Metal-shod feet trudged through the dust of the catacombs and opened a
wooden door. A face swathed in cloth ignored the scent of the dead and
closed the door behind him as he walked to the place of sleep. With
little difficulty, he pushed past the heavy coffin lid and looked
inside the place he would spend the rest of his life in.
It wasn't too appealing.
He nodded grimly to himself and slowly lowered himself down - until
something grabbed him so hard by his cape that he almost toppled
backwards. Vincent quickly righted himself and stared behind him in
disbelief.
"Gawd! And here was I thinking 'Nooo, Vincent's smarter than that.'
What the hell do you think you're doing?"
For once, he was at a loss as he stared at the small, dark- haired
figure behind him. "I... I thought you were going to Wutai," he
finished, half-lamely.
"I followed you first. Hmph! You promised us all you wouldn't do this!"
"I did not promise anything." Vincent stood up straight and stared
down at Yuffie. "Why are you here?"
"Cloud promised me his Quadra materia to make sure you were safe. And
safe doesn't mean going back into this box!"
"Yuffie." He looked at her. "Where else is there for me to go? Everyone
is gone."
"Aeris is gone from Cloud and you don't see him climbing into a coffin!
Stop feeling so.. so sorry for yourself," she said, her eyes flashing.
Vincent sighed, then turned away. "What must I do to make you leave me
alone?"
"Just... go somewhere, get a new life. Let us know you're alive! And
stay away from Nibelheim," she added as an afterthought. "It stinks
here. Where's the key to this crypt?"
He handed it to her hesitantly.
Yuffie opened her vest and dropped it down into her bindings. "There.
Just in case you tried to steal it. If you don't contact one of us each
month, I'm coming back here and setting fire to the mansion."
"Yes, Yuffie," he said, quietly obedient to the fire in her eyes.
It must have been a mastered Quadra materia.
____________________
Yuffie groaned and threw down what seemed like her millionth streamer.
"I hate these things!"
Cloud grinned and threw some more crepe paper at the ninja. "Just a few
more!"
"You said a few more ten minutes ago! Do you know how many trees died
to give us these streamers?!"
"They went to a good cause." Cloud taped the ends of two together, then
hopped up on his ladder to fix them on the grating outside his house. A
few other people were also attaching the gaudy things to their own
houses; Yuffie thought it looked like somebody had vomited red, yellow
and orange all over their roof.
Yet she laughed and passed up some more streamers to him. "Are we
done?"
He stuck his tongue between his lips and carefully taped them together,
then nodded, satisfied. "There! That's those down."
Yuffie immediately began dancing in circles, throwing crepe paper
everywhere.
"Don't upset those too much, we still have to do my shop and
Vincent's!"
"Vinnie does Solar?" she mock-gasped.
"Nah. He comes out once, and then we don't see him until everything's
cleaned up." Cloud hopped off the ladder. "Can't blame him, I always
seem to have a hangover by the end of it."
"Hangover sounds nice," she said wistfully, then she blinked. "Oh, man!
I'm s'posed to be helping him!"
She dropped her crepe and began sprinting to his shop, yelling a few
'be right back!'s. For the last weeks, she'd been there at least every
day; she enjoyed it. She enjoyed working with the beautiful weapons he
made, and she enjoyed every tiny smile she could make Vincent give;
they were worth so much more than other people's.
And if sometimes conversation was strained, so what?
"You may go back and prepare your decorations," Vincent said patiently
to her.
"Don't want to. Sure there isn't anything here I can do?"
"Positive, Yuffie."
She pouted, then her face cleared a little. "Will you go to the Solar
Festival this year?"
Vincent actually managed to look a little guilty. "Why do you want me
to?"
"Cause I can't dance and I want to talk to somebody while I watch
Tifa'n all that," she said cheerily.
There. The quirk to his lips. "I'm sure you can dance."
"Nuh-uh! I can't! I trip over my feet!" Suddenly an idea passed into
her head and her eyes got a sudden gleam, one that Vincent recognized -
it had come whenever the little ninja had seen materia. "Buuuuut…"
A sinking feeling settled in his stomach. "Yes?"
"If you teach me, I'll leave you alone," Yuffie said coyly.
He really needed to finish that staff, and Vincent knew that if he
refused Yuffie would start annoying him incessantly in vengeance until
he complied. "Can't Tifa teach you?"
"Vincent, she's about five inches taller than me. I know what my eye
level would be forced to. Puleease?" Her brown eyes got big and
pleading.
A sigh, and he vaulted over the counter. Yuffie bounced happily and
smoothed down her short skirt and blouse, feeling pleased and young.
