Chapter summary:
Needing comfort and support, Vincent decides to explain his recent behaviour to the Turks and Rufus. Dinner turns to something else and Vincent's adopted family gains a new member.
Chapter notes:
Fluff! Angst! Sex! You'll find it all here, more or less in that order.
Sex is of the m/m/m kind, with some m/m and f/f/m thrown in for good measure, just not as explicit. [If you're really curious, the main 'pairing' in this chapter is Vincent/Rufus/Tseng.]
Also, a slight formatting change, in which Chaos's dialogues now look like this and Galian's dialogues look like this—only when said dialogue happens in Vincent's head.
More notes at the end of the chapter to avoid spoilers.
Tseng woke up with Vincent spooning behind him and Elena tucked against his chest. The clock told him it was a quarter to seven—he'd slept a little under five hours. It wasn't anywhere close to enough but he felt a lot better already. He was trying to figure out a way to leave the bed without jostling Elena when he felt Vincent's arm tighten around his waist, pulling him closer to the gunman's comfortingly warm chest.
"Elena's here," Tseng murmured.
Vincent managed to open one eye to confirm Tseng's statement. "When did she get here?" His voice was gruff with sleepiness.
"No idea."
The gunman closed his eye and gently pulled Elena closer to them. She brought her cast arm to Tseng's hip and murmured something unintelligible, making Tseng chuckle. He kissed her forehead and held her close, all thoughts about leaving bed forgotten.
Of course, his phone rang right then and he was forced to climb over Vincent to get it from the bedside table. As soon as he was sitting on the edge of the bed, Vincent slid to the middle of it and held on to Elena to recover the warmth Tseng took with him.
"Hello, sir," he all but yawned after checking the caller ID.
"I woke you up. I'm so sorry, Tseng," Rufus said.
"Don't worry about it, sir. I was awake already, just barely. Are you on your way?"
"Almost. I just need to know what's the dress code for this and if you need me to bring anything."
Tseng stood up then and stretched leisurely before leaving Vincent's room to see what Reno and the rest were up to.
"Casual is fine," he said. He took a quick glance at his rumpled uniform and made a note to stop by his apartment for a change of clothes as soon as he hung up with Rufus. "Nothing you might mind getting wrinkled, since we'll likely end up sitting on the floor. Let me ask Reno if he needs anything."
"All right."
Tseng leaned on the bar that divided the kitchen from the living room and took stock of what was going on. Reno had apparently decided to make stir-fried chicken and vegetables with rice and tempura. He was working on the main dish while Cissnei chopped the things that would go in the batter, which Rude was preparing.
"Hey, guys. Rufus wants to know if you need him to bring anything."
Reno tossed the chicken in the wok before turning to Tseng. "Hey, sleepy head. Um… I think we got everything we need, yo. We even got him some of that weird mint liqueur he likes."
"Got it." Returning the phone to his ear, he said, "Seems like they're all set, sir. It's perfectly all right to arrive empty-handed—we did invite you."
"I see. I'll be there in half an hour, then."
"See you then, sir."
As soon as he hung up, Cissnei came over with a glass of wine for Tseng. "Sleep okay?"
The Wutain nodded, rubbing his eye absently. "Yes, thank you. It wasn't enough, though. Speaking of, how long has Elena been in there?"
"About three hours," Rude said. "You didn't notice her climbing into bed with you?"
Tseng shook his head. "I didn't notice Vincent, much less little Lena."
"Are they still asleep, yo?"
"Vincent woke up long enough to realise Elena was there but they carried on sleeping before I even left the bedroom. I'll go get them in a little bit—Rufus said he'd be here in about half an hour."
"You need to change, Blade."
Tseng looked at his clothes again and nodded. "Be right back. Do you need me to bring my coffee table, by the way?"
"We brought ours already, so it should be fine," Rude said.
"Okay. I won't take long."
Getting Elena out of bed was a chore and a half. She'd gotten very tired during the shopping trip and all but collapsed when they returned to Vincent's apartment. The pain made her cranky and she wanted to skip dinner and keep on sleeping. Vincent ended up carrying her out to the living room and setting her on the couch with a bunch of cushions and blankets. He was hoping the smell of Reno's cooking would eventually make her realise food wasn't a bad idea, after all.
They set the coffee tables in two rows of two and left one in the centre to set the food on. Tseng brought out his and Vincent's tatamis to match the theme of Reno's cooking. He had also dug up the tableware his grandmother had willed him; it had been one of the few things he managed to smuggle before his family realised he was leaving for Midgar. He almost never used it because it made him a bit too nostalgic but he thought the occasion called for it. It was, after all, the first time the whole team and Rufus spent time together. Even if the circumstances were less than ideal, it was still a good thing.
Rufus arrived twenty past eight wearing jeans and a white ShinRa t-shirt under a charcoal vest. He hadn't bothered to style his hair, allowing it to fall lazily over his eyes more than was usual.
It was the first time Vincent saw Rufus in anything other than a pristine suit and he had to admit that the young man was rather attractive.
Mind off the gutter, Valentine. That's not what tonight's about,Chaos rumbled.
I know, but I'm not blind.
"Good evening, everyone," Rufus greeted.
Everyone greeted back, and Rufus turned to Vincent with a small smile.
"Glad to see you, Vincent."
The gunman nodded, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. "Thank you, sir. I'm sorry about all the trouble Galian caused today."
Rufus shook his head, perching on the couch's armrest closer to Elena's feet. "Don't worry about it. The security cameras didn't catch anything and I was able to pin the alarms on Heidegger's cronies."
Vincent nodded, momentarily distracted by something Reno said. That gave Rufus time to focus on Elena, who was sulking when he arrived and barely returned his greeting. He knelt in front of the couch and pushed some hair out of the blond's face.
"What's wrong, Lena?"
"'m tired and my feet hurt," she pouted.
"You should've stayed here instead of going shopping," Tseng admonished.
"I was fine," she groused.
"You just came out of the med wing today," Vincent said. He perched on the couch's armrest that Rufus had vacated and petted her hair. "I know you don't like sitting still but you have to take it easy. You said it yourself, you need to be better in time for the summit."
"Just eat a little, Lena. It'll make you feel better," Rude cajoled.
"I got you some Snow Drops," Cissnei said. "You can have them after dinner."
That cheered Elena up somewhat, enough to get her to slide off the couch and sit at one of the coffee tables with her back resting on the couch.
"Atta girl," said Reno. "Now, y'all sit down while Tseng and I bring the food out."
They set the wok with the stir-fry in the centre table along with the rice cooker and a large bowl of vegetables in tempura and smaller bowls filled with different sauces. Tseng passed along the plates while Reno refilled wine glasses and brought out beer bottles; Elena and Vincent were drinking raspberry flavoured mineral water.
As dinner went on, talk centred mainly on how Elena and Vincent were doing overall. The fact that Rufus was around didn't seem to disrupt the Turks' dynamic at all, which reassured Vincent that Chaos's idea to invite the President hadn't been a mistake.
Cissnei and Rude cleared the tables when they were done and brought out a chocolate and strawberries cake along with Elena's Snow Drops and other candies and snacks. They also passed Rufus the mint liqueur and a glass of chocolate milk to Vincent.
"I guess you don't have blood sugar issues," Rufus said as Rude passed a slice of chocolate cake to Vincent.
Vincent shook his head. "I do. I have a tendency towards hypoglycaemia. Chaos and Galian burn up a lot of energy even when they're just dormant."
"Oh. So it's a lucky thing you have a thing for sweets, then."
