Chapter 11

Kotetsu wasn't sure what had woken her first. It may have been Tifa's high pitched voice that echoed in Cloud's room, surprised and annoyed as she scolded Cloud for bedding the poor helpless girl that had only just gotten here, or it could have been Cloud's sudden sitting up, which had dislodged her completely from her previously sprawled out position across his chest.

Whatever the reason, Kotetsu was wide awake, and acutely aware of Tifa's disappointment in not only Cloud, but her to. Apparently she shouldn't be giving herself away like that, though Cloud should have known better.

Kotetsu was very confused, her sudden awakeness not really helping things as her body began to revolt, her limbs becoming heavy again with tiredness.

"What were you thinking? We just remove her from a sexually traumatic situation to put her right back into another one. She's not a whore, and it would be good of you to show some class now and again, Mr. Strife!" Cloud pushed himself up from the bed, his face set in a deep and unimpressed frown.

"This is not what it looks like. And I would appreciate it if you would talk to me in private about such matters, rather than informing the kids and clientele, not to mention innocent passers by three streets along about your wrongly formed opinions!" Tifa stood back, a little stunned at Cloud's outburst, and was he blushing? "I did not defile Kotetsu, like you think. I just wanted to make sure she didn't run off, because while you lot were asleep, I was up all night trying to prevent this one from making a huge mistake." Tifa saw Kotetsu hang her head a little as she cowered guiltily.

"Oh." Was all Tifa could muster as she began to sidle her way back out of the room.

"Oh indeed." Cloud softened his voice as he rubbed his hair, clearly frustrated.

"Breakfast's ready." Tifa's muffled voice could only just be heard through the now closed door. Cloud sighed.

"Coming." He looked over to see Kotetsu pulling at the sheets, her eyes curious as they floated gently back down onto her legs, their shape once again forming. She smiled after she did it a couple more times, and then looked up to see Cloud's impossibly blue eyes penetrating hers.

Her cheeks burned hard as she fumbled clumsily with her pillow, trying to return it to its original position from the night before.

Stupid Cloud... She couldn't help but feel he did these things on purpose, just to throw her off. Maybe it amused him.

"Well, I guess we'd better get up. Tifa will be most annoyed if we don't eat soon." Kotetsu nodded slowly as she waited for Cloud to do something. He raised his eyebrow as he watched Kotetsu watch him. "So why don't you go back to your room and change?" Kotetsu nodded quickly, feeling quite silly all of a sudden.

"Yes. I go." She slid out of the bed and made her way to the door, stopping only for a moment to look at Cloud. He smiled at her, the tension of the moment lifting slightly.

...

Kotetsu was munching on some toast with scrambled egg on it when Cloud entered the bar area, his rare smile gracing his lips. Tifa eyed him suspiciously as she placed a plate out for him, and he sat down to eat, pretending he hadn't noticed her.

"So, you know where you're going today?" Cloud nodded as he chewed on his bacon. "And you remember you're picking up the shopping on the way back?" Kotetsu looked up to see Cloud nodding again.

"Kotetsu will be joining me. I think it would be safest if she stays with me." Tifa frowned as she finally sat to eat her own breakfast.

"But I need her here!" Kotetsu couldn't help but a feel a little strange when they fought over her like this. People were always trying to get her to go away and leave them be, but now they were arguing over her?

"I know. But she's too dangerous. It would be best for you and the kids' safety that she stay with me." Tifa rolled her eyes and made a snorting noise.

"I know her sleep word, remember. You told us all what it was." Kotetsu caught a flash of fear in Cloud's eyes as he quickly glanced at her. "You didn't tell her?" Tifa whispered harshly at him.

"I realise now that even with that, she could still be too dangerous. Yesterday she managed to kick me in the face a few times, stopping me from saying it. I just don't feel comfortable with it is all. Taking her with me is the best option we have for now." Tifa made to retort, but then thought against it. She sighed as she slumped a little.

"Fine." Cloud smiled triumphantly as he leant back in his seat. "Just make sure you don't get her killed on that machine of yours. She might be tough, but that bike is a hazard." Cloud laughed softly at Tifa's need to get the last boot in.

"Yes mum." Tifa growled in annoyance as she began to clean up the dishes.

"Kotetsu." Kotetsu felt someone pulled at her sleeve. She turned to see Marlene smiling shyly at her. "You know how your hair is sooooooo long." The girl waited for an answer, so Kotetsu nodded. "Can I play with it?" Kotetsu wasn't sure what this entailed. She turned a questioning look at Cloud, and he nodded to let her know she was safe.

"Okay." Marlene squealed as she shoved a chair behind Kotetsu, and clambered onto it. Kotetsu flashed a panicked look at Cloud, who just continued to smile. She almost jumped up from her seat when she felt little cold fingers pull her tangled hair back behind her shoulders.

