Lean On Me (FF7)

13

~Vincent's POV~

I don't trust me either. Cloud's words ring through my head as he leaves. My gaze immediately flickers from the floor to where he was. How did he know...? It was probably just a coincidence, but I can't help but register that memory into my mind.

"Stay away, I'm a monster now, Lucrecia," I shake my head, backing away.

"I know. I made you that way, remember?" she plops down on a flat boulder. She's thought she was dead and gone, yet somehow I'm here with her. Maybe it's a dream. Maybe I'm dead. Or maybe Chaos is making me hallucinate. Either way, she's already told me I'm unconscious in the bottom of Shinra Mansion, where Hojo tested me and threw me away like trash.

"It saved my life."

"I thought you didn't want life?" she raises an eyebrow at me. I sigh, ruffling one hand through my elongating hair. It used to be so short, but the coma... it sort of took over.

"I didn't. I don't, I mean," I shake my head.

"I've turned you into something you're not. And I'm sorry Vincent."

"Don't be," I shrug, plopping down next to her. "Hojo killed you." she shakes her head.

"He can't kill you," I look up at her. "Jenova cells."

"Not the point," she looks at her feet.

"The point is that I don't want you to trust me. I could blow up any minute and not know who you are. And hurt you."

"Don't worry," she stands, starting to walk away.

"About what?" I frown, standing.

"I don't trust you." She barely spares a glance as she disappears into a thick, white mist.

"I don't trust me either," I shake my head.

I take a deep breath and blink slowly. Then I look back up at Tifa. She looks confused, starring blanket at the spot where Cloud once stood. I absent mindedly place a hand on her shoulder. Her head swiftly turns to me, eyeing my hand before looking up at me. I shake my head and glance behind me, where we just came from. She seems to understand, despite my silence. I think I've talked more in the past week than I have in the past decade. I release her shoulder and follow behind her.

In some ways, Tifa reminds me of Lucrecia. Long hair, thin but strong. Smart. Pretty. Easy to get along with, for the most part. The only difference is I won't let Tifa give herself away to scientific experiments and have a demonic son that won't freaking die and leave freaking Cloud freaking alone. I sigh and try to shake the thoughts away. Tifa wouldn't go that if it meant saving the world. Okay, scratch that, she would. But I wouldn't let her. It'd be like living my nightmares all over again. And I can't let that happen again. I'm already practically immortal, but that doesn't mean I don't feel pain, physical or emotional. Tifa glances back at me and then turns away, still walking. I look back down at the ground. She must've caught me staring.

"It leads to the second floor," she mumbles quietly. I remain silent and follow her up the two short sets of stairs.

"And back to the basement," she whispers in disbelief as we find the not-so-secret door open. I habitually feel my holster for my gun, but nothing is there. Tifa does the same, only she reaches up to her wrists to adjust the straps of her gloves.

"Shoot," she mutters. "They took our weapons."

Where are those two dimwits when you need them? I shake my head and step in front of her, making sure the semi rotted steps are stable. The first one creaks in protest, but holds my weight just fine. I nod to her and begin to test the stairs, one by one. Tifa manages to keep her balance and not fall through the middle to the bottom despite the grime and lack of railing. What kind of idiot builds a three story tall stair case to a wet basement with no rail? Oh, that's right, Shinra does.