Alright, here's the next chapter, and the promised angst is gonna have to wait 'til the next chapter because this one is so long already. It has been such a long time since anything was posted. That's partly because I am so busy with school and mostly because I didn't know how to go about doing this next part. I wanted to show how much Cloud really wanted Aeris and how insecure he is about her feelings for him. I'm am also attempting to shed light on how Squall developed feelings for her. Bringing out their vying for Aeris has presented somewhat of a problem. I know how I want the first few encounters to happen, but setting the scenarios up believably is taking a little more time. Those may get pushed back into the next two chapters, which I hate to do. But I want this to be smooth and very true to the characters' personalities.
Lastly, keep in mind that the suggested soundtrack is chosen for overall sound and not always the lyrics. Recommended tracks add such depth of emotions audibly that writing alone can't do. =) And if you need the mp3s, email me and we can arrange how to send them. Or go to #alphaanime @ irc.aniverse.com and msg Mandy138Cool.
Oh, and one last thought: DIE R/S fics DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!! I do not believe yaoi belongs in Kingdom Hearts. It just doesn't FIT! It's sick! Now, it can be gotten away with in Final Fantasy VII, however…
Revised: 4/8/2004
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*** = Shift in PoV
' ' = Thoughts
" " = Dialogue
::: = Flashback
[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack
( ) = Disc – Track Number
[ -- ] = No Music, Silence
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[Descendant of the Shinobi - Final Fantasy VII (3-04)]
Yuffie had been lying in the bed for a few minutes, waiting for Squall to lay down as well. And as they passed, she waited a little more, thinking that maybe he was just getting ready for bed. And as those minutes stretched out into a full half an hour, she sat up and huffed at what was taking him so long. She was getting too nervous wondering if he was gonna come or not. How was she supposed to sleep if she was nervous! 'A girl can't sleep not knowing if anyone's gonna enter her bedroom or not!' So going to see what the hold up was, Yuffie marched down the hall, upset at this delay in her rest. As she reached the acceleration room, her mouth fell open in disbelief. There Squall was, lying on the second couch, jacket still on and an arm over his eyes. Going to the end of the couch, Yuffie placed her fisted hands on her hips and stood there staring at him until he was bothered enough to open his eyes. It took a little longer than she expected to wait. She didn't give him enough credit. Of course, she should have expected this. He was very good at ignoring people.
When he did open them, annoyance was written all over his face. 'Man,' she thought, 'it's almost as if he was expecting it to be me.' And smiling proudly at her reputation, Yuffie started off with a cocky air. "What are you doing?" she said as she slanted her head to the left a bit.
Frowning, Squall answered, "I was sleeping. Or at least trying to."
"I know that. I meant why are you doing that here? I left the curtain open so you would know you can bunk with me."
His frown turning less harsh, he excused, "I…don't want to intrude." 'I've apparently imposed quite a bit already,' he thought in reference to Aeris. 'Yet, even though I know I'm doing so, I don't want to stop it from going farther.'
"Silly, Squall! Oops! I'm sorry! I know you like Leon," she said with her hands at her mouth.
Sitting up and shaking his head, he assured her, "No, it's alright. My wish of restoring the worlds was fulfilled, so I will return to being Squall." And with that, he gave a small smile to her.
Yuffie was stunned at first. He never smiles. Just like Cloud never used to. He was getting better, though. It was good to see Squall smile. She had often wondered if he even knew how. "You silly boy. Of course you're not imposing. If I didn't want you to sleep with me-" she cut off, her face becoming seriously red. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that! You know what I meant!" And if she hadn't been so thoroughly embarrassed, she would've been shocked out of her thoughts as Squall emitted the tiniest of chuckles. "Anyway," she continued after the redness lessened somewhat, "you're welcome to share a bed—er, bunk with me." Convinced he would think she was an attracted teen, she flew down the hall, back to her bunk. 'Great, now it'll be even longer before I can fall asleep,' she thought as she lay down once again. She had just closed her eyes when she felt a shadow fall over her. Opening them again, she was surprised with the sight of Squall, looking rather bashful at that.
"Uh, I thought I would take you up on your offer," he said haltingly while looking away.
'Heh,' Yuffie thought, 'he's nervous, too!' Playing innocent, she asked, "Why's that?"
"Well, um, the bed uh, sounds more comfortable than the couch," he replied while looking everywhere around her without making actual eye contact.
Patting the mattress next to her, she said, "Sure, c'mon. Although, I tend to drool." And with a funny look from Squall at that comment, he sat on the bed and cautiously stretched out.
'GREAT! Just GREAT! Now I'll never get to sleep. For sure!' And Yuffie attempted to calm her rapidly beating heart into a sleepable rhythm.
