Chapter 61: Now Back To You, Janice
Blue eyes opened lazily and a soft sigh slipped from his lips. It took him a moment to figure out what it was that brought him from his slumber, but the feminine giggle and the sensation of soft lips kissing his chest. He lifted the sheet and smiled upon meeting Tifa's wine colored eyes.
"Good morning." He greeted her softly, his voice rough with the remnants of sleep.
"Mornin'," She smiled, making her way up his lean form to press a kiss against his lips. "Happy Birthday, Cloud."
"Thanks Tifa." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "What time is it?"
Tifa pushed herself up on a forearm to peek at the clock. "It's almost eleven thirty. We don't have to be anywhere until around six thirty or seven, I think everyone is heading to the beach this afternoon. Do you feel like going?"
Cloud nodded, his hand running up Tifa's side, the movement subconscious. "We haven't been to the beach yet and Yuffie was saying something about learning to surf. I want to give it a try."
"It sounds like fun. Marlene wanted to try boogie boarding with Yoshi." Tifa let out a yelp of surprise when Cloud rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of his hard body. Another kiss was shared between the zangan fighter and the swordsman before she pushed herself up to straddle his thighs. Her forearm teasingly hid her ample breast from a gaze that turned hungry for something other than food, which brought a wicked grin to her lips.
"Do you know what you'd like for breakfast?"
"It's too late for breakfast," Cloud started, "and I'm not quite ready for brunch." His fingers ran across her arm and he slipped her hand into his. Entwining their fingers, he slowly coaxed her to reveal her lush breasts to his gaze once more.
Cloud sat up, the muscles of his abdomen bunching nicely to Tifa's delight. His eyes locking with hers, he placed a soft kiss on her left breast, slowly working his way towards a rosy nipple. A smile traced his lips as his actions earned him soft moan.
"Brunch can wait…we'll-" A hiss escaped her lips as his mouth latched on her right nipple. "We'll just have late lunch."
The blond nodded in agreement before showering his attention on her. "A very late lunch."
With a shift of her hips, all thoughts of food fled the minds of Cloud and Tifa.
.:-o-:.
Yuffie entered the room and looked to the bed where her gunman lie, still asleep, surprisingly. With it being nearly noon, it was odd to see Vincent still in bed. Usually, she was the late sleeper, however this time, she took the chace earlier that morning to go for a run.
Quietly, the ninja moved to his side of the bed and sat on the edge. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, calling his name softly. She watched as his eyes open and smiled down at him. "Are you all right, Vincent?"
Vincent pushed himself up, his raven locks spilling over his shoulders. She had to admit, this sleepy look turned out to be quite appealing on her stoic love.
Propping himself up against the headboard, he nodded and brought his hand up, pushing his hair from his eyes. "I am fine, Yuffie. After I read your note," he gestured to the letter folded on the nightstand. "I decided that a bit more sleep after last night would do no harm. However, I didn't intend to sleep this late."
After a moment, the gunman moved to the edge of the bed to sit beside his ninja. Stretching slightly sore muscles, he smiled in amusement to see her eyes slip to his stomach.
"It seems that you're not the only one with the navel fetish." A familiar voice rumbled in his head. "You humans are too modest. Demons don't worry about that kind of thing. If a female demon saw a male with impressive horns or wings, they didn't tap dance around like you all do! She wants to touch you Vinnie! You should let her…then you can lick her navel! Don't you dare say you wouldn't do it. I see your dreams!"
"Quiet you invasive bastard!" Vincent hissed at the demon, his cheeks heating.
"Vincent?"
"I'm all right." He said with a small smile. "Do you still wish to go to the beach with everyone?" He asked.
"Yup! Maybe I can coax cloud into a little contest on the waves once I get a bit of practice in. " She rubbed her hands together and giggled a bit at the thought of an impromptu surf contest.
"You are quite competitive with Cloud." Vincent stood, smiling at her enthusiasm.
"I have to be! Cloud is like my older brother and siblings are suppose to be competitive. If I was lucky enough have had a brother, I'd like to think that he would be like Cloud."
Vincent understood what she meant. When he was young, he always wondered what it would be like to have siblings, but unfortunately, he was never graced with any. Shaking away those thoughts, he allowed a smile to trace his lips. Cloud was the perfect brother figure for Yuffie. They brought out many things in one another; their competitiveness was just one aspect.
Yuffie moved to her knees behind the gunman and began massaging the muscles of his shoulders. "Well, that gives us about two hours so let's grab a bite and then we'll go from there." She leaned down, placing a kiss on his shoulder, asking him if he was too tired to go down to the main beach with everyone.
Vincent allowed a lazy smile to trace his lips as her small, strong hands continued to work on his muscles. 'She always worries about my comfort when it to venturing out.'
"Well she loves you, Vinnie. What do you expect?" Chaos chimed in. "Plus she made a promise to you to help you. Don't' get me wrong, she doesn't do this simply for that reason, but she wants to make sure you're comfortable while starting your life over. She wants you to be happy."
Vincent nodded at hearing Chaos's words. Vincent nodded at hearing the demons' words. Crimson eyes opened and reached up, catching her wrist. He eased his ninja around his body to sit in his lap. "I am becoming more…accustomed to being around others. It is easier when you're by my side and I don't mind venturing out with our companions. They understand that I am not the most talkative." His smile widened when he heard her chuckle. "If there ever is a time that I do not feel at ease with going out, I will let you know.
"Promise?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. She was happy. This was another sign to her that her former Turk was acclimating to his new life.
"I do." He placed a kiss on her temple. "It will be interesting to see who will come out on top at the end of your competition with Cloud."
The ninja pulled back and grinned. "Don't go doubtin' me, Vinnie! I will come out on top! I can't lose to that old man!"
"Cloud has turned twenty-two today. I am almost thirty-three years older than he is. Does that make me an old man?"
