Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ Date ( Chapter 36 )

Chapter 36: Date

 

“Sometimes I don't call
Like I don't care at all,
But secretly, you're the only thing
That lifts me up
And makes me smile.
When I'm unhappy
All you gotta do is call
And suddenly things don't really
Seem so bad at all.”

-Mariah Carey “Boy(I Need You)”

 

Raye pulled into the shipyard, jumped out of the truck, and ran off to find Cid, trailing her toolbox behind her. For two weeks now, she had been coming to the shipyard on her arranged days and working closely with Cid and the rest of the engineering crew on rebuilding and repairing airships. Raye had been in high spirits since she and Cid had begun work, and she looked forward to it each week. Cid and his crews were also looking into finding other sources of fuel in order to get away from the mako energy that had drained away the Planet's life force.

She went down toward the first airship that was docked, and eventually, she could hear Cid cussing just as clear as day, and she grinned.

“Oi! I can hear ya all the way down here ya fuckin' potty mouth!” Raye shouted.

“Shaddup! Like you have room to talk, Shields!” Cid retorted. He looked up and grinned toothily at her arrival, knowing that she was only teasing him.

Raye stepped into a cramped space and sat down opposite Cid. Their heads were in close proximity and she looked down into the cavity in which he had his hands.

“Careful with messing around in cramped places like that,” Raye told him. “We don't want another broken arm repeat.”

He looked up, his dirty nose almost touching hers as he looked into her green eyes. “I know, but that's what I got you for, ain't it?” He took his hands out and pointed. “See if you kin grab a hold of that wrench and turn it. Yer hands are smaller than mine.”

“Giving you shit again, Cid?” Raye asked as she muscled the handle of the wrench and finally got it to turn.

“Yeah, this bitch has been pushin' my buttons these past coupla days.”

“Well, would you rather it be me or the airship?” she joked.

“The airship for sure - it don't talk back!” Cid said bemusedly.

She snapped his goggles. “Quit being an asshole.”

“What? It's true!” he responded standing up.

Raye felt around in the ship's drive shaft. “So are you trying to pull this out or put it in?”

“Pull it out,” he told her. “It needs replacing.”

For the entirety of the day, Raye and Cid helped their crews on the airships, and after the workers had gone home and everything locked up for the night, they walked out toward the end of the runway that dropped off into ocean. They sat down with their legs dangling and looked at the sun setting below the horizon, as had become their tradition.

“Hey,” Cid began.

“Yeah?”

“How's those crazy brothers of yours…you know, the younger ones.”

“They're all younger than me, Cid.”

“Well I know that, but the ones younger than Brad.”

“Oh, well, they're fine, but Mark hasn't been feeling too well lately.”

“Yeah?” Cid began. He took a drag off his cigarette. “So I may not see you for a few days if he gets sick, then?”

Raye waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, he'll probably turn right around. Kids are like that.”

“Raye?”

“Yeah?”

“How do ya do it?”

“Do what, Cid?”

“Well…take care o' all those brothers, work with your dad in your family's business, and help me? Don't you ever have time for yourself?”

Raye shrugged. “Not really. I can't remember the last time I ever went on a date or out with friends. I don't even know if I have any friends anymore.”

Cid blinked then he frowned. “What? You don't consider me a friend?”

Raye rolled her eyes. “Well besides you, Cid. Quit being stuck on yourself.”

“Oi! I am not stuck on myself!” He took the last drag off his cigarette and flicked the butt off the end of the runway. There was a long silence before he spoke again. “Come on.”

He stood up and held a hand down to Raye. She reached up and took it.

“Where are we going?”

“To have some fun,” Cid said grinning.

“Cid, I'm really tired and…”

“Aw, come on, Raye!” he complained. “You just got done saying that you didn't know when the last time you had a date or went out with friends, so quit makin' excuses and let's go!”

Cid grabbed Raye's hand and took off across the tarmac shouting and grinning all the way. To Raye, this was such a strange side to Cid that she'd never seen before. He'd changed over the past several months. Drastically. The depressed, downtrodden out-of-work pilot had now been replaced by an upbeat man with a penchant for teasing and sharing the occasional dirty joke. He was still rough around the edges, stubbly chinned, and couldn't cook to save his life, but he was a far cry from the Cid Highwind that Raye had first met.

