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 Eight

Cloud was sitting in a steamy bath of healing blue waters, wetting his hair, and sleeking it back out of his face. He now had a small light pink crescent moon scar that marred his smooth brow. It had been a week since his episode and all his cuts were completely healed up, leaving almost invisible scarring on his hands and feet. He looked to see Vincent standing at the door with his back to him. He knew he had scared his friend terribly, and he was very sorry for it.

He platonically shared Vincent’s bed every night since his lapse into crazy. He would fall asleep on his side and Vincent on his. But, it was like the taller man’s body heat called to him like a siren to a drowning sailor. He would wake up nestled like a kitten against the older man in dawn’s early light. But, Vincent never said anything about it. He kept telling him to go or come to bed whenever he was feeling sleepy.

“Vincent,” Cloud called to him, making the handsome man turn around and look at him. He gazed across into those burning red orbs. They now reminded him of ruby red amber stones. “Will you play with my hair?”

Vincent smiled and walked over to kneel down behind the tub. Cloud closed his eyes with a contented sigh. Zack used to do this for him all the time. Zack had such gentle hands and Vincent’s were just as gentle, if not more so. It felt as though each thought he might break. Was he really so delicate?

“Cloud,” Vincent said, running his hand through those wet yellow strands. “I’m sorry about those things I said. You’re not selfish.”

Cloud gazed down into the blue water that hid his nakedness. “Oh, yes I am. I’m very selfish.”

Vincent remained silent, but continued to play with his hair. Cloud’s mind began to drift off as he thought about Vincent. The guy was so kind and warm to him. He had kept him from jumping and told him that he cared about him. Would Vincent be sad if he were to die? He could smell roses. He could smell lots and lots of roses.

“Vincent?” He asked, leaning back into his gentle caresses. “Would you be sad if I were to die?”

“Yes,” that deep voice told him and he could hear a strange emotion in it. “I would be very sad, Cloud.”

He knew that strange emotion. He knew it well, and looked up at the tall ceiling. It was all white and slanted down like a V. Was Vincent in love with him? Tears came to his eyes. He couldn’t do it again. No! He couldn’t love another. He couldn’t love again. He wouldn’t! He was already insane. He couldn’t take another loss. Two was enough.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, putting his face in his hands. “I don’t want to make you sad.”

“Then don’t,” Vincent said and his voice was pleading so loudly. It made Cloud’s heart ache. “I’ll take care of you.”

Cloud turned around in the marble tub, spilling warm water to the floor. He gazed into those molten red orbs of fire, searching for an answer. “Why?”

Vincent blinked and looked nervously away. His golden talons were gripping the side of the tub hard enough to crack it.

“Please,” Cloud whispered from his heart, tears dripping from his eyes.

“You brought me back to life that day,” he said, looking at him with twin red stars shining through clouds of darkness. “I can’t lose you to, Cloud.”

Cloud’s bottom lip trembled and Vincent tenderly traced it with a petal white finger. There were so many emotions running through his blond head. He didn’t know what to do.

“I care about you too much,” Vincent whispered, letting go of the tub with his claws.

“Do you love me?” Cloud asked, fearing the answer more than a falling Meteor.

Vincent bit his bottom lip and nodded his head. “I love you.”

Cloud suddenly lost his balance, fell under the warm water, and came up choking for air. His blue eyes snapped open and he found himself in bed, looking up at the shadows dancing across the ceiling like spirits. He turned his head to the side, seeing that Vincent was resting right beside him.

It had all been a dream. Oh, thank the gods! But, it had felt so damn real. Hell, all his dreams felt real now. It was so scary.

He looked down at Vincent, seeing that the covers were pooled around his narrow waist. His chest was so muscular it looked as if he were carved from solid white marble. His dark hair was splayed out around his handsome face, making it look like the center of a black rose.

The light from the window bathed him in a pale blue glow. It seemed to highlight everything about him, making him look all the more alluring.

