DISCLAIMER- THESE PEASANTS ARE TOO GOOD FOR ME. EVEN THOUGH I AM A PEASANT. NOT REALLY.

ONESHOT- IT'S CID

PAIRING- CIDxSHERA

I COULD NOT RESIST MY FAVORITE PAIRING IN ALL OF FF7... AS VINNIE WOULD SAY, "...MY APOLOGIES."

The Captain disappeared six months ago. Ran off with that group of terrorists, his face flashing across the screen of the TV occasionally on the morning news. Sometimes I find my hand pressed against the cool glass as if I was touching him. But the surface is too smooth, unlike the rough, neglected stubble that sprouts from his cheek. There is no real feeling to the picture, and it hurts to think that he could die any day now and Shinra would be responsible.

My mother wants to know why I don't leave. Why shouldn't I? He's treated me horribly for the past four years, insulting and yelling at me like I'm not human. But I deserve it, so I take it all. If I didn't ruin his dream, he wouldn't be like this. He would have been the first man in space, and probably still continuing the Space Program to this day. He would have accomplished so much more than that quick escape he made three months back when I showed he and Avalanche the escape pod on board. He had nearly been crushed and killed by the same tank I had been trying to fix the day I ruined his life. He had actually apologized. He sat with me as we fell back to the planet instead of avoiding me in irritation or disgust. We were friends for once. He promised he would be back. But now I doubt his word.

Meteor looms in the sky like a death threat, teasing the world with its extreme power and size. Avalanche was determined to take it down, but how? They need to face the facts: it takes more than guts to take down a giant rock. I was once so sure that he would come back one day and be his normal self, but since the news stopped reporting he and his group a few weeks ago after a mass explosion of someplace I forget, I've been a pessimist. Even as I sit in the cold living room at one in the morning, my long since cooled mug of tea in my hands, I doubt the Captain's return. And it's so unfair, because Gaia and all gods above know I love him. Why else would I have stayed? I love the man with all my soul, yet I know he may now never return the feelings because he may not even be alive. Not that he would have returned them in the first place. And why would he? I ruined his life.

With a heavy and nearly depressed sigh, I unwrap myself from the blanket I've been wrapped in since eight and take my mug to the kitchen, dumping the contents into the sink.

"Wastin perfectly good tea behind my back?" A rough, familiar, and teasing voice makes me jump and drop the mug, the glass shattering on the floor. They scoff good-naturedly. "Breakin my cups too. What's gotten into ya, Sher?"

"C-Captain!?" I feel myself blinking in disbelief at the man in the doorway.

"Well it ain't the old lady next door," he responds somewhat irritably.

"You're home!" I say, running over before I know what's happening and throwing my arms around him, holding him tightly. He chuckles and lays one hand on the small of my back in a half hearted response. Blushing, I pull away and stare at the floor. "S-sorry."

"Quit yer apologizin," he demands, two fingers under my chin forcing me to look into his captivating and cold blue eyes. Sharp and intelligent. Observant. Calm. Perfect. "And enough with the 'Captain' crap, I told ya to call me Cid."

"Yes Sir," I say quickly and he raises an eyebrow in annoyance. "I mean Cid."

"There ya go," he releases me and steps inside. "Had any people over?"

"A few," I shrug, but my hands are trembling as I hurry to make him some tea. He watches me with a curious look but decides to make nothing of it.

"Who?" He's going to sit in the chair. Then he'll cross his legs over the table and play with his thumbs. He always does that. And true to my thoughts, he does. I need to stop predicting his actions.

"Glenda and Pete just came to see if I was doing alright on my own, and Dave came too."

"What did he want?" Cid huffs. They never got along. I flush red and shake my head slightly. "Shera? I asked ya a question."

"Just wanted to know if I was free for dinner," I sigh, getting a cup down for the Captain.

"Hmph."

"Something wrong Si... Cid?"

"Nothin."

"If you don't mind me asking why are you here?"

"That Spiky kid insists on us fightin Sephiroth tomorrow," he sighs, lighting a cigarette.

"And you backed down?" I frown. So unlike him.

"Course not! But there's a good chance... I mean, he just wanted us to go out and find what we're fightin for." I remain silent for a few moments, pouring boiling water from the teakettle into his mug. Finally, I exhale heavily.

"So you might not survive?"

"Yer too smart for yer own good," he scowls. I nod and set the cup in front of him.

"I know," I mumble, thinking back to the rocket incident. I ruined his dream by trying to be a genius and save his life... It didn't work. I destroyed it. The Captain seems to read my mind.

"Thinkin about the rocket, Sher?"

"Yes Sir," I blink down at my lap.

"Cid. And why?"

"I messed up the launch by trying to..."

