Disclaimer: As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

Author's Note: So, I have enjoyed reading many fanfictions over the years, and thought that I would give it a try. I know the Tifa/Vincent pairing is a bit overdone, but it's one of my favorite pairings. Constructive criticism would be appreciated!

Some of you may recognize this as a previous fic that I wrote earlier this year. I've removed it and did some tweaking to the story so, while much of it is the same, there are definitely some differences. Enjoy!

"Hellooo? Earth to Vincent!" a voice was saying.

Vincent shook his head as if to pull himself out of a trance. "Hm? Oh, I apologize." He stretched his neck from side to side in an attempt to snap out of his reverie. Why have I been so tired lately?

"Zoned out there for a sec, huh?" his former comrade said jokingly.

"I suppose so. Just watching the snow fall. Roads are getting a bit icy, too. Did you need something, Tifa?" he asked.

"Well, we were just sitting down to dinner and I wondered if you were going to join us or stare out the window all day?" the brunette fighter said with a smile on her face.

"Yes, of course," Vincent said. He stuck an arm out in a "you first" gesture. "Lead the way."

The smell of Tifa's cooking filled the air as he neared the bar. Some of the tables were pushed together to make one large one. Looking around, it would almost seem that the whole group was together again back on the Highwind. Everyone looked up as he and Tifa came into the room. Even then, most of the people at the table avoided eye contact with him.

It really IS like we're back on the Highwind. They're still uncomfortable around me. I guess some things don't change. Not that I blame them, really.

He settled down in an empty chair at one end of the table. Tifa bustled around, making sure everyone had enough food and drink.

"Teef! For cryin' out loud, would ya just sit down? Yer makin' me nervous, woman!" Cid, the grizzled pilot said jokingly.

"Hush, Cid. Just give me a minute," Tifa said, slipping next to Marlene to help her cut up the meat on her plate.

Tifa puzzled Vincent. Perhaps twenty-some odd years spent in a coffin made one leery of others, but there was just something about her that stuck with him. She was always helping others, always putting their needs ahead of hers. And all the while, she would have a big smile on her face. But that smile never quite seemed to meet her eyes.

He thought back to their journey as a group in their search for Sephiroth. He remembered the first time that he saw her.

Cloud had pushed the lid off of his coffin and spoken to him. After determining that we were all after Hojo and Sephiroth and Shin-Ra, albeit for their own individual reasons, he accepted their offer and joined them.

Tifa had been there next to Cloud. She was the one who smiled at him encouragingly when he hesitated as they were leaving the mansion. "It will be okay," she had said. How could she know? She couldn't possibly know what could happen. What HAD happened. And how a large part of it was HIS fault.

He brushed the thought away. That part was over now. Sephiroth was defeated. Hojo was gone and so was Meteor. The remnants had been disposed of and Geostigma had a cure. The Planet was healing, yet he still carried so much guilt with him.

"Vincent, did you need more to drink?" Tifa interrupted his thoughts, pointing at his glass, which was nearly empty.

"I will get it. Please; stay and eat. You have worked very hard to make such a wonderful meal. It would be a shame that you wouldn't partake in it yourself," Vincent said politely.

He made his way behind the bar and refilled his glass. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the counter and watched the interactions from afar. Everyone was talking and laughing and having a good time. They all promised to have these sorts of gatherings at least a few times a year. Vincent often tried to back out of them, but Tifa always insisted that he come. She was incredibly persuasive, which was strange to him. As a former Turk, he should have been able to resist her pleas with no trouble.

And yet, here he was. He just couldn't say "no" to her.

Tifa was now trying to calm an argument between Denzel and Marlene. Though they weren't her own children, she had taken them in and acted as their mother. She was always caring for those who needed it. She was the "mom" of the group. She made most of the meals for them, healed them when they were injured, and kept the morale up when things got gloomy. Even now, with no Sephiroth or anything of that sort, she was still mothering everyone and she smiled the whole time.

How does someone smile so much? I mean, she's obviously not actually that happy. Why pretend otherwise?

He shook his head and rejoined the gathering just as Tifa was serving her homemade pie for dessert.

"There you are, Vincent. We thought you got lost," she chided gently. "We were just commenting on the weather. It's been snowing like crazy out there! It might be a bit dangerous for you guys to head back tonight. There's zero visibility and Cid doesn't want to risk crashing the airship."

