Entangled Souls | By : RandiLynne Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 1114 -:- 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. |
‘Fight or flight?’
‘Fight for what,
exactly?’
Vincent fought a silent
battle within his mind. The controversy rooted in which alternative would prove
best for those involved. Evermore was he plagued by an analytical existence,
perhaps due to the pieces of his past. The present
circumstances were all but inconceivable, and in the least, slightly confused.
Such proved an abnormal feeling to deal with for the gunslinger.
The verses of a familiar
saying drowned his thoughts with a lethal celerity. The aphorism caused a
tension to rush through his nerves while crimson gaze settled heavily on
inattentive feminine features. Had hidden agenda played a role in the events of
the antecedent? One might have guessed, that in order
for Vincent Valentine to spill even a summary of his past to anyone, he might
require the influence of something powerful. Even alcohol would have explained
that which he failed to understand.
Tifa Lockhart had often
coerced sentences built with more than meaningless phrases from him, she had an
interesting manner of bringing extrovert behaviour from an otherwise
introverted being. On the contrary, Vincent had been in a particularly
vulnerable state as of late. Perhaps his weakened state had influenced the
response she elicited from him the prior evening. Was it really all that
questionable that he had desired to open up for some time and had finally
chosen a seemingly perfect candidate to allow such knowledge?
Years were spent hiding
past from present, leaving unattended memories to dwell in the cobwebs of a
labyrinth. In all truth, the desire for someone to help sort through tenets and
ease away the discomfort had long been at the forefront of his secret wishes.
Until the precedent evening, he had thought such a woman to be chimerical. Not
even in the depths of his soul had he thought the bond he noted between he and
Tifa actually ran much deeper than mutual appreciation. When he studied the
proverbial windows to her soul last night, he saw admiration and a faint hint
of attraction. She was sending signals that crossed him in to new territory.
Though the notion of a new
beginning admittedly alarmed every sense of him, the thought of carrying on the
remainder of his existence in shadow wondering what could have been, disturbed
him. The push and pull of two worlds became intense, and he felt a minute pain
well up to signal the first trace of a migraine. Twin tips were pressed against
the bridge of his nose, crimson hidden behind lids as he regained composure. A
deep breath sucked past dry lips, held in an extended chest for brief moments.
Upon settling malady, he
unveiled crimson hue, his gaze seeking the woman who could be blamed for his
current condition. He was surprised when her eyes shifted to meet his, a smile
gracing over her feminine lips. Without knowledge of his motions, he had moved
from the safety of the tree during his soliloquy and was within her view. How
strange that her simple smile provided comfort to a tormented soul. He gave her
an insufficient nod, and she assumed he would like her to join him.
Tifa rose from the bench,
graceful movement bringing her to his company. He took notice of her pajamas,
realizing she must have been out since earlier this morning. “Good morning,
Vincent.” Tifa's cheerful voice broke the silence.
“Tifa.” He met her gaze, searching for
signs that her new feelings remained. “Did you sleep well?”
Pearled tips nibbled
against her bottom lip, unsure of whether to mention how her night actually
went. He seemed oblivious to the fact that she had been in his room, which
surprised her. For now, she would take their interactions slowly. “I did. How about you?”
“Well enough.” He nodded,
emphasis added to the statement.
“I finally saw Yuffie.”
She announced, a nervous laugh presented as her mind
wandered the dialogue of her meeting with Yuffie.
“You seem uncomfortable
with that...” He was too observant for her usual facade.
“No, no. In fact, we're
getting together later. You can join us, if you like?” 'Why does he see
through everything?'
“I may pass on that
offer.” He watched a small frown form, a bona fide pout. “But I'd much like it
if we could spend some time together.” And he meant that.
Her expression immediately
changed, a radiant smile curving pastel. “I'd like that, too.” She fidgeted
with the sleeves of her coat, as they hung past the tips of her fingers.
Something about him made her nervous like a young girl with her first crush.
