Chapter 9

Visions in the dark

Stepping in she closed the door and noticed Vincent was sitting on his bed with his back to her. He felt he waited an eternity. His back was strong and the muscles rippled below his skin like the raging sea.

"Can I have my clothes back?" Vincent asked quietly.

"Not yet."

Yuffie was amazed at how long his hair really was; it went passed the middle of his back. That cloak of his was very deceiving in many ways. She crawled on to his bed behind him and watched as he tensed up and the muscles in his back constricted with her approach. She set his clothes down on the pillows and reached out and touched his broad shoulders.

"Yuffie"

"Oh hush. I'm not gonna hurt you. Geez, haven't you ever gotten a back rub before" she said as she began massaging his shoulders.

It had been many years since he allowed anyone this close to even give him a massage or touch him for that matter except if he needed help with injuries although he would still protest. But Yuffie was very good at this and she had him at a disadvantage. She stole his clothes knowing there wasn't much he would do since he wasn't about to embarrass himself in front of everyone else if he didn't have to. Besides, he was beginning to like Yuffie more and more and he knew she was doing this to show him that she really did care about him and if she could do it then so could he. The problem was he wasn't ready to let go of Lucrecia and was afraid of losing once he got her. Although her back rub was very slowly melting his ice cold exterior and he was beginning to think that maybe he should move on.

She felt him relax slightly under her hands. She smiled and decided to strike up a conversation, or at least try to.

"You need to loosen up Vinny" she spoke softly kneading her thumbs into his shoulders.

"Yuffie, why are you doing this?"

"I know you aren't that dense plus I am making up for dinner since you couldn't eat it" she replied moving up to his neck.

"You didn't know" he replied dropping his chin to his chest.

Looking over her shoulder to check the time the red numbers glared back their response. 7:10, good she thought to herself moving her hands back to his shoulders. Raising his head he figured he would try again.

"Yuffie…" he began.

"No Vinny not yet, but if you insist you can put some pants on. But I am not done yet" Yuffies said cutting him off. Grabbing the silk pajama pants she dropped them in his lap. Looking down he heard Chaos laugh.

"Yuffie, these are not mine"

"They are now" she replied sitting back on her butt and letting go of his shoulders. He stood and walked into his bathroom this time closing the door before dropping his towel. Vincent sighed knowing that once again he was at a disadvantage, he pulled them on. They were long enough but they had no tie in the waist to cinch them tighter. Growling and hoping nothing would catch them and pull them down he opened the door the bathroom and stepped out.

Yuffie looked up and was in awe over the fit. His golden gauntlet stood out against the shiny silk and his abs held true to their perfect form. He slowly walked back towards her and she smiled when she saw just how dangerously low they sat on his narrow hips. She watched as he wouldn't make eye contact with her and it then clicked as to why. She climbed off his bed as he sat down and pulled the key to his closet from her pocket. Unlocking the door she pulled it open and opened the drawer that had his t-shirts in it. Closing the closet she giggled when she noticed it still had the tags on it. She walked back to the bed and settled next to Vincent who was now in his favorite sitting position. He had his clawed hand resting on his knee and his human arm was behind him bracing his body while his other leg was straight out in front of him. Again, he was looking down using his hair as a shield to hide behind since it wasn't restricted with his bandana.

She couldn't help but to scan over his muscular expanse again and this time seeing his scars. There were some on his arms like something had dug into the skin and pulled away, and then there was the Y shaped scar on his chest. She averted her gaze to his sides where she saw what looked like claw marks. There were also similar scars on his shoulders among the others that adorned his body. She shuddered with the thoughts of what Hojo could have done to him. Yuffie held out her hand with the shirt in it to the gunman who knew she was checking out his scars. Pulling his crimson eyes up he greeted hers and took the shirt with his human hand. She sat back and watched as he cut the tag off with a clawed finger and pulled the shirt over his head. Pulling his ebony hair from under the collar only for it to spill down his back like water and his bangs again falling in his face.

He looks very sexy in that t-shirt Yuffie thought.

"There, feel better now?" she questioned grabbing the chocolates. He nodded his head and turned so he was now sitting on the edge of his bed again, his back to Yuffie.

Seeing this Yuffie scooted closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder making him jump at the sudden contact.

"They don't bother me Vinny"

"Yuffie, can I have my clothes back" he asked trying to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

"Gawd Vince is that all you can think about" she snapped sitting back with her arms crossed on her chest and her legs folded up under her.

Vincent sighed again. He slid back and took up the spot leaning against his head board crossing his arms and pushing his long legs out in front of him, keeping his head lowered so he could hide behind the wall of hair he turned slightly his eyes meeting hers.

"Yuffie, you don't want to be with me" he said dropping his gaze to the silken pants.

She took in a deep breath and punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could. Snapping his head up he met her furious glare.

"Damn it Vince! There is nothing wrong with you and don't you even start the 'I'm a monster' thing either. Because if you were anything other than a person I wouldn't be here with you would I" she yelled at him. He wasn't expecting that from the ninja at all and quite frankly it took him by surprise.

"Besides that, how could a monster care the way you do, and don't say you don't because we all know you do" she said calming down and staring into the crimson orbs that seemed to almost glow from behind the curtain of hair. She knew she had a point and someday she would get him to see it.

"I have a question. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to but I have to ask it" she looked down at her hands. Her anger had diminished and Vincent knew the question that was coming up.

"Why is your wrist so sensitive?" Yuffie looked up when she saw his clawed hand flex and move as he tried to hold onto the fiery inferno that was welling up inside of him. He did everything he could not to growl at her or dig into the flesh of the arm he currently had a death grip on.

"It was only a question. I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"

"Its where he decided all the injections needed to be. Veins can only take so much" Vincent cut her off. Holding herself she shuddered at the thought and now understood the scars on his wrist.

"From the straps" he said his voice dripped with venomous hatred. Yuffie started to tear up; it was like he could read her mind and now he was struggling to fight back his anger for the man who quite literally took his life away.

Yuffie scooted backwards off the bed and tossed the chocolates on the bed.

"I'm sorry Vince" she said as she ran out his room, stopping only to quietly close the door. Slamming hers she crawled under the covers of her bed and sobbed uncontrollably. She had realized just how much pain he harbored and how he suffered those 30 some odd years ago. She couldn't believe he hid all this behind the beautiful face of his, but then it explained why he is the way he is. She decided then to give him his space and let him ponder the box of chocolates. Eventually sleep would pull her into its darkened abyss. After all they were leaving very early in the morning to set up camp by night fall.