A grin this time. "A very lucky thing. Although, well, eating overall is something I grew unaccustomed to so it's still a struggle."
Rufus nodded. He had heard about most aspects of Vincent's condition from Gast but the Turks painted a more complete picture. They all took care of the Director but it mostly fell upon Tseng and Reno to nurse Vincent back to health after he forgot to eat or didn't get a proper night's rest.
"Anyway, that is as good a link as any to what it is I wanted to talk to all of you about," Vincent said after a little while. "Fair warning, though: it's all rather unpleasant."
"It's about that Fail-Safe thing Hojo came up with, isn't it?" Rufus asked. Noticing Vincent's uncomfortable look, he shrugged. "I'm sorry. Gast thought it necessary to give Lazard, Tseng, and I a brief rundown."
"Did you tell the others, Tseng?"
Tseng shook his head. "No. All I told them was it had something to do with the files and things you brought back from Nibelheim. I didn't feel it was my place to explain."
"There wasn't much to explain, anyway," Rufus added. "All Gast told us was that Hojo somehow turned you into a weapon to neutralise Sephiroth in case he became a threat or Hojo himself felt threatened by someone in the company."
"That's… That's about it, but it's more complicated than that. At least on my part."
Elena cuddled up to Vincent, resting her head on his shoulder. "You don't really have to explain if you don't want to, Vermeil."
The gunman tensed up at the sound of the nickname in front of Rufus. He remembered how his pet name for Elena had slipped him at the medical wing and the curious look Rufus had given him.
Noticing Vincent's reaction, Rufus smiled and said, "Reno explained that to me. We have the same thing going on so you can relax."
"Now can you tell us what Galian calls him, yo?"
Rufus blinked. "Galian has names for you, too? And for me?"
"More like titles," Cissnei explained, "all in relation to Vincent's perception of us. Or at least what Galian thinks is Vincent's perception of us."
Reno listed all five titles to Rufus and the blond couldn't help but chuckle.
"That's strangely endearing," he said. Turning to Vincent, he raised his eyebrows. "So? What's my title?"
With an exaggerated sigh, Vincent relented. "He calls you 'liege lord' because you're my boss. Unlike the rest, though, he hasn't conferred to you the title of my foster child."
"Oh? Why not?"
Vincent looked at Rufus for a moment, unsure whether the younger man was kidding or not. When Rufus's lip twitched in an attempt not to smile, the gunman sighed and shook his head with a small smile.
"A few reasons, all which can be properly amended with time."
"Good. I know I usually leave you to it but I've come to realise I would like to be a bit more involved. After all, you're keeping this lot safe and they saved my life. It seems wrong to be so detached."
"Would you mind explaining that, sir? You mentioned it before we raided the Avalanche hideout and the others have mentioned it in passing but I don't know the full story."
"I don't mind, no. As long as you stop calling me sir while we're off the clock."
"I'll try."
Rufus nodded and poured himself a shot glass of mint liqueur.
"You met my father. You know what an utterly horrible person he was. He was never around, at least not for me, but I was forced to attend meetings all the time so I had a pretty good idea of his policies regarding, well, everything. Additionally, up until I was fifteen I grew up under the strict tutelage of several instructors who had one mission: to turn me into my father so I would carry on with his policies after he died. I didn't really want to but I didn't want to get into trouble, either, so I attended my lessons and did as best as I could. Which, thankfully for me, was pretty good as it minimised his letters to express his disappointment in me.
"I was supposed to go to a boarding school when I turned sixteen, but around that time headquarters was raided by Avalanche, killing half of the Science Department, Hojo and Hollander included. This forced my father to have the Turks track down Gast. He returned with Ifalna and Aerith and, much to my father's dismay, with the Cetra knowledge that the Planet is alive and mako is basically its soul. They tried to get him to stop syphoning mako and finding alternate energy sources but he wouldn't listen. However, I did. I took their teachings to heart and decided that when my turn came to run the company, I would fund research into alternate, clean energy sources and halt mako extraction. I made the mistake, though, of telling my father all this."
Vincent nodded. "He must have been angry."
"Furious," Rufus said. "Even more so when I declined my automatic pass into the most prestigious boarding school in the Planet and went to Cosmo Canyon to study under Bugenhagen, instead. He threatened to disown me but there's a very specific clause about that in the company's charter. It was around then that he decided to acknowledge Lazard as his son but my brother declined to take our father's name. Something about bad blood or some such nonsense. It didn't matter, though, because just recognising him as his son was enough to put Lazard in line to take over the company once my father and I were dead.
"So with that bit taken care of, it was only a matter of making sure I was out of the picture for good. With that in mind, my father ordered Veld to make sure I had an accident before I returned to Midgar."
"Veld was able to ignore the order because the department was in the middle of a transition," Tseng picked up. "Your old team decided to retire collectively and we'd just been assigned as their replacements."
"He used the fact that you were new recruits, most of you barely in your late teens, to buy time," Vincent ventured.
Tseng nodded. "Rude was nineteen and had some military background because he had originally applied for Soldier so Veld sent him to Cosmo Canyon to keep Rufus safe in case Old Shinra had hired outside help to cover all his bases. He told the president that he would do some reckon and plan the best way to get rid of Rufus to get him off our backs."
"We started taking turns to make it a little less suspicious," Rude added. "Even Veld wound up there for a few months when things over here were calm enough."
"We played dumb until Rufus turned nineteen," Cissnei continued. "The president was beginning to get suspicious but things with Avalanche were getting sufficiently heated that he more or less dropped the subject."
"And then he was polite enough to drop dead, yo."
"I was twenty by then," Rufus said. "The Turks had my back for nearly five years. I asked Veld why and he said the company was heading in the wrong direction and he was certain that I could get it back on track. He believed I could make things right and took a gamble, not only with my life and his but with everyone's in his department. So even though I have a brother, the Turks became my actual family. And that includes you, Vincent, whether you acknowledge me as your son or not."
Vincent shook his head with a small smile. "You are officially adopted now, Rufus-sama. Which means you get to choose a nickname for me and I can tell you mine for you."
"Hey, how come he gets -sama, yo?" Reno interrupted before Rufus could reply.
"He's my boss, Red."
"That's not your nickname for me, is it?"
"It's not. It's actually Kin no kitsune. But that's a bit long, so I guess it'll be just Kinnoki."
"Gold fox?" Tseng asked. Vincent nodded and the Wutain looked carefully at Rufus. "Okay, yeah, I see it."
"Are you saying I'm foxy?"
Rufus regretted his choice of words immediately.
"All the time, yo," Reno replied with a grin and a suggestive wink.
"I meant…" Rufus frowned. "Tseng, what did I mean?"
"Vulpine," Tseng offered with a smirk. "And yes, you do look vulpine, Ru-san."
"The legend of the fox spirits was always my favourite growing up," Vincent added. "Now that you know that, let's hear it, then. Do you have a pet name for me, kinnoki?"
Rufus felt himself blushing slightly and wishing there was some way to hide it. The fact was that he did have a nickname for Vincent but he was worried the gunman wouldn't like it.
Rufus's mother had died when he was six and the clearest memories of her that the blond had were the stories she read to him at bedtime. A lot of it had been mythology—from Cetra folklore to Wutain legends and everything in between, young Rufus grew up fascinated with gods and goddesses, heroes and mythical creatures, and the classical motifs of the battle between good and evil. All through it, he'd been particularly interested in the Junon mythos of the Underworld in which its entrance was guarded by a three-headed watchdog with black fur and glowing red eyes. The idea of such a creature both frightened and excited him, although the fear gradually disappeared as he grew up.
