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

[plate_builder]

"Vincent, I have no idea what would constitute 'the usual things'," Reeve reminds him. "The closest I've ever been to traveling as something other than a Shinra delegation was as Cait, and as you may remember he was less than useful for those sorts of things other than carrying supplies."

Truly he doesn't know what he needs. Take pity on the poor man.

[emovampboy]

"Clothes. Toiletries. That's all you really need."

[plate_builder]

"You're managing the food?" Reeve asks. The thing is, after this he's not entirely sure Vincent is ready for someone with his appetites.

[emovampboy]

"If you're worried, bring your own, but I do eat. Just not much in the mornings." He smiles a bit to reassure Reeve.

[plate_builder]

"Well, I think I'll let you make those arrangements. I'll find something to carry my clothes and other things in. Vincent... thank you," Reeve smiles. A soothing week away, there's no harm in that. And he's in for a treat because, really, Reeve hadn't seen the forest at night. He couldn't bare to watch it.

"I want to finish another pastry or two before I head out to feed my cat. Would you like to join me at my apartment?"

[emovampboy]

He nods an ok to making arrangements, but looks a tad amused at the question. "I thought the point was to spend the day together? Not much use splitting up just to meet again."

[plate_builder]

"And I typically find that taking a man back to my apartment on the first date can send a very inappropriate and far too forward message," Reeve says right back, but his smile is purely a playful one. He does grab another pastry. The bagels can go home as fodder for future meals.

[emovampboy]

"I think we already crossed that line." He seems content to let Reeve eat, focusing instead on his juice.

[plate_builder]

"I suppose," Reeve laughs. "I think I just needed to reinforce that I was serious."

He does manage to get his next pastry down before pushing to his feet and looking at his watch.

"There's a chance we're going to run into Yuffie or Cid as we leave. Do you have an opinion about how to address them?"

[emovampboy]

Vincent considers the question, seeing no reason to respond to the serious part. He knows Reeve is serious, just as Reeve knows Vincent is.

"I suppose there's three options..." He holds up his fingers as he speaks. "One is to avoid the questions, two is to lie and say you're seeing me off, or three we could be honest. One or three would be best."

[plate_builder]

"I like honest," Reeve smirks, because he's a touch possessive. "But if it's Yuffie I think one would be a better option. Lest she get ideas."

[emovampboy]

"She'll get ideas regardless. Just have to hope Cid is there to run distraction." He stands, crossing to set his cup down on the cart. "I'm not opposed to truth, either. Cloud and Cid are both aware of my preferences."

[plate_builder]

Wait, what? Reeve stares at Vincent for a long moment. How do they know that? Why do they know that? Why hadn't he so he could have tested the waters? But no prying.

"Alright then. We'll go with honesty. And cross our fingers we don't run into her."

[emovampboy]

Reeve may not speak the questions, but Vincent knows they are there, so he explains.

"Cid asked me one night because of Cloud. Cloud is one of the people I've had a crush on before, and Cid is fairly observant."

[plate_builder]

What. Wait. What? Cid?

"I thought he and Shera..." Reeve fumbles, because he's so very confused. And he doesn't get the whole attraction to Cloud thing most people have. He appreciates the form, but not all of the packaging.

[emovampboy]

"Cid is straight, Reeve. He just caught on that something was up with me." He moves over to where Reeve is sitting, looking him in the eye. "You can relax. I haven't slept with any of the party, and the Cloud thing was short-lived. I know well that our personalities would not work, and he is far from interested in me."

[plate_builder]

Oh, Reeve had assumed that Cid had asked him out. Oh dear.

"If you had then it would be fine," Reeve says. "Your life, your experiences, are your own. Who you were before doesn't matter. Who you were with doesn't matter. I just didn't expect that the aforementioned previous feelings for men were so recent."

And yes, he gets the whole personality thing.

[emovampboy]

"I've had them before, too." It's said to assure Reeve, even as he straightens up. "Let me know when you're ready. Unless you want to stay here a bit longer."

[plate_builder]

Oh he hardly is concerned about that.

"What is served by staying longer?" Reeve smiles as he moves to start packing things up. "And Mittens will be distressed if I take too much longer."

[emovampboy]

He nods, letting Reeve have space to do as he needs, and settling back onto the bed to wait.

[plate_builder]

Once he's got everything nicely boxed up, easy given he had barely taken anything out. Once that's done he nods to Vincent. "I'll carry these, and would you push the cart out into the hall?"

Maybe he'll throw Yuffie off if they see her by handing over the food.

[emovampboy]

"Alright." He easily gets off the bed, moving over to push the cart towards the door so he can open it and place it outside.

[plate_builder]

Reeve nods and heads for the door, arms full. He waits patiently for Vincent to slip out, and he smiles at the man as they make their way down the hall. Heads down the stairs and just groans to see Cid and Yuffie there, the latter of the two harassing the former.

Who has the worst humor... Shinra or Vincent

[emovampboy]

Vincent will take some of what Cid is carrying as soon as his own hands are free, letting the man take the lead for the moment.

The groan cues him in that they aren't having the best of luck, even before he sees their friends down below, and he glances at Reeve to remark in his usual dry way. "I thought of a fourth idea. Open a window and go out that way."

Vincent's humor actually pleases Reeve, so Reeve will argue him. I say Rufus

[plate_builder]

Really? The timing of the dry wit is just perfect, because Reeve bursts out laughing, and that gets both Cid and Yuffie looking toward them. He just ensured option one, but he's given Reeve a level of amusement that makes him ready to face it.

"Reeve?" Yuffie asks, bouncing to her feet. "You came to bring us breakfast?"

"Actually, I had ordered breakfast for myself and Vincent," he tells her as he gets to the bottom of the stairs before handing over the box of pastries. "Here, I had leftovers."