DISCLAIMED: (09/05/09)
Characters: Reno/Yuffie, Vincent/Yuffie, Cloud/Tifa(minor), Rufus & the Turks, AVALANCHE
Genre: Romance/Drama/Action
Rating: T for language and light adult content.
Summary: Yuffie was just doing something nice for a couple friends. Why her world suddenly turned upside down by two different men was anyone's guess. Explores an age-old question – Vincent? Or Reno? Rated for light adult content.
A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing and who just started reading and will review. I'm sorry I'm not getting back to all of you, but there's a crapload of you and I'm not used to that=P But I am trying. Just know that you all rock.
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Chapter 七
Meanwhile, on the roof…
"Vincent?"
The gunslinger turned seeing Yuffie peek over the side of the building. She climbed up and crawled over the short rise of the wall, landing lightly on her feet.
Vincent got to his feet in one fluid motion as well.
"Yuffie."
She shuffled her feet, looking down. "So, uh…you were saying something earlier."
Vincent had been contemplating her wrapped in his cloak, and started at her voice. "Yes, right." Taking calming breath he looked up at her, "Yuffie, I…kissed you for all the reasons I mentioned. You've always been there for me, and as I said, I'm not very verbose," he smiled as he said the last word. Yuffie blushed, remembering her own use of the same word to him not so long ago. "So you may not have realized how thankful I am…to have you in my life."
Yuffie felt her jaw slacken. He made it sound like she was important to him. She'd never been important to anyone. Her cheery, self-centered façade made sure she remained insignificant. That Vincent paid enough attention to her to see through it was…inconceivable. Well, so was the idea of him kissing her, but he'd already done that as well.
Vincent started to walk towards her. Yuffie wanted to step back but forced herself not to. She wasn't afraid of anything. She had to be strong. Gulping, she found Vincent almost as terrifying now as when he was in Chaos form, but for very different reasons.
His eyes were tender but determined as they bore into hers, hypnotizing her. When he stopped right before her, his hands lifted to his cloak still wrapped around her small frame. Tugging on the high collar, he leaned close.
"Yuffie, if you feel at all the same way, I beg you give me leave to prove my worth to you…" he spoke, his voice low and breathy, sending shivers through her slight frame. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on how she felt, like Tifa told her. She had no idea if Vincent was the one for her, having so little experience with love, but if he could evoke this excitable and thrilling feeling in her, she certainly wouldn't mind finding out. When he shifted closer and pressed his lips to hers, she let him. His gloved hand lifted to the back of her neck, and she tentatively raised her hands to rest gently on his chest.
As he angled his mouth over hers, Yuffie let herself enjoy it. She tried to imagine them as a couple, like Cloud and Tifa. Like Cid and Shera. Like her mother and Godo…
With a cry, Yuffie broke the kiss. She stumbled back and Vincent, despite his surprise, reached out to help her, but she shied away from him.
"No! I—I can't, I…" Panicked, Yuffie leaped over the side. Vincent rushed after her, "Yuffie!"
His worries she'd hurt herself were allayed as he saw her form disappear from the fire escape below and into the window.
Yuffie ran. Racing out of her room and down the hall, she passed Cloud who'd rushed to his door hearing commotion. She ignored him shouting her name. Running downstairs, she raced past Tifa and out the door. She kept running till she reached the edge of town. There she collapsed.
What had she been thinking?! She didn't want to become her parents. One dies leaving the other to become embittered enough to cast their only daughter out to make her own way in the world. She couldn't risk that.
Yuffie clasped her knees to her and rocked until the overwhelming panic subsided. When she could think clearer, she thought about Vincent. Before all this, he was her friend. She didn't want to lose him as a friend and she doubted he could handle losing someone else he thought important in his. A deep sadness settled over her. The kind she hadn't felt since Aerith died.
She remembered the hurt she'd felt when he'd rejected her, and she hadn't even known if she felt anything for him. Yuffie couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling over her abrupt rejection, after pouring out his heart to her.
But Yuffie wasn't up to apologizing just yet. Her panic attack was still too fresh and she simply needed to be alone for a while. She'd apologize soon.
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Vincent raced down after Yuffie. When Cloud stepped in his way, he impatiently tried to push the blond aside, but the swordsman stood firm. Vincent frowned at him.
"What did you do?" Cloud asked.
