"Yeah, Reno. I'm fine. Angeal talked to Lazard so he's going with me… No. Well I wouldn't say that…" Angeal hears as he walks through her still open door. She has her back to him. "Fuck you!" She pauses. "Yeah, you know I love you too." Another pause. "You know, sometimes I wonder what I would have done if we hadn't run to Midgar. You know? I like this job. I get a lot of money. I don't stay in one place long, but then shit like this comes up and I'm gone for weeks at a time and somehow people can't get a hold of me." She sighs and wipes tears away. Angeal sits his bag down so he can sit on the couch silently. "Where's time travel, or nirvana for that matter, when you need it, huh? Yeah, I understand, get back to work." She laughs, "Love you too Reno. Bye." She gets off the phone and throws it in her pocket and makes sure her charger is in her suitcase before she turns around and screams, "Jesus Christ! Angeal when the fuck did you get here?" There's a strange silence as he gets up to retrieve her suitcase.
"A few minutes ago." Their hands touch and they shift awkwardly out of each other's way. "Listen," he starts. The way she turns is in reluctance. She doesn't want to have to go anywhere with anyone for her dad's funeral to begin with. She doesn't want him dead. "I know we're not acquainted yet, but we'll get there. And it's only Kalm so it's not too far away. I'm sorry I'm so quiet…"
"Don't apologize for your disposition. Besides, I should be the one apologizing for being such a bitch to you a few weeks ago. You know, threatening to rip off your sex organ and such."
"Yes, well…" he cleared his throat thinking about a dream he'd had of her the other night and looked toward the door. "You have your key? My car is downstairs." She turns off her lights, makes sure she doesn't have anything missing from her suitcase that she needs to take and they leave her apartment.
They had just left Midgar for Kalm when she said, "I wish I had a dog."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It would be nice to come home to something waiting for you. But I'm out so much…" There was silence.
"I understand." He says. And after a few minutes of silence he says, "I wish I had someone too come home to." Her eyes travel to him to see a distant look in his eyes. "My dad, he'd come home every day to my mother who eagerly awaited him. But my dad wanted me in SOLDIER. Wanted me to be the best. So I didn't pay much attention to it. I just want to walk in the door and have someone waiting for me."
"You and I are completely different people." She turned her gaze forward.
"How so?"
"I built this complex. After my mom and dad divorced I saw how lovesick my mom was. She took all three of us to beg for dad back at the front door sometimes. She drank and job-hopped and life was hell. So I built myself a loveless complex. I wasn't going to let a penis get in the way of my life. I don't want to fall in love and if I do fall I'm getting out as fast as I can." Angeal took his eyes off the road and looked to her.
"We really are different, aren't we?" There was a disappointed sigh, but only he knew of the disappointment. "Do you date?"
To this she gave a deep thought. "I've never been on one. Reno and I go to drink and such, but we've been friends for as long as I can remember. Probably, though, if I knew the person. I just wouldn't try to get attached."
"Oh, I see. So when's your next trip out of town?"
"Hell if I know, they tell me about two days in advance." She rolled her eyes.
"I can change that for you so it's not so short notice."
"I've tried to change it for the past few years I've been working there, nothing gets done!" He could tell she was annoyed.
"I'll put in a good word to Lazard. If I ask him to, he'll take charge of informing you and I when we have to leave."
"'We,' it sounds so weird." A random thought had her throwing her head back in laughter, "Angeal Hewley and Syria Winds, partners in crime. Traveling the world secretly selling out Shinra Inc. products!" Angeal did grin and chuckle.
"So you've been to all these towns before, right?"
"Pretty much, why?"
"Well, if I start going with you, would it make things different?"
"Just a little." Silence. "Maybe we should act like we're married…" They didn't look at each other. "Mr. and Mrs. Angeal Hewley… That's so weird." They were both thinking about it.
Angeal imagined walking in the door to see her, she'd make a slightly sarcastic comment as she throws her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. The door would get closed and locked and they'd go to the bedroom to release the tension he's got from being gone on a mission and have some hot, sweaty, bed breaking, ear nibbling, back scratching, hair pulling, neighbor bothering, completely erotic sex with her. He pulled himself out of the reverie and focused again on the road with a slight tint now added to his cheeks.
Syria imagined being at home, pregnant to him walking in the door with an incredibly handsome and off guard smile. She'd say something sarcastic as he'd come to her and kiss her deeply. She'd run her hands through his hair and groan at the taste of his lips wishing that she had the energy to get off the couch and have hot, sweaty, bed breaking, ear nibbling, back scratching, hair pulling, neighbor bothering, completely erotic sex with him. She blushed and turned her head off to the scenery in her passenger's side window.
