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Always Smiling	By : EzriCandy Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 1595 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or anything related to it, nor do I make no money from writing this story. No reposting of this story is authorized.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter 6: Your Secret Is Safe With Me (Part 1)

(Same tags apply as in Chapter 1)
Vincent exited the Gi Caves and made sure the access button was locked. As he started for the stairs he heard someone descending from the ladder that led to the observatory. About halfway down the ladder someone hopped of the ladder and land firmly at its base.
"Hey Vinnie, you headed to the candle?"
"Yes, would you like walk with me?" He said, covertly studying her slightly red eyes.
She smiled up at him "Sure, seein' that we're headed to the same place anyway. Lets go so we can get there early." She said as she lightly pulled him through the door.
He nodded and allowed himself to be led out the door.
"So did you have any luck with whatever it was you were thinkin' 'bout?" she asked him with a sidelong glance.
"Yes, actually I did manage to work out a few things. Will you still me meeting me tonight?" he asked as they approached the candle.
"Yep, wouldn't miss it." She said as she stepped on the raised platform, which held the flame. The rest of Avalanche was making their approach and finding seats around the flame.
Vincent sat on the ground with his long legs folded under him. Yuffie sat next to him with her knees drawn up and encircled in her arms. Two pairs of eyes watched the flames, storm gray and crimson watched the flames dance simply enjoying each others company as the others found seats around the flame.
With everyone seated, Nanaki began. "I trust that everyone has had enough time to explore the village. I have taken the liberty of reserving rooms for everyone at the inn and all meals are free at the restaurant located there, courtesy of the innkeeper. Cait Sith will be staying with me at the observatory. If you cannot find something you need, please let one of the shopkeepers know and they will order it for you.
There were various 'thanks you's' said from around the campfire.
"Thanks for arranging that Nanaki." Cloud said, looking at Nanaki "We really appreciate the generosity shown to us by the people here."
"I promise you all, this won't take long. I know we could all use some shuteye. As, you already know, Tifa, Barret and I will head out it the morning, in the event of emergency, you can contact us by PHS. Cid, how are our supplies looking?"
Cid took his cigarette out of his mouth and flicked the ashes in a paper cup. "We got pretty much all the shit we needed. There are a few items that had to be shipped from Gongaga and Gold Saucer, but they should be here in a few days. As for everything else, I had the dumb asses I call a crew haul it back to the Highwind to be stored. I also told them to do a double check to make sure that we didn't miss anything."
"Good. I brought separate supplies for the three of us who are leaving tomorrow so we don't diminish our stores on the ship. When we return, we will decide exactly what our next steps will be. We still have the weapon that's flying around out there. For the past few days it has not caused any problems however, If you do get reports of it attacking, call us on the PHS and go after it.
"Well, that's all I can think of for now. We should all turn in pretty soon, its almost 9:15. I'm gonna stay out for a little longer, but you are welcome leave." Cloud said as he lay back next to the candle staring at the stars.
Everyone began their own conversation with exception to Yuffie, who was content to just set next to the gunslinger and Tifa who watched Cloud out of the corner of her eye a few feet away from Tifa. He decided now would be a good time to give Tifa her message from Aeris.
"Yuffie, would you excuse me for a moment? I have to talk to Tifa briefly."
"Sure Vince."
Vincent stood and walked the short distance to Tifa. "May I?" He asked Tifa before he sat.
She looked shocked that this quiet man, who barely spoke to anyone, was asking to sit next to her. "Sure, Vincent," she gestured to the ground beside her. "What's up?" The conversation continued around them.
"Well, I received a message that I was told to give to you. The person could not contact you directly and told me to relay it to you." He said, looking into the flames.
She looked over at the stoic man. 'He is being a little more cryptic than usual.' She thought.
"Who's it from? Why couldn't they contact me directly?" She asked a little curious.
"Aeris." He said bluntly.
"WHAT?!?" She screamed. All conversation stopped around them and even Cloud turned his head to look at them.
"Sorry guys." Tifa said sheepishly.
There was a brief moment of silence, then the conversation started up again.
"How was she able to contact you and not anyone else?" She said quietly, not wanting the other to overhear their conversation.
"She said that with the planet's help, she can contact certain people for a short amount of time. She regrets that she wasn't able to tell you herself." He explained.
