Save a Dance for Me

Dancing. If there was one thing that Vincent disliked more than speaking aloud more than was needed, it was dancing. Yet he saw no escape as the girl he was dancing with smiled up at him.

She was nice enough, with light brown hair and soft doe eyes, her hands curling into his. But he still wasn’t into it, still didn’t want to be dancing. She tipped her head at his little sigh, her pink bow rustling. “Something wrong, Vincent?”

Crimson eyes dropped to the waxed floor beneath them. “I’m not that fond of dancing.”

The girl gave a soft giggle. “I know. The others just told me to get you out here and have a good time.” At his startled look, she smiled. “I didn’t really want to, but you did look like you needed a little fun.”

“I appreciate the effort, Aeris, but I really am not comfortable out here.”

“Aw, just a few more? You’re a good dancer.” She smiled again, tipping her head to rest it on his shoulder as they continued the slow dance. Her fingers tightened around his to keep them connected, her hands warm.

Vincent let out a quieter sigh at the girl’s motion. He honestly wasn’t comfortable standing in the middle of a group of dancers and with a girl who was far younger than he. Warm breath passed over his neck as she sighed as well, her lips brushing his skin when she smiled. “You don’t have to hide in your privacy, you know. You’re allowed to come out and have fun. I mean, it’s your birthday after all. We all thought you might enjoy this type of thing.”

“I appreciate this, really. I just don’t consider this to be fun.” He shifted from the set pattern for a moment, earning a little look from Aeris. Giving her a small sound of apology, he returned to the dance, his feet following the rhythm from memory.

“Really. So you don’t like dancing at all or is it just because you don’t want to dance with me?”

Vincent was startled by the question, not sure how to respond. “I… don’t like dancing.”

“Sure, okay.” Aeris smiled, nodding her head. “I know you really don’t want to do this because it’s with me.”

“No, it’s not—“

“So why don’t you ask Cid?”

The gunman was stunned silent, his feet coming to a stop. “Why would you say that?” he said, suddenly defensive.

Aeris just laughed and reached up to ruffle the mess of ebony hair a bit. “Don’t think I can’t tell. You’re always watching him and it looks to me like you’re doing it with affection.” When his look turned slightly cold, she smiled warmly to oppose it. “Aw, don’t get mad at me. I think it’s cute that you like him.”

Vincent wanted to tell her that her idea wasn’t right, but he couldn’t make the words come out right. “Aeris…”

“You know, if you never tell him then he’ll never know. He’s about as dense as Cloud with those kinds of things.” She raised her hand, pulling his arm up as well so she could twirl under it. “I could tell him for you—“

“Don’t you dare,” Vincent hissed out, his calm exterior falling in desperation to keep their conversation silent. He had no idea how she knew such a thing, but the fact remained that she knew.

A set of trim brows rose. “So you do like him! I knew it! Ooh, you should tell him!” She dropped the whole dance idea and clasped his hands, smiling widely.

Vincent was stunned once more. She was acting like he was her best friend who had just told her about a crush. And here he had been thinking the entire dance that she liked him. “You... didn’t ask me to dance because you want to be with me?”

“What? No!” She laughed, swinging their arms back a little. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not my type. I like them a little easier to talk to. But no, I just did this because I wanted to get that out of you.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Do you know how frustrating it is when you know something and can’t see if it’s right? It’ll drive you crazy.”

Burgundy eyes flashed to the floor. Only the sight of a cheerful Aeris peeking up at him made him stop staring at the hard surface. “I think he likes you, if that helps.”

“What?” he asked softly. He had never noticed anything that would point to that conclusion.

“Mhmm.” Aeris nodded, inclining her head toward the table where the rest of the group was sitting. “He’s always saying stuff about you when you’re not around and he’s pretty easy to catch staring at you when he thinks no one is looking. It’s really cute.”

“If you would actually pay attention, he only insults me.”

That only served to make her laugh more. “You know that’s pretty much the number one clue that a boy likes you, right? They pick on you and push you around and call you names. It’s a weird way of showing someone they like them.”

