It had been three days and, in Yuffie's opinion, not much had changed. She and Reno were still holed up in the cave, stuck on Mount Nibel until the blizzard passed. Things weren't looking good, as the blizzard had picked up momentum, rather than dying down.
More importantly however, even after that momentous night, things between the travelers were still so…normal. Reno still made his lewd comments about her legs and lack of chest, or which ways he could bend her in naked wrestling. And of course, Yuffie still stomped on his foot or smacked him upside the head after every remark, screeching at the top of her lungs while enjoying his pained expression as her voice echoed gratingly.
The Turk—her Turk, she grinned—was currently out trying to battle his way through the storm to hopefully find some viable firewood. The duo had resorted to burning food leftovers and any scrap of cloth they could possibly spare. It was currently nighttime, chilly inside the cave, and they had nothing to start a fire with. Life had gotten a little more miserable, and a lot more bleak when Yuffie though about the newly changed decision she had to make.
"Leviathan, you really are a jerk, ya know that? I bet you knew this was gonna happen. Not only am I gonna lose any future I had with my country, but I'm gonna lose Reno too!" The ninja sighed… "Yeah… you're a meanie alright. 'Cause you know what's even funnier? If I had fallen for him under normal circumstances, I would've had to give up my country anyway… If I chose to be with him that is. And… as much as I'd like to tell you to shove your sacred rituals up your ass… I… I can't do that to Cloud. Or Teef."
The gloom was going to set in again. It was drafty. The surrounding walls gave no sense of comfort in the darkness, and no sense of familiarity, even though Yuffie had been staring at their stone faces for days.
There was a slight scuffling to her left. Reno was back.
"Nothing to find, Princess. Sorry." He threw himself down next to her, or tried to at least. In the dark he overshot it and ended up in the indignant ninja's lap.
"ACK! Reno! Do you mind? And Gawd, you're heavy!"
"Sorry…again." He shifted off of her and then pulled her into his lap.
"You're tired." It wasn't a question.
"Well, tramping through five-billion mile-an-hour winds isn't my idea of an easy workout, babe."
Yuffie peered at his face through the darkness. "Then go to sleep, dummy. I can keep watch tonight. Although… if a mighty Turk can't get through this wind, I doubt much else can."
She could hear his palm scratching over stubble as he rubbed his face. "We don't need to keep watch. If I'm sleeping, you're sleeping with me."
"Reno, we've been through this. Just because you shoved your tongue down my throat doesn't mean—"
"Yuff? Shut up and get in my bedroll."
"Ooh, bossy….I like that! What's next, talking dirty?" She was overdoing the teasing, but she still got up and felt around for the bedroll, fumbling as she unrolled it.
"Since when has it been your job to be the inappropriate one?" Reno's voice was amused, as much as he tried to hide it.
"Since you became the cranky one." She stuck her tongue out as she climbed into the warm sleeping bag and he squished in next to her.
"Pfft. Reno the Awesome does not get cranky."
"You did that one time I stole your hair gel and replaced it with Jell-O."
"My hair was fucking sticky for a week after that!"
"Oh sue me. Do you know how long it took me to get the Jell-O in that stupid bottle? And I had to make two batches 'cause Marlene made me spill the first one. AND I didn't even get to videotape your face when you realized what it was 'cause—" And then Yuffie was too preoccupied with Reno's lips to remember what she had been talking about in the first place.
Nothing had changed… and everything had changed.
Morning found the Ninja-Turk twosome rather hungry, rather grumpy and still facing a snowstorm.
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME!"
"Yuffie—"
The ninja whirled to face him. "Reno, I fucking miss Wutai. It's warm there. It's sunny. We don't have to put up with any of this bullshit snow AND we have food. And fire. And everything awesome and Wutaiian and amazing and homey and I'mgonnastartcryingifIdon'tstoprightnow."
"What was that last part?"
"Nothing." She slumped against the wall and slid down into a seated position. It scraped against her back and stung a little bit too. Good. At least that meant she could still feel. Reno sauntered over to her and sat down.
"At least I didn't end up in your lap this time." He elbowed her lightheartedly. A small huff of air escaped as an attempt at laughter.
"Do you think I was too harsh on Vincent?" Reno's eyes narrowed a bit.
"I think…" 'Think objectively Reno. Not jealously.' "Maybe you were, Yuffs."
