Part 3
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Aerith pulled the clean blankets up over Yuffie's prone form and looked up as the door to the bathroom opened. Leon walked out stiffly with red eyes and he pulled a chair over to a spot near the bed. She watched in amazement as he gently picked her uninjured hand up from beneath the blankets and placed a kiss on her palm.
She sat on the bed next to the pale young woman lying on the bed and brushed her short chocolate locks away from her eyes.
Leon's somber voice drew her eyes from the sleeping pixie. "How is she doing?"
"She's still very weak. I called Cid and had him fetch the doctor while you were in the shower. She went back to the clinic to get her some supplies. Yuffie's going to need blood and we didn't want to move her so were going to set something up here. Dr. Yardley thinks she's going to make it."
Cerulean eyes closed as he let out a sigh of relief. 'She's going to be okay…'
"Leon, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but could you tell me what happened?"
A tear made its way down his cheek. "We got into an argument. She was only trying to help and I said some things that I really didn't mean to say." He told her what had happened and what he heard her say on top of the gizmo shop. His eyes opened and he stared into her green eyes with palpable sadness. "Aerith, I hurt Yuffie so deeply she thought that the only way to make all of us happy…make me happy was if she wasn't around to burden us anymore."
Aerith was openly crying after he told her what had happened. She too had been unusually curt with the young girl but that was due to her own memories of Hollow Bastion that she had been fighting lately. Her memories of her mother and of her love were tormenting her dreams, making many of her nights sleepless.
"Leon, I too have said things that have made Yuffie think that she isn't wanted. I deeply regret my attitude towards her…I am also to blame." She let out a shuddering breath.
Knock, Knock
Aerith looked to the door. "Come in Dr. Yardley."
A woman in her thirties with blond hair came into the room, pushing a small cart followed by a young man with red hair. "Are you ready Aerith?" She received a nod in response. The doctor turned to the red headed man. "John go ahead and set that up over here while Aerith and I get the heart monitor and IV line in.
Squall watched as their efficient movements around the room. John was hooking Yuffie up to the heart monitor while Aerith and the doctor searched Yuffie's arms and legs for a viable vein. With the blood loss, it made that task very difficult. Finally after three pokes and three new bruises that marred Yuffie's beautifully tanned skin, they were able to start the transfusion process.
"Well now all we can do is wait." Yardley said as she flashed a penlight in Yuffie's eyes. "Aerith, we've left two units of blood for her and you'll have to come in and give her another unit every three hours then start her on the drip. I will return in to check on her progress tomorrow around noon.
"With these types of self inflicted injuries, someone will have to stay with her just in case she regains consciousness and makes another attempt."
Squall looked up from the spot he had been staring at on the floor. "I will stay with her."
Aerith nodded. "Thank you doctor for coming by. I will see you at the clinic tomorrow."
The doctor gave her a warm smile. "No problem. Aerith, if you need to take tomorrow off, just come by and let me know okay?"
"I will. Goodnight Dr. Yardley. Bye John."
Aerith looked over at Leon and gave a sad smile. "Maybe you should talk to her." She nodded at Yuffie. "It's believed that even if a person is unconscious or in a coma, they can still hear you and it encourages healing. I'll call the front desk and have them bring you a cot and something to eat. If you need anything else, let me know 'kay?"
"Thank you. Goodnight Aerith."
The former flower girl went to close the door between their joined rooms and paused. "Leon, please don't beat yourself up over this. She needs you right now." She closed the door, giving him time to think.
Squall moved from his chair that had been placed near the door while the medical equipment was being set up and sat on the edge of their bed. He studied her face while stroking her hand. 'She has always been beautiful.' He thought as he looked at her pale face.
There was a knock at the door as a muffled voice came through the door. "Room service."
"Come in."
The young bellhop entered the room and his eyes widened when he saw all the medical equipment. "Uh…where do you want the cot set up sir?"
Squall pointed to an area near the sleeping ninja. "There will be fine. You can leave the food on the dresser."
