Yuffie unconsciously slouched and wrapped her arms around herself to hide herself or at least avoid his omnipresent gaze. It was more than annoying to find that no matter how many minutes passed his eyes would remain on her, those strange bright eyes staring out of the darkness. She didn't even feel comfortable enough to lay down, get under covers or change into her pajamas. So there she was just sitting up against the headboard of her bed, watching him watch her.
"Will you stop it?" There was silence, in which he still continued to watch her. "Come on, it's getting kind of freaky now. Like it wasn't before..." his gaze remained unwavering. There were so many things he needed to think about, to figure out. With his mother, with everything. At this point in time, he felt like everything was being ripped away from him. He watched Yuffie, as if he might suddenly find the answer to what it was about her that- "Stop staring at me damnit!" Yuffie exploded. "You don't have to watch me every minute!" He shifted on his bed, looking to the ceiling.
"Yes, perhaps I don't even have to watch you at all. I don't think you'll run, not even you are that stupid."
" I liked you better when you were depressed." Yuffie huffed. Kadaj narrowed his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" The tone of his voice had sharpened quite a bit, but Yuffie was never one to take a hint.
"You know, after you were freaking out on the wall I-"
"Quiet, you don't know anything!" Kadaj said harshly. Yuffie inhaled, now feeling quite stupid for actually being a little concerned for him. She wished she'd just left him there.
"You are so ungrateful!" she jumped out of bed and attempted to turn the light on. He was right where she was a second later, blocking her access to the lamp. "What are y-"
"The lights stay off. And how am I ungrateful?" he said viciously. She could almost feel the bite in his voice. Yuffie tried to push passed him but he was steady where he stood.
"I-" Yuffie kept her words. Now that she actually had to put her reasons into words, it sounded horribly sappy and kind of embarrassing. She couldn't very well tell him that she had been concerned for him, even if only slightly. He would probably laugh at her anyway. "Move out of my way." she said, reaching behind him to turn the lamp. He pushed her arm away.
"Answer the question." he said, eyes much brighter up close. Yuffie's breath caught in her throat and she remained silent, looking down at the floor she could hardly see. There only indication that it was even there was the feel of solid ground under her feet. He could see very well in the dark and he saw her look around, anywhere but at him.
"I wish I had run." she said under her breath. But he heard. He took one more step towards her.
"I would have liked to see you try." Yuffie balled her fists.
"Bastard.". He suddenly caught her eye and was reminded of her curious gaze just about an hour prior when he was sitting on the floor of the pawn shop, after Sephiroth had taken it upon himself to play messenger. He suddenly caught on.
"I don't need your help." he said quietly. Yuffie snapped her head up.
"Well...good! Because I would never help you. You don't deserve it anyway." she said indignantly, knowing her words were contradicting her earlier actions. Kadaj scoffed.
"The day I need help from a human..."
"You needed it today." she shot back. He was silent, watching her reproachfully.
He turned on the light, shoved her away from him.
"Get away from me." he said. He didn't need anyone's help. Yuffie glared at him.
"Get awa- what!? You're the one who constantly feels the need put your hands all over me!" Kadaj blinked, a bit taken aback. Mainly because he realized it was completely true.
"And yet you seem to enjoy it." He said nastily, Yuffie couldn't believe what he was implying.
"Only in your wildest dreams Kadaj." He smirked.
" Should you be so lucky." Yuffie narrowed her eyes.
"Oh yeah, I'm just dying for you to try and molest me again." Kadaj's mouth fell open.
Yazoo sat up in the darkness, annoyed. And then he heard Loz groan somewhere in the corner.
"Have they been at it all night?" Yazoo asked. Loz sighed.
Actually, no. But now-" Loz was interrupted by a loud crash in their room. "Yeah, that."
"If he doesn't kill her soon, I'll do it myself." Loz laughed and Yazoo was silent. They could hear more bickering start up in Kadaj and Yuffie's room.
"Kadaj wouldn't let you." Yazoo shook his head.
"I know."
"Why though?"
"I do not know Loz." Loz was quiet for a bit and Yazoo laid back down to try to fall asleep again.
"What about mother?" Yazoo's eyes snapped open, he was sure he'd heard the heavy swallowing sound that Loz always made before he started crying.
"Let us hope that this is just an aberration." Both brothers knew that when Kadaj's mind was set, there was no stopping him.
"I hope so." Yazoo noticed that Loz's words were a bit gargled.
"Loz, don't-" Loz quickly wiped away a tear that had escaped.
"I'm not." Yazoo pulled his covers back on.
"Right."
Yuffie blew a feather out of her bangs.
"I'm not paying for this mess." Kadaj looked at the glass that was scattered around the floor.
"You don't have to worry about that." Kadaj smirked.
"That was a nice fruit bowl...hey, what do you mean by that?"
