“A Secret”

Final Fantasy VII

Vincent Valentine x Cloud Strife

Part 1 of ?

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By Wingless Demon.
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~+~

Vincent lay staring at the metallic ceiling of his chamber on the airship Highwind.  It was the first time everyone had regrouped since the defeat Sephiroth just over a year ago, and despite the reunion, Vincent was no more social than before. 

“Why did I even bother to come?” he asked himself as he turned his head to look at the equally barren metal wall, “what good will come of this pleasure cruise?  I am a fool to think ‘he’ even cares I am here.”

Vincent crossed his arms over his chest as if he were being put to his final rest.  He closed his red eyes, and let his mind travel back to the very first encounter he had with the group over a year ago, deep within the basement of the Shinra mansion.

~+~

“To wake me from my nightmare…”

“Hey, wake up,” said a young, unfamiliar male voice as the lid to Vincent’s coffin was lifted, “you were having a nightmare.”

Vincent’s red irises immediately strained to adjust to the unfamiliar light; it had been so long since he had seen daylight.  Finally his eyes focused, and an athletic, blonde, young man blurred into view, his glowing maku-eyes full of concern for the stranger before him.

“Yes?  What is it?” he said, still mildly irritated by the bright light, “I do not know you…”

“Who are you?” the spiky haired, blonde stranger asked politely.

“You must leave!” Vincent warned, ignoring the question, not wanting any harm to come to the stranger that he inexplicably felt genuine concern for, “this mansion is the beginning of ‘your’ nightmare.”

“You can say that again,” the young blonde agreed, turning to look at one of his traveling companions standing beside him that was nodding her head in agreement.

“What?” Vincent asked, not knowing what else to say.

“Sephiroth has reappeared, this place should not be here, and I can’t remember what happened at the reactor five years ago,” the stranger explained, hoping to get at least something out of Vincent.

“Sephiroth!” Vincent immediately exclaimed, recognizing the name of his lost love’s son.  “You must leave now.  I have sinned yet again by listening to you.”

Vincent slammed the lid to his coffin back down and shut his eyes to ponder what had just happened.  But as hard as he tried, his mind always drifted back to the image of the young man with the spiked, blonde hair, and glowing, blue eyes that were no doubt fused with maku energy.

“The way he looked at me,” he thought to himself, “almost as if he… liked me.”

Within moments the urge to accompany the young man became too great for Vincent to resist, and he finally, and willingly ended his sleep, telling himself that he had “atoned” for his “sins” long enough.  He did not know why he was acting like this, but something told him if he did not join with the stranger and his friends, that he would forever regret it.  And so, for once, Vincent Valentine listened to his conscience, and joined with Cloud Strife and company.

Weeks went by, many battles were fought, and many victories were celebrated before Vincent finally realized, to his own despair, why he had agreed to join the group; He was attracted to Cloud, and found it becoming more and more difficult to take his eyes off the blonde’s lovely face… and other places. 

~+~

Vincent opened his eyes and allowed his mind to return to the present aboard the Highwind.  “Why?  Why do I bother?” Vincent asked out loud, angry with himself, “I am a guy!  Besides, he likes Tifa, and they have been together since childhood!”

Vincent ran his fingers and metallic claw angrily through his long, black hair, trying to get a hold of himself. “I am so stupid!” he cursed loudly as tears began to trickle down his pale cheek.

“No your not,” came a familiar voice from the doorway.

Vincent’s head snapped up in alarm, “Cloud!” he managed to croak nervously, “how long have you been standing there?!”

“Just long enough to hear you call yourself stupid, Valentine” Cloud replied with a one-sided grin, knowing that calling the vampire by his last name was perhaps the easiest way to irritate him.

Vincent let his long, black hair drape over his face to conceal his tears.  “What can I do for you?” he asked in as best of a monotone as he could.

“Vincent,” Cloud said as he approached Vincent’s bed, “why are you acting like this?  Everyone got together today to celebrate, and talk to each other and you still sit in this room by yourself.”

Vincent swallowed nervously as Cloud sat on the edge of the bed, very near him.  The young ex-mercenary clearly had no idea what affect his closeness had on him and Vincent’s heart began to beat faster and faster.

Vincent threw his hair back, inadvertently revealing his face and the tears the stained it, but he could not stop himself; he had to look at Cloud. 

The younger man blinked in disbelief.  The light from the open doorway made Vincent’s tears almost glow in the dimly lit room.  “He… he was crying?” Cloud thought to himself, still stunned by the sight. Vincent, one of the most emotionless, and hardest to sway people Cloud had ever encountered had tears on his face.  Perhaps, finally, this would be his chance to get the vampire to break out of the shell he had been living in. 

Looking deeply into Vincent’s red eyes, Cloud smiled reassuringly as he spoke, “Vincent, what’s wrong?”

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End of Part 1 – I am not really sure how far I will actually get with this one, we will see J

[ PART 2 ]

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