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yui_miyamotoFandom: Final Fantasy VII
Title: with my heart reaching out for it.
Pairing: Vincent + Yuffie
Rating: G
Description: Yuffie has a cold and a certain vampire just happens to visit her...
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII. I’m just obsessed over it, so that’s why I’m here.
with my heart reaching out for it.
By Miyamoto Yui
“What are you doing here? In fact, how did you find me?”
“Cloud’s phone. Tifa answered,” Vince replied while closing the door behind him.
It wasn’t hard to puzzle how that had happened. Leaning on my left side, I coughed into my elbow and blinked at him tiredly.
Damn it, I don’t need this now, especially when I’ve already decided that-
“It’s been quiet lately. You’ve stopped calling me?” he tried to joke while leaning against the back of the door with his arms crossed.
“Oh, you noticed?” I questioned back, failing to hide the sarcasm in my tone, but winked at him anyway. “Aren’t you glad that now it’s more peaceful?”
Pulling my heavy body up, he steps forward to help me, but I shot my hand out towards his direction. “Please don’t.”
Maybe in another time and place, I would have taken advantage of that. Even stolen a kiss, but not now. I had made up my mind and I was going to stick to it.
To my left and under the window, I reached out for my meds and drank water from a cup. Then, I blew my nose, throwing the tissue paper at the mini mountain building under that small table.
I began to adjust myself against the headrest and fuss over the cotton blanket covering my legs, somewhat avoiding his gaze. “So, what’s up?”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Never beating around the bush. I guess that’s one of the things that I love about you.
Sighing, I couldn’t help but smirk. I inwardly laughed at the irony of it all. Oh, the tables have turned.
“What? I’m not avoiding you. I was practicing more these days.”
Clips of training regimen with each of my different weapons came to mind. It replaced calling him these days. Hours seemed liked minutes.
Okay, so I did try to ignore you, but just a little!
Crrk. He leaned even more onto the door. “Hmm.”
Shh shh shh… Vince began rummaging through his pockets. When he found whatever he was looking for, he immediately tossed it towards me. “There. I promised that I’d bring them the next time I saw you.”
The crinkling plastic perfectly landed in the space between my knees. I smiled, holding it up before me. “All right! Thanks for the candy.”
It was a limited edition one being sold around the world. Each area had its own version of these spherical lollipops, but this particular series were materia replicas.
With the sun shining through them as I rotated my wrist, they looked like prismatic glass in my hand. “The detail is amazing.”
The bliss of him remembering layered with my latent misery: I really was a child to you, wasn’t I?
He didn’t seem to notice as he continued to search through his clothes. He threw five more and I read each label while getting excited at how adorably unique each bag was.
“Icicle Inn’s Ice! Golden Saucer’s Chocobo Lure? Cosmo Canyon’s HP Materia?” I chuckled a little remembering how I said their materia sucked. “Nibelheim’s Elemental…Rocket Town’s Steal. Ooh, this one’s golden!”
“Thank you!” Hugging them all in my arms, I grinned so much the sides of my mouth hurt. Looking up at him, he was crossing his arms again and stared at me straight in the eye. His gaze looked softer than usual.
“You’re welcome.” He tilted his head. “But weren’t you in Wutai the last time you called me?”
“That was two weeks ago. Yesterday, I was supposed to return to the boss in Junon after gathering info about the Turks and Shinra here in Edge, but…” I shrugged my shoulders. “This cold stopped me. I asked Tifa and Cloud if they could help me find a room to stay in for several days. So here I am.”
“Oh.”
Placing the gifts on the stand and next to my cup, I felt myself become drowsy again.
I should have specified to Tifa to pretend they didn’t see me, but I didn’t want to verbally confirm what I still didn’t want to admit to myself: That I needed privacy. And away from Vince. Not that that he didn’t already give me my space with the way things were.
So why are you still here? Usually when we’re together as a group, you’re the first to disappear. Poof!
