Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Learning Curve Continuum ❯ Come Sail Away ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Definitely not mine; always returned to Square Enix, sometimes with sand in their trunks.

A/N: Newlyweds in Japan do not necessarily wear Western-style wedding rings (or engagement rings, for that matter) because of the traditional view that a wedding is a joining of two families, not individuals.  

Warnings: Coarse and suggestive language.

Bouquets to my beta, Ranuel, who has been extremely good-natured about being dragged into a new fandom; bribery in the form of Gackt has helped.

Learning Curve Continuum
Chapter Four: Come Sail Away
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Nauseating.

If I thought the carnage at the Tower set some kind of standard, the shambles in the ship’s hold proved me dead wrong.  The metallic stink of blood and internal organs sent me reeling back a step, while the contorted and dismembered bodies of the marines and crewmen slopped gently in the ankle-deep gore spreading across the deck.  In the midst of the horror stood a silver-haired nightmare, who repeated the words of the voice inside my head just before things went kinda fuzzy...

... until my skull collided with a reinforced steel bulkhead.

If someone ever tells you that you ‘hit like a girl’, take it as a compliment; I suddenly had a great deal of sympathy for anyone nailed by one of Tifa’s right hooks.  “Dammit, woman... whose side are you on?” I slurred, not entirely sure that she hadn’t cracked my jaw as I struggled to stay upright and almost failed.  When I was finally able to focus my eyes, I jerked my gauntlet up in front of my face because she was obviously preparing to unleash a Somersault – on me.  “Tifa!  What the hell...?”

She froze in mid-step, the naval uniform somehow making her look both imposing and impossibly feminine at the same time; it musta been the way the collar emphasized her shoulders and bust.  However, she didn’t relax her stance.  “Look at me,” she sharply ordered.  When I obeyed, Tifa intently stared at me for a long moment – before launching herself across the deck.  Flinging her arms around me, she buried her face in my throat; the contact took me so off-guard in my confused state that it was several moments before I realized that she was chanting over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry....”

I slowly brought up my arms and carefully held her.  With a sick feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with my throbbing skull, I asked, “Did I go green again?”  She rapidly nodded, and then her hand slid up around my neck to cradle the back of my head.  Healing energy tingled and the pain vanished, allowing me to think somewhat straighter... but two things were obvious.  One, Tifa had felt threatened enough to use considerable force to protect herself, and two, there was a large blank spot in my recall where Sephiroth should’ve been.  “What happened?”

“Sephiroth said something about it ‘being time’, then disappeared and left this horrible monster to fight us,” she whispered.  “It was a really tough battle; it knocked Barret out and nearly did for Red, too.”

“Then I turned on you.”

“No.”  Tifa shook her head – or shuddered, it was hard to tell – but hugged me tighter.  “I tried your experiment.”

“And...?”

“Being close definitely calms you down.”

“How close?”

Her embarrassed squirm was highly distracting, but not enough to stop me from being appalled when she finally murmured, “It was really hard to breathe with your tongue half-way down my throat.”

Dammit, that was not how I wanted her to remember our first intimate kiss, and I was even more pissed because I couldn’t remember it.

“I’m sorry for hitting you so hard,” Tifa murmured.

“Don’t ever apologize for defending yourself.”  I gently squeezed her.  

“You... don’t remember, do you?”

“No.  Makes me wonder what else I’ve forgotten.”  The fact that Tifa was holding onto me so fearlessly after what I’d done amazed me; if I were her, I’d be running in the other direction.  Yet, here she was, more worried about me than her own safety.  

A shuffling sound interrupted; we broke apart as Red, still wearing his uniform but now on all fours, came around the corner.  Spitting out a glowing red ball, he nosed it across the deck towards us.  “The creature dropped this, Cloud-san,” he said.  “Come quickly; the ship is approaching the harbour and we must plan our exit.”

“Be right there.”  Picking up the Summon materia, I let out a low whistle.

“What is it?” Tifa asked, straightening her top.

“Ifrit.”

“No need to swear,” she primly admonished.

I couldn’t help grinning.  “Yes, ma’am.  However, Miz Lockhart, this is the Ifrit materia.”

She frowned.  “Why would Sephiroth leave us something that might actually be helpful?”

