Little Bird Chapter 6
Disclaimer: I do not own any final fantasy material, be it names, weapons, characters, modes of transportation, etc.
Warning: This story contains homosexuality, sex (both consensual and non) and gore. Please do not read if you are offended by any of this. Also, I have not played crisis core and so there will be no references to that game in here. ALSO! There will be sex in this chapter but this time I am not sticking a warning on it like I did for the rape scene. Since you're reading an M-rated fanfiction, I hope this will not come as a huge shock.
The boat ride from Costa de Sol was a silent one in which the other passengers stayed well away from the general and his captive. "Do you think they know?" Sephiroth asked calmly, already knowing the answer. He looked at the slightly sea sick blonde beside him, not really expecting a response but receiving one anyway.
"Yes sir. There is a man coming up behind you with a gun." Cloud had begun talking as though they were still working for Shinra. Neither man had spoken about the incident that had taken place the previous night, and both seemed to have retreated into their own shells.
In a movement that the normal human eye could not detect, the general drew his sword and dismembered the gun like it was paper. The spiky haired man watched with a blank face as Sephiroth did this without looking back. "I asked if they knew. I did not ask if someone was trying to kill me. I already knew that." Cloud shrugged and looked at the silver haired man as he turned to face the rest of the ship's passengers. He caught the general's arm before he could disembowel the cowering man before him, causing them both to jerk back as though burned.
"With all due respect sir, I don't think that slaughtering people will throw the world off our trail." Those green eyes were staring at him, boring through him. He looked back into them, not defiantly, not pleadingly, just persistently.
"I suppose you are right, but should another one come at me like that, I WILL defend myself." Sephiroth went back to staring at the water, unable to look at those cold, dull eyes that no longer showed anything. 'It is what you wanted.' He reminded himself silently. 'It is for the best.' He hadn't touched Cloud since the night prior, as it seemed to make the hole he felt in his chest become larger every time he tried, eating away at him slowly. "This could have been avoided if we had just flown."
"You gave me a choice Sir."
"Yes, and I agreed with you. I'm simply stating a fact, nothing more." He sighed and sheathed the Masamune, rubbing his temples. The echoes were getting louder. For a moment, he was in a room, sitting on a metal table and looking at the test tubes around him. He could hear a woman screaming in the other room at someone to let her see him.
"General?" Cloud's voice brought him back to reality and upon looking down, he saw that he had crushed part of the railing with his hands. He moved a little closer to his captive and the voices dimmed just slightly. The blonde looked at him. "The ship will dock in about five minutes. We should run."
Sephiroth looked at the boy incredulously. "Run? You can barely walk." The spiky haired man turned away and the general fought the urge to grab and shake the boy until his head came off. "We will not be caught. I will protect you."
Cloud's face twitched and turned a pale shade of green before he retched over the side of the vessel. Sephiroth knew that it had nothing to do with the sea sickness.
When the ship docked in Bone Village the two men made certain that they were the first ones to exit the boat and after a small distraction with the general's fire materia, they disappeared into the trees.
"I'm surprised that you didn't try to escape." The general commented mildly, eyes sliding to look at the blonde.
"I'm flattered that you think I'd be able to, Sir."
"You would be able to try." He pushed gently, still slightly miffed that there had been no murder attempt the previous night.
"That would mean that I had some sort of hope. I'm not stupid enough to want to find out what you would do if you caught me." Cloud replied dully.
Sephiroth tilted his head back and looked at the sky through the trees, pupils slitting slightly as he imagined the possible outcomes of that action. An echo of Hojo's voice cut through his head and he winced, quickening his pace. "Come. We will reach the city in a few hours. I imagine that by this point, you realize where it is that we're going." The young man remained silent, matching the general's speed though his stride was broken by a limp. Noticing this, the general clenched his teeth together until he was sure that they'd shatter. "Would you like me to use a healing materia?" he asked softly, staring directly ahead.
He felt the blonde hesitate slightly in his icy shell before answering. "No. I want to remember this. I need to remember." Sephiroth nodded as the hole in his chest slowly grew in size, and at this point, he had to briefly look down to reassure himself that it was all in his mind. "I do have a question though…" The general could see the young man watching him out of his peripheral vision.
"Ask away."
Cloud was rapidly flushing and paling so that for a moment, the general was worried that the young man might faint, but instead, the blonde asked his question in a low voice. "Will you touch me again? I mean, when we get there."
That gorgeous feeling slipped back into the silver haired man and the pain dissipated along with his reason. "Are you worried that the dead woman will open her eyes and see?" When he received no answer he sneered and stopped walking, turning to Cloud. "Make no mistake, if I want to drag her decomposing body from the water and violate you on top of her, I will. I will do as I please and will make no promises either way."
The blonde stumbled but before he fell, was whipped off the ground and over the general's shoulder, causing him to thrash wildly. "You were walking too slowly." Sephiroth tried to reason before the young man's fist connected with his jaw.
"PUT ME DOWN!" The enraged man screamed. More out of shock than compliance, the general dropped him instantly and began walking; looking back when he realized that he wasn't being followed. His captive was curled up and shaking violently, his breathing ragged. The elation left the silver haired man and the pain slowly drifted back in as he retraced his steps.
He didn't bother offering a hand, knowing that it would be rejected. Instead, he stared coldly down at the boy he had so brutally tormented. "Get up and move." Sephiroth hissed, drawing his sword and resting it against Cloud's shoulder. "If you don't-"
"What, you'll kill me? Go ahead."
The general tilted the blade slightly so that a thin slice began to grow on the shoulder, slowly causing blood to drip slowly from the wound. "I will not kill you now. But I will make you wish you were dead." Those frigid blue eyes looked up dully and Cloud brushed the Masamune off his shoulder, not feeling the sting of the metal as it slid off. He got to his feet and walked ahead of Sephiroth, face turned towards the ground.
"Too late." He muttered.
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By the time the afternoon rolled around, one quarter of the flight staff had handed in their resignation. The usual pilot, thankfully, had not, which made Cid's job a little bit easier and gave him time to do the copious paper work that had come from his staff quitting. As much as he and the ex Turk had tried to keep it quiet and explain to their friends that they were drunk, when the morning came, there wasn't a person on the ship who didn't know what had happened.
As if his day wasn't stressful enough, upon leaving his room, he saw Vincent getting cornered by an extremely irate Tifa. "The rest of us are searching for Cloud and yet you still seem to have time to mess around, huh? That's funny, because the others and I don't seem to have much time for anything."
"Don't assume that because I do not spend my limited free time alone sulking that I am not worried about Cloud." Vincent replied crisply. The fact that he was defending himself already proved that his day had been no better than Cid's. The chaos holder's eyes flicked to the blonde's briefly before trying to move past the woman attempting to tower over him.
