A/N:
ThatOneGirl: Thanks very much! That's indeed a good question. She hasn't seen much of Reno in professional mode, really, and I suspect she tries not to think about it too hard. Well, she will learn more soon enough...
Thanks so much for the comments, faves and follows!
4. Just Like Old Times
We touched down in Costa del Sol, to refuel both the helicopter and ourselves. Reno led the way to a small restaurant built to serve the airfield employees. It sported a tropical theme, complete with its own little jungle of potted palms and ferns in the center of the indoor serving area. The plants surrounded a large cage of exotic birds, whose squawks and trills drowned out the sound of aircraft engines.
"So, six months, huh?" I said once we had placed our orders. "What have you been up to?"
Reno shrugged. It made his unruly hair sway, and as it lit up in the bright Costan sun pouring through the windows, it reminded me of Nanaki's flaming tail. The guardian's heatless fire had tickled my skin. I wondered if Reno's hair might do the same.
"Eh, y'know," he drawled, "just runnin' around puttin' out fires. Same old, same old."
"'Same old'?" I repeated, raising my eyebrows.
"Yeah, all right, so that ain't exactly true," he admitted with a dry chuckle. "The bit about fires is, tho'. Midgar was a huge fuckin' mess after Meteorfall. Still is."
"I heard Midgar isn't safe to live in any longer, and that there's a new city being built nearby."
The wicker chair creaked in protest as Reno wiggled around for a more comfortable slouch.
"Yeah, it's called Edge. Ain't that smart to build a city smack dab in the goddamn wasteland, if you ask me, but that's what they're doin'. Guess there's just too many people without homes. People gotta live somewhere."
"It has to be pretty close to the old Mako reactors, then?" I guessed, frowning.
"Yeah. That don't seem so great either. Reeve's people are workin' on gettin' 'em all shut down properly, but it's gonna take time. Who knows when the damn things might spring a leak or somethin'."
It was a valid concern. I wondered if there had been any official tracking of fallout and other pollution in the area prior to Meteor. I knew it was now one of the duties of the WRO's science department, but they would need some frame of reference.
"Hey, that's what you're gonna work on, ain't it?" Reno asked, giving me a curious look. "Makin' the badlands come back to life?"
"Something like that, though the first step is to figure out if it can be done at all."
"'If'? Damn, that's a depressin' thought."
"It's a possibility, though I'm more hopeful than that. According to the elders in Cosmo Canyon, Gaia has an incredible ability to heal itself. It could be that the people need more help than the planet."
Our food arrived. The airfield restaurant had a meager menu, so we had both ended up ordering the same dish: grilled fish of the day with potatoes. Reno had picked the spicy red sauce, while I had chosen the milder green one. My mouth watered as I inspected my colorful plate. The lack of variety when it came to food was one aspect of desert life I was eager to leave behind. I'd had enough of that back on Earth.
"Speaking of that, I also heard rumors of some strange illness," I said as I cut into the fish. "'The Midgar disease', they called it."
The white fillet was mild, but firm in texture. I dipped a tiny potato in the green sauce and popped the whole thing in my mouth. The flavor reminded me of coriander.
"That what they call it over in hippie land, eh? Doctors back home call it Geostigma." He grimaced. "Pretty nasty, yo."
"What does it do?"
"Eh, I'll tell ya some other time." Reno pointed at his plate with his fork. "Y'know, when we ain't in the middle of eatin'."
"Oh, right. Sorry."
"Don't worry 'bout it," he said, then paused in thought for a second and sighed. "Uh, just so ya know, might be best not to ask Reeve 'bout it just yet. His mom died from it."
My eyes went wide. "Really? When?"
"Right after Meteor got smashed up, tho' Reeve didn't find out 'til later."
"He never told me," I mumbled, thinking back at the brief, intermittent phone calls over the past half a year.
"I don't think he heard about it 'til after you'd been sent off," Reno pondered. "Y'know, the whole Stigma thing is why he sent ya to Cosmo Canyon all of a sudden. He knew your immune system ain't ideal for this place and was worried you'd get sick too."
"Wait a minute. I thought it was so I could learn about Gaia?"
"Sure, that was always the plan. You just got sent there sooner." A corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Was pissed at him 'bout that, actually. Didn't get a chance to say bye."
"I was a bit pissed off, too," I admitted with a chuckle and a shake of my head. "With you, though."
"Aw, that ain't fair! Wasn't my bad, yo."
His pout only made me laugh harder.
"I know that now. You're forgiven."
He grinned. "Cool."
"Not so sure about Reeve, though," I said, stabbing a potato with my fork. "I don't like being kept in the dark."
"Eh, don't hold it against him. If you'd known there was a new disaster to deal with, ain't no way we'd gotten you to leave. We all know that, Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes."
"I'm perfectly capable of reason, you know," I complained, sending him a dirty look. "If Reeve had valid concerns, he could've just explained them to me."
