Author's note: I'm a bit unsure of my category choice since I've realized that there actually is no humour in the story. At least, not yet. I seem to be going down a serious path so far, so…hm. I don't know.

Characters within the story belong to Square Enix unless otherwise noted.

PS: I need help on the title. I'm running a sad, sad blank. Nothing decent. Maybe when I write more chapters, a suitable title will come to me, I hope. I hope to write more before I return to the Philippines for a reunion.

----

By the time the sun had fallen from the sky to let night enter the skies, Tifa decided to close 7th Heaven early to catch up with old friends. Yuffie had been bouncing from corner to corner of the bar; whether it be poking at Nanaki or shoving materia at Cait Sith's face to annoy Reeve. Cid left early on the Shera to get back to his wife after he talked a little with Vincent to check on how he was doing. Nanaki later hitched a ride with Cid to get back to Cosmo Canyon. Cloud, however, was still nowhere to be seen even after several hours, which disappointed several members of AVALANCHE. Although, it was understandable. It couldn't be helped.

"Tifa?" Marlene started, tugging on Tifa's skirt. "Cloud missed dinner."

"I'll scold him later when he does return," she replied as she placed a hand on the child's head gently.

"Bah. I better get goin' now," Barret grunted at the sight of the clock. "Marlene, come over and give me a hug."

With a short, gleeful giggle, the little girl ran to her adoptive father and hugged him goodnight. He knelt down to return the hug then kissed her cheek. Soon after, he swept her up onto his shoulder then headed down one hall.

"I'll tuck you in before I leave. Time for bed."

"Aw, but I'm not sleepy, Papa!"

Denzel rubbed his eyes and followed not too far behind, Cait Sith riding upon his shoulders. Tifa watched them disappear into a bedroom then she looked towards a table. Yuffie was sitting beside Vincent in a corner booth, pestering him since he was the only one left in the bar area other than Tifa.

"Have you ever considered throwing this thing away?" Yuffie asked him as she pulled up a flap of his cape, pushing a hand through the fabric's many holes. "Yuck. I hope you wash this."

"Yuffie…" Vincent said without looking at her.

"What?"

"…go away."

With a pout, she got up then threw the cape at his face.

"The least you could do is get a new cape or fix the one you have. You look like a hobo. Can't even use it to carry materia around with all those tears."

With that, Yuffie stormed down the hall to look for Cait Sith. Tifa shook her head then smiled at the sight at this. She walked over to Vincent then slid over to sit next to him.

"Getting on your nerves again?"

Vincent adjusted his cape then leaned back on the cushion of the bench seat. Due to the lack of response, Tifa was ready to leave him there to check on the others. Before she could move, she soon felt cold metal curl around her arm. In response, she looked back at him, curiosity in her eyes.

"She only behaves this way since I screen her calls without response," he finally answered. "I told Cloud to speak with her about it, but it seems that she has no intention on listening. I blocked her recently and this has set her off further."

"Oh, you won't hear the end of it now," Tifa chuckled, sliding closer as he released her arm.

"I do not intend on blocking her for long. Only until she learns that it is my phone. She has no right to call it needlessly. There needs to be a reason and it has to be important."

Tifa's laughter was now a faint hum in her throat.

"What if she does it to show affection?"

"Then I should have told Cid to give her an hour long ride on the Shera…or at least long enough to make her pass out."

After his remark, he looked down at Tifa with an almost sadistic smile. She couldn't help but smirk in return. Cold, as usual, but she found his dark humour strangely…adorable, if not comical since he seldom showed this side of him.

Vincent's eyes wandered and observed Tifa for a moment before he rose to his feet to leave the booth, sliding past the table to stand at its side.

"Where are you going?" Tifa asked.

"Time may have stopped for me, but even I must take my leave for slumber."

"Then why don't you stay here?"

"There are no rooms vacant to accommodate my stay."

"Nonsense," Tifa gave a reassuring expression as she stood up to stand next to him. Placing a finger beneath her chin, she tilted her head to one side. "Why don't you take Cloud's bed for the night?"

Vincent gave her a rather puzzled gaze. He studied her for any signs of doubt, yet could find nothing to show backing out upon her word. Before he could give his utterance of refusal, Tifa grabbed his hands and took him upstairs, almost forcefully.

What…what is making her do this…? Vincent thought to himself, his feet almost entangled within the tears of his cape at each step since his movement was restricted to hers alone. Tifa opened the door then shoved him inside before he could object. Women…attractive and sometimes innocent…but once they're set on what they want, they cannot be convinced otherwise. Augh…

Tifa closed the door behind her then went to the drawers to fetch him night clothes. Vincent felt secretively anxious to see her this way. She gave him glances every now and then to check his height and slender overall stature.

