Invisible Ink

Wow… I didn’t remember that this chapter was so damn long. XD And… smutty. Well, not that that’s any different than usual, but still. Lessee… so Vincent and Aerith have a little heart-to-heart before Cid shows up and crashes the party (not). So yes. Have fun reading and whatnot. :)
~Cid

Chapter Twelve

Vincent liked the café. It provided a nice atmosphere for him to get some reading or writing done, and he liked the people he found there. Lately, though, even the café couldn’t keep his mind from wandering. It didn’t help that where his mind wandered partly had to do with the café and a certain blond student of his who had run into him there once.

He had just returned from one of the most grueling graduate seminars he’d ever been to. Normally, he held great interest in learning and in listening to the speeches of those who supposedly knew better than him, but, as should be expected, his mind was elsewhere the entire time he was away. When last he left Cid, they had parted on happy grounds, and that was something he was both thankful for, and excited to return to. But now that he was back, he felt a little foolish about just immediately jumping back into the blond’s arms, so he figured he would wait a few more days, until they had to be in the same place at the same time anyway. No matter how anxious he was to get to that point, he had to remember to keep his wits about him. That was his entire reason for coming to the café in the first place.

He sat back in his chair, setting his cinnamon chai down on the table next to him, and picking up his lesson book. The café was also a great place to make lesson plans, so he decided to bury himself in that task and hope he could get through the weekend without bursting.

The tiny bell over the door jingled as the entrance opened, green eyes scanning the semi-full cafe. There was really no reason for Aerith to be there aside from a quick lunch before running by the office and picking up a few things she had left, but it was almost habit for her to look for acquaintances, friends and students. Her face brightened as she caught sight of the English professor settled in his seat and lost in his work. It always made her happy to see him, especially when there was actually time to sit and spend time together.

Ordering and picking up her lunch, she slipped through the maze of chairs until she reached the one Vincent was sitting in, leaning over slightly. “Do you mind some company?” she said softly, a bright smile on her face.

Vincent looked up at the voice, smiling a little. “Aerith, hi.” He set his lesson book in his lap, marking his page with his finger. “Please, sit.”

Smiling more, she settled her order on the little table in front of the chairs, carefully sitting down and fixing her skirt as she did so. “I didn’t expect to see you here on a Saturday,” she said as she took a sip of her coffee.

“I didn’t feel like sitting at home,” he said, lifting one leg and crossing it over the other one casually.

“Oh yeah.” Leaning forward a little, Aerith tipped her head toward him. “How was your seminar? You didn’t seem quite so excited as you usually do. Was it done by someone you dislike or was it just not going to be interesting?”

“Uh,” Vincent started, sighing and thinking of his answer. He certainly couldn’t tell her that he’d been disappointed to leave because he’d rather have been sleeping with one of his students. “I… just wasn’t as interested in the subject as usual.”

“Wait.” The brunet sat back a little. “What was the date of the actual seminar?” she asked, pulling her tote bag into her lap and digging around in it.

“It was on Thursday, so the 17th.”

“The 17th… I thought so!” Pulling out a piece of paper, Aerith held it up and looked it over. “I remember grabbing this because I wanted to tell you about it. I thought this man was one of your idols all through your undergraduate studies. How were you not interested in what they were saying?” She handed him the paper. “That is who you went to see, right?”

Vincent took it, looking it over. “Oh… yes, he’s who I went to see. He… was just covering a subject I tend to dislike.” He handed the paper back to her, hoping she bought his bluff.

Aerith laughed as she took the paper back. “And this is coming from the student who used to read any and everything by, about or even mentioning him.” Giving a smile, she looked down at the flier. “I guess some of us change so much in such a short time, don’t we?” she asked, replacing the paper to her bag.

“Yes…” Vincent said, smiling and hoping he didn’t sound distracted. In truth, he had enjoyed the seminar immensely. The speaker was his hero, after all. But thoughts of coming home had distracted him, so he had paid less attention to the seminar than he usually would have.

Setting her tote on the floor, the brunette professor raised her coffee cup and took a long sip. “It’s almost a shame, you know,” she said with a soft smile. “I miss seeing you get so excited over things like that.”

Vincent smiled, picking up his chai and sipping as well. “It’s not that I didn’t enjoy myself,” he said quietly.

“Then what was it? Did something go wrong on the way there?” Aerith was honestly curious and liked to stay close with Vincent. She admitted that she liked the English professor even though there was no point. He had turned her down many times before, even though they were very gentle rejections, but she wasn’t about to stop being his friend just because of a crush.

“I… wasn’t feeling up to it, that’s all.”

Pulling her legs up under her to keep them warm, she sipped at her cup again. “You have seemed a little strange lately. Everything’s going all right in your classes? I know you said they were before, but…” Aerith tipped her head, mocha curls falling around her face. “You know you can talk to me if you need to, right, Vincent?”

He smiled a little at that. She had always been there for him. “Yes, and I appreciate it.”

“I just want to make sure you remembered.” Smiling softly, Aerith brushed her bangs back.

Vincent looked down into his drink, his smile fading. He knew he could trust her always, but he wondered if he could trust her enough to tell her about Cid. He wanted someone to talk to about it. His feelings grew a little each time he thought of the blond, and he was getting to the point where he thought he might explode if he didn’t let it out somehow. Telling her would put them both at risk, because if she found it too much of a conflict of interest, she’d be obligated to report him, but if she didn’t report him, and somehow people found out anyway, then she would be just as guilty for knowing and not reporting him in the first place. It was a tricky situation, one he didn’t quite know what to do about just yet, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Noticing the change in Vincent, the psychology professor turned her head toward him. “Are you sure you’re all right?” She smiled a little, hoping to convince him to do the same. “Don’t make me be professional and try analyzing you,” she warned with a laugh. “I can do it.”

Vincent did smile, for her sake. “I’m fine,” he said.

“All right.” Finishing her coffee, she set it on the table in front of them. “So what else has been going on?” she asked after a few moments, trying to keep some sort of conversation going.

“Oh,” Vincent said, setting his drink down and looking down at his grade book. “Nothing, really. Just… teaching classes.”

Tilting her head a little and propping her chin in her hand, Aerith looked Vincent over. “That’s all? Not very exciting.” He certainly didn’t seem fine. He was at least distracted if not upset over something. The only problem was, she could only tell so much from his body language and tone of voice.

He could tell she was looking him over with her psychologist eyes. It was probably very obvious to her that he was hiding something, so he pursed his lips, trying to make up his mind about whether or not to tell her his secret.

A little smile pricked her lips as she watched him, something that always seemed to happen when she was attempting to analyze someone without actually saying so. It was involuntary and she tried to hide it with her hand as she kept looking. But even if she sat there and looked for a week, she wouldn’t be able to figure out more than the fact that he was distracted. Giving a small sigh, she gave up for the moment and just leaned back trying to think of something else to talk about.

Looking at her before averting his eyes, Vincent sighed, giving in. “Aerith… I have to tell you something. It’s of utmost secrecy, and I’m even taking a risk by telling you.” He glanced up at her, wondering how she would react.

So he had decided to give up and trust her. Moving her head so her chin rested in her palm, Aerith gave him a little smile. “You know it can always be defined as an actual psychological session. Patient confidence,” she added. “Would that help some? With the risk?”

He thought about that. “I… yes, it would.” He looked around at the other customers, deciding he couldn’t be too careful and sitting forward a little on his seat, gesturing for her to lean closer.

Noticing his glance around that she took to be born of nervousness, Aerith shrugged. “Would you feel comfortable going somewhere else? It’s getting a little busy in here.”

He had another moment of indecision before nodding. “Yes, let’s leave.” He leaned back again, packing up his bag and picking up his drink, glad he got it in a cup he could take with him.

Vincent seemed to have changed in the past few moments and the brunette wasn’t sure how she felt about it. It was odd seeing him so worried and worked up over a secret like this. “All right. Do you have somewhere in particular?” she asked as she stood, hanging her tote over her shoulder.

“Just… somewhere we can be alone,” he said, also putting his bag on his shoulder. He was getting more nervous the more he put off telling her, because doing so seemed, to him, like the matter was just getting to be a bigger deal with each second of tension that passed between them.

He started walking out of the café, putting his trash in the basket on the way out and turning to wait for her. Following, Aerith felt a little nervousness of her own. Vincent had never really trusted her with something so important to him, whatever this information might be. Her nervousness was also accompanied by a tiny tremor of giddiness. The professor had asked to be alone and he seemed distracted. It was impossible to tell what the secret was, but she couldn’t help hoping that it might have something to do with her.

Vincent stepped out of the café, holding the door open for her. He looked around for a place to go before deciding to start walking up the street, making sure she kept up with him. They crossed the street, hurrying before the light changed. Turning to look at her, he felt even more nervousness pull at his gut. “What about the little courtyard behind the history building? It’s usually empty.”

The brunette nodded. “That’ll work. It’s nice out today, so there’s no threat of being rained on.” Catching up with Vincent, Aerith looked up at his face, trying to get a glimpse of his emotions. Vincent kept his eyes on the ground as they walked, thinking of exactly how to tell Aerith. The prospect of telling her under patient confidentiality was comforting, but he was still nervous about telling her. What if she thought it was so immoral that she refused to speak to him again? He supposed that would be a little harsh and unrealistic, especially for someone so understanding, but it wasn’t an option that was completely obsolete.

The walk to the place he had mentioned wasn’t far, so they arrived quickly. Vincent quickly scanned the area, indeed confirming that no one was back in the secluded garden. It was attached to a frequently used building, but oddly enough, not many people knew of its existence other than those who had been there for several years. He chose a bench and sat down, gesturing for her to sit next to him.

Taking the offer, Aerith looked up at his face. She wasn’t sure what he would be telling her or what she would think about it, but she still felt honored that he trusted her enough to tell her. Moving her eyes to the ground, she let her gaze drift over the decorations made into the pavement. It seemed awkward to ask him to start, so she sat quietly, waiting for when he decided he was ready.

Vincent took a deep breath, deciding to just start talking. “I’ve… recently become… interested in someone I really shouldn’t be interested in.”

