Chains of Hope

By: Yoshimara

Through-out this fic, there are random stanzas of songs that I just picked up off my computer. Probably too long of a list, so if you want the names of some of them, let me know and I will send the list to you. And also, I do not own FFVII, any lyrics posted in this story (unless otherwise specified), but I do own the scenario and any other characters that show in the story so do not use without my personal permission. And on that note, enjoy!

Chapter 26

Heavy rain pelted the window as Cloud opened his blue eyes, lifting himself from the darkness that didn't hold dreams. Fluttering his eyelids a bit, he sat face to face with a sleeping Vincent and couldn't help but smile softly. So, I didn't imagine him after all, he thought as he tilted his gaze up to see that their hand had been joined as they slept, their fingers intertwined with one another's. After a few moments of just enjoying the peace, he rose slowly at the rumbling sound of thunder. Looking to the clock he had set on his nightstand, he saw it was nine o'clock and he stifled a small yawn as he padded out of the bedroom. Sitting himself down on the couch, he curled up underneath the blanket that was folded on the back of it and picked up a book off of the end table, reading through the macabre.

An hour passed when he heard footsteps, causing him to rouse himself out of the imaginary world that he held in his hands to see Vincent had awakened and was dressed and groomed. "Morning, Vincent." Crimson eyes looked up from his task of fastening a few buttons on his black shirt and a small smile traced itself along his lips, "Morning, Cloud. I have an errand to run and then I'll be going to the store. I should be back in a couple of hours." The raven-haired man had walked up behind the couch, making the blonde stretch his neck so he looked lopsidedly up at him. Leaning down, they shared a brief but soft kiss. "Be safe, love," said Cloud when Vincent had grabbed a hanging umbrella off of the wall who nodded in response and left.

Sighing gently, he rose from his position after marking his place in the book and setting it back down. Folding the blanket in half, he laid it across the back of the couch once again and moved into the bedroom. Reaching into the drawers of his dresser, he slid a dark blue sweater out of it followed by a thin white undershirt, a pair of light blue boxers, and finally a pair of dark denim jeans. Putting the clothes on the bed, he stripped then redressed. Folding the pants, he placed them on a chair before setting the heavy comforter flat across the mattress, fluffing a few of the pillows, and then replacing the pajamas on the edge of the bed. Walking out of the bedroom and past the kitchen, he paused and looked at the refrigerator. No, he wasn't hungry at all. If anything, he felt somewhat numb, and couldn't pinpoint why. Looking out of the window after a flash caught his eye, he stared at the rain for a minute. Reluctantly, he slid a dining chair over to the window and grabbed his music player from the end table closest to him. Placing the ear buds in his ears, he turned on the serene music as he sat down in a comfortable position; one knee brought to his chest, the other leg stretched out before him, his elbow rested itself on top of his knee to rest his chin on the appendage.

Songs filled his ears but never registered, just drowning out the silence that wafted around him as his eyes stared out into the world beyond the glass. The rain seemed to soothe him slightly, lifting the weight he felt on his shoulders slightly. There he stayed for long moments, breathing deep and slow as his blue eyes just seemed to stare through the sheets of water that poured from the dark clouds above. Did something happen to us? He thought sadly as he thought of the space between Vincent and him. Yes, the older man had grown distant, but was that because he was grieving? Sounds of a sad violin played in his ears and he felt the agony behind each note in his chest, bringing the weight down on him again. Closing his eyes for a moment, he saw the flicker of green in the darkness before snapping them open. His brow furrowed slightly; he hadn't thought about those horrible green eyes in what felt like ages. Mentally rolling his eyes in exasperation, he sighed softly, his fingers curling and uncurling themselves in an attempt to relieve a slight stress they gained.

