Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice Redux ❯ Sharing Tents ( Chapter 3 )

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Chapter Three: Sharing Tents

“Damn! She’s toast! My girl will never fly again!” Cid muttered angrily, looking at the damage to the Tiny Bronco. It was floating on the surface of the ocean well enough, but from how torn up the wings were, it wouldn’t fly anytime soon. It was painful for the pilot to see the state of the machine. She had flown good and true for him for so long and now was nothing more than a floatation device. It was truly a sad ending for such a noble girl.

“I’m sorry, Cid,” Cloud said, scratching his head. “I never meant for it to happen this way.” And he was sorry. Mostly.

“Tch! Damn ShinRa’s fault anyway!” the pilot replied, flopping down on the tail of the plane. His clothes squished as he sat due to the thorough soaking he received when the plane had crashed, causing him to fly into the water. He reached for his cigarettes but found them to be soaked as well, and he angrily threw them into the water where they made a little splish. The damn things were completely useless now.

“I hope the others are alright,” Aeris mused aloud. She had managed to remain in the plane when it crashed, so she was almost completely dry. She patted at her hair, trying to soothe down the frazzled strands that were sticking in all directions.

“Don’t worry,” Cloud assured her, “they won’t get into too much trouble.” He rubbed his head, trying to wring some of the water out of his hair. It had slicked down against his skull, making him look like a drowned chocobo. He had gotten wet when he dived into the ocean to save the floundering pilot as Cid apparently could not swim.

“So, who the hell are you guys anyways?” the Captain questioned as he searched through his pockets, hoping to find a spare dry cigarette; he could really use one about now.

“I’m Aeris, a flower-girl from Midgar,” the Ancient answered cheerfully, flashing him one of her friendly smiles. “And this is Cloud, the leader of our group.”

“What about him?” Cid inquired, pointing to the gunman. He had of course recognized the dark-haired man as the one he had talked to earlier but hadn’t gotten an introduction from him.

He was mildly fascinated by the man, having never seen anyone with red eyes and a mechanical claw. The engineer part of him longed to take a closer look at the thing, perhaps even take it apart and see how it worked… not that he would do so when it was obviously part of a human being. But still, the initial desire was there, as well as desire of another nature. The dark-haired man was, plainly put, a beauty, and he had captivated the pilot’s attention from the moment he had appeared behind Cid like a foreboding shadow in the rocket. Of course, at the time, he had been too excited about the reinstatement of the space program to do anything but gloat.

In the commotion of the crash, Cloud and Aeris had nearly forgotten about their quiet friend. He stood on the right wing, balancing easily, his back to them. He was staring off into the horizon, pretending he could not hear their conversation as water dripped from his cloak. It was a testament to the flight he had taken directly into the ocean when the tiny plane crashed… as did his slicked down hair.

“Oh, that’s Vincent. Don’t mind him. He is always like that,” Cloud responded gruffly. He wasn’t surprised when the ex-Turk didn’t even attempt to introduce himself or make any sort of comment. The gunman simply kept his back to them, lost in his own little world.

“Hm,” the other blond commented, scratching his head as he readjusted his goggles. His gaze strayed towards the silent man before he shrugged and diverted his attention towards the swordsman. “Wouldn’t really say it was a pleasure to meetcha, but what the hell you got against ShinRa anyways?”

“That, my friend, is a long story,” the ex-SOLDIER answered, shaking his head. He sighed heavily as he tried to find some sort of comfortable position on the floating Tiny Bronco. The sun beat down mercilessly on him, and he could already feel trickles of sweat joining the sopping nature of his clothing. It was irritating.

The pilot grunted. “Well, it is not like we don’t have the time. We ain’t goin’ nowhere fast,” Cid pointed out, even as his fingers twitched. Damn, he really needed a cigarette. Nicotine cravings tended to make him jerk. His fingers trembled, and in order to occupy them, he grabbed a hold of his spear and started to fiddle with the materia in it.

