Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Crimson Kiss ❯ Home ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimers? Uuh, yeah... right.

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It was quiet and serene like before when he first discover the barren field of white. The snow glistened beneath the late afternoon sun as he sat in peace, staring at the scenery or something beyond it that made him think of nothing. If only he could be like this forever, not a single worry, not a thought of reality. It felt like nothing in the world could hurt him at the moment, and even if he died that very second, he wouldn't regret it nor fought back. How strange it was for him to finally find that peace he had been searching for, but how long would it last, how long would God let him live in peace like this, like the past week?

Despite the warm sun overhead, there was a cool breeze that chilled his skin. He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he heard the lightly pressure in the snow, he turned around and saw Aeris with a basket walking towards him. Her eyes eventually met his, and she looked away, but he had seen the same sadness she had been trying to hide behind her smiles for the past days. She stopped a few meters from him and stared out at the open fields, smiling gently. "You found this place too," she said.

"Yes," he answered, although it wasn't a question. "It seemed to have found me instead."

She nodded, "I understand. It drew me here when I was about eight... I remember walking... I didn't have a place in mind, but I just continued walking... walking, letting my feet wander wherever it pleased. And then, I stopped at the alley... like a voice was calling out to me..." She turned to him with her usual smile, "You must've heard it too." He nodded, and she took a few steps forward into the empty white. "Then... you must be searching for something too. Confused and lost..." she began, standing in the fields, and looked back at him, "this is the place one finds...

"And the place where you must die..."

He stared at her with wide eyes, surprised by such words she would utter, and her mysterious, green eyes bore into him, deep into his heart, mind, soul (that he thought he had lost), 'Let your past die here and bury it in the depths of the snow... and life will become anew. From death... rebirth...

'Vincent...'


~ An Aeris & Vincent Romance Story ~

Crimson Kiss

written by K-chan


Chapter Five: Home


One morning, Gast came down to the dining hall for breakfast, and when he saw his wife sitting by herself with two meals already set, he became curious as to where the rest of the occuppants of the inn were. "Where is everyone? It feels like a ghost inn," he teased, sitting down.

"Hmm?" she looked up from a book, "Well, those guests from yesterday just left, and without any breakfast too! Let's see... and that odd peddler is still asleep. He said not to wake him till lunch. A definitely odd man. And Mr. Valentine left with Aeris not too long ago. She's taking him up to the mountain cabin."

"Mountain cabin? So he's decided to stay? But why there?" he asked and then sipped his coffee.

"I think he didn't want to trouble us and the village because he was an outsider." She shook her head pitifully, "He's such a nice, young man... In a way, he's quite naive -- like our little Aeris -- putting others before himself."

Her husband chuckled, "But he is more likable than the last person who lived in that cabin."

She nodded and looked out at the window, wondering thoughtfully, "But I wonder what made Mr. Valentine change his mind... He was intent on leaving as soon as possible, but now..."


"Be careful right there," she warned him, leading the way up the mountain side, "It gets a little slippery after a drop in temperature around here." As they continued their trek, Aeris pointed out some dangerous spots and some interesting information to Vincent, and he seemed to listen to every word she said. "And over here," she said, grabbing his hand, and pulled him to a the side of the path that had a large view to the village below them, "You can see the whole village! Isn't it beautiful?!" She bent over, resting her hands on her upper legs, "I don't come up here often, but when I do, I always come here. It has the best view, and when I see this, I know I'm not alone..."

Vincent stared at her, wondering if she lived every day with those bright smiles of hers. He noted that everything she did or said was filled with life, but being only human, she had her glimpses of sorrow. Still, she was able to move on, pushing the sadness behind her, and continue to smile. Perhaps, people would say she was an amazing person, but to him, she was more than amazing. Just her words had struck him three days ago, and because of that, he came to his decision... to stay.

"Vincent," she called, and he looked at her, "Don't think about it, okay? I promise... I promise to help you with your new life here." She held up her pinky finger to him, "But you have to promise me you will try too!" He was hesitant those three days about making his choice, but now that he did, why was he still uncertain? The prospect of a new life sounded great, but could he? Could he live a normal life? Be the normal person he was before he met her (Lucrecia)?