He's changed, Cloud thought, his mind wandering to the loving touches and the closeness with his lover the previous day. Another flash of lightning splashed across the sky, lighting Cloud's blank stare as he sat in his position peering into the bleak world in front of his gaze. As the song changed to a more upbeat tempo with the violin and the dramatic tones underneath it, Cloud was barely aware of the time that passed so quickly but slowly. He didn't hear the sound of the front door opening and closing, nor did he make any movements to the sounds of rustling plastic and footsteps. Does he not trust me enough to help him heal? He thought as he shifted his arm slightly at the feeling of it going numb. The rain seemed to get rougher, wind howling and brushing random leaves against the wet glass, but the blonde just continued to stare out of the window. It wasn't until he felt eyes on him that he slowly turned his head away from the rain that beckoned for his attention to see Vincent was standing in the kitchen. The ex-Turk had finished putting the food away and was staring at Cloud, a wadded ball of plastic bags in his hands and a faint look of concern in his eyes.

Cloud blinked slowly, almost dreamily before turning his attention back to the weather, not saying a word as his thoughts whirled around him. He looks so sad, he thought as he adjusted his curled up leg slightly so it was closer to his chest, his heart beating slightly faster. Arms encircled him, but he never moved. After a few moments, he lazily reached up and unplugged one of the ear pieces out of his ear and rested his hand on the arm that positioned itself around his shoulders. Nothing but silence spread between the two men, music running through Cloud's right ear as his slightly shining blue eyes continued their blank stare at the weather. A few minutes passed before he whispered softly, "How did you hurt yourself, love?" The arms around him seemed to tense faintly and he heard the sound of breathing being inwardly hitched. He waited patiently for another moment for the man behind him to answer, which he did in a quiet tone, "Bullet graze, it's not a big deal." Cloud flicked his eyelids slightly, a pain thudding in his chest, almost as if it were like sympathy for the older man. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, and Cloud didn't press further, but leaned back slightly into the embrace.

"Did you want lunch, Vincent?" He asked dazedly, only to get a quick 'already ate' response and he absently nodded. Fingers trailed along his forearms in a comforting manner as the silence grew again, the music in his ear changing to an anguishing flute melody, almost bringing tears to his eyes as he felt the sadness run through his body. "What's wrong, Cloud?" Fluttering his eyes slightly, he shook his head gently, feeling the breath from Vincent's lips against his ear. Hands moved from his forearms to his shoulders, gripping slightly before just resting there. "Talk to me, Cloud." Blue eyes flickered with pain as another lightning bolt streaked across the sky, lighting up the room for a quick moment. Silence spread again as he closed his eyes, relishing the warmth around him and the sadness of the music as it seemed to reflect his soul. Taking in a breath, he parted his lips as if to speak, but closed them again. Another quiet minute passed by before he opened his mouth again and his voice betrayed him, making him whisper once again, "Did something...happen to make you—us—this way?"

Opening his eyes slowly, he felt the hands on his shoulders rub gently in comfort. "What way, little one?" Another flash of lightning flared before he spoke again, "So far away." Those hands left him and he felt another tinge of pain before he opened his eyes to see Vincent kneeling in front of him, a hand laying itself on his outstretched leg. His blue eyes stared into crimson, reflecting the sadness and distance he felt inside of him. "What makes you say that?" Vincent's voice said gently, his other hand reaching up to grasp Cloud's in its embrace, twining their fingers together. "I—don't know, to be honest." His gaze lifted back to the weather, seeing a couple more leaves brush against the wetness of the glass before drifting off into the heavy wind. "Something feels...off, somehow." The blonde looked back down at the raven-haired man, his expression completely blank as his mouth tumbled his next statement before he could stop it, "Do you still love me, Vincent?"

Shock filled Vincent's face, an obvious sign that he didn't expect the sudden insecure thought. Cloud shook his head gently when he saw the change in his face, closing his shining blue eyes, "I shouldn't be pressing this on you at all, Master. You're mourning--." His grip tightened on Cloud's hand, making him pause and open his eyes to see that he furrowed his brow slightly, "Of course I still love you. I don't think I ever stopped loving you, Cloud. And I know you love me back, little one." The pain warmed in his chest, expanding as his heart fluttered at those words. "Do I not say it enough, little one?" A slight shrug ran across his shoulders at the question, not exactly sure how to answer. The blonde knew that Vincent didn't voice his feelings often—if at all, but he didn't want to say that he did enjoy hearing those three words fall from his deliciously pale lips. When he said them, it was like a pure electric shock to his body, filling him completely. "I'll take that as a 'no', then." the ex-Turk said simply, with slight amusement in his tone that Cloud barely caught. "Well," Vincent said as he leaned up in between Cloud's legs to close the distance between them, "I'll just have to say it more often, then."