"Nothing," Vincent huffed. "I…I kissed her—"
Cloud sighed and shook his head. Grabbing the gunslinger's shoulder, he turned him around and started shoving him back towards the roof. Vincent tried to protest and shove back but caught Cloud's eye and saw the mako blue flare dangerously.
So Vincent allowed himself to be led to the balcony. Outside, he clutched the railing, leaning over it. Cloud crossed his arms and scowled at the older man. In comparison to Reno, Vincent was the better choice, but not if he was going to make her cry.
"What's going on, Vincent?" he questioned.
Vincent sighed softly. "I think…I'm in love with her."
Cloud started. Somehow, he knew Vincent wouldn't take up with a woman over a mere flight of fancy but to hear the reserved man say out loud that he was in love was more than startling. Knowing the gunslinger's long-lasting heartache over the woman behind the waterfall, Cloud automatically felt joy for his friend in being able to move on, but it was tamped down as he realized the woman he referred to had just run as fast as she possibly could in the other direction. Is that why she ran?
"Did you tell her that?" Cloud asked, his tone concerned now.
Vincent shook his head so slightly, Cloud barely caught it. "Not in so many words."
That wasn't surprising.
"What did you say?" Cloud asked gently.
Vincent turned and looked at the blond over his shoulder. "That I couldn't be happier than having her in my life."
Cloud looked away. Damn. He'd have to remember that one for Tifa later on.
"And then," Vincent turned away. "I kissed her…she didn't pull away or try to stop me. Then she cried out and jerked away as if afraid of me…" he shook his head.
"Why?"
Vincent didn't answer.
"She's not scared of you, Vincent."
The two men turned to look at the doorway. Tifa stood there, resting a hand on the doorframe. Coming forward, she continued. "She's confused. She doesn't understand her own feelings. And she's never dealt with any other men except her father who hurt her deeply by casting her out on her own." Walking up to the dark-haired man, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Just give her time. I'm sure she feels terrible at how she reacted."
Vincent was still learning to welcome comfort from others again, and tried to accept her words. He hated that he'd scared Yuffie away. But he would give her some time before apologizing.
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Stepping outside the hospital entrance, Reno lit a cigarette before taking a long drag. Rude had a bit of brain activity today according to the monitor he's hooked up to. Elena was elated, but Reno knew better than to raise his hopes.
It was dusk and he finally gave into the need for some nicotine. Blowing out smoke, he glanced down the street and his eyes caught a slumping figure. Reno frowned and squinted wondering if it was who he thought it was. He recognized the cloak as the gunslinger's, but that was certainly not him dragging his feet down the street.
As the figure moved closer he realized it was indeed the little ninja, wearing Valentine's cloak for some unknown reason. Taking one more pull from his cigarette, he stamped it out and approached the small figure.
"Hey, who died, yo?" he called.
Yuffie glanced up, her dulled eyes lighting up with recognition, before darting away from him. "Uh, no one." She tried to scurry past him and he put out a hand to stop her. Yuffie grabbed it before it could hit her stomach and twisted abruptly, shoving Reno's face against the wall.
Shock immobilized him, but only for a moment. Kicking back, he heard her yelp as he hit her shin, before he spun reversing their positions and pinning her back to the wall.
"What's up with you, yo?" Reno exclaimed. His eyes shot downward abruptly, as he noticed in their tussle, her cloak opened and the kimono underneath was gaping slightly.
Yuffie's chest heaved from their scuffle and a bit from indignation. She gasped as she noticed where his eyes went and struggled against him.
Reno tightened his hold on her, grabbing her wrists in one hand and reaching forward to pull her kimono closed. Yuffie's jaw dropped at his audacity. He lifted an eyebrow at her and raised a finger to her chin to close her mouth, which she snapped and jerked away from him.
Reno frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked seriously.
"Nothing. Just leave me alone, turkey," she snapped out.
"Not until you tell me why you're being such a bitch," Reno retorted.
Yuffie looked away. "Just…stop messing with me! I don't like it!"
Reno frowned perplexed.
"I don't need you kissing me and confusing me and making me feel things I don't need! Now get off!" she exclaimed.
She started struggling again and he re-tightened his hold on her. Struggling harder, she managed to lift her knee and connect with his groin. Immediately, Reno released her and she sped off as he sank to the ground in pain.