"Nah, that wouldn't work. You'd just hop into that armored suit of yours and claim you're fuckin' invincible."
"What?"
I studied his face, confused by the turn our conversation had taken. The man's tone was playful, but an odd glint in his eyes told me he wasn't just fooling around.
"Don't try to deny it, babe," he teased. "I've seen it happen, yo."
"Hang on," I said slowly, "is this about my decision to go back to– home?"
I caught myself at the last moment. Six months of watching my tongue in Cosmo Canyon, yet words like "Earth" still slipped out the moment I let down my guard.
Reno's smile widened, revealing a glimmer of teeth.
"See? It's true and you know it."
My grip on the fork tightened.
"I take it back," I said, narrowing my eyes. "You're not forgiven at all."
For a few beats, we locked eyes. Then, in an instant, his sharp smile was gone.
"Aw, dammit," he whined, slumping back in his chair. "Takin' it back ain't fair either, y'know."
"Puppy eyes won't save you this time," I said, hiding my relief with a stern tone, then allowed a small smile to return. "But... dessert just might."
"Bribes, eh? I can work with that."
Reno signaled the waiter, we moved on to other topics, and the little incident was soon forgotten.
After less than an hour on the ground we were in the air again, crossing the ocean between the eastern and western continents. The sky was cloudy, but the little white puffs never kept the sun hidden for long. I was following their shadows on the water, idly entertaining myself with the thought that one of them might be some fantastic Gaian sea creature, when Reno's voice sounded over the headset.
"Y'know, there's one more reason why I wanted to bring ya back myself. I got this for ya."
He fished a card out from his pocket and tossed it in my lap. It had my name and photo, along with my birth date and a bunch of other numbers that meant nothing to me.
"Citizen of Midgar, huh?" I commented.
"Like I said, Midgar's a mess. That includes all its citizen records and databases. No one's gonna think twice 'bout a Midgar evacuee with missin' info. This oughta be enough to get ya a real ID from Kalm or Edge."
I turned the card over in my hands, examining the details. I had never seen a Midgar citizen's ID before, but since a Turk had procured it, I had to assume it was a convincing fake.
"Won't they ask questions? I don't know much about Midgar."
"Yeah, and that's what we're gonna go over now. You got a cover story to learn, yo."
Instead dictating my new background to me like I expected, Reno began with questions. He asked about the places where I had grown up, studied and worked, about family and employers. Once he moved on to the cover story, it was obvious he had tailored it to fit my real history, only changing details like the names of cities.
"Banora, in Mideel. Way down south. That's where you're from. Firebombed 'bout eight years ago, most townfolk got killed."
I sent him a searching look. "Shinra?"
"Who else?" he countered with a faint, cynical smile. "Dumbapples and First Class SOLDIERs, that's all anyone remembers 'bout the place now. A perfect fit for ya."
Reno grilled me with more questions, only now he expected the answers he had tweaked for me. There was more laughter than frustration as the session unfolded, but the Turk was a tough teacher to satisfy. He didn't stop until I had provided perfect replies for each one at least twice.
By that point, the coastline of the eastern continent was coming into view. It wasn't long before I could make out the symmetrical wedge of Junon jutting out into the sea from steep cliffs.
"Still looks weird without a big-ass gun stickin' out of it," Reno commented.
I glanced over in time to see him pop a piece of gum in his mouth and start chewing.
"I'd offer ya some," he said as he slipped the pack back into his pocket, "but I'm guessin' you don't want nicotine gum."
My eyebrows knitted together.
"Hang on, I saw you smoke in Cosmo Canyon."
"I ain't quittin', if that's what you're wonderin'. I always bring this stuff on long flights. Tseng will string me up from my balls if I smoke in the chopper."
"Please don't tell me you know this from experience."
Reno snickered.
"Nah. That ain't my kinda kinky, so I've behaved, yo."
"That's a relief," I said, mirroring his grin.
"I've had to cut down, tho'," he added after a while. "You know how much a pack of smokes goes for these days? It's fuckin' ridiculous, and even if ya can afford 'em, the traders are usually out."
"Is it the supply or the demand?"
"Eh, bit of both. The factories that made 'em don't get enough juice now that many of the Mako reactors are down, and people are pickin' up all sorts of bad habits after Meteorfall." His smile was crooked. "Maybe there's somethin' 'bout comin' close to the end of the world that makes ya think you're fuckin' invincible."
"Huh. That's weird."
"Well, I dunno. Maybe everythin' just sucks too hard these days and people need somethin' to look forward to. Even if it's just their next lungful of tar."
There was truth to it, I supposed. Nothing like a vice or two when you were in need of a distraction.
"Yet you're cutting down," I pointed out.
"Yeah, well, if there's one thing ya learn as a Turk, it's that no one's invincible. That, and I ain't made of gil."
