Disclaimer: most of these characters are not, unfortunately, mine, but are from FF7. There, now that I'm not a crook, read on!
Love for the Loveless
"Thanks for helping clear the monsters out of the valley, Aeris."
"No problem, not that you really needed my help, we only ran into a few creatures today."
Cloud smiled and gave Aeris a playful nudge with his shoulder.
"It'll be worse once the weather improves. Besides, I always need you."
Aeris' breath caught in her throat. She smiled and gazed at Cloud longingly, before turning away, her cheeks turning pinker than the cold had already made them. She wondered what exactly Cloud wanted from her. In the past months Cloud has paid much more attention to me, and when he kissed me the other night... I can't get him out of my mind. He knows I've liked him for ages. Could he be feeling what I feel?
Before she realized what happened they were back at the inn. They entered and shook the show off of their jackets. Vincent, Tifa and Barrett were sitting in the lounge, gathered around the fire for warmth. Tifa and Barrett nodded their acknowledgement of the two before turning back to the fire.
Cloud leaned in and whispered something in Aeris' ear that caused shivers to run up and down her spine, ending in a place that made her blush once more. Cloud chuckled and pulled her close, placing his mouth over hers, demandingly, forcefully. Aeris' mind exploded with delight, she ran her hands through his hair, wanting nothing more than him, forever and always. Aeris gasped and pulled away, turning towards their friends. Barrett and Tifa hadn't noticed, Vincent said nothing but got up and silently fled up the stairs.
Cloud whispered to Aeris one word "Later." His breath was hot, passionate, and Aeris longed for later to come.
--------------------
Vincent opened the door to his room, closed and locked it, and sat in a chair that faced the empty bed and windows. I can't stand this. Cloud is using her, my beautiful, intelligent, amazing…
He got up and paced around the room, began to speak out loud to himself.
"He doesn't want anything from you but sex, meaningless sex. He wants you for the night; I want you for the rest of our lives. Why can't you see that?" He looked up at the ceiling, searching for answers, knowing he'd find none.
"You and I are perfect together. When we go out we talk and laugh… we confide in each other, we've been friends for so long. I've never said anything to her… it's my fault. But she has eyes for only Cloud. Is it physical, or does she really… love… him?" He shook his head, trying uselessly to get this thought out of his head. If she loved Cloud, then he could have no chance, he couldn't take this thought. He wanted a distraction.
--------------------
Aeris laid her head on the pillow. Thoughts of Cloud kept her turning, restless, unsatisfied. She looked over at the clock, 2:36. She sighed and turned over.
Half asleep and still dreaming about him, she suddenly sat upright, fully awake now. Footsteps were coming down the hall. She heard them halt in front of her door. Her heart pounded, as if trying to escape from her chest. There was a soft knock. She gasped. Sliding her feet over the edge of her bed, she softly got up and walked, as if in a dream, to the door. She laid her hand on the doorknob, paused, and quietly, slowly, opened it to admit him.
--------------------
Vincent walked down the street, finding the place he was looking for. He looked around before entering, opened the door, and walked in. He was told to choose a girl. He glanced at each before choosing the one that had long brown hair, and reminded him of her. The great sadness came over him again. Determined to rid himself of it, he chose her, paid his gil, and was led away to the sound of the rest still standing there, giggling and pressing themselves against another man who was apparently a regular.
--------------------
"Cloud."
He pressed his finger against her lips. Moving forward, he gently pressed her further into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat her on the bed, and removed the sword that always hung at his side.
This is it. She thought. Cloud took her hand, kissing the tips of her fingers, sending chills up through her arm to the rest of her body. But does he love me? He kissed her arm, her collarbone, her neck… Can I go through with this when we've only just begun seeing each other? She moaned softly when he laid a hand on her shoulder, gently sliding a strap off of her shoulder, kissing the curve of her neck. Putting a hand under his chin, drawing his lips up to hers, she thought no more of anything but Cloud.
--------------------
She leaned in, but Vincent turned away.
"No kissing." He whispered. He looked at this girl that he had just paid for, and imagined that it was Aeris sitting beside him, wishing she were his, knowing she belonged to Cloud.
The girl shrugged, not caring. When he looked at her, she almost looked like his beloved, but she was older, less life in her face. Older, with none of the true beauty Aeris possessed. And her eyes were not those of his love. Aeris' eyes were indescribably beautiful, deep, hiding something. Her eyes were more knowing and wonderful that Vincent forgot what he was saying when he looked into them. These girls' eyes were plain, hiding nothing, dulled by years of this profession.