"What do you wish to learn?"
"The waltz? That looks easiest," she guessed.
Vincent nodded his assent. "It is. All you need to learn is the simple
box-step."
After five minutes of fumbling with her feet as he showed her how,
standing at her side, not participating too much but gently offering
instructions, she got the hang of it. After all, she had danced before…
Yuffie had just decided to gloss over every Wutai dance she'd ever
learnt.
Finally, Vincent stepped in front of her and he hesitantly looked at
his claw and her waist, before placing it there as lightly as he could.
Her other hand touched his and eagerly took it between her fingers; his
touch was strangely cool and warm at the same time, with as little
moisture as possible. She was staring at his ribs, seeing as he was
about six-feet and she five-feet-two, but she didn't mind.
After a lot of hesitation, she practiced the step, him leading
silently, the rhythm stamped on the wooden floor echoing through the
room. Yuffie quickly got used to it and grinned at him cockily.
Vincent disentangled himself from her as quickly as possible. "Are you
satisfied?"
She looked up at his deep, fathomless crimson eyes, bubbles
of euphoria popping up inside her as she realized how close she was to
him. Yuffie didn't dwell on it, she just knew she was happy. These
days, that was a feeling almost never truly felt, so she didn't really
want to look the gift chocobo in the mouth, so to speak.
Her right foot drew angular to her left and she suddenly struck a
graceful pose, one hand splayed in front of her face and the other
above her head in the ancient dance step all Wutaians were taught. "I
may live," she joked.
Like a flash he mirrored her position, feet apart, eyes suddenly
intense in remembrance.
Slowly she moved the hand above her head and just as slowly he copied
her. Then, when their hands were stretched as high as they could be,
his fingers clicked a slow-beating rhythm.
Her own rhythm joined in counterpoint and almost unconsciously her free
hand reached out -
Vincent pulled back like he had stepped into a fire, and a faint flush
came over his face, deeply shamed. "I am sorry, Yuffie."
She stared. "For? Gawd, it's not like you hit me! It's only a Wutaian
Daini - "
"No." He shook his head fervently, interrupting. "I shouldn't be
dancing, I shouldn't have even agreed…"
"It's not illegal," Yuffie protested. What was his problem? He hadn't
been that bad at all.
He muttered something and pushed past her, not rough but firm, back
into the deep recesses of his shop.
The tiny ninja stared at him before shaking her head and stalking out
the shop, murmuring dirty words in frustration. Really, Vincent
Valentine was impossible.
___________________
The last red streamer pinned, the last yellow flower lovingly tucked
away in some niche. Kalm was decorated for the Solar Festival. Yes, it
was the tacky eye-hurting riot that Yuffie had feared… but… the festive
air appealed to the still-excited child in her. The weather was now hot
and dry, and Yuffie was in her element, used to the deadly in
comparison Wutai summers.
Tifa, however, was always found in her bar with the fan on high or
trying to find the coolest room of her house, with a glass of icewater
clutched in her hand. "I can't stand it," she often wailed to Yuffie.
"I feel like I'm going to melt!"
"You do this every summer," Cloud told her.
"There was never any summer in Midgar," she defended herself. "And in
Nibelheim it just meant it didn't snow, and… oooh… how can you two
stand it?"
Yuffie just snickered. "You should see Wutai. It's at least fifteen
degrees higher than this in midsummer…"
Tifa just gave another groan and buried her head under a cushion.
"Too dry," Cloud said absently. "The flowers are wilting. Aeris
dislikes this weather."
Both of the girls had grown to take no notice of Cloud's talking of
women long dead as if they were still there. It was better not to ask.
"Vincent hates it too," Yuffie piped up. "He can't wear his scarf."
Tifa took time out from getting up close and personal to the cushion to
look up with mischievous eyes. "How is he?"
"He's okay." Yuffie had eventually coaxed Vincent out of the shell he'd
retreated into after the dancing and the topic had been dropped; she
was still determined to make him go, though.
"Good, because he only really talks to you…" A wink was directed to
her, and another cushion was immediately thrown at Tifa's head.
"And what's that supposed to mean, huh?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" Tifa protested laughingly, throwing the cushion to
a smirking Cloud.
Above their amused voices came the deep-toned rap of the knocker on the
door.
"I'll get it," Cloud said above the giggles and wandered over to the
main hall. Tifa and Yuffie pelted the cushion back and forth until they
heard a sweet, childish voice proclaim, "Hiya, Unkie Cloud!"
