Disclaimer: I own FFVII! Really I do! @.@ Okay, maybe not. But I swear I
own Sephiroth now.. n.n FFVII is actually property of Square, Squaresoft,
PlayStation, and all those beautiful people who worked on th' game.. :D
Wow, reviews.. reviews make me so happy.. xD I feel like I have fans.. except not really. Anyway, thanks are in order, for Seto-Kaiba's-fan, and The Demonic Angel of Yaoi (I like your username, btw.. =x)
Kait and Meg, you guys know how I feel.. xD Angel darling, you're going to beta for me, I swear.. To catch my stupid mistakes.. n.n
And Alysia-Chan, wow, thank you. That really makes me want to write more. For you and the Demonic Angel, I'ma put spaces between the paragraphs in this chapter, I swear.
Love to Ryan, my muse and inspiration.. and constant help, since it's his SL to begin with, I just write lots.
Anyway, chapter twooo ^_^
PS - if you tried to read this earlier, and the whole chapter was missing.. uh.. sorry about that. O.o I dunno why that happened.
-------
"You're.. you're all wet." The words sounded dumb to even her, but they'd come tumbling from her lips anyway. Aerith stared at the soaked, dark- haired man in front of her in utter wonder.
"I.. I swam down to get you." Vincent wasn't usually one to stammer, but Aerith had had that effect on all of them, before she'd been murdered. He knew the sort of pain she must have been experiencing, though, and frowned disapprovingly at her movement. "Aerith, don't move yet. Your body should be given time to adjust before you try anything."
She knew he was right, and with a soft sigh, she let herself fall back to the pristine sands. A small smile graced her features weakly, but she found breathing much easier when she lay back, and so she didn't protest much. Emerald eyes closed briefly and she raised one slender hand, brushing her soaked locks out of startling alabaster features. Her skin was so pale.. she resembled him almost.
"Vincent.. why am I here? Alive, I mean?" She didn't reckon on how painful the subject would be for him, but well, Aerith had always been a bit naïve.
Vincent lowered himself to sit beside her, debating with himself fully for a minute before replying. "I decided.. well, I mean, everyone decided.. that we should try to bring you back." He cursed mentally at himself for the initial slip up, wincing at the demons that raged there.. laughing at him. They were always laughing.
Aerith, though, hadn't noticed. She remained quiet for a moment, staring up at the sky as if looking for the answers there. None came, so she took it upon herself to comprehend what he'd told her.. alive. It culminated in her life. /That/ she could understand with ease. As her thoughts drifted, Vincent became increasingly worried, until she jerked upright with a start, staring at him wide-eyed.
"The others! Cloud, Tifa.. is everyone all right? Oh, Vincent, what of Sephiroth? Is he..?" She trailed off, staring at him, the expression in her eyes such a blatant plea for an explanation that it hurt for him to meet her gaze.
"Everyone is fine, Aerith. Cloud defeated Sephiroth; he saved the world from Meteor. It's been some two years since then.. we've all moved on." Mostly, he added silently to himself, before continuing, "ShinRa.. is gone as far as we know. Everyone's gone their separate ways."
"Two years.." Aerith's voice rose at barely above a whisper, and she finally turned that burning, beautiful gaze away from his. Her eyes grew cloudy as they looked out over the misted blue waters of the lake, troubles brewing there like tea. She battled with herself, inner turmoil taking precedent over her conversation with Vincent. He waited patiently enough; the gods knew he had enough inner demons himself to send anyone else screaming into the night. "I've been gone so long," Aerith added suddenly, never looking away from some distant spot on the horizon.
Vincent started at hearing her speak into the hazy silence between them. He hesitated a moment before continuing with his explanation. "Since then, not much has happened. Everyone went their separate ways. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret, they went back to Nibelheim.. reopened the Seventh Heaven there, where the Inn used to be. Cid married Shara, I heard they're expecting. Red went home, Yuffie.. I don't know what happened to her. I suppose she went back to Wutai. Reeve went to work at the Golden Saucer, and I.." He smiled crookedly before finishing, "I went back to my nightmares."
A soft sigh rose from unused vocals and she turned back, staring at him a moment before her forlorn expression faded into something softer, as though something inside her had yielded. Holding out one slender hand, she rested light fingertips against the ivory skin of his cheek, smiling slightly, albeit just as crookedly as he had. "I am sorry, Vincent.. but regardless, I have you alone to thank for my life. Tell me what I can do to ease the pain in yours."
Vincent shook his head violently, jerking back from her touch. He couldn't bear that; it wasn't that he didn't appreciate her kindness, he just couldn't tell her how he felt. His tone grew gruff as he refused her help. "Aerith, no. I'm not here to burden you with my sorrows, just after you've been reborn into this life. It was the group's idea to bring you back." He hated lying to her; it gnawed away at his heart and made his head pound abominably. But he couldn't tell her.
