Sight To See - Chapter One
Parings- YuffiexVincent. Hinted CloudxTifa.
AN's – In reality this slightly fluffy story idea has been floating about in my mind for a while and after hearing this song on the film it seemed to fit quite well with only a few alterations so here the story is.
Disclaimer - I do not own copyright over anything FFVII (I merely own a copy of the game and the rest of the compilation.) Hilary Duff owns the song and I make no profit from writing this, oh and the writing is mine.
Reviews will be loved!
Inspiration Song - 'Anywhere but here' by Hilary Duff.
Here's the brand new me,
Skates around and floats on air
I'm a sight to see,
Rainbow colours in my hair
You have set me free,
The one who gets me there
I'm fallin through the door
Flyin cross the floor
When you look at me suddenly its clear
You're burnin' up my dreams
Crazy as it seems
I don't wanna be
Anywhere but here haha
Sight To See;
It was a quiet still night in edge and the seventh heaven bar supported a closed sign in its window although the lights appeared to be on. The quiet humming of a girl resonated from the bar until the noise of engines hummed over head cutting out all other sound. The air ship Shera had finally landed in Edge, and the Seventh Heaven bar tender couldn't help but allow herself a small grin as she waited for a familiar sound.
"Ugh old man you need to learn how to fly that thing!" a chipper female voice sounded loudly as footsteps neared the door.
"You wanna walk next time brat? And stop fing spewing on my air ship." came the more than gruff reply.
At this Tifa finally giggled that's the sound shed missed most this past month; the harmless banter between the heroes of Gaia; Avalanche, and the heroes had finally arrived. She glanced at the clock and smiled again they were only 5 minuets late; Tifa was impressed Cid had set a new record.
Yuffie pounced through the door having lost none of her boundless energy since the deep ground incident; she was nearing 20 now and appeared to have finally gained a little height but only another inch or so. The same went for her hair length but her entire style hadn't changed a bit. The lithe ninja dived over the bar and wrapped Tifa into rib crushing hug, Yuffie speculated Tifa's ribs had more than enough 'soft tissue' protecting them anyway.
"What's up Teef?"
The taller and sisterly figure now known as 'Teef' awkwardly returned the hug whilst trying to spot everyone else heading for the bar's door. Tifa's brown coloured eyes showed no frustration as she giggled at the ninja who had now removed herself form the hug and was sat on the bar like it was a chair.
"Nothing much is up Yuff." smiled Tifa.
A sigh escaped the materia thief's lips "There's never anything up! I wanna go kick ass! The Great Ninja Yuffie needs excitement!"
Tifa inwardly rolled her eyes at her younger companion. Whilst Yuffie had become completely distracted and was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the rest of the mismatched group make entrances not nearly as spectacular as the Great Ninja Yuffie's. Why they just walked through the door and took there usual seats with a nod at Tifa.
Cid the chain smoking pilot and Barret the 'Marshmallow' took their resident seats at the centre table right next to the bar. Where they would sit, drink the free alcohol and swear till Tifa hauled their asses to their assigned rooms. This was certainly the Heavy Drinkers table.
Next came Red, Cait (on Auto of course) and Reeve who had also turned up this month. These three were the weirdest group to watch considering only one of them was human. They as always sat to the left of the Heavy Drinkers. Red was intelligent and she knew he helped plot pranks along with Reeve and Cait who always had some scheme on the go. However during the monthly gatherings these three appeared simply to sit there just to amuse themselves with Cid and Barret's antics. Yuffie would usually join them and make loud commentaries on the drinkers actions but this time she continued to sit on the bar watching the others enter, after waving wildly at Cait who had waved just as wildly back.
The next arrival held her short attention span for an unusual amount of time as her eyes stared closely at the hem of a red cloak. Before focusing on the hiding the face of the pale member. She scowled about the red offensive material knowing she should have burnt it long ago when she burnt his coffin but that was another story. The damn vampire he had her under a spell and she knew it, why else would she always have to look at him? However the scowl didn't last long as her eyes continued to follow said vampire or rather Mister Vincent Valentine to his usual corner booth; where he would sit and brood; staring out of the window till someone, usually Yuffie, would arrive and terrorize his silence.
