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As promised here is part 2 and more will follow as soon as possible.
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New year - Part 2
The heavy weight on Zack's shoulders began to lift as soon as sky blue eyes drifted open, the dazed orbs blinking several times as Cloud tried to focus on his surroundings. The soldier waited patiently for the cadet to wake properly, the extra few minutes being nothing compared to the torturous hours he had been sitting and watching the blonde sleep.
"Zack?" Cloud mumbled, his voice still thick from the drowsy state.
"Yea, I'm here?"
"How?"
"Rose came and found me. She told me all about it."
Instead of getting a reply as expected the soldier felt a stab of pain as Cloud closed his eyes again and turned away, the sudden tension in the blonde's body making him feel sick to his stomach.
"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Zack asked hesitantly.
Silence was his answer, the lack of words speaking volumes in itself.
"Look I'm sorry ok, I thought it would be different that ..."
"It's never different." Cloud spat back, his head turning slowly to face the soldier and his eyes now burning with anger.
"Spiky I ..."
"You what?" The cadet cut in sharply, his voice laced with pain and anger. "You wish you hadn't agreed for me to go with them, you want to say sorry for forcing me to do something I didn't want to do, you regret not being able to spend the time together like we said we would?"
"Yes." Zack replied bluntly, his own annoyance kicking in now. "I only accepted that invitation because I knew you wouldn't and I honestly thought it would be good for you, that you would have fun."
Once again there was only the quiet as Cloud closed his eyes and turned away, the sound of deep breaths letting the soldier know that the cadet was close to crying. The knowledge of this fact added to the knot already forming in his stomach and Zack felt the frustration melt way to be replaced by guilt again.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, his head bowing low even though Cloud couldn't see it.
"Just stop trying to run my life for me." The blonde replied, his voice still strained but quieter now.
"I don't mean to." The soldier replied with concern. "You know that, right?"
"Yes." Cloud sighed heavily, his eyes opening to look at Zack once more. "But you need to understand that I can make my own decisions about these things, that I don't need you to do it for me."
"You're right and I'm not going to argue with you, but just think about it for a minute. You were having fun until that one cadet got to nosy, at least that's what you told Rose."
"I don't want to think about it."
"But you were having fun."
"Damn it Zack they were playing with me or don't you get that? Whatever happiness I felt was only done to get me to relax around them so they could ask about us."
"I can't believe that all of them would do that."
"For the sweet love of Gaia." Cloud growled, the scowl on his face looking even more disturbing due to the marbling of colours around his jaw and the swollen lip. "Are you deliberately being dim or just naturally stupid?"
"Hey." Zack protested defensively. "I know you're upset but..."
"Upset! Upset! I'm more than upset!" The cadet shouted, his body suddenly rising up from the bed as he turned his full rage on the soldier. "I told you what would happen, but would you listen? No you didn't, you didn't listen."
The quick, sharp movement had not been a good idea and neither had the deep breathes and shouted words, the resulting combination causing a stabbing pain to shoot across the blonde's bruised ribs.
"Spiky?" Zack asked with concern, as he slowly rose to his feet and moved to stand beside the cadet.
"It hurts." Cloud breathed through gritted teeth, as he tried to hold the injured area protectively.
"You need to calm down and take small slow breaths."
"I'm trying." The cadet managed, with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Squeeze my hand, it will help you focus past the pain." The soldier instructed calmly, as he carefully took hold of the blonde's undamaged hand and held it gently.
A moment later and Cloud's fingers were entwined with his, the thinner digits clenching down around his own and crushing the joints together almost painfully. Zack grimaced at the unexpected sensation but kept the small protesting voice locked safely away, the discomfort being one he could tolerate as long as the cadet was allowing contact between them.
"Slow breaths." He reminded the blonde gently, his words being repeated softly in a calm soothing voice until Cloud could breathe more comfortably.
"Is everything alright over here?" Rose asked as she slowly came into view.
"I think so." Zack replied hesitantly, as he looked up and saw the various faces now watching them.
"I brought something for the pain." The nurse continued as if accepting his words, the very obvious fight between them being politely ignored for their benefit.
"Thanks." Cloud managed as he accepted the offered medication and swallowed it, the need to use his uninjured hand forcing Zack to let go.