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[The Flow of Life – Final Fantasy VII (3-02)]
They had both been absorbed in each other, but Yuffie's very audible voice brought them back to the ship. Cloud kept his embrace of Aeris intact while he turned his head in Yuffie's direction. The addition of Squall's voice caused Cloud's eyes to narrow involuntarily as he felt Aeris pull back slightly. The cool air that seeped in to replace her warmth made him shiver and he was struck with insecurity. 'Would she leave me for him?' Even though she had stated not twenty minutes ago that such a small thing wouldn't cause her to desert him, he couldn't help but wonder if Leon was one of those 'small' things or not. He knew nothing of the time he was away from her, and even less about what happened between her and other persons. …He didn't like Leon. He reminded him of…himself. And if Leon was another Cloud, he could easily steal Aeris from him. That was not a thought he wanted to dwell on.
So Cloud squeezed the hand she had about his waist to make her refocus on him, an admittedly selfish action. But he didn't want her attention to be on Leon. Anything else was fine, just not him. After completing those lines of thought, he was startled by how jealous that sounded. And when Aeris did turn to face him again with her hair sweeping his back, that dirty feeling came upon him once more, and he looked down in self-disgust.
Bringing her right hand from his shoulder to stroke the hair at the back of his neck, she asked, "What's the matter?"
He shook his head slightly. Her motions felt so good, too good. And as she hugged against him again and called his name, it became too much. 'Please, Aeris! Don't taint yourself with me.' As his silent plea finished, he broke gently away from her and placed his right ear against the bedchamber's curtain, under the pretense of spying on the opposite chamber. His senses had been enhanced severely, among other things, due to the many experiments he'd undergone, and he could hear their words quite clearly from where he had been standing earlier. In truth, he could actually hear some of Cid's words from the cabin. Not clear all the time because of the muting effect the metal had, but most of his words, which reached his ears as whispers.
Puzzled at first, then smiling warily, Aeris copied Cloud's actions, only putting her left ear against the curtain so she could watch him as she did. Curious about his actions as well as what was going on across the hall, she said, "I didn't know you were into gossiping, Cloud."
Looking her in the eye, he said, "I'm not." His thoughts continued on that brief answer, 'but I couldn't stand to be so close for a moment longer when my intentions were so… self-centered. Even though all I really wanted to do was grab you close and never let go. Never let him look at you again.' He closed his eyes and pretended to concentrate on Yuffie and Leon's conversation.
Aeris had seemed to be genuinely enjoying this little stunt, and that was made evident by her intermittent comments. Specifically about how red Yuffie must be and how she could feel the young girl's embarrassment. But his eyes only reopened after they had silenced for some time across the hall, and locked them with Aeris's gaze. 'I can't help but feel he's trying to take you from me.'
The excitement and mischief on her face was unmistakable. He would know that look. It'd been directed towards him more than a few times in the past. But her next statement made a panicked wave surge through him. Giggling, she said, "I'm gonna go see what they're doing!"
With his resolve hardening, he straightened as Aeris turned away from him and began to peel the curtain back. He stepped toward her, his right arm moving forward to wrap around her waist and pulling her flush against him. His movements were swift and sure, and left no doubt behind the intention of his actions. Cloud's dance had thrown her off balance both physically and mentally and she had to stabilize herself by placing her hands against him. The feel of her skin once more against his made Cloud heady with desire and his eyes narrowed and breathing shallowed as a result. Her tentative question in the form of his whispered name only served to further the spread of sexual tension. Nuzzling his head into the side of hers, he inhaled her scent and thought to himself, 'I've become possessive.' Moving his lips to just in front of her ear, he kissed the soft skin there slowly. 'So be it. If that's what it takes…' He continued down the side of her neck, the tip of his tongue occasionally escaping the barrier of his lips. The hands she had positioned against him for support were now clawing into his chest as she unconsciously turned her head to allow more access. His actions were causing her to become weaker and soon it was he who was supporting her. His left hand had come up to the base of her head as he moved along the offered skin, and he had responded to her sinking body by pulling her tightly against him with his right arm while pushing up into her with his own body. Absorbed as he was in his ministrations, he still noticed the rapid increments in her breathing as her proximity allowed him to feel every shaky in- and exhalation she completed. Moving his left hand so that his thumb could caress her cheek, he positioned his head so he could look her straight on. His eyes maintained their target for a whole two seconds before being distracted by her parted and heavily exhaling lips. His thumb stroked her cheek absently and he moved his mouth onto hers and utterly took it over, completing his earlier mental statement, 'If that's what it takes…to make you mine.' And he would've smiled as she put her arms around his neck if he hadn't been so drunk on her.
Briefly rubbing his forehead against hers after breaking the kiss after more than a while, he buried his head into the crook of her neck and tried to calm himself. 'If I don't stop now, I'll take her tonight whether I wanted to or not,' he conversed with himself as he forced his breathing to slow. And as they both continued to cool down, he couldn't stop the thought from forming. 'But maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing,' he mused darkly. 'If he could hear the way I make you scream, then he would know he has no chance.'