The bellhop quickly set up the cot and sat the blankets and pillows on top. Squall handed the kid a few munny gems before checking on what Aerith ordered for him.
"Thank you. I hope she feels better soon sir." He said quietly as he left the room.
The brown haired man devoured his meal and changed into a pair of shorts, not bothering to put on a shirt. He leaned over Yuffie and kissed her gently on the forehead before climbing under the warm blankets on the uncomfortable cot, falling into an uneasy slumber.
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Aerith hung the fresh IV bag full of clear liquid on the pole when she heard Leon cry out.
"No! Yuffie stop!" He thrashed on the small cot, his long limbs hanging off the side.
The pink clad woman quickly made her way over to him and firmly placed her hands on his shoulders. "Leon! Wake up, you're dreaming."
His eyes snapped open and he jumped from the cot looking around the room franticly before spotting Yuffie. He quickly walked the short distance between their beds, a cold sweat was pouring down his chest and back as he sat on the bed. Thought he heard the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, he placed two fingers on her uninjured wrist, feeling her pulse beating strong beneath his fingers and let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"She's doing much better Leon. Her color is better and her blood pressure has risen back to normal. Yuffs should be waking up soon." He nodded but couldn't respond. "I'm going to get dressed and order something for breakfast. I'll be back soon." She gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder as she went back to her room.
He sat in silence for a few moments before speaking to his love. "Yuffie…Oh gods…" He paused for a moment, regaining his composure. "I hope that somehow, you can hear me. There are so many things I need to say to you and well, you know how good I am with words." He said sarcastically.
"You were right. You have always been right. I was either just too stupid to realize it or I was just hiding from the truth. There's nothing that I can do to change the past and I am slowly learning to accept that.
"You were the one person who continuously tried to break down the walls that I had built around me in an attempt to get me to accept the help that you were trying to give me. I know now that every time you tried to get me to talk, damn, basically everything you did was because you cared about me.
"Yuffie, I am so sorry that I drove you to this. I did not mean what I said at all and I never have hated you and I never could. I've watched change from a sweet young girl, full of energy and life to a very beautiful, loving young woman. I know that you probably can never forgive me for what happened, but I would rather have you hating me for the rest of my life then to not have you in it at all.
"Yuffie, I know you probably can't hear me but I love you. I have loved you for a long time but I was just too much of a coward to admit it. Everyone that I have ever shown love for or cared for has died and I was afraid…I was afraid that if I told you, something would happen to you."
He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Fat lot of good that did. It was because I didn't tell you that this did happened. Yuffie, I do love you and hope that I get a chance to tell you soon."
"You just did, but you can tell me again." A weak voice said.
Squall looked down into eyes of gray mixed with a hint of purple. She had a tired smile on his face. "Oh gods Yuffie, I am so sorry about everything!" Tears fell from his eyes as he moved closer to cradle his gorgeous pixie. "Yuffie I love you, please promise me that you will never ever harm yourself again."
Yuffie brought her left hand up to his cheek and brushed away the tears. "I promise. I am sorry that I did something so stupid. I heard everything you said to me, ya know, I don't hate you either and I know you won't believe me, but I do forgive you for what you said. I remember how you sounded when I walked out on you and maybe if I wasn't so damn stubborn, none of this would have happened." Tears were starting to flow down her cheeks.
Squall smiled at her statement. "Hey, none of that. You said it yourself Yuffs, you can't change the past. I know we have problems but we can work through them together but in order to do that, we have leave what happened where it is…in the past."
"Squall, I love you."
"I love you too and I hope that I never have to live my life without you." He said as he captured her lips with his, pouring all the love he felt for her into that one, breathtaking kiss.
The End
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AN:
I am so so so so so sorry!!! This story was harder to write than I thought it would be. This is my first Squall/Yuffie and hopefully if I decide to rewrite this or if I write another story with this pairing, it will be better.
Anyway, please read and review. Any flames received will be shoved up Ansem's ass by Oogie Boogie while still burning. I'm gonna go sit in my corner now and think about my multi chapter story.