So what happens after the load of fluff? Hehe. The aftermath. But this chapter ended up being somewhat long. Maybe not. But it was to me. It seemed like it wouldn't end! lol But it did finally and I'm glad. So, I don't have too much to say about this except :hangover anyone? Heehee. So, chapter seven.

Chapter Seven--Aftermath

The sun was warm as it flooded Vincent's face, his brows furrowing automatically. He groaned as a dull pain greeted his waking along with the blinding light. It was an instant regret when he opened his eyes completely. A wave of nausea accompanied by the worst headache he'd ever encountered hit him full force and he shot forward, moaning as the pain increased. He hung his head between his bent knees and prayed for the torture to end.

But instead of disappearing, it slowly grew and he groaned again as his stomach rolled. A hand settled on his back and rubbed it gently as another person knelt beside him. "Hey, how you doing?" The words were soft, gentle so they didn't cause him any more pain. "Vince?"

He took a few deep breaths and the pain ebbed away slowly. The hand moved and slipped around his shoulders, leaning him against the other body. A second hand pushed his damp hair out of his face and he rested his forehead on his knee. After a few moments he raised his head just enough to look at the other boy. "Cid?"

"Hey. Guess it wasn't all that bad, huh?" The blonde smiled as he squeezed Vincent's shoulders. "So…you feel all right?" There was no need to ask the question. He could see the pain etched into the pale face and the milky skin was clammy and more than a little cold.

"No." The ebony head slipped downward again and a low groan slipped from his lips. "I don't. I've never felt worse." He glanced up carefully, crimson eyes narrow from the torment his body was under. "Please, please tell me you know how to get rid of this."

Cid sighed. "Got a migraine? Feel all sick and tired?"

"Check, check and check. Feel like I'm gonna die." Vincent allowed the blonde to pull him closer and provide a little support to his weakened body. He laid his head on his knee again, waiting for Cid's response.

"Hmm, yeah. Well, congratulations on your first hangover, Vin. Least you're still holdin' it all together. Most people would be ducking behind a bush somewhere pukin' their guts out." He shook the slim shoulder lightly as he chuckled.

"Don't even say anything like that unless you want me there." Vincent wiped a hand across his mouth. "But again. Anything to help? Please?"

"Oh! Right, right. Forgot about that, sorry." Cid smiled sheepishly and pulled his bag closer, reaching inside. After a few minutes of digging he finally pulled a small pill bottle loose, shaking it to ensure they were still there. "Here we are. A couple of these and you'll be back to normal in no time." Vincent began to say something, but was stopped as Cid popped two of the pills into his mouth, shoving a bottle of water into his hand. "Better take them quick."

A bitter taste filled his mouth and he forced the medicine down with a short swallow of water. His stomach churned at the feel of the pills sliding down his throat, but he held it down, biting his tongue to focus away from the sickening sensation. "Will these actually work?" he mumbled when he regained his voice.

"Well, Zack said they worked the best of anything on hangovers, so…I'm guessing they do. Otherwise why would he use them all the time? Huh?" Vincent pulled the bottle out of his hand and carefully read the label. "What?"

"Do you even know what this says?" He shook the bottle lightly toward Cid. "This is just ginger and caffeine. No big wonder drug here." He hung his head again as Cid retrieved the bottle.

"You're kidding? Well, I can't exactly read kanji, okay? Not my fault they always put medicine labels in kanji, is it?" He focused his attention back on the raven-haired youth. "But isn't ginger supposed to help with upset stomachs and all that? Thought I heard that somewhere."

"It does," came Vincent's muffled reply. "But I'm just saying that it's no wonder drug, just something used for all around medication. But I thought they gave you language classes and all that over there?"

Cid tweaked an eyebrow. "They did, but it was just the basics with hiragana and katakana. They didn't do anything in the way of kanji. Said it was too detailed to learn fast." He had tried to get the professors to teach him some, but they had avoided it completely, something that wasn't helping him too much considering that a lot of things were in kanji.

Vincent took a deep breath and carefully looked up again. "They were right. Takes native speakers years to learn it all so there's no way a gaijin like you could learn it in what…"

"Four weeks. That's all the time I had."