“Dunno.”  Filing that question away to be dealt with later, we followed the light cast by Red’s tail-flare.  I really wanted to keep Tifa close, but I figured that I would be pushing my luck; hell, I was lucky that she allowed me to touch her at all.

We found the others huddled between two large equipment lockers.  Yuffie sat apart, miserable and silent with a fire bucket between her knees, while Aerith fussed over Barret, who definitely looked the worse for wear.  Red shifted to make room for Tifa and I wedged myself in beside her.  “Report.”

“Rufus Shinra and his entourage sealed themselves inside the bridge when the attack began; the ship has therefore remained on course,” Red reported.

“Was that silver-haired fucker really Sephiroth?” Barret asked heavily.  When Tifa nodded, he snarled, “If he hadn’t shown up, I coulda taken out Rufus and Heidegger, and avenged Sector Seven!”

Before Barret’s rant could really get rolling, I said, “ShinRa’s hoping to use Sephiroth as bait to finish us off.”

“I wonder who they’d shoot first – him or us?” Tifa quietly mused.

I found her hand and squeezed it.  “Also, Hojo has resigned his position as Chief Mad Scientist.”

“I would welcome the opportunity to encounter Professor Hojo outside his lab,” Red growled darkly, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled.

“Me, too,” Aerith agreed, her tone of voice even more dangerous. “However, our first order of business is getting off this ship.  You’d better change, Cloud; you stick out like a sore thumb in that army uniform.”  Rummaging in the shadows, she tossed me a sailor suit.  “I’ll Minimize your sword again.”

“Downgraded from SOLDIER to an infantryman, then recruited into the ShinRa navy all in one day; there’s still a few hours left – suppose I should try for a transfer to the Highwind.”  Nobody laughed, so I asked, “We’re supposed to mingle with the deckhands and disappear into the crowd?”

“You got a better idea?” Barret challenged.

“They more than likely radioed ahead for a boarding party, so it’s bound to be chaotic on the dock.  This’ll probably work.”

The big man scowled.  “Sephiroth must still be on the ship somewhere, unless he can fly.”

“He probably can - his magical properties are off the charts,” I replied as I stood up.  “Don’t forget that the bastard isn’t fully human.”

Barret’s response stopped me cold.  “With all that mako inside ya… you ain’t, neither.”

I was totally taken aback, but Tifa rose to my defence.  “By that same reasoning, the gun on your arm makes you less than fully human,” she said mildly enough, but the underlying rebuke was clear.  “Your modifications make both of you better at protecting the people you care about.”  Barret subsided, and the moment passed.

I ducked around the other side of the equipment locker and was heartened when Tifa followed.  Shaking out the uniform shirt, she straightened the collar and knotted the scarf once I put it on.  She turned her back when I changed into the wide-legged trousers, then stopped me from tucking the hems into my boots.  Stooping, I pressed my forehead against hers in silent thanks, and felt immeasurably better when she smoothed the heavy material over my chest.

Catching up the discarded army uniform, I used it to wipe off my blade before carrying it back for Aerith’s attentions.  Behind me, Tifa called to Red; while Aerith shrank my sword, the stink of burning wool announced the destruction of the evidence of my brief second career in the ShinRa infantry.  Tucking the now dagger-sized weapon into my belt, I inspected our green-about-the-gills ninja; Yuffie gave me a truly pitiable look.  

“If you were an awesome SOLDIER like me, you wouldn’t have a motion sickness problem,” I smirked before pulling her to her feet.  She lurched, and Aerith swung the bucket over just in time to avoid a bigger mess… but it also gave me an idea.  “We have a casualty that requires escort to the infirmary,” I announced.  “All Yuffie has to do is puke on the first guy that challenges us, and they’ll let us through the cordon.”

Red clawed his way free of the naval uniform, leaving it in pieces on the deck.  Giving himself a good shake, he said, “I will swim for shore, rather than jeopardize your escape.”

“All right.  We’ll regroup on the north end of the beach, as far away from the harbour as possible.”

“Good luck to you all.”  In a fluid leap, he was gone.

In the pause following Red’s departure, Aerith commented, “I thought cats hated water?”

A klaxon began furiously ringing, followed by a loudspeaker blaring, “All remaining hands on deck!  Docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes - prepare to receive the boarding party!”

“That’s our cue,” I said.  “Hey... what about Barret’s gun?”

