Work Text:
As romanticized as wings were, suddenly growing his own pair during the night was not something Cloud had ever wanted. Not even in his wildest dreams. In his mind, the symbolism of them were far too linked to Sephiroth for him to desire it.
Yet, that was still exactly what happened one evening while he was sleeping. One night he was going to bed with a perfectly normal back. The next morning he was flinching back in instinctual horror at the sight of the two large, feathered appendages, only to realize belatedly that said appendages were attached to him.
Cloud thanked every god he knew that no one was in his room to witness the odd and shuffling dance he went through while trying to separate from the wings that were suddenly attached to his skeletal system. If not to get away, then to yank them off. The things kept jerking away instinctively every time Cloud tried to grab them; it was as if they knew, somehow, exactly what Cloud had planned.
Cloud ignored how ridiculous he was being for assigning sentience to the wings, because considering their presence and the fact that they definitely weren’t normal, the Jenova cells inside him could only be the cause. His cells. It wasn’t unreasonable to think that Sephiroth might have something to do with this. If pressed, it would be hard for Cloud to think to think of a thing that Sephiroth wouldn’t do to make sure Cloud’s mind was always on him.
Cloud’s luck finally ran out when he ran into his side table and knocked over a lamp with a loud crash. The sound caused Tifa to come rushing in, a “What the heck is going on in here?” on her lips before she spotted Cloud.
“Oh.” She said as she took in all of his newly-winged glory.
Cloud shut his eyes and bit back the urge to sigh aloud. Such a great start to the day so far. He was sure it would only get better from here on out.
***
Of course, Tifa insisted on calling Avalanche in to help deal with this, and of course they had to meet right away.
Cloud stood against a wall and didn’t say a word as the group finally all settled down and surveyed him silently, their eyes practically burning a hole through his skin, especially at the spot past his shoulders where his wings were defensively hunched.
“Sooooo…” Yuffie said, finally breaking the group’s silence. “When did Cloud become a chicken?”
If Barret and Cid were holding themselves back before this, this caused them to burst. Their loud, boisterous laughter echoed through the room, Barret pounding the table as he gasped, “No, no, you got it wrong, Yuf’. He ain’t a chicken. He’s a Chocoobo.”
Yep. Cloud knew that was coming at some point.
He watched with thin patience as that caused Yuffie, Barret and Cid to fully loose it, grasping on the table to hold themselves up- a nearby wall in Yuffie’s case- and laughing like they didn’t realize they needed air to breathe. Even Tifa was laughing a little, though she was at least trying to hide it. More aware of how much the situation was bothering Cloud, probably.
Cloud shook his head and turned his attention to the only ones that weren’t going along with the others in their hilarity. Nanaki was studying Cloud’s wings with a frown on his furry face, while Reeve was staring at Cloud with a look on his face that the ex-mercenary couldn’t quite place. He’d seen Reeve look at him before, but it was always so quickly hidden Cloud couldn’t figure out what the look meant.
Before Cloud could puzzle it out Vincent shifted, causing the corner of Cloud’s eye to catch the red of his cloak and his attention to instantly switch to Vincent like a fish reeled in after taking the bait. Vincent was staring at Cloud and his wings like a man transfixed, such a clear longing in his gaze to just reach out and touch, much more open than he usually was. Cloud dimly wondered if Vincent was even aware of how he was looking at Cloud, or if the man was using the loud distraction that the others were engaged in to hide. But the answer was probably that he wasn’t aware. It just wasn’t like Vincent to allow himself to be open like this when it came to things he wanted, even when he thought no one would notice.
Moments like this were frustrating, because they just kept happening between himself and Vincent, yet something held them back from moving forward every time. It was starting to drive Cloud insane. He wasn’t even entirely sure if Vincent was the one holding them back, or if Cloud himself was.
He was so busy fuming over it, that he didn’t even notice at first his new appendages were moving. But then he could feel it; could feel the oddly alien sensation that he somehow knew were his feather’s fluffing up, his wings spreading slightly and angling themselves to best catch the light. A preening display that happened without Cloud’s knowing direction and to his incredible embarrassment.
The group laughing in the center quieted a bit at the sudden shifting of Cloud’s wings, before Cid asked gruffly, “So, is this some kind of aggression, or you letting us know that you’re the prettiest Chocobo?”
That sent the chucklehead group off again.
…Why did Cloud have these people as friends again? (He knew, really. He would be lost without any one of them. And he also knew that they were just trying to joke around to lighten the mood and get Cloud to panic a little less. Usually, it would probably work, eventually. Cloud just didn’t feel up to letting it work this time.)