Shaking his head slightly at that thought, he berated himself. 'No. For the right reasons, at the right time,' he thought. And as Aeris must have thought he was nuzzling her neck, she moaned softly, which only served to quicken his heart again and promised to bring him back to the high he had just brought himself down from. Returning to his previous thoughts, he added, 'Or maybe the time and place is now. It will be if we don't stop!' And before he could think twice on it, he pulled quickly away from her, severing all contact. Not wishing to let this progress any further, he had to watch her fall to the floor. It was the hardest thing he's had to do since reuniting with her. But if he had eased her down, he knew he would've cradled her against him. And that would not ease this tension. So he lifted his left hand to his face while turning to look at the bed. He ran it up and across his brow, only to bring it down to cover his mouth as he exhaled into it for a few moments, then once again running up to pass through his hair and falling to his side.
Aeris had collapsed on the floor with her legs under her, head bent over hands propped on the floor, heaving away. Cloud turned to look at her, 'Just to make sure she's okay,' he told himself. Her hair was veiling her face, and all he could see were her parted lips. Viewing the rest of her, he couldn't see any injuries. And as he came to her exposed legs, he quickly turned away, his back facing her this time. Then he made his way to the bed and sat heavily upon it, his elbows coming to sit on his knees and his head falling into his hands. When his head had become moderately clear, the thought that came to him was very sheepish in his opinion. 'That was a little more intense than I had intended.' His slid his head in his hands, his mouth being cupped by them, as he peered at her again and the vision she created. He had noticed at some time or another, he couldn't remember quite when, that her outfit was different. Not drastically so, but the cute little coat top was gone, and her dress was worn in a more open manner. Specifically, less was buttoned, only to her mid-thigh. Everything below that was unfastened. He supposed it was for greater agility, but it had the added effect of more skin, too. Her entire outfit had that effect. No top cover, just the thin straps to hold her dress up. 'It would be so easy to push off the shoulder…' Grunting to himself at the never-ceasing train of thought, he fell back on the mattress, left arm coming up to lay across his eyes and to further prevent any peeking. He had to readjust himself to let his wing hang out over the side. They both stayed in their separate spaces cooling down for some time. Cloud hadn't known how much time had passed, but when he heard Aeris finally approach him and placed her left hand on his chest, he knew it hadn't been long enough for him. But nevertheless, his own hand came up to enfold hers as he removed the arm from his eyes to look at her, joining it to his other to cover her hand with the both of his.
She brought her other hand up and used it to stroke his brow, the hair soft between her fingers. Enjoying the silence, she broke it with a small question. "Why did you stop?" He grimaced and looked away from her to the wall, but she continued to stroke his forehead. "I'm not upset with you, I…just want to know why. I guess I'm just confused, Cloud." She flushed as she continued. "I was enjoying it, if you couldn't tell."
Sighing and turning to look at her, he squeezed her hand gently. "I know you were. It's just, that if I didn't stop it there, it would have gone farther than I intended it to too soon." Cloud looked away briefly to collect his thoughts, returning his gaze to hers when he had thought his next few words through. "I wanted to continue, more than anything, Aeris. But I wanted it to be for the right reasons, and not those I had when I initiated those series of actions," he finished as he once again looked away in shame.
"What reasons are you talking about?" She was puzzled and had no idea what he was saying. And her confusion only increased when Cloud remained silent and looking away from her. But regardless of her puzzlement, she continued to stroke his brow, letting his hair repeatedly fall on her fingers so she could comb through it again. "That's not really important, is it? Your reasons?" she said with slightly raised eyebrows. "As long as I reciprocate, that's all that's important, right?" she finished with a small smile.
Sighing, Cloud could only give in to her logic. 'Perhaps later, I'll have the strength to tell you of my selfish intentions.' And turning to her, he said aloud with a genuine, small smile, "Yes, it's alright as long as you return it."
And as he finished, Aeris moved her hand down to the side of his face to pat his cheek once before hugging him. "See, now?" she said. "That's all that matters."
She was so close he couldn't help but embrace her in return. And when she sighed and snuggled into his shoulder, he leaned his head against hers, and said, "It has been a long day. And I'm sure if we could see a sun in a sky it would be set. So let's go to sleep." And he tightened his embrace and pulled her up onto the bed, rolling her over him to rest between him and the wall. Turning to face her, his left hand came up to push some hair off her cheek, caressing it. Pulling her into him and resting his head atop hers, he whispered, "Good night, Aeris."
Snuggling deeper into him, she sighed, "Good night, Cloud." Smiling at her response, Cloud pushed the annoying itch on his shoulder aside and entered rest with Aeris. The last day had been rough, and it wasn't long before welcome sleep claimed the two.
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[--]
By the time Yuffie had awoken, Squall had long since departed. This was deduced by the fact that his side of the bed was cool. Not smelling any food, she knew Aeris wasn't awake yet. Aeris had always cooked their breakfast, back home and at Traverse Town, too, so Yuffie just assumed she'd do so here as well. In no hurry to make her own food, she took her time getting up, stretching leisurely and taking up the whole bed. Finding her way to the bathroom, she performed her regular grooming duties after her quick shower. She preferred them in the evening, but having been too tired last night, had taken it this morning. The feeling of grime had been too strong to put it off until later.
