30

131 6 0
                                    

~Tifa's POV~

I grip the roots of my hair, tugging lightly as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I'm going insane. He's taking up my mind, my soul. I can't think of anyone else. I'm lost, alone, and hopeless on my own, but with him, I'm found, with a friend, and falling. He's driving me mad, I can't control it. My mind is spinning like the time we let Yuffie drive the car. My heart is pounding like the drums always playing in RedIIX's home town. I'm lost. And I can't find him. I'm going insane.

There's something deep down inside he keeps bottled up. The dark soul, the monster, if you will, Hojo turned him into. He can't control it. It doesn't stay contained. He's dangerous, meant to be caged, because he's a monster. But instead I'm chasing him, flirting with disaster, addicted to danger. The darkness lures me in, ready to destroy, and despite what I know, I let it take me, consume me, demolish my walls that I've built so far up over the years. People say we aren't afraid of the dark, just what's in it. But I have a reason to be afraid of the dark. This darkness is not measured by the lack of light. It is not sin, deceit or destruction. It is a monster. And that monster is Chaos.

~|~|~|~|~|~|~

"Do you know where Vincent is?" I ask Cid. "I haven't seen him since we got back from Midgar this morning."

"Denzel saw him in the kitchen earlier. Ask him," he shrugs, lighting a cigarette. I grimace at it for a second before taking off. Denzel has never been onboard the Highwind yet, so he's most likely exploring. And if there's one place that'll fascinate him, it's downstairs, which is where I'm headed.

I hear a deeper voice mixed with Denzel's high pitched one and hide behind the nearest display case, watching Denzel and the devil himself chat. Denzel rolls on the floor, clumsily performing a somersault.

"No no, not like that," Vincent sighs, exasperated. "Push with your feet and shoulders, not your elbows."

I suppress a giggle and watch Denzel try again, this time better. Vince nods.

"That's better. But used more shoulder next time."

Once again, the child tries and does it perfectly. He knows it too, judging the huge grin across his face and the two slight dimples poking in his cheeks. They just kinda appeared one day. I never knew why or how.

"Good," Vincent says, not offering anything else. But Denzel understands that's who he is, making him content with the praise. "Ready for the jump?"

"I can't jump very high," Denzel admits with a sigh.

"Don't worry, you'll learn how to do it sooner or later," he lays a hand on Denzel's shoulder before jerking away and leaping into the air.

He moves so fast a small trail of dust billows up behind him. I smile, watching him leap around on top of the cases and crates. Then he lands on mine. I cover my mouth, and crouch down, peeking upward. Then he moves away. I release a sigh if relief, but too soon because he's resting his head and looking down at me in moments. I jump and put a hand over my heart.

"Boo."

"You scared me," I breathe.

"Why were you'd stalking me?"

"I was stalking Denzel," I laugh. Denzel rolls his eyes.

"Mhmm," Vincent hums in disbelief, dangling in his hand over the edge of the wood. I take it and he pulls me up. Then he jumps down, carrying me bridal style.

"And this is how you should look when you save a damsel in distress," He jokes, setting me down. I trip him and he falls on his face.

"That's how you should look when the damsel in distress doesn't want help."

Lean On Me (FF7)Where stories live. Discover now