Unexpected Love

Vincent stopped the SUV outside of Seventh Heaven. The place looked the same as the last time he had been here but somehow it seemed more dooming to be here right now. He shook his head. Clearly he was projecting his fears of Tifa leaving him onto the building before him. Tifa leaned over the console and kissed Vincent quickly on his lips.

“See you in a few?” She asked.

“Of course. If I could I would come in with you now.”

“I know. But try to have fin and get back to me as soon as you can.”

He pulled Tifa back to him and pressed his lips to hers once more, this time with more force and urgency. Tifa moaned against his lips and leaned into the kiss more, her tongue coming between slightly parted lips to trace his bottom lip. His hands ran along her sides as he slowly pulled back from the kiss.

“Be careful, Tifa. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Tifa nodded silently before climbing out the car. She watched Vincent drive off in the opposite direction of the house with her lips and sides still tingling from his touch. When she could no longer see the SUV in the distance she walked to the bar door. Not surprised to find it locked. She unlocked the door, walked in, and shut and locked the door behind her. The bar was dark even in the sunlight. She set her empty back pack down and started opening the windows to allow some fresh air in.

She was humming to herself while wiping down the tables and bar top, when Cloud walked in through the back door. He stood in the door way and watched Tifa for a moment. She looked great. Better than she had in a long time. In fact, she was practically glowing while humming happily. Tifa turned towards him and jumped at the sight of him. She hadn’t known he was there.

“Damn Cloud.” She said while pressing her right palm to her chest. “You scared the planet out of me.”

“Sorry.” He said with a smile.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck lightly. He coiled his arms around her waist to return her hug before she pulled away.

“So how have you been?” They asked at the same time.

Tifa smiled and turned back towards the table. “I am doing great. Thanks for asking.”

“No problem. I am doing good as well.” He started pulling the chairs off of the tables she had yet to wipe. “Missed you around here.”

“Yeah. I am really sorry about being gone so long. I didn’t expect it.”

“Don’t worry about it, Tifa. You needed the break and I am glad you got it.” He looked at her once more. “It seems some rest has done you good. You haven’t looked this alive since before all that stuff started with th-“

Cloud’s words died off as Tifa turned her back on him and took off at a run. She ran into the bars public ladies room. Cloud glanced around to make sure the doors were locked before following her in to the bathroom. He opened the main door in time to hear her heaving before he heard the contents of her stomach splash into the toilet. Cloud shook his head and swallowed his own unease, before walking to the first stall.

His heart ached as he seen Tifa on her knees before the toilet, tears coming from her eyes as she emptied her stomach. So this was why she hadn’t come in yesterday. He had almost started believing she wasn’t sick when he had first seen her.

“Tifa, are you sure you are alright to work?”

Tifa nodded and sat back on her ankles, using some toilet paper to wipe her mouth. She had been feeling fine. Why did the urge to vomit suddenly come on like that. She hadn’t even been moving fast. She gathered her strength and stood, slowly making her way out the bathroom and towards the bar. Her first thought had been to hit the liquor cabinet hard. But at the thought, her stomach gave a lurch so she changed her mind and settled for the water.

Tifa looked out the open windows to the front with longing and that didn’t escape Clouds notice. He too looked out front but seen nothing. In fact, that brought to life a question. How had she gotten here. There was no vehicle out front. Maybe a cab? For that matter, she hadn’t left with a vehicle either.

Tifa watched out the window, wishing Vincent hadn’t had to leave. He had some function at the school he needed to attend and it was Monday so the bar would be practically empty. Everything had seemed perfect until now. She had gotten sick again and now all she wanted was Vincent’s cool embrace and a glass of water while lying in their bed.

“Tifa?” Cloud waved a hand in front of her face. “You alright?” He asked.

Tifa blinked and looked at Cloud. She finally took in the man’s appearance. He looked under fed and his spiky blonde hair looked worse for wear. There were dark circles under his eyes and his lips seemed a shade lighter. His blue eyes were filled with worry as he looked her over.

