AN: What can I say but "Wow" I really want to thank everyone who took the time to leave their thoughts and feelings on this story, it made this fanfic the single most rewarding thing I've written here in all my years on Fanfic, your wonderful reviews in mind I decided to try and write another Chapter and see how it goes over, perhaps there could be an adventure in the works here?
Time will tell
-Lotuss Tears-
The winter frost on the window covered the panes with natures cryptic designs, one could stare at them for an eternity searching for a reason or meaning in them and come up empty, outside the sun had just begun its journey from behind the mountains, soon the warmth would banish the icy patterns from the glass and any meaning to be divined from them would vanish along with it.
It was a cycle that occurred every morning in Nibelheim, and for Vincent Valentine the coming and going of these beautiful designs was part of his morning rituals, he didn't observe them with the intent of divining hidden messages from the planet, he had already reached a level of intimacy with the planet then most brave men would dare, traversing underground pathways that had led him deep inside of the planet.
No rather then seek what he knew he couldn't understand he used the designs as a point to focus on, admiring the natural beauty he searched through the dark corridors of his mind where he had previously dared not tread, and every time he ventured down these dark places of his mind he found his destination was always the same.
Her face.
He found himself thinking more about her day by day, her face was the light at the end of the darkened tunnels of his mind, she lifted him up from the depths of despair with a simple smile, made his heart race with a mere look.
These new feelings radiating from his once dormant heart terrified him, confused him, they exhilarated him!
Her love made him feel less a monster and more a man.
On this morning Vincent held a mug of hot tea balanced in his hand and golden claw, a dim light from the window penetrated the frost on the window and formed a pool of light around his mechanical appendage causing it to glow radiantly, Paying it no heed Vincent was lost deep in thought, thinking of Tifa his lips twitched upwards in a momentary smile that was both genuine and alien to him.
His mind traveled back to the previous month when she had confronted him in the shower, something that he had both dreaded and fantasized.
He had kept such fantasies at bay with thoughts that he was not worthy or desirable in such a manner, he didn't deserve her love, a monster like him! He had no right!
But Tifa had other idea's, Vincent had grown complacent with their relationship, comfortable in her presence, such a confession was a triumph of the heart for once such as him to find peace in human companionship, Tifa was a valued friend and the fact that she stayed in Nibelheim with him was a labor that he was eternally grateful for, despite his quiet and sometimes anti-social tendencies he had been secretly thankful for her continuous presence...deep down in his dormant heart he feared life alone again.
The world was a painful place, though he hadn't aged as time passed his sins had grown older and heavier as the years increased in number, but with Tifa's love he knew he'd found the one thing he'd sought so desperately over the years.
Redemption.
The soft sound of her footsteps on the stairs pulled him from his thoughts, without opening his eyes he listened to her move quietly through the house towards where he sat in the dimly lit kitchen, he sensed her presence as she entered the room and his heartbeat quickened before even seeing her, then her hand was on his shoulder and her chin resting on his shoulder, he felt her take a deep breath, pulling her head from his shoulder she leaned down and kissed his cheek and then leaning in further she kissed him on the lips.
"Good morning" she said letting her face rest against his cheek, a gesture that once upon a time would have made him feel uneasy
"Good morning" he responded softly, though they still went about the majority of their day in a mutual quiet there were times when conversation was slipped in, the morning after they had made love for the first time she had spoken to him "Good morning" she'd said softly as they laid in eachothers arms in a warm pile of blankets, at first Vincent merely stared back at her, but after a moment he'd realized that it truly was a good morning.
In the days to come Vincent would lay in bed until she woke, but never one to sleep past the early hours of dawn he soon crept silently out of bed and down to the kitchen where he dwelled quietly in his thoughts until Tifa rose with the sun, thus their morning ritual had evolved as she came down to find him at the kitchen table every morning, kissing him she would then go about preparing breakfast and when he had finished his tea Vincent would join her.
