Chapter 48: Confirmed
(same tags apply as in Chapter 1)

Yuffie stifled a yawn with her free hand as looked up to the crimson-eyed man that held her in her arms. After their confessions to each other, they continued to dance, simply reveling in the feeling of being with each other. Though she was tired and the music had ended several minutes before, she didn't want to leave his arms.

Now that her feelings for her gunman were in the open, it was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her soul felt free now that it was not burdened with the secret of love that she held back from the older man before her. 'I love you so much Vincent…now that I have you, I'm not going to let go.' She thought as she buried her face against his chest.

"You are tired." Vincent's deep yet soft voice caused her eyes to open, the young ninja having not realized that her eyes had closed. A soft kiss was placed on the top of her head as he pulled back to look into tired eyes.

The ninja grasped his hands in hers and gave him a gentle smile. "I am, but I don't want this to end. Tonight has been perfect, Vincent and I can't thank you enough."

"There's no need for you to thank me. I did this because I love you, Yuffie. I have almost lost you on two separate occasions; I was not going to lose you to another man. I didn't know how to tell you before and you were nearly put in danger."

The disbelief was clear in the stormy eyes of the ninja and was only enhanced when she tilted her head slightly to the side. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine for not realizing that Clinton was a pervert. I'm just glad that you happened to be there to stop him. No more dates for me because I have the man I want."

The gunman smiled hugged her tightly, his and coming to brush against her lower back in soothing circles. "There is no other for me. I couldn't picture myself with anyone else."

Without further hesitation, he lifted his featherweight ninja into his arms, surprising her at the sudden action. She grinned before wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her from the ballroom, her head resting on his shoulder. The gentle sway of his steps caused her body to relax causing the desire for sleep to increase.

As Vincent made his way slowly up the stairs, he heard the soft sigh that escaped Yuffie's lips. Strong arms held her closer as he made his way to her bedroom, using his arm to push the door open a bit wider. Carefully, he laid his love on her large bed.

"Vincent?" A sleepy voice reached his ears as he sat towards the foot of the bed, removing the slippers that she wore around the mansion.

The slippers were placed on the floor where she could have easy access to them before he turned to face her. "You're tired. Get some rest Yuffie and I'll see you in the morning." Crimson eyes watched as she sat up slightly, her arms outstretched. A smile traced his lips as he embraced her tightly and placed a loving kiss on her lips, lightly nipping on her full, petal soft lower lip before pulling away.

"Love you, Vinnie." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Leviathan it feels good to say that aloud."

"As I you. Sleep well, Yuffie." He stood, reaching down to the foot of the bed to grab the quilt that was folded at the foot of the bed, draping it over her tiny form.

"You too, Vincent…"

Dark eyes were closed and breaths were even as he closed the door and moved back to the ballroom. The remaining cheesecake was placed in the fridge and the dishes were loaded into the washer. Soon, everything was done. The stress and pure elation he felt on this night had finally taken its toll on him for his body desired sleep and nothing else.

As Vincent retired to his room and stripped out of his clothing, a rumbling sound within the deep recesses of his mind had him puzzled for a moment. He paused before climbing into bed, trying to identify exactly what it was. After a moment, he knew it was from Chaos and none of the other beings that inhabited his body. It was almost as if here were…

'Chaos, you are purring.' The question came out more as a statement as Vincent smirked and climbed into bed. At hearing no answer, only the abrupt stop of the rumble, Vincent allowed a chuckle to leave his lips. 'That was the first time that I have ever heard you do such a thing.'

Silence met him for a few more moments before the demon decided to grace his host with an answer. 'Its been a long time since I've felt affection and love like that, Vincent. I had a mate at one point. A show of affection and love on the male's part towards their mate includes what you heard and it was NOT a purr! I'm not a mere kitten!

'Its been a thousand years…but you know that what you feel, I feel. It simply reminded me of my time with my mate.' The demon replied with what sounded like a slight sigh.

Vincent thought about what demon was saying and thought about how it must feel to be confined in such a way as the great demon was confined within him. There was really nothing he could do or say that would have made the situation any better for the demon. As far as Vincent knew, there was no way to extract Chaos or any of the other beings within him.

