Chapter Three: Like a Coffee Maker

Tifa greeted me as I entered the kitchen.

"Morning, Yuffs. How'd you sleep?"

"Alright. And you?"

"Pretty good. Hey, Uhmm… Were you and Vincent fighting again?"

"Uhh… No." I lied, directing my eyes away from Tifa's.

"Yuffs… If you were, I'm not gonna be mad… I'm just worried. For both of you." She said gently.

"Why? I'm fine…" I lied again.

"Look, Yuffie. I'm not trying to be your dad-"

"Gag."

"-or anything. I'm just worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt… You know you're like a little sister to me, Yuffs. You can tell me anything… You know that, right?"

"Yeah.." She was guilt- tripping me. And it might've been working- just a little.

"Anything that might be going on… It doesn't even have to be Vincent. It could be anything… Your dad… Anything, Yuffs."

"Maybe we argued… A little. But that's it, Teef! He didn't hurt me. I'm fine." I said quickly, wondering if she was satisfied with my explanation. Of course not.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked, opening the kitchen doors and looking at Tifa.

"Hmm? Oh! Nothing, we were just talking about…."

"She was guilt tripping me." I said bluntly. Tifa looked stricken.

"I say, Yuffie! I was doing no such-"

"You so were." Tifa gasped at me and I held back a laugh.

"Why are you questioning Yuffie?" My stomach growled in protest to no food. "She sounds like a coffee maker." He commented. Vincent quirked a perfect obsidian eyebrow, aiming a level gaze at Tifa, who panicked and left the room. I broke into hopeless giggles once Tifa was out of the room, and hopefully out of earshot. "What?"

"That was priceless!" I giggled, clutching my sides. "I think you actually scared her away!"

"I did not intend such a thing." He said, his forehead wrinkling cutely. He looked like he should have been scratching his head and staring blankly at nothing, trying to figure out what he'd done wrong.

"It's okay, Vinnie." I grinned up at him no that I was able to breathe properly. "Don't do that to your forehead. It causes wrinkles." I smiled, causing his lips to pull up at the corners a little. How adorable. I thought absent-mindedly. I got up on my tip toes and kissed his forehead. "Wrinkles are not sexy." I scolded, a smile still on my face.

"I apologize." His lips pulled up a little more. He was practically smiling!

"Why don't you ever smile?" I asked, finding a bagel and putting it in the toaster. "Do I really sound like a coffee maker?" I added

"More like a dozen coffee makers." He said quietly, starting the coffee maker, as if for effect. "Would you like a cup?"

"No, thanks. Coffee's gross."

"Alright." It was silent for a moment, and I (for once) didn't break it. "Yuffie?"

"Yeah?"

"What was Tifa asking about?"

"She was just being Tifa… No worries, Vinnie."

"I am just curious. Was it about me?"

Well, I couldn't lie. "Kind of…." I developed a sudden fascination with the knob on the toaster , staring at it intently.

"Then do I not have a right to know?"

"Yeah….."

"Well, what was it?"

"She wanted to know if we'd been fighting again." I said, turning to face him. He paused in pouring his coffee and his eyes widened a fraction of an inch. I swallowed.

"What did you tell her?"

"I lied- sort of."

"Sort of?" He repeated. My bagel popped up of the toaster behind me.

"Well, I couldn't lie to her. I told her we had argued again, but…"

"But?"

"You hadn't hurt me. So it's okay." I turned away from him to retrieve my bagel and find something- Ah! My chocolate spread!- to put on it. He surprised me- an arm threaded around my waist, and he kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you." He said into my hair.

"Anytime." I replied. "Wanna bite?" I held up my bagel to him.

"What is that?"

"Chocolate spread." I grinned.

"Why?" He sounded absolutely horrified.

"Just try it." He humored me, and took a little bite.

"That's disgusting, Yuffie. How do you eat that?"

"It's delicious." I argued, taking a bite that was considerably larger than his. "You didn't even take a big enough bite to taste it!" I said, feigning shock and holding it up to him again.

"I don't want to try it again, Yuffie."

"Please?" I asked as sweetly as I could muster. He took another- slightly larger- bite.

"That is still disgusting." I could practically see his nose wrinkle. I giggled at him. We separated and went to the table in the back of the kitchen.

"And so is coffee." I countered.

"Touché."

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