Summary: Reno will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Cloud finds this out the hard way. A prequel of sorts to 'Snapshots.'
A/N: This story is dedicated to EvanNJames, a most supportive reviewer who had expressed a wish to read more FFVII fics from me. While this is a side-story of my other fic 'Snapshots', it can also be read as a stand-alone, with more fluff and less angst. Enjoy.
Tactics
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction by ntc
Mission objective: Cohabitation with Cloud
''I believe this belongs to you.''
Rufus spared only a cursory glance at the chagrined trussed-up Turk deposited on the carpeted floor of his office before redirecting his cool gaze at the person who had spoken.
"I do believe it is, yes. Now what has it done this time? ''The president of the Shinra corporation might as well have been discussing the weather, for all the tone and inflection (or lack thereof) in his voice.
"The same. Breaking and entering.'' The swordsman raked his fingers through his blond spikes in a gesture of frustration. "This is the third time this month, Rufus. Can't you keep your dogs on a shorter leash?"
"Unfortunately, not all dogs obey their masters. Some are too stubborn and headstrong to be tamed completely." Rufus's next words came out with the deadly undertone of a blade sliding out of its sheath. ''Seeing how you've gone through the trouble of returning my disobedient pet, I will do what I can to make sure that it doesn't trespass upon your property again."
"Make sure that you do," replied the blond curtly as he turned to leave. Before stepping out of the room, however, the swordsman cleared his throat and said over his shoulder, "Just don't hurt him... too much, okay?"
Rufus raised an eyebrow at the trace of out-of-place concern he detected in that last sentence. However, the door slammed shut before he could question the blond further. Shaking his head in partly amusement but mostly exasperation, he leisurely walked around his table to stand before the lanky man currently squirming on his office floor.
"Haven't you embarrassed me enough in this lifetime, Reno? When are you going to learn to quit?" Rufus knelt down and, none too gently, tore the duct tape off the red-haired Turk's mouth so that he could speak. The action would have been more painful if Reno had not deliberately clean-shaved his face that morning. Trust the Turk to prepare for every eventuality.
Reno at least had the decency to look abashed. "I'll quit when what I do is no longer considered 'breaking and entering'.''
"What do you have against that five-star condominium of yours anyway? I can't foresee Strife letting you live with him in that broke-down church anytime soon. Or ever. Stop wasting your time."
''You heard what he said at the end.'' Reno had by now pulled out the serrated knife strapped to his ankle and, with well-practised ease, begun sawing through the ropes that bound him. "He only pretends to be a frigid hard-ass. Unlike me, he still has a conscience. He'll give in, sooner or later.''
Rufus's eyes narrowed and his expression turned almost contemplative. Where in Gaia was Reno getting all this disgusting optimism? What happened to the cynical, paranoid bastard he knew? "Take my advice and quit messing with his head. We both know how fragile his psychological state is. It is only a matter of time before he snaps and fatally skewer you if you continue to annoy him like this."
The ropes fell off as Reno drew himself up to his full height indignantly. "I am not annoying him.''
"Who are you trying to kid? You know very well that if there is a police force around here that's worth a damn, he would have filed a restraining order on you already." When Reno's jaw jutted out even more defiantly, Rufus had to suppress the urge to smack his mule-headed subordinate upside the head in an attempt to literally knock some sense into that thick skull. Or better yet, get Rude to do it, seeing how the bald man had more muscle on him. "Do you have a death wish that I don't know about? Why else would you persist in harassing the one man capable of killing a demi-god who nearly destroyed the entire planet? He'll kill you one of these days, Reno. In self-defence, no less. Now, that thought wouldn't bother me at all if it isn't so difficult to find a replacement Turk nowadays..."
The look Reno directed at him was decidedly sour but it slid off Rufus like water off a duck's back. The Turk scoffed at his warning. "Cloud would never do that.''
Rufus marvelled at Reno's confident tone. He had long suspected that there was more going on between his bodyguard and the aloof swordsman than Reno had chosen to let on. "The Cloud you knew in the past may not. But can you say the same for the one now?'' He knew that he had hit the nail on the head when Reno became silent. "There's a big difference between the naïve waif he once was and the jaded fighter he currently is. If you think—"
"I don't care," interrupted Reno, his eyes flashing with determination. "I won't let anyone stop me. Even you, Rufus. You can dock my wages for a week and force me to remain sober for a month and it won't change anything. I won't give up."
Rufus would have liked to remind Reno that he was capable of much more exquisite torture than that but he decided to drop it in favour of sticking to the subject at hand. He sighed as he walked back to his desk. "Fine, I won't stop you."
