A/N: This is going to be short so that you can read my chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews! Now, go and read!



[Disclaimer: I own nothing except Caine Stokes (partially owned by October Breeze) and the waitress at the café. Enjoy!]

The Reason

Chapter 2
THE SKY was a mix of brilliant, yet pale colors of gold and purple, a soft breeze in the air. Yuffie smiled and hooked her arm through Aerith's and leaned her head against her shoulder as they made their way to the café.

"Well Yuf, you wouldn't have asked for a better day to have your birthday," Aerith said happily, glancing at her. "I still can't believe you're seventeen. Seventeen is a big step from sixteen, you know."

"Uh-huh, I just want my presents and cake," Yuffie answered and let go of Aerith. She skipped forward to the café and looked around for a good table. When they found the one they wanted, they sat and waited for Squall before ordering.

They waited. And waited. And waited.

Aerith glanced at the watch around her wrist. It told her that Squall was exactly 24 minutes and 37 seconds late, give or take a few seconds. She lightly tapped her foot on the pavement and heard Yuffie sigh next to her.

"I wish he would show up on time for these types of things. It is my birthday after all. But I guess he never did care about me all that much..." Yuffie said quietly, mostly to herself. Aerith shook her head and looked back towards the doors to the Second District. All of a sudden, Squall burst through the large, double doors.

"Here he is, Yuf!" Aerith exclaimed excitedly. There was something about the two total opposites (Yuffie and Squall) that made Aerith think that they had feelings for one another that weren't necessarily only friendship. But that was probably only Aerith's romantic mind. If you looked at the two, there was nothing that alluded to anything at all. They were both as unreadable as a book in the Ancients' tongue, which she had found at the old library in Hollow Bastion.

Squall walked calmly up to the table and sat in a chair opposite the two ladies. He placed his Gunblade on the ground at his side, careful never to get it out of his sight. The Heartless threat was still very much present, and none of the party could forget that.

A big, buxom young woman with flaming red hair came up to them and asked them what they would like to drink.

"Raspberry ice-tea, please," Aerith said politely. Of course, it was Aerith, and everything she said came out as a sweet, kind response.

"I'll have a Sprite," Yuffie said enthusiastically.

"Just water." That was Squall, obviously. He wasn't a big fan of soft drinks, coffee, lemonade and ice-tea, or liquor. So, his choice was always simply "water" or, on rare occasions, "tea."

Yuffie settled comfortably next to Aerith and looked over at the emotionless Squall Leonhart. He was quite an enigmatic man, and she could never tell where he was going with anything. But that was part of his charm: his mysteriousness. What girl could resist a mysterious man?

She considered him a friend, sure, but that didn't mean that a friend couldn't like another friend. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, Aerith always stressed how the people who start out as friends and then become something more are often the best couples. They know the most about each other, she said.

So, did it matter if she sort of, kind of had a crush on the handsome Squall Leonhart? Couldn't every girl have an icon, a hero? Everyone needs someone to moon over. Squall happens to be a very admirable character, Yuffie thought. She needed excuses to get her mind out of the uncomfortable situation she had just pondered on.

"Well, while we're waiting for that, do you want to open your presents, Yuffums?" Aerith asked, reaching down into her large purse that sat on the floor. Trying to hide the package behind her back, Aerith finally just handed it over to the impatient Yuffie.

After pulling out all of the tissue paper in the decorative bag, she found a small, velvet box. Yuffie took it in her hands and ran her fingertips over the soft, fuzzy top before opening it. It was a thin golden band. Smiling brightly, Yuffie hugged Aerith.

"Thanks, Aerith! This is pretty!" She immediately put it on her finger and held out her hand.

"Here's my present, Yuf. I didn't have time to wrap it. Sorry," Squall said awkwardly, a tiny, almost nonexistent, blush spread across his cheeks. He handed her the topaz necklace. Yuffie took it tenderly, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Oh, thank you so much, Leon! I love it. How did you know that I wanted it?" She asked, fumbling with the clasp behind her neck. Not thinking about what he was doing, Squall leaned over and helped her with it. But it put both of them in an odd position, as their faces were only inches from each other and his arms were around her shoulders. The clasp clicked in place, but Squall couldn't move.

Hesitantly, Yuffie moved her head closer and closed her eyes to kiss him. Squall also moved forward, and their lips were mere millimeters from touching.

"Hey, Yuffie!" Someone called from across the District. The two flew apart and Yuffie blushed furiously, crimson spreading up her neck. She turned towards the voice and saw that it was a handsome, green-eyed, blonde man with a pair of glasses on his nose. He smiled and waved at them.

"You have the absolute worst timing, Caine," Yuffie murmured under her breath. Aerith had a mischievous glint in her jade eyes. Squall was looking away, not even sparing a glance towards the man quickly coming towards them, the man who had stopped him from kissing Yuffie.

"Oh, Caine, it's good to see you again," Aerith told him, smiling brightly. He nodded, and then turned his attention to the lovely birthday girl on the other side of the table that couldn't look him in the eye.

