This part is dedicated to ani_mama as thanks for the picture she drew for us to represent Prelude to Perfection. If you haven't seen it, the link is posted on my profile, along with the link to "Hodge" on cal's LJ. Her version is complete with the scene I've cut ^^

Line

The squeaking sounded rather unhealthy. Cid figured it probably didn't mean anything good for the airship, so he decided to make one more walk-around before taking off. In the engine room he saw nothing out of order, no matter how closely he looked. The sound only seemed to get louder the longer he searched for its source. He shut down everything and walked around again, listening carefully. Maybe it's on th'outside. He wanted to get home to Vincent tonight, dammit, but he knew he'd get a cold welcome at best if the gunman figured out Cid had traveled in a possibly-not-safe ship. He paced in front of the wheel for a moment before sighing and opening the hatch. As soon as it opened halfway, a small animal leapt onto the still moving door and tumbled down the incline. Near Cid's feet, it sat up, shook, and shot a haughty "I meant to do that" look at the man watching it. "Uh…hi there. What the hell're ya doin' on m'ship?" The cat didn't reply, only swished its tail and continued to look balefully up at Cid. "Well…the hell do I do with it now?"he asked, scratching his head and sighing again. "A' right, come on. Th'fuck do I care? Heh, Vince'll prob'ly like ya. M'self, I never was much crazy for anything with more'n two legs. No offense. Aw hell, m'talkin' to a cat. I really have spent too much time 'way from home." With that, he lifted the cat into his arms and carried it to the cockpit, where it immediately struggled to get away. Free of Cid's arms, it became terribly interested in the buttons and flashing lights. "Just you don't press nothin', y'hear?"

Four hours and much swearing later, Cid was safely docked in the hangar near the house he shared with Vincent. He pet the cat almost affectionately as he walked back to the house with it. The cat simply tolerated his attention, seemingly determined not to purr. At the front door, Cid yelled, "Honey, m'home! An' I gotcha somethin', come see!"

Deeply engrossed in his latest literary project on Ancient Philosophy in Architecture, Vincent didn't so much as hear what Cid had said as he just heard Cid. Snagging the scrap of paper he had been using as a bookmark he uncurled from his chair and stood up, stretching. Scratching his head and grinning, looking forward to seeing his lover for the first time in two weeks, he wasn't prepared for what was squirming in Cid's arms. Grin fading, he cocked his head and peered at the wriggling blond blotch of fur. "Cid…what is that?" He took another step nearer and the closer he got the more detail he could make out around all the hair, he blinked in surprise, "is that a-a cat?"

"Sure is!" Cid said, grinning. "Gave me five kinds o' hell when I tried t'keep it off the ship, so I just let it come along fer the ride. Well, whaddayou reckon, Vince? D'we want a cat?" The cat, it seemed, was tired of Cid. He set it on the porch to let it explore, frowning a bit when it immediately leapt onto his side of the swing and curled up there. Shaking his head, he turned his attention away from the cat and embraced Vincent. "Miss me?"

Cat forgotten, Vincent slid his arms around Cid's waist and leaned into the pilot's solid body, "Hn," he murmured, allowing his eyes to grow heavy-lidded, "Yes, I believe I have. My digestive system has enjoyed the respite, but other parts of me have not." He leaned in and soundly kissed the blonde, shivering a little when Cid nipped his bottom lip. But then he pulled back suddenly and said, "Oh, that reminds me. I have a surprise for you. Come with me." He grinned and started walking backward into the house, turning to pull Cid along by his hand, "I've been practicing, I believe they are acceptable." He lead Cid into the kitchen and over to the table where a cloth-covered platter lay. With a flourish he whipped the towel away to reveal a plateful of golden brown chocolate chip cookies, still soft. He was rather proud of them, but would never voice that out loud, "Well? Welcome home."

Cid grinned back at Vincent. "Wouldja lookit that? I was thinkin' on m'way back how I'd like somethin' sweet when I got home. Well, woulda had that anyway," he said, leering a little, "but these sure as hell ain't gonna hurt. You tried 'em? No? Well, here goes then." Sinking his teeth into a cookie, he gave Vincent a thumbs-up and a muffled, "Damn good," through his mouthful. "Want one? 'Cause if y'don't take what y'want now, I'm prob'ly gonna eat the whole damn plate." Cid went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of milk and sat, letting out a satisfied "mmph" as his body settled into the familiar feeling of sitting in his favorite chair. There was one thing missing… "Hey, Vin? Come sit here with me?"

Grinning wider and shaking his head at Cid's manners, he pulled a chair out and sat across from the pilot. He rested his crossed arms on the table and leaned on them. When they had first come to know each other, the leer he had just received would have offended him, now it made him feel strangely appreciated. And the fact that Cid liked his attempt at baking made him warm with pleasure. "Please, eat them. After all, I made them for you." He propped his chin in the cup of one hand and just watched Cid enjoying his cookies and laughing when the man gave himself a milk mustache.

