Red roses mean love

By Kimetara

Multi-part

Disclaimer: FFVII was not created by me.

Chapter Six

          Tifa walked down the peak, feeling Vincent following her.  She wanted to ask him why he had come here, but...it was none of her business.

          Just as she was about to step off onto the trail, she paused and turned, staring out into the darkness one last time before leaving.

          When she turned back, three Sonic Speeds were before her.  Tifa shrugged and kept walking, almost daring them to attack her.

          They didn't.  The creatures of Mt. Nibel had learned long ago to leave this female alone.  A good thing, as she was in no mood to fight.

          Tifa could feel Vincent coming up closer behind her.  By the time she was at the foot of the mountain, he was right behind her.  Abruptly, Tifa stopped and turned.  Vincent pulled up short, barely avoiding running into her.

          Vincent cocked his head, a questioning expression on his face.  Tifa realized how much easier it was to read his emotions without his cape covering half his face...at least the ones he wanted to reveal.

          "I just...need to do something."  Tifa smiled apologetically.  "Sorry.  I'll be back in a moment."

          "Very well."  Vincent leaned against the cliffside, crossing his arms.

          Tifa was surprised.  She hadn't expected Vincent to wait for her...  Quickly, she shifted that thought aside; she could feel herself becoming colder.  Tifa turned around and walked toward the cliff.

          She stopped at the very edge, the toes of her boots on air.  For a second, she peered down, but it was useless.  There would have been only blackness in the day, in the night, it might as well be a void.

          Tifa methodically pulled out a mastered fire materia from her glove.  Her father had always like magic materia...ironically, the fire one had been his favorite.

          She rubbed her thumb over the smooth surface of the materia.  It gave off a faint warmth, and she smiled slightly at the foolishness of what she was going to do.

          Tifa leaned a bit over the edge and dropped the bauble into the void.  She watched it fall, until the moonlight glimmer was extinguished from her sight.

          *Daddy...where are you, I wonder?  Are you here, somewhere?  I'll bet they just dropped your body over a cliff...*  Tifa's fists clenched and she bit her lip.  *I saved the world, they say.  Maybe I did.  At any rate, I managed to master that materia you liked so much.  It's okay, I don't need it.  I can always master another...and besides, I really prefer my ice one.  It was the first materia mastered in our group, you know.  I think because I always carried it with me...well, anyway.  I hope you're okay, Daddy.  Mom too.  Love you both.*  Tifa stepped away from the cliff edge.  It was a stupid, irrational thing she just did, but...she felt better for it.

          Tifa walked back to Vincent, who straightened and uncrossed his arms before leading the way back to the Nibelheim mansion.

          By the time they reached the town, Tifa was shivering uncontrollably.  Although the lower altitude had greatly raised the temperature, a nighttime chill was in the air, and a miniskirt and tanktop weren't the warmest clothes in the world.

          The mansion was the same temperature as the outside.  There had been no air conditioner installed – it never became very hot near the Nibel Mts.  And with a fireplace and thick blankets, who needed a heater?

          At least, that's what Tifa and Cloud had decided at the time.  Vincent hadn't really seemed to care either way.  She wasn't sure if he even could get cold.

          Now though, a heater seemed awfully nice...and she had just thrown away her fire materia too.

          Tifa half-smiled.  Even if she did end up getting sick, she didn't regret it.

          Vincent led her to the parlor, where he proceeded to light a fire.  In vain, Tifa tried to stop her arms from trembling, rubbing them vigorously.  Attempting to distract herself, she focused her attention on Vincent.

         He had just gotten a small flame to burn, and was carefully feeding it small branches.  The fire ate greedily, and soon Vincent placed a few thick logs on top, then leaving the fire alone.

          Tifa admired his profile in the firelight.  The yellow-tinted light shone softly on his pale skin, and for a moment Tifa wondered why on earth Vincent was still single.  But then again, she knew him pretty well...better, she guessed, than almost anybody.

          Vincent didn't frighten her.  Cold and aloof as he was, she understood him.  But judging from the team's reaction when Vincent was first introduced, she figured it was probably his stand-offishness which had kept him from getting...well...a girlfriend.

          *It's a shame,* she mused.  *Vincent's actually a very wonderful person, once you get to know him...*  She owed him her life, many times over.  Especially that night...in the snowhills of the Northern Continent...  Tifa smiled slightly.  This was the second time Vincent kept her from freezing.

          "Here."  Shaken out of her thoughts, the brunette raised her gaze.  She was met with Vincent and an armful of blankets.

          "Thanks."  Tifa grinned as she took a blanket.  "Wow, I seem to be saying that a lot lately, huh?"

          "More than necessary," Vincent agreed.  Tifa couldn't keep her eyes off his face.  It was just so strange, actually seeing him talk!

          "Is something the matter?"

          "Huh?  What?  Oh, no...I was just thinking, it's so weird seeing the bottom half of your face.  I mean, this is the first time I've seen you without your cape," Tifa answered nonchalantly.

          Vincent looked startled.  Tifa smiled at seeing his expression. 

          "...ah.  I left it in my room, excuse me."

          "No no!"  Tifa stood, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders.  "Don't go get it.  I like you better without it."

          Vincent stood for a moment, seemingly at a loss, before shrugging and sitting down.  "As you like."

          Tifa sat down as well, snuggling into the blankets he'd brought for her.  True, although she loved the cold, there was nothing quite being wrapped in a blanket right after a bad chill.  *It had to be one of the most delicious feelings in the world,* she decided.  "Hey, Vincent?"

          "Hmm?"

          "Are you cold?"  Tifa sat up from her pile of blankets.

          "No," he answered curtly.

          "Oh.  Alright."  Tifa lay back down, figuring it was probably because of the...experiments Hojo had used Vincent in.  She sighed, mixed feelings of anger and remorse rising – anger at the scientist who had done this to her dear friend, remorse at once again being forced to admit how little she actually knew.

          But she gave them up.  Tifa was simply too tired to entertain such negative emotions.  And besides...Hojo was dead, there was nothing she could do about that, and she knew so little because Vincent never spoke of the matter, and there wasn't anything she could do about that either.  Instead, Tifa closed her eyes, the warmth of the blankets spreading gently through her.

          She didn't even realize she was drifting off to sleep.

AN: When Tifa thinks "Especially that night...in the snowhills of the Northern Continent..." that refers to my prequel "Waves of Pain," a series of interludes that take place before Chapter One.  And I'm sorry for the...well...I guess it wasn't really a long wait between updates (glances over at REALLY GOOD fics, except that they that update less than once a month), but, uh, yeah, I'll try to write faster, lol.  ^^;;  R&R!