Disclaimer: The Final Fantasy VII compilation does not belong to me. I do not own the characters, story, places etc. They are all the property, copyright and trademark of Square-Enix. I place no ownership/claim on them by using them in this work of fan fiction.

Chapter Twenty One: Push Me Under

Yuffie watched on with some amusement as the group of men and women scrabbled amongst themselves with a mixture of panic and excitement that felt rather too dramatic for the circumstances. She had been rather put out when Reno had dragged her out of bed to take her to this strange department of Shinra's at a time in the morning that felt far too early considering all she had to do was put on a dress and some makeup, but as it was turning out there was going to be a lot more to it than that.

Apparently people like herself couldn't be trusted to dress themselves anymore and instead the job had been foisted onto this bunch, who it seemed were in charge of decorating her up to be some sort of impressive trophy for Shinra to parade around to the other big wigs. She had thought Rufus would be the highest flyer at this so called 'Charity Ball' but she had since been informed that that was only partially true. Much to her own personal annoyance there would be people there that even she would probably want to make a good impression on, especially when it came to future business dealings for Wutai. From what she had heard from her father, politicians, leaders and anyone too rich for their own good were all one in the same when it came to influence, all living in each others pockets and waging silent power struggles that more often than not determined the very survival of countries and the people who lived there.

When did something that was meant to be for charity become a way to prove your social status anyway? It was almost funny, in a sad sort of way. She was probably being naive again. Of course it was all just a way for pompous rich people to show off and try and out do each other. Gawd, was this what she was going to turn into?

It wasn't that she didn't like showing off of course. If anything, she'd been called out for doing so more times than she could count, but she had never really taken it seriously. Sure, she had bragged about being 'The White Rose of Wutai' and 'The Greatest Ninja ever', but she had only done so as a way of getting people to acknowledge who she was, so the idea that she'd have to grandstand with a much more odious intent was not a pleasant thought.

As she began to get lost in her thoughts, one of the young men who seemed far too pretty for his own good appeared in front of her with a hint of nervousness. Her eyes flickered down to the shoes in his hands as a twist of a grimace formed on her lips. It wasn't so much that they were ugly per se and on someone else they may have even been beautiful, but they looked like the most uncomfortable things she had ever seen, with heels that could probably be used to stab someone and so much strapping she was inclined to make a joke about bondage.

She gave a small cough as her arms curled around herself defensively, "Those look a little…high."

There was a beat of silence before the young man spoke, his face contorting as he fought between social awkwardness and professional pride, "Well you're quite, eh, petite. As you'll be the President's personal guest it would be rather unbecoming if he's forced to stoop all night with you and then there's the pictures-"

"I want flat shoes!" Yuffie had all but blurted out the words as a rush of defiance coursed through her. She didn't rightly care if it got her in trouble later, she wasn't about to be in pain all evening for Rufus Shinra's benefit; if anything making him look stupid would perhaps make the evening somewhat bearable.

The young man looked a mixture of confused and panicked as his words started to come out in a stutter, "But, Miss Kisaragi, that would really be quite impossible-"

She firmly placed a hand on her hip, as she put on the most haughty tone she could muster, "I'm the future leader of Wutai. What I say goes and I will have flat shoes."

The young man hesitated for a moment before making a noise similar to that of a frightened mouse when she gave him one of her best glares and watched with satisfaction as he backed away, taking the offending shoes with him. Just as he disappeared behind a rack of silk scarves, someone else popped up on her right. It was a woman this time, a little older and with a much more 'no nonsense' air about her and an expression to match. She thrust a handful of what appeared to be undergarments into Yuffie's arms as she spoke without so much as taking a pause for breath.

"Put these on. You'll find a robe in the dressing room, pop that on when you're done. Try to be quick about it too, we still need to sort your hair and makeup before lacing you into that dress."

