Getting down the mountain
Vincent woke to find that Tifa had crawled into his lap. Her dark eyelashes fluttered softly against her bruised cheeks and her mouth was slightly parted, as if awaiting a kiss to wake her. Vincent shook himself slightly tried to push the matter out of his head.
He couldn't wake her, she needed her sleep, and if he left her she would grow cold and wake. He sighed and settled himself against the wall, thinking about what to do next.
Tifa was deep in sleep and dreaming about the past. Images of Sephiroth drifted in and out of head, intermingling with the faces of Cloud and Zack. "Tifa, you should come back to Midgar with me. I'll show you the highs and lows, the good and the bad. Won't you say yes?" Tifa's eyes flew open and she gasped. Her breathing was ragged as if she'd been running a long time. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down, willing that memory away. She noticed that she was wrapped in a heavy red cloth was sitting on something warm and with a little give. Suddenly, memories swirled about her. She remembered the fall and Chaos catching her. She remembered the beast's infinite care at putting her down and finally, she remembered falling asleep next to Vincent. Tears streamed unchecked down her face as she remembered the others. She had no way of knowing whether they had lived or not. They could be lying in a field, bloodied and broken while she and Vincent lay there, the only heroes left. Unconsciously, she began to knead her fingers into his shirt, opening and closing them like a cats claws.
Vincent had known she was awake for some time but was reluctant to move her. Something in her dreams had greatly disturbed her, a feeling he knew all to well. Groaning softly, he lifted her up, earning a loud intake of air from her. "Oh! Vincent, you're awake!" Vincent didn't even bother responding to that statement since she knew it to be true. Instead he said, "Can you walk?" Tifa took a tentative step and nodded. "I can manage." Vincent, not even bothering to add a comforting word, began walking towards the mouth of the cave. Tifa followed, still shivering slightly. Vincent mentally smacked himself in the head as he remembered her attire. He unhooked the cape and turned. Silently, he put it on a wide eyed Tifa.
Tifa was awe struck at Vincent's face. She had always imagined scars would line his lower jaw but the skin was pale and smooth. Truth be told, there was no other word to describe that face than gorgeous. Delicate and graceful brows flared upwards over his shadowed but distinctly red eyes. His nose was straight as lance and ended before perfectly sculpted lips. The dark black hair that was always in his eyes now added an aura of mystery. Tifa felt her innards grow warm and slow blush began making its way up her throat. Realizing that she was staring, she quickly looked down at her feet.
Vincent couldn't help but notice that she was staring at him. Not even taking a moment as to pondering why, he wrapped the cape around her and buckled it shut. He then unwrapped his head band and motioned for her to turn around. Quickly and without ceremony he tied her hair back.
Tifa turned back and smiled only to be met with those cold and unfeeling eyes. Her smile wavered and she looked down at her boots. Once again, he turned back towards the entrance and began walking. Tifa followed close behind, getting the feeling that her weakness angered him.
Vincent knew they weren't too far from the mythrill cave, but he also knew that it would have collapsed. He decided that their first move would be to climb up the mountain and get a good look at the terrain. "We're going up. I need to know where we are before I can make a safe plan."
Tifa nodded numbly and stood next to him. He looked down at the top of her head where the sun danced across her head. How many times had he marveled at how it flowed just like Lucretia's? How many times had he just wanted to... No! He refused to allow himself to be ensnared by a woman once again. In a slightly forceful and certainly not happy tone he said, "You're going first so I can catch you if you fall." Tifa swallowed and turned towards the slightly sloping mountains. Grasping a rock hold, she began the short ascent towards the top. Vincent followed after her until they were less then five feet away. It was then that he passed her and hoisted himself onto the ledge. "Give me your hand, I'll pull you up." Tifa extended her hand and was about to give it to him when a strong wind ripped her from the face of the mountain. Before so much as a scream could get past her throat, Vincent had grabbed her and pulled her to safety. They rolled onto the ground and just lay there for a moment. Vincent still had one arm wrapped tightly around her middle while the other was holding her head against his shoulder. She wouldn't cry. Worse had happened and she'd only had herself had to rely on. Still though, she lay shaking, grateful that his shoulder was hiding her shame. She felt him shift so that he could get the arm that was around her waist free. Having done so, he lifted the two of them to a kneeling position and slid his other arm, his right arm, down around her shoulder blades. He then put his left arm under her legs and got up. What he saw shocked him beyond belief. They earth was pocketed and split with many bottomless abysses where the life stream had surged forth. A huge gash separated them on all sides from getting to the main land where they could reach Junon Harbor.