The soft green eyes moved back to his face. Someone he shouldn’t be… That could easily be anyone. She wanted, almost desperately, for Vincent to say it was her, but technically she wasn’t someone he shouldn’t be interested in unless it was by his own standards. “Why are they someone you shouldn’t be interested in?” she asked, a little of her anxiousness moving into her voice.

He looked up into her eyes, showing her how unsure he was. “…He’s one of my students.”

Aerith’s heart sank, but her professionalism never wavered. “He’s… one of your students?” She knew he had been involved with the same sex before and had no issues with that. But the fact that it was his student? She leaned in closer, concern in her eyes. “Vincent, that’s against university policy,” she said softly.

He seemed to crumple a little, his back slumping and his eyes falling. “I know…” he said. “But… he started it,” he said, feeling childish for even pointing it out.

A pang of guilt hit Aerith. “I… don’t see you as wrong, but I’m not the one you have to worry about.” The last thing she wanted was the professor misunderstanding her and thinking she disliked what he was doing. As far as she was concerned, it was his own business whom he decided to be involved with.

There was a heavy downward pull at Vincent’s lips, and his voice was quiet. “I tried to resist, but… there’s just something about him. My feelings for him get stronger every time we’re around each other.” He idly started picking at his fingernails, cleaning them for something to distract him a little bit. “I’m a little scared of what could happen with this, as I’m sure you can understand.”

“You… care for him a lot?” Aerith inquired quietly.

“I don’t know,” Vincent admitted. Then, “…I’d like to.”

“What about him?” Shifting a bit, Aerith moved her gaze away. “Does he care for you?”

Vincent shrugged, looking at his fingers again. “He’s… very confused, I think. He’s straight, but… well, this whole thing started because he suddenly developed feelings for me and couldn’t contain them.”

The brunette nodded, her face somewhat unemotional. “Who is he, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“He’s… the student you saw in my classroom the other day.”

“The blond?” The brunette’s brow wrinkled a little. “I thought he was your problem student. You don’t think he’s just using you, do you? To get a better grade for the class?”

Visibly flinching slightly, Vincent shook his head. “He said that once, jokingly, I think, but I wouldn’t do that. It doesn’t matter if we’re sleeping together or not; his grade will reflect his work in class. That’s not going to change.”

Aerith’s gaze shot back up to Vincent’s face. “You’re even sleeping together?” Taking a little breath, she shook her head. “You know what I’m going to tell you, don’t you?” she asked, her voice incredibly soft. She didn’t like telling anyone what to do, but it was just something he needed to be aware of.

He looked up at her. “It’s only happened twice…”

“Vincent… you should stop this,” she whispered, not wanting him to take it the wrong way. “You can’t keep this up. Do you have any idea what kind of secrecy you would have to keep in order to stay with him?”

Vincent sighed, heart dropping a little. “Yes, I’m well aware.”

Giving him a little look, Aerith felt her own heart sink at the emotion in his eyes. “Do you want to continue it so much that it doesn’t matter enough, is that it?” she asked, her voice almost too soft to hear.

“You know me,” he said, looking up at her, eyes desperate. “I don’t… I don’t do things like this. But… something keeps telling me to not let him get away.”

“I… I do know you. At least I thought I did.” Sighing, the brunette looked out over the hill they were on top of, part of the campus stretched out below them. “You’ve never let yourself become so taken by something that wasn’t written in a book. Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”

“Not at all. I’m so unsure about this, and that’s why it’s so frightening.” Vincent sat back a little, feeling like he just wanted to curl into himself and take a break from life. “I guess I’m just… not sure if it’s worth it. It feels like it is, but I’m so afraid.”

“How will you know if it’s worth it?”

He shook his head, letting it hang a little. “I don’t know.”

Thinking silently, Aerith leaned back against the back of the bench. “If you can’t think of how to know, then how can you think it’s worth the risk? He’s your student, yes, but does he really make you feel that good to put all of the risk aside and just go with it?” She shook her head a little. “It doesn’t even matter that he’s not getting some special grade or anything. If the board finds out about this, they’ll rip you apart. Both of you.”

Vincent’s heart sank more. “I know. That’s the last thing I want for him.”

“For him? What about you?” Leaning closer, Aerith didn’t even try to hold back her expression of concern. “Vincent, I don’t want to see something like this happen to you. Shouldn’t your reputation and career come first? Or are you telling me that you care about this guy so much?”

“My career is very important…”

Emerald eyes full of anxiousness watched him closely. “But you’re acting as if you would give everything you’ve been working for away just for someone else. If you can’t say he means that much to you, then you should reconsider what you think of him.”

Vincent looked away. Indeed, he couldn’t say with one hundred percent confidence that Cid was worth that. He wanted Cid to be worth that, but he also wanted to be realistic. He couldn’t pick now to start acting like a hormonal teenage girl. “I… need to see him again. I need to talk to him.”

Aerith sighed again, nodding. So Vincent was more than likely going to at least try to do something with this student of his. “Then I think you should go find him,” she said softly, offering him a smile. It was impossible to keep the sadness out of the expression though and she just bit her lip and looked away when she realized it was showing.

Vincent looked at her, feeling sympathetic. He knew she liked him, and he knew that what he had just confessed to her had probably stung a little bit. Pursing his lips, he reached for her hand, placing his on top of it. “Thank you, Aerith. Just… for being my friend. I don’t have many.”

Her gaze moving to their hands, Aerith smiled a little more. “I’m glad you trust me enough to consider me your friend,” she replied softly. Taking a little breath, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I hope this works out for you.”

Hesitantly, he put his arms around her waist, returning the hug. He wasn’t usually the type who hugged. “Thank you.”

Releasing him, Aerith leaned back. “You should probably go try and find him before you have to see him in class. It would probably be a lot easier to talk about things.”

“I don’t know where he lives, and I don’t have a phone number.” Vincent sat back again, shrugging a bit. “I’ll just wait until class on Monday. It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, but by then you’ll have had time to think and wonder and maybe come up with the wrong decision. And even if you don’t, then you’ll have those thoughts in your head and you won’t be able to think straight for the class.” Aerith shook her head again. “It would be best if you somehow found him before class.” Giving him a stronger smile, she patted his hand. “I want this to work so you’re happy.”

He gave her a small smile. “I appreciate that. Maybe I’ll find him later today.”

“I hope you do.” Nodding more to herself than anything else, Aerith folded her hands in her lap and looked at them. It hurt to know that Vincent might care about someone like that when it wasn’t her, but she wasn’t the type to hate him for that. She honestly did want to see him happy. Vincent’s smile and his rarely heard laugh were a few of the things that had first made her crush on him develop.

The older professor sighed heavily, thinking about all they had discussed. He did want to find Cid, but he didn’t know how or where to look. He would probably have to wait until Monday’s class, anyway. Making his decision with a little bit of a frown, he turned to Aerith again. “So… what now? Do you have plans?”

The brunette shrugged. “I just need to figure up some things for class. We have another quiz coming up in a few days so I wanted to get that sorted out. Oh.” Stopping for a moment, she leaned down to dig around in her bag. “I got another key made so I won’t have to borrow yours all the time.”

He smiled a little more, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Good. Be sure not to lose this one, now,” he said, as much of a joking tone in his voice as he could manage.

“I’ll try not to,” the younger professor said with her own smile though it was nearly as fake. “I should… probably go work on some things. You didn’t have anything else you wanted to get off your chest?” she asked, unsure if she should or not.

Vincent’s smile faded a little, and he shook his head. “No,” he said quietly.

Giving him another little smile, Aerith gathered up her bag and stood slowly. “I guess I’ll see you Monday, then?” She turned and started walking away, whirling on her heel as a thought popped into her head. “If something happens or if you just need to talk, don’t hesitate to call me, all right? You have my number and you know I want to help any way I can.”

He smiled minutely, staying on the bench. “Yes, thank you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“All right then. Good luck.” Biting her lip a little, she turned to leave again. It was hard to just go when she knew how torn Vincent was feeling, but there honestly was nothing she could do to help him at the moment and they both knew it. Hanging around would only make things awkward and she certainly didn’t want that.

Vincent sighed when she was gone, looking down at the stony ground under him. What she had told him had made every bit of sense. He shouldn’t jump to conclusions. He should think long and hard about what to do, and he needed to find Cid. Hoisting his bag up on his shoulder, he got to his feet, heading out of the little courtyard the way they had come in, the opposite way Aerith had gone. He intended to go back home, perhaps bury himself in some schoolwork just to keep himself distracted. He supposed he’d have to do that the next day too.

Sighing again, he resolved to just do that. It was better than wracking his brain until his head hurt. His decision made, he headed back up to Main Street, turning in the direction of home.

A somewhat happy-looking blond had just stepped out of the cafe, a styrofoam cup of hot tea cradled in his hands. Cid had spent most of the morning with Tifa and had enjoyed every bit of it. Only a call from her boss asking her to fill in for someone had finally driven him away, though it hadn’t been anywhere near a disappointed parting. They had made plans to see each other again soon, as normal couples did. He laughed to himself as he took a slow sip. It was odd thinking of himself as part of a couple again, but he had to admit… it was nice. Not to mention that the other half of the couple was an attractive girl who evidently just couldn’t keep her hands off of him.

Laughing a little again, Cid turned the corner to head toward his apartment, too busy trying not to spill the hot liquid on himself to notice anyone around him.

Vincent just happened to look up as he reached the right corner, his eyes immediately landing on a familiar face. He felt a nervous jolt of excitement move through his gut, and a smile automatically spread over his face as he noticed how happy Cid looked. Quickly looking both ways for oncoming traffic, Vincent stepped off the curb and jogged across the street. “Cid!”

The call of his name brought the blond head up, though he wasn’t sure who had called in the first place. Stopping, Cid looked around and finally noticed the professor moving toward him, a smile lighting up his face. “Vincent? Though ya were away on that conference thing,” he said, taking another sip of tea. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about seeing the other, but there was a little glimmer of elation at the sight of Vincent. He knew he shouldn’t since he was officially with Tifa now, but the happiness was still there for some reason he didn’t understand.

The professor stopped when he caught up with Cid, unable to help the smile on his face. The air between them just felt so positive. “I got back last night,” he said, a little out of breath.

