Been a while.

Y'know, I miss doing all this crap. And I tried something: a pairing you least expected. oyeaz bby. Be forewarned of … ooc, oc, asdfgh, typos, language etc. Huge thanks to Kaeru-sama and Bridgette.

hpy button ppl

I own nothing. AU.

disengage, (because it's bbqwtfclichéd lol)

for QueenAlla. :D

She didn't see Reno.

Elena wondered why she didn't feel any pain – why he simply never hurt her. It was her first, after all. There is a fine line between reality and fantasy, she had lived knowing that, even to the extent of hanging by the last thread of that she deemed a fact, but now, that barrier dissolved and the unreal trance was drowning her. The words he whispered made her shiver, his every touch burned; and she was a mess inside out.

She shifted experimentally and that elicited a worried grunt from him. 'Shh. It's okay,' she said. 'Breathe.'

What flashed before her mind (apart from her life) was him.

She still didn't see Reno.

'Genesis.'

That was the word she managed. Screw that. His name rolled out as her hormones exceeded beyond normal, leaving her mind spiraling nonstop, breathless, in the end. … Screaming like a dying banshee. She was in heaven; she was then falling down to hell. In truth, it was neither. She lay on his chest, their skin tinted with perspiration, still dazed.

'I'll miss you,' he said as he kissed her forehead.

'I know. A week sounds so long.'

'I'll miss you.'

She heard him the first time. She nodded. 'I will, too. Will he hate me?' she whispered shakily, clutching the sheets around her.

Genesis stopped playing with her hair. 'Depends on why and what it is.'

The 'why' would be because she's there with him, not with Reno where they could be watching movies or something else on a Saturday night. 'What'? The foolishness that reigned over her or the little working brain cells coerced her to meet Genesis that night.

He had been homing in on her the same time she had decided Reno might be a good make out partner.

Stepping in a limelight had been her goal and Reno looked like he'd the one who would be able to do that. When she asked him, he only responded with a nonchalant 'nngh', which she had taken as a yes. To her dismay, Reno had treated her nothing (or probably) less than a girlfriend she used to see him in arms with. Their dates had consisted nothing in line with a hot kissing session, and sex was strictly off limits which she never got to know why. Reno was good at avoiding questions. At that time, she never probably got to hear 'Never try to tame a man who calls himself an animal.'

Genesis, however, had been ruthless with her on intense sweetness of a perfectly normal romance, it seemed. Day one greeted her with a single rose, and a breathtaking smile. Day two, two roses and a 'coincident' meeting. Day three, three roses and a lunch invitation. Until she had bunches of those for a few months with various side dishes. And she had kept all the little notes, each decorated with a line from a random poem tagged with every set of roses. With every meeting with him, he triggered a tinge of confusion in her.

'I tried so hard…'

Genesis waited for her to continue.

'All the time, he didn't even acknowledge me. He's essentially there, but he's just not there at the same time.'

Another silence.

'Am I pretty?'

That made him burst into laughter.

'Should I be angry?' she huffed as lowering her hand slowly, only to be caught by his.

'Apologies, my dear. I find it … charming that you should ask that.'

'Mm-hm. You find everything charming. Even little stones on sidewalks.'

'Touché. Can we sleep now?'

Elena let out a soft laugh. 'You may.'

-- -- --

Elena knew what dangerous predicament had hit her when Cissnei suddenly asked her, 'Are you going out with Genesis?'

The espresso she had collected in her mouth drained to meet Cissnei's lap. 'Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry – I, uh…' she stuttered, pulling out a packet of Kleenex from her pocket. 'I'm not going out with him. I'm dating Reno, 'member?'

Cissnei chuckled as she accepted a few pieces Elena offered her. 'I'm surprised Reno didn't say a word about it. Not even when Genesis is away on a mission.'

'Wait, Reno knew?'

'Of course. Why else would he glance at you two every single day during lunch break?'

He did? What would he think of her now? All the while Elena had thought Reno was always busying himself somewhere else with something trivial he would come across since she couldn't find him lately during noon. 'It's just a strictly friend-to-friend kind of … date. Whatever,' she mumbled.

'Aha. So you are—'

Elena swallowed a large amount of spit tasting faintly of coffee. 'Dating in general means an arrangement to meet somebody at a particular time.'

'I'm being specific here. Like a certain man with a red coat. Not red hair. To be honest, I don't think you and Reno are dating at all.'

'We are … I think.' Elena wasn't sure anymore. All she knew she have got Genesis under her skin whilst – dating? That didn't sound right anymore – being with Reno.

