[Final Fantasy VII]- For the Reunion (Cid/Shera, R)
Title: For the Reunion
Chapter: Oneshot
Ratings/Warnings: R, swearing, violence
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Partially inspired by “Mechanical Resonance”, by Sephulbadis, found here. Most just taken from “A Case of Barret” and Advent Children.
Cid was whistling as he walked up to the house and fished around for his key. He then remembered, through a faintly tipsy haze, that this was Rocket Town, and no one locked their doors in Rocket Town, not unless they were leaving for more than a day or so.
Grinning to himself, he pushed open the door. All in all, he had to feel rather pleased with the situation. “The boys”- Shera’s engineers- as he called them, were still at the pub, drinking away the dirt and grime of a long week at the oil refinery that Shera had helped to build. And despite the fact that her Stigma was getting steadily worse, the whiskey and gin he’d downed in quick succession had put that at a distance.
Hell, he thought, stepping into the darkened kitchen, maybe I’ll ask her t’dance if she’s still awake.
Such were the thoughts of a semi-drunken Cid. Unfortunately, those thoughts came to a rather abrupt and harsh end as Shera’s shaking voice reached his ears. “C-Captain?”
“Th’ hell? You sittin’ in a dark kitchen, woman?” Cid squinted and reached over to turn on the lights. “What the hell for?”
“Captain, I’m so sorry-”
Something hit the back of Cid’s head and he hit the ground hard, stars dancing in his eyes. A foot connected with his ribs and he rolled over, coughing and curling in around his now-bruised chest. Shit!
A hand tangled in his hair and pulled his head up. “He’s not unconscious.”
“Leave him alone, please!” Shera’s voice cracked, and Cid tried to blink away the haze of pain and alcohol. “You can’t hurt him!”
“Little sister,” a voice purred just over his ear, “you don’t get to tell us what to do.”
With a yell, Cid jerked his head back, tearing free from the hand and smashing the back of his head into someone’s chin. Dazed from that blow, he rolled away, shaking more stars of pain from his eyes.
A fist hit his gut and threw him backwards into the counter, breaking the wood and probably his pelvis. “Fuck,” he rasped, sliding to the floor. “Who the fuck are you fuckers?”
His eyes snapped back into focus as one of his attackers- there had to be more than one- knelt down in front of him. His eyes locked on black leather-clad legs, up to a chest similarly clad, and locked his gaze with mako-green, cat-like eyes.
Thinking that he’d brained himself in the fight, he shook his head to try and clear it. “…Sephiroth?” he muttered, trying to raise a hand to rub his eyes. “The fuck?”
“I think you broke Loz’s nose,” the slender man said, grabbing ahold of his shirt. “We don’t appreciate that.”
No, this wasn’t Sephiroth. Too young, too small, but just as cruel. Cid swore and lashed out at him weakly from a sitting position. The man punched him in the face and laughed.
“Stop it!” Shera finally stood up, shaking all over. “Stop it at once! You can’t do this to us!”
The man seemed to lose interest in Cid and stood, turning to face Shera. “Didn’t I tell you that you don’t have any say in this, little sister? Not yet, anyway…”
“Kadaj, I’m bleeding still,” the bigger one, Loz, apparently, was holding his noise, which was still pouring blood. He looked near tears. Cid grinned and spat out some of his own blood.
“Yazoo, help Loz, if you would,” Kadaj gestured, and the hereto silent Sephiroth-wannabe drifted over to the other and started to soothe him. “Now, little sister, where were we…”
Shera’s right hand went to her left arm and she took a step back. “I won’t go with you! I- I told you that, I’m not your sister, I don’t even know you!”
“But you do know us, little sister…” Kadaj knocked her hand away and grabbed her arm. Cid watched, feeling bitterly helpless as what little color remained drained swiftly from Shera’s face. “You know us by this… this is Mother’s gift to you…”
Shera’s mouth moved but no sound came out. She appeared to be unable to breathe as well, making weak, kittenish attempts to pull her hand away, out of his grip.
“Does it hurt, little sister?” Kadaj’s voice had dropped to a purr. “We can fix that, if you’ll come with us.”
Shera’s eyes rolled back in her head and she started to collapse. Kadaj quickly let go of her hand, snorting. “Poor little sister. She’s had Mother’s mark for so long, it’s making her weak…”
“We should take her with us, then,” the long-haired one moved over, done with his ministrations to Loz. “And fix her.”