And as she plowed through the gates of the Junon airport in Cid's tow, she found his high spirits contagious as a smile graced her features followed by a genuine laugh. She did not know where it came from or why she was laughing, but it didn't really matter right now.

He turned his dirty blond head and glanced over his shoulder at Raye with such a sparkle in his blue eyes that it startled her. “Ya hungry?”

She nodded wordlessly, and he slowed down to let Raye walk at a more reasonable pace.

“There's a hole in the wall café someplace around here that always served us Air Force men some pretty good grub…well, back when I was a cadet, anyway…hope it's still where I remember it…” he trailed as he led his companion along.

He rounded a corner and made his way along a side street until at last he came upon the lit up windows of a small restaurant. “Hey…it really is still here.” He opened the door and gestured Raye to go inside. “After you.”

“You're weird,” Raye said playfully as she went in. Then she gave him a playful jab in his torso as they raced to a table and sat down.

“Yeah? And how do you figure that?” Cid asked as he took a menu from the server.

“You're just…you ain't acting right,” Raye told him. “You're…cheerful. And it's scaring me.”

Cid laughed and tapped a new pack of cigarettes against the palm of his hand. “Well, maybe it's because I've got a reason to be happy for a change.” He lit his cigarette, placed his order, and relaxed against the seat of their booth. “I've got work out my ears to do, my airplane's up and flying again…I've finally got my sense of purpose back.”

The woman ventured a tiny smile. “Flying really and truly brings you joy, doesn't it?”

He chuckled. “Hell yeah it does. I mean, I can't think of a better way to spend my time than bein' up in the air, free from the constraints of the ground an' kickin' clouds. I can't describe the feeling.”

“I think I can understand,” Raye began. “But the word I would use to describe that feeling is free.”

Cid smiled and took a drink of the tea he'd ordered. “Free…yup. That about sums it.”

“I think I'd like to learn how to do that,” Raye said wistfully.

“What? Fly?”

“Yeah. Is it…is it hard?”

Cid waved a dismissive hand and chuckled softly. “Naw, it's pretty easy, really. I mean, once you get past remembering what all those dials and instruments do, it's pretty much like drivin' a car.”

“Maybe someday…when I have a little more time,” Raye told him.

“You'd be amazed at how fast `someday' gets her an' passes you by,” Cid remarked.

The server returned with their food, and Raye took a bite out of a fat, juicy steak fry. “Mmm…they have the real fries here.”

Cid laughed. “Ayup…it's why I always loved this place - real food.”

Raye didn't notice it at first until she excused herself to the restroom, but a man about her own age sat in a booth on the opposite side of the diner watching her carry on with Cid closely. He hadn't been certain at first if it was really her, but the fact that she dressed like a boy and carried herself like a boy made it clear that she was unmistakable.

They had made very brief - about a second - eye contact with one another, and Raye tightened her lips and quickened her pace to the bathroom. She said nothing to him on her way on or on her way out, but when she got back to the table, Cid could see that something had spooked her as her face was pale and her eyes hard.

“Hey…you okay? Did the food make ya sick?” he asked concerned.

Raye shook her head and eyes slid toward the other table. Cid followed her gaze and his face hardened.

He leaned forward. “Who is that? Is he bothering you?”

“Can we leave, Cid? Please?”

He noted the pleading look in her eyes and stood up, holding out a hand toward her. “Sure…c'mon.”

Cid dropped a few gil onto the table for a tip and for the bill and he led Raye out the door. The other man followed them, and Raye quickened her pace, not wanting to deal with the things that she'd left sleeping in her past.

They rounded a corner, and Cid abruptly turned. “Hey…I dunno why the fuck yer followin' us, but yer company ain't wanted. Scram.”

The man stopped, eyeing Cid cautiously. He ignored Cid's harsh address and turned his attention to Raye, who was standing a little behind Cid.

“Raye…is it really you?”

She chewed her lower lip, not offering an answer. She knew all too well who this person was, and she swore she could feel all the bruises he'd given her all over again.

“Who the fuck are you?” Cid demanded. “And what do you want with Raye?”

