Warnings: Shonen ai, Reno x Cloud, OOC on Cloud's behalf.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, the characters or the Paopu fruit. Sadly those belong to Square Enix.
Dedication: For Bekas Strife, because she is awesome.
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A pair of shocking emerald eyes snapped open, as the owner glanced around eagerly in search of their prize. Spotting a package on the bedside cabinet, the man smiled. He sat up and reached for the bundle. Examining the package, he gently shook it. It had been carefully wrapped in a shiny purple paper that was covered with silver stars, and tied with an elegant ribbon. Excitement getting the better of him, he eagerly pulled the ribbon loose and tore away the wrapping paper. A small smile appeared on his features as he registered what was inside.
A small, fluffy Moogle.
This had been the cutest present so far. It had all started a week ago, at the beginning of the month. As always, his lover had already left for work when he had awoken. But this time, Cloud had left him a small present. A single orchid tied with a silk ribbon, as red as his hair. Next to the beautiful flower was a small note, with three words: I love you.
Reno had been touched by this simple romantic gesture. He hadn't known that the blonde could be so romantic. Although they had been together for a few months now, there were still moments when Cloud would retreat into his shell. There were still times when Reno could see the sadness in his lover's eyes. The guilt he felt for his lost friends. But there was also happiness. The young warrior's friends had even commented that he seemed happier now that he was with the Turk. Even so, it was still difficult for the blonde to fully express his emotions, and it often left the red head wondering if he truly loved him.
Needless to say, he was delighted to read those words. But that wasn't the only gift.
The next morning, he had once again awoken after Cloud, to find a medium sized box on the cabinet. This time, it contained his favourite chocolates. And there were more to come. The day after, he had found a bottle of the best Sake that Wutai had to offer, which the couple had enjoyed together as soon as the blonde returned home.
On the fourth day, there was a CD. Placing it in the CD player, he was confused that no music played. Until he found the note that read 'watch this on the computer'. The red head was delighted to find that it contained a serious of photos of his Turk colleagues, which would surely be fitting for blackmail material if the occasion ever presented itself.
Other gifts included Reno's favourite novel and a brand new set of Materia. No matter how skilled Reno was at his job, Cloud never stopped worrying about him when he had to go on a dangerous mission. The new Materia was his way of letting Reno know that he wanted him to be safe.
And today's gift was the adorable Moogle Plush. Although it was something that would usually be given to a child, the red head didn't mind. He had always had a fondness for soft toys, but that was a secret that only he, Rude and Cloud knew and he liked to keep it that way. It wouldn't do his image any good if he was caught with a collection of stuffed animals.
Clutching the Moogle to his chest, he made a mental note to buy something special for his blonde companion, before his mind drifted to other thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what else the blonde had in store for him.
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On the eighth of December, Cloud had taken the day off. He had awoken slightly later than usual and by the time he was awake, Reno had already made him breakfast in bed.
"Morning yo'" he said leaning in and pecking Cloud on the lips.
"Morning" Cloud replied sleepily.
"Thanks for my present yo".
"Well I thought you could use some new products. I know how vain you are about your hair".
"Hey!" Reno pouted, smacking the blonde on the arm. Cloud just laughed and took a sip of his orange juice.
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"Here, I got you this"
The red head took the bundle that was handed to him, tearing away the wrapping paper. Inside was a deep red, silk shirt that perfectly complimented the Turks hair.
"Wow, thanks yo'". All these presents were starting to overwhelm the red head. He was beginning to wonder if the blond was going to give him something everyday. For the past nine days he had, and he showed no signs of stopping. To make things worse, the red head hadn't even bought him anything in return, and had no idea what to get him either.
"Well, are you going to put it on?" said the blonde, startling him out of his thoughts.
"What?"
"Get changed. I'm taking you out" he answered before leaving the room. Reno really needed to buy him something. He decided that he would ask Tifa tomorrow. Surely she would be able to help. She was a woman after all, and women were always better at these things.
