Sanctuary
by Aimless
“Fuck!” Cid muttered as he lay on the cold stone floor.
The last thing he remembered was some butt ugly furry monsters intent on making him lunch. His spear was hopelessly lodged in the gut of another one of the creatures and he braced himself for what was sure to be a fatal blow. The huge clawed hand struck out and he’d flown through the air to impact with a large tree. Pain blossomed along his left side and his vision grew hazy and dim.
This was not the way he wanted to check out of this world. Cid had so many things he wanted to say and do before meeting his maker. The stinking hirsute brute lunged at Cid with its razor sharp fangs dripping green ichor and the blond tried to dodge. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a flash of red and black.
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Where the hell was he? Cid shivered and tried to push himself upright.
“OW! Mother Fucking Son of a bitch!” He gasped as his injuries made themselves glaringly apparent. Bone grated on bone as he shifted. Broken ribs and god knew what else. His head ached fiercely and he raised his left arm to his forehead. Another huge mistake as it also throbbed painfully. But as he looked around a fractured arm and ribs were the least of his worries.
It was fucking cold and his torn flight jacket was little protection. He seemed to be in a small cave and Cid could hear the howling of the wind from the blizzard that had roared down out of the mountains. God Dammit! What next? His eyes focused blurrily on a large shape almost blocking the entrance of his shelter. Immense black wings folded around a muscular creature that stared out into the storm. Shreds of black and Red cloth hung off of its powerful frame and one golden clawed hand gripped the rock wall.
Cid forgot to breathe. Shit! If this thing turned on him he wouldn’t have a chance. Not a religious man, the cigarette smoking blond nevertheless mumbled a hasty prayer that the being would not notice him. He tried to scoot back further into the small space but could not stop the grunt of discomfort that fell from his lips.
The creature turned and Cid froze. He was so fucked! Faster than he could conceive possible the monster lunged. He backpedaled and hit the far wall hard enough to make him cry out in pain. Now trapped his eyes widened as the monster leaned down. Cid’s harsh gasping breath felt like broken glass grating in his lungs and he could not help shuddering as that gauntleted claw reached out for him.
It was a wonder Cid did not crap his pants as he was touched lightly. The contact stung from the deep scratches marring his skin and blood oozed sluggishly from the wounds. The fucking Yeti wanna be had scored a hit earlier that had left a long line of slashes on his torso. Cid was sure that the scent of blood would drive the beast to strike. He was amazed when the claws retreated and the creature brought the crimson stained digits up to its mouth. He watched in fascination as it tasted the thick fluid. Cid risked a look right at the creature’s face and was drawn to the glowing eyes. They sucked him into their depths and into a world of pain and sorrow. The creature made a sharp keening noise and bent closer.
The tatters of a vermillion scarf brushed Cid’s neck as the beast brought its face down and nuzzled the confused Pilot’s neck. Tentatively and with a shaking hand Cid used his good arm to awkwardly pet the wildly tangled coarse black hair. A deep rumbling noise reverberated in the small cave. The creature…no Cid refused to think of it a beast anymore. Vincent was purring!
Cid knew little of the being that shared a body with his friend. He knew that it was called Chaos and everyone feared its ferocity and bloodthirsty nature. Vincent was often ostracized and hunted for what was not his fault. He did not choose to be a lab rat for that sick fuck Hojo. Cid could feel the being’s pain and aching loneliness. Yes the demon hovering over him was incredibly dangerous but Cid felt no more fear. He knew now that it had saved his life and brought him to a safe place. That Chaos had stood guard while he lay broken on the cave floor.
“Vincent are you in there? I wanted to thank you and to tell you I’m not afraid.” Cid’s raspy voice broke the stillness of the moment.
Chaos licked one stubbled cheek and Cid shook his head and grinned.
A noise outside alerted Chaos to possible danger and once more he was at the cave mouth alert for any signs that the attacking monsters had found their hiding place. Cid watched Chaos as he curled into a ball and huddled under the remains of his jacket. Dizziness swirled up to claim him and he fell unconscious again.
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Cid’s world once again gained cohesiveness and he blinked confusedly at his surroundings. The surface he was lying on was soft and he was blissfully warm. A huge change from where he was before. As things he recognized swam into focus he turned his head and looked at a big dark blur to his left.
“Bout time you woke up. I’ll have to tell Cloud I lost the bet. You managed to survive. How ya feelin?” A low gravely voice got his attention.
“Fuck.” Cid ached all over and he finally recognized his own cabin on the Highwind. The voice belonged to Barrett so it was obvious both him and Cloud survived the mutant free for all.
“Figures that’s what you’d say. So how bad were your brains scrambled? It was touch and go for a while.” Cid could hear the concern in his friend’s voice under the teasing banter.
“Mmmm fine. Hurts like hell but what else is new. How bad?” Cid croaked out and tried to work some moisture back into his dry mouth.
Barrett placed a straw against his lips and Cid sipped the cool water gratefully.
“Well let’s see…I coulda shit a brick when Chaos dropped you off at the ship. We were almost freaking out when we realized you were gone. Then that snowstorm caught us all by surprise. All we could do was wait it out before going to look for your sorry ass. We were about to leave after the weather cleared when the scary fucker comes and lands on the deck holding your mangled body. Then he took off and we haven’t seen him since.”
“He brought me back and left?” Cid whispered.
“Didn’t I just say that? Man your brains really are mush. Anyway you got a bunch of busted ribs, broken forearm, plus a concussion. If it hadn’t been for the healing materia all the internal injuries you had woulda killed you dead. You are one lucky bastard.” Barrett frowned and shook his head.
“I need to find Vincent.” Cid tried to get up but a large hand on his chest stopped him.
