Disclaimer: Me? Own Final Fantasy? Never.

A/N: Here's a quick little Rydia/Edge oneshot for all you lovely people. it's the first time I've ever written for this fandom, so I hope it's decent, and I really hope you enjoy.

Edward Geraldine is only twelve years old when he falls in love for the first time.

Her name is Kar'syl, and she's one of his tutors. Even at the tender age of twelve, Edge has shown himself to be a prodigy in the art of ninjutsu – but there's always room for improvement, as Kar'syl shows him on a daily basis. He's infatuated by her abilities and her intelligence, even if it does make him feel really dumb every time she tells him something that he thought should have been obvious, even though he's only twelve and isn't omniscient or anything. Yet.

Even though he'd much rather go play and not do the stupid bookwork that's taunting him (or, worse yet, learn politics. He isn't sure what that word means just yet, but it's something his parents do. Besides, it sounds gross. Like some sort of bug nobody would ever want to touch.) Edge dives into his studies with a fervor that surprises and impresses everyone except Kar'syl, who just smiles at him and tells him that she knew he could do it if he only applied himself.

The month before his thirteenth birthday, the bright kunoichi is married to one of the ninja from the other clans, and Edge feels his puppy love crumbling as she breaks the news to him. He doesn't cry, but he does fling a few knives at his targets, and is astonished when they actually hit roughly where he wants them to go.

The second time Edge falls in love, the prince is fifteen, a show-off, and has already gained most of his infamous, if not fairly well-earned, ego. This time the object of his affection is an attainable goal – one of the young kunoichi from a different clan. His love isn't based on talent this time, however, as she's mediocre at best, but on beauty. Her long black hair is only loosely bound, and she wears very little to cover up her curvaceous figure, which only serves to turn his brain to mush whenever she's around.

He flirts with her shamelessly, and finally succeeds in getting somewhere, when she strikes. Quick as a viper, the kissing is suddenly turned into a deathmatch that he very nearly loses. He can't remember most of the fight, but he does remember managing to stab her before succumbing to the poison she uses. It's only later, when he's recovered enough to be able to walk, that his parents explain the dangers of enemy women and what their seductions might, and probably do, mean.

When Edge is fifteen, he makes his first human kill.

Finally, at the age of twenty one, Edge falls in love a third and final time. It's unusual, this love. It doesn't show up right away, doesn't tell him that it's there until it's far too late for him to back out of it. It infuriates him, because shouldn't he be better than that? He's a prince of Eblan, a prodigal ninja, capable of defeating most enemies and above most authority, but he can't even command his own heart?

It's pathetic, that's what it is, and it takes him some time to accept the fact that he loves after he realizes that he does so. Oh, he flirts with her – has flirted with her since the very beginning since she is, after all, a very beautiful girl – and teases her, even dares to tell her some of the answers to her inexhaustible questions, but he does not love, nor does he love until they lose one of their own down in the Sealed Cave.

She's never liked Kain very much, that much was obvious, but regardless, they had been traveling companions, and in these times that counted for a lot. The loss of the dragoon was a terrible blow, not only for Cecil and Rosa, but for himself and her as well. Him because, well, it was just so much fun to tease the dragoon (partially, at least), and her because… well, he didn't know why exactly, but he suspected that it was because she was used to having him there, and now that she was gone the entire group was off-kilter. Besides, she hates betrayal.

It was then that Edge approached her, then that he discarded easy smiles, winks, and flirtations for a genuine offer of comfort. It was then that she accepted with only a slight argument and little reluctance, evidently worried that he would try to take liberties (he wouldn't, of course. His mother had taught him far too well for that). And it was then that Edge, Rydia held in his arms in a comforting hug, finally let himself love her whole-heartedly.

Rydia is seventeen when she falls in love for the first, last, and only time.

Unlike the object of her affections, it doesn't take her long at all to love him. It's not quite love at first sight – more like annoyance at first sight – but she soon comes to realize that this annoying brat of a man with an ego bigger than the tower of Babil (though admittedly he has earned some of it) is becoming harder and harder for her to ignore. As they climb the tower, she finds her eyes drawn towards him more and more, which only serves to irritate her. After all, what is he? A spoiled prince with no sense of humility? Someone who can't bow down to clear authority?

And yet, every time he strikes up a brief conversation with her, she's left feeling confused and flustered, and before they reach the top, she's sure that there's oh so much more to this ninja than meets the eye.

What worries her the most is that she wants to find out what.

It's not until they reach the summit of the tower that they find his parents. It's not until then that they're forced to fight the monstrosities that had once been the King and Queen of Eblan until their dishonorable captures and monstrous experimentation. When the two kill themselves rather than fight and kill their son, Rydia has the unexpected opportunity at seeing Edge in a vulnerable, unguarded state.

She sees horror. She sees grief. She sees a brief glimpse of fear. The emotions flash across his face so quickly that she can't even be sure she's seen them, but the next moment she's too busy trying to deal with an infuriated Rubicante to dwell on the matter. They defeat him with much difficulty, and after running into yet another trap, find an airship (which Edge promptly dubs the Falcon), and fly off to the dwarves for some rest.

It isn't until she's in bed, exhausted but unable to sleep even as the others slumber – but not Edge, he's gone off somewhere with the promises that he will not antagonize the dwarves – that her thoughts return to the ninja prince and the terrible tragedy he suffered that day.

And it is in that moment that Rydia realizes that no matter what happens next, she loves him. She's not going to tell him – not now, and probably not ever – but she loves him, and she's pretty sure that she always will, whether she wants to or not.