Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Reason ❯ Complications, Revelations ( Chapter 4 )

“Nice to see you're well too, Sephiroth.”

 

 

 

A/N Yes, that's right. Sephiroth. Congrats to all who figured it out! Among the clues given were the silvery-grey sheets, long shiny hair, black towel, brilliantly hued eyes, and impressive physique. Who else? As for those of you who guessed Reno, sorry, he just doesn't quite fit the bill for this kinda praising in this author's humble opinion. However, he does show up in this chapter. Enjoy!

 

 

Another chapter split in two… you guys must want to kill me.

 

Disclaimer: If I owned final fantasy, trust me, Sephiroth would never be able to bathe in peace. Not as long as I got me a camera!

 

 

Warning: Blatant Scarlet bashing.

 

On with the fic!

 

 

Complications, Revelations

 

 

 

Tifa landed in the seat of her car with an audible plop. Her shoulders slumped in sorrow as she gazed sadly at her reflection in the mirror. The summer sky displayed a bright blue lined in places with a silvery white that reminded her of all her troubles. She had gone to her friend with the joy of seeing him for the first time after her wedding just over a year before, to go home even more miserable than she was when she had gone to seek his comfort. Deep down she felt he had no intention to disturb her so, but the thought itself was beginning to make her feel sick.

 

`Why the hell does my life have to be so damned complicated?'

 

Although he swore that he did not intend to hurt her, she could not help but doubt his words. Could the one man she felt she could trust for her entire life really have deceived her for so long? Did he ever really care?

 

 

 

 

 

They had spent the afternoon talking about past times and lounging by the pool. She was not in the mood for food, despite how much she tried to hide her pain under a cheerful mask, or how relieved she felt to feel his presence once more. Since he did not think it was polite to eat when she was not eating, he settled for drinks and conversation.

 

He was telling her about an incident that occurred when skiing on one of the Northern Continent's many snowy mountains, when he noticed that she was no longer paying attention to him. She had her gaze trained on the sky; her delicate features in a pensive yet lost expression, her drink forgotten in her hand. She sighed sadly just before he spoke.

 

“Tifa?” he asked, uncertainty in his voice as he gazed at her lying form.

 

His voice startled her out of her daze. She blinked slowly as she sat up in the chair, looking at her surroundings as though she had never been there before. Finally her gaze turned to him, the haunted look in her eyes displaying great turmoil within. A faint smile touched her lips, one that he knew was far from genuine.

 

“What is it Sephiroth?”

 

“You're trying to hide something from me Tifa.”

 

“I'm not…”

 

“Cut the crap Tiff, you and I both know that you are a terrible liar.” He sighed as he rose from his chair and walked over to his childhood friend. As he drew near, a slight smile formed on perfectly chiselled lips in an attempt to bring her some comfort. “I'm not mad or anything, but I didn't know that our friendship had degraded to the point that you would want to lie.” He knelt beside her, locking her eyes in his gaze of molten jade. “Does this have something to do with Vincent?”

 

The increase of the pain in her eyes and the suddenness of the way she diverted her face to the ground was all the confirmation that he needed.

 

“Tifa…” he said softly as he held a hand in a firm grasp. “You're the one who taught me about this sentimental stuff, remember? You're the one who told me about how healthy it is to just talk about your troubles right? I know I don't qualify as the best person for this kind of thing, but I'm willing to give it a try if you are.”

 

Her gaze diverted to where his hand was still clasping hers, then to the face that regarded her with such concern.

 

“Fine,” she whispered, “I'll tell you.”

 

Sephiroth led her to his sofa in the living room to talk.

 

After hearing her story, Sephiroth sat so still that one would think that he were a statue. From where she sat facing him, Tifa looked up at her childhood friend, who was now staring at her with a face devoid of any emotion. From experience, she knew that that was how he acted when his mind was undergoing some form of internal conflict. As the minutes ticked by, she eventually grew tired of his lack of movement and the fact that he was not saying anything to her.