When Vincent returned to Midgar, Gast provided Rufus with the gunman's file and showed him the interviews where the former Turk had talked about Chaos and Galian as well as the Jenova Project. Rufus was reminded of the Junon stories then, especially of Cerberus, the Underworld's guardian. That, in addition to Veld's stories about his missing partner, made Rufus forever associate Vincent with the formidable guard.
"Cerberus," Rufus said after a while, the red of his cheeks intensifying slightly.
"Like the three-headed watchdog of Hell?" Elena asked.
"It sounds kind of horrible when you say it like that, but yes. I mean… By all accounts you're a guardian, Vincent. You take care of your family and are loyal to them to the last. And, well, there's, uh… there's three uh… people? In your head. So, I… it seemed fitting."
Vincent couldn't help but chuckle at the blond's blush and his fumbling explanation. Reaching past Elena, he kissed Rufus's forehead briefly, making his blush even more noticeable.
"Thank you, Rufus-sama. I'll be honoured to be called that by you."
Don't tell him mine yet, Chaos said. He'll probably faint in embarrassment.
"Was that Chaos?" Rufus asked, trying to stir the conversation elsewhere without really knowing what he was getting into.
"Uh, yes. He has nicknames for pretty much everyone I know, too. Yours, though…"
"Can't be worse than Baby Turk," Elena groused playfully.
That got everyone laughing and sort of forced Vincent to tell.
"It's 'Little Prince'. More because of the story than anything else."
Rufus thought about it for a moment before eventually smiling. "Fair enough. I like that story."
Conversation drifted a bit before Vincent deemed it necessary to bring up the reason behind their meeting once again.
"Like I said… There are things I'd like to explain to you even if you feel like I don't need to give you explanations. It's actually a bit selfish of me—I'm afraid that even if Ifalna managed to order Galian to stand down and leave Jenova and those with its cells in their systems alone, things are still going to get darker before getting brighter again. And it'll be a lot easier for you to understand and help me if you know what it is we dug up back in Nibelheim."
"Hey, no sweat, Vince. I told Galian that we would pick up whatever slack we could to help out and I meant it, yo."
You got this, Chaos said as he tried to pass some energy to Vincent to boost his confidence.
You are safe in their company, Host, Galian added.
Exhaling deeply and shakily, Vincent nodded.
He started with the facts. He told them about his father's letter and his medical records and how they had caught Hojo's attention, therefore dragging him into the Jenova Project. Leaving behind the most disturbing details, he told them of Hojo's notes about him, Chaos, and Galian. When it came to Sephiroth and the three boys Hojo and Hollander used on their experiments, he felt his eyes sting with the threat of tears but pushed on, retelling the incident as best as he could.
"I don't remember anything about the time I spent in the Nibelheim labs. Chaos has some fragmented memories but nothing regarding the incident. Apparently Galian took up the headspace where those memories had once been. Not that it matters much given the fact that Hojo kept the surveillance videos along with that blasted journal.
"According to him, I reacted to Sephiroth's presence from the beginning, before he even came up with Fail-Safe. He never got around to theorising about it, perhaps because he thought it was something 'unscientific', like attachment to Lucrecia or something. I can't be sure of it but Chaos thinks that's the only possible explanation, other than…" He closed his eyes, trying to focus. "The only other explanation would be if Sephiroth and I were somehow genetically related and I were responding to paternal instincts but there's no chance of that. It would've come up on one of the million tests run on either one of us over the years."
"What if Hojo added some of your DNA to Sephiroth to accelerate his healing rate?" Tseng suggested. "You said he had your father's research, so maybe he wanted to take advantage of your resilience to pass it on to the Soldier program."
Vincent tilted his head, frowning. His eyes flickered gold a few times as he listened to Chaos. Eventually, he sighed. "You might be on to something there, Tseng-san. Something like that wouldn't necessarily leave traces on Sephiroth's DNA but it could be enough for me to pick up on it given Chaos's abilities. No one would look for it because we all assumed that was something Jenova passed on to all subjects. I'll have to discuss it with Gast."
"But then why would you only react like this to Sephiroth?" Rude asked.
When everyone looked at him, Tseng shrugged. "Beats me. It was just an idea."
"Well, Angel and Genesis were never at Nibelheim but Vincent has been looking after them since he came back. He wouldn't let Gast just experiment on them all willy-nilly, remember?" Cissnei said.
Rufus snorted. "He was deeply offended by that. He gave me an earful while you were at Nibelheim."
Vincent glared at nothing in particular. "He should've known better than to even suggest it in front of me."
"Maybe Hojo wanted to add Vincent's abilities to the whole Soldier program," Elena said.
"But Vince doesn't react like that to everyone in Soldier, yo."
"Maybe they only used it on the original three. Gast changed the formula or whatever when he got here to avoid spreading Jenova further. He could've removed Vincent from the equation without realising it. I mean, Zack's a First and his healing factor is higher than anyone below him but he still scars," Tseng pointed out.
"You better keep all this medical insight to yourselves," Rufus said with a smirk. "Otherwise Gast will want to spirit you away to the Science Department."
A chorus of disapproval met the President's comment, making him laugh.
Vincent shook his head slowly, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. However, he soon became serious again. Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his neck before turning to Rufus.
"Rufus, would you happen to know just how comprehensive are the archives we keep on the orphanages run by the company at the time my father was alive?"
The blond shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid they don't go back that far. Genesis looked up the children Hollander picked from the orphanage for his wager with Hojo and came up mostly empty. That wasn't so long ago."
Vincent nodded, clearly defeated. "There's nothing about the brothers, then?"
"All Genesis was able to find was that the children were found in the Northern Continent by a company detail and brought back to Midgar to be admitted to one of our orphanages. He's pretty sure they were admitted into one of the facilities used by the Science Department precisely because they had no records of any kind, not even birth certificates."
"That makes it a bit easier for me, then. If there are any samples from them left after Gast finishes treating Genesis and possibly Sephiroth, I want them. They deserve a proper burial; allowing them to sit on a shelf after everything Hojo put them through… After I…"
The tears were there now and there was nothing he could do to keep them back this time.
The reason he had retreated so deep within his own mind that Chaos couldn't reach him were the nightmares that assaulted him after he crawled into bed on Wednesday. He had no memory of the incident but the surveillance video had been enough to provide his subconscious with the materials it needed to torture him. It wasn't just Kadaj that he killed in his dreams—it was Sephiroth, Cloud, each of the Turks, even Veld and Rufus. Everyone he'd ever held dear dying at his hands—or Chaos's or Galian's—in the lab as Jenova and Hojo looked on, gloating and wallowing in his despair. Lucrecia was there only when his victim happened to be Sephiroth, and she always knew just what to say to break his heart.
Tseng was at his side in a second, holding him close while he whispered reassurances in Wutain. The rest looked on with matching looks of anguish. Rufus in particular felt horribly inadequate as he had no idea how to comfort a man that he'd always thought of as paragon of composure.
"He was just a child," Vincent sobbed against Tseng's shoulder. "He was scared and in pain, he just wanted to escape with his brothers… And I—"
"You weren't yourself, itoshii. Chaos wasn't himself, either, and Galian was acting on instinct. None of you are to blame for what Hojo and Hollander did, for all they started."
