The Touch of Your Flesh

Yuffie Kisaragi

I awoke abruptly at the feeling of someone's weight being slammed into mine.

"Vinny Valentine! It's almost noon!" I opened my eyes to meet those familiar dark brown, round eyes. I cringed as the bright light hit my eyes. Yuffie had jumped off me and snatched the curtain back. I groaned and rolled over away from the window.

"Didjya know you snore, Vinny?"

"Yes, Vinaya let me know." I mumbled my voice was also muffled by the pillow my face was pressed into.

"You been sleepin with her?" Yuffie walked around with a hand on her hip to the other side of the bed and leaned down so her face was inches away from mine.

I blinked and for a while couldn't believe what I had been accused of. "No."

"That's what I thought, Valentine. You better not mess with my friend, ok? She's had her heart broken before, so don't think she's gonna let someone in that easy. I mean I know you aint had any for what 30 some years, but that's no excuse. Wanna know a secret?"

I yawned and looked up at her trying not to look as annoyed as I felt.

"Guess you don't wanna know!" then without warning the young ninja jumped on the bed and continued jumping around barely missing my body with each jump. "I've gotta a secret and I'm not telling Vinny" she chanted as she jumped. About the fifth time she chanted I grabbed her legs in a tight grip and sent her face forward into the bed.

"Do I need Cerberus?" I glared down at her as she looked up at me completely shocked. Usually I would just sit and tolerate her, maybe pretend not to notice, but once one has disturbed my sleep which is not so easy to come by, I can no longer remain patient.

"Geez grouchy! I'm supposed to spend a few hours with you because the other Vinny's out shopping with Tifa. One of those hours has already passed by." Yuffie poked her bottom lip out and pouted at me. I wasn't the least bit amused. I then wondered.

"…the other…" I cringed inwardly as I repeated the horrid nickname. "…Vinny?"

"Vinaya! I call her Vinny too sometimes. I mean after a while no one really expected you to come around again…."

"So you just gave away my nickname? I'm hurt." My voice stayed within its monotone although I'm sure Yuffie recognized the slight sarcasm, as I threw my legs over the side of the bed. My injured leg was terribly sore this morning, but I hid it well and walked slowly without much of a limp, out my bedroom. Yuffie skipped into the kitchen behind me as I sat down at the table.

"You missed breakfast so I guess you'll just starve." Yuffie looked out the kitchen window then turned back to me. I shrugged.

"…not really hungry anyway." My stomach let out a low growl in protest. Damn…

"Vinny you liar! Since Vinaya is such a nice person she wrapped up your place and put it in the stove so it'd stay warm!" she bent down and pulled the foil wrapped plate out of the oven and slammed it down in front of me.

"How could such a nice person be friends with you?" I gently unwrapped the plate dodged a fork that was thrown at me; it hit the floor clanking loudly.

"Well, I don't see is how such a nice person could even put up with living with you! You're always so moody and grouchy all the time. Never wanna talk to nobody." She placed a clean fork on the table next to me. I didn't bother thanking her. "Poor Vinaya. Her life must be miserable. You just made my day miserable!"

"Glad I could be of help." I received a death glare. Those stopped affecting me after…Well actually Yuffie's death glares have never affected me. I gave her a small smile instead that I was sure would change her mood.

"Vinny! Do you know how long it's been since I've seen you smile!? You look so much hotter when you do. Do you smile at Vinaya?" Such a nosey person Yuffie is. She sat in the chair across from me, although I don't know if you could call knees in the chair and body leaning clear across the table, sitting. She stared at me suspiciously again.

I shrugged my mouth was full of scrambled eggs. Yuffie didn't stop staring at me and scooted a little bit closer so her face was once again inches from mine.

"You like Vinaya, don't you Vinny? She's twice the woman Lucrecia could have thought about being and she'd never leave you." Her suspicious glare subsided and she slid back into the chair sitting normally. "I'm being serious Vincent."

Could someone check the temperature in hell? Yuffie is serious. Yuffie being serious was like me being funny. I didn't look at her and continued to eat breakfast.

