Hello to all of my avid readers.
This is the beginning of a six part series called the 'Color Series'. This series is going to focus upon Yuffie and Vincent, specifically on their relationship starting after Deep Ground. I love this pairing and I know that while I have a Series staring Sephiroth and Cloud, but this series is shorter than the Reaction series. I plan to have six stories in this series, Starting with the hardest times and going to the best of times in the plot. So this one is 'Black' and it will end with 'Gold'.
It might get a little intense at a point but don't fear, there will be some smut and some angst at point. But I hope that it is well liked and I love feedback.
I don't own FF7 or any of its characters. Please note that if you give me feedback then please do not make it have flames and such because they will be doused in water and thrown away.
Here we go.
"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
"Wutainese"
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Now is where it begins
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Edge, Seventh Heaven Bar, 1:25 am
Sin.
That seemed to be the forefront issue upon his mind at all times. He never seemed to be able to move past death, hate, and love. He was trapped in a never-ending cycle to last his whole immortal life. It was never going to end.
Over the past couple of months, he had been asked to help save the world once again and it never seemed to help in the path of redemption. It was always the same. Save the world once, rest and then save it again. But resting was not going to be a possibility this time. A certain ninja was preventing him from sleeping, an activity that seemed to be eluding him lately.
"Vincent?" a soft voice asked. Mahogany eyes locked onto his own crimson, and the soft face looked at him with concern as she continued to clean the class in her hand. Tifa Lockhart was definitely something to be reckoned with. She managed a family of often-absent male parts and the ever obtrusive and obnoxious teenage boy and yet she still managed to smile and help others. And if there were ever a person who would understand and help him, it would be Tifa, self-proclaimed mother of Avalanche.
"Tifa, how would you atone for sins of the past?" he quietly asked, handing over his glass for another glass of wine.
Chuckling, Tifa refilled his glass, before returning with her rag to continue to wipe down the bar.
"I think you and Cloud both seem to have a one track mind recently." Sighing she continued. "He recently, as in this morning, asked me the same question. And I gave him the same answer I am about to give you."
She walked around from behind the bar and sat down next to the brooding man. "The only way to atone for anything is to confront it head on. This is something that you and Cloud have both done. You have helped defeat Sephiroth, and have recently helped to save the world against the very mad scientist who made you the way you are today. I know you see this as a burden but not everybody does."
"I am different and a monster. I am not a burden, Tifa, I am a person who should not be allowed to step foot into society. I should not be allowed to sit here in this bar with you and drink. I should not be allowed to work for the W.R.O. and help rebuild this very planet that a sin had almost succeeded in destroying." Vincent replied, his voice soft with emotion.
"Vincent, you are loved…" Tifa stopped as the front door to Seventh Heaven opened and in stepped the man of the house, Cloud Strife. Gently smiling at Cloud she rose to her feet walking behind the bar to pour the young swordsman a whiskey. She walked back out to the main floor putting the glass in front of cloud, kissing his cheek with a farewell, looking at Vincent. "You are loved more than you know."
Tifa bid them goodnight and headed up the stairs.
"So what is the topic of thought today Vincent?" Cloud asked finishing off his drink before reaching behind the bar and setting it down in the sink.
"Redemption"
"Ah. I understand."
"I have sinned and I need to redeem myself." Vincent replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I don't believe that the world is black and white. One day Vincent, maybe I can believe that whole-heartedly. I am already on that path of redemption, by finally being with the women I love after denying her for all of these years." Cloud muttered. His eyes seemed to stare into Vincent's Soul as he caught the crimson orbs. "You have abolished the sin of not killing Hojo, and I believe that if you found someone special, perhaps the sin of letting Lucrecia go on as she did might disappear as you hold someone dear in your heart, not as a friend but as a steady companion who loves you for all you are and all you lack."
Vincent let a sour smirk play across his lips as he looked at the swordsman making his way up the stairs to his shared room with a certain fighter.
"You sound as if you have found that person for yourself, as if you are telling me out of experience and not advice." He said.