"Hey Tifa," Cid called loudly. "You gonna order a new bed for the kid or is Vincent here gonna have to camp out on my couch forever?" If looks could kill, Cid would have exploded, and then his exploded pieces would explode. The brunette was glaring at him with such a cold intensity that he was amazed he hadn't frozen rock solid.
"From what I've been hearing all morning you wouldn't mind that too much, would you? In fact, why bother with the couch? He can just hop into bed with you!" Both men looked at her in a stony silence and the woman closed her eyes, wrinkling her brow. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. It's just, this is coming completely out of left field and it almost seems… convenient. I know that it isn't!" She put up her hands in defense as the two bristled. "I'm just saying what it feels like. Look, let's just have this conversation when I've calmed down a bit."
'And there aren't two of us to protect each other.' Cid thought grimly as he watched the woman's retreating back. The red cloaked man began to shrink away as well but the pilot reached out and grabbed his arm before he could. Guilty red eyes swiveled to look at him and he couldn't help but smile at the partially covered face of Vincent. "Shitty day, huh?" He received a small nod in response.
"Yes… Thank you for defending me like that. I was just coming to talk to you actually, but I started to think better of it." Before he could move, Vincent was yanked into the pilot's office and tossed into a chair. "Cid, wh-"
"Do you regret last night?"
The ex Turk flinched as Cid's words bit into him, but he looked up into the man's blue eyes anyway. "I do not regret it. But I need to tell you that it cannot happen again."
Cid looked at him with a sort of unnerving calm and leaned on his desk in front of the Chaos holder. "Why not? Why the hell not? If you didn't regret it, if you LIKED it then why can't it happen again?" Vincent seemed to sink into the collar of his cloak, closing his eyes against the angry blue ones. "Is it everyone else giving you shit or is it just me you don't like?"
There was a small hesitation before the ex Turk's eyes opened, looking more strained than the pilot had ever seen them. "It isn't you. It isn't other people. Please… I like you, perhaps more than I should, and if I let this continue, I will only end up causing you pain. I do not wish for that." There was misery and regret in his voice as he stood. "I want to be your friend, but that is all I can be, and I'm afraid that I won't be very good at that either." The red eyed man stood and headed for the door, stopped only briefly by Cid's voice.
"So I don't even get a say in this?" The blonde man asked, his frustration evident in his voice.
Those blood like eyes turned to him sadly and lowered. Lucrecia's melancholy face brushed gently against the frame of his mind and he gritted his teeth. "No, I'm sorry. Things will be simpler this way…" 'I cannot allow this to continue right now, I must finish what I allowed to begin. This is the way it must be.' He left the room before Cid could respond, hearing the soft screech of the gauntlet as he clenched his fists. 'I will aid your son Lucrecia, I will not allow anything to interfere with our goal.'
He could see her tearstained face in his mind's eye, the way that she shook her head violently, clutching her arms. She couldn't speak here, he knew this. He made up his mind to travel to the cave where she rested as soon as the airship drew near to it. He went to speak with Tifa about it, ignoring the looks he received from the crew.
Inside his office, Cid was crushing various things with his hands. He was caught between numerous emotions, the strongest being confusion, frustration and copious amounts of anger. He swiped his arm over the desk, causing the resignation letters to scatter on the floor. This completed, the pilot rammed his foot into the desk, swearing loudly as it skidded along the floor before crashing into the wall. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, inhaling the nicotine as though it tasted of candy. When the knock at the door came, Cid thought he might implode. "WHAT!? FUCKIN' WHAT?! I AIN'T ACCEPTIN' ANY MORE RESIGNATIONS SO IF YOU WANNA LEAVE THEN JUST GET THE FUCK OFF MY FUCKING AIRSHIP!"
Barret opened the door, seemingly unfazed by the vulgarity and the volume at which it was delivered. The pilot watched his friend walk in and look at the pieces of paper that almost blanketed the floor. "Rough day?" The man offered, picking up a few sheets of loose leaf.
"You got no idea." Cid looked warily at his comrade. He hadn't seen Barret since the previous night and therefore couldn't judge the other man's reaction to the events he had seen.
The bear like man looked at his shoes, squinting slightly before starting to speak. "Look Cid, even though you're gay, I'm still your friend, you got that, right?" He raised his eyes to look at the blonde man, grinning when he saw that the other man was lost in a cloud of smoke and frustration.
"I'm not fucking gay!" the pilot huffed, waving away the noxious fog with his hand.
"Then what the hell was last night all about?"
"Vincent is-" Cid broke off, unsure of how to finish his thought. "Different… I dunno. But then he just comes in here sayin' pretty much that he doesn't wanna do it again. I'm not good with this emotional shit, man. Help me out!"
"Just Vincent, huh?" The blonde nodded already lighting another cigarette. "So I don't gotta worry about you hitting on me, right?" He laughed at the disgusted look and middle finger he got in response. "Just checking. Damn though, you got weird taste. Just keep doin' what you already do around him I guess, but if he's not into it, don't do that shit any more. That's all I got but if shit happens and you wanna talk, I'll pretend to listen."
Cid let out a tight smile, grinding the cancer stick between his teeth. "Thanks." The other man nodded, handed him the papers and left. When he knew he was alone, the pilot ran a hand haggardly down his face. "Goddamnit Vin… " he muttered.
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Cloud was training. He had been practicing with the buster blade for the last two weeks under Sephiroth's instruction. The sweat rolled off him in rivulets as the general demonstrated and drilled the various moves into his brain. Finally, when he felt as though he would pass out were any more punishment delivered, Sephiroth called a halt to the day and had him go clean up in the water.
When they had first arrived in the lost city, Cloud had refused to go near the water for days, choosing instead to allow the filth to accumulate on his body. It wasn't until the general had dragged him in by his hair and scrubbed him pink that he even touched the water. As he reached the bank of the lake he looked down into the dark water cautiously, searching for any signs of Aerith's body. 'I'm sorry…' he thought quietly, splashing some of the cold liquid over his face. 'I swear I will avenge you, soon. I won't fail.' The warm wind that he had grown accustomed to brushed against his cheek, feeling him with a sense of sadness. He discarded the emotion and the wind faded, leaving the chill of the water and the bite of winter to freeze him.
When he got back to the camp, he was relieved to see that a fire was already crackling in the abandoned house that the two men had sought refuge in. He settled by it, looking around before pulling on some clean clothes. Placing his hands by the fire he sighed in contentment and wondered vaguely where his captor was. The silver haired man had begun muttering to himself around halfway through the first week, and Cloud had even caught him struggling against things that weren't there.