Yuffie's jaw dropped as she stared at him for a moment before she laughed. "Vincent, I always forget that fact. However, I will always think of you as being 24…well, at least until your birthday. But hey, you are hands down the hottest fifty-four year old man in history!"
Yuffie hopped off his lap and pulled him to his feet. "Let's get to it, old man!"
He snorted, his eyes showing amusement as they moved about the room, gathering clothing and swimwear. The decision was made to have their meal at Lilac, one of the smaller cafes that dotted the resort rather than eat in at the bungalow.
With those decisions made, they left their little home away from home and stared the short journey towards the heart of Costa Del Sol.
.:-o-:.
Lunch consisting of some of the local fares was quickly demolished mainly thanks to the little ninja. After paying the check, the pair drifted from shop to shop. They never spent more than ten minutes in the shops they visited. That was perfectly fine for the Wutain princess; she figured that she was bound to spend many hours in the coming days browsing through these very shops once the women of Avalanche managed to get their claws on her.
Amongst their finds was a wrapped gift for Chekhov. Yuffie knew that the pagoda guardian rarely left her island nation; in fact, the ninja could count the number of times on one hand. Chekhov was doing her a great service in keeping her location secret, even from her own father.
As they walked down Main Street, Yuffie's thoughts drifted to her father. Despite everything, she had to admit to herself that she missed him…just a little. He was the only immediate family that she had, and she still loved him. She didn't realize that she had allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips until he hand was captured by a larger, stronger one. Seeing the questioning look, she shook her head, telling him she was okay.
"Auntie Yuffie! Uncle Vince!" Both turned to see little Marlene dashing towards them with a wide smile. Yoshi jogged behind her, obviously having been given to watch over her.
Yuffie's previous thoughts were pushed to the wayside as she hugged the girl who clung to her, giving a nod to Yoshi. "Hey Marlene, Yosh! Where are you guys headed?"
"I wanted ice cream!" the little girl answered, releasing Yuffie and taking Vince's hand.
"I volunteered to go with her." Yoshi ruffled Marlene's hair with affection. "We wanted to look at a few of the shops here before heading back to the hotel to change."
Marlene gave Vincent's hand a light tug. "Are you and Aunt Yuffie coming to the beach with us today?" She watched as her uncle answered with a nod and graced him with a bright smile. "Can you two come with us to get ice cream?"
"Sure," Yuffie chirped upon seeing Vincent's light nod. "Ice cream sounds good!"
The little group didn't take long to get to the air conditioned shop with Marlene holding Vincent's hand, telling him about her new friends and her 'big brother', Yoshi. Said teen's cheeks were tinted red at the praise coming from the young girl as he chatted with the ninja about living in Corel with the Wallace's and Mrs. Gainsborough. From what she was hearing, Yuffie was glad that Barrett and Elmrya took them into his home.
As Yuffie and Yoshi sampled various flavors from the glass enclosed cases, Vincent stood by, watching his young charge as she moved to her toes to peer into the cases, letting out a soft 'hmmm' as she tried to decide.
"Uncle Vinnie, are you getting some too?"
Vincent's brow furrowed slightly, moving to the little girl's side. "I was not planning to," he paused for a moment, looking at all of the unusual names for the more colorful blends. "What do you think I should pick?"
The child turned her big brown eyes upon the gunman brining a small finger to tap her lip. An odd mixture of amusement and awkwardness welled up in Vincent as she studied him.
"You gotta admit, Uncle Vinnie," Chaos started with amusement. "The pup(0) is damn cute."
Though in agreement, Vincent gave a mental sigh. "Shut up, Chaos."
The chuckling demon was ignored as she moved from case to case before settling on something. He moved to her side when she waved him over
"I think you should get Strawberry," She said as Yuffie joined them, her dish of ice cream in hand. "Strawberries are good to eat when you're happy. Uncle Vinnie looks happy so he should have lots of strawberries."
The gunman blinked in surprise at her statement, realizing she could see right through his mask of stoicism. Though he was often through of as intimidating by many he had encountered, both before his change and after, Marlene had never feared him. Her reaction made him feel normal.
He reached up with his gloveless hand and placed it on her head, pushing the dark strands from her pixie-like face and gracing her with a small smile. "That sounds like a wise choice Marlene, thank you."
"Hey kiddo, would you like to place the order for yourself and Uncle Vince?" Yuffie asked and saw her nod eagerly. The employee took the order from the little girl for two dishes with double scoops of strawberry ice cream, both topped with extra fresh strawberries.
Choosing a table near the back, Vincent listened to the conversation between Yoshi, Yuffie and Marlene, feeling oddly at ease though he didn't say much.
'Happy? Hmmm…' Vincent took a bite of the pink treat, enjoying the strawberries.
.:-o-:.
By the time they left the ice cream parlor, it was a bit past the time they were suppose to meet the rest of their friends. After a quick call to Elmyra to let her know that Marlene and Yoshi were with them, she told the older woman to go ahead to the beach and they'd meet them shortly. After a quick stop by the hotel to drop off their shopping bags in the teen's room, the small group headed down to the beach.
"Okay, they said they'd be a bit to the north and to look for three dark blue umbrellas and two purpled ones." Yuffie called to the others.
"Over there!" Marlene pointed to the umbrellas in the distance. A shock of blond hair could be seen.
Yuffie grinned and began to stalk her prey. She wove in and out of the various umbrellas, increasing her speed before launching herself onto Cloud's back. She laughed as he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance, his hands instantly moved to grasp her legs in order to steady her.
"Hey Yuffie," the blond greeted his 'rider,' turning slightly to see her.
"Hey Cloudy," She placed a light but loud kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday." She said before greeting everyone else.
The swordsman gave her a smile. "Thanks." He nodded his greeting to Vincent, walking Yuffie over to the rest of the short distance to their group. During the ride, neither the ninja or the swordsman failed to notice the surfboard rental shack not far behind their campsite, away from the water's edge.