 

“Sephiroth?”

 

And what little hope she had left of peace came crashing down.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the house, Sephiroth watched from a window as Tifa got into the car, after what happened, he couldn't blame her if she never wanted to speak to him again. He knew that his actions had hurt her deeply, but he was not thinking at the time.

 

`She trusted me, and I choose when she needed me the most to screw things up between us.'

 

Glancing at his reflection on the floor, he couldn't have felt more disgusted with himself.

 

`I really am a miserable shit.'

 

 

 

 

 

Jade irises widened as Sephiroth was snapped back into reality. “And you think that Vincent is cheating on you? That doesn't make any sense.”

 

She looked sullenly on the white tiled floor, watching as the blades of ceiling fan reflected on its shiny surface. “Nothing makes sense anymore.”

 

He sighed, turning away from her. His mind could not conceive any reason why Vincent would want to betray Tifa, especially considering the fact that he received nothing but praises concerning her from the raven-haired man, in addition to many admonitions for not introducing them sooner. Even though he had not seen them much since their engagement, they kept in contact, and Vincent still sounded to him like a man madly in love. The idea that Vincent could be so fickle was unreal.

 

But in the end, Vincent was a man.

 

He was hoping for such an opportunity.

 

Hoping for it, and dreading it.

 

`Things were not supposed to be this way.'

 

The truth was, he loved Tifa. He loved her even before he understood what it was for a man to love a woman. And he let himself suffer in silence. None of the bodies that filled his bed meant anything to him. No matter how many times he tried to distract himself from her, no matter how hard he tried to give up on her his mind would not let him be.

 

It hurt when she first told him about Cloud. He was beneath her.

 

It hurt even more when she found Vincent. An opportunity lost, and, knowing Vincent, he would never have another chance.

 

He regretted not staying with her that day.

 

She was so happy… but they broke her heart.

 

But now, the fates seemed to be giving his forbidden love another chance, one that he would not let go to waste.

 

 

“This is too good to be true.” he whispered.

 

“Sephiroth?” the strain in her voice caused him to look at her.

 

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with so much hurt that his heart ached at the mere sight of her. She looked nothing like the practically glowing woman who had appeared on his doorstep a few hours before. With the tear streaks that ran down her cheeks, her miserable expression and she trembling she almost appeared to be a broken woman.

 

Almost.

 

There was a tint of determination in her eyes, one which said that despite the pain, she would pick up the pieces and move on. If fate would have it, he would have her move on with him.

 

 

He gently tilted her tear-streaked face so that she could look him in the eye.

 

“There is something I must confess to you Tifa.”

 

She took a shuddering breath, worrying her bottom lip as she waited for him to continue.

 

“I cannot help you to get back together with Vincent.”

 

Brown eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I never asked you to…”

 

He shushed her softly as he traced his thumb across her lips.

 

“I love you Tifa.”

 

“I love you too, you know that.”

 

Silver bangs swayed following the movement of his face as he shook his head.

 

“I don't mean that way Tifa. I want to be with you.”

 

Before she could protest, his lips came crashing onto hers.

 

Despite the growing desire to pull her to his chest and never let her go, he relinquished her lips as she pushed against his chest.

 

“No!” she cried, scrambling away from him. “Why? How?”

 

Silver bangs hung limply, obscuring his face as he hung his head. “I always did.”

 

She shook her head wildly. “This can't be happening…”

 

“Tifa,” he continued, raising his gaze to hers, “believe me, I never wanted to tell you, I thought that as long as you were happy that I could live without you.”

 

“Then why tell me now? Why wait until now?”

 

“Because you're not happy! And as much as my mind is telling me that Vincent would never betray you, that there has to be some logical reason behind his actions, the truth is that you are not happy and I still want you!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tifa banged her head repeatedly against the steering wheel. Her life was indeed a mess.

