Disclaimer: FFVII does not belong to me. Don't sue please!
Author's Note will be at the end of the chapter.
Please enjoy~
Ten Ways to Say I Love You
#9
"3002…3003…3004…"
That was how Cloud found the young ninja, paper cranes littered around her, mumbling under her breath and folding paper in a speed that made him dizzy.
"Yuffie, what are you doing?"
The ninja's head flew up at the sound of his voice, her hand knocking off some cranes in her haste. "O-oh! Cloud! W-what are you doing here?"
He bent over and picked up some of the fallen cranes. "Finished my deliveries early. Sorry I scared you." Peering at the brightly colored paper origami, he scratched his ear. "What are you doing with so many cranes?"
Yuffie snatched them out of his hand quickly and stuffed them into a bag also filled with paper cranes. Cloud stared, mouth agape. "How many have you got there?"
"Three thousand and four," the ninja muttered reluctantly. "And you haven't scared me, Spiky! I – I was just a little – startled! Yeah, startled! That's all!" She grabbed another piece of colored paper and began to fold, her movements fluid and practiced.
Cloud chuckled, nodding. "Alright, alright. But what's all those for?"
Yuffie bit her lip, reaching for another piece of paper.
"C'mon, Yuffie. I'm not going to laugh at you, I promise."
Her hands slowed. "Well, you know how they say that if you fold one thousand cranes, you'll get one wish? That's what I'm doing."
Cloud glanced at the ever-growing pile of paper cranes. "You've got three wishes there already. How many do you want more?"
Yuffie glowered at him. "You idiot pineapple head! That's not for me! I've still got nine thousand cranes to fold before everyone gets a wish!"
His jaw hung open. "E-everyone?"
The ninja nodded, returning to her work. "One for Aerith too…" She murmured wistfully.
They were silent for a moment.
Then Yuffie turned to him and demanded, "Well? Now you know what I'm doing, go and make yourself useful! I want a strawberry parfait! Git! I'm starving!"
Just as Cloud was about to protest, a gloved hand set down a chocolate-smudged glass beside the ninja's paper pile. "There was only chocolate left."
And then, to both the blond and the ninja's surprise, the gunslinger sat down beside the ninja and began folding cranes.
"T-thanks, Vince!" Stopping her work to savor her parfait, Yuffie smiled. "You're the best, Vinnie!"
Cloud chuckled, wondering whether the sweet smile was from the help or the dessert. He plopped down as well. "Might as well help you too. I don't want you to mess up Tifa's wish."
Vincent hid a slight smile under his cloak, while Yuffie guffawed into her parfait. "Of course, Spike. Of course."
A/N: Thanks for the reviews for last chapter! And I don't know about you, but I quite like this chapter. The parfait was a reference from Gintama... uh yeah, I think I've been watching that show too much lol.
Thanks for reading!
Jean V.