"I have found everything I have ever wanted in a woman in a woman that just happens to be my best friend and my comrade for many years. By having her accept me even after looking at my every scar and knowing most if not all of my flaws, I am confident that this is how it was meant to be for me." Cloud sighed at the top of the stairs. "I am going to be Vincent, and your guest room is prepared. You may stay with us for however long you wish but please think over what has been said."
And with that parting thought, Vincent was left alone at the closed Seventh Heaven bar with a half full glass of wine resting in his hands.
"I don't believe you quite understand, Cloud." Vincent murmured when the swordsman left the room. "It is harder to find redemption when your heart has been black for so many years."
Vincent drained his glass and proceeded to turn in for the night, with heavy thoughts weighing in his mind.
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Three days later, Edge, Seventh Heaven Bar, 12:30 a.m.
Yuffie Kisaragi, Princess of Wutai, sat on the curb of the street, which Seventh Heaven sat. Her small petite frame was covered in cuts and bruises, all depicting the hard journey that she had just completed. Her stormy gray eyes were haunted by images that only one so hurt and disturbed could have truly understood. She was emotionally scarred and the upbeat princess was no more.
She had originally come to Seventh Heaven in the middle of the night because she didn't want to be seen like this by a massive population in the middle of the day. Questions would be asked, whether this was a public or private appearance, and she wasn't ready to answer them. This is the main reason to which she had not attempted to enter the bar.
She was afraid.
She was tired.
But most of all, she didn't want to burden her friends with her problems.
The bar was still very much open and it looked as if it was a good night for Seventh Heaven. People were moving around inside and as people left, more went in.
Cloud was working behind the bar with Tifa, and Vincent, whom she was surprised to see in the bar, and working nonetheless, seemed to be doing the dirty duty of kicking out drunks.
'That would be the job he takes at the bar.' Yuffie thought. 'It was always one of his specialties to look after those who truly need it.'
Slowly Yuffie decided to man, or woman, up and began the to cover the short distance to the entrance of the bar. Her muscles ached from running and some of her still healing wounds pulled as she walked slowly across the street. It was painful to go much faster, and going slow is not one of her specialties.
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Vincent looked up from reading his book as the front door's bell rang. Someone was entering the bar, and although it wasn't closing time, he was curious to see who would enter a bar at 12:45 in the morning, and what was revealed shocked him. His stoic demeanor dropped as he rushed forward to catch the stumbling ninja.
"Yuffie?" Vincent gently asked as the ninja fought of the seductive call of unconsciousness.
"So tired…" Yuffie whispered. Her eyes gently closed as she lost the battle.
Tifa came running over the couple, letting Cloud deal with the people still left in the bar. For some reason, they all stampeded to the door whenever he unsheathed the first Tsurugi.
"Vincent, let's get her up stairs and clean her wounds. It will be easier to treat and set any that are more serious because she won't feel the pain." Tifa said urgently, motioning for Vincent to go up the stairs in front of her. He tried to walk as swiftly as possible without jostling the injured princess too much.
"In here." Tifa opened up the kid's room and motioned him in. The kids were currently in Corel with Barret for a week. Cloud and Tifa needed a break every now and then.
Gently setting Yuffie down on the bed, he began to unlace her boots and Tifa worked on cutting away her clothing. Vincent blushed as he looked up and saw Tifa cutting away her bra, before turning back to the difficult boot upon the Ninja's legs. Cloud soon entered the room, with various bandages and materia in his hand, as well as whiskey and vodka.
Vincent looked questioningly at the alcohol in his hands.
"The whiskey will burn away just about any infection and judging by how dirty the wounds are, it will be needed. And the vodka is for you. Start drinking." Cloud said thrusting the Clear liquid in his hand before entering the room and handing Tifa a cloth and the whiskey.
Vincent felt his heart pull at the sight of the naked girl lying on the bed as Tifa worked on her injuries. Cloud was currently facing the doorway, facing away from the injured girl cutting pieces of bandages to the appropriate size. When Tifa asked for a bandage for a certain area, he had many cut and ready to be handed to her at her notice.
Scrapes and bruises littered her petite frame and it looked as if a couple of fingers might have been broken. Her skin was as pale as a person in death and it looked as if she hadn't eaten in a while. Her weapon was nowhere to be found and the only piece of materia on her person was the Leviathan materia. The red orb was resting gracefully upon her neck. The silver necklace in which is rested was covered in blood: her own blood judging upon the cuts on her neck.
