He slept sparingly. Vincent looked out at the colours of dawn playing out before his eyes. Despite the lack of rest, he did not feel the worse for it. He supposed all those years locked away in a coffin were to blame. He did not enjoy thinking about it in the least. And he would not have to in the near future. A much pleasanter notion, that of Yuffie, presented itself for his consideration.
She'd grown a great deal since Deepground, albeit not in height. The subtle changes wrought by time could not be catalogued at a glance, but whether it was her facing duty or whether it was her making an effort towards aiding in small matters, Yuffie had proven she was no longer a child, that she was, finally, someone to be taken as an equal. And so he planned to.
That kiss the other night had not figured in his scheme. The opportunity had presented itself and he'd taken advantage of it. Yuffie had responded. Vincent savoured the memory, enjoying the awareness it brought. To be wanted was a very potent thing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a rumbled laughter answered the thought. All the better that he wanted her as well. He'd half expected the realisation, when it had sunk in, to bring him shame. He wanted a girl so much younger than him that such a romance should've been out of the question. Under normal circumstances, it would have been.
But Yuffie wasn't a child, not even by so arbitrary a measure as age. And he wasn't yet old and decrepit. So why pretend otherwise. The truth of their age was not going to change no matter how he went about rationalising it. But the decisive factor extended beyond numbers. When with Yuffie, he felt accepted, needed and, as mentioned before, wanted. His goal was therefore clear. Her little trouble in Wutain was another opportunity he meant to make good use of.
Some might count it hasty. A man his age ought to know what he wanted though, and Yuffie had never struck him as particularly undecided either. He would have, naturally, preferred that politics play no part in it, but since it could not be helped, Vincent was willing to go along with it. A stray ray of sunshine broke his train of thoughts by dint of its glare. Vincent drew to the side, catching the sound of movement somewhere out in the hallway. He opened the door just in time to catch Yuffie on the landing.
"Morning," she called out softly over her shoulder, a cheery smile on her lips. "You're up early." And she was a sight for not-so-sore-eyes. Obligingly turning around and waiting for him to reach her, she continued to look up at him through his own greeting and question of just what she was up to. "Breakfast, actually. You're more than welcome to join me." Galian Beast purred approvingly when she held her hand out in overt invitation.
He reached out, unabashedly taking possession of her small hand, sequestering it within his own. "That suits me just fine." Their fingers entwined. This close the scent of her body-wash, entrancingly floral, teased him. He'd not heard her trek to the bathroom, but then he had grown mostly unaccustomed to paying attention to distant sounds. Unconsciously, he leaned into her as they came to the foot of the stairs. It was lucky she didn't notice. Still, the perfume radiating off her skin tempted him closer. The blissfully oblivious Yuffie led him to the kitchen and sat him at the table, declining his aid with a wave of the hand.
"I've learned a bunch of stuff from Tifa, so just sit tight and let me show off," the ninja winked. She blew him a kiss after. Vincent rather wished she'd have pressed her lips to his, but he the morning had just begun and as far as he could tell, they had plenty of time still. So he let Yuffie be, watching as she set about work.
Vincent leaned back in his seat, entirely at ease in the moment. While it remained something of a novelty to see Yuffie tending domestic tasks with both dedication and skill, it wasn't much wonder; everyone had to grow up at some point. Her efforts yielded enough pancakes to feed a small army, which, of course, brought out the mildly curious and the hungry, effectively ending whatever privacy they might have otherwise had. Vincent soon found himself seated between a grumpy Cid, lacking his morning coffee and a grateful Tifa, who heartily thanked her friend.
"Really, you've made my job a thousand times easier," the bartender insisted when Yuffie showed every sign of wishing to deflect. "Wow; these are really good." It was not the only compliment bandied about and certainly not the only one he agreed with.
"Easy now, Tifa; one hand washes the other, as the saying goes." Yuffie seated herself by Cloud, in the only spot left open. She helped herself to a couple of pancakes, which she ate without the benefit of maple syrup or sugar. "I expect you to take care of the dishes, just in case you missed it."
