Requiem of a Spirit

Title:style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN'>
Requiem of a Spirit (8/?)

Pairing: VxC, SxC

Rating: NC-17 overall, this chap PG

Warnings: Post AC, fluff, angst, sex

Spoilers: Spoilers for AC

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters.



A/N: I wrote most of this while
I was at work. I know your all wondering “Where’s the smex?”
and even more important “Where is my Seph/Cloud?”
Well, it’s probably going to be in the next chapter. I know I’m horrible.

PS: I have a MySpace
now! So feel free to add me on there! http://www.myspace.com/zgworsel style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN'>

“Please Tifa! He’s not that bad really!” It
was a moment Tifa had not imagined in years. Cloud was actually asking for a
date, but it wasn’t perfect. He was asking for someone else. “He’s kind of nice
when you get to know him!”

Tifa glared at the blonde. “You promised w:st="on">Reno that I would go on a
date with Rude? How could you do that?”

“I was desperate! I promised w:st="on">Reno I’d do anything!” This fight had already
dragged on longer than Cloud expected.

Tifa bit her lip. She new how devoted her
friend was to Vincent and for Cloud to promise the amorous redhead anything, it
had to be an important reason.

“Please? Seriously when was the last time I
asked for anything? I’ll even watch the kids!”

Tifa’s resolute glare dissolved. “Fine, but
you have to watch the bar and the kids, and stop by more often.”

“Yes ma’am,” he snapped his best salute and
gave her a small smile bolted out the door before she could change her mind.

“So how do you know so much about them? It
can’t simply be from your job,” Sephiroth queried. His gaze never left the Turk
for a moment, even as the redhead sprawled upside down in the chair with his
feet hanging over the back, and the ice cream carton had long since been
emptied and abandoned on the coffee table.

“You just won’t let it go will you?”
Sephiroth wasn’t sure if Reno
was speaking to him or the chocobo chick that busied itself by munching on the
trail of red hair that dangled in front of its face. “You make it sound like
I’m stalking them.”

“Are you?”

“Nah.lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:
EN'> They’re too boring to stalk. I lived here for a while.”

“Why?”

“My apartment was blown up---”

“By some gang you were stupid enough to piss
off,” Cloud chimed as he opened the door. “And I believe you killed them
later.”

“Indeed,” w:st="on">Reno stated. “I’m assuming all went well?”

“I got the date and the clothes, and you
bastards ate my ice cream!”

“He did it!” w:st="on">Reno yelped and pointed at Sephiroth, who
glared back.

“That explains why there is a smear of
chocolate next to your lip.”

“You could’ve told me I was wearing evidence class=SpellE>yo!”

Sephiroth shrugged in return and Cloud shook
his head. “Whatever. I need help with the bags, w:st="on">Reno.”

“This wasn’t in the deal!”

“Neither was the ice cream.”

“I swear you’re a woman,” w:st="on">Reno muttered before taking some of the
baggage from the blonde, and throwing it at Sephiroth.

“I’ll kill you, Turk.”

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:
EN'>Reno peered nosily into one
of the bags before tossing it as well, “Shopping for a funeral eh?”

“There is nothing wrong with black,” Cloud
countered.

“Nah nothin’
at all.”

Any further comment was cut off by the door
opening again.

“You’re late Vinnie!”
Reno called.

Red eyes twitched before closing calmly. “And
you are here…again.”

“I’ve been babysitting, what’s your excuse?”

Vincent opened his mouth to reply, but a
resounding “wark” caught his attention. He glared
down at the noise to see a yellow fluff ball snuggling next to his shoe, class=SpellE>kwehing in delight. “There is a pile of meat and feathers
attempting to fornicate with my leg.”

“It means he likes you!” w:st="on">Reno crowed.

Cloud twitched and picked up the offending
bird. “It’s a she, and her name is Sol,” he huffed and cuddled the poor bird to
him.

“And it thinks my foot is a prostitute,”
Vincent grumbled before sneezing. “I hate feathers,” he sniffled.

“Yet you all call me crazy,” Sephiroth
murmured. The room went silent and everyone stared at the former general. “Did
you realize you’re bleeding?” he asked calmly and sighed in relief as the
stares suddenly shifted.

Vincent glanced at his arm. “So I am.”

“What happened?” w:st="on">Reno asked excitedly. “I love a good story!”

Vincent twitched again. “Apparently someone’s
little brother was killed by a gun I made, and rather than take on the person
that shot the kid, the older brother decided it was my fault.”

“I hope you shot the little fuck!” w:st="on">Reno shouted in
indignation.

“He is dead,” Vincent replied in a rather
bored tone.

