Chapter 2: Obstacles and Pawns

"Heya Donald! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

The sun was high in the sky as midday approached. Yuffie fidgeted, her hands behind her back. Donald glanced at Cid, who nodded. "Won't be needin' you for a few minutes, but don't be too long."

"Right. I'll be back soon," the duck called back, and the pilot nodded. Donald turned to Yuffie. "Whatcha need?"

"Come with me," she replied, motioning to an isolated area behind one of the newer, uninhabited buildings. When they were safely out of sight and earshot, Yuffie began, as casually as she could, "So you and Squall-er, Leon seem to be getting along pretty well." She smiled nervously.

Donald nodded slowly after a moment, his eyes moving briefly to the brown-haired figure toiling away atop the unfinished wall several yards in front of them. "Yes, he's a good person. I like him." He looked back at Yuffie questioningly.

"Yeah, he's the best," she agreed. "Well, what I wanted to know is… well… Does he ever talk about me?" she finally burst out, and then she blushed deeply, failing to keep her expression nonchalant.

Donald looked up into the air at nothing, as if trying to think. At last he said, "Um, I'm sure he's mentioned you a few times, yeah. Why?"

"What has he said?" the girl continued eagerly, ignoring Donald's question.

"Nothing too major; I would've remembered if it were something big. He said that you used to be a thief," Donald added thoughtfully, causing Yuffie's embarrassment to temporarily subside to a sheepish green. "What's on your mind?" the duck continued, already knowing the answer.

"I… well, the truth is that I have a bit of a crush on him, I guess," Yuffie stammered, turning even redder. Donald said nothing. "I mean, he's only a year older than I am, and I've known him forever," the girl continued. "We've been really close since we were kids. I wondered if maybe you knew if he felt the same way."

Donald blinked. The enthusiasm he had felt the night before was dying rapidly as he looked at the girl's eager face. "I couldn't tell you," he said. "He might, but if he does, he hasn't shown me any indication."

Yuffie's face fell. After a moment, however, she looked up at Donald with an undaunted, confident expression. "Well, that's ok. I'll see if I can't find out myself. I'm hoping he'll ask me to Aerith's party."

"Why don't you just ask him yourself?" the duck replied, although he had no idea why.

Yuffie looked taken aback for a moment before her face broke into a shy grin. "Ask him myself? Wouldn't that be a little like announcing my feelings to him right then and there?"

Donald shrugged. "Tifa asked Goofy."

Yuffie's mouth fell open. "Goofy? Are you serious? But what about Cloud?"

"I don't know, but I really doubt she has any feelings for Goofy. So it probably won't be suspicious if you ask Leon." He paused. "I should be getting back to work." Donald began heading back to his pile of bricks, but Yuffie dashed after him and grabbed his arm.

"Thanks a lot, Donald. Think you could keep me updated on anything Squa-uh, Leon says about me?"

"Sure."

For the next hour, Donald tried to figure out exactly why he had just encouraged Yuffie to go after the guy he wanted. He had begun to get cold feet about the whole thing, it was true, and the confidence and excitement he had fallen asleep with were no more, having seemingly vanished when Yuffie started talking to him. Now Donald felt rather hopeless about it, having severe doubts that Leon had even considered what he was thinking. It was better for Leon to be with a human like Yuffie; that way things would be much easier for all involved. Still, a part of Donald was furious with himself for acting before he knew without a doubt what his chances were.

Bitterly, he snatched a brick from the pile and nearly flung it into Cid's waiting arms. The pilot took a few steps back, wincing. He eyed the duck with indignant concern. "Everything all right with you?" he said, his eyebrow raised. "I almost think you were tryin' to break my ribs."

"Ah, sorry about that," Donald replied hurriedly. "I'm just kinda mad at myself."

"That right?" Cid blew out a few puffs of black smoke. "Well how 'bout that," he said shortly, turning back to his work.

Leon came down the ladder towards the end of the day, drenched in sweat. Donald was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice until the warrior tapped him on the shoulder. Leon looked amused. "You space out a lot. I said your name three times and you just stood there."

"Sorry," Donald apologized for what seemed like the hundredth time that week. "What's new? How's the wall coming along?"

"Uh… See for yourself," Leon offered, gesturing awkwardly to the wall. Donald blinked stupidly and looked at it, inwardly cursing himself for his clumsy words.

"Huh. It's coming along," the duck said finally, wishing he could crawl back to Merlin's house and die. Then he felt a sudden surge of courage or perhaps desperation. Whatever it was, it drove him to speak. "Listen, Leon. About Aerith's party…" Donald hesitated, imagining how angry Yuffie would be when she found out that he had asked Leon to the party. He put it from his mind. "D'you… gah," he choked. He licked his bill, eliciting a curious look from Leon, and continued. "Do you want to go to Aerith's party with me?"

