Lean On Me (FF7)

~Vincent's POV~

Waking up feeling human is the best feeling in the world after being a monster on the inside for almost thirty years. I don't know how my body could've turned back time to return everything inside to twenty seven or whatever, but I've noticed yesterday I was acting.... well, like the immature person I was before Chaos. And I love it. But being without the demon leaves me feeling empty and vulnerable. I no longer have 'limits' or whatever Cloud calls them. I mean sure, if you make me mad enough I could deal some damage even without a gun in my hand, but I feel weaker and less protected. I don't know how to describe it.... But it's there and it doesn't feel right.

I swing my legs out of the bed and silently walk towards the door, making sure not to wake the two children up. Or RedXIII, whose a light sleeper. Then I make a quick trip to the kitchen, grab an apple because I don't feel like eating anything else, and go out to the deck. This used to be my favorite time of day, when it was peaceful and I could just watch the sun go up as pink and orange and blue flood the sky. I used to get up very early and just watch the sun go up on the Cosmo Canyon cliffs for hours, taking in deep breaths of the ocean scented air, and waiting for Red to get up so we could explore or just sit around and talk all day.

But I can't do that anymore. I have limited sunrises now, I can't let them go to waste. But I also can't spend my life wishing it was something else. That I had never fallen for Lucrecia, that Sephiroth never existed, and heck, sometimes I wish I never met Avalanche. But they brought me from the darkness I wallowed in everyday, gave my immortal life meaning, accepted me for who I was even though I told them nothing about me until we ran into Lucrecia way later on. This is the way my life was put together and I love it. I look back and cherish ever laugh and every injury, every moment I knew this simple group of people had accepted me for who I was and gave my life purpose. I don't miss when life was simple, I don't care for punishing myself for my 'sins' anymore, all want is adventure and my new family.

"You like to watch it too, huh?" I hear a voice behind me.

"Yeah," I say, taking a bite of the fruit in my hand.

"Helps you really think about stuff, you know?" Yuffie sighs, leaning forward against the railing.

"Trust me, I know."

"So what're you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same to you."

"I guess," she shrugs. "I mean, you were up here first."

"It's not like I'm claiming the deck," I smile down at her.

"Good, I wouldn't let you."

"Nor would you care," I finish.

"You know me so well," She laughs, shaking her head. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing much," I say, closing off again.

"Hmm. I was just wondering why they let us stick around after Sephiroth was killed. I mean, they probably could've beat him without us, you know? All I did was cause trouble and you... well, no offense, but you didn't do much for Avalanche."

"I used to wonder the same thing," I say.

"Why did you stop?" she asks, probably looking for an answer to her thoughts.

"Couldn't think of an answer. I just let it be what it was and went with it."

"Hmm," she hums, looking around at the ground. "I think it was because we proved ourselves to be good friends. I don't mean that in a cheesy way, but we eventually just became like a family.''