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The red head sighed miserably as he rested his chin on a hand, and gazed out of the window. He has asked Tifa what he could get for Cloud but the brunette hadn't been able to help him. He had spent the rest of the day searching the shops for something that the blonde might like, but he had returned home empty handed. It was now quite late at night, and droplets of rain were pelting the window. A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and a package was held in front of him.
"You really have to stop this yo'. I don't have anything for you." He whined.
"I don't want anything. All I need is you. Well, are you going to open it?" Sighing in defeat, the red head tore open the package. Inside was a copy of his favourite film, Love Actually. He had a penchant for romantic comedies, something Cloud often mocked him about.
"Thought you hated this stuff yo?"
"Well I thought we could watch it together, seeing as you so fond of this rubbish" he chuckled as Reno punched him on the arm in protest. Taking the DVD from his lover, he walked over to the TV and placed the DVD into the player. Returned to the sofa, he made himself comfortable as Reno curled up against him.
By the end of the film, Reno was smiling happily with his head resting in the blonde's lap. Even Cloud was sporting a small grin, as he gently stroked the Turks hair.
"It's late yo" Cloud looked at the clock nearby, which currently read 12.47.
"Well then. I guess that means you can have your next present now. It is a new day after all" replied the blonde, smirking deviously. Reno watched his lover in confusion as he walked over to the chair where he coat had been discarded earlier. Concealing something in his hand, the blond stalked back to the red head who remained seated on the couch. Crawling onto the sofa, the blonde leaned in to place a kiss on Reno's soft lips.
"What are you doing yo?" The blonde didn't answer, instead showing the red head what had been concealed in his hand. Lube. But not just any lube. This was strawberry flavoured. The Turk didn't have time to react as he was pushed back on the seat and a pair of lips crushed against his own passionately.
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"Meow! Meow!"
Reno was awoken by a strange purring noise. Deciding that he must still be dreaming, he turned over and went back to sleep. Or that was what he had intended until he felt something tickle his nose. Struggling to see through his eyes that were still hazy with sleep, the red head made out a small black blur in front of him. Said bundle moved around in front of him, purring again.
Opening his eyes fully, he realised that the blob in front of him was a kitten. The most adorable kitten he had ever seen. The animal had jet black fur and was licking its paw. But it was the creatures' eyes that were the most stunning. Bright emerald eyes, as green as his own, peered up at him.
Sitting up, he picked up the kitten and placed it in his lap. Looking at the bedside cabinet, he noticed that a small card with his name on.
"To Reno. I thought you could use some company whilst I'm away. I found her all alone whilst on a delivery, and I couldn't just leave her. Her eyes reminded me of you. I know you'll like her. See you tonight. Love Cloud x.x.x."
"Idiot" He smiled fondly at the kitten in his lap. "Now, what shall we call you?" he said, scrunching his nose in thought. He never had been good at choosing names, so he'd probably have to ask the blonde when he returned later.
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Early on the morning of the 13th, Cloud had presented Reno with two tickets to the Gold Saucer. It was the first weekend that Cloud had taken off in over two months, and he had decided that he would spend it with his lover. So he had booked two tickets to the Gold saucer for a romantic weekend away. After leaving their kitten with Tifa (which still had no name), Cid had picked them in the Sierra and taken to North Corel, where they would take the sky lift to the Gold Saucer.
So far it had been amazing. Upon arrival, they had checked into their hotel before setting off to explore the sights. Reno had even coaxed Cloud into seeing a play at the theatre.
On the 14th, Cloud had taken Reno out for a romantic meal, followed by a trip on the Gondola. Nothing had changed since the last time he had taken this ride, except for the company. Sitting side by side, Reno rested his head against Clouds shoulder, their hands intertwined. Both men watched the bright flashes outside the window as fireworks lit up the sky. Red, green and gold exploded together before fizzling out, to be replaced moments later by more of the same colours. It was beautiful, and it was made all the more special by the fact they were together. As the Gondola pulled up to the station, the couple shared a gentle kiss that conveyed all the love they felt for each other.