“So that’s why you’re late? I thought you
said it was a bird’s fault!”

“Shut up w:st="on">Reno.”

“While I’m glad you’re alive, blood is
dripping on the floor,” Cloud said while shoving Sol into w:st="on">Reno’s arms, before hauling Vincent towards
the kitchen and grabbing the first aid kit. Cloud ripped away the sleeve that
was obscuring his view of the wound. It was fairly deep, and the blood was
running into Vincent’s claw, but he could see it knitting itself together with
the aid of mako. “It’ll probably heal in a few hours,
but I’m going to clean and bandage it anyway.”

Vincent merely nodded, but he tensed a little
as Cloud released the golden covering from the ex-Turk’s arm. There was a sharp
tugging sensation as the dried blood inside the armor tugged at the purple fur
of Vincent’s demon arm.

“Hold still,” Cloud murmured as he poured
disinfectant on the wound. After a few seconds he swabbed and wrapped it up,
and then washed away the rest of the blood on Vincent’s arm.

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:
EN'>Reno seemed completely
undisturbed by the proceedings, but Sephiroth found it hard not to stare in
fascination.

Cloud’s actions toward the ex-Turk were
methodical and effective, but they held an underlying tenderness that spoke
volumes about how much Vincent meant to the blonde. Cloud was endlessly
forgiving, much like Zack was. It was like watching Zack patiently class=GramE>clean up the cuts that Cloud received during practice.

It scared him that Cloud was so calm. Long
ago, the ex-Soldier would have been horrified by meaningless deaths. He
remembered how Cloud had shuddered when Zack or he came back, coated in human
blood, from missions. Maybe it was maturity, or perhaps a sign of the times.
Midgar had always been violent, but it must be even more so now that it had
been destroyed and was again a fledgling city with an unstable government.

Maybe death was so common now that no one
noticed, and Sephiroth felt guilty about that. Not only had he destroyed
Midgar, but he inflicted such crushing pain on the one he cared about most. The
one he had promised so long ago to protect.

“Stop staring at his arm!” w:st="on">Reno snipped, “He’s very self conscious about
it.”

“That’s not why I was staring,” Sephiroth
answered blandly.

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:
EN'>Reno looked like he was about
to say something rude, but he was cut off by Cloud’s intrusion.

“Hey Reno,”
Cloud murmured. “Can you help Vincent with dinner? I’m kind of busy,” he added
and lifted the golden armor and a bowl of water.

“Uh… Sure,” w:st="on">Reno vacated the room with only a glare
towards the silver haired man.

Cloud took w:st="on">Reno’s place in the chair and lifted a wet
cloth out of the bowl, and set to wiping the blood from the claw. Sephiroth
watched as the blonde scrubbed, and only paused to dip the rag in now pink water.
If he waited long enough Cloud would say what was on his mind.

“Stupid kids,” Cloud muttered breaking the
silence of the room. “Throwing their lives away, and for what? class=GramE>Some stupid scrabble over turf.”

“We were like that too,” Sephiroth professed.
When Cloud looked at him in confusion he continued. “We were willing to throw
our lives away so that Shin Ra could conquer everything. It’s the same
principle.”

“It seemed so much more glorious back then.”

“I’m sure these children think their cause is
just as great.”

“Rufus offered me a place in Shin Ra.
Anything I want, but he put emphasis on attempting to rebuild Soldier. I keep
saying no because I’m tired of watching people die. The next time I see death,
I pray it’s my own.” Cloud almost viciously scrubbed at the already sparkling
surface of Vincent’s armor.

“You’ve matured in some ways, but you still
seem so childish.”

“I haven’t changed much from when we saw each
other two years ago.”

“Cloud it’s been nearly ten years since the
last time we really saw each other. You shouldn’t have to think of the other
times.”

“So you’re saying killing you class=GramE>doesn’t count as seeing you?” Cloud murmured as he pulled
the golden claw over his own arm and felt for any remaining blood.

“I’m just saying you shouldn’t have to
remember it.”

“You’re probably right. You always were.”
Cloud smiled at Sephiroth. It was the way he smiled when he was sixteen and he
somehow knew Sephiroth had all the answers, and Cloud still had all the time in
the world to ask them.

“Uoryaaa!”lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:
EN'> The battle cry and clanging of kitchen utensils broke the two former
Soldiers from their reverie.

“I better
make sure they aren’t destroying my kitchen,” Cloud sighed and walked out of
the room. “What the hell are you doing to my kitchen?”

“He tried to make toast,” Vincent
answered. 

====================================================

style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN'>A/N:
A little healthy Cloud+Sephiroth
bonding is good!