(Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anything else to do with FF7 they belong to Square Enix. Please do not sue. Thank you)
As Good As It Gets.
By The Redundant Goddess...
-- Alone At Last --
The cusp between summer and autumn in Rocket Town had always been pleasant or at least Cid liked to think so. The trees and their leaves would sway with ease in the mild warm breeze, losing enough leaves to look picturesque instead of depressing. The weather was cooler, but still held comfortable warmth that let you wander about with out a jacket and the sunsets looked more glorious than ever, and on some days it would look like the earth and the sky were one.
It just so happened that today had been one of those days. The blond smiled as he raised his cigar to his lips to inhale the rich smoke. Looks like it was a good day to get married after all… He thought, as he rubbed the back of his neck, sore from the days stress and toil.
The Pilot was sat outside a large white canvas tent, big enough to hold a small army, (or so he thought) dressed in a half of a tux. His dark blue shirt unbuttoned, tie long forgotten and his hair back to it's usual scruffy self. He felt his body slowly begin to relax and his thoughts ebb into territory he had tried to steer clear of all day. The strong smells of freshly cut grass, strong liquor and tobacco smoke hung around him like a pleasant haze. A cosy little fog of his own creation, where nothing could bother Cid except those pesky thoughts of his.
He smiled and took a swig of his hip flask, which he had kept beside him all day just to get him through it all. Not that he was an alcoholic in any way. Cid always kept a snifter of something or another with him just in case of an emergency, but the days events had needed a lot of Dutch courage and he was glad he had kept it with him. For the past six weeks this wedding had consumed his happy little life and now that it was all over, a reality he had barely had time to consider finally decided to hit home.
She's not coming back…The ceremony had been a sweet affair. Marlene had been the flower girl looking as pleased as punch as she walked up the aisle, tossing little rose petals as she went. Tifa and Yuffie had been bridesmaids, as well as a couple of other women he hadn't met, and most of the gang had turned up in suits even Cloud… well except Vincent, but then he really hadn't expected to him to have made it. And Shera… God damn it all… Looked absolutely beautiful. Cid had always thought she had looked pretty, with fair skin and a decent honest face, but today when he saw for the first time in her dress, she had looked like… something else… He had never been so proud of her in his entire life.
It was that pride and love for her that lead them up the aisle toward her future husband without a single slip up or jitter of nerves. And as he gave her away and watched the couple take their vows he had almost wanted to cry.
Barret Wallace is one lucky son of a bitch….
However, it was only when Cid had delivered his speech that it all clicked.
She's not coming back…He took another drag of his fat cigar and tired to push away his melancholy and chalk it all up to his body reacting to the stress he had been under, but in his heart he knew the truth.
However, before he could dwell a moment further he felt a presence lingering behind him. He turned to check and to his surprise there stood a tall dark figure, bathed in red, smiling down at him. So he had made it after all.
"That was an impressive speech Highwind, never thought I would see the day when you would be so articulate."
Cid chuckled to himself, stubbing out his cigar in the grass beside him and simply shrugged his broad shoulders.
"What can I say? I have my moments."
Vincent smiled at him softly, or at least the blond thought he had. It was always so hard to tell with that collar of his in the way.
"How've you been?"
"Well." Vincent stated bluntly, but then his voice softened and the ex-Turk looked slightly embarrassed. "I had fully intended on arriving here on time for the ceremony, however I was held up by something unavoidable."
Cid snorted and shot Vincent a grin.
"Hey, I'm sure Shera won't mind, in fact I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know you actually made it after all. Hell I know I am!"
The pilot sighed and lifted his head upwards to gaze at the sky. The vibrant reds, oranges and strained yellows of sunset were being morphed into exotic magentas and deeper shades of nightfall. He smiled and patted the ground next to him and motioned for the slender man beside him to sit with him. The ex-Turk accepted his request, which was quite lucky as it was getting painful to crane his neck up to meet his friend.
"And you Highwind? How has life been treating you?" Vincent asked.
The pilot smiled and stretched his arms, which resulted in his shoulders cracking with a delicious jolt of satisfaction and pain.
"Not too bad. A little exhausted from all this wedding crap, who knew getting hitched was so much work? Man I feel like I've just done ten rounds in the battle dome with just a toothpick and pants, and I ain't even the one who got married!"
They chuckled together as the music and laughter from the giant canvas tent drifted between them. Vincent looked back toward the party as a loud cheer echoed out.
"Sounds like they're having a good time." He noted. "Not tempted to join in?"
"Nah. Too tired, besides I'm no way near drunk enough to even attempt to dance."
They sat in silence for a while. Both lost in thought as they stared at the sky before them. It had been a while since the two men had been alone together, lost in thought. It reminded Cid of how they and become friends in the first place.
"Did you see her?"
"Yes."
"Didn't she just look a picture?"
"Quite."
"I mean, wow…" The Pilot chuckled. "…The gal really scrubs up well, ya know?"
"That's one way to put it"
"Heh."
Silence hung between them once again as the pilot offered his hip flask to his dark-haired friend. Vincent took the flask willingly and sent a wicked smirk back as by way of thanks. As the harsh liquor began to work it's way through the ex-Turk's system, Cid yet again broke the silence.
