"Ya want me ta do what?"

Vincent raised a confused eyebrow. "Read?"

Captain Cid Highwind shook his blonde head with a snort. He pointed a callused finger up at the massive stone building in front of them. "There ain't no way in hell I'm settin' foot in that Gods-fersaken place!"

Vincent brushed a strand of billowing raven hair from his face. He had a feeling this would happen. He had sat at home for hours, thinking if what he was planning to do was the best thing for his gruff lover. But, dear Gaia, Cid was driving him up the wall!

"It's just a library, Chief." The dark man said reassuringly.

"I don't give a flyin' fuck!" Cid cursed, shooting his arms up. "There ain't no need fer me ta go in there."

"You speak as though I'm about to drag you into Hojo's Lab." Vincent frowned deeply. "All I'm asking is for you to go in there, choose a book, then leave. That's it."

Cid took a deep drag of his cigarette. "Why, Vin? Why do I need ta read?"

"Because you need a hobby." Vincent crossed his arms, his metal shoes tapping against the pavement. "You work too much, Chief. When you're not spending every hour on Shera, you're off getting your hands dirty somewhere else. You come home filthy, exhausted, and in a grumpy mood. I can't take it."

Cid blinked at him, silent for once.

Vincent wasn't one to be frustrated, or even the least bit angry when not in battle. But lately, Cid was setting him off the edge. The man would spend countless hours working with his beloved ships, and then come home exhausted and in a foul mood. When he wasn't working, Cid wasn't relaxing, either. Oh no, he was finding other things to work with. Anything that would occupy his hands and mind. Whether it was chores around the house, or odd jobs around the city. He wouldn't sit still, and yet he still constantly complained about his aching back or exhausted mind. The man was on edge, and running around like a chicken with its head cut off wasn't the proper remedy for such a condition.

"So…ya think readin' will help me?" Cid asked.

Vincent nodded. "It's very relaxing, and good for the mind."

"But I ain't a readin' man, Vince! I'm a workin' man!"

The gunman quickly snatched Cid's hand and began to drag him up the stone steps of the Midgar Library. "Well, from now on, you'll be both."

"Can't I just knit or somethin'?" Cid begged.

"No." Vincent shook his head. "You made the choice of handing all your knitting supplies to Kadaj and the boys. You and I both know it won't be wise to take it away from them now. Loz'll cry, Yazoo will sulk, and Kadaj will try and kill someone again."

"Yeah, I know. But-"

"No buts." Vincent scolded his lover. "You're reading. Or…" He stared deeply into Cid's blue eyes. "…there will be no sex, no cuddling, no hand-holding, no anything…for two months."

Cid groaned quite loudly, but didn't fight back as his dark lover hauled him through the massive doors of the Library. Vincent knew just how to convince Cid. Lack of any affectionate touching with his demon lover was enough to drive the gruff man off the razor's edge.

The strong scent of old books filled the air as they stepped inside the room. The building was silent, warm, and comfortable. A strong contrast against the busy city streets outside. Vincent could feel his demons purr with content deep inside him. They too, enjoyed the environment of the Library. It released stress and worry. Even Chaos was behaving.

"Put the cigarette out, Chief." Vincent muttered.

"Why?" Cid asked loudly, mustering up a few annoyed shushes from across the room.

"Cause I don't want you lighting the books on fire." Vincent smirked. "And keep your voice down."

The gruff captain muttered a few curses under his breath as he flicked the cigarette back out the door. As the two men roamed around the vast room, Vincent noticed the obviousness of Cid's discomfort. His hands were buried deep inside his pockets, broad shoulders were slouched, and brow was creased with disapproval. He looked positively adorable, all pouty and what not. Vincent tried his best to hide the smile creeping onto his lips.

"Hmm…let's see here…" Vincent pondered, crimson eyes scanning the book spines aligned across the shelves. "What would be best? Mystery? Romance? Suspense? Horror?"

"How bout a shot ta the head?" Cid grumbled.

Vincent scowled. "Attitude like that will get you nowhere, Chief. Now, come on. Look around. There are hundreds of books to choose from."

Cid gave a long sigh, and lifted his eyes to the books surrounding him. "I don't know what ta choose, Vince! I haven't read a book since I was a little kid."

"What book do you remember reading last?" Vincent asked.

Cid's eyes squinted in thought. "I can't remember the name. All I know is tha' there was some chick in it tha' got attacked by a spider, and all she was doin' was eatin'. Gave me nightmares fer weeks."

