Invisible Ink

Just 'cause I'm feeling generous (and don't really wanna go to sleep right now), how about another chapter? To make up for that little lapse in posting. Just don't tell Vincent.

Chapter Ten

The front door was unlocked when Cid finally reached the apartment, his head still a little fuzzy from spending quite a lot of time with Vincent. He wished he hadn’t had to leave, but it was for the better that they have a little distance. He needed to think, for one thing. Peering inside the apartment, Cid saw no one and hoped that Zack was just somewhere inside and hadn’t left without locking the door. He wasn’t in the mood to try and have a conversation like that with his roommate.

As if he sensed that Cid was thinking about him, Zack looked up from the couch when the blond walked in, grinning. “Well if it isn’t loverboy.”

“Loverboy?” Cid grimaced at Zack, suddenly wishing the other hadn’t been there. He had almost forgotten that he had told Zack about the kisses with Vincent. “What’s that for?” he asked, figuring he may as well play around or else regret the other’s bothering later.

“Well, let me see,” Zack said, jumping up onto his knees on the couch and grinning more. “You were gone all night, and you’re still wearing the same clothes you were wearing yesterday. I’d say someone got lucky last night.”

Cid stopped to think for a moment, suddenly remembering where Zack thought he had been all last night. “Oh. Yeah. Not a whole lot happened. Just kinda… stayed the night. Ya know how it goes.” Shrugging, Cid moved toward his room and tossed his bag on his bed, rummaging through his dresser for clean clothes.

Zack followed him. “Uh-uh, you gotta give me more than that. You’re telling me you spent the whole night with Tifa and didn’t do anything?”

“Well, I, uh… we thought it wouldn’t be a good idea.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie. The blond pulled out a clean t-shirt and pair of pants, stripping off his button-up shirt and turning to face Zack, jumping. “Shit! Don’t just stand behind people like that.”

“So, what, you just played house for a night?”

The blond stepped back, sitting on the edge of his bed. “Well, we, ya know, did some stuff. Not a big deal.”

Zack stepped in and flopped down on the bed next to him. “Like what?” he asked, grinning widely.

“Geez, Zack, ever heard of privacy?”

Zack rolled his eyes. “Friends are supposed to talk about this stuff.”

“That’s a little personal though, doncha think?” Standing now that Zack was out of his way, Cid moved back into the hallway. “‘Sides. Wasn’t much more’n kissin’ an’ touchin’. Nothin’ to get worked up over so leave it there.” Stopping at the bathroom door, Cid looked down the hall. “‘M takin’ a shower, ‘kay?” He figured it would be the best way to get away from Zack’s questions despite the fact that he probably still smelled of Vincent’s shampoo from his shower earlier.

Zack got to his feet. “Fine, fine. Leave me in the dark. Maybe I’ll go ask Tifa,” he added with an evil grin.

“Hey, hey hey! Doncha dare!” Cid shouted as he popped back out of the bathroom. “I still need to call her an’ I don’t want ya makin’ me look bad!”

Zack laughed. “All right, chill out. Jeez.”

“Just… don’t call her, okay?” Making sure Zack wasn’t running for the phone, Cid slowly moved back into the bathroom. “An’ if I find out ya did, I’ll kick your ass outta here in five seconds flat, if even that,” he shouted as he closed the door and slipped off his pants.

Zack chuckled to himself. He really was just messing with Cid, but it was just so much fun to ruffle his feathers. Besides, if Cid hadn’t really done anything with Tifa, then as far as Zack was concerned, that left more options for Cid to get with Vincent, which meant that he would have been right from the beginning. So with that thought in mind, he just went back to watching TV.