'Then I'd like to see your reaction when I say this,' – Cissnei paused – 'he's going out with the easy ones scattered in the building. He's probably making out in one of the storerooms on floor 50-ish.'

'Oh.'

'But don't you care anymore? I'm telling you that it's true, Elena,' said the woman next to her as she shook her red curls, making them brush her shoulder blades.

Cissnei was someone she had always looked up to. So the fact that Cissnei had asked her out for break time in the nearest café made her feel elated yet she was all but good news. Elena shrugged. 'Well, we are talking about Reno here.'

Reno? Behind her back? What poor minx had gotten herself into? Reno would probably the one who left (possibly minutes after a quick roll in the hay with her) with money in his pockets. Elena shook her head, throwing away the unnecessary notion.

Cissnei went on. 'You know Shinra's building … the higher you get, the darker it is—where are you going?'

'Floor 50. Ish,' she said from over the chairs. She was worried about Reno. Remotely. 'Sorry, I can't come later.' But what worried her more was all about her and Reno.

'You sure you don't want to come with me to the airport?' Cissnei called.

"No,' she yelled back. 'Wait, yes, I'm sure.'

'I'll see you Monday, then!'

Somewhere after a few blocks, she stopped, her coffee lost somewhere on the way there. Break's still long. Having decided to break Reno's momentary joy out of boredom, she headed to the Shinra headquarters. Just when she was about to cross the road, Elena heard a familiar voice call her. 'Elena?'

'Hey, Aerith. Hey, Val.'

'Hi, Aunt Len. Here's a flower for you.'

'Wow, you have work on Sundays? Shinra must've loved their employees…'

'Tell me about it. But today's only for half a day, though. I don't have anything after lunch.'

'Oh, could you take care of Val for a while? I'll be back around an hour or two. Thanks.'

Nice going, Elena. You just have to tell her you're free, she reprimanded herself. 'Sure.' With that, Aerith left in a hurry.

'Aunt Len, look, the pigeon pooped.'

'…u-huh.'

'Can I play in the sandbox?'

'Sure, go ahead.' Elena sighed. Now she wouldn't be able to spy and catch Reno with an office slut in act. She wondered why she had remained unfazed by the whole shebang about Reno with another woman. An hour passed with daydreaming about Genesis and trying to catch Valerie all around the park.

'Gotcha! Where do you think you're going?' She hauled the little girl up and swung her around.

'Whee – up – the – tree!'

She slumped on the sidewalk as the small brunette begged her for a piggyback ride. 'I'm tired. You'll break my bones.'

'Daddy could do this for hours.'

Why was she being compared with an overly perfect, living mako-stabbed Soldier? 'I'm not your daddy. I don't think I have his strength either.'

'I know! How about bungee jumping?'

'Where could I get all the equipment?'

'We don't have to use anything for that. Uncle Angeal always catches me. Though, he scolds me every time he did.'

'Val, we don't have Angeal here. I can't do the impossible … hey, where's my gun – Val!'

Her merry laughs surfaced somewhere in Elena's proximity. Sure it's locked. But add a curious little girl who'd probably dismantle the wrong things, and multiplying it exponentially with all the possible results she could come up with in her state of panic, she shuddered at the thoughts.

'Get back here!'

Valerie laughed gleefully when her Aunt got her for the second time. 'Yay, you caught me! I don't have it with me now.'

'What.'

'What what?'

'Val.'

'Yes?'

'Where's my gun?'

'A magpie stole it.'

'Didn't your mother ever tell you not to lie?'

'But – but it's true…' Valerie twiddled her thumbs.

'That won't work on me.'

'Uncle Shinra!'

Elena shot her head up almost immediately. 'Oww… Cramp,' she muttered through gritted teeth as she bowed, greeting the Shinra couple.

'Why, Elena. Who is that?' Rufus Shinra's voice was either genuinely surprised or he was faking it.

'Aerith's daughter, sir.'

'Perfect timing. Ian here needs to be taken care of. We'll get him later at three. Is that understood?'

Great. Did she have 'free babysitting' taped to her back somehow? What's with people leaving their kids behind? President Rufus wasn't even helping as he looked at her in his infamous poker face. What she guessed written on it was 'salary deduction'.

'…Yes, sir,' she said. Valerie was trouble. Ian could be worse. She was amazed how Lockhart managed to keep a whole lot of kids under her wing. Where was Lockhart when she needed her?

'Good. A Turk like you should be able to handle him.'

'Yes, sir. I'll see you later, sir, ma'am.'

Silence. Elena shifted her gaze from Ian to Valerie and back to him. 'So—'

'Hi, Ian. I'm Valerie. You should call me Val,' Valerie piped in.

