What Friends are For

'What Friends are For' Chapter 12: Blood and Silver
Vincent has another gift for Cid. [WAFF, Yaoi, HJ, anal, S&M]

*Note: This chapter does have pain in it. If masochism bothers you, when you reach {SKIP}, do a search for {SAFE}, and you'll skip it. Please see the Intermission for more details!

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The sun was still out when I woke up, though I could easily tell it was later. It was fading toward evening again, and the room was dimmer, since we hadn't bothered to turn on any of the lights. It was disappointing to find I was by myself - Vince had gotten up at some point during my nap. I only had to move my head a little bit to find him though. He was sitting on the other side of the bed, his back to me. I could tell he was fidgeting with something in his hands, though the rest of him was still. It reminded me of how I felt when I'd given him the key.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly. He twitched a bit, and moved his arm in that reflexive movement I'd come to recognize as him trying to hide the gauntlet he had removed. I realized I'd startled him. That'd never happened before. Sure, I managed to surprise him all the time, but not startle him, no matter how sneaky I tried to be. Guess that was hard to do to a guy who had two minds keeping track of his senses. Maybe they'd been... Talking? Thinking? Whatever the hell two beings in one head did to communicate.

Vince nodded, turning his head to smile at me, before looking down at whatever was in his hands. "I am fine. Just... Thinking," he replied.

I sat up and folded my legs under the blanket to lean my elbows on my knees. "About what?" I was curious - he seemed preoccupied by something, almost worried. I hoped he wasn't bothered by what we'd done.

He sat silently for a moment, before moving his right hand where I could see it without him turning around. It held another box like the one our rings had come in, though this one was a little larger, and I could hear something shift inside it when it was tilted. "I have... another gift for you. One from myself," he said in a low voice. "It comes with an offer, and a request. I do not know which frightens me more - that you might accept, or that you might refuse."

I slipped from the blankets and crawled across the bed to sit behind him, moving to rest my legs on either side of him. I slid one arm around his waist, and used the other to pull his hair aside so I could kiss the back of his neck. "There's only one way ta find out," I said, and laid my cheek between his shoulderblades.

He seemed to relax a bit, and sighed. "You are right," he replied after a moment. He pulled away from me and stood, then passed me the box. "I hope neither of us will regret this."

I opened the little container, and stared at what was inside. It was a necklace, made of silver. The chain somehow managed to look both sturdy and delicate at the same time, its rings so closely linked that it almost looked solid. The pendant was a silver wire cage, which held a single green materia. I couldn't tell what it was, but the whole thing was stunning in its simplicity.

Vince's hands moved into my view and drew the necklace from the box. He leaned to slip it around my neck and fit the clasp into place. Once it was there, and he pulled away, I could feel the orb's magic ease into my mind, and I heard myself gasp in shock at the familiar power. It was his Restore, the one he'd had long enough to be fully mastered, the one he took everywhere with him. "Oh, Vince, no, I can't take this from ya!"

He silenced me with a kiss, placing his palm over the pendant to press it gently against my chest. "You can, and you will," he said firmly. He always was a stubborn bastard. "If it makes you feel any better, I have already started work on its offspring. With the way the demon hunts, it should not take as long."

"Fine," I sighed. "But if you ever want it back, just--" I stopped when I felt his hand over my mouth.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It is yours. I have my reasons."

I knew that tone of voice, and could see the beginning of the Valentine Glare around the edges of his eyes. Like I said, I knew when to shut up. "Thanks, Vince," I said when he pulled his hand away. "So what're the other parts?"

He leaned down to kiss me lightly, then stepped away. "I shall show you. The request: Please place a Regen on yourself - no Cure."

I looked at him for a moment. He was too good at confusing me. With a shrug, I closed my eyes and willed the spell into place; I could feel it settle into my muscles. It began to work the scratches over my chest, almost eating them. It was like pain going in reverse, this indescribable feeling of having the welts melt into my skin.

That was why I'd always done my best to avoid Regen. I liked the feeling of having it patch up surface wounds, soothing them away until not even a scar remained. I'd almost been addicted to it at one point.

I wondered if Vince knew about that. Wouldn't surprise me.

It wasn't until the spell's work was done that I opened my eyes again. It was still there, waiting, in case I was hurt again. I could see the faint reddish aura around myself when I looked at parts of me from the corner of my eye.