"Exactly. With only four weeks you probably can do hardly anything. Lucky you're still even alive." Vincent sighed as his stomach retaliated again, but it was getting easier to hold it back. Maybe the pills were working quickly or maybe it was just fading. Either way he was glad.

"Maybe that's because I have you now." Cid leaned his chin on the ebony nest of hair, pulling the other boy against his chest. A few moments of stillness followed and he frowned when Vincent pushed away, staring at him through dull crimson eyes. "Vince?"

"What the hell do you mean because you have me now?"

Cid shook his head. "Don't you remember anything of last night?"

"No. Why? Should I?" His steady glare turned to a confused gaze as he thought hard about what he did remember. I remember getting here and Cid pulling out the sake. We argued a little and he managed to get me to help him drink it. Then…I don't know. Something about friendship. Maybe relationships. Leaving and…Reno. Reno? But why would I remember something about him last night? "What happened?" he asked softly.

"Well, not much. I mean we just--"

"What happened, Cid." The crimson eyes had grown hard and were almost black in appearance.

"Nothing! Nothing happened!" The blonde threw up his hands in defense. "We just talked, that's all."

"Then…what did I say?" Cid was surprised. He almost sounded afraid, scared. But why would he be? There was no reason. "Cid? Please. Did I say something stupid?"

Reaching up, he ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "A lot of stuff, really. We got into talking about…your past and all that shit." He paused before catching the crimson gaze with blue eyes. "You told me about Reno."

The ebony-haired boy blanched and what little color his skin held drained away. "Reno? I actually said things about Reno?" He pressed his hand against his face and groaned again. "What all did I say?"

Cid almost regretted that he had mentioned it, but now it was too late. An expectant look was on the too-pale face and he took a deep breath. Vincent was waiting for him. "You ah, you were talking about how he left you for Yuffie and that was the reason you were so…put off by me. That you didn't want to be hurt again."

Vincent glanced away. "Did I say exactly why he left me? Did I explain that?"

The blonde was stunned at the sadness in the other's voice. He bit his lip and looked into the burgundy eyes. "No. You just said that he left you and broke your heart." He paused again, thinking over what he was about to ask. "What did he do? I mean, if you don't care saying it."

The saddened gaze flicked away. "Might as well. You already know the beginning after all. But he didn't just leave me for Yuffie. It would have been much easier that way." A soft sigh escaped his as he leaned forward against his folded knees. The pills had worked fine, but now that sickening feeling was returning from the memories. "I loved him, truly loved him. And I was the fool who thought he did also. But all he really loved was what I could offer him but wouldn't. To put it in a way you might understand, he just wanted in my pants. When he didn't get that he left for a better chance."

"You're kidding. That's the only reason he left? Because you weren't the easy fuck he'd thought?" He ignored the offended glare aimed at him and shook his head. "That's just…bullshit. That guy…I wouldn't mind kicking his ass right now for that." A few blades of grass crumpled in his clenched fist.

"Cid, let it go. It's not your business anyway." Vincent kept his voice soft, but the trembling of it gave away his emotions. Cid felt a pang in his chest as he saw the tears forming around the crimson eyes.

He reached out and brushed the first drop away, running his fingers down the smooth cheek. "I know you don't want to feel that again. Believe me, I've felt it too. Sure, it was a girl and it wasn't quite as strong as yours, but it was close." A gasp slipped loose from the pale lips as the blonde pulled him into an embrace. Cid gently kissed the pale neck. "I swore last night that I would never hurt you if you would have me. I still hold that promise and I will until the day I fucking die. I swear it."

"Cid…let go. Please. I don't want this." Vincent pushed him back enough to look into the cerulean eyes. "I don't want you."

"But…but last night, you—"

"Last night I was under the influence! I didn't want to say any of that or anything else I might have said!" A hand cupped his chin and he narrowed his eyes, pulling his head loose from the grip. "Just don't even touch me! I want nothing to do with you and if you can't get that through your thick American head, then I'll make sure you get it in there one way or another! So just back off and leave me alone!" He stood quickly and left the blonde staring up at him from the ground. Whirling around, he lost his balance, falling back into Cid's arms. Disgusted, he pulled free again and glared at the other teen.