"That was clear enough," Cloud intervened over Tifa's "Now wait just a minute." He agreed that they would take on the task, shooting his partner a look which had the bartender piping down. Vincent was powerless as to guess the meaning behind it, but Yuffie, he saw, smiled knowingly at the two. Cid grumbled about there not being enough coffee when he finished his cup, which prompted a refill, breaking the moment. Barret was game for a second cup as well.
In the end the morning passed in enjoyable fashion as they spoke all together of vague future plans and even the next time they would all come together. "Hopefully, we'll see Reeve and Shelke join us. It really seems a pity they neither could make it after all."
By the time Cid loaded his family on his aircraft with Barett and Marlene tagging along, the day had slipped into noon and he and Yuffie promptly made their escape at his instigation. He'd shared her attentions with others for long enough. Besides, Cloud and Tifa looked rather like they longed for a moment of their own as well.
Yuffie laughed, for he gave her only the second part of his reasoning when dragging her away. "That's awfully considerate of you, Vince." Nevertheless, she let him lead her back upstairs. "You never did finish telling me about your new apartment," the girl pointed out helpfully, as they stood outside the door to her room. Cocking her head to the side, Yuffie added, "Come on in."
He followed her lead and found his arms wrapped about her before the door had even closed. Yuffie returned the gesture with a little laugh. "Guess you can't keep your hands off of me." Rising on her tiptoes, she tugged him downwards and pressed her lips to his. It was an exact replica of his own actions from the previous night. His reaction was immediate.
Vincent pulled her tighter against him, enjoying the way her body yielded to his. He didn't work to deepen the kiss, despite the pleasure. Being a little rusty, he figured it might be best to plod along and learn what she liked as he rediscovered what he enjoyed. She tasted sweet from their breakfast and he would have stayed in that moment for hours if only he could, but at long last they had to break for air. Yuffie huffed softly, returning her arms around his middle. "Now wasn't that nice, Vinnie?" she got out upon a shaky breath.
"Very nice." Nice enough that he swooped in for another taste, keeping it brief and light. Regretfully, he pulled back and let Yuffie dictate what happened next. In predictable fashion, she invited him to have a seat and directed their conversation to the safe waters of polite topics. Vincent complied, filling in such details as he evinced a curiosity over. "You weren't expecting me to forever remain in that dusty old mansion, I hope."
"I don't know," she teased, "the vibe of that place suits you." Giggling, Yuffie patted his thigh in what he assumed to be a far more innocent frame of mind than the gesture implied. "But really," she sobered quickly, drawing her hand away, "I'm glad to hear. That dusty death-trap looked a few days removed from crumbling to the ground." She sighed. "It is a pity about all the furniture in it though; it would be gorgeous with a good washing."
"Never would have pegged you for that type," he put in blithely. His mind nevertheless conjured an image of Yuffie surrounded by what he recollected to be some pieces of the ancient furnishings.
"We all have our hidden hobbies," she replied airily. "Anyway, I'd have liked to have seen your new place before heading out for Wutai. You got me really curious now."
And he would like little more than to bring her in his home and never relinquish her. He couldn't do that for the time being. "Why not? I'll need to pick a few things up myself." The realisation sank in slowly, but when it did he was rewarded with an incredulous look mingled with pleasure.
"You're serious?" Her hands came up over her mouth. Vincent assured her he was. Her expression changed all too soon. "But Vince, if it comes to it, do you truly think you could take such a great step? It's asking very much of a man. Fair warning, Wutai doesn't believe in cohabitation or divorce."
"Neither do I," he replied truthfully. He suspected the general expectation of men and their desires had taken quite a beating in the years of his dormancy. Though, in fairness, even when he was a young man very many were perfectly willing to entertain the short-term in lieu of aiming for the long-term. "I never did."
She gave him a puzzled look. "You are a rare breed then." He did not point out that in many respects his upbringing would have paralleled her own. "Guess you don't hold with trying the other out either, do you?" She never waited for a reply. "Vincent Valentine, you are the epitome of a gentleman."