'Okay. Oh, hello, Aunt Len. I don't forget about you. My name's Ian. What's your name?' he grinned widely. That boy could be a bitch without his parents around. Ian began introducing himself to others around his age.

Elena was about to snap on how his mother never taught him how to not go introducing himself to the world but she decided against that. Valerie was taking him away. Stupid, stupid, stupid fate.

-- -- --

'I can't take it anymore, Aerith. Lock her up and throw away the key,' she said, glaring at Valerie the whole time. 'She climbs up trees. With Ian.'

'Sorry, Elena. I just had to go to the market. Bargain hunting,' Aerith laughed as she took Valerie's hand. 'Did she give you a hard time?'

'Very.'

Aerith looked at her daughter warningly. 'I think someone owes somebody an apology, right, Val?'

Valerie pouted. 'Aunt Len,' she began, '… you are forgiven.'

'Excuse me?' Elena raised an eyebrow.

'Val, you have to do it on your own or no dessert for you tonight.'

After a few trial and errors of 'sorry Aunt Len's, both mother and daughter went to their designated place, leaving Ian in the care of the always trustworthy Elena. At least Ian was not so much of a bugger than Valerie was. The only thing that irked her was his sharp tongue.

'Aunt Len, where are you going?'

'Up.'

'My dad will fire you if you're not here with me.'

Screw you, was what she wanted to say. She had lost about an hour and a half, playing with a little devil-Aerith and lost her gun in the process. 'Then, could you come with me for a few?'

'Okay.'

Oh, yay.

In a short moment, they reached floor 50 and scoured the level. All rooms contained no Reno and what left unchecked was the unused store room right at the end of the hall she was standing at.

'Ian, I want you to close your eyes and don't open it unless I told you to.'

'Why?'

'It's going to be veeery ugly.'

'I can turn away.'

'And I don't trust you.'

'But I wanna know too!'

'Shush!'

Enter? No? Enter? No? Enter? No? Oh, what the heck.

Elena kicked open the door seeing Reno swapping spit with a blond wannabe and her hand flew automatically over the boy's face. The office slut had dark roots, she noticed. For a fraction of a minute, they didn't separate and she started to think that her plan to throw a monkey wrench in the works failed. The woman started giggling incessantly but they fossilize on spot when Elena cleared her throat while keeping her hand steady over Ian's eyes.

-- -- --

'Oh, honey,' she greeted them, wetting her lips. 'That was hot.'

'Hey, whoa. What are ya doin' here—' Reno pushed the none-too-offending female on top of him as he stood in ease. He stole a glance at her. She was buttoning up her blouse and straightening her disheveled hair at the same time. Quite a task for an errand girl. Later, he mouthed. The woman pouted as she exited, almost tripped by Elena.

'—Laney?' he breathed.

Laney. Her pet name. Which he started. He could see her wince a little hearing that. He knew it was going to be awkward.

'How the hell did you know I'm here?' he asked as he ushered her out to the elevator.

'I have eyes on the back of my head.'

'For real?'

Elena rolled her eyes. 'Ever heard of homies, you bleeding heart?'

Reno swallowed hard. He knew this would come. He had gotten a few warning from his Turks colleagues for his wild hands and wants. But, who is cheating on whom, in this case?

'Am I the third party here or is she the one?'

Ifrit's cauldron, what the hell is she up to now?

They were out and let Ian run back to the park. They watched him in silence.

'Say, Reno,' Elena said suddenly.

'Hm?'

'I always wondered if there was even a teeny tiny bit of love between us… say, this tiny,' Elena parted her forefinger from her thumb less than an inch, 'would anything change at all?'

Reno shrugged. 'Whatcha talkin' about? I like you tons.'

'Pft,' she scoffed. 'That's it?'

'Aren't we bitter?'

'Seriously, Reno, what the heck were you doing with her?'

Reno gave a lazy shrug as he bit out his cigarette from the box. 'What I do always.'

'That's the problem with you, y'know that? You just make excuses for those! All this time and you never even … touched me!'

'Look, sorry 'bout that and all. I know what I want.' Kthink. He returned his Zippo back to his pocket after successfully lighting up his cigarette.

'And what about what I want?'

'What of it?' he asked as he breathed slow white rings in the air.

'You're such a bastard.'

'Naturally.' He shot her the look but returned his gaze to Ian. ''sides, I never said yes from the beginning, do I—'

She pulled him closer and without hesitation, she devoured his mouth. Reno didn't push her away and didn't even tantalize her any further.