 

 

 

 

 

Tifa felt her body go limp. He was right.

 

She was unhappy.

 

Vincent wasn't making her happy.

 

It didn't matter that he may not be fooling around, because he still made himself absent from her life.

 

`He doesn't want me? Is that it?'

 

The night before came into her mind.

 

Was that pure lust?

 

She shook her head, forcing the thoughts from her head. She needed to think. She needed time, and allowing her mind to wander in Sephiroth's presence was to daunting a thought.

 

At that moment, a song began to play from out of nowhere. She would recognise the tune anywhere.

 

Estuans interius

ira vehementi

Estuans interius

ira vehementi

Sephiroth

Sephiroth

 

“Ummm…” he said, his voice a mixture of nervousness and irritation. “I should answer that…”

 

“Yes, and I should go.” Before he had the chance to respond, she raced out of the house and to the car.

 

 

 

Tifa sighed. “It won't do me any good to knock myself out on my own steering wheel. What if I have a bruise when I go to the party? Yuffie'll never let me live it down.”

 

She didn't notice the shadow that crept behind the walls that surrounded the property as she exited, nor did she realise that she was being followed.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside, the silver-haired man was banging his head against the glass.

 

`Stupid stupid stupid stu…'

 

His cellular phone began to ring once more.

 

Sighing in frustration, he reached for the black and silver device.

 

`If that's Yuffie again…'

 

“Sephiroth.”

 

“Yes, so I see you're finally here. Good, I have work for you.”

 

A smirk crossed Sephiroth's lips. “So, you're still alive, you resilient old bastard.”

 

“Now now, is that any way to talk to your boss?”

 

“Unfortunately,” Sephiroth recalled as he sat on his sofa, “you'll have to tell me about the job later. I already have an engagement for tonight.”

 

A snort was heard on the other end of the line. “Fine, but make sure you get back to me tonight.”

 

The silver-haired man sighed. “Fine.”

 

After hanging up, he laid on the chair. Yuffie had somehow gotten his number and was insisting that he go to the party she had scheduled for later that night. He really wasn't fond of the spunky Wutian, but Tifa most definitely would be at the party. He had to clear the air with her, and by the time the party began, he would have time to think of what to say.

 

 

Vincent laid in the couch Tifa laid in earlier, watching the roof silently as his mind drifted.

 

`She didn't even realise that I was there.'

 

`I should have talked to her before I left today. For all I know she could be going on tour.'

 

Moving a hand from behind his head, he ran his fingers through the ebony locks that spilled over the side of the chair.

 

`No doubt she has suspicions about what I'm doing when I'm away.'

 

Ebony brows furrowed in frustration as he recalled the events of earlier that day.

 

 

 

 

Vincent had given his report and entered the elevator to return to his car. Looking at his watch, he frowned. It was almost lunchtime, and he didn't even have breakfast, let alone talk to Tifa.

 

Just as the doors started to close, a busty blonde in red slipped into the lift. She sighed in relief as she adjusted her blouse, which had enough buttons open to reveal an offensive amount of cleavage, and smiled at him.

 

He merely glanced in her direction as she began to adjust her hair. Looking at the roof, he gave a silent prayer that the ride would end soon. He was with scarlet, the consummate office slut, and she was constantly getting on his last nerve. If Tifa ever found him… if he ever found himself smelling of her, or with any trace of her loud lipstick anywhere on his body… heads were going to roll.

 

As he glanced once more in Scarlet's direction, he knew that he most likely wouldn't be able to harm her.

 

`Why did mother have to teach me to be a gentleman?'

 

But she was clearly no lady.

 

“What's the matter Vinny?” she asked in a sickly sweet voice, one he feared was supposed to seduce.

 

His lips drew into a thin line as he contemplated how to turn her down once and for all without any bad blood between them. She was, after all, in charge of the weapons that his life depended on each job.