"Barret!" Tifa and Yuffie squealed as one and tripped over each other
trying to get to the door. Indeed, their large, darkskinned friend was
there, setting Marlene down as he and Cloud punched eachother's
shoulders in the primeval male greeting. Marlene jumped into Tifa's
arms with a happy cry and Barret turned to hug Tifa as gently as one
could with a gun-arm. "Heyas, Teef! Yer lookin' good, gir'."
"So're you! Was the trip from Corel here okay?"
Barret nodded eagerly. "We gotta new train system goin', an' it runs
sweet, specially since everyon' needs so much coal now…" Barret looked
at the small figure squeezing it's way between Tifa and Cloud and
smirked. "An' who da hell's dis?"
"It's Yuffie," Cloud proclaimed, the same smirk decorating his lips.
"Nuh-uh. Dat not Yuffie. Yuffie only dis big." Barret spread a hand.
"An' anyway, Yuffie woul' be in my Materia pouch already, foo'."
"Bar-ret!"
"Wait, dat's Yuff. Still got the same whine."
Yuffie jumped forward and playfully smacked his arm, albeit gently.
"He-ey! Unfair!"
The huge man grinned, then his face grew somber. "Heard 'bout yer papa,
Yuffie. I'm jes' sorry."
The slight ninja froze slightly and then plastered a sickly, fake smile
to her lips. "Yeah, well. Anyway." She spun around hurriedly. "Tifa,
want me to start dinner or something?"
Tifa stopped playing the tickling game with Marlene and gave her easy
grin to Yuffie. "I already put a stew on. Maybe you could just set the
table, Yuff?"
She hurried off.
Barret stared after her sadly and shook his head. "Somefin' wrong wit'
dat girl, Teef."
"Yeah, I know. She's been a perfect angel here, though. Apparently,
she's only her usual scampy self with Vincent." Tifa set Marlene down
and she scampered off to the living room, followed by 'Unkie Cloud'.
"Yeah, Vincent's here, innit he?" Barret smirked. "Sheee-it. Never
thought he'd git along wit' Yuffie."
"Miracles do happen!" The dark-haired woman smiled wistfully to
herself.
As they all laughed and conversed and regaled each other with funny
anecdotes over the as-always delicious stew Tifa had cooked up, there
came yet another knock at the door.
Yuffie shrugged and got up out of her chaired. "My call," she
volunteered and padded over to the door.
Opening it revealed a very uncomfortable-looking Vincent. "Good
evening, Yuffie," he murmured.
A big grin split over her face. "Hi, Vinny! What's wrong?"
All conversation stopped at the dinner table in an effort to unsubtly
listen in.
"Nothing's wrong." It was too balmy tonight for Vincent to be dressed
in anything but black slacks and a shirt, his raven-dark hair tied
back. Yuffie tried discreetly to smooth her hair down as she stared at
him. Dear Gods, he was handsome. Eventually her brain managed to tune
into what he was saying.
"… supposed to be a shower of them tonight, and I was wondering if you
wanted to see, as you were so upset the last time you missed them…"
"Shooting stars?" Yuffie enthused. "I'm there! Just let me get my
shoes, okay?" She sped up the stairs, practically tripping over her
feet in an effort to get there quickly enough.
A piercing wolf-whistle broke through Vincent's uncomfortable fidgeting
at the door and he looked through at the dining table at three slyly
grinning faces. He coughed lightly and tried not to look flustered.
"Welcome, Barret."
"Hey, yerself," Barret boomed. "Now, we all 'spect Yuff to be back by
eleven, kay? And no funny business!" The whole table broke out in
giggles.
"…." Vincent offered them the dirtiest look he could muster whilst
still looking serene and went back to the door, where Yuffie was now
awaiting.
"Are you ready?" he asked softly.
"As I'll ever be!"
___________________
Again, lying on the hard tiles of Vincent's roof.
Yuffie was hugging herself tightly, eyes wide. Vincent had been correct
- there had been some meteroids shooting through the sky, looking like
diamonds falling down to earth. She'd confessed to feeling frightened
when she first saw them, remembering Meteor; but Vincent had soothed
that there was very little chance that these could hurt anyone and she
had been caught up in the sparkling, shooting beauty of them. So now
here they were, doing one of the most age-old things people can do.
"Vinnie, you see those stars over there?" A finger pointed up.
"Mmm-hmm? The ones to the left?"
"Yeah, that cluster of about five. If you squint really hard, it kind
of looks like…"
"Materia?"
"Vin-cent!"
"Very well. What does it look like?"
"It looks like a Shuriken," she said, voice very offended.