"Tifa, please…"

"If you don't stay here, where else would you go?"

"I…" He paused and was stumped. There was no real answer to her question. "I go wherever my feet take me."

She rolled her eyes then stood up to face him, placing a set of red velvet pajamas into his hands.

"Well then, your feet have taken you here. You're staying."

Vincent opened his mouth, but no sound left his lips as he lifted his right eyebrow and narrowed his left eye. He was whipped, so he made no further objections. He walked towards one bed then placed the garments upon it. Picking up the articles of clothing individually to examine them, his lips pursed as if either impressed or surprised. They were perfectly his size.

"I keep a pair for everyone just in case," Tifa continued, close enough to him that she reached up to unravel his bandanna. "Like them?"

He began to unbuckle his belts then folded his cape neatly once he slipped it off as she pulled the wrappings away from his head. His hair scattered in front of his face as a result.

"As red as the sins I carry in my heart," he mused in jest as he pushed the black strands away from his face. "They are acceptable. Thank you."

As Vincent began to undo the belts on his fitted leather jacket, he couldn't help feel Tifa's eyes fixed upon his body. This made him feel uneasy, yet intrigued, though he refused to confess this.

"Ahem," he shifted his eyes to look at her, tapping a foot, the plates of metal clinking indistinctly.

Tifa's eyes blinked away from his body, her cheeks developing a soft pink shade.

"Oh…right…right."

She turned away to gather herself her own clothes to change into then went towards the bathroom.

"Just tell me when you're done," she said before she closed the door.

A sigh escaped Vincent's lips as he let his upper half hang forward for a second. It's just for tonight…

While Vincent removed his clothes then set them off to the side individually, Tifa creaked the door open to a crack to watch. Upon earlier, her inquisitiveness had peaked, curious to see more. She did not know the reason why, but it couldn't possibly hurt to watch. Despite his distanced demeanor…he is fairly endearing…

His tall body was lean, muscles scarcely visible, but he was still far from lanky. He slipped the night shirt on then buttoned it vigilantly before he dealt with his pants. Unfastening more belts, he paused to look behind him towards the bathroom. Tifa silently gasped to herself, edging back to change her own clothes. Vincent's face scrunched slightly before he resumed.

It took him a few minutes longer than usual before he was fully dressed; given that he felt rather suspicious towards the movement and sounds the bathroom gave off. He didn't bother to detach his gauntlet.

"Alright. You may come out now."

Tifa obeyed and presented herself to him. She wore an almost fitted night gown. Well, fitted in all the right places. It was enough to bring colour to the gunslinger's pale face. She gave no visible consideration to his stare then sat down upon her own bed, flattening out the nighty. Her breasts gave a soft bounce responsively to her grooming. This made Vincent perspire a little, feeling the sweat bead down his hairline down to the back of his neck. To get his mind off her body, he turned and knelt down against the wall to connect the USB to his cell phone to charge its battery. After, he rose to make his way into the bathroom to splash water at his face and to brush his teeth with a toothbrush Tifa had provided him.

I never had the pleasure of seeing Lucrecia this way…

"It looks good on you, Vincent."

He felt the tiny hairs behind his neck rise to hear this.

"…quite. You chose well."

Once returning to the bedroom, Tifa was right there to tend to him and wrapped her hands along the golden metal on his arm.

"Let your skin breathe. You never seem to take this off."

She rolled his sleeve for easy access. One by one, she unlatched its straps slowly. Freeing the last strap, she drew the gauntlet away from his arm then placed it on the nightstand with care. He flexed his fingers a few times before he removed his left glove, placing it beside the other.

"That's better."

"I suppose…"

"Tch."

She nudged him playfully then returned to her bed. She stared dreamily at the ceiling as she lied down. He looked at her before he settled down on the bed provided to him.

"I hope you like the phone I helped pick out with you," she said, her gaze fixed upward as she reached to one side to switch off a lamp.

"Other than Yuffie, it has proven to be useful. I give you my gratitude," he replied, turning off the lamp on his side.

In the darkness, there was unnerving silence. Unknowingly, the two shared the same thoughts of "what ifs" and inquisitive desire. Neither of them acted upon their questionable yearnings and turned over to face opposite directions on the beds they laid upon.

"Goodnight," they both articulated quietly, though sleep was far from reach for either of them that night.

----

Erm…whoa. This towers over the first chapter majorly. Give me a heads up if I'm becoming borderline M rated here.

How am I going to break Cloud out of existence, I wonder. Oh, man. That's going to be hard.