Author's Note: Let's see, I'm starting this chapter on March 29, with no clear idea of when it'll be finished and posted. Kudos to Vulpes Lapis for all her help. ^_^
Note to Taryn: I have something like what you said planned for the chapter after this. I've been planning that chapter since I was still in the middle of writing "These Are the Days." In fact, it was the first chapter for this story that I thought about. I've just been working up to it. I think you'll enjoy it. ^_^
Note to Kiz2Point0: Yeah, this story has no clear goal. It functions more as a series of one-shots with an overreaching story arc. I do have chapters planned out through chapter 8, though.
[Disclaimer: Ya know, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or most of the character portrayed in this story. And the only character that I want to own is Squall, so what's the point in this disclaimer? If Zephyr is in this chapter, she belongs to Vulpes Lapis. I own Dottie and any other random people or animals you don't recognize from games.]
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Chapter Five: Gaps
"That's disgusting!" an elderly blue-haired woman croaked to the middle-aged balding man next to her in the waiting room at the local veterinarian's office. Across the room, sat a long-haired man wearing a short sleeved black leather jacket slowly running his hand up the leg of the young ebony-haired woman leaning against him. Her bare leg, as she was wearing a black corduroy skirt that barely came to her mid-thigh.
The middle-aged man sneered as he viewed their blatant display. "I agree. She can't be more than seventeen and he must be near thirty," he agreed as he watched the leather-clad man's hand make its way beneath the hem of the girl's skirt.
Oblivious to the scrutiny they were receiving, Squall's hand continued inching its way up Yuffie's leg and under her skirt. She turned her head to him and smiled, all innocence and sweetness. That was when she grabbed his hand and crushed all of his fingers together. Pulling his hand out of hers, he cradled it with his other. "I was gonna use that later," he said quietly as he rubbed his fingers.
Before Yuffie could reply, the veterinary assistant opened the door separating the exam rooms from the waiting room. "Leonheart?" she called, looking around at the many faces in the room. "Dottie Leonheart?"
"You put it under my name?" Squall whispered to Yuffie as he stood up from his chair and picked up the cat carrier at his feet.
She shrugged. "It's easier to pronounce than Kisaragi."
They silently followed the assistant down the long hall, passing doors where scared whimpers and frightened meows could be heard. Opening a door marked "Exam Room 3," the assistant ushered them in, telling them that Dr. Nazzal would be with them shortly.
Looking around the room, Yuffie noticed the many posters covering the white walls as she tried to ignore the faint crying coming from Dottie inside the cat carrier Squall had placed on the exam table. One poster in particular caught her eye. She walked closer to it in order to get a better look at it. It showed the life-cycle of different types of parasites and their affects on various pets. Grimacing at the gruesome pictures, she turned back to the exam table and opened the door of the pet carrier, allowing Dottie to creep out. "Come here, Dottie," Yuffie urged as she picked the kitten up and placed her on her shoulder.
"Yuf, I really think you should leave her in the carrier until the vet gets in here. What if she gets loose?" Squall said from the only chair in the room, which was placed in the corner.
She rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I would let that happen?" she questioned sarcastically.
The door creaked open as a woman walked through, reading a chart on the clipboard. She looked up at Yuffie. "I'm Dr. Nazzal, and you must be Miss Leonheart," she said as she stuck out her hand.
"No, I'm Yuffie Kisaragi," Yuffie laughed as she placed Dottie on the exam table and took the veterinarian's hand. "We put it under his name because it's easier to pronounce," she continued, pointing to the now standing Squall.
Dr. Nazzal furrowed her brows in confusion. "So, you're not his sis--" She broke off when Squall walked up behind Yuffie, placing his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her head as she leaned back into him. The vet shook her head and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm not his what?" Yuffie asked.
"Never mind," Dr. Nazzal muttered as she looked back down at the chart in her hand. "So, it says you're here for...Dottie's shots, correct?"
Yuffie broke away from Squall's embrace, nodding. "Yes." She picked the Dottie up before she tried to jump off the edge of the table. "Oh no you don't, little girl," Yuffie whispered in the kitten's fur as she held her up to her face and kissed her nose.
"She's never had pets before," Squall tried to explain as Dr. Nazzal watched Yuffie baby and cuddle Dottie like a mother would do a child.