The group finally calmed as they realized how unamused Cloud was remaining with their merriment, and it was with an apologetic grimace thrown his way that Barret spoke up.
“So what are we going to do about this, anyway? I don’t think Spike’s in a real big hurry to let some scientist check him out to find out why this happened, and I’ll be damned before I let him be forced into it if he doesn’t want to.”
Well, he’d known that he’d have the group supporting him with that, but it was nice to have it confirmed.
“I can ask Rufus for some old files about Jenova cell mutations.” Reeve spoke up, “It would be easier if Cloud would let me tell Rufus why since the man has a bit of an obsession with him…” He threw a questioning glance Cloud’s way and continued quickly at the rejecting shake of Cloud’s head, “But I should still be able to get something without that. If nothing else, I managed to keep some of my own paperwork from my days in Shinra. While most of it is regarding a completely different field, I can check to see if any medical files managed to sneak their way in. Near the end, I was grabbing whatever I could, not only the files belonging to me.”
Cloud nodded to Reeve in gratitude.
“Thanks.” He said softly.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it could be to deal with Rufus, especially when the man knew he had information you wanted, so he also knew the difficulty Reeve was signing himself up for in trying to get information about Jenova in particular.
“If you need some help ‘borrowing’ some files from that jerk, just let me know! I’d be glad to brush off some of my skills to screw over Shinra again.” Yuffie chirped up brightly.
“So would I.” Vincent said darkly from where he stood, his tone carefully cleared of all the previous longing but not quite so free of the protectiveness now seemed to be feeling.
“Me and my Shera are up for it if y’all need a quick getaway.” Cid piped up.
“Thank all of you, but we’ll leave that as a last resort for now. I do prefer for my interactions with Rufus to not include the aggression he’s capable of when he feels I’ve betrayed him.” Reeve said with a wry smile.
“Don’t he basically feel like that all the time, anyhow?” Cid asked in an aside as he chewed on his cigar.
Reeve just shrugged helplessly in response.
Barret sighed deeply from where he was sitting, “Well, the rest of us aren’t some ninja or ex-Turk that can sneak into places without anyone knowing or pilots that can get away just like that, but we’re here for ya if you want our help, Spike. Anything you need. You should know that by now.”
“Yes.” Nanaki spoke up, “There were times during my stay with him that I feared Hojo would… change me in some way. I can understand some of the horror you must be feeling right now. I’m willing to assist you in whatever help you might need.”
“We’re here for you, you know that.” Tifa said with a nod, “I’m sorry for laughing before.”
“Yeah, we all are.” Yuffie chimed in to Cid’s and Barret’s more gruff agreement.
Cloud’s heart warmed as he looked at the faces of all of his friend’s. He remembered now, why he was friends with them.
Seeing all of them here, like this, made him feel like everything really was going to be alright.
***
He found Vincent later, after the group had broken up. Each of his friend’s had taken a moment to voice their particular type of encouragement toward Cloud before going on their own way. With the sole exclusion of the man he was looking for, who had just upped and disappeared.
Cloud had gone outside on a hunch, and sure enough there Vincent was, lurking in the shadow of the bar and staring back at him with a slightly guilty expression at being spotted. As if he had been caught doing something wrong, and not just seeming to settle himself in for what looked like a protective watch over the bar.
“Embracing old habits?” Cloud asked in a slightly playful manner.
“Someone should stay nearby. In case this is a sign of history repeating-“ Sephiroth coming back, Vincent was kind enough not to say- “or something else that might cause you to need help.”
The longing in his eyes was back as he stared at Cloud, and it gave Cloud just enough courage to step closer and ask, “What do you think of them? My wings.” He clarified, though he knew he didn’t have to.
Vincent glanced away only to look back at him and surprise Cloud by admitting, “I think they make you more of what you already are.”
Cloud’s wings were a clear, pure white. The only blessing he’d counted was that they hadn’t echoed Sephiroth’s own dark greyish black. He didn’t need to think overly hard to realize the implication Vincent was trying to make.
“I’m not an angel, Vincent.” He said with a shake of his head.
“Perhaps not to your own perception.” Vincent returned.
“I’m not.” Cloud insisted, taking yet another step closer, “If you don’t believe me, you can touch them. Feel how normal they are for yourself. They’re just wings.”
Vincent did want to, and he wanted to strongly enough that he couldn’t hide it. It was with a hand that was shaking slightly that Vincent reached out slowly to touch. He froze briefly when Cloud’s wing suddenly jerked, the both of them being surprised when it sprung forward without Cloud’s direction and pressed eagerly into his hand at the slightest brush of his fingertips.
