Chapter summary:
Sephiroth takes every chance he gets to spend more time with Vincent. When his feelings and desires finally get the better of him, he forces Vincent's hand and the gunman explains his complicated situation to the swordsman. How will Sephiroth react to the news?
13 - (Un)Disclosed Desires
The rest of the week went by in a flurry of activity.
The board meeting had every director and head of department busy for nearly three hours early on Wednesday. Rufus had already shared his plan to restructure the company with those executives who would be directly impacted by the changes, like Vincent, Lazard, and Cid, but it was news to almost everyone else. All the same, none of the new appointments came as much of a shock.
The General Affairs Department, which had never truly existed, would officially be transformed into the Internal Security Department, directed by Vincent with Cissnei as Deputy Director. For the time being, there would be no recruiting of new members and security would continue to be staffed by Soldiers Third Class and a few Seconds.
Since this change only affected Shinra internally, it wasn't part of the official press release sent out to news agencies across Midgar and the world. The renaming of the department was mostly a formality, too, given that everyone already identified the Turks as such and it was unlikely that the monicker would ever go away.
Cid would remain as Director of the Space Program and Deputy Director of the Transportation Department until further notice. Rufus's plan was to find someone to take over the Transportation Department before year's end so Cid could return his full attention to the space program. Both he and the Captain wanted to build a brand new rocket that could work on clean fuel and send the first manned mission into outer space in the next five years.
The Weapons Development Department got downgraded to a subdivision of the Research and Development Department and Shalua Rui was named as its manager. The main focus of the department would now be developing weapons for Soldier and the Turks' use, keeping the patents a company secret to keep their technology from falling into the wrong hands.
Soldier would retain control of Midgar's Police Department at least until January, when talks with Mayor Domino and Deputy Mayor Hart were scheduled to take place to determine how and when Shinra would detach itself from Midgar's management and become an entirely private company. Soldier would continue to be Shinra's private army and taking down Avalanche would still remain one of the company's main objectives, along with developing clean energy to replace mako and branching out to areas that would further those goals.
After Shinra's separation from Midgar, headquarters would remain within the city. Since Junon was already heavily militarised and protected, plus it had fully functioning offices and enough space to house the entire administrative staff and Soldier, Reeve and Lazard suggested moving there to avoid further threats to Midgar. While the proposal wasn't entirely dismissed, the majority of the board voted not to make such a drastic move right away. For one, moving everyone away from Midgar would be extremely costly, and there was also the fact that a lot of Shinra employees had family in the city and might not be open to relocate permanently to the other side of the continent.
The last part of the meeting consisted of reviewing the program for the energy summit and organising the company's chain of command while most of the board was away. Sephiroth, being the highest ranking Soldier, was placed in charge of the army while Genesis took over Internal Security in the Turks' absence. There was no need for anyone to fill in for Rufus as all major matters could be directly addressed by the heads of department or their deputies while the summit lasted. Any emergencies were to be handled by Soldier and immediately communicated to Rufus and the Turks in Modeoheim.
The official announcement of all changes to the company's structure came on Friday, along with the notification of Cloud and Kunsel's promotion to Second Lieutenants Soldiers First Class. Some Thirds got promoted to Seconds, as well, and assigned to the security detail for the summit and Midgar's defence. Heidegger, Scarlet, and Palmer were finally listed as traitors and their status as prisoners made public. A brief statement regarding Avalanche's threats and the capture of one of its leaders accompanied the announcements as a move to reassure all employees and the general public that Shinra was dealing with the terrorist organisation decisively and effectively.
Cloud's self-defence course went on as scheduled and with a higher rate of success than Lazard and the young Second Lieutenant had anticipated. Cid volunteered as an instructor for the rest of the course and Elena was able to assist on Friday once her cumbersome cast had been exchanged for a far more manageable brace. Kunsel was also present, although only as an observer since he had not been cleared for active duty yet.
Saturday morning found Vincent and Cissnei in a meeting with Lazard and all Soldiers First Class. Elena and Kunsel had managed to decrypt and analyse over half of the Avalanche data found at the warehouse, along with information obtained from Ginga and the three turncoat executives. After cross-referencing all of that with the Avalanche communications they had managed to infiltrate, the team found that the threat on Midgar was more than likely a bluff to make them split their defences and leave the summit vulnerable to an attack. However, given that Avalanche must have figured out that they had intercepted their documents and transmissions, it could all be a double- or triple-bluff.
"That's why we must go forward with our plan as it is now," Lazard said. "It's the only way to ensure that no matter where Avalanche strikes, we'll be ready to counter them and, if possible, weaken them."
"So be prepared to take prisoners," Vincent added. "Ginga was only a regional leader so his knowledge of Avalanche's operations in other areas was rather limited. If you have a chance to capture anyone who seems to be in a leadership position, do so. As soon as the summit is over we'll start recruiting new Turks so we can expand our surveillance and infiltration activities but, until then, we'll need to rely on prisoners to gather more intelligence on their organisation."
The meeting continued with the overview of the defence plan Lazard and Vincent had drawn up. The three senior Firsts had already gone over it and made various annotations and suggestions which were now discussed. Almost three hours later, the strategy had been refined and looked, at least on paper, airtight.
Rude and Reno would work with the Soldiers assigned to Modeoheim throughout the week to make sure they knew exactly what was expected of them during the summit. Sephiroth and Angeal were left in charge of running drills for all major mobilisations on Monday and Wednesday while Zack and Cloud took over regular drills the rest of the week. Setting up the command centre and making sure all communications between Soldier within the city were secure was left up to Genesis and Kunsel. The detail in charge of keeping an eye on the prisoners during a possible raid to avoid their release by the terrorists was also appointed; it consisted of Luxiere Dorcas, Essai Belcher, and Sebastian Clarke, all of them Soldiers Second Class under Genesis's command.
The meeting was adjourned shortly after midday and Vincent was feeling peckish. He turned to ask Cissnei if she wanted to grab an early lunch when she received a call from Rude to help him check on some of the equipment they would need at the summit. Vincent was about to head out on his own when Sephiroth caught up to him in front of the elevators and asked him to lunch.