Yuffie ran all the way back to the bar. Cutting around the back, she slipped in the back door, to avoid the evening crowd. She sped up the small spiral staircase and made for the laundry room. Reaching it, she found Tifa must've put her things in the dryer as they were done. Piling them in her arms, Yuffie took them to her room.
Jerkily, she put her clothes away, before donning a night tank and some sleep shorts. She was calm by then and considered the red cloak draped over her bed. Grabbing a hanger, she hung it in her closet, promising herself to return it on the morrow. She then paused to stare at the moon. It was almost full. Yuffie climbed out her window on to the fire escape. The building next to the bar blocked out a lot of the sky. After a moment, Yuffie turned and climbed nimbly up the side to the roof. Reaching the low wall's ledge, she turned and sat on it, her legs dangling over towards the ground.
Feeling a presence behind her, Yuffie spoke. "I'm sorry."
She heard his boot-falls as he stepped closer. She lowered her head as he stopped directly behind her.
"It is I who is—"
Yuffie shook her head. "No, it's me. Stupid 'ole me," she sighed. Glancing back up to stare at the luminescent moon, she continued, "I thought I was ready for…those feelings. But I'm not…" Though Vincent couldn't see it, she lowered her gaze. "I don't think I'll ever be," added sadly.
"Yuffie," he spoke. She turned her head to the side to show she was listening. "Are you afraid of me?" His breath held as he awaited her answer, but it was immediately given.
Yuffie gave a soft laugh. "No, Vince. You don't frighten me. The future does." She finally turned to glance up at him. He moved to her side to make it easier for her. "I don't want to be like my parents. Ever." She had turned back around to stare into her lap.
Vincent slowly lowered himself to sit on the ledge next to her. Reaching out, he lifted her chin and she turned to glance at him, his face clear from lack of his usual high collar.
"I have met Godo, and you are nothing like him. I have heard tales of your mother, and she was a great Empress, unmatched by no one in her kindness. She loved your father, as he loved her but I'm sure she would've held all the more tighter to you had it been him who continued on to the Lifestream."
Yuffie was looking at him in wonder. "You knew of my mother?"
Vincent nodded, his hand slowly dropping away. "My father was friends with her father. After he left Wutai to work as a scientist for Shinra, he kept in touch. When Grimoire died, his letters were sent to me." Vincent looked towards the sky. "The last I heard was his daughter was betrothed to the heir to the throne."
Yuffie nodded. "My nana said my mother had trouble conceiving. After a decade of trying, my parents lost all hope of producing an heir. She said my mother was excited when she conceived me, that when I came out, she refused to leave my side." Yuffie looked away. "She said after a while my father found this tiresome. Their marriage had grown stretched without an heir and he was disappointed I turned out a girl. When I was five, he started teaching me all the ways of the ninja, as if I were a boy. He grew to resent the time my mother doted on me and when she died, he couldn't stand to look at me. So I left."
"He did not force you to leave?"
Yuffie glanced at him. "He might as well have, for all he noticed me. But I have no wish to follow his path. Not really an issue now, but what if I turn out to be barren? Whomever I marry, no matter how kind, couldn't possibly stay happy with me. I don't want to slowly grow apart and end up resenting them."
"Yuffie," Vincent spoke after a long moment. "So many things can happen in the course of your lifetime. Deciding to join Cloud and the others could've resulted in your death, like Aerith's. But you went anyway, you stayed till the end. You joined Reeve and the WRO knowing the Tsviettes were a threat but you didn't think once of quitting, despite the danger."
Yuffie listened quietly, waiting for him to continue. "Can you honestly say you wouldn't risk your heart, simply because there's a chance it might get hurt?"
Yuffie considered this a moment, before slowly turning her gaze to his. She saw his heart in his eyes and it was beautiful. But she was still so scared. Looking away, she let out a shaky breath.
"Maybe…" she conceded. She turned back to him, her eyes beseeching, "But I don't…"
Vincent nodded and took her hand. "Don't worry about me. I can give you time, if that's what you need."
Yuffie looked pained. What she needed was a crystal ball to tell her she would end up happy. That her fears about her parents were founded on nothing. But she nodded and returned her eyes to her lap.
Yuffie felt him squeeze her hand as he added softly, "I will always be there for you…Yuffie."