Vincent disliked nothing about this routine but on this morning he'd decided to try something different, secretly he prayed she wouldn't shun what he was about to try, the friendship had blossomed into something much more, something beautiful yet still delicate.
As Tifa moved past him he saw she had his red cape wrapped around her, he reached out with his good hand and gently brushed his fingers across her wrist, Tifa stopped abruptly and turned around with a questioning look in her eyes, rising from the table he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently, then leaning in he kissed her deeply allowing his love for her to show in its entirety, when he broke the kiss he found her looking up at him.
"Vincent?" she spoke softly with a smile on her face and a look in her eyes that expressed the longing he'd brought to the surface
"Let's let breakfast wait," he said tracing her lips with his finger
The look in her eyes was quickly turning from longing to something very different, with a barely perceptible nod she expressed her agreement, it was enough for Vincent, sweeping her off her feet red cape and all he carried her out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards the bedroom.
Tifa who had lived the majority of her life as a fiercely independent woman found herself relaxing in his arms, a year ago she would have struggled against such an attempt from any man, but being in his arms was not a gesture of weakness she knew he would never do anything to hurt her, nestled in his arms was the safest place in the world, she smiled as he carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.
Looking up at him she smiled warmly, she knew he cared about her and never refused her affections but this was the first time he had made such an advance, she was both surprised and curious at what he had in mind, as she looked up him she watched his lips part.
"Do you trust me?"
The question surprised her momentarily but taking his hand she kissed his knuckles
"Yes"
The look in his eyes was one of relief as if for a moment he'd doubted her answer, reaching down he gently untangled her from his red cape revealing her unclothed body underneath, she made no move to hide her nakedness from him allowing him to drink her in and basking in the warmth of his gaze that expressed his appreciation for her beauty, reaching down he tore a strip from his cape and tossed the rest aside, then he leaned down and placed the fabric over her eyes tying a loose knot behind her head banishing the world from her eyes.
"I will not hurt you" he whispered softly in her ear and any bit of tension she felt from this unpredictable act melted away and was replaced by sweet anticipation, nothing like this had ever happened to her before.
His lips found hers and claimed them in a heated kiss, groaning against his lips softly Tifa met his tongue with her own and felt herself lose all track of time, breathing was nothing but a distant thought as their tongues caressed and danced. When Vincent finally broke the kiss she found herself panting for breath, once she'd gotten her breathing under control she reached out for him unsure of where he was, his hands found hers and squeezed gently before lowering them to the bed, the seconds ticked by and then suddenly she gasped as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked gently his good hand caressing her other breast kneading and squeezing gently.
"Ohhh Vincent" she sighed softly, then arched her back as his tongue flicked out over her nipple circling gently, his hand squeezing her other nipple gently, she could feel them hardening in his mouth and hand as he teased them with quick licks and tugs, then releasing her nipple from his mouth he trailed warm kisses up her chest and throat to her lips and captured them in another heated kiss that made her head spin, unable to see or even predict his next move frustrated her but excited her at the same time, she began to feel a warmth growing in between her legs.
Breaking the kiss he began to trail his kisses slowly down her throat pausing to nip at the skin of her neck and then continuing down her body, allowing the seconds to draw out between kisses, she shifted her hips ever so slightly wondering when the next kiss would come, his tongue flicked out above her belly button causing a shiver to race down her spine and her back to arch off the bed ever so slightly.
"Vincent" she said shivering slightly allowing his name to roll off her lips
The kisses trailed lower and though the seconds drew out in between their path never wavered, she gasped again as he kissed the inside of her thighs and snaked his tongue out against the sensitive skin there, his hand caressing the inside of her opposite thigh.
Though she was blind Tifa had never felt more alive, his kisses and gentle stokes were coaxing the warmth between her legs, warmer and warmer still till she felt as if she was on fire, her breath coming faster now in soft pants she almost lost control when his tongue suddenly snaked out over the mound between her legs, her body spasmed in surprise and her hips arched off the bed, a cry of pleasure and surprise spilling from her mouth.
