A second night spent wrapped in the embrace of a man that somewhat intimidated her only a short while ago, and she felt a fraction more than confused. A great deal of the silent night was spent in deliberation, pondering this and that while she listened to each breath he took, accentuated by the pulse that sounded steadily. Somewhere toward the middle of the night, she finally drifted into dreams. If she thought that would provide escape from her inner battle, she would have found herself to be utterly wrong. Even her dreams portrayed a view of what the future might hold in his arms. A part of her wondered how it was that she ended up so involved in this changing relationship, while the alternate thanked the Planet for such luck.
Truth be told, she was quite contented as she lay within his strong arms, his steady exhalations tickling her neck where he'd nuzzled in. Perhaps this was as close as she'd come to happiness, or maybe he was happiness reincarnated. There was so much to be considered, and there didn't seem to be enough time in the world to do so. As she became coherent in the rising morning sun, she decided to follow the path as it turned, rather than carving a new path. If they were meant to find a place together, they would. For now, there was a party to get to and a whole lot of fun to be had. The only problem was the imminent motion sickness she'd face on the trip to Edge.
Slate eyes were revealed to the world, lashes separating and allowing the harsh sunlight to penetrate, pupils constricted as her eyes quickly adjusted. Yuffie practically bounced up when she realized that morning had come. The annual party Tifa held always excited her, but this year felt different somehow. Her excitement was heightened and her anticipation of what might come held her curiosity at a level she never knew it could reach. The sort of games she might be able to pull with everyone back together simply tempted her beyond belief. This would be a party to remember.
The mattress beneath her creaked as she sprung from the pillows, hands planted on Cid's chest as she shook him a good time or two. "Hey… wake up!" She chirped, watching the pilot's nose wrinkle in disdain.
His lids clamped tightly over his eyes and with the tug of covers, he rolled away from her. A huff fled her lips as she rolled her eyes, "Come on! You have a ship to fix if we're gonna leave soon."
"…uckin…ship…not…party…"
"Cid…" Yuffie burst into giggles at the string of incoherent words. "Up, up, up!" She threw her weight onto him, prying his eyelid open with two fingers. The iris appeared and a scowl flooded over his features… "Oops." Yuffie squeaked.
"Yeah, oops." Cid growled, tossing the girl over onto the other side of the bed where she landed and bounced once. "Quit being such a damn pest."
"Get your lazy ass out of bed." She countered.
"Lazy?" Cid grumbled, rolling back to face Yuffie.
"Yep." Her chin lifted, a sly smile displayed.
"I'll show you lazy. I think I'll lie in this fuckin' bed all day long… you fix the ship." With that, he rolled over once again, hiding his face beneath a pillow to keep Yuffie from seeing the grin on his lips.
"No! No, no. I'm sorry, pleeaase!" She pleaded.
"What's in it for me?" His voice muffled from beneath the pillow.
"Hm. How about more pasta?" She furrowed her brows in thought, "Or…"
"Sex?" Cid peeked out from beneath the pillow with a silly expression. He watched slate eyes go wide, along with her already gaping mouth.
"You pervert! Sex in exchange for getting out of bed? Oh… my god." She crossed her arms over her chest and feigned annoyance.
"You know, that's the third time you've called me that in the past day or so. I think if I'm gonna be fuckin called it, I might as well be it." He concluded, reaching out to grope her lewdly. Once she gasped, he put on a satisfied grin and crawled out of bed, stretching his arms above his head as if nothing happened. A quick yawn and he was heading for the door, leaving Yuffie steaming on the bed.
"Mothe—" Yuffie began.
"Don't even cuss me out, you liked it." Cid called as he slipped past the bedroom door.
"Grr!" Yuffie screamed, throwing her hands down on the bed.
Cid chuckled as he strode down the halls, enjoying his victory. This little game they played to see who could be most annoying was absolutely rewarding sometimes. For now, he was winning.
