Epilogue: Come night, come dawn

Disclaimer: Not mine and I make no profit.

Love makes the Planet go round. Maybe Vincent didn't know it better than anyone, but he knew it better than most.

Aren't things cozy now? But are you going to tell your Cloud how things might have been?" Chaos asked Vincent in a voice that was almost his. The night was chilly, and the breaths of every man and woman in the hills near Concord Airport created small, white clouds, that were visible in the darkness. Everyone but Vincent, that is; he had made sure to regulate his body temperature to that of the air around him. It was uncomfortable, but while he hoped for Cloud's sake that General Sephiroth's offer had been genuine, he was still on his guard.

"Would it change things for the better?" he asked back mentally, his eyes trailing after Cloud. His son had strayed from the main camp and was wandering aimlessly in a narrow crevice between two steep hills.

How would his son benefit from finding out that if had things gone a little differently, his mother would be dead, Vincent wouldn't be his father, Sephiroth would be insane, and the lover he had never met in this life would be dead? Things might still take a wrong turn, but this was life and that was history. There was no reason to clutter Cloud's mind with might-have-beens.

The grass, hard and fragile with frost, was breaking behind him, the cadence of the steps familiar to him.

"Are you sure that encouraging this is a good idea? It is General Sephiroth," Verhandi protested, slipping her arms around Vincent. She twitched, the doctor in her screaming in alarm about hypothermia no doubt, even though she knew exactly how far Vincent could control his body.

He didn't even need to look back to be overcome by his love for her. This was what she always was, warmth and support, worry and love and loyalty. Vincent was not a religious man by nature, but Verhandi and Cloud were the reason he had learned to have faith in Gaia, much to Veld's bewilderment: any higher being that had given him them would have proved itself to Vincent.

"I'm not exactly encouraging him," he pointed out, and turned around at last to look into Verhandi's worried eyes, luminescent in a way Mako could never compare to.

"You aren't actively discouraging him either, and that is as good as 'go ahead' for him," she pointed out.

"I have my reservations about the situation," Vincent admitted. And he did, because part of him was whispering that it was Lucrecia's son, but it was rather overshadowed by the part that pointed out how Sephiroth had been an enemy up until that day, and might still be one day. He was older, and if not more experienced when it came to relationships, at least much stronger, but…

"Cloud has made up his mind and you know how much he resembles you in this. He will see this chance through." And he would be devious about it also. The place Cloud had made himself available in just happened to be in his father's sector. He would be under the eyes of the one person who wouldn't sound an alarm, and at the same time satisfy his parents' need for surveillance.

"Well, this should make for an interesting conversation, at least," Verhandi sighed. Not defeat, but understanding kindled in her eyes, along with reluctant pride. Now she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering a little. The wind was picking up.

"Conversation?" Vincent queried. Now her smile took on a decidedly steely quality.

"The one where I point out that if he doesn't treat my Cloud right, I will bash his head in with a microscope, stab him to death with an IV needle and cook his body for spare Mako and soap." Her voice was light and casual, but it couldn't conceal the ruthless love behind it.

Vincent had been unconscious the day after Fuhito's experiments had escaped—he had been dealing with the aftermath of fighting the man himself—and hadn't been there to see Verhandi drag an unconscious Veld with a knife on his jugular and demanding safe pass from the Canyon, but the stories he had heard of her feat had always been hushed and respectful. Now he thought he knew what her eyes had looked like then, other than a lack of the desperation she was sure to have been feeling. Verhandi was a moral woman, a true doctor. Vincent didn't think for a second she would make soap of General Sephiroth in any circumstance.

He could imagine her stabbing him to death with a needle for hurting Cloud.

Aren't you a sweet family, tea and cookies and soap and Mako and gunpowder and violence. And how Cloud would have injected himself, those dreams were so amusing, even if the actual objective wasn't attained. Vincent didn't want to know. He knew he would find out more once Verhandi left.