Such feelings had not been evident for far too long.
“What would you like to
do, Tifa?” He watched her fidget, an imperceivable
smirk commandeering pale lips.
“Hm...” She paused a
moment to think, “Oh! There's some sort of fair going on this weekend in honor
of... em, well I don't know. I just know that Yuffie
had mentioned it sometime ago and she said they have all kinds of neat things
to do. We could check that out?”
“Where will that be?” He
wasn't sure if something so crowded would be to his liking, but her excitement
about the matter was endearing.
“It's later this
afternoon, and into the evening. I believe it's by the market and actually in
this park, as well.”
“Shall I meet you here
later, then?” Truthfully, he needed a bit more time to mull over the details of
his decisions.
“Sure! I should probably
get out of my pajamas soon.” She giggled at her lazy appearance.
“Until
then.” He turned
promptly, heading into the distance.
The smile upon her lips
took some time to fade, but once he was no longer in view, she tucked it away.
She took a moment to view the area, the time had grown
later since she first arrived early this morning. She strolled through the
greenery, her eyes drifting lazily over the various flowers. One bloom in
particular caught her interest, the silken petals speckled with various shades
of red, and displayed openly in a unique shape. The true beauty of nature was
not often appreciated well enough, this much she
gathered by the existence of monstrous cities such as the former Midgar and
present Junon. The appeal of a concrete and steel
jungle was beyond her understanding. She moved through the uneven blades of
grass, fingers gingerly working beneath the flower she admired. The hybrid form
of an orchid, she supposed, as she plucked the stem further down the plant. The
stem and flower accompanied her through the rest of the park, her study of the
plant continuing as it twirled between her fingers.
Yuffie had finally
finished her duties with Godo and was nearing the park when a daydreaming Tifa
came into her line of sight. Slated eyes gave a once over to the martial artist
turned school girl, watching the orchid twirl in her grasp. If she hadn't been
part of the conversation dealing with Vincent this morning, she might have
shrugged off the oddity as Tifa. She knew better, now. A playful grin molded
her lips as she increased her pace. A quick grab at an unsuspecting bush brought
a plain flower into Yuffie's hands. She came beside Tifa and began to pluck the
petals one by one, tossing them dramatically to the ground and mimicking “He
loves me,” -Pluck- “He love's me not.” It took everything she had to restrain
the imminent giggles that begged to come forth.
Burgundy eyes became like saucers when
Yuffie's performance caught her attention. Tifa gave a light punch to the
shoulder of the offending girl, knocking the remaining petal clear out of her
hands as she stumbled off balance. That did it. Giggles erupted boisterously
from the thin girl, her balance quickly regained by the reflexes of flailing
arms. Tifa could only stare, wide eyed while Yuffie attempted to desist her laughter.
“Yuffie...” Tifa rolled
her eyes.
“I—I'm sorry! I couldn't
help it. It was too good.” She allowed the after shock of her giggles to
subside, putting on a straight face. “You seriously looked like you were
daydreaming... did you see Vincent again, or something?”
Tifa fidgeted with the
flower, she had believed her attempt to distract Yuffie from the obvious had
succeeded earlier. Well, that was then. Apparently, she had only brought the
suspicion right back in. “Yuffie, you aren't going to let this go, are you?”
Yuffie grinned, “Of course
not. What do you take me for?”
Tifa realized the full account, Yuffie wasn't one to give up. Then a thought came
upon her. She had missed the company of a good girlfriend, and perhaps sharing
all of this would enlighten her somehow. At the very least, she could gush
about what she experienced. “Okay, okay. Why don't we go have a chat?” Usually
she was the one providing advice and allowing others to vent, but it was nice
to have a little of that reciprocated.
“Sounds
good ta' me. Tea house?” Yuffie
inquired.
“Em,
too public, Yuffie. How about your place?”
“Right, that's fine.”
Without another word, she grabbed Tifa by the wrist, dragging her along toward
her home.