"What?"

Vincent just shook his head, "It's nothing. I'm just glad you are home; I've missed your company. A rather interesting thing though," he leaned back, placing his hands in his lap, "failed attempts at baking make excellent target prac- eh!" Startled he jumped and lifted his arms up as the cat leapt into his lap. Kneading its claws on his leg, the furry creature squinted up at him with a contented expression, a mighty purr vibrating its entire body. Hesitantly, Vincent lowered his hand, eyes widening in surprise when the cat lifted itself up to push its head into his hand. Chuckling, he stroked the animal's head then ventured his fingers down to scratch under its chin. The cat's purring got louder and a little squeaky as it flattened its ears and puckered its muzzle as it leaned into his scratching. Well, you are rather cute…he had to admit.

Cid gave Vincent a milk-mustached and cookie-filled grin as he watched him curiously giving attention to the cat. He could hear its purring from across the table. Huffing as he realized it hadn't purred for him, he stood and walked around the table to see what Vincent was doing differently. The answer: nothing. Well, Cid thought a bit deviously, I like Vincent's hands better'n m'own too, don't I? Guess I can't get mad at the little fella fer that. "Say, Vincent, I think it likes ya!" he said as the cat planted its front feet on Vincent's chest and rubbed its face against his cheek.

Vincent, flustered, pushed the cat back into his lap, where it stayed for a total of three seconds before raising up again to nuzzle his face.

"A' right, you. That's enough. Said y'c'd stay, but y'can't steal m'Vin. I happen t'like him quite a bit, y'know." The cat looked at Cid, some of the glaze of contentment fading as it took in the view of him. Cid leaned over kiss the un-cat-furred side of Vincent's face to prove his claim to the man, grabbing the one remaining cookie as he straightened again. The cat, spying the treat, abandoned its purring long enough to swat at it, effectively knocking it from Cid's hand onto the ground. "Dammit, y'bastard! Was the last one. An' they were the best fuckin' cookies I ever…oh, all right, Vin, quit lookin' at me like that. I'll quit talkin' to it. Ain't like it listens anyway." Pouting inwardly, Cid leaned over to pick up the cookie and toss it in the trash. "Vin…y'ain't gonna let it sleep with ya, are ya? 'Cause I don't think that's exactly, y'know, sanitary."

"Honestly, Chief, it's probably no less sanitary than sleeping with you when you haven't showered after working."

"Honestly, Chief, it's probably no less sanitary than sleeping with you when you haven't showered after working." Vincent chuckled, holding the cat on his lap to keep from sticking its face in his. "But if we are to keep it, we must acquire food for it and anything else it may require." He grinned at Cid, "Honestly, Cid, I never figured you to be one for having pets."

"Yeah, well," Cid scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "I ain't, usually. But it was pretty damned determined t'come with me, an' fer some reason I thought y'd like it. Y're kinda like a cat, y'know. Heh. C'mon t'bed with me, huh? M'damned tired. Wasn't nobody there t'help unload all the shit I shipped. Did it all m'self, s'why I was gone so long."

"Hn," Vincent murmured and got to his feet after first setting the reluctant cat onto the ground. He held out his hand to Cid who took it as he heaved himself up onto his feet, "all right, I'll rub your back." Cid grinned and let Vincent lead him into the bedroom and slip his shirt up and over his head. Vincent stepped in close to Cid, their foreheads touching as he ran his hands over Cid's chest, while the pilot's arms went around his waist, "I missed you, Cid." He breathed, then shook himself and stepped back and gently pushed his lover back to the bed where the other man sat heavily on the mattress. Holding his hand up he twirled a finger and said, "On your stomach, Highwind." When Cid complied, he climbed on the bed, straddled Cid's hips and began massaging the pilot's back. Cid groaned, but before he could say anything, enter the third wheel. With a trilling squeak, the cat leapt onto the bed and began walking all over Cid's back as it quickly captured Vincent's attention.

"Vince…what the hell is it doin' in here? Didn't I close the damned door? Aw, fuck!" he groaned as claws made their presence known. Fuckin' claws! "Is't hungry'r somethin'?" Cid turned his head halfway to try to get a look at the cat. What he saw instead was Vincent straddling him, and that was…claws. "A' right, cat. Y'wanna stay here ya gotta learn a few things. Fer one, he's mine a helluva lot more'n he's yours, so when that door closes even halfway, you keep yer ass out 'cause 'prob'ly don't wanna see what's goin' on in here anyway."

The cat was not intimidated by the squashed-man. The squashed-man was loud, not to mention still pinned by the quiet one. It continued kneading Cid's back while nuzzling Vincent's hand. The petting stopped suddenly, and the cat bit the hand that pulled away from it.

