Seems shorter, but only because I edited out the sex scene that I'm not allowed to post here. Links can be found on my author's page to places where it is posted. Thanks everyone!

(Inner thought)

Chapter Fifteen: Reconciliation

Cid Highwind was a man who wholly believed in taking risks, jumping when others feared and stayed behind. He wasn't the type to hide behind his fears or be afraid of making mistakes. It was for that reason alone that he gave into his desires and took what was being offered, what he had wanted for so long and thought he would never have again.

Looking at the raven-haired man before him, one who began as an enemy and then became an awkward friend, lover, then nothing at all in the space of a couple of weeks, Cid knew what he desired. And the gunman was offering it to him on a silver platter. Who was he to say no?

In front of him, the gunman stirred, clearly uneasy and feeling like he was being rejected. "I can leave now," Vincent offered, breaking through the silence. "I will walk out the door if you want me to." It would be as much as he deserved for the way that he had treated Cid the first time.

"No," the pilot mumbled slowly as he shook his head. Vincent looked at him, wondering which question he was answering. "No," Cid repeated, locking eyes with the gunman. "Stay," he quietly commanded before leaning in to lock the ex-Turk in a scorching kiss, searing with the heat of desire.

He pushed into Vincent's mouth with his tongue, eagerly seeking out the gunman's spicy and unique flavor. Meanwhile, his hands found themselves hurriedly unclasping the other man's cloak, eager to feel skin on skin.

The gunman accepted Cid's kiss as he gently pulled the pilot forward with his human hand, unbuttoning his pants with the other. It became of race of frantic desperation to remove unnecessary articles of clothing. He broke away from the kiss, quieting the blond's protests when he started nipping gently on the pilot's neck, slightly sharpened canines scraping sensuously across tanned skin.

"Fuck, Vince…" Cid moaned, tendrils of desire beginning to curl in his belly. "I want you so bad. "

Vincent didn't reply, instead choosing to pull away and standing swiftly. Stunned by the sudden loss of contact, Cid blinked up at him, rather confused. His brain was still somewhat muddled by the sudden turn of events. The gunman began to shed his clothes, not wasting any time as he tore them off and threw them to the floor.

The pilot blinked in sudden understanding as he fumbled to remove pants as well. Heat pooled in his belly as pale skin was exposed, muscles shifting gracefully beneath flesh. His mouth went dry, blood filling his cock instantly.

Finally, the other man crawled back onto the bed and up Cid's body until he was face to face with the pilot, propped up on his elbows. Vincent locked eyes with Cid as their cocks brushed against each other.

"You're in my head," Vincent commented as he shifted his weight to his left arm, trailing his right hand down the other man's bared chest, ghosting his fingers over the skin and pebbling a dusky nipple. Cid shivered visibly beneath his touch, instantly aroused by that barely there touch. "I don't understand it."

Cid grinned in response, clearly pleased by Vincent's admission. "And I ain't leavin' anytime soon," he teased, reaching up and brushing some of the other man's long hair out of his face, and Vincent closed his eyes at the simple yet caring touch.

Vincent closed his eyes and settled comfortably on Cid. His right hand found itself cradled on the pilot's broad and well-muscled chest, even as his left had unconsciously thrust itself over the side of the bed. The blond wrapped his arms around him, unconsciously stroking his back, fingers tracing the scars.

"Will you be here in the morning?" Cid asked in a quiet voice.

Vincent's eyes snapped open at that question. He moved his hand slightly, tracing odd symbols on his lover's chest, just delighting in the feel of his skin.

"Unless you want me to leave," he answered softly. He hoped that Cid wouldn't turn him away, although he knew he deserved it.

Cid shifted his weight so that they laid on their sides and the gunman was no longer crushing him. "Are you going to run?"

"Not this time," Vincent answered truthfully, making a split-second decision. "I want to be here for whatever happens."

Cid understood what the other man meant. "I only hope that you don't have to. I don't want that anymore." He pulled Vincent in closer to him, nuzzling into the gunman's hair, inhaling its scent.

Vincent sighed, admitting the truth when it was easier to do so, not looking his lover in the eye. Yes, that was what they were: lovers now, not just friends.