Cloud couldn’t take his eyes off him. Vincent was so stunning to look at. That dream had felt so damn real. His heart was beating a little too fast for his liking. He carefully reached out and tucked a loose strand of raven black hair away from his face and curled back up on his side. He pulled the sheets up over his head because he felt like the ghosts were looking at him.

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“Cloud?” Vincent asked, putting his turkey sandwich down on his plate, swiping the crumbs off his green shirt. “Would you like to go out with me tonight after I get off work?”

Blue eyes looked up at him from a book. It was a gothic romance. All the covers were the same. There was always a lovely woman on the cover, wearing some flowing gown, running away from a spooky looking castle. “Huh?” He asked, causing a piece of turkey to fall from his mouth into his lap.

Vincent chuckled as he watched him pick it back up and eat it. “Do you want to go out with me tonight and have some fun?”

He watched Cloud use a clean napkin for a bookmark and put the book down. It was kind of funny. “What will we do?” Cloud asked him.

“We can catch a film,” Vincent said, smiling at him. “We could go on some rides, play some games. I have a ton of GP.”

Cloud cocked his head to the side. “Could we ride some chocobos?”

Vincent nodded. “Deo has had a track constructed just for tourists to ride the docile ones.”

Cloud beamed, looking happy for the first time all week. “Okay.”

Vincent’s heart did an excited little flip. Seeing Cloud smile made him so happy. He wanted to continue making him smile. Each smile on Cloud’s seductive lips was like a treasure chest being discovered.

Cloud went back to eating his sandwich and opened his book back up. Vincent saw that he was about in the middle of it now. He was probably on the part where the icy Count was falling for the alluring Wendy’s bewitching enchantments.

He wished he had the time to stick around and see Cloud’s reaction when he discovered that Wendy was really a William in disguise. There were hints all throughout the chapters leading up to the grand revealing. He wondered if Cloud was already suspicious or if he even suspected that the fair Wendy was really a man.

Poor William had fallen in love with the frozen Count who governed the small town, and was afraid to reveal such a truth. How could someone like the handsome, wealthy, and illusive Count Edward fall for a man with nothing? How could he fall in love with a man for that matter?

Well, it was a good story and it had a happy ending. He hoped Cloud liked it.

“I’m off,” he said, dressed like a dazzling vampire once more. “I’ll have Mr. Spooky look in on you from time to time and bring you dinner.”

Cloud waved, not looking up from his book.

“Cloud,” Vincent said from the opened door, turning to look over his shoulder. “I trust you.”

“I promise,” Cloud said, holding up his new phone. “If I…I’ll call you.”

“I’m number one Cloud,” Vincent told him with a warm smile. “Push it and I’ll be here.”

Cloud nodded and Vincent closed the door behind him. He had told Cloud he trusted him. That was Cloud’s weakness. The beautiful blond simply couldn’t stand to let someone down when they put their trust in him. Vincent felt secure in that knowledge, stopping to hiss for a tourist’s camera. He enjoyed his job. Where were those little kids to scare? They would scream and cry at first, and then they would pounce, killing him with little hugs. Children were such strange little monsters.

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Cloud looked at the closed door with a pout. Vincent was so kind. In fact, he was too kind. He had removed all sharp objects in which he could cut himself with, including his sword and materia. They were all locked up in the hotel safe and only Vincent had access to it.

He had seriously thought about hanging himself with the bed sheets, but he didn’t want to leave Vincent with a mess to clean up. Plus, it would just be undignified. If only he had some pills and a lot of liquor. He could simply go to sleep then. Oh, even a gun to the mouth. That would be really quick, but that would leave a mess, too.

“OH, JUST STOP IT!” A loud voice yelled. “QUIT BEING SUCH AN IDIOT, CHOCOBO HEAD!”

Cloud flipped over backwards with his chair, landing sprawled on his back in the floor. It dazed him. Oh, maybe he could drown himself in the bath. That way the mess could just be washed down the drain.