Donald's heart was now thundering in his chest, and he thought he must be trembling like a madman. If Leon's bewildered face didn't discourage him, his response did. "I'm… going with Aerith. She asked me."

"Oh." Donald was at a loss for words.

"Aerith asked me," Leon repeated.

"Oh."

After a long and very embarrassing pause, Leon coughed fakely. "I've gotta… ah. Over here," he finished weakly, and he strode off. Donald's legs shook and he felt sick to his stomach. Carrying one last brick over to Cid and wordlessly dropping it to the ground, he started for Merlin's house.

He hadn't gone far when Yuffie bounded into view clutching a party invitation. Beaming, she danced over to him and spun around excitedly, nearly falling and accidentally slapping Donald in the face. She clapped her hands to her mouth, but she didn't really seem distressed. "Sorry! I'm just so excited. I thought a lot about what you said, Donald, and I decided that it's worth a shot! I'm going to do it! I'm gonna ask Leon to the party!"

"Don't bother," Donald murmured, rubbing his face. "He's going with Aerith."

The girl's face exploded with disappointment. "Oh." She looked at her feet. "Oh. How do you know?"

"He told me a minute ago. She asked him, and I guess he accepted."

"I see." She looked dolefully at the invitation in her hand. "Well, dammit," she said, crushing it and throwing it to the ground.

"Tell me about it," the duck replied, eyeing the crumpled paper solemnly.

Yuffie looked at him with utter confusion. "Huh?"

"I just mean that I feel your pain," he added quickly, narrowly avoiding what could have been a very awkward and potentially unpleasant situation.

"Yeah, damn," she said regretfully. "Well, not much reason for me to go now."

"I guess," replied the duck, and then an idea came into his head. "Unless… do you want to go with me?"

"Huh?" she said again, giving him yet another surprised look.

"Sure," Donald continued. "We can go together. It'll be fun." From the look on Yuffie's face, he could tell that she didn't have the same opinion at all, but he was a fast thinker. "Come on, you owe me for earlier, and you can't give up yet. After all, Aerith asked Leon, not the other way around. For all you know, he might've just accepted out of courtesy when he really wanted to ask you. Besides, this way you can go to the party and spy on Leon all you want. Since you'll have a date, you won't carry a stalker vibe and he'll be less likely to be creeped out."

Yuffie's face shone with wonder and admiration. "That's a great idea, Donald! Heh, you're a sneaky one."

"You know it," Donald replied with what he wished was a fake grin. Guilt was tearing him open from the inside.

Yuffie beamed again. "I think you and I are going to become very good friends, Donald Duck." She stooped and picked up the crumpled invitation. "Well, I guess I'll see you then!"

They waved goodbye and headed in their separate directions. Donald trudged forward, feeling a strange mixture of cunning and misery. He had just manipulated an eager girl by offering her a chance to observe Leon, when the pathetic reality was that he wanted to do the very same thing and needed her there to avoid drawing the warrior's attention. He felt like such a stalker.

As he entered Merlin's house and moved toward his bed, he noticed that Goofy wasn't in yet. Merlin was asleep, as he always seemed to be when Donald got home in the evenings. The duck changed into his pajamas and climbed miserably into bed. No sooner had he shut his eyes, however, than Goofy burst into the doorway shouting excitedly.

"For God's sake!" cried Merlin, ever the light sleeper.

"Oops!" said Goofy. "Gawrsh, I forgot again, Mr. Merlin. I'm real sorry."

The wizard snorted in reply and turned away, going back to sleep almost instantly. Goofy crept to Donald's bedside looking as if it was all he could do to keep from jumping up and down. "Guess who just asked me to Aerith's party?" he whispered.

"Uh, Sephiroth?" Donald asked. Goofy nodded gleefully. "But didn't you already say you'd go with Tifa?" the duck said quietly, giving his friend an unintentionally stern look.

Goofy's smile faded a little. "Well, yeah, and I still am, but don't you see what this means? It means that Sephiroth wanted to go with me, just like I wanted to go with him!" He began humming and tugging off his work clothes.

Donald grinned wearily. "True enough. I'm happy for you, pal. Maybe next time you and he can go together."

"Let's hope so," Goofy practically sang, struggling into his pajamas. Donald turned over in bed and stared at the far wall, wondering why in the world Tifa would want to ask Goofy to be her date to a party.

"How 'bout you, buddy? You got a date yet?" Goofy went on, beaming.

Donald smiled back at his friend. "Yeah, I asked Yuffie not too long ago."

Goofy's mouth fell open. "Yuffie? Garwsh…"

Donald grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Why so surprised? What are you trying to say, Goofy?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Goofy hastily added, smiling good-naturedly. "Good goin'!"

"Yeah, good going," Donald murmured, half to himself. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "Leon thinks you're crazy and Yuffie thinks you're a saint," he said under his breath. "Good freakin' job, duck."