Author: Allo allo. *clears throat to stop speaking with accent* About that time then, eh chap? Righto. *whacks self on head* Hi. Sorry bout that. heehee. The end of the world is funny. Ash knows what I'm talking about. I just realized something. One of my all time favourite people hasn't been in any of this story's author's notes. At least I don't think so. So here she is. *sign flashes for applause*

Chelsey: *smiles shyly* Hi everyone.

Author: While you're here, could you do the disclaimer? I'm very emotionally unstable today and I think I'll have a nervous breakdown if I have to admit one more time that I don't own any of the Final Fantasy characters!

Chelsey: No prob! *strikes a pose* Dumber then a Moogle ass does not own any of the Final Fantasy characters in this story that are used and manipulated by her for her own evil purposes. Some of the characters (such as Max and Gary) are her own and can be used by others at their leisure. Cause she just doesn't care.

Author: Good job! *hands Chlesey her paycheck*

Chelsey: Five bucks?! That's it! I'm leaving! Sucker someone else into doing this hard job!

Author: *raises an eyebrow* You do know that with that five dollars comes a lifetime exclusive slave-ownership right to Inuyasha, don't you?

Chelsey: *looks confused* Huh?

Author: *smirks* You get Inuyasha as your slave.

Chelsey: ^_^ Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I accept! *dances away*

Author: Well now that she's gone.....thank you everyone for all the reviews! I feel like I'm making Vincent and Tifa move too fast sometimes, but you have to keep in mind that they've been getting to know each other for quite a few months now and the whole robbery thing made Tifa more susceptible to 'feelings' for Vincent that might not have been completely there before. You know, she's vulnerable or whatever. :P Either way, Vincent wants to change but he's struggling with it and Tifa just does whatever she wants. lol. I hope you enjoy this fluffy chapter. :D

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Tifa awoke to sun shining in her eyes. Music was playing to the side of her and her head pounded painfully.

"Owwww," she groaned, sitting up. Vincent was sleeping face down on top of the covers, one arm wrapped around her waist. Had last night really happened? Maybe throwing herself all over him had been a dream. Her cheeks reddened and Vincent shifted slightly in his sleep. 'If only I could remember what I said. I hope I didn't sound too drunk,' she sighed to herself.

Vincent's eyes blinked open and he groaned slightly rolling to the side, causing his arm to let go of Tifa. She noticed the nearby water and Advil (gasp. oooo ahhhhhh. I advertised! Heehee. I should demand compensation. Maybe Baralai works for them. lol) and gulped them down, holding her forehead with her free hand. Slumping back down to the pillow, she felt a cool hand press against her forehead.

"You're burning up," Vincent frowned, "or maybe you never got better. Either way, stay in bed. And no more vodka!" Tifa grinned. "I mean it!" he teased. He climbed off the bed, running a hand through his hair and stretching at the same time. He felt very relaxed and happy for some reason. Maybe because it was the first good sleep he'd had in awhile. No demons had fought their way into his dreams that night.

A banging at the front door caught his attention. Going into the front and opening the door, a smiling Max came barging in. "You still here?" she asked, taking in his rumpled clothing and messy hair, "Tif must really like you. You are rather nice though, without the cloak and the whole getup." Vincent felt his cheeks redden and shook his head.

"Can I help you?" he inquired to the nosy woman.

"I just wanna tell Tifa that I'll work today and keep the bar open and stuff." Max glanced around. "Where is she anyway?" Vincent leaned back against the bar.

"She's still in bed. She's not feeling well so I would recommend that you leave her alone for now."

"Then who's gonna help me with the bar?" she pouted. Studying Vincent for a moment a smirk appeared on her face. "How do you look in an apron?"

"Horrible," Vincent stated flatly.

"Good! You can help me! Now go tell your snuggle bunny what's going on."

"She's not,"

"Just go," Max smiled, shoving him towards the apartment door. Vincent glared at her back, watching her start setting stuff up for the day ahead. They weren't even open for another two hours. Stupid woman. He headed back into the bedroom and kneeled down next to the bed.

