Updated: 02/19/08
Chapter三
The next morning, Yuffie was up early. She was a morning person, so even a little drinking the night before didn't deter her from her usual routine, though she did decide to push it back an hour, for the sake of her 'vacation'. So it was 7 instead of 6 when she headed into the kitchen fresh from drying her hair after her shower, washing off the sweat from her workout. Searching through the fridge, she pulled out some juice before fixing herself some breakfast.
Holding a bowl of cereal in one hand and a spoon in another as she ate, she wandered out into her living room and stared down at her 'sleep over' guest.
Watching Yumiko as she slept atop of Shuji – both completely dressed, of course, since they had the decently not to take advantage of her hospitality like that – she wondered if they'd been using her house while she was gone. Or if it was just because they both got trashed and didn't want their parents to see them like that. Either way, it didn't matter to her. If she wasn't using the house, someone might as well.
Maybe she should give them the house. As a wedding present. She didn't see herself using it much in the future anyway. And Shuji made a decent living as a weaponsmith, but he would have to use a chunk of savings to buy his new bride a house. She wouldn't make it a big deal. She could suggest wanting to fix it up and hire Yumiko to decorate it, then drop the bomb. She'd have to discuss it with their parents first, to see if they weren't planning something equally extravagant.
But really, she wasn't lying to Rufus when she said Reeve paid her too much. He continued to increase her salary through the years, despite her protests, and after sitting in the bank with all that interest, she now had more money than she knew what to do with. If she could give it all to her friends, she would, but they'd never accept it. Shuji would laugh and give her a nuggie while Yumiko simply wouldn't be able to stop laughing.
Finishing her breakfast, she left the bowl in the sink to wash later so she wouldn't wake them before heading outside. She pulled out her PHS and gave Reeve a call to tell him she was staying till New Year's. He readily agreed, and she told him he should take some time off too and come see the festival. He laughed and said, "Maybe," but knowing him, Yuffie knew he probably wouldn't. After telling him he had to give up his loser work-a-holic ways and he responded with a 'look who's talking', they hung up and she headed for Shuji's house.
His father was just exiting his house for work when she approached. Seeing her, it took a moment before he recognized her and smiled.
"Miss Yuffie, is that you?"
Yuffie nodded, smiling. "Yep."
She gave him a warm hug and when she pulled back he looked her up and down with a fond smile. "My, you have matured into a beautiful young woman. Just like your mother."
Yuffie grinned. "Well, I think I have too much of my pops in me for that to be totally true."
Hayato chuckled. "Still griping about your father, I see."
Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Not only is he still the stupid ass he was while I was growin' up, but now he's added cryptic to his list of annoying habits."
Shuji's father laughed again, heartily. He'd always been more of a father to her than her own. He always had compassion for her, and helped her to calm down after a terrible row with her father, when Shuji wasn't around. He'd been friends with her father when they were children and it always infuriated her father when Hayato would laugh off anything the heir to the throne had to say, even when purposely baiting him. Yuffie figured it was that fact that she took to him so readily. Anyone who could put it to her father so effortlessly was a friend of hers.
"Well, if you came by to see Shuji, I'm afraid he's not here," Hayato scratched his head, appearing only slightly concerned. His son was full-grown, but he was a parent so it was ingrained in him to worry.
"Oh, him, Yumi, and I stayed up late talking so they crashed at my place." Yuffie assured him.
Hayato nodded, knowing better. But he only smiled and didn't say anything.
"I actually came to talk to you…" And Yuffie explained her little plan to him, asking if he and Aiya had any plans regarding their housing situation. Hayato shook his head no, before saying he had been worried about how buying a place would deplete his son's savings.
"But Aiya and I also have very little saved up to give them…"
Yuffie could tell he was hopeful, but didn't want to guilt her or readily accept something so generous.
Smiling, she said, "Yeah, I don't think you guys should worry. I am the heiress to the throne and 'technically' you guys are my people, and what kind of princess would I be if I couldn't help some of my 'subjects' out?" she cajoled, trying to make him feel at ease.
He gave her an unsure smile. "Well, if you're honestly sure you can spare…"
Yuffie nodded. "I'm sure of it. And don't worry, I'm going to make it seem like they'd be doing me a favour taking it off my hands." Giving him a fond smile, she tilted her head, "Besides, it's the least I can do…. I'd've probably run away a lot sooner if not for you and Shuji. And Yumiko. And then where would I be?"
