Family
This chapter is dedicated to our 950th reviewer:
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O R M 1 2 0
style='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'>Disclaimerstyle='mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black'>: We do not own any characters
of Final Fantasy. They are the property of Square Enix
and Sony. We do not make any money from the writing of this story
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud
W A R N I N G: This is about male
pregnancy (possibly) and male/male relationships. We are letting you know now
what the relationships WILL contain. So, if you are AGAINST such pairings, please find something else more to your liking,
you have been WARNED.
Flames will be ignored.
Special thanks to:style='color:black'> those who have read and didn’t review thanks for reading
thus far. We hope you enjoyed it.
class=GramE>oOoOoOo
Chapter 40: Who is Sephiroth?
“style='color:fuchsia'>This is Lisa Cohen, reporting
to you live from the Shina-Ra Electric Company.
In the aftermath of
what is considered to be the worse
industrial catastrophe in history, President
Rufus Shin-Ra, of the Shin-Ra Electric and Military Companies, has style='color:fuchsia'>been air-lifted
to a nearby hospital, style='color:fuchsia'>where he is being
treated for serious injuries style='color:fuchsia'>that he has sustained.
There has been no word as yet to his condition,
and none of the Board-of-Directors were available
to issue any comment.
style='color:blue'>What caused the explosionstyle='color:blue'> is still unclear, but it
is known that in just under two months, Shin-Ra has been thestyle='color:fuchsia'> repeated target of terrorists. The first attack
occurred at the military style='color:fuchsia'>facility, and many are
saying it is the work of radical militants. However,
other sources
have revealed
that former General Sephiroth may have had a hand in the deadly explosionstyle='color:fuchsia'>, though law enforcement
agents are not
commenting on thatstyle='color:blue'> at this time.
style='color:blue'>This reporter hasstyle='color:blue'> managed to get an unofficial copy of police reportsstyle='color:fuchsia'>, in which it clearly
states that three unknown assailants
could also be the ones behind these acts of
violence. Officials have not released any pictures of
the three in question, nor are they confirming
if these attacks were committed by style='color:fuchsia'>them.
style='color:fuchsia'>In this latest
assault, the electric style='color:fuchsia'>company’s medical unit
has been hit, and now
here behind me you can see the remains ofstyle='color:blue'> what use to be the President’s officestyle='color:fuchsia'>, the flames of the blast stillstyle='color:blue'> blazing high into the sky.
style='color:fuchsia'>If this latest
calamity is not a tremendous blow in itself
to the cooperate giant, stock market results
have now shown that its rival military
company, Balamb Garden, funded by Lazard
Deusericus and
affectionately known as ‘The Garden’, has been steadfastly
gaining a higher percentage rate of recruits,
including a greater number of sales, which in turn
is giving Shin-Ra a run for its money.
style='color:fuchsia'>All of this could prove to be style='color:fuchsia'>the start of Shin-Ra’s downward spiralstyle='color:fuchsia'>ing plunge of
being top dog.
Carstyle='color:fuchsia'>olyn, Dave, back to you in the studiostyle='color:fuchsia'>.”
Lying in his bed, Rufus
threw the television remote controlstyle='color:fuchsia'> away in disgust, gritting his teeth as style='color:fuchsia'>fresh pain shot up through
his broken leg at his violent movement.
Panting heavily in exertion, style='color:fuchsia'>he took in a deep breath
of calming
air, fighting the wave of nausea and dizziness
that threatened to engulf him. He needed to
keep a clear head to think carefully on who would have planted
Sephiroth’s name as the bomber. He knew that Sephiroth
didn’t do it, becausestyle='color:blue'> it was below the gstyle='color:blue'>eneral’s standardsstyle='color:blue'> to carry out suchstyle='color:blue'> underhanded tactics. No,
Sephiroth would go in all gun’s blazing, as it were. He wouldn’t hide behind
smoke and fire.
So if his ex-general hadn’t
caused the explosion, that meant someone else was responsible, and tstyle='color:blue'>he only one’s to come to mind were the board members. One of
them was the traitor. style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>Hell… it could be all of them, style='color:fuchsia'>Rufus musedstyle='color:fuchsia'> to himself, closing his eyes and gripping the bed
sheet’s as he fought to keep the pain at bay.
