Unexpected Love

Tifa was intent on her own inner turmoil she didn’t even notice the familiar vehicle sitting out front of the store she turned to go in to. A small bell chimed as she opened the door and the man behind the counter smiled at her. She flashed him a fake smile she wasn’t feeling and he must have seen something in her eyes because his smile lessened.

She came too this store often. Mostly because the store owner and she had an unspoken deal. He charged her double the price of everything in store. He was a patron of the bar and Tifa had confided in him one night that she hated how everyone treated them differently since they got back. Shop owners didn’t charge them for items bought. Sometimes a very large sum of gil would just show up at the bar. She was grateful but it made her feel alienated from every one else.

The man charged her double the price but after she bought something from the store, a few nights later he would come into the bar and spend the same amount the had given him in the bar drinking and buying shots for others. In a way she still got her items free but at least this way she could say she paid for her items and not feel singled out.

Tifa bought a bottle of water and some candies. At the counter paying for her items she seen a chocolate bar and bought it as well. Not entirely sure we she did so.

“Ya alright there, Ms. Lockheart?” The man asked her.

“Just a rough night at work. Some patrons got out of hand so I am going to take a break and go stay at a friends house for a week or so.”

“Yer. I feel ya. Ya need a break every once in a while.” He smiled at her while ringing the items up. “Sorry I will miss you when I come in tomorrow night.”

Tifa shook her head too his response and handed the gil over to him before starting too bag her items. She put the bagged items in her back pack and gave the man another smile before turning and walking out the store. She didn’t bother too look around, just started walking again.

She heard the car pull up beside her and whirled around quickly, ready too tell someone off, only too stop short as she came eye level to a pair of deep crimson eyes.

“Need a ride?” Vincent gave her one of his half smiles.

“I don’t know where I am going.” She admitted sheepishly, looking down too her boots and kicking at the ground.

“Nor I but I don’t want to go back home at the moment.” Vincent looked away as he said it. Not wanting her too see the loneliness inside him.

Tifa looked around for a moment. She had no where else to go and Vincent obviously had no plans for the next few hours. She could go with him and call around until she found somewhere else for her to stay. She looked up from her boots too meet Vincent’s gaze.

“I have some movies in my bag,” She started. “If you want, we can go back to your place and watch them.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” He unlocked the doors as she walked around the SUV to get inside.

“Why are you here anyways?” Tifa asked as she hopped into the SUV gracefully and threw her back pack into the back seat in fluid motion. “How long have you been sitting here?”

“Since I left the bar.” He ran a hand through the top of his hair before putting the SUV in gear. “Nothing else to do and no where else to go. I was trying too decide.”

“You really don’t have too take me back to your place, Vincent. I don’t want too interrupt you or be a burden.”

Vincent looked at her quickly before turning back to look at the road. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he bit his tongue. Tifa watched this and feared for a minute she was imposing herself on him and wished she had not agreed to come.

“You are far from a burden to me, Tifa,” His voice was rougher than he intended but the thought of her being a burden to him had slightly angered him. “And as I previously stated, I had no plans for one to interrupt.”

Tifa smiled and relaxed in her seat. She had always been at ease with Vincent. Maybe a little distant at first because she was still unsure of whose side he had been on at first. But he soon showed himself to be on their side and she found herself fond of him in no time. Even though he had an aura of wanting to be distanced from everyone, Tifa had pestered him enough that he eventually became comfortable with her as well.

Vincent looked out the corner of his eyes at her as he drove. It was hard too believe he had grown accustomed to her and was at ease when she was around. He had always envied Cloud of his relationship with her. When he first joined the group there had been a very awkward triangle between Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa. Tifa adoringly loving Cloud, Cloud not seeing it but only seeing Aeris and Aeris only seeing a ghost of who she wanted within Cloud.

After Aeris had been killed, and their mission over, Vincent had heard through the grapevine that Tifa and Cloud had moved in together. Not wanting too impede the happy couple, Vincent had stayed away.

The ride was silent. Neither bothered to speak as they rode. Tifa was a little anxious too see where and how Vincent lived. Having never been too his home before. She let her imagination run wild with thoughts of his home as she kept her mind off Cloud and the reason she was going to the home of Vincent Valentine. She had never truly believed she had a chance at a happy ending with Cloud but having the confirmation straight from his mouth hurt more than her inner knowing. She visibly shook her head of those thoughts and forced herself back into imagining Vincent’s furnishings.