'I could run.' He thought briefly before dismissing the idea. He had found himself dreaming of Aerith, and in those dreams, he knew that she was trying to tell him something. What it was, he had no idea, but it seemed as though the deceased healer wanted him to stay put for some reason he couldn't discern. He ran over the possibilities in his head, taking everything into careful consideration. Aerith had never seemed like a vengeful person, but maybe she really did want him to slaughter Sephiroth for her murder. Maybe she wanted him to watch the general destroy himself. 'Or maybe,' he thought dryly 'it's just a dream and I shouldn't read into it.' But something inside told him that these dreams were something more than just that.
'Who the hell knows?' He yawned, blinking sleepily and leaving the hut to look for his captor. Cloud knew that even though the general denied it, he had used healing materia that night two weeks prior. He couldn't fathom Sephiroth and he didn't really want to, especially with the increasingly complex emotions he felt towards the older man. Through all of the hate and fear, the betrayal and pain, a tiny part of him had started to make its self known. This part had protected the other feelings, small though they may be. The foremost of these was desire, not necessarily just for sex either, but for the physical contact that he should have found reviling.
He found the general waist deep in the lake and looking down into the water, his clothes strewn around the bank. At the sound of Cloud's footsteps, Sephiroth's head snapped up and his arms curled around himself, a kind of panic and fear on his features that the blonde had never seen before. "Sir?" The spiky haired man called out tentatively.
The general started whimpering in a sort of sick imitation of a child's voice. "He's going to kill me this time, I know it! I didn't mean to kill it; I just wanted to touch it. It was furry, you know? Really soft. I didn't know that they just stopped breathing like that, did I squeeze it too hard? Is that why it stopped? He is going to kill me… He'll drown me right here." The man in the water pulled on his hair with wide, frightened eyes.
More than a little disturbed, Cloud pressed; "Who is going to kill you?" The general wasn't paying any more attention to him and instead went back to staring at the water. The blonde called a little louder. "Sephiroth?"
Cold, exhausted eyes rose to meet his. "You have started using my name again? How delightful. You must be becoming stealthier, I didn't hear you arrive." The silver haired man spread his arms wide, a sultry smirk on his face as he displayed his naked body to the other. "Care to join me? I'm sure I could find a way to reward you for your progress."
Cloud backed away, biting his lip and shaking his head quickly. "No thank you. I think I'm going to have an early night if it's okay with you." The general's arms dropped with a splash at his sides and the older man gave his wordless consent to the already retreating back of the blonde.
The spiky haired man bit his cheek as he ran back to the hut, trying to erase the image of the very naked, very toned general out of his head. 'This is NOT what I should be focusing on right now, he went completely crazy for a second there and didn't even realize it!' Still, as much as he tried to divert his train of thought and remind himself that he was interested in girls, images of what the general could have done for him if he stayed kept his skin tingling. 'Fuck it.' He thought recklessly, looking out the door to make certain that the silver haired man was nowhere near before sliding a hand into his pants.
It was over quickly, as the mere thought of Sephiroth's hand in the place of his own once more made him grit his teeth so as not to cry out. The memory of the older man's hot breath against his neck was enough to send him into spasms so that when he finally came, it was the general's name on his lips.
He regretted doing it almost instantly and tried to abate the recent memory by cleaning himself and hiding the pants, choosing instead to wear his old ones. He decided that as soon as he had the chance he would take them down to the water and clean them, but until then, he would keep the filthy evidence away from his captor's eye line. Cloud just about jumped out of his skin when he heard the soft footfalls of the general.
Luminescent green eyes looked at him blankly as a few strands of damp hair fell in front of them. The silver haired man raised an eyebrow delicately. "Not as tired as you originally thought?" Cloud tried not to look too guilty as he shrugged, edging away from the general slowly.
"I got cold." Cloud cringed, wishing he had come up with a better excuse as his captor approached him with a smile that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.
"If you were cold," the general began, crouching so that he was at eye level with the blonde. "You should have told me. You know I'll always keep you warm." The spiky haired man sat stock still as those strong arms encircled him before they flinched back. Things like this had become common ever since that night, where Sephiroth would ALMOST do something, then draw back as though he were burned.
Cloud reached up tentatively and grabbed one of the generals retreating arms. He didn't want to care, and he knew that it would only cause him more pain in the end, but the stubborn former Private inside of him still worshipped this man, and consequently worried about him. Those cat like eyes looked at him with surprise and guardedness causing Cloud's mouth to go dry. 'Okay, bad idea, very bad idea, don't ask, just forget it. Not your business, let go of him or bad things will happen. Do NOT ask!'
"Sir, are you alright?" 'Shit.'
Sephiroth's eyes glittered menacingly before he pried his arm away from the blonde's grip. "I'm fine, why do you ask?" the silky voice held a hint of wariness and the general straightened, pacing a little circle around the fire.
'Don't say it.' Cloud's conscious mind begged him, but him mouth had already begun to form the words. "Down at the water, I didn't sneak up on you, you saw me walk up, but you were acting strangely, like a little kid. You said something about killing something and were worried that someone was going to kill you. When I asked you who, you went back to normal. I ask because I found it strange."
He could swear he saw a muscle begin to twitch in Sephiroth's jaw as the older man's face went taut. There was danger there, the silver haired man's breathing had quickened slightly and his pupils had slit. Cloud felt his stomach tense when he saw not only anger, but fear displayed in his captors eyes. "I thought I told you," The general hissed as he leaned forward; "Not to lie to me. What you are proposing is ridiculous." The blonde shifted back slightly, his fingers itching for his sword, but Sephiroth surprised him by pulling back and walking out.
It was late when the silver haired man returned, and though Cloud pretended to be asleep, he watched the general sitting next to the fire and dosed off to the sound of his worried muttering.
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Tifa looked out the window of the Highwind at Vincent's slowly shrinking figure. She knew that they didn't really have time to let him talk to his dead love, but after three weeks of cold trails and more failures, she couldn't see it hurting their cause. She had noticed a little guiltily that the red cloaked man had been openly avoiding Cid, and though she reasoned with herself that it was bound to happen, her conscience had labeled her as the instigator. 'It will be easier this way.' She told herself, pulling away from the window before any more rebellious thoughts could trouble her.
Vincent had pulled his knees to his chest as he looked up at the woman he had held so dear. He was afraid to go too close, afraid that he might somehow disturb the peaceful face that was forever preserved behind the crystalline substance that engulfed her. "I feel lost Lucrecia, I don't know what to do. I know that I must help your son, and that I must have faith that he will follow through with his plan, but it hurts. It hurts more than I had originally thought it would."