'Think twice? Look at me, Laney. What do you really see?' He wasn't exactly the poster boy for morals and picket fence life is out of the question, but when it comes to Shinra and his Turks friends, he'd go beyond his capabilities. Teaching wasn't what he really excelled in but he knew he just had to get his point across.

For he cared for her.

-- -- --

'… Nothing.' True. It wasn't the least bit same with Genesis's albeit her being initiating the kiss here. He wasn't even doing a thing when she forced herself upon him.

'Thought so.'

'I thought we're meant for each other or something. I want you to be the one who'd change my mind, and I'll be the one who'd change yours. So … why?'

'I'd ask you the same thing, Laney. Why'd you choose me anyways?'

Wasn't it because he was the one who started calling her Laney thus she thought and decided she loved him? Newsflash, Elena, she thought, he did that with everyone else.

'Don't force yourself. Don't lie to yourself. Turks unspoken rule … technically, that is.' Reno paused. 'Always have a dignity of who you are. So, having a kind of double shit here just doesn't work. Unless it's in your assignment.'

Elena stared at the floor hard. Why isn't there anything else interesting to look at? Why'd you choose me anyways? She watched his distancing shadow darken on the asphalt under the sweeping trees. 'I don't know,' she said finally. 'Maybe I'll never know why.'

Maybe she had never loved him. She could give her all with Genesis, she realized, but she had been superficial with Reno.

'Aunty Lenny?' Ian looked up at her. 'I found a dead lizard under the bush.'

'That's … nice but throw it away and clean your hands—' Her cell shook and she frowned when she saw who it was. She left it drilling in her pocket until the noise subdued. Another long shaking. And another. And a muffled beep sounded from within. A voice message. She had the urge to listen to it that instant but the grin Ian sent her was bothering her. She motioned for him to come to her as she hit the okay button.

"Yo, Laney."

'I found another lizard!' Ian laughed.

'What did I tell you about that thing?'

"I don't know if you'd even talk to me after this, but here goes nothin'. I think you know why I left." There was a pause. It was rare for her to hear him search for words.

'Aunty Leeen?'

"I expect you to know by now it ain't love. I noticed since the beginning. You're just too nice a person to be played around with. Heh."

'Aunt—'

Elena ruffled his head. 'Ian, don't pick up dead things. They're dirty and give you maggot eggs.'

'Okay.' Ian nodded and threw away the second lizard and ran back to the park to find some more things.

"Feel alright now?"

'… No,' she said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You will be. Trust me on that. I hope you learn somethin' today. I'll see you soon. Don't let him go, Laney."

Bleep. Scrolling 'Message playback ended' blinked back at her.

See you soon? What was that all about? Elena checked the calendar in her cell. Oh, shoot. That'll be the last time she'd ever get to see him. That latest mission he got was an undercover one. He'd be gone for a long period of time.

She repeated what Reno had said inside her head.

Reno was right. By being together in the past, she realized she had tried to learn how to love – to the point that it's sickening – but with Genesis, she had learned how to keep it; cherishing it and letting it grow.

'Reno, I … thank you,' she said, painfully aware of the warm presence behind her which she had grown used to. Elena let out a heavy sigh as she leaned against his shoulder. 'Genesis… You're back.'

'Always on time, my dear. You know it's me without looking. I must commend you for that.' Genesis flipped his book to a random page. 'Do you need some time alone? I could leave now—'

'Don't you fucking dare. Stay. Sit. Whatever.' Oh, yes. She'll never let him go.

'You have my attention.'

'I'm such a fool, aren't I? If it's not love then what was it?' she laughed as she dabbed her tears away. I'm not sure if I'm crying out of happiness or sadness…or anger for him not to remind me that his flight's today.'

A chuckle bubbled from Genesis. 'One would say infatuation; picturing how perfect the subject of attention is, disregarding the flaws and whatnot. Often mistaken with one-sided love.'

'And what would you, o Mr. Know-it-all, think about it?'

'A schoolgirl crush, a —'

'Hey, that's no different than infatuation!'

'—craze, an obsession, et cetera. Get your facts correct, my dear. I didn't say they're much different from each other. Although … I would say you're simply obsessed with the color itself.'

He hit the nail on the spot. Elena couldn't let red leave her life; Reno's hair, and Genesis.

'W-what? I—'

'Tsk, tsk. You haven't realized it until now? It breaks my heart to see that. Though that cluelessness, I find it endearing, love. A positive feedback.'

'That sounds so wrong.'

Genesis shut the book he had averted his gaze from. 'I know too well, I claim a star whose light is overcast.'

'Poetry again?'

'Meredith, modern love,' said Genesis, smirking. 'I know it too; I claim her love which is vast.'

