"Where is she?" His thick Wutianian accent stung the air with each word he spoke.
Tifa had never seen this man before how could he have expected her to have known what he was talking about. Idiot.
"Yuffie Kisaragi. Who else?" He was angry, and I guess rightfully so, I had abandoned him at the alter three months ago I suppose. In Wutai if you're left at the alter its supposed to mean you're unworthy of love, unlovable, or some unthinkable event had happened between the two that made the left behind of less value. And being the princess and calling this man "of less value" didn't go down well.
"Who?" She played coy. "She doesn't work here, I don't know her, I'm the boss, I'd know her if she did." That was almost a ramble but it did the trick.
"If that's a lie you'll hear from me again with not so many nice words to say."
"I wouldn't threaten her if I were you." Vincent had stood up from his place at the Bar and aimed his gun at the man's head. "If I hear another threat from you or a carried out threat I will not hesitate to pull this trigger. Understand me?" I couldn't see his face from this position but I could imagine the glare that shot through him, almost as dangerous as the bullet he was threatening to use.
"You don't know who you're dealing with." He was scared this was Akio's only way at feeling in control.
Vincent chuckled. "No you have no idea who you're dealing with." With that said he fired the gun at the man's feet, making him hastily leave the venue and drive recklessly away. Vincent looked for me, when he spotted me he giggled.
"Nice hiding spot Yuf." He crouched to the floor and offered his hand. "Come on, here we go." He pulled me from the regular customer's feet and thanked them.
"You were truly scared? Yuf, who was that? Why is he after you?"
"He's my fiancé." I stated quite plainly. Vincent's eyes widened in obvious shock and horror, then they turned to sorrow.
"Why did you say you loved me if you're engaged? I heard the crew talking about you the other day, I didn't think anything of it."
I sighed heavily, "Vinnie I do love you, regardless of what that animal is to me." He was confused. I sighed again. This was going to be a difficult day.
"Tifa I'm gonna have my break now."
"Hun take as long as you need."
I was holding Vincent's hand quite tightly, hoping it would stop him if he tried to run from me. Leading him into the bathroom, it was the closest room, I began taking off my apron, and work shirt and the shirt bellow that. Leaving me standing in my crop top and shorts. He could see me now, all the scars that riddled my body. He focused on one long one that ran its way across my stomach and disappeared below my belt line.
"Who... I mean what did this to you... Why?" I'd never seen him lost before. He always had a great sense of direction. But he looked lost now, he didn't know what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to feel, and why this had happened under his nose.
"His name is Akio Katsuo, he was my arranged fiancé from Wutai. He's fifty two years old, and he's an animal. I left him at the altar, which is kind of a big deal in Wutai." He nodded his approval, it was a big deal.
"He used to work late. This was before the war. I was fifteen and engaged to the man, who at the time was forty five. Anyway he worked late and would come home and do this." I motioned with my hands cutting along the scars. Vincent looked horrified. "This one." I pointed to the one that disappeared below my belt. "Was from a night I was asleep and sick when he got home, I hadn't made him dinner yet and hadn't fulfilled my duty. So he..." Again I motioned with my hands a slicing action. "But this one comes up here." I turned around and showed him my back, the scar that vanished below the shorts resurfaced up my back and between my shoulder blades.
"Yuffie." He sobbed. "I could have killed him. This would be all over." He was serious. Damn it this wasn't what I planned I just wanted him to understand, not get all vengeful over me.
"No, Vince it wouldn't be over he has something of mine and I need it kept safe for now. Anyway everything has already happened so killing him wouldn't take it back and make it better, it'd just add more to my ever growing list of horror stories."
"Did he... Rape you?" He looked to the ground half embarrassed that he'd asked and half sorrowful as he already knew the answer.
"Vince... How do you think I got this?" I again pointed to the scar. He openly sobbed.
"I'm sorry." He wasn't hiding behind his collar, he openly let the tears fall from his handsome features.
"Why are you crying? It's not your fault, I don't blame you!" okay this was not the respose I expected from Vince… Zack or Cloud maybe, but not the emotionally strong Vince.
"No I know that. I've just been careful with you for the wrong reasons. I thought you were 'innocent' and have been careful not to take that from you when you're not ready, but I should have just backed off altogether, I can't imagine what that feels like to be touched like that again."
I was amazed, he'd been careful with me? Damn, he thought I was a virgin? When had we been intimate enough to be careful?
"Umm. You can think of me as a virgin to good sex if you want? I'll let you take that from me." I smirked at him. He looked astonished by what I had just told him, the words almost seemed alien to him.
"Umm, now?"
I laughed. "No not now, I have work to do, and only ten minutes left to eat, come eat with me, maybe we should hurry this date along." I smiled at him, he helped me put my clothes back on and pretty much hovered over me as if I would break at some point on the trip down the stairs.
"How are you so okay?"
"Umm... Thanks? I guess I've just come to terms with it, and as long as I don't have to relive the moments there's not a lot that can stop my positive outlook on life."
He thought about this for a moment then smiled. "Okay."
He sat with me through the rest of my break feeding me pieces from my plate, Tifa and Cloud looked over at us and smiled.