Vincent squinted slightly. "Actually, those are the Ayami."
"Ayami?" The name rung a bell. "I can't remember…"
"The Iris-sisters. There is a story about them that I recall…"
Yuffie stretched out her full length on the warm tiles beneath her.
"Tell me?"
His voice was low, husky and clear in the starlight. "Many years ago,
there was a beautiful girl who lived in poverty up on Da Chao, in a
tiny hut. She was an extremely rare beauty, so her father desperately
tried to find a wealthy husband for her so that she would not live out
the cruel life that she found in that hut…"
Yuffie closed her eyes and focused on Vincent's soft voice, re-living
the tale. All of a sudden she was six again, soft dark hair being
brushed by her father, ignoring the pull when he brushed out the
tangles and listening wide-eyed to the tale of the beautiful girl who
married the evil lord and fell in love with the handsome gardener.
"… and she threw herself off the mountain. But the gods felt such for
her that they took her body and carried it up to the stars, where it
fell and became the flowers that she had so loved…" Vincent stopped
abruptly and sat up when he heard the soft, choking sounds coming from
Yuffie's throat. "Yuffie! What is wrong?"
Yuffie buried her head in her hands and turned away from the dark-
clothed man, her throat choked with sobs. "Godo used to tell me that
story," she eventually whimpered out. "When I was little."
Feeling a wave of sorrow, Vincent gently helped the crying ninja up
with his good hand and stroked her back. She immediately fell forward
and buried her head in his chest, finally sobbing out the tears that
she had been keeping back for so long.
"Cry it out," he instructed.
"Gawd," she sobbed into his shirt. "I miss him so much, Vincent! It's
like there's this big hole inside of me, and nothing ever fills it up…"
"Grief lasts forever." He used his claw to balance them, closing his
own eyes as images freely danced along his eyelids. "But eventually you
feel it less, and less…"
Eventually her weeping slowed to merely sniffling and she looked at
him, eyes red, but a spark of hope in them. "When? How do you handle
it? How did you handle… Lucrecia?"
Surprisingly, there was no stiffening in his body when he heard his
lost beloved's name, and he felt a small pang of guilt. "I went looking
for Lucrecia after… after Meteor, Yuffie. And when I found her body
finally… all I felt was relief that she was finally at peace." He
didn't mention the feeling that he wanted immediately go to peace with
her, and the grief-stricken sobs that emanated from his throat -
exactly like Yuffie's - when he found her frozen corpse, lying at the
bottom of the waterfall she had so loved. She'd killed herself.
Yuffie huddled against him. "I'm so sorry…" She coughed, draining the
last of the tears away.
"Focus on your own grief, Yuffie. Just handle what you have."
She nodded and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I better get home… thanks for
the stars, Vincent. It was great."
He stood and walked over to the grating they usually climbed to get
onto his roof. "Do you want me to walk you to your door?"
"Why not?" Yuffie gave him a slight smile.
They walked back in silence.
When they reached Tifa's door Yuffie turned to Vincent and unexpectedly
gave him a tight hug around the waist, resting her cheek against his
tear-dampened shirt. "Thanks."
Vincent disentangled himself from the smaller woman and opened the door
for her. "Get some rest, Yuffie. You'll feel better in the morning."
She nodded and went in, closing the door behind her.
Vincent shuddered slightly and pinched his hand as he began the walk
back to his house, up the stairs. Yuffie was getting dangerous, worming
her way into his heart like… like… Vincent didn't know. Nobody had
really done it before.
Except she who was now dead.
The tall man leant against his door and for one brief moment, he wished
he could now cry like Yuffie had done in his arms.
___________________
Yuffie only had a few days of peace before everyone started arriving
for Solar. The whole town was bustling with people and had even been
extended slightly with a makeshift marketplace. Yuffie would have gone
there evey day to check out all the wares - especially the Rare Materia
tent - but there was some far more exciting things going on at Tifa and
Cloud's house, which was getting quite crowded.
"Wakey, waaaaaaaaaaakey!"
The dark-haired ninja woke up with a slight scream. This was just what
she needed - some guy screaming like a megaphone in her ear every
morning! Then she turned and blinked, because it was a megaphone.
"Cait, if you don't get out of my room, I will throw something at you,
so help me Gawd!"
The cat smirked and hopped off his Mog, jumping into Yuffie's lap.
"Tifa said to get you up for breakfast, though you're getting so fat I
doubt you need it…"
"Do you want breakfast either? I can always shove my fist down your
throat!"
"Hah! Watch me tremble!"