"I don't want to do that to Sephiroth," Vincent nearly whimpered. "I'd rather go back to the coffin and rot. How could he—? That's not… I don't understand what I did, why…?" A frustrated grunt interrupted him as he pulled away from Tseng to clean his face. "It's one thing seeing the chance to use me as a weapon against Shinra. It's another one entirely to… to take whatever natural link I have with Sephiroth and twist it around into something so… so crude and humiliating. And not just to me, to him, as well."
"Don't try to apply reason to anything McFugly did for shits and giggles, Vince. From what I know of the man, he was a spiteful son of a bitch, yo."
"Understatement of the century, Firefly," Rufus said. "Veld once told me that he made the mistake of inquiring after the whereabouts of Vincent's remains once Hojo deigned file the report listing him as KIA. Hojo told him to mind his own business and when Veld didn't drop the subject right away, he made it a point to make sure dangerous lab specimens managed to break free in areas where the Turks were stationed. Nearly got them all killed once with a pack of rabid Nibel wolves."
Veld had told Vincent about that. The gunman was surprised to learn that Veld had continued investigating even after Old Shinra told him to drop the subject and just find a replacement for Vincent. He wasn't nearly as surprised to hear his partner came up empty wherever he looked, even when he went down to Nibelheim himself and checked the mansion top to bottom. Hojo was still alive at the time, which meant his aides were still at the mansion, ready to hide its secrets from anyone who thought to pry, even the Director of the Turks.
"Everything's going to be fine, Deadeye. Ifalna is helping with Galian and I'm sure together you and Gast will find a permanent solution to the rest. Please don't let Hojo keep on screwing our family from beyond the grave."
"I know, but I… I leave a mess wherever I go. I should just—"
Rufus moved so he was kneeling in front of Vincent, their knees brushing. He grabbed the gunman's shoulders, sapphire staring resolutely into wavering crimson.
"Say quit and I'll have Rude beat some sense into you," he warned him. "Cissnei's right: you can't let Hojo screw us over from wherever he wound up after dying. It's not your fault that your parents couldn't bear the thought of losing you when you were a baby and your father resorted to extreme measures to keep you at their side; it's not your fault Hojo ransacked your father's office after his death and found your medical files; it's not your fault Hojo then decided to build upon your father's research to turn you into his latest experiment. It's not your fault Lucrecia turned out to be every bit as deranged as her husband, and it's not your fault she decided to let him play god with their child. It's not your fault that Hojo and Hollander were so fucked up in the head that they felt the need to wreck the lives of six young men, getting three of them killed in the process. It's not your fault Kadaj died, just as it's not your fault that Galian has been targeting Sephiroth.
"If you hadn't been around, Lucrecia and Hojo would've still used Sephiroth for the Jenova Project and they probably would've found someone else to graft Chaos and Galian unto. Someone not strong enough to not only tame both of them but to get them on his side, as well. Someone who wouldn't have given his life to protect Sephiroth from his parents, who wouldn't have come back thirty years later with the necessary knowledge to further stabilise him and Genesis and Angeal. Someone who wouldn't have gone back to Nibelheim to bring back even more information about all of Hojo's sick little side projects, allowing Gast to completely heal Genesis.
"I know all you went through was nothing short of hell and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. But there is no 'for better or for worse' here—it's a good thing that you're here, now. You saved the Turks' by agreeing to return to us. You can't quit now, Vincent. Not when you have all of us to pick up the slack and guard your back and do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe and happy. Even a guardian needs to be protected now and then. Allow us to do that for you."
Rufus hugged Vincent then, wrapping his arms tightly around the gunman's shoulders. He was afraid he had crossed a line, particularly given the fact that he'd never had cause to admonish Vincent and he'd touched some pretty sensitive topics. When Vincent sobbed and held on tightly to him, though, he knew he'd said the right thing.
"It's okay," Rufus said soothingly. "It's okay if you're angry and sad and confused. Just don't give up, please. We need you."
"I need you," Vincent said, eyes closed tight and tears still flowing freely. "I can't do this on my own. Especially because…"
He chocked and couldn't go on but the Turks knew what he meant.
"Vale… Sephiroth still wants to talk to you."
"We ran into Aerith at the Wutain specialty market," Elena said. "She told us that Sephiroth knows what Ifalna and Galian did and he wanted to meet with you."
"Ifalna told him to wait, though. To give you time to recover and all," Cissnei finished.
"See? It'll be all right." Tseng rested his forehead against Vincent's shoulder and felt him more than saw him shake his head. With a frown, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"The other part of Fail-Safe," Vincent sighed tiredly, unwilling to let go of Rufus. "It's not just that Galian is locked on to Sephiroth's specific strain of Jenova's DNA. To make sure the programming would be successful, Hojo intended to have Sephiroth give out a pheromone-based mating call. That implies that Sephiroth will be attracted not to me but to Galian, and all because of chemicals that will disappear once Gast figures out how to shut it down."
A weary sob had him holding on tighter to the younger man. He did his best to hide his face with his hair and Rufus's shoulder, feeling too vulnerable, even in front of the few people he could count on not to judge him.
Tseng sighed and moved so he was sitting behind Vincent, rubbing his back in wide, soothing circles. As he did so, his dark eyes caught Rufus's bright blue ones and after a silent exchange, the President's eyes widened slightly in realisation.
"You love him," Rufus said, holding Vincent closer.
The gunman tensed for a second before nodding, not trusting his voice not to break.
"You're sure, Vale?"
Another nod.
"Not as a hypothetical son but as in 'I love you, let's date'?" Reno asked, receiving another nod in response. "All right, then. We'll wait for Gast to get you both fixed and if Sephiroth loses interest then he's an idiot and we'll just have to make him see he'll never find anyone better than you, Vince."
"Red…"
"You did just say you love him, didn't you, yo?"
"Yes, but—"
"And the Big Boss here just told you we'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, right?"
"He did, but—"
"That includes playing matchmakers, Vince."
"Red, I really—"
"Oh, shush, Cerberus. This is an argument you're not going to win."
"Rucchan!"
"Tseng calls me that, sometimes. I like it, so you can use it, too. But you're still not winning."
Vincent finally disentangled himself from Rufus and did his best to glare menacingly at the younger man. The absolute resolve in his sapphire eyes, however, had him caving in record time. With a smug smile, Rufus took out a handkerchief and began drying Vincent's face.
I like him more already.
Hear, hear.
Traitors. Both of you.
Oh, brighten up already.
"What's going on now?"
"Mutiny. Chaos and Galian agree with Rufus, so I'm outvoted on all fronts."
There was something definitely Reno-like in the blond's roguish smile as he slid closer to Vincent, wrapping his arms around the gunman's shoulders almost lazily. Searching Vincent's eyes for any signs of discomfort or rejection, Rufus decided he found none and he straddled the older man, shuddering pleasantly when warm hands settled on his hips. He heard the others moving the tables out of the way and wondered briefly about the logistics of a seven-some. Seven-way?
Another thought crashed into that last one, giving Rufus pause. If Vincent wasn't pushing him away then that meant there shouldn't be an issue, but given how emotional the gunman had been a few minutes ago, the blond thought it would be best to make sure.
"I'm not trying to kill whatever mood we're creating here, Vincent, but… What about Sephiroth?"
A wry smile and a small shrug were the dark-haired man's first reactions. He then leaned forward, kissing the blond's neck slowly, gently teasing the soft skin with his tongue.
"Whatever I may end up having with him is still a long way into the future, whereas you're here… now… And so are we."
When Vincent pulled away from his neck, Rufus saw Vincent's left eye turn a cloudy shade of orange. Before he could ask about it, gold flickered across the same eye before settling on crimson again.
"Vee?"
