Love:: Misunderstanding

Your wasp, your honey, your lovely number eight is back! Back with a oneshot . x.x ''''

Back with a oneshot for CidxVincent! Love~ almost sounds like Sid Vicious, eh? Haha, they need a oneshot. Seriously. Cid was like, "I want some screen time!" And Vincent was like…"Don't tell anyone about my past *frown, scowl*" ….So I was like, "PFF. K." Here it is! ^-^

This is before Cid meets Roxas, and candid within the Love::Misunderstanding universe. But first:

. like cigarettes burning closer to the filter, Stinging more as time runs out with every puff; a pile of ash, all that's left beside the bullet standing upright on the table.::.

(^-this little thing right here is an accumulation of lyrics I was writing that had nowhere to go in my new song. I thought they fit nicely with this oneshot though ^-^) Okay, so Noooow I proudly present:

---

..::..A Bullet's Shadow and Lemon Yogurt..::..

"Well isn't this nice?"

Hojo paced a small path before the men that'd been driven to their knees. "A Yakuza", the bald one received a vicious kick to his side with naught but a grunt as yet another of his ribs splintered. He panted and bent over. "And a Triad." The redhead curled his lip, a wicked dagger's edge whispering against his ear. "Together."

Strands of ink escaped the man's ponytail. He paused, expensive suit rustling when he pushed up his glasses. He clasped his hands behind his back, voice lowering almost sweetly, "Would someone mind telling me", then he was yelling, "What the FUCK is going on here?"

All present winced. The bald one spat out a clot of blood and grinned, his teeth pink. One of the lenses in his sunglasses was missing, the eye behind it swollen shut. His split lip gushed a little as he rasped, "There was a leak. Each of us got a call to come check out some new merchandise."

"Shut up Rude."

"Oh, so do you know each other?"

The two men exchanged a grim look. "No", they answered in unison.

Hojo smirked. "Come now, lies won't do you any good at this stage of the game." He turned to his men and one woman, dressed in a slinky scarlet number that left little to the imagination. "The Triads and Yakuza are working together, to try and bring us down."

A smattering of chuckles crowded the room. The leader stroked the knot of his tie with a finger as he sauntered up to the slighter of the two males. That same finger drifted forward and its companions joined in while Hojo's hand stroked through crimson bangs, scraping lightly till he reached the back of the redhead's skull. Green eyes snapped shut as he hissed through gritted teeth when Hojo's light touch fisted into a vicious yank, exposing the creamy pillar of the man's neck.

The bald one growled and struggled against his restraints. "Don't touch Reno!"

"Rude, shut up yo." Reno gagged, his head drawn back too far for a moment.

Standing in the corner, Vincent stiffened when his boss plucked the air with his free hand.

A gasp, the sound of fabric being sliced open. Vincent stepped forward and pulled a small vial filled with electric-blue powder from his breast pocket. He never used the stuff, especially this new shit, but he'd be remiss as a dealer if he didn't have some on his person at all times.

Their fingers brushed momentarily and the shorter ravenette jerked back as if he'd been burned. "You came for Protomateria right? Well, here."

"You scum! Don—"

Hojo shoved the tube up one of Reno's nostrils then brought the side of his fist down. Reno cried out as the leader stepped back with an ugly leer and wiped his hand free of splintered glass and spackles of blood. Reno slumped to the ground, whimpering and shaking, tears stinging as they seeped into his broken nose.

Rude fought his hold and, at Hojo's signal, was released to lunge forward and lay himself over the sobbing redhead as he glared up at them all. His chest heaved and the beads of sweat glistening over the expanse of his dome quivered. "Do it to me. Don't hurt him."

"Rude", the smaller male moaned.

The naked bulb above was swinging like an obscene pendulum, at once lulling and setting teeth on edge.

"So sweet", Hojo simpered, glasses catching the light as he jutted his chin and crossed his arms. "But this Shakespeare shit is killing me. Who called you?"

"We don't know."

"Who called you?" Rude took another kick as he continued to shield Reno with his body. "I said we don't fucking know."

Vincent kept his face a perfect study of neutrality as he plucked Cerberus from its holster and handed it to Hojo. The leader thumbed the safety and sighed. "Okay. I take it back—"

"Wait, don't!"

"—this Shakespeare shit is killing you."

A single shot was drowned by the redhead's shrieks of agony. Rude sagged to the floor, a pulpy heap glistening where one of his eyes had once resided. The man's mouth was suspended in a silent scream as blood so dark it was almost black puddled around his head. A volley of bullets. His body jerked and twitched in a sick parody of life.

The smell, the searing of human flesh and that stifling sticky insanity our lungs reject; death.

"You fucking bastards", Reno howled, rolling over and scooting himself closer to the motionless husk that used to be his lover, his friend, his greatest rival. "Baby, baby no! Talk to me! Rude!" He choked. "You said we were gonna get out of this…you said!" His breath hitched in a pained sob, shoulders quivering as he pressed coppery kisses on every surface of Rude's face he could reach from his position. He whipped back up, face livid. But he couldn't even ask why. This wasn't their turf. By rights they weren't even supposed to be working together. He couldn't boast payback, that this wasn't over. Because it was.

It was all over.

Hojo shrugged as anger melted into hopeless epiphany on the other man's face. "He carved his honor into his back. I carved mine into his skull." Reno flinched and laid his tear and blood streaked face against Rude's bald head. It was wet. And warm.

But it wasn't alive…

Hojo was speaking again but Reno could barely hear it over the thudding of his heart, too loud in his ears. "See, the difference between us is that Yakuza think of long-term relationships, you filthy bastards think of the short term. Your only goal is money, money, money...Your Jinshan Group. Your Dragons that pilfer gas stations and noodle shacks and whore houses for a quick buck. We're not like you. We are something great. We", he swept his arms out at his men. "We are eternal."

"No!" Reno's head snapped down and cracked against Rude's skull. "Dammit no!"

