It's that time again people! I am absolutely positively bored. And I got writer's block for all my other fics.... Cough... writer's block.. yeah right... truth is... I'm lacking in motivation to continue writing. I don't know.. I've been writing for maybe a little over a year now and I'm just not up to it as much as I used to. I'm becoming slower and slower with my updates, and I'm starting new fics without finishing up my old ones. Well.. enough of my complaining. You all came here to read the next chapter.
WARNING This chapter is going to be a bit... different compared to the rest. It's not going to have much humor in it. It's going to have a more uh.. serious outlook, really... I'll try and see if I can squeeze some humor in, but I don't really see how in the situation... Y'all find out why soon enough.
Grieving, Stolen Kisses
'I can't seem to stop them from flowing. How long have I been crying now? I've just been laying here on my sleeping bag for the past hour and a half. Luckily, the howling wind outside my tent blocks out my occasional sniffle. Damn that bastard! How can he possibly kill someone as innocent, so caring as Aeris? He has no heart. He's a heartless bastard. And when we catch up to him, I swear I'll shove my Twin Viper so far up that Pretty Boy's ass that his eyes will bulge out of damn his skull!'
Such were the thoughts of the grieving ninja. Yuffie, obviously not finding any way of getting to sleep, sits up from her sleeping bag and just stays in her spot, in the darkness, for a few moments. As the coldness of the night catches up to her, her teeth begin to chatter, making her picture a beaver chewing away a tree in her mind. Grabbing her sleeping bag, she wraps it around herself in hopes of regaining some heat. 'Stupid frigging Northern Continent, always being covered in the stupid snow. I'm FREEZING!'
Yuffie rubs her eyes with the back of her hand as she sniffles once more. The death of their dear friend had struck the group hard. While the rest of the group managed to stay strong, Yuffie broke down into tears. 'Just like a child.' She thinks shamefully. She thought she was strong, being a ninja should mean she can take anything thrown at her. But she was wrong, she isn't strong, she's weak, or at least that's what she believes.
'I'd be warmer near the fire... that is.. if there is a fire.' She knows that Cloud is outside on watch. He assigned himself watch duty, and told everyone else to get rest. She knew it was his own way to get some privacy. And he probably needs it too. But at the moment, Yuffie could careless if he wanted to be left alone or not because quite frankly, she's freezing her butt of with just her kaki shorts and green turtleneck tank top. Let's not forget her sleeping bag too! Although it doesn't seem to be helping her any.
With the thought of the warm fire set firmly in her mind. Yuffie makes her way out of her tent. Unzipping the entrance, she steps out of the tent. Her gray eyes immediately gaze up at the starlit sky. In the Northern Continent, with very little inhabitants and artificial lighting, the stars seem more visible. Of course, the stars would be more visible there than anywhere else, after all, they're in the middle of nowhere. The starlit sky, which would usually be a beautiful scene to the young ninja, only makes her envious. 'A perfect night for a dreadful day,' She thinks bitterly.
She blinks out of her gaze at the sound of scraping metal. Her gaze falls down to the blonde swordsman that's sitting across the fire. His head bowed down as he sharpens his Rune Blade. Yuffie stares, captivated, as she watches the grinding stone in Cloud's hand go down the length of the blade, the sound of stone grinding on metal echoing in the night. Yuffie's surprised that she didn't hear from inside her tent, but then again, she was probably too preoccupied with her thoughts to have noticed.
Hesitantly, Yuffie heads towards the fire, her sleeping bag still wrapped around her shoulders as she walks up to the dancing flames. Cloud doesn't make any sort of acknowledgement as Yuffie takes a seat next to him. He remains silent, still, only his arm moving across his blade, as his face remains overshadowed.
Yuffie, for once, remains silent as well as she stares into the flames. She's always liked fire, in a strange kind of way. When she was younger, she always used to play with fire, and occasionally make them in Wutai, although she'd end up getting in trouble considering the fact that she only knew how to make one, but didn't know how to control one. She ended up burning half of her father's place down at one time. She never saw her father more angry than he was back then, to say he was 'mad' would be an understatement, he was downright pissed off.
There's one thing Yuffie doesn't like about fires, and that's if you stare at a fire, you begin to recall a lot of things. She remembers Tifa saying something similar to Cloud when they were in Cosmos Canyon. They were all around the Eternal Candle, or whatever they call it. Cloud, who was strangely in a talkative mood that night, went around the bonfire and talked to each one of them. She tried convincing him to go steal materia with her, but he only chuckled and walks away. Yuffie often wonders what would of happened if he had decided to go along with it. Especially since she was actually joking about it.
