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The Art of Insomnia	By : RandiLynne Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 955 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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The rain fell to the
streets adding a fresh, glistening coat to the cobbled stone. The town was so
old fashioned in some areas; it was hard to believe they hadn�t yet paved these
places over in asphalt. Of course, that was what had brought him here. Kalm was
a combination of the world he knew and the world he had awakened to.
�I guess we should make a
run for it,� Tifa said, pulling the coat around tighter.
Without another word, they
exited and were about to begin the jog back to his building when Tifa paused
mid-stride, looking at him with mischievous eyes that quite honestly made him
nervous. He froze, catching her eyes as he stood beneath the falling rain,
listening to the remnants of the music playing from the outdoor sitting area of
the caf�.
��What?� he questioned,
completely unsure of her actions. Tifa could be both predictable and capricious
all in the same breath. There were times he did not have any idea what would
run through her mind. Often, she�d surprised him with a train of thought she
wanted to discuss or somewhere she wanted to go. Just when he thought he�d
gotten her down as much as was possible, she�d surprise him anew. The only
place she lacked any versatility came in the form of a blonde haired boy.
�Dance with me?� she asked
with a crooked grin. This did not sit well with him. A moment ago, she was
disappointed with the sudden shift in weather and determined to make a run for
it. Now, she was asking him to dance in the rain. As clich� as the idea of
dancing in the rain was, he found the offer peculiarly enticing coming from
her. Still� he couldn�t quite picture dancing in the middle of the sidewalk.
�Tifa� you�re already out
of clothing.� Wouldn�t that be a shame if she ruined the last of the clothing
he could offer her�
Oh� very nice. He felt the warmth prickle into
the tops of his ears for that thought and quickly dismissed it.
�We�re headed that way
already,� she added. The persistent droplets had already begun to slick her
hair down to her cheeks and soak into the hem of the pants she wore.
�I really don�t�� he
began, but was interrupted when she drew near and rested one hand on his left
shoulder while taking his right hand in hers. Electricity spread from the tips
of her fingers, incalescence washing through his limbs. The feathered touch
wound around his mind and he discovered that she could easily cloud his
inhibitions with her fingers.
�Please?� A bona fide pout
followed, her eyes alight with something he couldn�t quite put his finger on.
�You�ll not take a�rain check?�
Oh, how ridiculous that sounded. By the way she fought back a laugh, it must
have sounded just as ridiculous to her.
�I won�t. I�ll take your
gauntlet away for a whole month if you don�t dance with me,� she threatened
playfully.
�Anything but that,� he
retorted sarcastically. He�d gotten used to being without the gauntlet when he
wasn�t chasing down the next onslaught of hell raisers. It was but a reminder
of his past. While the past should be given due respect, he no longer wished to
dwell in its depths.
�Mmm� okay, okay. If you
dance with me, I�ll repay you with whatever you like,� she beamed, seemingly
proud of her skills in persuasion. Didn�t she realize how much trouble a
promise like that could land her in? And where had that frailty disappeared to?
Either this was quite an act she was putting on, or she was working hard at
distracting herself from the idea that Cloud was wondering where she was. Could
it be that she liked the idea of putting one over on Cloud?
How do you like your
revenge, Cloud, shaken or stirred?
�Anything at all, hm?� He
gave her a skeptical once over, keeping his face barren of any expression.
�Anything at all,� she
assured.
For a moment, they stood
below the broken sky in silence with proximity enough that he took notice of
the crystals of beaded water caught delicately in the dark veils surrounding
her eyes. Slowly, his rigid posture softened, a gesture she took as an
invitation to begin her slow rhythm enhanced by the music from the coffee shop.
The fluidity in her movements had taken him from the moment her lovely hips
began to sway. He found the idea that she�d possess such grace rather natural,
as her stance and motion in battle had often struck him as balletic.
He let her lead for a few
minutes before coaxing her into his own waltz of sorts. He hadn�t danced in years.
