A/N: Cid has a bit of a foul mouth in this, but nothing too bad.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.
Let Sleeping Demons Lie
It was nine in the morning, and everyone in AVALANCHE was awake and ready to roll.
Well…almost everyone. Vincent had yet to come down from his room.
"Hey, where's Vince?" Yuffie asked.
Cloud turned to Cid. "You sleep in the room next to him," he said. "Was he awake?"
"Yeh, he said he'd be down," the pilot replied.
"Would you go fetch him, please?"
Grumbling about being the maid, Cid trumped back upstairs. The group faintly heard him say something rude to the black haired man before there was a slam and a yelp, and Cid was moving quickly back downstairs, holding his nose. "Bastard slammed the door in my face!" he exclaimed.
"I'll get him down," Tifa said, moving up the stairs.
She returned soon after, disgruntled. "He just gave me some long explanation on why he wasn't down yet, but I didn't understand half the words he used," she explained.
"Never fear! The Great Ninja Yuffie is here!" She was up the stairs before anyone could blink. Yuffie wasn't back for several minutes. "He didn't even open the door!" she exclaimed when she returned.
Cloud thought for a minute. "Maybe if we all go up we can convince him to come down," the blonde said, after a moment.
Aerith smiled knowingly, but said nothing. She just politely excused herself from joining in the hunt for Vincent.
The rest of the group marched towards the man's room.
Upstairs, there was no sound coming from behind the closed door—which was now locked. The silence continued even after Cloud called for Vincent a few times.
Finally, Cloud had Yuffie pick the lock, and they headed inside to see what was holding up the anti-social man.
Inside, Vincent was sleeping with his back to the door. He didn't move when his name was called again. Only when Barret went over to roughly shake him and tell Vincent he was being a jerk for making them all wait, was the raven-haired man roused.
However, it was not the reaction they were hoping for.
Vincent quickly removed himself from his blankets and glared at the group. "Why do you keep disturbing my slumber?" he growled.
Cloud tried to stammer out his reply, but he was interrupted.
"I am not a morning person, nor will I ever be a morning person. I will sleep until I deem it is the correct time to arise. Do you understand this, you simpletons?"
Cloud nodded with the rest of the group and herded everyone out of the room.
Aerith was still smiling when they all returned. "Didn't work, I see," she said, with a smirk.
They all ignored her.
An hour later, everyone was restless.
"That's it!" Cid yelled, on his fifth cigarette that morning. "I'm not gonna let some big shot, sharpshooter think he can order us around just 'cause he used to be some gods damned Turk!" The blonde stormed back to Vincent's room.
A low growl was heard above, and Cid was soon seen booking it down the stairs, with his shirt and pants now containing several tears in them. A monstrous creature with large wings was chasing after him.
"I've told you to leave me alone. If you can not seem to follow orders, I will gladly kill anyone who thinks themselves to be in charge of me," the thing growled, after he had made it down the stairs.
Everyone had backed up against the walls at this point, too afraid to go anywhere near the bat-like monster. All but Cloud, who stood calmly in the center of the room.
"Vincent?" he asked.
"My name is Chaos," the creature growled, turning on the ex-SOLDIER.
"Chaos, my apologies. I understand that you and Vincent wish to sleep, but the sun has been up for several hours now, and we all wish to continue our search for Sephiroth," the blonde said.
"Sephiroth?" Chaos asked. "Is that who you are searching for? I did not know I was holding up a search party. I will prepare myself and we will set off again." Chaos began walking away. But not before Yuffie got her two cents in:
"Why should we bring you?" she asked. "We don't want some demon with us. You can stay here."
Chaos turned on her with a snarl. "Do not even consider ordering me about, child."
"I am not-" Yuffie said, indignantly.
"I am as old as the Planet. Do not tell me that you are not just a kid." Chaos ascended up the staircase again.
The room was silent until Vincent returned downstairs.
Cloud walked over to the man, exchanged a few words, and moved towards the door. "Let's mosey everyone," he said.
No one objected as they headed towards the exit.
"Wait," Cid protested. "Whar 'bout my damn clothes?"
Vincent's head whipped around to glare at the man who had spoken. "Do you wish to go, or not?" he asked, in a growl that sounded frighteningly similar to Chaos'.
Cid gulped. "Yes, sir."
Vincent gave a curt nod and turned back around, snapping at anyone who made a comment on his sleeping habits.
After that day, Cloud and Vincent seemed to form a bond. And no one even thought about waking Vincent up until the sun had risen exceptionally high over the horizon.
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