"Shinra doesn't pay you enough?" I teased.
"The pay's still good, but I'm still damn good at spendin' it too," he quipped with a grin. "'Sides, everythin' costs an arm and a leg in Edge. A guy could go broke eatin' nothin' but noodles."
"Well, where's the fun in that? You may as well spend it all on smokes, booze and women, then."
"I like the way you think, babe."
We exchanged smiles, then fell into a companionable silence as we approached Junon. My thoughts drifted to my upcoming meeting with Reeve and a couple of representatives from the WRO's budding science department. I knew little of my new colleagues, but I was aware that some were former Shinra employees. I wasn't pleased with that thought, but Reeve had assured me that none of Hojo's old cronies worked at the Kalm branch, where I would be stationed. In fact, I was told its director wasn't shy about his anti-Shinra sentiments nor his dislike for the late Professor Hojo's methods.
I became aware of the insistent tapping on my thighs and clasped my hands together to keep them still. Eager for a distraction, I let my gaze roam the cockpit, examining the byzantine rows of switches and gauges. Eventually I reached the man in charge of it all. My eyes lingered on his hands, on the calluses and the tangle of thin, faded scars around the knuckles. Despite their rough appearance, his hands gripped and guided the controls with a light touch. His fingers had been warm, I remembered, and wondered if that was still the case. I imagined them cradling my cheek, the way they had during our goodbye, right before I returned to Earth, and–
I snapped my eyes toward the scenery, feeling heat rush to my face. Where the hell did that come from? That was... I took a deep breath. That was something I shouldn't think about right now. My life was already going through a major upheaval. I didn't need the complications of an old crush.
Fortunately, the redhead had been too focused on the landing procedure to notice anything. For once.
"So, ready to meet your new boss?" he asked as the blades began to wind down.
"Don't say things like that," I groaned. "I'm already nervous enough. It might not matter much to you, but I'm not looking forward to introducing myself to a bunch of my new higher-ups while I'm wearing this."
I gestured at my shorts and top. My reliance on the hazard suit meant my wardrobe was sorely neglected. Smart-casual attire was far from a necessity among Cosmo Canyon's eclectic inhabitants.
Reno glanced at me, a smile playing on his lips.
"Well, funny you should mention that. I got some of your old stuff in the back. Clothes, too."
I gave him a blank look.
"What? My old clothes?"
"Yeah, what I got for ya to wear 'round HQ, remember? Found some of 'em after you left. Thought they might still be of some use to ya, so I brought 'em along."
"You're kidding me."
"Check for yourself. They're in the bag next to Sparky's box."
He gestured toward the back of the helicopter. After some fumbling, I succeeded in unbuckling myself and climbed out of the cockpit. A duffle bag strapped into one of the seats contained a pinstripe skirt and a couple of shirts. He had even found my pumps. I hadn't seen them since I had ditched them outside my cell. The memories floating back to me felt strange, as if I was looking at a different lifetime.
"You can change right now if you want," the Turk called to me from his seat. "I ain't gonna peek."
"I think I will. Thanks, Reno. You're the best."
"Yeah, ain't I just?" he chuckled.
I paired the skirt with a powder blue blouse. I had rounded out a bit now that I was no longer stuck with hospital food, so the skirt was tighter around the hips, but not unbearably so. The heels were far less comfortable, as always, but I doubted my hiking boots would work with the rest of the outfit.
"How do I look?"
Reno's head appeared in the doorway. He looked me over with a gaze that sent the butterflies in my belly aflutter, then shot me a grin.
"Like a secretary." He must have noticed the dangerous glint in my eye, because he was quick to add, "I mean a foxy secretary. Real foxy. Like, rawr."
"Oh, good," I said dryly. "Just what I was going for."
He ducked back out of view, laughing.
"Seriously, you look great, babe," he called from the cockpit. "As sharp as Rude, and that guy's always dressed to kill, yo."
What a choice of words. Intentional, too, knowing Reno.
When he joined me in the cabin, there was a small frown on his face.
"Hey, uh, before we head out... You ain't still pissed off, are ya? 'Bout the dumb shit I said in the bar?"
I needed a few moments to connect his enquiry to the scene he made in Pub Starlet. At the time, I had been livid. Now, my main reaction was surprise that he brought it up again.
"Well, I'm not thrilled about it."
He made a face and rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his boots.
"Look, I was just bein' an ass. You know I didn't mean nothin' by it, right?"
Didn't mean to be so inconsiderate? Didn't mean to hurt my feelings? Didn't mean to imply he was interested in me in that way? Why was the last option suddenly the one that bothered me the most? I needed to sort out my priorities.
"I'm not angry," I sighed. "But I don't like you saying things like that about me in public."
In public? Why on earth had I added that?
"Yeah, I get it now. Won't happen again, Fitz."
With that promise, Reno slid the side door open and hopped out, offering me a hand.