Hissing, Vincent drew his hand back and glared murder at the hairy little fiend. "I'm beginning to think that deciding to keep this Ifrit hairball was a bad idea." He growled and climbed off Cid. Snagging the cat by the scruff of its neck, he had every intention of dropping the fickle creature out the front door and washing his hands of it. Indeed, he had made it halfway through the living room before the cat gave a pathetic mewl that managed to freeze him in mid-stride. Frowning, he held the beast up and stared into green-gold eyes. It stared back at him as it hung frozen in his grasp, mouth parted slightly so he could just catch a glimpse of a delicate pink tongue. Huffing, he walked over and dropped the cat onto the couch then sat across from it in his chair, staring at it. Almost immediately, the cat jumped from the couch and onto his lap and, having resumed its purring, curled up and happily went to sleep. Sighing in defeat, he began petting the small beast and thought, Why do I get the feeling that this is only just beginning?

For a few horrifying seconds, he almost expected to hear a gunshot. Instinct told him to rush out and stop Vincent before that solution could come to mind, but then he reminded himself that Vincent would not hurt the cat even if he did break out Cerberus; he would shoot near it to scare it away. Cid remained as Vincent had left him until it became clear that Vincent was not coming back. Grunting, he pushed himself up and stood next to the bed, looking longingly at it. He would sleep when he figured out what Vincent had done with their new guest. Stepping into the living room, he saw Vincent in his chair with the animal in his lap. "Y'don't pet me an' let me sit on yer lap when I bite ya," Cid accused, grinning as he knew that was untrue.

"Yes, well, this creature appears to have your infuriating persistence." Vincent grunted, scratching the animal behind its ears absently while the cat purred loudly. It was then that he got a good look at Cid's face and the shadows beneath his eyes, "Cid, you look exhausted. Why don't you try and get some sleep?" He grinned. "Or are you waiting for me to tuck you in?"

"Was waitin' for ya t'finish what y'started," Cid grumbled, but smiled once more before bending to kiss Vincent possessively, feeling quite smug when he saw the flare in Vincent's eyes as he pulled away. "Well, 'night, Vin. Cat." He returned to the bedroom and pulled back the covers, feeling sleepier each moment he spent standing. He sat and removed his shoes, then stood again to let his pants fall to the ground. Sighing happily, Cid crawled into bed. Vincent hated it when refused to wear clothes around the house, even just in bed, but he slept better without them. He'd likely hear all about it in the morning, but he didn't care tonight. The sheets felt too good against his skin, and he was drifting into sleep before he knew it.

Left with just the cat for company, Vincent sighed and looked down at the furry animal. "Well, looks like it's just you and me now…uh…" He paused, frowning. "Well, I believe if you are going to reside with us then you'll be needing a name, won't you?" He leaned back in the chair, getting comfortable. He was startled a little when the cat got up and leapt up to wriggle behind his head to lay along the back of his neck. "Hnn," he murmured, reaching up to resume scratching under the cat's chin, "I noticed you were a male…" He leaned his head back onto the cat and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and comforting it was. The cat only purred louder. He smiled. Thinking about his Philosophy reading Vincent grew thoughtful and finally grinned when he came up with a suitable name for the newest addition to their little household, "I believe that I shall call you 'Hodge'. Do you like that?" Almost as though to answer him 'Hodge' started rubbing 'his' face against his cheek, pausing every once in a while to lick with a dry, raspy tongue, which caused Vincent to flinch away, laughing softly. "Well, as long as you continue to behave like this then I believe you shall work out, my little friend." Hodge was more than content to remain behind his neck, so Vincent returned to his book, once again becoming consumed by the finer points of Ancients' architecture, until the late hours of the night that bordered more on early morning. Hodge had stuck with him, dozing, and he began to think that the cat had the right idea as his eyes began to droop. Closing his book and laying it on the table next to his chair, he hooked his toe under the ottoman and dragged the footrest over. Getting comfortable and turning his head so that his cheek rested more on Hodge's warm and pleasant-smelling furry side, it wasn't long before he joined the cat in sleep.

Cid blinked awake earlier than normal the next morning. He hated waking up alone, but he knew Vincent was somewhere in the house, so he stood, scratched, threw on the same pants he'd left pooled near the bed, and went in search of him. He was caught somewhere between annoyance and amusement when he saw the two of them sleeping in the chair. The cat opened an eye at him then promptly shut it again, as if it could pretend he was just a fragment of nightmare if it went immediately back to sleep. Amusement finally won out, and Cid sneaked to the kitchen to find the camera. He managed to snap two pictures before Vincent woke, squinting in confusion. Cid was sure that had nothing to do with the chair; Vincent frequently fell asleep in the chair, to Cid's endless frustration. "Mornin'. Looks, uh, looks like y'got yerself a new buddy, Vin."