Cloud was about to apologize for it when his words were choked out by a moan as Vincent’s finger’s sunk into his plumage to scrape gently across the skin of Cloud’s wing. It felt glorious, the sensitive skin of Cloud’s wing trembling with sensation as Vincent carded his fingers through the feathers again and again. Cloud’s head rolled back and his eyes closed as he could do nothing but choke back the sounds he wanted to make while basking in the pleasure that radiated from the wings and through the rest of him. He felt like he was melting.
“I know you’re not an angel.” Cloud was only vaguely aware of Vincent saying as those wonderful sensations continued, “But you’re the kindest man I’ve ever known, who has given me more than I could ever deserve. Hope, and friendship, and a reason to continue with this life. You may not be an angel, but never doubt that you are someone very, very precious in my eyes.”
If Cloud could have responded, he would have returned the sentiment. But as he was now, the praise only caused Cloud to let loose a moan as he continued to be overwhelmed with sensation.
When Cloud had finally managed to gather himself up from the puddle he had become, he looked up to see Vincent looking at him with heated desire in his eyes.
“This isn’t quite the way I’d pictured you writhing in pleasure beneath my hands,” The man said in a tone Cloud had never heard from him before, one that sent Cloud’s blood rushing faster in his veins. “But the sight of it is better than I ever dreamed.”
Cloud blushed fiercely at Vincent’s uncommon forwardness. Where the hell had this man come from? How could Cloud draw out more of him?
But then the Vincent he was used to was back, the one that never allowed himself to have nice things because he believed he didn’t deserve him. Cloud loved this man, but sometimes- often- he wished that this one aspect of his personality would change, that Vincent would realize just how much more he deserved. How much more he was worth. More than that, he wished that either of them had it together enough that they could finally stop this blasted back and forth they were engaged in.
Cloud barely held back his sigh as he watched Vincent back away and close off his emotions visibly.
“You should be letting me touch you at all. Not with what I am.” Vincent said softly, his eyes back to being reserved.
“Maybe I want you to touch me. Maybe you deserve it more than you realize.” Cloud said boldly, some part of him finally reaching the point where he was frustrated enough to be brave.
Vincent just bowed his head and smiled at the ground in a grim, unhappy type of humor. “I have wings, too, Cloud. That also make me more of what I am.”
And before Cloud could ask Vincent what he meant, something dark, large and leathery was exploding from Vincent’s back.
Cloud could only stare, now realizing some of how his friends must have felt at seeing his own wings. It took a few moments of adjustment to realize what he was looking at, for it to really settle in that the wings on Vincent’s back weren’t fake.
“They’re Chaos’s, but I feel they suit the both of us. It’s telling that if I need to access them, I can.” Vincent said grimly.
Cloud shook his head and gestured for silence as he speechlessly stepped closer and surveyed every inch of the appendages he could see under the dim light. The leathery skin looked surprisingly soft as it stretched over strong muscle and delicate bone, visibly twitching with every minute change of position the wing made. Both appendages swept up in strong, proud arches, ending in pointed tips that curved down. They were very different than Cloud’s, but they weren’t ugly. No, in fact Cloud found them to be strangely…
“Beautiful.” Cloud whispered softly as he reached out a hand to trace over the nearest one delicately. He found to his delight that the skin on them really was incredibly soft and smooth, similar to the sensation of running his hand across velvet. Maybe even softer. Cloud delighted in the feel of it beneath his hand, running his fingers in gentle strokes down the length of it, tracing an even gentler finger over the skin against the bone.
He was so lost in his exploration that he didn’t even realize that the skin beneath his hand was trembling much like his own had been, that Vincent was breathing just a little too slowly and deliberately for it to be natural- until the man was catching his wrist with a firm but trembling grip and Vincent’s eyes were staring at him in a look of desperate hunger, gold and crimson almost causing them to glow orange.
“I may not deserve you, but I only have so much strength. Stop this while I can give you the choice.” Vincent grit out through teeth that were tightly clenched, teeth that appeared far sharper than they had been moments before.
Too bad for Vincent that Cloud had absolutely no intention of stopping what was happening. If he could finally make them step forward over the line that had kept them separated for so long, he was going to.
“What if I don’t?” He challenged boldly.
“Then the blame for this is on you.” Vincent said in a dark tone.
He said it like a threat. All Cloud could see in it was a promise. He smiled, reaching up to trace Vincent’s cheek under one softly glowing eye, “Yeah. I think this is one thing I can handle taking the blame for. Gladly.”
And when Vincent descended on him with a half-starved snarl, Cloud arched up to meet him with equal hunger.