"Lieutenant Fair, could I have a word with you please?" Rose asked calmly, her tone implying it was not a request he could refuse.
"Sure, no worries. You'll be ok if I'm gone for a minute, won't you Spiky?" The soldier enquired uncertainly.
"I'm sure I'll find some way to survive." The cadet retorted evenly, his sarcastic tone letting them know that the argument was far from over.
Rose waited until they were a little way down the corridor before she stopped and turned around, her eyes quickly levelling with Zack's before she spoke.
"The idea was to make him feel better, not upset him and aggravate his injuries."
"I know and I'm sorry." The soldier apologised, as he ran his fingers though his hair in frustration.
"It's not me you should be saying that too." Rose noted evenly.
"I know, I know. I really screwed things up us this time, didn't I?"
"You did what you thought was best and once he has calmed down he will see that too, but right now he is hurting and sometimes it's hard to see past the pain."
"You're not just talking about the bruises are you?"
"No." The nurse agreed gently, her hand resting on his forearm in a comforting touch before she continued. "I only know what he told me but even I can see that what happened has opened up some old wounds. They're not something I can heal, but somehow I know you can."
"You're right." Zack replied after a moment, a plan slowly forming in his mind. "And I think I know just how to do it."
XXXXXXXXXXX
Sephiroth scrolled through his messages again until he found the one he wanted, his fingers quickly pressing the keys necessary to display the message once more.
He's fine, just a bit bruised.
I'll take him home, meet us there later.
The general sighed as he let the words sooth his aching heart once more, the worry for his blonde becoming somewhat of a distraction as he tried to find out who was responsible. He had already read the message over a dozen times since receiving it, the short lines of text giving more comfort than he could have ever thought possible. There was still an anger burning inside him, a need to make someone suffer for letting it happen in the first place. But each time he felt the need to rip something apart he would look at the message again and feel calmer, his body relaxing as it absorbed the fact Cloud was safe and alive.
Sephiroth flipped the phone shut and lent back in the chair, his head relaxing against the material and his eyes sliding shut as he drew in a deep steadying breath. A small part of him wondered what Hojo would say if he could see him now, the great and might general reduced to a bag of nerves because one of his lovers was injured again. For the briefest of moments the thought brought a hint of bitter amusement, the odd humour of the situation giving him a reason to smile faintly, before it was very quickly washed away by the seriousness of the incident. Sephiroth's eyes opened and he looked down at his phone again, his fingers already moving to open it before he stopped them. He couldn't keep doing this, letting his personal feelings interfere with his job, it was a weakness a ... human weakness.
The general suddenly felt his heart skip a beat, the living organ practically kicking him in the chest to remind him it was there, reminding him that yes he was human and not some lab experiment that the crazy professor had raised. Sephiroth smiled as the feelings of hurt and worry began to fill him, as his concern for the ones he loved and their safety began to make his heart beat faster. It was as if someone had turned a light on or opened a door in his mind, the tightness in his chest mixing with the other sensations and making him realise that he was now experiencing emotions which he had never thought possible. The smile wavered as the various sensations played out through him, the positive mixing with the negative making him feel both happy and sad all at once. He briefly wondered what Zack would say if he knew, what any of them would say if they knew. A knock at the door brought his attention back to the matter at hand, his assistants voice interrupting his thoughts and causing his controlled mask to slip effortlessly back into place.
"Come in." He called absently, as he gathered a small pile of papers together and the expected visitor entered his office. "Take a seat, we have much to discuss." He informed them coolly, his eyes now hard and deadly serious.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Reno sighed heavily as he unlocked the door to his apartment and dragged himself inside, the long night finally having come to an end with the president, Rufus and the remaining guests eventually leaving in the early hours of the morning.
The red head groaned as he made his way through the small living room and towards the bathroom, his need for a shower outweighing anything else for the time being. He had been wearing the same clothes since yesterday morning, the items having been on his body for nearly twenty-four hours now and starting to feel like an uncomfortable second skin. His jacket, shirt and trousers hit the floor almost as soon as the water was running, the underwear coming off only seconds before he climbed under the welcoming spray.