"She's not coming back…"
"Cid…"
The gruff thirty-something year old spluttered slightly, before making another attempt.
"What I mean is that… well…she's left."
"Cid, if this is the reason why you're out here I'm afraid you may have left if too late…"
"That's not what I mean!"
"Explain." The utterly bemused and confused sixty-something Ex-Turk all but demanded.
" I'll miss her. Never thought I would, but just seeing her there happy with the big guy, kinda made me realise this was all happening and that she's never going to be there waiting for me when I get home anymore."
"Not that I want to offend you Cid, but this isn't sounding any better. I think the boat has sailed for you and Shera…"
"For the last time that's not what I mean!" The blond let out and exhausted sigh. "Gods, I love that woman, I truly do. But not in the way you're thinking. The thought of marrying Shera has never entered my mind, not once, and I'll tell you why. Now I love her something rotten, that's a fact. I'd do anything for that woman, but I ain't and never have been IN love with her. Just never felt that way about her…you know what I mean?"
Vincent nodded, his shaggy locks hid his garnet eyes from the night sky.
"Yes, I have some idea of what you mean"
"Well then… what I'm trying to get at Vince is… well… Sheras starting something new and exciting. She's a got a hard working, loving man to look after her, a sweet little step daughter to care for and all the weird and wonderful shit that married life throws at ya"
The Blond stopped sharply and fished around his trouser pockets for is fresh deck of smokes. He tore at the top and fished on nicotine stick out, but not before offering the taller man one out of habit. Vincent politely declined and after Cid had lit up he started again.
"And what have I got waiting for me at home? Fuck all that's what"
The dark haired man raised an eyebrow at this, but the blond waved his hand dismissively and continued his tale regardless.
"Sure I got my business and my planes. God knows what I would do without them, but other than that, I don't really have anything else. I mean, I'm 34 years old, I'm single with no hopes of any one coming into my life right now and that just doesn't seem right to me. This is not where most men my age would wanna be at, ya know?"
"You expected a happy little housewife with 2.4 children to come home to with a white picket fence included I presume?"
Cid snorted and almost choked on his cigarette.
"Don't make me laugh, I'm not that stupid. No, I mean I never imagined this is how my life would turn out."
"Our lives rarely do turn out how we imagined them to be when we were younger Cid."
Came Vincent's sage reply as he gazed at his metallic left appendage.
"I just always thought I would have someone. Maybe not married, but a certainly have someone there to share my life with. Ya know, for those good times and bad times? Someone to care for and all that shit…God I'm starting to sound like my mother!"
He laughed wryly and turned away slightly so as not to catch his friends eye as he rubbed his neck with embarrassment.
"In any case, I guess what it really boils down to is this… I'm gonna be awful lonely now Shera's gone. In that big ol' house of ours… I mean mine."
"Lonely?"
"I know, stupid huh? Me, THE Cid Highwind, one of the people who stood up against Shin-Ra, fought Sephiroth and helped saved the world, is afraid of being lonely? How fucking stupid is that?"
"Not really, it's understandable. Most people don't like to be alone."
"Unlike you eh?"
"Perhaps…"
Silence once again engulfed them as they let the results of Cid's rather interesting rant sink in. The insects in the wild grass and frivolous music from the party kept the silence friendly. Although the pilot, long since finished with his cigarette, felt perhaps this time he had gone too far. Shared too much. Damn alcohol and emotional occasions…
"Actually I had an ulterior motive coming here." Muttered the raven-haired man.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes." He shifted slightly, turning to face the pilot. "I wanted to ask you a favour as such, which, given your current situation, you might like."
"Go on…"
"I'm looking for a place to stay for a while. It seems the new Shin-Ra wants to raise the mansion and I'm afraid I'll be homeless very soon."
Cid became very interested in what his friend had to say and shifted his body towards Vincent. Ears perked and brow's raised, he urged his friend to continue. An odd sense of concern and hope jumbled into his brain.
"If you wouldn't mind, I was hoping I could stay with you for awhile? It would only be a stopgap until I could find somewhere more permanent to stay, but it is a solution to both of our problems, don't you think?"
A broad grin spread across Cid's whiskered face as he let a deep laugh roll out of his chest and into the night air. He patted his friends red clad shoulder heartily and shook his head. That warm feeling replacing that horrid sense of longing he had felt but moments ago.
"Of course!" He crowed merrily. "Of course you can stay with me! Shit, I thought you were going to say you were going to propose to the brat for a minute there."
They shared another laugh before the sounds of the newly weds making their way towards their ride to their hotel broke into their little world. Night had fallen and it was time for their honeymoon to begin. They looked at each other one last time and smiled warmly before picking themselves up off the grassy floor and making their way to where the others had gathered to give Barret and Shera a royal send off.
Everyone cheered and hollered as the big man lifted Shera over his shoulder and placed her into his specially decorated van. The blushing bride grinned widely as she threw her bouquet into the waiting crowd, a fight quickly erupted between the female members of the group. Oddly enough it was Cloud that somehow caught it in the confusion, although he was to drunk too care. And as Vincent watched with an amused smirk behind his ever-present cloak, Cid couldn't help but smile.
Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad after all?