Yeah, I know I'm incredibly overdue, and I apoligize. I've been...well, things have been weird. This got done first simply becasue ut appealed at the time...sorry. Anyway, Chaos gets to come out and play a bit here, and, with any luck, Cid and Vicnent's relationship will have been given something of a jumpstart.
Cid opened the door carefully, hoping there wasn't an angry Chaos or an irritated Vincent lying in wait for the next person to walk through the door. There wasn't. There was, however, a restless shape fidgeting on the bed. After making sure he couldn't see anything remotely resembling wings, he crossed the room and laid his hand on Vincent's shoulder.

"Can't sleep?"

"No," Vincent hissed vehemently, rolling onto his back with a heavy sigh.

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Don' have t' get mad at me for it," Cid sniffed, faintly offended. Vincent turned to look at him.

"It's not you, per say. It's…everything."

"Everything bein'…what?" Vincent pushed himself up into a somewhat upright position with his elbow, then launched into an explanation that had Cid surprised.

"Chaos and Reno and Charlotte and this thrice-damned cold and the medicine that woman gave me and the various unexpected turns my life has taken and this headache and you and her and this and…and…ugh!" Vincent dropped back to the bed and yanked his pillow over his head. Cid stared at him.

"Y'know…that has to be the most emotional I've ever seen ya in all the time I've known ya."

"I have good reason," Vincent grumbled. Cid lifted one corner of the pillow, uncovering one glaring red eye.

"Which one?"

"All of them."

"Pick one."

"Why?"

"So I know what not to bring up." Vincent rolled his eye and yanked the pillow back down. He went quiet for a few minutes. "Cat got yer tongue?"

"Just deciding which one."

"And the verdict?"

"A tie between Chaos and you, I think."

"And Chaos means a headache, right?" Vincent nodded. Cid shook his head. "So that whole mess of reasons really ties into just a couple of 'em." Cid snatched the pillow out of Vincent's hands.

"Precisely. Give that back." Vincent reached for the pillow, which Cid was holding just out of reach.

"No. Yer gonna suffocate yerself." Vincent glared daggers at Cid, who ignored them and put the pillow down well out of Vincent's reach. "An' then who'll keep me company before everyone else's up? I'll go nuts."

"I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your time. Charli seems to be the early-riser type."

"I hardly know her," Cid snorted, reaching out and pushing Vincent to look away from him. "Hold still an' I'll work on that headache." Vincent thought about resisting the push, but gave in when Cid began rubbing his temples, the same way he'd done the day before. It did help, a bit, and it was a good excuse to revel in Cid's closeness. He folded his arms under his chest and got comfortable. "'sides, she can't talk to me like you can."

"How so?" Vincent asked vaguely. The steady motion of Cid's hands was making him sleepy.

"She's a she, to start with. She's bossy, for another. You and I, we've fought the same fights, haven't we? We've mourned the same dead, an' we've both dealt with Yuffie when she's motion-sick. Charli can talk mechanics with me for hours, but it ain't the same as talkin' or not talkin' to ya when nobody else is up. Who else can deal with me before I've had my tea?" Cid paused, staring thoughtfully at the back of Vincent's head. "An' yer my age, y'know? Charli's, what, twenty-somethin'? It's just not the same, an' I like keepin' things the way they are when they work."

"And I work, do I?" Cid chuckled.

"Sure do. Better 'n anything or anyone else. There's just somethin' about ya. Why? Thinkin' about making yer disappearance from my mornings permanent?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Vincent admitted. Cid let go of his head and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to roll over and look him in the eye.

"Don't ya dare," he said softly.

"HighWind?" It was all Vincent could do to get those two syllables out. The look on Cid's face made any more than that impossible.

"Don't ever say that." The blue eyes had gone dark, and Cid's grip was getting to the point of pain.

"You're hurting me." He said it because it was instinctive and because his shoulders hurt. He hadn't intended what happened next.

Cid let go so fast that Vincent fell back onto the bed with a thump, then got off the bed and out the door before Vincent could get a word in.

Reno poked his head in less than sixty seconds later.

"You okay?" he asked, making sure most of his body was out of Vincent's room.

"Fine…just…fine…why do you ask?"

"Cid just knocked me over on his way out of here…did something happen?"

"It was nothing. What are you doing back down here?"

