To anyone that knew him fairly well, it would have surprised them to see Vincent as he and Cid stumbled up the stairs to their room. They were laughing and making all the more noise trying to be quiet for the other guests that would be asleep by now.

They had finished three bottles of the red wine between them, and despite Vincent's doubts, he was very able to become drunk. It was actually the first time he had been drunk in his entire life.

They had talked and talked through the night at that table in the back of the bar, as glass after glass had been consumed between them.

Vincent had found his tongue loosening even more as time went by, and he had discussed at length with Cid all about why he had joined Shinra, about his first meeting with Lucrecia, and now about his need for a reason to exist.

"Think about it, Cid..." He had said, swaying only slightly in his seat, trying to focus his eyes on the equally inebriated pilot. "What's the point in my existence? Other than stopping Sephiroth, I mean? After it's all over, where will I go? Who will I go to? I may as well go back in the coffin." He hiccupped.

"Don't you #$%ing dare," Cid had warned him, pointing a wobbly finger at Vincent. "Not after all that #$%ing shit in Gongaga. I'm telling you, if you go back in that #$%ing coffin I'll just drag you out of it again."

Vincent closed his eyes and held his hands to his head. "Why do you have to suw-swe-srer- curse so much? It offends people."

"Th'#$% do I care? If they got a problem with Cid Highwind," He thumped his chest with his fist. "They better come'n tell me. S'there." He successfully lit a cig after a few tries.

"Y'know..." Vincent said, smiling and his eyes half closed. "You're the only friend I ever had. You're so good t' me." He grinned stupidly, which looked very strange on Vincent's usually stoic features.

"Hey, don' go gettin' all mushy on me..." Cid slurred.

"Am, I'm not getting muchy..." Vincent protested. "Just tellin' the tooth- th' truth, that's all."

"Hey, hey." Cid murmured almost conspiratorially. "I'm #$%ed. I think we should go sleep now. Whaddya think?"

Vincent nodded heavily, his eyes closed. "I'm really really really tired."

"C'mon then..." Cid pushed his chair back and nearly slipped as he untangled his feet from the chair legs. "Woah, shit," He cursed, the burning cig hanging from his mouth. He ignored his near slip and offered Vincent a hand to help him stand up.

Vincent took the hand and Cid dragged him more than helped him up, but Vincent didn't seem to mind, and they had made their way up the stairs, laughing like imbeciles.

Vincent leaned heavily against the doorframe as Cid fumbled with the key, held mere centimetres from his squinted eyes. He murmured various swearwords until he turned the key the right way up and started trying to jam it into the lock.

"What are you doing?" Vincent frowned. "Give it here." He snatched the key from Cid and started trying to jam the key into the lock himself, in exactly the same way.

After some time, he managed to score and the key slid into the lock. They almost fell into the room and Cid barely remembered to shut the door behind them. He stumbled forward in the dark and found a bed to collapse on, regardless of whose it was.

"Hey, Cid."

"Yeah?"

"Are you on your bed, or mine?"

"Mine."

"Oh."

"Why you ask?"

"I must be on the wrong bed."

"Why you say that?"

"You're lying on top of me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't mention it."

"......"

"......"

"......"

"Hey, Cid."

"What?"

"You're still lying on top of me."

"...... I can't move."

"Why can't you move?"

"'Cause I'm asleep."

"No you're not."

"How do you know? What are you, my brain?"

"I know, 'cause you're having a conversation with me."

"I might be sleep-talkin'."

"Don't be stupid!"

"........"

"Cid?"

"................"

"Hey, Cid?"

"............... zzz ...... zzzzZZZZZzzzz....."

"Great."

"..zzZZZZZZZzzzz...... zzzzzzZZZZZzzzzz......."

"Cid... wake up. Wake up, Cid. Come on, wake up. Cid. CID WAKE UP!!!!"

"#%$ &£$%##&%$ %&##!!!!!!!" Cid woke up with a start.

"Please don't swear like that."

"Where the #$% am I?!" Cid asked, still drunk.

"You're on top of me, that's where! Please get off!"

Cid grumbled and with much effort, rolled over sideways and allowed Vincent to breathe properly. However, he didn't bother to move from the bed.