"I think you should go back to the tent, my heart. You are cold and I don't know if Sephiroth will approach if he sees your breath." The sooner they saw this through and knew where they stood with Cloud and Sephiroth, the better. Verhandi nodded reluctantly and turned on her heel to walk away. After a few steps, she ceased her tread and looked at him over her shoulder.

"I have thought about the future, love. You know how I have always made money by making soap and other cleaning products? I thought about starting a small company," she said. And he was left to keep vigil alone.

And everybody lived happily ever after? Chaos' voice echoed mockingly through his head.

"Reasonably happily," he answered out loud. If Sephiroth indeed returned Cloud's feelings, good for them both, but life with someone as messed up and insanely famous—both loved and hated—as Shin-Ra's Silver General wouldn't be a walk in the park. They weren't guaranteed automatic marital bliss, nor were they guaranteed a successful relationship. Shelke's identity was in hundreds of shattered pieces, most of which weren't even hers to begin with, and her sister was missing. And there might or might not be a second war with Wutai in the future, depending on how bold Lord Godo was feeling and how badly Sephiroth wanted to keep the land. Red was still severely traumatized by his experiences in Hojo's hands and Vincent had a feeling that Dyne Fargo, once he arrived, could use some therapy also. And the dead were still dead, of course. But all in all, things were well. There wasn't going to be an apocalypse, for one. And Verhandi lived.

"What did you mean by Cloud being willing to inject himself in his dreams?" he demanded to know. Chaos laughed in his head, a disturbing laughter that was just like a little child's, joyous and innocent.

The night was cold, but Cloud barely felt it from his excitement. Sephiroth had turned and just looked at him, but there had been much concealed in that look and so he was waiting for the man now. He had made himself available in just happened to be in his father's sector: father wouldn't sound an alarm and this way his mother wouldn't flip either. He couldn't be sure whether the man returned his probably all too obvious feelings, merely wanted to properly thank him or ensure that he wouldn't make his origins public knowledge.

As painful as being in the dark was he couldn't be sure which it would be, but he was sure that Sephiroth would find his way there, to speak with him without witnesses.

Only, Sephiroth's mind didn't work quite like his.

What Cloud didn't understand because he had been raised and trained by Vincent, and Vincent didn't understand because he was a Turk by nature if not in name, was that Sephiroth didn't think there was anything to hide at this point, with President Shin-Ra dead. Half a lifetime of being mobbed by the media had taught him the value of discretion, but being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people he knew wouldn't go to the media, for one reason or the other, was discreet. Skulking around would have been undignified and, above all, disrespectful towards Cloud. It would have implied that he was ashamed of him.

And as little as Sephiroth knew of romancing someone he knew that was to be avoided at any cost.

"Cloud," he heard his father's voice before he heard him approaching. Cloud turned around and squinted his eyes in the dark to see his father, whose dark red coat seemed to sink right into the surroundings.

"You have a visitor," father told him. Cloud blinked, the gears in his mind halting and slowly taking a new direction.

"Ah. Of course. Sephiroth." And then he was already running up the crevice, frosted grass suddenly slippery and terribly noisy under his feet.

He hadn't paused to ask where Sephiroth was waiting, but it was obvious the second he got back up. There were angry voices, fairly silent for the time being, but gaining strength, and a huge group of people in front of one of the small, green tents. It was the tent he shared with Hákon and Donald. And in the middle of the group there stood a silver-haired man, clear and bright against the night sky despite his back clothing, dwarfing everyone except Barrett.

"You don't have to meet him," Elfé promised him. Veld laid his hand on her shoulder and whispered something into her ear, so silent even the Fighters there couldn't hear, but judging by the way Sephiroth's eyes narrowed briefly he did. Cloud didn't stop to look what kind of reaction whatever Veld told to Elfé got out of their fearless leader. His feet had a life of their own, leading him to the man he had dreamed of as if in a thrall. The group parted in front of his and revealed his mother standing beside Sephiroth, her eyes were fairly sparking as she looked at the man one last time before turning towards their comrades.

