Author's Note: Shout-out to the Yuffentine Crusaders. You know who you are.

"Hey Vinnie."

Vincent looked up from his book at a smiling ninja, who sat on the arm of his chair, invading his personal space. He had grown used to it, and didn't mind as much as he used to, so he compliantly closed his reading material and tucked it safely between his thigh and the side of the chair. "Hello, Yuffie."

"What're you up to?"

He motioned vaguely to the book he just put down, and she nodded a few times, quite obviously avoiding getting to the point of her visit.

"Did you need something, Yuffie?"

She sighed loudly and her hands dropped lifelessly into her lap, her shoulders sagging. "Vinnie, can you do me a favour?"

He bristled slightly. Favours for Yuffie never boded well for anyone; least of all him. Still, she'd been there when he needed her help on countless occasions, and what kind of friend would he be if he didn't return the favour once in a while?

A bad one, that's what—and Vincent's days of being a bad friend were behind him. "How can I help?"

She seemed uncomfortable, and it troubled him. She should have known by now that he would practically go to the ends of the earth for her, and all she needed to do was ask it of him and it was done with little to no hesitation.

"Yuffie?"

"I need you to kiss me," she blurted.

He blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

She squirmed on her perch. "I knowww, it's crazy, right? But I heard these girls talking about us when I was hanging out at Seventh Heaven..."

"And they said that I should kiss you?" he asked, apparently appalled.

"Gawd, you don't have to tell me you'd rather die, okay? I thought it was weird too." She fidgeted once again, wiggling in her seat. "But you've got to believe me, Vinnie, the things they said; they actually made sense! So that's why you've gotta kiss me, Vince. What if I've been in love with you for all this time, and I just never knew it?"

He opened his mouth to say something, most likely an attempt at protesting, but he glanced to the side, his brow furrowed. "What did they say?"

She leaned back, resting back against the chair, sheepishly looking over at him. "Well, they were saying things about how we are perfect for each other; like how opposites attract and all that jazz. You know what I mean? And it got me thinking: what if they're right? I mean, all of their reasons seemed pretty legit."

Vincent inhaled evenly. "These girls are strangers, how do they even know who we are?"

"I overheard them saying they had seen a clip of us fighting Bahamut on the news and about how they could tell we had," she made little quotations with her fingers, "dynamic by the way we moved in battle."

They both took a moment to think that through in silence with contemplative looks on their faces, staring distantly at the far wall.

Vincent grunted, breaking the silence. "Well, we do fight well as partners."

Yuffie smiled suddenly, turning to him. "We do, don't we?" she expressed excitedly.

He hummed softly, his brow dented in thought. "I don't know if that is sufficient enough means on which to base a romance, however."

"Which is why you need to kiss me, so I can figure it out. Tifa said that when you have your first kiss, you will feel something, and then you'll just know."

Vincent chuckled. "Yuffie, I have been in love before, and it isn't quite that simple."

The ninja smirked and tossed a look at him. "Yeah, well, we all know how that relationship turned out, so you don't get to talk."

He was reprehended quite successfully, and sat quietly as the girl continued.

"They also said something about how opposites attract, and geeze, you can't argue with that one, Vince."

He arched an eyebrow.

"We're hardly similar. I'm all sunshine and rainbows and you're all coffins at night time, I drink tea, you drink coffee; I'm young, you're old; I'm irrational, you're rational; I'm loud, and you're, well, not," she explained, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

After a moment of contemplation, Vincent decided that it actually was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm afraid that the two of us are love challenged, Vince," she said reflectively, folding her arms over her chest. "And what if we miss out on happiness because we're too stupid to figure out that we should have been together the whole time?"

He hesitated. Although the things Yuffie said made sense, he certainly didn't feel like he was in love with her. "Do you feel like you're in love?"

"No idea, Vinners. I've never been in love before," she said, shrugging. "I mean, I like hanging out with you, and I like talking to you, and I like making you smile... but I have no idea if that's what love is. It seems kind of nice, so maybe it is."