Tifa looked thoughtful for a moment, and then looked up at Vincent. "I wish she could have contacted me also…I miss her so much." She said with a heavy voice.
"She said 'Tell Tifa to let Cloud know how she feels soon. Tell her to not follow her mother's path and wait to tell him as she did with her father. Also tell her not to worry about him not feeling the same way. Don't forget to be there for your sister.'"
After a few moments of silence Vincent spoke. "She said you would know what that means."
Tifa looked to the sky her eyes shining bright with tears. "Thank you Vincent. I know that it must have been uncomfortable for you to talk to me since you don't like to talk and all."
Vincent looked at her as she gazed towards the sky. "Tifa, look at me please," she looked at him, her burgundy eyes meeting his crimson ones "I am not at all uncomfortable at all. I am actually pleased that I had the opportunity to pass this message to you from someone who was so important in all of our lives.
"I am sorry that I have come across as cold and uncaring during our journey. I have received the closure that I needed after the battle with Hojo and I know now that I no longer should atone for sins that were never mine to begin with. I will follow the advice I was given and try to live my life to the fullest and that means allowing my friends to be part of it."
Tifa was speechless as she watched the stoic gunman. 'Yes, there seemed to be a bit more emotion than normal on his face.' She thought. In this single conversation, he had said more to her than he did previously during their adventure.
She smiled at Vincent. "Vincent, you have no need to apologize. I know that you have suffered and I am glad to see that you are finally at peace. I am glad that you consider me a friend and I want you to know that I consider you one too." She said lightly punching his arm.
A loud snore from Cloud broke through her thoughts and she laughed. "Well, I guess I should drag him off to bed before he wakes the village. Thanks again Vincent." She went to stand up.
"Tifa, I know it's not my place," he said in a whisper "but I have also noticed how much you care for him and I also know how it feels to love someone who doesn't realize it at first. I hope you take her advice and tell him soon. You both would be good together."
She smiled at him in thanks and walked over to Cloud. "Cloud, lets go before your snoring gets any louder…Barret, you coming?"
"Hey, I don't snore that loud." Cloud protested with his voice rough with sleep.
"Spike, if ya snored any louda, my eardrums woulda busted." Barret called over to him.
"Alright, alright. Lets go then, we gotta get an early start…and I DON'T snore that loud." Cloud murmured.
Vincent returned to his seat next to Yuffie.
"Night guys." Yuffie said as they headed off the platform.
"Night Yuffs." Tifa called back.
.::-o-::.
Vincent and Yuffie sat at the fire as the group began to disperse.
"Well Vince, I'm going to grab a bite to eat before we meet back here…that is, unless you want to join me?" she asked.
"I'm not hungry right now, but maybe tomorrow?" She nodded "You go ahead and get something to eat, I will meet you in a while."
Vincent stood, and offered his human hand to Yuffie. She grasped his hand firmly and he pulled her to her feet. They walked off the platform together but went their separate ways. Yuffie went towards the inn while Vincent headed to the canyon wall that was adorned with homes built into the rock face. He found a small ledge about twenty feet up and made the easy climb to the spot to do some stargazing until it was time to meet the Ninja at the candle.
.::-o-::.
At 10:28, Vincent caught sight of someone moving out of the corner of his eye. Yuffie was walking from the inn to the candle to wait. Seeing her walk up the platform stairs, he stood and leapt from his perch to the floor of the canyon and started towards the fire.
Yuffie looked up as she saw his red and black form ascend the stairs and approach her on the other side of the fire.
"Hey Vincent. Please, sit." She said gesturing to a spot next to her on the hard ground.
"Thank you." He said once again folding his legs underneath him.
"I just want to let you know that I really appreciate what you are doing for me. No one, besides Aeris has offered to listen to what I have to say and actually take me seriously." She said, her voice slightly wistful.
"Yuffie, I know for a fact that there is more to you than meets the eye." At this, her eyes widened, no one had ever said that about her before.
"I want you to feel comfortable when you speak to me. Feel free to ask me questions and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Please know that I will never betray your confidence. Anything said between the two of us, will stay that way, you have my word." He said looking down at her.
"Thank you Vince, that means a lot to me and I know that you would never tell anyone anything that I tell you." She responded with maturity rich in her voice.
"I guess I should start with what happened on the Highwind."
He gazed at her, remaining silent and waiting for her to continue.
