. . . Chorophobia . . .

Ninth Stanza: Vincent Valentine

My darling, the wind falls in like stones
from the whitehearted water and when we touch
we enter touch entirely. No one's alone.
Men kill for this, or for as much.

And what of the dead? They lie without shoes
in the stone boats. They are more like stone
than the sea would be if it stopped. They refuse
to be blessed, throat, eye and knucklebone.

- Anne Sexton The Truth the Dead Know

After sleeping away for thirty years, there were only a few things that he hoped would stand the test of time. The most important of which in his mind was honesty. He never liked it when people weren't straight with him, even when he was in a profession built entirely on falsehood. It was something that made his eye twitch when he detected even the slightest flavor of counterfeit intent.

Which is perhaps why he appreciated Cid so much. That man was so honest with a person that it often hurt, similar to the sensation of his spear poking around inside his ribs. And ever since he'd been frequenting New Midgar, which was a stone's throw from Rocket Town as it were, he'd gotten a full dose of that honesty quite often.

Cid had made a special effort to make sure he had come. He called him so often that he wanted to pull the phone from the wall. He even sent Shera after him; a low blow in Vincent's humble opinion. That woman could charm a rattlesnake if she wanted to, and it wouldn't even know what hit it.

Of course, she'd have to be good at charming snakes, considering her husband...

Not that he thought ill of the pilot, of course. But it was certainly fun to tease him. Though now Cid would have a chance to tease and beguile him for years to come. If it weren't for the fact that he doubted he could, he would probably be rather red at the moment. Concealing emotion had become quite easy for him, but it was certainly being tested.

Tifa seemed to have that effect on him lately.

It was the music that had done him in; that's what he would tell Cid and Cloud later. It was that somber sort of music he could get lost in, with its engrossing melodies and well defined chords. The sort of thing that had been old even when he was young, but enjoyed anyway. It reminded him of two things: solace and warmth. Not warmth like the sun either, but something more subtle. Like the blush he could feel even on Tifa's upper back.

The music had put him in a good mood, and when Yuffie came over with the "improved dancing Cloud", he listened in on their conversation. It was then that he heard Yuffie goading Tifa to dance with her "creation". But the nervous look on Tifa's face suggested that she wasn't into those fun and games.

And damn that part of him that felt chivalrous once in a while.

So, against his better judgment, he simply asked Tifa to dance with him. No harm could come from such a simple thing; other than Cid's inevitable taunts. But he'd learn to deal with those.

I never thought a woman could turn so red.

Another bit of Cid's handiwork. Vincent had forgotten that Cid and Shera could dance the slower songs, and they had come by so that Cid could be charming as always. A less than hushed "Go Vinnie!" had turned Tifa redder than an apple in a matter of seconds. Perhaps she was wiser than he was, and saw what a fool he was making of himself.

But she didn't really seem embarrassed about him before. They were neighbors after all; have been for nearly three years now. The house that they sort of shared was split into two large apartments. He lived upstairs, even though he was out and about more than anything.

Just pay attention to the music, this will all be over soon, hopefully.

The music slid into another movement and she didn't break away. In fact, she was becoming paler; in the healthy sense. And she smiled at him. He didn't quite know how to respond now that she wasn't wallowing in embarrassment. But her back still felt warm, and he hated to admit that he was getting used to the feeling.

"You're almost as good a dancer as Reeve," she said, as he awkwardly avoided missteping at the sound of her voice. He gave her a quick nod in response and she smiled wider, readjusting her grip to accommodate for the change in tempo. She was closer now, and moved his claw from the grasp on her hand to her shoulder, placing her free hand on his own shoulder.

Now he was very uncomfortable.

"Oh, do you mind?" she asked a little late, noticing how he stiffened at her approach. He shook his head though, despite the fact that he minded very much. So much that he would lose his steps if he didn't watch it. So, he focused on another thought that was nagging on his mind.

Where and when had he learned to dance?

He didn't have a clear memory; most of his memories before Lucrecia were a jumble of sounds and colors. This particular song left him with an overwhelming sense of the color indigo; like the sky just after a sunset, an evening ripe for a party. Certain things he had known innately upon waking up; namely how to fire a gun. And now, dancing was perhaps in that list. Had Lucrecia taught him? He couldn't help but harbor the image of that, the intimate and wonderful that dancing could be...

