Shadows within darkness

Chapter 46

Zack hurried through the dark, moist halls of their underground estate, a system of age old catacombs underneath an abandoned graveyard. Ahead of him the flickering lights of a few candles indicated that he had almost reached his destination. He could feel his lover´s spirit, dull and black. It was so different from the usual bright blazing that scorched everything around it. Zack wasn´t sure yet what he liked better. As he reached the hall he stopped in the doorway, his brilliant eyes scanning the room.

Sephiroth crouched on the closed lid of his heavy stone coffin, moodily staring into a flickering, dying candle.

“There you are,” the vampire said affectionately, closing the distance between them. Sephiroth neither said anything nor moved, or did anything else to acknowledge Zack´s presence. But the young vampire wasn´t discouraged in the least. Well, maybe not that young, though he still looked the 17 years he´d been when he had 'died'. Sephiroth had turned him, out of a whim maybe, but since then the young man had been sticking to the noble older vampire and now he was the only one left. Ever since Lucrecia had gone Sephiroth had been melancholic, thoughtful to a point where Zack was seriously worried. His master hadn´t drunk, hadn´t left the catacombs. But then again he´d never seemed so sane and lucid in a long, long time, as if all his ire and bloody thirst for revenge had dried up.

Sighing, Zack walked up behind the man and leaned his forehead against Sephiroth´s back. He thought that he knew exactly what was going on in his Master´s glorious head; with Lucrecia gone there was no leverage he had on Valentine anymore and apparently his plane to lure Valentine´s new lover away hadn´t been fruitful.

“Maybe it´s time to let go. To find something else to do, to live for.” Maybe 'live' wasn´t the right word, but they still used it. “We could start thinking about our own future, for example.”

His resolve faltered at the last suggestion. All these many years Sephiroth hadn´t given a damn about anything but Valentine and Zack had wondered if he meant anything to his master at all. While everyone else had left the man or was abandoned Zack had done his everything to stay with him, to take care of him, to find places where they could sleep, to hide them from too curious views, to deal with the nightly necessities. There´d never been a word of gratefulness from Sephiroth, ever. Zack sighed again and drew his arms around his Master´s stiff shoulders.

“Why are you still here?”

The question startled Zack and he tensed. He hadn´t even thought that Sephiroth was listening. At least it hadn´t sounded spiteful, but calm, tired.

“I think you know, don´t you?” Zack´s blue eyes closed when he pressed his cheek against Sephiroth´s cool, silky hair.

The man didn´t reply, but Zack felt that something was about to change. He was confident.

x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x

“Mylady, it is time.”

Tifa started, her eyes finally drifting away from the porous stone monument. The rain dripped from the statues around her and the moldy wooden crosses that belonged to the peasants and lower ranked citizens. Finally she laid down her flowers before the tomb that secured the cold sleep of the last remains of the Strife family. Blinking away the tears that stung her eyes, Tifa donned a small smile to her face and looked back at the maid that held her sleeping son, a golden tuft of hair peeking from underneath the thick blanket he was wrapped in. He was such a lovely child, so silent and honest, like his father had been.

'Cloud, if only you were here to see him. I am sure you would love him with all your heart.'

She gulped down the lump that was stuck in her throat, always appearing when she came here. Cloud had been so despaired, his heart had been so broken and in the end it had killed him. He´d become so sick... But he had died peacefully at least. The day Tifa had told him that she was pregnant the light in his eyes had reappeared, and despite his advanced sickness he had smiled and laid his hand on her belly. He had made her promise to find a good husband, someone who would take care of her and the child and she had, honouring his last wish.

And she would continue to do so, raising his son into a fine young man. Standing in the rain in the freezing cold wasn´t what a good mother would do she decided and finally she turned back to the maid, taking her son and with a last look back they went home.

x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x

A few thousand miles away in an abandoned castle Lucrecia was bent over a dead body, ignoring the screams and howls from the cells in the cellar. Hojo was busy doing experiments again and she was supposed to examine the dead bodies. What had caused her to ever turn her back on this place was beyond her. This had been where she belonged all along and she was grateful that her maker had taken her back, after all.