"I am still afraid, Cid, for many reasons you will never understand."

"Will you ever tell me?"

"When I learn to believe in man again and I can afford to trust… perhaps." Vincent sighed, closing his eyes in exhaustion. It felt wonderful to be close to his pilot, like he belonged there. "Or maybe sooner. I just don't know because I don't understand myself. I can't explain it but--"

Cid hushed him, interrupting what was probably going to be a lengthy monologue on all of his faults and mistakes. They would talk more later. Right now, he just wanted to take the moment for what it was.

"Jes sleep."

---

"Has anyone seen Vincent?" Nanaki asked as he strolled into the common room that housed a few vending machines and a couple tables. It was for the crew to hang out on their breaks or generally get to know each other. Right now, it was mostly deserted, only Yuffie and Reeve present.

"Why?" Reeve asked as he sipped on a fizzy drink, something called Kalm Kola.

The fire-wolf padded over, leaping up into a chair at the table that both Reeve and Yuffie occupied. "I have to ask him something." He unconsciously leaned his head toward the ninja, receiving a pat and a head scratch for his troubles.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since we came back from North Corel," Reeve answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"I think I know," Yuffie answered slyly. She unwrapped the plastic from around the chocolate confection she was currently consuming and shoved the rest of it in her mouth, chewing happily. Little flecks of dark chocolate stuck out jauntily on her chin.

Nanaki raised a brow. "Please tell me, Yuffie. I've been searching for a while now," he responded, flicking her gently with his tail. "He wasn't in his room or on the deck, and I cannot think where else he could be." There were very few places that Vincent chose to hide, so when someone actually sought him out, he was usually easy to find. As if he really was a vampire, Vincent preferred dark and solitary locations where he could brood in solitude. Yet, if you asked him, he wouldn't admit to the brooding.

"Did you check Cid's room?" the little ninja asked mischievously, catching the lion-wolf's tail. Her brown eyes sparkled with secretive naughtiness.

The two males gave her confused and startled looks. "Why on Gaia would he search there?" Reeve asked with bewilderment.

Yuffie shrugged innocently, running her fingers through Nanaki's tail fur. "An hour or so ago I saw Mr. Dark and Scary standing outside Highwind's room. As far as I know, he hasn't left yet." She grinned, winking at the both of them.

The ex-ShinRa's eyes widened in surprise, while Nanaki seemed unaffected by the news.

"What?" The ninja pouted looking at the fire-lion unhappily. "You aren't surprised?"

"I had already guessed," Nanaki answered smugly, a wolfish smile on his face. He pulled his tail free and again flicked the ninja.

"Ah, damn!" she cursed. "I thought only I knew."

The ex-executive, gaping like a fish, managed to pull a collective coherent thought. "Are they together?" he asked with surprise.

The ninja and Nanaki shrugged in unison. "Can't say for sure, but it looks that way to me." Yuffie grinned, attempting to catch the pesky tail once more.

"How… interesting…" Reeve mused as he slumped back in his chair, Kalm Kola completely forgotten. Perhaps his relationship would not be as looked down upon as he had thought. Strange, he never really took Valentine for the type to be interested in men. Then again, stranger things had happened. Take himself for instance.

Nanaki asked innocently, "What of you, Reeve?" His tail batted Yuffie in the face before darting away, and the ninja mock-snarled.

Amber eyes blinked. "Huh?"

"Well, you know…" Yuffie continued for the lion-wolf, her game with his tail forgotten as she attempted nonchalance. It appeared that the two mischievous friends were preparing to gang up on poor Reeve. "Cid lives with Shera. Barret was married at one time. Vincent did have Lucrecia, though that's in the past. Cloud had something going on with Tifa or Aeris… or maybe both." She suddenly smirked. "What about you?"

Reeve reddened faintly as his mind instantly brought him images of a redhead with laughing aquamarine eyes. "I have never been married," he deftly answered with a smile.

The fire-lion and Yuffie exchanged a glance, and something unspoken passed between them.

Golden eyes sparkled as Nanaki propped his forelimbs on the table, resting his head on them and eyeing Reeve intently. "That is not entirely what we asked."

"You got a special someone, Kitty?" the ninja inquired, pushing the subject.

