Of Snowstorms and Demons

~Of Snowstorms and Demons
Chapter 2

Nearly an hour passed before the room fell silent and the pilot waited another few moments before calling out, "Vince? You awake?"

"H-Highwind?" Came a small, frightened voice from inside the coffin, "You're still here?"

"Yeah. What? You thought I abandoned ya or somethin'?" Cid smirked as he slid off the coffin lid. When silence was the only response he received, he frowned, "Oh come on, Vince! I know I'm an ass but I ain't that much of a bastard!"

The gunman still gave no reply and the blond shook his head, grumbling as he began to remove the lock, "And don't ya start to bitchin' 'bout how long its takin' me to open this. Locks all rusted ta hell and ya-"

His words cut off as he lifted the wooden lid. Rather than the expected scarlet glare and scathing remarks, Vincent's eyes were clenched shut, tears gathered at the corners and his body trembling. "Vince?"

Scarlet eyes shot open and the gunman practically clawed his way out of the coffin, collapsing onto his knees on the floor, his body still shaking uncontrollably. Cid dropped the lid and crouched next to him, carefully placing a hand on Vincent's shoulder, frowning when he found blood soaking the black fabric, "Vince? You alright? Come on, talk to me."

He could hear soft sounds coming from the gunner and he leaned closer, "S-so cold and d-dark. Please, I...I don't want to be l-locked away again."

"Shh, it's ok Vince. Yer out now. Let's get up off this floor and get ya to a warm bed or somethin'."

Vincent gave no response but allowed himself to be guided out of the room, the trembling easing as they left the basement. "Ok, here's how this is gonna work. Yer gonna go get yer skinny ass in a shower, 'cuz honestly, you look worse than shit right now. While yer doin' that..."

Cid paused as the gunman began to mutter something, leaning in to hear, "...four just shut up! Even if we clean up, he'll never-" The raven-haired man stopped, noticing the blond's silence and obvious interest in his own words, "Um, what were you saying, Highwind?"

A blond eyebrow rose but Cid let it pass for the moment, "I was just sayin' that while yer in the shower, I'm gonna see about makin' us some dinner. It's obvious you ain't been eatin' right."

Vincent nibbled on his lower lip and lowered his gaze, "That's because there is no food."

"What?!"

The dark-haired man gave a tired sigh, "I have been out of food for a few days. I can't trust myself to go into town right now. Normally I don't need much but with this...well my body is a little out of sorts."

Cid pointed a finger to the gunman's face, "Alright, enough of the secretive bullshit. What in the hell can be so bad that ya can't take even thirty minutes to get yerself some damned food? And don't even start with the 'It's none of your concern, Highwind' shit. It became my concern when that fucked-up demon of yers decided I was his fuckin' popsicle!"

Scarlet eyes widened at the outburst before they were covered by long strands as Vincent ducked his head and muttered, "Demon mating season."

The pilot froze, blinking for a moment as he attempted to process the soft-spoken words, "Uh...what?"

"One month out of every two years, the demons...go into heat." The gunman wrapped his arms around himself, though Cid wasn't sure if it was because he was cold or an unconscious attempt of shielding himself, "As their host, I seem to be affected by it as well. I can usually control it until the final week, unless there is someone I am attracted..."

Vincent paused, a light blush faintly coloring his cheeks as he turned away, heading toward the bathroom, "I would suggest hurrying if you want to get to the store before-" He was stopped by a tight hold on his arm.

He was about to protest but found himself spun around, his own wide eyes meeting with intense blue, "Oh no ya don't! You ain't runnin' away like last time. Yer so damned scared of yer own shadow, ya never think that just maybe someone else isn't. Well I got news fer ya, Vince, I ain't scared of you or the damned squatters in yer head!"

Any response the gunman may have wanted to give was immediately forgotten as he felt lips pressed to his own, the sudden shock to his system making his knees tremble. The hand on his arm released its hold, only to loop around his back and pull him closer to the blond. As teeth playfully nipped onto his lower lip, he felt a shudder and gave a small whimper before he could stop it.

