Chapter 9 - Forgiveness
Vincent eventually stood up and went back to the hotel that he had recently stayed at. He had signed out (thinking that Yuffie would give him a room) so he had to find another one. Since it was now the weekend the receptionist had to give Vincent an even cheaper room than before. He didn't mind…he was running out of Gil anyway.
When he got up to his room and took off his shirt he looked at his scarred back in the dirty bathroom mirror. It wasn't so bad, nothing that a simple potion couldn't fix. He had only two left and figured that this was an opportune moment to use one. He drank the potion and laid on one of the double beds with his healing back facing the ceiling. While lying there Vincent began to think.
"What happened?" was his first thought. He didn't understand – no, he understood…he was wrong, plain and simple. It wouldn't be the first time he was wrong about a woman. Yuffie didn't change – she fooled Tifa into thinking she was grown-up now; she had fooled Vincent into thinking she was a real lady at heart. Yuffie wasn't a "lady," that was a joke if Vincent had ever heard one. What was he thinking? He knew he should have listened to his intuition…it's always right after all, isn't it? He couldn't explain the feeling that was taking over his body, mind and soul. He was angry and sad all at once. Even if Yuffie had been different, did he really think that seeing her would satisfy his recent lust? Yes, he was now calling it "lust" instead of "love" because that's all it was! He dreamt of a simple "girl" for three and a half years…and wasted his time for many different reasons.
"I'm a loser…" Vincent said aloud to himself. "I'm a lonely…son-of-a-bitch… loser." But he knew that already.
--
Tifa Strife was fixing up her bedroom when her cell-phone rang. "Huh," she thought. "I wonder who that could be." She bent up from making her bed and groaned. "Little, girl" she said patting her belly. "You're getting too big for mommy to carry."
She walked over to the counter that her phone was on and answered it. "Hello?"
--
Vincent had fallen asleep when his cell-phone rang. He woke with a start and looked at the desk in between the two double beds. His phone was buzzing like an angry bee as the call was coming through. He almost didn't answer it – but felt that maybe he should at least check who was on the other line. He stayed on his stomach and reached for the phone to look who was trying to get a hold of him. It was Tifa…
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hi Vincent," Tifa's voice was not happy. "I need to talk to you."
"What's wrong?" there was no emotion in Vincent's voice. Tifa sounded like his mother whenever he did something wrong and he didn't want to hear it now.
"Yuffie just called me not 10 minutes ago," she sounded stern, "she was crying hard…"
"So…what's the problem?"
"Well, didn't you just go see her?"
"Yes," he sighed.
"What did you say to her, Vincent?" she was really mad now…
"Absolutely nothing," and he didn't care.
"Don't give me that crap, Vincent. What you do to piss her off?"
"I've learned that it doesn't take much to piss Yuffie off."
"This is true…" she was quiet for a moment. "You really didn't do anything?"
"I got one word out and she threw me across the room, Tifa." Vincent took his other hand and felt his back – it was healed. He turned over so he could finally lay on it. "She's as nuts as she's always been."
"Vincent, don't say that," Tifa was sounding more understanding now. "She's just upset with you for leaving like you did."
"She could have handled it nicely like you and Cloud."
"Oh give her a break," Tifa was mad again. "She's Yuffie! What did you think, Vincent! Did you think that she was going to completely change?! People just don't do that."
"Yeah, but you said…"
"Who cares what I said! Yes, Yuffie has changed but she had to for her own good! She wanted to change because she was alone, because she was scared; because she had no one to love and be with…she was trying to grow up, Vincent."
"I see," Vincent rubbed his eyes. "I guess I'm just disappointed…"
"Why are you disappointed? Because she's no longer the dream girl you've been waiting for? Well, get over it." Tifa hung up the phone.