“Vince, seriously, I’m fine. I just need to rest.” I scratched my head out of frustration. It felt uncomfortable to have him saying nothing and my head became more jumbled the longer he stood there before me.
I don’t understand. Why isn’t he leaving? Seriously, I don’t need this right now.
Beginning to cough again, my sleepy eyes struggled to stay awake. It was taking all my energy to talk. Politely, I asked, “Thanks for visiting me, Vince, but do you mind if we talk later? I’m very tired so just close the door on your way out. Thanks.”
Weakly, I laid my fluffy head on the pillow and snuggled into my blanket. Gazing at his back, I saw him close the door behind him.
+/+/+/+
Chop chop chop. Chopchopchopchop. Gurgle gurgle…
“Hmm?”
I smelled the wonderful scent of some broth, which made me grin but my stomach roared loudly in response. I laughed to myself until I slowly blinked to find that Vince’s back was facing me, his cloak hanging on a chair. The steam from the pot filled the room.
I must be hallucinating. Vince would never do that for me, but what a wonderful dream…
I’ve got to stop thinking about him like that, but I can’t help it.
Tears started to fall down from the sides of my face, but I closed my eyes again to sleep.
+/+/+/+
A few hours later, my head was at the bottom of the bed and I’d kicked off all my covers. My crazy sleeping patterns never changed since I was a kid. To give myself credit though, I didn’t fall off the bed or kick the wall.
The sun’s rays brushed gently into my face, but I drowsily watched azure skies puff with cottony pink clouds. They floated before my eyes. These clouds blazed with orange and red, but the gentleness was unlike anything I’d ever seen. I’ve been around the globe many times over, but the warmth and coziness touched me. Even if I took a picture, it wouldn’t translate the tranquility I felt inside from just watching it pass, grateful I’d woken up to capture the scene in my mind. I smiled to myself with my heart reaching out for it.
“Are you awake now?”
“What?” Shocked, my neck craned upward to find an upside down Vince sitting in a wooden chair behind me, holding a book in his hands. He placed a marker inside and pushed it into his pocket.
Rolling over carefully, I sat up in the middle of the bed. “I thought you left.”
He got up and went over to the small burner and the desk he’d made his “makeshift kitchen counter”. The leftover carrots, corn, and celery were neatly stacked at the center. How very Vince to be so organized.
Pouring soup into a bowl, he handed it over to me.
“Thanks.” I took it into my hands and my eyebrow rose, peering at the lukewarm soup. “I didn’t know you cooked.”
“Mm,” was all he said in response as he sat in his chair once more.
But taking a spoonful, the fresh vegetables were incredibly delicious. “This is awesome! It’s better than what they serve in Johnny’s Heaven.”
“Hmph,” escaped from his lips and I watched him again as he read again.
Could have sworn he sounded jealous… I shook my head. Naw...
I ate gleefully until the twilight settled and he’d gotten up to turn on the lights.
Holding out the bowl in front of me, I demanded seconds and he grumpily complied. Finally putting the book away, he waited patiently for me to finish, but there was that silence again.
I handed him the dish and he washed it in the sink.
“So why did you come to find me anyway?” I asked, nervously rubbing the top of the sheets.
“You left this.”
“Hmm?”
He came over towards the bed and stood there, dropping off my dusty white headband onto my lap. My eyes opened widely in shock.
“Where-“
“You were at Lucrecia’s Cave, weren’t you?”
I held the ends with my fingertips, unable to look into his face nor answer his question.
This was the item I always kept inside my pocket wherever I went. Eight years in the WRO, but deep inside, I was still the same. I got lonely thinking about everybody.
I’d clench onto it very tightly like a security blanket and tell myself that I didn’t need to call them. If I didn’t, they’d hear from me more often than they already did. I was too embarrassed to let them know. After all, I should’ve acted more like an adult by now.
I missed Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, Denzel, Barret, Cid, Shera, Nanaki, and Vincent. Yes, especially him. We were a family, the one that saved the world and beat Sephiroth, but we were pretty much the only ones who knew about it.
