Possession

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own these guys. LOL

Author's Notes: Cloud/Sephiroth with a side-dish of Cid/Vincent pre-slash. Vague spoilers of… everything. This bit of rambling (and it rambles!) insanity is four years in the making, so if it doesn't make any sense, don't worry, I just have to post it so my muses shut up about it. Reviews welcome, even if it's to laugh at my incoherency. Thanks for bearing with me!

He was distracted and he knew it. For years he would wake up restless and tired, dreams haunting him even in daylight. Vivid, passionate, violent dreams of things that had been, things that might be.

And the impossible. Those were the dreams he had most. Impossible things of warmth and kindness given to him by a man that was no longer among the living. They chased him like dogs, leaving him without peace.

Forced him out amongst the city, hoping to sort himself out… Only it seemed to get worse with every passing day.

That's where Cloud found himself today, aimlessly wondering Midgar's streets, trying to lose himself for a while. For some reason though, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

But he couldn't mistake the voice that unexpectedly called his name. "Cloud…?"

He hesitated and, waiting for the dissolution that meant he was dreaming, closed his eyes, wishing with all his being, 'Please, let this be real…!' Gathering his courage, he turned and stopped breathing for a moment. Sephiroth. Here in Midgar. Right before him, alive and whole.

He stepped towards Sephiroth unthinkingly, not knowing what this confrontation would be. The crowd parted as Cloud moved, Sephiroth mirroring his cautious steps in a fashion that could only be described as intense.

"Cloud? Is that really you? Finally! Someone I recognize." Sephiroth grinned, his Mako-green eyes flashing as he scanned the crowd. "Where's Zack? He's usually with you."

Shaking his head, Cloud became defensive, fearing a trick. "Zack died, years ago. You know that." They continued circling each other, unconsciously; drawing close enough to analyze, to touch. To strike. That's when Cloud noticed. The subtle change in Sephiroth's tone, the clearness in the flashing green eyes. No madness. Cloud's strategy shifted, testing.

"Where did you come from? Why are you here?"

Sephiroth stopped dead in his tracks. "I don't know. I fell asleep in Nibelheim and woke up in the SOLDIER barracks in Sector Four. No one was there." The general looked disquieted. "What happened? Was the mission scrubbed? Was I sick?" Disquiet shifted into fear. "Why don't I remember? What happened, Cloud?"

Cloud seized the sudden and overpowering impulse to take this lost soul into his arms; Sephiroth not hesitating to return it.

Then Cloud's world flashed to white nothingness, Aerith stepping into view. "I thought you might want him back."

"I didn't think you had that kind of power."

"I can do a great deal more."

Cloud bared his teeth as the gravity of her words sunk in. "You removed the Jenova cells."

"No. I absolutely destroyed the madness that made Sephiroth easy for Jenova to control. If you took the cells, he would no longer be Sephiroth." Aerith made sense, but…

"Why? Why give him to me?"

"You think I do this only for his sake? So he can find redemption?" Her laughter was a quiet thing. "Cloud, you're too quick to trust and you always seem to attract those that betray you the most. Maybe he can heal the scars to your pride and your heart." Aerith's smile became sad. "A warning, before I release you. Tell him everything that has happened since Mt. Nibel. Everything."

Cloud lurched back into reality and tightened his arms around Sephiroth's neck, resting his temple against a pale cheek. "I will explain, old friend. But not here. Let's go home."

The old church had not changed much on the outside. Even though most of the exterior walls had been rebuilt, it still had the gaping hole over the walkway near the pulpit, unseen from the front doors. The place looked brand new.

Cloud opened the doublewide doors for Sephiroth quietly, so as not to disturb anyone that might be at the pool inside. "After you."

"What is this place?" Sephiroth's voice carried through the great room while he glanced around. He saw the neatly arranged pews, the tall and ornate pillars, and the serene pool that rippled in the middle of the room.

"This belonged to a friend, before she died. It was in ruins until we repaired it. The pool is actually a lot bigger, but we built the floor over most of it so that the main room could still be used." Cloud smiled proudly. "This church was redesigned as an orphanage that we all run." He escorted Sephiroth past the pool and pulpit, opening a door in the back wall.

"This is the kitchen and dining hall." Flipping open a lighter that he had picked up off the bar top, he lit the candle next to the door.

