They'd been wrapped up in the blanket together for several hours when the storm finally broke. Somehow, miraculously, the entire affair had managed to stay platonic. Or at least as platonic as two naked people wrapped up in the same blanket could be.

Currently, his arms were wrapped around her, with her head pillowed on his shoulder and his head resting on hers. He was sleeping, and she'd only been awake for a little while. This was a position she'd had many fantasies about waking up in, and she couldn't help but feel very peaceful.

Here, in the tiny hours of the morning, she could admit to herself that she loved Vincent Valentine.

She couldn't—shouldn't—do anything about it; her father had seen to that last year. But her heart and her head could acknowledge how she felt.

Vincent stirred a bit in his sleep, moaning softly, and ruining Yuffie's peaceful mood. She wished she could see his face, to be able to tell if he was having another of his nightmares. He stirred a bit more and tightened his arms almost painfully around her, murmuring something in his sleep.

Yuffie had decided to wake him out of self preservation when she heard him take in a sharp breath and felt his head lift from hers.

"Vincent?" She looked up at him with slightly worried eyes.

He turned crimson eyes back down toward her, confusion written across his features. "Yuffie?"

"Yeah. You okay?" She was really worried. As far as she knew, he always woke up alert and ready for anything.

She was surprised when he hugged her close to his chest, holding on almost as if his life depended on her presence. And she could have been wrong, but Yuffie would have sworn she felt his tears dropping into her hair.

"Vincent?" she asked again.

"I am all right," he replied softly.

"Are you sure? Seemed like a pretty intense dream."

"I am." He ran his hand over her hair, while his claw continued to hold her close. "It was only a nightmare."

"Okay." She laid her head against his chest where she could hear his heat beat. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You may." Yuffie didn't miss the inflection Vincent placed on the word "you."

"Why did you leave Wutai?"

There was a long silence and Yuffie thought that he wasn't going to answer. She'd resigned herself to still not knowing when he finally did.

"Godo would not let me have what I desired. He told me to leave, or he would kill me."

Asshole. "What was it that you wanted?" She was braced for any answer but the one he gave her.

"You."

"Me?" She'd spent so much time wanting him, but it had never occurred to her that he might want her too. "Why?"

"I love you." Vincent's admission was simple, straight to the point, and made Yuffie truly hate her father.

Leviathan damn you, Godo. How dare you take away my chance at happiness. Our chance at happiness. Yuffie tried to speak, but couldn't force the words past the lump of sadness and rage in her throat. She just let Vincent hold her as she sorted things out in her mind.

Neither was sure how much time had passed since Vincent's admission, but the sun was just peaking over the horizon when Yuffie came to her decision.

She broke Vincent's hold around her waist to turn around and face him. She straddled his lap, making both of them painfully aware of their nakedness, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Vincent, do you still want me?"

"Your father…" She could feel him becoming aroused, even as he weakly protested.

"My father isn't here. Do you want me?"

"God yes," he whispered.

She wrapped her hands in his hair and pulled his mouth to hers for a searing kiss.

NOTE: apologies to all of you who may be looking for my first lemon here. It doesn't exist. Yet. Look for it on adult fanfiction(dot)net. I'll have a link for it in my profile soon. TTFN

Eerian