A/N: I still don't own it, none of it…
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Drowning
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Yuffie screamed into the pillow, bellowed in now unrestrained fury. She wanted to run, escape from everything. The bar, the continent, herself…she couldn't run. Where would she go? What would she do? It wasn't as if she didn't have an unbelievable amount of gil, she wouldn't starve in this millennium at least. She dug her fingers into the comforter on her bed, growling to herself as she carefully sat up and took a few deep breaths. She'd leave, right now; tonight…Vincent did it anytime something bothered him. This was year's worth of pent up regret and a devastating sense of desperation. She never felt the walls close in like they did today, and all Reno had essentially done was make an unfounded accusation. No one knew she was furiously enamored with a certain lone gunman, her crimson avenger, her very own dark knight…
She shook herself violently out of her stupor, grabbing the barest of bare essentials and shoving them into a bag. It would be a matter of seconds before-
"Yuffie…" Vincent stood in the doorway, his eyes aglow with something deep and downright evil. It sent a chill through Yuffie and she involuntarily took a step back. He advanced on her quicker than she'd thought even he could move. He gripped her forearms with bruising intensity, causing her to wince and gasp.
"Vi-Vincent, you-you're hurting me!" She squeaked, hardly able to control her own shaky voice. "Gods, Vincent, let GO!" He stumbled back from her in shock, ashamed of hurting her.
"I…I was concerned he'd hurt you." Yuffie set a glare upon him that made him shift as though she'd been attempting to light him on fire.
"You worried about ME?! That's a laugh. You don't worry about anyone but yourself. You've treated me like your stupid fucking kid sister for the last five plus years. I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I grew the hell up! I don't need your concern Vincent. Fuck off!" she shouted, furiously angry with him for Leviathan only knew why.
"Yuffie…I don't understand." Her violent outburst had taken the wind from his sails and the fire from his argument concerning her deserving better and him trying to be such.
"Sure you don't understand… You liar! Get out, Valentine, just get the fuck OUT!" He shut the door as a rather heavy jug of fine Wutaian sake shattered against the door. He could hear her crying again. He growled to himself, furious for causing her so much pain.
'I've ruined you without ever laying a hand on you…' He wished with all his might he could bring her back around. Even Cid seemed a bit down with Yuffie being as…off the handle… as she had been. He took a deep breath and walked away, this obviously was a mistake. She did not feel the same way for him as he'd thought, maybe it had just been an illusion, a mirage of what he'd wanted to see.
"Where are you going, Vincent? You can't just leave her like this again." Tifa's voice was hard and angry, bitter after having tasted Yuffie's despair. "You nearly killed her the last time you vanished, why can't you just put your big boy panties on and get the hell in there?!" Tifa growled out, her fury quickly dissolving, tears trailing down her cheeks as she stood by helpless to do anything for her friends.
"It is not my place, Tifa. She is too innocent, and far too young to be with something like me…" He turned to leave, only to find his progress physically halted. He turned in time to see Tifa, with a fistful of his cloak, cock back a fist and thrust it in the general direction of his face. He didn't have time to dodge as the offending woman's fist connected with his jaw. A coppery taste in his mouth indicated he was bleeding and he could feel a bruise forming already.
"You fucking coward!" She turned and walked away, past a rather shocked Cloud and Barrett, and into the kitchen behind the bar. Vincent stared a moment longer before nodding to both men and walking away.
"She broke…Vince. She died inside when you weren't here, she's angry now because you don't see her for what she is, you see her for what she was." Cloud spoke softly, a certain calm settling over him. "She hasn't been the same since, and she wont be the same again…she'll never have that youthful innocence she'd had when she was with us…with you. Don't walk away because you think you're doing someone any favors, you walk away and you may as well just whip out Death Penalty and shoot her now." Vincent spun on his heel, the cold look in Cloud's eyes causing him to quickly look away. He had nothing to say, he wanted to disappear, become one of his demons, he didn't want to be in the bar anymore, not within ear shot of the soft cries coming from her room.
He turned and walked away, letting the door shut gently behind him. He couldn't stay, it was just wrong to stay. Monsters and demons he could handle. A heart broken girl? He didn't even know where to start, especially knowing he was the one who broke said heart.
Vincent eyed the stars a moment, pausing in his exodus, he wanted her to smile again…but then again he knew who and what he was, and that did not allow for him to have or do the things he wanted. He'd left to spare her any more pain his presence caused, that was noble wasn't it? That was kind. He was doing it all for her. He suffered in silence for her…
"Yuffie…" Her name was a whisper, a plea to the heavens. 'It was always for you…' Vincent vanished into a blur of crimson, bounding from one roof top to the other, doing what he seemed to always do…
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A/N:
Ok, I'm still a little unsure of this, I'm not usually a big angst writer. Any criticisms are always welcome.