Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII.

Twenty Nine

-Bad Influence-

He was so upset he couldn't even form the words he wanted to scream at her. He was standing solidly in the doorway, unable to do anything but stare and wish the pain in his heart would stop. If he'd known she would go this far he never would have left her alone to stew in her own depression.

"I'm fine, Vincent. It's not a big deal." She said flatly, her forehead resting in one hand and her back arched as she leaned over the table.

"Yuffie…" He wanted to cry. He was so furious he wanted to cry.

"I told you, it's not a big deal. I used to steal my dad's sake all the time. Come sit down." She was very good at keeping herself dignified, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

She poured another glass and pushed it across the table for him.

"Yuffie, I cannot believe-"

"I said it's not a big fucking deal Vincent!" Her face turned red in anger and he was shocked that she would actually yell at him like that. He paused a moment longer, debating whether or not to say anything before leaving her to drink away her pain.

But for some reason, his feet moved the wrong way and he stared at her stormy grey eyes coldly as he took the seat across from her and picked up the glass. He drank it quickly, he knew he was going to need it to straighten things out with her tonight.

She began talking about her childhood at that point, and Vincent more or less paid attention while drinking rapidly from the glass. When it ran low she refilled it, and he nodded in understanding with whatever she was telling him. She paused after an hour or so of her life's story and stared across the table at him. He knew she hadn't had much to drink, and he was just past the point of feeling good himself with so many years of drinking experience.

Even so, he knew what was coming and still wasn't ready for it.

"Vincent." She said it in a low voice and he felt a shiver go down his spine.

"I love you."

He let his eyes wander away and took a long drink from the glass.

"You are too young to know what love is, Yuffie." It was a foolish things to say to an emotionally strained ninja and he knew it the moment the words fell from his lips. The table hit the opposite wall and he leaned back leisurely to stare up at Yuffie as she towered over him at his place on the floor.

"No, YOU don't know what love is Vincent! I bet you never did, even before Lucrecia ripped your heart out! You skulk around and bitch and moan about all your fucking sins and how butt-hurt you are with your depressing history, but you don't understand how different things are now! Yeah, bad shit happened, get over it! You think the rest of us don't have problems?! You think I laughed at my mother's funeral?! You think caring about you and getting nothing in return feels good?!" She threw her own glass against the wall and he watched it shatter as her voice shrieked in his ears. His face was emotionless, and he slowly turned to look back up at her as the tell-tale sounds of sniffling told him it was safe once again.

She was just starting to cry when he reached up and took her hand in his golden claw, pulling her down into his lap and winding his other hand into her hair.

He pulled her down to him and she didn't complain as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. He kissed her repeatedly; soft statements of affection and comfort. By the time he pulled back and gave her some space her face was bright red and she felt like she might burst into flame soon. But she understood what he was doing, and didn't press any further when he picked her up and carried her to her sleeping bag in the corner.

He stayed there with her pressed against his chest, her arms wound around him and gripped his shirt. He let her fall asleep against him in the dark, and let his cheek rest gently on her head despite his conscience.

When Yuffie finally woke the next morning Vincent was already gone.