Two suits stepped forward and hauled the squirming mess to his feet. Hojo rubbed his chin a moment as he regarded the dead man, and the live one. "Give him another hit." Vincent supplied Hojo with a second vial which he then handed to the bigger of the two goons. "Then pass his ass around until he feels loose enough to talk."

Terror skittered across Reno's face, he started to struggle in earnest. "No! Kill me!" He lunged forward, was jerked back. He kicked and howled until his voice cracked. "Kill me! Kill me, please!" The redhead was dragged from the room.

Hojo cocked his hip and tilted his head until Cerberus's muzzle rested against his temple. The single woman in the room appeared completely unfazed as she stepped forward and draped herself over the boss, whispering something in his ear. Hazel eyes flashed as they flicked up and locked with Vincent's crimson. He smirked.

"Who are we", he boomed.

"Regenesis", they cheered in unison.

"And why did we form?"

"To cleanse the ranks!" All voices blended into a single frenzy. Hojo inclined his head and turned to his second in command once again. "Well, Vin. That was fun, wasn't it?"

The shorter man nodded and shot his leader a look.

"Now it's your turn." Cerberus rose.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Ammunition bit and whined like lethal insects as they scattered brick and people alike on the crowded streets of Center Gai. It was early evening, at its most packed and the shopping center was now a battle ground as Vincent ran for his very life.

One of his hands was mangled, two fingers bent at odd angles and he used it to try and staunch the heavy flow from his chest, the other hanging limp at his side and somehow still managing to clench Quicksilver's trigger. He almost laughed at the irony as he ducked around a group of shrieking school girls.

"Valentine, get back here!"

He twirled and aimed blind shots into the fluorescent ether.

Cries.

Did he hit his target?

No.

Keep running.

His chest throbbed, and with each heartbeat, he was losing more of his precious blood. His head swam, dizzy and hot and weak. His eyelids drooped with exhaustion even as his body pumped itself to the limit.

Wincing, Vincent fractured another finger to keep himself awake. It wrenched with a sickening crack before he placed it back against his chest, not ceasing his steps for a moment. Sweat dripped into his eyes, or were they tears?

They couldn't be. He'd lost the ability to cry years ago.

"Vinnie? What are you—? Vinnie no!"

"I'm sorry."

Cerberus. The same weapon he'd taken Lucrecia's life with was to be his death this night. He slumped against the wall and smiled up at the hazy sky. The dirge still rang, that haunting song never really fading from his most sacred thoughts. "You watching baby? I'll see you soon."

An image of Hojo's sneering face and Scarlet's triumphant simper swam in his mind's eye and he straightened with a snarl before stumbling into motion once again. It had been a gift, that gun. A gift from the man who had made him what he was. But they'd begun to fear Vincent's power, his influence.

When the dregs in Shinjuku's underbelly started to whisper his name instead of Hojo's with that fearful respect, the bastard shot him with the symbol of his status. It sounded the same as the day it—he—stole his beloved's life. And now it was going to take him too. Such ugly, poetic justice.

Maybe this wasn't just a pride thing on their leader's part. Hojo was a good business man if anything else, Vincent thought bitterly. He knew too much so he was automatically assumed to be the leak. His hands were too deep in the Chaos-laced Mako and Protomateria that were circulating through the clubs and whores as the new 'hit drugs'. Fast, effective, berserk; a two-way ticket to oblivion that left no trace and minimal death. It was quickly ousting Ozone because of it's lack of after effect. That's the way things worked in Regenesis though. Clean. Efficient.

Shouts surged right behind him as the crowd parted in alarm. Quicksilver weighed more with every step. His fingers slipped. Vincent lurched into a dark side street. The gaping maw swallowed him greedily and he had just enough wherewithal to bury himself beneath a pile of trash as the insistent thud of booted feet finally caught up. He watched them all; Gast, Kadaj, even Tseng and Elena—who he'd personally saved the skins of more than once—dash past his hiding place with murder on their faces, pulling their lips back into excited sneers.

Vincent gave his all to Regenesis, even going so far as to kill Lucrecia for a position in their ranks. He'd baptized himself in innocent blood more times than he could ever count. He'd done unspeakable things, watched horrors that should've woken him in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.

But he was unaffected.

Until now.

His heart grimaced as Shelke stumbled after them, the last of his pursuers. To give the kid credit, he at least looked sick about the whole thing. The gun was too big, too clumsy in his hands.

A smirk that carried no humor twisted Vincent's lips as he fisted the slippery, sticky fabric of his shirt, wincing as his broken fingers protested. Hojo taught him well, too well.

Even though it had been all of them against him, even though Hojo had sat behind his desk while the group kicked the shit out of him, even though he shouldn't have been able to with all the odds pitted against him…Vincent had escaped. Hojo had shot him in the chest with Cerberus, Vincent had snatched Quicksilver, and Vincent had escaped.

"I'm coming baby", he mumbled through numb lips.

"Vinc…ent. It hurts…"

That was my sin, and this...this is my punishment.

With great effort, Vincent crawled from underneath his pile and rolled over onto his back. Quicksilver glinted wickedly as he propped it on his stomach, a threat to any who may try to happen on him before he breathed his last. An idle threat…

Dark splotches exploded in front of his eyes but he squinted through them, he squinted and sighed at his last view of the pink, hazy sky before everything went white.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

The cigarette crackled to life as Cid took a drag. The ember sparked orange and twin cobalt blinked a few times as he let a pillar of smoke escape his lips to mingle with the nippy breeze.

"Get off me!"

"Come oooon. Squall, you're no fun anymore!"

Cid jangled the key in the glass door of the service station before stretching up and yanking the security cage down. He turned and flicked up the collar of his jacket. "Just walk her home Lee."

"She won't even say my name right! Why should I?"

Yuffie tugged on Cid's arm and glanced up at him with sparkly eyes and a pouty lip. "I'm just calling him by the name his momma gave him."

"Will you shut up already!"

"Leon", the eldest barked. The brunette jumped and squared his shoulders as he cut an indignant look at his boss. Cid stepped next to him and clapped Leon on the shoulder. "She may be a menace, she may be a Yuffie", Yuffie scowled at him. "But she's still a girl. It's the right thing to do." Yuffie beamed and glomped Leon's shoulder.