Giving up on that hope, he quickly began looking for a cave or flat surface where they could rest. Tifa was obviously suffering from some sort of illness, he could tell by the slight increase of her body temperature. He leaned over and whispered as gently as he could, "I'm setting you down now, will you be alright?"
Tifa lifted her face from his shirt and looked into those blood orbs. She had never noticed how they were light red on the outside, but darkened towards the pupils. She had forgotten to answer his question and mentally chided herself. "Yes...I can stand, uh, thanks again." Vincent set her on her feet and proceeded to sit down on. Tifa hesitated but copied him, sitting as close as was comfortable. He pointed towards an opening in the side of the neighboring mountain. "We're headed there. I seem to recall Shinra constructing an underground base where they could store secrete weapons and airships. It's possible that's a new entrance made by the lifestream and I'd like to check it out. If need be, I'll carry you down the mountain but I doubt it'll come to that."
Tifa blinked in surprise. Had she seriously just seen his lips twitch or had she just imagined it. Either way, the thought of him carrying her down the mountain, even it if was a noticeably softer slope, was ludicrous.
First came the smile, then came the giggle, then came the full blown laugh. She laughed like she had never laughed before, it was like she making up for all the laughter she hadn't had since Aeris's... That thought sobered her faster than if she'd been slapped. Her features grew saddened and tears threatened to stream down her face. What was worse, the others might be bleeding to death on some godforsaken plain or... No! They'll make it through. Stop wallowing in self pity. She mentally shook her self before getting up rather suddenly, only to slip on the loose earth. Her arms flailed and her legs shot upwards. Just as her ass would have hit the ground, Vincent once again pulled her to safety, the safety of his lap.
A groan from him told her the exact location of her landing. She blushed furiously and looked at his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was tight, but after a few moments his eyes flew open and looked into hers. She quickly looked down at her hands and stammered a "S-so sorry." Vincent would have grinned at her embarrassment if it hadn't hurt him so much. In stead he croaked a "S'alright." She quickly got up only to earn another groan. Once again she blushed as realization made her see where her hand was. If she pushed to get up, she would be pressing down on his Oh God...
Vincent solved the problem by lifting her up and setting her on her feet, disdainfully adding, "For a martial artist, you sure are clumsy."
Steam whistled from her ears as she retorted, "I'm not clumsy! I've only been thrown from an airplane to have you, the cryptic mystery man, jump after me. I think you'd be a little rocky on your feet too!" Vincent surveyed her with cold eyes but shrugged. He swung one leg over the edge and dropped to the ledge about ten feet down. Tifa gathered the trailing cloak and swung her legs over the edge as well. Taking a deep breath, she let go.
Vincent simply held his arms out and caught her, pulling her towards the stone wall as he did so. The ledge was narrow so they were pressed against one another. Vincent could feel her well endowed breasts pressing into his chest but dismissed the thought as soon as it entered. He knew how long he'd stayed chaste and didn't want to torture himself more than he had already. "We'll keep doing this till we reach the bottom."
Tifa nodded mutely and the two continued on their way. They did this until night came in which they found a ledge and curled up. Once again it was Tifa that was in his lap in the morning and Vincent who was cursing Hojo silently for not making him immune to a woman's touch.
Tifa yawned and lifted her arms high above her head, stretching all the stiffness from them. Her arm nearly collided with Vincent's face but he moved back in time. She was barely even awake when Vincent stood with her and set her down gently. He stretched as well, causing Tifa to go slack- jawed for a moment. His lean muscled rippled in perfect harmony and the shirt stretched tight over his well toned chest and abdomen. Once again, she blushed and looked over the edge, holding onto the mountain as she did. They only had about fifteen feet to go before the ground leveled out onto the field. Vincent checked the distance and then said the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard him say. "Do you trust me?" Tifa was tempted to laugh. How could she not? This man had saved her life more times than she could ever count and he was asking her if he had her trust. In an exasperated voice she answered, "Well of course! Geese, you only saved me more times than I can count! Do I- " Tifa never got the chance to finish her sentence because in the next instant, Vincent had just thrown her on his shoulder and jumped. She shut her eyes tightly and clung to his shirt. The landing was almost graceful as his long legs absorbed the shock and his body bent to accommodate gravity. Tifa took a deep and shaky breath before pushing herself away from him and walking away towards the cave. Vincent shrugged and followed after her.
Tifa was piping mad. How dare he just toss her onto his shoulders and jump off a cliff? She growled and tossed her hair onto her back. She didn't really care if she was being childish; she had every right to be angry.
Vincent would never understand the complicated world of women. Lucretia had always been a mystery to him and the same went for Tifa. Shaking his head of every thought, he continued on his way, hoping to get there soon.