“I have an idea,” Aerith said.  “I meant to try it out earlier, but now’s an even better time.”  Turning to Barret, she cast the Minimize spell on his weapon and reduced it to a knobby metal cap on the end of his arm.  

“What the hell ya doin’, missy?” he demanded, horrified, but Aerith was already bustling away.  Retrieving Red’s trashed uniform shirt, she briefly disappeared in the direction of the hold-of-horrors and came back with it soaked in blood.

Briskly wrapping the dripping fabric around his stump, she said, “A bleeding amputee will guarantee our quick passage through security, so Yuffie doesn’t have to worry about ‘performing’.  I suspect she’ll be fine once we’re on solid ground.”  The teenager waved weakly, her head again in the bucket.  “Cloud, you and Tifa will support Barret; I’ll help Yuffie.  That way you three are still in the front line if we end up fighting our way out.”

“As soon as we’re off the ship, aim for the closest cover.  If it’s a typical cargo dock, there should be stacked containers an’ crap like that nearby,” I said.  Glancing up at Barret as I ducked under his ‘uninjured’ arm, I cheeked, “Hey, sailor... lookin’ for a good time?”

“Shut up, Spiky.”

Costa del Sol certainly lived up to its name, and when you’re hunkered down between two steel shipping containers with the sun blasting from directly overhead, you know exactly how it feels to be roasted alive.  We sweated it out, waiting for Yuffie to deliver on her promise of gear that would allow us to blend in with the crowds of holiday-makers.  Tifa worried me because she was visibly drooping despite having stripped down to her tank top and mini-skirt.  I had doffed my sweater and rolled up my trousers, but that didn’t do a thing to stop the sweat from rolling down my back; my underwear was soaked and I was gonna have one helluva wedgie when we finally moved.

“I wonder if Red made it?” Aerith said, holding her hair away from her neck.

“Bet he’s a lot cooler than us,” Tifa sighed, mopping ineffectually at her brow while I watched a single bead of liquid trickle down the graceful column of her throat.

“Here we go, kids!” Yuffie cheerily exclaimed, squeezing down the narrow passage between the containers and already looking a lot more comfortable in a sporty swimsuit.  “Don’t shoot the messenger - I guessed on the sizes.”

“Tough to eyeball when you’re pinchin’ ‘em,” Barret muttered, examining the bright trunks and even louder floral short-sleeved shirt with a jaundiced expression as she dropped them in his lap.

“Where’s the rest of it?” Tifa asked, plainly dismayed by the skimpy triangles of fabric dangling from her fingers.  I tried not to picture how she was going to look in the bikini, because otherwise I’d have even more trouble unbuttoning my fly.  Yuffie handed over a length of gauzy fabric; Tifa still didn’t look impressed.  While Barret and I turned our backs, she and Aerith changed in the middle of the passage.  When they were finally ready, I had to force myself to not stare because both girls looked amazing.  I mean, their usual clothes don’t hide their curves - and I have seen Tifa naked - but all that glistening, bare skin was almost too much to take.

Aerith glanced at me and rolled her eyes.  Elbowing Tifa, she said, “Cloud’s going to shrivel up from moisture loss if he keeps drooling like that.”

“I’m not drooling!  I’m just, uh, admiring.”

“Oh, silly me; I could’ve sworn you were ogling.”  Proving her point, a pair of dark-coloured trunks and a tank top thwapped me in the face.  “Hurry up and change so we can get out of this oven, already!”

Quickly yanking off my sweat-soaked clothing, I was relieved when the trunks fit, more or less.  Aerith was showing Tifa how to tie the flimsy fabric at her hip, creating a long skirt that showed a delicious length of leg with every step.  However, that distraction didn’t do a damn thing to deflect attention from her spectacular bosom, which was barely contained by a bikini top that was at least a size too small.  

“So much for bein’ inconspicuous,” Barret rumbled, jerking his head in the girls’ direction as he draped a towel over his truncated gun-arm.

“Could be interesting,” I agreed, stuffing my gear into my pack and making sure my pint-sized sword was easy to deploy.  The jewelled decoration in Aerith’s hair caught my eye; she’d twisted up the heavy length with a silver pin.  On closer inspection, it turned out to be her miniaturized Full Metal Staff.  Yuffie’s shuriken had also been treated to the same spell; it looked like she had a stylized pinwheel clipped to her bathing suit.  

