Desertic – Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and I do not make any money with this writing. Characters belonged to Square Enix Inc.
They chose the idyllic road far away exactly because of its main quality: desert, abandoned, a route to nowhere. However, nowadays it seemed crowded as any fancy place of Edge or it was a conspiracy to push Yazoo into interaction. Last night, Yazoo fell asleep on the porch, his brain tired of so much thinking and he not even noticed when Loz came back home and pulled a blanket over him. The sounds of thuds awakened him and rubbing his eyes, he saw Tifa in front of the door with a box on his hands. Yazoo smelled donuts and strawberry jelly.
Tifa relentlessly knocked on the door. She looked tense or ashamed, maybe both, fixing his hair, and straitening his t-shirt over her breast, while the door remained sealed. She not even noticed Yazoo on the other side of the porch.
"Hey Tifa, he won't wake up…"
She gasped; Yazoo's deep voice spooked her. "Sorry, I haven't seen you. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah…but that's ok. What are you doing here?"
Yazoo wearily sat on the couch, feeling his body still wounded from the fight. Tifa looked down and again at the door.
"I'm sorry, it's still early. I came to speak with Loz."
"Is everything ok?"
Yazoo tilted his head, questioning eyes at the girl and Tifa nodded his head, wiggling the donuts box. "Yeah, I also have coffee and juice at the truck."
It made Yazoo straight himself in the couch, he veered his head and looked at the truck chewing his lower lip. "Oh shit, did I break it last night? I didn't remember to check the damn truck. Better disguising it calling her to enter and playing nice Yazoo."
"Loz is a rock when sleeping and I also have a hungry stomach."
Yazoo stood up from the floor and opened the door. They entered and Yazoo started to fix the table for the unexpected breakfast, while Tifa went to the truck pick up the beverages.
Three days ago, they had dinner with Vincent; though creepy, Yazoo had to admit he was an amazing cooker and now breakfast with Tifa.
Last night he kissed Reno. How did he have the courage to let that happen? He squirmed inside thinking about it.
Forced interaction again hitting Yazoo's face, and it was like a hurricane for his reserved personality. People took him by cold and distant, but he was not. He hated changes, surprises and everything related to out of control. He was more an observer than talkative. Dr. Cisnei had said Yazoo was an intro person, not an extrovert and it was not a bad thing.
However, somehow it comforted him at seeing his home not so lonely as before. Loz liked it and so Yazoo would try to fit himself in this new routine. Tifa returned with the beverage and when she turned to the table to place the bottles, she startled and yelped.
"OH MY GOD!"
The girl covered his eyes. Loz crossed the corridor out of the bathroom stark naked and entered in the living, pacing to the kitchen. The man jumped, scary and covering his boy's parts. He could never guess they would have guests, especially Tifa at this hour of the morning.
"I-I didn't look at your penis! Oh my god, what's happening to me? Sorry, Loz! I'm going."
"No, please, stay. I'm so sorry."
Loz waved at her to do not leave, forgetting his own nudity, and again the girl gasped covering her mouth this time instead of her eyes. "Great Gaia he's…huge! Don't look Tifa!"
Yazoo grabbed one of the donuts and busted out in laughing pointing at Tifa's red face and Loz in a verge of tears from shame. He pulled back his donuts on the box and handed one of the pillow's couch to his naked brother who ran away back to his room.
Tifa remained frozen at the same spot, huge eyes and hand on his heart. Yazoo finally took a bite on his jelly donuts staring at the girl. "Hmpf. Save me…"
"Wanting a bite, from the donut I mean?"
Tifa shook his head offended with the double meaning's joke and sat in the table averting his eyes from Yazoo. He kept leaned in the table, chewing on his donut and watching the girl.
She was pretty, shining dark hair, huge boobs that barely were contained in her t-shirt. He thought with himself how oddly it was to look and admire something that you had no intention to touch. Definitely, he was gay, at least one less thing to worry about himself. He sighed, finishing his donut and grabbing another one in the box.
"Thanks for the breakfast Tifa. I'll take a shower, make yourself at home."
He also had better things than pry at Loz's business and Tifa's fake prudish.
After a while, Loz came back properly dressed to find a still blushed Tifa, awaiting at the living room. He Loz pulled out a chair and sat in front of her, averting his gaze, still embarrassed.
