Mmm… for this next chapter, I've decided on kicking Cloud's and Yuffie's ass to get something going between them. Well… not exactly get something going on, but to get a better situation between the two. Ah… Hopefully this chapter turns out the way I want it to.

Disclaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

A Friend of Cloud's is a Friend of Mine

"Damnit Squall, you are such a cold hearted ass!" It had been a long time since Yuffie and Leon had an argument to the extent they are having now. A good fourteen months since Yuffie decided to become more 'mature-like' in favor of grabbing Squall's attention. Neither one of them remember how the argument started, only that it erupted ten minutes ago after Squall had walked in. Yuffie blames the fact that she's pregnant, and all the extra hormones for her lack of self-control.

"It's Leon. And you're being childish." It never sat well with her how he always makes references to her being a child, or brat, or immature. Damnit, she's been trying!

"I am not being childish!" Not exactly the most mature comeback, but she's running out of insults to throw at him. "I am more mature then you give me credit for." She stood on her toes to get up in his face, her eyes settling in a menacing glare against Leon's icy blue ones. "If I'm so immature then I.. I.." She paused to think on what to say in her defense; or rather, she wished she had thought instead of blurting out the first thing that came to mind, "I wouldn't be planning on raising my kid instead of tossing it out into the streets."

He stood there for a moment or two in silence, his eyes unsettling and angry. He never backed down from a fight, whether it be physical or verbal, Leon is always unrelenting. "…The fact that you went and got yourself knocked up is point enough. Not to mention you don't know who the father is."

The fact that he's surprised by her reaction meant he knew very little of her, or understood her a lot less then anyone realized. He stood there dazed for a few mere moments, head turned to the side to show the red welt that is now forming on the side of his face. By the time he turned his gaze back to the young woman, she was already heading up the stairs and away from him.

'Ugh! Damn that Squall! He's such a damn asshole!' Yuffie wiped at her eyes as she paced around in her room angrily. She couldn't believe he would be so low to throw that at her. 'Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!' Still, it must be her fault, somewhere or another she provoked him into another petty argument. She had to have, it's always her fault it seems.

A soft knocking came from her bedroom door. "Go away Squall!"

"…He already left." Aerith's voice came from the other side and a moment later she slipped into the room. She stood there in silence as she allowed the younger woman to continue with her silent ranting and pacing for a few moments longer before speaking. "…You really shouldn't provoke him so, Yuffie. You know he's defensive about issues."

"Provoke him!? Provoke him?" Yuffie raved, tossing her arms up in exaggeration, "I hardly did anything! Squall, or Leon, or whatever the hell he wants to be called, is just an asshole."

Aerith closed the door behind her before walking over to Yuffie and hugging her. Patting her back softly to try and comfort her. "…He does have a point though." Yuffie stiffened in Aerith's arms. "I would never think poorly of you. I blame myself for not raising you properly, I fear I was not qualified enough. I tried the best I could. I'm sorry Yuffie."

"Aerith please. Don't say something like that, it's not your fault. It's no ones!"

"But surely it is." She stated, "I mean… you are due in two months yet you don't know who the father is. It is not fitting, especially when your child is older, how will you explain the situation."

Yuffie turned out of Aerith arms and crossed her own over her chest before looking down at her swollen belly, "I… I don't know. I will explain it just like other moms explain it to their children."

"But Yuffie, other mothers didn't sleep… I mean."

"Didn't what?" Yuffie turned at her, the anger she felt towards Leon becoming directed at Aerith. "What were you going to say? Sleep around? GAWD Aerith, is that what you think I did?"

"I.."

"No don't answer it, I'd rather not know. Better not knowing. Know what?" Yuffie brushed her way passed the older woman and stepped out of her room. She should have seen this day coming. No, in all honesty, she did see it coming but chose to ignore it. As each day closer to the baby being born, the more Leon and Aerith get weary, and the more they question. She's been skating on thin ice with the two of them for some time now, and today was the day that the ice shattered and she was tossed into the frozen cold water.

"Yuffie, where you going?"

"Out! Away!"

"Where?"

"Gawd! Away from you, away from Leon. Away from everyone. I want to be alone!" She can't handle it anymore, there's too much stress living with Aerith these days. If not the questions, or the hidden stares, it's the smothering, not being allowed out of the house as if Aerith is ashamed of having her be outside in her state.

"Don't be silly Yuffie, you're pregnant."

"Well I guess I shouldn't have been screwing around." The door slammed shot as she stepped outside.

--

"Well? What's it going to be Strife? Hit'em or hold'em? Either way is fine with me." Blue eyes locked with green in a silent stare down. Battling of the wits commencing and poker faces being the only weapon at hand. Friday nights had long since turned into gamble night for Cloud and his posse; whether it's a game of poker, blackjack, Moogle two thousand, or Tradicion Royal, munny is always placed, and munny is always lost.