The brunette sagged then glared down at the bouncing femme before tucking his hands in his pockets and muttering, "Might as well get it over with."

Cid smiled to himself and didn't move a muscle until they'd wandered down the street out of sight. Mechanically, the ex-pilot reached up and tapped with his finger to dislodge the limp ash that had accumulated on the end of his cigarette before tucking it back in the corner of his mouth and starting down the opposite way. He melded with the crowds, belatedly noticing that something was amiss with all the police and stragglers milling about. Flaxen brows rose into his hairline with each step along his normally peaceful route.

Cracked glass. Ambulances. Mayhem…everywhere. The blonde hunched his shoulders, his scowl carving deeper as his boots crunched over the damage. It looked like a monsoon had blasted through.

"Regenesis…"

"Why can't they just—"

"Shh! Someone may be listening. Do you want to be next?"

Cid tucked his chin against his chest, glower darkening at that familiar terror when something caught in his peripheral. He stopped on a dime and weighed his possibilities, eyeballing the abstract reflections on the black plastic heap. He stepped closer.

"Hello? Anyone alive back there?"

No answer.

Cid sidled closer and slipped through the cracks, glancing back to make sure no one was watching. Everyone's attention was riveted the other way. The alcove was biggest at its entrance, he found. When he plunged a little deeper into the off-light, he halted with a grunt of surprise. Cid spit out his cigarette and ground it under one heel before nudging the body sprawled atop the bags. Pale, red everywhere. The man's eyes were open but unresponsive as he clutched a gun to his stomach. A tentative hand came out to check his pulse.

Cid jerked back.

He's alive.

Not for much longer if he keeps losing blood like that.

"Why is it always the alleys", Cid muttered.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

"Papa?"

"Get off me kid. I'm not your 'papa'."

Crimson eyes stared up at him, swimming with tears as a little fist bunched the hem of his duster.

"Where's my papa?"

"You're alone. You'll always be alone."

Vincent knelt on his haunches until he was eye-level with the boy, a five year old replica of what he used to be. The child started crying louder. "I'm scared! I don't want to be alone! Papa! Papa!"

"Shut up. You have to be strong now. You're all you've got left in this world."

The small phantom hugged himself and shivered. "It's cold."

"We're dying."

You're dying.

"I don't want to die."

Die now or die later.

The dark pit that he and his younger self were trapped in dissolved until it showed him as a bitter orphan teen. A naïve teen who'd just gotten his first taste of power on the wrong side of town. A naïve teen who wanted to keep this tenuous control and kill off the weakness that made his gangly knees knock together.

You've got style kid.

Vincent whipped around and tried to cry out when Hojo clapped his teen-self on the shoulder in approval. He tried but his voice was stuck; he was merely an observer of his own life now, watching all the places he'd ever gone wrong.

It's rough but how'd you like to run with us? We'll train you, and you'll never have to suffer or answer to anyone ever again. What do you say?

Vincent kicked the teacher that had trailed him from school in the ribs again and spit on him for good measure.

Good answer.

"Don't!"

Prove yourself. Do it. You're so close now.

Vincent blinked at sunlight dappling through the white eyelet curtains…His eyes widened. Lucrecia.

A groan burned his throat as he turned. There she was, as beautiful…as alive as she was the day he'd stolen her precious existence from this world. Vincent was five years his own senior as he watched. He was older now. Wiser, and yet he couldn't move a muscle to stop the wheels of fate that were turning faster and faster.

She was backed against the kitchen wall, soft smile banished and replaced by features taut with fear. Blue. Blue had always been her favorite color. She was wearing blue and she looked so small. She liked blue. She would be blue soon.

"This is my way in."

"Vinnie please, don't do this. I love you…"

"I love you too." The arm softened, lowered, pointed that death instrument down. "I really do." He stepped closer and brushed part of her ponytail out of her face. His brows drew together.

"I'm sorry."

"Vincent." A ghost of a smile returned for a second as a single tear chased down her cheek. "I love—"

"Noooo!"

Cid jumped back with a foul curse as the younger man sat up and lashed out. Blood spurted from his chest. He gasped and cupped it, a broken groan escaping.

"Where…where am I?"

The blonde cocked his head and scratched his stubble, kneeling on his haunches with a scowl. "You don't remember?"

Twin crimson—that Cid thought had been just due to all the blood—blinked then narrowed. He was all lean sculpted muscle as he shifted and hissed with hair like ink spilling out in messy feathered layers. He almost looked feminine. Cid was surprised at how fragile the man felt in his arms despite the strength it took to stay conscious through that kind of pain for as long as he did.

"No hospitals", the man growled suddenly.

Cid rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Kinda figured with the way you were fuckin cradling that piece of yours like a child."

Vincent's good hand convulsed as if to illustrate the point and the man bowed his head to blink stupidly at Quicksilver.

"We're at…your place?"

"Fucking Christ." The older man scooted closer and was promptly confronted with a face-full-o-gun. "Woah. Woah, it's cool. I surrender okay?"

"Don't try anything funny." Vincent regretted making a stabbing motion.

Cid threw up his hands with a smirk despite his situation. "Threats can come later. Don't you think we should try to get that fucking hole in your chest plugged up first?"

Without being asked Vincent flumped back onto the couch and let his head swim.

"Bite."

A fuzzy forearm was suddenly in his face.

"Excuse me?"

"Bite down. I don't have any anesthetic and this is gonna hurt like a bitch."

Tentative teeth closed around Cid's arm then dug into the flesh with a muffled scream when something cold stabbed into his gaping wound. The forearm held him in place as it acted like a gag while Cid dug around with tweezers.

"Gottcha." He pulled back, collapsing on his butt with a triumphant noise, casting a bemused look between his bleeding arm and the bullet between his tweezers. "Now then."

Cid set both aside and shoved two pills into the ravenette's mouth, using one hand to cradle the base of his skull while he guided water between the man's parched lips. After a couple of swallows he allowed the younger male to drift back onto the pillows as he staunched the tiny spurting hole with a rag.