"So what's bringing you here? Not that you are disturbing me."
"Loz, I came here to thank you."
Loz looked at her with puzzled eyes and somehow he felt his heart tighten. She seemed excited and tense at the same time.
"Not only for your support when I fainted but for everything you have done in helping me. But…"
"Are you firing me?"
"Not at all. Sweet Shiva, if I do it probably the children would have me fired from my bar. Actually, I want to open the bar at night and I'm only able to do it if you can help me with your drinks and muscles…I mean strength for work. You know that alone it will be impossible for me and Cloud is…Well, Cloud is Cloud."
Loz grinned at her, a wide-smiling forming on his face. It was good news. He mentally thanked because he really was enjoying his job, more than that, the company of those people.
"That's awesome, thanks. Do you feel like a stroll? I can show you my place; it's a desert but has its beauty. After some donuts, it if Yazoo had left some."
Tifa smiled at him, despite the violent beginning, their friendship was growing day by day. She would never imagine finding out support and helping by the side of a former enemy. He was the one who she could count for on a daily basis, not Cloud, not anyone else.
Out of the bathroom and pacing to his room, Yazoo listened at their chatting from the living room. Loz was talkative, relaxed and Yazoo could bet he was happy. He dressed his Sunday's clothes, a pair of sweatpants, his worn out t-shirt from an obscure musical band and his slippers and sat on his bed.
"How can I tell Loz that I kissed my enemy? Maybe not the enemy anymore? Should I kept quiet about this?"
When Loz slammed the door, he left his room. Peace again and he would enjoy his Sunday morning in silence, spread on his couch, trying to formulate a way to speak with Loz about his 'interaction' with Reno. Although exhausted, his body had already healed itself and he was not in pain. Gone the days when they slept out in the cold and he did not wake up dead- tired. Gone the days when his tasks were much more simple than deal with the sensations over his body, the scenes that insisted to come back on his mind, the feeling of warmth from another mouth over his lips. The touching of another body. Wondering about all of that, Yazoo was getting into peaceful slumbering when the loud noise of his phone made him jump from the couch. He took the phone above the coffee table and it was flashing on the screen 'confidential number'. Wary, Yazoo spoke.
"Hello?"
"I hope you had forgotten what happened last night. Because I did."
"Reno! How do you have my number?"
"How do you think baby? I'm a fucking Turk! Exactly because of that, I don't want people gossiping about that 'incident'. It's bad for my image you got it? Are we cool with nothing happened?"
Yazoo gasped on the other side of the line, not exactly knowing what to say. He felt anger, somehow Reno was bruising his ego. Again. Not that he was thinking about Reno to get going with his discoveries about sex but again the man proved himself as the prejudiced bastard Yazoo's always had known.
"You are really an imbecile!"
"I know you used your fucking 'allure' or whatever on me just to make me ignore the fact that I did beat your ass! I did it and you deal with that!"
"Fuck off Reno and never call me again. Better, keep in mind to never get in my sight again!"
"Keep in mind to shut up about this and…"
Anger to the point of killing a Bahamut with his bare hands, Yazoo hung the phone up on Reno's face, without listening the end of the sentence that surely would be offensive and tossed the phone in the couch. He punched some pillows, imagining it was Reno's chin when the windows began to tremble. A ship was landing in the desert, which was his backyard.
"What now? Shit, shit!"
Groaning in rage, Yazoo ceased his fury against the pillow's couch and with a mood of a hungry tiger, imagining if it would be something related to Shinra or Reno, he went to the door. He stopped at the back entrance of the yard and leaned on the frame, watching the motor's ship raising dust from the desertic land. "Dear Mother, how I miss my beloved Velvet Nightmare!" Yazoo did not believe in Jenova as his Mother or whatever more than an alien plague. However, it was too late to erase the habit of talking with her and as he did not know any other deity from religions, Mother would serve right well.
Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind. He mentally thanked for that because those two were Loz's friends and as his brother was out, Yazoo could go for his room think about that phone call. Especially why he was so irritated with something he really was not intending to do again.
"Good morning."
Yazoo just nodded his head and Vincent perceived the inflations of his nostrils. "Loz is out with Tifa."
"Actually I'm here to speak with you."
