...Bartender...

Warnings: Yaoi, yummi yummi yaoi lovin. Hehe.

Muse Notes: Vodka on the rocks comin' up my sweet With a magical little plot bunny ont the side, tehe.

Authors note: This little plot bunny hit me in the car on the way to the hospital, I had to jot it out the instant I got home but given my current internet issues it may take a while to get up there but well...i spose you wouldnt have even known if I didnt say anything...lol. This ones got a weird twist, hehe. Try to guess who you are.

Neways, hope you likey!

Jade Andrea Fawkes.

xxxooo

x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x

Youve seen him there so many times, sitting in the shadows as if that would hide his identity, his presence. Maybe it would have worked if you were Yuffie or Tifa but you know his steps and his crimson gaze to well for the darkness to hide anything. You ignore him though to give him the privacy he obviously desires as the party pounds around him.

Tifa shifts beside you behind the bar. "Going to dance, can you take over?" She asks.

You nod, because its easier than talking with the music pumping at this time of night.

She moves off into the mass of dancing guests to move among them and you loose focus of him in the corner as your workload immediatly doubles, the crowd calling for the refreshment they need to continue dancing and flirting and whatever else they were doing.

Handing out drinks mechanically you fail to notice him move, eyes still on you as if hunting prey and stalking closer. The crowd suddenly shifts as a whole at the change of music and the drinkers join them, giving you a breif intermission as they resumed the orgy of dance. You step back, leaning against the shelves of drinks and search his spot again, only to fight down disapointment to find his seat vacant. You turn to the bar, seeing a hand wave for service but your step forward stumbles, seeing the man sitting beside the thirsty customer.

You bite down on your tongue to steady your racing mind and serve the woman. Then you wait until she goes and turn to face the raven haired man. "Surprised to see you." You comment.

"No your not." Came the reply so softly you shouldnt have heard it over the music but somehow you hear it anyway.

You cross your arms. "Surprised to see you up close then."

There was no smile, to expect one would have been pointless. "Thats better."

Silence would have persued but customers interupt you and you serve them quickly, as if frightened he would flee. When you returned he has a glass of vodka, produced seemingly from no-where. "I havent spoken with you since the whole Kidaj thing." You comment.

"Not really much point, was there."

That was cold and you shake your head. "You turn up here every week, whats the point to that?"

He looks around in a guesture of thought. "Good question."

You watch him down his drink easily and pour him another without thinking. He doesnt turn back to face you but lifts the glass in thanks and sips from it with a blur of a golden claw.

Again you take a break from the conversation to refill drinks but this time Tifa returns to finish for you, smiling and sweaty from her mingling. She throws you a thankful smile and you move back to you conversation.

"Did you get a phone?" You ask, trying to veer off the subject.

He sips again but before he could answer Tifa calls out.

"Yuffie just turned up, looks like your off the hook. Your working on wednesday afternoon, ok?"

You nod vaugley and turn back, but he's gone. Just as swiftly as all the other times before. You shake your head and reach for your jacket before leaving the club feeling both elated by his visit and slightly dejected at his abrupt leaving.

Your feet tap against the street as you throw your coat on and search its pockets for a cigarette. Finding one you pause to light it as the wind whips your hair into your face and the fire from your match.

Suddenly like wind he's there again, this time with a lighter. You accept it greatfully, your eyes on him. "Thanks."

He inclines his head, his red headband falling further down his forehead, as if to meet the collor of his thick red cape. "I did get a phone. Marlene took me." He commented after a moment. "It rings at the worst times though."

You smile easily at him, knowing he was a man of his silence. "Change the settings." He gives you a strange look and throws something to you. You catch it easily and it takes you a moment to realise what it is. "Or I could." You offer.

As you fiddle with the buttons you begin walking again and he falls into step. For a while he gets the silence he embodies, apart from the soft beep of the phone and the sound of you taking a drag.

Surprisingly its he who breaks it. "What made you work with Tifa at the club?" He asks, maybe with curiousity, but its well hidden.

"She feels I owe her one." You chuckle. "It gives me something to do."

He shifts his hand to his gun habitually as he pondered what to say next and you dont reach for your own weapon, knowing he wasnt unholstering it.