Long eyelashes fluttered as Vincent's breathing turned shallow but stable.

"You'll be fine now", Vincent heard the man murmur above him. "Just a scratch…dodged…lucky…" A cool rag dragged over his skin then burning. Vincent tried to shy away but his body was too heavy to move. More burning. The tang of alcohol. Then his hand went numb and cold as Cid splinted Vincent's broken fingers. He hissed. Pressure, bandages. " I'm Cid…wha…name?"

He burrowed one side of his face into the pillow with a sleepy growl when the motion stopped. "Vincent", he managed. Then, he was floating…floating.

Like he was made of air.

You're not dead yet. Why aren't you dead yet?

This is my sin.

Cid sighed as he tucked Vincent into his bed and sat on the edge. He ran a weary hand over his face and kept it there, staring through the cage of his fingers at the light spilling through the open crack of his door.

It was sickening, how used to this he was by now; picking bullets out of young kids who should be at home with their families, going to school, living a good life. This one looked to be about in his early twenties despite his six foot stature. Cid was no pushover but Vincent was—

The blonde froze. He cast a furtive glance behind him, he knew this kid from somewhere.

Vincent's chest was rising and falling slowly with drugged slumber. The man's breath hitched suddenly and he shifted. Sweat was starting to bead on his brow. Without thinking, Cid dabbed away the moisture and his chest clenched when the other male moaned. His lips parted. "Luc…"

Cid got up and went to clean up the mess left in his living room.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

It had been precisely seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. Ten thousand eighty minutes… Six hundred and four thousand eight hundred seconds. Cid's head throbbed as he rung up a carton of cigarettes for himself then closed out the register.

"You okay old man?"

He looked over and watched Leon flip the sign before the brunette sauntered over.

"Fine." But his voice was gruffer than usual.

"Do you need any help?"

"Nah."

"What if he's dangerous?"

"Brat's sleeping like a kitten. How bad can he be?"

"Bad enough to be cradling a gun when you found him."

Cid's lips pressed into a thin line. "And you were just Saint fuckin Therese when I hauled your sorry ass out of the gutter. At least he hasn't tried to beat the shit out of me yet."

Leon colored. "That was different."

"It's not different yet. I'm giving him a chance and an offer until he lets me know otherwise."

Leon released a sigh and kneaded his shoulders. "You've got balls, I'll give you that."

"Oh?"

"I don't know which is worse, leaving that guy unsupervised in your house, or leaving him there with Yuffie as supervision."

Cid snorted. "I guess you got me there."

He reached under the counter and plucked his jacket from its hanger, pausing with it halfway on when Leon spoke again. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I got it Lee. Quit being such a bitch."

A tight smile curled the corners of Leon's mouth. "Those always were your famous last words."

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

"Come on, just try a bite."

"Dear God get off me."

"Not until you try a bite! It's a family recipe that'll have you up and at 'em in a jiffy!"

"Somebody help!"

Cid pinched the bridge of his nose as he toed of his shoes in the entryway, doing his best to ignore the smell of caramelized…something.

He heaved his body into the kitchen and palmed at his face, setting down the plastic bag with a slight rustle before moving towards his bedroom.

"I said no!"

"Just one bite won't kill you."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Yuf. You're cooking's kind of…legendary."

The girl glanced up then vaulted off the injured figure cowering on the bed. She launched herself at Cid and threw her arms around him, placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek and bouncing back on her heels.

"Hi Cid! Welcome home!"

The blonde eyed her then turned his gaze to the scandalized man on his mattress. "Hey", he said. He ruffled the excitable femme's hair with one hand without looking at her. "How do you feel?"

"Great!"

"Terrible", Vincent muttered.

Yuffie shot him a look. "Oh, you're just a big fat baby. Wah, wah, wah my chest hurts. Wah, wah, wah Yuffie-get-off-I-can't-breathe. Wah, wah, wah, your food is—"

"Hey big girl. Do me a favor?"

She smiled up at Cid and clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on the balls of her feet. "What's up?"

"I forgot to give Leon some cigarettes for last time. Would you grab half the carton in the bag out there and go give them to him?"

She beamed. "Sure thing Pops." She cut another playful glare at the ravenette. "You kids have fun now."

He squawked then choked as she bounded out of the room.

Cid snorted as the door slammed and Vincent visibly deflated. "Jesus Christ."

"He ain't got nothing to do with it."

The younger male rubbed his chest. "She's scarier than…" He paused and the hand squeezed into the blanket. His throat bobbed with a swallow as he looked away.

"Scarier than…?"

"Never mind."

Cid shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Vincent blinked, the blonde turning to amble into his kitchen. He opened a pot on the stove and took a tentative sniff, pulling back as his eyes teared a little. He grinned in spite of himself while he filled a glass with water and moseyed back into the room.

"Here", he growled, shoving it at Vincent along with two pills.

"Thanks", the infirm murmured. He titled his head back and his face crinkled with a slight grimace as he downed both and wiped the back of his mouth with his good hand.

"It was uh…" Cid scratched the back of his neck. "It was spinach potato and bleach goulash…If you were wondering."

Vincent gaped. "She tried to make me eat bleach?"

"It's only a little….She says its good for colds."

"She's crazy. And I don't have a cold."

Cid chuckled and crossed his arms, propping himself against his wall and fixing the younger male with a stare. "We love her anyways."

Vincent refused to meet his gaze, fingers whitening further as he squeezed the glass and glared at the wall.

"That's nice and all but I need to get going soon."

"You're staying right where you are. There's no rush. "

"Yes. There is. I—"

Cid held up his palm as his mouth pulled down in a scowl that brooked little argument. "I'm going to make you something edible. You're going to stay right there. You're going to fucking eat. And you're going to heal. When you can drag your sorry ass outta bed, then we'll talk about you leavin'. But not before."

"But—"

"Up, pup, pup!"

And he walked out again.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Two weeks.

"Here?"

"No, a little to the left."

"Here?"

"Right there."