The last member to arrive was the spiky blonde haired leader; unlike Vinnie he held her attention for only a few seconds, much like everyone else. She simply watched as he walked over to the bar and sat in front of Tifa speaking to her in his low toned voice. Yuffie grinned as she plotted silently. She knew she'd forgotten to do something last time; get those two together, the damn idiots couldn't figure out that the other liked them.
Just as Yuffie was about to find her first victim, err friend, to talk to the door clattered open again and the ninja's jaw almost hit the floor as her eyes glanced over the four new arrivals. She took little time in jumping to her feet and gesturing wildly with her arms.
"Ewwww! Out, out, out, privet gathering! Shoo, smelly turkeys!" her voice rang loudly muffling everyone's conversations, and even Vincent's silence, but no body seemed to react except good Turkey boy Reno.
"Hey midget, Move over I have drinking to catch up with" the red head Turk grinned widely as he pushed past the ninja and headed right over to Tifa, no doubt to flirt shamelessly whilst Cloud sat there glaring daggers.
Tifa sighed and nodded as if affirming they were invited. They had helped out with the Stigma thing after all; and they had caught her buying stuff for the party so she had to invite them in the end. Yuffie glared at the busty bartender pouting as she did so, much like a scolded child. Before loudly announcing to everyone in the room whether they wanted to here it or not:
"Tifa you're two damn nice for you own good!"
Still glaring at the now seated Turks the young ninja marched over to Vincent's silent corner domain and plopped herself gracelessly down on the seat across from him. She grinned at Vincent who was now looking straight at her giving that what-do-you-want look with those crimson red eyes that Yuffie that was staring helplessly into. Blinking a few times she shot him a glare with her countering platinum eyes.
"Can you not just ask what I want Vinnie?"
She was sorely tempted to get up and swipe him across the face when his usual reply of silence was returned; she no longer even got a reaction for using his nickname. So not only had the damn vampire put some freaky ass materia spell on her; he didn't damn speak unless he had to, this was an ungodly offence to Yuffie who never shut up. She shot one last glare at Vinnie before turning her glare to the back of the red headed Turks head. Her fingers subconsciously grasping the edge of her Conformer which as always remained strapped to her back.
At this Vincent Valentine the sardonic yet static ex-Turk inwardly laughed. Yuffie was if anything impulsive and childish, but that's what he liked about her. No amount of life ending trouble had squeezed her annoying innocence out of her. In fact none of them had changed much in the past three years, except they were all aging; even Vincent was finally beginning to age, with the loss of Chaos his mortality was returning.
"Yuffie…" His deep voice rumbled quietly as the girl's fingers were beginning to remove the conformer from its place, it wouldn't belong before she took aim at Reno.
Yuffie's glaring eyes didn't turn to face Vincent as she continued to lift conformer from her back, would Tifa really mind if she attacked, just once? Her line of thought was broken by a voice that her mind still didn't register as she replied with nothing more than a mumbled 'hum' It was a few seconds later when she realised Vincent the vampire had spoken first.
He continued to speak after her mumbled reply not waiting for her to face him, he assumed she was busy plotting Reno's death which made his next deeply spoken reply more of a shock.
"Don't ever change."
The ninja in front of him turned a deep shade of red as her cheeks flushed from the seemingly random comment and her hand moved quickly from Conformer to clasp her other so she could fidget easily. She was silently thanking Leviathan that Tifa's bar had normal bar lighting; rather dim. Hopefully the object of her last three years of affection would not be able to spot the colour she now supported as a skin tone.
However when she turned to face Vincent she realised his eyes were not on her at all and were instead seemingly focused on something out of the window, that something appeared to be incredibly interesting since Yuffie could not catch his eye. However what ever he was staring at seemed to be invisible to Yuffie, and so out of frustration she grabbed his golden clawed hand that rested peacefully on the table. She watched he's eyes widen in shock; she was holding the hand he used to remind himself he was a monster. Before Yuffie even opened her mouth to speak she had lost herself in his red eyes again, the window to his soul. She mentally kicked herself and muttered a heat filled and serious un-Yuffie like reply.
"I won't, Vinnie, I promise."