You finally finish with the phone however and hand it back. As he takes it his hand brushing yours and the cold metal making you subconciously twitch. "You'll feel it vibrate when someone rings, should be soundless." You inform him.

He inclines his head in silent thanks and the device disapears immediatly into a pocket or maybe his belt.

"I dont really see you as the clubbing type." You say after a moment, still trying to make conversation to keep him from disapearing again.

"You fit the profile I suppose?" He retorted.

You shrug and smirk. "I think its my hair."

You catch the breifest of smiles on his face and it distracts you like a silver bell would a moggle. Your still watching the lips even as they disapear behind the cloak and he raises an eyebrow at your stare.

"Perhaps its that." He agrees, as if to pull your attention back to the somewhat boring conversation. "Though Tifa seems to enjoy the dancing part more than you."

"She likes the movements." You inform him. "I think its a rip off."

The dark eyebrow raised again. "Hows that?"

"Whats the point of having sex if your all wearing clothes?" You ask.

That smile visited again breifly, the owner not expecting that answer. "Indeed."

You watch the smile again and it stays a little longer this time but eventually it dispears behind that crimson cloth.

You flick ash from your smoke and watch it fall to be broken against the street silently. "...You know the answer to that question yet?" You ask, somehow knowing he would guess what question you meant.

He exhales a breath and it clouds before him. "I never said I didnt know the answer."

You hestaite, then say it anyway. "Why are you so reluctant to tell me Valentine?" You ask. "I mean, youve never been one to shy the truth before."

He throws you a disturbingly annoyed look. "Maybe I like the scenery then."

You smile slightly, glad to have gotten under his skin. "The bar or its tender? Didnt know you were into kickboxers, you aughta give Tifa your number."

He sighes softly and crosses his arms. "Are you really that thick?" He asks, then shakes his head. "Think on it."

You frown and watch him pass you, heading back into the shadows to disapear from sight. What did that mean? Maybe he was just into watching people dance, or watching them flirt or something. As caught up in your thoughts as you are you miss the ending of your smoke and curse when it burns your lip. You drop it and grind it into the street.

Then it hits you.

Maybe you werent the only one looking forward to the sundays you worked with Tifa when he would be nowhere one minute and sitting in his spot the next, watching you. You smile suddenly, glad that the whole puzzle had fallen into place and that you had Vincent Valentine watching you like a lovesick moggle.

Life was good.

You rub your stinging lips softly and contunie your walk home thinking, better than good really.

x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x

Wednesday was a welcome releif from your week of Rufus related meetings and the annoyingly paraniod thoughts swinging between whether you were wrong about the gunman and he was really into Tifa, or that you would die from the stress before sunday even turned up again. When you enter 7th Heaven things are a mess. There are only a few customers but Tifa is having a mental breakdown or something. She sees you and charges, thrusting a midnight blue apron into your hands.

"Thank god your here!" She panted. "I need to get to the hospital! Shera's having her baby early and Barrets a mess!"

"In other words you want me to mind the bar?" You translate with a smirk.

She blushed. "Sorry, yes. I cant just kick every one out and I trust you enough by now."

"Im touched." You jibe, wiping at invisable tears.

She slaps at your arm playfully but you feel her force behind it and take the apron. "Send my smirk." You call.

She chuckles but is half way out the door and you barely hear it. You make your way to the deserted bar, tying the apron around your waist as you go and shaking your head at the breeding rate of these people. It still surprises you that Tifa hasnt popped out a few upstairs...though she has those orphans...maybe she cant.

You tie back your hair with a nearby elastic band and begin filling glasses and taking money.

This time though you catch him off guard as he stalks in, though it surprises you he's here he wont know that. "Vodka with ice?" You smirk in his direction, letting him know he's caught.

He inclines his head in agreement and takes a stool beside the bar. He sits and accepts his drink with another silent glass tilt in thanks.

You turn away and fill another order, letting him sit in silence. When you return you lean against the bar beside him.

"Sunk in yet then?" He asks, breaking the silence once more.

"Dunno." You tell him. "Depends."

"On what exactly?" He asks, that eyebrow arching delecatly once more.

