My Little Valentine
---
A/N: Wow, got more reviews on this than I expected. Thanks very kindly. I'll be continuing this story. Hope you enjoy.
"It couldn't with you sitting on me." -Vincent Valentine
Chapter Two: Sewer Blues
"Do we really have to do this now?"
"..."
Yuffie yawned out stretching her arms above her head. She really wanted to stay in bed for a few more minutes, but Vincent wanted to be changed back 'now'. He was so impatient. What was wrong with being two feet tall? Well, besides your guns being bigger than you are and not being able to reach the toilet. The thought made Yuffie laugh, though she'd stop with the short gunman's annoyed silent looks. Yuffie didn't want to venture back into the manor, it was just huge. It took them forever to just get to the basement. There were corners to turn and different paths throughout the basement. They stopped shortly at the door as it was shut. They stood there for a few minutes before Vincent spoke.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Yuffie asked dumbfounded.
"Open the door..." He said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"You're right in front of it. Why don't you open it?" She asked.
"I can't reach it..." He said, stating the obvious as he demonstrated standing up on his toes reaching for the knob. He was just a few inches short from it. "...as you can see."
"Heh, the mighty Vincent Valentine foiled by gravity and height." She teased. He stepped aside saying nothing as he waited for her to open the door. Yuffie opened the door letting it swing open. She flexed her arm as if it was some marvelous feat. Vincent looked at her unimpressed of course. The room looked just how they left it. Glass crunched under their feet as they walked inside. Vincent scope out the room, well the bottom half since his short stature prevented him from seeing more than what was in front of him. He did however see the yellow orb that was on the ground being nibbled on by a rat. Without a second thought, he pulled out his quicksilver pointing it towards the unsuspecting rodent. He held the gun with both hands, since he couldn't hold the weight of the gun too well. His finger pulled the trigger back and a loud shot spit from the barrel of the gun. It barely missing the rodent's head as it was startled along with Yuffie.
"Aahhh! Vincent what are you doing?" Her hands covered her ears before a few shots were fired again, as the rodent ran off with the materia trying to dodge the shots fired at it. The rat soon made a hasty escape through a hole in the floor board along with the materia.
"..."
"A lot of good that did." Yuffie said, putting her hands on her hips. Watching Vincent walk over to the hole in the floor where the mouse had retreated. He getting down on his knees and peered through the hole. He could see water and not much else. The flooring creaked underneath him as the spot was weak and eaten away by mold and rotting wood. Yuffie approached him the flooring creaking more as a small piece of flooring had gave away.
"You see anything?" She asked.
"Stop right there Yuffie." He said.
"What is i–AHHH!"
Yuffie gave a small shriek as some of the wood gave away underneath her foot as it fell through the flooring. She was stuck in the floor down to her knee as she began to panic trying to pull her foot out. Her movements disturbing the rest of weakening area. Before Vincent could warn her again, the flooring underneath them finally gave away as they fell through the floor. Their bodies crashing into a pool of water with wood falling around them. After about a minute, Yuffie finally submerged from the murky green water that was rushing past her as she sat there in the middle of it. She spat out water as it wasn't your regular water. She noticed her surroundings. A winding tunnel and flickering lights on the ceiling and water rushing from small gates in the wall, also there were some unidentified objects floating by as well. Yuffie knew she was in the sewers.
"Gross...it smells!" She said, covering her mouth at the stench coming from the water not to mention herself. Her head turned as she now noticed Vincent was no where to be found. "Where is he?"
She asked herself, pondering knowing he had fell down with her, but she didn't see him. Maybe...he was carried off by the current?
Oh crap, I hope he wasn't.
She looked forward, noticing there was a shut gate with water rushing through it. No, he couldn't have been carried off he would have been there at the gate. Then where?
Burrrrrrrbbb...
Yuffie looked at the bubbles form from under the water between her legs. She rubbed the back of her head shyly.
"Eh, heh. That so wasn't me."
The bubbles got bigger, as she felt something squirming underneath her. Yuffie then suddenly had a good idea where Vincent was now. She quickly got up and reached a hand down into the water feeling around for the little gunslinger. Eventually she found a hand after feeling something slimy that was stuck to the ground. She only hoped it was mud she felt. Her arm pulled back pulling the soaked Vincent out from under the water. He hanging there as she held him in the air. He looked fine and was breathing, seeing as he was just giving her one of those stares of his.
