Invisible Ink

Chapter Six

Vincent walked into his classroom, greeting the students who were already sitting down. He put his things on the desk and ran a hand through his hair. He hadn’t gotten much done over the weekend, and he felt both restless and exhausted. But he still made it to class. That was no excuse to leave his students hanging.

He wondered if Cid was going to show up. He had threatened not to come, which Vincent considered to be more upsetting than the awkwardness that was bound to come about if Cid did decide to show up. Vincent wanted Cid in this class, if only for the chance to give him some knowledge he could appreciate.

He pulled a stack of papers out of his bag, listening to the idle chatter of his students as more filed in. Sitting in the provided professor’s chair, he waited anxiously to see if a familiar blond would walk through the door and take a seat.

Cid paced outside of the door. He didn’t want to go inside, but there wasn’t a whole lot of options for him. Zack had all but forced him to go to class and if he didn’t show, the violet-eyed man was bound to find out. He took a breath and decided that if he had to make an entrance, it would be a good one. He stayed back, waiting until the stream of students had finished entering and the hallway had cleared out.

Vincent waited until the exact minute that class was supposed to start. He had been watching the door closely, hoping to see Cid, but he never did. With a sigh, he stood to greet the class.

Leaning against the wall, Cid could hear Vincent speaking inside. No better time in his opinion. He shouldered his bag and took a breath, pushing through the door and stalking through the classroom as he muttered, “Sorry I’m late,” loud enough for everyone to hear.

Burgundy eyes turned to the door, and before Vincent could help himself, he smiled a little bit. “Cid, nice of you to join us.” Then, regaining his teacher-mindset, Vincent smirked. “You’re just in time for the quiz.”

Cid stopped mid-step. “Quiz?” he asked, giving Vincent an incredulous look. A few giggles and snickers from the class made him grimace and he shifted his backpack a little.

“Yes, the quiz on the story I assigned last week.” The professor tilted his head, black hair fluttering around his face. “You did read the story, didn’t you?”

Cid lowered his voice a little. “Of course I did, Professor.” Severely unhappy, Cid turned and made his way to his usual seat, thumping himself down in it. Why had he come again?

Vincent proceeded to pass out the papers in his hand. Really, he was glad Cid had showed up, even though he knew Cid hadn’t finished the story.

Upon getting his copy of the quiz, Cid glared at the paper and then at Vincent. He should have remembered there was going to be a pop quiz. Vincent had told him about it. He wondered if he could write a huge “suffering from mental trauma” across the paper and get away with it. Vincent was the one at fault, at least in Cid’s mind.

Once all the quizzes were passed out, Vincent turned and set the extras on his desk and then proceeded to start writing on the board. He leaned to one side as he wrote, one hip curving more to the side than the other. His black jeans clung to him, accented by the dark button-down shirt he had loosely tucked in around his waist. It fluttered a little with the movement of his arm.

Cid stared at the questions, only able to fill in a few of the blanks. He didn’t even bother with his name, thinking that maybe it he turned it in blank, Vincent would just think he had lost Cid’s paper. He doubted it would work, but it was worth a shot. His plan decided, he glanced up to the professor, his smirk falling as he caught sight of the other. He had to admit, there was something decidedly attractive about Vincent… at least until his mind reminded him of Vincent’s sex. He shook his head, trying to keep his imagination from attempting to relive what had occurred two nights before.

When Vincent was done writing on the board, he placed the chalk on the ledge and turned to check on the class. A few of the students had their heads up and their papers turned over, signifying that they were finished. He glanced at Cid, seeing the struggle in his posture and bit his lip, feeling a little sympathetic.

Out of things to do while he waited, Vincent roamed the front of the classrooms, looking over a few students’ shoulders as they wrote. He was happy that the majority of the students seemed to be responding well to the story. He made his way over to the side of the classroom where Cid was, and leaned casually against the doorframe. Cid was a few desks away, but even though Vincent wasn’t even looking at him, he could feel the blond’s presence. It made him flash back to a couple nights before, and he had to make a conscious effort to change his thought pattern.

Sensing that Vincent was nearby, Cid shifted into the defensive student mode and covered his paper with his arm while pretending to write. He stopped when he felt he had done enough and flipped the paper over. Glancing up at Vincent, he set a little smirk on his face and kept his eyes on the professor, trying to make him feel as uncomfortable as he did.

Vincent glanced at Cid, briefly catching his eye before looking away. He felt a strange nervous feeling in the bottom of his stomach when looking at Cid nine times out of ten, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Instead of dwelling on it, though, he pushed off the wall and assumed teacher-mode again. “Okay, time’s up.”

Vincent had broken eye contact. Cid’s brows furrowed. Why would Vincent be the one to look away? He kept his eyes on the professor as he passed his quiz up, trying to figure out why he wasn’t the one feeling absurdly awkward.