Body tense and rigid, Reno eyed him suspiciously. Rufus was never known to be a forgiving man when it came to people who defied him. "You're okay with this? I mean, you're not even going to punish me or anything?" When Rufus turned to fix him an even, vaguely threatening gaze, Reno hastily added, "Not to say that I deserve any punishment, mind you! I'm just…"
"Quit your blabbering before I change my mind." Rufus had picked up a sheet of paper and begun writing on it.
"Change your mind, sir?" Ah, the formality of speech was back— a sure sign that Reno was nervous. Good. Rufus enjoyed making other people nervous around him. "What have you decided…?"
"I told Strife that you would not trespass upon his property anymore, and I intend to keep my word." At this, Reno opened his mouth to protest, only to be silenced effectively by a piercing glare from his boss. When Reno meekly held his tongue, Rufus nodded approvingly and continued, "What you choose to do is your business, Reno. I have no objections as long as you accept all the consequences of your foolish actions. But what I do object to is your embarrassing failure rate. It is quite damaging to Shinra's reputation to have one of its top security personnel carted back to its main office like cattle to slaughter time and again." Reno opened his mouth again, no doubt feeling the need to defend his pride, but Rufus forestalled his outburst by slicing the air before him sharply with his hand. "For goodness's sake, Reno, you're a Turk. So, act and think like one. If the front door is barricaded, smash it open. If that doesn't work, look for a backdoor or an underground passage, or create one if there isn't one. If those options are out, blackmail or bribe whoever else is inside to open the door for you. Failing even that, there's always the option of burning the whole frigging construction down so that whoever's inside would have to come out or get roasted to death. What you're doing wrong is that you're using the same lame method, and failing, repeatedly." Rufus handed the paper he had written on to Reno with a self-satisfied smirk. "Allow me to demonstrate how it should be done. Bring this to Reeve and he will know what to do."
Surprise and gratitude warred with each other for dominance on Reno's face when he read what was on the paper. "Sir, this… I… How can I ever thank you?"
"Don't thank me. You're the one who's going to foot the bill." Rufus dismissed the Turk with a shooing motion of his hand. "Now go away. You've already wasted enough of my precious time."
"Aye, Boss," answered Reno with a wide grin before he darted out of the room.
Rufus felt a microscopic twinge of guilt for what he had just inflicted on one unsuspecting Cloud Strife, but he quickly swatted the feeling away like the annoying fly that it was. He owed the blond no favours after all, whereas Reno, despite his multiple flaws, had managed to save Rufus's life more than once. Rufus was many things— ruthless, cold, calculative and cunning— but 'ungrateful' was never one of them. His conscience was clear.
xXxXxXx
The head of Shinra's Department of Urban Development frowned as he shifted his gaze between the written instructions in his hand and the beaming Turk across his desk.
Reno's smile faltered as he grew increasingly impatient. "Is there a problem?"
Reeve shook his head. "Technically, no. However, I am curious as to why you would want something like this. You don't exactly strike me as the religious type…"
"Hell no." Reno's face twisted into an expression of someone who had bitten into a sour plum. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
Reeve's expression turned thoughtful. "Then why would you…?"
"Purely personal reasons," replied Reno evasively.
"You know, I've heard from a few of my sources that a particular blond swordsman has been seen visiting this church quite often. There is some speculation that he might have even set up permanent residence there."
"Once a spy, always a spy, eh, Reeve?" Reno's snide comment had the desired effect, causing Reeve to flush in shame. "Your sources are correct. I've verified the authenticity of this information myself. Several times, in fact."
"I won't beat around the bush then." Reeve took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to steel his nerves. The mild-mannered Shinra employee was never suited for direct confrontations. Heck, the man even had to rely on a robotic cat to fight his battles for him. "What are your intentions with regards to Cloud Strife, Reno?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I just so happen to enjoy ruffling his feathers." Reno kept his tone careless and nonchalant, in the hopes of concealing his true intentions.
Reno was genuinely startled when Reeve slammed his hands loudly on the wooden desk, the flush on his face now tinged with anger. "Seek your amusement elsewhere and stay away from him, Reno." The warning was issued through tightly clenched teeth. "The poor guy has been screwed over enough times by Shinra without you adding to the count. Let the man live the rest of his life in peace. We owe him that much at least."
Reeve sure knew when to choose the worst possible moment to grow a backbone and develop mother-hen tendencies. It was a well-known fact that Reeve's loyalty had long been divided between the Shinra Corporation and the rebel group that was created to bring about its downfall; so it was not entirely unexpected that Reeve would take action to deflect any perceived threat towards Cloud. Reno waved his hands in a placating gesture. What was it about him that made people want to keep him as far away from Cloud as possible? They're treating him as if he was a dangerous spark, with Cloud being a potentially explosive powder keg. "I'm not going to hurt him, Reeve." Reno's voice was soft in its sincerity. "I would never hurt him."