The young woman cringed, "Hair and makeup? Is all this really necessary? I can just do it myself-"

"Absolutely not! The President was very insistent that you were to be given the full works. Don't you know how important this event is? You're a guest of Shinra, you can't turn up looking as if-"

Yuffie put her hands up in surrender, "Alright, I get it, I get it."

She wasn't sure what it was about this woman exactly, perhaps it was the way she eerily resembled one of her old teachers, specifically the one who had been the most frighteningly unmoved by all of Yuffie's 'creative' protests, but she felt her inner-self cower a little in spite of herself. She looked down at the items in her hands and held up the bra with a curious arch of her brow. The cups were of a lovely silky green lace, edged with what appeared to be a deep emerald satin and the band seemed longer than usual as she estimated that it would go down to her waist at least, with boning stitched so meticulously you might not know it was there if it wasn't for the rigid shape it formed.

She gave a hesitant glance at the woman, her brow still raised, "These are a little fancy."

The older woman just stared at her, her own brow cocked in something far from amusement as her eyes held a cold sort of judgment and once again Yuffie felt like she was a little girl again being scolded for getting mud on her yukata. Swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, she gave a small smile of acceptance before turning and making her way over to the dressing room.

As Yuffie stood in front of the mirror some hours later she couldn't help but admit that they really had done one hell of a job. She could barely recognise herself. She had never really looked her age, having a small frame and pixie face was something that had caused her to be mistaken for someone much younger on more than one occasion, but now she almost seemed to look too grown up. It was a silly thought, she was almost twenty-one after all but still, she really did look like a different person.

Her hair had been left down, with one side being pined behind her ear with something that sparkled in a way that led her to believe it was far too expensive for her to feel comfortable wearing and she didn't know exactly how they'd done it, but somehow it looked longer. She had let it grow out of boredom and had never taken much care of it, but now she found herself wishing she had kept it short. They hadn't smothered her in makeup, thank Gawd, but whatever they had put on was more than enough. Her eyes looked bigger, darker, her lips softer and fuller and her cheeks were tinged with pink, making her appear lightly flushed whether she was blushing or not. Then there was the dress. Had it really looked like this when she tried it on? It seemed more elegant somehow, more, well, sexy. It clung to her in a way that seemed to have created curves in places she was sure she hadn't had them before and the lace that covered it allowed daring little flashes of skin to peek through, drawing the eye and keeping it there.

It made her feel weird; looking so feminine. She had often been jealous of Tifa and the way she could be such a warrior and yet was so effortlessly beautiful at the same time, but now she wasn't sure. Why did she feel so uncomfortable about this? Part of her was ecstatic to look so good, but the other part of her was extremely uncomfortable. She didn't want the attention, to feel eyes on her, appraising her, judging her. It made her belly crawl just thinking about it. Gawd, could tonight just be over already?

She glanced at the clock above the door, as the thought crossed her mind that they were surely running late by now. Before she could think to call someone to ask she heard a knock at the door and with a soft huff she twisted her hand around the edge of the dress, lifting it up slightly as she glided across the room to open it.

She wasn't sure who she had been expecting, but she felt a warm surge of relief pass over her as her gaze immediately recognised the familiar flash of red hair and bright aqua eyes that appeared in front of her.

The Turk let his eyes fall down her frame as a long, slow whistle sounded from his lips, "Well well well, don't you look…"

Yuffie chuckled softly, "Thank you."

Something seemed to cross the red head's mind as his gaze crossed over the room, 'There anyone here?"

"No, they all left-Hey!"

A yelp left her throat as, without missing so much as a beat, Reno's hand had snaked it's way around her waist as his lips fell to her neck and his free hand fumbled to turn the lock on the door behind him. For a moment she felt herself want nothing more than to give in, but it only lasted a second before she came to her senses and she batted him away with a irritated groan.

"Gawd, stop! You'll mess up all their hard work!"

Reno chuckled at the scowl on the young woman's face before letting a soft smirk pull at his lips, "It's not hard to make you look good girly."

