Shadows within darkness

I´m sorry it took so long!

Elenna: I´m glad you liked it! Yeah, Vincent doesn´t have it easy... I mean he´s a dead personthat has to suck icky peoples blood -.-

Rina76: Yes, 60 chapters for this story alone :) Though I might put some of them together to a single chapter... I wish I was a robot sometimes, I could write even faster then :D I guess it´s just that I have a very vivid fantasy and I need to write it down, otherwise it would somehow... come out of my ears or something :) About the sex: I must say that I was a little bit lazy. Of course there could have been much drama and angsting, but then I thought: why? Yazoo doesn´t remember the rape and he wants Vincent. Very convenient ;)
About Vincent turning into a vampire and Yazoo accepting it: I guess he did so because he´s rather pragmatic :D Also, in this time the believe in ghosts and fairies and stuff was rather common, so it´s not like: 'Woah, those things really exist!' It´s more like: 'Oh. He´s one of them. He hasn´t eaten me yet, so I guess he won´t do so in the future.'
And don´t worry: there is LOTS of drama coming ahead XD! (Btw: how´s your story going on? *eager to read*)

fyrbyrd: I´m glad it wasn´t too much drama! Now that I thing that everyone has fairly grown IC I always fear that I´ll make them too melodramatic... But it´s okay then I guess :)

Lamica: Here´s more, I´m sorry it took so long! It´s good to hear that you like it, especially since I was a little unsure with that particular chapter (gave me serious headaches)^^

Exitus: Hahaha, yes, I think in the company of certain people Yazoo can proof to be a rather cynic and not so taciturn person (see his bickering with Reno in AC). I said it to Rina76 before: I guess that people (yes, even pragmatic, sceptic Yazoo) in the Middle Ages had another mentality where ghosts and such things were concerned. They thought these creatures were real, so Yazoo probably wasn´t that surprised that Vincent is a vampire... And besides; they are meant for each other, so I couldn´t make Yazoo leave poor Vincent;D

wildbynature: Here´s more! Hope you like it :D

Thanks everyone for reviewing!

And now finally: on with the new chapter:

19

Moaning, Yazoo stretched his sleepy body, drowsily blinking at the cloudy sky that showed before his open window.

Looked like rain again…

Uncaring he rose from the sheets, discarding of the nigthgown and dressing in a white loose shirt with wide sleeves. After putting on some black wollen trousers and going through his hair with a comb he exited the room on bare feet to go down and wash his face.

Upon coming to the kitchen however, the unbeloved voice of his major coffin nail reached his delicate ears. Cloud seemed to be in a serious state of agitation, and the silver haired young man decided with a smirk that he could as well have some fun and eavesdrop a little.

After all, his mentor himself had delegated him to observe everything suspicious and though the spiky haired teen hadn´t tried anything yet one could never know. Over the years Yazoo might have come to grudgingly tolerate the others presence, mainly because it was just fun to get a rise out of the overly serious and earnest young man, but that didn´t mean that he wasn´t wary...

Pressing himself against the chalked wall Yazoo pricked up his ears.

“Why not? I will talk to father about it, and if he refuses we can just… go away and start over somewhere where no one knows us! I don´t care about status groups, I love you and that´s all I need!”

“Cloud,” the maid sighed, sounding sad “I´m very honoured by your proposal and I like you a lot too, but it just can´t be…”

That was the moment when Yazoo decided that he had heard enough and stepped into the kitchen.

Cloud was kneeling before a chair Aeris was sitting on, holding her hand and looking desperate. The maid did not look less distraught, especially after she noticed Yazoo standing in the doorframe with a VERY frosty expression.

The other teen looked up as well, face becoming aloof again once he had made eye-contact with his special friend.

“Yazoo,” the maid said, surprised,and quickly withdrew her hands from Cloud´s grip. “You are up early today.”

The silver haired teen wasn´t fooled by her warm smile, and went straight to the rising blond to grab him by the collar and pull him to his feet roughly. He was surmounting Cloud by at least a head, which helped his intimidating appearance a lot as he icyly stared down at the other.

Unfazed, and almost stubborn, Cloud looked up at him too, both of them ignoring Aeris and her attempts to pacify the situation.

