Cetra Traditions
AN: I remember writing this in one of my many notebooks on holiday about 2 or 3 years ago. I can't find the original, but it was only a couple of pages long so it was easy to remember. I kept changing my mind about rewriting it (hence the belated posting), but I thought it'd be fun, and it was 8 ).
/
The tuneful alert of a cellphone message welcomed Cid into his kitchen on one fine, sunny day. Although it was the first thing he heard, the first thing he saw was Vincent seated at the table, one of Cid's AK-47s dismantled on the tabletop and in the process of being put back together. Cid didn't bat an eyelid.
"Morning," he mumbled, traipsing over to the chair next to him, where a cup of steaming tea sat waiting for him. He dropped into the seat and said nothing until he'd finished the hot drink, listening to the sounds of Vincent's work rouse him fully awake. Once the first tea had been consumed he rose to the kitchen counter and proceeded to make himself another. "Did yer get back last night?" Cid asked, finding his full vocabulary. "Can't remember if it was you slipping into bed with me or that freaky woman, Natalie, again."
"It was me."
Cid gave a nod. "Good, 'cause I really thought she'd learnt her fuckin' lesson when yer caught her last time."
Vincent met his eyes across the kitchen, sharing the memory with a flash of mirth. He finished assembling the firearm, rose from the table and replaced it back in Cid's work room. When he returned he was carrying Cid's goggles.
"I'll be damned," Cid noticed. "I wondered where the hell I'd put them. Thought I'd looked in there, though."
Vincent sat back down. "You have a message on your phone."
Cid picked up the little device where he'd left it on the table last, tea in the other hand. "Ugh, Yuffie," he said as he flipped it open. He opened the message and frowned slightly at the length of text there. "She's sent me an article on Cetra history…" he said, slightly perplexed as he continued to read. Vincent watched his eyes dart back and forth across the small screen. Finally, Cid's face split into a grin. "Heheh, that's kinda interestin', actually."
"Do tell," Vincent pressed, an eyebrow cocked expectantly. The look Cid gave him caught his curiosity.
The pilot set his tea down and leant on the tabletop, kicking one foot behind the other as he lifted the phone and read aloud. "Her and Reeve were going through some ancient records the WRO have collected and they found this long lost Cetra holiday, like a tradition they used to celebrate once a year. It died out at some point though. To cut a long story short, apparently some Cetra used this day to respect and honor some guy who died on it, 'cause he married together forbidden couples, despite the shit he got for it." Cid smirked as he read further. "They used this day, February 14th, to celebrate mushy crap. It's a lover's holiday, basically," he summed up. "They'd express their love for each other with cheesy gifts and chocolate and crap – did they even have chocolate back then?" He asked, looking up at Vincent, who gave him a blank look. Cid looked back at his phone. "It was pretty much a whole day dedicated to couples or confessin' love."
"Yuffie sent you this?" Vincent asked, looking a little confused. "I dread to think she sent it in hopes we might suddenly start celebrating."
Cid's smirk twitched. "She's probably hopin' we will, but that ain't the main reason. This guy who they worshiped was named Valentinus," he eyed Vincent with growing amusement in his eyes. "And they named February 14th Valentine's Day."
Vincent stared… and stared some more. "This will never be forgotten, will it?" The gunman asked.
The pilot shook his head. "If what she's put at the end of this text is true, nope. She won't." Cid couldn't help grinning as he set the phone down and slid into his seat. "So tell me, Mr. Valentine, does yer family history go back to some rebel of the Cetra? Kinda fits with the color theme bein' red and all." He slapped a hand on the table, grinning in enjoyment. "Now we know why yer family line had red eyes."
Vincent gave him a deadpan expression. "… I'm reconsidering our vows. Vincent Highwind sounds better now."
Stifling a laugh, Cid grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close for a quick sympathy kiss. "Won't change anythin', she's probably already organized it for next year."
There came another tuneful bleep, but this one was from Vincent's phone. He gave Cid a look. They could probably guess what his text contained. Cid reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, flipping it open. He read it quickly and then snapped it closed.
"Well, it ain't just you who's getting the end of this shit stick," Cid said with an overdramatic sigh. "Yuffie just sent you a list of things we should both do on Valentine's Day."
"Let's just call it February 14th," Vincent suggested (pleaded). "Valentine's Day sounds… strange."
Cid watched him for a few seconds in silence, earning a questioning look from his partner. "Y'know… we could always redefine the meaning of it." A lewd expression passed across his face. "I could probably fit the chocolate theme in there, too."
Vincent cocked an eyebrow. "How would that dissuade Yuffie?"
Cid juggled Vincent's phone in one hand, eyeing it with a mischievous gleam. "Time to show you how to send photo messages…"
Vincent wasn't entirely convinced that would work to Cid's plan…
END