Yuj parked and headed into the restaurant, ready to get his day started. "Hey! Hope, what are you doing here so early? Don't you have school?" Hope jumped when he heard Yuj's voice, "huh? Oh! No, today there are no classes today because Serah needed to help Snow with some things. So. . .how was your date? I mean I was there, but I didn't really get to hear how it went for you two." "Oooh? You are interested how the dating scene goes huh?," Yuj winked back.

"Huh!," Hope blushed furiously, "no no, of course not! I just wanted to know since you both are my friends. . .and I want it to really work out for you." Hope couldn't help but turn around, pretending to clean a table that was already spotless. He was curious about what dates were like, due to his lack of knowledge around the subject, but he also wanted to know since Yuj and Maqui had accepted him as a good friend even though they had not known each other for very long.

"You are so sweet," Yuj ruffled Hope's hair, "well, I think it went really well. At least for tonight's date he knows that it's a date, so I think it will go even better than the last one. I have to say, Maqui is an awesome kisser, so I hope to get more of those. Cross your fingers for me!" Hope chuckled, "well then I'll make sure to set up a really romantic table for you this time, maybe even on the deck, that way you guys can snuggle up with a big blanket and watch the stars!"

Yuj looked at Hope slightly wide-eyed, "you know. . .that's a really good idea. Plus the heaters on the deck will still keep us a little warm, and since it's been freezing lately, an extra blanket would be pretty handy. Geez, where do you get these awesome ideas?" Hope blushed, "well. . .I was just thinking if I were to ever date anybody, that would be something that would be really fun to do."

Yuj smiled, "in that case, I can't wait until I can give you dating tips, but for now I think you should finish school and just enjoy being a kid." Hope glared playfully at Yuj, "Hey! I'm not a kid, I'm already fifteen!" Yuj shrugged, "yeah but I wish I had more time to be a kid. . .and you already had to grow up pretty fast considering the circumstances. . .so just enjoy being fifteen, no use growing up too fast right?" Hope nodded, "that means I can play pranks on you and get away with it for another year then, huh." Yuj shot Hope a glare, "hey! Not on me, play them on Snow! He deserves it!" Hope chuckled and continued setting tables. Yuj noticed himself glaring and wondered if Rosch was rubbing off on him.

Yuj put on his apron and settled his backpack in the workroom. He started up the day's supply of curries and sauces that needed time to meld their flavors. He finished all of the day's prep work to make it easier for Lebreau to cook quickly and efficiently. A few customers trickled in and they all were ordering the day's special of juicy braised chicken legs with basil that were then fried to give them a crispy texture. Yuj happily put a huge portion aside to give to Rosch before he goes on his date.

Hope watched Yuj observantly, "so. . .are you going to eat all that? I mean you are always bringing so much food with you, but then you eat a ton when you get back. How do you do it? That's amazing! It means you can beat Snow and Gadot easily during one of their eating contests!" Yuj face turned white, "oh. . .uh. . .yeah, I tend to get hungry when I'm excited. . .and what can I say, Maqui excites me." Yuj laughed nervously and stared at the food he was putting in a container. "I see. . .," Hope figured Yuj was hiding something but decided not to press further.

Yuj cleaned up his station as Lebreau walked in, "hey Lebreau? I'm going to take my lunch break now, so I'll be back in a bit." Lebreau nodded figuring Yuj was going to visit Maqui and smirked, "alright but since you two are having a date tonight, don't do anything that would make him want to cancel." Yuj turned red, "uh, yeah. . .haha. . .I'll try not to. . ." Yuj quickly got his stuff ready to go, but he was not leaving to go visit his new boyfriend.

Cid and Rosch arrived at the camp and Rosch immediately started a warm fire. "You can wash up if you walk about 100 feet to the East; there is a hot spring there where you can bathe and clean up. It has a good mineral content. I also have some sundries that a friend gave me that I want you to feel free to use in the tent. Feel free to use anything as though they are your own," Rosch stated.

Cid looked at Rosch thoughtfully, "I appreciate it Yaag, I'll go wash up and then we can talk about what to do for lunch." Rosch's eyebrows furrowed slightly at being called by his first name again, but digressed and helped Cid find everything he would need for a relaxing, peaceful bath. Cid smiled and gave Rosch a huge pat on the back, "thank you again. I really needed some sense of stability in my life, and I think I found it."

Cid opened his satchel and pulled out a change of clothing and began to take off his shirt. Rosch watched out of the corner of his eye and noticed some small scars on the taller man's statuesque, muscular body. He even noticed the way he arched his torso as he pulled the shirt upwards, revealing a large scratch that marred his side.