It was the third time that week that the General approached the Head Turk for lunch. Ever since their successful meeting on Tuesday and their improvised sparring match that same evening, Sephiroth had taken every chance he got to spend time with Vincent. He caught Vincent off guard the first time and the gunman agreed before realising what was going on. When he brought it up to the Turks later that day, they all teased him and encouraged him to accept any other invitations Sephiroth might extend; they also suggested that he should ask the General out sometime but he was still reluctant to take initiative as he still had to struggle with Galian's misgivings about the swordsman.
He had talked to the Planet Protector about it a couple of days ago but all Galian had been willing to say was that he didn't trust Sephiroth not to hurt Vincent. He couldn't explain why and any attempts at further interrogation ended with the orange-eyed creature falling into moodily silence that left the gunman feeling slightly irritable himself. Chaos had explained that it was a side-effect of having Galian's hormones still rampant throughout their shared body and that it would be best to leave their roommate alone for the time being. Vincent had grudgingly agreed; he'd grown used to Galian's companionable presence in the short time since they'd reached a compromise in their living arrangements and having him retreat far into his mind whenever Sephiroth was around or even mentioned made him feel guilty and, odd as it sounded, lonely.
This time, he did his best to ignore Galian's huffy retreat and accepted Sephiroth's invitation to eat at Leviathan's Scales. Sephiroth had really enjoyed the food and had been waiting for a chance to visit the place and look at the full menu. He'd wanted to go with Vincent, though, so when he went out for lunch with Genesis and Angeal on Friday, he made it a point to suggest someplace else when Genesis mentioned being in the mood for Wutain food. He didn't miss the knowing look his friend shot his way but he did do his best to ignore what it could mean, given that it was the kind of look that the auburn-haired Commander got when he was planning something devious and Sephiroth hated feeling like he was the target of such machinations.
At the restaurant, Sephiroth was intrigued by the kaiten sushi bar but one look at the crowd gathered at the counter made him ask for a patio table when the waiter came over and offered to seat them at the bar. The waiter insisted but Sephiroth politely declined and asked for the table farthest from the other customers. As the waiter led them to their table, the General looked at Vincent and caught the last remnants of mild panic fading from his eyes and being replaced with gratefulness. The intensity of the look made the swordsman's cheeks pink and he pointedly looked away to try to compose himself.
However confused he might still be about where he and Vincent stood, he was certain of a few things. For example, he loved the gunman's eyes. He was greatly intrigued by the genetics behind their rich crimson colour—he knew it was their natural hue thanks to the gunman's original records but he didn't know if either of his parents had eyes like his. He also knew that some of their preternatural glow came from the experimentation he had been subjected to, a fact that made him feel conflicted. He could usually get past that by contemplating how expressive Vincent's eyes were, though. During meetings and other formal settings (and sometimes during the time they spent alone, still), the gunman's face was nearly impossible to read—except for his eyes, although finding the hidden emotions of the Head Turk took some serious observation. Once mastered, though, it had become increasingly easy for Sephiroth to interpret the minute shifts on Vincent's eyes.
"You don't need to thank me," Sephiroth said once the waiter left to get their drinks. When Vincent looked surprised by his statement, the General shrugged and explained. "You wouldn't have been comfortable at the bar, would you?"
Vincent smiled wryly and shrugged, too. "Not particularly, no. I could tell you were eager to try so I—"
"You don't have to do that, either. You can't keep putting me before yourself, Vincent."
Just like when he'd asked about the gloves, the admonishment was out of his mouth before he could fully comprehend all the subtext in what he'd just said. He saw the slightly wounded look on Vincent's eyes, quickly followed by the briefest flash of orange chased by gold before the gunman got a hold of himself and his expression returned to neutral. Afraid he'd crossed a line that would undo all the progress they'd made in the past few days, Sephiroth hastened to find something to say that would fix his mistake. However, a small smile and a hint of a blush on the gunman's cheeks made him pause.
"I'm sorry. I keep reminding myself that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, that I don't need to try so hard to humour or shelter you, but it's difficult for me. I want you to be happy and safe so I'm afraid I'll often come across as overzealous in my pursuit of that goal."
Sephiroth's stomach was all aflutter and he could feel himself blushing yet again. Vincent had expressed concern for him before and he'd heard others talk about the gunman's commitment to his wellbeing, but this was the first time he felt like the older man might be hinting at something more than a sense of unfulfilled duty as the driving force behind his interest in him. He wondered what might have prompted such a drastic change in the gunman's attitude and outlook since that first dinner they shared at the Seventh Heaven a few weeks ago and whether it would last long enough for Vincent to let him past the barriers he'd built around himself.
The waiter arrived with their drinks and offered to take their order but they asked for a few more minutes and turned to the menu. Sephiroth asked Vincent for the names of the dishes he'd liked best on Tuesday and the gunman suggested some things Reno hadn't gotten before. After they called the waiter and ordered, they began talking leisurely about themselves, keeping the conversation light and away from work matters. Vincent shared a bit more about his childhood, focusing on his mother and his Wutain heritage. Sephiroth noticed that the dark-haired man deliberately avoided talking about his father, addressing questions about him with short answers and steering the conversation away from the subject.
Before he could decide whether or not to ask about it, Vincent's phone rang just as the waiter came over with their food. The gunman excused himself to take the call and returned a few minutes later with a strange look upon his face. When Sephiroth asked about it, it took Vincent a long moment to reply, making the swordsman a bit uneasy. Noticing the young man's expression, Vincent smiled reassuringly and explained that Rufus had just called to let him know they had an appointment with the President's tailor to get new suits for the summit.
"There are two formal dinners: one during opening day, the other one being the closing ceremony itself. We're required to attend to both but I was under the impression that we were not to be seen, as usual, but it seems like our boss changed his mind about it. Given that he refuses to be seen with disheveled employees, he's decided to approve our choices in clothing."
"I see. When is the appointment, then?"
"At three this afternoon. I can drop you off at headquarters after lunch and meet with them at the tailor's."