The echoes of the woman's soft voice seemed to swirl around him, but he could make no sense of it yet. "It was so much easier before I began talking to them, knowing them. I don't know if I can go through with this." All he could hear was the pain in her voice as she apologized. "It's not your fault, it never was. I think the real problem stems from their pilot." A tiny petal-like laugh met his ears and he looked down at the red cloth covering his knees in shame. "I have feelings for him. I'm not sure when it began, but now they are threatening my loyalty to the cause. I'm sorry…"
The murmurs of a gentle rebuke circled him. He could almost feel her hands stroking his hair, comforting him like she always used to. This place had always felt like a sort of haven, a retreat from the world. His eyes slid closed sleepily and allowed the soft atmosphere to soothe him. "There is no shame… in starting again." He allowed a small, sad smile to grace his lips at the sound of her clear voice, so understanding. But he knew that, despite her loving support, if he was unable to follow through on the plan, more than just his friends would suffer.
His thoughts were broken by another female voice. "Vincent? Sorry to disturb you, it's just that we got another lead and we need you there with us to check it out." The smile faded from his face and he walked past Tifa, refusing to make eye contact with her.
In all of his years alive, Vincent had never quite gotten the hang of riding a chocobo. He had never understood the appeal of riding on a ridiculously fluffy bird that could obviously decide one day that greens just weren't worth it anymore and take off your head with its sharp beak while warbling a cry of victory to its kin. At least it was fast.
The group had split up into two smaller parties, the first consisting of Cid, Barret and Yuffie, and the second with Vincent, Tifa and Red XIII. Cait Sith, still managing his own search using the remainder of the Turks decided to opt out. The two groups agreed to meet back in the fields in front of Midgar and parted ways with Cid casting a long look over his shoulder and Vincent doing his best to ignore the blonde pilot.
The red eyed man gritted his teeth and wished that he had had more time in Lucrecia's cave, had more time to understand what he needed to do. 'No.' He told himself firmly. "I must see this through to the end or everything will fall apart. There is no turning back now, no starting again." And with that final thought, he urged his happily warbling chocobo forward.
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Cloud came in his hand, gasping in both pleasure and shame. It had become a daily ritual when Sephiroth was not around to pleasure himself. 'Even when he's not here I can't escape from him.' The blonde dressed and cleaned up bitterly just before the object of his recently discovered desire walked in. Sephiroth walked in quickly, a certain tightness about his steps and his eyes mildly unfocused.
The blonde man bit his lip and released a string of curses in his head and the strongest man in the world sat beside him and sulked. "Hojo is running more tests on me today." The general murmured softly to Cloud. "The Turks will arrive in a few minutes. I don't know what that man hopes to learn by doing this, but I swear, when I get enough power, I'll make him stop." He looked at Cloud in sudden terror. "You won't tell him I said that, will you? I can only imagine what he'd do…" Sephiroth hunched his shoulders like the adolescent he thought he was and bit his lip, causing Cloud to roll his eyes and ruffle his superior's hair awkwardly. Ever since the general's first episode one week ago, he had begun losing it as often as once every two days, never with any explanation as to why ithad happened or in what stage of life Cloud would discover his superior.
He had stopped bringing it to Sephiroth's attention when the general regained his senses, for it only seemed to put the older man in a foul mood and a state of denial. The silver haired man stiffened slightly as he looked at the door. "They're here. I have to go, but thank you for listening to me." Cloud watched the general walk towards the door before stopping and turning back with his old icy expression, laced with a touch of confusion. His eyes flicked to the blonde, anxiety apparent in them. "Cloud… I was just coming to get you. Grab your sword, we're going to spar."
Training with the general had gotten easier, and was even slowly becoming enjoyable as long as Cloud made himself forget who it was crossing swords with him. Sephiroth seemed impressed with is progress that day and even suggested that they stop early, though Cloud could not be certain if it was for his sake or for the General's. Either way, he was glad of the rest. Between the constant dreams and his shamed desire, he hadn't been getting the kind of sleep he needed to keep up his stamina. He headed back to the hut, not feeling the eyes on his back as he moved away.
His dreams were troubled that night as he found himself once more in front of the water with Aerith's watery gaze on him. Her mouth moved rapidly, and she seemed to become more irate, her fists clenching and unclenching. Despite her effort no sound came from her lips and she seemed to realize this because she began coming closer and closer, stepping out of the water and onto the bank.
Startled, Cloud tried to skitter backwards as she reached for him but his escape attempts were cut short as he thudded against something hard. Looking back, he froze in horror as the dead eyes of Zack looked into his, holding his gaze and daring him to move. The blonde turned back to Aerith and was surprised when he began to hear something soft coming from her mouth. "What?" He strained his ears desperately, trying to pick up what the steadily loudening face was saying. "I don't know what you're trying to tell me! Do you want him dead? Do you want me to run?"
Zack stepped in front of him, beside Aerith and the two grabbed his shoulders. For the first time in these dreams, the volume came back full force as his dead friends screamed. "HELP HIM!"
Cloud sat bolt upright on the floor, panting. He buried his face in his hands and pulled his knees to his chest. "No no no no no…" He looked around for his general but did not see him. This in its self was not uncommon but as Cloud slowly stood, Sephiroth's trench coat slid off of him. "Shit." He picked up the coat, still warm from the heat it supplied and headed for the door. There was only one thing on his mind as he set out into the cold night, and that was the two words that his friends had uttered. He whispered under his breath; "Help him…"
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There were no words to explain Vincent's frustration as he rode with numb thighs back to their meeting place on the seventh day. Numerous complaints were running through their heads such as his growing allergy to chocobo down, the ridiculous amount of riding he was doing when he knew perfectly well where the two men were. These minor complaints could not completely drown out the most painful of the lot, that no matter how much he wished to, he couldn't become close to the pilot. Even so, he missed Cid desperately, their long chats, their friendship…. their kiss.
He was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden jerk on the reins of his chocobo as the bird began to shy from their direction. "Come on, it's not much further… Ninja Puff." He gritted his teeth as he said the ridiculous name Yuffie had given his ride. He had pleaded with her not to, but now the bird would not respond to anything different, so until he could convince it otherwise, his noble steed was 'Ninja Puff'.
The Chocobo stopped where it was and dug its clawed feet into the ground, looking back at him with panic in its large eyes. "Move or I will leave to fend for yourself you silly bird." It began to move forward, shivers running up its fluffy body. Then he heard it. Tifa's scream came from over the hill, ripping through the cold air. His red eyes widened and he leapt off of his chocobo, tearing over the last hill like a whirlwind.
Cockatrice and Death Claws were attacking his friends in a flurry of claws and swipes. A chocobo lay dead a few feet away, though from this distance he couldn't make out to whom it had belonged. He drew his guns, firing and providing the others with a form of cover. Scanning the area, he did a mental role call, distressed to see that neither Barret, nor Cid were in his frame of vision.
