Author's Note: This story is basically writing itself. I have nothing to do with it. :) I just can't believe how fast it's coming. I love my muse. Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square and Disney. I had no part in the making of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Six: A Plan is Formed
Yuffie sat at the booth in the café of the First District, looking at the menu. Next to her sat Leon. Cloud and Aerith cuddled in the seat across from them. "Um, what do I like to eat? I don't know what to order because I can't remember what I like," she asked helplessly, turning to look at Leon.
"Well, you always loved hamburgers," he told her, continuing to look at his own menu.
"Oh, okay," she said, looking back down at her own menu. "I'm sorry to pester you again, but it says in the menu that I can get it all the way or my way. So, how do I like it?"
Hearing Yuffie's question, Aerith laughed as she answered, "Well, you were always kind of picky. All you like to put on them is mustard, nothing else." She noticed the shocked look on Yuffie's face. "I know it's strange, but that's how you like them."
"Okay, I guess I'll have to take your word for it."
After the waiter brought their drinks as the group continued to look at the menu. "Are you ready to order, or should I give you a few more minutes?" he politely inquired.
"I think we're ready," Leon said, looking at the nodding heads of his friends. "I'll have a hamburger all the way with an order of fries."
Waiting until the waiter wrote this down, Yuffie ordered hers. "I'll have the same thing, except mustard only on the hamburger, please."
Cloud ordered both his and Aerith's. "We'll have two chicken strip dinners."
"Alright. I'll have your food right out," the waiter replied.
They sat at the table in silence, no one knowing what to say. Finally, Yuffie had to break the silence. "Ya know, you guys don't have to worry about what you say around me. I probably won't know what you're talking about anyways."
Aerith was about to speak when Cid showed up. "Hey kids, why didn't you invite me for dinner?"
"I thought you had some work to do in the shop. I didn't think you would want to leave it just for dinner with us," Aerith explained.
"Hell, I could have locked up hours ago. No one's been in there all day." Sitting down, he looked at Yuffie and asked, "So, how's the Greatest Female Ninja Ever doing?"
"What?" she began, "Are you talking to me?" Noticing everyone's nods, she continued, "I'm a ninja! I don't understand..."
"Shit, I'm sorry kid. I forgot you have amnesia," he apologized. "Didn't anyone tell her who she is yet?"
"Cid, I think we should take it slow," Aerith began, but was interrupted by Cid.
"Slow?! We can't take it slow! Not with the Heartless still around!"
"Wait, the Heartless are on this world too? I thought you said we left them at Hollow Bastion!" Yuffie exclaimed, looking at Aerith.
"Well..." she trailed off.
"Yuffie, listen," Cloud said, interrupting what would have been a long explanation from Aerith. "After the Heartless took over Hollow Bastion, they began to take over other worlds as well. They were able to travel to other worlds because Ansem opened a door that connected all the worlds. But two years ago, the Keyblade master, a kid named Sora defeated Ansem and sealed the door. At the time, we thought the Heartless had been defeated, but we were wrong. They're still here. We may not see them that often, but they still attack occasionally."
"Oh. But what did Cid say before that? Did he say that I'm a ninja?" she asked expectantly.
Leon decided to answer this one. "When we arrived here from Hollow Bastion, you were seven at the time, you told me that you never wanted to be helpless again. After that, you started to train as a ninja."
"Wow! I'm a ninja?!"
"Yes," Aerith said. "The best that I know."
"Thanks, but I wonder I still know the moves," she pondered.
"I'm sure you do, Yuffie. You're a natural," Aerith reassured.
By this time, the waiter arrived with their dinner. Realizing how hungry she was, Yuffie grabbed her hamburger and began to wolf it down. "You were right, Leon. I do love hamburgers. It's great!" she said between mouthfuls. Leon only smiled at her as he continued to eat his own dinner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After eating dinner, Cid had left them to go back to his room, muttering something about having to get up early the next morning. The other four watched him go, then continued to sit at the booth to try and come up with something to do.
"I know," Aerith said excitedly, "we can take a walk around Traverse Town."
"I don't know, Yuffie looks really tired," Leon said, looking at Yuffie worriedly.
"I'll be fine. If I get too tired, I'll let you carry me back," the ninja joked.
"Promise? I don't want you to exhaust yourself," Leon had replied seriously, causing Aerith and Cloud to exchange a worried look as if saying, What's wrong with Leon? But, Leon and Yuffie didn't see their look since they were already getting out of the booth.
"Yes, Leon. I promise," Yuffie said solemnly before breaking out and laughing.