Sephiroth didn't bother asking how Rufus got an appointment with his tailor on a Saturday afternoon, nor how he talked the man into getting the suits ready in less than a week. There was no better business than Rufus's when it came to things like high-end clothing and luxury items; as such, there were virtually no impossible scenarios when the blond's name and wallet were involved.
The news made him feel disappointed and more than just a little jealous, and he had to try really hard to avoid the surly expression that usually accompanied such moods. Given that both he and Vincent had the weekend off, he had planned to ask the gunman to spend the rest of the day with him. He didn't want to make it sound like a date, though, having discussed the matter with Genesis just the day before. His friend advised caution—the fact that Galian was under control at the moment didn't mean that they were in the clear as Sephiroth's father still had to find a way to permanently balance the creature's hormones to avoid a potential disaster down the line.
Furthermore, there were Vincent's feelings and desires to take into account. Even if he was willing to spend time with Sephiroth during and outside of working hours, that didn't mean that both Director and General were on the same page as to what kind of relationship they wanted to have with each other. According to Genesis, Sephiroth was allowed his crush and he had a right to pursue a romance with Vincent—as long as he didn't impose his feelings on the other man. He encouraged his friend to discuss matters openly with the gunman but Sephiroth had no idea of how to approach the subject.
A part of him insisted he should wait until the summit was over and that huge stress was lifted off everyone's shoulders. Another part of him, the instinct on which he had come to rely heavily during his military career, told him to at least put his cards on the table before Vincent left for Modeoheim. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen during the summit and that if he didn't act before it, he'd lose his chance. That gave him a week to work up the courage to ask Vincent out on an actual date and confess his feelings, something he was sure Genesis and Aerith, his confidants in this matter, would advise against.
He was about to resign himself to spending the rest of the day on his own when Vincent tapped his chopsticks thoughtfully against his plate.
"I know I said I'd take you back to headquarters and then come back but it feels a bit roundabout, so… would you mind dropping me off at the tailor's?"
Sephiroth took a dumpling and chewed on it as he mulled over Vincent's request. He could do what the gunman suggested, or he could go with what his instinct told him and buy himself some more time with the red-eyed man.
"Would you mind if I went with you? I don't have any pending work back at headquarters and I'm having such a good time with you that it would be a shame to cut it short like that."
Vincent came to a slow halt with his chopsticks still between his lips and a puzzled look on his face. It reminded Sephiroth of Tuesday, when the gunman had licked his spoon clean in a rather suggestive way. The memory of it, coupled with Vincent's unwittingly provocative expression just then, forced him to shift on his seat to redistribute himself and hopefully avoid embarrassment. He berated himself for reacting like an oversexed teenager but there was no denying that he was physically attracted to the gunman. Now that they knew that Galian's hormones wouldn't influence Vincent's perception and that Sephiroth wouldn't be attracted solely to the Cetran guard, he was far more open to accepting his growing desire for the gunman. Genesis's warnings still rang loud in his mind, though, so he tried to focus on something else to get himself back in check.
"I don't mind, no," Vincent said after what felt like hours. "I just hope you won't get bored."
"I'm sure I won't. Maybe I'll even get something for myself."
Vincent blushed and quickly brought a piece of broccoli to his mouth, changing subjects as soon as he was done with it. Sephiroth wondered what about his comment could have made the gunman blush but came up empty. Happy just to spend more time with Vincent, he let it slide.
Sector Four was the most upscale section in Midgar, so it didn't come as a surprise to Vincent or Sephiroth that Rufus's tailor was located there. The clothier was next to a boutique specialised in wedding and evening gowns and below a photographic studio, all of them owned and run by the same family, judging by their names. All three shops claimed to have been established about fifty years earlier, which explained the old-fashioned quality of the construction and decor. It also meant that Vincent was around ten years old when they first opened, a notion that made him feel mildly out of place.
As strange as it sounded, there hadn't been a lot of instances when he felt like that since his return to Midgar. He had been confined to Sectors Two and Three during his childhood for two reasons. One, even if his parents were well-off, neither of them were fond of flaunting their fortune; and two, the paranoia that Grimoire's experiments on Vincent caused him and Maeko.
Sectors Two and Three had changed a lot since he first joined Shinra so there hadn't been any reminders of his previous life there. Even his parents' house was gone, replaced by a public school. He'd never had reason to visit some of the Sectors that remained mostly unchanged, Sector Four among them, so he had dodged most reminders of his status as a living anachronism.
Shaking off the odd feeling of displacement, Vincent parked their silver car next to a sleek white convertible that he immediately recognised as Rufus's; next to it was a somewhat old but well-kept fire engine red sports car belonging to Reno. It made sense that the Turks and the President would need two cars to mobilise, but the gunman couldn't think of a reason why they should choose such conspicuous vehicles, particularly when Avalanche had issued threats not only on the summit and Midgar but on Rufus himself.
"I guess having all the Turks around has made our President a bit bold," Sephiroth said as he stepped out of the car.
Vincent didn't say anything as he locked and armed the car but his expression made it clear to the silver-haired swordsman that he didn't approve of Rufus's decision. A morbid sense of curiosity made Sephiroth wonder if Vincent would confront Rufus about it publicly or if he'd wait until they were back at headquarters to express his concern.
The shop's door opened with a digital chime that clashed with the notes of an old record Vincent recognised from his childhood. The tune, one his parents used to dance to, and the overall atmosphere of the area made him feel nostalgic and cast a wistful shadow across his eyes, almost completely erasing the scowl that had taken over his features when he noticed Rufus and Reno's cars outside. The scent of leather and freshly ironed cloth waiting to be measured and cut gave him a sense of deja vu that he couldn't explain. Attributing it to some of the early memories he lost because of Hojo's experimentation, he pushed it aside and went further inside the store, Sephiroth close behind.
There was no need to call out to Rufus or any of the Turks as they quickly found them in the measuring area. Rude stood in a small platform while a middle-aged man placed pins all over a midnight blue three-piece suit; at the same time, a woman in her late twenties took measurements and scribbled them on a small notepad that she deftly juggled with her measurement tape and extra pins for the older man. Tseng was off to the side, browsing through ties to match Rude's suit; Rufus was talking to a man well into his sixties about what kind of suit he wanted to get, while Reno sat on a bench looking extremely bored. Elena and Cissnei were nowhere around so Vincent assumed they had gone to the shop next door to look for dresses.
