Love is Like a Rose - Chapter 7: Next Branch Up
Yuffie crawled into her bed later that day. She hadn't run into Leon since their meeting, and she was grateful. Yuffie was sick of that sensation that rose in her stomach whenever he was around. She was sick of turning as red as a tomato when his hand brushed against hers. She was sick of Leon haunting her every thought in almost everything that she did. She was sick of being a little girl.
Once, just once, Yuffie wanted to be seen like how Cloud saw Aerith. She wanted Leon, Cloud, and Aerith to see who she really was, not the mask she constantly wore. She wasn't a child anymore. In fact, she'd stopped being a child the moment Hollow Bastion had fallen to the Heartless. She had her fair share of fears, dreams, stress, and feelings, just like the others. Yuffie noticed the furtive glances Aerith and Leon shared. She wasn't stupid. The others thought she was naïve, but she wasn't; they were naïve for not seeing through the mask. If they looked closely, they would see that her lazy grins and upbeat attitudes didn't quite meet her eyes.
But why would they think to look closely? Yuffie thought bitterly, scowling. She pulled the covers over her head. Her thoughts strayed to the conversation she'd overheard in the Hospital Wing. Once again, they'd underestimated her. They assumed that Yuffie was unconscious when she wasn't. Leon had said that he couldn't stop thinking about her ever since Cloud's return, but he didn't mention the rose to Aerith. If he can't stop thinking about me, why doesn't he love me? the thought ran through her head. Was that what she was feeling? Was she really in love with Leon? Was that why a horde of butterflies fluttered around in her stomach whenever she thought about him? Was that why she was always blushing? Was that why she was avoiding him now? Was that why-
"Oh, shut up, already!" Yuffie yelled, exasperatedly, burying her head deeper into her pillows. She was talking to herself. Great. I've lost it Yuffie thought with a sigh. After a few more minutes of silent arguing, she made up her mind. She would confront Leon tomorrow. It was either that, or listen to the demons in her head bicker non-stop.
Right now, the demons didn't sound so bad...
"Don't lead her on." the words played over and over in the ex-SeeD's head. He sat on the edge of his bed, hunched forward, head held in his hands; his Gunblade lay abandoned in a corner of his room. Just when he'd thought he'd forgotten about Yuffie, he'd heard her shout something incoherent from her room. He walked a few doors down and peeked into her room. She was bundled up in her blankets, fast asleep. He was reminded of a time, a long time ago, when he'd had to baby-sit her.
"Squally-chan!" a seven-year old girl hollered. She had wide amethyst eyes that sparkled and ebony hair that fell soft short curls around her face.
A teenage boy of about sixteen sat on a couch in the living room on the floor below put down his sword that he'd been polishing. He ran a hand through his russet hair that neatly framed his vibrant sapphire eyes. "What?" he yelled up the stairs. "And it's Squall!" he added, annoyed.
"Come here!" Yuffie insisted.
Squall counted to ten before answering. "Why don't you get your butt down here?"
"Because it's my house!" was her reply.
"I'm in charge of here!" Squall shouted. "When I say get down here, you get down here."
"Cranky!" Yuffie retorted.
"Ugly!" Squall shot back, losing all control.
"Jerk!"
"Brat!"
"Stupid!"
Squall bit his tongue before he called her something he shouldn't repeat. He sighed. He was fighting with a seven-year old. "Coming..." he called before trudging up the stairs. If he didn't need the money, he wouldn't be caught dead babysitting. This was a woman's job. But he needed some quick cash so he could take Rinoa out for dinner.
When he reached Yuffie's room, he saw the young girl sitting on her windowsill, staring at a large willow tree in her backyard. She smiled at him when he entered. "Squally! My headband is stuck in that tree."
"It's Squall," he corrected. Pause. "So?"
"Can you get it for me? You're in charge, after all," she said, a smirk playing upon her gentle childish features.
"No," he answered flatly. "I don't climb trees."
"Squaaaaaaaaaalllllyyyyy..."
"No way."
"Please?"
"N. O. No."
"Mommy and Daddy are gonna be mad at me if I don't get it back!" she said almost tearfully.