"Good morning, Chief." Vincent winced and sat up, the movement causing Hodge to give a huff and jump down. It went over to the door and began to scratch on it and looked back at Cid as if to say "Well, servant? Aren't you going to let me out?" Cid just blinked back at the cat and Vincent chuckled, "It's okay, Cid. I'll let Hodge out. I need to move around a little. I believe I've been in one position for several hours-" He broke off, startled, "Hours. I've been asleep for hours, Cid. No nightmare. Huh." He grew thoughtful as he walked over to let Hodge out. That done he twisted his torso until his back cracked and popped. Indestructible body it may be, it didn't mean that it didn't get stiff. "Are you hungry? Shall I attempt to make you something?"

"Ain't hungry," he answered, a little too quickly. All these years, everything he had done for Vincent, and a cat could take away the nightmares. A fuckin' cat. He knew he should be happy for him, but he couldn't quite make himself feel that way. Oh, c'mon, Highwind, jealous of a fuckin' cat? "M'gonna go shower." Damn cat. An' he already named it. That means he's attached. Fuck. At this rate, I'm gonna fall right outta the picture! Facing the bathroom mirror, Cid threw up his hands in exasperation and huffed loudly, rolling his eyes at his reflection. He ain't gonna dump ya fer a cat after eight years o' the best damn lovin' he's ever had. Sighing, Cid stepped into the shower, water turned up to the intense heat he had learned to tolerate and expect after years of showering with Vincent.

Cocking his head at the strange behavior, Vincent crossed his arms and frowned. How odd. Cid's always hungry in the morning. Shrugging a shoulder, he walked into the kitchen and brewed some tea, but suddenly he found himself not wanting any, instead opting for coffee, black. Leaving the tea for Cid, he walked out on the porch and sat on the swing, shutting his eyes and enjoying the early morning. A rustling caught his attention and he opened his eyes to see Hodge busy stalking a grasshopper. Smiling and sipping his coffee he watched the rather comical display of hunting, outright laughing when Hodge leapt up onto the birdbath after the grasshopper only to fall into the shallow pool of water. Climbing out, the cat's face a mask of haughty disgust that still managed to say "I meant to do that", he began to furiously groom himself. Vincent shook his head and snorted, "Hodge, you are a vain, vain creature."

Watching from just inside the door, Cid mumbled, "Fuckin' hate cats." He shook his head in disgust at the sappy look on Vincent's face before heading for his tea and popping a waffle into the toaster. The frozen kind were by no means as wonderful as the homemade variety, but they were simple to make and sufficiently filling. He ate it aggressively, brooding as he tore bites from it. He could see the animal through the window, this time rolling in the dirt for no apparent reason. Realizing that he couldn't really be too upset over something so silly without upsetting Vincent, he gave up, sighed, and walked out to join Vincent on the swing.

"I thought you weren't hungry?" Vincent asked, looking over at the remnants of the waffle in Cid's hand. The pilot had the good sense to blush and mumble something unintelligible. He shrugged and said, "If you didn't wish for me to cook you something, you should have just said so." They were kept from further discussion by Hodge, who came over and leapt onto Vincent's lap, leaking dirt, "Ugh," Vincent said, flicking small clods of dirt off of his pants, "I believe this needs to be an indoor cat." Said cat then began to paw at Cid's waffle, "I believe he is hungry. Do you have anything you need from town, Cid? That book I ordered came in and I thought I'd pick up some things for Hodge."

"Don't need nothin'," he sighed, relinquishing the waffle and almost smiling a little when the cat tasted it and seemed to decide it was not to his liking. "What'd ya call it? Hodge?" Vincent nodded, and Cid reached out carefully to pet the cat, which looked up at him sharply, smacking his mouth to remove the waffle crumbs, and flattened his ears a little. "Aw, c'mon. S'thanks t'me y're here, ain't it? Be nice t'me, dammit!"

Vincent chuckled and rubbed Cid's back, "Can you two play nice while I'm gone?" At Cid's scowl Vincent laughed and turned Cid's face to his, "It's a cat, Highwind. Try not to burn down the house while I'm gone." He closed the distance, kissing Cid with all the fervor two weeks' separation had built up. Ten minutes and some heavy petting later, Vincent finally remembered what he had to do today. Panting and rubbing Cid's groin he whispered into Cid's ear, "If the house is still intact and you both are still alive, I'll make it worth the trouble. Will you try?"

"Mmph…that mean y're gonna leave me here like this now?" Cid complained, pressing against Vincent's hand, which was indeed leaving him, as was the rest of Vincent. Hodge dropped to the porch and began playing with the tattered ends of Cid's pants. "I'll be good," he called after Vincent, squirming on the seat and meeting the cat's eye. "A' right, you. Those're pretty simple conditions fer him. You be nice an' I'll be nice. Deal? C'mon, Vin said y're s'posed'a stay inside." He reached down, grabbed Hodge, and toted him inside like some awkwardly shaped luggage. "Don't break anything, y'hear? Lessee, what c'n y'eat 'til he gets back?" Cid dug through the pantry until he found a can of tuna pushed toward the back. He wasn't fond of seafood, and Vincent was the least picky person he knew, so whatever Cid didn't eat was left to sit until some reason for its use came about. The expiration date was still a good two weeks away, so he opened the can and set it on the floor for Hodge.