“Thanks a lot for finding this.” I clenched onto it, trying not to cry, but instead looking further away from his direction. “I thought I truly lost it.”
Stupidly, I cursed myself, thinking I’d dropped it into a river or something.
God, I hate that I’m still a kid next to this guy.
Under the window, children were running home in laughter as a couple talked about what they were going to eat for dinner that night.
“Why were you there?”
“I was searching for anything I could find about Hojo.”
He flinched at the name.
“We discovered that there were other experiments left undetected or unattended. There were also some abandoned research labs too, but until now, we’re still gathering data about what creatures he left behind even decades later. Not all of them have lived out their life expectancy.”
That includes you, but…
I gulped and then finally found the courage to face him. “I thought if I went to the Crystal Cave, I’d get some kind of lead. After all, she’s one of the scientists closest to him and also Sephiroth’s mother.”
And maybe I’d find more clues about you too. That I’d understand the woman whom you couldn’t let go of…and find closure for my feelings.
But the moment I stepped into the cave, I knew I’d never get closer. The fact that you were sitting there meditating in front of her glowing figure made things super clear for me.
Not even one percent on my part. I hate giving up. I never give up, but even I know what I can and cannot do…
It’s so typically me to mess that up too. You had to bring back my headband along with it. I can’t even leave you alone gracefully. Sheesh!
He sighed and sat on the bed next to me. I scooted away from him. He came closer. Putting his metal hand to the wall with a deadpan expression, I had my back against the bedpost.
Damn it, I’m too weak to escape right now!
“If that’s all there was to it, why did you run away from me?” he demanded.
“I didn’t want to disturb you.” Well, at least there was truth in that statement.
I couldn’t stop repeating the moments of seeing his face longingly watching her…
I clenched onto the pillowcase behind me with all my nails digging into my palms.
“I will ask again. Why are you avoiding me?” This was the first time I heard a hint of annoyance in his otherwise nonchalant voice.
“Why does it matter now?” I answered in a playful tone, trying with all my strength to make light of the situation while my heart was breaking in front of me. “Aren’t you glad that I’m not bothering you anymore? That you don’t have to tell Cloud to relay your messages?”
Don’t you dare cry, Yuffie! You’re one of the best agents that doesn’t crack under pressure! Weren’t you proud of yourself when boss said so?
But I could feel the middle of my hands throbbing under my fingertips.
He continued to look at me, unwavering and silent.
“I figured you were tired of me after all these years chasing after you, so I thought I’d give you a break. Hahaha….” I laughed mockingly at myself. “It was a joke so that you’d call me back but I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously that you’d come to see me. So there.”
Plip. Plop. Plipplopplipplop…
Tears fell onto the back of my hands and I let out a deep sigh. Wiping my eyes and cheeks with the bottom of my hands, I bit my lower lip, but didn’t turn my head away from him.
At least let me have my dignity.
Still trying to grin for him, my chest ached more than ever. I patted and pushed his shoulders. “Fine, I’ll call you tomorrow and then you won’t have to worry. After some sleep, I’m sure that I’ll be fine. Thanks for the soup by the way.”
He lowered his head and covered my hands with his own. Squeezing them, I did my best to pull away, resisting as much as I could. But no, he held onto my hands even tighter, refusing to let go.
“I could never get tired of you.”
Don’t trap yourself, Yuffie! And then you’ll repeat this whole cycle all over again. Aren’t you tired of it all? Why didn’t you fall for Yuri? At least he would be honest with you and tell you things straight, whether or not he liked you.
“Vince, you don’t have to do this. As I said, it was all a big joke! I know that you have other important things to do and I just wanted attention. You already know me! Don’t waste your time trying to comfort or humor me. Being my friend is enough.”
There, signed and sealed. I said it for the both of us.
Once again, I wriggled my hands, but he still sat there still eyeing me and dismissing everything I’d said, seeing right through my ruse.
