It's pretty obvious I wasn't very comfortable with this one. I don't write VII universe often, nor this pairing. Wrote this for a fic exchange on YGallery. Thanks to Sassy and Becca for throwing a plot together for me.

Obviously, SquareEnix owns, I just borrow.

Inducing Emotions, Driving Events

Reno watched as Cloud Strife leaned against the far wall near the back door of Seventh Heaven and drank his seventh glass of Hawaiian Punch since Reno had begun watching. It was obvious the blond man did not want to be at this holiday party by the way he avoided the others and how he was downing the fruit drink. Zack had told Reno years ago that when Cloud was unhappy about something, he hit the Hawaiian Punch like most would hit the alcohol.

The only reason Reno was here was because Rude was. Tifa had invited them and there was no way that Rude was going to turn down any kind of offer to be near the woman. Reno was going to pass but Rude had insisted that they were both invited and therefore both had to attend. Reno figured Rude was just being a baby and didn't want to go to his longtime crush's party alone so instead of arguing, he came with.

An hour into the party, Reno had decided he was bored and it was up to him to provide some kind of entertainment for himself. He had been observing Cloud since the man had appeared, actually he spent a lot of time watching him when they were in the same vicinity, and suddenly got an idea. It was rather well known that Cloud was not much of an alcohol drinker and because of that it was highly likely that it would not take much to get him drunk.

Over the past several months, the swordsman had become rather detached and withdrawn. It was rather painful to see this change in him and Reno found he wanted to snap Cloud out of it. One of the things Reno had liked about the younger man was his sense of humor and missed seeing the fun side of him.

So Reno decided to get Cloud drunk.

He had snuck in the back when no one was looking and located the bar's vodka supply. Taking a bottle, he proceeded to spike all four 2-liter bottles of Hawaiian Punch with it. He knew from past experiences that the alcohol was virtually tasteless in the fruity drink and if a person was unaware it had been added, they would likely remain unaware until it was far too late.

Three of those bottles were now gone, consumed by the spiky-haired swordsman yet he appeared to be completely sober. Reno knew that he had been the only one drinking the stuff. He knew mako made it harder to get drunk but there had easily been enough alcohol to get the man at least tipsy.

Deciding it was time to get a real status check, Reno crossed the bar floor and leaned against the wall beside Cloud. "Hey, Strife."

Blue eyes flicked over but Cloud did not speak.

"Pretty boring party, huh? Shinra threw livelier ones than this, yo."

"So I heard," muttered Cloud, bringing his nearly empty glass to his mouth. Reno noticed that his hand weaved a touch and he seemed to have to concentrate on actually drinking. The alcohol was at least having some effect on him.

Chuckling, Reno shook his head. "I bet you did. Anytime Sephiroth had to attend one, he'd make Zack go with him."

Cloud made a choked noise but the Turk assumed he simply swallowed wrong.

"I was always surprised he never found a way to get you in. Guess he didn't want to risk exposing the two of you to the higher ups; Shinra Senior was a closed minded bigot. I know he took that Ancient chick to a few of the smaller ones."

Cloud abruptly turned and headed toward the stairs. Reno blinked and stared after him as he disappeared. Well that had been rude but then again Strife wasn't exactly known for his manners. The man probably had to piss after all that punch.

When he didn't return after twenty minutes, Reno started to worry. Maybe the reason Cloud didn't drink was because alcohol adversely affected him. There were people out there that could die from alcohol consumption. Reno hadn't considered that option. He hadn't wanted to kill or hurt the guy…

"Reno," Tifa's voice drifted toward him before he saw her push her way through the crowded room. She had a full glass of Hawaiian Punch with her and a frown on her face. "Did you see where Cloud went?"

"Headed upstairs awhile ago."

"Damn it." Her eyes flicked toward the stairs. "He promised me…"

Realizing this was the perfect opportunity to check on the blond, Reno pulled away from the wall. "Gimme that and I'll drag 'im back down for you."

Tifa narrowed her eyes slightly but handed over the glass. "Remind him that he also promised me that he'd help clean up."

"It doesn't look like things are dying anytime soon."

"Well, regardless, he said he wouldn't hide upstairs all night."

"I'll take care of it, yo." Reno grinned and winked then headed for the staircase. He had only been in the living quarters of Seventh Heaven a few times but he knew where Cloud's office was. He had always wondered if the same room was where he slept since there was a small bed in it or if he had an actual bedroom.

He turned off the stairs and down the short hall going to Cloud's office space. The door was mostly closed but there was enough space for him to poke his head in. Sure enough, Cloud was there.

He stood before the window, gazing out with his back to the door. Reno studied him for a long moment before pushing into the room. "Tifa finally noticed you left, yo. I think she's pissed."

"She'll get over it."