A low chuckle vibrated through Cid's chest as he pulled away, admiring the undeniably sexy flushed look on the pale gunner. Confused and dazed scarlet eyes opened slowly, "Cid?"

He grinned while softly stroking back dark, silky locks, "I think I shoulda done that the first time I wanted to if that's what it took to get ya ta call me by my name." When no response came, he waved a hand in front of the pale face, "Helllloo? Gaia ta Vince, come in Vince!"

Dazed eyes gave a slow blink and the dark head tilted slightly, pressing into the petting hand. When a low rumbling purr came from the gunman and his eyes flashed darkly, the blond stopped, "Oh boy."

Grabbing onto slender shoulders, he quickly turned Vincent into the bathroom and closed him inside, "Get yer bloody ass in the shower, Vince. And tell Galian if I even so much as think I smell wet dog when I get back, I'm draggin' his ass back out and shavin' him!"

As Cid turned to leave, he thought he heard a chuckle before the water was turned on.

~

"Fuckin' idiots need to learn ta stock their damn shelves! Who lets themselves run outta necessary items in the middle of winter like that?!" Cid grumbled for the umpteenth time as he began to make his way out of town. He adjusted Venus Gospel, using his spear to help carry the many bags of groceries he bought. He wasn't bringing the weapon to the mansion because he was afraid or anything, he had really needed to get more groceries then he could carry. And it was just happened to be a good idea to have a little extra protection, "I'm killin' Chaos! It's his damn fault I'm outta cigarettes. If he hadn't jumped me like that, I wouldn'ta smoked a whole damn pack in that Gaia-forsaken basement!"

Just then he paused, sniffing the air. He immediately began to search for the source of the familiar scent, mentally cursing as he heard a loud shout. 'Fuck! It just has to be those two.'

"Dammit! Fucking Shinra just HAD to send us to freakin' Nibelheim of all places in the middle of a snowstorm. Next time I see that white-wearin', anal-retentive bastard, I'm telling him to shove his damned assignments up his ass, yo!"

A deep voice responded with amusement, "Knowing him, he might enjoy it. And it's your fault anyway for pissing Tseng off."

Cid was close enough now to see the redhead give a frown as he leaned against the wall of the local bar, "Stupid boss can't take a fuckin' joke, man." A movement caught Reno's attention and he nudged his partner, Rude. Both men turned questioning gazes to the pilot, "Captain Highwind? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was jus' wondering the same thing about you two Shinra punks."

The redhead frowned, "Punks! Listen here, old man-"

Reno paused when he realized the blond wasn't looking him in the eye, rather he seemed to be watching his mouth. Raising an eyebrow, he raised a hand up, remembering suddenly that he still had a lit cigarette in his mouth. Pulling the smoking stick from his mouth, he watched with amusement as the blue eyes followed the bright ember. The look in that gaze reminded him of a starving man looking in a restaurant window at the buffet line. 'This should be amusing.'

Rude cast a hidden glance at his partner, mental alerts blaring when he saw the calculating gleam in the redhead's aquamarine eyes. 'Uh oh. He's up to something.' He subtly reached for his PHS, ready to call Elena for backup.

"What, never seen a cig before Captain? Or are ya just eyein' it cause you're bored?"

Cid blinked, shaking his head before frowning. 'Damn that demonic angsty bastard fer puttin' me in this position.' "Any chance ya got a spare one, brat?"

The grin that appeared so quickly on Reno's face nearly had both Rude and the pilot taking a nervous step back, "Maybe. But it'll cost ya."

Cid glared at the redhead, crossing his arms in front of him as he muttered something about cocky brats, "How much do ya want, ya fuckin' bastard?"

"Sorry, Rude and me got enough money right now so I can't really take that as a fair transaction for something that is obviously in such high demand."

A blond eyebrow rose, he could feel himself starting to twitch as he watched the Turk casually flick the ashes off of his cigarette, "Then what the hell do ya want?"

"What are you willin' to give, Captain?"

"Anythin'!"

