A/N:
I think I've decided to make this a sort of turning point, also since I love Red XIII/Nanaki, I had to give him a somewhat important role…c'mon, who wouldn't want a talking fire-cat as their best friend?
I own nothing…sadly.
xXxXx
Yuffie had made it to the fields of Kalm before dusk two day after vanishing from Seventh Heaven. She'd received several calls from Tifa, who was near despondent not knowing how the ninja was doing. One from Cid, who threatened great bodily harm, or at least was intending to tie her to the front of the Shera if she didn't call Tifa, another call from Cloud who was just making sure she was okay and telling her Cid wouldn't hurt her…but she needed to call Tifa soon, and then there was the last call. The last call had been from Shelke, she'd asked Yuffie in her robotic way of speaking, the strangest of questions.
"Yuffie Kisaragi, this is Shelke Rui, it has been requested that you return your unharmed person to Seventh Heaven." The message was quiet and Yuffie nearly erased it before a more concerned Shelke echoed over the phone. "Where have you gone, Kisaragi…are you well?" Then the line went dead and the automated voice on the other end read off its litany of information.
'Am I well?' Yuffie hadn't really thought all this through; she'd been running on pure instinct. She heard the beep a little too late on her phone, indicating yet another voice message. She sighed, shoving the offending object into her pack.
"It's rude to ignore them; they only wish to see you well." A comforting voice called from behind her. She smiled to herself, glad the fire-cat had decided to go with her, despite her best argument that he do no such thing.
"I know, Nanaki, and they know I do appreciate them, they also know I need my time. This is a chasm that wont fix itself…I have to do this." With that they were off again, heading out and away from everything familiar.
xXxXx
Vincent had traveled in her shadow for the last week. Yuffie and Nanaki had covered a surprising distance in the last seven days, Yuffie even going so far as to travel by ferry to their final destination, Wutai. Yuffie and Nanaki received a warm welcome; Godo had announced a massive celebration to be held in honor of his warrior daughter and future heir to the throne. Vincent had made a far less grand entrance, preferring to wait until dusk and then to move across the rooftops.
He'd been resting in a large tree, adorned with a multitude of chimes, charms, and trinkets. He hadn't heard anyone or anything approach, though he'd been exhausted from keeping up with the two of them, Yuffie having been all of twenty four was not yet encumbered by old age and fatigue.
"Why did you follow me?" Her voice was quiet, steeling herself against any response he gave. "I did not request you to, and I certainly do not wish you to stay. This is for me-"
"Yuffie…I was wo-"Her quicksilver eyes narrowed dangerously as her voice suddenly took on an aggressive tone.
"Silence!" Yuffie hissed angrily."You did not come here for any reason other than your own selfish bullshit." His composure faltered and in the same instant her defense cracked. "Why…why did you do it? You've always treated me like I'm of little or no consequence."
"That isn't true!" He rose quickly, towering over her petite form. "You've meant so…you are important, you are very important." She sighed, her frustrations having worn themselves out running amuck all through her mind.
"Four years is a long time to be cold to someone who is 'Very important,' Vincent." He watched in fear and trepidation, his heart beating quickly as she turned to stand beside him. "I still wish you'd leave, I don't believe I needed you as much as I thought…" And then she was gone, gracefully dropping down to the ground and making her way back toward the pagoda. His frown grew fierce, his anger rising within him so quickly he nearly lost his opportunity to rein it in. He struck the massive tree, a loud crack echoing through the still night air, a frustrated growl worked its way from somewhere deep within, erupting as a roar before a blur of solid black bolted from the city.
Grey eyes watched passively as the figure vacated the tree she had till recently occupied. 'There you go again, huh?'
"He's gone." Yuffie cleverly pointed out to Nanaki, as though having one eye may have hindered him in noticing the obvious.
"You feel justified in doing this?" He didn't look up from his resting position, her fingers deftly moving through his mane.
"I do…" There was hesitancy, a little worry.
"Hm…suppose he gets a hint now? Suppose Mr. Valentine truly gives up now? What then?" She stopped petting, her breath hitched, and her heart rate doubled…Nanaki opened his one eye and tilted his head in her direction. "Still feel justified in sending that man away?" Her face turned to stone before his eyes. Curious, he pressed on, nudging her for a reply.
"Then I'll have what I wanted! I will have my justice or revenge, whatever the hell you want to call it! I don't want him to be around, I don't need that pathetic thing following me around, damn it!" She stood in a rush, her eyes couldn't lie as well as she could verbalize. He saw the hint of sadness edging its way back into her bottomless pools of silver ash.
