Romance, according to Yuffie, means flowers and chocolates and giddy phonecalls in the middle of the night. It means holding hands and sneaking into closets to make out, playing footsie under the table and staring dreamily into your lover's eyes for long periods of time. It means sneaking kisses under the moonlight and dancing under the stars and all the other cliches that keep cropping up in the overblown romance novels she reads.

Romance, in her book, does not mean long boring talks over weaponry or discussions of political movements. It does not mean standing bodyguard over your supposed boyfriend while he visits the troops in the hospital. They don't hold hands; they don't kiss in public or snuggle or sigh in loving wonder. According to the ninja, whatever Reeve and Vincent have going on, it most definitely is not romantic.

Yuffie, as usual, has no idea what the hell she's talking about.

-

"Coffee?"

The small lounge on the Highwind was deserted this late at night; after midnight, the airship ran on a skeleton crew, which left the two men in relative seclusion. Blueprints that had been spread out earlier over the tables were now neatly rolled up into bundles and set aside on the floor. Vincent glanced down at the empty mug in his right hand and nodded curtly. "It's a bit late for you to be drinking caffeine, Reeve," he rumbled as the other man took the cup.

"I still have some adjustments I'd like to make on the secondary engines," Reeve replied, flashing Vincent a weary grin when he raised an eyebrow. "If I could wait for us to arrive in Junon, I would. I've worked on short shifts before. I'll be fine."

The gunslinger turned in his seat to watch Reeve as he slowly made his way to the counter. "One more adjustment. Then you're going to bed." He raised his clawed hand before Reeve could protest. "You're exhausted. It's obvious. You won't do anyone any good working yourself into the ground."

"Mmm." The WRO commissioner puttered around the counter, carefully measuring out the coffee and flicking the last grains of sugar from a handful of packets before adding in a few drops of cream. He lingered for a moment over Vincent's mug, almost as if considering, then slowly walked back with them. "I suppose you're right," he conceded; his hands were trembling with the effort of holding the heavy coffee cups. "Maybe I should take a catnap."

Vincent smirked and took his as Reeve sat next to him. "I still have that mastered Sleep materia, Reeve. Don't make me use it." He sipped at the heady brew, paused in surprise, then took another careful sip. Finally he dipped his fingers into the mug and fished out a half-melted square of Gongagan chocolate, rich and dark and fragrant. "... romantic," he accused, a slight smile touching his lips.

Reeve sat his coffee aside and chuckled softly. "I couldn't resist." He slumped down on the couch, long legs stretched out in front of him; Vincent shifted slightly so that his head was resting up against his shoulder. "Remind me... to pick some more up. Yuffie's been raiding my stash."

"Hmm." Vincent licked the last of the melted chocolate off his fingers. The other's eyes had closed; he shook his head with that same faint smile as Reeve settled his head in, claws closing ever-so-gently around his hand. "Go to sleep, Reeve. I'll wake you in an hour."