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 Three: Homecoming

Yuffie took a deep breath as she stepped out of the train and onto the platform. The air was soft, with a hint of dampness that lingered from a recent downpour. It smelt familiar somehow. Was that weird? Did rain smell differently depending where it fell? Back in Edge it had an unpleasant tang, as if it melted the metal city as it fell, yet here it smelt like grass and rock and dirt. It made her feel strange. She shook her head as if to rid herself of it, before looking around the station. She was unsurprised to find it very much empty apart from the train's staff whom were busily unloading her and her party's luggage.

She begun strolling down towards the other end of the platform, her eyes searching for something though she wasn't entirely sure what. She couldn't see Rufus yet, but she wasn't overly bothered about rushing that meeting. He was probably still in his compartment anyway as she would have been given the security team that had formed to 'guard' her after her earlier escapade but she had found they put up little resistance when she pushed past them under the pretense that she was suffering for another bought of travel sickness and was about to throw up all over them.

In truth she had just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. The realisation of actually being back, being home, well it was something she wanted to confront by herself. Of course reality was never going to allow her such self indulgence as only a moment later she felt a hand clasp down on her shoulder and a flash of red swung into view.

"Sneaking off by yourself?"

Her body tensed for a brief moment before relaxing into the familiar warmth that spread from his hand, though it only lingered for a few seconds before returning to bury itself in his pocket.

There was a warmth to his voice that she had been coming to appreciate more and more of late and yet now it made her feel all the worse. It wasn't fair.

She internally shook the feelings away, though they never fell far enough for her liking, it would have to be enough for now. Yuffie looked up at him and gave a half apologetic, half teasing shrug and was met with the usual Reno smirk she had grown to know so well.

He looked around, putting his other hand to his forehead to shield his eyes as he squinted at nothing.

"Not much of a reception…" He spoke as if almost to himself, though she had obviously been meant to hear.

Yuffie shrugged again, though this time it was more on the side of apologetic.

"My father doesn't like to show off."

It was true of course. Her father wasn't one to try and dazzle his 'guests' with the material, though there was also the inescapable truth that she wasn't about to air in front of Reno. They were nowhere near wealthy enough. Sure they were 'royalty' and one might be led to believe that that in itself meant they were sitting on a fortune, but their war with Shinra and the dishonour that followed was not something that could be described as profitable. Of course that didn't mean they were anywhere near to struggling and she was sure there were many in Edge that would have killed for the kind of living she had been granted, but she was very much aware that when compared to Shinra, they might as well have been peasants.

As if on cue, another familiar form appeared beside her, though this time the tension that seized her did not let go.

"Miss Kisaragi."

He gave her a small smile, before directing a small nod towards the Turk.

His face was as unreadable as ever.

She replicated his expression as best she could as she spoke, "Rufus."

The young man proceeded to look around much like Reno had done only a few moments before, his eyes lingering towards the road beyond the station exit, before returning towards her.

"I had thought your father was arranging transport for us…"

Yuffie hesitated for a moment. His voice sounded uncertain, but not in the way that someone might be when they are met with a situation they did not expect, but rather as if he was uncomfortable with something. She didn't have long to ponder on the thought though as the sound of a small but unmistakable rumble came from the direction of the road, soon followed by the appearance of a small fleet of clean but unremarkable cars.

"Ah." The President's brow rose almost imperceptibly, before offering his arm out towards her.

"Shall we then?"

Yuffie gave a small smile, the warmth spreading across her cheeks betraying her embarrassment. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, that it was stupid, that it didn't matter, but she couldn't help it. She didn't like feeling judged and worse still she knew what was yet to come.

Her father.

"Yuffie."

"Father."

As she rose from her customary bow of greeting, she found his eyes pierce into her and as she stood in front of him she felt like she was being crushed under the sheer force of his scrutiny. When had it become like this? When had their relationship altered so? She could remember a time when pissing off her father was one of her favourite pastimes, when the embarrassment would fall only on him and she knew in her heart that she was justified in her relentless mockery. But now she felt completely at his mercy. The power balance had shifted between them and she didn't know how to change it back.

The older man released her from his gaze as he turned towards the President, the look in his eyes all the more scrutinising.

"Shinra."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before holding out his hand, a small detail that she was sure the young man did not miss, though of course he didn't mention it.

Rufus brought his hand to meet with the current ruler of Wutai and Yuffie could only imagine that there was some immeasurable but imperceivable battle of dominance happening as they shook hands.

"Kisaragi."