Cid bit his lip and flexed his fingers as he kneaded the muscles around the ivory shoulder. He braced his palm and pulled the arm up into a slow stretch. Vincent groaned and slammed his head back into the pillow with gritted teeth. "Okay, stop. Stop!"

Cid withdrew and pulled back the covers. "You're not tensing up as much."

"This isn't my first experience with a bullet wound. And this wasn't that bad."

"Wasn't that bad. Uh-huh." Nimble fingers undid the dressings around Vincent's middle, exposing a pucker of tender, healing flesh. Cid pointedly ignored the pink nipples that suddenly rose to attention at the change in temperature. His brows pulled down in concentration. "You heal fast."

"I always have."

He screwed off the cap to some topical ointment he always kept handy and stroked one slick finger over the raised skin. Vincent shuddered and his eyes snapped shut as his breath caught. Cid's glower darkened.

"I suppose if I ask what happened you'll just keep saying—"

"This is my sin."

Cid let out a tired sigh and cinched the fresh dressings tight. "I'm here to talk if you ever need to."

"I won't. At this rate it won't be long now."

"No", Cid's voice was rough. "I guess it won't." Cid remembered what'd been bugging him so much about Vincent, and it wasn't his picky taste in food or his vitality.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Three weeks.

In that time, Cid found out that Vincent had a pet cat named Red XIII. But that was it.

Three weeks.

In that time, Vincent had learned of Cid's chronic addiction to smoking, which the older man only exercised outside of his apartment as a courtesy to further Vincent's healing. Vincent had learned that Cid owned and ran a service station down the way. He was like a father figure to a plethora of kids, of which Vincent had met Axel, Leon, and Yuffie. Apparently there were more. Vincent had learned of Cid's odd penchant for tea spiked with burboun and lemon yogurt.

In that time, Vincent had learned a lot. He had learned a lot and could grudgingly admit to being drawn into this nice little dream. Because in that time Vincent had learned much. Lucrecia's voice kept whispering in his mind: Forgive. Forgive…She was getting louder every day.

And Cid only knew about his cat, or so he thought.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Thirty days. Four weeks. A month.

And Vincent hadn't left yet. Cid was just fine with that.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

"This is a dream."

The feline snorted and hopped up to curl in his lap. Red started to purr as Vincent scratched idly around his ears and stared out the window. This seat had always been his favorite, this window seat where the sun reached all facets of his face and body. And this was a dream.

This was a dream because the sun felt cold now.

And Red VIII could talk.

"I'm scared Vincent."

"I know."

"I have eight lives left. And now you've gone away. I'm losing everything and everyone I love."

"We're both doomed to a life of loneliness it seems." The cat hissed and swiped at him, springing from his thighs and landing soundlessly on the carpet. "You can't keep running away from the things that really matter."

Inky hair spilled over his shoulder and covered one crimson eye as Vincent regarded his cat. "I can stay?"

"You will stay."

Vincent nodded. "I will stay. And you can stay too."

Red's tail flicked as he sat and licked a paw. "Good. Now, where's my food?"

"What?"

The cat's eyes flashed, his whiskers quivering. "You left and now there's no one to feed me."

Vincent bolted up with a gasp. His hands started to shake so he fisted them in the blankets and calmed his breathing until the invisible knives stopped stabbing his chest. A light knock sounded at the door.

A blonde, messy head of hair poked in. Cid was bleary-eyed but still managed to look concerned. "You okay", he croaked.

Vincent swallowed and forced his head to tilt, a jerky nod. "F-fine."

Cid snorted. "I call bullshit."

He opened the door all the way and blood was suddenly throbbing in Vincent's cheeks. Cid's chest was naked, the sweatpants clinging in all the right places as he padded across the room and sat on the bed.

"I think it's time we talked."

"Now?"

"Right fucking now."

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

He still didn't know. Vincent gave away a little of himself, said that he was a part of a gang, but he'd kept back Lucrecia, his title as the Gallian Beast. Cid had just listened, nodded when it was appropriate, and mussed his hand through Vincent's inky hair.

"Is that all?"

Vincent had nodded.

"So what do you want for breakfast", was all Cid asked.

Vincent was only able to gape at him. "You know I'm dangerous right? I could steal from you while you're not home, kill you in your sleep, or—"

"Then why haven't you?"

Vincent didn't know how to answer that. Because I'm still not all there? Because I'm waiting for your guard to lower?

Excuses.

All excuses.

He couldn't because Cid was a decent person, gruff and definitely rough around the edges but he was kind to a fault. He didn't demand anything from Vincent except that he heal.

"I'm going to work now. You should at least put on a coat if you're gonna sit out in the cold."

Vincent swiveled to look at the blonde who was donning his jacket with a cocky smirk on the other side of the screen. Twin crimson rolled as he ran idle fingers over his wound, now nothing more than a phantom ache that zinged if he moved wrong. He swung himself off the railing where he'd been perched, staring out at the trees and buildings, thinking.

Thinking and wishing.

Vincent went inside to see Cid off.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Veld's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as he watched the target they'd been scouring the city for suanter inside.

"Finally found you, you slippery bastard."

He smirked as his fingers curled around his phone.

"We're gonna put you down for good this time."

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

The members for AVALANCHE, a small gang who was rising in both rumor and reputation milled around in the bare warehouse as they chatted with the lower ranks from Regenesis.

"Isn't it beautiful my love?"

Hojo snaked an arm around Scarlet's waist and pulled her against his side. "We're organizing. We're becoming bigger. Soon the rest of the world will shudder at our name."

"Regenesis is eternal", she whispered.

He smiled as his phone rang.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

"Leave them alive?"

Veld nodded, his distaste clear. "This is only a message to the Beast. We have to flush him out."

Shelke's shoulders sagged with relief then squared again at the look Veld cut him. "Of course, a little…accident here and there wouldn't be so bad."

The younger male's throat bobbed with a nervous swallow. He shuffled and squeaked when he backed into a warm chest. Kadaj bent down and laughed in his ear. "Man, this brings back memories. We haven't knocked over a quickie mart in forever."