"No ya didn't!" He blurts and I pause, looking over at him. "I was stupid for not lettin ya change the tanks before the launch. I should'a listened to ya."

We both know that both of us are right, so neither of us say anything, just sit in silence while he drinks his tea. When he finishes, I stand to take his cup to the sink, but he beats me to it, surprising me. What is going on? I must be losing it. Was there something in the dinner I ate? He stands, hovering over the sink, hands pressed to the counter and shoulder blades drawn together.

"Shera?" He says eventually.

"Hmm?" I hum.

"Did ya ever think about leaving when I was gone?" I blink a few moments before shaking my head.

"Not really."

"Why not?" He's looking at me now, studying me with those captivating, cold, sharp, intelligent, observant, calm, and perfect eyes. I love you.

"This is where I belong. I love the town, the people in it..." I trail off. You.

"All the people?" I feel him inch closer slowly. Shoot.

"Y-yes sir."

"Even me?" He's hovering over me, hands on the sides of the back of my chair. I look up, alarmed at his proximity.

"Y-yes Captain."

I jump when I feel that stubble scratching my face gently, chapped lips pushing against mine. My hands rest on his broad chest, where they feel like they belong. Someone wake me up. I seem to come alive and kiss him back. Never mind, please don't. He pulls away with a slight smirk, success written clear in his eyes.

"I knew it," he mutters before straightening up and vanishing into the living room. I blink at the wall for a few moments, my face heating to a bright red. He knew what? Shaking my head, I empty the rest of the water into the sink and hurry after him, grabbing my blanket off the couch quickly.

"You been sleepin out here?"

"No Sir," I shake my head. "Just a couple nights recently when my thoughts have kept me awake."

"Thoughts?" Ugh, the eyebrow.

"Meteor, the world," I pause before adding, "You."

"Me?"

"You just kinda.. Disappeared one day."

"Sorry," he grumbles, scratching the nape of his neck. "And quit callin me sir."

"Sorry," I mumble, folding the blanket. Then a thought makes me cock my head to the side. "You know, you've made it through almost two conversations without cursing."

"Did ya want me to?" He raises and eyebrow.

"No, it's nice," I smile at him. He gives me his own crooked smile back and sinks into the couch cushions with a contented sigh.

"What're ya doin up this late?"

"I couldn't sleep." He observes me for a minute before extending one arm along the back of the sofa.

"Come 'ere, Sher."

My heart skips a beat and I slowly wander over, sitting beside him and putting an inch or two between our bodies.

"I ain't gonna bite," he rolls his eyes and I scoot a tiny bit closer, cheeks burning. He gives me a flat look. "Really?" Huffing with annoyance, I completely close the gap between us, making him chuckle.

"What?" I frown at him and he shakes his head.

"Nothin."

"So where have you been all this time?" I ask, cautiously laying my head on his shoulder.

"All over the world," he smiles to himself. "Got my baby back from Shinra too. She's still perfect." Then his smile falls. "There was this girl." I selfishly pray that he didn't feel attracted to her in any way. "Real young, just a kid." Whew. "She was the last Cetra or whatever. She gave her life for the planet..." He trails off, looking at the wall. "It ain't right. I don't care who the heck Sephiroth is, experiments don't give you an excuse to kill little girls. The world's a real sick place, Sher."

"I know, Sir," I say quietly. He sighs and looks over at me.

"Cid, Shera. Ya too stupid to get that through yer brain?" I bite my lip and shake my head. My heart pangs in the hurt that it always does when he says things like this. I should be used to it by now. But I'm not.

"Sorry." His face holds an expression close to guilt when he forces himself to look me in the eye.

"Don't be. I'm sorry. I shouldn't'a said all that stuff to ya that I did. None of it was true. Yer not stupid or useless. Ya were my only friend for four years. And I treated ya like trash." He honestly sounds disgusted with himself.

"I've already forgiven you," I am offer him a smile. He blinks at me for a few moments before chuckling and shaking his head.

"This is why I love you." My eyes widen and I freeze, my heart stopping. His reaction is exactly the same and he swears loudly to himself. "Ah shoot, sorry 'bout that..."

"It's okay," I kiss his cheek before standing.

"Shera? Ya know how I said Spiky wanted us to find somethin to fight for?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I'm, uh, fightin for you." My face lights up and a big smile breaks out in my mouth.

"Thank you Captain."

Cid reaches out and yanks my arm toward him, surprising me. I don't even realize what's happened until I'm flat on my back against the couch, the Captain hovering over me with a devilish smirk. He kisses me a second time, his stubble tickling still. When he pulls away, he still wears that sly smile.

"It's Cid."

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CIDxSHERA. MY FAVORITE OTC RIGHT THERE.

MY FAVORITE OT3?

CIDxSHERAxTEA

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