Cid brushed the glare away and reached out again, forcefully taking hold of his thin right arm. "I don't even care if you fucking hit me; I'm not lettin' you go! You're too fucking weak to go stumblin' around here on your own and I'm not about to start checking the obits for some street kid who died from getting the shit beat out of him by his step-father and couldn't fight back because he was fucking dehydrated! Now you're gonna calm down, come with me and get something to eat. Got that you little thief?"

Vincent's eyes narrowed even more, but he didn't fight the blonde. Every word had hit him like a true blow, punctuated by a shake every now and then from his wrist. "Fine," he spat, turning his head as Cid huffed and let go, starting to gather up his blanket. The sake bottle he tossed in the nearest trash can and Vincent winced at the sound of shattering glass. When he'd repacked his bag he grabbed Vincent again, this time by his hand instead of wrist. As he was pulled along the crimson eyes flicked down to their joined hands. He would have pulled his own loose except then he would have to face Cid again.

The blonde himself was steaming inside, his emotions fighting with each other. Part of him wanted to just turn and yell at the boy more, just to get it out. One part wanted to turn and apologize. One part wanted to turn and hug him, to just let loose and cry in his arms. Yet he couldn't do any of them. All he could do was keep his eyes straight ahead and not think of the ebony-haired, crimson-eyes boy he was dragging along by the hand like an unruly child.

Only one thing truly bothered him about what Vincent had said. He had directly gone against his words from last night. He had just said that he never wanted anything to do with him. The aggressiveness growing inside of him surged momentarily and he squeezed the thin hand a little too hard, missing the pained look that crossed the pale face.

He finally reached the end of the park and stepped out onto the sidewalk, ignoring the many stares they received. So what if he was holding Vincent's hand? It was their business and no one else's. Besides, wasn't it obvious that they weren't exactly getting alone for the moment?

Vincent lowered his head and let his silken hair fall around his face. A few sakura petals still clung to the obsidian strands and he noticed a few stuck in Cid's mess of golden hair. His crimson gaze slipped around the surroundings, the feeling that they were being watched too closely painfully obvious.

A few whispers reached his ears and he lowered his quickly flushing face as he deciphered them. "I-jin!" "Ainoko!" "Okama!" He would have done anything to stop them, but he didn't want to risk getting Cid angered any further and making the situation worse. He just kept his head down, hoping no one would recognize him. But luck wasn't on his side.

A group of three boys started laughing as they caught sight of his flowing black hair and knew him instantly. They nudged each other until their leader finally came up to them, trailing just shy of Vincent's side and whispering below Cid's hearing level. "Say there. So you're not only a wimp and a dirty half-blood, but you're also an okama? Wouldn't have seen it coming Varentain. So, which is it? You seme or uke?" He laughed loudly and the blonde caught on, halting so Vincent crashed into him.

One of the other boys stepped closer and grinned. "I'll bet he's uke. No way he'd have the balls to be seme. Probably can't talk from screaming every night." His friends laughed until Cid grabbed the leader by his collar.

"Did you fucking say somethin pal?" he snarled at the boy. Even though he stood a good four inches shorter than Vincent, he was still a couple inches taller than the boy he was threatening. The boy's shoes dragged on the ground as he was lifted up, the cerulean eyes darkening to indigo. "I'll ask again: did you have something to say?" The short black hair flew wildly as the boy shook his head. "You sure about that? 'Cause I swore I heard a few good words comin' outta you."

The second boy moved forward slightly and stared at Vincent. "Hey! Call your boyfriend off before he kills him." He whimpered slightly as Cid turned his dark glare on him. "V—Varentain, do it!"

"I'm not his fuckin' boyfriend! So shut the fuck up and get the hell out of here!" He threw the leader to the ground, watching as he scrambled to join his friends. "I said get the fuck outta here! And don't ever let me see your fuckin' faces again!" He whirled around, his indigo eyes settling on soft crimson ones. "Why the fuck didn't you tell them off?"

Vincent lowered his head a little, glaring down at Cid. "Because maybe I didn't want any more trouble, did you ever think of that?" He turned suddenly, going down the first alley he found, his long legs giving him the distance he needed to stay ahead of Cid without him running.

