Lashes fluttered, slate eyes wide and attempting to find the owner of the voice. Tingles traversed up and down her spine in waves, her cheeks glowing with warmth. A silhouette in the door frame called her attention. She could not discern much in the darkness, but height and hair betrayed him. "Yuffie?" Cloud called, while she inched away toward the stairs in silence.
"I can see you," he persisted, not the least bit fooled by her quiet steps.
"No you can't," she tagged, the smile she wore resounding in her voice.
"Yeah," he remarked, pausing momentarily. "What are you doing?" he asked again.
"I—I was thirsty," she feigned thirst by purposely causing her voice to crack as if her throat happened to be parched.
"Oh," he said simply.
"What's the matter, can't sleep?" she queried, shifting her weight slightly.
"I just heard noises, came to check it out," he stated. He turned back into his room and closed the door, leaving Yuffie to breathe a sigh of relief in the hall.
Picking up a sly pace, she descended the stairs into the bar and slid past the swinging doors of the kitchen. She popped the fridge open and found the bottled water she'd stored away upon arrival. After a good couple drinks, she tucked the bottle back into the refrigerator and glanced around the dark kitchen. She had found herself almost relieved it was Cloud who had seen her and not the other blonde in Seventh Heaven. Apparently, she owed him and she was quite afraid of what paying up would do to her emotions. She glanced at the clock on the microwave, finding that one o'clock seemed to disappoint her.
Yuffie sauntered slowly into the bar room, seating herself on a stool. She drew a deep breath and leaned against the counter with her elbows, placing her chin in her hands. She was quite confused about her feelings, and as of late they had only been getting stronger. Unexpected as they were, she couldn't help but feel as though she should have seen it coming. The crush when she met him, the way his opposite personality seemed to feed the best of hers, the spats and name calling. All these supposed argumentative qualities led her to believe perhaps he harbored his own feeling, hiding them beneath whatever he felt for Shera. Was it possible that he could have cared for her long before the night she came to his house? How else does one explain the sudden kiss? Just passion and seduction?
Too many questions, questions she wasn't even sure she wanted to answer. Then there was the matter of her physical feelings. The attraction had built stone hard between them, and the tension was steadily driving her crazy. Half of her had the mind to relieve that tension right this minute, but the other half hesitated in fear. Would a fling really solve anything? There was much to think about.
After what seemed an eternity of silent deliberation, Yuffie stifled a yawn feeling rather exhausted. At least now she'd be able to sleep. She came to her feet, ascending the stairs quietly and using the rail to guide until she found the landing. She was so close to the kids' room, but not quite close enough. She heard a faint creak, someone stepping on the wooden floor, and not two seconds later she felt clammy fingers encircle her wrist and pull her toward the bedroom she knew to be Tifa's.
She resisted the urge to yelp her protest as she found herself against the closing door of Tifa's room. Holding her wrist was the man she'd just been thinking about for the expanse of three full hours. Though she felt refreshed by his presence, she couldn't see herself just bending in to his will. So, she widened her eyes and put on a show, "Cid! What the hell?" she said in a strained whisper.
"What were you up to?" he asked, grinning deviously.
"I was getting a drink," she replied, relaxing in the grip of his fingers while admiring the view of his shirtless torso.
"Alcoholic…" he teased, giving her a wink. "So, I believe you fuckin' owe me," Cid drawled.
"You… ah," she froze, unable to think of some witty response. Just perfect, Yuffie!
Just as she thought of the perfect reply, he brought his lips against hers. The witty remark became lost among the stir of sensations rushing through her, and died upon her tongue. The kiss lasted but a minute, broken when she mumbled an inaudible comment.
"What?" Cid asked, brushing a finger against her cheek.
"Ya can't keep kissing me out of nowhere," she protested, wishing to add to the ending of the statement. Unless it means something…
"Why not?" he gave an insatiable smirk, peering at her curiously.
"Because you… you can't. Cid, look…" she began, pausing to glance at the floor.
He wasn't ready for whatever it was she had to say. "Shh," he hushed her, trailing a fingertip across her bottom lip.
"Oh don't shush me!" she nearly yelled, glaring him down. "Cid, I have to tell you something important," she swallowed the bitter tone, taking a deep breath.
Cid, terrified as he was, found himself with too much concern to shun the ninja away. Instead, he gingerly took her by the hand and led her over to the bed where he sat and urged her to do the same.
Yuffie sat hard, feeling quite weighted by the confession on her tongue. She wanted to tell him of the discovery she'd made in her time downstairs. The light was dim and silver, provided by a sliver of a moon beyond the window. The pilot's cobalt eyes seemed to dance for her, and she practically lost her nerve as she stared back at him.
"What could be so important?" Cid asked, cocking a blonde brow.
"Well," she paused, inhaling breath to avoid sounding squeaky. "I kinda like you, Cid." There, was that so hard? Of course it was! Holy, he looks surprised… great. Her mind raced, her eyes searching his for evidence that he wasn't put off by her declaration.