Sniffing delicately at the tuna, Hodge finally deemed the seafood acceptable and eagerly dove into it. After the juice was gone, so was the cat, relocating himself to Vincent's chair where a bath was begun in short order. Following a bath and a quick nap, Hodge was restless. The Quiet One was still gone and he wanted attention, but he wasn't particularly fond of the Loud One, as he stank and was too aggressive. So Hodge contented himself with exploring. The house was covered quickly as it was small and much too boring, so he began looking for a way out. Finally Hodge came upon a window that was cracked after following his nose when he got a whiff of fresh air. After pressing and nudging, wriggling and squirming he got outside and proceeded to follow his ears to a building behind the house. Some odd sounds were issuing through the half-open window. Curious, Hodge slunk into the building and leapt up onto a shelf. Sniffing his way along the cans of paint, oil, grease and various caulk, he pushed past a class jar of various screws, causing it to tip and fall off the shelf to shatter on the concrete floor and send its contents every which way.

Hoodlums from the neighborhood had prompted Cid to install alarms in all his sheds, hangars, and work areas. He was surprised when he heard this one sound; Costa was generally quite peaceful. Spear in hand, he charged from the house to the shed, entered the unlock code, and stepped inside, looking around carefully. Things had fallen off shelves, he noticed, but that wasn't his main concern. I know I don't have rats… Cid stepped quietly over the mess, looking for the intruder. "Damn it all!" he yelled when he saw the cat. Hodge jumped and backed away from him, managing to look guilty and intimidating at the same time. "Hey, I'm puttin' in an effort here. An' Vincent said t'stay inside, so you better listen t'him. Fer my sake, if not yours. I ain't gonna hurt ya, y'know. No point in that. C'mon, let's go back home," he suggested, shouldering the spear and lifting the cat again. "An' y'can't come in here. Might get hurt, an' I think that'd make Vin sad, an' hell, I hate that more'n anything, so you be careful," Cid scolded, locking the door again as he tromped back to the house.

He was going back to the house. And the Loud One was touching him! Hodge was not happy. Giving a low growl, he began squirming; digging his hind claws into the Loud One's hip and finally managed to wriggle free. As soon as he hit the ground, he took off like something had lit his tail on fire. He saw a tree and made a beeline for it, making quick work of the ascent. Perched on one of the highest branches, Hodge glared balefully down at the Loud One, who was doing some sort of odd dance on the ground, clutching his hip and being louder than usual.

"Fuckin' hate cats," Cid growled again, glaring back at the cat in the tree. Those claws were not pleasant. He'd have to get shoes or something, Cid decided. Good thick ones, to make sure not even the tips could poke through… "Hey! You better come down. Vince'll be pissed if he figures out I letcha get away. An' he ain't no fun when he's pissed. C'mon, cat. Hodge," he said grudgingly, not wanting to use its name. "Aw, y'ain't gonna make me climb the damned tree are ya? Hell no. Ferget that." Remembering the vigor with which the cat had gone for the tuna, Cid rushed back to the house for another can. He opened it and left it at the base of the tree before walking a few feet away to lean against the house and lighting a cigarette. "Better come down b'fore Vincent gets home," Cid told a toad hopping across the yard. "'Cause I want 'im, an' I ain't gonna be happy if this damned cat's the reason I don't get 'im t'night." The toad, uninterested, left Cid behind without reacting. "Well fine. Wasn't talkin'a you anyway. Hell, why couldn't Vince get a frog? Or a dragon, maybe? Hadda be a fuckin' cat."

What the Loud One failed to realize was that Hodge wasn't hungry. Blinking contently, he folded his front paws under himself and settled in for a nice nappy-nap at the top of the tree, only mildly sickened by the acrid smoke that reached his nose. Perhaps if he was patient, the Loud-stinky-One would lose interest and go away. If there was anything cats were good at it was patience…and waiting.

Cid was not so good at waiting. He burned through three cigarettes, tapped his foot for a few minutes, sighed loudly a few times, then realized that the cat was sleeping. "Aw, whatever." Giving up the entire thing as a lost cause Cid returned to the house. If it wants t'come back, it'll come back when it damn well pleases. 'Til then, just let it stay there.