"Cloud, why don't you use proper light in here, like you do in the main room?"

Cloud frowned, Mako-intense blue eyes flashing as he started lighting the rest of the candles off the first. "The children like it." He shrugged. "Please, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" he asked as he finished his circuit of the room. "You still like beer?"

"Of course." Sephiroth watched him walk to the icebox and back, Cloud twisting off the metal caps with his teeth as they sat at a table and suddenly Sephiroth asked, "Cloud… why didn't your eyes turn green, like every other SOLDIER recruit who had Mako injections?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Cloud spit the bottle caps onto the table before answering. "The bioengineer said it's because of too much saturation. Vincent isn't the same either, but I never understood it." He handed a beer to his former commander and grinned a little hysterically, at least it seemed that way to Sephiroth. "Sorry, but it's hard to start. Please remember, no matter what, that this was outside everyone's control except Jenova's. And she's dead."

So he began the tale, beginning with Sephiroth's "parents", the destruction of Nibelheim and Zack's murder. 7th Heaven and AVALANCHE. Finding the others. North Cave. The Cetra, their City and the Planet with her Weapons. Hojo, ShinRa, the crater.

Sephiroth sat in silence, absorbing what Cloud was telling him and nursing his beer. He felt like laughing at absurdity of it all. Felt like crying from the horror of it. So he sat instead, disturbed by the story, listening to the young man who sounded more like a battle hardened SOLDIER instead of the green recruit he once knew.

Cloud was halfway through the recounting of the battle of Safer Sephiroth when Cid and Vincent burst through the back door that led to Cid's workshop.

Vincent had Cid's arm wrapped up in his headband, holding it tightly against his own chest and Cid was cursing everything from screwdrivers to Lady Luck herself.

Sephiroth and Cloud jumped up to help, Sephiroth pulling to door open wide for them. Vincent turned his head, looking to offer thanks. Before Cid or Cloud had registered what was happening, Vincent had pulled Cid against his chest, shifting to shield his friend with his body and was pointing his pistol between Sephiroth's glowing green eyes.

"Vincent! Wait! You don't understand. It's safe, we're safe. He won't do any harm." Cloud shoved himself between the gunslinger and his intended target; all eyes focused on him in surprise. "He's got no memory and no madness. We are safe."

Flicking his crimson eyes up to Sephiroth and back to Cloud, Vincent nodded once, curtly, and holstered his pistol. "Although I trust you Cloud, I want a detailed explanation after we fix Cid."

It took a moment to convince Vincent to release his friend and, while Cloud was pushing Cid up to the kitchen counter, Vincent was tapping seemingly random places on his gauntlet, leaving blood smears on the gleaming metal. Hissing when the connections disengaged, Vincent wrenched the hated thing off and dropped it on the counter. His arm was riddled with female connection ports, the male connecters hidden inside the gauntlet.

Cloud winced, looking at all the blood coming out of Cid's forearm. "What the hell did you do Cid? Tried to poke Vincent in the ribs again?" Vincent answered instead.

"Repairing the flaps on the Bronco and sliced his arm open with a screwdriver. Damn stupid thing to do." Vincent unwrapped Cid's arm carefully, quickly folding the headband and inadvertently adding more to the mess that already streaked his hands up to the elbows. Cloud was rushing to wipe off the blood flowing out of Cid's arm with some of the cleaner kitchen towels, both him and Vincent trying to get a good look at the wound. Finally Vincent snatched the towels from Cloud and sent him to get a needle, thread and a clean, damp towel.

"Cid. You need stitches. Again. Why do you always need stitches?" Vincent sounded exasperated and amused. "Now, can I stitch you up without having to restrain you or do you need it?"

"Shit, Vincent. You know I can't control the God damned fidgeting while you're sticking me. So you might as well tie me to a damned chair."

Vincent shrugged. "As you will."

Cloud handed over the items he was sent for and sat down as Sephiroth took his seat across from Cloud's, watching Cid quickly settle himself in the chair and Vincent unclasp his cloak, hanging it over the chair back.

Flinching a little as Vincent slid his seat closer to the table, Cid couldn't help himself and asked, "And just what are you going to truss me up with anyways, because I don't think we have any spare rope left."