Yuffie was considering checking his pulse, when he donned a wide grin accentuated by the creases to either side of his lips. "That so?" he asked.
"Of course not, I was just saying that to hear myself talk." Each word dripped with sarcasm as she tilted her head, giving him an incredulous look.
"Well, fuck. In that case…" he trailed, looking as though he were about to get up.
"Oh!" Yuffie growled with frustration, "knock it off!" A pinch came to his arm, courtesy of her fingers and he grabbed her hand in protest.
"Hey!" he said, glaring at her for the tinge of pain shooting down his arm.
Turning the tables proved sinfully easy with relentless fingers dancing across her sides and tickling her until she tucked into a fetal position, bursting with giggles. At first the noise was soft, but as he increased the pressure given by his fingertips, she began to giggle loudly. It was quite obvious that she was horribly ticklish, and he took full advantage of it before realizing her laughing might wake the entire bar.
"Shh! Keep it down, shit," he grumbled, easing his fingers from the torture.
"It's your fault," she snapped as she sat up, recovering her breath. For a moment, she wondered if he was trying to distract her to evade expressing his own feelings. If he wasn't consciously trying, he sure had her fooled. She wanted to say something, anything, but he beat her to it.
"So, you like me. Who would have ever thought, eh? But hell, I…" he paused, feeling the wrath of his own mind. Expressing feelings made him feel like a pimply adolescent. "I like you, too."
"Do you now?" she arched a brow, smiling a smile of relief and elation.
"Well, of course," he replied, finally finding comfort in the simplicity of telling her precisely how he felt.
"Really… who would have thought?" she reflected, resting her chin upon her knuckles.
"You have to admit, it's a little fucking odd." At this, he placed a hand across her thigh, appreciating the lack of coverage provided by the pajama shorts she wore.
"I wonder what everyone would say," she sighed, playing with his fingers as they lay over her skin. The tickle of the tips of her fingers trailing from knuckle to nail made his mind wander and he marveled at how easily she got him going.
"That we're shittin' crazy," he answered, adding a chuckle.
"I'd agree there." She boasted a smile, looping a finger beneath one of his. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot," he replied, curious to find what dwelled on her mind.
"When… when did you realize?" she whispered nervously.
"Fuck if I know. I always thought you were cute, and even though you annoyed me to no end… I've always had fun bein' around ya. But… I didn't realize what it was until you set up that picnic. You went through all that… for me. You cared, and I let my dense ass see that…" he explained. It was the best he could manage, and though the words were not eloquent or well put, she appreciated every last one.
"Awww, Cid!" she exaggerated, wrapping an arm around his neck and pressing a kiss against his cheek.
"Don't get all sentimental, Yuff…" he said, feeling the faint warmth in his cheeks, which only served to further embarrass him.
"But you're so cute," she feigned a sappy tone that made him cringe, finishing with a silly laugh.
"Cute?" he grimaced, and proceeded to show her how un-cute he was.
Cid happened to be on the outer edge of the mattress, just where he needed to be. He placed a hand beneath her jaw, bringing her chin up to place a bruising kiss upon her lips. His tongue tangled with hers desperately, passing the urgency through to her in electric currents that drifted down her spine. Masterfully, he pressed her backward with the kiss until she slowly descended where her back met the sheets. Again, he nearly lost it when his hips slipped slowly down between her thighs. Without a second thought, he pressed his hips forward until she could feel every inch of him through the thin blue pajama pants he wore.
A calloused hand dipped beneath the miniscule camisole that hugged Yuffie's upper torso, running fingers gently up the indentation where ribs nearly met. In reflex, her stomach sucked in until the touch passed onto her chest where he blazed a path through the division and lifted the fabric with his forearm. Breaking the kiss, he lowered down her form until his lips found the bliss of her velvet skin. He trailed kisses up the very path his finger had taken, until the garment allowed no further passage. The path reversed, until his lips found the pert point of her hip bones where he gave a light nip. She couldn't help but arch her back, writhing beneath his breathtaking kisses.
He brought his fingers up to toy with the elastic hem of the shorts, tugging them an inch down and planting another kiss on sensitive skin. Nimble fingers raked through strands of blonde hair as she trailed her fingers over his scalp and down the back of his neck. She stifled a moan as he dipped lower down her warm skin, but even beneath the cover of lidded eyes, she could not deny the distraction that posed disappointment. In the hall, a light clicked on and footsteps rattled the silence. Cid immediately bolted upright when a rapping came at the door, and Yuffie hurried to straighten her appearance. A moment later, the door swung with a squeak revealing a very astonished Cloud.
"Okay… not where I expected to find you," he said, in his ever monotone voice.
Beyond his words, Yuffie could hear a female voice which drew closer until the words became clear, "She's where?" Tifa asked.
"Your room," Cloud announced, as if making a spectacle of where he'd found Yuffie.
"Oh, good! I got nervous when I woke up and couldn't find… you," Tifa explained, appearing beside Cloud at the door to observe the two on the bed as if they'd been caught in the midst of some adulterous affair.