"Reeve was sooo on drugs when he made you, cat."
"Same to your mamma!"
Yuffie and Cait Sith stared at each other for about ten seconds before
bursting out laughing. Yuffie swung Cait onto her shoulder and bounced
out the room in her nightgown, followed by an equally bouncy Mog.
"Good morning, Yuffie, Cait." Nanaki came padding down the hallway, his
flaming tail swirling shadows on the walls.
"Mornin' Reddy. Giddeeyup, wench!" Cait tugged on Yuffie's hair.
"Don't pull so hard!" Yuffie grumbled but obediently trotted off down
the stairs.
"Cid, do you want some more tea?" Tifa's voice drifted up to the pair.
"@$%^ yeah! You make good tea, kid. Almost as good as Shera's."
Yuffie giggled and bounced into the dining room. "How you convinced her
to marry you, I have no idea, Cid!"
"Cause of my manly charm!" The blonde pilot stubbed out his cigarette
and took the steaming cup from Tifa's hands and breathed in the scent.
"$#%@ yeah."
Tifa nodded at Yuffie and jerked her head to the table. "Your porridge
is going to go cold!"
"It better be diet," Cait called up from Yuffie's head. "Yuff's getting
bulgy!"
"I hate you, Cait," she said companionably and plonked herself down
next to Cid, shovelling porridge into her mouth as fast as she could.
"What's your rush?" Tifa asked curiously.
"Gotta get to Vincent's. Festival tonight. Convince," she said between
gulps.
Cait Sith jumped back down on his Mog and gave a piercing whistle,
waving his hand out at Yuffie flirtatiously. "That Vinny is such a
hunk! I have to invite him to the prom!"
"He's all mine," Yuffie kidded, chasing a bit of porridge around with
her spoon.
"Only if the 'fat, ugly' look comes in, sis-tah."
"Cait!" Tifa admonished.
"Don't worry, Tifa," the ninja grinned, picking her bowl up and washing
it off at the sink. "Cait's just jealous because I'm twice the man
he'll ever be."
"You two are &$(#ing nuts," Cid said comfortably.
"Thanks for breakfast, Tiff. Is anyone using the bathroom?"
"I think Barret was giving Marlene a bath."
"I'll just get dressed, then. I'll be at Vincent's!" she called and
sped back upstairs.
"Like you're ever anywhere else," Tifa murmured, grinning. Then she
raised her voice. "Be back by twelve! That's when the festival starts!"
Yuffie was practically cartwheeling as she sped along to the weaponry,
bursting through the door and grinning to find quite a few customers
already there. He nodded briskly so she vaulted over the countertop.
"Coming to Solar tonight," she said in between customers, putting some
gil in the till and handing back a few coins of change. "Make sure you
polish the blade of that thing," she called after a man.
"I don't know…"
"I know. All you have to do is say 'Yes'."
"But you have Cid, and Barret, and everyone," Vincent said lamely,
serving the last customer.
"I don't want them," Yuffie said firmly. "I want you."
She swore she saw Vincent's cheeks going pinkish. "That is a great
compliment, Yuffie, but…"
"Buuuut?" she asked, resting one arm against the counter.
"But… but…" Vincent looked at Yuffie's insistent dark eyes and sighed.
"I'm going, aren't I?"
___________________
"Isn't this fun?" Yuffie shouted over the band set up in the middle of
Kalm, grinning at Vincent evilly.
He mimicked plugging his hands in his ears. "Loud!"
"Wouldn't be fun if it wasn't loud!"
Cloud appeared out of the crowd and tugged on Yuffie's sleeve.
"Vincent, Yuff - we're just having a meeting quickly. Nothing's
happening now, anyway…"
Yuffie nodded and grabbed for Vincent's hand, and they all threaded
their way out of the crowd and made their way into Tifa's house.
Everyone was in Tifa's living room and she stood up as she saw them
approaching. She grinned at them warmly and passed them both glasses of
some sort of wine.
"Who's minding your bar, Tiff?" Yuffie asked curiously.
"Anton," she said dismissively, then sat down again, holding her glass
up for attention. Both Vincent, Cloud and Yuffie pulled up chairs
around the circle of friends and listened.
"We don't get together much," she started slowly. "Cloud, Vincent and I
are making our lives in Kalm. Barret's the mayor of Corel, Cid works on
his machines with Shera, Red's far away in the Cosmo Canyon, and
Yuffie…" She nodded at the ninja - "Yuffie's working out the kinks of
her life."
"She's awfully kinky," Cait agreed from Red's side.