If he
werestyle='color:blue'> to place a very large wager, he would put his money on
Scarlet—she was too much of a fan about blowing things up,style='color:fuchsia'> and Rufus knew of the
obsession she held for Sephiroth.style='color:blue'> Sephiroth thoughstyle='color:blue'>, like the good SOLDIER
he was, had
politely told her to go suck someone else’s
dick when she had propositioned him, telling
her that he would rather drink rat poison than
sleep with her. Scarlet had style='color:blue'>taken a deepstyle='color:blue'> offense to his rejectionstyle='color:blue'>, telling Sephiroth that he would regret not accepting her
gracious offer.
But Rufus had to be realistic and honest with himselfstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and face the fact that Scarlet wasn’t the only style='color:black'>suspect. There style='color:black'>was also class=SpellE>Hojo. The man had gone secretive ever since hestyle='color:fuchsia'> had been told to release the style='color:fuchsia'>general. And since the secondstyle='color:fuchsia'> attack at the facility,
there was no telling where that snake could have slithered off to.
Then there was Deusericusstyle='color:fuchsia'>, Rufus reasoned. He
had met the man once for a meeting, style='color:blue'>and afterwards they hadstyle='color:blue'> communicated onlystyle='color:blue'> via satellite, because
Rufus didn’t like him. He reminded
Rufus too much of his own father—arrogant,
self assured, and with an ego as big as the
planet. And all
of those traits were ones that Rufus had
tried desperately to filter out of his own personality, though it seemed that with
the recent disaster at the Northern Crater,
Rufus was very much his father’s son.
However, the explosion at
Shin-Ra, and who had caused it, wasn’t
really what concerned style='color:fuchsia'>Rufus, it was just something he used as an excuse to not
think about what was really tearing his heart out…Tseng and Elenastyle='color:fuchsia'>. They were both
missing.
Reno style='color:fuchsia'>had barely managed to come back style='color:fuchsia'>safely with the secured item style='color:blue'>from the Northern Crater.
But the startling news he had style='color:blue'>imparted had
unsettled Rufus…
“We were attacked,
sir,” the young red head said grimly when he had
come into the hospital room to make his report.
“By
who?” Rufus askedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, his eyes darting
back and forth every few seconds from his closed door to the Turk, as if he was
waiting for someone else to come through and
visit him.
“Itstyle='color:fuchsia'> all happened so quickly, sirstyle='color:fuchsia'>. I’m sure it was
two, possibly
three, assailants that
ambushed us as soon as I landed to pick up
Tseng and Elena,” Renostyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> nervously replied.
“Did you retrieve the
relic?” Rufus asked.
“Yes, sirstyle='color:fuchsia'>,” Renostyle='color:fuchsia'> answered, swiftly handing
Rufus a small black rectangular case.
“And
what of Tseng and Elena? Where
are they? They should have been here by now.” Rufus
noticed the guilty look that settled
on the Turk’s boyish features and it causstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed him to worry. “What’s
happened?!”
“They… they didn’t
make it, sir,” style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Renostyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> whisperedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, his head bowing.
style='color:fuchsia'>The next few
minutes of Rufus’ life were a blur. He wouldstyle='color:fuchsia'> never be able to recall how
he had gotten up out ofstyle='color:fuchsia'> the bed, nor
would he be able to explain how he had managed
to get to the door with such a severely
damaged leg. But he had
done, and it had taken all his
physician’s skills and powers tostyle='color:fuchsia'> drag Rufus back to the bed, to heavily sedate him
to keep him from repeating his reckless actionstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and warning him that he would be walking on a
cane for the rest of his life if he didn’t keep off
the damaged limb. As it was, Rufus just had
to accept being confined to a
wheelchair until his leg healed. Rufus had fought
against the words of wisdom, and the drugs, until his body yielded and he could
fight no more, slumping back against in the pillows, his face contorted in
grief and anger.
Renostyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> couldn’t
understand why the President would be this upset over the loss of his head
bodyguards. They all knew the risks involved
with being a Turk.