Yuffie sat in silence, pressured to find an explanation to her presence with Cid. Nothing tangible came to mind, and she worried that her lack of reply might set off red flags left and right. "I didn't want to wake you, but I… needed to talk to someone. I had a horrible nightmare and went downstairs to get something. Cid must have heard," she settled upon the explanation.
"Well ya weren't the least bit crafty about coming back upstairs," Cid added.
"I stubbed my toe!" Yuffie feigned annoyance and favored her toe in quite an act.
"Yeah, I'm surprised she didn't wake the whole damn house," Cid grumbled.
"Gee… thanks," Yuffie began, rising from the bed and making her way toward the door, "for nothing."
"Well you two are at it early," Tifa commented, backing away from the door and following Yuffie down the stairs into the bar.
Cloud remained by the door, staring at Cid with questioning eyes.
"Just say it," Cid said bitterly, expecting quite a lecture from Cloud.
"Well, I don't buy her story. She went down stairs at one in the morning, which was a while ago." His eyes never wavered, his voice cold and calm but scrutinizing never the less.
"Yeah, we talked for a while." Cid was stonewalling the prosecution as a criminal might, but he didn't care to explain anything to the skeptical blonde.
"Look, whatever is going on is between the two of you. I just don't want drama," Cloud stated simply.
"This from the one who…" Cid trailed off, realizing his words would do no good.
"Who what?" Cloud dared.
"Nothing. I don't think we need to argue over something so fucking simple, Cloud."
"Yeah, you're right," Cloud agreed, sinking away from the door.
Downstairs, Tifa began to gather supplies to cook a breakfast for four. As she pulled eggs from the refrigerator and brought them to the counter, she glanced at Yuffie. "So what was the nightmare about?" Tifa asked, making conversation.
Yuffie thought a moment, trying to find a nightmare she'd had some time before to make the explanation more believable. She bit her bottom lip and averted her eyes to the counter, processing a quick reply. "Um… it was just about things that could have happened when we all fought. You know… sometimes I have those," she responded.
"Oh? I'm sorry… I'm sure it was terrible," Tifa consoled while stirring a mixture of ingredients Yuffie figured to be for pancakes.
"You don't believe me…" Yuffie accused, settling slate eyes into a stare.
"Well, it was a good excuse," Tifa said as she began to laugh, giving Yuffie a wink.
"Tifa!" Yuffie exclaimed, "it wasn't an excuse."
"Sure it wasn't, you just sat up chatting with Cid for five hours," Tifa pressed.
Yuffie slid of the stool she'd inhabited and rounded the counter, coming inches from Tifa in her wave of bravery. "Tifa… we've been in this confusion since I went to Rocket Town. We needed to talk," she whispered.
Tifa turned to face Yuffie, "So you did sneak out to see him," she said.
"Yes, I did. I didn't want to say anything until I knew myself what was going on…" Yuffie said, keeping her voice low.
"And just what is going on?" Tifa questioned, giving Yuffie quite the look of curiosity.
"I wish I knew," Yuffie confessed.
"You're not sure?" Tifa asked.
"Well… we have mutual feelings. I just don't know where it will lead," Yuffie answered.
"What are we whispering about, ladies?" Cid's voice interrupted their quiet conversation, and the girls turned to see him at the bottom of the stairs.
"Recipes and fashion, Cid. What else?" Tifa quickly replied, covering the truth with a little fib sure to scare off any man.
Cid's nose scrunched and he grunted, shaking his head as he disappeared into the living room. Yuffie and Tifa shared a small laugh at this, and Yuffie thanked Tifa for her caution. Things with Cid were rocky and unstable, and she wasn't even sure what to do with everything. For a moment, she looked on while he focused on the television.
Tifa noticed the distraction and said, "Go talk to him."
"I can't… we just talked for a while, he'll get tired of it," Yuffie argued.
"That's not true. I'm sure he's as eager to figure things out as you are." Tifa applied a bit of pressure to Yuffie's back with the palm of her hand, urging her toward Cid.
"Tifa, he won't want to talk where everyone can hear!" Yuffie desperately tried to avoid being put into the situation again, but Tifa grabbed a bit of gil off the counter and placed it in Yuffie's hand.
"I need you to go to the market and pick up some supplies for dessert. Whatever you like, but take Cid with you." A sly smirk played upon Tifa's lips while Yuffie looked at the gil within her hand.
"You're kidding me?" Yuffie asked with wild eyes.
"Nope. See you later," she said, while turning to resume her cooking.
"Tifa…" Yuffie whispered nervously, peering at an inattentive Cid. Is there a way out of this…?
So I feel this chapter has explored and set the basis for a relationship beyond just playful flirting and physical contact. But will that develop? Or will one of them chicken out? They both are afraid of admitting any more than they have already, but perhaps Tifa will sway their decision? I promise more action in the next chapter, as I know this one was a little less… eventful. Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed this and please do send a review this way :D