Author: LYK ([email protected])

Series: Final Fantasy 7

Title: Uncertainties (part 1)

Vincent sat perched on the edge of his bed, the soft blankets cushioning him. His thoughts were on the battle they had just fought, the look on Sephiroth's face as he died. 'Lucrecia's son...I killed him...' To Vincent, only he bore responsibility for Sephiroth's death. It was he, after all, who should have been protecting his love's child. He could have saved the silver-haired man from his fate. 'If only I hadn't been so selfish and slumbered for so long...' Black tresses fell into Vincent's eyes, which he closed in grief. 'Hojo and Sephiroth are dead...I have atoned for my sins, haven't I? Yet I still deserve to suffer...like you did, Lucrecia.' There were no tears this time, only the knowledge that he was destined to suffer alone in the world. 'I wonder if I will age or not. There's no one to tell me now that Hojo has been killed.' Vincent's fair limbs stayed utterly still as he contemplated his future, never even flexing.

Perhaps you'd be better off to die now, hm? It's what a creature like you deserves. Chaos' rumbling voice echoed painfully in Vincent's skull. He winced, answering back aloud.

"If I die, so do you."

Stupid reasoning, Vincent. I AM you. The dark-haired man's resolve began to falter.

"You are not me. You are a creation of Hojo's implanted in my mind. You only exist to cause me agony."

Perhaps I'll give someone else torment, then. Maybe...Cid Highwind?

Vincent jolted, nearly falling back onto the bed.

"Leave him alone, Chaos! I swear by Lucrecia's grave that I'd die before I let you touch him!" He no longer cared that he was shouting aloud. The others were too busy to bother with him, anyway.

Did I touch a nerve? I wonder how he'd look mutilated and covered in blood...

"Stop..." Vincent whimpered, holding his head. The image of his only friend, dead by his very hands, tortured his soul.

"I won't let you...I won't let you hurt those I love..."

You seem to do that quite well on your own, Vincent. What's one mortal life, after all. That pretty blonde hair soaked with blood, those blue eyes staring lifelessly...

Vincent let out a tortured scream. "Leave him alone!!!! I won't let you touch him! I - "

You what? You want him? How pathetic. You deserve to die. Chaos' laughter haunted the broken man, but at least the demon had gotten what it wanted from Vincent. He had been avoiding the subject for a long time, trying to forget how much Cid meant to him. Obviously, those feelings had grown into something untamable in that time, and Vincent could no longer deny it to himself.

"Geez, you'd think that there'd be tons of cute guys hangin' around since we saved the world! And I bet they'd all have materia, too!"

Cid grunted at Yuffie's words.

"Too fuckin' delusional, kid. Go get yerself a street whore or somethin to annoy."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Sure thing, Captain. You want me to bring a boy home for you?"

Yuffie ran away laughing as she dodged Cid's flight goggles. They flew past her and barely missed Vincent, who had just stepped into the doorway. Cid cursed, looking at his friend.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Vin! Fuck! That little bitch just don't know when to stop, though."

Vincent nodded, standing in the room uneasily. The pilot narrowed his eyes.

"Somethin' botherin' ya, Vin? Ya wanna talk about it?" Cid had never been good with emotions, but he felt like he should be there for his friend. After all, the only people who could really put up with him were Vincent and Shera. The dark-haired man sighed inaudibly.

"I would rather not speak with you about it right now, Highwind. I simply came to see if you needed company...?"

Cid nearly laughed at Vincent's meekness. 'Poor guy, just can't accept that I don't think he's a burden.' He grinned, waving his hand toward a chair.

"Hell, sure! Have a seat, huh? Ya want anythin'? This ain't as cozy as my room, but it'll have ta do for now." Cid nearly slapped himself at his words. 'What the hell does that mean?! Ya sound like yer on a fuckin' date or somethin.' He cleared his throat and took a seat near his companion. Vincent looked at the wooden floor, lost in thought as usual. Finally, he raised his head slightly.