"But…Reno, it's Shelke. Robot-chick. She's twelve!"
"I dunno, Yuffs. Still… you gotta think about it in terms of importance. Vincent's your friend. He's happy with her…I have no idea how, but he is." Yuffie giggled a little. "Just…I guess if you wanna look at it morbidly, think about if you were gonna die tomorrow or something. Would you really want to have lost a friend over his choice in a girlfriend? Except this is Vince, so he probably refers to her as his lover or something sappy like that. He's gonna be the one putting up with her, not you, and—"
Reno kept talking, but Yuffie's mind was stuck, like a CD skipping.
"Think about if you were gonna die tomorrow or something."
'Well, maybe not tomorrow, but maybe in a week or two. No sense in dawdling seeing as I've found the thing.'
Reno had stopped speaking and his eyes were currently tracing the shape of Yuffie's face, carefully memorizing. She was deep in thought about something, and had been spacing out like this occasionally, ever since he'd joined her. It wasn't often, but it was enough for him to notice.
"Snap outta it, Princess." His voice seemed to break her reverie. She looked at him with wide eyes, and Reno could've sworn he saw a sputter of sadness in her glance.
"Just thinkin', Turkey." Yuffie flashed a grin she didn't feel, and reached up to pinch his cheek. "Worry about me?"
"All the time." His answer threw her for a loop.
"Huh?" Ever the eloquent one, Yuffie was.
"I think I've worried about you since I met you. Not in an affectionate way at first, just in general. You're so free. I used to think you were too free."
Yuffie frowned slightly, a little offended. "There's no such thing as 'too free.'"
"Oh yes there is." The voice next to her was chillingly serious. "People like you… they get hurt and they fall and they think their freedom will catch them. In the end, it doesn't. They hit the ground and they shatter. I've seen it." His voice dropped to a mumble. "That's why I came. I don't know what you're looking for Yuffie, but I worry that you just might find it."
His words fell like stones in the bottom of a lake, dead and cold and unfeeling. Yuffie worried her bottom lip between her teeth and ice filled her insides.
"Where'd all this maturity come from?"
"Someone I care about is scaring the shit out of me." Reno's words did little to thaw her, but the lips on hers helped. It was strange that words so frigid could form in a mouth so gentle, roll off of a tongue so warm. It was frightening that the hands that left flaming trails on her skin could leave others lifeless and cold at the pull of a trigger. Yuffie's hands were no cleaner, her manner no more innocent and maybe they were perfect for each other in just that way.
They were both so much the same around each other, and yet so different inside; Reno torn up by a nagging worry that maybe this journey would end badly, and Yuffie rotting with the knowledge of just what she would have to give up. It wasn't just about her anymore, it was about Reno. But it was also about Cloud and Tifa and the baby and her country and too many things to sort out in the time she had left.
Their passion was reckless, their feelings quick to consume and maybe too fast to make sense to other people. It was cold in the cave but they were warm together as clothes were shed and hands wandered and Yuffie fought back tears at losing a future of this ardor with him.
"Strength without determination means nothing. And determination without strength is equally useless."
Several hours later, Yuffie woke to silence. She was wrapped in a warm pair of arms and an equally warm bedroll and as she moved, a tugging on her scalp hinted at extremely tight knots in her short hair.
But it was dead silent. No shrieking wind or splintering ice…just quiet, pure and feathery.
She shifted slightly, eyes still shut tight against the brightness attempting to invade their sleepy depths. As she turned, Reno's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against his torso.
After the maturity he displayed earlier, Reno's first words of the day were unexpected. "I always knew you could bend better than anyone else."
"You have got to be kidding me!!" Her tangled hair whipped around her face as she sat up and glared at the redhead beside her. The death stare would've been more potent if she wasn't squinting against the blinding light or fighting off the shivers as the air hit her rather naked body.
A throaty chuckle erupted from between Reno's lips, and Yuffie felt a tightening in her stomach as she remembered just what had gone on a few hours previous.
"That's really the first thing you're going to say to me, Reno? Really? I am sooo taking your materia once this journey's over."
Still chuckling, he sat up beside her and put his hands on either side of her face. "Mm… how about this? Yuffie…" his teasing eyes dimmed to a more serious glimmer. "I love you. I have no idea how it even happened so quickly, but I haven't been this sure about something in a very long time."
