Author's Note: Yeah, I ended up putting TNB and ATC on hold so I could write this. I didn't mean to, it just happened. This story has possessed me much like SD did.
And I'm going to apologize. See, I meant to write this chapter a couple days ago, but I ended up borrowing my nephew's playstation and you know what that means. And then, when he took it back, I ended up buying my own and I've been "testing" it to make sure it works. And, to top matters off, I've had a temporary writer's block with everything. See, I know what I want to happen, I just can't get it out.
You know, writer's block termites can be wondrous things, but they can also be little demons, too. This bunch of termites decided it would be fun to wake me up at six in the morning to inform me they have successfully eaten down this block.
Note to Pingpong867: Well, most of the chapter titles come from the VL. In fact, I think I've only come up with two of the titles myself. So, I'll carry on your compliment to her.
[Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em.]
Chapter Six: Diamond Dust
Hearing and feeling her teeth chattering, Yuffie tried to curl up into an even tighter ball as she wrapped her half of the blanket around her and buried her face into it. "Damn cold spell," she muttered as her shivering only slightly subsided with her new position. Looking over her shoulder, the only proof she could see that Leon was still in the bed was the rhythmic rising and falling of the lump under the covers on that side of the bed.
In her frigid agony, Yuffie gave him an acrid glare, deeming it was unfair that he should be able to sleep comfortably while she suffered with the chilled air in the room. Of course he's not cold, the bitter part of her mind told her. He has an ice cube for a heart. How much colder can he possibly get than that? She gently shook her head, having an internal argument with that half of her brain, reminding herself of what had happened only a week ago, the day after he had fallen into the manhole.
Sleeping in peaceful bliss during the nap she and Leon had taken that day, Yuffie found herself rudely awakened by a rough shove and a sudden drop to the hard floor below. Her head aching from the fall, she tenderly rubbed the place on it that had bounced off of the hilt of the Gunblade peeking out from under the bed where it was being stored until Leon could safely wield it once again. "If you didn't want me up there, all you had to do was ask," she growled as she continued to lay on the floor and glare at the ceiling.
A low voice carried across the bed and down to her position on the floor. "How would you like to wake up and find someone's feet in your face?" Leon retorted as he rolled over to face the wall, the mattress springs creaking with his movement.
"So you shove me off the bed?!" she exclaimed in an incredulous tone, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, my feet weren't in your face. And even if they were, how would you be able to tell? You're blind, remember?"
"Yes, but I still have my other senses. And believe me," he paused for a moment, "your feet stink."
Indigo eyes narrowed in anger, the ninja sat up and glowered at the man on the bed. "My feet do NOT stink, Squall." She reached over his body and grabbed her pillow and the blanket, pulling them both to the floor.
"It's Leon and what are you doing?" he grumbled as he felt the blanket slide off him and towards Yuffie.
"I decided that if you're just going to push me off the bed anyway, I might as well sleep on the floor," she answered indignantly as she fluffed her pillow before laying her head upon it and pulling the blanket around her.
Leon wrapped the remaining covers around his body, muttering, "I don't know how you got over onto that side of the bed to begin with. You were sleeping next to the wall."
Angrily rolling over onto her side, the ninja shut her eyes in attempt to find sleep once more, even if the floor proved to make a poor bed. "Just shut up and go back to sleep," she called up to him.
There was a prolonged sigh from Leon and the bed groaned in protest as he rolled over once more. "Yuffie, get on the bed."
"No."
"Get on the bed," he tried again.
"Why should I?"
"Yuffie, please get on the bed," he said again, the barest hint of a pleading tone coming into his voice. "I'm sorry that I pushed you off. It just," he paused as he searched for the words to say, "surprised me to find my nose buried in your feet."
Shocked at his apology, she wordlessly climbed back onto the bed, spreading the blanket across both of them before settling back down to try to go back to sleep. However, sleep did not come to her right away as her mind was still processing the fact that not only did Leon apologize, but he practically begged her to stay on the bed with him.
Another shiver wracked Yuffie's small frame, pulling her out of her reverie and back into the present time and situation, a freak cold spell in September and a frigid room. Staring at the lump she assumed was Leon, she still marveled at how different he had been since the manhole incident. He was finally treating her more like an adult, like a peer, and not a child. And she was loving every minute of it.
Unable to take the cold any longer, she carefully slid out from under the blankets and climbed off the bed, wrapping her thick terry cloth robe around her for warmth as she strode to the hall door. Stepping into the hallway, she quietly closed the door behind her as she marched down to the front desk to demand answers for the lack of heating in the building.
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As soon as Yuffie had shut the door, Leon began tossing and turning with the nightmare that had just started to assault him. A strangled moan escaped his throat as his mind played the dream like a movie, forcing him to sit through its entirety.
Standing in the open area of the Third District, Leon looked up from the ground to see a Defender materialize in front of him, brandishing the large shield in front of itself. Leon immediately grasped the hilt of his Gunblade and took his defensive stance, waiting for the Heartless to begin its attack.
