Hi!!!! I'm back! And sorry to the ones who had read and reviewed 'Ironic'. This isn't the story based on that one-shot fic, though this is still a Vincent x Tifa. How I love the couple. Two angst-ridden souls trying to find the love that they thought were meant for them. Awww…anyway, be sure to review this fic after you read. It would really make me happy if you do so. So let's get on with this fic, shall we? I hope you won't get bored. I'm still learning.

Heaven Will Wait

Chapter 1: In Which I Agree To A Promise

…I think I'm beginning to understand…

…what…

…an answer from the Planet…

…the Promised Land…

…I think I can meet her there…

…Let's go meet her…

"Tifa? Hey, wake up…" a disembodied voice pierced through my dream and my sleep.

"Mmm…3 more minutes…" At this, I turned my back on whoever was talking to me and covered my face with a pillow. I heard the speaker sigh in exasperation, and suddenly, the pillow was gone.

"Tifa. If we don't open up soon, the people will have to kick the door down eventually," I finally recognized the awfully worried female voice. Yuffie. I opened my eyes and looked at her. Hard. Wishing she'd melt and leave me alone.

"Tell them I'm sick…" I muttered and lay on my stomach, then I felt for the remaining pillow and buried my head in it. The bed creaked slightly, telling me that Yuffie didn't melt, didn't leave, and didn't give up easily.

"That excuse again? You are so pathetic."

"So what are you suggesting?" I asked through the pillow.

"That you heave your skinny ass up and tell the customers personally that you're asleep." God, the kid was definitely turning into Cid Highwind's daughter. Equally blasphemous, equally annoying, and equally dumb. I did partly take her advice, though. I did heave my 'skinny ass' up, and wrestled Yuffie down the floor. We must've been making a lot of noise, for suddenly, the door to my room opened again, and horror of horrors! Cid barged in and looked lewdly from one female to another.

"Hey, a lesbian show!!! Look, hey Vincent! Yeah, I'm f^@%$&* talking to you, you m*&%@rfØ€≠∞r!!! I told you Tifa was lesbian! Look at her hump Yuffie!"

"Okay, that's it!!! No more free hard drinks for you, you freeloadin' bastard!!!" I rolled off Yuffie and chased Cid out of the room and around the house until I finally caught up with him and beat him up to a useless pulp.

Nine years have passed since the Meteor incident, and life has been pretty much peaceful ever since. The people in the slums who had survived Meteor settled in Kalm and went on living and hoping for a better life. Barret returned there to 'Take care o' my Marlene' and we hadn't heard from him again, not even once. Red XIII went back to Cosmo Canyon and settled peacefully with the other elders. He visits us once in a while, though. Cait Sith…he just disappeared. Probably went back to its owner, Reeve, but we can't be too sure. Yuffie had once seen the fluffy stuffed cat on the outskirts of Nibelheim, chasing butterflies on the field. I know it sounds too…odd, but hey, Yuffie said it was just a glimpse. She wasn't too sure if it really WAS the Cait Sith we knew or…just some other demented guy wearing a mascot and chasing butterflies around the field.

Vincent, Cid and Yuffie settled in Nibelheim with me and helped me put up another 'Seventh Heaven'. What a crew. I know. A cigarette-loving astronaut-wannabe freak who loves cursing, a feisty ninja thief, a cold and silent ex-Turk, and a busty female bartender who happens to be me. Well, what can I say? I needed company. Yuffie didn't want to go back to 'That dang old fart of a man', as she usually called his father, and agreed to live with me in Nibelheim. Cid returned to Rocket Town to talk to Shera, then begged, I mean, requested that I take him in and live, well, put up with him in Nibelheim, but he visits his hometown once in a while. Vincent…well, I asked him to live with us, since he had nowhere else to go. He agreed, reluctantly. I knew that he was still hurting from Lucrecia, and that living near the Nibelheim mansion reminded him of memories he'd rather forget, but so far, I hadn't heard of even one word from him that has to do with 'nightmares', 'atoning for sins', 'Lucrecia', 'Hojo', and such. Or he's just so withdrawn.

So, yeah, that's pretty much it. But aren't I forgetting someone?

