When You and I Collide

12) The Worrier

~Cloud's POV~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

          Vanille shrieks as Hope spits a mouthful of watermelon seeds at her, making me and Snow laugh. It's been a couple of hours since the girls returned from the Seventh Heaven, and Sazh thought it would be nice to have a picnic of sorts for dinner. And I thought he and Cid would've gotten along...

"Hope! I will get you for that!" She whines, chasing the mischievous teen. Sazh chuckles and sits down beside me.

"So how's life, boys?"

"I should be asking you that," I grin at him. "My planet didn't just explode."

"True," he nods. "I'm doin fine, and Dajh doesn't mind. I think Fang might miss the wild though."

"You know, she seems a little... attached to Vincent," I smirk, bringing up this morning. "And who would've thought that he has a wanderlust like no one else I know?"

"She's avoiding him now," Snow laughs at Fang, who carefully walks in a full half circle just to avoid running into her dark housemate.

"Looks like Light's being solitary again," Sazh nods toward the woman standing off by herself near the edge of a short ledge. Heh, that rhymed. You're an idiot, Cloud. I don't disagree, head voice.

"Is she always like that?" I cock my head to the side as I take the nice sight in.

"She always found a way to keep her distance wherever we went," the dark man shrugs. "Just the way she is, I guess. Even on the train ride that started it all, she was standoffish."

"I would be too," I tease, nudging him with my shoulder. "You're pretty scary."

"Terrifying," Snow chips in sarcastically.

"Great to know," Sazh rolls his eyes.

          I laugh to myself and stand. A short distance off, Vanille and Tifa and are chatting, Hope and Yuffie trying out their magic skills. Dajh naps on the blanket to my right, Fang lying on her back while she watches the clouds. Vincent sits in the shade even farther off, but I can see his crimson eyes glowing as he stares at the brunette, lost in thought. I smirk and head toward him.

"Hey Vince," I plop down about a foot away. I know he likes space.

"Hello Cloud," he responds politely. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great, thanks. You?"

"... Alright, I suppose," he says after a few moments. Leave it to him to make it gloomy.

"What's up?"

"I believe it is the sky," the corners of his mouth quirk into a tiny smirk.

"Look at you being a smart alec," I grin. "No really, what's wrong? You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something."

"It is nothing for you to worry about," he shakes his head, dark bangs falling in front of his pale face. "Chaos is only disturbing me with his thoughts."

"Oh."

"..."

         I look over at Fang again with a hidden smile. Chaos must be bugging him about her.

"Did you ever really piece together what happened this morning?"

"I was hoping you would not bring that up," he huffs. "But I have not even tried to figure it out."