Rude forced his battered, aching body through the corridors of the Highwind - no easy feat as the damn corridor wavered like a sea at storm, plummeting only to rise the next second and slammed him from side to side. Stormwinds howled outside the hull of the ship like Bahamut Sin trying to gourge its way inside.

The Turk was more than half convinced that he'd find Cid knocked out and unconcious on the floor when he finally reached the bridge because the way the ship was being spun by the storm there were no way anyone was still in control of it but instead he found the captain whistling by the steering wheel, making some adjustments and not at all acting as if his ship were seconds away from smashing into random mountain sides.

"How long?!" Rude roared to be heard over the storm, clutching the wall and leaving blood on the floor. Cid jumped at the unexpected sound.

"What?!" He shouted back, scratching his head.

"How long to we have to prepare before we plummet to our deaths, captain? I need to make my final report to Tseng!"

Cid scowled and twisted the ship's steering wheel to avoid another mountain peak, apparently not even paying attention to were he was going. Rude's belly made another attempt to sink through the floor.

"Don't be so fucking dramatic, it's just a little storm!" He patted the steering wheel. "This baby and me has flown down fucking vulcanos, some snow aint gonna bother her!"

Rude pondered the statement.

"You didn't happen to have an unprotected affair with a red headed woman in Midgar about twently years ago?" he finally asked.

"The Hell are ya talking about now?!"

"It's just that this attitude, your flying and swearing all seems familiar..." He dodged as Cid threw a packet of smokes at him.

"Get yer ass back to bed! All will be fine by tomorrow!"

And somehow Rude didn't doubt that it would.

The next day they had passed through the stom unharmed and Rude was able to get out of bed and shuffle into a shower, with some grumpy assistance and a lot of swearing from Cid. It felt heavenly to get rid of the dried blood and pain-sweat and he couldn't bear to put on the dirty suit after. Cid had some t shirts and cargo pants to lend out which felt decadently dressed-down for a Turk. Maybe he should concider this vacation. Two new doses of Cure helped to,although he was glad not to be in active service.

He sent in a short report to Tseng, Cid put him to peeling potatoes and then there were nothing really to do but sit by the enormous windshield at the Highwind and look out on glacieres and mountains glistning in the sun and drink tea. It was very relaxing.

They landed outside the Icicle Inn two days later when the sun shone so bright and sparkled of the snow that Rude sorely missed his shades. He made do with what Cid called 'Norther'n shades' - a piece of soft, half transclucent gauze wrapped over his eyes. The cold and beauty of the place took his breath away as he helped the captain unload the much awaited cargo to the villagers. After that, they were both wisked away to the Inn to tell all news and gossip they could think of while being plyed with endless cups of rum-spiked cocoa. Uncomfortable as always with being the center of attention, Rude left the talking to Cid and kept an eye on the villagers who seemed as starved of entertainment as zombies for flesh. But Cid ahndled it with familiar ease, told his tales, shook a few hands and - not unnoticed by the Turk - handed over an enormous wad of gils in exchange for a small cardboard box. Rude noticed but said nothing.

Not until they were back at the Highwind later that night and Cid whistlingly started preparing tea. He kept the box close, but not hidden and a delicate fragrance rose from it.

"Smuggling is a lucerative side business. Didn't think you heroes would get into it, though." He eyed the container.

Cid didn't answer, but opened the box. Rude's eyebrows rose.

"Tea?" He said suprised as Cid started preparing two cups.

"Ice Tea. Not that Mideel shit, but real Ice Tea. Only ever grows up here, and only fer a few months before winter. Bets gods damned tea in the world." He handed over a cup and Rude sipped.

The tase was delicous but that wasn't what made Rude gasp fpr breath. That small sip had gone straight to his brain, leaving him as warm as fuzzy as one of Reno's best bongs and at the same time as giddy and happy as Rufus's best whiskey.

Cid grinned, sipping his own cup.

"Oh yeah, it's also mildly narcotic."

"Mildly?!" Rude sipped again. The taste bloomed in his mouth and his whole body relaxed.

"Wuss. Ya like it?"

