Family Bliss: Reunion Ch 1

The phone rang through the Valenwind household.  Kadaj, Loz and Seph were outside helping Cid with the yard.  Vincent was upstairs taking a shower.  The only one in a prime position to answer it was Yazoo… but he was busy at the kitchen table – taking apart and cleaning his gun.  And he didn’t feel like bothering with such trivial things.

Seconds later, Vincent came down the stairs, just as it stopped ringing.  He had a towel wrapped around his shoulders, drying off his damp hair.  He glanced to the now silent phone, then to the remnant sitting at the table.  “Who was it?”

Yazoo mearly shrugged, running the rag in his hand, over the silver compartment of his gun.

“Why didn’t you answer it, then?”

“It wasn’t for me.”

“How do you know?”

“Never is.  Anyone who wants to talk to me is already here.”

Vincent planted his fists on his hips.  “You could’ve at least answered to see who it was for.”

“Why?”

“So we’d know.”

Yazoo held up a piece to better inspect it.  “They’ll call back.”

“How do you know that?”

Yazoo finally looked up at him and smiled.  “If they don’t, then they’re not worth talking to, right?”  He turned his attention back to his work.  “That’s what the Captain always says.”

“He only says that about leaving messages.”

“Well, they didn’t leave one, now did they?”

“That’s because the answering machine is broken, and Cid hasn’t gotten around to fixing it, yet.”

“Well then… fuss at him.”

Vincent was about to retaliate, when the phone started ringing again.  He turned to it, not even seeing the middle remnant grinning at him again.  “Told ya so.”

Vincent glanced to Yazoo, then back to the phone, before lifting it off the reciever.  He flipped his hair out of the way, and placed the phone to his ear.  “Valenwind residence.”

There was a pause on the other end.

Vincent’s brow furrowed a bit.  “Hello?”

“Is this… Vincent?”

Now it was the gunman’s turn to pause.  “Yes it is.”

“And uh… Cid’s there too… right?”

Vincent felt slightly uneasy.  Why would someone be calling them and asking who lived here?  “Yes… he is.  May I ask who’s calling?”

“Y-yea.  I just had to make sure I had the right number.  I ain’t never heard your voice before.”

“The right number for what?”

“Can I talk to Cid?”

“Not until you at least tell me who you are.”

The man on the other end sighed deeply.  As if preparing himself for something.  “My name’s Charles… I’m Cid’s cousin.”

Vincent’s blood ran cold.  Cousin?  Why was he calling Cid?  “What is this concerning?”

“Just let me talk to him.”

“No.”  Vincent tried to avoid snapping, as much as he could.  A fire burned in his stomach.  He could remember the tears that still settled in his husband’s eyes whenever he mentioned any members of his family… excluding Aunt Gracie that is.  He’d even remembered mentioning Charles once.  They’d been fairly close, until they decided Cid’s sexual preferance was more important.  “You tell me what this is concerning, then I’ll see if he wants to talk to you.”

Yazoo noted the golden flicker in Vincent’s eyes and prepared himself to bolt at the first sign of fangs.

Charles sighed through the phone again.  “His parent’s anniversary is coming up.  They’ve been married for forty years and the whole clan’s getting together for a family reunion to celebrate… and Aunt Janis wants Cid to come.”

The tension in Vincent’s shoulders melted away.  A reunion?  And Cid’s mother actually wanted him there?  Vincent placed a hand over the phone.  “Yazoo… go get Cid.”

Still a bit frightened by his actions, Yazoo didn’t question the demand, and bolted out the door calling for him.

“Of course.”  Charles continued.  “You and the boys can come too.  You are, after all… family.”

Vincent’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor with hearing that.  What caused this change?  Did they want to make amends for what they’d done to him?

The screen door creaked open, and Cid came in, followed in suit by three dirty children.  They all flopped down in the chairs around the kitchen table, each expecting Vincent to scold them for doing so, while dirty, but he didn’t even seem to acknowlegde they were there.

Cid brushed the dirt from his cloths, beaming brightly at his lover.  “Who is it, babe?”

Vincent turned to him, licking his lips gently.  He cupped a hand tighter over the phone and held it out to Cid.  “It’s… Charles.”

Cid’s body went stiff, his eyes slightly losing their sheen.  “What the hell?”

Vincent pulled the phone back a bit.  “You’re parents fortieth anniversay is coming up… and their having a family reunion… your mother wants you there.”

The four silver haired children watched Cid anxiously.

