Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice ❯ Renewal ( Chapter 17 )

 

~ ~ ~ meanwhile

 

Chapter 17: Renewal

 

Cloud opened his glowing mako blue eyes and looked up into the worried faces of his friends. He blinked several times as he tried to distinguish one blur from the other, coughing slightly, clearing the mako fluid from his lungs.

 

“Aeris?” he questioned, as if he would see the auburn-headed female appear before him. He scrunched his eyes shut, and then opened them again, hoping it would clear his vision.

 

“Oh gawd! Ya think he's lost his memory?” came Yuffie's very distinguishable voice.

 

“Not if he remembers Aeris in the first place, dolt!!” a gruff voice exclaimed in response, obviously Cid's.

 

The spiky-haired blond groaned as his vision slowly focused. He looked up into the concerned faces of Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, and Barret. His whole body tired, as if he had been fighting for several days straight without the help of any magic.

 

“Ugh…” Cloud said, holding his head with his arm. His brain was pounding in his skull with all the effect of a jackhammer and it wasn't making him feel better.

 

“Cloud, are ya alright?” Barret asked his deep voice tinged with concern.

 

“My head hurts, and I ache all over. Other than that, I am just peachy,” answered Cloud wryly.

 

The Captain chuckled and reached out a hand, offering to help their blond leader to his feet. Cloud took the proffered hand and allowed the pilot to heave him to his feet. He swayed momentarily in his upright position, but quickly regained his balance.

 

The spiky-headed ex-SOLDIER looked past his friends, looking for a familiar face. One with reddish-brown hair and green eyes… he was certain she would be there.

 

“Who are you looking for?” the little ninja asked with concern, grey eyes dilated. She thought that Cloud was maybe going all crazy on them again.

 

“Aeris…” he murmured absentmindedly. “She was here.” He moved past them, scanning the faces present. Many strangers… but no flower-girl. He could feel the eyes of his friends on his back but ignored it for a moment. He had to know…

 

Yep… completely batty. “Uh, Cloud,” Barret began scratching his head. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be the one to remind his friend and leader of the death of the flower girl. “Aeris is-“

 

“Dead, yes I know,” Cloud snapped impatiently. He sighed heavily and turned around to face them, scratching his head in thought. “I have not lost my mind or my memory, guys. In fact, I am more myself then ever before and it is all thanks to her.”

 

Four pairs of eyes looked at him in confusion.

 

“Who?” Cid asked finally, covering Yuffie's mouth before she could say anything stupid or annoying.

 

“Aeris… I am not going to say much more because… well, it's personal. But suffice it to say, I know who I am now.” Cloud smiled a true and genuine smile, and not the pained stretch of his lips he had been attempting since the death of the kind flower-girl.

 

“Well, that's a load off my shoulders…” the other blond said sighing happily. He walked forward and clapped the younger man on the back. “Glad to have you back. They're all yours!” he exclaimed broadly, gesturing towards their three friends and pointing towards the Highwind parked in the distance.

 

“Aw, Cid, you don't want to be our leader anymore?” the Wutaian questioned teasingly.

 

“Hell no! I don't know how this fool did it!” the pilot exclaimed, shaking his head violently. “Ya'll drove me damn crazy. Takes a better man or maybe just someone crazier to handle the lot of you! As for me, I am just going to pilot my airship.”

 

The friends laughed, even Vincent, hiding the smile behind his cloak. It seemed things were finally beginning to look up for them.

 

Cloud had returned, and Cid could return to his normal grouchy self without the bitchiness associated with being commander. They were going to fight against ShinRa and save the planet. Indeed, the world seemed back on course.

 

* * *

“Wow!!” Yuffie exclaimed, pressing her hands and her nose up to the cool, thick glass of the underwater walkway leading from Junon to its underwater reactor. She smiled in glee as she observed the wonders of the deep ocean from her lucky position.

 

A myriad of multi-colored fish swam past the glass, one even ogling her all glassy-eyed, perhaps considering what she was. Even larger fish, sharks prowled around looking for their next meal.

 

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to smile up at its owner. Amber eyes winked at her happily before turning to gaze out the thick glass as well.

 

“It is a beautiful creation despite having been built by ShinRa,” Reeve murmured, squeezing the ninja's shoulder in an affection gesture.