"It feels like there's a fist clenched around your heart," he said quietly, silently staring at his gauntlet. He seemed to refocus when he felt Yuffie's hand on his, gently squeezing it.

"Like I said Vince; someone in that situation was doing something wrong. My guess is that it was whoever the dude was with his hand in your chest. I mean-- love isn't supposed to hurt, is it?"

At one time he had thought so, but experience had led him to believe otherwise. He glanced at the girl to his right, and thought about how it never hurt to be around her.

"Well, what do you say, Vinnie?"

He quite enjoyed being around her, and it was indeed a fact that they were brilliant partners in battle. When he moved, she would move opposite him; almost instinctively knowing his next move before he had even made it.

It was also undeniable that they were quite opposite, but only in certain ways. Still, if there was credit to the theory that opposites attract, then they were definitely good candidates. Perhaps she was right; perhaps all they needed was some physical contact to bring emotions to the surface that neither knew that they should pay attention to.

He shifted slightly, turning sideways in the chair to better face her and looked her in the eye. "Come here, then."

Her eyes widened, but she grinned, shifting on the arm of the chair to face him. Her eyes fluttered closed when he touched her face and a bright blush sprang to her cheeks. He guided her toward him with as much grace as he could, and she found herself kneeling on the chair, straddling his lap. His gauntlet settled on the dip of her waist and he drew her closer, being gentle with her, as one might hold a porcelain teacup.

"I should also mention," she murmured, very awkwardly placing her hands on his shoulders. "They kept screaming about how you're such a fox."

He arched an eyebrow elegantly.

"They're kinda right, you know."

The corner of his mouth tugged upwards in the barest hint of a smile. "You're very beautiful as well, Yuffie."

She knew what was coming. She'd seen enough sappy romantic comedies to know that a line like that was almost always followed by a mind-blowing kiss that would inevitably define the entire relationship. She clenched her eyes shut and waited.

His lips touched hers very abruptly; more or less two mouths accidently running into each other rather than an actual kiss. Just as suddenly as it happened, it was over, and they both pulled back, staring at each other.

"I'm sorry," Vincent blurted. "It's been a very long time."

Yuffie shook her shoulders, loosening up. "It's okay. It's okay. Try again?"

He nodded decisively.

The second kiss was far better in execution. His lips were soft against her own and once they had started the tension in their bodies melted away. Yuffie's hands that had been stationary on his shoulders tangled themselves in his hair and he pulled her a little closer. Their lips moved against each other gently, Vincent patiently instructing the less experienced ninja with subtle movements. His gauntlet touched her hip and his leather clad hand sank into her hair as his tongue traced her bottom lip, seeking permission, one she did not know she had to give.

With a little decisive force his tongue snaked past her lips.

"WO-HOH! What the hell!?" Yuffie pushed him backwards, staring at him with wide eyes.

He sighed.

"What was with the tongue in my mouth deal, Vince?"

"It's called a French kiss."

"French? What the fuck is that?"

"It's a race of people, I believe."

"Where are they from?"

He looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure, actually. Somewhere on the eastern continent, I think."

She looked away. "Sorry about that."

"Hn."

"So anyway, did you feel anything?"

He looked at her regretfully. "It was something akin to kissing my sister."

"Yeah. More like an uncle for me," she admitted, adding a hasty "No offence."

"None taken."

She climbed off of his lap and positioned herself back on the arm of his chair, settling in comfortably. A small smile settled on her lips and she glanced at the man currently wiping his mouth discreetly on the back on his hand.

He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. She was one of his best friends, and he could only see disaster if love and lust were to become a part of the equation. Yes, things were much simpler this way, and thank Leviathan, because Vincent needed a hell of a lot more simple in his life.

To be honest, Yuffie was kind of relieved as well. She liked being his friend. He was kind and caring and would do anything for her, just as she would for him, and despite his external boring demeanour he was actually quite entertaining (albeit usually when he wasn't trying to be).

Yes, Yuffie was quite happy with the way things turned out. She smiled again and nudged his arm. "So, I didn't know you had a sister. Where's she been hiding all this time?"

"She's dead."

The ninja scoffed. "Gawd, you're such a downer."