He�d never danced in the middle of a sidewalk. In fact, he couldn�t remember
the last time he�d done anything quite so nonsensical and bold. Yet he felt
astonishingly at ease, a feeling he was sure he wouldn�t have found in such an
action had he been with anyone else. For that matter, no one else would have
ever lured him into this. That was a most remarkable revelation. They moved
together for a little longer.
Her hair, though wet,
picked up from her shoulders as he moved her in a calculated circle. The smile
sustained on pastel lips was reward enough, but he couldn�t help but wonder
what he�d decide on as repayment for this dance. Though, he didn�t find it
necessary that she do anything at all. Even if he found their dance the
slightest bit foolish, he was glad to have partaken in this moment. In a
forward step, he pulled her lithe form against his to end the masquerade. He
was still lost in disbelief that he�d been prey to her charms, and that it had
cost him a dance in the midst of a watery street. If anyone�particularly
Yuffie�had witnessed this, he�d have surely been the target of her constant
jesting. Though, Yuffie�s opinion of foolish behavior wasn�t exactly anything
to gauge by. She had a habit of making herself seem, well, foolish.
After a quick and rather
unexpected peck on the cheek, Tifa parted from him. �Where did you learn to
dance?� she asked, looking surprised.
�I was a Turk, once,� he
replied honestly. The parties they often held during his days with the Turks
were a stark contradiction to the loud and rambunctious parties now hosted on
Shin-Ra�s dime. Besides, once one became involved in the world of the Turks, it
was unavoidable that he or she would hold on to certain traits undoubtedly influenced
by the occupation, if it could be called an occupation.
�That�s right�� she nodded
and accepted the answer before scaring off a chill by pulling the jacket tight
again.
That portion of his being
was not one to be forgotten.
�Well, I�m glad I could bribe
you into that,� she said with a smirk. �So� to the boutique?�
�Unless there�s anything
else you have the urge to do in the rain.� Immediately after the ambiguous
comment, he turned and began toward his building. He could almost feel the way
her jaw hung slack in incredulity while her eyes bore a hole in the back of his
head. She couldn�t help but wonder what he had meant by the comment.
Once a good distance down
the sidewalk, he heard her take up a quick pace to join him at the door. If she
had really taken any offense to the comment, her eyes did not show it as he
opened the door for her. Perhaps she�d decided to give him the benefit of the
doubt. He saw her through the door and they crossed the hall to the opposite
door which spilled into the ramshackle garage attached to the apartments.
At the first of the
concrete columns, he was grateful to remember that he�d happened to leave his
keys in the pocket of the leather coat that Tifa wore. When they neared the gun
metal beast parked in the spot between two columns, a tradition of his to avoid
the dents and dings that come from parking near other vehicles, he turned his
gaze toward her.
�Check the left pocket of
that coat,� he said. Tifa worked her hand into the pocket and felt around, soon
producing a simple set of two keys attached to a fob with door controls.
She held the keys out
between her thumb and forefinger and he accepted them, pressing the round grey
button. The shapely lamps on the front of the car flashed while a small chirp
ricocheted off the dry walls. A brow rose high on Tifa�s forehead, her lips
shaping a delicate �O.�
It occurred to him that
she hadn�t seen his latest indulgence.
�New car?� she asked,
lacking words.
�I told you I like to
indulge,� he replied, eyes gliding over the smooth surface. He�d chosen the
color aptly called �gun metal� for a reason. The curves on the two door,
muscular frame had also attracted him. Perhaps the most enticing detail, the
interior with leather and comfort abound.
�I think that�s an
understatement.� In that moment, he saw a strange expression cross her face. If
he could have read her mind, he would have known that she was wondering what
had happened to the brooding Vincent who joined a band of so called heroes in
Nibelheim. Of course, he�d slowly come out of that lately, though she�d not
noticed due to her own issues. He also would have known that she was finding
herself in quite the predicament due to his kindness over the past months.
Little did he know that she had often wished she had the nerve to choose him
over Cloud.
Once he�d opened the
passenger door, Tifa settled down into the dark seat while he shut the door
cautiously. He came around and slid the key into the ignition while closing his
door. Once the engine roared to life, their outing began with the shift of
gears.
�Thanks again for taking
me,� Tifa said while watching the parked cars on the way to the exit.
