#i have to wonder if grimoire was the same way when vincent was a kid and vincent got it from him without realizing

[lecliss]

I know I obsessed over it on my last playthrough, but I'm once again fucking EMOTIONAL over the kid asking Vincent to avenge his parents deaths. Like just. The silence. The fact that Vincent crouches down to the kid's level to let the kid know he's listening. Getting up and walking away without a single word to the kid. The refusal to be a part of more vengeance. And denying the kid any opportunity to be aided in an attempt at it. Like Vincent is genuinely so bad at talking to people and doesn't want to talk either, but he doesn't have to say anything in that scene for the intention to be clear. The world doesn't need to keep perpetuating that cycle and Vincent's not about to be an accomplice in that for a literal child.

[choco-glow]

Dance With Me, Pt. 2

Cid expertly turned steaks on his grill one-handed while he drank a beer, pausing to adjust one of the vegetable kebabs so that it was seared, not charcoal, and kept his eye on the AVALANCHE crew lounging in his backyard. Ordinarily, he didn’t have people over except his crews, but thankfully, tonight had coincided with his head coordinator Buddy’s birthday, and so everyone else was at the kegger getting wasted. He’d even nipped in for a bit while Tifa gathered her team together, played the gracious boss that gave them all a half-day to sober up tomorrow, then slipped back out to his own place. Cid sighed a little, glad he wasn’t at the bigger party; he was gettin’ too old for that shit.

“Can I help any, Captain?” He couldn’t stop the smile as Tifa walked up, still barefoot, her feet whispering over the clover, and though she looked so young (too young, Highwind, way too young for you), she bore the mantle of years of responsibility. He could read it in the way she walked, the way she held herself; it was the same mantle he saw in the mirror every day. He almost pitied her, but stopped himself; respect was her due, not pity.

“Nah, but thankee. Food’s almost done, an’ you an’ Miss Aerith helped plenty with th’ side dishes, which I appreciate.”

“It’s the least we can do for letting us stay the night, and making us dinner, Captain.” Cid did his best not to puff up in pride at his title, but goddamn, it was nice to hear; the ninja had called him Ciddy right off the bat, and his eye still twitched over that, while the others went with Highwind or Cid. Except for Miss Tifa, and the former Turk, Valentine. He caught sight of Vincent out of the corner of his eye, curious, because he’d met the dour gunman before…but he wasn’t sure if Valentine remembered him. He’d been stationed in Nibelheim ten years ago, prior to the whole mess with Sephiroth, working with the locals and running the small Air Corps. base…and he remembered meeting the gunman when he and his men had been sent into the old mansion to pick up some materials for Hojo.

Vincent Valentine, Turk, son of Grimoire Valentine, scientist for Shin-Ra…small wonder he’s joined up with AVALANCHE. Between what th’ bastards did to his father an’ his girl…still. I wonder how much he’s told the others… But, that was years in the past now, and Cid turned his attention back to Tifa, still smiling. Because she’s goddamn purty and just…if I were ten years younger… He cut off the wistful thoughts, though, and offered her a beer; she took it with a grin, popping the cap off like a pro and winging it into the trash can, her gauntlets deft despite the extra padding and weight from the metal bars that protected her knuckles. Fuck, that’s hot. I love a woman who can kick my ass.

“Still, it’s appreciated. Think you’ll like that, it’s a local IPA. An’ before ya ask, there’s a reason we don’t have an inn ‘round here.”

“All the better to keep the assholes away?” She replied, voice wry, and he grinned again, toasting her with his bottle; she clinked rims with him, a grin on her own lips, and they drank together. Tifa paused after that, impressed, and saluted him with the bottle. “You weren’t kidding, this is awesome! If I still had Seventh Heaven, I’d be importing this.”

“Ya owned a bar in Midgar? Well damn, girl!” She grinned at that, a real, toothy grin, and Cid grinned back, laying steaks out on the platter and filling the second plate with kebabs. “That’s impressive. Where at?” Her grin faded as sorrow touched her features, and Cid bit back a swear, swallowing. “…just ignore that, Miss Tifa.”

“…No. No, it’s okay that you asked.” She took a deep breath, let it out, and Cid swallowed, turning down the grill now, glad that most everyone else was busy in a card game and getting cleaned out by Aerith. Tifa gave him a weary smile, and gently picked up the plate of kebabs. “Tell you what; let’s eat first, then we’ll talk, just you and I, okay? There’s…a lot of bad has happened in the world over the last few weeks, and I’m damn sure that no one’s filled you folks in here at Rocket Town.”

“…You’d be damn right about that, Miss Tifa. Deal. We can wait till th’ others go to bed and talk on the porch; there’s a part by the kitchen on th’ side here that no one’ll hear us talk.” She relaxed at that, and he smiled softly. “C’mon, let’s feed th’ grumpy ones an’ get everyone trundled off.”

