Candy Hearts

~A Valentine's Tale~

"This is it, man, you have to do something about it by next week," Cloud informed the man who was pacing nervously in front of the bay window in his house, located in Rocket Town. Cloud watched his friend pace back and forth, back and forth, almost worried that he would wear a hole in the floor of his home. He wished that his friend wouldn't be quite so nervous or confused about what was happening a week from that day--Valentine's Day, of course. The day where lovers celebrated and the towns rejoiced. He, himself, was taking Aeris out for a romantic dinner and a stroll on the beach of Costa Del Sol. There really was nothing hard about being romantic, at least, to him. His friend, apparently, needed help. And a lot of it.

Cid Highwind turned around for the fourteenth time and paced back in the direction of his dresser. "I can't do it," He blurted out, and Cloud rolled his eyes. "I can't! Every time I think of asking her out or…or telling her how I feel…I…I feel like I'm doing a nose dive!"

Cloud almost laughed. It was just like Cid to be referring to his stomach as a plane or something. The man was a brilliant pilot and technician but he would probably never be a Romeo. Cid had always been gruff and mean to Shera, the woman he was now obsessing over, and he didn't know exactly how to tell her what he felt. Cloud wished he could do something to help. He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and sighed.

"Look, Cid…you just gotta calm down," He advised, watching as Cid finally stopped pacing and pressed his forehead against the window.

"Easier said than done," Cid gruffly replied, reaching into his back pocket for his packet of cigarettes.

Cloud leaned against the edge of Cid's bed a little, an idea beginning to form in his mind. "Look, Cid…how about if I help you out?"

Cid turned around, obviously more than a little surprised at the idea. "Help me out? Help me out how? What do you mean? What are you talking about?" His eyes pierced Cloud's helplessly and his hands fumbled on the cover of the cigarette package.

"I mean…what if I give you tips on how to ask Shera out or, you know, let her know how you feel?" Cloud suggested casually, seeing Cid's face brighten a little. Man, the guy was clueless. He shuffled his feet on the floor. "I'm sure you wouldn't NEED the tips, seeing as you're um, so experienced and all in this field--" At this, he saw Cid puff up a little. "But it's best just to have a second opinion. In case you choke or something."

Cid appeared to think it over. He looked up at Cloud again. "These tips won't have me dressed in a tuxedo or something stupid, will they?"

Cloud laughed. "No."

There was a pause as Cid thought it over again. Then his face, which needed a shave badly, broke into a broad grin. "Aw, you got a deal, Spikey! A @#*#$& deal!"

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Shera winced as she reached the driveway of Cid's house. His car was already in the driveway--which meant that he was home already. He liked her to arrive first so she could fix tea for him while he watched the television. But today, of all days, she had been late, from work, where she volunteered down the block at the Nursing Center. She hastily reshifted her thick folder of paperwork and forced herself to walk up the remainder of the driveway and push open Cid's beige front door a little cautiously.

Already she could hear the laughtrack of some cheesy television sitcom blaring away. Cid was already seated in his chair, probably fuming at the fact that she hadn't been home. Oh great…just what I need after a long day of work.

Shera paused in the doorway, pushing up the thin frames of her glasses, debating what she would say when she got inside. Cid was a gruff, harsh man, and her friends always asked her why she put up with him, why she lived with him.

"After all," her friend Miriam from work had declared, "you don't work for him anymore! You don't need to try and make up for what you did a long time ago! Stop being a maid to that slave driver!"

Deep down, she knew Miriam was right. Cid was almost cruel and cold at times, but she didn't care. She only cared about the times when he wasn't so gruff and rough and bristly. The times when he was comfortable, when he had his tea, and when she could catch him looking at her, with that odd look in his blue eyes, like he was wondering something about her. She didn't hate him, although, by now, by his treatment of her, it wouldn't be at all wrong or unusual to. She enjoyed his company.

It wasn't the fact that he was good looking--although he was, incredibly, to Shera. She smiled a little bit, her cheeks flushing. It wasn't even his personality that got her. It was the little things. It was the way he walked when he slumped down to breakfast, the way he tugged on her elbow just a bit when he wanted her attention, the way he always fell asleep watching the Late Show, the way he got so embarrassed when he had to pay a compliment to someone. Shera sighed. She knew she had it bad for Cid.

She just wished she could get over the feeling of…of loving him. It hurt when you loved someone so deeply, so raw, and that person didn't love you back. It especially hurt when that person was Cid Highwind.

"Shera? That you?"

His own voice jerked her out of her own thoughts.

"Y-yes, Captain," She blurted out before she knew it, almost dropping the thick folder of papers to the floor in embarrassment. She pushed the door open farther and saw Cid himself, standing there in front of her, looking a bit surprised.

"Well, what are ya standing in the doorway for?" One of his eyebrows was raised, giving him a cute quirky look. Her heart thumped and she tried not to think about it. Shera hurried inside, suddenly remembering about the tea.

"Oh, Captain, I…the tea! I mean…I'm sorry I'm late! It's just that Ms. Nevelson, she--she never gets any visitors, and she had me stay late to read to her out of this old romance novel that she bought a few years ago…I didn't mean to make you angry, it's just that I couldn't leave Mrs. Nevelson…" Shera's voice trailed off helplessly, realizing she sounded like a fool. She raised her eyes to meet Cid's and found that he actually didn't look angry. That was strange. Usually he told her to shut up or, to quote him, to, "quit yer whinin'!", but now he was actually giving her a sort of understanding look.

Cid paused. "Uh, well…" he scratched his head and looked a bit awkward, as if thinking something over. "That's okay.." His voice sounded strained, like someone were telling him to read off the lines. It didn't really sound like he was the one speaking.