"Reeve!" Yuffie hopped off Cloud's back to greet the bearded man with a hug.
"It's good to see you again, Yu." He said with a smile, pulling back in time to hug Marlene as well. It was then that Yuffie took her chance to observe the rest of his companions.
Rude and Elena sat on one of the several blankets brought to their little site., talking with Reno in his garish, tropical shirt.
"Geez Reno, you just scream tourist." Yuffie snorted.
"Hey, what can I say? The ladies seem to love it." He wagged his eyebrows, causing her to laugh and shake her head. She had a feeling that the ladies were admiring his nicely defined chest and abs, which were visible between the open buttons.
Yuffie shook her head before setting her eyes one the fourth person sitting with the other Turks. He was dressed similarly to Vincent; conservative, in a short sleeved white button down shirt. Through unbuttoned, he wore a white t-shirt beneath and a pair of loose, light weight tan pants. Despite being on opposite sides during their journey, she couldn't hold grudges against any of the Turks.
Tseng had done all that he could by keeping Shinra away from Aeris. He had taught the young Cetra how to defend herself for those times that he couldn't keep her away from those who had no qualms about handing her over to Shinra.
Yuffie smiled at the former Turk leader. "You look muck better than you did the last time I saw you." She held her hand out to the older man. "Red is not your color."
Tseng allowed a small but true smile to grace his lips as he took her hand in his, giving it a slight squeeze. "I agree with you. Hopefully with my new…position, for lack of a better word, in life, I won't see as much action up close and personal.
"Smart man," She chuckled as he released her hand with a nod.
They settled on the blankets that were laid on the white sands next to where Nanaki sat on his haunches in the shade of the umbrella. She hugged him around the neck in greeting just as Cid and Shera arrived. While Vincent pulled their supplies from their bag, Yuffie hopped to her feet and hugged the pilot and engineer.
"I know I said it before, but thank you guys again for the gift. We're had so much fun. Its been wonderful!"
"Aw it was nothin', kid!" Cid gave her a squeeze. When released, the ninja plucked the sun block from her gunman, giving the bottle a shake.
"So what have you two done? Any recommendations?" Shera asked.
The group watched the couple as Yuffie told them about some of the activities that they had participated in all the while, watching the interaction between Yuffie and Vincent. He was relaxed as Yuffie tapped him on the shoulder, and he immediately shed his shirt, allowing her to apply the sunscreen to his back.
The women continued the conversation, watching the non-verbal communication between the two. They couldn't help but to smile when Yuffie quickly braided his long ponytail and hopped back to her feet, declaring him done. Elmyra exchanged a look with Shera and Tifa before letting out a chuckle. They were meant to be together.
"So Cloudy, you ready to get whipped?" Yuffie asked, pulling her shirt over her head, exposing the Prussian blue bandeau bikini top that she had purchased with Tifa. She turned and grinned, flipping Reno the bird when she heard his catcall, followed quickly by a yelp when Elena smacked him on the forehead.
The blond pushed himself to his feet and pulled his shirt off. "Sorry Yu, I'm not going to lose to you today."
"You don't even know how to surf!" She pulled her shorts off and took the sarong that Vincent' pulled from her bag, tying it around her small waist.
"Well neither do you!"
She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm better than you at snowboarding; surfing can't be much harder."
The ninja dropped to her knees carefully in front of Vincent, her back to him to allow him to lotion her back while she argued with Cloud. "You are SO not better than me!"
"Okay Yuffie, believe what you want." He held a hand out to her and pulled her to her feet once Vincent finished.
"Time to put up or shut up, Blondie. Let's go!"
"Wait! I want in on this too." Reno looked to Reeve who shrugged, telling him that this was time for ALL of them to relax.
Cloud and Yuffie exchanged a glance. "Come on then, we need to get going." The swordsman called to the Turk-turned-bodyguard.
Reno moved to his feet with ease, tucking his hand in his pockets was he lazily followed the pair towards the little rental shack. He laughed at the banter between the two Avalanche members before adding his own two gil.
"I don't know why you guys are griping over who will beat who. I'm gonna pound both of them into the sand."
"Yeah right, Reno!" The ninja snorted.
"You wanna make this interesting?" He grinned as they drew further away from the group.
.:-o-:.
Tifa laughed as the trio's conversation grew too faint for her ears. She turned back to their little party. "Well I think I'm ready for a dip. Anyone coming?" She stood, removing her own sarong and pulling her hair into a low ponytail.
Elmyra, Shera, Nanaki and Tifa walked to the surf in the wake of Marlene and Yoshi as they raced into the water with a splash. Elmyra warned the little girl not to go too deep unless she put on her lifejacket, gaining an "Okay!" from Marlene as she ran through the water to the elder woman, letting her strap her into the little pink vest.
From the shore, Vincent and Tseng watched as Marlene ran to her 'big brother,' jumping into his arms. The teen carried her out into the waves, counting to three before tossing her into the water. Squealed and promptly surfaced, laughing gleefully with shouts of "Again! Again!"
The former Turk leader, turned advisor, allowed himself a small smile. Vincent studied the man from the corner of his eye, allowing a smirk to form while they watched Marlene become airborne once more before plunging into the water. Sometimes it was easy to forget about the power contained in the teen's body.
Elena and Rude started towards the water, leaving Tseng and Vincent while Reeve spoke with Barret and Cid a few umbrellas down.
"Its not a surprise that you survived." The smirk on Vince's lips grew slightly.
Tseng nodded, a sound of agreement was heard. "The general was quite precise in his strike. I am grateful to Aeris for her help. I wish I could tell her myself." The two fell silent for a few moments before a few moments before the Turk Leader spoke once more. "I have heard that things have changed for you as well. You are calm and seem content."
Vincent nodded, not bothering to hide the fact. "I could say the same for you as well."