"Tifa," he whispered, shaking her gently awake, "Max and I are going to run the bar for you, okay?" Tifa groggily looked at him with uncomprehending eyes.

"Uh huh...."

Pausing, Vincent couldn't bring himself to leave her suffering like this, even if it was her own fault. Max's voice called him from the front and he placed a light kiss on Tifa's forehead. "Sleep well. I'll check in on you later." Not looking forward to the day ahead of him, Vincent walked back out into the bar.

"How is she?" Max asked with genuine concern.

Vincent shrugged, "she'll live." Nodding, Max's eyes settled on Vincent's clawed arm and she took a step back nervously.

"How'd that happen?" she asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"It's not of importance. Thank you for reminding me though. I should probably cover it up if I'm to be serving normal guests." Max smiled and patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"It's fine," Vincent shrugged. He was more then used to that kind of reaction. Vincent grabbed a large black glove from the kitchen and slipped it over his clawed hand.

Max leaned her elbows on the bar counter and watched him as he lifted chairs down to the floor and made the place ready for customers. "So what's going on between you and Tifa?" Max asked curiously. When she got no reply she continued. "The poor girl deserves a little happiness after what she's been through. You'd better not break her heart like the last one."

Vincent smiled slightly, "do not worry. She has no interest in me. Sober interests anyway."

"The way she looks at you says differently," Max grinned suggestively. Vincent ignored her comment and sighed deeply. Glancing at the clock, Max smiled and tied on her apron. "People will start arriving in less then an hour so be ready. We have early regulars that come in for dinner. Be on your best behavior." Vincent felt as though she was treating him like a little kid. Not answering, he headed into the kitchen.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she smirked.

"Who's cooking then?" Vincent asked. Max tapped a finger on her lip thoughtfully.

"You know what? You're right. Someone has to make the food. I'll phone Gary." Max went to the half destroyed phone and after a few attempts she managed to dial out. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for someone to answer.

"Hey! Gary? Yah. I need you to come in tonight. Yes. I know it's short notice. Yes. No, Tifa's not feeling good. No I'm not cooking! Fine. One favor. What? No! I won't promise you that! Gary! I told you already!"

Vincent smiled at the young woman, finding her end of the conversation quite amusing. Stomping her foot, she looked quite indignant.

"No! NO!" Max shook her head, "fine. One date. That's ALL. All right. See you soon." Hanging the phone back up as best she could, Max massaged her temples. Vincent smiled sympathetically and tucked a pad of paper and a pen into an apron before tying it around himself.

"Hi! I'm Vincent! I'll be your server tonight!" he grinned, using an overly fake, perky voice. He bowed slightly to Max and she laughed and shook her head.

"Please try not to scare the customers away."

"I can't promise anything," Vincent smiled. Both turned to the door as it opened and the small bell above it rang.

"Mr. Nazam! Hey, how you doing?" The man smiled.

"I'm doing good thanks. How's life been treating ya beautiful?"

Max frowned and pouted. "It's been awful without you. Maybe you could beat up Gary for me when he gets here." Max pulled Vincent forward by an arm. "This is Vincent. A new recruit. Go easy on him." She winked at the man and gently pushed Vincent in his direction. "Get him a table Vinny."

Vincent shot her an evil look and faced the man awkwardly. "Um, follow me sir. This way."

The man laughed and walked ahead of him, seating himself. "Sorry, son, but I have a regular table that I like. You can just take my order and give it to Gary through the order window once he's here." Vincent nodded gratefully, glad someone knew what the hell was going on and dug in his apron, pulling out the notepad and pen.

"What would you like?" he asked, feeling more then foolish. A Turk to a waiter. A little more degrading then he cared for. Oh well. It was for Tifa. The man glanced at the menu that was already on the table.

"Side prime with potatoes and gravy. Side caesar. Tifa's famous heaven hazard would be great too."

