Part Seven
They made landfall at around one or two in the morning. Cid, Barret, Yuffie and little Marlene all arrived, sopping wet, at the door of the Seventh Heaven, where an anxious Tifa waited at Vincent's side. With Cid right behind her (Barret and Cloud had decided to remain downstairs with Marlene) Yuffie climbed the stairs to the living area above the bar; inwardly bracing herself for what she would find on the other side of the door. What she saw made her mouth immediately go dry; there lay an evidently very ill Vincent, with a weary Tifa sitting stubbornly at his side, gripping his metal left hand in both of hers' as though silently pleading with him to live.
"Oh planet...he looks awful..." Yuffie murmured, as she approached the bed and hesitantly put a hand to Vincent's forehead. She recoiled almost immediately when she felt his fever.
"I know. It's taken all my Materia could give just to keep him going...And it still wasn't enough. He's lost so much blood already...that any normal man would have been dead by now." Tifa said, her voice soft with concern and tiredness as she gave the two of them a careworn glance.
"Got that right." Cid muttered, shaking his head in honest pity when he noticed how much worse Vincent looked compared to before.
"Then let's not waste any more time! Let's cure and heal him now, while we still have the chance!" Yuffie urged, getting nods from both of her companions in answer to that.
"Vincent? Vincent, wake up." Tifa gently called, as she started trying to awaken the sick man from fevered slumber. At first, she got no response; then he uttered a soft moan, and slowly opened his eyes.
"T-they're...here?" Vincent asked, his voice barely a whisper. Tifa nodded, as she moved to help him sit up.
"Yes. Now you can take the medicine Cloud had gotten made for you." Tifa responded, feeling a pang of guilt as Vincent winced in response to having to move even the slightest bit. Then, when she was sure that he was as comfortable as she could possibly make him, she reached over, grabbed the flask that held the medicine, uncorked it, and poured its' contents into a cup that she'd brought up for that specific purpose. Vincent made a face as he caught a whiff of what the medicine smelled like, and gave the three in the room an understandably skeptical look. Then, knowing that he would get nowhere in an argument at this point, he went ahead and downed the glass; disgust deepening to outright horror when he tasted the concoction. Despite themselves, Tifa and Yuffie giggled at the look of outright disgust Vincent gave the empty glass, and as he suppressed a shudder at the residual taste.
"If medicine didn't smell or taste bad, Vincent, it wouldn't work." Tifa said, when Vincent had cast an accusatory look at them for their laughter at his expense.
" I know...But...still,...that...tasted...terrible..." Vincent managed, struggling to keep the medicine in his stomach long enough for them to start using the Materia. Without any further words on the subject, Yuffie handed Tifa one of her Heal Materia, keeping a Cure one for herself, and then they both, simultaneously, started using them on Vincent. Little by little, Vincent could feel the pain ebbing; almost as though a vice was being loosened from around his chest, and the hot iron barbs were being carefully removed.
"It's working..." Vincent thought, sighing with relief when he actually felt his lungs begin to stop bleeding, and begin healing. Breathing was beginning to get easier. Tifa watched as the strained look began to disappear from Vincent's pale features; relief spreading through her when she saw that their combined efforts were working.
"At this rate, he'll be healed in no time...He won't suffer from this illness anymore...Thank the planet..." Tifa thought, smiling softly when she saw the bandages fall away from Vincent's chest, and as the wounds they had covered up until that point disappeared almost completely.
"There. That should do it." Yuffie said, signaling Tifa to stop by saying that. With a nod, Tifa stopped as well, and returned to Vincent's side to help him lie down again.
"Thank you..." Vincent whispered, just barely loud enough for those in the room to hear.
"Don't mention it, Vince. Don't mention it." Cid muttered, secretly pleased that the last ditch effort had worked out. As Cid ushered Yuffie out of the room, they both noticed when Tifa once again took up her position at Vincent's side; determined to keep her promise to remain there no matter what.
"If Vince doesn't realize what a lucky s.o.b. he is now, he never will." Cid thought, as he, uncharacteristically, closed the door softly behind him; leaving the two in peace.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
"Vincent." a woman's voice called, and as Vincent opened his eyes to find himself, once again, in the field of flowers.
"I'd heard it was you who had told Cloud to go and get that plant. Is that true?" Vincent asked, with an accusatory tone in his voice. Aerith giggled.
"Yes. I did." Aerith replied, her eyes sparkling with mirth when she saw Vincent's expression deadpan.
"That 'medicine' was the most vile-tasting concoction I have ever had the misfortune to taste! What in the planet's name possessed you to tell Cloud about it?" Vincent asked, then added, "Was it the sadist in you that made him get it?" Aerith shook her head, her smile not fading in the slightest.
"No, of course not." Aerith said, then sobered a little bit, "I told him about it since I knew, at that point, that that plant was the only thing that could cure your infection. Materia alone couldn't do it, no matter how many could have been gathered together."
"I see...I apologize for being so cross with you, just now. I know you meant well." Vincent murmured, a bit ashamed of himself for his outburst.
"It's all right. Don't be so hard on yourself, Vincent. At least you were honest with me. I can remember that a lot of my mother's homemade medicines tasted horrible too, and I had made more of a fuss than you had, just now." Aerith reassured, as she closed the distance between them, took his metal left hand in hers', and gently patted it. Vincent gave her an ironic look.
"I can't imagine you ever causing a fuss, Aerith." Vincent said, with a slight, teasing smile in his voice.
"Oh, I did, believe me. My mother would probably tell you of quite a number of different occasions when I had, quite literally, made a brat of myself." Aerith admitted, with a small amount of embarrassment as she said so.
