Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Vincent?” Cid called into the house. He was worried. Vincent’s keys were gone, he wasn’t answering his phone, and he’d left an awfully cryptic note on the table. 

‘I’ll see you when the time comes.’ It read. Just one sentence, no location. Vincent hadn’t called Cid to tell him when or where he was going out.

Cid was spiralling. Does Vincent not want to live in Rocket Town anymore? Did Vincent not like him? Was he going to go fully no contact and never see Vincent again? 

Cid had come home to this, too. He’d come home to zero trace of Vincent in the whole house. Cid sat down at the table, tapping his foot vigorously on the floor. He pulled out his phone and dialed Shera. 

“Cid? Usually you text me before you call. Is something wrong?” She asked. She picked up quickly. 

“Yes, something is wrong. It’s Vincent. He’s not at home. Not answerin’ his phone either. He left a note on the table sayin’ he was gonna ‘see me when the time comes’.” Cid explained. He was frantically speaking, his tone a testament to how concerned he was. 

“Hey, calm down. Vincent is probably fine.” Shera assured. “Do you want me to call some other people?” 

“I can call others. I just… Do you have any idea where he might be? There’s only one place I could ever see him being and it’s here. In Rocket Town.” Cid continued. He let out a heavy sigh. 

“Do you think he may have gone back to Nibelheim? I think Cloud and Tifa are there right now.” Shera suggested. 

“I’ll call them. Thanks.” Cid replied. He hung up the phone and just as quickly called Tifa. she was more likely to actually talk over the phone than Cloud was. Cid was left on the dial tone for a couple seconds. 

“Hello? Cid? What do you need?” Tifa asked. The audio was choppy, but that was just because any Wi-Fi connection in Nibelheim was terrible. 

“Is Vincent up there?” Cid asked. “He’s not at home. I’ve called him several times and he’s not answering.” 

“Not to my knowledge, no, I can ask Cloud though.” Tifa returned. The clanking of a few glasses sounded over the line. 

“That would be great, thanks Tifa.” Cid agreed. 

“Of course.” The sound from Tifa’s line became muffled, but Cid could still make out talking. Tifa had gone and asked Cloud if he’d seen Vincent, and Cloud had said he’d last heard that he was somewhere near the golden saucer.

“Cloud said he’s heard Vincent is at the Golden Saucer.” Tifa stated. 

Cid was already up and out of his chair. He grabbed the Tiny Bronco’s keys and was out the door. “If you see a plane going dangerously fast, it’s not me. Thanks.” 

“Glad I could help.” Tifa acknowledged. She hung up the line after that. 

Cid climbed into the Tiny Bronco and started it up as soon as he could. He started his illegally fast flight south. He touched down in Nibel no less than an hour and a half later. Too late in his opinion, but there was only so much he could do. He walked up to the entrance of the Golden Saucer, frantically looking for a staff worker. 

A woman, just a little shorter than Cid, walked up to him. “Sir, are you alright? You look alarmed.” 

“Have you seen a man named Vincent Valentine around here? He’s just a little taller than me, probably wearing leather and a red cloak.” Cid asked. 

“Yes, actually. He was looking for directions to a cave just northwest of here.” The staff replied. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Cid thanked. He made his way back to the Tiny Bronco and was no later than 30 minutes to the cave. 

He was lucky that Vincent asked to go there a lot. If he didn’t know where this cave was, then he might never get to see Vincent again. 

Cid found a good place to land and was soon on his way into the cave. He took the exact tracks that he’d taken before to get to the massive crystal. The crystal that held Lucrecia. The crystal that Vincent was probably in front of, standing motionless in the pond that surrounded it. 

Vincent was standing in the pond, but with an intention that was far beyond what Cid could think of. Cid just thought that Vincent left because he wasn’t feeling Rocket Town living, but Vincent’s intention was much darker than that.

Cid crossed the threshold of the cave and was stopped in his tracks. Vincent, standing in ankle deep water, staring at his handgun. 

Damn, Cid should’ve checked to see if Vincent had taken one of those.

Cid ran up to Vincent, turning him around and prying the gun out of his hand. 

“Vincent! What’re you thinking!” Cid yelled, throwing the gun to the hard ground. 

“It’s not time yet. You shouldn’t be here.” Vincent deadpanned. His eyes were lifeless and so was his voice. 

“Tell me, when would it have been time? In sixty years when I die?” Cid asked, gripping Vincent’s shoulders. Vincent was silent. He stared at Cid, his dead eyes seemingly wracking Cid’s for some sort of reason to be here. 

“It’s not time.” Vincent repeated. 

“No, you’re right, it’s not. And it won’t be time until you die peacefully. I’m not going to let you stand here and kill yourself because you’re still hung up on Lucrecia and think you deserve it. Because you don’t. You’re not sinful for letting that happen to her, you literally didn’t have the power to stop it. So don’t look at me and tell me you deserve a bullet to the head.” Cid exclaimed. 

The pilot’s grip on Vincent’s shoulders loosened. Cid dropped to his knees, resting his head on Vincent’s legs. His hands came to rest on the back of the gunman’s ankles. “I can’t have my reason to keep goin’ die.” 

Vincent continued his silence. He looked over to the gun on the ground, then back at Cid. This man, who often said that he didn’t need anyone, was begging on his knees for Vincent not to leave. Vincent knelt down and placed his forehead against Cid’s. 

“I don’t want to live my life without you.” Cid mumbled. He brought his eyes up to meet Vincent’s, but the latter’s eyes were closed.