Time for a beach episode! And in case you can't tell after reading this, pillow talk involving deep personal past baggage is a favorite of mine. Ask any of my exes.

Song inspiration is Isla Bonita by Taladego.


A cool ocean breeze. Nighttime. A large bonfire. Tropical music emanating from large speakers. Dancing bodies along the beach. Torches providing the only source of lighting aside from the bonfire.

A petite woman, hips swaying to the beat. Black waves tossed over one shoulder, a large flower pinned in, holding them in place. A small, white triangle bikini top with a pattern of palm leaves. Matching bottoms covered by a sheer pink and orange tie-dye wrap, flowing in the breeze. Bare feet dancing in the sand. A twirl through the haze of smoke. A carefree smile, hands in the air.

Teal eyes lock onto him. They realize he has been watching. She bites her lip and nods her head in her direction. A gesture to join.

"Reno, you're drooling."

The man in question sharply turned his head towards his companion, "Huh?"

His companion chuckled in an exasperated manner, "You're hopeless."

"Don't be so rude, Elena," Reno responded, holding up a finger to the woman on the beach and gesturing that he'd be there in a minute.

The woman smiled at him and closed her eyes once again, twirling carelessly in the crowd of people. A dazed smile appeared on Reno's face and Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes, brushing some of her blonde fringe out of her face.

"You've got it so bad."

"Tell me about it," a new voice joined the conversation.

Reno grinned at the man who had approached, "Rude! Didn't think we'd see you down here."

Rude shrugged, the lighting from a nearby torch glimmering off his bald head, "Even I am not immune to a beach party."

Reno laughed and slapped his arm, "'Course, buddy."

Elena adjusted the linen wrap around her hips, frustrated that she had allowed herself to be dressed by the woman who had dragged them all on vacation in the first place. Reeve is giving me some time off, she had said, and I want to bring my closest friends on a beach vacation with me! After the Deepground bullshit, we've earned it!

Glancing down at her small cleavage, Elena felt exposed and slightly uncomfortable around her co-workers, though they did not seem to notice. Especially not Reno, who still appeared in a trance, staring at the dark haired woman across the beach.

"Where's Tseng and Rufus?'

"Of course you're concerned about Tseng's whereabouts."

Elena narrowed her eyes at Reno, "Says the guy drooling over Ria. Literally."

Reno wiped the corners of his mouth, "Shut up. I've had salivary problems since Tifa broke my jaw."

"It's been four years."

"Bone doesn't change that quickly, Elena!"

"Have you ever even read an anatomy textbook?"

Reno scowled, though there was still a teasing tone to his words, "Don't bring my uneducated ass into this!"

"You started it!"

"Children, please."

Another new voice, this one belonging to a blonde man. He placed himself between Reno and Rude, slightly shorter than both.

"Nice of you to join us, boss," Reno commented, attempting to keep his tone as neutral as possible despite his irritation at the man's appearance.

"I didn't think this was your scene, Rufus," Elena inquired, slightly caught off guard as well.

A smirk, "If even Rude made his way to the beach, I couldn't stay behind."

Reno turned back to the crowd, hoping to find his raven-haired beauty once again. He frowned in exasperation, looking over and around the heads of nearby beachgoers to catch a glimpse. The tie-dye wrap and carefree smile imprinted into his mind.

"Looking for someone?"

Red hair, loose from its usual ponytail, swung across his shoulders as Reno turned to face Rufus. The blonde man had his typical know-it-all smirk plastered on his face, though Reno maintained an impassive expression.

"Just checking for Tseng, yo," he stated, lazily tossing an arm around Elena, "the young one here was looking for him."

Elena scowled, and Rufus smirked wider in response, "I see."

Rude bumped Reno's elbow and nodded almost imperceptibly towards the crowd, where two heads of long black hair were moving together to the beat, one head with a flower and another without. Reno's eyes widened at first before he squinted, leaning forward and craning his neck around a nearby couple to get a better look.

"Your subtlety is astonishing," Rufus snarked.

Reno ignored him, "Hey, Elena! I found Tseng."

The young blonde woman, who barely reached Reno's shoulder, frowned from behind him, "I can't see anything."