Yuffie could feel the heat flare on her cheeks as the warmth and quietness of his voice sent a tingle through her belly and she hurriedly turned away from him.

"Oh shut up." After a moment she let out a breathy sigh and turned back towards him, "When do we have to leave?"

"Now."

She didn't try to hide her disappointment as her shoulders dropped, "Right now?"

The red head nodded just as grudgingly, a hint of an unconvincing smile playing in his voice, "Come on, you never know, it might be fun."

Yuffie huffed, "Yeah right."

He reached out his hand, trailing a finger down her cheek, "I'll be there…if you need to slip away."

"Sure." She gave him a smile, though it failed to reach her eyes as her gaze faltered and refused to meet his own.

It wasn't like it was actually going to happen, not really. No matter how much she wanted to or how good Reno was at making slick get aways. She wasn't allowed that kind of luxury anymore and she knew she had better start getting used to it.

Reno's eyes fell to his watch with a cock of his brow, "We need to get on our way, the Pres will be waiting for you."

She smiled again and this time there was more spark to it, though her voice was still a little too quiet, "Can't we just make him wait a little bit longer?"

A sad sort of chuckle escaped the Turk's throat, "Don't tempt me girly."

It had not taken them long to travel to the main headquarters, much to Yuffie's disappointment. She had to practically force herself out of the car, as every part of her body tried to resist, as her unwillingness to participate in this charade grew stronger with every second. Part of her had felt excited about it once upon a time, though it felt like a distant memory now. She had imagined herself taking control, making such an impression that there would be no doubt the new leader of Wutai was someone to be reckoned with, that she was just as capable as them, but that seemed like an impossible task now. She wanted to run, Gawd she always wanted to run, but those days were far behind her and now there was no more time and no place left to go.

It was a short walk to the other waiting car and she had taken only a few steps towards it when her presence was noticed by the person who she was now sure was nothing but a well played part.

"Miss Kisaragi."

The young man's icy gaze appeared to warm as he watched her approach, his hand outstretched towards her as he waited for her own to meet it. It was hard, to push down the feelings that rose up inside her. Those eyes of his were so genuine, as always and yet she knew she couldn't trust them. Gawd, how could he be so convincing?

She gently rested her hand in his, as she gave him a small smile, "Hey."

Yuffie couldn't help but let her gaze drift up his form. Gawd, he looked handsome tonight, though she was loathed to admit it. It shouldn't be allowed, to have so much power whilst also looking like some kind of demigod. Then again, maybe it suited him, after all God's were very much known for their arrogant brand of cruelty. That was something she needed to remember and something she had allowed herself to forget too easily; he was a cruel man. That was who he really was. Just like the rest of them. She made a point to offer him another smile, though there was a hollowness about it that only she could feel.

"You look, erm…nice."

Rufus smiled, "Thank you, but it is me who should be paying you the compliment…" He hesitated for a moment, as he seemed to become flustered, something so rare it seemed to surprise even himself.

"I'm concerned that you may be a little too captivating…I fear I shall have to fight off potential dance partners."

The young woman forced a small chuckle, as she struggled to quell the sudden swell of emotion that felt all too able to bring her to tears.

"Sounds…tiring."

With a smile and a light chuckle of his own, the President ran his thumb over the back of her hand, "It'll be over before you know it."

She nodded, "Yeah."

As his eyes left her face, they fell on the red head who had been waiting a little distance away. He gave him a small nod, his voice back to it's usual cool aloofness.

"Reno."

The Turk nodded back, "Right, see you there, Boss."

Just as he began to turn away, the young woman looked back at him. She wanted him to hold her again, just for a moment, to reassure her that everything would be okay, that she wasn't alone, but he merely nodded again, his face as cool as she had ever seen it, before he turned and continued back to his car.

It was as it should be after all.

As she turned back to make her way over to the car she would share with the President, a quiet sigh sounded only to herself. It was going to be a long night.

