Chapter Text
Cid wasn't sure why the King had decided to send him to the ruins of Phoenix Gate other than to confirm that, yes, two fire eikons trying to destroy each other could really make a fucking mess. Trying to navigate his way up the castle around the giant fucking crater without being caught by Imperial troops was an experience Cid could have done without.
All he actually got out of the trip was a cat. Or maybe better said, a bedraggled, matted black kitten that hissed at him whenever he moved closer but followed him when he moved away. He had tried to persuade himself that he couldn't exactly take the kitten all the way back to Stonehyr but the kitten wasn't listening to reason as it relentlessly dogged his footsteps, scrabbling on the giant logs in their path. Okay, so, maybe Cid stopped to give a little hand over. That didn't mean he was adopting the thing, he just had a soft spot for hopeless causes.
When he fled Stonehyr four years later, he had Mid tucked under one arm and a half-grown cat perching on his shoulder... that still hissed at him if he tried to stroke it. The capricious thing seemed to do nothing but purr at Mid, no matter how clumsily the toddler tried to pet the kitty. The cat had also steadfastly refused to be named. Cid tried calling it Phoenix at first after where he found it. That led to the kitten disappearing for a week, Cid's heart clenching miserably the whole time. He also refused Blackie, Soot and Ash until eventually Cid just gave up and called him Cat. It wasn't like he came when called anyway.
Trying to build a Fallen ruin into a home was an interesting prospect with an over-curious cat with no sense of self-preservation. Cid could swear he spent more time trying to locate from the sound of desolate mews exactly where Cat had got itself stuck than he actually did setting up the structure. He couldn't argue that Cat wasn't a great help in recruiting new members though. They called Cid a madman, the dream of a place where Bearers could die free to be rubbish. But then one look in those big, blue cat eyes and the gentle rumble of a purr and they decided to give it a chance anyway.
He couldn't deny that there was something odd about Cat though. He knew a lot of people with pets would claim that they almost understood their owners but Cat seemed to take it one step further. Cid could never forget the absolute haranguing from Cat he got the first time he threw a lightning bolt, the static in the air translating to Cat's fur sticking out at every angle. There were the times that they sat in Cid's solar (which, let's face it, was more Cat's solar), the cat watching him so intently with those blue eyes, black tail curled around his body, as if assessing Cid.
There was also the fact that Cat had to be at least four years old now but still looked half-grown. That... wasn't normal, right? But then Cid could turn into a giant old man that shot lightning so there wasn't much in his life that was normal.
It had been a completely normal week by Cid’s standards. Cid had been out and about doing his bit to save the world from the machinations of an evil god and his crazed henchman. He woke up slowly, stretching out his arms to try and work out some of the kinks in his back and shoulders when his left arm brushed against smooth skin instead of air. Cid rolled out of bed on high alert and peeked over the mattress. There was undoubtedly someone in his bed. Someone who seemed to be entirely comprised of lean muscle from what Cid could see from a view of the back. Lean muscle and a shaggy crop of black hair.
Cid blinked a couple of times but the vision didn't disappear. Was this some assassin sent to kill him? But then, why was he asleep on Cid's bed? Cid cleared his throat softly, thinking through his options.
The man suddenly bolted awake, his whole upper body turning as he traced the source of the noise. There was time for one fearful gasp and then the man disappeared under the bed. Cid dropped down to his belly to peer under but there was nothing there.
He told the Hideaway and they were immediately supportive of him trying to find the mystery man… Yeah, the fuck were they. Cid endured weeks of people peering at his cigars and asking if he knew what was in them. Or asking if he wasn’t overdoing it on the wine. Cid didn’t report the next few times he found a naked man in his bed. Just learnt to be as still as possible not to startle him. Inevitably some movement gave him away and the man disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
It came to a head at Oriflamme. Cid had strode in, overconfident about taking down his first Mothercrystal, only to have the snot kicked out of him by an over-powered teenager. He’d just about crawled into the newly created hole in the wall, one hand curled protectively around Cat before he passed out.