"I need to get a brush, hold on." Marlene clambered back down from her seat and raced upstairs.

"Marlene! Wake Denzel while you're up there would you?" Tifa called after the girl. "Honestly, I think that boy is hibernating..."

...

Kotetsu sat as still as possible while she waited for Marlene to finish her apparent masterpiece. Kotetsu felt a little bear as cool air reached the back of her neck, tying her hair back not really something that she had done before. Marlene had been at her work for about half an hour now, and Cloud was needing to go soon.

"I'm almost finished Cloud, just one more minute!" Marlene was beginning to feel the stress when Cloud cleared his throat. She giggled as she tightened a few 'bobbles', Kotetsu had learned they were called, and fixed in some 'clasps'. "Done!" Tifa came to look at Marlene's work, the little girl's eyes shining with happiness. Kotetsu hadn't realised hair could be so... wonderful?

"Oh. Wow Marlene! That's really good. Those French plaits are really coming on. And what's this?" Tifa pointed to one of the strange almost twist like plaits. Marlene shrugged her shoulders.

"I messed up a plait and that's what happened. So I tried it with a couple more and it looks so cool!" Tifa nodded as she continued to sing praise. Cloud watched Kotetsu as she felt at her new hairdo, her eyebrows knitted in concentration. Her fingers trailed the many weaves and folds softly before she became more comfortable, her hands now rubbing them as she tried to figure out by touch alone what she looked like. "Come on Kotetsu! Come see, come see!" Kotetsu carefully rose from her seat, her body rigid as she tried to keep her hair as still as possible. "There's a mirror in the kitchen, come on!" Kotetsu followed the excited girl as they disappeared into the kitchen.

"She really suits it doesn't she." Tifa noticed Cloud's slightly open jaw as she leaned back against the bar. Cloud cleared his throat as he fixed his clothing uncomfortably.

"Yes well, Marlene did a good job." Tifa's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Good to see her beautiful face, don't you think?" Cloud nodded, trying to avoid the topic of Kotetsu's looks altogether. He knew where Tifa was going with all of this. "So last night..." Cloud shuffled uncomfortably against the wall. "Nothing?" Cloud eyed her boredly.

"No." Tifa nodded slowly.

"Would you have, if things were different." Cloud rolled his eyes.

"I don't want to get into this." Tifa shrugged her shoulders as she began to ready the bar for opening.

"Well from where I'm standing, it looks like it's just a matter of time. You'd fallen for her long before she got here." Cloud frowned. "All I'm saying is... be careful. I think it's great, and it would probably really help her, but you need to make sure she knows that you're not just another Rufus or Sebastian." Cloud growled under his breath, clearly not liking to be compared to the two men.

"I know." Tifa nodded, unsure of what to say next, but compelled to speak.

"It's just, she's a lovely girl, and I'd hate to see you both get hurt over a timing issue." Cloud looked away as he tried to remove himself from the situation. He hated talking about relationship stuff with Tifa. She always seemed to think Cloud needed help, and it made him feel inadequate. He knew she was just trying to help, but he couldn't just change how he felt about it. "I... I'll stop." Cloud nodded, clearly thankful.

"Tifa! She loved it!" Marlene came racing into the bar area again, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Well of course she did silly." Cloud smiled as Tifa ruffled the girl's hair tenderly.

"Are you ready?" Cloud watched as Kotetsu pirouetted through the kitchen doors, her smile captivating.

"Yes!" She cheered as she danced to his side, her fingers investigating her hair again. Cloud tucked some of the stray hairs behind her ears, his fingers lingering longer than they should have. He noticed Marlene watching them, and felt slightly dirty all of a sudden, even though he had only touched Kotetsu's hair...

"Well we're off." Cloud raised a hand in goodbye as he led Kotetsu out of the front door before anything else could delay them. He vaguely heard Tifa's voice as she called out for him to 'please, please, please remember the shopping!'

...

Kotetsu revelled in Cloud's heat as she hugged him tightly, her fingers interlocking as she held on to him for dear life. The roar of the engine beneath them was something Kotetsu could easily get used to, loving the feel of such power. And, of course, it was an excellent excuse to hold onto Cloud so intimately.

They hadn't spoken much on the journey, the noise of the bike being much too loud to compete with. Cloud gave the odd signal that she thankfully understood, asking if she was okay and the like, but Kotetsu would have lied about her saddle soar and need to pee so as to stay connected with Cloud until it was absolutely necessary to part with him.

