Today just happened to be another painstakingly boring day at the library, and though Aerith was surely some of the best company Cloud had been able to keep in his entire life, there was no real way to get around his extreme boredom. He felt sick. The rain was beating against the glass door of the place, and thusly, it was a bad idea to go to any of the places he had discovered in his time living in Midgar. Not that it would really stop him.

Like the abandoned park, or sometimes the river, places where it was easy to think was where he spent his time alone. Compared to his apartment, these places were surprisingly fresh. What better waste of time could he have than to stare at the silvery, slightly polluted river from a damp log, or sit on top of the cold swing set with the seat-less chains? Out of all the places he would like to spend his time at, however, Vincent's apartment had been the place that he visited with the most consistency. He waited for the day that Vincent would stumble in bleeding again.

At first he had to be invited. Whether it was by Yuffie or by Vincent, he never just waltzed into the living space without invitation. This was because of the bizarre first night they'd had, and also because of common decency. This wasn't some RPG where he could just run into people's houses and ask for advice, after all. All this, until recently.

Recently though, Yuffie had invited Cloud into the apartment again while Vincent was out, and said that it would be fine if he just came inside like she did if he ever needed to since the door was almost always unlocked. Cloud wasn't about to take her word for it though. To Cloud, that seemed like an insane amount of trust, but he supposed later on that for the amount of time he'd spent with them both, it might be appropriate. Also, considering that promise they'd made to each other, whether or not Cloud could verify that Vincent even remembered, he had to keep it. That right there was already too much trust, but a promise is a promise.

He never did get an explanation for either of the strange happenings on the first night, but he never did ask either. Cloud had some major reservations about poking his nose into affairs other than his own after all. That's not to say that the amount of time he'd spent with them didn't warrant a simple question, but honestly, Cloud just didn't want to have to deal with whatever the answer might be, because there was no doubt that it would eat away at him constantly.

Was he really ready to hear about whatever monsters they were fighting?

He always found himself wondering why his eyes had the slightest glow, just like his, though as far as he could tell, neither of them were involved with the ShinRa. Cloud would just have to wait and see what kind of details he might find about Vincent's past.

But still, that doesn't mean he didn't wonder. Vincent, that tall man with the crimson eyes, had promised not to hurt him if he could return the favor, and sometimes he doubted if he could keep his promise to Vincent. It felt like the burdens he carried might push him away, should he ever reveal them, and of course Cloud was never really sure if he was being a good friend or not, coming and going without ever having much to say. Obviously, Vincent wasn't the talkative type, even if the words between them left each other feeling a little more alive than before, but Cloud would always have a hard time believing he was enough.

Really, he couldn't be sure if it was for the better. A few times before, he'd seen little hints about their business when they were feeling particularly comfortable around him. Like Vincent's triple barreled gun, Cerberus, which had been carefully placed onto the coffee table one night when he simply could not hold his own eyelids open anymore. He remembered carrying him into his room with Yuffie behind him, holding the pistol in her two small hands, and placing it in some hiding place or another, also sort of suspicious. At least he wasn't bleeding, but it was still very disconcerting to see him like that.

That's not to mention Yuffie's less subtle hiding spot for her own weapon. It was a place Cloud would never look, but if he ever decided to take a better look than just a glance, it would be right in his face. One particular day, where the pattern was broken, and it was Cloud waiting with Vincent for Yuffie to appear, she damn near fell through the window. Cloud, being able to see out of it clear, noticed a large conformer plunged into the concrete of the wall there. He didn't ask any questions about it, but he was certainly confused.

Thinking back on it, he realized that he spent way more time with Yuffie than with Vincent, yet he was the one who was always on his mind. That was really the first time they'd ever really had an honest moment alone with each other since becoming more than acquaintances, yet neither of them had said much to each other until Yuffie made her appearance.

So he sat in the chilly library, bookstore, whatever Aerith wanted it to be, without doing a god damned thing. Aren't people supposed to like reading when it rains? It was supposed to be one of the most calming things to do, but that still didn't change the lack of anything happening.

Eventually, when Cloud is too far into a daydream about his new friends, Zack came into the building looking like a drowned cat. His hair was indecisive in whether it wanted to be matted down by the water or stand up with pride.

