A/N: This chapter is actually much shorter than the previous two. I apologize, but this was a tough chapter to write. I'm not getting much feedback from readers, and it's hard to create my own motivation. Nevertheless, it's an important chapter. I shall be working on the next one very soon - maybe tonight. In the meantime, read and enjoy.

The telephone's ringing woke Tifa. Initially she ignored it. She was tired, dammit. She'd sleep if she wanted to.

Her eyes shot open then. The phone is ringing!

The covers flew across the room, it seemed. But not quite enough, for she stumbled and nearly fell to the floor before rushing out the door and down the hallway. The throbbing in her leg only started until she'd reached the next doorway. Why the hell don't I have a phone in my room?

Catching her breath, she picked up the phone and coughed before she spoke. "Yes?"

"My, my. You must be incredibly tired if you've been sleeping this late."

Tifa grinned into the phone. "I could have just been busy, you know."

"I've been calling for the past two hours."

Tifa said nothing.

"That's what I thought." She heard the mischievous simper in his voice. "I apologize for keeping you up so late last night, but I suppose it couldn't be helped."

Tifa laughed brightly. "Shut up. You stayed for another half hour; that hardly counts as late. I normally close another half hour after you left."

She heard him chuckle, and inwardly sighed. Their discussion last night had been deeper than any they'd had this past week. Decisions, confessions… and it was all perfect. Tifa only wished it could have lasted forever; while they had talked, he'd held her hands in his. As she thought about it, the feel of his soft fingers holding her palms recurred, and she shivered.

"Tifa?"

"Oh! Sorry, my mind was off track. Did you say something?"

"No. I was listening to you breathe."

Tifa's mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. It would seem abnormal in most circumstances, but for some strange reason, Tifa found it exceptional, and the way he'd said it made it seem impractical for most other men. She smiled gently.

"Why?"

"It was… amusing."

Tifa blinked, then laughed. "You jerk!"

"What? It seemed like you were starting to… breathe abnormally." He stopped. "Do we need to take another trip to the hospital of hell?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Thought not. Now, may I ask the question I was prepared to ask before you began hyperventilating?"

"Vincent…"

"Please. May I accompany you today? There's still more I think we need to discuss."

Tifa's heart jumped. She wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him, but with the impish character he put her in, she was feeling more playful today than usual.

"Sure, but only if you win."

"Beg pardon?"

"If you win my game, we'll talk."

"…What game are we speaking of, now?"

"My game." She smirked, somewhat proud of herself. She had never been very good at playing hard-to-get, but now that she was trying, it was more fun than she'd imagined. "When I hang up, there's no telling where I'll be. I won't use any transportation other than my feet. And before you comment, you smart-ass, my leg is feeling fine. So don't underestimate my speed. I can hide if I want, I can sabotage if I want. But if you can catch me, you get your way immediately. We'll go wherever you want, talk about whatever you want, and do whatever you want. Easy enough?"

"Very."

She grinned again. "If you say so."

She hung up.

Dressing was easy, and there was no need – or time – for food. For all she knew, he could have started coming in her direction while talking on his cell. Instead of using the front door, she used the window to her room and jumped from it. It was where the tree used to be, but there was a fence next to it that ended higher above her window, and she jumped to it. It wasn't safe enough to be on the ground yet, so she found her way up to the roof on the next building.

She could jump roofs too, but she wouldn't be nearly as graceful or fast as he was. Her main method would have to be evasion. Impairing his approach would be more difficult, but doable.

As she jumped, she smiled genuinely. She was thrilled he was playing along with her game, and she wondered exactly what would happen when he caught her. She knew he would. He would probably be smart enough to take her by surprise, too.

She ran to the tallest building, leapt to the top of it, and jumped from there to the surrounding balcony with the chained fence around it. Grabbing the top of the fence, she swung up and over it, landing in a cat-like way. She stood, looking around. He had to know she'd be here… where was he?

No less than two hours went by as she circled the small town's area. The people below were calm. No one was running. No one looked up at her. She was bemused by the idea that Vincent wasn't even trying. Then again, it wouldn't surprise her much if he weren't.

Another hour went by, and by now Tifa was lying against the fence, arms crossed and lips twisted. She desperately wanted to call him, but abstained from doing it. But after each hour that passed, her hesitance grew weaker.

Finally, only two hours before nightfall, she sighed irritably and stood, stretching. She couldn't believe she had actually waited this long. Ridiculous…

She took a single step and froze, feeling an arm slide around her shoulders, holding her by her neck. Another hand was placed on her hip. The grip was secure, but very, very gentle. His warm breath soothed the chilled skin on her neck. His hair and hers was caught in the breeze, but nothing else moved – until he smiled against her ear.

"I win."

Her eyes moved toward his direction, and she smiled too. "I guess you do."

"That's what you get for letting your guard down for six hours."