"Vincent." She smiled at him, gods, how he'd missed that smile! She didn't seem the least bit perturbed that he'd pulled away so violently; she knew he'd always been averse to that. Contact. She dropped her hand back instead, still staring at him with eyes softened by compassion. "Vincent, if it was everyone's decision, why are you the only one here?"
"I.."He had to suppress the rising panic he could feel coming up to choke him. "Aerith, you know me. I'm a loner. I wanted to do this by myself."
She stared unblinking at him. He found it extremely unnerving coming from her; those eyes, they could read a person's soul. He loved her for it, but he couldn't expose his good, if twisted, heart to her. She persisted, though, "But you were a loner back then, and you still joined us. Why didn't they come, if they agreed to do this?"
She couldn't know how much her questioning was hurting him. He frowned, lines coming to crease his brow, and he turned his eyes away from her. His voice went slightly cold to mask the sadness there as he replied, "I came to resurrect you of my own accord, Aerith."
Again, the extended hand.. resting her light fingers on his far cheek once more, she exerted the slight iron will that could sometimes be glimpsed in distant jade eyes, though now she used it to gently turn his face back to meet her own gaze. Apologetic tones rose from her soft vocals. "I'm sorry, Vincent. I don't mean to pry, I just want to help.. your miseries won't be a burden upon me, I promise you."
He looked down immediately instead of meeting her gaze, his voice quiet as he spoke, "You're not prying. I... I have my reasons for coming here and bringing you back to life.. I've had more nightmares since the day I witnessed you die."
Shifting nearer to him so she didn't have to reach across the distance, she moved her hand slightly, two digits beneath his chin to tilt his gaze up to her own in another attempt to get him to look at her. With her free hand, she brushed auburn locks patiently out of her features, studying him closely with her now clear vision. "I am grieved to hear I was the source of your pain.. will having brought me back from that death yourself aid in alleviating your nightmares?"
Crimson eyes finally met emerald orbs, and Vincent lost himself for a moment. Startled to find himself drifting, he steeled himself, and a hint of unearthly coldness entered his gaze. "I don't know, Aerith. I believe so."
Startled slightly herself, though determined not to show it, by the iciness she took for indifference, she gazed back at him nonetheless, dropping her hand away for it had accomplished what she'd wanted. "I hope so. I do not want to live a useless life for having come back from the dead, unable to help those I cared.. care for." She frowned faintly, her expression slightly confused, as if she did not know how to refer to herself in the time before her death. He wanted to laugh at that, if he could remember how. Only she would worry about something like that. Instead he lowered his eyes again, mumbling, "You could never fail at that, Aerith. You'll never be useless." He smiled then, hoping she knew just how sincere his words were, but the smile was fragile, broken. He hadn't had anything to really smile about in years.
Her expression fell at the crooked smile he wore, delicate brows knit unhappily in a frown, marring her features as she spoke in soft, hurt tones, despite a masquerade saying otherwise. "I don't understand, then, why you won't tell me the reasoning for your nightmares, nor why you won't let me help you."
"My nightmares have persisted for over three decades. It's all in my past."
She shivered suddenly and tore her eyes away from him, lifting her hands instead and chafing at her upper arms to warm herself. It had taken her a long time to notice how cold it was, though the low temperature was probably magnified by how long she'd spent in that water.
"Very well, Vincent. If you insist."
He noticed she was shivering, and that hurt him for some reason. He got swiftly to his feet and rescued his cloak from where he'd tossed it, grabbing his boots and bandanna on the way. Returning to her side, he wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, blinking as he did. He wondered how much she knew about his feelings for her. She wasn't one to concede a defeat so easily like that. He didn't want her to know, because he knew how she felt about Cloud. His heart couldn't take being shattered again. He watched as a grateful smile lit her features and she pulled the cape close about her lithe form, breathing in deeply as much to experience that ability again as to take in his singular scent. Blinking slowly, she tilted her head slightly, setting her bangs flicking back into her eyes, regarding him from behind auburn tresses. "Everyone else, do they have any idea that you came here, or was it solely your idea to save me?"
"You can ask them yourself. Let's go to Nibelheim, Aerith."
-----
A/N: Whee! Wow. That was long. For me, anyway.
Um, just so you all know, this WILL be AerithxVincent. I love the thought of them as a pair. I read a really good theory on their relationship - that she could help him learn to love again, and that he could help her get in touch with her more serious side. So don't worry if stuff happens with Cloud @.@
Only.. don't expect updates like, every day. It's still vacation, and I have lots of free time. Mid-terms are soon, so I'll probably be a lot slower then. But for now.. =x
Again, love to Ryan, since this is his SL, and our rp.. baha, there, I said it xD
Anyway, review if you liked it!
Review even if you didn't.
