Promises

Capitulus II

It was halfway through her break when her bestie rushed in through the canteen doors, avoiding scientists and ducking dinner trays before he pulled out the chair of their table and plopped himself down.

"Extra training today I assume?" Phoenix asked with a knowing smile.

The infantryman sat beside her laughed softly in reply. "I guess you could say that. Captain Thorpe said we had to do combat training for an extra ten minutes when he returned. And he had that scowl on."

The redhead turned to face him, "Cloud, he always has a scowl on."

"But this one was a 'Phoenix put me in my place again' kinda scowl." He took his helmet off and placed it on the table, freeing his blond spikes.

"I thought he had that scowl on whenever he saw me." She joked and finished drinking her glass of orange du lait (orange milk in the common tongue). "Anyways, how be you today?"

Cloud shrugged. "Same old same old. Just wishing that I was in SOLDIER. Like always."

"More now, I suppose." Her dark, fushia lips quirked upwards into a smile. "After all, we've never been distant in terms of our job before. "

With a nod, the blonde spoke. "Yeah. It's taking some getting used to. You're not there to jump up behind me if it looked like I was going to fall asleep."

The two friends laughed hysterically, allowing Phoenix the chance to forget how annoying her day had been. She had previously been tired and struggling to keep her eyes open during her break. And then Cloud comes along and she's wide awake. That was the good thing between their friendship: when one's falling asleep, the other keeps them talking.

It had been like that for years. Many people had found it difficult to believe that Phoenix and Cloud were still best buds and could find the time to just meet up together. After all, being part of the Shinra Electric Company meant that you had to grow up quickly. In a way they had, but, as long as they were together, they could simply be kids.

The two had stopped laughing and Phoenix had gone to draining the last of her drink only to find it gone already. Her hand had began to cup her cheek, her chin resting on her palm. If anyone could place a look on her face, it would have been one of exhaustion. Her mako eyes looked misted in thought, hair scattered on her shoulders, lips frowning slightly. It was a look that could have been mistaken as sadness.

A careful hand was placed onto Phoenix's shoulder, causing her to look up from her empty, plastic cup in order to meet Cloud's concerned gaze.

"You okay?" He looked her face up and down. "You look tired."

Phoenix nodded slightly. "A little tired." She sighed. "Tired from Captain Thorpe treating me like his daughter. Again."

"This is where you get to first class and punch him in the face, isn't it?"

The female scoffed. "Nope. I'd sooner throw him to the wolves." She smiled sleepily. "If I was in first class, I would make sure that you got into SOLDIER - somehow of course - and make sure that Thorpe was court marshaled." The rising of Cloud's eyebrows urged her to continue. "Come on, Cloud. Being in SOLDIER is your dream. Not mine. Might as well give you that chance." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "That's what friend's are there for."

The peaceful, perfect, comfortable silence that followed was enough for her. She had always deemed friendship to be the most important aspect of life and she had only ever wanted one best friend. Tifa was a friend, but they often fell out over the general 'gossip' that would spread around Nibelheim. One of the latest ones was something to do with 'Phoenix only ever wanted one friend'. The reason as to why they fell out was mainly Tifa's fault. She had forgotten to add the 'best' part after one and before friend.

Phoenix wanted that one friend that didn't care if she was SOLDIER and they weren't; that one friend that would never fall out with her; that one friend that made her feel ... good, alive, well, cared for, unique. And that one friend was hers. That best friend was sat beside her, not a care in the world that she was practically hugging him.

Cloud just smiled wildly. Phoenix knew that the idea of fulfilling his dream to be like Sephiroth was closer now than a few months before, listening to his mother go on and on about the idea of going off to war, finding a girl to take care of him and bla bla bla. His reply would always make her smile. Just a simple 'Phoenix takes care of me better than I do.' That's all that was needed.

"I have a new mentor now." Phoenix stated, breaking the silence.

"So it's no longer Genesis?"

"Nope. Good riddance though. He kept on repeating Loveless over and over again." A soft smirk and a glint of pride appeared on her face. "My mentor at the moment is Angeal - only when Sephiroth is on missions or whatever." Her sentence was lost in the sound of a rather melodramatic reaction.

"What!? No way!" Cloud's ear to ear grin heightened the amount of excitement he was trying to contain.

Phoenix laughed. "I highly doubt that Sephiroth really is. Iona told me after all. Her head's still trying to get certain impressions right whilst she goes about her business. For all I know it could just be a lie to see my reaction." She sighed. "Besides, even if it is true, I won't know until the week is out."

That was another good thing about having Cloud as a best friend. He never ever showed any signs of jealousy and just wanted to know more about her day as time went on. Generally, at the end of her day, she'd go to his post so they could catch up on the day's events. No one really cared that they were just talking away. SOLDIER and a guardsman talking could mean anything. Literally.

However, August was on it's way. Well, the eleventh was on its way and that only meant one thing: soon it would be Cloud's birthday. There was only another two days to go and Phoenix was already planning. She was already thinking of 'lunch is on me' and seeing if a patrol outside instead of inside was at all possible. Also, sneaking him into the training simulation. She's always wanted to do it and, considering that Angeal wasn't all too fussed when Zack snuck her in, she didn't see the problem.

It was weird in thinking that his birthday was only a few days away when her birthday was seven months before. She was a January girl yet she never liked to think it that way. For starters, she wasn't a fan of Nibelheim's winter. It wasn't that she hated snow - she loved it! - but it was the bitter cold that left her hands red for ages after spending fifteen minutes outside. Summer was different. Spring just kicked up her mild hay fever. Cloud always reminded her to take her antihistamine but she would forget within two seconds. Not that she ever complained when she sneezed or when her eyes watered.

Regardless, she was only a thirty second walk away from Cloud's house back at Nibelheim. Now, there was an entire floor between them - which made sense - and ten or more minutes. Neither made her feel happy, but it was something she had gotten used two in a few weeks.

"When does your shift end, Phoenix?" Cloud asked her, curiosity clear in his voice.

"Eight pm sharp. Yours?"

"Ten. Again."

Phoenix sighed. "I'll meet you at your post by about nine then. Depending upon where I am."

Cloud nodded. "As always, my post never changes."

Phoenix smiled. A tap to her shoulder made her screech from being startled, earning a soft chuckle from both herself and Cloud.

"Phoenix, the Director wants to see you." It was Iona.

"Why?" Phoenix retorted, crossing her arms. She had fifteen minutes left of lunch.

"I'll explain on the way."

A/N: Okay. So there be chappie two. Shorter than the last one but It was rambling on and on and on.