Next Round (6/7)

Cloud and Vincent shared a certain bond. None of them was able to understand what that bond exactly was, but somehow, they felt good being next to one another. Of course, both of them were quiet individuals who’d rather keep everything inside them forever than actually dare and talk. The fact that they both sensed a certain shift towards the positive while being around made them create this silent agreement.

They both stared into the fire that Vincent had made. Cloud was eating a sandwich, which he had offered to Vincent who had declined, and Vincent was trying to make tea, happy that at least Cloud was smart enough to take some supplies with him for this trip. But then again, he did plan it for a while, from what Cloud had told him. Cid had dropped him off to the continent, together with his bike,a and after that it hadn’t taken Cloud that much to arrive to where they were at.

Vincent could go on for days without either food or water. Hell, he could go on for days without air or movement as well. But that didn’t mean that he actually liked it that way. This wasn’t something that belonged to him but one of his beasts, but hunger and pain were similar stimulants, when it came to his brain. He had read somewhere that a lot of sea creatures were similar to him in that respect.

True, Vincent could take an enormous amount of pain before losing control and hunger wasn’t that painful, but still, he liked to keep his stomach full, from time to time.

Thirst was very similar to hunger, only differing in the fact that it happened more often. He could go on without food for days before that nagging sensation in his abdomen became more than tolerable, but thirst generally demanded his attention at least once every two days.

And then, there was the fact of him liking tea because it reminded him of his grandmother at least a bit too much. Too bad his grandmother and mother and probably everyone he had ever known had died while he had been sleeping in that purgatory ShinRa considered their house.

“How is he?” Cloud asked, voice definitely shy, disrupting his musings. It even startled Vincent for just a second, but he didn’t show it.

Vincent didn’t respond at first. He couldn’t bear himself to do so. He stared at the fire, the way the flames flickered around the bowl now serving as a kettle, licking its bottom already bluish from heat. The water still didn’t boil. “Unharmed,” he answered at last.

Cloud waited for a moment too, biting off a piece of his meal and chewing it slowly, not daring to move his eyes away from the fire, towards Vincent perhaps. “And how does he…?” he tried, but he couldn’t make himself say the words about things even remotely connected to the wounds that still hurt.

Vincent heard the water starting to boil, though it was not warm enough yet. He picked the few roots he’d found earlier; the same thing that Aerith had made tea for him of, back then; and put them in the water, then relaxed on the small piece of blanket that he’d warmed already. It would take a few more minutes for the tea to be ready. Far too much time for Cloud to ask all the forbidden questions.

“He doesn’t remember anything,” he answered casually. He did spot Cloud’s eyes travelling towards him, though. Shyly at first, but then he left them there, probably hoping for Vincent to look back at him.

“I really loved him,” Cloud started, and Vincent had to fight not to react to that word. “We all loved him and admired him. He was so strong and so perfect,” Cloud continued, perhaps a ghost of a smile creeping to his lips. Then he took another bite and grew quiet until he’d swallowed it. For a few short moments, he kept his eyes on the fire again, then craned his head, narrow eyes at Vincent. “It was hard for me to kill him as my general,” he paused, sighing. “I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for you to kill your own lover.”

This time, all his mind power failed, and Vincent took a sharp breath, then another moment to calm himself down. “What are you…?”

“I’m sorry,” Cloud interrupted him, shaking his head, returning the gaze to the fire, to the sandwich, away from Vincent. “You can hide it from everyone else, but…” He shook his head again, ever so slightly. “I didn’t want to interfere, I just… How is Reno?”

Vincent laughed dryly. He didn’t have to say anything, respond, Cloud probably picked up more than enough from his silence alone.

“I’d rather she is alive and we’re just friends, than…” Cloud added then returned his attention to the half eaten sandwich.

Vincent decided to leave the boy eat. He stared at the fire, waiting for the tea to be done, and it was any minute now. Cloud was right. He’d been through the exact same thing that Vincent was going through now. Screw the age difference, the boy’s words were true. No matter how much he hated them right now, Vincent just wanted both of them happy, even if it meant losing them both.

He’d rather stand aside and watch them live their lives than ending up without them. Perhaps… perhaps trying to stay friends was not such a bad thing.

“I think I should call them.”

---

“Okay, you are officially hired,” Reno said with a grin, sitting at the kitchen’s only unoccupied counter.

Sephiroth looked up from cutting an onion quite expertly, his hands continuing to work without him watching. He raised one eyebrow. “I am not a cook.” He blinked and returned his gaze to his task.

Reno gulped from the bottle of beer in his hand. “Not much choice, general.” His grin grew even wider as he saluted mockingly.

Sephiroth contemplated slicing something besides the vegetable, but he decided against it. Reno may be annoying as hell, but Vincent would have never forgiven him if he killed Reno. Though he still had a hard time understanding why.

Well, Reno wasn’t a bad person, true. His behaviour surely needed polishing (preferably with something undiluted), but it was obviously a product of his not so happy childhood, at least from those bits and pieces he’d picked up back then. And then there was the fact that he simply didn’t care what others thought about him, and Sephiroth appreciated that. If nothing, one could always be certain to expect honesty with Reno.

Not that Sephiroth wouldn’t be able to determine if an unaltered man was lying to him or not, but he still appreciated the gesture. That’s why he decided not to poison the meal and actually do something nice for a change.

Then he heard Reno sigh and sniff not so happily, just as the onion started sizzling in olive oil.

“Oh, go wash your eyes and stop being a baby. It’s just alliinase,” Sephiroth said, teasing.