"Table 5's ordering the Special for today. 10 of them. Don't ask why. Fat boy's sitting in it." Yuffie whispered harshly in my ear, breaking my train of thought.

"H-huh? Oh, okay. Coming right up!" I said cheerfully as I disappeared to the kitchens. The new 'Seventh Heaven' is still like the same bar I ran in Midgar, with just a few exceptions. For starters, this particular tavern becomes a famous restaurant in the morning and a drinking bar at night. Secondly, I have helpers to keep the business running. I serve as the place's cook in the morning and a bartender in the evening. Yuffie eagerly took the job of being a waitress in the morning, and more eagerly as a cashier in the evening. Cid took the job of being a waiter at day, and a comedian at night. Vincent was the only one who didn't do bartending or waited at anyone, but in one way or another, he draws people to eat and be merry here, particularly women. I don't know how he does it, considering that his looks alone could scare the toughest guy to his crap, but females just swoon at the sight of him. They would barge in and try to look for 'Joe', or 'Charles', or 'Steve', or some other name that Vincent invented for himself whenever they try to ask for it, for a hefty sum of money. 'It keeps women customers in check,' he once explained to me as I saw an advancing armada of women heading straight for the restaurant-bar once.

"Tifa!!! More customers!" Yuffie shouted at the counter, with a tinge of helplessness in her voice.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back as I ran behind the counter to take the newcomers' orders.

So to put it simply, this place never ran out of customers. And a good thing too, for the business kept my head from thinking of someone who I'd rather forget but can't.

The day passed slowly, and still we were pretty hectic, as locals or tourists came and went. Once or twice I almost felt like I might pass out at the sight of numerous people sitting and chatting, waiting to be served. Vincent must've sensed my present condition; he offered to help me in back, although I knew from experience that he can't cook very well, and washed the dishes. He never learned to wash the dishes too, if I may add, so, as much as he struggled to do it right, he kept spilling wash water all over the floor, on the walls, and on me.

"Vincent! That's the third time! Be more careful!" I reprimanded as I felt the soapy water soak itself in my clothes.

"I'm trying…" he sputtered as he tried to dodge a streak of water that dared to splash itself on his already-wet hair. I sighed frustratedly as I turned around to tell him off not to play with wash water, but the words never came out of my mouth as soon as I saw him struggling to hold a plate with his clawed hand. I tried hard to keep myself from laughing, all in vain as I saw his face contorted in dismay. The plate slipped from his grasp and splashed wash water over him. It was then I noticed that he was dripping wet all over.

"Tee hee…" I covered my mouth with both my hands as some of the near-convulsive laughter I tried to hold back escaped my lips. Vincent looked up at me and frowned.

"Oh, go on. You're going to kill yourself holding back." He whirled around and fumed silently.

"No-hahahaha-offense meant, -ahahaha-but — AHHHHH!!!" As I tried to walk towards him, I slipped over a puddle of soapy water I had not seen before and landed on my back. Oh, go on, Vincent, you've got the last laugh…a voice inside my head shouted in shame. I thought he was trying not to laugh, but when I looked at him, I saw not amusement, but concern and worry. That's nice…in a way…I mean, what am I thinking?!?

"You okay?" he asked as he ran toward me.

"Watch out!!!" I screamed a second too late. He slipped on the same puddle and landed on…me.

"Owww…"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Tifa…" he tried to get up, only to crush me with his weight as he struggled to free his leg from a piece of rope that got entangled in it.

"Ow! Don't move…"

"Sorry." Our eyes met, and oddly enough, we both laughed at the same time for no reason at all. I wish it had been you…I found myself thinking. Now where did that come from?

"Hey, you guys!" I had no time to ponder what I had thought as Cid and Yuffie entered the kitchen.

"Holy huge materia!!! In a godd*#%n public place!!! And I thought you were gay!" Cid hollered at a beet-red Vincent.

"Can…can I stand up now?" I asked awkwardly at Vincent.

"Huh? Wha—OH! Sorry," he stood up immediately and helped me up my feet. Yuffie said nothing as she went back to her job, but Cid had to be kicked and thrown a bucket of soapy lemon water to make him go away. We went back to our usual jobs like nothing ever happened, and went on like that until evening.