Vincent grinned, and Rufus had to bite back an aroused groan when he caught a glimpse of fangs in the gunman's mouth.
"Like I said, we are here. The other people in my head have decided to stick around for whatever happens next, shachō. And since you're the newest member of our family, you get to go first, Rucchan."
Vincent punctuated the endearment with an upward roll of his hips and a firm squeeze on the blond's hips, consciously letting him feel the contained power under the motion.
"That's all well and good," Reno drawled, "'s long as I get a go with Galian, yo."
The redhead was standing to Vincent's right and he knelt next to him when the gunman motioned for him to do so. As soon as they were close enough for it, Vincent grabbed Reno's shirt with his right hand and pulled him in for a kiss that, from where Rufus was sitting, looked more like some sort of oral battle that Reno was willingly losing. When the gunman finally released the redhead, Reno was panting as if he'd run a marathon and blushing accordingly, and both of Vincent's eyes were orange.
"Wait your turn, adventurous one," Galian said with a predatory grin. "If I recall correctly, you are not required to work tomorrow. None of you, in fact."
Reno licked his lips and nodded, feeling his pants becoming tighter with Galian's implied promise.
It wasn't until he sat back to give Vincent and Rufus their space—he really didn't trust his legs at the moment—that he noticed Vincent's right hand had partially transformed into a less deathly version of Galian's claw. At the moment, though, it was shifting back to the gunman's human hand while orange eyes turned red again.
"Don't worry," Vincent said. "We figured things out earlier so none of you is in any danger. Still, if you'd rather not—"
"Are you kidding? That was hotterthan Firaga," Cissnei interrupted. She was kneeling next to Elena, eyeing Vincent and Rufus with unabashed desire.
"I think you'll be the one in trouble, Vale. There's six of us and only one of you."
"Three," Vincent corrected. "One body, yes, but three personas. All of us in need to express our thanks in as intimate a way as possible. And I'm very sure I erred on the side of caution when I ate all that cake."
"Are you really sure it's okay, Vermeil? With the protomateria and all, I mean."
"It's fine," Chaos's rumbling voice brought shivers down everyone's backs. "All you need to worry about is keeping up."
The wink he threw them was all the incentive Rufus needed to lock his lips with Chaos—or Vincent, or Galian, he wasn't quite sure who was in charge anymore. All he was aware of were strong hands moving from his hips to his ass, pulling him closer to a growing erection that rubbed his own with just the right amount of pressure and friction to raise his temperature and make his breathing that bit more laboured. The tongue assaulting his mouth tangled with his, keeping it away from sharp fangs but sometimes teasing with them, adding enough pressure to further arouse him without breaking skin. Vincent tasted sweet beyond the chocolate and strawberries he'd eaten not too long ago, and a bit spicy, too, like cardamom, maybe. Whatever it was, Rufus found himself delving deeper into the gunman's mouth, sucking on his tongue to get more of his strangely addictive taste.
He moaned in protest when Vincent drew back from his mouth, sucking on his lower lip before leaving a wet trail down his chin and neck. When he realised his vest was being pulled off, he cooperated and threw it behind him, barely aware of Cissnei's playful protest to look where he was throwing his things. The hungry look on Vincent's eyes as he moved to remove his t-shirt made Rufus blush and shiver slightly. His skin broke into goosebumps when the t-shirt joined his vest who knew where, the cool air of the room seeming absolutely chilly against his heated skin. His nipples hardened and Vincent took the chance to suck on one of them, nipping it gently before running his tongue over it, leaving it wet and throbbing before moving to the other one and lavishing it with the same thorough treatment.
His hands had been tangled in Vincent's dark hair, too preoccupied with the heat and electricity coursing through his body to do anything of use with them. As he felt the gunman shift, he moved his hands to the other's shoulders, hanging on as he was lowered to the floor on his back. Before he could adjust, Vincent was kissing him again, deeply and almost urgently, his hands traveling down his sides to the waistband of his jeans, undoing the button and zipper, parting the fabric just enough to expose a couple of inches of soft, creamy skin. His lips soon followed, leaving a trail of kisses, licks, and nips along the blond's chest and belly. Vincent stopped on Rufus's bellybutton, dipping his tongue inside and tickling the younger man, his breathy laugh trailing off into a wanton moan that had a bit of Vincent's name in it.
Vincent chuckled and, after sucking briefly on Rufus's bellybutton, he knelt with his legs straddling the blond's hips and his hands splayed on his chest and stomach. He took stock of the President's condition, smiling when he noticed the deep blush on his face and neck, the way he kept licking his lips slowly and breathing heavily, the way his bright eyes had darkened with lust, the way his arms stretched lazily above his head in a deceptively submissive gesture. The gunman let his long fingers trace the muscles on the blond's torso, adding extra pressure whenever Rufus arched into his touch. He teased until the man under him squirmed and bucked against his hips, a frustrated little grunt escaping his lips.
"What was that, shachō?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Hmm. I see. So, you won't mind if I just keep on doing what I'm doing?"
He flicked his thumbs over the blond's nipples, lifting his hips out of the way when Rufus tried to buck against him.
"Vee!"
"Hai, shachō?"
"Stop teasing, Cerberus."
Vincent smiled, fangs clearly visible again. "Hai, shachō."
He slid forward, running his palms along the length of Rufus's torso and arms, locking their lips together at the same time he laced his fingers with the blond's. He brought their hands to his hips, placing Rufus's hands on his t-shirt, silently giving him permission to take it off if he wanted.
Breaking the kiss, the young President licked Vincent's jaw slowly, sucking briefly on the soft skin right beneath his earlobe.
"Are you sure, Vee?" he whispered in his ear.
Vincent shuddered, Rufus's warm breath tickling his skin and drawing a soft sigh from his lips. He nodded, sucking on the blond's earlobe before replying. "I'm not ashamed or worried, Kinnoki."
Rufus fisted his hands on the hem of Vincent's t-shirt, slowly pulling it upwards. Vincent knelt up and bent forward at the same time, allowing Rufus to tug the t-shirt off before tossing it towards the couch. His hands then went to Vincent's bare hips—his jeans, being about a size too big, couldn't hold on to the gunman's lean frame and had ridden down at some point—, fingers tracing muscle and scars, taking in the almost ivory complexion of the man on top of him. His own skin was a creamy white but the contrast between the two tones was rather sharp; Vincent's skin seemed almost translucent under his hands.
The scars were easy to ignore, though. Rufus had seen the 'autopsy' photos Hojo had sent along with Vincent's fake death certificate and read Gast's reports. It still hurt him, like it hurt the Turks, to see the damage Vincent had suffered at Hojo's hands. Knowing it was a delicate subject and not wanting to ruin the mood, the blond decided not to comment on any of it. Particularly on the rather vicious looking scars on the gunman's left arm. They trailed all the way to the back of his hand, which was probably why Vincent always wore gloves—the fingerless kind—, even during hot summer days.
Trailing his hands upwards and mimicking Vincent's earlier inspection of his torso, Rufus rolled his hips, drawing out a surprised groan from the gunman. He grinned, feeling strangely proud to have made the older man react like that. His hands caressed the gunman's belly briefly before resting on his waist.
"You're too skinny, Vee," he commented teasingly. "Aren't the Turks taking care of you?"
Tseng, who had slipped deeper into Vincent's apartment at some point, walked back into the living room carrying a small canvas bag. Catching Rufus's last comment, he smirked and sat on the couch, playfully nudging the blond's side with his foot.
