Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice ❯ All of Me ( Chapter 23 )

Warning: There is a lot of cursing in here!! Barret is mad, and Cid is upset, and no one's listening to Cloud, and Tifa is not there to moderate them!

 

And also, don't worry, you're not missing a chapter or anything. It was purposefully written this way.

 

Chapter 23: All of Me

 

“Hold him down, dammit!!” Cid snarled, frantically trying to calm the convulsing and flailing gunman. He narrowly avoided a thrashing limb.

 

“Fuck off!” Cloud growled in return as he fought to grab a hold of Vincent's legs. “He's stronger than me, you know.”

 

“C'mon, Vince! Pull out of this, dammit!” exclaimed the pilot with exasperation. The gunman couldn't hear him however. His crimson eyes were locked shut as he tried to fight off his lover, emitting screams of terror and anguish. It was as if he was in a whole different world.

 

Cid gritted his teeth and planted himself down on Vincent's chest, hoping his weight would be enough to stop the bucking gunman from thrashing about on the ground.

 

“Who's got the damn Seal materia?” Cloud demanded loudly.

 

“Tried that already,” Barret screamed back. “Didn't work on the damned freak!”

 

“No! U... uh… Stop!!” the ex-Turk screamed, moaning terribly low. However, it wasn't the type of moan Cid was used to hearing, filled with terror instead of passion.

 

“God!!” Yuffie yelled, throwing her hands up over her ears as she closed her eyes tightly to block out the sight. “Make him stop…” She whimpered.

 

The ninja was used to fighting demons and monsters, killing soulless creatures on the battlefield. She feared nothing, but for all's sake, she was sixteen!! And to see such a usually stoic and calm person, writhing about on the floor, screaming piercingly in agony was too much for her to bear. She could tell that Vincent was hurting and there wasn't anything that she could do. Her body began to shake uncontrollably as she tried to block out the horrifying sights and sounds before her.

 

“Nanaki, get her the hell out of here!” Cloud ordered as he ground his teeth together, trying to contain the greater strength of the gunman before he hurt himself or someone else. The blond's face paled when he noticed the rippling of Vincent's skin and the tell tale black shadows ghosting under the surface.

 

The red-haired man noticed as well and quickly grabbed the teenage ninja before she could notice as well, taking her somewhere away from the cargo bay of the Highwind. He really didn't want to be there either, knowing that there was nothing he could do. He would leave it up to the older members of the group and do well in his duties to take care of Yuffie. She clung to him like a lifeline as he led her from the cargo bay. She was afraid for Vincent… afraid of what they might have to do to help him.

 

“He's going to change,” Reeve breathed, horrified as he looked on helplessly. He was at a loss at what to do or how to help. Truthfully, he couldn't even begin to comprehend what was going on. He just knew that he had to help his normally stoic friend.

 

“Not if I can help it,” Cid growled. “Somebody grab his arms.” He was at the point trying to avoid the flailing limbs and had just missed getting slapped in the face with a sharp metal claw.

 

The ex-executive and Barret immediately came forward and each took hold of one of the gunman's arms. Vincent shrieked and tried to pull out of their grasp, but they held firm. Still the gunman had yet to open his eyes. It was as if he were trapped in a nightmare and no amount of force could wake him up.

 

“What about Stop?” Reeve asked suddenly. “Where is the Time materia?”

 

Cloud's face fell as he berated himself. “Nanaki's got it! Fuck!”

 

“It wouldn't have worked anyways, not if Sleep didn't,” the pilot commented, shaking his head sadly.

 

There was a flash of green light, indicating that someone had just used their materia. This only caused Vincent to scream louder as if someone had just shocked him with millions of bolts of electricity.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” demanded Cid, casting a furious glare at Barret who was hurriedly stuffing his materia back into his pocket.

 

“I tried DeSpell…” muttered the dark-skinned one.

 

“Why in the hell would that work, dumbass?” Cid questioned. “You made it worse!”

 

Indeed, the ex-Turk was now fighting with more vigor to get free from the three men that were restraining him. His eyes were blinking rapidly, opening and closing, though it still appeared that he saw nothing.

 

“I thought Yuffie had Destruct…” the ex-executive murmured under his breath, glancing around for ideas.

 

“Yeah, cuz the brat stole it from me!!” the gun-armed man shot back.

