Cherry Pie
By Andruindel
Yeah, this is another one-shot I decided to write. After I wrote Ice cream: Good for Chucking, I decided to experiment a bit with the Seifer/Yuffie pairing. So, this is the result. I hope you like it!
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"Hey!" A certain dark-haired ninja put her hands on her hips and glared fiercely at Seifer. "I wanted that!" The older blonde had snatched the last slice of Cherry Pie right as Yuffie had reached for it. Yuffie didn't think much of Seifer as it was, what with his never being civil toward her, but this was the limit. She had put up with his rude comment, arrogance and snide remarks about her height, but she would not let him get away with stealing her cherry pie!
Seifer sneered at her. He stood a whole two feet taller than her, despite their being only a year apart in age, and Yuffie had to tilt her chin to look up at him. "So?" He asked, a bit ignorantly according to Yuffie. He was supposed to apologize and relinquish the slice of pie. Clearly she ninja didn't know him very well.
"So?! You stole my pie!" Yuffie frowned. "That wasn't very nice!" She felt a tug on her sleeve, and turned to see Hayner, who was scowling at Seifer.
"Just give it up," He said, sending a distasteful look at Seifer, who was now leaning casually against a wall.
"No!" Yuffie shrieked. "That was my pie, and he stole it!" Sometimes Yuffie was too stubborn for her own good. She knew it, she sometimes regretted it. But she couldn't help it.
Seifer smirked. "What're you going to do about it?" He asked.
Yuffie smiled slyly. "I'll fight you for it." She said, completely sure of herself.
Hayner groaned. "Yuffie, you can't fight, not in the middle of the Fire works show!" He grabbed her arms to prevent her rushing Seifer.
Yuffie didn't care. She had been waiting for a chance to deal with Seifer, and here it was, on a golden platter! She pulled against Hayner, trying to reach the older blonde, who scoffed.
"I don't care, Hayner! I'm going to fight the pie-stealing bastard!" She broke out of Hayner's grasp and leapt at Seifer.
"No!" Hayner grabbed Yuffie around the waist and pulled her back, away from Seifer, who had straightened.
"Alright, I'll fight you. Tomorrow, the Sandlot, two o'clock. If you win, I'll treat you to a cherry pie and Martin's. If you lose, you leave this pie business alone and do anything I say for a week."
Hayner pulled Yuffie tighter against him, as though to protect her. But Yuffie spoke up. "Deal." Hayner let her go, and Yuffie felt him tense. "Prepare for a major ass-wooping."
She stepped forward, and they shook hands. The deal was official.
As Seifer walked away, eating his 'stolen' pie, Hayner scowled. But Yuffie was perfectly cheerful again.
"Whatever you do, you'd better beat him." The temperamental blonde said, frowning. "It'll be ten times worse if he looses to a girl." Yuffie had to laugh at that. She had no worries at all. She was no ordinary girl, she was the great ninja Yuffie!
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The next day Yuffie strode purposefully toward the Sandlot, followed by her group of faithful friends, Hayner, Roxas, Pence and Olette. All four of them were looking apprehensive, but Yuffie was feeling confidant. She would have no problem kicking the arrogant freak's butt.
Seifer was already there, waiting. His friends, Fujiin and Rai were there too. And, as always, Vivi had tagged along as well.
Yuffie left her friends at the edge of the Sandlot, and walked off to meet Seifer in the middle. The blonde looked just as confidant as Yuffie felt. They stopped a foot away from each other, and then Seifer spoke, one word.
"Rai!" He barked, and Rai obediently came forward. Then Seifer looked at Yuffie, waiting for her to choose one of her friends to help referee the match.
The ninja considered for a moment. Hayner would have been her first choice, but he was liable to jump into the fight if provoked. No, he was not the right one. "Roxas." Yuffie said, loud enough for her blonde friend to hear, but not in the same tone Seifer had used. Seifer's one word had been hard and commanding. Yuffie's was simply firm and decisive. The spiky-haired blonde came forward, and then he and Rai laid down the rules.
"No biting, scratching, gouging or hair-pulling, y'know?"
"If it goes to the ground, we call it off and you start again from standing."
"First to fall and not get up looses y'know?"
"No groin hits. That goes to you, Yuffie."
"Keep it clean, y'know?"
Yuffie and Seifer nodded, agreeing to the rules. Then Rai and Roxas backed away. The two combatants sank into their fighting stances, waiting for Roxas's call of 'Go!' When it came, they went to it with a will.
Seifer made the first move, jumping forward with his fists flying. Yuffie sidestepped him easily, and his punch missed her by inches. As her momentum carried him past her, Yuffie simply grasped his shoulder and brought her knee smashing into his stomach. The blonde let out his breath in one big whoosh, but recovered quickly. Yuffie dodged as he came at her again, but not quickly enough. His fist connected hard with her jaw, partially stunning her. She staggered, and then Seifer was on her, hitting her hard in the stomach. Doubling over, Yuffie let out a groan, and then saw an opportunity. She tackled Seifer around the knees, bringing him down. Before Roxas could call a halt, she had bloodied Seifer's lip, and blacked his eye.
