Back again! And this time I've tried 'ToWriteLoveOnHerArms08's playlist idea. It's a list of the songs I was listening to as I wrote this. It's quite useful, actually, even if you can't help but sing along. It can change the mood of your writing, and I'm pretty sure that's what it did to me. This is the most serious chapter I've written in this fanfic, hehe. Oh well, I hope you find parts funny, still.

Also, this has kinda turned into more of a Cloud based chapter. It shows his feelings and thoughts, not Reno's. Well, it's a bit of a change. Let me know how it goes ^^

Playlist: The entire album 'Fallen', by Evanescence.

Reno, Cloud and the Gil Tree

Cloud, for once, was feeling particularly good this morning. He was on his way back to Seventh Heaven early, at just 10am. Even now he was inwardly thanking Cid for taking over his delivery shift, despite earlier refusing to leave. The captain had forced him to go home, because apparently he hadn't been having much rest lately. He couldn't really win an argument to that.

Cloud knew something was different from the moment he parked Fenrir next to the bar. It could have been the patch of vomit lying less than a few metres away, but he doubted it. And it wasn't the fact that Marlene and Denzel were at Barret's today. Though it could have been the black vugatti beyron that was parked not far from the bar.

Then he saw it, in all its glory. A tall-1 metre, beautiful, plentiful, practically shimmering tree. And not just any tree. It was a Gil tree, sitting comfortably in a colourful pot.

The blonde man chuckled at first. He couldn't believe his eyes. It hadn't been there this morning, had it?

His chuckle turned into a gleeful laugh, and before he knew it, he was gently stroking the magnificent tree that would change his life.

"Who said Gil didn't grow on trees?" Cloud mumbled, his shifty blue eyes darting from side to side to make sure there were no unwanted witnesses. Thankfully, there were none.

Grabbing the base of the plant, he heaved it upwards, making sure not to spill any of the soil from the pot. Then he hastily ran inside the bar, when the odd feeling grew stronger. And as if on cue, the plant was whisked away from him by a familiar redhead.

"Reno?" Cloud muttered in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

His question was answered by the fact that he was shirtless. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of dark blue trackies, which wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

Ignoring his question, Reno remarked, "That's mine, delivery boy." The way he spoke those last two words told Cloud he was asking for a fight.

Cloud didn't know whether to punch him in the face for sleeping with Tifa or steal the Gil tree back from the Turk. It was tempting either way, but he figured the bartender would last longer than the plant.

"Next time you decide to get laid with my best friend I suggest you do it in a way that I don't find out. You're gonna regret ever touching her." With that, Cloud lunged at the redhead with the force of his rage behind him. He swiftly pulled the tree from his grasp and whacked him across the head with the base of the pot, but only after receiving a sharp kick to the groin.

"What makes you think...She's yours to protect?" Reno managed to say whilst delivering a punch to his opponent's face.
"I promised her that I'd protect her. Especially from people like you." Cloud retorted, blocking the punch with ease before spinning around and head butting him. He was wishing he'd taken his sword from Fenrir now.

"You can't protect her forever. Did it occur to you that she might actually like me?"

Just as Cloud was about to completely knock him out, he heard a sharp gasp come from the staircase. A brunette woman in a black and white outfit was standing at the base of the stairs, a shocked expression forming over her feminine features.

"Cloud, Reno, stop!" She cried, rushing over to them. "You'll break the goldenberry tree!"

To Cloud's distress, she was headed towards the plant, not to him. His day was turning terrible, and he didn't know what to think-or feel.

"Tifa-"He began.

"Shh! I have to tend to the tree, Cloud, please. It was grown by Reno's ancestors, and according to him, it grows golden berries that are harvested at summertime." Tifa interrupted, picking up the fallen plant and carrying it over to the table. Just as she was about to reach it, she stopped and turned around, as if finally realising Cloud's emotions.

"Oh, Cloud...You're not jealous, are you? I thought you knew this would happen. I told you I didn't want to get into a serious relationship." Tifa sighed, brushing off the soil from the plant's leaves.

The blonde ex-soldier stared at her, still lost for words. He was actually quite stunned by the fact that Tifa was blind enough to think that the Gil tree was a berry tree. Finally, all he could manage to say was a simple, "Yeah. I'll fix that for you." Though for Cloud, that was quite a lot.

Reno's now black eyes narrowed. "You'd better fix it. If I come back and find that any worse than it already is..."

"Shut up. You're lucky as hell that I'm fixing this for you. It's yours and you broke it. So I suggest not saying another word." Cloud snarled, slamming his hand on the table forcefully.

Reno rolled his aquamarine eyes. "Whatever." He turned to Tifa. "Permission to take you to the l'eiffel a la francaise?"

Tifa's brown eyes lit up at the mention of such an exquisite restaurant. "Reno! How did you get the money to go there? Do you know how expensive that place is?!"

Reno smirked. "I'm a Turk, Tifa. I have my ways."

"The goldenberries?" Tifa attempted, only receiving a chuckle and a shake of Reno's head.

"Nope. We're not allowed to sell 'em." Reno replied, grabbing her by the hand and leading her outside to his newly polished black vugatti beyron that made Cloud cringe. But not before sneakily sliding a branch of the Gil tree into his pocket.

"Reno, don't you need your suit?" Cloud heard Tifa ask.

"Uh...Maybe. Gimme one sec. Heh."

Cloud smirked as Marlene gave him a thumbs up from the middle of the staircase.

I hope those French bastards like vêtements mouillés as much as he does.

vêtements mouillés means wet clothes, in case you're wondering.

Please review and let me know how this chapter went-I love hearing your opinions! :D Thanks for reading!