 

Yuffie giggled though she kept her nose pressed to the glass. “Do you… regret working for them?”

 

The ex-executive sighed and turned away from the view, unconsciously tossing a throwing knife up and down with one hand. “There were times that I could do good with their money and influence… keeping my integrity as well as could. And then of course, him… but never mind. I cannot in all honesty say I would change the way things turned out.”

 

Over to the side, completely ignoring the conversation, their leader knelt. “I wonder what this is?” Cloud asked, absentmindedly running his hands over a thick leather-bound book. There was a script on the cover but it was in a language that none of the three recognized.

 

The Wutaian turned to look at it, shrugging. “Where did you get it?”

 

“You turned that creature, the Ghost Ship into it,” Reeve answered for their leader as he shoved it into his pack. “It might come in handy later.”

 

Yuffie huffed. “If Nanaki had given me his Mystify materia, I would have never gotten confused in the first place.”

 

Reeve sighed and shook his head. “Should we continue onwards then?”

 

The blond chuckled, hefting up the sword that the crew had bought for him in Mideel, the Crystal sword. “Wait `til ShinRa hears I'm back!” He laughed a bit louder and turned back towards the doors leading to the reactor.

 

Yuffie heft up her shuriken even as the other man flipped another one of his throwing knives into the air, catching it deftly. They followed their leader into the ShinRa reactor.

 

When he had returned to the airship, the remaining members, Nanaki and Reeve were more than glad to see that their friend had come to his senses and was ready to take back his responsibility.

 

It was then that they intercepted a transmission about the Huge materia at the Junon reactor. Haste was needed, and Cloud allowed Cid to have some time to rest for himself, taking Reeve and Yuffie on the mission. The dark-haired ninja had been itching to fight. The ex-executive was a good balance for her, always keeping calm regardless of situation or how annoying Yuffie chose to be that particular moment.

 

Now they found themselves fighting their way through the underwater mako reactor, hoping to get to the Huge materia before ShinRa could get away from them.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Cid Highwind still lay in his bed, despite the late hour of the day. He was wrapped all warm and comfortable among a pile of blankets and limbs. For who would want to leave their bed when a certain dark-haired gunman had his legs wrapped around a pilot's and had an arm thrown possessively over said pilot's chest? He awoke slowly from his sleep, shifting restlessly at the weight covering his chest and lower half.

 

The Captain turned his head to side and found his nose buried in a pile of spicy smelling black hair. Vincent had nuzzled his way onto his shoulder and fell asleep there right after sex earlier that day. He now breathed evenly, seemingly sound asleep.

 

Cid smiled and brought his arm up, rubbing his hand over the gunman's bare back, feeling the soft, pale skin, beneath his fingertips. He had never imagined that one day he would wake up on his airship with someone like Vincent in his arms and beside him. Especially since it seemed that they would never be together again after that first time.

 

There was so much about the gunman that he did not know. To be honest, Vincent didn't really know much about himself either. His memory was riddled with gaps and only filled with thick, heavy emotions that the gunman tried to suppress. None of them were happy or encouraging.

 

The pilot turned his head away from the thick mop of black hair, after giving it one final sniff to breathe in the exotic scent, searching for the cigarettes that he remembered lying on the dresser earlier. He spotted the small packet, and the lighter pushed into the foil and reached for them happily, careful not to disturb the sleeping man on his chest.

 

“You really should quit, you know,” Vincent's smooth and silky voice stated softly. Cid jumped slightly, not even realizing that he had woken him up.

 

“Hmph,” muttered Cid, grabbing his cigarettes even as he pushed himself to a sitting position, the ex-Turk rising with his movements. The two men leaned comfortably up against the headboard.

 

“It's not healthy,” Vincent continued, reaching over and trailing lazy circles over Cid's bared chest with a finger as the pilot lit and began smoking his cancer stick.

 

“I'll quit when I'm damn ready to,” the pilot muttered again, “and it's not looking like it's anytime soon.”

 

The dark-haired man just shook his head, stopping in his idle tracings to smooth over one flat nipple, rolling it between his fingertips causing the flesh to instantly harden.

 

Cid groaned and inhaled on his cigarette, closing his eyes. “You keep doing that and we might never leave this bed.”