"Most people are like that with their pets. Especially girls her age," the vet said.
Yuffie looked up at Dr. Nazzal suddenly. "What do you mean 'girls my age'?" she questioned suspiciously.
"I mean, girls just getting out of high school," Dr. Nazzal elaborated.
Narrowing her eyes, Yuffie said in a voice dangerously soft, "I attend the university. I'm not 'just getting out of high school.'"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. You just look so young," Dr. Nazzal apologized quickly as she took Dottie from Yuffie's hands and began to examine her. She didn't notice the glare she was receiving from young woman, nor did she notice Squall placing his hands on his beloved's tense shoulders to calm her down.
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"Squall, we're changing vets," Yuffie stated rather calmly as she climbed into his black Chevy Avalanche, slamming the door firmly behind her.
On the driver's side, Squall struggled to get the cat carrier in the spacious backseat. "Don't be ridiculous, Yuf," he told her as the engine roared to life. "She's supposed to be one of the better vets in town."
Yuffie glared at him. "Didn't you hear what she said? She all but right out said that I'm too young for you!" Squall leaned over and buckled her seatbelt as she had forgotten it in her anger. "Thank you," she muttered as she turned to look out the window.
He reached out with one hand and turned her face back to him. "Yuffie, if I don't care about your age and you don't care about my age, then who cares about what anyone else thinks?" His hand moved to the back of her neck, gently pulling her face closer until their lips met.
She smiled against his mouth before he released her neck. "So, you don't think I'm an innocent little girl, then?"
Quirking an eyebrow, he stared at her a moment. "I know for a fact you aren't innocent. And I definitely would not classify you as a 'little girl.'"
"Good," she laughingly replied as he put the truck into gear and began to back it up. "But, we're still changing vets. I'll call Zephyr and see who she uses."
"Whatever," Squall replied as he turned out of the parking lot and onto the busy street. After passing the third pool supply store, an idea popped into his head. "Didn't you buy a new swimsuit last week?" he asked as he spared a glance from the road to look at her.
"Are you suggesting that we go swimming, Squall?" she questioned playfully.
"I'll confess the thought crossed my mind since you're not working today and I don't have anything planned." He turned his truck into the apartment parking lot. "Besides, today's Monday. The pool shouldn't be that busy. And we should take advantage of the situation since it you know how busy it gets on the weekends."
After he parked the truck, Yuffie climbed out, saying, "Admit it, Squall, you just want a chance to see me in my swimsuit."
He opened the third door on the truck and pulled the cat carrier out, grinning. "That's just one of the perks of going to the pool, Yuf. Seeing a beautiful woman skimpily dressed."
Yuffie choked down a giggle and bit her lip. "Then you're just going to love my swimsuit, Squall. Believe me, you'll love it."
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"You've got to be kidding me, Yuf. That's your swimsuit?" Squall asked in disbelief when she walked out of the bedroom in an indigo one-piece swimsuit with black shorts tied with a white string. She grinned as she turned around, revealing the bare back of the swimsuit.
"What's wrong, Squall? You don't like it?"
He stood there dumbfounded for a moment in his black swim trunks with red at the bottom of the legs. "I just thought you would wear a two-piece, or something," he muttered.
Rolling her eyes, she picked up the beach towels she had grabbed out of the cabinet. "You've seen me in a lot less than this, ya know." She pushed the two towels into his arm and the bottle of sun block she had just picked up from the counter.
Squall furrowed his brows as he read the bottle. "Yuffie, this bottle says SPF 45. Isn't that a bit much?" he asked as he looked back up at her while she grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the refrigerator.
"Nope. I don't tan...I burn." Placing the water on the counter, she picked up a bottle of Aloe Vera gel and placed it in the back of the refrigerator. Squall gave her a strange look. "It feels better cold if you happen to get sunburnt," she explained as she walked out of the kitchen carrying the water and grabbing a book from the living room before she headed for the front door. "Are you coming, Squall?"
"Yeah, I'm coming," he mumbled as he followed her out the door, making sure that Dottie did not escape out the door which she had been trying to do in the past couple of days.
Walking down the stairs and weaving between the buildings, they finally reached the apartment's large pool area. Sitting around the pool were a few of the twenty something women who lived in the complex and were working on their tans and a couple of men ogling the women. "Not busy, huh?" Yuffie asked, raising her eyebrows.
