By: Albedosreqium / Soyna

Warnings and Genre:
Brokenlikemypast and/or Tifa-amy-lockheart wanted a romantic Vincent and Sephiroth.

T: A little bit angsty and sappy… so romantic?

BETA: Self beta… I didn't screw up to badly, did I?

Setting:
After all has been said and done from FF7… after Advent and Dirge.

Disclaimer
All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©. Do not profit from this endeavour.

Summary:
Sephiroth appears and Vincent is the one that watches him.

SINS

Vincent's first instinct when he saw Sephiroth standing by the pool in Lucrecia's cave was to kill him.

He drew his gun, aimed but he did not pull the trigger. The way the figure was standing at the edge of the pool and the sudden slump of his shoulders stopped him. The following heart wrenching sob, which echoed through the cave, made him return his gun to his holster and all thoughts of killing the man were gone. The painful cry echoed through his own soul.

The anguished plea was followed by another. The large silver-haired man collapsed to his knees. He brought his hands to his face as if he were trying to hide the tears from the woman encased in the crystal before him. Vincent watched as the man seemed to become smaller in his grief and after a considerable length of time cried out a single word.

"Why?"

Vincent could hear the familiar anguish in the word; a question that he had asked repeatedly to the woman in the crystal. He had never been able to get an appropriate answer to help ease the pain that he had endured.

He stayed back in the shadows and watched. Vincent wondered briefly why Sephiroth was here and how he had returned. He pushed back the thoughts of things he had no control or understanding of. Gaia worked in mysterious ways and he had learned that sometimes you just had to accept what was presented.

Sephiroth sobbed, eventually moving into a position where he was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest and his face buried into his knees. He had slowly raised his head and in a soft voice that Vincent would not have heard if it were not for his enhancements, "I wish you cou-could have…," before the words were lost in another agonizing sob.

Vincent felt a fresh stab of guilt. It was his fault that she had not been there for her son; another one of his sins. Sephiroth could have been more if he had not allowed things to happen as they did.

He watched the beautiful silver haired man exhaust himself with his tears, as he eventually slumped into a hapless pile of anguish, curled in the fetal position; a position that Vincent used to often find himself in when his emotions claimed him.

Vincent was able to examine the sleeping fallen hero. He did not get to close, but he was able to see his pale face that was dirty with tears and still twisted with sorrow. Vincent could no longer cry. All his tears had dried up long ago, but he remembered vividly nights wallowing in the same type of sorrow.

He knew when a someone was broken and Sephiroth was a man in need of healing.

So Vincent stayed out of sight and watched to see if Sephiroth could heal. He didn't know if it was truly safe to approach the ex-General. Vincent truly desired to find out more about why he had returned and was at the sacred cave.

When Sephiroth woke, he washed his face in the pool of water and seemed to gain a semblance of control that he did not have the day before. He strode with the purpose of a man that he had once been, even though the illusion was broken when he hesitated at the entrance of the cave, giving the woman in the crystal a long look.

He followed at a distance, wondering what he was going to do next. He watched him walk the rough terrain. Sephiroth didn't seem to have a direction; it was almost like he was scouting the area. He did eat some berries that he found and stole some 'normal' looking clothes from some lines and bundled them under his arm.

That was when Vincent noticed that Sephiroth did not have a weapon. Sephiroth had tentatively reached over his shoulder a few times when he encountered monsters, but the blade did not appear. He fought them with his hands, but he seemed to be having more difficulty than he should have.

He was a bit alarmed a few times to see Sephiroth struggling in his fighting but allowed the man to go through the motions. It was if his reflexes were not working as they should.

Death had a way of changing a person.

Vincent nearly showed himself when he broke into a small cabin. He knew the cabin was only used for hunting in the fall so there was no threat to any people. He watched as Sephiroth emerged looking like a man instead of a General.

He wore the clothes that he stole and looked remarkably normal in the snug light blue jeans and loose fitting tan t-shirt. He still wore his black boots that came to his knees and the leather gloves on his hands. He still looked lovely with his long silver hair reaching nearly to his knees and swaying as he walked. Sephiroth then went back to a shed in the back and came out with a small bag of simple supplies and a hatchet before he returned to the cave.

Vincent watched as Sephiroth made the cave his home between bouts of tears and emotions. He used the hatchet to cut some wood so that on cold nights, he would make a fire and cook the small prey that he was able to catch. Sephiroth never said a word but there were the constant barrage of sorrow filled sobs and Vincent found himself being drawn him even further. He was starting worry about the broken man and wanted to comfort him.

He noted that Sephiroth was not finding enough food. The ex-General did not want to go to the next town as the nearest was Nibelhiem. He was loosing some weight and his formerly tight jeans started to become loose. Vincent began to grow worried about this development.

Vincent easily resolved this problem by bringing the anguished man some food. Sephiroth had been confused by the simple bag of fruits and dried meats that he left for him on the small bed that Sephiroth had made for himself.

The silver haired man looked around frantically and looked almost panicked at the gift. Vincent resisted the urge to go to the man and tell him that he would be there for him. He did not know how he could explain the urge to do so. Sephiroth eventually calmed and examined the food closely before he ate it eagerly, his bright green eyes still darting rapidly around the cave.

He knew he was being watched now and Sephiroth behaved as such. It did not stop Vincent from observing him. He wanted to ensure that the distressed man had enough food to eat, so that he would not become too weak. Sephiroth's eyes constantly searched for him but Vincent knew how to hide himself until he was ready to make his appearance.

Eventually Sephiroth went about his solitary existence not bothering to worry about where the food was coming from.

Sephiroth cried every day. He would kneel in front of Lucrecia and stare at her. He wouldn't ask her any questions or plead with her like he did that first day. He would just stare at her, as if he were waiting for her to answer.

