Lassie719

There are apprehensive looks all around as everyone triple checks their harnesses and the backpacks attached to them. Vincent had helped you put yours on, crossing the straps over your chest with a roll of his eyes and no comment as everyone shrugged them on like a backpack. You have no idea what the difference is.

A lot of pitiable looks are directed at you, but that's fine, understandable even, with your fear of heights and falling and all that. Except that the temple of the ancients beat the fear of heights out of you with trauma, but the falling, well, you're not quite sure how you're going to react to that.

"You sure?" you ask over the wind rushing across the Highwind deck, turning towards Cid.

"Of course," he grins, stepping closer to throw his arm around your shoulder. "I packed 'em myself and you trust me, don't ya?"

There's a few seconds pause between his words and the eventual, apprehensive nod of your head.

"Aww, come on now. I don't actually want ya to get hurt, even if you did defile my pilot seat."

Vincent laughs from nearby and then immediately tries unsuccessfully to cover it up with a cough.

"And if I'd known you were never gonna shut up about it," you reply, shrugging yourself out from underneath Cid's arm, "then I would have desecrated it"

"That's the spirit," Cid grins, slapping you on the back and stepping away.

You step up to the edge of the deck, Vincent beside you and stare over the edge. You're high up, but almost too high, the ground too far away to trigger any sort of fear. The rushing of the wind feels good, thrilling, the last bastion of leaving Midgar that you haven't yet conquered.

"Catch me if my chute doesn't open," you tell Vincent, not turning to look at him. It's not a question.

He nods, humming in the affirmative. "Try not to break a shoulder this time."

"Fuck you," you snap back at him with humour.

"Later," he deadpans.

“Hmmm,” you tease. “Last one to the ground has to steal Cid’s keys.”