Chapter 11: The Other Ship

The boat cabin was as Tifa had promised. It had a central aisle, with a kitchen and dining area on one side, and a bedroom and bathroom on the other. There were no doors to the cabin, though the railing around the boat prevented any unauthorized boarding.

The first day was when they picked up the boat. They had picked it up in Costa del Oeste, a newly-created West Coast beach town, designed to ease the congestion in Costa del Sol. The boat seemed to have been used, but Tifa didn't mind; she didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb. One of the cabinets was sealed by a combination lock; it was presumed that it was set by the previous owner.

Tifa insisted she have the challenge of deciphering it.

The second day was when they passed Wutai and Xing. This was the Far West; ships rarely sailed to the outer sea, let alone sailboats. Of course , the boat had a GPS, and they knew where they would be at all times.

Cloud went shirtless that day; Tifa wore a crop top and a pair of very flattering skinny jeans. She mainly stayed in the cabin, and for a good reason: she didn't want to be noticed.

Except by Cloud, of course.

"I really miss wearing a crop top," she said to Cloud, smiling at him. "I feel so free!"

"Nobody to comment on what you wear?" Cloud asked, remembering that she changed her attire for that reason in the first place.

"You got it," she replied with a smile as she kissed him. "They can't criticize what they can't see."

She then bent toward her husband's ear, and began to whisper.

"I'll be wearing less and less as the trip goes on," she informed him. "In three days, I'll be surprised if I'm wearing anything at all."

Later that afternoon, Cloud was sitting at the table. Tifa was on her knees in the sleeping area, peering out the window.

"Hey Cloud," she suddenly called. "Come here."

He was somewhat annoyed, as she was checking out his wife's backside, which did look incredible in those jeans. Reluctantly, he got up and joined her peering out the window.

"You gotta see this," she insisted. "It doesn't quite beat staring at my ass, but you gotta see this!"

There, he saw a large, white yacht. A tower extended upward from the bow.

"It's the swan," Tifa mentioned. "I've seen it before, but never this close. I always thought the cockpit was in the head, but it looks like the head isn't even inhabitable."

"I don't see anyone moving about," Cloud noticed.

"It seems to be on autopilot," Tifa suggested.

And then, she felt a buzz.

She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"It's a text from Shera," Tifa replied. "'Beware of Sephiroth. He stole my regenerator.'"

"Her what?"

"Supposedly it keeps food from going bad," she answered.

"Could Sephiroth be hiding on that swan?" Cloud asked.

"Zero chance," Tifa replied. "Sightings of that swan have been reported for five years."

"Has anyone ever tried to board it?"

"It's someone's private property," she replied. "I'm not getting arrested, are you?"

And then, almost unconsciously, Cloud found his hand rubbing the bare skin of the small of Tifa's back.

"That feels good," she said.

They then had a passionate make-out session, but, despite Cloud running his hands over every spot of Tifa's exposed midriff, nothing came off that night.

The third day was when they sailed into the open ocean. They had dropped anchor at a small, uninhabited island.

At this point, Tifa was confident enough nobody would see her.

So it happened that afternoon as Cloud stood on the bow in his swim trunks when he felt a feminine hand grasp his own. He turned to see Tifa standing next to him, wearing an orange bikini, and her hair up, with a beautiful smile on her face.

Before saying anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I haven't worn a bikini since we got married," Tifa said as she turned a full three hundred and eighty degrees, allowing her husband to check her out.

"And you burned your bottoms," Cloud added.

"They were kind of outdated!" she laughed. "They did read 'Lockhart' on the ass!"

"You seemed so nervous after that," Cloud recalled.

"I was nervous!" Tifa confirmed. "You were seeing me naked for the first time!"

She kissed him again, running her hand gently up and down his bare back.

She then placed her hands on his shoulders, and gave him a sincere look.

"Good-bye, Cloud," she said in a sad tone of voice.

"Good-bye?" he asked.

Good-bye!" she laughed before pushing him overboard.

Cloud splashed into the clear water below.

"Woman overboard!" Tifa shouted as she jumped into the water herself.

As soon as she hit the water, she started splashing Cloud and squirting him with water with her hands.

Tifa's more outgoing personality was one of three major differences between the couple. Cloud was silent and quiet; Tifa, while the quietest of the women, often found herself initiating everything, which she didn't mind. She knew Cloud her entire life; it was nothing new.

The only other two differences between Cloud and Tifa were their sex, and their sexual orientations. Cloud was male, Tifa was female. Tifa was demisexual, Cloud was definitively heterosexual. Tifa, meanwhile, based her relationship with Cloud on the experiences they had together, and thus their love grew deeper as time went on.

That evening, Cloud and Tifa were on the stern of the boat. Tifa, who had thrown a tee shirt on, was cooking burgers on the grill. After eating, they were cleaning up the grill when they noticed a boat approaching.

It read "Other Ship" on the bow, and it seemed to be precisely heading for them.

Tifa immediately became uneasy; she felt the boat's occupants might recognize her.

The boat began to slow down as it drew closer.

Finally, it came to a stop five yards away.

A moment later, a man appeared. He seemed to be in his late twenties, and had short, silver hair.

"I could smell those burgers from the other side of the island!" the man began. He then scanned Cloud and Tifa, and scratched his head.

"Say," he began. "You wouldn't happen to be the president and first gentleman, would you?"

"No," Tifa quickly dismissed. "My name is Sarah Apricot. This is my boyfriend, Lyle."

"My name's Hep," he greeted. "Hep Rhosti. It's a pleasure. Sorry, but you really do look like them."

"We get that all the time," Tifa lied. "We impersonate them at parties. But we're juniors at the University of Nibelheim."

"What are you studying?" Hep asked.

"I'm studying nursing," Tifa replied. "Lyle's studying political science."

"And you met in school?" Hep asked.

"We sure did," Tifa replied.

Hep then scanned the grill.

"That's a charcoal grill, is it not?" he asked.

"Good eye," Tifa answered.

"You need to try a gas grill," Hep insisted. "It tastes ten times better. Why don't you come to my boat for dinner tomorrow. My wife can cook one hell of a burger!"

As Cloud stood by awaiting Tifa's answer, he had mixed emotions.

Hep seemed like a nice guy. But something about him….

That guy, thought Cloud. I know I've seen him before.