Cloud's voice was a whisper and there was a choked quality to it. It sounded to Reno like he was extremely upset about something. Stepping beside him, Reno glanced over and was stunned. Cloud was crying. "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Cloud moved away. "Nothing. Tell Tifa I'll be back down later."

Reno set his jaw. He didn't know why but Cloud's dismissal of him made him angry. "Well, pardon me for tryin' to help."

"You can't help." The blond murmured. There was a faint slur to his words. "No one can help."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Suddenly, Cloud whirled around. His steps were a touch unsteady as he stalked toward the redhead. His eyes were blood-shot and watery but there was no way to tell if it was from the alcohol or if he was about to cry. "I don't know why I stay here. I'll probably just get Tifa killed, too."

Reno's face twisted in confusion. "What?"

"Everyone around me dies!" Cloud threw out an arm. He actually did start crying and Reno was frozen in place. "I'm always being pulled into stupid battles that have nothing to do with me! Crazy people stalk me and fuck with my head!"

Of all of the scenarios that had played through Reno's mind involving a drunk Cloud Strife, for some reason this had not been one of them. He supposed he should have. The blond did carry a lot of weight and had a rather messed up history.

"So why would anyone in their right mind want to be around me?" Cloud continued with his slurred rant, coming to a stop before Reno. "Everyone that cares about me ends up dead and it's always my fault. Even my friends have suffered because of me."

Reno had to figure out a way to get Cloud out of this. Now he understood the real reason that Cloud rarely drank and he felt horrible for putting him in this state. He liked Cloud and didn't want to see him this way.

"Spike, none of that is your fault. No one has died because of you; they made their choices." The Turk rubbed the back of his neck. Comforting people was not his thing at all. "You got fucked over something bad, that isn't your fault."

"You don't get it!" Cloud was standing before him. "It is my fault. I'm weak, I always have been. I should have just accepted that and stayed in Nibleheim."

In a twisted sort of way, he understood what Cloud was emoing about. The man had a lot of built up guilt and he wasn't letting it out on his own. Reno understood guilt; people thought Turks were rather uncaring and indifferent to the people they hurt as collateral damage in their mission but they were completely wrong. It was one of the reasons they tended to drink a fair amount.

Listening to Cloud was bringing up memories that Reno did not want to deal with right now. He knew how to handle his guilt and did so in small batches but watching Cloud like this was making all of that rise up in one big swell and that he could not face.

"And Sephiroth still would have come and gone crazy and you would have died like everyone else there." Reno had read the reports about the whole initial Sephiroth issue. Rufus had made sure that all of the Turks understood exactly what they were dealing with during the Meteor situation last year. "Then General Psycho would have killed Zack and taken over the Planet. We all would have died."

Watery blue eyes stared up at him and it appeared that Cloud was processing Reno's words. Reno fell silent and let him figure out whatever it was the other man was going to conclude. For some reason that Reno did not want to analyze, this conversation was really bothering him.

Cloud turned away and took a few steps. "You think so…?"

"Hey, it doesn't matter what I think." The Turk moved closer to Cloud. "To those people downstairs, all those people who care about you, you're the hero of their world."

There was a long silence. When Cloud finally spoke, his voice was quiet. "What do you think?"

"I said it doesn't-"

"It does." Cloud faced him. He still had that hazy, drunken look to his blue eyes but there was seriousness to them. "You're the only one who'll give me an unbiased opinion."

The two looked at each other for a length of time. Reno did not like discussing his feelings and to answer Cloud's question, that was exactly what he would have to do. His feelings about, actually his feelings for, Cloud had become rather complex of late.

Impulsively, Reno stepped closer. Cloud met him halfway and suddenly their mouths were pressed together and their hands were tightly gripping one another's clothes. Reno had no idea why this was happening but didn't care. Cloud's lips moved along his as the blond possessively tugged him by his sleeves back toward the small bed.

Very abruptly, Cloud changed their direction and broke the kiss. He shoved Reno against the wall, momentarily stunning him. The blond kept his grip on Reno's arms and held him there. Tattooed blue eyes stared at the other man just as Cloud's mako-enhanced blues gazed back with equal intensity and confusion. Neither one of them understood what was going on.

But it was clear to both that they didn't want to stop.

Cloud pressed in again and Reno moved his head to initiate another graphic kiss. Cloud's hands tightened on him as he came close and Reno brought a leg forward to nestle it between the swordsman's legs. When Cloud rolled his hips against it and groaned, Reno knew this was not going to be just a make-out session.

He tangled his hands up in blond spikes of hair as the owner of that hair began biting rather harshly at his neck and reached up to unbutton his shirt. The last thing Reno had expected to happen tonight was getting fucked by Cloud Strife, he certainly was not going to complain. Judging by what he'd seen so far, Cloud wasn't going to pussy-foot around either. This was going to be rough, carnal sex and they weren't going to stop until Cloud was completely spent.

Tifa was going to be cleaning up on her own tonight.