"He and Ria appear to be dancing together," Rufus remarked, "I didn't realize Tseng knew how to salsa."

"Ria has been taking lessons during our stay," Rude commented offhandedly, "maybe Tseng was too."

"Actually, that looks like merengue," Reno stated neutrally, noting that Ria was leading more than Tseng.

Elena looked flabbergasted, "How do you know that?"

Reno shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face, "I've been learning."

"Perhaps you should replace Tseng then," Rufus commented, a haughty look on his features, "Show him how to properly lead a woman."

Rude and Elena elected to remain quiet, knowing better than to interfere in Rufus and Reno's unsubtle competition. Reno sent a smirk to the blonde man, sticking his tongue out between his teeth as he did so. Rufus' arrogant expression remained.

"Can do, boss."

Reno swaggered across the beach as the song changed, approaching Tseng and Ria, who were currently in some sort of embrace, not moving to the beat. Reno felt as though someone had elbowed him the gut, though given how crowded the people were around him, that was entirely possible.

"Howdy ho, friends!"

A bright smile lit up Ria's features, her cheeks flushed from the exercise and likely alcohol. She released herself from Tseng's grip and quickly closed the distance to Reno, crushing her face in his chest. Reno grinned at Tseng, unable to hide his happiness, and the older man nodded in greeting.

"Mind if I take over?" Reno asked of Tseng, wrapping one arm tightly around Ria's shoulders as she continue to smash her face into the side of his chest near his armpit, both of her arms wrapped tightly around his bare waist.

"Not at all," Tseng responded, an amused smile taking over his features, "I'm a bit rusty anyway."

"Reno's been taking lessons with me," Ria revealed, grinning at her much taller companion, "I'm sure he could teach you a thing or two if you want."

"Elena was looking for you too," Reno added, failing to hide the smile on his face at Ria's indirect praise.

An embarrassed smile appeared on Tseng's features and he nodded his goodbye before departing, leaving his companions to wonder whether he was embarrassed because of Elena's obvious crush on him, or because there was something actually going on. Ria was the first to voice her thoughts.

Arms still around Reno, she looked up at him from under her eyelashes, "Think they've gotten together yet?"

Reno didn't answer right away, pondering Tseng and Ria's relationship instead. It was obvious that something big had happened between them at one point, though when he had once asked, Ria mentioned that Tseng had been the one who was there for her through traumatic experiences in her life. She stated that he was very special to her, and she cared about him a lot. So much, in fact, that she nearly sacrificed herself for him in the Temple of the Ancients four years ago. Something didn't add up, and Reno didn't like how jealous he felt…

"Reno?"

Reno plastered a smile on his face, "Sorry, babe. Long day."

Her sweet smile turned sultry, and she moved her hands from his waist and down his arms, ghosting her fingertips along his skin. She grabbed his hands in hers and walked backwards, giving them more space from the crowd surrounding them.

"Dance with me."

The 'come hither' look she was sporting was killing him. He sent her a lopsided smile before pulling her close, gripping one of her hands and placing the other on her lower back. Another song began to play, and sand began to kick up in their wake.

"Anything you want, Ri."


It was mid-morning when Ria finally opened her eyes, the sun's rays sneaking in from the open window shades and a light breeze drifting in through the open window, bring the scent of the ocean along with it. She blinked a few times to break apart her crusted mascara, wondering how much makeup she had gotten on the pillow cases. She sighed in peaceful bliss, reminding herself to thank Cloud for the use of Villa Cloud, and to thank Reeve for allowing her a peaceful vacation in Costa Del Sol, an Isla Bonita. Sort of.

She rolled over with the intention of getting out of bed, though a pair of arms and a raspy, sleepy voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Where ya goin'?"

Ria ran a hand through her hair, stringy from the dried salt water. She tried to ignore the heat she felt from the hand on her bare hip, and the hand on her bare shoulder from the arm wrapped around her torso, which she was laying on. She flushed from her head to her toes as the thumb on her hip began to draw patterns, suddenly aware of the body pressed tightly against her backside and the feeling of the satin sheets on her naked skin.

"Nowhere," she responded dreamily, snuggling back into her companion, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment.

A chuckle, and she smiled at the attractiveness of his rough morning voice, "Good."