Reno blinked and bit his lower lip. “I’m gonna call him.” He jumped off the counter and pulled the cell phone out of his pants pocket and dialled. Two seconds later, he could hear a ring all right, right in the living room. His eyes shot towards it, then back at Sephiroth, then he rolled them, flipping the phone closed. “Shit,” was all he said and Sephiroth just smirked, but he didn’t seem merry.

Instead, he went back to chopping dates.

A second later, Reno’s cell phone ringed and he jumped, flipping it open and pressing the answer button. “Cloud, I…” he started, but he didn’t continue.

“Reno,” Vincent said then sighed.

Sephiroth’s head perked up the moment he obviously heard who was calling. He didn’t have to get near Reno, he could hear Vincent very well from afar.

“Vincent, where are you!?” Reno yelled into the microphone, making Sephiroth wince, considering the fact he had been concentrating on hearing the faint sounds from the other side of the line.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes, but instead he just took the phone from Reno before the Turk managed to react, and pressed it to his ear. “Vincent, come home,” he said, keeping his voice calm.

He could feel the distress from the other side of the line. He didn’t really have to hear it, even though the sigh told him a lot. There were other ways he could sense it, and he made sure to use the most of his talents.

“Reno promises to behave,” he added, slight humour audible in his voice, as Reno rolled his eyes, defiance written all over his face. But he didn’t bother to fight and reclaim his phone and, Sephiroth thought, that was good. They were both concerned about Vincent and it was now obvious they could work with that, in spite their problems.

Sephiroth sighed, Vincent still not talking. He closed his eyes. “I promise to behave as well,” he added, voice now serious.

“We need to talk,” Vincent just said, trying hard to keep the emotion out of his voice, forgetting Sephiroth could read it anyway.

“I agree.” Sephiroth nodded and opened his eyes. He could see question written in Reno’s eyes, but there was time for explaining later on. Sephiroth feared Vincent would actually do something stupid, as it was often so much him, and be lost to them forever.

“I’ll be back in two days,” Vincent said.

“We’ll be right here,” Sephiroth added before flipping the phone shut and handing it to one pissed off Turk.

Reno didn’t say a thing as he pushed the device back into his pocket. He grabbed the beer bottle and went to the living room. Sephiroth continued chopping the fruit as he heard the TV being turned on.

---

“This is some good shit,” Reno said through the mouthful of food.

Sephiroth just nodded, eyebrow raised, suppressing the need to roll his eyes, then forked a piece of meat and chewed it slowly. “Thank you… I suppose.”

“I mean it, you’re hired,” Reno continued, now at least half a mouthful emptier. Then he swallowed the rest and cleared his throat. Sephiroth couldn’t help noticing a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. “Seriously.”

Food forgotten, Sephiroth put the utensils on the plate and straightened in his chair. “Do you mind explaining that?”

Reno took another moment to think about what he’d just said. It was a shitty situation he’d just pushed himself in, but he was a big boy and had to get through with it. Sadly, it made more sense in his head.

“I… erm… why not stay here?” He paused as Sephiroth’s eyebrow shot up and the man cocked his head. “I mean… Vincent obviously likes you,” he added with a snort, cheeks getting a bit rosier.

“And do what, exactly?” Sephiroth asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Let’s just say…” Reno paused again, surprising himself with unease that this caused. Not like he hadn’t done things like that in the past, but damn it, Vincent actually meant something! “I can get over jealousy if I wanted.”

Sephiroth’s other eyebrow shot up, but his face remained blank. “You are saying… that you wouldn’t mind if Vincent and I went to the bedroom this very instant and left you to watch TV?”

Reno needed another long moment to think about it. “Yeah, well… when you put it like this, yo… I think… shit.” He kept on staring into his plate, all of a sudden food seeming everything but appealing. Then he raised his eyes, crossing them with Sephiroth’s, piercing, no matter how hard that was. “Let’s just say I’d be willing to do a lot for Vincent.”

“Interesting,” Sephiroth simply answered as he uncrossed his arms and elbowed himself on the table. “And what if, in the middle of this, you decide you cannot do it?”

“Then we’ll have another talk then?” Reno said, hopeful, but both of them knew he was trying hard to hide his unease. And doing a surprisingly lousy job at it, for a Turk.

“Or if I tell you that I am incapable of sharing?”

“Then… we do have a problem.” Reno took a deep sigh, trying to find a way out of this situation. Then he chuckled. “Turks play dirty, remember?”

“Indeed I do.”

---

Yes, it was definitely decided. Vincent was sure of that. There was no way he was going to choose and, quite frankly, he didn’t even plan to. Cloud was right, he had to give him credit for that.

They were both better off without him. Reno would get used to it easily since, from everything Vincent had learned about him so far, he liked his sovereignty more than anything. And, while it had been nice, sharing a room, sharing life, Vincent had long ago made peace with the fact that Reno would eventually start needing his independence and that would be the moment when all of this would end.

Well, would have ended; like this, Vincent had a good excuse to do it sooner and save them the heartache. Perhaps, if the world was kind enough, they’d manage to stay friends. Because Cloud was right – he’d rather be without Reno knowing Reno was alright.

It was for the best.

And then… then there was Sephiroth. It would definitely be harder to sever the ties with him, but Vincent only played fair. If he stayed with Sephiroth, there would always be a part of him wondering about Reno the same way that, if he stayed with Reno, he’d never be able to look Sephiroth in the eyes again.

As much as it would hurt, Vincent hoped it would work out at least somewhat decent. In the end, he’d always managed to screw the ones he loved over. Not this time. These two were going to live happily ever after no matter what.

Resolved and at peace with his decision, as anyone in his situation would have been, Vincent took a deep breath and pulled his keys out. Then, he decided, it was better not to barge in on them uninvited, so he knocked on the door instead.