 

“Shut up!” the leader yelled. “You are not helping!!”

 

Cid looked down at his lover, heart breaking at the tears that streaked down the gunman's pale face. It was in that moment that the pilot realized that he had lost his heart to the dark-haired ex-Turk. He searched his mind desperately for something to do but he was lost.

 

He didn't know what was going on… he didn't understand. The gunman had just collapsed and out of nowhere started going fucking nuts.

 

“You have to stop the change… or he'll be lost forever,” the old sage intoned. He had been mostly quiet, observing the events with an impassive gaze as if he knew something that the others did not.

 

“I know, dammit!!” the Captain cursed. Yet, truly, he didn't know. The pilot had not a clue. For once in his life, Cid felt completely lost.

 

Bugenhagen looked at the man sadly, before bowing slightly and taking his leave of the Cargo Bay. It was much safer out on the deck.

 

He looked down at his flailing lover helplessly, wishing that he knew what he could do. It was then that the memory hit him.

 

~#FlashBack#~

 

Lying wrapped in his arms, was one sexually satisfied gunman, for once. It was funny because after they reconciled, Vincent could hardly get enough of his pilot, usually tiring the poor blond out. However, lying together in the warm and cozy post-coital after glow was enough to satisfy the gunman for the moment.

 

“You know, Vince,” Cid began as he reached for his post-orgasm nicotine rush. The other man glared, and the pilot sighed. No cigarette for him then. “If someone were to tell my past self that one day I'd be fucking an ex-Turk on my own airship in the Captain's quarters… well… I might've told them to give me whatever shit it was they were smoking.”

The dark-haired gunman cocked an eyebrow at Cid, a slightly amused expression on his face. “Is that so?”

 

“Yeah… it is,” nodded the pilot. His fingers itched to hold a cigarette but the last time he tried to smoke… the gunman punished him. Then again… punishment didn't sound so bad.

 

“You are a crazy fool.” The ex-Turk sighed as he laid his head back down on the pilot's chest.

 

“Yeah, you are probably right.” The Captain laughed in agreement, still internally debating. Was he too tired? Could he handle another round?

 

“Cid?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Why don't you fear me?”

 

“Huh?” Cid asked, completely confused. THAT had come out of nowhere.

 

“Even from the beginning, you had no fear of me. Yet, you knew what I am, what I am capable of…”

 

“Ne, I know WHO you are Vincent, not WHAT. Don't confuse the two.”

 

Vincent sat up enough to look his lover in the eye, some of his loose raven tresses moving in front of his face. Cid couldn't help but think how gorgeous his gunman was as he reached to rub an ebony strand between his calloused fingers.

 

“You are not afraid that I might turn on you? That one of these times I might lose control and turn into a monster?” The gunman's crimson eyes searched Cid's face as if trying to peer inside the pilot's mind.

 

“Nah,” the Captain exclaimed, smiling broadly. “I know just what I'd do!”

 

“What?” Vincent questioned, giving him a skeptical look. He was almost afraid to ask.

 

Cid grinned and snuck a hand behind Vincent's head, pulling the gunman down for a deep kiss. The pilot slipped his tongue inside the ex-Turk's mouth, tasting himself from their earlier actions on Vincent's tongue. It was strangely erotic. Vincent moaned into his mouth and tried to open up even more, to encourage the pilot, but the blond pulled back and grinned again, looking the gunman in the eye.

 

“I'd do just that! Nothing can withstand the Highwind charm!!”

 

“Hopeless,” the dark-haired man muttered, shaking his head.

 

“Is that so?” Cid teased as he reached and trailed his fingers lightly over Vincent's skin. The ex-Turk moaned and bit his bottom lip, a move that was decidedly sexy and more than enough to turn the pilot on. For being such a quiet and closed, man the gunman was extremely sensual.

 

“You're making me hungry,” Vincent warned.

 

“That was the general idea.” Cid smirked as he reached up and pulled the gunman into another deep kiss.

 

~#End Flashback#~

 

“Cid! Dammit!” the leader growled, pulling the other blond out of his reverie.

 

“Oh, God!” Reeve gasped, amber eyes wide with desperation. “It's too late!”

 

The blond pilot glanced around. He could feel Vincent's body writhing beneath him and he saw the claws beginning to lengthen on the gunman's right hand and the fangs beginning to appear in his screaming mouth. Galian Beast was fighting his way out… either him or something much worse.