Shera blinked. "It is?"

There was a stretched smile on Cid's lips. "Yeah. It's--", he almost choked on the word, "fine."

Shera blinked again. Was it just her or did Cid seem like some kind of puppet? "Right," she said slowly, setting the folder down on the table. "Well, just in case if it isn't fine, I'm still sorry." She stood up and walked over to Cid a bit curiously. Now he was staring at her, openly. What was wrong with him? Or maybe she had something on her cheek, like a piece of fudge. She really hadn't checked her face before she walked back over to Cid's house…what if she did have something on her cheek? How embarrassing!

"Is there something on my face?" Shera asked, a little embarrassed. She touched her cheek awkwardly.

Cid blinked twice and looked down a little, shoving his hands in his pocket. "On yer face? Nope…"

"Then why were you looking at me like that?" Shera replied, running a hand through her hair.

"What is this, 20 questions?" Cid snapped.

Shera reeled back, surprised. Her eyes widened. She hadn't meant to make him angry--as usual. "I'm sorry," She half-whispered. Instead she shook her head and walked over to the kitchen counter where Cid kept pens and pencils in a small yellow can that read "Power Aide" on the outside. Grabbing a black ball point pen, she wandered back over to the table to fill out a few forms for the nursing home.

Cid was back to watching TV, she noticed, a bit wryly. He had obviously given up hope communicating with the hopeless. Despite her humor, she felt almost like crying. It was quite obvious that she and Cid were never meant to be, they were complete opposites, and Cid could never feel the way for her that she felt for him.

Shera sighed a little, watching the way the TV's glow slightly reflected on Cid's hair. Her heart thumped a little. If only Cid could see her like the beautiful actress on the television instead of some dumpy girl who volunteered at nursing homes. Suddenly Shera looked at herself, as if she were just seeing her own body walking down the street.

Her hair didn't seem to shine anymore, it seemed to be limp and oily. Her glasses--they made her look like some 90 year old lady. And her body! She hid it behind these baggy sweatshirts and jeans, making sure no one could see her figure. If I even have one, Shera thought quietly, feeling like a toad. She closed her eyes. No wonder Cid doesn't notice me! I'm a lump!

She watched the girl on the TV enviously, wishing she had the body, hair, and figure to captivate Cid's attention. The girl looked a little like Aeris, with the same shade of chestnut brown hair. Suddenly Shera's eyes lit up. She knew what she needed to do.

Shera needed help. And she knew exactly who could give it to her.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

"Captain?"

Cid looked up and saw the young boy, Russel, with messy red hair and a spattering of freckles across his face, standing before his desk in a dirty jumpsuit. The dark blue sleeves were rolled up and were covered with what looked like oil stains, and in his hand was some kind of rusted pipe.

Cid's office was in the back part of the old warehouse that he had turned into his own business, a repair shop called The Launcher. He ran it himself, with a little help from Shera, and right now he was supposed to be doing some work on his computer while the boys fixed up whatever needed fixing out front, but he just couldn't seem to concentrate.

"Yeah?" Cid answered, a little relieved at the break.

"Um, Captain, we're having a little trouble out front…the lady who owns the car…she's like some rich old hag, and she's trying to boss around, telling us what to do. We don't want to be rude, but…" Russel shrugged a little uncomfortably, as if he meant to say, you know how it is.

Cid nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Go on back out there and try and act like you're listening to her. Humor the old hag," he snickered a little.

"Alright…I'll tell the boys," Russel said with a half-grin, turning around and heading out of the office. Cid noticed he left an oil stain with his shoe print where he had been standing. He didn't care.

Cloud was supposed to have come by already--what was keeping him? Cid sat back in his chair, propping his feet up on his desk and tipping back a little precociously. The door to his office swung open again with a loud bang, hitting the opposite wall with what seemed like a sonic boom. It surprised Cid so much that he tipped back a little too far, hitting the floor with the chair, practically knocking some of his computer equipment over.

"Russel?" Cid managed from his position on the floor.

A face swam in his vision. A face with…with…spiky blond hair…The face was grinning.

"Geez, Cid," Cloud let out a snort. "What are you doing down there?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Cid snapped. "Give me a hand here!"

Cloud helped Cid up and the two of them began to laugh sheepishly while Cid righted a few things that had been knocked down with him. When everything had been straightened out, Cid sat back down in the chair, propping his feet up on the desk. Cloud took the chair on the opposite side of the desk, relaxing.

"So how much longer are you going to be in Rocket Town?" Cid asked a little nervously. "I don't know how much longer I can take it, man! Shera is actin' really weird…"

"I'll probably be in Rocket Town for a few more days, not many. I have to be back before Valentine's Day or Aeris'll have my head," Cloud said sheepishly. "So what do you mean by 'weird?' What does she do?"

"Aw, she's been givin' me these funny looks…like I'm supposed to know what they mean. And she keeps actin' hurt or somethin'. I dunno! She's messing with my mind, Cloud!" Cid was getting a little wild. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. The days were ticking closer to Valentine's Day and he wanted to tell Shera just how he felt about her--but how could he? He couldn't even tell her good morning without snapping at her. It was so hard to be nice when all of these years he had been mean.

"Funny looks…" Cloud mused. "Hmm…"

"Is that good or bad?" Cid pressed.

"Relax, Cid, I'm sure it's good," Cloud rolled his eyes a little. "I think you're obsessing over this Shera thing a little too much. Why don't you just come right out and tell her how you feel?"

Cid gave Cloud a look. Didn't he think that he'd tried? Many times?? "I can't do that," he spat out. "I can barely hold a conversation with the woman. She's so damn infuriating…"

Cloud paused and scratched his head a little. "Then why do you like her?"

