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Tifa eyed the boat with some skepticism. It had been developed by the same engineer acquaintance that had helped Cloud with Fenrir, operating under a grant from the WRO. Like Fenrir, it was sleek and modern, and held unexpected surprises: one of which was the large glass bottom. The idea was to allow people to study and observe ocean environments without disturbing or polluting them.
On the surface, it was a fantastic idea. In reality, it made Tifa nervous.
Denzel and Marlene, however, were obviously excited to try it out, while Cloud had made the original agreement, and therefore must be similarly interested. She was the only one hesitating. Taking a deep breath, she grasped Cloud’s hand to steady herself as she jumped the small distance from the dock to the rear of the vessel. Smiling, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he took the cooler from her, and stowed it safely in one of the storage compartments.
“Let’s go!” Denzel exclaimed, brimming with excitement, and was echoed by Marlene. The two had already settled themselves on the curved bench behind the driver’s seat. Still somewhat reluctant, Tifa took the empty seat next to Cloud as he turned the key and started the motor.
For a small boat powered largely by solar energy, it was extremely fast. They plowed through the waves as they left the marina in Costa del Sol, churning up spray that rained down in a refreshing mist. The children both cheered and laughed and pointed out everything from seagulls to buoys to jet skis. After awhile, Tifa even managed to relax enough to close her eyes and enjoy the wind through her hair.
When she opened them, Cloud’s gaze was pleased and knowing, prompting her to poke him – gently – in the side.
“No tickling the driver,” he told her, catching her hand in his, and keeping it until some time later when they arrived at their sight-seeing destination.
He’d barely killed the motor before Marlene and Denzel were moving forward to the seats surrounding the glass observation window in the bottom of the boat. Resisting the urge to protest when both children lay down on the floor, faces and hands positioned over the glass, Tifa moved to sit within reach of them on the forward seats. Cloud produced some sort of flyer, detailing the types of life the reef supported, and the kids made a game of trying to see who could spot the most. For the next hour, there was much pointing and exclaiming as various fish, anemones, and urchin were discovered.
When lunchtime arrived, it was a chore to pull them away from the wondrous world beneath the boat for long enough to eat. Chicken salad sandwiches, pickles and chips were no match for eels and stingrays, starfish and a curlicue anemone. Tifa gave up trying after each child bolted down a sandwich and asked to be excused. Cloud, at least, was happy to sit with her and enjoy the food she’d packed, even going so far as to finish Marlene’s chips and snitch Denzel’s pickle.
When she called him a bottomless pit, he calmly leaned over and took a bite of her sandwich, lips just brushing her fingers. Admittedly, it was a small bite, but... “Cloud!”
Unrepentant, he chewed and swallowed, then kissed her before restarting the boat and maneuvering it to a different section of the reef. When he returned, he helped her clear away their picnic, and then stretched out on the bench beside her, his head in her lap. Listening to the children’s distant, happy chatter, Tifa ran her fingers through his hair, tilting her head to enjoy the ocean breeze on her neck and shoulders.
“Still think this was a bad idea?” Cloud’s voice was soft, maybe a touch knowing, his eyes still closed.
Tifa tugged gently on the longest of his spikes, prompting him to wrinkle his nose and catch her fingers with his own. “I said a glass bottom boat sounded like a bad idea. I never said anything about a day trip on the ocean.”
“The boat is still in one piece, and the kids are having a great time,” he pointed out.
A smile teased at the corner or her mouth. “Don’t tempt fate.”
“Tempting fate would be letting them play with dolphins. Marlene would try to go for a ride.” Opening his eyes, he slanted a glance at her. “This is comparatively much safer.”
“True.” They lapsed back into silence, both of them listening to Denzel exclaim over a clown fish, while Marlene cooed at – from the sound of it – a spotted pink slug. Cloud’s shoulders shook with amusement, and she tugged on his hair again. “Alright, it was a good idea,” she conceded.
His smile turned smug.
Tifa’s was impish. “In fact, you should probably plan our whole vacation,” she went on, breezily. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”