The First and Only Time

Author's Note: There will be out of character-ness here, not to mention this story hates me. x.x But despite that, I hope it turned out ok. And yes, I know. My story titles suck.


The First and Only Time
PART I


Silent as a panther he walked among the glowing trees. They had split up because of some monster they were looking for that appeared to have wings and the body of a man. Loz had seen it rising upwards to the moon two nights before. He was tired of looking for it. Maybe it had moved on. He couldn't help yawning, even as he fingered his own weapon.

He also was coming to the conclusion that perhaps Loz had been seeing things. There were bats in this place. Surly there was some giant bat species out there that Loz, when looking half way, would have seen more to it than there was. He turned a corner, and stopped. He thought he heard something. A twig snap. Nothing unusual here, just is a possible other type of monster around. Or maybe it was just one of those dumb squirrels. He continued on. If it was something, his sudden lack of movement would let it know he knew it was there. He couldn't hear it, but he could feel it following him. His eyes naturally looked from side to side even if he refused the urge to turn his head. It was getting closer. He fingered his gun. Closer... Slowly he began to pull it out of it's holstier. One more step and...

He spun around gun aimed and was ready to fire. What stopped him was that, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun himself. An amused smile came to his lips and he let a chuckle escape his throat. The owner of the gun was definitely an expert marksman like himself judging from the way he stood. He looked him up and down quickly. Black hair flowing down past his middle back, a red velvet cape that fanned out in a debris of tatters on the ends blew gently in the breeze. But it was his eyes that were the most fascinating - blood red and burning. He noted briefly the twitch of a golden arm on the other side. So, this wasn't any stranger to battles either. This could prove to be fun. They stood like that unmoving for several moments.

"Seems we've come to an impasse. I can't shoot you, with out you shooting me, and vice versa," he said breaking the thick silence.

The other man's eyebrow raised, "I have to wonder if it's worth the sacrifice."

"So, what would you suggest we do then?" Yazoo questioned, the smile still not leaving his face.

"That would be up to you," he answered calmly his gun not even shaking.

Yazoo looked him up and down again. Very intriguing, and also dangerously handsome. It had been a while since something actually interesting came his way. All he ever heard anymore was about "mother", "sephiroth" or "big brother". The things they did were always the same. Plot to go out here. Watch big brother. Come back to base. Talk about what they will do the next day. Kadaj throw a temper tantrum, and beat one of them up. Loz getting impatient and emotional and demanding to speed things up. A nice change of pace, and danger was welcome.

"Well, this could take a while. Neither of us is willing to lower their weapon as they have no idea what the other will do. So, shall we try together?"

The man cocked his head to the side and gave him a suspicious look, "Then what happens?"

"We'll figure it out from there."

"That's your plan?" the dark haired stranger inquired a note of irony in his voice.

"You have a better one?" Yazoo shot back his voice dripping with quiet sarcasm.

He heard the man give out the a low, deep throated growl. "Fine. On the count of 3 then."

Slowly, they waited and each counted together, lowering their weapons, eying each other for the slightest twitch of wrist, or hand to take the gesture back and the bullets would then fly. The situation was morbidly amusing to Yazoo.

"Why are you smiling like that?" the man asked.

A chuckle came from the silver haired man's throat, "Surly, you can appreciate the absolute irony in this situation."

"Sorry, but I lost my sense of humor ages ago." Vincent said, then turned around.

Yazoo's eyes widened in shock. What was he doing? He was just going to leave? What the hell? He looked down at his gun briefly, he could shoot him now. He should shoot him now. Yet, the sheer audacity of the fact that this man turned his back to him and just started walking away was shocking to him. No one, not even Kadaj, had ever walked away from a fight with him before. No one trusted him enough not to just take advantage of the situation. He cocked his gun and raised it, only to find the other man's gun raised to him at the same moment.

"Didn't they ever teach you any manners? Never shoot a man in the back." the dark haired man said.

Yazoo squirmed, and lowered his gun. Then he thought about it, and couldn't help asking, "You're the creature we've been looking for, aren't you?"

The man turned around, "You're a remnant of Sephiroth, aren't you?"

"Wha...?" was Yazoo's confused answer.

The man walked up to him, and Yazoo's senses were assaulted with a spicy aroma. One that intrigued him even more, and also quite erotically. "If you're going to insist on getting personal with me, I feel I should return the favor."