"Ohhh!"
The teasing licks lasted for several moments, Vincent pausing only long enough to make her wonder what he would do next, just when she thought he would stop he surprised her again and then suddenly his tongue slipped inside her.
Tifa's own cry of pleasure surprised her, never before had she felt the likes of the sensations Vincent was showing her, her head swam and her thoughts turned incoherent, it was as if she was in the grip of some magic that held her solely in Vincent's grip, her breath coming in quick pants she was on the verge of screaming when Vincent suddenly stopped, she heard the rustling of clothing and then his hand caressing her face, slowly he removed the blindfold from her eyes.
His face was the first thing she saw, she greeted him with a warm smile and pulled him down to her lips, groaning he kissed her deeply his hand parting her legs ever so slightly, he looked at her with eyes asking permission which she gave with a quick nod of her head, heart pounding she threw her head back and whispered his name as he entered her beginning a slow but steady pace which she readily met.
For that sweat moment in time the past was a simple memory, the future didn't matter, all that existed was two bodies tangled in the sheets in a delicious fog of passion, both soared higher and higher until finally they collapsed in eachothers arms, Vincent trembled softly as she put her arms around him and pulled him close, once the simple gesture would have made him pull away, she'd been reluctant to try to pull him into her arms but to her surprise he'd not only allowed it but welcomed it.
Laying in eachothers arms their breathing soon returned to normal, basking in a warm glow Tifa felt her eyes growing heavy, Vincent's breathing had slowed his eyes closed, feeling as though everything was right in the world Tifa closed her eyes and faded away into sleep.
--
Much later Tifa opened her eyes, looking around the room she saw it was early afternoon, Vincent's spot next to her was empty though this didn't surprise her, he quite often left before she woke, their routine had been broken for the day so he was probably out in the field training like he did every day without fail, Tifa closed her eyes again and lay back on the bed with a smile.
She gave silent thanks that she'd been able to find the courage to take their friendship to the next level and thanks that what they'd had hadn't been destroyed in the process, she didn't know what she would have done had Vincent became angry and told her to get out, such a reaction would have ruined their friendship and shattered what they'd built for themselves in the lonely town of Nibelheim.
But their friendship had quickly blossomed into something else, something Tifa hadn't dared to expect, Vincent was beginning to emerge from his shell, though through small smiles and kind gestures it was still a marvel to watch him find his humanity that he thought he'd lost so long ago. Stretching out in bed Tifa was reluctant to leave the bed especially after what had just happened, she wanted to lay there wrapped in the memory and basking in the warm glow.
With a groan she kicked the covers off, Vincent had left a fire going in their room but winters in Nibelheim had a way of ignoring that warmth and settling into ones bones if they weren't careful, Tifa dressed quickly in a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved black sweater, by the time she'd finished she was hungry, breakfast had been replaced by something far more delicious but her stomach was none the happier for it.
As she walked out of the bedroom Cloud entered her mind, he often did these days but now when thoughts of him filled her mind there was no anger, no ache, he'd made his choice and she could no longer blame him for it, after all she'd made her own choice as well, she could only hope he was as happy as she was, and had at least found solace and a warm place to stay for the winter.
Her stomach growled and forced the thoughts of the blond haired soldier from her mind, she thought of Vincent and the effort brought a smile to her face.
She hoped he wouldn't be away for too much longer.
--
His sword whirled in quick patterns that would have given a wutai swordsmaster reason to pause.
Standing in the midst of the snowy field stripped to the waist Vincent began the dance that he performed every day surrounded only by pure solitude, it was only with the utmost of discipline that he didn't feel the cold of winter, only the sweat as it rolled down his back.
