Crimson Love

I wanted to veer from my series that I'm kickin' out chapters for, to write up a one shot for the site.

Basically this is inspired by something that happened recently. I have a person in my life who I care for, A LOT (get the hint) he's a great guy but his boyfriend treats him like shit. Recently the person tried to kill himself with sleeping pills. It scared the living hell out of me and got me thinking a lot, so because my mind is wrapped up in it, I decided to write up a little Valenwind angst.

So with that in mind, here goes.

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We're All Bleeding

A cold gust of wind blew through the canyon, sweeping up the crimson cloak of the shadow of the man. Blood red eyes shot open, the moon illuminating everything around him perfectly for his vision. It had been several months since the geostigma incident and everything seemed to be normal in Vincent Valentine's life, it seemed that way. Everything should be normal, but that damned pilot had made everything complicated. Ever since the group had awoken Vincent from his deep sleep, Cid Highwind had been around as well. Taunting Vincent almost, but Vincent had done all that he had in his power to resist whatever thoughts would float through his mind, threatening to take over his mind, and erase what little sanity he had left in his mind.

Then Cid had made his move, being left alone in the Gold Saucer's hotel room had apparently been enough of a chance for the man. Being the kind of person he was, Cid had all but aggressively thrown himself atop Vincent, who violently threw him away. Vincent could remember the rage he felt at the thought of Cid attempting to violate him like that, to destroy everything he was working towards. Then he looked in those eyes, the eyes that reminded him of the sky that the pilot cherished and could do nothing but let go and release himself into the throes of lust and passion. The next morning had been uncomfortably silent, Vincent had slipped from the room without a word, his cursory glance backwards revealed the pain in the pilot's eyes.

The pattern had remained the same after that for the remainder of their journey. Cid would make the advances, some of the time Vincent would deny him, so violently it would leave marks on Cid. Other times he would give in to what he only deemed carnal feelings. The times tore both of them inside and out, for one wanted the other, but the other couldn't admit that he wanted the same.

After Sephiroth's defeat, they all went their seperate ways. He had found a relief in that fact, for he no longer had Cid haunting him. He sought his own refuge and within no time his past had caught up to him. After he endured more of Hojo's haunting presence, along with help from his comrades he had destroyed the remnants one last time. This time though, Highwind had caught up to him, and the time apart had weakned Vincent's resolve. Suddenly he found himself within the grasp of Cid, and he didn't want to go.

He stayed with the Pilot for a couple more years, for once in a long time he found a sembelance of peace within the pilot's presence. He could find himself to smile, he adored the man as much as he could muster within himself. Then it happened, he had one last time, telling Cid that he was only leaving the past behind him, had gone to see Lucrecia one last time. That glance of the woman suspended within the crystal had destroyed everything within him. When he returned he was what he had been before, silent and withdrawn. Cid had expected no less, but when it had continued for a couple of month's he lost all of his patience, Vincent could still remember the incident.

"What the fuck Vince?" Cid had come storming towards him bellowing, the cigarette in his mouth bouncing up and down as he yelled.

Vincent had regarded him cooly, "What is it Highwind?"

"Oh like you don't know, and what's with this Highwind shit?"

"That is your name, is it not?" Vincent had asked, his expression having not changed.

Cid's face had changed to pink, "that's not the point! Why are you being like this?"

"And what am I being like?"

"Fuckin' not talkin' for days, avoiding me at all costs, you're like a fuckin' ghost anymore!"

"That is my nature, if you failed to notice."

Cid's eyes had widened, "Goddamn it Vincent! Ever since you seen that damn spooky bitch you've been like this! Quit livin' in the past, she didn't love you! Focus on someone who does!"

Vincent's eyes had narrowed, "what do you mean by that?"

Cid looked at a loss, he waved his arms in his own direction, "me! I love you Vince, I fuckin' love you!"

Vincent's eyes had widened in what appeared shock and rage, they had stood in silence for an extended time. Cid seemed to be hopeful as Vincent stood straight up, but his face had fallen as Vincent turned his back to Cid, and walked from the room.

