Lean On Me (FF7)

61

"Stop, that's nice, Cloud," I tease, taking the shades off and putting them on top of his head. "You look like a tourist."

"Do you check tourists out?" He raises an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Only tourists I'm engaged to," I return the sly smile and lean against him lazily.

"Hmm," he hums and kisses my forehead absentmindedly. We wait for a few more minutes in silence until he shakes my shoulder. "I see them."

"Where?"

"Outside. I think they're waiting for us."

"Idiots," I mumble, keeping my eyes shut. He sighs and gently moves the top half of me that was leaning on him down onto the bench.

"I'll be right back."

"Mhmm."

True to his word, Cloud returns and has the whole Avalanche crew with him. I pretend I'm asleep when he comes back over to me. Hey, free ride! He sighs and carries me through a doorway that they left open for people Reno invited specially. Yay us! I snuggle deeper into his chest, wishing I could turn off the buzzing of the crowd and get a better hearing at the random song he's humming under his breath. He's actually not that bad of a singer.... Due to amount of bouncing in his step, I assume we're going up some stairs. A balcony maybe? Eventually we stop moving and Cloud sits down in a seat with a sigh. Still feeling too lazy to sit in my own seat (besides he's warm), I curl up against his chest in a tight ball and listen to the comforting sound of his strong heartbeat.

That steady beating has almost stopped too many times for me to want to let him be alone. I feel like I need to protect him with any method I know. Without him I'm nothing. I was nothing until I met him. I was thief, a mistake in my father's eyes. Then he came and saved me from the dark. Now I'm a mother, loved, and free to be myself when I want to be because I know he loves the real me and not the royal mask my dad made me wear.

"Yuffie," he mutters by my ear and shakes me gently in an attempt to wake my non sleeping body up.

"Mm," I groan, ignoring him.

"Wake up, they're starting whatever this is." I just make another noise and huddle against him. With a sigh, he let's me be and Cid chuckles beside him.

"Having trouble?"

"Little bit. Yuffie, seriously. Get up."

"No." I whisper.

"Why?"

"You're warm," I murmur, putting my arms around his back to pull him closer. This is like one big giant sleepy hug.

"Ultimate snuggle reason," Cid laughs to himself. Cloud sighs and decides to leave me alone as people start to talk from microphones. Politics and such, my least favorite subject. If only Shawn was here... He'd be cracking stupid jokes every five seconds. Everyone speeds a cousin like him...

~|~|~|~|~|~

"Yuffie," someone mutters by my ear, their great making my hair tickle my face.

"Mm-mm."

"We're leaving, Yuffie," he says again. I force my eyes open blink enough that I can see Cloud crouching in front of my face. I move my head back a little so he's not a blurry blob. I can't see that close, okay?

"Why? Didn't we just get here?" Someone laughs, Barret I think.

"You slept trough the whole thing, lazy bum. You missed Reno falling off the stage as well."

"Aw," I smile, sitting up. "Poor guy."

"Let's get outta here before he..." Barret starts but the red headed man is already in view. I yawn and then make myself stand, leaning against Cloud's side.