~Fang's POV~

"Oh look, it's my favorite person," I scoff once we board the airairship that Cid guy is picking us up in.

"I'm flattered," he rolls his eyes. "So you found him, eh?"

"Nah, Vinnie found me first," I smirk at Vincent. He rolls his eyes and keeps walking. Vanille, who is still tired from last night's watch, yawns and curls up at my feet like a dog while Sazh chuckles.

"Poor kid's not used to all this craziness."

"I am," I stretch my arms over my head. "I could go on for weeks."

"Nice to know," Cid scoffs, ordering his crew to start up the engines already. " 's gonna take us 'bout twenty minutes to get to Midgar, so get comfy."

"I forgot that old men like to go slow," I tease.

"I forgot that old women were grouchy," he shoots back. I scowl at him and lean my head back against the wall, my eyes turning to Vincent, who is standing a short distance off with his arms crossed.

"Vinnie, is he always this mean to ladies?"

"You ain't no lady," Cid guffaws.

"Only to those who threaten to push stick up their rears," my red cloaked friend answers with his crimson eyes twinkling.

"When did that happen?" The pilot lights a cigarette.

"When you pushed Vanille out of your ship, which I do have your murder thoroughly planned for the next time you try to hurt her." I swear he pales a little.

"I wasn't tryin'a hurt the girl," he finally replies, rolling his piercing blue eyes.

"Suuuuuuuuure you weren't," I narrow my eyes at him. "Just be careful, Highwind." Sazh chuckles and Vincent watches on as if it's a TV show or something.

"I'm shaking," Blondie scoffs before heading for the wheel.

~|~|~|~|~

"Fang!" I hear Hope call when we're sent into the really loud cafeteria. Vincent looks extremely uncomfortable with all the noise and Vanille seems to wake up.

"Hope!" She squeals and waves, running over to her friend. Cloud and Sazh instantly engage in a conversation. Vincent still shifts uncomfortably. Laughing silently to myself, I stand on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"Do I need to hold your hand cuz people scare you?" He scowls at me, but it's not very effective with our faces so close together. Really all it does is make his cheeks heat up. "Cmon Vinnie!" I grab his hand and march toward the table where everyone else is seated. "Okay guys. Vincent has decided that he doesn't know how to talk anymore, just so you know."

"Okay," Vanille nods with a smile. "Hey Cloud..."

"Breakfast is served," some random lady sets plates with toast, eggs, and bacon piled on before setting down glasses of orange juice. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No thank you," Cloud responds before Hope can add a million more food items to his plate. The teenager pouts, but eventually hunger wins and he digs in.

"So Vince," I elbow him. "Do you speak Spanish now or something?" He raises an eyebrow before responding in what I take is gibberish.

"Non, je parle français."

"... What?"

"Vous êtes étrange," he chuckles.

"What the heck is he speaking!?" I widen my eyes at Cloud. He just laughs and shakes his head.

"Do I look like I speak French?"

"But what language is he speaking?" I whine.

"Vous êtes aussi stupide."

"Translation!"

"He says: 'No I speak French', 'You are strange and 'You are also stupid.'" Cloud laughs. I swivel my head around to glare at a smirking Vincent.

"Wǒ ài nǐ, zhǐshì nǐ hái bù zhīdào," he says. ( 我愛你，只是你還不知道 )

"Cloud?"

"Okay, now I think he's speaking Wutainese," Spiky frowns. "Which only he and Yuffie speak."

"Vincent!" I whine. He shakes his head, face the tiniest bit pink, and takes a bite of his breakfast. "Tell me!"

"I would rather not."

"I'll ask Yuffie!"

"You would not be able to say it very fluently," he smiles teasingly.

"Whatever," I pretend to give in. On the inside, I'm saying it over and over again just to make sure to ask the ninja later. "Whoa. What's that?" I point to the wall. He blinks and turns to look at nothing. I quickly reach up and peck him on the cheek, making him jump and everyone else crack up. Lightning sends me a look and I nod. Wait, am I... I'm still holding his hand... Whoops.

"Guess what?" I hear a voice that I never wanted to hear until two minutes ago say. "We're here!" Yuffie sits on the other side of Vincent. For some reason, that really bugs me, especially since I picked the lock on her diary a few days ago and read that she had a crush on him. Mine.

"What about us?" Snow pouts playfully and plops down beside me, Tifa sitting across from him. Cloud eyes her and raises an eyebrow at Hope. The silver haired boy smirks. Am I missing something?