Those blue eyes widened, seeming as if they’re going to tear.  “They want… me…”

A slight smile teased the corners of Vincent’s lips.  He held the phone back out to Cid.  Cid took it from his hand, and placed it to his ear.  The wavering astonishment quickly turned to resentment as he yelled, “Fuck off, Charles!”  And slammed the phone down.

His hands dropped down onto the counter, his breathing becoming harsher.  Vincent placed a timid hand on his husband’s shoulder.  “Cid?”

With a geasture that was almost violent, Cid nudged him off and stormed up the stairs.  Vincent caught a glimpse at his dirt covered children, then ran up after him.

The children watched until the last traces of Vincent were gone, then exchanged worried looks over the table.  They hadn’t ever known the pilot to be sad before.  Angry, hyperactive, overprotective, sometimes even annoying, fit him much better.  But never truly sad, and not once could they really remember Cid almost brought to tears.

xXx

Vincent knocked gently on the door to their bedroom, before entering.  “Cid?”

He was a bit nervous to see Cid on the bed, assuming a position he himself often took.  The normally confident Captain was laying on the bed, facing the wall, clutching a pillow to his chin.

Vincent slid onto the bed, kissing him lightly on the side of his head.  “Chief?”  He leaned over the somber form, tracing his fingers through the short blonde strands.  “What’s wrong, dear?”

Cid snorted in an almost laugh.  “What’s wrong?”  He sniffed, wiping his nose on the pillow.  “What the hell do you think is wrong!?”

Vincent drew back sharply, from the snap in his voice, soon proceeding to stroke his lover’s hair.  “It seems to me that they want to make amends.”  He tilted his head to try and see him better, moving the bangs aside.  “I know it’s hard, but maybe you should give them another chance.  Isn’t it something that your mother wants you there?”

“It’s all bullshit, that’s what it is.”

“But, Cid-”

“No, Vince.”  Cid sat up, turning to fully face him.  His eyes held a dark ring of red around them, and tears glinted off his cheeks.  “It’s not that simple.  You grew up in a small family.  You had a dad that loved you, and would do anything to make you happy.  And he’d probably still love you, even if he found out you were gay.  I don’t have that luxury.”  The startle in Vincent’s eyes made him stop.  Cid breathed deep, to try and not raise his voice any higher than he already had.  His frustration came out in waves over his face again.  He bit back his trembling lip, turning away from Vincent, throwing his legs over the side of the bed.  Cid wiped furiously at his tears, burrying his eyes in his palms.

Vincent placed a hand on his hsoulder.  “But, if your mother-”

“My mom never hated me.”  Cid drew in a shuddering breath, as his husband wrapped his arms around him.  “I used to look up to my dad.  Always wanted to be just like him… and I thought he loved me.  But I found out how much that ‘love’ meant to him when he found out I was…”  Cid sniffed again, and Vincent rubbed a hand across his back, as the blonde head fell down on his shoulder.  “The bastard pretty much dissowned me right then and there.  He kicked me out on my ass… it hurts when your own father calls you a ‘dirty faggot’.  But my mom-”  He sobbed harder, clinging to his lover’s waist.  “My mom did nothing.  She just sat there.  Letting him say those horrible things to me.  Letting him kick me out on my ass.  Just staring with those dissapproving eyes.  Looking at me like ‘oh where did I go wrong’.  It wasn’t fucking fair.  I was 16.  I had no fucking place to go.  So what?  I liked guys.  That’s no reason for them to do this shit to me.”

Vincent clung to the shaking form in his arms, feeling his own tears cutting across his cheek.  He proceeded to stroke the pilot, rocking him in his arms.  “They invited me and the boys too.”

“What?”  Cid looked up at him.  “Why the hell would they do that?”

Vincent forced a smile.  “Charles says it’s because we’re family.”

“So what?  You wanna go, or something?”

Vincent brushed the tears from his husband’s eyes.  “It doesn’t matter what I want.  If you don’t think it’s a good idea to go, then we won’t.  You’ve become an amazing and successful man, without their guidance… you don’t need them… right?”

xXx

After a good nights rest, Cid came bounding down the stairs to meet the younger members of his family, who were gathered around the table eating breakfast.  He tried to screw a smile onto his unsure features.  “Start packing, boys… cause next week we’re heading to a family reunion.”  And without another word, he went outback to tinker with something mechanical.

The three older children exchanged horrified looks, while the youngest continued to eat his ceriel swinging his little legs.

Yazoo was the first to speak.  “Family reunion?”

“With Captain Highwind’s family?”  Loz inquired.

Kadaj’s eyes narrowed.  “You know what that means, don’t you?”

Seph looked up at his brother, noting the darkening of their expressions as they all chimed.  “More aunts.”