Cloud and Aerith slowly got out of the booth, still wondering about Leon. Cloud said, "Yuffie, ya know, you don't have to do this if you're too tired. We can do it some other night."
"No, I'm fine. Besides, Leon said he'll carry me if I get tired," Yuffie laughed.
"That's what I'm worried about," the blond whispered to Aerith, who only nodded.
Leon saw this exchange between the two and wondered, What have I done? They suspect something. I can see it in their eyes.
The ramble around Traverse Town proved to be enjoyable for all parties involved. Cloud and Aerith strolled with their arms around each others waist, occasionally stopping to kiss. Leon and Yuffie walked side by side, stopping every once in a while so she could rest by leaning against Leon.
As the night grew longer and Yuffie began to stumble from exhaustion, Leon put his arm around Yuffie's small waist, whispering, "Here, lean on me. You're tired."
Yuffie nodded and did as she was told, trying not to blush.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They finally arrived back at the hotel, and Yuffie had to struggle to hide her relief. Although she was somewhat tired physically, she was mentally exhausted. All she wanted to do was get in bed and go to sleep. Wait a minute, she thought, there's only one bed in our room. Do we share it, or does someone sleep on the floor? I don't know if I can share a bed with Leon. I barely know him. Well, actually, I do know him, but I don't remember him.
"Um, Leon, do we share the bed or does one of us sleep on the floor?" she asked quietly.
"Usually, we share the bed. You take the left side and I take the right side. But, I can sleep on the floor so you don't feel uncomfortable," he told her, hating the thought of relinquishing the bed for the cold hard floor.
"No, that's okay. I–, I can share it with you," she faltered, trying not to blush. Damn me and my hormones. Look what the thought of sharing a bed with a good-looking man does to me.
Noticing her blush, Leon asked, "Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping on the floor."
"I'll be fine," she said, smiling and thinking, he's too old for me. Just forget it Yuffie.
She went to the dresser to find some pajamas to sleep in and went to the bathroom to change clothes. Seeing the two toothbrushes on the sink, she yelled through the closed door, "Leon, which toothbrush is mine? The blue one or the purple one?"
"The purple one. The toothpaste is in the medicine cabinet above the sink," he hollered.
Grabbing her toothbrush, she began to brush her teeth, thinking about the day. The only memories she had were the memories she had made during the day. But something kept nagging her at the back of her mind. She felt like she had one of her friends names wrong. She just couldn't think of who. Let's see, there's Aerith, Cid, Cloud, and Leon. Wait a minute! That name just doesn't seem right. But it has to be his name, right? I mean, why would someone change their name? she wondered.
She finished getting ready for bed and walked out of the bathroom. Leon watched her as she went to the bed as he himself got up to get ready for bed. She walked over to the left side of the bed and crawled under the covers, sleep hitting her immediately.
In the bathroom, Leon was having a silent conversation with himself.
Admit it Leon, you love her. And now's your chance to show her. She doesn't remember how cruel you were to her before. Go in there and tell her that you love her.
No, I can't. I couldn't take advantage of her. She has no recollection of our past together. Besides, it's my fault she's like this. What if she remembers someday what happened? She'll hate me.
You're just a coward, Leon. You don't want to admit that you have feelings for her because then she could hurt you.
"No, I'm the one hurting her," he quietly said out loud remembering what she had said in his dream: You're the cause of all my pain.
He left the bathroom and went back into the room, noticing that she was already asleep. He leaned over her and ran his hand over her cheek. Damn, she's beautiful he said to himself as he walked to his side of the bed. As he fell asleep, his last thoughts were of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yuffie awoke the next morning feeling the sun shine through the window onto her face. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but was unable because of the snoring coming from her partner.
"Damn it, Squall! I'm trying to sleep," she mumbled. Suddenly, the memory of yesterday came back with a rush. Wait a minute, I had amnesia yesterday, but today I don't. I can't wait to tell them.
"Hey, Squall! Guess what?" she said excitedly.
"It's Leon," he muttered in his sleep.
She was about to wake him up, when she remembered how nice he was to her last night. He had his arm wrapped around my waist last night when we were walking! I can't believe it! He's been so nice to me since he thinks I have amnesia. If I tell him I remember everything, will he be an ass again? Should I tell him? she wondered.
She looked at him, smiling impishly. No, I don't think I'll tell him just yet. I'm going to take advantage of the situation. And, with that, she lay back down to think about what she could do to him today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Uh-oh! Yuffie's being bad. By the way, I have to give credit where credit is due, I got the idea of her deciding to play like she still has amnesia from Vulpes Lapis. So, I have to say thank you to VL. (bows down to her) Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying this story.