Alright, here's the 2nd chapter. Thanks for reviewing guys, it helps a
lot! Guess I should quit stalling and let you get to the story. A
warning... this is about as OOC as Vinnie can get... sorry!
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Three days had passed since Sephiroth's visit. Cloud was at Vincent's apartment.
"Yes, he's here. He's alive, and I know he is going to try to destroy the Planet again! We have to stop him."
"Cloud, calm down. You're sure he's come back?"
"I am 100 percent sure. He was... waiting for me..."
Cloud's mind played through the evening, starting when Cloud walked into his house and ending when Sephiroth walked out of the room, six times faster than the actual speed. It was like some divine being had hit the fast forward button on Cloud. He shook his head and looked back up at Vincent. Vincent looked back at him, crimson eyes seeming to pierce his soul.
"Cloud, is there something you want to tell me? Something is troubling you... I can feel it in the air around you."
He stood up, then sat back down again.
"Nothing's wrong... I'm... fine."
"You always were a bad liar... Come on, you can tell me. I won't laugh and I'll keep it a secret if you want me to."
"There isn't anything I need to tell you."
He looked at him again and sighed.
"Very well then, I won't push it."
Just like Vincent. Good old Vincent. Everyone had thought he was nothing but a cold-hearted, emotionless warrior at first, but as we all got to know him... He smiled even though he was still afraid of what might happen if Sephiroth came to him again. Vincent watched his internal struggle. He wished he could still read minds, just this once. He did not like to see Cloud so nervous... It just wasn't normal for him.
Their thoughts were both interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Vincent, lemme in!"
Vincent groaned and looked at Cloud.
"Whatever she does, I'm not here... Don't make any noise. By the Planet please don't make a sound..."
Cloud nodded and watched the door. After what seemed like forever, she finally gave up.
"I know you're in there, but I guess it's OK if you want to be alone. I guess I'll see you later..."
Vincent waited a while, then let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stood up and walked into the kitchen.
"You want some coffee or something, Cloud? I think I've got some in here somewhere..."
"Yeah, sure... that sounds great."
He took out the Maxwell House coffee can and measured it out, then poured the water and coffee into the coffee maker. He then turned it on and sat down next to Cloud on the couch. Vincent wasn't even looking at him, but Cloud kept trying to look away. Vincent's good hand rose up and gently placed itself on his shoulder.
"Cloud, I want you to know that whatever is bothering you, I'm here for you."
Cloud forced a smile.
"Thanks Vin, I know."
-If he knew what was going on, he would probably laugh at me.-
A few moments of silence passed before the coffee maker beeped to let them know that it was ready to be poured. Vincent got up and walked back into the kitchen. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Cloud, grinning softly.
"One lump or two?"
"I know what you mean by that. You shouldn't watch so many cartoons... but I'd like one, thanks."
He put cream and the sugar into both cups of coffee he got down from the cupboard and brought them to the table. He put one down on the table and gave the other to Cloud, who brought it to his lips and started to blow into the cup to cool it down. After a while, he grew impatient and took a sip. His eyes widened and Vincent smirked. He took the cup from Cloud and put it on the table.
"You really should wait a while... It's quite hot."
"Yeah, awful nice of you to tell me that now!"
"Hmm... so sorry... will you ever forgive me master?"
Vincent was answered by a playful punch on the arm. He looked at Cloud, mock pain dancing across his face and hit him back. Cloud laughed and reached up to take Vincent's red bandana wrapped around his head. After a success he jumped up and ran off with it, Vincent on his heels.
"Hey give that back Cloud! That's not nice!"
"You forgot to say please."
"I refuse to say please to a little runt like you."
"Then you won't get your little bandana back."
"Come on! You know that's not fair!"
"Well life isn't either. So whatcha gonna do about it?"
Suddenly, Vincent plopped down on the ground and started to wail as loud as he could. Cloud turned around and blinked. A few seconds later, he started to laugh. He laughed until it hurt, then kneeled down next to Vincent and tied his bandana around his body so he had pinned his arms to his sides. Vincent immediately looked at him with a look of puzzlement and curiosity.
"Whatcha gonna do now, Vinnie? Ya gonna start that fake crying again?"
