CHAPTER SEVEN

The Bike Ride

Lightning was on Cloud Nine… literally.

The adrenalin rush was amazing, even though she wasn't the one driving. The sound of the roaring engine filled her ears as she sat on the back with her hands wrapped around Cloud's waist. A few minutes later when he brought the bike to a stop on top of a grassy hill, Lightning still felt overwhelmed.

He popped the kick-stand after she had dismounted, then got off himself. "Well?" he asked.

Lightning couldn't repress her excitement. "That was awesome!" She pointed at the bike and asked, "Can I trade you my car for that thing?"

"Nope. Sorry," he replied with a laugh.

She directed her gaze back onto the bike. "How much did it cost?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "Let's see… I had it custom made, so about fifteen-thousand Gil."

Lightning's jaw dropped. "Where did you get that much money!"

"It was a gift from the people of Midgar…" His eyes clouded with unwanted memories. "… a reward for stopping Meteor."

Lightning bit her lower lip. She needed to change the subject quick. "How much would a regular bike cost without having it customized?"

"Five-thousand Gil," he replied. "As much as a Balamb Garden engagement ring."

This was a surprising statement, but Lightning was quick to pick up on the double-meaning. "You're gonna propose to Tifa, I take it?"

He nodded.

"Congratulations." She waited for him to thank her, but he didn't. Her joyous expression softened into a more sober look now. "You don't really wanna marry her, do you?"

"How could you tell?"

"Lucky guess."

Without thinking, Cloud turned his back to her and looked out at the horizon: the beautiful picture of a blue sky above a grassy plane. "She's been there for me my whole life," he said, sounding more like he was talking to himself. "Through my failures, my victories-even Meteor itself. I've put her through so much crap, and yet she's still been there. That's how I know she loves me… I owe it to her."

He was caught off guard when Lightning stomped in front of him with a scowl on her beautiful face.

"Marriage is not something that should be 'owed' to anyone," she stated firmly as she glared into his eyes. "If you really love a person, if you'd put their needs before your own, that's when you know you're ready for marriage."

"Tifa's done that, believe me."

"Okay. But have you done the same for her?"

This prompted even more memories that Cloud would've rather forgotten. When he was a child, he made the decision to join SOLDIER without even considering how Tifa might feel about it. After his first mission with AVALANCHE, he almost walked out on her, almost broke their life-long promise that she had to remind him of that night in her old bar. And, of course, there came a point where he even favored Aerith more than Tifa.

At least, until the day she died.

"No… I guess I haven't," he admitted.

Lightning sighed and held up her hands in defense, stepping back.. "Look, I'm not saying that you shouldn't marry her. If that's what you wanna, then do it… I'm sorry if I was outa line just now."

He shook his head. "You weren't. In fact, I'm glad you spoke up about it."

"I'm not," Lightning replied. "I feel like a home wrecker now."

"You're not," he insisted. "Tifa doesn't even know I was thinking about marriage, so there won't be any problems when we get back-just so long as she never finds about this conversation, okay?"

"Okay… Hey, I've got a question."

"What?"

She crossed her arms and looked down, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. "Well, it's kind of a personal one."

This intrigued him even more. "Go on."

She took a deep breath and looked up again, her eyes closed due to embarrassment. "Do you know any single guys?"

Out of all the questions in the world, Cloud wasn't expecting this one. "Huh?"

"I ended my last relationship before I moved to Midgar… No, that's not true-It's hard to explain. Anyway, I think I'm ready to get into the dating field. So, I was wondering if you knew anyone who might be available."

Cloud searched the far corners of his mind. And the more men he thought of, the wider he grinned. Barret. Cid. Vincent. Reno. Rude… The idea of Lightning being matching up with any of these guys was so hilarious that he threw his head back and laughed hard.

"What's so funny?" she asked, bewildered.

"Yes, I know a few single guys," he replied through his laughter. "And they wouldn't be good for you. Not one bit!"

She raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"

"Trust me. I know these guys all too well!"

She smiled. "If you say so."

When he had calmed down a bit, Cloud glanced over his shoulder at his bike. Then he looked back at Lighting and asked, "You wanna drive this time?"

Her entire face lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

oOo

"Thanks for letting me drive, Cloud," Lightning told him as he dismounted.

"Welcome," he replied.

"I'm just gonna go get my stuff and pack the car. Then we can get outa here, okay?" She headed for the entrance.

Cloud watched her as she went… And once again, he noticed that unmistakable swagger in her feminine walk.

Honestly, what was it about this woman that made her so fascinating? It could've been a number of a reasons: One - she was an excellent fighter. Two - she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, when the occasion called for it. Three - she loved motorcycles.

And yet, he still couldn't figure out the reason for his growing attraction to her! She wasn't exactly Tifa, and she certainly wasn't anything like Aerith!

Whatever the reason, he wanted to find out. Badly.

"Hey, Lightning?"

She paused with her hand on the door handle. "Yeah?"

"About our conversation this earlier-"

"I know, I know. Tifa doesn't find out about it."

"No, not exactly-Although, you don't know how much I'd appreciate it if we kept it that way." He walked up the cement stairs to stand beside her. "It's about the dating thing. I actually think I might know someone you might like, after all."

She raised both eyebrows. "Oh? And who might this be?"

He took her hand off the doorknob and gently held it in his own. "Me."