Reeve groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead as he slumped in his chair. "Why do you insist on calling me 'Kitty?'"

Yuffie laughed, clearly amused by his discomfort. "You're changing the subject, Reeve," she declared, shaking a finger at him.

"Besides, isn't it obvious," the lion-wolf snorted, interrupting them. He glanced at Reeve, whose face was still burning with embarrassment. He knew what the man was trying to hide but still thought it fun to tease him. It was not often that Nanaki acted his "human" age, but Yuffie tended to bring it out in him more than most.

The former ShinRa shook his head. "No, it's not."

"Cait's a cat, isn't he?" the ninja asked.

"Yeah… but…"

"Well, if you look close enough, you do kinda look alike." Yuffie giggled again.

"What!" the ex-ShinRa yelled indignantly. His entire face flushed as he considered finding a mirror. He didn't look like a cartoon cat… did he?

Yuffie laughed, waving her hand at him as tears of mirth filled her eyes. Even Nanaki chuckled beside her. Reeve huffed with righteous anger that lasted for all of two seconds before his younger companions exchanged mischievous glances.

"So, about your lover…" Nanaki began, locking eyes with the ex-executive.

"What? I never said--"

Yuffie interrupted smoothly, flustering Reeve completely. "Is there?"

Blinking, Reeve scrambled for something appropriate to say. "Well…" he began slowly, stalling for time. "There is someone--"

But they latched onto his slow admission like a fish onto dangling bait. "Who is it?" Yuffie pressed, attempting a look of pure innocence. She leaned forward on the table, putting her chin in her hands. "Someone we know?"

Reeve blushed again, his face darkening even more, if that was at all possible. He appeared to be searching for a way to answer that question without revealing too much.

"Oh, Vincent!!" he exclaimed suddenly, eyes widening as he looked past Nanaki and Yuffie. Both turned their backs on the ex-executive expecting to see the gunman in the doorway. And the ex-ShinRa took this chance to escape, darting from the common room before they could notice.

"There's no one there," Yuffie complained aloud as she turned back around. "I think you're-- He's gone!" she exclaimed, brown eyes wide with confusion.

"He is a sneaky one," Nanaki commented, eyes twinkling with merriment. "I cannot believe we fell for that."

Yuffie pouted. "I was having fun teasing him. He gets flustered so easily." She sighed before smiling impishly, holding up one hand. "At least, I got this for my trouble."

Golden eyes widened before Nanaki chuckled. "He has probably given it up as a lost cause."

The ninja fluttered her eyes at him innocently. "Well, he shouldn't have run away. We could have had a lot more fun." She shook her head. "Wait until he finds out we already know."

Nanaki nodded. "Until then, let him believe he has his secrets." He raised an eyebrow at her. "So was Vincent really standing outside Cid's door?"

"Yep!" Yuffie responded cheerily, bounding out of her chair to get another chocolate bar from the vending machine, not that she needed any more energy. "But he had a really scary look on his face. Almost like he was arguing with himself." She frowned in thought, caramel or crunch, before she giggled again. "He even had his hand raised to knock, and it was just kinda hanging there." She mimicked the ex-Turk's actions eliciting another giggle.

"Hmm," the fire-wolf responded thoughtfully. "Caramel," he suggested, knowing that she was having trouble deciding. There was a blip and a thunk as the candy dropped down before Yuffie bounced back to her seat, unwrapping the chocolate with a very hungry look on her face. "You know, some humans would be bothered by a homosexual relationship."

Yuffie shrugged, already biting into the gooey candy. "I guess I should be," she answered thoughtfully. "It's one of those super taboo things by Dao-Chao, but then again, so is stealing." She giggled. "I don't really follow any of my father's rules, so why would I with this one?" she answered around a mouthful of gooey caramel.

Nanaki shrugged. "I do not know. Humans think rather strangely."

"Besides," continued Yuffie. "Vinnie's all gloom and doom, and the old man needs a break. If you ask me, they're perfect for each other." She scrunched her nose then. "Maybe Vin can get Cid to quit smoking."

Nanaki laughed. "Push them together for your own selfish gain, hmm?" he questioned.