Veld snorted then turned back to the square of white glaring out into the darkness, HIGHWIND standing out in sharp, yellow block letters. "It's not a quickie mart. It's a service station."

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

Yuffie was pulling down a box of twinkies from the back when the door slammed. She turned, eyes wide to find Leon banging on it. The click of a latch sounded, locking them both in.

"Keep her safe", she heard Cid's muffled roar.

Leon pummeled the steel with his fists, the dull clang of metal jarring and ugly in this small, dimly lit place. "Cid! Cid, goddammit!"

Noise, static. Glass exploding and fleshy squelches from punching, kicking. Scuffles, grunting. A howl of pain.

"Cid!"

Yuffie hugged herself and started crying. Leon stiffened and turned back to her, his face wrought with anguish. He opened his arms and she hadn't even realized she'd picked her feet up until her cheek was buried in his shoulder. His arms came up around her, bruised knuckles digging into the small of her back and leather squeaking as they clung to one another while chaos detonated on the other side of the door.

"Give our regards to Vincent."

A whoosh. A thud from a boot in the gut. Coughing. A stifled groan, then the unmistakable sound of a heavy body sliding down the door.

Silence.

Leon's arms tightened as Yuffie's howls reached a crescendo.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

When the door scraped open on rusty hinges, both youths rose to their feet on shaky legs and bum rushed the surprised policeman. "Where is he!?"

"Calm down ma'am. Everything will be—"

"Where is he?!"

Yuffie's hand strangled her twinky and white oozed from the spongecake. She looked left, right.

Almost fainted with relief.

"Cid…"

The blonde man looked up, lip busted and one eye swollen shut. When he grinned one of his teeth was missing. He waved away the hovering EMT who tried to shine a light in his injured eye. He stood with some effort and winced as he wrapped one arm around his waist.

"Mr. Highwind, I really think—"

"I ain't going to no fuckin hospital if I can't smoke. Get off me already."

The EMT stepped back with pursed lips and turned to the two approaching teens. "Is he always like this?"

Leon shrugged. "You learn to live with it."

Cid opened his free arm and for once, Yuffie didn't jump on him which in and of itself showed how shaken she really was. Even so he winced when she hugged him.

"Hey big girl. How ya doin'", he rasped against her hair. She sniffled.

"I-I'm good pops."

"Did Leon protect ya?"

She nodded against his neck and started to tremble. "How are you?"

He let a hiss out then sucked his teeth as he sat back down on the crate he'd been previously resting on. "Been better."

Yuffie made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob as she sank down and propped her forehead on his knee. Without being asked, Leon shook a stick from his pack and handed it over to Cid who tucked it behind his ear while he patted the girl on her head.

"Why don't you go on home now?"

Her hair spilled over her eyes as a petulant lip poked out. "Don't wanna."

"We'll walk you home", Leon growled.

Cid glanced up at him then scowled. He turned to the approaching policeman.

"There's—"

"Nothing else you can do. I know. There's nothing you can ever do."

An offended brow rose. "We're filing a report sir. As far as damages—"

"I get it", Cid snarled through gritted teeth. He spit and it was pink against the white tile.

The cop scratched something on his notepad and scratched his ear with the pen as he cocked his hip. "We'll need to question you…"

Cid groaned. "I know damn well you can do that later. I want to go home now. "

"We'll be in touch Mr. Highwind."

Cid eyeballed him as the man stepped through the shattered window, his footsteps crunching over the Plexiglas. When he was sure he wouldn't be seen, the older man flipped his retreating defender the bird. Yuffie snickered and mirrored the gesture.

"Yuffie, no."

Cid tapped her nose and she smiled through tears at him. He rose to his feet on his own power, though his body gave an audible creak of protest. He swayed a little, batting away Leon's hand when the brunette gripped his elbow to steady him.

"Off", he snapped and started to hobble towards the door. For posterity's sake he snagged the handle and scraped an arc through the pile of glass as he swung the skeletal frame open and wobbled out the door.

"Fuck. My jacket."

He was about to turn when a warm bundle flumped softly against his shoulder.

"Let's get you home."

"Guys, you don't—"

"Cid", Leon grit out. "You take care of us all this time. Let us at least do this for you."

Yuffie popped up and tucked her hands in her pockets with a cute lip pucker. "Yeah, Pops! In your own words, 'shut the fuck up and let's go'."

Cid blushed.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

When the door slamming rang through the dark house, Vincent padded out of the kitchen with a cup of tea—

And it promptly shattered when he saw Cid, sagging between his two employees with his arms slung over each of their shoulders. He had enough awareness to stand aside when they staggered past, receiving a healthy glower from the taller brunette he remembered as Leon. Vincent's feet felt like they weighed a ton as he followed them into the back room.

"What…happened?"

Leon whirled and was on him, fisting his hands into the flannel shirt and slamming Vincent into the rough plaster wall. "You happened", he snarled, stormy grey snapping with his fury. "You and your fucking Regenesis buddies happened."

Vincent paled as Leon pulled him forward a little them rammed him twice as hard into the wall, stealing his breath as ice washed over him.

"No…"

"Yes." Leon panted and stepped back as he rolled both shoulder's then spit in Vincent's face. The shorter male didn't flinch, didn't even move when the brunette jabbed a finger at the shallow husk that was Cid on his bed. "See that? That's your fucking fault. After all he's done for you—"

"I didn't know …" But his voice was gravelly because he did know. It was only a matter of time and Hojo never left loose ends.

"I'll tell you what you don't know. You don't know the name on his lips the whole time those fucking cowards ganged up and kicked the shit out of him do you? Do you?! It was yours! He called your name over and over as he screamed. He's protecting you and for what? For this!? "

Vincent dipped his head and slid down until his face rested on his knees, hands bunched in his hair. "I'm sorry."

Leon reached down to drag him back up but Cid's voice forced the scene to a screeching halt. "Enough." Leon swiveled back to glance at his boss, even Vincent poked his head up.

The eldest was propped up with one arm wrapped around his middle, expression cloudy with quiet rage. "Don't judge people based on their pasts Leon. You better than anyone should know not to."