At the sound of a loud metallic clanking, the Gunblade wielder spun around to find another Defender appear behind him. It was soon followed by dozens more as they slowly began to surround and close in on him.
Knowing he didn't stand a chance against this many of the incredibly strong and well armored Heartless, Leon began to hack a path through them, planning on fleeing to the safe haven of the First District. As the few Defenders he attacked dissipated into black clouds, Leon sprinted towards the door, about to push them open when he heard a shrill scream of terror.
He whirled around at the sound, only to see Yuffie in the middle of the Heartless, mercilessly throwing her shuriken as the Defenders attacked her with their various magical attacks. As Leon stood watching, an ice attack hit the ninja, knocking her to her knees. This was immediately followed by one of the Defenders flame balls, causing the girl to collapse in a heap upon the cobblestones.
"Yuffie!" Leon shouted as he saw the girl fall, unable to move as his feet seemed to have become rooted to the spot in front of the doors. Finally regaining movement of his legs, the Gunblade wielder dived into the swarm of Heartless, intent on rescuing his partner. As he brought his blade down upon the defenseless back of the Defender, darkness fell across his eyes, leaving him blind to the world around him and rendering him incapable of saving the now unconscious Yuffie.
Leon awoke with a jolt, sensing the unevenness of the bed as he became fully conscious. He lay still for a moment, listening for the sound of Yuffie's rhythmic breathing but hearing nothing from her side of the bed. Tentatively reaching out a hand, he blindly swept it across the mattress in the hopes of touching her. Finding nothing, he whispered, "Yuffie?"
There was no answer, causing a slight panic to set into his bones as the scene of her fall from his dream replayed itself in his mind's eye. "Yuffie?" he called again, a little louder this time as he set up in the bed, rubbing his arms as the cold air touched his skin. He ordered himself to calm down and wait for a few minutes, then, if she hadn't returned, to try and get Aerith's help to look for her.
The sound of the door slowly opening sent a warm wave of relief to flow over Leon's body, allowing him to relax. "Damn hotel manager," he heard Yuffie mutter to herself as she crept across the room, believing Leon to still be asleep.
"Yuffie, where were you?" the Gunblade wielder quietly demanded, feeling the mattress press down as she crawled over to her side.
"Arguing with the manager. The hotel doesn't get heat until October. From May through September, they only have air conditioning. And I happen to be freezing," she huffed angrily as she pulled the blanket tightly around her body. "I'm sorry I woke you up, Leon."
Leon rolled over to face her, feeling the covers quivering from the violent shivers racing through Yuffie as her body tried to warm itself. Slowly scooting over, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, her back resting against his chest. Sensing that she was about to protest to his actions, he silenced her with his explanation. "I'm cold, too, Yuf. And this works better than blankets," he whispered to her, feeling her body begin to relax against him.
"If you say so," she murmured as her shivering finally stopped. Closing her eyes, sleep began to overtake her, allowing her to slip into the peaceful bliss she believed Leon to have been in before she left the room.
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With Leon's arm still draped across her, Yuffie awoke as the sun came shining through the windows, washing the darkened room with its bright light. She stared down at the arm in amazement before gently pulling away and climbing out of the bed, leaving Leon asleep under the covers. Shaking her head in confusion at his actions, she picked up her clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower in the hopes the steam would help clear her mind.
Emerging from the bathroom after her shower, she found Leon already dressed and sitting at the small table, drumming his fingers upon the surface. "You managed to find your clothes?" the ninja asked as stared at him with wide eyes. This was the first time since his injury that he had been able to find his own clothes and put them on correctly. He had put a few shirts on backwards, but he apparently had figured out how to find the front of them.
Leon ignored her comment, stilling his drumming fingers as he continued to sit there. "Yuffie, I want to try and fight while I'm blind. I hate being helpless and defenseless against the Heartless," he finally said softly, remembering his dream from the night before. "And you can help me."
"How can I help you?" the ninja asked confusedly, a million reasons as to why he shouldn't be out there fighting coming into her mind. She sat down across from him at the table, still towel drying her wet hair as she stared at him.
"You're a ninja, Yuf. Weren't you trained to fight in the darkness?"
A small chuckle escaped her throat. "Oh, yeah... I forgot. But, Leon..." she bit her lip, trying to find an excuse to keep him from fighting. Too many things could go wrong without him being able to see. "Leon, Aerith would never allow it. You know how she is."
"Aerith's not here, now is she, Yuf?" Leon inquired sarcastically, his stubborn determination setting in as he prepared to argue with the girl. "And what she doesn't know, won't hurt her."
Rolling her eyes, Yuffie let out a prolonged sigh. "I'm not going to win, am I? And no matter how many reasons I give you for not fighting, you'll come up with a dozen more for fighting, won't you?" Not waiting for an answer, she rose to her feet, throwing the towel onto the pile of dirty laundry and pulling Leon out of his chair. "Well, if we're going to do this, let's at least get something to eat first."