Their lips met sweetly and tenderly, making Cloud gasp slightly before returning the kiss, their eyes closing. When their lips parted, "I love you, Cloud," whispered into the air making the blonde whimper softly before crashing his lips against his lover's once more. His leg slid off of the seat of the chair, bringing his face closer to Vincent's as his hands cupped the man's face lovingly. Their lips parted again as their eyes opened slowly to gaze at each other with lidded eyes. "I love you, Cloud." A soft chuckle emitted from the blonde as he kissed him again, closing his eyes. Parting his lips slightly, he took in his bottom lip and sucked on it gently before letting it go with a scrape of his teeth that earned him a gentle groan. Cloud smiled before parting his lips when the ex-Turk had slid his tongue along his teeth, asking for entrance. Their tongue caressed one another's, savoring their taste before pulling apart from the heated moment. Opening his eyes, he stared into those crimson orbs that he always got devoured in and smiled softly, "Thank you, Master." Vincent caressed his cheek, returning the smile that leaked of compassion for the smaller man. "You're welcome, and I'm not mourning anymore. I just ache, is all."

Cloud's brow furrowed slightly, "Your wound?" The raven-haired man nodded absently before rising to his feet, bringing the blonde with him, holding his hand gently. "Why won't you let me take care of it?" Vincent rose an eyebrow for a moment before his expression softened again, "I wasn't sure you knew how to take care of wounds." Cloud leaned up and nuzzled his neck, feeling the softness of his skin against his own. "Of course I do, love. I know basic first-aid and how to suture cuts as well." A purr resounded in his ear as arms wrapped around his waist loosely, "Well, then you can fix me up later. Have you eaten yet?" The blonde shook his head slowly, still nuzzling against the flesh before placing a soft kiss where his mouth lay. "Then, I will make you some lunch." After a moment longer of holding the younger boy to him, he parted from the embrace and walked into the kitchen. Cloud followed him, only to lean against the island counter by his elbows, watching as his lover worked with preparing a sandwich. When it was served, he quickly finished it off when Vincent had walked off into the bedroom. A devilish smirk played on Cloud's lips when he finished cleaning up and ventured off to the room after grabbing hold of the first-aid kit he had bought a few weeks ago. Just in case, he had thought when he bought it.

Minutes later had him kneeling next to his lover on the bed, said lover half naked while slender nimble fingers were dealing with the bandages. Slowly, he dampened the medical tape and slid it off of his Master's skin, whispering apologizes with every wince that he caused. Damn tape, he smolderingly thought as he finally had the wound uncovered. Blue eyes softened to anguish at the sight of the torn flesh. It was shallow, yes, but didn't make it hurt any less. Turning his attention to the first-aid kit, he heard thunder booming outside once more and he mentally scowled. Rain, he could stand. Wind, he could stand too. But thunder was a different story. It didn't scare him in the least, but more or less just unnerved him with the loud rolling vibrations in his chest.

Dismissing the thought from his mind, he tuned into the song he heard earlier, the wailing of the flute resonating in his skull. Humming along with the notes, he pulled out the anti-septic and poured some slightly on a cloth. Cloud's blue eyes looked up to Vincent, gazing at his face to see the contented expression on it. He smiled slightly as he very lightly dabbed the rag on the wound, trying not to put too much pressure on it. After fully cleaning the wound, he stopped humming long enough to ask, "Do you want me to stitch it closed?" A mere nod came as a response and he leaned into the kit once more to produce a plasticly wrapped needle with a small bobbin of clear thread labeled 'surgical dissolving stitching'. After unwrapping the needle, he pulled out a long string of the thread and tied a knot at one end, biting the other so it was detached.

