For Reeve

[emovampboy]

When it came to use of his phone, Vincent was very much like Cloud. He left it on, received messages and listened to or read them, but quite rarely responded. The few times he did respond tended to be if he deemed an actual answer to be required, or when from time to time Marlene got hold of Cloud or Tifa's phone and contacted him. Since it was so rare for her to do so, he always took it as a good thing to answer.

Which meant he had answered when she called him a few days after a message from Tifa asking him to come to a party for the girl, which he had ignored; his first mistake. Once answered, the girl had spent several minutes speaking to him, until suddenly springing the question of if he were coming to her party and making it quite impossible for him to really say no without seeming like a total heel, and so he agreed to go; his second mistake. And then he had made his third mistake - actually going.

At first, it really wouldn't have seemed to have been a bad idea. He knew everyone who was invited, how they acted around one another, and that Tifa would keep the whole group from going completely crazy over the course of the night, but he had not expected having to assist in breaking up one of Cloud and Barrett's squabbles when the woman had to leave for a short time to fetch something, and honestly he was glad that Reeve was invited and could help diffuse the situation with; especially when Yuffie and a very unhelpful Cid decided it would be a great idea to bet on who would win if they actually took to fistacuffs over whatever stupid thing it was this time which set them off.

All of this had left him rather done with company, and as soon as Tifa was back to be the adult in the situation, he'd snuck outside for some relative peace and quiet.

Comments

[emovampboy]

"Basically I meant that being with ShinRa wasn't always seen as negative. Saying 'even while with ShinRa' implies that they were always disliked and thus you would be in relation." He sits back on the bed, letting Reeve "enjoy" his liquor.

[plate_builder]

What? No. Reeve laughs at that. That wasn't what he was going for, and he struggles to master his laughter at Vincent's point.

"No, that wasn't what I meant. I was popular enough, Vincent, in and out of Shinra. I just grew busy. Too busy to maintain my social life. And I grew out of the idea of dalliances to instead long for something... more lasting."

Which wasn't as easy to manage.

[emovampboy]

"Is that so? Seems weird the way you said it, though." But he shrugs it off, crossing one leg over the other and placing an arm on his leg, clawed hand still resting on the bed. "However, now I am vaguely curious about this old Reeve."

[plate_builder]

Reeve's eyes briefly follow the motion and then return to Vincent's face. People asking about him? Not Reeve's normal experience, but yes, he's chuckling again. "Really? I can't imagine why. He was a student. Serious enough when it suited him in the academic sense. But college is about experience, and I let myself experience. But I was dreadfully shy when I first started in college, alcohol helps relax that sort of thing."

There's plenty of memories there, should he really dive into them? "What am I saying? There's a lot that happened when I was younger. What in particular would you like to know about the Reeve that was before he had no time?"

[emovampboy]

"You. Dalliances. This doesn't add up to me. I'm curious about that." He doesn't have a particular question, merely curiosity about the fact it existed, but he finds a question. "What is a suave Reeve like?"

[plate_builder]

Really, don't tempt him like this, Vincent. It is pain enough to have another gorgeous, straight, caught up in a dead woman, sort of Turk in his life. Someday someone should write a book about how silently he suffered in his affection for deadly men.

"It doesn't add up any longer," Reeve agrees. "But people change in their lives, Mister Valentine. Many are those who have fallen prey to the desires of the flesh. I'm not without experience there. And it wasn't always just dalliances. There were failed relationships too. When I was younger, less stressed, less overworked, less wrinkled, I was a rather eligible bachelor in the company. I didn't mind shopping around for companionship. And I was capable of suave then. I'm probably frightfully out of practice now."

[emovampboy]

Reeve does not know all things about Vincent, or he'd know the man wasn't entirely straight. He just happened go have loved Lucrecia, even if sometimes he wonders if she cared back as deeply as he hoped.

Neither here nor there, however, and instead he's somehow amused too much at this thought of Reeve being someone different... someone more like Reno, actually.

"Have you tried recently?"

[plate_builder]

"Who has the time?" There is a hint of a chuckle in his voice, but mostly, it's a bit of regret. Who did have the time? He was too busy to meet people who weren't effectively employees of his. And an employee-employer relationship was just a gross abuse of power. The disconnect there would never work with the man he has become. "But to answer your question, no. Not since before the fall of the Sector Seven plate."

After that everything started happening and he's been running himself ragged ever since. Add in the fact that few have caught his eye lately and those meddlesome scruples of his and there really wasn't a chance in years.

[emovampboy]

"Huh..." He seems satisfied with the answer at least, but does add. "Be grateful I'm not Reno."

[plate_builder]

"I'm intrigued as to why you have that particular response," Reeve admits as he swirls the bourbon in his glass before taking another sip. Trouble, it's starting to almost taste acceptable. But he does love that warmth in his gut, been so long since he's spared himself a drop of alcohol. He drains the rest of the glass and looks to Vincent. "Well? Why should I be grateful you're not him? Other than all of my experiences with the man."

[emovampboy]

"What response?" He seems a little confused, but then indicates the liquor cabinet with a finger. "If I were him, I'd offer more to see what happens."