“Are we ready?” Yuffie asked, obviously itching to start pillaging the local merchants.  “There’s a big fancy house called the President’s Villa – I saw Rufus Shinra’s chopper landing inside the fence - just beyond the port at the south end of the beach, and then it’s pretty much wall-to-wall food stalls, bars and tacky souvenir shops all the way up the strip.  The pickings are so easy, I’m almost ashamed of myself for taking advantage!”

“Did you hear any rumours about Sephiroth?” I asked.

“Nothing - no one seems to know about the attack, period.”
 
“A boatload of dead sailors and a resurrected madman on the loose would spread panic, and that’s not in the best interests of ShinRa,” Aerith pointed out.  “We were lucky to escape the lock-down, thanks to Heidigger’s tantrum.  Now, can we get out of here?  I think my brain is melting.”  

“Follow me!”  

As Yuffie led the way out of the maze of containers, Aerith poked Barret.  “I’m going to miss your sailor suit,” she said mischievously.  “You were so cute in it!”

“I ain’t ‘cute’,” he growled, but the colour in his already-ruddy cheeks went up a notch.

“Maybe you could use it for pyjamas?” Tifa suggested, distractedly shoving her boots into her pack.  

“I ain’t wearin’ no fuckin’ ShinRa uniform,” Barret said flatly.  “You of all people should know that.”

“Er, sorry.  The heat must be getting to me.”

I shot Barret a pointed glare as Aerith hooked her arm through Yuffie’s.  In response to the teen’s surprised look, she said, “No recreational pilfering, ninja-girl.  We don’t need an angry mob after us.”

Yuffie’s brows lowered before she smiled slyly.  “But necessary pilfering is okay?”

“Food and drink, because the evidence can be quickly disposed of... but not materia.”

“Feh.  Materia qualifies as a necessity to me!”

Giving Yuffie’s arm a warning squeeze, Aerith turned to us.  “Here’s how it goes.  You two are the ‘newlyweds’, me and the ninja princess are the ‘wedding party’, and Barret is the ‘favourite aunt’s husband’.  We’re all meeting up on the beach the day after your nuptials....”

The look on Tifa’s face was absolutely priceless.  “W-what?” she finally managed to splutter; I stayed quiet and just listened, because there was absolutely no safe response to a plan like that.

“How else would you explain a mismatched group like us at a resort town like this?” Aerith shrugged.  “You have to admit, it’s a good cover story if we’re challenged.  Besides, if Tifa’s a ‘married woman’, only a real idiot would make a pass at her – so act like newlyweds, already.”

“What about you?” Tifa demanded, totally non-plussed.

“My tomboy ‘kissing cousin’ here will teach them some manners, and my ‘uncle’ over there will explain that I’m engaged,” she replied.  “You first, ‘Uncle Barret’.  Start working your way up the beach and find a patch of sand where we can spread a mat.  ‘Cousin Yuffie’ and I will follow shortly after, with the ‘newlyweds’ last... because, y’know, they slept in after their long, hard night.”  The heavy innuendo made Tifa turn almost purple.  

“So... who’re you engaged to, ‘Cousin Aerith’?” I teasingly asked in an attempt to divert attention away from Tifa, in hopes that she’d start breathing again.

Aerith stilled, her clear green gaze locked onto mine.  “A tall, dark, handsome SOLDIER with the most beautiful deep-blue eyes I’ve ever seen,” she answered.

“He sounds memorable,” I quipped, then wondered why her expression darkened.

Giving herself a little shake, Aerith made shooing motions at Barret.  “Off you go, ‘Uncle’.  Try to find a spot that isn’t over-run with ShinRa riff-raff”

“Shouldn’t we hurry to meet up with Red?” Tifa asked, her cheeks still flaming.

“We need to eat and gather information before we take off into the wilds again,” Aerith said.  “Red’s probably enjoying not having to deal with humans for a while.”

“But still... we shouldn’t take too long.”

“We won’t.”

Barret gave an excellent impression of a man without a care in the world as he strolled across the promenade, heading towards the broad stairs descending to the golden sand.  Aerith and Yuffie followed after a short interval, throwing themselves into the roles of giggly vacationers with a little too much gusto, in my opinion, since they attracted quite a bit of leering male attention as they disappeared into the crowds thronging the beach.

