Whispers in the Roses

Whispers in the Roses

Flora Winters

I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

Summary: Vincent wants to put Cloud’s heart back together again, but will Cloud let him. This story will contain boy love, some language, and violence.

Chapter One

Cloud was standing in the gentle spray of hot water. It was bouncing off and streaming down his pale flesh where steam was swirling around his feet. The water felt so good on his chilled flesh. He had gotten himself lost in dreams and fantasies all night long. He had thought he would never roll out of bed. In fact, he hadn’t wanted to. He was so much happier in his dreams. Zack and Aeris were always there.

The three of them would be in a green field of blooming yellow flowers. The sky above their heads was always a pale amber rose in color. He would be resting against Zack’s firm chest and Aeris would have her head in his lap. The dreams always felt so timeless and when he was in their arms, he felt as though he were drowning in blissful heavenly scent.

He could always feel the sadness when he had to leave their smiling faces in the mist of wakefulness. The two of them would always wave him off with such loving smiles on their peaceful faces. He never wanted to leave them. He wanted to stay so much. Why couldn’t he stay?

He sniffed and began to wash the jasmine scented shampoo out of his crazy yellow hair. The suds sparkled like diamonds in the pale light that was over his head.

He began to hum as he soaped his body up in a good thick lather of honeysuckle goodness. What was it with Nanaki and sweet smelling things? It made him smile. Well, at least he would smell pretty for the rest of the day.

These dreams go on when I close my eyes
Every second of the night I live another life
These dreams that sleep when it’s cold outside
Every moment I’m awake the further I’m away

Wow! Did he just sing that out loud? Oh, he hoped not! Was Nanaki still in bed? He frowned as he rinsed himself off and turned off the water.

He stepped out of the stall that had been carved back into the rock. It was all red and orange. Everything was so natural here. He picked up his towel and began to dry himself off. He looked at his face in the foggy mirror.

“I will be happy,” he repeated as he dried his hair. “I will be happy.

He hung his towel up to dry and slipped into some fresh clothes. It was nice being able to dress like a normal person now. No longer need he have to dress like a mercenary out to kill something.

“Good morning, Cloud,” Nanaki said from the kitchen.

“Did I wake you?” Cloud asked in sudden concern, looking down at his shower pink feet. “I didn’t mean to sing out loud like that.”

He was blushing furiously. He was so embarrassed. Someone had actually heard him sing.

“No,” Nanaki said, hopping up, putting his paws on the table to look at him. “I’ve never heard you sing before.”

Cloud shook his head. “I don’t sing.” He had stopped singing the moment Zack had taken his last breath. Aeris had only gotten to hear him hum. He had thought his voice broken, the song in him dead.

“Your voice is very nice,” Nanaki told him, pushing a plate of breakfast yummy towards him with his snout.

Cloud smiled, telling himself to look happy. He would be happy, damn it! His eyes suddenly widened.

“Sing to me, Cloud,” Zack rasped, fighting to stay conscious. “Sing…to me…”

And he had. He had held him in his arms, singing him to sleep. His mind had shattered when the final breath rattled from his body. His heart felt heavier than his feet as he dragged Zack’s blade behind him.

“Cloud?” Nanaki asked, barking at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Cloud lied with a brilliant white grin, sitting down in front of his plate. “This looks really good.”

Nanaki nodded. “Eggs with bacon are always good.”

Cloud took a bite of his eggs and downed them in seconds. The long strips of sizzling bacon hadn’t lasted an eye blink.

Nanaki’s bottom jaw hit the table. “Wow…”

Cloud snorted. “I think I’m going to go down to the beach.”

“Oh,” Nanaki said, cocking his head to the side. “Would you mind taking some of the children with you?”

Cloud shook his head.

“Cool,” Nanaki said, sounding like he was testing that word. “They’ll be really excited.”

Cloud smiled.

“Thanks, Cloud,” Nanaki barked, hopping down, and raced out the door with a fiery tail wagging behind him.

He put his head down on the table and sighed. What had he gotten himself into now?

“Would you want a kid, Cloud?” Zack whispered and he could actually feel the warm breath tickling his ear. “You do know it’ll be like taking care of a second me, right?”

He chuckled and laughed out loud as he raised his head up off the table. “You were the one who was always taking care of me, dummy.”

He got up and walked back into his room to get dressed. He put on his boots and checked his voicemail. There was one message. His heart practically jumped. It was from Vincent. He suddenly blushed like a thousand pink roses. Damn, twice in one morning, too!

He simply couldn’t believe that dream he had. It had been so…erotic. He blamed it on the glazed chicken and the secwet famiwee wespee.

“Hello, Cloud. I finally got a cell phone and Yuffie gave me everybody’s number.”

Wow, he thought, the guy’s starting to catch up with the times.

“Well, I’m not sure how long to talk, so I’ll talk to you later.”

Cloud chuckled. The poor guy sounded like a nervous wreck and he had heard Yuffie snickering in the background. Was he afraid the phone would explode should he talk too long?

He could suddenly see all those rose petals and felt those strong alabaster arms wrapping themselves around him. Oh, how those seductive whispers caressed and touched him in all the right places.

He pressed a button and put the phone to his ear. It was ringing. His finger must have been bewitched.

“Hi, Vincent,” he said, feeling a little funny in the tummy. “I was just returning your call. I’m spending some time with Nanaki in Cosmo Canyon. How is everything?”

He quickly hung up. Wow, he had sounded like a moron. Vincent would probably laugh at him like he had. He slipped the phone into his pocket and went to go wash the dishes.

“If we do magically get ourselves a baby,” Zack chuckled. “We’re naming him Caz. That’s C A Z.”

