Vincent stepped up to the door of the Villa, Yuffie close behind. It
had taken them longer than usual for each walked with a more solemn step,
slower and more deliberate. Vincent could believe Tifa was dead. He had
never expected such a thing to happen. Actually, he had even entertained
himself upon the idea of Tifa being gone from his life, but now he held
guilt for even conjuring such images.
Yuffie placed a comforting hand on Vincent's shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts.
"Go on in." She said quietly. Vincent nodded and opened the door. Immediately Vincent reeled as at the sight, mentally if not visibly. The place was in shambles, everything had been unkempt, dust litter the floor and air, and the darkness only added to the foreboding atmosphere.
"I'm sorry. I told Cid to take care of the place but you know him...he's always had Shera to do the work and..."
"Yuffie, where's Cloud?" Vincent interrupted softly.
Yuffie opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted again by another's voice. "He's in his room."
Barret and Red XIII had entered through the back door of the kitchen, Cait Sith soon following.
"Took you long enough to get here." Barret continued. Vincent opened his mouth to say something, but Yuffie beat him to it.
"Sorry. Boca didn't like him and the feeling was mutual." The group shared a small laugh before calming down to a solemn and, to Vincent, uncomfortable silence. Red XIII shook his head, his mane of crimson fur tossing from one side to the other.
"Perhaps we should take a seat." He pointed a paw at the couches. The four minus Cait Sith nodded and made their way to the couches. Cait Sith occupied himself in the refrigerator.
"So what's going on? What's happened?" Vincent started immediately.
"A few weeks or so ago, Tifa was struck down with an illness." Red XIII began, "It was too major at first, just a minor fever. But it grew worse. She grew to be quite delirious. She even attacked us a few times."
"Eventually we had to send her to the hospital. The illness grew too strong and no spell or medicine seemed to affect it. I suppose you found out about her recent death today?" Barret asked. Yuffie nodded slowly, but Vincent kept still.
Their silence was interrupted by a shriek coming from the kitchen.
"FISH! I found FISH!! WOO-HOO!!!" The robotic cat jumped up and down in sheer bliss, a large salmon steak gripped in the stuffed Mog's paws. Yuffie smiled warmly.
"Cait Sith? Where's Reeve?"
"Oh...he's in Rocket Town."
"What? Why?"
"I can't tell you."
"Well, why not? He's my boyfriend, after all..."
"Boyfriend?" Vincent echoed.
"Oh sorry." Yuffie giggled. "I forgot you haven't been around for a while. Yeah, Reeve quit the Turks a little after Sephiroth's defeat. I got together with him and got to know him better. We just kinda.clicked." She smiled wider. "Anyways," she turned her attention back to Cait Sith. "Why can't you tell me?"
The cat smiled and said, "Sore wa himitsu desu!*"
Yuffie's eyes widened. "Alright." She withdrew Conformer. "C'mere cat!" She jumped forward only to be roughly caught by Barret.
"Barret! Whaddaya doing?" she hissed.
"Yuffie, not now, not with Cloud in his condition."
"Condition?" She repeated. Vincent stood and approached the two, his visage demanding an explanation.
"Ever since Tifa." he looked to the ground, clearing his throat. He shook his head then continued. "Ever since she fell ill, Cloud's been.a little under the weather. His mental condition has suffered greatly. He used to talk to us, if only a little but when Tifa passed away.it destroyed him. He refuses to speak and he's been locked up in his room all day."
"Oh no..."Yuffie whispered. Vincnet face remained stoic, though his features belied the emotions exploding in his mind.
"He still in his room?" Vincent asked.
"Yes, but the door is locked..."
Vincent nodded then reached up into Yuffie's hair, stealing a bobby pin. She rubbed her head then asked, "What did you do that for?"
Vincent ignored her as he promptly made his way to Cloud's room.
* * *
Vincent made quick work of the lock with the use of Yuffie's hair pin then slowly made his way into Cloud's room. It was dark, the shades being down and the lights being off. The only source off light was the soft glow emanating from Ultima Weapon, which hung comfortable on the wall above the bed.
Vincent's eyes were sharp enough to be able to focus on a shadow in the far corner of the room. He approached the figure tentatively, quietly taking a knee next to the shadow.
"Cloud..." He whispered too quietly for the sobbing figure to hear. From what he could tell, Cloud's head was down, hugging his knees to his chest. Vincent reached out, touching Cloud's soft golden hair, rousing him to look up.