Though his body was in tune with the sword his mind was as always a separate entity from his physical performances with the blade, his thoughts drifted from here to there, He wondered of Cloud and where the young man's wanderings had taken him, Vincent knew well the burdens the Ex Soldier must have been feeling with the loss of the ancient, and how he very well could have felt the burden of her death resting squarely on his own shoulders.
Stopping the sword in mid swing he reversed and spun it to the left and then the right, the whole process took only a matter of seconds and to the average bystander (Had their been any in the ghost town of Nibelheim) it would have been missed in the time of the blink of an eye, the sword sliced the air with a soft whoosh, it was a kind of music to his ears and made Vincent realize why he'd picked it up again after so long.
The Turks had discouraged swords, guns were the only tool for the job, quick, quiet, nothing personal in a bullet, hell you didn't even have to see the victims face, less chance of becoming attached to the target which was something they also discouraged, a Turk was a killing machine guided by anything but his morals, better greed then morals, the thought of what he had been made Vincent feel sick.
The thought of what he was becoming made Vincent feel afraid.
A man again, after all these years he could feel the love of a woman and a life of his and her choosing, it was almost too good to be true but yet here he was, he felt as though he had found paradise, and in the last place he would have expected to find it...the same place that had taken his life and turned his world upside down, yes he'd found paradise.
"But how long will it last?"
He stopped abruptly his pattern broken, holding the sword upright in a defensive position he looked around for the source of the voice, after a moment he realized that the voice had been his own...
"How long?" he repeated
Vincent had developed an extremely strong sense of pessimism in his years with the Turks, though he felt emotion there was a heavy sense of depression and dispassion weighing down on him, some nights he lay awake in bed wondering if this was what it felt like to be a robot, casting a quick glance at his arm he smiled mirthlessly...he knew the answer to that question now.
Shaking his head Vincent cleared away the fog of hopelessness, Tifa was waiting for him back at the Mansion, a woman who had never turned him away and didn't shun him for what he was, the very thought made him feel even more human, something magical was occurring in his mind and it was going to take a good long while for him to let go of the old ways that had governed his life.
Sheathing his sword he began to the two mile walk back to Nibelheim when suddenly he stopped, over the years his instinct had been sharpened and with good reason, Vincent came out to the woods to be alone, to practice alone, and to dwell in his thoughts alone...pausing he sniffed the air, nothing was out of place as far as he could tell, unless there was someone out there who didn't want to be seen.
Vincent didn't doubt his instincts, something was amiss. Doubling his pace he walked briskly down the snowy trail keeping his footing where others would have fallen.
His only concern was Tifa.
--
"He knows something is wrong"
The first man said putting down the binoculars and turning to the three others, they were clad in the garb of tired travelers, ripped and torn they looked like they hadn't seen a bath and bed for years, but the hardened resolve in their eyes was not that of a wandering traveler but that of a trained killer.
"I thought I told all of you to come here quietly!" the man snarled, he was clad in a black long coat that hung down to his ankles, clad in simple black garb under this and a hood that covered his face, he brushed a rebellious strand of hair from his face "If Vincent feels that the slightest thing is amiss then our plan is useless! We need to surprise him!"
"We came without a sound" one of the ragged men whispered "Just as we promised"
"You better have I don't have time for incompetence!" the hooded man growled "Time is not a luxury we have now, I want you two to go take care of the woman! I want her dead by the time he gets back to Nibelheim, that is "IF" he makes it back to Nibelheim" the hooded man said gesturing to the man who had spoken.
Without a word the ragged man turned and vanished into the woods with a speed that astounded even the hooded man
"You two" he said to the remaining men "Go kill Vincent! I don't care how you do it as long as he dies...and let me make one thing abundantly clear gentlemen! Failure is most certainly not an option! If you fail to kill him...you'd best be dead"
With barely perceptible nods the two men turned and vanished into the woods, they were fearless that much was true but the hooded man knew how to inspire fear, with a grin he watched the retreating forms of the ragged men, twin red orbs where his eyes had once been seemed to burn, opening his mouth he smelled the air, twin fangs glistened in the sunlight.
