Rock Star

No, no matter how far we've come
I can't wait to see tomorrow
No matter how far we've come I
I can't wait to see tomorrow
With you
 - Linkin Park, "With You"

The celebration took place at Tifa's bar, of course - that was kind of where it had all began, so it was appropriate that it ended there.
The rest of the gang had been in Junon, where they were planning to see Yuffie's next show (to take place two days after the one in Kalm), when Tifa called Cid just prior to Yuffie's performance of "Hero," while Hannah was introducing it. He promptly flew everyone up just in time for the band to catch the end of the song and the very romantic linking of his two friends.
Shera had tears in her eyes. She kept reliving the moment of Yuffie and Vincent running toward each other - to the observer's eye, it looked almost as if they were running for some life-saving device like a preserver or an oxygen tank, something needed more than anything else. How romantic.
It took a while for everyone to notice that Vincent and Yuffie were nowhere to be found. A few nervous chuckles passed through the room - to most of the team, Yuffie was kind of like an extremely annoying daughter, and the idea of anyone, even someone she was in love with, "violating" her, made them uncomfortable.
However, the group could relax - Yuffie and Vincent were doing no such thing. In fact, they were doing something far more adorable.
They were cuddling.
Vincent was on his bed, against the wall, holding Yuffie, who was leaning against him like one might a chair. His arms surrounded her, and she felt secure. The claw didn't bother her at all.
"I could get a prosthesis." Vincent's deep voice rumbled. She shrugged.
"I like it." She said. "Nothing says 'I'm good in bed' like a claw."
Vincent laughed.
She couldn't get used to the sound, but she couldn't get enough of it. Vincent Valentine, laughing.
It was downright beautiful.
Downstairs, Tifa had the jukebox going on random. Yuffie smiled, mouthing the words to the songs she'd covered thousands of times - life was more complicated now, but she had everything she needed. For now.
Sounds of music drifted up the stairwell. Yuffie remembered this song, and she sang along with it softly, wondering if it would provoke a reaction in Vincent.

Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be
And say it for me, say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth savin' me...

A reaction, Yuffie got. Vincent twitched.
"Vincent, why were you crying when I sang that song in the shower?" She asked, softly. She looked up and touched his face, reveling that she could do that now.
Vincent was struggling with something; she'd never known Vincent to have a problem verbalizing something he actually wanted to say. This was a new experience.
"It's...sort of my song to you." He said, lamely. He felt, for the first time in a long time, embarassed. "I..."
Yuffie laughed. "Vincent, I've never had to save you. You've always saved me." Her hand was in his, trustingly.
"That's not true, Yuffie." He said. "Just...by being you...you saved me from..." He sighed. "I apologize, I'm not good at this sort of thing."
Yuffie giggled, turned, and kissed him on the cheek. "I think I know what you mean, Vinnie." She said, grinning. "And it's very sweet of you to think so; but you're...amazing." She sighed and leaned back into him. "And you don't even know it."
Vincent didn't understand how one could consider him any such thing. He wondered what it was like to view the world through Yuffie's eyes; eyes tinted by naivete and all of the good things, and yet, at the same time, a world view and all of the bad things. Yuffie, he knew, had seen her mother murdered, and yet, she could still laugh and dance and sing joyfully. He didn't know how she did it.
"I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on which of us is the real hero." He rumbled, amusedly.
"I suppose." Yuffie said. She snuggled into him. "I wonder what the others think we're doing?"
"Reno is downstairs, Yuffie." Vincent said. "Of course, they all think we are having sex."
She laughed.