“Thought those things lasted a long time or somethin’.” The blond moved his hand, swirling he contents of his cup before taking another long sip. “How’s it go?”

“It went really well,” Vincent said, his smile softening. He wanted to tell Cid how he had thought of nothing but their encounters for the entire trip, but that gave him too much of that teenage girl feeling again. Instead, he just watched the blond. “Um… so what are you up to?”

Cid nodded at the response, popping the lid off of his drink and blowing on it a little. “Not much. Just kinda hangin’ out or whatever. Was gonna go home, but now that I’m headed there, I really don’t wanna yet.”

That made Vincent perk up a little bit. “Well… do you have some free time, then?”

“I guess I could. Why?” Thinking maybe he had cooled his tea a bit, Cid dared a drink. It was decent, just to the point where he could take a mouthful and not get burned.

“I’d… I’d like to talk to you. Would you take a walk with me?”

“Sure.” Shrugging, Cid looked at him over the rim of his cup. “Anywhere ya wanna walk in particular or just wherever?”

“I was heading back to my house. I could make some lunch.”

“‘Kay. Just ate not too long ago, but I guess I could follow ya at least.” The idea of what had happened the last time he was at Vincent’s house was still somewhat fresh in his mind, but it had been pushed back by more recent events, far enough so that he was almost passing them by. He doubted anything would happen anyway; he was with Tifa now. There was no need to do anything with Vincent now aside from the standard student-teacher relationship. At least, that was what his mind was telling him.

Vincent smiled, starting to walk towards his house. He couldn’t describe how he was feeling. He couldn’t remember being so happy to see someone since his last serious relationship, and that had been years before.

Catching the smile, Cid tried to come up with a reason why the professor would be so happy. Maybe something good had happened to him over the time of his trip and that’s what he wanted to talk about. The blond doubted that, but it was at least a guess. “So what’s with the cheeriness. Take too many happy pills this mornin’ or somethin’?” Cid asked with a little laugh.

The professor shrugged. “I’m just… glad to see you,” he said, hoping it didn’t sound too forward.

The student’s brow rose, but he didn’t question it. “Whatever,” he replied, not all that sure what to make of Vincent’s response.

Vincent deflated a little bit, thinking that maybe he had been too forward. His mood wasn’t quite killed, but he decided it was probably safer not to make any more comments like that just yet. “So, um… how were your days off?”

“Pretty good, I guess. Been kinda the same though, really.” Cid tipped his head a little. He wasn’t sure if he should mention Tifa or not, deciding to just keep the relationship quiet. That wasn’t the sort of thing that students talked to their professors about, even ones they had done things with. “Nothin’ special.”

The professor nodded, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. “Sounds… relaxing,” he said, feeling tiny bit awkward, now. Cid seemed… different.

“Yeah, was nice.” Sipping at his tea, Cid turned his attention to the stand of trees just barely hiding the top of Vincent’s house. It was strange to thing of what all had happened since the first time he had laid eyes on that building only a few weeks before.

Vincent kept quiet the rest of the way, walking fairly quickly. No matter how awkward he felt, he did intend to keep his original goal of discussing things with Cid and finding out where they stood.

Shadows passed over them as they walked through the grove of trees, sunflecks dappling Vincent’s face. As much as he knew he shouldn’t be looking, Cid found that he couldn’t help it. The professor really was quite attractive, especially set up in the almost unearthly mix of light and shadow that the canopy was throwing down on him. Something stirred in Cid and he forced himself to look away, remembering that he had Tifa now. He couldn’t be thinking about Vincent like that anymore.

Vincent, oblivious to Cid’s staring, made his way up his driveway, going to the front door and unlocking it. He pushed it open, glancing back and giving Cid a smile. “Come in.”

“Sure thing.” Taking hold of the door, Cid moved inside the large room. He released the door and made sure it closed behind him, casting his gaze over the interior of the house again even though he had done so a few times before.

Vincent set his bag down on the floor by the door, starting to head for the kitchen. He glanced back, making sure Cid was following.

Dumping his own bag nearby, Cid wandered slowly through the room looking at little trinkets and the few pictures scattered around the room. There wasn’t much to be told from what he saw, but it was at least a nice distraction from his previous thoughts about the professor.

Vincent stepped into the kitchen, going to rummage through the fridge. He wanted to start talking now that they were alone, but he couldn’t think of how to start. Instead, he decided to stall, taking various ingredients out and starting to put together some lunch. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like anything?”

Cid leaned back away from the line of books he had been inspecting on a shelf, almost all of the titles unknown to him. “Nah, I’m good,” he replied, moving to peer into the kitchen.

“Okay.” Bending to find something on the bottom shelf of the fridge, Vincent frowned a little, still thoughtful. Every approach he thought of seemed more awkward than the last, and it was frustrating him.

Unfortunately, the blond happened to look in at the professor at that moment, getting quite an eyeful. Granted, it was a clothed eyeful, but it was enough to make Cid feel a little warmth of desire tingling inside of him. Swallowing hard, he turned and leaned against the door, trying to find some way to stop thinking about the other.

Straightening, Vincent gathered his ingredients, going about making a sandwich for himself. All the while, he was wracking his brain for a way to just say what he felt he needed to say.

Cid, on the other hand, was wracking his brain for ways not to think about Vincent. He wasn’t coming up with anything. Cursing to himself a little, he turned and let himself look at the professor again, just to see if maybe that want was a fluke. It wasn’t. It didn’t matter how much he liked Tifa or how much he thought he wanted to keep a clean relationship with her, he couldn’t get past the fact that he just wanted Vincent despite what he knew he was supposed to desire.

Vincent finished making his sandwich quietly, cursing it when it was done. He still hadn’t come up with anything to say. Taking a small bite of his sandwich, he turned to Cid, chewing slowly. “So…”

“So?” Vincent had said he wanted to talk about something, but he hadn’t said what yet. As he watched the ebony-haired man, it seemed as though he wasn’t sure what to say at all.

Vincent swallowed the bit of food in his mouth, leaning one hip against the counter and shaking some hair from his face. “Um… do you have plans for the weekend?” he asked, inwardly cursing himself for dancing around his desired subject. It felt strange trying to make such awkward small talk with someone he’d already slept with twice, but Cid was sending off a strange vibe, and it made Vincent feel like he didn’t know the blond at all.

Cid was almost thrown off guard. “I… nothin’, I guess.” Pausing, the blond shifted and aimed his glance away as he took a sip of his lukewarm tea.

“Oh,” Vincent said, looking down at the floor. He took another slow bite of his sandwich, trying to buy time.

Feeling a little awkward now that his entire mood about being near Vincent had changed and now that it was somewhat obvious that the other was at least trying to prolong his being there, Cid shifted again and settled himself against the wall.

Lowering his eyes, Vincent caught his bottom lip between his teeth, biting it lightly. “Cid, I…”

Catching the motion, Cid found he couldn’t look away. Vincent just looked so lost and confused to him when he did that, to the point that the blond just wanted to hold him close and never let go. He made a move to step forward before catching himself and staying where he was, looking off to the side to try and forget how much he wanted to kiss Vincent. “What?” he asked softly, not sure of what he would hear.

“Um…” Vincent looked away as well, trying to find something to say. “…Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

The blond shook his head lightly, taking another drink of tea to give him a reason for not speaking.

Nodding, Vincent stepped forward, intending on moving to a more comfortable room for them. What he didn’t count on was the chair leg sticking out in a way that was just out of place enough to be a threat, but not far enough to be of any notice. Vincent hadn’t counted on it though, so his foot caught on it as he walked by, forcing him to lose his balance. He tumbled forward, gasping as he did, and reached out instinctively, grabbing the nearest object, which happened to be Cid.

Cid gasped as well as he suddenly saw Vincent falling toward him. He instinctively let go of the cup in his hands to reach forward and catch the other, liquid splashing over the floor as he drew the professor to him. “Ya okay?” he asked, unaware of just how close he was holding Vincent and not really caring.

“Ow,” Vincent said quietly as he leaned on Cid. His toe was throbbing with pain from where it had hit the chair, but he was more concerned with the fact that Cid’s arms were suddenly around him again, and he just wanted to melt into them. “I… my pants are wet.”

Glancing down, Cid realized that he had Vincent pressed rather close to him. Another wave of desire hit him and he had to bite his lip fairly hard to keep himself under control. As much as he didn’t want to, he pushed Vincent away and bent to pick up his cup. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he said quietly.

Vincent felt a pang of disappointment at the lost contact, but he stepped back anyway, limping a little. “It’s okay… just let me clean up.”

“No, I-I got it.” He looked up at Vincent, holding a hand out for a towel. “My fault anyway. I dropped it.”

Vincent turned to get some paper towels, handing some to Cid and keeping some for himself. He knelt, starting to wipe up the tea and the remains of his sandwich.

Taking the paper towels, Cid began cleaning up the mess nearest him. Vincent was still close enough to tempt him into doing something, but as long as he kept his eyes down he figured he would be all right.

Clearing up what he could, Vincent stood and tossed the paper towel in the trash. He looked down at Cid, chewing his lip again as he considered what to say.

As he heard Vincent finish, Cid stood and tossed his own handful of soaked paper towels. “So, uh… mind if I use your bathroom? To clean up a little. Kinda sticky now.”

“Sure. I need to change my pants anyway. Um… do you remember where it is?”

“I think so.” Making sure not to brush his hands against his clothes and trying his hardest not imagining Vincent without his own, Cid headed toward the stairs. It wasn’t good that his emotions and desires were running wild, especially since he was supposed to be with someone. But for some reason, when he recalled Vincent pressed against him, the professor was all he wanted.

Vincent followed him, the pain subsiding in his foot. He felt strange. He felt shy and nervous, in a different way than he usually came off. Cid seemed to be acting strangely too, and it just fueled the fire. Vincent wasn’t sure what to do about it.

They made it upstairs, turning and heading down the hallway. Vincent quietly ducked into his bedroom, starting to look around for a new pair of pants. He heard the bathroom door close behind Cid, and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Feeling a little hopeless, he slipped his wet pants off and put them in the laundry basket before starting to pull the dry pair of pants on.