Looking at Cid, Vincent bit through the cotton thread and easily pushed it through the needle eye. He swiftly slid into Cid's lap and looked straight into his eyes from over his shoulder. "Simple. You see this needle?" He waved it in front of Cid so that it caught his attention. "You know what kind of dead aim I have." Cid nodded, paling. "You blink wrong and I will put this shiny piece of steel through your hand. Understand?"

Cid nodded while Cloud added, "You don't have to be so abrasive, Vincent."

Self-consciously, Vincent looked at his patient and then back to the gash that was still oozing, snaking his arm to lay to the left of Cid's and awkwardly laced their fingers together. Cid grasped Vincent's hand. "If it hurts too much, don't be afraid to use pressure." Vincent whispered and shifted so that his back was firmly against Cid's chest, wriggling so his legs tangled with the pilot's on either side of the chair.

Cid groaned deep in his chest as Vincent moved and though Vincent didn't know if he had actually heard it, he definitely felt it.

All of Cid's expected responses vanished as Vincent threw him a surprised look over his shoulder, needle hovering bare millimeters over the tender flesh of his inner forearm. Cid blushed and mumbled, "Tell you later."

"I will be expecting it." Vincent replied, further surprised. "Ready?"

Cid squeezed his hand briefly. "No, but let's get this over with."

Sephiroth watched fascinated as Vincent started, asking, "Why not just use Materia?"

Cid looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Kids here are too nosy. We keep them at Tifa's bar so that the kids don't hurt themselves with them. Don't need them for this scratch."

Vincent was fast and efficient, needle dancing in the glow of the candle light. He looked back at Cid about halfway through and told Cid that he wished he could make the stitches smaller. Cid and Cloud laughed. "Vincent, I've hardly had any scars since you started patching me up. And as far as smaller stitches, hell, I don't know a seamstress in town that could do a better job. Don't be so modest."

Nodding, Vincent tried to brush his hair back with his upper arm to keep it from obscuring his vision and was partially successful. He was startled once again when Cid used his good right hand to gather up his hair, twisting it loosely and holding it.

He went back to his work, thoughtfully. The rest sat watching in silence.

Looking up at Sephiroth as he finished the last stitch, he said, "In the cabinet against the far wall, on the bottom shelf, is a bottle of bourbon. Bring it here." Vincent lifted his and Cid's entwined arms and slid the towel under. Sephiroth took a drink then offered the bottle to Cid as he approached the table with it. Cid shook his head at Sephiroth. Shrugging, Sephiroth tried to hand the bottle to Vincent.

"No." Tightening all his muscles, Vincent locked Cid and himself in place. "You ready again, old friend?"

Cid snorted and braced himself. "The answer's still no, but do it anyways."

"Cloud, would you get gauze and tape? A lot of gauze." Vincent looked at Sephiroth. "If you would, Sephiroth?"

Despite his resolution not to move, Cid found his spine arching, his head thrown back, hissing as the alcohol burned where it fell on their arms. Otherwise, he did his best not to struggle or lash out.

It felt like a long eternity later before Cid relaxed into a heap in the chair, Vincent leaning against the pilot's chest as he, too, relaxed. He could feel Cid's heart beneath his shoulder blade, beating madly. Both were panting a little. "I'm amazed you didn't break my hand Cid." Vincent's casual comment was too casual, considering how fragile his left arm was without it's metal encasement.

Cid rubbed his thumb around the edge of the metal-sheathed hole embedded into the knuckle of Vincent's index finger as his friend started cleaning the blood off the pilot's arm with the now alcohol-soaked towel. "I'm amazed you offered Vincent." Chuckling when Vincent continued his task without retort, Cid looked over the man Cloud had brought home. "So, you're Sephiroth, Cloud's friend. Nice to finally meet you. He talks about you all the time." He said, straining to shake Sephiroth's hand without upsetting the gunslinger on his lap.

"Especially in his sleep." Vincent muttered darkly, throwing Cloud a nasty look as he walked back into the kitchen.

Cid and Sephiroth shared a grin, Cloud handing over the bandages and wondering just what the hell was said. Sephiroth's grin widened. "Your lover has a vicious sense of timing, Cid."

Grin turning into a nervous chuckle, Cid chanced a glance at Vincent, who was still on his lap and wrapping his arm with the same graceful efficiency that he did everything. "My… lo… um… We… We're not… Fuck…"

Vincent quietly laughed at Cid and looked up from his task, eyes leveling on Sephiroth. "I'll get back to you on that." Laughing even more as Cid's rambling sputtered to a stop.