“On the contrary,” came Vincent’s voice from the wing of the plane. Three pairs of eyes snapped up in astonishment when they realized that the gunman was walking towards them and actually speaking. “We are caught in a rather swift current, and we cannot be that far from shore. I suspect we will arrive on land a few hours after nightfall.”

At present, it was mid-afternoon. The sun was still shining relatively high in the sky, steaming the water out of wet clothes.

Cid snorted. “How would you know?”

Vincent narrowed his eyes at the contrary Captain, looking down at him, his face cold and impassive. “I won’t waste my breath explaining it to you. Suffice it to say, I am correct.”

Cid leapt to his feet, anger evident as his eyes flashed. “You insultin’ me or something? I will gladly take you down right here and now!”

“Boys! Stop this foolishness!” Aeris demanded running to stand between the two glaring men, her eyes flashing. She was surprised as well. Vincent didn’t strike her as the type to begin an argument.

“He started it!” the pilot accused, fingering his spear. He never once took his gaze off of the gunman. However, he was not really angry so much as slightly irritated.

“Childish…” Vincent muttered, turning away from both Cid and Aeris. He went back to his original position on the plane, sitting on the wing to gaze back out at the ocean, effectively shutting them all out once again.

The woman shook her head at the gruff pilot as he plopped back down, stroking his weapon lovingly. “Damn cold vampire…” he mumbled under his breath.

Cloud simply exhaled slowly from off to the side as he observed the events. It was going to be a long day… a very long day. If they were lucky, they’d kill each other first before ShinRa even got a chance at them. Some days it just didn’t pay to be the leader of AVALANCHE.

---

They washed up on a beach a few hours after sunset, just as Vincent had predicted, much to Cid’s chagrin. The day had gone by rather uneventfully after Vincent and the pilot’s little tiff with Cloud explaining to Cid why they all hated the ShinRa. In short, the gruff Captain had joined their expedition, his anger with Rufus and desire to see the stars stirring him. And despite his irritation with Vincent’s behavior, he was also insanely curious about the man. He was certain there was a story behind his odd looks, and the pilot was nothing if not a curious person.

The four sort of friends climbed off of the battered Tiny Bronco and proceeded to make camp on the beach. They were not really sure where they were until they found themselves meeting up with their other companions. Apparently, they were still in the Rocket Town area, and Tifa and the others had started searching the beaches hoping to find a sign of them.

“Cloud! I was so worried about you!” the brunette exclaimed the moment she saw the spiky-headed leader, and Tifa ran up to Cloud and threw her arms around him, enveloping him a big hug of welcome, which he managed to extricate himself from with difficulty. The woman appeared to pout before allowing him some space as Barret, Nanaki, Yuffie, and Cait Sith finally arrived, having followed after Tifa at a much more muted pace.

The ex-SOLDIER shrugged. “It was nothing really. Just a minor crash into the ocean…” His words trailed off, mind already deep into thought as to the location of Sephiroth and ShinRa’s next plans. Now that they were on solid ground again, it was time to consider their next moves.

“You idiot!” she yelled, punching him viciously in the shoulder, and he cringed slightly as she was rather strong. “You could have been killed!” Cloud shot her a nasty look, which she promptly ignored, and he rubbed a hand slightly over his aching shoulder.

“But they didn’t!” Cait Sith declared, sauntering up to the group. It wobbled, waving its brass megaphone from side to side. “I knew my fortunes were always accurate.” The thing peered at the newest addition to their group, a big smile forming on its feline face.

“What about the plane?” Nanaki queried quickly, attempting to distract her. He was glad to see his friends had survived as well, though he did not make a point to comment on it.

“Fuckin’ trashed!” Cid’s voice exclaimed suddenly, appearing behind Cloud. “A piece of damn junk now. Won’t $##@% fly at all!” It was obvious that he was upset by the loss of his beloved plane and only chose to cover that up with his coarse attitude.

Tifa frowned, wrinkling her nose at his vulgar words as she leveled a stare at the pilot. “Is there any other way we can use it?” she asked, still hovering needlessly close to Cloud.

The Captain’s face took on a thoughtful expression as he ran a hand through his hair, idly adjusting the goggles on his head as he did so. “Well, it does float. I might rig it so we can use it like a boat. But it won’t be able to go into deeper waters.”