An arrogant pace led him into the kitchen, an orange plucked from the refrigerator and he began to peel the fruit. With several pieces of the slick skin discarded into the sink, Cid tore a portion of the juicy flesh away and brought it toward his mouth. Sneaky as ever, Yuffie had already landed herself right beside him when she stole the slice of orange and shoved it into her mouth with a goofy smile.
"Mmm…" She exaggerated, chewing.
"Thief!" Cid mumbled, peeling the last of the skin away.
"That's what I'm good at." Yuffie boasted, swallowing the orange.
"I bet if you took up my offer we'd find somethin' else you're good at." He cringed when she swatted his arm, but laughed anyway.
She had to remind herself to stay away from the P word. "Debauchee." Ha! She smiled.
"Deba-what?" He cocked a brow.
"You've never heard that?" She tilted her hips, resting her hands over the pert bones. It's not an insult if he can't even understand the word…
"I don't even think you know what it means." He tore another slice and slipped it through his lips before she could snatch it away.
"It's a person who habitually indulges in… well, you know, naughty things." She stole a slice from the orange and enjoyed the sweet taste.
"Naughty things? You sound like a twelve year old… brat." Cid smirked, holding back the laughter that threatened to come. "Say the real words."
"Sensual pleasures, sex, copulation, fornication, lovemaking, fucking, intimacy—take your pick." She held back the blush that might have given away her discomfort at the lewd words. Though she'd matured a great deal since they first met, she could still be quite adolescent at times.
"I think I could go for a fuck…" He winked, much to her dismay. She had hoped for a different response.
"Oh, get off." She groaned.
"Oh believe me, I will." Things were getting worse by the minute. He was thoroughly winning their game, and she hung her head in defeat causing boisterous laughter to fill the room, all Cid's of course.
A victory she'd surely never live down if she left things this way. She pulled herself from the little pity party she considered throwing and brought her lips to his ear, sensual tone adopted as she whispered close enough to give him the chills.
"Maybe tonight I'll let you indulge in me." The words sent a scorching trail down his spine. She simply pivoted and sauntered back down the hall, leaving Cid with half an orange and a strong dose of desire.
---x---
The sun began to sink toward the western sky, causing Cid to glance at the clock. Not too bad, it's only two. He rewarded his hard work, reveling in the fact that he had finished the work on the ship before the time they needed to head out. The trip to Edge was never very long, but Yuffie usually required frequent stops to get off and recover from her motion sickness. If he didn't give in, it usually meant hours of whining and annoyance he'd rather not experience. Since the party was scheduled for tomorrow night, they'd be able to take off now and spend an extra night helping Tifa get everything ready. Rather, Yuffie could help while Cid guzzled several glasses of Tifa's finest bourbon.
With the plan decided, Cid cleaned up the sight of his repairs and headed into the house. The door cracked when he pushed it closed behind him, drawing the attention of his guest. Cobalt irises landed on bare toes, scaling upward over perfectly shaped calves until he found the terry cloth hem of an old blue towel. Yuffie froze near the fork of the hall, clearly on her way to the living room to grab something. Cid idly wondered if she planned these subtle little moments of torture where she came out scantily clad and pushed risqué mental pictures into view.
A smirk came over her lips as she tucked soaking strands of black behind her ear, "I left my soap on the counter." She moved toward the kitchen where her bottle of scented soap rested, leaving Cid baffled.
"The hell is it doing in the kitchen?" He grumbled, studying her shoulder blades as she found her soap.
"I used it to wash my hands earlier… didn't wanna smell like that nasty grease cleaner you use." She wrinkled her nose for effect, twirling around toward the hall.
"Women." He listened to the faint sound of the shower, the impulse to join her there taking a toll on his mind. Instead, he simply stumbled into his room to clean up in his own shower.