Cid leaned against the sink and let his head hang. He had no idea what he should do aside from just up and leave. That would solve his problem for the most part, but he felt bad about just doing that. Vincent had asked him there to talk about something and, even though it seemed as though the professor was reluctant to ask or something of the like, Cid wasn’t going to leave until he had given the other a chance to ask.

When he was dressed again, Vincent moved out of his room, noticing the bathroom door still shut. He approached it quietly, giving a soft knock. “Cid… is everything okay?”

Sucking in a breath, Cid turned on the faucet and actually did what he had intended to do. “‘M fine,” he called back, switching the water off and running his wet hands over his face. He felt warm and more than likely it was showing on his face. Grabbing a towel off of the rack, he dried his hands and face, checking in the mirror to make sure he was somewhat presentable before opening the door.

Vincent caught Cid’s eyes as the door opened, not expecting to see him so soon. His breath caught before he could stop it, making him bite his lip again. It was a nervous habit that had been rearing its ugly head with a vengeance lately, but he almost never realized it was happening.

There was that expression again, that one that just made Cid want to kiss it away. It took nearly everything in Cid’s power to resist doing so, turning his attention to the floor. Unfortunately, his eyes slowly drifted back up and he found himself stepping a little closer without meaning to.

“Cid…” Vincent tried again, wanting to get it out. He couldn’t understand what was happening inside him, but he knew that only Cid could fix it. “I wanted to… to say…”

The resolve that had been holding Cid back snapped at the sound of Vincent’s voice. Wrapping his arms around the professor before he could stop himself, Cid pressed a kiss to his lips, his mind blanking except for the feel of Vincent against him again.

Vincent gripped Cid’s shirt at the shoulder, surprised by the kiss but suddenly feeling like he desperately needed it. He pressed into it, just wanting to feel Cid all over.

The fact that Vincent was responding only drove Cid further and further away from the idea that he needed to stop and he pushed forward to try and get closer. No matter what he had thought about Vincent before, he couldn’t deny that right then, everything felt right and he needed more.

A quiet sound came from Vincent’s throat as he stepped back, responding to Cid’s pushing. He knew there was a wall behind him somewhere and he wouldn’t protest if they reached it. He needed something solid behind him, just so Cid could get that much closer to him without him losing his balance.

The jolt as they hit the wall shook Cid enough to make him break away, but not enough to keep him away. He began the kiss anew and pressed Vincent against the wall, loving the fact that there wasn’t a bit of space between them aside from their clothes.

The professor moaned more distinctively, then, pressing into the second kiss. He opened his mouth invitingly, his fingers bunching more of Cid’s shirt together and pulling him tighter against him.

There was no question in Cid’s mind how much he wanted the other now and he wasted no time in deepening the kiss. A soft groan rumbled through his throat as their tongues brushed and curled around each other, his hands slipping down to pull at the silken shirt until his fingers could touch warm skin.

Shivering at the touch and responding with another moan, Vincent broke the kiss to catch his breath. He felt like he was going to burst, with so many feelings colliding in him at once. There was one thing he was sure of, though. “God, Cid…” he breathed. “I don’t ever want this to stop…”

“I don’t either,” Cid mumbled as he pulled Vincent into another crushing kiss. He wasn’t about to let go and push him away, not when the sheer need for the professor was almost overwhelming. Relationship or no, Cid wanted Vincent and there was no doubt in his mind about it.

The quiet words and the searing kiss made Vincent’s knees weak. His hands found their way down to Cid’s hips, gripping the waist of his pants and pulling the blond closer.

A soft moan sounded between them as their hips collided. Shifting so he was settled better against Vincent, Cid let one leg slide between the professor’s, knowingly pressing his thigh against the other’s groin. He knew what he wanted, but he needed to hear Vincent say it.

The younger man broke the kiss to moan, leaning his head back against the wall. His hips rolled, feeding his desire for that delicious pressure from the blond’s leg. His cheeks were flushed, little bits of pink tinge slowly spreading over his cheekbones. As he rolled his hips, grinding more against Cid’s thigh, he closed his eyes and pulled the student’s hips closer, wanting no space between them.

Cid’s kisses moved down to caress Vincent’s neck as his hands rose higher. They were as close as clothes allowed, but even that wasn’t enough for him. But still, his mind was nagging him about how he should stop and just go before they managed to get too far to turn back. “Whaddya want?” he whispered between kisses, knowing he wouldn’t be able to fully break free from his conscience until Vincent answered. “Tell me…”

Turning his head to the side and freeing up more space for Cid’s mouth on his neck, Vincent moaned again. “I want… I want you…” Vincent panted, hands pulling at Cid’s shirt. “I always want you…”

The last of his reserve breaking, Cid slipped his hands up to fight with the buttons of Vincent’s shirt, pushing the soft cloth away when he was done. There was far too much fabric between them and he was determined to get rid of it as soon as possible, feeling as if he would explode if he didn’t.

Vincent tugged at Cid’s shirt, lifting it up and over his head. He felt like his body was on fire, and each touch from the blond was just making everything hotter. At this point, he felt like he probably wouldn’t have cared if Cid just crushed him into the wall and fucked him senseless, as long as it was Cid.

Dipping down and trailing kisses and nips across Vincent’s chest, Cid wrapped his arms around the professor’s waist and lifted just enough to pick him up. He wanted Vincent and he wanted him now and, as far as he was concerned, he was going to get his way. Luckily for him, they were fairly close to Vincent’s bedroom and soon enough he had the other pressed against the bed, fingers dancing over pale skin to slip under thick denim and unfasten the pants in his way.

Vincent lifted his hips, encouraging the removal of his pants. He raised his arms, pulling himself further onto the bed and tempting Cid to follow, spreading himself out and looking up at the blond.

Tossing the pants aside, Cid kicked off his shoes and crawled after him. He would have been absolutely captivated by the display Vincent was putting on, but he was far too wrapped up in the desires of both f them and pressed a hard kiss to the professor’s lips. He was almost dizzy with how much he just needed to touch and taste the other and he arched his back, driving them together.

A cry left Vincent’s throat, only to come out into Cid’s mouth. His hands darted down between them, making quick work of the button and zipper on the blond’s pants. He pushed at them until he couldn’t reach anymore, afterwards just willing them to be gone.

Unwilling to part even more a moment but wanting his clothes gone as much as Vincent, Cid shifted until he could kick the remaining clothes away. He returned almost as quickly, moaning quietly as skin brushed skin and he felt the professor’s erection against his own. Shifting his hips to grind them together, he kissed and nipped a line across the pale throat.

Vincent’s head tilted back, his legs spreading and letting Cid fall between them more. His back arched, pressing them even closer, his breaths coming hard and fast. “Cid…” he panted, gripping the sheets over his head.

A hissed curse drifted over Vincent’s throat as they were forced together and Cid moved one hand to grope blindly on the bedside table, hoping he would come across the little bottle he had last seen there. Rocking his hips, he bit down on his lip to silence himself, his fingers closing over cold plastic just as he let out a breath at the contact between them.

The professor let out a groan, moving his hips with Cid’s. His fingers were starting to go numb from the strong grip he had on the sheets and blankets under his head, but he didn’t care, not when Cid was doing the things he was doing.

Fumbling with the bottle and somehow getting it open, Cid covered his fingers with the contents, closing and dropping it to slide his hand between them. Catching Vincent in another kiss, he slipped a finger inside, a second quickly following. He didn’t want to hurt the professor, but he also didn’t want to waste time so much that they were ready too late.

Vincent groaned again, his toes curling at the sudden intrusion. There was an odd mix of temperatures from the combination of Cid’s fingers and the cold liquid, but it was quickly mixing and warming. He pushed himself down on the fingers, impaling himself as far as he could and fumbling for words that reflected how he felt. All he managed to get out was another moan.

Confident that Vincent wasn’t in pain, Cid added a third finger and spread them, pressing deeper and brushing that bundle inside of him. Pushing himself up a little, the blond glanced down the other’s body and silently cursed as he felt another wave of sheer need cover him from the sight.

A shout left Vincent’s mouth as a jolt went through his body from the touch. His back arched up, forcing Cid’s fingers to touch that spot again. He was panting harshly, writhing beneath the blond from the utter desperation of wanting Cid so badly. “Cid… I want you now… I’m ready…”

Upon hearing the words, Cid nodded and slipped his fingers free, quickly scrambling to find that little bottle again and prepare himself. He tossed it aside when he thought he might be done, catching Vincent’s gaze and holding it as he took a breath. The pause only lasted for a moment though and he arched forward, driving himself into the other with a hard thrust. “Ah, fuck…” he gasped, faltering and letting his forehead press against Vincent’s shoulder.

Groaning, Vincent’s arms moved to wrap around Cid’s shoulders, his breaths coming harder. “Precisely,” he breathed, feeling his body twitch as he adjusted.

It was almost torture not to move, but Cid stayed where he was, waiting until he had some sign that Vincent was good. Turning his head, he let out a hot breath against the professor’s throat, his lips brushing pale skin as he did so.

Vincent rolled his hips a little after a while, trying to signal Cid to start moving. His muscles burned with the quickness of their stretching, but because it was Cid, it felt so good.

Taking a breath, Cid pushed himself up enough to slide his palms down Vincent’s chest to his waist. As he balanced on his knees, he moved his hands again, this time to the insides of Vincent’s thighs and around until he could push the slender yet strong legs up. It gave him a good chance to shift his hips back and forth a few times, going a bit slower than he would have liked, but he just wanted to make sure he wasn’t throwing all cautiousness away because of his own desires.

As Cid moved torturously slow, Vincent leaned his head back. He moved his arms to rest them up by his head, his toes curling as he felt each movement from the blond. He kept his legs up with the help of Cid’s hands, and turned his eyes to lock onto sky blue, lips parted to let out his heavy breaths. “G-go…” he strained, needing to feel that blissful friction that would help him reach his end.

He needed no other prodding, either from himself or from Vincent. Another breath and his grip on the other’s thighs increased, holding him steady as he pulled out and slammed back in hard enough to make him lose his breath. The concept of slow may as well had not existed as Cid’s hips began moving faster than he had dared before, each motion deeper and harder than the last.