"No, training comes first. You know that, Yuffie," Leon reminded as she handed him his walking stick. He heard her grunt as she pulled the heavy Gunblade out from under the bed, pushing the hilt into his hand where he easily picked it up and swung it over his shoulder.
"Ah, but I'm the one leading you around, remember? Therefore," she paused as a wicked glint came into her indigo eyes, "if I want to eat first, we eat first."
Using his cane, Leon headed for the door, stepping out into the hallway. "Have you forgotten about the mental map I've made of Traverse Town this week? I can find my way around without your help just fine." To prove his point, he started down the hall and out the door, immediately jumping down to the lower level and towards the alley entrance.
"Damn it, Squall," Yuffie muttered as she reluctantly followed him, seeing that he was heading for his favorite training place: the secret waterway. Why he insisted upon training there would always remain a mystery for the ninja. There were so many better places to train, like the top floor of Merlin's house. Sure, the magician helped them with magic attacks there, but it worked well with physical attacks, too.
Looking up, she realized that she and Leon had already reached the waterway while she had been silently contemplating the matter. She grimaced as she looked at the water, seeing that it had become even greener and grosser than the last time they were there. Sensing that she was falling behind, Leon called over his shoulder, "Is something wrong?"
"Be glad you can't see," she replied as she closed her eyes and jumped in, not wanting to see the slime now covering her legs. "Grossness." Wanting to get out of the sludge, she hurriedly ran to the rocky shore where Leon was already standing, repeatedly swinging his Gunblade. "This isn't going to work, ya know."
Mentally rolling his eyes, Leon mumbled, "thank you for your optimism, Yuffie," before dropping the point of his blade into the ground and leaning on the hilt. "Just get over here and help me."
"You need something to fight, Squall. I can't just throw my stars at you, you wouldn't stand a chance," she stated pragmatically. "And once we find something for you to fight, how are you going to hit it? You can't see anything."
"First of all, my name is Leon. Secondly, go chase some Shadow Heartless in here. They're relatively harmless. And, finally, I'll be able to hear them. My hearing has gotten better since the accident." This was all said in his steady, calm monotone, the tone he used to let people know he meant business.
Shaking her head at his determination, Yuffie mumbled a few curses before returning to the water to catch some Shadows for him, hoping she wouldn't have far to go to find them. Luck was with her, she discovered, as she found a trio of Shadows hiding behind the crates at the end of the alley. Running behind them, she carefully herded them into the water and through the cavern's entrance, throwing her shuriken just to the side of them to keep them going in the right direction. "Squall, you owe me so big," she grumbled as she came into the cavern, watching as the Heartless approached him, her throwing stars at the ready in case he needed help.
She watched as he quirked his head to the side, listening to the scratchy noises the creatures as they crossed the stones and came towards him. Just as she saw one launch itself at the swordsman, Leon brought his Gunblade around in an arc and sliced through the Shadow, leaving a black cloud as it disappeared. Leon quickly dispatched the other creatures in the same manner as Yuffie looked on with eyes wide with surprise. Speechless, she slowly began to walk up to him.
Not hearing any other Heartless, Leon lowered the point of the Gunblade to the ground, his back to Yuffie. A sudden noise to his right caused him to quickly bring the blade back up and swing it around, eliciting a shrill squeal from the ninja as she barely managed to duck in time to miss the blade. "Yuffie?" Leon asked suddenly, dropping his blade to the ground.
"You tried to kill me!" the ninja shrieked as she sat in a heap upon the ground, staring at him with eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I knew you didn't like me, but I didn't realize you hated me this much," she continued, not waiting for his explanation. "And I thought we were getting along so much better now."
Dropping to his knees, the Gunblade wielder buried his face in his hands. "You startled me, Yuf," he explained. "I didn't know you were right there. I thought you were a Heartless."
"Sure, you say that now that I'm still alive," she muttered, not believing him as she scooted backwards. "You hate me!"
"Yuffie, I don't hate you." He briefly wondered if he should tell her the real reason he wished to fight the Heartless blindly, to protect her as he was unable to in his dream from the night before.
"Prove it!"
"I would if I could find your lips," he muttered softly, raising his head from his hands.
Yuffie stopped moving backwards and stared at him. "Did you just say what I think you just said?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes. If I could see, I would kiss you. But, as I'm unable to--" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he felt her arms wrap around his neck and her warm lips press against his. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close, deepening the kiss as she had shown him where her mouth was located.
Author's Note: Okay... my muse has gone bye-bye. I don't know when she'll be back. I wrote this chapter museless and I don't think it's very good. But, if my muse comes back and gives me a better idea for the chapter, I'll rewrite it. I don't know when I'll update this again. It all depends on my muse. Sorry for the inconvenience. Anyways, do me a favor and review and tell me how "sucky" the chapter is.