Soon the woods would reek with the smell of fear.
Vincent's fear.
Time will tell
-Lotuss Tears-
The winter frost on the window covered the panes with natures cryptic designs, one could stare at them for an eternity searching for a reason or meaning in them and come up empty, outside the sun had just begun its journey from behind the mountains, soon the warmth would banish the icy patterns from the glass and any meaning to be divined from them would vanish along with it.
It was a cycle that occurred every morning in Nibelheim, and for Vincent Valentine the coming and going of these beautiful designs was part of his morning rituals, he didn't observe them with the intent of divining hidden messages from the planet, he had already reached a level of intimacy with the planet then most brave men would dare, traversing underground pathways that had led him deep inside of the planet.
No rather then seek what he knew he couldn't understand he used the designs as a point to focus on, admiring the natural beauty he searched through the dark corridors of his mind where he had previously dared not tread, and every time he ventured down these dark places of his mind he found his destination was always the same.
Her face.
He found himself thinking more about her day by day, her face was the light at the end of the darkened tunnels of his mind, she lifted him up from the depths of despair with a simple smile, made his heart race with a mere look.
These new feelings radiating from his once dormant heart terrified him, confused him, they exhilarated him!
Her love made him feel less a monster and more a man.
On this morning Vincent held a mug of hot tea balanced in his hand and golden claw, a dim light from the window penetrated the frost on the window and formed a pool of light around his mechanical appendage causing it to glow radiantly, Paying it no heed Vincent was lost deep in thought, thinking of Tifa his lips twitched upwards in a momentary smile that was both genuine and alien to him.
His mind traveled back to the previous month when she had confronted him in the shower, something that he had both dreaded and fantasized.
He had kept such fantasies at bay with thoughts that he was not worthy or desirable in such a manner, he didn't deserve her love, a monster like him! He had no right!
But Tifa had other idea's, Vincent had grown complacent with their relationship, comfortable in her presence, such a confession was a triumph of the heart for once such as him to find peace in human companionship, Tifa was a valued friend and the fact that she stayed in Nibelheim with him was a labor that he was eternally grateful for, despite his quiet and sometimes anti-social tendencies he had been secretly thankful for her continuous presence...deep down in his dormant heart he feared life alone again.
The world was a painful place, though he hadn't aged as time passed his sins had grown older and heavier as the years increased in number, but with Tifa's love he knew he'd found the one thing he'd sought so desperately over the years.
Redemption.
The soft sound of her footsteps on the stairs pulled him from his thoughts, without opening his eyes he listened to her move quietly through the house towards where he sat in the dimly lit kitchen, he sensed her presence as she entered the room and his heartbeat quickened before even seeing her, then her hand was on his shoulder and her chin resting on his shoulder, he felt her take a deep breath, pulling her head from his shoulder she leaned down and kissed his cheek and then leaning in further she kissed him on the lips.
"Good morning" she said letting her face rest against his cheek, a gesture that once upon a time would have made him feel uneasy
"Good morning" he responded softly, though they still went about the majority of their day in a mutual quiet there were times when conversation was slipped in, the morning after they had made love for the first time she had spoken to him "Good morning" she'd said softly as they laid in eachothers arms in a warm pile of blankets, at first Vincent merely stared back at her, but after a moment he'd realized that it truly was a good morning.
In the days to come Vincent would lay in bed until she woke, but never one to sleep past the early hours of dawn he soon crept silently out of bed and down to the kitchen where he dwelled quietly in his thoughts until Tifa rose with the sun, thus their morning ritual had evolved as she came down to find him at the kitchen table every morning, kissing him she would then go about preparing breakfast and when he had finished his tea Vincent would join her.
Vincent disliked nothing about this routine but on this morning he'd decided to try something different, secretly he prayed she wouldn't shun what he was about to try, the friendship had blossomed into something much more, something beautiful yet still delicate.
