Corpse in the Cupboard
folder
Final Fantasy VIII › Crossovers
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
26
Views:
803
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Final Fantasy VIII › Crossovers
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
26
Views:
803
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters in this fiction. They remain the property of the makers of Final Fantasy VIII and VII. I do this for fun and entainment, not profit.
Chapter 13
***** CHAPTER 13 *****
Vincent awoke to the sound of his phone ringing and his head pounding painfully in response. He slowly opened his eyes to find he had no idea where he was. The sun was shining a beam of light through a partially open curtain, illuminating the room before him as he cautiously sat up and looked around. He was in a plain, dreary looking room that had a bathroom off to one side and a single door on the opposite wall. A tattered looking list was stuck on the back of the door with MANAGERS RULES printed on the top. So, he was in some hotel room but how had he gotten here?
He closed his eyes, ignoring his ringing phone and tried to recall what had happened the night before. He’d gone to some dingy bar to drown his sorrows and run into Laguna. No, not Laguna. Some young guy who bore a striking resemblance to the President. Maybe the alcohol had made him look like Laguna. Maybe Vincent had finally lost his mind.
Everything after that was a blur. He had no memory of leaving the bar or how he had ended up in the hotel room. A shiver ran up his spine as he heard Chaos, deep within his mind, sniggering. Maybe it was best that he could not remember.
Sighing, he rose from the bed and retrieved his clothing off the floor, slipping back into his pants before locating his ringing phone in one of the pockets. Glancing at it he saw it was only 6am. Great, who was calling him at this time of the morning? When he looked at the caller I.D. he stared in surprise. Why the hell was Kiros calling him? Did the man have a death wish? He clicked through the menus of his phone and saw that there were 27 missed calls from him. He had to give the guy points for determination, if nothing else. Vincent took a deep breath, reigned in his rising temper and answered the call.
“What the fuck do you want?” his hissed.
“Vincent, don’t hang up! It’s about Laguna. He…,” Kiros’ voice replied in a rush before he was cut off by the irate gunman.
“I have nothing to say to you on that subject,” he growled into the phone.
“Wait! He’s in the hospital and he needs you!” Kiros yelled into the phone.
“What did you say? Who’s in the hospital?” Vincent asked as his anger dissolved into shock.
“Laguna is in the hospital. The doctors say he’s had a heart attack. Please, Vincent! He needs you. Vincent? Vincent, can you hear me?” The gunman dropped the phone onto the floor, staring at it blankly.
**.**
Kiros returned to the hospital room and looked over the President. Laguna was lying on the bed with a disturbing amount of tubes and wires connected to him. A heart monitor beeped eerily next to the bed, interrupting the silence. He hated to see him like this. Kiros had an overwhelming feeling that he didn’t belong here anymore. Vincent belonged here. Vincent was the one the President would want to see when he finally woke up. Kiros just hoped that the gunman was coming. He’d finally answered his phone but hadn’t replied when Kiros had told him of Laguna’s condition. The phone had simply gone dead.
Slowly slipping into the chair beside the bed, he reached out and grasped the President’s hand. Cradling it gently in his own, he decided he would stay until Vincent turned up. He couldn’t bear to leave him alone like this…..so helpless…..so still.
“Hang on, old friend,” he whispered, unaware of the tears spilling down his face. Old friend. What kind of a friend was Kiros? He’d pushed his emotions onto Laguna, putting the President’s relationship with Vincent into chaos and probably causing the heart attack that had nearly claimed his life. He was no friend. Laguna, by all rights, should despise him.
“Kiros.” His eyes shot to the door to find Vincent standing there, his expression unreadable. Flinching he dropped Laguna’s hand and jumped up from his seat to back into the wall behind him. Vincent approached the bed, his eyes locking onto the body that lay there. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss onto Laguna’s forehead before gently brushing a stray lock of hair aside. Kiros edged towards the door with his head down. He didn’t belong here, had no right to intrude into their lives after all the pain he had caused. “Thank you, Kiros,” Vincent stated softly. Kiros stopped and looked up to find the gunman looking at him intently.