"Zack!" says the voice that actually draws Cloud's attention to the shift in the bookstore's generally empty aura. He coughed. "How can you come here in weather like this! Seriously, you can't keep ditching your job like this…"

Cloud thinks that the way she trails off suggests that she's happy to see him regardless, just like it always does, and then he thinks that the tired excuse is just so that it doesn't seem like she doesn't care about the more responsible things to do in front of Cloud. Yes, the suspicion that she wouldn't care if Cloud wasn't there wouldn't go away. Silently, he admitted to himself that it wouldn't be so bad if he spent more time with these two as well. Aerith was very nice, and she could be very helpful when he needed to sort out his thoughts, too. Plus, Zack just seemed like a lot of fun.

Zack chuckled charismatically and kissed Aerith in a reassuring manner, and just like that, Cloud had lost interest. Honestly, how many times could one see this same exact scene before deciding that maybe it wasn't too interesting after all? Strife was having a hard time keeping the green from his eyes lately. He blamed Mr. Valentine from across the hall. A very frustrating man, and in more than just one way.

Something flicked him in the nose just then, and when he looked up at the hand that did it, he realized that suddenly and strangely, Zack's attention was directed towards him. He was zoning out more and more these days.

"Hey, Spikey," the implemented nickname had somehow surprised him in its personal fashion, though he'd been called that a lot. "You can man the shop while I take Aerith out, right? Please? I promise to pay you back for it somehow-" This man had the puppy eyes thing down. Cloud never thought that people actually used it, though.

Aerith said "You can't ask him to do that," at the same time that Cloud said, "I guess it's fine."

Honestly, who could deny Zack, when his smile was oftentimes so genuine, and his eyes, with their bright blueish luminescence, were always upbeat? Even when he had been upset, he slapped on a smile and continued his day. He really was a prideful guy.

"Cloud, I can't make you stay here alone just so that I can go out and have fun. It's not fair."

"Well, I don't really mind since nothing is happening here," he said to her with confidence that she wouldn't need much reassurance. Aerith, for all her kindness, was still just a regular person who sometimes needed to indulge in her own wants and needs, and so, Cloud being the perfectly reasonable guy that he is, let her go without seriously caring. It really wasn't like her presence would make a difference anyways, as the place would likely be dead all day.

She thanked him with a smile, and then the two walked out under the same clear umbrella until Cloud couldn't see them through the rain on the window anymore. Strangely enough, the thought of Vincent crossed his mind, yet again. What did it mean to have one constantly on the mind? Cloud couldn't imagine him using an umbrella. He thought that a guy like Valentine would want to feel the rain.

He felt the same way, of course. He never really felt a connection to Nibelheim, but he never thought that he'd end up missing the shitty weather or it's coldness either. Upon his arrival in Midgar, he realized that it didn't rain nearly as much, and rarely did it ever snow, either.

What he missed most was that girl from his hometown, who probably never even thought of him. She must've been so disappointed in him. Firstly, for not sticking around, and secondly, for not being what he'd always said he wanted to be. He wanted to work for the ShinRa as a child. Who didn't back then? So young and naive, most kids his age saw the ads and whatnot for the SOLDIER program, all painting the ShinRa in a golden light, and none of them knew for a long time after, that it wasn't nearly as great as they'd assumed.

They all learned later on that the ShinRa was a corrupted and disgusting ball of greed that could very well be the downfall of anything civilian it touched. How normal, it seemed, that the ShinRa was capable of such things. Some people held it against its workers, but Cloud didn't really have an opinion, and after meeting Zack, it was clear that at least a few weren't bad people.

However, all these things didn't stop Cloud from promising to save Tifa if she ever needed it, should he join SOLDIER, but obviously that never happened and the boy she had hoped would be her hero never lived up to his expectations.

So depressing… The bell to the door to the library rung, much to Cloud's surprise, but his reaction dimmed down quite a bit when he saw that it was only Vincent and Yuffie, and then spiked back up upon realizing that the rain had stopped. The outside glowed a pretty sunny orange color. So much for that. Apparently, it was supposed to be on and off all day, but he hadn't expected it to end so suddenly so soon.

When had the rain stopped?

"Cloud," Vincent muttered in greeting. "Where is Aerith?"

"Out with Zack," he said simply. How could he say it without letting a touch of green out? Sure, he was jealous, but that was only to be expected, and while there was a chance Yuffie wouldn't have noticed, Vincent would for sure.

"Well," he continued on without much indication in his tone that he cared, though his eyes were never quite as guarded as his voice. Cloud could only hope he wasn't asked about it later. "We're just here to return these books. However, if you… wouldn't mind the company, then we'd be fine with staying a while."