Vincent occupied himself with collecting quizzes, trying not to think about the weight of Cid’s eyes on him. Once he had all the papers, he placed them on his desk before turning to the class again. “I’d like everyone to arrange their desks in a circle. We’re going to discuss the story as a class, and I want to hear some analysis.”

“Shit,” Cid hissed to under his breath. Of course they would be discussing it. He got up and followed everyone else’s lead, dragging his desk into one side of the circle and moodily sitting back down. At least in discussions, not everyone was called on to answer questions. There was always someone sitting in the corner more or less forgotten. Cid just hoped that person would be him.

When things had calmed, Vincent pulled his chair into the circle as well and sat down. “Okay… go.” With a bit of a smirk, he sat back and just let the students talk.

Cid sank into his seat a little, keeping his eyes on Vincent in a sideways glance. He didn’t want to seem like he was staring at the professor, but he honestly wanted to know what was going on with the man. He was about half-listening to the conversations just in case he was asked so he could make up some half-shot answer.

Vincent listened as the students debated some aspects of the story. A few times, he had to step in and change the subject to give some other people a chance to talk, but for the most part, he was delighted to have a class that seemed interested in discussing things. Cid was quiet and distracted, though, and Vincent found himself a little disappointed. He knew Cid hadn’t read the story, but he wished Cid would at least listen to the conversation, if nothing else.

He glanced at the blond, curious as to just what was going on in his head, yet again.

Feeling Vincent’s eyes on him, Cid turned his attention fully on the man. He kept his expression relatively empty and hard to read, not wanting to give the professor the pleasure of knowing what he was thinking. Feeling awkward again, Vincent only offered a small smile before looking away, taking a small breath and going back to listening.

Something didn’t seem right. Cid settled nervously into his seat, glancing away for a moment. For some reason, he just wanted the class to be over right then and there.

For Vincent, the time passed quickly, for which he was thankful. The class was only an hour long, and he actually had to cut off the conversation to dismiss everyone. “Your next story is posted online. I expect everyone to read it,” he added, glancing at Cid briefly. He turned back to the class. “Please fix the desks before you leave.”

Cid stood and replaced his seat to where it had been, avoiding the other desks as they were pushed back. He grabbed his bag and realized he was essentially behind everyone meaning he would be last to leave. Inwardly groaning, he wished everyone would hurry up.

Vincent stayed to make sure everyone left all right. He collected his things, neatly stacking his papers and notebooks. His black leather bag was leaned against the desk on the floor, so he bent to pick it up, reaching awkwardly.

Cid gave him a sideways look as he slid into the end of the group. Maybe if he snuck out unnoticed everything would be fine… He focused his attention forward, unaware of the two younger students beside him who were joking about something, playfully shoving at each other. A misstep caused one to miss, however, and he shoved into Cid, knocking the blond straight into Vincent.

“Shit. Sorry man.” The student gave him an apologetic smile before hurrying out of the classroom with his friend, leaving Cid to make sure the professor was all right.

Vincent straightened quickly, trying not to lose his balance. But when he did, he found himself face to face with Cid, their noses inches apart. Taken by surprise, Vincent’s eyes widened for a moment before he abruptly turned his gaze away, obviously awkward now.

Cid had no doubt now. Something was definitely wrong with Vincent. He stepped a little ways away, waiting until everyone else had left the room before sighed rather loudly. “Look,” he said sharply. “I’m sorry for whatever I did, all right?” He sat down on the nearest desktop, looking away.

“What?” Vincent asked, not prepared to hear Cid speak to him.

“I said I was sorry.”

Vincent hesitated, still not making eye contact. “…Sorry for what?”

“For whatever I did that night. I didn’t mean it, all right?” Crossing his arms, Cid stared at the far wall.

Vincent spoke quietly, still without looking at him. “I know.”

“Just thought I’d say somethin’.” He glanced over to Vincent, trying his best to look apologetic. “Ya looked kinda… I dunno, bothered the whole class an’ I kinda doubt it’s ‘cause I didn’t read the story.”

“Well, that does bother me, if you really want to know,” Vincent said, still with a soft voice.

“An’ you’re gonna tell me that whatever I did doesn’t bother ya?” Cid shook his head, his bangs falling in his eyes a little. “I can’t believe that.”

Vincent sighed, fiddling with his bag to get it all the way closed. “No, you shouldn’t believe that.”

“So it did bother ya?” Cid shifted on the desk, swinging his legs a little to balance himself.

“If I say yes, you can’t blame yourself.”

“Why not? I’m the one who did it, ain’t I? Or did you make some move I didn’t hear about?” Cid raised a brow, looking straight at the professor. “Well?”

“No, it was all you,” Vincent said, looking up at him. “I say you can’t blame yourself because it wasn’t your actions that upset me.”

Cid huffed and slipped off the tabletop, stepping quite close. “Then what was it, huh? Doubt it’s ‘cause ya got drunk. That’s not really somethin’ to get all worked up about.”