As their hands were released she couldn't help but wonder who had won, but was soon snapped out of her deliberations when she felt her father's gaze return towards her, the sensation causing her stomach to clench.

"You can go to your room, I have some things I'd like to discuss with Shinra."

"But-"

"Now, Yuffie."

Her cheeks flared once again, though this time as she felt the utter shame rush over her, she felt it mingle with anger. It was bad enough that she felt she had no control, let alone have that be made abundantly clear in front of a man she found herself constantly trying to prove herself to.

Gawd she felt defeated, but it still didn't stop the words coming out through gritted teeth.

"Yes, father."

Yuffie made to give another formal yet unenthusiastic bow, but before she could fully commit, the young man beside her made a motion with his hand as if to halt her and she looked up at him expectantly, if a little confused.

"Kisaragi, I would very much like to have Miss. Kisaragi present at any meetings between us."

Her father made to speak, but the President held up a hand and much to Yuffie's surprise it silenced him almost immediately.

"Could I also suggest that we leave such matters until tomorrow. The journey was long and I believe we could all benefit from a chance to refresh ourselves before beginning any discussions."

There was a moment of silence so tense that she was sure it was physically suffocating her, though the two men with her seemed to be completely immune to the effects. When her father spoke, she was hardly breathing.

"As you wish."

Yuffie blinked a few times as if trying to make sure she was viewing the situation correctly. Had her father just conceded? It seemed even Godo found it hard to intimidate Rufus Shinra.

"Thank you." The young man beside her gave his host a small smile and much to her surprise, followed it up with a bow, the formality unmistakable though once more she was sure there was some meaning in it she couldn't see.

As she turned to make her way towards the door and back into the hall, her gaze flickered up to the young man beside her and she was sure she could see a hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Yuffie lingered in the doorway as she looked around the room with a sense of wonderment. She had spent so much time there over the years and yet it was like she was seeing it for the first time. Bits of junk she'd collected over the years that lay dotted around the room seemed to draw her eyes like newly discovered treasure. The wooden floorboards that lay partially covered by a mixture of deep red and auburn rugs whose patterns had once seemed old and faded now appeared in intricate detail and the light that filtered through the windows cast an almost magical affect on the sheets of her bed, changing them from cream to gold.

A smile spread over her face as she all but launched herself onto the soft duvet that had been made up so meticulously, as if hoping to catch some of the magic itself, though soon found herself empty handed. With a huff the young woman pushed herself over to lie on her back and her gaze drifted up to the ceiling.

As she let her body surrender to the soft mattress beneath her she felt her vision haze and the excitement she'd felt just a moment before seemed to evaporate as reality descended. She shouldn't get used to this, to this familiar comfort. This wouldn't be her room for that much longer anyway. Where would she be expected to sleep after her inauguration? Her father had his own section of the house as his personal living space, would that be hers? Or would there be a new section built just for them? That was a strange idea. Her and Rufus, in a place of their own, like a real family.

A bitter snort escaped her throat as she closed her eyes. What a mess that would be. After all neither of them knew the first thing about having a real family.

She was snapped out of her darkening contemplations by a knock at her door. Her brow furrowed as she pushed herself up onto her elbows with a hint of anticipation fluttering inside her tummy as she spoke.

"Come in."

Yuffie wasn't sure who she had expected, or rather who she had hoped for, but she couldn't help the sudden drop of disappointment in her stomach when the door didn't slide open. Instead a soft but unemotional voice spoke from behind the screen.

"I have brought your luggage, Miss Kisaragi. Would you like me to bring it in?"

With one swift motion, she pushed herself up off of the bed and crossed the room before sliding open the door with a noticeable thud. She looked down to find a young servant kneeling beside her door, though it seemed she was struggling to remain balanced and the look on her face was certainly amusing as she fought to recompose herself. Yuffie offered her a teasingly restrained smile as she lent against the door frame.

"I'll just take it, thank you."

The young servant bowed a little too quickly before lifting herself up and offering another flurry of even quicker, deeper bows as she took a few steps back before she turned and all but ran away down the hall.

Yuffie turned to watch her go as the smile on her face turned wistful. She had always taken pleasure in teasing those who her father had employed to serve them. It was funny to her, to watch how flustered they would get at her lack of discipline and unpredictable nature and it was something of a game to see how far she could push them before they lost their cool.

Well, it had been anyway.

She bent down with a sigh and began bringing in the small pile of suitcases one by one, dumping them unceremoniously beside her dressing table. Once they were all in, she turned back to close the door and couldn't stop the squeak that sounded from her throat.