Vincent nearly fell backwards. Cloud's Mako eyes were glowing as usual, but not with there normal shine. He looked so...dead. So this is what a sapphire looks like when they don't shine. He silently said to himself.
"Val?" Cloud said weakly.
Vincent nodded, a small smile forming on his thin lips. "Yes Cloud. I'm here." He said stroking Cloud's moist cheeks with his fingertips.
Cloud jerked away and Vincent retracted his hand. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Cloud whispered his voice a little coarse.
Vincent sighed, pushing a stray strand out of Cloud's face. He nearly choked seeing those blue eyes so pale and bloodshot. He remembered the first time he saw those eyes when he emerged from his coffin. Back then, they were so bright, so full of life. They reminded him of Lucrecia's loving gaze, until he heard the voice behinds those deceptive orbs. Not light and feminine, but a strong, yet worried tenor that he grew to love. He knew he'd always love Lucrecia, but he felt truly in love with Cloud, even if the feelings weren't mutual. If only they were. He mused.
"Val?"
Vincent pulled away from his thoughts, now realizing his deep gaze into Cloud's pained eyes. Cloud shifted uncomfortably under the strong gaze and he tried to look away, but found he could not. Cloud had always admired the gunslinger's demonic eyes, but for on reason or another, he could never pull away from their lock.
"Sorry..." Vincent said, shifting his eyes away. A long moment of silence feel between the two, neither of them knowing what to say next, until Vincent felt Cloud lean into him. He was about to intercede until he realized Cloud had fallen asleep.
"Best stay there." A voice chirped from the doorway. Vincent craned his neck to see Yuffie standing in the doorway. "From what I hear, Cloud hasn't gotten much sleep with the past few days."
Vincent nodded then motioned Yuffie to leave. Yuffie conceded and left, shutting the door behind her. Vincent watched her leave then shifted so that he could lean back against the wall, Cloud comfortably asleep on his chest. He reached up and stroked Cloud's golden hued hair, such a stark contrast to his ebon-hue locks that fell around him and his sleeping companion. What have you gone through, my dear friend, my love? Vincent slowly fell into the warm embrace of sleep, those thoughts echoing in his mind.
*If you ever seen Slayers, "Sore wa himitsu desu" is a common saying of Xellos. It means "It's a secret."
Yuffie placed a comforting hand on Vincent's shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts.
"Go on in." She said quietly. Vincent nodded and opened the door. Immediately Vincent reeled as at the sight, mentally if not visibly. The place was in shambles, everything had been unkempt, dust litter the floor and air, and the darkness only added to the foreboding atmosphere.
"I'm sorry. I told Cid to take care of the place but you know him...he's always had Shera to do the work and..."
"Yuffie, where's Cloud?" Vincent interrupted softly.
Yuffie opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted again by another's voice. "He's in his room."
Barret and Red XIII had entered through the back door of the kitchen, Cait Sith soon following.
"Took you long enough to get here." Barret continued. Vincent opened his mouth to say something, but Yuffie beat him to it.
"Sorry. Boca didn't like him and the feeling was mutual." The group shared a small laugh before calming down to a solemn and, to Vincent, uncomfortable silence. Red XIII shook his head, his mane of crimson fur tossing from one side to the other.
"Perhaps we should take a seat." He pointed a paw at the couches. The four minus Cait Sith nodded and made their way to the couches. Cait Sith occupied himself in the refrigerator.
"So what's going on? What's happened?" Vincent started immediately.
"A few weeks or so ago, Tifa was struck down with an illness." Red XIII began, "It was too major at first, just a minor fever. But it grew worse. She grew to be quite delirious. She even attacked us a few times."
"Eventually we had to send her to the hospital. The illness grew too strong and no spell or medicine seemed to affect it. I suppose you found out about her recent death today?" Barret asked. Yuffie nodded slowly, but Vincent kept still.
Their silence was interrupted by a shriek coming from the kitchen.
"FISH! I found FISH!! WOO-HOO!!!" The robotic cat jumped up and down in sheer bliss, a large salmon steak gripped in the stuffed Mog's paws. Yuffie smiled warmly.
"Cait Sith? Where's Reeve?"
"Oh...he's in Rocket Town."
"What? Why?"
"I can't tell you."
"Well, why not? He's my boyfriend, after all..."