Some things couldn't change, but others could... It was possible to a live a new life, if he just tried. He had left his past buried in the snow and walked away without looking back, but right now, he stood before Aeris and raised his hand to hers, hooking their pinkies together for that promise. "Good!" she chirped and pointed behind them, "Now just a litte farther up, and we're there!" She took off excitedly that brought a faint smile to his lips.

This second chance... maybe it wouldn't be too bad.


It only took fifteen minutes till they arrived at the cabin, which was small, apparently for one person to live in. It was rundown over the years of abandonment, but a few repairs would make it livable place. Aeris walked up to the door and creaked it opened with a bit of nervousness. The gush of cold air rushed out at her, and she squealed at the suddenness, retreating behind Vincent. He looked down at her, making her blush, but he just raised and eyebrow and pushed the door wider until he could see the main room was already furnished. He entered the cabin, noting the details of the residence from the accumulation of dust on the wooden furniture to the fissures in the doorways of the other rooms.

Aeris was still behind Vincent, slowly inching in with him, as her eyes wandered around the small place. It was the first time she had seen the inside of the home. "It's spooky," she whispered.

"I would have it no other way," he joked, although he didn't appear that way with his usual blank expression.

She looked at him oddly but then shook it aside, giggling. "Well, it'll be a great place to live after it's cleaned up!" She scanned the room again, as if she was searching for something, and turned to him with a curious look, "But are you sure you want to stay here? It'll be lonely up here..."

He nodded in reassurance, "I'll be fine." He left at that because if he added in something like 'I'm used to it', then she probably wouldn't have left him alone with that, saying it wasn't good for people to live alone, and would insist that he get a roommate or something. She just seemed to be that type of person to care for a person to the fullest.

"Hmm, but I wonder if it could be haunted," she said thoughtfully, brushing the dust off the table with the sleeve of her coat. "The last person to live here was this old, gruffy man. He didn't like people much, that's why he lived up here alone. He even passed away here..." She shudder at the thought of the place being haunted by the man but clasped her hands together like for a prayer, whispering, "Please forgive me."

"Did you ever come up here to see him?" Vincent asked, walking around the room, and inspect the items.

"Well... once. It was a dare when I was a child. I was so nervous, and I barely made it to the front door when it flew open... I was so scared! I screamed and ran away." She caught Vincent's eyes on her and looked away in embarrassment, "I know it was a horrible thing to do, but I was still a child... And children do foolish things..."

"I hope you don't do that to me," he said with a tiny hint of humor.

"Of course not!" she blurted out hastily and turned away shyly. "At least you don't look like a giant, hungry bear wanting to eat me," she said, charading like a bear with her hands in the air, and for the first time in a long while, Vincent chuckled. Aeris blinked at the laughing man, but it was such an adorable sight, and she joined him in the laughter.


TO BE CONTINUED...


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Sorrie for holding out on this chapter. Thank you for the kind reviews. I adore this couple very much, and I believe it comes more naturally than a VinTif, and I agree that Aeris is more the suitable choice for Vincent too, out of the three females... we know, love, hate, whatever... *shrug*

Anyway... *smirk* how long will his new life lasts before his past catches up to him and drags Aeris and the innocent people of Snowy Village into it? Hey, you were expecting that question, ne? *giggle*

Overlook the next part if you don't care of how this story started... I just feel like rambling...


I mentioned before that this story had a snowy setting just like the famous Snow Fields series, but this story is actually inspired from a Chinese (gambling) movie I watched years ago (that I WANT to watch again if... aargh, nevermind). That plot was good, but it was the subplot of this man and young woman that grabbed my attention and heart. It was a tragic romance... and it reminded me of poor Vin-chan... so that's how this story came about. It's a bit somber compared to my other stories, which I'm not sure is a good thing or bad... I tend to jump like 180 degrees with what I write, ne? You never know what to expect from me... Okies, gotta go.