"So, we were thinking of having a big sleepover, just like old times!" Yuffie said excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat.

Vincent winced inwardly. Not that he had anyone or anything to go home to, but the thought of spending too much time around so many people was unsettling for him. After looking out the window, though, he realized that Tifa was right. For anyone to travel in the storm, especially at night, would probably not be the best idea.

"Well, Cid and Shera can share my bed. It's the biggest one. We've got a futon that Yuffie can use. Barret and Red can each take one of the kids' beds, and…"

"But where are WE going to sleep?" Marlene wailed.

"Calm down, Marlene. I'm getting there," Tifa said patiently. "Cloud can keep his bed and Marlene and Denzel can use their sleeping bags on the floor."

"Like we're camping?" Marlene asked excitedly.

Tifa beamed at the little girl. "Just like camping. If we have enough blankets, maybe we can put a tent together for you guys. She looked to Vincent. "Do you mind sleeping on the couch, Vincent? I know it's not the most comfortable, but…"

"And where would you be sleeping, Tifa?" Vincent asked quietly. "Perhaps you should take the couch."

"Oh, no, Vince. I'm just gonna crash on the armchair or the loveseat in the living room. You're much taller than me, so you should be on the couch," she said. The tone in her voice honestly made her sound like she really was everyone's mom and that she was calling the shots.

"Very well," he said.

"Okay, then. Now, how about you guys head on into the living room? Maybe Cloud can start a fire so we can all stay nice and warm tonight," she said.

The various group members stood and made their way out of the bar and up the stairs leading to the main house. Shera began gathering plates up, but Tifa stopped her.

"I've got it, Shera, don't worry," she said.

"Tifa, I'm pregnant, not disabled," Shera said, laughing.

"No, really. I'm just going to toss these in the sink and I'll be in."

Shera looked about to protest, but Cid had come up and embraced her from behind. "Don't worry about it, darlin'. 'Sides, Tifa could clean this whole bar by the time we got you up the stairs!" Cid joked as he rubbed Shera's swollen belly.

"Cid, you being nice isn't ever going to stop being weird, is it?" Tifa said laughingly.

"Whaddya mean by that, Lockhart? I'm always nice!" he said. At that, both Tifa and Shera burst out in giggles while Cid started helping Shera up the staircase.

Relieved with the newfound quiet, Vincent felt himself relax slightly. He rose from his chair and gathered up the used dishes to bring to the kitchen. When he got there, Tifa was at the sink washing a plate.

"So much for just leaving them in the sink, no?" Vincent said quietly as he approached her.

Tifa smiled sheepishly. "Alright, you've caught me. What do I need to do to buy your silence?" she laughed lightly.

"Nothing at all. Simply making an observation," Vincent said, placing the dishes in the sink. He picked up a towel and took the plate from Tifa's hands. He dried it and placed it in the cupboard above their heads.

"Oh, Vincent, you don't have to help me. Why don't you join the others?" Tifa said.

"Let's just say that I've reached my quota for socialization," he said, drying another plate. "For the year," he added.

Tifa chuckled. "I sometimes feel the same way. I love seeing everyone, but at the same time, I can use a break."

At that, Vincent snorted. "Tifa, in the years that I have known you, you have never had a break."

Tifa looked up at him. "What do you mean, Vincent?"

"You've never taken a day off from being you. You are always the chef, the maid, the teacher, the confidante," he said emphatically. "You are young and beautiful. You shouldn't spend all of your time taking care of other peoples' needs. You should…live a little, I suppose."

Tifa momentarily looked confused then, laughed. "Vincent, are you, of all people, telling me to live? This coming from the man who locked himself away for decades?"

Vincent became serious. "Tifa, I am speaking from my experience and my mistakes. I shut myself in that basement to avoid my guilt, my responsibilities." He avoided her eyes.

The girl's face changed to one of concern. "Vincent, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought all of that up. It was rude of me and I shouldn't make fun of you." She reached out and touched his arm out of comfort.

Vincent flinched slightly. "It isn't a big deal. I just don't want to see you waste your life as I did mine."

Tifa smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Vincent. I appreciate your concern. Really, though, I'm okay. Why don't you go join the others?"