 

“Come on baby, when are you gonna stop playing this game?” she queried as she sprayed her obnoxiously loud perfume all over her torso until Vincent felt as though he would choke.

 

`Great. Not only am I stuck in a small space with Scarlet, now I can barely breathe.'

 

“My, it's getting hot in here…” she stated, batting her fake eyelashes at him as she undid two more buttons. “Kyahahaha!”

 

He closed his eyes, nearly cringing in disgust.

 

`Am I being punished for my many sins?'

 

“Vinny… you know, we're all alone now… I could press the emergency stop.”

 

`If there are any merciful gods above. Please, please save me!'

 

As she took a step closer, Vincent found himself taking a step back. Soon he found himself trapped in a corner as Scarlet applied a thick coat of red lipstick.

 

“Come on baby, you work so hard. You need a distraction. You need a woman in your life.”

 

Vincent gave her an incredulous look, his jaw slack in his shock. “What are you talking about? I'm married Scarlet!”

 

She returned his look, a smug smile on her face. “So? With the amount of time you spend at work, can you say that she's faithful? You know how those singer types are.”

 

He looked at her in silence, narrowing his eyes.

 

“What do you think that she thinks whenever you're at work? Really, does she even know the truth?”

 

 

Ruby irises widened in realisation.

 

“Yeah, so why bother with this fidelity thing?”

 

The man's thoughts were reeling.

 

`Kami, could that be what she thinks?' He had to fix things, and fast.

 

As Scarlet moved to close the gap between them, the elevator stopped. She stepped away as the doors opened in a soft whoosh.

 

 

Elena stood at the doors, beside her a slender man with lightly tanned skin, and brilliant cerulean eyes. What stood out the most about him, however, was his bright hair. He wore a long pigtail that ended midway down his back, his head covered in a shower of fiery spikes.

 

“I told you she'd probably be on her way down.” Elena said calmly.

 

“Thanks babe,” the red-head replied, giving the blonde a kiss on the cheek. As Elena wiped the offending wetness from her face, he signalled to someone down the hall. “She's over here boss!”

 

Scarlet scowled as Reno dragged her from the elevator, pulling her aside roughly as Vincent got out. She was about to make a remark about his treatment of her when a familiarly frightening voice boomed down the hallway.

 

“Scarlet! Where have you been all morning! You know better than to miss a meeting with ME!!!”

 

All eyes turned to the irate man down the hall. He rarely showed emotion, and when he did, it was amazingly intense. Everyone knew as they watched the cherry-red face of the man clothed almost entirely in white, that Scarlet was in deep trouble. Rufus marched up to the group, with each step appearing more relaxed. By the time he reached them, he looked as though nothing happened at all.

 

“Scarlet, we have business to attend to. Reno, would you make sure that she doesn't run away this time?” Turning to Elena and Vincent, he added, “I will see you two later.” Flipping his hair nonchalantly, he strolled down the hall, Reno and Scarlet in tow.

 

“The president is upset that we didn't see who the buyer was. Since he has no doubts in your capabilities, he blames it on the equipment. Which means, Scarlet has to…” she turned to the man, who was doubled over breathing as though he'd just run a marathon.

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“Scarlet was trying it again… all that perfume… I thought I was going to die.”

 

“Humph, then you owe me one. After last night you deserved to be raped by that lecher.”

 

Vincent stood up. She was smiling.

 

“I told you that you didn't want to see.”

 

“Yeah, but… you thought it was funny! I'm not as green as everyone makes me out to be… I just…”

 

“Never saw something like that before.” he finished, making his way to the stairs.

 

She nodded. “When they die they're normally intact.”

 

He sighed, reaching the top of the stairs. It was a long way to go from twenty floors up, but he didn't feel safe in an elevator for the time being, with his luck, he'd end up stuck with Palmer or Heidegger wanting to have a go with him. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

 

“Elena, you're still new to this, and it's ok to be queasy from time to time. But if you keep insisting that you can handle more than you really can, then you're bound to make a fool of yourself. Take it easy. The taunting will subside, trust me. Someday you'll be able to handle much more than a severed arm with a straight face.”

