Warnings: suggestions of sexual content of the unconventional persuasion, though I think this might be my first fic that is not rated 'M' :P We'll see.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and all its characters, settings, etc., belong to Square Enix, and likewise, everything of Pet Shop of Horrors belong to their creator, Akino Matsuri. This is a fanfiction written purely for fun and no profit is made from it.
Chapter 2 - Christmas Eve
December 24
5:00am
"#$%~#%^*#$#%!"
Cid Highwind near jumped out of his blankets, his deep slumber rudely interrupted by something big and heavy and ALIVE landing right on his stomach mid-snore. Bleary-eyed, he sat up and looked around for the culprit, and sure enough, a fluffy, silver tail made a graceful arc through the air as its owner deftly jumped off his bed; and a pair of bright green eyes looked back at him imperiously, as if admonishing HIM for not waking up earlier. Out in the living room, he could see a big black cat, sitting in front of his and Sephiroth's food bowls, casually washing his face as if oblivious to the ruckus from the bedroom.
Cid rubbed a hand across his face to try to clear his mind, and looked around his room once again to try to make sense of things. Sephiroth must have jumped down from somewhere high up onto his stomach, but from where? The nightstand is the closest piece of furniture to his bed, but it's too short. The only other plausible thing was a very, very, ...very...tall wardrobe... Cid looked at the imposing piece of hardwood, then the distance from the top of it to his bed, and swore under his breath.
"Athletic little bugger! I am %^$#^ moving that ^&%^#$% thing the hell away from my $%^#$% bed!"
"MAO!" Sephiroth said loudly, his tail twitching in impatience. In the living room, Vincent had stopped his washing and was too, looking at the captain expectantly.
Cid sighed and dragged himself out of bed. Doesn't look like these two were going to leave him alone until they get their breakfast.
"And don't you pretend ta be innocent!" he said accusingly to Vincent, "I know you were in on this too!"
"MAO!" urged Sephiroth.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm comin', calm yer whiskers... Wait a minute... There's still food in yer bowls!"
"MAO!"
"Whadda ya mean 'half empty'? It's half full! Ya pessimistic brat!"
"MAO!"
"Well pardon me! Ya pessimistic Royal Highness! Happy?"
It is DEFINITELY against the laws of nature to be awake so early, Cid decided. Now he's talking to cats as if they could talk back! Well, they're both happily munching on their breakfast now, maybe if he get back to bed now, he could still snooze a little?
But when he reached his bed, the sound of eating from the living room stopped, and a moment later, a furry head bumped into his leg.
"MAO!"
Cid sighed and turned to Sephiroth, "Now what?"
But Sephiroth didn't speak anymore, and only looked at him. Vincent too, had stopped eating, and was standing at the bedroom doorway, swaying his tail back and forth uncertainly. Cid furrowed his brows and let the two cats lead him back to the living room, only to find their food bowls still almost full, and nothing else seemed to be wrong. And the two cats rubbed their heads against his legs, and went back to eating.
Scratching his head in puzzlement, Cid turned back for the bedroom — only to hear the sound of eating stop again. And once again, the two cats came up to him and led him back to their bowls, then again, resumed eating once they were there.
Cid finally understood that the two cats wanted him to stay with them while they ate. Sighing, the pilot cast one more regretful look at his bed, then sat his resigned butt down beside the cats.
Weren't cats supposed to be independent? Puzzled Cid, studying the cats since he had nothing else to do. They were beautiful cats, the both of them. Though they indeed "look a little different", as Count D had said of them. Vincent's coat was a pure midnight black, but there were a couple of strands of long crimson hair growing out from among the fur before his ears, and the lush mane under his neck. His red eyes too, were something that Cid had never before seen on another cat.
As for Sephiroth, in terms of colouration, there weren't a whole lot that made him stand out from other cats. However, sticking out from his right shoulder, were three black...feathers? Cid reached out to touch one of them just to make sure, and Sephiroth instantly jumped away, long canines fully bared with his hiss, claws extended and swinging.
"Alright, alright, my bad, I won't touch 'em again." Cid put up his hands and soothed, silently thanking the stars that the reflexes he developed from his younger, more active days are yet just sharp enough save him from Sephiroth's defensive attacks.
Sephiroth just stood there looking at him warily, fur still partially bristled, unsure whether he should go back to his bowl even when Cid tried to coax him back. Vincent too, had stopped eating and was looking between the two of them with uncertainty in his red eyes. Then finally, the black cat tapped its tail tip at its silver companion in reassurance, and carefully, Sephiroth walked back to his food bowl and continued eating, though still not fully relaxed.
Slowly, so as to not startle the cats, Cid put his hands down to his sides to appear less threatening.
"Guess you don't want me ta touch those red hairs of yours either, eh?" Cid said to the black, and indeed, the cat seemed to stiffen a little a those words.
"Alright," said Cid, "if ya don't want me to, then I won't." The black cat didn't look up from his bowl, but seemed to relax a little.
