Chapter Eight: Events in the night
Cloud stood looking out the window of his room in the inn. He couldn't sleep; his mind felt completely divided. Part of him knew that he had to go to the Temple of the Ancients and defeat Sephiroth if he had the chance. But another part of him was trying to warn him not to go, as if something absolutely terrible would happen if he went.
This was happening more and more frequently, his mind seemed to keep fighting itself on so many different things that it was beginning to worry him. He had decided a long time ago that he would try to hide this from the group, but it was becoming more and more difficult. It was almost as if something kept trying to take control of him, something kept trying to make him do things that he didn't want to. However, oddly enough, the part of his mind that kept trying to make him do things was the part that wanted him to hunt Sephiroth, and he knew that he had to hunt down and destroy Sephiroth.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and he heard a sweet voice call to him, "Cloud?"
Aeris walked into the room and Cloud turned towards her, very happy to have her as a visitor, plus it halted his mind's fighting for now. "Hey Aeris, is everything all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, everything fine…" Aeris told the ex-SOLDIER, trying to look innocent as she walked closer to him. "Umm, I was wondering if maybe we could go on a date…"
"A date?" Cloud asked, happy and yet slightly confused. It was very obvious that she liked him, but he was thinking that they would deal with each other once their journey was over, not that he would mind to go on a date with her in the least bit.
"Yeah, remember, I owe you one for being my bodyguard," Aeris told him. "Now let's go!"
Cloud smiled at the beautiful young ancient before him and said, "Yeah, all right… let's go Aeris."
Aeris's green eyes light up even more than usual as she ran up to him and grabbed his hand. "All right!"
The two walked out of the room and down to the lobby of the hotel, where they saw Vincent sitting on a couch which matched the color of his cape. "Oh… hey Vincent," Cloud said, surprised to see him up.
"Hello Cloud, Aeris," Vincent replied with a nod. "Going on a date?"
"Yeah!" Aeris cheerfully exclaimed, making a small grin form on Cloud's face.
"Well, have a good evening," Vincent said as the two left.
Tifa lied boringly in her bed. She couldn't sleep, mostly because she was furious with Aeris, although she wished she wouldn't be. When Tifa was just about to fall asleep, Aeris quietly snuck out of the room. At first, Tifa thought that Aeris may have just been going to the bathroom or something, but then she heard some noise from Cloud's room and figured out what was going on.
Tifa was beginning to get used to Cloud and Aeris being together, but it still made her jealous. Just because she was starting to get over Cloud didn't mean she liked seeing her best friend dating him. Tifa rolled onto her side, trying to make her jealous thoughts leave her mind, but simply couldn't.
Tifa sat up and decided that she would try to go for a little walk and try to tire herself out. She left the room and went down to the lobby of the inn, where she saw Vincent sitting on a couch. "Hello, Tifa," Vincent called to her. "Where are you heading off to?"
"I was just going to go for a walk," Tifa told him, showing a fake smile. "I… I can't sleep…"
"I see…" Vincent replied, knowing exactly why the young martial artist couldn't sleep.
"Umm, what are you doing?" Tifa asked.
"I couldn't sleep either and decided to stay out here," Vincent told her. "I didn't want to wake up Cid."
"Oh…" Tifa muttered. "Is… is it all right if I stay here too?" Vincent moved to the side of the couch in response. "Thanks," Tifa told him and sat next to him.
They were quiet for a short while when Tifa finally asked, "So… have you been out here long?"
"All night," Vincent immediately answered.
"You… you didn't happen to see… Cloud and Aeris leave… did you?" Tifa asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Vincent looked at her and his eyes seemed to ask the question if Tifa really wanted to know the answer. He seemed to have gotten his answer and said, "Yes, Tifa, they left on a date… I'm sorry."
"Oh…" Tifa sighed, looking down at her boots for a moment, then perked up and flashed him a great fake smile. "Well, I'm glad for them."
"Tifa…" Vincent murmured, eyeing her curiously.
"No really. I'm glad that they're together… It's good that they have each other, ya know?"
"I suppose," Vincent told her. "However, at what cost? If you truly feel for Cloud, you should tell him."
"…" Tifa was silent a moment. "I guess… but I think I'm starting to get over Cloud now anyways. I'm just going to try to be as happy as I can for them… I know that they're good together anyways."
"I suppose…"
"Or do you think I should go after him?" Tifa asked, searching his haunting red eyes for answers.
"I… I do not know…" Vincent replied, glancing away.
Tifa flashed a playful look of shock, "The great Vincent Valentine doesn't know something?!"
