Chapter 5-On the Run
Disclaimer-I do not own these characters or the FFVII series
Warnings- Mild language, mild violence, Yaoiness, slight OOC
Summary-In order to escape from SOLDIER, Vin and Seph leave town heading for the Nibleheim mountain area. Vincent is still unsure if he made the right choice, but there's no turning back now.
The two gentlemen reached their destination well before the time they intended. To their surprise, the town was a somewhat of a bustling center of life, nestled in a hidden valley of the foothills. Urged by his aching back and legs, Vincent suggested they find the nearest lodging so that they could rest and maybe even find some information on what they were looking for. Entering the local hotel a few blocks down the street, Sephiroth purchased their housing for the night while Vincent tried his best to listen in on a nearby conversation.
A young woman whispered, "Look at those two…they look so strange! Especially standing next to each other…" Her gaze remained firmly on the two suspicious figures standing a few yards away. "Hush" her friend hissed back "you know very well that we get these weird types all the time. You should be used to it by now. And besides, the taller man-the one with the silver hair-looks very familiar for some reason…" They both glanced in Sephiroth's direction, but noticing Vincent was observing them, they quickly turned and stepped out the front door. He watched them disappear through the entrance when a pale hand landed on his shoulder.
"Come on, we should go freshen up" the owner of the hand said, leading the way according to the directions of the host. Flicking on the lights the two men were pleasantly surprised to see a fresh room with a patio view. It almost reminded Vincent of home, almost. After washing his face and removing his shoes Vincent decided to take a little nap to gather his strength. Sephiroth sat on his own bed as the gunman's heavy eyelids refused to stay open any longer. He returned to consciousness a few hours later to find his friend missing from the room. Sephiroth's things were still sitting on top of his bed all except for the one possession he never set down (lets just say it was pointy and pretty shiny). Stretching his arms and standing to his feet, Vincent headed downstairs to see if he could question some of the locals a little about the town.
After many failed attempts and plenty of frustration, he decided to leave the matter alone for now stepping into the nearest tavern. He ordered a cool drink to rehydrate his parched throat and took a seat in a shadowed corner of the room. Soon after he entered, two members of SOLDIER came in after him and sat at the bar. He listened closely to see what he could pick up…
"Man those two are slippery" the first man stated, taking a gulp of his ale, "There's now way they could have gotten this far without leaving any kind of trace"
"I know, but you know what the captain says 'come back with them, or it'll be your head!'" he sighed setting his glass back on the coaster. "I guess we should ask around to see if anyone has seen them. If they're hiding that son of a bitch then we'll raid every hotel, business, and home in town until we find them ourselves!" "Damn right!" The two men clinked their glasses together in menacing laughter, guzzled down what was left and stepped out once again, conveniently "forgetting" to pay their tab. There was one thing that never changed about the police force; they never seemed to care about following their own laws. Vincent waited for a short time to make sure they would be well out of sight before he left, adding a little extra gil to make up for the other two. Vincent decided it was best to find Sephiroth and warn him of the discussion he had just overheard.
As he stepped back into the hotel room, Vincent was surprised to find Sephiroth standing just outside the patio doors. His platinum hair lazily framing his figure as the breeze combed it through. He didn't seem to notice his companion had entered the room until the quiet click of the door brought him back to reality. Turning slowly to face the gunman his penetrating stare kept Vincent frozen in place completely speechless. Sephiroth was the one to finally break the silence "Have you discovered anything?" he voiced coolly as he sank onto a nearby chair.
"Nothing for what we're looking for…but I did hear some unsettling news" This got Seph's attention. His gaze focused on the other's face with an almost worried expression. Taking a small breath, Vincent began to relay everything he had heard in the bar. After contemplating a few minutes over everything that was said he rubbed his eyes with a leather clad hand. "Well, I guess that means we need to leave first thing in the morning. Is that alright with you?" "Of course" the raven haired man replied "I told you we have to be partners in this. Whatever we need to do I will do it" For the first time since the two met, Vincent saw a trace of a smile on the man's face and was sure he didn't imagine it. Noticing the setting sun, Vincent suggested they get something to eat downstairs since room service didn't even come to mind in a place like this.
Surprisingly the restaurant located beneath the hotel was very cozy and had delicious food as well. Of course, it could have been his lack of a real meal for the past two days. Inhaling steaming rolls and stew, Vincent wondered why Sephiroth hadn't touched his plate yet. "Is something wrong Seph?"