On the last day of the weekend, Cloud had blindfolded his lover, before leading him off in some unknown direction. Although slightly worried, the red head trusted his blonde lover enough to know that he wouldn't just abandon him somewhere.
Eventually they stopped, and the blonde removed the blindfold. He was pleasantly surprised to find that Cloud had led him to the Chocobo stables. Before them stood the most magnificent golden Chocobo that he red head had ever seen. Reno watched as the creature nuzzled his lovers' hand, as he stroked its feathers.
"Her name is Aeneas. I've been raising her for a while now."
"She's beautiful" replied Reno as he too reached out to pet the Chocobo. Squawking playfully, Aeneas stretched out her gold feathers. It was easy to see why Cloud loved these creatures so much. He seemed to have such a natural affinity to them and them to him.
"I want you to have her" Cloud said without taking his eyes off the Chocobo. As he started to protest, the red head watched his lover continue to pet the bird. This particular Chocobo must have really meant something to the blonde; otherwise he wouldn't be presenting it to him. Smiling to himself, he wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist and snuggled into his side.
"Thanks yo'".
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"And then we went on the Gondola. It was awesome. We got to see the most amazing firework display and-" The red head stopped when he felt seething drop into his lap. Picking up the object and reading the label, he flushed with embarrassment.
"Hey, what is that?" asked Yuffie, snatching the tube from his grasp. "Body paint? Ah, and its chocolate flavoured!" she grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
Reno just wanted to crawl under the bar and die right there and then. Normally, he didn't have a problem with this sort of stuff. But sometimes, the blonde had very awkward timing. Whilst pointedly avoiding an eye contact, the red head failed to notice the looks that were exchanged between his lover and the two women at the bar.
Before he knew what was happening, he found himself picked up bridal style and heading towards the door. As he struggled against his lovers grip, the two girls could be heard laughing manically and whistling in the background.
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Reno spent the 18th throwing up. The day before, Cloud had given him his present- a years free drinks at Seventh Heaven. But Reno being who he was had decided that he would try to consume as much alcohol as possible in one night. Needless to say, he had an awful hangover the next day and was extremely sick.
Cloud walked into the bathroom with a glass of water and set it down on the sink. He had done everything he could to make the red head feel better, rubbing comforting circles on the Turks back and holding back his long red locks, as he emptied the contents of his stomach. He was sure that there couldn't be anything left by now, but Reno just kept being sick.
Leaning back against the wall, Reno took the glass of water that was handed to him.
"Thanks yo'"
Cloud smiled sympathetically. Pulling something from behind his back, he handed it to his boyfriend. Reno inspected the object, before taking in what it was.
A brand new pair of Goggles.
The ones that he had been looking at a few weeks go when he and Cloud went into the City. Eyes shimmering with unshed tears, the red head smiled thankfully at Cloud….and then lurched forward and emptied his stomach for the fifth time that morning. The blonde leaned forward and chuckled as he placed a gentle kiss to Reno's temple and proceeded to rub circles on his back once again.
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No-one heard anything from the couple on the 19th. Assuming that they had gone shopping somewhere, none of them bothered to contact them. In truth, Cloud was helping Reno test out his latest present.
The red head spent most of the day handcuffed to the bed as the blonde had his wicked way with him. Over and over again.
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Reno sat in the armchair, as he flipped the pages of his latest gift. The large black photo album was decorated with the most beautiful flowers which were the same fiery red as his hair. Inside, it was filled with photos of himself and Cloud. There were a few of the Turks, one in particular of him and Elena smiling laughing at something Rude had just said. Reno realised that Cloud must have taken these without him knowing. He had known for some time that his lover was a spectacular photographer, and was delighted that he had taken the time to collect all these memories.
Said blonde was sat in the corner with his sketch pad, staring at the page intently. It was another of his rare days off, and they had chosen to spend it at home (despite the fact that they had done so the previous day). Standing up quietly, the red head tip toed over to his lover, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was drawing. Before he could see, the sketch pad snapped shut and he was met with two blue eyes staring at him.
"So, do you like it?"
