Unfortunately, I don't own Reno or Midgar. But more unfortunately Reno. I do own Lee, however. If you don't like OCs, that just stinks, 'cause here she is.
Ride
"Say, Lee, you sure you don't wanna come for a ride?" Reno waves an arm carelessly in the direction of his glossy-black (and in Lee's mind) misleadingly deadly motorcycle.
"No thanks. I like life, so I think I'll pass on that for now," the girl says, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear. She folds her long legs and arms and sits stubbornly on the pavement.
"How you plannin' to get back to your place? The old part of Midgar ain't no place to be past dark, even now," Reno urges.
Lee sighs and looks at the rapidly darkening sky, just visible through the canopy of skyscrapers. It's true that her apartment is on the other side of the city, and that Midgar had been having some problems of late…
"Pleeeeease? Allow me the honor of escorting you." Lee starts as Reno's face suddenly appears close to hers. He's down on one knee, with a sad look in his vibrant eyes, and a cocky smirk on his lips that means he knows that she can't say no now.
"Fine," she huffs, rising quickly. She straightens her skirt self-consciously as Reno swings one leg over the bike. "Uh, so, where do I sit on this death trap?"
"Behind me, Princess," he says, a hint of a smile playing on his mouth. Before Lee can object to the nickname, he adds, "And one more thing. You might wanna borrow this." He slides off his black jacket and hands it to Lee, who looks at it warily. "It ain't exactly baking at 100 miles plus." Lee frowns but pulls it on over her t-shirt. Reno laughs.
"What?" Lee asks irritably, though she knows full well she looks ridiculous with the sleeves of Reno's coat nearly reaching her knees. Reno shakes his head, still laughing.
"Just get on." Lee gingerly steps onto the bike, trying hard not to step on Reno's feet, or really even touch him more than necessary. Once on, she scoots back as far as she can and pulls down the goggles that had been holding back her hair. "Ready?" Reno asks. "Great!" He guns the engine, and with a roar they take off down the nearly empty city streets.
"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Lee shrieks and almost falls off the bike backwards. Without turning around, Reno reaches back and catches her by the collar of his own coat. All embarrassment forgotten, Lee wraps her arms around Reno in a death grip. She thinks she can hear his breath become a little strained, but she can't tell. The wind is rushing past her so fast her hair is almost standing out straight behind her. It's cold, and Lee is glad she accepted Reno's jacket. They turn a corner, and Lee feels like her stomach kept going straight. Her heart is beating wildly; so much so that she's afraid Reno might even feel it. Her arms tighten around him even more, and she closes her eyes and buries her face in his back, his long red ponytail flying over her head.
"Hey, you can chill a little, you know," Reno says, his voice surprisingly gentle. He chuckles to himself suddenly. "Haven't lost a passenger yet, yo."
Lee lifts her head cautiously. "I'm taking the bus next time," she spits out hastily, and hides her face again.
Reno grins. "Is that so?" he asks. Suddenly, the bike starts shuddering. The grin is instantly wiped off Reno's face. "Uh oh," he says as the bike stops. He glances at the fuel gauge on the dash. "We're runnin' on empty here, yo. Better get to a station."
Lee just nods. Reno looks down to see that her knuckles are bone white. He hits the ignition, once, twice and finally, on the third try the last drop of gas catches. "Sorry, Lee, but we gotta make it quick. Station's not far."
Over his shoulder he hears Lee mutter darkly, "Do what you must," before sliding even closer to him. With a roar, they speed off again. Lee imagines they must be going almost twice as fast as before, and despite her iron hold on the driver, she feels like she's slipping off. The sensation of the wind around her body makes her feel like she's already flying, and she begins to panic.
"Reno! Reno, slow down!" she screams, her voice torn out of her mouth by the rushing air. The cityscape around her, Reno and the bike has faded to a gray washed blur. Even the faint moonlight doesn't do anything to help Lee figure out where they are.
Reno checks the motorcycle's speedometer. They're nearing 150 miles per hour. Really no need to go that fast. The gas station is close. They could make it doing 100, lowest.
Reno turns quickly and gives Lee a wicked grin. "Almost there, yo," he says, and squeezes the gas.
Less than a second later, the pair screeches to a halt at the gas station, frightening the attendant half to death.
"Y-y-yes s-sir?" the poor man stutters.
"Fill 'er up, yo." Reno flips a coin to the man, who drops it. He snatches it up and quickly hooks up the bike before scrambling away. "Ha!" Reno stretches his hands behind his head. "You know, we prob'ly hit at least 220 there at the end, yo. Yo?" Lee doesn't respond, nor does she release Reno. "Uhhh…Lee? Princess? We've stopped. You can let go now."
Lee raises her head slowly. She blinks once or twice, and looks around her. She meets Reno's eyes, and a fiery red color crawls across her face. She jumps off the bike in a flash, massaging her arms and stretching her fingers.
"You asshole! You did that on purpose! You knew I was scared, and you did it anyway! What is with you?!" she rages. She tears off Reno's coat, balls it up and throws it at him. It lands on his head, draping over his face.
"Lee…" he says, moving the jacket. The blond girl stalks off to the curb, where she raises her hand in hopes of a taxi. Bt the street is empty.
"H-h-here's your change, mister," the attendant says, offering a small pile of coins.
