FFVII - TI - ded fic4
Okay,except for the begining this part is really old hence my real cheesy and pathetic attempt to get Cid and Vincent to sleep in the same bed. And here you can see where AC cannon-fucked me, souls of geostigma anyone?
Cid was a hard working man, he had been working harder than normal, partly because he was burying the bitter hurt from his divorce, and partly because what he was working on was truly fascinating. But right now he was taking a break.
Since it was a rest day most of the WRO, or what ever the idiots Reeve had on his bank sheet were calling themselves, had gone off to visit Bone Village, which was the closest scrap of civilization for miles around.
Cid however was laying back on a flat rock. Eyes closed to the sub above him and an empty cup of tea to his side. He frowned when something blocked off the sun casting him in shadow.
“Fuck off, everyone else has skipped out for the day, so why shouldn’t I take a little time for myself?”
Much to Cid’s disappointment whoever was there didn’t leave, instead he settled in next to the pilot. “Shera told me that I’d find you here.”
Cid opened one eye just to prove that his ears were lying to him and that it wasn’t Vincent who was sitting next to him.
What he saw was even better, and Cid’s spine cracked at how quickly he sat up. Arching an eye brow Vincent handed him the thermos. Cid filled his cup waiting for Vincent to say why he was here. Vincent didn’t say anything, so Cid poured a second cup of tea using the cup/lid of the thermos. Vincent took the plastic cup with his claw and placed it on the ground next to him.
“Oh no you don’t.” Cid grinned. “You know what happens when people refuse to drink their goddamn tea.”
Vincent picked the tea back up, but made no other motion to drink.
“So what brings you up here?”
“I was on the way to the forgotten city.”
“What are you heading there for?”
Vincent didn’t answer, but he did take a sip of tea.
“I heard Reeve had you working on a machine made by the Ancients.”
“Yeah…” Cid sighed. “The Shera will be one beaut of an airship when she finally gets to fly…of course we have to drag her out of the dirt and give her feathers a good wash first…What’s that look for?”
“Waxing poetic Cid? Are you sure you belong in the air and not in a recital hall instead?”
“Very funny.” Cid muttered drinking more of his tea.
“So how’s Red?”
“Nanaki is fine, he’s adjusting well to being in charge of Cosmo canyon.” Vincent answered. “He doesn’t quite understand everything his grandfathers devices are telling him however. He finds it, frustrating.”
“Ah, he just needs to go and find a girl.”
Vincent took another sip of tea. “I believe the idea has more than crossed his mind, but I doubt he’ll put his responsibilities aside for such a quest.”
“Bah, if there is another one of him out there it’s his job to find her!”
Cid looked up as the door opened a crack, to see Vincent looking in. For a moment Cid waited for Vincent to come in and explain why he was there, when Vincent didn’t move...
“Come in Vincent, you didn’t wake me.” Cid said.
Vincent finally entered the room but he certainly didn’t look like his regular self. He was bare foot, his black shirt was open, there was a leather strap moving across his chest and there was a half covered scar that caught Cid’s eye but he was to worried to study the never before seen skin. Vincent wasn’t carrying his gun, his hair was loose, and the biggest difference, his cloak, his biggest defence against the world was no where to be seen.
“Vincent?” Cid pulled his t-shirt back over his head and walked up to his friend. “What’s wrong?” Vincent opened his mouth, then shook his head and closed it, he walked past Cid and sat on the edge of his bed resting his chin on one knee, face pointing away from Cid.
“It’s foolish.”
“Foolish or not what ever is wrong is bad enough to bring you here.”
“I shouldn’t have come, I, should go back to my room.”
Yet Vincent made no motion to move.
Cid however did, he moved to block the door, leaning against it.
“No, you shouldn’t.” Cid said calmly.
Vincent still didn’t move, didn’t even look at him, Cid was worried and was starting to get annoyed.
“Have you ever been scared of something you shouldn’t be?” Vincent asked still looking away. “Something that means nothing in the light of day?”
Cid blinked, he wasn’t quite sure how to answer that.
“You mean like a Phobia?”
“Not quite.”
Then the answer hit like a brick to the head.
“Nightmares?”
Red eyes locked on blue.
“Are they that bad?” Cid asked.
Vincent looked down.
“They‘re… it’s hard to explain.”
Cid frowned at Vincent, this seemed out of the blue but this was Vincent whatever was wrong must have been going on for a while before he would ask anyone for help. “When was the last time you slept?”
“I’m not sure, that’s why I came, I fear that if I stay wake much longer the dreams will still come anyway.”
Cid could understand that, he was also annoyed that Vincent had tried to just not sleep, but as least he didn’t let it go as far as dreaming when awake, he wondered what had cause Vincent to come to him.