They had been travelling for a few hours before they entered the last stretch of their journey, and Cloud decided it was finally time to stop for a break. He had liked that Kotetsu didn't seem to be slowing him down, though he hadn't expected her to, but he was beginning to wonder if she was keeping things from him so as not to be a burden.

Cloud watched as Kotetsu slide carefully off of the bike, clearly in a lot of discomfort.

"Are you alright?" She nodded briskly, her smile in full force as she tried to walk around the bike to sit on some rocks at the side of the road. Cloud swallowed his laughter as Kotetsu stumbled as if drunk, before pretty much falling onto her ass unceremoniously. Luckily, she landed exactly where she had aimed for, her eyebrows knitted in concentration as she rubbed her numb legs back to life. "You should have said you had gone numb. It's not good for you y'know." Kotetsu rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm serious." Cloud, however, gave up quickly as he joined the now laughing girl on her rather uncomfortable rock. "We only have about half an hour before we're in the main village." Kotetsu nodded as she stared off into the now darkening sky. Dark raincloud's were pushing their way towards the pair, the threat of a rather miserable and wet return home a bit disheartening.

"Bad?" Cloud shrugged as he stood to stretch, his legs twinging horribly. "Should go?" Cloud looked down at the girl, her expression unreadable.

"In a couple of minutes." Cloud knelt down in front of Kotetsu, his hands batting hers away as he began to rub her legs a bit more vigorously. She blushed as his hands moved further up her thigh, but he was a good boy, and avoided touching her inappropriately. Kotetsu was beginning to feel a strange compulsion to touch Cloud wash over her as well as a deep and overwhelming hunger bubble in the pit of her stomach. "How does that feel?" Cloud watched as Kotetsu flustered a little.

"Good." Cloud slowed his hands as he began to feel Kotetsu's smooth skin, surprised that there was not a hair in sight. Kotetsu noticed his confusion and began to squirm uncomfortably. "What?" Cloud shook his head as he laughed slightly.

"Just wondered why you had no hair. Tifa get you razors?" Kotetsu shook her head as she smiled softly.

"We all made perfect. Men don't like hair. So bye bye hair." Cloud frowned in confusion.

"How did they do that?" Kotetsu leant back on the rock, enjoying Cloud's warm hands as he began to message her again.

"Lasers." Cloud nodded slowly.

"Painful?" Kotetsu hesitated before she nodded, her fingers playing with her lips as she suddenly felt herself become incredibly vulnerable. She didn't like to be so honest about things, having not had to worry about it for such a long time since no one really talked to her. More at her, if at all. Cloud frowned again, checking his phone for the time. He sighed as he felt the first droplet of the day fall on his cheek. "We should get moving." Kotetsu nodded as she jumped to her feet, her jelly legs wobbling precariously. Cloud helped her onto the bike, feeling quite annoyed that he had forgotten to bring her a jacket.

He really needed to get his act together.

...

Kotetsu's eyes lit up as she jumped off the bike, her awkward steps still amusing Cloud. She almost ran headlong into a passing stranger, Cloud catching her before she got herself into more trouble.

"Alright you. Sober up." Kotetsu giggled sweetly as she held onto Cloud, her numb legs quickly regaining their blood. Cloud walked them both down a couple of narrow streets, eventually stopping in front of a rather run down looking warehouse. Kotetsu gave Cloud a warning look, as she readied herself for any trouble. Cloud just put his hand on her shoulder, visibly calming the uptight girl. He then knocked sharply on the door, calling out his name and business. Someone on the other side fumbled with many locks, the sounds of deadbolts ringing in the girl's ears. She took an involuntary step back, Cloud hyper aware of her regressing confidence.

"What took you so long?" A grubby looking old man limped his way into the doorway, a lit candle in his hand. The clouds above them had made the afternoon seem like late night, the light being very poor for the time of day. Cloud apologised as he blamed the weather, his smile seeming to sooth the old nervous man. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Is that everything?" Cloud nodded as he handed over the rather large package, the man's eyes lighting up as he snatched it from Cloud's grasp. "Here's your pay." Cloud had barely caught the money in his hand when the door was slammed shut and the locks replaced. Kotetsu stuck out her tongue, Cloud rather taken by surprise at her childish behaviour.

"Grump." She whispered as she giggled into her hand, Cloud not sure when this new version of Kotetsu had arrived, but he couldn't complain. He actually kind of liked it, a little more than he probably should have. She suited being cute and quirky.

"He was indeed, but the money was good. Now it's time for some food I think. I'm starving, and I know just the place for us to go." Cloud's eyes lit up as he took Kotetsu's hand and began to lead the way through the winding streets of the rather odd village.

Hey everyone! Just wanting to thank all of you who have been reviewing and favouriting!

and hope you enjoy this short but neccessary chapter XD

have fun!