Not wanting to interrupt anyone, Vincent went over to Reno and sat next to him on the bench. Sephiroth hesitated a moment before joining them.
"I didn't think you'd actually come, yo. Especially not with Seph here."
The gunman shrugged and tilted his head in Rufus's general direction.
"I declined twice before Rufus ordered me to come. Sephiroth is here of his own accord—I did warn him that this could be terribly boring."
"I don't understand why you'd think that," Sephiroth said.
"That's because Vincent and Reno don't believe in wasting money on clothes until their entire wardrobe is about to fall apart," Rufus said as he stood in front of them.
Reno and Vincent blushed and crossed their arms, one huffing and the other sighing. The synchrony of their reactions made Rufus laugh and Sephiroth raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Everyone knew the redheaded Turk was a bit of a slob so it came as no surprise that he wasn't too interested in keeping a decent wardrobe. Vincent, on the other hand, always dressed impeccably. He'd only seen him out of uniform once, though, on that failed first dinner some weeks ago. He hadn't paid close attention to the gunman's attire then but it hadn't struck him as particularly old or threadbare. Thinking back on it, though, the dress pants and shirt Vincent had worn that day were rather plain and seemed a bit big on the Turk's lean frame.
"I don't understand the appeal of spending thousands of gil on a single attire," Vincent protested. "It's not like I'm going to wear it more than twice."
"Twice?" Rufus asked. "You don't mean to wear the same thing to the opening and closing ceremonies, do you?"
Vincent looked positively horrified while Reno patted his back in sympathy.
"That's right, Bossman. The Big Boss here is getting us all two suits. Well, except the girls—he's getting them dresses."
"You're paying?" Sephiroth asked before Vincent could voice his outrage and object to the blond's plans.
"Yes. I'm writing it off as company expenses, though."
Sephiroth smiled and shook his head. "I should've known it wasn't purely out of the kindness of your heart."
"Excuse me for paying attention in my Economics class and for wanting my Turks to look their best when around me."
"This is like those exhibition matches all over again…" Vincent grunted, hiding his face in his hands.
As Rufus and Sephiroth laughed, Rude came over and announced that he was done and nearly dragged Reno out of the bench and onto the platform. Tseng then called for Rufus and the blond left Vincent and Sephiroth alone. The gunman sighed and rubbed his temple, clearly displeased to be caught in his current situation. Wanting to make him feel better, Sephiroth offered to look at the sample suits with him to speed up the process. Grudgingly, Vincent accepted.
As they idly browsed through the many options available, the General sought to make small talk by bringing up the subject of Cloud and Kunsel's promotion. Zack's boundless excitement for his pupils' progress eventually became the focus of their talk, and Vincent asked Sephiroth why was it that he never took on an apprentice.
"I've never had the time to tutor anyone. Besides, all my enhancements make it extremely difficult for anyone other than Angeal and Genesis to keep up with me."
"I see," Vincent mused. He paused for a moment to take a closer look at a white tux but quickly dismissed it and kept on looking. "Who do you think will take over as General after you retire, though? I mean, it would have to be Zack or someone that joined after him."
Sephiroth smiled ruefully and took a moment to admire a cobalt blue pinstripe suit. He liked the cut more than the colour—a darker shade would work better for him—and made a mental note of where the suit was so he could talk to the tailor about it. Returning to Vincent's comment, he told the gunman that he had been talking about that with Angeal and Genesis a few days before and both of his friends thought that either Zack or Cloud could eventually take the reins of Shinra's military.
With a lot of Genesis's help, Angeal had taken it upon himself to introduce Zack to some of the administrative aspects of being a high ranking officer and both seemed to think he could get the hang of things in a few more years, once his natural restlessness gave way to a more centred approach to his career. He was currently more interested in breaking records and becoming stronger, something that didn't leave much room for activities such as planning and strategising, two things that were important for anyone in a leadership position to master. The potential was there, though, which was why Angeal insisted on bringing it up regularly to his energetic student.
On the other hand, Cloud had displayed remarkable leadership skills since he first joined Soldier. Given the blond's shy and introverted nature, they had to be coaxed out of him at first, but as soon as he realised he had them, he had been able to focus on them and develop them appropriately. The self-defence course had been a test of sorts in that regard, and the young Second Lieutenant had passed with flying colours. Genesis had already decided to take him away from Zack's tutelage and into his own in order to fine-tune his skills and introduce him properly to the clerical side of Soldier early on. The Commander's hope was that Cloud could make his way to First Lieutenant quickly and help ease their workload as far as training new recruits went, as that was the best way to groom someone into Commander and, eventually, General.
Vincent smiled fondly, lending a warm glow to his eyes.
"I have to say I agree with Genesis's idea. Cloud certainly is the kind of man I would give my full support to and follow anywhere."
The jealousy was there in an instant, making Sephiroth feel like Cloud was taking away something that should belong only to him. As it was quickly becoming a habit, he spoke before his brain had time to filter his words and tone, making him sound brusque when he was just trying to gauge Vincent's perception of him.
"Would you follow me like that?"
Vincent's smile froze for a second before disappearing entirely. He had picked a traditional two-piece suit that didn't deviate much from his regular uniform along the way and had been in the process of pulling a tuxedo from the rack when Sephiroth's unexpected question made him go stock still. A strange expression passed over his face as he stared at Sephiroth as though he hadn't understood the younger man. He was spared from trying to formulate an answer by Reno's loud announcement that he was done and it was Vincent's turn to be stabbed by unholily sharp pins.
After Vincent mumbled an apology to Sephiroth and made a rather hasty retreat towards the measuring area, Reno sauntered over to Sephiroth with his hands deep in his pants' pockets. He had overheard the last part of the swordsman's conversation with his boss and felt the need to intervene in a small degree. He had already decided that he would do everything he could to see Vincent and Sephiroth together but he didn't want to be too obvious about it in front of the General. Still, Sephiroth's question struck him as supremely stupid and worthy of some meddling.