Vincent continued drying dishes and putting them away. He heard her let out a short sigh, but glancing sideways he saw a tiny smirk on her face. After he had placed the last glass into its proper spot, he walked back out to the bar and waited for Tifa. She emerged a few moments later, wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Shall we, then?" she asked.

He nodded and followed her up the stairs.

He could hear the others laughing and talking before they even reached the living room.

"'Bout time you two got here! What took ya so long?" Barret said as Tifa and Vincent each took a seat.

"Smooching in the kitchen?" Yuffie said mockingly, puckering up her lips.

"Ha! Vinnie and Tifa? Not likely," Cid joked. Vincent rolled his eyes. He was willing to ignore it, but Tifa shot back.

"We were doing the dishes, for crying out loud. Not that big of a deal, guys," she said.

"Oh, is that what the kids are callin' it these days?" Cid teased.

"Well, so what if we were? Not that it's any of your business. What would you guys care?" Tifa said nonchalantly. Vincent's eyes widened slightly.

"I think she was tellin' the truth, man," Barret said. "'Sides, it's not like Vinnie woulda made a move on her. If she didn't kick his ass, Spikey sure would!" He, Cid, and Yuffie laughed.

Vincent rolled his eyes again and looked at Cloud's reaction. He looked fine, but his eyes had flashed at the mention of Tifa kissing another man. Vincent pondered to himself. Were they a couple? Nobody ever really knew. He had always just assumed Cloud was overly protective of Tifa, but was there more to it than that? He remained lost in his head while the others talked.

While being lost in his own thoughts was a fairly normal event for him, he found that he'd been doing it a lot more lately. He just felt off. Not ill, exactly, but definitely a little weird. He shrugged it off, dismissing it as a reaction to the change in seasons.

"…time for bed," he heard Tifa saying awhile later. Marlene and Denzel were frowning and making fussing noises, but got up anyways.

"I'm gonna tuck these guys in and then I'll be right back, guys," Tifa told the group as she led the kids upstairs.

Vincent settled back into the armchair he was sitting in and observed the group as they continued the conversation. After getting the kids to go to sleep, Tifa rejoined them. She plopped down on the floor between Yuffie and Nanaki.

"So, back to Tifa's love life…" Yuffie said jokingly.

"Aw, c'mon, Yuff. Give the gal a break," Barret said.

"Thank you, Barret. I'm more interested in the goings-on in the Highwind household. How far along are you now, Shera?" she asked.

"Almost eight months," the woman said, placing a hand on her belly, smiling.

"I'm so excited! I will totally babysit for you guys whenever you want!" Yuffie said cheerfully.

"I don't think so, ya little materia thievin' brat," Cid said.

"Hey!" Yuffie said.

"Really, though, having a baby around will be so much fun!" Tifa said, attempting to distract Yuffie. The others agreed and added their own thoughts.

Vincent listened in quietly as they discussed various topics from baby Highwind to Barret rebuilding Corel to Cloud talking about the delivery business. He watched Tifa, mostly. She joined in from time to time, but spent most of it listening and absentmindedly scratching Nanaki's ears, which he uncharacteristically seemed to welcome. The red dog-like creature usually resented being treated as a pet, but here with Tifa, he seemed to actually enjoy her touch.

A few hours passed and the conversation slowly ebbed. Tifa stood and stretched.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for bed," Shera said.

"Me too," Barret said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, Cid, Shera, you guys know where my bedroom is, so you go ahead on up. You too, Barret, Red," she said. "Yuffie, I'll help you set up the futon upstairs."

Everyone headed off to their assigned sleeping spots and Vincent sighed. The peace and quiet was nice after all of the commotion of the evening. He stood at the window and watched the snow fall until the sound of footsteps behind him made him turn around.

Tifa stood there with a mountain of pillows and blankets in her arms. "How many blankets do you need, Vincent? I've brought plenty, so take as many as you need, okay?"

"Tifa," Vincent said, taking the pile of blankets from her. "I will be fine. Why don't you lie down? You look exhausted."

"I'm alright, Vince. It's only 11:00. I'm used to a barkeep's hours," she told him. "Speaking of which, would you like a drink?"

He paused, considering. "I suppose a drink or two would be fine," he said, following her back down to the bar. He sat at a stool while she went around to the other side. After rifling through the cabinets for a moment, she found the bottle she was looking for. She poured some for both of them and lifted her glass to him.