Yes, without a doubt Tseng and Elena
would be missed—but death was a constant companion to a Turk, which was why it
was advised not to get too deeply involved
with anyone. For this reason alone, style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Renostyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> hadn’t taken his relationship any further
with the adorable Wutai princessstyle='color:fuchsia'>. He knew if anything happened to him, sure people would
be upset about it. Rufus however, looked
absolutely devastated…
And he was… Rufus felt as if hisstyle='color:fuchsia'> very soul had been torn
asunder, ststyle='color:fuchsia'>ruckstyle='color:fuchsia'> from his heart, and there was nothing he could do about
it, being forced to lstyle='color:fuchsia'>ie up in bed for a few days at Healin
Lodge with no word of his lover—his pregnant lover.
Rufus gave a dejected sigh. He could
hear the soft giggles of his young son, andstyle='color:fuchsia'> the playful growling of the six-month old
Dalmatian pup two rooms over from his. How was he going to tell class=SpellE>Tsume that his mother was dead? That his mother was never
coming home again? This was something Rufus couldn’t handlestyle='color:fuchsia'>, didn’t want to face, and something he wasn’t coping
well with.
No matter how many different ways he analystyle='color:fuchsia'>zed the situation, no matter how many angles he
approached the problem from, the results
were always the same…
he had knowingly sent his lover and unborn
child on a dangerous mission, and it had been
a mission that Tseng did not want any part of.
Rufus was responsible for their
deaths…..
class=GramE>oOoOoOo
CRASH!
Another piece of fine crystal had been thrownstyle='color:fuchsia'> violently against the
walls of the dining hall by Lady Deusericus.
She was frustrated and angry, simply because
none of her eggs were taking to the breeder’s womb. And on top of style='color:fuchsia'>this sense of failure, the little blond bastard style='color:fuchsia'>had managed to capture her husband’s eyestyle='color:fuchsia'> during his stay. Cloud had
been residing in Quistis’ household for nearly two
months now, and there was style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>still no resulted pregnancy!
“Grrh!
What the hell is that quack doing? Quistis fumedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, taking up yet another piece of luckless china. She
wanted the boy gone from her life.
“Calm down,” another female voice chimed instyle='color:fuchsia'>. The woman sounded bored
as she sat filling her nails to perfection,
and she took no heed of the newly shattering glass as she style='color:fuchsia'>kept her focus on her nails, trying to decidstyle='color:fuchsia'>e on what color polish she wanted to paint them.
“That’s easy for you to say,
Rinoa, you can have a baby any time you and Irvine
are ready,” Quistis
replied hotly, kicking out viciously at a
piece of furniture. She was at a loss over
what to do about her current situation—her husband
was actually lusting after Cloud.
On numerous occasions, class=SpellE>Lazard had attempted to
reassure her that Cloud meanstyle='color:fuchsia'>t nothing to him, that
the petite blond was only a means to begetting
them a child. But
now, Quistis wasn’t so positive. style='color:fuchsia'>She had seen the way her husband eyed the boy. Had heard
the way he spoke about him. What if Dr. Kadowstyle='color:red'>aki came to
them and said that the artificial
insemination wasn’t working for Gaia knstyle='color:fuchsia'>ew whatever
reason, and that Lazard,
her beloved, would have to style='color:fuchsia'>actually start sleeping
with the surrogate bitch? Quistis didn’t know if her
heart could handle such a thing as her husband lying with style='color:fuchsia'>any another…
let alone a male.
In all of her life, class=SpellE>Quistis had never faced
anything as hurtful or humiliating as being a
woman and wife who was not style='color:fuchsia'>able to conceive. Tseng, she thought with malice. She would get even with that Turk.
He had a dead-shot aim, and that single
bullet he had fired at her had changed her
life—forever.
Pulling out of her murderous thoughts for the time beingstyle='color:fuchsia'>, Quistis askedstyle='color:fuchsia'> the other woman, “Have you talked with class=SpellE>Selphie yet, class=SpellE>Riona? Zell’s been a righteous
pain-in-the-ass.”
“Hmm, now that you come to
mention it, I haven’t talked to her since
Squall sent her on that mission to infiltrate Shin-Ra,” the dark headed female style='color:fuchsia'>answered, stressing
now as she began thinking about their friend.
Hopefully, Selphie was okay. Irvine
wouldn’t tell her anything, even if she asked, as
he was just as stressed as Quistis
after his meeting with Seifer
and Squall last night, so class=SpellE>Riona put style='color:fuchsia'>the negative thought out her mind in favor of admiring
the soft pink shade of polish she had just
applied.
“Squall’s been so secretive—I doubt Seifer
even knows,” Quistis responded, almost talking to herself.