"Cause she's Shera, damn it! Cause she…she always does stuff for me…She makes the best tea…and she has this really great smile where even her eyes seem like they're lit up. It's like…it's not her beauty or anythin'…" Cid paused and looked down, embarrassed. It was awkward to talk about this with anyone, even Cloud. And it sounded so stupid out loud. "It's the small things…like…the way she comes down the stairs, always setting both feet on the steps before coming down--that used to make me so damn mad…and the way she always sings while she's blow drying her hair…and the way she…" His voice failed him as he realized Cloud was giving him a very weird look. Cid realized his face was hot. He avoided Cloud's eyes.

"You've got it bad, Cid," Cloud shook his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cid mumbled, opening and closing a drawer without knowing it.

"That means, Cid, that you are in love with Shera!" His friend exclaimed.

"I AM NOT!" Cid said defensively. Love was a scary word to Cid Highwind. It meant full commitment to one person, or thing. It was hard to get Cid to love things. He loved the Highwind while it lasted. He loved his other inventions. But did he love Shera? Could he love an actual person after all of his mechanical triumphs? Could he…? He shook his head. Maybe love was too big of a word. But he did know he felt something for Shera. And he had to tell her. "But you're right about one thing…" He mumbled.

"What?"

Cid stood up and stepped around the desk. "I…I need to tell her…'bout how I feel…" Then he pushed a stubby finger into Cloud's chest. "And you're gonna be the one to help me do it."

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

The next day, Shera found herself in Cid's bathroom undergoing absolute torture. At least, it felt like absolute torture to her. She squirmed a little uncomfortably, watching her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Keep still," Aeris reminded her gently, bringing the curling iron around her head again. She gathered up a few tendrils of Shera's glossy hair on the right side and pulled them around the curling iron.

Shera squirmed again. She wasn't used to staying so still for these long periods of time. Shera tapped her fingers absently on the counter, watching her reflection again. She and Aeris had talked over the phone almost two days ago, and she told Aeris about her Valentine's Day predicament, how she was trying to get Cid to notice her. To notice her, as a person, as a woman, not as his slave. Aeris had offered to come down to Rocket Town, especially because Cloud was also visiting, to help Shera out. At first it seemed like a good idea. But now, sitting under the hot lights, enduring the curling iron, it seemed like she should have thought it over more carefully.

"Aeris," Shera said softly, watching as her friend began to curl the back part of her hair. "What if this doesn't work?"

Aeris bit her lip, concentrating on the curling iron. "Of course it'll work, Shera…" She said absently, trying to tuck under a certain piece of hair.

Shera wasn't so sure. If Cid hadn't noticed her all this time, what would a bunch of curly hair do, anyway? "Sometimes I think it's all just a waste of time," She mumbled, dropping her eyes to her hands clenched in her lap. "Sometimes I think I'm trying for nothing."

"Oh, Shera…" Aeris switched off the curling iron and gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Cid just needs to open his eyes…you're an incredible, beautiful, intelligent woman, and he just hasn't realized that yet. When he does realize it, it'll hit him like a ton of bricks. Just give the man time." She held Shera's silent gaze for a few seconds and then began to rummage through a black bag on the counter.

"I've given him so much time," Shera said, even more quietly. "I just wish I could be…beautiful. Then maybe he would…he would look at me differently."

Aeris paused, with a tube of lipstick in her hand and a compact in the other. Her large green eyes explored Shera's. "Shera…being beautiful isn't everything…"

"That's easy for you to say," Shera said with a tone of bitterness that she didn't mean to put into her speech. "You're gorgeous, Aeris." Aeris opened her mouth to protest, but she kept going. "You've got the looks, a beautiful voice, and a great boyfriend. You've got everything, Aeris. So when I look at you…I wish I could be you. Because maybe if I were you…Cid would…love me."

Aeris looked down. "Oh, Shera…" She set the make-up down on the counter and gave her friend a hug. Then she pulled away. "Let's get this make-up on you…when you walk down for dinner tonight, Cid Highwind won't know what hit him!"

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

"You're going to tell her tonight, right?" Cloud asked during Cid's lunch break, carefully taking a bite of his cheeseburger. He carefully wiped his mouth while Cid took a sip of his soda. The two of them were sitting in a popular restaurant nearby Cid's shop, trying to relax.

"That's what I'm telling myself," Cid muttered under his breath.

"Heard that," Cloud replied with a grin.

Cid sighed.

Cloud set down his cheeseburger and studied Cid. He really did look worried--the glimmer in Cid's eyes was gone, the quirky grin at the corner of his mouth had vanished, and his whole spirit seemed to have deflated from the man. He hadn't even cursed once in the past hour. It really was bothering him. "Cid, it's really easy, man…just be yourself. Tell her how you feel."

"I can't do that!" Cid said, looking up. "Even I don't know how I feel." He wiped his hands on his pants.

"Ok, look…" Cloud leaned forward on his elbows. "Let's start with the opening line…ok…Shera walks in. You say…" His voice trailed off, leaving Cid to answer.

There was silence. Cid looked confused, and he shrugged.

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "You don't have an opening line?!?"

"She…she intimidates me," Cid admitted sheepishly. Just the thought of her walking into the room, telling her to her face how he felt about her sort of scared him. He'd never done that before--opened himself up like that to another human being. What if she rejected him? What would he do then? It would be really awkward having her around…I never thought of that!

Cloud cleared his throat. "Ok, for your opening line…just say, 'Shera, I need to talk to you.'"

"Shera, I need to talk to you," Cid repeated, taking another sip of his drink. He looked around wildly. "Do you have a pen?"