Though I don't really see that one happening =P
No, just kidding. Don't hate me. I'm not really conceited. I love reading your opinions, that's all.
333 -- Luinia
Wow, reviews.. reviews make me so happy.. xD I feel like I have fans.. except not really. Anyway, thanks are in order, for Seto-Kaiba's-fan, and The Demonic Angel of Yaoi (I like your username, btw.. =x)
Kait and Meg, you guys know how I feel.. xD Angel darling, you're going to beta for me, I swear.. To catch my stupid mistakes.. n.n
And Alysia-Chan, wow, thank you. That really makes me want to write more. For you and the Demonic Angel, I'ma put spaces between the paragraphs in this chapter, I swear.
Love to Ryan, my muse and inspiration.. and constant help, since it's his SL to begin with, I just write lots.
Anyway, chapter twooo ^_^
PS - if you tried to read this earlier, and the whole chapter was missing.. uh.. sorry about that. O.o I dunno why that happened.
-------
"You're.. you're all wet." The words sounded dumb to even her, but they'd come tumbling from her lips anyway. Aerith stared at the soaked, dark- haired man in front of her in utter wonder.
"I.. I swam down to get you." Vincent wasn't usually one to stammer, but Aerith had had that effect on all of them, before she'd been murdered. He knew the sort of pain she must have been experiencing, though, and frowned disapprovingly at her movement. "Aerith, don't move yet. Your body should be given time to adjust before you try anything."
She knew he was right, and with a soft sigh, she let herself fall back to the pristine sands. A small smile graced her features weakly, but she found breathing much easier when she lay back, and so she didn't protest much. Emerald eyes closed briefly and she raised one slender hand, brushing her soaked locks out of startling alabaster features. Her skin was so pale.. she resembled him almost.
"Vincent.. why am I here? Alive, I mean?" She didn't reckon on how painful the subject would be for him, but well, Aerith had always been a bit naïve.
Vincent lowered himself to sit beside her, debating with himself fully for a minute before replying. "I decided.. well, I mean, everyone decided.. that we should try to bring you back." He cursed mentally at himself for the initial slip up, wincing at the demons that raged there.. laughing at him. They were always laughing.
Aerith, though, hadn't noticed. She remained quiet for a moment, staring up at the sky as if looking for the answers there. None came, so she took it upon herself to comprehend what he'd told her.. alive. It culminated in her life. /That/ she could understand with ease. As her thoughts drifted, Vincent became increasingly worried, until she jerked upright with a start, staring at him wide-eyed.
"The others! Cloud, Tifa.. is everyone all right? Oh, Vincent, what of Sephiroth? Is he..?" She trailed off, staring at him, the expression in her eyes such a blatant plea for an explanation that it hurt for him to meet her gaze.
"Everyone is fine, Aerith. Cloud defeated Sephiroth; he saved the world from Meteor. It's been some two years since then.. we've all moved on." Mostly, he added silently to himself, before continuing, "ShinRa.. is gone as far as we know. Everyone's gone their separate ways."
"Two years.." Aerith's voice rose at barely above a whisper, and she finally turned that burning, beautiful gaze away from his. Her eyes grew cloudy as they looked out over the misted blue waters of the lake, troubles brewing there like tea. She battled with herself, inner turmoil taking precedent over her conversation with Vincent. He waited patiently enough; the gods knew he had enough inner demons himself to send anyone else screaming into the night. "I've been gone so long," Aerith added suddenly, never looking away from some distant spot on the horizon.
Vincent started at hearing her speak into the hazy silence between them. He hesitated a moment before continuing with his explanation. "Since then, not much has happened. Everyone went their separate ways. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret, they went back to Nibelheim.. reopened the Seventh Heaven there, where the Inn used to be. Cid married Shara, I heard they're expecting. Red went home, Yuffie.. I don't know what happened to her. I suppose she went back to Wutai. Reeve went to work at the Golden Saucer, and I.." He smiled crookedly before finishing, "I went back to my nightmares."
A soft sigh rose from unused vocals and she turned back, staring at him a moment before her forlorn expression faded into something softer, as though something inside her had yielded. Holding out one slender hand, she rested light fingertips against the ivory skin of his cheek, smiling slightly, albeit just as crookedly as he had. "I am sorry, Vincent.. but regardless, I have you alone to thank for my life. Tell me what I can do to ease the pain in yours."
Vincent shook his head violently, jerking back from her touch. He couldn't bear that; it wasn't that he didn't appreciate her kindness, he just couldn't tell her how he felt. His tone grew gruff as he refused her help. "Aerith, no. I'm not here to burden you with my sorrows, just after you've been reborn into this life. It was the group's idea to bring you back." He hated lying to her; it gnawed away at his heart and made his head pound abominably. But he couldn't tell her.
