– – –

(A/N: Just a few notes before I begin here. I had to decide whether or not to actually write this story in the first place, since Cid and Shera were apparently married before DoC. But I've decided, since it wasn't directly stated, simply implied, that I will make an exception. So…this story takes place around 6-ish months after DoC, and Cid and Shera are now officially getting married. I hope this doesn't take away from the plotline of the series. Please bear with me here.

Also, this is my first attempt at a VinTi, which was inspired by a few author's pieces (motchi, darknightdestiny, bleuwyn, etc, check them out!), and I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Just take a quick moment to tell me how I'm doing so far, because it will give me an idea as to where I want to go with this. Or, y'know don't review. It's your choice.

And last but not least, I'm not sure how the updating will go since school has already begun. Along with the fact that I've forced myself to take it slow with this one! I'm simply drawing up a new plan of attack, seeing as how some things weren't exactly working out for me before.)

So without further adieu…

- -

Vincent

Sunday morning came noisily as I was roused from my sleep at around eight o'clock. Heavy droplets of rain pelting the window with significant force was to blame, but I was much too tired to think anything of it, much less be annoyed. Today was the day that I could take it easy, spend another hour or so in bed and revel in the warmth of the blankets. I thought I'd be able to do just that as soon as the rain began to let up; however, only seconds before sleep had a chance to regain a firm grasp on my conscious, my PHS went off - loudly.

I was still somewhat dazed and unaware of my surroundings, but the incessant ringing mercilessly pulled me back to reality. A few aimless swats around the nightstand and I managed to grab the phone without knocking anything over, flipping it open with my thumb. Before I even bothered to answer, I retreated back into the warmth as a fierce tremble shot through my body. "Hello?" There was no doubt that I came off sounding jaded, but my caller ignored the fact regardless.

"We did it," the familiar voice replied. I frowned at his oddly phrased statement, since this was Cid Highwind.

"Did what?" I asked, simply trying to focus on the task of keeping my eyes open. Holding a coherent conversation was proving to be much more difficult, but I could feel my body begin to gradually awaken. Whatever it was Cid had to tell me seemed rather important, judging by the uncharacteristically exuberant tone in his voice. So staying awake to hear about it was the least I could do.

"…Set the date."

More confusion, and I was beginning to wonder why I had answered the phone in the first place. Normally I was not short fused, but I wasn't exactly fond of mornings either. I figured if remained quiet enough, perhaps he would elaborate without my asking so. The half-witted theory proved correct once the pilot continued. "Vince, you still there?"

My attempt at a full reply was useless, as I only managed an acknowledging "mmm," which encouraged him to continue.

"So we set it," he repeated. "We set the wedding date." I could just see his face, sporting a wide grin from ear to ear. And soon after the news settled in, I began to realize that I should be joining in on the excitement as well.

"Oh yeah?" I wondered aloud. "When is it?"

"Five days tomorrow," was his unexpected answer. It took a while to comprehend the logic behind their decision, but I questioned it anyway.

"Isn't that a bit of a late notice?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "well that's one of the reasons I wanted t'call. I also wanna apologize for not tellin' y'sooner, but this wasn't exactly a done deal until jus' recently. Tifa's been helpin' out a lot, though."

The surprises kept coming and coming. I frowned again, but this time because Tifa had not told me anything about this whatsoever. "…Tifa?"

"Yeah. We decided to have it in the city since Shera's family lives there. And Tifa offered her bar for the reception. It's been a fuckin' nightmare, but knockin' out that location expense'll help out a lot."

A slight grin pulled at the corners of my lips as I processed his last statement. I couldn't pass up the chance to tantalize him, for it did not present itself much. Hopefully, the result would be entertaining. "I've never heard you like this before, Cid. You sound like a changed man."

