Disclaimers on the characters of Final Fantasy VII, who rightfully belong to SquareEnix, because I really don't have the money as a college student to get sued.

-.-

Night,

By Winterwing3000

-.-

The crisp air of autumn pulled out the humidity left in the room from the day. Lanterns were lighted about the room and casted short shadows on the floor. From beyond the screen windows and the screen doors to the veranda, the last of the summer time critters sang songs of farewell to the hot season and prepared tunes of welcome for the harvest soon to come. A gong vibrated in the air, signaling the approach of the late hours of the night. Many shops and stores closed up, bidding goodbye to their final customers and locking up the front doors before the owners retired.

Back in the room and curled snugly at the center of the mattress, the feline purred in content as short blunt nails raked down its back repetitively. Eventually, it rolled over onto its back with paws limp and its tail swishing from side to side appreciatively as it waited for the petting to continue. There was a short pause and a chuckle before pale hands scratched gently over the white fur of its belly. It was a wonderful feeling and greatly welcomed as the cat crooned and meowed happily with its eyes closed.

When the bed dipped on the other side and another set of fingers joined in on the combing, a yellow-green eye opened in annoyance. The newcomer's fingers also had blunt nails but they lacked the confidence and the comfort. At times, the fingers dug in uncomfortably into the fur and irritated the skin underneath. The pampered feline yowled lowly and swatted several times at the offending appendages. Another giggle came from above before the cat found itself scooped up and hugged into a pool of fabric and human flesh.

Now with both its eyes opened, Mr. Snuffy stretched his paws with an unhappy meow. While he was grateful to be saved from the unbearable belly rub, he wished that he was still lying on top of the bed sheets. They were much cooler for him to rest on and he disliked being coddled after he cleaned his fur after dinner. The cat wriggled in the arms of his master and managed to roll over and stand on all fours on top of the bed. He flicked his long and bushy tail in a forlorn manner, hoping to win his master's favor and be allowed to remain on the bed for the night. This only earned him a pat on his head and he was eventually deposited by a claw and a hand to the ground.

Two feline eyes peered up at the two humans lounging on the bed. He meowed once more in plea.

"Sorry, Snuffters. I think it's only fair that you have to sleep elsewhere tonight. I can't have you listening to all of my bedsides trouble when I have a husband now, can I?" Yuffie teased as she leaned over the edge of the bed to scratch her pet cat between the ears once more.

As understanding her words, Mr. Snuffy sharply turned and faced her husband and locked gazes with him. A nudge at his side thwarted his attention and once more he found himself face to face with her. She nudged him again. "Go on now. I'll play with you in the morning."

With drooping silver whiskers, Mr. Snuffy lifted its nose and flicked his tail in a careless manner before he turned around and noiselessly went to find a comfortable place to rest for the night.

Vincent stared after the cat. "It seems he still hasn't come to terms with my presence."

Yuffie stared at him before laughing. "Oh Vincent! He's just a cat and cats receive people differently. I'm sure Mr. Snuffy likes you, in his own furry way. Now, on your belly!"

An eyebrow rose delicately. "Excuse me?"

"I'm giving you a back rub! I can't have my servants saying that I treat my cat better than my husband. What kind of wife will I be known as if that gets leaked out?" Yuffie grinned as she stood on her knees. "Now, lie down!"

Red eyes stared at grey ones dubiously. Eventually she sighed. "If you feel bad, you can give me a foot rub or something later. Now please, on your stomach Vincent."

Gingerly, Vincent rolled over on the bed and pillowed his head in his arms. He sucked in a silent breath as Yuffie straddled his thighs and held him down with her weight. She hummed quietly to herself as she began to knead his shoulders and he couldn't do anything but appreciate the pressure applied on his muscles.

"You could have asked me to work out the kink this morning, Vince," Yuffie murmured as she worked her fingers against the line of his neck and the slope to his right shoulder. "It only makes you more irritable when you wait it out."

Vincent grunted. He apparently slept at an awkward angle last night and woke up with sore muscles. Normally, he would think nothing of it and his quick recovery powers from his resident demons would fix the problem. But it took several reminders for him to remember that he was no longer immortal or all powerful. He also did his best to ignore and hide the pain, yet it didn't seem to escape Yuffie's sharp eyes.

By now, Yuffie moved on from his shoulders and down to his shoulder blades and the line of his spine. She clucked her tongue when he released a hiss of relief as the air between each vertebra popped. "I told you that your bad posture is going to hunt you in the future."

"And your habit of reforming your kimono will send Chekov to an early grave," he quipped drowsily as she used her elbow to massage his lower back muscles. She dug in particularly hard and gave him an evil eye.

"I don't see what is so bad about it. I might even be setting a new fashion trend! Slits in kimono sounds like an awesome idea." She finally patted his shoulder and rolled onto her side. "I'm sure that the youngsters these days will appreciate it to."