"This scum doesn't deserve—"

"Leon—"

"Can you even see yourself right now?!"

"Enough", Cid roared and he was on his feet, chest heaving, fists balled at his sides. "Boy, I have never hit you but I am this close." He held up two fingers.

"You'd hit me for him", Leon sneered. His face crinkled with disgust as Cid's eyes narrowed into slivers of glass.

"Get Yuffie, get yourselves home, and cool the fuck off."

"What if they're still out there", came Yuffie's hesitant whisper.

Some of the fire eased and Cid's shoulders slumped. "C'mere big girl." She rushed into his arms and cried quietly while he swayed with her, his face pained. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's okay…"

"You need to get home. You need to let your mom know you're alright."

"But you're like my dad."

"I'm not and I never will be. You know that little one. Come on, you've been doing so good." He hooked her chin between his thumb and forefinger, steering her eyes up to meet his as they crinkled fondly. "Don't fuck up cause of this old fart. I know you're scared but Leon won't let anything happen to you." He fixed the brunette with a hard stare. "I'll have his nuts otherwise."

She laughed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand, stepping out of his embrace and taking Leon's offered elbow. For once, he knew not to fight. He even cupped himself with his free hand to wring an extra grin from the shaking girl. But his lips set into a grim line as he flicked his gaze from Vincent to Cid and back again. They did their best to bore holes into the ravenette's skull as he addressed Cid. "If you need anything—"

Cid nodded and made a shooing motion. "Go away now."

They did. When the door closed, much easier this time, Vincent rose from his position on the floor. "Leon's…Leon's right. I should go too." He blew out a breath and combed through his hair. "It's time."

A hand hooked his elbow as he turned. "And where the fuck do you think you're goin' with such a lost expression?"

Vincent tried to shake his grip off and failed. He turned back, brows knitting together. "You heard what he said. Regenesis…they won't stop."

Cid nodded, face grim with determination. "And?"

Vincent opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. "And…what if they kill you?"

"I can handle myself."

"Tonight was just a warning and you barely 'handled yourself'. Let go."

"No."

"Cid, please—"

"Dammit no. We're going to get your cat tomorrow and whatever stuff you need, then you're moving in with me."

"Excuse me?"

Cid's eyes flashed, daring Vincent to argue. "I know what those bastards are capable of. Believe me. They've taken everything from me once. I won't let it happen again."

Vincent's mouth suddenly went very dry. His tongue turned to cotton in his mouth. "Again…", he croaked.

"Do you really not remember me?"

Vincent squeezed his eyes shut and locked his jaw. "No." Yes.

"Let me refresh your memory then. I owed them money because I'd just been released from the service. My first store went under. They kidnapped my wife—"

And your kid, Rikku. Little Rikku.

"—and killed her in front of me. When they were done with my girl, they moved onto Shera but they weren't slow with her. They raped her—"

And she was screaming.

"Over and over they raped her and beat her and pumped that woman full of drugs until she was beggin' like some common whore."

The mocked you while they did it.

"And I had to watch the whole time."

I remember. I remember…

"And I remember you." Cid's fingers dug into Vincent's shoulders. "I remember the nervous punk you were as you offered me a glass of water with the fear of the devil in your eyes. I remember the scar", His thumb dragged down until it grazed over an ivory pucker that blended in with the rest, for all intents and purposes as normal as the others. "I remember this scar from where Hojo stabbed you like a fuckin pig for trying to show some compassion."

But they let you go.

"With the blood of my wife and child a debt was settled that day."

"I could hurt you now, you know." Vincent's eyes were as hard as rubies as they glittered in his skull. Scare him. Make him push you away. "I'm not that same inexperienced punk. I'm a monster now. What if I lose it and hurt you?" It was the easiest thing in the world to make his face twist into a depraved grimace. "What if I went after Yuffie?"

He expected…hoped for a lot of different responses. Fear, disgust, rage.

He was taken aback when Cid threw back his head and laughed. "Don't be fooled by the waterworks. She's more fuckin dangerous than a nuke when she get's goin. Leon and I are a failsafe for her but if anything happens to me, Leon's and I are the least of your worries.

Vincent blinked but Cid was still plowing on.

"Besides, I'm not a woman. What, you think you can rape me or something?" He sized up the ravenette with a snort. "I think I can take your scrawny ass. These bones ain't that old yet. Might even make you call me 'daddy'."

Lips twisted so they wouldn't tremble, the dam finally splintered. A single tear chased down his cheek as he whispered, "How can you just laugh about something like this? I've done horrible things…I've seen them and done nothing. I'm a monster!"

"Shut. Up." Vincent flinched. "I've heard that from too many people to believe it anymore. You're not as bad as you think you are."

"You don't understa—"

"The hell I don't." The old man's fists were balled at his sides now and he looked ready to haul off. He took a deep breath through his nose then hissed, "Do you regret it?"

Twin crimson blinked. "Regret? Of course I do…"

"Then fuckin do something about it instead of whining all the time about your sins. Monsters are powerful right?"

"Right…"

"Monsters are powerful enough to do anything?"

"That's what I thought, but…"

"Then monsters have the fucking power to change." Cid poked Vincent in his sore chest. "You can change. Atone for what you've done and what you've seen."

"…how?"

Forgive yourself, Lucrecia whispered.

"By setting things straight."

The proverbial light bulb flickered to life. "You're…right. I shouldn't be the one taking a dirt nap." He spun around Cid and snatched Quicksilver from the nightstand. "I'll go back. I'll go back and I'll put Hojo to sleep. He's the one who—"

Frustrated, Cid snatched the younger man into a hard kiss. Vincent's body went stiff as a rod before the warning sirens screamed in his head. He struggled like a wild cat and shoved Cid off him. "What the hell was that for!"

But his back was scraping against the wall now, Cid's calloused hands cupping his face tenderly even as the kiss bruised his lips. The older man pulled back with a snarl, "To make you fucking wake up. Enough with this. Enough with the revenge and the violence and the bullshit. Change, and help all those like you off this path before they make the same mistakes you have. That's what you can do." His thumbs rubbed back and forth along Vincent's jaw as he dipped his head and locked their gazes. "Come on. Please… wake up, Vinnie."