"I'd say it's kinda obvious he'd follow you anywhere if it meant keeping you safe, yo. That you still have to ask, tho'… I don't know, man."
Sephiroth looked intently at Reno, looking for any sign that the redhead was being sarcastic or trying to turn the situation into a joke; when he found none, he sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. Reno was right—he shouldn't have asked such a foolish question. Genesis would've probably banged his head against a wall if he'd heard him. He felt like a lovesick teenager, fumbling over things other people would instinctually know how to deal with appropriately and making a mess of things in his pursuit of another's interest.
To have something to do (and to avoid having to admit his idiocy to Reno), he went back to the pinstripe suit and took it from the rack. Realising he couldn't just dismiss Reno, he decided to ask who would be in charge of his family during the summit.
"Elena's assigned to your dad and Rude to your mom. I'll be responsible for Aerith."
Sephiroth nodded and looked at Reno with a serious expression.
"I'm trusting you all with their lives. They better come back home safe and sound."
"Don't worry. We'll look after them like they're our own family."
From across the room, Tseng signalled for Reno to join him. With a dramatic sigh, Reno slumped forward before shuffling towards the Wutain.
Sephiroth stared at Reno's retreating form with a pensive look as Vincent's heartfelt account of his attachment to the Turks came to mind. He was aware that the redhead's assurance that they would look after his parents and sister like their own family should put him at ease but it didn't. There was something about Reno's tone and demeanour as he said it that set off a strange alarm in him. He was still trying to pinpoint what it was when Rufus all but materialised next to him and told him he should get a suit, too.
"Beg pardon?"
"A suit. You should get one. I'll pay for it, too, if you want to."
Ignoring the fact that he was already planning to buy a suit, the General asked Rufus why he should get one.
"I like my employees to look nice, and few people look as good in a suit as you do," he replied with a small shrug. A blush tinted his cheeks before he added, "Vincent is perhaps the only person I know that looks even better than you in a suit. Unfortunately, other than his uniform, he's not very keen on dressing up and so he'll never get clothes this nice on his own, which is why I'm forcing him to get an extra suit. I was pushing for four, actually, but he got the same look he used to give Heidegger when the idea of murdering him became almost too appealing to ignore so I had to back down."
Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh at the visual and Rufus rolled his eyes, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
"Shut up. I'm not giving up, though. I'm taking him shopping for regular and casual clothes tomorrow. It's about damn time someone taught him how to buy clothes that actually fit him."
"You seem to be quite acquainted with Vincent's wardrobe, Rufus. I thought you were only that involved with Tseng, since he's your bodyguard."
If Rufus detected the slight edge on Sephiroth's voice or recognised the bait he threw his way, he didn't react to either. He simply shrugged as he idly browsed through the racks near them.
"I'm involved with all my Turks. Vincent sort of gave me the slip until recently but I'm fixing that."
Something caught his attention in the rack Vincent had been looking at before and he zeroed in on it. Before Sephiroth could make any sort of comment on Rufus's interest in the gunman, the blond pulled out a double-breasted jacket from the rack. The grin on his face made the General imagine the coat on Vincent and he commended Rufus on his keen eye.
"Thanks. Anyway, like I said, I can get you a suit if you want to. Maybe you can find a reason to dress up soon, and maybe you can invite Vincent to join you, given that he'll have an extra suit."
While Sephiroth was still processing the suggestion, Rufus slid past him and pressed something into his hand as he went. Still trying to figure out what was going on, the silver-haired man looked at his hand and found two tickets for the current production of Loveless. There was no date on them, just a small disclaimer indicating that the ticket holders could attend to any performance during the play's run. By the time he looked up again, Rufus was already back at the measuring area, practically shoving the coat into Vincent's arms while discussing colour options for the suit with Tseng and the tailor. He couldn't spot Rude, but Reno was back on the bench looking bored out of his mind. He had even taken out a cigarette and was twirling it between his fingers, eyeing it like the idea of lighting up was worth all the trouble he'd undoubtedly get in.
He hanged back for a moment and took some time to see Vincent interact with the others. While Rufus stepped away with the tailor to look for some fabric the blond was sure would look good on the gunman, Tseng watched as the tailor's assistants started taking measures. The woman moved to remove Vincent's blazer and he recoiled slightly; the movement was a reflex, though, something that obviously annoyed Vincent, making him blush and apologise. The woman simply smiled at him and asked him to remove the jacket himself. Vincent did, apologising once more and handing the jacket over to Tseng. As the Wutain took it and handed him the double-breasted coat, he squeezed Vincent's hand reassuringly and gave him a small, encouraging smile that Vincent met with a barely there quirk of his lips.
The exchange was brief and imperceptible to the tailor's aides but Sephiroth caught every minute detail of it. Vincent had been huffy ever since he stepped onto the measuring platform and he'd been glaring at Rufus and Tseng, looking for all the world like he wanted nothing more to find a way out of an activity that he had complained about from the very beginning. The incident with the young woman had obviously upset him for reasons Sephiroth couldn't even begin to comprehend, adding to the tension that had accumulated in the gunman and that had been evident in the way he stood ramrod straight, shoulders squared in an almost defensive stance and jaw set so tight the tendons on his neck were taut to the point of looking painful. Sephiroth wouldn't say Vincent looked relaxed now but much of the stubborn resistance and fight had left him after that brief touch and small smile from Tseng.
The door's chime interrupted his jealousy trip. When he turned around, he saw Rude walking towards Vincent and the others with Elena and Cissnei in tow. The tallest of the Turks was carrying five or six bags and balancing two shoe boxes; Cissnei had another two boxes in her arms while Elena had apparently been spared from carrying anything given her still healing arm. Reno stood up and hurried to relieve his partner of some of his burden, asking why they hadn't dropped everything off at the car. Rude looked at him like one would a slow-witted child and reminded the redhead that he had the keys to his car and Tseng had the ones for Rufus's. Seeing his chance to flee his torture at least for a few minutes, Reno stuck his unlit cigarette behind his ear, took Cissnei's boxes, and cheerfully left the store, Rude plodding behind with a long sigh.