Hot water poured down over his weary body and this time Reno sighed in relief, as the dirt and grime was washed away from his tired and aching limbs. He stood for a few minutes simply letting the spray work itself along his back and shoulders, then gradually tilted his head back so that it could run through his hair. Slowly the red head turned his body to face the shower and bowed his head forward, the new position allowing the water to run down over his face, the steady stream now washing away the tears which had begun to fall from his eyes.
He bit back the feeling of helplessness which coursed through him, the knowledge that once again someone he cared about was hurt and he had been powerless to help them. For a long time he remained there, his hands flat against the wall to brace his body as it gently shock from the soft sobs which escaped his lips. The tears never had a chance to be seen as they silently fell and other than the sounds of his distorted breathing no one would have known he was crying, because Turk's didn't cry.
Eventually he calmed enough to pull himself together, the need for a drink giving him something else to focus on. A few minutes later and the red head was dry and dressed, his tired and weary body slumped on the sofa as he poured himself a glass of something strong. Reno watched as the caramel coloured liquid left the bottle and steadily filled the glass in front of him, the contents almost to the brim of the tumbler before he stopped. With a flick of his wrist the bottle was sealed again and placed on the small coffee table, the hand now changing its hold on the bottle for one on the glass. Trembling fingers gripped the cool smooth surface and rose the edged to his lips, the Turk taking a deep breath before he titled his head back and swallowed three mouthfuls in quick succession.
The alcohol was like an acid as it burned down his throat and into the pit of his stomach, the innocent looking liquid in fact a form of lava as it burnt a hole through to his core. The experience was not a new one for Reno and so he took the pain as he had expected it, the welcoming discomfort giving him something else to focus on. He drew in a gasping breath and closed his eyes as the sensations made them water, the leaking fluid being allowed this time because it was due to the drink and not something else. It didn't take long for his body to remember the feelings associated with this drink, the one Reno saved for special occasion or really bad days. Within a minute the initial pain had faded and the deep warmth began to spread through his body, the unconventional pain relief having the desired effect as the Turk lent back and allowed a heavy sigh to escape his lips. After a moment Reno sat up and looked over at his phone, the small device still lying silently where he had placed it after arriving home but now flashing to show that he had a message.
Reluctantly Reno reached forward and picked it up, his mind wanting but also not wanting to know who it was from or what it was about. He had already received a message from Zack saying that Cloud was alright, that the blonde was simply bruised and a little sore after his ordeal. It was because of this message that he had come home to shower, his need to relax and get some sleep being more practical than sitting around the infirmary and drawing unnecessary attention. The message turned out to be a voice mail, and Reno rubbed at his tired eyes as the process of retrieving it was undertaken, the monotone voice asking for his pin number before he could find out who had called and what it was about. The instant he heard Zack's voice a small knot was forming in his stomach, his body reacting instantly as he began to doubt his earlier decision, a part of his mind now screaming that he should have gone straight to them after being dismissed. The panic however quickly faded as the soldier began to speak, his calm but tired voice revealing there to be no need for worry or distress over the content of his message.
"Hey Reno, guess you're busy or something. Uuummm." There was a short pause in the soldier's words and Reno could almost see him trying to work out what to say next, the visual image making the Turk smile faintly as he gave up trying to keep his eyes open and let them close. "As you can imagine he's pretty annoyed at me, well us, but me mostly. Anyway, they're letting me take him home in a bit and I was thinking that maybe later we could all get together and try and have a New Years thing for ourselves. What do you think? Yea, I know what you're thinking it's not exactly the same thing but it's the best I can come up with so give me a call when you can."
The message ended and Reno cut of the automated voice before it could start listing off his options of save or delete, his tired mind already past the point of caring. With a heavy sigh he placed the phone back on the table and rose to his feet, the decision to call back later being one he accepted easier once he had finished off the contents of his glass. A few minutes later and he was tucked up in bed, the sheets drawn tightly around his body as he slipped away into a deep and troublesome sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Sephiroth was not happy, the intense glow of his mako enhanced eyes letting anyone who passed him know this fact without having to ask. His investigations had revealed that the small groups of soldier's who had been assigned guard duty at the station had for some unknown reason been reassigned to the party, a fact he had not been made aware of. He still couldn't work out if the anger he felt was because the changes had been made without his consent or because they had resulted in such a serious incident. The fact the victim of the attack was someone he cared deeply about was just another insult to the injury and he was going to make sure that someone paid dearly for it.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
It had taken a couple of hours for Rose to get Cloud released, under the condition that he would be staying with his mentor while he recovered, and the doctor insisting on giving the cadet one last examination before they were allowed to leave. The only benefit to the extra poking and prodding was that the blonde had been prescribed some extra painkillers and a couple of sleeping pills to take if needed, the gladly accepted medication making the uncomfortable process almost worthwhile.