Vincent tilted his head. "Little Miss Muffet?"

"Yeah!" Cid nodded enthusiastically. "That's the one! I ain't never touched a book since then."

The dark man chuckled. "Well, I'll scratch horror off the list, then. Now, you take one side of the aisle, and I'll take the other. It'll go by faster."

"Aw, Vince." Cid whined. "Can't ya jus' choose the damn book fer me?"

"No. You'll choose it yourself. It'll help you gain interest in what you're reading."

Cid groaned, but didn't argue any further. Both men separated and individually began to conquer their own section of books. Vincent made certain to keep a close eye on Cid, so as to make sure he was actually reading the backs of the novels instead of just waiting for his lover to choose one for him.

"Oh!" Vincent smiled, pulling a book out of its place. "How about Shakespeare?"

"Shake-what?" Cid raised an eyebrow.

Vincent shrugged. "You know? Shakespeare? World's most famous author? Famous for writing Old English tragedies such as 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Macbeth' and 'Julius Caesar'?"

Cid snorted in disgust. "That pansy? Fuck no. I ain't readin' any o' tha' sissy crap!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Vincent frowned. "Hmm…what else? What else?"

Vincent scanned the over books, almost desperately. There seemed to be absolutely no books on the shelf that would appeal to Cid. The man was incredibly picky. Nothing seemed good enough.

"Hey Vince…" Cid called. "Are there supposed ta be books in 'ere in another language?"

Vincent blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Cid held up a thick book and eyed the cover strangely. "This one's gotta funny title. I don't think it's in English."

"What's it say?"

"Karma Sutra."

Vincent could feel his cheeks heat up furiously in a sudden blush, and he reached over and snatched the book out of Cid's hands. He shoved the book under his cloak, trying his best to hide his sudden rosy complexion.

"Whoa there, Vince." Cid tilted his head. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Vincent mumbled. "I-I just don't think you should be reading that book."

"Why?"

"Because." Vincent turned away.

"Cause why?" Cid stepped closer, and Vincent found himself trapped between the captain and the shelves.

"Cause…it's…" Vincent sighed, and lowered his voice. "It's a book on sexual positions, alright?"

Cid's face suddenly lit up. "What? Seriously? Let me see!"

"No!" Vincent backed against the shelves.

"Aw...c'mon, Vince." Cid purred. "Let me see that book. Jus' fer a sec. I promise I'll give it back ta ya."

Vincent eyed Cid for a moment, his hand clutching the provocative book tightly. There was no way he could say no to those begging blue eyes. They made his knees weak. He knew he was going to regret this…

The book was barely free of Vincent's cloak before Cid snatched it up. He flipped through the pages, eyes widening dramatically. The heat never escaped Vincent's cheeks. He could hear his demons sniggering inside him.

"Whoa…" Cid mumbled, eyes devouring the illustrations. "This is some wild shit."

…Dear God…

"Okay, Chief, can I have the book back, please?" Vincent asked desperately, holding his hand out.

"Hell no, not yet." Cid grinned wildly. "It's jus' getting' good! Shame these pictures all have chicks in 'em, but hell, what can ya do?" He tilted his head curiously. "Hmm…I wonder…do ya think you'd be able ta stand on yer head like this, Vince?"

"Cid!" Vincent blushed wildly.

"I'm jus' askin'." Cid sniggered at his lover's reaction.

Vincent covered his face with his hands. "Alright, can you just choose a book please so we can leave? Please?"

"I'm choosin' this one."

Vincent's head snapped up. "What? You can't be serious."

"Hell yeah, I'm serious." Cid smiled, tucking the book under his arm. "Ya did say ta choose a book that'll grab my attention. And, damn, this one certainly did!"

Vincent bit his lip nervously. "Hmm…well, I guess it's alright. Just as long as you occupy your free time with relaxing and reading it."

Cid sniggered. "Are ya kiddin', Vince? I'm not gonna spend my free time readin' this!"

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The blonde stepped close. Really close. Vincent had nowhere to go. His back was pressed hard against the shelves, whiles Cid pressed his body against his. The captain leaned his head close and kissed up Vincent's neck. The gunman shuddered, head tipping back.

Cid licked his earlobe and whispered, "I'm gonna spend all my free time practicin' every single one of these positions with ya."

Vincent blushed wildly, but couldn't prevent the grin crossing his lips.

He knew this was a good idea.