 

(I'd do just that! Nothing can withstand the Highwind Charm!) His own words echoed in his head.

 

Cloud struggled to hold down Vincent's legs with one arm as he reached for his sword with the other. He didn't want too… by Gods he didn't want to kill his friend… or at least something close to it. Yet, he would do what was necessary.

 

Vincent screamed, deep and throaty, one of pain that sent chills down the spines of each man present.

 

He had no other ideas. His mind was blank, so the Captain did the only thing he thought he could do.

 

“I'm sorry, Vince…” Cid whispered. Leaning forward, he grabbed the gunman's tossing head between his hands and kissed him, in front of everyone, he locked lips with his lover.

 

The shock of that action didn't last long as a sudden burst of power rocked through the room, strong enough to throw all four men out and away from the gunman. A bright glow filled the area along with the sense of a strong presence.

 

The ex-executive and the gun-armed man each hit a wall on opposite ends of the room, sliding to the ground like sacks of potatoes. Cloud was pushed across the floor on his stomach, cheek scraping on something hard as his head slammed into the metal ground.

 

The pilot was pushed backwards with enough force that he crashed his head into the wall behind him, cracking his skull hard enough to make him temporarily see stars. He felt as if a weight had settled on his stomach as he struggled to clear his dizzy vision.

 

--You will regret the day you fought against me!-- a voice, low and menacing resonated in his mind and the pilot swore that he could smell sulfur and feel hot breath on his cheek.

 

“I'm not scared of you,” Cid growled, grunting with the pain.

 

--That is a mistake you will soon wish you had never made!-- hissed the voice.

 

Cid opened his mouth to respond, believing that he could feel a pair of blooded hate-filled eyes boring into his skull. However, before the words could escape, the pressure on his chest dissipated and the immense power that had filled the room vanished leaving it cold, empty and dark.

 

For a moment all was still, nothing and nobody moved. Slowly, the lights began to blink on one by one, bathing the cargo bay in a wash of fluorescent light. There was a low groan, and the spiky-headed blond slowly pushed himself to his feet, holding his aching head. Cloud turned to gaze over the rest of the bay area. Reeve and Barret were gingerly beginning to rise even as Cid was slowly crawling back across the floor to where his lover lay in a crumpled heap.

 

“What the hell happened?” Cloud demanded angrily through the pounding in his skull. He made his way across the floor to the gunman.

 

“I pissed off a demon,” the Captain answered wearily. “Apparently he wanted to come out and play.” He finally made his way to Vincent's side and looked over his lover.

 

“That is not what I meant!” the leader retorted.

 

The ex-Turk's face was seemingly calm, and he appeared to be breathing evenly. He seemed unharmed.

 

“That's fucking it!” the dark-skinned man exclaimed. “That monster has to go before it kills us all!!” He pointed to Vincent viciously, glaring at their leader.

 

Cid tried to ignore the narrow-minded idiot's outburst, his sole concern the unconscious ex-Turk in front of him.

 

Cloud tried calming the fuming AVALANCHE leader down. “We don't know what's going on, Barret. We can't afford to make snap judgments!”

 

“We can't fucking afford to die the next time vampy goes a little crazy either!”

 

The Captain brushed a finger lightly over the gunman's cheek, wincing over how cold his skin felt.

 

“Is he going to be alright?” Reeve's soft voice suddenly appeared at Cid's right shoulder.

 

The pilot didn't bother to look. “I don't know,” he answered, shaking his head.

 

“You kissed him…” Reeve trailed off, stating the obvious as he looked around to see that indeed Cloud and Barret had seen as well. He smiled softly then, a knowing look in his eyes. He moved to help support the ex-Turk.

 

Cid didn't answer, instead turning his attention back towards his lover. “Vin? C'mon baby, wake up…”

 

“It makes more sense for him to be where we can watch him! You want that power running free?”

 

“It won't %$&#@ matter, if we're dead!”

 

“Will you two shut the fuck up!!” the Captain yelled angrily.

 

Immediately, Cloud and Barret ceased their arguing and looked at Cid with surprise. The pilot simply ignored their startled expressions, returning his attentions to the unconscious gunman who chose that moment to begin to awaken.