"No. I'm just….thinking… about some things…" He hesitated with every word as if he was unsure that the words he spoke were the same ones plaguing his mind. Clouded eyes glanced up at Vincent following the trail of the red scarf he wore to keep unruly locks from attacking his face. "Well, do you want to talk about it?" the man in red replied with a voice full of concern. Although he had not known Sephiroth for long, there were clearly some things bothering him and the best way to deal with it is to have someone to listen to. True, Vincent wasn't known for being the friendliest person in the world, but if he had someone who was truly interested in what he was feeling, it would make it so much easier to open up. Breathing deeply, the swordsman lowered his jade eyes towards the table and began:
"I wonder if this whole situation is worth it. On one hand, learning who I once was would help me to understand why I long for something more in my life, but at the same time I can just as easily find that it was better not to know. And there is always the possibility of not finding anything…I feel like my head is splitting in two!" Long fingers massaged his temples as he tried to sort his thoughts. It wasn't an uncommon feeling, but now the ex-general was feeling it more than ever. It could just be the anxiety of being so close to his sole purpose for the past year, or his refusal to accept that there might not be anything to find. Sephiroth realized Vincent hadn't spoken since he fell silent and returned his attention to his companion to wait for a reaction.
Resting his chin on folded hands, Vincent stared intently at the other man not knowing what to say. What could he say to something like that? 'It'll be okay'? 'Don't worry about it'? All of those answers were so generic and never did anything to help a person in a tight situation. But he had to say something; otherwise Sephiroth might never feel comfortable to voice his thoughts again. Choosing his words carefully, Vincent replied, "I agree with you. It would be strange not to feel that way. Don't forget, I've lost my past as well so I understand where you're coming from. We already came this far, so why not go all the way and find out for ourselves?" He hoped his words had the intended effect on the ex-general without making him feel even more uneasy. Sephiroth nodded to himself for a moment before suddenly saying "You know you're right. After all, I've faced many things in my life one more couldn't hurt." With this he downed what was left of his drink and continued on to his plate. Vincent hadn't realized he was so tense until he felt a great weight lifted off of his shoulders. So he's human after all he chuckled to himself while shoving some veggies into his mouth. As the pair finished their meals they headed back towards their housing for the night feeling more optimistic than ever. Vincent flopped down on his bed holding his stomach with a very content expression and contemplated all that would become of the next day.
Vincent hadn't realized he fell asleep until he began hearing noises in the distance. Feeling the bed shake, his eyes shot open to meet luminous green orbs. "Seph? What the hell is going on!?" He was quickly silenced by a gloved hand closing over his mouth. In a low whisper he heard "They've started the raid. We must leave immediately". Crimson eyes widened in disbelief. How could this have happened so soon? Weren't the troops supposed to wait a day or two? "Shit!" was the only thing that could even come close to what he felt. Rather than continuing to question the situation he followed his friend's example and began gathering his belongings. As shouts sounded from downstairs the pair realized there wasn't much time. Opting for the fire escape, they quickly made their way into the alley following side streets as they headed towards the outskirts of the town. Commotion could be heard far behind them over the blaring of sirens. Once far enough from the danger, the gunman asked "Where are we going to go? They're searching everything…." Sephiroth scanned the distance; his eyes finally landing on an object nestled close to the mountains "There. It's not easily noticeable and I doubt anyone would find us" They picked up the pace loosing all sense of fatigue until they approached the strange building. Vincent seemed hesitant when noticing the chained gate, but it caused Sephiroth no discomfort as he drew Masamune and easily shredded the blockade. As they approached the building it became clear that it was actually a fantastic mansion….or at least it used to be. The chipped paint and cracked window indicated the residence had been empty for quite a while. Loosened shingles decorated the cracked earth and unruly grass covered the path leading to the front door. Even with the unkempt look of the place, the size of it was still amazing.
Keeping their senses sharp, the pair entered the abandoned home making sure there wasn't a threat. A quick look over of the place assured them that it was empty and a safe place to stay for the night. Sephiroth went back to secure the gate as Vincent went up the double staircase to find a place for them to sleep. He almost didn't see a purpose in it since they have to be on their guard at all times, but a little rest couldn't hurt. He found a cozy bedroom with two beds and a writing desk nestled along the wall. With a flick of his wrist he tossed his belongings on the farther bed, his body following shortly after it.
Wow, long time no see. Thank you once again for taking the time to read this fic. I know it's been a long wait since the last chapter (again) but I've been really busy. Because of this, I'll try to have another chapter within a week or sooner if I can. Also, I know a lot of you must be wondering "I thought this was a yaoi fic? Where's all the yaoi?" Well don't worry! I have a couple things in the works and soon insert evil laugh here. Once again thanks for reading.
Oh yes, and I decided not to go with a beta reader after all. Thanks anyway CornCob! 3