Hey, this is the one and only author. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Oh my, another Yuffintine…but hey I was bored, and when I'm bored I write. It's just this time, this is what came out. For the record, because I feel better putting this… I do NOT own Vincent or Yuffie or any other characters or facts from Final Fantasy VII. The only thing that's mine is the idea. And I know the title sucks…but I couldn't think of anything else. Read, enjoy, and review please.

-Persistence of Love-

Chapter One-Annoying Arrival

The moon shined from a filthy window, and it revealed the ghostly silhouette of a tall and very frail looking man. He was pale, with dark black hair and crimson red eyes just like his splendid cloak that clung to his slim form. He seemed unearthly, such was his beauty, like an angel who had lost its wings and fallen from Heaven.

As beautiful as he was, his surroundings didn't seem to fit. The house around him was decaying and falling into ruin, a mere shadow of what it once was. Just like the man that stood there, his face a mask of coldness. No emotion in that face.

His name was Vincent Valentine.

It was three years after the occurrences of Sephiroth's second coming, when Vincent and his friends had risen to fight once more. The times were peaceful now, but they brought no peace to Vincent's mind. He had begun to wander the world after that, and he hardly contacted his friends. He liked to be alone.

Vincent hadn't seen Cloud and the others since then.

Cloud had called him dozen's of times, desperately trying to get the reclusive man to come and join them for one thing or another. Vincent had ignored those calls, hoping Cloud would give up and leave him to his brooding. At first the blonde had been persistent, and he had called him at least once a day.

Vincent's silence had finally quieted the young man, but instead of him calling it was someone else. Yuffie Kisaragi. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. She was the stubborn one, even more than Cloud could ever hope to be. Yuffie had called him every five minutes at first, but she had lessened to three times a day. He just shut his phone off most of the time.

He heard his phone ring yet again from the distant table. He knew who it was, and he didn't bother to look or acknowledge that he had heard anything. Turning his mind back to his dark thoughts, he shoved Yuffie to the back of his mind.

That's when he heard a knocking on the door, persistent and not likely to stop until he answered it. Vincent who had been standing in front of the window, walked down the hall, his steps making a faint thump as they touched the floor. Upon reaching the door, he pulled it open and looked out into the night to see…

"HEY!!!" squealed Yuffie, jumping through the threshold brighter than life. "You answered!!!" She gave him a warm hug, which made him feel uncomfortable. And that was her greatest talent.

Vincent glowered.

"…Yuffie."

"Aw, c'mon Vincent!" said Yuffie, "Brighten up! I came such a long way to find you! I just knew you'd be here!"

He groaned. Why...? Why couldn't he have some peace?

Yuffie laughed. "Well, can I come in? Or have I offended the almighty dark and brooding lord of the vampire mansion?"

Vincent didn't grace her with a reply, as he moved out of the away to admit her into the house. The mansion had once been owned by the ShinRa, but had fallen into ruin and with each passing year it continued to do so.

"SO!" said Yuffie, her voice filled with energy. "Are you well!?"

"…I suppose." said Vincent, his voice barely above a whisper.

He led her down the hallway, and into the sitting room he had managed to form over the time he had been here. Since he had come, he had managed to fill the room with a table and some chairs, as well as a couch and a small television which he hardly ever used.

Motioning for her to take a seat at the table, Vincent positioned himself across from her. He would never understand why she did the things she did. Especially her reasoning whenever she spoke to him and was kind to him all the time. She'd done it from the beginning, when they had met. She had always been confusing to him. Not just confusing, but fascinating as well. And how could he forget annoying…

"Hey!" called Yuffie, waving her hands in front of his face. "Earth to Vinny!"

A vein popped in Vincent's head, jerking him back into reality. "My name is Vincent, not Vinny. Do well to remember that."

Yuffie laughed. "Relax. You zoned out on me."

He snorted. She had done it just to be annoying.

Yuffie looked around the room. "You live in this dump?"

"…Yes. And I rather like this dump as you call you it, Yuffie."

"No you don't. You hate it here, and yet you stay here. Why?"

Vincent sighed. "Because this place offers me the solitude I want. I never thought anyone would realize I would come here."

It was Yuffie's turn to snort now. "That's stupid." murmured Yuffie, looking a little sad for once. "Everyone is worried about you. Why won't you go and see your friends?"

Vincent looked away from her. What was with her? Why was she acting so strange? What happened to Yuffie being happy? He'd affected her somehow. And he knew what he needed to do. He had to get her out of here, and that would be rather difficult because Yuffie's stubbornness was such that it deserved to be legend.

"Why don't you go now, Yuffie?" asked Vincent, knowing the outrage that would ensue from the obnoxious girl before him.

"Um…I can't." said Yuffie, calmly. This shocked Vincent and he looked at her, as if to make sure she hadn't screamed, blown his eardrums out and he didn't remember.

"Why?" asked Vincent uncertainly, when he realized she had not screamed, or yelled.

"Look out the window."

Looking out the window, he immediately saw the problem. It was beginning to downpour and to make matters worse, it was thunder storming. It would be too dangerous for her to leave in this weather.

"WELL!!!" exclaimed Yuffie happily. "Looks like I won't be going anytime soon" And with that she flopped herself more comfortably onto the nearby couch.

Vincent cursed.