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Candy Wrapper	By : KSipesh Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 1100 -:- 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
No, this isn�t going to end up being some long, drawn out epic like GC or JR. There�s just a few more chapters to go.

Note:

Much of the following dialogue was lifted straight from the game, so yes, it probably will seem familiar. Oh, and some slight smut toward the end�slight.

Candy Wrapper, Chapter 7

Vincent and I didn�t hang out in his room too long. Once he was ready, we went back to the bridge, finding everyone amassed there. Cid had brought the ship to a stop, further north than we�d been, but still some distance away from the actual entrance to the crater that was our destination. We found that everyone else had gathered there as well.

We had walked in right in the middle of some sort of deep conversation going on amongst everyone there.

"Seven more days, that�s what Grandfather said," Nanaki growled as he paced the floor.

Cloud turned toward the lion, his arms crossed over his chest. He glanced over and Vincent and myself, taking note that we�d finally appeared. "Red, you want to see everyone in Cosmo Canyon again?"

The great cat huffed. "Yes."

Turning to Barrett, Cloud then asked, "You want to see Marlene, right?"

"Don�t ask me that." Barrett had never been one for deep emotional talk, and I smiled to myself at the way he grew embarrassed at Cloud�s query.

Cloud nodded in contemplation. I admired him in that moment. He was showing more maturity than I�d come to expect from him over the years. In his own way, he was trying to motivate us. "We�ll beat Sephiroth. Then, if we don�t release the power of Holy in seven days�there won�t be a planet left to protect. If we can�t beat Sephiroth, we�re as good as dead. We�ll just go a few days sooner than the rest who�ll die from Meteor."

I saw Barrett rattle his gun arm at his side, that being his universal sign for frustration. "Don�t be thinkin� you�re gonna lose before you even fight!"

Cloud sighed, looking over at him. "No, what I meant was� What are we all fighting for? I want us all to understand that. Save the planet, for the future of the planet-- sure, that�s all fine, but really, is that how it is?"

He stopped for a second, looking over at me, his Mako eyes burning with his emotion. "For me, this is a personal feud. I want to beat Sephiroth, and settle my past. Saving the planet just happens to be a part of that. I�ve been thinking, and I think we�re all fighting for ourselves. For ourselves, and that someone�something�whatever it is, that�s important to us. That�s what we�re fighting for. That�s why we keep up this battle for the planet."

I stood there lost in his gaze for a moment, understanding that he was telling me in his own way, right here and now that he was doing this all for no one other than Aeris. He was basically setting me free.

Barrett broke the brief silence that fell. "You�re right. It sounds cool sayin� it�s to save the planet, but I was the one that blew up that Mako Reactor. Lookin� back on it now, I can see that wasn�t the right way to do things. I made a lot of friends and innocent bystanders suffer. At first, it was revenge against Shinra for attacking my town but now� Yeah, I�m fightin� for Marlene, for Marlene�s future. I guess I want to save the planet for Marlene�s sake."

The fact that Barrett, one of the toughest guys I�d ever met had made such a statement got to me and I felt tears in my eyes. I wanted to say something to him about it, but I knew that would have just made him feel more self-conscious than he already did.

I watched as Cloud turned to Barrett again, offering him a faint smile. "Go and see her. Make sure you�re right and come back. All of you. Get off this ship and find out your reasons for yourselves. I want you to make sure. Then I want you to come back."

Cid scoffed. The fact that Cloud was giving the orders now was driving him nuts and I could see it plainly written upon his face. "Maybe ain�t none of us�ll come back. Meteor�s gonna kill us anyway. Let�s just forget any useless struggling!"

Cloud shook his head and dropped his gaze to the floor in front of him. "I know why I�m fighting. I�m fighting to save the planet and that�s that. But besides that, there�s something personal, too. A very personal memory that I have. What about the rest of you? I want all of you to find that something within yourselves. If you don�t find it, then that�s okay, too. You can�t fight without a reason, right? So, I won�t hold it against you if you don�t come back."

With that, everyone started to leave the ship. I walked with Vincent away from the ship until we were alone, out of the view of everyone else. He took me into his arms and stared down into my eyes. "Tifa, is there no where you wish to go while you have this chance?"