Elena and Cissnei giggled at their friends and went over to the measuring area, smiling and waving at Sephiroth as they walked past him. He greeted them as warmly as possible but he could still feel his jealousy trying to get the best of him. It got worse when both women started complimenting Vincent, managing to make him blush and smile in earnest. It was an easy-going smile, the kind that Sephiroth had only managed to bring out in the gunman a handful of times. Each one of those smiles had come as a surprise to him and he still wasn't entirely sure how to earn more of them. All he knew was that he felt proud of himself every time, almost like he'd conquered a monumental task in getting the usually stoic man to show genuine lightheartedness.
Seeing Vincent interact with the Turks, though, showed him a side of the other man that he didn't know how to interpret. It was like the myriad barriers the dark-haired man had created did not exist for the Turks, as though they had unimpeded access to a different Vincent Valentine than the one Sephiroth had been introduced to.
The rational side of him tried to placate him by reminding him that Vincent had made it very clear that the Turks were his family and his relationship to them was different than any others he had or would allow himself to have. The side of him that tended to act like a teenager resented the comment, feeling that it meant he would never be allowed to spend time with this other Vincent, a thought it found insulting.
When Reno and Rude returned a few minutes later, the redhead seemed quite relaxed so the swordsman assumed he'd taken the chance to have a smoke outside; the faint aroma of tobacco and menthol confirmed his theory. As both men walked passed him while discussing their plans for the rest of the weekend, Sephiroth perked up his ears as he followed them to the measuring area, noticing that Vincent was putting his jacket back on and trying very hard not to bolt out of the shop as soon as he stepped down from the platform. When their eyes crossed, the same odd expression from before passed over Vincent's face before he managed a small smile.
"Are you getting a suit, after all?" he asked, motioning towards the pinstriped suit in the General's hands.
"Yes. I think it's about time I get a new one."
"I'd offer my advice but I'm afraid I'm not at all fashion-conscious. Rufus and Tseng might be able to help, though."
Tseng and Rufus looked at each other before giving Sephiroth a questioning look. He'd known both men long enough to realise they were giving him a chance to get rid of them and stay alone with Vincent. He wasn't sure why, though, and it confused him. However, he wasn't about to let the opportunity slide.
"I can manage on my own just fine. Besides, I don't want to intrude on any plans they might have."
"I do have an informal meeting with Shalua and Bugenhagen," Rufus said.
Vincent crossed his arms and gave Rufus the kind of look Sephiroth used to get from his father when a lecture was on its way.
"I hope this meeting is at headquarters, away from crowded areas where we can't keep a close eye on you, sir."
"It's actually at Shalua's over in Sector Five," Rufus said, blushing slightly.
"Sir, you can't be going around town in that car with only Tseng as protection. It's like you've painted a bullseye on your back, endangering not only yourself but everyone you meet with."
The tailor's aides, who'd been clearing the measuring area up until then to prepare for Sephiroth's fitting, quickly disappeared to the back of the shop. Elena and Cissnei discreetly retreated towards one of the display cabinets, quickly becoming more interested in pocket watches and other accessories than in the stand-off between their two bosses. Tseng fidgeted with his tie, a clear sign that he was uncomfortable, while Reno and Rude stood a couple of feet to Vincent's right, alternating between eyeing him and Rufus. Sephiroth remained by Vincent's side, only moving a few steps away to avoid invading his space.
Rufus looked cowed for a few seconds before crossing his arms and mirroring Vincent's stance. He didn't get a reaction from the gunman but at least he didn't look like a reprimanded child anymore.
"You're off the clock, Vincent. You shouldn't be worrying about work."
"I wouldn't have to if you'd avoid putting yourself in unnecessary danger. I'm not even telling you not to leave headquarters, sir, but at least take one of the unmarked cars. We have them for a reason."
Before Rufus could reply, Reno slapped Rude on the back loud enough to startle everyone.
"Pay up, man! I told ya Vince would make a fuss about the cars."
Hanging his head and sighing deeply, Vincent walked over to Reno and tugged on his goggles before letting them snap back against his head, causing the redhead to curse loudly.
"What the hell, man?!"
"If you're going to basically bet with your boss's life, Reno, don't let your other boss hear about it."
After some more admonishment aimed Reno's way, Tseng stepped up to Vincent and clasped his shoulder lightly. To avoid a lengthy discussion that would probably ruin everyone's weekend, he proposed to have Rude drop him and Rufus off at Shalua's and take Rufus's convertible back to headquarters; once the meeting was over, he'd call someone to pick them up in an unmarked car. Vincent agreed and instructed Tseng to let him know when they were back at headquarters. After promising to do so, Tseng and the others made to leave so Sephiroth could get the measurements for his suit taken.
They'd only taken a few steps towards the front door when Rufus stopped and turned around, calling out to Vincent.
"Tseng and I'll pick you up tomorrow around nine to get breakfast before going shopping. You're welcome to join us, Seph."
Vincent's jaw set and he simply nodded in acknowledgement, not trusting himself not to say something completely insensitive and out of place. The fact that Rufus smiled like he'd just wine the most important argument of his life didn't help manners any.
As soon as he heard the roar of two engines coming to life and pulling away from the shop, he let out a long sigh and slumped on the bench Reno had been occupying for most of the afternoon.
Feeling it would be inappropriate to say anything just then—and not really knowing what he could say, anyway—, Sephiroth decided to find the tailor's aides and get his fitting over and done with so they could leave the shop as soon as possible.
After Sephiroth's fitting and before heading back to headquarters, they stopped at an old fashioned ice cream parlour a block away from the tailor's and bought ice cream cones, as well as some ice cream cupcakes that Vincent thought looked good. They had done so at Sephiroth's suggestion after he received a text message from Tseng letting him know that if Vincent was cranky, he should try to get him to eat something sweet. He'd seen the ice cream parlour on their way to the tailor's and, remembering how much Vincent had enjoyed the ice cream Reno got them from Leviathan's Scales, he asked the gunman to take them there as soon as they left the tailor's.