“I love you, Cloud,” the voice whispered like a sweet scented breeze through his hair. “Please…move on and be happy…for me.”

Tears streamed from his eyes and he curled up on his side, sobbing. “I don’t want to be here without you.”

“Vincent is so sweet, Cloud,” Zack said, and Cloud felt himself being held in the spirit’s lap. He felt those ever teasing fingers playing with his hair. “Give him a chance. Let him fill that hole in you.”

Cloud laughed, wiping his nose with the back of his palm. “You’re such a pervert.”

Zack chuckled. “I was talking about your heart.”

“Uh huh,” Cloud said, rolling his eyes.

“I will always be yours, Cloudy,” Zack said, squeezing him. “My love for you is brighter than the fires Aeris sets in the kitchen.”

“AH!” A second voice shrieked. “How did you ever fall in love with this jerk, Cloud?”

“You hush your head,” Zack playfully snapped. “I won’t put the next one out.”

“Hmph!” Aeris grumbled, ruffling Cloud’s hair.

“Now,” Zack said, pulling him up into his arms, holding him tight. “Stop crying, be happy, give Incubus Boy a chance, and sing your heart out. Life is worth living, Chocobo Head.”

“Yes,” Aeris chirped happily.

Cloud hugged his Heart so tight, feeling so warm. “I promise…I’ll…try.”

Zack kissed him and Aeris squeezed his arm. He woke up, discovering that Wendy was a man. She was a man, baby! She was a man in love.

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“What?” Vincent asked, looking at Cloud with a smirk as he put his treat down on the stand.

“Nothing,” Cloud said, shaking his head. “There is no chocolate stuck in your two front teeth.”

Vincent laughed, using his tongue to feel out the yummy goodness in his pearly whites. “Is there really?”

Cloud continued to feed his cute little mog kupo nuts in order to help him impress his girlfriend. “Of course not.”

Vincent elbowed him and clapped when mog began to fly. The little guy had finally done it. Now he could make little mog babies. He smiled, but didn’t show his teeth.

“Let me see,” Cloud said, turning to look. He snorted when the stud smiled. “Nope, still there.”

Vincent groaned and then laughed when Cloud held up a toothpick. “Come here,” he said, and Vincent did so. “There all clean again.”

“Thanks,” Vincent said, licking his front teeth just to make sure. “What do you want to do now?”

Cloud took a sip of his drink and pointed to a shooting game. “Do you think you can take me on?”

Vincent cocked a dark brow. “You do know I can shoot the wings off a butterfly at a hundred yards with a peashooter, right?”

Cloud punched him in the shoulder, laughing. “What did the butterfly ever do to you?”

Vincent sniffed, looking very serious. “I don’t do orange.”

Cloud rolled his eyes and picked up his gun. The two of them played ten rounds. Vincent let Cloud win five, but he didn’t tell him that.

“Hmph,” Cloud grunted, walking along beside him, nibbling on a stick of ice-blue rock candy. “I still think you cheated on that last round.”

“How so?” Vincent asked with a smirk. His cherry red rock candy was so tasty. He loved it.

“I fell in the pit,” Cloud grumbled. “And you just shot me.”

Vincent chuckled. “It was just a flesh wound.”

Cloud suddenly froze in his tracks and Vincent turned to look at him. His blue eyes were so wide and he dropped his candy to the ground. “I uh…” He looked so lost.

“Shit,” Vincent hissed, quickly taking him by the hand, pulling him into the shadows behind a large game.

“It was so loud,” he whispered, trembling. It was like he could still feel the rain. “He cried…”

“Come here,” Vincent said, pulling him into his arms, holding him there in warmth.

“I’m so stupid,” Cloud laughed even though he was crying. “Why did I pick that game?”

“It was only a game. It’s not real,” Vincent told him in a soothing manner. “You were simply having some harmless fun.”

Cloud nodded, wiping at his eyes. He asked if they could go and ride the chocobos now.