"I've been locked out of my room. I think Yuffie's in there, but I don't really know. I…never mind."

"You're welcome to camp out on the floor. My traveling things are in the closet," Vincent murmured. Reno hesitated. "Come in. I'm not going to shoot." Reno scurried inside and closed the door. He was wearing pajamas with fireworks printed on them. They were too small. Noticing the look Vincent was giving them, Reno went pink.

"They're Cloud's. I went to him first, and he gave 'em to me, but wouldn't do anything else. Quit starin'."

"Cloud's?"

"Yeah…he said Marlene gave 'em to him for Christmas. I look ridiculous, and I know it, so don't say anything else." Reno crossed the room in a huff and dug in the closet, finally coming up with Vincent's practically unused bedroll. "It's not funny."

"You deserve it," Vincent shot back. Reno dropped the bedroll.

"Say that again," he said slowly.

"No."

"What's happened to you?" Reno breathed.

"Nothing has happened, Reno."

"Yeah, something has. You just snapped at me. You never snap. At anyone."

"I simply choose not to. If it bothers you that much, you can go sleep in the hold." Reno winced and busied himself with unrolling the bedroll.

"Sorry, it's just…everyone is acting strange, an' I thought you'd be normal still," he mumbled. Vincent felt somewhat guilty.

"Things have been very odd lately, and they're getting to me. I-" Vincent broke off to yawn. "I apologize for snapping. My day has gone from bad to worse. I had no right to take it out on you." Reno looked taken aback.

"'s okay. Can't blame you, bein' sick an' all." Reno slid into the bedroll and propped himself up on one elbow. "Feelin' any better?"

"Not much. I'm waiting for whatever it was that Charli gave me to kick in." Reno nodded sagely.

"That nasty herbal stuff, right? Tastes like crap, but it works. Should've knocked you out, though. What's keeping you up?"

"I don't know. It's made me groggy, but nothing beyond that." Reno looked thoughtful.

"Could be 'cuz of what Hojo did to you, y'know? It usually puts me out in a couple of minutes…knocked Tseng out right off…the second time, anyway."

"Second time?" Vincent repeated, curious.

"First time, he puked. All over Charli. She didn't even blink. Didn't say anything for a minute, though."

"Shock, I imagine."

Or disgust.

Welcome back. Vincent murmured, surprised.

Thanks. Are…are you okay?

Not yet, but I'm getting there. You?

I'm not sure.

"I think she was just surprised that it was Tseng," Reno continued, apparently oblivious to the vacant look Vincent tended to get when he was concentrating on speaking with Chaos.

"What?"

"Well, Tseng's the kinda guy that's never ruffled. Bet he could crawl out of a swamp and still look good. He doesn't say when something bothers him either, or when it hurts, unless it's really serious. And he never gets sick. Kinda like you, actually. Then, this one afternoon, we come in an' he's just sitting at his desk with his head on the desktop looking terrible, and Charli went after him."

"Like she did for me," Vincent murmured. Reno nodded.

"Exactly like that. Only she didn't give him a chance to handle it on his own. She just turned his chair around and told him he was gonna take the medicine she was giving him, and there would be no arguing. He didn't argue, but it came right back up. I'd never seen him blush 'til then, but he did, and he was apologizing like she was gonna kill 'im."

"Tseng blushed?"

"Yep," Reno said, grinning. "Red as my hair. It would've been funny if it hadn't been Charli. Why?"

"He doesn't strike me as the blushing type."

"He's not. But it's Charli. I mean…that counts for something."

What?

"That didn't make much sense, Reno."

"She's Charli," Reno said, as if that explained everything. "She's hard not to like, once you get to know her. Tseng always had a soft spot for her. Dunno if he was crushing or not, but he's liked her since he met her. Me too, but not like that."

"Ah."

So what he's saying is that Tseng doesn't lose as many points for blushing because it was Charli and she's his crush, therefore making her an exception to the rule of being embarrassed when one vomits on someone? Chaos clarified.

That's what I got, yes.

Weird.

Reno.

Point taken.

"So…what's up between you and Cid?"

"Mmhmm…what?"

Smooth.

Shut up.