“That time you came, I was telling Lucrecia that I wasn’t coming to visit for a while.”
“Why?” Suddenly, I became worried.
What are you saying? You need her.
“Because I didn’t want to regret not seeing you.”
I blinked at him and gulped, confused all over again. Had I heard that correctly and not what I wanted to hear? Maybe I was hallucinating under this cold.
“When I would talk to her and tell her what was happening with the world or what I was thinking, I realized that I kept on reporting about you too.”
“I didn’t mean to keep bother-“ I tried to apologize, but he shook his head.
“You make me laugh. That’s why I couldn’t ever ignore you, Yuffie. Even if I wanted to.”
And for the first time, he didn’t smirk or look away elusively. He smiled at me, his eyelids lowered and his mouth half opened to show his teeth.
As if he wasn’t hot enough…this man, I swear…
I’d stopped breathing all together.
He then let go of me and took out his phone. Searching through his folders, he then put it against my ear.
“Recorded message. Yo Vincent, what’s up? Beep…Vincent Valentine, hello? We just wanted to know if you’re coming to Tifa’s surprise birthday party. You better show up! Beep…Vince, you better not be paying Cloud to tell me not to call you! Are you serious? Beep…”
I heard my voice and glanced at him sitting solid and cool next to me. It was so embarrassing to hear myself that my face kept getting pinker the longer I listened, but I couldn’t help laughing either. And the more I giggled, he’d just smile quietly.
Finally, he took the phone away and placed it into his pocket. Getting up from the bed, he turned around and took his cloak hanging on the chair. “Don’t forget to phone tomorrow.”
“I won’t.”
But as he put on his red cloak, I stood up on the bed and tippy-toed to hug his shoulders from behind. Burying my forehead into his back, I grinned from ear to ear. He didn’t move.
After a few minutes, I whispered, “Thanks for coming, Vince.”
He dipped his head and I felt his lips kiss my arm.
Blinking my eyes in surprise, I stood there frozen with my face burning as he walked out the door. Click. On cue, I fell to my knees, dazed and shocked.
+/+/+/+
The next day, I showed up to Seventh Heaven to say goodbye to Tifa and Cloud and announce when I’d come back again.
“Thanks for the ‘gift’,” I said as I pushed through the doors.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yup!” I gave her a thumbs up.
“I was sure a visit from Vincent would do the trick.” But then, Tifa covered her mouth and her eyes were twinkling. I always thought she had the prettiest eyes…
“By the way, why was Vince here anyway? He’s usually hanging out in the mountains or something, right?” I sat down on the stool closest to her.
While getting cold water from the fridge, she started to giggle. “Actually, he asked Cloud to help him with his phone.”
I shook my head. “I swear, phones are that man’s nemesis.”
“He wanted to know if it was broken,” Cloud spoke up and gave a low chuckle.
Oh, this was going to be pretty bad if Cloud was laughing too.
“Why would he think that? It was working perfectly fine yesterday.” I couldn’t hide the amusement I found that Vince could scour the world, change forms, and yet he had the most difficult time with phones and finding phone shops.
“He thought it was dead since you stopped calling.” Cloud covered his mouth, trying to keep a straight face.
“What?!”
That’s when I burst out laughing harder than I ever had in a long time. But all the while, I held the headband underneath the counter.
Owari. / The End.
--
Author’s note: I’ve loved this couple for years, but there’s something about them that makes me giggle madly every single time I see them together. Perky Yuffie with Grumpy Vincent just makes the plot bunnies multiply and it’s hard to catch all of them.
I have to be honest, but those scenes in Advent Children where Vincent reveals he has no phone to Marlene and he’s looking for a keitai shop when they’re about to face Bahamut crack me up no matter how many times I’ve seen it. :)
And thank you to L who gave me a pic of the pink clouds! I really loved that picture!
Hope you smiled at this one! I know did.
Love,
Yui
6/4/2020 7:42:05 PM – Los Angeles
6/5/2020 11:42:05 AM – Tokyo
Title: with my heart reaching out for it.