Cloud nodded in understanding. Any transportation was better than none at all, especially since they had no clues as to the direction their quarry had taken. “Do it then. I want to get going as soon as possible. We have to find out where Sephiroth was headed and why Rufus needed your plane.”

Cid scratched his chin. “It may take some time.”

Slightly irritated by what had occurred, the ex-SOLDIER replied a bit more shortly then he had intended. “Then, you had better get started then, shouldn’t you?” Cloud ordered gruffly.

The pilot’s mouth dropped open in astonishment as Cloud proceeded to stalk off, leaving him gaping like an idiot. “Of all the fucking nerve!”

“Ignore him,” Tifa said soothingly. “He gets like that sometimes.” Letting the comment lie, she ran off, chasing after Cloud and calling out his name. Amusingly, the younger blond appeared to ignore her.

Nanaki shook his head, also walking away from the pilot. He moved to help Aeris and Yuffie start the fire, while Barret and Cait Sith were attempting to put up the tents, neither of them having too much success. It was going to be a cold night for all of them. The Rocket Town area was the nearest to the north they had been so far in their journey, and it seemed none of them were too keen on returning to the town.

Cid, finally recovering from his initial shock, went over to the remains of his beloved plane and inspected the damage more thoroughly. His blue eyes roamed over bullet holes and tattered framework, as well as twisted metal framing and fire-stained sheeting. His baby was a fucking mess, but perhaps not completely unsalvageable. He could rewire the engine and move it so that it floated more out of the water. If he crossed the wirings to the propellers, it just might be possible to make her move. Gritting his teeth angrily, Cid got to work, cursing himself for the lack of cigarettes as he did so.

His mind wandered as he worked. Unsurprisingly, his wandering thoughts centered on his new companions. Strange lot, they were, from the young and rude leader to the odd cat-mog-toy creature that talked. Honestly, the design of the toysaurus was vaguely familiar, a memory niggling in the back of his mind. The sight of it had initially surprised him and unnerved him, as well. The stuffed moogle thing was way too fuckin’ cheery, and for Kami’s sake, what the hell was the megaphone for?

He could already tell by just a glance that he and Tifa were not off to a great start. The strange cat-fire-thing he didn’t really have an opinion about… or the scantily dressed ninja for that matter. Didn’t she know that it was cold? Someone needed to tell that kid to go put some clothes on. He didn’t like the way she was covetously eyeing the materia in his spear either, so he kept the weapon close and a sharp eye out for her. Aeris was alright, he supposed, not really having an argument either way about her.

But as for the last… Humph. There was something alluring about Vincent, even with his fucking cold ass attitude. From the moment that Cid had first laid eyes on the gunman, he had known that there was more to the man than appeared. He was usually pretty perceptive about people, and he hadn’t failed to notice that the rest of Vincent’s companions, with the exception perhaps of the flower-girl and the cat-fire-thing, seemed to avoid him like a plague. He had even caught Barret, a man Cid felt like he almost could get along with, giving the gunman suspicious stares. It was as if they were afraid of what Vincent might do to them.

He took his eyes off the Tiny Bronco and risked a glance at the gunman, noticing that Vincent stood apart from the others, arms folded over his chest as he watched without really seeing them. There was a distant look to his odd, blood-colored eyes, and in a way, he gave off the aura that he was trying his best to shut them out. As it was, Vincent was being completely ignored by the companions.

Without meaning to, Cid found his gaze traveling over the form of the ex-Turk, something he hadn’t failed to notice before either. He was tall, lithe with long dark hair. Honestly, he was a beautiful man, and being a lover of men himself, Cid could appreciate that, though Vincent’s personality may have left a little something to be desired. Yet, despite their almost rocky start, he had the feeling that there was something beneath the icy facade that Cid could make a friend out of, and curiosity compelled him to do so.

If anything, it would be an interesting adventure to try and do so.

Cid’s lips curled into a smile as he returned to fixing the Tiny Bronco. They couldn’t go anywhere until he did so after all.