"It's thanks to being a simple advisor to a man who wishes to do good, rather than being the blood hound to a greedy man who wants people to think and believe he is good. If I could go back and possibly change something, it would be that she had lived. I have accepted my wounds, my losses," he paused as the image of his deceased wife and newborns son flashed through his mind. "and I've had an opportunity to come to terms with them over the several months that it has taken me to recover."
"I do understand." Vincent said. Where Tseng required solitude to reach the level of peace that he now held, his own came in the form of a little Wutain ninja-slash-princess, who kept the life he now decided to live, exciting.
"I suppose you do," Tseng turned his dark eyes to the gunman. "Your princess has done well." They watched as an instructor from the surf shack gave Reno, Yuffie and Cloud some instruction on a clear section of shoreline, their instructors giving the basics first.
Once the trio watched their teacher take a few waves, they headed back to grab their own boards. The advisor looked to the gunman as he spoke. "They don't know that fact about Yuffie yet. She will be telling everyone soon though."
"Reeve is aware." Tseng stated. "I assume that she will be telling them before the announcement that will be made in the coming months?" He asked. He well knew that traditions of Wutai. They had been drilled into his memory at a young age thanks to his own family. It wasn't odd to him that her fellow members had no clue of her status. Wutai was an isolated Island nation. Outside of the tourism advertisement, not many know of their customs or power structure.
"Correct. Well before." Vincent answered just before a commotion behind them caused both Wutains to turn and see Yuffie bickering with Reno and Cloud about why she will be the one that came out on top during their little competition.
Tseng quickly glanced over at Vincent and saw the warmth in those crimson eyes. Yes, Vincent was definitely a man in love.
.:-o-:.
He continued to watch his ninja approach, coming to a stop with her borrowed green and white surf board, telling cloud that she'd make sure to wipe out a few times since it was his birthday. She didn't want his second place to be too distant.
She loosened the tie of her sarong, leaving her clad in just her new dragonfly bikini. Vincent took the blue wrap, placing it on the bag they had brought. She flashed him a bright smile thanked him before bouncing off, surf board in tow to Cloud's side as they waited for Reno to shed his rather loud tropical shirt. Soon they were off once more, their instructor leading them back towards the surf as they discussed the rules of their wager.
The pair watched Reno's numerous wipeouts with amusement as even little Marlene stopped drinking from her juice box to ask her Uncle Reeve an innocent question.
"Uncle Reeve, why is Reno in the water so much? Isn't he suppos' to stay on the board?"
Everyone within earshot laughed at the girl's question as Reno sputtered indignantly from where he bobbed in the ocean.
Reeve smiled at the child. "He doesn't seem to have the best sense of balance, does he?" The girl shook her head. "We'll see if he gets better with practice. Are you ready for another round?"
The girl nodded eagerly and let out a squeal of happiness as he lifted her to his shoulder, walking out into the water where Elena was perched on those of Rude.
Eventually Tseng, Barrett, Vincent and Cid took a dip in the cool, clear waters of Costa Del Sol. It wasn't until around quarter to four that the decision was made to call it a day and meet back up at the restaurant for Cloud's party. The surf contest was called a draw since the three competitors spent just as much time in the ocean as they did on the boards.
Yuffie, Cloud and Reno made plans to surf again before they left the beautiful resort town.
.:-o-:.
The gunman carried their bags as they headed towards the bungalow office. He didn't fail to noticed that she had developed a slight limp. Shuffling the bags into one hand, he reached out, pulling her to a stop. "Are you all right?"
Yuffie smiled up at him. "Just a little sore." She answered as they reached the office. They didn't have t wait long for the return trip to their residence.
Vincent opened the door as they both met a burst of cold air. He sat the bags inside before returning to scoop after she tipped the carriage driver, surprising his ninja. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, letting a sigh escape her lips.
They entered the bathroom and he sat her on the countertop only to start filling the bathtub. At her look, Vincent moved to stand between her thighs. "There is enough time for you to soak for a bit."
Yuffie nodded. "Thanks Vinnie. When we come back later, maybe we can take a dip in the hot tub?" She asked and pressed a kiss against his lips, then allowing her gunman to step back. The ninja reached to the various glass bottles that sat on the counter, giving them a sniff before settling on the one labeled jasmine-vanilla and handing it to Vincent.
Once the tub was filled with warm water, she turned on the water in the shower. Gray eyes met crimson, unable to keep her cheeks from turning a slight shade of pink. "Wanna join me?"
Vincent didn't reply, simply taking her hand as she hopped from the countertop and though she tried to hide it, he noticed the slight wince of pain when she landed. He said nothing, simply leading her to the shower stall. They bathed together, helping each other wash and for the ninja, it took quite a bit of willpower now to follow that thin trail of hair beneath his navel with her gaze, knowing that her curiosity would only lead to trouble. Soon the shower was turned off and the couple padded to the tub, slipping into the warm, bubbling water.
Yuffie settled against him with a pleased sigh, allowing her sore muscle to relax. Tilting her head to the side slightly to meet his crimson as he slowly kneaded the slightly spasming muscle in her hip. "I saw you had a chance to talk to Tseng."
Vincent nodded, taking a few moments to relay most of the conversation between Tseng and himself. His chin came to rest on her shoulder, as he spoke. "...he said if he could go back and change anything, he would have made it so that Aeris would have lived."
She too wished that Aeris would have lived, but she knew that her Cetran sister was content and still with them in a way. What surprised her was the revelation about the Turk leader. "Wait...Tseng was married and had a child?"
Vincent gave a somber nod, shifting his one handed massage a bit lower to work the muscles of her thigh. "Tseng was married to a teacher who taught at one of the primary schools on the plate. They were married for two years before she became pregnant. They were happy and Tseng was looking forward to becoming a father.
