Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the game, Kingdom Hearts. If I did, I wouldn't be taking time out of my schedule to write stories about it.
It was difficult not to stare at him. The man looked like more of a god than Hercules and definitely more skillful in battle. The way he dodged every attack or struck each blow was completely mesmerizing. It was all like an intricate dance that only he knew and one that she wished to know. Even amongst the roaring crouds she could only hear the clang of his blade parrying his enemies' strike, the intake of breath when he was being pushed to his limit, or the swoosh of his cloak as he glided around the arena. Each time he straightened out in the center of the battleground in triumph, she felt her face flush and her mouth suddenly run dry. How did she lose her heart to such a man?
Perhaps it all actually started with Leon or Squall, either one. True, she loved the gunblade wielder, but he never seemed to let anyone into his heart as a lover, only a friend or a relative. He always viewed her as a kid sister, one that he should look out for and protect. But she could defend herself couldn't she? She's proved that on several occasions, whether it was during the heartless war in Radiant Garden or fighting in the Underdrome against Sora. Why couldn't he just look deeper and see the love in her eyes? Why couldn't he see her for what she was, a strong, independent woman who wore her heart on her sleeve for even the blind to see? Even after openly admitting her love for him he wouldn't accept her. He let her down gently, yes, but the truth was eating her up inside. He didn't love her and never would. A piece of her heart broke that day but she refused to show any sign of weakness in front of everyone, especially Squall. She was Yuffie Kisaragi, the Great Ninja of Radiant Garden; she wouldn't let something as small as heartbreak darken her life.
And so everything moved on. The heartless had diminished in number over the town after Sora and Riku's victory over Xemnas, so mainly Yuffie's days were filled with assisting Cid with the town's protection grid or helping Aerith around Merlin's House. Of course her efforts were for naught because Cid refused to let her near his "baby" and Aerith did not let her within six feet of the kitchen lest it explode in flames. And Squall, she shouldn't have to explain herself. So, after deciding there was nothing to do in town, she stole into a Gummi Ship and traveled to the Underworld. And there, she saw him. Of course he was Aerith's "Cloud," but somewhere within her being she wanted to refer to him as Her Cloud. It was the way he fought, walked, looked at her, or spoke her name that made her melt.
"Yuffie. What are you doing here?" Looking around the empty stands, the young ninja notices that the tournament must have ended quite a while ago.
"What else? I was watching your fight." she replied, standing from her seated position and dusting herself off. She couldn't let this man notice how extremely flustered she was in his presence.
"Shouldn't you be at Merlin's?"
"It's boring there," she shrugged, "no one is letting me do anything. So I thought I might as well sign up for the tournament to train in case the heartless or nobodies come back. But I saw your name already on the roster so I figured I might as well watch you until my turn."
"I see."
"Cloud..." she starts, and stares directly into his aquamarine eyes. "When are you ever going to come back to us? We all miss you."
"I'll return when I find my light." he says, and then disappears into the glowing circle on the ground without so much as a glance back.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Yuffie Kisaragi? You're up next." Panic tugs at the hem of her beige shorts, snapping her to attention. Nodding curtly, the ninja salutes in the direction of Cloud's exit and then hops aboard the boat set for the Underdrome.
'But, you're light is always with you. You may not know it but we have always been your light. The one's who hope for you and fight for you. And, when you finally figure that out, I'll be waiting to prove it to you.' Grinning with enthusiasm, Yuffie brandishes her shuriken and dashes into battle, her heart set on the return of her love.
Author's Note: Okay, my first one-shot that involved Cloud and Yuffie. I'm not entirely sure if I got the characters demeanor right so I hope I get some feedback on this. Truthfully, I made this for all the Clouffie fangirls out there who needed some new Clouffie's in their life. Here's to you! -cheers- Hope you guys enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed creating it. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. If need be, I'll try and rewrite the dialogue. See ya!
R&R