Chapter Ten: Disharmony

((Author's Notes: First, an announcement! Since Transformations has become my run-away leader in review count, I have decided that I will do a request fic for my 100th reviewer. It is a number I never expected to see and I'm really excited, so I want to show my gratitude somehow. This request fic is my first ever for one of my readers and must fit into my AU so that I can do the best job possible. It will be a one-shot of likely 3-5k words unless it really catches my fancy and I go nuts. I will not write sex scenes/smut, but pretty much any other theme or plot goes. I will PM the winner to discuss it. Please DO NOT spam my reviews just to be the winner, though, as I'll consider that cheating. Also, my poor blog is extremely lonely and needs more followers! The address is in my profile… I hate how we can't link things here! It's under JenesisX over at blogspot dot com. I use it to announce updates, ideas, occasional fic hints, and discuss writing and the fandom in general, so please check it out! Comments about this chapter and a preview for the next are at the end to avoid spoilers! ~ JenesisX))

"Vincent Valentine, where have you been!"

Lucrecia bolted to her feet as her missing lover finally returned home. She wasn't sure which emotion was stronger… Relief? Worry? Anger? Whichever it was, the mix was potent and she could feel herself already beginning to tremble. Her heart began to pound as she watched him wordlessly remove his cloak and boots as if he hadn't heard her. She knew he had, as his hearing had been greatly enhanced along with his other senses. No, he was just being stubborn. The anger that had been building over the last twelve hours slowly began to surpass everything else as she watched him continue to ignore her.

"Vincent. I'm talking to you," she tried again, biting her lower lip and trying to remain calm. Losing her temper wouldn't help anything, after all, and the last thing she wanted to do was fight with him. They'd never had what she would consider a real argument before, and she didn't want to start one now.

He slowly turned and faced her, blinking as if he was surprised to find her standing there. There was dirt on his clothing, and his hair was a wild mess. In fact, it almost looked as if he'd been sleeping outside on the ground, or at the very least rolling around on it. That same look of extreme exhaustion had returned to his pallid face, and he moved as if he barely had the energy to remain standing.

"Yes?" he said, his quiet voice devoid of emotion. Her frown deepened, wondering how he could be so calm at a time like this.

"You were out all night. Again. Did you think I hadn't noticed?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest and coming to stand just a few feet away from him. "Where were you?"

"Meeting with Cloud."

"From one o'clock last night til…" she paused and glanced down at her watch, "Almost noon? I don't think so…"

"Not the entire time," he conceded, attempting to walk past her toward their bedroom. She physically blocked his path, however, looking up at him and trying to meet his eyes.

"Vincent… I'm really worried about you," she said, trying to soften her tone and expression. "I'm worried about us. What is going on?"

"Nothing."

Lucrecia nearly growled with frustration, reaching out to grab a hold of his arm as he again attempted to slip past her and escape the conversation. No, he was not going to do this to her again!

"You were missing for almost half a day, starting in the middle of the night when you were supposed to be in bed with me, and all you can say is 'nothing?' What am I supposed to think? This is so unlike you… I was going crazy worrying! I thought something might have happened to you. What if you were laying hurt somewhere and I had no way of ever knowing? I've been sick to my stomach!"

"Sorry."

The temptation to shake him was so great that she dropped his arm, staring at him in disbelief. She tried and failed to reply several times before finally managing to form the words.

"That's really all you have to say for yourself? I've been awake since the middle of the night, worried sick about you and wondering why you left again, and all you're going to give me are one word answers?"

Vincent heaved a heavy sigh, lowering his eyes to the ground for long moments before finally lifting his head again. He reluctantly met her gaze, his eyes heavy and full of a mixture of guilt and his obvious love for her. She swallowed hard, tears burning her eyes and she stepped forward and embraced him. He stood stiffly for a moment before lifting his arms to return it. It felt so good to hold him, to know he was safe and back where he belonged, that Lucrecia's anger dissipated for the moment. She buried her face in his chest, wishing they could both just forget what had happened and move on with their lives. But doing so before had clearly not worked, and she knew this episode could not be allowed to pass without a resolution.

"I love you, Vincent… You look terrible, and something is obviously bothering you. I just want to know what it is so we can deal with it. Please…"

He exhaled sharply and seemed about to respond, then abruptly stepped away from her and averted his eyes.

"I can't."

"Why not…?"

"You would leave me if you knew the truth."