Riona knew better style='color:fuchsia'>than to engage Quistis in a
deep and meaningful conversation when she had a bad temper about her, and
she wasn’t about to open her mouthstyle='color:fuchsia'> now and try. Instead, she just made light of the
situation. “That would be a first,”style='color:fuchsia'> she jested.
Both girls laughstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed at the boy’s
expense, and the lighter atmosphere liftstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed Quistisstyle='color:fuchsia'>’ foul mood, if only temporarstyle='color:fuchsia'>ily.
class=GramE>oOoOoOo
A door openedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, causing a small gush of
air to blstyle='color:fuchsia'>ow in style='color:fuchsia'>through the mediocre sizestyle='color:fuchsia'>d bedroomstyle='color:fuchsia'> where Cloud was lying style='color:fuchsia'>face down on style='color:fuchsia'>a comfortable mattressstyle='color:fuchsia'>, fightingstyle='color:fuchsia'> yet another bout of
nausea. The meds and injections he was being
subjected to were wrecking havoc on his bodystyle='color:fuchsia'>. It wasstyle='color:fuchsia'>n’t anything that he
couldn’t handle—he just needed time to recover
between doses. By the next eveningstyle='color:fuchsia'>, he style='color:fuchsia'>knew he would be well
enough to at least sit uprstyle='color:red'>ight without having his
head spin crazily all the time.
Opening his closed eyes, his gstyle='color:red'>lossed over azure orbs spotted a pair of jean covered thighsstyle='color:fuchsia'> standing by the bed, style='color:fuchsia'>and Cloud managed to turn his face upwards to see who it
was for a few seconds, before sticking his head
back into the handy placed style='color:red'>garbage bin to puke some
more.
Now, what?style='color:red'> Cloud thought in his misery, not wanting to move from the
relaxed position he was in. He had just
virtually emptiedstyle='color:red'> his insides again as style='color:red'>the room began to swim
with that sickening see-sawing motionstyle='color:fuchsia'> he’d come to hate. How much longer did he have to stay style='color:red'>here?style='color:red'> He’d been held captive for farstyle='color:red'> longer than he wanted,
and still with no resultstyle='color:fuchsia'>ing pregnancystyle='color:fuchsia'>. Not thstyle='color:fuchsia'>at he was surprisedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, for Professor class=SpellE>Hojo had style='color:red'>clearly stated that Sephiroth was the only man that could style='color:fuchsia'>ever impregnate him. style='color:fuchsia'>And thinking of his husband, Cloud groaned in misery.
“Hey, are you okay?” a concerned
voice asked the ill looking blondstyle='color:red'>.
“What do you care?style='color:fuchsia'>” Cloud demanded, style='color:fuchsia'>not even bothering to lift his head from the vomit filled
bucket. “It’s
not like you’re going to help me get home to my
daughter, my friends… to Sephiroth,style='color:red'>” he astyle='color:red'>dded qstyle='color:red'>uietly.style='color:red'>
The two
men that had come into Cloud’s room remained
silent, not really knowing how to answer back
to the captive. Eventually though, one of them became impatient.style='color:red'>
“Just get the fuckin’
questions out the way, Commander, so we can leave chocobostyle='color:fuchsia'> here to his beauty rest,”
his gruff
sounding voice barked.
“Quiet, Seiferstyle='color:fuchsia'>,” the other man reprimanded. “style='color:red'>We need his cooperation,style='color:red'> and we’re not going to
get it withstyle='color:red'> you insulting him!style='color:red'>”
Seiferstyle='color:red'> backed off, grabbing a chair at the table, style='color:fuchsia'>sitting down upon it with a style='color:red'>grumbledstyle='color:red'>, “Sorry.”
“Ask what you came here forstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and leave,” Cloud hissed
out at them in
pain.
“Your sword,” Squall simply stated.
“What about it?” Cloud snapped, his
voice higher than normal, his attention
still focused on the bucket below him. He didn’t
care that he was being rude, hstyle='color:red'>e just wanted the drugs to work their way out of his systemstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and that wstyle='color:fuchsia'>asn’t going to happen if
he didn’t get any sleep.
“Where did you get it?”
Silence followed the question.
“See, Princess, I told you we’re
wasting our
time with this,style='color:red'>” Seiferstyle='color:fuchsia'> drawled, preparing to stand back up.