"..."
"There you are. You had me worried for a minute thought the current carried you off." She said.
"It couldn't with you sitting on me." He said, coughing some water up.
"Well, geeze you're welcome Vinny." She rolled her eyes before looking up from where they fell. "Doesn't look like we'll be able to get back up there. I wonder if we can find a way back to Nimbelheim from the sewers..."
"Likely."
"Okay, let's find our way back up then."
"Can you put me down?" He asked.
"You sure? The water looks a little strong for you..."
"Just put me down." He demanded.
"Fine. Aren't we pushy today?" Yuffie said, as she lowered him back to the water. Vincent's head would only be showing above the water. Yuffie stifled a small laugh. "Are you sure you want to walk in all that water? I can just carry you."
"It's not necessary." He said, before making his way past her slowly as the water pushed him back as he walked. Yuffie shrugged her shoulders as she began to follow him.
"Whatever, it's your call then." She put her hands behind her head.
—
They had been walking for more than an hour. It might have been less if she wasn't following Vincent, well even if she was in front of him she'd still have to wait on him. He seemed stubborn to accept her help. He was more soaked than she was as he was shoulder deep in the in dirty water. Also, the rat that had escaped was no where in sight. The sewers seemed a little more complicated to navigate through due to the poorly lit lighting as they flickered along the ceilings.
"I bet it would be a lot easier if someone carried you." Yuffie chimed.
"..."
"You might even be a little dry and not wreak of sewer water and gods know what else." She said,.
"..."
" I wonder who would be kind enough to offer 'her' services to you again." She smiled.
"...fine."
He stopped in his tracks. Water throwing itself up into his face, as the current seemed to get a little stronger the more they moved forward.
"Hehe, so you're admitting you need my help." She said, walking up behind him picking him up from underneath his arms.
"No." He said hanging there as he was held against her stomach.
"What? Why not?" She huffed.
"I never asked you for help. You're the one that kept pestering me about it." Vincent said, as they moved forward.
"Wha...eh, I bet you think you're so slick. Huh?" Yuffie said.
"..."
Vincent said nothing, as they moved forward. Listening to Yuffie's chatter while he didn't respond to any questions or her odd comments about him being so 'cute', 'adorable', and 'huggable'. Vincent Valentine was not any of these things. He wasn't cute, adorable, or huggable by any means. He sighed under his breath unaccustomed to these odd display of affections by Yuffie. They finally reached a dead end of a tunnel as the ladder led up along the wall, possibly to the streets of Nimbelheim. She held him under her arm carrying him like a sac of potatoes as she began to scale the ladder. It was dark as she couldn't see where she was climbing to until a loud thump was heard.
"Ow!" She yelped, as she subconsciously let go of Vincent to rub her head. Though with his quick reflexes he had grabbed onto something and dangle from it. Though that something happened to be the back of her shorts, "Hey, watch it!"
"Think before you act." Vincent said holding onto the back of her shorts.
"You're such a meanie. You can't say 'Is your head all right Yuffie?' or 'Let me kiss it and make it better, Yuffie' or something like that." She complained.
He stayed silent for a minute as Yuffie figured he was just going to pull his little silent trick.
"Are you all right Yuffie?" Vincent said.
"Huh?" She honestly wasn't expecting him to show any concern. Actually, she was a little embarrassed by it. "Er, mm I'm fine."
"Then open the lid then." He said in a monotone voice.
Well, Vincent's one moment of kindness and concern is over now. Figures. She grumbled a little, before pressing her hand up against the heavy lid and began pushing up against it. It lifting up slowly as it cracked open. Light spilling inside the dark inclosed area giving them a better sight, well for Yuffie anyway. She thrust against the heavy top before it flipped over onto the ground.
"Phew finally." She said, popping her head out into the open. She looked around at her surroundings before making a face. "Uh oh."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Vincent asked from below hanging onto the hem of her shorts.
"Well..."
She shuddered before suddenly feeling Vincent climb up along her back using her like steps. He then jumped off from the top of her head and onto the ground.
"Hey! I'm not your personal stairs ya' know!" She yelled.
He ignored her. He looked around noticing that they were not in Nimbelheim, but Rocket Town. It was a surprise to him as he didn't think they would end up walking here this far and that the sewers shouldn't have been so difficult to get back up to the surface of Nimbelheim, though Yuffie was guiding them the rest of the time. He knew it was sexist to say women didn't have a good sense of direction, though Yuffie just seemed to prove that saying. Yuffie climbed out from the tunnel as she stretched her arms over her head and taking in a deep breath.