It felt as if she had been there now for hours and hours, but she was sure it was not nearly as late as she hoped.

The room was like a sea of gold. Everything and everyone around them exuded exorbitant wealth and power. It was blinding. These people were too bright, their smiles too perfect and she was sure, no matter how relaxed they seemed to be, each and everyone of them had come with their own ulterior motives and she had found herself clutching onto the President's arm a little tighter as they made their way through the throng, every step feeling heavier than the last as she had to force herself not to bolt.

It was exhausting, this type of 'socialising'. It felt like speed dating hundreds of people, where each partner was far more confident, far more intelligent and far more judgmental than the last and if she didn't impress she'd never make it to the next round. Polite smiles, her hand offered so gracefully, a laugh she didn't recognise sounding from her throat, it just felt so unnatural to her. Rufus on the other hand seemed to take it all in his stride. Of course he already knew most of them, or so it seemed anyway, but still it was fascinating to watch. She wondered how many of them felt just as she did and were completely aware of how little they really knew about him.

He would look over to her every so often, a small smile on his lips, that warmth in his eyes again, a reassurance there that she would have been grateful for it it wasn't for, well, everything.

She was still so angry with him, but this wasn't the normal kind of anger she was used to feeling. It was quiet, curled up in a ball in the back of her mind, in the pit of her stomach, in the tips of her fingers. Part of her just wanted to walk away, to tell him he was everything she always knew him to be, to reject him, to humiliate him, to get him to feel as she did. Still, there was the other part of her that knew that her fate was set anyway. She would have to marry someone she hadn't truly chosen, someone she didn't truly trust and Rufus Shinra was still not the worse option she had. He was deceptive, selfish and arrogant but was she really any better? She had always thought of herself as a good person, honest, hard working, brave, honourable, but what was she really? She certainly didn't feel like that person anymore and it was eating away at her.

As she stood there lost in her own thoughts her insides started to feel hollow again, like there was a void there, growing with every second and soon it would swallow her. She needed air. Now. Her eyes darted over to the President, who was currently in some deep discussion with a group of men she had grown tired of listening to the moment they had opened their mouths. With a small squeeze to his arm, Yuffie pulled his attention back to her in an instant, taking a few steps away from his audience before he drew his head closer and she made to whisper into his ear.

"I'm just going to go to the rest room, I'll be back in a bit."

He gave her a nod as a soft playfulness took hold of his tone, "A wise move, I believe the Baron is after a dance with you and he is known for having the grace of a seal…out of water."

She gave him her own little nod as she tried her best to keep the panic out of her voice, "Gotcha…"

Luckily with the size of the crowd, it didn't take long for her to disappear and soon the young woman had made her way as close to the outer edge of the room as possible. She didn't know really where she was going, but as her eyes started to scan the area she found herself coming to a halt as her gaze landed on a familiar Turk, his red hair standing out amongst the crowd in a way that made it far too easy.

He was leaning against one of the pillars, whilst Tseng stood next to him with all the professionalism that seemed to have escaped his fellow colleague and they appeared to be in the middle of a conversation with two guests she didn't recognise; some of the few she had seemingly managed to escape being introduced to. They looked young, but she guessed they were probably older than they seemed and they had a sort of easy elegance to them that she had often wished she possessed.

As she drew closer, carefully making sure to stay as unnoticeable as possible, Yuffie could see the smirk that played on the red head's face, the easy way he laughed, the contended gleam in his eyes. It all seemed so natural, it shouldn't really have surprised her. He was a flirt after all, a charmer, it was part of his job and there was nothing more to it than that. Still she couldn't seem to pull herself away as she watched him as if seeing him for the first time.

If she was someone else, if he was someone else, could they have been happy together? Would it be like how she imagined? Dates, a home, marriage, maybe even kids? A whole life. No, she couldn't imagine it, or maybe she didn't want to. Who was she fooling anyway, their lives, their futures, well they were never meant to intertwine, but still. Seeing him there, happy, enjoying himself so easily, it was unfair and it made her angry. She didn't want him to be okay without her, she couldn't bear it.