"Vincent." She smiled at him, gods, how he'd missed that smile! She didn't seem the least bit perturbed that he'd pulled away so violently; she knew he'd always been averse to that. Contact. She dropped her hand back instead, still staring at him with eyes softened by compassion. "Vincent, if it was everyone's decision, why are you the only one here?"
"I.."He had to suppress the rising panic he could feel coming up to choke him. "Aerith, you know me. I'm a loner. I wanted to do this by myself."
She stared unblinking at him. He found it extremely unnerving coming from her; those eyes, they could read a person's soul. He loved her for it, but he couldn't expose his good, if twisted, heart to her. She persisted, though, "But you were a loner back then, and you still joined us. Why didn't they come, if they agreed to do this?"
She couldn't know how much her questioning was hurting him. He frowned, lines coming to crease his brow, and he turned his eyes away from her. His voice went slightly cold to mask the sadness there as he replied, "I came to resurrect you of my own accord, Aerith."
Again, the extended hand.. resting her light fingers on his far cheek once more, she exerted the slight iron will that could sometimes be glimpsed in distant jade eyes, though now she used it to gently turn his face back to meet her own gaze. Apologetic tones rose from her soft vocals. "I'm sorry, Vincent. I don't mean to pry, I just want to help.. your miseries won't be a burden upon me, I promise you."
He looked down immediately instead of meeting her gaze, his voice quiet as he spoke, "You're not prying. I... I have my reasons for coming here and bringing you back to life.. I've had more nightmares since the day I witnessed you die."
Shifting nearer to him so she didn't have to reach across the distance, she moved her hand slightly, two digits beneath his chin to tilt his gaze up to her own in another attempt to get him to look at her. With her free hand, she brushed auburn locks patiently out of her features, studying him closely with her now clear vision. "I am grieved to hear I was the source of your pain.. will having brought me back from that death yourself aid in alleviating your nightmares?"
Crimson eyes finally met emerald orbs, and Vincent lost himself for a moment. Startled to find himself drifting, he steeled himself, and a hint of unearthly coldness entered his gaze. "I don't know, Aerith. I believe so."
Startled slightly herself, though determined not to show it, by the iciness she took for indifference, she gazed back at him nonetheless, dropping her hand away for it had accomplished what she'd wanted. "I hope so. I do not want to live a useless life for having come back from the dead, unable to help those I cared.. care for." She frowned faintly, her expression slightly confused, as if she did not know how to refer to herself in the time before her death. He wanted to laugh at that, if he could remember how. Only she would worry about something like that. Instead he lowered his eyes again, mumbling, "You could never fail at that, Aerith. You'll never be useless." He smiled then, hoping she knew just how sincere his words were, but the smile was fragile, broken. He hadn't had anything to really smile about in years.
Her expression fell at the crooked smile he wore, delicate brows knit unhappily in a frown, marring her features as she spoke in soft, hurt tones, despite a masquerade saying otherwise. "I don't understand, then, why you won't tell me the reasoning for your nightmares, nor why you won't let me help you."
"My nightmares have persisted for over three decades. It's all in my past."
She shivered suddenly and tore her eyes away from him, lifting her hands instead and chafing at her upper arms to warm herself. It had taken her a long time to notice how cold it was, though the low temperature was probably magnified by how long she'd spent in that water.
"Very well, Vincent. If you insist."
He noticed she was shivering, and that hurt him for some reason. He got swiftly to his feet and rescued his cloak from where he'd tossed it, grabbing his boots and bandanna on the way. Returning to her side, he wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, blinking as he did. He wondered how much she knew about his feelings for her. She wasn't one to concede a defeat so easily like that. He didn't want her to know, because he knew how she felt about Cloud. His heart couldn't take being shattered again. He watched as a grateful smile lit her features and she pulled the cape close about her lithe form, breathing in deeply as much to experience that ability again as to take in his singular scent. Blinking slowly, she tilted her head slightly, setting her bangs flicking back into her eyes, regarding him from behind auburn tresses. "Everyone else, do they have any idea that you came here, or was it solely your idea to save me?"
"You can ask them yourself. Let's go to Nibelheim, Aerith."
-----
A/N: Whee! Wow. That was long. For me, anyway.
Um, just so you all know, this WILL be AerithxVincent. I love the thought of them as a pair. I read a really good theory on their relationship - that she could help him learn to love again, and that he could help her get in touch with her more serious side. So don't worry if stuff happens with Cloud @.@
Only.. don't expect updates like, every day. It's still vacation, and I have lots of free time. Mid-terms are soon, so I'll probably be a lot slower then. But for now.. =x
Again, love to Ryan, since this is his SL, and our rp.. baha, there, I said it xD
Anyway, review if you liked it!
Review even if you didn't.
Though I don't really see that one happening =P
No, just kidding. Don't hate me. I'm not really conceited. I love reading your opinions, that's all.
333 -- Luinia