"Should we toast?" she said half-jokingly. "How about…to old friends?"

Vincent clinked his glass against hers softly. "To old friends, then," he said, his eyes meeting hers as he took a sip. "Tifa…" he began, setting his glass down.

"Hm?" Tifa mumbled as she took a sip of her drink.

"Are you…that is to say, um," he fumbled for a moment. "Are you okay? Is everything going well for you?"

She looked a little surprised at his question and cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked.

What do you mean, "What do you mean"? It's a fairly straightforward question, Tifa.

"I mean, are you…well, are you happy?"

She froze. She brought her eyes up to meet his, but almost immediately looked away. "I, well…I'm hanging in there. It's not perfect, but life never is, is it? We all have ups and downs and I'm just doing the best that I can," she said with a half-hearted smile on her lips.

She was a terrible liar. Bags had formed under her eyes. Her shoulders were slumped and she no longer laughed and flirted like she used to. There was weariness about her that she was fighting to hide. He figured that was why she smiled all of the time; to distract others from her own problems. There was no way her smiles were genuine. The brightness never quite reached her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at her, expressing his disbelief. He locked his eyes on hers, not allowing her to escape his gaze. She blushed under this scrutiny and started twisting a lock of hair nervously.

Vincent drained the last few dregs from his glass and Tifa straightened up. "Want another?" she said, her barmaid persona showing through, regardless of the current mood. He nodded stiffly and watched while she poured. She caught him looking at her and blushed again. Or was it just the alcohol kicking in?

He noticed her reddened cheeks and couldn't help but to smirk slightly. The pink flush seemed to brighten her face. She was always fair-skinned, as he was, but she seemed to have taken on a ghostly pale hue as of late. The color made her look more alive.

"Would you like to go sit in the living room? The couch is probably more comfortable than a barstool," she suggested.

Vincent nodded and followed her back to the sitting area from before. Instead of sitting on the couch, though, she sat cross-legged by the fireplace, her refilled drink in her hand. The fire had died down, but was still plenty warm. She watched the remaining flames and took a big sip from her glass. Standing there awkwardly, Vincent pondered whether he should sit on the couch or join her by the fire. Did she want his company or was she attempting to block him out?

Tifa looked away from the fire and up at him. She almost chuckled at how uncomfortable Vincent seemed. She patted the spot on the floor next to her, encouraging him to join her. He knelt down beside her and for a while they just drank and watched the fire die down. Tifa set her glass down and off to one side and sighed.

Vincent set his glass down as well looked over at the girl next to him. He knew she had to be only, what, mid-twenties? Her haggard look appeared to be one of an older woman who had been through much strife in her days.

Strife…wait, was it Cloud? Was Cloud the cause of her unhappiness? He unconsciously clenched his fists.

If he is the cause of her pain, I…

What? What would he do? Whatever was between Tifa and Cloud was not his problem. Besides, he and Tifa weren't exactly close friends. He shouldn't butt in. It's not like he cared about her that much, anyway…

Or did he?

He sneaked a glance over at the young woman beside him. Of course she was kind and beautiful, but he cared about her as a friend. He wasn't worried about her in a romantic fashion, right? Then, what was this feeling of jealousy over Cloud?

I have no idea what sort of bourbon Tifa served me, but it's messing with my mind.

A sniffle tore him away from his thoughts. He glanced again at Tifa just as a tear rolled down her cheek and immediately felt a wrenching in his heart.

Or, at least, what's left of any heart that I had. He thought sardonically. Though, he felt the urge to comfort her; to make the pain disappear. The last time he felt so strongly about a woman hurting was all of those years ago. With her.

Lucrecia. You were hurting and I failed to save you.

Is that why he felt so guilty now? Because of Lucrecia? That must be it. He had these strange feelings because Tifa reminded him of Lucrecia. It made sense. Regardless of the reasoning, however, he couldn't bear to see her upset.

He scooted closer to her and slowly placed a hand on her shoulder. Tifa looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Eyes very much like his own, he noticed. A deep brown with hints of burgundy. Beautiful, intriguing, but there was almost a haunted look to them.

Not quite knowing what to do, he just rubbed her back and shoulder with the one hand. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked quietly. "I don't know if I can fix what is hurting you, but I can listen, at least."

