Someone to Love

-six-

            The midmorning sun filtered through the faded curtains to shine on Tifa and Sephiroth sleeping comfortably in each others arms.  And for the first time in a long time, both of them slept deep and peacefully through the entire night.  Tifa dreamed of someone other than cloud for once, and Sephiroth had a dream that didn't have a single death somewhere in it.

            Tifa opened her eyes, only for them to be assaulted by the bright light of the sun shining on her face.  She squinted and shifted her self so she was facing the other way, making her gaze carry to a sleeping Sephiroth.  He seemed so peaceful when asleep.  His eyes were peacefully closed, and his two toned hair was messed up from his erratic sleeping positions.  He certainly was a strange sleeper.   She heard him give a soft snore, then mumble something unintelligible and then roll on to his side.  Tifa couldn't help but giggle.  He was just so damn cute!

            After last night, she realized something.  She'd said that she was falling for him.  But, she knew that she did love him.  She didn't know how or when she fell in love with him.  Mabye it was the kiss, or maybe it had started way before that, when he'd saved her.  When he would just sit and listen to her and all of her twisted problems.  He genuinely cared, a feeling got from Cloud only once.  But, she received that feeling every day from him.  She smiled and nuzzled into his back.  For the first time, she was truly happy.

            There was a loud knock coming from the front door downstairs.  Tifa carefully got out of bed so as not to wake him.  She quietly crept out of the room and softly shut the door.  Then it was a mad dash for the door.  She nearly tripped over her own feet as she attempted to run down the stairs.  But by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she completely lost balance and was sent falling into the table.  Her impact sent some of the dishes to the floor, breaking most of them.  She got up her feet and  finally managed to open the door to find Vincent standing there looking at her very strangely.

            "Are you alright?!"

            "Vincent! You're back!" Tifa shouted.

            "Yes, you seem a little overdressed for a Friday morning."

            "Tifa? Are you alright?" She heard Sephiroth yell from upstairs.

            "Who is that?" Vincent asked.

            Tifa got a little nervous.  Should he tell him.  She was fighting with her inner conscious, but was "saved" by Sephiroth coming up behind her, and wrapping an arm around her waist.  Tifa looked a Vincent, and a look of disbelief washed over his face.  He looked at him, then at her, and back to him.

            "Friend of yours?" Sephiroth asked.

            "Uh… yeah.  This is Vincent."  She said, flashing a very weak smile to both of them.

            "Hello." Sephiroth said, completely oblivious to the significant impact the man before him had on his life. "You want some coffee?"

            "No, no thank you." Vincent said quickly.

            Sephiroth nodded and went back into the house to start a pot of coffee for himself, Tifa and Vincent, should he change his mind later on.

            "I'm so sorry Vincent! I should have told you."

            "No, don't be sorry." He said quietly.  "When did he come?"

            "A week or two after Cloud died, right after you left."

            "So, he's been here for a while then."

            "Yes." She said.

            "He's not…"

            "No! He's a perfect, normal, sane man." She said, putting emphasis on the word sane.

            Vincent peeked through the window to watch Sephiroth so intently make coffee.  It was the strangest thing. 

            "He needs to know." Vincent said, staring off.

            "Need's to know what?"

            "His past! He needs to know about Lucrecia."

            Tifa realized that he was right.  Now, Sephiroth was living blissfully in ignorance.  He knew that Jenova wasn't his mother, but also knew nothing about his true family.

            "I think that I'll have him go talk to you.  When he asks of course.  I don't want to force anything to heavy on him until he's ready and willing to accept it."

            Vincent nodded in agreement.  "I must get home.  I'm sure I have plenty of bills to pay.  Take care Tifa."  And with that, he waked off towards the Shinra mansion.

            Tifa gave a heavy sigh and walked back into the house.  She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

            "What's wrong?" Sephiroth asked while pouring a cup of coffee for Tifa.

            "Nothing."

            "That man must have recognized me.  He doesn't want to kill me does he?"

            Tifa giggled.  "No.  He doesn't want to kill you.  From what I heard, he's what kept you from getting killed after you were born."

            "What?"

            "Vincent, is not what he appears.  He looks like he's twenty-seven, but he was around when you were born.  He knew your mother."

            Sephiroth dropped the cup, and it shattered all over the hardwood floor.  His body tensed up, and he looked up at the ceiling.

            "Sephiroth, are you okay?" She asked.

            "He knew my mother?" he whispered, turning his head to look at her.

            "Yes, yes he did.  I hear he loved her and you very dearly."

            So many thoughts flooded his mind at that moment.  He was loved as a child?  He didn't think it were possible.          "I have to talk to him."  He said.

            "Okay."

             "You're coming with me."

            Tifa nodded.  Sephiroth grabbed her hand and squeezed it like there was no tomorrow, and together they walked to the Shinra mansion.

***

AN: Ok.. a short, BUT important chapter.  The next one will be long and probably boring, we all know Vincent/Sephiroth/Lucrecia backstory, but it needs to be done anyway right? Mabye I'll find a way to spice it up a little.

--Jobi!