"Her pregnancy wasn't easy. He didn't tell me the details, but I know that Shinra sent him away when she was not doing well. When he returned, she was bleeding heavily. He got her to the hospital, but his son was stillborn and she died due to complications. "
"Poor Tseng..I can't imagine what that must have been like." Yuffie said softly, blinking the stinging sensation in her eyes away for the older Wutain man.
"He received special permission from the Wutain government to have his family interned within his family plot. I believe that his near death has given him a different outlook on life. Now that Shinra is dead and the company is non-existent, he is no longer bound by his Turk duties, so he can move on."
Yuffie shook her head. "That's so sad. I mean, we were on opposite sides but I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone."
Vincent simply nodded his head. Having experienced his own pain, he knew how hard it was to move on. It was with the support of his ninja and the forgiveness of the woman he thought he had wronged, that he was able to move on and come to the point where he was now.
Placing a kiss on her temple, he smiled when she commented on Tseng possibly finding happiness with someone else, replying with a soft "maybe."
He took her silence as a chance to change the subject. "Have you decided on when you will tell the others of your status in Wutai? Reeve, Tseng and the Turks already know."
The ninja nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I figured that Reeve would have found out as soon as he took over, if he hadn't already known. He's not the type to tell other's secrets. Reno, Elena and Rude, well, information was their job.
"I promised Tifa that I would tell her first. We still have four days here in Costa, so I want to tell her before we leave. I was thinking maybe in a day or two. I'm kinda anxious about what the others reaction will be. I just hope they don't get mad that I didn't just come out and say something."
"Everything will be all right. You're right, they may ask why you didn't tell them sooner," A smirk traced his lips. "Though you may get more teasing from Barrett and Cid. Things will be fine."
"Can we invite everyone to the mansion? It'll probably be easier that way."
The former Turk nodded reminding her of the timeline, which was ticking away. The past nine months that he had spent with her had flown. Now that they were growing closer to her return to Wutai, he wondered how soon it would be until she began to grow anxious about her return.
"Vince? You all right?" She asked, looking at him curiously. A squeak escaped her lips as he shifted her in his arms, pulling her close and kissing her gently before pulling back.
Vincent watched as those stormy gray eyes darkened as she pressed forward, kissing him deeply, her fingers entwining in his dark hair. He shuddered when the sound of her moan reached his ear just as their lips parted. They both looked down to see her breasts pressed against his chest and she gave him a sheepish kiss on his lips feeling him pressed firmly against her thigh. "I've wanted to do that all day."
Realizing that he may need a few moments to himself, Yuffie stood and made her way out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her body, placing one nearby for Vincent. As she slipped from the bathroom, the need to turn around and help him with his 'problem' was strong, but they both knew the rules that restricted their actions. The ninja shook her head, pushing those thoughts away, knowing that they'd only lead her to needing a cold shower.
Eventually Vincent emerged from the bathroom as Yuffie sat on the bed, drying the brace she had been wearing. As the gunman slipped into his boxes, he took a seat beside her. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I'm just tired of wearing the brace, ya know?"
"I have had...similar thoughts." Vincent admitted.
Yuffie gave a small, knowing smile. She knew that if anyone could understand, it would be him. After strapping the device back on, the ninja stood and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Standing before an open drawer, she looked over the folded clothing critically. Tapping her foot in contemplation, she removed a pair of khaki cargo pants and a pink T-shirt. A hooded sweatshirt was also tossed on the small pile of clothing. While she wouldn't need it now, nights in Costa could get a bit chilly on occasion.
Vincent watched the young woman's progress with a half smile. One of the things he loved about the ninja was the little habits that she subconsciously started. Each time she had to make a decision on something mundane, such as clothing, the ninja's eyebrows furrowed and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth; or when she was in the kitchen, the way her hips swayed while she hummed some nonsensical tune.
The gunman excused himself and slipped into the kitchen and it wasn't long before the teen joined him. After gathering their friends' gifts, they started towards the restaurant where they would all be gathering.
.:-o-:.
After tipping the coach driver extra for taking them direction to their location, Vincent held a hand out to his ninja. Gifted with a smile as she placed her hand in his, hopping down to the cobbled road below. Two packages wrapped in green paper were removed from the seat and he immediately claimed the larger package, tucking it beneath his arm with ease. Yuffie shifted the smaller one as the carriage operator clicked his tongue twice, steering the birds away. Gray met crimson in silent communication and she smiled when he nodded.
They took their time walking up the short, manicured path to the restaurant. The door opened and the owner of Aoi Kaze bowed to them in greeting. Yuffie blinked and felt a wave of home sickness at the sight of the elder male in his modernized blue hakama and black haori, bearing his family's crest.
"Kisaragi-san, Valentine-san, welcome back." He said with a smile.
"Thanks for letting us take over your restaurant, Mr. Kaku." Yuffie returned his smile. They had truly taken over his place in order to have the celebration in private. The arrangement was made that allowed the establishment to be officially closed with only the staff to assist with the party.
"It's an honor to have you and your friends here, Kisaragi-san." He gestured towards the door. "Come; let's reunite you with your friends. Everyone has arrived with exception to the guest of honor."
The young princess nodded as Vincent voiced their thanks, following him inside. Placing their gifts on a table, already decorated for them, they greeted their friends, joining them at the table.
"Sir, Ma'am, your drink menus." A polite male voice spoke from their left. Yuffie looked up and a small smirk traced her lips. "Hiya Tetsu," She said in greeting, remembering how he had to wrangle the drunken members of their patronage away from the crimson eyed gunman they decided to turn their attentions upon. She thanked him for his help that night with Vincent subtly nodding his agreement. They talked for a few moments with the waiter, listening to his drink recommendations before placing their orders. It was when Tetsu left to get their drinks that Mr. Kaku entered the dining room with Tifa and Cloud trailing behind him, hand in hand.