They lay in silence for a few moments until Ria tried to weasel her way out of her companion's arms once again. He tightened them in response and pressed himself against her. Her eyes widened, and she squealed in surprise.

"Reno!"

"Stop moving," he mumbled irritably, grasping at her body to keep her from squirming further.

His wandering hands began to tickle her sides, and she struggled to hold in her laughter, "I'm going to wake up the whole Villa!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he stated cockily, smirking at her, eyes half lidded.

Ria took a moment to admire her companion in such a natural, vulnerable state. His fiery red hair was splayed across the grey satin pillow, red facial tattoos emphasized by the sunrays creeping in through the window above the bed and falling on his face, which was turned to her. Although he had tanned slightly, his pale chest shimmered in the sunlight and Ria caught a hint of pink sunburn forming on his shoulders and the tip of his nose. The sheets had gotten bunched behind him, for the most part, but still rested over his hip and down his legs, though his feet were sticking out. The thin satin did not leave much to the imagination, however, and Ria's imagination was already running wild with his previous words.

"I had a dream about you last night," she confessed, leaning forward to plant a kiss to his nose.

Reno took this as an excuse to grab her close again, and the two now lay face to face on the same pillow, "You sure it wasn't real?"

She giggled as he placed a kiss on her neck and half-heartedly tried to push him away, "I'm sure."

He leaned back from her slightly, blue eyes meeting teal, "What was it about?"

Ria's cheeks were pink, though Reno couldn't tell what from: sunburn, his tickling, or the subject of her dream.

"You'd laugh at me if I told you."

"You don't know that," Reno commented, yawning.

Reno, still in the process of waking up, let go of Ria to scoot up towards the window above the headboard. The slippery satin sheets slid off with his movement and Ria forced herself not to stare, instead focusing on the movements of Reno's toned arms and hands as he opened the window and shades completely, allowing a beautiful breeze and sunlight to engulf the room.

"Nothing you ain't seen before, Ri," Reno joked as she shook her head shyly in response, "For such a bossy and sassy woman in normal life, you're pretty meek one-on-one."

She shrugged as Reno replaced himself on the bed, light gusts of wind brushing across their bodies now uncovered by the sheets.

"You bring out a softer side of me."

Reno smiled and kissed the top of her head as it rested on his chest, rubbing a hand along her shoulder and enjoying the feeling of the soft, sun kissed skin under his rough fingertips.

"Could say the same for you."

Ria lifted her head from his chest to send him a mock glare, "I swear if you tell anyone what a softie I am, I will rip your fucking throat out and stake your body like the Midgar Zolom."

Reno merely chuckled in response and kissed a suntanned cheek, "You're cute when you give death threats."

Ria rolled her eyes with peaceful smile on her face, sharply contrasting with the words she had spoken moments before. She placed her head back on the lean chest of her partner, closing her eyes and losing herself in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"So what was your dream about?" Reno inquired, placing his free arm behind his head and giving his armpit a quick sniff before pulling away with a disgusted expression, "I promise I won't laugh."

Ria kept her eyes closed, "I had a dream we got married."

The mention of such a commitment didn't startle Reno as much as he anticipated. His expression turned to mild contemplation and his heartbeat remained even. Ria took note of his physiological reaction.

"Wanna elaborate?"

Ria opened her eyes but did not move from her position on his chest, eager to continue to monitor Reno's reactions via his heartbeat, "What do you mean?"

Reno shifted slightly to get more comfortable, "There's gotta be more detail than that, yo."

Ria remembered the dream vividly, though she toned it down for fear of scaring Reno off, "Not much, really. Just the ceremony, which was beautiful by the way, a gorgeous dress, all of our friends, the world at peace, a fun reception…pretty standard stuff."

"Did you design the dress yourself?"

"In the dream? Of course."

"Was it a brand new design?"

Ria furrowed her brows, "Yeah; it was like nothing I've ever designed before. It was amazing."

"Do you remember it?"

"Vividly."

Reno smiled, "Good."

Ria lifted her head from his chest to look at him. His heartbeat had begun to quicken. She gave him a skeptical look.

"Why?"

He shrugged, his gaze landing on the dresser on the other side of the room which was suddenly much more interesting than the naked woman half laying on him, "I just think you should remember it. For future reference."