“Thank you, Captain…”

“Eh, y’can call me Cid, Miss Tifa.” She smiled at that, a real smile now, and Cid basked in its warmth, sighing internally all over again. Goddammit, I wish I wasn’t old…

“Then call me Tifa, Cid.” With that, they brought the food over to the big table and for once, Cid found himself enjoying being part of a group where he wasn’t the sole authority. Sure, he liked being the boss, but sometimes, it was nice to just…be. And he couldn’t do that with his engineers, his contractors, his safety people; he had to be on top of everyone to keep things running smoothly. Not that his people had to have micromanaging, nothing like that; more…his people needed that reassurance that whatever orders Shin-Ra gave, their Captain would do his best to make them work. Palmer certainly didn’t give a shit.

Here, though…Barret was talking animatedly about his daughter, Marlene, while Cloud, the ex-SOLDIER with the glowing blue eyes, quietly snarked with Valentine, who was going over a map of the northern coastline to reacquaint himself with the area. Yuffie was a little annoying, but Aerith was clearly a master of keeping people occupied, and he breathed a little easier as Yuffie chattered to Aerith about her home in Wutai, after Cid had made it clear that he hadn’t supported the invasion all those years ago, and that he hadn’t had anything against the Wutaiian people.

Red was settled on a few old towels that Cid had laid out, finishing off his own steak and looking rather content to settle down under the stars, while the odd black tuxedo cat with the cape and crown sat at the table, eating a much smaller portion and mostly added in commentary to Aerith and Yuffie’s conversation. Tifa was across from him, looking more worn and tired now, and Cid thought about telling her to go to sleep, intending to look things up over the Gaianet later…when she caught his eye, and he knew, despite her exhaustion, that she needed to talk about things. No one’s talked to her about this…

He almost kicked the others out on principle alone, but the sudden rage vanished in a wave of sorrow for the young woman. Girl’s been carrying all th’ grief on her shoulders…and that is grief, not just regular bad news. Goddamn, what th’ fuck is happenin’ out there… He’d find out soon enough, and after plying the others with a few more beers, managed to chase them all upstairs to his spare rooms, glad that he’d aired everything out with Tifa earlier and made the beds. He didn’t have enough rooms for everyone to have singles, but no one had to share over much, and Valentine and Red were comfortable together, while Aerith and Yuffie were happy to share. Cloud had actually taken to the spare cot with better humor than Cid had thought, and Barret, of course, had the larger bed…

Tifa had looked a little lost, when Cid had casually mentioned that he’d given her his bed while he set up a cot downstairs in his sunroom.

“Captain, I can’t take your bed!”

“Nope, not lettin’ a lady sleep on a cot. Th’ SOLDIER’s pr’bably enjoyin’ his, but y’all been sleepin’ in tents on th’ ground; ain’t lettin’ ya spend tonight on a measly cot.” She’d blushed, thanked him profusely, and now…as she padded out onto the porch with him, still comfortably barefoot, Tifa pulled off her gauntlets and set them on the little table by his porch swing, settling in next to him with a tired sigh. He kicked his boots back off, peeling off his socks before stuffing them in the tops of his boots, and lit a fresh cigarette; he’d been dyin’ for a smoke all night, and finally gave into his vice as the moon rose over Rocket Town.

“…could I bum a smoke off you, Cid?” Tifa murmured, and he handed her both his pack and his lighter, feeling a curl of warmth in his belly at the way she said his name. She took both with a smile, and lit up with ease, passing them back for him to shove in his shirt pocket again. She took a long drag off the cigarette, the cherry burning bright, and he watched smoke curl out of her nostrils, then blowing out on a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”

“Yer welcome, Tifa.” Dark red eyes, so dark in the night that they could have been black flickered up to gaze at him, and he lost himself in them for a long moment. “…How long ya been carryin’ this shit, honey?” She stubbed out her cigarette, and those dark eyes squeezed shut, pain creasing them, and Cid couldn’t help himself; he pulled her into a hug against his side, tucking her into his chest, and when the first sob came, he started rocking the swing, stabbing his own cig out in the ashtray and wrapping both his arms around her. “Oh honey…cry it out…that’s it…”

Tifa raged and wept about the destruction of Sector Seven, their roles in the reactor explosions, the Turks, Aerith’s kidnapping, infiltrating Shin-Ra…Hojo’s monsters, and the Whispers that had plagued them. Cid wanted to clarify several things, wanted to ask…but she was still sobbing, still grieving over the people she’d lost, the lives cut down so cruelly, and Cid couldn’t interrupt that grieving…she needed to heal. So, he kept rocking the porch swing, keeping her hugged tight, letting her curl up on the swing and let it out all…and when she began to sniffle rather than sob, he pulled a clean handkerchief out of his back pocket and let her blow her nose in peace.

“…Goddamn, honey…”

“…It’s all so goddamned terrible, Cid…and the worst part? It feels like I’m the only one who cared about those people sometimes. Aerith did, sure, but she was from Five…She didn’t know Seven as well. Barret…was using people, Cloud still doesn’t really care all that much…Yuffie, Vincent, and Red never knew them. But with Jesse, Biggs, and Wedge gone…god…it’s a huge mess.” She whispered, still tucked into his chest, and Cid squeezed her shoulder, dropping a kiss on her hair without a second thought.