"Highwind, what will you do now that our mission is over?" He looked at the older man's blue eyes after he spoke. Cid forced himself to look away, scratching his head.

"Shit, Vin, you ask the hardest crap, ya know. Gee...I guess I'll just go back ta Rocket Town an' deal with Shera's shit like always. Pretty fuckin' boring though if ya ask me. How bout you, cape boy?"

Vincent sighed sorrowfully. "I have nowhere to go. I cannot go back to the mansion...Unless I wish to continue my slumber." He jumped at the loud bang of Cid's fist against the wall.

"Like hell yer goin' back to that shithole! You can stay with me if ya want, I don't care. But you ain't never goin' back to that mansion, ya hear me?! No way!"

Blinking, Vincent finally nodded.

"I don't wish to be an encumbrance to you or Shera, Highwind. I'm sure I can find somewhere to stay..."

"Dammit, Vin! Ya can't just accept a little kindness from a friend?!"

The pale man lowered his head and spoke softly.

"Creatures...like me have no friends, Highwind..."

Cid growled, rising from his chair and crouching in front of the ex-Turk.

"That's bullshit, Vin. You ain't no fuckin' creature. You're one of the most real people I've ever met! I don't care what ya say, cause I'm your friend and whatever else ya need me ta be. You can't just get rid of ole Cid Highwind that easily!"

Vincent felt himself blush at the pilot's words. '...he doesn't understand the situation...'

"Highwind...it is...more complicated than you think."

Cid growled from behind a newly lit cigarette. "If it's so fuckin' complicated, then why don't ya explain it to me, Vin?! You can't keep shit to yerself forever, ya know!"

The ex-Turk looked at his friend sorrowfully. He stood, head low.

"I think it best that I leave, Highwind. I do not belong here." He began toward the door, when a hand grabbed his arm. Instinctively, Vincent brought his claw-arm up, stopping himself when he realized that it was only Cid. The gruff man was undaunted, however.

"Ya ain't goin' nowhere!"

Vincent pulled himself sharply from the pilot's grasp.

"I advise that you not try to stop me. I...don't want to have to harm you, Highwind..."

With those words, Vincent walked from the room and out of Cid's life.

"Ya know, if you don't get off the Highwind now and then, you'll melt into your pilot chair!" Yuffie wiggled her finger in Cid's face to reiterate her point. It had been two weeks since Vincent left, and the gruff man had not once left his ship. Tifa had forced Yuffie to stay there with him out of concern. Unfortunately, for the first time, Yuffie was having trouble getting a rise out of the pilot. Sighing, she reclined in the chair next to Cid, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Hey, c'mon dude...I dunno why you're sulking like this...well, I know it's 'cause Vinny's gone, but I'll just leave it at that for now. But listen - you can't just sit here and waste away! You're Cid Highwind, dammit! Go and...um...fix something! Yeah - do what you do best!"

Cid looked at Yuffie blandly, taking a drag off his cigarette. "Go back ta Wutei. Just leave me the fuck alone, will ya?!" He jerked his gaze back to the wall, staring into space sadly. 'Vin...why'd ya go and leave me here? What'd I do?? Where the hell'd you go?'

The dry air parched his lips, the heat burning at his sensitive flesh. Crimson eyes stared up at the light sky, no clouds to occupy him. Vincent pulled his cape around him more, ignoring the unbearable heat that it caused. 'Why does it have to be this way? I wish he understood...' Vincent cursed himself. 'How could he understand? Such sick things I've found myself contemplating...Someone like Cid would never understand, and I'd lose my only companion...'

You lost him when you left, genius. Did you see the look on his face?

Vincent closed his eyes, trying to block Chaos from his mind.

"He's better off without me there to complicate things. He has Shera, who loves him, to keep him company. My presence would only cause the situation to deteriorate." He heard Chaos snicker.

If THIS is a 'salvaged situation', then you're more screwed over than I thought.

"Cid Highwind would not be receptive to my emotions, and being near him would only heighten what I feel..."

What do you feel? Quit being a coward and admit that you want him. You want -

"I want nothing but his friendship." The raven-haired man sighed.