Sighing at how wonderful she now felt, she skipped up the hall in search of peoples. "Hello, peoples!" she sung brightly. "Where are you, my fellow peoples?" Sliding through the cabin doorway, her smile grew as Squall and Cid came into view. They had been conversing, but what about, she didn't care. Her smile fell half way as she looked at Cid's face and noticed its haggard appearance. "Cid," she started, "were you up all night?"
Snorting at the question, he replied, "Well, of course I've been up all night. Someone had to stay up to make sure we didn't crash inta anything." And crossing his arms, he turned to look out at the view port, attempting to look quite ticked off, but Yuffie knew better. And he knew she did. But it was habit with her. Just like he always acted a certain way towards Cloud and Aeris. And he had special mannerisms for each Avalanche member. Although since finding Aeris again, he had become much gentler with her. He often thought it was because of how much he'd missed her, and that he was afraid she'd be torn away again. She had always been the group's peacekeeper. And while Tifa had tried whole-heartedly, it was just so natural coming from Aeris. He would never say it to them, hell no, that would make him look weak. And especially not in front of Yuffie. But they all had a special place in him, and he'd do anything he could to help them out. 'Aw, shit. I've grown too damned attached to the lot of them. Damned friendly bastards…making me like them.' And sighing again, he was interrupted by Yuffie.
"Well, then," she started out, "why don't you go get some sleep now? Squall and I are here to take care of things. And Cloud and Aeris, too." Looking around, she asked, "Hey, where are those two anyway? They can't sleep in past me! I deserve it the most. I'm still growing!" she finished with a nod and hands on hips.
Huffing, Cid spoke while Squall looked down at his feet, "Probably still sleeping. I haven't seen nor heard nor smelled either of them." And seeing the funny look that crossed both Yuffie's and Squall's faces, he said a little indignantly, "What?"
"Smelled?" Yuffie said simply.
"Yeah, you know. That good shit Aeris always has going so early in the damned morning. Downright pleasant to wake up to." And seeing the understanding cross their features, he nodded, "That's right. Think I'm crazy, do ya?" Shaking his head, he answered Yuffie's long forgotten question. "And hell no, I wouldn't trust my baby--my second baby--to you, you little derelict hell zone! We'd wake up in the after life with our remains engine-taped together!" Sighing, he continued, "I'd rather spiky ass watch it for a bit. He may not be so mechanically inclined as I am, but he's damned dependable in a crisis."
Squall looked up at that comment. True, he didn't know Cloud personally, but he somehow knew the other man to be an established fighter. And with all the comments being made about him being good at fighting, Squall often wondered what his level of skill was compared to the other man. 'But I can see him being dependable in emergencies,' Squall thought. 'His appearance screams experience.'
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[Before Dawn – .hack SIGN OST 1 (1-11)]
Cloud exhaled gently so as not to disturb his bedmate. He had been awake for quite sometime, but couldn't bring himself to tear away from Aeris. So he just watched her as she slept, her beautiful face, arms, hands, everything about her. Her beauty was that and so much more, and ran deeper than what could be seen with the eyes. Removing his left arm from her waist, he brought his hand to push some hair from her face, the fingers tracing the length of her cheek. 'Oh, Aeris,' he thought, overcome with emotion and bringing their foreheads together, 'how is it that someone as disordered as I can feel this deeply for you? And even more perplexing, how is it that you could feel the same towards a person so screwed up as me?' After kissing the tip of her nose softly, he once again returned to observing her in blissful silence, arm settling in the valley between her hips and ribs.
It hadn't been long enough for him when his enjoyment was shattered by the return of the painful itch on his shoulder. Shifting carefully so as not to jostle Aeris, he pulled the arm from her waist to reach back and take care of the annoyance. He reflected unto himself while scratching, 'I think it's worse than last night.' And when the irritation did not abate after more than twenty seconds of furious scratching, Cloud sat up, easing off the bed. "Damnit," he whispered quietly, still scratching. 'I better go look at it. It is getting worse,' he continued internally.
Sighing in disdain, he padded over to the curtain, drawing it back and stepping out into the hall. When the cool hall air hit his chest, he realized with a start what had almost just happened, and quickly reversed his movement, whipping the curtain closed again. "Shit," he said under his breath. "That was close." Turning around, he searched for his shirt. Walking over to where his sock stuffed boots had spent the night, he peered for the pile that he hoped was around there. Not seeing it, he scanned the floor with his eyes, coming up with nothing but the crumpled heap of his cape. 'Is it under there?' he wondered making his way over to it. His hope was deflated as the shirt wasn't under the cape upon lifting it up, and further flattened when shaking the hanging material ceased to produce the desired fabric.