"If you want him to put on weight, Ru-san, you'll need to find a way to make him eat five or six times a day and then lounge about doing nothing. He burns calories faster than anyone I've ever met so there's no way for him to fill out that lanky frame of his."
Vincent raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "'Lanky'?"
"Not that I'm complaining," Tseng said with a suggestive smirk. "I like you lean and mean, koishii."
Anticipating the halfhearted complaint, Tseng slid the floor and leaned forward to kiss Vincent's pouting lips. He miscalculated his move, though, and ended up balancing on Rufus's chest with one hand, making the blond huff and squirm. The gunman's reaction to that was a groan that made Tseng's cock twitch. Vincent must have noticed something because he lifted Tseng so the Wutain was straddling the President, giving the gunman better access to his mouth and the rest of his body.
"Songbird! I was here first, you know?"
An impatient wave was all the answer he got from Tseng given that Vincent refused to let him go. Rufus huffed but enjoyed the sight in front of him. Particularly when Vincent slid Tseng's shirt off his arms, revealing the Wutain's back. A tattoo of Leviathan took up most of Tseng's back, rich and vibrant greens, blues, and silvers rippling along with the man's movements. Rufus couldn't hold back the need to run his hands across the smooth lines of the Water God his bodyguard still held in highest regard.
The action earned him a shudder and Tseng reached back with one hand intending to touch Rufus's chest. Instead, the blond caught the Wutain's hand in his and brought it to his lips, licking and sucking on each finger slowly. More moans followed, some of them carrying hints of the blond's name in them as Vincent had finally released Tseng's lips in favour of kissing and licking his way down his neck to his collarbone and chest.
Behind them, Reno's amused snort caught Rufus's attention. Propping himself up on his elbows to get a view of the other four, he found Cissnei doing her best to help Elena out of her blouse without injuring her arm further. The cast was an obvious hindrance to that.
"How did you get dressed this morning, pixie?" Cissnei asked.
"The nurse helped," Elena said. She had managed to slip off the right sleeve and she was currently trying to get the left one over the cast without tearing the fabric.
"Just cut it, yo. I'll buy ya a new blouse if that's what worries ya."
Elena pouted, shaking her head. "I like this blouse."
"Reno might be on to something, Lena. I just can't—"
Rude gently pried Cissnei and Elena's hands off the blouse and set to work on it. After about a minute of careful stretching, folding, and some bargaining with the stubborn garment, he got the blouse safely past the cast and off Elena's arm. He then folded it and placed it neatly on a nearby chair. Before he had time to say or do anything else, Elena was on his lap with her right arm wrapped around his shoulders and her left awkwardly wedged between them as she kissed him deeply, almost desperately. Mindful of her arm, Rude took the hint and kissed her back, dextrous fingers making quick work of her bra and tossing it aside afterwards.
Cissnei took the chance to inch closer to Elena, kissing her back and caressing her sides. Reno lost no time moving behind Cissnei, quickly getting rid of her top and sports bra to kiss and lick the area between her shoulder blades while his hands wrapped around her, playing with her breasts and adjusting his movements to get louder moans and groans from her. Eventually, Cissnei turned around and all but tore Reno's half-buttoned shirt off him before wrapping her arms and legs around him, grinding against his hips while kissing him deeply.
"Enjoying the view, shachō?"
Tseng's husky voice brought Rufus's attention to the two men currently sitting on him. Tseng had turned around and was now straddling Rufus with his back turned to Vincent. The gunman was busy kissing the Wutain's neck while undoing his slacks and sliding his hands beneath his underwear, teasing his hardened cock.
"Both views," Rufus breathed. "Feeling a bit neglected, though."
"Easily remedied," Tseng replied.
In one smooth movement, the Wutain slid off the President. At the same time, the gunman tugged the blond's jeans and boxers off him, pausing to remove his socks, too. As soon as the blond was completely naked, Vincent slid between his legs, giving his cock a long, slow lick from base to tip. Rufus's back arched off the floor as a surprised cry was wrenched from his lips. Smirking, Vincent repeated the motion a few times, making sure to lick all around the younger man's cock. He then licked the precum off its head before wrapping his lips around it and slowly taking all of it down his throat. The blond's drawn out moan made him groan, the vibration further arousing the man underneath him.
Silently, Vincent stretched his left hand towards the couch. He then closed his hand around the tube Tseng passed him and, without missing a beat, coated his right index and middle fingers with lubricant. Leaving the tube close by, he released Rufus's cock with a deliberate pop. This made the younger man protest and look down into Vincent's gleaming eyes and smirking lips. Before he had time to protest, the gunman pushed his index finger inside him, slowly and firmly. He moved it in and out a few times before adding a second finger, scissoring both digits to stretch him while his mouth wrapped around the President's throbbing member again, soft strands of ebony hair tickling his heated skin as the gunman's head bobbed up and down matching the rhythm of his probing fingers.
When a third finger joined the first two and brushed against his prostate, Rufus nearly screamed. He was riding Vincent's fingers with abandon now, desperately trying to get more friction, more pleasure. Just when he felt a familiar warmth coiling on his lower abdomen, the gunman's fingers and mouth abandoned him, leaving him feeling empty and annoyed. He opened his eyes, realising they'd been tightly closed for some time, and glared as darkly as he could in the gunman's direction.
"Sorry, shachō, but I really, really want to feel you around me."
"And I really, really want to feel you inside me," Tseng added.
Rufus looked to his right and licked his lips at the sight that greeted him. Tseng was kneeling naked in front of the couch, right hand wrapped firmly around his cock while his left hand was behind him, three fingers buried deep within his ass. Apparently, the Wutain had taken it upon himself to get ready while Vincent did the same for their young boss.
Looking between Tseng and Vincent, Rufus realised for the first time just how physically similar both men were. He supposed some of it had to do with the fact that both had Wutain blood in them, but they really looked like they were actual family, either father and son or siblings. The mere thought did nothing but fan his lust, and he found himself moaning wantonly just at the idea of finding himself pressed between these two men.
With a grin that had a bit of all three people in Vincent's body in it, the gunman stood up just long enough to take off his jeans and underwear before kneeling again and flipping Rufus so the blond was on his hands and knees in front of him. Tseng soon joined them, laying on his back and shimmying into position beneath Rufus. The blond leaned forward, rubbing his cock against the Wutain's as he kissed him deeply. He nearly bit down on Tseng's tongue when Vincent reached between them to grab their cocks in one of his hands, coating them liberally in lubricant. He then did the same to his cock before rubbing it up and down between the blond's buttocks, smearing precum and lube all over the soft globes.
"Ready when you are, kinnoki," Vincent breathed on Rufus's ear, sucking loudly on his earlobe.
Not trusting his voice at all, Rufus nodded and grabbed Tseng's thighs, spreading them as the Wutain reached for the blond's erection and guided it to his quivering entrance. The President pushed slowly forward, gasping at the intense heat of Tseng's insides. Soon he was buried to the hilt in his tight passage, his cock twitching and eager to start pumping in and out. Tseng shuddered and tangled his hands on Rufus's soft hair, pulling him down for a kiss while he waited for his body to adjust to the blond's cock and for Vincent to take his position so they could begin properly.
After taking a moment to admire Tseng's blissful expression, Vincent grabbed Rufus's hip with one hand while he aligned his cock with the blond's entrance with the other. He gently pushed forward while he pulled Rufus to him, exhaling shakily when the two men under him moaned lustfully because of the chain reaction his movement caused. He kept pushing until his balls slapped against Rufus's ass, aware that the pressure he was putting on the young man's hip would probably leave a rather interesting bruise but more preoccupied with giving the blond time to adjust before he started moving. Loosening his grip now might make his overeagerness ruin the whole thing for Rufus and Tseng.