When Cid felt it somewhat safe to go about his shower, he did, shivering as the hot water hit his skin. It wasn’t quite the same as the shower he had taken that morning, but there was only so much in common he could manage without Vincent. Though he definitely wouldn’t mind having the professor right there with him… He let his eyes close as he leaned against the tile wall, almost imagining Vincent there with him, the steaming water pouring over creamy skin and dark hair. It nearly hurt to think of him there, a tremor of desire washing over him. Opening his eyes and wiping the spray from them, the blond felt a persistent warmth and glanced down, cursing his imagination several times over.

Of all the times to get stuck with an erection. Sighing, Cid turned to press his back against the wall, the tile cold against his water-warmed skin. He knew he could never just will it away, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to drag himself down to the point where he was pleasuring himself at the thought of Vincent. For some reason, that seemed a bigger step to him than actually sleeping with the man. It was like admitting that he not only wanted the professor, but was willing to fantasize about him as well. It was as if he was giving in to the fact that Vincent had such a powerful hold on his mind that there was no way to not think about him.

He didn’t think he had much of a choice, though. Taking a breath and deciding that if he were going to do this, he would do it right, he tipped his head back against the wall and let his hand drift downward. Blue eyes closed and he bit his lip as he slowly forced his mind to form the image of Vincent. Burgundy, lust-filled eyes appeared first in the haze of his mind, the gaze burning into him and making him shiver. Slowly, the shadows melted away from the slender frame and pale skin, long, tapered fingers reaching to touch him. Pain flared through the blond’s lip as he felt those fingers brush lower, the remaining darkness surrounding Vincent moving together to form the silken locks falling over perfectly rounded shoulders.

The phantom professor was close to him, shapely lips forming that tiny smile they always had around the blond. Those fingers danced down his chest and torso, tracing the curves of his muscles appreciatively. Little drops of water slid down Vincent’s creamy skin all over, and a pink tongue slid out to lick a few away from the younger man’s lips while those wine-colored eyes watched Cid. “I want you…” Cid heard him say, an echo of the conversation they had had before, only now, there was a distinct seductive lilt to the words that hadn’t been there the last time they had left the professor’s mouth.

Cid gasped, drawing in the steamy air. There was something about that tone that made him shake with need for Vincent. He wanted to touch the vision, to have him at his disposal to do with what he wished, but something in his mind kept him on the right track and he remembered he couldn’t reach out for the professor. Vincent was the only one allowed to touch, to feel, to appreciate. All Cid could do was stand there and ache for those fingers to make him feel more of the pleasure coursing through his body.

The ghostly version of Vincent moved, appearing to float around the blond. Cid pictured Vincent slowly lowering himself to his knees, a motion that was ridiculously sexy in itself. Those eyes peered up at him from right beside his erection, before glancing at the heated flesh with a lust that was palpable. The water slicked black hair back as Vincent tilted his chin up, moving to lick delicately at the tip, eyes never leaving Cid’s.

Any time he was touched like that was amazing, but something about that gaze locked on him made the sensation mind-blowing. Actually surprised that he didn’t come right there from that look, Cid arched his back, his hips shifting forward of their own accord. While he wanted more of that teasing contact, he held himself back, knowing that the longer it lasted the better it would feel in the end.

The image of Vincent moved with him, sliding his erection into his mouth. The way those lips wrapped around him was intoxicating, perfect pink surrounding him, letting him inside that sinful heat. A soft moan filled the steamy bathroom as Cid let his head loll to the side, the hot spray splashing on his face. He fought the need to move again, but it was almost too hard to keep still, his hips bucking just enough for the friction to make him gasp. Those lips were heavenly, taking him as easily as they had the cigarette from earlier. Blissful pressure from a warm tongue pressing against hot skin finally broke his reserve and he let his hips roll forward, just able to keep from crying out.

Phantom Vincent let Cid move, taking him deeper into his mouth with every movement until he was able to press his nose against soft blond curls at the base of the blond’s belly. “Oh fuck,” Cid groaned out, his hands clenching. At the same time, though he had completely forgotten why the two were linked, Vincent sucked hard and the pressure almost became too much. “Faster…” he breathed out, wanting to feel those lips racing over him, wanting the motions so haphazard that he felt teeth scraping flesh, accidentally or not.