 

“Really? You don't think I should quit?”

 

“Quit if you want, I won't convince you to stay if it's not what you want. Actually, I would've gotten pretty scared if you didn't get sick at the sight the first time. One guy started dancing in the middle of a bloodbath. We had to get him institutionalised before he started attacking his own in bloodlust.”

 

A beeping sound filled the air. Sighing, Vincent fished his `regular' cell phone from his pocket. Dark brows furrowed in thought. “Yuffie.”

 

“What's a Yuffie?” Elena asked innocently.

 

“Yuffie Kisaragi is an annoying friend of Tifa', and apparently she's having a party that she's demanding I attend.”

 

“Kisaragi… as in the royal family of Wutai?”

 

Vincent looked at her, his eyes narrowed. “Yes, but no one's supposed to know…”

 

“Now I see why president ShinRa said he would meet us tonight. He knew.” Noticing Vincent's confused expression, she continued. “The emperor is supposed to be visiting Midgar, and the party is in his honour, it really isn't her party at all, but I bet she can invite whoever she wants. I guess I'll see you tonight.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He sighed, clearing his mind of the distracting thoughts as he shifted to a sitting position. “Tifa, would you really think that I was fooling around after how we met? Could I ever believe that you'd do that to me?” He got up from the chair, walking to the door of the room.

 

“I could never do that to you.”

 

Tossing his clothes behind him as he walked, he made his way to the large outdoor pool in the back of their luxurious home. After diving in and swimming a few laps, he floated on his back, and drifted off to sleep.

 

 

A familiar tune roused him from his sleep. He opened his eyes, swimming to the edge of the water, where he had wisely left his cell. He answered, while still in the pool.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Did you get it?”

 

He sighed, pulling errant strands from his face. “Yes, Yuffie, I got your text.”

 

“So then I'll see you there.”

 

Before he could speak, she continued.

 

“I don't want to hear any excuses. Come and bring Tifa with you. I've had it up to here with you leaving her alone all the time and…”

 

She was beginning to irritate him. “Yuffie, how'd you get this number anyway?”

 

“Tifa, how else?”

 

“Yuffie?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Never call me again.” He hung up. He knew that Yuffie was a good person at heart, but her immaturity was getting on his nerves. He knew Tifa wouldn't ask Yuffie of all people to talk to him, which meant that Yuffie was meddling on her own volition.

 

“How Tifa copes with you I'll never know.” He said to the phone as he put it on the ground.

 

“Cope with who?”

 

Vincent's head snapped towards the door.

 

`Tifa…'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N I'm not to pleased with how this chapter turned out, but it's the best I could come up with

to go where I wanna go with this fic. Don't you just hate it when you know you want to

get somewhere but you just don't know how?

 

 

For the record, Vincent's cell tune is `On the Other Side of the Mountain', and Sephiroth's is, well, `One Winged Angel'. I got my music and lyrics from ffshrine.org

 

 

A couple of questions I have to throw out to you.

 

1. We all know that Yuffie is from Wutai, right? But what should I refer to as the nationality? This has been bugging me for some time. In The Morning After, I referred to Vincent's heritage as part Wutian, but from my reading of other fics and stuff I saw a whole bunch of possibilities, including:

 

wutian, wutanese, wutaiese, wutaian, wutan and even wutarian, I think. Maybe there are even more out there.

 

Anyhow, the questions is, which do you prefer, I mean, which one makes the most sense to use? Anyone? Does anyone really care?

 

2. Do you think I should make Tifa sing at the party? And if so, what song should it be? I'm thinking a theme song from a final fantasy game, pity 7 doesn't have one of its own, tho it does have songs playable on a piano.

 

How do ya like my choice in cell tunes?

 

 

Be nice… review.