"Hi, Caine," she mumbled. He took her hand and kissed it. This made her eyes snap to him. Squall did not react, but, as Aerith noticed, he was tightly clenching his fists together. She wondered what was wrong, as Caine was the perfect gentleman.

"My dear, Yuffie! Happy birthday, mademoiselle," he replied cheerily, not even taking the time to look at the man sitting across the table from Yuffie and Aerith.

"Please, Caine, sit down and join us," Aerith offered politely, though she was a little annoyed at him because he had extremely bad timing.

"Why thank you. I think I will," he said. Caine pulled up a chair to the table and sat in between Yuffie and Aerith. This made Yuffie shy away from him and closer to Squall, and Squall had protectively moved towards her anyway. The result was them bumping into each other and then scooting away, embarrassed.

"I took it upon myself to buy you a gift as well," Caine said. He handed her a square box, wrapped in heart paper. Squall narrowed his eyes at the young man, but said nothing. There was definitely something very wrong here.

Yuffie opened it and found a small, sharp star shuriken, embedded with tiny amethyst stones. A smile slid across her face. "Thank you, this is so cool!" she said, twirling it around her fingers and sliding it onto her belt.

"Glad you think so. It came from the shop. We have some great things over there if you ever want to...check it out."

"Stokes, don't even think that you are ever going to win her over. I will cut your throat before you do anything to her," Squall growled from his seat. Yuffie and Aerith looked puzzled. Caine had a sly grin plastered on his handsome features.

"And why not? Maybe my past has changed. Maybe I have changed," he said. Squall shook his head, his russet hair flying.

"You touch either of them and you won't have hands anymore. Got it? Now leave before I decide to kill you anyway." Squall's cold anger left both of the young women shocked. They had no clue what either man was talking about. And now Squall was all worked up, and for what reason? There was nothing wrong with Caine Stokes as far as they were concerned. But, obviously Squall knew something neither of them did.

"You can't scare me away that easily, Leonhart. But I suppose the air at this table is no longer friendly," Caine replied coolly, his eyes narrowed, very much resembling an angry snake. "I hope you have a very happy birthday, Yuffie," he said, leaning over and kissing the girl on the cheek. Her face burned. Caine shook hands with Aerith and turned to leave.

But he spared one last smirk in Squall's direction before exiting the District.

"I'm out of here," Squall said after the quiet, uncomfortable pause that had ensued after the men's argument.

Aerith nodded, but Yuffie's lips turned down into a pouting frown ((A/N: I know, I know, it's a rhyme)). She still didn't understand. Everything was supposed to be good and happy on her birthday. But something had happened between the two men that had ruined that.

Squall stood and grabbed his Gunblade before heading towards the Second District doors. Yuffie thought a moment before hugging Aerith, quietly thanking her for the gift, and following Squall.

He didn't acknowledge her presence until after they were in the Second District. Then he turned upon her, full force, sapphire eyes sparkling with fury.

"I wanted to be alone."

"Well, it's my birthday, Squ-er-Leon, and I decided I needed some answers. Care to share any information with me?" She asked, wearing on his already frayed nerves.

"No. I don't want to tell you anything."

Yuffie sighed and shook her head, running a hand through her short, raven hair. "I wish you would, though. I'm so confused..."

Squall looked at her and sharply in took a breath of air. When had she become so beautiful? It was as if a bud was finally blossoming into the gorgeous flower that it had always had the potential to be. He tried to suppress the sudden urge that coursed through his veins. Unfortunately, he was never very good at that.

Yuffie looked up at Squall just in time to see his lips come crashing down onto hers. He wrapped his arms tightly about her waist, and she put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The buildings seemed to sigh in happiness, as though watching the heroine and hero of a movie finally come together.

When they pulled apart, Yuffie was breathing fast, and her heart was violently thumping around in her chest. Squall had a wild look in his eyes that made Yuffie stunned. Before she could act on his kiss, though, he kissed her again and all of her thoughts scattered to the far recesses of her mind.

Somewhere during this whole process, Squall had picked her up and was now carrying her over to the Hotel, his lips still not leaving hers. Only occasionally, when they were lacking enough air, did their lips part for a moment. But only then, as they were both too hungry for the other's mouth.

Squall kicked open the Hotel door, ignoring the old man at the counter who was snoring. He had to put Yuffie down, however, to open their Hotel room door, and he did so reluctantly. Yuffie did not relinquish her hold around his neck, and her other hand was tangled in his mass of russet locks. Then he opened the door and pulled her inside, kicking it behind him.

What followed was a wild race to the bed. Squall hovered over Yuffie and then kissed her again. She deepened the kiss and ran one hand up and down his back and the other through his hair. He left a trail of kissed down her chin and neck, and she arched her neck in pleasure. He moved down and left a small kiss on her stomach, which made her gasp. He smiled wolfishly at her and suppressed anymore of her breathing with another kiss.