As Tifa moved past him he saw she had his red cape wrapped around her, he reached out with his good hand and gently brushed his fingers across her wrist, Tifa stopped abruptly and turned around with a questioning look in her eyes, rising from the table he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently, then leaning in he kissed her deeply allowing his love for her to show in its entirety, when he broke the kiss he found her looking up at him.
"Vincent?" she spoke softly with a smile on her face and a look in her eyes that expressed the longing he'd brought to the surface
"Let's let breakfast wait," he said tracing her lips with his finger
The look in her eyes was quickly turning from longing to something very different, with a barely perceptible nod she expressed her agreement, it was enough for Vincent, sweeping her off her feet red cape and all he carried her out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards the bedroom.
Tifa who had lived the majority of her life as a fiercely independent woman found herself relaxing in his arms, a year ago she would have struggled against such an attempt from any man, but being in his arms was not a gesture of weakness she knew he would never do anything to hurt her, nestled in his arms was the safest place in the world, she smiled as he carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.
Looking up at him she smiled warmly, she knew he cared about her and never refused her affections but this was the first time he had made such an advance, she was both surprised and curious at what he had in mind, as she looked up him she watched his lips part.
"Do you trust me?"
The question surprised her momentarily but taking his hand she kissed his knuckles
"Yes"
The look in his eyes was one of relief as if for a moment he'd doubted her answer, reaching down he gently untangled her from his red cape revealing her unclothed body underneath, she made no move to hide her nakedness from him allowing him to drink her in and basking in the warmth of his gaze that expressed his appreciation for her beauty, reaching down he tore a strip from his cape and tossed the rest aside, then he leaned down and placed the fabric over her eyes tying a loose knot behind her head banishing the world from her eyes.
"I will not hurt you" he whispered softly in her ear and any bit of tension she felt from this unpredictable act melted away and was replaced by sweet anticipation, nothing like this had ever happened to her before.
His lips found hers and claimed them in a heated kiss, groaning against his lips softly Tifa met his tongue with her own and felt herself lose all track of time, breathing was nothing but a distant thought as their tongues caressed and danced. When Vincent finally broke the kiss she found herself panting for breath, once she'd gotten her breathing under control she reached out for him unsure of where he was, his hands found hers and squeezed gently before lowering them to the bed, the seconds ticked by and then suddenly she gasped as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked gently his good hand caressing her other breast kneading and squeezing gently.
"Ohhh Vincent" she sighed softly, then arched her back as his tongue flicked out over her nipple circling gently, his hand squeezing her other nipple gently, she could feel them hardening in his mouth and hand as he teased them with quick licks and tugs, then releasing her nipple from his mouth he trailed warm kisses up her chest and throat to her lips and captured them in another heated kiss that made her head spin, unable to see or even predict his next move frustrated her but excited her at the same time, she began to feel a warmth growing in between her legs.
Breaking the kiss he began to trail his kisses slowly down her throat pausing to nip at the skin of her neck and then continuing down her body, allowing the seconds to draw out between kisses, she shifted her hips ever so slightly wondering when the next kiss would come, his tongue flicked out above her belly button causing a shiver to race down her spine and her back to arch off the bed ever so slightly.
"Vincent" she said shivering slightly allowing his name to roll off her lips
The kisses trailed lower and though the seconds drew out in between their path never wavered, she gasped again as he kissed the inside of her thighs and snaked his tongue out against the sensitive skin there, his hand caressing the inside of her opposite thigh.
Though she was blind Tifa had never felt more alive, his kisses and gentle stokes were coaxing the warmth between her legs, warmer and warmer still till she felt as if she was on fire, her breath coming faster now in soft pants she almost lost control when his tongue suddenly snaked out over the mound between her legs, her body spasmed in surprise and her hips arched off the bed, a cry of pleasure and surprise spilling from her mouth.
"Ohhh!"