The ninja smiled from her mouth to her toes to her eyeballs, her face childishly innocent and centuries wise at the same time. "I know, Turkey. You're pretty bad at hiding stuff from me."
He smirked at her, ever the cocky Turk. "Not trying to hide anything, Princess."
Yuffie pecked him quickly on the cheek before scrambling out of the bedroll and beginning the hunt for a clean(er) set of clothes. It wasn't until they were both fully dressed before the silence truly hit them.
"Ohmygawd! The blizzard stopped! Reno, we can finally get out of this hell-hole!" And then she was spinning frenziedly, locked in Reno's arms and they were both cackling, ecstatic to finally see the sun's smile and leave their dank cave's gloom behind.
The trek over the mountain proved to be difficult, thanks to the influx of snow that had occurred over the past four days. Not much talking passed between the pair of travelers; they simply struggled to wade through the snow and took down the occasional monster. It was a trip that should have taken no more than a half-day, but by the time Yuffie and Reno reached the down slope, the sun was suspended low in the sky, casting crimson and mango streaks across the snow.
"Wanna just run from here?" Yuffie grinned wearily at her worn partner.
"How can you think about running through this mess, babe? Knowing you, you'll trip over something." Reno scraped a hand over his chin and winced at how stubbly his face was becoming.
Yuffie turned to face the snowy path ahead of her. Her eyes were narrowed and steely as a barely-there smile twisted across her lips. "It's almost as freeing as flying."
She took off sprinting.
Reno cursed as the lithe woman careened away from him, each bound sending her toward a precarious situation. And he was going to fucking follow her. Yuffie was making him go insane, this was pure proof.
Yards ahead of him, Yuffie was panting and laughing and lost in the thrill. She had a huge challenge ahead of her, but right now it was just her and the air, breathing and living and flying and falling and free. Being with Reno had given her the same thrill.
The Turk tearing down the mountain behind her was beginning to understand her feelings of freedom. At this speed, you knew if you fell it would hurt like hell, but that mattered least of all. Ripping pain would be worth it for this feeling. This was how Yuffie lived, and Reno was just beginning to grasp it.
The fall was eventually going to occur.
One second, Yuffie was between strides, wind-tears streaming from her eyes and a giggle bubbling over her chin. The next, her foot had caught on something beneath the snow and she was sent into a tumbling fall, crashing against sharp stones and hardened roots and finally skidding to a stop at the foot of the mountain, seeing double with a trickle of something sticky and warm trailing across her temple.
Reno had been right. The fall would shatter her. Not this fall, but the one for him. She felt his hands, so familiar now, pushing her damp hair back from her face as she began to fade to black.
Would he be forever taking care of her? Maybe not for much longer.
She had come to a warm place. Her aching back was cushioned by something plush and soft. A scratching above her ears gave away that fact that her head was bandaged and the smell of tea coming from somewhere to her left confirmed that she was at Cid's house. She sat up quickly, a grin spreading over her features despite the spinning of her vision and throbbing of her head.
"CID! GET YOUR UGLY ASS IN HERE!"
At her cry, Reno started awake from his uncomfortable slumber in the chair next to Yuffie's bed.
"Yuffie, sit the fuck back in bed!" He yelled more out of shock than anything else, before adding, "...And how are you feeling?"
Her response was cut off by Cid barreling into the small room.
"Brat! You finally woke your lazy ass up!"
"Shut up, old man! I am so totally not lazy! You're the one sitting around drinking tea all day."
"Fuck off, girlie. I've earned my laziness."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever helps ya sleep at night."
The two sized each other up for another moment before they broke into equally happy grins. Cid grunted a bit as Yuffie threw herself into his stomach, squeezing him in a hug. He managed to wheeze out a chuckle. "You're still the same stupid brat."
"And you're still the same cranky old man." They broke apart and Cid scratched his head.
"So you're shackin' up with this one, huh?" He jerked his head in Reno's direction. "Never thought I'd see the day Yuffs, always thought you'd end up with Brood or something." Reno glared at him.
Yuffie wrapped her arms around Reno's waist to calm him down. "Nah, Vincent's too broody. Plus he's with…" An inner debate to tell Cid about Shelke took place in about .2567 seconds. "He's with someone else. And on top of that, I'm not interested."