"Everyone give them some space now," she commanded, and with his father and Veld's help, the area near the tent was cleared. Cloud ducked into the tent quickly, feeling the stares on them as a nearly physical weight. Behind him, the cloth rustled as the tall man rather awkwardly stepped into the small tent. Before it closed again, Cloud managed to catch a glimpse of Piekna's startled face.

She knew, that much was obvious. Cloud knew her well and despite the backlight of the main tent behind her, it was clear to see that she was both bemused and comprehending something at the same time. But she wasn't angry, and Cloud gave her a small, grateful smile. Piekna was one of those whose bad regard would really trouble him.

"Cloud Strife." Something in Cloud's stomach melted at the sound of his name coming off Sephiroth's tongue and he took a deep breath, thankful for his awakening senses; it would have been very awkward if he hadn't been able to see Sephiroth's face.

"General Se-Sephiroth." Cloud attempted formality and winced at the stutter. He almost took a step back as Sephiroth took a authoritative one forward, but that would have given an entirely wrong message. He wanted to speak with Sephiroth since that had been the entire purpose of loitering outside their camp, unnecessary as it had been. And just as in the airship the last time, he was completely tongue-tied.

But he had to say something. Cloud knew that there were some things that couldn't be taken back. Once you had entered Don Corneo's employ, you couldn't just leave the mob for a more rewarding career as a Shin-Ra enquirer; you couldn't make your friend forget what you really thought of his girlfriend—according to Hákon anyway. Also, once you became an Avalanche member and then miraculously became not-enemies with General Sephiroth after having fallen in love with him, it would be a crime to spoil everything at that point because of nerves.

"I'm happy to see you. I was wishing you would come," he managed. It was true. It also wasn't throwing himself at the man, which was good. He didn't want to seem desperate.

"May I sit?" Sephiroth asked and Cloud's lips twitched in something that didn't quite become an amused smile. Sephiroth was a tall man and the tent they were in wasn't very high, forcing the man bent down slightly. It was stupid, but suddenly the situation wasn't half as intimidating as it had been a second ago. Sure, Sephiroth was still this larger than life figure who wasn't easy to get close to, but he was just a man after all.

"Of course," Cloud said, gesturing with his hand and sitting down himself. Sephiroth moved gracefully as a cat, Cloud noticed with admiration.

"We don't have much privacy here, what with cloth walls and lots of enhanced people," he warned the man he loved.

He really shouldn't have thought of him like that and admitted his feelings in his presence, because the nervousness that had only just left him returned with vengeance. He was a teenager alone in a tent with the most beautiful, strongest person he knew, and lack of privacy aside, his mind very unhelpfully supplied him with a little fantasy of Sephiroth kissing him. And of a graceful hand that slipped down his chest… Cloud could feel his face reddening and dropped his eyes, unable to look into those impossibly green eyes any more. His worn boots were suddenly a very fascinating sight.

"I am aware of that. Also, this isn't the ideal situation to have such a conversation in, but there are a few things I need to ask of you. Would you please look at me?" Cloud couldn't very well refuse without seeming impolite, so he obediently lifted his eyes. Sephiroth was smiling, but Cloud had a feeling that it wasn't because he felt like smiling, but because he felt he had to smile. That smile was wolfish and not just because it was open-mouthed. It showed his teeth, yes, but the expression had very little to do with the physical and everything to do with the sheer force behind it. It was like Sephiroth had decided something and now power rippled off him in waves. It was dizzying.

It was also terribly sexy. And a small part of Cloud whispered that it looked kind of like battle resolve, only nicer.

"Shoot," he said and resolved to sit there and listen to Sephiroth.

"First, you don't care that I am not human?" Sephiroth's voice was toneless. Despite the embarrassing want, hope, shyness, and fright of rejection chasing each other in Cloud's mind, he was tempted to kick the man. He had gotten Cloud all worked up for that?