Vincent eyes finally locked onto Yuffie's and she realised for the first time in a while she was unable to read the expression on them, something she usually found so clear and easy to do. She let go of his clawed hand as she remembered Vinnie didn't do 'human contact'. It took all her will power not to make quotation marks with her fingers at that comment. She quickly plastered a Yuffie like smile on her face, everyone expected her to be all cheerful and so she would be. Only Vinnie, Cait and Tifa knew Yuffie had another side to her personality.
Vincent's clawed hand seemed to retreat to under his cloak, and she noted regrettably it was almost as if he was worried that she would grab it again. His eyes however did not leave hers and they appeared to show no anger at her un-thought through actions. It was with this held look that Yuffie realised she would throw away her dreams of mastering every materia in the world if he would just show a different type interest in her; for three damn years she'd followed the silent gunman around looking for hidden meanings in all of his few words but not once had he ever shown anything but a friendly interest in her. In fact she trade all her dreams just to keep that look in his eyes and stay sat here with him, whatever the damn look meant didn't matter.
Yuffie sighed inwardly as the look vanished from his eyes and he turned back to the 'really interesting' window. She felt like kicking his shins so hard that he'd hobble for a month, but then that was her answer to everything and besides she'd hurt her feet on his stupid metal boots. She'd never figure the stupid man out, everything about him was stupid. And just when she figured three years of hard observation work would begin to pay off and she'd be able to claim properly that she knew how the gunman worked he'd go and throw some new glance in the equation, or go all sentimental on her by telling her not to change. It was like a damn gold saucer travel tube, and she hated motion rides she was after all motion sick.
Deciding not to dwell on the static gunman anymore and enjoy the once a month she got to spend with all her friends she jumped to her feet. To begin clambering all over Tifa's cloth covered seats with her dirty boots. She did a twirl to the low music in the background and began climb around on top of the chairs showing a great deal of balance and observation at being able to stay on her feet. She failed however to notice a shocked Tifa now ignoring Reno's shameless flirting and shouting something at Yuffie about 'breaking bones'.
The red head Turk was already drunk and was not happy at the Ninja for ruining his unsuspected 'targets' attention on him. And he's way of captivating the little ninja for about an hour was to simply walk over to Yuffie. Grab a hold of her shoulder's and shove her into the nearest chair . Before he tipped what appeared to be the last of a red alcoholic cocktail all over her hair whilst mumbling the words "annoying little red ninja."
The Ninja squealed as the red liquid slimed through her hair leaving red streaks behind. Without a second thought she jumped to her feet from the chair and kneed Reno right in his stomach. He stepped back and doubled over in pain as Yuffie's hands went to her back to find conformer, she was going to slice this Turkey up into millions of little pieces and then feed him to millions of separate Chocobos. However a leather clad hand grasped around her wrist before she could do anything more and began to drag her away with a swish of a red cloak. She scowled at Vincent before yelling back to Reno, who was still bent over double.
"You're dead Jerky Turkey! You're gonna get a world of pain!"
The room erupted in laughter at the stained red Ninja being dragged away from a red face Reno looking like he was going to vomit. Yuffie made a mental not to leave something like Chocobo dung in all their beds before the night was over. Vincent's voice made the quiet mumble of "Yuffie leave him be." as he continued to drag her up the stairs to the residential bathroom.
It was then Yuffie finally realised that Vincent had just dragged her away from the room. She blinked and looked at him as if Tifa was really under the cape and not the Gunman at all and this was all some elaborate pick-on-Yuffie day, it wasn't her birthday already was it? Before she could even figure out the date she blinked like a deer in headlights. Was that Vincent Valentine using a towel to wipe the red out of her hair?
Vincent was trying hard not the laugh at the whole situation, but he didn't usual laugh and he wasn't going to start now. He had only dragged Yuffie away because he knew the horror that would ensure if he had let her stay near Reno it would have been worse than Chaos busting through the floorboards and attacking everyone. He also realised nobody else seemed to be moving to either protect the Reno from Yuffie or protect Yuffie from Reno in the unlikely event she would need help. He also dragged her away because Vincent still felt bad for making Yuffie blush earlier, though he had pretended not to notice.
