Perfection: The Gift of Giving (Part I)

[calvi_sama]

Title: Perfection: The Gift of Giving (Part I)
Author: silence_laughs and calvi_sama
Summary: So Cid has his Vincent and the world is safe, so all should go back to normal right? Wrong. The adventure just begins when these two find out that living with another person opens up a whole new world of trouble, laughs and really great sex!
Rating: NC-17 (It's intersting how frequently this rating is popping up now, isn't it? XDD)
Pairing: Cid x Vincent
Timeline: Post DOC
Disclaimer: We do not in any way own, nor profit from, the FFVII characters - we're just borrowing them. Avatar art is by (the amazing) Spade.
Warnings: Two men having sex, a tad bit rough, some oral...all things yaoi *winks*

Author's Note: PLEASE READ THIS!!! This is an RP, Cid is written by silence and yours truly has written Vincent and "Hodge". “Perfection” is not a plot-based “story”, it’s a series of one-shots rather like snapshots (or really strange home movies) of these two and their lives together. It’s an on-going little series within the series so updates will most likely be a bit more erratic than for Prelude To Perfection, and will never really end. If anyone has any suggestions for an “adventure” for these two to have then shout it out, but please realize that it may be a while before we can get to it as we have a lot of work left to do :D. I also want to say that Vincent has more self confidence in these stories, having finally put his past behind him, where it belongs…that and Cid gives him more to worry about ‘now’ so that he doesn’t have the luxury of ‘dwelling’ anymore.

A/N Addendum: Vincent has to leave for a "job", so who watches the cat? Cid...of course. Do they get along any better? I think the answer is obvious. Enjoy!

For a chronological listing of the stories (the order in which these events happened in their lives) please click HERE

This piece is dedicated to ani_mama , in appreciation of her support and all of her hard work and wonderful artwork!! This is the second part of a dedication fic that we had had planned. We hope you like it! *hugs*

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The sun was only just peeking over the horizon when Vincent finished buckling is mantle in place, Cerberus, headscarf and gauntlet already donned. He had plenty of time to make it to his transport, but he liked to be early, so he really should be leaving now. There was just one last order of business to attend to. Walking over to Cid’s side of the bed he gently shook Cid’s shoulder…nothing. He shook it a little harder and called, “Cid!” Still nothing. So he turned on the bedside lamp, shook the pilot’s shoulder and called his name louder. This rewarded him with a startled jump, a stare that turned into a pained squint, and several very colorful curses. “Cid, I’m leaving now. Do you remember what I told you last night about caring for Hodge while I’m gone?” There was a sleepy assent, which only caused Vincent to roll his eyes. No, the man did not remember. It was a good thing he had written it all down and put it on the counter by the teapot. Sighing, he kissed Cid’s forehead and murmured, “See you in ten day you big idiot. Be. Good. And please don’t kill Hodge.” This was the first time he was leaving those two alone together and he was a little worried that Cid might do something horrible, or Hodge would throw in the towel and run away. Shaking his head he walked out of the bedroom (he had left the light on) and knelt down in front of Hodge who had gotten up when he had and relocated to Vincent’s favorite chair to resume slumber. The cat blinked at him after meowing softly as he began to gently stroke the downy blond fur, purring when he placed his forehead on top of Hodge’s head. He breathed in the sweet-smelling fur and said softly, “Goodbye my little friend. I shall miss you. Be good and please, try to be nice to Cid.” He remained there for a little while longer, listening to the purring before standing back up, checking to make sure that Cid’s list of instructions was still where he had put them, and quietly leaving the house.

Five minutes later, Cid mumbled, “Ain’t gonna kill th’fuckin’ thing, don’t worry about it, just turn off th’damn light!” When Vincent made no response, Cid blinked his eyes open again, groaning when he realized that Vincent was already gone…and that he would have to turn off the light by himself. He did so, theatrically unhappy all the while. He took a long shower and dressed slowly, wondering just what he was going to do with himself for ten days without a job scheduled or Vincent prodding him to actually be active. Soon he remembered Hodge, and headed into the kitchen for his tea. There was some piece of paper there under the teapot, but Cid couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to it yet. “Prob’ly junk mail, anyhow,” he told the inquisitive cat sitting a few feet away.

Said ‘inquisitive cat’ just blinked lazily at Loud and Stinky for a moment before walking over to his dish and eating his breakfast. Following that was the perfect time for another nap, but first…a bath. He retreated back to Quiet and Gentle’s chair, hopped up and promptly beginning his day as any self-respecting feline would: hygiene and sleep.