Yazoo frowned at both men but invited them to enter as they kept staring at him. Cid stayed in the porch, a cigar hanging on his lips. He handed a pack of beer for Vincent, taking one in the way for himself. Yazoo wondered why in the hell destiny decided to punish him in a Sunday morning. He sat on the kitchen's table and Vincent did the same, Cid started the subject.
"Well, I'll go straight to the point, kid. I'm expanding my business and I was told you are good with Mako energy. I will pay you better than Shinra's garage."
Yazoo veered his head at Vincent and back at Cid Highwind.
"Who told you?"
"We dismounted your bike…the one used in the…you know the advent."
Yazoo nodded at him not clearly understanding if it was a good or a bad situation, but at least unusual and remained silent.
"I found a garage in the middle of the way to Old man's House, mostly for ships. So would you like to join the staff?"
Yazoo looked at Vincent, surprised and puzzled. They had the work to come to his home and offer a job out of Shinra's surveillance.
"You know Shinra would have to approve this change don't you Cid? Moreover, if they'd know that I'm manufacturing things with mako, I'll be trapped or killed and I intend to stay alive."
The man crossed the porch, entered at the house, the cigar still hanging on his thin lips putting over the table a crumpled paper.
"Authorization. You won't build weapons but motors for ships. That's what will be the weapons, its power as rechargeable devices."
Yazoo was puzzled reading the paper that actually dismissed him from his former job to the new one. Signed by Rufus Shinra himself. Avalanche's stamp printed in red letters with Valentine's signature.
"Why such work to employs me? I'm sure it's not because of my charming personality."
Vincent veered his head at Cid, he told the man that would happen. Yazoo was distrustful, the totally opposite of Loz in everything and it would be hard to bring him at their side. Cid gasped, put off his cigar and entered at the house. The man sat in front of Yazoo.
"Let's say that Shinra owns me some favors. Nothing related to you or your brother. Old job issues. This is not a favor kid; I need good staff for a new Highwind model. I know you have talent with everything that comes to Mako energy and motor engines. Surely, you will have a contract to keep it confidential. I'm not letting Shinra nor anyone catch me again. In addition, humans for this area would be expensive due to medical issues and you are enhanced. What else? Oh, you will be out of Shinra. If you want to get out you can leave at any time, providing the rules of our contract. Any other questions you can address to my people in the garage. They are good with the bureaucracy stuff."
Yazoo knew the history about his first model ship that Shinra stole from Cid Highwind. He read again the paper and stared at both men. He had nothing against Cid. Actually, he did not meet the man in the past and though a little bit crazy about ships and cigars, he seemed ok for Yazoo. Then, Yazoo veered his eyes at Vincent. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his head downed, averting his eyes from Yazoo but surely observing him as an eagle.
"At the first sight of anything that could harm me or my brother, I'll drop out. Is that Ok? Can we put this on your contract?"
"Yes, I can't see why not. But it's a safe job, we have good equipment. Why don't you go tomorrow just check the place before closing the deal?"
"I will. Thank you, Cid and Vincent."
Vincent did not say a word during all the conversation and just made a subtle bow with his head.
Yazoo grabbed a can from the beer pack and joined Cid and Vincent, toasting at his new 'possible' job. They drank the beer and when they finished, Yazoo was up to put both men back in their ship and finally, go to his room. He would blow his mind thinking about his life, the pros, and cons about that proposal and how to ease the rage against Reno. Even if it meant to learn how to use his allure, this if he actually had this power as Reno had said.
However, when Loz and Tifa returned, it seemed that a party would be throwing with chattering and cheers with the brand news from both sides. Loz was thrilled and taking the opportunity that everyone was there, went to the kitchen prepare his drinks, proud to show Tifa she would not regret in making business with him.
Leaned on the doorframe, Yazoo came with the certainty that his morning would be crowded and that surely he had no power at all. "If I had an allure I would use it now to make everyone go elsewhere."
Watching Loz having fun with the prep along with Tifa and Cid, his eyes met Vincent's ones at him.
The man sustained his look. Yazoo also noticed Vincent was different today; something about his hair, maybe he had combed it. He was not wearing that awful red cape and it changed dramatically the way he looked. He had an exquisite bone structure, strong and harmonious at the same time. The long nose and thin lips perfectly combined with the high cheekbones, everything shouting maleness on the man. He looked like an aristocrat man, handsome, cold.