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The next morning, Yuffie left early, passing Cloud in his small garage, fiddling with his precious bike. She waved to him and he gave a small wave and nod in return.
Continuing down the street, she headed for the hospital. Looking back, she felt really bad about assaulting Reno. She carried a small bag of ice to give him. Entering the hospital ward, instead of Elena sitting in the waiting area, Reno was stretched out, looking very uncomfortable. His head was resting against the wall and his eyes were closed.
Stopping before him, she cocked her head.
His eyes still closed, he said, "What do you want, yo?" His eyes opened and he rolled his head upright to stare up at her.
Yuffie held up the pack of ice and he eyed it right before she dropped it onto his lap. He instinctively sat forward and groaned as the ice hit his sensitive area. The throbbing dulled quickly with the cold, so he sat back and placed a hand over the ice settling it more firmly over his injured parts.
Yuffie looked away at this, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry." She spoke to the air.
Reno lifted an eyebrow before smirking. "You're 'sorry?'"
"I shouldn't have reacted way," she continued resolutely. "I was upset."
"I noticed," he drawled back.
Yuffie looked at him then. "Will you, uh," she nodded at his lap, "be okay?"
He lifted his eyebrows at her. "You think this is the first time an angry chick's taken a shot at my balls?"
Yuffie rolled her eyes and looked away, but Reno smiled when he saw her small blush. Wincing slightly, he stood and stepped towards her. Yuffie glanced at him warily. When he stepped close, she tried to step away, but he caught her elbow with his free hand.
Leaning close to her ear, he spoke, "I would've much preferred you'd gone about it in a bit more…gentler way."
Yuffie closed her eyes briefly as the husky tone of his voice rolled over her, before shaking her head and stepping back.
"I don't think so. Turkey," she added with a twist of her lips.
Reno shrugged. "Well, if you like it rough, we could work on something to that effect. With less knee in my groin area, that is."
Yuffie shook her head in disgust and shoved him backwards. He fell into his seat and gave a laugh.
"No sex." Yuffie said firmly. "And no more kissing me."
"I'll stop kissing you," Reno rolled his suddenly intense gaze up to meet hers, "when you stop letting me."
Yuffie blinked and looked away. "Well, that would be right now."
Reno gave a soft snort. "Sure, princess."
The door to Rude's room opened and Elena stepped out. Her eyes lit up as she spotted Yuffie.
"Yuffie," Elena greeted.
Yuffie nodded to the blond. "Hello."
Elena nodded back. "What brings you here?"
Yuffie glanced at Reno, who wiggled his eyebrows at her. A sudden thought of him alone with the two women suddenly entered his head. He hadn't gotten laid in a while and it was starting to show.
"Er, just to give Reno some ice," Yuffie answered quickly. "How's Rude?"
Elena's mouth opened to answer as she glanced curiously between the two. "The same. Though he showed some brain activity yesterday."
"Oh," Yuffie nodded, "That's good."
"Yeah," Elena nodded, before drifting off.
Yuffie fidgeted, not knowing what else to say. "Well, I'll…see you." And she turned to go.
The blond caught up to her at the door and Yuffie stopped.
"Yuffie," said Elena. "I wanted to thank you. You and your friends helped immensely with the whole Blue Devils thing, and it really improved our morale."
Yuffie opened and closed her mouth before looking away, shifting uncomfortably.
"And Reno's seemed to have perked up with you around," Elena added watching Yuffie carefully.
Yuffie's eyes shot to the blonde's before looking away again. "Uh, I doubt it has anything to do with me…"
Elena shook her head. "No, really. He was a wreck. After you came in to return his EMR, he hasn't exactly been his normal self. But rather looking despondent, he's been more…pensive."
Yuffie's eyebrows shot up. "Pensive?"
Elena nodded.
Yuffie frowned. From the little she knew of Reno, that didn't sound like him and Elena made it sound as if it wasn't normal either, so she wondered. Maybe he just hadn't gotten laid in a while. She'd heard that kind of thing affected men more.
Shaking her head, she shrugged. "I don't know what I could've done. But I'll pass your thanks on to the group," Yuffie nodded to her and with a smile took off.
Elena watched the brunette curiously before heading back inside.
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A/N: Aw, poor Vincent. And poor Reno's junk. XD Lol, let me know what you think;)