"How can you be so sure? You don't know him—"
"I won't slay his loved ones and rip apart his identity like Sephiroth." Reno's voice hardened with conviction. "And I won't die and leave him alone like Zack. I promise you that."
Reeve was finally convinced by what he saw in Reno's determined eyes. There was no denying that the red-haired Turk truly understood Cloud Strife on some deep level. "You won't die?" said Reeve in wry amusement. "Care to share the secret of immortality with the rest of us mortals?"
"You know what I mean," snapped Reno irritably. "All I need to do is outlive him. I would make sure of it."
"Forgive me if that claim of yours doesn't exactly put my fears to rest. You could always outlive someone by speeding up that person's death with foul play."
"You know what I mean!" yelled the redhead, his good humour dwindling fast.
"Now, now. Don't get your knickers in a twist." When Reno began squawking in indignation, the corners of Reeve's mouth threatened to tug upwards in a small smile despite his best efforts to suppress it. Perhaps Reno was just what the doctor ordered. Cloud could definitely use more smiles and laughter in his life. Reeve had never seen the blond perform either of those two actions in all the time that he had known him. That couldn't be too healthy. Reeve closed his eyes and made a silent appeal for Cloud's forgiveness. "Give me a couple of days and I'll have the necessary paperwork completed for you."
It was just as well that Reeve had his eyes closed, for Reno's blindingly bright smile returned at full force.
xXxXxXx
Rufus was a big, fat liar. That was the conclusion that Cloud reached when he returned to find his sanctuary invaded by a smug-looking Reno, who was busy directing a couple of furniture movers where to place a sleek, black leather sofa. The wooden floorboards had been coated with a layer of glossy varnish and waxed clean. Hammering noises could be heard coming from above, where a few tilers were working on patching up the huge hole in the roof. The idiots! That hole was the only thing letting enough sunshine into the church for the nourishment of Aeris's bed of flowers.
The flowers! Cloud's thoughts darkened as his panic set in. If any of those idiots had dared to desecrate those flowers that Aeris had so lovingly nurtured, blood would definitely be spilled. And it would not be his.
Cloud's relief at finding at least that part of the church untouched was short-lived, for his fury was quick to take over. Grabbing a fistful of Reno's collar and tugging his face lower so that he could blast a chilling death glare at the smirking Turk's face, Cloud hissed, "Explain. Now."
Reno's expression became blank for a moment, as if he was mentally debating over some decision. Then his face suddenly moved closer towards Cloud's, forcing the blond to let go of the Turk and take a step backwards in order to avoid the crashing of their lips. Reno's action was nothing short of disturbing, and easily misconstrued as an attempt at a kiss. However, that thought was so ludicrous that Cloud shook it off the moment it took form in his mind. Reno specialized in acting unpredictably to catch his opponents off-guard, and in this case, Reno had succeeded in getting Cloud to release him with very little effort. Damn, the Turk was good.
With an extended finger, Cloud stabbed Reno's chest hard enough to earn him a grimace. "You have ten seconds to convince me not to tie your ankles to an anvil and drop you somewhere so deep that Rufus could never hope to find your remains."
Reno appeared amused rather than afraid. "Leave the threats to the professionals, Cloud." The look of amusement morphed into a shameless leer. "If you beg prettily enough, I might even give you a few pointers one day."
Cloud could feel his stomach turn queasy with a sensation one gets from having a herd of proverbial butterflies stampeding across it with bullish ferocity. Or maybe it was just nausea. Whatever the case, Cloud quickly masked his conflicted reactions to Reno's crude teasing with a fierce scowl. "Two seconds."
Reno wordlessly took a document from an inner pocket of his jacket and shoved it inches before his face. Cloud's eyes widened considerably as they read the deed to the church that was currently held in Reno's hand.
Cloud was wrong about Rufus. Rufus wasn't a big, fat liar. Rufus was a pure evil incarnate who could give the devil a good run for his money. There was no doubt that Rufus absolutely, positively and utterly hated him with a passion that could set a city ablaze.
"Sooo…" drawled Reno with all the satisfaction of a gloating winner. A winner who had cheated and gotten away with it. "Legally, right now, I am the rightful owner of this place whereas you're the trespasser. However, since I'm not a heartless icicle like you, I shall be gracious and allow you to live on my property."
Cloud growled so menacingly that, for a while, Reno feared that the blond fighter would pull a Red XIII on him and tear into his throat with his incisors. Reno bravely stood his ground despite his fears. Dying in Cloud's hands might not be such a bad way to go. At least that would guarantee him a permanent place in the blond's memories and maybe compete with the ones regarding a certain raven-haired, buster sword-wielding SOLDIER. Yes, Reno admitted with a mental sigh, I am that pathetic.