“Like hell you will,” Cid croaked, pulling himself to his feet. He leaned heavily on the only thing he could find; a broom. “You get the fuck outta my house and I won’t beat each and every last one of you sorry sons of bitches to death with my bare hands.”
Kadaj rubbed his chin thoughtfully, watching Cid, sizing him up. “Well, now, Yazoo. I think he cares about our little sister.”
“Perhaps he does.” Yazoo pulled out a pistol gunblade. Cid started mentally cursing, one hand closing around the broom handle.
Kadaj put a hand on the gun, pushing it down. “Now, now, Yazoo, what would our little sister think?”
“What does it matter, she’s unconscious.” Loz spoke up, cracking his knuckles. “He broke my nose.”
“So has Yazoo, Loz, do let it go,” Kadaj gestured flippantly, attention locked on Cid. “Perhaps we could use him to force our sister to go with us.”
“Howso?” Yazoo glanced at Kadaj, frowning. “She wasn’t willing before.”
“Well, things have changed,” Kadaj smirked, gesturing to Cid with an elegant hand. “We now have… leverage.”
“You go straight to hell and join yer cocksucking twin there,” Cid growled, straightening despite the pain it caused him. “You ain’t takin’ Shera nowhere, goddammit, not while I’m here.”
“Pity,” Kadaj set his chin in his hand. “We did so want to get out of here without killing anyone… important.”
Cid grinned, showing bloody teeth. “Better men have tried t’kill me, boy. I’d like t’see your best shot.”
He threw himself to the side as Kadaj moved in a blur. The double-bladed katana whistled through the air where his head had been seconds earlier. “Guess ya don’t appreciate bein’ called out, huh, son?” Cid tried to pour as much condescension into his voice as possible, despite the fact that he was lying on his back on the floor. “That’s too bad, ‘cuz you’d better get used to it.”
Kadaj leaned down and grabbed him by the collar. “Our sister will be joining us,” he smiled, the expression somehow horrifying. “And with you… out of the way, she will have no other choice.”
Cid spat in his face. “Then I’ll see you in hell when Shera puts you there with me.”
Kadaj merely laughed. “You don’t understand. But then again, I wouldn’t expect a simpleton such as yourself to und-”
A chair crashed over his head and he staggered to the side. “Go to hell!” Shera shrieked, wielding the remaining chair back like a sword as she swung madly at him. “Get out of my house! Out! Out of my house!”
Shocked at the display of violence from one he had thought cowed, Kadaj fell back without consciously meaning to. Yazoo raised his gun, and Cid hauled himself to his feet and brought the broom handle crashing down on his wrist with a resounding crack. Yazoo yelped in pain and dropped the gun.
“Get the hell out of my house!” Shera screamed again, throwing the chair at Yazoo’s head. He scooped up the gun with his other hand and backed away. “If I ever see you again, I’ll kill all three of you! How dare you come in here and lay your hands on my Captain!”
Kadaj and Yazoo traded looks, then looked back at Loz, who shrugged. Shera picked up another chair threateningly, and the beat a hasty retreat out the back door, obviously not prepared for this sort of resistance.
“Don’t think this is the end, little sister,” Kadaj called warningly, then ducked at Shera threw the chair off the back porch after him. “Just wait until Reunion! Then you will join us, willing or no!”
Cid fell on the door, slamming it shut and locking it. “What the fuck was that?”
Shera simply sad down hard where she was sitting, shaking violently. “I- they came in- I thought- I thought it was you and the boys at first- I was reading a book- I- the one- Kadaj- he… he grabbed my arm and it hurt, he hurt me and I heard… in my… head…” She curled her hands into her hair and rocked back and forth for a moment. “Cid, Cid, what’s wrong with me?”
“Nothin’,” he immediately forgot his pain and moved over to her, wrapping her in his arms. “Nothin’s wrong with you, Shera, nothing’s wrong with you, you’re just a little sick, that’s all. Nothin’ we can’t fix…”
“It hurt,” she mumbled, latching onto his arms and pressing against his chest. He tried to ignore how much that hurt. “I don’t feel well, Cid.”
“I know,” Cid held her close, resting his chin in her hair. “I know y’don’t, Shera. But we’re workin’ on it. We’re gonna find a cure. You’re gonna get better.”
Shera shivered in his arms for a little longer before falling still. “I need to wash up,” she finally said, voice hoarse, but calmer. “I… he… triggered… several attacks. I… bled through the bandages.”
Cid took note of the black stains on her lab coat. “Yeah. C’mon, I’ll help you.”