---

It must have been around midnight when Cid finally succeeded in getting the task done, or so Vincent observed. For the most part, everyone was sitting around the campfire, talking quietly, no one quite ready to go to sleep yet. Having only three tents between the eight of them, he supposed no one wanted to get started on sleeping arrangements. He cursed inwardly to himself from his position just beyond the ring of companions. That meant he was probably going to have to share with someone. He didn’t particularly enjoy that thought but didn’t mind who so long as it wasn’t the ever suspicious and crass Barret. Vincent was not in the mood for another one of the man’s loud proclamations of his insanity or his untrustworthiness. However, the gunman’s attention was grabbed when Cid finished his tinkering in the crashed plane and made his way back to the group.

The pilot rejoined them, sighing loudly as he sank onto the ground, flopping into a comfortable position. “Damn thing is done,” he announced, but no one said anything. “Don’t I get a thank you or something? Damn!” These children really lacked in manners.
”What did you expect? A resounding applause?” Vincent questioned mildly.

Blue eyes snapped in the gunman’s direction, daring to believe that might have almost been a teasing tone to Vincent’s voice. A crimson gaze met him coolly, and Cid harrumphed, choosing not to respond aloud.

“Then we can leave tomorrow, and it won’t sink?” Cloud asked, looking up from a handful of dry rations that he was munching on. The ex-SOLDIER was also propped up on the ground, sword sitting at his side.

Cid nodded. “Yeah, she won’t sink.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one up as the other’s watched. Thin curls of smoke began to coil up around his head and into the night sky.

“I thought they were all drenched,” Aeris asked suspiciously, narrowing her jade eyes on him.

Cid shrugged, taking a deep drag of the cigarette as he fought off a lingering yawn. Damn, he really was getting too old for this sort of thing.

“I found a pack stashed in the Tiny Bronco as I was fixin’ her up. Damn Shera always trying to get me to quit. I have to keep hidin’ the stupid things. Forgot they were there.”
”It is a nasty habit,” Tifa commented, wrinkling her nose.

“Yeah,” Yuffie added in loudly. “You stink, old man.”
”Well, no one asked you now did they?” the Captain shot back, breathing in deep of the nicotine and blowing out the smoke in their general direction. Tifa waved her hand about her face ,even though the smoke came nowhere near her and scooted closer to Cloud. Yuffie merely scowled and shook her fist at him.

The younger blond sighed wearily, running a gloved hand through his spikes. “I think it’s time that we all got some sleep,” he suggested in a tired voice.

“What makes you say that?” Barret questioned with a snort. He was, of course, being sarcastic.

Aeris glanced at him before giving a slightly ironic smile. “We are nearly biting each other’s heads off,” she stated. She, for one, could use the sleep, the excitement of the day having worn her down.

Cait Sith chirped cheerily, “I could always entertain everyone!” The little cat on top of the stuffed moogle performed an impromptu jig, and Cid was hit with another wave of familiarity, his lips thinning in thought as the thing trumpeted with its megaphone. “I could read fortunes or sing or--“

“No!” everyone declared at the same time, their words echoing around the campsite in a chorus as eight voices quickly shot the idea down. The black feline slumped as the toysaurus flopped down on the ground, sniffing dramatically.

“Fine,” it muttered. “I’ll just go over here then.” It didn’t move, however, instead choosing to promptly fall asleep. Quiet snores began to echo around the campsite, causing the other companions to mutter in irritation and turn their backs on the strange… thing.

Tifa snorted, drawing attention to herself once more. “We are not angry with each other. Cid is just being an asshole.” She glared at the pilot, who promptly blew another puff of smoke in her direction.

Cid muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “hypocritical bitch,” but he said nothing aloud.

Cloud sighed loudly and rose to his feet swiftly. “Enough!” he demanded, instantly commanding everyone’s attention. They all looked back at him, different expressions on their faces. “How are we supposed to fight ShinRa if we are fighting amongst each other?”

“Sorry,” Tifa murmured meekly, having the grace to look minutely embarrassed.