Seeing her surrogate father starting to tear up, she pulled him into another tight hug.
He spoke into her shoulder, his voice heavy with emotion. "If Yumiko didn't make my son so happy, I would have loved for him to make you my daughter-in-law."
Yuffie felt herself tearing up and that, and gave the old man a quick kiss on the temple before pulling away. "I would have been honoured." She smiled. "Crazy, for tying myself to that idiot son of yours, but honoured to be your daughter."
Hayato laughed and wiped at his eyes. Composing himself, he said, "Well, I will tell Aiya of your plans, if you want."
Yuffie nodded and they said their good-byes.
Deciding to go demands some answers from her father, she headed for his house. The booths in the square were closed up and would reopen in the afternoon, so it was quiet except for a few blue jays twittering about.
Knocking briefly on her father's front door, she entered the same as yesterday and called out. Her father was a morning person as well, so she knew he was awake. At least, he should be…
Waiting a long moment, she still had no response. So she wandered further in. Not finding him in the kitchen, she scrunched her face as she headed towards his bedroom.
"Yo, pops," she called, standing before his door. "You alive?" She slowly slid the door open a bit. What she saw inside caused her eyes to widen and let out an exclamation of, "Holy shit!"
Her father and his…bed partner were startled awake and Yuffie slammed the door shut as her father sat up abruptly.
"Uh, sorry," she called out, before spinning and running for the front door.
Lord Godo found her sitting on the porch five minutes later, staring blindly off into space. He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence.
Yuffie didn't look over. Staring straight ahead, she said, "Lina? You're fooling around with Lina?" she asked incredulously.
God grew angry. "I'm not 'fooling around' with anybody. She's my fiancé."
That Yuffie did turn for. "Fiancé?!"
God shifted uncomfortably. "Yes. We didn't want you to find out that way."
"Well, why the hell didn't you tell me then?!"
"Watch your tone, young lady."
Yuffie snorted. "I haven't been a 'young lady' since before I left here at fourteen." Standing, she turned and placed her hands on her hips, "Now tell me what the fuck is going on here."
Godo narrowed his eyes at her but didn't comment. Instead, he sighed. "She'd been a great support to me these past sixteen years. She simply helped me to see what I was already feeling."
Yuffie looked skeptic. "She came onto you?"
Godo blushed and sputtered slightly over his words.
Yuffie held up a hand. "Hold on. I don't wanna know."
"Miss Yuffie?"
Father and daughter turned as the woman in question joined them.
"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." Lina apologized. "Your father wanted to be the one to tell you and there was just so much to do yesterday."
Yuffie was looking at her critically. "You love him?"
Lina glanced at Godo, who met her gaze and Yuffie watched, slightly disgusted, as they smiled warmly at each other. The same smile she saw Yumiko and Shuji share.
Lina returned her gaze to Yuffie and nodded. "Very much."
Yuffie sighed. "Well…I'm happy for you, then?" she phrased it as a question.
Lina laughed and came forward to hug her future step daughter. Yuffie accepted it with a rueful smile. "Why are all the women marrying moronic retards all the sudden…" she muttered into the older woman's shoulder.
Lina laughed as she pulled away. "Love makes you do crazy things, I suppose."
"Hey," Godo protested.
Lina positively giggled and moved to his side, leaving Yuffie dumbfounded at the girlish sound coming from her distinguished nanny.
The woman kissed her fiancé on the cheek before saying, "I'll go see about some breakfast." And she left father and daughter alone once again.
Yuffie gave her father a scowl. "You hurt her, you better fix it ten times over before I catch wind of it. I can always find a new father."
Godo narrowed his eyes at her, but all he said was, "I won't hurt her."
"I know."
They shared a look of wills then, before Yuffie relaxed, satisfied her father got the message.
"So is this why you called me home? You and Lina getting married?" she asked.
Godo sighed. "Yes. Though I thought it wouldn't hurt for you to be here for the New Year festival. Leviathan knows why, but the people here love you. You're their own little heroine, off saving the world in the name of Wutai. It wouldn't kill you to come home and let them celebrate with you."
Yuffie blinked. Her father actually sounded…sincere. Lina was certainly doing wonders for him.