"Vincent," Tifa turned to him, gesturing for him to walk over to the bed. Half an hour had gone by and many limbs were bandaged, some were splinted and others were healing as a curaga overcame her body. Tifa reached behind Yuffie's neck and looked for the clasp that held the necklace upon her body.
The necklace slid into Tifa's hand, the red orb glinting in the light as she held it out for Vincent to take. "You would be the only person she would ever entrust this to. Your Wutainese heritage makes you the only person of our team able to hold this Materia. Please, will you keep it safe and protect it, until she asks for it back?"
Vincent looked at the garnet materia being held by the chain. Nodding slightly, he reached out his normal hand, and took the materia from the fighter's grasp.
'Yuffie would be upset to see blood covering the chain. I will clean the chain and polish it while I have it.' Vincent thought as he watched Tifa cover Yuffie's sleeping body with a sheet. Cloud reached out and held her as she turned toward him with tears being held back in her mahogany eyes. Cloud gently kissed her head and held her as she let go of all the worries she had while working on the Ninja.
Vincent looked at Cloud, jealousy present in his eyes. He wished that he too had somebody to hold and care for like the fighter and swordsman.
'But he doesn't have a heart that is black: a heart entwined with sin forever.' Vincent thought as he gently brushed his claw through Yuffie's hair before bidding the couple goodnight.
He wanted to sleep through the night with out being plagued by waking nightmares.
The leviathan materia warmed at his touch. Perhaps, tonight would be the night when he could sleep in peace.
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Two days later, one o'clock pm, seventh heaven
Vincent was sitting at the bar, waiting for Tifa to come back down with a fully awakened Yuffie.
It had been two long days of energy loss, as all three current inhabitants of Seventh Heaven have taken turns every two hours to heal the Ninja. After a day and half of healing, she had awoken to having Cloud heal her injuries. She wasn't awake for very long but even seeing her eyes, for just a second had placed hope that she would be okay. Yuffie was strong.
He had forgone his red cape, wearing just his leather armor and claw. His top clasps of his leather suit had been undone and just a hint of the pale chest that laid underneath. The chest was interrupted by a singular red summon materia, held up by a silver chain. As promised, he had cleaned and polished the silver chain, ridding it of its bloody cover. The leviathan summon had also received a wash, and it had comforted him. He didn't know how, but leviathan was able to sense his emotions and to every one that had started to get out of control, it had pacified. It helped him.
"Okay, let's take the stairs slow Yuffie." Tifa's voice could be heard from the top of the stairs, trying to get the hyper active ninja to slow down for a moment.
Vincent turned toward the stairs, waiting for the Fighter and Ninja to make there way into the main living area.
"Tifa, I am fine, just a little beat up right now. I hate going slow." Yuffie's reply had a voice of annoyance.
'She must really be pissed at being treated like an invalid.' Vincent thought. "Tifa, you might as well let her do it her self, seeing as how she is going to do it her way whether we like it or not."
Yuffie suddenly came tromping down the stairs, and leaped at Vincent glomping him in a hug.
"Vinnie! What the hell are you doing here?" Yuffie asked while hugging him around his neck. Vincent gently reached up and detangled the ninja from his person. He looked at the ninja closely.
Dark bags shadowed her eyes, and the storm gray irises were troubled and haunted. Her petite frame was skinnier, almost skeletal in existence. Her face, normally smiling, was sunken, like she hadn't had any sleep or nutrition for months.
'Yuffie, what happened to you?' Vincent continued to look her over, not noticing the light blush that graced the ninja's cheeks.
"Are you alright?" Seemed like a simple question to answer, but Vincent watched the fear flash through her eyes.
She turned away from Vincent, hiding from the gunman for the first time in her life. Vincent's eyebrows furrowed as he became more concerned for the ninja, and for once in his life, he wished that she would talk about it.
Yuffie looked back at Vincent, a fake smile plastered on her face. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Vincent stared at her.
"Really Vincent, I am okay."
Surprised by the fact she used his real name, he let her get away from his questioning.
"Well, let's have lunch." Cloud said from the kitchen doorway, drying his hands on a dishtowel.