Vincent didn’t hold in his sounds. Every thrust was a thrill in itself, especially when Cid slammed into his prostate. It wasn’t long before there was a noise exiting Vincent’s throat almost as frequently as his breaths were.

Cid knew he wasn’t going to last long with the way they were going, but he also knew how to fix it. When he pulled back to begin another thrust, he shifted just enough to let one of Vincent’s legs slide onto his shoulder, freeing his hand to start stroking Vincent’s erection, the flesh hot under his fingertips.

The touch was electric to Vincent, and it was then that he really knew they were headed for a quick ending. He rolled his hips harder, feeling Cid hit his prostate again. Combined with the sensation of Cid’s hand stroking him, it made his vision blur. “Fuck,” he whispered, in a state he rarely found himself in. If he had been a little more conscious of himself, he would have realized that just the fact that Cid could make him curse was, in itself, a sign that Cid was not one to let go of.

The whispered curse acted as fuel for the blond’s actions and he sped up both motions as best he could without giving out himself. He was incredibly close though, his hand squeezing around Vincent as an unconscious warning. Strands of hair tickled his face where his bangs were plastered to his forehead by a thin sheen of sweat, but he could do nothing but ignore the sensations as he kept on, almost desperate to feel either the professor come or for himself to do it.

Cid’s increase in speed was Vincent’s undoing. He gripped the sheets tightly, pulling so hard he almost ripped them as he shouted, his release hitting him like a ton of bricks. His whole body tensed and rippled as hot liquid sprayed over his stomach and Cid’s hand. It was all he could do not to scream, the amount of pleasure coursing through him overwhelming.

Muscle tightened around Cid and he gasped, choking out a short cry as he was forced to his own release and burying himself deep within Vincent on his last thrust before he let go. He was trembling as he wrapped his arms around the thighs still leaning against him and he fought to catch his breath as the waves of pleasure started to slow and just left him overcome by how good he felt.

Vincent was still breathing hard, shuddering through the aftershocks. He hadn’t let go of the sheets yet, his chest rising and falling as high and low as it could go. He looked up at Cid, suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable. He bit his lip again, this time looking almost timid and scared as he let go of the sheets, leaving them in a wrinkled mess.

Cid was just managing to settle himself some when he looked down, noticing the expression on Vincent’s face. Worry crossed his own and he wiped a hand over his brow to get rid of the shine of sweat. “Ya okay?” he asked through his breaths, almost hating to move and displace them.

Vincent opened his mouth, but no words came out for a minute. “I-I… I don’t know…”

The concern grew and Cid slowly slid Vincent’s legs to the bed, pulling out as gently as he could but knowing that it still hurt. As soon as he could, the blond crawled up the bed and leaned over him. “Vince, what’s wrong? Tell me, did I do somethin’ wrong? Are ya okay?” He brushed his clean hand across the professor’s face, moving the dark strands away.

Vincent frowned heavily, looking up at Cid. His voice was quiet and emotional when he spoke. “I… I missed you, when I was away, Cid.”

“Ya… missed me?” Leaning down against the bed, Cid held himself propped up with his elbow. His other hand still brushed at the hair around Vincent’s face, the motion almost soothing to him as he did it.

“I missed you a lot,” Vincent said, reaching to put his hand gently over Cid’s. “I thought of almost nothing else.” His burgundy eyes were intense and pleading. “I wanted to come back here just to see you. I stopped caring about everything else…” He took a deep breath, trying to keep his thoughts in check. “And now you’re here, and I can’t help… being scared that you’re going to leave. And it’s weird to feel that way. I’ve… I’ve never done that before.”

Cid felt something inside of him sink. “Ya… actually feel all that for me?” he asked quietly, unsure of what to think of it. It felt good to know the professor liked him that much, but it was also confusing to him. What was he supposed to tell Vincent? He had already said he was afraid Cid would leave, so if he just popped out with the fact that he was in a relationship now, the other most likely wouldn’t take it well. He didn’t want to see him like that. But on the other hand, he cared for Tifa and didn’t want to just give up on her right as soon as they had worked something promising out. He leaned back a little, trying to come up with some sort of solution. “I… I didn’t know ya felt that way. Thought ya saw this as wrong ‘cause I’m your student…” he mumbled, just to have something to say while he thought.

“That’s just the thing,” Vincent said, sounding a little more desperate. “It doesn’t matter.” He thought about what he had talked about with Aerith, and now he was sure. “I feel like… like you’re worth the risk.”

“Worth the risk…” The blond chewed on his lip. If Vincent was willing to give up everything if they got caught, then he certainly couldn’t leave the professor now. But he still couldn’t justify leaving Tifa either. Sighing a little, he let himself settle on the only option he could see: stay with them both and not tell either of them about it. There was a huge chance that it could all turn around and everyone would end up hurt, but it was a chance that he was willing to take, much like the risk that Vincent saw him as worth. “You’re sure about that?” he asked, a little quieter.

“No,” Vincent confessed. “But… I want to be sure of it.” He glanced up at Cid, almost afraid of what reaction he was going to see. Cid looked distant. Vincent frowned, afraid he had pushed it too far. “Have… have I said too much?”

“No, I just…” He leaned back, taking a breath. “That’s just, ya know… a lot to hear.” He shook his head. “I didn’t really think that’s what ya wanted to talk about when ya asked me here,” he said with a little laugh, settling on his choice. It seemed right and he could see no other way to solve his problem.

Vincent leaned up on his elbow, looking down at the mattress. “Actually, it was. I needed… I needed to talk to you about… us. I needed to figure out if you were worth the risk.”

“An’ ya think I am?” Catching Vincent’s eyes, Cid gave a little smile. Now he just had to figure out what Vincent wanted them to become.

“On… on my side, yes. I can’t speak for you.” Vincent looked up, catching Cid’s eyes. “You can tell me… that you don’t feel any of this.” At that, he looked down again, taking a slow breath. “You can tell me that this can’t continue,” he said quietly. “I won’t hold it against you.”

Cid couldn’t deny that he felt something for Vincent. What exactly, he wasn’t sure of yet. “I could say that, but I dunno if it’d be the truth.” Giving a little sigh, he glanced away. “Kinda think it’d be more of a lie than anythin’.”

That gave Vincent a little bit of hope, but he still felt uneasy. “What do you want from me?”

“I… I guess that I don’t wanna stop this,” he said softly. In all honesty, he didn’t want it to end. When he found himself around Vincent, he did feel something that was different from what he felt with Tifa. Whether that actually should make a difference or not, he wasn’t sure, but he was willing to bet it did for some reason. “It’d feel wrong if it just, ya know… ended.”

“Wrong?” Looking back up, Vincent tilted his head. “Because… of what? Don’t feel like it’s wrong if you’re only concerned that you’ll hurt me.”

“No, I mean… It’d feel wrong ‘cause then, ya know, all we’d know was this.” He scrambled for words, trying to figure out a way to explain his thoughts without it sounding like he was too caught up in his emotions. “Fuck… I’m not good as sayin’ shit like this.” He sighed again.

Hesitantly, Vincent slid closer to him. “Just say what you feel. I want to know.”

“I guess… I wanna know where it could go. I guess that’s what I’m tryin’ to say.” His voice lowering somewhat, Cid looked away. He felt incredibly ridiculous for saying something that he would have considered stupid or cheesy if he had heard it come from someone else.

“I… I want that too,” Vincent said, wanting Cid to look at him again.

Feeling Vincent’s eyes on him, the blond turned to look at him, unsure of what was going to happen now. Whether he could maintain two separate relationships with two completely different people, he didn’t know, but he figured he could at least try his best. Technically he couldn’t count what he had with Vincent as a relationship just yet, but it seemed as though that’s what the professor wanted. He certainly was getting quite a lesson in keeping secrets with everything going on. “What?” he asked softly, more just to have something to say rather than actually expect an answer from the other.

Vincent smiled a little, looking over Cid’s face with soft eyes. “I like to be able to see your face.”

The other’s smile seemed addictive and Cid found himself smiling a little as well. The words seemed familiar, but he wasn’t quite sure why and didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he reached up and brushed his hand through Vincent’s hair, his thumb brushing against a soft cheek.

Leaning into the contact, Vincent felt his chest get a little tight. “I really do want this,” he said quietly, unable to make his voice any louder.

Cid’s smile grew a little more. There was definitely something between them and he was glad he had chosen not to just throw it away. Every moment he spent thinking about just being there with Vincent, he felt more comfortable and relaxed. “So do I,” he replied softly.

Sighing softly, Vincent closed his eyes, one of his small smiles on his lips. “Good,” he whispered, leaning more into Cid’s hand.

Brushing his hand through the silken locks again, Cid moved to pull Vincent down so the dark head was pillowed on his shoulder. He felt a little uneasy about the deceit he would be pulling on both Vincent and Tifa, but as long as neither found out, everyone would be happy.

Settling down, Vincent tucked his face close to the blond’s neck. “You smell good,” he said quietly, without even realizing he was thinking it.

A little laugh slipped from Cid’s lips. “Thanks?” he said, wrapping an arm around the other’s shoulders. His eyes drifted to the clock on the bedside table, his brow rising a little with another laugh. “It’s only 1:18. Shit.”

“Is that bad?” Vincent asked, glancing up at Cid’s chin, since that’s all he could see from his angle.

“Nah, just kinda surprised.” Cid stretched some, his back arching and shifting the professor a bit. “Just seems really early for the weekend. ‘M usually still asleep.”

Vincent chuckled quietly. “That’s right. You don’t like the morning.” He settled down again, his fingers slowly tracing a pattern around the muscles on Cid’s torso. “So why were you out so early?”

Of course he had practically thrown himself into that little trap. “I, uh, spent the night with a friend from home. Didn’t know he lived in town an’ kinda… ran into him yesterday.” He shrugged. “He wanted me to come over an’ go out an’ shit.”

“I see,” Vincent said, still smiling. “So is that why you looked so happy?”

“Yeah,” he replied, closing his eyes for a moment. At least Vincent seemed to be believing him. After all, it wasn’t that hard to think that he might have friends from home attending the same university. “Gave me a little chance to just get out an’ have some fun.”