"Ahh, fresh air."
"Let's get back to Nimbelheim." He said, as he walked away from her. Yuffie's mouth dropped open from his words as she shook her head.
"What? Walk all the way back there." She said.
"Is that a problem?" He stopped turning his head slightly.
"Yeah, duh. Not on foot and not smelling like chocobo dung."
"Well, what do you 'suggest' we do then?" He turned as she grinned. Running towards him she grabbed him by his arm dragging him across the ground.
"Let's go pay Cid a visit."
—
Vincent sat there in the chair at the table. His eyes closed as Cid's hoarse laugher carried on throughout the house. He said nothing, as he wasn't quite expecting Cid's reaction to be the same as when Yuffie had lay eyes on him. Why must this be so funny at his expense? Shera shook her head a little before setting a cup of tea in front of him.
"Haha, well damn. This has have to be the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life." He said as his fist hit the table shaking the liquid in their cups.
"Glad you find it hilarious." Vincent said dryly.
"Sorry, man. But this is just too funny. Hey you want a straw for your tea?" Both Cid and Yuffie laughed. Shera had even stiffled a small laugh before trying to be a bit more curtest of the gunman's misfortune.
"Come now, Cid. Think of how Vincent feels." She said.
"Shera look at him'. He's barely even half my size and this is Vincent we're talking about." He grinned.
"..."
"Just tone it down a little bit Cid." She said sitting down.
"Damn, fine. Just having a good laugh." He said leaning back in his seat putting a arm over the top of the chair, "So, any idea how you're going to get back to normal?"
"No." He leaned back in his chair, "Without the morph materia it looks hopeless."
"Hey, Yuffie don't you have a morph? Seeing as you probably have a shit load of materia." Cid said.
"Oh, I almost forgot about that." She said putting her cup down. Vincent looked at her as his eyes narrowed. She laughed nervously a little embarrassed that had slipped her mind.
"You mean to tell me you had one all along? And we could have been spared of walking through the dark sewers to find a rat?" He said with annoyance in his voice.
"You never asked." She said.
"..."
"Besides, I don't have it on me anyway." She sipped her tea.
"..."
"What?" She looked at him dumbfounded as he put a hand to his head. He had a headache now from the stress of this whole ordeal. He drew in a breath as eyed her.
"Nothing. Let's just go get it." He said jumping from his seat.
"Not until I get a bath." She said.
"The bathroom is just to the right." Shera said pointing out the door.
"I do not wish to prolong this anymore."
"Then let's hope I don't take too long of a shower then...oh wait, maybe a bath instead." She stuck her tongue out at him. Vincent frowned at the girl's immaturity as she got up and ran to the bathroom. Vincent followed her as she was turning the water on in the tub.
"Oh come on! I stink and you do too." She said turning her nose up waving a hand.
"Damn right you do. You two are both stinking up my house." Cid yelled out. "Try not to stink up everythign in there either. It smells like sht." He said, getting up walking to the backdoor and walking out of it.
"Yuffie this is serious.." He said in a serious tone, "We don't have time to take a bath."
"Ohh, I see what you're getting at." She leaned down looking at him.
Finally, she's acting serious now.
"You want to take a bath with me right?" She grinned.
"...what?" He wasn't expecting her comment.
"Well, we'll be saving time so why not?" She pinched his cheeks. "So cute."
"I'm not going to..."
"Come on."
"No."
"It'll be fun."
"No..." He said in a deadpan voice. Vincent has had enough of being humiliated and he was not going to take a bath like he was a child, especially sharing a tub with someone. Along with that someone being Yuffie. Yuffie giggled and squeezed his cheeks.
"You're so fun to tease. I was just playing Vinny." She said.
"..."
He turned around as he left the bathroom to take his place back at the table. Vincent only prayed that this whole ordeal would be over with soon. He didn't know how much of this he could take. A hand came up to his forehead as he had a sudden headache. He grunted lightly from the throbbing pain that coursed through his head.
"Vincent, are you okay?" Shera looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine." He said.
But...why don't I feel I should be?
TBC
I'll update this a couple of days later. Not bad for a second chapter. Could have been better. Promise the next chapter will be much better.