He had left the ship that day, and hadn't returned to see Cid again. The next time he was to see the brash pilot was the day of Sephiroth's resurrection. Once again they found themselves having to fight side by side. The whole time, Cid's eyes never left Vincent other than to deal with any immenent threat in front of him. Vincent had made it a point to ignore the Pilot, completely unaware of the inside of his heart and mind screaming for him to stop. After it was all over, Sephiroth back with the dead where he belonged, the team had celebrated, and Vincent turned to the shadows and began to walk away. Cid had stopped him mid-departure.

"Vincent!" Cid's voice rang out clear above the din.

Vincent turned, his eyes like ice as he gazed towards the rapidly approaching man, "yes?"

"Where ya goin'?"

"Not here obviously," and with that he turned to walk away.

Cid reached out and grabbed his arm, "Wait! Please Vincent, you can't have meant what you did a year ago! Please, I know you didn't, I know you feel the same, yer just too damn proud and scared!"

Vincent turned his eyes ablaze as he threw Cid's hand from his arm, "I feel nothing of whatever you have deluded yourself to believe Cid Highwind. I feel nothing for you whatsoever, you will have to live with that, now stay the hell out of my life!"

With that he had left an extremely wounded pilot as he had slipped into the shadows.

At the time he had told himself he had more important things to find. He had absovled himself of his past for the most part but he needed one more thing, something that Hojo had hidden from everyone, Vincent had only come acrossed years before the single paper describing it. A cure, for the thing that Hojo had placed in his body. He had told no one, and since the first Sephiroth incident he had searched for it. Finally he had found it, hidden amongst the canyon walls nearby Nanaki's home, it had been such a task, but he held the serum in his hand, or at least the empty vial.

He had already felt the last remaining parts of the serum reaching the last parts of his body. The heat in his mind reached a point, his eyes felt like they were on fire, and as quickly and powerfully it was there, it was gone. Suddenly the moon no longer seemed as illuminating and the gauntlet on his arm felt too heavy. He sighed as he felt a release, something he couldn't describe to himself. Everything from the past, everything that had haunted him, hung heavy in his mind and heart were gone.

He was human, he knew it as the gauntlet fell to the ground, the cloak let loose into the wind, swept away and up into the canyon peaks, lost to the elements. He turned his now grey eyes to the North, he had a life to lead. He glanced down at the phone on his waist, it was time perhaps to respond to all the calls he had been receiving. Perhaps the halt in Cid's calls were a bad sign, but perhaps it was still repairable. He sighed as he made his way to the bike he had brought with him, within a day he would reach Rocket Town.

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The sun was beginning to set as he reached Rocket Town. He breathed in the air, glad to be doing it as a mortal, as a human. He walked through the town, marvelling at how heavy his feet seemed, how much longer it seemed to take him to do anything. He shook his head as he thought of the task ahead.

He didn't know how to live the life that Cid had wanted him to live, he didn't know how to be truly happy, but then again he hadn't been human, so why had he deserved such a thing? Now he might have his chance, he would try, if Cid refused, Vincent would understand. After all Vincent had done a lot to the man and it would be almost impossible to forgive those things, but Cid was something else.

Without realizing it he had reached Cid's house. He knocked and waited, he frowned when he realized that no one was even walking to the door. Was it possible that Shera had finally left? If so then Cid was by himself and could quite possibly be on a trip at the moment. Instead of wondering Vincent merely tried the door knob, turning it finding it unlocked. Perplexed he pushed the door open. He frowned again as the house was completely unlit, the only light coming in from nearby winds from the lowering sun.

He glanced around the lower floor, finding no one around, but still finding signs that someone had been here recently. Clothes were thrown on the back of chairs, a tea kettle still sat on the stove, Vincent smiling to himself at the thought of the pilot's almost religious love of tea. Fingering the cold kettle he glanced around and then towards the stairs to the second floor. He shrugged as he walked upstairs. Looking in every room he could find at the top he found nothing, confused he noticed a door at the end of the hall, which was quite obviously Cid's room.

He walked towards the door, finding it partially open, "Cid?"