"Vincent." She repeated. I looked up at her and indeed Yuffie Kisaragi was serious.

"What?" I continued eating until I was aware of the presence of that fowl Phoebe creature. I picked up my plate and carried it to the trash can that was across the room from it.

"Vincent Valentine don't walk away from me while I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you." Yuffie turned in the chair so she was facing me.

"Could we have this serious conversation in the living room?" I didn't bother to wait for her reply but exited the room after placing the empty plate and fork in the sink. I sat on the couch and sighed loudly as Yuffie sat on the cushion right next to me.

"Do you like Vinaya?" she asked again. She grabbed my human wrist and gave it a squeeze. I sent her a look that plainly asked if she had lost her mind. She only raised her eyebrow and glared harder. I sighed loudly.

"….why do you ask?" I retaliated this was a now war. I'm not going to be tricked into telling my personal thoughts and feelings to this loud mouthed brat.

"Do I need Cerberus?" Yuffie's glare didn't ease up any if anything it hardened and so did the grip on my wrist. I felt my fingers began to tingle from the lack of circulation.

"Please put me out of my misery." I immediately regretted this as it only resulted in a punch in the gut with her free hand.

"Yuffie let go of me! Now I'm being serious!" I raised my voice slightly hoping to scare her, but she didn't let go and only brought her face closer to mine.

"Vincent Valentine if you don't give me the information I came here for I will make your life more of a living hell than it already is! Comprende?!" she then stomped on my foot with her small one. It didn't cause me a bit of pain and almost made me want to laugh in her face.

"Will you leave me alone?" I looked into her very serious eyes.

"I promise." She said loosening the grip on my arm and taking her foot off mine.

"Your friend's nice, I like her." I shrugged. Yuffie got in my face again.

"Like her like her or just like her cause she's nice." I shrugged again but once again regretted my action as Yuffie threw her hands up and started screaming.

"VINCENT VALENTINE!!!!!!!!!!!! DAMNIT!!" her piercing screams afterwards was enough to make me want to crawl back into my coffin and sleep for another 30 years.

"Yuffie…Yuffie!" I repeated louder. She stopped screaming and wrapped both her hands around my neck. "Ok, ok…you win Yuffie. Yes I like Vinaya." Did I really just admit that to the loudest mouth on the entire planet? At this point I didn't really care I was done trying to tolerate Yuffie. If that would shut her up then so be it.

"Awww Vinny!" she let go of my neck and began cuddling my arm. I sighed loudly and gave her the usual annoyed look. "When you gonna tell her? Have you kissed her?"

"No Yuffie. And I'm not going to tell her. I…" I stopped myself before I exposed anymore of my feelings. This was enough.

◊ Vinaya's POV ◊

My feet were killing me from walking around all the stores, but man did I ever get some shopping done. Today I wore a long white skirt and a lime green tank top, I left my hair down again, but it didn't have much curl to it. I bought tons of clothes for myself and even a few more things for Vincent including a black headband and a dark blue one to go with the new dark blue buttoned down, short sleeved shirt. I even bought him some really awesome sunglasses. Shopping like that almost made me feel like he belonged to me, and I liked it. I stuck the keys into my door and walked into my living room to witness a scared Yuffie on the couch with her arms wrapped around her legs and her knees under her chin with a very angry looking Vincent holding a gun pointed at her.

"What's going on?!" I asked dropping all my bags. Tifa and I had separated as we left the store so I returned alone. Vincent lowered the gun and looked at me like a deer in headlights.

"I.." he started.

"Vincent please….I hate guns they scare me." I turned away from him not even able to look at the gun.

"I'm sorry." He finished holding the gun behind his back. I then caught him sending a terrifying glare at Yuffie. She hopped off the couch and ran out the door.

"Bye Vinaya! Tell Priya I said hi!" with that she was gone. She owned a flight car of her own which she had gotten a license for over the past month.

"Umm…" I had no clue what to say. I wanted to ask what in the hell had been going on in my house, but didn't have the nerve.