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Yuffie tossed and turned in her sleep, her nightmare completely gripping her form in its hate.
"No…stop," Yuffie muttered, her barely healed body tossing and turning in distress. "Please…don't do this…"
The people were approaching her, weapons raised and glinting menacing in the moonlight.
_______________THE ROOM NEXT DOOR______________________________________________________
Vincent laid awake listening to the ninja, who was currently sleeping restlessly next door to him. His heart was beating furiously against his ribcage. His demons were restless as well, wanting the ninja the stay still.
'Be still Galian.' Vincent commanded his demon. 'She is unwell.'
Unwell indeed. Vincent propelled himself out of his bed as Yuffie's restless muttering reached a screaming high, as she cried out in fear. He didn't even bother to put on his robe, merely running in his lose black silk sleeping pants. His hair was wild and his red eyes wide with concern, afraid that someone was attacking the already injured princess.
He barged into her room, seeing her thrashing about in the throw of a nightmare. His feet carried him to the edge of her bed and gently grabbed her shoulders and pressed them down to the mattress. Unable to thrash about, Yuffie's struggles increased tenfold, trying to escape her imaginary attacker.
"Yuffie, wake up." Vincent called out the princess. Her struggles continued, and he pressed her harder down into the mattress. Despite her size, she had some strength, even when weak.
"Princess Yuffie Kisaragi of Wutai, Wake up!" Vincent called out in Wutainese. This had some effect, seeing as her struggles disappeared.
Vincent decided to try again, hoping the Wutain words will continue to erase her fears.
"Yuffie, White Rose, wake up. Nobody will be able to hurt you while I am here." Vincent whispered in the princess's ear.
Cloud and Tifa entered the room, looking as if the had grabbed garments and rushed to Yuffie's room as fast as they could. Cloud was holding the main blade of First Tsurugi in his right hand, in a defensive position. Seeing Vincent speaking to the ninja was a surprise, but even more so was that everything was being said in Wutainese. They couldn't understand a word that was being said. Whatever was said seemed to be working as Yuffie slowly opened her eyes.
Tears filled the gray eyes as she grasped at Vincent, desperate for some comfort. Vincent held and rocked her whispering to her that everything will be okay, and it's all right.
Tifa gently grabbed cloud's hand and led him out of the room, letting the ninja and gunman comfort each other.
"They don't need us right now and I don't think that Yuffie will be alone for the rest of the week." Tifa whispered against her boyfriend's cheek as the crawled back into bed.
"Why do you say that?" Cloud whispered, his mako eyes glowing in the dark, watching fluff her pillow.
"Yuffie has always trusted and loved Vincent. The minute we awoke him from his thirty year slumber, their fate was sealed." Tifa replied, watching his eyes widen in surprise.
"Well, that's all well and good but it doesn't work out if he doesn't like her in the same way." Cloud said rubbing his hand against Tifa's cheek.
Tifa maneuvered her body so she was cuddled against her boyfriend. "They say opposites attract Cloud, so let the universe do its job and let us sleep."
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Vincent continued to hold Yuffie until her tears ceased.
"I'm sorry Vincent, I got you wet." Yuffie wiped her eyes on her pajama sleeve, before lying back down on the bed and turning away from Vincent.
"Yuffie, I am not leaving."Yuffie looked back at Vincent, surprised at his reaction. Vincent Valentine, the most untouchable and unsociable person of all time, had just told her that he was not going to leave.
"You speak Wutainese?" Yuffie asked quietly, her eyes locking onto crimson ones.
"I would hope so considering I grew up in wutai for the first seven years of my life." Vincent gently situated his body so he was sitting up against the headboard next to Yuffie. "My mother, Miyuki Valentine, was adamant that I grow up in at least half of my heritage. She died shortly after my seventh birthday and my father decided that moving to Midgar was the best thing to do."
Reaching over, Vincent pulled the Ninja up so she could lean up against his chest. Yuffie was astounded. The unemotional Vincent was laying her across his chest. Her hand splayed out against well-defined pectorals, and scars. His skin was littered with the scars of his past, reminding him every day of his sins. She shivered as she continued to look over his chest.