"Oi, Cloud's not feeling too well, huh?" Yuffie piped up then to make note of how bad he looked. "He's nearly as pale as you, Vinny, and he eyes aren't so bright today…"

That wasn't really a surprise. He'd been sniffling all day, and it was probably because he'd fallen asleep by the river until the cold rain started to pour from the tree leaves. It was just a small cold, but he assumed Vincent and Yuffie would have no way of knowing that, so he told them so.

"So, are you the sickly type then? I didn't take you for the kind of guy who gets colds just like that. Cause you're a lot stronger than you look, you know?"Yuffie snapped her fingers for extra but unnecessary emphasis.

"Well, no, I don't usually catch colds very easily…" he started, wondering if he should tell the two about the river. It's purpose was supposed to be a place where Cloud could be alone, after all, but they were his friends, right? There wasn't a good enough reason to hold the information back, he decided. As he sniffled yet again, he asked himself when the pair might feel the same.

"I went to the river by the park near the entrance to sector 7 and fell asleep there without an umbrella after we finished hanging around last night, so when I finally made it back home I was chilled to the bone."

"Wh- Cloud, why would you go to some crusty old river? Don't you keep an eye on the weather?"

It wasn't very hard to believe that Yuffie couldn't really understand why he might want to sit by the river. He thought that if he ever took her there she'd talk about the thing he was trying to get away from, and if she got bored of that then she'd most likely take to the tree branches and hop around until she eventually broke her leg, or something equally as awful. For a ninja, she didn't have much patience.

Cloud was about to answer her when Vincent spoke up for him, looking him in the eye as if for confirmation. "Cloud must have wanted to be alone." It appeared that Vincent could relate to that very well, and sometimes Cloud hated how alike they were. He couldn't describe the feeling it gave him in any other way than that it felt like he was being teased with something he couldn't have.

Rather embarrassed to admit it, Cloud slowly nods his head a breaks eye contact with Vincent, feeling his lips pull down in a wobbly discontented frown. He can't feel the fluster on his cheeks but assumes it's there none the less. When he arrived, he never felt like he had to care about what the man thought of him, but these days he felt much different about it.

Yuffie is the one to push things along in a different direction, apparently being able to summon the maturity to pick up on these little uncomfortable moments when she wants to, saying, "Well, whatever. I got a new game to kick your ass in, so as soon as you're done with work, it's on!" She then proceeded to make a very cute fighting pose.

To this, Cloud promptly put aside his own feelings and defended himself that he wasn't going down easily, only to return to them when he was safely alone.

-)(-)(-)(-

That log had never seemed more inviting than it did today, as the sounds of the rushing water matched to moisture of the wooded area around it. Everything was sopping wet and cold. Cloud found a hard time hating the feeling, and an even harder time being upset about whatever dirt had gotten on his clothes. All the mud on his boots would be a pain to clean off later, but if it meant he could have this comfort now, then it would be worth it. The smell of the wooded area was infinitely better than the stale air of the Triangle Building.

After holding his own against Yuffie in the game for as long as he could, and hanging around a little while after, he made his way to this place, and it was already sort of dark. Everything was a shade of black, blue, silver and purple, and it was utterly perfect for his purpose, just like Vincent had assumed.

Sorting through his feelings, it was easy to tell that his general attraction to Vincent is becoming more than just wanting a platonic relationship, more than just being honest about his appealing features. He'd been avoiding that thought for a bit because… There was much more to know about Vincent than what he saw at first glance, but this place was just about forcing him to admit the fact. It was a tad ironic, since he'd come here to run away from it, it was basically an upfront admittance.

Why had he needed a few books on demonology that day in the library? It could be an interest, justifiably, but it seemed like whatever he and Yuffie made their income on was tied in with those books. And what was that source of income, anyways? It was terrifying to think that a guy like Vincent could be wrapped up in something demonic, as a way of making his own funds. It was terrifying to think Yuffie was dragged along into it, as well. Not to say that Cloud was a believer.

As much as he'd love to daydream about mundane things like kissing and cuddling, just being close, Cloud couldn't stop the more gruesome images from his mind. Like the man in the red cowl fighting for his pay against some atrocious monster, covered in one or the other's blood. He remembers him coming into his own living room and nearly passing out on the couch with his nose bloodied, and random splattered scattered on his face and clothes.

Plus, for whatever horrors he had seen, Cloud was very curious about Lucrecia, a woman who was not so gentle, and had tried to scar the man of his affections. Where was she now, and why, if there was even a reason, would she want to harm Vincent? Cloud tried not to spend too much time thinking about that, just like how he avoided the subject of his inability to show affection. He'd never be able to establish a relationship like the one he imagined.

