Authors Notes: Final Fantasy is all Square Enix's, not mine. I've been writing fanfiction for years but havn't posted in a long time so please excuse the rustiness. The relationship between my character and Reno seems to move pretty quickly at first but its not going to be lame and annoying i swear! Just bear with me, it will be worth it. Please review and enjoy.
Chapter 1
So I was moving to Edge for some crazy reason that not even I fully understood. My cousin Tifa asked me if I could come help out with some "renovations". Renovations to what you're asking? The whole damn city! Some nasty fight with evil and all that jazz had destroyed yet again a large part of the city. That's why I had moved out of Midgar to begin with, all of the madness that was just a part of everyday life there. Tifa just seemed to draw craziness, well more like the group of people she affiliated with. Don't get me wrong I adored each and everyone of the weirdo's she hung around with. In fact I envied her for having such a fun bunch of friends and for all the excitement she seemed to have in her life, so maybe that's why I was moving back. I missed Tifa, we always lived near eachother, first in Nibelheim, then Midgar, and now Edge. The one thing I did not understand was why she was talking about rebuilding Shinra. Something about how they had changed and blah blah blah. Well I guess we'll see wont we, this ought to be interesting.
I had caught a bus into the city and couldn't believe it when I actually stepped out onto the streets. "Oh wow!" I spun around taking in the scenery. Things sure had changed; it looked great here, well except for the fact that huge skyscrapers and a monument in the middle of town seemed to be completely destroyed. I smiled to myself; I could actually do some good here. I looked at the tiny piece of paper I had scribbled the address of Tifa's bar on and began walking in what I hoped to be the right direction. It wasn't' long before I saw a huge sign that read 7th Heaven on a rather large looking building for a bar. When I entered the building I was again pleasantly surprised by the progress things around here seemed to be making. The place was actually very classy looking. The bar itself was huge and had quite a few black leather bar stools. There were tables scattered throughout the building and surprisingly a large dance floor with some nice looking music equipment in one of the far corners. "Hellooooo! Anyone home?" It sounded as though someone was running down stairs and I looked around searching for the source of the noise.
"Evelyn!" I looked to my right and sure enough there was Tifa running towards me. She wrapped her arms tightly around me. I hugged her back with my free arm.
"This place looks great!" She smiled at my complement and took one of my bags from me.
"C'mon, this way!" She motioned for me to follow her. We went through a door in the kitchen that led to a staircase.
"It's pretty big here." She laughed and led me down a hallway with a lot of doors. "This is our living quarters I guess you could say!" She opened a door near the end of the hallway and I followed her in.
"This is your room is it ok?" It was perfect and she knew it. The room was painted a deep gold and had a huge canopy style with a beautiful navy blue bed spread and gold carpeting.
"It's beautiful Tifa." She smiled and put my bag on the floor then clapped her hands together.
"I knew you'd love it!" She put her hands on my shoulders. "I'm so glad you're here Evie, I know you're going to be a huge help." I had been an architect and interior designer for a few years now and I didn't mind getting my hands dirty either, I had been practicing martial arts for as long as I could remember, something Tifa and I had in common.
"There seems to be a large amount of damage in town but it definitely can be fixed and I've already got ideas buzzing around inside my head." I again followed Tifa downstairs to the bar. "So what's this place used for anyway Tifa, it's huge." She took a seat at one of the tables and I sat beside her.
"Well it's the bar and restaurant and a dance club of sorts, then the second floor is where I live and now you and Cloud when he's not busy, it's a complete home on the second floor, oh plus it's kinda where we all meet to talk about plans for the city." She was as cheery as usual even with so much going on.
"Wow you've got a lot on your hands, I hope I can help." I looked at Tifa when I heard the bell announce that someone else had entered the bar.
I knew who it was before I even turned to look; I saw Tifa's face light up and knew it could only be one person, Cloud. Tifa jumped up and grabbed Cloud's bag from him, she was always so helpful. "Look who just got here." Tifa nudged Cloud and pointed at me.
"It's been awhile Evie, how have you been?" I was surprised when Cloud wrapped his arms around me but hugged him back happily. I raised my eyebrow at Tifa over Cloud's shoulder she just smirked. She must've been making progress when it came to Cloud too.
"You look great Cloud, you look happy." He smiled slightly and nodded his head.
"You look good too Evie, you let your hair grow out." I laughed with him. When I was younger I had this idea in my head that if I had short hair that people would take me more seriously. I had always been treated as if I were just a trophy or an airhead because boys had said I was pretty. Tifa and Cloud had always reminded me that even though my hair was short it didn't make me any less feminine or attractive. So I guess after I moved it had finally sunk in, and now my straight auburn hair reached the bottom of my shoulder blades. Tifa and I were about the same height and equally pale, but my hair was an auburn color and my eyes were bright green, you could tell we were related I guess but we weren't too similar.
"So what's this I've heard about rebuilding Shinra?" I remember how just hearing the name Shinra used to make both Cloud and Tifa cringe but now it didn't seem to faze them.