Cid waved a hand of dismissal. “Yeah, whatever, Spike,” he mumbled by way of apology. “I’ve got no qualms with nobody.” Tifa was just a bit annoying at times, but he didn’t say so aloud. He wasn’t there to start conflict, after all, but he’d be damned if he lot some young girl talk him down.

The other blond sighed and shook his head, shoulders slumping in weariness. “Tifa, Aeris, Yuffie, you three take that larger tent over there. The rest of us will split the smaller tents.” He frowned slightly. “Cait Sith seems to be out, so we won’t worry about him. And Nanaki?”

“I am fine by the fire,” the lion-wolf inserted with a lazy feline yawn, already curled up by the lingering flames. His tail swished slowly about him.

The swordsman nodded. “Good that’s settled. As for the rest of us--“

“I refuse to share with the vampire,” Barret all but growled, crossing his arms as he interrupted Cloud. “He might bite me in my sleep.” The dark-skinned man brought up his best glare, directing it at the so far silent gunman.

Vincent snorted in response. “I am not a vampire,” he denied, voice chill with irritation and anger as he rose to his feet. “Even if I were, I sure wouldn’t sully myself by consuming you!”

“What the hell is that s’posed to mean?” the other man shot back, already feeling his ire beginning to rise.

The ex-Turk narrowed his eyes, though the rest of his expression remained impassive, his voice dropping a few more degrees if it were at all possible. “Take it as you will. I am going to sleep; sort it among yourselves.” He turned away from the fire and took the smallest of the three tents, disappearing quickly inside without another word.

Barret turned his attentions back to his leader. “I mean it Cloud. Me ‘n Vampy just ain’t cutting it. He growled in annoyance as he laid out his grievance.”

The ex-SOLDIER sighed again, feeling even more tired than he had before. With so many different personalities, they were bound to clash from time to time. But damn… he was tired of acting like the elder, especially concerning the loud-mouthed Barret.

“I wasn’t about to suggest that you share,” he responded wearily, running a hand through blond spikes. “I suppose the three of us can squeeze into the one if necessary…” Cloud commented, trailing off. He wasn’t about to share with Vincent either. He still didn’t trust the gunman. It was as simple as that.

“What! You mean to say that alla ya are afraid of the man?” Cid spluttered incredulously. “He ain’t nothing but a…” He searched for the right word, finally settling for something vaguely similar to what he had been looking for. “A showoff! And he sure as hell don’t seem like no ordinary vampire.”

Barret rolled his eyes. “If that’s what you believe, then you share a tent with him. We’ll see if you come out alive in the morning or not.” He involuntarily shuddered, running a flesh hand over his slightly exposed neck.

“You boys are impossible.” Aeris she rose to her feet, shaking her head at their ignorance. “There’s nothing to be afraid of in Vincent, and you know it.” She cast a disproving glare at all of them before turning her back and heading for the tent designated for the females, a definite irritated sway in her step. She didn’t allow them any time to disprove her statement.

“Yeah,” the ninja added in for emphasis. “We’re going to bed. You men are boring.” Yuffie ignored Cid’s sniff of annoyance and stuck her nose up in the air, jauntily striding after the flower-girl as she idly juggled a ball of materia, one that probably did not belong to her.

Tifa rolled her eyes at both female’s behavior. “Goodnight, everyone.” She slowly stood, supposing she had better head to bed as well. It was beginning to get chilly, and the warmth of the blankets was calling to her. Besides, Cloud didn’t seem to be interested anyways.

The three men stared at the departing women with mixed feelings. Cloud was impassive, Barret slack-jawed, and Cid mildly irritated.

‘Who was a boy?’ he couldn’t help but wonder. He exhaled loudly, turning his famous Highwind glare on the two boys still sitting around the campfire, the same ones that were too afraid to share at tent with Vincent, a man who wasn’t the least bit frightening. Well, perhaps a little, but not enough to scare Cid away.

“I will share with Vincent!” he growled out loudly, putting out his cigarette and rising swiftly. “You two cowards can cringe together in your tent,” he snarled and hunched his shoulders, stalking towards the smallest tent and muttering under his breath.