�It�s no trouble at all.�
The car eased over the small divot where the driveway connected with the street
and he glanced to the right before rounding the corner and heading toward the
intersection ahead.
�You really are perfect,
you know.� To this, Tifa scrunched her nose and smiled at him. Since when had
he become perfect?
�That�s not true,� and
you shouldn�t say such things, lest I fall even more in love with you.
�I think it is,� she
finalized the thought and turned her head to glance out the window, idly
running her fingers through cold, damp strands of espresso. A breathy sigh
pushed steam onto the window and she fidgeted in the seat. �Do you think he
even cares that I left?�
Certainly not the follow
up he�d hoped for. With his eyes on the road ahead as they passed a green
light, he worked through his mind to find the right words. �I�m sure he does.�
�Are you just saying that
to be nice?� She tilted her head; peering around the obstruction of his hair to
catch a glimpse of what she hoped would be a face to reveal the truth. To her
disappointment, he kept an unpretentious demeanor. Though, inwardly, he was a
little disappointed that she was so skeptical of his concern.
�I�m not. I think he
cares, in his own deluded way.� With lips straight as a ruler, he ventured a
look in her direction. A miscalculated error. The disappointment riding her
eyes and lips sunk his heart.
�Deluded�way?� she choked
out the words as if they burned her tongue.
�Tifa, his actions are not
those of an honest man. He has good intentions, but no knowledge of how to
convey such things correctly.� There it was, lain out on the table for her to
see. Clearly, the thought troubled her. The truth of his words should not have
been any surprise to her, yet she trembled visibly. It affected him to see her
so distraught, but he was tired of playing into her destructive ways. He didn�t
much feel like claiming any guilt over the path she�d end up on if she allowed
Cloud his quixotic liberties.
�I know�� she began,
sorrow lingering from the tips of her fingers as she twisted a lock of hair
nervously. �I shouldn�t be so na�ve.�
The last thing he wanted
her to do was to blame herself. The fault was not hers to bear, though the fact
that she�d allowed so much harm to come to herself from her acceptance of
Cloud�s behavior was another story. When he slowed for a red light, her fingers
came beneath his chin and directed his face toward hers. He was taken aback by
the motion, and looked to her with vague curiosity.
�Am I so unlovable?� she
beseeched. Her bottom lip quivered, but her attempts to hold back any tears
proved strong, as not a single one spilled. The idea that she would even dream
to ask such a question perturbed him. Tifa was many things, but unlovable was
far from any word he would appoint to her. The absurd question brought his
brows together and curved a slight frown on his features.
�You should not blame
yourself�� he said in a low tone, redirecting his eyes to the light as it
turned green. He pushed his weight into the accelerator and listened to the
gurgled hum of the engine as they moved down the street. The houses and
buildings stretched along the sidewalks stood lifeless due to the rain. The
town was usually bustling, especially near the market. However, most were
indoors hiding away from the looming clouds. Over precautious would perfectly
describe the townspeople, as the storm had not yet hit when they disappeared.
�I let this happen�� she
said emptily, averting her eyes to the foot well.
�Tifa�� He was at a loss
for words. Saying any more to put Cloud down would likely draw her defenses,
but he couldn�t bring himself to give her anymore false hopes. Doing so had only
deepened the grip her emotions had on her.
As quickly as the frown
had set upon her lips, she covered it with a weary grin and pointed out the
boutique just a few hundred yards up. �That�s the one.� The subject had changed
so abruptly, he was caught on the verge of what he wanted to say, but promptly
left it to dwell on his mind.
Vincent kept his silence
and approached the store, slowing to follow the corner through into a parking
lot down the strip of stores. There weren�t very many cars in the lot and he
picked a spot quickly, pulling the car in straight. The engine cut when he
turned the key and removed it, thus enveloping them in an eerie silence. There
were many things he would have liked to say, but none dared to leave his
tongue. Was she on the verge of many words, as well?