But, eventually a small voice in Yuffie's head (it sounded suspiciously like Aerith) warned her of all the possible outcomes. Pregnancy, lost self- respect, heartbreak, and those were only a few. She wanted to continue, but it took enough enthusiasm out of her kissing that Squall noticed and looked up with her, his hands stilling at her waist.

"I'm really sorry, Squall. But we can't do this. I-I-I can't do this," she said, bursting into tears and sitting up. Squall came back out of his cloud and realized what he had almost done. It was illegal, not to mention just plain old wrong. This was Yuffie Kisaragi here, and he couldn't do this to her.

"It's okay, Yuf. I'm really sorry," he whispered before quietly exiting the Hotel room. Yuffie lay down on the rumpled comforter and cried herself to sleep.

Squall slowly walked over to the Waterway and entered the cavern, his thoughts revolving around his actions. He wasn't sure what had made him do that. He didn't love Yuffie at all, but he did like her. He supposed it was that animal instinct or something, but he wasn't sure. He'd never felt that way about anyone before. Never. So, why now? Why Yuffie? He pondered on these thoughts for a few hours while training. There was something about the sweep of his blade, the arc of it coming down upon imaginary enemies, that calmed him and cleared his thoughts.

Yuffie woke out of her troubled sleep. Something had nagged at her brain and wouldn't let her do anything until it was settled. She looked around the room. Squall wasn't anywhere in sight, and she sighed, remembering what had happened. But even those thoughts weren't enough to satisfy that force that was telling her to get up and see what was happening. Before she did anything, though, she changed from the uncomfortable birthday clothes she had fallen asleep in, into her usual khaki shorts and green tank top. Then she was ready to go.

Her intuition (as she had labeled it) made her go towards the big, open area in the Third District. She wondered why; as this area was deserted save for the empty house that hadn't been used in years. But she saw her answer when she got there. Squall stood in the center, his Gunblade tightly grasped in his hands. There was another person in the square also. He was tall, and blonde, and had a large saber-like sword with a bejeweled hilt. That was Caine.

"Leonhart, Leonhart, Leonhart..." Caine sighed with an unfamiliar tone in his voice. "You know, she's not a little girl anymore. She's fair game for all of the guys in Traverse. You had to know that she would be attracted to someone eventually."

"Yes," he growled, "but I would have preferred that someone not to be you. You're the one who is going to hurt her. You bastard."

"Bold words. I wonder if you're as bold in your fighting?"

"You don't want to do this, Stokes," Squall said before starting to walk away.

"Are you a coward, now, Leonhart?" Caine sneered with an emphasis on "coward." Squall stopped in his tracks and turned around. He tensed up and raised his Gunblade menacingly.

"You've made the wrong decision, Stokes," Squall said as he stepped forward, his blade still raised. Caine brought up his weapon too and they glared at each other. By then, Yuffie was close to them, but neither noticed her proximity. Squall took the Gunblade and started a wide arc that could kill any opponent.

Yuffie dove in front of Caine before Squall could stop his weapon.

The heavy edged blade hit her square on the shoulder. A strangled scream ripped out of her throat, the blow making the air whoosh out of her lungs. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling to the ground, warm stabs of pain pulsing through her shoulder and down her arm.

"Yuffie!"

Squall let his Gunblade drop to the ground in a clatter. Blood was spurting out of her shoulder, looking mangled and unrecognizable. Her eyes were open, glazed over and foggy, tears quick to fall down her cheeks. He reached out to touch her, to grab her wrist for a pulse—

"Don't touch her Leonhart. You caused enough trouble already," Caine said coldly. Before Squall could do anything, he picked Yuffie up, bridal style, smearing blood all over his well-pressed shirt.

What have I done?


Squall knelt down on the ground, his black leather pants already stained with her blood. He pulled off his glove and touched the warm puddle of crimson on the stone square. Yuffie's blood. She's hurt. She's dead. His thoughts trailed along this direction for quite some time before he had convinced himself that she was, in fact, no longer among the living. And it was all his fault. Squall ran his thumb over the scar on his face, not caring that he was spreading blood on himself. He stood and picked up the Gunblade, heading towards the First District. He had failed one he loved again.

"Goodbye, Yuffie," he said, tears coming out of his eyes, his throat tight. He had failed. The only thing left for him to do now was to leave and never come back. The brave, great, strong Squall Leonhart could not face the pain. He could not face the fact that his fighting partner was dead at his hand.

A gummi ship flew off in a burst of speed, but no one was awake to hear it.

A/N: Don't you just love this? I do. Hopefully, you're not too sad about Squallikins leaving, though. He had to. It was how the story went. Despite how much October Breeze whined about him leaving, I had to do it. You'll see why later. Oh, and I have to say, I am totally in love with this new "QuickEdit" thing that allows me to put in bold, italics, and the like. Thank you ff.net!

Do you guys still like Caine? I admit, I still do. He's such a cool character even though he is evil.

Well, anyway, REVIEW!