Cid felt much more awake after his first cup of tea, and even more so after a third. His mind in typical working order, he set about preparing for lunch, as breakfast seemed unimportant if there was no one with whom to share it. He noticed the piece of paper again, and this time noted that the words were handwritten and that the handwriting was Vincent’s. “Aw, did ‘e leave me a love letter? Corny ol’ bastard. Sweet, yeah, but…” Cid shook his head at what he was almost certain was a display of Vincent’s hopeless romantic side. He was quite dismayed, then, when he read it and found that it was a list of instructions on “How to Care for Hodge.” Cid sighed and looked at where the cat had been minutes before. “Knew he liked that damned thing better’n he likes me,” he grumbled.

The only response to Loud and Stinky’s muttering was an annoyed flicking of Hodge’s tail. Soon the human was out of the house and out of Hodge’s mind, so sleep was once again resumed. Several hours passed before the cat finally stretched and got up. Trotting out onto the screened-in back porch, he used his litter box then began nosing about the house in search of something to do. He noticed Loud and Stinky at the paper-table (drafting table to those humans concerned), but he couldn’t be bothered with the human right now. Instead, his motion-sensitive eyes began to pick up flitting shadows caused by the sun shining through the windows and Hodge soon found himself happily occupied with chasing shadows. This quickly escalated into a mad dash around the house, random wild meows from odd corners and a wonderful game of “How High Can A Cat Jump Up A Door Frame And Slide Back Down”.

From the porch, Cid could hear the cat going crazy. He chose to wait it out rather than enter the house, and sat on the swing, looking out at the dirt road that was due to be paved within the next three years. He and Vincent had both protested that progress, but there was nothing to be done about it. He sighed, and when things quieted down inside, Cid opened the door and saw the cat crouching behind the sofa, apparently playing with a dead or dying insect. What was next on that list of things to do? It had food and water, and the litterbox looked clean enough…right, attention. Well, Cid didn’t really think the cat wanted attention from him, but he could try. “Hey there, Hodge, whatcha doin’? M’s’posed’a y’know, hang with ya a while so y’don’t…I dunno, get lonely or whatever. Whaddaya say?”

Hodge looked up from his “kill” when he heard the front door open. Loud and Stinky was looking at him and vocalizing and all that he could hear was “Blah-blah-Hodge-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.” So naturally, the cat didn’t know the human’s intention, therefore proceeded to ignore him in favor of the dying beetle at his feet, which he promptly ate.

“Well, yeah, that’s ‘bout what I figured.” Cid watched the cat finish off his snack, then asked, “Was it good? It, uh, looked pretty good.”

Hodge cocked his head at Loud and Stinky. The human hadn’t gone away yet. He took three or four steps toward the human and sat down with a little chirp. When Loud and Stinky came over to pet him, Hodge squeaked and leapt away, running into the bedroom. The cat leapt onto the bed and lay down, waiting for the human to come and give him his lovin’s.

Cid blinked. Well, I’ll be damned. It ran away. After a brief debate, Cid followed it into the bedroom and sat next to it. This time it stayed where it was, and he awkwardly began petting it, barely touching for fear of being too rough. “I really ain’t so bad, y’know.”

He wasn’t petting right; it was too light. It made Hodge’s skin twitch and crawl, and he hated that! Quiet and Gentle would always pet him firmly, digging a hand under his back and then when Hodge rolled over, he would rub his belly, finishing off with a good hard scratch to his chin. This human clearly had no idea what he was doing and the twitching skin was driving him crazy. With a growl, Hodge swatted out with a paw and caught the human lightly with his claws. If he wasn’t going to pet right, then he shouldn’t be petting at all!

“Fuck!” Cid was frustrated. He could never do anything right when it came to this cat. He’d just have to tell Vincent that he tried, but it just wasn’t working. “Know what? You c’n do it yerself, then! Go get a backscratcher!” He checked the cat’s food and water again, scooped the litterbox, and retreated to The Blue Penguin for comfort, sympathy, and drinks.

Soft and Gentle had not come home, so for starters that had him pacing in front of the windows. Then Loud and Stinky had not come home, so he had paced some more, chased a few objects that he had managed to knock off the paper table, thoroughly explored the counters, where he had found some nice things to eat then promptly found an equally nice place to throw it all up (he didn’t know and likely would not have cared that it had been on the floor on Cid’s side of the bed). So when all options had been exhausted, he hopped back up onto the Quiet and Gentle’s chair, thoroughly upset now, and fell asleep. Time passed quickly for the disturbed cat, and late that evening, Loud and Stinky finally came home…a bit stinkier than normal.

Cid tromped inside, preparing to slam the door behind him but remembering that no one was home to appreciate his displeasure. Instead, he closed it normally and headed for bed, shedding his clothes in random places as he walked to his room. I’ll pick ‘em up later. T’morra. Whatever. He ignored the cat in Vincent’s chair and even somehow avoided the small bit of cat mess on the floor near the bed. He was asleep in minutes, cold knowing that Vincent was not where he was supposed to be. He wondered if he would call, or if Cid should call him in a few days, in the time it took him to drift off. He had come to no conclusions, but he didn’t’ much care, as sleep was very nice and drove away the cold.