"Happy Birthday!" They gave their rousing greeting. Even Reno from his seat away from the main area designated for the Turks, raised his glass of scotch in salute to the blond. Little Marlene dashed around the table towards the couple, wrapping her arms around Cloud's legs and grinning up at him.
Cloud lifted her easily into his arms and smiled when she kissed him on the cheek and whispered into his ear. He thanked her, giving her a squeeze before placing her on the ground. Their friends took their chance to greet their leader with hugs, kisses and hearty claps on the backs or noogies (both in Cid's case).
After the well wishes were passed on and everyone took their seats, Tifa moved to stand behind Cloud, her hands resting on his shoulders, a smile tracing her lips. "Thank you all for coming. We're glad that everyone could make it and happy that you could help us celebrate Cloud's birthday."
Said blond tried to tramp down the blush that wanted to show on his lightly freckled cheeks, but wasn't very successful.
"Enjoy yourselves and eat up!" Tifa finished, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.
As if queued, the doors from the kitchen opened and several servers came out of the kitchen carrying platters laden with various dishes.
"Dig in." Cloud said with a small smile.
Plates were filled and Marlene watched the adults around her eat and talk, studying the way they held the chopsticks. She sat her fork on the table top; her eyes watching Yuffie wield her chopsticks with ease.
"Auntie Yuffie? How do you do that?" The little girl asked, picking up the chopsticks at her place setting.
"Hm?" Yuffie took a sip of her strawberry peach lemonade. "You want to learn how to use them?"
"Yes please!" Marlene nodded.
Barrett watched his little girl as she fumbled a bit with the wooden utensils before being able to successfully bring a bit of chicken to her mouth. The gun-armed man praised her, causing his daughter to smile.
"Can you do it too?" She asked her papa.
"Of course!" He replied proudly, dropping his fork for his own chopsticks, managing to bring a piece of beef from his plate. He playfully saluted his daughter, gaining a giggle from the girl before he popped it in his mouth.
"Hmm…"
The inquisitive sound caused Barrett to look over to the ninja as she tapped the end of her own utensils against her lip, contemplating Barret's massive, chopstick-wielding paw.
"What?" He questioned, quirking his eyebrow. "Care to comment on my chopstick mastery?"
Yuffie tilted her head to the side, her gray eyes sparkling mischievously. "Not really. I was just thinking...who woulda thought..."
"Thought what? Spit it out, brat!" Barrett barked.
"Who woulda thought that a marshmallow based man would have sausages for fingers?"
Cid promptly choked on his drink, laughing around the coughs that resulted. The others, with exception to Vincent and Tseng, laughed at Barrett's indignant retorts. Artfully placed teacups hid the smirks that graced their lips. Even Reno snorted in amusement at his one time foes antics...though it may have been due to the sake he chased his scotch with...
.:-0-:.
Mr. Kaku looked on from his post in the kitchen and smiled. These people, who were brought together under circumstances that were far less than ideal, where they faced loss, death, injury and exhaustion that became commonplace while they fought to save them all. They became a family and that was obvious from the way they interacted with one another.
He truly did love when his restaurant was filled with laughter.
Seeing that most of the plates were empty, he turned back to his staff as they hustled around the kitchen, starting towards one station. "Kai, is the cake ready?" the older man asked.
"Yes sir, just adding the finishing touches." The pastry chef said, adding the last few candles to the cake. Kai turned to his boss with a lighter in hand. "Would you like to do the honors?" When his boss nodded with that small smile he normally wore, Kai slipped off to grab the ice cream he had scooped earlier from the freezer.
Twenty-two candles were lit in no time and slipped onto the linen covered cart with ease. Kai arranged the ice cream in their gleaming silver bowls were placed strategically around the cake, adjusting a decoration here and there until it was perfect. Mr. Kaku praised the young man before grasping the silver handle of the car. Nodding, he followed Kai to the swinging kitchen door, to the party in the main dining room.
.:-o-:.
Tifa glanced towards the doors to the kitchen as they opened, eager to taste the chocolate cake and scoops of vanilla ice cream that was pushed into the dining area. A number of the wait staff trickled out after the cake being pushed by Aoi Kaze's owner. She gave the blond's hand a squeeze and smiled when she saw the pink blush return to his cheeks once more. 'Probably a combination of the Sake and a bit of embarrassment. Too much attention on him.'
The room quieted as everyone took notice of the cake and staff that had joined them. Catching the Elder Wutain's glance, she nodded.
"Mr. Strife, on behalf of myself and my staff, we'd like to thank you for celebrating with us and wish you a happy birthday. May Leviathan smile upon you and grant you many more joyous occasions to celebrate surrounded by family and friends." Mr. Kaku and his staff bowed deeply as the people surround the table clapped and murmured their agreement.
"Thank you." Cloud said, bowing his head to his elder.
Tifa took this moment and stood. "Thank you and your staff for helping with the
Party tonight. Everything was and is perfect." She turned to Cloud and grinned. "Now all that's left is to sing happy birthday and dig into that beautiful cake.
.:-o-:.
Yuffie couldn't wipe the grin from her face. Cloud was so cute! He fought valiantly against the redness in his cheeks, but lost the battle when all eyes were on him as he stood before his cake. With everyone (family and staff included) singing the traditional birthday song, then listening to him give a small speech, thanking everyone, he was a touch flushed. But when he turned to his brunette haired fighter, placing a sweet kiss on her lips that had Barrett, Cid and herself hooting and gracing the couple with cat calls, he seemed to forget his embarrassment.
Marlene was quite proud to help Tifa and giving Cloud gifts to open. Cloud immediately noticed a theme with some of the gifts he received. A large box was first, coming from Marlene and Yoshi, contained various pieces of snow gear. Then there was Tifa's gift, handed to him in a small, flat box. Cloud couldn't keep the smile that made its way onto his lips as he read.
"Passage for two on Northern Bound cruise line to the Northern continent...transportation to icicle inn and ten nights stay in one of the suites at the inn."
