Author's note: Thank you for the wonderful comments. It's what encourages me to write. Yes, my second language is English, but I have stayed in Canada for at least seven years now. I just noted that since in speech when I talk to family, my grammar tends to be less than pretty. At the same time, I hope my writing's English doesn't sound forced.
Characters within the story belong to Square Enix unless otherwise noted.
I changed the title to "So He Does Have a Heart." Is that more suitable? I still kind of need help with that.
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Light showered Vincent's face as soon as morning rose. Unwilling to wake up just yet, he squeezed his eyes shut and made a move to turn over, but froze to feel a body close to him from behind. His eyes wandered down to notice a small arm hug him around his stomach. He sighed in relief then sat up to look over. It was Marlene.
Must have thought I was Cloud…
He slipped out of bed cautiously then slid his hands beneath the small child's body. Lifting her up, he held her carefully to carry her back to her room. Marlene released a soft groan, cuddling close to his body, resting her head against his chest. He waited for her sleep to become a little deeper before he made his way out of the bedroom. By the door, he glanced towards Tifa's bed. She was still asleep, huddled within the blankets.
Heading down the stairs quietly, his bare feet made soft, padded steps against the wooden surface. Marlene was silent and her body was almost sprawled in his grasp; her limbs spread and her head tilted back. Feeling uncomfortable to carry, Vincent adjusted her posture in his arms when he was at the bottom of the stairs.
In the children's room, he walked over to her bed then laid her small body upon the mattress. Catching something by the corner of his eye, he noticed Cait Sith on the kid's table. The robotic feline was limp and lifeless. Reeve must have been sleeping as well wherever he was at the moment. Vincent reached over to pick up the doll-like body then placed it next to Marlene. Instinctively, her sleeping body moved to hug the stuffed animal. His lips pulled into a soft smile as he watched her. Gently, he knelt next to the bed then pulled the covers over her then kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well…"
"My…so he has a tender side towards children."
Hearing the voice, Vincent stood up then turned around to see Tifa standing there, her body leaned against the doorway.
"She was sleeping next to me. In darkness and fatigue, she must have thought I was Cloud."
Tifa folded her arms against her chest just beneath her bust, a smirk lining her lips. Vincent cocked a brow, unsure of the meaning behind her expression. Seeing the bewilderment on his face, her smirk became wider then she finally went inside to sit on the edge of Denzel's bed. As the boy slept, she brushed his curls away from his face.
"If it were me, I'd probably do the same…or would have noticed, but wouldn't have cared."
Vincent was almost in disbelief in the last part she had said.
"…beg pardon?"
Tifa disregarded his question as she got up to leave the room.
"I'll prepare breakfast. You can find some clothes upstairs. We'll wake the children later."
Before he could speak, she left down the hall towards the kitchen. He shook his head then left the bedroom to go back upstairs.
Back in Tifa's bedroom, he mumbled, realizing that he didn't know where to look. He started with one drawer and noticed a set of Cloud's clothes. He closed it then proceeded to another drawer. Tifa's. A few drawers later, he found a drawer with clothing that fit him. However, unlike the few other drawers, the sizes in this one were not mixed and his size alone. Surprised, but he tried not to think anything of it, fetching a fresh pair of clothes to change into. He decided upon a pair of black dress pants and a red and black long sleeved polo shirt. He blushed to notice a set of boxers in the drawer as well, taking a pair before he closed it shut.
He was faster in changing his clothes this time; given that Tifa was nowhere near the room and there were no belts to deal with. Nevertheless, his hair was a problem. Fidgeting with his long, tangled heap, he went to the bathroom to grab a brush. He walked about as he combed his hair then stopped by a full-size mirror that was next to Tifa's bed. He watched himself in the mirror and observed what he was wearing. It felt strange to wear such clothes after wearing tight leather and a heavy cape for so long. Setting the brush down, he picked up his bandanna then carefully wrapped it around his forehead to keep most of his hair from falling forward.
Putting on a pair of slippers, he was ready to head back downstairs until a chest in the corner of the room caught his attention. Curiously, he walked over then knelt down. Brushing off the dust with the back of his hand, he opened it slowly. Within, he noticed three dresses and several accessories. He picked up a turquoise dress. It looked about Tifa's size. Setting it aside, he picked up the red dress. Judging by the ribbons bundled with it; he assumed that it once belonged to Aeris. The last dress, however, baffled him. The dress itself was larger than the other two and was a shade of lavender. It couldn't have been Yuffie's. He was sure of that. Once he saw the wig of the familiar blonde shade, a jolt of horror soon shot through his mind. Was it…
"Oh, you found Cloud's dress."
Hearing Tifa's voice confirmed his dreaded thoughts, a wash of images passed through his mind. What could Cloud have possibly been doing with a silk dress, a blonde wig, a diamond tiara, expensive cologne, and lingerie!
"I won't ask…" Vincent mumbled as he stowed the dresses back into the chest then stood up, dusting off his knees.
"Amusing aspects of the past, really," Tifa said as she walked over to him. "Kept to remember that even in hardships, there can always be fun moments. Whether or not Cloud enjoyed the moment."
Before Vincent could turn around, he felt Tifa's arms curl around him from behind. She's…hugging me?
"Come downstairs. Wake the children while I set the table. Just the four of us this morning."
She released him then left. He turned then stood there for a few minutes, perplexed with what just happened.
Is she…? No…no…she can't possibly be…
He made his way downstairs and back to the children's room. He woke Denzel first then headed towards Marlene to carry her with Cait Sith still in her arms.
"Vinny…? Where's Cloud?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Still out working," he replied, unsure of the true answer.
In the dining room, Vincent placed Marlene beside Denzel, who was already eating, then took a seat opposite to them. The gunman stared down at the plate before him, a soft crimson hue giving his cheeks colour. He hardly ever ate breakfast. Usually he would watch the others eat while he chose to recline against a wall; drinking whatever was provided to him, yet…today was different. The others weren't around to watch. Only Tifa and the children. He took in a soft breath then exhaled, beginning to eat.
He admitted to himself; Tifa cooked well. He had eaten her cooking before, but for some strange reason, he noticed the high quality of her cuisine more than usual. The hash brown potatoes were crisp, yet soft at the same time. The bacon was the same and the rest of the food was, well…perfect. After buttering the toast, he took his glass to drink, but paused. He tasted tequila in the juice. An uncontrollable smile ornamented his usually emotionless face. Tequila. She was humouring him.
Tifa sat beside him and watched him enjoy the food. She was delighted to see the smile on his face. She looked towards the children as she began to eat her own breakfast.
"Is everything to your liking, kids?"
"Yes, Tifa," they both said between bites.
Vincent was the first to finish, wiping his mouth and hands with the napkin that was there for him. He must have been famished.
"When was the last time you've eaten properly?" Tifa asked as she sipped in her own glass.
All Vincent could do was shrug in response. He didn't know. Tifa watched him as his attention strayed downward to his lap. She couldn't help but look at his lips again. Curiously, she placed a hand beneath his chin then turned his head gently, placing her lips against his. She yearned to feel them against hers, but kept the kiss short to avoid drawing attention from the children, breaking it off to resume drinking her juice.
Vincent was awestruck, in disbelief of what she had just done. He didn't know what to think of it; unsure of whether it was a friendly kiss or a kiss of affection. Other than that, a bigger problem had come up. Cait Sith was moving and clearly saw what happened.
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Aw. Like a family eating at the table. I wonder if this scares Vincent. XD Enjoy. More to come soon.
