Vincent walked quietly through the eerie halls of the Shinra mansion. He often took many trips through the halls when he felt lonely, which was quite a bit. Often, stopping to read a book that had somehow been left upon a drawer. He knew the last audience of the novel. Sephiroth had read it. His confusion was so great when he spent his time here. "I pity him. A lost soul, wandering to know who he is, and where he is in life." Vincent closed his eyes, reminiscing his unforgiving past. "Lucrecia, my love." He whispered to the night. And all his fighting stopped when he let forth all his rage, sorrow, and most of all, he let his last wisp of love show through as a single tear, which grew to crying. "What am I doing?" The shadowy figure asked himself, "I shouldn't be crying over the past, but..." His voice was cut short. "Vincent?" a voice called out, "Are you there, Vincent?" Vincent knew the voice, and he knew it well. "Tifa." He answered, "I'm here." The girl looked over to him. "Oh hey, Vincent, how are....?" Tifa looked confused, for a moment then looked very serious. "You were crying." The beautiful woman pointed out. "No, something was in my..." Tifa looked at him sternly. "You don't have to lie, Vincent. And you don't have to deal with things on your own." Tifa's face softened. "Tifa, but why?" Vincent asked, his eyes, redder from his emotions. "Vincent, you've got to understand, you're part of a team now, and you can ask one of us whenever you have a problem." Tifa walked up closer to the dark figure, showing a look of concern, where most people would wear a look of horror or disgust. "Thank you, my friend." Vincent was shocked that these people would so willingly help him. "Now, what's wrong, Vincent. You can tell me. I'll help you in any way I can." Vincent sat down on the floor, cross-legged, Tifa sat down beside him. He explained all his sorrow, all his loss, and all his anger. "Lucrecia, my one and only love was taken away from by Hojo. And Hojo then recreated me. He made me what I am today, and all through the years I was in the basement coffin, the magic that was used to contain me, mutated my arm, and this metal arm, is the only thing protecting me and all those I have come to care about safe from what lives beneath my skin." Vincent paused for a moment. "What exactly is under your skin?" Tifa asked. It was a simple question, yet Vincent couldn't answer without thinking for a while. "To put it in a way that you would understand, beneath my skin, living in the depths of my soul are all the pains, the suffering, the grief, and the utter sadness of all people on this earth, and it has become a physical part of my since my hibernation." Vincent looked down at the gold plates along his arm. "And this is the price I had to pay to become human, even in the slightest.
The two sat in silence until sunrise. Vincent began to retreat into the dark recesses of the Shinra Mansion which had been his home since the threat of Sephiroth had fallen. "Don't worry, Vincent. You won't melt. Besides, you need to get some sun." Tifa smiled at Vincent. The dark figure stood, not looking, not moving. "Vincent, come to my house, you can come have breakfast with Cloud and I." Tifa offered. Vincent stood in thought. "I... alright. I'll come." Vincent agreed, and followed Tifa out the building.
There was a knock at the door. Cloud had just gotten out of the shower. After coming from home from the battle against Sephiroth, he had decided to live with Tifa. The two had become very close, and Cloud was always thinking about whether their relationship could ever work. Another knock sounded through the halls. Cloud wrapped a towel around his waist, before shouting, "I'm coming!" from the bathroom door. He trotted downstairs, and walked to the door. When he grabbed the knob, he felt a coldness fall over him. He turned the knob and was very shocked at who was standing in the doorway. "I... uhhh, I, hey Vincent." Cloud greeted. Vincent raised an eyebrow at Cloud. Cloud looked down. "Oh, I just got out of the shower, is Tifa there?" Cloud asked some more. "I'm right here, Cloud. Vincent's gonna be joining us for breakfast. And put some clothes on." Tifa giggled from behind the tall, dark warrior. "Come on in, Vincent." Cloud gestured, "And I'll go get dressed." Once Cloud was dressed, he ran downstairs to the aroma of eggs and bacon. "Mmmm, smells delicious, Tifa!" Cloud called from the rail of the stairs. Vincent was in the living room, looking through some magazines. "So, how've you been, Vince?" Cloud walked into the room casually. "I've been, alright." Vincent looked away from the magazine. Cloud shrugged, and walked into the kitchen. "He Tifa, is there something you wanna tell me?" Tifa the last few strips of bacon on the serving plate along with the eggs. "He's having a few problems, so I though he could come over for a visit. It might cheer him up. "Breakfast is ready, Vincent. Come and get it!" Tifa called. Everything was normal at the table, Tifa and Cloud talking excitedly, while Vincent poked at the eggs on the plate in front of him. "Don't worry, Vince. Tifa cooks really well cooked. You'll love them." Cloud assured. "Awww, that's sweet of you to say that, Cloud." Tifa smiled at Cloud. "Oh, I'm sure they're very well cooked. But it's just that... this is the first time I've ever eaten eggs." Cloud and Tifa's jaws dropped. "You've never had eggs before?" Tifa asked. Vincent shook his head. "Well then, eat up. You'll love them." Tifa assured him.
Since that day, Vincent came over every morning to join them for breakfast. Not only for the reassurance that he still had friends that would care about him, and that he would care about, but also the fact that... he couldn't cook didly squat.
************************************************************************ Vincent: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Who said I can't cook?! I can cook! Why do you think I can't cook? Author: I did. Do you have a problem? Vincent: Yes I do have a problem. How come you think I can't cook? Author: Because I don't think you can. And since I'm the one who is typing these fics, I can write you a very gory death. So unless you want your limbs forty feet away from you body, you are going to cooperate. Cloud: You know, he's got a point there, Vincent. Vincent: So now you're on his side. Cloud: Oh brother. Author: Thanks for the support, Cloud. Cloud: No problem! Yuffie: What the hell am I doing here? I'm not even in this fic. I'm going to bed. Cloud/Tifa/Vincent/Author: GOODNIGHT! Yuffie: Yea, whatever. Author: So the point is, Vincent, you gotta listen to me. Vincent: Oh, shut up. Author: How come you're the only one who talks back to me? No one else does but you! Vincent:..... Author: Damn straight. Ok, this fic is over. Bubye people.