Vincent felt a bit restricted, what with Cid squashed up against his side on the narrow bed, but at least he wasn't being crushed anymore by the slightly more weighty pilot. What Cid lacked in height he made up for in muscle tone.

There was quiet for a long time, and Vincent closed his eyes, assuming Cid had gone back to sleep. He was thankful there was no snoring.

"Hey, Vince."

"Hmm?" Vincent tried to make out anything in the pitch black of the room, but all he could see was blackness.

"We get on well, don't we."

"I suppose we do, yes." Vincent replied.

"I'd never have seen us two getting pissed together in a bar back when I first met ya. Thought you were a bit snobbish for that kinda stuff. Y'know, cold."

"Hmm." Vincent looked in the direction of Cid's nearby voice, though he couldn't see him. "But you "cracked" me, using your own words. Perhaps I wouldn't have done this back then." Actually, Vincent knew he wouldn't have.

"Yeah, I can crack anyone. 'S a special talent of mine."

"Hm." Vincent huffed his agreement.

There was more silence for a moment.

"Back in Gongaga when you ran off, I really thought I'd put my foot in it with ya, y'know?"

Vincent said nothing, both of them knew now that Cid had said the right things back then.

"I was worried that you'd end up hating me or something." Cid continued.

Vincent looked in the direction of his voice again. "Of course I didn't. I was just... mixed up."

He still felt a little mixed up. But at least the weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I know that now, but that's half the reason why I chased you out in the rain. I was worried that you'd go out and do something stupid, considering the state you were in, and worried that I'd ruined things between us, cos I think a lot of ya, y'know. We get on well, even though we're so different."

Vincent nodded silently in the dark.

"Well... sayin' that, we ain't so different in some ways..." Cid murmured thoughtfully.

Vincent said nothing, but paid attention.

Cid smiled, knowing Vincent would just listen to whatever he said without complaining. Not many people would listen to him. Not many people would listen to Vincent either, he guessed.  

"We both got pasts that we aren't proud of." Cid went quiet for a while. He'd never really talked about himself before, and he wasn't used to it. But Vincent was just so accepting... somehow he knew that no matter what he'd say, Vincent would understand.

"My... my dad used to hit my mom." He managed after a while. "Not just the occasional slap or punch, either... he used to beat the shit out of her. For nothing... Like, if a towel wasn't hung properly in the bathroom he'd get mad and kick her around the room, screaming at her. It just wasn't normal. I'd come home from school every day, dreading it... I used to join shitty after-school activity groups just so I didn't have to go home and see..." Cid swallowed. "I'd come home every day to see mom with a new injury. Sometimes dad was smart enough not to hit her in front of me, and to hit her in places she could cover up with her clothes... but sometimes he just laid into her without a thought. I hated him so #$%ing much... and I used to hate my mom for staying with him, for putting up with it... and for apologising with a bloody and swollen mouth to him for whatever pathetic thing she might've done wrong to set him off.

She was so weak! I hated her weakness, that she was always too afraid to do a #$%ing thing about it! I grew up from a kid into a teenager, and I was so full of anger. That's when I started smokin'. It was like a security thing. The more I felt stressed, the more I'd smoke. I guess it kinda stuck." He smiled faintly.  "I'd pick fights with kids at school for no reason, just to vent some of it... and it'd make things worse 'cause as soon as my dad found out he'd hit me too, and I was too weak to fight him off. The big hulking bastard. I just hated my life, I wanted to get away from all of it, to fly away... that's when I saw the Shinra pilot apprenticeship poster. It was advertising for a piloting apprenticeship especially for school-leavers... there were gonna be interviews for the placements in Midgar all the way over on the other continent. A chance to get away... to fly... I started packing my bags as soon as I got home. My mom was crying and begging me not to go, but I didn't care. She should leave too if she doesn't want to be apart from me, I thought, and leave that #$%er to his own devices."

Cid sighed slowly. "I was such an idiot. I was too full of myself, too ignorant to see that she couldn't leave him because he wouldn't let her. He would have killed her if she tried."

Vincent said nothing, listening quietly.