Vincent winced at Chaos' words, but felt his heart drop at their truth. 'She never loved me - so why would Cid? Especially Cid...'

"I'm just being realistic."

You don't know until you try. Of course, if you want nothing to do with him, I can always use him to sharpen my skills on...

The pale man sat up slightly. "It won't work - I won't hurt him like that, nor will I hurt myself by entertaining such thoughts of happiness...so stop pestering me. It isn't as if it should matter to you, anyway. Am I right?"

.......................................

Cid Highwind's sleep was restless, thoughts of his absent companion haunting his every breath. Vincent was in his dreams, his thoughts, and Cid realized that he didn't want to go back to Rocket Town until he found the icy man. In his dream, Cid was sitting in a room with Vincent, the walls and floor made of simple wooden planks. The slender man stood out beautifully, elegant and exotic in Cid's atmosphere.

The blonde pilot was aware of how uncharacteristically his dreams portrayed the dark man, but that thought only entered his mind after he awoke from such dreams. Whenever he thought of his dreams, Cid felt a strange shuddering pain in his chest. He shrugged it off, sitting up and lighting a cigarette. The smooth burning of the tobacco eased his edginess, allowing him to collect his thoughts. 'Jesus fuckin' christ...How long am I gonna have ta deal with this shit?! Fuckin' vampire asshole...fuck...'

The door creaked slightly as Yuffie invited herself into Cid's room, holding one of her hands behind her back.

"Uh, hey Chief? I thought you might be interested ta know - " She brought her hand into view, the cold steel of the Death Penalty gleaming in the moonlight.

"Jesus fuckin' christ, Yuffie! Where the fuck'd you get that?!"

The petite ninja just winked at him. "It was in Vinny's room. What kinda idiot just goes off forever and happens to leave their most prized possession behind...?" She grinned and set the gun on a chair, leaving quietly (for once). Cid let out a half-hearted curse, fumbling with the covers and walking over to the chair. He knelt in front of it, holding Vincent's gun in his hands delicately. 'Stupid bastard, ain't no way you'd forget this...what the hell are you up to, though...?'

Vincent stumbled along the path back to the Highwind, his long black hair plastered to his pale skin. The sun glared down upon him mercilessly as he walked, causing him to nearly overheat.

'I'm only going back to get my gun. Once I have the Death Penalty back, I will once again be on my way...' he told himself as he grew nearer to the airship.

Quit fooling yourself, Valentine. You of all people would never FORGET your most prized possession. Neither of us is stupid here, you know. Admit that you wanted to have a reason to go back, or I'll -

'Just stop it, Chaos. I'm almost there. I will retrieve my gun, and go.'

Vincent paused as he reached the ladder to the Highwind. He looked up at the deck for several minutes before resigning himself to his task. Climbing slowly up the ladder, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for Cid's anger and how he would manage to leave without having to physically hurt the man.

Cid sat in the chair near the door to his room, turning the gun over in his hands. 'What kinda idiot indeed...' Grudgingly, he told himself to thank Yuffie when he got the chance. 'Finally the little bitch did something good.' He sighed softly, not moving from where he had been sitting for nearly an hour. What if Vincent didn't come back? What if leaving the gun was his way of saying goodbye? Cid frowned, disturbed by the thought. 'Damn dreams have me paranoid...' He jumped as he heard the door creak slightly. Momentarily, he debated whether to go for his spear or the Death Penalty, which was closer. Before he had time to decide, however, Vincent's form appeared in the doorframe. The man's unruly hair framed his face softly, his crimson eyes staring dispassionately at Cid. The latter blinked, slightly relaxing his frame.

"What the fuck do you think yer doin, leavin' this fuckin' ship and then just waltzing back in?! Ya got some fuckin' nerve, Vin!"

Vincent sighed softly, lowering his head. "I have come for my weapon. I shall leave once it is retrieved."

Cid growled. "Like hell you will! After all of this - goin' after Shinra, fightin' Hojo, beatin' Sephiroth...you're just gonna fuckin' leave like that?! Well let me tell you, Vin, that I ain't so easy ta get rid of!"