Vincent woke to find that Tifa had crawled into his lap. Her dark eyelashes fluttered softly against her bruised cheeks and her mouth was slightly parted, as if awaiting a kiss to wake her. Vincent shook himself slightly tried to push the matter out of his head.
He couldn't wake her, she needed her sleep, and if he left her she would grow cold and wake. He sighed and settled himself against the wall, thinking about what to do next.
Tifa was deep in sleep and dreaming about the past. Images of Sephiroth drifted in and out of head, intermingling with the faces of Cloud and Zack. "Tifa, you should come back to Midgar with me. I'll show you the highs and lows, the good and the bad. Won't you say yes?" Tifa's eyes flew open and she gasped. Her breathing was ragged as if she'd been running a long time. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down, willing that memory away. She noticed that she was wrapped in a heavy red cloth was sitting on something warm and with a little give. Suddenly, memories swirled about her. She remembered the fall and Chaos catching her. She remembered the beast's infinite care at putting her down and finally, she remembered falling asleep next to Vincent. Tears streamed unchecked down her face as she remembered the others. She had no way of knowing whether they had lived or not. They could be lying in a field, bloodied and broken while she and Vincent lay there, the only heroes left. Unconsciously, she began to knead her fingers into his shirt, opening and closing them like a cats claws.
Vincent had known she was awake for some time but was reluctant to move her. Something in her dreams had greatly disturbed her, a feeling he knew all to well. Groaning softly, he lifted her up, earning a loud intake of air from her. "Oh! Vincent, you're awake!" Vincent didn't even bother responding to that statement since she knew it to be true. Instead he said, "Can you walk?" Tifa took a tentative step and nodded. "I can manage." Vincent, not even bothering to add a comforting word, began walking towards the mouth of the cave. Tifa followed, still shivering slightly. Vincent mentally smacked himself in the head as he remembered her attire. He unhooked the cape and turned. Silently, he put it on a wide eyed Tifa.
Tifa was awe struck at Vincent's face. She had always imagined scars would line his lower jaw but the skin was pale and smooth. Truth be told, there was no other word to describe that face than gorgeous. Delicate and graceful brows flared upwards over his shadowed but distinctly red eyes. His nose was straight as lance and ended before perfectly sculpted lips. The dark black hair that was always in his eyes now added an aura of mystery. Tifa felt her innards grow warm and slow blush began making its way up her throat. Realizing that she was staring, she quickly looked down at her feet.
Vincent couldn't help but notice that she was staring at him. Not even taking a moment as to pondering why, he wrapped the cape around her and buckled it shut. He then unwrapped his head band and motioned for her to turn around. Quickly and without ceremony he tied her hair back.
Tifa turned back and smiled only to be met with those cold and unfeeling eyes. Her smile wavered and she looked down at her boots. Once again, he turned back towards the entrance and began walking. Tifa followed close behind, getting the feeling that her weakness angered him.
Vincent knew they weren't too far from the mythrill cave, but he also knew that it would have collapsed. He decided that their first move would be to climb up the mountain and get a good look at the terrain. "We're going up. I need to know where we are before I can make a safe plan."
Tifa nodded numbly and stood next to him. He looked down at the top of her head where the sun danced across her head. How many times had he marveled at how it flowed just like Lucretia's? How many times had he just wanted to... No! He refused to allow himself to be ensnared by a woman once again. In a slightly forceful and certainly not happy tone he said, "You're going first so I can catch you if you fall." Tifa swallowed and turned towards the slightly sloping mountains. Grasping a rock hold, she began the short ascent towards the top. Vincent followed after her until they were less then five feet away. It was then that he passed her and hoisted himself onto the ledge. "Give me your hand, I'll pull you up." Tifa extended her hand and was about to give it to him when a strong wind ripped her from the face of the mountain. Before so much as a scream could get past her throat, Vincent had grabbed her and pulled her to safety. They rolled onto the ground and just lay there for a moment. Vincent still had one arm wrapped tightly around her middle while the other was holding her head against his shoulder. She wouldn't cry. Worse had happened and she'd only had herself had to rely on. Still though, she lay shaking, grateful that his shoulder was hiding her shame. She felt him shift so that he could get the arm that was around her waist free. Having done so, he lifted the two of them to a kneeling position and slid his other arm, his right arm, down around her shoulder blades. He then put his left arm under her legs and got up. What he saw shocked him beyond belief. They earth was pocketed and split with many bottomless abysses where the life stream had surged forth. A huge gash separated them on all sides from getting to the main land where they could reach Junon Harbor.
