Disclaimer: I own no part of Final Fantasy VII. I am not receiving any payment for this story other than self-satisfaction.

I hope everyone has been enjoying these characters. I think their personalities are slightly off from the games and movies, but it's been 5 years. I don't think everyone stays the same all their life. Not to mention these guys have been through quite a lot, huh?

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Chapter Six: A Perfect Date

Vincent watched Yuffie as she ate her rare steak at a slightly slow pace. He could only assume she was doing her best to savor every bite. Her plate was almost half way gone while his was nearing the state of being entirely empty. Luckily, they were in no hurry to get out of the casual, steak restaurant.

Yuffie wore a simple, slim dress able to show off her tiny body and fit frame. A part of Vincent was impressed she managed to keep herself in shape while remaining in princess mode for so many years. He wore his usual black attire with boots. He was also lucky his dark clothes worked almost everywhere.

"Vinnie, can you believe everything that's happened in such a short time?" she asked thinking to how much had occurred in just a little over 24 hours. She was kissed by Vincent Valentine, told she was going to marry Vincent Valentine, and now she was on a date with Vincent Valentine. She would never have predicted a future like this.

"It felt much longer to me," he said and took the final bite of his meal.

"Probably true," Yuffie agreed. She could not have imagined what it would have been like if she had to watch Vincent only sleep for as long as he had observed her. "Where you afraid I wasn't going to wake up?"

Vincent leaned back in his side of the booth to watch her eat. He thought about her question and his feelings. Through the entire adventure he was on a constant roller coaster with his feelings.

"I was terrified with what was happening to you," he said with a slow sigh. "Not to mention I couldn't figure out what was going on in my head. I didn't want to believe I loved you or that you could ever find it in your heart to love me."

"Why?" Yuffie asked. She was nearly done with her meal now.

"Because the last time I told myself I loved a woman she crushed me. Lucrecia left me for experiments and turned her future over to the hands of a lunatic," he said and shook his head. "Her betrayal crushed me and there was no way I can every live through something like that again. Admitting to loving you and everything I did was a huge step for me. I kicked down a wall around my heart I worked so hard to build."

Yuffie took the final bite of her steak. A waitress appeared to carry their plates away and offered dessert. Eating more food was out of the question. She left them their bill for Vincent to pay. Yuffie sipped the final bit of wine and finally responded to his words.

"I didn't think you could ever love someone like me," Yuffie said thinking back to when they first met. "Once I got over the belief of you being some kind of vampire or demon, I really started to like you. You were so different from what I expected from an average guy and were still able to care so much even with the terror in your past. It was kind of nice to experience that kind of love way back then?"

He gave her a look she could only compare to a chocobo when it first opened its eyes to a new life. Confused and a little lost with what was going on. Cute when shown on the tough face of Vinnie.

"I started crushing on you before Sephiroth was even out of our troubles," she said. Her cheeks touched a soft shade of pink as she continued to speak. "Then I tried to let it go when that trouble was done. Of course, one thing led to another and we were fighting alongside each other again. The crush I thought I let go popped up like some annoying weed. No matter what I did I couldn't get you off my mind. Finally, I admitted I had a tiny crush and just lived with it. When Godo got diagnosed with cancer the whole mess with my feelings went crazy. Therefore, I had to push you aside so I didn't have to deal with it."

"That explains a lot," he said. "I was a little worried when you suddenly stopped pestering me with text messages and calls every minute of every day. I was a little worried for a bit until the announcement of Godo's sickness was made public."

"Yeah, I didn't handle that very well. I should have let everyone know what my plans were, but a part of me didn't want you guys to go," she said.

Vincent stood and held out his hand to help her move to her feet. As they walked out of the restaurant he directed her into the opposite direction of where his motorcycle was parked. Yuffie wasn't quite ready to hope on the machine yet, but she had no idea why Vincent was walking away.

"You know we wouldn't have left you," Vincent said. Yuffie bobbed her head to agree and leaned against his arm. "I'm glad you kept in touch with Tifa though, she probably would have killed you if you dropped all contact with her. Then she kept us up to date with any major news you told her."

"Ah." Yuffie giggled. She knew Tifa wouldn't keep her friends in the dark. "Where are we going?"

Vincent pulled Yuffie down a little sidewalk between two buildings. The sidewalk connected to a larger area with a park in the center. He continued to walk forward with Yuffie on his arm. Their walk stopped when they reached a white picnic bench at the edge of the park area. A couple of streets lights were on providing them with enough light to see one another. A few cars drove on the streets signaling the final group of people getting off work to head home.

"Yuffie, do you know how beautiful you are to me?" Vincent asked as Yuffie leaned against his shoulder. She remained silent so he could explain his question without her interrupting. "You are as beautiful as a star in the night sky. All my life I looked for a star as bright as you and tried to grab a hold of it. At one point I thought befriending the star was simple enough. Then you would always be a part of my life. But then life actually happened and I let you slip through my fingers. Before I could think twice you were gone. For a long time I accepted the darkness again, but then I watched you die before my eyes."

Yuffie gave him a puzzled look. The tears in her eyes remained still in wait for his explanation.

"When I saw you get shot on live television I know my heart stopped that very second. Deep down I knew you weren't dead because there was no way I would survive your death," he said and turned so their knees bumped where they sat. "When we finally got to your home and saw you knocked out in your bed I think it was at that moment I realized I wanted to be by your side forever. That way I would always be there to protect you and make sure you were safe. I was finally able to let my heart love you because you were almost taken away from me. I don't ever want you to leave me, Yuffie Kisaragi."

Yuffie let the tears in her eyes fall as Vincent got down on one knee with her left hand in his grasp. He looked up into her watery eyes with a smile on his face.

"I know we were planning on going out tomorrow to pick out the perfect ring for you to wear, but I think I already found it," he said and opened the box to reveal the ring her mother once wore. "Yuffie Kisaragi, would you take my last name and become my wife?"

Yuffie gasped as she took in the ring before her. She only carried a few memories of her mother. In fact, she could barely recall the sound of her voice. But she did remember the many times her father showed off her mother's ring and shared their beginning story. They carried a true love when it was there. She knew he still loved her mother even if she was gone. Tears poured out of her eyes as she hoped her father would be able to walk alongside his true love again.

"Yes," Yuffie whispered. She covered her mouth as the ring she adored as a child was slid onto her finger. The fact Vincent was given this ring told her so much about her father's view on their marriage.

Vincent rose while he pulled her head towards his own and captured her lips. They kissed for what felt like forever in celebration of their first step towards their life together. Neither of them ever dreamt of finding someone worth marrying. Yuffie thought it was overrated while Vincent thought his one chance for true love was murdered. It just went to show how clouded their views truly were.

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AWWWW! Okay, now that the question was popped it only leaves me with one thing left. Let's get to the wedding! Do you expect drama? Simplicity? Complications? Surprises? Or just an average wedding? Who knows with this adorable couple?!