To hell with Vincent Valentine and his sodomitical brat of a student.

x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x#x

They were silent for a while as Vincent´s last words faded away into the library. The story had taken three long nights, being only interrupted by hasty meals and the obligatory daybreaks. Now they were sitting in their chairs, each of them occupied with their own thoughts, though Vincent threw a glance at his partner occassionally. There was no sign of what Yazoo might have thought showing on his features though, so the black haired vampire could do nothing but wait.

The young man was pondering Vincent´s story for a while, then he looked up from behind his bangs, saying in a remarkably emotionless voice “I thank you for telling me.”

Vincent refrained from making a comment, but he could clearly sense his partner´s distress now. He wished that he could have spared him the painful memories of his brothers, but Yazoo had insisted.

“I will not say anything else,” Yazoo finally informed the other, knowing very well that it would pain the older vampire, as well as himself. It had been so many years since he had lost Kadaj and Loz and though it was true that time healed wounds the scars were still present, and they ached. As much as he wished that he could blame Vincent for their deaths Yazoo knew that they had had it coming. It was a miracle that they had survived for that long anyways... And now they finally rested. They were spared a life of hunger and misery, if that was anything. It probably wasn´t, but Yazoo didn´t know how else to handle the enormity of their loss. If he was to voice his feelings hurtful and unfair things would surface and now wasn´t the time for that. Some day, maybe. But not tonight.

Sighing, Vincent leaned back and looked at the ceiling, tired. “Do you wish to confirm my tale by accessing my mind now?”

The other shook his head, getting out of his seat and settling down at the other´s armrest.

Vincent pulled him close and buried his head in the curve of Yazoo´s neck, enjoying the closeness and seeking comfort in his presence. He wasn´t surprised that Yazoo declined to look inside his head; actually he had expected it. Yazoo still trusted him so much, despite his words and it made Vincent´s heart tighten a bit.

Slender fingers slowly stroked through his raven hair, as Yazoo melancholically pondered “Ill luck always comes to the wrong people, doesn´t it. I see why such things would happen to us, we played with fire. But you...”

Vincent looked up without moving his head, and answered. “Do not be mislead, I am not as pure as you may think I am.” Inwardly he was touched though. Yazoo thought so highly of him, even after all the horrid tales he had just heard. It was somewhat painful too, because Vincent knew that he didn´t deserve it. He had done so many terrible things, had made so many wrong decisions and the vampire knew that he was weak.

Yazoo just gave him a look that said otherwise and the other vampire inwardly sighed. There was no use in trying to convince his lover once he had set his mind on something. Vincent could as well have tried to talk to the wall.

But it was all right now.

They would stay together and if he was honest, despite the pain that had come with the memories again, the vampire felt kind of cleansed now. It had felt good to finally get it off his chest for the first time. There hadn´t been anyone who could have listened and the knowledge alone that there was someone who cared, made him feel free from his suffering. He needed Yazoo as badly as Yazoo needed him, maybe even more so and the boy´s conduct assured him that Yazoo would stay.

Besides, in retelling his tale, Vincent had come to recognize some important things about himself and also the relationship he´d had with Lucrecia.

One thing was that he realized now that she had never truly needed him, from the very beginning. He did not know what had led her to come close to him; maybe it had been genuine affection, but whatever it was, it had never been the desperate need for company that had driven him into her arms. She had been kind to him, his safe haven, his ray of hope, his goddess. And in his infinite devotion to her he had failed to see what creature she truly was, and that his and her desires were not compatible.

She sought knowledge over anything and at any price. All he wanted was peace of mind and a person that loved him with all his mistakes and flaws, just as he was and that he could devote his heart to in return.

“Will you stay with me?” Vincent finally asked, his grip around Yazoo´s waist tightening possessively.

Instead of answering Yazoo leaned over, taking Vincent´s face in his hands to kiss him on the lips. The other vampire hungrily kissed back, surprising the younger one with his passion. Before he knew it, Vincent had gathered him in his arms and with inhuman speed transferred them to a bedroom.

Yazoo found himself lying on a soft mattress, head resting against large cushions. In the blink of an eye Vincent had tied a silky shawl around his wrists and wrapped it around the bedpost.