"What do you think I paid for Loz and Yazoo's room with?" he said looking her square in the eye. Yuffie rolled her eyes disbelievingly and scoffed. She crossed her arms looked out of the window into the dark blue sky. But the more time passed she started to have her doubts. She would've known if he taken her money right? Being a ninja she would've noticed something like that right? Of course she would! But then again...
She looked into her pockets and was more than shocked to see them empty. She looked closer and starting digging with the tips of her fingers only to find nothing. She slowly looked up to his smug face.
"You asshole! You stole my money!" Yuffie tried to figure out when it could've happened but she couldn't think of anything. That bothered her a lot.
"Like you stole my sword?" Yuffie's eyes widened.
"But...that's...different!" she stomped her foot. Kadaj was only mildly amused and he humored her.
"How so?" Yuffie's brow wrinkled.
Because! I'm The Great Ninja Yuffie, damnit!" Kadaj raised an eyebrow.
"That justifies your thievery?" Yuffie looked up, dumbfounded.
"Wow, are you giving me a lesson in morals?" she laughed. Kadaj shrugged, now bored of the conversation. He turned his back on her and apparently it was the wrong thing to do. Because as soon as him back was turned she tackled him right into the table. Not being sturdy in the first place it broke under the impact. They both toppled to the ground and Kadaj got up qucikly, looking at her like she was insane.
"You really are stupid." He started to advance on her, but when interrupted by the sudden appearance of another clerk of the hotel.
"Just what is going on here!?" Yuffie laughed nervously and looked at Kadaj.
"You just had to make all that noise!" she whispered harshly. Kadaj glared.
"Me? you have some-"
"Excuse me! You two better do some explaining!" the proprietor said angrily, raking a hand through his frazzled hair.
"I'll explain to him alright..." Kadaj said running a hand down his sword. Yuffie gasped, instantly thinking about Yazoo shooting that man in the club.
"Kadaj, don't-"
"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"
"They'll kick us out-"
"Excuse me! I'm getting complaints from almost every room on this level-" Kadaj advanced on the man.
"I don't like your tone." he said nastily. The man eyed the sword warily. And when he spotted the silver hair, he started taking steps back. Smiling Kadaj moved closer to proprietor. "And I don't appreciate being interrupted."
The man moved a couple paces back.
"S..s..sorry...I-"
"Should leave before I feel the need to remove you myself." The man moved towards the door and tripped. Kadaj might have even allowed him to get up but what came out of the man's mouth next eliminated that chance.
"S..s..Sephiroth?" Kadaj frowned.
"Wrong answer." Kadaj brought his sword down in a clean arc and before she knew it Yuffie was watching the man's head roll across the floor. She covered her mouth to veil the scream.
"Oops, it slipped." Kadaj said, watching as the headless body sank to the ground.
"Dude! What the hell!" Yuffie screamed. Okay, this vacation officially sucked. The shock had a numbing effect and she found that she couldn't cry, scream or lash out at him. She just stood there watching as he walked over the head and picked it up by the hair. She was breathing so hard, her throat was starting to hurt and suddenly she felt the urge to throw up everything she'd eaten, ever. Kadaj held up the head and looked at her.
"His blood is on your hands." Kadaj smiled viciously. Yuffie turned away. "This didn't have to happen. It's a shame." he said with pseudo sympathy.
"I have to use the bathroom." Kadaj smiled as she ran passed him.
When the door shut he dropped the head and fell onto his bed. There were so many things he didn't understand. How many dirty humans were there that one loss was so tremendous? Kadaj's whole body tensed and the familiar fiery feeling returned to all of his limbs.
"I'm pleased to see that you haven't lost all of your backbone." a cold voice snapped.
"Mother?"
"Honestly Kadaj, who else would it be?" Kadaj was going to bring up that they hadn't talked in an eternity, but he held his tongue. "Lately you've been consistently disappointing." Kadaj was silent. "And I'm starting to believe that you don't want this reunion as much as the rest of us."
"No, I want it more than anything." Kadaj said desperately.
"Then why is that filth still living? I told you that she would slow you down, but you were certain she would help. But now she is a flaw in the plan. We don't have room for flaws and I want her eliminated." Kadaj was ashamed. "Sephiroth wouldn't have had this problem."
Kadaj suddenly thought back to their conversation.
"Am I going to die, mother?" he asked. Jenova was caught off guard. "Am I going to die?"
"What ever would have given you that idea?" Just by her voice Kadaj knew he was treading on thin ice, but he had to know.
"Sephiroth." it almost seemed to echo.
"What did he tell you?" This question sent of red flags all over the place.
"That you were going to make a choice, he was lying right?" he was hopeful but at the same time he felt it coming, the answer he didn't want to hear. Jenova was silent. "Mother, tell me he lied." Silence still.
