~Snow's POV~

Tifa sighs and shakes her head.

"There has got to be a way to get she and Vincent back together."

"I'm not sure..." I start.

"Of course it's meant to be!" She interrupts me. "Did you see the way they would look at each other?"

"Yeah but..."

"Shut it and think! How could we do this..?"

"Um..." I blink at her, mind blank. "Why don't you just let them figure it out?"

"Because I am a female and I ship them!"

"... Okay..."

"Don't be turning into Vince on me," she smiles.

"I won't, I swear."

"Good. Now we must come up with an evil plan."

"Evil?"

"I'm a female, remember?"

"Right. Female. Evil. Got it."

~Fang's POV~

I wake up with a start and try to leap down before my dinner(s) come up, but I barely make it to the sink in time. The outhouse is a whole thirty feet away outside anyway. After I finish puking my guts up, I shakily reach around for a glass in the darkness. I hate feeling like this, weak and vulnerable. I take a few drinks from the glass before the nausea becomes overwhelming again and the water I just drank comes back up. Ew... While spewing the grossness from my mouth, I feel a hand settle on my lower back and I spin around, squinting to see better.

"Are you alright?" A deep, concerned voice asks. My nerves are already spiked from his touch, and my heart jumps even higher in reaction to his voice. Oh body, why do you betray me?

"Fine," I finally answer after studying his glowing scarlet eyes. My head suddenly decided to pound mercilessly and I groan, one hand on my temple and the other supporting me against the small countertop. His dark eyebrows furrow and he swiftly hands me the glass again. I refuse. "I don't feel like puking again."

"You either need to be miserable for days or get whatever is causing your illness out of your system." Narrowing my eyes in him irritably, I snatch the water and take a few sips just to satisfy him before putting it back on the counter stubbornly, unaware that his hand is still on my back.

"Happy?"

"Not particularly."

"Lighten up, Vamps. Snow explained the whole 'you're stuck here forever' thing. There are tons of nice ladies around here, and I'm sure there are coffins laying around here somewhere."

"I wish you would stop calling me a vampire," he sighs. "That's not my name."

"Sorry Vince," I pat his cheek before hunching over the sink again. He quickly moves to hold my wild hair out of my face like I thought he would. I don't even care. When I'm done, he doesn't force the water on me, just pulls off a glove and holds the back of it to my forehead with a deep frown.

"You're burning up."

"Gods, what did I eat?" I whine, holding my throbbing head tightly.

"It's probably just a fever or some food poisoning," he shakes his head. I nod and shakily walk back toward the bunks, trying but failing to climb up to my bed. "Fang, it may be easier for you to just lay on the couch."

"But.. Fine," I groan, stumbling past him and slowly easing myself down onto the cushions. Vince pulls my blanket off my bed and lays it over me, handing me my pillow.

"Do you need me to get you anything?"

"No, that's okay," I wave him off, eyes shut while I massage my temples. Ow. Ow. Ow. Then I feel the couch sink a little by my head, fingers soothingly running through my hair. I think I hear someone murmur "I love you" before I drift off, but who would?

~|~|~|~|~

When I wake up, I hurt too much to move, glaring at the open windows as if they will shut if I look long enough. When nothing happens, I sigh and slowly try to sit up. A gentle tug on my hair makes me turn and see Vincent's gloved hand is still loosely tangled there. Unaware that I'm smiling, I carefully untangle his longer fingers and take a little bit longer than needed to move his arm away. You're supposed to be disliking him, not relishing in lovey-dovey stuff! Maybe I just want to miss waking up to him there, his touch, that strange smile that only he could possibly pull off well.

Then I close my eyes and lay back down. No point in getting up, you'll just make it worse. I nod at my own thoughts and shift a teeny bit so that my cheek is innocently resting against his palm. He's warm! He stirs and those crimson eyes blink open. He inhales deeply and looks around him as if he forgot where he was before scooting up into more of a sit than the slouch he fell asleep in. I pretend to be asleep when his hand twitches and he slowly pulls it out from under my face. No! I open one eye to glare at him and he freezes, whether in fear or as an instinct I have no idea. He should be afraid.

"You just had to wake me up, didn't you?"

"... My apologies," he mumbles, looking down at his lap.

"You're so gullible," I laugh, slinging my legs over the edge of the couch and stand. Well, kinda. My head instantly starts spinning and I nearly fall over, but Vampy Boy catches me. I give him a wobbly smile and lean on him while I stumble out the front door.

"Where exactly are we going?" He mutters by my ear.

"I gotta pee."

"..."

Snickering to myself, I shake my head and struggle to get down the stairs with even Vincent's help, which isn't much because it's like he's scared to touch me. Finally sick of slipping until I'm too dizzy to breathe, I sigh and grab either side of his face roughly. He jumps and tenses up like a boulder, but ignore that and try to get my point across.

"I kinda need help here, Vincent, so you have permission to touch me. I'm not gonna get you sick, I swear."

"Sorry."

"Whatever happened to 'my apologies'?"

"I have no idea."

"Hm," I raise an eyebrow at him before turning to continue down. The next time I slip, Vince takes advantage of his privileges and scoops me up, either concerned or getting impatient. "Thanks bud," I pat his chest as he sets me down. He huffs and turns to walk away. "Who's gonna help me back?" He silently turns back and stands outside the small building.