Vincent leaned away. “It was my reactions, okay? I upset myself, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

The blond frowned. “Your reactions? Fuck, was I really that bad?” Cid barked a short laugh, turning around. “Well, shit. Not only do I fuck up an’ do some dumbass thing I didn’t really like, I didn’t even do it right!” Shaking his head, he turned back to face Vincent.

“That’s exactly the problem,” Vincent said quickly, turning away again. “You did do it right.”

Cid opened his mouth to spit out some other retort when he stopped abruptly. “Wait… what? What?”

Vincent shouldered his bag. “Never mind. Just forget I said anything.” He pushed past Cid, heading for the door. “Read the story, we’re probably having another quiz.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Cid said, a nervous laughter seeping into his speech. “You’re not goin’ anywhere right now.” He hurried to cut off Vincent, barring the door. “You tellin’ me ya liked what happened? Thought ya told Zack ya didn’t!”

“I didn’t say anything. Let me pass, I need to prepare for my next class.”

“No, ya said I did it right. Meanin’ it affected your skinny ass more than ya wanna admit to me!” Cid moved forward, poking Vincent in the chest. “That right?”

Vincent leaned back again, uncomfortable with the closeness. “So what? It doesn’t matter anyway. You’re straight, and you’re my student. I’m not getting fired on your behalf.”

Blond brows creased as Cid took another step forward. “Who said you’re gonna get fired? I ever say I’m gonna run right out an’ tell everyone I know? Fuck! That’d be puttin’ myself into way too much trouble for nothin’! I don’t want that kinda shit gettin’ out about me.” He flung his arms out for emphasis, letting them fall hard against his sides.

“These things have their ways of getting around. And anyway, I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about it. Nothing happened, and nothing’s going to happen.”

“Because I don’t wanna be known as the fag who shacked up with his teacher for a night, all right?” Cid poked the taller man in the chest again not caring that he would have considered the distance too close for comfort any other time.

Vincent backed up, looking angry but also being the one noticing the lack of distance between them. It caused him to lose his judgment somewhat. “Do you even have a reputation like that to protect?”

“Maybe not a big one, but yeah. What’s it to ya? Ya think I wanna go home an’ get my ass kicked just ‘cause of some drunken accident?” He kept moving closer, not noticing it as his irritation grew. “Not really.”

Vincent backed all the way to the other side of the classroom, frowning when his back hit the wall. “I still don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal.”

“Maybe just ‘cause I’m completely fucked up in the head now because of all this shit,” Cid said sharply as he followed Vincent, stopping only a few inches from him. “I don’t like what’s goin’ on in my head because of that!”

“Well that’s not my fault!” Vincent said, feeling trapped and annoyingly intoxicated by Cid’s cologne.

“Well, then tell me how the fuck I’m ‘sposed to fix it, at least!”

“I don’t know!” Vincent leaned back more, pressing against the wall. Cid seemed to be all around him, blocking his every exit.

“Neither do I! That’s the fuckin’ problem!” Cid’s voice was getting increasingly more desperate in tone for reasons he couldn’t even begin to understand.

“Lower your voice. You’ll attract attention,” Vincent hissed.

“So? Doubt anyone’d know what we were talkin’ about anyway.” Cid inclined his head toward the other side of the room, a little more irritated with himself and Vincent than worried they might be found out, despite his arguments.

“Well, I’d rather not make a spectacle of myself, and from what you’ve been spouting at me for the last ten minutes, you don’t either. So lower your voice.”

The blond glared at him, but listened nonetheless. Vincent did have a point. So he just stood there for a moment, waiting to see if the younger man would do anything else except try and contradict his every word.

Vincent just looked back at him. “Are you done?”

“Maybe. Just depends.”

“On?”

“On a lot of stuff. Depends on if you’re done tellin’ me I shouldn’t be worryin’ about all the stuff I really should. Depends on if I’m out of reasons why I should be worried. Depends on if either of us is gonna end up doin’ somethin’ stupid to piss the other off more.” Cid tilted his head, raising a brow. “See? Depends on a lotta stuff.”

Vincent sighed, not knowing what to say. He chewed his bottom lip a little, closing his eyes to try to get his thought process back.

Upon seeing Vincent’s pause, Cid pulled back a little. The younger man looked like he was struggling to come up with some sort of response, one that just wasn’t occurring to him. Only, the thing that Cid noticed was how the other looked almost defenseless like that, his lip caught between his teeth. Before he could stop himself, he had leaned forward and pulled Vincent into a kiss, the sensation almost overwhelmingly and instantly addictive.

The professor’s eyes flew open at the contact. He wanted to pull away, but for one thing, there was nowhere to pull away to, and another… he just couldn’t. Without his permission, he found his eyelids fluttering closed again as he leaned into the kiss.

Locked in place by the contact and seeking more, Cid pressed forward into the kiss. His hand carefully settled on Vincent’s neck, following the gentle curve of it to rest on the professor’s shoulder. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this was wrong, but for some reason, he just couldn’t pull away. He didn’t want to pull away.