"Whether or not im right." You confess with a small unsure smirk. "Dont want to make a fool of myself."

"Bit late for that isnt it?" He informs you.

You shake your head, but recognise his humor this time and smile slightly. "Maybe, but I prefer to save face wherever posible."

He sips from his glass slowly and you sigh, turning back to the customers that need refills and the like. Maybe you were wrong. He seems all to ready to wait you out. You sigh as you tilt the glass into the bottle of whisky to better pour it. As you hand it to the waiting customer he speaks again.

"Are you going to tell me what you think I mean?" He asks, searching your eyes.

You sigh. "Hang on, I finish at three." You offer. "Can you wait until then?"

He inclines his head, but a little to quickly, giving way to his impatience. You are taken aback slightly, not expecting the gunman to ever want to speed things up. He usually seems the type for long planning and thought.

You move on anyway. Despite your jesting it means alot to you to have actually earnt Tifa's trust. You cant just expect the bar to watch itself. As you work though he stays in the forefront of your mind and the corner of your eye, and the hours tick by slowly.

Eventually though the lunch opening ends and you can ask the guests to leave, the same way Tifa does. As you turn over the OPEN sign to CLOSED you turn back to the raven haired man still sipping slowly from his glass.

"Shoot." Came the request. "Tell me what you think then."

You run a hand through your hair and sigh ever so softly. "I really dont want to be wrong about this."

Vincent tried another way. "Why dont you want to be wrong?"

"You wont just spell it you for me will you?" You groan, falling into the stool beside him. "If I tell you what I think and its wrong it will seriously change the way you see me."

He stands and places his cup down on the bar with a soft clink. "So far you sound right." He comments.

Your confidents rises slightly. "I want to tell you what I think, because I guess I want you to be thinking it." You admit. Even as the words spill from your lips you try to pull them back. There goes the point of no return. You think whistfully.

"And you say I wont spell it out." He sighes. Then turns to face you, headband slipping slightly. He steps forward, closer towards you. Your breath catches in surprise and your back straightens, stiffening against the bar. There are now mere inches between you and you can feel his oh-so-warm breath against your cheek. "What do you want me to think?" He breathes.

Your breath leaves you in a gasp. "Whatever your thinking, so long as it involves lips."

You catch his smile, that same beautiful and rare distraction as before but this time your mind is immediatly pushed away from it as he leans in closer. "Maybe your not as thick as I thought." He breathes then your lips meet softly and a giddy shot of adrenaline shoots through you, like a reward for being right. Your hands move on their own to clutch the worn red material of his cloak and tug him closer, hinting for him to deepen the kiss.

He tilts his head and obliges, tongue swiping across your lower lip like a hot drink before it slides pass teeth to slow to move in time. His breath has an almost minty taste to it. You pull on his coat again, liking the taste and nearly fall from the stool. His hands move like lightning to your waist, steading you easily. He doesnt stop kissing you though, his tongue plundering your mouth with considerable skill.

He steps between your legs to get closer and the hands on your waist move higher. They slip under the soft white shirt, grazing ever so lightly across your skin. You shiver at the chill of his metalic claw. He pulls back and his hands move slightly, golden claw retreating at your tremble, as if suddenly ashamed of the replaced arm.

"Dont." You whisper, shaking your head. You lean forward, torso pushing into his hands. "Just cold." You explain at his almost invisable confusion. The feel of his metalic hand is foreign but not unpleasant. He steps closer again, though there isnt the room for a full step, and kisses the tender skin on the underside of your chin.

"It'll heat up." He promises softly before his tongue traces the spot beneath his lips, making you jump with surprise. Your eyes flutter closed as he sucks softly, drawing a hickey to your skin just under your chin. You make an agreeable noise, though your mind is so distracted you dont know its audiable until the sucking pressure increases slightly, showing he appreciated the acknowledgement. His lips move again, brushing over your adams apple and making your breath hitch. The kiss repeats on your collerbone, hands moving back onto your hips. Your hands are on his chest now, beneath the cloak but above the black silk shirt underneath it.