That and Yuffie was his closest friend within avalanche since they had been the 'optional members' or so to speak they were often paired and sent on missions so he knew the Young ninja fairly well, he even knew the side of her that she kept hidden. Even so this didn't explain his next movements with the towel, for some reason he felt the need to help clean the ninja up and so he had.
Yuffie finally realising she stalled her brain somewhere along the way to the bathroom grabbed hold of the towel from Vincent's hands and began cleaning her hair herself. Knowing she would have to wash it later after the party but it was currently no longer red. She giggled finally settling back into her old self though she smelt like sweet alcohol.
"Cheers Vinnie, I don't think I like the idea of having Reno's blood in my hair as well as his drink, I think two shades of red wouldn't suit me at all. Though it would probably suit you…Damn Teef and her shopping outings."
Vincent made a sound between a growl and a rumble and Yuffie looked at him in shock. Had the broodiest guy in the world just laughed? At her no less, she hoped it was at her comment and not her sorry state of appearance. At this realisation she pounced forward onto the shocked looking gunman and hugged him tightly, she felt his body stiffen at this huge personal intrusion but surprisingly she was not flung backwards seven feet and greeted with a very, very angry Vincent.
It was then she realised if Vincent wasn't going to kill her just now she might as well push her luck like any good 'wealth distributor' would and go for something that had evaded her for too long. She was beginning to think the fumes of alcohol form her hair were making her tipsy but before thinking it through again she leant back slightly and placed her soft lips on Vincent's cheek before letting go completely and falling backwards onto her ass.
She looked at the shocked gunman's face and wasn't sure what reaction she saw in his eyes but suddenly blushing a scarlet red colour she decided she didn't want find out. She quickly jumped to her feet and took a few steps backwards to the door.
"Urm-sorry-Vinnie-i-didn't-think-real-sorry-well-I'm-off"
The lack of thought Vincent had assumed was evident form her reaction to his mere laughter, was he that quiet? Her fingers were twitching nervously like she wanted to steal something, or like she just had. Vincent had learnt these little Yuffie traits a long while ago and he knew he could usually read her like and open book, but she seemed different tonight and it wasn't because she had drastically changed in a month because she hadn't.
Before Vincent had even had a chance to say anything to his Ninja she had taken the final step backwards and had fallen through the door at an awkward angle as she tried to twirl on her feet so she was walking forward, stumbling forward lightly he noticed she was heading toward the stairs. And in some of Yuffie's previous words "A world of pain."
Yuffie grimaced knowing she was going to fall face first down the stairs, end up in serious pain and have everyone including Reno laugh at her all at one time. Not only that but she had just made a move on the guy she had lov-liked for the past three years only for her, the girl who helped beat the biggest evil to the world, to get freaked, stand up and bolt from the room in a very undignified manor. She figured she might as well just throw herself down the stairs, everything was happening so fast so probably subconsciously had. Damn her ninja instincts.
Just as she was about the fall down the top step, unable to stop her small stumble, a golden claw wrapped around her middle. The digits of said claw accidentally cutting into her side from their sharpened metallic points. She blinked slightly as her face rested against the red material that smelt like Gunpowder and coffin wood, it was the nicest smell she had ever inhaled, even if Mako smelled pretty good am she hated his damn coffin. It was then her brain kicked in and she realised that Vincent Valentine was hugging her to his chest his clawed arm still wrapped around her middle and her hands resting against his shoulders. Her feet were slightly dragging on the floor as he stepped backwards away from the edge of the stairs.
"You are far too tall Vinnie"
Vincent sighed, but it was not a discontented one, she had almost been speechless. Yuffie has escaped the stairs of doom as she later began to call them, and yet Vincent was still holding her and he had not let go since he saved her. She was shocked into a second silence and Vincent couldn't help but think that this could be the perfect way to keep the chattering, hyper, sugar coated ninja quiet for a while.
Reflecting on his almost automatic behaviour he noticed that his demons had not lied after all; he had not just saved Yuffie because they were friends but he had in fact grown to like Yuffie more than he'd care to admit over the past few years, and she'd even saved his life a few times. Even Chaos had known it but until now Vincent still refused to admit that feeling would ever exist again in his mind. His heart should stay loyal to Lucrecia but her knew that it had set its alliance else where a long while ago. And now years later Lucrecia had set it free with her grace, maybe she wanted him to move on? Maybe he would.