Hodge opened his eyes when he heard the door slam and stretched. The Loud One was gone. Standing up and stretching again, he looked around for a way down. Now cats are peculiar this way. Climbing "up" is easy and no problem, it's the getting back down that tends to be an issue, as it would seem that cats do not come standard with a "reverse" gear until sheer desperation make them rather inelegantly, more or less "fall" out of the tree. One then might argue that they tend to insist upon "aid" out of their dilemma in order to save their "pride"…or to just make their owner's lives hell. Hodge was no different as he sat down and began to meow pitifully, which slowly gained volume to become a blood-curdling screech.

"What the hell is…oh, the damn cat…figures." Cid almost wondered what was wrong with it. Almost. He really couldn't be bothered to be too concerned with it, he found. Though after a solid five minutes of wailing, it did get to be distracting. Cid set aside the model for the new ship he was working on and returned to the tree, where he observed what was arguably one of the most humorous sights he'd seen in a while. The cat was pacing back and forth on a branch, occasionally trying to back down the tree but giving up after a few steps. Cid grinned at it, lit a cigarette, and sat back to watch the show. He figured he'd go in search of a ladder in a few minutes.

Noticing the Loud One just standing there and watching him, Hodge stopped trying to get down and just continued to howl and stare down at the human.

Cid sighed and pushed himself to his feet, heading for the shed. He had a hunch that by the time he returned with the ladder, the cat would be pigging out on tuna at the bottom of the tree, but he would put in this little bit of effort anyway.

Hodge grew quiet when the Loud One disappeared into the shed. When the human reappeared with something long clutched in its arms Hodge cocked his head and when the Loud One looked up at him, he blinked and gave a pathetic little mewl.

Oh, yeah, play helpless. That's real original. Cid set up the ladder, checking its sturdiness before heading up it. Near the top, he found himself only a few feet away from the cat. "C'mon, Hodge. We'll go back an' wait fer Vincent, huh?" He reached out a hand, and the silly thing backed away from him. "Uh….here, kitty-kitty-kitty?"

The Loud One was trying; he wasn't being as aggressive as he usually was. Hodge stretched out his nose and sniffed the fingers, taking a hesitant step forward. He mewled again.

"Yeah, there ya go. S'all right, buddy, s'just Cid." The cat had taken a few more steps forward, but he was not close enough for Cid to safely nab. "Hey, c'mon inside with me an' we'll set you up with a bed, how's that?" Cid had enough sense to keep his voice low when speaking to the cat. He suffered no delusions about this being a frightened animal in need of TLC, but he did need the thing out of the tree, and quiet seemed to be working well.

Hodge blinked and finally approached the rough hand held out to him. With a small, trilling squeak usually reserved only for his chosen Quiet One, Hodge pushed his head into the Loud One's hand and hazarded a soft purr.

"Heh." Cid was quite proud of himself. He hadn't won yet by any stretch of the imagination, but he was closer. Keeping hold of the tree with one hand, he used the other to scratch behind Hodge's ears. "Y'are kinda pretty, I guess," he commented. "Hey, wanna come help me make Vin's favorite dinner? Well, not so much help as watch, but…anyway. Yeah, there's a good boy," he said quietly, relieved, as the cat stepped onto his shoulder and perched there. Carefully, Cid began backing down the ladder.

When Hodge deemed himself close enough to the ground to jump, he readied himself to do just that. This started a chain reaction that did not end well. When his weight shifted, it in turn made him wobble and caused the Loud One to make a grab for him. As a result, he fought and ended up sliding down Cid's arm by his claws leaving behind deep, bloody welts until he came to the human's hand and he fell the rest of the way. When he hit the ground, Hodge shook himself and made a mad dash toward the house and through the open door.

Cid yelled and made to swat at the cat, which did nothing but throw him off balance. "Shi-it…" He grabbed a branch low on the tree and watched the ladder clatter to the ground, holding his other arm as if it were broken. Just after he let himself drop, he noticed Vincent coming back up the street and watching him with an eyebrow raised. "Damn cat," he grumbled. He kicked the ladder, succeeding only in giving himself foot pain, before hobbling back to the house in a bad mood. "Honey, that cat…aw, hell. Can't even make m'self tell ya t'get rid of it. An' if it keeps away yer nightmares it c'n sleep with us, so long as it don't touch me. Just…keep it away from me an' all m'stuff a minute will ya? Go…play fetch with it or somethin'."

Vincent pulled up sharply when he saw Cid's weary face and bloody arm. Dropping his packages he took Cid's arm, "Cid! What happened? Is the cat all right? I thought I asked you t-" He broke off when there was an unholy crash from inside the house. Alarmed, they ran inside only to find that Hodge had leapt up onto Cid's worktable, scattered brushes, knocked over paint – ruining two sets of blueprints – and batted Cid's airship model onto the floor where he was proceeding to bat it around the floor having a jolly old time of it as the poor fragile thing was slowly de-constructed.

