Back in Wall Market, the group procured two rooms at the inn before getting back to work. They wondered who else needed their help until they passed the gym.

They heard Jules' concerned voice as they walked inside. "It's been hours now—don't you think you've done enough? Believe me, I ought to know."

Andrea was in the middle of doing pull-ups. "No...not yet..."

"Andi..." Ronnie worriedly murmured his name.

Lailah didn't know about Andrea until Cloud told her who he was. Seeing as he willingly helped Cloud, she wondered if they could help him in return. "Maybe we should check on him."

"Don't see why not," Cloud said. "Maybe he knows a way to get topside."

They approach Andrea, who continues to do pull-ups even when seeing Cloud was with them.

"Cloud... How are you?" Andrea asked.

"I was hoping you knew a way we could get topside," the ex-SOLDIER replied.

Andrea didn't stop his pull-ups. "Hmm... Sorry, but it's...not possible..." He then caught sight of Tifa and admired her physique. "Well, well. What do we have here? I can see you're someone who likes to train, to be their very best."

Tifa was shocked to be noticed by him. "Me?"

"Your physique: slender, yet toned. And that perfectly balanced symmetry. I can tell from a glance that you learned from the best there is. But your muscles look tight, which can only mean one thing—you're conflicted."

Cloud turned to the sable-haired girl. "Tifa?"

"Excuse me," Jules walks up to her. "You're Tifa, right? While you're here, wanna give Andi a run for his money? Work up a sweat, release some endorphins. It's the answer to everything. I promise."

"I'm in...if you are," Andrea said.

Lailah glanced over at her best friend. "Do you want to do this, Tifa?"

Tifa smiled. "Yeah, I'll do it. A good challenge can get the blood pumping."

Andrea dismounted from the pull-up bar. "All right then. The winner will be the one who does the most pull-ups."

Jules and a few other men in the gym got to work setting up the boxing ring. Once everything was ready, Andrea and Tifa climbed into the ring and took their positions underneath the pull-up bars.

"It's just the two of us now," Andrea said.

With those words, the competition began.

Lailah cheered on her best friend as she watched her do many more pull-ups than Andrea. After three rounds, the competition ended and Tifa was announced the victor. She could see how surprised her childhood friend was at beating the man.

"You truly are perfection, my dear," Andrea complimented. "It seems you've bested me, Tifa."

"I can't believe I won," Tifa spoke her honest thoughts as they stepped out of the boxing ring and joined the others.

"Your fiery passion pushed me to my limits and helped me to overcome my lingering stress and fatigue. I'll be taking the stage tonight in the best condition of my life. Thank you."

"No, thank you for...the same!"

"To commemorate the evening, I would like to make a selfish request," Andrea stated.

This bewildered Tifa. "What is it?"

The man turned to Lailah and held out his hand. "I would be honored if you joined me onstage for a performance tonight."

Now it was the shapeshifter's turn to be surprised. "Huh?"

"Because of those leaks, I have seen your graceful movements in battle. It is as if you dance instead of fight. Your petite frame, slender build, and elegant movements make for an excellent dancer. Would you join me in tonight's performance, my dear? Of course, your friends will be given the VIP treatment."

Lailah thought about saying no, but then she wondered if a performance would bring a smile to the faces of Wall Market and the Sector 7 refugees who were devastated by the plate's destruction. She stared at Andrea's outstretched hand for a second before deciding to take it. "I would love to, but it's been years since I've danced."

Andrea laughed. "No need to worry. I will show you everything you need to do for tonight's performance." He held her hand while redirecting his gaze to Cloud. "I do hope you'll forgive me for taking your special lady, but we must be off. We've got quite a show to prepare for."

Andrea escorted Lailah out of the gym, leaving behind a confused Cloud, a smiling Tifa, and a stoic Barret.

Tifa giggled. "It looks like we'll be watching Lailah perform. I didn't know she could dance."

"Neither did I," Cloud said.