“Cid, could I stay here with you tonight?”
Cid’s eyebrows flew up to his hair line almost before he forced the shocked expression and unmentionable thoughts from his face and mind. He walked around to the other side of the bed, and got in closing his eyes, a few seconds later he opened one and looked up at the dark haired man.
“Well? What are you waiting for?” Cid asked pulling the blanket back for him. Slowly Vincent got into the bed.
“Thank you.” Vincent said in a sleepy voice and was asleep in almost seconds.
Cid woke up first. He cracked his eyes open to see black hair. Oh shit. Vincent was sans hair tie, cloak, gun and boot’s, He still wore his black shirt and trousers, Cid was clad in a black t-shirt and white boxers. How the fuck did he get into my bed? Cid tried to move only to find out two things, one Vincent was laying on his arm, and two, Cid had a morning wood.
Many, many curse words flittered though Cid’s mind at that moment. Even more when Vincent started moving. Cid rolled over pretending to still be asleep, and trying to make himself look presentable. President Shinra in swimming trunks. President Shinra in swimming trunks. President Shinra in swimming trunks...
Vincent murmured something in his sleep. Plamer in a bikini, Plamer in a bikini, Plamer in a bikini...good that’s done it...
“Cid?”
Just in time to...oh shit now I have to explain how he ended up in my bed, and I bloody don’t know myself!
Cid faked waking up and looked over his shoulder.
“Mmm Vincent?”
“It worked.”
“Huh?”
“No dreams.”
Cid blinked, the memory coming back to him. “Oh right, good.”
Cid looked up and the second he saw Vincent’s face he knew that this was important. Of course almost everything to come from Vincent’s mouth was carefully considered weighed and measured before actually being spoken aloud, but this was important beyond all that. So important it seemed, that Vincent couldn’t even find the words needed.
The silence stretched. Cid sitting at his work table and Vincent standing at the door. He’s trying to ask me for help, for something he doesn’t think I’ll help him with. Cid guessed. He didn’t want to be the first to speak, he was worried that if he was then Vincent wouldn't talk at all, or at least not about what was currently on his mind. Cid waved his friend in he sat down on an oil drum and Vincent following his lead sat down on a nearby crate opposite.
Vincent wasn’t looking directly at him though his head was tilted forward, hair flowing over his red headband and hiding his face. Cid also noticed that the few ties on his cloak that he usually left undone were buckled as tightly as the others. Cid was worried, Vincent was scared, of him.
“It’s about the dreams.”
Cid nodded.
“They...I...Lucreica’s in them.”
Cid fought to keep his face neutral and nodded again.
“She...she’s in the lifestream, with Aerith.” Cid was confused now he leaned forward more, Vincent had dropped his voice without realising. “And Sephiroth.” Cid bit the inside of his cheek. Don’t react, don’t react, wait until he’s finished.
“This is going to sound crazy but, Lucreica and Aerith both say that there’s something wrong with the lifestream.” Vincent seemed to shrink before Cid’s eyes. “They want to bring Sephiroth back.” Vincent looked up at Cid’s face, but not his eyes. I guess this is where I’m allowed to react. Cid pulled on of his smokes from under his goggles, he wished he could light it but considering he was sitting on an oil drum he decided to settle for putting it in his lips, it was better than nothing.
“Two questions, what had Lucreica have to do with the life stream other than the fact she’s in it? Why would Aerith tell you and not Cloud and why on earth was Sephiroth there?” Cid paused. “Okay that’s three questions but who cares.”
Vincent stared at Cid, clearly he hadn’t expected Cid to be so calm about this, or to talk to him without swearing, if only he could hear what was Cid was thinking then he would have known where all the swear words had gone.
...Poor motherfucking crazy bastard! Fucking dead bitch still won’t leave him the fuck alone and now the fucking son of a bitch wants to come back again, why so the shit-head can drop the pissing moon on us this time? Goddamn it! Can’t Vincent ever have the bloody peace he deserves!
And why the hell did he have to drop his shit crazy problems on me!
“Lucreica was there because they knew I would listen to her. Sephiroth was there because he was the one that the planet wanted to bring back...he didn’t look to pleased.” Vincent explained looking at the ground. “Aerith didn’t tell me why she didn’t ask Cloud.”
Cid was surprised that he hadn’t swallowed his unlit smoke yet, or that he hadn’t lit it and damn the flammables around him, he really needed a fag.
“And why are they telling anyone if Sephiroth was coming back, he’s in the lifestream so that means he’s coming back as a new life, as in not him anymore right?”
Vincent shook his head.
