Broken Promises

In the midst of a nightmare, Yuffie came wide awake with a quick squeak. She bolted upright from the mattress, small chest heaving forth with an inhaled gasp. After a moment of silence, her mind registered the fact that she was only dreaming, and with a hand against her heart, she began to calm from the ordeal. Heavily lidded slate took a once over of the room, making sure all was in place. One lengthy leg slid from the mattress, followed by the second, both hanging limp over the side of the bed beyond the covers. Slowly she inched onto her feet, a long tee shirt pulled over her thin frame to cover the set of under garments she had slept in. She glanced at the digital numbers on the display of the clock, the early morning time causing the roll of her eyes. It was too early to be up, but too late to get more sleep. ‘Just perfect!’ She huffed, and with the mindset that her newest roommate would likely be asleep, she set out to the kitchen for a drink.

Cid had been up from his three hour affair with slumber for nearly an hour, when he had gathered in the living room. He was curled in the singular chair, reading a magazine by the dim light of a small lamp. An ash filled tray sat beside the lamp, his current cigarette burning from the notch of the ashtray, smoke rising in a lazy manner. Moistened fingers searched out the corner of his current page, lifting the thin paper in effort to turn the page. Mid turn, he was distracted by a sight he had not been expecting. The lithe ninja emerged from the halls, the hem of her ratty old shirt swishing about the tops of her thighs with each silent step. Her hand was raised over her eyes in the moment she left the hall, but when the light registered, she lowered her fingers slowly. Her gaze sought out the pilot, who sat motionless in the chair. Cobalt settled right on her, his lips cocked in a strange semi-smirk while the page caught between his fingers fell back to place against the magazine. Oh yes, he was gawking. Blame it on his incoherence, if it helps you sleep at night, but he certainly was quite blatantly gawking at her.

Moments went by, neither of them moving to save a life. Yuffie’s jaw hung agape as slate eyes settled on the man who sat across the room, her gaze roaming over his bare, chiseled chest. He happened to have a pair of boxers on, which Yuffie thanked the Planet for, but other than that, he sat completely within her scrutiny. A flush of warmth flooded her cheeks as she pulled uncomfortably at the hem of the shirt, making the most out of the length. This would have proven a smart move, had it not further accentuated the press of her chest against the thin fabric. Cid couldn’t help but notice the appearance of the shirt, his eyes settling against the silhouette exposed through the cotton. Another set of awkward minutes, until he cleared his throat steadily. Finally able, he lowered his gaze back to the magazine in his lap now rippled with creases from the tension in his hands.

Yuffie managed to bring herself the courage to saunter into the kitchen, pretending as if nothing had happened. She fumbled through the cupboard, bringing a glass to the counter, where she gracefully dropped it against the tile. Quick reflexes brought the glass back into her hands after quite the raucous, the blush on her cheeks deepening as she set the object upright. Cid looked up from the magazine during the glass incident, watching as she displayed a grin to hide her embarrassment. She turned upon bare heels and pulled open the refrigerator, searching for that spiked punch he usually kept in a red pitcher. In her search, she made her second devious move. She bent down ever so slightly, reaching for the desired pitcher, and unknowingly giving the pilot quite a view. Blonde lashes battled to stay focused on the tantalizing view, but alas he diverted his gaze when she straightened and began to turn. She poured a healthy amount of liquid into the cylinder, setting the now empty pitcher on the counter as she strolled into the hall, downing half the drink in quick seconds. Once behind the safety of her closed door, she felt the urge to burst into laughter. Fingers quickly cupped her mouth as she set the drink on the table by the door, cursing herself for acting like such a girl.

Cid remained in his chair, quite distracted from the magazine at the current moment. He was thankful she decided to leave the room; otherwise he might not have been able to move the magazine from his lap. He quickly did so, and hurried down the hall and into his own room. As soon as he made it past the door, he let out a breath he didn’t realize had been held. He set down on the edge of the bed, fingers fidgeting as he made an attempt to distract himself from what had just taken place. He had noticed the changes that had molded Yuffie since their first meeting, but never had he seen them quite the way he did just ten minutes ago. She was definitely not the bratty teenager he’d known, she was more the feminine and she appeared a woman to his eyes. Though she was younger, he simply couldn’t deny the small attraction that had rooted itself inside him. He decided to throw on a pair of pants, matched by a blue shirt, socks slid over his feet. He reentered the hall; half hoping Yuffie would have come out of her room. To his disappointment, she had still been hold up in the guest room. Thus, he continued his journey outside, deciding to bury himself in unimportant work on the air ship.

Yuffie spent nearly an hour in her bed, pondering the events of the living room. What had she been thinking wandering around so scantily clad? She had assumed Cid had been offended, though this assumption was entirely wrong. Poor Cid in his situation with Shera, he surely didn’t need her interfering and making a mess. She slipped a pair of cotton shorts on and wandered into the hall, mind set on making an apology. She rarely admitted to being wrong, but then again, it wasn’t every day that she stumbled half dressed into a room with a nearly naked man. Bare feet scuffed against the carpet as she peeked into the living room, absent of Cid. She glanced down at his door, which stood open, and then into the kitchen. She shook her head, and made for the side yard.

Cid had been distracted from his monotonous work, and was sitting against the wall of the ship, mindlessly tapping a wrench against steel. When Yuffie stumbled in beside him, he nearly jumped out of his skin, but hid his surprise with a curse. Their eyes met for a brief moment and she faltered in her steps, taking a clumsy trip in which he grabbed her hand and steadied her. She giggled at herself, tucking short black strands behind her ear as she began her heart felt apology.