"Well not all that long ago we had a run in with some pretty nasty characters and well Rufus and the Turks were actually pretty cooperative and helpful and after all that business was done we sat down and started talking about what we thought would be the next good step for Edge. We came to the conclusion that Edge did need some structure, maybe some protection, some rules, you know what most places need." Cloud took a deep breathe and began again. "So we were thinking that maybe we could rebuild Shinra from the ground up, but not really Shinra, something new. Edge doesn't need SOLDIER it doesn't need an army or corruption or a stupid power company that hurts our world, but our people do need protection, we're going to create something like a police force, a government but nothing overpowering, just to keep some structure around here. Rufus may have made some mistakes in the past but we all have and he is business savvy and has charisma so I think he could possibly be a good leader." I was shocked to say the least. I couldn't believe that Cloud was saying this, I mean yea it did sound like it could be a good plan but I never would have thought that Cloud would be supporting it.
"Well things have definitely changed around here. I'm happy to help you with whatever plans you have." Cloud and Tifa both smiled and Cloud headed upstairs.
"Tonight I'm just running the bar so just relax and have some fun and meet some people." She was always so cheerful sounding.
"I can do that!" When we were younger I had always been wilder than Tifa, I liked to have fun, I could drink grown men under the table and I loved to dance and party. Tifa had always been more driven and knew at an early age that she wanted to get out and help the world. I had matured a lot and now knew that I too wanted to make a difference, but having some fun along the way couldn't hurt.
I decided to change into something a little more fun if I was just going to be mingling at the bar. I put on a short layered black tulle skirt that ended a few inches before my knees and a bright green tank top that brought out my eyes and to top it off some knee high black boots. When I walked downstairs and into the bar I was surprised to see how many people were already there. Tifa was behind the bar filling orders and mixing drinks. "Wow, this is a pretty popular place." I sat at an open barstool and asked Tifa for a beer.
"Yea we're always packed. Barrett and Yuffie are over there with Cloud, she motioned to a table that was close to the doors.
"I'll go say hi in a little bit. Do you need any help back there?" She shook her head.
"No you just have some fun ok? You just got here, relax a little." I smiled and stuck my tongue out at her. I was actually almost a year older than Tifa but she always acted more maturely than I did. I sat at the bar and ordered another beer when I finished the last and kept up small talk with Tifa when she wasn't busy bringing people drinks.
"Well hello Ms. Lockhart how goes it?" I looked to the person who just sat down in the barstool to my right when I heard my last name, I had no idea who he was but wouldn't mind getting to know him. He was gorgeous, his hair was fiery red and sticking in every direction a sexy kind of messy, a long ponytail graced his back, he had what I had come to know as Mako eyes, the odd blue green that employees of Shinra had "inherited". He was wearing black slacks and a black suit jacket with a white silk button up shirt underneath. It looked as though it was supposed to be a uniform but he had modified it a bit to fit his lifestyle, he was a little darker than I but was still pale and he looked fit, not too muscular just toned and had two red markings under his eyes that if I had to guess were tattoos. I was wondering how he knew who I was. I was at a loss for words and kind of just blankly stared at the beautiful man before me. He looked me in the eyes and smirked devilishly in a way that made heart speed up and butterflies stir in my stomach.
"Do I know you?" What the hell did he mean? He's the one who spoke to me. When I heard Tifa speak I snapped out of my staring match.
"I'm pretty good Reno, oh by the way this is my cousin Evelyn." He was speaking to Tifa not me; I had completely forgotten that I was around a relative who shared the same last name as me.
"Sorry about that, I just assumed you were speaking to me when you said Ms. Lockhart." He chuckled and motioned at Tifa to bring him a beer.
"It's alright, I'm Reno, pleasure to meet you other Ms. Lockhart." He held his hand out to me and I shook it, thrilled with the small amount of contact from this pretty stranger.
"The pleasures all mine." I winked and took a sip of my beer. Friendly flirtation couldn't hurt; any other woman in my position would do the same. He grinned and angled his chair towards me.
"I've never seen you here before, are you just visiting?" He took a long swig of his beer while he waited for my reply.
"I used to live near here a few years ago. I'm staying for awhile I think, maybe permanently, Tifa's put a room together for me upstairs. I'm helping to restore the city and rebuild Shinra." He smirked again and rested his chin on his hand.
"We'll be working pretty closely then, I'm a Turk."
I was surprised. This man had once been an enemy of AVALANCHE? His personality didn't strike me as violent or mean. He seemed laid back and alright, pretty cocky but not evil. I went to take another drink but was disappointed when I found it empty. Reno noticed the disappointed look on my face and laughed. "Let me order you another one." He motioned towards Tifa.
"Jeez Evie you're just downing em tonight." She went to grab me another beer but I shook my head.
"How about something a little stronger since my new friend here is offering to buy." She rolled her eyes and slapped my arm playfully and I turned back to Reno with a grin on my face, I was met with an equally smug smile.
"You're a real charmer aren't ya?" I giggled and took a drink of my new beverage, some kind of vodka concoction.
"I try. Is my smooth talk working?" He ran his hand through his hair and continued to have an amused look on his face.