There was a brief moment of silence before the pilot barked into the phone as expected. But all I could do was try not to laugh. "Hey! What th'hell is that supposed t'mean? I'm still the same ol' Cid, nothin's changed…"

Defeated by his reply, I chuckled softly, almost mockingly and gained some sort of control over my amusement. "Well," I said, "congratulations."

"Yeah, thanks," he sighed. "But listen. You gotta talk to Tifa since she has most of th'details. I'll be in town tomorrow, though."

"I'll see you then?"

"Damn straight," the pilot fervently stated. I could tell that he had some treats in store by the implication in his voice. "We're gonna have ourselves some fun."

"Can't wait…"

The line then clicked dead and I placed the PHS back on the nightstand. Once a bit of peace had returned, the thought of sleep loomed in my mind. It sounded tempting and highly plausible given the fact that I was still struggling to keep my eyes open; however, as I had been interrupted before, a set of knocks echoed in from the living room this time.

Confused and curious as to who it could be, I searched my mind for an answer and only a few people popped into my head. One of them stood out the most, though, so I hurried out of bed despite the harsh change in temperature. She stood there in the hallway, soaked from head to toe, in a pair of form-fitting jeans, a white button-up shirt and coat. The coat didn't seem to be helping at this point. Though, the thing that worried me the most was the sound of her teeth chattering loudly.

I stepped aside immediately to let her in and frowned at the mess, but ran to grab a dry towel before she caught some sort of cold. When I returned, the fighter had already removed her socks and shoes and was hanging her coat on the rack. She had always been very conscious of things like that, not wanting to muddle my already spotless small apartment. I couldn't help but notice though, that even with the heavy rain jacket, her shirt had caught some of the rain as well, sticking to her sodden skin.

"I'm sorry," she sighed heavily, patting the towel around her neck, "did I wake you?"

At that point I was hugging myself for warmth and decided to lead us into the living room while answering. "No," I replied, grabbing the afghan draped over the back of the couch to wrap around myself, "actually, Cid just called."

"So then you must have heard," she smirked and set a small white box down on her lap that she had been carrying the whole time. I hadn't noticed until then, but became extremely curious as to what it contained.

"…Yes."

"Well that's one of the reasons why I dropped by. See, I had to take the kids to a school function since…Cloud wasn't able to do it, and they asked me to stop and get these." She then grabbed the box, leaned across the distance between us and handed it to me. I didn't have to open it to identify that intoxicating smell - donuts. "Only a few are missing, but I got too much and I'm not going to finish them off all by myself." Instead of getting back up, I placed them on the coffee table to stow later. "Anyway, as for the other reason." Tifa brushed a chunk of bangs out of her eyes before continuing, but they fell back into place. She didn't seem to mind, though. "I doubt Cid told you much of anything?"

"He told me to ask you," I replied.

"I figured. Well, we've been at this for three weeks now. Shera and I worked out all of the most important details in the last week, but we're not done yet."

"Oh?" She seemed to be rather exhausted. I hadn't seen her for a few days due to occupational restraints, but it was very noticeable…even when we spoke over the phone.

"Yeah. It's been so hectic…what, with planning this wedding and running the bar. I'm just glad Barret is in town for a while to help look out for the kids."

It hadn't really crossed my mind, but the moment she named someone other than Cloud being home, was what grabbed my attention. We had never really discussed the matter up front, despite all the times when she came to me for a shoulder to cry on. But I was curious to know the truth. "Where is Cloud?" I asked, though cautious in my approach. The sudden change in her usually cheerful countenance told me exactly what I needed to know.

For years now, Tifa's devotion to that man had never faltered. And regardless of his lack thereof for her, she continued to wait around as if he would one day realize what a wonderful woman was waiting for him, a woman who had sacrificed her life to spend wondering if things would go as she dreamed. Tifa often told me about these desires, these feelings she stilled harbored. But all I could do (or felt I could do) was listen.