The next morning was a day off for the band, thank goodness - everyone was asleep well past when they'd have to leave to get everything taken care of on time. The band members and their significant others had made their way to their own homes; downstairs, Reno, Rude, and Cid lay passed out across the bar's tables. Tifa, Shera and everyone else had made their way upstairs to sleep.
Tifa walked downstairs bright and early - and groaned.
"Good lord, this place is a mess." She said. "Thank goodness it's only Wednesday." She began cleaning, gave up, and instead started preparing a large breakfast.
"Mmmm, I smell Tifa's cooking." Cid said, stirring from his table. He sat up. "Ow." He said, rubbing his head.
Tifa laughed and tossed him a Heal materia. "Esuna takes it right away." She said.
Cid stared at the materia, back at Tifa, and glared.
By the time Tifa finished a large breakfast, nearly everyone was downstairs. She served everyone and then prepared a tray for Vincent and Yuffie, wondering if they'd want to be distracted.
Listening at their door, she heard snores - that meant, in her mind, that it was alright to take the food in and leave it for them.
When she opened the door to Vincent's room she was greeted with possibly the cutest sight ever - Vincent and Yuffie, still fully clothed, asleep against each other on the bed. The only cuter sight, Tifa thought, would have to involve puppies. Very, very cute puppies.
"Rise and shine, love birds." Tifa said, softly, setting the tray down on Vincent's nightstand. Vincent stirred first, opening one red eye to glance up at her, before letting it close again. Tifa laughed, which awoke Yuffie.
"Yum!" Yuffie said, shooting upward and waking Vincent, who groaned.
"C'mon, Vincent, Tifa brought us her special breakfast!" She grinned up at Tifa. "Thought we had a long night, eh, Tiff?"
Tifa had the grace to blush. "Everyone did."
"They can relax. For now." Yuffie said. Vincent groaned again. "Ah, shut up, you crybaby. It's 9 a.m.!"
"It's...not that." Vincent said. He brought his human hand up to his head. "Cid might kill me."
Yuffie and Tifa laughed.
"Well, I'll leave Bed Head here to finish his meal." Yuffie said, grinning as she gathered her dishes - she'd been eating during the entire conversation - to take them downstairs. "And I'll just have a talk with Mr. Highwind about whether or not I'm allowed to choose my own mate."
Vincent heard the door close and opened his eyes, looking at it. Mate.
He liked the sound of that.

"It's not so much that the idea bothers me, Yuff." Cid's voice was saying as Vincent began his ascent down the stairs, about 15 minutes later. "I don't care what ya'll do - just so long as he treats you right."
"Damn right." Barret's voice rumbled. "S' long as he treats you right. The minute he tries to pull a disappearing act, I'll kick his ass, damn right if I won't!"
The bar went quiet as soon as Vincent stepped into view.
He hated that. That feeling that you'd been talked about, and they didn't want you to hear.
"You hear that?" Barret asked, shattering the silence. "You hurt Yuffie, you gonna pay, is all I'm sayin'."
"You will not have to worry about that." Vincent said. A part of him melted as soon as he saw Yuffie, hair and clothes rumpled from sleep, smiling at him. He smiled back.
The bar went silent. Vincent was smiling.
Shera spoke next.
"I don't think we have anything to worry about, Cid, Barret." She said. She smiled at the new couple. "Nothing at all."

"This is my last day off for a long time." Yuffie said, later that day. She'd skipped her morning exercises for the first time in nearly twelve years, feeling like taking a lazy day, for once.
"I know." Vincent said. They were back in Vincent's room, cudding again. Yuffie was absolutely amazed - one, that Vincent seemed to enjoy cuddling (he didn't seem the type, at all) and two, that he hadn't tried to get her naked yet - he hadn't gotten laid in well over thirty years!
They were silent for a while, before Yuffie burst out with "Do you want to come with me?"
Vincent looked at her. "On tour?"
Yuffie nodded and looked downward.
"I..don't know." Vincent said, uncomfortable. He shifted in his spot on the bed. "I have not...been with someone in a long time, Yuffie. I do not know how I will react having to share you."
She giggled and kissed him. "Just remember, Mr. Valentine, that I am all yours when the lights go down."
He kissed her back and was silent for a few minutes before speaking.
"If I can get that in writing, I believe that will be a sufficient arrangement." He said, seriously. Yuffie stared at him, wondering if he was serious, before she caught the mischievious glint in his eyes.
"Jerk!" She said, hitting him lightly before leaning in and kissing him again.
"My apologies." Vincent said, trying to hide his version of a smile.
They were quiet for a very long time, looking outside over the streets of Kalm.
"Come to the show tomorrow, at least?" Yuffie whispered.
"Of course." Vincent said.