“Good.” Stretching himself out, Vincent cuddled a little closer to Cid, attracted to his warmth and strength. “You should go out and have fun.”

“Yeah. Was nice.” Scratching the back of his head, Cid yawned a little. “So whatcha got planned for the rest of the day?” he asked quietly, not really sure why he asked in the first place. He supposed it was just so they would have something to talk about.

“I was going to bury myself in lesson plans,” Vincent said, leaving out his reasoning for that. He didn’t need Cid thinking he was obsessed.

Cid laughed a little. “Sounds thrillin’,” he said sarcastically. “So whatcha gonna do now?”

Vincent shrugged and smiled, liking the sound of Cid’s laugh. “I don’t know.”

“Ah, gotta have somethin’. Ya just gonna lay around in bed all day? I mean, I don’t mind, but I know my back’d start killin’ me after a while.” Tipping his head back again, Cid let his hair scrub the pillows.

“Well, as far as I know, the only thing I can do is get back to my lesson plans. Unless… you’d like to do something?”

The blond shrugged. “I ain’t got anything to do really. Guess I could hang around here, but I dunno how entertainin’ watchin’ ya make lesson plans would be.”

“Well,” Vincent started, shifting again. “What would you rather see me do?”

Shrugging again, Cid smiled. “I dunno. Whaddya wanna have me see?”

Vincent also shrugged, running his hand over Cid’s stomach. “Whatever you’d like.”

Cid kept that smile on his face, thinking for a moment. Suddenly a thought popped into his head and his face went blank, more through surprise at the thought than anything else. “Hey, Vince…”

“Hmm?” Vincent asked, looking up.

Deciding there was no better time than the present to sate his curiosity, Cid looked at the ceiling as he thought of a way to word his question. “Why’s it so good?” he asked, still thinking.

“What?” Vincent asked, leaning up on his elbow to see Cid’s face. The blond looked like he was trying hard to figure something out. It made Vincent smile.

“The sex.” Finally glancing down at Vincent, Cid gave him a straight face as he asked. “I mean, why’s it so good?”

“You mean for me?” Vincent asked, tilting his head.

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve done it before like that with chicks before, but there’s… ya know, somethin’ different when I do it with ya.” He tried again to think of how to phrase what he wanted. “There’s somethin’, ya know… in there. It’s kinda like a button or somethin’ that makes ya feel good when it’s touched. Least… I guess it makes ya feel good. Ya seem to like it enough.”

It took a moment for Vincent to realize what Cid was talking about. When he did, he let out a quiet laugh. “You were touching my prostate.”

The blond’s brow knit. “Your prostate? Didn’t know it did that,” he said softly. He gave a little laugh. “Kinda makes sense now why I never found it in a girl, huh?” He felt a little ridiculous and embarrassed about asking and then hearing the answer, but at least he finally knew what exactly it was that made Vincent want to scream with pleasure. Of course now, his curiosity was piqued in other ways. But he wasn’t about to start in on that.

Vincent smiled. “It makes sense, right? The prostate is what makes semen, so it’s logical that it would feel good if stimulated.”

“Yeah, I guess. Just never thought of it like that, ya know?” Cid shrugged. It was true. He had never thought about trying to do anything with that little bundle of nerves. “Wait. Why didn’t it feel good durin’ that prostate exam I had to take with my physical then? Sure as hell wasn’t enjoyin’ that,” he said with a grimace. The thought that it was probably pretty strange for a thirty-two year old man to not know these kinds of things popped into his head, but he shoved them away in the back of his head.

Vincent shrugged. “I’ve heard it’s similar to finding a woman’s G-spot. When women go to the doctor to have examinations like that, they don’t find it particularly arousing either.”

“Oh. Makes sense.” Turning his head to look at the bedside clock again just to have something to focus on, Cid shrugged. “Was just wonderin’.”

Vincent smiled again. “Under the right circumstances, it feels amazing…”

“Apparently, if the way ya react means anythin’.”

Letting his smile grow, Vincent settled his chin on Cid’s shoulder. “I can’t help it.”

The blond smiled back. “Ah, I don’t mind. Makes a pretty damn good show, if ya ask me. An’ hey. Means I’m definitely doin’ somethin’ right.”

“Yes, you are.”

Cid grinned a little. “Nice to know. I think I’d feel kinda bad if I was doin’ somethin’ wrong.”

Pressing a little closer, Vincent slid his arm over Cid’s chest, resting it there and settling his head on the blond’s shoulder again. “You’re surprisingly good at sex with a man. I wasn’t expecting you to be so confident.”

“Well, I… kinda did used to get girls I was dating to let me, ya know… ride a little bareback.” He gave a soft grin, somewhat amused that had come in handy where he least expected it to. “I guess I just kinda figured it was close to the same idea. Just apparently has a hell of a better effect on guys though.” He laughed softly. “‘Sides. In my own defense, I was kinda drunk that first time. Not sure I woulda been able to spell ‘confident’ if ya’d asked, let alone worry about bein’ it.”

Vincent pursed his lips, thinking about something Cid had said. “Bareback… Cid, that reminds me of something.” He sat up, looking at him with worry in his eyes. “Something I really should have considered before now.”

The look in Vincent’s eyes brought Cid out of his relaxed state. “What?” he asked, a little worried, himself.

“We’ve had sex three times…” Vincent started, getting a little more worried. “We didn’t use condoms or anything any of those times.”

At first Cid felt his throat tighten until a thought came across his mind as to what Vincent might be talking about. “I’m clean, if that’s what you’re wonderin’,” he said quietly.

“I am too, but that’s no excuse to be unsafe. We… should probably use protection from now on.”

“I… yeah. Guess so.” Cid sat up a little and scratched the back of his head. “Guess I just didn’t think of it,” he added on, knowing that wasn’t a very good excuse.

“I didn’t either,” Vincent said, sighing. “We’re lucky we’re both clean, but even then, there can be problems.”

“Yeah…” Glancing away, Cid felt foolish for not thinking of protection before. Even if all he had been taught about “gay equals wrong” wasn’t right, it was still a proven fact that it was easier for problems to arise between gay men. “Guess we should start doin’ that then.” He glanced over to the bedside table where the bottle of lube usually lay even though it was still abandoned somewhere in the bed. “Do ya usually have some or should I… ya know… go pick some up at some point?” He had figured he would need to anyway, at least until he remembered that Tifa evidently preferred sex without them.

“I have some, but they’re old. We may want new ones.” Vincent got to his hands and knees, leaning over Cid to open the lower drawer on the table. He pulled out a box, sitting back and handing it to Cid.

“Yeah… I kinda like a different brand anyway,” Cid said with a little bit of an embarrassed laugh. “There’s somethin’ in that kind that makes me have some sorta reaction. Found that out the hard way.”

Smiling sympathetically, Vincent took the box and put it aside. “Well, then there’s a little bit of a good reason we didn’t use them.”

The blond laughed again, this time a little less awkward. “Yeah, don’t think we woulda gone very far even if I hadn’t seen the brand.”

“We can go pick up your brand sometime soon, then,” Vincent said, moving to settle back down next to him.

“Sounds good to me.” Stretching a little, Cid rested his arms under his head. He was comfortable, but a little sensation in his body was telling him that if he didn’t do something soon, he would end up restless. “So…”

“So,” Vincent echoed, looking up at Cid. “What would you like to do?”

The blond shrugged one shoulder. “Dunno. Somethin’ that isn’t just layin’ here though. Nice as it is, I’m startin’ to hurt a little.” Giving a little shrug and a smile, Cid sat up and leaned against the headboard, accidentally knocking Vincent’s head into his lap. “Uh, shit. Sorry,” he stammered as he grabbed the blanket and covered himself with it, more embarrassed by where the professor’s head had been than he was with being completely naked.

Smirking a little, Vincent glanced up at him. “I’m not.”

“Whaddya mean?” Cid asked as he looked down, not sure about the smirk or what Vincent was thinking.

“If you’re looking for something to do…” Vincent said, glancing down at the blanket covering Cid.

A blond brow rose. “What’re ya suggestin’ exactly?” He had a vague idea, but wasn’t completely sure from the way Vincent was looking over him. All he did know was that it probably involved some sort of sex.

The professor slid down a little more, letting himself hover over Cid’s groin. “We don’t necessarily need condoms to do everything…”

“Guess we don’t…” Watching him carefully, Cid wondered if the professor really meant to do what he was pretty much offering. It certainly would be interesting, especially since the blond had already had a fantasy about that sort of thing happening. But whether he wanted to leave it at fantasy or not, he wasn’t sure.

“It’s up to you,” Vincent said, his tone sultry.

Cid chuckled softly. “Up to me? Now, c’mon. You should know what my answer’s gonna be if ya leave it up to me.”

Slipping a hand under the blanket to gently scratch down the inside of one thigh, Vincent slid a little closer. “You just seemed a little unsure.” He leaned lower, keeping the eye contact intense and alluring. “I assure you, I know what I’m doing.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt ya there,” Cid replied quietly, his leg shifting to allow Vincent’s motions to continue. “An’ just for the record, I wasn’t unsure. Just… curious if ya really meant it or not.”

Vincent slowly pushed the blanket away, sliding between Cid’s legs. The hand that had been scratching moved to touch him lightly. “I do mean it…”

The blond drew in a breath, his eyes locked on Vincent’s. He had no reserves about letting the professor go down on him, just so long as it was all right with him. After all, Vincent was the one doing it. It wouldn’t have felt right if the younger man didn’t want to. “So show me ya mean it then,” he said quietly, leaning his head back against the headboard.

Smirking again, Vincent moved himself forward, bracing his upper body on his hands, placed on either side of Cid’s hips. Slowly, he moved to kiss Cid, making it slow and sensual. The kiss drew something free inside of Cid and he groaned, leaning forward to press into the kiss and tangle his fingers in Vincent’s hair. He tried to keep with the other’s slow pace, but it was hard when the professor was bending over him like he was.

Moving to kneel between Cid’s legs and free up his hands, Vincent let his fingers travel down Cid’s chest, feeling the muscle and soft skin. Cid’s eyes closed as the touches traveled further, fingertips dipping and curving over him. He slowly let one hand drift down Vincent’s back, lightly tickling down his spine as far as he could reach. Whatever the other had in mind, Cid was sure he wouldn’t be bothered by a few added touches.