"Miss Kisaragi."

Rufus Shinra stood in her doorway as if he had appeared out of thin air. The light that had once been playing into her room, now shone upon him and much to her dismay seemed to be having a similar effect on him as it had on her sheets as for a moment he appeared almost Godly and she felt her heart thud in a way that she was not entirely sure she should be permitting.

The moment passed as quickly as it had come and she ran over to the door and stuck her head out into the corridor to check no one was watching whatever 'this' was before she spoke, her tone heightened with the slight panic she felt.

"How-What-How did you get here… My Father will throw a fit if he knows you're here! This isn't Edge, you-you can't just come to my room, it's inappropriate!"

He looked at her with mild interest and a hint of something close to endearment.

"Can I come in?"

His voice was soft and held none of the concern she had just displayed at their current position. It was infuriating. Whilst she couldn't see anyone, that didn't mean her father hadn't asked his men to spy on her and whatever was about to be said, she was sure that she wouldn't appreciate eavesdroppers and as she considered the options of continuing their conversation in the hallway or hiding it in the safety of her four walls she found herself no option but to relent.

She took a few steps back and nodded.

He stepped into the room with a hint of caution, as if being careful to respect the space he had been allowed into. His gaze didn't seem to linger on anything as it crossed the room, only coming to rest on Yuffie as she reappeared in front of him after carefully making sure the door was closed completely. She looked up at him expectantly as he seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Can we sit?"

Yuffie blinked a few times before making her way over to the chair by her dressing table. She lifted it with ease, before bringing it closer, gesturing towards it as she made a point to make sure he had begun to sit down before she perched herself on the foot of her bed, which she had determined to be the only remaining place to sit and was certainly not about to offer for him to join her there.

Once again she looked over to him and found her brow furrowing once more as the man before her appeared as if in a state of nervousness, his earlier hesitancy seemingly replaced by something even more out of character. She could have marvelled at it.

She was beginning to consider saying something to break the silence when the President finally decided to speak.

"I…wanted to ask how you were?"

She blinked at him again.

"How I am?"

"How you're feeling…"

He made a gesture with his hand as his gaze flickered to the floor for a brief moment before returning to meet her own, his voice a little too low in it's hesitancy.

"…about us."

"Oh."

A moment of silence passed as they watched each other in expectation and Yuffie felt her hands clench against her legs as she tried to swallow the tension that was rising around them. Once more she began to think he was waiting for her to speak, but the moment the thought had entered her head he silenced it again as he took in a deep breath before beginning to speak.

"I understand there will be added pressure on you now we're in Wutai…and your Father…"

Yuffie felt herself stiffen as the embarrassment from earlier resurfaced at the mention of him and her eyes fell to the floor. It wasn't something she wanted to think about.

Her gaze became unfocused for a moment as her mind began to detach from the conversation, though it wasn't allowed to go far as a shadow fell across her vision and her eyes snapped up to find the young man had reached out his hand. It hovered in front of her for a moment as he seemed to hesitate, before allowing his fingers to all but graze down the side of her cheek.

"I don't want you to feel like you have no choice."

She stared at him as she felt a surge of emotion course through her and she had to fight to hold back the feeling rising in her chest. She didn't trust him. She couldn't.

Yuffie blinked away the threat of tears before trying her best to give him a small nod.

"I know."

He shook his head.

"No, I don't think you do."

He took hold of her chin and waited until their gazes were locked.

"You must feel able to say no, Miss Kisaragi."

She swallowed again, but remained silent.

"With that in mind, I would like to ask you to join me tomorrow for an…outing."

Her brow furrowed as a hint of her earlier panic returned to her voice.

"An outing? But my Father-"

"Do not worry about Kisaragi, I will clear it with him."

She looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I will join you."

Rufus let out a breath as his face seemed to light up and he gave her what she could only conclude was indeed a genuine smile. Though she wasn't entirely convinced.

"I am pleased to hear that."

He paused for a moment before beginning to rise to his feet, with Yuffie soon joining him as they walked over to the door, but as she reached out to open it, she hesitated.

"Where will we go?"

Rufus's looked down at her, his head tilting slightly as he considered her question.

"Why don't we leave you in charge of that aspect? You know Wutai better than I after all."

She blinked in surprise, something she found herself doing a lot today, before giving him a small nod.

The young man smiled once more.

"I shall see you tomorrow then."

He looked down at her and for a moment Yuffie was sure he was going to do something, but whatever it was never happened, as the young man seemed to decide against it and instead gave her nothing more than a small nod.