"You an' Cid. I know there's something going on."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well…he keeps coming in here to check on you, and he was running away from here when I saw him last, and the way you reacted when I mentioned him. You jumped. You're hidin' something." Reno smiled and rolled onto his back. "And don't deny it. I'm not a Turk for nothing."

"There's nothing between us," Vincent said flatly. "We are simply friends."

Bullshit.

"Riiiiiight," Reno drawled. "You guys've got somethin' else…or you're getting there. Point is, you like him as more than a friend. Bet you've liked him for awhile."

He's quite perceptive.

"Reno, I don't see how any of this is even remotely your business."

"It's my business because you're the only person on this whole ship that nearly always treats me like I'm worth something. Charli treats me pretty good most of the time, but all it takes is one little thing and she treats me like a kid. You always know when I'm around- everyone does, I guess- but you don't make a big deal about it. I want to know what's going on with you, too. So I can help, if I can."

"Reno, I have never done anything for you to warrant such treatment," Vincent said quickly, stunned.

"Sure you have."

"Like?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear, but he asked anyway. Reno sighed heavily.

"Saved the life of my boss twice. Twice. I owe Tseng everything, but I'm never there when he needs me. You've saved him, so I can get another chance. You helped save the planet. I live on it, remember? You don't act like I'm not there. You treat me with at least a little respect. I'm a Turk to you, not a kid out of the slums. And you're letting me stay in here and talk to you. Not many people actually talk to me, y'know?"

"Why don't they?"

Oh, don't go asking that

"I goof too much, I guess. It's just the way I am. I don't wanna be perfect."

"Anyone who can become and remain a Turk is worthy of great respect."

"We're getting off topic. You. Cid. What's the deal?"

Should I tell him, Chaos?

Can you trust him?

I…I think I can.

Then go for it. I think I'd like to see you happy for a change.

"I'm not quite sure," Vincent said quietly.

"Not sure?" Reno repeated. "What d'you mean not- damn it, scoot over." Before he could protest, Vincent was pushed over to one side of the bed to make room for Reno.

"What are you doing?"

"This is what girls do."

"Girls."

"Yeah. At sleepovers and stuff. Elena said so, and I guess she should know. They all sit on the bed or the couch together and talk about things."

"Things?"

You don't want to know.

"Girl stuff. Like boyfriends. Which is what you an' me are doing." Vincent tucked his knees against his chest and rested his chin on them. This evening had certainly taken a turn for the bizarre.

"You never said anything about boyfriends," he pointed out. Reno sighed and swatted his shoulder gently. Vincent was surprised. People rarely touched him, and when they did, it was never in this reprimanding-but-playful way that Reno did.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that you two were related somehow. Your nephew or something like that, the way you two interact. It's creepy.

Look who's talking.

If you were paying more attention to Reno, you'd notice that you're both sitting the same way.

Strange.

That doesn't even begin to cover it.

"He can't be anything else, yo. He's a guy. What did ya expect? A girlfriend?"

"Boyfriend sounds so…juvenile," Vincent mumbled, feeling somewhat foolish. He was, after all, confiding his secrets to this redhead, loudmouth slip of a Turk.

"Does lover sound better? Partner? Significant other? They're all the same thing. Point is, he won't be any of 'em if you don't make a move. You can't just want him; you have to make him know you want him."

"Which makes no sense," Vincent said. "It's not like I can just walk up and tell him."

"Actually, you could." Reno pointed out. "But it wouldn't be…you, I guess."

"And you would know," Vincent sighed.

"Would I?"

"If I either don't or don't want to, it's a guarantee that you do."

"Okay, if you say so. The point is, you have to figure him out on your own. He already likes you, so all you have to do is let him know that you like him back."

"And how do you prospose 'figuring him out'? He just ran away from me."

"Listen to the voice in your head, yo. You'll learn a lot that way." Apparently done with his inspirational talk, Reno slid off the bed and got into the bedroll with a little sigh. "G'night."

Even Reno thinks you should listen to me," Chaos gloated. Vincent ignored him and settled down, ready, at last, to sleep. And you should.

Chaos, I don't know if-

You can if you quit denying it. I think Cid really does feel for you.

Then explain what he did earlier.

You scared him. You did say that you'd been considering giving up talking with him in the morning. That's his special time with you, when there's no one else around. Of course he's going to get a little riled up about it.

We'll see.

That's the spirit.