The teasing licks lasted for several moments, Vincent pausing only long enough to make her wonder what he would do next, just when she thought he would stop he surprised her again and then suddenly his tongue slipped inside her.
Tifa's own cry of pleasure surprised her, never before had she felt the likes of the sensations Vincent was showing her, her head swam and her thoughts turned incoherent, it was as if she was in the grip of some magic that held her solely in Vincent's grip, her breath coming in quick pants she was on the verge of screaming when Vincent suddenly stopped, she heard the rustling of clothing and then his hand caressing her face, slowly he removed the blindfold from her eyes.
His face was the first thing she saw, she greeted him with a warm smile and pulled him down to her lips, groaning he kissed her deeply his hand parting her legs ever so slightly, he looked at her with eyes asking permission which she gave with a quick nod of her head, heart pounding she threw her head back and whispered his name as he entered her beginning a slow but steady pace which she readily met.
For that sweat moment in time the past was a simple memory, the future didn't matter, all that existed was two bodies tangled in the sheets in a delicious fog of passion, both soared higher and higher until finally they collapsed in eachothers arms, Vincent trembled softly as she put her arms around him and pulled him close, once the simple gesture would have made him pull away, she'd been reluctant to try to pull him into her arms but to her surprise he'd not only allowed it but welcomed it.
Laying in eachothers arms their breathing soon returned to normal, basking in a warm glow Tifa felt her eyes growing heavy, Vincent's breathing had slowed his eyes closed, feeling as though everything was right in the world Tifa closed her eyes and faded away into sleep.
--
Much later Tifa opened her eyes, looking around the room she saw it was early afternoon, Vincent's spot next to her was empty though this didn't surprise her, he quite often left before she woke, their routine had been broken for the day so he was probably out in the field training like he did every day without fail, Tifa closed her eyes again and lay back on the bed with a smile.
She gave silent thanks that she'd been able to find the courage to take their friendship to the next level and thanks that what they'd had hadn't been destroyed in the process, she didn't know what she would have done had Vincent became angry and told her to get out, such a reaction would have ruined their friendship and shattered what they'd built for themselves in the lonely town of Nibelheim.
But their friendship had quickly blossomed into something else, something Tifa hadn't dared to expect, Vincent was beginning to emerge from his shell, though through small smiles and kind gestures it was still a marvel to watch him find his humanity that he thought he'd lost so long ago. Stretching out in bed Tifa was reluctant to leave the bed especially after what had just happened, she wanted to lay there wrapped in the memory and basking in the warm glow.
With a groan she kicked the covers off, Vincent had left a fire going in their room but winters in Nibelheim had a way of ignoring that warmth and settling into ones bones if they weren't careful, Tifa dressed quickly in a pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved black sweater, by the time she'd finished she was hungry, breakfast had been replaced by something far more delicious but her stomach was none the happier for it.
As she walked out of the bedroom Cloud entered her mind, he often did these days but now when thoughts of him filled her mind there was no anger, no ache, he'd made his choice and she could no longer blame him for it, after all she'd made her own choice as well, she could only hope he was as happy as she was, and had at least found solace and a warm place to stay for the winter.
Her stomach growled and forced the thoughts of the blond haired soldier from her mind, she thought of Vincent and the effort brought a smile to her face.
She hoped he wouldn't be away for too much longer.
--
His sword whirled in quick patterns that would have given a wutai swordsmaster reason to pause.
Standing in the midst of the snowy field stripped to the waist Vincent began the dance that he performed every day surrounded only by pure solitude, it was only with the utmost of discipline that he didn't feel the cold of winter, only the sweat as it rolled down his back.
Though his body was in tune with the sword his mind was as always a separate entity from his physical performances with the blade, his thoughts drifted from here to there, He wondered of Cloud and where the young man's wanderings had taken him, Vincent knew well the burdens the Ex Soldier must have been feeling with the loss of the ancient, and how he very well could have felt the burden of her death resting squarely on his own shoulders.
