Title: Companion Piece
Author: unwinding fantasy (formerly Aqua Phoenix1)
Disclaimer: Don't own FFVII.
Rating: K+
Author's Note: This was written for the challenge Erissa posted over at Genesis Awards: "Write a fic about any FF VII characters that contrasts kinds of friendship. Must not be more than 5000 words. Any rating, type and genre." I tried to stick by the guidelines but I'm afraid some of them came out more along the lines of, "The things we do for our friends."
-o-o-
Cid exchanges his dream for a woman. She's fuckin' useless too, tiptoeing 'round the kitchen, putting too much sugar in his tea, staring at him every time he lights up but never daring to utter a word in rebuke. His ears burn when she addresses him as, "Captain," when he overhears her telling the neighbours what a wonderful man he is, when she apologizes. He really fuckin' hates that.
She keeps him grounded.
Eventually, he comes to appreciate it. He even develops a sweet tooth.
Barret sees him every time their daughter fixes him a hazel gaze and says, "Daddy." He hears him whenever he answers, "Yeah, baby?"
These days, he doesn't even bother to lock the front door. Ignoring the muffled oaths, smashing glassware and noisy retching is less of a trial when it's done from the comfort of his bed, head buried beneath pillow and sheets. The mess will still be there in the morning. Rude will clean it up on his own.
(He will lock up his wallet though. Only a fool would trust Reno that far.)
Aeris dies.
Cloud kills Sephiroth quickly -- one merciful strike through chest and heart.
Though he's certain he'll find none, it's for absolution, forgiveness, atonement. It doesn't matter what label he grants it -- on top of the Mako Cannon, his eyes are filled with blood-lust and she knows those pretty words are the farthest thing from his mind.
Tifa makes sure it isn't Vincent who delivers the finishing blow.
Hojo regards his bloody scalpel over the tops of his spectacles and smiles.
Yuffie keeps stealing their materia. It's good to know they'll keep chasing her.
They forgive Reeve. He doesn't forgive himself.
Nanaki lets them call him Red. He helps them save the Planet. He allows their children to pull at his mane, tug on his tail. He watches them grow old.
Nose to the air, he stands at each of their graves and howls and lives on.
Vincent doesn't shoot Yuffie.
Elena likes her boss. Rude doesn't have the heart to tell her Tseng likes brunettes.
Reno does.
The rain has tamed that wild black mane -- sad spikes dangle into his face, heavy and wet. Bullet punctures stand out stark against his shadowed form, holes torn into cloth, metal, flesh. His eyes are dull and his grin is red.
And, "We're friends, right?" echoes relentlessly in Cloud's mind.
-o-o-