I wasn’t going to push the ‘newlywed’ thing because Tifa was so flustered, so I simply asked, “Ready?”  Smiling gamely, she tucked her hair behind her ears and slung her pack over one shoulder, then nodded.

Taking her hand in mine, I glanced around to make sure we were unobserved as we ventured out.  The temperature dropped the moment we left our hiding place... unfortunately.  The sea breeze might’ve been cooling, but it also had a rather dramatic effect on Tifa’s nipples, which naturally drew attention to the rest of her incredible figure.  As we sauntered along the sand, several off-duty infantrymen – obvious by their matching pairs of ShinRa-issue swim trunks – wolf whistled from the safety of their groups of buddies.  Tifa tightened her grip on my fingers; I was in mid-swagger when she peeked sideways at me and murmured, “I’d whistle at you, too.”

I stumbled.  “You would, huh?”  Kissing her knuckles, I took the opportunity to pull her closer.  The sensation of skin against skin as I slid my arm around her bare waist didn’t go unnoticed by either of us; Tifa leaned into me and tentatively returned the gesture as we wove between the groups of oiled bodies basking in the sun.  If my blade wasn’t poking into my thigh with every step and there wasn’t a pair of blood-coated boots in my pack to remind me of recent, messy deaths, it would’ve been easy to pretend that we really were vacationers looking forward to a day enjoying the waves.

Barret waved from where he lounged on a woven mat; someone – probably Aerith - had outfitted him with a disreputable straw hat.  “All he needs is a jug of cider, and he’d look just like Mr. Watkins,” Tifa commented.  “Remember?  He used to sit out under his apple tree in the back yard in the summer, wearing a scruffy old hat like that.”

“And throw his clogs at you if he caught you stealing his apples.  Those suckers hurt.”

Tifa laughed merrily, a clear, delighted sound that I hadn’t heard often enough.  “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Stolen fruit is the sweetest,” I smirked as we sat down with Barret.

“Funny you should say that....”  Yuffie was grinning like a madwoman as she started emptying her bag while Aerith spread a cloth.

“I’m guessing that you didn’t leave any tips,” I commented, eyeing the spread of grilled fish, vegetables and fruit.

“Aerith made me pay for most of the food, but I refused to pony up for drinks!  Their prices are highway robbery!”

Tifa wrapped up several skewers of fish and tucked them into her knapsack.  “For Red,” she clarified before taking something for herself.  

Aerith selected a skewer and dipped it in a container of sauce while treating us to a contemplative inspection.  “C’mon, you two… you don’t look very authentic.”

“Authentic…?”

She wiggled her hands. “Touchy-feely.  Snuggly.  Y’know… ‘just had the best sex of your lives and can’t keep your hands off each other’.”  Tifa managed to not choke, but I sprayed my drink across the sand.  Our tormentor just rolled her eyes.  “Honestly.  You two might as well have flashing signs over your heads reading ‘VIRGINS’.  Tifa, sit more carefully, like you’re tender in delicate areas.”

“Hey!  Who’re you callin’ a virgin?” I protested while Tifa defensively re-crossed her legs.  

Giving me a sardonic look, Aerith selected a cluster of berries and began stripping them from their stalks.  I glared right back and tore the chunks of fish off a skewer in a manly fashion, like I needed to build back up my stamina after a strenuous night.  Barret appeared vastly amused at my discomfiture, while Yuffie pretended she wasn’t with us.

Tifa picked out a large, red-skinned fruit and examined it curiously.  Peeling it to reveal rich golden flesh, she made a delighted noise after she bit into it.  “Oh, this is really good!” she exclaimed, completely distracting me with the way she was using her tongue to lap up all the juice coating her fingers.  

Yuffie glanced over, feigning disinterest.  “Those’re a speciality of Wutai,” she said.  “You’re from Midgar, and you’ve never had one?”

“We’re from the Midgar Slums,” Aerith answered.  “Exotic produce like this never made it off the Plate to our markets.”

Cocking her head like an inquisitive bird, Yuffie asked, “Whaddya mean, ‘off the Plate’?” and Aerith launched into a detailed description of Midgar’s architecture and social structure, with Barret putting in his two-gil-worth now and again.  I listened with half an ear, because I was admiring the way Tifa ate the fruit.  She was savouring every mouthful, chasing down every drop of golden juice that tried to escape, and it was sexy as hell to watch her enjoying herself so much.