She was silent as he helped her up and helped her to the bathroom. She started the tub, and, safe for the moment, he simply keeled over, wheezing in suppressed pain. Fumbling for a moment, he dug around in the medicine cabinet and pulled out a Potion, downing it without regard for the bitter taste.
“Sir?” Shera glanced at him, and blushed faintly. “I… can undress myself now.”
Cid blinked, then coughed and stepped back. “Right. I’ll be in m’room. I gotta lie down, gotta… take a breather after that.”
“Of course, sir,” Shera’s eyes dropped. “Th-thank you, Captain. Thank you for saving my life.”
“Yeah, well, let’s call it fuckin’ even now, ok?” Cid gave her a lopsided, tired grin and stepped out of the bathroom. He barely made it to his own room without collapsing, crawling into the bed without regard for his bloodied clothes.
He was practically unconscious when someone pushed his door open and padded inside. He jerked awake, hand closed around the shaft of a spear he always kept by his bed. He was just about to whip around and stab whoever it was in the face when whoever it was cleared their throat quietly.
It was Shera. Cid sat up slowly, painfully, and blinked at her. “The hell do you want, woman?”
Shera bit her lip. “Sir. I was… I was wondering if I could…” she shuffled her feet, looking down at the floor. She looked ridiculous with wet, un-brushed hair and old, threadbare flannel teddy bear pajamas. Cid tried to ignore the fact that he didn’t care how ridiculous she looked; something settled in his chest, something warm and filling and damned if he didn’t want to admit it was love. “I… I don’t want to be alone, sir. I’m scared… of what I’ll dream… of those men…”
“Yeah, I get ya.” Cid patted the bed. “Just don’t snore.”
Shera smiled, a relieved, happy smile and took her glasses off, crawling into bed. “I don’t snore, sir. I ran an experiment once. I stayed awake all night and I never snored once.”
It took Cid a moment to realize she was telling a joke. He shook his head, grinning, and settled back. “G’night, woman. Sleep well.”
“Goodnight, Captain,” she murmured, curling into a little ball. “And thank you.”
Cid didn’t answer, closing his eyes and relaxing instead. In minutes, he was asleep, and snoring softly. Shera only smiled and, once he was deeply asleep, allowed herself to curl closer, touching him with her fingertips. That was all she needed, and she, too, relaxed and let sleep claim her.
Crossposted to abby_scribbles
Chapter: Oneshot
Ratings/Warnings: R, swearing, violence
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Partially inspired by “Mechanical Resonance”, by Sephulbadis, found here. Most just taken from “A Case of Barret” and Advent Children.
Cid was whistling as he walked up to the house and fished around for his key. He then remembered, through a faintly tipsy haze, that this was Rocket Town, and no one locked their doors in Rocket Town, not unless they were leaving for more than a day or so.
Grinning to himself, he pushed open the door. All in all, he had to feel rather pleased with the situation. “The boys”- Shera’s engineers- as he called them, were still at the pub, drinking away the dirt and grime of a long week at the oil refinery that Shera had helped to build. And despite the fact that her Stigma was getting steadily worse, the whiskey and gin he’d downed in quick succession had put that at a distance.
Hell, he thought, stepping into the darkened kitchen, maybe I’ll ask her t’dance if she’s still awake.
Such were the thoughts of a semi-drunken Cid. Unfortunately, those thoughts came to a rather abrupt and harsh end as Shera’s shaking voice reached his ears. “C-Captain?”
“Th’ hell? You sittin’ in a dark kitchen, woman?” Cid squinted and reached over to turn on the lights. “What the hell for?”
“Captain, I’m so sorry-”
Something hit the back of Cid’s head and he hit the ground hard, stars dancing in his eyes. A foot connected with his ribs and he rolled over, coughing and curling in around his now-bruised chest. Shit!
A hand tangled in his hair and pulled his head up. “He’s not unconscious.”
“Leave him alone, please!” Shera’s voice cracked, and Cid tried to blink away the haze of pain and alcohol. “You can’t hurt him!”
“Little sister,” a voice purred just over his ear, “you don’t get to tell us what to do.”
With a yell, Cid jerked his head back, tearing free from the hand and smashing the back of his head into someone’s chin. Dazed from that blow, he rolled away, shaking more stars of pain from his eyes.
A fist hit his gut and threw him backwards into the counter, breaking the wood and probably his pelvis. “Fuck,” he rasped, sliding to the floor. “Who the fuck are you fuckers?”
His eyes snapped back into focus as one of his attackers- there had to be more than one- knelt down in front of him. His eyes locked on black leather-clad legs, up to a chest similarly clad, and locked his gaze with mako-green, cat-like eyes.