Hodge had watched Loud and Stinky stomp by the chair and yawned. Slowly, the cat stood and stretched, then walked back to the bedroom where he sat in the doorway and watched Loud and Stinky finally fall asleep. Continuing to sit there, he gave a small meow, which elicited no response. He meowed again, and still there was nothing. He was about to retreat back to the sitting room when a movement caught his eye. Crouching low, the cat slunk along the floor, stopping his forward movement every time he saw his quarry “freeze.” He leapt silently and lightly onto the bed and hunkered down, waiting. There! There was the movement again, and it was at moment that he sprang, latching onto his prey and proceeded to bite it and dig in his back claws. Come hell or high water, he was going to kill it.

“Shit!” Cid sat straight up, muttering colorful words under his breath as he violently thrust out his foot, effectively removing it from Hodge’s grasp. “That’s m’fuckin’ foot, y’dumb animal!” Oddly, he felt guilty at reacting the way he had, but he just rolled his eyes at the feeling and yanked the covers up over his head, curling into his body to protect every inch of it. A sinking certainty fell upon him- the cat was going to tell on him when Vincent came home. He huffed. “M’sorry, a’ right? Just…stay away from me, an’ I’ll make sure y’have food an’ a place t’shit. Deal?”

Huffing, Hodge leapt down and wandered out into the living room again. He gazed at Quiet and Gentle’s chair then looked at the door and gave a heartbroken little “Meow.” Soon he was wailing as he wandered around the living room, kitchen and in front of the front door.

“Just shut the fuck up!” Cid called, now holding a pillow over his head as well as the covers. “Some of us didn’t sleep all fuckin’ day an’ gotta do it now.” Eventually the howling became unbearable, and walked into the outer part of the house (again missing the puke pile) just to make sure the cat had not been injured. No; it was fine, just walking around the house yelling at the top of its lungs…and Cid knew that sound. That was the sound it made when Vincent would be gone for a few hours. “Oh…missin’ ‘im, is that all? Well, you ain’t th’only one, but y’don’t see me cryin’, do ya? Look, we’ll get ‘im on th’phone t’morra an’ you c’n talk to ‘im first, a’ right?” Cid realized quite suddenly that he was speaking to a cat. Oh well. For all he knew, cats talked on the phone whenever they darn well pleased. “Just go t’sleep,” he said hoarsely, legs feeling like lead and head beginning to pound.

The night passed and dawn came. Hodge slept, he found things to amuse him, but most of all he just missed Quiet and Gentle. But all too soon his feeding time came, and he wandered into the kitchen- only to find an empty bowl. This sent the cat into the bedroom looking for someone to feed him. There was only one lump in the bed. Hodge jumped onto the bed and walked up the sleeping human body, crouching on Loud and Stinky’s chest and staring at the slack-jawed face. His sensitive nose wrinkled at the foul breath that hit it. But he was hungry, so he began pawing at the human’s face, gently patting it until it batted away his paw. So after a few minutes of this and getting no response, Hodge began sniffing the human’s face, pressing his cold, wet nose into the man’s eye.

“Mmph…Vin, what th’hell’re you doin’?” Cid asked, grinning in his half-doze. “Too fuckin’ early fer that shit…wha- huh? Aw, s’you, y’damned…what? Whaddaya want? Oh…that late, is it?” he asked, sneaking a glance at the clock. “Guess y’re hungry. A’ right, let’s go eat.” He stood, head still aching and vision still strained, and went to the food bucket. Only after pouring food for Hodge did he realize that there was…something…on his foot. He really didn’t want to know what it was, but his curiosity go the better of him. He looked down and was met with the sight of orange-ish chunky…goo. “Aw, sick…” And, naturally, he had left traces of what he suddenly determined to be cat puke all over the floor between the bedroom and the kitchen. At least, he reflected, he and Vincent had agreed on the uselessness of carpet. Hardwood and tile were much easier to clean. Cid groped for some paper towels, keeping his temper in check, and cleaned his foot before wiping the floor. He headed for the shower, in need of a head-to-toe scrubbing considering last night’s events and this morning’s. When that was done, he exited the bathroom and saw the cat in Vincent’s chair again, looking forlornly at him. “Oh yeah, said we’d call ‘im, didn’t I? Well…don’t see no harm in it, s’long as I don’t whine at ‘im.” Taking his cell phone from the counter, Cid sat on the corner of the couch nearest to the cat. “Here goes, Hodge-cat. Gonna talk t’Vince?” he asked as he dialed Vincent’s number. The phone rang once, twice, then the familiar greeting met his ears: the sound of a phone being answered but no one speaking into the mouthpiece. “Vince? Hey, it’s us. But I reckon you knew that.”

