A Long Time Coming
A Final Fantasy 7 Rufus/Yuffie Fanfic
Current year is 0011, one year after the events of DoC. Yuffie is 20 years old, Rufus is 29 years old.
Due to the convoluted timelines of all canon sources, some inaccuracies will be present. I had a much simpler story in mind, but due to all the available information, readers will please be lenient on some mistakes. I have only played 7, DoC, watched AC, read (a long time ago, once) On the way to a Smile: Yuffie and Shinra. All other info is taken from brief research and overviews. Hopefully, you all can still enjoy this bit of romantic interlude between Yuffie and Rufus!
Chapter One:
"Waddaya mean I have to go?" Yuffie griped to Reeve. She paced the floor of the WRO leader's office and scowled at the man behind the desk. "I'm a field agent. I'm an operative. I do not do… this."
"Stop waving your arms at my office, Yuffie. You'll open your wounds," Reeve scolded the ninja, eyeing her bandaged forearms. "And by 'this', I assume you mean office work?"
"I'm no paper pusher and I'm not your damn secretary. Send Cait. He can do it," Yuffie huffed and sent a kick to the robot who was trying to feel up her legs.
"No can do, Lassie. You were asked for specifically," Cait told her with a waggle of his finger and tail. "And you declined medical leave, so it's desk duties for you!"
Yuffie clicked her tongue at the cat and kicked his crown off his head. As the robot scrambled to retrieve it, Yuffie crossed her arms, winced at the pull on her fresh cuts, and put her fists to her hips instead.
"It's a simple enough request, Yuffie. We just need to agree on the design, budget, and schedule for laying electric wire to the new village. You won't even be dealing with President Shinra directly," Reeve tried to persuade the girl. Even though she was only twenty, she was head and shoulders above the capabilities of many employees of the WRO. Not in height, though.
She made up for her lack of stature with her personality. Yuffie never did anything in halves. Whatever it was, she put her whole being into it. Whether it was fighting back an invasion of red dragons in Icicle Inn to surfing competitions in Costa del Sol. She loved fiercely and hated intensely. And it was her hatred for Rufus Shinra that was the cause for her stubbornness in refusing the work order.
"No."
"Then you have to go on medical leave."
"No."
"Then go to the meetings at Shin-Ra. You just have to be there. Melissa and Damion are in charge of this project. You can just sit there."
Sighing, Yuffie reviewed her options: take medical leave and spend three weeks bored out of her skull; or attend stupid meetings where there was a high chance of seeing the scourge of Gaia, and possibly reopening her wounds in any attempts to throttle him.
Boredom lost.
"Fine. I'll attend. But, I'm not participating in the project. I will give no opinion, no support, nothing. Got it?" Yuffie glared at her triumphantly beaming superior. "Wipe that grin off your face, Reeve, you look like a god-damn 2-Faced like that."
"You should watch your language, young lady," Reeve called after her as she stalked out the door. As she muscled through it, he yelled, "Thank you! You're a real lifesaver, Yuffie!"
"I was an actual lifesaver in the field, dumbass," Yuffie grumbled to herself as she walked through the halls of the upper levels of the WRO headquarters. She went to the staircase and hopped her way to the floor below and went to her small office. Arguing with Reeve had taken a while and she wanted to finish her report before lunch.
Opening the file on her computer, Yuffie silently bemoaned the strain on her sore arms as she clacked her way through her report. Incidentally, the paperwork she was filling was the mission that gave her the large gashes on her arms.
"Yuffie."
"Heya, Vince," Yuffie replied, not even fazed by his silent entrance. Stealthy he may be, but Yuffie had a camera on her doorway with a livestream on her computer screen. So, even hidden behind her monitor, the gunman could not catch her off guard anymore. She learned her lesson quickly after obtaining her own workspace and he made her leap out of her chair the first time he visited.
"How are your injuries?" Vincent Valentine swept into the office, his imposing presence filling the small space with a serene stillness.
"Terrible. It's fine. I haven't busted a stitch or anything." Yuffie saved her progress on her computer and gave her full attention to her companion. "How's the kid?"
"Shaken, but physically fine. Most of the blood was yours. Minor injuries only, but the doctors worry about the trauma."
"That is understandable," Yuffie commented. It wasn't ever day a kid got attacked by a stray Behemoth in the Midgar ruins. "Will you let me know if I can be of help? I don't wanna stress the kid out if the doctors think me visiting will trigger an episode."
"I will inform the doctors of your availability." Vincent then fell silent and stared at Yuffie, who waited patiently for him to speak again. "Reeve said you were unusually resistant to his request. Do you really hate Shin-Ra Company that much?"
"You know the history. I've told you the personal cost, too," Yuffie whispered, knowing he could hear. "It's not just the company."
"You hate Rufus Shinra?" Vincent could not recall any specifics over their adventures together that would create a personal grudge of such intensity.
"Urk," Yuffie fake retched at the sound of Rufus' name. "Why are you so concerned about this, Vinnie? You've got nothing to do with this project."
"You seem upset," he offered, but shrugged in counterbalance to his affection.
"I'll get over it," Yuffie gave a shrug of her own. Changing the subject, Yuffie looked at the clock and offered, "I'm gonna grab some lunch; wanna join?"
Thinking of the noisy, crowded cafeteria downstairs made Vincent's eyes squint ever so imperceptivity. But Yuffie caught it.
"Can you walk me down, then? I'm starving and I won't be able to finish my report before passing out from hunger." Yuffie stood and stretched gingerly. Though the claw gouges on her arms were the only bloody injury, her muscles were also sore from the beating she received from the particularly violent Behemoth.
"We can't have that," Vincent agreed with dry humor and held the door open for her to pass through first.
"I know, Reeve is such a Marlboro if reports aren't done properly," Yuffie joked as she sauntered out. She chatted aimlessly as they walked seven flights of stairs down before bidding Vincent good bye and good luck on his next mission. Then she maneuvered her way through the madness of the WRO canteen. At least she could still use her ninja skills for something.
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading Chapter One of 'A Long Time Coming'! Reviews always welcome!