"Tifa…" Vincent told her. "Of course, I don't know everything. And romance is certainly something that I should not be asked about."
"I guess…" Tifa told him. "I don't really know much about you though, so I wouldn't really know."
"Tifa…" Vincent sighed. "I understand your curiosity about my past and the very strange things about myself… but I…"
"I understand Vincent, you don't need to explain it to me," Tifa told him, looking into his eyes. "I know you were hurt… badly. I can accept just knowing that about you…"
"Tifa…" Vincent said, almost feeling bad for not telling her about him. "Thank you… And, if I were to tell anyone anything, I would talk to you first."
"Thanks, Vincent," Tifa told him, then leaned slightly on him.
It sort of shocked both of them by Tifa's movements. Tifa didn't even realize what she did until she felt the comfort of Vincent's cape up against her face. However, even after knowing what she did, she decided that she wouldn't move. Right now, she felt like she definitely needed someone to comfort her and, although she felt that it was unfortunate for Vincent, he was who it would have to be. Also, for some reason, it just felt so right to Tifa to lean up against Vincent, but she couldn't really understand why.
For Vincent it was shocking and, in its own way, torture. It was shocking for the obvious reason of a beautiful woman like Tifa leaning up against a terrible demon, like he considered himself to be. It was torturous because of all the memories that it caused to flood back into his mind. He could never be able to count how many times Lucrecia had lied against him in the exact same way. All the thoughts caused him to wish, even pray, that he could go back to that time and fix everything, oh how he wished he could have his dear Lucrecia back.
"I'm sorry, Vincent," Tifa told him. "I know you don't like this kinda stuff… I just… need someone, ya know?"
Vincent, however, could hardly even hear her. He was focusing in on her, studying her, although it may seem perverted to a viewer, for him he was merely remembering all those times with Lucrecia, and was hardly even seeing through his own eyes. How he wished it were Lucrecia there instead of Tifa.
Tifa looked up at him, curious as to why he didn't respond, and was shocked to see him looking at her with those hauntingly beautiful crimson eyes of his. Tifa looked into those eyes a moment and saw something very strange, something she would never had expected to see in the gunslinger's eyes. It was a look of longing… and he was looking right at her. "Vincent… are you ok?" Tifa asked him, surprised about the look in his eyes.
That look… could it be that he… he wants me? Tifa asked herself, having received several similar looks from men.
No, nonsense, she replied to herself. He was probably too hurt from that Lucrecia woman to be attracted to anyone anymore.
But… that look in his eyes… and he was looking right at me!
… Maybe…
"Yes, Tifa, I apologize," he said, quickly shifting his gaze away from her.
"It's… alright, Vincent," she replied with a smile. She took a deep breath and decided that she would ask him if he felt something towards her, but she had no idea how to do it, so she just went off. "Vincent… do… I mean…"
Vincent looked back at Tifa and their eyes met. The minute their eyes met, Vincent was reminded of one time when he was sitting with Lucrecia just like this, and just when their eyes locked onto each other's, they began kissing. Tifa saw the feeling of want in his eyes, unfortunately for her, she didn't realize that it was a want for Lucrecia, not for her.
Tifa acted purely on impulse, seeing that look in a man's eye who she, although she probably wouldn't admit it any other time, had thought about romantically. So, Tifa closed her eyes and leaned in closer to him, spreading her lips slightly and waited for a kiss. Vincent saw this, and, due to his overwhelming thoughts of Lucrecia, he, too, acted on impulse and went for the kiss.
Once their lips locked, they had stayed that way for an unknown amount of time, however, it is known that it had been a while. Vincent was gentle and slow, but with plenty of passion. Tifa liked it this way, however, between thinking of Cloud and Vincent, she was thinking about this sort of thing a lot. She slid her tongue up to his lips and, as if to ask for entrance, licked them softly.
Vincent immediately let her tongue in, and the two tongues began to do what could almost seem like a dance for the remainder of their time together. Vincent's hands, even the claw, was soft as he rubbed her back with them, and Tifa massaged the top of his neck with her hands, as well as brushed his long, silky hair. Both hands were prepared to move anywhere at a moment's notice.
As this went on, a certain young ninja dashed into the hotel as quickly as she could, panting tiredly. The minute she entered the inn, she instantly saw the two together on the couch. At first she was about to pass by, as she had been given orders directly from Cloud to get help, but then she realized just who it was that was there.
"Guys!" Yuffie exclaimed. "Cloud needs our help!" The two instantly separated and looked at her wide-eyed, which was the point that Yuffie realized what they were doing. "Were you guys-"
"Where's Cloud?" Vincent interrupted, standing from his spot.