Barret was more than excited to know they would be enjoying their evening thanks to Lailah's agreement to perform with Andrea. "I could use some r and r."

Tifa nodded in agreement. "It will be nice to relax tonight and watch Lailah perform. Let's go."

Cloud was the only one in the group who knew where to find the Honeybee Inn and led the way. As they drew closer to the club, they saw many people heading in the same direction. When they reached the entrance, the bouncer greeted them. "Welcome back, Sir. Mr. Rhodea has informed me to send you straight to the front desk when you arrived."

The ex-SOLDIER was shocked to see so many people entering the club. "I thought this place was members only."

"Because of the influx of Sector 7 refugees due to the collapsed plate, Mr. Rhodea has made an exception and is allowing non-members to enjoy the show as well."

Tifa found herself smiling. "That's very generous of him."

"Indeed, it is," the bouncer replied. "Now please, head inside."

The trio entered the Honeybee Inn and were greeted by the man at the front desk. He immediately recognized them and escorted them to the showroom. He sat them down at a booth located at the very front near the stage before telling them everything they ordered would be on the house.

Barret was quick to order an alcoholic beverage. Tifa ordered something for her and Cloud that didn't include too much alcohol since they would need to get up early tomorrow to continue helping others.

When their drinks arrived, Tifa took a sip and sighed in contentment. "It's nice to finally have some time to ourselves, even though it'll only be for a little while. We'll need to thank Lailah once she's done performing. I can't wait to see what she'll do!"

"Yeah." Cloud crossed his arms. He stared at the condensation running down the side of his glass. Remembering his first time dancing at the club, he wondered what the show would be. He felt excitement building inside him when he tried to imagine Lailah dancing.

Tifa noticed the faint smile that was starting to form on the blonde's face. "You must really be looking forward to the show."

He wiped away his smile and looked away, saying nothing.

She laughed and didn't tease him. She gazed at the stage and tried to imagine it lit up with lights and dancers spinning around.

An hour passed and it was time for the show to begin.

The lights dimmed and the stage came to life. Dancers in honeybee costumes poured onto the stage and started their performance as the music played. Then, Andrea made his appearance and joined the honeybees. The crowd began to cheer as the man started to dance alongside the others.

In the middle of the dance number, all the dancers froze as the stage lights dimmed. A portion of the stage floor slid open and a figure emerged when a separate platform rose up. The spotlight shines on the person, revealing it to be Lailah. She was dressed in an intricate dancer outfit, one that made her stand out from the honeybees and Andrea.

Her hair was loosely curled and pulled into a low bun. Curly strands framed her face and the markings were now a deep black to match her attire. With grace, she hopped off the raised platform and Andrea caught her. He placed her down gently and the dancing continued.

Tifa and Cloud were in awe at seeing Lailah dance alongside Andrea.

"Wow," Tifa gaped. "She looks so beautiful in that outfit, and she really is an amazing dancer."

Cloud was too stunned to say anything. His wide eyes watched her elegant movements, not daring to look away for a second. He admired her beauty and dancing, mouth slightly agape.

Andrea and Lailah danced in perfect unison as the crowd cheered them on. The honeybees danced around them before retreating and giving them the entire stage. He spun her a couple of times before twirling her into his arms. He then let go of her and gestured to Cloud with a smile.

The honeybees swarmed Cloud. They pulled the perturbed boy onto the stage. He was completely bewildered and wasn't sure what to do until Andrea nudged him in Lailah's direction. "Now then, it's time for you to shine once more. But this time, you're the lead man, Cloud. Just do what you did last time and dance with your sweetheart."

Cloud was still perturbed. He stood in front of Lailah, staring at her and trying to remember what he learned the last time he performed at the Honeybee Inn. He was nervous and couldn't think straight.

Seeing this, Lailah smiled and took his hands. She placed one of them on her lower back while she held the other. "Andrea told me how you both performed together the first time we came to Wall Market. If you need some help remembering, I can take the lead."

