A/N: And another! Anyhow, when I saw the prompt 'Ask', I immediately thought of Vincent and Lucrecia. Now, I don't even really like Lucrecia, but I can write about characters I don't like nicely, really! Ahahah. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this installment!
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII Characters and Places belong to Square Enix.
He remembered the first time that he met her, he had not asked for her name.
"Vincent Valentine reporting for duty Ma'am. I've been assigned your protection."
"Ah…no."
"Huh?
"Why would they…send his …?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh…Oh! I apologize! This is my first time meeting someone from the Turks. Lucrecia Crescent. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr Valentine."
He remembered when he first asked what she did in the strange lab that was placed in the small hamlet of Nibelheim, where nothing really happened and all the residents were sleepy, lazy people.
"Doctor Crescent, if I may ask what it is you and Doctor Hojo are doing out here so far from Midgar?"
"Oh, we are doing many very important experiments that can't be done in the Midgar environment. But please, Mr. Valentine, I'm not at liberty to say what it is we are exactly doing. So please don't ask again."
He remembered the first time she had tripped down the stairs, how he had asked her to be more careful.
"Whoops! Ah, thank you Mr Valentine. I'm lucky you caught me!"
"Doctor Crescent, please watch where you're going. I'm not always going to be around to catch you."
"Is that so? Haha, I feel like testing this now!"
He remembered the first time he had asked what her relationship was with Doctor Hojo, and how he had been disappointed to hear her answer.
"What exactly are you and Doctor Hojo…?"
"Married, Mr Valentine. Doctor Hojo is my husband."
"…I see."
He remembered the first time he had asked if he could join her on the roof where he had found her staring at the stars.
"Doctor Crescent…? What are you doing up here?"
"Hm? Oh, Mr Valentine! I'm just looking at the stars. You know, you don't see stars like this back at Midgar. I bet you haven't seen this many stars in all your life!"
"Ah…no, I haven't."
"Hm? Is there something you want to say?"
"I…was just wondering…if I could join you…?"
"Of course, Mr Valentine! I'd be happy for your company!"
He remembered the first time he asked her to call him by his given name.
"Mr Valentine, I was just wondering if you could help me find—"
"Please, Doctor Crescent, call me Vincent. Formalities seem a bit redundant when we live in close quarters."
"Ah…then I must ask you to call me Lucrecia! Now! As I was asking, Vincent, could you help me find some of my papers? I've seemed to misplace them…"
"Perhaps the office, Lucrecia? You were there late last night."
"You know, you're right. Haha, what would I do without you, Vincent?"
He remembered the first night he asked her to eat with him for dinner when Doctor Hojo was away to report to the President.
"Lucrecia, are you busy?"
"Hm? Oh, no, I'm just staring off into space. There are so many papers to do and sign, and so much to think about, but my mind is just not with me today. To top it off I'm so hungry!"
"…Would you like to join me for dinner, then?"
"You know what, I would love to!"
He remembered the first time that he held her hand, how he felt as if he should have asked her first.
"Ah!"
"Lucrecia!"
"Oh, thank you, Vincent! I'm sorry, I didn't see that rock. Haha, I'm a bit of an airhead, aren't I? Ah…? Vincent…you're holding my hand…"
"Huh? Ah, forgive me, Lucrecia…"
"Wait! Don't let go!"
"Huh…?"
"…I like it."
He remembered the first time he embraced her. He couldn't have asked for a more special moment.
"Vincent, Vincent! One of our experiments is finally showing signs of progress in the testing stage! Now we can move on to the experimenting stage on the rats, and after that on a healthy human! This is wonderful!"
"Congratulations, Lucre—Ah?"
"Oh, I'm sorry! It's just, I was very excited, and you were there and…well…it's in my nature to hug people when I'm excited. Doctor Hojo doesn't like it very much…I'm sorry…"
"…It's alright, I don't mind."
He remembered the first time he had kissed her, it had been a complete accident, as she had fallen over and he had caught her, and when she turned to thank him their faces were just close enough for their lips to brush.
It was the second time they kissed he counted as their first kiss, as the second time he had meant to do it. And he remembered her asking to do it again.
"Vincent, thank you so much for taking me on this walk through the woods! It's so beautiful out here, and the mansion was starting to become very crowded."
"You're welcome, Lucrecia."
"It's good to spend more time with you, though. Doctor Hojo isn't very good company nowadays since the experiment has been running so smoothly. Did you know that the testing on the rats is doing wonderfully? We're watching the final stage very closely, and once everything's alright we can start human testing."
"That's good news."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Vincent, am I boring you? Please tell me if I am—ah!"
"I suppose I should apologize, but I don't want to say sorry for something I meant to do. But I do hope you forgive me for my forwardness."
"…Ah…uhm….it's…it's all-alright…Uhm…actually…could we, try that again? Please? This time I won't be so surprised."
"Hahaha…"
He remembered the first time they made love together, how she hadn't asked him to stop. Doctor Hoho had once again been gone, leaving the two to their own devices. They had been secretly seeing each other for a short amount of time by this point.
"Vincent…we shouldn't be doing this…"
"Just tell me to stop if you want me to stop, Lucrecia. I will not force you into anything you don't want."
"That's just the problem. I want this too much."
He remembered the moment he learned that Lucrecia was the human, asking her why she had to be the one.
"Lucrecia, why you? Why not one of the assistants or a woman from the hamlet? Why YOU?"
"Vincent, it is an honour for me to be a part of this very important experiment. It will be a scientific breakthrough! Doctor Hojo asked me personally to be the one to do it, and though we may not act like it he is still my husband. Please, Vincent, can't you just be happy for me? I'm going to bring something wonderful to the world."
"..Alright, Lucrecia. I'll be happy for you."
He remembered the first time he asked Doctor Hojo what exactly the experiment Lucrecia was a part of entailed.
"Doctor Hojo, if I may ask, what is it exactly that Lucre—that Doctor Crescent is doing for this experiemtn?"
"Hmmm? Well, Turk, she is to be the bearer of the perfect human being."
"…Excuse me?"
"I mean to say she's going to give birth to a child that we have perfected for ShinRa of course, you stupid Turk! Now leave my office at once, I have many things to do and you are wasting my time!"
He remembered the first time he had asked her to give up on the project.
"Lucrecia, please! This seems unnatural! Can't you just stop doing the experiment?"
"That would be like killing a human being, Vincent! I am not a Turk, I do not kill people like you."
"Lucrecia, we don't know if that's going to even be a human!"
"Vincent, stop it! It is my choice whether I want to do this or not! Stop trying to tell me what to do!"
"…I'm sorry, Lucrecia. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me…"
He remembered the night when he asked her to marry him and run away together.
"Lucrecia, I will not ask you to give up the experiment. But please…that child is not Hojo's, and we both know it. Please, run away with me. Marry me. We'll be a family together. I'll raise the child as my own. But we can't stay here. Please…?"
"I…I'm sorry Vincent. But…But I can't!"
"Lucrecia!"
He remembered being shot. He remembered the tube. He remembered Lucrecia's voice as she screamed and screamed at Hojo. He remembered the pain, the blinding, white hot pain. He remembered the poison surrounding him. He remembered being put into a dark place. He remembered waking up to an empty lab. He remembered walking through the halls of the mansion. He remembered passing a window and seeing his reflection for the first time.
He remembered, staring into horror-filled red eyes, the first thing to be asked in who-knew-how long.
"What have I become?"