'Don't think about it too much, it isn't that bad. Your feelings inspire a certain…affection, for lack of a better word, within me for Yuffie. You're lucky to have that little ninja but just know, that if you ever let her go, I'll make the rest of your life a living hell…and trust me, I will have a very long time to do so Vinnie-boy The demon gave a sinister yet teasing laughter.

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he pulled a sheet over his bare chest, rolling on his side to make himself comfortable. Crimson eyes closed and after a few moments, there was a slight upturn to the corner of his lips. 'Chaos, if that wasn't a purr, what do you call it?'

The demon grumbled at his hosts' amusement. 'Shut up, Vinnie.'

.::-o-::.

The bright morning sun shone down over the beautifully remodeled mansion in the town of Nibelheim. Against the backdrops of the Nibel Mountains, the estate seemed to be the focal point for the few visitors who ventured into the mountain town; a relic once dead, but now given life by its new resident.

Inside the mansion, Vincent stood in front of the stove, watching as pieces of French toast began to brown on the built in griddle plate. The scent of cinnamon filled the kitchen, teasing the noses of its occupants.

Tifa moved to the coffee pot that sat on the in the maker before moving to the small, informal table near the rear of the kitchen, overlooking the back yard. Cloud yawned, despite having been up for a few hours already as Tifa poured him a cup of coffee. "Thanks Teef." He yawned once more as she took a seat beside him.

"You're welcome. I don't know why you're so tired, you fell asleep before I did!" She teased before turning to the man cooking. "Vincent, how much longer do you think Yuffs will sleep. I'm going to drag her out of bed in she doesn't get up soon. It's almost 10:30." She said and watched as the corner of his lips upturned slightly, but his eyes remained on the breakfast he was making for them all.

"Yuffie should be down soon, she did not sleep until late last night." He said, remembering exactly why she had stayed up so late. Today she was supposed to be sparring with Tifa and Cloud was going to start them both on the basics of swordsmanship.

He knew that Yuffie was quite versatile when it came to weapons. She had once told him that she had used a sword before, but it was found that she was more proficient with her Shuriken. Her training was focused on it and other weapons that could be used both at close range and long range such as such as kunai and throwing stars.

As he scooped the slices onto a plate, the sound of slightly stumbling feet and a muffled curse reached his ears, causing him to chuckle inwardly. Obviously his little ninja was still partially asleep and simply following her nose…no doubt she probably tripped over the runner rug that led into the kitchen. A moment later, the small figure of the one he loved, made her appearance, walking directly to him and not taking notice of the two sitting at the rectangular table near the window.

A pair of wine colored eyes and a pair of vibrant blue eyes widened, their mouths falling open slightly as they watched their ninja friend walk into the kitchen and move to stand behind the black clad man. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her cheek coming to rest on the black fabric of his shirt, platinum eyes closed as she smiled.

Vincent turned in her arms, wrapping his own loosely around her waist. Crimson eyes watched as she pushed herself to stand on her toes and readily accepted the soft kiss that she placed on his lips. The small female sunk back down and placed her head against his chest, her eyes having fallen closed again.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Yuffie."

Cloud and Tifa exchanged a look and a grin. "Good morning, Yuffie!" They said in unison, causing the ninja to jump, her eyes shooting open as she cursed.

"Shit!" Her eyes widened at the sight of her friends, her cheeks promptly turning cherry red. It was at that time that she remembered that she was supposed to be training with the couple today. "Uh…hi." She said with a small wave and was rewarded with even wider grins from their visitors.

"Sooooo," The fighter started, looking at the couple with knowing smiles. "You finally together? You told each other how you feel?"

Yuffie looked up to the crimson eyes and smiled. "He knows I love him, if that's whatcha mean, and I know he loves me as well."

"We're happy for the two of you and its about time!" The blond brought his cup of coffee up, saluting them with a smile.