Sometimes, when he wasn't feeling the mild confusion he always felt towards Valentine, he could feel more strongly a definite attraction. It had started with his mouth, and how he had kept it hidden. Seeing it for the first time in the library was probably where the more primal side of his attraction to the man had begun, though of course there are other things that have added to it since. He liked his teeth, which seemed a little long in the canines, and he liked to watch his tongue when he talked. His sadness at seeing him cover back up in embarrassment at the mention of… was it a blouse? It was still deemed unreasonable to feel that way about it to Cloud.

That being said, he loved to hear the words he spoke. His voice was very nice on the ears, and he could evenly say that he like hearing him more than he liked to watch the words form, but really, Cloud believed that his mouth all together was a perfect spectacle.

Then the softer tinged side of his affection towards the guy, from his personality, had appeared upon talking to him, and realizing that his short answers were not so curt because of Cloud's own (self perceived) awfulness, but because that's just how he was. Sometimes it seemed like all the people around him talked more than he could handle, and it felt a bit like suffocation when he couldn't find a response in time to reply. But never with Vincent. Never with Vincent could he say that it was hard to find something to say back, except for maybe that time he had a whole conversation with him still half asleep.

Yes, his pretty mouth and his irresistible personality, those were the first things to draw him in, and then everything else started to make an impression as well. He sometimes wanted to drag his fingers through that long unruly hair of his, and he wanted to be able to see his neck more often. He wanted to see the pale skin on his hands, to put a name to the sweet smell always coming faintly from him, and to taste whatever flavor of cake or pie he'd eaten last on his lips. More than all that, though, he wanted to know him.

And that's where the problem lies. It's just a circular thing, to want to do these things and to avoid taking the first step, even unwilling to admit that it's actually what he wanted. He supposed that could be another thing that makes him a disappointing person.

Once again, he summoned the will to ignore those thoughts and stared at the silvery river. In the distance, he could see a few bits of trash making their way down the path of water, but there was more litter gathered at the shore. When it wasn't so muddy, and the weather got warmer, Cloud would clean up a little bit and make his spot a little nicer.

He wanted to do that on a worldly scale too, somehow. Of course he did. It was his planet, the only one he'd ever get. If he was to live here, he ought to keep it clean, right? Even if in most cases the impact he could make would be small…

Cloud was probably drifting off again before he realized that for some reason he wasn't alone. His eyes had gotten droopy, and his back had slouched a bit, resting on the trunk of a tree near the damp log, but his eyes snapped open when a snap in a twig somewhere down the river surprised him. He thought it was an animal at first, so he didn't bother looking, but when he felt it getting closer he looked over just in time to see the man of his affections silently joining him on the log. What nice timing he has.

"You shouldn't let yourself fall asleep out here too much anymore." It was the first thing he'd said, curt voice nearly but not quite scolding him, though he had too much patience in his wording to be taken too harshly. Cloud thought that it was very much like him to ignore a regular greeting and get straight to the point, and he thought for his tone that he could've been an excellent teacher. He didn't mind much his seemingly unfriendly vibe, considering that that he knew it wasn't how he had intended for anyone to take it.

"What brought you to the river…?" He surprised himself with how tired his own voice was. Maybe he really should mind his health a little more than he was.

There was a pause, and though they both stared out into the dirty water for the entire duration of Vincent's short visit so far, Cloud could feel those red eyes glance at him with a strange heat.

"I… had avoided it for fear of seeing what the world has done to it's cleanliness, but when I heard that you spent your time here as well, I realized that it would be easier to bear with someone at my side. I haven't been here in a long time, but I'm… not shocked to find what Midgar has done to it."

It was obvious that Valentine preferred to deal with his problems alone, and liked to avoid becoming the burden, but at least Cloud was able to help in this small sort of way. He then realized that he had no idea how old this man was. Things like this only added to his curiosity about his past, though. Wanting to pry, but choosing not to out of consideration for Vincent, he let his eyes droop.

Keeping his yawns ans sniffles in as best as he could, he listened to the river, and the wind's breath, and eventually he heard those buckles click open as well. It was great that he could at least feel comfortable around him. It was even better that he gave him the courage to visit a place he had been scared to see before.

"You know, this place is mostly unchanged from the last time I had seen it."

"When was that?"

This appeared to make Vincent think a little. As if he hadn't considered how long ago it actually was, just remembering it freshly.