Of course that would be to pissing easy wouldn’t it!
“The lifestream can’t fully absorb anyone who’s been...tainted...by Jenova cells, unless their body is actually dropped into the lifestream itself. And even that didn’t work with Sephiroth completely. The energy from the Jenova tainted souls will linger inside the planet but not apart of it, growing as more SOLDERS and anyone else with Jenova cells die, and as their children die and so on.”
Vincent reached out and tugged the half chewed cigarette from Cid’s mouth.
“Like a cancer.”
Cid blinked. His thoughts derailing for a few seconds.
“So...the planet is just going to keep bringing everyone with Jenova Cells back?” Cid scratched his head.
“That isn’t possible, they’re dead and their body may not be able to house a soul anymore. We would end up with a world full of Zombies, or people like me.”
Cid ignored Vincent's self criticising comments for now to stay on the subject at hand.
“So, why bring Sephiroth back, and why tell you?”
“Sephiroth is Jenova’s son His genetics are equal one part Jenova, one part Lucreica-”
“And one part Hojo.”
“Maybe not Hojo.”
Cid stared at Vincent the penny dropped. Oh shit.
“I -” Vincent looked down at his feet. “I could his father Cid.”
Cid was silent, he just didn’t know what to say.
“The Cetra want to bring Sephiroth back because of his genetics. His soul is of the planet but his body is almost completely corrupted by Jenova, if anyone can assimilate the spirit energy of a Jenova Tainted body into something the lifestream can absorb it would be Sephiroth, but he has to be alive to do it.”
Cid looked down his knees for a long time. Vincent waited, he had expected Cid to hate him when he heard that Vincent was Sephiroth’s father and that he had agreed to have Sephiroth back. He had braced himself for Cid’s temper for his foul tongue and quick punches...not this heavy silence. But he should have expected it.
After all why waste words on him? The father of a mad man and a traitor who intends to bring him back. Vincent stood and started to walk away.
“So what do you want me to do to help?”
Vincent looked back surprised. Cid was willing to help him? Why?
“Well? You want help don’t you?”
Vincent nodded.
“I need to get to Meedle.”
Cid pulled another smoke from the pack in his head band.
“Heh, makes sense I guess, We can’t take the Highwind, the less who know about this the better right?”
Vincent nodded.
“Then I hope you and Sephiroth don’t mind sharing the back seat on the TB”
Vincent stood on the edge of the Lifestream pool in Mideel. Cid was leaning against one of the new buildings. He was smoking and his eyes were locked on to Vincent’s back, he was worried. He didn’t think Vincent was crazy, and if Vincent thought it was safe for Sephiroth to come back then...Cid didn’t have to like it, just accept it. He understood that Vincent had to take the chance or the guilt would eat him alive. Yet...
This would change everything. Vincent would be responsible for Sephiroth, Cid wasn’t sure if he could handle it.
“You didn’t have to come.” Vincent said.
Yes I did.
“I wanted to.”
“You think this is a bad idea don’t you?”
“It...look you know how I feel about this mystical-lifestream-magic-crap but it saved the damned planet if it’s telling you that this is needed then I believe it, and I trust you.”
Vincent turned his head slightly, not facing him, Vincent wasn’t about to look away from the lifestream now, not when his son was so close.
Sephiroth...this is insane...
“You don’t like it though do you?”
“Like it? I’m scared shitless.”
“But your still here?”
Cid shook his head. “I already told you Vincent. I trust you.”
There was a pause when the silence became heavy, Cid knew Vincent was about to say something but he was interrupted. The lifestream looked like it was boiling. Cid opened his mouth his smoke falling to the ground unnoticed as he walked up to the edge of the Lifestream as the bubbles broke the surface.
“In the centre.” Vincent whispered.
Cid looked, there was some kind of stone bouncing on the bubbles, sinking down only to be pushed up to the surface again. Slowly the bubbling boiling surface of the lifestream pushed the stone towards the two men waiting at the shore. Vincent was about to wade into the lifestream to pull the stone, which was a piece of Materia that was at least the same size as him, out by himself.
Cid pulled him back. He stabbed the Venus Gospel into the Materia cocoon pulling it out that way. As expected Sephiroth was inside, they could just about make out his face though the rough surface of the Materia, maybe it was the distortion of the Materia but he looked...smaller?
A huge crack appeared down the centre of the Materia. More smaller cracks spider webbing from the first the whole thing crumbling to dust. Fuck he’s a kid!
Sephiroth appeared to be five years old.
“Well this wasn’t quite what I was expecting.” Cid admitted.