"It is a nasty habit," she retorted indignantly, sitting up straighter in her chair before peering at him. "Do you mind them together?"

The lion-wolf snorted. "What do I care what humans do in their private time?" he asked rhetorically before his voice turned solemn. "The only one I can see making a big deal is Barret. He seems to turn irrational at the slightest irregularity."

"He'll get over it," the ninja answered, stuffing the last bit of the chocolate bar in her mouth, crinkling the wrapping in one fist. "And if he doesn't, I'll kick his ass and--"

"Steal all his materia," Nanaki finished for her, shooting the ninja a wolfish grin. "Your priorities are certainly clear."

She pouted before changing the topic to something a bit more serious. "You think Cloud's going to be all right?"

Nanaki frowned as he sighed. "I do not know, Yuffie. I can't even begin to guess."

---

Vincent sneezed, barely managing to cover up the impromptu reaction before another one struck him with enough force to shake the bed. It was rather odd; he never really took ill now that the demons infested his body. Brushing a few strands of hair out of his face, he glanced down at his lover, hoping that the sneezes hadn't woken Cid.

"You know, if you sneeze twice that means someone's talking about ya," the pilot commented in a somewhat groggy voice.

Crimson eyes rolled as Vincent stared into the darkness, not even remembering when or who had gotten up to turn off the light. "That's an old wives' tale," he retorted, shifting his position to get more comfortable. Cid was like a damn furnace, so he ended up pushing off the covers, allowing himself room to breathe. It was warm enough that sweat clung to his pale body.

Cid grunted but didn't make a verbal response, tightening his arms around Vincent's body so that his lover couldn't escape. Not that the gunman particularly wanted to, but Cid wasn't taking any chances. He wasn't allowing Vincent to leave without a proper discussion.

After a moment of silence and listening to the steady thrum of his lover's heartbeat, Vincent broke the quiet. "Cid?" he questioned tentatively, half-expecting the pilot to have fallen back asleep that quickly.

"Hmm?" Cid responded sleepily, not even moving at all. The sound reverberated in his chest.

Vincent took a deep breath. "What are we now?"

The pilot grunted, one calloused finger beginning to draw tiny circles across Vincent's scarred back. "What d'you want us ta be?"

The gunman fell silent, fully considering the question. It was difficult. There was a thick line between what he wanted and what he could have. To accept being with Cid was like abandoning everything he had ever felt for Lucrecia, almost as if he was betraying her. Could he add that to his conscience on top of everything else?

He had failed her. Who was to say he wouldn't do the same again? Was he just making the same mistakes?

"Cause I won't settle for anything less than you being mine," added in Cid, cutting through Vincent's inner thoughts. "Ya can't back out this time, Vince. It ain't that easy."

The gunman chewed his lip in indecision, knowing what it was Cid wanted him to say. Although it had been his original question, he wasn't exactly certain what it was he wanted anymore. He wanted Cid. He wanted revenge. He couldn't forget about Lucrecia. He wanted his memories.

Somehow, it all seemed counterproductive. Was his love so fickle that he could forget about her so quickly in the face of one cursing, smoking, gruff pilot?

Needing more time to think and hating being put on the spot, Vincent quickly sought to change the subject. "I think that we should visit, Cloud," he murmured quietly, internally berating himself for his own cowardice. He ignored the amused chuckles of the demons, pushing them down and building up his mental blocks once more.

Cid mentally sighed, figuring it would take a while yet to crack his vampire all the way through. He took the topic change for the distraction it was and cracked open one blue eye, craning his neck to look down into crimson eyes.

"Why?"

Vincent shrugged. "It might make you feel better," he suggested, shifting his body and pulling up the dangling claw arm. He shoved it beneath a pillow where it wouldn't do any damage.

"Or worse…" Cid mumbled closing his eye again and sighing. He settled back into the bed and proceeded to attempt a return to sleep. He was tired, both bodily and mentally.

"Well?" Vincent prompted after a moment of hesitation.

The pilot mumbled something under his breath before sliding one leg over the gunman's, entrapping him completely. "We'll go tomorrow," he grumbled. "Now, go to sleep; it ain't even morning yet."

Despite himself, the gunman smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted off, daring to hope for a night without nightmares.

----

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