"I'm afraid Tifa's not feeling well today," Vincent apologized. The man shrugged.

"Have Max make it then. Her's aren't nearly as good, but I'll live." Vincent scribbled everything down and nodded to the man.

"I'll get Max on that. And as soon as Gary's here, I'll give him your order." The bell rang again as Vincent turned to head over to Max. A cocky looking, dark haired man strolled in and beelined for Max, sweeping her off her feet.

"Gary!" she yelled smacking him, "put me down!" Gary stole a kiss before dropping her and she kneed him in the gut. Doubled over in pain, the guy was still smiling. Vincent shook his head.

"You must be Gary," he observed.

"And you are?" the young man wheezed.

"Vincent. Here's your first order. Better get cracking." Gary laughed and grabbed the order from Vincent.

"You sound like Tifa. She's always on my case about getting to work. Nice to meetcha. Send Max into the back when you're done with her." He winked at Max and ducked a punch she threw.

She glared at his retreating form and turned to Vincent. "What's his name wants a heaven hazard," Vincent told her. She nodded and grabbed ingredients, spraying them with lightening precision into a tall glass. A few seconds later she handed him an umbrella topped glass and smiled.

"Give that to him and tell him his food with be ready in five minutes." Vincent delivered the drink and the message, looking up at the sound of the bell. Another man dressed in a suit headed for the bar and sat on one of the stools, making small talk with Max. She seemed to know everyone. More people slowly drizzled in and Vincent hurried around, taking orders and delivering food and drinks.

Around 8:00 a huge crowd came in and it was a solid continuous cycle of take orders, serve food/drink, repeat. An hour before closing Vincent slumped onto a stool near the edge of a group of men who were all riveted on some story Max was telling. Every once in awhile she would flip he hair over her shoulder and smile prettily at them. He knew they weren't really interested in what she was saying, but at least they all seemed to be buying drinks.

The two minute break where no one was ordering or in need of something was bliss for his tired body. A woman nearby eyed him with interest.

"You new?" she smiled coyly.

"Yes, I am. Speaking of which I better get back to work." The woman frowned as he moved away from her and grabbed dirty dishes off a table a couple had left a short while ago, taking them to the back kitchen.

"Where's the other hottie?" he heard someone call to Max from the back of her admirers. He paused to listen.

"I'm not enough for you?" Max pouted. Her look then became mischievous, "or maybe the truth is I'm too much for you." The men roared with laughter and Max refilled some of their glasses. "Tifa's not feeling well," she said, answering the man's question.

"Too bad," another one piped up, "does she need any company?" He grinned suggestively and Max swatted him playfully.

"Back off Jake. You better not try anything or our newest staff member will bust your ass for messing with his girlfriend." The men leaned closer, all interested now. One fell off his chair in his drunken state.

"She's got herself a man?" one of them grinned, "or is it one of those rent- a-night things?" Max frowned.

"Watch that mouth. All of you shut up and drink." Vincent hurried away before Max could catch him listening. After the last guest had finally left and the cleaning was done, Max came over to Vincent and leaned her head on his shoulder tiredly.

"Good job today. You'd make a good waiter. Consider the health benefits that'd come with the job," she teased. Gary came out of the kitchen with his jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Come on Max. I'll take you for dinner and a movie."

Max clung to Vincent. "Sorry. I can't. I have to do some other stuff tonight," she stated quickly. Gary grinned and came closer, pulling her to him.

"Come on now. We made a deal." Max sighed and let him lead her out of the bar in defeat.

"See you later Vincent," she called, struggling against Gary, "the bar's closed tomorrow for our town's festival day! Sleep in!" Smiling she yanked her arm away from Gary and followed him. "Lock the door," she reminded Vincent, then closed it behind them. He could hear an engine starting. Poor Max, he smiled. He realized that, despite his promise, he hadn't checked on Tifa all night. It was basically morning and he feared that this routine of being up all night and sleeping all day was going to become a habit.