"So I left..." Cid continued. "I hitched a few rides until I finally got to Midgar, the city of dreams. Pssh. Yeah right. But back then, I was young and I was really impressed. I stayed in a hotel, and the whole novelty of it all just astounded me. So I had a good time in Midgar while I was waitin' for the interviews to start; I even saw a play at the theatre, just because I could. "Loveless", I think it was called. Yeah - "Loveless: My Bloody Valentine"." Cid grinned. "Hey Vince, think it was about you?"

Vincent grunted. "I doubt it. I'd already been asleep in the coffin for years by then."

Cid chuckled. "I was asleep for most of it myself. The guy next to me was moaning that my snoring was too loud."

"Some things never change, I see..." Vincent said wryly.

"Hey," Cid laughed, thumping Vincent's arm.

Vincent laughed softly. "So, you went for the interview?" He prompted Cid.

Cid really smiled. Vincent was listening to him, and was actually interested... He felt a little ridiculous for it but he felt really happy. "Yeah, I went for the interview, and put everything I had into convincing the guy into accepting me."

"Were you accepted?"

"Damn straight I was! Why do you think I'm a pilot now, Valentine?"

"All right, I was just showing interest..." Vincent said, with a slight mock-indignant tone.

Cid laughed. "I know you are. Thanks, by the way. For listening."

"No problem."

"Right..." Cid sighed, continuing. "I got the apprenticeship, and worked solid for three years, training to be a pilot. I made damn sure that I was gonna be the best pilot in the world. And I am!" Cid grinned. "So after the apprenticeship was finally over, I went straight to work as a full-fledged pilot for Shinra. I worked for 'em for years, and I gotta admit that they paid well and looked after their pilots. Then, after a few years, I was invited to talk to the President about a highly confidential matter. The President!"

"Goodness." Said Vincent.

"Yeah. That's what I was like. Kinda. But anyway, I got called up to see the President, and he said that Shinra were interested in space exploration and they were in the middle of making a space rocket in a secret location... and that they wanted me to pilot it. Me! Outer space!" Cid smiled at the memory of his excitement.

"Of course I agreed, and I commenced training to be an astronaut. It was intense training and lasted for months, before I was moved to the location of the rocket, ready for when it was launched. That's rocket town now, and it's where I met Shera. She was a mechanic that was working on the rocket, fine - tuning it until it was ready to take off. She was really timid and quiet as a mouse... she reminded me of my mom. So weak and accepting. And... well, you know the rest. I aborted the launch because dumbass Shera was still inside the #$%ing engine. So, I had to wait for the next launch date. We waited there and waited there for months, but no word came of the launch day from the head offices... until we found out one day that Shinra was no longer interested in space exploration now that they'd found out Mako was profitable. So, the launch was cancelled and the rocket's been sittin' there, gatherin' dust ever since."

He paused. "I yell at Shera because of her stopping me going to outer space, but... she makes me angry, because she just lets me yell at her. Just like mom did with my old man. I just get so frustrated with her, because she won't yell back at me... why are some people so #$%ing weak?" Cid murmured.

Vincent was silent; accepting. He knew that Cid cared for Shera deep down, because she reminded him of his mother, who he couldn't protect. His emotions left over from his youth were just distorting his way of showing it. Vincent was glad that he'd listened to Cid's story, because not only did he now feel that he'd repaid the favour Cid had done him in Gongaga, but he also felt that he understood Cid a little more than he did before. Cid really did have a heart of gold.

"Hey Vince... thanks for listening. I really mean it." He looked at Vincent, being able to make out his outline now that their eyes had become accustomed to the darkness.

"It was nothing, really. I don't mind at all."

Cid didn't speak for a moment. "Hey," he said quietly after a while. "Are we still drunk?"

Vincent paused. "..... I don't know. Probably, but not as much. I don't really understand how it works."

Cid smiled. "I must be, 'cause I wouldn't have spilled my guts to ya if I was sober."

"Actually, you're right. We must be drunk, you're talking too much rubbish to be sober." Vincent joked.

"#$% off!" Cid laughed and shoved Vincent's arm hard, nearly shoving him off the narrow bed.