Cloud drowned out the sounds of the cheering crowd. He felt a sudden wave of confidence come over him, which helped him remember the dance from last time. He gripped her hand and pulled her closer. "No. I'll take the lead."

Together, they danced. They were in more sync together than with Andrea. Slowly, they were transported to their own little world as they enjoyed dancing with each other. The music and cheers seemed to fade.

As the music ended, Cloud dipped Lailah. Their faces were mere inches apart. He couldn't hear the crowd's boisterous cheering after losing himself in her eyes and laughter.

Once her giggles calmed down, she beamed happily. "This was amazing. I had so much fun."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Me too."

Keeping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down just enough to kiss him on the lips. "Thank you for this, Cloud."

"I—"

The loud cheering and whistling silenced him. Exiting the world he had gotten lost in, he looked around to see the entire club was buzzing with excitement. He gently pulled Lailah back up to her feet and she unwound her arms from around his neck. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment while she took a bow.

Andrea returned, giving the couple applause before wrapping up the show with a grand speech. He bowed and the lights on the stage dimmed. Lailah left with the other honeybee dancers to go change.

Cloud walked over to the booth where Tifa and Barret were sitting.

"Hell yeah!" Barret hollered with a grin. "Didn't know you had twinkle toes, SOLDIER boy."

"You and Lailah were amazing!" Tifa cheered. "You two always seem to be in perfect sync. And it seems everyone here really enjoyed the show. It's nice to see so many people smiling."

Cloud found himself speaking what was on his mind. "She was a good partner."

"Let's wait for her in the lobby. It shouldn't take her long to change. But it is a shame. She looked stunning in that outfit."

The trio made their way to the lobby. While waiting for Lailah, they could hear all the excitement from the other people as they left the club. Many of them approached him to thank him for the show, making him somewhat uncomfortable. He wasn't used to being approached by so many people.

Barret smacked him on the back with a wide grin. "Ya did good."

Just then, a frantic girl dressed in a honeybee costume pushed through the crowd toward the trio. She was panting as she reached them. "Y-You're the guy who...was dancing with...Lailah."

Cloud felt a sense of unease at seeing how panicked the dancer was. "Something wrong?"

She managed to catch her breath. "A group of Corneo's men stormed into the dressing rooms and dragged Lailah away."

"What...?" Tifa gasped in horror.

Cloud didn't hesitate. He ran as fast as he could to the dressing rooms. With help from a few of the dancers, he learned the don's men had drugged Lailah and dragged her out of the back door. He ran outside and looked around the alleyway to see it connected to the front of the Honeybee Inn.

Emerging from the alleyway, he pushed through the large crowd in search of the girl as he wandered through Wall Market. Figuring the don's men couldn't have gotten far, he searched the area.

Eventually, he heard the loud cackling of men coming from a nearby alleyway. Squeezing through the narrow gap, he entered the alleyway. The sight that he saw made his blood boil. Corneo's men were gathered around a barely conscious Lailah. One of the men was kneeling in front of her, attempting to touch the exposed skin the dancer's outfit offered.

Furious, Cloud drew his sword and swung it. He knocked the men away from her. When they were knocked down, he lowered his blade and immediately went to her side. Kneeling, he gently placed his hand on her cheek. He could see the beads of sweat along her forehead and hear her shallow breathing.

"Dude, the hell—?!" One lackey recovered and glared at the blonde. "Hey, we found her first! The don wants the girl back and you ain't stoppin' us!"

Cloud stood up. He glared furiously at the men and pointed his sword at them. "You're not taking her anywhere."

Another lackey shouted at the leader of the group. "We need to hurry or the medicine will wear off soon!"

Some of the men drew knives while the others raised their fists.

"Kick his ass!" One hollered.

The don's men attacked Cloud. One by one, he knocked them unconscious. When the alleyway was silent, he returned his sword to his back and returned to Lailah. He gingerly took her face into his hands. His thumbs caressed her cheeks. He could see her eyes were barely open. "What did they do to you?"

