What Cid Loves.
When Cid Highwind loves something, it's to the fullest. The first and simplest of his loves is tea. Beer is fine as well, but it's something he doesn't drink often. More to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and just being able to hang with a good friend. Coffee is good when on the road or when he needs a kick in the buttocks. Cid is quite fond of a good cup o' coffee. But tea is elegant and can be used in so many situations. Is the day as hot as it's long? Iced tea in hand helps one endure. Need help sleeping? Herbal tea. Feeling sick and need something to help soothe a sore throat? A different kind of herbal tea. He has his normal mugs for coffee and some breakfast tea. God help the fool who refuses his hospitality and tea. Cid also owns a special tea set from Wutia. Each piece is handcrafted from red clay and adorned with hand-painted dragons. While it was not his father's set, which was destroyed in the chaos of the Rocket Launch, it was close enough and was a birthday gift from his wife, Shera. Rarely used and well-dusted. The best is using his tea set with the people he cares for.
Cid loves the stars. It was an unavoidable love, thanks to what he inherited from both his parents. He barely remembers his father, but the man was a dragoon, A skill that is easier to learn if one has a natural disposition for it. Dragoons were naturals with polearms and drawn to high places; their very leaps took them above their foes to come crashing down with deadly accuracy. So it wasn't uncommon for him to be in a tree or on the roof.
His mother, who shared his accent, is the one who taught him how to create. Showed him how to dream. Between these two things, he was able to fly, and flying was amazing! The only thing better was going up in his rocket to see his beloved stars, away from the light pollution and from a new perspective. It was something one couldn't talk about unless the other person had done it as well. While he would love to go up there again, he is content to fly his airship and help the world heal its wounds. Seeing the stars allowed him to see his home in a different light, and he found he loved Gaia just that much more.
Cid loves Shera. The woman had the patience of a saint and a stubborn streak as big as his own. She is one of the smartest women he knows. She has seen him at his best and at his worst. He can recall how they met when he was first added to the space program. Shaking his hand. Thinking she had a cute smile. When his dreams started to fall apart, he took it out on her. Yet she stayed and put up with his crap. Kept an eye on him as he was on the verge of letting his own self-destructive habits finish what was left.
When he came back to find a reason to fight Sephiroth, he found her waiting. They had a long chat that ended with him holding her as he slept. Cid will never be certain when he fell in love with her, but he knows he would die for her. Only after he came back from the crater did he propose to Shera and make love to her. Their marriage was delayed due to their focus on building the airship and her sickness. After Aerith saved them all once again, they had a small and simple ceremony with the whole group on Edge. They were all together, and Cid wanted his new family to share this moment.
Yet there was something missing in his life because Cid also loves Vincent. They didn't start off as friends. Vincent didn't care for how Cid treated Shera, and looking back, a wiser Cid wouldn't have either. Once away from Rocket Town, Cid's attitude did improve. Being the last two to join the group, they were paired up a lot. He also didn't care who he had to share an Inn room with. Cid had experience working with Turks, something only Aerith could claim. He understood that Vincent would watch their backs to the fullest and only wanted his space and his privacy respected. The taller man had a wicked sense of humor. When Aerith died, they both worked even harder to watch over the group. Aerith should have made it to the end with the rest of them. She was just a kid, really. Most of them were just kids.
He grew to love this rather odd man. While much of his past is a mystery, even Cid hasn't shared all of it, but Cid knows Vincent was as much a victim as Cloud. Vincent was doomed to outlive all his allies and be stuck hosting monsters for eternity. Secretly, Cid kind of liked them. The only one that left him a bit leery was Chaos. Chaos was more of a weapon and had its own agenda. Galian Beast was his favorite.
During their travels, Cid heard they had found Sephiroth's mother. By the way, Vincent acted after finding her spirit, not hard for Cid to figure out he had feelings toward her. While they were able to stop Sephiroth. If he had his way, he would have pulled her out by the damn hair and made her help deal with her own child. But what does he know?
After Aerith's prayer and the planet stopping Meteor, they all ended up splitting off and heading to their homes. Killing Hojo and Sephiroth really didn't solve Vincent's problems, and Cid's heart ached for him. As much as he would have loved to make Vincent stay with them, he knew that wouldn't help. So, Cid let him come and go as he pleased. They had things that needed to be done, like building a new airship. Luckily, they were given parts and materials that could be used for an airship. Between his own amazing skills and Shera's own, they created something beautiful! But he had a hole in his heart.
Not until after Deepgrounds was halted was Vincent ready to move on. Shera knew Cid's feelings before they got married. Under that cool, professional shell was a man who loved deeply. Shera also found herself growing to love the quiet former Turk. Might have something to do with the romanticization of Vampires. So, when Vincent came looking for a home, they both offered a place. No strings attached. He just needs to know they both care about him.
For now, life isn't all that bad. Not when there's tea to drink, skies to fly, and people to cherish.