Vincent nodded. “I’ve not been on one in forever.”

The two of them went to the slide and ten minutes later they were choosing their chocobos to ride. Cloud told Vincent that they should visit the Chocobo Farm sometime. He said that he missed Joey. He was his gold chocobo.

“I’m sure he remembers you,” Vincent said, riding along beside him on his black chocobo. “How could he not? You fed him all those tasty nuts.”

Cloud laughed. “I really did spoil him, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” Vincent nodded.

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The two of them rode chocobos for an hour. That was how long the trail took to get through. Cloud petted Dazzler on the beak and told him to behave his blue tail feathers. He was an energetic chirper and was so vocal, too.

“Do you want to go on the lift?” Vincent asked him. “Or do you want to go watch a play? I hear they might be performing Loveless.”

Cloud didn’t want to go on the lift and he didn’t want to see Loveless either. The lift was the last time he had been with Aeris alive and Loveless was too damn depressing.

“Why didn’t you tell me Wendy was a man?” He asked instead of answering the question.

Vincent chuckled. “That would have ruined the whole reading experience, now wouldn’t it?”

Cloud stuck his tongue out at him. It had been a good book. William and Count Edward deserved happiness. The two of them had suffered so much.

“Well,” Vincent asked, poking him on the side of his blond head. “What do you want to do?”

“What do you want to do?” Cloud asked, turning the question back on him. Vincent had let him choose all night, now it was his turn to choose something entertaining to do. It was only fair.

“Okay,” Vincent said, scratching his head. “How about we go to the Karaoke Bar and Grill and get us a booth?”

Cloud blinked. Well, that was definitely better than going to see Loveless. He nodded his head. His tummy was slightly rumbling and he could use a nice beer. “But,” he said, making it very clear. “I’m not singing in front of people.”

Vincent grinned, leading the way through the noisy crowds. “What was that?” He asked. “I couldn’t seem to hear you over all the noise.”

Cloud growled. He was so doing that on purpose. “I’ll try,” he whispered to the ghosts. “I’ll…try.”

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“Well, well, well,” a chipper voice said. “If it isn’t Cloud Strife and Vincent Valentine…”

“Reno,” Cloud deadpanned.

Vincent was shocked the redhead wasn’t frozen solid by the look he was receiving from those chilling blue eyes. It looked like he might have to stand up at any minute to protect the smiling Turk. Cloud held so much resentment for Shin-Ra. Cloud had told him that he still blamed every one of them for Zack’s death.

“You’re looking really good, Cloud,” Reno said, pulling up a chair, clearly uninvited. “A little too pale for my taste, but you still look good.”

Vincent translated that into fuckable. Was Reno out of his damn mind? Well, that was nothing new. He hoped the ass still had health insurance, because he might break him himself.

“Reno,” Cloud said, smiling like the frozen wastes. “Where is Tseng and Rude?”

Reno pouted. “Tseng is off with Blondie and Rude is…well, we’re not speaking at the moment.”

Vincent put his drink down, clearly intrigued by this. “I see he finally caught you.”

Reno glared at him, suddenly looking like he was ready to pick a fight right there.

“Please do,” Cloud whispered like creeping frost. Vincent knew that Cloud was a master at reading body language. “I’m in the mood to make something bleed.”

“No,” Reno spat. He was clearly ignoring Cloud’s spooky taunt. How he managed to do so was beyond Vincent. That had been damn scary. “He just doesn’t want to take it when I want to give it.”

Cloud’s nostrils flared and Vincent quickly ordered him another beer. Cloud liked his beers. They make him feel all nice and bubbly on the inside. Cloud reminded him of a snake. He could snap and strike at any minute without a hint of warning.

“How have you two been?” Reno asked, looking at Cloud. “I thought you were hiding away or dead.”

“Well,” Vincent said, cutting Cloud’s snarl short. “We have been well.”

