Nanaki, Vincent, and I arrive at the Gold Saucer at around three that afternoon, even though we don't need to be there until 10 pm. We each have our own reasons for wanting to be there early – Nanaki insists that he wants to watch live Chocobo racing, Vincent says we need time to check into the Haunted Hotel and nap, and I just want to have time to panic and land the helicopter early if I fuck up.
The Haunted Hotel is kitschy, with its ghost-themed decor, but it is the first time I've been in a themed hotel and I love everything about it. We get the honeymoon suite, with a colossal bed, trimmed in red velvet curtains, and a hot tub. Through the first year of recovery, I have been unable to swim or soak in a tub, but after that I just didn't have the opportunity, so this will be another first I can add to the list. I kick off my shoes, as I start the water flowing, and begin to strip.
"It will take a good hour for that thing to fill." Vincent looks at me, the corner of his mouth quirks up. He leads my gaze to the bed. "Perhaps we can find another way to fill the time?"
I'm dozing lightly while Vincent spoons me from behind. He's not quite asleep, but he's at rest and his breathing is slow. The clock reads 4:15 pm; the bath is ready and the water is churning, I'm a little bit hungry, but not enough to suggest getting out of bed yet.
Wutai Style blasts from Vincent's phone on dresser at the end of the bed. He's still a little out of it, so he reaches for Cerberus and points it at the source of the interruption. I lunge after him and push his arm down.
"It's just your phone," I say. He's panting hard, and all the benefits from the last relaxing hour goes away completely for both of us. It rings through one more time and then silences.
"Why does she insist on calling my phone? It's mine, not hers." It's an argument I've heard too many times, yet he refuses to allow me to block her number for him, or get rid of that horrible ring tone she'd programmed in.
I climb out of bed as he lays back and tries to reclaim some of his calm. The phone chimes again, indicating he has a message. I flip open the phone and punch the button for voice mail. I'm prompted for his password, which, despite my protest is my birthday, and put the message on speaker phone.
"I saw Nanaki, he says you're upstairs, but he won't tell me your room number. Don't worry, I'll find you soon!" Vincent rolls over into the pillows and groans.
"Get dressed," I say, and throw him his pants.
When she knocks on the door, three minutes later, I'm sort of dressed and Vincent is in the shower.
"I'm hungry," she says without any preamble. She pushes past me and sits on the end of the unmade bed.
"Vincent is in the shower. Why don't you get us a table and we can eat –"
"I'll wait. Here's your birthday present." She chucks a brown paper bag at me, underhanded. I unroll the top of the bag to reveal a green Materia. I look up, but she's focused on a game on her phone. "Vincent says you favor Lightning, so I got you something new to try; it's a level one Master Magic."
"Thank you, Yuffie, that's really wonderful. I don't know what to –" Vincent opens the bathroom door, already dressed but for his socks. He stares at Yuffie, then the Materia in my hand.
"Is that the Master Magic I asked you for?"
"Well, it is a Master Magic," she says, not looking up from her phone. "I didn't know what to get him, you said that one was on your list. Is that wrong? You are married after all." I hand the Materia to Vincent, who frowns, but takes it, and equips it in Cerberus. He checks it out, and his frown increases.
"It's cool, Vincent, we'll add it to the collection when we get home. Can I play with your Enemy Skill Materia in the Battle Arena later?"
"Of course, but there's no reason not to equip –"
"It's a level one, and does nothin' for my stats; I'd rather not get K'O immediately. I want to fight it out for the first time in years." My phone pings; the message is from Nanaki. "Nanaki has a table for us downstairs. Shall we?"
I sit with Yuffie on my right, so that I don't have to look at her and her disapproval all night. I'm not sure why she hates me so much. She's not in love with Vincent – that would just be creepy since they are related – but maybe I just don't understand family enough to understand.
Instead of trying to figure it out, I order a beer and decide to not worry about it. I toss Nanaki an appetizer, and as I sit back in my chair, a spike of pain hits. I think I cover my reaction, but I haven't.
"What's wrong?" Vincent asks, his tempura vegetables abandoned. He searches his pockets for something, but keeps his eyes glued to me. I would lie, but there is no way he'd buy it.
"It's just a little twinge; it caught me off guard, is all. Its ok, Vincent, relax, this is just informational – not actionable – right now."
He finds what he's looking for and puts the potion on the table, but does not offer it to me. He notes the time on his watch. "If it's not better in fifteen minutes…"
"Yes, I know, I'll take the potion," I snark.
"Informational? Actionable? Those are new terms," Nanaki says.
"Yeah, Vincent overreacts every time I have any pain and wants to whisk me to the doctor for the littlest thing. Most of the time it's phantom pain – totally normal – and it's a waste of time to worry because it'll pass in ten to fifteen minutes."
"The phrases are from our Turk days," Vincent expounds. "There are two kinds of information: that which should be noted for possible future action – informational – and that which requires immediate attention – actionable. Depending on which Reno codes the pain, I am allowed to act differently without causing either of us undue stress."