She was only able to talk a little. "It's...the same drug...they used on me when...I was inside Corneo's mansion..." She shakily lifted her hand, placing it on his cheek with a feeble smile. "Don't worry. I'll be...fine in a...couple of hours."

"I'll get you out of here. Just hold on."

Carefully, Cloud hooked one of Lailah's arms around his neck. He kept a firm grip on her wrist while his other arm was wrapped around her waist. He pulled her up onto her feet and into his side.

She used what little strength she had left to squeeze through the narrow opening of the alleyway before she was only left with the choice to lean all her weight against him. "Sorry..." She muttered apologetically.

"Don't be," Cloud said.

Just then, Tifa and Barret found them.

"A-Are you okay, Lailah?" Tifa asked worriedly.

Said girl managed a small smile. "I'll be fine."

"They drugged her," Cloud announced.

"Those bastards..." Barret growled.

"Tifa," the ex-SOLDIER began. "Go get Lailah's clothes from the club. I'm taking her to the inn."

"On it!" Tifa took off in the direction of the Honeybee Inn.

Barret gestured to the girl being supported by the blonde. "Need a hand?"

Cloud shook his head. "I've got her." He was extra gentle with her as he adjusted their position so he could pick her up into his arms.

Lailah didn't protest and allowed him to carry her all the way back to the inn. She was too exhausted from the drugs to care about the gossiping going on around them as they traveled through Wall Market.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the inn. Barret opened the door for them and they headed to one of the rooms they bought for the night. They entered the room that had a single double bed. It was small and only had a bed, a nightstand and a chair tucked in the corner behind the door.

Cloud laid Lailah on the bed. Leaning his buster sword against the wall by the chair, he sat on the edge of the mattress and combed a strand of hair out of her face. "Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

She hummed and grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Cloud."

He squeezed her hand in return as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. He caught a glimpse of the small hole in the side of her neck, figuring it had been where Corneo's men had injected her with the "medicine."

A few minutes ticked by and the door opened. Tifa quietly entered the room with Lailah's clothes, closing the door behind her. She put the clothes down in the chair. She glanced worriedly at the sleeping girl. "Is she...?"

"Just sleeping," he said.

"That's good..." she sighed in relief. "I know you'd feel better staying by Lailah's side so Barret and I will take the other room. Just make sure to get some sleep, okay?"

"I will."

○◦───•❃°•°❀°•°❃•───◦○

Three hours later, Lailah woke up. Cloud, who was standing by the door and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, lifted his head. He watched her closely as she scooted to the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine. Still a little tired, though," she honestly replied. She spotted her clothes on the chair and stood up.

That was when Cloud noticed the markings on her back. Because of the backless dancing attire she was still wearing, he got a perfect view of her back. He noticed the same straight and circular design crept all the way down her spine. He was surprised, having thought the markings were only along her neck, collarbone, and face. He thought they were beautiful no matter what color they were.

Unconsciously, he walked up behind her and traced the markings with his fingers. When she tensed at his touch, he realized what he was doing and withdrew his hand. "Sorry."

She turned to face him, smiling. "No need to apologize. You were touching my markings, weren't you?"

"Never knew you had them on your back. Then again, it makes sense since your other forms have them along the back," he explained. His eyes drifted to where she was impaled with the rebar after protecting him and the others during their quick escape from the collapsing plate. Not even a scar remained. He found himself touching her abdomen in the spot where the injury was. He wasn't only amazed at her healing abilities, but also by everything she could do. He admired and adored every inch of her and what she was capable of.

"Cloud?" Lailah called out to him.

The ex-SOLDIER's eyes darted up, connecting with hers. He then glanced at her lips, remembering their kiss at the club in front of the entire crowd. Now that they were alone, they could continue where they left off. He dove for her lips and kissed her passionately. His hand gravitated from her abdomen to her lower back. Pulling her flush against him, he deepened the kiss as she reciprocated the intensity.