“Please boys, we just can talk about it-”

“Shut up woman,” Yazoo cut her off tightly, immediately stirring Clouds wrath for being so crude to his beloved one. Snarling and scowling at each other, the blond let himself being dragged out of the kitchen and into the backyard, wanting to spare Aeris the ugly sight of their fight.

As soon as they were out in the warm summer air a heavy punch followed the next and soon the two were standing opposite each other, panting and bleeding, their vitriolic glares substituting for words and insults. There was not much to say anyway; Cloud wanted Aeris and Yazoo would not approve of it, let alone hand her over to him.

Wiping away some blood from his mouth the silver haired teen leaped forward again like lightening, his childhood experiences with street fights providing him with a clear advantage over the sheltered, inexperienced, but no less determinded blond.

Eventually the fight came out in favor of Yazoo, and he crashed the bleeding boy into the wall. Instantly he pressed a hand over the offender´s windpipe, watching the other struggle and turning red.

With a withering glare he hissed into the bloodied ear of the blond “Be glad that I am not in the mood today to stain my hands with your stinking blood. Should I ever see you even near her again however,” he squeezed a little harder, murderous intent radiating from his cold eyes, “I will kill you.”

Eyes going wide the blond gasped for air.

He harboured absolutely no doubt that Yazoo woud stay true to his word; the usually calm and collected, albeit mocking and annoying youth had been clearly pushed past his limits and was barely restraining himself from killing Cloud on the spot. Coughing, he slid down the wall, as Yazoo finally let go before he could take it too far and turned away from his victim.

“Get out.”

Hurriedly, Cloud shuffled to his feet, holding his abused throat, snarling “We´re not done yet,” and stumbling out of the garden, his expensive cloths muddy and ragged, his fair face scratched and dirty, blue eyes blazing with anger and shame.

No matter what the bastard or his father said: he would take Aeris with him some day, come what may!

*

“Yazoo…” Aeris stood in the middle of the kitchen, her face looking pained as she watched him limping over the cold stone floor.

Instead of saying something he stopped mere inches in front of her, looking to the side, his jaw clenched.

“Please don´t be like tha- AH!”

Suddenly she found herself on the floor, looking up at his expressionless face in shock, a hand flying to her burning cheek where he had slapped her.

“So that was what the two of you were scheming all the time. Who´d have thought you´d turn out to be such a bitch. What did he promise you for speading your legs? Jewelry? Money? Marriage even?”

Hurt, Aeris held her cheek, though her eyes were not showing anger but sad sympathy.

“You know that I wouldn´t leave you,” she said softly.

“Oh? Didn´t sound like it right now. When were you planning on informing me about your plans of marriage?” the youth answered tensely, still looking past her, and hands clenching into angry fists.

“Yazoo…” She had come to a sitting position, grabbing one of his fists and pulling him down to her with little resistance.

“I do not plan on getting married at all, you heard that too, didn´t you?”

Patiently the maid drew the agitated young man into her lap, placing his head on her bossom and gently stroking over his hair. “I told Cloud that too. I will not leave you alone.”

“So you would have gone with him if it wasn´t for me?”

She remained silent, continuing to stroke over his head.

“Do you love him or what?” Yazoo demanded to know with a cynical undertone, looking her in the eye sharply.

“Of course I do. Just as I love you and Master Vincent-”

“That´s not what I asked for,” the youth interrupted her. “You know exactly what I´m talking about.”

“Well, it might be a little bit different from my love for you or Master Vincent,” she admitted quietly, looking down at his suspicious face with lenience.

“Really. How different?”

Sighing she placed his head back on her chest, explaining calmly “I think you know. I cannot really explain it, but maybe you can compare it with the feelings you and Master Vincent share.”

“…What?”

She almost laughed at his blank expression that reminded her so much of the one he always had when she caught him with his hand in the cookie box.

“Oh, don´t try to fool me, it´s as plain as the nose on your face,” she smiled at him warmly,to signal that she was alright with it.

“Really,” the boy said, facile, not liking where the topic was going, but not feeling guilty for committing the ‘sin of sodomy’ either.

