Halfway Kinda Decent Good Side

I'd have to say fear is the thing that's on my mind right now…there are few people who actually make me…afraid. Not the afraid as in death way, but more of…I don't know…

Idiotic way…

So, we're on the airship, and Cid is grouchy because we took too long in the shower. Marlene and Denzel found a room to crash in for the flight, and we'll be stuck on this stupid airship until this evening, if, and that's a big if, everything goes according to plan.

Of course, the question is, why would I experience fear? Well, I certainly don't fear Barret…I just find him annoying…which pretty much goes for the rest of our crew. They're all annoyingly annoying.

Yes, repetitive, but if you met them, you'd feel the same way. They leave you without any imagination; they just suck your brain dry and leave you a soulless shell doomed to boredom and embarrassment. Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, but that's beside the point.

The fact of the matter is that 'our crew' is not the only people attending this momentous occasion.

Example one: Shera's father, Grant.

Now, I've met the man once before, and he didn't strike me as a particularly happy person then, and he doesn't now. He's got these mammoth eyebrows; that's the only way to describe them really. And he gives the most smoldering glare, and makes you feel inferior…I swear. He's got a bum leg, too, and has to use a cane to hobble around on.

Currently, I am subjected to his torturing scrutiny.

Damn.

He looks at you like a bird would; with one eye, and then the other…except, he uses his eyebrows…he raises one, then lowers it and raises the other.

It's highly disturbing.

I barely suppress a sigh; apparently they drive him crazy, before scanning the rapidly filling airship.

Oh, here we go…example two: Benjamin Rollins, better known as Benny, Cid's nephew.

He's Denzel's age, and likes to pull pranks from what I hear…but they aren't the lighthearted pranks Denzel and Marlene pull (okay, ninja-stank bomb and flying panties out of context here) they're more like evil. Surprisingly Grant has taking a liking to the kid.

Oh yes, that's a surprise.

Also, surprisingly, Benny looks more like Cid than his mother. I didn't know Cid had a younger sister…man, if Cid was anything like Benny I'm surprised she's still alive and sane.

I happen to turn my eyes back towards Grant, receiving the mother of all glares.

I swallow…don't…don't do it, Strife. Please…

Screw it, I can't help it, "What?" I ask.

He narrows his eyes, obviously peeved at the fact I spoke…that or he was wrong on his assumption that I lacked the intelligence to speak…grr, evil.

He grunts, "I'm just trying to figure out your hair."

I feel Tifa twitch beside of me, and she clamps down on my hand quickly before I can ball it up into a fist.

"What…about it?" I ask carefully.

He scratches his goatee, "It reminds me of something."

Tifa twitches again, trying to contain her laughter.

She turns good naturedly towards Grant, "I always say it reminds me of a chocobo," she ruffles it lightly, "Is that right?"

"No," Grant snaps, before pointing at me with his cane, "Close…but I'd say it looks less like a chocobo than a chocobo's rear-end specifically."

Wait…wait…

What the hell did he just say?

Did he just say…that my hair…looks like…A CHOCOBO's BUTT?!

A chocobo and its butt are two completely different things! And two completely different levels of insults! And that's just pushing it!

I feel a certain comeback filling up my lungs, and Tifa's practically convulsing right now, trying to hold in her laughter.

"…Now—

But that's about as long as Tifa can hold it before she burst into laughter. My hand tightens beneath hers, and she laughs so hard she snorts, and mutters 'oh excuse me'.

Dude! How beat up is it that my girlfriend gets a kick out my hair looking like a chocobo's butt?!

…wait…fiancé.

Gonna have to get use to that one.

I grit my teeth, and my jaw clenches.

Relax…

"You should get it cut," he states, dropping his cane, not even bothering with the fact Tifa's cackling at my suffering…

…once again.

"Scratch that, you need it cut," Grant says more sharply, if that's even possible.

Tifa finally gets herself under control, "Hmm, yeah, it is getting a little long."

Okay change the subject, "So, Grant…what do you do for a living?"

Tifa gives a little scoff beside me, swallowing her laughter, after I shoot her a glare.

She clears her throat, quickly standing, "Um…I'll leave you two to talk…I'm going to go check up on Marlene and Denzel," she smiles at Grant, "It was good to see you again, Grant."

"Mmm," he's still studying me.

I AM NOT A TEST SUBJECT.

Stupid old man.

"So, she your wife?"

"Um…no…"

"Girlfriend?"

"Recently engaged," aw shit, "But don't tell anyone…we're going to announce it at the reception."

"Uh huh…" He glances around slowly, "And the children?"

What the heck?! I asked about him, he should answer first!

"Erm, Marlene is our friend Barret's daughter…we're looking after her right now. We adopted Denzel a couple years back."

Are you done interrogating me?!

"Hmm…just making sure they weren't born out of wedlock…and it would've been at such a young age."

Obviously he doesn't know how often we get this one. It's a common misconception, really.

"Are you going to have children?"

Arg! "Um…well, we haven't…really…talked about that."

He nods his head wisely.

See?! He makes you feel pathetic and incompetent!

"So, what do you do?"

"I'm…" Oh he's going to tear this right to shreds, "I'm a delivery boy."

Suprisingly his eyebrows raise…in approval?

"I can appreciate that. I was in the Wutai war unfortunately. That's how I got my knee busted up, shrapnel. There's no hope to fix something like that on a battlefield…especially when men were dying instead of crippled."