Cloud seemed bored at all this, turning his attention to his sword and casually beginning to check it for cracks and dings. It was up to Barret to respond, and so he did, quite loudly and mockingly.

“If you insist Cid. Far be it from us to argue.”

Cid ignored them as he continued in the direction of his tent. He feared no one… and certainly not a tall, pale man with dark hair. Especially not ones that had a strange sort of sadness to their red eyes.

Out of everything, it was probably that cautiously concealed emotion that intrigued Cid the most. What could cause such despair in a man? He was well acquainted with sorrow himself. He had had his own share, but still… like what he saw in the eyes of Vincent Valentine.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cid walked up to the front of the tent. Vincent had undone the bindings that held the flap open so that they hung over the doorway, effectively closing it up. Reaching out, the blond slowly drew them back, ducking as the tent was little more than four feet high. He slid slowly inside, trying not to cause undue noise. He saw a huddled shape to the far right side, obviously the ex-Turk.

“Yo, Vince, you awake?” he questioned, whispering softly. He wasn’t sure if he expected the gunman to respond or not.

“No, Highwind, I am sleeping,” came Vincent’s obviously awake voice.

Cid couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the man’s sarcasm as he came into the tent and settled on the left side. He laid his spear next to him, between himself and the walls, as he proceeded to unlace his boots. Couldn’t sleep in the damn things anyway.

“That’s what I thought, but I jes wanted to be sure,” he responded, removing one boot before moving to work on the other. A sudden thought came to his mind. “Say, why do you do that anyway?”

“Do what?” Vincent asked with exasperation. Cid heard him shift but couldn’t really see what he was doing in the darkness.

“Call people by their last names,” the Captain finished. He threw his boots, and they landed somewhere near his feet as he balled up his jacket to use as a pillow. He pulled out a blanket from his pack and tried to get comfortable on the hard ground. He was getting too old for sleeping outdoors.

“I reserve first names for friends,” the gunman answered after a moment of hesitative silence. His voice sounded strangely cold, almost as if he were forcing it.

Cid scoffed to himself but refrained from laughing aloud. “So, that would include how many people?” the pilot inquired. At the moment, with Vincent actually talking to him, he wasn’t ready to sleep. Perhaps his curiosity would be sated after all.

“Go to sleep, Highwind,” the other man growled, ignoring Cid’s question. The fact that there was only one person he could call by their first name hit him somewhere deep inside. He was unworthy of anything more.

“Shit, I was just making some fucking conversation. Would it kill ya to be friendly for once in yer damn life?”

“Must you curse so frequently?”

“Yes, I must,” Cid answered, imitating Vincent’s proper speech patterns.

The ex-Turk sighed audibly. “You tire me.”

“Shit, Vince, you’re more borin’ than me!” the Captain retorted. He expected a quick and snappy response but craned his ears when he got none. He turned his head to look at Vincent’s form. Yet, the gunman’s back was to him.

“Vince?”

“Highwind, be quiet and go to sleep,” he said tiredly.

Cid growled in annoyance and turned his back, staring at the side of the cotton tent. For a minute nothing could be heard but the sounds of two sets of breathing, one slow and barely perceptible, the other sluggish and heavy.

“I need a smoke,” Cid remarked, not meaning to say it aloud, but nevertheless, the words fell audibly from his lips.

“Highwind…” Vincent warned, growling only slightly.

The blond didn’t respond, figuring he had pushed his limits enough for the evening. There was always the next day. Besides, he had the feeling that he had just carried on a longer conversation with Vincent than anyone else in the group. He yawned greatly then and closed his eyes; perhaps he was tired after all.

On the other side of the tent, the ex-Turk stared morosely off into the night, wide awake as usual, listening to himself breathe. It came as no surprise to him, however, when a few minutes later, soft snoring began to erupt from the pilot. Sighing to himself, Vincent realized that it was going to be a long night. Sleep never came easy to him, as if he had used his rest quota up over the thirty long years he had been in the coffin.

