Chapter Thirteen

Yazoo...

I looked at the young girl beside me. Tifa's bar was slow at this time of night. The children in bed, Cloud, even stopped by after doing his deliveries. Sierra smiled, taking a bite of her pasta. "So, other than reading books. What is it you enjoy doing?"

"I like to cook. I helped Grace with the cleaning while she was at work. I love to watch old plays at the theater. Loveless is a favorite of mine."

"Loveless, that is old." She placed her fork on the table. "You like to cook? Are you any good at it?"

"Leonard handed kitchen duty to me once, my brother's, and I moved in with him. A few years back, so I think it's safe to say that I'm decent with my way around the kitchen."

"Nice, I know my way around cleaning, cook, dude, I burn water."

I smiled. "Perhaps you just need to learn to not burn water." She blushed, looking down at the table. "Something wrong?"

I looked at her. "Dude, I'm eighteen years old and I can't even fry an egg."

"You said you could clean, didn't you? That's something that someone who is lucky to have you wouldn't have to stress over. Don't feel bad; when we moved in with Leonard, he couldn't cook either, and eight years later we worry he will burn the house down when he makes something in the microwave. Don't feel too bad."

She laughed. "I bet Grace has her hands full."

"He may know nothing but how to commit an innocent act of arson. Leonard keeps us and Kourtney in line. The two of them work together, they draw off each other weaknesses. I suppose I hope that one day I can find my Graceona, be a power couple with a family of my own. Seems like a pleasant idea, mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Then I come to realize that, who would want to marry a reminder of Sephiroth? It hits like a slap in the face every time." I looked at the table.

She placed her hands on mine. "No one worries about you three anymore, well, not everyone." She laughed. "My dad tells me he hopes he doesn't have to fight you again, on land or in the air."

I sighed, not looking at her. "Yea, about that whole thing."

"No worries, I think it's funny, my dad getting sent back to earth. He can be cocky sometimes. I'm kinda wanting to learn to shoot something like a helicopter stick while on a motorcycle, and not cause harm to the people in a small space. That is interesting, honestly."

I sighed as she bent down, looking at me. "Come on, tough guy. Don't get all shy now."

I looked at her as she sat back up. "So, we looked at Materia, looked at hair bows, ate here. Are you up for some ice cream? To finish the date?"

"What time is it?"

She looked at the clock. "Almost ten."

"Whatever you want to do."

She looked at me. "You don't want the date to end?"

"Not really. I've been enjoying myself."

"I'm glad we can do this again tomorrow night. Maybe I can think of other fun things for us to do."

"Alright. Sounds good." I smiled. She stood up, dusting herself off. "Do you like flowers?"

"I love flowers."

"Have you been to this old church in Midgar? It's got beautiful flowers there."

She looked at me. "No, I've not seen it."

"You want to go there and end the date? You could get you some flowers, you know, to sit them in your room."

She looked at me. "Alright, let's go."

"Would Reno care?"

"Dude, I don't live with my dad."

I stood up as the two of us walked from the bar.

The ride through the wastelands was silent, save for the roar of the engine of the motorcycle. Upon arriving at the ghost town that was Midgar, we arrived at the tall church. I stopped in front of it as Sierra looked at it. "It's beautiful."

The two of us walked into the church. I walked over to the lanterns that I had placed here, several visits prior, lighting them up. Sierra walked over to the flowers. Kadaj destroyed the former flowers that once lived here. In their place was a bed of roses that I had planted and seen after during this past month. "Does someone live here?" I saw as she looked at my sleeping bag and gun boxes.

"No, I stayed here often last month."

I lay down on the floor looking at the dark skies; the stars peeked through the torn roof. Sierra lay beside me. "It's wonderful here, so comforting. I could stay here forever, I think."

The two of us are silent, the breeze blowing. This was way better than reading once. I only dreamed of being here with someone. Now that the moment was here, I was finding it harder to leave. I felt as she held my hand; I looked at her. "We can stay here as long as you want. There's no rush."

I smiled, looking at her, sitting up, getting something from one of the two pockets on the shirt. "Here, this is for you."

She sat up looking at the hair bow from earlier. She looked at me. "How did you get this?"

"I told the woman that I would work for her to pay it off. Don't you want it?"

She looked at me with a smile. "I would love to have it, thank you." She turned around as I put the hair bow in her hair.

She looked at me. "I love it." She wrapped her arms around me as I returned the embrace.