Tainted Souls
Chapter XVII
Admirer; Paine Tells All
It was early.
Paine awoke that morning, covered in sweat, she couldn't remember what she was dreaming about, but she knew it was pleasant. She grabbed her usual outfit, which she had laid out before she went to bed last night, and headed to the showers.
Someone was already taking a bath when she walked in. She knocked on the door to signify that she was coming inside. The door to the occupied shower was closed, she couldn't see the head of the person inside but judging by their feet she knew it was a man.
"Good morning." she said laying her clothes down on the closest bench and grabbing a towel. She walked into the other shower next to the one that was occupied.
"Morning." the voice said sending a chill up Paine's spine. She nearly dropped her towel and things when she realized who was in the shower next to her.
"Vin…Vincent." she muttered under her breath. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to slow her heart.
What do I do? Did Aeris do what I asked her last night…oh no, what if she did, or worse what if she told him everything!
"Something wrong, Paine?" Vincent's usually, emotionless voice had a hint of concern in it.
"No…nothing." after several minutes of silence, Vincent turned off the water and headed out. Paine stood on her tip toes and pulled herself over the wall just enough to see Vincent.
Her heart raced as she eyed his body, he moved his long hair over his shoulder to brush to dry it.
Paine gasped at the collection of scars that littered the gunman's body, their were places on his body where the skin looked new mostly around his shoulder blades and at the bottom of his spine. Her gaze landed on his left arm, everyone had believed it to be robotic. It was a normal hand. His left hand bore more scars then his entire body, it was severally burned in several places, it looked like the hand of the grim reaper. She let go of the wall and fell to the wet ground beneath her, horrified at the thought that someone could do such a thing.
"Is something wrong?" Vincent asked, knowing what Paine saw.
"No, Nothing, just dropped something is all."
"You're a bad liar. The scars on my body are from the experiments the Shinra performed on me. The new skin is a result of my transformations, I grow wings in one form and a tail in another." he sounded sad.
How'd he know what I was thinking!
"I'm sorry to hear that." Paine turned off the water and quickly dried and covered herself with the towel. The two dressed, every once in a while one stole a glance at the other.
"You know, you're the first one who ever bested me." Paine said sliding on her last glove.
"Your lucky I didn't want to kill you." Paine couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious. She laughed in response none the less.
"Guess so, huh?"
The two stared at each other for a moment. Their red eyed locked on each other. Vincent finally broke the gaze and headed for the door. He hand barely touched the knob when Paine stopped him.
"Hey Vincent, if you want to…umm…I'm not doing anything for a while, and I was wondering if you wanted to…have…breakfast with me. It's okay if you don't, I was just…" she trailed of as Vincent looked back into her eyes. He nodded slightly and opened the door. "Great, I know a good place near by."
The sound broke through the curtains and slowly crept along the floor and onto Aeris and Sesshomaru's bed. The flower girl awoke to find her lover missing. His clothes were gone, but his swords lay on the couch nearest to the bed. Aeris thought nothing of it and headed to the showers. She walked inside and noticed the familiar robes sitting on the bench near the door. She crept into the shower room as quiet as she could. She knew that she couldn't sneak up on Sesshomaru, but it was fun to think that she could. She opened the door to his shower quietly and walked inside, she grabbed his ears and wiggled them around.
"Guess who!" she chanted into her lover's fluffy ears. "I like your ears, their so cute."
"Good morning to you too, Aeris." Sesshomaru turned around and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Seems like you got used to seeing me naked, I certainly hope so after last night!" she said teasing him.
Sesshomaru just nodded, blushing. Aeris giggled.
"What's so funny?" he asked, he was starting to get paranoid every time she laughed like that.
"It's just that when we first met, it was impossible to get you to talk, let alone blush. Now you do it every time I mention…you know what." she whispered the last part into his ear just for effect.
She began to wash herself, not bothering to use a different shower. She was just fine in the one she was in now.
"Aeris, can I ask you something?"
"You just did?" She said teasing him about her own common mistake.
"Why do you insist on still flirting with me when your goal of attracting me has already been reached?"
"Now you know I can't answer that. It takes all the fun away." Aeris teased playing with his ears again.
"And why do you insist on doing that?"
"Cause, they're fluffy, Fluffy."
Sesshomaru just sighed and placed a hand on her cheek. "I like it when you act like this."
"So do I." she kissed him on the lips. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. He did the same. She broke the kiss and smiled. "You get the rest tonight."
The waitress showed them to their table. Vincent looked around for a second before sitting down in a chair across from Paine. Paine was already reading the menu, every once in a while she'd look over the menu to steal a peak at Vincent. She noticed his hand move down to his side. She heard a click and realized he was switching off the safety on the Cerberus.
Paine looked at Vincent and then at the other girls in the restaurant. She felt that she couldn't live up to the standards set by girls like Yuna, Rikku, and Aeris. She looked at Vincent, now pondering over the menu, and thought.
What if he's here just to be nice? What if he doesn't like me? He probably likes Rikku. I saw how she was hanging on him. I don't know why I even try.
The two ate their breakfast and discussed various topics, such as their preference on weapons, how they met their companions, but when the conversation came to their past service as fighters, the conversation went down hill. Paine could tell it was a touchy subject for Vincent. When she asked about where he learned to fight and how he manipulated his cloak he grabbed at his chest and held tight he stared at his metal hand from time to time.
They paid for their meal and left the restaurant.
"Hey, Vincent, do you mind if we go sit by that cliff over their for a while?" Paine asked trying to get closer to him.
"No, it's no problem." the two walked over to a cliff that over looked the ocean and sat for a while looking over the horizon.
"I want to thank you for coming with me to breakfast. I know it might not have been such a big deal for you but it was for me. I know you couldn't possibly love a girl like me. I don't have a great personality, I scare off most people, and I'm not even that good looking."
"That's not true, you're a goddess." He said placing his still human hand on her cheek. "You don't have to do anything, your beautiful. You just need to find someone who can see you and your unique beauty." Vincent rested his hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her.
"Yeah, and what are those odds, pretty slim, huh?"
"Why do women insist on torturing themselves? There's someone closer then you think?" they stared at each other for a moment. Their crimson eyes unable to leave each other.
"You…really…like me?"
"From the first moment I laid eyes on you. I like a girl who can kick ass!" Vincent smiled slightly. Paine laughed at this comment.
"Yeah, but not as much ass as you." Paine giggled.
The two continued talking for a little longer until Paine accidentally looked at her watch and realized what time it was.
"We better hurry back to the ship it's getting late." Paine said dusting herself off.
"Hold on to me." Vincent said whipping back his cloak.
"What!"
"You want to get back to the ship quickly or walk." Vincent held his cloak open for her and waited for her to get close. He grabbed her around the waist and concentrated.
Their feet lifted off the ground, slowly at first so Paine could adjust. They were flying towards the ship, Paine was both terrified and amazed. She was flying and being held by the man of her dreams. She felt like she was on top of the world.
"Does anyone know where Paine and Vincent have gone to?" Yuna asked walking onto the deck of the Airship.
"They left early this morning. I heard them leave." Red XIII said. He and Rikku had been playing on top of the ship.
"They've been gone all day?" Yuna asked confused.
"Ohh, looks like Dr. P finally found her self a man who isn't afraid of her."
"You're down to 80 Rikku." Paine said, her and Vincent flew up to the top of the Airship.
Yuna's jaw dropped, Rikku and Red XIII were unfazed, they'd seen him do worse.
Wait 'til the see him transform. Red XII thought to himself laughing.
"Where have you two been all day?" Rikku asked, still sad about losing 10 respect points.
"Having the time of my life"