Tifa scoffed, turning in his hold to look him in the eye. "Six hours earlier would have been a nice time to catch me, too."

"But then I wouldn't have been able to watch you for so long."

She looked at him, and he was gazing at her with utmost sincerity. The dazzling vivacity behind his eyes was killing her. It made him more beautiful than he came off as, and it excited her, but consoled her at the same time. She moved forward, leaning against him and placing her head on his chest. He embraced her at once, resting his head atop her head.

Something was bothering Tifa in this perfect moment, and she didn't want to ruin it, but it was necessary to bring it up.

"Vince…?"

"Yes."

"What started this?"

Vincent held her tighter, almost afraid to let go. "It's… hard to explain."

"I'm sure I can keep up."

Vincent smirked. Stubborn woman she was, he couldn't resist keeping it from her. "You previously had feelings for Cloud, yes?"

Tifa froze. Cloud… in the past few days, she had actually managed to stop thinking about him, but she wasn't sure whether she should be happy about that or not. She bit her bottom lip and buried her head into Vincent's neck.

"I think so."

Vincent sighed into her hair. "Do you remember how strongly you felt about him?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Do you remember how he ignored that?"

Tifa took a longer time answering this question, but repeated, "I… think so." Even though that was what she was sure about the most. His breath moved her dark strands gently.

"I was always so confused. I observed the way he disregarded your emotions and envied him."

Tifa confusedly tilted her head up. "You envied him because of that?"

Vincent closed his eyes and nodded. "Because he could do it so easily. Because he was able to defy everything about you that would make any normal man fall out of his mind." He kissed her head softly. "Which is exactly what you've done to me."

She gave a light, careful laugh. "Sorry about that."

Vincent smiled. "Please. It's nothing to apologize for."

"So, seeing as you waited until nightfall to finished our game," Tifa accused teasingly, squeezing the cold, pale hand she held, "how exactly do you plan to spend the last five hours of the day?"

Vincent only kept looking forward, but there was a spark in his eyes that let Tifa know he was all for games today.

"Something… exciting. Thrilling, even."

Tifa cocked an eyebrow. "You haven't had enough excitement for this week yet?"

Vincent chuckled and lowered his head. "Not by a long shot." His eyes shot to hers. "Miss Lockhart."

She kept her gaze forward but smiled to herself. He was much more playful than she'd ever imagined, and she liked the way he tested her limits. It made her feel as if he was really concentrating… like she was his biggest focus.

"Well then? What did you have in mind?"

Vincent was silent for a moment. "Why don't we go dancing?"

Tifa stopped immediately, subconsciously pulling Vincent back by the hand she continued to hold. He wanted to dance with her? Of all things…

She bit her lip and smiled. "I'm not a very good dancer."

Vincent shot a sarcastic look at her impractical attitude. He held her waist and pulled her into him, sliding his cheek against hers and back.

"Miss Lockhart, you have no idea how hard I find that to believe."

In all honesty, Tifa was a very good dancer. The problem was that she didn't like to. She didn't like being stared at by hungry pursuers in the clubs she used to go to. But now, as she entered the only one in Midgar, she held Vincent's arm tightly and didn't care how long she stayed.

Vincent first suggested she find them a table to sit at for a while so he could get them something to drink. Tifa agreed, but there weren't many empty ones. She finally spotted one close to the restrooms in the corner of the room, and she quickly went to it. She knew Vincent would be able to find her no problem.

As she sat there alone, she looked around the large, dark room. People everywhere were dancing, and she was surprised at how crowded it was given the amount of people that were actually sitting down. She also noticed how she'd caught the eyes of several large, burly men that refused to dance themselves. She began to wonder exactly what would happen if she tried herself…

She left her jacket and shoulder bag in the seat – Vincent would know to spot them – and she made her way to the dance floor. The bass was clear and loud in the room, and she felt the beat in her chest. She began to sway her hips to the music, to the tempo. At first, she only watched those sitting close to her, and noticed how their eyes never left her.

After she realized they weren't going to look away, she focused on the music and was unaware of the man walking up behind her. Just as he placed a hand on her arm to ask her to dance, as she stopped dancing, and as she turned to face him, Vincent gently took her hand from her other side, gazing authentically into her eyes and intensely into his.

"My apologies. I was hoping I could snatch a dance from her…?"

Tifa noticed a difference in Vincent's voice. It was quieter, but no less intimidating than it had ever been. The other man lowered his arm hesitantly. Tifa studied this man's face; it outstood from the other men's in the room. He was actually quite handsome. His facial bone structures were near perfect, and his hair was a light gold, his eyes blue to match.

However, she stepped in Vincent's direction, squeezing his hand in turn and smiling apologetically at the blonde. The man said nothing, only walked away with a disgruntled expression and one clenched fist.

Tifa turned to Vincent with an eyebrow raised. "Snatch a dance from me?"

Vincent smirked. "It is why we came here, correct?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well yeah, but you didn't have to be so rude."