A dull thudding sound came from him, and upon turning, relief swept over him as the blonde pilot pulled his lance out of a Cockatrice and glared at Vincent. "The hell are ya thinking, turning your back on a monster like that?! You could've bin' killed!" The ex Turk's smile of relief was so brilliant that Cid's ears went pink and he turned his attention to more pressing matters than the beautiful beaming man before him.
Their heads snapped in the direction of a shrill shriek coming from Yuffie's mouth. Death Claws were closing in on the now unarmed ninja as she lay dazed and sprawled over the grass. The two men pounded towards her and Vincent heard her name tear its way out of his throat. Soft dark eyes opened just in time to see the four advancing creatures sliced to ribbons by both gauntlet and lance.
"Yuffie! Are you alright?" called the ex Turk, moving closely to inspect the wound that a claw had made while Cid bent over them squinting with worry.
"You had us real scared kiddo."
The corners of Yuffie's mouth turned up in a grin and she puffed out her chest. "Are you guys kidding me? Nothing can defeat the great ninja Yuffie! Still," She winced as Vincent rotated her arm slightly. "I wouldn't mind a rest. Can you take over?"
Vincent nodded vaguely, barely registering when Cid told them that Barret was on his way to get the airship. Though they tried to bind the ninja's arm quickly, the smell of her blood had begun to draw more monsters to the site and from what the red eyed man could see, the others were growing more and more fatigued as the battle raged on. He closed his eyes in a single moment of indecision before reopening them and catching Cid's arm. "Get everyone out of here, I am going to transform."
The blue eyes in front of him widened. "Shit… Vin, are you sure? It'll-"
"I know." Vincent snapped "The moment you see me returning to my original form you must get me out of here, but until then you need to keep the others safe. I will be fine." He gritted his teeth, firing his gun at two approaching monsters. He had always hated transforming, hated the powerlessness he felt, how drained it left him, how uncontrollable he was.
Cid's rough hand squeezed his shoulder. "We'll get you out of here, even if I have to kill the whole damn lot of these things to do it. I promise."
"I trust you." Even as the words left his mouth Vincent felt as though he were about to cry with shame and regret, for he knew that he meant it, and that terrified him more than all of the monsters and Sephiroths the world had to offer. Lucrecia's words rolled around in his head, slowly helping him to form a decision. He murmured them aloud as he watched Cid gather the others, watched their faces as they heard the news from Cid, watched them run. A small bitter smile crossed his lips and he sheathed his guns. "There is no shame in starting again."
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Cloud looked everywhere for the General, Aerith and Zack's echoing his ears helphimhelphimhelphim without ceasing. He slipped on Sephiroth's coat to protect himself from the chill that was beginning to settle in his bones. He didn't want to care about this man, he wanted to believe that he was past caring, but he couldn't prevent the fear and urgency that pumped through him as he searched the surrounding woods.
Eventually, frustrated, cold and Sephirothless, Cloud slammed his fist into the wall, hearing a soft chuckle above him. "It is pointless to take out your aggression on a defenseless building, especially the one that we happen to be living in." Looking up, he saw the general peering down at him with a strange warmth on his face that Cloud had not seen in a long time.
Cloud's fists clenched but he did his best not to glare when he asked: "Permission to join you sir?"
Sephiroth offered his hand. "Always, soldier."
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Vincent tore through the hallway, the blood pounding in his ears. 'No. Please no.' was all he could think as he rounded a corner in the airship, all but flying to Cid's room. Barret's metal arm reached out and caught him in the chest, knocking the air out of him.
"Sorry Vincent, no one's allowed in there right now while Tifa's looking him over, got it? You gotta wait out here like the rest of us." The large man gently propelled the ex Turk next to Red XIII and propped him up against the wall.
The red eyed man turned to the beast next to him and dropped down to eye level. "Glad you're awake Vincent, you had us worried there for a little while. Wasn't Yuffie supposed to be watching you?" Yellow eyes looked into his worriedly, but Vincent brushed off the animal's concern with a gentle wave of his hand.
"She was watching me, she told me that Cid was hurt once I regained consciousness and… I suppose that's all I really waited for. Will you tell me what happened?"
Red XIII nodded and cleared his throat. "When you changed back, you blacked out faster than we thought you would so Cid pretty much jumped ship. I don't know exactly how much damage he took, but I think he got bashed over the head a few times. He fought like a man possessed though, it was almost scary to watch. The second he had you back on board, he collapsed and ever since then, he's been in his room with Tifa and a first aid kit." The furry creature looked at him nervously. "No offense Vincent, but in your condition, I don't think you'd be much of a help to Tifa in there or I'd help you get in."
Vincent gave him a curt nod. "I understand. I would be more of a hindrance than a help right now." But even having said that, the wait was excruciating, especially since he already had serious pressure building up behind his eyes. Still, the moment Tifa left the room proclaiming her patient alive and well he shot through the door and shut it quickly behind her. There was a soft rustling of blankets in the centre of the room which Vincent approached quietly. "Cid?" He called softly.
"Vin? That you? Dumb question, 'course it's you."
The ex Turk walked swiftly over to the blonde pilot and took his face gently in one hand, looking over the materia healed wounds. "You shouldn't have done that." Vincent whispered quietly, pressing his forehead softly against Cid's.
"I kept my promise though, didn't I?" A cocky grin formed on the blonde's weary face. "I don't think I could've stopped myself if I wanted to. Those things would've killed you if I hadn't gotten down there when I did. I couldn't lose you Vin. Today, you saved every damn crew member here-"
"And you saved me." Vincent cut him off. "You saved me in the stupidest way possible, by putting yourself at risk. I don't think I could lose you either… I hate having to avoid you, I hate not being around you," His fists clenched. "And I hate that I can't tell you the reason."
Warm, chapped lips were pressed against his and Vincent felt his worries begin to slide away one by one. Hot breath on his lips brought the Chaos holder back to reality, and he could see those blue eyes smiling at him. "Tell you what Vincent, tonight, forget reason. Tonight, just stay here, no obligations, no worries, no nothin'. How does that sound?"
Vincent had a seat next to him on the bed and let loose a small smile. "That sounds… incredible." He removed his shoes and swung his legs onto the bed, feeling both relieved and awkward when warm arms wrapped around him.
"Hey Vin, will you do me a favor?"
"Certainly."
"Promise me that you'll knock it off with this avoiding me thing. It really fucking pisses me off and it's pretty damn obvious that you ain't happy with it either. Can you do that?"
The red eyed man rolled over in Cid's arms to face the pilot, a crease of indecision forming between his eyebrows. One look at that face, still slightly bruised despite the heavy usage of healing materia and he realized that he couldn't refuse. "As you wish then, I do owe it to you as you've already proved that you would put yourself in danger for me."
"Don't agree just because of that shit! Agree because you actually want to hang around me or don't agree at all."
