Guilt’s Cost: Part XXXII
Proposal

When they got back to Yokazi’s house, Reno made his way back to bed with Angel, seemingly unriled by what had happened. Vincent lurched off toward his room and Tifa attempted to follow, but felt Tseng grab her arm and hold her back.

"What?" She asked Tseng, wanting desperately to get back to Vincent.

"Tifa, I’m getting worried." Tseng said quietly, not wanting Vincent to hear.

She sighed and hung her head. "It’s not his fault. Yuffie’s husband attacked him, he had no choice!"

"That demon inside him is getting more powerful, and I think you know it. Regardless of how much Vincent loves you, that demon does not, and it wouldn’t be out of his nature to kill you." Tseng said staring into her eyes.

"Tseng, all I can do is be there for Vincent. Having to deal with Chaos is a risk I’m going to have to take." Tifa whispered back.

"You weren’t able to bring Vincent back this time, don’t you see?" Tseng put his hand on her shoulder. "A time might be coming when he never comes back."

Tifa fought back the tears, knowing that Tseng was right. "What am I supposed to do? Vincent needs me."

"I think it might be time for us to look into getting him back into stasis until my men can figure out how to deal with Chaos." Tseng said, clearly pained by his own words.

Tifa’s knees felt weak at Tseng’s suggestion. "No! Vincent would never let you do that to him! Not after the thirty years he spent asleep! And what if your men couldn’t figure out what to do for him?"

"Tifa, if anything were to happen to you at the hands of Chaos, Vincent wouldn’t go on living. I don’t want to have to shoot him again if he becomes a threat." He let his hand fall away from her.

With the tears burning in her eyes, Tifa turned away from Tseng and ran into her room, locking the door. She made her way to the bed, finding Vincent sitting on its edge with his head in his hands.

Tifa sat beside him and placed her arm around his shoulders. "Vincent, are you okay?"

He didn’t respond immediately, and when he finally did, it was a mumbled, "Uh-huh."

She allowed her hand to slide down his back, feeling the tatters of his shirt flutter beneath her fingers. "Let’s get this off."

Vincent sat up, allowing her to remove his shirt. She climbed onto the bed and knelt behind him, pulling it off his shoulders. As she had suspected, she saw that the black skin had crept up further onto his back. Without thinking, she reached out and touched it.

Vincent hung his head again, knowing what she was doing. "How bad is it now?"

"Huh?" She pulled her hand away.

"I become less human each time. I try to ignore it, but I know it’s getting worse, so how bad is it now?" He said under his breath.

Tifa reached back out and traced the border of the demon’s flesh. "It goes to here."

He rose from the bed and turned toward her. Silently he admonished himself for almost having proposed to her, "I’m sorry, I can’t stay with you anymore."

Tifa’s expression fell. "Vincent, don’t you dare!"

He gestured out with his hands weakly. "Chaos is taking over, there is nothing I can do. He hates me and everyone I care for. He’s almost strong enough now to keep my body."

"I don’t care!" Tifa cried, launching herself from the bed and placing her arms around him. "I will not let you go! Chaos can try to drive me away, but I will stay and fight for you!"

He embraced her. "We cannot be alone anymore. There needs to be someone with us in case I change again…"

"Not tonight." Tifa looked up at him. "Maybe Tseng can stay with us from now on, but tonight we will be alone."

"What if Chaos comes back again?" Vincent asked, looking into her eyes.

"Come on, Vincent!" She almost smiled. "Even I know that he wouldn’t return that quickly! He has to gather his strength before coming out, so for now, we are safe."

He knew she was right, but anything was possible when I came to the demon. His mind turned to what had happened. "I hope Yuffie is all right."

Tifa put a finger up to his lips, silencing him. "No more about that tonight."

She reached over to the wall and turned off the light. Vincent offered no resistance as she took his hand and led him to the bed. Vincent sat down heavily and Tifa knelt before him, staring up into his faintly glowing eyes. Despite the pain he was feeling inside, he managed a smile as he admired her in the dim light coming in through the window. He now remembered why he had stopped on the bridge in the first place.