'Well, if he pulled me against his chest then he doesn't have any say if I ogle him a bit.' Yuffie though letting her eyes wander down his defined abdomen, and the fine black hairs dusting the lower abdomen.
"I am sorry about your mother, Vince. I understand the loss of one that is loved is not easy." Yuffie whispered, too tired to try and speak to him in their native language. She snuggled into his chest, once he lay down with her on the bed.
"Yuffie, I still visit my mother, I went just three weeks ago. And it happened a long time ago." Vincent whispered, wrapping an arm around the drowsy ninja.
"Doesn't make it any easier, stupid." Yuffie muttered back and gave Vincent's chest a light tap in punctuating her point. Yuffie's eyes lit up as she thought of something else before succumbing to sleep. "By the way, I believe Leviathan likes you judging by the way he is glowing."
Vincent looked down and saw that Yuffie was right indeed. The Red orb was pulsing with light.
"He has helped me greatly in the past couple of days, giving me strength while you were hurt."
"You were worried?"
"Greatly. I don't like seeing a friend, especially a dear friend, in pain."
"Wait, you care about me?"
A nod was given in response.
Yuffie gently pushed her tired body up just a little bit. Hesitating, she looked into the red eyes of her desire.
Vincent was curious. Yuffie was looking at him with a blatant look of desire written upon her face. And he was mildly curious to see where this would go. He would be lying if it were something he didn't want. He hadn't had love in years, and there isn't a man out there that needed companionship every now and then.
And then there was the fact that the ninja was quite cute.
'Well, cute, deadly, and gorgeous, once she get's out of those shorts.' Vincent thought, watching the ninja proceed with hesitation.
'Please host. You are more stupid than your inner demons. We have seen the way you look at her' Galian beast snickered as Vincent snarled.
Yuffie was definitely nervous. Their eyes had been locked on each other the whole time. His hands, had found their ways to her waist, gently rubbing circles. Goosebumps were traveling up Yuffie's spine.
Their breath intermingled, as they were less than an inch away from each other. His eyes briefly met hers before he closed the space between them.
Lips gently brushed each other, pulling back after contact was made. Eyes searched each other's, before lips met each other again.
Timidly, their lips moved against each other, tasting and feeling. Eyes closed as the kisses began to become more passionate. Vincent's hands slid underneath Yuffie's nightshirt, rubbing up and down her spine.
"Mmm…" Yuffie moaned as Vincent's tongue entered her mouth. Tongues battled, spit was swapped as hands began to wander.
"Yuffie…" Vincent said breathlessly, before capturing her mouth again, with bruising force.
Vincent sucked on her tongue, inviting it to explore his mouth. Yuffie took that invitation, and explored the wet cavern. Wet muscle swept over his teeth and Vincent shuddered.
"Yuffie, as much as I would love to continue, it is the middle of the night, and you are still recovering." Vincent muttered against pliant lips. Yuffie gently nipped at his bottom lip before snuggling up against chest.
"I understand, I don't like it, but I will be okay till morning." Yuffie grumbled. She was quite happy kissing the gunman.
"We will have more time tomorrow, and I want to know what happened to you." Vincent replied, laying a gently kiss upon her knuckles before wrapping his arms around his ninja.
'My ninja? When did I start to think of Yuffie as my ninja?' Vincent though, while watching his ninja sleep against his chest.
Truth was, Vincent had begun to think about Yuffie, whenever he needed some sort of cheerful image. No matter how brash and unfeeling he had been to her, Yuffie had always come up to him, a big smile on his face.
'Rest, host.' Galian replied, gently yawning in Vincent's mind. Vincent decided that his demon had the right idea and quickly followed his example. He was asleep within minutes, and unconsciously tightened his arms around the sleeping princess cuddled into his chest.
Amidst all of this sleep a Red orb was very much awake, dimly glowing with warmth as he protected his rightful masters.
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This is the end of the first part of the color series.
Yes I realize that it is a cliffhanger and I have left the romance and the whole Yuffie attack deal open. I also realize that although this is rated 'M' this piece, itself, is not. The next one will be because it will include Yuffie's attack and lot's of gore.
Comments are appreciated: flames are not.
t.t.f.n.
Ave-Avexus