Kinda random and stuff. It's me, so what did you expect? But guess what? I only used the f-word once. Therefore, this is a T-rated fic for the time being. This is going to be a series of kinda-sorta-but-not-really-related ficlets. Each could probably stand alone. I just feel like bunching them together. Basically just random (and semi-depressing, in some cases) little blurbs, featuring various FF7 characters after the game and in most cases, after Advent Children.

First up: Reno and Elena, late night guard duty at... whatever Rufus calls his place. Chez Rufus. There. Elena's the thinker, Reno's the doer. Duh.

Oh yeah, I don't own anyone or anything from Final Fantasy VII, except my Vincent, Tifa and Sephiroth action figures. I have pictures of them groping each other here: feffu-slash-cat-dot-livejournal-dot-com-slash-124506-dot-html

Surrender the Day

The night shift. Elena would rather work during the day. Nights spent guarding Rufus Shinra tend to drag on. It doesn't help that most of these nights are also spent with Reno. He's funny, sure, in a horribly inappropriate way. He's a good guy - loyal to his comrades and a valuable asset to the team, but... Elena can't quite put her finger on it. Reno's just so damn unpredictable and it puts her on edge. He thrives on chaos. He thrives on it and she hates it. She craves order and structure. Reason. Things that make sense. Habits, patterns, routines. Measurable things. Comprehensible things. Not Reno. The crazier things get, the happier he seems.

The worst thing about the night shift, Elena realizes, is that it gives her too much time to think. About everything. Life, work, her friends, her enemies, her colleagues, herself. The past and the future. The present.

"I got it under control, Elena. You can go home if you want to." Reno glances away from the computer and at her.

"It's fine."

"Alright, then go take a break. Take a nap or something. I didn't wanna be the one to say this, but you're lookin' a little rough lately," Reno informs his partner for the evening, in that casual, yet smug tone of his.

The aftereffects of torture, Elena thinks to herself, but says only, "Thanks for the concern." Somewhat after the fact she insists, "I'm fine."

Reno doesn't push it, just shrugs and returns to whatever it is he's doing on the computer. Elena doubts it's work-related.

"It's weird, you know," Reno muses. Elena isn't sure she wants to know where he's going with this. "Working nights like this. Hard to tell when one day ends and the next one begins. Fucks with your mind."

Elena manages a small chuckle. She understands. She understands it all too well.

"How about you, huh? What are you aiming for?" Reno asks, suddenly.

"What am I- what are you talking about, Reno?" Elena asks, puzzled and no longer worried about saving face. She's long since learned that being confused by her coworkers just comes with the job. Kind of like the suit.

Reno stands up suddenly, patting his jacket pocket, letting out a triumphant little, "Heh," as he pulls out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He peers into the carton, holding it up and squinting into it. He lets his mouth hang open, shuts one eye and gives the box a little shake. One cigarette left. Reno retrieves it, then tosses the empty carton into the garbage.

"Reno?"

"Back in a sec," he says, simply, as he heads for the door. He's going to smoke on the back steps, like he always does.

"You didn't answer me!" Elena shouts, following behind him. She just can't let it go, stupid as it may be. She can't leave it unfinished, even if it is only a thought, and one of Reno's.

"What?" Reno asks, cigarette in mouth. A quick second later, it's lit and he inhales. He drops his lighter back into his pocket. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't know! That's the problem!"

Reno exhales. He utters a contemplative, "Hmm."

"You asked me what I was aiming for," she reminds him.

"Oh yeah. Then you're the one who didn't answer me."

Elena falters a little.

Reno laughs.

"It's because I didn't know what you were talking about!"

"What are you aiming for, Elena?" he repeats himself. "What time, I mean. What time are you aiming for?"

"Time to do what?"

"Time to," Reno pauses and takes a drag. He exhales and the stream of smoke spreads out and fades into the night. "To surrender the day, you know. To give up on it and agree to let tomorrow happen."

"Why? What time were you aiming for?" Elena asks, somewhat spitefully. She doesn't seriously expect to get a real answer out of Reno. Because Reno doesn't really think this way. Think this way? Hah. Reno doesn't think this much. This is all just a joke, just a ploy to make Elena feel stupid and get on her nerves.

Reno flicks the ashes from his cigarette. "One."

Elena is a bit taken aback and a surprised little, "Oh," escapes her lips. "What time is it now?" she asks, shyly.

The redhead smirks and glances at his watch. "Quarter 'til four."

"It already is tomorrow, you know," Elena points it out.

"I know," Reno agrees. Takes another drag. A long, slow one. "I guess I just haven't accepted it yet."

It's quiet. Elena finally pipes up when she sees Reno toss his cigarette into the darkness. "So what now?" she wonders.

"Now," Reno begins, thoughtfully. "I guess I'm aiming for four."

"Will you make it?" Elena asks, almost hopefully.

Reno shrugs and heads back inside. "Dunno. But you'll be the first to find out." He pauses and looks back. "Won't you?"

Okay. That wasn't so terrible, was it? I hope not, because there's more to come. Haven't decided who's next, but right now it's between Barret and Marlene, and Tseng and Elmyra (not a romance, you icky people XD).

And can someone tell me why spaces NEVER show up and my words are bunchedtogetherlikethis half the time? It's incredibly annoying. I'm a bad typist, I know, but I'm not that bad.