Tifa stood in the shower, letting the stream of hot water spray down her back. It soothed her aches and pains from sleeping on a lumpy mattress. It also gave her time to think. Now that the mistake of drinking all that alcohol last night was gone, Tifa went through her options.
She could prance downstairs and see if Vincent really did stay in town. She could stay here in her room all day, savoring the joy of hot showers and clean clothes. Or she could leave town before things got too complicated with Vincent, that is, if he was still here. What she wanted the most was to do her first option: run to Vincent's side.
Her heart pounded nervously as she imagined him leaving town in the middle of the night, right after they had comforted each other. If that was indeed the case, all the pain from before and even more pain would flood back to her. Coping with all the pain would be another story…
She turned off the water as the handle squeaked. Being anxious to see whether or not Vincent was still around had gotten the better of her and she cut the shower short. She wrapped a towel around her dripping body and stepped out of the bathroom and into her room. Dirty clothes lay strewn about, no where near her back pack.
A smirk dotted her face as she slipped on some panties and her skirt. She found a fresh shirt in the pile of clothes and pulled it over her head, feeling it cling to her curves instantly. Finally she had her shoes on, drying to dry her hair at the same time as she made her way across the cramped room.
'I hope he's still here… oh I hope so much that he stayed,' she thought, worrying all the while. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, so many that she needed answered.
With her long hair still half wet, she strode out into the hall and locked up her room.
'The way he touched me last night… it must have meant something to him,' she told herself, nearly daydreaming again. She straightened up and made her way down to the bar below. Reluctantly, Tifa paid for her room and then glanced about the bar. Vincent wasn't in here, not even in the shadowy corners.
She frowned and went to the door, stepping out into the early evening sunshine. She must have slept in really late! No matter, she needed it badly.
Tifa looked around at the stone walkways, trimmed bushes, and wooden bridges leading out around the quaint town. If he was in fact here, it shouldn't be hard to find him. She set forth and crossed a bridge, glancing down to see the stream below trickling pleasantly.
Wutai was a beautiful town and that's why it attracted tourists. If it weren't for them, this place would be paradise. Tifa confirmed that thought as she pushed her way past a big group of tourists that were crowding around a gift shop. Did they have to be so loud? She must be still feeling the last threads of a hangover.
Once past the tourists, Tifa crossed another bridge wandering towards the outskirts of town. And then her heart stopped, turned over, and began pounding again. There he was! She jogged across the grass and over to him.
Vincent leaned casually beside a tree in the shade, his eyes closed in deep thought. He wasn't wearing his cape and cowl as usual, just his shirt, pants, and boots. Tifa could finally see all of his face at once, and he was magnificent. Joy flooded her soul at the sight of him.
As she drew near, he heard her footsteps in the grass and glanced up to give her a faint smile.
"Tifa," he whispered, almost cried.
"You waited for me," she said softly, standing just a few feet before him in the cool shade.
"Like I promised," he replied smoothly, tilting his head up and closing his eyes lazily.
A short moment of silence passed between them.
"Do you feel any better?" he asked quietly, awaiting her answer.
"Yes, I do. I slept through an awful hangover, but yes. I feel better," Tifa said cheerfully.
"Good, then perhaps you can make better judgments," he said quickly, nearly cutting her off.
"What do you mean?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Perhaps you didn't mean to take last night as far as it went," he informed, his head turning away from her.
Tifa was stunned as she stood there, feeling his words cut into her.
"I… I didn't mind at all. I liked it. Wait… you regret it now, don't you?" she spoke, her voice choked with grief.
He didn't even look at her; he just kept staring sidelong at the ground. She studied his face, his beautiful face, as her eyes filled with tears.
"Don't you!" she yelled now, choking back sobs.
Still, he didn't reply. His expression was unchanging and unreadable. Tifa let the tears flow down her cheeks in long silvery streams. Did he really think Tifa had bad judgment last night? And did he really regret getting close to her?
She was about to turn and leave when he finally spoke.
"No," he whispered softly, still not meeting her pleading eyes.
Tifa paused, waiting for the rest of his words with renewed hope.
"You just seemed so helpless and lost last night, the way you told me everything about how you felt, the way you would get embarrassed, and the way you cried. I felt… I felt like I had to help… No, I wanted to help," he continued, his tone gentle and forgiving.
"And what of the way we held each other? The way we kissed?" she urged, needing to hear her questions answered.
His dark eyes glanced up and into hers, burning through her.
"It was the way that things happened, whether they were meant to happen that way or not," he said, soothing her nerves.
Tifa drew closer to him, letting him wrap her into his embrace as he leaned against the tree. The sun had slowly begun its descent towards the mountains and they shadows became darker and more definite.
She took in Vincent's sweet scent and hugged against him tightly, feeling his strong arms keeping her in. This was ecstasy!
"Tifa…?" he whispered.
"Mmm?" she nuzzled into his chest.