"You should have seen it last summer. You couldn't even fit a beach ball in the pool it was so crowded," Squall told her as he managed to open the gate without dropping the towels or sun block. Placing his empty hand on the small of her back, he led Yuffie over to two empty lounge chairs, on which he spread out the two towels.
Yuffie sat down and opened the bottle of sun block, rubbing it on her arms and legs while Squall watched as she smoothed the lotion into her skin. After rubbing some on her face, she handed the bottle to Squall. "Squall, can you put some on my back and shoulders? Please?" she pleaded as she moved over to sit on the edge of his chair.
"Do you really think any guy could say no, Yuf?" He squirted a glob of lotion into his hands. "I mean, this is every guy's dream, rubbing lotion onto a woman's back and shoulders. Most men would give their eyeteeth to do this," he said as he noticed a couple of the men sitting around staring enviously at him while he rubbed the lotion first onto her back and then up and over her shoulders and down the front of her suit.
"Squall, you might want to watch where your hands go," Yuffie warned as his hands dipped lower into her suit.
He pulled his hands back up. "Just want to make sure you don't get sunburnt," he murmured as he kissed the back of her head. "I still don't see why you didn't get a two-piece," he grumbled as she stood up from her seat.
"Don't worry, Squall. I'll make it up to you when we get home," she whispered as she leaned down and kissed his lips gently.
"You promise?" he asked, grabbing her hand.
She nodded, then looked at the closed bottle of sun block he had put on the ground beside his chair. "Aren't you going to put on some sun block?"
"Nah, I don't ever burn."
"Okay, but don't come crying to me when you can't put your shirt on because of a burn," she said as she moved to her lounge chair and lay down on her stomach, her head hanging over the side as she opened her book and placed it on the ground where she could read it. "Squall, did you bring your watch?"
Confusion marred his features momentarily. "Yeah, why?"
She turned her head up to look at him. "Because, I have to wait thirty minutes before I jump in or the sun block will wash off." Leaning her head against the side of the lounge chair, she went back to reading the thick novel.
Squall leaned over, trying to see what book she had down there. "What are you reading anyways?" he asked as he continued to try to see the title.
"Hm?" Pulling her eyes away from the book, she looked back up at him. He repeated his question. "Oh, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It's my favorite book. I've only read it like a hundred times since middle school," she told him.
"You actually like that book?" he questioned in disbelief. "I hated that book, but they made me read it in high school."
"But it's a classic, Squall. What's not to like?" She was sitting up now so she could look at him without straining her neck.
Shaking his head, he sighed. "I don't know. It's just so long and drawn out. I mean, if I had written that book, it would have been less than fifty pages."
"And that's why you don't write." Rolling her eyes, she lay back and started to read again, but then lay the book aside once more. "It's long and drawn out to make it more realistic, Squall. Mr. Darcy can't just go up to Elizabeth and propose because she hates him in the beginning. It takes time to get past her pride and his prejudice."
"I'm not going to win, am I, Yuf?"
"Nope, because for every argument you come up with, I can come up with a better one."
"And that's why I love you," he said as he reached over and picked up her hand that was hanging off the chair and kissed it.
She laughed. "You love me because I can argue with you? That makes a lot of sense, Squall." Opening the book again, she turned to him before she started reading. "I love you, too, by the way."
The next thirty minutes passed with Yuffie trying to read and Squall attempting to make his point about Pride and Prejudice, only to have each of his arguments knocked down by a more plausible one from Yuffie. He was beginning to wonder if she should be the pre-law student and not him. "Yuffie?" he said softly.
"Did you come up with yet another argument, Squall?" she asked exasperatedly.
Chuckling, he told her, "No. I was just wondering if you had decided on a major yet. You might look into pre-law. You're pretty good at this."
She marked her place in her book and closed it. "I've been thinking a lot about my major, since January, when I...you know." After all these months, she was still unable to talk about what happened then, about her attempted suicide. "But, anyways," she said, shaking her head, "I want to major in psychology...so I can help other people before they try to do what I tried to do." She grabbed his wrist suddenly, looking at the watch. "Good. It's been thirty minutes, I can go swimming now," she exclaimed as she jumped up off the chair.