"Epitome?" he mused, shooting her an amused look.
"What? I can use big words." Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest. "Although I might have to take that one back if you keep on teasing me." Her warning went unheeded. "I'm serious, though; you'll be tied to me for the rest of your life."
"I have to say, being threatened with a good time is a novel way of getting me to back down." She snorted. Vincent gave her a minute. "As for being a gentleman, old habits die hard." Of course, were she privy to his thoughts, she might take a different view. But then gentlemen were still men and it was far easier to be perfectly behaved when one had no skin in the game. Pushing frothiness aside, he told her quite earnestly, "We've known each other for a good while now. I don't have any misgivings."
"You'd know your own mind." She eyed him questioningly. "Suppose we were off one day earlier," Yuffie offered, nodding towards her already packed bags. "Reeve could brief us on that mission of his and we'd at least go in prepared."
"Sounds like a plan." Reeve would, naturally, ensure proper transportation and support were available, which Vincent expected would aid no matter their aim. "I'll give him a call."
"I was hoping you'd say that." With a grin, she bounced off the bed. "I'll let Tifa know she can have her home all to herself. Pretty sure she'll be ecstatic." And upon that note, Yuffie was off, leaving Vincent digging into his pocket for his phone.
He scrolled through the list of contacts, initiated the call and lifted the device to his ear as it rang.
Narrow confines and the beatific presence of one Yuffie Kisaragi were a potent mix. She slept the unguarded sleep of innocents, altogether oblivious to tantalising picture she presented. Still Vincent had no complaints on that score. He carded his fingers through her hair, enjoying the silky feel of the strands as he cradled her head on his lap. Yuffie mumbled something in her sleep and clutched at the leg of his pants. The endearing expression on her face did not dissipate despite the lurching of the ship. It seemed they'd hit a bit of a rough patch; Vincent imagined it was a storm.
He couldn't hear thunder over the purring of the engines and the room being in the bowels of the craft kept any sight of the outside world well away. He kept on doing what he'd been doing before, little minding whatever else was about. Another current shook them heartily, but this time Yuffie did not remain blind to it. She woke with a startled squeak as her form launched forth. Were his reflexes any less keen she might have ended up on the floor. As it was, he managed to haul her up against him, arm crossing up and over her chest. "Great Shiva," she exclaimed, fighting to find purchase. Vincent helped her upright and Yuffie managed an embarrassed laugh at the display. Her disorientation vanished rapidly. "Sleeping on a ship, always a bad idea." She hid her face in his shoulder.
"Feeling sick?" Part of the question was concern. She grunted, waited a beat and then shook her head, claiming it had passed. Still she used his shoulder for a pillow for the next minutes. Vincent wrapped an arm around her waist, grounding her against him. He felt her hand on his arm, thumb stroking the outside of his wrist. He guessed it to be an expression of gratitude.
Yuffie drew away at long last. "You know, you make for a pretty good pillow." He had little to say to that other than he was happy to be of use. "I know you are, so I'll just keep on doing it." Despite the assertion, she settled by him and leaned her head against the metal wall behind them, closing her eyes. "How much longer will this take?"
"We must be halfway through." He stared at her unrelentingly, knowing that even someone with half as keen a sense of observation would pick that up. Yuffie did not jump at the chance to question him. Instead, she hummed in acknowledgement and took the time to bring her arm around his shoulder, working blind, as she turned even further into him.
"That stare is most insistent," she pointed out at lengths, opening her eyes to meet his own. "Very pretty, but still somewhat disconcerting. It almost feels like you're looking through me." He hadn't been, not truly. "So go on right ahead and unburden yourself." He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her. "Vince, I know you, so it's no use trying to dodge this."
"What Tifa said when we left, what did that mean?" He'd not heard it wrong, that much he was certain of. It was also not inconceivable that others might find Yuffie as attractive as he himself did. She wasn't, he reminded himself patiently, a child any longer. That being noted, it nonetheless touched a nerve to know other had attempted to encroach. Vincent put it down to Galian Beast's utter rage at the knowledge, though some of the ire, he admitted, must be his own.