"Mine as well." Vincent muttered, shuddering as he thought of that. Aerith laughed softly at his expense.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Aerith asked, after a few moments of thoughtful silence.
"I have no earthly idea. A lot of my reasons for living are gone, but there is one person that keeps me from moving on...But I have no idea what she feels for me." Vincent murmured, knowing that he could confide in the flower girl this matter of the heart. Aerith nodded in understanding, yet gave him a serious look, as well.
"Just let her know how you feel, Vincent. That's about all I can tell you." Aerith advised, as best she could. Vincent slowly nodded, his reluctance to tell the person he cared for his feelings being mixed with the fear he felt for the rejection he might receive from her.
"Have confidence and trust in yourself. It'll work itself out just fine. Believe me." Aerith said, as she and the field began to fade out.
"I'll try." Vincent murmured, as the dream began to mist together, and as his mind once again returned to consciousness...
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Vincent awoke to the warmth of sunshine on his skin. For a moment, when he opened his eyes, he was dazzled by the bright morning sun shining in through the curtained windows of his room; then they adjusted to the light, and revealed a surprise. There, half-laying on the bed next to him, was Tifa. She was sound asleep, with her head pillowed on her folded arms. Vincent smiled slightly at the sight; she had kept her promise, and hadn't left his side. As gently as he could, he brushed his right hand's fingertips across the soft skin of her face; reveling at the sensations that traveled up his arm in response to that.
"Tifa?" Vincent called, getting a sleepy 'Hmm?' from the slumbering woman in response before she slowly roused up, and looked sleepily at him.
"Morning Vincent." Tifa greeted, smiling when she saw that his eyes were completely clear; no sign of illness in them.
"Good morning. I take it you slept well?" Vincent asked, a little sarcastically, as she slowly sat back up; wincing as her back protested against the movement.
"Kinda." Tifa replied, also a little sarcastically, then asked, "Did you sleep all right?"
"Yes, actually...I still feel a little weak from the blood loss, but the pain is gone, thankfully enough." Vincent said, noticing when Tifa breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"I'm so glad to hear it. I was actually very afraid that you were going to die on me. I'm glad you held on." Tifa said, suppressing the desire she had to hug him at that moment.
"I am, as well...Though, for a while there, I felt like I was dying. The pain was so intense." Vincent admitted, quietly.
"This should teach you to get your wounds treated immediately next time before infection can set in. I don't think any of us really wants to see you get that sick again." Tifa admonished, getting an almost shamefaced look from the gunman in answer to her tone.
"Nor do I want to be that ill again. Once is certainly enough, thank you." Vincent agreed, wholeheartedly. It took a few moments of silence for them both to try and muster up what they really wanted to say to one another; and when they did, it almost came out in a rush.
"Tifa I..."
Vincent I need to..."
"I'm sorry, go ahead." Vincent stammered, after uncharacteristically stumbling over his words.
"No, you go ahead. You spoke first." Tifa said, equally as shy about what she wanted to say.
"Ladies first." Vincent insisted, smiling when Tifa blushed; signaling that he'd gotten his way.
"Um...Okay..." Tifa mumbled, then said, uncertainly, "Vincent...I...uh..." Vincent leaned forward slightly, eyebrows minutely raised.
"Yes?" Vincent asked.
"I...love you..." Tifa murmured, her heart hammering inside her chest as she said those words. At the same time, Vincent felt his insides turn to jelly. It was his turn to confess.
"I...feel the same...for you, Tifa...Even though I was a bit uncertain at first how I was going to tell you before all this happened." Vincent admitted, quietly. Tifa smiled, and reached for his hands, holding them firmly in her own when she had them.
"I know. It was difficult for me, too. I guess what helped make it easier was the thought of almost having lost you to that illness of yours'. I've lost enough loved ones in my life, Vincent. I don't want to lose any more." Tifa said, as tears for her father and her friends in Nibelheim flowed down her cheeks. She jumped slightly in surprise when Vincent reached up and softly brushed them away; his eyes also filled with his own memories of his hometown.
"I'm still here. And I don't think I'm leaving any time soon...Not unless you want me to. Do you?" Vincent questioned. Tifa shook her head; giving him a watery smile as she did so.
"I want you to stay...but I don't want to make you a prisoner." Tifa murmured.
"I'm not your prisoner, Tifa, just as you are not my captor. You may have captured a tattered heart that is in desperate need of repair, but that doesn't make me a prisoner." Vincent said, quietly, then silently added, "In fact, I'm freer now than I ever have been."
"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.
"Quite sure. Now, if the ones who have been eavesdropping on this obviously private conversation will please show themselves out the front door before I start shooting, then all will be well." Vincent threatened; smirking when the sounds of shuffling feet and grumbling came to their ears, and when Nanaki briefly appeared at the bedroom door, winked, and disappeared again, following the rest of the group outside. Tifa chuckled when she heard Cid's cursing from outside, and Yuffie's disappointed 'Aw man! Didn't even get to see 'em kiss!', then gave Vincent a warm smile. A smile that was surprisingly returned.
"Things are going to be all right, after all." Tifa thought, as she allowed Vincent to gently pull her into his arms, and wrap her the in warmth that she'd missed since the destruction of Nibelheim...the warmth of love. And, outside, a gentle November wind was blowing.
Owari
Author's Note!
Yeah, I know, very mushy ending, but it practically wrote itself! (The whole story did, actually). I hope this was a good story, all in all. Thanks for your kind comments, minna!
Gemini14