Title: The Way To His Heart
Disclaimer: Yeah, 'cause I own 'em. Can ya hear the sarcasm?
Setting: Dunno.
Summary: Reno attempts to worm his way into Vincent's heart...and his pants.
Dedicated to Maumse, who was gunnin' fer a RenoxVincent fic from me.
Warnings: Well, there's not tellin' where this'll go, if anywhere, so how should I know? Let's just be vague an' say anythin's a possibility. If ya'll want something ta happen, let me know. Oh, an' I never claim that they'll be in character, so heads up!
Chapter One
Reno pouted as he looked across the bar; the entire group of Avalanche was having a get together and quite a few of them were loud drunks.
"Reno, what's wrong?" Elena asked as she sipped from her "sissy frilly drink," as Reno called them.
"Nothin', yo," he said, slouching forward in his seat. As he rested his head on the table, Reno realized that he could see the rest of Avalanche in his glass. He stared at the group in his glass, but really at just one person; Vincent.
"Something's wrong with him," the redhead heard Elena say to Tseng.
"What else is new?" his boss muttered.
"Well, never like this; look at him, he looks almost heartbroken."
"Yeah right, Reno in love? That'll be the day."
Reno mocked those words as he stared deeper into his glass, not noticing when someone came up behind him.
"Are you feeling all right, Reno?" Tifa asked, making the Turk jump in his seat.
"Y-yeah! Just fine! Why, yo?"
"You seem to be...sulking almost."
"I ain't sulkin'," he muttered, pouting even more.
"I think I know what's wrong," she said, smiling.
"An' that'd be...?"
"You have a crush on someone!"
Hearing this, Reno turned a deep red, making her laugh.
"So, is she in here?" Tifa asked, sitting down next to him.
"Don't ya have a bar to run?"
"It can wait. Oh, is it Yuffie?"
"That's sick, yo! Yuffers? I'd rather be locked in a small room with the rest of ya Avalanche wackos than spend a few minutes with her!"
"Well, you seem to be staring at us, so it has to be someone in our direction..."
"...W-what'd ya mean that I'm starin' at ya guys?"
"Oh, come on, Reno, I'm not stupid. That, and your blush gives you away. ...So, are you going to tell me who do you like?"
"...Can ya keep a secret? An' I mean not tell anyone!"
"Sure."
"'Kay... Ya promise not ta laugh, right?" When she nodded, Reno took a deep breath. "'Kay. ...I...well, I like...Vince."
"...Are you serious?"
"What? Ya think I'm lyin'?!" Reno snapped, his face burning until it matched the bright shade of his hair.
"It's just...odd."
"The fuck's that mean?"
"It's, well, hard to see you and Vincent together."
"Ya think?!"
"Well, I could see you with Cloud, or even one of the other Turks, but Vincent?"
"Think I got the point, Teefs," Reno muttered, sulking even more. "Plus, I can't figure out how to get his attention."
"Well, Vincent is kind of observant," Tifa said, discreetly looking at the ex-Turk, who was standing in a corner while Yuffie tried to get him to join the party.
"So?"
"So, he might already know that you like him." Seeing how the Turk turned a chalky white, she continued. "But he might not! Hmmm..."
"Hmmm? Hmmm, what? C'mon, yo. You gotta help me out here!"
"All right, all right, calm down, Reno. ... ...I think you might just want to talk to him, see how he acts to your company, first. Then go with it; confess to him."
"An' then he'll shoot me!" Reno hissed.
"Oh, he will not. I'll let you in on a secret of Vincent's: he's a big softie."
"Yeah right!"
"I'm serious! He might not look like it, but he's a cuddly kind of guy."
"Yer pullin' my leg, ain'tchya?"
"I'm being serious. Oh, you can bring Vincent a drink!"
"...Will he drink it?"
"Well, I've only seen him drink one kind of alcohol... But yeah, he should drink it."
"What is it?" Reno asked as he watched Tifa mixing a dark red drink.
"It's a strange mix of alcohol that only Vincent seems to like." As she handed it to the Turk, Reno smelled the drink befor crinkling his face up in disgust.
"It smells horribly sweet!"
"Yeah, it tastes sweet, too. I think he has a sweet tooth, but you'd never guess by looking at him."
"Duh!"
"Now, go talk to him!" Tifa said, pushing the Turk in the gunner direction.
"Fine, sheesh. But if I die, I blame you!"
Reno carefully walked over to the ex-Turk, making sure not to spill the sweet drink.
"Hey, Vince," Reno said, softly, getting the man's attention as he stood only a foot away. "Got somethin' fer ya."
"...That would be?" Vincent said in a soft, rumbling voice.
"This," the Turk said, holding out the drink.
"...Thank you."
Vincent delicately took the glass from the redhead with his right hand, looking carefully at the dark liquid in the glass.
"...So..." Reno drawled, wondering what he could say. "...Ummm..."
"Is there a particular reason that you are here, Reno?"
"Not really, no."
"Hm."
Reno began to squirm under the Vincent's intense gaze.
"You might find you time better spent if you spend it with someone else," the ex-Turk said before he began o unbuckle the collar of his cloak to take a sip of his drink.
"Nah, I'm fine here with ya," Reno said, watching as more of the gunman's face was revealed. The Turk found himself entranced with the new sight of his face while the taller man took a small sip.
"Heeeyyy, Vin!" a drunken Cid called out, getting both of their attention, and ruining Reno's train of thought. "C'mere!"
"I will pass, Chief," Vincent said, declining the offer.
"C'mon, loosen up an' drink like a man!"
"Cid, you would not be able to handle what I can drink," he said, grinning almost evilly. Reno noticed this because he could see how the alcohol was beginning to stain his lips a blood red.
"Vincent might be right, Cid," Tifa said, grinning. "I don't think you could handle what he drinks."
"The hell I can't! Pour me one of them blood-sucker drinks, Teef!"
Reno watched all of this, with mirth-filled eyes, smirking when Cid took a large gulp of the dark liquid just to choke.
"The fuck's this?! Syrup?!"
"It's Vincent's special drink," Tifa said, chuckling.
"The hell's in it?" Reno asked, turning to look at the tall gunman, who was smiling as he took another sip.
"A little bit of this, a little bit of that..."
"Ya ain't gonna tell me are ya?"
Vincent just smirked before taking another sip. Reno just grinned, glad that he could at least get the man to talk to him.
"Hey, Vince, I gotta question fer ya..."
End of Chapter One
Review for the next chapter. An' let me know what ya think. If I get none in 'bout a week, I'll just delete it ('s my policy -- takes up space).