"It was probably something like 33 years since I was last here."

He couldn't help widening his eyes a little at that. Vincent barely looked 20. What had he looked like just a few years prior? He probably got a lot of shit about appearing to be a child. Still, he supposed that was just another thing he could say made him attractive. How, he wondered, could he feel this way about a guy he found he barely knew much about? Sometimes he questioned if he was even thinking things through.

"I always came here when I had time to escape from the things around me. That's why I knew why you'd come here yourself. That being said, I can leave if you'd like to be alone."

He was already standing from the log, and if Cloud felt he could've helped his reaction he would've, but nothing stopped his hand from shooting up and gripping Vincent's clawed wrist. Even that slight contact made him tense up visibly, so nearly as quickly as it had shot up there it had slid away back to his side.

"You can stay; I don't mind."

Then it was like they'd bumped in the hall all over again. They just stared, like there couldn't possibly be a phrase in their language that summed up an appropriate response. In the end, he didn't say anything, and resumed his place on the log without a hitch of breath. Had he really expected Cloud not to want to keep his company? Though his cowl was open, he was still as unreadable as ever, it seemed.

His heart swelled to the point of pain. How could he ever make a move, when he'd so obviously not wanted to be that close in the first place? It would take time perhaps, that was for sure, but honestly, Cloud wasn't sure he could even attempt pursuing Valentine since he was already one of his best friends. He wouldn't want to ruin that relationship, but at the same time, he couldn't stop his greed, and felt like if he could, he should try to have his cake and eat it too.

Hey, if you don't mind me asking," and he hesitated the slightest bit for the kind of question it was, "How old are you?"

"I… I promise to tell you some day, Cloud," and then that's when he felt another pang of fear at whatever his crush was hiding, "But right now I don't think I can. Or rather, if I should."

Well, whatever the fuck that meant was kind of freaking Strife out. It was as if Vincent was a monster. He had all these damn secrets, and still, he reached out and tried to interact with the more natural. Maybe Valentine was as selfish as Cloud was, in that he wanted things without willing to sacrifice.

They both kept their mouths shut for a long time before Cloud was able to speak up again.

"Will you at least tell me who she was? Lucrecia?" It was a loaded question, immediately making the chilly air far more tense than before. Maybe he should've kept quiet and enjoyed the silence the with man in the red cowl for a bit longer.

It was strange today, a perfect opposite of that time where even the surroundings were completely different, and Cloud was the one about to fall asleep, Vincent was the one who had to answer the questions. Cloud couldn't say it wasn't still uncomfortable, however.

"She was…" his voice sounded further away than it ever had before. "Lucrecia Crescent, a head scientist for the ShinRa a long time ago, and also… the love of my life."

The way he had admitted that made Strife think that maybe he should just convince himself somehow that the things he had started to feel for the man sitting next to him weren't real, and that they were only ever meant to be friends, because the hurt… The sheer amount of hurt in his voice was too much to bear; too much to think he could ever fill that void or mend the break there. He wouldn't ever be enough, he thought. Not exactly hard to believe, or even a new revelation in his case either.

"She was, by no means, a gentle or open woman, and to this day there are still some things I may never know about her, but her kindness was always what drew me to her, if not for her lovely features. Though I do regret my time working under her, the time we spent outside of our work was time I have decided I must always cherish."

Yeah, who could compete with that? Cloud, already pretty forlorn at the point, tried to drop his feelings immediately and only made his heart ache more than before. Hopefully they would both keep looking forward at the river, and Vincent would never notice the minute bitterness that had seeped into his face then. When and why had he let himself get in so deep?

"You make her sound beautiful." He didn't know what he expected, but that really wasn't something he wanted to hear, regardless. Maybe he should just ditch Valentine and go home.

"Yes, she was…" Perhaps he imagined it, but Vincent sounded just as tired as he felt. Just as he did that first night Cloud had spent at his apartment.

Was…? Is she dead now? That was too insensitive of a question. Cloud felt it might be best not to ask anything else anyways, since he was pretty sensitive too, evidently. He pretended that none of that made him feel like shit pretty well, but god forbid Valentine take his eyes off of that silvery water, or he might have to explain himself.

"You have someone like that in your life too, don't you, Cloud." How could he know? It didn't sound much like a question. Well, at least he got to hear his name again. Add that to the list of more primal reasons for liking Vincent. "Sometimes, without even looking, I can feel what you're thinking. I think it has to do with how alike we are at times."

