Hey all. Sorry for taking so freakin' long on finishing this little thing. I had originally planned to have it finished before Christmas of last year, but as we see... that didn't happen. But, I did make it happen before this year's Christmas, half because I'm back in the state I was when I started this: out in the woods on winter break with no one to distract me from this kinda stuff. XD Anyway, seriously sorry to anyone who's been waiting for the finish of this. I realize this part's a little short, but that's just how it ended up. Also, sorry for how sappy and soft Vincent came out, but... well, separation does strange things to people. That's my excuse. XD
December twenty-fourth. Vincent stared at the calendar, not believing that it was almost Christmas. Yet it was and he was still alone. Not that he expected anyone to jump to his side because it was the holidays. He knew that Shera had her own life and the one person he wanted there was too far to possibly come. The simple knowledge of that was enough to make him dread the entire day and night, not to mention the next day.
He gave an audible sigh, one that reflected off of the deathly quiet walls to beat on his ears. Why was it so quiet? He glanced around, not entirely sure why. Never had the house been as silent as that particular moment, not even when he was left alone before for the day. There had always been some sort of sound to keep him company, even if it was just the steady little drip that had started in the sink. But wait… He shook his head, remembering. Cid had fixed that right before he had left saying that he didn't need to find out Vincent had lost it because of some drippy faucet. So he didn't even have that small comfort.
A shallow thump from outside sounded, finally breaking the silence as snow fell from a tree. He glanced toward the nearest window and almost rose to take a look when his eyes fell on the phone, sitting forlorn and forgotten on the bookstand near the door. He had let the object slip his mind ever since the mind-numbing call from Cid weeks ago and now he found himself standing over it and willing it to ring like it hadn't done for a while.
Yet willing obviously wasn't enough. The receiver remained in its cradle, silent as the day they had pulled it out of the closet Cid had stashed it in. A brief spark of thought ran through his mind as he continued staring, wondering why it hadn't rang yet. Cid wouldn't possibly pass up a call on Christmas Eve, would he? Vincent felt foolish wanting just that simple thing, yet he kept on wondering until he felt the start of a headache coming on.
Moving to the kitchen and grasping the small bottle of aspirin they kept just for times like now, Vincent sighed once more. When had he become the sort of man who just longed for another the way he was longing for Cid? When had he lost the strength he was so well-known for, the strength that had gotten him through situations worse than this? Was it hidden inside him still or was it just… gone like the want to deal with even one more day? When had he changed into the person he saw in the mirror across the room and why hadn't he noticed it?
He knew. He knew and just didn't want to admit it. He was the way he was because of Cid and, if given the chance, would trade it for nothing. Yet when it made him feel like the world was caving in around him then he had the momentary thought to change that decision. If he could save himself for the heartache he was bearing now, was it worth not to have had none of it?
A sudden ring made his heart jump, the decision that it wasn't worth it leaping from his mind. His entire being shook as he waited for a second ring, just to make sure it was real. Sure enough, the phone gave another alarm that it had a call, Vincent's hand shaking as it grasped the receiver and lifted it. "Hello?" he whispered, almost unable to breathe.
"Mr. Highwind. I'm with Junon Insurance Corporate and would like to offer you a special deal that is available for a limited time only. If you would just give us a moment of your time and answer a few short questions then we could be on our way to setting the rest of your life up so it's worry-free."
Vincent couldn't believe what he was hearing. There he was, waiting on every edge of every nerve for a call that would possibly have him in tears in seconds and he got a telemarketer call that wasn't even for him. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing down his throat the particular shout that he wanted to answer the man with. However, it would do no good, so he held back his breath and set the phone down with a sharp clink instead. They would live if he didn't speak to them. He, on the other hand, just might not make it if he found out he had missed a call from Cid because of them.
Dropping down into the nearest chair, Vincent rubbed a fist against his forehead. He was exaggerating, yes, but he wasn't about to deny that it all felt as if it were true. He would make it if he missed a call from Cid; it would just feel as if it was over. A grimace spread across his face as he forced himself to look away from the phone. It would only continue to eat away at his patience and make him all the more willing to slip up and call Cid himself.
