"Vinnie? Why are you so OLD?"
"…"
Vincent Valentine never understood why he loved one Yuffie Kisagari. Well, maybe that was wrong. He knew exactly the reasons that he loved the overhyper ninja. She was a fierce and passionate fighter, and extremely loyal to her comrades. She always found a way to make him smile, even if he refused to let the others see him do it. Vincent saw in Yuffie things that Cloud and the others refused to see… things that they couldn't see even if they tried to.
"Vinnie, ANSWER ME!"
"…"
Vincent sighed. He looked up at the ninja from his spot on the ground, sitting against a tree. She was standing in front of him, her hands suspiciously behind her back with a wide toothed grin on her face. Maybe it was her smile that drew him to her. He thought back two years ago to a day when he was passing by the kitchen at Tifa's bar and overheard her giving Yuffie some sisterly advice.
"No Yuffie, you scare guys away because you smile too loud."
"Too loud? What does that even mean?"
"You smile so wide that people can't take you seriously. Calm down a little, you don't need to show us that you have all your teeth every time you feel the urge to smile. When you can be seen as more mature, guys will like you."
A part of the gunslinger wished he actually listened to the whole conversation that day instead of continuing on. Smile too loud? Vincent thought on that for a second. Yuffie was genuine when she smiled, but Tifa always looked like she masked her pain behind a smile. No, he liked Yuffie's smile the way it was. His thoughts were cut off by a small paper bag dangling in front of his face.
"Stop ignoring me!"
Yuffie frowned and shoved the bag in his face.
"I made you something, OPEN NOW!"
"…fine."
Vincent opened the bag, and ton of paper stars fell onto his lap. Brushing them aside, he saw a small origami figure.
"…It's not a crane this time."
"I know, it's a cicada this time. Look at his eyes; they're red, like you!"
Yuffie dug in her pocket and pulled out a slightly smaller, crumpled cicada. She smoothed it out the best she could and handed it to Vincent.
"This one is me, you can tell because her eyes are grey."
"I see."
Yuffie smiled once again.
"And now they're a family, just like us!"
Vincent stood up and as he pulled Yuffie into his arms, he let out a small smile.
A small note: To my fans that are reading Silver Lining, I'm sorry it's taking so long to get another chapter out, I've stumbled on writers block. I've got ideas for two new ff and I don't really like the direction that I was going to take that story any more. I'm going to be writing some small fics, and hopefully that can jump-start my engine on S.L.
Illiyah