Author's Note: I have wanted to do this idea for a while but the finer details just weren't coming to me. That being said, be patient because I have no idea how long it will take me to write each chapter. This is going to be a fun, dramatic, romantic, thrilling, and exciting story about our favorite couple Vincent and Yuffie! There will probably be other couples mentioned, but who knows? Heck, there will probably be even some characters or relationships I make up. Just go with it.

I will warn you I will have dark stuff in some of these chapters. If you can't handle it don't read. And since this warning has been issued I don't want to have people wining about the harsh bits. I'm hoping to have more funny moments and sweet stuff, but they are Yuffie and Vincent. What can you really expect from them? Ha!

I hope you enjoy this even if some bits enter topics you aren't really comfortable with. We'll see where this takes us. Hell, even writing this little bit here my mind is already thinking up "adjustments" to my story. Oh boy. Let's go!

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Yuffie

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I blew my breath out of the corner of my mouth to toss a few lose strands of hair out of my face. I was in Tifa and Cloud's living room watching some silly cartoon with Denzel. It didn't even seem like he was paying attention to the dorky show. Some pig man was chasing an evil alligator with a large, pointed sword. No doubt whose sword it dared to resemble. As the characters on the screen yelled Denzel remained motionless as he tapped away at his cell phone. Since he was a young teen I figured he was chatting to some friend or maybe a girlfriend I wasn't aware about. It was hard to keep track what the kid was doing most days. Tifa was lucky the days he didn't show up to their house too late to eat dinner with them.

I stood from the couch and turned to enter the kitchen. I was invited by Tifa to join the family for dinner and Reeve had given me permission to leave early to make the meal. It wasn't like we really had a lot of requests for jobs up anyway.

"You know Tifa is just going to kick you right back in here," Denzel said with a smirk heard in his voice.

"Yeah, foolish Yuffie," I said while rolling my eyes. I stopped to look into a mirror hanging on the wall. It was amazing what five years could do to a person's face.

Once upon a time my hair was cut short so it wouldn't get in the way as I fought. My clothes were always in a small style to make for easy moving. The old boots I once wore were secure around my feet and ankles for easy traveling through forests and weeded areas. But now I was almost the total opposite of the image I once carried. My hair was smooth and reached slightly past my shoulders. I often wore basic jeans with a shirt fit for whatever the occasion called for. (That night I wore a basic tee since it was a simple dinner with friends). I threw my boots away a while ago due to the horrible stains from our fights and travels. They were replaced by tennis shoes on most days. Sometimes it was almost like another woman had taken over my life.

I left my image behind and stepped into the kitchen. I took in a deep smell of the chicken cooking in the crock pot. Tifa was smiling as she fried up a mixture of vegetables on the stove and potatoes baked in the microwave. A simple yet delicious meal. I was prepared to set the table but it had already been done. Five plates were set around the table with silverware and glasses in wait of drinks. Who was going to join us at the fifth plate?

"Need any help in here, Tifa?" I asked only a second before the front door opened. The door was located in the center of the wall where the kitchen and dining room met. I felt a warmth touch my cheeks as Vincent Valentine stepped through the doorway. The fifth guest was revealed.

I worked with the World Regenesis Organization and when Vincent was free he helped Reeve out as well. I received a steady paycheck from Reeve while Vincent only got bits and pieces through simple jobs.

My eyes refused to listen to my mind as I thought about looking away from old and yet much changed friend. Vincent was a bit sturdier after the completion of our last heavy take with Deepground. It was as if some of the dark moments in his past had been lifted from his shoulders. He still had the long, jet black hair with dark red eyes. But he no longer hid his face behind his blood cloak. His leather pants were exchanged for a set of dark jeans. The changes made it so much harder to tease the man. His own changes may have been small factor to help aid me in growing up. Sometimes I felt the need to impress him. But he rarely commented on it anyway. What was the point, really?

"Hey there, Vinnie," I said pulling one of the many nicknames I created for him.