Reno grinned. 'Bingo!' "Alright, Captain. I'll hold you to that."

As the redhead pulled out a slightly crumpled pack, Cid mentally cursed. 'Jus' what in the fuckin' hell did I just get myself into?' He quickly reached out to catch the white stick that was thrown his way, blinking in surprise when another followed. Reno shrugged at the bewildered look, "Ya look awful desperate there, yo. I ain't a complete bastard."

The pilot gave a slight nod before turning to leave, unaware of the chuckle running through the redheaded Turk or his partner shaking his head sadly, "Poor man just sold his soul to the devil for a cigarette."

A wide grin flashed across the tattooed face, "Satan's got nothin' on me, yo!"

~

"Honey, I'm hooome!" Cid called out laughing as he slammed the door shut. When no response came, he frowned, "Damn it. If those demonic bastards have been screwin' with him again..." He paused before shaking his head with a groan, "I did NOT need that fuckin' mental image."

The pilot decided to get the groceries put away first before hunting down Vincent. When he opened the door to the kitchen, he realized the search wouldn't be necessary because the gunman was sitting at the table fast asleep. Cid gave a smirk as he watched the raven-haired man for a moment, the still damp hair falling in heavy waves over the pale face. 'Cute.' The blond blinked and shook his head. 'Did I just call that angsty, demon-possessed bastard cute? Dammit Highwind, get a hold of yerself! The guy doesn't need you going all lovey-dovey on him right now.'

He moved past the sleeping figure as quietly as possible, unaware when a single, bright yellow eye slid open and followed him. The pilot hummed to himself as he began to put the cold items away, wondering just what was going to be made for dinner as his stomach gave a small grumble. Thinking about Vincent falling asleep in the chair, he realized he would need to cook tonight, it was obvious the gunman needed the rest.

Cid turned to put away some of the canned items when he felt something thick wrap around his ankle and he tripped, several bags crashing to the ground as Venus Gospel clattered and rolled a few feet away, "Mother fuckin' son of a..."

Blue eyes went wide as he glanced down to find a purple, furry tail wrapped around his ankle. He followed the tail to it's owner, glowing yellow eyes looking at him curiously as Galian Beast studied the human. 'Oh shit.'

Cid glanced over at his spear, hoping it was close enough to reach. Unfortunately, the demon noticed where the pilot was looking and gave a strange snort that the blond couldn't help but think was a laugh. Sky eyes went even wider as he felt himself lifted off the ground by his ankle, looking upside down at the strangely dog-like face, "Fuckin' put me down ya werewolf reject!"

That snorted laughter came again and Cid gave an angry growl as the creature bent low to the ground, sniffing at Venus Gospel curiously, "Hey! Get the fuck away from that!"

The blond could have sworn he saw Galian give him a grin before picking up the spear and dropping him to the floor. Cid regained his feet in time to see the demon running out of the kitchen with the pilot's spear in his mouth, "That ain't yer fuckin' chew toy, ya flea-bitten furball! Get back here!"

For the better part of an hour, Cid chased a playful demon around the Nibelheim mansion before he finally gave up, falling to the floor panting. He glared down at the shredded remains of his shirt, the result of Galian Beast ending up cornered and decided to run through him rather than over him. Strangely enough, there was nothing worse that a few light scratches on his chest. Sighing, he threw the shredded fabric aside, throwing a glare at the dark gaze watching him from the doorway, "That was yer own fuckin' fault fer letting yerself get cornered."

Galian only tilted his head before walking toward the fuming pilot. Blue eyes grew wary and Cid took a step back, "What're ya doin?"

When the creature merely dropped the spear at his feet and whined, the pilot blinked in amazement. Warily, he reached down to pick up Venus Gospel, nearly jumping out of his skin when that large tail began wagging fiercely, "Yer wantin' to play?" When a fanged grin was his only response, Cid shook his head, "I can't believe I'm even thinkin' about this. I guess you get bored in there don't ya? Probably don't get much activity in there."