Sephiroth sighed. "I'm sorry. You two are just so intimate with each other, I assumed…"

Waving off the excuse, Vincent finished bandaging Cid's arm with a flourish. "Think nothing of it. A common mistake, even though you are one of the few to be so forthright in asking. But, as I said, I'll get back to you on that." He looked back. "All better Chief. Do try and be more careful next time."

"You always tell me that."

"You always ignore it." Vincent grinned and made it a point to slowly slide off Cid's lap. "I'm going to clean up, and unless you want me to return, I'll be reading in my room?"

It was more question than statement and Cloud pounced on it. "Actually, if you would both stay, I'd appreciate it."

Vincent nodded and crooked his finger at Cid. "Come on. It wouldn't hurt if you cleaned up as well."

Cid sighed in mock sorrow. "Sorry guys, but my Master says I can't play yet." He carefully stretched and followed Vincent out.

Cloud grinned and turned back to Sephiroth. "I agree with you, they should have been lovers long ago, but too much has gotten it the way. Too many obligations, too many duties. Now that everything has settled down, maybe they will."

"So, just who are those two?"

"The gentleman getting him arm stitched up is Cid Highwind. He's a pilot, astronaut, engineer and gets very violent with a sharp and pointy stick is in his hands. The other gentleman is Vincent Valentine. He was a TURK before Hojo got him under the knife. Crack shot with a pistol and an insanely good sniper with anything that's got a range.

"They're very dependant on each other. One time, we were still on search and rescue in Sector Five, picking through the ruins. Cid pulled him from the path of a building collapse that would have killed him, augmentation or no. Another time, the three of us were stumbling home drunk and a thief came out of nowhere towards Cid, armed with a knife. Vincent shot him dead without a thought. Best friends doesn't come close to what they've got." Cloud chuckled quietly. "You see one, you'll see the other in moments to minutes. Don't doubt it."

From there they chatted about their SOLDIER days, when Zack was alive and the stunts they pulled to draw Sephiroth out into something resembling a social life. Ignoring, for the moment, the bad things that happened since.

Sure enough and a little later, as Cloud got up for another beer for him and his guest, Cid popped in and asked if he wouldn't mind grabbing two more for him and his "pretty little nurse." Of course, Vincent was right behind him, looking like he was itching to smack Cid for saying that.

Once everyone had settled back down, Cloud picked up where he left off. Of course, Cid and Vincent helped, offering interesting side notes and filling in the gaps. Cloud ended his tale with the defeat of Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz, Vincent picking up the thread, telling Sephiroth of Weiss and DeepGround.

"Unbelievable!" Sephiroth groaned and slumped back into his chair after Vincent had finished. "All this damage caused by me."

"No!" Cloud spat the word with such vehemence that even Cid was startled. "We, all of us, were nothing but tools, weapons, puppets in this. Even you… Especially you. When it was all said and done, none of us had a choice. Not even you, with all your strength and power, could have prevented this."

Reaching across the table, as his friends silently slipped out with their beers, he clasped Sephiroth's large hands in his own. Sephiroth grimaced. "I'm fine. It's just a lot to take in."

Cloud sighed. "I know."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Don't thank me yet. Wait until it's settled in."

The days had started to fly by for Cloud. Between getting Sephiroth back into something like a normal routine, the orphans and deliveries, he had no time to think.

His nights however, crazy and restless as they were before, were now downright sleepless. Sephiroth had so many questions. Sometimes they would stay up until dawn, talking about anything that Sephiroth wanted to know.

Slowly, Cloud started falling back in love with Sephiroth. He thought he'd dealt with it, a long time ago, before this fiasco had even started. Sephiroth was unreachable then, a General, and Cloud was a simple SOLDIER. Would never have happened and he had let it stay as it was, dreams and a stray thought. Now…

Now status didn't matter. Time had changed things. ShinRa didn't exist anymore, they weren't SOLDIERs anymore. But Sephiroth was only curious about what had happened since his death. Still, he ached for something, anything to keep that small hope alive…

The days had progressed into weeks and weeks into months before life settled back down. Integrating Sephiroth into the lives of AVALANCE had actually been easier than Cloud had first thought, once everyone got used to his presence. Barrett had even warmed up to him a little, which was regarded as a minor miracle. What's more, he'd even found a place amongst them, teaching the children the basics of academics since no one else had the patience and know-how for it. Sephiroth joked about it, saying children were better than recruits at learning.