“It was a gift from my mentor,”
Cloud answered after what seemed style='color:red'>long agonizing minutes.
Cobalt eyes widenstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed a fraction. Squall style='color:fuchsia'>hadn’t really expectstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed to receive a reply, and
before he
knew it he was hit with another surprise, asstyle='color:red'> the boy just opened up to
him and talked.
“Zack gave me my very own sword for
keeping up with my SOLDIER training. Sephiroth shstyle='color:red'>ould have been therestyle='color:red'> to present it to me,style='color:red'> but… Sstyle='color:red'>ome thingsstyle='color:red'> just don’tstyle='color:red'> work out how we want them tostyle='color:red'>,” Cloud said to the two
men, though mostly it appeared as if he were speaking to
himself.
“Shit, you mean Sephiroth as instyle='color:fuchsia'>, General Sephiroth? class=SpellE>Seifer asked warily,
leaning forward in his seat.
“Yeah, who else do you know named
Sephiroth?”
Cloud smartly replied, finally lifting his
head up, showing off his agitated face.
“Why you little snot,” class=SpellE>Seifer hotly shot back, quickly getting out of his seatstyle='color:fuchsia'> and crossing the room with intentionsstyle='color:red'> to hit Cloud.
“class=SpellE>Seifer, no!” Squall
ordered, but style='color:fuchsia'>his words were uttered too
late to stop his quick temperedstyle='color:red'> lover. He looked
fearfully over at the two men, expecting to see Cloud’s head reeling from a
backhanded blow. However, Squall was style='color:fuchsia'>struck motionless at the
scene playing out in front of his eyes.
Seiferstyle='color:fuchsia'>’s facestyle='color:red'> was mere centimeters awaystyle='color:red'> from the little blonde’s fist.style='color:red'> Cloud’s other fist was style='color:red'>closestyle='color:red'>, but not quite style='color:red'>connecting,style='color:red'> to Seifer’s exposed abdomen. style='color:fuchsia'>The boy was leaning menacingly over his would be
attacker, his arms ready to strike and pummel if provoked any further.
style='color:red'>Unbelievable, when did the boy move? style='color:fuchsia;mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Squall asked himself.style='color:fuchsia'>
“Shit! How in the hell did you do
that?” Seifer gasped,
backingstyle='color:red'> off; unsettled by the super speed Cloud style='color:fuchsia'>had displayedstyle='color:fuchsia'>. It didn’t seem possible that he should be able to do
that, especially seeing that the boy was laying
up deathly ill not too long ago, unless
maybe the kid was
faking his
sickness, he reasoned.
“Is there anything else in
particular that you gentlemen wanted to know?” Cloudstyle='color:fuchsia'> asked tiredly, lying back down on his mattress. Hestyle='color:red'> was fed-up with their
company, and wanted themstyle='color:fuchsia'> gone.
“Yeah, tell us the real reason why
you haven’t gotten pregnant yet,” Squall inquiredstyle='color:red'>.
class=GramE>oOoOoOostyle='color:red'>
Sighing was not something style='color:fuchsia'>that Aerith did style='color:fuchsia'>very often and when she
did do itstyle='color:fuchsia'>, it wasstyle='color:fuchsia'> normally for a perfectly
good reason. She’dstyle='color:red'> just creptstyle='color:red'> out of Cid’s bedroom, style='color:fuchsia'>and was now sitting
tiredly at the samestyle='color:red'> table asstyle='color:red'> Tifa, who was sitting withstyle='color:fuchsia'> Cloud’s sleeping baby
cradled to her chest. The pstyle='color:red'>oor little style='color:red'>thing had beenstyle='color:red'> up all night, again,
though she wasn’t alone in having restless nights as nstyle='color:red'>ow,style='color:red'> with Sephiroth and Zack gone, the lack of sleep was catching
up to Aerith toostyle='color:red'>.
“Well… how’s he doing?” class=SpellE>Tifa asked her friend
quietly as she slowly rocked Stephanie to keep
her in slumber. Estyle='color:red'>verystyle='color:red'> so often she would pat the baby’s bottomstyle='color:fuchsia'> gently, or rub her legstyle='color:fuchsia'> with a finger in the
familiar way that Cloud would do. It seemed
to be working, so far.