He couldn't say that Vincent was becoming that person, so he half lied in his answer. "Yes, I do. Her name's Tifa. Childhood 'friend' of mine. I could never be sure if she was ever… No, I'm fairly certain she was never actually proud of anything I had done, and I doubt she thinks much of me now, or even that she misses me." It was a lot more depressing to say out loud. "I'm… mostly okay with that, though. Things are as they should be, I guess."

"You are worth a lot more than you give yourself credit for."

Cloud actually had to stop caring about the things his face might reveal to look over at Vincent, since the comment was unexpected. He didn't really know what he wanted to hear, but he supposed that Valentine was such a good friend that he couldn't really say anything else.

"How do you figure?" the words escaped as they made eye contact again. This seemed too deep of a conversation for them. Cloud wished these things would stop happening so that he'd have a legit reason to call his feelings unwarranted, but it just wouldn't stop. If he never talked to him like this, he'd never end up being in this position anyways.

"Surely you remember the first time we spoke to one another?"

"In the library? Of course I do."

"It was, and still is, very easy to speak with you, and I find myself wanting to speak with you more and more often. " That was funny, considering all the secrets he kept. "I thought it was strange that I had made a connection so suddenly. You are… important to me… If that means anything to you."

It felt so peculiar to hear these things. He wondered if Vincent really bought that story about Tifa, but he ignored that in favor of thinking of a graceful way to accept that confession. He couldn't prevent the gentle smile on his face any more than he could stop the wind. Maybe it was strange to say, but he even felt light in his eyes brighten a little at the happy feeling.

"Well, thanks. I'll just have to take your word for it on that one. You're important to me as well." Somehow he was feeling better about the situation he'd let himself get into. He wasn't Valentine's love, but at least he was his friend. That was more than enough for now. He wasn't in love, at least. It was just a rather deafening crush, and one he could get over with some time. That's what he told himself.

And for a while after that, the only thing they heard was the chilled breeze and the swishing river. It was peaceful. If Cloud didn't get the hell out of there he'd fall asleep. He didn't actually have a problem with that either, as long as he woke up before the sun rose again, and he was sure he would, so that he could shower and get ready for work in the morning. Really, making it back to his apartment was a lower priority than maybe it should be, but he was sure that he would go back home with Vincent anyways.

The water moved slower and slower as the night dragged on, and soon it seemed to trickle along quietly as if coaxing Cloud into taking a nap beside it. Now, nearly gone, Vincent asks the question Cloud hoped he wouldn't.

"You lied about her, didn't you?"

"...Not completely." He couldn't really lie to him, could he?

"Is it alright to ask how much of it was lie?"

"It's all true, except… Tifa never interested me like that. She was my only friend for a long time, if you could even call it that. I think, for a while, she might have wanted something more to happen, but I never could be what she was expecting."

"What would that be?"

Cloud thought of a way to put it into words. "A SOLDIER, her knight in shining armor."

The man with the crimson eyes stared ahead, probably thinking of a way to insert his own opinion on the matter. He looked conflicted.

"I believe you made the right choice, not getting involved with the ShinRa. That program is just a glorified science project. It happened to be rather successful, but one can never truly be sure of what's going on behind the ShinRa's closed door until he pays a visit there."

"You know, at the time, I think I was willing to go through a lot of whatever they had for me there once I got to the entrance exams, but my mother was very sick back then, and by the time she died I didn't have the will to go and try my hand at it. I think that might be another reason why a lot of the residents in Nibelheim were… as unwelcoming as they were. They must've all felt the same way Tifa did, in a way." It sounded as if it was something Cloud had never considered before towards the end.

"Well, you have some friends now, Cloud," He muttered his name again and he suddenly felt a little more at peace, if the atmosphere wasn't enough. "I… wasn't able to help many people in my lifetime either. I've spent a lot of my time on the planet living selfishly, and I've committed many sins, but if I could ever help you, I would do it without hesitation."

"Where did you learn to talk like that? It's like you already know what the right thing to say is before I even respond."

His eyes smiled as he chuckled for the first time that day. He liked listening to his laugh. It was unlike most others because he seemed so unused to it. It was very out of place in his throat, which somehow made it more appealing. More noteworthy than that was the honest, crooked smile he used. His lips looked dry, and probably cracked at the uncommon emotion, but for some reason Cloud couldn't bring himself to hate its awkwardness. The trait was just very endearing.

"Far from it. as I said before: you happen to be one of the only people I can speak with like this. And… I made a promise just like you did that morning some time ago, so if I can keep it intact, I must keep intact. There is no way around it."