The suggestion seemed to surprise Vincent but he quickly agreed. Sephiroth was glad because he'd seemed in a better mood while sampling the different flavours offered by the shop. However, his relief was short lived as Vincent hadn't said much of anything afterwards. Not knowing how to start a conversation, Sephiroth kept quiet, staring out the window and holding on to the box of cupcakes like his life depended on it.
They arrived at one of the longest red lights in town and Vincent set the car to neutral to rest his hands for a moment. After stretching as well as he could given the limited space in the car, he relaxed back on his seat. He'd been silent for so long that Sephiroth was a bit surprised to hear him speak.
"I'm sorry you got caught up in all of that. I'm sure you'll probably want to spend time with your family or friends and I'd hate to see Rufus's whims get in the way of that, so you don't have to come with us tomorrow if you don't want to."
Sephiroth couldn't help but smile at Vincent's choice of words. Very few people would dare speak like that about Rufus, and even fewer would confront him about his slightly reckless behaviour in light of the situation with Avalanche, particularly in public. He liked that about Vincent but knew better than to try to deflect the conversation by bringing it up.
"I don't have any actual plans, to be honest. I wouldn't mind spending time with you and the others as long as it doesn't bother you."
Vincent tensed for a brief second and Sephiroth wasn't sure whether the flash of orange that crossed his eyes was Galian or just a reflection of the lights of a car speeding past them in the opposite direction. The gunman nodded minutely, though, as if hesitant to accept his company the next day.
"I just…" Vincent sighed and shook his head. "Don't mind me. I'm just tired."
The light turned green and the car was filled with silence again. It went on for the rest of the ride back to headquarters, interrupted only when Vincent signed the car back into the garage. They made their way to the elevator together, taking the same one but each pressing the button for his own floor. Vincent's came first, so he took his cupcakes and said good night to Sephiroth after confirming their plans for the next day.
When the door to the elevator closed, Vincent sighed heavily and made his way to his apartment. He stopped outside of Tseng's for a moment, contemplating letting himself in and waiting for the younger man—he was still at Shalua's with Rufus and would probably take a few more hours to return. He could just go to sleep in the other's bed after taking a shower and drinking some tea to while away the hours. When Tseng returned, he could talk to him about Sephiroth's unexpected attentions and maybe get an explanation to Rufus's sudden decision to invite the General to their shopping trip.
In the end, he decided not to burden Tseng or any of the others with his problems and went to his apartment. After taking off his jacket, tie, and gloves, he took a cupcake from the box and left the rest in the freezer. He sat on his couch and ate the lightly softened treat slowly, trying to relax, but his mind kept going back to his lunch with Sephiroth and the events at the tailor's. Sephiroth's question—Would you follow me like that?—echoed in his head like a record stuck on repeat. To him, the answer was obvious to the point of being ridiculous: I'm here, aren't I? Back in Midgar and back at Shinra, all to make sure Sephiroth was safe and happy. Being Head Turk was an extension of that but everything stemmed from his singleminded desire to ensure Sephiroth's wellbeing.
The cupcake was gone and he didn't feel any better, just slightly more awake and therefore more aware of the absurdity of his situation. Going back to his intention of sleeping the rest of the day and evening away, he decided to skip tea and just take a shower before shutting off the world until it was time to let Rufus drag him around all over Sector Six on his bizarre quest to get him new clothes.
He was picking up his clothes when the bell rang on his door. Frowning, he threw the clothes back on the couch and went to answer the door.
Sephiroth was standing outside with a look on his face that Vincent couldn't read. He was about to ask the younger man what the problem was when strong hands gripped his shoulders, pushing him further into his apartment. He tripped over his shoes and felt his stomach sink when he thought he would stumble backwards, except that instead of finding himself sprawled on the floor and nursing an impressive headache, he ended up with his hands desperately grabbing on to Sephiroth's shirt. The swordsman's left hand was on his hip, holding him close, while his right hand was on his back, keeping him from falling over even when his legs felt like weak rubber.
Most important of all, however, and the thing that his mind was still trying to process, was the fact that Sephiroth was kissing him.
It started as a rushed pressed of the lips, but now Sephiroth's tongue had found its way into his mouth and was probing every inch of it in a hungry, desperate fashion. At first, Vincent could do nothing but allow Sephiroth to take whatever he wanted from him. The part of his mind that was rather enjoying the attention found the General's taste exquisite, a tempestuous mixture of the sweetness of mulled wine and the acidity of certain remedies. His body heat was beginning to affect him, as well, making him feel feverish and agitated.
He didn't know when he started kissing Sephiroth back, nor when the swordsman shifted their position so Vincent was pinned between his front door and Sephiroth's larger frame. His arms where now around the taller man's shoulders, hands tangled in his long, silky hair.
At some point after Tuesday's lunch, Reno had gotten a hold of his phone and signed him up for Sephiroth's fan club newsletter; he had also found a way for Vincent to receive every single mail sent out before he joined. He had scolded Reno for stealing his phone and doing such a childish thing but he had also gone through all the messages thoroughly. He had been particularly amused when he read about the General's rigorous haircare routine, which apparently included industrial amounts of shampoo and conditioner that turned his hair into a sort of scent roulette. Chaos had found the latter part of the statement ridiculous, informing Vincent that Sephiroth's hair always smelled like rosewood and mythril. The gunman had refrained from asking just how Chaos knew that (although he was very curious about the mythril bit) and from trying to figure out whether or not it was true.
Right now, though, as his fingers dug into Sephiroth's hair and ruffled it, he was almost sure he got a trace of rosewood in the air around them. He would've found the situation laughable if the younger man hadn't abandoned his mouth in favour of leaving a wet trail of kisses and nips along his jawline and down his neck. Sephiroth's rumbling voice calling out his name in clear desire and abandon wrenched a needy moan of his own that sounded vaguely like the General's name and more like a wild plea for more.
He was beginning to lose himself in Sephiroth's voice and kisses when the younger man's hands pulled his shirt free from his slacks and slid up his sides. Sephiroth wasn't wearing gloves, so the heat of skin on skin contact made Vincent hiss in surprise. At the same time, his hands quickly grabbed Sephiroth's wrists to halt his movements while pushing him away. His body mourned the loss of contact at once, demanding more of the swordsman's intoxicating touches, but Vincent's mind reigned supreme, reminding every part of the gunman that he had decided to take things slow and to put all his cards on the table so Sephiroth could decide if he wanted to step into the imbroglio that was his love life.
