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Places to Go, Together

"Are you okay with this?" Vincent asked, reaching out to touch Cloud's shoulder as they made their way to the bottom of the staircase.

"Are you?" Cloud shot back, looking as though he wanted to twist his expression into a smile but not quite being able to do it.

"Just because a place has bad memories doesn't mean there's nothing to be learned from it," Vincent replied, taking the lead.

"Be careful," Cloud said quickly as he glanced around. When Vincent turned to look back at him, he moved his gaze off to one of the walls.

"This place breeds madmen," Cloud finally explained as Vincent continued to stare at him. "You seem to be the sanest of the bunch."

"Cloud," Vincent said straight-faced. "When I get angry, I lose all control of my body and become likely to destroy my adversary from the ground up. I'd highly call that... Ah, never mind."

"Still the sanest," Cloud echoed, this time managing the smile that had eluded him before. "And yes, maybe it is important to see if there are others like us. Other clones even. Those who... Damn, my memory just doesn't seem to have kept anything from my years here."

"That might be better than nearly three decades of nightmares," Vincent commented as he made his way through the rotting lab and back to the study where books were still piled, untouched after Sephiroth's initial brush with madness.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Vincent asked again.

Cloud had paused, just staring vacantly into the room from the doorway, apparently lost in his own mind.

"Cloud!"

That was all it took. Shaking his head quickly, Cloud looked up at Vincent.

"Sorry. I just..."

"Come over here," Vincent ordered, beckoning. "Now."

"What?" Cloud asked, obeying instantly. "Did you find something?"

"In the minute you were drifting off in space? No," Vincent stated, reaching to take Cloud's hand and give it a firm squeeze. "Forget about that for a moment though. If you aren't going to be able to handle being here, we'll leave and you can settle down at the inn while I come back."

"I'm okay."

"Good." Vincent pulled his hand back and circled once around the desk. "Because if you forget for a second that you're not the only one with really unpleasant memories of this place, I'll remind you just how easily I can snap."

"Right," Cloud said slowly, bending over to grab a dusty volume from the floor. "Books for me."

"I have a better idea," Vincent said suddenly. "If you'll allow a straightforward moment."

"When are you not?" Cloud retorted, tossing the book he was holding onto the desk. "And what do you have in mind?"

"Making at least one good memory," Vincent answered as he trapped Cloud between his body and the desk as he wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist.

"Dirty old man," Cloud muttered, focusing his glowing blue eyes on Vincent's.

"That's not what you said this morning."

Before Cloud could say anything too stupid in reply, Vincent brought his lips to Cloud's, kissing the blond forcefully but not harshly, not wanting to push too much at first, just in case. Cloud responded favorably though, letting the kiss be deepened slowly until both finally pulled away, gasping for breath and a little shaken.

"Right here is good," Cloud said quickly, looking around and then knocking books quickly off the desk.

"So messy," Vincent commented, shaking his head.

Cloud didn't answer. He was already working on undoing his pants.

"And eager."

A minute later though, both had lost enough clothing to ease their coupling. Vincent had decided the desk not quite wide enough for what he had intended to do and instead had Cloud standing spread against it, naked from the waist down and almost cute in the way he was standing there, waiting.

Vincent grabbed his pants from where they'd landed, wondering why his had even gotten removed in the first place. Luckily he'd been smart enough to grab extra lube and carry it with him. He was rather sure mako did evil things to test-subjects' sex drives but he suddenly wasn't complaining.

As he traced fingers up from Cloud's testicles in search of his goal, Cloud shook his head.

"Just take me," he said. "Please."

Hoping his sigh wasn't audible, Vincent coated his arousal with the lube and stepped forward to position himself. As he thrust his erection into the tight heat of Cloud's body, he couldn't help but feel a little empty. He knew that Cloud was making very different memories, reliving things that may or may not have happened. This was not Vincent's way - it never was.

Memories. That moment suddenly stopped being the time for them. Instead Vincent just focused on what he was doing, how he had a hand wrapped around Cloud's arousal and how his claw was holding the desk for support. This wasn't anything. This was just hot, sweaty needy sex that was a drop in the bucket and the only thing that had ruined it was everything. Everything.

Vincent didn't even pause as Cloud tensed the moment before orgasm, murmuring another name before giving in to his body. And Vincent didn't bother with words when his own orgasm left his shuddering. There was no reason to ruin a memory that didn't exist.

Neither said much as they sat on opposite sides of the room later, each sneaking melancholy looks at one another before going back to their research.