She sniffed again. "I don't know where to begin. I don't want to worry the others, either. They have their own lives to be concerned with. They don't need my problems, too," she said softly.

"Tifa," Vincent began, "I may not know much about friendship or love, but is that not what they are supposed to do? Friends are to look after and care for one another."

"Is that why you're being nice to me? Or is it because you pity me?" she asked him somewhat harshly.

Vincent flinched slightly at her tone. "I would consider you a friend, Tifa. I very much want to understand why you are hurting so that I can help make it go away. Yes, I know I seem cold, and maybe I am, but past experience has left me with less than stellar experience with friends. I am trying to learn how to be a friend again and how to have friends. Did you forget my long sleep in the basement? Let's just say I'm a little rusty on what I'm supposed to do."

At that, she gave a small chuckle and sniffled again. The tears had stopped, which was certainly a victory in Vincent's book. He removed his arm from around her shoulder and made to scoot back to give her some space.

"Wait," she said, turning towards him. He turned his head to look at her. She reached her hand out tentatively and brought it to his face. Vincent fought to suppress a shudder. Of fear? Anxiety? He didn't know. All he knew was he hadn't been touched by a woman in any way in almost thirty years.

He closed his eyes and felt her touch his cheek. Her hands were so soft. And warm. Vincent opened his eyes to see her staring at him, studying his reaction. He felt his pulse pick up speed. He wasn't wearing his cape, so his face was completely exposed, leaving him feeling very vulnerable and unsure of himself. Tifa was seeing all of him and he had nowhere to hide.

"Thank you, Vincent," she said softly. "It's nice to know that someone cares."

Her hand moved along his jawbone up to his hair. His black mane was long and messy. Vincent had given up on trying taming it in any way. Who would he be trying to impress? Now, he was almost embarrassed about it when she went to run her fingers through his thick locks. She simply tucked it behind his ear, and then did the same on the other side.

Now he felt even more exposed, but looking at her, he noticed a small smile on her face. Another forced grin to make him more comfortable? Without thinking, he brought his own hand to her face and did as she did, stroking her cheek. His hand slid down her delicate jawline to her chin. He lifted her face up slightly so he could see her, but as he pulled his hand away, his thumb brushed her lips.

Vincent paused, nervous of her reaction. His head felt a little hazy, like he was in a dream. That any moment, he'd wake up and he'd be alone again. He watched as she pulled her bottom lip in slowly and bit it as though she were nervous, though she didn't take her eyes off of him. She then moved towards him, closing the small gap between their knees where they were sitting.

Vincent's heart sped up. What was she doing? What was he doing? Here he was, trying to comfort her and now his stomach had a fluttering feeling that he wasn't quite sure he wanted to stop. Of course Tifa was beautiful and he found her attractive, but this? He almost felt like a stupid teenager with a crush. He tried to push these thoughts away. Surely she didn't think about him like this. What woman would?

Tifa reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes. Vincent reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering on her chin. Her eyelids looked heavy. Was she just tired? Or maybe the alcohol was having its effect on her and she didn't know what she was doing. But, they really hadn't had that much to drink. Was it possible she was doing this of her own accord? Did he dare find out?

Acting on impulse, and let's face it, probably hormones, too, he brought his face closer to hers. She didn't flinch, just widened her eyes slightly in surprise. She was as unsure of him as he was of her, but she hadn't pulled away. Her full, pink lips had curved into a small, gentle smile. Throwing caution to the wind, Vincent placed his lips softly on hers. She responded by pushing herself closer and resting a hand on his cheek.

After a moment, Vincent pulled back slightly to see her reaction. Instead of panicking, like he expected she would, she pulled him back in again before he could hesitate. Temporarily forgetting his earlier anxieties, he kissed her back. He ran his the tip of his tongue over her lips and her mouth parted, inviting him inside. He deepened the kiss even more, running his hand through her long hair.

Before losing himself completely, he regained control and broke off the kiss. His heart was racing, but he needed to stop before they went too far.

Tifa frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. Her eyes reflected the confusion she was feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa. I really should not have done that," Vincent said, trying to sound calm.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, hurt replacing the confusion on her face. "I know I'm not as pretty as Lucrecia was, and I'm not trying to replace her. I just…" she trailed off as her voice began to shake.