 

“Is that a promise?” Vincent questioned, leaning forward to draw the hardened nub into his mouth, nipping lightly at the flesh before licking and sucking thoroughly. The blond moaned again at his touch, hand holding the cancer stick trembling slightly.

 

He reached out with the other and tangled it among the thick black strands of Vincent's hair, encouraging him. Smiling to himself, the gunman continued his oral attack on Cid's chest even as his hand slipped down the hard plane of the pilot's frontal area, reaching beneath the sheets for the already hardening member. He wrapped his hand around him and tugged gently, eliciting another aroused sound from the pilot.

 

“Damn!” Cid cursed, cigarette near forgotten in his hand. “You are a horny bastard, aren't ya?”

 

“Only for you…” the gunman murmured against his chest, still lapping at his lover eagerly, alternating between the right and the left. “Only for you.”

 

His hands left Cid's erection, reaching down to fondle the pilot's balls for a moment before delving further, the pilot unconsciously spreading his legs to accommodate the gunman. Vincent took that as an invitation and halted in his ministrations only long enough to crawl into the Captain's lap between his legs before he continued his earlier actions.

 

A golden claw reached up and plucked the cigarette from Cid's lips, crushing it easily before dropping the ruined cancer-stick to the floor. The pilot didn't bother to protest, already occupying himself by touching the ex-Turk everywhere. With the offensive tube of tobacco now gone, Vincent took advantage of Cid's free lips and latched onto him, engaging the pilot in a searing kiss of fire and passion. The blond eagerly opened his mouth, inviting the gunman's tongue inside for an alluring game of dominance.

 

Cid's hand glided over the smooth planes of Vincent's chest even as the other wrapped itself up in the gunman's hair, pressing him firmly to his mouth. He reached down and stroked his dark-haired ex-Turk, bringing the already semi-erect member to full staff.

 

Vincent moaned into the pilot's mouth with the touch of those calloused hands. There was something about the way the other man caressed him; he was addicted to the feeling. He had never imagined that something such as that would happen to him… but here he was experiencing it just now.

 

A sudden quick movement, a brush over the very tip of his erection and Vincent's thoughts were immediately centered on his own hardness as Cid stroked him just right. He pressed himself forward onto the pilot, wanting to feel skin on skin as the pilot slid his body slowly down the bed, bringing the ex-Turk to lie on top of him.

 

The dark-haired gunman ground his hips into Cid's, rubbing their two erection's together to create a delicious friction even as the pilot reached around and grabbed the smaller man's ass, squeezing the globes with his stronger mechanic hands.

 

Vincent broke away from the searing kiss, granting Cid some breathing room as he nipped along the pilot's fuzzy jaw line. The blond could use a shave but sometimes the gunman actually enjoyed the feeling of scruffiness against his skin. He licked gently, both tickling and arousing Cid as he made for the man's ear, and that sensitive spot at the base of the jaw. He bit lightly, before sucking on the pilot's neck.

 

“Uhn… god, Vince!!” the pilot moaned aloud, squeezing on Vincent even harder as he bucked up against the raven-haired man atop of him, wanting more and more of the friction their two bodies was causing.

 

“Tell me…” whispered the gunman in Cid's ear, causing the pilot to shudder involuntarily as whispers of arousal trickled down his back. Vincent was using both arms to keep much of his weight off of the blond, but his mouth was more than enough for the pilot to moan his name aloud.

 

“I want you so fucking bad…” Cid groaned. He opened one blue eye and saw the tantalizing piece of smooth flesh that was near his mouth. He leaned his head forward just a bit, not enough to disturb the sensual sensations on his neck, and nipped lightly at Vincent's shoulder, biting down just enough to be noticed but not enough to break skin. He could feel the shudder that made its way through the ex-Turk's body.

 

Vincent took the pilot's earlobe between his teeth, nipping gently before he whispered seductively, “You'll be addicted to me by the time that I am through with you.”

 

Cid moaned at the thought, feeling the straining between his legs becoming almost too much to bear. Vincent was so damn sexy. “N…no…” he stuttered.

 

“No?” questioned the ex-Turk, pulling back enough to look the blond's in the eye, raising an eyebrow in question. He ground his hips down into the pilot who bit his lip in frustration, nearly succumbing then and there.

