cloud and the others to Reactor 5. He, Barret, and Jessie were to infiltrate the reactor while Biggs and Wedge secured the way in. We'd talked about it earlier tonight a little, but the real planning and preparation was going to start tomorrow. I only hoped we wouldn't regret it.

Jessie had barely closed and locked the door before she turned and took my face in both hands, pulling me to her and covering my mouth with hers. She kissed me eagerly, her tongue weaving into my mouth as I pressed her firmly against me and slid a hand through her hair. Jessie all but inhaled me, only breaking contact to take a quick breath before her lips closed over mine again.

"Cloud…" Jessie whispered in between kisses. "You can… get up to all the… funny business… you want with me tonight."

My lips danced with hers. "You, too… Jessie."

She giggled. "Now that's… an offer I… can't refuse!"

As we made our way toward her bed, our mouths coming together again and again like magnets, Jessie kicked off her shoes. I pulled away just long enough to shrug my boots off and toss them aside, and then I got back to work, enfolding her in my arms as I let her guide me across the room. She walked backwards, tugging me along and bumping into the corner of the table with her hip on the way.

A little laugh escaped Jessie's lips in between one kiss and the next, and then she was pulling me onto the bed with her. For a while, we just lay there, me on top of her, our lips locking and unlocking and a fierce hunger burning through my blood as my heart went so fast I thought it would explode out of my chest.

Then, after I had shrugged my way out of my jacket and dropped it onto the floor, I let Jessie flip us over so she was lying on top of me, her face descending to meet mine. Her tongue dove back inside my mouth, swirling over and around mine in an electrifying dance of passion that practically set my brain on fire.

"Cloud…" Jessie whispered. "Since I gave you your first kiss today, that means you've never…"

I nodded. "Yeah. Never have."

She paused, lifting her head. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Wouldn't be here if I wasn't," I assured her, cupping her face in my hands and just holding it there.

"I promise I'll make it special," Jessie murmured.

She covered my fingers with hers, kissing them as she did and just holding them against her as she closed her eyes and hovered there over me for a moment. Then she laid down on top of me again, her head on my shoulder. I could feel her heart beating, and it was going just as fast as mine. My hand slid lightly along her back as I held her.

"You will," I told her.

Jessie smiled up at me. "You're very confident, SOLDIER boy. I like that. And I won't disappoint you."

I knew she wouldn't. "Have you, um… done this before?"

"Yeah, but… only with one other guy," she explained. "It was a long time ago. Back when I was still acting. I may be a bit of a flirt, but I still don't give it to just anyone."

"Your old boyfriend?" I asked.

Jessie snuggled closer to me. "Yeah. But that's in the past now. This is our time, Cloud. Yours and mine."

I agreed. "Right, Jessie. I… I'll make it special for you, too."

"Oh, you're almost too good to be true, you know that?" she kissed me again, holding her lips against mine for minute or so before finally letting go. "Thank you."

I gave her a faint smile. "Sure. It'll be good for both of us."

Jessie stroked my cheek. "Nervous?"

"A bit," I admitted.

"It's okay," she assured me. "Me, too."

I blinked. "Really?"

Jessie swallowed, sat up again, then took my hand and put it on her breast. "Maybe this'll help."

"Jessica…" I breathed, my blood turning to lava.

"I love it when you call me that," she whispered, her mouth closing over mine and holding it tight.

As I felt the soft roundness hiding inside the fabric of Jessie's dress, my heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought they would break. I let my mouth drift away from hers as my lips traveled slowly down to the hollow of her neck, moistening her skin along the way. Jessie let out a soft sigh of delight before nibbling my ear. The rush of warmth from her little bites helped dispel my anxiety, and I found myself holding her chest more firmly, even squeezing it a bit. She seemed to like it, if what I heard from her was any indication.

Jessie took it as her cue to slide her hands inside my shirt, and my skin tingled at her touch as my breath nearly stopped. I put my mouth back on hers, needing more of the fantastic drug that she was. She was intoxicating, the feel of her lips like the sweetest nectar you could ever imagine. My heart nearly skipped a beat or two when one of the straps of her dress slid down her arm when she moved, taking the strap of her support with it. My hand—the one that wasn't cupping her chest—took hold of her bare shoulder as we kept kissing.

"So…" Jessie teased. "Do I… get a show tonight?"

In answer, I let go of her, sat up, pulled my shirt over my head, and tossed it aside. "This what you had in mind?"

She just gaped at me for a moment, totally at a loss for words aside from an excited little squeak that escaped her lips as her eyes widened. I felt my cheeks flush pink and looked away, my nerves coming back a bit as I realized what I'd done and what I was showing her. But then she took me by the chin, turned me back to her, and put her lips over mine in a tender kiss that she held there for a while. When she finally pulled away, she was smiling softly, her eyes darting between my face and my chest as she ran a hand along the side of my cheek.

"Better than I imagined," Jessie purred.

"Glad you approve," I smirked. "It's all yours."

She grinned. "Lucky me! But you know, Cloud, you should be able to have a show, too. It's only fair."

"Jessie?" I stared at her.

Reaching behind her, she took hold of her dress. The sound of her unzipping it was very loud in the stillness, and my blood sizzled as she slid her arms out of the straps and slowly tugged the whole thing down until it was piled at her waist. All she wore above that was her support, soft, shimmering black satin and very enticing.

I swallowed. "Nice, Jessie."

"Thought you'd like it," she giggled. "I, uh… wasn't sure if you'd get to see it, but… you know, just in case…"

"You come prepared," I noted.

Jessie suddenly exploded into a fit of hysterical laughter as her face turned an interesting shade of dark red at the same time. "Cloud Strife, you did not just say that!"

I didn't get it. "Say what?"

"Nevermind!" she chuckled, tears leaking from her eyes.

When she had finally composed herself, Jessie scooted close to me again and wrapped her arms around my neck and shoulders. My hands returned to where they'd been before, grasping her chest and shoulder, and I went back to kissing her for a while. Our mouths meshed, fingers explored each other, and we let out breathy murmurs and moans as the physical tension between us continued to build.

As our tongues danced, the heat flared in me as I was sure it did in her, and I pressed her against me, needing and wanting her more than I'd ever desired anything before in my life. My body ached and yearned for Jessie, responding to her every touch just as her little whimpers and mewlings told me she wanted and needed me in the very same way. As my hands came to rest on the back of her support, my eyes found hers and asked them the unspoken question.

"Do it, Cloud," Jessie murmured. "Finish the show."

Fumbling with the clasps, I did just that.