"Tifa runs a bar," Yuffie explained pointed out most reasonably. "I help out sometimes. Mostly behind the bar, but when needed I do rounds too. Sometimes the patrons like to jest, so they leave unique tips, shall we say, along with their gil. " She pursed her lips.
"Such as personal phone numbers?" he prodded, wondering if it was the first time it'd happened. He was willing to bet not.
"Yes." The ninja studied his expression and, sagely, added, "I never kept any." That settled him some. "Tifa likes to tease me whenever I add one to the collection, as she puts it, but in all honesty, I don't regard it at all and no one seems to be serious about it." He still didn't like it. Even knowing, logically, that she would never be put in a similar position in Wutai, given what he guessed would occur; Vincent rather wanted to promise he'd be there to put an end to such nonsense when it happened again. "I get the vague impression it bothers you."
"Hn." She did know him well. Vincent held her bracingly, assuring himself she was very real and very much in his arms.
He expected her to make a jest out of it, but Yuffie surprised him by instead opting to open herself further, as if guessing just what prompted him in that regard. "Honestly, I've only ever had eyes for you. Like in one of those stupid movies Tifa likes so much, I've been hopelessly head over heels for tall, dark and broody. I don't want any misunderstandings on that score."
He'd heard her loud and clear. "Surely, it hasn't been hopeless."
She sighed. "You know what I mean." Yuffie rolled her eyes. "There is no need to look so smug. We have an uphill battle ahead of us."
"Give a man his moment in the sun." She rolled her eyes one more, but did not interrupt his bliss. The ships rocking had grown less severe as well, which allowed for a more leisurely embrace, albeit at this stage just having Yuffie in his arms was in and of itself highly desirable. He would trouble about Wutai, the W.R.O mission and anything else at some later stage when his elation was not quite so pronounced.
"Take your time, Vince. I am not going anywhere anytime soon." It seemed they had finally hit more lenient weather, for the aircraft sailed far smoother within moments. Yuffie squirmed at his side. But true to her word she made no move to depart from his side despite the fact that she might easily walk about the ship without any turbulence interfering with the exercise.
All too soon they reached their destination.
For her part, Yuffie stretched out her limbs, part-pleased to be up and about, part-mournful to have been parted from the gunslinger. But then she had monopolised him for far longer than was decent. She skipped slightly ahead, waving excitedly to Reeve who was waiting for them in the hangar, Cait Sith in his arms. Though there was something altogether comedic about a grown man holding a doll, she'd learned to hold her laughter in. Also, Reeve's favourable mood meant extra resources. Despite any evidence to the contrary, she definitely knew which side her bread was buttered on.
"Cast aside your worries; Yuffie, Ninja Extraordinaire, is here to save the day," she greeted boisterously, grin firmly in place. "Oh, and I also brought Vincent." She had no drums to roll for that introduction, but he needed none. Vincent was an arresting presence unto himself an needed no additional help catching the attention of all.
"Yuffie," Reeve returned in his polite, if somewhat subdued way. "And Vincent. I am glad you could make it, the both of you." He drew them to the side. "If you could just step with me into the side-room."
The side-room was, in fact, a small conference room, complete with as many monitors as one's heart might desire, cabinet files and a distinctly unimaginative layout. Yuffie picked a chair for herself, not waiting for any sort of special invitation; she rested her chin in her palms and propped her weight on her elbows. "Well, don't keep us waiting."
"Patience is a virtue," the commissioner pointed out, unimpressed with her attempt to speed things along. Yuffie refrained from wasting her breath on a second attempt. She instead chose to bless the monitors before her with every ounce of attention she possessed as information began coming up. She scanned the contents, tuning out Reeve's voice, eyes slowly widening. She had not known any of it and would have walked into the field thoroughly unprepared. "We were hoping the two of you could get to the bottom of this and ensure the strained relationships degenerate no further."
