-1Notes: Bleuwyn! I'll be on MSN later this afternoon. I'll ping you if you come on. I've missed you! Many hugs and much love, S xxx
The night before…
Tifa leaned her arms on the metal railing and looked down at the mass of people wandering around the main square. Even from her position, she could see the happy and cheery faces, and she sighed in contentment. With the way things were going with Sephiroth and Shinra, it was nice to see people still getting on with everyday life.
She popped her last chocolate into her mouth and chewed, relishing in the candy coating melting on her tongue and the tasty filling trickle down her throat. There was nothing quite like a cherry brandy chocolate liqueur. Offhandedly, she wondered what the others were doing while they were here.
Cloud had gone on his date with Aeris, Barrett was probably catching up on some shut eye or calling Marlene, and Yuffie would undoubtedly be gambling away all her Gil at the chocobo races. Cid would be having a jolly old time of it in the first bar he found. Vincent, the newest member of their group, had expressed an interest in hiding in his room. As for herself…
As much as she loved and respected the people she was with, it was nice to spend some time alone. Living in each other's pockets, day after day, began to grate and personal habits sometimes led to petty arguments. So yes, it was a relief to have some time to think and do what she wanted without having to consult with everyone else.
"Maybe I'll get my hair done or a manicure." Tifa mused as she turned her back on the people. She hadn't done anything like in God knows how long. Probably too long if the state of her split ends were anything to go by. Saving the world didn't exactly leave much time for a girl to look her best.
Or maybe she'd go see that new play, Loveless. A heavy sigh escaped and drew attention from passers by, who received a smile from the brunette. That was another problem with saving the world. No time for dating or hell, kissing. The last man she'd had the pleasure of dating had turned into a total sleaze, thinking she owed him something because he bought her dinner.
Tifa grinned wickedly as she flexed the fist that had painfully connected with his dick. The look on his face when she'd beat him to a bloody pulp would be taken to her grave.
Men will do silly things like try to pick on girls who could teach three different kinds of martial arts. She wondered if he'd kept the ability to reproduce. Hopefully not.
"Well, c'mon Tifa. Let's go have a little fun." Chocobo races, beauty salon, or Loveless? Choices, choices. Ooh, there was that fighting game where you could win some GP. Nah, she already did plenty of fighting, she didn't need that to intrude on her down time. With that thought in mind, the brunette decided she'd simply stroll around until she found something that caught her attention.
She pushed away from the railing and winked at a teenage boy she caught ogling her legs. His face went ten shades of red and Tifa chuckled. Still, it was a boost to her ego and she decided she couldn't be in that bad a state after all.
Lazy steps took her past an exchange counter where a red cloak and black hair became instantly recognisable, and she stopped, a grin forming on her face. Maybe she could sneak up on him and…
"Good afternoon, Tifa."
She slammed a hand across her now wildly beating heart and jumped a good foot in the air, glaring at the amused eyes of Vincent Valentine. "Holy planet!" Tifa swore sharply as her breathing slowly got back to normal. "That wasn't funny."
He didn't reply with words, but merely raised an eyebrow at the fact she was still on her tiptoes.
"Alright, alright." Tifa held up her hands in confession. "I was gonna sneak up on you. I admit it. But that doesn't mean you can do it back." He'd just given her the first heart attack of her life.
"I apologise." Clearly, he was not sorry in the least. "You are enjoying yourself?"
A conversation with Vincent? This was definitely something not to be turned down, as it rarely happened. Usually, he stood quietly in the cockpit of the Highwind and observed all that was going on around him. There was no question about it. From the instant he joined their mission, he'd intrigued her, and Tifa had never been one to ignore intrigue.
Curiosity may have killed the chocobo, but satisfaction brought it back.
"Yep." Tifa fell into step beside him and timed her walk to his casual pace. "I was just relaxing, you know? Taking time out to gather my thoughts so to speak."
"Ahh." The gunslinger knew all about thought gathering. He'd been doing that for the past three decades. "Then, I will leave you to your musings."