"Done?" Vince asked, and I nodded, feeling a bit dazed. Regen always did that to me. He nodded as well, and moved over to the table where he'd put his gauntlet. The metal thing was slipped onto his arm and locked into place before he moved back to me, motioning silently for me to move back on the bed.

I did, and laid back once I was there. I didn't know what he was planning, but I had this thrill of fear and excitement somewhere deep inside me that kept me shaking from nervousness. He didn't have to tell me to be quiet this time, I just did.

He moved to me, crawling over the blanket to straddle my thighs again. I could feel his maleness against mine, rubbing softly as he settled himself, then fell still. I was watching him steadily, hardly daring to blink. This was the Vince from before, the Vince that practically oozed with an 'I'm in charge' attitude, and I wondered how the hell I could like seeing him like that so much.

"And now the offer," he said quietly. "Keep the Regen up. If it fades, cast it again. If I go too far, let it fade for good, and place a Cure on yourself." He paused, and laid the palm of his gauntlet on my chest, with the materia pendant resting between his two middle fingers. "I will hurt you, but I do not wish to harm you."

I nodded silently, not daring to speak. My mind was racing, wondering what he was doing, what he was going to do.

A second later, I had my answer.

{SKIP}

Vince drew a single claw down the center of my chest, pressing hard enough to break the skin. There was the chill of pain sweet enough to be pleasure, and I could feel the warmth of blood welling up, but it didn't last long. Almost as soon as the claw passed, the spell was already working to repair me, sealing the cut a couple inches from his claw until it was completely gone. A heavy shudder shook me, and for some reason I felt like crying. This wasn't a spontaneous swipe of his claws; this was focusing on something I'd tried to push back and hide, even from myself. 'I will hurt you.' Those four words should have made me afraid, but I felt the familiar warm rush of love for him, that he could stop worrying about damaging me to give me something I didn't know I needed.

I felt something soft then, brushing along the vanished cut; when I looked up, I saw a towel in his right hand, wiping away the thin line of blood. His eyes met mine, questioning, silently asking if I was okay. I smiled, and nodded, laying my head back with a deep, shivering breath. Yeah, he was good at confusing me, but he was even better at surprising me.

Vince moved his gauntleted hand back up my chest, and went to work. It sounds so impersonal, thinking of it that way, but he looked so intent, so focused, watching his claw as if it was separate from him, moving on its own. The sharp tips cut through my skin easily - after all, that was what they were designed to do. It hurt, of course. How could it not? Nor was it exactly a sexual pleasure, though it damn sure was arousing.

I didn't watch what he was doing, my eyes had closed when the second cut began. But I could feel it, as he traced a diagonal across my chest, from upper left to lower right, extending it to my abdomen. It was healed within seconds, and the blood patted away, but almost immediately there was a third, mirroring that one. He went on like that, sometimes a single claw, sometimes more, rarely all four, though that was what always made me arch slightly, when he'd press all of those metal talons played over my chest and draw them across, spread just enough that it felt like a single, wide burn.

And then he began to trace patterns over me, designs that never lasted more than a few seconds but that I could still feel as a tingling memory on my healed skin. I wondered what it'd be like to be able to control the Regen, to selectively erase lines but leave others, like an artist working with blade and flesh instead of pencil and paper. Part of me almost wished Vince would leave one of his designs there, but I knew he wouldn't. Not permanently.

'Hurt, not harm...'

Eventually Vince moved, and had me roll onto my stomach. He went to get a fresh towel; though the cuts he made were never deep, he'd made a lot of them, and the cloth he'd had didn't have many clean spots left. Absently I wondered what the housekeepers would think when they would come in and find their pristine linens coated in my blood.

Vince set himself over the backs of my thighs again, like he had earlier. He didn't wait long before his claws bit into my skin, dragging welts along my spine that made me arch upward. He'd been somewhat hesitant at first, willing to go slow enough that he could be sure I was doing okay, but by that point he had no doubts, moving so quickly that each cut was almost instantaneous. I hadn't made a sound since we began, other than to gasp or hiss when the slices were a little more intense than usual, but no less delightful.