"So just stay and…visit the people," he continued, seemingly stopping himself from saying something. "And since Rufus is staying as well, perhaps you could show him aroun—"
"Godo."
He broke off as Lina's voice sounded from inside. "Coming." Turning back to Yuffie, "Anyway, we're having dinner with Shinra tonight, so you should come." Uncomfortably, he nodded to her and re-entered his house.
As Yuffie took off, lost in her thoughts, Lina scolded her father.
"You said you would stay out of it," she frowned. "You said you'd invite him and then see how they reacted to each other, no more help from you, you said."
"It was only a suggestion," Godo protested. "It's not like I ordered her to show him around."
Lina crossed her arms, giving him that look. God cringed inwardly at that look.
"I've told you it's simply barbaric to play match-maker, especially with Yuffie." Lina continued. "She's not like other women. Plus, any help from you would have the opposite effect anyway. In fact, if you really wanted to get them together, you'd forbid her associating with him," she added with a soft wry smile.
Godo frowned, but nodded, knowing that was most likely true. Leaving that thought for later he decided to placate his bride to be. "Fine. I'll leave her be."
Lina nodded as if that had been already decided, which it had if she had anything to say about it.
Yuffie left her father's house shaking her head. She never thought there'd be a woman who could handle her father, much less like him. But she had to hand it to him, he knew how to pick them. Any other woman and Yuffie would have been decidedly more against his remarrying. Any other woman she'd be sure she was just marrying him for the title. But Lina was humble and one of the kindest women she knew. She couldn't have picked a better stepmother if she'd tried.
She realized she was passing Rufus' house, as she noticed Elena and Tseng standing guard outside the front door. Elena saw her and waved. Yuffie waved back. Her hand slowly fell as something in the upstairs window caught her eye. It was Rufus as he turned away. A gleam in her eye, she got an idea.
Waving a goodbye to Elena, Yuffie took off down the street before doubling back around the house. Taking a running leap, she grabbed the edge of the low awning roof and pulled herself up lithely. Crouching on the slanted roof, she quickly ran to the window, pulling a knife from her thigh strap and jimmying the window open. Silently, she leaped inside and took in her surroundings. It was a den, complete with walls of books, a drink bar and a billiards table in the center. Rufus should be in the room across the hall.
Forgetting about him for now, she picked a pool cue from the rack on the wall. After powdering the tip, she set up the billiard balls for a break. She set the triangle aside before taking aim. The door opened right as she took a shot.
Rufus paused in the doorway, glancing from her to the billiard balls currently bouncing to and fro across the green felt. She watched them as well until they were still before pumping her fist in the air.
"Alright! The red one in on the first try!" Then she glanced over to him, unsurprised. "Oh. Hey, Rufus."
He stepped inside, shutting the door. "Tseng and Elena are meant to keep people from catching me unawares, but I do think if you had asked them, they would've made an exception and let you in the front door."
Yuffie waved dismissively. "That's no fun."
Rufus crossed to the bar. Yuffie noticed. "It's not even 9 o'clock in the morning."
He reached for a glass and grabbed a tap nozzle, squirting liquid into it. Lifting the now full glass of water to his lips, he met her gaze over the rim. "I know."
Yuffie rolled her eyes at his 'smoothness'.
"So it's fun to make me have to pull more men from the Academy to come secure my safety?" he asked.
Leaning on her pool cue, she shrugged. "If you really see me as a threat, maybe you should."
She gave him a challenging stare, which made him pause, before slowly smirking at her. Setting his water down, he strolled to the cue rack.
"Maybe we can avoid all of that and you can just tell me what you want with me," he spoke as he chose a cue. Turning to face her, she saw her slack-jawed and his smirk grew.
Yuffie was shocked at the seemingly suggestive way he phrased his words. If she didn't know better, she'd swear he was flirting with her. Regaining herself, she shifted as he came around the table to position his cue at the white billiard ball.
Yuffie made a noise. "I was bored and Tseng and Elena looked ridiculous standing out there."
Rufus took a shot. The orange ball went in the pocket. Straightening he flicked a glance to her. "So you thought a bit of breaking and entering was in order," he stated matter-of-factly.
Yuffie nodded, happily. He gave her a look, so she added, "Would it help if I said it was really hard?"