“Yes,” Aeris smiled benevolently “so I´m sure you have an idea of what I´m feeling.”

“Hn,” Yazoo snorted, not feeling generous enough to grant her the same absolution she had offered him.

“But,” the maid sighed, “since I love you two even more I´ll just die an old virgin.”

The teen smirked in thriumphant satisfaction and they sat on the floor for some time, enjoying the warm closeness, until Yazoo announced quietly “I am sorry for hitting you. Does it hurt?”

Aeris shook her head, patiently letting him inspect her red cheek. Yazoo may have looked somewhat guilty, but at least uneasy.

“It´s alright, I know that it hurts you more than me.”

“Hm.” He bit his bottom lip and averted his eyes.

“How about breakfast now, hm? I´m sure you must be hungry and you haven´t eaten anything at all.”

He nodded, rising from the floor and helping her up so they could have a late breakfast, consisting of the usual cake and a glass of fresh milk.

*

“That´s what happened,” Yazoo finished his report, which came pretty close to the truth even though he might have left out the one or another detail (mainly his hand connecting with Aeris´ cheek). Curling one of Vincent´s long, black tresses around his fingers, he idly looked at the ceiling.

He was still groggy from their love-making, and all the talking had made him somewhat tired.

“I see,” the vampire simply said, looking at his protégé with warm eyes. “She is more perceptive than I thought.”

Inwardly he wondered how much more Aeris had noticed, especially about the true nature of his being. But since she hadn´t mentioned anything he assumed that she didn´t know.

“Hn,” Yazoo affirmed, adding dryly and with a teasing smirk “That´s all because you´re always so lovey-dovey when you´re with me. You need to work on your poker face.”

“You wish,” the vampire snorted, but looked amused as he adjusted the blanket over the teen´s naked body.

“Well, maybe I do,” came the purred reply, making Vincent hesitate for a moment, but then he decided to not deepen the subject.

“So she found someone for herself,” he instead said quietly.

“Like hell she did!” the silver haired teen snapped, unconciously pulling strongly at his master´s hair.

“Language,” the vampire chided with a lifted eyebrow, uncurling the boy´s fingers around his hair. “Miss Aeris has every right to get married to whomever she deems fitting. And you have no due to hinder her ambitions. She is almost beyond marital age now, and Cloud Strife seems a honest young man to me. Aeris Gainsborough is a good woman who deserves a decent partner.” Silently he added that Strife would be in for the high jump if he dared to fail her or make her unhappy.

“That bas-… Strife´s nowhere near to be a ‘decent partner’ at all, he´s just an annoying, spoiled little boy.”

“Oh? And what does that make you then, I wonder?” the vampire pondered, ignoring the displeased look thrown into his direction.

“Anyway,” Yazoo concluded, stretching his back a little, “they cannot go beyond the status difference, no matter what he says and Aeris already said that she won´t leave us.”

“Now who is the little boy here? The girl spoiled you far too much for her own good,” Vincent muttered.

“Hm?” Yazoo innocently fluttered his long lashes.

“Nothing.”

Vincent vanished deeper behind his collar, asking himself who he thought he was to judge others like this when he wasn´t exactly the best rolemodell at all.

Snuggling deeper into the vampire´s embrace, Yazoo sighed, eyelids becoming heavy, but with a satisfied smile stating “It´s just perfect as it is. She doesn´t need anyone else besides us, and so don´t we,” Adding mentally, after drifting half into sleep 'Just would be nice to wake up beside you, though…'

Vincent pressed his lips together briefly, watching his sleeping lover for a bit longer, before going back to his coffin and holding out the day.

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Okay, Yazoo is a little bratty (but he´s not FULLY grown yet, so... it´s alright, I think *probably worries too much, like usual*).

And Cloud got the stick...^^ But he´ll get some revenge. Maybe. XD

AND: Don´t be mad at Yazoo please, for hitting poor Aeris! I know this is no excuse but: in the Middle Ages woman had no feminists that would fight for their rights and save them from the oppressing patriarchate, and men didn´t know that it isn´t that nice to treat them like their property... So I guess Yazoo aplogizing to her is already historically incorrect (though there were different kind of men in that age too...).