The demon gave a huff, most likely in agreement and Cid nodded, "Alright. Come on." As he turned to head back downstairs, he remembered what Vincent had told him earlier about this being mating season and fixed the purple-furred creature with a one-eyed glare, "But if ya start humpin' my leg, yer gonna become a good friend of the sharp end of my spear."

Galian snorted before bounding excitedly ahead of the man. A blond eyebrow rose before he shook his head, "Damn demons are almost more confusin' than women."

~

Scarlet eyes fluttered open as a yawn escaped the raven-haired gunman. The yawn was cut short by an ache in his jaw and Vincent frowned. Why did his mouth feel like he had been chewing on steel?
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A/N: This story is acting as a prequel to SapphireDoG's one shot A VCR Complex. If you want to see the end result of Cid's bargain with Reno, read that story!!!! It's awesome!

SapphireDoG
*squeal* Wheee!!! OMG I so fucking love you right now that its unbelieveable!!! OmG~ "Look, you mutated bat. Get the hell offa me right fuckin' now!" haha oh Cid. How I love you sooo~ I have the strong urge to draw Vincent in a dress because of you XD (and I just might...after I get you know what done XD)

"Oooo, I am so pleased you remember my name, manling. It will give you something to scream later." *snicker* my my Chaos,suggestive much?? hehehe GOD I love you though you mutated bat :D oh, and you too Frizzy :D

*evil grin* i soo smart. ;) you know why too XD
Frizz: The demons are just too much fun to play with. And yes! I would love to see you do a Vinny in a dress pic!

Setsu
Omg I love this story ^.^ please tell me your going to continue it. This is awesome it just pulled me in I can't wait to see what happens next. and the end! you had me rolling when cid locked chaos in the coffin! Please continue this story! Ja till next chap!
Frizz: I am hoping to keep this story pretty light and humorous. I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Anon
*applaudes* Well written, and a healthy sense of humor about it. Love to see what happens next.
Frizz: Thanks! I had myself rolling with laughter so I hope everyone else is too.

Bahnona
Ooh, I do like. You mentioned a second chapter?
Frizz: Yep, and now it looks like there might be a third. And a fourth...and maybe a fifth.

TemenNiGru
This is a brilliant chapter, great characterisation of Cid!! Can't wait for the update :)
Frizz: Thanks! I was very worried about portraying Cid correctly and am glad I got it right.

Etrixan
I'm not a huge Vincent/Cid fan but this story is intriguing. I wouldn't mind reading more - if you need a break from your other stories and feel like updating it.
Frizz: Its not my usual either but I got inspired for it so I just had to try it.

memorietrail
Oh I hope that there is going to be more
Frizz: Yep! Definitely gonna be more.

Naria Lacour de Fanel
Oh. I feel the animal lust. Poor Cid is so very dense. What's it gonna take, Vin/Chaos humping his leg?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!! I love it!! The characters are dead on and the situation is just too funny. Vincent is SO not going to be happy waking up in that damn coffin again! Cid totally PWNED Chaos! YES! But I was kinda lookin' forward to some pilot rape...I mean..happy fluffly cuddles... and accidental sex...o.O WHOO!! I look forward to more!! ^_^
Frizz: LOL maybe there will be. ;) who knows...just wait and see!

Komikitty
W00T! Yay for BadAss!Cid. I'd love to see where this goes! =^_^=
Frizz: Yeah, Cid is just such a fun guy, I couldn't help but take Chaos down a peg or two.

AnimeFanGrrl-4-Life
-Wow-
I like this story-line so far, can't wait for the next chapter. You are the Angsty Queen!!!

Fan-of-u-4-life
* * * * * * *
Frizz: Well, I hope to keep from makin this one a complete angst-fest but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

Ficfan3484
Lol, I could not stop laughing through this chapter! please don't let this be a oneshot *Puppy dog eyes* I look forward to reading anything else you put up
From the new Frizz Fan ^_^ I think you have a cult dedicated to you from the reviews I read.
Frizz: I think you might be right, the Evil Cliffy cult LOL Anyway, no this will not be a oneshot, this is just the beginning for my first Valenwind story.