Giving up on that hope, he quickly began looking for a cave or flat surface where they could rest. Tifa was obviously suffering from some sort of illness, he could tell by the slight increase of her body temperature. He leaned over and whispered as gently as he could, "I'm setting you down now, will you be alright?"
Tifa lifted her face from his shirt and looked into those blood orbs. She had never noticed how they were light red on the outside, but darkened towards the pupils. She had forgotten to answer his question and mentally chided herself. "Yes...I can stand, uh, thanks again." Vincent set her on her feet and proceeded to sit down on. Tifa hesitated but copied him, sitting as close as was comfortable. He pointed towards an opening in the side of the neighboring mountain. "We're headed there. I seem to recall Shinra constructing an underground base where they could store secrete weapons and airships. It's possible that's a new entrance made by the lifestream and I'd like to check it out. If need be, I'll carry you down the mountain but I doubt it'll come to that."
Tifa blinked in surprise. Had she seriously just seen his lips twitch or had she just imagined it. Either way, the thought of him carrying her down the mountain, even it if was a noticeably softer slope, was ludicrous.
First came the smile, then came the giggle, then came the full blown laugh. She laughed like she had never laughed before, it was like she making up for all the laughter she hadn't had since Aeris's... That thought sobered her faster than if she'd been slapped. Her features grew saddened and tears threatened to stream down her face. What was worse, the others might be bleeding to death on some godforsaken plain or... No! They'll make it through. Stop wallowing in self pity. She mentally shook her self before getting up rather suddenly, only to slip on the loose earth. Her arms flailed and her legs shot upwards. Just as her ass would have hit the ground, Vincent once again pulled her to safety, the safety of his lap.
A groan from him told her the exact location of her landing. She blushed furiously and looked at his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was tight, but after a few moments his eyes flew open and looked into hers. She quickly looked down at her hands and stammered a "S-so sorry." Vincent would have grinned at her embarrassment if it hadn't hurt him so much. In stead he croaked a "S'alright." She quickly got up only to earn another groan. Once again she blushed as realization made her see where her hand was. If she pushed to get up, she would be pressing down on his Oh God...
Vincent solved the problem by lifting her up and setting her on her feet, disdainfully adding, "For a martial artist, you sure are clumsy."
Steam whistled from her ears as she retorted, "I'm not clumsy! I've only been thrown from an airplane to have you, the cryptic mystery man, jump after me. I think you'd be a little rocky on your feet too!" Vincent surveyed her with cold eyes but shrugged. He swung one leg over the edge and dropped to the ledge about ten feet down. Tifa gathered the trailing cloak and swung her legs over the edge as well. Taking a deep breath, she let go.
Vincent simply held his arms out and caught her, pulling her towards the stone wall as he did so. The ledge was narrow so they were pressed against one another. Vincent could feel her well endowed breasts pressing into his chest but dismissed the thought as soon as it entered. He knew how long he'd stayed chaste and didn't want to torture himself more than he had already. "We'll keep doing this till we reach the bottom."
Tifa nodded mutely and the two continued on their way. They did this until night came in which they found a ledge and curled up. Once again it was Tifa that was in his lap in the morning and Vincent who was cursing Hojo silently for not making him immune to a woman's touch.
Tifa yawned and lifted her arms high above her head, stretching all the stiffness from them. Her arm nearly collided with Vincent's face but he moved back in time. She was barely even awake when Vincent stood with her and set her down gently. He stretched as well, causing Tifa to go slack- jawed for a moment. His lean muscled rippled in perfect harmony and the shirt stretched tight over his well toned chest and abdomen. Once again, she blushed and looked over the edge, holding onto the mountain as she did. They only had about fifteen feet to go before the ground leveled out onto the field. Vincent checked the distance and then said the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard him say. "Do you trust me?" Tifa was tempted to laugh. How could she not? This man had saved her life more times than she could ever count and he was asking her if he had her trust. In an exasperated voice she answered, "Well of course! Geese, you only saved me more times than I can count! Do I- " Tifa never got the chance to finish her sentence because in the next instant, Vincent had just thrown her on his shoulder and jumped. She shut her eyes tightly and clung to his shirt. The landing was almost graceful as his long legs absorbed the shock and his body bent to accommodate gravity. Tifa took a deep and shaky breath before pushing herself away from him and walking away towards the cave. Vincent shrugged and followed after her.
Tifa was piping mad. How dare he just toss her onto his shoulders and jump off a cliff? She growled and tossed her hair onto her back. She didn't really care if she was being childish; she had every right to be angry.
Vincent would never understand the complicated world of women. Lucretia had always been a mystery to him and the same went for Tifa. Shaking his head of every thought, he continued on his way, hoping to get there soon.