"And Reeve and Cait are rebuilding Shinra. So all we can do is have the
odd call on the PHS." Tifa expelled a breath. "But this never means
that we don't care for eachother. I'd just like to say that I've never
felt closer to anyone after what we went through."
"Hear, hear," Red murmured softly.
"All we have - if we're lucky - is this festival each year. So, to sum
up this year, I'd like to make a few toasts…"
"With ayyyl-co-hol," Cait intoned deeply.
Yuffie giggled.
Tifa gave a playful glare Cait Sith's way and held up her glass. "I'd
just like to toast Cloud, who is, as always, the best house-mate ever
and never fails to amuse me…"
"She's just saying this because I do all the cleaning up," Cloud said
in a stage-whisper.
"…and will remain as always, my best friend. To Cloud!"
"To Cloud!" they all agreed and downed the drink if they had one.
The toasts of that day were the usual sort of thing you'd expect; Cid
toasted the Highwind, to much booing and laughing, Shera toasted her
husband. Red toasted Tifa, Cait toasted himself. Marlene very solemnly
toasted her papa and then gave herself a milk mustache. When it came to
Yuffie, for a few moments, she didn't know what to say. Then she
cheerily lifted her glass.
"To Vincent Valentine, who puts up with me and my whining."
"Yuffie," Vincent admonished gently. "You don't whine."
"Not anymore," Cid grumbled darkly.
Vincent gave Cid his patented Look and lifted his own glass to
Yuffie's. "Then in turn, I toast you, for…" His voice trailed off, and
he swallowed slightly. "For being… the best helper in the weaponry I
have ever had the pleasure of having."
For a moment Yuffie couldn't speak; she just glowed. Her ears tuned out
all the murmurs of her friends and for a moment she was lost in those
crimson eyes. Her knees were suddenly weak and her mouth dry, and
suddenly euphoria coursed through her body like a drug.
I'm in love with Vincent Valentine.
"… amazed she hasn't stolen anything," she heard Cloud ribbing her
gently, so she turned around, cheeks flushed. "Shhh, Cloud."
He just laughed and then held his glass up, gaze turned high to the
heavens. "And here's to sweet Aeris, who's still watching me." He
tipped back his glass and immediately chugged everything that was in
it.
Tifa took another sip for Aeris and then looked at Cloud gently.
"You're only supposed to take a small amount for toasting."
He nodded guiltily and set his glass down, the room quiet, the strains
of music from outside filling the air. "But every time I think of her,
I get the urge to get drunk."
Outside the band stopped and people applauded. Silence pervaded the
room.
"Anyway," Tifa said with false cheerfulness. "We can enjoy the festival
now! Big dance competition on tonight. Personally, I've been waiting
four years to win."
Barret laughed and put a hand on Tifa's shoulder. "Don' get yer hopes
up, girl. Spike's got two left feet."
"Can't be as bad as me," Yuffie piped up.
"You're not bad, Yuffie," her blackclothed friend - love - friend -
defended.
"Nah. I'm worse." She grinned at him, slightly goofily, and clapped.
"C'mon, people! Time to paaaar-tay!"
_________________
Despite fears, the night started out one of the best of her life.
She gorged up on candy like a little kid, bounced up and down to the
lively music, and thought quite seriously about trying out getting
sloshed before she saw Vincent aiming his Look at her. So she merely
took some punch and sighed at him.
He was the best part. Yuffie clung to him like a burr throughout the
day, the hours passing quickly - so quickly! - as they discussed the
merchandise, debated about candy and even joked. The sunset soon fell
on Kalm and lanterns were turned on all over the town. This just gave
the atmosphere an even more electric charge, and adrenaline ran through
Yuffie's veins like blood. The makeshift dancefloor was cleared out
even more for more space, and seats for judges were arranged.
"Vincent?"
"Mmm-hmm?" He looked up from his punch which he had been nervously
sipping.
"I want to go change for tonight, okay? I won't be more than a couple
of minutes."
"Do you want me to change too?" His look was doubtful.
She laughed and gave him an easy grin. "You look fine as you are. Just
keep the ladies off you," she teased.
Vincent had the grace to flush.
Yuffie hurried through the crowds again to Tifa's and smiled
indulgently at Red and Cait, who were both curled up on the couch.
There was no time to reflect, however - racing up to her room, she
dumped her suitcase out onto the bed, hoping one of her most precious
possessions was still intact…
It was. Yuffie Kisaragi was not a dress girl, but a kimono always had a
different sort of style to it. And this wasn't the kind of traditional
thing you wore at home - this wasn't the kind of thing even Yuffie
could manage to shock her elders with. This short, sleeveless style was
something she'd found in her mother's closet and fallen in love with.
