Vincent opened his eyes as Yuffie stopped the car in front of Rocket Town's small inn. "Why not stay with Cid and Shera?"

"With all those little girls funning around everywhere?" Yuffie made a face. "Ugh. I don't think so."

" 'All those little girls'? I was only aware of one."

"Well, you've missed some stuff in the last six years. They have four now. And it's past their bedtime." Yuffie gave him a smirk. "You can risk the wrath of Shera if you want, but I'm not gonna."

Vincent's crimson gaze remained steady as he replied, "Perhaps the inn is the better part of valor."

"Yup." The ninja looked out the windshield. "Gods, we're gonna get soaked going back out there! Even if we run."

"We could always sleep in the car," Vincent suggested, with the ghost of a smile.

"No way! Even four little girls is better than that!" With that, Yuffie jumped out of the car and sprinted for the door of the inn.

Aw, crap. I forgot my spare clothes, she thought as she dashed inside. Oh well. I'll just…Great Leviathan! Where did all these people come from!

She heard the door open and close again, and turned to see Vincent surveying the crowded room.

"Sorry it's so packed," she apologized, remembering how much he'd hated crowds. "It's not usually like this."

"It is all right. I will simply stay in my room" He looked almost vulnerable, and Yuffie realized that she'd been wrong when she thought he hadn't changed.

Now that she could see him in full light, not the half-lighting from the car's dome, she could see that he'd lost weight. His claw was dull and tarnished. His hair was longer—and even more unkempt.

But the most surprising thing about Vincent's appearance was the pale white starburst-shaped scar below his right eye.

How did that happen? I didn't know Vincent could scar.

Something in the way he held himself told her that this was not the time to ask what had happened. If she did, he'd most certainly leave—and she knew she'd never see him again.

"Right. Then let's go gets some rooms." She didn't bother to ask if he had any gil—he wasn't even carrying a gun. Vincent being broke was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

Obviously, the gunslinger had fallen on some incredibly hard times.

The duo walked to the check in desk, Vincent staying uncharacteristically close to Yuffie. The clerk smiled as she noticed the ninja.

"Good evening, Lady Kisaragi. What can we do for you?"

"Two rooms please. Singles are fine." Yuffie began rummaging in her pockets for the gil to pay.

"I'm sorry, Lady Kisaragi. All I have left is one single room for the night," The clerk apologized.

"Huh?" Yuffie wasn't sure she'd heard right. "Only one room?"

"Yes, ma'am. The Highwind is grounded due to the storm so we're booked up."

"The single room will do," Vincent told the clerk.

"Are you sure, Vince?" Yuffie asked.

"It is that, or back into the rain to the car or Cid and Shera's. I do not wish to be nearly drowned out there again." His eyes locked with hers and Yuffie found herself looking away quickly.

"Sure. Okay." The ninja took the room key from the clerk and slid one hundred gil across the counter to her. "Thanks."

"Have a nice stay, Lady Kisaragi. Sir."

Yuffie led Vincent upstairs to the room number on the key. Sighing, she put the key in the lock and turned it, opening the door.

The room was everything she'd come to expect from a single bed room at the inn of Rocket Town. It held a utilitarian bed, dresser and desk all in a light brown wood. In front of the desk was an uncomfortable looking plastic chair. A small lamp on the desk and a single window provided all the room's lighting.

The room was also cool—for some reason the air conditioning was on—and Yuffie shivered as she stepped inside. Vincent closed the door behind them and laid a hand on Yuffie's shoulder.

"Are you cold?

"A little." She rubbed her hands across her upper arms in an effort to warm them. "It's just cause I'm all wet."

"Then you should change out of those clothes and warm up in the bed."

She blushed faintly. "My spare clothes are in the car. I forgot to bring them in."

Vincent just looked at her.

"What?" she asked, squirming under his scrutiny.

"You will get ill if you do not get warm."

"Vincent, I…" she couldn't find words to explain what she was feeling.

"Don't worry. I won't watch." He took his hand from her shoulder and walked to the window where he stared out at the storm.

Yuffie wasn't sure what he was thinking. She wasn't even sure what she was thinking.

There had been something between them, before. Some spark that she couldn't define, even now. She'd wanted him then—the romantic and the physical, but he'd left before anything had come of it.

Now, here he was again, live and mostly well. And the feelings she thought might be gone, we resurfacing. And she couldn't do anything about it because of her commitments at home. Sometimes life really sucked.

Slowly, she began to pull her shirt off, wincing as the cold air hit her flesh, chilling her again. Quickly, she pulled off her pants as well, then grabbed the blanket off the bed and wrapped herself up in it.

"Okay, I'm done," she told Vincent.

He turned and looked at her blanket bundled form as she bent to pick up her clothes from teh floor. "Yuffie." The girl looked up. "Sit down. I will lay them out for you."

"Huh? No, its okay—"

"Sit." He took the clothes from her hand.

Yuffie stared into Vincent's unreadable eyes for a moment before she forced herself to look away and reply. "Okay."

Vincent took her clothes over to the dresser and pulled open a drawer. He layed the clothes out neatly—almost meticulously—over the drawer so they would dry. Then he walked to the thermostat box on the wall and turned the air off.

Yuffie watched him as he walked across the room and realized that he was leaving a trail of puddles across the nice wooden floor.

"Hey, Vince?" The gunman turned to her. "You're dripping everywhere."

"True. But we only have one blanket." He gave her another of the ghost smiles he was so good at. "I will be fine."

"You're not impervious, Vincent. You can get just as sick as me." Gods, what am I doing? I know where this will go… "I don't mind sharing the blanket."

"Yuffie…"

"Vincent, please. If I wanted you to die of pneumonia, I would have left you by the side of the road out there. You're too important to me for that." She didn't really think that would convince him. It was pretty cheesy. It was completely true, but cheesy.

"All right."

Huh? He went for it? What otherworld did I fall into? She watched, amazed as he peeled his shirt off, causing his hair to throw water droplets across his chest and back. Great Leviathan, is he trying to turn me on? If he is, it's working. She felt heat moving into her cheeks as his hands moved to the fly of his pants and began to unfasten them. Really, really working.

He stopped briefly and sat in the chair to take off his boots. Then he pulled off his pants and Yuffie nearly died.

Oh my god. He goes commando. And he's beautiful… He was the most beautiful, perfectly formed man she'd ever seen, even with the faint scars across his back and the metal claw that ended at his elbow.

He looked at her strangely, as if he'd heard her breath catch in her throat, or her heart skip a beat. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not really." She managed to keep her voice steady—barely. No problem, except that I have no idea how I'll be able to keep my hands off you.

"Good. You did promise to share the blanket, after all." She wasn't sure, but she thought he was smirking at her.

sorry kiddies. i know i promised to have all of it up, but i was just wasted after work today, and this was all i could manage. i'll try to have the rest up tomorrow afternoon. 'til then, read and review!

eerian