Pairing: Vincent + Yuffie
Rating: G
Description: Yuffie has a cold and a certain vampire just happens to visit her...
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns Final Fantasy VII. I’m just obsessed over it, so that’s why I’m here.
with my heart reaching out for it.
By Miyamoto Yui
“What are you doing here? In fact, how did you find me?”
“Cloud’s phone. Tifa answered,” Vince replied while closing the door behind him.
It wasn’t hard to puzzle how that had happened. Leaning on my left side, I coughed into my elbow and blinked at him tiredly.
Damn it, I don’t need this now, especially when I’ve already decided that-
“It’s been quiet lately. You’ve stopped calling me?” he tried to joke while leaning against the back of the door with his arms crossed.
“Oh, you noticed?” I questioned back, failing to hide the sarcasm in my tone, but winked at him anyway. “Aren’t you glad that now it’s more peaceful?”
Pulling my heavy body up, he steps forward to help me, but I shot my hand out towards his direction. “Please don’t.”
Maybe in another time and place, I would have taken advantage of that. Even stolen a kiss, but not now. I had made up my mind and I was going to stick to it.
To my left and under the window, I reached out for my meds and drank water from a cup. Then, I blew my nose, throwing the tissue paper at the mini mountain building under that small table.
I began to adjust myself against the headrest and fuss over the cotton blanket covering my legs, somewhat avoiding his gaze. “So, what’s up?”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Never beating around the bush. I guess that’s one of the things that I love about you.
Sighing, I couldn’t help but smirk. I inwardly laughed at the irony of it all. Oh, the tables have turned.
“What? I’m not avoiding you. I was practicing more these days.”
Clips of training regimen with each of my different weapons came to mind. It replaced calling him these days. Hours seemed liked minutes.
Okay, so I did try to ignore you, but just a little!
Crrk. He leaned even more onto the door. “Hmm.”
Shh shh shh… Vince began rummaging through his pockets. When he found whatever he was looking for, he immediately tossed it towards me. “There. I promised that I’d bring them the next time I saw you.”
The crinkling plastic perfectly landed in the space between my knees. I smiled, holding it up before me. “All right! Thanks for the candy.”
It was a limited edition one being sold around the world. Each area had its own version of these spherical lollipops, but this particular series were materia replicas.
With the sun shining through them as I rotated my wrist, they looked like prismatic glass in my hand. “The detail is amazing.”
The bliss of him remembering layered with my latent misery: I really was a child to you, wasn’t I?
He didn’t seem to notice as he continued to search through his clothes. He threw five more and I read each label while getting excited at how adorably unique each bag was.
“Icicle Inn’s Ice! Golden Saucer’s Chocobo Lure? Cosmo Canyon’s HP Materia?” I chuckled a little remembering how I said their materia sucked. “Nibelheim’s Elemental…Rocket Town’s Steal. Ooh, this one’s golden!”
“Thank you!” Hugging them all in my arms, I grinned so much the sides of my mouth hurt. Looking up at him, he was crossing his arms again and stared at me straight in the eye. His gaze looked softer than usual.
“You’re welcome.” He tilted his head. “But weren’t you in Wutai the last time you called me?”
“That was two weeks ago. Yesterday, I was supposed to return to the boss in Junon after gathering info about the Turks and Shinra here in Edge, but…” I shrugged my shoulders. “This cold stopped me. I asked Tifa and Cloud if they could help me find a room to stay in for several days. So here I am.”
“Oh.”
Placing the gifts on the stand and next to my cup, I felt myself become drowsy again.
I should have specified to Tifa to pretend they didn’t see me, but I didn’t want to verbally confirm what I still didn’t want to admit to myself: That I needed privacy. And away from Vince. Not that that he didn’t already give me my space with the way things were.
So why are you still here? Usually when we’re together as a group, you’re the first to disappear. Poof!