Roxas had to drag Yuffie bodily off of Seifer. "If you don't stop next time we say, you're going to lose by default." He warned her. But then he grinned and leaned toward her to whisper. "That's a nice black eye you gave him, though." Yuffie smiled.
The two contestants squared up again, and on Roxas's call of 'Go!" they started again. This time they were more wary. They circled each other, looking for an opening. Yuffie was light on her feet, but Seifer had all his weight on his feet. Yuffie decided to use that to her advantage. She feinted a left kick, and when Seifer moved to block it, she quickly changed her move in mid-kick, and leaped forward, punching him solidly on the jaw. It was over in that one, simple move. Seifer fell to the ground, unconscious. Yuffie really hadn't thought she'd hit him that hard.
Her four friends came running to her, cheering and yelling. She felt Hayner and Roxas thump her on the back, and Pence pat her shoulder. Olette stood by, beaming. Grinning, Yuffie glanced at Seifer. He had regained consciousness, but remained slumped on the ground, looking dejected.
Yuffie's smile slipped a bit when she met Seifer's eyes and saw something unidentifiable in his gaze. But she hitched it back, no problem. Ducking away from her friends, she approached Seifer and offered him her hand. He looked at her for a moment, then grasped her hand and pulled himself to his feet.
"Great fight." Yuffie said, grinning. "You were an awesome opponent."
Seifer's mouth twitched in what Yuffie thought might have been a smile. "Yeah, I never thought I would loose." He turned to walk away, but Yuffie caught his wrist.
"I'll meet you at Martin's tomorrow, four-thirty." This time Seifer really did smile.
"Deal."
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The next day found Yuffie sitting in Martin's Restaurant, waiting for Seifer. She was looking resplendent in a pink spaghetti strap and jeans. Olette had forced her to look nice. She sat tapping her fingers restlessly on the table-top, looking around curiously. She had never been in Martin's before, though she had heard of their cherry pie. Supposedly they were famous for it.
As she sat waiting, Yuffie thought over the time it had taken her to get ready. Normally it would have taken five minutes. But this time it had taken closer to thirty. She couldn't understand. It wasn't like it was a date or anything.
As that thought struck her, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder briefly, and then Seifer sat down across from her. He was dressed in his normal clothes, and he was wearing his hat. For some reason, his touch sent Yuffie's heart racing. Feeling breathless and distinctly hot in the face, Yuffie gave him a smile.
"Hi," She said, feeling strangely shy.
"Hey," Seifer replied, and then there was silence. Yuffie looked around the restaurant, taking in the people, the food, and the cute waiter who was serving food to the people a few tables down. She sent a furtive glance at Seifer, only to find that he looking completely relaxed. Cursing her own nervousness, she attempting a conversation.
"Your eye looks better." She said, meaning the black eye she had given him the day before.
"Yeah," Seifer said offhandedly. After a minute he spoke again. "You know, the funny thing is, I've never gotten a black eye from a girl before." He smiled wryly, and Yuffie blushed, rather flattered.
"Yeah, well, you got me pretty good a few times too." Not only was she a great ninja, she was modest too.
Seifer's smile widened. "Not as good as you got me." He raised a hand to his jaw reflectively, staring at a point slightly above Yuffie's head. "I underestimated you." He said after a moment.
Yuffie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, the cute waiter approached them. The ninja closed her mouth, blushing. She saw Seifer glance at her, and then he ordered two slices of cherry pie and two glasses of milk. Yuffie thought he was being civil to her for once, but then he smirked.
"I just saved your butt." He said. Yuffie didn't understand. Had she been in some danger? Tilting her head to one side, she waited for him to elaborate, which he did, gladly. "You thought that guy was hot. If I'd let you order, you would have embarrassed yourself. But he's a jerk, and a player, and he would have taken advantage of you." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and smirking.
Yuffie stared. Seifer had been protecting her? She found that hard to believe. "What makes you think I could be taken advantage of?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "And, if you don't mind my saying, you're kind of a jerk too." She didn't know what made her say it, it just slipped out.
Seifer chuckled, making Yuffie blush. At least he wasn't offended. "I may be a jerk, but I'll never bee that kind of jerk." He indicated the cute waiter with a jerk of his head. "Nah, taking advantage of girls isn't my thing." He fell silent.
Yuffie thought for a moment, looking the blonde over. He really wasn't that bad-looking, even with his scar. In fact, as she looked at him, she realized that he was probably the kind of guy who had girls swarming all over him. That thought made her insides squirm uncomfortably.