He'd taken all of three steps when sense of his words caught up with her. Reacting, Tifa reached out and stopped his escape with a hand lightly wrapped around his arm. "You don't have to go, you know? Company would be nice."
Vincent was so stunned by her willingness to touch him that he couldn't do more than stare at the slender fingers curled around his claw. Unconsciously, he stiffened but she didn't remove her hold. "Surely thought gathering is best done alone."
What took him three paces took her four. She smiled up at him and he realised just how short Tifa Lockheart really was. "True. Though eating is something which shouldn't be done alone. C'mon, you can take me to dinner." His arm was released, but only momentarily, and then he had hers linking him.
"Relax," Tifa chuckled with a shake of her head. "I only bite when asked nicely."
Vincent was helpless against the small tug turning the corners of his lips up. How long had it been since he'd eaten a proper meal? However long, it'd been much longer since he'd dined with a woman. He allowed her to set the walk and followed accordingly, as a gentleman would.
"A nice juicy chocobo steak with potatoes and vegetables…" The girl on his arm mused through a wistful sigh. "What do you want?"
He shrugged. Being in stasis hadn't given much of an appetite, but a steak did sound appealing. "Perhaps the same."
Tifa giggled and shook her head. "If you're lucky, I may treat you to dessert."
No. He wouldn't allow her to treat him anything. In his ideals, when a man wined and dined a lady, he paid. He held the door, pulled the chair out, and did all the little things men these days no longer did. "There is no need to waste your money on me." Vincent stated with a firm nod. "It is a treat enough to accompany you."
He watched as a delightful blush spread across her face, only catching it before she lowered her head to hide it. "Don't say things like that." Give her fiends and monsters, she was fine. Give her a compliment, and she turned helpless.
"It is the truth." He stopped their walk and tilted her chin to make her look at him, letting her see the honesty in his gaze. "I have not…" He struggled a little but she patiently encouraged him to continue. "Had dinner with a lady in…"
Realisation dawned on Tifa and her full lips formed a perfect O. "In that case, you can treat me to dessert. Lemme tell ya, you'll be sorry, cus when I get started on ice cream? I never stop."
Momentarily distracting Vincent from the conversation were images of sweet cream covering those plump lips and her licking it off. His tongue traced his teeth as he inhaled, only to swallow heavily at the thought of licking it off himself. He sharply snapped himself out of the daze he was suddenly in and the bad thoughts under an amused expression.
It was a good thing he wore his cloak, else she might notice something that should not be happening.
"Oh yes." Tifa seriously informed him. "Ice cream is my one true love. We were meant to be together for all eternity." It wasn't a lie exactly; she just left out the part where the ice cream would be smothered all over the body of her favourite actor, who was her one true love.
Vincent brushed his thumb softly across her jaw before dropping his hand to his side. "I am fond of ice cream myself." This time, he did smile. The expression of complete surprise on her face warmed parts of him that had been cold for a long time. "That surprises you."
To his pleasure, she laughed and covered her mouth, leaving him to read the merriment twinkling in her crimson eyes. "In a nice way. So Mr. Sweet Tooth, what's your favourite flavour?"
He blinked. She insinuated there were more than just the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla which had been around before his stasis. "There are more than three flavours?"
Her pleasure gave way to out and out shock. "What?" Surely he knew there was… Of course, he'd been sleeping while the world was changing. Something inside Tifa bubbled up and she realised just how much Vincent had missed out on. Hojo had put him through hell and back, probably more than once, but yet that tame seemed in comparison to this.
She thought of just how much of an outsider Vincent must feel when she and the others talked about things he might know nothing about. It was no surprise he was as quiet and solitary as he was. God, she was angry, dangerously angry at Hojo. When they found him, Tifa was gonna rip him limb from limb, then she was gonna feed his remains to the starving dragons in the Northern Continent.
