Softening of Stone

Yuffie opened her eyes. She didn't remember falling asleep in her room. A smile grew on her lips when she thought of how Vincent must have carried her in. She made a note to herself to remember to ask Tifa.

She headed downstairs. "Hey, Spike." She greeted Cloud as she grabbed a box of "Count Chocula" out of the cupboard.

"Morning." He replied groggily, rubbing his eyes.

Yuffie poured the Count Chocula into a bowl and plopped down at the table. Taking a bite she closed her eyes and savored it. She hadn't tasted chocolate in WAY too long in her opinion.

"I hope you aren't becoming a glutton." A deep voice said behind her.

"Good morning, Vinnie!" Yuffie said enthusiastically, "Want some Count Chocula?" She smiled.

"Is that a joke on when you believed me to be a vampire?" Vincent asked.

Yuffie smiled innocently. "Now why would I think that?"

Vincent poured himself coffee and sat in the place besides her. He didn't see Cloud sneak silently out of the room.

"You want some?" Yuffie offered. "I'll get you a bowl."

"No thanks." Vincent sighed.

"Oh, come on! Try a bite!" She held up a spoonful of the chocolaty cereal.

"Yuffie..."

"You wimp! It's just chocolate! It's not like it's laced with garlic."

Vincent sighed in resignation. He took the bite. He usually didn't eat anything remotely chocolate-like, so he wasn't quite familiar with the taste. His eyebrows cinched up, trying to sort out the flavor. He decided it was okay, but didn't expect to eat it often.

"Good, right?" Yuffie's smile seemed to widen when he nodded. "Bet it tastes much better then that disgusting coffee you're drinking."

"How would you know if it was disgusting? Have you tried it?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Well, I haven't. Kinda assumed that chocolate is better than most foods." Yuffie shrugged, "Other than pocky, that is."

He held out the cup to her. She hesitantly took it and took a small sip. She then grimaced. "Eww!" She whined, "That's disgusting! You owe me a box of pocky for tasting that crap!"

He smiled slightly. "Fine. Now return my coffee." Yuffie handed back the cup and laughed.

"I expect it within a month!" She ate another spoonful of cereal. They sat in comfortable silence as Yuffie crunched on her cereal and Vincent sipped at his coffee.

"Morning you two." Tifa walked into the room yawning.

"Morning." They answered back simultaneously.

"Vincent, Cloud wants you." Tifa informed him. Vincent sighed and stood up, leaving his coffee on the table. After Tifa was sure he was out of the room, she asked Yuffie, "And what were you doing?"

"Nothing..."Yuffie continued to eat.

"Really? Cloud said you were sharing food." Tifa suddenly had a smile on her face. "You like him!"

Yuffie blushed. "Well... How couldn't I? He saved me. He used to sit up with me before I was kidnapped, and... and well who couldn't like him?" Yuffie whispered/exclaimed. "Well, except for you with your whole Cloud fetish."

Tifa rolled her eyes.

X~x~X~x~X~x~X

"Vincent, you like Yuffie." Cloud stated.

"Uhh... I... umm..." Vincent stuttered, "Is... Is it that obvious?"

"Only... a lot." Cloud raised his eyebrow, " At least to me... and Tifa... and Marlene..."

"I get it. You can stop now."

X~x~X~x~X~x~X

"Oh, come on!" Yuffie cried in frustration. She was playing Tomb Raider:Legend and had died for the fourth time in the same spot. "I'm no good with guns." She pouted. She switched off the game and turned it back to the regular television.

"Let me see the controller." Tifa commanded. Yuffie tossed over the controller and sat in the space on the couch that was open next to Vincent. Tifa changed the channel and put it on NCIS.

"Oh! Good show!" Yuffie's eyes lit up. "Abby is my favorite character!"

Vincent's mouth twitched in a very small grin. He was happy to see she was so lively after such an experience as she had had.

"My favorite character is Ziva." Tifa stated.

"How? Abby so awesome! She hog-tied her murderous assistant with duct-tape in one episode!" Yuffie told her.

Tifa remained silent and continued to watch the episode.

Vincent focused on Yuffie through the corner of his eye. Her emotions constently shifted from one to another. Her melodous laughter rang through the room when Abby got mad at Mcgee for eating her cupcake.

After NCIS ended, Yuffie suggested they watch a scary movie seeing as it was getting late and Denzal and Marlene were asleep.

"Silent Hill! We should watch Silent Hill!" She held up the case.

"I'm okay with it." Cloud said. "What about you guys?"

"Why not?" Tifa concluded.

"What about you, Vinnie? Wanna watch it?" Yuffie asked with a puppy-like stare up at Vincent.

He looked softly down at her. "Sure."

"Yes!" She put the disc in the DVD player and plopped back down in the seat next to Vincent.

X~x~X~An hour later~X~x~X

Yuffie shrieked and hid her face in Vincent's cloak. On the screen, Pyramid Head had just ripped the skin off someone.

At every gorey or scary moment, Yuffie had moved closer to Vincent. She was now pressed up against him. He didn't mind.

Vincent winced when he saw the burt body of Alyssa on screen. "You scared, Vince?" Yuffie laughed.

It was the final scene of the movie. Alyssa was controling the barbed wire to rip people apart and Rose was trying to free her daughter.

"Ahh!" Yuffie proclaimed when it ended with Rose and her daughter Sharon back home. She yawned. "I'm going to bed. Night, Teef. Night, Cloud. See you in the morning, Vinnie!"

She ran back to her room and collapsed on her bed. She fell asleep in seconds.

X~x~X~Middle of the night~X~x~X

Yuffie's eyes opened wide, full of terror. She attempted to get up but her legs fell out from under her. The nightmare replayed over and over again in her head. A strangled cry emerged from her lips.

Two rooms over Vincent woke to the noise. "Yuffie...?" He heard the cry again.

A moment later he was out of bed and dressed. He rushed out of his room and down the hall. He knocked on Yuffie's door and heard no reply. What he could hear was sobbing. He caustiously opened the door. Yuffie was crying, half curled up on the floor.

Vincent knelt besides her and tenderly touch her shoulders. He couldn't stand seeing her that way. She clutched his arms and sobbed into his chest.

"Make him go away..." Her eyes red from crying.

"Who Yuffie? What's wrong?" The way she was crying tore at his heart as he wrapped his arms around her.

She tried to take a deep breath and speak, but it turned into more sobs. "He's..." Here she sobbed, "Hojo has returned."

Oh my gosh. Cliffhanger(ish)! Not as bad as my cliffhanger in "His Fault", though. Hope you liked. And I discovered where I got my thing where Vinnie smells good. I've been listening to Avril Lavigne CDs lately and she mentions smell alot. Like "The clothes you left still lay on the floor, and they smell just like you." or " It smelt like cheap perfume and it didn't smell like you."

Any way, R&R.