My first attempt at a songfic, so don't be surprised if it SUCKS! As always, FFVII and its characters belong to Squaresoft, because they get everything. I just, for some reason, started writing this when I was listening to Enya, because the song reminds me so much of Vincent. My sweet Vincent... Ahem. Anyway, read on!


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Only Time


The young ninja sat hidden among the moss and ferns, watching intently as the dark gunslinger lifted something up in his tarnished metal claw.



Who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time



Yuffie Kisaragi sighed. She knew instantly what was in his inhuman hand as he stood on the cliff above the waterfall. Flowers. Vincent Valentine was mourning for his lost love, Lucrecia.

He lifted his other hand and ran his fingers through his flowing black hair, closing his beautiful garnet eyes in grief. *God,* she thought. *Why does he have to be so freaking hot?* Easily the least talkative out of all her companions, Vincent always kept to himself, and ESPECIALLY kept away from Yuffie. Whenever she looked at him, he seemed millions of miles away, probably thinking about the past, trying to "atone for his sins". Personally, she didn't believe he had done anything wrong. It was all that monster Hojo's fault. If he was alive, she would be the first to get her hands around that slimeball's neck....

Vincent seemed like the person who would eventually welcome companionship if it was forced on him. He tried to shrug off her attempts at getting close to him, but she was more persistent than Cait Sith when he wanted to tell you your fortune. Gradually, he was becoming less of a loner.

So now, here Yuffie was, watching the tortured man grieve over that stupid woman who never loved him, her shorts getting wet from sitting in the moss. She was simply waiting for him to come back to reality.



And who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time



*You're an idiot, Yuffie,* she told herself. *Here you are, practically STALKING the poor guy, and he hardly even acknowledges your presence on this Planet.*

Vincent told everyone he could no longer feel any emotions, but Yuffie thought that was a load if she'd ever heard one. She could obviously see that he still loved Lucrecia. He probably visited this waterfall all the time, trying to make the slightest sense of his miserable life.

Yuffie wished he could just get over the dumb broad. If she had loved him back, she wouldn't have let Hojo implant Sephiroth in her womb, thus ensuring her death. She would have listened to Vincent's advice. But she hadn't cared. She was just nuts. The ex-Turk had more sense than anyone Yuffie knew.

She sighed, pushing a frond out of her face. As long as Vincent Valentine still blamed himself for the death of Lucrecia, he would never be happy.



Who can say why your heart sighs,
As your love flies?
Only time



She watched as Vincent knelt on the edge of the cliff. His long ebony hair swirled around his pale face as he dropped the handful of flowers off into the waterfall. He absently pushed a dark lock out of his eyes. He was so handsome, and Yuffie just wanted to run up to him and cradle his head against her and tell him that he WAS cared for, he WAS loved.

*He'd probably shoot me or something,* she thought, shaking her head.

The flowers fell listlessly down the cliff, eventually out of sight as the white spray of the waterfall swallowed them up. Yuffie watched them until they disappeared, and her eyes began to shimmer with tears.



And who can say why your heart cries,
When your love dies?
Only time



She had never known that she could feel such pity for someone. But looking at the cape-clad man, who had buried his face in his hands, her heart filled with such pain for him. He suffered incomprehendable anguish every day, and he just didn't deserve it.

She continued watching as Vincent stood up and began walking away from the cliff. She was about to run after him, to talk to him, but the man suddenly stopped. He slowly looked back over his shoulder, and turned around.

He began running toward the ledge.



Who can say when the roads meet?
That love might be
In your heart



"No," Yuffie whispered. Vincent was going to kill himself.

She scrambled to her feet, pushing ferns away. "VINCENT!!!" she shouted, racing toward him. Her feet kept slipping on the damp ground, but adrenaline gave her abnormal speed.

*I'll never be able to catch him in time,* she thought in despair. *He's too fast. Even if I do catch him, I won't be able to stop him. He's a million times stronger than me. But I have to try...*

She continued to run, gasping, and her thoughts began to run together. *NoVincent, don'tdothis, Ithoughtyouweresmarterthanthis, OhGod, Vincent, pleasedon'tdothis, IloveyouVincent, pleaseGodno!!*



And who can say when the day sleeps,
If the night keeps
All your heart?



And then, thanking God profusely, Yuffie felt Vincent's body come in contact with hers as she plowed straight into him. At once she gripped him mercilessly, and they rolled a few seconds until they came to rest on the grass, mere feet away from the ledge.



Night keeps
All your heart....



She gasped for air desperately, and she felt Vincent's angry gaze upon her. Apparently, he'd wanted no one to interfere with his suicide leap.

Finally, after she had caught her breath, she looked up at Vincent, whom she was still clinging to for dear life. At once she punched him in the chest and let out a string of profanities so long that it would have appalled Cid Highwind.

"What is WRONG with you, Valentine!?!" she shouted in fury, her face streaked with tears. "WHY did you try and do a fool thing like that?!"

Vincent tried to avoid her enraged glare, but the sight of her tears made him lift his head. "I have nothing to live for," he whispered.

"Vincent..." Yuffie's weary head fell against his chest, her rage instantly forgotten. "That's not true, Vincent. You only think that because your life has been so terrible until now." She sniffed. "But people care about you. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Red, Cid, and Reeve. And ME! I care about you, Vincent! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"



Who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time



She felt Vincent's human hand wrap itself around her lightly. "It does mean something to me," he said softly. "But you couldn't possibly understand my pain. It's simply too much to live with, knowing you're utterly alone with your suffering."

Yuffie looked up at him and discovered there were tears in his ruby eyes. She reached up and brushed them off his cheeks. "Don't you get it? You're not alone anymore, Vincent." She hesitated a moment. "You have me."



And who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time



Vincent's arm tightened around her as she continued. "You have me now, Vincent, and killing yourself won't lessen your pain. It will only add to mine."

"Yuffie..."

She rested her head on his chest once more, and he stroked her hair softly. "The only thing that can heal your wounds is time, Vincent."

"Time?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. "Only time."



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Well, hope I didn't scare you too bad with Vinnie's attempt at a high dive. I... just figured that beneath the cape and the red eyes, Vincent Valentine suffers through unimaginable pain for sins he believes he committed....

WHAT? It wasn't like I was ACTUALLY going to kill the poor guy off! I love him too much to do that! Anyway, comments or criticisms if you have them.

Trick Sparrow