And when he finally did rest, it was fraught with dreams and nightmares, usually involving Hojo or things unseen. Oceans of blood and deadly claws, promises for absolute destruction and screams of terror… things that he didn’t even want to contemplate, especially during the dead of night. It wasn’t that he feared the dark… but rather that being enclosed in such suffocating black reminded him of that one moment when he had truly learned he hated Hojo.

A rock dug into his shoulder as he tried to find a more comfortable spot, finally discovering a place where his claw would not tear into his clothing or blanket, and another snore rose up from the other side of the tent.

Humph. Even if he had been able to sleep, he doubted if it would be possible with that racket. Vincent frowned, staring off into the darkness. Nights always seemed to last forever.

---

The gunman awoke with a start, the sound of whimpering disturbing him. He was surprised that he had even managed to fall sleep, but that thought was pushed away by another sob, which he couldn’t seem to fathom for a few seconds. Yet, after a moment of realization, he understood the truth. Of all things, it seemed the pilot suffered from nightmares as well.

Rolling over, Vincent stared at the shape that was the sleeping Captain. With his night vision, he could see that the man was visibly shaking, though he was obviously still unconscious. Occasionally, he whimpered, muttering to himself in the darkness.

Sighing, the gunman knew he would not be able to sleep or even fade into numbing thought unless he woke up the damn pilot. And, for once, his sleep had been devoid of nightmares; it was ironic that he would be woken by someone else’s.

Growling slightly, he moved to get up and crept over to Cid’s side, crouching next to his sleeping form. He reached out and put a hand on the pilot’s shoulder, intending to gently shake him awake. The man felt warm under his touch, though he was shivering slightly.

“Highwind,” Vincent began, voice barely above a whisper. “Highwind, wake up dammit!” he demanded a bit louder.

Cid suddenly started, eyes snapping open quickly as he sat up, putting the other man off balance. He rocked backwards on his heels, arms flailing to catch himself as the blond’s quick thinking prevailed, and a strong arm whipped out, catching Vincent’s flailing arm. He gave a great yank and instead of falling backward, the gunman lurched forward, crashing into the other man. The noise was accompanied by a series of curses and an annoyed grunt.

Somehow in the commotion, their lips crashed together in a nearly violent kiss. How his mouth had found Cid’s… Vincent would never know, nor would he ever understand why he didn’t immediately pull away, instead enjoying the feel of a soft mouth pressed against his. He parted his lips slightly and found Cid doing the same. Their tongues met, dancing around each other, discovering the taste. He felt the barest scrub of stubble across his chin, the warmth of the pilot’s body pressed beneath him, a strange sort of arousal spreading through his body as the smell of tea and cigarettes overwhelmed his senses.

His hormones seemed to take over when a small noise, it could have been encouraging, uttered from Cid’s throat. Vincent pressed downward, closer to that warm heat and pliant body, closer to…

Something hard pressed against his leg, sending him crashing down into reality. His eyes flew open, even though he didn’t even remember closing them. He… he shouldn’t be doing this.

With a loud gasp, Vincent scrambled backwards, disentangling himself from the pilot and throwing himself as far from him as he could get in the tiny tent. He stared at the other man, who was now breathing heavily, with wide eyes. Cid’s own were still closed, lips parted slightly, though he had the beginnings of a smile on his face.

“Didn’t know ya had it in ya…” Cid remarked slyly, cracking open one eye to look at the gunman.

Vincent shook his head, trying to gain control of the emotions and desires that were coursing through him “What the hell are you doing, Highwind?! Why did you do that?!”

The blond stared at him for a moment in sudden surprise, mouth gaping silently. He was about to say something before his expression changed, and his eyes fell. He sat up to rearrange his bedding, which had been disrupted while they were flailing about.

“Thought you were a woman…” he mumbled.

Vincent’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? How in the--”

“If you didn’t wear your hair so damn long I woulda known the difference,” Cid snapped angrily, cutting off the other man’s words.

The two exchanged glares, neither coming out on top. Embarrassment clearly filtered in the tense atmosphere.

“Tch!” Vincent sniffed disdainfully before turning his back on the pilot to return to his makeshift bed. He climbed underneath his blanket and proceeded to close his eyes, trying to ignore both the Captain and the sudden stirrings in his groin.

