A.N: Here's the next installment! Thanks for the review Womble buddy! :D This fic is actually such a good de-stresser after long days of studying! So I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Now, really, this is my last update despite having Chapter Three ready to be published. This is because I really need to get into full on revision mode xD But really everyone, thanks for reading! :)

On with the chapter!


Chapter Two: Bad Boy

Elmyra glared at Tseng as he levelled the angry mother with a poker face.

"She's hurt!" the upset woman screeched loudly. Aerith frowned and winced as she moved to take cover from her mother's wrath behind Tseng. The twelve year old Ancient grasped at Tseng's arm from behind and took a tentative glance at her livid mother.

"Mom, it's just a scratch—" Elmyra's glare softened as she regarded her scared daughter. Letting out a sigh, the woman gestured towards the trail of red running down Aerith's arm.

"It needs disinfecting and a bandage." As Elmyra spoke, the Gainsborough's front door slammed open dramatically, making way for the Turks' newest recruit- Reno.

Striding in without a care in the world, Reno ran a hand through his shockingly red bangs and raised his eyebrows at the tense scene he'd rudely intruded on in the living room.

"Boss, you're still chatting? We've got shit to do!" Elmyra gasped at the young, unkempt man's foul language, grabbing his attention. Shooting the older woman a wide grin, Reno tapped his inactive electro-mag rod lazily against his shoulder. "What's up, 'Myra? You look like shit. Been worryin' about little doll face over there?" Reno aimed a flirtatious wink at Aerith, who immediately blushed and pressed herself closer to her trusted body guard.

Tseng could only roll his eyes before he attempted to extract a shy Aerith from his person. With a little difficulty, Tseng managed to detangle himself from a pre-pubescent Aerith before he held her shoulders at an arm's length from himself. Levelling a stern stare at her, Tseng glanced at a worried Elmyra.

"Your mother's right, Aerith. Go to the bathroom and gather the medical supplies. Bring them here and I'll wrap that up for you." Tseng instructed, ignoring Reno's confused frown.

"Yo, we could just use a Cure…" Elmyra frowned and cocked an eyebrow at an exasperated Tseng.

"He's one of your men?" Elmyra asked incredulously. Tseng nodded. The older woman shook her head in pity. Reno saw this and scowled, rubbing at his facial tattoos.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reno challenged. Tseng turned to his subordinate and shook his head calmly.

"Stop. Sit down and wait, if you must. Don't say or do anything stupid. Be grateful Mrs. Gainsborough has allowed you to remain on her property after the way you barged in." Tseng remarked coldly before he shot an apologetic look at a grateful looking Elmyra before making his way towards the bathroom Aerith was yet to emerge from.

Stepping into to blue-themed room, Tseng noted Aerith sitting on the edge of the bathtub with an uncharacteristically petulant frown on her face. Raising his eyebrows, Tseng kneeled before the young girl and looked up in silent question.

Aerith sighed and hugged the first-aid kit towards her chest.

"Tseng, I feel weird when Reno's around…" Aerith admitted rather reluctantly under Tseng's interrogative stare. Eyes widened minutely, Tseng cleared his throat and gently pried the first-aid kit from his young target's arms.

Looking at the cut, Tseng recalled how Aerith managed to clumsily run into a splintered column in the church after being startled by Reno's unannounced presence.

"Do you feel unsafe?" Tseng prodded as he brought out disinfectant and cotton wool. Aerith absentmindedly reached for clean bandages and placed them on her shorts-clad lap with a small sigh.

"No, that's not it. He just… makes me feel strangely… happy?" Aerith ended with an upward inflection. She yelped in pain as the disinfectant stung at her wound. Tseng apologised under his breath as he pondered Aerith's words. As he finished cleaning her wound, Tseng's lips stretched out into a rare grin. Aerith pouted in confusion as she handed her body guard the bandages from her lap. "What's so funny?" she demanded in her soft voice.

"You," Tseng glanced up at Aerith's innocently dazed eyes in amusement, "have a crush on our resident bad boy. Don't worry… its normal for girls your age." Aerith's eyes widened at Tseng's remark before she blushed and shook her head.

"What do I do now?" she asked shyly as Tseng finished tucking the edge of the bandage into a crease in the wound cloth. Tseng regarded the brunette with an amused look before shrugging and standing up straight.

"Either forget about him or confess- it's up to you, really." Tseng offered ambiguously. He watched as Aerith's eyes reflected confusion, fear and then determination in sequence before she pushed passed him and back down the stairs and into the living room. Following behind her slowly, Tseng folded his arms as he watched a determined Aerith march up to Reno, who was sprawled out on a floral loveseat, eyes absolutely disinterested as he stared at Elmyra's coffee table.

"Reno, I…" Aerith began, suddenly sounding uncomfortable. Elmyra frowned at her young daughter, not comfortable with her close proximity to the delinquent boy currently occupying her living room. Tseng sighed and merely glanced at his wrist watch before fondly watching his charge's first ever confession. "I think I love you!" Aerith declared stubbornly before turning a violent shade of pink and running straight into Tseng's ready arms in embarrassment. Elmyra stared between the two Turks in her living room before erupting.

"What?!" she glared murderously at Reno, who bolted up on the couch, frantically shaking his hands in front of his face.

"Chill woman! She's twelve! I'm not into that shit." Aerith whimpered in Tseng's arms as she looked up to shoot a hurt glance at Tseng.

"He doesn't feel the same…" she whispered before dissolving into tears. Tseng ran his fingers through Aerith's brown locks as he levelled a glare at Reno. Elmyra, seeing Aerith's emotional reaction, frowned and turned her gaze towards a surprisingly intimidated looking Reno.

"You are going to kindly explain to my Aerith exactly why you are not worthy of being anything but 'that Turk that looks like a fire hydrant' to her. Once you've done that, dinner should be ready." Reno raised his eyebrows, despite his intimidated state.

"You're feedin' me?" Reno asked incredulously. Elmyra nodded stiffly.

"Aerith likes you. I have to be hospitable. And we're having fish- that's good for the brain, and the Goddess only knows how much you need it!" Reno smirked at Elmyra before he fully understood her words.

Reno jumped up in protest as he watched Elmyra victoriously walk into her kitchen. With a sigh, Reno turned to Tseng- who was still holding a quietly sobbing Aerith- and made his way over to the love-sick girl with a heavy heart.

Reno had always prided himself in being a heart breaker… but he absolutely abhorred being the bad guy who made the sweet Ancient cry.


Note: I always imagined Reno to be Aerith's first crush since he's the handsome bad boy type and young girls are an absolute sucker for bad guys (personal experience...). Plus, she's had so much contact with the Turks, I'm sure she developed childish feelings for the flirtatious red head somewhere along the way xD And of course, Elmyra would probably have freaked out if she found out. This was legit so fun to write xD Hope you guys enjoy! Replies to reviews will come on or after the 27th of June :)