“What-”

“Shhh.” Vincent silenced him with a kiss, slipping his tongue between Yazoo´s parted lips and licking over his pearly, sharp teeth. “Let me do this for you...”

Then he gently bit down Yazoo´s throat, drawing some blood and licking it away, watching his lover squirm in delight.

“Let me show you...” he muttered, kissing down Yazoo´s smooth chest, ripping his shirt open and teasing a nipple with his teeth.

“... how much...”

Yazoo moaned and bucked into Vincent´s hard body as the man assaulted his navel. Again Vincent dug his teeth into the tender flesh, piercing a vein. The little dent filled with the intoxicating red liquid and the vampire lapped it up feverishly. His fingertips glided over Yazoo´s waist and hips, slowly pulling down the waistband of his black velvet pants to reveal a rosy erection.

“...you mean to me.”

Pulling the pants down Yazoo´s ass and legs, getting rid of his boots in the process, Vincent crawled up again and pressed his bloody lips against his student´s throbbing cock. Yazoo yearned to touch as well, but then it was so good to just lay there and being spoiled. And spoiling him Vincent did; his hands and lips were everywhere, making Yazoo´s cold skin burn, his flesh stiffen, his nerves sing. The little entrance hidden between firm buttocks was puckering and craving to be touched, but Vincent was still busy with gently gnawing at Yazoo´s nipples.

“Hm, that´s quite convincing,” Yazoo moaned, bucking into the touch. It was almost unbearable, the tension and tightening, the licking and the kisses. The feverish looks that Vincent graced his naked body with... There was desire, clearly but something deeper as well. It made Yazoo feel warm beyond the delicious treatment.

“I hope it is...”

“But I am sure you can be even more... convincing,” Yazoo coyly suggested with a smirk, thrusting his pelvis up to make Vincent feel his hard flesh. The other vampire smiled back and lowered his head, fingertips stroking over the inner thighs of Yazoo´s brazenly spread legs. His wet tongue trailed over Yazoo´s prominent hipbone, before he finally flicked it over the moist head of Yazoo´s dick.

“Ah, yesss, that´s good...”

Up and down the shaft he brushed with his tongue. Then the older vampire licked his lips.

“You´re very tasty, my dear boy.” To prove his point he gripped the pulsing flesh, squeezed it and pulled back the skin to reveal the rosy glans. Then he relaxed his throat and took Yazoo in to the hilt, his nose bumping against white skin. It took Yazoo everything he had to not come right then and there, but Vincent was insistent. He hollowed his cheeks and started to suck with loud, slippery noises that accompanied his lover´s moans. Vincent´s tongue stroked over the underside of Yazoo´s erection for extra friction and fluttered his lashes as he found that Yazoo watched him.

“You look so pretty with cock in your mouth,” the young man said cockily, pushing into the warm, wet cavern. Winking, Vincent couldn´t suppress a smile but then he concentrated back on his blow job. He didn´t even still Yazoo´s sharp thrusts, but let him ruthlessly fuck his mouth, even encouraging the boy with low moans. His palms found soft balls and started to massage them, gently squeeze them and roll them around to the point where Yazoo was tossing in his bindings.

“S-stop! I´m going to cum!”

But it was too late already, as Vincent felt the warm seed spurt down his throat. He kept sucking and bobbing his head up and down with insane speed. Finally he let go with a last, long suck and licked his lips again where a bit of cum had spilled.

Yazoo pressed his warm face into the silken cushion, exhausted. “Very convincing indeed,” he sighed, closing his eyes. They flew open again when Vincent kept licking his nether regions. At the surprised look he received the older vampire chuckled.

“You didn´t think it was already over, did you?”

Clearly Yazoo had thought so.

“Why, there´s so much else I want to do with you... Since your body is so over sensitive now...” His point was proven when he spread Yazoo´s buttocks and stroked over the thin perineum with his pinky. Yazoo gasped and tried to shirk away, but Vincent wouldn´t have it.

“Ah, I know you like that... Especially when I lick you here...” Letting his words follow some actions the vampire slowly touched the hot wrinkle with the tip of his tongue, tracing around it.