Ooh, no wait; she had a much better punishment. Tie Hojo up with chains and give Vincent a few sets of throwing daggers. Yes, she thought in satisfaction, that's what she'd do. That poor excuse of a scientist would suffer the Ten Plagues of Wutai.
"Please, do not pity me." The gunslinger's deep voice shattered her dreams of revenge.
"I don't pity you, Vincent." Tifa replied in a soft voice that belied her violent and bloody fantasies. "I'm just pleased I came along when I did." And it was a good thing she came along when she did, or who knows what else he might have missed out on.
He didn't have a chance to say anything else before his arm, no his hand he corrected, was grabbed and he was being led by a purposeful stride. "I'm gonna buy us dinner, and then you're gonna treat us to dessert." She had a whole bunch of stuff for him to try.
Dinner was eaten and thoroughly enjoyed by both parties, and now they sat with a drink each and waiting for the waitress. The smells from the kitchen were delicious and though they'd eaten their fill, the scent of good food was enough to bring the hunger pangs right back. However, it was time for desert.
Tifa was too busy enjoying Vincent to care about what she wanted. She didn't think she'd ever seen a meal of steak and potatoes devoured quite like that before. He'd savoured every bite, every drop of gravy until his plate was clean and his appetite sated. Now, he was savouring his red wine like it was a gift from the Gods.
He noticed her smiling over the rim of her glass. For a second, he wondered if he had food in his teeth, but recalled this was Tifa. The girl who he'd often observed smiling for no good reason. He envied that ability.
During their meal, Vincent hadn't been able to take his gaze off of her. It was the first time he'd seen in her in such a relaxed atmosphere and without her fighting gloves. Her nails were short and painted a pretty green. Her hair was still tied, but she'd loosened a few wispy strands that framed her face. A classier look, she'd explained as they'd waited for a table.
It was the same on her part. This was the first time she'd ever seen him without his cloak covering half his face. His features were exquisitely defined and contoured; his skin was pale and contrasted with his jet black hair, while his lips were slim and pink. No doubt about it, he was an extremely handsome man.
"Enjoy your meal?" She asked after a delicate sip of her drink.
"Very much, thank you. And you?"
She rotated her glass and swished the wine, releasing a fresh wave of fragrance then held it out towards him. "Oh yes, that's an understatement. Here's to food not from a can." Tifa beamed as Vincent dutifully returned the toast. "Now, onto dessert… Unless you're too full?"
"Not at all, but please allow me too pay for our meal…"
A hand was held up to clearly state that no, he wasn't going to pay for everything. Off his stubborn expression, Tifa sighed helplessly. "We made a deal. I buy dinner, and you buy the ice cream." She gave a dramatic pause, "And a gentleman would never back out on a deal."
Vincent wasn't happy at his values being thrown back in his face, especially not by a woman using them to get her own way in matters like these. "Very well."
"Besides," she grinned in way that put him on guard. "I'm the one bringing you up to date on all things sweet, so the least you can do is pay for it."
Why did that sound as though she were planning to go through the entire dessert menu? "Hmm." Vincent sat back in his chair and studied her. He used to be a Turk, and so one of his talents was the ability to read people. Of course, this was a woman, and not even psychics could read a woman. They were strange creatures, if ever there were such things.
The arrival of their waitress put an end to the conversation and they both looked at her, somewhat annoyed at being disturbed. The young woman shifted on her feet, uncomfortable under the slight glares she received. Some people, she thought with a sigh.
"Are you ready to order dessert?"
"Oh, sorry." Tifa blushed and smiled sheepishly, a smidgen of guilt welled up as she realised she must have appeared unwelcoming. She looked to Vincent, who confirmed he was also ready for dessert. "Yes, we're ready. Um, what ice cream flavours do you have?"
The waitress struggled to keep the grin off her face. Obviously she'd interrupted something when she arrived. "We have the usual. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. May I recommend something?" She got a nod from the brunette. "Our best seller. It's lemon sorbet in a vodka sauce."