Not sure what to think of what she had just said, Vincent looked back toward the table again. Was she really telling the truth? He turned to ask her just that but just at that moment she chose to move away from him and return to that exact table. He watched with slight horror as she placed herself next to the pilot of the group and started whispering in his ear with a few little motions of her hand.

Blue eyes aimed toward him and he stiffened, freezing where he was. A few of the couples still dancing around him turned to stare at him as they bumped into his unmoving figure, but still he stayed there, his gaze locked on the curious pair of cerulean eyes. An empty, sinking feeling tackled him as he saw the blond stand and start toward him.

He wanted to run. He wanted to hide himself away and never come out. He knew this wouldn’t end well. He knew Cid was going to be angry. He knew—

“Hey, look kinda worried about somethin’.”

Vincent could have died. He whirled around, trying not to give away how anxious he was to get away. “N-no, I’m fine.”

“Ya sure? Just look all stung out, ya know? Maybe ya need to relax a little.” The blond reached out and tapped Vincent’s nose quickly, making the gunner step back and crash into one of the couples behind him. They moved away as they sent a dirty look at the tall man, disappearing into the crowd of other dancers. A hand grasped Vincent’s arm and pulled him back, the startled gunman coming right up against the pilot from the force. “Gotta watch where you’re goin’, Vince.”

“I—I’m fine. Just leave me alone for a while, okay?” He tried turning, but the hand on his arm moved down to clasp his hand. “Cid, let me—“

“Wanna dance?”

Burgundy eyes wide, Vincent just stood there. He didn’t know what to think as Cid’s fingers twined through his own, holding his hand tightly. The other hand slipped down to the gunman’s waist and gentle fingers rested there against soft, black cloth. “What are you—“

“Dancing.”

The answer came with such a straight-forward tone to it that Vincent couldn’t find any words to combat him. Instead he stayed where he was, slowly bringing his clawed hand up to settle on a broad shoulder. He didn’t like this happening in front of everyone in the room, but there was a little bit of himself that just didn’t care at the moment. Besides, it didn’t seem like he had much say in the matter.

Surprisingly, Cid actually seemed to know what he was doing and Vincent found himself falling into the rhythm of the dance once more. Hands shifted and held him closer, releasing him a second later to spin him around. He found himself smiling and letting out a little gasp at the suddenness of it, coming back to a mirror of his smile. The hand that had disappeared once again settled on his waist, pulling him close enough to see the light swimming in soft, blue eyes.

The song slowed and they followed. Taking a moment to break free from the trance he seemed to have fallen in, Vincent looked around them. They had somehow broken away from the main crowd of couples and were hanging on the edge of the group on the other side from Aeris and the others. Vincent moved his gaze back to Cid’s face, finding something rather confusing there. The smile on his face was a little too soft; the look in his eyes was a little too gentle.

The cerulean gaze dropped, a little smile on Cid’s lips. “Ya know, this is kinda weird.” Vincent was about to agree when the gaze returned. “Guess I just didn’t think I’d be shoved into a chance like this.”

“What do you mean?”

At that moment the hand at the gunman’s waist moved, the pilot scratching his neck lightly. “I, uh, I might’ve been tryin’ to get ya alone for a while. So I could, ya know, spill my guts or whatever an’ admit I like ya.”

Vincent was shocked. “You… actually like me? As in…”

“Like like.” Cid looked a little embarrassed by his statement, scratching his neck more. “Aeris was tryin’ to get me to say somethin’, but—“

“Aeris was in on all of this?” He wasn’t sure why, but it seemed a little unfair that he was the only one that didn’t know ahead of time. “Who else knows about this?” he demanded suddenly, moving away from Cid.

The blond stared at him in surprise. “No one. Just Aeris. But she’s the one who noticed there was somethin’ first!” he retorted, a look of confusion crossing his face. “Vince…”

“Look. Just leave me alone. I didn’t want to come here and I didn’t want to dance.” He turned and shook his hand loose from the other’s grip, starting for the nearest door. All he wanted to do was get away from the disaster that was this birthday of his.

“Vince, wait!”

“No!” The gunman quickened his walk, shoving through the door when he got to it. He could hear Cid behind him but he wasn’t about to turn around to tell him to go away again. He reached the short flight of steps that led outside and kept going, wanting away from the pilot.