Dropping the cape, he placed his hands on his hip. "Where the hell is it?" he asked of no one. "Let's see. What did I do with it last night when I took…it…off...Oh, shit, don't tell me it's there." Looking up to the area of his foreboding, his eyes fell closed as they came across the wayward shirt. 'It just had to be there.' Hand coming up to his mouth as he thought of how to free it, the circumstances of it arriving there came to him. 'That's right,' he remembered, 'I had thrown it there after showing her my disfigurement.' Moving closer to the bed as his hand became momentarily occupied with scratching, he pondered how he was going to remove it from under her legs without her waking. Watching her face, he placed one hand on the shirt and the other on her leg, lifting only as much as was needed to free the shirt. He pulled it free slowly, not wishing to attempt an extremely quick tug. He sucked in his breath as she stirred slightly and released it as she turned over. It wasn't bad if she awoke, but he would feel guilty if he knew he caused her to.
[Fear - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-09)]
Pulling back, he shook the shirt out, frowning at the more persistent wrinkles. Pushing that out of his mind, he quickly slipped the shirt on, intending to check out his shoulder before the itching drove him mad. Pushing his wing through its hole had been the decided plan, since keeping it 'hidden' under the shirt would make a large lump, and therefore more suspicious. Poking his head outside the curtain, he scanned for possible trouble. 'No one. Good, I should be able to make it to the bathroom with out incident.' Slipping from behind the thin barrier, Cloud hugged the black wing tightly to his back, knowing it would be difficult to see against the dark material of his shirt. It was still visible yes, but you had to be looking for it directly. He walked briskly down the hall. Mostly to avoid an encounter, but the coldness of the metal against his bare feet also hastened his trip.
He slipped through the doorway to the bathroom and shut the door. Turning to gaze into the mirror, his face darkened as the unnatural glow of his eyes stared back. 'Even if she never says it, I know I'm a monster. It's only recently that it's been starting to physically show itself. Soon, she won't be able to deny the truth.' And smiling bitterly at the old argument, Cloud placed his back in view of the mirror, half facing it while he pulled up the right edge of the shirt. What he saw was nothing like he had expected. "By Holy," he exclaimed quietly. His lips formed into a stern line as his mind raced. 'I didn't think it was this bad.' Wanting to see it in more light, he once again removed his shirt and reaching over his shoulder, used the fingers of his left hand to pull and poke the skin, examining the trouble spot. Scoffing at his own thought, he said, "Trouble spot my ass." 'I think this is something serious. It's…swollen. No forming callus should be that bad.' "Shit, is that pus?" And wanting to know for sure, he switched his hand to come around from under the shoulder so he could feel the area in question. And as his fingertips brushed the surface, he recoiled, the contact having provoked the intense onset of burning pain. 'What could be causing it? This is definitely not from my scabbard.' Still hunched over, he continued to think as he waited for the pain to ease. 'What could this mean? The last time I felt pain like this was---!'
[Aura - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-10)]
Righting himself suddenly through the thick haze of agony, he looked at his reflection, the discomfort still visible in his eyes and face as it competed with shock moving in. 'No,' he said mentally. 'No. It can't be. No…' Shaking his head in denial, he continued that one word in a mantra that he foolishly hoped would keep his fear from becoming reality. It came to a point where he began to mutter it out loud, hugging himself and shaking his head slowly back and forth, refusing with everything he was that this wasn't happening. "No! Not again!" he protested hoarsely. His legs giving out beneath him, he stumbled backwards until his back hit the wall, crying out in pain as the inflamed shoulder blade came into hard contact with the unforgiving surface. The initial pain had been great, but eased quickly as he slid down the wall. 'Strange. Is the coolness of the metal soothing the ache?' His arms now loosely clasped about his waist tightened as he felt something wet on his back. Immediately looking over his shoulder at the feeling, he became disgusted and horrified at the sight. 'It burst! No wonder it felt better…But it hasn't lost any in size, only pressure.' Hanging his head momentarily before moving to clean up the mess, he thought, 'At least I'll be symmetrical again.'
The feeling of bodily fluids on him did nothing to add to his comfort. Wanting it off him as soon as possible, he decided now was as good a time as ever to shower. 'Perhaps the hot water will ward the pain for a time.' And with that minor hope running through his head, he turned the water knobs on. Looking once more into the mirror, he wondered how long he would see himself as he was now. Dismissing it as being overly pessimistic, for he knew he was changing and nothing could be done about it, he approached the shower again. Making sure there were towels before it was too late, Cloud let his pants drop to the floor, and easily slipped out of his under-shorts. He stepped into the warm spray of water while an involuntary sigh of pleasure escaped him. And sliding the door shut, he gave lazy thanks about not having to get out to urinate before his mind became numb to all but the balmy presence of water.
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[Prelude – Final Fantasy X (1-03)]
Yuffie had decided, well, her stomach really, that Aeris needed to get up because she wouldn't trust herself or the other two to cook anything. Cloud was a very good cook, actually. She would settle for him no problem. She would just have to see which one was more willing to make her something. That's fine if the other two wanted to eat as well, but she won't tell them there's food ready.