Nanaki stood, stretching himself to his limit and yawned dramatically, letting out a small growl as he did. "Well then, if you're all settled I believe I am going to retire for the evening. The festivities of your clan are a bit much for an old cat such as me." Yuffie chuckled at that.
"You're old?" He smirked, shaking his mane slightly.
"No, however I'm afraid I'm not much of a…how do you kids say it? Party animal?" Yuffie laughed outright, nodding enthusiastically. "Ah, well, I am most certainly not one of those. If you were hoping for a dance partner perhaps you should have brought Tifa or Reeve." Yuffie smiled sweetly.
"Thank you, Nanaki…for everything you always do for me." She dropped unceremoniously to her knees infront of the large cat, clasping her arms around his neck. He lifted a paw, gently patting her back, grinning his feline grin.
"You're welcome dear Yuffie…I'm just a little too attached to you to let you suffer in silence…" She squeezed a little tighter.
"Thank-"
"Which is why I must point out one rather overlooked flaw in your little scheme…one minute detail you seem to have, well not quite forgotten…maybe 'not quite counted on." Yuffie stared nervously, her mouth going dry in anticipation.
"Say it…" She felt the bile rising in her throat. 'Gods don't let it be…'
"Vincent loves you…" A silver tear slid free, gliding gently down her cheek. "…and you, in all your years of wisdom, made that great love of your life, your greatest conquest…slip away." He held her through her first hiccup as she struggled not to cry. Yuffie leaned back, tears moving freely down her cheeks and into her loose hair.
'What have I done? Why was I so mad in the first place? He's always been like that…he's always been distant, he…Leviathan, he loves me?' She couldn't possibly wrap her mind around it, the whole idea was preposterous. Vincent loved Lucrecia, he'd said so…
"No…no, you're wrong, you're lying!" Yuffie leaped to her feet. "You just want to see me make a fool of myself to that husk of a man, good lord, he isn't even that anymore! Why would I think I could trust any of you, all you do is meddle when it isn't wanted!" Yuffie ran from the hall, through the dancing geisha, down the hall of light, out the front of the now beautifully decorated pagoda and out past the lily garden. She flew, like a whisper on the wind, tears stinging her eyes.
"You don't cry for much, this must be serious." Yuffie buckled to her knees, warm gentle hands clasping at her shoulders. "What is it child?"
"I've done something stupid." She sobbed, hiccupping from the effort to withhold anymore tears.
"You're young, that doesn't surprise me…" The voice was kind, not mocking, and she felt herself smile despite her sorrow.
"What have I done?" She wished someone else could lead her life for her, she was so tired of making the same mistakes over and over.
"You learned something, you became frightened, and you fought back. You stood up for your belief, what you think is right and for that you should not cry, child. You should hold your head high! Like any man of the Kisaragi line would!" She felt a smile tug at her cheek, and though she was sorely tempted to give in, she felt something else pull her deeper into despair.
"What if Nanaki is right? What if I did chase him away? What if he's gone forever?"
"What if the sun refuses to shine? What if tomorrow never came? There are so many 'what ifs' to think about one might go mad worrying about them all! Why worry? Respect, Yuffie, he must earn back your respect. You feel he has wronged you, yes?" She nodded slightly. "Then he must earn your forgiveness…if the love is there, all of this will happen." She felt the gentle grasp on her chin; her face was lifted to a matching set of crystalline slate grey eyes. "Kisaragi Yuffie? You are a strong, powerful, and incredible woman. You have done everything in the world to make me proud, you have succeeded where no one else possibly could have, you went up against your mothers murderer, a God, and an army…you fought alongside AVALANCHE and you came out the victor. Do not let yourself be brought down by this." She smiled, grateful for her father's love.
"Thank you, Go-…tosan." She could almost swear she saw his eyes widen a fraction of a millimeter, she rarely called him father, rarer still in their native tongue.
"Arigato, Yuffie-chan. Now go! You have a celebration to be the life of! I didn't spend all this money and time so you could sit out here by your mother's cherry tree and mope. She would roll over in her grave if she saw you out here like this…" Yuffie chuckled as she dabbed her eyes.
"Alright, alright…I'm goin' old man, no need for the mile long guilt trip." He laughed good naturedly. "Ne, tosan…" Godo lifted his gaze to hers, a question written clearly on his features. "watashi ha aisu ru." He smiled broadly at her, not sure he could trust his voice he motioned for her to leave. Yuffie smiled, turning on her heel and heading back out to the dancing and music.