"I love it yo'. But when did you take them all?"
"Well, I got the idea a couple of weeks ago from Tifa. You know all the photos she has up on the wall in the bar? I realised we didn't have that many photos, so I took some."
"They're great. Thanks." Red leaned down to capture Cloud's lips in a chaste kiss. The kiss quickly turned passionate, and the blonde pulled Reno into his lap. He kissed a trail from his lips to his jaw line and the down his throat, as he fumbled to undo the red heads shirt.
"Oh come on yo'. I'm still sore from yesterday. Can't we just have a bre…uhn." The rest of his sentence died on his lips, and he felt the blondes' smirk against his throat.
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"Hello?"
"I FUCKING LOVE YOU, YO!" Reno screamed down the phone.
"I take it you got the gift?"
"You're damn right I did. A brand new EMR! Gods Cloud, you are so getting it later"
The blonde just laughed and hung up. He was looking forward to it.
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Reno watched the figure approach as he checked his hair in the mirror. He felt the nimble fingers carefully attach something to the hole in his left ear. Examining the earring, he smiled ecstatically. A small wolf earring like the one that Cloud wore was now resting on his ear.
"You like it?" The Turk turned around and looked at the blonde with tears in his eyes.
"It's perfect yo'" he said, circling his arms round Clouds strong form and burying his head in the crook of his neck.
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"This is what you were drawing?"
"Uh-huh"
"Gods Cloud, I love you so much". It had taken him months to find out, but the blonde had finally allowed Reno to see what he had been sketching.
The entire book was filled with sketches of the red head, and they were amazing. If Cloud ever gave upon the delivery boy job, he could definitely make it as an artist. There were so many things that people didn't know about the blonde saviour, but Reno was glad that he was one of the chosen few who were allowed to share these secrets.
So far, this had turned out to be the best Christmas either of the young men had ever had. Neither of them was alone and they both had someone they cared deeply for. Although it had only been a few months, there was no doubt that the pair were meant to be.
"I'm glad you like it, but we have to go. Tifa wants us to help her at the bar." As the blonde turned to grab his jacket, he didn't see the blur of skinny red head lying towards him. He didn't stand a chance really. Collapsing to the floor in an undignified heap, Cloud lay motionless as Reno littered kisses all over his face. Well, he supposed Tifa could wait a bit longer. Half an hour wouldn't hurt, right?
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Christmas Eve had been hectic. Cloud had been called away on a few last minute deliveries, leaving Reno alone. The red haired Turk had headed over to Seventh Heaven in the early afternoon, where he was promptly tackled by a flustered Tifa and an over energetic Yuffie. Unsurprisingly, the bar was packed with customers and the girls were run off their feet, even with the extra help from Barrett and Rude (both of whom had been forced into helping against their will).
Cloud returned at around 9pm to help the others clean up. They had closed early as most people would be spending the evening with their families, so Tifa had allowed the two young men to leave. The brunette handed a blue plastic bag to the blonde before quickly ushering them out of the doors, whilst Barrett could be heard voicing his complaints in the background.
Since the pair only lived a few streets away, it didn't take long for them to reach the apartment. Wrapped up snugly in their scarves and gloves, the pair walked side by side with their hands clasped together. As they approached their home, Cloud reached into his pocket for his keys and unlocked the door. The door swung open, and the couple stepped into the welcoming warmth.
After removing their outdoor clothing, the two men moved into the living room. The tree stood elegantly in the corner, emitting the only light in the room as the coloured bulbs changed colours. The tinsel glittered as the light reflected on its shiny surface. Several presents from friends lay under the tree, some small, some large and all carefully wrapped with a ribbon to finish them off.
"Make yourself comfortable. There's something I have to do, but I won't be long". Cloud spoke softly before pecking his lover on the cheek.
As Cloud left the room with the mysterious blue bag, Reno strode over to the window in the living room. The night sky was beautiful. Hundreds of tiny dots illuminated the extensive black canvas above, and the moon shone high in the sky. It was the perfect evening.