"Yuffie," he said with a head nod.

"Just in time!" Tifa said and jumped where she stood. "Vince, could you call Cloud in from the garage. He's doing some work on his bike."

"Of course," Vincent said and left the house to get their friend.

I let the idea of Vincent eating with us leave my mind and joined Tifa in the kitchen to help set the food around the table. My help wasn't much but it was better than saying I did nothing at all. Tifa left me as I sat down and she called in Denzel to join us for dinner. I heard the usual grumbling from him as he did as she asked. The front door opened again to welcome Vincent's return to the house. He took the seat open on my left side.

"How's work been?" I asked before I could allow for the chance to deal with any awkward silence. I wasn't as needy for noise as I once had been, but things felt awkward around Vincent most of the time. That was a matter I tried not to focus on. But trying to avoid it was always counterproductive.

"Alright," he said with a shrug. Tifa stepped back into the dining room with Denzel behind her and went into the kitchen to gather a picture of water for drinks. "I have mostly been seeing fancier pieces since everyone wants their better weapons at the top for the weapon show the city is hosting next week."

I crossed my eyes and slouched in my seat. He chuckled to my motion. Hearing Vincent chuckle did weird things to my insides and sent chills up my spine. Sitting next to him all through dinner was going to drive me up a wall if he kept that up.

"What is everyone's huge obsession with weapons these days?" I groaned and looked to him for an answer. He looked straight into my eyes and I would have sworn my heart froze. To get the beating back in my chest I took in a slow breath.

He raised an eyebrow as if he could see how nervous he made me. It wasn't my fault! As if he could read my mind yelling at him he chuckled ever so softly.

"I think people are more interested in the tales the weapons hold," Vincent said and raised one shoulder in a slight motion. "Some only carry a couple of tales while others hold an entire lifetime behind them. Like my Cerberus or your Shuriken. Mine is a bit older than yours but some of the stories the weapons share."

I sat back as I thought about his words. All the battles we fought alongside one another and the many times we worked together to take down an enemy. Our battles were shared and our victories were together. It could almost be romantic if I let my mind think too much about it. But rather than get lost in the idea again I shook my head.

The front door opened to welcome the final person to the dinner that night.

"I think it's almost ready to run again," Cloud said and leaned forward as Tifa walked in front of him. He placed a kiss on her cheek and I looked away as if I had witnessed a moment too private.

"Gross," Denzel said and made a gagging noise.

"How old are you?" Tifa asked and shook her head. "I bet you've thought about kissing a certain little brunette."

"Shut up," Denzel said and his cheeks blushed. I raised my eyebrow and looked to Vincent with a smile. He smirked along with me and we could connect the dots. It wasn't as if we expected it to be a real thing, but we all had our bets on the relationship happening.

"Speaking of Marlene," I said letting Denzel know he wasn't off the hook. "I actually thought she would be our guest tonight. No offense."

"Right, sorry to disappoint," Vincent said with a smile obviously contradicting his own words.

"I had invited her and Barret to join us tonight as well, but they have some girl's birthday party to attend. I think it's one of her good friends," Tifa said and began passing around the plate of baked potatoes for everyone to take.

"It's probably Pricilla," Denzel said as he took the plate from Tifa. "Those two are inseparable."

"Cute," Cloud said smiling at his little boy. It wasn't often he was titled as father from the boy but it happened enough for him to feel the part. What more could a man ask for?

"Well, everyone dig in and knock out as much of this food as you can," Tifa begged with her hands grasped together. "When you two leave you're welcome to take home whatever you want."

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I slouched in my seat as Cloud and Tifa cleaned up the dishes from the table. Vincent and I were ordered to relax and enjoy a simple glass of wine while they were loading the dishwasher. Denzel escaped from the adult world and ran to his room upstairs. It was almost cute to be a witness to the family Cloud and Tifa had created for the young boy.

