Taming the Fates Amidst Chaos

'Internal thought'

'CHAOS SPEAKING'

~ (Time and/or story focus shift)

Chapter 7

Yazoo looked up from the cot as the sound of familiar footsteps entered the room. Pale eyebrows rose as he took in his brother's new clothes. Loz grinned and held his arms out, "Look good brother?"

The younger brother smirked before taking a look of boredom and shrugging his shoulder. A look of dismay crossed the large fighter's face and Yazoo had to grin. "If I had told you right away your head would have gotten too big."

"Hmm, that would be a problem wouldn't it, LITTLE brother?" Loz teased.

A subtle shift of red brought Yazoo's attention to the man behind his brother, humor quickly fading into a familiar blank mask. He allowed himself freedom of expression around Loz but was not sure of the other gunman's intentions still.

The older Remnant noticed the change and nodded his understanding as he walked over to his cot and lay down. A minor amount of irritation showed as steel bindings closed over him, but Loz was aware that this would have to remain until Vincent trusted them. He turned his head to smirk at his younger brother, "Your turn, Yazoo. Although, it seems Uncle Vincent likes to watch us bathe as well. Give him a good show!"

Yazoo merely smirked at his brother's taunt but his cat-like eyes were fixed on what he could see of Vincent's face. Very little appeared in those beautiful eyes but the marksman was almost positive he saw a slight blush on those pale cheeks. He glanced back to Loz for a moment then turned to leave the cell for the first time in three days.

~

Yazoo was silent as he turned on the shower. Though his body felt the relief of warmth, his mind was tense and worried. Something had happened when Loz and Vincent had been up here, that much he knew. He glanced over at the silent figure leaning against the door before speaking, "Loz said the two of you talked while he was here."

A dark eyebrow raised, "I heard no such thing from him."

"He and I don't always talk in words. We know each other so well we don't have to."

"Hm," Vincent nodded, storing the information away.

"He said that you had a question for me?"

Vincent paused for a moment to think about it before speaking, "Loz told me that he had been named a failure by the scientists and said that you were too."

"Ah, and you wanted to know why right?" Yazoo met the gunman's gaze, anger and shame lighting his eyes.

"Only if you want to tell me."

The young Remnant seemed to think it over before dropping his head and sighing, "I don't talk about it much. Do you know what its like, wanting nothing more than their approval, that way, maybe the pain will stop?" Seeing the dark haired man nod, he continued, "I was only seven when they officially declared it. I believe the terms they used were physically oversensitive and stunted muscular growth. Basically my body reacted too strongly to stimulus and I did not have the physical strength they required for their more successful experiments. I assume their standards were set by our oldest brother."

"Sephiroth?"

Yazoo nodded, his eyes closing as the pain of the memories began to resurface, "Once I was named a failure, I became little more than a lab rat. Loz and I were both subjected to treatments that Kadaj was not because they wanted to make sure it wouldn't kill the more successful clone. It was humiliating, particularly when the scientists used us to simply sate their desires." He wrapped his arms around himself as he felt his body begin to tremble.

Without Mother's voice soothing and emptying his mind of all thoughts, the old nightmares were returning. As the fear started to slowly eat into him, Yazoo frantically searched for that empty peace he always fell to. When he couldn't find it, another memory began to slowly drift into focus. A soft melody, sung by a woman's voice, began to chase away the pain and fear. It was an old memory, something that had been there when he was young, but Mother had made him forget. Now he clung to the soft notes, humming the melody since he did not know the words.

Vincent's eyes were closed as well, unaware of the trembling that had gone through the young Remnant. His own memories of torture and experiments echoed so closely to Yazoo's, he couldn't help but feel the same fear. A soft sound brought his attention back to the present but he remained frozen as the notes drifted across the room. It had been so long, over thirty years, but he remembered it as though it was yesterday. 'Lucrecia's lullaby! She used to sing it to herself when she was pregnant with Sephiroth.' As the melody drifted through his memory, he found himself singing the nearly forgotten words.