"That's your fault."
Yuffie crossed her arms and let out a small, "Humph!" of anger. She looked out the window and was happy to see her favorite baby-sitter in the garden, tending to the flowers and plants. "I'm telling Aerith!" Yuffie said angrily, racing out of the room and outside.
"Yuffie get back here!" Squall hissed, bounding after her. He rushed down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door where the brunette fifteen-year old girl with apple green eyes was working in the garden. Yuffie was already half way to the garden.
"Aerith!"
Aerith looked up from her work to see Yuffie running towards her. She smiled brightly, brushing away a few wandering strands of hair. "Yuffie?"
"Aerith, Aerith, Aerith!" Yuffie called loudly.
"What, what, what?" Aerith asked, curious. She straightened up and put down the watering can. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Squall, he's--"
Squall reached Yuffie just in time. He clamped a hand over her mouth and lifted her into his arms. "'It'. Uh, I mean I'm 'it'," Squall said, smiling as he held a wriggling and squirming Yuffie.
"Oh. Having fun with Squall, Yuffie?"
Yuffie sunk her teeth into Squall's hand. He howled and dropped her, and Yuffie hit the grass with a thud. She scrambled to her feet and pointed accusingly at Squall. "He's--"
"Going to take her inside for a snack and help her get her headband," Squall interrupted. He took Yuffie by the hand. "Talk to you later, Aerith."
"Bye. And don't annoy each other to death!" Aerith replied, waving to them as they walked back into the house. She chuckled as Squall glowered at her.
Yuffie stopped and slipped her hand out of Squall's grip. "Are you really going to get my headband?" she asked hopefully.
"Fine..." he grumbled.
"It's the next branch up," Yuffie called up to Squall, who was climbing the towering tree, moments later. He heaved himself up and sat on a branch. He pushed his sweaty bangs out of his eyes and frowned as he caught his breath.
"Hey, I don't see it," said Squall.
"You don't?" Yuffie asked, panicking. "Oh no...Mommy and Daddy are gonna kill me!" she muttered to herself. Her lips broke into a grin as she spotted something in front of her. She bent down and picked up her headband that lay at her feet. "Squally-chan! I found it!" she cried happily. "The wind must've blown it out of the tree!"
"It's Squall!" he answered. "What the hell's a 'chan', anyway?"
Yuffie giggled. "You can come down now."
Silence.
Yuffie furrowed her brow. "Squally? Squall? You can come down now!"
No answer.
"Squall? I found my headband! You can get out of the tree now!" she repeated louder this time.
"Can't," she faintly heard him answer.
Yuffie frowned. "Why not?" she asked, cocking her head to the right.
"Stuck." He sounded much farther away now.
"You're stuck? So just jump down, silly!"
"Too high," he answered, his voice hardly above a whisper.
Yuffie crossed her arms. "I climb this tree all the time--"
"WHAT?" he exclaimed loudly, several leaves falling as he did. "Then why didn't you get your headband yourself?" Squall growled.
"Mommy says not to climb the tree anymore," Yuffie said simply.
"So you choose NOW to listen to your mom after you've been disobeying her before?"
Yuffie shrugged. "Uh-huh, that sounds right." She put on her headband and began to pull herself up the tree trunk, using branches as footholds. She found Squall hugging the thick, sturdy branch he sat on for dear life. "Are you okay?" Yuffie asked worriedly.
"Never better," came Squall's cold response.
"Want me to go get Cloud or Cid or Aerith to help you down?"
Squall could imagine the three collapsing in laughter on the grass, pointing and gawking at him stuck in a tree. His stomach churned, and he pushed the thought away. "I think I'll stay up here till your parents get back, thanks."
"'Kay. I'll stay with you." Yuffie looked at Squall through her raven bangs. "It's my fault you're stuck. If I knew you were afraid of heights, I would've climbed the tree myself."
"I'm not afraid of heights!" Squall protested.
"Then why can'tcha get down?"
Squall fell silent and looked away.
"There's nothin wrong with being afraid," said Yuffie. "Daddy says it's okay as long as you control your fear, and it doesn't control you." Her eyes lit up as she smiled widely. "I'm gonna be the world's bestest ninja, but I'm afraid of the dark. I'm not gonna let that get in the way, though!"
