Inheritance (Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth)

꧁ XIII ꧂

Lailah managed to put sunscreen everywhere on her body except for her back. That was when she handed the sunscreen to Cloud and pulled her ponytail over her shoulder so it wouldn't be in the way. Still flustered, he took the bottle and stared at the girl's back. Fighting against the feeling, he squeezed some sunscreen onto his hand and gently began rubbing it across her back.

He started at her neck and worked downward. At one point, he found himself gazing at the markings across her back. There was a straight line following her spine down her back that connected to a large circle located at the very center of her back. It was obscured slightly by her bathing suit top, but he could see majority of the circle. It was a simple design yet he adored it. Since they were children, he's loved her markings and found them beautiful.

After he finished rubbing in the sunscreen, he traced her markings with his finger. It wasn't until he reached her lower back did he cause a shiver to course through the girl's body. He noticed how her body shuddered and heard the small gasp that fell from her lips. It made him even more embarrassed and he stopped touching her. "S-Sorry..."

"I-It's okay," Lailah replied, turning to face him. "Thank you for helping me with my sunscreen. Do you want me to put some on your back?"

Cloud nodded with a small hum, afraid his voice would shake again if he spoke. His heart was racing as he turned his back to her so she could put some sunscreen on his back. When he felt her hands on his back, his heart sped up. It felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself while feeling her gentle and soft hands against his bare back.

Lailah finished rubbing the sunscreen on his back and smiled. "Done! Now we can enjoy the beach without having to worry about turning into tomatoes." She turned to the sea and stared at the beautiful water. "I'm gonna take a dip."

"Just don't start walkin' on water again," Barret commented.

"No promises."

"Wha—hey!" The burly man shouted as the girl ran toward the sea while laughing.

Cloud watched Lailah as she entered the ocean. She didn't go too deep. He wondered if he should join her, but his attention was drawn to two boys who were standing not too far away. They had just gotten to the beach and he could hear their conversation.

"Hey, that's the cute girl we saw from the hotel!" The inky-haired boy said. "Those tattoos of her are really cool!"

"She was alone when we saw her. Do you think she came by herself?" the chocolate-haired boy asked.

"Totally! We should swim with her. Maybe we can even ask her to join us later!"

Cloud's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare as he saw the two boys heading toward the water. He knew they were talking about Lailah when they talked about tattoos. He could no longer stand idly by and headed to where the girl was swimming. He walked past the two boys—making sure they saw him—before he entered the sea. He trudged through the water toward the snowy-haired girl, who was oblivious to his approach.

When he reached her, the water was up to his waist. He lowered himself into the water to mimic what the girl was doing. "Hey."

Having been startled, Lailah flinched and spun around in the water. "Goddess, Cloud... You're super sneaky sometimes, you know that?"

"Sorry," he apologized. His eyes drifted to the shore to where the two boys were standing. He could tell they were watching closely but had yet to give up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, following his gaze to see the two boys who were watching them. She wondered what was going on until she was able to connect the pieces. "Ah, gotcha!"