Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Entangled Souls ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 3 )

`Fight or flight?'

`Fight for what, exactly?'

Vincent fought a silent battle within his mind. The controversy rooted in which alternative would prove best for those involved. Evermore was he plagued by an analytical existence, perhaps due to the pieces of his past. The present circumstances were all but inconceivable, and in the least, slightly confused. Such proved an abnormal feeling to deal with for the gunslinger.

The verses of a familiar saying drowned his thoughts with a lethal celerity. The aphorism caused a tension to rush through his nerves while crimson gaze settled heavily on inattentive feminine features. Had hidden agenda played a role in the events of the antecedent? One might have guessed, that in order for Vincent Valentine to spill even a summary of his past to anyone, he might require the influence of something powerful. Even alcohol would have explained that which he failed to understand.

Tifa Lockhart had often coerced sentences built with more than meaningless phrases from him, she had an interesting manner of bringing extrovert behaviour from an otherwise introverted being. On the contrary, Vincent had been in a particularly vulnerable state as of late. Perhaps his weakened state had influenced the response she elicited from him the prior evening. Was it really all that questionable that he had desired to open up for some time and had finally chosen a seemingly perfect candidate to allow such knowledge?

Years were spent hiding past from present, leaving unattended memories to dwell in the cobwebs of a labyrinth. In all truth, the desire for someone to help sort through tenets and ease away the discomfort had long been at the forefront of his secret wishes. Until the precedent evening, he had thought such a woman to be chimerical. Not even in the depths of his soul had he thought the bond he noted between he and Tifa actually ran much deeper than mutual appreciation. When he studied the proverbial windows to her soul last night, he saw admiration and a faint hint of attraction. She was sending signals that crossed him in to new territory.

Though the notion of a new beginning admittedly alarmed every sense of him, the thought of carrying on the remainder of his existence in shadow wondering what could have been, disturbed him. The push and pull of two worlds became intense, and he felt a minute pain well up to signal the first trace of a migraine. Twin tips were pressed against the bridge of his nose, crimson hidden behind lids as he regained composure. A deep breath sucked past dry lips, held in an extended chest for brief moments.

Upon settling malady, he unveiled crimson hue, his gaze seeking the woman who could be blamed for his current condition. He was surprised when her eyes shifted to meet his, a smile gracing over her feminine lips. Without knowledge of his motions, he had moved from the safety of the tree during his soliloquy and was within her view. How strange that her simple smile provided comfort to a tormented soul. He gave her an insufficient nod, and she assumed he would like her to join him.

Tifa rose from the bench, graceful movement bringing her to his company. He took notice of her pajamas, realizing she must have been out since earlier this morning. “Good morning, Vincent.” Tifa's cheerful voice broke the silence.

“Tifa.” He met her gaze, searching for signs that her new feelings remained. “Did you sleep well?”

Pearled tips nibbled against her bottom lip, unsure of whether to mention how her night actually went. He seemed oblivious to the fact that she had been in his room, which surprised her. For now, she would take their interactions slowly. “I did. How about you?”

“Well enough.” He nodded, emphasis added to the statement.

“I finally saw Yuffie.” She announced, a nervous laugh presented as her mind wandered the dialogue of her meeting with Yuffie.

“You seem uncomfortable with that...” He was too observant for her usual facade.

“No, no. In fact, we're getting together later. You can join us, if you like?” 'Why does he see through everything?'

“I may pass on that offer.” He watched a small frown form, a bona fide pout. “But I'd much like it if we could spend some time together.” And he meant that.

Her expression immediately changed, a radiant smile curving pastel. “I'd like that, too.” She fidgeted with the sleeves of her coat, as they hung past the tips of her fingers. Something about him made her nervous like a young girl with her first crush. Such feelings had not been evident for far too long.

“What would you like to do, Tifa?” He watched her fidget, an imperceivable smirk commandeering pale lips.

“Hm...” She paused a moment to think, “Oh! There's some sort of fair going on this weekend in honor of... em, well I don't know. I just know that Yuffie had mentioned it sometime ago and she said they have all kinds of neat things to do. We could check that out?”

“Where will that be?” He wasn't sure if something so crowded would be to his liking, but her excitement about the matter was endearing.

“It's later this afternoon, and into the evening. I believe it's by the market and actually in this park, as well.”

“Shall I meet you here later, then?” Truthfully, he needed a bit more time to mull over the details of his decisions.

“Sure! I should probably get out of my pajamas soon.” She giggled at her lazy appearance.

“Until then.” He turned promptly, heading into the distance.

