Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII. Square does.
Hearts Desire
"Damn it!" Cloud Strife cursed under his ragged breath. He was very much pissed at the young ninja and at himself. Had he not invited her to spend her vacation with him at his rest house in sunny Costa del Sol, he would still be relaxing under the sun right now, not running after his stolen materia.
If it were his elemental magic materia, he wouldn't care pursue her. He preferred physical attacks over magic anyway. And he could just purchase such spheres at materia shops scattered everywhere. But the clever ninja did not steal his green magic materia. She had stolen ALL of his yellow command materia. This included his favorite Double-cut materia, which allowed him to have four consecutive strikes and his precious Final Attack materia, the materia that made him virtually invincible.
"The materia's MINE. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk," he heard her snicker. Aggravated, he hastened his pace and eventually caught up with the huffing girl. He leapt on her to stop her from getting away, causing the two of them to fall onto the grass.
"You spikey-headed jerk! Get off of me!!!"
"I'm not letting you go until you give back my materia!"
"You want your materia?"
"Yeah. Give it back NOW!"
"Alrighty! If you say so!" She got one of the green spheres from her pocket and hit the blonde's head with it. Cloud rolled to the side allowing Yuffie to get away, his body curled, his face wincing in pain.
"Oww…" Cloud rubbed his head with his gloved palm, trying to ease the pain. "I should've never trusted that damned thief!" He clumsily got to his feet and continued chasing the sly girl.
His aquamarine eyes saw her figure standing on top of one of the grassy hills. Her hands were on her knees, her chest expanding and contracting, gasping for air. It was obvious that she was resting. "I got you now," he chuckled in his thoughts. Feeling ninja-ish as well, he stealthily made his way up the hill, using all the trees along the way for cover. Once he reached the peak, he tiptoed towards the oblivious raven-haired girl and grabbed her from behind.
"Heh heh heh. You think you're so sneaky, eh?"
"Get your hands off me!" Yuffie shouted as she struggled against his powerful grasp. Her struggling made the grinning mercenary lose his balance, causing the two of them to tumble down the hill.
"Gyaaaah!!! You STUPID jerk!"
"You… You KLEPTOMANIAC!"
"You PSYCHO! Creeping up to me like that!"
"MATERIA WHORE!!!"
"MAKO MUTANT!!!"
Down the hill they rolled exchanging cruel words with each other, their bodies locked in what seemed like an embrace, their clothes and hair dirtied by the grassy soil.
Their tumbling finally came to a stop and they found themselves on the sandy shore. The gentle waves murmured among themselves as the sun kissed the sea farewell. The sky was orange. So was the sea. Everything had a touch of the warm color except for the black silhouette of the two beings on the sand.
They froze and dared not to utter a word or move. He was on top of her, their faces, mere inches apart. His aquamarine pools traveled from her beautiful almond-shaped eyes to her fine lips, her warm breath teasing his skin. He felt so helpless, so vulnerable, captivated by her beauty.
His lips drawn to hers, he lowered his head and kissed her.
She could've slapped him, or pushed him away. But she didn't. Instead, she kissed him back, setting an explosion of fireworks inside her heart. It was a new feeling for her, a new feeling that seemed even more gratifying than having all the materia in the world.
He felt her smile under his kiss. Pleased, he broke off and watched as her eyes fluttered opened, their eyes meeting in a passionate gaze.
A sudden rush of confusion and uneasiness crept into her soul. Her brown pools quickly averted its stare towards the sinking sun, breaking the intense gaze between them.
His senses finally coming back to him, Cloud quickly stood up and softly exclaimed, "I-I'm sorry.". He extended his hand to the girl who still lying on the ground and helped her get up.
Her cheeks darkened in a blush as she felt his gloved fingers entwined with hers. Feeling shy and slightly embarrassed, she quickly let go of his clasp. "I-I have to go," she stammered, unable to look Cloud in the eye. "Uhh… See ya!"
Cloud watched as the suddenly bashful girl disappeared into the sunset, disappeared with his materia in tow. Realization hitting him only now, he slapped his forehead and muttered another curse. He was too lost in her presence awhile ago that he had forgotten about his stolen spheres. Concerned about his lost materia (or at least he claimed to be. Deep inside he knew that he just wanted an excuse to see her again.), he got the bulky Party Hensei System from his pocket, thanking God that it didn't get damaged from their fall. He brought the handset close to his ear and called the witty thief.
"Yuffie! You greedy girl! Give me back my materia!"
"Finders keepers, losers weepers! Heh heh heh."
"Tch, fine! How about a trade then? You give me back my yellow command materia and I'll give you ALL of my green magic materia."
"No way!"
"All of my green magic materia and red summon materia?"
"Nuh-uh! Sorry Cloud."
"Green magic materia, red summon materia and a date?" The words quickly stumbled from his lips that Cloud didn't have a chance to hold them back. He slapped his forehead once again, mentally cursing himself for his stupidity. How he wanted to die that very moment. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for her response (which he expected to be some sort of a giggle or another Nuh-uh!).
Yuffie bit her inner cheek, trying her best to stop smiling. Cloud had just offered to take her out for a date. She pinched her cheeks again and again, trying to see if she was just dreaming. But she was in no trance. She was wide-awake and blushing like mad thanks to her pinching and Cloud's offer. Lost in her thoughts, she had almost forgotten about Cloud who was on the other line. Finally giving in to her heart, she ecstatically said, "Deal.".
The single word was enough to make Cloud's spirit soar. He ended the call and curved his lips with a smile, his heart beaming as well. He made his way towards her village, Wutai, only to return to his cottage one again. "Better be safe than sorry," he said to himself as he placed his master magic and master summon materia inside his cabinet. "She is a thief." Yes, she was a thief, a thief who had not only stolen his materia, but had also stolen his heart.
With his heart and mind at ease, Cloud left Costa del Sol and made a mental note to himself to pass by the Kalm traveler's house on his way to Wutai and thank him for giving him master materia in exchange for a stupid harp. His smile stretched into a grin as he praised himself for his ingenuity. Between the two of them, he was the clever one. He didn't lose anything. In fact, he had even gained something from her little thievery (aside from the bruises and bumps he got earlier). He had captured her heart.
fin