Tears of a Thunderstorm
The rain was merciless. Barraging the window like a adamantine drum player. The violet sky, a monstrosity of clouds. Every now and then a flash of lightning would zip down, onto the mortal Planet. Striking down some unfortunate fool, then seek refuge behind the mighty thunder.
Reno watched all behind the shelter of his windows in silence. It strangely portrayed his life. Dark and miserable filled with quick murders and swift retreats, the booming company of Shinra covering his back.
He closed his eyes in a silent plea, wishing the thunderstorm would end.
Reno turned his back from the curtainless window and grimly faced the living room of his apartment. Sick coloured walls with a matching sick coloured carpet, the cheapest room in the building. Reno certainly didn't care, his money was supposedly better spent on alcohol and drugs. The drab small room was littered with his rubbish, pizza boxes, beer bottles, discarded needles... He didn't care to tidy up, it wasn't like he ever had guests. Not anymore.
Since the Meteor attack a few months ago the Turks had decided to split up - to take a break and rediscover their lives. Rude left to search for his lost brother and Elena now worked as a computer operative in Junon. Both had invited Reno to go with them of course, but he had declined. He preferred living in the shit hole of Midgars carcass – it was his home. They had visited him in the beginning, surprise visits and such, but when Elena popped in to find him drugged up out of his mind she decided he didn't need to see them anymore. The surprise visits ended, they still rang – but that stopped soon as well. Reno hadn't minded too much, he still had one friend left, one who he loved with his heart and soul. One, who later on, would also abandon him to his addiction.
He swept back his unruly red bangs with a quick swish of his hand as he made his way to the ragged sofa. It once was a cream colour, but weeks of abuse had turned it a dull grey. Reno slumped down on it and gazed around, contemplating the latest turn life had given him and how he had destroyed it along with his last hope.
The ninja chick. Yuffie Kisagari. She and him had secretly dated during the meteor crisis, completely disregarding that their loyalties lay with different groups. The dating evolved into something more later on in which Strife still had no idea too, neither did the Turks for that matter.
Yuffie and Reno had hit it off almost immediatley after the Da Chao incident in Wutai. They obviously found each other attactive and since Yuffie was a bit shy in the guy department Reno had helped them out. Whilst helping her off the statue Reno had handed her a rushed scrawl on a note, his phone number. A few weeks later she had rang him and said to meet her in Gold Saucer, he obliged and the two had a great time, ending with a kiss.
After Meteor Yuffie had bought herself a small apartment in Midgar, to be closer to her boyfriend. Reno had spent more time there than he had at his own apartment. He truly had felt happy with the chirpy ninja who had taken his heart, he hoped she had felt the same. She had for a while, but, as Reno slipped into the old habit of drinking she had distanced herself. Yuffie was afraid of the raging fiery man as he stormed into the flat at early hours, demanding that she do the craziest things. When she refused (as she always did) he would throw a howling fit and punch the walls then storm out for a hooker.
Yuffie had given him a choice. The drink or her. He answered her and things calmed down a bit. Until an argument about a guy Yuffie was talking to drove Reno out the flat. He turned to drugs. It sapped all his money and he resorted to stealing off Yuffie. when she found out where the hundreds of gil went and what it bought she realised that Reno had had enough chances.
She ordered him to get out of her life.
Now, as Reno sat on his worn down sofa, surrounded by the evidence of his failings he finally knew what was wrong. He had loved Yuffie, loved her with all his might, but he wasn't strong enough. He couldn't handle the arguments, it drove him to Heroin, but without her… He was doomed. He couldn't beg for her to take him back, as he couldn't bear to destroy her life as well…but this pitiful existence he was living now was too much for him. There was only one way to free himself.
Reno stood up slowly, icy green eyes scanning the room for something he could use. The needles caught his eye but he didn't have nearly enough heroin on him, or any money to buy enough. He walked slowly to the mess he once called a kitchen. A lime coloured rubbish heap. He spared no time to clean up in there either. Yet, somewhere amidst the rubbish he found the object he needed. A cool sharp kitchen knife. Elena had bought him in a cutlery set for his 22nd birthday. He had laughed and joked about a pointless present, but it was about to prove a big point.