Stopping the sword in mid swing he reversed and spun it to the left and then the right, the whole process took only a matter of seconds and to the average bystander (Had their been any in the ghost town of Nibelheim) it would have been missed in the time of the blink of an eye, the sword sliced the air with a soft whoosh, it was a kind of music to his ears and made Vincent realize why he'd picked it up again after so long.
The Turks had discouraged swords, guns were the only tool for the job, quick, quiet, nothing personal in a bullet, hell you didn't even have to see the victims face, less chance of becoming attached to the target which was something they also discouraged, a Turk was a killing machine guided by anything but his morals, better greed then morals, the thought of what he had been made Vincent feel sick.
The thought of what he was becoming made Vincent feel afraid.
A man again, after all these years he could feel the love of a woman and a life of his and her choosing, it was almost too good to be true but yet here he was, he felt as though he had found paradise, and in the last place he would have expected to find it...the same place that had taken his life and turned his world upside down, yes he'd found paradise.
"But how long will it last?"
He stopped abruptly his pattern broken, holding the sword upright in a defensive position he looked around for the source of the voice, after a moment he realized that the voice had been his own...
"How long?" he repeated
Vincent had developed an extremely strong sense of pessimism in his years with the Turks, though he felt emotion there was a heavy sense of depression and dispassion weighing down on him, some nights he lay awake in bed wondering if this was what it felt like to be a robot, casting a quick glance at his arm he smiled mirthlessly...he knew the answer to that question now.
Shaking his head Vincent cleared away the fog of hopelessness, Tifa was waiting for him back at the Mansion, a woman who had never turned him away and didn't shun him for what he was, the very thought made him feel even more human, something magical was occurring in his mind and it was going to take a good long while for him to let go of the old ways that had governed his life.
Sheathing his sword he began to the two mile walk back to Nibelheim when suddenly he stopped, over the years his instinct had been sharpened and with good reason, Vincent came out to the woods to be alone, to practice alone, and to dwell in his thoughts alone...pausing he sniffed the air, nothing was out of place as far as he could tell, unless there was someone out there who didn't want to be seen.
Vincent didn't doubt his instincts, something was amiss. Doubling his pace he walked briskly down the snowy trail keeping his footing where others would have fallen.
His only concern was Tifa.
--
"He knows something is wrong"
The first man said putting down the binoculars and turning to the three others, they were clad in the garb of tired travelers, ripped and torn they looked like they hadn't seen a bath and bed for years, but the hardened resolve in their eyes was not that of a wandering traveler but that of a trained killer.
"I thought I told all of you to come here quietly!" the man snarled, he was clad in a black long coat that hung down to his ankles, clad in simple black garb under this and a hood that covered his face, he brushed a rebellious strand of hair from his face "If Vincent feels that the slightest thing is amiss then our plan is useless! We need to surprise him!"
"We came without a sound" one of the ragged men whispered "Just as we promised"
"You better have I don't have time for incompetence!" the hooded man growled "Time is not a luxury we have now, I want you two to go take care of the woman! I want her dead by the time he gets back to Nibelheim, that is "IF" he makes it back to Nibelheim" the hooded man said gesturing to the man who had spoken.
Without a word the ragged man turned and vanished into the woods with a speed that astounded even the hooded man
"You two" he said to the remaining men "Go kill Vincent! I don't care how you do it as long as he dies...and let me make one thing abundantly clear gentlemen! Failure is most certainly not an option! If you fail to kill him...you'd best be dead"
With barely perceptible nods the two men turned and vanished into the woods, they were fearless that much was true but the hooded man knew how to inspire fear, with a grin he watched the retreating forms of the ragged men, twin red orbs where his eyes had once been seemed to burn, opening his mouth he smelled the air, twin fangs glistened in the sunlight.
Soon the woods would reek with the smell of fear.
Vincent's fear.