Now being Cloud's turn to chuckle, he replied, "I can't say I don't feel the same way about it, either. I really can't be certain how good of a companion I can be to you though. I just don't have enough experience."

Feeling somewhat satisfied with the words between them, Cloud looked away and considered something he hadn't before, that simultaneously made him feel better and worse. If he had never really ever gotten what he wanted during his 19 years of life, then why of why would this be different? It was a very bad way to go about reassuring himself that things would be okay.

"If it means anything, so far, nothing has been a chore with you. My visit to this river has mostly been to keep your company, not just to see the damage that has been done."

He kept using that phrase, 'if it means anything.' How could it not? How, if they were really friends, could Cloud not take the words he said to heart, try to understand them, and make an attempt at returning the favor?

"Of course it means something to someone like me. You and Yuffie were my first real friends."

After that, they shared their final moment of silence before Vincent got up from the damp log slowly and quietly, and then took Cloud's hand in his own, guiding them out of the woods and back to the triangle building. It was in their hallway that the man with the crimson eyes asked the runaway almost shyly, if he would join him in his own apartment, since Yuffie was away. Who could tell him 'no?'

-)(-)(-)(-

Waking up in Vincent's apartment for the second time had been just as startling as it was the first time, but what happened to be the most disconcerting was that he wasn't on the floor like last time. Hell, being on the couch would be better than this. He found himself in a big bed with black sheets and blankets, and he was having a hard time recalling how he got there.

The dark transparent curtains let in enough light to see without being blinded at least, so it didn't take long to notice he was the only one in the bed, and there didn't appear to be any signs of someone else having slept there. Somehow, Cloud was relieved and disappointed at the same time.

It took longer than usual, but eventually he remembered what led to him sleeping in Vincent Valentine's bed. They stayed quiet for the rest of that night and then when Cloud fell asleep on the couch, Vincent led him to his bed as if he were a child and left to return to him place on the couch.

He wished he would have just left him on the couch. Cloud seriously wouldn't have minded, and it would lessen his guilt some if he had. He cautiously creaked out of the bed, which he had noted was way more comfortable than the cheap one he had picked up, and looked around the room. No pictures, no extreme mess (other than the dirty pie plate on the nightstand), nothing he wouldn't expect. Even the garbage can full of candy and sweets wrappers seemed to be just in place. Well, a glance around would be all the snooping he would do for now. Where were his shoes?

Clicking the door open slowly, he saw Yuffie busting very loudly through the living room window and onto the floor. A large and bloodied conformer came tumbling into the floorboard, embedded deeply into the carpet, hopefully not poking in too far. They both jumped at the noise, Cloud swearing very suddenly ("Ooo, Shit!") and Valentine being the more disoriented of the two since he was just sleeping there on the couch. She was bleeding pretty heavily onto the carpet from the shattered window, and Cloud had no fucking clue why she didn't just open the window, but she appeared to have more injuries than what she got from the window. What a startling thing to walk in on. It was amazing how perfect his timing had been.

Yuffie was a god damned mess, Valentine just stared at her not knowing what the hell he was looking at for a whole 3 seconds before springing into action, and Cloud was so scared and startled at whatever happened to be going on at the moment that he seemed to be frozen in his spot, Why is it that every time he stays the night at Valentine's place does somebody walk into, or in this case, break through a god forsaken window, injured? His heart was beating heavily in his throat, making his breathing harder.

"H-hey, Vinny… Spike… Sorry about the window, I hate to be so clumsy..." She was still pretty upbeat at least. That gave Cloud the ability to move again.

"Oh, planet," Strife breathed.

Vincent was at her side already though, hopefully asking questions that mattered, so Cloud moved to get some towels or gauze or something. Antiseptic and the like. The bathroom had all the stuff he was looking for and it took maybe a minute all together to find it all. When he came back into the living room they were already talking.

"-Searching for you now more than ever… because you're all of Chaos that's left."

"Yuffie… I'm sorry, Yuffie…"

"Don't do that. I'm always, always going to be on your side!"

Cloud had never heard Vincent more anguished, and this scene was very dramatic. What the fuck was that even supposed to mean? Whatever it was, he rushed over with the things he'd gathered and worked to stop the bleeding on Yuffie's arms, only able to stop the tremors in his fingers because he needed to take some action. She seemed to be fine other than those, and a slight gash on her cheek, though there seemed to be some unrelated bruising here and there.