“What? Why would you thank me?” Kiros whispered.
“The doctors informed me that it was you who saved his life,” Vincent replied, his face blank of emotion.
“But I……I caused this. You shouldn’t be thanking me.”
“This is my fault too,” Vincent stated flatly, glancing back at Laguna before taking a few steps to stand in front of the trembling man. “Kiros, he will need us both to get through this.” Kiros glanced over at the President before looking back at the gunman. The man was so composed that it made him feel like a child. An immature, selfish, stupid child. He mentally slapped himself and breathed in deeply.
“Someone needs to fill in for the President until he recovers. I know that Laguna would insist it be you. Could you postpone your retirement and do this for him?” Vincent waited for his response, his expression still a blank slate.
“Of course. I’ll stay as long as I’m needed,” Kiros answered. The gunman nodded and then turned back to the President, sitting in the chair beside the bed and effectively dismissing him. Kiros quickly exited the room and leaned against the wall in the hallway. He could do this much, at least. For Laguna he would do anything.
**.**
Vincent heard the door shut and breathed out roughly. It had taken all his self control to not throw his rival across the room. Every time he looked at the man, he was reminded of what Kiros and Laguna had done and that the President might not want him anymore. The gunman reached forward, holding the hand of the man he loved gently. As he stared at his unresponsive face, he thanked the gods that he had been given a second chance. He had to prove to Laguna that he was worth his love. He bowed his head down as another thought flittered by.
Kiros had made this possible.
The doctor had told him that Kiros had saved the President’s life. If his rival had not found Laguna and resuscitated him, Vincent would be sitting next to a corpse right now. The thought of the man he loved being gone forever swept over him painfully. He owed Kiros more than he could ever repay. He owed him forgiveness. Somehow, he had to find a way to put aside what had happened and work with the man to ensure Laguna’s recovery. After all, it would be up to Laguna to decide who he loved and wanted to be with.
Vincent leaned forward and gently rested his head against his lover’s chest. The sound of Laguna’s heart beating steadily in his ear was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. It was so hypnotizing that he didn’t even notice the tears running down his face.
Vincent awoke to the sound of his phone ringing and his head pounding painfully in response. He slowly opened his eyes to find he had no idea where he was. The sun was shining a beam of light through a partially open curtain, illuminating the room before him as he cautiously sat up and looked around. He was in a plain, dreary looking room that had a bathroom off to one side and a single door on the opposite wall. A tattered looking list was stuck on the back of the door with MANAGERS RULES printed on the top. So, he was in some hotel room but how had he gotten here?
He closed his eyes, ignoring his ringing phone and tried to recall what had happened the night before. He’d gone to some dingy bar to drown his sorrows and run into Laguna. No, not Laguna. Some young guy who bore a striking resemblance to the President. Maybe the alcohol had made him look like Laguna. Maybe Vincent had finally lost his mind.
Everything after that was a blur. He had no memory of leaving the bar or how he had ended up in the hotel room. A shiver ran up his spine as he heard Chaos, deep within his mind, sniggering. Maybe it was best that he could not remember.
Sighing, he rose from the bed and retrieved his clothing off the floor, slipping back into his pants before locating his ringing phone in one of the pockets. Glancing at it he saw it was only 6am. Great, who was calling him at this time of the morning? When he looked at the caller I.D. he stared in surprise. Why the hell was Kiros calling him? Did the man have a death wish? He clicked through the menus of his phone and saw that there were 27 missed calls from him. He had to give the guy points for determination, if nothing else. Vincent took a deep breath, reigned in his rising temper and answered the call.
“What the fuck do you want?” his hissed.
“Vincent, don’t hang up! It’s about Laguna. He…,” Kiros’ voice replied in a rush before he was cut off by the irate gunman.
“I have nothing to say to you on that subject,” he growled into the phone.
“Wait! He’s in the hospital and he needs you!” Kiros yelled into the phone.