With a grunt and a look that would have killed if it was even remotely possible, Cloud pushed past the redhead and stomped towards his belongings which were kept in a corner of the church. Cloud's possessions were meager at best (and Reno knew this because he had dug through them all), consisting of duffel bag stuffed with clothes and toiletries and a wooden chest full of high-quality Materia. Reno wholly expected Cloud to sling the bag and chest over his shoulders and storm out of the place, so he had taken the necessary steps to pre-empt this.
Cloud's aura changed from extremely angry to downright murderous when he discovered that both bag and chest were empty. Reno broke out in cold sweat under the onslaught of palpable rage emanating from the blond, but he still managed to maintain a façade of equanimity. "You thieving bastard!" Cloud swore, trembling with what could only be strongly suppressed violent intentions. "Reno, so help me if you don't return my things this instant, I'm gonna…"
"How much are they worth to you, Cloud?" Reno cut in before the tirade could run its full course. It was bargaining time.
"What?" A trace of confusion crept into Cloud's anger-laden growl.
"Let me rephrase that." Yup, it really was a good thing that Reno's conscience had already bade him a final farewell many, many years ago. It made certain despicable acts so much easier to execute. "What are you willing to do to get them back?"
Narrowing his sky blue eyes into hostile slits, Cloud growled out, "You mean, what am I willing to do to you to get them back."
"Uh, no, that's not really what… I… meant…" Reno gulped as Cloud, in the millisecond that it took for his eyes to blink, had unsheathed his Ultima Weapon and had pressed the sharp edge against the fragile skin of his neck.
The workers in the vicinity (who were hired by Reno to aid him in his home invasion) had paused to gawk at the pair in horrified fascination. The part of Reno which wasn't distracted by his life flashing before his eyes was snorting in disdain at their spectators' behaviour. Pfft, as if they haven't seen someone about to have their head lobbed off their shoulders before. Country bumpkins the whole lot of them.
"How much is your life worth to you, Reno?" For the first time, Reno fully appreciated how Sephiroth must have felt as he faced Cloud in their final duel; as he looked death in the eye and knew, with a visceral certainty, that his life would soon be snuffed out.
Reno gave Cloud a wan smile. "Not very much, if you're not there to share it with me." Cloud really had changed; but that didn't change anything for Reno. What Reno had wanted all along, and still wanted, had always remained the same.
"Cloud, I..."
Cloud, however, had no intention of letting the redhead finish. Perhaps on some subconscious level, Cloud knew that whatever Reno was about to say would only complicate their already complicated relationship, and it was something he really wanted to avoid. In a swift and somewhat hasty swing, the flat side of Cloud's sword connected with Reno's skull with a resounding clang.
Dazed but essentially uninjured, Reno dumbly watched as Cloud turn his back on him and sank the tip of his sword blade into the gap between two specific floorboards. Just as Reno was wondering why Cloud was deliberately vandalizing the church floor, he saw the blond pulled out something from below the upraised floorboards.
When Cloud turned to glower darkly at him, a grey metal box was cradled in the crook of his arm. "You want the Materia so badly, you can keep them," he bit out furiously. "In exchange, I want at least a mile between us at all times."
Reno's eyes were riveted on the box as if it held the secrets of the universe or, at the very least, one inscrutable Cloud Strife. He was so distracted that he failed to reply until Cloud started walking past him on his way out. His curiosity roused, Reno could only come up with one question. "What's inside that box?"
Cloud gave him a guarded look. "Gil,'' he said after a moment's hesitation. "Why? You want it too? Haven't you robbed me enough?"
The former AVALANCHE leader definitely needed some pointers in the lying department as well. It made absolutely no sense for someone who would carelessly leave priceless Materia lying around to take so much precaution in keeping a small box of gil safe. "Really?" said Reno with a skeptical sniff. "Then you wouldn't mind switching it for a chest of Materia that would fetch you enough gil to buy a house."
Cloud stared at him in disbelief. "You're using my things to bargain with me? Have you no speck of shame or decency in that blackened heart of... Oh, I forgot, you're a Turk." Cloud pronounced the last word with the same amount of repugnance one would normally reserve for organisms that live in sewage tanks.
"And proud of it," said Reno with an unrepentant smirk. "So, how about it?" Reno boldly reached out for the box…
…only to wind up hitting his head on the flat side of the Ultima Weapon again. This time, the impact was hard enough to cause Reno to see double as he looked up at Cloud from his supine position on the ground. Cloud clutched the box to his chest tightly as he strode out of the church, never once looking back.
In the next few minutes, Reno was only vaguely aware of the people peering down at him worriedly and asking him stupid questions like 'How many fingers am I holding up now?' (It's six of course! He's not frigging blind!)
How could such a brilliant, foolproof plan fall through so miserably? What was he to do with this derelict old church now that the sole reason why he had bought it in the first place had left?
And most importantly, what was inside that damned box?
(To be continued)