Your breath is raspy but your pleased to note that his is too. His lips are moving again, leaving that tingling, marked patch of skin. As promised his golden claw is warm against your skin. Or maybe its just you, your skin feverish beneath his touch. You cant remember a time you were this turned on, this pleased to just let someone kiss you to their hearts content. You tremble again as his hands move up, the sharp nails and gold fingertips dragging across the soft skin there and drawing goosebumps all over your body.

Your hands grasp again at the silk shirt and he smiles softly against the small spot under your ear, his lips twitching in that to rare way against your skin. "Enjoying yourself then?" He asks.

You feel a streak of wickedness at his smug words and abruptly push forward, grinding against him and his ever tightning pants. "Im not the only one Vincent." You inform him.

He steadies himself back into position, mouth once again at your ear. "Never said you were." He reminds you, hands dancing as they move.

You almost want to chuckle but cant, breath held as his tongue suddenly traces your ear, making you shudder anew. Your eyes choose now to flutter closed again and your in no state to object. He closes whatever breaths still keep you apart and pulls back to claim your lips once more. Suddenly he pulls back, not slowly or sensually like he had been but hurried, as if he suddenly came to his sences.

That thought spurrs you out of your daze and you open your eyes immediatly.

"Oops." He comments quietly, but his small smile is there again and you realise two things in quick succesion. One, your bare chest is suddenly very chilled and two, there is a noise suspiciously giggle-like coming from the staff entrance.

He moves back and you slide off the stool feeling guilty though apart from dishes you were due for your end of shift anyway. "Hya Teef." You call with a smile, though you scratch the back of your neck sheepishly. "Boy or girl?"

She beams, though her giggle is still bubbling on the surface. "Girl." She tells you, eyes passing between you and the silent gunman. "Are you going to explain?"

You look to Vincent. Suddenly you notice the slightest of pinks to his cheeks, a blush on the so well gaurded man.

"I waited until I was off." You assure her. "Tips are in the jar. I just have the dishes to take care of." You tell the woman, though thats not what she meant and you know it. That blush was going a long way to distracting you, even further than that beautiful smile.

She shakes her head, her smile not flailing in the least. "Fine then, you just wait until Yuffie stops in next, she will drain every detail from you." She warns you, then looks to the dishes. "But who am I to hold you from your...lets call it fun. Go on then, ill clean up."

You grin at her brilliantly and wink. "I owe ya one."

He smiles too, that soft smile and you can practically see Tifa melting at the sight of it. He inclines his head and leaves, moving swiftly.

"Hang on a moment." Tifa asks of you.

You pause, though you keep your eyes on the pale man. It wouldnt do for him to change his mind and run off.

"If you hurt him we will kill you." She informs you, her voice as threatening as her words. "He's like a brother to us."

That makes you turn to her. "Tifa, I couldnt hurt him if my life depended on it." Despite her your assurances she doesnt look convinced so you continue. "Ive wanted Vincent to kiss me for as long as ive known him and I wont be the one to end it, trust me."

Finally she throws you a smile. "Glad to hear it. Your a good bartender, wouldnt want to have to kill ya."

You wave back lazily and leave the club, following his footsteps.

"Fun seems like a very good idea to me." He comments as you leave. "Ive wanted to have Fun with you for a very long time now."

You grin. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit Vincent."

He shrugs. "So is smoking." He smiles. "But I wouldnt ask you to give it up." He pulls his lighter from his pocket and regards it thoughtfully. "Then what use would I be?"

You shake your head. "I happen to want you, thats a good reason but...I would stick around just for the...lets call it fun, with Vincent Valentine. Who just has to blush to turn me on."

"Oh, now thats just sappy." He comments. "Didnt know you were a romantic Reno."

"Didnt know you were a good kisser." You reply. "Want to continue the conversation somewhere more Fun friendly?"

"Lead the way." He agrees softly, with the faintest trace of a blush on his cheeks and a smile on his lips.

x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.x

Authors Note:

I know know, not the greatest of ending but how can I say this? The pairing was kinda turning me on and I was scared to continue and make it a (kinky, misspelt, badly grammered, bretah hitching, gasp lifting, grinding, pounding, slapping, moaning...ehem) Fun filled lemonfest. So sorry!

Love ya all,

Jaffa

xxxooo