The smile upon her lips took some time to fade, but once he was no longer in view, she tucked it away. She took a moment to view the area, the time had grown later since she first arrived early this morning. She strolled through the greenery, her eyes drifting lazily over the various flowers. One bloom in particular caught her interest, the silken petals speckled with various shades of red, and displayed openly in a unique shape. The true beauty of nature was not often appreciated well enough, this much she gathered by the existence of monstrous cities such as the former Midgar and present Junon. The appeal of a concrete and steel jungle was beyond her understanding. She moved through the uneven blades of grass, fingers gingerly working beneath the flower she admired. The hybrid form of an orchid, she supposed, as she plucked the stem further down the plant. The stem and flower accompanied her through the rest of the park, her study of the plant continuing as it twirled between her fingers.

Yuffie had finally finished her duties with Godo and was nearing the park when a daydreaming Tifa came into her line of sight. Slated eyes gave a once over to the martial artist turned school girl, watching the orchid twirl in her grasp. If she hadn't been part of the conversation dealing with Vincent this morning, she might have shrugged off the oddity as Tifa. She knew better, now. A playful grin molded her lips as she increased her pace. A quick grab at an unsuspecting bush brought a plain flower into Yuffie's hands. She came beside Tifa and began to pluck the petals one by one, tossing them dramatically to the ground and mimicking “He loves me,” -Pluck- “He love's me not.” It took everything she had to restrain the imminent giggles that begged to come forth.

Burgundy eyes became like saucers when Yuffie's performance caught her attention. Tifa gave a light punch to the shoulder of the offending girl, knocking the remaining petal clear out of her hands as she stumbled off balance. That did it. Giggles erupted boisterously from the thin girl, her balance quickly regained by the reflexes of flailing arms. Tifa could only stare, wide eyed while Yuffie attempted to desist her laughter.

“Yuffie...” Tifa rolled her eyes.

“I—I'm sorry! I couldn't help it. It was too good.” She allowed the after shock of her giggles to subside, putting on a straight face. “You seriously looked like you were daydreaming... did you see Vincent again, or something?”

Tifa fidgeted with the flower, she had believed her attempt to distract Yuffie from the obvious had succeeded earlier. Well, that was then. Apparently, she had only brought the suspicion right back in. “Yuffie, you aren't going to let this go, are you?”

Yuffie grinned, “Of course not. What do you take me for?”

Tifa realized the full account, Yuffie wasn't one to give up. Then a thought came upon her. She had missed the company of a good girlfriend, and perhaps sharing all of this would enlighten her somehow. At the very least, she could gush about what she experienced. “Okay, okay. Why don't we go have a chat?” Usually she was the one providing advice and allowing others to vent, but it was nice to have a little of that reciprocated.

“Sounds good ta' me. Tea house?” Yuffie inquired.

“Em, too public, Yuffie. How about your place?”

“Right, that's fine.” Without another word, she grabbed Tifa by the wrist, dragging her along toward her home.

Eventually, Yuffie figured out that Tifa was capable of following along on her own, and she let her wrist free with a slight giggle. They passed through town and over to a small house, which Tifa guessed belonged to Yuffie, or perhaps her father. Yuffie led the way into the brown door, waiting as Tifa entered behind her. A quick survey of the house was enough for Tifa to see that they were alone, and she made herself at home. She strolled into the kitchen which was open to the dining room with Yuffie in tow.

“Mind if I make us some tea?” She questioned.

“I could do that, Tif.” She felt a bit like a bad hostess, but Tifa was usually the one to brew and cook.

“I don't mind.” She hummed musically while she poured water into the small kettle, placing it against the stove where she set it to heat to perfection. An elbow leaned lightly against the counter beyond the stove, her frame settling against the cupboards below.

“Spill.” Yuffie demanded in a friendly manner.

Tifa glanced around cautiously, once more checking for unwanted eavesdroppers. Satisfied that none were lurking, she decided to heed her friend's wishes. “All right. We went to dinner that night, like I mentioned. He really opened up to me, it was really strange.” She paused, finding a bewildered look on her companion.

“You mean, he spoke for more than a second?” She exaggerated.

“He sure did. I was surprised, I mean... I have to confess, we used to talk a lot during the journey. Mostly unimportant things, or things about me. But last night, he told me about himself.” She gloated, quite proud of this fact.

“Wow, Tif.” Yuffie urged her on.

“Well, it was really different. His past is dark... not like mine, but cold and hard. I have so much respect for him.” She waited while the whine of the kettle began to sound. She turned to the object and went about turning off the flame and removing the kettle from the heat.

“Interesting...” Yuffie was a little quiet as she gathered a couple of cups from a cupboard, bringing them to a small table on the opposite side of the room. The table was flanked by two pillows that lay against the floor, and she settled into one while placing the cups against the surface of the table.

“Very. Anyway, we had a really nice dinner, even though I was a bit curious to learn more. I wanted him to tell me more, but I decided not to push my luck, you know?” Tifa brought two tea bags over and placed them in the cups, hot water poured from the kettle thereafter, steam rising slowly from the liquid as it settled into the china.