And she still hadn't made up her mind when she reached the room Cloud and Aeris had used last night. Seeing that the curtain was still pulled closed, she hesitated upon opening it. What if they were still asleep? Or worse, what if they weren't dressed!? 'Oh, wait,' Yuffie thought. 'I wouldn't mind seeing Cloud in the buff,' she giggled. 'Well, maybe not all of him. It'd be little much to see that!' Pausing to calm herself, she peeked through the small opening she had made and was surprised to see Aeris sleeping alone. Pulling the curtain back a little farther just to make sure Cloud wasn't out of sight, she slipped in and walked up to the bed. Yuffie sobered unexpectedly at the vision Aeris made with her hair fanned out on the bed. Everyone could see why Cloud chose her. She was so pretty. 'I hope I can be that pretty someday… Or at least have someone who makes me feel that way.' Mentally shoving the thoughts away, she kneeled on the floor and gently put her hand on Aeris's shoulder, shaking lightly.
Aeris turned her head towards the motion sleepily and slowly opened her eyes, surprised to find Yuffie there instead of Cloud. "Yuffie?" she questioned. "What is it?" And sitting up with slight alarm, she worriedly voiced her new thoughts. "Did something happen to Cloud?"
Smiling, Yuffie said, "Nah, I just wanted you to make breakfast for me. I don't know about Cloud for sure. Haven't seen him yet this morning, afternoon, whatever! But knowing him, he's probably alright." Looking at her with what she hoped was a winning smile, she asked, "So what d'ya say? Make me something?"
Laughing at her tricks, Aeris couldn't let Yuffie get by without being teased. "What is this world coming to when a sixteen year old can't cook for herself?" Folding her hands in her lap, she condoned. "I'll make you something. I suppose the others haven't eaten either," she concluded aloud. "Alright, just give me a few minutes to prepare myself." After Yuffie nodded eagerly and zipped out the door, Aeris looked down at the mattress with a sigh as she placed a hand on his side. 'He couldn't have been gone long. This spot is just the slightest bit warm. Or is it from me stretching out?' Pushing the matter aside, she stood and began to make her way to the bathroom. And as she turned the last corner before the lavatory and bathroom, she barely dodged Yuffie in flight from down the hall. Shaking her head and wondering what it was Yuffie had been clutching so tightly in her arms, she continued down the hall. Stopping outside the bathroom at the sound of running water, she smiled as she figured that was where Cloud must be. Putting that off until later, she went across the hall to the lavatory to take care of what she could.
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[Descendent of the Shinobi – Final Fantasy VII (3-04)]
Yuffie hurried away from the room as quickly as her feet could carry her, seeking the relative safety of her temporary room. Aeris had been a close call, and only her ninja training had saved her. After that close encounter, Yuffie had hastened her pace and raised her guard until she reached her destination. Rushing to the bed, she quickly stuffed the contents of her arms under the pillows. 'I got you now, Cloud! Ahahhahahhahahahahaha!' Recovering from her moment of triumph, Yuffie made one last check to make sure nothing looked amiss. It wouldn't do to have her found out before her fun was completed. And with another evil laugh barely contained, Yuffie sauntered out into the hall, pausing momentarily as she decided which way she wanted to go. Opting first for the cockpit, she started that way. Poking her head through the door, she saw that Cid alone was seated in front of the command panel. 'He must be making sure everything is okay before handing it over to Cloud. Paranoid bastard,' she commented to herself. Just as she was about to turn and head the other way, she saw Cid's head nod and then immediately right itself, and repeat the process again. 'Hah! He's trying not to fall asleep. Old man can't make it through the day without a nap,' she teased him mentally. Yeah, she knew he hadn't slept yet, but she owed him so many paybacks. 'One day, smoky. One day,' she threatened in her head. 'I'll get you as good as I'm about to get Cloud.' And laughing to herself once again, she went to join up with Aeris…and hopefully her breakfast as well.
Halfway to her destination, the smell of food reached her nose, and she was unable to resist the urge to run the rest of the way. Flying around the corner, she plunked herself in a spot that allowed her to watch Aeris finish the preparation. Thankfully, Aeris finished only a few moments after her arrival. Setting the plate in front of her, Aeris sat down with her own after calling up the hall that the food was done. Like Yuffie was gonna wait for them to drag their slow asses down here and proceeded to glow as she happily ate. Her blissful savoring was momentarily interrupted as something came thundering down the hall. Moving her eyes to the door, she was surprised to see Cid come flying around the corner. Stopping to quickly take in the situation, Cid sat down at one of the extra plates laid out on the table, not hesitating to begin. Upon seeing the mouth-watering, precious food, Cid mumbled something like "oh, good, my favorite" and didn't speak again until he was done. And only then with a small "damn that was good". Yuffie returned to the coveting of her food.