The girl unceremoniously stepped out of her faded dress, moved her hands over his body, pulling off his jacket. Vincent closed his eyes, trying to imagine Aeris.
--------------------
Aeris gasped and pulled Cloud to her, his eyes intent, hers glazed with the moment. When it was over she lay next to him, breathing slowly and deeply. He was restless, moved around, finally turning towards her. "I have to go."
Aeris opened her eyes to look at him in confusion. "What? But, why-"
But Cloud had already gotten up, and was pulling his pants and shirt on. He grabbed his sword and made for the door. Aeris sat up in bed, pulling the sheets up to hold them clenched in her hands under her chin.
She whispered, "Cloud…"
But he had gone.
--------------------
Vincent left the building at almost a run, he wanted to die, he felt unclean, disgusted with himself. I am not worthy of even being Aeris' friend. I just had sex with a fucking whore, for crissake! I hate myself for feeling this way…
He turned to walk back to the inn, but could not face it, he could not walk past her door, could not take the thought that Cloud may be with her at this very moment, lustily taking from Aeris all of her innocence and purity. Cloud was deceiving her. Vincent felt all of these feelings gathering in him, and the prevailing one was rage. Pure rage that boiled like fire inside of his heart. He wanted to find Cloud, find him and then rid him of every appendage he had. Rip his head off, feel his blood spilling out, watch him slowly sink to the floor in agony, and finally to a slow and painful death.
Not knowing where to go, Vincent turned toward away from the inn. His eyes narrowed. He had found the perfect way to rid himself of some of this anger. Turning toward the valley, he began to walk.
--------------------
He heard the creature before he saw it. Peering around a large tree, he spotted it. A large monster that was about seven feet tall with wings and fangs that were currently burying themselves into innocent prey. Vincent summoned the anger and rage he felt before stepping into the monsters sight.
It spotted him immediately. Vincent knew from experience that this kind of monster did not kill for food, but for fun. It wanted to see death, to feel it, and to be the cause of it. Normally the whole team would take on a monster such as this, but Vincent stood alone. He felt just as the monster did at that moment. He wanted to feel death in his hands. If it could not be Cloud, it would be this creature. He drew a long sword, the forest echoing with a ringing sound as he unsheathed it. This creature would die tonight, but not before he had caused it as much pain as possible.
Love for the Loveless
"Thanks for helping clear the monsters out of the valley, Aeris."
"No problem, not that you really needed my help, we only ran into a few creatures today."
Cloud smiled and gave Aeris a playful nudge with his shoulder.
"It'll be worse once the weather improves. Besides, I always need you."
Aeris' breath caught in her throat. She smiled and gazed at Cloud longingly, before turning away, her cheeks turning pinker than the cold had already made them. She wondered what exactly Cloud wanted from her. In the past months Cloud has paid much more attention to me, and when he kissed me the other night... I can't get him out of my mind. He knows I've liked him for ages. Could he be feeling what I feel?
Before she realized what happened they were back at the inn. They entered and shook the show off of their jackets. Vincent, Tifa and Barrett were sitting in the lounge, gathered around the fire for warmth. Tifa and Barrett nodded their acknowledgement of the two before turning back to the fire.
Cloud leaned in and whispered something in Aeris' ear that caused shivers to run up and down her spine, ending in a place that made her blush once more. Cloud chuckled and pulled her close, placing his mouth over hers, demandingly, forcefully. Aeris' mind exploded with delight, she ran her hands through his hair, wanting nothing more than him, forever and always. Aeris gasped and pulled away, turning towards their friends. Barrett and Tifa hadn't noticed, Vincent said nothing but got up and silently fled up the stairs.
Cloud whispered to Aeris one word "Later." His breath was hot, passionate, and Aeris longed for later to come.
--------------------
Vincent opened the door to his room, closed and locked it, and sat in a chair that faced the empty bed and windows. I can't stand this. Cloud is using her, my beautiful, intelligent, amazing…
He got up and paced around the room, began to speak out loud to himself.
"He doesn't want anything from you but sex, meaningless sex. He wants you for the night; I want you for the rest of our lives. Why can't you see that?" He looked up at the ceiling, searching for answers, knowing he'd find none.
"You and I are perfect together. When we go out we talk and laugh… we confide in each other, we've been friends for so long. I've never said anything to her… it's my fault. But she has eyes for only Cloud. Is it physical, or does she really… love… him?" He shook his head, trying uselessly to get this thought out of his head. If she loved Cloud, then he could have no chance, he couldn't take this thought. He wanted a distraction.