“Hey you gotta stay in bed! You were out for two days. I’m not going to catch hell because you decided to wander off. Bad enough I gotta play nursemaid.” Barrett growled. “Besides no one knows where the creepy fucker went.”
“Don’t talk about him like that!” Cid snapped and started cursing when the huge man would not let him get up.
“All right, all right! I’m sorry ok? Just lie down and get some more rest. I’m supposed to give you these pills too.” Barrett extended his hand and in his palm laid two white capsules.
Grumbling Cid took the medicine. He knew it would be useless to fight at this point given the way Barrett was scowling. Soon he drifted off to sleep again as the drugs kicked in.
Cid’s recuperation did not turn out to very peaceful at all. He was woken by a constant stream of visitors who had come to gawk at the cranky pilot. The blond appreciated the company he really did but a man was entitled to at least a few minutes of privacy. Finally it was sometime after mid-night when Cid found himself alone. He had refused the sleeping pills they had tried to get him to take and now he had another mission to accomplish. He needed to find Vincent.
Slowly and painfully Cid made his way from his room. He figured that his t-shirt and boxers were clothes enough since he was too sore to pull on his jeans. Plus it was his freaking air ship so if he wanted to wander around half naked he god damn well could. Adding to his crankiness was the fact that cigarettes had been banned from him. At least until his lungs healed from the broken rib that had punched a hole though one. So yeah breathing was a bit of a bitch and he was moving as fast as an arthritic snail but it served his purpose.
Cid knew every inch of his ship and had a pretty good idea where the little black haired menace named Vincent Valentine was hiding. He would pick the most out of the way place that still had a view of the night sky. But getting there was going to be a pain in the rump. But he was not the type to give up and he had to tell Vincent a few things.
Cid awkwardly traversed some little used corridors and barely made the climb up a ladder to the catwalk that would take him to a small observation deck. By the time he got there the pilot was light headed and pain hammered at his body until his breath came out in harsh gasps.
“Vincent you little fucker you’d better be up here because I swear to god if I pass out up here I’m going to kick your ass later.” Cid leaned against one of the support struts and tried to convince his body to breathe.
The darkness in front of the blond seemed to coalesce and a cloaked figure materialized nearly on top of the bent over pilot.
“You should not have come up here.” Vincent’s whispered voice was tinged with self loathing.
“I wanted to talk to you.” Cid raised his head and looked at the red eyed former Turk.
“Aren’t you afraid of the monster? Or did you come to gawk. I could kill you before you could even take a single step.” Vincent stepped up to Cid until they were merely inches apart and glared.
“Bull shit! You are no more a monster than I am. You saved my life when you could have simply let me die. You stood guard over me and then got me to safety. Hell some of my own crew would not have been so loyal. So don’t give me that I am a monster crap.” Cid snorted and rolled his eyes.
Vincent’s clawed gauntlet reached out to encircle Cid’s throat. He gripped the pilot’s neck lightly and frowned.
“I’m dangerous. A cold blooded killer. How can you just stand there after what you’ve seen?” Confusion laced Vincent’s smooth baritone.
Cid couldn’t help it…he laughed. He chortled right in a startled Vincent’s face. “Listen pal this intimidation thing. It just ain’t working.”
“Why?” Ok now Vincent was really perplexed. Cid was laughing at him? Most men would have wet themselves by now.
Blue eyes sparkling with glee Cid replied. “Intimidated by you? Yeah I was at first. Because dude I have to tell ya you make one seriously bad ass demon. But when you stalked over to me and touched my wounds you were so gentle. Then you rubbed all over me like some big kitty cat. You even purred! The fearless and powerful Vincent Valentine let me pet his hair and he even licked my cheek.”
“I did what?” Vincent sounded aghast. He usually remembered everything that happened after he changed but this time it had been so swift and unexpected.
When he had seen that snow beast about to kill Cid his vision had gone red and before he knew it Chaos was a screaming whirlwind of death. But there were too many of the creatures and his friend was wounded so he had to get him to safety. Then he remembered feeling oddly protective towards Cid and then feeling strangely content.
“Yeah…a big old kitty cat. So nope. Not afraid of you at all. So you can put away that specter of doom persona because I ain’t buying it.” Cid took a deep of a breath as he could manage and made another hasty decision.
The blond closed the slight distance between them and lightly brushed his lips across Vincent’s cool mouth. He froze as Cid slid his good hand into Vincent’s untidy fall of black hair and pressed closer. As kisses went it was fairly chaste with no tongue involved at all. But to Cid it was the sweetest victory of all. He’d not been rebuked.
“I…I don’t understand.” Vincent stammered.
“I care about you Vincent. I have for a while. We need to talk but not up here. I am about two minutes from collapsing altogether. Plus I don’t think I can get back down by myself. Will you come to my cabin and talk to me?” Cid looked hopefully at the black haired man. He really hoped Vincent would not panic and flee.
“How can you care for me? I’m broken and do not know if I’ll ever be right?” Regret tinged his words as he prepared himself to be alone again.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what Hojo did to you! I’ve fought along side you for months. I’ve seen you hurt and bleed. I’ve seen your sorrow over every fucked up thing that is wrong with this planet. I’ve seen you grieve over each and every death. I’ve seen the real Vincent Valentine and I’m not going to give him up without a fight! So take me back to my room and you’d bloody well better not leave!” Cid’s tirade brought on a coughing fit that nearly sent him to his knees.
Vincent grabbed Cid before he could topple to the floor. “You really want me to come with you?”
“Yeah.” Cid wheezed.
“All right. I’ll stay.” Vincent whispered.
All Cid could do was grin. Those words carried more weight than merely agreeing to escort the injured pilot to his room. From the damaged ex Turk they were a promise and a vow to give whatever was happening between them a fighting chance.