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“Goddamnit! It’s like... like the difference between standard stereo and fucking high quality Dolby surround sound!” Cid was yelling when Cloud walked onto the bridge of the airship. His words were directed at Vincent, although his audience also included Yuffie and Tifa – both of whom were sporting flushed cheeks and rather fixed expressions.
“What is?” All eyes flashed to Cloud’s face at the sound of his voice, and Cid’s leer shifted from knowing to positively salacious.
Of more concern, however, was the death glare Vincent was sending him. What had he done to make the gunman angry? They'd only been on board for an hour!
“Cid was describing the different entertainment opportunities available to his passengers,” Cait Sith explained, appearing from the far side of the center podium where his small form had gone unnoticed.
Cloud blinked, and observed that Tifa was suddenly being very careful to avoid looking at him.
“He was also explaining to Vincent why you and Tifa always get the cabin with the bigger bed.”
Blond eyebrows rose in surprise, before mako-bright eyes narrowed in wary suspicion. “We do? Why is that?” And how much am I going to regret asking?
“Well,” Cid grinned, shifting his cigarette from one side of his mouth to the other, “it’s like I was telling Vince, here: I don’t know if it’s a difference in your technique or her temperament, but for all that she’s got a set of lungs on her, Yuffie just doesn’t give the same quality performance as Tifa. Hell, Spiky, you could give us all lessons judging by the way she carries on!” A hard hand landed on Cloud’s back in a congratulatory slap, the pilot’s expression a horrid combination of smug, teasing, and impressed all rolled into one. “And if you’re gonna put on a show for us, I figure you should get the better accommodations.”
For a few, scant seconds, Cloud wavered between reveling in the sudden upwelling of male ego – the satisfaction of knowing his sexual prowess had awed a letch like Cid and embarrassed a man like Vincent – or conveying exactly why Cid should make additional sound proofing a priority.
A glance at Tifa’s flushed face and harassed expression settled the argument in favor of the latter.
After all, he had hopes of repeat and encore performances, and didn’t want to antagonize his leading lady.