A twinkle of light off to the side made him turn more, his gaze locking on the white lights settled on dark green. He still thought it was silly to have a tree up when no one would be using it, but Shera had insisted until he had helped her set it up. She had done most of the decorating herself since he had kept on saying there was no point, but she finally had settled on one reason that had made him quiet up. "We can leave it up until Cid comes back. I'm sure he'd like to see it up."
He hadn't fought with that, falling ridiculously silent at the mere suggestion of the pilot's name. Instead he had sat down and watched the girl string lights and tinsel on the evergreen branches. He had eventually gotten to the point where he had stood and helped, not wanting the woman to have to do it all herself. Or maybe he just didn't want her to think him so pathetic that he refused to move until Cid returned. He may have, and still felt like that, but he wasn't about to show anyone the weakness dragging him down.
Another wave of longing swept over him and he tiredly shook it off, tipping his head back against the chair. He felt like sleeping through the rest of the night and the next day and not waking until Cid came back. But he knew it was not only preposterous, it was also too much of a reminder of the time he had spent sleeping before even if it was only a day and a half and not thirty years.
A stitch started to grow in his shoulder and he twisted it, trying to relieve it. The tiny thought of moving to the bedroom crept into his mind and he was debating whether to listen to it or not when another ring of the phone startled him into jumping a foot high. His breathing catching, he scrambled to grasp the phone and hold it to his ear, just barely squeezing out a strangled "yes?".
"Vince?"
Vincent was sure his heart had stopped at that single word. Fighting to learn how to speak again, he nodded breathlessly, aware that he couldn't be seen except by himself. "C—Cid?"
A soft laugh threaded its way through the phone and into his head, the sound as sweet as honey to his ears. He felt his throat catch, once more dissolving into the person who was so soft for another that he was barely discernable as Vincent. He hated how pathetic he sounded as he returned the laugh, wishing he could be stronger against the separation. He just never expected something so simple to be so hard.
"So how're ya doin'? Haven't burned anythin' down yet, have ya?"
Vincent shook his head, once again aware he was doing it in vain. "No, everything's as you left it," he whispered softly, trying to make the quiver in his voice less noticeable.
A sound resembling a sigh melted through his mind, putting a somewhat real touch to things around him. "Exceptyou." Vincent remained silent, not at all sure what to say in return. Eventually Cid continued, his voice as soft as the gunman's. "I'mright, ain't I? You're not okay."
Stinging around his eyes made Vincent roughly wipe a hand over them. He didn't need to start crying now when he had just gotten in touch with the man. "I'm fine, Cid. Really."
"Vince, we went over this last time. I really doubt you're any better than ya were then." A short breath interrupted the voice flowing into his ear, the tones softer the second time Cid spoke. "If you're dealin' anyway like me, then you're worse off than before."
Vincent flinched. He was right. And not only was he right, but he was right in that funny little way that Cid was always right, just when it mattered. And that was serving to make every second of silence between them that much harder to break. Yet he finally scraped together the remaining bits of his strength and gave a little laugh. "And I suppose you're suddenly psychic then. As a matter of fact, I'm doing fairly well."
There was a short sound of surprise from the other end, followed by Cid's voice once more. "That so?"
"Yes. Shera and I have been getting along well. We even put up a small tree in the living room and decided that our exchanging of gifts could wait until you... come back." Vincent felt his stomach drop as he spoke the words, sealing the fact that they were still days apart.
"Vince, you guys didn't have to do that. Ya could've gone on an' done it all without me. Ya know that."
"But it wouldn't have been right," Vincent whispered, suddenly aware that his voice had dropped as quickly as his stomach. "I mean, you're the one who likes Christmas most out of the three of us, so—"
"Vince…" A soft sigh threaded its way to the gunner's ears. "Don't worry about all that. Ya can't place your entire life around me, ya know. Gotta live out there some."
What Vincent heard almost broke his heart. Cid was telling him to deal with everything alone? Was he crazy? What happened to the soft-spoken, on the verge of tears pilot he had spoken to only a few weeks ago? What had possibly changed to make him go from "I can't stand this and want to be home with you" to "You can deal with it and you can't build a life around me"? Something just didn't ring true in the other's words. "Cid… are you trying to tell me something?"