"Did ya miss me, Vinnie?" Yuffie rests her chin on his shoulder and gives him her puppy eyes, something she used to do that never bothered me until now. Vincent seems to notice that I'm stabbing my eggs rather aggressively and chuckles, ignoring her.

"Fang, I believe your food is already dead."

"Oh shut up," I snap at him. He blinks at me with a hurt look and I roll my eyes. "I was teasing Vince. Don't take me so seriously."

"My apologies," he mutters.

"Don't apologize either," I laugh, giving his gloved hand a squeeze. He suddenly seems to remember that he's clinging to me and tries to pull away, but I shake my head. Looking almost relieved, he relaxes and nods. "Now eat!"

"Yes ma'am," he shoots back cheekily.

~|~|~|~|~

"Yuffie!" I chase after lone girl in the hall. She spins and her gray eyes widen.

"Don't kill me!"

"Wǒ ài nǐ, zhǐshì nǐ hái bù zhīdào," I say, copying Vincent.

"... Excuse me?" She furrows her eyebrows.

"Translate it."

"Um... Why? Who said that?"

"Some random guy in the parking lot," I lie with a shrug. "Cloud said you would know what he said."

"Okay..?"

"So..?

"That guy is a creeper," she snickers. "It means: I love you, but you don't know it yet."

"..." I blink at her, wide eyed. That is not what I was expecting. "Crap."

"What? It's not like you know him..."

"Thanks!" I say, already running. Lightning..! Save me! What the heck am I suppose to do? The other part of me is singing: He loves me! He loves me! He truly, truly loves me!

"Light!" I bang on her door. Cloud opens it, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"What?"

"Is Lightning in there?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I need to talk to her, shorty," I shove the shorter man out of my way and step into the room. Lightning raises an eyebrow at me. "Please!? This is important!"

"About him?" She emphasizes the last word. I nod quickly and she stands. "I'll be back guys."

"See ya, I guess. Geeze, why is she so tall?" Cloud mutters to himself.

"What's up?" Light crosses her arms once we're alone in the hallway.

"That... Thing he said to me at breakfast that Cloud couldn't understand?" She nods, eyebrow raised.

"Chill, Fang. You're practically fan girling."

"He loves me!" I squeak out in a high pitched whisper.

"What?" She blinks at me.

"Wǒ ài nǐ, zhǐshì nǐ hái bù zhīdào. That means: 'I love you, but you don't know it yet.'"

"Wow. That's just... Wow," she shake sher head. "You've only known him a week!"

"I know," I tug at my hair. "Shoot. I know! This isn't fair!" I kick at the wall.

"Relax!" She laughs, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Just... Act act normal and you'll actually be able to tell if he was being honest or teasing."

"But he... I don't... Ugh!"

"Now if you'll excuse me," she smirks. "I've got a Cloud to stare at," she teases, going back into the room.

"I hate myself," I grumble, stomping back to our room. What am I suppose to do now? Vincent seems to notice my frustration when I storm into the room, but he's probably not sure what I'm upset about.

"Are you alright?" He finally asks once I've dropped my shoe for the fifth time and started glaring it in bitter hatred.

"Fine."

"You don't look very.."

"I'm fine," I snap. He blinks and says nothing more. Moments later, his PHS beeps and he leaves the room in a hurry. Great, now he thinks I'm pissed at him. Why does my life suck so much?

~Dreamland~

I stand on the edge of the cliff near the location where Titan held his trials. The wind feels cool and sweet against my skin and the tall grass softly brushes my calves gently. Grabbing my spear, I touch the nearby Cei'th stone and travel to the next part of the trials, a more open area where I killed an ochu and her babies a while back. I'm drawn to the spot like a magnet, spotting a figure dressed in red and black. They lift their head, crimson eyes locking with mine, a tortured sadness only I think I've ever seen in them showing clearly. The pain of all this... Is this what I make him feel like? Hurt?

Vincent starts toward me in his smooth, graceful walk, observing everything around him with his wise eyes. He's like a cat, I suppose. Everything done gracefully and with skill that only he could possibly possess. He opens his mouth to speak when I see a hand with long, sharp nails come around from behind and near his pale throat. My warning comes too late when the nails dig into his throat, tearing away the flesh and creating deep cuts. Not only that, but a thin blade spears through the back and out the front of his body. I scream, desperate to somehow save him. But he's drowning, choking, on his own blood, looking up at me hopelessly as he sinks to his knees. Behind him stands a resurrected Dysley.

"Barthandelus," I say bitterly, spitting the words at him, but the hate is replaced by hurt as I hold the dying man in my arms.

"Fang..." He whispers softly. I bite my lip and push his wild black bangs out of his face.

