Chapter 6: My Feelings are Changing

Vincent listened to Karina dart around in the kitchen, shifting stuff around as she flitted about trying to make dinner. Against his better judgement Vincent had agreed to let her cook (even if just to wear down some of the energy she seemed to suddenly have) and now confined to his chair to keep from getting in her way.

She had only been with him for about a month now, her wounds had healed up nicely and she was already becoming quite a marksman (thanks to hours of practice every day) and yet, she hadn't even mentioned leaving. Vincent had been so sure she would have tried to leave the second she was healed (she had said she would only settle until then anyway) but instead of getting a job and leaving, she had gotten a job and started filling the otherwise empty apartment with furniture.

"Dinner's ready!" Vincent was pulled out of his thoughts when Karina began to set the plates on the table. She shot him a smile, sitting in one of the chairs she had bought to go with the table he had already owned. "I made behemoth steak."

"Where did you get the meat?"

"I may or may not owe Cloud a favor." she frowned. "Which worries me."

"It should." Vincent felt secretly relieved that she had thought to cut his steak for him. "Cloud is relentlessly devious when it comes to things like that."

"I'm gonna regret this," she groaned, but perked up when a knock sounded at the door. Karina got up to go answer it, and hissed when she saw who it was.

"You're still living here?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Karina stepped aside to let Cloud in, and the blond smirked at her. He walked over to Vincent, package in hand, and looked over their dinner.

"Yuffie heard about Karina and sent this from Wutai. Didn't think she'd still be here though."

"Neither did I. Is this all?"'

"Yeah. I'll see myself out. Oh, but Vince? I'd be careful about opening that. The last time Yuffie sent a package through me, she rigged it with poppers. Nearly gave Barret a heart attack."

Vincent eyed the package suspiciously as his door closed, watching Karina return to the table. He scooted the chair back away from her, letting her finish eating as he carried the package over to the counter to grab a knife.

"I don't think she'd be stupid enough to rig it, but Yuffie is unpredictable like that." he carefully cut the box open, and lifted the flaps slowly, looking inside as he did. Once he was sure it was clear he opened it completely, and looked inside. The blank look on his face made the girl snicker, finishing up her meal before carrying her plate over to the sink.

"What she send?"

"Parenting books and some kind of miniature dog statue."

"The dog statue must be the traditional Wutainese gift given to a new parent as a symbol of good health, strength, courage and happiness." [1]

"And you know this, how?"

"You learn things when you travel." she started washing her plate as Vincent examined the little dog. "I stayed with a Wutainese gypsy for a few days once, and she had one that she carried in a hand-carved box."

"I see…" Vincent shook his head and put the dog back in the box so he could return to his dinner. He ate in silence as Karina cleaned up the kitchen, washing everything and drying it with a towel so she could put everything away.

[1] based on the Japanese tradition of giving an Akita statue to a family for the birth of their first child, or when someone very close to them is sick.