That…was unexpected.

"They don't get too good of service on the PHS waves in some places around Wutai, what with the geography and what not. It was hard keeping connections up, and our side had runners to help keep up communications. I was one of 'em. I was out of commission after that, not that I mind though. Got to come home…and that war," he shook his head, "It was a terrific war…but a terrible one."

I blink, watching as his eyes get sort of misty. Wow…was not expecting that one.

Then suddenly he's Grant again, snapping his head back up at me, "What about you?" he gruffly states, "You got any battle scars? Heard you fought with Sephiroth with my unfortunately soon to be son in law."

…that was blunt, "Yes…Tifa did too."

"Your girl? Well, son, you have to have some scar."

God, what a nosy old man.

"Here," I tap my chest where Masamune pierced it so long ago…before…before it all, really.

That really was a lifetime ago.

"Huh…what happened?"

"Got ran through…oh, here too more recently," I tap my right shoulder.

He nods his head slowly, "Yeah…saw that happen a bit in Wutai, too."

I look up at him again, and he's glaring at me, but not with quite the intensity as before.

Hell, have I gotten on his halfway kinda decent good side?

Cid walks up suddenly, cutting us off.

A war ensues right before me. I swear, with those glares, angels dropped from the sky; tidal waves were born…I'm surprised the motor to the airship didn't flat out rot right out of us, and we didn't plummet into the ocean.

I'm still waiting for some disaster to happen as they glare each other down, like a freak hurricane, and six tornados springing up on every continent. I mean…it should be like…raining bugs or something. Spiders, specifically…that's more gruesome. Oh, and a couple snakes, just for the heck of it.

Finally, the silence is broken.

"What is it, boy?"

Oh burn, Cid…you going to stand for that?

"Sorry to disturb your heart felt confessions, sir, but you're daughter, my fiancé, is on the phone," nice little insert there Cid, that's right…pour salt on the wound, it'll make it that much worse, "She'd like to speak with you."

Grant sighs deeply, before standing, leaning on his cane, "It was nice meeting you again, Cloud. Good luck," he states, walking away following Cid.

It takes me a minute to realize he was referring about Tifa, and it was also only because she dropped into my lap in that second.

"Hey," she smiled cheerfully.

"Hi…" she's chipper, "Um…what's up?"

She beams, "I'm just excited, that's all. We only have to pick up Yuffie in Wutai, and Barret in Corel, and then we'll have made the full circle, and be in Costa Del Sol. I still can't believe Cid and Shera are getting married."

"I think Grant feels the same way."

She chuckles, "Hey, if we have time, we'll see if we can con Cid into flying us to the Golden Saucer one night."

I raise my eyebrows, "You think we'll have time for that?"

She shrugs, "I don't see why not…it's a celebration. Maybe we could do it for the bachelor party."

Oh crap I forgot about that.

……dude…you…just…you can't…

She laughs at me, I guess I have a funny expression on my face, "Or not…I just really want to go. It's been awhile, huh?"

"Y-yeah. It has."

She tilts her head, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She smirks, "Grant didn't rattle you that much, did he?"

"No…he's…actually…alright. I guess."

She raises her eyebrows, "Oh really, chocobo butt?"

"…Tifa…"

"Hey, you totally deserve it after that stunt you pulled," she sighs, "The kids are up, if you want to go take a nap."

"Will you join me?"

She laughs, and shakes her head, "If you think it necessary. I am tired, they were a handful this morning," she says, rubbing her eyes, "Correction…you were a handful this morning."

"Hey, middle names…you brought that into the battle."

"You stuck me in a shower, Cloud."

"You called me short."

"Yeah, when you were a kid…we were all short then."

I glance off to the side, "I remember someone being freakishly tall."

She pokes me, "No…you were just freakishly short. I was perfect."

"Oh, modesty, that's a change."

"Oh ha ha, do you want me to sleep with you or not?"

Ah ha ha ha! Oh, she didn't catch that.

"Tifa, I thought you were better than that. There are children around."

She frowns, before her eyes fling open, and she smacks my arm.

Ouch.

"You're horrible."

I am man…hear me roar.

She sighs, standing, "I'm going to sleep. You can do what you want."

Aw, that's no fun…I follow her to the room, and we lay down on the bed, me flat on my back so she can rest her head on my chest.

As I drift off into sleep, I hear a slight buzz. Must be a fly, but I'm too tired to care.

A/N: I feel a storm coming...can you guess what's gonna happen?! Ah well...so many new people reviewed this time. Leo's Katana Babe, Nisha, Miyami Amui Chan, General Dragon, Tsuyu ryu, so'mi, HIYA! (if I left anyone out, sorry...I'm a ditz)And to all the old fellas out there...hee, you're old, but I still love ya. I'm so tired, I thought summer was for relaxation. Pleh. Nisha have I seen you around on DA? You're name sounds familiar.

We've gotta couple people on board, but I'd like a few more for a commitment. I'm sure you're all talented XP!

So, after talking to a few people, and at some suggestions, I've been thinking of holding an 'art' competition over on Deviant art. This depends on a couple things though. How many of you are over there, and how many of you would be willing to participate? I've almost thought of starting a club for Diaries. I like it when people draw scenes from my stories, and I'd like to keep a place where everyone could look at them. So, what do you guys think? PM me or leave a message in reviews giving me your opinion. Thanks loves!