 

“No,” repeated the Captain firmly, looking his lover in the eye. “I want to be on top this time.”

 

Vincent shook his head. “I am unable to comply with that.” [1]

 

Cid narrowed his eyes. “Why the fuck not? Think I can't make you feel good?” Despite the anger that he was experiencing, he knew he was also hurt. To him it was a sign of distrust… not that either of them had claimed a steady relationship or anything. The Captain wasn't even sure if he wanted more… but he was tired of always being on the bottom dammit!

 

Vincent smiled slightly before leaning in for a small kiss, biting slightly on the pilot's tongue before answering. “Don't get a big head, but there's no way I'm letting that monster anywhere near my ass.”

 

“Hmph.” Cid couldn't help but smile at what the gunman had said. He was still angry that Vincent wasn't trusting… but then again, it's not like the man said he didn't like it. The blond decided he could bring his vampire around… sooner or later. “Fine,” he huffed. “Have it your way.”

 

Vincent dove in for another kiss, eager to get things back to the way they were before. Their tongues danced around one another, consuming them with their overpowering need until the gunman pulled away from Cid and leaned over the side of the bed, reaching for the drawer where the pilot kept his vanilla scented lube.

 

After digging around the cluttered mess for a few seconds, he finally grasped ahold of the bottle in triumph and returned to his lover on the bed. Vincent knelt between the other man's legs and popped open the cap to the lube. The smell of cookies, as Cid referred to it, wafted through the air. Shaking his head and smiling softly at the scent that still managed to surprise him, he coated his fingers with the slippery substance.

 

The ex-Turk leaned forward and claimed the pilot's mouth again as he reached down and gently pressed one finger into Cid, wiggling it around for emphasis. The Captain moaned beneath his touch, one hand grasping for Vincent's nipple as the other wrapped around the gunman's body.

 

Gently the dark-haired man added another finger and then third, stretching his lover for what was to come next. He delved deep inside Cid's body, looking for the pleasure spot to prove to the pilot he could make the blond call his name.

 

He knew he had found it when Cid nearly bit down on his lip, growling deep within his throat even as the pilot pinched Vincent's nipple hard. Removing his fingers, assuming that his lover was now ready, the gunman gave Cid another kiss, licking lightly at the pilot's lips before leaning over to the side to whisper again in his ear. The ex-Turk enjoyed feeling the pilot squirm beneath him.

 

“Ride me…” the raven-haired man purred. Cid's eyes snapped open as a burning of arousal flushed through his entire body. He liked that idea.

 

~ ~ ~

“They've already harvested the materia,” the normally perky ninja commented glumly as she slashed at another ShinRa soldier, easily dispensing with the grunt.

 

Cloud growled with anger, tightening his grip on the crystal sword as he watched the mechanical arm move the materia from the reactor into a waiting submarine.

 

Reeve tossed several knives at a control panel, cutting off the power so that the next wave of soldiers could not get through. It sputtered and hissed, sending sparks flying into the air, but did its duty as it closed and locked the automated door.

 

“We can still retrieve it,” the ex-executive huffed, pushing past Yuffie and Cloud, following the suspended platform and heading for the door at the far end.

 

The other two nodded their heads in agreement, following after the ex-ShinRa. They tore through the doors and into the submarine dock, eyes scattering around wildly to figure out what was going on. Reeve stopped in his tracks, seemingly unable to move, his eyes locked on the path in front of him.

 

“Did we make it?” the blond asked, nearly colliding with the other man's back. He narrowly avoided that mess and side stepped, still scanning for the materia.

 

“There it is!” the teenager pointed, keen ninja eyes spotting the mechanical arm as it placed the materia into a red submarine.

 

“What are you doing?” A voice came from the walkway in front of them. Three pairs of eyes turned towards a man whose back was to them, dressed in a dark blue suit with a scarlet-haired ponytail. “Help, load,” continued the nameless man as he turned to face them.

 

It was Reno, one of the Turks. “Cloud!... Reeve?” he exclaimed, nearly stepping backwards in shock. Yuffie had been completely ignored.

 

“Give us the huge materia, Reno,” the ex-SOLDIER growled as he leveled his sword at the Turk.