“Vince, seriously, I’m fine. I just need to rest.” I scratched my head out of frustration. It felt uncomfortable to have him saying nothing and my head became more jumbled the longer he stood there before me.
I don’t understand. Why isn’t he leaving? Seriously, I don’t need this right now.
Beginning to cough again, my sleepy eyes struggled to stay awake. It was taking all my energy to talk. Politely, I asked, “Thanks for visiting me, Vince, but do you mind if we talk later? I’m very tired so just close the door on your way out. Thanks.”
Weakly, I laid my fluffy head on the pillow and snuggled into my blanket. Gazing at his back, I saw him close the door behind him.
+/+/+/+
Chop chop chop. Chopchopchopchop. Gurgle gurgle…
“Hmm?”
I smelled the wonderful scent of some broth, which made me grin but my stomach roared loudly in response. I laughed to myself until I slowly blinked to find that Vince’s back was facing me, his cloak hanging on a chair. The steam from the pot filled the room.
I must be hallucinating. Vince would never do that for me, but what a wonderful dream…
I’ve got to stop thinking about him like that, but I can’t help it.
Tears started to fall down from the sides of my face, but I closed my eyes again to sleep.
+/+/+/+
A few hours later, my head was at the bottom of the bed and I’d kicked off all my covers. My crazy sleeping patterns never changed since I was a kid. To give myself credit though, I didn’t fall off the bed or kick the wall.
The sun’s rays brushed gently into my face, but I drowsily watched azure skies puff with cottony pink clouds. They floated before my eyes. These clouds blazed with orange and red, but the gentleness was unlike anything I’d ever seen. I’ve been around the globe many times over, but the warmth and coziness touched me. Even if I took a picture, it wouldn’t translate the tranquility I felt inside from just watching it pass, grateful I’d woken up to capture the scene in my mind. I smiled to myself with my heart reaching out for it.
“Are you awake now?”
“What?” Shocked, my neck craned upward to find an upside down Vince sitting in a wooden chair behind me, holding a book in his hands. He placed a marker inside and pushed it into his pocket.
Rolling over carefully, I sat up in the middle of the bed. “I thought you left.”
He got up and went over to the small burner and the desk he’d made his “makeshift kitchen counter”. The leftover carrots, corn, and celery were neatly stacked at the center. How very Vince to be so organized.
Pouring soup into a bowl, he handed it over to me.
“Thanks.” I took it into my hands and my eyebrow rose, peering at the lukewarm soup. “I didn’t know you cooked.”
“Mm,” was all he said in response as he sat in his chair once more.
But taking a spoonful, the fresh vegetables were incredibly delicious. “This is awesome! It’s better than what they serve in Johnny’s Heaven.”
“Hmph,” escaped from his lips and I watched him again as he read again.
Could have sworn he sounded jealous… I shook my head. Naw...
I ate gleefully until the twilight settled and he’d gotten up to turn on the lights.
Holding out the bowl in front of me, I demanded seconds and he grumpily complied. Finally putting the book away, he waited patiently for me to finish, but there was that silence again.
I handed him the dish and he washed it in the sink.
“So why did you come to find me anyway?” I asked, nervously rubbing the top of the sheets.
“You left this.”
“Hmm?”
He came over towards the bed and stood there, dropping off my dusty white headband onto my lap. My eyes opened widely in shock.
“Where-“
“You were at Lucrecia’s Cave, weren’t you?”
I held the ends with my fingertips, unable to look into his face nor answer his question.
This was the item I always kept inside my pocket wherever I went. Eight years in the WRO, but deep inside, I was still the same. I got lonely thinking about everybody.
I’d clench onto it very tightly like a security blanket and tell myself that I didn’t need to call them. If I didn’t, they’d hear from me more often than they already did. I was too embarrassed to let them know. After all, I should’ve acted more like an adult by now.
I missed Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, Denzel, Barret, Cid, Shera, Nanaki, and Vincent. Yes, especially him. We were a family, the one that saved the world and beat Sephiroth, but we were pretty much the only ones who knew about it.