His soft footsteps echoed in the empty bar as he locked the door tightly and strolled over to Tifa's room. He entered the apartment as quietly as possible and groped around in the dark until his shin suddenly connected with the edge of the bed. He cursed loudly and heard movement from the bed as he crashed to the floor.

"Vincent?" a tired voice spoke from the darkness. He pulled himself up, gingerly touching his leg to the ground.

"I'm here," he said through gritted teeth, "in pain, but here."

A lamp clicked on beside the bed and Tifa rubbed her eyes against the bright light. "I just came to check on you," Vincent explained, feeling like a peeping tom. Tifa smiled.

"Come here and check on me then." Vincent knew she was teasing, but he limped over and sat on the bed next to her anyway.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked softly, putting a gentle hand on her cheek, "you don't feel as warm."

"I'm better," Tifa confirmed. She held his hand to her face and kissed the fingers gently. Vincent closed his eyes, getting himself under strict control.

"I better head back out there," he whispered.

"What do you mean, back out there?" Tifa demanded.

"Um.....," Vincent stammered sheepishly, "as in out to the bar. To sleep on the couch."

"I think not! You can sleep right here! This is a perfectly good bed and it's big enough for the two of us."

"But........." Vincent couldn't think of any excuse that he could tell her without betraying his current feelings for her. "I can't."

"Why?" she asked, sounding hurt. He lightly ran his fingers down her arm. "I don't trust any man in your bed. Including myself. Who knows what I may do to you if you fell asleep." Tifa giggled.

"Right. Like that'd happen. I trust you more then if Max were spending the night with me. Why you'd have any desire to do anything I'd never know."

"Beautiful women can do strange things to a man's self control," Vincent said quietly. Tifa gave him a strange look.

"Then I guess we don't have a problem here, do we?" Vincent sighed and laid back on top of the covers, giving up an argument he could never win. Tifa tugged at the blankets. "Come on. Don't be shy. You can actually sleep under the covers you know."

Vincent blushed and didn't move. Tifa shoved him to the side and yanked the covers out from under him. Covering him with the soft blankets, she smiled and snuggled closer. "You're nice and warm." Vincent concentrated on not being aroused and stared at the ceiling.

"How was work?" Tifa asked, reaching over to the side table to click the lamp off. Vincent could hear a hint of amusement in her voice.

"The usual," he smiled in the dark, "your admirers missed you though. They were wondering where the other hottie was." Tifa snorted unbelievingly. Vincent jumped when he felt her cold hand on his cheek.

"Sorry," she shivered, "I'm really cold." Vincent knew he'd regret this later, but wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his warmth. This was the closest he'd ever been to a woman before. Even Lucretia had never let him hold her. She said it made them look weak to others.

His heart was beating so loudly he was sure Tifa could hear it. "It's late......," he trailed off, not knowing what he was saying. Tifa curled up tightly next to him and nuzzled into his neck. When her breathing evened out he knew she had fallen asleep. His body practically shook with effort at resisting her unaware attempts. She did things naturally that he found extremely attractive. Damn her. He let his body relax. Sleep was the best medicine. Perhaps he could rid himself of these feelings before he ended up hurting Tifa.

A sigh escaped his lips and Tifa jerked suddenly, her nails digging into his flesh. "Oww! Tifa what is it?" Her whole body was tense and she started to cry silently. He realized then that she wasn't even awake. She must be having a nightmare. Her arm whacked him in the side of the head and he gently restrained her arms.

"Tifa," she whispered softly in her ear, "Tifa, it's okay. It's me." Her struggling lessened and she whimpered. She clung to him, shaking and buried her face in his chest. When she looked up again he knew she had woken.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, letting go of him.

"Don't be. Never mind that," he whispered, stroking her hair, "just lie here and give your mind time to realize you're safe. It's all right." Tifa moved towards him and banged her forehead into his.