She wasn't sure exactly when Squall had entered, he was so quiet, unlike the old fart over there whose joints needed work, but she was aware of the small shy smile he gave Aeris when he sat down next to her. Her chewing slowed as she thought, 'Now that I think about it, he's been avoiding Aeris and acting a little different. Could it be he's afraid of Cloud?'
Further pondering on this subject ceased with the halt of her chewing and all eyes at the table turning towards her as her name echoed quite loudly down the hall. 'Uh oh,' she thought as her eating utensils dropped to the table-top, 'he figured it out! Damn, he's quick!' Looking up at the collective in front of her with a blush spreading across her cheeks, Yuffie smiled sheepishly and waved before getting up and darting into the hall.
The first few moments after Yuffie's departure consisted of everyone looking at each other with perplexed expressions. But that was soon ended as Cloud's voice rang down the hall once more with Yuffie's name being heralded, a more than slightly pissed tinge to it. It was very clear she had not gone to set things right. Playing the peacemaker once again, Aeris silently excused herself and went to see what Yuffie was being accused of this time.
Walking toward the sound of Cloud's ever increasingly loud voice, she found him sticking his head out through the door and looking the opposite way, presumably where Yuffie had ran past. "Cloud," she voiced, "what are you doing?"
Turning at her voice, Cloud's pissed expression eased a bit. "That little shit stole my clothes and the towels! I saw her closing the door but I didn't think anything of it. Damnit! I should've known she'd done something!" Looking in the last direction she had gone, he sighed and said under his breath, "Now what am I gonna do? She even took my underwear."
Looking down while thinking and stifling her laughter, she asked haltingly, "And there's nothing that you could use until you get back to the room?" And as he shook his head solemnly, Aeris spoke up, "Well, lemme go check across the hall and see if there's anything in the lavatory you could use." Going to check, Cloud sunk back into the relative safety of the bathroom. Aeris didn't take long and returned to the door, handing the towel through it to him, snickering. And hearing his disgusted huff, she couldn't hold the laughter in.
Cloud looked through the crack at her with a mix of disgust and hurt on his face. "I'm supposed to use this!? It'll barely cover the essentials!" Covering her mouth with her hand, all Aeris could do was laugh. Scowling, Cloud pulled the hand towel as tight as he could stand, making sure it covered both ends. Looking in the mirror, his entire left hip was visible between the ends of the towel. 'Shit,' he thought. "Well," he said to her again, "guess I'll be running. No one's out there, right?" And as Aeris checked both directions and shook her head, Cloud nodded. "Alright," he began, peeking for himself. 'It's only a couple of meters. Hope I can make it.'
Aeris ran ahead to the room and held the curtain, ready to close it as soon as he entered. And as she waved, Cloud sprinted. It was all going really good…until he met the adjoinment of the two bedrooms and Yuffie's small form. 'Shit!' he thought. 'Everything just went to hell.' Good thing he'd been holding that towel with a death-grip, otherwise it would have been a much more embarrassing situation. But doing a cursory visual check to make sure nothing was showing and that Yuffie was okay, he noticed her eyes were a little on the too big side, and her cheeks were lacking any telltale blush, which could mean only one thing. 'Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit!' Quickly pushing himself up, he wrapped his free arm around her and drug her into his room, the curtain immediately falling closed behind them.
Looking up at Aeris, he sighed aloud and said, "Almost uneventful." He collapsed against the wall, still holding Yuffie to him, as he caught his breath. "Now, missy," he addressed Yuffie, "about my clothes."
Shaken from her stupor, Yuffie opened her mouth and took a deep breath, ready to spew all the thoughts that had just grown in her mind. Feeling her inhale deeply against him, Cloud's right hand quickly placed itself over her mouth. "C'mon. My clothes!" And when Yuffie shook her head no and looked up and the curtain track, Cloud eased his hand from her mouth. He knew what she wanted.
And as soon as it was gone and a good distance from her mouth, Yuffie didn't hesitate to talk. She smiled as she noticed Cloud kept a good hold around her waist. He knew she was likely to bolt and blackmail him, and she had to say, she wouldn't put it past herself. It proved for such amusing situations. 'Like this,' she thought. 'Only there's such a serious side to this prank I didn't expect.' Crossing her arms and closing her eyes while tilting her head, she said, "I have questions I want answered. And what makes you think it was me that took your clothes?"
Smiling, Cloud said, "Who said anything about my clothes being taken?"
Yuffie spluttered, knowing he had gotten her, but refusing to give in anyway. "Well, with you wearing that little towel—oh, nice chunk of hip showing, by the way–what else is one to assume?"
Blushing furiously at her inserted comment, Cloud reassured himself it was still there by gripping the corners even tighter in his hand. "Perhaps they had made my clothes unwearable. Didn't think of that, did you? Nice try, Yuffie, but it's not going to get you free."
"But my questions!" she whined.