Carefully, he thread the needle, all the while humming the sad song he had listened to earlier today and looked up at Vincent. "Ready?" The ex-Turk looked at him and moved his arm up so the blonde could get better access. With a slight nod and a smile, Cloud nudged himself closer to him, his knees pressing slight contact with the older man's thigh. Sliding the needle into the bottom flap of skin of the cut, he heard the sharp intake of breath from his Master and mentally cursed himself for not having anything on hand to numb the pain. Trying to hum the slow song once again in an attempt to relax him, he continued to stitch generally carefully and slowly. After a few stitches, the ex-Turk seemed to grow accustomed to the pattern in the pain that pulsed in his side. "How do you know Kei, Vincent?" Cloud asked as he made another stitch slowly, trying to engage the older man in some kind of conversation that would drown out the pain.

"I've ran into her a few times," his cool voice said casually, trying to hide the tone of indifference but loathe out of it. "Hm," was all the blonde said as he continued with the tiny stitches. Methodically, he woved the thread in and out, and now he was at the middle of the gash and paused for a moment. Cloud looked up at the sound of a breath being taken to prepare to speak, only to hear another exhale of breath and he went back to his task. "We both have the same occupation, pretty much." Blinking a few times, blue Mako eyes looked up to see the slight twist in Vincent's expression that gave off the feeling of hate but admiration. Quirking an eyebrow, Cloud just gazed at the side-view of his face, watching as it changed from menace to relaxation. "But, as far as I know, you don't work at an occult shop." Crimson eyes widened slightly before relaxing once again and a slight shake of his head, signaling for dismissal.

It bugged him, definitely. But, deciding it was best not to indulge further, Cloud went back to his task. After a few moments, he hummed the low song once more, pleased at the fact that his voice tended to calm the older man in some way. When he reached the end of the wound, he tied a secure knot and began to coat the wound in more anti-septic gently, just to be sure and then wrapped the gauze around his middle and secured it with as little tape as possible so not to irritate the skin. Putting the left over gauze and tape away, the blonde rose from his kneeling position on the mattress and went to put the items away before a hand on his wrist stopped him. "Hm?" Cloud uttered, turning his attention to Vincent who was looking up at him, a hint of a smile in his crimson eyes, "Thank you, little one." The blonde smiled genuinely and nodded before slipping out of his Master's grasp and put the kit back in the recesses of the bathroom. He tossed the used needle into the garbage and went back into the bedroom, grabbing his book and sat down on his side of the bed, no longer humming.

Looking behind him, he saw Vincent had curled up on his non-wounded side, facing the blonde with his eyes closed, apparently retreating to the depths of his own mind. Cloud sighed slightly, more out of relief than anything else as he settled himself into the comforts of the pillows behind him and crossed his ankles as his legs stretched out in front of him. Another boom of thunder rolled along the apartment making him shiver and he growled softly in annoyance. "Not one for storms?" the blonde heard curiously and he looked over at Vincent, his position never changing, even his eyes were still closed. Cloud blinked a few times, trying to see if he actually said something until the opening of Vincent's eyes confirmed that he had spoke when they lifted to look up into his own. "Thunder I can't handle. Gets on my nerves when it rumbles on my ribs." A soft chuckle rang into the room and Cloud's lips curved into a slight smile at the pleasant sound. Turning his attention back to his book when he saw those crimson eyes close, he furrowed his brows as a fleeting thought crossed his mind, just what are Kei and Master up to?

Sorry if the storm scene just doesn't make sense, it's something I end up doing when there's a thunder storm going on outside (and trust me, lots of them happen due to the stupidity that is nature of Florida :sigh:). And yeah, this one kinda hit home a bit with the insecurities so it was really easy to write, let me tell ya! Anyways, read on to the next chapter and I might have some goodies for ya.

Oh, and just one more thing... have you noticed on most fan fictions that it's typed well and almost no typos until the 'naughty' scene arrives and there's like, loads of typos or what not? I realized that earlier today and it made me giggle. :D