“Same to you,” Cid shot back, also turning his back on his tent-mate, flopping down unnecessarily hard onto his blanket. Embarrassment tended to make him pissy, despite his attempts at being friendly. He tried to ignore the shivers that still wracked his body from the unexpectedly sensual kiss. It usually took more than just that to work him up, but there was something different in Vincent. It was the way he smelled or something.

“You will speak of this to no one,” Vincent’s soft sultry voice commanded from the other side of the tent. It was a distinct warning, not that Cid was afraid of the man.

In response to that snide comment, the blond had only one reply. “As if I would.”

There was no answer.

Grunting at his tent-mate’s rudeness, more to himself than for an audience, Cid tried to close his eyes and sleep. He was minutely afraid of the dreams that were plaguing him before Vincent had so nicely woke him up.

Ugh. Just the thought of the man’s name sent odd feelings straight to his groin, making him hot and flushed, remembering the kiss and the feel of the gunman’s lips his own. Vincent had just started to press closer to him, seemingly enjoying their kiss, his lips just as guilty, and then, all of the sudden… he was pulling away like he had been stabbed. It was irksome, leaving Cid and his body in quite a state.

But he had no time to ponder on this because the ground suddenly beneath him, giving a great heave and beginning to shake violently. Having never encountered such a feeling before, Cid wasn’t sure what to do. He held on to the earth in terror as it pitched and rolled beneath him, tent rattling. He heard the sound of a few of their companions crying out in surprise nearby.

“What is going on, Highwind?” the gunman demanded.

“How the %$#@#$ hell should I know?” Cid answered shortly, still annoyed with Vincent.

Then, as abruptly as it began, the shuddering ended. The ground stopped pitching and rolling, and all was eerily still… deathly silent almost. It was very unsettling.

One by one, the companions began to edge out of their tents, almost afraid of what they would find. They gathered near the embers of the dying fire, Nanaki already sitting up, quite alert as he was on watch for danger.

“There is a new smell on the winds,” the fire-wolf remarked as he sniffed surreptitiously, tail swishing about behind him. Golden eyes looked up at the sky, judging the position of the stars, his remarkable perception for such supernatural things enabling him to sense what they could not.

“Could it have been something Sephiroth did?” Tifa questioned nervously. There seemed to be no other explanation in her mind. It wasn’t as if earthquakes were common Gaia.

“No,” Aeris answered, shaking her head. “This was something much more powerful, much more ancient. I can feel it.” And hear it as well, though she kept that to herself. She turned her gaze towards Nanaki. “Can’t you feel it, too?”

The lion-wolf closed his eyes and appeared to concentrate before he spoke again. “Yes, I see. Something has happened. The fates… they have shifted.”

“Bullshit!” Cid swore. “I don’t believe in fate! It’s somethin’ explainable I bet.”

Aeris shot him an exasperated glance. “Then what?” she demanded. “Since you know the ways of the planet so well, what is your explanation?”

The pilot spread his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Just ‘coz I’m not a supernatural man doesn’t mean I have to take any half-assed explanation. I’ll believe what I want.” He snuffed as he strode away from the group, heading back for his tent.

Yuffie sniffed. “Stupid old man,” she commented, her eyes following where Cid had disappeared. She was vaguely intrigued by what had occurred and wanted to know why, but the little ninja gave a big yawn then, sleepiness overcoming her curiosity.

Cloud sighed at the pilot’s behavior. “Well, he has the right idea at least. There’s no use in talking over things we know nothing about,” he commented, his eyes wandering to the star-filled sky. “Go back to sleep.”

Grumbling to themselves, he was at once glad that they did as he asked without an audible fuss. His companions shuffled back to their tents, but Cloud himself remained outside, perched close to the fire. He felt an odd shiver wrack his body. Something was definitely off and different. He might not be able to sense things like Nanaki or even hear the planet like Aeris, but he knew something was changed. He just didn’t know what.

With a sigh, Cloud settled in for a long night, knowing that sleep would evade him. It would be a while until morning.

***