He woke up a few times. To the feel of a rough tongue against his cheek. To paws and claws kneedling at his chest. To tiny teeth biting into his collar and the scuffle of tiny paws failing to find purchase on the ground.
Then to strong arms around him. Cid blinked and peered around into the becoming familiar face of his mystery visitor. There was only one conclusion: “Cat?”
Cat pulled back his very human upper lip and hissed at him.
Cid’s brain abruptly decided “Fuck this” and he passed out again.
When he awoke again, safely outside the walls of Oriflamme, he was utterly alone, neither Cat nor human to be seen.
***
It was two years before he saw Cat again. He’d searched as best he could with the guards of Oriflamme on high alert before he had to call it quits and drag himself back to the Hideaway. He couldn’t explain to anyone what happened to Cat, only received consolation pats and not a few glares from people that thought he never should have taken Cat into danger. Not least from Mid who refused to speak to him for a whole day. Cid had never considered not taking Cat with him, it was just second nature that Cat went wherever he went. At least, it had been.
He carried on, did what needed to be done. Ignoring the ghost of weight on his shoulder. Ignoring the fact he woke up each morning listening out for the sound of a purr. Ignoring not having to extract dead mice and rats from his shoes.
He especially ignored the feel of strong arms around him. The sight of a lean, muscled body and deep blue eyes set in a frankly beautiful face.
The Cursebreakers had just returned, escorting in a new gaggle of Bearers. Cid could have sworn he saw a flash of black fur around their feet but that wasn’t new. He’d ‘seen’ Cat many times over the past years, none of them being any more than a trick of his eyes. They were starting to settle in though. Some of them heading up to Tarja for care and the children just starting to be taught the concept of ‘play’ by some of the existing residents.
Cid plodded up the stairs to his Solar and threw open the door, just to spot Cat right there on his desk, one paw raised in the process of knocking his wine glass off the table. He let out an instinctive hss and regretted it immediately when Cat bristled, skittering away under the bed.
Cid closed the door behind him, a futile gesture given that there were many gaps and cracks for Cat to slip through. He knelt by the side of the bed, lowering onto his belly and peering under. For moments, there was nothing to be seen, Cat’s black fur blending in with the void. Then two blue eyes emerged from the darkness.
Cid stretched out a hand, palm up. “Hey, Cat.” Cat sniffed at his fingers then turned away in disgust when they turned out not to contain any food. Cid had no idea how to treat this Cat that was also a man but he knew he didn’t want anything to make him run. So if that meant treating him just like a cat, he could do that.
Cat’s return to the Hideaway was heralded as miraculous. He got no end of pets and treats from the old Hideaway residents and was introduced to all the newer ones. He still slept in Cid’s solar most of the time but Cid felt an extra distance between them, not that Cat had been that affectionate before. And if Cid sometimes woke up with a naked man in his bed instead, he just turned away and tried not to peek.
He had respected Cat’s right to distance before but now that he knew that there was a person within, he redoubled his efforts to coax Cat out of his shell. It started with just gentle touches. Cat liked to sit on his desk when Cid was busy with missives, waiting for the moment that Cid started to look tired and then batting his pen off the desk into the wilderness. Cid started resting his free hand against Cat’s warm body, not even stroking, just getting him used to his presence.
When Cat stopped twitching at the initial touch, Cid increased that to a twitch of fingers against his side, not quite stroking. He increased it slightly week by week, from just brushes around his side to long strokes along his back and rubs over his head. The first time that Cat sought out a stroke, Cid almost yelled from joy. He settled to just holding his hand out, curling his fingers as Cat rubbed his head up against it.
It was perfect… for about six months. Then of course Cid had to fuck things up by pushing too hard. They had been out for another mission, him and Cat, freeing Bearers. They had curled up for an overnight stay, Cat on his chest purring contently as Cid stroked along his fur.
The words just slipped out. Cid was too comfortable, too happy. “You know, you can be a human again if you want to. It’s safe here.”