--------------------
Aeris laid her head on the pillow. Thoughts of Cloud kept her turning, restless, unsatisfied. She looked over at the clock, 2:36. She sighed and turned over.
Half asleep and still dreaming about him, she suddenly sat upright, fully awake now. Footsteps were coming down the hall. She heard them halt in front of her door. Her heart pounded, as if trying to escape from her chest. There was a soft knock. She gasped. Sliding her feet over the edge of her bed, she softly got up and walked, as if in a dream, to the door. She laid her hand on the doorknob, paused, and quietly, slowly, opened it to admit him.
--------------------
Vincent walked down the street, finding the place he was looking for. He looked around before entering, opened the door, and walked in. He was told to choose a girl. He glanced at each before choosing the one that had long brown hair, and reminded him of her. The great sadness came over him again. Determined to rid himself of it, he chose her, paid his gil, and was led away to the sound of the rest still standing there, giggling and pressing themselves against another man who was apparently a regular.
--------------------
"Cloud."
He pressed his finger against her lips. Moving forward, he gently pressed her further into the room, closing the door behind him. He sat her on the bed, and removed the sword that always hung at his side.
This is it. She thought. Cloud took her hand, kissing the tips of her fingers, sending chills up through her arm to the rest of her body. But does he love me? He kissed her arm, her collarbone, her neck… Can I go through with this when we've only just begun seeing each other? She moaned softly when he laid a hand on her shoulder, gently sliding a strap off of her shoulder, kissing the curve of her neck. Putting a hand under his chin, drawing his lips up to hers, she thought no more of anything but Cloud.
--------------------
She leaned in, but Vincent turned away.
"No kissing." He whispered. He looked at this girl that he had just paid for, and imagined that it was Aeris sitting beside him, wishing she were his, knowing she belonged to Cloud.
The girl shrugged, not caring. When he looked at her, she almost looked like his beloved, but she was older, less life in her face. Older, with none of the true beauty Aeris possessed. And her eyes were not those of his love. Aeris' eyes were indescribably beautiful, deep, hiding something. Her eyes were more knowing and wonderful that Vincent forgot what he was saying when he looked into them. These girls' eyes were plain, hiding nothing, dulled by years of this profession.
The girl unceremoniously stepped out of her faded dress, moved her hands over his body, pulling off his jacket. Vincent closed his eyes, trying to imagine Aeris.
--------------------
Aeris gasped and pulled Cloud to her, his eyes intent, hers glazed with the moment. When it was over she lay next to him, breathing slowly and deeply. He was restless, moved around, finally turning towards her. "I have to go."
Aeris opened her eyes to look at him in confusion. "What? But, why-"
But Cloud had already gotten up, and was pulling his pants and shirt on. He grabbed his sword and made for the door. Aeris sat up in bed, pulling the sheets up to hold them clenched in her hands under her chin.
She whispered, "Cloud…"
But he had gone.
--------------------
Vincent left the building at almost a run, he wanted to die, he felt unclean, disgusted with himself. I am not worthy of even being Aeris' friend. I just had sex with a fucking whore, for crissake! I hate myself for feeling this way…
He turned to walk back to the inn, but could not face it, he could not walk past her door, could not take the thought that Cloud may be with her at this very moment, lustily taking from Aeris all of her innocence and purity. Cloud was deceiving her. Vincent felt all of these feelings gathering in him, and the prevailing one was rage. Pure rage that boiled like fire inside of his heart. He wanted to find Cloud, find him and then rid him of every appendage he had. Rip his head off, feel his blood spilling out, watch him slowly sink to the floor in agony, and finally to a slow and painful death.
Not knowing where to go, Vincent turned toward away from the inn. His eyes narrowed. He had found the perfect way to rid himself of some of this anger. Turning toward the valley, he began to walk.
--------------------
He heard the creature before he saw it. Peering around a large tree, he spotted it. A large monster that was about seven feet tall with wings and fangs that were currently burying themselves into innocent prey. Vincent summoned the anger and rage he felt before stepping into the monsters sight.
It spotted him immediately. Vincent knew from experience that this kind of monster did not kill for food, but for fun. It wanted to see death, to feel it, and to be the cause of it. Normally the whole team would take on a monster such as this, but Vincent stood alone. He felt just as the monster did at that moment. He wanted to feel death in his hands. If it could not be Cloud, it would be this creature. He drew a long sword, the forest echoing with a ringing sound as he unsheathed it. This creature would die tonight, but not before he had caused it as much pain as possible.