I shook my head. "Everything that I care about, except for you, is gone. My family is dead, my home destroyed. I�ve got nothing, Vincent."

He�d unbuckled the collar to his cloak, allowing me to see his expressions. There was something strangely sad in his countenance that I hadn�t really seen from him before. "I will be back, you know that, right?"

I nodded. If Vincent gave me his word on something, then I was going to take it to heart. I pulled a candy bar from my pocket and held it out toward him.

Vincent accepted it and tucked it away. A quick smile flashed over his lips and then he kissed me deeply, giving his goodbye. His mouth lingered against mine for several minutes before he slowly backed away.

My eyes remained closed for just a second longer, as part of me didn�t want to see him go. When I dared to look, I saw that he was a short distance from me, giving me that smile of his that I�d already become very fond of. I needed to reconfirm my feelings for him before he vanished. "Vincent, I love you."

His smile became reflected in his eyes. "And I love you, Tifa. Soon."

"Soon," I whispered back as he turned and walked away. I wanted so badly to follow him, but he had made his request to make this trip alone, and I would honor that. I would honor whatever Vincent wished.

Upset and feeling alone, I trudged back to the airship. I went back up to the bridge, noticing how empty it felt. I heard someone behind me and I turned, seeing Cloud standing there.

He looked uncomfortable, vulnerable. The confidence he�d displayed while giving his little pep talk had faded and now he was again that lost little boy that I�d known for most of my life. "What are you going to do, Tifa?"

I wrapped my arms around myself. "Did you forget? I�m�all alone. I don�t have anywhere to go."

Cloud�s eyes narrowed in doubt. "All alone for the moment or all alone as in you have no one at all?"

"Cloud�" I hung my head and felt my shoulders slump.

"Tifa, I don�t care if you and Vincent�are involved in some way, even though I can�t say I understand. Like you made clear this morning, I don�t have any claim over you. I blew that to hell, and I know it. We�we can�t control who we fall in love with. I know that now and I�m hoping that you do, too." Cloud wasn�t looking at me anymore. I could see the heartache within him.

"I do." I hadn�t intended to fall in love with Vincent anymore than he�d chosen to fall in love with Aeris. The heart wants what it wants they say, and ours had both proven that. Cloud and I had always figured we�d end up together, but that had been more of a function of the expectations of the people we�d grown up around, not our own desires. I had loved him, and I guess there had been a time when maybe he�d loved me, too. The problem was that over the years, everyone in Nibelheim had become accustomed to Cloud and I always being together and at some point, they had all decided that we belonged together. Cloud and I being an item had become some sort of assumed fact, and we hadn�t been able to escape it since. Then, when Aeris had come into our lives, Cloud�s heart led him toward her. I hadn�t understood at the time and I�d been hurt, but once my heart too came to be pulled to someone else, it became clearer.

Still, Cloud and I had been best friends for most of our lives and I wasn�t willing to lose his friendship, despite our fight that morning. "If we make it through this, can we ever be friends again?"

"Why don�t we just start being friends now?" Cloud looked back up at me, giving me a smile. "Wanna go watch the sunset later? I know you used to like doing that sort of thing, and�it might be one of the last ones we see."

I decided to take his offer. "I�d really like that."

We�d left the ship that evening, going and sitting beneath it on top of the hill it was moored above. We watched the sunset, quietly talking about our childhood, and of things that had happened since. Once the sun was down, we returned to the ship and turned into our respective beds for the night.

As I laid there in the darkness, I realized what time it was and in some sort of pathetic gesture to Vincent, I reached beneath my bed and grabbed another of the candy bars and ate it.

After that was done, I started to feel tired and I began to drift off, until the communicator lying next to my bed began to beep. I sat up and grabbed it, turning it on. "Hello?"

"Tifa�" Vincent�s voice was quiet, reflecting that he was probably tired like myself. "I just finished the candy bar you gave me before I left and I had to check up on you."

I giggled to myself. "I just had one, too. It�s sort of our thing."

"I suppose." I could hear the amusement in his voice. "I�ve made it a point to save the wrapper."

My giggling worsened. I tend to get giddy when I�m tired and talking to Vincent in the dark on the radio made me feel like a teenager for some reason. "Thanks. Hey, how far did you get?"