"No... I just thought I'd tell you that I happen to have an Ice materia on me and that if you don't quit, I'm going to blast you."
"Oh, you know you wouldn't do that. Look at you, you're already having a hard time keeping a straight face."
"If you don't untie me, you'll find out how wrong you are..."
"Ooh... so scary... I'm gonna pee my pants, you're so scary."
Vincent glared and Cloud shrugged, then untied him and skipped back off into the living room. He found the coffee had cooled down enough to drink and he took a couple sips. He had drank about half of it when Vincent walked in from the hallway. He was still trying not to laugh. Vincent sat down next to him and picked up his cup too.
"So Vincent... What's up in your life?"
"The same."
"Oh come on, you always say that... Don't you ever go out and DO something? You know, go look for chicks? I'm sure they'd be all over you."
"Every girl, besides Lucrecia and Aeris, has been awful to me. Besides, I don't exactly see you out looking for someone."
Cloud opened his mouth to reply but closed it just as fast, not able to come up with anything. He shook his head and looked down at the suddenly extremely interesting carpet. His mind wandered back to the last time he had seen Tifa. She was hanging off a cliff near Cosmo Canyon, surrounded by monsters. He tried to save her... but there were just so many. For every one he killed, four more would come into its place.
That scream... that heart-splitting, ear-shattering, soul-wrenching scream as she fell to her rocky doom... It would never leave his nightmares. Aeris, he remembered her too. So pure... so kind and forgiving. She was like an angel fallen into his arms from heaven, but he was robbed of her as well. That demon, Sephiroth... he took her from him. He came out of nowhere, stabbed her in the back, and flung her aside like a two-year old's toy. He couldn't stop that either.
Everything that had been good in his life someone else had taken away in one way or another. A tear slipped past his closed eyes, then another, until the dam broke and they came out in small rivers, flowing down his cheeks and falling into his lap. Vincent looked at him after seeing something move. He wrapped his good arm around Cloud and spoke those words of comfort only a true friend could give. He held him there until Cloud cried himself to sleep.
And through the window, green eyes saw it all... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, there ya go, another chapter. Two pages shorter than the first one, but oh well I suppose... Too long? Too short?? You be the judge and thanks again for reading! (lol that was really corny *shrugs*)
Three days had passed since Sephiroth's visit. Cloud was at Vincent's apartment.
"Yes, he's here. He's alive, and I know he is going to try to destroy the Planet again! We have to stop him."
"Cloud, calm down. You're sure he's come back?"
"I am 100 percent sure. He was... waiting for me..."
Cloud's mind played through the evening, starting when Cloud walked into his house and ending when Sephiroth walked out of the room, six times faster than the actual speed. It was like some divine being had hit the fast forward button on Cloud. He shook his head and looked back up at Vincent. Vincent looked back at him, crimson eyes seeming to pierce his soul.
"Cloud, is there something you want to tell me? Something is troubling you... I can feel it in the air around you."
He stood up, then sat back down again.
"Nothing's wrong... I'm... fine."
"You always were a bad liar... Come on, you can tell me. I won't laugh and I'll keep it a secret if you want me to."
"There isn't anything I need to tell you."
He looked at him again and sighed.
"Very well then, I won't push it."
Just like Vincent. Good old Vincent. Everyone had thought he was nothing but a cold-hearted, emotionless warrior at first, but as we all got to know him... He smiled even though he was still afraid of what might happen if Sephiroth came to him again. Vincent watched his internal struggle. He wished he could still read minds, just this once. He did not like to see Cloud so nervous... It just wasn't normal for him.
Their thoughts were both interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Vincent, lemme in!"
Vincent groaned and looked at Cloud.
"Whatever she does, I'm not here... Don't make any noise. By the Planet please don't make a sound..."
Cloud nodded and watched the door. After what seemed like forever, she finally gave up.
"I know you're in there, but I guess it's OK if you want to be alone. I guess I'll see you later..."
Vincent waited a while, then let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stood up and walked into the kitchen.
"You want some coffee or something, Cloud? I think I've got some in here somewhere..."
"Yeah, sure... that sounds great."
He took out the Maxwell House coffee can and measured it out, then poured the water and coffee into the coffee maker. He then turned it on and sat down next to Cloud on the couch. Vincent wasn't even looking at him, but Cloud kept trying to look away. Vincent's good hand rose up and gently placed itself on his shoulder.
