Title: Dared
Pairing: Mostly Aerith and Vincent (but not a pairing); Cid is in there too.
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Theme/Lyric Code: T.05 (wasting time)
Genre: General, humor, a little bit AU because Aerith isn't dead
Rating: G
Warning: Nah, I just don't stick to canon.
Summary: Oh, his reaction to this would be damn near priceless
Other: For the 40-mixed challenge on LiveJournal. Actually inspired by a cracktastic idea a friend and I had. (premiered 07/13/07 at 607am.)
Aerith worked quietly, carefully, making sure not to make too much noise or pull too hard (or at all, even). All he did was lie there, sound asleep — something that actually came as a surprise to her considering the fact that sleeping was practically all he'd been doing the past thirty years. What was even more surprising was how deeply he slept. Thirty years of sleep considered, he should be sleeping like a cat — eyes closed, getting some rest, yet half-awake and alert. But she wasn't complaining; after all, there was likely no way in hell she could do this while he was awake.
Her thin fingers gingerly weaved three evenly-separated black strands of hair over, under, over, under, until she reached the end. Once there, she picked up the red ribbon she'd set aside minutes before. It had been tied to her staff for awhile now, an extra she kept for herself in case she lost the one she currently had her braid tied off with in a battle or something. She needed it now, though, and besides, she could replace it later.
(Actually, come to think of it, she'd probably get this same one back.)
Gently, she tied the small ribbon in a tight little bow at the bottom of the braid she'd just formed. Finally, with a light giggle, she rose to her feet and pushed the flap of the tent aside so she could step out, leaving him until morning.
Once outside, she laughed a little bit louder, but still kept it down so she didn't wake him up prematurely. Cid sat next to the campfire and looked at her, asking wordlessly if she'd actually, truly, seriously done it. She answered with a nod, causing Cid to break out into a fit of laughter that he, too, tried to keep quiet enough. He raised his hand for a five (because he was Cid, and it didn't matter who you were, he was going to do things like that), and Aerith gave him one as she walked by, heading for her tent.
Morning really couldn't come soon enough.
A/N: Still moving things here from the writing journal.