Cid was making this too difficult, too emotional. Vincent couldn't allow himself to get this close to him but the emotion its self hurt almost as much as denying it. "I agree. I promise, but I must ask that you not damage yourself on my behalf."
The pilot grinned and pulled Vincent's lower back closer, making the ex Turk's body press flush against his own. "Vin, I pretty sure you're my favorite damn person in this whole world. I'd die to keep you around, ya know?"
Vincent clenched his teeth in anguish. No. He couldn't let that happen; Cid couldn't and wouldn't die, not if the red eyed man could do anything to prevent it. This man had made him feel more in the last little while than he had in decades. He had given Vincent peace, happiness, worry, fear, desire and bliss. He would not let him die. Cid was his and he was Cid's. It was so simple and so complex, it was love, and it terrified and baffled Vincent but one thought was crystal clear. He wanted the pilot, and he would never allow Sephiroth or anyone else to hurt him. With these thoughts he kissed the blonde man roughly, pressing his hand against the back pilot's head.
The two grappled with one another for control but Cid, being the more experienced of the two was able to overpower the ex Turk's tongue. The pilot began to move but soon hissed in pain and held his bruised ribs. "Vin, I don't think I can do this. I want you, but I don't think I can move."
The red eyed man brushed away as a minor setback and undid his cloak, wadding it up into a ball and tossing it across the room. "You don't need to do anything, tonight, I will do everything necessary, I just need you sitting up."
Cid, with his eyebrows raised and a huge smile on his face eased himself up gingerly, watching as Vincent loosened the clasps on his shirt in what appeared to be a mild frenzy. "C'mere Vin, Let me help." And little by little the ex Turk's pale skin was exposed and his shirt went soaring to meet his cloak. "Holy shit…" the pilot breathed, looking up and down the smooth expanse of skin. A rough, broad hand ran down Vincent's chest slowly and the red eyed man let out a soft noise of pleasure.
"Give me a moment." The black haired man said softly and a few moments later his gauntlet hit the floor with a clang and his newly freed hand trembled slightly.
Cid immediately went for his belts and unbuckled them with surprisingly nimble fingers. "We're really gonna do this huh?" A slender finger pressed against the pilot's lips and when Cid looked up, he saw something he never thought he'd see on Vincent's calm face: want. The ex Turk was running his tongue delicately over his quickly sharpening incisors, the sight both awed and aroused the blonde.
The finger was removed and while Vincent went about the pesky business of removing his pants, Cid eased himself out of boxers that had not seemed quite as restrictive a few minutes prior. Soon, the two were looking at one another with a silent wonder quashing any feelings of shyness that may have otherwise been expressed.
"Do we have anything to…?" The blue eyed man faltered at the end of the sentence, especially when the Chaos holder's head shook slowly. "No lotion? Petroleum jelly? Lube? Nothing?" Again Vincent shook his head, but this time the movements were quicker and he began to advance towards the bed, lips slightly parted.
"Nothing. I don't need anything. Please…" The black haired man raised his hand to cut off any protests. "I need it to be like this." He gave Cid a weak smile when the pilot finally nodded and beckoned him over. Placing his knees on either side of the blonde's hips, he looked into those blue eyes and kissed the man, wincing as he felt his fangs graze Cid's lips. He tasted blood and rolled his tongue over the cuts to apologize. Feeling a finger ghost over his entrance he shook his head and guided the hand away with his own. "Nothing…" he breathed before lowering himself onto the pilot.
A gorgeous pain pierced through Vincent and he let out a cry that was not quite human. Cid tensed beneath him, breathing sharply and struggling not to move, to let the other man adjust. "Fuck." The blonde hissed. "You alright Vincent?" His only response was a low crooning noise and shaking arms encircling him delicately. Soon, the ex Turk lifted himself up slightly before forcing himself back down. Trying this a few more times, the red eyed man let out a small noise of frustration.
"S'wrong?"
"I.. I can't seem to move properly, I'm new at this."
Cid grinned through slightly clenched teeth. "I ain't as weak as you make me out to be Vin." And with that he lifted Vincent by the hips and brought him back down while thrusting up. Instantly, those red eyes rolled upwards as a moan tore from the black haired man's mouth. "Better?" The pilot asked teasingly.
"Nnh! Yes! P..please… again!"
Cid chuckled elatedly and lifted the Chaos holder once more, the pads of his fingers digging into Vincent's soft skin. "Your wish is my command."
The two began setting a quick, even pace with Vincent learning to move his hips in time with the thrusts. Whatever he asked, Cid would provide and soon the pilot hit something inside him that made him scream in pleasure as the room all but disappeared in the throes of pleasure. "Harder!" He begged, aware somewhere in his mind that his nails were raking down Cid's back. The blonde was only too happy to comply, feeding the rapidly growing pressure that was building in the two men's abdomens. One of his hands left its earlier job and wrapped around Vincent's neglected shaft, pumping it in time with the thrusts.
The combination of the two sensations caused the ex Turk to spasm violently as he came, screaming Cid's name. The pilot lasted only a few more thrusts before he, too, succumbed to the waves of bliss. The two stayed like that for a few moments, panting, foreheads pressed together, listening to one another's breathing.
Eventually, Vincent shakily got off of Cid's lap and laid next to him, helping the almost-invalid to lie back down. Their lips touched easily in a sweet kiss and a gentle wave of fatigue rolled over them. Cid wrapped his arms around the red eyed man and held him close, whispering soft words of love and comfort to his lover, none of them very audible or coherent but it made a drowsy smile light up the face of Vincent nonetheless.
"Night Vincent…"
"Goodnight Cid."
"I love you."
Even if Vincent had replied, the blonde pilot wouldn't have heard him for he had been claimed by sleep's gentle caress. The Chaos holder kissed Cid's forehead softly before doing something he hadn't done in years. He cried.
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Sephiroth had pulled Cloud up effortlessly and was giving him a strange sort of smile. The trouble was, now that he was up there, Cloud didn't know what to say other than 'Hey I just had a dream where my best friend and the girl I loved both told me to help you even though they should hate your guts.' And that just didn't seem appropriate.
"Cloud."
The spiky haired man flinched on instinct, something that his superior noticed. The blonde was slightly shaken to see the concern and guilt scrawled clumsily over Sephiroth's face. "My coat… it suits you. When this is all over, you should keep it."
Blue eyes met with green and Cloud felt as though he should run at what he saw. "Sir… Sephiroth, are you-"
"I'm sorry Cloud but I must ask you to let me speak my fill while I am still me." The silver haired man cut across him, looking anxious and for the first time in years, the way he had before all of the insanity with Jenova had begun. "As you know, my mind is slowly deteriorating as days go by, more so than it was I mean." He rubbed his temples gently as a look of pain washed over his face. "There are many things that I must tell you tonight, but none of them seem as important as the near worthless apology I owe you." At this, Cloud felt as though the General could have worn holes through him with the intensity of his gaze.