...but Lucrecia never danced with him. He only watched, from a distance really. Talked, for certain, but never danced with her. Never even touched her for that matter...

Not now. Not now, Valentine.

He had to focus on the reality at hand. Especially since he'd gotten all high and mighty with Cloud, telling him to let go of the past and all. He'd forgotten that it might be good to take his own advice before launching into self-righteous bouts... of whatever it had been that he wanted to express.

She stepped on his toe, eliciting a quick and sudden gasp from her.

So even the eternally graceful can miss a step once in a while.

He didn't know why he found that particularly interesting. Or why the blush that was creeping back onto her cheeks made him want to grin like a fool. He didn't want to notice that she was grinning to ease the tension, a dimple appearing on her left cheek, something that he'd noticed nearly two years ago. Or that her eyes reminded him so much of someone he had long forgotten, someone who had meant something to him...

"Careful," he said, trying to dispel his line of thought, "Wouldn't want you to trip."

He wanted to kick himself immediately after saying that. He had enough problems with sounding like an old man; he didn't need to patronize too. Not that he cared about what people, which included Tifa, thought. He didn't need people, they only caused problems.

She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. He felt very strange under the scrutiny, and immediately back stepped. She followed his move, thankfully, thinking he was changing the style of dance.

And she let out a small laugh. "I didn't even notice it before," she said, humor lighting her face, "You've lost the whole 'shroud of darkness'." He couldn't help the small grin that tugged on his face. He remembered that's what she had begun to call his cape, nearly a year ago, one afternoon when she decided that he needed to go outside and get some fresh air...

"Did I see you grin, Mr. Valentine?" she teased, giving him that smirk that slightly wrinkled her nose, "Or is it just a dream... a trick?"

A dream... tell me about those again.

But before he had a chance to answer her, he saw an instant where her eyes were opened wide in surprise, and she was shoved straight into him. And he heard a voice, rising out of his own momentary panic and the tangle of limbs he was falling into...

"Cloud! Geez, watch it!"

Yuffie. It figured that his attempt to keep her out of his hair would come back to bother him some other way. And Cloud too. The way the man was smirking at him was most disconcerting; like he had just discovered a secret. But what secrets did he have left?

Yet he was distracted by a face against his chest, and arms that were around him, and laughing...

...coming from the ninja. He must have looked quite the sight. He suddenly wished for the 'shroud of darkness'. For no matter how bloodless his skin seemed, there was blood flowing in his veins, and he had the ability to flush, no matter how insignificant.

"You're pink!" Yuffie said, still guffawing at him, with the addition of pointing. Even Cloud was smiling. He backed away, pulling himself away from Tifa, who had finally steadied herself, and stood, unable to move off the dance floor. In fact, he could not move at all.

"Oh! Sorry," Tifa said immediately, covering her mouth with her hand, and then tentatively reaching out with her other one, "I didn't knock into you too hard, did I?" She was touching his arm now, and he fought the urge to flinch. He was almost missing that brief contact...

He shook his head, and started to take another step back, but stopped when something tugged on his claw. He looked down, to see the fluff of pink that was Marlene. And she was smiling her sweetest at him.

"If you're done with Aunt Tifa, I'll dance with you," she said, her voice full of childish honey. And there was more laughter from the others, but he was regaining his calm. It was hard not to be at least a little friendly with Marlene.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow at Tifa, who smiled.

"I believe we were interrupted," she whispered over to them and gave Marlene a quick wink. He wasn't sure if he should be flattered, or frightened or what. But whatever look Tifa flashed immediately afterward at Yuffie was enough to rid them of that annoying presence at least.

The sounds of the beginning chords on a piano, though not a real one, were heard. Another song from a time he didn't remember; though this one felt happier.

"Thank you," she murmured, closer again, though he wasn't certain if it was necessary. And he wasn't sure what exactly he was being thanked for.

But he didn't really care at the moment. He had to finish up this dance, he was honor bound. Besides, what could a harmless dance do? So what if he was getting caught up in it?

So much that neither of them heard the commotion from the other side of the floor.

"Yuffie. We need to talk. Now."

"Why'd... why'd ya come back?"

AN: A Valentine's Day special. I found it appropriate. Happy V-day!