On the Angel's wings
Soft and full and white
I will carry you
On and through the night

Fear not the darkness
My dearest son so pure
Here I will remain
My love strong and sure

When fear finds you alone
Remember these simple things
My love and voice will come
On the Angel's wings

Vincent's eyes remained closed for a moment before he realized the melody had gone silent.

"Vincent?"

"Hm?" The gunman opened his eyes to the questioning tone. Blue-green locked with scarlet as Yazoo gaped in disbelief, fear, and perhaps a small amount of hope. "How do you know that song? I have heard the melody in my mind since before I can remember but never the words. No one else heard it, not even Loz or Kadaj."

"A memory's memory," Vincent replied with a soft and sad smile. "It is probably something you inherited from Sephiroth. His mother sang it to him before he was born."

"Mother?"

The gunman shook his head, "No, not her. It is something I will try to explain later." He heard a frustrated sigh from the Remnant. "I promise, I won't hide it from you. This is just not the right time."

Yazoo nodded his understanding, then glanced at the other man's face, "Vincent?"

"Hm?"

"You...you're crying?"

Scarlet eyes widened as he raised the back of his human hand to his face. The glistening wetness on the black leather surprised him and he turned away from the young marksman. He hadn't cried for a very long time, tears were simply a weakness in the labs.

Vincent was so furious with himself for getting so caught up in the memory, he didn't pay attention to the wet footsteps approaching him. His back stiffened in surprise when a pair of damp, pale arms wrapped around his chest and Yazoo leaned against him. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the running shower, then the younger man softly whispered, "Thank you."

Vincent moved out of the embrace, giving Yazoo a questioning look. "Why are you thanking me for reminding you of your pain?"

Wet, silver locks swayed as the Remnant shook his head, "No, I am thanking you for telling me the words to the song. It has always felt half finished and now it is complete. It keeps the pain away."

The gunman just shook his head in disbelief and then raised an eyebrow as he took the time to actually look at Yazoo. The younger man noticed the look, then glanced down at soap and dripping water on himself, "Guess I will have to dry the floor when I'm done." A familiar mischief lit his eyes as he looked back at damp spots on Vincent's cloak, "Since you're all wet again, care to join me?"

The ex-Turk frowned and shoved him towards the running shower, but Yazoo was sure he saw a light amusement in the older man's gaze. 'Maybe this was good for both of us.' He turned back to the shower but as he walked, he made sure to move gracefully, practically swaying with each step. A glance over his shoulder told him what he suspected, Vincent was staring at his backside. He gave a small smile and even laughed lightly when the gunman jumped and quickly changed his focus after realizing he had been caught.

The smile on the younger man's face soon changed to irritation as he went back under the hot water. Vincent watched for a moment as Yazoo squirmed, trying to reach at something on his back, "Something wrong?"

"Ever have an itch on your back you just can't reach? Do you have anything like a scrub brush or something?" He gave a pleading look that fell when the gunman shook his head. A glint of gold quickly grabbed his attention, "Why not use your hand? The metal one? I know you won't want to set down your gun."

Vincent started to shake his head, hiding the claw behind his cape, but Yazoo spoke again, "I promise I won't try anything, if I was going to I would have when you turned away from me. And if you're worried about hurting me, don't. I have been through a lot worse than a few scratches. Please, this itch is driving me nuts."

Yazoo hated how his own voice sounded but he could think of nothing else. It felt like all the dirt and sweat clung to that one spot and was trying to eat at his skin. Finally, after was seemed like a tortured eternity, Vincent took a step forward. The younger man turned his back and sighed as the cool metal brushed his skin, "A little lower and to the left."

Following the instructions, the gunman watched as the skin reddened under the sharp tips. Yazoo moaned in relief but it wasn't quite enough, "A little harder."

Vincent increased the pressure slightly, flushing at the noises the Remnant made. He quickly stopped when he noticed a small trail of red flow from where his clawed hand lay. He cursed himself as he stepped back and looked down at the golden tips.