"Well that depends on what you're working towards." I was overjoyed that this attractive man continued this little flirting game with me. My outlook on living here just seemed to be getting nicer by the minute.
"Am I keeping you from someone? I just keep chatting on and for all I know you could be here with some friends who are anxiously awaiting your return." I didn't want to be rude even if I would be a little sad to have this conversation end.
"Not at all, I see these same damn people everyday of my life. It's nice to see an unfamiliar pretty face so talk all you want, I'm all yours babe." He leaned in a little closer and kept his eyes locked with mine. All mine hmm? I could take that in so many different ways. I wanted to drag him back to my new bedroom and have my way with him but that would be in bad taste, it was only my first night here and I had just met him.
It was just one of those instant connections, something that couldn't be explained. I knew at that moment that meeting Reno was fate. I couldn't tell then if it was going to end badly or not but I was sure as hell up to finding out. "How about we stop talking for awhile and go dance." I bit my lip lightly and gave him what I hoped would be a look that would be hard to say no to. He put his drink down and stood up. He turned to me and held his hand out which I gladly took and began leading me to the dance floor. He was a head taller than me plus a little. There was quite a few people dancing but he led me into the crowd, when he found a space that could comfortably fit the two of us he took hold of my waist and pulled my back against him. He was good to say the least, he grinded against me and kept a good rhythm. I was never too keen on just grinding against a stranger but for some reason I was more than happy to be doing it with Reno. It was sensual in a way I couldn't describe and I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of him against me. He kept his hands firmly on my hips guiding me. I shuddered slightly when I felt his warm breath against my ear.
"You're really sexy all flushed and moving against me like that." I could've jumped him right there! The fact that he whispered it in a husky kind of way just made me want to rip his clothes off even more. I turned to face him and he pulled me a little closer, there wasn't an inch of space between us. I stood up on my toes and pressed my lips softly to his neck right below his jaw line.
"You're really sexy all flushed and whispering into my ear like that." Ok so I think I had crossed the friendly flirtation line but this was the first time I had ever acted like this. And I couldn't bring myself to think that this was wrong.
He pulled away from me slightly and stopped dancing. He kept one arm around my waist while he brought his other hand up to lightly brush against my cheek before tilting my chin up so I could look him in the eyes. I licked my lips slowly and he smiled and spoke softly. "Well Evie, welcome to Edge." Then he pressed his lips to mine and pulled me against him once again. He tasted like cinnamon and smoke mixed with a little beer, a surprisingly appealing taste. Logically I guess this situation was ridiculous, me kissing a man I'd known for about an hour but it felt so right. I was surprised at myself for being the one to deepen the kiss; I had fisted my hands in his hair and licked his lower lip waiting for him to grant me entrance. He kissed me back with just as much fervor, easily winning the fight for dominance, the cinnamon taste was stronger on his tongue and I couldn't get enough. He was definitely no rookie when it came to kissing. We eventually pulled away from each other when the need for air became too much. The look on his face was irresistible and I couldn't help but steal another quick kiss.
"I'm usually not like this I swear. I don't know what's gotten into me; I can't really say I'm sorry about it though." The excitement in my voice seemed to be matched by his.
"Don't be sorry babe, we're just getting started." I was about to ask him what was going to happen next when I felt a tug on my arm and was pulled out of the crowd. I had forgotten where we were and that there was even other people here.
"I think you've had a little too much to drink Evie." I was surprised to find Cloud was the one who had interrupted us. Reno pushed his way to us and stood beside me. "You're a real piece of work Reno, I knew you were a sleaze, but taking advantage of a girl you barely know? I keep thinking you can't sink much lower but you just keep outdoing yourself." I was outraged, why the hell was Cloud being so rude? I could take care of myself, why did he care anyway? I knew we were all close when we were younger but that didn't mean he had to act like an overprotective jackass.
"I haven't had too much to drink Cloud and if anything I made a move on him." He looked taken aback and shook his head.
"You don't want to get involved with him Evie. He's bad news." The seriousness in his voice made me curious as to what was so bad about Reno.
"I can take care of myself Cloud I'm not a kid anymore." He averted his eyes to the ground and walked away. I turned to Reno and half smiled and shrugged.
"He's probably right you know, you might not want to get involved with me." He ran his hand through his hair like he did earlier and for some reason I found it adorable and couldn't help but smile.
"Like I said I can take care of myself. If you don't want me to get involved then just say so." He brought his hand up to my cheek again and brushed it lightly in a way that made my eyes flutter closed.
"You can get as involved as you want to be babe. I might be just as Strife said though, bad news." The way he talked about himself was odd, like he didn't know what he might do. I came to Edge to turn over a new leaf, to bring some adventure into my life and the look in Reno's eyes told me he could bring a whole lot of excitement into my life if I allowed it.
"I think I'll take my chances, maybe you can get to know me and if I'm lucky you'll find something you like and you might want to buy me another drink and dance with me again. And just maybe you'll keep coming back for more." He grinned and brought his lips to mine for the last time that night.
"Maybe." He winked at me before pulling away and walking out the door. What a perfect start to a new chapter in my life. I couldn't wait to see what would happen tomorrow.