Rosch's eyes widened and looked away; did he just find Cid's body somewhat attractive? He closed his eyes and cleared Cid from his mind as he thought about mapping and how he would organize his data. Cid shivered from the cool wind rushing over his naked torso. He folded his shirt and looked at Rosch, "do you mind helping me wrap this wound after my bath? I tried wrapping it myself, but it seems like the angle makes it difficult to do it accurately." Rosch felt a slight tightness in his throat and cleared it, "of course I will assist you on the matter. I have some medical supplies that should help it to heal quickly. Also the water seems to have a slight anti-bacterial attribute to it, so it should help to clean it. I also have some antiseptic and other goods that should accelerate its healing process." Cid nodded, "again I thank you Yaag."

Rosch questioned his own ongoing babbling when he talked with Cid, he could have talked in a much more efficient manner. He also wondered why Cid was thanking him so often. Was Cid's existence prior to meeting with him so harsh that he was truly that grateful? Rosch wanted to know what happened with Cid, but he hoped that Cid would tell him when he was ready.

Cid headed over to the warm, relaxing spring and finished undressing; he slowly entered the soothing water slightly wincing as he felt the water brush over his wound. After his body adjusted to the heat of the water, which contrasted heavily with the frosty air, he slid down, loving the way the water relaxed his aching shoulders. He looked up at the beautiful blue sky and for the first time since he could remember, he felt relaxed, at peace, and safe. Cid placed a hand on his side and wondered how much his life had changed. He was a prisoner of the Fal'cie and now that he was free, he took it upon himself to free the l'cie who couldn't complete their foci. He noticed that many Cie'th stones in the Archylte Steppe were already free, most likely due to Lightening and her fellow previous l'cie cohort. He wanted to free them from the curse that he, himself, had to bear, and he was going to continue to do so until every last Cie'th stone he could find was free.

Cid took a deep breath and relished in the rich scents of vanilla and lavender that permeated his bath. He loved the comforting fragrance and enjoyed the feeling of the grime and dirt being pulled out of his hair, leaving it feeling soft and shiny. He dipped his head back and closed his eyes again, completely immersing himself in the embrace of the water.

As Cid took his bath, Rosch was reorganizing the tent to prepare for a second person living in it. He moved all of the wood into a covered shed area to allow it to stay as dry as it could without taking up space in his living quarters. Rosch was about to pick up a can of food that Yuj had given him for emergencies when he heard the faint sound of a velocycle outside his abode. He headed out to see if it was indeed the teal-haired man who he considered his friend.

Yuj hopped off the velocycle with a huge grin, "hey Rosch! I brought you tons of a really tasty chicken dish along with some rice and tons of fresh greens. So I hope you are super hungry!" Rosch couldn't hide the faint smile that graced his features, "I truly am appreciative of your generosity." For a moment Rosch began to feel the way he imagined Cid felt when he was constantly thanking him earlier in the day.

Yuj chuckled, "aww come on, I've been bringing you supplies for long enough now that you don't have to thank me so formally each time. Just a simple, 'hey Yuj! Nice to see ya! I'm glad you dropped by!,' or something like that would be good. Anyway, I know I just saw you earlier today, but I actually have a question for you. Do you think it would be romantic if instead of eating at the restaurant, we eat on the deck and look at the stars with only one blanket?" Rosch had a deadpan look on his face, "what? You are asking me romance questions? Surely you are joking. I do not participate in romantic ventures and I would not know if a venue is romantic or not." Yuj shrugged, "yeah but it's asking you or asking people who will give me a hard time about it and make jokes about it," Yuj scratched his head and gave Rosch a vaguely bashful look.

Rosch shook his head, "well. . .since when you discussed your previous date, you mentioned looking at the stars while drinking hot chocolate, I would assume that since that is what lead up to your romantic kiss, it would mean that your idea has a high probability of being romantic."

Yuj smiled, "you know, I didn't think of it that way. I can't believe Hope was able to think of that. . .and he's only fifteen. . .geez he's good. He'll be able to find a significant other, no problem when he gets a little older!" Rosch quirked an eyebrow, "I suppose he would be about fifteen by now. . .but having a mentor like you could be a bad thing." Yuj pouted, "aww come on now! But um. . .you joking is so freaking funny that I'll just take it as a good thing."

Cid walked over, refreshed from his bath, donning sleek black pants, and a towel around his shoulders. "Well, isn't it funny seeing you joking, Yaag," Cid said playfully. Rosch turned around and sent Cid a glare, "I was merely making a statement." Cid handed Rosch the bandages and Rosch carefully and efficiently applied them to Cid's wounds. Cid was freezing, especially after leaving the nice, cozy hot spring, and he was grateful for the man's warm hands placing the bandages on his body. Cid quickly put on a shirt when Rosch was finished, followed by a jacket.

