DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE WONDERFUL FF7, SQUARE ENIX DOES. YOU WOULD DEFINITELY KNOW I DID BY THE AMOUNT OF CIDxSHERA I'D ADD ;)

ONESHOT- ONCE UPON A TIME

PAIRING- YUFFIExVINCENT

Once upon a time, he was a Turk. Once upon a time, he was in love. Once upon a time, he died. And now he was alive, more than ever, the bitterness in his soul all that remained with him. Unless, of course, you count the demon. The demon named Chaos that infected all the cells of his body like a virus, killing him but making him more alive than ever before. And he was slowly deteriorating, dying in the inside, not wanting to let anyone in as he laid in the darkness of his coffin, and dying on the inside.

Once upon a time, he was accepted. Once upon a time he was annoyed with her. Once upon a time he fell in love again. But he pushed her away, afraid to hurt her. Afraid that he would scare her. Afraid. A feeling that was so foreign to him before, never meaning anything to him. Fear used to be worthless to Vincent. And now he saw that fear isn't worthless. It kept him from hurting her any further. It saved her heart from ripping, because if his claws could easily find a way to shred the hardest diamond, they could surely tear through her paper heart.

Maybe I should have let her in. I feel like maybe I did the wrong thing, but when I step out of the shadows, she always seems so happy and over it that I let it be, locking myself back in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. But I know my being there wouldn't have done any better toward us, so I left. I told her to back off because I couldn't keep pretending that I cared about her existence. I still remember her small jaw setting, her big brown eyes growing huge as she listened silently. How she fought those tears long and hard before she had to run to conceal them. How when she tried to talk to me again, I called her worthless and she blindly drew one of her short knives, slashing across my cheek.

When I looked in the mirror, I could see the long pink scar she left on my face. A forever reminder of how stupid I was to let her go. She was the only person who had ever accepted me as a whole. Really all I want now is to her her laugh when I can't find my materia again, to hold her when no one else would when she cried, to have to win a game of cards against her to get my gun back. My phone rings non stop day in and day out, but none of the numbers are hers. So I leave it hooked up to the charger in secret hopes that she'll gather up the courage to call. Who am I kidding? I'm the coward in this situation. I'm a liar, a bitter hater that's afraid because he's in love with a girl that once cared about him and now doesn't give a crap about my life.

My phone rings again and my eyes dart toward the caller ID screen. Tifa again. For the one millionth time since I've disappeared in the last month. It seems she cares more about me than he others, but I think it's just that she's Tifa and she worries too much. Besides, why should it matter if I'm gone? We saved the planet, didn't we? That was our goal, and now that's it's completed, we should all just go home and forget about everything we had.

Cid was just a pilot, Tifa just a girl, Cloud just kid. But I can't do that because I know the truth. Cid had an almost impossible dream, literally shooting for the stars. Tifa was a headstrong woman that could knock you out with one blow. Cloud was a leader that didn't know who he was, and probably never would have unless we had come along. But I don't matter. I didn't change the story, make it better or worse. I was just there. No one cared whether I came or not.

The phone lights up again and I ignore it, trying so hard not to look. But I do, for just a millisecond. And it's Tifa again. So I just pour myself another glass of red wine and drink it down, not caring that it's the same exact color as my eyes or that trying to block everything out will just hurt more. It won't be her, I think to myself. But I look all the same. Tifa Lockhart, you're gonna kill me. Reluctantly, I answer for the first time in four weeks, remains completely silent with the device by my ear.

"Vincent?" Nothing. "Vincent listen, please. It's Yuffie, she..."

"Don't call me again," I say quietly at the mention of her name.

"Please Vincent, she..." I hang up. When she calls again, I shut my phone off. Maybe I should just throw it away. Then I'd have an excuse for not talking to anyone.

As soon as I relax back into the wall, my glass refilled, someone knocks on the locked door. That's new, nobody ever comes here anymore, though Avalanche probably knows I'm here. I debate on opening it or not but then just shrug. If they're stupid enough to know on the door, surely they know I will probably shoot them. I set my glass down on the one small wooden table in the corner and wrap my forefinger around the weapon in my holster, prepared for anything. But when I open the door a crack, I freeze. Why is she here? I chewed her up and spit her out. Broke her in the only way I knew how, with hatred. I should close the door, not because I can't stand her, but because I love her and I can't stand to see her break again. But it's too late, she's already seen me through the small space.

"Vincent?"

I simply leave the door open and walk over to the window, staring outside through the thick dust coating the glass. She silently walks into the room and stands beside me, pretending to be watching the flock of birds overhead when really I feel her looking at me. My heart is thumping hard at her glance and I try my hardest to avoid looking back at her, fearing that she'll take it as acceptance.

"So this is where you've been," she says quietly, her soft lips producing the words so easily. If only I knew how hard it was for her to say anything to me without wanting to cry.

"Mhmm."

Another moment of silence follows before I glance over at the mini fridge in the corner. Should I ask her if she wants something to drink? No, that's too host like. This is my little space and she's invading it. But I'm letting her because I really need that.

"Sorry for bothering you," she sighs. "I was just... Wondering how you were and you weren't answering your phone."

"Tifa was the only one who called."

"I was using her phone," she bites her lip and turns away from the window. "Mine got crushed in a fight."

"Fight?" The word slips out too fast, sounding too concerned for my liking.

"Nothing," she shakes her head and walks slowly around the room, her fingers brushing over the wood on the table lightly. Suddenly, she jerks her hand and away and glares at her finger.

"Ouch."

"You okay?" I frown, almost slapping myself for sounding so worried.

"Yeah, it's just a splinter," she shrugs, obviously a little surprised by my care.

I nod and look back out the window. She's fine. She's over me, moved on. Tifa probably sent her to check up on me. She finally looks right up at me, my eyes observing her from their corners.

"Vincent, I..."

"I'm sorry," I interrupt.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She frowns. "I was the one who annoyed you to no end, and I..."

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

Her brown eyes watch the floor and I cross my arms, sighing and shaking my head. There we go, now she's going to run again. She'll never come back and it'll be over. I won't hurt her ever again. She'll be free.

"You don't have to be," she shakes her head. "That's what people do when they're scared."

"What would I have to be scared of?" I raise an eyebrow as she slowly makes her way toward me. Then she presses her hand against my chest, right where my heart would be.

"I don't know, what were you afraid of?" I close my eyes and muster up enough courage to bring my hand up to hers, surrounding it with my fingers. I can almost hear her heart beating out of her chest.

"I wasn't afraid. You were."

"I was never afraid of you, Vincent. But, I do think I know what you're scared of."

"And what's that?"

"Love," she smiles softly and I can't resist the pull any longer, her soft lips pushing against mine gently. They're warmer, more addictive than I ever would've imagined or dreamt of. I wonder if she ever dreamed of me. Because I dreamed of her, almost way too often.

"How'd you get to know me so well," I whisper, pulling away but our foreheads remain touching.

"Because I was afraid too."

"Don't be."

"I'm not anymore."

Once upon a time, I was alone. Once upon a time, I had company. Once upon a time I was lost. Once upon a time, I was found. And she found me.

FIRST ONE SHOT EVER! WAS IT OKAY? I THOUGHT IT KINDA SUCKED... OH WELL. REQUESTS ARE WONDERFUL, SO YOU CAN COMMENT THEM OR DM THEM TO ME IF YOU WANNA! THE HIGHWINDS ARE NEXT! THEY'RE MY FAVORITE OTC EVER!