“Daddy said thatstyle='color:fuchsia'>, physicallystyle='color:fuchsia'>, Cid is fine, but
mentally…” Aerith sighed again.
“What? Cid’s
cracked? That’s not possible,” the martial artist argued. “I meanstyle='color:fuchsia'>, style='color:fuchsia'>he’d have had to go
through something traumatic to lose his mindstyle='color:red'>, right? And as I remember, nothing traumatizing has happened
to him.”
“We don’t know style='color:fuchsia'>what style='color:fuchsia'>it is that’s caused him to
be in this state, Tifa,style='color:red'>” Aerith argued. “But,
we’re all worried about him again.”
“He was doing better once Sephiroth
and Vincent got back,” Tifa
observed, brushing a soft kiss against the crown of the still sleeping childstyle='color:red'>. “style='color:red'>You don’t think thatstyle='color:red'>, by them departing again,
Vincent’s absence has anything to do with it?”
“Maybe…” Aerith was a little
hesitant to say more.
“You know somethingstyle='color:fuchsia'>! What?” class=SpellE>Tifa prodded, her eyes
opening wide. “Come
on Aerith, you know you can’t keep secrets from me.”
“Okay, but you have to promise not
to tell another living soul,” Aerith
pressed.
“I promise,” Tifa
swore solemnly.
Looking around the room as if to
make certain they were alone, Aerith lowered her voice and whispered, style='color:red'>“Did you know that Cid and Vincent were… um… involved?”
Tifastyle='color:red'> blinked several times. Her mind style='color:fuchsia'>had processed the questionstyle='color:fuchsia'> that Aerith had posed,
but in her reality it just style='color:red'>wasn’t possible for those two
to be a couple. She style='color:fuchsia'>stifled a giggle, not wantstyle='color:fuchsia'>ing the baby to wake.
“Vincent and Cid?style='color:red'> Come on, Aerith, think about itstyle='color:fuchsia'>,” Tifa retorted. “style='color:red'>What do those two have in common, besides being a pain in
each other’s necks? They bitch and argue and
fight all the time.”
“Tifa, I’m
serious.”
“So am I, Aerith. You style='color:fuchsia'>don’t honesty believe that
Vincent and Cid are lovers, do you?”
“I see no reason for them not to be.
Besides, haven’t you noticedstyle='color:red'> where Vincent has beenstyle='color:red'> sleeping? And if that’s not enough proof for you, then maybe
you should try cleaning Cid’s room, like I did the
other day,” Aerith said before realizing she
had said too much. Clamping her lips together she was determined that sstyle='color:red'>he wasn’t going any further
with what she knew, even though her face was flushedstyle='color:fuchsia'> with the memory of that revealing encounterstyle='color:red'>…
style='color:red'>Aerith had been goingstyle='color:red'> about her daily chores,style='color:red'> taking care of Cid as she’dstyle='color:red'> always done in the morning.
She would stop by
and pay a visit to his cabinstyle='color:fuchsia'>, just to make sure that
the pilot ate and showered. Sometimes sstyle='color:red'>he cleaned his bedroom andstyle='color:red'> changedstyle='color:red'> the bed linen, pstyle='color:red'>icking up various items that somehow ended on the floorstyle='color:fuchsia'>, andstyle='color:fuchsia'> she would occasionally
dust and polish, trying to make sure his
room was always airy and bright.
style='color:red'>The morning following Vincent and Sephiroth’s return, Aerith style='color:fuchsia'>had thought nothing style='color:fuchsia'>was out of the ordinarystyle='color:fuchsia'>… until shestyle='color:fuchsia'> had walked into class=SpellE>Cid’s bedstyle='color:red'>room and had found tstyle='color:red'>here, much to her shock
and surprise, Vincentstyle='color:fuchsia'>, lyingstyle='color:fuchsia'> asleep in the pilot’s bedstyle='color:fuchsia'>. He was resting on his
stomach, his obviously naked form style='color:red'>partially covered with a sheet, style='color:fuchsia'>his long shimmering black
hair fanned out across his back. She couldn’t see his fstyle='color:fuchsia'>ront, and she was thanking
Gaia for that small mercy. The other half of
the bed was rumpled, but empty, which meant that Cid was probably in the bathroom,
though Aerith wasn’t going to stick around to
find out.
