Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guns and Roses ❯ Practice Makes Perfect ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: FF VII and all the characters herein belong to Square Enix, except Liana (I made her ^_^). The song is Lonely Day by System of a Down.

 

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Tifa leaned her head back against the head rest on her chair. She gazed out the window, watching the miles of stars roll by. She could feel the chill in the night air, and she shivered.

 

Vincent glanced over at her. “Cold?” he asked.

 

She nodded, still staring out the window. She looked at him as he reached into the backseat, grabbing his blazer. He handed it to her.

 

“There you go,” he said with a little smile. “Better?”

 

She nodded, pulling it over her. She reclined her seat back a little, closing her eyes. She heard Vincent laugh softly. She glanced at him. “What's so funny?” she asked quietly.

 

“Are you tired?” he asked, smiling softly.

 

She nodded, suppressing a yawn. “A little,” she said.

 

“Why don't you let me take you home?” he asked, glancing at her as the skyscrapers of the city could be seen in the distance.

 

She shook her head. “I don't want to…” she said, trailing off as she closed her eyes. Her head fell to the side as she fell asleep.

 

Vincent shook his head, wondering what was wrong with her. She was obviously tired. Why didn't she want him to take her home? After a few minutes, he glanced at her, smiling softly. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep.

 

He turned his eyes back on the road, debating on whether or not he should take her home. He started toward her house, before deciding to take a detour. Instead of turning down her street, he drove on for a little ways, pulling into his own driveway. He parked the car in the drive, not bothering to put it in the garage. Then he walked around and opened Tifa's door.

 

“Tifa,” he said, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. “Wake up.”

 

She turned away from him, moaning. “Five more minutes,” she whispered.

 

He smiled, unbuckling her seatbelt and lifting her from the car. He kicked the door closed, then carried her inside. He carried her up the stairs and to his room, where he put her down on his bed. He pulled the covers over her, then stepped back and looked at her. He smirked to himself. He could get used to seeing her sleeping there.

 

He hung his blazer over the back of the chair that sat before a desk in the corner. Then he kicked off his shoes, walking into his closet as he began unbuttoning his shirt. When he came out again, he was wearing a white undershirt and navy blue sweat pants. He walked over to where Tifa slept, once more considering her. He watched as she slept, and smiled when she wrinkled her nose slightly. He wondered what she was dreaming about.

 

He shrugged, switching off the light. Then he walked out of the room, leaving the door open a crack so that she had some light if she woke up. He made his way down the stairs and through the foyer, stepping into the kitchen for a snack before walking into his study.

 

He sat once more at his desk, letting his thoughts turn to the things he couldn't change. Every time he thought back to the past, he always felt a twinge of regret. He knew he shouldn't dwell on it, as it was something he couldn't take back, but it, at least in his mind, was what set him apart from the rest of the world. He felt alienated sometimes.

 

Such a lonely day
And its mine
The most loneliest day of my life

 

Sometimes he felt as if he was just watching the world roll by. Time stood still for him. And it frustrated him. It was frustrating that while he listened to people talk about the down side to growing old, all he could think about was that it was something he'd never experience.

 

Such a lonely day
Should be banned
This day that I can't stand

The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life

 

He supposed he should be grateful, but it was so disheartening. They say wisdom comes with age, and so it does. The more he lived, the more he began to see how fragile life was. And he began to realize that it was meant to be that way. People weren't meant to live through wars and conflict for extend periods of time. It burned out that small flame that was their soul.

 

Such a lonely day
Shouldn't exist
A day that I'll never miss
Such a lonely day
And its mine
The most loneliest day of my life

 

Vincent leaned back in his chair, picking at his nails. He had lived through more tragedies than he felt any one should have to. Everyday he lived with Lucrecia's death, the death's of his friends and family as they grew old, and even the fact that the world around him was aging and dying. It was difficult to pull himself together sometimes. More than anything, he wanted to know that there was an end somewhere for him, too.

 

And if you go, I wanna go with you
And if you die, I wanna die with you

Take your hand and walk away

 

He wanted to see her face again. He wanted to be able to touch her face, hear her laughter once more. He drew a breath and released as a shaky sigh. He took her locket from the desk drawer. He just wanted to see her one more time. For that he would give anything, even this immortality. He would do whatever he had to just to bask in her light once more.

 

The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
Life

 

He slid the clasp back opening the locket. As he gazed at her picture, he swallowed a few tears. Lucrecia, I just want to die, he thought. Is that so much to ask? I see it all around me, everyday. Why is it that something so common is so far out of my grasp? He looked up, suddenly thinking of Tifa. In a way, he was envious of her. She had something worth living for. She had a clear purpose, and she realized that she only had one life to live. Again, he felt distance between them, realizing that they were totally different from one another. Her life would end, and his would continue to drag on. Unless….

 

Such a lonely day
And its mine
A day that I'm glad I survived

 

If what Hojo claimed was true, then it meant that there was an end somewhere. Vincent felt his heart leap as he sat up. If the mako really was going to kill him, it would mean that this hell he called living was finally coming to an end. Finally, he would see her again. Finally…

 

He looked at the clock, realizing that it was already early morning. He started to get up and head back upstairs, but decided against it. He wasn't tired, and there was no point in bothering Tifa while she slept. He leaned back in his chair, turning on his computer. Perhaps he could do something productive. He began working on a new spreadsheet that he'd meant to do earlier, when a soft noise reached his ears. He was startled at first, but then he thought it might be Tifa looking for him. Why, he wasn't sure, but it could be nonetheless.

 

He got up and left his study, listening to the sound of soft foots steps. He followed them into the foyer. He stopped short when he saw her. For a second he thought he was losing his mind. He watched her slip into the kitchen, unaware that he was watching her, and he shook his head. Briefly, he thought he was seeing Lucrecia. Her gown was similar to the one Lucrecia wore on their wedding day, and in the dark, she looked just like her. There even seemed to be a surreal, ethereal light about her, which he realized was the moonlight streaming in from the skylight.

 

Once recovered from his shock, he stepped across the foyer and opened the kitchen door. He saw Tifa turn and look at him, smiling. “There you are,” she whispered quietly.

 

He walked toward her. “What are you doing up?” he asked. He led her to the bar, sitting and motioning for her to sit next to him.

 

She shrugged. “I woke up, and you weren't there,” she said quietly, looking away. “I couldn't go back to sleep.” She blushed lightly. “I felt kind of lonely.”

 

He smiled softly. “So did I,” he said. He stood, holding out his hand to her. “Come. I have work to do, but you can sit in my study with me.”

 

She took his hand. “Okay.” She let him lead her to his study. He opened the door, and she looked around, gasping. She had never seen so many books in one home library before. She walked to the shelves, touching the worn leather bindings.

 

“Feel free to take whatever one you like,” Vincent said, sitting at his computer once more. He watched as she skimmed over a few title, before sliding one down. He noticed the title. The Sight, he read. That's an excellent choice. It's one of my favorites. He watched as she walked to one of the big, overstuffed arm chairs next to the fireplace and crawled into it. He thought it was cute how she tucked her feet under her and leaned against one of the arms, before delving into the book.

 

He smiled and looked back at his computer. Perhaps he and Tifa weren't so different after all. He glanced at her again. He could imagine spending more time with her, any time he had left, and hopefully it would be a long time.