When several drops landed on her cleavage, Tifa quickly glanced around to see if anyone noticed, and caught me licking my lips as I watched the juice sliding over the curves of her breasts and disappearing into the valley between.  I figured she’d go all bashful, but she surprised me by instead shyly offering to share her prize.  Catching hold of her sticky wrist, never taking my eyes off hers, I sucked a bit of pulp off her pinky finger and saw the colour rise in her cheeks before biting into the fruit.

“That is really tasty,” I casually remarked, rolling the rich flavour around my mouth.  Taking a second bite, I released her with a light caress of the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist.  She covered her fluster with another mouthful of fruit.  A drop escaped onto her chin and I captured it on my fingertip, then pressed it to her lips.  Tifa blushed even more, but hesitantly obliged, sending a jolt of arousal straight to my crotch when her tongue lightly flicked the pad of my finger.

“Now that’s more like it!” Aerith commented, reminding us that we had an audience just when things were getting good, dammit.  Tifa twitched and started moving back, but I wasn’t in the mood to allow a retreat.  

Yanking off my shirt and pulling Tifa to her feet as I stood up, I said curtly, “We’re going for a swim.”

“Better leave the cover-up here, then,” Aerith blandly directed.  Tifa still held the half-eaten fruit in one hand and I had hold of the other, so I picked open the knot at her hip and let the filmy fabric flutter to the sand.

“Back in a few minutes.  Yuffie, touch our materia and die a very slow, very painful death.”  She stuck out her tongue, but stopped sizing up our knapsacks; Barret made a point of tucking them behind his bulk for good measure as I guided Tifa towards the surf.

“Um… Cloud…?”  

“How else did you plan to wash off the juice?”

“Oh.  Right.”  Since she relaxed, I decided against adding that if I had my way, I’d rather use my tongue.  “Er, do you want the last piece?”  Holding out the large white pit with one succulent chunk of gold still attached, she smiled invitingly and I had to restrain myself from tackling her to the sand right then and there.  Instead, I clasped her hand between mine and backed into the water, pulling her along until we were knee-deep and she was exclaiming about the chill.  Tugging her close, I slowly nibbled the flesh away from the pit, brushing my lips over her fingers until she was wide-eyed.  Extracting the pit out of her grip, I threw it over my shoulder.  “C’mon… time to get wet.”

Scooping her up, I spun around and charged full-tilt into the waves; Tifa let out a girlish shriek as she threw her arms around my neck and tried to hitch herself higher in my arms.  When we were deep enough, I swung us both in a circle, sending up a bow wave that surged around our shoulders and sent a shower of glittering droplets spraying over our heads.  

“C-Cloud!  S-stop, p-please!” she gasped, still giggling madly.

“Why?”  I slowed down our mad whirl.

“I’m afraid I might lose my top!”

“I fail to see the problem.”

“You wouldn’t!” she chortled.  I let go of her legs and allowed her to stand; because of the depth, she was on her tip-toes and wobbling in the current, so I pulled her snugly against me.  There was a moment of stillness where the sounds of the activity around us, the waves, the sea birds, the other swimmers, all receded.  The cool water made the heat everywhere our skin touched even more obvious, and my libido emphatically responded.  Tifa’s arms were still looped around my neck; she was tense, no doubt because my stance was full of masculine intent.  I nuzzled her forehead, wanting her to look up; when she finally obeyed, the wary look in her beautiful eyes wilted my intentions - literally.  

In a heartbeat, I went from predator to puppy.  Damn... but, after what happened on the cargo ship earlier, it was probably a good thing.

“Will you help me out?” she whispered, and I refocused with an effort.

“How?”

“Put another knot in the strings?”

“Strings?”

“Of my top.”

“Uh, sure.”  She stretched higher on her toes, arching her graceful neck and allowing me access to the skinny ties that were fighting a losing battle to restrain her breasts.  The friction of her generous curves sliding up my chest briefly scrambled my brains, and for about half a second I thought about ‘accidentally’ loosening the knot, but that would’ve definitely screwed any trust that I might’ve built.  I did as she asked and tied a knot that would take either a very determined friend – or a very sharp knife – to undo.  “This one, too?”  When I tugged on the lower set of strings securing the top, she nodded; I didn’t miss the tiny shivers skating over her skin when I completed the job.  “Are you getting cold?”