--
Sugar, baby love, sugar, baby love
I didn't mean to make you blue
Sugar, baby love, sugar, baby love
I didn't mean to hurt you
All lovers make
Make the same mistake
Yes, they do, yes all lovers make
Make the same mistake
as me and you
Sugar, baby love, sugar, baby love
I didn't mean to make you blue
Sugar, baby love, sugar, baby love
I didn't mean to hurt you
People, take my advice
If you love someone don't think twice
Love your baby love, Sugar baby love
Love her anyway, love her everyday
Yoko Ishida (Sugar Baby Love)
Vincent took a shower, got dressed, packed up all of his clothes in his back-pack and left the hotel again. It was still light out and he figured that he could come back and stay one more night if things with Yuffie didn't go so well again.
He was once again in front of her palace. He made his way up the stairs and flinched when he came to the guards but to his excitement, they were not the same ones as before. One was a female (though she didn't look like one) and the other was a taller male than the others before. They both pointed their spears at Vincent.
"State your name and business," the female guard ordered.
"My name is Vincent Valentine and I am here to see my friend, Yuffie Kisaragi."
The guards looked at each other. "She told us to watch out for you," the tall guard said.
Here it comes, thought Vincent; they were going to kick him to the street.
"Follow us, sir," said the female guard with a smile.
--
This time they did not take Vincent to the throne room but to the back porch on the on the other side of the palace. There he saw Yuffie sitting on a green cushion drinking tea. She was not dressed the same as she was earlier that afternoon – her make-up was completely off and she was now wearing a simple, but large black and brown robe wrapped tightly around her and her hair was pinned up in a loose bun. She looked up from her tea and smiled wide.
"It's wonderful to see you, Vinnie," her voice was alto again. Vincent was trying not to buy into it. He would wait until the guards left before he said anything. When Yuffie finally shooed them away he sat at her small tea table on a little red cushion and stared at her.
"You don't fool me you know," she said taking a sip of tea. "I recognized you the moment you stepped in."
"Why did you throw me across the room, Yuffie?" no more stupid talk – he wanted some answers.
"I…" she frowned; she seemed embarrassed. "I've been angry with you for almost four years – that's a long time, you know."
Vincent laughed. "Have you been keeping it inside all this time?"
Yuffie blinked and grinned. "Sadly, yes."
"I'm sorry I hurt you, Yuffie…I…I didn't mean too," he was telling the truth.
"You never meant a lot of things you did to me," she took another sip of tea.
"What do you mean?"
Yuffie was silent for a moment, like she was recalling past happenings then she spoke: "I must have texted you a thousand times…you never answered one…not one."
"Yuffie," he didn't want to make her mad like earlier. "You know me…did I ever do that before?" He was being stupid now…he might not have liked getting texts from Yuffie but he did respond to them.
"Maybe not often…but you did respond sometimes and I figured since that night…" she set her cup of tea down and sighed, "I never asked you if you wanted any tea…would you like me to ring you some?" she motioned towards her small bell on the table.
"No, I'm fine," Vincent was thirsty, but he felt that talking with Yuffie was more important. "Yuffie, I'm sorry."
"Why did you come to see me?"
"I…I missed you." He had a very hard time getting it out – but he had to tell the truth.
"Ha!" Yuffie was being sarcastic. "No, really, why did you come to see me? Did Tifa tell you to? Cloud?"
"No one told me," Vincent was offended but he couldn't blame her. "I wanted to see you myself."
"Oh really," she said in a sly tone. "I'm a married woman, Vinnie boy."
He knew that she was playing with him, but he kept it serious all the same. "I realize that, but you are my friend as well, Yuffie."
"I'm glad that I'm your friend, Vincent." She picked up her tea again and took a big gulp. "Who am I kidding…this tea is cold." She smiled and Vincent smiled back.
"I'm still mad at you," she was still smiling.
"I understand," he stopped smiling.
"Hey," she rose which meant that Vincent had to as well. "Do you have any plans?"
"No," Vincent said. "I don't have any plans."
"Would," she started. "Would you like to stay here for awhile?"
"Yes," he smiled again, "If it's not too much trouble."
"You're never too much trouble, Vinnie." She walked around the table and grabbed his arm. "Will you walk with me?" she asked.
"Of course, Lady Great," the whole time he was there he had forgotten that she was the one in charge.
"Please Vincent," Yuffie blushed. "Don't stop calling me 'Yuffie,' okay?"
"Okay."
