Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Note: I'm really sorry about the long wait. I've been really busy with life and stuff so I haven't had time to update. Also this chapter's going to be kinda short because I didn't have a lot of time to write it…Sorry…Don't kill me…
Chapter 14: Traveling
It was still raining out when the reluctantly paired duo left the inn to go outside.
"I'm cold," Aeris complained. "And where are we going again?"
"Cosmo Canyon, then Costa del Sol. And it's your own fault for being cold! You should have dressed in layers or something," Sephiroth grumbled as they began walking for Cosmo Canyon.
"But…I'm really cold…" the woman whimpered, her teeth chattering. She wasn't suggesting anything, oh no; she just wanted to annoy Sephiroth as much as he annoyed her.
The silver-haired man sighed and approached Aeris, undoing his coat as he did so. Aeris barely had time to protest when the man scooped her into his arms and held her high enough so that she could rest her chin on his shoulder, fastened the cloak over her and put one arm under her…uh…rear…so that she wouldn't fall. It almost looked like Sephiroth was carrying an oversized toddler…not that Aeris looked like a toddler of course.
"Wha…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Aeris shrieked.
"Don't you mean, 'What did you just do?'" Sephiroth corrected her, continuing towards the canyon in the distance.
"Fine then! What did you just do?"
"I thought you said you were cold? I'm warming you so that you won't complain to me until we get to where we're going."
"BUT…BUT…I-I…oh forget it," Aeris groaned, sliding her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall in case he let go of her. Then she rested her chin on his shoulder so she'd be more comfortable. After all, he WAS warm…and he DID smell sort of good…and he felt so—
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING? SNAP OUT OF IT, AERIS! Aeris mentally screamed at herself.
Sephiroth, on the other hand, was rather content with having Aeris in this position…
"How long is it going to take to get there?" Aeris asked, disgruntled at the fact that she was still soaking wet AND was being carried in a somewhat…intimate position by the person she hated.
"I'm not sure…maybe about three hours in clear weather but because it's raining so heavy it might take about…five hours or more," the silver-haired man said flatly, walking at a painfully slow pace.
"You can fly, right? Why can't we just fly there? It'd take a lot less time," Aeris tried to reason.
"…No."
"Screw you," the brunette woman hissed, then thought about what she said. "And I DON'T mean that literally?"
"Really? Damn, you got my hopes up," Sephiroth snorted.
"You. Are. A. Sicko."
"I. Don't. Care. Shut. Up."
Aeris sighed, trying to ignore the fact that being held by Sephiroth like this was, unfortunately for her, surprisingly comfortable…and warm…and he smelled strangely good…
GAH! Aeris mentally shrieked.
"…We're here," Sephiroth grumbled after several hours of walking.
"Ugh, finally…you can put me down now…" Aeris muttered, squirming slightly to get out of the man's grip. He opened his coat slightly, letting Aeris fall out. He re-did his coat while she stood up, brushed dirt off of herself and glared.
"What we're going to do is stay here until really early in the morning, because it takes a long time to get to Costa del Sol from here. We're probably going to have to camp out a couple of nights. And if you complain about it I'm going to kiss you again," the ex general explained, heading up the stairs towards the canyon.
"Ugh. Fine…" She looked around the canyon as they reached the top of the stairs. "I wonder if Red's here?"
"Which one was that?"
"…The red one…"
"I can't keep track of these things, damn it, okay? And even if it—"
"He…"
"Even if HE was here, we don't have time to visit."
"Fine."
No one seemed to notice them as they walked up the stone steps and into the Canyon. Aeris looked around the sunset place, smiling. During her travels with Cloud, this was one of her favorite places.
"We aren't here to sightsee!" Sephiroth growled, practically dragging Aeris by her ear to the inn. Once at the inn, he glared at the lady behind the counter. "One room, please. Two beds if possible."
"There's one right down the hallway." She handed him a key nervously. "That'll be 150 gil please…"
Sephiroth glared.
"I-I mean…that'll be 75 gil please…"
"Much better." Sephiroth forked over the seventy-five gil and headed towards the bedroom…which had two bedrooms.
"OH SWEET SALVATION!" Aeris screamed, practically lunging herself at the bed by the window. "I call the window bed! I'm going to go buy a new outfit, okay? Be back later!"
"WE AREN'T HERE TO—oh, screw it," he grumbled, settling himself in the bed Aeris hadn't clamed.
Aeris looked through the small section of clothing. Most of the clothes were in shades of brown, but she managed to find some other color. She found a brown traveling bag with a strap that could be used to sling over her shoulder, and picked that out, along with a new comb and a pink toothbrush. She found some brown boots just like the ones she usually wore and bought those, as the shoes she was wearing at the time were worn out and dirty beyond repair. She bought another pair of jeans (ones Sephiroth would like—they fit Aeris well, but were tight around her rear end—but he wouldn't admit to liking that), and found a plain pink T-shirt that she purchased, along with a few undergarments and various toiletries.
That done, she went back to the inn, took a shower, changed into her new clothes, brushed her teeth, and threw her dirty clothes into the washing machine that magically seemed to appear in the bedroom.
Sephiroth was sound asleep, so she decided to go to sleep as well.
It was early morning, and Aeris was being poked.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke.
Poke…
"GAH! WHAT DO YOU WANT!" she screamed, burying her head under the pillow.
"Rise and shine, sweetheart," Sephiroth said, muttering the last word sarcastically. "We're leaving. It's three in the morning. Get your things together and run a comb through your hair. Your hair is making you look like some deranged beast."
"I hate you," she groaned before reluctantly getting up to ready herself for their trip to, gasp, Costa del Sol!
Yumesuta: Costa del Sol will be next chapter. Please review this one in the meantime!