“N-no.”

Tapping her nose, I sternly said, “Don’t fib.”

“Okay... I am.”  She curved her shoulders towards me as if trying to trap the warmth between us.  “After that roasting earlier, I didn’t think I’d ever cool down enough to complain of being too cold!”

Hugging her close, but keeping my hands in neutral territory, I stifled a sigh.  “Let’s go back to the others, then.”  When I let her go, Tifa held on for just a moment longer and brushed a kiss over the point of my chin.

“Thank you,” she murmured before tucking her hand into mine.

I laced my fingers with hers.  “What for?”

“I feel a little guilty, because of everything that happened today... but it felt good to laugh.”

“Yeah.”

As we half-swam, half-walked back to the beach, Tifa said, “Maybe someday, when all this is over, we can come back here.”

“Just the two of us?”

Her answering smile was soft and sweet, and only for me.  “Sure.”

“That’s worth looking forward to.”

With a mischievous grin, she suddenly slipped loose and sprinted through the shallows.  “Race you!”

“Hey!  No fair!”  I bolted after her, but then slowed up, because the rear view of Tifa’s ass and long, slender legs was worth ‘losing’ for.  Luckily I’d knotted those bikini strings extra-tight, because I seriously doubted that she would’ve escaped breaking a few public-nudity ordinances otherwise.

“Looks like you’ve cooled down nicely,” Aerith said coyly when I plopped down beside Tifa.

“Water’s great; you should give it a try,” I calmly answered.

She shook her head, the Full Metal Staff twinkling innocently in her hair.  “I’m having trouble getting used to the sky, never mind the ocean, too.”

“How’s that, missy?”  Barret roused himself from contemplating the inside of his eyelids.  

Twirling her thumbs, Aerith replied, “Growing up in Midgar’s perpetual night... all this bright sky and sunshine is kinda scary.  I never thought that the dark could be so comforting.”  Smiling wryly, she added, “I used to be frightened of the very idea of the sky, you know.  That it was so vast, so endless – it used to give me nightmares.”

“What changed?”

“Someone taught me that blue skies were beautiful, not scary.  He promised that one day, we’d watch clouds together.”  

Yuffie pointed at me.  “Well, you get to watch a cloud all the time,” she snickered.  

I made a rude gesture in Yuffie’s direction before noticing the tightness in Aerith’s smile; she looked almost resentful.  While I puzzled over that, she continued, “He was mistaken about something, though.”

“What’s that?” Tifa asked; her cautious tone warned me something was definitely up.

“He said his eyes were sky-blue, but I now know that they were the colour of dusk.”  Aerith’s glance flickered over me, and she said in a resigned tone, “We should head out.”

We successfully navigated the obstacle course of blankets, picnickers and small children on our way towards the headland rising above the north end of the beach where Red waited, doing our best to look as if we were merely out for a stroll.  An onshore breeze had picked up, and Tifa donned her sweater over her bikini top.  She innocently left it unzipped low enough to tantalize the more primal parts of my brain, and after approximately twelve seconds of inappropriate thoughts regarding her cleavage, I reached over and zipped the neckline fully closed to prevent anyone else from ogling.

Turned out that was a good thing, because when we ran into a completely unwelcome sunbather a few minutes later, I only felt like cutting his throat instead of also gouging out his eyes.

In hindsight, I shoulda done both.

Yuffie was showing off by turning handsprings on the sand, egged on by Tifa and Barret, when Aerith stopped dead in her tracks and clutched at my arm.  “Cloud?”  The barely restrained panic in her voice instantly put all of us on alert.  “Isn’t that Professor Hojo?”  

Tifa clenched her fists.  “I didn’t realize this beach was polluted.”

“Red’s gonna be pissed,” Barret calmly observed.

A gaggle of highly decorative girls surrounded Hojo, plying him with drinks and snacks as he reclined on a canvas lounge chair.  On second glance, they were a hard-edged crowd; too much lacquer in their hair and on their nails, their voices a tad too shrill and their flashy swimsuits covering far too little of artificially enhanced figures.  Not that I was looking too closely; my attention was on their oily patron.  Just the sight of him made something unpleasant slither down my spine and curl in my guts.  “I’m gonna talk to him.”