Feeling his stomach churn, it was all the blonde could do to ask; "Apology, sir?"
Sephiroth's pupils slit and he let out a snarl. "I raped you Cloud! I destroyed you! Broke you in two! Have you forgotten so easily?!" As soon as the anger had appeared, it vanished and was replaced with that pained look. "I… I'm sorry, not only for that, but for bringing you into this idiot plan of mine in the first place. You see, I would have left you alone, but you are the only one I will let do it."
"Do what!?" Cloud snapped, jerking his superior as far away from the apology (and remembering the event) as he could.
"Kill me." The General answered simply. "That is why I need you to hate me. I need enough hate that when the final fight comes there will be no hesitation, no second thoughts, just your sword driving through my heart."
The spiky haired man felt as though all of the air had been knocked out of him. "W..What?"
"If that option doesn't appeal to you, there is always decapitation." Sephiroth said quickly. "I don't particularly mind which way I go so long as you make certain that the job is done properly this time. We wouldn't want me to come back again now would we? This constant onslaught of near death experiences is becoming tedious."
The general was speaking so rapidly and nonchalantly that he didn't seem to notice his own hands shaking, but Cloud did. The blonde reached over tentatively and took one of those hands tightly in his own, wincing only slightly when the appendage jerked violently in his grasp. "Why?" He asked quietly.
"Cloud, please let go. Ever since I hurt you it feels like my heart is being cut into pieces when we make physical contact-"
"I asked a question Sephiroth! Why?"
"Because if I remain alive I will continue destroying that which I once protected! I will once again attempt to annihilate this world and all life on it, all for some insane quest that will supposedly mollify my mother who isn't really my mother! Because I can and will slaughter you if I ever rise to that place of power once more! Now let go of my damn hand!"
And Cloud dropped it, a sort of numbness spreading from his finger tips all the way down to his feet. "You're serious." A sharp nod was his only response. "And it has to be me?" Another nod. "I see. So all of that, hurting Tifa, stabbing Vincent, torturing and raping me, it was all because you want me to kill you? God DAMMIT! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER YOU WANTED TO BE KILLED?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO INVOLVE OUTSIDE PEOPLE?! YOU'RE THE MOST SELFISH, STUPID PERSON I'VE EVER MET!" And with that, Cloud made to stand only to have himself dragged back down, this time closer to the object of his rage.
"Cloud I understand that you're angry but I need to tell you more. Please, I do not wish to keep you here by force."
"That hasn't stopped you in the past." Growled the irate blonde, but he resumed his seat.
"Vincent is working for me. He has been ever since I kidnapped you. He was the first to find us in Shinra's basement, but instead of reporting us, he listened to me, to my plan. He agreed to help on the understanding that I would do you no harm. Tonight, he will come to find us only to tell me that he has decided to betray me. In my less than sane state I will most likely damage him, though hopefully not fatally. You look pale, are you alright?"
Cloud glared at him, the contents of his stomach rising and falling in waves. "Of course I'm not fucking alright! You just told me that a friend is part of the reason you've gotten away with this! How am I supposed to believe you?"
"Wait with me tonight, I will make sure that no harm comes to you. That is the only promise I can offer unfortunately, but it is a valid one. You are safe from both Vincent and me." The general's hand stretched out and brushed a few stray hairs out of Clouds eyes, shuddering and holding his head. "It's no good… my consciousness is fading again." He wrapped his arms around his rigid ex subordinate and held him tightly for a moment, burying his face into Cloud's shoulder. "I am sorry… so sorry, for everything, but it has to be you. I need you to promise me that when the time comes for our final fight that you can do it. Can you promise me that?"
Cloud felt the silver haired man's shaking mix with his own body's tremors but almost against his will, his own arms encircled the General's back. "I promise."
He felt a damp spot grow on his shoulder as Sephiroth's shaking increased and wasn't surprised when the General's face rose to look into his once more. "No matter what I may have told you Cloud, I am never gone, this part of me that you see, that you knew, it isn't gone, just buried. I did care and I still do… you were never a tool." Cloud wanted to scream, to cry, to never let go of this twisted man who had destroyed everything including himself. All he could do was watch as the man's face drew nearer, those pale lips slightly parted and he wanted it, God how he wanted it, but before their lips could meet the face in front of him changed. Something cold and cruel slid over its features, the eyes were brighter, pulsing with that incandescent light. "What on earth are you doing?"
Cloud let go of the General almost immediately and backed up. "Nothing Sir. I came to find you to ask if I could wait with you for Vincent."
Sephiroth's face tightened considerably but a vague recollection was apparent in his eyes. "I told you…? Yes… I suppose I must have." He muttered to himself with a vaguely worried expression on his face. "Very well then, it will be… amusing to watch." That poisonous smile was back on his face making Cloud wonder if the hero he knew was truly still inside, or if it was just another memory.
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Cid had moved slightly in his dreams but Vincent could not bring himself to sleep. Instead, he just watched the other man and absentmindedly stroked his hair. 'He loves me. I have betrayed him and the others and he loves me. This must end tonight. Cid is mine and I will not allow anything to harm him. I love him.'
Silently, the ex Turk slid out from beneath the covers and began pulling on his clothes. The sheets rustled behind him. "Vin? Where're you going?"
He turned, giving Cid a warm smile as he did up his shirt. "I will be back, I promise. In the mean time, get more rest. I imagine you'll need it."
"Answer the damn question."
Vincent felt his smile falter slightly. He went to the chain smoking pilot and kissed him gently. "There is something I must do. I will explain everything when I get back."
"What about afterglow?"
"Cid, I need to go."
"You're not leaving this room until I get some goddamn afterglow! Now get back in bed before I shoot your pretty ass!"
The red eyed man shook his head gently. "I can't, not right now. I promise though, when I return I'm yours… for as long as you want me." He felt his insides curl in on themselves as he spoke those words but Cid finally relented.
"Okay. I'm holding you to that though, y'hear?"
It was all Vincent could do to not break down where he stood. "Of course." 'If you still want me.' He added silently, leaving the room without a sound.
His chocobo waited for him silently while he bought his boat ticket in Costa de Sol. Surprisingly, he was allowed to bring Ninja Puff on board but upon seeing how few people were on the vessel it made sense. The large bird warbled softly and nuzzled his cheek softly with its beak, not minding the rocking of the ferry. He scratched the feathers around its beak and it closed its eyes in happiness. "We may not live through this, you do realize that don't you?"