Thinking that he’d brained himself in the fight, he shook his head to try and clear it. “…Sephiroth?” he muttered, trying to raise a hand to rub his eyes. “The fuck?”
“I think you broke Loz’s nose,” the slender man said, grabbing ahold of his shirt. “We don’t appreciate that.”
No, this wasn’t Sephiroth. Too young, too small, but just as cruel. Cid swore and lashed out at him weakly from a sitting position. The man punched him in the face and laughed.
“Stop it!” Shera finally stood up, shaking all over. “Stop it at once! You can’t do this to us!”
The man seemed to lose interest in Cid and stood, turning to face Shera. “Didn’t I tell you that you don’t have any say in this, little sister? Not yet, anyway…”
“Kadaj, I’m bleeding still,” the bigger one, Loz, apparently, was holding his noise, which was still pouring blood. He looked near tears. Cid grinned and spat out some of his own blood.
“Yazoo, help Loz, if you would,” Kadaj gestured, and the hereto silent Sephiroth-wannabe drifted over to the other and started to soothe him. “Now, little sister, where were we…”
Shera’s right hand went to her left arm and she took a step back. “I won’t go with you! I- I told you that, I’m not your sister, I don’t even know you!”
“But you do know us, little sister…” Kadaj knocked her hand away and grabbed her arm. Cid watched, feeling bitterly helpless as what little color remained drained swiftly from Shera’s face. “You know us by this… this is Mother’s gift to you…”
Shera’s mouth moved but no sound came out. She appeared to be unable to breathe as well, making weak, kittenish attempts to pull her hand away, out of his grip.
“Does it hurt, little sister?” Kadaj’s voice had dropped to a purr. “We can fix that, if you’ll come with us.”
Shera’s eyes rolled back in her head and she started to collapse. Kadaj quickly let go of her hand, snorting. “Poor little sister. She’s had Mother’s mark for so long, it’s making her weak…”
“We should take her with us, then,” the long-haired one moved over, done with his ministrations to Loz. “And fix her.”
“Like hell you will,” Cid croaked, pulling himself to his feet. He leaned heavily on the only thing he could find; a broom. “You get the fuck outta my house and I won’t beat each and every last one of you sorry sons of bitches to death with my bare hands.”
Kadaj rubbed his chin thoughtfully, watching Cid, sizing him up. “Well, now, Yazoo. I think he cares about our little sister.”
“Perhaps he does.” Yazoo pulled out a pistol gunblade. Cid started mentally cursing, one hand closing around the broom handle.
Kadaj put a hand on the gun, pushing it down. “Now, now, Yazoo, what would our little sister think?”
“What does it matter, she’s unconscious.” Loz spoke up, cracking his knuckles. “He broke my nose.”
“So has Yazoo, Loz, do let it go,” Kadaj gestured flippantly, attention locked on Cid. “Perhaps we could use him to force our sister to go with us.”
“Howso?” Yazoo glanced at Kadaj, frowning. “She wasn’t willing before.”
“Well, things have changed,” Kadaj smirked, gesturing to Cid with an elegant hand. “We now have… leverage.”
“You go straight to hell and join yer cocksucking twin there,” Cid growled, straightening despite the pain it caused him. “You ain’t takin’ Shera nowhere, goddammit, not while I’m here.”
“Pity,” Kadaj set his chin in his hand. “We did so want to get out of here without killing anyone… important.”
Cid grinned, showing bloody teeth. “Better men have tried t’kill me, boy. I’d like t’see your best shot.”
He threw himself to the side as Kadaj moved in a blur. The double-bladed katana whistled through the air where his head had been seconds earlier. “Guess ya don’t appreciate bein’ called out, huh, son?” Cid tried to pour as much condescension into his voice as possible, despite the fact that he was lying on his back on the floor. “That’s too bad, ‘cuz you’d better get used to it.”
Kadaj leaned down and grabbed him by the collar. “Our sister will be joining us,” he smiled, the expression somehow horrifying. “And with you… out of the way, she will have no other choice.”
Cid spat in his face. “Then I’ll see you in hell when Shera puts you there with me.”
Kadaj merely laughed. “You don’t understand. But then again, I wouldn’t expect a simpleton such as yourself to und-”
A chair crashed over his head and he staggered to the side. “Go to hell!” Shera shrieked, wielding the remaining chair back like a sword as she swung madly at him. “Get out of my house! Out! Out of my house!”