“Hello? What? I’m sorry; Mr. Valentine is currently busy. May I take a mess- HEY!” the secretary blurted as Vincent plucked the cell phone out of her hand, “How many times have I asked you not to answer my phone?” he asked, mildly put out that the woman had yet again answered his cell phone. Really, he had had no idea that this job would have entailed endless phone calls; just one of the many headaches he had not foreseen. He would screen his jobs better in the future. Putting the small device to his ear he said irritably, “This is Valentine, was is it this time?”

Cid winced. It was a bad time, clearly. He debated just hanging up, but surely Vincent would trace the call back to him later and just be angry at him. “Vince?” he said in a small voice, trying to sound as polite as possible. “S’me. Just, uh…well, I woulda left y’alone, but the cat wants t’talk to ya.” Yeah, Highwind, blame it on the cat. Vince’ll love that. “We c’n call back later if it’s a bad time, just-”

“What? Cid? No! No, please I just….Stop. Right. There. I am taking this phone call, it happens to be an important one, so turn yourself around and….good. Now, Cid, what is it?” Vincent blinked when the cat’s name came up, “the cat wants to speak with me?” Unbelievable, just…unbelievable. He said tiredly, “What happened?”

Loud and Stinky was sitting down, which meant lap vacancy. Hodge had missed Quiet and Gentle’s lap, so this one will have to do. With a huff, the blonde cat rather presumptuously climbed into the human’s lap, kneading his claws to soften the place up a bit. Then he head Quiet and Gentle’s voice over the phone. Cocking his head, Hodge turned and put his two front feet on the Loud and Stinky’s chest. Giving a squeak, he reached out a paw and began batting at the hand holding the phone.

Cid actually grinned at the cat’s eagerness to speak to Vincent. He could sympathize. “Heard ‘im? See what I mean? An’ nothin’ happened, just…he’s been walkin’ ‘round th’house cryin’ for ya. An’ he don’t like me, even though I been doin’ everything y’said. Even read th’instructions!” he said proudly. “But I can’t seem t’do it right…we just don’t get along too well.” Cid brought the phone down to Hodge’s level so the spoiled thing could resume lying down and speak to Vincent at the same time. He then set it to speaker so he wouldn’t have to strain to listen. “Well, go on’ an’ talk to ‘im, Vince. Or t’me, just let ‘im hear yer voice. Damn thing’s nuts about’cha.”

Vincent sighed, “Cid,” he paused and rubbed his eyes, “I’ll speak to you, but I don’t think Hodge really cares one way or another about me.” Then quite suddenly, “You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

“Not t’day. An’ I didn’t drink as much as y’d think I would have last night. M’tellin’ ya, the thing’s goin’ crazy… well, go on, cat, talk to ‘im.” Cid prodded the cat, who had, unbelievably, begun to fall asleep. He tried petting the cat again, not caring so much today about the weight of his hand. He did take care not to crush the animal, but at least this way he could feel it if Hodge decided to attack again. “M’serious, Vin, he b’haves better fer you, def’nitely. Even threw up this mornin’ right by th’bed.” Aw, hell, now m’just turnin’ this inta a ‘tell on the cat’ session. “Shit, never mind any of it, Vince. Go on back t’work.”

Vincent gave a soft groan, not really in the mood for Cid’s attitude right now. He said flatly, “He threw up because you left food out on the counter again and he got into it.” He rubbed his forehead. He had so been hoping for this to be a nice phone call. Abruptly he was gripped with the overwhelming urge to just up and disappear. “Look, I’ll be home in eight days. Try not to kill each other okay? I love you. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone, squared his shoulders and went back to what everyone else but him was calling a ‘meeting’.

Cid shook his head. He didn’t know why he had expected Vincent to believe him in the first place, or why he had bothered calling when he knew Vincent was probably enjoying this respite from their day-to-day, never-changing life of “peace.” He sighed and looked at the cat, who was still looking expectantly at the phone as if Vincent were going to speak again. “Guess that’s all we get fer now, then. Why didn’t y’say anything?” he asked plaintively.

Hodge sneezed (which might conceivably be considered a response to Cid) and jumped down to sprawl on the floor. Loud and Stinky muttered some more and got up, and so passed the rest of that day. That night Hodge grew restless. He knew Quiet and Gentle was out there somewhere, and being trapped inside was making the cat restless, so while Loud and Stinky slept, Hodge began scouring the house, looking for a way out. Finding it in the form an open bathroom window, Hodge leapt out of the window and streaked off into the night.

