Chapter 19
Leon ran, looking for Yuffie. Even though he didn’t have a clue where she would be, he knew that while she still had her injury, she won’t be far. Especially when it’s raining.
Leon gritted his teeth. And then he remembered one day, long time ago.
Flashback…
Young Leon walked around the park, having nothing else to do. He sighed, wishing something was going to happen.
Then he saw a small girl running around and around the playground, but the thing was, she was alone. He found it amusing and weird to see someone running around alone.
He watched her run around, and after some time, it started drizzling. And soon, it turned into a heavy rain.
He was lucky to bring his umbrella, so he took it out and opened it. But he still saw the girl running. When she looked up at the sky, she raised her arms up high and this time, she twirled around the playground.
He kept watching her play, until she slipped and fell. She sat up slowly, and got some dirt off her clothes.
Leon decided to go towards the girl, and when he did, she looked up at him with huge eyes.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“My name’s…Squall.” He said.
“My name’s Yuffie!” She said happily.
Leon was surprised. She wasn’t scared of him? He was a stranger, so how is it that she couldn’t be scared of him?
“Are you alright?” He asked, squatting down. He saw dirt on Yuffie’s face, so he took out his handkerchief and wiped the dirt off her face.
“Thank you.” She said in a small voice. “I’m waiting for my big brother to come!” She said, happily.
“But if you’re here alone, it’s dangerous.” Leon said.
“I always wait here for my big brother.” She said.
Then, Leon heard a shout. “Yuffie!” A boy called. Leon turned his head to see a blonde guy.
“Yuffie! Aerith was worried! What happened?” He asked. “Why weren’t you at the park like I told you to?” He asked.
“But Cloud, this is the park!” Yuffie said.
“Not this park, that park!” Cloud said, pointing to the one across the street.
“Oh.” Yuffie said, blinking.
“C-Cloud…” Leon said.
Cloud turned around, looking at Leon. “What?” He asked, surprised. “Is that, you, Leon?” He asked.
Leon nodded. “I didn’t know you lived here.” He said.
“Cloud knows Squall?” Yuffie asked.
“Squall?” Cloud asked.
“I just…said that.” Leon said.
“Right…” Cloud said, but he grinned. “Where do you live?” Cloud asked.
“Nowhere.” Leon said. “I came here today, just now.” He said.
“Then, stay at our house!” Cloud offered, giving him his hand.
Leon was surprised. But then he heard a small, cute laugh. From Yuffie. “Let’s go home!” She said happily.
Leon smiled. “Thank you.” He said, and they walked home together.
End Flashback…
It’s all thanks to you, for letting me come with everyone. He thought, feeling even more worried about Yuffie.
Soon, he stopped to take a breath. Then he saw a park. And he realized that it was the same park where they first met.
And there, he saw who he was searching for. She sat alone, on the swing. Swinging slightly, back and forth, and she looked like she was lost in her thoughts. But he couldn’t spare anymore time. He just needed to see her.
“Yuffie.” He called out to her.
She didn’t look up. Leon frowned. He walked closer to Yuffie, and when he was in front of her, he squatted down and tried to look at her face.
“Yuffie, why didn’t you come back?” He asked.
“I wanted to run away for a while.” She said quietly, answering after some time.
“Run away?” He asked. “Why do you want to run away?” He asked.
“Because, I wanted to run away, from my worries.” She said. “Just like that day, when I played in the rain, I ran away from my worries. By accident, I went to this playground, and I forgot I was supposed to be in the one across the street.” She said.
Leon bit back a gasp, but he was still surprised. “What were you worried of back then? You were still a kid.” He said.
“I think you know yourself that even a kid can understand some big problems that happens to them.” She said. “My parents…were missing a few days before that day. Cloud, Aerith and Cid told me that they were okay, saying that they were on business, and I actually believed them.” She said.
“And then, I heard Cloud, Aerith and Cid talking. They were keeping it low because they didn’t want me to hear it, but I could hear them clearly. They said my parents were murdered. Then, when I ran towards them, they told me that my parents were fine. But I knew what happened. I just didn’t say anything.” She said, and then she started crying.
“And then, after school, I played in the park, and that’s when you saw me.” She said, shaking and sobbing.
“And you know what, the first time I saw you, I thought that maybe you would help me get through this.” She said. “And you did, bit by bit. After all, you weren’t much of the talkative type, but you made me feel a bit more confident that I could be independent.” She said.
Leon could only just look at her, because he didn’t know what to say.