Elena chuckled. 'That too?'

'Ah, that is mine as I observed – one I see fit.'

'Oh, you. Anything for me?'

Genesis tossed her a purple apple. 'Banora white. Dumbapple.'

'Fascinating.'

'Your tone doesn't sound agreeable.'

'Huh.'

'I know what that's for.'

'Which one, the apple? Besides to eat it?'

'The huh, my love.' Genesis wrapped his arm around her waist as he chuckled. 'You can eat the apple though. My mother sent me a whole truck.'

'How nice,' she laughed.

'It's nicer to see you smiling.'

Reno had made her know what love is, and Genesis taught her to keep it henceforth. She was a girl with Reno but with Genesis, she had grown to the woman she was now. She'd climb the mountains in Nibelheim and sing to the sky and all that rubbish but that's probably not good enough a sign to tell Genesis she really loved him too … just because.

She nodded. 'Thanks.'

Besides, she didn't have any idea what to quote.

'I never get to tell you what I felt that night,' he started. He brought a fist close to his mouth and coughed. 'I – hmm…' his words drowned in a ripple of mutters.

'Pardon?—'

Bang! A tall tower of water shot up.

'Aunt Lenny, I shot a hydrant! Look!'

'Oh, no. So it was with him.' She could see a grin set upon Genesis's mouth as he snickered, face hidden behind his book. 'Are you good with kids? Hey, quit looking like you're actually reading that. Help would be nice.'

'Very well.'

Elena combed her blond locks to the back. 'Either I'm going to kill him or President Rufus is going to kill me.'

-- -- --

'Mommy, who's that? He was staring at us.'

Elena whipped her head up to search meet the said person. Instantly her eyes met Reno's darting ones, distinguished green, as she finished the chore of tying up her son's shoe. From a distance, she observed him talk animatedly to Rude, Cissnei and Tseng under a canopy of trees.

Reno is still Reno, she thought as she held Orin's tiny hand in hers.

'Let's go over to daddy, shall we?' she offered and turned away from the direction of the three of them.

'But mommy, he's looking here again.' Orin pushed his face to her body and held her with all his little-boy strength.

'It's okay, honey. If you're scared we could go meet him and have a talk with him.'

Orin nodded, remembering his father's lesson in mind the night before his bedtime story – if you're scared, the best thing to do is to fight the fear. 'Do you know who he is, mommy?'

'Of course. He's' – Reno? Someone she supposedly had loved? Her colleague? – 'a savior.'

'What's a saff-save-yerr?'

'… He's someone like a hero.'

'Really?'

Elena nodded after a moment, smiling down at him. She wouldn't deny that fact. In her case, a friend who would go against her just to help her see the truth. A selfish and selfless act by the one who plays the shoulder devil and angel.

'Hey, everyone.'

Reno turned to her first and planted that usual grin he had always had for them when they were in a team. 'Yo, Laney! That's Orin?'

'Yup.'

Orin ran to Rude, extending his arms as he closed their distance. 'Unca Rude, mommy said he's a sa – spa—spider,' he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on to Reno. Rude chuckled mostly to himself hearing that.

'So how's Genesis?' Reno asked.

'We're waiting for him.'

'Couldn't hold his pee, am I right?' Reno laughed.

'Reno.' Cissnei sighed. 'You sure haven't changed. Except for your hair. Lockhart will get jealous of that length.'

They laughed. They all haven't changed either. 'Sure. Good to be back, y'all. Laney, how long does your man need to crap?'

'Reno.'

He laughed even louder.

Later that night, Reno and Rude was having their much missed barhopping routine. It was Rude who reopened the topic. 'You're not gonna tell her?'

'Hey, Teef! I'm back, yo! Gimme my usual,' Reno said as he stretched his arms forward. 'Tell her what? She's happy enough with that one-winged bast--ich. I'm cool with that.'

'Really?'

'Yup.' Reno winked at Tifa in thanks for his mix.

'Now remind me again, what is she to you?'

'Damn you and your fucking trick questions, Rude. Laney's…' he said, staring at his drink for a moment. '…someone I loved. Ya know my rule number 25…'

'A true Turk never breaks his swear, his cool and his discipline,' Rude finished. He would have to commend his friend for that. Reno was, indeed, a Turk with a heck of tenfold discipline.

'Copyright owned by Reno. Hah.'

'I wonder why you're not the type to be the third party.'

'Shut up. I've sworn, dammit. I can't really make her happy like that guy does. All I am is a sickass joker.'

'Poor you.'

'You'll eat my EMR one of these days.'

'…Yuffie'll fuck up your life.'

'Dude, two against one is bullying!'