First Time for Everything

Shizuka Usagi

Chapter 3

"There's no way I'm going to wear glasses. Absolutely no way."

"You don't have a choice, Yuffie. Don't be so difficult." A young man sighed wearily. He ran a hand through his lavender hair before returning his gaze to the girl in front of him. Her arms were folded across her chest and she stuck her chin up defiantly.

"I'm not being difficult, Zexy. Can you imagine me wearing those dorky ones with the chain—?"

"—you mean spectacles?" Zexion cut off her incessant rambling. His eye twitched slightly at the nickname.

"Whatever," Yuffie replied apathetically, "the point is I would look like a total loser."

"Since when did you care how you look? The purpose of glasses is to help you see better not look better or… worse." Zexion said reasonably.

"I know. It's just that… they'll make me look uglier than I already look! People will be like, 'Oh, there goes the great four-eyed ninja.' "

"You're not ugly, Yuffie. Besides, if people said that, wouldn't you threaten them with that giant shuriken of yours?"

"Of course, I would! Nobody insults the Great Ninja Yuffie." She replied automatically. Then she paused once she absorbed the full meaning of the sentence. "Wait a sec—rewind—did you just say I'm not ugly?"

"Yes, I believe I did…" Zexion said confused; he wasn't quite sure where she was going. He had known her for a couple months now. Yet, she never ceased to amaze him.

"Does that mean you think I'm—well, you know?" Yuffie blushed for some reason that Zexion couldn't comprehend.

At Zexion's blank look, Yuffie clarified in embarrassment, "A—am I good-looking?"

"Good-looking…?" Zexion echoed, but he gave a better response as Yuffie's face fell. "O-Of course you are!"

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?" Yuffie said in a dull tone.

Truth be told, he wasn't. However, he didn't have a lot of experience when it came to complimenting girls. "I wouldn't dream of it. Honest."

Yuffie still had a disbelieving look on her face, but she shrugged it off. "Fine, I'll get the darn glasses."

"Atta girl." Zexion praised, relieved that she finally gave in. "Let's go." He took her by the hand and led her into the Radiant Garden pharmacy. Luckily for Yuffie, he didn't see the reddening of her face.

—

They were sitting in the waiting room somewhat impatiently (on Yuffie's part) for the doctor to arrive. Yuffie glanced at all the posters and ads for different kinds of glasses uninterestedly. Zexion sat calmly with his eyes closed. He really wished he had brought a book.

"Hey, Zexy, can't I use contacts?" Yuffie asked, bringing Zexion out of his trance.

He looked at her impassively. "Come again?"

"I said why can't I use contacts." Yuffie repeated slightly annoyed.

"Contacts aren't good to start off with, Yuffie. They might hurt your eyes."

"How?"

"Contacts are made of glass. You place them in each eye. If you use them incorrectly, they can injure you." Zexion explained. I never thought I would be informing a ninja about contacts.

"What about the colored ones?" Yuffie gestured towards the display of contacts that came in a variety of natural and unnatural eye colors.

"Those are just for show. Though, some serve the purpose of regular ones too."

"Oh…" Yuffie trailed off, swinging her legs back and forth on her chair. "Why are we waiting again?"

"Yuffie, the doctor needs to check you eyes to see what kind of lenses you need." Zexion sighed again, stroking his temples.

"Oh, yeah." Yuffie smiled sheepishly.

A moment later a nurse came in the room with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid the doctor won't be arriving today. He had other business to attend to."

"What! We've been waiting for almost half an hour!" Yuffie yelled, almost scaring the nurse.

"Yuffie, please, we're in a hospital." Zexion whispered sternly when she received questioning looks from other patients.

Yuffie looked like she wanted to protest when a thought hit her. "Okay, then. It looks like we'll have to go home." She began walking towards the exit when Zexion caught the back of her collar.

"Not so fast. We're not leaving till I prescribe some for you." Yuffie pouted, but she reluctantly followed him back to the rack of glasses.

"Now, are you near-sighted or far-sighted?" Zexion inquired.

"Huh?" Yuffie asked puzzled.

"Do you have trouble seeing faraway or close by?"

"Faraway, I suppose. It's harder for me to see things from a distance."

"Alright, then, you're near-sighted." Zexion moved over to the section of the rack that said concave lenses.

"Concave lenses are for near-sighted people and convex lenses are for far-sighted." Zexion answered Yuffie's question before she opened her mouth. Sometimes, she was predictable for a ninja.

"How do you know so much about glasses, mister smart alec?" Yuffie demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"I wear them." He replied simply, taking out a pair. "Try these."

"Really? You never told me."

"You never asked."

Rolling her eyes, she took the glasses and placed them on lopsidedly. "This… feels weird."

Zexion chuckled for the first time that day. "Silly, they're upside-down. Here—" He brushed her hair behind her ears and expertly positioned them on her nose.

She felt butterflies in her stomach at his touch. Stop it, Yuffie! His actions were purely platonic.

"—how is that?"

Yuffie looked at her reflection in the mirror. The rim of the glasses was black and thin, making her appear older and responsible. "These aren't half bad."

"You seem more mature in them." Zexion said as an afterthought, inspecting her.

"Are you saying that I'm immature?" Yuffie said, her temper flaring. Her pet peeve was being called a brat or immature. You just don't cross that line. Zexion backed away as Yuffie advanced towards him.

"No—what I mean to say is—you look cute." Zexion said in an effort to save himself from a shinobi's wrath.

"You think so?" Yuffie's anger diminished.

"I know so."

She just stood there frozen to the spot as Zexion took the glasses from her and to the pay register.

—

Zexion decided to buy her sea-salt ice cream as an apology. Though, he wasn't quite sure what he did wrong. (Or was it what he said?) They walked together in companionable silence. The only sounds were of Yuffie licking her popsicle gleefully.

"I hoped you've learned an important lesson." He told her, breaking the peace and quiet.

"And what would that be?" Yuffie interrogated, raising an eyebrow, a habit she borrowed from him.

"Don't watch TV or play those video games excessively. They've damaged your eyes enough."

"So, you would rather I read books all day like you and get poor eyesight that way?"

"I didn't get it from that. It's in my genetics. Besides, it's better to read books than rot your brain off TV."

Yuffie stuck out her tongue childishly and he just shook his head.

"You're so bossy. But I still love you anyway." Yuffie confessed without realizing it.

"What?" Zexion halted and stared at her with his piercing eyes.

"Um… just kidding—I mean not in that type of way—well, got to go, Zexy." Yuffie brushed her lips against his cheek and ran off, leaving a very bewildered Zexion behind.