"Well… that's all good and well then but," Cid's icewater eyes zeroed in on Reno's face. "You hurt her, Turk… You'll wish you'd never lived. Venus Gospel will be so far up your—"
Yuffie's horrified screech interrupted Cid's attempt at intimidation. "EW! Grossness! He gets it Cid, and he's not going to hurt me. I seem to hurt myself enough as is, Reno just ends up cleaning the mess."
The tense air in the room faded, and Cid drew Yuffie out to the kitchen for some tea. Reno decided to catch up on sleep in the bed that she had been recuperating in, which gave the two comrades some time alone to catch up.
"So you're just making the rounds, huh?"
"Yup. Staying in Edge was suffocating me, so I decided to visit everybody. After this we're heading to Wutai and then we'll probably go back to Edge. I dunno what happens after that though. Where's Shera, by the way?"
"She's in bed. The baby's due any day now, but she's so big she can hardly waddle around anymore. So I made her get in bed."
"That's so exciting though! Are you ready to be a dad, do you think?"
"Kid… I have no fucking clue how to be a dad. Mine was shittier than I can tell ya, but… I want to be one. I think that's what's most important."
Yuffie smiled. "Well… Godo definitely wanted to be a father, but I think he wanted a son more than anything else. He got over that complex eventually though…" She paused to take a sip of warm tea. "You'll be an awesome dad, Cid."
"As long as my kids don't turn out like you. Then I might drown their sorry asses."
"Excuse me?! You'll be lucky if they turn out like me! Gorgeous and awesome and ninja-like! Just make sure to tone down that potty-mouth of yours so Shera doesn't go insane with all the cursing flying around."
They both chuckled quietly, conscious of their sleeping partners behind closed doors.
Cid's next question was a little unexpected. "Yuffie… Why Reno? How the fuck did that happen?"
The young woman pondered over another gulp of tea. "Ya know what, Cid? I think we were both looking for something…and we found it in each other. We both needed to get away from the suffocation of Edge and breathe and travel and find adventure. I was being suffocated by what happened with…Tif. He was being choked by the office life. He's helped me try to move on and I've shown him how to breathe again."
Cid nodded, eyes understanding. "It was always there with you two. You always were flirtin' like some fuckin' lovesick teens. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."
"Nah… I was surprised too. These past three weeks have been weird."
"You've changed a lot, kid. You're… more steely. It's all over your face."
Yuffie frowned into her mug. He was right, and she hadn't realized, but hearing it from someone else's mouth, it was rather evident. Through everything, her determination had barely wavered. Godo would be proud of her. Or pissed about what she was doing, but maybe proud as well.
Since she was a small girl, Yuffie had always had a fierce determination, from not getting caught stealing candy from her cousins to trying to destroy Shin-Ra in the war. This journey had strengthened her determination, however. Never before had she needed to fight so hard against herself; that was where the change must have originated. It takes great will and strength to fight so hard against your very nature, especially when that nature is just as resolute. The journey had already bred an irrevocable transformation in the extent of her drive, and Yuffie was going to need it.
Not too long after, Cid turned in for the night, creaking down the hall towards his and Shera's bedroom. Yuffie stayed up a little later to wash and put away their mugs, before heading into the guest room to get some more sleep herself.
"You're late." Reno mumbled as she snuggled in next to him.
"Just catching up. Lots to discuss." She replied through a yawn.
"I missed you." He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck.
"You're cute when you're half-asleep, Turkey."
"You're sexy all the time."
She giggled quietly. "Goodnight, Reno.
"'Night, Yuffs."
"I love you too, by the way."
"I know."
When morning came, Yuffie would have to find her determination all over again. Right then, however, she simply succumbed to affection for the man next to her, and fell into a deep sleep.
(AN: I'm alive again! YAY! AP's are finally over, and the school year is winding down so I really hope to be updating more… even though I say that all the time and it never happens. ANYHOO, Thanks again to my awesome reviewers, your input is always appreciated: starbrightdreamer, koalababay, jennie300303, Kaikai PANTS, Darkened-Skys, Jillian Leonhart, Polkaspot Pajamas, strawberrysodapop and JingYee! Also, a special thanks to Jillian Leonhart for letting me know the real backstory of the Turks, even though I'll probably still make up my own every time I write a new fic, it's good information to know XD. Liked it? Hated it? Drop a review!)