"Thank you, guys." The ninja moved to the sink, now wide awake as she washed her hands, helping her boyfriend to serve breakfast. Laughter bubbled up within Yuffie. 'Boyfriend…that sooo doesn't fit him…he's just my Vinnie.' Possessive? Hell yes! Now that she had the man she loved, she wasn't going to give him up without a fight and after fighting all that Shinra had to offer, Sephiroth, Jenova (two versions, at that), a perverted scientist, and a drug fiend, she was ready for whatever brain-dead bimbo who even approached her gunman.

Little did she know that said gunman was thinking the same thing about his little ninja. There would be no more dates for her unless it was between the two of them.

.::-o-::.

Yuffie stepped out of the bathroom, her robe wrapped tightly around her small form and moved to the fighter laying on her bed, grabbing her sock clad foot. A grin traced her lips when the older woman yelped and sat up, pulling her legs beneath her. The brush sitting on top of her dresser was picked up and pulled through damp locks, seeing the expectant look on her friends face. "You know you wanna ask…" Her eyebrow arched at the question she knew was coming.

"So, how'd it happened?!" The brunette bounced with excitement on the ninja's bed.

Yuffie blushed and shook her head as she searched through her drawers for her clothing. A wave of gratefulness washed over her, knowing that the fighter couldn't see that her cheeks were reddening even further.

"Its all the basic linear love story. Ninja girl meets group…ninja girl finds coffin in creepy basement, frees vampy boy…falls in love with said vampy boy but doesn't admit it to herself. Vampy boy and ninja girl help friends save the planet…" She rambled as she pulled her undergarments out of her drawer before moving down a few to find a pair of shorts comfortable enough to train in.

"Spirit of dear sister convinces her to say something, vampy boy and ninja girl dance around each for months as they cohabitate in the mansion they refurbished…ninja girl goes on horrible dates, ending with pervert boy trying to take her to his home to do unimaginable things…"

The ninja repressed a shudder and closed the drawer after finding the desired shorts and a shirt. Yuffie moved to her shoji screen, draping her clothing over the wooden frame, she didn't notice the warm, sisterly grin that traced the lips of the fighter. Yuffie's eyes lost focus as she recalled the previous night "Vampy boy lures ninja girl to the ballroom with music…you should have heard it Tifa, he was playing and it was just beautiful. There were candles everywhere; there was wine, dinner and desert for two. We talked…we danced…"

"You felt complete in his arms, right?"

A nod greeted the fighter's question. "I felt safe…loved. I didn't know how badly I wanted that feeling until I had a real taste of it, ya know?" Yuffie came and plopped down on the soft mattress beside the fighter, her leg tucked beneath her as she faced the slightly older female. She hadn't told her friend everything that was said, considering how her gunman would feel and what was said between them was special…a private memory for the two of them. Maybe one day she'd tell her friend, but with Vincent becoming accustomed to having love in his life once more, she wasn't willing to risk him any embarrassment or discomfort.

Tifa met the stormy eyes of the ninja and reveled in the warmth she saw within them. For what seemed to be like decades, she had been waiting for the two to confess to each other and now that they did, it was as if she were staring at a new person, yet the person before her was still her little sister, the worlds greatest female ninja yet at the same time, her best, and most cherished confidant.

"Yeah, I know that feeling. Though our situation was different than yours and Vincent's, I still feel what you're describing. Every time I'm with Cloud, I feel loved and protected and when I think back to before we became a true couple, I can't even imagine myself going back to what we were before." Tifa reached over and gave the smaller girl a hug. "Yuffs, I'm so happy for you."

A soft knock caused both girls to turn back the door. "Come in." The ninja called and watched as the two men entered her room. Her eyes locked with claret and a soft, happy sigh escaped her lips at seeing him and the warmth in his eyes.

"Are you ready?" He asked and watched as the women nodded before sliding from his ninja's bed.

Tifa gave Yuffie's shoulder a knowing pat before smiling at the two of them. "We'll be waiting downstairs."

The couple watched as the fighter departed, inwardly thanking her for the few moments that they had alone. Without further waiting, the young woman slowly moved over to Vincent and was pulled into his strong arms. A pleased sigh escaped her lips when she felt the warm of his bare hand run across her cloth covered lower back. A kiss was shared between them causing a shiver to go down the spines of both man and woman.