"Goddammit Vince, I was only tryin' to help! Those guys would have just kept on if I hadn't have done anything. You want to have to hear that shit? Fine! But don't expect me to stand and take it like the fuckin' fool you are!" When Vincent didn't give him any sign he'd heard, he doubled his speed, grabbing the slim wrist as it swung back. "Dammit Vince, listen to me!"

"No! I don't want to listen to you anymore! I don't want to see you anymore! I don't even want to hear your voice!" He tried to fight the blonde off, but Cid slammed his back against the alley wall, forcing his hands to his side. Hissing at the pain lacing down his back, he watched through half-closed eyes as Cid stood breathing hard before him. "I don't want to fight you Cid."

Sadness replaced the anger running through the blonde's features and voice. "Then don't." His breath was stolen as Cid pressed against him and captured Vincent's mouth with his own. The kiss caught the ebony-haired boy off guard and he almost lost his head as the kiss was deepened, Cid's tongue dancing with his own.

Shaking, Vincent couldn't help but stand still as Cid stopped and pulled away slowly, resting his forehead on Vincent's chest. "I'm sorry. I did it again. And I know that you don't want anything to do with me. Hell, you probably wouldn't mind if I just disappeared right now." He paused and released Vincent's wrists only to twine the slim fingers with his own. "But I can't. I can't. If I could I would stop this. If I could I would never see you again. But I can't. I just can't. I—I'm not that strong," he whispered as he leaned against the taller boy, tears stinging his eyes. "I don't want to."

Vincent wasn't sure what to do. First Cid had been yelling at him and then forced a kiss upon him and now…now he was crying, sobbing against his chest. He had never been the one people had come to for support. He had never been the one people looked up to for the answers. And here was this boy wanting exactly that. But…I can't…

Cid finally pulled back, standing on his own and wiping his hands across his face. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what came over me or anything." He turned, wiping his face once more. "So...I guess we should go," he said softly.

Vincent brushed a few locks of raven hair behind his ear and glanced down at his shirt. It was splotched with the tears that had fallen from the blue eyes. Gently touching the spots, he glanced up to where Cid was just exiting the alley. Sighing he started after the blonde, shading his eyes against the blinding sunlight. Hanging his head slightly against the glare of the light on the road, he slowly caught up. The crowd that had been paying such close attention to them had left, the sidewalk almost empty except for a few newcomers making their way into town. Cid's show had scared most of them off.

Cid looked up as Vincent fell into step beside him and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So…what do you feel up to getting?" he asked, trying to clear the tension hanging between them. "I mean, considering that you feel all right."

The words surprised Vincent and he almost glared at Cid for them when he held them back. "I'm fine," he said softly. The blonde nodded slightly and stopped in front of the first shop he saw. "Here?" Cid shrugged at his question and quietly entered.

Inside, steam and the spicy scent of broth greeted Cid's nose. He sniffed lightly then chose a seat next to the wall. Vincent entered a moment later, looking around the small shop almost curiously. He raised a hand and waved the ebony-haired youth over, slumping back into the booth. Vincent slowly slid into the seat on the other side, watching him carefully. He closed his blue eyes once. "What?"

"Nothing." The raven head bowed slightly as a young waitress brought them two menus and glasses of water. He handed one to the blonde, pulling his hand back as Cid snatched it away.

"Okay, I said I'm sorry. What else can I do?" Cid shoved his face into the menu to avoid seeing those crimson eyes. "Don't expect me to get on my knees and beg your forgiveness. I think I've already humiliated my stupid ass in front of you today."

Vincent took a sip of his water. "I never asked for anything and I'm not about to." He looked up to where a pair of blue eyes framed by golden hair was staring over the menus. "Yes?" His voice was a little more than annoyed.

"I don't believe you. You're stewing over something over there." The blue eyes lowered a little, the blonde bangs falling over them.

"Ah…fine. Don't believe me. I don't really care right now." He folded his menu back up and took another sip of the water. His nausea from earlier was held at bay for the moment, but he knew it could strike back at any time. He was just hoping that the water would help it stay back.

The waitress returned and took their menus, pulling out a small pad of paper. "You want to order now?"