"T'take it inside an' be nice to it? That's all I did, Vin. S'all I did. Took 'im inside an' set 'im up with a can a tuna, an' then somehow it gets out an' inta the shed, an' now…damn it all, I don't even care anymore right now. M'gonna go back t'bed, an' maybe when I wake up I'll figure out it was all just a dream. Hell, maybe I'll wake up an' figure out the past two weeks've been a dream. C'n start over, an' I won't pick up any hitchhikers this time." With that, Cid waded through the mess and into the bathroom to tend to his arm before doing exactly as he'd said and going back to bed, leaving the mess for Vincent to clean up. After all, it was his cat.

Vincent watched Cid retreat into the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. Shoulders slumping slightly he shook his head and looked down at Hodge who looked up at him and squeaked. He picked the cat up and scratched behind an ear as he murmured, "Why do you torment him? He's trying, he's just…a little rough around edges." He sighed and dropped Hodge back on the ground, "Well, it looks like I have some cleaning to do. But first there are some things to put away." He went outside, retrieved his packages, and brought them inside where he proceeded to put the items away. He put some food and water out for Hodge, set up a litter box on the screened-in back porch, and then returned to the mess in the living room. It saddened him that Cid's blueprints were ruined and he looked mournfully at the tiny broken model. "Do not do this again, Hodge." He glared at the cat, who actually managed to look chagrined. When all was cleaned up, Vincent's attention was drawn to the "special" package he had gone to pick up. His ruby gaze moved from the box back to the cat and he said with a deep breath and more than a little bit of nerves, "Well, will you accompany me to the bathroom? I have a feeling I'll be needing the 'support'." Clutching his package to his chest and trailing a furry blonde cat, Vincent shut himself into the bathroom and leaned back against the sink. Taking a moment to steel himself for what was to come, he opened the box and winced, but was determined to see this through. Hell, after he had swallowed his pride and asked the shop girl how everything went on, then accessorized the damned outfit, there was no way he was going to back out now. He was a Turk, dammit – albeit an ex-Turk – and he wasn't going to let something like this spook him…much. After taking a deep breath, Vincent began to strip. Once naked, he began to pick through the box until he came to the…he sighed as he held up the thong. Oh this just looks unpleasant! he thought miserably as he stepped into the tiny garment and pulled it up. He made a face as he settled the narrow strip of material between his buttocks and made a mental note to never put them on again without a damned good reason. He shifted around a little in an odd shimmy has he situated his genitals within the near non-existent scrap of soft black leather. Huffing and blushing hot enough to cook an egg, he went for the matching black garter belt and hose, which were easy enough to get on, even if sitting to do so only reminded him of how much he didn't love thongs. The black thigh-high heeled boots came next, which were rather comfortable even though he was prepared to vehemently deny it. Then the corset; a tricky little bit of black leather and laces that had him finding out just how flexible he really was. He pulled out two long red satin ribbons, overlapped them and tied them around his neck, then pulled on his fingerless gloves. When he was finally done, he turned around to examine himself in the mirror. Taking pains to try to ignore the lurking shadows, he focused instead upon himself, and cocked his head. He didn't look half bad despite the discomfort-"Though I sure as hell won't be wearing this outside of the bedroom," he grumbled to the cat, who cocked its head and gave a series of squeaky chirps. Lastly, he opened the bag he had brought with him into the bathroom and pulled out the near floor-length red silk robe. Settling it over his shoulders and fastening the tie about his waist, he felt better now that he was covered up. But by this point he was beginning to get a little excited about the prospect of 'seducing' Cid, even though seduction was a relative term when it came to the pilot. Sex was a guaranteed thing, which was good because Vincent had every intention of getting laid, but it didn't mean that they couldn't have a little bit of fun first. He froze when he heard movement. Cid was up, but not out of bed by the sounds of things (he was immensely grateful at this moment for his enhanced senses), which was just where he wanted the man. Silently opening the door, he crept out of the bathroom and the few feet down the hall to their bedroom door where he took a moment to ruffle his hair to make it fall alluringly over one eye. Taking a deep breath, he knocked quietly on the door and when Cid called out irritably, "What?' He leaned against the wall, propped one already long leg, made even longer by the figure-hugging boot, against the far wall to show it off and reveal the bit of pale skin of his upper thigh, and slowly pushed open the door. He made sure to have a lazy, lusty expression on his face when he said softly, his deep voice a little rough in the way he knew would drive Cid nuts, said, "Oh honey, did you have a bad day?" Blinking slowly, he tilted his head and purred, "Perhaps I can kiss it and make it better?"