Vincent’s mind was screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t hear it. One of his hands found its way to the hem of Cid’s shirt, grabbing a gentle hold of it and just letting it stay there. He opened his mouth a little more when Cid leaned closer and all Cid could hear, taste, think, feel was the kiss and Vincent as he parted his lips to brush his tongue against the professor’s. He could feel the teeth marks dimpling the professor’s bottom lip, his other hand rising to settle at the curve of the hips he had found so mesmerizing only nights before.

Vincent’s body kept responding, even though his head was telling him otherwise. He slid his tongue against Cid’s, tasting mint and cigarettes, something he hadn’t realized about the blond, and it was all electrifying. The hand that was gripping Cid’s shirt used the opportunity to pull him a little closer, and Vincent nearly melted when he felt the curve of strong muscles under the cloth.

Following Vincent’s tugging, Cid moved closer and gave into the sudden urge to wrap his arm around the slender waist and pull the darker-haired man tightly against him. He had to nearly stand on tiptoe to let his tongue explore the other’s mouth, his hold on Vincent the only thing keeping him steady.

A quiet noise came from Vincent’s throat as he was pressed flush against Cid. This was so wrong, and he couldn’t understand why it felt so good. A similar thought was running through Cid’s head as he broke the kiss only to begin again with more force behind the contact. He slowly ran his hand up Vincent’s side, slipping it under the black button-up shirt to brush smooth skin.

Vincent gasped when he felt that hand, arching his back and putting himself closer to Cid in the process. An involuntary groan slipped out of Cid as he felt Vincent press against him. Pulling away, he paused to catch his breath but at the same time managed to give his mind just enough time to right itself and convince him he had done something horribly wrong. He backed away, letting go of the professor. “I’m sorry…” he whispered, unable to think of anything else.

Vincent was disappointed in the loss of contact for a moment, just before his sense came back to him. He tried to say something, but words wouldn’t form in his mouth, and all he could do was try to catch his breath.

Cid stood there looking at him for a few seconds before turning and grabbing his bag. He didn’t even bother with the straps, just pushed through the door and left, completely ashamed of what he had just done and of the fact that he wished it hadn’t stopped.

Vincent hesitated a moment before cursing under his breath and grabbing his own bag, running out the door and going after the blond. “Cid, wait.”

Closing his eyes, Cid slowed to a stop. He knew he should have just kept going, but part of him almost ached to hear what Vincent wanted. The younger man stopped just behind him, glad the hallway was empty. “You can’t… you can’t just do that and then walk out.”

“So what’m I ‘sposed to do, huh?” He turned around, giving him an odd mixed look. It was something caught between confusion, shame and sadness, all of which were fighting with several other emotions that he just didn’t want to deal with at the moment.

Vincent let out a quick breath, frustrated. “I don’t know. There are… so many things wrong with this picture.”

Closing his eyes, Cid rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, if ya figure out one that’s right, tell me. ‘Cause I sure as hell ain’t seein’ one.”

Vincent watched him, feeling like a tornado of feelings was racing around in his gut. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Neither do I.” Turning away, Cid shouldered his bag. “I’ve gotta go if ya don’t have anythin’ else.”

Vincent wanted to tell Cid to stop, but he couldn’t think of a reason. “I… have you eaten lunch?”

Cid paused. “No. Why?” he asked without thinking.

Vincent fumbled a little, not sure where he’d been going with that line of thought. He just didn’t want things to end where they were. “Would you… come eat with me?”

Raising his hand to scratch the back of his neck, Cid shrugged awkwardly. “I… guess it wouldn’t hurt…” He wasn’t sure how he felt about spending time with Vincent, especially after what had just happened in the classroom.

“Good…” For some reason, Vincent felt relieved. “Um… I wasn’t going anywhere in particular. You can pick.”

“I… Don’t matter to me. You prob’ly know more places than I do since you, ya know, live here all the time.”

“Well,” Vincent started, not liking the tension. “Let’s… just walk, then. See where we end up.”

Cid glanced aside, shrugging. “I guess that’ll work.”

The professor started walking, heading for the front door of the English building. He bit his bottom lip, surprised by the foreign taste left there. The thought that it was Cid that left that taste there felt both forbidden and alluring all at once. It was so different, he found himself constantly dragging his tongue back and forth over his lips just to keep tasting it.

Casting a glance at Vincent, the blond found himself just watching silently. The professor was doing something that involved moving his tongue over his lips and Cid felt drawn by the motion even though his mind was already yelling at him for what they did. He tore his eyes away, trying to think of anything but his companion, his mouth, and how it felt to kiss him.

After they left the building, Vincent started heading up the sidewalk. The campus was hilly, and they happened to be traveling though a part of it that was more suburban than the rest of it, though the houses found there were mostly sororities and fraternities. Vincent paid them no mind, however, because his thoughts were back in the classroom, reliving the kiss over and over.

