He shrugged. "I'm tryin' to find out what I'm fightin' for or some #$$# like that. All the kids went to their respectable places, and so I figured that I might as well go to mine too."
Shera blinked. Trying to find out what he was fighting for? That was something she definitely wanted to find out herself.
"So," Cid said, taking a sip of his tea, "what've you been up to lately?"
"The usual," she replied. "Just... taking care of the house... things... and... thinking."
Cid's eyebrows shot up. "You've been thinkin'? Well, that's new," he said, sarcastically. However, he quickly gave a genuine smile. "What the hell do you think about all the time? It's been somethin' I've always wanted to know."
"Uh..." Shera paused for a moment. A delicate moment, such as this, had to be handled with extreme care. Say the wrong thing and suddenly, you find yourself wanting to take back your words, and your point is lost.
Shera thought about a lot of things. Like, when would the laundry be done? Did she even put enough soap in the laundry? Why did she decide to really stay with the Captain after the failed lauch? Was it because of his charm? Did her perfectionism cause her to stay to make everything right again? Could she not bear the guilt of leaving him? If she ever did try to leave... or she had ever tried to leave anyway... would he have cared? He never really did kick her out of his home. Not like he wanted any on the side. Well, from her, anyways.
"Shera?"
Shera snapped out of her thoughts. Oftentimes, she got lost in them. What was the question he had asked again...? Oh, right... what the hell I think about all the time...
"What I think about," Shera said slowly, "all the time is life. In general, I suppose."
"You're livin' life, Shera. Do you really have to think 'bout it too? Doesn't it ever give you like, a life overload or somethin'?"
Shera pursed her lips and was quiet for a moment. Cid leaned over on the table, looking straight into Shera's eyes.
"If I had died while I was gone," he said, "or if I somehow manage to !&#$! die later on, what would you remember about me?"
Shera's eyes shot open, and her mouth had dropped. Cid, asking a question like that? Maybe he had been spending a little too much time around those 'kids'. Teenagers these days, it seemed to Shera, were always trying to act and think as if they were mature and wise and always questioned like philosophers to make them appear smarter. Maybe one of those 'kids' had brought up this question with Cid.
"Shera, answer my $)!&!$ question."
"Well," she began, "I would remember you... as... being a good man."
Cid shook his head. "Don't beat around the bush, Shera. Give me the $)&$#(& truth on how you would remember me. Not anyone else. Just you."
Shera cringed. She was terrific at telling the truth and being honest with people. She knew better than to lie to Cid's face. "I honestly would remember you as being a good man," she said quietly. "Kind of loud, tempermental, with a slight attitude problem. You had your dreams Captain, and I --"
"Don't talk about that," Cid interrupted. "You always do that -- you change the subject to that and start apologizin' like crazy. Just... don't change the subject to bein' 'bout how you ruined my dreams."
"A determined dreamer. In a nutshell, that's how I would remember you," Shera said, even quieter than before, pushing her tea away and sitting back in her chair.
"I would remember you," Cid began after anoter moment of silence, "as bein' one --"
Shera held up her hand to stop him. "Please, Captain, don't go there. I don't deserve to be remembered by you. Or anyone. I'm going to go to bed now. It's been a long day."
"Wait, Shera, I --" And before he knew it, she had left.
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Hey, look, a one-shot. OO It's not the best quality, and the ending seems kind of rush and OOC... but that's okay. Thanks to all who read! 3