If Cloud had to make a guess at what just happened, Yuffie had been fighting something last night that left her so exhausted that she couldn't even to manage to jump to the shoddy window without sloppily breaking through it with her conformer. At least she didn't seem to need stitches. luckily, the blood made it look a lot worse that it really was. If she was really that hurt, Cloud hoped she would just use the front door anyways. At least she could still smile.

"I can't… How can you still smile when I'm the source of all harm that comes to you? I've never been a good person," and right at that moment, Cloud realized that there more to Vincent than just his silly crush, and that before he could make a move he'd have to learn more about him, "but I have never intended to let you take all these blows for me. You're so tired, and yet you still smile… So why?"

"You know why, Vin…" She grinned in the cheesiest way, blood on her teeth and everything. Cloud was very happy to see her smile, because that was a great reassurance.

"I went alone because I'm your friend, and I knew what you needed last night was some time-"

As Cloud tightly cleans and bandages the wounds on her arms, trying his best not to let his lack of expertise show, Vincent shifts violently and places his hands on the sides of her face in what can only be described as pleading. It didn't seems to hurt her at least, but she was bleeding onto his clawed hand. It was very surprising, seeing Vincent quiet distress turn so abruptly. Cloud wished there was some way he could simultaneously help Yuffie and mind his own business at the same time. What a shitty morning.

The man with the crimson eyes was so much bigger than her. That claw of his nearly blocked Cloud's whole view of her face, and his long hair seemed to stand a little on its own, he was so stressed. He was like an upset cat almost, even his profile seeming sharper, everything about his appearance was prickly with guilt.

"How can you say that this harm you've welcomed was for the better? How are you still smiling, when all my sins are catching up to me, and you're the one paying the price for it?"

His voice was cracking, and Cloud was very lost, and touched, and worried, but mostly concerned. He wondered if Vincent would cry, or if he even could, and hoped he didn't have to see it because it would break his heart. And he had so many questions. Not being able to interrupt, he just tended to Yuffie's wounds as best as he could. He knew she was going to be okay, but he wasn't sure if Vincent knew.

"Because I'm your friend, and I'm not gonna let you go without help. Work related or not, you're always gonna have someone to lean on if I'm alive. I'm the great ninja, Kisaragi, so you ought have a little more faith in me anyways!" Was that a joke? "And besides, you really wanted to see him last night, didn't you?" She was referring to Cloud? Her soft smile turned to a hard glare. It was kind of surprising. "Well, you got what you wanted, which was what I wanted, so you can pay me back for it later, got it? I'm not even that hurt."

Vincent stared at her for a long time, and all Yuffie did back was glare. Was she seriously getting annoyed? Her choice in wording made Cloud think otherwise, but he wasn't sure Vincent knew that. After a while, he lowered his hands and looked more ashamed than anything else.

"Forgive me, Yuffie. And thank you, Cloud."

"Ah...Yeah. Thanks, Cloud. I think I would've passed out if you hadn't been here; Vinny can barely use gauze without cutting it up with his claw, and I get woozy pretty easily."

"It's no trouble. We're friends, right? But, I think it's time you guys let me out of the dark."

He was not without sympathy, but this was simply ridiculous at this point. Honestly, holding himself back from asking at the start was probably not very smart, considering that he couldn't just walk away from either of them anymore if the answers were too harsh.

Still, he doubted he would've been able to leave these people alone, even if it happened to mean that he'd be in the same kind of danger as them. He was in too deep from the beginning. And, more than that, he felt that if he knew more, he could help in more ways than just tending wounds, though it was a brand new thought that he was using to justify being around these harm magnets.

"Well, what do you think, Vinny? I said I would leave it up to you."

"Yes, I suppose we did wait a bit too long this time, didn't we Yuffie? It is time to shed some light, but first, I have a question for you, Cloud."

"What's that?" He said cautiously.

"Can you honestly say that you will stay with Yuffie and I after I tell you our business?"

It probably would end up getting Cloud hurt like Yuffie was now, he realized this from the start. But these were his best friends. He'd fight with them, for them. And though it might be strange for someone like him to give his loyalty so freely, these were the people that meant the most to him right now. This was the direction his life was going in, and he wasn't gonna stop it.

"I swear it. I made a promise, remember?"


Thanks for reading! What did you think? I hate to leave you at a cliffhanger, but people need intensives to keep reading, am I right?

So, do you think I might've taken too long to get to this point? Do you think it might be too fluffy at this point in the story? Let me know. An honest review is better than no review.

Thanks again~