Vincent complied, the image manipulated by Cid’s thoughts. His head moved back and forth, tongue, teeth, lips, throat putting pressure in all the right places in accordance with Cid’s fingers. His legs were shaking as his request was granted and he pressed his free hand against the wall with a wet smack to balance himself. It did little to lessen the weakness in him as he felt the pleasure increase until he felt like screaming, but it gave him some shred of reality to cling to. It was almost too good for him as he fell deeper into the illusion, but still he managed to want more. His hips were moving along with the image of Vincent, pushing and pulling into and out of that incredible warmth until he felt that warning heat in his stomach.

The conjured Vincent looked up at him again, peeking at him from under long lashes. Those eyes were full of lust and submission, telling Cid that all he had to do was say one word, and whatever he wanted would be his.

Another steamy breath and Cid bucked hard into that willing mouth and let out loud groan as he came. The illusion was broken as thick fluid dripped over his hand and he opened his eyes to look down, his hand replacing the professor that had been there before. The blond felt his knees buckle and he slid down the wall to the bottom of the shower, still shivering as he rode out his release. Utter exhaustion overwhelmed him as the last of the pleasure wore away and he was left panting as the shower continued to rain down on him.

A pounding on the door cut through the hiss of the shower. “Cid? You okay?”

Cid’s head shot up from where it had started to dip, his eyes wide. “Shit,” he hissed to himself. He couldn’t let Zack see him like that. There would be too many questions that he didn’t want to answer. “I-I’m fine,” he called back as he shakily got to his feet. “Just kinda… slipped ‘s all.”

“Oh my god!” Zack shouted, trying the door. It pushed open after a few jiggles of the handle and Zack burst in, eyes wide. “Are you hurt? Jesus, a fall in the tub could be like, fatal!”

Cid panicked. “God dammit, Zack, get the fuck outta here!” he yelled, instantly hating the discovery that their bathroom door didn’t actually lock. “The fuck d’ya think you’re doin’?” He also decided that he hated the fact they only had a clear shower curtain.

“You said you fell! There’s no blood, right? Oh shit, please say there’s no blood.” Zack’s face went a little pale. Apparently he wasn’t a big fan of blood.

“There’s no blood. Now get out!” Cid pointed at the door, his finger just barely brushing the wet shower curtain. He didn’t want Zack in there, especially if he was going to hang around long enough to figure out what had happened.

Zack sighed in relief. “Oh good,” he said. He blinked, suddenly seeming to realize that Cid was naked in front of him. “Jeez, I knew you’d be hot, but damn!”

Cid closed his eyes, trying to contain his anger at his roommate. “Zack?” he asked, his tone suddenly deceptively nice.

“Huh? Oh, right! Sorry!” He turned around and left quickly, pulling the door shut behind him.

The blond let out a sigh. At least he hadn’t had to threaten Zack to get him to leave. Slumping back against the wall, he reached up to grab his soap. He might as well get washed off before something else happened that he couldn’t prevent.

Weakly standing to finish washing himself, Cid shut off the shower and stepped out to dry. He glanced in the steam-covered mirror and caught a quick glimpse of himself, sighing. Today wasn’t even half over and he had already been stuck with more than he usually had to deal with for a week. The rest of the day was bound to at least be special if not long, that was for sure.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Cid huffed a little as he read over the message he had gotten two days ago. His English class had been cancelled for the past couple of days due to Vincent being away at a seminar. Propping his chin up with his hand, the blond reread the email. Apparently the thing was a decent ways away, meaning that Cid had been more or less out of luck when it came to figuring out anything with the man. It also didn’t detail when the ebony-haired man would be returning, so he wasn’t able to plan ahead and figure out when he would get a chance to start figuring things out.