Squall had to give the girl some credit. She was annoyingly optimistic and overly confident, but she was one focused kid. He had no doubt that she would succeed if she set her mind to it. "You will if you try hard enough," Squall replied.
"What's it like?" Yuffie asked suddenly.
"What's what like?"
"What's it like to live in the castle?"
"Have you ever been there?"
Yuffie nodded. "Once or twice for the big dinners my Mommy and Daddy are invited to. Usually they get a baby-sitter, like they did tonight. But there are times I have to go and meet the other kids and parents."
Squall nodded. "If we weren't stuck in this tree, I'd take you to the Rising Falls."
"The what?"
Squall straightened up and locked his legs around the branch. "One of the most beautiful places in all of Hollow Bastion. It's my favorite place to go when I want to be alone."
"Why would you take me there if you want to be alone there?"
"Well, I'm in charge of you. I can't just leave you behind."
"You didn't answer my question. What's it like?"
Squall told her of all the secret passages, hallways, floors, and rooms that Hollow Bastion had. He told her of the long hours he spent when he was little, playing Hide-n-Seek with the other children in the castle. He and Cloud dueled against each other often, now that they had received their swords and wanted to become swordsmen. Yuffie listened to his every word, nodding every now and then to show that she understood. The castle was everything she thought it would be.
They talked for hours, and eventually the sun began to sink behind the horizon. In mid-sentence, Squall noticed Yuffie visibly stiffen with fear. He looked at her, concerned. "What's wrong?"
Yuffie swallowed, her mouth dry with fear. "I-I-I don't like the dark," she whispered softly as the sun disappeared from sight, leaving them in the dark with the moon and stars.
"It's okay, I'm here. You don't need to be afraid," Squall said reassuringly. "Besides, your parents should be home in an hour or so."
Yuffie nodded and snuggled up against the teenage boy. She tried not to tremble, but to no avail. She shook violently in fear, as the darkness grew thicker.
Squall felt Yuffie press up against him. He awkwardly put his arm around his shoulders to calm her. He thought it best to keep her talking. "Thanks for staying with me."
"You know, you aren't that bad of a baby-sitter," Yuffie said thoughtfully. "Will you come back to be my baby-sitter again?"
"Sure, I guess," he said slowly, shrugging. "If you want me to."
Yuffie beamed at him, her eyes glinting in the dark. "Great!"
"Maybe next time we won't have to spend all of our time in this tree..." Squall said sourly. He shut his eyes and breathed in the warm, summer air. It was a lot warmer here than up at the castle.
"It's wasn't that bad. It was kind of fun, actually," Yuffie said pensively. "You told me a lot about the castle, and I've always wanted to live there."
He smiled, knowing she couldn't see him. She's right. It wasn't too bad at all, he thought, his eyes still closed. He could think of worse ways to spend his Thursday night.
"Hey look!" Yuffie exclaimed.
Squall opened his eyes and looked towards the sky. A shooting star was streaking through the starry night.
"Make a wish!" Yuffie scrunched her eyes shut and made her wish. I wish I could spend more time with Squall at the castle.
I wish I'll never get stuck in this tree again, Squall thought. Although it could have been worse. Cloud could have found him. Even worse, Rinoa could have found him. That would have been downright humiliating. "What'd you wish for?"
Yuffie felt her cheeks grow hot. A funny lurch in her stomach stopped her from telling him what her wish was. "I can't tell you," she murmured.
Squall rose an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"If I do, it won't come true," she said cheekily.
Squall sighed exasperatedly. "I wished I'd never be stuck in this tree again. Just because I told you doesn't mean it won't come true. That's just superstition."
"Now you'll get stuck in this tree again sometime!"
"You're just superstitious."
"Fine, just don't come complaining to me when you get stuck in the tree," Yuffie said teasingly.
"You know, for a squirt, you're not that bad," Squall said before shutting his eyes as he reclined against the sturdy branch.
Those last four words made Yuffie's heart soar. "You're not that bad either, Squall," she managed to reply.