"Oh! He's chasing Cait Sith at the chocobo station!" Yuffie replied, knowing what's more important. "Cait has the keystone!"
Like a flash, Vincent was out the door, almost immediately followed by the two women.
By the time Vincent came out at the chocobo race tracks, he saw Cait Sith running out of the betting site and into the chute area, followed shortly behind by Cloud and Aeris. Vincent tore out his gun and fired a warning shot at Cait Sith's feet, which made the mechanical moogle jump almost a good five feet. "Stop, Cait!" Vincent bellowed as Tifa and Yuffie entered the area.
Just then, a helicopter was heard overhead and, glancing up at the helicopter, Vincent saw Tseng. Cait Sith threw the keystone up to the helicopter and right into Tseng's open hands. "Thanks for the help, AVALANCHE!" Tseng yelled as the helicopter took off in the air.
"You bastard!" Cloud yelled. "We trusted you, Cait!"
"Listen, Cloud," the cat nonchalantly replied. "Just forget about this, let's just go on like nothing happened."
"No, we can't!" Cloud shouted. "You just betrayed us! We can't let you stick around! We should take you out right now for being a spy!"
"You can do that, I don't care," Cait Sith cockily replied. "This body is nothing but a toy anyways. I'm controlling this body from Shinra Headquarters as we speak."
"Fine!" Tifa yelled. "Then just get out of here!"
"I can't do that."
"Do you really think we can let you just keep tagging along?!" Yuffie screamed.
"I'm sorry but… you don't have a choice," the spy answered, opening the belly of the moogle, revealing a tv screen, which suddenly flashed on, showing Marlene on the screen in a place that looked like a prison.
"Auntie Tifa! Daddy!" Marlene cried on the screen.
"Marlene!" Tifa exclaimed running closer to the screen.
"Auntie Tifa!" Marlene sobbed. "I'm so scared!"
"Just be strong, Marlene!" Tifa shouted into the screen as it turned off and the moogle's belly closed.
"That's low!" Aeris yelled. "Hostage taking?!"
"I didn't want to have to do this…"
"But you did," Vincent declared, taking a step closer to the cat. "And there's no going back now."
"Listen, I don't really care if you don't trust me ever again," the cat shrugged. "But I have to go with you... It's my job and…"
"And what?!" Cloud barked. "You enjoy playing with us?"
"No…" Cait replied, looking down thoughtfully. "It's your way of life… you don't get paid, praised, or even recognition, but you go on fighting… I just don't understand."
"There's more to life than that!" Aeris shout at the spy. "We are doing the right thing! We're saving the world!"
"Yeah!" Yuffie exclaimed. "Besides, why should we trust anything that you say now? And you'll probably just try to stop us every step of the way now!"
"No, I'll let you go on your way," the spy told them. "And you can continue on to the temple of the ancients, it's just that the Shinra will be there now, but you'll have to deal with that. Now, I'm going back to the inn." The cat said and controlled the moogle to jump into the inn chute before anyone could stop him.
"So, that's it?" Tifa said, looking like she was on the verge of tears. "We can't do anything?"
"As long as he has Marlene… I don't think so," Cloud answered, crossing his arms and looking down at the ground in thought.
"Grr!" Yuffie growled. "Oh! It makes me so angry!"
"Poor Marlene…" Aeris murmured, then looked up at Cloud. "What should we tell Barret?"
"If he knows that Cait has Marlene, he'll kill him," Tifa told him. "He won't care whether or not Cait is just a toy or not."
"We have to tell him in the morning," Cloud told the group. "We'll have to tell everyone. We have to keep as close an eye on him as possible."
"Oh man… I hope Barret takes it all right…" Tifa murmured, although knowing that he won't.
"Come on," Cloud sighed, walking towards the inn chute. "We have to get to bed… we're going to have a long day tomorrow, especially with the Shinra beating us there."
"Night!" Aeris proclaimed as she followed Cloud through the chute.
"I can't believe Cait!" Yuffie exclaimed, angrily jumping through the chute.
This just left Vincent and a worried Tifa. "…Are you all right?" Vincent asked the former bartender.
"…" Tifa sighed. "I'm so worried about Marlene… It's so hard knowing that we can't do anything about it…"
"You have to be strong, Tifa," Vincent told her. "For Marlene as well as Barret."