Cid chuckled and carefully reached over to gently stroke the cat's furry black back, "Didn't know that cats can care so much about lookin' different than others too. Well, me, I think they look pretty, ya know, like those ribbons that Wutai nobles used ta put on their prized pedigree cats back in the old days, ta show off how precious they are."
Vincent continued eating as if ignoring the captain, but under Cid's soothing hand, his body vibrated gently with a soft purr.
Cid then patted Sephiroth softly on the head, careful to not touch the feathers on his shoulder, "They also bred big cats, tigers and panthers and the like, for huntin'. Made feather jewelry and such for their best huntin' cats. I think they might'a got the idea from those red beasts that used ta live around Cosmo Cannon. It is said that those beasts were smart, smart as humans even, and only gave them feathers to their best warriors. ...I guess ya could pass for one of those, what with yer jumpin' and clawin' and all. Ya might wanna work on ya vocabulary though, 'mao' is jus' too cute ta be intimidating, ya know."
Sephiroth gave him a miffed glare, but then went back to eating. His body too, visibly relaxed, and he also began to purr.
Cid smiled as he continued to gently pet the cats. Guess he should keep in mind that they'd been mistreated for quite some time in some crazy bastard's lab. And have been rejected by several of Count D's past customers. Even as cocky as Sephiroth acts at times, there must still be some lingering fear and insecurities within the two cats. Well, if they needed him to sit there and look out for them every meal time, when they're feeling vulnerable, then that's what he'll do. But he can't always be home though... Well they both seemed to be generally quite calm and well-behaved, maybe he could bring them with him to work when he's too busy to get home? This would have been a lot easier if Shera were here. She would have loved these two beautiful cats, would have loved taking care of them and playing with them, and brushing out their fur, and...
As he was lost in his thoughts, both cats had finished eating. They rubbed their furry heads against Cid as if as an after-meal courtesy, then groomed themselves and each other, and even gave the unwashed and unshaven pilot a few licks, before running off, every movement as graceful and as dignified as high-bred nobility, to explore their new, messy, dirty...reeking...home...
Shera had left in a hurry, and Cid hadn't exactly been in the mood for house-keeping, and over the past few days, the clutter and grime in the place had...run a bit wild. Cid stood back up, patting away some dust from his boxers and his hands. It has been a good few years since he'd been young enough to get back to sleep after being awakened for so long. Might as well start straightened the place up a bit.
7:00am
"Mmmrrrrrrooooowwwwww!"
"Meeeeeoooowwww!"
Captain Cid knew that sound, and far too well for his liking. The wild cats around these parts, they have the sex drives of field mice — field mice that had been drowned in caffeine and dipped in narcotics! ...But this time...it sounds like it's coming from within the house... Had Vincent and Sephiroth sneaked back a girlfriend or something? A cup of strong tea in hand, and brows firmly furrowed in irritation, Cid marched into the living room to investigate.
Nope, no girlfriend. Just Vincent and Sephiroth, happily mating away with each other, right in the middle of the living room.
Cid rubbed his forehead. Weren't they both male? He was sure they were both male... Well Sephiroth seems to be definitely male...and happily so... ...And Vincent was quite happily...not male? Cid cocked his head to try to get a better look at the cats'...equipment...then caught himself, shook himself, then walked away trying to get the whole thing out of his head.
7:00pm
"MAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOWWWWW!"
"MEEEEEERRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWW!"
Yep, both male. Some time during the day, the cats have switched places, and it's now Vincent who's on top of Sephiroth. And Sephiroth...was a LOT more unashamedly loud than Vincent had been...
Cid looked at his watch and groaned. Had they really kept at it for the entire day? They weren't going to continue into the night, were they? How was he supposed to sleep then? ...And oh Gaia, what would Santa think when he comes down the chimney tonight?
10:30pm
Cid paused in the middle of brushing his teeth, listening carefully. The mating calls...they've stopped! The pilot sighed a great sigh of relief. Looks like he'll get some sleep tonight after all.
CRASH! RIIIIIIIP!
Or maybe...he celebrated too soon...
10:31pm
Cid charged into his workshop, toothpaste foam still dripping from his stubbles. He stuck his big, calloused hands into a tumbling, black and white ball of claws and teeth, and ripped the two cats away from each other by the scruffs of their necks.
Sephiroth yelled and hissed at the sudden end to his and Vincent's fight, but the airship captain was in NO mood for nonsense.
"I DUN CARE WHETHER I $ #$ $% INTERRUPTED YER $#%$ &*$& 'SPAR' OR WHATEVER YA #$%^ CALL IT! LOOK AT WHAT YA DID TA MY %# *)*&%$^ WORKSHOP!"
All around them, pieces of blueprints and notes fluttered about like snowflakes, and broken things scattered here and there all over the floor.
Sephiroth turned his head away as if too prideful to fully accept the blame. At least Vincent had the decency to at least look guilty!