Sephiroth was able to twist his hands free of Vincent's hold and moved in to kiss him again, but Vincent had anticipated it and managed to dodge out of Sephiroth's way, retreating to the relative safety of his living room. He could feel the swordsman following him close behind and felt panic rise within him, not because he thought Sephiroth would force him to do something he didn't want, but because he wasn't sure he could refuse the other man's advances long enough to say what he needed.
Thankfully, Sephiroth stopped a few steps away from Vincent's coffee table, leaving the small piece of furniture as a sort of barrier between them. His cheeks were still flushed and his hair mussed where Vincent had gotten playful with it; he had that same unreadable expression on his face again, except his eyes burned with something that was definitely barely contained lust. It made Vincent shift his stance and lick his lips, which ended up being a mistake since the lingering taste of Sephiroth brought a wave of desire that was getting more and more difficult to ignore.
Running a hand through his hair, he made his way to the kitchen and put the kettle on for tea, asking if Sephiroth wanted something. Stiffly, Sephiroth asked for coffee so Vincent got the coffeemaker going, too. He did his best to control the slight shake of his hands as he retrieved two mugs from the cabinet and did a quick check with Chaos and Galian. Chaos was the only one to respond, and what he had to say wasn't exactly encouraging: Galian was crankier than usual and had retreated so far back into Vincent's mind that Chaos was barely able to feel him. The silver-lining in that was that Galian's mood wouldn't affect Vincent's, so the gunman had free rein of his body.
That doesn't help me any.
If you really want my input, then I say you're doing the right thing. Just… brace yourself for the worst and keep one of the kids on ready dial or something.
Vincent fought the urge to huff but did take his phone out of his slacks' pocket and made a draft for a text message addressed at Cissnei and Elena. There was no way Reno would be sober on a Saturday off, and he had an idea Rufus and Tseng would return rather late from Shalua's, more likely than not more than a little drunk and with an appetite for each other. That meant that Rude would get roped into picking them up and delivering them safely back to headquarters, which in turn meant that the oldest of his juniors would require a lot of rest afterwards—Tseng wasn't too problematic when inebriated, but Rufus tended to get quite rowdy. The girls were probably catching up on their favourite TV show at Elena's so they'd be his best bet were he to require comfort later on.
The next few minutes were spent in silence while the water boiled and the coffee brewed, and each second felt like an hour to Vincent. He kept his back to the bar, knowing Sephiroth had gone and sat at it and was waiting for him to say something. No words had been spoken between them since they parted ways at the elevator, not even when Vincent pushed Sephiroth away. Still, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding that Vincent had something to say, and the swordsman had agreed to wait. For some reason, that made Vincent even more nervous.
Once the coffee was done, Vincent poured a cup for Sephiroth and set sugar, milk, and cream within reach so he could prepare it to taste. A minute later he fixed himself a cup of tea and sat on the opposite side of the bar, staring into the reddish-brown swirls of his drink as though he could find an opening line in them. After two careful sips, he sighed heavily and started talking.
Rude came out of the elevator with a bottle of Howling Moon wine in his left hand and his phone in the other. He was trying to dial Vincent's number to check on him at Tseng's request since the gunman hadn't replied to the Wutain's text message letting him know they'd gotten back home safely. The phone was new, though, and narrower than his old one, so his fingers hadn't quite gotten used to the smaller keyboard. He didn't trust IT not to mess up things in the near future, either, so he hadn't set any numbers to speed dial and he had to scroll through his contacts every time he wanted to make a call.
Thus distracted by his unwieldy device, he nearly walked into Sephiroth as the General all but barrelled down the hallway leading to the elevators. Rude managed to step aside in time to avoid colliding with the other man and was about to apologise when he noticed the barely contained fury in those cat-like eyes. The fact that it seemed to intensify when Sephiroth recognised him set his nerves on edge, so as soon as he was out of the General's line of sight, he rushed to Vincent's apartment.
He rang the bell twice and when that didn't get him an answer, he knocked and called Vincent's name loudly. His heart was thundering in his chest and his stomach felt leaden the longer it took for his boss to answer the door. He was about to override the lock and just let himself inside when the door finally opened and an exhausted-looking Vincent greeted him with a tiny smile that didn't light up his eyes at all.
"Tower… I was about to text Cissnei and Elena but I'm glad you're here."
Rude wanted to ask what had happened but he had a fairly good idea what the answer would be. That, in turn, made him want to chase after Sephiroth and beat some sense into him—or just beat him senseless, it didn't much matter which. Much like Galian, he didn't trust the General not to hurt Vincent, a concern that had seemingly become true. He wouldn't bring it up, though, knowing it wouldn't make Vincent feel any better. He wouldn't go after Sephiroth, either, knowing that would make Vincent feel worse for a lot of reasons.
Instead, he walked into Vincent's apartment, locking the door behind him and leaving the wine and his shoes at the entrance. Without a word, he went over to Vincent, who was still standing in the small hallway looking like all he wanted to do was curl up and disappear, and hugged him tight. At first, Vincent didn't move, worrying Rude even more. A few seconds later, though, a ragged sigh shook the gunman and he wrapped his arms around Rude, holding on to him as tightly as he could.
When the sobbing started, Rude cursed Sephiroth inwardly and held Vincent closer.
—
Chapter notes:
OMG I finally got this chapter done! It's been monstrous, let me tell you, but a lot of fun, too. It took me about five days longer than I originally intended but it's now here for your enjoyment.
I'm afraid next chapter won't come out until mid to late November, as I will now focus on my girlfriend's birthday present (due on the 3rd of November). There's also the matter of my horrible schedule at work, so we'll see how much time that leaves me to work on this and all my other projects.
As usual, thanks for all the likes/follows/faves/kudos, as well as for your comments and infinite patience. I just want to assure you again that I am not abandoning this story, although it will take me much longer to finish than originally anticipated. I hope you'll stick around until the end!