The Cry of the Planet
Chapter 16
Vincent slept a heavy, dreamless sleep and woke to the sound of someone yelling. Or at least he thought he did as it stopped before he was fully awake and aware. He pulled himself out of bed and squinted into the morning sun. He walked to the window and closed the drapes casting a dark cloud over the room. He showered and shaved going through his morning routine, thinking of two things: The trip to Mt. Nibel tomorrow and of course, Lucrecia. As he dressed, his mind wandered back to the night before as he was still missing his suit jacket and he hoped Lucrecia didn't forget about it. He left his room and knocked on the door next to his.
"Wh... Who is it?" Lucrecia's soft voice called from inside.
"It's me," Vincent said and thought it a bit vague. "Vincent."
The only answer he got was the shuffle of Lucrecia's feet on the floor and eventually the door opened about a foot. A slender arm thrust Vincent's suit jacket through the door. Wearily, Vincent took the jacket and the arm quickly withdrew into the room and the door slammed shut.
"Lucrecia?" Vincent asked worried. "Is something wrong?"
"No, just..." Lucrecia's voice said. "Just leave me alone."
Vincent took the doorknob and pushed the door open to see Lucrecia's tear- stained eyes and tired look.
"God..." Vincent said walking towards Lucrecia." What's wrong? What happened?"
"Nothing," Lucrecia said looking at the floor. "I'm just... not feeling well."
"You're lying," Vincent's eyes narrowed. "Did someone hurt you?"
"No..." Lucrecia said still looking at the floor.
"Who was it?" Vincent asked ignoring Lucrecia's denial.
"It wasn't anyone. It's nothing. Please stop..." Lucrecia said with a silent tear running down her face.
"Hey," Vincent said looking painfully at her tears. "Don't do that."
Vincent walked towards Lucrecia and pulled her face against his chest. Without thinking, Lucrecia buried her face in his shirt and hugged him tight. He closed his eyes and ran one hand through her hair wanting to know what was troubling her so much. When Lucrecia's tears slowed to a sniffle, he pulled her head off his chest and kissed her forehead.
"Please stop," Lucrecia said stepped away from him.
"Stop... What?" Vincent was baffled. Trying to get close to Lucrecia was like playing a game of tug of war.
"Don't touch me, please." Lucrecia said turning towards the mirror wiping her face dry.
"Lucrecia," Vincent said frustrated. "I feel like a yo-yo here. The moment I get close to you, you keep pushing me away, what is holding you back?"
Lucrecia said nothing and just looked at herself in the mirror. Her lab coat draped across the bed behind her caught her eye.
"What are you afraid of?" Vincent said touching her arm.
"Nothing," Lucrecia said shaking his hand off of her arm. "Please... Just stop asking me about it. It was wrong of me to do what I did last night."
"Why?" Vincent asked. "Why was it so wrong?"
"I have my reasons," Lucrecia said looking into his eyes. She thought about how much she wanted to live last night over again and if she got a second chance, she knew she would do the exact same thing. She never lied to herself about her feelings towards Vincent; she just has other... obligations.
Vincent just looked at her in sadness. He knew she shared his same feelings, but he wanted to know what could be holding her back. Then it hit him like lightning. Vincent remembered how protective a certain has been of Lucrecia. How this certain scientist objected so strongly against Vincent and Lucrecia heading into town together. And how this certain scientist seemed to loathe every bone in Vincent's body just because he can.
"What did he do you?" Vincent said in almost a whisper.
Lucrecia knew exactly whom he was talking about. "Nothing! Really it's nothing. I... I just left an important file back in Midgar and Hojo needed it for his research. That's all."
"You really are a horrible liar, you know that?" Vincent said starting towards the door.
"Please! Please don't talk to him or anything. It's taken care of. It was just an argument about the upcoming Experiment. Please." Lucrecia begged.
Vincent stopped and looked at Lucrecia. How could he do anything against her will?
"Really," Lucrecia reassured. "I have it taken care of. Why don't I clean up and we can get some breakfast? I'll meet you downstairs?"
Vincent stood thoughtfully, "Sure."
Vincent put his jacket on and the door quietly closed behind him. Lucrecia asked him not to interfere. It was against his better judgment, but he found it hard to do anything against her approval. If she wanted to deal with Hojo on her own, Vincent would step aside. Vincent told himself he wouldn't get involved, but a part of him screamed desperately at him to step in before she got hurt. Since Lucrecia had asked him not to get involved, he told himself all he would do was watch. He couldn't go against her wishes.
