Disclaimer: Kaiki-Chan doesn't own Squaresoft, Final Fantasy, or any of the characters involved. Anou. If you sue me, I'll beat you to death with my pickle!

"Is he going to be alright?"

A female squeak popped out of the offending shadow's lips.

"He just needs rest."

Another voice echoed, this time it sounded more or less like a male.

"Vinnie.."

The squeak made itself known again, before Vincent's pale and scarred body felt a light weight settled itself on the bed he was lying on, right next to his now bare feet. Yuffie stared at the raven-haired man sleeping, with a strangely angelic look to his otherwise cold features. She remembered how the doctor ordered her to stay in bed and rest, but she was hell-bent on looking after Vincent. She looked down to her side, to the clean and sterile white dressing the doctors had wrapped around the wound. It looked serious, but in truth, it was only shallow. Looking back up to Vincent's face, Yuffie felt overwhelmingly curious. Of course she wondered about "down there", but that was the little kid speaking. The real curiosity came from her memories.

-Flashback-

The odd warmth, and the steady beat. The strong, discreetly muscled wall that had guarded the seemingly cold heart, all these years. It was as if this strange barrier was a warm, protective blanket, that had seemed to have been neglected. She felt her arms getting heavy. She wanted to place her arms around the warmth.. To nuzzle her face in the nook of the barrier's neck.. To feel the tender, loving embrace that she longed for, since she was a child..

-Present-

Yuffie quickly dismissed the troubling thoughts of her last meeting with Vincent. She reached over to his delicate face, and gently touched the side, with her hand. She felt that same warmth. Overwhelmed with emotion, Yuffie threw her arms about Vincent's neck, and held him close.

"Vinnie.. Wake up.."

Yuffie choked, trying to hold back the tears threatening to flood from her tightly closed eyes.

Vincent was tired. His limbs ached, and he didn't want to open his eyes. He could hear people speaking, but he felt as if his eyes were held down by bricks. A short while after, he felt a foreign presence pull his vulnerable form towards it, as if it was a child hugging a long-lost doll. Then, he almost wretched, upon hearing the atrocious nickname. He dismissed it, and realized who the new presence was.

"Yuffie.."

Vincent croaked, from a very sore throat.

"Vinnie? Vincent! You woke up! You son of a bitch, you had me worried sick!"

Yuffie quickly let go of him, and wiped her eyes on her glove.

"Are you alright?"

Vincent croaked again, his weary eyes immediately darting to her wounded side.

"I'm fine. The doc patched me up. No big problem. The real question is, are -you- alright?"

Yuffie poked his chest, upon asking.

"Tired. Other than that, just fine."

Vincent replied, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.

A knock hammered on the door, impatiently, before the door-knob twisted, and a doctor and a female nurse let themselves in.

"Ah, Vincent. I see you've woken up. How are you both doing?'

The doctor asked, while the nurse hurried over to Yuffie and inspected the dressings on her side.

"I'm alright."

Vincent said, amongst a yawn.

"Ditto."

Yuffie said, waiting for the nurse to finish her poking and prodding.

After a checking up on his patients, the doctor and his nurse left, leaving the two alone again.

"Yuffie.. About before. I'm sorry I didn't follow you straight away."

Vincent didn't expect her to accept his apology. She'd blow up at him, like she usually did.

"Its fine, Vinnie. At least you came when you did, right?"

Yuffie chirped, cheerfully. Needless to say, Vincent didn't expect that. But he sensed something had changed in Yuffie. Something..

Kaiki-Chan's last note! : Thank-you for all the positive reviews! ^_^ Special thanks to Diathorn and Casamaw, from their stories that gave me inspiration in my hour of need. Arigatou, and review! (Gomen, for the time it took me to upload a new chapter. I recently broke up with my boyfriend that I felt really strongly for, which served as a lack of inspiration, and a bad case of mushy-romantic-writer's block.)