Yuffie cocked her head to the side. "So you suspect Shinra of meddling in affairs that don't concern them. Nothing new there." She allowed her mask to slip for only a moment. "Maybe they are the ones who need looking into."
"Already working on it." Reeve assured her, pushing a folder their way. "Have a look at this in the meantime."
She accepted the file and placed it between herself and Vincent, studying the transcribed conversation with care. "Itou is up to his old tricks again, I see. Well, well, we'll see how this plays out." Yuffie tore her gaze from the evidence. "I might have guessed that rat was involved."
Reeve was only to happy to indulge in his curiosity, "Is there anything in particular you could tell us about him?" When she hesitated, he cleared his throat. "We are trying to get a clear picture of what is happening here."
"Nasty chap; has a habit of switching sides whenever he thinks his own side might be losing. But as for anything else, I haven't the faintest. I'm better acquainted with the family's younger son." Her eyes darted towards Vincent. "His father may be a complete and utter jerk, but since they had the rank, Sanosuke and I were often thrown in company together." Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest. "We'll keep an eye on things, won't we, Vinnie?"
Vincent assented. "It shouldn't be too difficult," he noted. "We'll get to the bottom of it soon enough." There was a quiet confidence about the way he said it. Yuffie felt her lips twitch with the effort to hold back her smile. Only he could get away with it, being so self-assured, yet sounding so down to earth at the same time.
"Very much obliged," the commissioner said, closing the file and drawing it near himself. He continued on with a brief description of conditions within which the mission was to be accomplished. "Now, I am aware you have been recalled home, Yuffie, and imagine, to some degree, you will have to split between the two goals, but I don't foresee that being too much trouble."
That settled, they were furnished with transport and whatever else Reeve thought they might need. Yuffie would have told him he needn't bother, but there was gil involved and she knew very well that monetary benefits ought not be refused. Experience, if not pragmatism told her as much. She boarded their new vessel, a small helicopter for a change, which meant she had to keep her eyes of a fixed point lest her motion sickness kick in yet again.
Vincent, it appeared, had no trouble keeping himself occupied, but then he had thirty years' practice in that regard. Yuffie herself was rather resentful at having to keep silent for the time being when all she wanted to do was fill her partner in on all the little things which might or might not come in handy. Since she couldn't do that, she settled for cataloguing as many of them as her mind grasped in that moment. It would have to wait until they had a moment to themselves and she expected that to be slow in coming. Her shoulder brushed his arm as they sat close together. He was firm and solid at her side, which worked to settle her some. Duly reminded she had Vincent Valentine on her side, Yuffie relaxed once more and gave herself leave to glance away from the dullness of grey interiors to the world outside, even if only for a glimpse of green. It would turn out well.
The echo of comfort had hardly faded from her mind when, as they landed, a good helping of annoyance found its way onto her plate. Not only was her father awaiting her arrival with all pomp and circumstance due a princess, not only had the brought along her grandmother, whose mean look told Yuffie she'd be getting an earful soon enough, but he'd actually allowed members of the Council to join them on what should have been a private occasion. She took a bracingly deep breath and put her acting skills to the test by placing one foot in front of the mother in the most resolute manner she should manage despite feeling the least certain she had in a long while.
Yuffie forced a smile onto her face and bowed the proper greetings, only vaguely surprised when Vincent followed suit. A flicker of surprise flashed across Godo's face but he was, fortunately, forced by their very public location not to make any sort of comment on her company. Grandmother, on the other hand, looked him up and down, her careful study both obvious and obnoxious. Still, no words left her lips.
"Welcome, daughter, to you and your companion." Godo stepped forward. He held out his hand for her. "Come, let us see you settled." He leaned in and whispered for her ears only. "I see you have discovered the benefits of early arrivals."
"You can thank Vincent's sense of duty for that," she answered just as softly. Were it up to her, she'd not have left his apartment and damn the consequences. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see her grandmother taking possession of Vincent's arm. Yuffie shuddered with barely suppressed worry. Leviathan only knew what the two of them could be discussing. Somehow, she convinced herself to turn away as members of the Council closed in around her, apparently very pleased at her return.