Cloud shook his head and said, "No clothes, no answers." This was a challenge he knew she would be unable to resist. Being a shinobi, it was in her blood to know everything that was going on. She'd die before passing up an opportunity for information. The tiny smirk grew with every squirming motion Yuffie made as she thought. It wouldn't be long now, he knew. Her restlessness was increasing and she kept bouncing, trying to fight it. 'She'll cave any second now.'
And milliseconds after completing the thought, she threw up her hands and said, "All right! All right! They're under my pillow." That said, she crossed her arms again and sunk against Cloud, pouting, his arm still restraining her.
Making eye contact with Aeris, Cloud nodded once to her, and she went across the hall to fetch them. Watching Aeris's skirt disappear between the frame and curtain, he slowly exhaled and released Yuffie.
[Fake Wings - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-07)]
Yuffie jumped away and turned to face him, both of them sobering as she did. This was a serious topic, she knew. If she hadn't before, the set of Cloud's face shouted it at her. And he had been holding onto her rather tightly, beyond the level of play. He wanted to make sure she wasn't going anywhere until he could secure secrecy from her. "It's real?" she asked.
His face becoming somewhat cross as he answered, "Of course it's real. Why wouldn't it be?" She shrugged lightly in response.
"Can I see?"
"…I suppose." And he scowled at her turn gesture. What did she think, that he was some sort of model? Turning to face the wall, he readjusted his grip on the towel, jumping when he felt her fingers brush gently across the base of the wing. He hadn't expected her to touch it.
Yuffie was amazed. 'He wasn't lying. It really is real!' "Kakkoiiiiii!!!" she exclaimed aloud, making Cloud start again. "This is so wicked, Cloud! You were cool before, but this just magnifies your coolness a billion fold." She ran her fingertips up the wing a little ways before speaking again, this time, in a much more subdued tone, and Cloud tried not to shiver. "But, it hurts, doesn't it." At that, Cloud whipped around, looking at her with suspicious wonderment marking his features. "Not a mental pain, physically. And greatly…isn't that right?"
His brows drew together as he looked at her, his mouth suddenly dry. After a couple of false starts he finally got something out. "How do you know that?" he asked shaking his head. "Not even Aeris—"
He stopped as the curtain was moved aside and Aeris slipped through, clothes and towels in hand. She looked up and felt as if she had interrupted something, but that feeling fled as she saw their bodies relax. They had just thought she was someone else. 'Why should I feel as if I was intruding? Cloud and I are the ones that are together…' Shaking it off, she handed the bundle to Cloud, who gave her a small smile as he did his best to grab his pants and underwear single handedly.
Seeing that Cloud now had to get dressed, Yuffie excused herself. "Well, I see you have something to take care of, so I'll just…get…going. Don't wanna see no one's property," she said, walking to the exit.
Cloud looked at his right hand and back to Yuffie, approaching ever closer to the doorway. Dropping the fabric, he hauled Yuffie back by her shoulder and pushed her over by Aeris. "We're not finished yet," he warned, the narrowed eyes driving home his point. Gulping, Yuffie looked to Aeris who just smiled gently and patted her shoulder. Taking pleasure in this next movement, Cloud smiled somewhat evilly as he returned the signal for turning around. Aeris helped, or was it made sure, Yuffie turned with her to face the wall the bed was mounted on. Yuffie could only take about one minute of motionlessness and turned her head ever so slightly left, trying to see Cloud. Her eyes had just found his towel, now lying on the floor, before they saw stars, and lots of them. Flying her hands to the pain at the back of her head, Yuffie looked aside to Aeris, left eye closed and mouth hanging open. 'That hurt!' she mouthed. Aeris just shook an index finger at her and stuck her tongue out, mouthing back, 'No peeking,' before refocusing on the wall. Yuffie continued to rub her head for a few seconds, attempting to dispel the remaining pain.
Cloud walked up to place the other articles on the bed, getting them off the floor and signaling that he was done. He turned his head to look at Yuffie and said in a quiet and serious tone, "Now, what am I gonna do with you?"
Yuffie's face quickly shed the worried mask and asked hopefully, "Answer my questions?"
Cloud continued to watch her for a few more seconds before releasing a sigh and looking at the wall. "Should I?"
"Well, yeah!" she said. "You have to tell us, I mean the rest of us, sometime. You can't hide it forever, Cloud." She looked at her hands as she paused. Thinking to what had transpired before Aeris had reentered, she said quietly, "It might do you some good to talk about it."
His eyes shifted to her as she finished, before looking down. "I was going tell you. You're right, I can't hide something like this for long. Which is why I was going to sit with everyone and talk, explain. This is… sooner than I planned," he finished with sagging shoulders. "But I will tell you now, Yuffie, trusting you'll keep it to yourself for a little while longer." He looked pointedly at her, and at her nod, proceeded to explain to her his thoughts on his transforming with inputs from Aeris every once in a while.
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Alright, that got kinda long, I know. I originally wanted to include so much more in this chapter, but pushed it back to the next one because 17 pages is hard to spell check. Too many unrecognized names… Hmmm, can't think of anything else to say. So, until next chapter.
Mandy138
