For Reeve

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

plate_builder

Really? That much?

"Would you be able to guard as well while at my side?" Reeve asks. Because he isn't looking for his boyfriend to be his guardian as well.

From:

emovampboy

Vincent glances back at Reeve, slowing his step. "I can... But it may not be bad for me to act protectively. Show your security first hand I'm safe."

From:

plate_builder

"The security that I haven't arranged to meet with me yet," Reeve points out because he's quite amused at statement.

From:

emovampboy

"The security which is following us." Vincent looks at Reeve quite seriously. "Or did you think they'd simply trust in me without watching some?"

From:

plate_builder

Reeve loses a pace from staying next to Vincent, not quite stumbling. But he catches up quickly. "They're following us?"

He told them... He had called and told them he would let them know when he needed them.

From:

emovampboy

"At least one is." He stops, turning his head where he senses the presence. "You can't blame them. They need to know."

From:

plate_builder

"I can't," Reeve says, and he seems a bit pleased with this. After people that tried to kill him, ones that actually care for his safety. Even if he's paying them.

From:

emovampboy

"I think it's the woman, by the way." Yet, maybe as a way to apologize, he gently touches Reeve's back to indicate they can keep moving, "Which way now?"

From:

plate_builder

"At the next intersection go left. Continue three blocks. Another left. Two blocks, a right. Halfway down the next block, number seventy-two," Reeve explains. The sooner Vincent has orders, the more he can prepare for things. Interesting, he didn't think that would happen. "And her name is Abigail. I know she's young, only ninteen, but she's very talented."

He does move just a bit closer to Vincent for a step or two so his arm can brush Vincent's, then he replaces space so Vincent can leap to his defense if needed.

From:

emovampboy

"Age and skill are not always a linked factor. I've met old fools, and young geniuses." As he speaks this, Vincent half wonders if he could be speaking of Lucrecia and Hojo, as taken at a distance, they fit the descriptors well enough.

Unintentionally, he could have also been describing Rufus and his father, but having had little to no contact with either man, there's no way to know this, and right now, he's more intent on following Reeve's directions, though asking a simple question.

"Do you have the city memorized?"

From:

plate_builder

"I'm a city planner by training," Reeve answers with a wide smile. "Yes, I do. That's my job. No one in this city can give better directions."

But that definitely amuses him. He's terrible outside of cities.

From:

emovampboy

"I see." Vincent knows he's the opposite. Although able to navigate a city fairly well, he's most comfortable and far more able to navigate nature itself. If nothing, he supposes Chaos has given him that.

From:

plate_builder

Don't worry, he's terrible with navigating in the wild. They can both have their specialties. One tree looks very like another to him.

"I might get lost, in the woods."

From:

emovampboy

"You won't." Vincent assures, glancing at Reeve for just a moment as he continues to walk. "If you stay close, I can navigate. Also... She's still there, sometimes."

From:

plate_builder

"She?" Reeve asks, his voice soft. It's not quite sure who he means.

Lucrecia? He doesn't remember where that cave is. He wasn't paying as much attention to Cait that day.

From:

emovampboy

Vincent shakes his head slowly. No, he wouldn't go near that cave with Reeve if he could avoid it. He means a different woman, one Cloud was fond of. "Aeris."

From:

plate_builder

This time Reeve just stops moving entirely. Aeris.

"She's dead," Reeve says, disbelief in his voice.

From:

emovampboy

"Yes." Vincent stops as well, turning to look at Reeve and his head tilting softly. "Yet her spirit remains."

From:

plate_builder

That's...

"I never had the pleasure of knowing her, not truly," Reeve says after a long moment. "I highly doubt she would wish to see me."

From:

emovampboy

"I'm not sure on that." Vincent seems content to wait until Reeve decides to walk again, but knows his words will need explanation and continues. "I've never felt anything negative. Sometimes, it's... comforting to feel."

From:

plate_builder

And she was friends with Vincent. But Reeve just sighs and starts forward. In ways, he wasn't AVALANCHE. It could be hard to remember that on his own sometimes, even if others forget it some.

From:

emovampboy

Red eyes follow Reeve's movements momentarily, maybe understanding the sigh, and yet says nothing. Reeve will understand when he's in the Forest; that the girl holds no grudge, only the warmest feeling to all life on the planet.

Like a mother. The thought flows naturally, unsaid, before walking along with the man.

From:

plate_builder

But the time is now perfect to actually get going again. They will absolutely have to focus on getting to his place.

"When I'm there, would it be okay if I take a moment to change?"

From:

emovampboy

"That's fine." Vincent nods. "We have time enough to delay if we wish."

From:

plate_builder

"We do," Reeve smiles. It's more the awkwardness of asking your date to putter around your home, with your kitten, when you change in the bathroom. Which, his isn't all that big so that will be it's own mess.