Resurfacing

RING, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIIII-

Click. “Hello?”

“VINCENT I haven’t from you in forever ”

Vincent smiled into his PHS at the deep, Wutaiian edged voice from the other end of the line. “Hello again, Reeve.”

“Any good reason you can give me why you haven’t called and told me how you were, even though you told me you would?” He could hear Reeve’s teasing tone over the line.

Vincent turned his head around, looking over at Cid who was fast at work hauling boxes up the attic steps one at a time. The garage had grown hot when the sun finally rose high in the sky, and sweat clung to the pilot’s frame making his clothes cling oh-so-nicely. The normally sandy blonde hair was shining in the light of the garage, and every hard breath Cid took made his well defined chest rise a little higher. “Yes, actually. A very good reason.”

“Well I’m disappointed none the less.”

“What can I do for you, Reeve?” Vincent would much rather be helping, or be watching, Cid work than talk to the executive at that moment.

“Straight to the point as always, Vincent. I was calling to see if you would be willing to accompany Cid on his next trip to see me. I’m meeting up with Lord Godo in Wutai and was wondering if you’d like to go with Cid and I to the annual festival they have there.”

“That’s a nice offer, Reeve, but exactly why are you inviting me?” Cid Vincent could understand going, seeing as he was the W.R.O. pilot and flew the plane to get there. Vincent would have nothing to do, and would probably just get in the way.

“Actually it was Cid’s idea. He called me and told me that the last time he left you were, as he put it, ‘bored off your rocker’, not to mention he kept talking about 'hurrying the hell up so he could get home' every five minutes.” Reeve just laughed over the phone line. “He told me the next time he had to leave for more than an hour that you were coming with us, and I can’t argue with the Captain of the ship I’m using, can I?”

“No, I suppose not.” He caught Cid’s curious stare from the top of the steps and he mouthed out ‘Reeve’. Cid just nodded with an ‘oh, yeah’ look before he went back to work. “Then I suppose I have no choice but to say yes. Cid would never let me have a moment’s rest if I said no.”

“Good, then it’s settled. So, Vincent,” and this was the moment he’d been waiting for, “how are you doing over in Rocket Town?”

“I’m actually doing quite well. Cid and Shera have been nothing but patient and understanding with me. I’m happy I agreed come here.” Vincent knew Reeve knew that the gunman never lied to anyone, and he wasn’t lying. Not one bit.

“Mmmm...well, I must say I’m relieved to hear that. Everyone over here has been wondering how YOU of all people would be faring in the extended company of Cid. He’s...not, the easiest person to get along with, you know, and I was, I mean, we ALL were surprised to hear him say you were doing well, especially considering what you’ve just GONE through.”

Vincent, if he had ears like an animal, was sure they’d be back by now and his non-existent tail would be bristled. So everyone was doubting the care that Cid was giving him, were they? “ACTUALLY Reeve, I’m doing >I>quite over here. To be honest, I haven’t felt this good in years, and it’s all thanks to CID that I feel so. Contrary to popular belief, he’s the best choice I could have made in any fashion. IF you do not believe me, I will show you how happy I am the next time we see each other. Goodbye Presdient Tuesti.” With that and a deep frown he snapped his phone closed, turned it off and put it in his pocket.

Cid had watched this entire spectacle with a quirked eyebrow and a grin, shaking his head. “What was-..”

“That man That man dare insinuate that I would be feeling unhappy here in Rocket Town with you. He presumed that I would be miserable here because I’m 'vunerable',” Vincent spat out with as much venom as he could possible muster, “after what happened with Omega. As if I needed his pity." Without thinking about it he raised a fist and slammed it up against the wall. A loud CRACK! was heard as the plaster around the wall dented and cracked all the way up to the ceiling where the lights were shaking. “He thought I’d be miserable because I’m with you”

“Are you?”

“Of course not!” Vincent lifted his head to look down at Cid. “No, you know I’m happier now with you than I’ve ever been! How can you ask me that?”

“Because I don’t understand why you’re worrying about what he said so much. If you’re happy and he’s wrong, what’s the big deal?”

“The big DEAL, Cid, is because he thought I’d be unhappy because I’m with you, EVERYONE did, but I’m not. It’s BECAUSE of you that I am happy here. Why can’t they understand that?”

Cid stood there, looking up at the man he SUPPOSED he could call his lover, looking more downcast than he’d seen in a long time. “Hey Vince?” He waited long enough before he threw what was in his hands at the other man who caught it in mild surprise. Vincent looked down at what he caught, and couldn’t help but smile. It was a teddy bear, obviously old but still in great shape. It had fur much like the color of Cid’s hair and eyes, well, much like the color of Cid’s eyes. “Cid bear.”

“Beg pardon?”

“That’s his name, Cid bear.”

“Why, because he looks like you?” Vincent smiled wider as he looked down at the stuffed animal. It smelled old and musty, small patches of hair missing around the back of the neck and the blue ribbon that hung around it's neck was tattered and ripped in a few places.

“Yeah, a little, but also cause THAT was my teddy bear when I was like, two.” Cid just shrugged as Vincent’s smile grew bigger.

“You had a teddy bear as a child?” Vincent just watched Cid nod, and he hugged the bear closer to his chest. "Cid. How unexpectedly cute.”

“I’ll ignore that. My mom packed it away when I started getting interested in airplanes and more boyish stuff, like pocket knives and BB guns. I found it in one of the last boxes, my aunt must have packed it away sometime after I went an' lived with them after my parents died. Saw it an' thought I’d show you that I actually was a kid once before I pack it back away.” Cid reached out for the bear but Vincent pulled it away, his arms still wrapped tightly around it. “Comon’ Vince, time to put Cid bear back up for another thirty years.”

“I want it.”

“What?!”

“I...WANT..IT.” He used the same, patient voice Cid had used on him when he’d offered up the gun (now safely packed away in Vincent’s room). “I want Cid bear.”

“Why the hell would you want a dusty thing like that?” Cid put his hands on his hips as he tried to figure the logic out behind THAT one. This was the same man who treated his guns like his first born children and thought black leather body suits was everyday wear. Vincent just smiled that secret smile again as he slid up next to the blonde, lips brushing against Cid’s ear as he whispered into it.

“Because it’s something of yours, and it smells like you, and at night I can hold it and think of you in my sleep and have very, VERY pleasant dreams. Any other pointless yet utterly, romantically endearing reasons I should give you, my dashing pilot?” Vincent smiled to get his point across as Cid chuckled, shaking his head.

“Fine, you can have the stupid stuffed animal.” He laughed again, not believing his ears. If you had told him five years ago that Vincent Valentine was a hopeless romantic with a penchant for teddy bears, he’d had told you that you were crazy. Now, though, it really didn’t come as a surprise.

“Thank you, Sydney.” Vincent kissed the side of Cid’s cheek before he slipped out of arms reach, Cid’s laughing face going into a scowl. “O should I say, hank you, Sydney Francis Highwind?”

Cid’s face went into total angry shock. “HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU FIND OUT MY MIDDLE NAME?!”

“Your birth certificate is in the photo album.”

Vincent tossed the bear in the front seat of the car and hoped it would be safe there as he ran for his life and away from Cid in the tiny garage.
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AN- I wanted to give Cid, mr. big tough strong can't boss me around! Highwind a girly middle name. Hehee...Francis. I'm Evil. XD

Edired 3/10/08