"I love you, my princess…" Godo whispered to the soft breeze, the smell of the sweet sakura blossoms sending him back to a memory of years long past, of a woman so strikingly beautiful it made his chest ache to look at her. "Hime..." The woman was dressed in the finest silk kimonos gil could buy, turned and smiled at him. Godo could see so much of Yuffie in her, the shape of her eyes, the smile, the midnight black hair…he smiled ruefully, even the way Yuffie back talked him reminded him of his late wife, 'Hime Kisaragi, the most celebrated Empress of Wutai.' Yuffie was shaping up to follow in her mother's footsteps and for mostly the same reasons. A firm belief in justice and an iron will to enforce it.
xXxXx
That night Yuffie made her way back out doors, the warm night breeze kissing her over exposed skin. She wore black shorts and a black top that appeared to be little more than a scrap of cloth wrapped several times around her chest. There was no chill in the night air, only warmth and comfort. Yuffie was suddenly reminded of one of her many random moments with Vincent; one of those rare times he'd done something to take her completely by surprise.
It was two months after he'd returned from Lucrecia's cave, two months after she was certain he was dead, and she had the next ten minutes alone with him. She had a question; it never made much sense to Yuffie to be subtle, unless of course you were a coward. Yuffie Kisaragi, Single White Rose of Wutai, was not a coward…nor was she subtle.
"Vincent...?" She didn't look up from the drink she was nursing.
"Yes?" Red eyes drifted over to the young woman. She shifted uncomfortably a moment and he thought she might just get up and walk away from him.
"When was the last time you touched someone?" Yuffie tilted her head to one side, glancing at him from the corner of one eye. He was genuinely surprised; not only by the simple question, but to see that she had been completely serious. "I mean, when was the last time you took comfort in another person?"
"I never have. Maybe as a boy, but never an adult, remember what I was Yuffie…" He kept his eyes trained on her, watching her, gauging her reactions and anticipating her next question.
"Hn." She took another careful sip of her drink, wincing at the taste. "I never really had anyone. Sephiroth was, aside from also being the enemy, hell bent on destroying Wutai, my mother was…dead, and, well," She let out a dry chuckle, "Godo is who he is and comfort was not a part of the deal."
"Are you asking for-"Yuffie turned the full force of her expressive grey eyed smile on him and he paused expectantly.
"No." She answered with a sort of resolute confidence he was unaccustomed to seeing in her. "I was just curious if you'd ever held anyone." She closed her eyes and a smirk graced her lips. "I dream of that, being held, I dream that-"Yuffie stopped mid sentence as two strong arms encircled her. "Vincent…?" She whispered into the cool metal of his gauntlet.
"You need but ask, Yuffie." He replied, his chin resting against her black satin hair. She had been too surprised to notice the slight tremble of his own, the mild churn of his stomach or the sheer force of will it had taken him to act in that moment. She had never known just how much he'd wanted to touch her in that moment.
That was how Tifa found them when she returned to the bar. Vincent standing behind Yuffie, arms wrapped securely around her person, eyes closed and Yuffie smiling and calm for the first time in well over two months. Tifa made a noise to alert Vincent to her presence, to her surprise he did not leap away from Yuffie; he simply glanced up at the woman and nodded his acknowledgement to her. If Tifa had been surprised to see them as they were she didn't let it show.
Vincent held Yuffie a moment longer, releasing her and taking a half step back. Yuffie shivered as his warmth left her. "You're warm." She'd noted aloud, turning to face him from her barstool. She eyed him, contemplating the difference between his warmth and any other kind of comfort. She could only deduce that she'd rather wear Vincent than a sweater, huddle next to him as opposed to a fire, wrap herself in his arms in place of any kind of blanket. Vincent watched her with mild curiosity, curiosity became shock as her lips brushed his, albeit softly and with a great deal of trepidation.
"Yuffie, I-"Yuffie slowly turned toward her room, leaving Vincent alone with his unfinished sentence, doubts, and confusion. She glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes vaguely reminding him of mercury; it seemed the two had similar effects on him. She didn't say anything, turning she continued to her room.
Vincent sighed glancing down at the counter, her unfinished cup sat forgotten. He carefully lifted the glass with his metal gauntlet to his lips, he nearly hissed as the whisky burned a path down his throat. He smirked to himself; he couldn't honestly remember the last time he'd been that surprised by anyone.