It was Tseng that got them started. He locked his lips on Rufus's Adam's apple and sucked before moving his hips down, clenching around the blond's cock. Rufus then pushed forward to meet Tseng's thrust while Vincent pulled back only to pull Rufus against him when just the head of his cock remained inside the President; the motion drove Rufus towards Tseng again, and soon they had a slow, firm rhythm going on. They alternated kissing each other, kissing and sucking on whatever patch of skin they could reach when their lips weren't otherwise occupied.
Tseng was trying to hold on, not wanting to come so soon but the view offered to him was far more than he could take. Vincent's long hair stuck to his neck and to Rufus's shoulders like ink as the gunman's long, slender fingers wrapped around Rufus's neck possessively to pull him back into an open mouthed kiss. The fact that Vincent's other hand was around Tseng's cock, stroking it in rhythm to their movements didn't help matters any.
The Wutain wrapped his legs around both men, causing their thrusts to become quicker and shallower, heightening his arousal. He was panting and moaning constantly now, moving his hips faster and harder against Rufus while his hands went to the blond's shoulders, none too gently reminding his bosses that his lips were lonely, too.
Vincent smirked as his mouth left Rufus's, a shimmering strain of saliva joining their lips before collapsing. The gunman leaned forward, pressing the blond flush against Tseng to capture the Wutain's lips in his, sucking on his tongue and entwining his left hand with the Wutain's right.
"Hold on, Corvus," he breathed next to his ear. "Just a little longer, nee?"
Tseng groaned, Vincent's voice going straight to his groin. He held on to Rufus's shoulder with his free hand, licking his lips before replying. "I'll try, but it's… ngh… never just a little with you, koishii…"
Rufus chuckled before a groan cut him short. "I'm not sure I can keep this up much longer, Vee… You're both just… ahn…"
It was the gunman's turn to laugh. He sat on his knees, keeping Rufus on all fours while he increased the speed and intensity of his thrusts. He knew Tseng was close because all the tell-tale signs were there: he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, one hand was tangled in his hair while the other held on to Rufus's hip to anchor himself physically and mentally, and he was moaning constantly, muttering in Wutain until he was no longer able to form an intelligible word, let alone a sentence.
As for Rufus, he supposed the blond was also close to orgasm. He was meeting his thrusts almost desperately, pumping Tseng's cock frantically while he moaned incoherently. Some of the things Vincent could make out included his and Tseng's name, as well as pleas for 'more' and 'faster' and something that sounded a lot like 'beautiful', which made the gunman grin and Galian bristle.
Without much of a warning, barely a strangled moan that might have been Rufus's name mingled with Vincent's, Tseng came all over his stomach and torso, his hot, thick sperm coating Rufus's hand. The young President groaned at the added pressure around his cock, the Wutain's spasming body driving him closer to the edge even as he kept driving into the other man's body. As he coaxed the last drops of cum off Tseng's cock with his hand, Rufus nearly lost whatever self-control he still had when the dark haired man below him took his hand in his and brought it to his reddened lips, licking and sucking his own cum off the blond's fingers.
Vincent pulled him up then, drawing his cock out of Tseng's body with the motion. There was no room to protest, though, not when his back was flush against the gunman's chest and he could feel his heart thundering against him, one faintly calloused hand wrapped firmly around his cock, pumping it just this side of roughly, the other one splayed along his neck, pulling his head back into a sloppy open-mouthed kiss that did nothing to hush his abandoned moans, all the while Vincent kept hammering in and out of him with enough force to push him away from the gunman with each motion. His own hands were busy trying to find some sort of purchase to bring himself closer to Vincent. After some fumbling and flailing, he settled with bringing one arm back to tangle his hand in the gunman's hair while his other hand grabbed on to the gunman's thigh, short, blunt nails digging desperately into the yielding flesh beneath.
Just when he thought he was way beyond the limits of his endurance, the hand that had been stroking his cock stopped abruptly, only to be replaced by wet heat. A quick glance to his groin showed Tseng on his knees with Rufus's cock down his throat, teasing his balls with one hand—and, if Vincent's strangled moan turned snarl was any indication, the gunman's, as well. The blond knew he should stop looking if he wanted to last longer, but the enraptured look on the Wutain's eyes and the playful wink he gave him came before his brain could even issue the order to close his eyes or look away.
With a cry that was equal parts release and regret, Rufus came into Tseng's mouth. The Wutain brought a hand to his hip to still him and make him slow down in his bucking, swallowing as much of the blond's cum as he could. Vincent also stopped his movements, not wanting Tseng to choke, but resumed as soon as he saw his second-in-command let go of the President's member with a hearty suck.
Tseng took a moment to compose himself and admire the view before shuffling closer to his bosses, catching Rufus's lips with his and kissing him soundly. The fact that he was sure the blond could taste both their releases in his mouth exhilarated him and he felt his cock twitch against the President's. He aligned his member so it rubbed against the blond's as he continued to kiss him almost lazily, resting resting one hand on Rufus's hip and the other on Vincent's. The action apparently brought the gunman's attention to him because, next thing he knew, Rufus was panting against his neck while Vincent kissed him deeply, sucking on his tongue with one hand tangled in his hair.
When Vincent pulled back from the kiss to run his teeth down Rufus's neck before resting on his shoulder, Tseng knew the gunman was about to come. With a playful smirk that went by unnoticed by the two men before him, the Wutain slid his hand from Vincent's hip to his lower back, fingers trailing muscle until they found the cleft between the man's buttocks. He then ran his middle and index fingers down the divide, quickly diving inside the gunman's entrance, thrusting in and out. The angle wasn't good enough for him to find his boss's sweet spot, but he knew the friction would be enough to help bring Vincent over the edge.
Vincent shuddered at the invasion, fighting the urge to bite down on Rufus's shoulder—he had no idea if the younger man would appreciate it and he was in no shape to ask about it. Mentally shoving Galian aside to rein in his most feral instincts, he brought his lips to the blond's ear to ask something that was important enough to try to clear his head.
"Kinnoki… Want me to come inside or out…?"
Rufus moaned against Tseng's neck and somehow mustered the strength to lift his head enough to be able to answer. "In-inside… Goddess, inside, please…"
Vincent brought both hands to Rufus's hips, holding on to him with a grip so tight it was bound to leave bruises, and thrust deeply into the younger man's smouldering heat. The blond's wanton moans and Tseng's enticing encouragements—plus his skilful fingers—finally added to the sensory overload in his body and sent him groaning into orgasm. He shuddered as he emptied himself inside Rufus, body jerking spasmodically against the blond even as Tseng's fingers left him in favour of firmly cupping his ass.
He sighed, contented, and kissed Rufus lazily before locking his lips with Tseng. Slowly, knowing the blond would probably collapse if he moved too quickly, he slid out of Rufus's ass, wrapping both arms around the younger man's waist and chest to hold him tightly against his chest. Once his breathing evened out, he planted a kiss on the President's forehead, a satisfied smile curving his lips.
"Welcome to the family, Kinnoki."
Rufus laughed, bringing a hand up to cup Vincent's face. "Thank you, Cerberus."
Reno sauntered over right then, completely naked, red hair loose and flowing freely down his back and shoulders, his cock already hard and glistening with precum. He gave the trio on the floor an appraising look before running his fingers across Vincent's back, grinning as the gunman's skin rippled in their wake.