style='color:red'>As carefully and as quietly as she could, style='color:fuchsia'>she made her retreatstyle='color:fuchsia'> and had almost made it out of the bedroom when she had
been stopped by…style='color:red'>
style='color:red'>“Don’t you know that istyle='color:red'>t’s impolite to stare?style='color:red'>”
style='color:red'>Vincent’s sleep groggy voice rushed through her earsstyle='color:fuchsia'>, making her stop in her tracksstyle='color:red'>. style='color:red'>Oh, this is so wrong, she thought. And style='color:fuchsia'>as if her morning couldn’t
get any worse, the door to the bathroom suddenly
opened, andstyle='color:red'> a totally bare Cid stood
there, looking at her with a quizzical expression upon his facestyle='color:red'>. What was a girl to do in her position?
style='color:fuchsia'>Aerith style='color:green'>squealed in style='color:green'>alarm, andstyle='color:red'> then shestyle='color:red'> fainted.
style='color:red'>When shestyle='color:red'> came to, Aerithstyle='color:red'> found herself resting on the chaisestyle='color:red'> lounge in Cid’s sestyle='color:fuchsia'>ating areastyle='color:fuchsia'>, andstyle='color:fuchsia'> her eyes were greeted style='color:fuchsia'>by Vincent and Cidstyle='color:fuchsia'> standing before her, both nowstyle='color:red'> fully dressed. Cid,style='color:red'> for the most part,style='color:red'> looked much better than
he had the last few days—it wasstyle='color:fuchsia'> almost as if he hadn’t
been ill at all.
style='color:red'>“Aerith, are you all right?” Vincent askedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, genuinely concerned
about his friend. He’dstyle='color:red'> detected a sweet lavender scent style='color:fuchsia'>about her when hestyle='color:fuchsia'>’d carried her to the
chair. Chaos,
panting slightly, hadstyle='color:red'> stated that she was breeding with her mate, but Vincentstyle='color:fuchsia'> had simply tuned the beast
out as it was purring softly at the mere mention ofstyle='color:fuchsia'> the word mate, sostyle='color:fuchsia'> decided it was best not
to accept the creature’s word.
style='color:red'>“I’m fine… I’m just…” Aerithstyle='color:red'> was stumbling over her words.
style='color:red'>“Wouldstyle='color:red'> it make you feel better if I told you that style='color:fuchsia'>this isn’t just a one off thing? That style='color:red'>Cid and I are romantically involved?” Vincent offered. style='color:fuchsia'>
style='color:red'>“No, I mean, yes… Sstyle='color:red'>hoot. I don’t know what Istyle='color:red'> mean,” Aerith blustered.
“Vincent, I know
and trust you,style='color:red'> and there’s no waystyle='color:red'> you wouldstyle='color:red'> do anything to hurt Cid, just…style='color:red'> take care of him, okay,” Aerith repliedstyle='color:fuchsia'> lowering her head to look at the floorstyle='color:red'>, still a little flustered at the situation she found herself
in.
style='color:red'>“Sure thing, Aerith,” Vincent answered. style='color:fuchsia'>And evenstyle='color:fuchsia'> though she couldstyle='color:fuchsia'>n’t see it,style='color:fuchsia'> Aerith could tell that
the ex-Turk was smiling down at herstyle='color:red'>.
style='color:red'>“Well, if you two are finished, I would like to go bed style='color:fuchsia'>back to bed and get somestyle='color:fuchsia'> more sleep,” Cid suddenly
piped up, giving a knowing look and a wink
at Vincent,
which clearly told the black haired man that sleep was the last thing on his style='color:red'>lover’s mind.style='color:red'>
style='color:red'>Aerith made to stand up,style='color:red'> but another bout of dizzinessstyle='color:red'> attacked her and she
swooned back down.
style='color:red'>“Maybe you should go to the med-lab, Aerith,” Cid saidstyle='color:fuchsia'> a little ruefully,
grabbing a cancer stick from behind his ear
and inserting it between his lips. “Come on,
I’ll escort you,style='color:red'>” he gallantly offered.
style='color:red'>“No, I’m fine, Cid. Really, I can make it on my ownstyle='color:fuchsia'>,” Aerith argued. “Besides,
you shouldn’t be running around the ship…you’re
not well. I’ll go, promise,” she saidstyle='color:fuchsia'>, slowly style='color:fuchsia'>standing back up again and making her way to leave the roomstyle='color:red'>.
style='color:red'>“Aerith?”
style='color:red'>“Yes, Cid?”
style='color:red'>“You sure you’re style='color:red'>okay with this?style='color:red'>” Cid asked,style='color:red'> motioning between himself and Vincent.
style='color:red'>“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t be?” style='color:fuchsia'>And with that as her
parting words, Aerith hadstyle='color:red'> left the twostyle='color:red'> lovers.