Shocked at the display of violence from one he had thought cowed, Kadaj fell back without consciously meaning to. Yazoo raised his gun, and Cid hauled himself to his feet and brought the broom handle crashing down on his wrist with a resounding crack. Yazoo yelped in pain and dropped the gun.
“Get the hell out of my house!” Shera screamed again, throwing the chair at Yazoo’s head. He scooped up the gun with his other hand and backed away. “If I ever see you again, I’ll kill all three of you! How dare you come in here and lay your hands on my Captain!”
Kadaj and Yazoo traded looks, then looked back at Loz, who shrugged. Shera picked up another chair threateningly, and the beat a hasty retreat out the back door, obviously not prepared for this sort of resistance.
“Don’t think this is the end, little sister,” Kadaj called warningly, then ducked at Shera threw the chair off the back porch after him. “Just wait until Reunion! Then you will join us, willing or no!”
Cid fell on the door, slamming it shut and locking it. “What the fuck was that?”
Shera simply sad down hard where she was sitting, shaking violently. “I- they came in- I thought- I thought it was you and the boys at first- I was reading a book- I- the one- Kadaj- he… he grabbed my arm and it hurt, he hurt me and I heard… in my… head…” She curled her hands into her hair and rocked back and forth for a moment. “Cid, Cid, what’s wrong with me?”
“Nothin’,” he immediately forgot his pain and moved over to her, wrapping her in his arms. “Nothin’s wrong with you, Shera, nothing’s wrong with you, you’re just a little sick, that’s all. Nothin’ we can’t fix…”
“It hurt,” she mumbled, latching onto his arms and pressing against his chest. He tried to ignore how much that hurt. “I don’t feel well, Cid.”
“I know,” Cid held her close, resting his chin in her hair. “I know y’don’t, Shera. But we’re workin’ on it. We’re gonna find a cure. You’re gonna get better.”
Shera shivered in his arms for a little longer before falling still. “I need to wash up,” she finally said, voice hoarse, but calmer. “I… he… triggered… several attacks. I… bled through the bandages.”
Cid took note of the black stains on her lab coat. “Yeah. C’mon, I’ll help you.”
She was silent as he helped her up and helped her to the bathroom. She started the tub, and, safe for the moment, he simply keeled over, wheezing in suppressed pain. Fumbling for a moment, he dug around in the medicine cabinet and pulled out a Potion, downing it without regard for the bitter taste.
“Sir?” Shera glanced at him, and blushed faintly. “I… can undress myself now.”
Cid blinked, then coughed and stepped back. “Right. I’ll be in m’room. I gotta lie down, gotta… take a breather after that.”
“Of course, sir,” Shera’s eyes dropped. “Th-thank you, Captain. Thank you for saving my life.”
“Yeah, well, let’s call it fuckin’ even now, ok?” Cid gave her a lopsided, tired grin and stepped out of the bathroom. He barely made it to his own room without collapsing, crawling into the bed without regard for his bloodied clothes.
He was practically unconscious when someone pushed his door open and padded inside. He jerked awake, hand closed around the shaft of a spear he always kept by his bed. He was just about to whip around and stab whoever it was in the face when whoever it was cleared their throat quietly.
It was Shera. Cid sat up slowly, painfully, and blinked at her. “The hell do you want, woman?”
Shera bit her lip. “Sir. I was… I was wondering if I could…” she shuffled her feet, looking down at the floor. She looked ridiculous with wet, un-brushed hair and old, threadbare flannel teddy bear pajamas. Cid tried to ignore the fact that he didn’t care how ridiculous she looked; something settled in his chest, something warm and filling and damned if he didn’t want to admit it was love. “I… I don’t want to be alone, sir. I’m scared… of what I’ll dream… of those men…”
“Yeah, I get ya.” Cid patted the bed. “Just don’t snore.”
Shera smiled, a relieved, happy smile and took her glasses off, crawling into bed. “I don’t snore, sir. I ran an experiment once. I stayed awake all night and I never snored once.”
It took Cid a moment to realize she was telling a joke. He shook his head, grinning, and settled back. “G’night, woman. Sleep well.”
“Goodnight, Captain,” she murmured, curling into a little ball. “And thank you.”
Cid didn’t answer, closing his eyes and relaxing instead. In minutes, he was asleep, and snoring softly. Shera only smiled and, once he was deeply asleep, allowed herself to curl closer, touching him with her fingertips. That was all she needed, and she, too, relaxed and let sleep claim her.
Crossposted to abby_scribbles