Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Reason ❯ Not a Confrontation ( Chapter 5 )

“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…'

 

 

 

AN: Once again, everything belongs to SquareSoft, and poor authors like me can only hope to show our budding skills by typing fiction. Nothing is gained from this work except the joy of good reviews, hint hint.

 

Well, it's already been over a year since I first conceived this story, and unfortunately almost as long since I last posted a chapter. I'm sorry that this is the case, but as a student on the last stretch of life at university, it was unavoidable. This chapter was only completed two days ago and was typed tonight. Regardless, I can only promise to try as hard as possible to complete this story, which shouldn't be as long as 15 chapters anyway. Anyhow, here's the next instalment of our story. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Vincent, cope with who? Who were you talking to?”

 

The man said nothing as he watched the brunette by the door, as she regarded him with a strange look on her face. She smiled weakly at him, but her eyes reflected a pain he had failed to notice the night before. A pain he hoped was not due to what Scarlet said was true.

 

She began to chew her bottom lip, an action which told him she had something to say. He climbed out of the pool, snatching his towel from a chair and wrapping it around his waist as he walked up to her. “It was Yuffie.”

 

“Oh, about the party?” she asked, staring at the ground before her, her hands wringing in the sides of her skirt.

 

“Tifa,” he asked, tilting her chin so she would look him in the eye, “what is it?”

 

Chocolate orbs met his crimson gaze for a moment as she warred with herself over what to say. “Vincent…”

 

`What are you waiting for, ask him!'

 

`You could ask, but what if he is? Do you want to ask him? Are you sure you really want to know?'

 

`Come on, if he's screwing around so what? It's not like you don't get any action. Remember last night?'

 

She shook her head wildly to clear her mind before she confused herself any more.

 

“Tifa, are you alright?” She blinked to find his concerned ruby depths locked to her face, his hands holding her shoulders as he gently shook her back to reality.

 

“No.” She sighed. “Vincent,” she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as her husband watched her patiently. “I…”

 

The annoying beep of Tifa's message alert interrupted their conversation. This time Vincent closed his eyes for a moment to take a deep breath as Tifa apologised and looked at her phone. Her next words were not a surprise to either of the two.

 

“It's Yuffie.”

 

Vincent sighed in exasperation.

 

“She says you're being a prick right now and we should be there for seven.” She glanced at her watch before continuing. “Since it's almost six that doesn't leave us with much time.”

 

Tifa turned and began walking away from him, heading for the master bedroom.

 

Vincent's features changed to a sad expression as he watched her walk away from him. She had not looked him in the eye since she arrived, and her usually lively voice was flat and lifeless. Something was eating at her, and he was beginning to fear more than ever that Scarlet was right. The only time he ever saw her act this way toward someone was long ago, when they had first met.

 

The only time he saw her so depressed was due to Cloud.

 

The singer stilled as the sound of her name permeated the room. She stood backing him as she placed a hand on her racing heart.

 

“Tifa,” he repeated, “Lets not go to the party.”

 

“Don't be silly Vincent,” she responded, without turning to face him, “I know you don't like Yuffie but you can't expect me to…”

 

“Damn it Tifa! I can see that something's bothering you! I saw it even last night before we…”

 

“I hate nothing to say to you Vincent.”

 

“Like hell you don't!” As he spoke, he ran to her, turning her sharply to face him. She turned her head away from him to look at the floor, but he turned her head to him, tilting her chin as he did before. Her eyes were glazed over with tears. She looked miserable.

 

“Tifa,” he said softly, his voice cracked in sorrow.

 

“Please, Vincent, don't make me ask you.” Her voice was soft as tears began to fall.

 

`I don't want to know, not before the party.'

 

“Why?” he questioned, brows knitted in concern, “why are you afraid to say it?”

 

“Because,” she said so softly he could barely hear, “I'm scared that if I do, it might be true.”

 

“Tifa…”

 

“And not knowing would be far better.”

 

“Tifa…”

 

“Especially now that I'm supposed to go to a social gathering, the last time I…”

 

“…”

 

“Because I'm still in love with you.”

 

He took her into his hands, wiping her hot tears away with his thumbs as he lightly brushed his lips against hers.

 

“I love you too, Tifa. That's why you can ask me anything. I want you to ask me.”

 

She sighed as her tears subsided into a sniffle, her gaze locking with his. “Vincent, is there another woman?”

 

She noted a tinge of pain in his eyes before he pulled her into a fierce embrace. For the second time in twenty-four hours, she found herself flush against his wet body.

 

She trembled as he ran his wet nose along the column of her neck and the tremor of his voice vibrated through her form.

 

“Tifa…” he whispered softly as he held her.

 

“Tifa,” he repeated, his tone more firm as his grip around her tightened, “I would never, never, betray you like that. I… I would never have guessed that you'd ever have to ask me that.”