Angeal cleared his throat; "We can be the modest married couple that doesn't have loud, obnoxious sex so everyone can hear it." Syria nodded in agreement but kept her eyes away. She didn't want to look over and envision him naked like she was a few seconds ago.
"So we're going to have to act like we're married in Kalm… Because, even though it's completely stupid, I have to go there and analyze as well. So my mom's going to be mad. SHIT!"
"What?" He asked and stopped the car. "What did you forget?"
"If you and I are going to be 'married', we need rings!" Angeal hit the steering wheel.
"Fuck! We're going to have to go back to Midgar, aren't we?" Syria nodded to his statement.
"I'll buy mine, if you buy yours. Do we need matching rings?"
"Would it look better if we got matching rings?" They were both flipping the fuck out over being "married" and they weren't even married.
"I don't know I've never been married! But my mom and dad had matching rings." Syria was wide eyed and petrified.
"So did mine, I think matching is better."
"Okay, so wait. We'll have too go to Shinra for about twenty minutes and get Lazard to fake wedding documents for us. So when did we get married?"
"Hell if I know." Angeal sighed.
"Just pick a fucking day!"
"April 12th!" Angeal screamed.
"Look! We're already fighting like a married couple. Now turn this fucking car around!" So Angeal floored it and turned 180 heading back to Midgar as fast as possible.
They're standing outside the ring shop looking at it with horror stricken faces. "Okay, lets go inside." Angeal held his arm for her to take it. So she did and they walked inside. "I hope you're good at acting."
"Of course I am." She smiled as they walked in. The girl behind the counter dropped the phone she was talking on.
"Oh my god." She said under her breath. She was a part of the Angeal fan club of Midgar. In fact, she was the president. So she picked up the phone and finished her conversation to hang up quickly. "Hello! And welcome to Shiva & Co. How may I help you?" She was trying to keep her composure.
"We're getting married," Angeal smiled to the charming girl.
"Oh… OH! Okay! So how will this be paid for? With a bla- er… MasterCard?" Angeal took out his wallet and handed the shaking girl his Black Card. She inhaled sharply and went to lock the front door of the store. She turned off the "Open" sign and came back behind the counter.
In the mean time, Syria looked to Angeal with a dropped jaw. "A black card?"
"Genesis, Sephiroth and I have them… We're the highest ranking General's now close your mouth, you look stupid." She closed her mouth and smiled at him.
"Okay! So what are you looking for?" She looked to Syria and smiled.
"Something… Simple? Right honey?""
"It's whatever you want darling." Angeal was trying not to laugh through his cheeky smile. So Syria turned back to the girl and noticed her eyeing Angeal. She pulled her mouth to the side and looked down. If she were to ever get married she wanted something elegant and sophisticated. She let go of Angeal's arm and looked around. She finally spotted a ring that she instantly fell for. Angeal couldn't help but love the mesmerized look on her face. The woman, in his eyes, was truly beautiful.
"This one…" It was a beautiful, flawless, solitaire princess-cut diamond mounted on a cathedral setting. The woman came over quickly and Angeal walked over calmly. After the ring, which was the right size, was on her finger they all stared at the way it seemed to blaze under the dim lighting.
"It's beautiful, just like you." Angeal smiled.
"So I can get it?" Syria was honestly very excited.
"Of course," His smile was sincere. She turned to him and placed her hand on his face as she kissed him deeply. The poor girl behind the counter gasped. Angeal was surprised but didn't let it show. He kissed her back deeply for show.
"Thank you," Syria smiled as she pulled away.
Angeal, out of breath, said, "Anything for you."
"S-so… Do you want to go ahead and pick out matching bands or…"
"Yes, please." Angeal smiles to the girl, making her swoon slightly. So she walks away to come back with various band trays. They end up getting bands that have four small diamonds, one on each side. Angeal had actually picked them out.
"Alright, that comes to… 60,000 gil." Angeal smiles but squeezes Syria's waist hard.
"Okay." And then Angeal kisses Syria again quickly and hugs her. "You are so lucky I have a good salary."
"I'm sorry, I can pay you back." She whispers.
"No, don't worry about it, I had too much in my account anyway." He laughs after the whisper.
They get into the car and drive off; Syria is putting on her band and 'engagement' ring. She then takes out Angeal's ring and holds it in front of him. He extends his fingers on his left had, so Syria takes that opportunity to lean over and place the ring on his finger. "That is so weird," Angeal's eyes are wide. She loves the way the mako looks in his eyes. "Now to go see Lazard."
"Oh joy," Syria groans as she puts her head on the rest.