Cid growled, absolutely NOT looking forward to all the cleaning and fixing that he now had to do. And the salvaging of what was left. And the thinking about what precious plans and information were lost.
"That's it! Yer both #% %^ $ sleeping out in the living room t'night!"
11:42pm
Cid dragged his tired and sleepy body towards his bedroom. Over an hour of cleaning, and his workshop was finally looking respectable again. Luckily the damage wasn't as bad as it looked, and not too much was irreparably damaged. Didn't change the fact that he was still annoyed as hell though.
Both of the cats were sitting by the couch, on the way between the workshop and the bedroom, and when Cid walked by, they both stood up tentatively, as if seeing if Cid would allow them into the bedroom with him.
Cid gave them both a glare, slammed the bedroom door behind him, and climbed into bed.
11:55pm
Normally Cid would fall asleep almost as soon as he hit the bed, but this time, he tossed and turned in his sheets. They felt large and empty without anybody sharing them with him. He could not stop thinking about Shera. And he could not stop worrying about the cats. He'd turned off the fireplace before he started getting ready for bed, as was his habit. Would the cats be alright out there in the living room? Would they get lonely? Would they get cold?
As if sensing his thoughts, a soft scratching sounded from his closed door.
"Mao." came Sephiroth's voice. It was not as loud nor as authoritative as it had been in the morning. But he was requesting to be let in as if still not fully accepting the guilt of his and Vincent's trashing of Cid's workshop.
Cid grunted and turned away from the door, not yet ready to fully forgive the cats. His workshop was sacred to him. Nobody but him was allowed in there, not even Shera. Some of those blueprints were the result of years upon years of sweat, tears (manly ones of course), and blood! Some of them would have been ready to be used as soon as Shinra changed their minds and started up the space program again. He was almost there. He was so close. All of his life's work, his heart and soul – his dreams were sitting there in that room!
"Meow..." said a new voice. Low, soft, and sad.
Cid turned to the door in surprise. Vincent? Up until now the black cat had never "spoke", unlike the much more vocal Sephiroth.
"Meow..." said Vincent again, as soft and sad as the first.
The soft scratching sounded again at the door, and Sephiroth's "mao", now too, was much softer than before.
Cid sighed, threw off his blankets, and stepped into the chilly air.
He opened the door, and found the two cats sitting there, looking up at him with their big bright eyes, and sighed again, "alright, come in. Jus' behave yerselves, ya hear?"
As if on cue, both cats dashed into the room with their tails held high, and wasted no time leaping onto the bed and stepping all over it to find the most comfortable spot.
"%$#^&*! I Jus' said ta behave!" said Cid exasperatedly as he strode over, "Leave me some # %^& room! Move over!"
Amazingly, the cats did. They stepped to the sides of the bed, leaving room in the middle, and looked up at him as if saying "come on in".
Cid just chuckled and shook his head at the odd pair, and wiggled his way back into his warm blankets.
As soon as he was settled, Sephiroth "MAO'ed" imperiously, looking down upon the pilot as if expecting something.
Cid raised an eyebrow at the bossy cat, then turned to see Vincent patiently sitting by his left arm. The pilot smiled and lifted his arm, and Vincent dipped his head politely as if saying thanks, then stepped forward and curled up against Cid's side.
"Ya could have asked nicely too ya know." said Cid to the silver cat, and lifted his right arm. The cat sat down with great satisfaction in the space made for him, as if he was the one that was pleased with the good behaviour of his servant-pilot.
Chuckling, Cid rubbed the cats' soft heads and said good night, and cats purred and blinked at him as if saying "good night" back, and all three of them fell peacefully into sleep.
December 25
5:00am
"Zzzzz...hmmm..." Cid tried to wave off the tickling by his ear.
"Zzz...zzz...zzz...$%!$#...Sephiroth...stop yer ticklin'!" but the tickling was persistent. Cid finally sighed and turned to the silver cat on his right, and opened his eyes to see a beautiful young man with long silver hair staring at him with bright green eyes.
"Hello, master, about time you woke up. Or should I say...'mao'?" the young man purred in a low, seductive voice. He was reclining on the bed, propping his head up with a hand on his chin, and his elbow somewhere above Cid's head. Most of his body was covered under the blankets, but his shoulders and chest were most definitely bare.
Cid gaped wordlessly at the strange young man in response. A stirring from his left side caught his attention, and he turned to see yet another beautiful young man, this time with a wild, luxurious mane of black hair, rubbing the sleep from his crimson eyes. Most of him too, was under the blankets, and his shoulders too, were bare.
"Good morning master," said the second young man, his voice low and soft, "did you sleep well?"
Cid looked between the two young men that he was sandwiched between. Naked apparently. In his bed. Cid Highwind was a tough man, a well-travelled man. There were few things on this planet that Cid Highwind had not seen. Few things on this planet that Cid Highwind could not face.
But to hell with it all. Cid Highwind blinked, sucked in a deep breath, and cursed and cursed with every obscene expression he had ever uttered in his thirty-some years of life.