“I’m fine. Just still feeling the effects of that bad milk I guess.”

Cloud nodded and looked out the window where she was looking only seconds ago. Something had changed about Tifa but he couldn’t quiet place it. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to pulling chairs off the tables.

“I can help you open up but I got one more run so I will be gone for about an hour shortly after we open.”

“Okay. That’s fine.” Tifa hopped down from her bar tool and went back to wiping the tables. “I really need to talk to you before I leave.” She didn’t look up from wiping the tables as she said it.

The sound of one of the chairs hitting the floor brought her attention back up to Cloud. He was standing by one of the tables, looking at her, and a chair was on the floor at his feet.

“You’re leaving again?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.” She answered.

“Then why leave at all?”

“I really don’t have any clothes here.”

“You didn’t take that much of your clothes with you.” He wished he could have taken it back the moment he said it. He had just let her know he had been in her room since she had been gone.

She tilted her head, looking at him. “I bought new ones.”

“Then why don’t we talk here and now?”

“Because the timing is not right. We have to open the bar in less than twenty minutes.”

She didn’t mention the part where she wanted Vincent present when she had this conversation with him. She wasn’t questioning her choice to be with Vincent. She just really didn’t want to hurt Cloud and something about his demeanor now said that she was about to hurt him. She knew he didn’t love her the way she had once loved him. And she didn’t love him that way any more, but he was like her brother.

“You’re right. We’ll talk later.”

Cloud went back to putting the tables down and the first car pulled up outside. Tifa was wiping the last table down when Cloud opened the doors for business. It wasn’t like a lot of people were going to come but they did have few regulars who made it a point to come here after work. Something about the bar belonging to heroes and true citizens. Either way, they made money. Tifa started serving drinks as Cloud slipped out the back door to make his last run for the night.

__________________ Mean While _________________________

Vincent sipped his drink and watched the woman across from him. She was flirting with him. He had been out of stasis long enough to have learned this new art of women seducing men instead of the other way around. He paid no mind to the woman’s actions but instead tried to carry on a casual conversation about his course.

“So, Mr. Valentine, what interest you most?” She all but purred.

“Shakespeare.” His answer was simple and bland, but not a lie.

“Oh you silly man.” She said with chuckle while slapping her fingertips lightly along the tables edge. “I meant do you prefer men or women. Can never be too sure in this day and age.”

Vincent was spared having to answer the woman’s question when the schools head master took the stage. The room fell into a hushed stillness. A feeling of unease crept along Vincent’s spine for no apparent reason. He discreetly looked over his shoulder. Everything was normal as could be. He turned his attention back to the headmaster. That nagging little uneasy feeling kept trying to pull his attention from the current situation.

Vincent nodded here and there as socially appropriate with the headmasters’ speech. Laughed at the small jokes the man made and tried his damnedest to keep that uneasy locked tightly in the back of his mind. He only had to get through another hour or so of this and then he could be headed back into the arms of his beloved Tifa.

His thoughts drifted to Tifa. The way she looked underneath him, her face serene and peaceful in the blissful moments of orgasm. The way she would softly moan against his ear with her hands tangling in his hair. The way she smiled at him when he walked into the room. Her eyes light up with a bright twinkle while she embraced him. She was everything he had ever wanted and he was still amazed he had her.

Vincent smiled to himself, running his hands along his inner thighs to situate his pants better around his current arousal. Good thing his was seated with that particular area covered.

With a mental shake, he shook himself from his thoughts and turned his attention back to the person currently speaking. No longer the headmaster, Vincent couldn’t remember when this woman had taken the stage.

He listened to her speech and smiled in relief when she announced everyone was free to go or mingle in the crowd. Vincent had no intentions of staying. There was someone waiting for him at Seventh Heaven a little ways up the street.