A/N - Under pressure, who'd be the first to crack...?

Disclaimer - None of the characters, original plot, etc. of Final Fantasy VII is being exploited for any commercial or material gain. All in the name of fun.

Thanks to - My sister, who inspired this, and Su-chan, who beta'd it.

Contest

"So... How long have they been like that?" Tifa asked.

"Almost fifteen minutes," Yuffie replied, her voice hushed with awe.

"Um, they're allowed to blink, right?"

"I think so."

"Then, why isn't Vincent doing so?"

"I don't... think he needs to."

"Sorry, Vincent, but I find that a bit scary."

"It's all right," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. "A lot of people find me scary."

"Quiet," Cloud hissed irritably. "No talking. Kills my concentration."

They lapsed into a tense silence.

Yuffie had taken it upon herself to continually glance back and forth, intent on commentating on the slightest twitch. While Vincent's features betrayed nothing more than the occasional forced blink for Tifa's sake, the blond competitor seemed to be having a bit more difficulty keeping his face perfectly straight.

Three, perhaps four minutes passed. At last, the kunoichi planted her hands on the table with a slap and cried, "I think Cloud dimpled!"

"Did he?" Tifa leaned in. "I didn't know he had any."

"That's because he never smiles, do you Cloud?"

"Shut. Up." The words were ground to the point of powder between his teeth.

And then, as an afterthought, "I don't have dimples."

"Oh, yeah? Then what's that?" Yuffie poked him in the cheek.

"Scar,"

"Liar! That's a dimple and you know it!"

"Yuffie. I'm gonna take that goddamn Conformer and shove it all the way up your -"

"Look, Tifa. Look, look, look, it's right there, see it? See it?"

"Oh!" Tifa exclaimed. "Yuffie's right! Aww, Cloud, you look so cute!"

"I am not cute!"

He couldn't take it anymore.

There was an odd sound, rather like an audio hybrid of a sneeze and tearing paper.

They all turned to look at Vincent.

The vampiric epitome of stoic countenance stared blankly back at them. "What?"

"Vincent," Cloud said slowly. "Did you just... Snort?"

"Certainly not."

Tifa grinned. "Well, I certainly didn't imagine that noise,"

The scarlet eyes made a noteworthy but completely vain attempt at glaring this comment away.

Yuffie giggled, leaping up from her seat. "Ohmigosh, Vincent laughed. I gotta tell Red this!"

"Ha!" Cloud pointed triumphantly across the table at him. "I win."

"I demand a rematch," Vincent intoned.

At this, the Mako eyes widened. "He admits it!" Cloud crowed. "You did snort!"

Tifa left him to it, knowing it was impossible to convince him otherwise. Because in the end, either way, it was still Vincent's game - four out of five times, anyway.