Satin and white, it only came down to mid-thigh and was embroidered
with silver threads. As an afterthought, she pulled the bandanna out of
her hair. She hurriedly threw her blouse and shorts off and pulled it
on, fastening it all up at the front, and looked at her reflection in
the mirror.
Yeah, Yuff, her brain said quietly. You're no Tifa Lockhart, and no
Aeris Gainsborough, but you don't need to be. You're Yuffie Kisaragi,
and you're a woman now.
Is that going to be enough to impress… him?
Yuffie immediately dashed the adolescent thought out of her mind and
pulled her hair back, managing to secure it into a bun.
There. She was dressed to die. Her mind screamed at her that she'd
gotten the wrong anecdote, but it seemed more fitting that way.
All or nothing, all or nothing, her brain kept on reciting, and with an
easy grin plastered carefully on her face, Yuffie strutted back down to
the crowd - and Vincent.
___________________
Vincent Valentine almost choked on his punch when a ghost from his
past, dressed all in white, floated through the crowd and smiled at
him. "Michiko!" he spluttered.
The vision then grinned, and he focused his eyes on her and felt
utterly, utterly inane. "I'm.. sorry, Yuffie. You resemble your mother
so much…" But you have your father's pirate grin, he thought to
himself.
She laughed, and gently spun around in a circle. "You like?" Yuffie
asked, almost shyly.
Vincent had to swallow before he went on. Yuffie was… so classically
beautiful, but so untraditionally playful and bright. Michiko had
bought that kimono for a reason, he remembered, and the reason had
probably been Godo. As much as his mind screamed against him, his hands
wanted to trace the line of her waist to her bust, so as to tell
whether the delicate line that her figure stated was really real. The
neckline was so docile, the collar curving high, and the shortness of
it was so blatantly teasing in comparison. Vincent tore his eyes off
the slight ninja and noticed quite a number of other men not able to do
the same.
Yuffie was staring at him curiously. "Is there something wrong?"
"No! Nothing wrong," he said, a little too abruptly. "You look… most
like Michiko. I still remember when she wore that dress."
Her eyes gleamed, hungry for knowledge. "Do I look a lot like her? I've
seen pictures, but…"
"Michiko-chan wore her hair longer. Her face was also more… oval, you
have more of your grandmother's face." Vincent looked up, eyes far
away. "The images are hazy, but as I recall, your line of women has
always been beautiful..."
"Clear the floor!" a voice suddenly boomed from the stage. Vincent
recognized it as the mayor of Kalm. "It's time for the thing you've all
been waiting for - the Kalm Solar Festival dancing competition!"
Yuffie clapped and hooted, as did quite a lot of other people.
The floor was obediently cleared and the mayor grinned, sticking his
hands in his belt. "First competition will be for the under-fifteens,
solo and pairs dance…"
More cheering, and all the children of Kalm eventually sifted out onto
the dance floor. Both Vincent and Yuffie spotted a very eager-looking
Marlene in the thick of it. This part of the competition was really
just an amusing warm-up and a chance to get the children tired before
the real dancing began and the party lasted all night.
The music started up and Yuffie whistled piercingly. "Go, Marlene!" she
shouted to the little girl, who was very seriously bouncing up and down
and turning spins.
The dark-haired ninja smiled warmly at her companion and tugged on his
sleeve. "If we're not going to dance anyway, why don't we just watch
from your roof?"
Vincent nodded, looking slightly relieved. "It would be good to get out
of this crowd."
It was easy to glide through the crowd and skirt up the stairs to
Vincent's weaponry. From up on the roof, the crowd below looked like
one big glittering decoration.
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
The music came to a close. Marlene didn't win first prize, but everyone
was graced with some candy and she got the loudest cheers of all from
her adoring papa.
Vincent watched the girl beside him as she yelled and cheered for Tifa
and Cloud as they left to go on the dance floor.
Yuffie sat down and grinned at the scene, relaxing and stretching back.
Vincent did the same, slightly awkwardly, but the girl merely tugged
him closer and gently took his left claw between her hands.
"Yuffie!" he protested.
Her fingers traced the metal joints of it and soothingly ran along his
claws. "Does this hurt?"
"N-no," he managed. "But… it's very sensitive, Yuffie."
She nodded and carefully placed it back in his lap, slyly taking his
other hand instead. Vincent had to swallow hard, getting exceedingly
uncomfortable. Why… was she touching him so much? Nobody had touched
him willingly for… for years. Vincent didn't know whether to shake her
off or squeeze her hand.