"Nice." Reno commented around his sake. "They just did a big remodel and expansion up there. Even though we weren't chasin' after ya, Elena still spent most of her time on her ass in the snow."
Elena flushed in embarrassment, remembering her failed punch at the blond Avalanche leader. "I did not, you lying bastard!" She yelled, smacking the crimson haired man, sending him to the ground in his buzzed stupor.
Yuffie snorted as the two Turks griped then turned her attention back to Cloud, who was getting another gift from Marlene with Tifa's help. This one contained a new snowboard and a card from the engineer and pilot for transportation back from the Northern Continent. The box from Barret and Elmyra was small and contained a letter written in Elmyra's elegant script.
"Cloud-
We wanted to give you something you could use while having fun at the same time. You'll have to wait until you return to Nibelheim to see what it is though. Tifa knows, but she won't tell!
Have fun with your gift!
Love, Elmyra & Barret"
Though cloud was tempted to ask Tifa what was waiting for him back home, the small smirk on her lips told him she'd never tell.
"Not even a hint?"
"It was too heavy to bring so we had it shipped directly to Nibelheim." Elmyra said with a smile.
Cloud sighed, knowing that not knowing was going to drive him crazy, but smiled and thanked the couple. 'Maybe Marlene knows...' he thought, making a mental note to ask her later.
Nanaki's gift was next and Cloud parted the cloth that protected the gift. He saw that it was an accessory of some sort, but unlike he had ever seen before. It was a ring made of black, smooth stone in the warm lighting of the restaurant. A small violet colored gem was recessed in the stone ban, looking innocent enough, but when he picked it up, he was surprised to find it warm to the touch.
"It's called the Heike's soul. It's a powerful accessory that I found while helping in Midgar. When the GRO was exploring the ruins of the city, they found what appeared to be old personnel pods in a Shinra storage facility. All contained useful items that weren't damaged, but this was the most unique of them all."(1)
Cloud looked thoughtful for a moment as he studied the ring. "During my cadet days, a good friend of mine told me about this Heike's soul. One thing he always told me was to be wary of what can make you powerful. The drawbacks can be dangerous if you're not careful. However, if you choose to use that gained power, use it to protect those around you."
"Your friend was very wise," Nanaki replied. "We researched the ring and thought it would be best with someone trusted. Every effect we learned about using the soul is continued in the letter enclosed along with the name placard on the unit. Tseng was sure that you would want to keep it." A golden eye watched as Cloud ran his thumb across the cloth wrapped metal, though he didn't open it. He could tell that the blond wanted to do that in private.
"The only suggestion I have for you is to leave the soul locked in the mansion when you have no need for it."
"I appreciate this…" Cloud said and paused before reaching out to take the guardian's paw in his hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They watched as Cloud carefully placed the wrapped metal on the table before him, deep in thought, a sad smile tracing his lips. Taking a deep breath and pulling himself out of his memories, he took a drink looking to Tifa as she squeezed his knee comfortingly. Nodding as she leaned in and whispered if he was okay.
Reeve removed something from his pocket and tossed them to Cloud, who caught it easily. The blond studied the keys and the Diablos emblem engraved into the metal before his blue eyes widened.
"…"
The raven haired man laughed. "I bought a Hardy-Daytona motorcycle from a seller a while back, but never had much of a chance to do anything with it. It was damaged and I couldn't let it be sent to the scrap yard when it had so much potential. When I showed Shera a picture, she was eager to upgrade and redesign it…she also added a few modifications. You'll have to show him everything later." He winked at the engineer with a smile.(2)
Shera nodded. "If you want to go for a ride while you're here, it's on the Highwind. Matter fact, I insist that you do! I'd like to see all of my hard work ride off into the horizon."
Cid snorted. "Couldn't think anything a little less girly. Ow!" He yelped as she smacked his arm.
"One, I am a girl. Two, I designed it! Three, I want to see Cloud ride it, so stuff it, Cid." She griped, pinching the pilot for good measure.
Before he could respond to Shera or thank Reeve, a tiny grunt was heard as Marlene tried to lift the last gift. Yoshi rushed over to help the small girl. While he held ninety-five percent of the weight, he allowed Marlene to guide it over to the Avalanche leader. Tifa cleared a spot on the table quickly. Once the gift was sat before him, a second smaller one was also given.
"It's from Yuffie and Vincent." Tifa said helpfully.
"Thanks."
"You have to open the larger one first or the smaller package probably won't make much sense!" Yuffie called from her spot at Vincent's side.
The wrapping paper was pulled away to reveal the fine craftsmanship and the lone wolf. A soft 'wow' was heard from Tifa as Cloud ran his fingers over the image.
"The case itself is beautiful." Elmyra commented from her seat.
"Open it!" Yuffie coaxed, taking Vincent's hand in hers beneath the table's surface.
Cloud nodded and opened the three metal clasps that secured the case. Cerulean eyes took in the sword that lie inside the black velvet lined case, taking in the silver blade and not failing to notice the green tint to the metal or the pink materia permanently affixed in the hilt. With ease, he lifted the blade from its home, stepping back from the table as Yuffie explained the abilities of the weapon. "It doesn't have a name yet…"
"Its much lighter than Apocalypse." He stated and gave the couple a nod, the corner of his mouth upturned. "I look forward to trying it out." Thank you both."
"If you wanna try while here, we know of a good place." The ninja offered watching Cloud replace his new sword in its case, taking a moment to glance at the wolf engraved on the blade and carved into the case.
"Sköll," he murmured softly.(3)
Vincent nodded, overhearing the blond's voice. "Fitting."
The blond looked over, a bit surprised that Vincent had heard him, not even realizing that he had named the wolf out loud. "It is." He said simply, his slight smile growing a touch.