The genuine hurt in the pilot's voice made Vincent flinch, lowering his head further to hide his expression.

"Highwind...I do not belong here. I have murdered Lucrecia's son...I must atone - "

"Fuck that!" Cid grabbed Vincent's arm. "Like hell you don't belong here! There's no one that fucking belongs here more! Shit, if I could get ridda Yuffie..." Realizing what he was planning to say, Cid let his words edge away, leaving only an awkward silence. He realized that he was still holding the somber man's arm, but he only stepped closer.

"Vin...I don't know what the fuck I did to make ya so pissed, but I'm sorry, alright? The last thing I want is for ya to go runnin' off to hate yerself. I don't know why you'd wanna hate yourself...you're beautiful..."

Vincent blinked in surprise, jerking his arm away instinctively. Cid cursed to himself, looking away with a pained expression.

"Highwind..." Vincent began softly, but was interrupted.

"Shit, forget I said that. I didn't say that...Look, you're not ta blame for Sephiroth bein' so goddamned fucked up, okay? Let it go, Vin. It ain't your fault. Stop blamin' yourself for everything." Cid sighed, leaning against the wall. Vincent stared at him for several minutes, torn between taking his gun and leaving or asking Cid what he wanted to know. He sighed.

"Highwind...why...did you say that I'm beautiful? I don't deserve such - "

The pilot turned and looked at his companion, cutting him off.

"Bullshit. You deserve everything. Shit, you deserve more than I can give ya..." Cid realized that he had spoken his thoughts aloud again, and closed his eyes tightly. "Look Vin...if you wanna take off that fuckin' badly, I'm not gonna stop ya. It's up to you. I...I just don't wanna lose my best friend."

Vincent hesitated, weighing the options in his mind. ...more than I can give ya...you're beautiful... The words echoed in his head as he watched Cid. The pilot seemed to be waiting for a blow. His body was drawn in upon itself and his eyes were closed painfully.

"You look like a man in defeat," Vincent stated softly. Cid laughed, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah, well I fuckin' feel like one, too. Hell, I haven't felt this fuckin' confused in my entire fuckin' life..." He sighed, and the caped man took a careful step forward.

"I don't mean to cause you pain, Highwind. I do not know what it is that is causing you such pain...but my presence seems to exasperate it. Perhaps it is best if I leave..."

With his head lowered, Cid nodded. He bit his lip gently, and Vincent realized that the man's cheeks were damp. The dark-haired man was taken aback by the pilot's uncharacteristic display of vulnerability. Struggling with his own emotions, Vincent approached Cid.

"...Highwind...I'm not going anywhere right now. I'm sorry to have upset you. I didn't think...I didn't think that I mattered so much to anyone."

Cid's voice came out cracked and hoarse. "Why the fuck do ya want to leave so goddamn badly, anyway? Ain't it good enough for you here?"

Vincent fiddled with his claw-arm in apparent nervousness.

"Actually, Highwind...I left because I feared for your safety." When the other looked at him, he continued. "Chaos wants nothing but my suffering...he has realized that my...feelings for you...are the best way to cause me pain. I fear that he will force me to harm you, and if I did that..." Vincent lowered his eyes. "I would want nothing but to die if I ever hurt you."

Cid blinked, wiping his eyes quickly. His heart was beating fiercely. 'Vin...'

Hesitating, the pilot took a step toward the man, fearing rebuke. Instead, however, he was greeted with a frightening lost look in Vincent's crimson eyes. The pain he saw in their depths made Cid want to cry out, to hold his friend to him.

"Shit, Vin...I don't know what to say...I..." he realized that the only option left to him was the truth. "I don't want to lose you, Vin, but I don't want ya to fuckin' hate me either. I thought that you weren't comin' back, and it scared the hell outta me. It hurt so much...to wonder why you left, what I did wrong...You blame yerself for everything, Vin, but nothin' that's happened has been your fault. Lucrecia knew her options. She was a fuckin' fool to leave you like she did. She was one helluva lucky woman to have you love her. I wish I could be that lucky..." Cid sighed deeply, prepared to be scoffed at for his admission.