The next morning, Yuffie and the group piled into their plane, which was set to take off for Junon. Vincent boarded as well, taking in the strange sight of a tour plane.
It looked like a really nice apartment, really. There was a bedroom with a few separate beds, for napping on in between shows, a lounge area where the band relaxed in-flight (the lounge included a soda machine and a snack machine), and the take-off/landing area, where everyone had to be strapped down during those procedures.
Vincent was bemused; he'd never been in an aircraft quite like this before. Of course, the Shera and the Highwind weren't exactly airplanes, but he'd kind of expected the tour plane to be similar. It wasn't.
Well. Now that he was dating a superstar, he'd be learning a lot.
Yuffie sighed and flung herself into the seat that she had to sit in for take off and landing. Vincent sat next to her.
The band was quiet - none of them really knew how to react around Vincent Valentine. He was probably more well-known than they were, but he had an unassuming manner that made him seem much more humble. They knew he'd been tinkered with - the claw was proof, but most of the world knew about Chaos and Omega.
But he was so quiet and creepy looking.
Hannah spoke up first.
"How old are you, Vincent?" She asked.
Vincent eyed the group and Yuffie. "Twenty nine." He said. Yuffie knew that was not technically true, but he'd just started aging again - plus, it'd sound better than if he said his real age, considering her age.
"Oh, hey, guys!" Yuffie said, suddenly. "I heard a song I want to cover tonight. It's a really good song."
"So we'll have to practice when we get there?" Chad said, smiling.
Yuffie nodded. "It's a really good song, though, Chad. Plus, I mean, our stuff is already there, being set up, so it's not like it'll be a huge inconvenience. I bet the place'll be willing to let us at the stage if we pay the hands for the time anyway."
Ken smiled at her. "Calm down, you don't have to convince us."
"Okay, so, before we practice," Hannah said. "We can go shopping, right?"
"Is that all you think about?" Mike said, disgusted.
"No!" Hannah exclaimed, angrily. "But the best shopping on the planet is in Junon!"
Yuffie laughed. "Calm down, Hannah. We'll get everything settled and go out for an hour or two."
Vincent sighed.
"Don't worry, you don't have to come with us." Yuffie said, giggling. "Girls only!"
Vincent, before that moment, had never imagined a time when he wouldn't want to be with Yuffie - but now that he knew he would avoid her shopping excursions; they didn't sound pleasant.
"You can hang out with the guys!" Yuffie said, brightly. Suddenly, Vincent wished he was going shopping - he didn't know any of the men from Yuffie's band very well. In fact, he recalled that he had disliked them the moment he met them, simply because he thought they were trying to win Yuffie over.
Chad, Ken and Mike all smiled nervously. Their idea of a fun time wasn't hanging around Vincent Valentine, who was the ultimate Creepy Guy, in their opinion. Vincent felt a little less nervous as he realized that the feelings were mutual. This would be a lot less painful that way.
"Aw, come on, guys." Yuffie said. "Vinnie's not that bad. He ain't gonna hurt you or anything." She looked at him for his support in that statement.
Vincent kept silent.
"Oh, he's just trying to be all silent and mysterious." Yuffie said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, guys."
"He could hang out while we play this." Ken suggested, digging something out of his backpack.
It was a copy of the newest first-person shooter video game. Vincent's eyes registered interest.
"It's four-player for the Xbox." Chad said, looking at it. "We could all play."
Yuffie looked at Vincent, who attempted some semblence of aloofness. "I suppose." He said. Really. Despite how interesting the video game seemed, it was kind of unseemly for a man in his sixties to be playing video games.
Then again, he had just told them that he was 29 years old.
Chad's face cracked into a smile. "You're alright, man."
With a thump, the plane landed. Vincent could see Upper Junon Port around them and sighed.
He hated Junon.

Seeing a show from stage left was a little different from watching it in the audience.
For one, the sound technician enlisted his aid and superior strength to move a sound and lighting board into it's proper position. Vincent didn't mind; that board would have taken four men to move otherwise, men that were now freed up to do other things. And it was helping Yuffie.
For another, Yuffie could actually see him on stage, and she'd turn to him and smile occasionally. He could see now that it was nearly impossible to see properly out into the audience because of the bright lighting, and wondered if there was a way to compensate for that. Perhaps backlighting of some sort?
It was nearly the end of the show - in fact, the band was walking out for their last encore (Yuffie snuck a quick kiss from Vincent before walking out on stage).
"This is a new cover from us." Yuffie said into her mic, smiling at the audience. "We just learned how to play it today, but it's a good song, at least, I like to think." The audience went nuts as Yuffie walked to the side; to a keyboard set up.
She turned to the band and nodded her head in time, which Hannah picked up. Yuffie began to play, and sing.

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, here tonight

Singing amen, I, I am alive (I am alive)
Singing amen, I, I am alive

Yuffie glanced over at Vincent off stage and smiled at him as she played the only instrument she knew, other than her voice. He smiled back.

If everyone cared, and nobody cried
If everyone loved, and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singin'
Amen I, amen I, I am alive
Amen I, amen I, amen I -
I am alive

And in the air, the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing amen, I, I am alive (I am alive)
Singing amen, I, I am alive

If everyone cared, and nobody cried
If everyone loved, and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared, and nobody cried
If everyone loved, and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

When nobody died

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be...

Vincent smiled to himself. No wonder Yuffie liked this song; she was forever the optimist. But it was a pretty song nonetheless, and he saw a few tears in the audience.

If everyone cared, and nobody cried
If everyone loved, and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
If everyone cared, and nobody cried
If everyone loved, and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

We'd see the day
We'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day
We'd see the day
When nobody died

We'd see the day when nobody died...