Vincent didn’t say anything slowly taking his red cloak off. Cid seeing what his friend was doing picked up the child Sephiroth dusting off the small fragments of Materia that had stuck to his skin. Sephiroth opened his eyes a sliver of green light.
“Luc-a...Luc...rei...ca?”
Vincent shook his head brushing a few white strands of hair from his sons face.
“No, It’s Vincent, go back to sleep, your safe.”
Sephiroth nodded closing his eyes again. When Vincent picked the child up the boy curled into his fathers arms.
Cid looked at Vincent sleeping on the bed, the child Sephiroth curled up next to him. Vincent didn’t even have a home and now he had a kid to look after. Cid shook his head, it was a fifty, fifty, chance that Vincent could have coped looking after an adult, he could never look after a child alone he just wasn’t stable enough.
I’ll just have to look after the pair of them then. He knew that he was taking on a huge responsibility, something that he should have thought long and hard about, something he should have bloody discussed with Shera at least...but he felt as if it was something he was meant to do like it was no choice at all that life would go on as normal regardless. Which of course is a crock, this is going to do more than change my life, it’s going to fuck it up big time.
The last of Cid’s strength gave out and his eyes grew heavy his last thought before he fell asleep was that maybe change was good. Cid woke up when something climbed up onto his lap. He opened his eyes to see two pools of Mako staring back at him.
“Gah!”
Sephiroth jumped away from Cid and back to the ‘safety’ of Vincent’s cloak. Vincent was nowhere in sight.
“Give me a heart attack why don’t you?” Cid companied. “You stay there.”
Cid went to the bathroom he was washing his hand when he heard the door open and close. Cid looked out to see Vincent three trays of food perched precariously in his arms. It was a wonder they hadn’t fallen to he floor. Sephiroth was still sitting on the bed wrapped up in Vincent’s cloak. How did he open and close the door?
“Here let me give you a hand.” Cid took one of the plates and placed it on the bed. Sephrioth reached out and took a slice of toast that was on it.
Cid took a long drink of his tea before taking a bite of his bacon and eggs. “This place does a good breakfast.”
Vincent said nothing as he ate his own food.
“He need a name you know.” Cid said when he had finished eating. He was a quick eater and had finished first.
“Your right.” Vincent agreed.
“I mean he looks enough like his old self and with his old name to even if someone doesn’t figure out who he is they’ll think he’s a clone...You agree?” Cid looked at the boy who was looking from one man to the other as he finished his toast and started to drink his orange juice. “So what would you suggest?”
“Luca.”
Sephiroth looked up.
“Luca?” Cid echoed.
Vincent nodded taking a sip of his tea. “Luca Sephiroth Valentine.”
“Mmm.” Cid turned to Sephiroth. “Well kid, you like it?”
Sephiroth cocked his head to one side considering it and then nodded.
“Well that’s settled then. So I guess we just have to get the kid some clothes, he can’t stay wrapped in your cloak after all.”
Luca didn’t seem to like that idea he pulled the cloak tighter around him.
“Uh oh Vincent, looks like your cloak just became Seph - I mean Luca’s comfort Blanket.” Vincent didn’t respond but Cid was sure that his friend found the thought funny. This time Vincent stayed with Luca while Cid went shopping for clothes for the boy. He bought simple stuff like Shorts and T-shirts that shouldn’t matter if they were a size too big or not. And a pair of flip flops for his feet. Since Mideel had become a bit of a tourist attraction there had been plenty of new shops and he easily found what he needed.
He was in for a surprise when he returned.
“What the fuck did you do to his hair!”
“I was trying to cut it, but he wouldn’t keep still.” Vincent explained, he had hold of Luca’s arm by his claw, and had a scissors in his other hand. Half of Luca’s hair was long, the other half was an uneven shaggy mess.
Cid sighed and shook his head setting his bags down.
“Luca get over here.”
Vincent let Luca go and the child walked forward his eyes slightly mistrustful. Cid shook his head.
“Okay listen to me right, You like your hair right?”
Luca nodded.
“Well, Vincent has done a pretty good job of wrecking it. Now you might not like it short but I can make it look decent until you can grown it back. Luca reached up brushing his fingers along his own uneven mis-cut bangs. He glanced at Vincent before looking down at the floor.
“How bad is it?”
Cid blinked for some reason he didn’t expect Luca to talk to him, judging by Vincent’s face it was as much a surprise for him.
“Pretty bad.”
Luca looked at Cid, Cid winced.
“Okay really bad.”
Luca sat down on the bed. He crossed his arms and pouted. Cid had to fight not to laugh.
Sephiroth almost destroyed the world, he was the most dangerous being in existence and now here he was sitting on the end of the bed, his feet dangling off the edge and pouting over the loss of his hair.