 

Tifa mentally cringed as she heard the pain in his voice.

 

“So you mean there's no one else?”

 

She gasped as he drew her tighter still.

 

“No, there never was, nor will there never will be another woman in my life so long as I have you.” He pulled her away from him just far enough that he could see her face. “There's only you Tifa, I want only you.”

 

“Good.” She said simply as he held her close again. She sighed softly as she rubbed her head against his bare chest.

 

For moments they stood together in silence, both lost in their thoughts as their bodies remained locked in a passionate embrace. Eventually, her voice, slightly more like its usual cheery self, broke the comfortable cocoon they were winding around themselves.

 

“Good,” she repeated, “'cause if you were cheating on me, I would've killed you.”

 

His deep chuckle was her only response.

 

“I'm serious. I would've kicked your ass straight to Hades. I know how I'd dispose of the body and everything.”

 

“In that case,” he retorted, “I'm lucky I didn't, given all the lovely women that could be at my disposal, especially considering my beautiful wife is a homicidal maniac.”

 

The brunette turned her head and tilted it towards his face, a smirk plastered on her lips

 

Vincent in turn looked down at her. Her face was set in the mischievous look that he had grown to love. A look he had not seen in longer than he cared to admit. The light was returning to her eyes. Things could be all right at this rate.

 

Tifa's smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as she watched his face. Garnet orbs danced with joy and relief that she had never seen in him before. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

 

“Tifa…” he whispered softly as they parted, “I want things to be better between us.” He released her from his embrace, but held her hands in his as she looked up at him.

 

“Vincent…” she whispered softly.

 

“That means no more secrets, no more lies between us. I want us to be completely open with each other. This isn't over.”

 

“I know.” She began to chew on her lip as her thoughts drifted to her latest meeting with an old friend.

 

`I don't think my mind could take much more of you not knowing. It's far from over.'

 

“My guess is, if you weren't cheating then you really were gone on business.”

 

He nodded slowly. “Tifa, I…” He stopped as soft fingers touched his lips.

 

“I trust you Vincent. If there's something you're keeping from me, I know it's for a good reason. It's probably something I don't wanna know.”

 

The raven-haired man closed his slanted lashes as he let his head hang limp, dark locks falling around his face like a curtain. “Trust me. You don't want to know, but I have to tell you Tifa. I'm not who you think I am. I…”

 

Tifa sighed. “So you don't sell the most advanced computers? You're not really part- Wutanese? Vincent, that doesn't matter to me. Your job is only part of what you are.”

 

“Tifa…”

 

“I know who you are.”

 

“Tifa…”

 

“The man who loves me.”

 

“I…”

 

Tifa smiled once more as she brought his hands, which still held her own, to her lips. “We're going to be late to the party if we don't hurry. Tell me when we get back, ok?”

 

“Tifa… I've put this off enough as it is.”

 

“You mean, considering that we've been married for a over year already? After dating for slightly longer than that?” she looked into his eyes as he regarded her, unable to respond to her question.

 

“I believe you Vincent. I'm not sure whether it' just because I want to, but I do.” She sighed as she put her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “The truth is, I also have something to confess to you.”

 

“Tifa,” he whispered softly.

 

“I do, because it's something you need to know.” She did not feel comfortable about what happened with Sephiroth, and although she knew that it could ruin their friendship, she could not stand keeping something like that away from Vincent. “Lets just share everything after the party, ok?”

 

“Hmmm…” He sighed, running a hand through raven locks as he contemplated her words. “Fair enough,” he responded, “but should we go together, or separately?” As much as he hoped she'd go with him, he knew she would still be a bit uneasy, as all was far from well between them.

 

“Lets go together,” she threw over her shoulder as she made her way to the master bedroom.

 

“Be ready for seven then,” he said as he made his way to the guestroom he had made his own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN Well, that's it for now. Hopefully they'll be another out for Valentines day, no pun intended. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, mush and all, cuz that should be the last non-action chapter for this story. I don't care much for a lot of drama, and I'd hate to make you sick of all the “Oh Vincent…” “Oh Tifa…” stuff, so I'll try not to include much of that ever again.

 

Well, hope you enjoyed it! Fairly exhausted from all this typing and stuff, and it's getting late. Lucky school doesn't start from 3 in the afternoon tomorrow!

 

I've decided to make Tifa sing in the next chapter, and we'll likely get to see a more mischievous side of our favourite gunman. Lemonade, anyone? The party is next!

 

Please, please answer my end of chapter questions! Comments? Queries? If you don't wanna review, drop me a line! Just click the link to my profile.

 

 

And I think I like `Wutanese'. I'll be changing the `Wutian' from previous chapters later.

 

Until!