“So, uh…” Cid slowly caught up to Vincent and began matching his pace, staying beside him thought he wouldn’t look the other in the eye. “Where should we go? I don’t usually head out into the area so I don’t know shit about what’s here.” He found himself checking out the names of the houses, wondering if any of them were actually of interest aside from a good place to get free booze. It was at least something to keep his mind on rather than the previous incident.

“There… are many places to eat on Main Street. It depends on what you’re in the mood for.” Vincent glanced to the side, examining the profile of the blond. He was strong, in every sense of the word, and Vincent wondered what he did to keep in shape. He didn’t want to ask, though. He felt awkward enough. Berating himself for thinking that way about a student, he kept walking.

Cid shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” Feeling a little cramp in his shoulder, Cid shifted his bag and stretched his arms above his head for a moment. “Just dunno what kinda mood I’m in.” He somehow kept some snarky comment about being in the mood for kissing Vincent again out of his head and off of his lips, just wondering what he would want to eat and how awkward it would be between them now.

Vincent watched Cid stretch, noting the flex of muscle in the man’s arms and chest. Huffing out a quiet breath, he once again scolded himself. ‘Student,’ he repeated to himself in his head. ‘Student, student, student.’

“So… anythin’ ya can think about?” Cid prompted, trying to get something besides the rather uncomfortable silence that seemed to be suppressing them.

Vincent thought for a moment, having to make a conscious effort to think about food. “I… could really eat anything. There’s a nice place that has—” He was cut off by a loud ruckus up ahead. It was coming from one of the fraternity houses. Vincent frowned a little. “Partying already. It’s not even two yet.”

“Wonderful.” Cid would immediately admit that he liked partying and drinking, but there was a limit. People who crossed that limit just tended to piss him off. He nodded toward the other side of the sidewalk. “Maybe we should go over there. Some of these guys can be real assholes.”

Vincent nodded a little, starting to turn towards the street. “Good idea,” he said. Just as he stepped off the curb, though, something hit him in the back, making him stumble forward. “What the…” Another item pelted him in the side, splattering liquid all over him and the ground surrounding him. Suddenly a rain of water balloons fell all around him, making him growl turn to glare at the frat party. “I’m not afraid to call the cops!” he shouted.

Cid whirled around as well, a few of the stray objects having hit him in the side and legs. “Fuckers, go to fuckin’ hell!” he growled at them, his middle finger the only salute he would give them. He absently pushed Vincent further away from the party with his other hand, aiming a glare at the members. “Let’s go,” he muttered softly to Vincent, giving him another push away. “Fuckin’ assholes…”

Vincent was dripping. His clothes clung to him and his hair had little drops of water falling off of each strand. He followed Cid, his shoes leaving footprints behind him. The air made him shiver, and the whole thing left a sour look on his face.

Shooting one last glare at the laughing, drunken bunch, Cid turned his attention back toward Vincent. He instantly realized the mess Vincent was, but not for how wet he was. Every curve to the other’s body stood out perfectly, the soaked fabric enhancing everything. Sucking in a quick breath, he glanced away. “You okay?” he asked when he felt it safe to speak.

“That was totally uncalled for.” Vincent’s voice was dripping with disdain almost as much as his body was dripping with water. “I guess I need to go get fresh clothes now. Good thing I live close.” He stopped a moment to ring out the bottom of his shirt, small trickles of water flowing out from between his fingers. “Would you mind making a pit stop at my house?”

“No, I, uh… no.” Cid shook his head, trying his hardest not to stare at the professor. It was hard, but he somehow managed to keep his eyes on the ground. He made another quick look back, frowning. “They really were just bein’ jackasses,” he mumbled. “Wouldn’t mind goin’ back an’ teachin’ ‘em a thing or two about who to mess with…” Normally, he would have let it slide, but now he felt almost enraged by the party and their idea of fun. His awkwardness around Vincent was probably the only thing holding him back and he was almost thankful for it.

Vincent sighed, calming himself with a quiet mantra in his head. “We can just stop at my place so I can change. Did they get you too? I can lend you some clothes if you want.” In truth, Vincent was a tiny bit glad he had gotten bombarded with water balloons. It diverted his mind from the inappropriate thoughts about his student.

Cid shrugged. “Wouldn’t mind it, but I kinda doubt I’d fit into anythin’.” He raised his arms a bit, looking down at his waist. “Kinda bigger than you, ya know?”

Oh, great. Cid was basically forcing him to look at that trim body. “Um… yes, you are a bit bigger.”

“They didn’t really get me that wet.” Brushing a hand over the biggest patch of wet cloth, which happened to be his ass, Cid shrugged again. “It’ll prob’ly dry pretty fast. Maybe.” He felt a little better now that there was actually something to talk about. His lips twitched in the tiniest bit of a smile. He didn’t sound as uncomfortable either and that was always a good thing.