Yuffie remembers the first time they all met, she had ambushed them in the forest outside of Junon, in an attempt to rob them. At first glance the group looked like a pathetic tourist group. Boy was she wrong, but she still thinks she won the match, not technically, but she managed to bring almost the entire group to their knees. In fact, it was Cloud who beat her, but he wouldn't have if she hadn't tripped over a root and was unguarded. She still says the root just sprouted out of the ground out of nowhere.
Yuffie gives a quiet sigh as she draws her knees up to her chest. She remembers when they were all at Gold Saucer after getting the Key Stone. They all had to spend the night in the Ghost Hotel. She was the unlucky one who got stuck rooming with Aeris and Tifa. She knew that both of them were watching each other like hawks throughout the night, waiting for the other to fall asleep so they can sneak out and snag a date with Cloud. Both had talked about it with her on separate occasions. How each wanted to go out on a date with Cloud. So to screw with both of them. She got up and asked Cloud out herself. Of course, they both didn't think that was what she was going to do when she left the room. But she did. And strangely enough, it was rather amusing. Especially seeing Cloud and his 'Of so great' acting skills on stage. The entire date would of been great if it wasn't for the tram ride, and the kiss she gave him, followed closely by the slap across the face.
Yuffie couldn't help but chuckle at the memory, causing Cloud to glance over at her for a brief moment before resuming what he was doing. 'He deserved it. Making me all embarrassed. Errrrgh! Why'd I kiss him anyways!? He's a spikey headed jerk!' Sure, he seemed alright in the beginning, but then she really found out how coldhearted he is when she stole everyone's materia. She was in tears while she explained to him why she needed the materia. He just says, 'I don't care about your hometown. I just want our materia back.' Ok.. maybe she was acting a bit, she's pretended to cry plenty of times in the past to get what she wanted. Maybe he saw through the act. But still... it was a bit coldhearted of him to just flat out tell her that he doesn't care.
Truth is, it hurt her more then he probably realizes. Sure she's pesky, annoying, and a brat, not to mention she stole their materia, leaving them in the middle of the mountains. But he still didn't have to say it like that. Okay, maybe she wouldn't have cared if anyone else said it to her, and maybe she does have a very small crush on Cloud. One that she can just ignore, since it's so small it's unnoticeable to even herself half the time.
'And maybe I'll take up smoking like gramps.' Yuffie thinks sarcastically. She knows she's just trying to fool herself, if not herself, then at least everyone around her. She's actually liked Cloud since the day she met him. It was when Cloud kissed her hand that she began to like him, true that was just the bet he lost from the poker game they played, but he proved to be quite fun to hang around with. When he isn't acting somewhat strange and hell bent on finding Sephiroth, he acts just like... well,. her somewhat. He can be just as childish, annoying, and mischievous as her, once he loosens up a bit. She's never really met someone as stiff as him.
Well, except for Vincent maybe, but he's an exception. Vincent acts like he has a large pole crammed way up his ass. 'But is he ever HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!' Yuffie sighs. 'Now if he wasn't fifty something years old, and didn't sleep in a coffin and just flat out didn't seem like a vampire. His depressing nature is a turnoff too.' Really, talking to Vincent is as entertaining as talking to a rock, everything he talks about is just 'BORING!' It makes a good way to put her to sleep though. 'Hmm... Maybe I should wake him up and have him talk about his sins so I can get some sleep.... Than again... I choose to live.' She'd rather not have the psychopathic Hellmasker released on her. That guy's favorite pastime consists of chopping small defenseless animals into tiny little pieces with his rusty chainsaw. It sends shivers down Yuffie's spine just thinking about the thing.
Yuffie gives a started jump as the Rune Blade slams to the ground. "We leave at dawn." Cloud's quiet voice breaks through the silence. Yuffie merely gives a short nod of understanding. "You should get some sleep." He advises her.
Yuffie frowns a bit, "So should you."
"I'm not tired."
"Well what do you know? Neither am I!" Yuffie tightens her hold on her sleeping bag, trying to find a way to wrap herself in a cocoon of sorts. Where they are currently sitting, they're not too close to the fire. To be honest, they're not close at all. Where they are sitting the heat of the fire hasn't even melted the snow yet. It makes the young ninja wonder how Cloud can stand sitting in the cold for so long. She feels really cold and she's got her thick sleeping bag around her, in fact, she wouldn't be surprised if her lips were turning blue. "I'm cold." She announces out of the blue.