Yazoo was disappointed when the sensations stopped but at least the itch was gone. He turned to thank the gunman but paused when he saw the man's still form. Curious but cautious, he stepped out of the shower again, looking at the golden hand that held Vincent's attention. Small, red drops clung to the tips and Yazoo smirked. 'He must have accidentally cut me, no wonder it felt so good.' An idea struck him and the Remnant let a rare smile cross his lips. Bending slightly, he parted his lips and let his tongue slide over the metallic appendage. The taste of blood and metal was strangely erotic and a playful tone entered his voice. "I was always taught to clean up my messes."

A glance at the gunman's shadowed face ended his playfulness. The man's eyes were squeezed shut and his lips moved, repeating whispered words. Yazoo moved closer trying to catch what Vincent was saying. Blue-green eyes widened slightly in curiosity as he began to catch the sound, "Mine. Mine. Mine. MINE!"

The last word was nearly a roar as Yazoo found himself pinned to the wall by a golden-gloved hand. He quickly calmed his instincts to struggle, knowing he was no match for the gunman's strength. "Vincent?"

Yazoo was shocked to find golden eyes staring at him with a powerful wave of hunger and lust. The man holding him was not Vincent, that much he was sure of. He watched in fascination as the familiar raven hair swayed in the still room, shortening and then re lengthening. He felt a shudder run through him as the creature spoke, "The host fights me now, but be sure, pretty manling, my time with you will be soon enough."

As suddenly as the force had appeared, it was soon gone, golden eyes changing to the familiar scarlet and amber. Vincent looked at the pinned Remnant, breathing raggedly, "Do you have any idea of the dangerous game you play?"

"No," Yazoo admitted, his eyes surprisingly soft with concern. He reached out a hand to caress the pale gunman's cheek, "But I'm starting to understand why you isolate yourself."

Vincent leaned into the touch for a moment before growling at himself. He forcefully dropped the younger man, "You, who would meet death's gaze and betray no fear, are either brave or more foolish than I."

Yazoo glared at the gunman, finding the strength to meet the angry gaze, "I have seen death a thousand times and felt its teeth many nights. Your eyes do not hold the same dark, cold promise. You do not scare me, Vincent Valentine."

Vincent dropped his eyes before softly speaking, "It's not me you should be afraid of."

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A/N: More replies! WOOHOO! BTW: Took about an hour to come up with the words to that song. Hope I did ok!

After Chapter 5:
Ainaloth
Ah I love it!! XD And I'd love for Vincent/Chaos to get his hands on Yazoo.. *_*
Please do write more soon! ~GLOMP~
Frizz: Your wish is my command! Although there is sure to be even more fun later.

Cannibal and Jamie
This chapter was awesomely outrageously hilarious. And hot! I laughed so. freaking. hard.
Maaaaaaaaad props.
Frizz: I am glad someone else appreciates my humor. Hope you like the rest of the story as much.

bouncing_baby_bunny
that was a short chapter...*sniffle*....poor vincent. He doesn't know what's happening with him. I hope good things are going to happen for vincent. What's going on with tseng?....that's kinda creepy....I hope reno makes an appearance..he's so hot. *drools*..teehee sorry.
Frizz: Sorry for the shortness but it was the perfect place to cut it off. On Tseng, you'll just have to wait and see. As far as Reno goes, hell yes he's hot and you've inspired me to give him a spot in the story. Thanks for playing temp muse!

After Chapter 6
Tazzy
Just found your story and I'm enjoying it. *Grins* It's been feeding me plot ideas of my own...
I really like how the relationships and interactions between characters are developing and it's gonna be real interesting to see where everything goes from here...
Frizz: Glad to know I've inspired someone and I hope I live up to your expectations.

Kuragari
XD i read minds!!! lol, loving it still, of course... what's gonna happen with Yazoo though? questioning? or something else? lol. anyway, hope you update soon!
Frizz: I had to give Vince some sort of sense of humor. LOL I hope you like what happened in this chapter. It was practically beating its way out of my head.