Don't own the characters, not for profit.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Cloud jerked awake in bed. There was the noise again. He scowled, his head swimming with the remnants of sleep that tried to coax him back to bed. The tapping continued. He flung back the covers and swung his feet over to one side of the bed. Stomping over to the window, he threw back the curtains and was met face-to-face with a redheaded Turk. Taken slightly aback, his heart raced. What the hell was Reno doing at his window this late at night? Why didn't he use the door? He unlocked the windows and swung them open. Glancing down, he saw the Reno was sitting on the branch of the tree, a bottle of liquor in one hand. The other hand showed lithe fingers that twirled a strand of hair as he gave Cloud a drunken smirk.

"Yo."

Cloud scowled again. "What do you mean, 'Yo'? What are you doing out here this time of night?" he hissed. The cold wind blew in through the window and he shivered where he stood, his sleeping pants not offering much protection against the elements. He stared the redhead down, silently demanding an answer.

"You didn't answer your door when I knocked," Reno said. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and took a swig.

"That's bullshit. You didn't knock. If you would have knocked, I would have heard you, idiot," Cloud said.

Reno shifted on the tree branch and said, "Would you please just let me in?" His turquoise eyes met Cloud's blue eyes, and Cloud sighed and reached an arm out for Reno. Pulling him through the window, Cloud stepped aside and let the Turk drop to the floor. Reno landed on his feet rather gracefully. Almost like a cat, Cloud mused to himself.

"Alright, so I didn't knock on your door," Reno admitted. "I was trying to be all romantic and shit, yo."

"You call waking me up in the middle of the damned night by tapping on my window being romantic?" Cloud said.

Reno winced. "Like Romeo and Juliet, yeah?" he said softly, setting the bottle of liquor down on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and balanced his chin in his hand, looking up at Cloud through damp bangs.

"I'm no Juliet, and you sure as hell aren't a Romeo," Cloud said, scowling at him again. His eyes met Reno's again and it was then that he noticed something strange about the man's eyes. They were not as bright as usual. They appeared slightly dull and particularly sad. Softening his demeanor a little, Cloud cleared his throat and moved to sit beside Reno. "You okay?" he finally asked after a few moments of silence between the two of them. Reno shook his head.

"I've got something to tell you, Cloud. There's not much time, though," Reno replied, lowering his head. He moved his hand closer to Cloud's hand and gently touched it. Cloud winced at the cold touch, Reno's skin like ice. "You know I care deeply for you, right?" Reno said softly. Cloud nodded. It was true. The two had been casually seeing each other for some time now, though they hadn't even kissed, not even once. They both knew that they cared for each other, though, but had never acted on anything. The most they had ever done was holding hands and soft caresses here and there.

"Something happened tonight, and I don't think it can be undone," Reno said. Cloud bristled. "No, I didn't meet someone new," Reno said quickly, trying to quell Cloud's fears. "I can't tell you what happened right now, though. You just have to trust me."

"I... I trust you, Reno," Cloud replied, his heart pounding fast and fears running through his head.

Reno squeezed Cloud's hand and gave him a soft smile. He raised his free hand and gently brushed a golden lock of hair away from Cloud's face. He cupped the blond's face in his palm and leaned forward. Gently, their lips touched in a soft, lingering kiss. Cloud felt himself melting into the feeling and leaned further into Reno's touch. Reno pulled away from him suddenly and swallowed hard.

"You have no idea how difficult this is for me, Cloud."

"Tell me what's wrong, Reno. I'll try to help, no matter what it is," Cloud said, his hands beginning to clam up from nervousness.

"You can't help me."

"Of course I can!" Cloud protested. Reno shook his head sadly. "Reno, I... I love you. Please let me help you."

Reno's body visibly jerked where he sat, Cloud's proclamation of love hitting him like a ton of bricks. He turned his head as a tear rolled down his cheek, unable to hold his grief back any longer.

"I have to leave you, Cloud," he mumbled softly, his head still turned away.