"Boyfriend?" Vincent echoed.
"Oh sorry." Yuffie giggled. "I forgot you haven't been around for a while. Yeah, Reeve quit the Turks a little after Sephiroth's defeat. I got together with him and got to know him better. We just kinda.clicked." She smiled wider. "Anyways," she turned her attention back to Cait Sith. "Why can't you tell me?"
The cat smiled and said, "Sore wa himitsu desu!*"
Yuffie's eyes widened. "Alright." She withdrew Conformer. "C'mere cat!" She jumped forward only to be roughly caught by Barret.
"Barret! Whaddaya doing?" she hissed.
"Yuffie, not now, not with Cloud in his condition."
"Condition?" She repeated. Vincent stood and approached the two, his visage demanding an explanation.
"Ever since Tifa." he looked to the ground, clearing his throat. He shook his head then continued. "Ever since she fell ill, Cloud's been.a little under the weather. His mental condition has suffered greatly. He used to talk to us, if only a little but when Tifa passed away.it destroyed him. He refuses to speak and he's been locked up in his room all day."
"Oh no..."Yuffie whispered. Vincnet face remained stoic, though his features belied the emotions exploding in his mind.
"He still in his room?" Vincent asked.
"Yes, but the door is locked..."
Vincent nodded then reached up into Yuffie's hair, stealing a bobby pin. She rubbed her head then asked, "What did you do that for?"
Vincent ignored her as he promptly made his way to Cloud's room.
* * *
Vincent made quick work of the lock with the use of Yuffie's hair pin then slowly made his way into Cloud's room. It was dark, the shades being down and the lights being off. The only source off light was the soft glow emanating from Ultima Weapon, which hung comfortable on the wall above the bed.
Vincent's eyes were sharp enough to be able to focus on a shadow in the far corner of the room. He approached the figure tentatively, quietly taking a knee next to the shadow.
"Cloud..." He whispered too quietly for the sobbing figure to hear. From what he could tell, Cloud's head was down, hugging his knees to his chest. Vincent reached out, touching Cloud's soft golden hair, rousing him to look up.
Vincent nearly fell backwards. Cloud's Mako eyes were glowing as usual, but not with there normal shine. He looked so...dead. So this is what a sapphire looks like when they don't shine. He silently said to himself.
"Val?" Cloud said weakly.
Vincent nodded, a small smile forming on his thin lips. "Yes Cloud. I'm here." He said stroking Cloud's moist cheeks with his fingertips.
Cloud jerked away and Vincent retracted his hand. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Cloud whispered his voice a little coarse.
Vincent sighed, pushing a stray strand out of Cloud's face. He nearly choked seeing those blue eyes so pale and bloodshot. He remembered the first time he saw those eyes when he emerged from his coffin. Back then, they were so bright, so full of life. They reminded him of Lucrecia's loving gaze, until he heard the voice behinds those deceptive orbs. Not light and feminine, but a strong, yet worried tenor that he grew to love. He knew he'd always love Lucrecia, but he felt truly in love with Cloud, even if the feelings weren't mutual. If only they were. He mused.
"Val?"
Vincent pulled away from his thoughts, now realizing his deep gaze into Cloud's pained eyes. Cloud shifted uncomfortably under the strong gaze and he tried to look away, but found he could not. Cloud had always admired the gunslinger's demonic eyes, but for on reason or another, he could never pull away from their lock.
"Sorry..." Vincent said, shifting his eyes away. A long moment of silence feel between the two, neither of them knowing what to say next, until Vincent felt Cloud lean into him. He was about to intercede until he realized Cloud had fallen asleep.
"Best stay there." A voice chirped from the doorway. Vincent craned his neck to see Yuffie standing in the doorway. "From what I hear, Cloud hasn't gotten much sleep with the past few days."
Vincent nodded then motioned Yuffie to leave. Yuffie conceded and left, shutting the door behind her. Vincent watched her leave then shifted so that he could lean back against the wall, Cloud comfortably asleep on his chest. He reached up and stroked Cloud's golden hued hair, such a stark contrast to his ebon-hue locks that fell around him and his sleeping companion. What have you gone through, my dear friend, my love? Vincent slowly fell into the warm embrace of sleep, those thoughts echoing in his mind.
*If you ever seen Slayers, "Sore wa himitsu desu" is a common saying of Xellos. It means "It's a secret."