(Untitled)

[notariverstone]

It was not so unusual for Vincent to be comforting someone who'd been through a trauma. He'd taken care of Tseng and Elena after what the Remnants did to them, he'd helped a few people after the Battle Royale incident, he'd spoken with Reeve after Deep Ground had attacked, and helped to nurse Anael back to health somewhat, before... well. That

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[atinyremnant]

Seph had his eyes closed when the two entered the room, but he definitely wasn't asleep, radiating an air of being too tired (he wasn't quite sure how that worked, but it did) and too much in pain to sleep. It took him a few moments to get his eyes to open, though, despite his obvious alertness, and the other two had already reached the bed by the time he got them completely open and started to struggle to sit up a bit more - he couldn't help a faint, pained hiss, his back protesting that motion, but he managed to keep any other sound quiet, though he couldn't keep his expression even.

[notariverstone]

"It's okay," Cloud informed him. "Don't move, if it hurts."

Vincent sits next to him on the bed, gentle and silent.

[atinyremnant]

"I am sick...of laying around." He wants to make a sort of joke out of it, but he can't; the pain shows through far too clearly in his voice. He pretends he doesn't notice his own tone, though, finally managing to sit up a bit more against the pillows propped behind him, taking a deep breath and hoping he's not as pale with pain as he thinks he is.

[notariverstone]

"It will end," Vincent soothes in his usual gravelly tone.

Cloud pulls up a chair to sit next to the bed.

[atinyremnant]

He makes the sound again, even more frightened, almost struggling to breathe now as the pain subsides enough for that crushing panic to get its claws into him again; he manages to force out something that sounds like it could be a word, a name, but it's horribly unclear and asking him to repeat it wouldn't get any answer.

[mommaslilangeal]

Miserable and worried and unsure, Cloud manages a quiet "'m 'ere."

Angeal stays where he is, humming a quiet lullaby, while Vincent joins Cloud in feeling awkward.

[atinyremnant]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cloud's response seems to help. Seph lets out a weak moan and reaches blindly out, as if expecting a hand to be there, reaching for his.

[mommaslilangeal]

Cloud glances away, glances back. Then looks around the room. Both of the other adults were staring at him expectantly. He looks down, then back at Seph. Inwardly sighing, he sat on the bed beside him and held his hand.

[notariverstone]

He knew what that felt like. He didn't want to remember it, but he did. Right now, helping Sephiroth was more important than those memories, though. Seeing the look in Sephiroth's eyes, Vince whispers, "You don't have to tell me," in an attempt to soothe.

Cloud squeezes Sephiroth's hand again, trying to calm him down.

[atinyremnant]

"You asked." He doesn't sound like he's blaming Vincent, though; merely stating the reason why he said it at all. And now that he's gotten started, he can't stop, anyway.

"He kept calling me - 'beautiful' - 'perfect' - I hated it, I'm not beautiful, I'm not perfect - wouldn't listen - when I told him not to - just kept calling me that--" He sucks in a breath that seems to sear his chest like the pierce of a hot knife, but barely notices the pain this time. "Wanted - to scream. Want to scream."

[notariverstone]

Cloud puts an arm around him, though he feels kind of awkward hugging an alternate of his idol-enemy-acquaintance.

Vincent gives a bitter sort of laugh. "No one is perfect. And if you want to scream, do. Maybe it will help."

When he fails to elaborate on the other topic, Cloud steps in. "You're pretty-- and that's not a bad thing. Don't let him make you feel bad for it, okay? ...To be really beautiful, where it really counts... that doesn't have to do with what you can see. I'm... not exactly the best person to be preaching this; I know I've screwed it up more times than I can count, but... accept who you are. Like Angeal would say, 'be proud of who you are.' Be good to people, and you'll be more beautiful than he could ever hope to get his sick mind around."

"Cloud--" Vincent interjected, "It's not the same thing." He thought on what he wanted to say, then spoke. "If you throw away everything he said, you throw away the truth with the lies. The joy with the pain. Listen. You are beautiful. Not in the way he wanted

[atinyremnant]

He doesn't quite understand it, but he tries to focus on Cloud's words instead of the urge to scream. It works surprisingly well - or at least well enough to calm him until he can breathe properly again, leaning sort of heavily against Cloud and putting a hand absently to his chest as he finally becomes fully aware of the ache there.

"I...I don't...understand. How am I...beautiful...or perfect...in any way...?" He shakes his head slightly. "I am...twisted. Warped. Disgusting. I can never be beautiful - I can never be pure." He thinks of his own Cloud at that, and a few tears escape.