"You don't know me… and I don't know you," he began shyly, "But… it feels as if we share the same longing, the same pain. And because of that, I am drawn to you."
She took in all his words and kept silent, hoping to hang on to this moment for as long as possible. Her hand trailed up his chest and across her neck, curling a finger through his long ink black hair.
"I don't know what to say," she sighed, as it seemed it was her turn to be at a loss for words.
"Then let's walk," he suggested, pulling her with him away from the tree.
They wandered through Wutai, watching as the tourists disappeared into the cramped motel. They didn't return to the bar, but instead began walking along a dirt path that lead through the trees towards the river. The sun was setting quickly, sending the world around them into a darkening shadow of early nighttime. Tifa didn't mind; it only added to Vincent's attractive darkness.
When they paused among the trees, Tifa drew close again, pressing against his body affectionately.
"It's dark out… and a bit chilly," she commented, nuzzling him.
He pet her hair and replied, "I like the darkness… the peacefulness."
She shivered and reached to kiss his lips lightly. He glanced down on her with a half smile, fully revealed since he had left his cape behind. A breeze blew through, ruffling their hair and bringing more chills to Tifa.
"All right, we'll go back in. But no drinks for you tonight," he said, leading her back towards the bar and motel. Tifa gave a soft laugh and nodded in agreement, remembering all those awful cramps and headaches it had given her the other night.
Within minutes they strode into the bar together and had sat at their table in the dark corner. And in another moment, Tifa was watching Vincent knock back a few shots as she sipped on a glass of water.
Her staring soon caught his attention again and he said, "I never said that I wouldn't have any drinks."
Tifa smiled a bit, wondering if he really did enjoy those strong, vile tasting shots. He had ingested four already!
"How do you feel?" she asked curiously, leaning in over the table.
Vincent leaned in also, brushing lips with hers unexpectedly. Tifa blinked and felt her face become hot.
"If you're referring to the alcohol, I feel nothing," he spoke in a quiet, low voice.
"Ha, literally?" she replied, grinning.
"No, not quite literally. I'm better at drinking than you are though," he shot back almost playfully.
"Oh really? We could test that, if only you didn't make me promise not to drink tonight," she retorted, keeping up with his game.
"Then I guess I'm the better drinker if you can't drink at all," he announced, tilting back in his chair and giving her yet another half smile.
"Not fair," she replied, taking a long sip of her water and brushing back her flowing hair.
He set a small pile of coins on the table and got suddenly, stretching while looking down at Tifa.
"Let's go upstairs," he suggested, touching her shoulder lightly.
She agreed and went up with him, hand-in-hand.
Perhaps Vincent was staying at this motel also, because Tifa was hoping they wouldn't go to her room… it was a mess! But to her dismay, Vincent wanted to retreat into the room that was hers.
Once inside, Vincent went directly to the bed and fell into it, curling up in her tangled sheets.
"Had too many drinks, hmm?" she remarked playfully, putting her hands on her hips as she stood there. She didn't bother to turn on the lights as she went to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Mm hmm…" he replied, muffled through the blankets. Tifa wanted to laugh all of a sudden, but she managed to stifle a giggle. She sat there, hugging her knees to her chest like a little girl, daydreaming.
It warmed her heart to know that Vincent had meant everything from last night. It was good to have someone here with her, even if they seemed like strangers. Yet the stranger feeling was slowly fading as Tifa gazed at him lying there.
"Vincent?" she started softly, crawling nearer to him.
He rolled on to his back and let her cuddle up next to him. No shame anymore. He pulled her closer and drew her into a long, passionate kiss. This time his oversized cloak didn't get in the way of their faces as they pressed together tighter.
They broke away a moment for Vincent to reply, "Yes?"
Tifa breathed out, feeling the surprise of his fierce kiss flow through her, before saying, "Who was Lucretia?"
The name hit him like a bullet.
"No one, Tifa," he replied gently, pulling her back in for another kiss, this time running his hands up her back.
She pulled away reluctantly, knowing he was evading the question.
"No really… was she someone you loved?" Tifa asked, tracing a finger down his neck.
"Once," he said, his voice going lifeless. He sighed and rolled on to his side, bringing Tifa in closer to whisper in her ear, "But she is dead to me, as I am to her."
His voice was sweet ecstasy in her ear, his breath upon her neck so tantalizing. This time she pulled him in for a kiss, a fierce, passion driven kiss. Vincent complied, returning her kiss with just as much fervor.
Tifa could feel his non-metal hand sneak up her shirt, not quite wanting to stop him and not quite wanting to let him progress. In the end, she couldn't fight it, couldn't possibly make him stop touching her. His hand brushed over her curves, discovering she wore no bra today.
Their kiss broke as Tifa gasped.
"D-did I hurt you?" he stammered, looking into her eyes intently.
"No…" she sighed, closing her eyes. It seemed those shots were making Vincent extra friendly… and Tifa was enjoying it.