The party wound down after the gifts were exchanged and after thanking Mr. Kakau for his hospitality, Cid, Shera and Elmyra helped Cloud and Tifa take his gifts back to the villa while Yuffie volunteered to get the bonfire started on the beach. As she knelt in the sand, she smiled when she saw a familiar gold claw helping to stack wood. After Yuffie called forth a fire spell , the wood crackled and burned merrily.
Soon everyone gathered on the beach. Barret and Cid lit fireworks as little Marlene 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the colorful burst filling the night sky. Yuffie's head rest on Vincent's shoulder, watching Marlene get up to dance to Reeve's music as he strummed lazily at a guitar while the adults talked around them.
"Thanks for coming today." Cloud said, running his fingers through Tifa's hair as she lay with her head on his thigh, lightly dozing. He felt content and actually had a good time on his birthday. It was the first time since he was in his teens that he actually had fun on the anniversary of his birth.
"It was fun, Cloud." Elmyra said, smiling while Barret launched the last rocket into the air.
"Well," Tifa's sleepy voice was heard. "It's almost midnight. How about getting together at the Villa for lunch, say around two?" The fighter sat up and stretched.
After the agreement was made, the gun armed man consumed their firework debris with another fire spell, which was followed up with ice spells to extinguish the two fires, thanks to Yuffie. There were hugs exchanged before Avalanche disbanded for the evening.
After a quick shower to free himself of the tiny grains of sand, he entered the living room to find Yuffie curled on the couch, finishing a cup of tea. Draining the last of her cup, she smiled up at him. "You ready?" She asked as the news stations' final recap of the show began to play on the television.
"Yes. It has been a long day." He admitted, taking the empty cup and placing it on the coffee table just before helping her to her feet.
"Let's go to bed." The ninja reached for the remote as the anchorwoman's voice slipped from the speakers.
"Even heroes need vacations."
"That's right Janice. It appears that Avalanche is here in Costa Del Sol on vacation. One of our citizen reporters sent us the footage."
Yuffie and Vincent paused and snorted as they watched Yuffie and Cloud paddle out on surf boards.
"It appears to be Avalanche's leader, Cloud Strife, and the groups youngest member, Yuffie Kisaragi, paddling out to catch a wave."
The ninja laughed as the video moved to a shot of Reno wiping out.
"It was reported that Cid Highwind, Barret Wallace took a chance to dip into Coasta's clear waters. Here we see Mr. Wallace swimming with his daughter." The next shot showed Tifa chatting with Vincent and Reeve. "President Reeve Brooks along with his personal guard were also in attendance along with his advisor."
Still photos of them sitting around the fire, with Marlene caught mid bounce as she pointed to the sky were displayed on the screen. The voices droned on and Yuffie shook her head, turning off the television as Vincent snorted. They didn't even want to think about the scramble that was in whatever newsroom their unseen photographer had taken the images to, especially since those pictures weren't more than a couple hours old.
Ignoring what they had seen, the couple left the living room to turn in for the evening.
.:-Author's Note-:.
So…here is a nice, LONG nearly 10,000 word chapter. I was going to split it in two because it was so long, but decided against it because you all waited so long! (Review replies at the end of this…I actually had a chance to do that this time! But they're short)
0: This is 0 because I just added it and didn't want to re-number the ones below this. My own preference for this is for Chaos to refer to kids/infants as pups...plus it kinda fit for Marlene in my head...not sure why, lol.
1: In Final Fantasy Crisis Core, the 6th pod was Zack's. In my little realm, their contents are put into storage when a guardsman or SOLDIER is MIA or KIA. Zack's pod was moved into the storage facility, but his family was never contacted so his possessions were never claimed.
2 & 3: So if you are wondering, yes, the motorcycle will be Fenrir. Cloud rides a Harley Daytona in FF7. The bike that Shera has upgraded and modified is Fenrir. Of course she didn't do it alone though she did design it. We all know that gearhead Cid wouldn't pass up an opportunity to fix or tweak something.
Fenrir and Skoll:
One thing that I really like is mythology. In Norse mythology, Loki and the female Giant, Angrboða together had three children, The wolf: Fenrir, the Midgard Serpent: Jörmungand (hmmm…Midgar Zolom anyone?) and the Goddess of Underworld: Hel.
Fenrir had two sons: The wolves Sköll and Hati. Sköll chases the chariot that carries the sun across the sky while his brother, Hati chases the moon. When the sun and moon are devoured, Ragnarök would occur. That is why I chose Sköll as the name for Cloud's new blade. I almost wanted to create a second blade to give him so that he would have a Hati as well.
I think that's one of the reasons why I love the final fantasy series so much…there's a lot of mythology with the beings within the series.
Does anyone else find it weird that when you're in the original hideout at the start of FF7, there's a neon sign in the bar that says TEXAS?
Special thanks to all of you that took a moment to review! No, this isn't the end, and I appreciate my new readers that plowed through 60 chapters of my story. Much love to you all!
Vampirediaries95 (see above, nope, not the end, hehe! )
Kurogane7 (I definitely will!)
The Philosipher (It went well! )
Gena346 (Glad you like it!)
Asunderous (Nanaki has a special place in my heart because of this story…)
Classic anon (Surgery does suck! None in 2012! That's my goal!)
That guy too (I really hope your year is going well! Thanks for the well wishes and reading!)
Heretictome (GAH! I hate when the damn document manager/site eats my quotation marks cus they're there when I look at the preview. Thank you so much for reading and I'm glad you're enjoying)
Tatski.k kiba lover (I always feel so bad when I make you all wait! I have so much planned and just am bogged down, though I try to write a little when I can. Thanks again!)
Mistress of Dragons (Ah! Missed ya! Glad you liked it girlie!)
Kiwi-Starfruit (aww shucks, you made me blush! So glad you're enjoying it)
Insanity-Fun (your reviews made me laugh! Thanks for reading)
Runa Henshin (Aww thanks!)