He wasn’t exactly sure what he needed to be working out in his mind, but he knew it was important. They had already slept together twice, not to mention the fact that Cid had masturbated to the thought of him and had had a dream about the professor that resulted in him waking up with sticky boxers. Scratching the back of his head, he huffed again. As far as he was concerned, this little thing with Vincent was supposed to be nothing more than a little thing. Anything more than a simple fling would be too much to handle and try to reason with.

Then there was the issue of Tifa.

Now her… He could see himself carrying on a full relationship there. It was normal and what he was used to. There was no question of what he should be doing or thinking, something he liked. Vincent just confused him to no end. But Tifa… She obviously liked him and he liked her, so there was no problem. She wasn’t even associated with the university, so he could be seen with her meaning he could carry on a real relationship instead of some sneaking-around deal.

Sighing, he glanced at his phone on his bedside table. He supposed he could call Tifa and ask her out. He did owe her a date, after all. A little smile showed on his lips as he grabbed the cell and stood wandering toward the living room as he dialed her number. A date would at least distract him from his thoughts about Vincent.

Tifa jumped as her phone vibrated in her pocket. Excusing herself from the kitchen at the Chinese restaurant, she stepped into the back hallway to pick it up. She flipped it open, not recognizing the number, and placed it at her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Tif.” Plopping himself on one end of the couch, Cid smiled. “Catch ya at work or somethin’?”

The girl smiled. “Hey, Cid. Yeah, I’m working, as usual.” She leaned against the wall, grinning excitedly but trying to hide it in her voice. “What’s up?”

“Not much. Just wanted to call an’ see if ya were up for dinner or somethin’ tonight.” He ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck lazily. He still felt bad about ditching her the other night and wanted to make it up to her somehow. “Sorry ‘bout callin’ ya at work. Wasn’t sure what nights ya were there.”

“Oh, I’m here every night. It’s fine. I could do dinner,” she said happily. “No classes tomorrow, I hope?”

“Nope. No classes on Saturday. I’d be raisin’ hell if there was.” Cid grinned as he spoke, kicking his feet up onto the couch.

“Good,” Tifa said, grinning too. “So… I can keep you nice and late this time?”

“Sure. Why not?” he replied with a smile she couldn’t see, glad he still had a chance to make things right with her. He had been working on thinking over his problem for the entire week and just felt he needed some sort of rest. A night out with Tifa couldn’t hurt. He gave a little laugh. “Maybe we can try not gettin’ so drunk this time. I, uh, had to crash with a friend after I left your place ‘cause I couldn’t find my way home.” It might have been a lie, but he felt better about saying it than the truth.

“Aww, well, yeah. We don’t have to go drinking. In fact…” Tifa said, an idea popping into her head. “I could cook for you. We can, um, stay in.”

Cid grinned, a little relieved that there would be considerably less, if any, drinking that night. He didn’t need to have a repeat of what happened last time. “Sounds good. Love a good home-cooked meal.”

Tifa smiled broadly. “Is there anything in particular you’d like? I can make pretty much anything.”

“I’m not really picky, to tell ya the truth. Just as long as it’s good an’ won’t kill me,” he added with a laugh. He wondered if he would have to search out Zack again for dressing help.

Tifa nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “I’ll find something, then. I’m done with work at eight tonight, so… think you can find your way to my house for about nine?”

“Think I can handle that,” Cid said with a grin. “Your place at nine. Want me to bring anythin’?”

“Just you,” she said. “And… maybe a bottle of wine.” She smiled dreamily, looking forward to a romantic dinner.

“Bottle of wine, huh? Any particular kind?” He didn’t actually drink wine often enough to know anything about it, but he knew some people had their preferences.

“White?” Tifa asked. “Doesn’t matter what brand.”

“‘Kay.” Laughing again, Cid stood and patted his pocket for his wallet. He needed to see if he had enough to get a bottle before the bank closed down town. “Let’s just hope I get a good kind.”