Yazoo´s back arched off the mattress as he hissed, showing his teeth. “Ah, Vincent, that´s not fair! Untie me!”

“Hm, I don´t think so.” Both of them knew fully well that it was ridiculously easy for Yazoo to just get rid of the bindings, but apparently the boy didn´t really want to, and Vincent was more than thrilled to play along. “I want to make you scream,” he uttered huskily, licking wetly over the clenching entrance. His own cock was already screaming in his too tight pants, forming a visible bulge in the shape of his engorged penis. A tiny wet spot soaked through the fabric where precum was dripping from the tip.

“Now look what you have done,” the older vampire frowned, continuing his ministrations with his fingers while he opened his pants to pull out his dark veined cock, stroking it sensually and slowly for Yazoo to see.

“It´s not my fault it got so big,” Yazoo protested with almost childlike wonder but the hunger in his eyes was evident.

“Whose fault is it then?” Vincent asked, letting go of the hard organ so that it stood up proudly on itself. “You are responsible and you will have to receive your punishment.”

“Please no,” the younger vampire whispered, but couldn´t hide half a smirk. Vincent snorted and lowered his head again to unceremoniously push his tongue inside Yazoo´s ass.

“Uh, Viiiincent!” Yazoo pretended to protest, but he could feel his own cock stiffen again already. It didn´t help that his Master started to brush up and down the hardening length with his thumb to encourage the blood flow and the mind numbing pleasure. Yazoo thought he was going crazy with desire, barely able to say a coherent sentence, especially with Vincent´s tongue darting in and out of his anus. Ah dammit, he so loved being tongue fucked and Vincent did it so masterfully! And he had such a long tongue too... Feeling Vincent´s lips press against his hole and the slick muscle licking and squirming inside him Yazoo´s brain was overwhelmed with desire and lust.

“Ah, pl-please!”

At the request Vincent stopped, looking up. “Please what?” he purred, pushing two fingers inside and scissoring them.

“Please... AH!!!” His sweet spot had just been hit and Yazoo´s eyes rolled back in his head. Vincent couldn´t help himself, he had to poke the boy´s prostate right again.

“Please....?”

“Oh dammit, just fuck me already!” Yazoo couldn´t muster the patience to play games anylonger, he was seriously going insane. The level of pleasure he was experiencing right now was beyond anything he´d ever felt, even more so than feeding. Maybe it was due to the fact that his body hadn´t had a chance of coming down from his last orgasm...

“Who could resist such a request.” Vincent certainly couldn´t. Hurriedly he replaced his fingers with his cock and thrusted inside the narrow, slick channel easily until he was in balls' deep. Not only Yazoo produced a relieved sob.

A few second Vincent remained stock still, his forehead resting against Yazoo´s chest, eyes closed. There was nothing as fulfilling as being inside his lover; nothing felt more like being home. Their bodies, their minds and souls were connected, melting into one huge, pulsing organ that wildly swirled into all directions, making them dizzy.

“Move, please,” Yazoo eventually pleaded, and Vincent happily complied. He pulled out and then rammed inside, repeating the motion slowly at first, building up the already built up tension. His mouth found Yazoo´s again and as their movements became faster and frantic so did their kisses. There was blood again that made them even more dizzy, and they feverishly lapped it from their tongues, teeth, lips, chins and throats.

The slapping noises became louder and louder, as did their moans and sighs. Vincent´s balls bounced off Yazoo´s ass, his dick vanishing inside the glistening hole over and over again. At one point Vincent pulled Yazoo´s legs over his shoulders and the deepness that awaited him sucked him in, made him lose control and abandon all sense and consideration.

Eventually it was just too much and with a last few, deep jabs Vincent roared in his climax. For a moment it was as if his mind was catapulted out of his body, made a salto and then was pulled back. He could feel his seed spurt into Yazoo´s body with a force that made some of it spill over and flow down between Yazoo´s buttocks.