Vincent turned into the garage of his home and cut the engine, turning in his seat too face Tifa. He’d never had anyone in his home before. He spared a thought that it was probably a good thing he had done some much needed house work before he had went to the bar. He watched Tifa as she stared into space for a moment longer before turning to face him with a smile. He knew the smile was false. It never touched her eyes.

Tifa turned around after smiling and grabbed her back pack from the back seat. She placed the item in her lap and put her hand on the door handle before turning back to Vincent.

“Ready when you are.” She said lightly.

Vincent grabbed some things from inside the cabin of the SUV before getting out and beeping the alarm twice. He unlocked the door and held for Tifa as she walked inside. The room was dark and Tifa could see nothing. Vincent fumbled around until he turned the light on. He stopped short, bumping into Tifa lightly as she stopped moving altogether. Her mouth open slightly as she looked around.

Vincent looked around as well. Afraid he may have something awful laid out. Seeing nothing he looked back at Tifa with a questioning gaze.

Tifa looked around the room as Vincent turned the light on. The furniture was a beautiful red that flowed great with the deep brown carpet and the black curtains. The tables were made of shiny silver steel with glass tops. The room was pulled together around the full entertainment center on the far left wall. The right wall was solid window from floor to vaulted ceilings. The place was ethereal and very befitting of it’s owner. Tifa felt Vincent bump into her and turned too meet his crimson eyes.

Looking at Vincent gave her a better view of the wall behind him and she couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her lips. The walls were white marble laced thinly with scarce strands of silver.

“This place is beautiful, Vincent.”

“Thank you.” Vincent looked down to hide the red that threatened too tinge his cheek.

Tifa walked too the couch and set her back pack down. “Mind if I look around?”

“Not at all.” He started walking towards the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? Eat?”

“Ice water is fine. Thank you.” Tifa called it over her shoulder as she walked down the hall that lead too the bedrooms and bathrooms.

She opened the first door she came too. The room was covered from wall to floor with books. A desk and chair sat off to the left corner. The center of the room was set up with a couch and recliner. A table between the two had a book and a small bowl of chocolate candies resting atop it. The carpet was a lighter shade brown but the furniture was still a crimson red. Almost as red as Vincent’s eyes.

Tifa closed the door and moved further down the hall. Coming to the next door she opened it quietly and peered in. The room was larger than the library and contained a number of exercise equipment and work out stations. A black ring was painted around the room and the wall across from the door had a stereo built into it. She closed the door and moved on to the next door.

This door was the bathroom. She looked in too see a dark brown marbled wall flowing gracefully too the hunter green marbled floor. There was only a bathroom vanity with two sinks mounted in golden brown marble tops. All the marble in this room had small veins of black running through them. Tifa crossed the room to the door across from her and opened it. Inside the room was the toilet, standard white porcelain and a stand alone shower. There was another door across from where she stood. She walked too that door and opened it.

The deep marbled floor was covered in areas with very light blue rugs placed neatly before the tub and another sink. The walls were a neon colored blue with veins of red streaking through. But the bath tub is what caught Tifa’s attention the most. The tub set in the floor and was big enough around too be considered a hot tub. At the least. And it was deep. Looking too come about too her neck if she were sit inside it. The fixtures were a stark chrome and looked freshly cleaned.

Tifa finally pulled herself from the bathroom, closing all the doors behind as she left. Vincent stood in the hall as she came out the last door and closed it. He held the water out too her and she took it with a smile.

“Can the rest of the tour wait until after we have watched the movie?” He asked her.

Tifa looked at the last two doors and nodded. She wanted too see the rest of the house but she had come too watch a movie so that is what she was going too do. She would examine after the movie. A more secret part of her wished too see his room. Wished too know what kind of bed he slept in and how had chose to design the room.

Vincent followed Tifa back to the living room. He looked over his shoulder at his bedroom door. He was slightly nervous about her seeing his bedroom and he couldn’t explain why. After all, it is where she would be sleeping. He had a guest room but no bed in the room. In fact, he couldn’t think of what too do with it so it was plain. And he had no intentions of putting her on the couch. He would take the couch and she would have his bedroom. The thought of her in his bed sent chills down his spine and caused his blood too heat a degree. He couldn’t help but picture her spread against his white satin sheets. The top sheet tangled between and around her legs. Covering only her most private areas. He reached out to hold the wall for a second as the image almost doubled him over in pleasure. She didn’t have too be naked too be beautiful.