Yazoo laughed at that. This one was dangerous. Just like him. The other man's gun never lowered and he turned to the side where it was positioned ready to fire right into his face. "I should kill you now, knowing what you are, and what you plan on doing." the man hissed.

For the first time Yazoo felt a tinge of fear. He let a small smile on his lips hide it. Serenity passed on his features. This guy wanted to kill him. He wanted to stop them for it. "Then why don't you?" Yazoo asked curiously.

The eyebrow went up again. "You lowered your gun." he answered simply. 'So, honorable', he thought beyond amused, listening as he went on, "Now, I think we've played roulette long enough. I walk away, and so do you. I go back to what I was doing and you go back to your own business."

Yazoo felt a pain of disappointment in that. There was something very entrancing about this man. He wanted to find out what. Something he wanted to possess. The more he thought about it and watched him, the more he wanted him. The more he wanted to crave a danger unlike any he had experienced. He knew this man could give it to him. He was no stranger to having a man in his bed. He was trained to be a SOLDIER after all, and when the women weren't around they had to relieve the tension some way or another. Yet there was something more to him than met the eye, and it excited Yazoo beyond a point that even he could not phantom. He wanted to have him.The man was attractive, in an almost unnatural way. As if the beauty was a lure for prey. The demeanor was put-offish, and brooding. It reminded him of himself to a point, which only made his intrigue, and growing desire more potent. He merely nodded, putting his gun back in it's holsteir. Seeing this the man lowered his gun again. He eyed him long and hard, obviously evaluating him, then turned once more and began to stride away.

Yazoo tilted his head in thought, and slowly started walking after him. They walked a couple of minutes before the man turned around. "When I said we'd walk away, I meant in separate directions. Or did you have something else you wanted to say?"

"Only Kadaj has ever come that close to killing me before. I just wanted to know the name of such a one." Yazoo implored in a sweet voice that made the other man shiver in suspicion.

He let out another deep growl, much like a tiger, and answered, "Vincent, and you are...?"

"Yazoo..." he answered with a smile that obviously made Vincent uncomfortable.

The man nodded and simply went back to walking. Yazoo followed. "You're still following me, why?"

"I'd think you'd want to keep me in sight, Vincent," Yazoo purred out.

Vincent turned fixing him with a pointed, hard look, "I have my other ways of watching you if I want to." Vincent looked him up and down again, regarding him with a mixture of distrust and intrigue, then he continued walking once more. Deeper and deeper into the woods. Yazoo wondered where on earth they were going.

"Stop following me..." Vincent replied with out stopping this time, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"But I don't want to let you out of my sights." Yazoo replied. He knew this was getting under his skin. 'He must be even more dangerous and lovely when he's that way.' He was starting to burn at this. Clouding his senses. Hardly anything or anyone excited him anymore. No one until now (except Kadaj) could meet his own potential. His own ability. He had to have him. He had to make him want him, NOW.

A wicked smile came to Yazoo's lips as the man stopped and turned to look at him again. Yazoo met him half way, and leaned in towards him. The man backed up. "What exactly are you doing?" Vincent asked as they went in a circle, like one predator stalking the other, never breaking eye contact.

"What do you think I'm doing?" the man retorted finally succeeding in cornering the other man against a tree and pushing himself on him, rubbing his apparent desire against his thigh. Vincent's eyes widened in shock, then he shoved him away causing Yazoo to stumble.

Vincent's brow knitted in confusion, shock and horror. 'What the hell is his problem?' He backed up more as the other man looked back at him as if he was pouting, "You actually were getting off on this? You're fucking crazy..."

A smile came back to Yazoo's face, the familiar serene look. "My apologies. Call it the remnant in me. I see something I want and try and take it. But I have only one thing to say, Vincent," his name was said like a purr upon his lips, one that made Vincent's eyes widen, "no one can put a price on the need for physical release. I think you know that. I'll see you again, and just remember, I'm very willing. And with that knowledge, I know one day you'll be the one who comes to me. I'll enjoy every minute of it, even if you do not." he turned and walked a few paces away, then turned back with a suggestive smile on his features, "But I think you will."

With a sweep of his silver hair he turned around melting into the night, leaving Vincent confused and a bit unnerved.