“And then…I thought…maybe…I’m going to be alone. Maybe I was meant to be alone. One day, Cloud and Aerith will go, Cid will go, everyone will go, you will go…” She faltered slightly, and talked again. “I can’t always be with you guys, so I have to do something, but I’m scared.” She said, still crying.
“It’s like…it’s me and the rain, in the end.” She said, looking up.
Leon clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth, and said, “Why do you think that way?” He asked. “You know that you’re not alone!” He said.
Yuffie looked at him. “But…” She started, but was interrupted immediately.
“But nothing. You know that everyone’s here for you, because if they weren’t, then you wouldn’t be having so much fun in school, or outside school.” He said.
“That’s true…” She said, and was about to say ‘But’, but she decided not to, because it wouldn’t make a difference.
“Still, I always feel like I’m alone! I don’t know why, but I know I’d be alone…” She said, looking down.
Leon sighed, and then he took Yuffie’s hand. Yuffie looked up, wondering what he was going to do.
He rubbed her hand, and then he took her other hand, and started rubbing it too. “Right now, we can’t have you catching a cold.” He said, and pulled her up. “Let’s go home.” He said, and then he carried her back.
“I can walk by myself you know.” She said.
“Yeah, but I feel a lot less worried knowing that you’re closer to me than beside me.” Leon said.
Yuffie took the wrong idea of what he said, and then she blushed. Leon meant it in a much friendlier way, rather than what Yuffie thought.
When they came back home, Cloud and Aerith smiled, happy that Yuffie came back home properly.
“Right, now, let’s have a nice warm dinner, after you take a warm bath, Yuffie.” Aerith said, and went inside the kitchen.
“Did I tell you that you’re the dumbest girl I’ve ever met?” Cloud asked, flicking Yuffie on her forehead.
“Hey! I needed to be free, like a bird!” She said, punching Cloud.
Cloud winced. “That hurt!” He yelled.
“Oh shut up!” She said, and went into the shower.
Leon dried himself, and put on a new pair of clothes. He realized his shirt (which he only wears at home), was still hanging outside, even though it was already dry. Aerith probably forgot to bring it in.
He went out his room without a shirt, and at the same time, Yuffie came out of her room, and she gasped.
“Oh god, you just made me look at you when you’re naked!” Yuffie said, covering her eyes.
“I’m just not wearing my shirt. That’s not naked.” He said.
“Yeah it is! You’re half naked! Which is still naked!” Yuffie cried.
Cloud heard Yuffie’s cry, and came up. “What’s it now?” Cloud asked, and he saw Leon and Yuffie with her eyes covered.
“Oooh…Yuffie’s got a thing for half naked men, huh?” Cloud teased.
“What’s wrong with you people?” Yuffie said, taking a step back.
“Careful there, you might fall and break your leg for good.” Cloud said, laughing.
“Whatever. I’m running away now.” She said, and she ran.
“Did I ever tell you that she’s the dumbest girl I’ve ever met?” Cloud asked Leon.
“I don’t recall, but she’s our dumb girl.” Leon said, and went to get his shirt.
“True…” Cloud said, walking downstairs to watch TV.
Leon walked down after getting his shirt and putting it on, and then Yuffie came into the living room.
“You’re decent now.” She muttered, and sat down on the sofa. When she realized that the place was boring, she went upstairs.
Leon watched her go up, and he still saw her jumping up the stairs because of her foot. He walked upstairs, following her, and then saw her go into her room and close her door. He heard a click sound, which sounded like she locked her door too.
He sighed, and suddenly had this weird imagination of him going to comfort her and hugging her. He blushed, and shook his head. What the heck is he thinking?
“What the heck am I thinking?” He asked himself, and walked to his room. Maybe he should go study. That ought to take his mind of Yuffie.
But after a few minutes of studying, Aerith called everyone for dinner.
Dinner was…ok. That’s crap. Yuffie and Leon weren’t saying a word, and whatever Aerith and Cloud were talking about ended with a yeah, or a whatever.
“So…how was your day?” Cloud asked Yuffie.
“Rainy.” She said, eating her mashed potatoes.
“Ok…what about you, Leon?” He asked.
“I don’t know.” Leon said.
“Why don’t you know?” Aerith asked.
“Because…I don’t.” He said.
Aerith and Cloud held their smiles. They knew it was no longer any fun situation or a happy situation, because now Leon was looking at Yuffie and not eating, and Yuffie was stabbing her mashed potatoes…brutally.