The silent walk back to Zack's apartment had been more than awkward, the tension between them still very evident to the few people who they passed along the way. Thankfully most cadets and soldiers were still recovering from the various parties which had taken place and only those with duties to attend to were actually up and walking about. It was however more than Cloud was happy with, the ones who did see them openly staring at his bruised face and bandaged wrist in surprise, their eyes taking it all in and silently asking what had happened. The cadet knew that he would once again be the topic of discussion on the base, the pathetic little cadet who had spent New Year's in the infirmary because he was attacked and too weak to defend himself. The thoughts only added to the anger which burned within him, the idea of them laughing at his pain adding fuel to the fire and making it even stronger.
For once Zack had enough sense to not touch Cloud as they walked along, his usual behaviour to throw an arm casually across the blonde's shoulders now being one he avoided like the plague. To say that the cadet was still upset was an understatement, the sensations of hurt and anger practically rolling of his body in waves. The soldier looked up from the floor where he had been keeping his gaze and stole a quick glance at Cloud's expression, the brief look being enough to make him shudder inside. The blonde's face was paler than normal and the ugly discoloration of the bruised jaw only made his complexion even more unsettling. Then there was the cadet's mouth, the normally temptingly soft and kissable lips drawn in a tight line and mirrored by a continuous scowl across his forehead. But the feature which really made Zack cringe was Cloud's eyes, the normally bright blue vibrant spheres now glowing with a repressed anger.
It was no surprise when they reached the apartment and the blonde walked straight into the bedroom slamming the door shut behind him, the action clearly relaying a message the soldier had picked up long ago. With a deep sigh Zack removed his boots, belts and other items of clothing until only his trousers remained in place, the cool apartment air caressing his exposed skin and feeling good. It was only then that the soldier realised that he had been wearing the same clothes for over a day, the experience not being a new one but still as unpleasant as all the other times. Knowing there was nothing else he could say or do to calm Cloud down Zack made his way towards the bathroom, the promise of a hot shower at least offering some comfort after the long night he'd had.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Reno knew he was dreaming, that the nightmare was not real, understood that there was no way in hell he could be back in that horrifying situation again so soon. He looked around the area which should have been their camp and watched as the soldier's fought and the cadet's laid down covering fire. The red head couldn't believe his eyes and ears as the sensations of that night began to fill him once more, the feeling of dread and fear flowing through his veins as he relieved the experience again. The Turk turned around in a circle where he stood, his senses straining amongst the warring figures to locate the one he needed to find. Instead he saw a shadowy form moving towards the choppers and felt his heart skip a beat, his mind recalling the destroyed vehicles from before and forcing his legs to carry him towards them.
Again a small part of him acknowledge that it was all a dream, that none of it was real, but it was as if he had no control over how his body moved. He knew that he was more than dreaming the incident now, his unconscious mind somehow reliving it in a way that allowed him to direct his own actions. Reno moved just as he had that night, his speed and agility helping him to cover the distance quickly and easily as he approached the enemy. Again a part of him was aware that he had done this before and that it hadn't ended well, the unspoken reminded forcing him to move faster and reach his target so that this time it would turn out differently.
The ground shook as the explosion ripped one of their vehicles to pieces, the blast throwing Reno to his knees as flames instantly filled the air around him. For a brief moment he couldn't breath as the intense heat burnt his throat, the black smoke filling his lungs and making him choke on the toxic clouds. A part of him shouted to get up and move, while another part of him was screaming that he had failed to stop it happening once again. It was then that he heard a second voice shouting out to him and the red head looked up, his blurry vision clearing enough to see a raven haired soldier fighting his way through the bits of wreckage. A warm trickle made its way down his arm, tickling the hairs as it passed over them, and Reno looked down to see the small piece of shrapnel now embedded in his pale flesh. The pain was intense but he bit past it as Zack appeared and grabbed him round the waist, the sudden tightness and lifting action not only pulling him out from amongst the burning debris but crushing his bruised ribs.