His voice rang clear through the hall, and the complete silence followed by it was unnerving as Vincent felt a chill run down his spine. With that he pushed open the door, a slight creak issued as the door swung on it's hinges. Vincent glanced from right to left, it didn't suprise him that a large bay window was positioned against the wall, Cid would of course want a great view of the sky when he wasnt' flying in it, but why were the curtains closed. He also noticed a bed against the opposite wall, the entirity of the ceiling and walls were covered in planes and airships. Then he noticed that there was a figure in the bed, his brow furrowed in confusion. This was obviously Cid's room, and thus it would have to be Cid in that bed, but if it was, he should be sleeping, but the trademark snoring was absent.

He shook his head and smiled to himself, deciding to wake the man up of course he's asleep, probably sleeping too hard to snore he walked over to the bay window and thrust the window's curtains open, letting the dying light flow into the room.

He turned with a smile on his face, "alright you lay about time to-" both his sentence and smile ended violently as he seen the bed. Large red puddles had soaked into the bed, the puddles formed around the man on the bed. Vincent stepped forward his eyes wide as he seen Cid's face, relaxed and slack. His mouth opened with each step he took, loss shrouded his mind as he seen the dead body of the man he loved, he couldn't believe it.

Murder came to mind for whoever did this, he'd kill whoever was responsible. His eyes then darted over to the table next to the bed. A blood stained knife upon an equally blood stained note sat upon it. Vincent walked forward and grabbed the note and began to read it.

Vincent,

I know that this will mean nothing to you, as I mean nothing to you.
I loved you with all I had, I offered you only what I could,
and you turned me down. I know that I can do nothing to help you,
and it burned that you are the reason I can't.

I can't live without you Vincent. Ever since you left the first time,
I've been a mess, unable to even eat or sleep right. I'm nothing
without your surly attitude and your eyes, by Gaia those eyes
that held so much, including my own personal heaven.

I would say don't blame yourself but I won't because I don't
need to, because you won't. I loved you, and you turned me
away bitterly and without remorse. You are my everything,
and I was nothing.

Goodbye Vincent, I always love you,
Cid

Vincent's eyes filled with hot tears as he read the page, he sat down hard on the bed as he stared at the words Cid had written. His eyes turned to the quiet face of Cid, he could only marvel at the blood that covered the bed and all of Cid. Suddenly he reached around and hugged Cid's body, sobs wracking his body, not caring that the blood was soaking into his clothes and coating his skin, nor that his howls of angusih echoed through the walls of the house. Tears flowed from his face as he pressed his face against Cid's still one.

"I always loved you! NO!" he screamed so loud his throat tore, "you were all that was good to me in this fucked up world! Oh God Cid, what have I done?! This is all my fault..."

His eyes went wide as his words hit him, he pulled back and stared at Cid again, his own face having gone completely still. It was all his fault, he had destroyed Cid inside and now out. He had taken the light from Cid's life, and now his own light was gone.

Leaning forward he took the blade from the bedside table and looked down at Cid, tears gone from his face for the time being. Be brought the blade to his wrist and drew it deep down to the crook of his elbow, repeating it on his other arm. He looked at Cid again as he laid down next to the man's body, tears beginning to flow bittersweet.

"I said I would punish the one responsible, and so I will," he whispered as the blood ran from his arms all over Cid's body, "You always wanted me to hold you, and now it's happening, by Gaia forgive me Cid."

The room began to darken quickly as the blood poured rapidly from his deep wounds, the already fading sunlight beginning to become nothing.

"I will have nothing without you Cid, I'll be there with you soon...."

The the sun hit the mid point of the horizon, the light changing, casting a blood red cloak over the two lovers, all of the room turning crimson. Vincent smiled to himself softly as he felt the life slip from him finally.

"I love yo-"

His life gone from him, his body lay there, as still and calm as his lover's. The sun then sank below the horizon, leaving the room in complete darkness, and it's deeds hidden until the world was once again illuminated by the sun.

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I don't normally do angst and death, so forgive me it's not that good.
Leave a review please, I'd like the support or advice, both are great.