Alan took a cautious step forward and reached a hand out to his former girlfriend. “Wow…it's been forever. You look good.”

Raye's lip quivered, but damn it, she refused to cry. All the anger, the pain, the fights, the remarks, the beatings flooded back to her and she instinctively wrapped herself around Cid's arm. The pilot looked down at her, his face written with a mixture of bewilderment and sorrow over Raye's uncharacteristic reaction.

He snapped his attention up. “I take it you're that fucktard Alan?”

Alan's eyes widened in alarm. “You…heard about me, huh?”

“Yeah…” Cid trailed as he worked a frightened Raye off his arm and stepped toward him ominously. “Yeah, I heard about you…how ya beat the crap out of Raye and put her in the hospital…how ya screamed at her and treated her like shit, how ya told her she was worthless. Oh, yeah, I know all about you, you low life piece of shit.”

Alan swallowed hard. He looked at Raye, who was rooted to the ground and wide-eyed in both intimidation and nostalgia. The man was about the same size as Cid with dark hair and dark eyes, and he was muscular. It was apparent from his dog tags that he was former Shinra military, though what branch, Cid wasn't sure. He figured it could not have been Air Force or he would have recognized him right off the bat. Still, he looked strong enough to put up a battle against Raye, no matter how good of a fight she put up, and he'd seen firsthand long ago that Raye was no pushover herself.

“Say, I didn't come looking for trouble,” Alan said, putting his hands up in surrender. “I just saw Raye and…”

“And what? You thought you wanted to talk? Wanted to act like nothin' happened?” Cid took an angry step forward. He knew it was hypocritical considering his own treatment of Shera, but he could honestly say he'd never laid a hand on her. His voice deepened into a growl. “And what if she said she didn't wanna talk?”

Alan stepped back as Cid advanced angrily. His fists balled up as his blood began to boil over and he rose up to strike Alan, but he found someone was holding him back. He glanced over his shoulder to see Raye clinging onto his fist looking and staring at him with pleading green eyes.

“Cid…he's not worth going to jail for. Let sleeping dogs lie,” her lip quivered uncontrollably. “Please.”

The pilot straightened up against a cowering Alan and glared down at him with cold, steely eyes. “Scram.”

He said the word deep in his throat and Alan took one last look at Raye and left, scuttling along cowardly.

Raye stood there quiet for a moment, unable to say a thing. Cid reached out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and no sooner had he done so did her body let out a violent shake and she burst into tears, her hands covering her face as she turned away from Cid. He grabbed her up and embraced her tightly and for once, she did not fight it.

They exchanged no words, but then again, it wasn't needed. It was clear to Cid that whatever she had been feeling, whatever she had been thinking had been bottled up inside her for years and perhaps this would bring some closure to that horrible memory for her. He couldn't help but think about Shera and the years of verbal abuse she'd endured for the sake of loving him. But he realized now that love should never bring harm to those you truly care about, neither physically or mentally.

As Raye sobbed into his shirt, he couldn't stop himself from resting his stubbly chin atop her head and wondering whether anyone had ever told Raye how one of a kind she really was. There was no denying it on Cid's part now; he'd developed feelings for Raye that he couldn't explain, nor did he even want to attempt and explanation. It was as unexplainable as it was illogical how the closure of the door to one relationship could open the door to another in lieu of a second chance. Would that even be possible?

Raye ceased her sobbing and she stood there a moment wrapped up in Cid's embrace. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt secure in those warm strong arms of his, despite the fact that she felt completely exposed and vulnerable at that moment. But a question surfaced in her mind: what would she have done if Cid had not been there? Previously, she thought that if she ever saw Alan again that she would be strong enough to let him have it, to give him a piece of her mind and wash her hands of him once and for all, but the truth was that he still intimidated her as much now as he did then. She didn't think that the recollections of their relationship would surface so violently and take such a strong hold of her emotions and even her very train of thought. She thought she was so far over him that he could never seize her emotions like that ever again. She was wrong.

She recomposed herself and released Cid, taking a step back, but she dared not look up at him as she wiped her wet eyes and smeared makeup with a fingertip. Cid still rested a hand on her shoulder and peered at her compassionately.

“Feel better?” he finally said, after a long silence.

“Damn it…I fucking cried…” Raye groused with a sniffle.

