Red roses mean love
By kimetara
Multi-part
Chapter Twelve
Tifa sat across from Vincent, looking out the window. She guessed it to be past seven, and the sun was sinking below the horizon.
She leaned her elbow on the window sill, watching the glorious golds and reds of the sunset. It threw its rays over the Gold Saucer, making it sparkle like a gilded bauble, hiding its garish multicolored lights.
"It's very pretty," she mused softly.
"Yes." Tifa glanced at Vincent, who was seemingly staring at the wall behind her. She smiled teasingly.
"You're not even looking!"
Vincent lifted an eyebrow, but turned to glance out the window, before subtly returning to watching Tifa. She was staring out the window dreamily, the warm dying sunlight pouring over her face. It lit her up with a soft, rosy glow, washed her hair golden, revealed the depths of her garnet-tinted eyes.
Yes, the view was very pretty. Beautiful. Absolutely breath-taking.
Vincent wondered for the hundredth-what time why Cloud had given her up. And he felt strangely intimidated, being so close to her. So close to someone so strong, so beautiful inside and out.
If Cid knew what he was thinking, he'd never hear the end of it. Even Vincent recognized his greeting card-worthy thoughts. He didn't particularly care, being too enthralled with watching her.
"You know Vincent..." Tifa started, still gazing outside, "I've always loved sunsets. Even when I was a little girl." She propped her chin in her hand. "I thought they were more pretty than the sunrise. I've always liked the night better than the day."
"Have you." Always, with one exception. With him as the night, and Cloud as the day.
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded, unaware of his thoughts. The little cart grew silent.
"Vincent?" Tifa started again.
"Yes?"
"You've been so kind to me. I...don't know how to thank you." She turned her face to him. "But- Are you alright?"
At seeing her face, his expression had suddenly twisted. Tifa could have sworn she saw anguish in his crimson, blood-colored eyes, but it was gone in a split second. "I'm fine. What were you saying?"
"Um..." The ride stopped and the door opened. Vincent rose and left, Tifa following.
Once safely away from the ride, he turned to her expectantly.
"Just..." she hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't know."
He tipped her chin up with one gloved finger. "You're lying."
She averted her gaze. "No, I'm not."
"Not telling the complete truth then," he amended. She bit her lip, confirming what he believed. "What is it?"
"...why are you helping me?" Her eyes moved back to his, searching. "I've been wondering. You're always taking care of me, Vincent..."
The faded sunlight still bathed her face, the first faint blue of twilight was touching the skies. If there was a time to tell her, this was it. And so Vincent let it pass him by.
"I care for you," he replied simply. "You are the first friend I have had for many years." And with that, he dropped her chin and stepped back.
"Oh." She sounded almost...disappointed. Vincent considered that his hearing really might be going. "Well then...let's go check out the Speed Square," Tifa suggested, apparently regaining her cheerfulness. "There's still a couple hours before 10."
"Very well."
They passed the rest of their time at the Gold Saucer pleasantly enough, and at 10 left the amusement park. The Highwind was waiting for them.
Cid gave them a somewhat critical look, then shrugged and didn't pry into it. Nanaki greeted them back and asked politely how it had gone, and Tifa replied equally politely. Shera was nowhere to be seen.
Once safely on board, Tifa rubbed her eyes. "I think I'll be going to bed now Vincent. But thanks for coming with me, it was a lot of fun." She smiled at him. "Good night. Sleep well."
"Good night," Vincent replied quietly, before withdrawing to his own chambers. Tifa headed into her room, changed her clothes, and lay down on the bed, thinking about all that had happened today.
That moment at the Round Square...when she had been telling Vincent about Cloud, about how she wasn't going to pine over him, about... She rolled over in bed, forgetting her initial question, her thoughts turning to Cloud.
Yes, she would get over him. But she was not over him yet, and lying in bed at night, the tears finally came. She wasn't angry anymore, wasn't defiant. She was just...hurting.
She felt them silently leaking out of her eyes, trickling down her face to soak into the soft pillow. Tifa suddenly felt very alone and lonely. She wanted to find somebody that cared about her. But somebody she wasn't ashamed to go to, weak and crying. Somebody...who'd already seen her cry.
Tifa rose out of bed and left to seek out Vincent.
It took a while as she ghosted through the hallways to find him. Her musings about the day had taken a good hour, and everybody was either asleep or soundlessly working the airship.
A chill swept her skin in her light gray cotton shorts and a-couple-sizes-too-big white shirt, but she enjoyed it. Numbing, refreshing, the pure icy air always seemed to carry a faint hint of home.
There he was.
He wasn't in his room sleeping, but Tifa wasn't surprised. He hadn't slept often on their journey for the Planet, and apparently he still ran on as few hours of rest as before. He stood in his old place, carefully hidden and protected by the semicircle of control panels, staring off into the distance.
"Vincent?"
Her voice died slowly as his eyes blinked and focused. He turned to face her, a slightly questioning expression on his face.
Now, after rising out of bed and walking around for a while, Tifa felt rather embarrassed about troubling him and dropped her gaze to the floor. She shifted uncomfortably, her bare feet hardly warming the metal floor.
But, Vincent was waiting. Tifa's eyes slid subtly back to him, and she noted he hadn't changed, except to take the gloves off. She wondered if he still carried a gun.
"...yes?" Ah. Apparently she'd taken longer than she thought observing Vincent, and he was trying to hint at her to continue. Alright.
"I...um..." It was too hard, after so long of trying to be strong, admitting her weakness, so she simply trailed off and walked in front of him. He looked down at her, his eyes faintly concerned and inquisitive.
And she opened her mouth again. "I..." I want to be loved. Too hard. Too hard to say, to admit, and she faltered and fell silent, her eyes once again on the floor.
Tifa was shocked when she felt his arms gently wrapping around her. Shocked, but extremely gratified, and she snuggled closer, lifting her right hand to rest on his left arm, her other arm returning the hug around his waist. She could feel the metal through the sleeve, and idly rubbed her thumb against it, tracing the texture through the thin cloth.
Although he didn't show it, Vincent's heart pulled at how easily she accepted his appendage. Unconsciously, he tightened his hold before sinking down to sit on the floor. Tifa followed and shifted to the side for comfort, nestling her head on his chest as his right arm wrapped around her. She was asleep in a few minutes.
He sat up the whole long night.
AN: Erm...bleh. Sorry! It seemed like a lot of people expected a confession in this chapter. *sweatdrop* I considered it, but then I just couldn't see either Vincent or Tifa doing that – for one, I believe Vincent would have more resolve, and two, Tifa does not think of Vincent as more than a best friend (at the moment), and I felt that to make Vincent confess and Tifa suddenly fall in love with him would be kind of...well...cheap, you know? *looks around* I'm very sorry if it seems as if I'm dragging this out too long, but two of my main goals in writing is to make it realistic and make it in character, and I just couldn't accomplish those two by a confession this early.
I hope I didn't disappoint too badly. Please review!
A note to The Highwaywoman: First off, thanks for being such a great and faithful reviewer, and second, I'd like to see the fanart! ^_^