Rating – M
Pairing – Vincent x Tifa
Timeline – Months after AC, but has nothing to do with Dirge, not yet anyway.
Disclaimer – I can only wish to be reborn with that kind of creative genius, so obviously these characters are not mine, nor are the original storylines, plots, places, or random items scattered throughout the world that are somehow better than the ones you buy in the shops. All I own is this very cathartic piece of my soul.
Author's Notes – This is my first FFVII story so please tell me if you like it, in other words, review it. Since I really got into the game and the fandom, I've read a lot of fan fiction, and I've felt that people portray Vincent as this anti-social vampire who doesn't do anything but be creepy without giving any explanation for why he acts the way he does, and Tifa as an anime Hooters girl. So I got up enough courage to actually write out my idea.
Chapter 1: Love Fool
"I'm in love with an older man."
The statement hung heavily in the air between the only occupants of the 7th Heaven bar in the new city of Edge, just outside of the ruined Midgar.
"Um…Tifa, Cloud's the same age as you." The petite Wutainian girl was genuinely confused. While she had never truly been close with the bar owner, she knew well enough that her companion had been pining for Cloud for at least a decade, since they were young.
Adjusting her perch on the barstool, Tifa fiddled with the ends of her long brown hair. She hadn't meant to tell Yuffie initially, but she didn't really have any close female friends that would understand the things she needed to talk about. Actually, this was the first time she'd even said that phrase as anything more than a whisper.
It was kind of scary.
"It's not Cloud Yuffie. I've finally come to the conclusion that he's so caught up in his own issues that there's no room in his mind, let alone his heart for me. Part of me will always love him, I can't help that, but I'm not in love with him anymore."
The young ninja quickly ran through the list of people she knew Tifa was closely acquainted with, and came up with a very short list. Ever since the Meteor incident and then the clones incident it had been increasingly difficult to talk to normal people without them having that "I'm talking to a celebrity" look. They all lead very quiet lives, but when you save the world twice it tended to give you some notoriety.
"Well, it's not Reeve, 'cause he's married to the job. It better not be Cid, that'd be gross. He's all bad temper and ashtray mouth. I'd rather kiss a Tonberry." Yuffie proclaimed with a grimace, starting at the top of her list of people she'd pray to Leviathan that Tifa never hooked up with.
"No, not Cid." While Tifa liked the blonde pilot as a friend, there couldn't be anything more between them. Cid was too much of a man's man for her. She liked the strong yet subtle type.
"Okay, that's good." Yuffie continued with only the barest of pauses. How she could do it had never been explained. "Not Barrett is it? Double hope not on that one, Elena would kick his ass all the way to Gongaga otherwise. Speaking of Turks though. That baldy Rude is older than you. But he's quieter than Vincent, so that would be awkward. Oh, an that Reno guy is a major hottie, yo. Still pissed about that scar he gave me, but I think I can get some payback. Wonder how he feels about bondage."
There was nothing Tifa could do except let the dark haired girl talk herself out. Though she tried valiantly to ignore the ramblings, especially when Yuffie began to speculate about how much gil Rufus Shinra kept in his pants pockets, and the rapturous shiver that overtook her as she planned to pick his pockets was nauseating.
Tifa made a mental note to warn Tseng next time he came into the bar.
"Oh come on Tifa, spill it."
The brown-eyed girl was jerked out of her thoughts and brought back to the original subject.
"You can't keep me in the dark you know."
"What would you say if I told you that it was Vincent?" Tifa asked in all honesty.
The loud, raucous laughter she received was answer enough, and while it hurt, it was understandable.
Minutes later, when Yuffie's sides ached fiercely, and she had calmed down enough to talk she addressed her friend.
"I never knew you such a joker. You and Vincent? You'd have to hit him with a sledgehammer to even get his attention. But seriously Tif, you wanna get away from guys with problems, not go run after a guy with the most. Becides," Yuffie said putting her hand on Tifa's shoulder as she got up to leave, "it's not like Vincent is even interested in being involved with the human race, let alone one person. Don't go looking for heartache. I'll see you later when the bar opens."
Tifa watched her companion leave and knew deep down that the girl was right.
But that couldn't stop her heart from loving the reclusive man. Letting out a mournful sigh, the bar owner resolved that she would at least make an attempt to engage Vincent in life.
"Guess I'm just destined for heartache and loneliness."
And with that, she finally got around to finishing the morning order that she'd started two hours earlier.