“Oh,” Reno said, leaning forward. “That’s nice to hear.”

“What?” Cloud asked. If his face went anymore stoic, he’d be a statue.

“Rumors,” the redhead said.

Cloud cocked a pale brow and Vincent looked at him. “Rumors?” He knew he was going to be sorry at any moment for asking.

“Cloud went crazy, ran off, and killed himself,” he said, looking intrigued. “But, here you are, Savior of the World and Champion of the Monster Battle.”

“Crazy?” Cloud asked. His eyes were suddenly filled with it.

“Well, you remembered about your boyfriend getting blown to shit,” he said, not thinking about what he was saying. “And your rebound chick gets ran through…”

Vincent dropped his mug. The second it shattered, Reno’s feet were sticking up in the air from where Cloud had punched him right in the face with all his might. The blond was on his feet with a quick whoosh, looking down at the redhead. The guy’s nose was a bloody ruin and he was out cold. A few people gasped in shock.

“NOBODY SAW SHIT!” Cloud yelled, downing the last of his beer, smashing the bottle against the table. A bunch of people began to back the fuck away.

“No!” Vincent said, quickly securing the smaller man’s wrists. “Drop the glass, Cloud.”

“I’m only going to slit his throat, Vincent,” he said ever so calmly. He was speaking as if he were discussing how nice the weather was. “And I promise to wash my hands after I’m done.”

Vincent would have laughed out loud had this not been so damn serious. Cloud really was going to slit the guy’s throat. He could see it in his crazy eyes.

“Fine,” Cloud pouted, dropping the glass.

“MR. STRIFE!” A loud voice cried. “WE NEED YOU NOW!”

Vincent turned with him. “Huh?”

There were three people making their illustrious ways up to them. They were dressed up like characters from a play.

“Oh, Lord up above!” One of them cried. He was dressed like some kind of sex slave and was obviously very gay. “Bleeding stud down.”

“Our lead singer for our Loveless remake got himself turned into a frog and made into frog legs before we could find him in time,” the woman all but screamed. “And Deo told us all about your fabulous voice.”

“WE NEED YOU!” The other man yelled dramatically. He was dressed up like a cracked out wizard. “WE NEED A CHAMPION IN OUR TIME OF NEED! OH, I NEED A HERO!”

Cloud looked up at Vincent, burped, and grinned maliciously. “All I can give you is crazy right now.”

“We adore crazy!” The gay man cried in joy, eyeing a comatose Reno. “I worship at the altar of Crazy!”

Vincent just stood there as a very drunk Cloud was pulled from the bar by the actors. He took one look at Reno, and glided off after them.

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Cloud stood up from where he had fallen and a beam of brilliant emerald green light enveloped him like shimmering wings. He had tears in his eyes because this play was like his life written out in prophecy. The audience was not even there to him. This was him speaking the lines to the Goddess that Zack had read to him from so long ago.

“Your sacrifice,” he spoke ever so softly and so eloquently it dazzled all the senses. “And the world’s end.”

Zack had been the one to sacrifice his life so that he could live and keep the world from ending the way the Green Eyed Demon wished it. Cloud finally realized in that moment that Zack’s dying breath had filled him with his spirit. Wow, it really is amazing the shit you can figure out when you’re fucking drunk of your fucking ass. He hoped he could remember all this come morning.

He fell to his knees, holding up his hands to the radiant light above him. “In the tomorrow without promises,” he said, feeling the words flow like a cool rush of water from his mouth. “I swear I’ll definitely return to the place where you’re standing.”

He could see Aeris kneeling before him in the glittering rays with her head bowed. She looked as though she were glowing from the inside out. The audience could only see him and they were stunned silent as the grave by his chilling and spooky performance. She raised her head and smiled warmly before fading away like a jade mist. He reached into that illusive fog as if blind.

“A drop of the planet’s hope from ending land,” he said, crawling ever so slowly to the edge of the stage like he was a dying man in the blazing hot desert. “The far side of the sky and the distant water surface become a secret offering.”