"You can't do that!" Cloud shouted, standing up. "After what I just told you, you want to leave me?" He grabbed Reno's bottle of liquor and threw it against the wall. It shattered and sent shards of glass flying, the sound quite deafening in the still of the night. His shoulders began to quake. "Three years, Reno. Three years of being together and you want to leave? You... you just kissed me and you want to leave me? How could you do this to me?" Hot, salty tears broke free and began to drift down his face. Cloud felt like strangling the redhead. Instead, he turned his back and walked to the windows. "You have to leave right now," he said. "Get the hell out from the way you came in. I've wasted my time with you. I should have known never to trust you."

"Cloud, please," Reno said, his voice strained by emotion.

"Get out, Reno!"

Cloud stood by himself next to the windows, sobbing silently. He didn't notice Reno approaching him from behind until he felt cold arms wrapping around his shoulders. Cloud didn't struggle to get away, though. He let himself be held.

"It hurts to leave you, but you have to understand that I don't have a choice in the matter," Reno said softly. "I love you. I just wanted you to know that before I go."

"...I love you, too, Reno," Cloud whispered. The phone began to ring, the noise startling both of them. "I have to get that," Cloud said. It was after three in the morning. A late-night phone call meant that something was wrong. Reno was there with him, so he knew it wasn't a drunken dial from the Turk, who would slur in his ear until the sun rose. He shifted out of Reno's hug and began to move toward the door. Reno grabbed his arm.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

Reno pulled him in for another kiss, holding both sides of Cloud's face with his hands, then pulled away.

"Don't forget about me, yo."

Cloud's heart skipped a beat, suddenly realizing what was actually going on. "Wait right there," he said. "I'm going to answer the phone and I'll be right back." Cloud quickly left the bedroom and bounded down the stairs.

Reno heard Cloud pick up the phone and answer it. He looked sadly around the room, his eyes finally resting on a photo that was propped up against Cloud's bedside lamp. In the fading photograph, he and Cloud stared lovingly at each other. Though their lips had never touched before tonight, and they had never told each other the three words they should have already said three years ago, Reno knew that the love had always been there. His heart ached with regret, but knew that Cloud would be just fine in time.

Reno wasn't there when Cloud finally came back upstairs and into the bedroom, but the shattered liquor bottle was still there, the alcohol seeping slowly into the cracks of the hardwood floor. He sat on the bed and gazed out the windows, the cold breeze blowing the curtains. The rush of air swept quickly through the room and knocked over the faded photograph. Cloud shifted on the bed and picked it up. Holding it in his hand, he absently fingered the curling edges of the photo and wept silently.

The funeral would be held tomorrow, and Cloud would be alone again. It shouldn't have to be this way, he thought to himself. We still had so much to do. Together, we were going to conquer the world - remember, Reno? I was going to ask you to move in with me next month. What... What do I have to hold on for now? You should have taken me with you.

You should have waited for me.

Cloud placed the photo back on the table and sighed heavily. He laid his head down on the pillow and didn't even bother to close the windows. His pillow was soon soaked with tears. His heart ached so badly. He felt wretched.

You should have waited for me.

I would have gone with you.

When darkness finally took him over and sleep finally reigned him in, he rested soundly until the morning. Upon waking up, he noticed how warm it was in the room. He sat up and looked down at the thick quilt that had somehow been layered over him in the middle of the night while he slept. The windows were now closed, the curtains now stilled. He didn't question it, just like he had never questioned Reno as to why the Turk had never made the first move. He had never questioned Reno as to why they had never exchanged words of love. They had loved each other silently, words unspoken.

The silence had always been there.

He was used to it by now.

A/N: There has been a lot of confusion on this story, so I thought it best to openly explain it. Reno is a "ghost" who has come back to Cloud to break the news of his death. When the phone rang, it was someone informing Cloud that Reno had died. When Cloud came back upstairs, Reno's spirit was gone. He later came back to close the windows and cover Cloud up, making sure he was warm and taken care of as he always had in life. The "silence" signifies the silent words of love the two had exchanged, and now that Reno is gone, there will be more silence, but Cloud is okay with that because it had always been that way.

Thank you for reading.