"Vincent, don't die on me buddy."

"I cannot... Survive this," he shakes his head, coughing onto his arm. When he pulls away, it's speckled red, much to my horror.

"You have to," I whimper. "I don't want you to die."

"Finish him... Kill Barthandelus." His eyes slide shut.

"Vincent?" Nothing. "Vince! Wake up! Please, I'm sorry!" My voice cracks. "Wake up."

~~~~~~

"Fang, wake up," a voice startles me from my nightmare, making me sit up instantly. Crimson eyes meet mine, full of worry.

"You're alive," I breathe out in relief, pulling him into a tight hug. He hesitates before hugging me back, utterly confused.

"As far as I know, I am."

"Sorry," I pull away with a nervous laugh. "Bad dream.

"I could tell," he says, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Do I want to talk about it? I don't know... Do I want to talk about how painful it would be for me to watch him go, even if we're just friends hitting a strange bump in the road? Do I want to tell him how bad it hurt to see him die? Do I want to tell him that I love him, even though I never can? I'm a coward in that area, so unsure of this whole 'romance' thing. I never cared if I met the right guy or not, or if I was going to feel like this. I don't want it to hurt...

"I think I'll survive," I give him a cheeky grin. He smiles and nods.

"Okay."

"So what did you have to leave for?"

"Yuffie needed help with her Conformer," he rolls his eyes. "She got it stuck in the wall."

"Idiot," I scoff. He raises an eyebrow.

"At least I was not having a staring contest with my shoes."

"You don't have shoes, you have spikes attached to your toes," I retort. He shakes his head, attempting to hide a smile behind his cloak. How can one smile make me so happy? "Hey Vincent?" I ask a but nervously, sitting on his bed so that I'm across from him.

"Yes?" He looks up.

"Where are we?" His face of confusion nearly makes me crack up.

"The WR..."

"No, I meant with, er, us," I blush, looking down. So awkward. I can tell he thinks a bit awkwardly of the situation too.

"Um..." Vincent, you never say 'um' unless ask you something. It's so "I have no idea, I guess."

"Okay," I say moments later, fiddling with my fingers. Awkward silence.

"Did you, er, want to... Uh.."

"I don't know," I shrug. He nods.

"Okay." After another silence I burst into laughter. He looks at me with a confused face, dreading the thought that this was all a joke. "Gods, we are so awkward!" He chuckles softly and shakes his head.

"Hopeless," he murmurs, making me laugh harder.

"Okay, I'll make this easier. Do you like me?" He blinks at me before nodding. "Good. You should. That's a good thing to do."

"You are an odd person," he sighs.

"I know," I wave him off. "And I like you too. God, this makes me feel like a teenager again. Anyway, so, uh, what do we do now?"

"Come here," he looks up at me. I shrug and walk over in front of him. He chuckles to himself at my confusion and grabs my hand, pulling me down onto his lap.

"You're comfy," I mumble. I can almost see his eyeroll as he puts his arms around my waist and holds me tight against him.

"Wǒ ài nǐ, zhǐshì nǐ hái bù zhīdào."

"I do know," I smile and turn to look at his somewhat blank face. "Wǒ ài nǐ."

He just keeps staring at me blankly like that, making me want to laugh like an insane person. So instead of laughing, I kiss him gently and try to slide off of him, but his grip is too tight on me.

"How did you know..."

"I told you I'd ask Yuffie."

"Oh."

"You doubted me," I laugh. He suppresses and smile and nods. "Silly Vinnie," I sigh, laying my head back on his shoulder. "Never doubt a woman from Gran Pulse."

"I won't."

"So where are we now?"

"Still in WR..."

"Stop it, you know what I meant," I roll my eyes at the smirking man.

"I have no idea what the titles are these days," he rolls his eyes.

"You're my bae," I snicker. He furrows his eyebrows at me.

"I'm your poop?" I burst out laughing.

"How many languages, do you speak, Vin?"

"... A lot."

"Hmm. How about the word 'dating'. Sound familiar, oldie?"

"A little," he smirks. "Why?"

"You know why, meanie," I hit his chest playfully.

"Alright. So do you need Cait Sith's megaphone to announce it to the world?" I laugh and shake my head.

"There are other ways of announcing," I smirk, standing. "But your PHS has been buzzing it your pocket, and I don't really enjoy phones vibrating on my butt for minutes straight." He blushes a deep shade of scarlet and digs into his pocket.

"I will return," he says softly, leaving the room with the PHS pressed to his ear.

"I know you will," I smile at the shut door.