The stir of desire washed through the raven haired man, as the kiss broke, his eyes fell closed as he pushed the feeling away. The ninja pressed her lips to his gently, before pulling back with a smile. No words of love were exchanged between the two since it was clear in the soft caresses and kisses that they shared. "Come on Vinnie. We'll have time alone together when we come back, promise."

Yuffie plucked the glove he was holding from his claw and carefully slid it onto his long, pale fingers. Yuffie reached down and picked up her pack and shuriken only to have her pack plucked away from her and sling it over his shoulder. With that, the couple left her bedroom made their way towards the staircase. Cloud looked up from his seat on the stairs where Tifa sat between his legs with knowing eyes.

"Lets get going. Vincent and I packed what we'll need for today." Cloud watched as his girlfriend stood and pulled him to his feet. He grabbed one of the three bags, which contained the kendo sticks, then grabbed his sheathed blade just in case they ran into any trouble. When Vincent reached the bottom, he grabbed the second bag and caught Yuffie's slightly questioning glance as she reclaimed her pack from his shoulder.

"Handguns and ammunition." He said simply and watched as she nodded. He placed his death penalty at his hip. If they got around to it, he would get the girls started with the basics of gun maintenance and have them take some practice shots.

Tifa scooped up her pack that contained their food. The four of them walked into the back to the chocobo stable where two of their three golds were waiting, the third was currently in Rocket town with Cid. Tiko and Kira warked happily, their flightless wings flapping as they approached.

Yuffie dashed forward, cooing to her two 'babies' scratching, them both behind their ears. "Are you guys ready to go?" She asked them and watched as they danced in a little circle, causing her to laugh.

The two chocobos were quickly saddled and each woman climbed on behind their respective loves. They left the grounds to the mansion for the safe area where they could train.

o-o-Authors Notes-o-o

Hehehe, yeah so it's been a few weeks since my last update which many of you know, for me is pretty quick for an update. I was telling one of my best buds, Angey (shadowbeaw), that I was not going to read any new fics or manga or watch any anime until I worked on something. Surprisingly, I finished it yesterday.

I'll be working on 'My Light' for the next couple days because I haven't updated that since March…which is BAD. I'm gonna try to get some more done within the next week or so but it'll probably be a couple weeks before I get the next chapter out.

Also, there will be a jump ahead in the story coming within the next chapter now that they're together. I'm not going to drag this story out with too many filler chapters. Its now June in the story and it will probably jump forward to August, I haven't quite decided yet. I know what I want to do, now it's just a matter of getting the time to do it.

There have been a few queries as to whether this story will have a lemon or not. Well I want to respect those of you who do not want any lemon content so the version on will NOT have a lemon. Another reason will it WILL NOT is because I don't want to have my account banned again…

For those of you who DO want a lemon, I will definitely be writing one since that was my intention all along. I wanted to have at the very least, one lemon and keep in mind, that I had this story planed before ffnet put that stupid policy change in effect. I will let you know at the start of a chapter if there is any lemon content. I decided that the lemon version will be in my livejournal when I decide to do on. There will be a link at the start of the chapter and you will also be able to leave reviews there as well.

I will not be posting the complete story on mediaminer, because I'm starting to dislike the way that other writers are treated on that site and I hate that all the final fantasy realm is under one category. There will be a link at the start of the chapter and you will also be able to leave reviews there as well.

Well, I guess I better stop rambling…blame it on six big cups of coffee in someone who rarely drinks the stuff.

Thanks for reading and I'll see ya all the next chappy!

Ezzy

PS: I don't own ff7! Though I really, really wish I did…

OH YEAH!

For those of you who read m/m, I am starting to post some of my stuff over at y-gallery! Remove the spaces or just search under artists for Ezriee (I can't draw a lick but some of my fics are there)

ht tp / yaoi.y- gallery . net /user /ezriee/

BTW: I've been going through the entire story and editing the chapters. So far its been edited up to chapter 15. This has been a few weeks since this chapter has been done but because of issues with relatives I couldn't post it til now.

10/05/07

Edited because of change in formatting. Also re-numbering chapters. Minor content edits.