"Sleep well, Miss Kisaragi."

She watched him leave though the door and, only after surveying the corridor to her satisfaction and finding nobody, did she close it before falling against it as she proceeded to slide down to the floor as a sudden exhaustion took over her.

What on Gaia was all that about?

She had forgotten how warm it was here, especially just before the rain. The air was thick and heavy with the impending storm and every breath felt like it could suffocate. She stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft pitter patter steadily increase to a deafening thunder.

Her room was dark except for the flicker of warm amber coming from the flame under her Andon. It was old fashioned, ancient even, it's bamboo frame worn and marked and it's paper cover replaced more times than she could count.

The flame inside played out a pattern across the ceiling as it danced against the air escaping from the room through the tiny gaps between the doors. Yuffie watched, her gaze broken only by the occasional blink as if she was hypnotised. She wished she was. She felt restless.

She let her gaze drift towards the door as she considered the idea of leaving. Wandering around the halls had been one of the first things she would do as a child when she couldn't sleep. There had been a comforting lull in the warmth of the wood beneath her feet and the soft glow of the lanterns. She could never manage to walk the length of every hallway before sleep would start to beckon her. She imagined that might not be the case anymore and the possibility that she might run into someone other than a servant was something she wasn't about to chance. Her gaze lingered there for a moment longer before returning to the flame as she tried to will her mind back into the comfort of thoughtlessness.

Of course it was all futile, as a soft creak sounded from the window frame behind her and a shadow fell across her bed.

Before she could truly react to the sudden intrusion, the figure had already tumbled inside, landing far too closely beside her and sinking lightly into the duvet. Yuffie had been half way to grabbing the knife she had placed under her mattress a few hours ago, when she took a moment to actually look over at the intruder and a low growl sounded from her throat.

"Reno! What are you doing?! You can't just climb in through my window! What were you thinking?! I could have killed you! And what if someone saw-"

The red head smirked as he gave her a shrug.

"Give me some credit girly, I am a Turk."

She crossed her arms as she looked at him with an unimpressed arch of her brow. He didn't seem to take much notice of her obvious annoyance as he fluffed up one of the pillows and laid down into the duvet with a satisfied groan.

"Nice bed."

Yuffie looked at him with utter astonishment for a few moments before allowing her body to once more relax as she let out a tired sigh.

"Thanks."

She made a point to slide the window closed before carefully sitting back beside him. She felt strange. There had been such tension between them back on the train and yet now here he was sneaking into her room as if they were just a pair of lovestruck teenagers with only their parents disapproval to worry about.

Gawd that would be nice.

Reno looked as if he wasn't nearly as contemplative as the young woman beside him, as he lay with his hands clasped behind his head and his eyes half closed. His chest was rising and falling softly as if he was only a moment away from falling asleep. Yuffie's brow furrowed as a surge of annoyance passed through her. Did he really just climb through her window just to sleep?

"Comfortable?"

The young man beside her nodded, eyes still half closed as his voice barely made it above a sigh.

"Yeah."

She watched him a moment longer, and just as she felt another growl coming on, he spoke again, his tone carefully even.

"So, how did things go with dad?"

She sighed before thudding her head back against her pillow, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling as her hands begun playing with the bottom of her shirt.

"They didn't."

He cracked one eye open and directed it towards her. She didn't need to look at him to fell the question in his gaze.

"Rufus made him postpone any talks until tomorrow."

She felt his eyes leave her as he too looked up to join hers in their current inspection.

"Oh… Well that's good right?"

The uncertainty in his tone was understandable, but she wasn't in the mood to go into that stuff right now.

"Yeah."

They remained in silence for a while, the peace only broken by the sounds of their breathing, quiet as it was, before Yuffie stirred, her voice purposefully impassive.

"What are you doing here?"

He chuckled and she could hear the smirk on his lips.

"Testing out your bed."

She arched her brow as her tone became edged with something that stung.

"Reno."

"I wanted to see you."

Her brow furrowed as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"We shouldn't be risking it…"

"I told you, nobody saw me."

"That's not the point."

There was a moments pause before he spoke again, his voice so low it was more like a rumble.

"Don't tell me to leave."

She opened her eyes and turned her head towards him. His were once again closed, but not in sleep. Without a sound, she lifted herself on top of him. Her hands that were previously fumbling with her shirt, now pulled it over her head with ease and as she lent in towards him, her voice sounded out a little too softly.

"I'm not."

Author's Note: Sorry updates have taken so long. I hope you guys are still with me :)