Part Two

Vincent turned over in his bed. His red eyes opened and he stared blankly up at the ceiling. It was odd, but he could not get to sleep. Vincent turned back onto his side and called himself a fool. It was not odd. He had gotten used to having Yuffie tucked against him like a human furnace. He was freezing, even with two blankets on.

He knew he should not be surprised that Yuffie's behavior had changed. He had been harsh and hurt her feelings. Her behavior was not a surprise to him, but his reaction to it had been.

After their fight, Yuffie had vanished. The floor in the kitchen was still covered in mud. He searched the house but could not find her. It was unlike her to leave without telling him where she was going and when she would be back. Usually, she would try to convince him to come with her on whatever errand she was running. Yuffie was a grown woman and did not need his permission to leave the house. They were only roommates after all.

When he had reached his room, he was shocked to find all of Yuffie's things were gone. For a moment he feared that she had left the house for good. He checked the spare room beside his and found all her things had been moved. It was a disappointing surprise, but it was for the better. Sharing a room with her had given her the wrong idea about them. This would help her get over it.

The sun had set and it was late when Yuffie finally returned to the mansion. She was dressed nicely and carried a styrofoam container. Yuffie had only smiled blandly and walked into the kitchen. Vincent followed her and watched her scribble her name onto the container with a marker before putting it in the refrigerator.

"I always forget how much I like that restaurant in the middle of town until I go." Yuffie grinned, "I'm stuffed. I got that roast beef that you like so much, but I couldn't finish it all. I think I'll have it for lunch tomorrow. Don't want it to go to waste after all."

Vincent had only nodded and wished her a good night as she climbed the stairs. She had never gone out to eat without him before. Usually she made sure that they both ate well, either by cooking something or dragging him along to the restaurant.

After fixing himself a simple sandwich, Vincent had tried to work on some paperwork for Reeve. He could not seem to make his mind focus. Finally he gave up on it and went to bed. Four hours later he was still awake.

Vincent did not know what to do. When he had stopped by Tifa's bar that morning, she had commented on how glad she was that he and Yuffie had made things official. Vincent had stared at her in confusion until she told him that Yuffie had called herself his girlfriend. Tifa told him that everyone else felt that it was about time.

He had fled the bar shortly after that, feeling incredibly embarrassed. He had never actually considered Yuffie his girlfriend. He would have never called her something as crude as roommate, but he would not have referred to her as girlfriend either. Regardless of how she felt about him, he did not love her.

Rolling onto his other side, Vincent realized that his sleeplessness suggested otherwise. Did he love her? He liked her, certainly, or they would not have been living together. Vincent felt himself blushing slightly, you did not usually share a bed with someone you only had friendly feelings toward.

They had certainly been through a lot together. Vincent felt safer with her at his back than he would with anyone else on their team. He wanted her to feel the same way. That was why he had allowed her to move in when she had asked for a place to stay. He could not deny that he was glad she had come to him first.

He thought that love would always be hard and bright, like it had been with Lucrecia. There had been no question of his feelings when he fell in love with Lucrecia. He had never sat awake in bed and wondered over it. He had looked at her and had known in every part of him that he loved her. He did not feel that way about Yuffie.

Yuffie made him feel comfortable. They could talk easily on any subject that interested them. They had fallen into routines quickly that worked out well for both of them. When she had asked to stay in his room, he had never questioned it. He had only asked that she sleep on the left side of the bed as he had grown accustomed to sleeping on the right. It never felt strange to roll over and wrap his arms around her. Still, that was not the normal action of a friend.

He supposed that love could be a comfortable warmth instead of a painful fire, but did he love Yuffie? He thought back to the moment that he realized her things were gone. In that moment, he wondered what he would do without her around. The relief that he felt when he found her things had only been moved to another room was indescribable. He really did not want to live without her.

He would not, he decided. Vincent climbed out of bed and picked up his pillow. Quietly he crept down the hall to the room Yuffie had moved into. She was curled up on the left side of the bed the blankets bunched up around her back. She cuddled a moogle doll in her arms. The sight made him smile slightly.

Walking slowly so the boards would not creak under his feet, Vincent crossed to Yuffie's bed. He reached down, touching her shoulder with his unscarred hand. She was awake instantly, hand groping under her pillow. Vincent knew she kept weaponry in bed with her and whispered her name urgently so she did not hurt him.

When she recognized him, her hand stilled, "Vinnie? What're you doin' in my room? Is there a fire or somethin'?"

"No…" Vincent felt like an idiot as he clutched his pillow to his chest, "My room is… creepy. May I sleep in here with you?"

"Yuffie smiled and pulled the blanket out flat for him, "Only if you'll sleep on the right side of the bed. My back is freezing."

She put the moogle on the bedside table with her picture of Avalanche, "Squeakers, you gotta move again. Vinnie needs t'be snuggled tonight."

Vincent let Yuffie pull his arm around her. She rubbed her cheek against his arm and inhaled deeply, "This is much better."

Vincent made an inarticulate sound of agreement as he settled down beside her. She chuckled and looked at him over her shoulder, "Only one night. I overestimated you. I gave you three, maybe even four days before you caved."

With a sleepy sigh, Vincent admitted, "I'm weak."

Yuffie made a sleepy noise that was probably a form of agreement and murmured, "I won't tell. Don't worry."

They were quiet a moment, enjoying the peace of being back together, when Yuffie said, "You're also my boyfriend. Deal with it."