"Damn it Zack, put me down." He shouted, the soldier ignoring his words until they were a safe distance away.
"You're hurt." Was the blunt reply, as he was finally allowed to stand on his own two feet.
"It's a scratch, I'll live."
It was only when he shoot an angry glare at the soldier that he realised he was not the only one to be hurt, the bloody wounds on Zack's body revealing his own injuries.
"Shit Zack, your bleeding too."
"I'll live." The soldier replied humorously, the glowing violet eyes letting Reno know that they were as bad as each other.
"Good, then you can get this piece of fucked up metal out of me." The Turk joked as he held out his arm, the vague recollection that none of it was real still lingering in his head.
"It's gonna hurt like ..." the dream Zack warned, the conversation only slightly altered from the one they'd had before.
"Just do it." Reno snapped back, his anger easily covering up for the pain and fear he was feeling.
A quick tug on his arm left him biting back a small cry, the sound escaping as a venomous hiss and nearly choking him as he tried to draw breath again.
"Better?" Zack asked, his voice less amused now and more concerned and annoyed.
"Much." Reno retorted, as he clamped a hand down over the shallow wound.
"You need to get the cadet's and injured soldiers out of here."
"That includes you right?" The Turk asked, a small voice already telling him what the answer would be.
"No, not enough vehicles to get us all out so I'm staying with the reaming troops till help arrives."
"But you're wounded."
"They're scratches, I'll heal."
"Zack I ..."
"Save it Reno, you're the only one able to get them out of here so you know what you have to do."
The words were just as he remembered them, the insistency and logic of the order making his own personal feelings seem selfish.
"Fine, but if you get yourself killed I'm going to find a way to bring you back so I can kill you myself."
"Noted." The soldier replied, this time his smile being a genuine one.
"We need to hurry before they come back and try to take out the second chopper." Reno noted, a part of him knowing that they would indeed be back once he was gone.
"I'll sort that out, you get patched up so you don't pass out from blood loss while flying."
"Sure I ..."
This time Reno's voice was not cut off by the soldier but by his own throat closing up, the words dying before they even had a chance to be spoken as he looked up from his arm. Instead of facing Zack he was now looking at Cloud, the injuries which had been on the soldier's body now being displayed on the cadets. Where sun-kissed skin had been painted crimson there was now ivory flesh, the contrasting colours of red and white even more disturbing to his vision. The once violet eyes which shone brightly with mako were now shimmering blue, the clear irises glowing like sapphires as they displayed the purity of his body and the lack of mako in his system.
"Cloud, what? How?"
"You left him behind Reno, how could you leave him behind?"
"I ... I had too." The Turk replied, his heart now racing frantically in his chest as he struggled to breathe.
"Would you leave me behind?" The blonde asked, his voice so sad and helpless that Reno felt something inside of him break.
"No I ... I could never ..."
"But we all have orders to follow." Cloud whispered back, his voice fading to nothing as he fell forward into the red head's arms.
"Oh Gaia." Reno choked, his body now shaking as he tried to turn the lifeless form around so he could see it better.
His breath became desperate gasps as he fought to stay calm, his sense of control completely gone as he took in the sight of empty blue eyes. The smell of burning metal and flesh filled his nose, the sound of the fire eating away at the destroyed equipment filing his ears, the trace of blood drifting in the air to be tasted like a bitter poison. All of it began to fade away, the world of chaos falling apart until it was only them, the lifeless expression on Cloud's face making Reno's blood run cold and his own heart stop beating.
"He is your weakness." Tseng's voice cut in, the sudden intensity of it making Reno look up.
"No, no he's not." The red head protested angrily, as he drew the limp body in tighter against his own.
"Then why are you crying."
"Because this isn't real, it's a fucked up dream and I can cry if I want to."
"You are a Turk, you are not allowed to show such weakness."
"I'm also human and I have feelings." Reno shouted back.
"Yes, you do, but in this job you don't have the luxury of having those emotions."