“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Tifa said, smiling more. “I need to get back to work though… I’ll see you at nine?”

“Yeah, sure thing. I’ll see ya later then.” He smiled and leaned back against the arm of the couch. “Good luck at work.”

“Thanks. Bye, Cid,” Tifa said, grinning to herself again.

“See ya,” he replied, closing his phone. Cid felt happy for some reason, pushing it aside as he was getting a second chance with her. It wasn’t quite the same amount of contentment he always had around Vincent, but that was to be expected a little. The professor was something completely different that he had yet to figure out. Tifa was a sudden friend who obviously wanted to be more than a friend and that was perfectly fine with Cid. It wasn’t as if the thing he had going on with Vincent was serious.

The door pushed open and Zack walked in, pulling off his hoodie and setting it on the back of a chair. He grinned when he saw Cid, still not able to look at the blond without picturing him all wet and naked after a week. “Hey buddy. How’s it hangin’?”

“Fine. Just got off the phone with Tifa.” He stood and stretched, groaning a little. “Ya know any good brands of white wine?”

“Not a clue. I don’t like wine much,” Zack said, plopping down on the couch and looking up at him. “Why?”

“‘Cause I’m gonna pick a bottle up before I head over there.” He gave Zack a little grin. “She’s makin’ supper.”

“Ooooh,” Zack said, waving his hands a little. “Fancy, fancy. Wine and everything.”

“Hey, you shut it. Just ‘cause we’re gonna have a nice dinner don’t mean ya have to start makin’ fun of it.” He gave the other a rather firm look. “‘Sides. I like a girl who can cook.”

Zack chuckled. “Chill out, I wasn’t making fun.”

“Yeah, sure ya weren’t,” Cid muttered as he rolled his eyes. He stood and started toward his room, glancing at the clock as he passed. A quarter past seven. Giving a slightly aggravated sigh, the blond looked over his shoulder. “So ya wanna help play dress-up again? Wanna look reasonably nice again tonight.”

Zack chuckled again, sprawling out on the couch and pointing the remote at the TV to turn it on. “Sure.”

Cid leaned against the entryway to the living room. “Whatcha watchin’?” he asked, trying to get a look at the television. He hadn’t really spent any time outside of his room for the past week so he supposed it couldn’t hurt, especially if he wasn’t planning on coming home until the next day.

Zack shrugged, flipping channels. “Dunno yet. How long do you have to get ready?”

“Depends on how long ya think it might take to get me ready. I’m meetin’ her at her place at nine.” Moving back to sit on the couch again, Cid looked over at him. “Ya got some huge scheme planned up for me or somethin’?”

Zack shook his head, eyes still on the TV. He glanced at Cid, grinning in amusement. “You’re just so suspicious of me all the time. What’s up with that?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? You’re always doin’ weird shit.” Cid leaned his head back some. “Like earlier this week when ya wouldn’t listen an’ get your ass outta the bathroom. Weird shit like that.”

Zack’s grin widened. “Can you blame me? Fuck, I didn’t know you were packing so much muscle under there. You should feel flattered that I had to stand there and appreciate it for a minute.”

“Yeah, well, ‘m not. Don’t like people starin’ who shouldn’t be.” The blond crossed his arms on the end of the couch, resting his chin on them.

“Far as I’m concerned, it totally wasn’t my fault. I went in there thinking you were hurt, in which case I would have spent less time checking you out and more time helping you.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I told ya I wasn’t hurt. Doncha think ya could’ve listened to me?”

“I had to make sure. Come on, I did it out of the kindness of my heart and care for a friend.”

“I’m sure ya did,” Cid said with a roll of his eyes. “I know you’ve been tryin’ to see me naked ever since we fuckin’ moved in together. Don’t try an’ lie to me either.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that indecent.”

“Close enough. Wouldn’t put it past ya.” Giving Zack a sideways look, he raised a brow.

