Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. That honor goes to Square Enix. All I own is this little story.
WARNING: The following contains shonen-ai and alcohol abuse. If you do not like shonen-ai, please do not read this. If you do not like shonen-ai and read this with the intention of leaving nasty messages for me, please refrain from doing so.
Last Night and the Morning After
The walls and floor vibrated with the bass of the music in the club. Residents of Edge were packed body-to-body, dancing to some ridiculously fast song... it was disgusting. Vincent Valentine's ever-brooding figure stared at the mass of people as he leaned against a wall. His airshipmtes had finally given in to Yuffie's constant whining for a break from hunting Sephiroth. Although she wasn't paying attention to him now, he still felt inclined to glare at her from across the room. In some corner Cloud was surrounded by a pack of suitors (both male and female) while Barrett sat flirting with several women simultaneously. Vincent was startled as an arm draped over his shoulder. "Care fer a drink, Vinny?" It was Cid.
"No, Cid," came Vincent's monotone reply. "I don't hold my liquor well."
Cid laughed. "I don' see why tha' matters!" he slurred. Great, Vincent's ride home was already drunk. Cid pushed his face a little closer to Vincent's. "Come on, buddy," he said with a grin, "ya damn well know ya want to."
Vincent shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Before he could even respond to the rowdy pilot, Cid has already shoved a shot glass brimming with tequila into his hand. "Cid," Vincent started, "I really don't think-"
Cid didn't give him time to finish. The small glass had been pushed to his lips. "There ya go, ya damn vampire!" Cid said triumphantly as Vincent swallowed down the hard liquor.
Vincent glared at the pilot. "Wasn't that uncalled for?" he spat out.
Cid looked taken aback. "What the fuck is yer problem?" He gave Vincent a shove, causing the gunman to fall to the side and land rather roughly on the ground.
"I told you I don't like to drink, Cid," Vincent blurted out. Cid merely mumbled something unintelligible before walking off to get another beer. Vincent gently rubbed the spot on his arm were it hit the ground as he rose to his feet. He watched as Cid walked away, wondering what had gotten into him.
The night went on uneventfully. At one in the morning, the group made its way back to the airship to get some sleep. Vincent shrugged off his cloak and took off his signature gauntlet as he walked into his cabin. With a sigh he sat down on the bed that graced the center of the room. Guns of all shapes and sizes hung from various places on the wall. In silence, he stared out of a window and into the darkness that lay outside. In another room, he could hear Cid giving up the contents of the night's drinking to his great porcelain god. Vincent rolled his eyes. That dumb blond deserved it. He had known full-well of Vincent's dislike for alcohol, and should have backed off, no matter how drunk he was. After a moment or two of thought, he heard, the sound of a body meeting the floor in Cid's room. That doesn't sound good... Chaos snickered inside Vincent's mind. Just leave him, Chaos's rough voice suggested, Gaia knows he deserves it. Vincent shook his head. Try as he might, he could not persuade himself to leave his friend be. He rose from the bed and left the room in search of Cid.
The smell of cigarettes flooded Vincent's nose the instant he opened the door to Cid's room, causing his nose to crinkle. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, and a sliver of light passed through the crack. A quiet moan followed by a grunt could be heard as well. "Cid?" Vincent called out.
"I'm in here you blind fucking bat!" came the pilots rough voice in response.
Vincent rolled hit eyes, utterly annoyed by the pilot's attitude. He walked toward the door and pushed it open revealing a disheveled looking Cid laying next to the toilet. He glared at Vincent, obviously not wanting the gunman to see him in his weak state. "Perhaps you should retire for the night, Highwind," Vincent offered.
"You think I haven't tried, you bastard?!" Cid roared.
Vincent's patience was wearing thin. "Perhaps it would be easier if you didn't insist on getting so drunk," he said sternly.
"Well maybe you wouldn't have to worry like an old man if you would have had a damn drink with me!"
"I told you I don't like to drink!"
"Well maybe I just wanted to spend some time with you..." the words came out as mumbles, but Vincent heard them clearly. Cid was not sitting up with his eyes to the tile floor.
Vincent approached him and attempted to hoist him up. "You're drunk," he said calmly, "you should get to bed."
Cid shrugged him off. "I ain't drunk anymore, Vince!" he blurted out. His deep blue eyes watered at bit. "I ain't drunk and I don't plan on goin' to bed."
Vincent kneeled down by his friend's side. "Go to bed, Cid. We'll have a talk in the morning." Cid didn't respond. Vincent's eyes lingered on his face for a few moments before getting up to leave. He'll forget this ever even happened...
Cid just sat there and watched the thin outline of Vincent's body leave the room. He heard the door shut. A single tear splattered on the floor. "It's jus' the liquor," he said to himself. Although he told himself that, he knew full well that that wasn't true. He cleared his throat in an attempt to rid his voice of its sad, mournful quality. He forced himself off the floor and laid down on his bed, willing his eyes to shut.
Vincent woke at about six in the morning. He hadn't slept much as the conversation he had with Cid replayed in his mind. He stared up at the ceiling in hie room until the sound of rustling bed sheets at his side got his attention. He slowly turned his head. A mess of blond hair greeted him. His eyes widened in shock. Had he really gotten into bed with Vincent in his drunken stupor? "Cid?" A hind of confusion found its way into Vincent's voice.
"Ermph..."
Vincent gently nudged him. "Cid? Wake up."
Cid rolled over to face him. "I am up."
"Then perhaps you'd like to explain why your in my bed?" Vincent said with raised brows.
"Firstly," came Cid's rough voice, "this is my ship, therefore it is my bed. Secondly, I couldn't sleep."
Vincent's dark brows rose even higher. "So you concluded that bedding with me would suffice as a solution?"
Cid rolled over so that his back faced the man next to him. "You're the reason I couldn't sleep, Vince." His voice cracked at the end of the statement.
Vincent struggled to find words to respond to Cid's comment, but all that he could muster was a tiny question. "Me?" He heard an almost inaudible sniffle from the pilot. "Cid? Please, Highwind, if this is some kind of joke-"
"I wasn't drunk, dammit!" Cid blurted out. "I remember everything I said and I meant it. All I need is to spend time with ya, Vince. Yer all I think about..."
Vincent stared in disbelief. "I... I'm afraid I don't quite understand, Cid."
Cid turned to face Vincent, his blue eyes locked on Vincent's crimson ones. "I think..." Cid paused as if he wasn't sure of what he was going to say. "...I think I love ya, Vince..."
Vincent was unsure of what to say. I love you, too? No, that didn't seem right for the situation. Thirty seconds passed before Cid finally took Vincent's lack of response as disgust. He rolled out of bed and and made his way to the door. Chaos, who had amazingly managed to remain silent up until now, spoke up in Vincent's mind. Way to go, he growled, looks like you sent him packing. Vincent's eyes snapped on to the retreating form. Without making a sound, he bolted from the bed.
Cid felt slender yet strong arms wrap around his waist. He couldn't help but jump a bit. Despite the fact that Vincent had been under a layer of blankets just moments before, his skin was ice cold. "I beg of you," Vincent whispered, "don't go." In an abnormal display of affection, Vincent held Cid closwer and laid his head on Cid's shoulder.
The pilot places a calloused hand on one of Vincent's. "As long as ya want me here, I'll stay."
Vincent placed a soft kiss on Cid's cheek. "Then I am yours forever."