Smirking grimly at the pun Reno slowly pulled up the right sleeve of his dirty black hoodie, revealing the pale skin of his wrist. He closed his mako enhanced eyes and lowered the steel, pausing slightly when it touched the skin. Gritting his teeth and clenching his eyelids tighter Reno pressed the steel harder into his flesh, whistling slightly when the skin broke. He opened his eyes and watched the thin stream of crimson slide down his palm. He clenched his fist, capturing the blood and plunged the blade deeper into his veins.
The pulsing pain was a comfort. It spurred him on for his next move. With a swift stroke the knife was up in the air and a neat line was left, trailing across his pale skin, brimming with more of his crimson blood.
Reno looked down at the river now flowing out his wrist, dripping onto the mottled tiles, staining them red. He smiled in grim satisfaction and switched hands with the knife and repeated the same process on his other wrist, only this time quicker and harsher. With that done he dropped the knife and let his legs collapse to the floor.
He closed his eyes and listened to the waning thunderstorm outside.
A new thundering came outside his door. Reno mistook it for the storm and ignored it, sighing in bliss as his life drained. It came again and Reno realised that it wasn't the thunder. This time he let it pass as his landlord and purposefully ignored him, wondering what people would think when his body was found.
When a young female voice echoed through the cheap wooden door, Reno tensed. His muscles tightening, causing the blood to pool a little quicker. He strained his ears slightly to listen to the voice.
"Reno…? Reno! I know you're in there! Open the door please?" The voice belonged to Yuffie Kisagari, ex Princess of Wutai and also the last person Reno wanted to hear on his deathbed. He didn't answer pretending he wasn't in,and hoping she believed his charade. Yuffie was silent for a moment and then a loud wham could be heard and the sounds of the thunderstorm tripled.
"Look. I know you're in here and I know you probably don't want to talk to me. But, I need to talk to you." She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, reducing the noise once again. "Reno… You must hate me for what I said, but… I still miss you, ya know? I really hated your bad habits, I guess…I guess I wanted you to be perfect."
Footsteps. She was walking across the room.
"I know you tried to change, and I know I said I didn't love you but…"
Reno held his breath. Any second she was going to pass the kitchen door and see him. His heart finished slowing down and beat wildly causing the blood to pool quicker, and the edges of his vision to blur. Reno perked up his ears, listening intently to Yuffie's confession. He needed to hear it before he could rest.
"Reno… It wasn't true."
His sight was dimming rapidly.
"I…"
Footsteps got closer, any second now.
"I do love you."
With the last syllable spoken she came into view. Looking more beautiful than Reno had ever seen her. Raven hair, sopping wet from the rain, face flushed, yet violet eyes bright and gleaming.
…They dimmed considerably as she saw his abused body strewn across the floor.
his once glowing mako green eyes glazing over and his arms a bloody mess. Lying in a pool of his own blood.
Yuffie gasped as his eyes locked with hers. A silent thank you for her words. Her legs collapsed as she ran to help him, tears streaming down Wutain cheeks. Reno watched helplessly as she tried to wrap tea towels around his wrists, as if it was a TV program and he was far away.
Black spots took up most of his vision. He blinked slowly and caught the last full sight of the only woman he had ever dared to love. The spots came back trying to block his view, so he lowered his eyelids, attempting to find her again. His long brown eyelashes became tangled with unshed tears and he never opened his eyes again…
Yuffie wailed in anguish as a last stray bolt of lightning struck outside of Reno's apartment, and the raging thunderstorm died.
Edited!
4/4/05
hope you enjoy, I think I really should stop killing Reno, He's going to fall out with me.
Reno: Going to! Gods women, You've killed me in almost every single fic I appear in! How can I not fall out with you?