"A pen?" Cloud repeated blankly.

"To write it down," Cid explained, slightly embarrassed. Cloud dug into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a pen with a small piece of lint on it. Cid flicked it off and jotted down 'Shera, I need to talk to you', on a napkin. He looked up at Cloud. "What next?"

Cloud gave him an exasperated look. "I can't do everything for you! I can't tell you what to say! You have to say what you feel! What do you feel?"

Cid paused, thinking it over. "I…I really…c-care about her," he finally stuttered out uncomfortably. He looked at Cloud. "Is that good?"

Cloud nodded. "That's good. Say 'I really care about you.'"

Cid started to write it down, then viciously crossed it out. "That's too--too quickly! I need to slow down. Damn! This is hard!" He paused and thought. "How about…'I tried to tell you this before, but I couldn't find the words?'" Again he looked to Cloud for his approval.

His friend nodded. "You're getting it now. That was actually pretty good, Cid. And remember, no cussing."

"I don't @*#%!@ cuss!" Cid replied, jotting down the next sentence. He paused when he was done and thought. "Next I can say…'I been thinking about this for a long time…'" He scrawled it down after Cloud nodded.

It could almost be easy when he had it all planned out like this, Cid realized. Now all he had to do was wait until that night.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Everything was ready. Shera had spent the remainder of the day, after Aeris had gone back to the inn to spend time with Cloud, cleaning and making the dining room as romantic as possible. She had lit candles to create atmosphere, and had set out the good china on a beautiful silk tablecloth. The rest of the room was dim. Shera had set Cid's ancient radio to a romantic radio station, and tinkling music was playing.

She looked in the mirror at her reflection. She really did look pretty. Her hair was curled, and glittered and shone in the dim light, and her eyes, her cheeks, everything, was accentuated with the make-up. The dress that Aeris had brought for her to wear was simple but looked good on her.

Shera looked down. The dress was a plain, simple, black spaghetti-strap dress, matching with her open-toed sandals. It was dressy for a simple dinner at home, but of course, tonight was a special night. She was supposed to either tell Cid how she felt, or have him discover her.

Her pulse raced. She was so nervous. Would Cid finally notice her? Would he finally? It was almost like having a high school crush…except worse. She honestly loved the man and she wanted him to look at her the way she looked at him.

She heard the door open and close, it was like in slow motion. Shera closed her eyes, praying that tonight would be the night that the man she loved would love her, too. Her eyes flicked back open when she heard him call out.

"Shera? You home?"

Shera tried to compose her quick, fluttery breaths. "I'm in here!" She called out nervously, smoothing the edge of the dining room tablecloth.

Cid walked farther into the house and blinked. In the dim light, she could only see a vague outline of him when he was so far away. "Why is it so damn dark in here?" He asked, sounding irritated. Suddenly the lights flicked on.

Shera felt naked in the florescent lights overhead, and she shuffled uncomfortably as Cid took in the room--the lit candles, the music playing, the romantic atmosphere. Well, kind of romantic, with the lights on. She shuffled her feet as his eyes swept over her to the other side of the room. She wished he would say something--anything!

"You having company?" he finally asked, blowing out a candle. Shera's heart sank as he started blowing out all of the candles. Then he switched off the radio.

All of my hard work…

Finally he sat down at the table, not noticing the carefully chosen china or tablecloth. He seemed preoccupied. Shera fluffed her hair a little, feeling sickened. Isn't he even going to comment on my dress? My hair? Don't I even look the least bit beautiful to him? She felt pained, looking down at her toes.

"Shera, I need to talk to you," Cid said, breaking the silence. Shera looked up curiously.

What is this all about? Is he going to say how…how beautiful I look tonight?

Shera walked over to him. "What is it, Captain?"

Cid appeared to have not heard her. "I tried to tell you this before, but I couldn't find the words."

Now Shera was really curious. What in the world was he talking about, and why wasn't he answering her questions? She moved closer, frowning. "Captain, what in the world is this about?"

"I been thinking about this for a long time," Cid said blankly, in a flat monotonous tone, as if he were some sort of robot programmed to say the words.

"Thinking about what?" Shera asked, bewildered. "Captain, what are you talking about? Why aren't you answering me?"

"It's really been bothering me for quite some time," Cid continued in the same robotic manner, his eyes not meeting Shera's. He was staring off into space, saying the words, like he was rehearsing them or something. Shera blinked.

What is he DOING?

"Captain, what are you TALKING about? Why don't you answer me? Why don't you look at me?" Shera cried out, raw pain in her voice. He hadn't even noticed her beautiful dress…her beautiful hair…he hadn't even noticed her! How she wished she could tell him how she felt about him at that moment. How she wished he would stop blabbing on about whatever robotic thing he was saying. Why couldn't he just shut up and look at her?

Cid finally stopped talking and blinked a few times as if lost. "I…uh…" He began rummaging in his pockets, as if looking for something.

Shera's heart felt like breaking. He wouldn't look at her. He didn't want to look at her. He wouldn't ever see her as beautiful, no matter how much make-up she put on, no matter how many times Aeris curled her hair. "What are you doing?" She whispered, feeling like she was going to cry.

Her perfect night was ruined…the candles had been blown out, the radio had been turned off, and Cid was talking like a robot.

"Looking for a napkin," Cid muttered.

A napkin? He's looking for a napkin at a time like this? Now Shera really felt lost. He cared more about a stupid napkin than her. He didn't even notice how she looked…God, was the man so blind? Or maybe she was the blind one for thinking that he could actually return the feelings.