He cried out, collapsing face down as if dead and there wasn’t a butt left in a seat. Every ass in the house was up and cheering madly. That was when he smirked and the whole theatre was suddenly blasted by loud music and blinding lights.

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Vincent, like the rest of the audience, quickly took his seat once again. What the hell was this? There wasn’t any kind of music in this play. Was this what the actors meant by remake? He was so shocked. He hadn’t known Cloud knew every line to Loveless by heart. Did he even know this song?

His eyes widened when Cloud’s head suddenly snapped up and some members of the audience screamed in fright. His face was on the big screen above their heads. His eyes were solid black pools of endless darkness and he looked completely soulless as he leered out at everyone. He smirked with blood red lips as he jerked his body up like a reanimated corpse.

Put all your angels on the edge
Keep all the roses, I’m not dead
I left a thorn under your bed
I’m never gone

Vincent noticed that people were looking around at each other in shock. The choreography was morbidly fascinating, but his voice was enchantingly haunting. How in the world had he memorized all this? Was it because he had been SOLDIER?

Go tell the world I’m still around
I didn’t fly, I’m coming down
You are the wind, the only sound
Whisper to my heart
When hope is torn apart
And no one can save you

Cloud stumbled back with twitching jerks of his body that was sexually arousing. The way he moved his body was like pure sex. Glittering white snow began to fall like jewels all round him from above. He savagely pushed the other actors away from him, sending them screaming behind the stage. He was making it known that he was the fucking star.

I walk alone
Every step I take
I walk alone
My winter storm
Holding me awake
It’s never gone
When I walk alone

He suddenly began to walk forward with the sensual grace of a slithering cobra. He moved as though his supple white limbs were made of crystal clear liquid.

Vincent couldn’t take his crimson amber orbs off the brilliant blond. He was fucking selling this performance like the rent was due and the landlord was trying to kick the damn door in.

Cloud chuckled evilly over the music, moving to the beat of the song.

Go back to sleep forevermore
Far from your fools and lock the door
They’re all around and they’ll make sure
You don’t have to see
What I turned out to be
No one can help you

More of the fake snow began to fall and this time there was blood red rose petals with it. Rubies and diamonds were falling from the high rafters like feathers.

I walk alone
Every step I take
I walk alone
My winter storm
Holding me away
It’s never gone
When I walk alone

Vincent gawked when Cloud suddenly floated up off his naked feet into the shimmering air like a dragonfly in flight. His voice was so smooth and perfectly pitched. It echoed all around like the ocean singing as he spun around in graceful circles in the air.

Waiting up in heaven
I was never far from you
Spinning down I felt your every move

He spun around in the air, doing all kinds of intricate flips in the falling gems of sparkling white. He was a magical blur of beauty.

I walk alone
Every step I take
I walk alone
My winter storm
Holding me awake
It’s never gone
When I walk alone

He landed on his feet and all went dark. The audience was silent for a long moment. Vincent stood and began to clap and that was when the whole theatre was filled with thunderous applause. People jumped to their feet, screaming and clapping for more.

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Cloud crashed the moment the curtain closed and Vincent carried him safely back to their suite. He was snoring softly and it made him smile. The blond really was something.

“Did you have fun, Cloud?” He asked, being careful with him as he opened the door, and walked inside. He was thankful that Mr. Spooky had his ways of keeping Cloud’s now more than ever crazed fans away from them.

“Vin…cent,” Cloud mumbled, smacking his slips. “Mmm…”

Vincent suddenly felt himself blushing. He gently placed Cloud down on the bed, removing his now glittering boots. He tucked him in, and without thinking, kissed him on his sparkling head.

He pulled away as if his lips had been burned. He backed away from the sleeping man and quickly went to take a shower.

TBC…

Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. LONG LIVE CRAZY!

Flora.

Note: Song lyrics belong to the talented and wonderful TARJA.