The chocobo puffed out its feathers as though saying "Not on my watch Vincent, we can do it!" He mounted as they reached the shore and Ninja Puff bolted, unbidden past the miners and through the forest at top speed, reaching the lost city with its fluffy chest heaving.
"Stay here." He murmured, swinging his leg over the bird's back and onto the ground while wincing. The night's exertion hadn't made riding any easier, but somehow, he was glad of the pain. It kept his head clear.
Hearing light voices his first instinct was to hide, but instead he approached, watching as two figures on a rooftop came into view. His heart stopped. Cloud was there. Cloud knew. He tried slinking back into the darkness but Sephiroth's icy voice stopped him in his tracks.
"We were beginning to wonder if you were coming Vincent. What news of your friends?" The ex Turk took a shaky breath at the mocking undertones in the man's voice. "Are we in danger here? Or have you decided not to betray me after all?"
He felt his blood freeze in his veins as a cold sweat began trickling down his neck. "How did you kn-"
"Cloud is not the only one I can slip my consciousness into. It is the pilot, yes? I can smell the sex from here." Those green eyes were glittering like poisonous jewels. Beside the General, Cloud shifted, looking at him incredulously. "Yes Darling, Vincent and that vulgar chain smoker have fallen in love, and tonight, before he came here, they... consummated it." Sephiroth's sneer was evident even in the darkness.
"You are correct in your assumption Sephiroth." Vincent spoke quietly, internally begging his voice not to waver. "I am not here to help you; I am here to tell you that I will no longer assist you in this ridiculous plan. You have had more than enough time to complete it and yet you continue to enslave Cloud."
"Will you attempt to take him from me?" The General's words were icy enough that for a moment, Vincent thought he could see his own breath.
After a beat, the red eyed man replied: "No. If Cloud had wanted to come with me, he would be next to me right now, and I won't force him to do anything, you've done enough of that. However, once I return to the airship, I will be leading them straight here so if you're going to relocate, I suggest you do it. This is the last time that I will help. I am truly sorry…"
"Whatever for? It is apparent to me that you were fairly useless from the st-"
"I was apologizing to Cloud." He looked up at the blonde boy on the roof before lowering his head. "I honestly thought that this was the best course of action at the time, but the fact that you know tells me that I have left this unchecked for too long. He has hurt you, yes?"
Cloud shifted before jumping down. "You could say that. He raped me… but judging by the look on your face you had no idea what was really going on. Listen… I don't hold any of this against you personally. I mean, you did what you thought you had to, right? I think I would have done the same thing, and I'll see this through to the end so you don't have to. Can you tell Tifa and the others that I'll be back soon?" He offered Vincent a half smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Tell them that I'm okay, they'll need to hear that."
Vincent bowed his head slightly. "Of course. I hope to see you fairly shortly." He turned to leave but was called back by Cloud's voice.
"You and Cid, huh? That's surprising, but congratulations." Now the blonde man truly was smiling and he held out his hand. With embarrassment tinged cheeks Vincent offered a smile of his own before reaching out to accept the hand.
Neither of them expected the Masamune to stick through Vincent's stomach. For a split second, he had to look down at himself to confirm that blood was indeed beginning to spurt out of him. Then came the pain. It ripped through his body faster than the sword had but screaming seemed beyond his capability as he only seemed able to expel blood from his mouth. There was a roaring noise in his ears behind which he could vaguely hear Cloud calling out to him, looking horrified.
Sephiroth wrenched the blade from his body, causing Vincent to stagger slightly. He felt Chaos throw its self around, scrabbling to take control. When the silver haired man made a wide arc with his sword, attempting to cut the ex Turk in two, it almost won. Almost.
Cloud stepped in the way, screaming for his captor to stop, and wonder of wonders, he did. The sword stopped inches away from their bodies, leaving the bearer's face looking pained and mildly confused. "Vincent, get out of here, I'll make sure that Sephiroth won't follow… hurry!"
Holding his entrails in, Vincent ran, a sort of detached fear fixed inside his head and it took all he had to keep it from crushing him. When he crashed into something warm the Chaos holder thought it was all over and his thoughts flew to Cid, probably still waiting in that warm bed for a dying traitor that probably wouldn't make it back alive. The Chaos holder closed his eyes only to have a large beak pushed against his face.
"Waarrrrk?"
Vincent opened his eyes, looking into the inquisitive, large ones of his chocobo. He took his hands away from his stomach to caress its fluffy head and it bent its thin legs, allowing him to mount without spraying copious amounts of blood everywhere. "Do you think we can make it?" He asked gently. The bird seemed offended that he would ask and immediately took off towards the ferry. Vincent didn't bother dismounting as they boarded the ferry. Still, his blood was starting to make those canary yellow feathers sticky and matted. He felt the boat dock, felt his bird moving more slowly. Taking him back to the airship. And then he knew nothing.
The Chaos holder woke up to someone gently running a cold cloth over his face. Opening his eyes he saw a worry stricken Cid leaning over him. Softly his whispered the pilot's name and lifted his hand to touch the man's face.
Immediately, the hand was clasped by Cid's and the chain smoking blonde began dry sobbing hoarsely. "God fucking Dammit Vincent! What the hell were you thinking?! We thought you were gonna die! You idiot! You FUCKING IDIOT!" The pilot lay against Vincent gently, holding him as though he thought he would vanish. "Don't you EVER do that ag-"
"Cid… Please gather the others… I have something to tell you."
--
End of chapter 6. Finally. I am not dead and I am so sorry that my time estimation was so off. Unfortunately, I don't have any excuses that you haven't heard so I'll just apologize until my throat bleeds. In hindsight, I probably should have turned this into two smaller chapters, but then I thought I'd kept you waiting long enough and released it without the chop job it probably needs. The next chapter will probably be the last but I don't think it will be as long as this one.
To my lovely reviewers:
kellegirl: First review of the chapter! I'm glad that you feel so strongly about the characters.
cloudstrifejen: I agree, Cloud would make a ridiculously lovely porcelain doll!
demonlifehealer: Technically, it wasn't ME who raped Cloud. It was Sephiroth. Stick around to see how it will pan out. ;)
whiteinu1: I intend to!
Black Materia: D'awww, that made my day. Thanks so much!
Kags21: I'm glad you're enjoying it!
amberblood: I hope you continue to find quotes that you enjoy. Hee Hee!
Deathcas: I hope this chapter answers your question and I ESPECIALLY hope you keep reading.
KageMori: Chapter out soon…. Yyyyeahhh, about that… I hope to update sooner in the future?
yaoi-midnight-mistress: Adding adding adding! I'll do my best to work faster!
oztan: We shall see we shall see!
Thanks so much for sticking with me everyone! I love you all. Please continue to read, review, and most importantly, enjoy! Now I ride the llama of perseverance to the next chapter, onward!