"I'm happy for them," I said and picked up my untouched glass of wine. I rose it towards Vincent in signal of a toast. He picked up his glass and waited for my words. "Here's to the happiness we all found."

Our glasses tinkered as Vincent tapped his against mine and we took a simple sip to honor my words. The drink was very smooth and if I wasn't careful I could easily lose myself in the drink. Easy enough to say I was limiting myself to only one glass. No matter how bad of an influence Tifa tried to be.

"What's the happiness you have found?" Vincent asked as he set his own drink back to the table.

I took another sip of my wine as I thought about his question. There were many different answers I could place to his question but none of them seemed right. I set my glass down nearby his own. The closeness of the glasses almost bore a resemblance to the odd closeness their users shared. Vincent and I never would have met had it not been for the tragedy brought into our lives thanks to Sephiroth. If there was one thing I was happy for it would be getting to know the man next to me. No matter how dark or confusing he was most days, he always seemed to bring a smile to my face. But there was little chance I was going to tell him that. At least, not exactly.

"My happiness is in the friendships we have all formed," I said admitting a dash of my thoughts. "We have all learned to work together and trust one another with something as important as our lives. I think that makes me much happier than any amount of materia I have ever found."

"That's saying something," Tifa said and reached around my shoulders to give me a friendly hug from behind. "Are you even chasing materia these days?"

I smiled as I thought back to the crazy materia adventures I went on before and during my time with the AVALANCHE crew. Some of those stories were the greatest while some were quite terrifying. Curse my father for believing life as a ninja wouldn't mess with my head even to that day.

"Not exactly," I said but the warmth I felt in my cheeks told me the blush was giving me away for more details to be shared. "I haven't been intentionally stealing people's materia, but when I get that itch I can't ignore it. I haven't stolen nearly has much as I could have, but I'm not innocent."

"Surprise, surprise," Cloud said with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes and quickly finished off the rest of my wine. The darkness outside sent a chill down my spine and a shiver through my body.

"It's getting late and I have a bit of a ways to walk," I said and cursed my ever so low luck of not being able to drive or willingness to take a cab. Motion sickness would be the end of me.

"I can give you a ride back to your place. I can handle your sickness," Vincent said also finishing off his wine. "Do you still live in the apartment building by the WRO headquarters?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to worry about it," I said to Vincent as I slid into my light, jean jacket. I playfully punched him in his arm. "I'm a tough girl."

"Then you can handle riding on my bike for a quick drive," Vincent shot back with a smirk before he headed out the front door. "Thanks for dinner, you two. I think I'll have to host dinner at my place sometime. I can't have you taking care of me every meal."

"I'll hold you to it. Let me grab the leftovers I put together for you two," Tifa said as Vincent stepped outside. She ran into the kitchen to grab the containers for me to take. She returned with our leftovers and gave me a wink. "Better invite him in from the cold when you make it to your place."

"Shut up!" I yelled and covered my face with my free hand.

"Who'd a thunk?" Cloud said with a smirk. If even he caught on to the situation I was doomed. "Good luck."

"Shut up! Both of you!" I yelled again and ran outside. I froze as I saw Vincent positioned on his motorcycle in wait for me to join him. It was only going to be a ride home and nothing more. He would take me home, drop me off, and then he would leave. He was Vincent Valentine. Not some sex craved male. Wait! Why was I thinking about sex?!

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What a silly couple. I think Vincent is slightly OOC, but this is set 5 years after all that and at the ending of Dirge I felt he was getting ready to open his life to some changes, eh? It's possible. I think Yuffie is generally still the same, but she's a bit more held back. I think that will make this story fun as it goes on. Not sure where chapter two will take us, but I can't wait to find out! Yay!

Funny part is this is totally not my original plan. After several failed attempts at my original idea I had to walk away and start a new one. I think this will be fun. I mentioned darkness at the beginning. Trust me, it is coming. Be prepared!

Well, let me know what you think! R&R of course!