He spoke the words so matter-of-factly that she frowned and studied him closely, her mind racing as her heart pounded in her chest. What could he have done that he knew with such certainty would cause the end of their relationship? They had been through so much together, and he had forgiven her for so many things. She'd done her best to accept all of the changes he'd been through and could imagine almost nothing that would ever make her even consider wanting to leave his side. What they had together was too precious, too wonderful, to let almost anything take it away.

Her eyes once again burned with unshed tears and her stomach churned uncomfortably as the worst possibility entered her mind. No. There was just no way. He would never do such a thing to her… He wasn't that kind of man. She trusted him, and was fairly certain the thought had never entered his mind even when he believed she was gone forever. His devotion to her was nearly mindless, and before the last few days she would have thought anyone who suggested such a thing of him was insane. And yet…

"Vincent… Are-Are you seeing someone else? Is that why…?" she forced herself to ask, her voice nearly a whisper. A single tear escaped and trailed down her cheek at the very idea of it, the man she loved so deeply in the arms of another. If it were true, she wasn't sure she was so glad she'd been brought back to life after all.

Vincent's eyes widened almost comically, so stunned was he by the accusation. Somehow it made her feel instantly relieved. It was obvious the thought had not occurred to him, and she knew right away that her fears were unfounded. At least as far as that explanation for his behavior was concerned.

"No, my love," he said firmly, shaking his head and looking more than a little hurt. "That is ridiculous… You know you are the only one I've ever been with. There will never be anyone but you. Besides, who else would want me the way I am?"

"I knew in my heart you wouldn't ever do that, but… With the way you've been disappearing at night and refusing to tell me where you've been, I think it might cross anyone's mind."

"I would never do something so foul and immoral as to cheat on my partner."

Lucrecia winced as if she'd been slapped. Foul. Immoral. Did he think those things of her for having cheated on her husband thirty years prior in order to be with him? He'd certainly seemed okay with her indiscretions at the time. In fact, he'd most definitely encouraged them.

"You didn't seem to think I was so foul and immoral when we were together all those nights," she snapped, her voice wavering with emotion. Vincent blinked, tilting his head as if he wasn't sure why she was suddenly so angry again. Then she saw it hit him like a physical force and it was his turn to wince. He closed his eyes and sighed, lifting his normal hand to his forehead.

"Lucrecia… I did not mean-"

"Oh, forget it. It doesn't matter," she interrupted, not about to let him change the subject even if he'd hurt her feelings. That was the least of their problems. "Just tell me where you've been!"

He attempted to step around her again instead of answering, and Lucrecia once again managed to block his escape. She reached up and gently turned his chin down so he was forced to meet her gaze, looking at him imploringly. She was begging him with her eyes, pleading with him to tell her the truth and set everything right between them. But he only shrugged away from her touch and agilely slipped past and through the doorway of their bedroom.

"Lucrecia, please. I am so tired."

"Fine!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Go to sleep! Run away and hide again. I'll just sit here and pretend everything is all right until the next time you decide to disappear and expect me to just accept it!"

Lucrecia stormed across the room to their tattered old couch and dropped heavily into the cushions. As she grabbed a hold of her current book and tried in vain to calm herself and slow her heart rate, she had the sinking feeling those were the last words she was going to speak to Vincent for quite a while.

((Author's Notes: Fight, fight! Er, I mean… :sad face:! It seems Vincent caught a bad case of Foot-In-Mouth Syndrome from Cloud last chapter. I hate to admit that this was fun to write, but it was. Sorry, haha. I had some reservations about having these two argue like this, as they are normally so infatuated and in love with each other. However, Lucrecia can only be expected to take so much of Vincent's sneaking around and silent routine. I think it would be unrealistic for them not to have this blow-up. Now the question is, how are they going to cope with this, and can they make up? Poor Lucrecia needs someone to talk to, and next chapter she will pour her heart out to a sympathetic ear. Meanwhile Vincent is being his old angsty, depressed self and staying in bed moping and worrying instead of trying to fix things. I have some exciting scenes coming up before this fic is over, and I honestly do not know how long it is going to go. I am thinking 20-25 chapters, but that is just a rough estimate. My fics tend to surprise me like that, and I rarely stick to my admittedly loose outlines. I already have my next multi-chapter fic somewhat planned as well, and Vincent is more or less the main character in that one as well (along with Seph and the Turks). Anyway, thank you all again so much for your continued support! If you are reading along and have not yet reviewed, please do so if you have a moment, as I'd love to hear from you. To those of you who have been faithfully reviewing, I love and adore you all! It is always a pleasure to entertain my lovely readers. Til next time! ~ JenesisX ))