"That's a good idea, but this time I don't think you need to worry. Reno smells fine; he's had a little spike in his stress pheromones, but nothing else."
"Oh gross!" Yuffie says, and spits whatever she's eating into her napkin. "You just made me throw up in my mouth a little."
"Wait, you can smell when I'm in pain?"
"Of course! Do you think I arrived every time you were alone and feeling unwell by coincidence?"
"That's kinda… odd," I say, smirking. My head tilts to one side and the pain flares again, but I hide it better this time.
"It's only odd for a human," he points out. "I believe you are right, this might be a psychosomatic pain over a physical one. That happens often?"
"It's usually stress-induced."
"That makes sense. This is a big night for you," he says.
I shift and stretch out the muscles on my right side and that eases the pain.
"Like on a scale of one to ten, how bad do humans smell," Yuffie asks.
"In your case, I prefer you without the perfume, Yuffie. But each human has a very distinct smell; the more natural the better for me. In the case of Vincent and Reno, they are together so often that I have a hard time unmingling their scents. I can't rely on my nose alone to tell me which is which; I have to use other clues as well."
Vincent slips his hand to my knee and squeezes; his eyes have a pleased little glaze to them.
"What do you do to distract yourself from these informational pains normally? Perhaps we can get you through it quicker and back to dinner?" Nanaki asks.
"Usually we have sex, 'cause sex with Vincent pretty much distracts me from everything, yo."
"Uh, I've totally lost my appetite," Yuffie groans and the rest of us laugh.
After dinner, and before the rest of the group arrives leave, I beg them to wait in line with me for the Shooting Coaster. Nanaki passes, but Vincent and Yuffie go with me.
"An hour later and there'll be no line," Vincent suggests, after seeing me take a huff on my inhaler.
"But half the fun is the anticipation!" I justify. Yuffie glares at me.
"Um, ok, we can come back later, I guess," I surrender, hands up. "I wanted to come now in case it hurts more than I think it might, that way I could cry in the bathroom before everyone else gets here. But no worries. We have all night."
"It's been over two years, Turkey, you can only milk that one lung thing so much."
"I'm not –"
"Whatever," she dismisses me. Vincent watches the exchange with his eye brows raised.
"I'm going to the bathroom; how 'bout we meet in the arcade in a few minutes. They have the new G-Bike game, right?" I walk away to the end hall and I stand there, around the corner and imagine I'm smoking a cigarette. Instead I pop gum in my mouth and bite the inside of my cheek.
The sound of Vincent's sabatons comes down the hall. I know I'm not supposed to hear the conversation, but I listen anyway, because I can't help it.
"Why are you so combative with Reno? We've been married for ten years now. You came here to celebrate his birthday, but all you've done is talk shit about him. And that present, Yuffie… I just don't understand. What's the problem?"
Yuffie's feet shuffle. "I can't help it, he just annoys me. In all the time you've been together, I've never seen you smile, not once, and Vincent, you deserve to smile, a lot."
Vincent laughs in his quiet, nose-snorting way and there is movement. She squeaks, off guard, at whatever it is he's done.
"Thank you, Yuffie. I know I don't smile often enough, but it certainly isn't Reno's fault. About three months after I moved in with Reno, I had a small stroke. I didn't tell anyone, I just… disappeared and Reno found me. I couldn't speak and I could hardly move my mouth. Reno took me to a doctor, got me the help I needed, and nursed me back to good health. And when I could speak again, we flew to Costa del Sol and got married. I'm much better now, in fact, I can smile," he tells her, and she giggles; he must be demonstrating. "I can also smirk."
She laughs so hard, I almost join them.
"But I'll never regain all that I've lost. Holy knows Reno makes me smile all the time, and that's good practice, but mostly we've learned some work arounds."
"So, everything is ok between the two of you?"
"Exceedingly so."
"And he's not a burden, with all that's happened?"
"Little cousin," he says with an affection he reserves only for people he truly adores. "When you love someone as much as I love Reno, you'll know how foolish that question is."
"I was worried, because you've smile at me, so…" her foot stops shuffling.
"Some people require demonstrative displays, like you, so I put forth the extra effort, but Reno doesn't. We have other ways to express ourselves that are enough for us. He's told me I should put in more effort with other people, but I've gotten lazy in my old age."
"I'm sorry, Vincent. I'll try to see what you see, but I'll make no promises."
"I don't expect you to see the same things; I'd be disturbed if you found him fascinating. Just try to not see him as the enemy and perhaps use his name for the first time instead of the pejorative 'Turkey.'"
"I'll do it for your sake."
"Thank you, Yuffie, family has to care for each other." She skips off the other way.
"You can come out now, Reno," Vincent says, his voice amused. I peek around the corner and then follow with the rest of my body.
"I'm fascinating?" I tease.
"And profane, irascible, confounding, and –"
"Yes, yes, all the things you love about me."
"Or despite those thing." There's a smile in his eyes that negates the harsh words. I'm so used to the smile that doesn't include his lips that it doesn't even phase me.
"Did you hug her?"
"Yes," he admits, smirking.
"I am a bad influence on you."