He had something of an eagle on him, the claw, the manners and he always was there to help. Why that? There was something hidden and it was impossible for Yazoo not think at that. He feared to be trapped again, involved in goals that were not his owns as once in his past.
Then, Vincent stood up walking towards Yazoo and he flinched, utterly embarrassed of thinking that silliness about the man. "Dear Mother, what's wrong with me?" Vincent stopped by his side, his red eyes scanning his face, what nagged Yazoo even more.
"Still distrustful for Cid helping you? He needs someone with a high level of Mako's tolerance to deal with the engines. You do have so you got the job. "
It seemed the man knew what he was thinking and his voice came out thinner than he would be expected.
"It's oddly convenient don't you think? Loz on Seventh Heaven and now me on Highwind's hangar."
"We are not Shinra."
Yazoo raised an eyebrow at him. "We?"
"I'm his partner in the garage."
"Hmpf. Avalanche's head is my boss. Lucky me."
"Cid is your boss. Listen to me Yazoo, you are not obliged to stay if you won't feel like it. In fact, you can decline it right now."
The harsh cut made Yazoo excuse himself for help Loz, he went inside the house, and Vincent went to the backyard.
If Yazoo had his concerns about him, it was mutual. Vincent was a little doubtful about hiring him, but Cid believed it would be good in many ways; for business and Avalanche itself. It made sense and Vincent agreed. Yazoo was different from Loz. An enigma that he could not entirely read both mentally and physically. It seemed that Sephiroth made his efforts on that remnant of his own, making him difficult to access. Better, let him under their eyes.
Later after the fire had been set and the barbecue was in their bellies, Yazoo took a beer and went to his backyard. Inside the house was too loud; people were getting too drunk and excited for Yazoo's taste.
Looking at the aircraft landed on his yard, Yazoo carefully examined it by outside walking around the ship, and startled when he saw Vincent's figure leaned on the entrance watching him.
"Do you want to see inside?"
He accepted the invitation and got surprised by the interior, bigger than the outside. He went to the panel. Vincent observed him touching with the tips of his pale fingers the right buttons to control the engine.
"Can you handle one of these?"
Yazoo was amused by all the high-tech of Cid's ship and nodded his head at Vincent watching the panel's devices. "Yes. I guess I inherited this gift from him."
"Sephiroth?"
Yazoo left the panel to stroll around the ship. "Who one else it could be Mr. Valentine?" Yazoo widened his green eyes at the man faking a surprised face.
"Why the sarcasm?"
"You obviously read my files and knows about my life perhaps more than I'm." The cold glare from Yazoo at his was almost a confirmation that he should have not let Cid hired him for their business.
Vincent nodded his head at him, a jaded grin on his lips. "Touché."
"Why do you befriended us?" Yazoo had asked the question not looking at him but at the landscape and sat in the pilot chair.
Vincent stared at him, thinking about a proper answer and he decided to go for the truth.
"I loved Lucrecia, I felt guilty about what happened with Sephiroth. When I found you two under that debris, barely alive, I wanted to believe that she was giving me another chance to do what was right. I know better than no one else what Shinra experiments do, how much suffering it brings."
Yazoo glared at Vincent as if looking for proof of what he was saying. Indeed, Vincent Valentine looked like a weird science experiment. Not exactly a failed one because he was cool even with the cape and the armored hand, and they had preserved his face.
"Loz and I are not biologically related with Sephiroth's family. We share some resemblances between us just because of the alien's cells."
"I know and?"
Yazoo straightened himself on the chair, his body language telling Vincent he was studying his answer. His voice was deep and his eyes fixed on him in a scary way.
"Loz likes to think about you as some sort of family member either."
"Not you, I'm aware. Why do you have a problem with me?"
Vincent stepped forward, sat in the chair by his side, and veered his body at him, leaning his elbows over his thighs, glaring at Yazoo. The question, straight to the point did not match Vincent's cool manners, always discreet and polite. Yazoo tilted his head at him with a chuckle. If he wanted to play truth or dare with this chat, so he would make some points clear.
"I don't like to owe favors, Vincent."
"You don't owe me nothing and it's a job, not a favor."
"Not until the moment."
"Because I led Shinra after you two, right? Is this the reason why you don't trust me?"
"How perceptive."
