Hello, my freaky darlings!

Here I am, with ANOTHER stripper story. But this one is for Alphonseelric22 who requested this piece ages ago. I'm so sorry that I didn't get to it sooner, dear!

So here we are! An extra sexy piece of Valenwind entitled "Heaven's Only Haven"!

Vincent:

I looked at my father across the desk. "How bad is it, Dad?"

He refused to meet my gaze. "Heaven's mortgaged to the hilt, V. And you're the only dancer drawing any crowd, let alone a decent-sized one."

I'd known it was bad when he'd asked me to come home a month ago. I'd given up a pole in one of the hottest clubs in a larger city and bigger tips in the hopes of pulling Dad's dream out of the hole. But, apparently, a well-paid, well-trained exotic dancer couldn't do that, no matter how big of crowds he drew.

"Grimoire, we need to go over these accounts before we op- Oh. Vincent."

Dad's mousy business partner Lucrecia Cresent slipped into the office. She was a slight woman with a lavish chest and a grip like a bear, which I remembered just in time for here to slide her arms around me in an unwanted hug.

"Hey," I returned, ignoring my annoyance at her action. There had been a reason I'd avoided the woman like the plaque for a month! "How's Sephiroth?" I asked, trying to remind myself why I put up with the blasted woman. She was the mother of my childhood friend and damned if the cold hearted SOB didn't have a bizarre Mommy complex.

She smiled at the mention of her son. "He's still hanging out with Angeal and Gen," she told me, her nose wrinkling is disapproval, "but he's doing quiet well."

I pulled away from her carefully, trying not to make it seem hurried and annoyed or hasty and rude. "I gotta go, Dad. I have to be ready to dance my numbers tonight." I walked around his desk to give him a hug.

He hugged me back tightly. "I'm sorry, V."

I tightened my hold for an instant, whispering, "It's you dream, Dad. I'm sorry I didn't come home sooner."

We released each other slowly and I headed for my dressing room.

Grimorie:

As the door closed behind my son, I set my head in my hands.

"Grim?" Lucresia asked, worried.
"I just pulled him into my troubles. And he came willingly, because I asked him to." I hated that I had burdened Vincent.

She rested her hands on my sagging shoulders. "Grim, if you hadn't told him, he would have gotten angry and bullied it out of you. You're his dad. He loves you, and he wants to help you."

Lucresia's words -although true- didn't make me feel any better. Vincent had only me when he was growing up, and he loved me enough for me and his dearly departed mother, God rest her soul. But my son had one hell of a Daddy complex, not that I could really blame that all on him. We'd fed each other's need for human contact, and now we found ourselves a bit co-dependent, even though we were both strong-willed individuals. But I was a bit concerned that at 22, he had never had a single serious relationship.

"Grimoire, stop brooding and help me," my partner demanded, dragging my attention back to the task at hand.

Worry about Heaven now. Worry about Vincent later, I commanded myself.

Vincent:

Tifa was working in the sound booth, adjusting knobs and levers while half-heartedly arranging CDs. She looked up at me like I was saving her from tedium, a bright smile on her face. "What can I do for you, V?"

I smiled at the pretty, shapely brunette who had been my childhood friend. "I have three numbers tonight, so I thought I'd get the songs to you as soon as I could." I handed her my mix disk, the lime green sticky note telling her which songs and what time. "Fridays were always the best nights to work at Ren's," I remarked. "But here, they treat it like a death sentence."

She smiled at that. "People seem to think they have to have a date for Friday night." She looked at the sticky note. "Three? Are you sure you won't get tired, V?"

I gave her my famed dead-pan look. "Ti, I did five songs a night with barely enough time for a costume change between them for the last six months I worked at Ren's. I think I'm up for this."

She looked taken aback at my defensive nature, then she relaxed again and nodded at me. "Sorry. It's just that most of the dancers we have here wouldn't even dream of doing two songs in one evening."

"Then Grimoire needs to look for different dancers or be harder on the one's he's got," I returned. "At Ren's, no dancer would have ever turned down more songs. More songs means more tips, which means there's more money to spread around in your budget."

Tifa eyed me. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Call your father that." Her frown deepened. "You're too close for that."

"I don't want to shove it in anyone's face that I'm the boss's son, Ti. That's just asking for trouble." I ran a rough hand through my dark hair. "I need to warm up. Can you put on a bit of music for me?"

"Of course," she returned, her smile resurrected. "Besides, I love watching you move out there."

A smiled pulled at the edges of my lips. "That's what everyone says. Gods, I think I've even seen Sephiroth in here to watch."

Tifa wrinkled her nose. "I don't like him, V. How do you put up with him?"

"Usually, Angeal and Genesis are around to help counter the chill. The three of them together are a lot of fun, actually." My smile began a smirk. "Angeal drunk is hilarious and Sephiroth gets warmer when he's a bit tipsy."

She punched my arm. "Go warm up, V, while you still have time."

A smile on my lips, I stepped up on the stage, using a pole for leverage. She hit play and I let the music lead me, closing my eyes and reaching out for the beath with both hands. It was another song off the disc I'd handed her, something I'd found with a dark, sensual rythym. My eyelids slid open as I found my way to a pole.

Tifa smiled. "You look so happy when you're dancing, V. You seem so free.," she said softly, almost reverently. "Why didn't you do something else dance related?"

I kept moving. "I'm too muscular for ballet, too headstrong to be a backup dancer, and I don't have enough patience to teach or choreograph."

She made a noise of agreement.

I smiled, a real, true smile. "I chose this because dancing is my first and only love, Ti. It gives me wings."

So how'd I do for part one? XD

I promise, it gets better, but you have to understand that these things are important to the plot. Well, other than the Lucrecia thing. That was in there mostly 'cause I am not very fond of her, and neither is the person who requested this story.

So! Please, please review! Let me know how you like it!