Waltz
He looks down at the sweet vision in his arms, and is reminded of how he must be careful to keep his claw from pressing into her back too hard. His left arm feels a bit itchy in the gauntlet, and he flexes the fingers of his claw a little. It catches on the strands of her hair, and he winces, knowing he has potentially mussed her hair. Nervousness grips Vincent Valentine, but he keeps his apathetic expression.
Delicately, he wraps his long, slender fingers around hers, in position. She glances over his shoulder, in anticipation, at the chamber quartet. And the music starts, a slow waltz. Strains of cello and a piano in three-four time. They step together, as one. His coattails swish gently around them as he moves his face closer to hers, but she does not mind. Tifa Lockhart is dressed simply too, in black and white.
Her fingers skim a bit over his very bony hip, and he flushes a bit. The intimate contact is foreign to him after so long. He tightens his grip, so much that she can feel the bony digits. She smiles up at him to reassure him, lips quirking up in the slightest.
The fabric of her dress is cool against his fingers, and he takes care to adjust his claw a bit more. His hair falls in his face, despite the recent hair-trimming, and tickles her nose. She grins again, just a bit, and they move on.
Step around the other couples, and turn in slow, graceful circles. Unintentionally, they speed up, and they leave the music behind.
"Just slow it down a little."
This is the first time she hears him speak, and she manages to make out the words, spoken soft and low.
"Okay."
Her voice is quiet, but clear, unlike his. They continue to waltz at the correct tempo, shoes tapping a steady rhythm on the wood. The waltz winds down and they stop, gradually.
Bow once, offer his arm, and walk off, back to the tables. Her silk dress brushes briefly against the stiffer material of his trousers, as do her fingers on his own.
"Thank you, Vincent."
"You are welcome."
Her lips also brush briefly against the pale skin of his cheek. He takes her hand, and does the same.
Too bad it reminds him of Lucrecia.
Too bad it reminds her of Cloud.
But life goes on, and they move on, finding solace in each other.