"What? No. I just… I can't always be there. Ya used to be all independent. Now you're just sittin' around waitin' for me to call? That's not the Vincent I know. The Vincent I know'd be out practicin' his shootin' to pass the time."
It was only getting worse. "Cid, if you're trying to give me some sort of hint, just tell me. I don't want to play a guessing game with you, especially right now." He knew the tears settled on his cheeks were obvious in his tone of voice, but that didn't seem to have any effect.
There was a soft scuffling sound from the phone before Cid spoke again. "Vince, I'm not tryin' to play a game. I just… Look. I—Hey! What the hell're ya doin'?"
Vincent sat upright, startled. "I… what?"
"Not you. Hang on a sec." Some sort of muffled sound filled his ears and he recognized it as the sound of a hand being placed over the receiver on Cid's end. He knew it was supposed to give Cid and whoever he was speaking to privacy, but at the moment he figured they were supposed to be the ones with privacy, not Cid and this mystery person.
He suddenly felt numb as he heard a second voice add in. Maybe Cid had changed and was acting differently because he had found someone else while he was away. He knew it wasn't exactly a Cid thing to do to cheat, but he wasn't about to put anything past the pilot since he was acting so strangely. Eyes locked on the twinkling lights of the tree, Vincent willed himself not to just hang up and go do the same to resent the pilot. But no… he couldn't do something like that. He loved the pilot too much to ever cheat on him whether out of spite or not.
But that only brought up another issue: if Cid was cheating on him, then did that mean the blond didn't love him? He felt a vicious tremor race down his spine as he thought about the possibility. For some reason, the idea of Cid not loving him was even worse that the thought of Cid cheating on him.
Wetting his lips nervously, Vincent let his eyes flick around the room. He was becoming increasingly shaken as seconds flew by and he could still hear the conversation in the background. Taking a trembling yet deep breath, he willed himself to calm down enough to actually listen. There was some sort of mention about a car and the roads being bad, but other than that he wasn't catching much. And that didn't exactly make him feel any more secure about what was racing though his head. Now he wasn't only picturing Cid cheating on him; he was picturing Cid cheating on him and spending days even nights over at this new person's home and needing a ride back to the inn he was staying at. If he was even staying at the inn anymore. For all Vincent knew, the pilot could be all but living with this other person. They could be living together and—
"Vincent?"
Vincent jumped, his heart racing. "Y-yes?" he asked hurriedly, trying not to let any of his uncertainty into his voice.
"Just makin' sure you're still there. Listen, I've gotta go. I had a friend drive me somewhere an' we're here, so yeah. I'll talk to ya later, 'kay?"
The incredible amount of unsteadiness in Vincent only tripled as he listened to the pilot's words. He had a friend drive him somewhere? He wanted to just yell at the blond and tell him to come clean and explain what was really going on, but he figured that would only cause problems since they were apart. That was something to be saved for when they were in the same place, not miles apart. "A-All right."
"'Kay. Talk to ya later then. Love ya." There was a soft click, even though it sounded to Vincent as if it had been an explosion. He might have gotten to hear a "love you" out of the other, but the way it had been said was almost with… excitement. As if the pilot didn't care if there was meaning behind the words. And the fact that he had hung up on Vincent…
Lowering the phone and staring hard at the receiver in his hands, Vincent found fresh tears quivering on his cheeks. He wasn't even sure what had happened, but he was sure it wasn't good. Cid had called him, told him not to be so dependent, broken off their conversation to have another with someone else, then had hung up on him with little more than a quick and emotionless "love you". He felt confused and extremely torn at what had just happened in the past five minutes. And though he hated thinking about it, every bit of that phone call pointed to the thoughts racing like demons through his head.
The receiver made a loud clanking noise as it hit the floor, abandoned so Vincent's hands were free to press against his face. He felt like he was breaking, every inch of him crying for what he had lost. Cid wasn't coming back, that he was sure of. There was no way Cid would come back for someone as ridiculously soft as him, especially now that he had found someone new.