"No, and I have already told you so. I don't care if you have alien cells in you, I don't care if you can do things most human cannot, I wouldn't care if you were green with purple polka dots, I love you anyway." And just like that, the truth slipped. Panic followed a fraction of a second later.

Sephiroth's yes widened and the look in them was something terrifyingly vulnerable. Cloud had already opened his mouth to take his words back somehow, to at least amend them, but he couldn't now. As utterly ridiculous as likening that to kicking a puppy and Sephiroth to the puppy would have felt only moments before, now Cloud was reminded of his dreams, of the ominously glowing Mako tank, and how could green be so ugly? Of the medical bed and the restraints and the smaller thinner body tied to it. Because as much as Sephiroth was a bigger than life tragic figure he was also a man and now it sank in to stay. Even if he lived to be a hundred years old Cloud couldn't unlearn that now. The silence was deafening.

"I'm not going to take that back. But I really, really hope father has kept everyone away," he whispered.

"Thank you. I love you also," Sephiroth said like he couldn't quite believe it could be that easy. Neither could Cloud; I love you, too was repeated in his mind, over and over and over again. He wondered if it might be appropriate to kiss Sephiroth now when confessions had been shared and accepted. Sephiroth loved him back! He had hoped, of course, there had been hints, but it was one thing to hope and another to heart it like that.

"As you have already answered my second question there is only one more left. When the worst confusion is over, would you come to Midgar to visit me? There are people who have expressed a wish that I introduce you to them."

Sephiroth had told his friends of him? Cloud felt silly, happy grin splitting his face. probably Zack Fair and some other Soldier.

"Of course. I, uh, don't know if I can tell you where I live, but send the message to Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon, he knows how to contact us." Sephiroth loved him! Cloud had no idea what he had that the third of humanity that had been lovestruck by Sephiroth lacked, but he was so grateful, more grateful than ever before.

"Now I have made my questions. Do you have any?" Now Sephiroth's smile had lost its wolf-like quality and become more natural. As he leaned back, he thought that maybe Sephiroth had seemed so ferocious because he had viewed this meeting as some kind of battle he had to win, or maybe like some diplomatic meeting with someone he had to convince to be his ally.

"Yes. Would you mind if I, ah, kissed you a little?" Cloud's eyes once again dropped to the bedroll at his feet. It wasn't a voluntarily action; he was smiling, but he was still shy.

It was a chaste kiss. Sephiroth leaned over him and pressed his lips against Cloud's for a few, precious seconds. Cloud's eyes went crossed as his face got closer and closer, until he closed them, shuddering as their lips touched. There was a brief moment, barely a heartbeat, when he took a shuddering breath and Sephiroth's tongue licked his lips. Then they were separated again and Cloud was left feeling feverishly hot; it was like his heart would burst and he waited until he had the strength to look into Sephiroth's eyes again.

"My mother is going to threaten you with a gruesome death, you know." His father might be restrained by the memory of Lucrecia, merely warning him to not play with Cloud's heart, but mother wouldn't have the same scruples. Neither would Hákon, or Barrett, or Piekna.

"She already did."

Love makes the Planet go round. People who deny this have never truly been in love.

The love of ordinary people changes the ordinary, mundane things that they do. Maybe they would refuse a promotion and transfer to another town or change their diet because their significant other is a vegan. Maybe they would give up the rat race of Shin-Ra business and take up pottery and make feathery ornaments to sell in the market because love changes people's view of the world like that.

Some people are important in the great scheme of things. Maybe they were created to be so, maybe they were intelligent and strong or just plain influential, or maybe they just were in the right place at the right time. When they fall in love, it can change the course of history.

"I have a bit of a confession to make, but first, tell me what your opinion of cross-dressing is?" said the eco-terrorist to Shin-Ra's pet enforcer. Cloud was so happy, he was positively drunk on the feeling.

This is how the Planet didn't almost end.

AN: A Box Full of History has ended now. For those that are saddened I have good news, however: there will be a short sequel. Operative word being short; at the moment I have only four chapters planned and I don't think it will be longer than that.