“Y-Yuffie…maybe you shouldn’t smash those potatoes like that?” Aerith asked.
Yuffie looked at Aerith. “Sorry. You know what, I’m full.” She said, and she went up.
“She’s gonna go to sleep.” Cloud said.
“Yeah, she always says that.” Aerith said.
Leon quickly finished his food, and watched TV.
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Yuffie did fall asleep, but she had a nightmare. She had a dream of her parents, during that day when they had their funeral. It was sad and scary for Yuffie, knowing that her parents used to be the only people she had before she met Leon, Aerith and Cloud.
And that day, before they died, she didn’t say anything to them, because she was angry at them. They didn’t let her go to her friend’s house because they were supposed to go out later that day. In the end, none of that happened.
Yuffie woke up, sweating. Another thing she saw in her dream was that this time, she saw everyone dieing. And that wasn’t a pleasant sight.
She got out of bed, and looked at her clock. “What?” She muttered, rubbing her face, “10 pm? That’s…so early!” She said, groaning, and walked out of her room.
She walked to the kitchen, and drank a glass of water. She came out, went to the living room, and saw Leon sitting down and watching TV.
“Leon? I thought you would be asleep by now.” She said, remembering the everyday life.
“I only go to my room by 10. That doesn’t mean I sleep.” He said. “Today I’m bored, and I decided to watch TV.” He said.
“Ok.” Yuffie said, sitting somewhere next to him, and watched TV.
But Leon kept changing channels. He looked bored, and the TV was boring.
“Would you just watch a channel already? There’s nothing fun if you keep changing the channels!” Yuffie said.
“Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” He asked.
“Yeah…” She said. “But I had this nightmare…” She said, shaking her head.
“Oh…” Leon said, quietly.
“Yeah.” She said.
After some time, they just watched TV, and they got really bored. Yuffie yawned, and her eyes drooped. Leon saw her eyes droop, but he let her be.
Soon, Yuffie fell asleep, and her head landed on Leon’s chest. Leon was surprised, but he didn’t let Yuffie wake up.
He kept watching TV, until he too, started feeling sleepy. He fell asleep soon afterwards, and then Aerith and Cloud came in and saw the two sleeping.
“Aw, how cute!” Aerith said, carefully taking the TV remote from Leon’s hand, and switching off the TV.
“Ok, let’s go to sleep.” Aerith said, smiling at Cloud.
“What about them?” He asked.
“Pfft. Puh-leeze, they should be left alone like that. I mean, you know how the atmosphere was all tense, it was like we were in a jungle!” She said, and grabbed Cloud’s arm. “Come on, leave them like that.” She said, dragging him.
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Da Next Day (Sunday)
Leon opened his eyes slowly, feeling weight on his chest. He looked down, and saw Yuffie. He was surprised, but he bit back a gasp, and he stopped himself from jumping up.
He looked around, and it turned out to be the living room. Yuffie and him must have fallen asleep while watching TV.
“Good morning Leon.” Aerith said, smiling.
“Good…morning.” He replied, nodding.
“Yo Leon! What’s up?” Cloud asked, asking like a punk and dressing up like one.
It didn’t really look bad on him. (If you imagine it.)
Leon sweat dropped. Then, Yuffie woke up, yawning and stretching, then she realized she slept on Leon. She jumped up, panicking.
“OH MY GOD! Are my clothes on? They are…thank god.” She said, wiping off a sweat drop.
Leon crossed his arms across his chest, and said, “You think I raped you?” He asked, glaring at her.
Yuffie giggled sheepishly. “No, I thought we had XXX.” She said, scratching her head.
Leon looked away, hiding his blush. Yuffie shrugged, while Aerith and Cloud laughed and giggled. “Anyway, yo Yuffs! How’s it goin’?” Cloud asked.
Aerith laughed, and then she grabbed Cloud’s arm. “I think you should change out of those.” She said. “I’m picking out clothes.” She said, winking at him.
Cloud blushed, and he chuckled, following Aerith.
….
Yuffie looked at Cloud and Aerith’s retreating form, raising an eyebrow. She turned around to Leon, and smiled widely.
“I liked sleeping with you though; you made me feel so warm.” She said, and hoped upstairs towards her room.
Leon looked at her hoping up the stairs surprised, and blushed a darker a shade of red. He stood up, slapped his face, and walked up to his room.
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Author’s Notes: I’m so sorry I took so long, thanks for being patient…I really appreciated it. Thanks!!