Reno sighed contentedly as he felt two strong arms wrap round his waist, as Cloud rested his chin on the red heads shoulder.
"Nice view"
"It's beautiful, yo'". Turning his head slightly, he smiled sweetly at his blonde lover. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips lightly against Clouds.
"I've got something for you" whispered Cloud. Turning his lover in his arms, Cloud placed something in his hand. Looking down, Reno immediately recognised the object. The legendary Paopu fruit. Or so Yuffie had called it. She had told them all that the Paopu fruit was very special. When two people shared one of these mysterious fruits, their hearts would be forever intertwined. At the time, the idea had seemed absolutely ridiculous, and the Turk had laughed at such a silly notion. But now, the idea didn't seem so stupid. The blonde wanted to share one with him, which must have meant something, right?
Reno looked up into Clouds eyes with a questioning expression.
"You remember what Yuffie said? It sounded so stupid but…I kinda wanted to see if it was true." said Cloud quietly. Bringing the fruit to his mouth, he took a small bit out of it, before handing the fruit to Reno. The red head looked at the fruit for a moment, then at his lover before making his decision. He closed his eyes and took a bite, savouring the sweet taste.
Opening his eyes, he smiled at his lover. "I love you, yo'".
"Love you too" replied the blonde. "Hey look, its snowing". Sure enough, snow had started to fall, covering the street below in a pure white blanket. Delicate snow flakes fell against the window, as the young lovers watched the scene in front of them with content smiles on their handsome features. It was going to be a white Christmas after all.
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The 25th of December had finally arrived. The apartment was slightly cold because of the snow that had fallen the night before. Yet this didn't affect the two forms in the small bedroom. Arms and legs tangled together under the duvet, as Reno buried his face in the crook of Cloud's neck. Light breathes caused the exposed flesh to tingle, and the blonde shifted in the bed. He had been watching the red head for a few minutes now, revelling in the feeling of having him so close and feeling his warm breath on his neck. This was bliss.
He smiled gently as two emerald eyes slowly opened and the owner yawned. It was moments like this that kept the blonde going.
"Hey" he said quietly.
"Hey" he replied sleepily as he snuggled closer to the blonde. Cloud chuckled as he pulled the red head closer and ran his fingers through the soft hair. After a few minutes of peacefulness, the red head sat up slightly and peered over Cloud's shoulder to look at the cabinet.
"What, no present this morning yo'?" he asked, barely concealing the hopefulness in his voice. The warrior chuckled again, before climbing out of bed and walking out of the room.
Moments later, he returned and knelt down beside the bed. Peering at the blonde curiously, the red head sat cross legged in the middle of the bed, with the blanket pulled round his thin form. Pulling his lover towards him, so that his legs dangled over the edge of the bed, Cloud took Reno's hands in his own. Looking directly into the Turks eyes, Cloud spoke.
"We've only been together for a few months…But you've made me happier in that short time than I had been for a long time. Knowing that you'll be there is important to me. I don't even want to think of waking up without you… I've been thinking a lot. And I've realised something." The blonde looked away for a moment, preparing himself for what he was about to do.
"Cloud?" Reno asked worriedly. Returning his gaze to his lover, Cloud smiled softly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small object, before picking up Reno's left hand.
"I realised…I realised that I want to be with you for the rest of my life." He whispered, as he placed a small golden ring on the red heads ring finger. Reno examined the ring, and then looked at Cloud, shocked by what his lover had just admitted.
"Cloud…?"
"Marry me?" the blonde asked without a second thought. The shock that had been evident on Reno's face slowly faded, and was quickly replaced by an expression of pure joy. Flinging himself at the blonde and wrapping his arms around his neck, the red head kissed his lover passionately. Breaking apart, Reno touched his forehead against Cloud's and gazed into his eyes. Cloud caressed his lover's cheek lovingly, before kissing the soft lips once more.
"Merry Christmas Reno"
"Merry Christmas yo'" he replied, before leaning in for another kiss.
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Reviews please! And is anyone interested in the sequel?
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!