Gawd she was a selfish bitch.

Her fingers curled into her palms as she tried to snap herself out of the sickening feelings growing inside her like mold. She wasn't like this, she wasn't this type of person. Gawd, she needed air.

She found herself disappearing into the crowd as quickly as she could manage, but once again with no real idea of where she was really heading. After what seemed like an age, she came to a parting in the sea of guests and found herself standing beside one of the many bars that were dotted about the edge of the room. Perhaps air was off the table for now, but a drink might be just as useful. With some effort, the young woman lifted herself onto one of the stools and motioned to the bartender and soon enough she had something cold and lightly sparkling in her grasp. As she took careful slips of the pale gold liquid a few more guests arrived at the bar and she was soon surrounded by a chaotic wall of noise.

After a short moment of adjustment to the hustle and bustle from the crowd, she heard something that made her ears prick up and everything else around her seemed to fade out of existence as her attention focused in on a conversation taking place somewhere behind her.

"Have you seen Rufus's little Wutaian bride?"

"Yes, she's prettier than I expected, for a Wutaian anyway."

"Really? I thought she was a little skinny."

There were three of them, male, perhaps older than her but she couldn't tell, their voices had a jovial quality to them and something in the way they spoke told her this wasn't their first trip to the bar.

"Well, I like them slim!"

"Whatever…still she doesn't seem like his usual type but it's not like he had much choice over that and Rufus Shinra is nothing if not adaptable…"

One of them barked out a laugh.

"That's for sure, did you hear him earlier? After all the shit he did… He sure knows how to wrap people round his finger doesn't he?"

"He's a Shinra…what do you expect?"

There was a murmur of agreement.

"Well I feel a bit sorry for him…I mean Wutai? Really?"

"It's a joke but…well the public will eat it up, they love a good redemption arc and he is certainly in need of one of those…"

Another round of murmurs.

"I know, I know, but someone like him having to take on that Kisaragi girl… I heard he fought with his advisor's for months about it.."

"Surprised he relented, not like him to take anyones advise."

A hint of bitterness was clear in their tone.

"Must have made it worth his while."

"Well she is young… she'll be a good prospect for banging out some heirs for him, no?"

"Sure, but then what? You know I've heard she was part of avalanche too, bit of a trouble maker…and utterly useless."

Laughter.

"Perhaps she has other qualities, if you know what I mean."

More laughter, rowdier, crueler.

"But she won't be young and pretty forever…If that's his game then Rufus best make the most of her whilst he can and then hurry and find a better replacement."

"You think he will?"

"Of course! You know what his father was like…"

Suddenly, as if someone had turned up the surround sound, their conversation began to be drowned out once more by the crowd, and as Yuffie came back to reality she felt that void like feeling inside her explode.

She needed air.

It was like she was underwater. The pressure in her chest, the cloudiness that pulled at the edges of her vision, the choking invisible grip around her throat that stopped her breath. It took all her energy to lift herself back up off her stool and in a sickening daze she had pushed herself through guests and staff alike as she desperately sought one of the few doors that led outside.

She didn't really know how long it took her to find, but when her hand curled around the handle to the balcony she all but fell through the door before slamming it closed behind her. The cool air that greeted her offered nothing but a momentary relief, as she tried to gasp for breath but found that no matter what she did it wasn't enough, as every breath made her feel even more suffocated.

Gawd she hated this. She hated it with every part of her being. Was this her future? Was this all she was worth? It wasn't fair, any of it. Was she really just expected to stand by and watch as the bars were put up around her, as her freedom and self-worth were stripped from her. She walked unsteadily over to the edge of the balcony, her finger tips gripping the stone with enough force to hurt as she stared down into the darkness below.

"Yuffie?"