Getting up, Squall followed her to the pool's edge where she suddenly grabbed him and pushed him into the cool water. He came up sputtering with the water dripping from his long hair. "Yuffie!" he yelled in mock anger as he pushed his now wet hair out of his face.
"Oh, loosen up, Squall. Don't be so stiff," she said as she jumped in after him.
Squall snorted. "Your loss, Yuf." He gave her a wink.
"Squall Leonheart, are you suggesting something sexual?" she demanded loudly as she stood up in the chest-high water with her hands on her hips. A few bystanders around the pool began to give them worried looks. Smiling, Yuffie leaned forward and whispered, "Save it for when we get back."
After swimming a few laps in the pool, which was quickly becoming crowded, Squall pulled himself out and lay on his stomach on his lounge chair, telling Yuffie that he was going to work on his tan.
"Okay, but don't get sunburnt," she called from the diving board where she stood, waiting for the area beneath to clear so she could dive in.
Squall lay there, slowly dozing off when he felt a soft hand tracing his tattoo on his back. He looked over his shoulder, smiling and expecting to find Yuffie there, but his piercing blue eyes widened in shock when he saw that it was definitely not Yuffie. Leaning over him stood a bleached blonde woman, her dark roots showing in her hair, and barely clad in a lime green bikini. "Um, can I help you?" Squall stammered as he rolled over completely and sat up.
"Oh, did I wake you up?" she asked in a sultry voice as her green eyes widened. "I didn't mean to, but your tattoo is so beautiful that I just had to touch it."
Deciding it might be better to jump in the pool again to avoid this woman's advances, Squall stood up and began to back away from her. "No, that's okay...I needed to wake up anyways." He spared a glance over his shoulder to see Yuffie swimming laps around the pool.
"What's wrong? Are you scared of me? I don't bite...unless you want me to," the blonde murmured as she continued to advance on Squall.
"I don't think my girlfriend would like that." Squall made sure he emphasized the word 'girlfriend,' hoping to dissuade this woman from hitting on him. Glancing over his shoulder again at the pool, he saw Yuffie swimming towards them.
Pulling herself out of the water, Yuffie made sure to splash the blonde as she pushed between them. "Oops! I'm so sorry!" she apologized sarcastically as she walked over to Squall, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his side.
"You've got to be kidding me!" she bikini clad blonde exclaimed as she eyed the two of them. "That's your girlfriend?" she demanded of Squall while she pointed an accusatory finger at Yuffie.
"Yeah, this is my girlfriend," he said as he rubbed Yuffie's back with one hand while she glared at the blonde triumphantly.
The bleached blonde began to laugh, covering her mouth with one hand as she did so. "But she's just a baby! You'll have to wait for her to go through puberty before you can screw!"
Before Squall could think about what Yuffie was doing, she had walked over and shoved the woman into the pool, growling, "Screw this!" She then calmly walked toward the pool's gate.
Squall stood there trying not to laugh as the blonde emerged sputtering from the water. "You bitch!" she screeched. Turning to look at his girlfriend, Squall saw Yuffie stop for a moment, clenching her fist, before continuing out of the pool area, ignoring the shrill shrieks coming from the enraged woman. Squall quickly grabbed the two towels, sun block, and Yuffie's book and ran to catch up with her as she was already halfway back to their apartment.
"Hey, are you okay?" he whispered when he finally reached her.
She gave him a wan smile. "I am now." Opening her still clenched fists, she grimaced as she saw the crescent-shaped imprints in her palms left from her fingernails. A few of her fingernails had actually broken the skin and drew blood.
Dropping the stuff in his arms, Squall took one of her hands in his own, looking at the wounds. "Yuffie," he muttered, shaking his head.
"Well, it kept me from killing her," she tried to explain.
"I would much rather you kill her than hurt yourself," he told her laughingly.
"I'll keep that in mind next time some woman hits on you," she said, grinning. She bent over and picked up the towels, sun block, and book that Squall had dropped and handed them all back to him except for one towel, which she wrapped around her shoulders.