Sliding my hand into my pocket and gripping my sword, I strode towards the former ShinRa scientist, only to have one of the women step in front of me.  “This is a private party, handsome... but I’m available later,” she simpered, running her bright red fingernails down my chest; I barely stopped myself from flinching

“Not interested; I’m here for Hojo.”

She pouted her glossy scarlet lips.  “He isn’t into boys.”

“Neither am I.”  Pushing past her, I scowled the rest of the harem into staying put and took up a menacing stance at the foot of the lounger.  

Hojo set aside his umbrella-adorned drink and inspected me over the rim of his circular lenses.  “Well, well, well - if it isn’t Cloud Strife, ShinRa’s most infamous escapee.  What do you want, boy?”

“Sephiroth’s location.”  I kept my voice flat.

“What makes you think I’d know anything about that?” he coyly asked, propping his chin on his finger.  

Behind me, I could hear Barret filling in Yuffie on Hojo’s crimes; I hoped I’d have time to dodge if she threw her shuriken.  “Sephiroth returns and you resign from ShinRa; seems a bit too coincidental, when the rest of your slimy buddies are all scrabbling for favour with Rufus.”

He tapped his chin again, and I irrationally noticed that his nails were manicured.  “Tell me, boy, what number where you assigned?  I can’t quite recall.”

“What?”  I had an uneasy feeling that he wasn’t talking about my enlistment number; some of my hesitation must have showed on my face, because Hojo laughed unpleasantly.

“If you wish to find Sephiroth, simply follow your instincts.”

“My... instincts...?”  

Pushing his glasses up his nose until the lenses glittered in the sunlight, he lightly suggested, “Haven’t you had the feeling lately that something is calling you?  A ‘hunch’, perhaps, to go to a particular place?”

That struck a little too close to home; how did I know that Sephiroth had gone to the Mythril Mine?  I shifted my feet; Hojo smirked.

“You were a very interesting test subject, Cloud Strife,” he purred.  “You’re welcome in my lab any time.”

Anger instantly blazed through me; I went for my sword, but suddenly Tifa was there, using her whole body to trap my arm against my side.  “Don’t,” she hissed.  “Not yet, anyways.”

Adjusting his glasses, Hojo surveyed her figure.  “You’d be a fine candidate for the next breeding Project, miss.”  His eyes narrowed as he looked past us.  “You, there – the Cetra.  I meant to ask you before - how’s your lovely mother?”

“Dead,” Aerith briskly replied, coming up beside us.  “I have a question.   Are Jenova and Sephiroth also of Cetra blood?”

While I tried to regain control of myself, one of Tifa’s hands gently rubbing soothing circles on my lower back while the other one was wrapped firmly around my wrist so I couldn’t draw my sword, Hojo folded his hands on his chest and regarded Aerith for a few moments... then smiled.  “I suggest you head west, to find the answers to your questions.”  Reaching for his drink, he took a long swallow before imperiously waving us away.  “If you’ll excuse me, I have important work to do.”

“Such as?” Aerith sniped, sneering at the flashy women.

“Working on my tan, of course.”

Tifa planted her fists on her hips and glowered down at him while Aerith pulled me back to where Yuffie and Barret waited, but not fast enough for me to miss her steely words.  “If I ever find out that you hurt Cloud, the Planet won’t be big enough for you to hide.”

“Don’t make idle threats,” Hojo said dismissively.

“Trust me, professor,” Tifa snarled.  “I’m not.”

Turning on her heel, she stalked after us and gave up all pretence of being an idly-strolling vacationer as she stormed towards the rocky headland that bounded the north end of the beach.  After several minutes of the cracking pace, Yuffie puffed, “Shouldn’t we, y’know, slow down or something?  We’re being kinda obvious.”

“I want to put as much distance as quickly as possible between us and that jerk,” Tifa fumed, but she stopped and waited for us to catch her.  Our eyes met, and she faltered, then came towards me, reaching for my hand.  The others went on ahead while we stood close, our heads bowed together.  Nuzzling her hair, I breathed in her warmth and felt my tension slipping away.  Tifa pressed her hand against the fabric covering Sephiroth’s mark on my chest and whispered fiercely, “I won’t let you be hurt by anyone from ShinRa ever again.”

Shiva, she bled trying to keep that promise.

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