Vincent managed to tear his eyes away from Cid’s display, picking up a little speed in his walk. “Yes, it looks like it will. Let’s go quickly; I’m cold out here all wet.”

Cid stopped brushing his pants, catching up with Vincent. He was sure he knew the way to the professor’s house, but he felt it better to just keep up anyway. “It is kinda chilly,” he added, half-heartedly trying to keep some conversation going.

Vincent wrapped his arms around himself. “And then… well, I suppose we can drive somewhere, since we’ll have access to my car. There are nicer places to eat within driving distance that are difficult to get to by walking.”

Nodding a little, the blond stuck his hands into his pockets. He was a bit confused as to why Vincent was going to such trouble to find a place to eat, even announcing he was willing to drive somewhere, when Cid had made a complete idiot of himself only minutes before. He glanced over at the darker-haired man and decided he should at least try and be a little helpful. Pausing, he slung his bag around and started digging in it. “Here,” he said, extending a light brown jacket. “I keep it with me in case it’s cold, but… ya kinda look like ya might need it.”

Vincent turned to look at the blond, shoulders shaking a little with shivers. He finally let a little pull show on the corners of his mouth. “Thank you,” he said as he reached for the jacket. His fingers brushed against Cid’s hand, and it gave him a different kind of shiver, making him pull the jacket back to himself.

“No problem,” Cid replied, his voice a little softer than he had hoped it would be. He replaced his bag to his shoulders, rolling them back to stretch his back some. At least it wasn’t far to Vincent’s house, that he was glad of.

Vincent slipped the jacket on. It smelled faintly of cologne and cigarettes and he couldn’t help but breathe deeply. Catching the sound, Cid directed his gaze toward the younger man. “You okay?” he asked, not sure whether the deep breath was good or not.


Vincent nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. Um, let’s go.” Vincent turned to start walking again, shivering again.

“Ya sure? You’re still shiverin’ a hell of a lot.”

“My clothes are still cold. The jacket helps though.”

“Oh. Right.” Feeling rather stupid for not answering his own question, Cid stuffed his hands back into his pockets. He looked up and realized they were on Vincent’s street, a bit of relief traveling through him. It was getting to that awkward point again.

Vincent stayed silent as they walked the rest of the way. When they got to his door, he unlocked it and stepped in. “Um… come in. I’ll just be a minute. Oh, here’s your jacket.” The professor took off the jacket, missing the warmth, and handed it back to Cid.

Cid slowly took it back, folding it over his arms as more of a distraction than anything. He looked around the front room, noticing various little things he had missed his first two times there. He wasn’t surprised though, seeing as how both times he had been either in a hurry to leave or highly distracted whether he liked it or not.

Vincent started up the stairs, pulling off his shirt as he went. It was heavy and cold, and he just wanted it off his skin. The blond just happened to look up at Vincent as his shirt came off, the smooth expanse of his back quite entrancing to him. He blinked and forced the thoughts away, making himself pay attention to something else that had nothing to do with how Vincent looked or how much Cid wanted to just touch that soft, creamy skin. He shivered, remembering how it had felt when he had slipped his hand under the now discarded shirt in the classroom.

Vincent went to the bathroom first, hanging up his wet shirt and also removing his pants and hanging them as well. He crossed the hall quickly, going into his room and getting a fresh set of clothes, starting with the pants. A shiver ran through Cid as he stood there looking and trying not to think. His pants were still wet, enough that there were making him cold and it was something his jacket unfortunately wouldn’t help. He wondered if Vincent would maybe lend him a towel, but first he had to find the man. Sighing, he made his way up the stairs and attempted to remember where the professor’s room was, finally locating it by the cracked door and the fur ball sitting near it. “Hey, Vince? Think I could grab a towel?” he asked, pushing the door open some more and stopping dead.

Vincent was looking for a clean shirt to wear, rummaging through his closet. His pants were unbuttoned, hanging loosely on his hips. He turned toward the door when Cid opened it. “Sure. The bathroom is right across the hall.”

Cid would have gone where he was directed if he hadn’t been frozen in his tracks. He tried to say something in return, but his tongue felt heavy and wouldn’t work as he stared, his lips parting just barely. He certainly didn’t mean to see Vincent half-clothed, but now that he was looking, he couldn’t look away. There was almost a sickening feeling churning in his stomach, but he had a hunch that it was more from wanting to push Vincent against the wall and kiss him again rather than being disgusted that he liked the view.

Vincent stepped closer, a shirt dangling from his hands as he fiddled with the button to get it open. “Cid? Is everything all right?”

His mouth suddenly dry, Cid licked his lips automatically. He wanted to turn away, needed to turn away, but just couldn’t. “I, uh…” He fell silent, unable to come up with anything decent to say and still unable to take his eyes off of Vincent. He just hoped the other didn’t come closer, just staying where he was. Distance was good there, he was fairly sure.