Ria couldn't contain the smile that lit up her face. She squinted, the sunlight hitting her eyes as she sat up on her elbows, facing Reno.

"Reno," she stated teasingly, "are you implying that you would marry me?"

Reno shrugged lazily, though there was a soft smile on his face as he lay back down on the pillow and closed his eyes, "Maybe."

"Shocking," she responded, resting her chin on his chest and regarding him with a look she had not ever shown him before, "considering you can't even commit to what flavor of ice cream you want."

Reno opened his eyes and sent Ria a mock glare, "I'm lactose intolerant, Ri."

Ria laughed, "So?"

"So? It's not committing to a flavor of ice cream. It's committing to whether or not I want to spend the next couple of hours camped out on the shitter!"

Ria couldn't control her laughter, and Reno quickly joined in. As she lay on him, her melodic laugh filling the room, Reno felt more content than he had in a long time. Even with smeared makeup, sunburn, and greasy hair, she was amazingly gorgeous to him.

"That doesn't change the fact that you can't commit to what bedsheets you want in your apartment," Ria argued, continuing the previous conversation with a teasing grin on her face.

"I'm very sensitive to texture," Reno defended, "Both visual and tactile."

"Just yesterday you couldn't commit to whether you wanted fish or fries for dinner."

"I'm a picky eater. I ended up getting both anyway because I knew you'd want fries, even though you didn't order them."

Ria rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm trying to make a point."

Reno grabbed the back of her head and pulled her close, kissing her forehead, "I know, Ri. You're trying to voice your uncertainty of a future with me because you think I'm afraid of commitment."

If Ria was shocked by his understanding, she didn't show it. He was a Turk for many years, after all, and she had zero doubts at his intelligence and ability to read others and their intentions, despite how oblivious he came across at times.

"Maybe you're the one afraid of commitment," Reno stated casually, knowing he was treading on thin ice but voicing his thoughts anyway.

One thing that Ria always appreciated about Reno was his honesty and genuine intentions. There were no games with Reno; if he wanted to know something, he would ask. If he had an opinion, he would voice it.

Before Ria could respond, Reno gestured to the nearby end table, which held a ring on it, "Which is weird, considering you didn't ever stop wearing your engagement ring."

Ria stared at the ring for a moment, the green gemstone glaring back at her, "Not for the reasons you probably think."

"Then explain it to me," Reno requested, his tone still neutral, his body language still open.

Ria reach over and picked up the ring, playing with the sharp edges of the wings sticking out from the round green gemstone, perched elegantly in the center. The detailing of the wings was elaborate and unnecessary, though beautiful all the same.

"Mrs. Shinra gave it to me, actually. Shortly before she passed."

Reno nodded and pulled an arm tighter around Ria, knowing that it was a sensitive subject, "You've mentioned that."

"She was like a mother to me," Ria continued, tracing the wings as she spoke, "almost as much as my own mother. She was always very proud of me and encouraging of me and my dreams."

"Your eighteenth birthday, right?" Reno offered, encouraging Ria to continue.

She nodded, "She gave it to me, telling me that it was a symbol of my free spirit, my connection to nature, and my independence and refusal to be tied down. Always remember who you are, she said to me, Don't lose yourself for a man, or anyone else. I think she was referring to her own marriage."

"Rufus proposed to you with that ring at your high school graduation party," Reno recalled, "it was a pretty elaborate spectacle."

Ria chuckled, "Yeah. The ring belonged to Mrs. Shinra, actually, so it didn't fit me. She had it adjusted for me and whenever I asked about it, she would smile and shrug and say that it was taking much longer than expected. She assured me that I would have it for my graduation party."

"That you did," Reno allowed himself a laugh, still remembering Ria's ecstatic face when Rufus had proposed.

"I always did love the spotlight," Ria smiled with nostalgia, "I'd be terribly embarrassed if something like that happened now, though."

"An elaborate, public proposal or being proposed to by Rufus?" Reno asked, his own curiosity getting the better of him.

"Why not both?" Ria laughed good-naturedly.

Reno glanced at the ring again, still grasped in Ria's fingertips, "So then, why do you still wear it, four years after you told Rufus to go fuck himself and joined AVALANCHE?"