Yuffie couldn't help but giggle once she slipped behind the closed bathroom door. She hadn't planned either of the times she ended up around Cid in practically nothing, but she was sure it'd help her in claiming the next victory. Fingers released the blue towel, allowing it to fall to the ground, the shower curtain pushed aside as she climbed beneath the cascading water.
Mild drops washed over her shoulders, sending streams of water down her curves and into the basin. She closed her eyes and absently wrapped her arms around her torso, allowing her fingers to rest against her hips. A deep sigh as she enjoyed the relaxation that came from the warmth and the steam that hung over the bathroom.
With her hair clean and scented of oriental flowers, she turned the water off and climbed out into the misty bathroom. She picked up the discarded towel, drying her moist skin before slipping on her clothes. With bare feet, she stepped out into the hall and rounded the corner into the kitchen where she found Cid stuffing some junk food into a black fabric box. He glanced up from zipping the lunch box, admiring the way her wet hair slicked against her cheeks.
"Have a nice shower?" Cid asked, but something wasn't right about that grin that dominated his lips.
She blushed lightly, making an attempt to sweep her hair from her face. "Yep." She answered simply.
"I'll bet." He hid the way his grin widened by turning to grab a few bottles of water from the fridge.
"I guess I should get packed." Yuffie ignored his insinuations and turned back down the hall.
Knee high shoes encased her calves once again, laces tied neatly before she began the task of gathering her garments. Once all of her clothing had been packed into the backpack as it was before she arrived here in Rocket Town, she swung the bag over her shoulder and slipped out into the hall, returning to the kitchen.
Cid had wandered off, so she threw her bag next to the counter and rummaged through the fridge for a quick snack. Settling on one of the candy bars he'd hidden in the corner, she quickly grabbed for it but found herself a tad bit distracted.
"I bet you're gettin' into the chocolate…" Came his voice, accentuated by the thud of his own bag dropping onto the tile.
She jumped and retreated from the fridge, eyeing Cid as if she were about to smack him. "Can we go now?" She avoided answering him, impatiently staring at the bags beside the counter. Perhaps it was best she didn't put anything extra in her stomach before the trip.
"Sure… let's go." Cid gave in, hauling most of the bags out to the ship.
---x---
The trip to Edge went by smoothly, save for the couple of times Yuffie decided to exaggerate her motion sickness. Cid simply couldn't resist her pouting and they made a quick stop for dinner in Costa del Sol, which made little sense to the pilot as he always assumed eating would only make the sickness worse. However, the pills she picked up at the convenience store on the way back to the ship seemed to help in keeping the green out of her face as they continued on to Edge. He idly wondered if Tifa would deprive him of alcohol for eating dinner right before their arrival.
When the two finally arrived at Seventh Heaven, Yuffie seemed to have turned all smiles. Marlene was the first to bound over, clinging onto Yuffie's legs while waving to Cid with a big toothy grin. Denzel waited for Marlene to finish so they could go back to playing in the other room. Cloud was apparently out on delivery, since he was nowhere to be seen. Tifa happened to be in the corner wiping down one of the tables when Yuffie ran over and wrapped a suffocating hug around the brunette. Cid thought that rather humorous.
"It's good to see you guys. Have you eaten?" Tifa smiled, looping an arm around Yuffie's shoulder.
"We had a late lunch. I was thinkin' we could have some dessert in a little while." Yuffie answered, giving one last squeeze to Tifa before moving away to lean against one of the tables unoccupied by the current patrons.
"Oh, okay. That sounds good. Let me finish cleaning really quickly, and then we can get ready for tomorrow. I already posted a sign saying the bar will be closed." Tifa held her cheery tone as usual, returning to wiping the rest of the table.
"No hurry, but would you mind dishin' up a little bourbon for an old friend?" Cid grinned from the seat he'd claimed near Yuffie.
"Of course, just a second." Tifa couldn't help but laugh a little; Cid never really changed much, although he did seem a little different as she looked him over. She couldn't put her finger on it, but his eyes seemed brighter.