"No."
"Oh. Okay good, because it was amazingly easy."
She leaned close as he took aim again, causing him to glance over his arm at her. Yuffie sent him a cheeky grin and danced away. Rufus shook his head and took his shot. The ball didn't go in this time. He moved to the bar again, as Yuffie lined up her shot.
"You know, people hire people to do that," he said.
"Do what?" she asked distractedly.
"To break through their security."
She took her shot and it went in. Moving around to line up her next shot she gave him a weird look.
"Why would they do that?"
Rufus took a sip of his water. "To test it. Fix the problem so someone who actually means them harm can't do the same."
Yuffie nodded. Taking aim, she took her shot. The pepto bismo coloured ball span into the pocket. She straightened, making a satisfied sound.
Rufus lifted a brow. "Nice shot."
"I know." She glanced at him quickly then, seeing his expression and amended, "I mean, thanks."
He smirked. "No need to change how you are on my account." Giving her a wry look. "You're not on my payroll. Yet."
Yuffie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You are beyond deluded if you think I'll ever call you boss."
She took another shot and missed. Rufus set his glass down and moved around to take his turn.
"Well, I am not then, since I abhor the word 'boss'."
Leaning on her cue, she cocked a hip. "Oh yeah? What do the Turks call ya then? Employer? Master? Great Messiah?"
Rufus gave her a disgruntled look as he bent to take aim. She giggled.
"Well, Tseng calls me Mr. Shinra; Rude 'sir'; Elena still calls me Mr. President, and Reno," he took his shot, his mouth turning down in a grimace, "calls me 'boss'."
Yuffie laughed. "Always thought he was a wanker, but maybe he's alright."
Rufus shot a glance at her to see if she was serious. She had the same amused grin on her face, and he realized he was being foolish.
He missed his shot. "Well, I would've fired him long ago if I didn't know the rest of them would leave with him." He stared disgruntled down at the billiard table. "Seems they formed an 'unbreakable bond'. There's no living with them now."
Yuffie snorted with laughter. "Aww. Poor billionaire President…has bodyguards who actually give a shit."
Rufus scowled. "Again, there's no need to be crude."
"No need to be an ole stick in the mud either."
"No need to be barbaric when we spent all this time creating civilization."
Yuffie grinned, placing her hands on the edge of the table and leaning towards him on the other side. "Come on, Rufus. I wanna hear you say 'fuck'…."
Instead of becoming entranced by her deeper tone, he grimaced as if he tasted something terrible. "If that's what you want of me, I think I better call Reno and Rude."
Yuffie shook her head and grabbed her cue, bending low to take aim. She took a shot and sank one. "There's a fine line between 'civilized' and 'a-stick-up-one's-ass'."
"A lovely mental image to have before the first drink of the day."
Yuffie lifted her brows at him. " 'First'? There's always more than one?"
Rufus smirked. "Depends."
"On what?" she asked as she sank another.
"You have Reno and Rude work for you without needing a drink most days."
"Rude's not that bad."
"On his own, no." Rufus agreed, watching her sink another. "But with Reno, they're impossible."
Yuffie smiled up at him briefly while lining up her next shot. "That bad, huh?"
"Hm." Rufus watched her sink yet another, knowing he'd already lost. "I can't understand a thing they talk about, and when they try to include me, it just makes my head hurt."
Yuffie snorted. "Nobody understands those two. I swear, they're like an old married couple. Inside jokes, finish each other's sentences, and they're always together, but no sex."
Rufus nodded, her characterization spot-on.
They spent the rest of the morning, allowing Rufus a chance to regain his manhood as Yuffie beat him soundly at pool, while verbally jousting about all manner of silly things. At noon, he invited her to join him for lunch but she declined, saying she needed to see to her house-guests.
After he extracted a promise for her to explain later, she left, telling him she'd see him for dinner. She took the front door and happily bid Elena and Tseng goodbye before taking off down the lane before they could say anything.
Reaching her front door, she knocked as she entered. "Hello? Anybody alive?" No one was in the living room, so she entered the kitchen and found a sleepy Yumiko sipping coffee sitting on her counter, while Shuji fried some eggs in a pan. Yumiko waved, while Shuji gave her a, 'Hey!'
Yumiko winced. "Oo…honey, please. My head."