Eventually, Yuffie figured
out that Tifa was capable of following along on her own, and she let her wrist
free with a slight giggle. They passed through town and over to a small house,
which Tifa guessed belonged to Yuffie, or perhaps her father. Yuffie led the
way into the brown door, waiting as Tifa entered behind her. A quick survey of
the house was enough for Tifa to see that they were alone, and she made herself
at home. She strolled into the kitchen which was open to the dining room with
Yuffie in tow.
“Mind if I make us some
tea?” She questioned.
“I could do that, Tif.”
She felt a bit like a bad hostess, but Tifa was usually the one to brew and
cook.
“I don't mind.” She hummed
musically while she poured water into the small kettle, placing it against the
stove where she set it to heat to perfection. An elbow leaned lightly against
the counter beyond the stove, her frame settling against the cupboards below.
“Spill.” Yuffie demanded in a friendly
manner.
Tifa glanced around
cautiously, once more checking for unwanted eavesdroppers. Satisfied that none
were lurking, she decided to heed her friend's wishes. “All
right. We went to dinner that night, like I mentioned. He really opened
up to me, it was really strange.” She paused, finding a bewildered look on her
companion.
“You mean, he spoke for more than a second?” She exaggerated.
“He sure did. I was
surprised, I mean... I have to confess, we used to talk a lot during the
journey. Mostly unimportant things, or things about
me. But last night, he told me about himself.” She gloated,
quite proud of this fact.
“Wow, Tif.” Yuffie urged
her on.
“Well, it was really
different. His past is dark... not like mine, but cold and hard. I have so much
respect for him.” She waited while the whine of the kettle began to sound. She
turned to the object and went about turning off the flame and removing the
kettle from the heat.
“Interesting...” Yuffie
was a little quiet as she gathered a couple of cups from a cupboard, bringing
them to a small table on the opposite side of the room. The table was flanked
by two pillows that lay against the floor, and she settled into one while
placing the cups against the surface of the table.
“Very. Anyway, we had a
really nice dinner, even though I was a bit curious to learn more. I wanted him
to tell me more, but I decided not to push my luck, you know?” Tifa brought two
tea bags over and placed them in the cups, hot water poured from the kettle
thereafter, steam rising slowly from the liquid as it settled into the china.
“You're better than I am
at that patience stuff. I would have had a million questions.” Yuffie giggled
while Tifa replaced the kettle on the stove.
“Believe me, it took a lot of restraint.” Tifa grinned and moved back
to settle on the opposite side of the table. She toyed with the string attached
to the tea bag while continuing, “We finished dinner and ended up in the park.
You won't believe what he said to me! He told me that I'm amazing.” Tifa smiled
a quirky smile, watching Yuffie's disbelief.
“He said that? Not that it
isn't true, but wow!”
“I know. Then I thought I
lost it, because when we sat down on the bench I accidentally touched his thigh
and he looked bothered by it.” Tifa gave a look of concern.
“Accidentally,
huh?” Yuffie
giggled. “He was probably bothered in a naughty way, Tif.”
Tifa blushed at the idea,
“Maybe. I don't know. But here's something else. I had the strangest dream about
him, and when it woke me up, I heard him yelling. I went to his room, and he
seemed to be having a nightmare. The strange part is, when I touched him, it
stopped. I thought I had stirred him out of it, so I started to leave, then he went back into it again. The second I touched him,
it stopped. I have no idea what it was!”
“That explains why you
looked so tired this morning.”
“Help me make sense of
this? I mean, I'm not sure what to do.” Tifa pleaded.
“Tif, it's
obvious there's something there. I have to say, when I saw the two of you
together when you'd have those talks you mentioned, I always got jealous. He
looked at you differently than he looked at anyone else. Maybe he's liked you a
while, you know? I assumed you liked Cloud too much, but then you'd always seem
happier after being around Vincent.” Yuffie took a quick second to swish the
tea bag around in her cup.