“Gawd I’m clumsy in the morning. But I came out here to say sorry.” She displayed a look of sincerity.

“For what?” Cid’s voice was gruff, and he cleared his throat to settle the tone.

“For walking around like that… ea-earlier.” She again resorted to fidgeting with the hem of the shirt.

“Don’t worry about it, kid. Shit happens. Why the early morning?” He asked.

“I had a horrible dream, couldn’t go back to sleep after that.” She glanced away, cupping her chin in her palm. She looked for a moment as if she were about to cry.

“Yuff?” His voice became consoling, “Ar-are you okay?” He didn’t usually fumble words, but eloquence wasn’t his forte, either.

“What?” Eyes darted toward him, “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” She finished with a muffled yawn.

“Why don’t you try and rest?” He sounded harsh, but his eyes seemed caring as she watched them. She was having a hard time believing this was the same Cid she knew. She’d never seen such a gentle side of him.

“I can’t… It’s just so lonely in there.” Her bottom lip quivered and she glanced away. Cid began to think she was on the verge of tears, but he couldn’t understand why. “Cid?” She kept her focus on the opposite wall, but she knew he was listening. “Would you… I mean, could you sit with me?”

He was taken aback by her request, unsure what to think of the matter. Whatever her nightmare contained, it obviously had her quite shaken. He could see the welling of tears in her round eyes. There simply was no turning her down, no matter how awkward he felt about it. “Fuck… how could I say no.”

She offered a brief smile, exiting the ship as she walked toward the house. Cid followed behind her, his mind somewhat reeling over what reason she had for wanting him to sit with her. Perhaps she thought of him in a fatherly way? ‘Shit. That’d suck.’ He thought to himself, following her through the old side door. He assumed she would make a right and find one of the couches in the living room, but her straight path surprised him. She ignored the living room and went into the guest room, Cid following at a distance. When he swung the corner against the door frame, he noticed she had slid beneath the covers on her bed, and he wasn’t quite sure what she expected.

He stood at the door a moment, until she motioned him over to the bed. He abandoned his shoes and climbed onto the full size mattress, though he remained above the blankets. He leaned his back against the head board, peering down at Yuffie while she scooted up the mattress. Her legs pushed against the covers as she wormed against his side, her head coming to rest on his chest once she made it that far. He sat motionless for a moment, before bringing his arms loosely around her shoulders. He felt a warm breath exhale against his chest, as she melted against him. The sting of moisture also presented itself, as he figured a tear had broken loose. Unsure of himself, he stiffened, his mind tracing various thoughts and ideas. What had he gotten himself into?

He stayed for almost an hour, when he realized her breath had evened. She seemed to have fallen back asleep, so with careful movement, he slid from beneath her embrace and set her carefully against the pillows. He brought the covers further up her shoulders, and left her to her sleep, leaving the door cracked behind him. He was in dire need of a drink, so he made his way to the kitchen where he found himself a bottle of whiskey. He couldn’t put his finger on his or her behaviour, and he certainly hadn’t a clue where it came from. Ask the bottle?

Yuffie began to stir beneath the blankets, fingers reaching for where Cid should have been, but grabbing air. Her eyes immediately opened and squinted, attempting to close out the bright light that had infiltrated the curtains. She must have slept for some time, and a quick glance at the clock proved such. It was nearly noon, and she brought her sleepy form from the comfort of the bed with a quick movement. She was in a hurry to redress in her usual attire, when she heard the doorbell. She had meant to be up when Cid’s package arrived, but the night had proven longer than she could have ever dreamt.

Cid was just at the door when Yuffie made it into the living room, watching excitedly as he opened the door seconds later. His eyes settled on a delivery boy just as Yuffie grabbed his shoulder and peeked over. To his amusement, the boy winked at Yuffie as if there were a conspiracy, but simply handed him a large self explanatory box. He was off before Cid could question his behaviour, so the pilot was left with one alternative. The box found a home on the table, where he figured out just what was inside. He turned to the bouncing girl with a suspicious eye, “What’d you do?”

“I got your part!” She beamed.

“You didn’t have to do that, god damn.” He muttered.

“Oh but I did.”

“How the hell am I supposed to make up for that?” His arms went wide in exaggeration.

“Hm.” She pressed the tip of her finger against her chin, thinking about his question. “I’ve got it. You have to take me somewhere.” She giggled.

“Where?” He nearly grumbled.

“Out.”

“Out?”

“Out. Out to dinner somewhere nice.” She watched a strange expression overtake him.

“Yuffie. Do I look like a nice restaurant sorta guy?” He shook his head.

“Well… now that you mention it, nope. But you can try.” She nearly cackled at her evil plan.

“Fuck. I shoulda sent this back with that kid.” He placed his hands on his hips, staring at the open box. “Fine. I’ll take you out… but I’m not getting all dressed up or nothin’”

“Deal.” She was thoroughly pleased with herself. If there would be any way of getting him to talk, it would be drinks with dinner. So she disappeared into her room, finalizing her plan to pry the information from him. For the time being, the strange morning faded from her mind. For Cid, however, he couldn’t get the events out of his mind. Perhaps taking her out wasn’t such a good idea. But she did do him a lovely favor, and that required thanks. He simply went out to drown himself in working on his ship; fairly certain he had time to finish the repairs before the evening’s promise.

And what an evening it would prove to be…

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Okay, s'cuse the short chapter and the cliff hanger, but I felt the chapter would be far too long if I included their night out in it. Well, wasn't Cid the mushy one here. Now, this is all to play off that "Rough guy with a good heart" sort of concept. A bit strange, but he himself can't even figure out what it was all about. Anyhow, I just love these two :D