The pair stood there still hugging in silence, Yuffie's thoughts where resting somewhere in the proverbial gutter and Vincent's were resting on how dim he had been not to realise the little ninja thief had stolen his heart sooner. She was about to speak and he could feel her petite frame shake as she raised her voice, he simply placed a human digit on her lips and bent down to kiss her forehead, just below her ninja headband before leaning his head back and smirking beneath the cloak. "You taste like Alcohol" as she blushed he could tell she had not been expecting a kiss at all.
"Yuffie…" Vincent's voice echoed in the chest Yuffie was leaning against, this time it was her turn to stop the interruption of the silence. She reached up with both hands clasping the sides of his face gently her thumbs moving across his pale cheeks in a caressing yet teasing fashion whilst pushing the hem of his stupid cloak down with her arms. She tiptoed slightly as she drew up to his taller height and placed a soft kiss on his lips, before drawing back and glancing down at the floor in embarrassment.
She scolded herself silently for her childish retort. Yuffie was a ninja she'd done things most other people her age wouldn't have dreamt of; she'd stolen, killed, fought and done things she'd rather not recall so she was far from innocent and yet this man she'd known for over three years made her feel like she was still a school girl inside. She cursed him also but she knew in reality she loved every last one of his stupid habits, even the burnt coffin.
"Vinnie, I do not taste of alcohol…" but even when you tease me, I still love you, stupid meanie. She softly and silently added on to herself, the Seventh Heaven stairs were not the best place to admit you love someone, that and they had just attempted to take her life. She also secretly confessed to herself, the brave ninja Yuffie was scared out of her mind as to how he was going to react to those words. She would not let him lock himself up, again to "protect her innocent soul". Pah, Yuffie would bet her materia that she was one of the very least innocence of the Avalanche group.
Vincent's eyes caught hers and he finally realised what that difference about her was tonight; she hadn't changed, he just realised that he couldn't understand her earlier because he hadn't realised she loved him and quiet obviously she had for a while. He'd just been so busy 'brooding' even his heightened senses hadn't noticed her change. Apparently it was the same emotion his eyes were betraying him with when he felt them soften every time they set an inch on form. Now he knew what the fluttering sensation in his stomach and head was, he had found someone who reciprocated his love and actually meant it. He leant down towards to the still tip toeing girl in his arms as his lips began to near hers, begging for another kiss...
A loud drunken laugh erupted through the stairway as the pair stopped their would be proper first kiss only millimetres apart, each turned slightly and shot death glares down at the perpetrator. Both glares were as deadly as the other but neither able to actually kill the offender on the spot. In fact the looks of death didn't even stop the red head's laughing. His light and sarcastic toned voice echoed loudly throughout the hallway and the adjoined bar as her purposefully yelled to the whole house.
"Well Shinra shoot me! I was told to come and 'express regret' for my actions, but this is seriously the worst moment of my life 'coz I don't have a damn camera, yo. This is still frigging priceless. The Vampire Ex-Turk and the Ninja Princess!"
Yuffie growled and Vincent was suddenly aware that he still held the ninja in his arms, he was reluctant to let go as apparently was she who now had her hands clasped about his neck. He had been so close to obtaining what he wanted; he was going to shoot Reno a few new bodily holes and then see if he made a good sprinkler system when attached to Tifa's hose.
Before he even had chance to reach into his holster for death plenty the lithe and agile girl, no woman, in his grasp had unenthusiastically unclasped her hands and ducked from under his arms. Yuffie was now brandishing conformer in her hand and was sliding down the banister at a startling pace as she bolted from the end and headed for the now running Reno. Who had realised that he was going to get his ass kicked.
"Ugh! You Suck Reno!"
Yuffie skidded through the door into the bar area still chasing the running Reno, as the others looked expectantly at her waiting for an explanation since they had all heard Reno's not so subtle comment. Vincent however was walking slowly down the stairs laughing inwardly, hoping they could pick up where the left off later, after Yuffie had beat Reno to a pulp and he'd thought of what he had to explain…
Three R's- Read, Review and Repeat!