"Sephiroth has no need to lie." she said. "But there is a chance of coexistence." What she didn't mention was that the chance was slim. Very slim. But Kadaj hadn't heard the last part, all he heard was the confession. There was something about hearing it from his mother that really made it real.
"You...weren't going to tell me were you?" Kadaj was slowly starting to feel angry, and emotion he'd never felt towards his mother.
"It was hardly necessary-"
"But he knew." Kadaj snapped. Jenova snapped back.
"Listen child, ingrates don't get special treatment. And neither do incompetent sons." Kadaj narrowed his eyes, he was ungrateful? Not once had he even heard a thankyou and he hadn't even wanted one. All he wanted was her, a mother. Now there was a chance he wouldn't even have that. Kadaj closed his eyes and tried to calm down, but instead he felt himself getting angrier. He'd never felt so betrayed in his life. So conflicted. He closed his eye's as his head started to throb harder than it ever had. He willed it to go away and he heard Jenova's voice fading in volume.
It was the first and last time he would ever block her out.
Yuffie stood under the steady stream of water, finding a shower was great to clear the mind after she hadn't had one in days. After having searched the bathroom for any kind of means of escape, Yuffie decided to take a shower after she found none. She let the water run down her naked form, thinking of the two deaths she'd witnessed. She didn't understand how they could take someone's life like it was nothing.
She didn't think she would ever get it out of her mind. She should've known Kadaj would spurn her efforts to help. She felt so stupid and so angry about everything he'd done. But the more she got to know him, he began to distance himself from the shadow she'd seen him in. General Sephiroth's shadow. She was beginning to see a person that was uniquely him, and she well...didn't know how to feel about that. She leaned against the wall and watched the suds disappear down the drain. She made up her mind, this craziness had to end, she had to get out.
She wrapped her towel around her and exited the bathroom in a veil of steam. Walking to the drawer she tried to find her pajamas. Looking over her shoulder she spied Kadaj lying lazily on his bed. He was looking up at the ceiling, muttering to himself. She wondered if he was doing that freaky thing again.
"Where are my clothes?" she said to herself, but Kadaj heard. He sat up and began to speak.
"I was going to-" he stopped when he saw her state of dress. All that bare white skin and that flimsy towel he could probably yank off with the tiniest effort...shit, what was wrong with him? He felt the trace of that physical desire he had been feeling off and on in his time with her. And though he rejected it, he couldn't undo whatever her form was doing to him. He knew that Sephiroth had enjoyed those pleasures of the flesh, and wanted to blame this on his influence, but part of him knew it was just an excuse. Could he possibly be physically attracted to this girl? He hadn't thought of that once, and it repulsed and intrigued him simultaneously.
Yuffie waited for him to finish.
"Hey, my eyes are up here." she smiled and he coughed, getting up from the bed and walking towards the bathroom.
"It's not as if there's much to look at." Yuffie wanted to punch him in the face. Not all girls were built like Tifa.
"Then don't look." Kadaj sighed.
"I locked all of your clothes in the drawer." Yuffie was horrified.
"W- why? Give me the key!" Kadaj raised an eyebrow.
"No."
"Why?" Yuffie crossed her arms over her body.
"I don't think that even you would run away without any clothes." Yuffie pouted.
"How did you know I wouldn't come out dressed?"
"I took your clothes while you were in the shower." Yuffie's mouth fell open. Why hadn't she heard him? Why didn't she notice her clothes hadn't been there? Why had he been in the bathroom while she was showering?!
"You pervert! How dare you-" Kadaj scoffed.
"Don't flatter yourself." Yuffie frowned and Kadaj disappeared into the bathroom.
Yuffie sighed and sat down on the bed, not believing her luck. But suddenly she spotted his keys on the table.
Kadaj ran his hands through his water heavy hair, delighting in the feel of the hot, clean water showering down on him. He didn't really want to think about anything. He didn't want to think of the betrayal, the rivalry, nothing.
Yuffie picked up the keys and walked as quietly as she could to the door. She stopped there for a bit and considered going back in and waiting. But she was determined to leave it all behind and she left, shutting the door softly behind her. She ran down the hallway, bare feet pounding against the thin carpet of the hallway. The keys jingled in her hand and she ran and her heart matched her footsteps. She skidded to an halt, made sure her towel was secure and entered the elevator.
Yuffie ran out of the building to find that the rain had at least stopped and she ran across the wet ground to the parking lot, knowing this would be the hardest part. Finding his damn bike.
Yuffie ran all around finding she was really getting chilly. Try as she may she just couldn't find one monstrous motorcycle. But lo and behold when she turned around, there they were. Now which one...She turn the key in each one the noise of the engine, making her look around constantly. She knew she only had limited time.
Kadaj stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, still trying to shake the thoughts he was having. He paused when he heard what was going on in the room, which was nothing. He knew silence and Yuffie didn't mix, so he started to suspect something was up.