Vincent was silent for several minutes. He closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. The emotions he'd been feeling for Cid rushed through him, making his head spin. The man's words swirled through his mind over and over. Chaos snickered.

What an idiot. He thinks that you're actually WORTH caring for. Why don't you let me kill him now??

Vincent frowned to himself. 'Why do I want him to touch me...? Being around me will only cause him to suffer. But why do I need his touch so desperately right now?' He looked up at Cid, who was apparently crying again. He mentally berated himself as he realized that he had been silent for over five minutes.

"Highwind..." The blonde pilot looked up at his friend painfully. "Highwind...I...I don't know what to say..."

Cid shook his head dismissively.

"Forget it, Vin. Just don't worry about it. You...you don't gotta say nuthin'. I already know what you'd say, so just forget this ever happened..."

'I don't want to forget,' Vincent thought. Still, he felt like his body was frozen. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't move closer to Cid Highwind.

"No," he whispered. "I won't forget...I don't want to forget. But I...I would only end up harming you. I won't allow such a risk to be taken. I won't allow myself to bring you pain."

Cid laughed bitterly. "Shit, Vin, do ya think I'm fuckin' happy right now? Don't worry about pain - I don't think it gets much fuckin' worse than this. I just wish I fuckin' knew what to do so you'd see that..." He shakily pulled out a new cigarette and lit it. "Just go, will ya? If you refuse ta stay, then go. Jesus fuckin' christ, Vin, that bastard Chaos can't fuckin' hurt me. You wouldn't let 'em. You may not believe in yerself, but dammit, I do!" Angry blue eyes met guilty crimson momentarily. 'If I let him go now, the dumb bastard won't come back,' Cid thought. He cursed, stomping over to Vincent until he was standing directly in front of him. Looking up at him slightly, Cid ran his palm over the man's cheek. Vincent shivered but unconsciously melted into the touch. Smirking slightly, Cid very slowly leaned up and kissed his friend's soft lips. The taller man jerked back after a moment in shock. Cid, determined as ever, glared at the man.

"Don't you dare pull back again. Don't you fuckin' do it." Having said that, he once again leaned in. Weary of his words, Vincent reluctantly let Cid kiss him. He stood rigidly as the man's lips touched his. The pilot's mouth was warm against his, surprisingly soft and careful. When Cid's hand came up and gently grasped his upper arm, Vincent made a pained noise and relented. He pressed against the smaller man's lips desperately, clutching his shirt. Cid's arms wrapped around Vincent in a comforting embrace. Their mouths melted together, hearts racing faster than a chocobo. Vincent felt his body meet Cid's, and realized that they were both very much close to loosing their wits. He struggled with his heart and body, desperately trying to convince himself to break away. He felt Cid's mouth open slightly against his, sending a surge of desire through his thin body. He whimpered, pushing Cid away from him forcefully. Vincent stumbled slightly, doubled-over and panting hard. The blonde man stared at him for a moment, his own cheeks flushed and mind spinning.

"Shit...Vin..." He started to take a step forward, but the former Turk backed away.

"Highwind...don't..." He righted himself, regaining his composure. "This is not a good idea. Despite your claims of not being concerned, Chaos is far more a threat than you realize. I apologize if I am hurting you, but I cannot risk your life. Please understand this. I must leave now." He stepped past Cid, retrieving his weapon and carefully holstering it. Cid abruptly punched the wall, causing Vincent to jump.

"Mother fucker! Dammit, Vin, I told ya I'm not worried 'bout that bastard! You just can't let a good thing happen, can you? You've gotta fuckin' hide from it like it's a damn plague! Can't you understand that I'm not gonna give up on yer broodin' ass?! You think you can just walk outta here and it'll all go away, huh. Well let me tell ya, it won't work. If I have to, I'll follow your ass to the fuckin' grave! I ain't lettin' you go, Vin..."