After a moment, Tifa
shifted and leaned her elbow against the seat, facing him with urgency. �You
have to stop me� I really want to call him. Don�t let me.�
How was he going to
distract her from calling? A part of him thought of kissing her while she faced
him, just a foot away. The same impulsive side of him that had led to the dance
just a little while ago. Then again, he did not want to sacrifice the
relationship they�d forged in an irrational action. The line he wanted to cross
was a line he also sought to preserve.
Rather than ask her how it
was she wanted him to stop her, he opened the door and climbed out only to
circle the car and open her door. �I�ve heard shopping is a good distraction.�
So it wasn�t the sort of distraction he preferred, but it would do.
�You�re right,� she said
with a half-hearted laugh.
She exited the car and
waited for him to close the door and begin toward the store. The rain had
lightened since they left the caf�, forever on a whimsical schedule. She felt
much like the rain, pouring out one moment and reserved the next. Her moods had
swung with full force the past couple of days, and it unsettled her. She wasn�t
one to appreciate that sort of behavior in others; it was only natural that it
agitated her.
Once they entered the
boutique, Vincent felt a little out of his element. It seemed that Tifa was, as
well. The clothing hanging from displays reminded him more of Aerith, in shades
of pastels and bright pinks. He really couldn�t imagine Tifa in a pink dress.
�Wow�� she marveled at the
bold designs, not in favor, but in disappointment. �This used to be a��
Finally, she caught sight of a few rows of decent clothing toward the back of
the store. It seemed that even retailers were caught in the hope for an early
spring, boasting such clothing in the front and pushing the dark clothing in
the back.
She quickly waded through
the store, settling before a rack full of black, white, brown and deep red. These
were colors he could picture her wearing. Perhaps out of complacency, since
he�d only ever known her to wear muted colors. She ran her fingers across
several outfits, inspecting the threading and cut of the shirts and skirts.
Skirts did not strike her fancy, obviously, for she quickly pushed them back in
the rack. It was not really the season for skirts.
�See anything?� Vincent
asked thoughtfully, watching as she plucked two black shirts from the rack and
compared them.
�I guess. I really don�t
like shopping�� she mused while sticking one of the shirts back into place.
�You�re picky, aren�t
you?� When she looked to him with a grin, he returned with a smirk.
�I am. I�ve never been
able to find much that I like,� she replied. �This might take a while; you don�t
have to stand around while I search through all this.�
How he appreciated her
thoughtfulness. �Take your time,� he said as he made his way to the bench near
the shoe section. He took a seat, watching her while she went to the task of
finding a few decent outfits to wear.
Earlier, she�d asked how
long she could keep him. The only answer that had come to mind was one that
would have likely startled her. Now, as he sat with his arms crossed over his
chest, he wondered how long she would be staying. She had expressed her desire
to avoid calling Cloud, which led him to believe that she had no intention of
going home tonight, either. She seemed content to take her time doing whatever,
in no hurry to ask him to drive her home. She hadn�t even asked him what he
thought she should do, or if he thought she should return. To say the least,
this was odd.
Again, he was left to
wonder what the future would bring. This time, he wondered what the evening
would hold, and when she might decide to return to Seventh Heaven.
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Well, I gave into impulse
myself. I began this chapter with one thing in mind, and by the end I was
thinking� Where did that come from? The dance was really a spur of the moment
idea that really tied some things together. Now�I hope I did not kill this for
anyone. I actually realize how � odd this concept of Vincent giving into Tifa�s
little request is. That was precisely the point, as expressed in the paragraphs
surrounding that little piece. It was a bit cheesy, but I like what the subtext
is. I imagine that Vincent would be rusty with dancing, but I always thought
that was perhaps one romantic skill he might have. Tifa certainly strikes me as
a girl who would enjoy a sweet dance.
So, do tell me what you
think of this chapter. I don�t want to lose anyone by giving into whims, as
sometimes I can get caught up in ideas and things that are sometimes different.
And I must confess. I do
picture Vincent in a gun metal grey Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. Just a personal
opinion that I might have interjected in this chapter.
The next chapter will be
speeding things along a little better, as there will be a little bit of a
surprise for Tifa ;) I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and again I hope
that I have done well with it.
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The Art of Insomnia