Ria had the decency to grin sheepishly at the crudely worded recollection of her betrayal, "It's not just Mrs. Shinra that it keeps me close to."

Reno gestured for her to go on, his hand now running through her hair, the hard texture oddly soothing.

"I actually ripped off the ring and tossed it at a wall immediately after storming out of his office," Ria recalled with a hint of embarrassment, "And it was returned to me a few months later."

"By who?" Reno asked curiously, as he had not ever heard this part of the story before.

"Aerith."

Reno's eyes widened at the mention of the Ancient, "How did she end up with it?"

"I guess when the crew was escaping the Shinra building, before I joined up with them, she found it," Ria reminisced, a sad smile on her face, "She started to wear it because she thought it was so beautiful and wondered how somebody could have lost it."

"Didn't realize she was such a klepto."

Ria playfully smacked him on the shoulder and continued, "Anyway, we ended up talking about it at some point once I noticed, and I told her she could keep it, that I didn't want it anymore. That it gave me too many bad memories."

Reno said nothing or offered no extra comfort as Ria appeared to struggle with her composure, knowing that she would not want his pity. It helps just to know you're here, she had said to him once, I don't need the extra boyfriend-y bullshit. Doesn't suit you anyway.

"Shortly before she left to summon holy, she gave it to me. She told me, I know you don't want it, Ria, but you'll be glad you have it. Remember all of the positive times you've had with it. Don't let the negatives overshadow that. Celeste's spirit still resides in it, and since you allowed me to own it, my spirit will always reside in it too."

Reno allowed a sad smile to settle on his face, his eyes filled with understanding. Ria was the picture of despair; it read all over her slouching and drooping body language. She did not cry, however.

"And we all know what happened next but, yeah. I feel safe when I wear it, but I don't want people to get the wrong idea; that's why I wear it on my right hand. I'm not sure I ever viewed it as an engagement ring anyway…it was a bit of a cop out on Rufus' part to re-gift me something his mother gave me, but I guess it was sweet and sentimental at the time."

Reno gestured for the ring and Ria placed it in his palm wordlessly. He sat up on an elbow to get a better look at it. He felt oddly calm as he ran a finger over the green gemstone, and the tranquility unsettled him.

"Tell you what," he said, a boyish grin on his face, "Even after we get engaged and married, you can keep wearing it, if you want. No judgement."

Ria's face was a mixture of shock, unshed tears, and happiness. She chose to go with the latter emotion, feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable, but strangely accepting of it.

"You're gonna have to talk to my parents first," she teased.

Reno's expression turned uncomfortable, though his tone was jovial, "Eben's not a problem; she's always loved me. Your dad is terrifying though, yo."

"He's a big teddy bear," Ria argued, resting her chin on Reno's chest again and gazing up at him through her messy hair.

"The man was essentially in charge of SOLIDER and the Turks at one point, Ri, and my former boss," Reno stated, recalling Torben's executive promotion after the demise of Director Lazard and Veld's departure, "That is not a man to be fucked with. I watched him beat up an infantryman once!"

"He probably deserved it," Ria shrugged indifferently.

Reno shook his head, "I'm not sure which is more likely to make me shit my pants: a pint of ice cream or Torben Belladonna."

Ria's laugh enveloped the room again, and Reno couldn't help but think to himself what a great promise he made to her. Going strong, he thought to himself.

"I'm excited to find out," she gave him a genuine smile, a single ray of sunlight grazing the top of her head.

"An angel," he said to himself, pulling Ria in for a kiss.

She obliged, but pulled away from him with a confused expression, "What'd you say?"

"Just admiring your beauty," he said smoothly, stroking her cheek.

She rolled her eyes at him as she got out of bed, though the smile on her face proved how his comment had affected her, "Whatever. I need to shower."

"Mind if I join?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he overdramatically swept his eyes over Ria's body, causing her to toss a discarded pair of swim trunks at his face in response.

"Is that even a question?"

Although she made a show of sashaying her way to the bathroom, Reno's thoughts were still caught on her vulnerability, her smile, and the fact that she obviously saw a future with him.

I am a lucky man, he thought to himself as he basically skipped to the bathroom, A really, really lucky man.