He knew from experience, that she did not answer any longer and when she did, it was just as painful to hear. It was better not to have known the answer that he got from her in the past.

It was Sephiroth's first nightmare that brought him out of hiding. Vincent had been startled violently out of his light sleep as a horrible scream echoing through the cavern. He immediately turned his attention to where Sephiroth usually slept. The bare chested man was kneeling on his blanket that he used for a bed. He let out some gut wrenching sobs as he held his stomach.

He could see, from where he was watching, the tears coming out of those pained green eyes. Sephiroth threw his head back and let out a scream that seemed to make the cave walls shake. He just about rushed to him, wanting so desperately to comfort him.

He watched as Sephiroth gave a small gasp, dealing with the pain of his own soul twisting anguish before he leaned forward, his hair sweeping to hide his face. This seemed to anger Sephiroth as he grabbed the silver hair and twisted it in a fist. Vincent was immediately alarmed as he saw him reach for the hatchet.

Vincent reached him too late to stop him.

He stood in front of the kneeling man who had the small hatchet in one had and now his shorn hair in the other. His bright tear filled eyes looked up at him with uncertainty. He dropped the axe and the hair so that they fell on either side of him.

"You are the one who has been watching me," Sephiroth said with a cracking voice.

Vincent nodded.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Sephiroth's voice was becoming stronger and his eyes wandered to the gun Vincent wore at his side. The ex-General sat back on his heels and rested his hands on his jeaned legs. His eyes wandered to the pile of silver hair that he had roughly removed from himself.

"I didn't think it was necessary," Vincent said noting that Sephiroth's eyes no longer had slits that were once his well known trait. He had her eyes now.

"You brought me the food?" Vincent nodded and swallowed at how confused and emotional Sephiroth looked; how different he looked with human emotions showing on his face. Tears were still falling down his cheeks as if he had no control over them.

"Why wasn't it necessary?" Sephiroth asked and clenched his hands tightly against his legs. The ex-General lowered his gaze to avoid looking at him.

"Why are you here?" Vincent countered. He was not ready to explain he couldn't kill him after hearing his painful cry and understanding his pain. He highly doubted that he would be believed.

"She sent me back," Sephiroth whispered as he looked at his hands. "I did not wish to return."

"Aeirth." Vincent received a small nod from the former General.

"She is doing it to torture me for killing her and her boyfriend. She told me all that had happened and who… who my real mother was. I didn't ask to be sent here." Sephiroth's eyes wandered to the woman in the crystal. "There was so much that I-I didn't know." His strong voice cracked and broke. "How am I supposed to redeem myself?"

Vincent knelt in front in front of Sephiroth and matched his pose, by placing his hands on his knees. "How have you searched for redemption?"

"I don't want it!" Sephiroth yelled and it echoed in the cavern. His eyes glowed fiercely with his internal anguish. "Why would I need redemption?" One of Sephiroth's hands rubbed his stomach, over the scar that haunted him.

"You are now truly given another chance," Vincent whispered in return, unable to resist the temptation of reaching forward to place his ungauntleted hand onto the bare pale one that was clutching at his own leg. He felt the man tense but he did not pull away. "You would throw away a chance such as this?"

"Why do I deserve another chance?" Sephiroth whispered. "Why? I used the others… poorly. I have done nothing that should warrant me this chance."

"Nothing?" Vincent said gripping the hand tighter. "You were not always influenced by Jenova. You no longer seem to be under the influence of her. Don't you remember what you once were?"

"I remember all to well, what I am." Sephiroth spoke through his clenched teeth.

"What you were," Vincent corrected. "The man you were would never be sitting before me."

"I…," Sephiroth started but fell silent. They sat kneeling in front of each other for awhile; Sephiroth obviously trying to sort through his thoughts. Vincent examined the beautiful man as he went through his inner contemplation with awe. How different things would have been if he had been there for her. He knew that he could not change what was done in the past, but he could do things differently now.

Vincent squeezed Sephiroth's hand and raised his claw to place a sharp finger underneath the man's chin. He forced the angular and strong face to look at him. Vincent could feel the anguish written on Sephiroth's face.

"You need not bear the pain alone," Vincent whispered.

He saw Sephiroth swallow visibly. "Are you going to suffer with me?"

The green eyes focused on his with an intensity that sent a thrill up Vincent's spine. "There is no need for you to suffer alone. We all have sins and seeking redemption need not be alone," Vincent whispered. He crooked his finger to encourage the man to lean forward slightly and was grateful when he did so.

The green eyes closed and Vincent was pleased at the feeling as their lips touched. Sephiroth's mouth didn't move and Vincent took the initiative by moving his lips softly against the tentative ones. He removed his finger from his chin and moved it to the back of his head, allowing himself to run his clawed hand through the newly shorn hair. The kiss deepened slightly as Sephiroth moved his lips to match his, but Vincent did not push further than he thought he could bear.

Vincent pulled back, but kept his metal fingers running through his hair and kept the stunning face close to his own. Sephiroth looked confused and was panting slightly.

"Are you offering to help me with my sins?" Sephiroth's voice was unsure and shook as he spoke.

Vincent smiled. "I will help you with all that you need." Sephiroth did not stop him when he encouraged him to lean forward for another kiss.

*sigh* It got all angsty. I hope you like it and it meets your expectations. This was a challenge and I edited this thing to absolute death, so there are probably still mistakes. :iconBrokenlikemypast: and/or :Tifa-amy-lockheart: -- I was really tested by this challenge.

Another divergence from my normal writing style and normal couples that I work with, but I enjoyed the challenge. I hope it comes across well.