As The Smoke Clears
Disclaimer: Don't own it…Duh!
Pairings: Vincent/Tifa, and ?/?
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Chapter 10.
Tifa regarded Reno with wary eyes. He was giving her 'that' look, the same one he gave the people he seduced at her bar almost every night. She had found herself on the receiving end of that gaze quite a few times, brushing him off every time. He would always find another within the space of a few minutes though. Oddly, that had never bothered her until she paused to think about it.
She looked back up and found him standing right in front of her, surprising the hell out of her.
His eyes studied her intently with a hunger Tifa swore she could feel radiating off him in waves. She shuddered at the thought, though surprisingly not from disgust. Her arm tingled where his fingers trailed across her skin, she could feel his warm breath on her lips as he leaned closer, inch by agonising inch.
A soft call of her name made her realise exactly what she was doing.
Startled by her almost betrayal, she shoved Reno away, who just managed to catch himself on the bar to avoid falling.
"What the…?"
"Get out Reno."
"Tifa?"
"I said now, Reno. Don't make me use force."
"Aww, babe. Don't be like that…"
"Reno, this is your last warning. If you don't leave before Vincent gets down here I will re-arrange your insides. Am I making myself clear?"
Reno watched her closely, he hadn't failed to notice the look he had gotten in return before, and the way she shuddered when her touched her arm. Hell, he could hear how fast her heart had been beating. She had wanted it as much as he had.
"You'll come around sooner or later, baby."
Tifa narrowed her eyes in warning, but with a smirk and a wave of his hand, the egotistical red-head left. She sighed in relief.
"Tifa?"
Vincent's voice startled her for the second time in the space of so many minutes. She spun around to see him emerging at the foot of the stairs.
"Hey…"
"Is everything alright?"
No.
"…Yes, why wouldn't it be, Vincent?"
"…You weren't there when I woke up…I thought something had happened…"
I just almost betrayed you, that's all.
"You just slept in. Everything is fine."
Vincent looked suitably surprised at this.
"…Slept in?"
Tifa finally managed to laugh at the bewildered look on his face.
"Yeah, you looked like you could use the extra sleep so I let you have it."
"Oh…Okay."
Silence.
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Cloud revved Fenrir's engine one last time as he pulled up in the 7th Heaven's garage.
After enlisting Cid's help, and ensuring that he would let everyone else know, he had let immediately to get back home. He hadn't told anyone he was leaving and decided that, regardless of what he told Tifa, she never ceased to worry– especially when he left without any warning whatsoever.
He couldn't fault her for that really.
So now that he was home, he half expected her to spend the next few hours lecturing him on why he shouldn't just up and leave like that.
It had happened before.
With a sigh, Cloud got off Fenrir, locked up the Garage like he did every night, and wandered inside, thankful that Marlene and Denzel were staying with Barret for a while, else he would have been tackled by two more than likely worried children.
Smiling slightly at the thought, he wandered down the bar, which, if the loud and cheerful voices were anything to go by, was doing quite well for itself. Reluctant top face anyone right now, he headed upstairs to his room.
"Welcome back, Strife."
Cloud wasn't really that surprised to hear the gunman was still up.
"Vincent." He acknowledged with a slight nod.
The gunman offered the slightest upturn of pale lips before passing Cloud, and making his way to his room.
Shaking his head slightly, Cloud decided that sleep wasn't such a bad idea.
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Two weeks had passed since Clouds return, which he was suitably chastised for leaving in the first place, when he got the go-ahead from Cid.
The pilot had called to say that everything was prepared and that every one would meet them there.
Now Cloud had to put his end of the plan in motion. Needless to say that Tifa had literally jumped for joy when Cloud suggested a week at the Villa in Costa Del Sol. Vincent seemingly was unmoved by Tifa's theatrics, but Cloud caught the amused glint in his eyes.
A few days later, the trio had arrived at the coastal getaway, showcasing its sparkling beaches and scantily clad women.
Somewhere a little further down the beach, several of said women hanging off his arm, an egotistical red-head looked up with surprise and delight when he spied the present object of his wants.
A definite smirk tugging at his lips, Reno turned back to the giggling bikini girls, a plan already forming in his mind.
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A/N: Finally! Took me long enough, huh! I apologise that my chapters are so short, but I am working with developing writing skills and a restricted time limit. This is also my first multi-chap thingy.
Also– Congrats to heie n riven for being the 40th reviewer! A one shot for you is currently in the works. Keep an eye on the proverbial horizon for it. As promised it will be a Vincent/Tifa lemony fic, with a distinct possibility of the title being 'Promise Me' or something along those lines.
As always sorry for all delays, they can't always be helped. vv;;