Yuffie sighed heavily, her anger had caused her to forget that. She was vaguely aware that shortly after that he began leaving for longer and longer periods of time. She'd suddenly shut him out then, maybe it had been her defense mechanism, a way to keep herself from being hurt in any kind of relationship. He had kept his distance as well, careful not to touch her unnecessarily, speaking only when he had to…then she'd started seeing Reno and he'd just up and left. She had been furious with him, his erratic behavior made her heart feel like a stomping ground for him. She wanted to tell him it was always his, and yet she never did. She turned to Reno and for a short time found a sort of reprieve with him, too bad for her he was a little less than faithful. Vincent had left by then, he had told Tifa he'd be back for her yearly celebration of everything they'd done, however he refused to stay in town. He was restless, he had to move and there just wasn't enough room in the bar for him.
'What, not enough shadows in town for you to hide in?' Tifa asked with a smirk. Yuffie grinned to herself, watching Vincent squirm from her tucked away spot. She'd been eavesdropping, and being naturally curious to a fault she had to know what was bugging the gunman.
'…It's simply time for me to move on. I appreciate all you've done for me, all of you-' Tifa's face switched gears and her expression changed so quickly Vincent felt a twinge of fear in his gut.
'You're just going to leave her again?! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you daft? Were you dropped on your head? Weiss must've hit you one too many times." Tifa huffed, slamming her fist roughly into the counter. "She can't exist without you…you already know that. Holy, you'd think you were blind and stupid! Did you not see her when you came home? Oh, that's right, you were too uncomfortable to talk to her…' Tifa's voice rose quickly, causing the 'fearless' gunman to back away toward the door.
'I do not wish to harm her, she has her...resources to turn to, should she be in need…' Tifa didn't miss the glint in his eye, though she kept silent as he continued. 'She's grown into a beautiful woman, I had never intended to hurt her in any way, I wish her the best and I will see her when I return.'
'You aren't even going to say goodbye to her…are you?' Vincent looked down at the ground briefly, then back to Tifa and in that instant she knew why he wouldn't. 'You, Vincent Valentine, are a fucking moron.' With that she turned her attention back to setting up Halloween decorations. He'd walked out the door after a moment of her ignoring him, letting the screen slam shut behind him.
Yuffie felt her gut knot up…that night had been one of the last times she saw him before he left and Reno went batty on her.
"He's always felt a connection with you, Yuffie." She was surprised this time by the gentle voice behind her.
"He's an ass, Nanaki…" She smirked as he snorted, nudging her back playfully.
"He was locked up for thirty some years, shot by a mad scientist, and experimented on by the great love of his life…well his first life." Nanaki eyed the stars with one golden eye. "His social skills are somewhat lacking, however you could hardly find fault in him for that."
Yuffie giggled at her friend, wrapping one slender arm around his neck. "Thank you for coming with me…" She smiled into his fur. "I love them all, but you always seem to know just what to say…" She whispered, Nanaki lifted his paw and bowed his head in a sort of hug.
"You are like a cub to me, Yuffie, I would do anything I knew how to help you." She felt her heart dance at the thought. "Now I have to help you the hard way…" She looked up at him, confusion written clearly across her delicate features. "You are being an idiot. Get off your hind quarters and go get that man back or I will chase you all the way back to Seventh Heaven."
A slow grin worked its way onto her face, making it all the way to her eyes before a light laugh bubbled up from somewhere in her. "I love you, you stupid cat." She hugged him fiercely before standing. "I need to tell my father goodbye before I leave." She stood and with a few graceful leaps she'd cleared three of the rooftops leading to her father's sleeping chamber.
He was asleep so she left another note stuck to the door with another kunai…
'I love you, old man!
Yuffie-chan'
She and Nanaki managed to stow away on an airship leaving that night toward Kalm, Yuffie had been so nervous, wondering what she'd do now with Vincent, she hadn't had a chance to think about her airsickness.
She stood in the field, staring at the town with a hint of a nervous expression.
"I'm…a little afraid." She admitted.
"I'd expect so, you do realize you are the reason he could not control his anger…you brought out the Galian beast back there…" Nanaki gave her a sideways glance. "Choose your words carefully…and don't expect him to be happy to see you. But, do not walk away simply because he may tell you to…you two are very stubborn, just push through and eventually you will both find a certain medium at which you can settle your differences." The cat stood, turning toward Edge. "You, my dear, must do this on your own…go now, don't waste any more time." She smiled once, turning toward the city she made her way toward it, Nanaki ran the other way, Edge was quite the run if he wanted to make it there by morning.
'Good luck, Yuffie…' He smiled to himself, proud of her. He was somewhat excited to tell Tifa she'd come back home. He knew how much the bartender worried over the girl. He growled to himself, redoubling his speed, activating a haste materia to hopefully get to the bar sooner.
A/N:
Yuffie has a change of heart…sort of. Will Vincent be receptive?
R&R if you want! :)