The ravenette tensed at a nickname only one other person in his life had dared to call him.

"You can't keep running away from the things that really matter."

Forgive…

Ivory fingers traced his lips that still burned and throbbed, tasting of tobacco and blood and Cid.

"I'll fuckin tie your ass down if you refuse." Cid crushed the shorter male to his chest while his grip tightened despite his injuries, just to prove his point. "I won't let you go when I know what'll happen if I do. I can't save the world and I can't go back and do anything about my family but I can save you ungrateful bastards. Yuffie, Leon, Axel, they're all my…my brats. My kids", his voice cracked. "I love them all because they're my family now."

"I'm not one of your 'kids'. You just kissed me, old man."

The ex-pilot faltered, suddenly unsure of himself. "I…uh…"

Vincent wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist and tucked his nose into the hollow of Cid's throat. He breathed in deep and smiled when the blonde shuddered against him.

"You're not…" Cid swallowed and fisted Vincent's flannel. "You're not the same as them cause you know…" Cid cleared his throat.

"And you kissed me to keep me quiet?"

A tremulous smile stole over Cid's lips. "Something like that." He dipped his head down a little and threaded his fingers through Vincent's hair. Regaining his confidence a little he grumbled, "I'd do it a thousand fucking times if that'd help you see."

"See…?"

"That it's okay now. That you can stay here and be safe and we can watch each other's backs. We can fight Regenesis in our own way."

Vincent's eyebrows quirked with a rare smile, then he looked down at Quicksilver and shook his head. "I can't. They're after me. Look what they did to you. Do you want that to happen again?"

"I don't care."

"Well I do!" Vincent's struggles reignited, the gun like an anchor to his reality. He wanted so badly to just drop it. He wanted so bad, despite his part in this man's past and his own heinous acts to drop that anchor and float away in the dream Cid was offering him. But he couldn't. It just wasn't possible.

Cid's breathing turned heavy as he grit his teeth and turned the harbor of his arms into a constricting vice. "You're…not…going…" In their struggles they'd migrated to the living room. Vincent reached for the door.

Age, even for people like Cid has a way of catching up. With a well-placed elbow to rib, the jostling proved to be too much and he coughed blood. The shorter male paused at the wetness coating his shoulder and reached a cautious hand up. When he drew it in front of his eyes and rubbed his finger and thumb together, rusty crimson smeared there.

"Son of a bitch. Are you fucking kidding me?"

Cid's ears pinkened at the sound of cussing very reminiscent to his own as Vincent eased him onto the couch.

"Stop fighting me."

"You first", Cid muttered weakly. He rasped out a laugh. "If you're so scared that they'll do this to me again then…stick close. Stick close, be a badass Gallian Beast and protect me."

Vincent paled. "You knew?"

Cid's eyes crinkle. "Of course I did."

"You knew and yet you…stupid."

"Stupid is as stupid does."

Vincent bit his lip and smoothed a hand over Cid's shirt. "You're an ass."

"I know", the blonde groaned. "A stupid ass", he added.

"A stupid ass who's making a big mistake."

"We'll see."

"I'm not calling you 'daddy'."

"We'll see."

The ravenette grinned. "Let's get you out of this."

The older man's eyes bugged. "A bit early for that, dontcha think?"

Vincent blinked once. He blinked twice. Vincent blushed like a burnt lobster and slapped Cid's chest. "You pervert. I was talking about your injuries. Your injuries."

Despite Cid's earlier bravado, his shade was rivaling Vincent's. "Oh. Right. Fuckin…" He ran a hand through his hair then flinched, pulling back to with a cigarette dangling between his fingers. "Ah, there it is."

He went to put it in his mouth and squawked when Vincent plucked it from his hand with a smirk. "Guess I have no choice. It's time...to save the world."

"Not the world. Just me." Cid cupped Vincent's cheek as the younger man grimaced, turning his face to press a kiss to Cid's calloused palm that smelt of sweat and grease and working man.

"Do you know what you're asking?"

"For my cigarette?" At Vincent's glower, Cid's voice softened with the weight of sincerity. "For you to stay."

"The man who had a part in your family's—"

"The boy who offered me water because he didn't know any better."

Vincent took a deep breath and set Quicksilver on the glass tabletop with a soft clack. Cid enfolded him in a hug, eyes twinkling before allowing the younger male to peel his shirt off and return a favor.

---

If ever you are shot, for the love of god seek immediate medical attention. I hate to say it but if you've got a bullet in your chest and you're not dead, get your ass to a goddamn hospital. The Jinshan Group, the Dragons, and the Yakuza are REAL and deserve a healthy amount of respect and an even greater amount of fear. They are no laughing matter. I may have portrayed them as a buncha pussies here but make no mistake if you ever find yourself unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of one of their guns. They are scary motherfuckers who know how to get shit done. Seriously, I had (keyword here being HAD) a friend who borrowed some money from the Yakuza for her little flower shop a couple years back. She couldn't pay it back. Guess what. Her, her husband, and her three year old kid all disappeared without a trace and their shop got closed down. It's now a noodle shop. And the Yakuza didn't let her go.

I'm not kidding here. Be freaking careful if you ever EVER are faced with an encounter with these guys. No. Bueno.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I know this is probably kinda lame for me to say but writing this oneshot lit a fire under my ass and I'm chomping at the bit to crank out more LM. For my readers the first time, you'll get a kick out of how I've twisted it around to involve the two up and coming characters who are about to make their big debut. :3 Story's rollin'-rollin'- rollin'-on-my-word-documennnnnt~

This is a oneshot. As such, we are getting the idea of how Cid and Vincent develop their own dynamic. Cid's kinda what I strive for as far as forgiveness. Meh…their drama isn't over yet :3 Each character as well as all the rest in my LM universe have a loooot of growing up to do. But we'll get to that yeah?

Forgive ze typos. Will fix in due time as I catch them.

Review?