“I won't tell anyone,” Cid said understandingly. “And for what it's worth, ya did good keepin' yer head `till he was gone. I know you're too proud to cry in front of that prick.”

“Well I didn't want to cry in front of you, either!” Raye protested, her voice rising.

Cid leaned against the brick wall of the building. “Would you rather it be in front of him, then? Personally, he doesn't deserve to see you waste yer tears on him. Bluff him. Let him think he don't have that kinda hold on you anymore.”

“He doesn't.”

“Oh, I think he did, but…not anymore,” Cid said frankly. Then he let out a chuckle. “I thought the mother fucker was gonna piss his pants.”

Raye gave a slight snort and then a very tiny giggle as she wiped her eyes again. “You really did put the fear of God into him, Cid.” She paused. “Um…thanks.”

“For what?”

Raye blinked and kicked at the ground sheepishly. “I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here.” Another pause. “And for not…looking down on me for crying like a damned baby.”

He came up and rested an arm around her small shoulders. “And why the hell would I do that?” He led her out onto the main street. “But…it's no problem. It's what buddies are for.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth before creeping its way across her face.

“Well, how about we forget what happened back there and continue our evening? No bastard's gonna ruin this evening if I have anything to say about it!” Cid exclaimed. He spotted a bowling alley and grabbed Raye by the hand. “Hope yer good at bowling!”

“Pfft! I'll bowl you into the fucking ground, Highwind!” Raye teased.

“Ha! We'll see about that!” he laughed.

It was very late at night by the time Cid and Raye made it back to the Junon Airport. He and Raye had bowled their asses off against a bowling team and won. Raye had been so excited that she leapt into Cid's arms and wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her up punching the air and whooping triumphantly.

As the excitement fell, Cid had put her feet back on the ground but not without eye contact for over a minute. His heart had been beating wildly in that moment, just as it had back in Cosmo Canyon, and the memory of that kiss he'd stolen from her rushed back and hit him like an oncoming train.

They leaned up against the railing of the airship they had been working on and listened to the humming of the engines that kept it afloat. It was the only airship that hadn't been too badly mangled in the war against the Planet, and Cid was proud to show Raye around one of his very creations.

Raye rubbed her sore right wrist as she and Cid looked out over the lights of the runways and taxiways of the airport. The green and white light of the rotating beacon that sat atop the closed, dark tower illuminated their faces every few seconds, and Raye let out a satisfied sigh as she enjoyed the coolness of the early spring evening.

“Man…my wrist sure is sore from all that working and bowling I did,” she remarked.

“Here,” Cid told her, taking her hand into his and rubbing on the muscles of her sore wrist. “How does that feel?”

“Ooh…right there…yeah. That feels nice,” she said. She glanced out toward the lights of the airport once more. “You know, I really had fun tonight.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…I think I needed that,” Raye admitted. “Of course I'm going to feel like crap when I get home…”

“Will it be worth it?” Cid asked, still rubbing the tight muscles of her arm.

She smiled. “Yeah...I think so.”

They stood there for a moment in a long silence, and reluctantly, Raye pulled her arm from Cid's grasp.

“Time to go?” Cid asked.

Raye nodded, but she hesitated a moment as she stood in close proximity to Cid. “Y-yeah…I got a long drive…”

“Least you dun have to wait for the ferry…” Cid remarked. “Will you be here next week?”

Raye nodded. “Probably.”

“Okay…I'll…I'll see you then.”

There was another long pause. Raye's mind was telling her to hurry and leave, but her heart was leading her in an entirely different direction. She was breathing heavily as her heart raced. She knew that she would regret what she was about to do, but her heart was stronger than her mind at the moment and she stepped forward and grasped Cid's bare hand.

Sirens went off in his head as he made eye contact with her, and before he could do or say anything at all, Raye's full, soft lips were all over his. He was startled, surprised to say the least, but his arms came crawling up her back as an electrifying sensation coursed through the both of them. He parted her lips with his mouth as his tongue slid in and danced with hers.

His senses completely left him as they kissed for what seemed a long time, and Raye finally pulled away. Without a word, she turned and left, leaving Cid alone and confused on the observation deck of the airship.

“What the…fuck…?”