 

Reno tapped his Electro Rod against his shoulder and glared at them. “ShinRa is trying to save the world, you spiky-haired freak!” His mako eyes narrowed, but flicked to the third man for an instant before moving back. “I thought Sephiroth killed your punk ass!” He stated his voice strangely calm.

 

“You have no idea what the hell you're doing!!” the blond yelled in argument. “Either give it to us or else… what's it going to be?”

 

“Only Holy can defeat meteor…” Reeve interjected softly, looking every bit as if he had seen a ghost. Yuffie glanced at him strangely, before furtively looking to Reno as well. Something was definitely up. “You are making a mistake.”

 

A strange expression crossed the Turk's face, but it was gone in an instant. He rolled his eyes, regaining his composure. “I'm sorry but the materia store is fresh out of Holy, so we're workin' with what we got.”

 

The sound of a metal monster moving got their attention. There was something moving off to the side of the loading dock from where Reno was standing.

 

“You don't have to do this,” the ex-executive said in a voice that bordered on pleading. His companions looked to their friend in confusion. “We don't have to fight if it is for the sake of everyone.”

 

Reno's eyes seemed to soften for just a moment from their hardened look before he shook his head and took several steps back. “No,” he said simply before continuing, “Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you. My priority is the Huge Materia!”

 

Reno finished his speech moments before a huge metal creature moved in front of him, snapping its steel claws dangerously at the friends.

 

“However, Carry Armor will be more than happy to entertain you.” The aquamarine-eyed Turk smirked as he dashed away, casting a glance back towards the friends that only Reeve caught, but the ninja discreetly noticed.

 

“Damn!” Cloud cursed. “Looks like we are going to have to fight!” he growled, moments before a clamped hand reached out for him.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Cid grinned as Vincent pulled back, looking up into the crimson eyes of his lover. He grabbed the slightly thinner yet taller man by the waist with both hands and managed to turn the tables, pinning the gunman beneath him. The Captain sat on top of Vincent's thighs as he dug around in the covers of the bed searching for the discarded bottle of lube.

 

“Dammit! Where'd that damn bottle go,” he cursed. He needed to feel Vincent now!!

 

“My aren't we the impatient one?” The ex-Turk smirked, dangling the bottle of lube in front of the other man like a piece of candy or something.

 

Cid moaned as he snatched the bottle from Vincent's grasp and squeezed some of the slippery oil out onto his fingertips. He inhaled strongly of the vanilla scent before tossing the bottle aside and getting to the task at hand.

 

The aroused pilot sat back on Vincent's thighs and admired the beautiful creature beneath him. The dark-haired gunman reached out with his flesh arm and trailed a finger down his lover's chest. Cid closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation before reaching down and gripping the other man's erection with oil-slicked fingers.

 

The ex-Turk nearly whimpered at the touch, something akin to a purr beginning deep in the base of his throat. The Captain smoothed his hands over the gunman's straining erection, coating it thoroughly with the sweet-smelling oil. He teased a finger over the sensitive head, wanting to hear his Vincent moan beneath him.

 

“Quit… teasing…” Vincent gasped as he reached down and gently placed his hands on the pilot's hip, careful not to apply too much pressure with his claw. He pulled the blond forward until Cid's slick entrance was poised just above the ex-Turk's waiting cock.

 

“If you insist,” the pilot mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders but a grin on his face. He braced himself on the gunman's hips and lowered his body slowly onto Vincent's hardness. Said gunman bit his lip as he felt his hardness move to Cid's entrance and then enter, ever so slowly, resisting the urge to buck up and take him quickly. He would allow the pilot this little bit of control.

 

Finally the raven-haired man was completely buried inside his lover. “Uhn…” he moaned reflexively tightening his hold on the blond's hip. “You're always so tight…” He enjoyed the intense feelings coursing through his body.

 

Cid looked down at his lover and admired the beautiful creation spread out beneath him. Pale ivory skin coupled with raven hair and crimson eyes… on a woman it would be beautiful… on Vincent it was breathtaking. “You… you… take my breath away, dammit!” stammered Cid, romantic notions having trouble coming out of his mouth.

 

Vincent smiled and reached up, pulling the Captain down to meet him, covering the pilot's lips with his own and locking him into a passionate kiss. He might not agree with the blond, but he certainly wasn't going to ever forget that look on his face.

 

* * *