I laid there, dazed and content, as he sliced me open over and over, then cleaned me gently with the soft towel. It wasn't as easy to tell what he was doing to my back, and I wasn't able to look and see, but I didn't mind. I just focused on the feel of his claws, and the contrast between hard, cruel metal and gentle, loving fabric. I didn't know which felt better, but I knew neither would have been as enjoyable without the other.

I didn't understand how he could do it, after what'd been done to him in the past. I should've been worried it'd being back memories, but if it did, he hid them well. Maybe it was another way for him to heal, forcing himself to see that pain can be good when done right.

Again and again I renewed the spell when it faded away, though I'd occasionally wait long enough to let the sting of the cuts linger. As odd as it sounds, those moments were almost refreshing. Feeling skin repeatedly heal as soon as it's wounded is pleasant (at least to me), but it can get to be too much. Regen never lasts long - a few minutes, at most, which is usually more than enough for a single fight. But I lost count of how many times I recast it, keeping that comforting red glow on me constantly. I'd never been much in the magic department, so repeated casting was starting to take its toll, leaving me with that almost giddy feeling of being awake and alive but almost drained. Add that to the gradual loss of blood, and it was no wonder I was laying there like a lump by the time he had me roll back over.

{SAFE}

Apparently the towel wasn't all that he'd gone to fetch. I felt something cold and liquid drip onto my aching cock a moment before smelling the all too familiar scent of bananas. It'd been easy to ignore my erection while Vince was 'working', but once he stopped, it let me know just how neglected it felt. So having him ease the chill from the lube by smearing it over my length with his hand was better than it would have been, but I couldn't do more than lay there and sigh in pleasure, caught between being drained from overcasting and dizzy from the slight bloodloss.

So, all I could do was stare in vacant confusion as he straddled me again - this time over my waist - and held my shaft still with his uncovered hand. My confusion became understanding, and then rapture as he eased me into him, settling down with a slowness that made me ache to thrust into him, but I couldn't move a single muscle. I didn't know if he had prepared himself the way he did me. All I know is that he felt hot and tight and soft once he settled completely with me impaled balls-deep into him.

When Vince began to rock his hips, I saw stars shatter behind my eyes, and I forced them open to watch him. He was beautiful, so damn beautiful it made me hurt somewhere deep inside just to look at him. He was watching me with those shining rubies he called eyes, though his gaze was a bit unfocused, partially hidden by stray strands of his ebony hair that framed his face and draped over his shoulders, stark and vivid against his skin. Those wonderful lips I loved so much were parted to let him breathe easier. Even as I watched, his tongue snaked out to flick the tip over one to moisten it, and damn did I want to kiss him right then. Unfortunately, that wasn't about to happen, unless he decided to lean down, which he didn't seem to be planning on doing any time soon.

It was the most magnificent thing, seeing Vince's body undulate over my hips, his whole self gliding with the rhythm that teased me with his gripping walls, pushing me deep inside of himself before drawing me back out again. He was going slow, yes, but moving with an intensity that had me trembling, wishing my voice would work so I could release the moans and whimpers that were building up in the back of my throat, threatening to choke me. He had both hands on my chest, and the claws were digging into my skin every time he slid forward and placed his weight on his arms.

Vince took my right hand in his, and guided it between his legs, nudging my fingers to curl around his own length. I took the hint and stroked him in time to the movements of his hips, and when his hand returned to my chest, I covered it with mine, holding it there. He smiled down at me through the look of pleasure he had on his face; I loved seeing him like that. He shifted his hips slightly, just enough that on the next downstroke, I hit something inside him, probably the same thing he teased in me. His muscles tightened, and he shuddered and moaned deep in his throat.

He forced himself to do it again, sliding me inside him to rub just right, and I could feel him twitch in my grip as I stroked him a little faster. He wasn't trying as hard as last time to keep himself in control; he was letting himself relax, increasing the pace, his insides rippling around me like a slick velvet glove. Finally he leaned down to slide his gauntlet under my back, and his flesh hand to cup the back of my head. I pulled my legs up a bit to angle more fully into him, and moved my free arm around his torso. His lips met mine in a heavy kiss, his tongue tempting mine to play, which I was more than happy to, practically devouring his mouth in near hunger now that I had him.