"Tifa?" He asked as reached out and took her left hand in his human one.

She felt her heart begin to race as she saw the glow in his eyes get brighter. "Yes?"

He hung his head and sighed. "I was going to ask you something earlier tonight, but we got interrupted. I think you know what, and I also think that you’ll say no."

Her heart was stung by how he had predicted how she would have answered had he asked her on the bridge. A lot had happened since then, though and now she wasn’t so sure she could refuse. Seeing how clearly he was laying his heart out for her was touching her deeply. "You won’t know unless you ask me."

Vincent brought his gaze back up to meet hers. He thought she must be thinking that the question on his mind was something else, but felt he had nothing to lose. "Tifa, if I can someday find a way to become…human…again, I was wondering if you would consider maybe…Oh God, I can’t…"

She stood up and threw her arms around him, knocking the both of them onto the bed. Tifa laid on top of him, smiling down into his surprised face. "Come on, Vincent! Ask!"

He was clearly shocked. "Will you marry me?"

Tifa bent down and kissed him as hard as she could. After a few minutes, she came back up. "Why do you want to wait until you are more human? I think you’re perfect the way you are."

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "You would want to, even with me like I am?"

She slapped him playfully. "Yes, how many times do I have to say that I love you before you’ll realize I’m not blowing smoke up your ass?"

He laughed at her remark, but his eyes quickly filled with tears even though the smile remained. "You really would?"

Tifa rolled her eyes. "I wish you would quit thinking that my being with you is some sort of cruel joke!"

He pulled her back down for another kiss, knowing that if he didn’t, he would start crying uncontrollably. Vincent’s mind was filled with disbelief that she had accepted, and he was going to show her his gratitude to her the best way he knew how.

Tifa found herself flung onto her back and Vincent slowly worked to unclothe her. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of Vincent hand sliding across her skin, and the warmth of his mouth against hers.

Somewhere in the back of her mind there was a twinge of sadness as she recalled Cloud’s proposal to her so many years before. He had taken her out to an expensive dinner, and when she had gotten up from the table for a moment he had dropped a ring into her champagne glass. When she returned, the diamond in her drink caught her eye and she had squealed in delight.

Cloud had gotten up from his seat and knelt before her, sliding the ring onto her finger. "Will you marry me?"

Tifa had stared into his eyes for an eternity, seeing the lack of emotion that had been there. Although she pretended not to care, she knew that he wasn’t asking her because he loved her, rather he had just somehow felt obligated to do it.

She was brought out of her memory when she felt Vincent’s tongue make its way down her stomach, tickling her and making her writhe. Pleased with her sighs, he kept making his way lower.

Tifa drew in a shuddering breath as he began to do to her what no man ever had. She arched her back reveling in the sensation of his mouth gently working her.

It didn’t take long before Tifa felt control slipping away. "Vincent…stop…"

He immediately backed off, afraid that something wasn’t right. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No," She sighed, "I want you."

Her request only stirred his passions more, but he shook his head. "Tifa, I can’t…what if I hurt you again?"

She sat up and undid the waist to his pants. "Please Vincent, you won’t."

Vincent closed his eyes as Tifa exposed him. He didn’t have the strength to resist as she pulled him down onto her.

Still afraid, but maddened by anticipation, he gave her what she had asked.

Tifa writhed beneath him. Vincent was so gentle and yet passionate; unlike Cloud had ever been. On the rare occasion that Cloud ever did make love to her it had always seemed mechanical. Tifa rarely was satisfied by him, eventually faking her way through it so he would finish and stop. She wasn’t pretending now with Vincent. His movements were slow and deliberate, and he quickly brought her to the end.

Feeling Tifa relax beneath him, Vincent knew she was satisfied, and soon came to his own silent climax.

Vincent eventually rose from the bed and looked down at Tifa, his expression wracked with concern. "Are you all right?"

She smiled at him and patted the bed next to her. "I’m fine, nothing hurts. Come back to bed."

He was relived to hear her report and climbed beneath the sheets next to her. Tifa put an arm over his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. They soon fell asleep.