"Then move closer to the fire."
"There's no where to sit." Yuffie points out.
"You can sit on the ground."
"The ground is wet and muddy near the fire, or haven't you noticed."
"Then move the fire closer."
"........" Yuffie blinks a bit confused for a moment, "Where would I grab it to carry it?"
"You could always move this closer to the fire."
"Oh yeah... I can move a damn boulder all by myself. And you don't look like you'll get up and help."
"..... Then go back to your tent."
Yuffie rolls her eyes at the comment. "What a GREAT idea... instead being cold here, I can walk back twenty five feet to my tent and just freeze in there instead."
"You're acting like a child."
Yuffie's face puffs up as she holds back her yelling. "Well duh dumbass! I am sixteen. Technically, I am a child."
"You're a teen. Start acting like one."
"So you would rather me have raging hormones and be hell bent on trying to have sex with you." Not really what she wanted to say, but it works out just as well.
".......... Actually... That's hard to choose between."
"You do realize that your acting like a jackass, right."
"I have an excuse."
"Oh? And what excuse would that be?" Yuffie asks raising an eyebrow.
"Aeris is dead."
Yuffie clamps her mouth shut, stopping a comment that was about to be let loose. For a few seconds she forgot the events of the day... or yesterday by the looks of it. Than Cloud has to go and remind her about it. 'He didn't have to be so damn blunt about it.' The ninja thinks sadly. 'Great! Now I have that whole damn ordeal stuck in my head again.' Suddenly, two hands grab hold of her waist, seemingly coming out of nowhere; she can feel herself being lifted, "Ack!" And placed firmly in Cloud's lap. "What the hell are you doing!?" Yuffie asks in a low shout, keeping her face out of his view so he can't see how red it is. Cloud doesn't give a response as he wraps his arms around her waist, "Hello! Earth to Cloud. I asked you a damn question."
"Look.. I'd rather not listen to you complain about being cold anymore. So stop complaining." Cloud says in annoyance.
That's no problem for Yuffie, she isn't exactly cold anymore. As a matter of fact, it feels like a furnace was turned on inside of her. And she knows exactly why she feels so hot all of a sudden. 'Oh my GAWD! Eww... Damn hormones! Bad Yuffie... No thinking such thoughts of the group's leader... Hmm... I never realized how muscular his arms are, must be from handling his sword for so long... Goddamnit! I'm doing it again!' What a friend she is. Aeris just died, and instead of grieving over a dear friend, like a normal person would do, Yuffie is getting some rather disturbing images in her head, ones that she shouldn't be having.
And if not having to sit in Cloud's lap is bad enough, he seems to find it alright to rest his chin on her shoulder, making her even more uncomfortable. Yuffie just waits a few moments, thinking he'll lift his head back up, but when he doesn't seem to move, she decides to try an ask him to, "Um... Cloud?" She asks a bit uncertainly. She waits for his response, but doesn't get one. Turning her head to the side, she notices his eyes are closed, 'He can't possibly be asleep... in that position. Honestly.. it can't be comfortable. If he can sleep like this than he's more stranger then I first thought.'
For a few moments, Yuffie just stared at Cloud's face, taking in every detail in the light of the fire. She never could figure out how exactly each strand of his spiky blond hair seems to stay in one spot, never leaving the area. Actually... she never really understood much of his hairstyle at all! Who in their right mind would want a hairstyle that looked like someone took a weed whacker to it? Than again, she has to admit, it does suite him, makes him a bit more cuter too. One thing is for sure though, Cloud definitely doesn't have to worry about getting a bed head, he always has one to begin with.
'Hmm... I wonder if he uses a lot of hair gel to keep it spiky.' Yuffie can't help but wonder. She decides to figure out the mystery of Cloud's spiky hair once and for all. Snaking her hands out of her sleeping bag, and turning slightly in Cloud's lap, not enough to let his head slide off her shoulder, she reaches up to his hair and touches it. To her surprise, she finds out that he doesn't wear hair gel, it just stays like it by itself. She can run her fingers through the soft blonde spikes; his hair doesn't feel like it has a protective shell over it like hair gel would do.