Yuj grinned seeing the two men helping each other out and being completely natural with each other. He had heard that it was likely that Cid survived as there was no body found when the military went looking for bodies and survivors in Eden's Hall. "No worries Cid. . .er. . .Raines, I brought enough food for both of you. As for you, Rosch, I thought you weren't feeling well enough to explore," Yuj stated calmly.

Rosch quirked an eyebrow, "how did you know that I went exploring this morning?" Yuj grinned, "I can tell because your hair is all fluffed up, meaning that the wind was really rustling through it. And the way your belt is shifted over suggests that you were crouching at points. Never ask a fashion guru how they can tell something as easy as disheveled clothing. Be happy the first thing I said wasn't 'gee you and Raines got it on didn't you!' since your outfit is disheveled and Raines is all wet.' Yuj couldn't help but smirk when he noticed Rosch turn a pale red.

Cid smiled, "your powers of observation are rather uncanny. I prefer that you call me 'Cid' by the way. I have heard about how much you have helped Rosch over the past few months and you have my gratitude as well." Yuj grinned, "hey, the more the merrier, I'm just glad to see that Rosch has such a fine, sexy friend to keep him company. He's probably gotten rather lonely being here by himself."

Cid nodded, "well I'm happy for the company as well, and thank you for calling me sexy, it makes me blush." Yuj smiled back, "that's because you are utterly sexy, but don't tell my boyfriend that I said it. Besides I don't wanna make poor sexy Rosch here jealous either." Yuj winked at Cid and Cid chuckled playfully. Rosch was glaring at both men since they were talking as though he was not standing with them, and involving him in a conversation that was taking a turn for the worse in his mind.

"When you two are done joking around, feel free to return to reality and I will serve the lunch that Yuj so graciously provided," Rosch stated with irritation in his voice. Yuj sighed, "geez you are just so cranky aren't you. Alrighty let's get some grub, and you can tell me how your expedition went. Sadly mine was a bust, although we did find some nice statues and a ton of Cie'th stones." Cid's ears perked up to this; he was glad to hear that Yuj had found a new area of Cie'th stones that he could possibly help, even if it cost him his life. "Perhaps you could show us this area later, it sounds fascinating," Cid said as he heated up water for tea.

Rosch nodded, "perhaps if we take it slowly, we could take a look around there as well. I'm sure that since you had a time constriction this morning that it made it difficult to really explore thoroughly." Yuj nodded back, "yeah, plus having Maqui with me was. . .rather distracting. Anyway, here is the map. I can ask Maqui to make you guys some kind of mode of transportation if you like. I am not sure how fast he could complete it, but it's his specialty." Rosch gave Yuj a slight smile, "I would be honored to drive one of his machines." Yuj grinned, knowing Maqui would love to make something for a good cause and served up the food while Cid made the tea.

"This food is divine. . .I thought I would never be able to appreciate flavors of food again, but this is far better than anything in Cocoon. . .," Cid stated while enjoying the rush of flavorful combinations and textures on his tongue. Rosch smiled, "you really outdid yourself with this one, Yuj. It's flavor is deliciously developed." Yuj blushed slightly, "aww thanks. Hey, if I can get a smile from Rosch, then it must be good!" Yuj chuckled as Rosch frowned at him just to make a point that he wasn't smiling.

Cid ate as though he had not eaten in weeks. He had some small rations he put together for himself, but mainly of indigenous fruits or vegetables that were deemed by him as not poisonous. He hadn't had a hot meal in as long as he could recall. He could see how being in a comfortable setting, with hope for the future, could be a new lease on life. He wondered if Rosch felt the same way, since he too was used by the Sanctum.

Yuj stretched, "alright I better head back since this was just a lunch break for me. Man, I love to cook, but I keep getting nervous that I'll spill stuff on my outfits." Yuj chuckled, "well anyway, maybe I'll go clothing shopping for you two, that way you have more selections since it's been freezing lately. I see Rosch in a fluffy jacket. . .yeah that sounds nice and warm." Rosch gave Yuj a blank look, "I am thankful for the thought, but I do not think fluffy things suit me." "Of course they do; your hair is fluffy on top after all. It will bring your whole look together. Anyway I better head off!" Yuj hopped on his velocycle and drove off before Rosch could get a word in.

"You know, you would look pretty good in a nice fluffy jacket," Cid mused. Rosch narrowed his eyes, "in that case you would look good in a chocobo suit." Rosch didn't realize what he said until after he said it. He was now completely sure he had been around Yuj far too long and now was picking up on his chocobo jokes. Cid's eyes widened, "you know. . .you look oddly serious when you make jokes, that it's hard to tell whether it is a joke or not."

Rosch smirked, "who said I was joking."

TBC