Chapter 4

~ Black Coffee ~

It wasn't often they visited Rocket Town. They barely got round to it at all. But when Cid called up at two in the morning heartily asking Cloud to deliver a turbine part for modifications to his airship, The Shera, before they knew it both him and Tifa had been invited over for tea, coffee and a catch-up. Tifa had happily accepted.

As they pulled up outside the house on Cloud's bike they first noticed how the house had gained a gentle and tidy touch, the work of Shera, no doubt, and then, second, the huge steel structure now looming over and behind the house. It was a ten times its original size. They realised it must be Cid's new "garage".

"Shera!" Tifa called and they fast approached each other and began to chat.

Cid came out of the house behind Shera and casually walked up to Cloud.

"Cloud," he greeted with a nod.

"Cid," he returned.

Inside the house not too much had changed but it was a little more decorated and homely. Tifa walked up to Cid and Shera's wedding picture and Cloud watched as her face lit up. She was remembering the event. It had been a sweet little wedding in the square of the town.

"Tea, coffee?" Shera called from the kitchen.

"Tea," said Tifa.

"Black coffee," Cloud replied and tried to interest himself in the pictures on the walls while he waited.

On the far left wall there were many pictures of Cid with the many airships that he had built or attempted to do-up since he was a teenage boy. At the very end of the long line of photos was the largest photo of all. There was Cid, his arm hooked firmly around Shera, a few other workmen, a couple of engineers and some local townspeople, probably other friends of theirs, all standing in front of the nose of The Shera, smiling and waving to the cameraman. Cloud walked up to the picture and studied Cid's rugged face a little closer.

He looks the happiest there.

***

"How's married life then? I've seen you've made some changes, Shera," Tifa asked, setting down her second cup of tea.

"Yes! Cid helped me of course. Right, Cid?" Shera beamed.

Cid reached behind his head to scratch his neck. Cloud could see he was embarrassed but in a good way.

"Do you have anything else planned?" Cloud asked.

"Well, we have been thinking about something..." Shera trailed off.

There was a pause.

"I wouldn't mind a Cid Highwind the Second to carry on my legacy. After all, how else will my genes pass down? Great airships don't make themselves and I can teach him how to fix up his first little plane, fly, take him on rides in The Shera, teach him the ins and outs of an engine, the "Highwind code"... "

Cid's burst had taken both Cloud and Tifa off guard. Their faces fell into the same amused expression without knowing it. Shera watched them engagingly with her dark green eyes.

"Then of course there's your children. Denzel must be approaching his teens now, right?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances and found it so awkward they had to look away again. Their children? Cid and Shera had been watching this exchange from their side of the table with puzzled fascination until they'd realised how indelicate Shera's choice of words had been. In an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness Cid stood up and proposed, "Hey Cloud, I want to show you what a real engine looks like. More powerful than that scooter you have out there."

Cloud was about to protest at the insult to Fenrir's very far from unreal engine but smiled in acceptance instead. He followed Cid into the huge steel structure behind the house.

"Wow, Cid. You could start your own production line of small planes in here."

"Don't be an idiot. Only suits think about making a profit. Real engineers build for the sake of it; for the pleasure of it. That's Cid Highwind right there," he said, pointing to his chest.

Cloud continued to stare up at the huge engine suspended from the ceiling. He could understand why Cid had been so enthusiastic at the early hours of the morning to get the new parts for it. It was beautiful.

"Say, what the hell happened in there? You and Tifa went bright red."

One of the workmen came up to them with two porcelain mugs of steaming black coffee, more caffeine. It was then Cloud realised he wasn't going to sleep that night.

"I think... it just sounded a little strange, Cid."

Cid made a loud sound resembling a laugh and sat down on a huge black coil lying on the floor. Cloud sat on a huge turbine blade opposite.

"Do you like living with her?"

"Of course, I'm very happy," Cloud said, about to take a gulp of his coffee.

"Why don't you jump into bed with her one night and get it over with then?"

Hot coffee went flying all over the floor as Cloud choked and spluttered into his coffee mug.

"What?"

"Come on, I saw you under The Highwind the morning before the final battle. I'm not a f-" As the memory hit Cloud Cid's swearing faded out into the back of his head. Of course, how could he have let it slip his mind? The night he and Tifa had spent under The Highwind. It felt so long ago.

But he shook his head. Things like that were safer at the back of his mind, out of reach to think about, out of reach of ruining something perfectly good they already had.

Right?

He sighed and took a sip of the little coffee remaining in the mug.

Just don't think about it.