Cloud is in no shape, way, or form, a gambler. He has the poorest luck of the three; or seems to on account that he's currently seventy munny out. "Hit me." He said, and a moment later he's punched in the shoulder, which is followed by a frown and laughter.

"Sorry Strife, it was too good to pass up. Well anyways, here you… what the hell is that ringing?"

Cloud looked at the time, it read '1:00 A.M.'. "…It's the doorbell."

"You have a doorbell?" The green eyes widened in mock surprise before they turned to his partner in crime. "Why have we been sneaking in then?"

"…Your natural need to not knock?"

"Who the hell visits at this hour anyway?"

"We do."

"Correction! We visited three hours ago."

"…."

"….Hold on a minute." Cloud said as he rolled his eyes. A moment later he stands up and makes his way to the other side of the apartment to answer the door and to stop the persistent ringing of his doorbell. Honestly, he could have been sleeping. He unlocked it and opened it up to find none other than a certain young ninja.. Pregnant ninja at his doorstep. He stepped back a bit in surprise to find her there. Aerith had stopped by seven hours ago asking him if he had seen her. He had offered to help look for her but had been denied with the explanation of 'I need to find her on my own and apologize.'

"Yuffie?"

"The one and only." She replied back and managed a grin at him.

"Shouldn't you be home… sleeping?" He closed the gap in the door to hide what's going on in his apartment from her view. A move that didn't go unnoticed by Yuffie.

"It's funny you should say that Spikes." And not a second later she shoved the door opened and pushed her way in, "Because I have no munny right now and I need a place to sleep tonight."

"Um…"

"Yo Strife! Who is it? Just get rid of them and lets go?"

Yuffie turned and raised a brow at the blond. In turn he simply scratched the back of his head with a look on his face that one would use after getting caught doing something they shouldn't. "Hmm… Who do we have in here?" She made her way towards the source of the voice, which happened to be the kitchen, which happened to be clouded with cigarette smoke and the stench of alcohol. Two men sat at the table, each with cards set up on the table in front of them. Each of them were dressed up like salesmen, albeit, one of them looked like a slob with his jacket unbuttoned and shirt not untucked.

"Who's the broad?" The 'slob' questioned. He gave Yuffie a once over, "I stand corrected, who's the knocked up broad?"

"Blow it out of your ass." She replied back before turning to Cloud. "What's going on?" She asked him.

"What are you? The overprotective girlfriend that he talks about so much?"

"Which girlfriend is this?"

"Um…" Cloud stood at a loss.

"The one that doesn't allow him to the strip joints with us."

Yuffie raised a questionable brow. The last she's seen, Cloud and Aerith are still playing cat and mouse, with no end in site. So this girlfriend can't possibly be her. She waved her hand in front of her face to ward of the cigarette smoke. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Then who the hell are you?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Obviously, we're Strife's friends, or we wouldn't be here."

"Actually you two have just been showing up every Friday uninvited." Cloud decided to point out at the moment.

"Ah, but you don't kick us out."

"You wouldn't leave even if I tried."

"My point exactly." He put his cigarette out once he took notice of Yuffie's fanning. "Now back on track, who is she?"

"Who are they?" Yuffie points her fingers at the two men before poking Cloud in the chest several times. "And since when do you have friends?" There was a snort of laughter that followed suite.

"Um… remember those brownies a few months back?" Cloud paused for a moment until Yuffie nodded. Cloud pointed over to the slob, "He's the one that made them… Reno."

Yuffie took a moment to look at the man she swore she'd kill if she ever found him. His long rat tail hang behind the back of his chair, possibly long enough to reach his lower back. His suite had a combination of stains and wrinkles as well as one or two holes in it. His flaming red hair stuck out the most, although his green eyes were bright and a shade that she's never seen before. They would probably be even prettier if they weren't currently bloodshot, and if the man cleaned up a bit, he wouldn't be bad looking either.

"Right… and who is she?"

"She's the one who ate the brownies. Yuffie." Reno grinned at this, the story he had been told by Cloud flashing through his mind and amusing him greatly. "…The quiet one is Rude."

Rude is the bigger of the two, built like a bodyguard, and as silent as one. His suite is similar to Reno's however unlike Reno, he kept himself clean and kept. Bold and dark skinned, he seemed like a silent murderer in Yuffie's eyes. His eyes hid behind the shades he's wearing, which made her curious about his eyes color.

"So… are you two… like.. From the secret service or something?"

Reno snorted at that, "Hardly, we're gummi ship salesmen. Easiest job in the world."

"You should be going home Yuffie." Cloud cut in on the conversation.