Cid woke the next morning surprised to find that Hodge was not clawing him, standing on him, sniffing him, or otherwise touching him. His first thought was that Vincent must be home, and he was momentarily excited before remembering that it was only three days into the ten. He stood, stretched sleepily, and searched for Hodge for a while. After about fifteen minutes, he shrugged and decided that if he wanted to be found, he wouldn’t be hiding. But I really don’t think ‘e’s anywhere in th’house…aw, hell, Vin’s gonna kill me… He scooped the cat box and filled the food and water dishes anyway, just in case he had missed something. After spending several hours in the shed working on a scale model for a new engine and another few at the drawing table designing the ship that would accept it, he finally became concerned. Oh well. It was getting late, and he could worry tomorrow. After all, his mother had had a cat once, Nightingale, and he had often wandered away for days…and Hodge was young, and all young boys wandered. Cid snorted at his own reasoning but felt strangely satisfied with it. In the morning, or perhaps much later in the day tomorrow, he would call Vincent to apologize for being ridiculous the day before. For now, the couch and TV were calling, and his bed would be soon.

Hunting was proving to be quite successful for the adventurous feline, but insects were proving to be too easy. After lounging in a delightfully sunny spot for several hours, Hodge rose and began hunting larger quarry. His hunt, however, was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Curiosity always got the better of felines; Hodge was no different. Creeping through the bushes, he came upon a couple of human children, a little boy and a little girl, playing. Cocking his head and giving a small meow, he approached them. With a squeal of glee, the little girl crouched down and called enticingly to him, and what cat could resist “Here kitty kitty kitty?” For some unknown reason, the compulsion to respond to that call is genetically hardwired into most cats. Hodge squeaked and trotted over to her, eagerly arching his back into her petting. She looked up at her brother with shining eyes, “Rolf, d’you think dada will let us keep him?” The little boy, “Rolf,” came over, examined the cat and replied, “Well, he don’t have a collar, and he’s friendly. Can’t hurt to ask ‘im.” So with their small, innocent minds made up, the little girl lifted Hodge’s considerable size into her small arms - and Hodge, desperate for some proper attention, ate it up and let her - the two made their way home with their “new” cat.

Hodge still wasn’t there the next morning…or afternoon; really, since Cid woke at nearly noon, but Cid ignored that in favor of the hot chocolate he’d decided he deserved. Though, he admitted to himself, something so sweet was best shared. Oh well. He and Vincent could have hot chocolate whenever they wanted. Today he would start working on the model of the plane, and it would be finished for Vincent to inspect when he got home. He searched the house once more and was distressed to find that neither the food bowl nor the litterbox had been touched. He had no way of telling with the water dish, as he had promptly knocked that over upon entering the kitchen. When brunch was done (and he still felt eating alone was a waste) he headed for the hardware store and then to his garage, where he got to work on the frame. Completed, it would be about four feet long, simply because he could make it that size. The model engine should theoretically fit perfectly inside it, and the wings would span approximately four feet as well. He had no idea how large he wanted the real plane to be; he and Vincent would talk that out later. Or, rather, Cid would bounce ideas off Vincent while the gunman read, occasionally giving an interested noise for Cid’s trouble. When next he checked his phone, it was nearly seven o’ clock. By the time he showered and set dinner cooking, he would be ready to call Vincent. He headed inside to do just that, wondering if the cat had decided to come home yet.

Vincent picked up on the third ring, thanking whatever gods were listening that there was a break in the paperwork. Honestly! Paperwork! This was not what he had signed up for. “Cid,” he said relieved, “it’s good to hear your voice, you have no idea. How are things at home?”

“Aw, y’know, same ol’, same ol’. How’s it goin’ fer you?”

Vincent snorted, “Talkative today…wait a minute,” he said suspicious, “Now something did happen. I can tell by the tone of your voice. No, no, don’t tell me. You probably lost the cat or something else equally disastrous that will upset me, and I don’t want to know.” He leaned back in his chair and propped his boots up on the table (a little habit picked up from Cid), and gleefully noted the mud that slopped all over everything. “My work is progressing well and it looks like I’ll be home a day early.” He heaved another large sigh, “and I cannot wait. I miss you and I miss Hodge. I haven’t been able to sleep all night through, and I’m surprised how much I’ve gotten accustomed to that. So, how goes that model you were working on when I left?”

“Pretty good. Got th’engine done, runs an’ all, an’ the plane’s started. Y’know, I’d really like t’make it remote-controlled. Might not even build the big one I was talkin’ about, an’ save that engine idea fer another project. Reckon I c’d market that, Vince? Nah, I’ll just make two an’ give ‘em t’Shera’s kids. They love shit like that.” Cid turned down the heat in the oven and made for the couch so he could relax and talk to Vincent. “We miss you too. He’s calmed down a little, though, an’ that’s a good thing. I didn’t get much sleep first two nights.” Cid smiled, knowing full well that Vincent would be able to hear the lie in his voice but would probably appreciate the effort to hide it anyway. “So hey, whatcha think y’ll want fer dinner when y’get back, so I c’n make sure we have everything we need for it?”