Tifa walked too her bac pack and fished around until she found the movies. She held them up in her hands to Vincent.

“What do you want too watch?” She asked. “We got blood and guts, laughter, sappy chick flick, or the thriller.”

Wanting too distract himself from his thoughts of Tifa Lockheart tangled in the sheets of his bed, he chose a movie most able too distract him. “Blood and Guts.”

Tifa smiled and tossed the other movies down. “My kind of man.”

Tifa’s smile dropped a little as she thought about Cloud. He was probably far away by now with no intentions of returning this week. She turned too look at the clock and sighed. The bar would be open now and the usual early crowd would be just starting too leave to make way for the later crowd. She absent mindedly turned everything on and popped the movie into the player.

Vincent stood a little off to the side of the living room, not sure where she was going to sit and not wanting to sit somewhere she may have already picked out. He had watched her smile falter and seen the glassy eyed look in her eyes before she turned away. Finally she turned and just plopped herself down on the couch. Wiggling slightly too pull her skirt back down.

She looked over her shoulder too see Vincent sitting down on the loveseat. He moved gracefully and sat silently. Crossing his legs at the ankles as she stretched out slightly, his eyes on the screen.

“What’s this about?” He asked idly as she skipped the advertisements.

“Some man is murdering the people of a small town in a gruesome way and one of his hostages is trying to escape.”

“Sounds interesting.” Vincent reclined back more into the side of the loveseat, he could still see her out the corner of his eye.

“Mind if I turn the lights off?” Tifa asked, standing.

“Not at all. I apologize I did not do it before sitting down.”

“It’s all good.” She turned the light off and sat back down on the couch. This time folding her legs underneath her as she sat down and pulling at the skirt end to make sure she didn’t flash him as she made herself comfortable.

Tifa didn’t admit to Vincent that these kinds of movies freaked her out sometimes and made her very uncomfortable. She had the ability in her to more than defend herself. But for some reason she couldn’t explain, these movies freaked her out and yet she loved them.

Vincent sat and pondered. Barely noticing the movie. He did, however, notice Tifa as she worked her way to the end of the couch closer to the loveseat where he was sitting. He noticed the change in her breathing and how she fidgeted with the end of her skirt more. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her from the corner of his eye. So the brave warrior Tifa had a weakness after all.

The movie finally ended and Vincent stretched, turning too watch Tifa. She shook her head slightly and looked at Vincent before forcing herself to stand and turn the light back on. They both blinked in the sudden change of light.

“I’ll show you to your room.” Vincent stood and turned the TV off before walking down the hall.

He led her to the last door on the right and opened it hesitantly. He didn’t bother with the light as he stepped in and made his way too his closet. Tifa, shifting her back pack up her shoulder more, turned the light on.

“I just need to get something too wear to sleep in and an extra blanket. After that, the room is all yours.”

Tifa was staring at the king sized bed in front of her. The comforter was black with faint red designs. The many throw pillows adorning the bed were all different shades of red with the exception of a single silver pillow in the very middle. The carpet was deep burgundy, almost like red wine. The walls were the same stark white marble laced with silver as in the living room. Vincent’s words finally soaked into her and she pulled her self from looking at the room too looking at him.

“You don’t have a guest room?”

“I do,” He looked down. “I never imagined anyone coming too spend the night and I can’t think of a color scheme to go with it so I have left it unfinished.”

“Then where are you going too sleep?” She asked him.

“I can sleep on the couch.”

“No. Vincent. I can’t possibly take your bed and put you on the couch in your own home.”

“I would be very much offended to put you on the couch as you are my guest.”

Not wanting to offend Vincent she nodded her head. “Thank you, Vincent.” She didn’t bother too add that she would be leaving as soon as possible for fear of making him think she didn’t want too be around him.

Vincent grabbed his items and started to move around Tifa who was still standing in the door way. Tifa reached out and embraced him tightly. A bit awkwardly, Vincent hugged her back. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply the smell of her. This smell would be burned into his senses for the rest of the night.

Tifa pulled away with a smile. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Anytime. That’s what friends are for.” He smiled before leaving the room and pulling the door behind him closed.

He shook his head and walked too the bathroom to change into his sleep wear. This was going to be an interesting night for him.