A/N: Helloo…Sorry this is so late, Hope you all haven't forgotten about me. Heehee! Unfortunately, I've been sick for a while. (chest pains and colds and the flu don't mix. Really.) Soo….(looks nervous) I hope everyone's doing well…And..um…sorry about all the one-shots. I found one on my computer, one that I did long before anything you're reading now. It only got 4 revvie's. Wahh. But that's okay, I know I'm not a good writer--er…I'll quit talking pointless things now. I'm sorry if this chapter is crappy.
WARNING: Fluff and OOC-ness. Be careful. This is filler? Help meee!
PS: I made Vinnie talk a lot. This is a really short chapter, I just churned it out so I could post something. I'll start writing what will hopefully be the last chapter when I get the time.
Responses to Reviews
Emri: Yay, thank you for thanking me for telling the truth? About the claw…um…well…you could use the logic that maybe he stored it in the same place the party puts the items during the game…you know, that hollow space that leads to nowhere that holds an infinite amount of useless crap? I mean, where do they carry the stuff in game…er.. Thank you very much!
(Anonymous Reviewer without a name): If you read the authors note more carefully, you'll know that I'm taking it down for editing purposes. Oh, and, Thanks for the "This is great" comment.
Yuffie Kisaragi2: You like it, you really, really like it! (sniffle) Okay…I'll update soon. (sigh) Thank you very much for the review!
NeonRaine: Yay, prettiful and descriptiveness rocks, doesn't it? That's what I'm hoping to accomplish in SV by rewriting it. Thank you so much.
Neko-Yuff16: So…Vinnie has how many points now? Hmm…well, thank you very much for the review.
Eternalstar180: Yea, I kinda want a b/f too? Heehee, not really, I like being single. You roll around on the floor? Oh, and you're welcome for the input thingy. I like it when people give me input too! (cough, hint, cough) Thank you so much!
Noriko: You love the mush, you love the mush! Yay! (dances) Speaking of spicy foods, I choked on a piece of bojangles chicken yesterday…I'm glad you don't mind the ooc-ness. Thank you very much!
"Brush
the dust off it's dawn again my friend,
Next
time you'll get it,
Next
time you'll make amends,
Tomorrow's
children will need a light to shine the way,
Without
you, without you, who will tell them to stay?"
((Lucky
You - By the LOSTPROPHETS))
Part 15
(backtrack) 8:26 a.m Midgar Ruins Fifth Plate, Upper Level. ShinRa Bar. 2nd Floor, Guestroom 102-A.
"Yuffie…" Suddenly, the sound of cloth rustling and a few, soft, metallic clicks drew her gaze. Staring, she watched the stoic man as he removed the warm red cloak, letting it fall away from his black clad figure. Moving forward once more, Yuffie could do nothing more than sit in shock as Vincent placed his arms about her, hugging, holding tightly. She gasped as two undoubtedly human hands wound their way about her, tightly holding her, pressing her against his form. Her face was pressed into the collar of his shirt, the top of her head fitted at the crook of his neck, just beneath his chin. "Vincent…" she whispered, feeling warm, comforted. It had felt this way in her dreams, so peaceful as she had slept.
"Yuffie, I--I…you sacrificed yourself for a small child…And, I know this may sound rude, but...I believed you to be nothing more than a spoiled child until then...Now I see…You have a courageous heart. A true shinobi.." She sniffed at his words, feeling her cheeks set aflame as the feeling of his hands so strongly pressing against her back comforted her. Dark hair brushed by her nose as he pulled her just a little closer, fragrant and soft.
"Vincent.." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry…Sorry that..I worried you all…" She shifted slightly, moving her hands upwards to touch his chest. The thin, weak fingers fisted into his shirt, gripping it tightly as she felt hot liquid burn her cheeks, streaking down. They were tears. They soaked his shirt as he pulled her closer, pressing her cheek further into the crook of his neck. She sobbed quietly for a while, letting go of all the pain, all the bad memories, the fear of what had happened.
"When…when I went over, I was prepared to go…" she whispered after a few minutes. He listened silently, slightly curious on what she was saying. "I wanted to do something meaningful…" She added, slightly nuzzling her face against him, inhaling his clean, soft scent. Vincents hand slowly moved upwards, stroking her hair slowly, nodding.
"I understand…in a way. But Yuffie, you already have done something meaningful. You helped defeat Sephiroth, did you not?" He asked, voice calm, carefully masked and devoid of almost all emotion. She shook her head, clutching his shirt more fiercely, if that were possible.