“Oh, surprise me,” Vincent replied, allowing his head to fall back against the chair back, suddenly depressed. “Hodge is gone, isn’t he.” He said it as a statement not a question. “You’ve never talked so indifferently about him. You always grumbled. I knew I shouldn’t have taken this job.” Yes, he was being a little over-reactive, but he’d gotten attached to that cat, and being here wasn’t helping in the least. “Well, if that is indeed the case, then no reason to get emotional about it. Cat’s probably happier where he’s at now anyway. Moving on…that’s thoughtful of you to give Shera’s children two models. They’ll have fun with them. I still think it’s cute that they call you ‘Uncle Cid’.” He chuckled a little as he pictured the face Cid always made when the youngsters called him that.

“Yeah, they’re real sweet kids. An’ he prob’ly ain’t gone, Vin, y’know how cats are. He’ll be back soon as you are. Guess I’m just too much for ‘im t’handle.” Cid sank into the sofa a bit more, sighing. “I’ll canvas th’neighborhood again t’morra, if y’want. I mean, hell, Vince, I ain’t gonna pretend I like ‘im, but I got used to ‘im, an’ I don’t want you t’hafta be without ‘im.” Cid winced. He was making it worse. “Well, anyway, I just was callin’ t’apologize fer th’other day. I know y’were busy an’ I was bein’…well, unpleasant. So…yeah, m’sorry fer that.” Some part of Cid was still having a hard time processing Vincent’s absence. Usually when they were apart, Cid was the one away and Vincent would be waiting at home for him…or enjoying his breathing space, as it may be. This was harder somehow, as Cid could do nothing to lessen the time they had to spend apart. But if Vincent came home a day early, that meant he would only be away five more days, and then…well, Cid didn’t know what would follow his return, but it would probably somehow involve Hodge. He sighed again. “M’glad y’ll be home early.”

Vincent smiled, “Yes, it will be good to be home where at least the inane idiocy will be predictable and comforting. Oh dammit! They’re back. Look Cid, search for the cat, don’t search for the cat, do what suits you. I’ll see you when I get home. ‘Bye.” He hung up and swung his feet down off of table, resting his forehead on the mass of papers. Suddenly, he just felt…exhausted.

Cid looked confusedly at the phone as if it would explain why Vincent had been so abrupt in hanging up this time. “They’re back?” he asked the empty room, wondering just what it was Vincent had ended up doing that made him so upset. “Oh well,” he said, shaking his head. Suddenly he remembered dinner in the oven and rushed off to check it, relieved to find that it was almost done and not burned. He ate in silence, and then turned in for the night, smiling in anticipation of the smiles he would see on Reeve’s children’s faces when he presented them with their gifts.

After many failed attempts, Hodge had finally gotten free. The children’s “dada” had said “yes” to keeping the cat…and had locked him inside. This, quite obviously, had not appealed to Hodge. Now he was booking for home, coat matted and full of cockleburs, stained from where he had had spaghetti sauce slopped on him and a bald spot on his back where the little girl had tried to stop him from running away by grabbing onto his fur. Loud and Stinky was unpleasant, but not nearly as unpleasant as children were. He was almost home when he got sidetracked by a smell…a very desirous smell that triggered every hunting instinct inside his tiny cat-brain. Home could wait…this was much more interesting…

The next day passed quickly for Cid. He had set aside the model engine and even the model plane after deciding that it was a little too big to be a toy, seeing as it was bigger than either of the children. He started from scratch, but he estimated that he would have the first one finished within two days. He would spray one red and the other purple, as those were the kids’ current favorite colors. He was their “cool uncle”; he always had new toys for them, he took them for rides on the airship whenever they felt like going, and he drew them pictures. They could sit for hours just watching him sketch, and sometimes they would draw with him. Clara showed potential, at least as much as a five-year-old could. Cid planned to buy her some soft pastels soon, just because the mess factor would drive Shera insane within days. Instead of the traditional papering of the refrigerator and walls with the children’s drawings, Reeve and Shera’s kids begged to keep “Uncle Cid’s” and hung up those instead. Actually, Cid reflected, it had been a while since they’d visited. He and Vincent had taken to going out to see them, as Reeve was busy and often couldn’t get away long enough to make an overnight trip. Cid grinned at his reflection in the shiny metal of the paint cans as he searched for the right colors. He wouldn’t need them just yet, but he didn’t want to have to dig for them when he did. He finished for the day, one almost completed, only needing to be configured for remote control and sealed in a few places before taking paint. Chuckling, Cid wondered idly if he should make one for Vincent, too. The look on his face would be entertaining. As he had every day, Cid searched within a small scope for the runaway Hodge, but saw no trace of him. “Oh well,” said, and finished up his daily routine.