Yuffie runs a lone finger down Cloud's jaw line and ever so softly touches her lips. Then a thought crosses her mind. Would she do it? Will she dare to take the risk. and steal a kiss from Cloud? Sure she kissed him once before, on the cheek. And he even kissed her hand the night they first met. But those were all fun and games. Could she actually gather enough nerves to go through with this mission? Damn straight she will, after all, She's the Greatest Female Ninja Ever, and she fears nothing.
Now if she could only tell her body to cooperate with her mind, because at the moment, she's completely frozen up. Of course, with Cloud resting his head on her shoulder does represent quite a problem. Maybe if she can snake out from under his chin without waking him up in the process. Very carefully, Yuffie began slipping out of Cloud's grasp, moving his hands to his sides. Carefully she lowered herself from his lap, letting her sleeping bag fall to the ground. Once free of his grasp she turns around and has to hold back a laugh. He just looks so strange sleeping the way he is. With his back leaned against the small tree that's growing behind the boulder, and his arms thrown at his sides with his head hunched down. She finds it quite amazing that he can remain asleep like that, but than again, she guesses it's because he hasn't slept any the entire night.
'Okay then...' Yuffie thinks to herself as she stares at Cloud's form. She doesn't know why she has the sudden urge to kiss him, well technically, it's not really sudden. She's been wanting to kiss him for awhile, all the way back to their little date in Gold Saucer. She was originally going to kiss him on the lips that night, but she chickened out and went for his cheek again. She's never actually kissed a guy before, on the lips that is, than again, she never really had a boyfriend, not that she actually had time for one. She's was wondering around for two years before she ran into AVALANCHE, not really wanting to return to Wutai, the place is so boring to her. So she never really had a chance for such a thing as a kiss.
The good thing is that Cloud is asleep and she won't have to worry about his reaction. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, or in this case, possibly her. Even just standing there starring at Cloud, thinking about kissing him makes her face heat up. She will go through with this though, she's come this far, she won't back down. Besides, it's not like a kiss is such a big deal, if he wakes up he'll probably just give her a strange look as she comes up with some smart ass excuse. So with that thought in mind, Yuffie very gently places her hands on each side of Cloud's face to lift his head up some. For a moment she stands there, biting her bottom lip, trying to fight back her nerves.
Yuffie closes her eyes and places a feather light kiss on Cloud's lips. Then she pulls away and looks at him to see if he woke up. 'He must be out for the count.' Cautiously, Yuffie glances around the campsite, to make sure everyone is inside their tents before leaning in and kissing Cloud again, this time with a little bit more force. For a brief second, Yuffie imagined Cloud's lips brushing against hers as well. That is, until she realized that they were, in fact, moving as well, and during the same second she realizes that she gets a finger jammed into her side, causing her to let out a shriek and jumps back nearly three feet. Only to find out that Cloud is awake, and doesn't seem to look to happy.
"Um.. I... uh.. that is.. you were asleep.... and I...uh you didn't... that was.." Yuffie couldn't seem to find her smart ass excuse, or form any whole sentences for that matter. Ok, so one of the reactions she wasn't expecting from Cloud is for him to become pissed, because he didn't seem like the type that would get angry over such a thing. So it really wasn't much of a surprise when his glare disappeared as he began chuckling, and soon he was clutching his stomach with tears rolling down his face as he tried to muffle out his own laughter. All at Yuffie's expense. She's never felt so embarrassed in her life, she new her face is red, but quite frankly, she couldn't care less.
Cloud managed to pull off the most logical thing that would happen when rolling around, he fell off the boulder and into the snow. When he finally managed to calm himself down enough to speak, he puts his hands behind him and sits up, still chuckling some, "You... should have seen your face.... priceless!"
Yuffie gives a growl of frustration before marching over to him, and very simply put, whacked him in the back of the head. "Spiky-headed jerk!" She shouts as she walks away towards her tent, her sleeping bag in her hand.
Cloud only begins to chuckle more. He doesn't know how Yuffie does it. But she always seems to brighten him up one way or another. Although, having her kiss him wasn't exactly what he expected. But he can't think of a better way to brighten him up. As he watched Yuffie zip her tent back up, one thought went through his mind, 'I'll have to assign her Watch Duty with me from now on.'
And there you have it people! The long awaited update! Not very humorous, but it wasn't really meant to be one. I got some Cloffie-ness in there for all you Cloffie lovers out there. I must say, this chapter certainly turned this fic in a different direction... Well anyways! Review and let me know your thoughts. I was shocked as hell to get 16 reviews on the last chapter alone. I don't think I've ever had so many reviews for a single chapter in any of my stories. Let's see if this one gets just as many, nay?