When they reached their apartment, Yuffie immediately headed for the bedroom while Squall dropped the stuff in his hands onto the counter. He then went back out the door and down the walkway to the mailboxes, leaving the apartment door open while he was gone. Flipping through the letters, mostly junk, he walked into the living room, this time shutting the door behind him. Confused that Yuffie was still in the back of the apartment, Squall lay the mail on the table before going the their bedroom. Upon opening the door, he found her wearing a pair of his boxers, the drawstring pulled tight, and pulling one of his T-shirts on over her still wet head. "Hey, those are my clothes!" he exclaimed.
She grinned as her head peeked out of the neck of his shirt. "Yes, I know. They're really comfortable, too," she said as she finished pulling the shirt down while Squall changed into some dry shorts. Becoming serious again, Yuffie threw herself down on her stomach onto the bed, sighing loudly. "Squall, in one day, we have come across two people who have issues with our age difference," she muttered into the pillow.
Laying down next to her, Squall pulled her over him so she was lying on top of him, her ear pressed over his heart. "Yuffie, we've been over this before. Who cares what anyone else thinks? Just forget about the rest of the world." He ran his hand soothingly up and down her back.
"I know, and you're right. It's just...that's two people in one day. And we've never come across anybody before who have made a big deal about it." She sighed loudly again. "If anyone else says anything, they're gonna get it a lot worse than being pushed into the pool."
Squall chuckled softly. "That was hilarious, Yuffie. You should have seen her when she came up out of the water. I swear, she had murder in her eyes."
Yuffie lifted her head, her brows furrowed. "Not to change the subject or anything, but, Squall, why do we always whisper in here? I mean, no one else is in here. It's just us."
"Neighbors."
"They don't like pillow talk?" she asked, then realized something. "Wait a minute! They can hear us?!"
"Yeah...thin walls."
"Squall, pillow talk is a lot more tame than what goes on in here on a regular basis." She thought for a moment. "That would explain why I've been getting some dirty looks from Belle Watling."
He started laughing again. "Who cares what she thinks, Yuf? She has three kids, and she doesn't even know who their fathers are. She's probably just jealous."
"It's not funny, Squall! Who knows what she's been telling people!" Yuffie started to sit up, but Squall's arms wrapped around her lower back kept her from doing so. He was still laughing as he pulled her up to his face for a kiss. "Oh, screw 'em," Yuffie muttered against his mouth.
"Don't you think we should keep that between ourselves, Yuf?" She lay back down on his chest, this time her head closer to his head and her wet hair tickling his nose. "You smell like chlorine, ya know?"
"So do you," she told him, not lifting her head.
"Shower?" he questioned.
He felt her nod against his chest. "Sounds like a good idea to me," she murmured as she crawled off of him and pulled him up.
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"Squall, I told you that you would get sunburnt," Yuffie chastised as she sat behind him on the bed, rubbing the cold Aloe Vera gel onto his shoulders and the back of his neck.
He rolled his eyes. "Well, it didn't hurt until you turned up the hot water in the shower."
"How was I supposed to know? If you had listened to me in the first place, this wouldn't have happened, now would it?" Finishing, she closed the bottle of Aloe Vera and stood up, handing Squall a shirt as she did so.
"Go ahead and say it, Yuf. I know you want to," he muttered as he pulled the shirt over his head, wincing when it touched the burned area.
She smiled innocently. "I told you so, Squall." Leaning down to kiss him, she put a hand on his shoulder not thinking about the burn until he grimaced in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot," she apologized as she pulled her hand back.
"Just don't forget again, okay?"
Nodding, she looked around the room as if looking for something. "Squall, have you seen Dottie? I haven't seen or heard her since we got back."
"Come to think of it, neither have I." He stood up, following Yuffie as she left the bedroom to search for the kitty, calling her name out.
After searching the whole apartment, Yuffie began to get frantic. "Where is she? She couldn't have gotten out because we don't ever leave the door open long enough for that."
Squall eyes widened and he covered his mouth as he remembered that he had left the door open while he got the mail in. "Um...Yuffie?"
"Squall, you didn't?" she questioned in disbelief, hoping he wasn't implying what she thought he was implying. But the look on his face answered her question.
"I forgot," he told her quietly.
"You forgot?! You FORGOT?! How could you forget something like that?!" She began running her hands through her short hair as she headed for the door. "Come on, Squall. You go that way and I'll go this way," she said as she dragged him out of the apartment and pushed him in the direction she had told him to go.