He opened the door just a crack and looked out. No one, no movement.
He flew out of the bathroom and looked around. No one. He almost panicked, when he realized their whole plan might be in jeopardy because she was free but, instead he calmed down and grabbed his sword. Noticing his keys were gone he headed out of the room in just a towel as well and started for the lot, knowing she couldn't have gotten too far.
Yuffie struggled to stabilize herself on the bike and pushed the key in, turning it and listening to the engine roar. She felt it roll through her body and suddenly she began to feel the beginnings of nausea. How could she have forgotten her motion sickness? Kadaj decided not to use the elevator and instead he ran down the stairs. Yuffie sucked it up and decided that it was now or never. She would have to push the motion sickness aside for now. She just hoped it would work.
"Come on you stupid thing...go!" The motorcycle was off and she nearly ran into the wall a couple times, but she managed to get on the road soon enough. She wasn't on the road for long when it started to rain again. She just hoped she could get to some place where she could call for help.
Kadaj ran out of the hotel just in time to see her zoom off and he ran after her in the rain, determined to catch her. But Yuffie wasn't faring well anyway and she started to feel woozy and very nauseous. She began to feel dizzy and the world started to blur and spin around her. Mixed with her horrible driving skills, it wasn't long before she ran right into a huge tree.
She fell off the motorcycle and in the dirt, but pulling her self onto her feet she believed she could try and push the motorcycle away from the tree. With the front wheel still spinning she pushed, slipping and falling into what was now mud. It was not her day. She picked herself up and tried again but something pulled at her from behind and before she knew it she was laying in the middle of the road.
Still feeling sick she got out of the road and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Kadaj pulling the key out of the ignition. He turned around and she was sure she'd never seen him to mad and so...naked. Okay, well there was the towel but damn...he was actually pretty ripped. She felt as if she was in the middle of some really nutty dream.
But the pain was real when he missed slicing her arm off by an inch. Instead he sliced the skin, and it hurt like hell.
"Get on the bike." Yuffie hesitated, knowing she was in for it. But he wasn't having it. "Now!" He said pointing his sword at her neck. Yuffie moved to get on because something in her, was telling her that he would kill her this time if she refused. And in truth, he just might have. The rain had soaked then both to the bone and the ride back wasn't a pleasant one.
He was so beyond angry when he got back to the hotel that he didn't waste any time and he immediately unsheathed his sword and took a swipe at her. The possibility that it all could've been ruined thanks to her had pushed him beyond rational thought and the only reason he hadn't killed her yet was because he was so angry he was becoming sloppy. Yuffie dodged each one like a ghost, which was pretty much what she felt like.
Somewhere between driving down the deserted road and being thrown onto the hotel floor it all seemed like a dream and she ran into the bathroom as an array of color blew passed her and her fast moving feet. She closed the door behind her, pushing her back against the wall, her ears filled with the sound of her heart. She made sure her towel was secure and watched as the door burst open in what seemed like slow motion.
This dreamlike feeling always followed her recovery after a bad bout of motion sickness, but she was seemingly not coming out of it. She saw a flash of metal and she thought it was over. But when nothing came she opened her eyes to see his sword fall to the floor.
"I will not allow you to-" she swallowed, nausea abating.
"I do what I want." she snapped, her vision clearing. His hands were around her throat like that, her back against the wall.
"You won't be doing anything once I'm done with you." Yuffie coughed and began to see dark spots. Despite this she had to have the last word.
'You're...wrong." his grip loosened at the words, his eyes wild. "You're wrong." she repeated.
"Shut up!" he bared his teeth, hands suddenly shaking. He looked deeply troubled and his mouth trembled, practically right against hers. Her heart jumped at the contact and he looked as if he might've heard the little pause in her heartbeat. "Shut up." he said softly, right against her lips.
She swallowed, eyes wide.
"Ka-" his hands pinned her shoulders to the wall and he pinned her hips with his own.
"What did I say?" His mouth was suddenly over hers, moving kind of hesitantly like he didn't know how. Almost without her permission she responded to him with her own hesitance, kind of wanting to push him away from her, kind of wanting him to keep on kissing her like that. But when his fingers swept up her neck, and his mouth became a bit more insistent, Yuffie turned her head away, feeling it getting way too intense, not to mention the whole situation was just way too weird. Kadaj looked at her, stepping back. How could this be happening to him? What was happening to him?
(A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! I've been trying to put my first ever fanfiction to bed. But I did get some inspiration just recently and I got right on it. Honestly, I'm still toying with what's happening in the next chapter but it's pretty much set. I hope you liked this chapter. I always have so much fun writing this. I thought it would be interesting to write a falling out between Kadaj and Jenova because what relationship doesn't have it's tough spots? Especially one as delicate and temperamental as that one. Please tell me how you liked it. Ciao for now.)