Yuffie smiled at him beatifically and turned on the full force of her
smile, complete with the dimple Vincent was so used to by now. "Thanks,
Vin. For helpping me all this time. Gawd… I was such a mess when I got
here."
"You were mourning," Vincent responded. "It was natural."
"You helped me get back to normal, though." Yuffie's heart was turning
flip-flops inside her. He hadn't let go of her hand. "And… we're close,
right?" she asked, somewhat pathetically.
Vincent's pale face looked thoughtful for a moment, then he nodded. "As
close as anyone can be to me, I suppose."
Yuffie's heart went into meltdown in her chest. Right now, all she
wanted to do was jump into his arms and cling to him, whispering that
he wouldn't be lonely ever again. Lovesick, she teased herself.
She grinned at him shyly as a balmy breeze ruffled her hair. "I'm
glad."
Yuffie stretched out, lying on her back, and it took a few moments for
Vincent to join her. So close! She could hear every breath that he
took, and every slightest shift of his body…. She kidded herself that
she was in heaven. Turning her head, her nose was almost touching his
ear… so close… so dangerously close.
Eventually he did the same thing, looking at her, an almost curious
gleam to his crimson eyes. "Yuffie?" he asked.
Yuffie Kisaragi had been trained to act on instinct, and right now,
every cell in her body was screaming to do the same thing, so she
pushed her head forward the little way it took to kiss him. There are
some moments that live in your head forever; and the brush of her lips
against his was one that did for Yuffie. The moment held her in stasis
as she too eagerly poured her soul out in her kiss, her touch somehow
longing, her hand unconsciously squeezing his harder.
It lasted possibly less than a second.
Vincent pushed her away and jumped up so fast that he was almost a
blur. And all she could do was giggle at his reaction and look up and
grin, idiotically.
Too late she realized that his reaction was not one borne of mere
surprise; his eyes were wide with horror and he was shaking. "Yuffie…"
he began, voice strangled.
The flipflopping of her heart soon turned to the flipflopping of her
stomach as she saw the almost… repulsed look in his eyes. "Vincent…?"
She jumped up and tugged on his sleeve, still not fully understanding.
Time to pull out her last trump card to change his mind. "I love you,
Vincent…" she trailed off.
"I think I should leave." He was backing away from her. Like she was a
monster.
"Vincent, I -"
"… I think you got the wrong impression, Yuffie. I could never…"
Yuffie tonelessly finished the sentence for him, heart hardening up
like drying clay. "… love someone like me?"
All he did was give her another look and somersault off the roof, into
the night.
The ninja quietly brought one hand up to her chest and looked after him
as music continued on at the unknowing, happy revellers. Strangely
enough, her eyes were dry as she contemplated her situation. Her mouth
was working overtime to suck air into her lungs; Yuffie felt as if she
was drowning.
This was no time for tears.
It had been a mistake to come to Kalm. If she was going to screw up her
life, she might as well do it where she was at home.
And where she could screw up because of herself, and not because of men
who she fooled herself into thinking had hearts.
___________________
Tifa giggled at Cloud and whapped him away playfully as they both tried
to crash through the door at once. "Lemme through, you big lug!"
"Yes, milady!" Cloud said with a mock-bow. "Should I lick the floor
clean before you enter your palace?"
Her response was a light punch to his arm before yawning and walking
into her living room. "What time is it?"
"Two in the morning?"
"Hmph. We came back early. Yuffie must be asleep already." Tifa plomped
herself down in an armchair.
"Want something to drink?" Cloud took off his jacket and ambled into
the kitchen.
"Water."
He came back with two glasses of water and an envelope in his hand.
"Looks like you have mail," he commented, handing her the plain white
envelope with "Tifa" written on it.
"Weird." Tifa accepted her water and set it down as she got busy
slitting open the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper, the
handwriting small and delicate. Tifa began to read, her hazel eyes
slowly getting bigger and bigger.
Dear Tifa,
I'm leaving Kalm.
It's time for me to live up to my responsibilities and go back home.
Please give everyone my love, and I thank you and Cloud deeply for
letting me stay here. I've cleaned out my room.
Love, Yuffie.
___________________
Dressed in her now comfortably-familiar green shirt and khaki shorts,
Conformer gripped in her hand, Yuffie surveyed the town that had been
her home for the past month. "Thank you," she whispered to it.
Then she set off to Junon, to catch a ship for Wutai, and home.
And Yuffie Kisaragi didn't cry.
No point any more.