"Tifa, you are a beautiful and amazing woman, but I can't," Vincent started, trying to find the right words. "I will not be responsible for causing a rift between you and Cloud," he said.

"Cloud?" she asked with a puzzled expression. "What the hell does Cloud have to do with this?"

It was Vincent's turn to be confused. "Are you not…involved? He seems so protective of you. I thought that you and he were together?"

"Hah!" she let out a short bitter-sounding laugh. "Cloud has shown zero interest in me. He is still in love with Aerith, deep down. He doesn't want me," she said, shaking her head. "Of course, you don't seem to want me, either," she said quietly, becoming serious. "I didn't mean to jump you like that, Vincent. I'm sorry," she said, looking away.

Wait, why is she apologizing?

"Tifa," Vincent said, clearing his throat. "Any man would be lucky to have you. Besides, I'm the one who should apologize. You were upset and I took advantage of you when you were vulnerable. No matter how…" he shifted uncomfortably. "…enjoyable that was, I promise that it won't happen again."

"What if," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "What if I wanted it to happen again?" She carefully looked up at him, her face flushed from embarrassment.

Her words floored Vincent. Not only did this beautiful girl not flinch from his touch, but she wanted more?

What could she want with a man like me? I do not deserve someone so kind and loving.

"Tifa…" he said carefully. "You don't want me. You're upset and you're not thinking clearly. I'm sure the alcohol isn't helping your judgment."

"Vincent, I feel fine. I know what I want. Yes, I've been having some troubles lately, but that has nothing to do with this! And you really think two drinks is gonna knock me out?" she said, the anger beginning to become apparent in her voice. "Dammit, Vince, you always just shut people out without giving them a chance! I'm clearly attracted to you and from what that kiss felt like, you are attracted to me as well. Why are you denying yourself any sort of fun or happiness?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Tifa," he said softly.

"Hurt me? I know I'm not invincible but, Vincent, you know I'm tougher than I look. You've seen me fight before," she said rolling her eyes. She hated when people treated her like some dainty little flower and he knew it.

"That's not what I meant," he told her.

"Then do you mind explaining? Because obviously I'm missing out on something," she said sardonically.

"Tifa," he began. He forced himself to look her in the eye. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to express his feelings, even if he didn't completely understand them himself.

"Tifa, you are one of the most beautiful women that I've ever seen. You are also one of the kindest, most caring people that exist on the Planet. You deserve the perfect man. One who can make you laugh and keeps you happy. A man that will always be there for you. I…am far from being that man. I barely even feel human. And you are right. I am quite attracted to you, but there's no way that I can be that person for you and I would hate to get your hopes up, only to disappoint you."

Vincent took another deep breath to calm his nerves, but caught himself holding it as he awaited her response. He let it out in a deep sigh, wondering why she hadn't punched him and kicked him out of her home or something to that effect.

Of course she won't. She's Tifa. If anything, you'll end up as her new project of things to fix. She would do the complete opposite of abandon you. She's strange in that way; not like most others.

"Vincent, I don't know how many times it will take me telling you that you are not a bad person. I know you feel responsible for things that have happened, but it's okay now. You can't keep blaming yourself for things that were beyond your control," she told him. "Hell, you can't even say that you don't feel human. The demons are no longer there. Chaos is gone! Everything should be getting better for you, but you're still doing the same old song and dance over and over again!"

He hung his head. Deep down, he knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"FurthermoreahdHaH," she continued. "We are both adults. If we want to have some fun and blow off some steam, we are more than allowed to do so. I'm not exactly demanding you marry me now that we've kissed," she said, half-laughing in an attempt to lighten the mood, but just sounding awkward instead.

Vincent shook his head in disbelief. Any self-confidence that he had was lost years ago. He never found himself to be, well, desirable. Yet, here was a woman who could have any man she could choose and she was here kissing him?

He stood up and tried not to appear flustered. "It is late, Tifa, and I've clearly upset you which, I promise, was never my intention." She had drawn her knees towards her chest and was resting her arms and head on them. She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Vincent met her eyes, trying to show that he was sincerely apologetic, but found it difficult to look away.

Tifa slowly got to her feet as Vincent turned to go…somewhere.