Vincent laughed too and shoved Cid back, and eventually they were having a sort of amateur wrestling match, laughing until they ran out of breath.

"Cid..." Vincent puffed, pinned finally by Cid.

"Yeah?" Cid panted, grinning.

"You're on top of me again."

They laughed again, before they both went quiet.

There was an instant, when the laughter had died down and just traces of it remained in their sparkling eyes, that there was a moment of such complete understanding of each other that they just stared into each other's eyes, and for just a few seconds they were the only people in the world. 

Slowly, irresistibly, Cid bent his head and kissed Vincent softly on the lips.

Vincent was stunned for a moment, and his body automatically went rigid, but then he softened and closed his eyes as Cid kissed him again, deeper.

Cid couldn't believe he was kissing Vincent. Even more, he couldn't believe that the stoic was actually kissing him back; ardently. He felt Vincent wrap his arms around his back and his heart started to skip beats.

'You're drunk, Cid... you're both #$%ing drunk... this is going to go too far! You'll regret this in the morning!' So said a little voice in the back of Cid's mind, and Cid realised the voice was probably right just as he found his fingers trying to unbutton Vincent's shirt in the darkness.

"Whoah!" He gasped, as he pulled his lips away from their deep entanglement with Vincent's. He hurriedly scrambled off of Vincent, falling off the bed in the process and landing with a thump on his ass. He heard the bed creak a bit as Vincent sat up a little.

"U-um... uh..." Cid stammered nervously. "We, uh.. we're both drunk, and this probably ain't good... we'd regret it in the morning, so, I think I, uh... should go to sleep now. You keep that bed, I'll just go on this one over, um, over here..." He nervously scrambled up onto his feet and found the other bed with shaking hands, throwing himself onto it and wrapping himself up into a cocoon in the blanket, with his back to Vincent. He felt his face burning red. "Um... G'night..." He mumbled.

Vincent blinked, he propped himself up by raised elbows. What just happened?? One minute he and Cid were talking, then they were play-wrestling, then kissing... kissing... then all of a sudden Cid got off him and stammered something incoherent before going to sleep on the other bed.

He wondered if they would regret it in the morning, or even if they'd remember it. He lay back down again slowly, pulling the blanket over himself. He laid his head on the pillow.

Vincent couldn't believe it, but he had felt incredibly turned on, with Cid pinning him against the bed, kissing him like that. His heart was thundering in his chest. As he lay there, thinking about it, he realised he'd become quite excited.

In that area.

For one of the few times in his life, Vincent Valentine blushed bright red.

Cid woke up to pain. Pain in his head. Hot black pain.

"Urrgh..." He moaned, pulling his blanket over his head.

As his mind picked up its own pieces and fixed itself back together again, Cid recalled a dream that he'd had at some point in the night.

A dream where he and Vincent hadn't stopped at kissing...

He also had the vivid memory of their kiss last night burning in his mind, and coupled with the memory of the wet dream he'd had, Cid found himself... swelling a little.

This was not good.

He gulped, and the pain in his head was soon overridden by panic about his current situation.  

Panic #1: He'd kissed, had wet dreams about, and was even now getting an erection over another guy. Not good for the manly image.

Panic #2: He couldn't get out of the bed until he'd calmed down a little, in case Vincent saw him running off to the shower with his hands covering himself. He couldn't even bring himself to look to see if he'd made a mess during that dream in the night.

Panic #3: Things were going to be SO weird with Vincent now. He had no idea of how Vincent was going to be with him... was he going to be angry with him for kissing him? Would he not be angry, but just really off with him, thinking he was a fag or something? There was even the chance that Vincent would be actually interested, and that would be weird because Cid hadn't figured out what he felt for Vincent yet...

'What you feel for him?! That's a joke! Have you looked at yourself downstairs recently? If that ain't your answer, you have some serious issues, man.' Cid was beginning to hate that little voice in the back of his head.

'I'm not gay! I'm not! But why do I have feelings for Vincent? I don't understand...'

He was interrupted by Vincent calling him from somewhere outside Cid's little safety blanket cocoon.

"Cid? Are you awake?"