“Well, I wasn’t trying to do anything like that. I got my own man to see naked all the time.”

Cid shook his head. “Just don’t start tellin’ me shit or I might have to lock ya outta the apartment for a week.” He glanced at the TV. “So ya pick anythin’ yet or ya just gonna sit there an’ watch infomercials?”

Zack flipped the channel again. “I’m getting there.” He sat in silence for a few minutes before speaking up again. “You gonna want to shower before getting ready or no? ‘Cause that factors into how long you’ll take to get ready.”

“Eh, guess I should. Prob’ly better to smell good.” Standing and heading toward the bathroom, Cid peered back into the living room. “An’ try not to think I’m dyin’ in there this time.”

“Well don’t make any sounds like you could be dying and I’ll stay out.”

“Fine.” Turning back toward the bathroom, Cid moved inside and closed the door the best he could. They really needed to get that fixed. Maybe it would be a rainy day project sometime.

His shower went relatively fast and without any problems, a good thing since he was about to go on a date with Tifa. He didn’t need distractions if he wanted things to work this time around. A towel draped over his shoulders, Cid made his way out to the living room once more, only pants adorning his still-damp body. Sitting down, he looked over. “Found anythin’ yet?” he asked, drying his hair with the towel.

Zack had settled on Animal Planet. He pointed to the TV with the remote, gesturing for Cid to see for himself.

Cid raised a brow, tilting his head a little. “Uh… what’s goin’ on here exactly?” he asked, highly confused by the program since he had missed most of it.

“The cops are investigating some woman who had like eighty-two dogs in her house when her state law says she’s only allowed to have four. Crazy shit.”

“The fuck?” Cid leaned back, folding his legs under him as he fluffed his hair with the terrycloth. “Sounds like some crazy shit. Why ya watchin’ it?”

Zack shrugged. “Nothing else on.” He looked at the blond. “You ready to get ready?”

“Guess so. Whatcha got planned for me?”

“I dunno,” Zack said as he turned off the TV and sat up. “Let’s go check your closet.”

“Have fun with that,” the blond grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet and led the way to his room. Pulling open his rather large closet, he stepped inside and started searching through his clothes. There wasn’t actually all that much to work with when he got to looking. “So?”

Zack followed him, nudging him out of the way to look over what he had to work with. Within minutes he had three choices for shirts picked out, and a few pairs of nicer-looking jeans. He tapped his chin, looking over his selections. “Need a belt,” he mumbled. He stepped out of the room and disappeared, returning with a nice, shiny, black leather belt and tossing it at Cid. “Try all these on with the belt, and I’ll tell you from there.”

Cid stepped out of the closet and looked at his choices. “How the hell d’ya do that?” he said, picking up of the shirts and slipping it on. “I can’t match clothes for my fuckin’ life.”

“Apparently,” Zack said, chuckling. “You pretty much own things that all match each other. It doesn’t really matter.” He sat down on the bed, watching Cid. “What I wanna see is how well everything fits you. If we can get a combination that accents you in all the right spots, she’ll be all over you.”

A blond brow rose, but Cid obligingly finished an outfit and stood with his arms held out to his sides. “Now what? I try on another one?” he asked, feeling as if he already knew the answer.

Zack looked like he was thinking. “Yeah.”

“Dammit…” Taking the shirt off and replacing it, he once again stood in front of Zack. It was bound to be a while before they were done.

Zack looked him up and down. “Try the other shirt. I like the pants.”

Cid wasn’t sure how he felt with Zack watching him so intently. It was awkward, incredibly awkward, but he couldn’t just tell the guy to stop when he had asked for help in the first place. Pulling the shirt off, he traded it for the third, hoping Zack would find something suitable soon. He was starting to feel downright uncomfortable.

“That’s good,” Zack said, grinning a little.