"Oh, hell." Cid took one look at Vincent standing in the doorway, then promptly shut his eyes and shook his head, certain he had dreamed this up during his nap. When he opened his eyes again, Vincent was still there, and Cid's heart began to beat a bit faster. "I dunno. I think y'better come over here an' find out." The robe Vincent wore would probably have neared the ground if not for the boots. Cid stared at what he could see of them, wondering how high they went, until he took notice of the sway they added to Vincent's walk. He sat up straighter, glad for his habit of stripping before getting into bed. "I think you need kissin'," he informed Vincent, and did just that when the taller man maneuvered his way onto the bed, straddling Cid quite adroitly for someone in his getup. Cid made a face when Vincent slapped his hands away from the tie on the robe. "What, don't I get t'see whatcha got under there?" Vincent rolled his eyes and sat back a bit, untying the belt before shrugging the robe off his shoulders. "Oh, hell," Cid repeated in a groan as he saw what Vincent had prepared for him. He pulled his lover closer to him by the hips, gasping when his hands found bare buttocks and thighs. He left them there a moment, rubbing and fingering the straps that held up the hose, the material of which picked up quite near where his hands rested, while leaning in to kiss Vincent's neck around the ribbons. Finally daring to run his hands over the entirety of the body atop his, he tried to appreciate the quality of the leather, but could only focus on the way it clung, the way fit Vincent so perfectly that it was almost like stroking naked skin but somehow better; better because Vincent had done this just for him, just because. Cid traced two fingers down one of the strong arms through the glove, smirking when he realized they were fingerless. He brought Vincent's hand to his mouth and kissed it. He then proceeded to try to remove the glove by taking it in his teeth and pulling. It, like the rest of the garments Vincent wore, clung tightly and did not want to be removed, so he gave in and helped it along with his hands. He did the same for the other glove, then guided Vincent's arms to come around his neck. He sighed into Vincent's ear, then just breathed for a moment, nuzzling the ribbons at Vincent's neck. He could not go any longer without proper contact, and he shifted his hips and the other man's at the same time, bringing them together. The layer of fabric between them made Cid moan as he ground against Vincent. His hands slid back up to Vincent's shoulders, where they toyed with the laces on the corset. It was (and he knew Vincent would be angry if he admitted in this way) rather pretty, and he wanted to leave it on for a while. The boots, though, would cause trouble soon. He reached for one, sighing unhappily as the move took Vincent's groin away from his own. Vincent reared back on his haunches, letting Cid get his first good look at him in full costume, sans gloves. "Stand up for me a minute." Vincent complied, and Cid turned in the bed to look at him. "Fuck, Vin." He reached for him again, and red eyes rolled at his indecisiveness as Vincent returned to him, sitting on the edge of the bed to remove the boots before reclaiming his position. Cid buried a hand in the tousled hair, sighing again as Vincent leaned over to assault his chest with teeth and lips. "Vincent," he whispered happily, reaching down to snap the string on the thong, grinning mischievously as he did. Vincent's mouth left his chest as he pulled back again. "Y're bein' awful quiet," he accused, palming through the leather the erection that would certainly not tolerate being contained much longer."Make some noise for me?" He fiddled with the red satin but did not attempt to pull either ribbon off Vincent's neck. He was curious about their purpose, but he figured it was either just decoration or something pleasurable. He hoped for the latter, using the hand still in Vincent's hair to pull him in for another kiss, this one fiercer than the other had been. "Now why don't y'show me what y'had in mind t'make it better? I could use a smile." I want 'im so bad now… "Shit, Vincent, I love you."

Pulling back, Vincent grinned slowly and reached for the satin ribbons around his neck. Gripping one end, he began to untie them a nerve-wracking inch at a time, "I know," he breathed. Once untied he held them up between his hands and asked, "Now, just how much control do you have, Chief?" At Cid's raised eyebrows, Vincent's grin grew wider as he pushed Cid back so that the pilot was semi-reclined onto the pillows. Without breaking eye contact, he picked up one large hand and brought it up and back to tie Cid's wrist securely to the slatted headboard. He repeated the action with the other wrist and leaned down to whisper in the pilot's ear, "Can you keep from breaking these?" before nipping and tonguing the man's earlobe.

NC-17 scene cut—see cal's LJ

When Cid woke, he was on his side with an arm draped over Vincent, who was lying beside him on his stomach. Vin's still here. Oh hell, he can't even know how much I love wakin' up with him, how much I wish I could every day. He moved closer and smoothed back a few strands of hair covering Vincent's ear. "I love you so much," he told him, running a hand down his back. "Y'have no fuckin' clue how much I want you t'have everything." As he lay down his head to resume sleeping, he heard a distant, quiet purring. "Aw, shit, Vin, did you hear that? You, uh, weren't s'posed'a. Sorry fer bein' corny an' all; y'know how I am, I-" Cid cut short his rambling when a furry head popped up to peer at him over Vincent's shoulder.

"Mrow?"

"Aw…fuck. Well," he said with a sigh, "g'mornin'a you too."

Line

Yay for Hodge-cat and cats everywhere! Unless, of course, you happen to be one of those unfortunate people with either allergies or fears concerning the feline race. Either way…reviews?