Cid gulped. "Uh... yeah..."

"I thought so. So, what did we have planned for today?"

Cid opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and frowned. "I... dunno...?"

"Right. It's just I went downstairs earlier to bring up some coffee and the innkeeper said that we're snowed in."

Cid sat up, throwing the cover off his head. "Snowed in?!" He quickly pulled the cover up about his waist.

Vincent looked at him strangely for a moment before continuing. "Hmm, but only for a while. Someone's coming to shovel the snow away from the doors soon, but I don't know for sure when we'll be able to leave. We may as well stay here." He sat on his own bed; he was fully dressed and his bed was perfectly made. He also looked no worse the wear for being drunk last night.

"Haven't you... got a hangover..?" Cid asked, clutching his head. Talking hurt.

"No," Said Vincent, taking off his headband and hooking it on a bed knob. His cape was hanging up on the inside of the door. "Should I?"

"Well, I dunno if you drank as much as me..." Cid muttered, his hands rubbing at his eyes. His mouth tasted like he'd licked the bottom of a canary's cage. "Vince, do you... remember anything about last night..?" He said, trying not to sound worried.

Vincent froze for a moment. He slowly looked at Cid. "Should I remember something...?" He asked carefully.

"U-um... no, I was uh, just asking because I, uh, I can't." He said, his throat tight.

Vincent seemed to visibly relax. "Oh. No, not really."

Cid sighed with relief. Then he paused, frowning. There was something then, in Vincent's body language... 

In all honesty, both of them remembered the kiss very clearly, and both thought they were the only one who remembered it.

And both of them had enjoyed it.

As for Vincent, he was feeling emotions now that he had not felt in a very long time. He felt as though Cid was opening up his heart like a flower, petal by petal, so slowly and carefully helping him to blossom into an emotionally capable person again.

Like he was helping him regain his humanity.

And to Vincent, that was the greatest and most precious gift anyone could ever give him.

Was it love?

The closeness between them had reached a peak last night, and they had ended up kissing... did Cid feel the same way too? He must, Vincent thought, because he kissed me...

Vincent looked over at Cid, who was still sitting up in bed, frowning into thin air.

'But he was drunk last night... what if it was a mistake? He's frowning now... is he starting to remember? Please don't let any of this affect our friendship, it's the only thing I have...'

The day went on uneventfully.  The innkeeper came up to their room after an hour or so and told them they were no longer snowed in, so they wrapped up and went out into the village.

They were a bit stuck once they were out though; they hadn't really thought about it before but there was nothing else to do in Icicle Inn except make snowmen, get drunk or sleep. They'd already done two of the three and they felt themselves a little old for the other one.

So for most of the day they hung around in the bar at the inn, keeping conversation light and trivial while at the same time trying to work out the other's feelings.

This game went on for some hours; and though they drank a little at the bar they made very sure they didn't get drunk again.

They talked about lots of stuff: they talked about their mission, about Shinra, about AVALANCHE, about how strange it was that no snowflake is the same shape as another one, and many other things that they weren't thinking hard about. 

But eventually, in early evening, the conversation ran a bit dry and they just sat in nervous silence for a while, the occasional throat being cleared.

Then after a while, Cid thought, 'Hey... I'm acting like a #$%ing wimp here! Why am I so scared to get it out into the open? I vowed never to be weak or cowardly. I'm gonna clear the air!'

"Hey, Vince."

"Hmm?" Vincent looked up at him, expectantly. His normally cold red eyes looked a tiny bit scared.

"Let's go up to the room. We need to talk."

Vincent's stomach lurched. "But we've been talking for hours," he said, trying to find a way out of it. He was sure he was going to get the "I like you as a friend, but last night was a mistake" lecture.

"No, we need to talk." Cid said, stressing the word meaningfully. "Come on."

Vincent sighed, resigned. He and Cid stood up and made their way to the inn room.

Vincent closed the door behind him with a quiet click.

Cid paced the room slowly, his hands on his hips and his head bowed, preparing himself.

Vincent took a deep breath.

"Vince..." Cid began, looking at him. "Do you remember what happened last night? Tell the truth."