The professor broke the kiss slowly, starting to trail light kisses and licks and nips down the blond’s neck. He worked his way down Cid’s body, letting his teeth and tongue explore the same muscles and curves his hands had just encountered. Cid shuddered as Vincent’s exploration continued and he hit a few particularly sensitive spots. He liked where this was going, but wasn’t sure exactly how long he could take the professor’s playful teasing.

Finding a pert nipple, Vincent let himself taste it, paying attention to the reactions he was getting from the blond. He pressed against the little nub of flesh with his tongue, gently sucking on it and moving one of his hands to tweak the other one.

Cid bit back a gasp, a little smirk riding on his lips. Teeth scraped over the sensitive flesh and he arched his back a little at the shiver running through it, his eyes never leaving Vincent’s face as his hand petted the soft shoulders and nape under his fingers.

Vincent’s free hand sneaked down between them, starting to stroke Cid very slowly. He trailed his kisses lower, nuzzling his nose into the soft blond curls leading downwards from the student’s navel. A little sound rumbled in Cid’s throat as he threaded his hand into Vincent’s hair again, petting gently through the dark locks. He glanced downward and grinned softly to himself at the sight of Vincent’s head between his thighs. It was incredibly arousing and he tipped his head back to close his eyes, trying to enhance the sensations.

Vincent trailed his tongue downwards, glancing up at Cid’s face. He smiled inwardly, leaning back a little more until he was presented with the blond’s erection. His hand was still slowly working it, and he took a moment to watch the motion, eyes flicking back and forth between his hand and Cid’s face, trying to discern where his most sensitive parts were.

As fingertips brushed against the underside of the tip, Cid drew in another quick gasp, a quiet moan following the air as it escaped him. He could almost feel Vincent’s intentions and they were weighing down on him to the point where he felt as if he was going to burst from waiting. But he remained as still as possible, only moving to shift his hips when the professor’s fingers found other good spots.

Vincent smiled to himself, noting which spots made Cid squirm and planning to use them to his advantage. Slowly, enough to make it torturously teasing, Vincent leaned forward and dragged his tongue over the underside of the head, looking up to see Cid’s reaction. The blond tipped his head back more, his hair scrubbing against the pillows as he hissed out a soft curse. He had to force himself not to clench his hands as he remembered where one lay. The last thing he needed to do was end up hurting Vincent by pulling his hair without meaning to.

Encouraged, Vincent slowly slipped the tip of Cid’s erection into his mouth, his lips wrapping around the heated flesh perfectly. He brushed the flat of his tongue against the underside again, slowly sliding more into his mouth and making inch after inch disappear. Cid swallowed hard, his lips parting to let him draw in quick breaths. Vincent’s tongue was hot against him and he loved every second of it, his hips shifting upward to try and get more of that feeling. His fingers twitched in the fall of black hair, wanting desperately to curl despite his efforts to keep them still.

Humming quietly, Vincent dropped his jaw more, allowing for some movement on Cid’s part. He slowly took more in, preparing to relax his throat to let Cid slip all the way down. For the moment, he just let his tongue slide back and forth, alternating that with small bobs of his head.

A shuddering gasp leaving his lips, Cid let his back arch. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn’t be doing that for the risk of choking the professor, but he found he just couldn’t help it as pressure and warmth slowly drove him crazy. Responding in kind, Vincent slowly moved all the way down, swallowing Cid whole and flexing his throat. His hand crept down below to tease the sensitive skin there, massaging and caressing in time with his mouth’s movements.

His lips parting in a whispered curse, Cid gave up on trying to keep his hands still, his fingers curling in the dark locks and tugging. His hips bucked again, only wanting to bury him in the welcoming warmth of Vincent’s throat. Swallowing again, Vincent pulled back just enough to catch a few breaths before going back down. He sped up his pace, alternating between swallowing and bobbing his head, peering up at Cid through dark lashes.

“Fuck,” Cid whispered harshly as he shifted his hips again, trying to keep up with the pace Vincent had set. His grip on the dark hair tightened and he used it to pull the ebony head up, taking some control over the other’s movements without realizing it.

Moaning a little, Vincent looked up at Cid, strangely turned on by the pulling at his hair. He kept his quick pace, using his hand to stimulate parts he couldn’t get into his mouth. He dropped down, swallowing hard around the blond and humming again, this time with a distinct purpose of letting the blond feel the vibrations from the sound.

Another yank on the dark locks and Cid arched, a shiver of heat washing down his spine. He was almost trembling with how good it felt to have that tongue pressing against him and fingertips touching just the right spots elsewhere. Rolling his hips, he found it was impossible to keep still, the attention just making him want to go with it.

Vincent moved with him, addicted to the way he could make Cid feel. His cheeks sucked in a little as he pulled back all the way to the tip, teasing it with his tongue. Cid’s face was unimaginably sexy, and Vincent felt like he could probably get off just looking at him. He could taste the salty pre-come leaking from the slit of Cid’s erection, and he swiped his tongue over it again before taking him back into his mouth, starting up his rhythm once more. Another curse slipped free as Cid arched more. Everything Vincent was doing to him was incredible and it made him want to just shout about how good it was, but he kept his mouth closed with the exception of quick gasps and moans.

Speeding up again, Vincent sucked in harder. He hummed again, flicking his tongue over the sensitive head on his way down. He felt Cid touch the back of his throat, and he plunged forward, swallowing around him again. If he had known how arousing this would be, he would have done it much sooner.

The blond bit down on his bottom lip and tried to muffle the moan rumbling in his throat. He squirmed more with the movements, feeling like he was close, but not quite sure. The idea was strange to him, at least until Vincent made another pass over him and wiped his mind blank except for how insanely good he felt. The little increase in speed made him gasp and flick his hips upward, a loud moan reverberating through him as teeth scraped against sensitive skin.

Liking the reaction he was getting, Vincent repeated his movements. He slowly dragged his teeth up the shaft, not hard enough to hurt, but just hard enough to feel it. Cid’s hand in his hair was slowly tightening, not only making Vincent feel pleasantly submissive, but also telling him that Cid was getting close, losing more control. He became overcome with the need to make Cid lose complete control of himself, and to get there, he stepped his services up a notch.

Just not caring about how loud he was anymore, Cid let go of the moan he had been holding back. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew how dangerous it was for Vincent to be scraping his teeth against him, but that just added to his pleasure, the thrill of it making him lose a little bit more control. Using his grasp on the professor’s hair, he pushed down on the dark head a little, trying to get more of those amazing sensations.

Vincent opened his mouth more to allow for some thrusting. He closed his eyes, scratching over Cid’s thighs as Cid guided his motions. He scraped his teeth again, in a different spot this time so the same spot wouldn’t start to feel worn out, and echoed Cid’s moan. He was torn between wanting to make Cid come undone and wanting to just keep teasing him forever. Cid even tasted good to him. He hadn’t really ever had that experience before, and had he been in a better mindset, he would have contemplated its meaning.

Cid’s breaths were coming hard and fast, his mouth falling open to let loose short sounds as he gasped for air. The touches and taunts were driving him crazy and he could feel himself getting closer and closer to his end. Everything was working against him and he shuddered as another wave of pleasure rolled through him, his hips finishing the motion as it hit them. His fingers ached from where they were clenched so hard in the dark hair, but he couldn’t let go, the fingers of his other hand curling inward to scrape his nails up the part of Vincent’s back that he could reach.

The professor scratched back, dragging his nails down the outsides of Cid’s thighs as he swallowed again. His own arousal was so hard it hurt, but it didn’t matter. He wanted to be the reason for Cid’s pleasure, and he didn’t care how Cid used him to get there.

The contrasting sensations were Cid’s undoing and he arched hard, his hips bucking upward as he let loose a cry that sounded oddly similar to the professor’s name. His fingers curled so tightly that his knuckles went numb and the darkness behind his eyes flared with light. He shook as he rode his release, his mind wiped clean of anything that wasn’t Vincent.

Blazing hot liquid suddenly filled Vincent’s mouth, and he swallowed, trying to get every drop he could. Some leaked out and dripped down to his chin, but he didn’t care. He pulled back when Cid was nearly done, licking him clean and looking up at him as he caught his breath, not having realized how little air he had been able to get through the whole process. Letting Cid slip free from his lips, he smiled, moving his fingers to swipe up the excess on his chin and licking them clean.

Still trembling, Cid let himself fall back to the bed, the air he needed still hard to catch. He felt a trickle of sweat roll down the side of his face, but he couldn’t care less as the last of the warm waves rolled over him and left him exhausted. Finally he dragged in a long breath, letting out a perfectly content sigh. His eyes still stayed closed, the little sensations from Vincent incredibly powerful in his sated state.

Vincent turned his head, kissing the inside of Cid’s thigh. He pressed his nose against it, closing his eyes and smiling happily. He felt good, having made Cid feel good, and he didn’t even really care that he was still in a state of needing release. He was satisfied because Cid was satisfied, and that was something that felt foreign to him, but not necessarily bad.

Letting out a satisfied sound, Cid opened his eyes and looked down, smiling softly at Vincent. He felt about as comfortable as he thought possible, pillowed on the soft covers with the dark head resting against his thigh. A little pang hit the inside of him and he smiled again. He wanted the comfort he felt to never quit. He wanted it to last forever, but he knew that wasn’t possible.

Opening his eyes, but not moving otherwise, Vincent looked up at the blond. He kept smiling, licking his lips and tasting Cid there. It was comforting.

Giving another sigh, Cid suddenly realized his fingers still gripped Vincent’s hair. Releasing his hold, he flexed his hand until the feeling returned to it, gently brushing his palm over the dark locks to try and smooth them down a little. He smiled softly when he caught the burgundy gaze and tipped his head to the side, silently asking him to come closer. Slowly, Vincent rose and crawled closer, settling himself down in the blond’s arms. He rested his cheek on Cid’s shoulder, sighing contentedly.