Before he could talk anymore in that robotic senseless manner or look for anymore napkins in his pockets, Shera turned around and bolted out of the room. When she got to her room, she locked the door, collapsed on the bed, and cried until she fell asleep.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

"So how'd it go last night?" Cloud asked Cid, walking through the door, into Cid's office. With a broad grin on his face, he plopped himself down into his usual chair opposite of Cid's desk.

Cid let out a loud groan and hit his head dramatically on the top of the desk.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, his eyes wide. He was sure the plan would work.

"She ran away!" Cid jerked his head up and gave Cloud a ragged look. Cloud looked shocked. "Cloud, man, I was in the middle of my speech and I--I choked! I couldn't remember anything else! So I started to look for the napkin, but Shera just bolted right outta the room!" Cid hoped Cloud could say something sensible to him, something to make him realize that Shera wasn't scared of the words he was going to say.

"Wow…man…that's…" Cloud shook his head, his Mako eyes large. "How far did you get into the speech?"

"Only about three sentences," Cid admitted, pretending to find a spot of dirt on his desk utterly fascinating.

"Three sentences?" Cloud asked loudly, raising his eyebrows.

"Hey, she looked really…pretty…" Cid said defensively, finally looking back up at Cloud. Once he saw Shera wearing that beautiful dress, with her hair all curly-like, he felt like dropping the plan altogether. But the way she looked right then made him want to tell her how he felt even more. He had tried not to get distracted by her while he was talking, so he hadn't looked at her--or tried not to, anyway.

Cloud sighed. "At least now you know that she didn't get embarrassed because of your speech. She probably…had to use the bathroom or something."

"You think?" Cid asked hopefully. He was older than Cloud, but he felt like a two year old next to him in the love department. If only Cloud could just do everything for him.

"Maybe," Cloud said slowly. "Anyway, Cid, try again tonight. Keep at it."

Cid nervously looked at Cloud. "I don't know what to say." Just the thought of trying to do it again was making his palms clammy.

"Ok, let's try writing another speech," Cloud replied. Then his eyes lit up as if he were remembering something. "Oh! I was in bed last night when I remembered that there was something wrong with your speech!" He gave Cid a triumphant look as if he were expecting some sort of award for saying so.

Cid paused. "What?"

"You didn't have lines or anything for Shera to reply! I mean, Shera could have been replying right back to the lines you were saying to her last night, and you didn't leave any part for where you replied to those lines," Cloud finished proudly. He ran a hand through his blond hair and grinned at Cid. "So the next speech we right has to have some lines to reply to whatever she might say next."

"Right," Cid said, slowly. What did he just say? "Anyway…let's get started…"

Cid grabbed a pen and a piece of computer paper off of the right side of his desk and looked up to Cloud for the first line. "Should I start with: Shera, we need to talk?"

Cloud nodded vigorously. "That sounds good…Then next you have to leave room for when she says, 'Ok, Cid, I've been wanting to talk, too.' Then you say, 'I'm so glad you feel that way.' Then she says--"

"Slow down, you're going too fast," Cid complained, flashing Cloud a satisfied grin. At least everything would go okay tonight. He was actually leaving room for stuff Shera would say. There was no mistaking it--tonight Shera would know exactly how Cid Highwind felt about her. Finally.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

"He didn't even look at you?" Aeris repeated in disbelief, setting her coffee mug down loudly on Cid's kitchen table.

Shera, who was examining the table intently, not wanting to look up at Aeris, nodded silently. Without even thinking about it, she could still relive the moments of the night before. The painful moments, where Cid hadn't even looked at her. After a moment she felt Aeris's hand covering hers sympathetically. She looked up into Aeris's sad green eyes and almost felt like crying.

"I'm so sorry, Shera," Aeris said sadly. "I thought…well, I really thought it work."

Shera shook her head. "Aeris, it's not your fault. It's mine. And maybe Cid's. I just had this really stupid idea that if I were beautiful he might…well.." She let out an embarrassed laugh, interrupting her own sentence. "I guess I was wrong. Nothing I can do will make Cid change his mind about me. Maybe it's better that way," She said softly. Shera stood up and took her coffee mug to the sink.

"No, Shera, if you really love him, you can't just let him slip away!" Aeris argued. "Look, we can take this in steps…last night you just showed him that you were beautiful. Tonight, well…you can show him that you're really smart!"

Shera blinked and turned around, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that we'll show him your qualities one at a time! It's perfect!" Aeris' cheeks were flushed with excitement at her new idea. "We'll show him that you're beautiful, smart, caring, everything!"

Shera turned back around and turned on the faucet. Doubtfully, she began washing the mug without thinking about it. "I don't know," She murmured to Aeris. It sounded kind of hard. And what if it backfired? "How are we going to do everything in just two days? You're leaving the day after tomorrow for Valentine's Day, aren't you?"

Aeris nodded slowly. "But we can still do it, Shera! I know we can!"

Shera sighed. The idea sounded awfully tempting. Finally she turned off the faucet and put the mug into the dish-drainer to dry. She turned around and managed a weak grin.

"So how do we start?"

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Cid paused at the front door to his house, reviewing the piece of paper in his hands. He rehearsed the lines over and over, trying to etch them in his head. Never had he imagined that telling someone how you felt could be so hard. Finally, after reading them so many times, he was actually starting to get sick of them, he shoved the piece of paper into his pocket and shyly knocked on the door, even though he could have just gone inside.

He gulped a little. Who knew what he wold find inside? Would Shera be wearing that beautiful black dress again with her hair up like it was the night before? What would he do then?

The door opened.

"Shera?" Cid said, surprised.

Shera was wearing her regular wire-rimmed glasses, but she definitely was not wearing a dress or anything close to it. She was wearing something that looked like a professor in college would wear, sort of a tweed pants suit, and in one hand was a thick folder overflowing with papers. "Hello, Captain," She said in what sounded like a professional tone.

