Shallow End

Author: Shadow Cloud

Title: Shallow End

Chapter: 8

Can we be so far apart?

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When I was a young boy my father
took me into the city
to see a marching band
He said 'Son when you grow up,
would you be, the saviour of the broken,
the beaten and the damned?'
He said 'Will you, defeat them,
your demons, and all the non-believers,
the plans that they have made? Because one day I'll leave you
a phantom to lead you in the summer to join the Black Parade.'

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY,
MY FATHER TOOK ME INTO THE CITY
TO SEE A MARCHING BAND!
HE SAID 'SON WHEN YOU GROW UP,
WOULD YOU BE, THE SAVIOUR OF THE BROKEN,
THE BEATEN AND THE DAMNED?!'

-My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade

--------------------------

It had been nearly four months since Cloud had seen him. The man that swore his loyalty and love to him. The man who defied him and cheated. He was still living with Tifa who took good care of him and Jay along with her own husband. Since that day, the day he left Sephiroth, he hadn't seen nor heard from the silver-haird General. Cloud's mind was far from the cheating man and if he were to ever see him again, he'd kill him. Jay was now talking and walking and Sephiroth was missing his own child grow up. Cloud had potty trained him as well, and each memory that passed, the silver-haird man was missing it.

Everything was so played out. How come I didn't see it? I should've known it was
coming. I should've seen it!

Cloud was constantly metally kicking himself. How come he hadn't seen it coming? Sephiroth's late night 'work' schedule. His constant 'shopping' sessions where all he came back with was a bag of simple things and he'd been gone for two hours. Why didn't he see it? Why!? But he wasn't going to let it bother him and as for Sephiroth, he hadn't a care where he was now. On the street. Dead. With Vincent. He just didn't give a damn.

"Cloud, you've been sitting here all night!"

"Huh?"

A voice, a soft yet demanding voice jerked him from his thoughts. Tifa was staring at him, drying her hands with a towel. Jay was on the floor playing with alphabet blocks with sticky fingers. Tifa stared at Cloud who, again, became lost in thought.

"Cloud, are you listening?"

"Wha--?"

"You really need to go out. Why sit around here?"

"I don't feel like it."

"What about the others? They come by all the time and you say nothing!"

"Sorry."

"Cloud, I worry about you, you know."

"Yeah."

"Sometimes I just don't know what to do with you..."

She began to mumble as she walked off and the blonde simply shook his head with a semi-smile.

--- --- ---

Sephiroth's eyes never left that picture. It had been four months since his blonde lover left him and yet he was still dwelling over it. He couldn't get Cloud or Jay out of his mind and everytime he heard the word 'cloud' he'd get angry. Very angry and with that, he'd go through a very horrible mood swing. Vincent was now out of his life and it had been two months since that night.

----------------------------------Two Months Prior-------------------------------------------

"Vincent, we need to talk?"

"About what?"

Sephiroth's cold eyes had seemed to catch Vincent's gaze. Those red, reticent eyes that never spoke an emotion. They were blank and unreadable. Each sat on a opposite sides of the table that sat in Sephiroth's dining room. The same table that Cloud and he ate at, played games and even once made love. (The table bad been cleaned several times after said event.) Sephiroth's eyes never left Vincents' as they stared each other down.

"What, Sephiroth?"

"I have to leave you."

"Why?"

"Do you even need an answer?"

"Cloud?"

"I want him back."

"He's not going to take you back."

"Despite that fact, I have to."

"You're making a bad mistake."

"No, I'm not."

"YOU ARE BECAUSE HE'S NOT GOING TO TAKE YOU BACK!"

Fists slammed against the table as Sephiroth stood. "GET OUT! NOW!" he shouted, his eyes narrowing. Vincent got up at once, turning and storming out of the dining room and out of the house. Sephiroth dropped his head, hair falling over his shoulders as he stared down at his fists.

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It had been two months since then, and he couldn't bring himself to call Cloud or even come into contact with him. He wasn't even sure he'd ever see him again.

Life was now hell.

There was nothing he could do.

Wait it out.

And enjoy the show.