“You're better than I am at that patience stuff. I would have had a million questions.” Yuffie giggled while Tifa replaced the kettle on the stove.

“Believe me, it took a lot of restraint.” Tifa grinned and moved back to settle on the opposite side of the table. She toyed with the string attached to the tea bag while continuing, “We finished dinner and ended up in the park. You won't believe what he said to me! He told me that I'm amazing.” Tifa smiled a quirky smile, watching Yuffie's disbelief.

“He said that? Not that it isn't true, but wow!”

“I know. Then I thought I lost it, because when we sat down on the bench I accidentally touched his thigh and he looked bothered by it.” Tifa gave a look of concern.

“Accidentally, huh?” Yuffie giggled. “He was probably bothered in a naughty way, Tif.”

Tifa blushed at the idea, “Maybe. I don't know. But here's something else. I had the strangest dream about him, and when it woke me up, I heard him yelling. I went to his room, and he seemed to be having a nightmare. The strange part is, when I touched him, it stopped. I thought I had stirred him out of it, so I started to leave, then he went back into it again. The second I touched him, it stopped. I have no idea what it was!”

“That explains why you looked so tired this morning.”

“Help me make sense of this? I mean, I'm not sure what to do.” Tifa pleaded.

“Tif, it's obvious there's something there. I have to say, when I saw the two of you together when you'd have those talks you mentioned, I always got jealous. He looked at you differently than he looked at anyone else. Maybe he's liked you a while, you know? I assumed you liked Cloud too much, but then you'd always seem happier after being around Vincent.” Yuffie took a quick second to swish the tea bag around in her cup.

“Really? That's the thing. I always thought I was supposed to be with Cloud. I had spent so long thinking that way, that it only seemed natural to stay with it. After everything, I guess I realized we're more like siblings than anything else. I suppose I gave up, a little. I still don't know about all of that. But what I do know is that Vincent does spark very different feelings.”

“It's obvious what you should do.” Yuffie felt confident in her idea.

“What?” Tifa looked on with curiosity.

“Kiss him.”

“Yuffie! I can't. I'd be too nervous... what if I read everything wrong?”

“Then you'll have a kiss to remember when he disappears? I dunno.” Yuffie shrugged. It's what she would have done. A kiss always told enough.

“Well, we're going to spend time together later. I think I'll just see where this all goes. There's no rush.” Tifa nodded, feeling content with her idea. She had already assumed that position, but spilling the ideas to Yuffie had cemented the plan. She didn't want to scare him away until she knew what to make of all of her feelings.

They shared more conversation, varying from Vincent to other random subjects. Eventually Tifa realized it was getting on to be around noon, and she reluctantly left Yuffie's to prepare for her evening. She had a bit of shopping to do, if she was to meet Vincent later.

The shuffle of slippers led her to a small shop near the inn, fingers pushing awkwardly on the door as she entered. Her gaze slid over various dresses, none of which sparked her interest. She began the tedious task of searching the racks of garments, seeking the perfect addition to her wardrobe. Fingers idly slipped between fabrics, pushing aside dress after dress. Suddenly, she felt the cool of a silken fabric. One sculpted brow arched inquisitively as she slipped the tips of her fingers over the bodice, feeling the stitch of an intricate pattern. The artful twirl of fingers pulled the fabric into her view, a shade of black furthered her interest, as the colour gave her comfort. She was not usually one to adorn dresses such as this, but for inexplicable reasons, she found herself drawn to the item. She plucked it from the rack, bringing it with her to a small changing room where the attendant let her in with a smile.

She held it against her body, nervously peering into the mirror. Dresses weren't her favorite thing, and the thought of wearing one might have otherwise drove her insane, but this one seemed to hold some sort of magic. She decided to throw caution aside and try it on. Her pajamas were stripped and the dress was carefully brought over feminine curves. The touch of the fabric was incredible, and her fingers smoothed over her stomach before adjusting the clasp at her neck. She whirled around to face the mirror, surprised by her own appearance. The oriental styling of the garment was lovely and flattering to her shape. She felt foreign in such a dress, but compelled to buy it. The girlish sort of feeling it gave her was much like what Yuffie had suspected in her while she twirled the orchid in the park. The orchid happened to be tucked safely into her pocket, where it waited it's purpose.

She redressed in her pajamas and purchased the dress. She had a lot of primping to do if she was to go out in a dress such as this. Unusual and uncharacteristic as it was, she was simply excited to have come upon the beauty that rested within the shopping bag. She'd surely stun him this afternoon, which allowed for a wonderful smirk to play against her lips as she returned to her room at the inn.

And that is chapter three! Dresses, dresses and more dresses. I myself despise dresses, but it fits the storyline, I must confess :) They have quite an afternoon in store!