Boggled, Cid stepped inside the house, shutting the door behind him. Why is she dressed like that? He watched as Shera settled herself behind a chair in the dining room and began to fill out files. She looked like some sort of teacher or something. He was beginning to get a little intimidated of her like this.

"Um…" Cid set down some stuff that he had taken to work on the nearest chair and scratched his blond head a little awkwardly. Should I just start? He watched Shera. She definitely looked like she was busy working. "Um…Shera?"

Shera didn't even look up. She just flipped a page and began scrawling answers on it quickly, stopping every once in a while to adjust her glasses. "Yes, Captain?" She asked briskly.

"I…um…I mean, we…we need to talk," Cid said, a little afraid to come closer. It was like when he was in school and he had to go up to the teacher to ask for a piece of chalk or something. Teachers always scared the hell outta him.

"We do, Captain?" She continued to work diligently.

Why is she asking everything in questions? Now she really sounded like a teacher. Cid was rooted to the spot. "I um…I um…" He couldn't for the life of him remember the next line. "I…" If only she would just stop working and look up at him or something.

"Go on," Shera urged briskly, pausing to look at her watch. "I haven't got all day."

"Right…" Cid said, his voice trailing off. "I mean…uh…" His heart sank as she began to work again. Ok! Stop working and look at me at least! His brain screamed. Damn woman. He felt like stomping over there and taking her folder or something.

"Captain, really," Shera sounded irritated.

Cid's mouth felt dry. "I've been thinking that…that…" There was she again, with her eyes glued to those forms or whatever they were! Cid felt suddenly angry at whoever made her fill out forms. She was supposed to be paying attention to him. He briskly marched over to Shera and, before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed the folder out of her hands and tossed it onto the floor.

Shera looked up at him, with what Cid thought was fear in her eyes. He knew why she was scared--he hadn't had outbursts like this for a long time. The last time he did something so forward was when he was drunk. A very long time ago. "Captain," She whispered.

"Shera, I'm…" The words caught in his throat.

He knew she thought he had been drinking. She picked up the folder from the floor, trying to scoop the pieces of paper inside. Cid bent down to help her but she jerked it away before he could touch anything. Then, without another word, Shera bolted from the room much like the night before.

Cid watched her go, feeling like an idiot. He groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

"He was drunk?" Aeris practically screamed the next day into the phone. Her normally large eyes were even larger at this revelation, and she promptly switched off the television program that she had been watching in her hotel room.

Cloud, who was combing his spikes carefully in the mirror gave her a weird look, so she lowered her voice and turned her back to him.

"Did he hurt you?" Aeris whispered frantically into the phone. That Cid…if he hurt Shera in anyway, Aeris would make Cloud beat him up or something! Well, maybe she wouldn't be that mean…but she would definitely find a way to stop Cid from doing it again.

"No," The voice on the other end said a bit sadly. "All he did was grab my folder out of my hands and throw it onto the floor."

"He did?" Aeris found her voice rising again. She lowered it quickly. That sounded pretty violent to her. "Shera, if he's that violent, you need to get out of there quickly. You can come stay with Cloud and me, here at the inn."

Shera laughed on the other end. "No, no, Aeris, it's okay. I think maybe it was a fluke or something. He hasn't really gotten drunk like that for a long time. Really. I'm okay," She insisted. "All I'm worried about is getting through to him before Valentine's Day rolls around. Aeris, you have to help me! You are leaving tomorrow, and I need your help!"

"I would come over," Aeris said reluctantly, "but I promised to spend the day with Cloud." She turned around and saw Cloud, who probably had no idea what she was talking about, smile at the mention of his name. He winked at her in the mirror and she smiled back.

Shera sighed on the other end and Aeris remembered that her friend needed her help. "Ok…well, all we have to do now is show him that you're caring. Once he realizes that you have all three qualities, bam!, he wants you!" She laughed a little.

Shera laughed, too. "It sounds so easy when you say it like that," She giggled.

"Just think of something that will make him realize that you're really caring," Aeris whispered into the phone, watching as Cloud walked over to her. She smiled as he put his arms around her, and tried to concentrate on the phone conversation. But it was awfully hard when Cloud was holding her like that.

"Like what?" Shera asked. "I don't know!"

"Um…" Aeris thought. "I don't know, either. Think of something that means a lot to you." Cloud kissed Aeris's hair and she gave him a small grin, mouthing, 'I'm talking, wait!' But Cloud continued to trail kisses down her hair to her neck and Aeris giggled a little.

"Aeris?"

"Hmm?" Aeris asked, trying very hard to concentrate.

"I think I have an idea!" Shera said excitedly.

Aeris tried not to giggle again as Cloud kissed the tip of her nose and motioned for her to hang up. Not right now, she mouthed to Cloud. "That's great!" She told Shera over the phone. "Do you need my help?"

"No, I can do it," Shera said a little warily. "Just cross your fingers for me, okay? This plan may be a little far-fetched but I think it will really bring across the fact that I'm caring. I'll call you at your house tomorrow, since you won't be here then to let you know how it all turned out."

"Great," Aeris said as Cloud pressed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes, pleading for her to hang up. He kissed her cheek. "Um, Shera?"

"Yeah?"

"I gotta let you go now," Aeris said, giggling as Cloud smiled widely.

"Ok, wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Aeris smiled, and Shera hung up.

The phone that Aeris was holding slipped to the floor, suddenly forgotten.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Cid wished Cloud was there to give him some advice on what to say. He had planned to write another, better, speech, but instead, without Cloud's help, he decided just to wing it and see what happened. Playing it by ear is easier, he decided, easing the car into the driveway. Maybe he could actually get out what he wanted to say better this way.