"It was an accident, Yuf," he called over his shoulder.
"Less talking and more looking, Squall," she yelled as she headed for their neighbor's apartment, knowing that since she had three kids, the chances of one of them finding Dottie and taking her home were pretty good. As she lifted her hand to knock, she remembered the conversation between her and Squall that afternoon about the thin walls. A blush came across her face as she knocked on the door.
Belle Watling, a woman in her early thirties with dyed red hair, opened the door and put on a fake smile when she saw who it was. "Yuffie, how nice to see you. Come in, come in."
"Hi Belle," Yuffie managed to stammer out as she walked into the living room of the apartment which was strewn with hundreds of toys.
"Yuffie, what brings you over to my lonely apartment? You and that hunk of meat have a fight?" She ushered Yuffie onto the couch, sitting on the other end.
Shaking her head, Yuffie tried to stay focused on why she was here and not try to think about what Belle said. "Belle, I'm looking for my kitten. Squall let her escape today. Have you seen her?"
Belle tapped her chin in thought for a moment. "Kitten? Hm, hold on and let me ask the brats." She turned around and looked towards the back of the apartment. "Kids! Come here a minute!" she yelled as Yuffie winced at her shrill voice.
Two boys and a little girl came running from the back of the house, each covered in a layer of dirt. "Yes mommy?" the girl asked.
"Have any of you seen Miss Yuffie's kitty today? She says it escaped." The kids all shook their heads vigorously...a little too vigorously. "Now, children, don't lie to mommy. You know we can't have any pets."
"But mommy," the youngest boy whined, "it's so cute. She's--"
He was interrupted when the oldest boy slapped the back of his head. "Good job, stupid. Now they know that we have it."
"Now, Timmy, if that kitty is here, please go get it for me. Miss Yuffie really misses her kitty," Belle told the youngest.
The little girl looked at Yuffie. "Are you the one that makes all the noise next door?" Yuffie felt her face turning a few interesting shades of crimson. "Mommy says you and Mr. Squall are wrestling. Why are you always wrestling?"
"Now, Winnie, that's not polite. If Miss Yuffie and Mr. Squall want to wrestle, that's their own business. Now you go make sure Timmy gets the kitty for Miss Yuffie. And take Cory with you." Belle waved her hands in a 'shoo' motion to send the kids out of the room.
"I'm sorry about the noise," Yuffie began. "Squall didn't tell me until today how thin the walls are." She felt her blush deepen, if that was possible.
"Don't worry about it, sweetie. All kids have to learn the facts of life sooner or later." She paused for a moment. "In fact, I wasn't much older than you when I had Cory. Yep, those were the days." Belle drifted off into her memories while Yuffie tried to push the sudden image of being like her when she was that age away.
Timmy came in a few minutes later, carrying a squirming black and white kitten in his arms. "Here Miss Yuffie," he said sadly as he handed the kitten over to her.
She held the kitten up to her face, rubbing noses and not caring that both Belle and her children were watching her. "Thank you, Timmy." Standing up, she headed for the door to let herself out, but Belle followed her.
"Now, Yuffie, if you ever get tired of Squall, then you let me know. I can use some fresh meat and I had my eye on him long before you came along." Belle patted her shoulder before closing the door on her.
Shuddering, Yuffie walked down the path to find Squall searching the bushes diligently. "I found her," she whispered as she snuck up on him.
He turned around to face her noticing the look of disgust on her face. "Where was she?"
"At Belle's apartment." She briefly wondered whether she should tell him what was said about him there, but quickly decided that what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. "Don't ever let me go back there again, Squall. Please," she begged. "I have the urge to bathe Dottie now, that place was so filthy."
"I don't think that would work out too well, Yuf." He placed an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the apartment.
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Walking to her car the next morning to go to work, Yuffie was stopped by a young man in his early twenties. "Hey, you're the girl living with the ex-marine, right?" he called as he walked towards her.
"Yeah, why?" she asked, annoyance coming through her voice as she was already running late.
Reaching her, he leaned on her car. "Well, don't you think you should date someone closer to your own age?"
She struggled to keep her temper down. "Look, what I do is none of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna be late for work." As she put the key in the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm closer to your age, you know." He moved in closer to her. "Why don't you dump the old man and move in with me?"