Vincent blinked, shaking his head slightly. "Whatever it is you think you feel for me...must be mistaken. You will see that once you have time to think, Highwind. I am not worth mourning over." He turned toward the door, pausing for a moment. His sigh was barely audible as he opened the door and left. The door closed with a soft click, leaving Cid standing there in dismay. 'The idiot...he just don't get it. Fuckin' moron...' Cursing under his breath, Cid barged out of the room to find Yuffie.

"I'm sure you are correct, Chaos. It is for the best...he will see that eventually. He simply needs a bit of time to...get over his confusion."

Confusion, really? He seemed quite sure of what he wanted in that room...

"............Are you finished tormenting me yet?"

Never. Since you have no use for that man, however, perhaps I WILL use him to practice on after all...

Vincent stopped walking abruptly, furrowing his brows.

"Are you saying that if I do not accept his...feelings for me...you will hurt him? Yet, if I accept him, you'll harm him anyway, won't you?"

...........perhaps. Or perhaps not.

Vincent frowned. "Then how am I supposed to know what to do if you threaten him either way?" Chaos remained silent for a long time, much to Vincent's relief and worry.

Do what you want, but just remember this - you'll never be rid of me. No matter what you do for your entire existence, I shall always be here to torment you.

"What do you mean 'go after him'? Are you off yer rocker, old man? Like you could even find him with your geriatric vision." Yuffie crossed her arms. Cid puffed on a cigarette, glaring at her.

"That's so fuckin' funny, kid. Remind me to laugh next time. And we're gonna find him 'cause I ain't lettin' it be any other way. We're gonna find Vincent. We. Meaning both of us."

Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Gee, that would be the definition of 'we', wouldn't it?" She grinned at the pilot.

"Ya know, Captain, it's...interesting...just how concerned you are 'bout Vinny. I mean...I think it's cute, ya know? Kinda romantic...in a way. Like, I don't have nuthin' against it...it's sweet. But you might wanna be careful about Cloud and Barrett. They don't seem to be the type to understand those sorts of things, ya know?"

Cid stared at the petite girl. "Yuffie, what the fuck are you talkin' about?!"

She rolled her eyes, grinning knowingly.

"Come ON, dude! Like it isn't obvious to me! I mean, you two are obviously very close. *Friends* usually look out for one another, right?" She made quotations with her fingers to illustrate her point.

"It ain't like that..." Cid responded gruffly. 'And a little bit angrily,' Yuffie realized. She blinked, watching him closely. Her tone went serious.

"I'm sure it'll work out. I mean, Vinny's just afraid of gettin' close to people, right? But I can tell that you really mean a lot to him...and he means a lot to you, too. You guys can't keep runnin' around in circles forever, ya know. If you keep at it like you've been, he'll realize that you really care about him; that he's worth the attention. Er...it might help if ya toned down the yelling and cussin' a bit. This IS Vin we're talkin' about, after all." She winked, giving him a thumbs up.

Cid coughed, looking slightly embarrassed. He waved the girl away, leaning back and closing his eyes. 'Where would I go if I was a fuckin' brooding vampire...fuck.'

Vincent smoothed his cape under him, sitting on the hard stone floor of the cave. He lowered his head, not bothering to look around at a place so familiar to him. His thick hair fell to hide his face.

She can't hear you anymore, Vincent.

"I realize that."

Then who's going to help you? Who's going to save you from me? From yourself?

Vincent sighed. "No one..." He closed his eyes behind his raven hair. 'Lucrecia...I haven't felt this alone is so long...you're gone from me for good now. I have nowhere to be, no one who can understand how I feel...' Vincent slowly went from picturing his lost love in his mind to picturing Cid Highwind. He ran the pilot's words and expressions through his mind once again, trying to make sense of it. 'Why would he want to be with me so badly? Doesn't he realize how much of a monster I am...? Why would he want something as vile as myself?' He kept going over Cid's words. 'I am none of the things he claims...why does he insist that I'm worthy of him...of anyone?'