This time he had thought to buy flowers for her, and a small bouquet of daises were sitting beside him on the car seat. He grabbed the daises, the keys out of the ignition, and got out of the car, trying not to think about what he was just about to do. Cid slammed the car door and walked briskly up the walk before he could lose his nerve.

This time, he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door himself, without waiting. It was best just to do things without thinking--he could get so many more things done that way.

"What the hell?" Cid sputtered, when he got inside the living room.

What was going on here? Were his eyes playing tricks on him or something?

Shera, who was sitting on the couch, gave him a weird look when he get inside. But it wasn't Shera that shocked him. It was the people.

A whole bunch of old people were milling around his house, drinking out of his cups, watching his TV, and taking up his space in his favorite chair! The old people shuffled around and talked amongst themselves, not really looking up as he entered. He stomped over to Shera.

"What the hell are they doing in here?" He hissed, completely forgetting about his flowers clenched tightly in his fist.

Shera smiled. "I'm giving them a party! They're from the nursing home. I'm so happy that I'm able to care for them." Was it just Cid's imagination or did she just stress the word 'care?' Oh, who CARED? There were OLD PEOPLE in his HOUSE!

"Can you get them out of here?" Cid glared.

"Why?" Shera frowned. "This is their party!"

"And this is my house!" he fought back, thrusting the hand that held the daises out for emphasis. Suddenly he felt someone grabbing the daises from his grip. Instantly he whirled around and came face to face with a woman who had curly, white hair, and was wearing a pink fuzzy bathrobe.

"These are beautiful," The woman said in a croaky, old voice, sniffing the flowers gently.

Cid debated whether it would be rude or not to scream, "Give me back my damn flowers!" He kept his mouth shut as Shera spoke up, smiling once more.

"Captain, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Nevelson. Mrs. Nevelson, this is Cid Highwind," Shera said cordially to the old woman, who was clutching the flowers like they were the last thing she had on earth.

The old woman grinned toothily at Cid. "Hello, Cid," She said, doing a little head-bob.

"Um…hey…" He answered back, wondering if this was all just a dream. If it was, he wanted to wake up. Now.

Mrs. Nevelson took his arm shakily. "Is he your husband, dear?" She asked Shera, looking intently at Cid's face. "He's very handsome."

Shera giggled at Cid's flushed face. "No, he's not," She answered very calmly. Cid felt like shaking off the old woman's grip on him, so he could talk.

"Well, then he's single, eh?" Mrs. Nevelson winked at Cid.

Cid looked helplessly at Shera, but she only laughed harder. I'm gonna get you for this Shera! He gave her a secret glare, but when Mrs. Nevelson looked at him again, he gave her a weak grin. As Mrs. Nevelson led him away, chattering about her 64 grandchildren, he closed his eyes briefly, wondering what he had done to deserve this.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

The next day, Valentine's Day, Shera sat munching a sandwich during lunch halfheartedly. The plan hadn't worked. All she had managed to do was to make Cid really mad. After everyone had left he screamed at her.

"The next time you plan to invite a bunch of damn old fogies to my @$*($& house, will you TELL me first?" He had belted out at the top of his lungs.

"Cid, I was trying to be caring!" Shera had protested, almost on the verge of tears.

"If you're so caring, why didn't you care about ME? How I would feel coming home to a bunch of old people prancing around my damn house!!?" Cid retaliated.

She supposed it really hadn't been fair to him, after all, he was right. It really was his house, and she should have told him that she was having a party for them. It was just that…she wanted him to see that she was caring…she wanted him to see all the qualities in her so maybe he would fall in love with her. God, she was stupid.

Shera finished her sandwich. Now here it was, on Valentine's Day, and Cid still didn't know how she felt about him. There was nothing to be done about it.

Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she and Cid just weren't meant to be. She decided to go shopping to cheer herself up. Shera went to the bedroom, got her coat, and slipped out the front door, locking it behind her. She would do what she always did when she got depressed--eat. First she would go to an ice cream shop and get herself a banana split. Then she would go on a candy raid in all of the stores…

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Cid came home from work early. The boys had all insisted that he let them out early so they could all celebrate with their girlfriends. So, of course, he had let them out. Who was he to be a Scrooge when he had no one to celebrate with? As he pushed open the door, he realized the apartment was dark.

Apparently Shera was out. He frowned. She was always home when he got there, usually with tea on the stove. He never realized how odd it was without her.

It was Valentine's Day, and Cid was alone. "How pathetic is that?" He mumbled to himself. Who knew where Shera was? After all, it was Valentine's Day. She was probably out with some guy she met at the Nursing Home. He was probably her boss, and at the end of the date, Shera would give him that puppy-dog look that she gave Cid sometimes.

"Oh, Patrick," Shera would sigh, looking into her boss's eyes. Of course his name would be Patrick or something romantic. No, no, Philip, his name would be Philip. "Oh, Philip."

"Shera, you look so beautiful," Philip would reply dashingly, and Shera would sigh again.

"ARGH!" Cid let loose, shaking himself free of his daydream. It was driving him crazy. He couldn't stand the image. He had to talk to someone! Stomping over to the phone quickly, he pushed all thoughts of Shera and Philip aside. He began to dial Cloud's number in Kalm, where he was staying. The phone rang. Once, twice. Cid waited impatiently.

Why isn't he picking up?

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Cloud kissed Aeris gently on the lips, softly brushing back her hair. They had both took time to prepare for the Valentine's Day celebration, Aeris dressed in a red slip dress, and Cloud in casual khakis and a nice blue shirt.