Yazoo´s own cum splattered partly onto his face due to his bent position and a bit of it landed on Vincent chin as well. Their hair was matted to their flushed faces, as Vincent let Yazoo´s pelvis sink down, pulling out. Effortlessly Yazoo put his arms down, not even noticing that he had ripped off the bindings and rolled into a ball, trembling, but being utterly happy. Vincent collapsed beside him and pulled him close and they shared another blood and cum flavoured tongue-kiss.

Everything was as it should be again and it would stay that way for eternity.

#Epilogue#

Somewhere on a ship a young man was leaning against the railing and looked out over the calm sea to the tiny houses and other ships that awaited them at the harbour. The sky was a dark grey and soft rain fell onto the wooden panels, dripping into the man´s collar and neck, some of it sticking to his red hair. Water underneath them, water above them... Slowly he was getting really sick of all the goddamn water! He almost couldn´t light his pipe properly anymore, and without his pipe he was impossible, really.

“Reno?”

The man didn´t turn, but inwardly groaned. “What the hell is it now, yo?” he grunted, rolling his eyes. “Ya brotha too dumb to find da scrubba 'gain?!”

“He´s no' dumb!” was the instant protest, followed by a muttered “Yest a lil slow...”

Finally the redhead turned around, facing the boy (well, young man, Reno corrected himself in his mind) that stood before him in his ragged, wet clothes that were way too short now and dirty to boot. A hand was stemmed against his hips and his soft lips were drawn into an accusing pout.

“Yeah yeah, whateva.”

Kadaj didn´t look very appeased, but at least he pushed his hair out of his face and came to stand beside Reno, looking out to the shore.

“Ya think we'll find him 'ere?”

Reno inwardly sighed and shrugged. “Dunno. I sure as hell hope so, I´m gettin' sick o' dat. Ya sure he ain´t kicked da bucket a'ready?”

“No! Loz says he can still feel 'im!” Kadaj fervently denied, shaking his head harshly. “Yazoo´s alive an we gotta find him!”

“A'right a'right, we´re gonna find him” Reno muttered when he saw the boy´s shoulders slump. He but a hand on his arm, not even sure why. Together they looked towards one of the many many harbours they frequented since years now, in search for a boy who, in Reno´s humble opinion, had been dead since over a decade now. But his brother´s hadn´t given up yet, weren´t ready to, and quite frankly Reno didn´t mind being with them. It gave his live a purpose.

“We´re gonna find him, yo.”


~end

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It´s over and done with! I can´t believe I actually finished it, sorry for the long wait >___< But I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed and enjoyed this story, it was a pleasure writing it for you!

Review replies from last chapter:

ffflove190: Yay, thank you so much! Hm, I didn´t really kill the boys off, I couldn´t XD Vincent is a liar ;) He wants to keep Yazoo all to himself and this is why he came up with this story because if he had told the truth Yazoo would surely have left him... I also included some Zack for you ;) He doesn´t end up with Cloud, but I bet he can make a happy living with Sephi now^^

Rina: Hey my dearest! I am so sorry this took me so long again >___< But it´s done now.... I think my motivation to finish this was that I read Armand the Vampire again and I found out what a giant influence it was for my story without me even noticing O.o I just love Marius and Armand together but it had been ages since I had last read the book... Anyways, I finally sat down and finished the last chapter^^ The reason Vincent didn´t tell Yazoo that he was raped was because it would have just unnecessarily upset Yazoo. There was just no point in hurting him as it did nothing to clear anything up between them... You know, you coming back to Germany was quite tempting to not finish it XDD But then I hate leaving stories unfinished, so well... *sigh* You were right about Vincent lying about Kadaj and Loz btw. Originally I had planned to write more chapters, where Yazoo finds out that they are still alive and leaves Vincent to live with them. Then Loz gets the plague and Yazoo agrees to forgive Vincent and stay with him if he turns Kadaj and Loz as well. But Reno took care of them in this one and they´re sailing the seas to find Yazoo and maybe they do some day^^ I am not a merciful author after all, I guess XD And I think (hope) that I gave all the characters that are important a closing paragraph.... so it should be more or less clear where their lives/deaths are headed^^ Thank you so much for sticking with me for so long and for all your encouragement!!! I love you! *huggles*