She felt his hand on her shoulder before she'd even noticed she'd been followed. Reno stood beside her with his voice seemingly all too easily able to pull her from her thoughts and the direction they had been allowed to dwell in for such a brief moment.

She hesitantly turned to look at him, though no words came out.

"What's going on?"

His voice was soft, his eyes edged with concern, as his fingers trailed comforting circles into her skin. A choked sob sounded from her throat as she shook her head, tears she didn't even know she had been crying falling down her cheeks as her voice sounded hopelessly from her throat.

"R-Reno I…I don't…this isn't…Gawd-"

Another sob broke through with a gasp of breath as her gaze fell back down to her hands. What was she even trying to say? That she didn't want any of this? That it wasn't fair? That part of her was tempted to jump off that balcony and just disappear. No, it would be pointless, that was the problem. She couldn't escape this, it was her responsibility and her fate alone. But still, she didn't want to let him go. Gawd, she was so selfish. As another tear fell from the curve of her cheek and darkened the grey stone, she heard his voice again and it hurt even more than before.

"Hey…do you want me to get you out of here?"

Why? Why did he have to be like this? Why did she have to feel like this? To have her very soul pull to be near him, to touch him, to feel the warmth of him. It was agony, it was bliss, it was everything.

I…Oh Gawd, I…I love him…I really love him…Oh Gawd, no, no, no, no, no-

She started to shake her head, a wave of panic surging through her as the realisation of what this would mean for her hit her like a kind of grief. She could barely hear his voice through her own thoughts, though she knew he was talking, his hands grasping her shoulders as he tried to force her to look at him.

In all the strangely soft chaos around them, they both missed the sound of more footsteps entering out onto the balcony, only noticing when a voice echoed from behind them.

"Reno? What's going on?"

Her tummy curled as she froze. Rufus seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, his voice softer than before.

"Miss Kisaragi?"

Her voice hid somewhere inside her knotted belly as her mind refused to process the situation unfolding before her. His footsteps drew closer, and as they did she felt Reno's hands disappear from her shoulder.

"Boss-"

"Go wait inside, watch the door. Don't let anyone disturb us."

His voice gave nothing away. It was quiet, yet not comforting, calm, yet laced with threat and every word resolute with no hint of vulnerability. Reno took only a moment to consider him before answering with a simple nod. She felt the warmth of him remain a moment longer, before it was replaced with the cold night air, his footsteps echoing back into the sky as he left towards the door. Her eyes squeezed closed as she tried to force herself back from the edge of instability.

"Miss Kisaragi?"

He was closer now, but she didn't turn to face him. She couldn't.

"What's happened? Has someone upset you?"

Gawd it was such a cruel game, to sound so much like Reno. So soft, concerned, desperate. Just what was she meant to do?

"Miss Kisaragi-"

All of a sudden, as if a light switch had been flicked inside her, she turned to face him and gave a smile that wasn't her own.

"Sorry Rufus, I just got a little overwhelmed. I'm fine, really, just go back…I'm sure you're being missed."

She let the smile remain on her face as she waited for his response, though she could feel the corners of her lips resist as she pushed herself with her limits already so exhausted.

Just go…please, go… I can't do this…please…

He shook his head, "No, I will not leave you like this."

Her fingers curled into the lace on her arm and through to the soft flesh below, as she fought back the panic in her chest.

Rufus took another step forward, bringing himself even closer, his eyes narrowing as he searched her face.

"Please, Miss Kisaragi, tell me what's going on?"

She tried to hold his gaze for a moment longer, but it appeared she had reached her breaking point, but instead of collapsing into herself, she felt a kind of desolate calm wash over her, as she let out a heavy sigh and fell back to perch on the balcony edge.

"Is this really what you want Rufus? To marry me?"

He seemed to freeze for a moment, his eyes the only part of him giving away the flicker of emotion that passed through him, before his gaze fell to the floor as he shook his head.

"I don't understand Miss Kisaragi, where is this coming from? Of course-"

Yuffie put her hand up, the motion strangely soft as she used as little of her remaining energy as possible.