That evening, I took a stroll around the town while Cid and Yuffie finished up on the bar. I had not seen Vincent anywhere, so I thought that he probably turned in earlier than usual. I stopped near the well and looked at it, remembering the 2 children and the promise.

"Cloud…I wonder where you are now…" I mumbled under my breath as I sat on the same wooden planks little Tifa had sat on that starry night. I looked at the place where little Cloud had waited patiently, and I just had to smile wistfully as our childish conversation echoed in my ears.

"I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth." Little Cloud proclaimed proudly, I remember.

"Sephiroth…the Great Sephiroth?" I sounded amazed then. I had longed for a friend that has strength that could rival the Great Sephiroth and could protect anyone…everyone. Little did I know that by the time Cloud had that strength, he'd be so far away that I'd doubt he even knew me.

"If I'm ever in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me…I want to experience that at least once…" I didn't know what came over me as I said those words…those words he had promised, and he had thrown away that…and a lot of other memories as soon as he joined SOLDIER. He sacrificed everything…just to become like Him…the Great Sephiroth. Tears stung my eyes as the realization that he'd never come back hit me. I looked at the starry sky like I used to do when I was lonely.

"I miss him so much…" I murmured sadly as tears flowed down my cheeks. The wind sighed behind me. Or was it someone? I wiped away the tears on my face and listened. Nothing.

"I must be dreaming…" I mumbled and went back to reminiscing happy times. The temperature got colder, the wind blew fiercely and the leaves of the trees rustled as time passed. And the wind behind me sighed for the second time. I looked at the direction where I had heard the sound. I did a double take as I saw a part of a hand. As I drew closer I noticed that it was a man. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he was sighing incessantly.

"Lucrecia…"

Huh? The man wore a black turtleneck and jeans. It couldn't be him…or could it be?

"Vincent?" I asked cautiously, wishing I'm just mistaken. The man looked up and I saw his glowing red eyes. He just smiled sadly and turned his back on me.

"Vincent…it's almost midnight. Why are you still here?" I asked as I took a seat beside him.

"…" He didn't speak. He's recoiling into his shell again…I thought. We were silent as we sat beside each other. For the first time, I didn't have any idea what to say. I was always the person who kept the conversation going, but right now…

"The stars are bright today," Vincent spoke up, probably to break the ice.

"Yeah. What do you think does it mean?"

He shrugged. "Maybe something we'd never expect." I laughed and he glanced at me. I wish it had been you…I found myself thinking. Again. I looked skyward and changed the subject.

"I wish it's always this peaceful…I wish I could forget everything…I wish I could find and be with my hero…forever…" I unconsciously blurted out. Vincent spoke again. It was a clear voice, solemn but soothing.

"That's your dream? To find your hero?" I just nodded, thinking of Cloud. Will I ever meet him again?

Vincent stood up. "Tell you what. Let's make a promise." My head shot up as I heard that word. Promise. In this place? Again? Vincent was smiling kindly down at me. Like a guardian angel with black hair…

"If ever we get separated, we'll wait for each other…in this place…in this well."

"What?"

"If we ever leave this place to fulfill our dreams, we'd return here and wait for each other once we get what we wanted." I laughed at the excitement etched in his face, and nodded.

"I promise." He took my hand and we both looked at the sky for the last time.

"I think we'd better go back. I don't want to see Yuffie worried sick." I said after a while. He just nodded and we went back to our home, hand in hand, our thoughts full of wishing that somehow, we could just forget our worries and live happily ever after, just like in fairy tales.

But life had never been a fairy tale, and would never be.

Author's Notes: Thanks to those who read AND reviewed this. I really appreciate it. If you're thinking, "Whatever happened to Cloud?", well, it's the same story as what happened to Cloud in other fics, but in mine, it will be explained in the next chapter (that one being Vincent's POV). And another thing, if you get confused with the POVs, try to remember this: chapters that have a title that starts with 'In Which' is in Tifa's POV. One-word titles are in Vincent's POV. I hope you get it. Thanks to Chaotic Chaos for helping me out on this one (Strife is a better writer, that's why I think Ironic is better than this, I don't know, only you can say what's better). Thanks also to my friends who kept on encouraging me to write more, and thanks to you readers and reviewers, you're the ones who keep other writers going. Thanks a lot!!!