Once the table was satisfactorily clean, the bourbon Cid requested came right to his fingertips with a soft hug. Tifa really had missed him, and their bond was something of a mutual respect. Yuffie smiled when she noticed Tifa's sisterly affections, she knew better than to assume anything of it. Cid managed a swig of the drink while Tifa resumed her work at the counter.
The girls giggled by the counter, chatting girl talk as Cid sipped his drink at a distance. Girl talk was never something he involved himself in, better to keep out of that. Liable to hear something you'll have nightmares about… he chuckled inwardly. The bells on the door jingled their tune while the door swung open, providing entrance for the second blonde to enter the bar.
The minute heavy boots sounded against the wooden floor, Marlene and Denzel came running from the other room once again. Both hugged the unsuspecting blonde with equal chants of "Cloud!" while he ruffled their hair in a fatherly manner.
"How was your delivery?" Marlene beamed as she backed away a few steps.
"It was fine. Are you having fun?" Cid was rather amazed at the way Cloud interacted with the kids. He seemed to light up around them, and Cid watched Marlene nod feverishly.
"Yep! Denzel and I are playing a game and I'm winning!" Marlene bragged, "Let's go!" She chirped, dragging Denzel back into the room.
"They're so happy to see you! How cute!" Yuffie giggled from the counter, bringing Cloud's blue eyed gaze upward.
"Yeah." He answered, taking a seat beside Cid.
Yuffie turned her attention back to Tifa, smiling while she brought her voice to a whisper. "So… how're things going?" Slate eyes danced with excitement.
"What do you mean?" Tifa raised a brow, whispering as well.
"You know… with Cloud?" She kept his name quite silent, much to Tifa's surprise.
"Okay, I guess. I think having the kids around helps; he seems less reserved every day." Tifa said, wiping down a tall glass.
"Silly! I mean with the two of you." Yuffie giggled as quietly as possible.
"Oh! Umm… a little better. But what about you? Met anyone yet?" Tifa successfully dodged the prying question.
"Well… not really." So technically, it wasn't a lie. Her cheeks nearly flushed until they were distracted by a rowdy customer.
"Not again…" Tifa sighed and went about dealing with the man.
---x---
With the last customer shooed out of the bar and the kids in bed, the four friends enjoyed a little dessert that Tifa whipped up. Never hurt to have a little brownie smothered in vanilla ice cream. Yuffie glanced across the table at Cid, smiling coyly as she licked a smidge of ice cream from the corner of her mouth. The insinuation sent his eyes searching for distraction, but not before Tifa caught the brief interaction with a look of curiosity he knew all to well.
"So Yuffie's staying with you, Cid?" Tifa asked, taking a spoonful of brownie.
"Yeah…" He inhaled a deep breath, attempting to think up a plan to distract Tifa from questioning any further.
Tifa swallowed the rich chocolate, "Shera's probably happy about that."
"Shera left." Yuffie piped in, earning quite a look from Cid.
"What?" Tifa wore astonishment well, Cid thought.
"It's no big deal. It happened a while ago, I'm fine." Cid put the questioning to rest for the time being.
"As long as you're okay." Tifa said, concern evident on her voice.
"I've got Yuffie here to pester me all day long and do my dishes." Cid gave a grin, paying little attention to the look Yuffie adopted while Cloud laughed in a slight manner.
"So why aren't you in Wutai?" Tifa asked, looking to Yuffie.
"Oh, the usual." Yuffie answered, sliding a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
"Aw, I'm sorry." Tifa smiled her ever radiant smile.
"It's no surprise. Anyway, what are we doing with this place?" Yuffie distracted the conversation, gesturing toward the bar to see what Tifa had in mind for décor.
"Well, I need to set up a table for all the food and drinks. Probably just some simple little decorations with the tables all aside so we have some room." Tifa answered, watching Cid and Cloud take the décor talk as their cue to escape outside to do whatever it was they did.