The song ended sharply, and on queue, the lights dimmed appropriately. After the sudden brightness, the audience could see nothing on stage; Vincent's enhanced eyesight only barely made out the band members shifting in the dark. When the lights came back up, and the band was standing in the middle of the stage in a line, arms around each other, tears in their eyes for a well-done song, the audience burst into applause. They bowed and waved at their fans.
Vincent took a look out at the audience - and saw looks of complete and utter joy on their faces. The fans were so happy to be here and see their favorite band.
Vincent decided that if it brought that kind of joy into the world...perhaps he could share Yuffie.
Just a little.
He retreated into the darkness, heading toward the green room, where the band was to do a post-show meet and greet. Vincent was feeling just a little sentimental; perhaps Yuffie and her band's outstanding performance of the song had done it, or perhaps he just was feeling the full effects of being in love, but he got everything set out for the band, including the spray of flowers for the girls, sodas, munchies (on platters in the mini fridge) and champaign in the chiller bucket.
He then settled off into the shadows, unwilling to leave but not quite wanting to stay and intrude.
The band burst in happily. "That song was so awesome, Yuffie. It was perfect."
"I wonder where Vincent went?" Chad said. "He looked very pleased at the end, there."
"I dunno." Yuffie said, glancing around. She caught sight of him in the darkest corner of the room, completely relaxed. "Oh, hi, Vinnie!" She jumped up and ran over, throwing her arms around him. "Didn't we do good?"
"Very good, indeed." He said, smiling and hugging her back. Suddenly the door to the green room burst open and a small crowd of fans, boys and girls, came through, excitedly.
Yuffie shot Vincent a look and he gestured at her for her to do her job.
The next few minutes passed well enough until one of the girls looked in his direction and said "Oh my God, is that Vincent Valentine?"
Suddenly the room went quiet and all eyes were on him.
"Uh, yeah." Yuffie stated. "He's my boyfriend."
Vincent felt a flush rise to his face, which he struggled to control, at the word "Boyfriend." While he knew it was, for the time being, the applicable word, he felt it was a sort of cheap word, something almost belittling for what he felt they had - and he was far too old and dignified, of course, to use such immature titles.
"Wow, really?" The girl said. "You're so...opposite..."
"Opposites attract." Yuffie said, smiling.

They retired to Yuffie's room after that; she had a standard room with two queen beds.
Vincent had insisted upon that; it was, he felt, appropriate considering her status as rock star and princess. If word got out that she'd brought her new boyfriend into her room with her, with one bed, while they were unmarried - the press would have a field day.
"It is what is decorous." He said. Yuffie rolled her eyes, but had complied.
The word "boyfriend" had evoked strange feelings in Vincent. He didn't know where this relationship would take them - he had no idea what the future would hold. He didn't know if Yuffie considered this a fling or a serious relationship, and to be honest with himself, he had no idea what he thought, either. Would this last a few weeks, or would they get married and have children?
He had a feeling, however, that it was entirely too early in the relationship - two days, approximately - to be thinking about such things. Things like this were, he had been told, supposed to fall in place naturally.
Yuffie hit her bed and was sound asleep within moments. While he listened to her breathing pattern slow into a steady rhythm, he pondered what it would be like if they married. Would they buy a house? Have children? Move into the Shinra Mansion?
Then he pondered whether or not it would be wise for him to procreate at all - or if, indeed, he could. Hojo and Lucrecia had messed with his genetic structure and he wondered if such tinkerings had affected his ability to impregnate a female, or if his deformities would pass to any children he had.
He supposed that he would have to ask a doctor. Eventually.
Vincent cringed. He hated doctors. Ever since his time with Hojo and Lucrecia, the sight of a long, white clinical jacket terrified him. He felt relatively justified, however, in this fear.
He would take his leave, then, of Yuffie in the morning; he would travel to Mideel, where the only doctor whose presence he felt comfortable in resided.
He would not tell Yuffie what he was doing, but he would promise to meet up with her somewhere along her tour, or perhaps after; he did not know how long it would take to get these delicate tests done, and he figured that he might have to pay for some of the equipment that would be needed.
He didn't mind. After his travels with Cloud, as well as his original pension from Shinra, which had been paying into his account since his "termination" over 30 years ago, he was relatively well-off. If buying a doctor equipment would determine if his progeny would be well or not, well, it was worth it.
Peace of mind like that was worth anything.

Author's Notes: Whew! Finally! I hit a slight case of writer's block there, but it's gone now. I was originally going to quit after they got together but I figured I'd see it through...so, here's chapter 10, and chapter 11 should be up in a few.