He's a fool, right? One of the only people you trust happens to be a complete idiot. Is that your reasoning, Vincent? Is that the truth? How pathetic.

Vincent frowned. "I never said he was an idiot, Chaos. I just-"

You just keep running away like the coward that you are. You're right, he DOESN'T deserve you. No one deserves such a burden as yourself. And why are you suddenly so interested in a man? Don't you disgust people enough as it is?

"...I don't want to speak of this right now."

Think you have a choice? If you get angry enough, I can break free from here, inhabit you...destroy Cid Highwind. I suggest you speak when I tell you to.

"If you claim to be a part of me, then why must I answer such questions. If you truly were me, you would already know these answers. Furthermore, if you ever make an attempt to harm him, I will kill myself. I will make sure that there isn't enough of me left to allow you to transform. You are to leave him be, understood? I will accept nothing else." The demon inside Vincent's mind grumbled, but didn't say much in argument. It struck the dark-haired man as odd that Chaos had taken such an interest in his relationship with Cid. He was wary of this, and reminded himself that the demon always had a motive behind his actions.

Cid kept his eyes on the sky ahead of him, totally absorbed in the flight. Yuffie sat in the back of the Highwind tossing around a 'fire' materia. She was, despite her airsickness, sitting atop a large crate. She did, however, look rather ill.

"How far is this stupid cave anyhow? It's kinda stuffy in here ya know!"

Cid ignored her, instead occupying his mind with thoughts of Vincent. 'I'm gonna find you, Vin. If I gotta tie yer ass up, I don't care - I'm not letting you go again. You gotta face reality now, pal. Can't just go runnin' away every time life throws some shit at you.' He glanced backwards at Yuffie's exaggerated groans. She blinked.

"DUDE! Watch what you're doing!!!!! Holy shit!!!"

The pilot turned back toward the front just in time to see a mountain cap ahead of them. He cursed loudly, frantically tilting the plane so they wouldn't hit it. Yuffie shouted as she was thrown from atop the crate. The 'fire' materia flew from her hands, hitting the floor with a sharp crack several yards away from her. The shattered materia began to glow dangerously, and exploded several seconds later, engulfing the airship in flames.

Vincent was awoken the next day by someone shaking him and yelling. He blearily opened his crimson eyes, finally adjusting on the image of a very distressed Tifa. She shook him until he sat up.

"Vincent! Hurry up! I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes! Get up, you have to come with us - the Highwind crashed and-"

Vincent didn't hear the rest of her words. His blood ran cold and his heart felt as if it would burst in horror. 'Cid.....Cid! Oh gods....Cid...' He scrambled to his feet, running out of the cave. He mounted the chocobo Tifa had ridden up on, ignoring the woman's worried protests. The bird flew down to where Cloud and the others were as quickly as Vincent could force it to. He jumped off of the chocobo and grabbed Cloud's collar desperately.

"What happened?! Where is he?!"

The young man balked and shrugged Vincent off uneasily. He scratched his hair.

"The airship crashed...it seems that it was flying this way and they had to swerve to miss a cliff...Yuffie had a 'fire' materia and it cracked. The back half of the ship exploded..." Red XIII stepped forward to take over.

"Due to the explosion, the Highwind quickly plummeted to the ground below. Fortunately, Cid wasn't flying very high in the air. Both Cid and Yuffie are in the hospital in Kalm right now. Cid has a broken arm and several nasty cuts, but he was barely burned at all. Yuffie...was closer to the explosion and has not only a broken collar bone but is slightly burned. She is in what they are calling 'critical' condition at the moment."

Vincent sighed slightly. "I have to go see them," he stated. Cloud blinked, while Red XIII nodded and led him to the Tiny Bronco.

The hospital frightened Vincent, who kept his claw-arm hidden beneath his cape. He glanced around nervously as Tifa led him first to Cid's room. She paused outside of the doorway.