Pressing his hands harder against his face, he shook his head hard enough to make himself dizzy. He couldn't take this, the thought that he had just been left two days from seeing Cid and with a cheery goodbye to top it off. Probably the worst part of it all was the fact that Cid had acted like before at the beginning of the conversation almost as if he was still upset they were apart.
Tears were quickly overwhelming his attempts to hold them back and he let himself thump back against his chair, wiping his palms across his cheeks roughly. He supposed he had no reason to hold back now that he was off of the phone, but he still didn't want to give in. Somehow he felt that would be like letting Cid win and that he didn't want to do.
He was just about to lose it in another wave of threatening sobs when there was a soft knock on the door, the sound startling him out of his self-induced daze. Catching his breath as quickly as possible, he rubbed the sleeves of his shirt over his face to try and rid the pale skin of the salty drops. If he was going to answer that door, he wasn't going to look like the wreck he was. At least he did have some dignity left in his shattered mind for the moment.
Another knock sounded and he nodded, wiping the last of the tears from his cheeks. Forcing himself to move, he made his way to the door and pulled it open, tugging his thick robe tighter as he did to combat the cold air outside. The fact that someone was at his doorstep so late didn't even faze him as he looked down at the bundled up boy standing there. "Can I help you?" he asked softly, knowing if his voice were to be raised any higher it would crack.
"I'm just making a delivery. Can you sign here for me?" The boy pulled a clipboard out of his coat and handed it to Vincent along with a pen. "Sorry it's so late, but it was pretty difficult getting here."
"You could have waited," Vincent whispered, looking over the paper on the clipboard. It was addressed to him, something that surprised him. A faint thought that it might have come from Cid flipped through his mind and he had to just shake away the entire train of thought before he could decline the package or whatever it was. Quickly he scribbled a signature and handed the board and pen back, pulling his robe closer to him. "Is that it?" he asked as the boy started for the car parked near the front of the house. "What is it exactly?"
"That I can't say. Not like we open up packages and see what's in them, you know?" the boy replied with a little laugh, opening the driver's door and tossing the clipboard inside.
"But what about the pack—" Vincent felt his breath catch as he stared at the car. The back door had opened and a figure had stepped into the ankle-high snow. The boy waved for a moment, calling out to the gunner. "Hope you enjoy your present. I was asked to special deliver it and well, guess it got here in decent condition. Happy Holidays." There was a soft smile on the freckled cheeks and in the emerald eyes framed by flaming hair as the back door closed and he shifted the car into drive.
Slowly he pulled away, leaving a bewildered Vincent on his doorstep, watching the last thing he ever expected to be delivered to him stumble toward him though the snow. Shaking his head, Vincent almost stepped back into the house and closed the door but was stopped by his own lack of ability to move. "C… Cid?" he whispered, the light cloud of his breath dissipating almost instantly.
The figure stopped and looked up at him, blue eyes shining in the faint light from the outside decorations. "Hey, sorry about cuttin' ya off an' all, but… I had somewhere really important I needed to be." He looked down, golden bangs falling into his eyes. "Hope you'll forgive me."
Vincent felt as if every bit of him was crumbling in confusion, anger and most of all, happiness. Before the other even had a chance to speak, he was off of the doorstep and crashing into the most willing pair of arms he had ever known. Whispered words flowed between them, most going unheard, until Vincent buried his face against Cid's shoulder and let himself go. "I thought you had left me for someone else. I thought you were done with me and that was why you were with someone else and you hung up on me. Don't ever do that again…" Arms tightened around him as he heard a soft whisper that made all of his worries and fears fly away in an instant.
"I'm not leavin' ya. I'm never leavin' ya again, honest."
Pulling away and looking into a face that rivaled his own in tears, Vincent gave him a weak smile. "And I'm never letting you leave again. Promise."
Cid grinned in return, almost laughing. "Never sounds perfect right now."
Crimson eyes smiled through a veil of tears as Vincent looked back upon the one thing he had asked for Christmas and had never expected to get. "Yes it does. Yes it most certainly does."
Finished! Fin! Complete! A.k.a., this story is over. Hope it worked out in the ways people wanted and hope you all have some Happy Holidays yourselves. :)