The door behind him closed and he tried to increase his speed again, but a child chose that exact moment to run in front of him. He stopped for want of not hurting the child, but at the same time gave the other a chance to catch him.

Arms slipped around his waist and held him tightly, the blond physically refusing to let go. “Look! I’m sorry she knew before ya, but that’s how it went! Call me chicken-shit, but I didn’t wanna tell ya ‘cause I didn’t wanna look like an idiot sayin’ I like a straight guy!” The arms around Vincent squeezed him tighter, a face pressing into his back. “The only reason I did anythin’ tonight was ‘cause Aeris said ya liked me back.”

Vincent just stood there, his mind sorting through the things Cid had said. “She told you I like you?”

“Yeah. She told me I should ask ya to dance an’ tell ya then. An’ I did, but… Guess I fucked up or somethin’.” There was a touch of sadness in the pilot’s tone and Vincent sighed. He didn’t like being the reason people were upset. “If ya really wanna go, then go. I can’t really stop ya or anythin’. I mean, it’s your birthday an’ all that.”

The arms loosened considerably, the bond between the pilot’s fingers broken fairly easily. Vincent moved away from him, turning once he was a couple feet from him. “You didn’t do it wrong,” he said softly, hating the expression that he had placed in the man’s voice. “I’m just… surprised by all of this happening at once.”

A light seemed to overcome Cid’s face as he looked up. The look on his face said he was waiting to see if Vincent would take off again, but when the gunman didn’t, he moved forward slowly. Reaching out a hand, the blond took hold of Vincent’s normal hand, twining their fingers together. “Care for a dance?” he asked softly, giving a nervous smile.

Vincent was still a little unsure of what was happening, but he was willing to see what Cid would do. He gave a small nod, gently placing his claw on the other’s shoulder. Fingers pressed against his waist, leading a hand to settle there. “Isn’t this a rather strange place to dance?” Vincent asked quietly, looking around at the alleyway they were in. He hadn’t even noticed it until now.

The blond shook his head, giving him a steadier smile. “I think it’s perfect,” Cid replied with a little laugh. “After all, gives me a good chance to get out what I want without gettin’ worried what the people around might think.”

Slightly intrigued despite his uncertainty of the whole deal, Vincent tilted his head. “And what is it that you don’t want others to see and think badly of?”

The hand entwined with his own slipped free and tipped his head down, lips pressing against his. The hand at his waist slid further around him, holding him closer until he was able to drape his arms over the blond’s shoulders. The contact between their lips only deepened even though Vincent wasn’t sure he wanted it. But for some reason, he felt he did.

They finally parted for lack of air, but they stayed close, their noses dangerously close to touching. Vincent closed his eyes, giving a soft sigh. “Cid… I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Nothin’. I just wanna know if you’d, ya know… be interested.”

“In you?”

The blond scratched his neck again, an expression of embarrassment showing. “Yeah. I mean, if ya don’t then that’s okay. I just… wanna know.”

Vincent didn’t want to answer. He didn’t know how he felt. “I—it’s too soon, I’m sorry.”

Cid nodded, a small smile of understanding crossing his lips. “Then… can I have some sort of chance to set convince ya I’m not that bad?”

The gunman hesitated, unsure as to whether he should answer or not. He didn’t know what Cid meant by the question and he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for what the pilot meant. But he found his lips parting, the words “all right” slipping through in a whisper.

The rest of the night when by in a blur, one moment flowing right into the next. Vincent wasn’t sure what to do when Cid led him away from the inn and to dinner, the time spent by the blond trying to make him laugh with stupid antics and jokes. He had to admit, the pilot was good at what he was attempting, but Vincent just wasn’t one to let in that early.

After that, things just kept getting more and more confusing to the gunman. Dinner led to a late night walk that ended with Cid tripping and ripping his pants at the seam running down his backside. After a little round of embarrassment on both parts, the issue was resolved by covering the hole with the pilot’s jacket. However, they soon retreated to the inn where they sat in the shadows of the room they had danced and Cid asked him nearly everything about himself. Vincent replied cautiously, still not wanting to give in to the blond.