"I… I don't know if I can…" Tifa told the gunman, looking up at him with large wet eyes. "Marlene… I'm so worried about her… I… I just wish there was something that we could do…"
"…" Vincent was silent and looked down at the woman. He felt pity for the woman, which may be why, when she ran into his arms, he didn't resist. However, he was worried about how she may now feel for him. They just kissed, after all, and now she was looking towards him for comfort… he couldn't let her be with him, he couldn't ruin her life. "Tifa… I…"
"Vincent," Tifa said, showing her tearful eyes. "I know you don't like this… just… please…"
Vincent was silent and thought about this. He was being selfish. This woman was in distress and he was making up reasons why not to comfort her… he would help her now, it would be rude not to. He heard a sob utter from her and held her tighter to his chest for support.
Tifa was surprised that he was holding her but was extremely thankful. She held on tighter and kept thinking about Marlene. Ever since she had joined Avalanche, she had been practically the young girl's caretaker. Now she was captured, taken into the hands of their enemies, could be killed at any time. She had always been frightened that it could happen, that Marlene would be Shinra's target to get to them, and it seem that it finally had. Hopefully, they could do something to save her. They had to find a way.
Vincent kept holding Tifa for roughly ten minutes. People walked by them occasionally, despite how late it was, curious why someone would be crying in such a happy place. Finally, Vincent decided it was getting too late. Vincent held Tifa by her shoulders, separated her from him, and looked down into her wet eyes. "Its late, Tifa," Vincent calmly told her. "You should get some sleep, we're going to have a hard day tomorrow."
Tifa nodded then wiped her eyes, walking side by side with Vincent back to the inn. Once they reached the entrance, the two walked up the steps, and Tifa stopped at her door, looking back at Vincent as his room was one more room down. "Thanks, Vincent…" Tifa muttered.
"It is fine, Tifa," Vincent replied.
Vincent was about to walk by her and then she surprised him with a quick hug, then she quickly walked back into the room. Vincent glanced in the door's direction, shrugged, then walked into his room.
He was surprised that the light was already on, and even more so when he saw Cid having a cigarette and watching something on the television. Cid turned to Vincent as he entered and widely grinned. "You and Tif finally show up?" Cid asked.
"Yes," Vincent shortly replied and then walked over to his bed.
"What were you two doin?" Cid asked.
Vincent rolled on his side, his back facing the pilot, and was silent. He was in no mood to handle foolish jokes.
"Oh come on, Vince! Lighten up a bit!" Cid exclaimed. "You and me should go get some drinks or somethin'."
"We're going to have a tough day tomorrow," Vincent told the smoker. "Besides, just keep Barret as your drinkin' buddy."
"Yeah, Cloud told me 'bout what happened," Cid sighed. "Damn Shinra. Should've expected them to do something like that…"
"I suppose," Vincent replied.
"Right…" Cid murmured, seeming bored of the conversation. "So, I've been wonderin' this for a while. Are you and Tifa dating?"
"No," Vincent shortly replied once more.
"Oh, I was just wonderin' because you two always seem to be together…" Cid then flashed a wide grin. "Think I stand a chance with 'er?"
Vincent was silent for a moment, thinking about Tifa being with the pilot. Firstly, he was probably about twice her age and secondly Tifa would probably never be able to deal with Cid's habits. Tifa seemed to be someone who enjoyed some good exercised and try to be healthy, whereas Cid seems to not care the least about his own health.
"Go for it," Vincent uninterestingly replied.
Cid chuckled, then turned off the television and lights, and sat back down. "Don't think it would work," Cid then replied. "I think she's shootin' for you."
Vincent didn't reply, which gave Cid the hint to finally be quiet. Vincent laid there awake until the morning, thinking about what would come to their group, trying to keep Cid's conversation out of his head.
"WHAT?!" Barret bellowed in the lobby, instantly spinning around towards Cait Sith, aiming his gun-arm at the cat's head. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! GIVE ME BACK MARLENE!"
Instantly Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris grabbed Barret while Red XIII jumped in front of the backstabber, in an attempt to guard him from bullets. "Barret!" Cloud exclaimed. "He has Marlene, doing this would only hurt her!"
Barret growled and lowered his arm, fuming with rage, then bellowed, "You son of a bitch! Ya better make damn sure that she's safe or your ass'll be mine!"
"As long as you cooperate, she'll be just fine," said the Shinra agent. "Now, we really should be off to the temple of the ancients, unless you want to fall too far behind from the Shinra."
"Yeah, Barret," Red XIII told the large man. "We'll do what we can. That's the best that we can do for Marlene right now."
"FINE!" Barret bellowed. "Then lets go!"
Barret stormed out of the ghost hotel, Tifa sighed and said, "We… should probably follow him…"
Tifa then led the group out the door and they began traveling to their airship to travel to the Temple of the Ancients.
Another chapter down!
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