"Be honest, please. I'm not someone you wanted as a wife, right?"

She saw him open his mouth to speak, though he seemed to reconsider whatever it was and instead just looked at her for a moment, his eyes still searching her face and seemingly defeated by the look he found there. He sighed slowly into the night air, before allowing himself to speak, his voice carefully steady.

"It is true that I had…reservations-"

It was her turn to be silenced this time, as she opened her mouth only to have him raise his hand, his request to continue begrudgingly given as she remained quiet, too tired to protest.

He moved to sit beside her, leaving a noticeable space between them as he began to speak, the words coming out with a calm that seemingly took more effort than he'd have liked.

"You are..younger than me. You come from a nation that has a deep seated hatred for Shinra. You held no desire towards me in the slightest. I did not want to have an unwilling partner. I have been and still am firmly against any such arrangement that would cause someone such unhappiness-"

This time she couldn't stop herself, her voice sounding almost outraged as she tried to find the deceit in his words.

"Why on Gaia would you care about my happiness? You didn't- don't even know me."

"You think I wish to be partner to a forced marriage? You think I want a wife who doesn't want me? Who's clenching her fists every time I touch her. Who cares nothing for me?"

His voice had been harsher this time, the anger behind his words unable to be concealed and yet it didn't feel like it was directed at anyone. He hesitated for a moment before looking away and back towards the ballroom, his gaze drifting out of focus as his voice murmured into the stillness around them.

"You are not the only one who yearns for more."

She only allowed herself to look at his profile for a moment before turning to match his gaze with a huff. No, she couldn't believe him. She couldn't let herself be drawn in, no matter what. She could not be weak. A few minutes passed in silence before she spoke again, her voice coming out like a blunt sort of jab.

"Will you want a mistress? Like your father?"

He turned back to her in an instant, the disgust in his voice clearly evident.

"I thought I made my feelings about such things clear."

She felt her insides twinge a little. Gawd, he sounded so sincere and yet he couldn't be. No. She shook her head with a sad sort of sigh.

"I don't think you've made anything clear, Rufus."

Before she even noticed him move, he was in front of her, bent down to the point he was almost on his knees as his eyes peered up into hers and she found herself too shocked to look away.

"If I become your husband, you and I will be equals, my loyalty will be to you, as will all my affection. If you choose me, you will not regret your decision, I will make sure of it."

Yuffie swallowed as she felt another twinge, this time it was stronger, the pain remaining like an echo. The back of her jaw clenched as she forced down the emotion that threatened to surface.

"And what happens when you regret it?"

She hadn't meant his voice to sound like that. In spite of her efforts, it had come out as if it was breaking, like it was almost too much to bear. Before Rufus could say anything in response, she flicked that light switch again, the smile returning to her face as she shook her head and turned back to look out towards the sky.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just forget about this, please? Don't worry, I'll come back in a minute. I'll be okay."

"No."

He had answered so quickly she couldn't stop herself from turning back, her voice rising in protest.

"But-"

Rufus shook his head, "I will do as you have asked and leave the matter for now but I will not watch you force anymore on yourself. I will get someone to take you home. You have done more than enough this evening and tomorrow will be a long day, so please, go back and get some rest. I will take care of everything here."

She looked at him for a moment before nodding. She wasn't about to fight it, not now. He seemed to consider her for a moment before turning and making his way back towards the ballroom and as she watched him go she felt herself finally collapse, her body barely holding itself up as her arms trembled against the cold stone of the balcony.

He was right. Tomorrow would be a long day. Tomorrow they would be leaving this city. Tomorrow they would be heading to Wutai and towards the destiny that had once seemed so distant. But in Wutai, things would be different. It was her world, not his and she was not going to let him take it from her, not now, not ever and she was going to make sure he knew what it would mean to be equals.

Author's Note: I hope this was somewhat worth the wait :)