Cid's eyes dashed to Vincent. He had never been to one of these places and wasn't sure what to get. And adding in that he hadn't had the guts to tell the ebony-haired boy that he couldn't read the words made it even worse. "Ah…any specials? He asked timidly.

The waitress cocked her head and looked at him curiously. Shaking his head, Vincent quickly ordered for them both, the stream of Japanese coming out of his mouth baffling to Cid. He picked out a few words, but the sheer speed kept him from making any sense of the order. "Ah, Vince? What'd you order?"

Vincent sipped at his water again, looking at the blonde over his glass. "Oh, just the usual." He tapped the table with his left hand, the claws making a soft clicking sound.

"Right." He eyed the metal layered over the slim hand. "So, are you ever gonna tell me about that?"

"Why should I?"

Cid grumbled. "I don't know, because I asked?" he watched as Vincent crossed his arms, careful to keep the sharp points away from his clothes. "Besides, I'd like to know. I mean, you don't see a guy every day with some sort of thing like that."

"Oh, nicely put oh great eloquent speaker." Vincent narrowed his eyes, burgundy bleeding through his dark lashes. "But if you really want to know…"

"Yeah, why not?" Blonde hair fell into blue eyes as Cid reached back and scratched his head. "I've known you for a while after all. Why not know the deal with that thing?"

The crimson eyes closed completely. "All right, fine." He laid his left arm on the table and watched as Cid leaned closer. With an annoyed sigh he gripped the top band and twisted, sliding the loosened appendage off. Raising his left hand, he glared lazily at Cid. "There. Happy now? It's not even a big deal so get over it and stop asking. It's not important."

The younger boy furrowed his brow, reaching out to touch Vincent's out-held hand. "It—it's normal." He grabbed the slim hand and flipped it over much to the aggravation of the ebony-haired boy. "Nothing wrong with it. I figured it was some sort of ugly-ass deformity or some fucked up thing like that." He rubbed a thumb along the milky skin. "So what the hell is the point of that thing? You just like to wear it or something?"

"No. When I was younger I had a condition where my bones didn't heal well. I broke my arm once and I had to wear this as a support. It didn't originally look like this. I made my own modifications to make it look better and for it to actually be useful." He picked up the appendage and placed it beside him. "So, you don't seem so happy with the truth."

Well," Cid crossed his arms and settled them on the table, "I was expecting something a little more…out there. Like you were an escaped mad science experiment or something." He laughed lightly at Vincent's stern look.

"That's not even remotely funny Cid. People used to be experimented on like that." He frowned again as the blonde's face fell. A small sound cam from their side and he turned to see the waitress sliding two bowls onto their table. He bowed his head again. "Arigatogozaimashita," he said softly as he pulled his hashi apart. He lifted his bowl, glancing at the confused Cid over the rim.

"What is this? Just wondering, that's all." He pulled his hashi apart rather clumsily and poked at a piece of meat.

A loud sigh brought his attention upward. "You don't know a thing about what you're doing, do you? First off, hold them like this," he took the hashi from Cid's fingers and replaced them correctly, moving his hand. "See? Now you can actually pick up more that air. And second, don't poke your food. And don't stab it either. It's considered extremely impolite. Oh wait…that would just be normal you, wouldn't it?" He smirked as the blonde narrowed his blue eyes at him. "But anyway, this is Sukiyaki. It's just beef cooked in a stock and mirin with vegetables and tofu." He started to take a bite of his own when he saw Cid glaring at the food. "For gods sakes Cid, it's not going to bite you."

"And I know that how? You ordered the thing. How do I know you didn't ask to have it poisoned or some shit like that?" His blue eyes watched Vincent from under half-closed lids.

Vincent ignored him and popped a piece of beef into his mouth. "Don't tempt me," he mumbled as he chewed. He half-watched as Cid cautiously took a small bite, managing to get some into his mouth. "So?"

"Not bad. Kind of strange tasting though. Like egg." He frowned and looked closer into the bowl.

The ebony head across from his shook slowly. "Maybe because that's what's in it. They put a raw egg on top right before they serve it."

"Oh whoa! A raw egg? Isn't that…unsanitary and shit? I thought people got sick from that kind of thing!" He dropped one of his hashi on accident and quickly retrieved it, trying to pass off the strange stares he was getting for the restaurant.