The next thing Yuffie knew, he was holding his now bloody nose and she was grimacing at the pain in her knuckles. Shaking her hand, she walked back to the apartment. When she opened the door, she found Squall still sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking his coffee. "I though you were going to work?" he asked confusedly.
"I was, but I hurt myself and now I'm calling in sick," she muttered as she went to the freezer for an ice pack. Finding one, she wrapped it in a cup towel and sat at the table, holding it across the knuckles of her right hand.
"Okay, Yuf, what did you do?" he inquired.
"I...uh...hit someone," she stammered.
"WHY?"
"Some jerk was hitting on me. He even asked me to move in with him." Standing up, she walked over to the phone and began dialing the number for Wet Pets 'n' Critters to tell her manager that she wouldn't make it in today.
"Some guy hit on you?" Squall hissed, his face showing his anger as he stood up and made his way for the door.
Yuffie grabbed his arm before he could open the door. "Where are you going?"
"To finish the job."
"Squall, I broke his nose. I don't think he'll be hitting on me again."
Giving in, he walked back over to the table and sat down again, waiting for her to finish explaining to her manager why she wouldn't be able to come in. After she hung up, Squall looked at her. "Yuffie, I think we need to move."
"Why?" She continued to hold the ice pack on her bruised knuckles.
"I think we've managed to alienate everyone here. We need to start somewhere new." He lifted the ice pack and glanced at her knuckles, grimacing at the ugly purple bruise forming. "Besides, we need to leave before that guy presses charges," he added jokingly.
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As they were getting ready to check out a new apartment a few days later, Yuffie sat behind a shirtless Squall, calmly peeling the skin off his sunburn. Having pulled off the fourth large piece, she shook her head. "Squall, for someone who hates snakes, you sure do lose your skin like one," she murmured.
"Are you finished?" he asked, ignoring her comment.
"Yeah. That's all that's going to come off right now." Standing up, she reached over and handed him the shirt that was hanging over a chair. "So, you ready to go?"
He pulled the shirt over his head. "At least let me get my shirt on."
"Oh, but Squall, you look so much nicer without it," she pouted.
"So do you," he quipped as he got off the bed and tried to dodge Yuffie as she tried to swat him.
Locking the door behind them, Squall and Yuffie headed for his truck to view the prospective apartment. The apartment they were viewing today was located across town, closer to the University than their current home. However, the rent was higher, but Squall claimed that wasn't a problem as long as this apartment had thicker walls.
They arrived at the apartment complex and found the manager, who insisted on going with them to look at the apartment in question: a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a fireplace. Yuffie was looking forward to viewing this apartment as the past three they had seen in the last couple of days were nothing but rat-infested holes in the walls.
Once the manager unlocked the door, he stayed in the living room area as Yuffie and Squall walked around the rest of the apartment. "Well, the bedroom's bigger," she muttered as she walked into the spacious master bedroom. "And it has a walk-in closet."
Squall grunted in reply, walking over to the bedroom window and looking out. "It's a corner apartment...and this bedroom doesn't share any walls with any other apartments," he said, grinning.
Yuffie walked into the bathroom and gasped. "Squall, come here!" she yelled.
Expecting a spider or bug of some sort, he quickly walked over. "What?" he asked, not seeing anything to cause her to gasp.
"Look at the bathtub," she commanded, pointing.
"Yeah...what about it?"
"It's...huge. Have you thought about what we can do in a bathtub that big?" She had a wicked twinkle in her eye.
Squall thought for a moment, then walked out of the bathroom and leaned his head out the bedroom door. "We'll take it," he hollered at the manager.
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Author's Note: Whew! *wipes forehead* That is the longest chapter I have ever written. It's just over 6,000 words and 15 pages!! I have never written a chapter that long before. Anyways, I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter. I hope to start it tomorrow morning, but I don't know how long it'll take to write. This chapter took 5 days to write, so I'm getting slower. Anyways, read and review! Oh yeah, if you recognize the name Belle Watling, it came from the book Gone with the Wind I loved that book...anyways, Belle Watling was the prostitute in it...tells you what kind of character their neighbor is, doesn't it? hehe
VL: I FINALLY finished this chapter, and now I can move on to the chapter we've both been waiting for. *wicked evil grin*