Rude nodded. Drunk or high or whatever he was, he sure did like it but he wasn't far enough gone not to be able to see a chance like this for ShinRa when it was staring him in the face.

"You could make a fortune on this. I mean, it would be illegal, but still." It was getting hot in the Highwind, a familiar, overwhelming kind of hot pooling in his groin. *Mildly narcotic, my ass.*

Cid shrugged. He was still grinning that teasing, shit-eating grin and his eyes were fixed on Rude.

"Why are you giving ShinRa this information?" Rude frowned, not really fighting the effect on his body but not letting it get to his head. *i guess the people up here needs something to do under all those Winter months*.

"Told ya. It only grows here, and it has ta be touched by frost ta get the right, um, punch. And jest after the frost comes the winterstorms, right? Aitn' no one can get up here again until spring after that, and by then the tea is jest tea. The effect in the leaves wears of quicky."

Rude was quiet for a while, while Cid still smirked at him. Even before all the tea, Rude had concidered him an attractive man but unlike Reno he didn't often mix buisness and pleasure. The effect was only on his body, not his mind. He could have walked out of there and rubbed one out in lonely peace - or several ones, probably - but….

"No one can get up here once the storm starts...except you."

"Damn right."

"So if ShinRa wants to marked this, you will be the sole deliverer. you can charge us just about anything." He could, and he probably would. It wouldn't matter; Rufus could still sell it for te times that price to the right people. This was a high-quality product for high quality wallets. Rude reached out, tracked a finger down Cid's chest. The pilot almost arched against the touch.

"Got it in one. And I ain't delivering it until ya have made it legal, got it? It's one thing ta keep it fer my personal use and another ta bring it ta the market." Cid's knee had come up between Rude's legs, gently massaging his groin.

Rude almost smiled.

"It is far to easy to forget that you are a rocket scientist, captain."

"An' that's the way I like it. So we got a deal? We can work out the details later." He leaned in for a kiss.

"Sure." Rude answered, but a thought hit him. "What about Vincent?" Teenage level hormons wasn't enough for him to want to get himself caught between a lover and that undead murdermachine.

Cid scowled.

"Ya Turks know more than is good fer ya, ya know." He grabbed Rude's waist. "Vince and I have an understanding. It ain't easy ta have any kind of relationship with somebody who disappeares into thin air fer weeks at the time."

"I guess he does that a lot."

"Possibly, but I was talking about my self here." Piercing blue eyes landed on soft blue. "How 'bout that red head of yours? Partners, eh?"

"We have an understanding," Rude said with a smile.

A week later the Highwind landed on the helicopter pad on top of ShinRa Tower - a feat that could probably only be performed by one person in all of Gaia. Rude jumped out, his Turk suit once more cleaned and pressed and looking as deadpan as ever. He did not however fool the red head waiting on him, leaning on a rail.

You looking pretty spry, yo," Reno said suspicously as his partner walked over to him.

Rude shrugged.

"I just spent two weeks stuck on an airship with nothing to do. It's only natural that I should be rested."

"Nothing to *do*, eh?" Reno waggled his eyebrows. "Looks to me like you had plenty to do, yo."

Rude gave him a levelled stare behind his shades, taking in the suit - rumpled as always, the grin - cheeky as always, and the stance - slouching as always.

"Don't tell me you are jealous, partner. Because I spot at least two long dark hairs on you and scratch marks on your neck that are sharper than Tseng or Tifa's nails could do."

"Well, I had to have something to do, yo. Get's boring here when you're not around. He treat you good, then?" Reno kept asking.

"He's got a foul mouth."

"Yeah, but you like that."

"He gave me some tea."

"That's really boring, yo."

Rude smirked, the small bag of leaves still burning in his pocket. There would be enough left tomorrow.

"Don't trash it 'till you tried it partner."

Reno gave him a curious glance and pulled deep on his cig as they strolled towards the stairway leading back into ShinRa tower. Rude stopped to wave as the airship took off, then they fled the harsh winds into the stairwell although not fast enough for keen Turk eyes to miss a dark and red shadow leaping up on the Highwind and dissappearing into the airship through a locker.

Rude smiled faintly and felt Reno's hand in his back pocket. All was back to normal.