Shave and a haircut

Title: Shave and a haircut
Author: Enide Dear
Pairing: Valenwind
Rating: Cute
Summary: Vincent has some peculiar, old fashioned ideas, and he won’t take no for an answer.
Author’s note:  This got longer than I expected. Hope you will all bear with me!
Dedicated to: Ani_mama as part of a trade. Thank you so much, dear!


”Ummm….Vince? What are ya doin’ with that knife?” Cid looked up from his teacup a bit worried as a very determined Vincent Valentine entered the kitchen. There was a long and very wicked-looking blade in his hand.

“It’s not a knife, chief, it’s a razor.” Vincent crossed his arms over his chest. The razor blade flashed wickedly in the early sunlight. “Ever heard of it?”

“What’s that supposed ta mean? I shave every day!” Cid scrambled out of his chair and started backing away as Vincent bore down on him, a determined look on his face.

“No, you don’t.  You hold that electric thing to your face for a few minutes. That’s not shaving.” Vincent managed to corner Cid, who now looked decisively scared.

“Hey, I paid good money for that shaver! It’s the state of the art!” Cid tried to doge, but Vincent was faster.

“You put far too much trust into machines, chief. Some things should be allowed to take time. And anyway, it isn’t working. Your stubble gets back before noon!” Vincent brandished the razor.

“I can’t help I’ve got lots of testosterone!” Cid yelped, raising his hands for protection.

“You are giving me chafes, and in quite embarrassing places to! Just for once, I’d like to snuggle without feeling like I’m making out with a grater.”

Cid lowered his hands a bit.

“There will be snuggling?”

“If you let me do this, yes.” Red eyes shone amused.

“We-ell…hey!” Cid yelped as his arms were suddenly pinned to his sides by red cloth.

“Good, it’s settled then.” Vincent smiled as he saw his lover struggle with the depths of the cape that had caught him. “Just sit down and try to relax.”

Cid watched with quite a lot of suspicion as Vincent started to clear the kitchen table from any remains of breakfast. The gunman had some truly old-fashioned ideas about some things and Cid feared this was one of them. But it wasn’t as if he could do anything about it; the cape kept him firmly stuck on his chair, wound tightly around his arms and chest, fluttering over flat belly and broad shoulders, sneaking over thighs and…. Cid scowled. The damn piece of cloth was grabbing a feel, damn it! Feeling a bit vicious, he tread down harshly on a piece of torn red cloth by his foot; the cape jumped around him, but sullenly returned to just keeping him still.

Cid grinned to himself. No one molested Cid Highwind without paying the price

Vincent put a bowl of hot water, some towels and soap. And the wicked looking razor, which once more made Cid swallow nervously and forget about the abusive cape.

“Is this really, really necessary Vince?” He couldn’t help but whine. “I mean, the stubble makes me look all manly and stuff!”

“It makes you look like a bum, chief. Now, sit still. No squirming.” Vincent took up a small round brush and whipped up the soap to lather. Very gently he started to spread a warm, soapy, thick layer over the pilot’s chin and cheeks, and down under onto his throat. Cid was surprised at the pleasant feeling, even though it required him to keep his lips firmly closed or get a mouthful of soap in there.

Vincent was humming as he neatly covered Cid’s lower face with gentle, almost massaging movements. Cid found himself closing his eyes, starting to drift away a bit. This wasn’t so bad….

“Alright, now you must really sit still, or I might end up cutting you.”

Cid’s eyes flew open. Vincent had put down the brush and help up the murderous looking weapon. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Vincent with his life, it was just that the thought of deliberately allowing sharpened steel to close to his neck made him feel uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

Frightened enough to almost wet himself, really.

Cid couldn’t even breathe as Vincent put the blade to his cheek, and with a quick, caressing movement cut away the lather and stubble, leaving behind smooth, un-cut skin.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” the gunman mumbled in his ear.

“Mhmp!” Cid tried to protest, but went still again as the razor returned. Again and again the vicious blade slid over his skin, each stroke going dangerously close to Cid’s nose or lips or Adam’s apple, but not the slightest nick was done in the vulnerable skin. Very slowly, Cid started to relax and breathe again. Vincent was standing over him, still humming under his breath, the red eyes focused, the meticulous little movements over Cid’s face…it was soothing. Not frightening. He trusted Vincent.

Still, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as Vincent dried of the last of the lather with a towel.

“Can I get up now?” He asked a bit grumpily, only to let Vincent know that there were no way he was enjoying being tied to a chair and force-shaved.

“Oh, no. We’ve only just started.” Vincent took up some steaming warm towels and put them around his face. Against his newly shaved skin, the soft terry felt almost coarse. “Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?”

“Umm…yeah, ya kind of owe me one…” And with this new comfortable warmth, he was going to fall asleep otherwise.

“Capey, let go of his hand so he can take the cup.” Vincent ordered, and the cloak obeyed.

Whiles Cid was sipping the tea, Vincent cut his hair, trimming it back over the ears, cutting it short and neat once more.

“You really should let me do this more often,” Vincent sighed. “You were starting to look like Cloud on a bad hair day.”

“When did that kid ever have anythin’ else?” Cid grinned, sipping his tea.

“Very funny. Now put down that cup and I’ll finish the shaving.”

“What, again?!” There ain’t a hair left on me!” A panicking thought made Cid jump. “Wait, ya ain’t thinkin’ of shavin’ me anywhere else are ya? ‘Cause I love ya and all, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting ya or anyone else down there with a fuckin’ razor!”

Vincent rolled his eyes.

“I’ve shaved you with the hairs, chief, now it’s time to shave you against them. That way the shave it will last longer. I’m not going into your pants! Well, not with a razor, anyway.”

“Good, ‘cause I ain’t into that Wutai wax thing! I happen ta like the rainforest!”

Vincent removed the towels, once more lathered up the soap and once more meticulously scraped the last small stubbles off Cid’s face. When he was done the cape finally let Cid go. The pilot’s hans when directly to his face.

“Wow…It’s so smooth!” Cid rubbed his hands over his chin and cheeks. “Real smooth! Feels like…like, ya, Vince.”

“I don’t get stubbles or beard, chief, but thank you.” Vincent removed Cid’s hands and replaced them with his own. “Now, I believe I owe you some snuggling, right?”

“Ya sure do! But Vince…”

“Yes?”

“This time, leave the cloak outside the room, a’right?”