Vincent stepped closer anyway, looking at Cid in concern. “Are you sure?” His fingers were still trying to coax the top button of his shirt open without much success. He looked down at it, trying to figure out what was wrong.

The blond took a deep breath, finally managing to force his eyes away. Closing them, he just stood there wondering why he didn’t just leave. “I… ‘M fine…” he mumbled quietly, knowing it was far from the truth.

Vincent finally just gave up on the shirt, resolving to find out what thread was tangled around what other thread later. He tossed it onto a chair and turned back to Cid, both unaware of Cid’s torment and uncaring of his own exposed state. “You look pale.”

“I-I really am fine. Just… got kinda dizzy’s all.” He opened his eyes, giving Vincent a weak, little smile. The only problem was, he now had a perfect view of Vincent and it was making him completely unsteady inside.

Cid’s eyes seemed strange. Vincent looked at them, trying to read the blond’s emotions, and found himself a little overwhelmed with the desire he thought he saw there. It captivated him and kept him rooted to the spot. “The… bathroom is just across the hall,” he said again, sounding distracted.

Cid nodded, though he was still unable to move, despite his mind yelling that he should. Necessity made him blink, breaking the connection he had felt himself trapped by and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Running a hand over his face, he turned and started for the hallway. He would have made it if it wasn’t for the fact he had been so disoriented by Vincent that he ran into the door frame, whacking his forehead fairly hard. “Shit!” he snapped, stumbling backward and pressing his hand against the injury. How could I be so fucking stupid? he thought as he tried to steady himself.

Vincent jumped, eyes widening when he saw Cid hit his head. Out of instinct, he stepped forward, placing his hand on Cid’s shoulder and gently pulling him around. “Are you all right?”

“Dunno…” Groaning, Cid rubbed his forehead to try and lessen the pain. “Fuckin’ hurt.” Vincent’s hand was warm on his shoulder and he felt a tiny shiver travel down his back, but he tried his best to ignore it, not wanting to cause more problems than he already had.

Vincent’s other hand moved to take Cid’s moving hand, pulling it away from his forehead. “Let me see…”

Cid looked up at him as his hand was moved and he suddenly felt like a child. Concern wavered in Vincent’s eyes and he felt almost guilty for making him worry if that was indeed what he was doing. For all Cid knew, the professor could have just been messing with him, trying to make him more uncomfortable. “It’s fine,” he forced out. “Just hurts a little…”

“It’s a little red,” Vincent said, examining it for a moment before catching Cid’s eyes again. His breath caught in his throat a little. “Might bruise. Do you… want ice?”

Shaking his head just enough for it to be seen, Cid tore his eyes away and focused them on the closest thing which happened to be Vincent’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Don’t go worryin’ ‘bout me or anythin’.”

Vincent’s stomach was churning. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that he was holding himself back from trying to kiss his student again. “A-are you sure?”

Cid nodded a quick reply, completely unsure of what he should do. Vincent’s hands were still settled on his shoulder and wrist, warm fingers gently placed there. He looked up again enough to catch Vincent’s gaze and felt himself panicking inside as he yanked his hand and Vincent’s down, pressing a kiss to his lips. He wasn’t supposed to be doing this, but it just felt too good to quit.

Vincent was surprised by the movement, though he felt he shouldn’t be. He still responded in kind though, moving his mouth with Cid’s and succeeding himself in just wanting more contact. His arms settled on the blond’s waist, keeping them together.

The thought of who Vincent was blanked from Cid’s mind completely for a moment and he got caught up in the kiss, just barely pushing the other back as he increased the pressure between their lips. There was something almost relaxing in the way they were held together and the panic and worries that had been tormenting the blond vanished. There was just them and the kiss, nothing else and nothing more.

Vincent responded to the pushing, slowly stepping back when prompted. He knew what he was doing. He knew who he was kissing, and he knew the consequences. The problem was… he was starting to not give a damn.

His hands traveling down the soft skin of Vincent’s back, Cid tucked them under the loose jeans hem. He pushed a little more, entranced by the way the other’s lips pressed against his own, the tingling, almost flip-flopping sensations he was beginning to feel in his stomach and the way Vincent responded, following his every move. He vaguely thought something was wrong in the back of his head, but he was far too lost in his connection to Vincent to care.

Vincent kept moving backwards, starting to move on his own and pulling Cid with him. He was actually amazingly aware of everything around him, especially Cid, so it didn’t surprise him when the backs of his legs hit his bed. Unfortunately, that was the thing that made him hesitate. There was no telling what Cid was thinking, and the last thing Vincent wanted to do now was scare the blond off, so with great regret, he slowly pulled out of the kiss, panting a little and looking Cid in the eyes. He slowly licked his lips. “What do you want, Cid?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know.