"Oh! You guys are playing cards! I want to play." She slipped into a chair, completely ignoring the suggestion. She had already told him that she needed a place to sleep.

"Hmm.. Do you have any munny?" Reno questioned.

Yuffie reached over from Cloud's previous spot and snatched a few munny, "Now I do!" She chirped, "But you guys have to reshuffle and deal."

"Rude?" Reno questioned.

"I'm all for it."

"Strife sit your ass down." Reno called to him.

"But."

"You heard him spikes!" Yuffie said before patting the seat. She watched Reno as he gathered up the cards.

"Yuffie, you really-"

"Shh!" Yuffie cut Cloud off, "He's shuffling, leave me alone."

"But."

"Shh!"

"Aerith's-"

"Shh!" She watched intently as Reno shuffled the deck of cards and dealt them out. Her eyes followed the cards like a wolf hunting the sheep.

Forty-five minutes later, Reno and Rude were leaving Cloud apartment. Reno sour and pissed, Rude indifferent. Reno mumbled something about cheating on his way out. "Here you go spikes, the fifteen munny I took from you." She tossed it on the table as he made it back to the kitchen. "I'm keeping the rest since I won it."

"How did you do that?" Cloud questioned; mystified.

"Did what?"

"….Win. That many times."

"Secret!" She stood up from her chair and made her way to the fridge, opening it in the hopes that Cloud would have something remotely interesting to eat.

"….What are you doing?" He questioned as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her.

"Looking for something to eat…. You wouldn't happen to have some pickles and applesauce would you?"

He raised a brow at the strange, and disgusting sounding request. "Fresh out, in fact, don't ever expect to find either of them ever in my fridge."

"I'll take note of that." She grabbed a package of cheese and closed the fridge before she started eating it.

"….You plan on staying here tonight… don't you?" Cloud all but hoped she hadn't.

"It's two A.M. You really gunna kick me out at this hour?"

"…."

Yuffie grinned and popped another slice of cheese into her mouth. "You need to buy cheddar cheese, I'd be all over it."

"I would hope you'd eat it rather than be on it." He stated flatly in reply.

She stood there with a slice half in her mouth as she stared at him. "Wow!" The cheese fell out of her mouth and onto the floor. She left it there as she walked out of the kitchen, "A joke. I'm honored." She made her way to the couch, completely ignoring it's connection between the two of them.

"If you're going to sleep here, I wish for an explanation on why you ran off." Cloud stood in front of the couch and stared her down.

"Got tired of Leon and Aerith, decided it was high time to bug you now."

"…Really." Bullshit.

"That's the only explanation you're getting. Especially since I'm the one that has to deal with them, and this." She placed a hand on her swollen abdomen. "While you get to go on your merrily way."

"….Alright." Guilt trips always got him, especially ever since he returned to everyone. He had carried so much guilt, that it just stuck to him when people made him feel guilty. "Just… take the bed. A couch is the last place you need to be sleeping in your state."

She glared, obviously taking offense to what he said, "And what's that suppose to mean? Are you saying I might hurt myself if I fall off because I'm fat."

"No… but falling off could cause you to have a miscarriage, and I'd rather not be my couch that is to blame for it."

"Oh…oh." Yuffie put the package of cheese down on the coffee table and rubbed her arm. She's at a loss for words, she didn't even think of that possibility, nor did she even think about the baby. Cloud did for her though, and it's… surprising. Especially since he shows no interest in it to begin with. Coming from him, it's just abnormal and weird.

"Hee hee." She jolted to her feet, a spring in her step. "Yeah.. Thanks."

"For the bed or for allowing you to spend the night?"

"Pfft!" She waved him off, "I knew you'd let me stay, you're a sucker for guilt." She walked, or perhaps skipped (Cloud isn't sure how to explain it) away from him to head towards the bedroom.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes before he looked down at the couch. His bed for the night. He didn't have an issue with it, especially since Yuffie will be going back home later in the morning. He took a seat on the catch and grabbed the package she left on his coffee table. He looked inside and saw one slice remaining. He frowned before shrugging his shoulders and finishing off the last slice. He would have to buy some tomorrow and let Aerith know that Yuffie is alright. He'd call now, but at the hour, it would be asinine to call her to let her know.

Author Notes: Ehhh as you can see I tried this chapter out of Yuffie's point of view. But… eh. I'm thinking I'll just stick with Yuffie's POV, it seems to work better. This was actually harder to write in third person. Oo Didn't feel like it flowed the way I wanted to. But oh well! Next chapter will be grander. Low and behold, the brownie maker has been uncovered! Reno! Everyone loves Reno, you must, or he'll smite you down with his Electro-Rod. XD Review! :D