It wasn’t until they were caught up in another round of soft kissing in the dark corner that Vincent started to give, his mind slowly becoming accustomed to and liking what Cid did to him mentally and physically. He didn’t even mind the hand that was gently creeping up his leg to settle on his hip as they kissed.

They eventually abandoned the corner as the room cleared and there was less risk of them being recognized. Cid’s hand managed to slip into his own as they walked back to the rooms the group had been assigned, the pilot playfully leading him to his own room. Vincent was hesitant when they reached the door and stayed while Cid entered, waiting to see if the pilot would beckon him in. Sure enough, the man turned at the jerk to his hand, giving Vincent a soft look of slight pleading.

In the end, Vincent had followed and had been given a birthday like he had never had. The pilot had been incredibly gentle despite his gruffness and Vincent had been pleasantly surprised by the night. From the way Cid’s hands passed perfectly over his curves to the way the other held him close as they kissed… from the way his clothes were slowly and carefully removed to the way they just lay there in the afterglow with their legs and arms still entangled… It was all mind-blowing to Vincent and he loved every moment of it.

Cid had asked him again what he thought as they lay there in the darkness, his head pillowed on the pilot’s shoulder. He had sighed, this time contentment tingeing the sound. “I don’t really know.”

“C’mon, Vince. Ya gotta have some idea by now.” The blond had ruffled his damp fall of ebony silk, brushing it back a bit to kiss him. There was tenderness with a tiny bit of roughness mixed together in the caress and the gunman had smiled into it, knowing his answer. But… Cid could wait. At least until morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yes!”

The call echoed through the halls of the inn, several of the people in the hallway looking down to the end of it. Most soon turned away and went about their business, only a few still watching the end room for some reason for the shout.

Inside the room, however, only mass chaos reigned. “Yes, yes, fuckin’ yes!” Hands clasped Vincent’s and the blond turned a quick circle, dragging the gunman with him. He was given a short notice before the shorter man tackled him to the floor, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. Vincent pushed him back momentarily only to be caught up in the kiss once more.

Finally Cid relented, sitting up over Vincent, his knees on either side of the gunman. “Sorry, I just, ya know, got excited.” He gave a little laugh, one that Vincent found incredibly charming and endearing.

“You didn’t have to knock me to the floor, did you?” he asked with amusement, his answer coming in the form of another kiss. He patiently waited for it to end, enjoying the lingering sensation it left on his lips. “Is it such an important deal that I accepted you as my lover?”

Cid nodded, smiling brightly. “’Cause ya don’t know how damn long I’ve waited to hear that.” He rested himself on the floor next to Vincent, throwing an arm over him and trapping the gunner. “An’ now that ya did… You’re all mine...”

Vincent laughed softly. “If you want me that badly.”

“I do.” The arm over him pulled him closer, a cold nose nestling against his neck. “Always will.”

That just made Vincent laugh more. He couldn’t see why someone would want him for forever. Never mind it was the pilot doing the wanting. He was about to turn to the man and tell him how absurd forever sounded, but the blond chose that moment to push himself up and on top of the gunner. Vincent gave him a curious look as Cid smiled down at him, tracing a finger across the smooth, milky expanse of the elder’s chest. “What are you up to?”

“Dunno.” But the smile remained where it was, a smirk growing from it. “Maybe… wanna have another go?”

Vincent tried but couldn’t rein back the laugh that was on the tip of his tongue. “You are insatiable, Cid.”

“Yep. One of my good traits, doncha think?” Blue eyes shone as Cid stood and pulled the gunman to his feet. He offered the pilot a small smile in response, letting himself be pulled to the bed. “So whaddya say?”

“I say that you need to remind me later to thank Aeris,” Vincent replied with a little smirk of his own. The blond’s face fell for a moment as he thought about the statement, soon catching on. “Later,” Vincent said again, turning them so he was pulling his new lover.

Cid laughed openly, moving into the enclosure of Vincent’s arms. “Later,” he agreed. “But for now…”

Pressing a quick kiss to Cid’s lips, Vincent smirked. “For now, how about we make up the part of my birthday that we missed?”

“Sounds perfect,” the other whispered against his lips, threading nimble fingers through dark hair. “Sounds absolutely perfect.”