Because I haven't written decent Yuffentine in awhile. Actually, I've never written decent Yuffentine. -stares at older Yuffentine fics- Then again, I'm not so sure about the decency of this either. -stares at fic- Well, enjoy if you want, I guess.
Only
She was the only one.
The only one who had ever made him laugh.
True, it had been only once, and she had never achieved more than a smile from him afterwards, but only once was more than enough.
Or, so she told herself. In truth, she wanted to hear his laugh again. Except this time, she wanted it to be real, and from the heart.
She had made him laugh, it was no lie, but it had been more of on edge sort of thing, more nervous than happy. It was the only time she had ever heard him laugh though, and she treasured that memory.
She wanted to hear that again, too. True, she would prefer something more real, but she had as of late come to the conclusion that he did not know how to laugh the way she wanted, so she supposed she would have to be content with what she had.
It was a rather unkind thing to do however, once she thought about it. She had gotten that nervous laugh when she had asked him what he thought about her. It was obviously a subject he did not want to talk about, shown in many signs.
Like in the way his crimson eyes would avert themselves to staring through a nearby window, pretending they were interested in something inside that neither of them could see. Or how he would try to cross his arms, but end up wrapping them around himself, as if he wanted to fold up upon himself. Or how his voice would grow unsure as he tried to decide what to say.
Or how he had given that one uneasy laugh, as if to hide something from her.
And that's what bothered her about the whole business. She did not care to have people hide things from her, especially if they were things she hadn't already found out about against their will and knowledge.
But the problem here, was that he was not one to tell secrets to just anyone. In fact, he hardly talked to anyone, which made her task even harder.
And to ask him a question like she had to make him laugh– if that could really be called a laugh– could be an invitation to leave and not come back. He was definitely one to close up at the slightest bit of discomfort, and the last thing she needed was for him to refuse to talk to her.
Which meant, she couldn't make him laugh the laugh she had heard before.
She would have to find a way to show him how to laugh, really laugh, from the heart, even if it were only once.
All Yuffie Kisaragi wanted was to make Vincent Valentine laugh, even if it were only once.