“Thanks a lot for finding this.” I clenched onto it, trying not to cry, but instead looking further away from his direction. “I thought I truly lost it.”
Stupidly, I cursed myself, thinking I’d dropped it into a river or something.
God, I hate that I’m still a kid next to this guy.
Under the window, children were running home in laughter as a couple talked about what they were going to eat for dinner that night.
“Why were you there?”
“I was searching for anything I could find about Hojo.”
He flinched at the name.
“We discovered that there were other experiments left undetected or unattended. There were also some abandoned research labs too, but until now, we’re still gathering data about what creatures he left behind even decades later. Not all of them have lived out their life expectancy.”
That includes you, but…
I gulped and then finally found the courage to face him. “I thought if I went to the Crystal Cave, I’d get some kind of lead. After all, she’s one of the scientists closest to him and also Sephiroth’s mother.”
And maybe I’d find more clues about you too. That I’d understand the woman whom you couldn’t let go of…and find closure for my feelings.
But the moment I stepped into the cave, I knew I’d never get closer. The fact that you were sitting there meditating in front of her glowing figure made things super clear for me.
Not even one percent on my part. I hate giving up. I never give up, but even I know what I can and cannot do…
It’s so typically me to mess that up too. You had to bring back my headband along with it. I can’t even leave you alone gracefully. Sheesh!
He sighed and sat on the bed next to me. I scooted away from him. He came closer. Putting his metal hand to the wall with a deadpan expression, I had my back against the bedpost.
Damn it, I’m too weak to escape right now!
“If that’s all there was to it, why did you run away from me?” he demanded.
“I didn’t want to disturb you.” Well, at least there was truth in that statement.
I couldn’t stop repeating the moments of seeing his face longingly watching her…
I clenched onto the pillowcase behind me with all my nails digging into my palms.
“I will ask again. Why are you avoiding me?” This was the first time I heard a hint of annoyance in his otherwise nonchalant voice.
“Why does it matter now?” I answered in a playful tone, trying with all my strength to make light of the situation while my heart was breaking in front of me. “Aren’t you glad that I’m not bothering you anymore? That you don’t have to tell Cloud to relay your messages?”
Don’t you dare cry, Yuffie! You’re one of the best agents that doesn’t crack under pressure! Weren’t you proud of yourself when boss said so?
But I could feel the middle of my hands throbbing under my fingertips.
He continued to look at me, unwavering and silent.
“I figured you were tired of me after all these years chasing after you, so I thought I’d give you a break. Hahaha….” I laughed mockingly at myself. “It was a joke so that you’d call me back but I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously that you’d come to see me. So there.”
Plip. Plop. Plipplopplipplop…
Tears fell onto the back of my hands and I let out a deep sigh. Wiping my eyes and cheeks with the bottom of my hands, I bit my lower lip, but didn’t turn my head away from him.
At least let me have my dignity.
Still trying to grin for him, my chest ached more than ever. I patted and pushed his shoulders. “Fine, I’ll call you tomorrow and then you won’t have to worry. After some sleep, I’m sure that I’ll be fine. Thanks for the soup by the way.”
He lowered his head and covered my hands with his own. Squeezing them, I did my best to pull away, resisting as much as I could. But no, he held onto my hands even tighter, refusing to let go.
“I could never get tired of you.”
Don’t trap yourself, Yuffie! And then you’ll repeat this whole cycle all over again. Aren’t you tired of it all? Why didn’t you fall for Yuri? At least he would be honest with you and tell you things straight, whether or not he liked you.
“Vince, you don’t have to do this. As I said, it was all a big joke! I know that you have other important things to do and I just wanted attention. You already know me! Don’t waste your time trying to comfort or humor me. Being my friend is enough.”
There, signed and sealed. I said it for the both of us.
Once again, I wriggled my hands, but he still sat there still eyeing me and dismissing everything I’d said, seeing right through my ruse.