Success! Hodge trotted toward home with his prey dead and mangled in his jaws. He had eaten all he had wanted and the rest was for Quiet and Gentle, or if he wasn’t there then Loud and Stinky shall do. Either way, he was providing. His merry hunt had taken him the rest of the day and he had actually caught and killed the small furry, winged creature when it had come out at night. Now the sun was once again high in the sky when he came trotting through the propped-open front door, tail held high. It had been a glorious fight! In the midst of the battle he had been sprayed by some smelly musk, but that wasn’t enough to deter him. There was no sign of Loud and Stinky so Hodge went into the bedroom and deposited what was left of the corpse on Loud and Stinky’s pillow, then went in search of his pseudo-human. Finding the two-legged in the potty-room and seated on the round, white seat reading a magazine, Hodge’s nose wrinkled when he got a whiff of Loud and now Stinkier. Giving a huff, the cat sat down and stared at the human, waiting.

Cid froze in the middle of turning the page. He could feel eyes on him, and that was enough to make his body want to seize up no matter what it was doing. In this case, it did just that as he looked up with a vulnerable stare, expecting to see someone standing there. There was no one, but he could still feel eyes…he lowered his magazine and saw a mess of fur, weeds, and what was either blood or something equally unpleasant. “Uh…” Cid stared for a moment before realizing that this creature was Hodge, returned from…wherever he had been. Probably not the dead, he reasoned, though that sounded nice and dramatic at the end of the sentence. Oddly enough, he still felt exposed even though his watcher was only a cat, so he gave up on his business for the time being, wiped himself, flushed, and washed his hands even though he knew he would have to do it again after touching the thing that was Vincent’s cat. “Well, hey there, Hodge-cat. I knew y’d be back. Had a nice adventure, huh?” he asked, and the cat turned where it was sitting and trotted haughtily to the bedroom. When he saw the bloody, mutilated mess on his pillow, he was horrified for a moment before remembering that this was Hodge’s idea of a gift. He forced a smile and asked lightly, “Oh, whatcha got there?” as he walked over to inspect it. The pillowcase would need changing, and soon. In fact, Cid decided to buy a new pillow entirely. He needed one anyway. Seizing a tissue from the box next to the bed, he used it as a makeshift glove and lifted the thing, which appeared to be some kind of bat, by one wing. With the other hand, he reached out to pet Hodge, doing his very best to appear pleased. Since the cat was going to make an effort to accept him, he would do the same. “So, uh, thanks, I guess.” Hope ‘e don’t expect me t’eat it… “Listen, I’m gonna put this on th’side for now,” he said, setting it gently back onto the ruined pillow, “an’ we’re gonna go give you a bath. How’s that sound?” He scratched under Hodge’s chin. The cat was purring very quietly, as if he did not want Cid to hear it. “Well, c’mon then.” Tentatively, Cid attempted to scoop the walking mess into his arms without brushing against the dead mess.

Well, this was unexpected. Loud and Stinky actually appreciated his gift! Hodge allowed himself to “reward” the human with a purr and let him pick him up. Convinced he was finally being given the worshipful attention that he was due, the poor cat was not expecting what came next. Loud and Stinky shut them both into the bathroom where he began to turn on the silver thing that made water. With growing horror, Hodge watched the white basin fill with water and when it became apparent that he was going into that pool of water, he began to struggle, then flat-out fight to gain his freedom.

“Oh, uh-uh. You want Vin t’come home an’ see ya like this? He won’t speak to me again fer weeks, an’ he’ll just bathe ya himself. An’ then y’ll be mad at ‘im, an’ that’ll upset ‘im. So you just be still, y’damned thing!” Cid grappled with the cat until he found purchase where he needed it. Holding it by the scruff of the neck, he lowered the cat into the lukewarm water and began trying to smooth out its fur while the thing howled pitifully. “You’ll thank me when it’s done. A’ right, y’won’t an’ we both know it, but I’ll pretend. Hell, an’ I was just gettin’ t’like ya…or try, anyway…dammit, cat, be still!” His grip had shifted, and he now had a handful of slippery smelly cat thanks to the baby shampoo he had rubbed into Hodge’s fur. “Just let me do this…I’ll brush ya later, y’ll like that…if y’ll let me touch ya, anyway. Guess y’won’t. Just remember I’m the one what feeds ya, yeah?” Well, fer the next couple days, anyway. Shit, Vince, th’things I do for ya…d’rather go fight some big ugly fucker than deal with this stupid animal. You owe me, Valentine, y’really do…

Finally he was free, and as soon as his feet hit the floor Hodge dashed under the bed where he began to furiously lick himself. The nerve! Loud and Stinky dared to put him in water! Hodge remained under the bed for the rest of that day and well into the night. When he finally crept out, he was still pissed off and went in search of something to do. He wasn’t hungry, but he did have to use the litterbox, but the cat door to the screened-in back porch had a large sack or something propped in front of it. At a loss, Hodge began looking around for another place to go, and finally settled on a location that certainly smelled like poop should go there: Loud and Stinky’s clompy paw-coverings (Cid’s boots for those of you wondering). Deed done, he began looking for something else to do and discovered a pack of the human’s stink-sticks (a.k.a. cigarettes) and realized that these things were quite fun to rip apart and even better to squirrel away in the hidey-hole he had discovered. Soon, what he had failed to shred, he ferreted away along with various other articles, which consisted of scraps of aluminum foil, cue tips, an eraser, and one of Loud and Stinky’s paintbrushes. The great fun finished, Hodge finally ended up back in Quiet and Gentle’s chair and was soon sound asleep.