"I'll bet it'd be easy for you, though." Yuffie muttered. Seifer raised an eyebrow. Thankfully before he could ask what she meant, the waiter returned with their pie. Yuffie gave him a big, smile, and thanked him. The boy winked, giving the ninja a swift, sultry smile. Yuffie returned it, then looked back at Seifer. He was sullenly eating his pie, and staring hard at the table.
The ninja frowned, staring intently at Seifer for a minute. He glanced up briefly, met her eyes, and then lowered his gaze back to his pie. Still frowning, Yuffie took her first bite of pie. She nearly squeaked in delight. It was wonderful!
Seifer glanced up at her again, and nearly smiled. "Like it?" He asked.
Yuffie nodded. "It's awesome!" She said, beaming. Seifer returned her smile with his own, half-smirk.
They sat in silence then, eating their pie. Yuffie threw several furtive glances at Seifer, only to see his eyes flick away from her. A bit confused, she finished her pie. Then, just as she set down her fork, Seifer spoke.
"What did you mean?" He asked, looking up at her.
"When?" She inquired, tilting her head to one side.
Seifer frowned. "When you said it would be easy for me." His intense gaze made Yuffie blush.
The little ninja turned her eyes away, thinking. Her mind was reeling as she tried to think of an answer that wouldn't sound stupid. "Well, it just seems like girls would swarm over you. I mean, you just seem like that kind of guy." The words sounded stupid in her own ears. She looked back at Seifer, who chuckled, surprising her.
"Actually, I don't." He said shortly. "Now come on, let's go." He stood, and started for the door.
Yuffie followed him, stopping beside him as he paid for the pie. Unfortunately, the cute waiter was standing right there. He caught Yuffie's eye, smiled, and came over. Remembering Seifer's warning, she took a step closer to the blonde.
"Hey," The waiter said, grinning. "I've been thinking, and you seem like a nice girl. I'd like to take you out. You want to catch a movie later?"
Yuffie considered for a moment. She could tell by the way Seifer had stiffened that he was listening. Seifer had warned her that the boy was a player. Now that she thought on it, he did seem like it. She made up her mind in a split second, smiling.
"Well, thanks for the invite, but I've kind of got plans." She indicated Seifer with a nod of her head. The waiter didn't seem too disappointed. He gave the ninja an 'Oh, okay' and walked off. Yuffie stood watching him, her head to one side, until Seifer touched her shoulder.
"Let's go." He said, and Yuffie followed him outside. Yuffie hesitated, glancing sideways at him as they started toward Hayner's house. The ninja was staying with the temperamental blonde. Did Seifer expect to walk with her all the way?
They walked in silence, Yuffie skipping on every other step. Every once in a while she sent a glance at Seifer. The blonde was staring intently at his feet. The silence was awkward, and Yuffie wanted to break it, but what could she say? Seifer saved her from searching for words by speaking.
"Y'know, you're a lot cooler than I thought." He said, half-smiling. "Now I'm just wondering why you hang out with that freak Roxas and his friends so much."
Yuffie glared at Seifer, her quick temper aroused. "Maybe because they're so much cooler than you and your friends!" She snapped. She'd been stupid to suppose Seifer really wasn't that bad.
"Hey!" Seifer said, frowning. "Are you saying I'm not cool?" He stopped, and Yuffie stopped as well. She stood glaring at him with her hands on her hips.
"Maybe I am." She retorted. "But if I am, it's only because you're a jerk! If you weren't such a jerk, I would probably hang out with you more."
Seifer faltered, looking startled for a split second. "You would?" He asked. The blonde stared down at Yuffie, who licked her lips nervously. One slender brow arched, he waited for an answer that Yuffie was reluctant to give.
Yuffie gnawed her lip in an attempt to keep herself from answering. But as Seifer stared at her, she couldn't help it. "Yeah, I would." She said firmly. "As much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed hanging out with you today." She bit her lip again, biting back the rest of what she'd been unconsciously about to say. Seifer was looking incredulous enough.
After a moment Seifer spoke. "I enjoyed it too." He said, his old smirk back in place. Then, before Yuffie could register what was going on, he had bent down and pressed his mouth against hers in a kiss. The ninja had not expected such a gentle kiss could be administered by Seifer. Too surprised to care, she returned the kiss.
Seifer pulled back much too soon, and smirked. "Come hang out with me some time." He said, ruffling her raven locks. Yuffie watched him walk away, slightly dazed. Then she started home. And, as she walked, she thought that maybe, just maybe, Seifer wasn't so bad after all.
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Hmm…. That's very interesting. Like I said, I was just experimenting. I kinda like it. I got the whole idea when I asked my brother for a setting, and he gave me two words: Cherry Pie. So, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review, unless you're going to flame me. All flamers will be doused with ice cold water. You have been warned.