Rolling his neck, the gunslinger sat on his haunches and then reached over to take hold of her right foot. She smiled brightly and sat up while stretching out her right leg. "Speaking of which, it seems that Gorkii and Staniv are concerned about the future of the throne."

"What!" The Empress squawked unladylike and nearly jabbed her sole into his chest if he hadn't tightened his grip. Suddenly a blush was across her fair cheeks and a fire blazed in her eyes. "We-We've only been married for two months! Those old coots are crazy!"

Vincent cocked his head to the side, his inky bangs brushing across his eyes. "Is there perhaps an expectation for you to bear an heir within the first few months of marriage?"

She pouted. "No, there's nothing stupid like that. I heard from Godo that I was conceived about two seasons after they married, not that I need to know, honestly that old man. It's more of an expectation of the public because having news of a baby on the way is always good, especially to the citizens. It assures them that the welfare of Wutai is stable."

"Makes sense," he mumbled as he pressed his flesh thumb between each toe and massaged the webbed skin. "To know that there will be someone to take the throne would be reassuring."

"I can't believe they were talking to you about it though," Yuffie huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If anything, shouldn't they be talking to me? After all, I'm the one who has to walk around for nine months like a pregnant Chocobo! And why so soon?"

He rubbed his fist into the heel of her foot thoughtfully. "Isn't there unrest at the eastern borders at the moment?"

She nibbled on her lower lip, distracting him momentarily. "It's nothing too serious right now. But there is a probability that it might escalate if I don't issue an order soon. I have several ideas in mind, but I still have to talk with the province governor to work out the actual details. It shouldn't have caused that much worry with Staniv and Gorkii though. I mean, children?"

The dark-haired male dropped her right foot and reached for her left. "You are against the idea of children?"

Yuffie froze with her steel colored eyes wide. For several moments, she gaped like a fish. "No, that's not it! I thought that you might… not… like… the idea. We've never really talked about it you know? I thought you might be sensitive about it, given the situation with Sephiroth and Lucrezia and Hojo…"

"Hn, we never talked of children," he agreed. "I did not think of it too much before as well."

"Do you think we'll be fit to be parents?" Yuffie wondered aloud. "I mean, I admit Godo wasn't the greatest of parents and I wasn't the best of daughters. Oh my gosh, Vincent, what if I found out I'm a horrible mother after having children? I'd ruin their lives forever!"

"I'm sure that you will be fine as a mother and that you will not ruin any lives of the children we may have," said Vincent calmly. But when she looked at him incredulously, he added, "Perhaps we should ask Chekov for some assistance."

The ninja nodded and chimed, "And Teefs! She's a natural-born mother, Tifa is. Maybe Shera too! She's bound to have half a dozen of Cids running around by then! Can you imagine that in the future, second generation AVALANCHE babies having play dates? What if our kids married Cloud and Tifa's children? Or Cid and Sher'a children? We'd be related to them for real!"

"You are getting ahead of yourself, Yuffie." He gave her a dry look. "Perhaps we should start with how many children you had in mind."

She turned her attention fully on him with a sneaky smile. "How many children do you want, Vincent?"

"How ever many you wish to have," replied her husband smoothly. "As you said before, it is not I who will be carrying them for nine months."

"Hehe, I've trained you well, my grasshopper," she jibed as she brought her right leg in and propped her chin on her knee. "Four would be overkill, if you think about it seriously. I might be okay with three children, but…"

"You fear that the youngest will be excluded," he concluded. "I agree. Then will two children be fine with you?"

"It's okay with me if you're okay with it! But I'm not going to pop two kids out at the same time, maybe two or three years apart." The oriental woman closed her eyes and frowned. "I'll have to schedule a trip to the shrine of Da Chao and Leviathan to pray soon."

"There is no rush," he reminded her. "You have more pressing matters to take care of at the moment."

She sighed when he pressed a specific spot on the bridge of her foot. "It's tradition for the Empress to pray at the shrines several months ahead, several times a month too, to ensure conception and safe arrival of the baby. I'm sure by then, things will have settled more and I will have more time and less stress."

"I thought you disliked tradition." Vincent stared at his wife with an amused glint in his eyes. His right thumb massaged her left ankle slowly.

Yuffie wriggled her toes and drew random shapes on his shirt. She could feel the defined contours of his abdomen. A wicked grin spread across her lips at his sharp intake. "Yeah, well, there are times when tradition is absolutely wonderful. Don't you think so, too?"

By now, she leaned forward so that their noses were inches away from each other and he had to peer through his long black bangs to meet her eyes. His voice dropped a notch. "Of course. Practice is also highly valued."

"Practice?" Like a cat that caught a canary, she smiled and she pressed their lips together. When she pulled back, she licked the tips of her canines. "Practice is definitely and always welcomed."

-.-

AN: Only the ending left now. See you all in the final chapter: Midnight.

Thank you for reading and reviewing CupofTeaforAliceandHatter, Nino, and SleeplessMemories.