So Aerith had relented, and thestyle='color:red'> information she had just
revealed rattled Tifa
somewhat. style='color:fuchsia'>The dark haired girl had sat there holding the sleeping
baby, listening to everything that Aerith said, but she still style='color:red'>couldn’t believestyle='color:red'> that her friends were being
intimate
together. When hadstyle='color:red'> that come about? To her, Vincent seemed tostyle='color:fuchsia'>o anti-social to have a
lover,
especially someone as brash as Cid.
Well, anything was possiblestyle='color:fuchsia'>, Tifa mentally shrugged. After
all, if Cloud and Sephiroth could make it work,
why not Cid and Vince?
class=GramE>oOoOoOostyle='color:red'>
“Squall, style='color:fuchsia'>walking up and down and wearing
a hole in the goddamn carpet isn’t going to change our situation,” class=SpellE>Seifer said in a surly
voice.
Pausing mid-step, Squall glared at his
partner. “Lazard knewstyle='color:red'> who that boy wasstyle='color:red'>, yet he still had us nab him!”
“Calm down, Squally-boy. Okay, so we
got the kid. Who’s to say that he’s telling the truth?”
Cobalt eyes narrowed on the blondstyle='color:fuchsia'> facing him. “What do you
mean by that, Sei?”
“From what we’ve learned so far
about this Sephiroth characterstyle='color:red'>, it seemsstyle='color:red'> that every young punk idolizesstyle='color:red'> him. So… why would this kid be any different?” style='color:fuchsia'>
“We can’t style='color:fuchsia'>take that type of chance, class=SpellE>Seifer.”
“But all we hastyle='color:fuchsia'>ve to go on istyle='color:fuchsia'>s the kid’s word. If he style='color:fuchsia'>is with the Generalstyle='color:fuchsia'>, then I firmly believe
that the man would
have come for
his little
princess by now.” Seifer negatively shook his headstyle='color:fuchsia'> as he crossed the room and went tostyle='color:red'> stand nextstyle='color:red'> to the smaller male. “Listen;
let’s play along with the kid’s game. I style='color:fuchsia'>doubt what he saystyle='color:fuchsia'>s is true—class=SpellE>Lazard would have said something before sending us on a
suicide mission. You know style='color:red'>I love danger, darlin’, but I’m not
stupid.”
Reluctantly, Squalstyle='color:fuchsia'>l agreedstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and he didn’t argue any morestyle='color:red'> as he was beingstyle='color:red'> pulled into Seifer’s gentlstyle='color:fuchsia'>e embracestyle='color:fuchsia'>. He reachstyle='color:fuchsia'>ed up to cup the other’s
face and watched as fstyle='color:red'>ire danced in aquamarine orbs—a side effect of merging with
the fire demon, Ifrit.
“I know that I don’t say it enough,
my lion, but know I love you,” Seifer tenderly
voiced, bending to capture Squall’s style='color:red'>slightly parted lips with his own.
Putting his worries out of style='color:fuchsia'>his head for the night,
Squall gave in to the demands of his persistent loverstyle='color:fuchsia'>, and he began to return the kiss with class=SpellE>ardour.
class=GramE>oOostyle='color:red'> TBC oOo
A/N: How was that? Hopefully, this
chapter answered some questions. I don’t know about any of you but I loved the
scene where Aerith finds out about Cid and Vin. Hmm,
does anyone know what Cloud told Squall and Seifer?
Don’t know? Well, stay tuned for the next chapter to find out.
Nemesis & Mitts
class=GramE>oOoOostyle='color:red'> Teaser for Chapter 41 oOoOo
“Timing, Princess, you gots to
work on your timing,” Seifer grunted out.
“Sephiroth, I presume?” Squall inquired.
“You presume correctly, underling. Now, since your lover
refused to answer my question maybe you can oblige me—where is Cloud?”
