Title: Run

Wordcount: 1000

Pairing: Riku/Yuffie

Rating: T

Notes: aksjdas Okay. So, this being today's last story in the Super Update, I honestly have to apologize for a year+ of nothing. Note how I say in my userinfo that I leave FFN every once in a while and then come back in dumps? Well, look what happened XD I'm here for now. We'll see. It's been a long time since I wrote anything new for Riku/Yuffie, as all of today's ficlets are old things I've polished but not rewritten. We'll see if I can still write Riku/Yuffie sooner or later!

Run

After years and years of living with Aerith, Squall and Cid, Yuffie was well used to a military-like routine. The average day, for them, started at four in the morning. Aerith had breakfast on the table by four thirty, Cid was out the door at five to his workshop, and Leon and Yuffie were already starting the daily training rituals by four forty five. Aerith left sometime around five thirty, to open up her flower shoppe.

Riku was not used to a military-like routine.

Having been faced with the choice of spending the day alone, surrounded by flowers, surrounded by engines, or learning more about kicking ass, Riku promptly chose the most rewarding and beneficial choice.

But, then again, having Yuffie drag his barely-rested ass from bed at four in the morning wasn't exactly great, no matter what he was doing. And being expected to be running forty five minutes later, well, that was like asking fish to fly.

Riku was a born sprinter. In short-distanced races, he could easily kick the asses of any kid who dared challenge him on a race across the beach. But when Leon and Yuffie, bound by their early-morning routine of No Talking Whatsoever, didn't inform him that this was a long distance run, he ended up wasting all his energy dashing.

And, about a mile's worth of running around Traverse Town later, Riku was fighting to keep them in eyesight, doubled over, huffing and wheezing, and he eventually just stopped to rest, sitting down in the middle of the path and breathing hard.

Neither of the two others spoke - Leon kept going, Yuffie shot him a "shape up or ship out" look, and Riku felt more than anything that he had to kick their asses the next day. He felt beaten, but more than that, he felt like he had been hit by a freight train. His muscles ached. His head throbbed. His mouth was dry.

They were done running by nine - three miles covered. The first words since four forty-five were spoken when Leon commented irritably, "We were slacking off today letting you keep up."

Yuffie nodded, taking a swig of water from her bottle. Riku's eyes widened, and he breathed an exasperated, "Oh, geez."

"What's wrong, pretty boy?" Yuffie asked, one hand on her hip. Her posture was a bit weary, but she was still standing up and breathing regularly. "Can't take a morning stroll?"

He couldn't even muster up a witty retort - Leon was already jogging off, and Yuffie laughed and followed.

By eleven they had fought off at least two hundred Heartless each, and the only thing that showed either of the two had even so much as lifted a finger all day was the thin sheen of sweat on their arms and faces. Yuffie grinned at Riku as she slung his arm around her shoulders and walked him home.

"Newbie," she teased.

-x-

Day two, Riku was out of bed seventeen minutes late. He was slow to be ready and dressed, his muscles still tense and chewed up from the day before, and he barely wanted to sit up, let alone run the death march. He missed most of breakfast.

As he went out the door, he had to grab the door-frame for support as his legs almost gave out on him. Aerith was quick to catch him - one arm snaking around his waist and catching him around the chest, and Riku gave a grumbled "thanks".

Leon was already out of sight. Yuffie was jogging away, but she slowed and called, "Maybe you should stay home today, newbie."

Riku scowled at her and snapped, "I could beat you any day."

"Alright," she smiled, "race you."

It was not a smile unlike Kairi's - the corners of her mouth upturned in that challenging grin - but Yuffie's was frustrating and didn't make him want to let her win, like he usually did with Kairi (unless, of course, he was racing someone else - then he had to show off). It made him want to beat her.

So Riku moved from Aerith's support and began to jog, muscles stiff, but his pace slowed up barely metres from his starting point - he stopped abruptly, stumbling, legs shaking under stress. He grit his teeth, the pain shooting up his thighs and shins. It was taking all of his effort to just stand, let alone give chase.

Yuffie had paused - she shrugged easily, and went on running without a second look back.

Riku swore and Aerith grabbed his wrist.

"Come on," she laughed, "before you lose a leg."

"I'm fine," he insisted, and she shook her head.

"Don't get me wrong, Riku, because you do have pretty nice arms, but you're not quite in their league for running," she said, and pinched Riku's biceps, before leading him back to the house. "Leon and Yuffie have been working up to this level for three years, every day. Don't feel bad about it. I couldn't either."

Riku bit back a remark about how she was, well - a girl - and then reminded himself that Yuffie was too, and he was getting his ass kicked and dragged through the dirt by a girl. But he nodded at Aerith, limping back to the house.

Someday, he'd be able to do it.