Aeris kissed back, hugging him closer in the dim apartment. Romantic music was playing, music that Aeris herself had chosen, and it heightened the feeling in the air.

The phone rang. "Ignore it," Cloud muttered against her lips.

"Ok," She murmured, while the phone rang again.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Finally, Cid gave up. They were probably out celebrating or something. Just as he sank onto the nearest chair, beginning to think about Shera and Philip again, the front door opened, and there was Shera, carrying several shopping bags in her arms. She set the shopping bags down on the table before finally turning to face Cid.

"What'd ya get?" Cid asked, trying not to sound too happy that she was home.

"A bunch of Valentine's Day candy. They were on sale," Shera answered flatly, obviously not really wanting his company.

Cid looked down. Even though he was still a little mad at her fiasco yesterday, he still…loved…her. He loved her. He looked up at her, trying to meet her eyes so he could say something, anything. But she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was taking off her coat, setting it on the chair by the door. He sighed. If only he hadn't gotten so mad, if only he hadn't blown everything.

He got up, saddened. I can't tell her…I guess I won't ever be able to tell her… Cid reached the dining room table and opened up the bag. Inside were Hershey kisses with red wrapping for Valentine's day, some chocolate and peanut butter cups, and several other bags. He took each of the bags out, examining them.

Then he reached the bag on the bottom.

He recognized it from his own school days, where they had to celebrate Valentine's Day, and bring in some candy. Some girl would always buy the little sugary candy hearts that had the cheesy messages on them: Kiss me, Be mine, etc.

Cid examined the bag, a little flicker of an idea beginning to grow in his mind.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Shera went into her bedroom, feeling a little empty and hollow. She had thought that shopping would cheer her up, but really, it was doing nothing for her happiness. Instead she just felt lonelier. Everywhere she went in the stores, there were candies and Valentines to send to your sweetheart, and she almost felt tempted to buy a Valentine for Cid. People were out, already celebrating for Valentine's Day, kissing on street corners, holding hands romantically, giggling together, and Shera would feel a hollow sadness when she saw them. And they were everywhere. Finally she had given it up, just deciding to go home.

She looked down at the phone in her hands. She might as well call Aeris and tell her what had happened the night before. She dialed Aeris's number in Kalm, waiting for her to pick up. The phone rang about six times before she hung up. Aeris probably wasn't at home. She and Cloud were probably out celebrating. Shera felt envious of her friend. Cloud probably wasn't as dense as Cid was in the romance department.

Shera walked out into the dining room, intending to get a mug of hot chocolate so she could read and sip the hot chocolate before going to bed. But, as she passed all the candy laid out on the table, her eyes fell on the candy hearts.

An idea grew in her head. It was a stupid idea, but at least she wasn't wearing professional clothes and inviting old ladies over to party. A small grin spread across her face as she patted the bag a little.

~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~Y~

Shera looked at Cid while the TV continued to play. An old black and white romance movie was playing in honor of Valentine's Day, and surprisingly, Cid hadn't changed the channel. She was surprised to find that Cid was looking at her. They both looked away quickly and looked back at the movie.

"Oh, Frank, I love you," The black and white woman on the TV swooned.

"I love you," Her lover insisted.

Shera shot another look at Cid. He was looking at her again. Shera looked away. Her heart thumped. She decided to do something about it before she went to bed--before Valentine's day was over.

"Shera," Cid started.

"Captain," Shera said at the same time he did. They both looked at each other, looked away, and then looked back.

"Yes?" They both said simultaneously. Then they laughed nervously. Shera found herself wanting to say something, but she couldn't…she just couldn't…she didn't know what to say…It was terrible to know exactly how you felt inside, but not being able to voice it. It was awful. Shera stood up, and so did Cid.

They both walked towards each other in the center of the room. The TV continued to swell with dramatic music. "I've loved you since I met you," The woman on the screen intoned dramatically. "All six years."

Shera looked at Cid, into the blue eyes she had looked into for such a long time. She opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything. He wasn't saying anything either, looking just as pained. Finally she thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small object enclosed in her fist. She looked up at Cid, and he looked down at her hand.

He pulled something out of his pocket, too, and held out a fist. Shera wondered what it was. She looked up at him, her heart thumping. What would he say when he saw what her surprise was?

The TV seemed to get quieter as Shera held her breath. Gently, she opened her fingers revealing what she held on her palm. Cid opened his hand, too. She craned to see what was sitting on his hand.

Curiously, she found it was a candy heart. A candy heart…just like the one sitting on her palm. A small, childish, sugary candy heart.

A candy heart that read, "I love you."

Their eyes met, and Shera's eyes filled with tears. Without talking, they both knew how the other felt, without saying a word. She swallowed hard--it was true. He did love her. He loved her back. The tears spilled over now. Their hands came together in a clasp tightly, and Cid's lips pressed gently on hers.

The TV's music swelled again, and onscreen was an intricately drawn black and white, "THE END."

THE END

Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed this one! It was inspired by my desktop wallpaper, which is, of course, of candy hearts in honor of Valentine's Day. I started thinking how it would be so easy to tell someone just how you felt about them without saying a word with the hearts, and then wondered about writing a story with the same plot. I decided Cid and Shera seemed the most likely to star in it, so "Candy Hearts" was born. I wrote this one in two sittings, because I wanted to get it done so badly in honor of Valentine's Day. This story is dedicated to Elaine and Michael, the one couple in my life that I know will most likely last a lifetime. Also, to Rose and Jason, who are happily single, and to all of the readers out there. Enjoy your Valentine's Day to its full extent.

Happy valentine's Day.

© Kylene C., 2000

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