"You're just jealous of what I have." Reno roared, the words he had wanted to shout so long ago now being given a voice in this place of nightmares.
"Really?" The dream Tseng asked curiously.
"Yea, really." The red head challenged, as he carefully lowered the cadet's body to the ground.
Once Cloud had been carefully positioned onto the blood soaked grass, and his now dull and faded eyes were closed, Reno stood to face the head Turk. He could feel the rage like a storm within him, the repressed emotions all finding a focus in this place of dreams as his hands clenched into fists, the grip so tight that his nails had now dug into the palms of his hands and made them bleed.
"You won't take them away from me." Reno growled, his voice a threatening whisper in the dark which now surrounded them.
"I never intended to take them from you." Tseng replied evenly.
"But you wanted me to give them up."
"They make you weak."
"No they don't." Reno retorted, as he took a step forward.
"Really?"
Before the red head could reply the darkness melted away to white, the sounds and smell of the infirmary filling Reno's senses and making him stagger. Once again the smell of blood was in the air, the metallic scent of copper mixing with the antiseptic stench and making him gag. The Turk felt himself stagger and lent against a wall for support, his legs nearly giving out on him as he tried to stop himself from being sick. He had barely regained his footing when hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward, the rough grip spinning him effortlessly to face a glass wall which had appeared beside them
"Look Reno, look at what you don't consider to be a weakness." Tseng ordered him acidly.
The red head went to protest the abuse, his body readying itself for a fight he wasn't sure he could win but was about to attempt anyway when he stopped. His eyes widened as he took in the sight on the other side of the wall, the transparent surface allowing him to see the infirmary room they had all slept in that night. Once again Zack was in the bed, his pale and drained face reminding Reno had close it had been, and Cloud's fragile body lying peacefully beside him. The red head felt the anger drain away as he watched the pair sleep, his eyes also taking in Sephiroth's unconscious form beside them, their gentle breathing and curled up bodies letting him know they were alive and well.
"I have the right to be happy." He reminded the head Turk without looking back.
"I can accept your relationship with a soldier and I can even tolerate your involvement with the general, but not with the cadet."
"Why?" Reno asked, the question being one he had asked before.
When no rely came the red head turned around, his mind reeling at the fact he was now standing in Tseng office where they'd had the same conversation only a few weeks ago.
"The first two are stronger and able to take care of themselves, the mako in their bodies making them harder to kill and in turn less of a distraction for you."
"Cloud will be like them soon, once he gets into soldier and ..."
"Do you really think he will be a soldier?" Tseng asked, the irritation very evident in his voice now. "He is small and frail, these are not qualities ShinRa looks for in its soldiers."
"He's stronger than he looks, you of all people should know better than anyone not to judge a book by its cover."
"What I do know is that he has become a distraction, that his injuries and weaknesses are becoming yours. I will not have one of my men make a mistake because of someone else."
"I don't have to listen to this again." Reno announced, his body already moving towards the door.
The dream Tseng didn't argue as he turned away, the head Turk remaining still and quiet as the red head yanked the door open and stormed out. The conversation had ended differently to how it had been before, with Reno being able to argue and leave when he wanted and not feeling trapped until Tseng had finished with him. Except this time instead of leaving the office and heading back to his own desk the young Turk found himself in a field of flowers, the colourful petals stretching out for miles around him as far as the eye could see.
"What the ..." Reno began before a soft laughter filled his ears.
The red head turned and looked towards where the sound had come from, the flowers no longer present behind him but replaced with a the wooded landscape from the VR training room. Reno head the sound again as it echoed amongst the trees, except this time he also caught a flash of gold in the bright sunlight and gave chase. Just as it had been before the red head followed the lithe body with ease, Cloud's supple figure moving like water between the trees and managing to avoid him each time he made a grab for the cadet. But this time it was different in that he could never get close enough, that for some reason he was always just one step behind and never able to catch up properly.
"Cloud!" he called, hoping that in some way it would draw the blonde's attention.
Instead the cadet moved away faster and disappeared within the trees, the flashes of gold vanishing completely as the woods became darker and more threatening.
"Damn it Cloud, where are you?" Reno shouted breathlessly as he came to a stop, his legs now shaking from the chase.