Vodka? The uncertainty was visible on Vincent's face as both the waitress and Tifa raised their eyebrows. "Vodka? And ice cream?" Who on the planet came up with that? Then there was the case of lemon ice cream. Lemon ice cream and vodka?
"Not ice cream, Vincent." Tifa corrected with a slight smile. "Sorbet. It's like crushed ice… Kind of." What the hell was sorbet, anyway? "That's sounds yum; we'll have two bowls, please."
"Excellent choice, ma'am. You receive a medium bottle of vodka free."
Immediately piping up, "That will not be necessary, thank you. The sorbet will suffice." The last thing he wanted was to drink vodka, especially after not touching the stuff for thirty years. His tolerance wouldn't be all that great and he really didn't want to look like a fool in front of her.
"No," Tifa countered just as quickly. "We'll have the free bottle." If they didn't drink it, then they could give it to Cid and Barrett. Or it would come in handy for extra sauce.
The waitress ignored Vincent's answer and smiled at his companion. "Excellent. I'll clear these plates away for you and bring your order right over." With that, she gathered the empty plates and made her way back to the kitchen.
"Ooh!" The twenty year old excitedly exclaimed. "I've never had this before. I wonder what it'll be like. After our mission, maybe I'll open a new bar and have this on the menu." The business side of her brain kicked into gear as she thought of all the things she could try. With Midgar being in the slums and the people poorer than other places, there hadn't been a chance to try stuff like this.
Nobody would have been able to afford the cost of cocktails and the bar would've been bankrupt within six months if she'd lowered the prices. As Midgar was destroyed by the collapsed plate, she'd have to find someplace else to set up shop. Perhaps somewhere warm and sunny, like Costa del Sol, or even the Northern Continent. People were always going there for weekend skiing trips or adventure holidays.
Along with her new and improved bar, Tifa saw Vincent as doorman. Sure he didn't have the typical bouncer look, but she knew for certain he had what it took to keep the peace. She grinned at the image of Vincent Valentine in a uniform and demanding ID in that gruff voice of his. The women would flock around him!
"A Gil for your thoughts?" The low murmur brought her out of her reverie. He picked up and drained the last of his wine, sweeping his tongue over his lips to capture stray droplets. Full bodied red; there wasn't much that could beat it.
"I'll have you know I don't come that cheap." Tifa pretended to be affronted and flipped her hair in a way that drew his attention to her neck.
Slender, shapely, soft skinned and tanned. He imagined leaving a love bite there, right above her jugular, just to say she was his. His tongue itched to trace patterns over the warm flesh and lips tingled in anticipation of trailing hot kisses down to her…
"Hmm," Vincent refused to go further with that particular fantasy, "100 Gil?" Still, she denied him the pleasure of her thoughts. "How much?"
Tifa carefully regarded him, her head tilted to one side as she contemplated her answer. "Choose the next dessert and we'll talk." She sounded so playful and teasing that the gunslinger shifted in his seat.
Vincent glanced at her wine glass and noticed it was empty. "You would like a refill?" He'd be more than happy to get them another bottle.
"No thank you. Vodka, remember?" The brunette heavily sighed and leaned on closed hands, then graced him with another look he couldn't read. "Are you going to choose our next dessert, or don't you want to hear what I'm thinking?"
"Very well." Something told him he was either going to regret this or thoroughly enjoy it, but it was too much to resist. He turned to the table behind him, "Excuse me, I apologise for interrupting. May we borrow your menu?" His request was granted and he perused the offerings.
Tifa watched in amusement as he intensely studied the menu, his eyes roaming across one page and then another. She knew the second he found what he wanted; those dazzling red eyes of his widened a little before he handed the menu back. "Well?"
"I have chosen." Vincent informed her. "It is your turn to hold up your end of the bargain."
"Here you go!" The merry voice of the waitress once again interrupted them, and once again she found herself the object of two annoyed glares. Wow, her timing must really suck. She placed the tray down and put a bowl in front of them both, then gave them the opened bottle of vodka. "Enjoy."
And so their night began.