CHAPTER 6
Taint of Pink
oOoOo
She woke up to him coughing. She turned over and ran her hand over his shaking shoulders.
"What's wrong? You okay?"
He took a breath to steady himself then nodded roughly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
She frowned and ran a hand through his short hair..
"I don't like it, you've been coughing lately. It's all those cigarettes."
"I'm fine."
"You won't be if you keep smoking them like you do. Just try and cut back a little."
"I said I'm fine."
"Sure. But you'll end up sick if you don't take it easy on them. Please, Captain?"
He coughed again, covering his mouth with his hands.
"Sure, whatever."
They laid quiet for a little longer, the rain seemed to have stopped sometime ago. There was no sound except for them.
"What time is it?"
Shera looked at her watch, pressing down on the indigo and glarring hard at it. She couldn't make it out without her glasses.
"I don't know."
He took her wrist and glarred through bleary eyes at the green glowing face.
"Damn. Six in the morning."
"Want to get up?"
"No."
"Me either."
They laid like that a little longer. They could both easily recall yesterday. He pulled closer to her and breathed out long into the sofa mattress. She understood.
"It's alright." She said finally.
He snorted and rolled over to look up at the ceiling.
"I changed my mind."
"Oh?"
"You put more work in this than me."
" . . . "
"It's yours now, alright?"
She didn't say anything for a while and he figured she was content with it. But then she spoke.
"I don't want it."
"C'mon, I'm lettin' you have it."
"Thank you, but no."
"Why?"
"Because."
He turned to look at her face, she was starring at him.
"Why?"
"Because I like sharing it better."
He stared at her a little longer before he smiled, coughed, and turned away.
"Well then, in that case you'll have to make a compensation."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I do that, and you hit me. But just don't ever say that again, alright?"
"Captain -"
"It'll let me know what I'm doing."
" . . . "
"I mean it."
She sighed. "Alright."
oOoOo
Whirring and wind. His tail whipped crazily behind him and his mane was laid flat as the helicopter pulled in, the sun just barely peaking over the tops of the mountains. From behind the stick, Red could make out the form of Cait Sith, waving and smiling with his chesire face.
"Hey! Toldya I'd make it!"
Red bounded over as the robotic Mog slid open the side door. The giant beast lept in and the door was slammed shut behind him.
"How long do you think it'll take?"
"Ha! No time! Be in Midgar by breakfast time!"
He pulled on the stick and the machine rose into the air, blades whirrling in a dizzying spin and carrying them out of Cosmo Canyon and into the awakening sky, clouds a rosy taint of pink, forgetting for a moment their heavy gray of yesterday.
oOoOo
"Aw gawd! I can't take this much longer!"
"Shut yer trap and keep yer shit inside your stomach and off of my ship!"
"Jesus, old man, you're heartless."
The ship lowered suddenly and she groped her stomach in a desperate attempt to keep her breakfast down.
"Can't you fly this thing any better? I'm dyin' over here!"
"Git out of here and don't tell me how to fly my own goddamn ship!"
Yuffie gurgled some disrespectful answer and crawled her way out.
Cid glarred after her retreating form and turned back towards the main window, blowing out a puff of smoke in thought. Another hour and they'd be at Midgar.
oOoOo
"Hey Teef, whatcha doin' back there?"
Tifa quickly hid the photo under her pillow and left the room, pulling her hair back out of her face. Barret was waiting for her out in the bar.
"Cait jes' phoned in. Be here in'a few."
"Alright." Tifa said, sitting down. "Time to find out what this is all about."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"There's animals outside."
oOoOo
I forgot to say, but I don't have an e-mail address of my own. So if for some reason you feel you need to contact me, you can find me on Go-Gaia under the name Lenore Nevermore.