It was only now as he drew in deep breaths and tried to calm himself that he saw the four white objects just ahead of him, the evenly spaced markers protruding from the ground and making his stomach turn to lead. Reno felt the bile rise in the back of his throat as he took in the sight of the grave stones, the hand crafted white marble slabs clearly visible as the markers of four separate graves. Slowly Reno moved forward, his need to know somehow outweighing the need to run away as he felt himself being dragged by an unseen force towards them. It was only as he drew closer that the red head noticed that the stones were not the same as he had first thought, the similar shaped material being white for all four but the colour of the veins running through them each being distinctly different. The one on the far right had streams of gold running through its form, the one beside it having black and then the next silver, the colours being pure and untainted by any other as they wove themselves through the unblemished white slab of rock. Reno didn't need to look at the names engraved on the stones to know who they represented, the colours easily identifying each of his lovers perfectly by the similarity of their hair colour. A deep feeling of sickness filled Reno's body as he looked towards the final stone, the fire red veins of colour running through the smooth polished surface letting him know exactly who the grave was marked out for.
"He will be their downfall and he will also be yours." Tseng voice repeated softly in his head, the words like slivers of ice in his heart.
"No." Reno shouted, as he turned away from the haunting sight of what might be. "He's going to be something special one day, someone who makes a difference in this world, you wait and see."
"Are you willing to bet your life on it?"
Before the red head could answer he felt himself being pushed roughly, the sudden forceful motion making him lose his balance and fall backwards. Instinctively the Turk flipped himself over and put his arms out, the limbs quickly bracing for the impact of hitting the floor and ready to throw him back up and onto his feet. The only problem was that the ground behind him no longer existed, the earth just in front of his own grave stone now a dug out pit which he was falling into.
"Tseng, no." Reno shouted as he fell down into the cold damp earth, the head Turk's grim expression being the last thing he saw before he woke up.
The impact of the floor made the red head cry out, his sweat soaked body so tangled amongst the covers that he wasn't able to prevent himself from landing awkwardly. It took Reno a couple of minutes to pull himself together as his heart raced in his chest and he drew in desperate gasping breaths of air. The world was spinning around him as he fought to regain control of his senses, as he struggled to work out that he was now awake and not trapped in the nightmare anymore. He continued to lie still as he looked around himself, the familiar surroundings of his apartment coming into focus and reminding him of where he really was. Slowly Reno began to move and untwist the damp sheets from around his body so that he could get up, the process being a little more painful than he had expected. A sharp pain in his left shoulder and hip announced that he had landed on them badly after falling out of bed, the embarrassment of this fact somehow hurting more than the injuries themselves.
"So stupid." He scolded himself, as he finally worked his way free and shakily rose to his feet.
With a weary sigh he ran his fingers through wet tangled hair, the action allowing his body to stretch and some of the tension to be eased out of his shoulders. The hands slowly made their way through his hair and then back round to his face where they moved down over his tired features applying a small amount of pressure as they went. The actions allowed him time to take in a deep breath and let it our slowly, the process once again adding to calm his shattered nerves. Instead of allowing his limbs to fall at his sides Reno placed one hands on each hip, the fingers curling round the edges of his waist as he lent back and heard the joints pop in protest.
Once the kinks had been worked out the red head opened his eyes and looked around his room, the dishevelled bed clearly showing how disturbed his sleep had been. Memories of the graves and Cloud's bleeding body made his own begin to shiver, the nauseous feeling returning almost instantly as he tried to clear his mind of the haunting images. Within seconds Reno could feel the dull pain of a headache coming on, the throbbing sensation slowly building in his skull and making him curse softly. He bowed his head and rubbed his temples to try and relieve some of the discomfort, the action doing nothing but causing him more irritation and in turn more discomfort.
With a frustrated sigh the Turk gave up and made his way from the bedroom, the bottle of alcohol still sitting where he had left it on the coffee table. Half a glass later and Reno was feeling better, the burning in his chest happily distracting him from the other hurting body parts. Another half a glass and even that was gone, the liquid with a content high enough to strip paint being welcomed as it concealed the pulsating pain behind his eyes. As the warm glow spread though his veins the Turk placed the empty tumbler on the table and turned towards the bathroom, a desperate need to clean the unseen blood from his skin drawing him towards the shower once more.