It infuriated me to the core of my soul to hear of the way he simply brushed her aside, came and went as he pleased without even giving her so much as a word as to where he would be. Even the children were beginning to worry, yet Tifa continued to sugar coat it for his sake. They were much too keen and more mature about the situation for such tactics, though, seeing as how this wasn't the first time. However, I couldn't entirely place the blame on Cloud, since he had not directly expressed his feelings for her. Then again, there had been times where his affection was unmistakable, even to me. It was difficult to try and understand the truth behind what he really felt and wanted out of their relationship. But Tifa was a grown woman, free to make her own decisions.

I never bothered to express my feelings, simply because of the unknown outcome. I was not willing to risk what we had come to attain if it were to be grim. She seemed content in confiding in me– for anything– and I felt the same way. That is the only thing that mattered.

An answer came at last, after what seemed like much too long. Something must have happened again. It was the only explanation. "Cloud is…taking a bit longer on this delivery than first plan," she replied, being ever so careful with her wording. I could tell that Tifa was angry about it, even if she was trying her damnedest not to appear that way. The best option for the both of us was to completely change the subject.

"Cid tells me that they'll be here tomorrow," I replied, hoping my attempt had worked.

"Yeah," the brunette sighed and leaned back into the chair. Perhaps she was simply worn out or thankful for my understanding. Either way, Tifa was clearly relieved to be discussing something else. "Shera has a few things that she needs to take care of before the wedding. So the sooner they get here, the better." She furrowed her brow and gently bit her lower lip as she stared off somewhere beyond the coffee table. "Which reminds me…you've got a tux fitting with the guys in a few days."

My reply was accepted with a hearty laugh. "Sounds fun…"

"I'm sure it will be," she replied, chuckling. It was truly nice to hear her do that, and a relief to know that she still could. I wasn't expecting Tifa to stand from the chair so abruptly, however, and found myself a bit disheartened by the fact that, after having managed to bring up her spirits, she had to go. Once we were at the door, and she was fully clothed again, the fighter turned to face me with a genuine smile. "I'll see you again later and we can talk more about our plans," she said. Tifa then placed a gentle hand on my arm and let it drop to my own, where our fingers entwined loosely. "You enjoy those donuts."

It came unexpectedly, though I should not have been so surprised since it was a regular occurrence with her. On the tips of her toes, Tifa stood to place a small kiss on my cheek. I was speechless, to say the least, and found myself unable to move as she came back down and smiled at me again. Before I knew it, she had let go of my hand and made her way out the door. The fighter disappeared down the hallway but a few moments later. Even though I knew I'd see her later, something deep within me did not want her to go.

- -

Tifa

- -

Busy, busy, busy is the only way to describe the events that week. Not only was my attention focused on running the bar and taking care of the kids, but the wedding as well. Nevertheless, it would definitely be worth my while, to know that I could offer my services for good friends on their special day. But planning every little detail was a bit more difficult than expected. I figured I might have to close the bar for at least one day, if I were to run out of time. And I came very close to doing that, until by some freak miracle that very same week, the bar was running dry on customers. A few regulars still showed up though, along with Yuffie as well.

She arrived one hour before opening time as excited as ever, and joined me where I had littered the countertop with a myriad of papers. Once she was settled on a stool, I leaned forward against the dark wood and let out a heavy sigh. "Thank God you're here, Yuffie."

"What is all this?" she asked, curiously peeking at the magazine clippings from upside down.

"These are our picks for bridesmaid dresses," I said, and handed her a few. "Shera said we could choose from any of these, but I'm having a hard time."

The ninja accepted them and made a thoughtful expression. I figured maybe she would have better luck picking one out. "Well," she began and grabbed three that had been marked off with colored tape, "are these ones you've picked out from there rest?"

"Yeah. I thought they would look the best with Shera's dress."

"Do you have a picture of it?"

Immediately, I began searching for the photo that I thought I had, but turned up empty handed after a brief search. "No," I shook my head, "It must be upstairs."

"What does it look like?"