Cid had not spared the litterbox a thought when he had left after bathing the cat. He had work to do (sort of), and he wasn’t going to let the cat spoil it. His machines always made him feel better. They did as they were told, and if they didn’t, he could just take them apart and rewire them so they would. So much simpler than things with brains, he mused, and such better company for the mind with a headache. Vincent would be home in two or three days, and Cid was thrilled for Hodge’s return only because it would be a nice surprise for Vincent. When he returned home that night, he went immediately for a cigarette and yelled wordlessly when he saw what had become of them. He headed into the bedroom to root through the drawer for his spare pack, but a smell caught his attention as he passed his spare pair of boots. The pillow and the dead bat resting on it had been disposed of, so it wasn’t that. No, this smelled like…Cid lifted each boot by the laces and checked the bottoms. He saw nothing there, but they smelled like shit just the same. Eyes narrowed, he took them outside and turned them upside down. Sure enough - flump. A glob hit the ground, and Cid groaned as he realized that not only had the cat used his boots as a box, but he also had the runs. Figures. He tossed the boots into the trashcan with the dead bat and ruined pillow; sorry to see them go. They had served him well, but they were simply not worth the effort. Today had exhausted him to a ridiculous extent, and he even forgot the cigarette he had planned to smoke in favor of falling into bed, hanging onto Vincent’s pillow for dear life.

Day dawned slowly and relaxingly for Hodge. He had spent that night curled up on his favorite chair and Loud and Stinky had left him alone. He wasn’t inclined to move much besides his usual morning crazies where he ran around and slid down doorframes. But his claws needed tending to, so he wandered around behind Loud and Stinky’s recliner, found a good spot and got to work.

Cid woke the next morning with neck pain. He had fallen asleep at an awkward angle, and nothing had been beneath his head to support it. Still, he figured the comfort of a pillow that smelled a little like Vincent and a little like cigarettes was worth it. He stretched, winced, and tried to fix his neck. He succeeded in eliciting a sharp, loud crack from it, but the muscles still whined in protest when he moved his head. He would finish the second plane today, and tomorrow was for painting. Breakfast was definitely necessary, his growling stomach told him, as he had skipped dinner the night before. Cid fried some bacon and eggs and carried them to his chair in the living room. He hadn’t spent much time in his chair lately, he reflected, because the living room was really only worth sitting in if something was on TV or Vincent was with him. This morning, though, a bit of relaxation before “work” sounded good. As he approached from behind the chair, his eyes widened at what they saw. His chair, his beautiful, reliable old brown recliner was torn to ribbons for a stretch about three inches wide and a foot and a half high-cat-accessible height. The chair probably still worked just fine; the fabric was only shredded. Sighing, he made up his mind to by a scratching post for the cat.

Something smelled good. Hodge poked his head up from where he was nosing around in some papers on the floor and looked at Loud and Stinky. The cat walked over, jumped up onto Quiet and Gentle’s ottoman and watched the human. Finally he reared up on his hind legs and raised a paw, squeaking hopefully. Maybe his pseudo-human would share…this always worked on Quiet and Gentle.

Cid glared resentfully for a moment, then grunted and tossed the begging animal a bit of his egg. Vincent was too soft with the thing. Cid would have talked to him about it, but if it made Vincent happy…well, Cid would just have as little to do with it as possible.

Well, that wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it sorta tasted like what he wanted, so he ate it anyway. Besides, he had no food left, so begging cats couldn't be choosy cats. As the day progressed, Hodge kept trying to get Loud and Stinky to play with him, but ended up only getting shooed, rather rudely away. He finally gave up and slept the rest of the day, rousing himself hwne a delightfully wonderful smell drifted to his hungry nose. Jumping down from his chair, the cat wandered into the kitchen and began rubbing against Loud and Stinky's legs, but only got ignored. So he ended up sitting at the mouth of the kitchen and watching the human prepare something that Hodge wanted very, very badly. Finally, when Loud and Stinky was done adn had his hands full with plates Hodge believed were for him, the cat naturally got excited. As the human began to walk toward him, Hodge started twining tightly around Loud and Stinky's legs.

Continued to its conclusion in Part II