Shuji looked chastened for the half a second it took to kiss her temple in apology before he turned a wide grin on Yuffie.
"You are just in time for some brunch."
Yuffie just looked at him. "For Leviathan, does anything make you drop that cheery disposition?" she asked exasperated.
He laughed. "D-no. Now." He clapped his hands together. "Do you have ketchup?"
The trio ate a delicious lunch, since along with good looks, a winning smile, intelligence, and a steady job, Shuji was also an excellent cook. If he didn't drive her up the wall, she'd so have been able to go for him.
But she was happy with what they had, knowing Yumiko complimented him perfectly. Her friend had no culinary skills whatsoever.
After lunch, Yuffie told them to go home and get cleaned up while she cleaned the dishes. They'd meet in the square later and pick up some items they didn't have ready cash for the night before.
Grabbing her gil, she headed out the door a few hours later. In the square, she quickly found her friends and they took off towards the booths.
When they came upon the weapon booth, Yuffie was dismayed to see the multi-bladed dagger was gone.
"I'm sorry, Miss," apologized the vendor. "But a man came by wanting it and nothing else. He refused to take no for an answer and even paid triple for it." He looked slightly guilty. "My family lives mainly off what I make here every year. I couldn't re--"
Yuffie held up her hand, cutting him off. She smiled understandingly. "It's fine. Really. This man sounds very persuasive. Do not worry about it."
The man smiled in relief and nodded. To prove she did not hold hard feelings, she bought an expanding rod with blades on each end for Marlene. There was kanji characters inscribed on each blade, one saying "resist" (葉ん他意) and the other "fate"(うん目意). The girl was a young woman now, and had taken a fighting staff as her choice of weapon. So far she'd only used wooden rods, so Yuffie knew the girl would be delighted to have the beautiful bladed Wutainese weapon.
Cloud and Barrett worried constantly over her learning to fight, but Tifa squashed their arguments, saying Marlene was the same age when she started learning. Yuffie supported her as well, having been in the same position at that age. Stupid sexist men.
The vendor thanked her profusely and apologized again before they moved off. Yuffie strapped the rod, at the moment one third of its regular size, to a holster on her back.
Grabbing some sort of sugared, fried dough usually found at events like this, the trio moved towards the stage to watch the local and imported bands hired or invited to play. After a few hours, Yumiko fell in love with the lead singer from one of the bands from Gongaga, saying his blue eyes were 'dreamy', so Yuffie left Shuji to deal with his star-struck fiancé with a laugh, to go get ready for dinner.
Deciding to look nice, if only for her future stepmother's sake, she found some clips Yumiko left behind and pinned her hair back on the sides, removing her headband. Looking through her closet, she found a yellow sleeveless summer dress. She wrinkled her nose, never having seen it before. Figuring it was Yumiko's as well, and the skirt looked wide enough at the bottom to allow as much free movement as her shorts, she plucked it off the hanger. Her back felt drafty from the open criss-cross pattern on the back but she shrugged it off. Rarely did she dress up all feminine, nor did she have a reason to, so she could handle it for her 'parents' engagement night or whatever. Being mature was highly overrated.
She also saw a pair of matching dress shoes for the dress, but her repertoire for dressing up was used by wearing the dress, so she pulled on her knee-high, faded yellow lace-up boots with their two-inch heel.
Checking that her thigh strap holding her throwing knives was secure, she headed out the door. When she reached her father's house, there was a sign on the door telling her to go to the pavilion. Turning around, she headed for the structure that held the huge gong. At the bottom of the stairs, Yuffie looked up to see Rufus standing at the railing, sipping from a glass.
"Hey," she smiled. "Where's Tseng and Elena? Were you being nice to them again?" she teased.
Rufus glanced down at her, before smirking slightly. "Something like that."
Yuffie came up the steps, glancing at his drink. Wiggling her eyebrows at him, she asked, "Is that the 'first' drink of the day?"
"Actually, yes." He finished it off, before turning and holding out his arm to her. "Let's go turn it into my second. I have a feeling I'm going to need it, if I'm going to have dinner with your father."
AN: Alright, so more interaction between the couple of the day. Hope you enjoyed it. Please R&R so I know that you do.
Next Chapter: Fun stuff. Flirting, adult content and more fireworks. Oh, and Rufus acting cute;P