"Such help they are!" Yuffie laughed, scooping two bowls into her hands while Tifa handled the others.
"I like it better this way. I can get some information out of you!" Tifa said, setting the dishes in the sink while giving Yuffie a smile.
"What are you so curious about?" Yuffie laughed nervously, setting her two bowls in the sink on top of the other two.
"Well, Shera's gone and you're staying with Cid. I mean, that's just odd. And the other day when Cloud called you two, he had a strange look on his face the whole time. He said you were both acting funny." Tifa rinsed the dishes, arranging them on a towel to dry.
"So?" Yuffie kept a calm demeanor, slipping around the counter to move a few chairs off to the side.
"I don't know… you two just seem different." With the dishes finished, Tifa came around to help with the tables and chairs, moving each aside to leave an open space in the center of the room.
"I feel bad for what happened with Shera, I guess I stayed longer to make sure he's okay. But after this, I'll be headed home." Yuffie helped Tifa push two of the tables toward the center of the space, probably the serving tables.
"So what did happen with that?" Tifa asked, to Yuffie's pleasure. Thank god she's off me and Cid…
With Tifa successfully distracted from her questions, Yuffie explained the situation quietly while they finished the preparations for the party. By the time they finished getting everything ready, they'd talked out the entire Cid and Shera issue. Tifa concluded that Cid deserved much better, and Yuffie's mind began to wander.
The door popped open again and the two blondes gaped at the progress the girls made with the tables and room. "Damn, that was quick." Cid said.
"Well, I think we should all get to bed. It's almost one in the morning and we've got a big day tomorrow." Tifa stifled a yawn, obviously worn out from work and moving the tables.
Cloud was the first to start for the stairs, followed by Cid who paused just beside Yuffie, bringing his voice down low. "When do I get to indulge?" He whispered, allowing only Yuffie to hear. With no way to retaliate, she simply glanced at him with a glare that only made him chuckle and continue on his way upstairs.
"What was that all about?" Tifa asked.
"Oh… some stupid reminder that I owe him." Yuffie huffed.
"Owe him what?"
"For stopping when I wanted to on the way over, that's all. So where am I sleeping?" Yuffie pretended to yawn, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Well, let's see. The kids are on the couch in the living room, Cloud's in his room and Cid's in mine… so I guess you're stuck in the kids' room with me." Tifa grabbed Yuffie's wrist and led her up stairs, all the while giving Yuffie a chance to roll her eyes and protest within her mind. It was going to be a long night, but tomorrow was worth it.
---x---
Yuffie laid on the twin bed, peering into the ceiling in boredom. She wasn't the least bit tired, and listening to Tifa breathe steadily in slumber wasn't her idea of entertainment. With nimble movements, she raised from the mattress, squinting in the darkness to see Tifa lying on her side and quite definitely asleep. A smirk came onto pink lips as she pushed the covers down her legs, doing her best to keep silent. Unsure of her destination, she crept past the other bed to the door where she turned the knob carefully, opening the door just enough to slip into the hall. With the door tapped shut she turned toward the stairs, creeping down the hall until a voice startled her from her path.
"What are you doing?"
So who is it? You'll have to wait for chapter seven! Sorry if the end of the chapter seemed a little filler-ish, but I like the Tifa/Yuffie friendship aspect and wanted to add a bit of that in before the party. Also, thanks to those who've reviewed and enjoyed this story! I really am quite excited to author it, as I feel Cid/Yuffie is just a wonderful pairing. Too much fun. Anyhow, please pay a little attention to that shiny purpley blue button down there :D
Also, if you like stories with a little more... smut, I have this posted at AFF as well >D This chapter happens to include some on there, so if you're interested in that, my pen name is the same (Randi Lynne) on that site. You could go to ff. adultfanfiction .net / authors.php?no1296793334 (no spaces)