As they slowly withdrew from the kiss, Lailah tapped her fingers against his chest. "I do have to say I'm really enjoying this, but I would like to change."

Cloud's eyes drifted down to her current attire. He admired how beautiful she looked in the dancing outfit. Regardless if he enjoyed seeing her in it, he preferred for her to be comfortable. He stepped back and turned his back to her. "Go ahead and change."

Lailah got to work changing. She did find the dancing outfit to be pretty, but she was more comfortable in her own clothes. She neatly folded the outfit on the chair. She decided she would return it to Andrea in the morning.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw the clock on the dingy nightstand. Checking the time, it was a little past one in the morning. Seeing it was late, she wanted her and Cloud to get some sleep.

Walking up to him, she tugged on his arm. "Let's call it a night." She guided him to the double bed, where she crawled on top and he sat on the edge. She tried to urge him further onto the bed, but he only stiffened. She huffed out a sigh. "I promise, I don't bite."

Cloud was clearly embarrassed to share a bed with her. "It's not that."

She poked his arm with every word. "I am not letting you sleep anywhere else." She lowered her hand. "Would it make you feel better if we weren't facing each other?"

He wasn't sure what to do or say. He couldn't let his embarrassment ruin this and tried to explain what the problem was. "You're not bothered by this?"

She laughed. "Not at all. We're dating, remember?" She grabbed one of the pillows and fluffed it. "And it's not like this is the first time we've shared a bed."

Cloud knew what she was referring to. When they were growing up, she often relived the same nightmare over and over again. On the nights she couldn't go back to sleep due to being frightened, she would crawl into his bed. He was a little hesitant at first to let her stay, but soon he allowed her to sneak into his bed whenever that horrid nightmare woke her up. "Yeah, right..."

Lailah put the pillow back. "If it makes you too uncomfortable, I can—"

"No," he interrupted. "Just go to bed. I'll...join you soon."

"Don't stay up too much longer." She turned her back to him and laid on her left side. Not bothering to pull up the blanket, she got comfortable and closed her eyes. She was about to fall back asleep when she felt the bed dip behind her. She remained completely still as Cloud joined her. Their backs were pressed together due to the bed being small.

Smiling, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

○◦───•❃°•°❀°•°❃•───◦○

The next morning, Lailah woke up to find herself enveloped in warmth. She felt two arms wrapped around her and a toned chest pressed against her back. Blinking the sleep away from her eyes, she carefully turned in his embrace to face him.

Fortunately, he was in a deep sleep and her movements didn't wake him. With a smile, she kissed him on the forehead before crawling out of bed. Quietly, she grabbed the dancer's outfit and left the room.

Stepping outside of the inn, she almost ran into Tifa. "You're up early, Tifa."

Tifa smile. "Ever since I opened Seventh Heaven, I've become an early riser. It's never too early to start preparing for the day ahead." She saw the clothing she was carrying. "Are you going back to the club?"

Lailah nodded. "I wanted to thank Andrea for last night and give him the outfit back. Would you like to tag along?"

"Sure." Tifa glanced behind her at the door of the inn. "I was expecting Cloud to be with you."

"For once, he's actually sleeping properly," she laughed. "I didn't want to disturb him."

"He really has been pushing himself recently. At least he's finally getting some well-deserved sleep."

The two girls began their trek to the Honeybee Inn. They talked about whatever popped into their heads during the walk.

When they arrived at the club, the bouncer let them in and they were directly taken to Andrea. The man was plagued with guilt and apologized to Lailah. "I am terribly sorry for what happened last night, my dear."

"It wasn't your fault," she said. Then, she handed him the dancing outfit. "Besides, I had an amazing time last night. Thank you for letting me perform with you, Andrea."

He smiled as he took the clothes back. "It was my pleasure. Before I forget..." He gave her a large amount of gil. "Consider this as payment for such a stunning performance. Perhaps I could steal you from your handsome boyfriend again soon."

Lailah giggled. "I'd love to perform here again. Goodbye for now, Andrea."