The reaction was immediate. Cat bristled, his claws digging down into Cid’s chest and he hunkered down about to spring away. Cid wrapped his arms around him, trapping him even as Cat wriggled against the grip.
Tired man versus angry cat was never going to end well for the man. Cat escaped leaving behind long scratches against Cid’s chest and arms. Cid thanked the eikons when Cat didn’t disappear into the darkness, just stood there a couple of meters away, tail lashing through the air.
Cid heaved a sigh, “I’m sorry, Cat. I just… I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing for you, treating you like this.” He held out a hand, beckoning. “I’m willing to keep pretending. I just want you to know the option is open.”
Cat slunk slowly forward, sniffing at the hand held out to him. Then he bit, tiny teeth sinking into the flesh. Cid yanked his hand back with a yelp, cradling it and watching blood well in the two tiny dents. Cat looked smug then pads away, curling up on top of Cid’s discarded backpack. Cid could at least deal with that, especially when Cat was still there in the morning.
***
When one of the Cursebreaker groups brought back a dog, Cid freaked out at them. He never likes to raise his voice, can do a lot more with a look of disappointment. But his head ran wild with visions of Cat mauled in the dog’s jaws, of Cat chased and harried from every comfy spot, of Cat leaving.
The Cursebreakers scuffed their feet guilty, even as the mostly-wolf dog lolled at their feet. Lambent yellow eyes watched Cid and he could feel his heart softening but he just can’t take the risk.
He heard a skitter of paws and he tried to snatch Cat up but the idiot evaded his grip, heading right for the fluffy predator.
The Wolf jumped up to his paws, pressing his nose into Cat’s fluffy side and taking a long whuff of air and then his tail started wagging like he’s trying to launch himself up into the air. He licked a long stripe down Cat’s flank, the hair sticking up in the tongue’s wake. To his surprise, Cat didn’t respond with a hiss but rather butted his head against the wolf’s chin.
It turned out Cid should have feared the arrival of Wolf for an entirely different reason. The two together were a menace. Wolf had the raw strength to break into just about anywhere, Cat provided the dexterity to break into just about anything. Together they treated the Hideaway as their own playground. Kenneth’s pantry was raided, floury cat prints tracing a reconstruction of their chaos. No room was safe and anyone trying to clean up often comes across a stash of treasures hidden under a bed or in a corner.
Cid really shouldn’t have found it adorable. There was something about having Wolf around that is turning Cat back into a kitten. It meant he was spending less time with Cid but Cid can’t help but grin as he sees Wolf deep into zoomies around the Hideaway with a black cat bouncing around on his back. Cat inevitably returned to his room at night, curling up at his side while Wolf curled up at his feet.
The first time he went out on a mission, Wolf at his side and Cat on his shoulder, something just felt incredibly right.
A year later when Cid woke up to the naked man at his side, the man didn’t flinch away when he noticed Cid looking. It was an awkward conversation, Cat’s mouth was unaccustomed to human speech. Eventually Cid managed to work out that his name was Clive after some trial and error. They talked for the whole of that day and into the night, Clive gradually being able to speak more fluently. He reintroduced Clive to cutlery and felt his heart melt in watching Clive and Torgal play. The next morning, there was just a cat in his bed but that was fine.
Six months of gradually reintroducing Clive to the human world later, he leant forward to kiss Clive and Clive kissed back. It was even more awkward than that initial conversation, Clive’s cat instincts warring with the human one. Cid’s lips were bitten and sore afterwards but he was happy. Even as Clive butted his human head up against Cid’s chin with a force that nearly bruised.
Six months after that, they locked a reluctant Torgal out of the room and Cid fucked gently into Clive, feeling the prickle of fingernails digging into his shoulders like tiny claws. The sounds that Clive made, a mix of cat purrs and desperate mews with the more human moans and gasps, would be imprinted into Cid’s mind for a long time after. Clive curled up as a cat on his chest afterwards and Cid felt his own contented purr resonate within another body.