"Only persistent and annoying gaijin. Us native folk are resistant to all your weaknesses." He knew he had just touched on the incident from earlier and kept going. Lowering his voice, he leaned across the table. "I mean, how many Japanese do you see crying on their friend's shoulder in the open?"

Cid leaned away, slightly angered but holding his composure. "If you're trying to piss me off, it's not going to work. I'm not gonna let you set me off like that again." He glared at the floor, the table, anything but Vincent's face. "So what If I was weak back there? I don't give a shit. Everyone has their fucking moments, all right?"

"Whatever."

"You're still doing it." The blonde raised his bowl to his lips, tipping it enough to keep himself from meeting the crimson eyes.

Slightly annoyed, the ebony-haired boy tapped his fingers on the table. "Doing what?"

"You're still hiding something that you want to say. I can tell." He finally raised his eyes to Vincent's gaze, shivering at the coldness in it. "Why don't you just go ahead and say it?"

The look those piercing blue eyes were giving Vincent was unnerving him. "All right, you want me to say something? What is it exactly?" He leaned over the table and lowered his voice. "What is it that you like so much about me, huh? Why won't you give up on me? There are plenty of other guys around—"

"I don't want anyone else, I want you!" His voice rose a bit too loud and Vincent cringed as a few pairs of eyes settled on them.

Shaking his head he raised a hand to his face. "Baka ka," he muttered as Cid glared at him. He could feel the heated gaze on him and it made him uncomfortable as the blonde leaned closer. "You're crazy. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Because I can't. I mean, you're just…I don't know, you're just…dammit! I don't know what I want to say. Okay, so you're a little pushy and a major asshole sometimes and you've got that stupid sense of sarcasm and if you had any more you would be a fucking politician. And you don't ever listen and always think you're right and you're just so goddamn aggravating sometimes…but there's just something about you. Like you actually took the time and that's what mattered. I didn't ask to like you like this, all right? Let's just get that out of the way." Cid's eyes were dark as he leaned closer. "But Goddammit, I can't stop thinking about you or anything. Now you want to tell me why that is?"

Vincent leaned back. "I think I just heard every complaint I've ever heard through my life rolled into two minutes there." He sighed and crossed his arms, propping them on the hard table. "But I can't tell you why. I don't know why and if you don't either then I guess we're stuck." A small silence fell over the table and he glanced away before locking eyes with Cid. "But back in the park…why did you call me a thief again? You haven't said that since the first day of classes."

The blue eyes looked surprised. "Why did I…oh that." Dropping his gaze to the table, he ran a hand through his blonde hair. The entire ordeal of fighting with Vincent was wearing on him and he sighed as he laid his head on his arms. "I guess it was because…well, you kind of stole my heart I guess."

"Oh dear Kami, you don't know how cheesy and American that sounded." Vincent rubbed his temples and finished off his food, setting the bowl aside. Standing, he glared down at Cid.

The blonde finally took notice of his movements and stared at him. "Wh—where you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere. I just thought that maybe you should be getting to class right about now. You already missed yesterday an—"

"Oh shit! I completely forgot!" He grabbed up his bag and stumbled onto his feet, grasping Vincent's shoulder to steady himself. A few people turned to see what the commotion was and the raven-haired youth cringed under their stares. "Hey, I'll meet you back at the house, okay? I need to get my ass going! Just tell Zack that I went on ahead." He turned and walked quickly out of the shop, hitting the sidewalk at a full run as soon as he had a clear shot.

Vincent shook his head. A startled sound escaped his throat as the waitress tapped his shoulder and offered him a piece of paper. "Huh? The—that jerk! He left me with the damn bill!"

------------------

The door creaked momentarily before slamming shut as Cid entered the house. His last class had been cancelled, much to his relief, getting him back an hour earlier than usual. Fine with me. Maybe I can actually fix some of that shit me and Vince were fightin' over. Definitely don't wanna stay on his bad side for long. Smiling, he pushed open his bedroom door, planning on surprising the ebony-haired boy. The ebony-haired boy that wasn't there anyway. "Vince?"