"Sorry," she said, half-laughing, half-crying. He pulled her to him until their lips met. Enjoying her taste, he deepened the kiss and slipped his tongue through her lips, tangling it with hers. When he pulled back, he found himself panting slightly.

"Don't be," he whispered again, his voice slightly husky. Tifa was silent. He cleared his throat quietly, hoping he hadn't gone too far. He knew that what he had done could easily shatter her trust. As he was breathing in, a mouth covered his, smothering him and making him feel light headed. Tifa kissed his lips feverishly and began moving down his face and along his neck. He groaned softly and put a finger to her lips, stopping her. "Wait....," Tifa ran her lips along his finger and he felt the more sensitive areas of his body stiffen.

He pushed her away gently and ran his hand through her hair and down her cheek. "We need sleep. You can't fully recover with me taking advantage of you like this. I should go."

Tifa grabbed his arm and jerked him towards her fiercely. "If you leave me now, I'll never speak to you again," she threatened. Vincent winced under her tight grip and hugged her to him.

"All right. I won't go. But please. Let's get some sleep. Both of us with be able to think more clearly in the morning. Then maybe you'll realize what a big mistake I am." Tifa sighed against his chest.

"We both know that's not going to happen."

"Then what is......?" Vincent spoke hesitantly. Tifa didn't answer. A soft hand trailed down his chest and slipped under his dress shirt. Her fingers were like ice and he leaned his face into her hair. Nuzzling the top of her head, he felt her remove her hand, as if she changed her mind. A soft kiss grazed his cheek and she lay on his chest, practically on top of him.

"Good night," she whispered.

"It is," he smiled. She murmured something else he didn't catch and relaxed against him. A familiar feeling was itching at the back of his mind. He screamed inwardly and fought Chaos back into its cage in the back of his mind. He wasn't letting any demons even get a look at her. She deserved to remain untainted. By him and his dark secrets. She'd be better off without him. Why couldn't she see that?

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Author: O_O................well......... *ahem* That was a very fluffy chapter, no? *smiles* Awwww they're so cute.

Vincent: *beams happily* Yay. I'm cute.

Author: So yah. I'm planning on more fluffiness in the future and I know that this story doesn't really have a plot, but it's more of a 'how they came to be' kind of story. It just explains a few things in chapter five of 'Five Years Later'. Speaking of which, I should probably post that soon. lol.

Sephiroth: I'm in that story! ^_^

Author: *huggles him* Yes you are.

Sephiroth: *squirms uncomfortably* Hey......aren't I supposed to like Aeris???

Author: *frowns and whacks him with a 'stupid stick'* No. You love me. Or else.

Sephiroth: Oh.....right. *smiles nervously*

Author: I was sooooo proud of myself that I got the latest chapter posted even though I thought there wasn't any way for me to be able to do that over spring break. It's all thanks to Ashley's generosity.

Ashley: *takes a bow* Thank you, thank you.

Author: I may even be able to post this chapter that you just finished reading sometime this week as well. But I guess you already knew that if you're reading this. :P Did you enjoy the chapter? I hope so! *sniffles* I hope somebody loves me. I don't wanna do a crappy Spanish project. :( There should be a law against teachers giving out projects to do over spring break. Blarg. I am dead. I hate live presentations. I can do written work where you just hand it in for marks, but I hate getting up in front of peoples. I don't wanna!!!!!!!

Sephiroth: Well you have to. And I'll be waiting for you when you get home to congratulate you on your excellent job........

Author: Congratulate me?? *eyes light up with understanding* Ohhhhhhhh. Okay. *smiles* Yay! *glances at her clock* Well, time is on my side so I might actually start writing the next chapter right now. Yay for me. :D Oh and here's a preview of next chapter's disclaimer person.

Amanda: *appears in a mysterious black cloak with shimmering brown locks tumbling from the hood, hiding her face* Hello.

Author: You'll meet her next chapter! Anyway, enough of my blabbering. Please review and tell me what you thought! Thankies! Have a great spring break everyone. (And hopefully a homework less one too.)