“That time you came, I was telling Lucrecia that I wasn’t coming to visit for a while.”
“Why?” Suddenly, I became worried.
What are you saying? You need her.
“Because I didn’t want to regret not seeing you.”
I blinked at him and gulped, confused all over again. Had I heard that correctly and not what I wanted to hear? Maybe I was hallucinating under this cold.
“When I would talk to her and tell her what was happening with the world or what I was thinking, I realized that I kept on reporting about you too.”
“I didn’t mean to keep bother-“ I tried to apologize, but he shook his head.
“You make me laugh. That’s why I couldn’t ever ignore you, Yuffie. Even if I wanted to.”
And for the first time, he didn’t smirk or look away elusively. He smiled at me, his eyelids lowered and his mouth half opened to show his teeth.
As if he wasn’t hot enough…this man, I swear…
I’d stopped breathing all together.
He then let go of me and took out his phone. Searching through his folders, he then put it against my ear.
“Recorded message. Yo Vincent, what’s up? Beep…Vincent Valentine, hello? We just wanted to know if you’re coming to Tifa’s surprise birthday party. You better show up! Beep…Vince, you better not be paying Cloud to tell me not to call you! Are you serious? Beep…”
I heard my voice and glanced at him sitting solid and cool next to me. It was so embarrassing to hear myself that my face kept getting pinker the longer I listened, but I couldn’t help laughing either. And the more I giggled, he’d just smile quietly.
Finally, he took the phone away and placed it into his pocket. Getting up from the bed, he turned around and took his cloak hanging on the chair. “Don’t forget to phone tomorrow.”
“I won’t.”
But as he put on his red cloak, I stood up on the bed and tippy-toed to hug his shoulders from behind. Burying my forehead into his back, I grinned from ear to ear. He didn’t move.
After a few minutes, I whispered, “Thanks for coming, Vince.”
He dipped his head and I felt his lips kiss my arm.
Blinking my eyes in surprise, I stood there frozen with my face burning as he walked out the door. Click. On cue, I fell to my knees, dazed and shocked.
+/+/+/+
The next day, I showed up to Seventh Heaven to say goodbye to Tifa and Cloud and announce when I’d come back again.
“Thanks for the ‘gift’,” I said as I pushed through the doors.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yup!” I gave her a thumbs up.
“I was sure a visit from Vincent would do the trick.” But then, Tifa covered her mouth and her eyes were twinkling. I always thought she had the prettiest eyes…
“By the way, why was Vince here anyway? He’s usually hanging out in the mountains or something, right?” I sat down on the stool closest to her.
While getting cold water from the fridge, she started to giggle. “Actually, he asked Cloud to help him with his phone.”
I shook my head. “I swear, phones are that man’s nemesis.”
“He wanted to know if it was broken,” Cloud spoke up and gave a low chuckle.
Oh, this was going to be pretty bad if Cloud was laughing too.
“Why would he think that? It was working perfectly fine yesterday.” I couldn’t hide the amusement I found that Vince could scour the world, change forms, and yet he had the most difficult time with phones and finding phone shops.
“He thought it was dead since you stopped calling.” Cloud covered his mouth, trying to keep a straight face.
“What?!”
That’s when I burst out laughing harder than I ever had in a long time. But all the while, I held the headband underneath the counter.
Owari. / The End.
--
Author’s note: I’ve loved this couple for years, but there’s something about them that makes me giggle madly every single time I see them together. Perky Yuffie with Grumpy Vincent just makes the plot bunnies multiply and it’s hard to catch all of them.
I have to be honest, but those scenes in Advent Children where Vincent reveals he has no phone to Marlene and he’s looking for a keitai shop when they’re about to face Bahamut crack me up no matter how many times I’ve seen it. :)
And thank you to L who gave me a pic of the pink clouds! I really loved that picture!
Hope you smiled at this one! I know did.
Love,
Yui
6/4/2020 7:42:05 PM – Los Angeles
6/5/2020 11:42:05 AM – Tokyo