Vincent scratched his head and also seemed clueless as to what to say next. Then I saw his expression soften as he started. "Please tell me what I did wrong to deserve a sentence of two hours with Yuffie Kisaragi."

I laughed out loud. "Oh Vincent." I continued to laugh unable to stop myself. He stared at me with a very tiny smile on his face. "You did nothing wrong…she just called this morning and asked how you were and I asked her if she wanted to come visit you while I went out with Tifa…and…"

"Please don't ever allow her to stay more than thirty minutes again. It's not good for my sanity. Excuse me, and I'll put this away." I nodded and smiled at him then took my bags to my bedroom. After I put all my new things into my closet, I carried Vincent's stuff to his room. He was sitting on his bed using his cloak that I washed for him to polish his gun. When he saw me coming he quickly placed his gun behind him and looked up at me.

"I bought you these today." I said holding the sunglasses out to him.

"Tha…"

"And this." I tossed the dark blue shirt on his bed. I also tossed a package of new boxers on the bed. He smirked upon seeing that I bought underwear for him.

"Thank you, Vinaya. You must stop being so kind. As…there is nothing I can do for you." He put his head down and I noticed his voice seemed a little saddened.

"Vincent, don't think that way, ok? I enjoy being nice to you it makes me feel good about myself so just deal with it." I grinned at him and the corner of his lips turned up slightly. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Whenever Reeve calls again. Do you not need to pick up Priya today?" Vincent asked me looking at his alarm clock that read 3:45 P.M. I smiled and appreciated his assumed concern for my daughter.

"She asked to ride home with a friend today. I needed a little break from her, I don't know about you." My heart started racing again. This has got to stop! Tifa was right; my knees have even become weak. I sat next to Vincent on his bed.

"Ah…new bandanas." He said holding one up.

"Vincent I've never seen you without one." I pushed all the nerves away and gave him a seductive smile. He pursed his lips as if he were holding back a smile. "Can I?" I reached up and touched his red one.

"If you wish." He voice was much lower and kinda had a seductive hint to it as well. I smiled and pulled off his bandana. His bangs fell forward covering his eyes and I now saw the whole purpose of the bandanas. I pushed them back with my hand and ran my fingers through his hair a couple of times barely aware of what I was doing. But it did allow his bangs to stay back freely without any help. My heart pounded even harder when I finally allowed my eyes to rest on his face, his whole face. I blinked a couple of times and looked away.

I then laughed as the thought of Vincent and Yuffie earlier returned to my mind. "What did Yuffie do to make you want to shoot her?"

"What doesn't Yuffie do that would make one want to shoot her?" He quickly replied I noticed he had an even bigger smile resting on his lips now. If he doesn't stop I'll end up doing something I don't want to in here. My own smile widened as my laughter faded.

"Vincent, you be careful while you're gone ok?" I looked up at him and tossed my own bangs back.

"Ok." He replied, his small smile faded into a blank look and he stood to go sit by the window. He sighed and put his face in his hands, his bangs fell out of the position I put them in and rested over his hands.

"Vincent?" I laid back on his bed and turned my head to look at him.

"Hmm?" He didn't lift his face from his hands or move at all for that matter.

"I'll be really sad if you die out there. And so will Priya. You don't wanna make us sad, right?"

He shook his head no. He then lifted his face from his hands and looked out the window. He had a troubled look on his face that made me wonder about him, but I chose not to ask him any questions. Maybe he just didn't want to go. Maybe Vincent Valentine actually likes staying here.

"Here comes your friend." I smiled at him and watched him turn and look at Phoebe who strutted into the room and rubbed her head on the chair he was sitting in. He glared hard at her. "Shoo creature." I heard him mutter.

She meowed up at him and jumped right in his lap. The expression on Vincent's face was priceless. There was more emotion in that look than I had ever seen on his face.

"Phoebs, come here. Here kitty kitty." I called her; she hopped out of his lap and onto the bed with me. I stroked her softly and she started purring. "See Vincent, she's harmless."

"Harmless…" he muttered looking back out of the window with a more troubled look than he had before.