Yazoo veered his head, returning to focus at the desertic landscape. Vincent Valentine was perceptive and Yazoo was naïve if he wanted to hide something from those red eyes upon him. Maybe that was the motive Yazoo felt uncomfortable with the man. He knew about his origin, his past actions, his abilities and flaws and actually, that was the first time they were chatting, only the two, without Loz or others acquainted around them.
"Follow my logic Yazoo, you, Kadaj and Loz brought chaos and destruction to this city, summoned a Bahamut, kidnapped kids and not to mention brought Sephiroth back. If you were me what would you have done?"
Yazoo tilted his head, still not looking at the man's face. "Ok, you haven't killed us and thanks for that, but… I'm not used with kind acts for anything. This world is just not like this."
Vincent leaned back on the bench, shut his face and rolled his eyes. He did lack of patience with that kind of behavior, tired of convincing people all day long in Avalanche, his own business and his friends. He should have followed his instinct and hired another person. In the future, this could be endlessly annoying.
"Forget about the job. You can take the authorization and find something out of Shinra or stay there if it suits you. I wasn't really keen on this idea anyway."
"Why did you ask me so?"
"I did not think you would be so afraid of a challenge, neither paranoid and not so strategic as I thought you were."
"I'm not afraid. Neither paranoid. I just don't want to end up in another cage, even if it were called by another name as Avalanche."
Vincent sighed, relaxing his posture on the bench.
"Ok. I'm taking out the job proposal as you can't think at it as something to let you out of Shinra's garage. This one a real cage."
"What do you mean? You can't do it."
"Why? The garage is also mine."
Vincent comfortably stretched on his bench and pulled both legs above the panel, his boots almost touching Yazoo's face. The young had his greens eyes narrowed at him, shining in clear agitation.
"This is childish."
"I agree, you're acting like one and I really think kids are a pain in the ass. Please talk to Cid; he was the one counting in have you in the garage, not me."
Angry with himself, Yazoo downed his eyes apologized and stood up from the chair, walking to the exit. Vincent was Loz's friend, his brother really liked him and Yazoo could not be rude to the man. It was really an awkward Sunday, he could not rest, he had to interact, was scolded by Reno and now by Vincent. He could not have Reno killed nor give a punch on Mr. Valentine's perfect nose, so his alternative was come back to his room and lock himself inside.
Following Yazoo, him with his eyes until he reached the door, Vincent sat properly in the chair. He closed his eyes and shook his head as if reprehending himself.
"I'm fond of Loz. We became friends and that's it. It actually happens in life. People become true friends, they get married because they fall in love and not always, it has bad intentions behind the scenes. It's called life, sometimes it can be pleasantly surprised in others, a total bitch. Get used with that Yazoo because it's not your mood that will dictate it."
Yazoo stopped close the exit, tapping his fingers on the metallic frame and slowly turned to face Vincent. He was being childish and not clever since last night. First, he let rage dominated him, fighting Reno, becoming a part of his bad trip because of the almost kiss and now he was giving up the chance to be free of Shinra for good. Vincent had a point, if he did not like to work there, he could just leave, no authorization required.
"I'm sorry if I was disrespectful or sounded ungrateful. I didn't mean it."
"Better give a good thought don't you think?" Vincent stood up from the chair, a smile on his face that was not from mockery but understanding. Embarrassed, Yazoo sighed and tilted his head at Vincent.
"Care for a beer? It's been really a weird day for me. I have a lot going on at the moment."
Vincent nodded at him, his hands resting on his waist.
"Let's get outside."
They followed to the house. It seemed the lunch would become dinner and Yazoo would not say a word against, flowing with the wave. Loz prepared a bottle of a cocktail that as soon Vincent spotted on the table he smiled looking at Yazoo.
"Now everything must get much more palatable."
Yazoo tilted his head at Vincent, thinking that indeed he was a very weird man. Still on the porch, before they stepped inside the house, Yazoo touched his armored arm.
"Please, is it possible do you not talk with Cid about our conversation in the ship? I really want to take the job and I promise to give my best."
Vincent veered his head at him, a little surprised with the action.
"Sure. We are the cool guys Yazoo. You are not in trouble."
Yazoo gave him a smile, and though Vincent had retributed it was more scary than comforting. Yazoo stepped ahead and Vincent followed him with his eyes, thinking there was a very strange young man.