From memory, I began to explain. "It's a simple silhouette sheath, where the train flows back to about one foot. And it's a soft, creamy white color with a very simple, elegant pearl pattern that goes from the front of the dress, down the side of the trim and to the back."

"Something simple," Yuffie repeated aloud, thinking to herself. She then glanced down at the pictures again to get a better idea, but our thinking was abruptly interrupted by the front door swinging open.

Both of us drew our attention to the man walking into the bar. I wasn't exactly expecting to see whom it was to be dropping by, but he obviously had a reason to be here, since I had not been informed about it earlier. I was happy, nonetheless, to see him as always.

Vincent came to the counter, and was drenched from head to toe. Just a little reminder that the rain was not letting up any time soon. He looked to be somewhat cold as well, judging by the way he had been standing next to Yuffie; rigid and shivering. I wanted to go get him a towel to dry off, though I could tell he wouldn't be staying much longer. He'd probably refuse it anyway.

"Well look who's here!" the ninja exclaimed.

"Hi," I said with a very big smile. Normally, I never caught myself acting like a giddy school girl in front of him, but something at the pit of my stomach fluttered whenever he was around. Today was an exception. "Pretty bad out there, huh?"

"You could say that," the gunner replied and shoved his right hand in his coat pocket.

"So what brings you here?" I asked.

He then pulled out a pair of familiar white socks and leaned over the counter to hand them to me. I accepted them with surprise. "You left these at my place," Vincent answered. "I washed them. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh…you didn't have to do that…"

"No," he shook his head, "it wasn't a problem."

We soon fell awkwardly silenced, both staring tautly at each other until the young woman cleared her throat loudly enough to knock us out of a stupor and spoke up. "You know what?" A sly grin soon pulled at the corners of her lips. "Since you're here, Vinnie, I need to ask a favor of you." Vincent tore his gaze away from me to the ninja and stared at her curiously. She continued. "We've got a major dilemma on our hands, and a third opinion would be great." Yuffie then directed his attention to the three magazine pages lying on the counter. "We've got to pick out our dresses for the wedding, but it's been a pain in the ass."

He tried his best to get out of the trap he had so blindly stepped into, turning to point towards the door as if ready to leave, but failed once Yuffie grabbed a gentle hold of his arm. "O-oh…well…"

"No, no, no! We need your help! Just pick the one you like best and you can go."

For a moment, Vincent mulled over the question and glanced at me for some sort of support, though I couldn't provide him with any whenever Yuffie got like this. There was definitely more to the innocent question than she cared to make known. I was sure of it and she knew that.

At last, the gunner sighed heavily and gave the dresses a good look. It didn't take too long for him to decide, which was nice, because I didn't think I could handle the silence much longer either. "This one," he said, pointing to the middle, "I guess." It was my first choice, too.

"Tifa, you like this one?" Yuffie asked.

"It's beautiful…"

"Then it's settled," the ninja beamed, "we'll go with Vincent's pick."

Though barely noticeable, Vincent attempted to hide his foreboding. I could see right through him, though. Yuffie had swindled the gunman into a difficult position, but he was determined to get out before she had a chance to try her luck again. "I better be on my way, then."

He flashed me a weak smile and turned to head for the door. But before Vincent could leave, I gave my thanks in regards to him returning my socks, and he was gone just as soon as he'd arrived.

After a few moments passed, the ninja turned to face me. "Well, that's one thing out of the way," she sighed. It took me long enough, but eventually I realized that Yuffie was waving her hand in front of my face. She had been trying to catch my attention for quite some time. "Tifa? Hellooo?"

Embarrassed, and red in the face, I mumbled a measly apology, then quickly stashed the socks under the counter where I could return them to my bureau later. When our gazes met yet again, Yuffie was still staring at me with a look of interest. I could see it out of the corner of my eye as I busied myself with some menial task. She obviously noticed something…something that I was desperately trying to understand these last few months.