When we finally get back to the apartment, Frill, Alec, and Sonyeh are up, giving us the same strange look. I suppose it makes sense, I mean, the guy I claim I can't stand is carrying me back bridal style and I'm boredly braiding pieces of his long, soft, ebony hair together. Looks like the picture of a teenage couple, actually... Shoot. Your letting yourself fall again, Fang. No I'm not! I'm just.. Having a little fun.

"I'm assuming you're the one that vomited all over the sink then?" Frill finally speaks up. I shrug as Vincent sets me back down on the couch and starts to leave. I tug him sharply back by an unfinished braid. "I'm not done yet!"

"How're you feeling?" Alec gives me his easy grin.

"Like crap," I answer flatly, trying to force Vincent to sit on the floor so I can finish messing his already messed up hair up. He finally gives in and sits down rather unsteadily, his back bumping into the couch roughly with a loud thud. Frill presses her lips together and Sonyeh covers her smile with her hand. It's not everyday you see a clumsy Vincent Valentine. He sighs and loses his face somewhere in his hand and claw. Poor guy. Becoming more used to life everyday. "How is your hair so soft and knotted at the same time?" I wonder out loud. Vincent shrugs, still hiding or whatever the heck he's doing. Maybe he's smelling his hands. What? No idea. Sonyeh approaches me seconds later with a comb in her hand, which I accept with a smile.

"Okay Vin, hope you don't mind getting a few chunks ripped out."

"Hey, be careful," Alec teases. "The guy probably values his luscious locks."

"Shut up, moron," I roll my eyes as I get to work. A few times Vincent makes a grunt of pain when I get frustrated and just tear through or cringes when I accidentally jerk too hard. Other than that, he makes no complaint, unlike me. I would've yelled and cussed out and punched the person who was brushing my hair by then.

It takes a full hour and a half of combing to get everything out of Vincent's hair, and I can tell he's relieved when I finally get too tired to sit up anymore. He gives me a concerned look when he feels my forehead again, muttering something to Frill that makes her nod and mutter something back. Vincent blushes before sitting beside me.

"I torture you enough?" I tease with a yawn.

"Perhaps."

"So I need to do more brushing?"

"No." His immediate answer makes me and Alec laugh, Frill shaking her head with a smile. My stomach clenches and I wince, coughing.

"Bucket," I manage to wheeze out. Vincent catches the plastic bucket Alec tosses him and sets it beside me just as I roll over to empty my empty stomach.

"Oh Fang," Frill sighs, approaching with a bowl of soup. I shake my head and hide under my blanket. No food! "Dear, just eat it."

"No!"

"Darling, please. Take the silly blanket off." I huff and throw it off, making my hair messier than it was before. "Thank you. Now eat." I shake my head firmly. With a sigh, she looks at the Vampy my back is facing. "Vincent, would you please help, dear?" Dear this, dear that. Old women are strange. I jump when I feel one hand on each shoulder, tensing even further when I can feel his breath beside my ear.

"Fang," he mumbles with his deep voice. "It will make you feel better."

"I still don't want to," I huff, turning my head away. He sighs and presses his lips to the nape of my neck, making me shudder.

"Please?"

"I hate you," I grumble, pushing his hands off. Curse him for being so... What's the word? Toxic. Yeah, that. "Fine. I'll eat it, geeze."

"Thank you, both of you. Here you go, Sweetheart."

"Pff, my heart ain't sweet. It's as black as my soul," I scoff before swallowing the first spoonful.

"Yes, whatever. Just eat."

I obey and eat half of the soup before refusing anymore, which satisfies both of my annoying nannies enough to let me sleep. When I awaken, Vincent's sleeves are rolled up and he's elbow deep in dish water, scrubbing away. Frill snoozes in her chair and Ayana no doubt is napping as well. I have no idea where Alec and Sonyeh are but...

"OH MY GOSH LOKIR, YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" I yell, jumping into a sitting position. The light brunette haired man chuckles and ruffles my hair.

"You feeling any better, Fang?"

"Eh," I shrug, head pounding again. Vincent eyes us discretely as Lokir hands me two pills.

"Thought you might have a headache. You get those a lot." I nod and look back at Vince.

"Hey slave! Get me some water!" He sighs and does as he's told. So what if I'm slightly taking advantage of the fact that he'd do anything for me? I'm not doing anything bad. He hands it over silently before going back to work, though I don't miss the glares he and Lokir pass to each other before he goes. Guys these days.

"So," I say after swallowing the medicine. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. Thought of anything for Alec yet?"

"Nah, too lazy. And I don't want anything too drastic. I like the kid."

"Aw, boo-hoo. He's just gonna keep getting into trouble until you do something."

"I know. Just... Let me nap. I'm sick."

"Fine," he sighs before heading toward the door. But before he does that, he narrows his eyes on Vince. "And you'd better be careful. I'm watching you." Vamps doesn't reply, merely rolls his eyes and continues washing. Compulsive cleaning disorder, Vamps. Don't catch it!

"Hey Vincent?"

"Yes?"

"Can I play with your hair when you're done?"

"..."

"Please?!?!?!"

"..."

"Because you love me?" I give him a pouty face.

"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Fine."