 

He groaned slightly and shifted his head. Crimson eyes fluttered open, glancing around unfocused, as he struggled to sit up.

 

His eyes instantly settled on the blond at his side. “H… Highwind?” There was a questioning tone to the gunman's voice.

 

“Vince!” exclaimed Cid. “You're alive…”

 

“I feel dead…” groaned the ex-Turk, putting a hand to his head.

 

“What the hell happened?” Cloud demanded, trying to gain back control.

 

“I don't know,” Vincent snapped angrily, eyes flashing as he tried to get to his feet. Reeve and Cid gave him a hand. “When do I ever know?”

 

“See!” the gun-armed man demanded angrily. “He is too dangerous to keep around here!”

 

The spiky-haired man sighed, but it was Cid who responded.

 

“You can fucking think about leaving him somewhere all you want. But then you can find your own transportation because this is my damned airship and I won't leave him behind!” Cid snapped angrily as he supported Vincent on one of his shoulders.

 

Cloud and the pilot glared at each other even as the sound of approaching footsteps, alerted them to the return of Yuffie and Nanaki.

 

Their leader sighed again, shooting a warning glance over at Barret. “He can stay.”

 

“Don't do me any favors, Strife!” Vincent intoned, giving the man a crimson-eyed glare. “It wasn't your decision to make.” With that said, Cid and the ex-Turk left the cargo bay, leaving their confused companions behind.

 

“You might be fuckin' ex-SOLDIER,” the dark-skinned man said, striding up to poke a finger in the leader's face. “But I don't think you can control that.”

 

“For now, that is not the issue,” the blond said coolly, batting away the protruding bulbous finger.

 

“Then what the hell is?” asked Barret.

 

Reeve and Cloud exchanged looks but did not enlighten the man on the circumstances. If he couldn't figure it out on his own, well, perhaps that was for the better.

 

The ninja breathed a sigh of relief that no blood had been shed though her face was still pale and left the room, Nanaki following after her. She didn't want to hear them argue over what she had already guessed.

 

She was more interested in finding the two love birds and seeing what else she could uncover. She exchanged glances with the red-haired man beside her, who had a somewhat sneaky grin on his face.

 

Back in the cargo bay, Reeve shook his head at Cloud and Barret's ignorance and followed Yuffie and Nanaki out of the Bay.

 

* * *

Cid helped the dark-haired man over to the bed, and the gunman lay down upon it gratefully. The pilot sat down on the bed next to his splayed out lover and noted with concern the look of utter fatigue on the gunman's face.

 

“What's going on, Vince?” the Captain asked softly.

 

“I don't-“

 

“Bullshit! I can see through you now.”

 

The gunman sighed. “What do you care anyways? It's not like I am anything to you.” He closed his eyes in weariness.

 

Cid's face flushed with anger. His voice came out low, as if he was struggling to contain his emotions. “I don't know about you, Vince, but we stopped being `fuck buddies' a long time ago.”

 

The dark-haired man's eyes snapped open, and he locked eyes with the pilot who gazed at him unflinching.

 

“In fact,” the blond continued slowly as if searching for the proper words. “I think I have always known it would be more. I… believe that I might have feelings for you.” Cid shook his head as the gunman looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

 

“No. I do… I … I lo-“

 

“Don't you say it!” Vincent snapped, interrupting Cid's confession. “Don't you fucking say it, Highwind! You cannot possibly think that I would allow you to debase yourself by saying such things to me!”

 

“Where the hell do you get off telling me what I can say and feel,” the Captain demanded angrily.

 

“You wouldn't understand.” Vincent closed his eyes and leaned back against the bed. “A monster such as I… failure in my pride…”

 

“Don't you go on with that self-pity shit again! Why don't you try explaining things for once instead of just running away like a fuckin' coward!!”

 

“I am not a coward!” the ex-Turk responded, eyes snapping open as they flared angrily.

 

“Prove it then,” the pilot muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Tell me everything that you fear about yourself and why I'll never understand.”

 

Vincent sighed, his anger slowly deflating. “Fine. I will tell you.”

 

Cid nodded and got into a more comfortable position, lying on the bed next to Vincent.

 

The gunman cleared his throat and began slowly, his voice soft. “I know I told you I didn't remember much and that is true. However, after seeing HER, that all changed.”

 

* * *