I can only hope this chapter is a consolation for the long wait.

Enjoy...

XxX

The group had made steady progress over the following week. A great sense of justice and reason seemed to follow them everywhere. The people they had saved were rebuilding their lives and it hadn't mattered that they'd not been recognised for their great deeds because the truth stayed with them that they'd won. However, it was beginning to dawn on them that the fear and destruction that lay in the shadow of Sephiroth threatened to spread once more and though this chance was small, they had to keep on top of things, if not for the greater good, then for her.

Despite the high spirits of the group, Cloud was beside himself with guilt. The state he'd worked himself into had spread concern among his friends. Even now as they settled beside their tents, warm and content by the fire, the blonde seemed distant.

"Go back to the tent" a low voice murmured near by, below the noise of the group. Cloud recognised the voice to belong to Vincent, and raised his gaze. The gunslinger gave him a firm look telling him not to argue, and the blonde retreated to their tent without hesitation.

The small two to three man tents were pitched a short distance from the fire, but that was fine with Cloud, as this was also some distance from the group. He'd settled onto the sheets in the darkness, only when the dark-haired man had joined him did he relax. They lay down together at stared hopelessly at the roof of the tent, knowing that something needed to be discussed.

"If you can't forgive yourself then there's little hope for us all;" the gunner had begun, his voice rich with knowing and a kindness Cloud had not often witnessed, "the group need you to be strong, even now." The boy raised a hand to sooth the ache around his eyes, "Did you ever forgive yourself?"

Vincent considered the question for a moment, before brushing the dark strands from his eyes. "No. I never will forgive myself, but I am not in a position where people look to me for strength" he said this though his tone was not accusing.

The blonde nodded in agreement though it did not seem to Vincent that he did agree. "You're tired" the raven-haired man eventually stated, pulling back the covers of Cloud's bed before turning his attention back to the boy. Through the extremely dim light, Cloud could just make out the ghostly pale face of Vincent as the man kneeled beside him. Slender fingers, exposed from their usual glove, reached down to tug at his jumper, helping the blonde remove it completely. Then metal digits slipped around the buckle of his belt, pulling it away. At last those careful skilled hands relieved him of his trousers, boots and socks.

Soon Cloud was lying naked beneath the man's gaze, cold and shivering. Longing flicked in the crimson eyes that bore down onto him. The blonde slipped beneath the cold sheets, keeping a large segment of material pulled back in invitation. Vincent let go of the breath he hadn't realised to be holding before reaching up to his own clothes. The blonde slid out of the warmth to assist the taller man. Hands collided in a rush to relieve the flesh from the bonds of the material. When finally the older man was stripped down too, lips met, hands fumbling the two men fell into bed.

The struggling and thrashing was rushed and silent as the men fed their needs. The blonde straddled his lover, dipping down to bite the calling flesh. Teeth sank into the heat of the man's body, the blonde delighting in the writhing of the body in question. He licked the skin as he pulled away and continued his assault.

Vincent could not bare it any longer. He ached to drive into the boy. He tackled the boy onto his back, concentrating his weight as growled deep in his throat. "Teasing me is a bad idea. Behave or you won't get a thing out of me" came the husky voice, in a low, serious tone. The blonde's stomach fluttered at being told off and decided that he would change the gunslinger's mind. He pulled away from Vincent's weight long enough to get onto all fours beneath the man. He could imagine the questioning look on the face above him. Vincent held an intense gaze on the back of the boy's head as he licked his lips in defiance. The blonde spread his knees a little and thrust backwards into the beast's hard need. Closing the gap between their bodies, the boy began his slow, teasing movements, before spreading his legs enough to allow the thick column to press between him. The gasps above him indicated that a lot of noise was being suppressed as he continued his slow torture, pressing the heat of his entrance hard into the man. Vincent's growl ended with an aching plea, his eyes fluttering and his back arched over temptation.

The whimpering stopped as the gunslinger came to some coherent thought, fuck hard. He grasped the blonde's hips, making the boy poise in anticipation. One hand found his painfully hard limb and positioned it at Cloud's entrance. Without a second thought he dove deep into the boy, swelling with pleasure. So tight.

XxX

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