You idiot, it's the middle of the night with a blizzard going on. Where are you going to go and how do you plan on getting there?

A hand on his arm gave him pause, but he didn't turn around.

"Vincent." He remained silent.

"Vincent, look at me," Tifa said, slightly more demanding. He turned to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and her pretty mouth was turned downwards. Even in her anger, she was still a sight to behold. She took a large step forward and closed the gap between them. Quickly, but ever so gently, she pulled him towards her and kissed him again. She pulled back after a moment and locked her eyes with his.

"Tifa…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Don't tell me you didn't feel anything just now," she said to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't tell me that you don't want it as much as I do." Her gaze bore into his and his heart fluttered in his chest.

Vincent's self-control was wearing down and he knew damn well that Tifa had picked up on this and was using it against him.

Hm, maybe I am just human after all, He thought sarcastically. Eventually, he gave up. He would deal with the repercussions later.

"Just tell me one thing," he said evenly.

"Of course," Tifa said, her eyes brightening a tiny bit.

"Why…why me?"

Judging by the look on her face, she was clearly caught off-guard by his question. How could he expect an answer, anyways? She clearly was not being completely rational.

"I… don't know," she said reluctantly. "You've been a complete mystery to all of us from the moment we met. There's something about you; something that makes me want to know you better. To maybe become more than simple friends and acquaintances. I'm not sure, exactly, but does it really matter?"

More than anything. Why are you attracted to such a broken creature like me?

She sighed. "Vincent? Would you just kiss me for crying out loud?" With that, she pressed her body up against him, wanting to be nearer to him.

At this, any restraint that he previously held immediately melted away. He placed a hand on her shoulder and bent slightly to meet her lips. She eagerly kissed back, wrapping her arms snugly around his waist. Vincent placed his hand on her waist lightly, as if to ask permission. The smile he felt her lips form without even breaking the kiss told him that that was perfectly fine with her and he gently pulled her closer. She tried to move closer and her hips met his. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan when she brushed up against his, ahem, maleness.

There's no way she did not notice that. What could she be thinking of now? Will I scare her off? Unless…did she do that on purpose?

The came up for air after a few moments. He held her close while she looked up at him, her eyes holding a small look of mischief as she moved her body closer, this time obviously knowingly rubbing against him. Vincent attempted to hide his groan of pleasure by kissing her again, but she continued her maneuvers on his lower extremities and found it more and more difficult to do so.

Did she want more? He knew he did, but he certainly couldn't do anything about it, what with all of their comrades, plus two children, sleeping just a floor above them. Surely Tifa realized this. But, as his pants began to feel tighter and tighter, he found himself gradually losing control.

"Tifa," he said to her. "We shouldn't. I mean, if the others see or the kids wake up…"

That, and I'm afraid we'll go too far and both end up regretting it.

She let out a soft sigh as she rested her head on his chest. "You're right," she agreed grudgingly. "Can I at least have a good night kiss?"

Vincent bent his head and placed his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He took a step towards her, causing her to take a step back, but not breaking the embrace. He did the same thing a few more times until she hit the couch and nearly fell onto it. Vincent pulled away gently and covered her with one of the blankets she had piled up for him to use. She looked about to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't worry," he said. "The armchair is plenty comfortable enough for me. Sleep well, and I will see you in the morning." He settled into the plushy chair next to the couch, using the lever on the side to lean it back and prop up his feet.

"Good night, Vincent," Tifa said. "And thank you," she added, so quietly that he almost didn't hear it.

Thank you? I should be kicking myself for my behavior tonight. You don't just go around kissing any girl that you please, Valentine! It's amazing that she didn't run off screaming into the night.

Vincent stared up at the ceiling, a hundred thoughts racing through his head.

Well, why would she? I mean, what she said was true. Chaos is gone. The only monsters in your head are the ones you put there yourself, not Hojo.

He cringed at the memory of the deranged scientist. Hojo was responsible for much of Vincent's suffering. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts away and glanced over at Tifa, who had apparently fallen asleep. Her face looked peaceful, not like the horrified look that she gave him when she thought he was rejecting her. She was breathing slowly and evenly, her lovely, full lips slightly parted. The same lips that had been on his not twenty minutes ago. Vincent's heart began to do that stupid flip-flop thing it had done earlier.

It was going to be a long night.