Cid echoed the sigh, tipping his head to rest it against Vincent’s. He felt a little chilled now that he had fully come down from his release, but the warm body against him was helping so he didn’t complain. When he finally found his voice again, he gave a quiet laugh. “That was… wow…” he whispered into Vincent’s hair.

“Mhmm,” Vincent agreed quietly. He slowly slipped his palm up Cid’s chest, just touching affectionately.

Smiling again, Cid brought his hand up to cover Vincent’s, his eyes closing. He was exhausted in every meaning of the word, but he wasn’t worried and made no effort to do anything about it. Vincent smiled more, watching Cid’s face. Pressing forward, he started a trail of soft kisses over the blond’s jaw and down his neck. Cid shivered a little and he turned his head, slipping a hand under Vincent’s chin to push him up into a soft, slow kiss. The professor kissed back, enjoying the touches. His fingers petted a strong chest as he moved his mouth over Cid’s, slow and lazy and affectionate.

Another sigh escaped from Cid’s mouth as he broke away and lay his head back down. He smiled up at Vincent, the expression conveying exactly how worn out he felt, but also the contentment he had nestled inside of him, the feeling warm and comforting.

Vincent smiled back, red wine-colored eyes roaming the blond’s face. His smile softened, slowly disappearing as he once again thought about the risk involved in being with Cid. He still wasn’t exactly sure how Cid felt, and he also wasn’t sure how he felt, himself. He did know that he could feel something stirring in him. He was getting attached, and it was a little upsetting, even if it did feel good.

The blond tipped his head a little more. “Somethin’ wrong?” he asked quietly, a little unsettled by how Vincent’s smile had disappeared.

“What does this make us?” Vincent asked, his eyes sincere and serious.

“Whaddya mean?” Cid hadn’t really thought of the question coming up until then and now he felt a little scared to answer. He wasn’t sure where it put them. His previous idea of just being with Vincent for the physical side only was being wiped out by both the professor’s confession that he had missed the blond and Cid’s own thoughts that maybe he felt something more than just a physical attraction to the other. But to classify it as a full-out relationship… He wasn’t sure if he was ready to decide that so close on the heels of his last decision to stay with both Vincent and Tifa at the same time. “What d’ya think it makes us?”

“I don’t know,” Vincent said quietly. He studied Cid’s eyes, trying to read them. “I don’t want to stop this… I don’t want to stop seeing you.” He frowned a little. “I brought you here wondering if I wanted to risk continuing this, but I think I’ve already made that decision.”

“That ya wanna have somethin’ here.” Cid bit his lip a little, chewing thoughtfully. “But what’re ya thinkin’? Actually bein’ together or somethin’… just kinda like this? Where we’re just seein’ each other?”

“I don’t know,” Vincent said again. Cid seemed hesitant to classify their relationship as something, and Vincent wasn’t sure why. He assumed it was just because they were two men, and Cid wasn’t used to that. “I want… whatever you’re comfortable with.”

The blond shrugged a little. “I… well, ‘m not used to this kinda thing,” he said slowly. In part, he was speaking the truth. But he was also covering himself just because he wasn’t sure what he wanted with Vincent yet. “So… I really dunno. I mean, if you were a girl, things’d be different. I’d know what to do then like…” He snapped his fingers to show how quickly he would have solved their problem in said situation. “But you’re not, an’… I dunno. The only experience I’ve had with, ya know, two guys is Zack an’ his guy an’… they kinda scare me. I don’t really wanna see either of us actin’ like that,” he said with a little laugh to show he was joking around some.

Vincent smiled a little. “Well… I guess it’s not much different from being with a girl.”

“It’s gotta be kinda different. I mean, I really doubt you’d appreciate it if I went up to ya some day an’ was all ‘hey, your ass looks really good in those jeans. Let’s go on a date tonight an’ I’ll buy ya some drinks an’ then we’ll go back to your place an’ screw like rabbits an’ I’ll go get ya some chocolate in the mornin’ when ya wake up’ or somethin’ like that.” He shrugged again. “Least I don’t see ya appreciatin’ somethin’ like that. Guess I could do it if ya would.”

Vincent laughed. “I don’t know many women who would really appreciate that.” He smirked a little. “Though I don’t mind if you tell me my pants look good.”

“Then in that case, guess I’ll remember to say somethin’ when I’m thinkin’ about it.” Giving a little smirk back, Cid tipped his head to the side, some of his bangs falling in his face.

Vincent kept looking at him, smiling a little. “So… what are we, then?”

“I guess… we’re together? I dunno. What would ya call it? I mean… neither of us wanna end it, so I guess it’s gotta be somethin’.”

Vincent smiled more, pleased. “Together works. I hate saying things like ‘boyfriend’ or ‘lover.’ They just sound so cliché.”

“Sounds kinda open-ended though,” Cid said with a quiet laugh, not really realizing what he was saying.

“Open-ended?” Vincent asked, tilting his head a little.

“I dunno. It just kinda sounds like it doesn’t matter if it’s just us.” He suddenly caught on to his line of thought and felt like kicking himself. “I mean, sayin’ we’re just ‘together’ makes it sound like there’s not much there. That what ya want?” he asked, trying to come off as if he was just confused about the details.

Frowning a little, Vincent shook his head. “I… Why? Is… that what you want?”

“I-no, I just wanted to make sure about it. Just how it sounded.” He gave an awkward smile, sorry he had ever opened his mouth. “Wasn’t askin’ ‘cause that’s what I want.”

Vincent looked down, nodding. “Good… I think I’d feel… kind of bad if you wanted someone else, too.” He shrugged. “I’d feel used, I guess.”

Cid was glad Vincent had chosen that moment to look away because he was sure the wince he felt inside was visible on his face. “No, I… don’t want that,” he said softly, biting his tongue afterwards for his blatant lie. He hated doing such a thing to Vincent, but he figured that as long as he kept everything straight in his head and in reality, nothing would have to be known. He would take a little time to find out which made him happier and then think about a way to let the other go gently.

Sighing, Vincent stretched out and pressed closer, laying his cheek back on Cid’s shoulder. His eyes followed the thumb of his right hand, which was moving back and forth over a spot on the blond’s chest. The more he thought about it, the more he just wanted to spend all his time as close to Cid as possible.

Sighing, mostly from relief that Vincent had let the conversation drop, Cid rested his head against the darker one. The professor’s comment had hurt, mostly because it was happening without him even knowing. But it was too early for the blond to make any sort of decision and be satisfied with it. Glancing up at the ceiling, Cid sighed again, slower this time, as he tried not to think of what might happen if anything got out of hand.

Noticing the sigh, Vincent looked up. He frowned a little as he noticed sadness in Cid’s eyes. “Everything all right?” he asked quietly, shifting so he could lean up on his elbow and look down at Cid.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Just relaxed,” Cid replied with a smile, leaning forward to kiss Vincent gently. “Why?”

Raising a hand to gently run his thumb under one of Cid’s eyes, Vincent smiled softly. “You looked sad.”

Tipping his head toward the caress, Cid gave him a tiny lopsided smile. “Sad? Nah… just relaxed’s all. Swear.”

The professor smiled a little again. He liked that he smiled so much around Cid. “Good.”

“Good,” the blond repeated softly. Despite how messed up he was making things in his head, he still felt comfortable there with Vincent, blue eyes quietly admiring the smile on the professor’s lips.

Vincent waited a few seconds before leaning over and brushing his lips over Cid’s. Every time they touched, he felt his stomach flutter a little, and he hadn’t had a chance to think about that yet. Lightly pressing against the kiss, Cid lifted a hand to brush his fingertips down Vincent’s nape, scratching lightly. He liked having Vincent nearby and smiled into the kiss. It just felt good to be so comfortable with someone as he felt with the professor right then.

Vincent shivered a little, pressing closer to the blond. Breaking away just enough to take a breath, Cid sighed against Vincent’s lips, smiling again. “You’re makin’ me feel all warm an’ mushy here now. It’s weird. Think ya broke me somehow.” He hardly remembered ever feeling the way he did right then and it confused him a bit, even though he didn’t want it to go away.

Vincent smiled. “I thought it was you making me feel that way.”

“Well, fuck,” Cid said through a quiet laugh. “Guess we’re both just kinda screwed then, huh?” He slid his hand further up Vincent’s neck, ruffling the hair at his nape a little.

“I’m not complaining,” Vincent said, smiling more and leaning into the touch.

The blond laughed again. “Guess that’s okay then.”

After a few minutes, Vincent chuckled as well. “I feel so lazy.”

“Lazy? Ah, you’re not the kinda guy I can see bein’ lazy. Now me, that’s my specialty.” Grinning a little, Cid stretched out, groaning as his back bent upward some. “You… I can’t see ya bein’ lazy.”

Vincent watched him, eyes roving over his body admiringly. “But all I want to do right now is stay right here.”

“No one’s stoppin’ ya, are they?”

The professor smiled. “No, I suppose not.”

“Then I guess ya can be as lazy as ya want then.” Shrugging slightly, Cid closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the pillow. “Just ‘cause I said somethin’ about it don’t mean ya should listen to me,” he said with the hint of a smile.

Vincent lay down again, tucking his face against the blond’s neck. “I want to be very lazy.”

Moving his head so Vincent could rest more comfortably against him, Cid smiled. “Sounds to me like ya wanna take a lazy nap,” he said, not all that against the idea himself. It might have been the middle of the day, but he was still worn out from both last night and just now.

Vincent’s eyes were already slipping closed. “That sounds wonderful,” he drawled tiredly. He draped his arm over Cid’s chest, slowly sliding one leg over one of Cid’s.

Moving just enough to match better with Vincent’s position, Cid wrapped an arm around his shoulder and held him close. “Yeah, wouldn’t mind one of those,” he said quietly. Opening his eyes for a moment to look down, Cid smiled at the sight of Vincent stretched across him.

“Mm,” Vincent hummed, feeling himself slowly fading into sleep. He smiled softly, comforted by Cid’s warmth. It didn’t take him long to be lulled to sleep by the sound of Cid’s heartbeat.

Another smile overtook Cid’s face as he listened to the professor’s breath even out, the sound soothing. “See ya in a few,” he whispered before letting his own eyes slip closed, his nose buried in the dark locks of silken hair as he drifted off into his own sleep.