Cloud smiled as he rinsed his plate. He knew exactly what those three little letters stood for. He wiped the tears away.

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The sky was so blue and the gentle rolling waves only mirrored its vast splendor. It was as though the sea and foam were singing to him.

“Hey, Cloud!” Mica called out. “Watch this!”

Cloud applauded the ten year olds giant splash. Sissy quickly followed suit, wanting him to watch her, too. They were so funny.

A warm wind blew across his face, ruffling his sun yellow hair as little Mary walked up to where he was sitting in the warm sand. She had a big smile on her tan face and she reached out with little hands, pulling on his hair.

“Ha, ha,” she squealed with laughter, letting him go, and throwing her little arms around his neck. “Your hair is like a chocobo.”

Cloud laughed, giving her a little hug, too. Zack had done the same thing to him, only he had been drunk off his ass. Aeris had always wanted to straighten his hair and braid it down his back.

“Hey, Mary!” Sissly called. “Come find some seashells with me.”

Mary pecked Cloud on the cheek and raced off. What was it with children? It was like they could tell when someone was feeling down.

“Stay where I can see you!” Cloud shouted after them. Mica raced to join them.

He got to his feet and walked out into the water to sit on a rock, letting his feet soak in the foamy surf. He leaned back, looking up at the sky.

He could hear Zack’s voice on the warm, salty wind. It was the song Zack had sung to him when he was constantly giving the poor guy the cold shoulder. He had thought his affections a cruel prank at the time. A lot of guys in SOLDIER could be cruel. They would do almost anything to get to the top. Had he been like them?

He had been so shocked when Zack had stolen the microphone and told some random person to hit the music. He was First Class, so he could do stuff like that. In that hushed moment, it had felt like someone had turned off all the lights expect for the one on Zack and the one on him. It was like they had been the only two people in the world.

I’ve been lonely
I’ve been waiting for you
I’m pretending and that’s all I can do
The love I’m sending
Ain’t making it through to your heart

He could literally hear, see, and feel it all as if it were yesterday. The only sounds had been the music, Zack’s voice, and the trembling of his own heart.

You’ve been hiding, never letting it show
Always trying to keep it under control
You got it down and you’re well
On the way to the top
But there’s something that you forgot

He was so lost in that memory and let his own voice spill like a silver spring from his lips. It was in complete and perfect harmony with the angel and the music in his reverie.

What about love
Don’t you want someone to care about you?
What about love
Don’t let it slip away
What about love
I only want to share it with you
You might need it someday

He opened his eyes, seeing that all the children were gathered around him. Their eyes were so wide and little Mary looked like she was going to break down into tears at any moment.

“Pretty,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “But, it’s so sad.”

“Oh, no,” Cloud said, smiling warmly, ruffling her wet hair. “Its not meant to be sad.”

Mica and Sissy looked at each other. They looked like they didn’t believe him.

“Really?” Mary asked.

Cloud nodded. “This song made and still makes me very happy.”

“Here,” she said, holding out her little hand. “This one is for you, Cloud.”

She placed it in his palm. It was a shiny pink shell. It was beautiful. It almost looked like a heart.

“Thank you,” he said, closing his fingers over it. “I’ll treasure this, Mary.”

She giggled and ran off with Sissy and Mica. The little shell was so warm. He watched the three of them build a sandcastle and then laughed out loud at the irony when a strong wave came out of nowhere, smashing it to bits, leaving them soaked in its salty wake. But, they didn’t give up. They just built another one at a much safer distance this time around.

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Cloud was sitting on the carved stone steps, watching the lightning dance in the distance. There were strikes of violet hues and emerald wonder. A low growl of thunder rumbled across the sky and he put his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in his palms.

The whole canyon seemed to be in an excited flurry. Tomorrow night was the Festival of the Stars and everyone had been preparing all week for it. He could smell all the food being prepared and people were putting up all manner of decorations.

It looked like the storm was being blown in another direction. So, that was good. You couldn’t have this kind of festival with bad weather.

“Vincent called me,” Nanaki said, padding down the steps to sit beside him. “He’s at the Gold Saucer, haunting the hotel. Apparently the guests can’t get enough of him.”

Cloud chuckled, checking his phone. He had one missed call. It was Vincent. Hmm, he must have been out of service range or something. Stupid cell phones and their not working all the time!

“I invited him to the festival,” he said, looking up at the sky. “He’ll be coming in tomorrow.”

Cloud nodded. Vincent was a creature of the night. This Star Festival would suit him.

“Thank you for taking the children,” Nanaki said, nudging him on the shoulder with his snout. “They really had a good time.”

Cloud smiled. “I did, too.”

“Did you really let them bury you?” He asked.

Cloud shrugged. “It seemed like a fun idea at the time.”

Nanaki shook his head, chuckling.

“Sand is still falling out of my hair,” he said, showing him. “The bed will be covered in it come morning.”

The both laughed and Nanaki told him he would see him later. Cloud watched him race off down the steps and looked back up at the passing storm.

Vincent would be here. This could get awkward. He had just had a very erotic dream about the vampire. He had never ever thought of Vincent or pictured him in a sexual manner before. It was a very nice thought and an even nicer picture.

No! He couldn’t. He wouldn’t allow it. There would never be another. He had lost Zack. He had lost Aeris. He had loved them both. His love got them killed. No! He would never ever doom another with his love.

He got to his feet and retreated inside. There were some books of Bugenhagen’s he wanted to read. He squeezed the pink shell in his palm and put it away so he could climb up the ladder.

TBC…

Please review and tell me what you think.

Flora.

Note: Song lyrics belong to HEART.