Missing Socks

This is for the 7 YEARS OF VALENWIND CONTEST being done for:



Pairing: Valenwind

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Missing Socks

"Damn it!"

"What's wrong?" Vincent peeked in on the pilot, the sincerity of his question not evident in his deep voice or on his pale face. Instead his eyes tended to show a lot of what he felt. So far the only one who seemed to see it was Cid. However, right now Cid wasn't looking at him, his eyes focused on the open dresser draw as his hands filtered through the assortment of undergarments in his possession.

"I can't find my damn blasted lucky socks!" Vincent lifted a brow at that. Was this what Cid was yelling over? Missing socks?

"Are they that important?" Because really…he could go out and buy Cid some new socks. Not to mention Cid seemed to have plenty to choose from in his drawer he was going through.

"Hell yeah they're important!" Cid yelled looking back at him with a gruff look on his face. "Didn't I just damn well say they were lucky?" Cursing, he grumbled as he bent down pulling the bottom draw out and looking into the dark opening in its wake. "Goddamn it, where could they be?" He seemed pretty persistent to find them. Well, it wasn't like Vincent had anything else to do. He could help him find the pair of underclothing.

"What defining features do they have?" Vincent asked moving over to the bed and bending down to search underneath. So far the only thing he found were some dust bunnies and a pair of underwear that he'd rather not know the length they resided there considering how caked up with dust they were. Must have been a home for the dust bunnies.

"Well…there's a hole in it." Vincent frowned sitting up quickly as looked over the bed at the blond who just so happened to look in his direction. Cid grimaced as he stared back at Vincent mimicking his exact facial expression unintentionally. "…What?"

"…Do you realize how many of your socks have holes in them?"

"But this one's different! It's in the big toe!"

"…You have a lot of them with holes in the big toe." Cid cursed under his breath rubbing at his chin as he seemed to think about another description since he was failing pretty hard at describing the socks.

"Well…they're black."

"You wear nothing but black socks."

"But this particular pair has this random thin thread of gray going over the tip." Well…that was different. Did he remember ever seeing these particular socks before? Cid sure hadn't ever mentioned them before. And it wasn't like Vincent took a habit of staring at people's feet. That'd just be weird.

"What makes these socks so lucky?"

"Well…" Cid started looking around the nightstand as he spoke. "Here in Rocket Town…socks come in a pack of six. It was after I had opened them that I realized that there was a seventh pair." He paused smiling a bit as if remembering something endearing. "Just so happens the day I wore those socks was the day I met up with you and the rest of the gang. Granted you were kind of a sour puss at the time and had a habit of ignoring me…and everyone else who wasn't Cloud."

"…Says the man that demanded everyone to sit down and drink their goddamn tea."

"Well, sorry. I was pissed off."

"…You seemed to be always pissed off at that time." He wondered if the journey they had taken with their group had somehow changed the way Cid thought about the world. But the way Cid glanced back at him and grinned at him let him know that just maybe he'd been a part of it as well. "I am glad that things have gotten better for you."

"Yeah, I can agree on that. Granted I kind of thought we were all goners after that whole Sephiroth spill. Those other goons you had to deal with aren't any better though." Vincent grunted in response. If he was referring to those guys from Deepground, then he could wholeheartedly agree on that. That had been one big headache he didn't want to have to live through again. "Anyway, those socks are damn important to me. Got me through Sephiroth's little meteor tiff anyway."

"What's the occasion for wearing them today?"

Cid grinned at him as if he'd been waiting for him to ask as he stood up heading over to the closet. "Well…I just finished fixing up the Tiny Bronco II. Thought we could you know…take it for a spin…maybe visit the others while we're at it."

"That does sound like a…interesting plan." He frowned slightly folding his arms over his chest. "…Yuffie as well?"

Cid looked at him before laughing and continuing his search for the missing socks. "Damn, quit looking like you just swallowed a cactuar. If she gets to be bothersome, I'll take care of it."

"She's the reason I don't have a phone anymore."

"You never did tell me about that." Cid paused in his search to light up a cig, taking a satisfying puff before returning his divided attention to the hunt and Vincent's conversation. "So what happened? She break the damn thing?"

"…No. I dropped it into the lake when she wouldn't stop calling me." Cid coughed choking on the smoke before he a guffaw escaped his lips, his teary eyes shining with amusement as he turned his head looking at Vincent.

"Dun know if that's a joke or not, but it's funny as all hell. Didja accidently drop it?"

"No…it was completely intentional." Cid laughed again as Vincent grunted. It wasn't like Yuffie was a bad person, just that she could sometimes get on his nerves and aggravate him. And honestly, considering how recently he'd lost his phone, he didn't want to have to hear her complaining about him not answering her calls. Hell, if she knew he'd been hanging out with Cid since then, she probably would have rung Cid's cellphone off the hook. Cid would just have to forgive him if he threw his phone halfway across town.

"Damn, I give up!" Cid threw his hands up in frustration before closing the closet door and heading back over to his drawer. "I can't find those damn things for the life of me. I can't imagine what the hell I mighta done with them last." Getting a good look at him, Vincent narrowed his eyes as he focused on the covered toes wiggling against the wooden floor.

"Cid…"

"Hm? What's up, Vince?"

"…Your feet. Have you looked at your feet today?"

Cid frowned shifting the cig to one side as he stared at him. "Dun know what you're implying but I see my feet every damn day. I admit they ain't pretty so you can stop staring at them now."

"No…," Vincent said, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. "Look at your feet." Cid stared back suspiciously before letting his eyes slide down to his feet where they widened in surprise.

"Well what do you know? Been wearing the damn things this whole time!" Cid laughed showing he had pretty good balance as he held his foot up showing it to Vincent. "See there? The grey threading? These are my damn lucky socks, they are! Yup! I even stitched the number seven into the bottom of them, see?"

"…You know, in some cities, showing the bottom of your feet is an insult."

"Shut up," Cid said laughing as he walked over to him. "I ain't ask for a damn geography lesson." He leaned up pulling the cig out of his mouth. "But finding my socks is a damn good cause for an award." He kissed Vincent lightly on the lips before stepping back and smirking at the amused looking being returned to him from the shine of red eyes. "Guess that's why they're called lucky socks."

END.