"I�m there."

I was impressed. How Vincent had managed to travel that sort of distance without the airship in one day was beyond me. "Wow, that was quick."

"I have my ways." I could hear Vincent shifting around a little. I imagined him lying on his back on the ground, staring up at the sky. "What did you do today?"

Apparently, he was feeling talkative. Of course, speaking to me on the radio like this meant that he had to be-- his usual silent manner wouldn�t work too well. I closed my eyes, picturing him. "Not much. Cloud stayed here, too. I spoke with him a little, and I think we sort of worked things out between us. I think he and I will be able to be friends when this is all said and done."

Vincent was silent for a moment, and I wondered what he was thinking. "Cloud remained there?"

I tensed my jaw, thinking that Vincent wasn�t pleased with this. "Yeah, he didn�t have anywhere to go, since his whole reason for fighting is Aeris� memory."

"I�m glad that you got to have this time with him. You two have been an important part of each other�s lives for quite some time." Vincent�s voice gave no hint of jealousy or anger. He was seemingly fine with the situation. "What are you fighting for, Tifa?"

This question caught me off guard and I stuttered, "F�for a future."

His tone became wistful. "Tell me about your future, Tifa."

I smiled, keeping my eyes closed. "Well, I�m going to settle down and have a family. We�ll live in a big house�and we�ll have some dogs. Oh, and maybe a cat. I�ve never really had any pets, I want to give it a try."

He made a sound that was as close to a laugh as he tended to get. "And when you do this, will it be with the man of your dreams?"

My smile widened. "Unless you don�t want pets."

"Is that to say that I am that man?" Vincent sounded pleased through his tiredness.

"Oh God, Vincent, you are." The memory of what we�d done that morning-- of us giving our bodies to one another for the first time burned through me. "You are."

It sounded like he caught his breath at this, and I heard him rustling around again. I heard something clicking against the radio, and I realized that he was holding it in his left hand, his talons producing the sound. His voice was quieter and seemed to tremble a little. "Tifa�was this morning�what you had hoped?"

As I continued to imagine him there talking to me, I couldn�t help the notion that he might be doing something�inappropriate as we spoke to one another. If that was the case, I wanted to humor him and make it easy. I let my reply come out somewhat breathless. "Yes, Vincent. The way you felt against me-- it was incredible."

I heard something like a growl from him, not helping my suspicion. "The way I felt against you� I love the way you felt beneath me�around me. I loved it, Tifa, almost as much as I love you."

The fact that Vincent seemed to be talking dirty to me-- well, as close to talking dirty as I figured he�d ever get-- pleased me. I was having a hell of a time keeping my composure just from the sound of his voice and the image in my mind of what he may or may not have been doing hundreds of miles away. I had to know for sure. "Vincent�uh, are you..?"

Another lapse before he answered, his breaths now audible. "Yes."

I just about died and I had to suppress my squeal of delight. I couldn�t possibly believe that Vincent did that, and while on the radio to me, no less. "That�s all right, I don�t mind. What do you want me to say?"

"Oh�" he seemed favorable to the idea that I was willing to help him along. "Just tell me�how you feel about me�"

I rolled onto my side, curling up a little. The thought of what he was doing was getting the better of me but I couldn�t bring myself to give into it like he was. "I love you."

He grunted in response and his breaths stopped for several seconds. I supposed that he�d gotten what he�d wanted out of the experience.

"Vincent?"

The sounds of his breathing returned. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Again, I heard his faint laugh. "I�m wonderful, Tifa. I believe that it�s time for us to go to sleep."

I giggled to myself. I couldn�t believe that Vincent had just done such a thing. "I know. If we keep talking, I�m going to have to start charging you by the minute."

"You shall be repaid when I return, Tifa. You need not worry about that. Keep a running tab if you so desire." His voice reflected the smile that was probably playing upon his lips.

"I just might." I moved to pull the blanket around me tighter. "I love you, Vincent."

"And I love you as well. Goodnight, Tifa." His exhaustion was becoming more evident.

I decided to let him go without further delay. "Goodnight, Vincent."
A/N-- When I finish this, I�m thinking of writing a second version, from Vincent�s point of view. I think that would be kinda�fun.
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Candy Wrapper