…SLOWDANCE ON THE INSIDE
A fire blazed in the hearth, emitting comfortable heat in the small shop. It was cold enough so that at nighttime, it was best to stay inside with your friends and family than be out in the bitter cold that whipped against your limbs like a storm that would never quite let up.
Upstairs, four girls were getting ready for a party. The smallest one was sitting in a chair with her hands folded in her lap, a small smile in the corner of her mouth. She had dressed special for the occasion in a light pink lace dress that fell just above her knees. Her chestnut hair was pulled up and fell around her ears in carefree ringlets.
Two more of the girls were examining themselves before a floor-length mirror. The taller one looked simply stunning in a white cocktail dress with a heart decal near her breast. She wore her long hair down and wavy. As she examined herself in the mirror, she playfully smiled the fourth girl who stood at the door, her arms crossed over her chest.
The other girl near the mirror was wiping excess lip-gloss from her lip with her pinkie. She was shorter than the other was, but just as pretty. She had ringed her cerulean eyes with frosty glitter, and wore a simple black cardigan and skirt.
The fourth girl looked miserable to be seen in the same room with such girls. She was not as pretty, but cute nonetheless. She wasn't the type to dress up, let alone dress up for a party on such a pathetic holiday, but Aerith had practically made her do it.
She cleaned up quite nicely, as Cloud and Leon had muttered uncomfortably under their breath. Sora had just gave her one of his adorably annoying toothy grins, Riku had raised two perfectly groomed eyebrows at her, and Tidus had tried to look down her dress.
The dress was gorgeous, although she didn't fill it out like Aerith did. It was a gorgeous deep red, with a deep v-neck and a criss-cross back. It was silk and fell to the floor, hiding her boots, since she didn't have any nicer shoes to wear. There wasn't much you could do with her floppy crop of black hair, but Aerith had tucked a white flower behind her ear, insisting that it looked fine.
That was, of course, not the worst of it. She had loathed watching the other three girls giggle like a bunch of idiots while powdering her cheeks and lathering on tons of sparkling pink eyeshadow. She had never worn makeup and never saw a need for it; she wasn't repulsive looking, and therefore didn't wear it.
The Valentine's Day party was something that was Aerith's idea, along with most of the seemingly brilliant little get-togethers among the Traverse Town gang. Everyone had jumped at the idea of getting a date, having dinner, dancing, and carrying on in the Accessory Shop.
That is, everyone that could easily find a date.
There were four girls and six men, which wasn't the best combination. The girls seemed obligated to go with someone, and the others didn't have a problem with that. Sora and Kairi had obviously paired up, and Aerith and Cloud. When Aerith had proposed the idea weeks ago while the ten friends were lounging around in the First District, Riku and Tidus had both leapt to ask Selphie. God forbid, if they didn't, they'd be stuck with having to ask Yuffie.
Selphie had surprisingly chosen Riku. Which to Yuffie seemed logical, since Tidus was an idiot and Riku was a jackass, and jackass outweighs idiot, although not by much. But Tidus had always fawned over Selphie, which left him to mope, dateless.
Leon didn't dare ask Yuffie. It wasn't that they didn't like each other…drove each other to the point of absolute mental instability was a better way to put it. Tidus wouldn't stoop so low as to ask an older woman. And Vincent, the most quiet of them all, would never ask any of them, and probably wasn't even going to show for the party.
"Come on, Yuff, let's go downstairs and meet the boys!" Kairi exclaimed, hooking her arm through Yuffie's and starting down the ladder.
Yuffie shook herself free. This was her way out. It had just hit her. "Uh, is Vincent down there?" She called down through the door. Cloud looked up at her in his black shirt with crimson tie, looking utterly uncomfortable. He shook his head. "I think he's back at the Hotel. You know he didn't want to come."
A smirk found its way across Yuffie's face. "Can I see if I can get his happy ass outta that Hotel, then? If I'm forced to come, he should be too." She said with a puppy-ish look in her eyes. No one, not even a jackass like Cloud, could say no to that one.
The four girls climbed downstairs, probably giving the boys clear shots up their dresses. The boys had also cleaned up quite nicely, with Sora and Riku in full tuxedos, and Leon and Tidus in actual slacks. Music was playing from the corner of the shop, where Cid was being the DJ, snacking on the refreshments that Aerith had prepared.
Cloud nodded. "I don't see why not. I'd like to have him here to suffer with me, you know." He replied. That was all it took Yuffie to dart out of the shop and over to the Hotel, happy to be free without giving time for the other girls to whine at her.
She found Vincent exactly where she had expected him to be, holed up in the Red Room, brooding in the windowsill. She slipped in without so much as him looking up. Yuffie approached him and tapped his shoulder uneasily.
She liked Vincent. He was nice when he wanted to be, witty, and very intelligent. Sure, he was the angsty type, a certain type they had too much of around these parts. But he was more bearable since usually he didn't have some smart-ass remark, unlike Riku, Cloud, or Leon.
He turned his head slowly to face her, and took in her surprising appearance. His eyes slightly widened at how shockingly ladylike she looked, but he didn't stare. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Y-you should come to the Valentine's party, Vinnie. You're the only one who didn't come. If I'm forced to be there, you are too."
Vincent looked away. "Yuffie, you know good and well I don't fit in with that sort of thing. Just let me be."
Yuffie would not let him be. It was her job to be the annoying little-sister figure. "Vinniiiiiieeee!" She pouted, tugging on his human arm that was folded across his lap. "Please come. You'll be free of my begging. And don't think you can get rid of me. You can't." She grinned triumphantly at him.
There was music playing in his room, something soft, slow, and pretty. Yuffie didn't know Vincent even liked music. But there was something playing, and she loved the sound of the delicate violin moaning its gorgeous sound, something that sounded sad.
There had always been a tension between her and Vincent, something he wanted to say and wouldn't, or vice versa. It was especially apparent in that moment. It had always been there, in his eyes when he looked at her. She pulled on his arm, harder this time, and brought him to a standing position.
"Alright then, if you won't come to the party, we'll have an outcast Valentine's Day party right here!" She insisted, crossing the room to light a dusty candle on the bedside table. It bathed the room in pale golden light. He was handsome in that light, something she had noticed subliminally, but never admitted to herself.
He stood there, an annoyed look on his face, as Yuffie approached him, taking his arms. "We're going to dance." She declared, placing his hand on her waist, claw on her shoulder. He gave an audible sigh as she slipped her hands around him, and his feet began to shuffle as they slowdanced.
The violin wailed its quiet song, and Yuffie let herself press against his chest. Vincent loosened up, actually beginning to move his feet, let his breath fall against her hair. "You aren't a bad dancer, Vinnie." She said quietly, smiling against his shoulder.
A shadow of a smile crossed the stoic man's face. "And you look quite the lady when you try." Well, it was a step up from "cleaning up nicely." She pulled away slightly to get a good look at his slender face, carmine eyes glittering back at her, and she suddenly realized what it was between them.
"Why thank you, Vincent." She leaned up on her toes to softly press her lips to his, nervous beyond all belief. But he kissed her back, as the violin came to a dazzling crescendo.