"Cloud, I want you to know that whatever is bothering you, I'm here for you."
Cloud forced a smile.
"Thanks Vin, I know."
-If he knew what was going on, he would probably laugh at me.-
A few moments of silence passed before the coffee maker beeped to let them know that it was ready to be poured. Vincent got up and walked back into the kitchen. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Cloud, grinning softly.
"One lump or two?"
"I know what you mean by that. You shouldn't watch so many cartoons... but I'd like one, thanks."
He put cream and the sugar into both cups of coffee he got down from the cupboard and brought them to the table. He put one down on the table and gave the other to Cloud, who brought it to his lips and started to blow into the cup to cool it down. After a while, he grew impatient and took a sip. His eyes widened and Vincent smirked. He took the cup from Cloud and put it on the table.
"You really should wait a while... It's quite hot."
"Yeah, awful nice of you to tell me that now!"
"Hmm... so sorry... will you ever forgive me master?"
Vincent was answered by a playful punch on the arm. He looked at Cloud, mock pain dancing across his face and hit him back. Cloud laughed and reached up to take Vincent's red bandana wrapped around his head. After a success he jumped up and ran off with it, Vincent on his heels.
"Hey give that back Cloud! That's not nice!"
"You forgot to say please."
"I refuse to say please to a little runt like you."
"Then you won't get your little bandana back."
"Come on! You know that's not fair!"
"Well life isn't either. So whatcha gonna do about it?"
Suddenly, Vincent plopped down on the ground and started to wail as loud as he could. Cloud turned around and blinked. A few seconds later, he started to laugh. He laughed until it hurt, then kneeled down next to Vincent and tied his bandana around his body so he had pinned his arms to his sides. Vincent immediately looked at him with a look of puzzlement and curiosity.
"Whatcha gonna do now, Vinnie? Ya gonna start that fake crying again?"
"No... I just thought I'd tell you that I happen to have an Ice materia on me and that if you don't quit, I'm going to blast you."
"Oh, you know you wouldn't do that. Look at you, you're already having a hard time keeping a straight face."
"If you don't untie me, you'll find out how wrong you are..."
"Ooh... so scary... I'm gonna pee my pants, you're so scary."
Vincent glared and Cloud shrugged, then untied him and skipped back off into the living room. He found the coffee had cooled down enough to drink and he took a couple sips. He had drank about half of it when Vincent walked in from the hallway. He was still trying not to laugh. Vincent sat down next to him and picked up his cup too.
"So Vincent... What's up in your life?"
"The same."
"Oh come on, you always say that... Don't you ever go out and DO something? You know, go look for chicks? I'm sure they'd be all over you."
"Every girl, besides Lucrecia and Aeris, has been awful to me. Besides, I don't exactly see you out looking for someone."
Cloud opened his mouth to reply but closed it just as fast, not able to come up with anything. He shook his head and looked down at the suddenly extremely interesting carpet. His mind wandered back to the last time he had seen Tifa. She was hanging off a cliff near Cosmo Canyon, surrounded by monsters. He tried to save her... but there were just so many. For every one he killed, four more would come into its place.
That scream... that heart-splitting, ear-shattering, soul-wrenching scream as she fell to her rocky doom... It would never leave his nightmares. Aeris, he remembered her too. So pure... so kind and forgiving. She was like an angel fallen into his arms from heaven, but he was robbed of her as well. That demon, Sephiroth... he took her from him. He came out of nowhere, stabbed her in the back, and flung her aside like a two-year old's toy. He couldn't stop that either.
Everything that had been good in his life someone else had taken away in one way or another. A tear slipped past his closed eyes, then another, until the dam broke and they came out in small rivers, flowing down his cheeks and falling into his lap. Vincent looked at him after seeing something move. He wrapped his good arm around Cloud and spoke those words of comfort only a true friend could give. He held him there until Cloud cried himself to sleep.
And through the window, green eyes saw it all... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, there ya go, another chapter. Two pages shorter than the first one, but oh well I suppose... Too long? Too short?? You be the judge and thanks again for reading! (lol that was really corny *shrugs*)