"No, I mean, yes. I mean--I helped, but I wanted to do something that wouldn't have me remembered as a sidekick, and an annoying one at that. I wanted to go out with a bang, be remembered as someone great." She sniffled, and he pulled her away slightly, enough so that he could look her in the eye.
Vincents intense gaze startled her somewhat, and Yuffie could do nothing more than watch as he spoke, somewhat harshly. "You honestly believe you would be nothing more than a sidekick?"
Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she spoke back as harshly as he. "Yes, with people like Cloud and Tifa seen as the great leaders of the group. We would've just been along for the ride. It's not like I want to bee seen as THE great hero, just not a sidekick."
Vincent almost growled in reply, but she looked so fierce, so angry, and so utterly…adorable that he could do nothing more than shake his head, letting his hair fall forward, trying to suppress a chuckle. "You are filled with a fighting spirit Yuffie. I do not believe you would have allowed anyone to see you as a sidekick."
She sniffed indignantly, "And how, pray tell, would I keep them FROM seeing me as nothing more than just that? I know you mean well Vincent, but I understand the way the world works. There are always main heroes and the rest are seen as nothing more than sidekicks. Besides, I'm nothing but an annoying teenager. Who on earth would think that I am a--"
"Wutai would see you as a hero."
"But that's my home country. Of course they'd think of me like that." She said, as if stating a fact, her voice slightly annoyed.
"The little boy would see you as a hero."
"I saved his life."
"Do not forget, Yuffie. You helped save everyone else's as well."
"That's not the point. Most of the Planet doesn't even know that I exist--"
"I…see you as a hero."
Well, there was no arguing with that. Yuffie's eyes widened, all the fight going out of them. "Oh god, I was afraid to die." she whispered, looking up at him, pleadingly. They were back where they had started, somewhat. "I was afraid it would be the end, when I woke up after the fall. It hurt so badly, I was so scared, you just don't know. I thought I was gonna bleed to death, Vinnie, it wasn't--and I was like, 'it's not supposed to end this way! Not broken and bruised and dying on a huge piece of metal with my body in ribbons'! Gawd…" She shuddered, her eyes growing dark.
Vincent knew she was withdrawing into herself, something he had often done. But, it was frightening to see this girl, who was always so open, with her eyes dimming, her body shuddering. Taking a page from her book, Vincent's mind thought bitterly, 'this wasn't the way a Yuffie was supposed to act'. His steel grip lessened, and once more, he pulled her against him, stroking her hair comfortingly. This time, she did not cry, but let out a despairing moan, a half sob that ripped at his heart.
"Vinnie…" She sniffled after a few minutes of breathing into him, taking the comfort he offered. Vincent, ignoring the nickname, tightened his hold against her, eyes closing as he felt the bitterness of being unable to help her grip his heart. He buried his face in her hair, whispering her name over and over, aching mentally, physically. Thick, black hair flowed over Yuffie like an ocean of darkness as his face nuzzled into the top of her head, the long silken strands enveloping them both.
"Do not despair, Yuffie." He whispered, voice low and deep. "You have lived through the pain, and you have another chance at life. Do not waste it."
She sniffled slightly, a retort easily escaping her lips. "What about you, Vince? You too are still alive. Why do you never put your 'sins' behind you?"
He grimaced, giving her an awkward sort of squeeze. "Advice is better given than taken, Yuffie."
She smiled a bit, pulling slightly back, though reluctant to leave his warmth just yet. His hands slowly moved to clasp her shoulders once more, lightly, fingers warm and smooth. She turned to look down when she realized there were two sets of fingers. As in, Vinnie had two hands. "Hey, Vincent, your hand--claw, er…where is it!"
He looked down, frowning, realizing that the 'demon claw' he had worn was gone, that he had taken it off earlier and had seemingly forgotten to put it back upon his arm. Vincent nodded slowly, looking toward the girl again. "My claw is under the bed." She squirmed out of his grip, and with more energy than she should have had, Yuffie leaned over the bed to peer down, and sure as the sun was shining over the ruins of Midgar, there lay Vincents claw. She picked the object up, turning the bronze in her hands as the sunlight glinted off the tarnished sheen.
"Vincent…" She whispered after a few minutes, looking back at him, a smile playing at her pale lips. He looked at her, frowning as he watched a mischievous Yuffie patented grin plaster itself on her face.
A/N: Gasp, what will Yuffie do with the claw! No, not that you perverts! See you next post! Oh yeah, DDR rocks and Tsugaru is really really REALLY hard to do on heavy.