Vincent bowed his head. "Yes. We kissed." He felt his face burn.

"That's what I remember." Cid replied, in a somewhat mathematical tone. "Did you... enjoy it?"

He was being unfair, he knew, making Vincent break before he did. He excused himself by figuring it would be good emotional practice for Vincent. Yeah, that'll do it.

"........." Vincent sighed. ".....yes." He said quietly.

Cid blinked. 'He did?! Boy, I wasn't expecting that one! So... he liked it too...'

"Well," Said Cid, emboldened by Vincent's quiet confession. "So did I."

Vincent's head snapped up and he looked at Cid in surprise. "You did?" He said sharply.

"Yeah... I did." Cid grinned at Vincent, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, I kissed you, so I must have wanted to in the first place..."

Vincent sighed with relief. "I was so worried that it was a mistake..." He murmured.

"And I was worried that you weren't interested and I'd put my foot in it again..." Cid sat down.

Vincent sat down too on a chair near the dresser.

"So... where do we go from here..?" Cid asked, smiling a little.

"....." Vincent really didn't know. Did Cid want it to become something? Did he want it to become something..? It was too early to tell anything for sure, and Vincent was so unused to closeness with anybody. But he was sure that he didn't just want to leave it at one kiss and revert back a few steps with Cid, because the closer he got to Cid, the more human he felt. He was starting to feel fairly sure that the foundations of some really deep feelings he might have for Cid were growing steadily. Was it love? If not, would it eventually become love? Why Cid? Why a man? He wasn't gay. But he just had these strong feelings for Cid that could only be described as romantic, now that they had kissed, and both liked it.

He looked up from his thoughts at Cid, who was sitting on the bed. The same bed they had kissed on.

Cid smiled softly at Vincent and beckoned with his hand for Vincent to come sit next to him.

Vincent gulped, his stomach in knots. He stood up and went over to Cid slowly, sitting next to him as asked.

Cid turned to face him, and nervously reached out a hand, gloves removed, to touch the long ebony hair that flowed over Vincent's shoulders. The touch turned into a caress, and Vincent felt shivers at the back of his neck.

"We should try it again, but sober..." Cid murmured under his breath. "Just to check." His hand moved up from Vincent's hair to touch his face.

Vincent's eyes were shining. "Yes, just... to check..."

They both leaned in slowly, their hearts thundering in their ears, and closed their eyes as their lips met. They were not as bold as the previous night, having then been emboldened by alcohol.

This time it was a ghost of a kiss, each of them too nervous of rejection to press more firmly or to deepen their kiss.

Vincent revelled at the touch of Cid's lips. They were just so... kissable. He wanted to kiss them properly, but he was just too nervous.

As usual, it was up to Cid to press the matter, and he cupped the back of Vincent's head with his hand and, plucking up the courage, kissed him more deeply.

This one was even deeper now than the one last night. Once Cid had put effort into it, Vincent responded in kind, and they were kissing for an age before they mutually pulled back, breathless.

"That was good," Cid breathed, his hair ruffled by Vincent's hands.

"Mm... yeah." Vincent agreed, his lips reddened and a little swollen from the kiss.

"Again?" Cid suggested, his eyes glittering.

"Okay." Vincent pulled him close again and they continued to kiss for the majority of the next hour.

The evening turned into night, and the next day came and went, until it was time for them to leave for the Gaea Cliffs. Their kissing had stayed at just that; kissing, for the moment. They both felt it was a bit early on to take it any further or to delve into feelings that were only just unravelling.

They felt a little sad to leave the snowy little village though, as they would now have to start concentrating on their mission with AVALANCHE to stop Sephiroth.

Their time in Icicle Inn had been almost like a little holiday, and they both felt rested for it.

Vincent put on his cape, holstered his gun and made sure his materia was in check, then took a last look around the room.

"Ready to go, Vin?" Cid asked, affectionately shortening Vincent's name even more.

"Yes." Vincent said quietly. "But... just one last kiss here." He looked at Cid, who smiled and welcomed the chance to kiss him again. They both knew they couldn't do this so much when they were back with the team.

So, after a final kiss, they left the room, checked out of the inn, and left Icicle Inn.