At the question, Cid backed up a little. His mind suddenly came back to attention, making him close his eyes to block out Vincent’s gaze. He shook his head, a look of regret and a little sadness overcoming his face. “I… I don’t know…” Suddenly letting go of Vincent, he moved away from the professor and sat heavily on the edge of his bed. “I dunno what I’m ‘sposed to do.”

Vincent sighed, sitting next to him. “There are so many things wrong here… But I’m going to go against my better judgment and ignore them for the moment. I want to know what you want, Cid.”

“I… I don’t know,” Cid repeated, pressing his hands against his head. “I don’t know what I’m ‘sposed to be thinkin’. I… My head’s tellin’ me it’s wrong, but…” He closed his eyes tightly. “I’m so fuckin’ confused. I wanna… It feels right when I’m doin’ it, but then I get smacked in the face by myself an’ then it feels wrong. I dunno what to do…” He let out a frustrated breath, daring a glance over at Vincent. “What should I do?” he asked softly, his tone almost desperate.

Vincent bit his lip before speaking. “You should stop berating yourself so badly. It’s not wrong, at least not in the way you’re thinking.”

“But…” Letting out a loud breath, Cid flopped backwards without caring whose bed he was sitting on. “I just… Tell me what I’m ‘sposed to do. I can’t think right, so just tell me what I should do.” He covered his face with his palms, rubbing a little. “Should I listen to my head an’ just leave now or should I listen to whatever the hell’s… tellin’ me to stay an’ try again?”

Vincent glanced at him before turning away, slumping slightly and looking at the floor. His voice was quiet and hesitant. “Well… I can’t tell you what you should do. But… I can tell what I’d like you to do.”

“Then whaddya want me to do? I gotta have some idea ‘cause I sure ain’t able to decide on shit right now.” Cid didn’t move, just remained where he was.

Vincent looked at him. “I… I’d like you to kiss me again.”

Cid raised his hands, peering up at Vincent. “What?” he asked rather weakly. Was he really hearing that?

Vincent looked away again. “You don’t have to. But you wanted to know what I wanted. Aside from the fact that you’re my student, there’s nothing stopping me from wanting… well, you.” Vincent folded his fingers in his lap, using them as a focal point. “But I won’t do anything you don’t want. I’m not trying to scare you away.”

Cid felt uneasiness settle in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what to make of what Vincent had just said, especially that the professor had just admitted to wanting him. He had never really had someone want him enough to go against protocol. Leaning up on his elbows, Cid looked down at the bed between them. In all honesty, he wanted to comply with Vincent’s request, but something was holding him back that he just couldn’t understand. No, he understood. It was what he had been told all his life that was holding him back. But the more he sat there recalling how he had felt moments before, the less he cared about that.

Vincent sighed again, and got to his feet, going to find another shirt. He wanted to give Cid time to think. He pulled his closet open again, thumbing through the hangers his shirts were on. He still hadn’t bothered buttoning his pants, so they still were just barely clinging to his hips.

Covering his face again, Cid sighed. He thought maybe, maybe he knew what he wanted, but that frightened him. “I… Is it bad that I wanna kiss you too?” he asked, his voice incredibly soft. It was strange actually saying it, but there was something almost liberating about speaking the words.

Vincent pulled a shirt down—a T-shirt, just so he wouldn’t have to worry about buttons—and turned in Cid’s direction again. “It’s not wrong.” He kept his voice gentle as he put on his shirt. “I wish I knew a better way to make you understand. It’s okay for two people—human beings, with hearts that beat the same—to be together, no matter their gender. Anything else shouldn’t matter.”

Cid just lay there and brushed a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure what he could possibly say to that sort of thing. It went against everything that he had ever been told. Then again, so did what he felt when he kissed Vincent. What he had always been told was beginning to become rather obsolete versus his feelings anymore. It was unsettling to him. “But… I can’t help that it matters, at least a little.” He sighed loudly. “Maybe not as much as it used to, but still a little…”

“It’s up to you,” Vincent said, smoothing the static from his hair after putting the shirt on.

“I…” Sitting up, Cid ran his fingers through his hair again, scratching at the back of his neck. He didn’t feel right being there and discussing these things. It was too strange for him to deal with at the moment. “I think I should just leave,” he finally said softly, standing and moving toward the door. He stopped at the entrance to Vincent’s room and turned to look at him, waiting to see if the other would do something.

Vincent looked at him, looking like he was trying not to look sad. “I won’t stop you. I’m… sorry if I did anything to upset you.” Vincent sighed slowly before speaking a little quieter. “Maybe it’s for the best, anyway. We’re student and teacher. If word got out…”

Cid wanted to tell him not to say such a thing, but he kept his mouth closed. He didn’t want to confuse himself even more with contradictions. Nodding softly, he turned away again. “Ya didn’t do anythin’ that… upset me,” he assured Vincent before he started down the stairs, slipping through the door as quickly as possible and escaping outside.

Vincent, left in his room, sighed and moved to sit on his bed, running his hands through his hair and taking a very deep breath. “What have I done?”