"I'm beginning to get tired of everyone treating me like I am a child. I am not just the bratty child who is always plotting ways to get their damn materia! I don't know what it will take for them to trust me again and that hurts me.
"Barret and Cid would be the first ones to toss me off the Highwind while it was still moving if even one piece of materia came up missing. They only barely tolerate me even being with Avalanche."
She paused for a moment "Vincent, are you still angry with me for what happened in Wutai? I haven't really had the courage to actually talk to anyone about how they felt about me now."
He looked at her, his eyes once again displaying regret. "Yuffie, I am not angry with you and I do admit that I was upset at the time but I was never angry. I was truly worried about your safety."
What I said to Don Corneo is not what I intended. Please forgive me for what was said. That man was a parasite and what he was planning to do to you was unforgivable. If Reno had not dispatched him, I would have for what he put you through.
"Yuffie, I do have a serious question for you and it is quite personal so I apologize for any embarrassment it may cause you."
"Shoot. I know that I can trust you."
"When Corneo had you kidnapped, he didn't do anything to you did he? I know it is none of my business, but with someone as perverted as he was, there is always the possibility."
"I have no problem answering it, maybe if someone else had asked me besides Tifa, I would have tried to knock their block off, but I feel safe with you. He did try to kiss me, but I spit in his face and kicked him in a place that all men hold dear. Needless to say, they tied me up after that." She said with a small smirk at the memory.
'Thank Gods.' He though.
Yuffie looked up at the black curtain overhead "Ya know, I think you are the only one who does forgive me. I deserved every word that Cid said on the way back to the plane."
He shook his head "Yuffie, you did not deserve what he said at all. His words were quite harsh. I personally don't think that anyone should have to take that kind of verbal abuse. Despite what you may think, the others do care for you."
"Well I'll just say it again, I am really sorry for what happened back then. Hey ya know, ever since that 'incident' I have been able to understand you more."
"In what way?" Vincent was intrigued by this piece of information.
"Well Vince, when I was hanging from Da Chao, and you were speaking to Corneo, I admit that those words had hurt at the time, but when I looked in your eyes I saw the regret, embarrassment and anger. I knew the anger was not directed at me. When I saw that, I knew that you had regretted what you had said and I never knew why you would, that is, until now.
"Even though you don't express much emotion on your face, I can look in your eyes and get a good take on what you're feeling." He looked away momentarily then glance back at her to see her lips slightly upturned at the corners "See, right now you are embarrassed and a little shocked that I could see all that."
"You are just as perceptive as I thought you were Yuffie. You are probably the only one that can sense my emotions besides Lucrecia." He said, looking at the sky. This time when he mentioned her name, it didn't hurt so badly.
"There is something that I have also learned about you also." He said, "I know that you hurt deeply and the carefree aloof persona that you wear, covers that. You do not want people to see your pain.
"I also know for a fact that you don't care about materia as much as the others believe. I have known this since after the Wutai incident. My suspicions were confirmed when Cloud was discussing the summon materia they had learned about and you didn't even flinch.
"You don't believe what you told Cloud about why you needed the materia. It seems to me that you are being forced to do this."
She stared at him, her mouth agape. He had managed to figure all this out, he had seen through her. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, more to herself than to him.
"No, not at all. No one else has noticed. You are very good at hiding how you really feel."
"Well, you get good at it when you have been doing it for over three years. There are times when I almost can't control my emotions. I envy your ability to hide them so well." She said the last part so quietly anyone else would have missed it, but with his enhanced hearing, he had.
"You should not envy my ability to hide my emotions. I know now that showing your emotions is just another part of a normal life. Yuffie, I do not want you to hide anymore. I want you to show the real you, even if it is just for me. You are too full of life to be hidden behind an expressionless mask. I don't want you to be like me. I don't want you to become me.
"Deep down, I know that you are a mature, intelligent, caring person and you should not have to hide that. In fact, I admire you for who you are, my young friend. Know that you are not alone and that I will be here to listen when you need me."
A long tear escaped down her cheek. 'He admires me…' she thought and the flutter returned again.
"Yuffie, what is the real reason you gather materia?"
"It's a long story-"
"We have only been out here for a half hour at most, and I would like to hear your 'long story' if you are not too tired and wish to tell me."
Actually she was surprised that she was not tired at all. Talking with Vince was like having a burden lifted off her shoulders. Besides he was her friend and he deserved to know the truth.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Always Smiling