Alright guys! It's been awhile, and rules have changed. I took out the lyrics, but this first chapter is still loosely based on a song by Norah Jones called "Cold, Cold, Heart." It's totally awesome and you should listen to it. I decided to change the title as well… Thanks for bearing with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, then Squall would be in it more. Oh yeah, the song Cold Cold Heart is sung by Norah Jones and it is one of my favorite songs.

Cold, Cold Heart

She watched him eat his breakfast, sitting at the café. He was such an enigma to her. Maybe that was why she felt drawn toward him. Yuffie figured he knew that he entranced her, but he didn't show it. She didn't mind, really. 'Leon' saw her watching him.

"What?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." She looked back down.

Yuffie didn't know how many times she'd tried to talk to him. A real conversation. The thought seemed so nice. But he was just so cold. The only way to get any response at all was to bug him. Then he'd just get mad. And that never turned out well.

"Sq-Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me or something?"

He looked puzzled. "Why would you say that?"

"You don't ever talk to me about anything. And we're fighting partners. We share the same room… the same bed. Why are you so cold to me?"

He thought about it. It wasn't really intentional, but her perky, independent attitude reminded him of… her. He didn't say anything. She sighed.

"I just wish you'd open up to me."

"You sound like Aerith…" He wondered why she was acting so strangely. She usually would be babbling on about who knows what.

"We could talk about anything… everything. How's your food? What kind of music do you like to listen to? Movies… Sports… Card games… Rinoa…"

'How does she remember Rinoa?' He wondered. 'She couldn't have been over seven when she…'

Yuffie was looking at him expectantly.

He remembered when he first met Rinoa, she approached him with the same subject.

He looked at her blankly. "Just… leave me alone, Yuffie." He couldn't stand her pity. Why would she pity him?

Yuffie frowned. "Fine. If you can't stand me that much, I'll just leave. And go far away. Aerith and Cloud don't need me, they've got each other. And we clearly see that you don't need me. I'm not going to hang around unwanted. I hate you just as much as you hate me, Squall." She threw a few munny gems on the table and ran out, headed for the hotel.

"Yuffie…" He sighed.

Back in the Green Room, Yuffie looked at herself in the mirror.

"Why? Why couldn't I just leave it alone? Why do I have to care about him so much? I can't stand to see him so sad. Damn… it didn't use to be that bad. He didn't use to be that lonely and withdrawn."

She remembered back at the Coliseum.

It was right after the Pegasus cup, and she and Squall had fought together, but they still had been no match for the Keyblade wielding Sora.

Leon wasn't very good at magic, so Yuffie was healing his wounds.

"Who knew that the unbreakable Squall Leonhart could be beat by a little kid waving a key around? I'm ashamed of you. The Greatest Ninja Ever can't let her image go down because of her fighting partner." She scratched her head, thoughtful. "Of course, I lost too…"

Leon stood up. He smirked and ruffled her hair. "Better luck next time, right?"

What caused this uncharacteristic un-Leon-ness? She would forever wonder. "Right! The Greatest Ninja Ever never gives up!"

"Let's get back to Aerith."

But Yuffie was giving up now. She didn't know what she could do anymore. She felt like she was causing him pain just by being there.

'I mean, I miss Rinoa too. She was my favorite babysitter (not that I'd ever tell Aerith). I miss everyone too. But I don't let it get me down. They wouldn't want that.' She sighed in frustration. She couldn't stand him. She felt sorry for him. She loved him. All at the same time. She couldn't do anything, and it was driving her crazy.

"I'm leaving." She told no one in particular. Leaving the man she was in love with.

She knew it would hurt, but maybe she could get over it.

"Should I leave a note?"

She decided against it. He wasn't going to come after her. She put on her backpack and jumped off the balcony up onto the roof and went to steal a gummi ship. She stopped and sat down.

"Do I really want to do this? Why did it have to be this way?" She just didn't understand.

Squall sat at the café, pensive. Should he go after her? Would he be sad to lose her? Yes. He would. Her annoying antics kept him going through the day and her constant getting in trouble and needing to be saved gave him a reason to be there.

He ran out of the café, forgetting about breakfast.

'She wouldn't have gone already, would she?'

He barges into the Green Room. "Yuffie?" He looked around. She wasn't there.

"What do I do now? Damn…"

Well, you know the drill… R/r!