"Yo… Think you can let Galian out to play now, Bossman?"
Vincent let his head fall back, and Reno felt his cock harden further when he saw the hungry look on the gunman's red and orange eyes. "Sure you're up for it, Red?"
"Fuck yeah, yo."
With a predatory grin, Vincent gently handled Rufus over to Tseng. The Wutain looked positively amused while the young President was still pretty out of it, barely grunting at being handed over like a doll. Once the blond was safely in Tseng's arms, Vincent stood up and wrapped an arm around Reno's waist, pulling him close and catching his lips in a possessive kiss with just the right amount of teeth and fangs to keep the redhead on his toes. When he finally released him, Vincent's crimson eyes were the cloudy shade of orange that signalled Galian's control of the shared body. Need and desire lent them a feral gleam that made Reno weak in the knees. On top of it, Vincent had allowed Galian some leeway as far as the transformation of his body went, letting him morph his arms and hands into a halfway point.
From the elbows down, Galian's arms were violet with just a hint of fur in them; the same violet hue spread through the rest of Galian's body except for his face, which, except for the eyes, remained the same as the gunman's. His hands were longer and the fingers wider than Vincent's, ending in thicker, slightly longer nails, shiny black in colour. His feet had also become wider, the nails longer and black, as well. His hair remained mostly black but now had red and violet highlights streaked throughout it; it also was very unruly, spiking up at strange angles and holding them while retaining its natural softness.
Reno reached a hand to tangle in Galian's hair, the other one resting on his shoulder. The soft, nearly downy texture of the skin under his hand was counterpointed by the strong muscle beneath. He stood on tiptoes to reach Galian's lips—Vincent was a good five inches taller than him, while Galian seemed to be a couple of inches taller than that—, enjoying the smokey taste that he'd perceived in that first kiss. He nearly squealed in surprise when Galian's hands cupped his ass and hoisted him up, forcing him to wrap his legs and arms around the guardian's body, deepening the kiss and making Galian's impressive erection rub between his buttocks. That made Reno break the kiss in favour of mewling wantonly and letting go a rather inventive string of curses aimed to praise the male holding him.
Reno's outburst tore Rufus out of the post-sexual haze that still held him. Tseng was still holding him, caressing his hair and kissing his temple lovingly. When his eyes fell on Reno clinging to Galian, he groaned, feeling his cock stirring back to life. The Wutain's chuckle had him resting his head on Tseng's shoulder to get a look at his face.
"What's so funny, Songbird?"
"You are, Shiroi Ōji-sama. I really thought you were down for the count but would you look at yourself? All ready to go again."
"Can you blame me? That's just so… sexy."
Tseng hummed, nipping playfully at Rufus's ear. "Yeah," he whispered, his hand teasing the blond's inner thigh, "it really is. But I think we should give Rude a hand—Reno left him all alone with Lena and Cissy. There'll be plenty of time to play with Galian and Chaos later, Ru-san."
The idea of getting some quality time with both Galian and Chaos only served to inflame him further. Rufus looked beyond Reno and Galian—not an easy feat, both because of the sinfully erotic display they were putting and because of Tseng's distracting figure eights on his thighs—and caught sight of Rude hovering above Elena, kissing her belly while Cissnei sucked on her breasts. Elena squirmed beneath them, forgetting her cast at times and trying to use her left hand to touch either of them. Whenever that happened, Cissnei would patiently grab the blonde's arms and set it to her side, where it couldn't get in the way or further injured.
The President grinned and kissed Tseng, sucking on his lower lip before getting up on still unsteady legs. Tseng chuckled and stood up, too, pulling Rufus past Galian and Reno—who were now on the floor, the redhead on his hands and knees while the Planet Protector licked and sucked on his buttocks—to join the rest of the Turks over by the armchairs.
It ended up being a very long, very pleasurable night for everyone involved. By the time Vincent finished cleaning everyone up and carrying them back to his room, it was nearly five in the morning. As he kissed Rufus's cheek—making him mumble sleepily about birds, confusing Vincent—, he silently thanked his boss for giving them Saturday off. They certainly needed the time to recover.
Standing at the foot of his bed, he took stock of the six people currently occupying it. Rude had been the only one to make it there on his own steam, although he was sound asleep less than a minute after settling down with Elena safely tucked next to him, carefully laid so her cast arm wouldn't get injured. Reno had latched on to Elena's back as soon as Vincent set him down, Rufus next to him, leaving them back to back. Tseng was next to Rude, arm and leg wrapped around the taller Turk. Vincent would end up spooning against Tseng as soon as he finished tidying up around the apartment.
Dressed in his robe, the gunman went around the apartment locking doors, rearranging the living room and carefully washing Tseng's tableware and loading the rest of his dishes into the dishwasher. He also went about picking up their discarded clothes and throwing them in the hamper to be washed later that day, along with the towels they used to clean themselves after their love-in. He knew he had spare clothes for all the Turks in the guest room but he went in to check if anything would fit Rufus. He supposed something of Reno's might do so he decided not to worry about it at that point.
His studio was the last place he stopped by. There was no real reason for him to be there so he questioned himself as to why he'd ended up there now of all times. The discarded box of files and tapes was barely visible beneath his desk and he scowled. He was about to go into the room and move it to the closet when someone walked up to him from behind, taking his hand in theirs and resting their forehead against his shoulder.
"Kinnoki," Vincent whispered, not having to look around to know who was behind him.
"I'm not even going to ask how you knew it was me. I'd like to know, though, why you're still up. Looking so serious, to boot."
The gunman closed the door to his studio and turned around slowly, not letting the blond's hand go. The younger man was wearing one of Vincent's t-shirts, a size or two too big on his lithe frame, which made it long enough to cover his rear—not that Vincent wasn't intimately acquainted with every inch of the President's body by now. He smiled reassuringly, cupping Rufus's face before kissing him softly.
"I was just tidying up so Rude won't obsess over it later today. As for the rest… Nothing worth worrying over just now. Let's get some sleep. I'm really just about to keel over."
Rufus decided not to pry, smiling instead and leaning into Vincent as they walked to his room.
End of chapter notes:
So yeah, longest chapter yet—over 12K words D: And, again, not much happened, but I really wanted to bring Rufus into Vincent's side so… yeah.
A bit of an explanation about why there's sex here and not in chapter 4, where it was just as warranted as here. Basically, I had planned to hold off on the sex until Vincent and Sephiroth end up together for a simple reason: I wanted the readers to see Vince's body through Seph. But it seems like that's going to take a while (I'm in no way rushing this) and, before I knew it, I was halfway through the sex scene here and I didn't feel like cutting it out. I did cut it short, tho'—it was supposed to span the whole night. But then that would've made the chapter super long, which wasn't such a bad thing. I do have to work on a ton of other stuff over the next few weeks, tho', so I thought I'd treat you all to this so you'll be less murderous when I take a bit over a month to bring up chapter 11 n_n;;;
I will, at some point, write the sex scene from chapter 4 and the entirety of the debauchery that started in this chapter. I'll probably add it as a separate story or something, but that's not going to happen in the near future. Just saying that it will eventually happen.
In other news, I really regretted my idea of giving nicknames to everyone. I must've spent about four hours looking for suitable pet names for everyone. My Japanese comes from Google translate and anime/manga, so I apologise for any gross mistakes in that regard. Also, it was difficult fitting Greek mythology into the FFVII-verse. Hopefully it doesn't seem too forced.
Ack, enough from me. Thanks to everyone for the kudos, likes, favourites, follows, and comments. See you again in June!