"Keep it," Reno says distractedly, unhooking his bike. As he watches, Lee patiently waits for a cab, but looks up suddenly. It's started to rain, a few drops here and there before it escalates into a heavy downpour.
Lee wipes rain and angry tears off her face as she resolutely signals for a taxi. Something drops on her from above, and Reno's coat is again over her head and shoulders. Reno is standing next to her, looking regretful.
"I'll go slow," he says, sounding wounded. Lee ties to stay angry, but again, he says, "Please?" and flashes a hopeful smile. He just looks so pathetic, with the rain flattening his spiky red hair and his eyes looking so mournful that against her better judgment, Lee finds herself saying, "You better keep it under 120 this time."
He gives her a crooked smile and grabs her hand, tugging her towards the bike and pulling her on behind him. As Lee holds onto Reno, her heart begins to pound even before Reno starts the engine. That crooked smile...Lee always caved to it. Now she was wondering why. The engine roars and dies out several times beneath her.
"Everything OK, Reno?" she asks him.
"I, uh, yeah. It's cool." Reno sounds unusually flustered to Lee.
Reno grips the gas for another try, but again his hands slip off. He is nervous, distracted. He might as well admit it to himself, he figures. The feeling of Lee so close to him is throwing him way off. The first time it hadn't been that bad, but now he is so aware of her, he can practically take her pulse.
"Just, uh, just a minute," he says. He rubs his palms together and tries again. This time, his hands stay steady, and the bike glides out of the station, much to the relief of the attendant. Once they're safely on the road, Reno pushes the bike to its limits, loving the freedom. "We are GOLDEN, baby!" he shouts, throwing his head back and laughing as the city of Midgar flashes by. This is more his speed—literally. Feeling awkward and shy? Not so much. The rain hasn't let up, and it feels like bullets against his skin, but it's fresh and exhilarating. Reno figures they must be hitting at least 250 this time….
They, he remembers. He lets up on the gas quickly, watching the speedometer fall with some regret. "Lee, you OK back there? I know, I promised, and I'm sorry, but…"
"I'm alright," Lee says to Reno's great surprise. "I feel…safe, I think."
"Must be my great driving skills," Reno says, with that edge of arrogance that Lee is taken off guard to find that she actually is growing to like.
With Lee's fear apparently gone, Reno pushes the bike again. When he leans into corners, Lee leans too, picking up on the ways Reno controls the bike with more than just his hands. Even the wind whistling around her ears and the rain pelting her like rocks doesn't frighten her now. She knows why, but she blocks her mind against the thoughts.
Reno feels Lee's arms relax, and he breathes a little easier. Not that he had been complaining or anything. Lee rests her head on Reno's back, not hiding this time, just resting.
The motorcycle crosses the center of the new part of Midgar, where the monument stands, honoring those who lost their lives in the fight three years ago. Only one other person is out, scurrying across the circle with a newspaper clutched over her head.
"You know, this really isn't so bad. Not once you get over the fear-for-your-life thing," Lee says after a while. They are nearing Lee's apartment now, and the hour is almost nine. The rain has almost stopped, and stars are visible behind the thinning storm clouds. "Maybe, next time I'm out that way, you could, you know, gimme a ride back?" Then, with the motorcycle still traveling at triple digit speeds, Reno takes his hands off the controls, turns around and kisses Lee on the mouth.
For a moment, it's as if time has stopped for the two of them. Lee kisses him back, and the rain seems to be hovering around them like crystals in the air. They break apart and for a second Lee stares straight into Reno's eyes. He's smirking slightly.
Then—"RENO! STEER!" she screams at the top of her lungs.
"Waaahhh!" he yells, grabbing the handles and yanking them into a tight turn just in time to avoid crashing into the very tall, thick and oh so solid walls of Lee's own apartment building. Reno stomps on the breaks and Lee jumps off, shaking.
Reno just laughs, but Lee notices he's a little too pale to be mocking her.
"You enjoyed that entire fiasco very much, didn't you?" she scowls, handing his coat back to him. He's still seated on the motorcycle, leaning on one leg.
"Well, yeah, a little. You did too." He grins. Lee tires to work up some irritation, but fails. Instead, she steps forward and kisses Reno on the tip of his nose. He tilts his face up and tries to kiss her again, but she steps back, a slightly wicked grin on her face.
"What? That's mean, yo," Reno complains. Lee turns and walks up the building's front steps, pausing on the threshold.
"Not until you teach me to drive."
Epilogue—Three Months Later
A long winding stretch of highway sits empty in the midday sun. Suddenly, a black motorcycle tears down the road, tailed by a shout of exhilaration from one of its two black-clad riders. The bike screams along until it rapidly pulls into a steep turn, sending it flying sideways, spitting gravel until it comes to a halt. The passenger jumps off, clutching at his heart. Reno sinks to his knees and kisses the ground.
"I'm alive!" he cries. "Thank the Lifestream I'M ALIVE!"
Lee pushes back her goggles and grins at him, drumming the ground with one foot. "How was that?" she asks him, bending over and tapping his chin gently.
Reno takes a moment to compose himself, then says, "Not bad, yo." He coughs lightly. "For a beginner, I mean."
Lee giggles and pulls him back on. She snaps the ignition and laughs again as Reno grabs her waist tightly. "You OK?" she asks him. Reno nods and kisses her jawbone, right beneath her ear.
"I ain't never gonna be more ready than this," he says.
Lee hits the gas, and they ride.