“…Sugar, you deserve a sainthood for that hell…an’ I’ll send my top team of engineers back to help your people out first thing tomorrow after they’ve all sobered up, okay?” She sat up straight at that, eyes huge, and Cid gave her a warm smile. “I mean it.”

“…I…are you sure Shin-Ra will let you?” She squeaked, and Cid just grinned, wide and a little devilish…and oh, was that a blush on her cheeks? It was hard to tell in the moonlight, and Cid hadn’t yet gotten the wiring for the porch lights fixed, but they were still close enough that he could feel the warmth, and he thought that maybe, just maybe, she was.

“What Rufus don’t know won’t hurt ‘im. Palmer don’t know shit about my people anyway; he ain’t gonna notice. An’ they’ll wanna help; half are from Midgar, even if it is the upper portion, and droppin’ a plate? Bastards ain’t gonna know what hit ‘em. Besides…” He sighed a little, and took a breath. “…we ain’t gettin’ that rocket skyward anytime soon anyway.”

“…But…it looks so ready…”

“An’ it is, except for fuel; Shin-Ra won’t authorize th’ fuel expense, so we’re grounded. It’s why I have the market an’ the tourism; keeps us fed while we languish here.” She winced at that, and Cid shook his head, voice softer now. “But that ain’t important right now; what is important are yer people, Tifa. An’ you; no one’s been takin’ care of you, have they?” Tifa crumbled at that, and Cid gathered her to his chest again, not caring that his shirt was still damp from the first round of tears, rubbing his hands up and down her back and pressing chaste kisses to her hair. “Oh honey…”

“Cid…no one’s hugged me like this since my dad died…” She sobbed softly, and Cid cussed under his breath, hugging her tighter.

“Cry it out again, sweetheart, we got all night…” These sobs were softer, aching and deep, and Cid swallowed the lump in his throat as Tifa poured out the events that had devastated Nibelheim five years ago, her father’s death, the burning, Sephiroth…Her master leaving her after her wounds had healed, and as she shifted, pulling away a little, he caught a glimpse of the scar that had nearly bissected her torso, peeking up from her padded tank top, white in the moonlight. He let her ease back, let her breathe and wipe away the tears and snot, and when Tifa glanced back up at him, Cid couldn’t help brushing a lock of her hair back over one ear, palm grazing her jaw line…and Tifa leaned into the touch, looking so sad. “Tifa…”

“Cid…will…fuck, this is so stupid, but will you stay the night with me? Please?” Cid paused, his own eyes widening, and she glanced away, wincing…so he gathered her into his arms for a third time, kissing her cheek softly this time, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted.

“Yes. I will. An’ not…I won’t be a creep, sweetheart. I…goddamn, I gotta be ten years yer senior, I know, but…” She didn’t pull away, snuggling into his chest, and a soft, weak laugh hiccupped out of her, her watery eyes softening.

“Oh, I dunno, I think you’re fine…I’m twenty-one.” He winced, and she stroked his cheek, mimicking his touch earlier. “Cid, you can’t be that much older…” He heaved a heavy sigh.

“…Thirty-two.” She shrugged, snuggling in closer, and he sighed, running a hand over her back again. Tifa purred, leaning into his chest a little more.

“…That’s still not so bad. It’d be one thing if you’d pursued me…”

“I dunno, still feels bad to me…” He muttered, and Tifa gave a soft laugh, nuzzling his cheek.

“And that’s how I know you’re a good man; bad ones don’t care. Trust me…I know bad men. I don’t know a lot of good men, other than Barret and a handful of the regulars that survived…”

“And Cloud?” She paused, mulling that over, and sighed.

“…And Cloud, but Cloud is…complicated. In ways I’m not ready to deal with yet. You…aren’t. Well. You are, but in a way that I can certainly work with.” Cid laughed softly at that, and stroked a hand over her shoulders; that made her melt into his arms, and she sighed happily.

“Kinda wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow…” He murmured, feeling wistful, and she sighed softly, nuzzling his cheek again.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave either…this place is beautiful, your house is wonderful…and you’re pretty close to perfect…”

“…Well goddamn, girl, you know how ta make a man blush.” She laughed at that, really laughed, and Cid basked in that laughter, pure and real and wholesome…and so fuckin’ beautiful it made his heart clench. …Ah fuck it, worse’ll happen is she’ll punch me off. He drew her into a soft kiss, giving her a chance to get away again if she wanted…and Tifa melted into him all over again, kissing him back so perfectly that she stole his breath away. When they pulled away, Cid touched his forehead to hers, and she relaxed, grounding herself to him.

“…Cid?”

“Yeah, Tifa?”

“…Still okay with staying with me tonight?”

“Damn right I am, hon.”