Aeris found the bed empty beside her. The room was dim but the light from the bathroom gave her at least enough to see by. Bathroom. Light. Empty bed. Ah. More than likely Reno was answering a call of nature. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the cracked, stained ceiling waiting for him to return. The room looked much like what she expected from a dive motel in Wall Market. Maybe she should have insisted they go to one of the love hotels - theoretically they would have been nicer than this. But the evening had been going so well - so much better than expected or anticipated. It would also have taken longer to get there, and Reno was fantastic company. He made her laugh, scowled at anyone who even glanced at her. And his kissing-

She ran her fingers across her lips. Just as well he picked that spot outside to kiss her like that. The less delays the better as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Even the taste of cigarettes on his breath had not been as off-putting as she expected. He kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. She was panting by the time Reno's hands slipped from her waist to her ass - and she replied in kind. Aeris could not suppress her breathy moan as he cupped her breast; she grabbed his crotch in response making him grunt. Staying out in public was not an option any more. They hurried to the hotel without another delay, unwilling to quite let go of each other. Reno paid for the room, barely looking at the note denominations as he slammed the gil onto the counter and snatched the key.

The door was at least closed when she pounced on him, jacket soon stripped away and her fingers fumbling with his shirt buttons as he plucked at her dress'. They flung their clothes to the floor and entwined pleasurably on the bed. Aeris's fingers strayed to her throat; it felt a little sore after all her shouts and groans. Worth it though; Reno was an attentive and experienced lover. Ever afterwards - the post-coital doze so hazy and warm in his arms.

Aeris's dress lay crumpled near the door and her bra dangled from the bed, the hooks caught in the sheet. Her underwear was nowhere in sight; Reno's boxers lay in the middle of the floor. She looked at bathroom door, eager to cuddle again or anything more if he was up for it. Only; was that running water? Aeris rolled over and fumbled on the beside table for her phone. 3 am. What was he thinking? A bath at this time of morning? Aeris sighed and squirmed across the bed, dragging the sheet with her. She wrapped it around herself and padded towards the bathroom. "Reno?" she called.

"Yeah?" The enclosed room gave Reno's voice a trace of an echo and the water stopped, the muted throb of music from Wall Market now audible again.

"Okay if I come in?"

A moment. "Sure," he replied. Aeris pushed the door open. Reno grinned up at her from the off-white bath. He was smoking and seemed entirely unfazed as she stared down at his lithe, naked body. She glanced away, not wanting to stare, but the temptation was strong. Every tile looked cracked or broken - not much else to look at in the cramped room. Her gaze returned to Reno. He was still wearing those googles; they hadn't come off as the two of them fell into bed. Did he ever remove them? "What's up?" he asked taking a drag on his cigarette.

"I was..." Aeris frowned. "Well. You weren't in the bed, and... But now I'm wondering. Why a bath?"

Reno grinned. "No detectors in here you see." He pointed at the ceiling - nothing but a dim light bulb. "Getting dressed and going outside's a pain. Leaning out the window never works either - 'specially in hotels with those security things. So here's the only option."

"Oh." Surprisingly mundane, despite the apparent oddness. "But you didn't have to actually take a bath. Did you?" Aeris asked. "You didn't even put any salts or bubble bath or anything in there."

Reno shrugged, still grinning as her gaze swept over his body. "I like baths - and now you're wondering what possessed me to get up and have one now."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Aeris admitted, dragging her gaze back to his face.

"Habit I picked up during some long nights. Not a particularly interesting story - just something I do. Nothing quite like it. Not a fan of that oily crap or bubbles though." He stared at her for a long moment, his grin fading slightly. "Not having regrets about earlier are you?"

Aeris smiled and perched on the side of the bath. "No. Not in the slightest. I had fun. That was... that was all good." The end of his cigarette flared yellow, his grin returning. The resulting smoke was strangely mesmerising. "Hey, can I try one of those?"

"What a smoke?" Reno asked. Aeris nodded. "Sure." He offered her the box with a shrug. "Try not to let Tseng find out. Not sure how he'd react to his precious pure maiden tarnishing her lungs." She pulled a face at the mention of Tseng's name and he grinned. "Yeah; pointless to worry about that given the air down here. Quite what he thinks you've breathing everyday I don't know. Not certain this stuff's not as bad as the crap out there." He studied her. "Then again, I don't know if I want him finding out about us being here like this."

"Let's not talk about Tseng," Aeris said with more force than intended. Reno raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he reached for the lighter behind him. "Tseng thinks I'm something special. I'm really not." She leant forward, bringing her cigarette into contact with the lighter's flame. She frowned as the end blackened and burned.

"Inhale," Reno said.

Aeris blinked and sucked in a breath. Her mouth and lungs flooded with smoke, the fumes clogging her airways and left her spluttering and coughing. She tore the cigarette from her mouth, holding it at arm's length with a grimace. "That's vile," she croaked. "And you do this for pleasure?"

Reno shrugged. "Everyone says something like that the first time. You get used to it quick and then you wonder how you lived without 'em."

Aeris hesitantly brought the tobacco back to her lips and took another experimental breath. The effect was admittedly less hideous than the first, but it was still hard to see how it could lead the compulsion smokers seemed to have. "I... I can sort of see that," she eventually managed. Another drag; less terrible again.

"See? My advice is give up now though. These things get expensive," Reno said.

"Not willing to share?" Aeris asked.

"Hey, they don't pay me that well," he replied and slouched back. "You don't need to worry; people reckon best way to not want to smoke is to try it once."

"Yeah, that seems to have worked wonders for you," she replied. Reno didn't answer, his gaze fixed somewhere below her neckline. Aeris glanced down; the sheet had dropped a little while they talked exposing part of her chest. Incorrigible."I'll take the risk. So, room in there for another while I try this?" she added, letting the sheet dip a little further, Reno's gaze following the movement intently.

"You want to get in too?" he said and blinked, now actually meeting her gaze.

Aeris shrugged, playing at being care-free. "Why not? Not like I can take this outside. If I put it out it'll be waste. Plus I like baths too."

"Go for it." His manner might seem flippant, but he was paying careful attention as made room for her. Aeris stood and let the sheet slip from her shoulders with exaggerated slowness. Reno's gaze slid down her body as the sheet pooled on the floor, his ever-present smirk growing more pronounced. Aeris grinned in anticipation as she stepped into the bath.