No answer. Slightly confused, he checked the bathroom. Empty. So was the study. "Hey Vince, where you at?" He jumped as a hand grabbed his shoulder, a raven-framed face looking down at him. "Z—Zack! Don't do that! You just about scared the shit out of me." He pushed away from the man, his heart pounding.

"Sorry 'bout that." Zack patted the mess of blonde hair. "So what're you yelling about? Woke me up."

Cid shook his head. "Must be nice to sleep during the day. Lucky bastard. How'd you get those class times anyway?"

"It's called scheduling." He tugged at his rumpled shirt, scratching his neck for a second. "So, you want some breakfast?" His violet eyes closed as he yawned and moved toward the kitchen. His mind was solely on food for the moment.

Following the black-haired man, Cid slumped into a chair. "It's three in the afternoon. How's that breakfast?" But he still accepted the cup of tea offered to him and sipped the almost scalding liquid. "But anyway, you seen Vince? I can't find him anywhere. He outside or something?"

Zack sat down with his own cup and took a bite out of a muffin. "Vincent? I thought you knew."

"Knew what?" The blonde carefully set his cup down, the ceramic clinking on the table. "Zack, where is he?"

"He went home earlier. I thought he told you." Another piece of muffin disappeared into the man's mouth and he chewed slowly as the blue eyes watching him widened.

"Home? Home? Are you fucking insane? You just let him go home? I can't believe that!" Smacking his hand against the table, Cid stood and started for the door.

The violet eyes narrowed. "Hey. I wasn't about to stop him if he wanted to go. It's his life after all. What's so bad about it? I mean, I can't stop him from doing what he wants."

"What's so bad about it." Cid pulled back the door, stunned at the sight of rain. It had been overcast when he'd gotten back, but now it was a full scale downpour. Turning back to Zack, he grabbed a coat off of the hanger. "His step-father is a fucking psycho, Zack. You let him walk right into the lion's fucking mouth. Just hope he's still all right." He pulled the hood over his blonde hair and yanked open the door again.

"What—you're not going after him, are you? It's pouring out there!" Zack stood and grasped the boy's arm. "Cid, tell me where you're going!"

Blue eyes flashed with anger and anxiousness. "Yes! Now are you really gonna try and stop me or are you gonna let me go?" The hand released his arm. "I'll...I'll try to be back soon," he said softly as he stepped into the storm.

Everything seemed a drowned-out blur until he reached the house, the white door almost threatening in its innocence. Normally he wouldn't have seen it that way, but he knew what lie behind it. Taking a deep breath he stepped up onto the porch and knocked.

When he got no answer he knocked again, this time a little louder. A loud shout from inside made him jump as he recognized it as Hojo. So he was home. Hopefully Vincent was also and not harmed too badly. The door's deadbolt snapped open and he was greeted with the snarling face of Hojo. "What the hell do you want?" He didn't seem to recognize Cid until he squinted, pushing his glasses further up on his nose. "You. You're that damned kid who was tellin' me off, aren't you?" His black eyes narrowed in disdain. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cid lowered his head slightly. "I—I came to see Vincent, sir." He hated the feeling of the word as it rolled over his tongue. Normally he would have never called Hojo sir, but this was a case that needed it.

"Vincent?" He growled and turned away into the house. A moment later he returned, dragging the ebony-haired boy by the arm behind him, hissing threats under his breath. "You'd better get him out of here fast or you'll regret it. I don't want your damn lovers hanging around her, you hear me?" He shoved the boy forward, Vincent stumbling over the doorstop. Cid caught him before he fell, wincing as the door slammed.

Crimson eyes stared at him as they tried to stay out of the rain under the tiny eve. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Why did you come back? You know that man's a fuckin' bastard who would love to—"

"Would you shut up?" Vincent slapped a hand over the blonde's mouth, hissing the warning into his ear. After checking behind him he pulled his hand away. "Just...come on." He jumped off of the porch, disappearing around the side of the house.

After a few skeptical seconds Cid followed, the rain pounding on his head. He finally caught sight of the raven head as Vincent toyed around with a door at the back of the house. "What the hell? Breaking into your own house?"