Cloud, however, was waging a silent war within himself.

One the one hand, he had waited so long for this chance, all he had to do was reach out and snatch it. I won't be denied! He thought it in the dead of night, greedy and possessive and willing to do anything to have Sephiroth.

On the other, he knew better. Looking at Sephiroth when they had time to relax he thought, Isn't it enough that he's here and everything is finally alright?

Nothing to break the stalemate, but he thought he had a possible source of advice.

It was easy to talk to Aerith when she was looking for you. She just kidnapped your mind and soul, leaving your body on autopilot while she said her piece and thrust you back into reality. Finding her was a different headache all together. So it never failed to be ironic, to Cloud at least, that Cid had figured out a way.

He divested himself of sword, gloves and anything on his arms that would become soaked. He knelt at the edge of the pool and thrust his arms into the water, all the way to his elbows. "Aerith?" Cloud's call to her was quiet, "Please?" Then he waited. Sometimes she didn't answer, thinking the caller's intentions were too frivolous.

It took longer than Cloud liked, but she finally came.

She knelt on the surface of the water, hands in her lap, looking ageless. Cloud knew this without straightening up, for breaking contact with the water would make her disappear. His mind fed him an image of what he would look like to an observer. Head down, on his hands and knees, quiet. Worshiping.

"As funny as I think you are when your confused, what's going on? I'm not exactly a mind reader."

He sighed. "I don't know what to do with him."

Aerith snorted. "You're doing it. You're helping him regain his humanity."

"That's not what I mean." Cloud gave a huff of frustration. "I'm in love with him, and he's clueless."

"Why are you telling me and not him? I can't do anything about it."

"That's just it! It's not like a normal 'they meet, fall in love, dance around it, and finally get together' scenario." His eyes burned from a thousand emotions. He ignored it. "He's just starting to find his balance in this life. What if I destroy it?"

"You're afraid."

"Very."

"Why?"

"I don't want to drive him to insanity again. I couldn't live with the consequences."

Her next words sounded angry. "I told you, I healed his mind. He can't go that road anymore. What's this really about?"

"I can't face the rejection," he whispered.

"Why would I give him back to you if that's what would happen? What kind of person would I be, when I'm trying to help you, not just him?"

Cloud jerked himself to his feet, shouting, "How would I know?! I'm only human!"

She had left.

Hours later, Sephiroth found him there, kneeling on the floor in front of a stained-glass window. Cloud's eyes still burned in frustration and the Goddess in the glass hadn't calmed him at all. He sounded so tired when he spoke to Sephiroth. "I think I'm more lost than you ever were."

Giving a soft sigh, Sephiroth dropped to his knees in front of Cloud, drawing Cloud's eyes down to meet his. "I don't understand."

"I mean, all you needed was information and you're back into the swing of things." A tear escaped his iron control. "I need you and you're beyond my reach."

Sephiroth scoffed. "Me? Why for? People would throw themselves at your feet if you let them. I've caused too much trouble to be bothered with… Besides, I'd end up hurting you eventually. Do you really want to chance that?"

Blinking hard, Cloud asked, "So if I asked you for a chance, would I get one?"

"Yes, but I still don't recommend it…"

Cloud didn't wait for him to finish, launching at Sephiroth, knocking them both to sprawl on the floor. He was intensely focused as he said, "I won't be denied!" and kissed Sephiroth so fiercely that it stole his breath.

When Cloud started placing bruising kisses down his throat, he came to his senses. "We're in the middle of a church, Cloud."

"Mmm hmm…" Cloud had started undoing his shirt.

"Shouldn't we slow down?"

He stopped. "Do you really want to? Or are just trying to be proper? Because, honestly, we're past the 'getting to know you stage.' I want you and that isn't going to change ever, but we can slow down if you're uncomfortable…"

Sephiroth barked a laugh, pulling Cloud back down. "You amaze me, sometimes."

End

A/N: I was going to write !smut for you guys but… Well, my Muses are perverts and can't stop blush when I even think about it. LOL. I will try with the next one.

Hope you enjoyed!