“Ya sure?” Turning so his back was to Zack, Cid glanced over himself. He supposed he looked good. Then again, he thought he looked decent in just a t-shirt and jeans, dirty or not.

“Yup. You’re gorgeous, darling.” Zack stood, smiling and rolling his eyes.

Upon hearing that, Cid whirled around and shot Zack a glare, adding his middle finger to the mix. “Fuck off,” he said before gathering up the remaining clothes and putting them back where they belonged.

“You’re the one that asked for my help,” Zack said, chuckling.

“Never asked for your smart-ass comments though,” Cid said as he stuck his head out of the closet, pointing toward the bed. “Wanna hand me that hanger over there?”

Zack picked up the indicated hanger and reached over to hand it to Cid. “My smart-ass comments come for free.”

“Then if I pay ya, will they stop?” the blond asked as he hung up a shirt, pushing it back against the others. “‘Cause that’d be nice sometimes.” He looked at Zack. “Wanna move so I can come outta here?”

“I’m not in the way,” Zack said, moving anyway. “And you get my smart-ass comments whether or not you pay me. But I wouldn’t mind some cash,” he added with a grin, holding out one of his hands.

“Fuck off. I ain’t got much as it is an’ there ya are askin’ for some.” Grabbing the pants he had been wearing before his shower, Cid searched out his wallet and grabbed Zack’s hand to pour the change into it. “There. That’s all ya get.”

Zack looked in his hand. “Thirty-seven cents? Damn, you’re cheap.”

“Yup. Want any more ya have to work for it. Plus I needed to get rid of my change.” Shrugging, Cid stuffed his wallet into his pants and headed toward the bathroom. “So ‘m done then?”

Zack pocketed the change, just for the hell of it. “Yup. Go spray some smelly stuff on yourself and then you can leave.”

“Smelly stuff? How the hell does anyone understand ya?” Shaking his head, Cid disappeared into the bathroom with a little laugh. He had to admit that it wasn’t all that bad hanging out with Zack, though he younger man could be quite… special at times. Checking his hair in the mirror, he picked out some cologne that he at least thought smelled good. He just hoped Tifa would think the same when he got there.

Zack got to his feet and went back out to the living room, passing the bathroom on the way. “Only use a little bit of that stuff. It’s strong.”

“Plannin’ on it.” He had been past enough guys who doused themselves in cologne to know there actually was a limit to how much should be worn. “So whaddya think?” he said as he stepped out into the living room, running his fingers through his hair one more time try and calm it down.

“Hot,” Zack remarked casually, grinning up at him.

Giving Zack a flat look, Cid shook his head. “Whatever. Think Tifa’ll like it?” he said, gesturing to his clothes as he grabbed his shoes and sat to slip them on.

“Yup,” Zack said, adding a little popping noise to the final P. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV again.

Glancing at the clock, Cid looked back at his roommate. “Guess I’m gonna head out. Still gotta pick up some wine on my way there. Don’t guess ya know a place between here an’ there that sells it, huh? I mean, I know ya said ya don’t like alcohol, but ya ever notice a place?”

“I think there’s a wine place a few doors down from where Tifa works.”

“Sounds good.” Patting his pocket to ensure his wallet was still there, he headed across the room. “I guess I’ll see ya whenever,” he said, pushing the door open.

Zack smirked. “Should I not wait up tonight?”

Cid shrugged, grinning. “Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. Just have to see.”

Zack stretched out on the couch. “Fine, fine. Leave me here alone.”

“Fuck. As soon as I’m gone, that toy of yours’ll prob’ly end up waltzin’ right up the steps.” Closing the door most of the way, Cid looked through the crack. “Just clean up before I get back, all right? An’ stay outta my room.” With that he closed the door fully and headed down the steps, on his way to finding the wine store Zack had mentioned.

Zack pouted at the closed door. “He’s not a toy,” he said to the empty room. Still pouting, he turned back to the TV, prepared to spend the night with it.