Chapter 16
Vincent slept a heavy, dreamless sleep and woke to the sound of someone yelling. Or at least he thought he did as it stopped before he was fully awake and aware. He pulled himself out of bed and squinted into the morning sun. He walked to the window and closed the drapes casting a dark cloud over the room. He showered and shaved going through his morning routine, thinking of two things: The trip to Mt. Nibel tomorrow and of course, Lucrecia. As he dressed, his mind wandered back to the night before as he was still missing his suit jacket and he hoped Lucrecia didn't forget about it. He left his room and knocked on the door next to his.
"Wh... Who is it?" Lucrecia's soft voice called from inside.
"It's me," Vincent said and thought it a bit vague. "Vincent."
The only answer he got was the shuffle of Lucrecia's feet on the floor and eventually the door opened about a foot. A slender arm thrust Vincent's suit jacket through the door. Wearily, Vincent took the jacket and the arm quickly withdrew into the room and the door slammed shut.
"Lucrecia?" Vincent asked worried. "Is something wrong?"
"No, just..." Lucrecia's voice said. "Just leave me alone."
Vincent took the doorknob and pushed the door open to see Lucrecia's tear- stained eyes and tired look.
"God..." Vincent said walking towards Lucrecia." What's wrong? What happened?"
"Nothing," Lucrecia said looking at the floor. "I'm just... not feeling well."
"You're lying," Vincent's eyes narrowed. "Did someone hurt you?"
"No..." Lucrecia said still looking at the floor.
"Who was it?" Vincent asked ignoring Lucrecia's denial.
"It wasn't anyone. It's nothing. Please stop..." Lucrecia said with a silent tear running down her face.
"Hey," Vincent said looking painfully at her tears. "Don't do that."
Vincent walked towards Lucrecia and pulled her face against his chest. Without thinking, Lucrecia buried her face in his shirt and hugged him tight. He closed his eyes and ran one hand through her hair wanting to know what was troubling her so much. When Lucrecia's tears slowed to a sniffle, he pulled her head off his chest and kissed her forehead.
"Please stop," Lucrecia said stepped away from him.
"Stop... What?" Vincent was baffled. Trying to get close to Lucrecia was like playing a game of tug of war.
"Don't touch me, please." Lucrecia said turning towards the mirror wiping her face dry.
"Lucrecia," Vincent said frustrated. "I feel like a yo-yo here. The moment I get close to you, you keep pushing me away, what is holding you back?"
Lucrecia said nothing and just looked at herself in the mirror. Her lab coat draped across the bed behind her caught her eye.
"What are you afraid of?" Vincent said touching her arm.
"Nothing," Lucrecia said shaking his hand off of her arm. "Please... Just stop asking me about it. It was wrong of me to do what I did last night."
"Why?" Vincent asked. "Why was it so wrong?"
"I have my reasons," Lucrecia said looking into his eyes. She thought about how much she wanted to live last night over again and if she got a second chance, she knew she would do the exact same thing. She never lied to herself about her feelings towards Vincent; she just has other... obligations.
Vincent just looked at her in sadness. He knew she shared his same feelings, but he wanted to know what could be holding her back. Then it hit him like lightning. Vincent remembered how protective a certain has been of Lucrecia. How this certain scientist objected so strongly against Vincent and Lucrecia heading into town together. And how this certain scientist seemed to loathe every bone in Vincent's body just because he can.
"What did he do you?" Vincent said in almost a whisper.
Lucrecia knew exactly whom he was talking about. "Nothing! Really it's nothing. I... I just left an important file back in Midgar and Hojo needed it for his research. That's all."
"You really are a horrible liar, you know that?" Vincent said starting towards the door.
"Please! Please don't talk to him or anything. It's taken care of. It was just an argument about the upcoming Experiment. Please." Lucrecia begged.
Vincent stopped and looked at Lucrecia. How could he do anything against her will?
"Really," Lucrecia reassured. "I have it taken care of. Why don't I clean up and we can get some breakfast? I'll meet you downstairs?"
Vincent stood thoughtfully, "Sure."
Vincent put his jacket on and the door quietly closed behind him. Lucrecia asked him not to interfere. It was against his better judgment, but he found it hard to do anything against her approval. If she wanted to deal with Hojo on her own, Vincent would step aside. Vincent told himself he wouldn't get involved, but a part of him screamed desperately at him to step in before she got hurt. Since Lucrecia had asked him not to get involved, he told himself all he would do was watch. He couldn't go against her wishes.