“Really? That's the thing. I always thought
I was supposed to be with Cloud. I had spent so long thinking that way, that it only seemed natural to stay with it. After
everything, I guess I realized we're more like siblings than anything else. I
suppose I gave up, a little. I still don't know about all of that. But what I
do know is that Vincent does spark very different feelings.”
“It's obvious what you
should do.” Yuffie felt confident in her idea.
“What?” Tifa looked on
with curiosity.
“Kiss him.”
“Yuffie! I can't. I'd be too nervous...
what if I read everything wrong?”
“Then you'll have a kiss
to remember when he disappears? I dunno.” Yuffie shrugged. It's what she would
have done. A kiss always told enough.
“Well, we're going to
spend time together later. I think I'll just see where this all goes. There's
no rush.” Tifa nodded, feeling content with her idea. She had already assumed
that position, but spilling the ideas to Yuffie had cemented the plan. She
didn't want to scare him away until she knew what to make of all of her
feelings.
They shared more
conversation, varying from Vincent to other random subjects. Eventually Tifa
realized it was getting on to be around noon, and she reluctantly left Yuffie's
to prepare for her evening. She had a bit of shopping to do, if she was to meet
Vincent later.
The shuffle of slippers
led her to a small shop near the inn, fingers pushing awkwardly on the door as
she entered. Her gaze slid over various dresses, none of which sparked her
interest. She began the tedious task of searching the racks of garments,
seeking the perfect addition to her wardrobe. Fingers idly slipped between
fabrics, pushing aside dress after dress. Suddenly, she felt the cool of a
silken fabric. One sculpted brow arched inquisitively as she slipped the tips
of her fingers over the bodice, feeling the stitch of an intricate pattern. The
artful twirl of fingers pulled the fabric into her view, a shade of black
furthered her interest, as the colour gave her comfort. She was not usually one
to adorn dresses such as this, but for inexplicable reasons, she found herself
drawn to the item. She plucked it from the rack, bringing it with her to a
small changing room where the attendant let her in with a smile.
She held it against her
body, nervously peering into the mirror. Dresses weren't her favorite thing,
and the thought of wearing one might have otherwise drove her insane, but this
one seemed to hold some sort of magic. She decided to throw caution aside and
try it on. Her pajamas were stripped and the dress was carefully brought over
feminine curves. The touch of the fabric was incredible, and her fingers
smoothed over her stomach before adjusting the clasp at her neck. She whirled
around to face the mirror, surprised by her own appearance. The oriental
styling of the garment was lovely and flattering to her shape. She felt foreign
in such a dress, but compelled to buy it. The girlish sort of feeling it gave
her was much like what Yuffie had suspected in her while she twirled the orchid
in the park. The orchid happened to be tucked safely into her pocket, where it
waited it's purpose.
She redressed in her
pajamas and purchased the dress. She had a lot of primping to do if she was to
go out in a dress such as this. Unusual and uncharacteristic as it was, she was
simply excited to have come upon the beauty that rested within the shopping
bag. She'd surely stun him this afternoon, which allowed for a wonderful smirk
to play against her lips as she returned to her room at the inn.
-------------------------------
And that
is chapter three! Dresses, dresses and more dresses. I myself despise dresses,
but it fits the storyline, I must confess :) They have quite an afternoon in
store!
While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
All works displayed here, whether pictorial or literary, are the property of their owners and not Adult-FanFiction.org. Opinions stated in profiles of users may not reflect the opinions or views of Adult-FanFiction.org or any of its owners, agents, or related entities.
Website Domain ©2002-2017 by Apollo. PHP scripting, CSS style sheets, Database layout & Original artwork ©2005-2017 C. Kennington. Restructured Database & Forum skins ©2007-2017 J. Salva. Images, coding, and any other potentially liftable content may not be used without express written permission from their respective creator(s). Thank you for visiting!
Powered by Fiction Portal 2.0
Modifications © Manta2g, DemonGoddess
Site Owner - Apollo