I finally hit the point of no return, whimpering a warning into his mouth. The only thing that moved was my hand, gliding over his length quickly, trying to urge him to join me as I erupted within him. He milked me with his muscles, hips writhing in a way that made me gasp and shudder. He moaned my name against my lips, finally letting himself go to coat our bellies with his cum.

He all but collapsed on me, panting and shivering, and I relaxed again, feeling the most incredible sensation of lethargic fulfilment. I felt like saying something, but couldn't find the right thing, and I damn sure didn't want to move. Vince stretched himself out carefully, still on top of me. His weight made it a little difficult for me to breathe, but I was more than willing to pay that price to feel him so close. His head moved, and he nuzzled at my neck, then kissed at it softly, which sent a shiver down my spine.

"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, moving his right hand to knead lightly through my hair.

I sighed, and tightened my arm around him for a moment. "To use a cliché, like the luckiest guy in the world. A very satisfied, drained, exhausted guy, but still pretty damn lucky." I paused, and shifted under him a bit. "Though I think yer claws are digging into my spine."

He leaned up and met my eyes with a shocked look, and carefully withdrew his gauntlet from beneath me. I winced as it pulled away, and he saw it, hissing when he glanced at the metal. "Cid, I am so sorry, I did not mean--"

It was my turn to hush him, by pulling him down again for a kiss. "Stop it, Vince. It was just an accident, I'll be fine. Help me up?"

He paused, and nodded, before easing off the mattress and giving me a hand up. I could feel where the claws had dug into both my chest and my back, deeper gauges that pulled when I moved. My energy was too depleted to use a Cure, and we didn't have any restorative potions, so I took off my necklace and passed it to Vince. "Here. Cure me with this - these hurt too much for me to keep right now."

I felt bad for wording it that way when Vince gave me a guilty look. But he nodded, and wrapped the chain around his uncovered arm. He activated the spell, and I felt the healing patch up the wounds within seconds, leaving me good as new. I put the necklace back on when he returned it to me, and waited while he removed the gauntlet. Without speaking, we moved to the bathroom, and stepped into the shower to clean up.

It was the third one we'd taken together, but I already knew I'd never get tired of it. Sex or no sex, having a naked Vince where I could touch him is too good to pass up. We took turns washing each other gently. There was no rush, so we were rather lazy in our movements, though Vince made me let him make sure I had no lasting damage from earlier.

"I'm fine, Vince, I promise," I said, and pulled him close to me. "I'm fine, and yer fine. I'm not all that fragile, ya know."

"I know," he replied with a kiss to my forehead. "You will have to forgive me if I still worry."

I squeezed him in my arms, my cheek laying on his chest, as we let the water rush over us. "Well, I'll hafta teach you to stop worrying," I sighed. We fell silent for a moment, just leaning against each other, before I spoke again. "You know, we should go have a nice dinner. I need ta do a bit of recoverin', and I'm sure that'd help. Not like ya couldn't use another good meal, too, as scrawny as you are."

He made a noise in the back of his throat. I couldn't tell if it was a laugh or something a bit more rude. "It would be good to be careful. If either of us grow too large, I will not be able to take us flying any longer."

"Oh, sure, hit me where it hurts," I grumbled, but I was grinning. "Seriously, though. I need food, you need food, so why not?"

"Hmm. It is a date, then. I think a relaxing meal could do us both good." He turned off the shower, and we stepped out, grabbing towels to dry off.

"Y'know, we haven't had a date yet," I said. "So, technically, this is our first one." The thought made me laugh, and I shook my head when he gave me a questioning look. "Live with a guy for a year and a half, have a few mind-blowing experiences, get married, have the best sex of my life, and only then do I get ta go on a date."

Vince rolled his eyes, though he laughed too. "True. I suppose I can forgive you for keeping me waiting so long."

I moved over to him and slid my arms around his neck. "I'll hafta avoid making you wait, then. Will you ever forgive me?"

He chuckled as he tucked his arms around my waist, drawing me snug against him. "Well, just this once."

"You're so kind," I grinned, and pulled him down for a kiss. I couldn't help but sigh against his lips; it was damn nice having him. I pulled away, though - a bit reluctantly. "C'mon, let's get dressed. I don't know what time the restaurant closes, but I'm starved."

Vince nodded, though we were both content to linger for another kiss before we finished getting ready.