“What did you say? Who’s in the hospital?” Vincent asked as his anger dissolved into shock.
“Laguna is in the hospital. The doctors say he’s had a heart attack. Please, Vincent! He needs you. Vincent? Vincent, can you hear me?” The gunman dropped the phone onto the floor, staring at it blankly.
**.**
Kiros returned to the hospital room and looked over the President. Laguna was lying on the bed with a disturbing amount of tubes and wires connected to him. A heart monitor beeped eerily next to the bed, interrupting the silence. He hated to see him like this. Kiros had an overwhelming feeling that he didn’t belong here anymore. Vincent belonged here. Vincent was the one the President would want to see when he finally woke up. Kiros just hoped that the gunman was coming. He’d finally answered his phone but hadn’t replied when Kiros had told him of Laguna’s condition. The phone had simply gone dead.
Slowly slipping into the chair beside the bed, he reached out and grasped the President’s hand. Cradling it gently in his own, he decided he would stay until Vincent turned up. He couldn’t bear to leave him alone like this…..so helpless…..so still.
“Hang on, old friend,” he whispered, unaware of the tears spilling down his face. Old friend. What kind of a friend was Kiros? He’d pushed his emotions onto Laguna, putting the President’s relationship with Vincent into chaos and probably causing the heart attack that had nearly claimed his life. He was no friend. Laguna, by all rights, should despise him.
“Kiros.” His eyes shot to the door to find Vincent standing there, his expression unreadable. Flinching he dropped Laguna’s hand and jumped up from his seat to back into the wall behind him. Vincent approached the bed, his eyes locking onto the body that lay there. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss onto Laguna’s forehead before gently brushing a stray lock of hair aside. Kiros edged towards the door with his head down. He didn’t belong here, had no right to intrude into their lives after all the pain he had caused. “Thank you, Kiros,” Vincent stated softly. Kiros stopped and looked up to find the gunman looking at him intently.
“What? Why would you thank me?” Kiros whispered.
“The doctors informed me that it was you who saved his life,” Vincent replied, his face blank of emotion.
“But I……I caused this. You shouldn’t be thanking me.”
“This is my fault too,” Vincent stated flatly, glancing back at Laguna before taking a few steps to stand in front of the trembling man. “Kiros, he will need us both to get through this.” Kiros glanced over at the President before looking back at the gunman. The man was so composed that it made him feel like a child. An immature, selfish, stupid child. He mentally slapped himself and breathed in deeply.
“Someone needs to fill in for the President until he recovers. I know that Laguna would insist it be you. Could you postpone your retirement and do this for him?” Vincent waited for his response, his expression still a blank slate.
“Of course. I’ll stay as long as I’m needed,” Kiros answered. The gunman nodded and then turned back to the President, sitting in the chair beside the bed and effectively dismissing him. Kiros quickly exited the room and leaned against the wall in the hallway. He could do this much, at least. For Laguna he would do anything.
**.**
Vincent heard the door shut and breathed out roughly. It had taken all his self control to not throw his rival across the room. Every time he looked at the man, he was reminded of what Kiros and Laguna had done and that the President might not want him anymore. The gunman reached forward, holding the hand of the man he loved gently. As he stared at his unresponsive face, he thanked the gods that he had been given a second chance. He had to prove to Laguna that he was worth his love. He bowed his head down as another thought flittered by.
Kiros had made this possible.
The doctor had told him that Kiros had saved the President’s life. If his rival had not found Laguna and resuscitated him, Vincent would be sitting next to a corpse right now. The thought of the man he loved being gone forever swept over him painfully. He owed Kiros more than he could ever repay. He owed him forgiveness. Somehow, he had to find a way to put aside what had happened and work with the man to ensure Laguna’s recovery. After all, it would be up to Laguna to decide who he loved and wanted to be with.
Vincent leaned forward and gently rested his head against his lover’s chest. The sound of Laguna’s heart beating steadily in his ear was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. It was so hypnotizing that he didn’t even notice the tears running down his face.