[plate_builder]

"Referencing Reno. And yes. He would do that," Reeve agrees, shaking his head with a smile. "In fact, he has done so before. For other reasons. However, I believe it would be a poor decision to continue drinking. Rude to your bill of course."

Even now he's deflecting, even tipsy he's used to saying but not saying. Years with Shinra as an executive can do that to you. Too many parties with Scarlet and the others. Mostly her.

[emovampboy]

"I have money." As if that was the point of everything Reeve said. Yet it wasn't untrue. He dealt with enough monsters he had saved a bit up; enough at least to pay for a small mini-bar raid.

[plate_builder]

"Now Mister Valentine, are you trying to get me drunk?" Reeve asks, chuckling lower than before. He can't help it. He finds the idea quite amusing. "Haven't you carted enough drunkards to their rooms tonight? Or am I to expect blackmail photos soon?"

Not that he would protest too strongly if another glass made its way into his hands.

[emovampboy]

"You could always stay here if it came to that." Standing, Vincent moves over to take the glass from Reeve. "And perhaps I am. Want more?"

He moves back to the mini-bar, setting the glass down and then turning to look at Reeve to await an answer.

[plate_builder]

If there were gods whose names he could take in vain, this would be the moment Reeve did so.

"So much," Reeve mumbles to himself. Of course, tipsy as he is getting, that mumble ends up being more along the lines of a stage whisper. Which he doesn't even notice. Oh well. A slightly more composed part of his brain wants to know why this is happening, but he'll take it in stride that it is. Maybe. No, actually, now his fuzzy brain wants to know.

"Why this? What's the point of..." he gestures toward Vincent and the mini-bar. "Not like you to be..." What is the word? "this."

Yep, very skilled word choice there.

[emovampboy]

Vincent hadn't realized it was so easy to get Reeve this drunk this fast, but his mind takes note like it does of everything; ex or not, he had been a Turk, and Turks took note.

He does kindly ignore the whisper, though he didn't understand the words, just that it was said to himself and not Vincent, before providing a word to assist the failing vocabulary of the head of the WRO.

"Social?"

[plate_builder]

No one ever claimed Reeve had much of a tolerance, thank you very much.

"Gregarious," Reeve corrects. Social isn't strong enough for Vincent. Not much is. "Not like you. Why this then?"

He pushes to his feet and manages a straight line toward Vincent. Lowered inhibitions, yes, but not physical impairment yet. And no slurred speech. There is still some way to go, Vincent. However this was a man who actively wanted more confidence around the gunner, and the alcohol, drunk quickly and with no food in his stomach to counter it, is already working on that. He moves close so he's not quite standing in Vincent's personal space, but close enough to cross that line quickly should he want to. Which means probably too close for Vincent.

"I've answered you. Frequently. Only fair to answer me."

[emovampboy]

He supposed that choice of words worked too, even it it was obvious they had the same idea.

But he doesn't answer, not immediately, instead watching Reeve with eyes that should be cautious but are not. The man wants a reason, but he wonders what Reeve will think of the one he gives. It seems so impersonal, and yet for Vincent it's a large thing.

"You seemed like you needed company you could lower some of your guard around... I seem to be the one you are most comfortable with."

[plate_builder]

True enough. Definitely something Reeve could stand to have. The people he works with are nice and all, but they look to him, and you can't be weak in the face of that. Nanaki probably would be a welcome choice there, but there was one he would feel awkward reaching out toward. Good to know there's a reason.

"Beautiful men always make me lower my guard," he says, a throwaway comment. More something he should have thought instead of said. Because it had always been true. And there was no denying the beauty that was Vincent Valentine, then and now. But as he doesn't realize he's outed himself and complimented Vincent all in one thing he didn't intend to say, he continues on. Backs away and moves toward the window to look out through it.

"You understand the company best. What it was. Who we were. Cid was only sorta related. Others look at me oddly. No trust. Not all of them. Enough. You understand guilt. Atonement. Simply put, me."

[emovampboy]

There's only the slightest raise of a brow at the remark, barely an acknowledgment, but his eyes remain on Reeve. He supposed it was fortunate the man had not added "young" into the equation at least. That would have been harder to ignore, and he got the distinct feeling bringing the words up would cause the man to flee.

Crossing his arms, Vincent just nods slightly instead at the words spoken. "I'd say not to worry, since you're a good person, but reality says you'll worry regardless."

He goes silent a moment, still watching the blue-clad man, eyes glancing to the other bed in the room only momentarily before returning to his form. "Contact your security and tell them to take the night off. You can stay here."

[plate_builder]

How right Vincent would be in guessing that having those called to his attention would not be the best idea. Maybe not fleeing, but definitely lose the looseness Reeve has going on. But Vincent need not worry about comments about age. Reeve's tastes tended to run older, even if physically speaking Vincent had the body of someone several years Reeve's junior.

"I have a place to stay," Reeve chuckles, turning to look at Vincent, leaning against the sill. "Pay a lot for it every month"

[emovampboy]

"But can you be yourself at home? And relaxed?" Simple enough question, but not always easy to answer.

[plate_builder]

A very difficult question, and he looks very seriously at Vincent, head tilted curiously to the side.

"You think I'd be better relaxed in your presence?"

[emovampboy]

"Maybe. You already seem to be."