"Relax, no one here's going to do anything to you. I'm sure Cid will be glad to have a visitor he can actually put up with. Yuffie's room is right down the hall, room 312. I'll be speaking with the doctor if you need anything." She gave him a reassuring smile, turning and walking back down the hallway. Vincent lowered his head, slowly opening the door. He stepped inside, hesitating when he saw the pilot. Cid's arm was in a white sling, and he had several thick bandages wrapped around his other arm and one hugging his neck. He looked up with tired eyes, surprise on his features at seeing Vincent. Cid coughed slightly.

"Well holy fuck...look who came ta visit me. So they found ya at that damn cave? I figured...I was on my way there when that fuckin' mountain jumped in front of us...heh." He watched Vincent with a curious shimmer in his eyes.

"So you came to see me, huh?"

"Of course! It is, after all, my fault that this occured..."

Cid blinked. "How the fuck is this your fault?! You weren't even there!"

"That is precisely why it is my fault. If I hadn't run away from you again, this wouldn't have happened. It seems that no matter what I do, I end up bringing you pain..."

"Vin...knock it off. You know that self-blame shit ain't gonna work on me. I made the choice to go after your ass, and only I can claim responsibility for fuckin' crashin'. Hell, it was Yuffie's fuckin' materia that started the fire - you could blame her, too. The point is, you weren't even there! So why don't ya cut the crap and give me a nice, friendly visit here."

Vincent lowered his eyes. 'But it is my fault...if I hadn't acted so asinine, you would have had no reason to go searching for me.' He stood in uncomfortable silence, until finally Cid spoke.

"Vin, get yer pale ass over here. I wanna talk to you."

The brooding man hesitantly went to sit by the pilot's bedside. The serious look in those baby blue eyes unnerved him.

"I'm only gonna say this once. If ya don't care, then you won't ever hear my bullshit again, alright? But I'm serious here, Vin. I won't say this again if it goes wrong. I wouldn't have fuckin' kissed you or argued so much if I didn't care 'bout ya. People do shit like that when they care about someone. And don't you expect me ta stop that shit, cause I'll never stop caring about you. If you think this is easy for me to say, Vin, you're way fuckin' off. I've never opened up to anyone, even Shera. And I fuckin' live with that bitch. But there's somethin' about you...something that makes me feel like I can relax, fuckin' let go of all my shit and just talk to you. If you give a damn about what I'm sayin' here, Vin, you'll do the same. If you can't let someone in, you'll never have anyone to let in. Get it? Yer too fuckin' stuck in the past. Now, you can accept what I've just said and agree with me, or you can reject me - again. I won't ever say a goddamn word of this again if you say 'no', so don't worry about that. It's yer choice, Vin, but you'd better realize that if you weren't who you are, we wouldn't be here havin' this argument." Cid cursed, fumbling with a cigarette from the pack he'd hidden under his hospital pillow. Not finding anything to light it with, he grumbled and let it rest between his lips. He glanced up at Vincent, whose raven head was lowered. 'That can't be a good sign,' Cid thought.

"Cid...I don't deserve you. You should have someone who can give you what you need, not some...monster such as myself. I - "

"Vin," the pilot interrupted gently, "let me prove to you that you're more than worthy of me. Hell, I'm the one who should be fuckin' bowing at yer feet. Just give me a chance. You never know until you try, and if it don't work, we won't hafta dwell on the 'what if' shit. C'mon...I know you want to let me in. Am I gonna have ta take this spear and jam it into that ice shield ya got around you?"

Vincent smiled slightly, looking cautiously up at his friend. Cid was grinning, bandaged with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. This made Vincent smile even more. He sighed forlornly.

"...Very well, Highwind. I shall give you your chance and attempt to play my own part in it." Vincent blinked as the blonde man gave him a disapproving look.

"Great. Now you'd better start callin' me Cid. You did it once, I know you can do it again. It ain't that hard. Hell, even Cloud's hair is harder than that."

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "...Cloud's hair is harder than everything, Cid."

"Ha! I knew you could do it. And a sense of humor ta boot. Damn, I am one lucky bastard." He winked, causing the very pale Vincent to blush.

"Heh...ya know, Vin, I think I can give you just what you need..."