"I prefer not to give up my dates so easily."

Date. The word made her skin tingle and her insides play on an imaginary moonwalk. She kept her face sturdy, though, and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I choose who I dance with, Mr. Valentine."

Vincent dropped her hand then, and she looked at it in surprise. She looked at his face again, and his exterior had changed to a very serious expression.

"Then tell me who you choose to dance with, and it will happen."

Tifa smiled only slightly and took both of his hands, placing them on her hips. She leaned into him, cupping his face with a hand and murmuring into his ear, "You're my only choice, Vincent."

She kissed him sweetly and lightly, forgetting where she was and who was watching. He kissed back, of course, but pulled her closer and actually smiled. He smiled, and it was because of her. Her lips curved up against his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When their eyes met again, she sighed. He was perfect enough for it to be illegal. She stroked at his hair as she watched his magnificent eyes.

"So, shall we dance, then?"

A beautiful little rave girl, that's what she was. Vincent felt luckier than anyone could ever be. Tifa was a fantastic dancer, despite her comments, and each time she apologized for slowing down or missing a beat, he only shook his head and gripped her waist tighter. Her back rubbed against his chest, their hips moved together, creating their own dance. Soon the music was nonexistent to both of them, and the feeling of such close contact created unbelievable elation.

Tifa soon found that Vincent dancing skills were marvelous, and very intimate. At first, she'd really been the only one dancing, but Vincent picked up the rhythm with her and their bodies moved and swayed as one.

Now, it was very, very late. The dance floor was more crowded; this seemed to be the after-work place to go, especially at one in the morning. People surrounded the couple, and it appeared that they would have to fight their way out. But that wasn't the case at the moment. They were nowhere near done.

They'd only taken two breaks in the four hours they'd been dancing. For every ounce of exhaustion Tifa felt she should be feeling, instead it was replaced by excitement and pleasure. She turned to face Vincent and put her wrists behind his neck. Vincent couldn't handle the space between them, apparently. He pulled her body into his, and neither of them stopped dancing.

Tifa buried her face in Vincent's neck, and for this he was grateful. He was blushing, and she couldn't see him. About three hours and fifty-nine minutes ago, their dancing had begun to… excite him. Either she was completely unaware or she knew and had decided to go along with it. Was he making her uncomfortable, and she was just being polite? God only knew how she was reacting to their intimacy.

She surprised him by lowering her hands to his waist. He adjusted their arms so it felt comfortable for both of them, but froze dead when she closed her lips down on his neck, breathing sharply when she nipped at it.

When he didn't react, Tifa panicked. Had she gone too far? Yes, that must be it. Oh, what an idiot you are, Tifa frantically scolded herself, trying to think of an explanation to give to Vincent when he finally spoke.

Vincent's hands were trembling. Oh God how he wanted to feel that again. His neck was cool from where she'd warmed it, the air around now soothing the bite marks. The chills sent down his spine made his skin tingle with delight.

He pulled her away from him by her shoulders, holding her in front of him and studying her face. It was directed away from him, so he took her chin and had her face him. He looked in her eyes for emotions, feelings, anything. Then he moved in and kissed her deeply, differently… almost lustfully.

Tifa noticed the change and couldn't say she didn't enjoy it. She gave a throaty moan into the man's mouth, sliding her tongue into Vincent's moist opening. He returned the gesture, and their tongues tied and wrapped, pushing against the other and licking at the inside of the other's home.

She grasped his waist tighter, tilting her head opposite of his. His fingers were wrapped in her hair, and yet he didn't feel in control. They shared dominance, allowing the other to do whatever they pleased.

And then her hand slid down between his legs, and when she gripped and pulled back up in place, he broke free of the kiss to give a moan of unbearable pleasure. The music coming from above them drowned out the sound, but Tifa heard it, and she wanted to hear it again. She stroked the area she held, leaning forward and nibbling at his neck again. Vincent gasped and closed his eyes, unable to breathe. He couldn't believe what she was doing to him.

Suddenly it was gone. She'd stopped, and they were silent in the enclosed land of noise. They stared at each other, horrified yet rapturous, cautious yet daring. Finally, Vincent reached up and gracefully tucked Tifa's dark locks behind her ear. It was an odd gesture after the previous moment, but it was all he could think of. Besides, it was blocking his view of the most brilliant beauty he'd come to know.

Tifa managed to reach up and grab his hand before it fell to his side. She placed it on the side of her face and leaned into it, closing her eyes. It calmed her, and she realized that she wanted him. She'd never wanted anything more in her life, and after so long of not knowing, realization was a blow to her gut.

She loved him.

A/N: So following that up won't be too difficult. It's a matter of how, precisely, I am going to do it. But I'll try, I promise. I hope the lack of words in this chapter didn't disappoint, but it won't happen again. Christmas break has already started, so my time has expanded. It's the ideas I lack. Still, I'll work on it.