Vincent held up the pin he was using. "Being a thief comes in mighty handy sometimes." Returning to his work, the lock finally clicked open and he pulled the heavy door open. Cid ducked inside as the door shut, engulfing them in pure darkness. "Hold on. I'll get the light."

The blonde was almost blinded as a light flared overhead and he looked around cautiously, taking in every sight. They had entered what must be the basement or root cellar of the house. But that didn't matter. All that did was that they were out of the rain and Vincent was evidently fine. He slumped down onto a tired couch beside the ebony-haired youth. "Much better."

"Why are you here?" Fierce crimson eyes bore down on him and he shivered.

Why's Vincent so angry? I just came to see if he was all right. Not like I just burst in his house or something. He leaned away slightly, not liking the look he was receiving at the moment. "Hey, I was just coming to see you. You don't have to get all defensive and shit on me."

The elder sighed and leaned back into the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. "You came to see why I left and to take me back, right?" He glanced over, taking in Cid's stunned reaction. "I take that as a yes. I don't need you doing this. It'll only make things worse, you know."

"Bullshit. How's my coming around gonna make anything worse?" Pushing back his blonde hair, Cid leaned back also. Blue eyes closed. "Just because that ass thinks he can control your life doesn't mean he does. You do have a life of your own, you know."

"I should be telling you that so you'll stop bothering me. You have a life also and it doesn't include me." Vincent held up a hand as Cid started a retort. "And no 'I want you in my life' crap. I don't want to hear it. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not even remotely interested and you should give up? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? Well, I'm sorry Cid, but I don't have that patience. So if you don't mind," he stood suddenly and made his way to the door, opening it into the storm, "I would appreciate it if you just left." His eyes were dark, almost black as he sent a cold stare at the blonde. "I don't have the patience to deal with you."

"Vince—"

"No! I don't want to hear any of it." He hung his head, the silken obsidian locks covering his face. A loud crack of thunder sounded and Vincent's thin frame was shadowed by a quick flash of lightening. The storm had grow worse, the outside growing dark even though it was still only three-thirty. Cid shook his head and approached the boy. "Please, just go." His voice was soft as he held the door open wider.

It's almost as if he's begging. But why? Do I cause him that much trouble? He started to reach out and brush back the ebony hair, but something inside stopped him cold. His hand was drawn back and he nodded silently. "All right, if that's what you want. I'll go. You, ah, you won't see me again. I'll promise that to you," he whispered as he pushed under Vincent's shaking arm. The rain pounded down on his shoulders and he winced as a bolt of lightning traced across the sky. Glancing back, he saw the thin frame still holding the door, but he couldn't see the shoulders shaking. A small urge to go back tried to take over, but he forced it down and turned for the street instead. If it's the only way he can stand me then maybe it's for the better. He glanced back once more to see the door shut tight, the soft glow of the light fading through the window. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for last night, I'm sorry for the first night, I'm sorry for it all. And I hope you can forgive me if I ever break that promise. Then he turned once more and headed into the worsening storm.

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Phew! So that one's done. But lots of drama and crap, ne? But please, please don't think that this was Reno-bashing. I could never bash that guy. Love him too much. Hee hee. But how many people want to help me attack that evil idiot Hojo? Haha. But I don't think any of this bodes well for poor Cid. First he keeps getting shot down and now Vince just kicked him out of his house? Damn. Vince, you're mean. But I suppose he has his reasons. Heh, what am I talking about? I know his reason for doing all of this. Hehe. But I'm an evil author and I'm not gonna give any hints. But this will be short because there's a lot of stuff up next.

Yay for lots of stuff. Heehee.
Gaijin--Foreigner
I-jin--alien
Ainoko--half-breed
Okama--gay
Seme--In the manner of a pairing, common name of the male role
Uke--Common name of the female role
Arigatogozaimashita--Thank you very much
Hashi--Chopsticks
Mirin--Japanese cooking wine
Kami--God

Yay. I'm sure two of those are very familiar to a lot of fanfic readers, but I just put it in for those who don't understand what seme and uke means. I know when I first started reading yaoi I got so confused about that. Heehee. I didn't get a good introduction to it. So, there's the seventh chapter! Whoo. lol So...reviews? Comments? Suggestions? I have a pretty good idea of what's to come, but I'm always open for ideas. Hehe.