The following day was quiet. Uncomfortably quiet for Reno and Tseng, the two shifted uncomfortably in their seats, only a few of the Turks knew about what had happened, but somehow Director Lazard had gotten wind of it and was now interviewing them to see if they wanted to press charges against the man.
"You do understand the severity of this situation, you should have come forward about this all sooner" the blonde shook his head, then adjusted his glasses

"It wasn't anything that I couldn't have handled," Tseng shook his head "its Reno I'm more concerned about, so we don't need to mention me in this report"

"Tseng!" Reno leant forwards sharply in his seat, he then leant back wincing at the searing pain from the night before. "Why are you going to let him get away with what he did to you?"

"I have my reasons, but file the report of what he did to Reno under drunk and disorderly behaviour"

"This is very unorthodox for you Tseng" Lazard sighed, "Is there something else you want to add to this conversation so we might be on the same page as you?"

"No, I can deal with Rufus personally, through interacting with him for a long time I know what makes him tick. I shouldn't have any more troubles with him"

Reno sighed and glanced out the window, all the time he'd been here he'd caused a lot of trouble for people, especially Rude, Tseng and Cissnei.

"Would you mind if I took the day off today?" Reno finally said, interrupting Lazard and Tseng's heated conversation.

"I was going to suggest you take a few days off" Tseng said flatly "I told you Lazard I can do things myself"

Reno nodded and left the room, his pace sluggish and drained, he couldn't take this bullshit today.

"Now that he's gone what was the real nature of your relations with Rufus?" Lazard leant further forwards frowning.

"The nature was he black-mailed me. I'm not going to turn into some pitied rape-victim; I have some level of pride I wish to keep. So if we skip me being on there then we shall leave it at that"

"This isn't because of Wutai traditions and if you ever wanted to go back, they'd treat you badly because of it?"

"I don't plan on going back to Wutai anytime soon. You're as bad as him making assumptions about me"

"You're like an open book Tseng, you don't realise it, but you're not as complex as people believe"

"I'm leaving, if I see my name on that document other than who instigated this report I will come back in here" He leant over the table and whispered menacingly in the blonde's ear "I will make sure you are disposed of after I'm finished with you"

Lazard got a cold shiver up his spine, Goosebumps appearing on his neck, when a Turk made a promise to come after you personally it was best to do as they said. Lazard knew where he stood in the faculty despite his position of power Tseng could snap him like a toothpick if he so pleased, mentally and physically.

"I'll be sure it goes through" Lazard shuddered

Reno waltzed into the familiar bar he used to hide in after a long day's work, to seek out a familiar blonde face, Cid Highwind.

"You look like shit kid" Cid raised his eyebrows at the redhead.

Reno had dark circles around his eyes probably from lack of sleep, he had bruises on his neck and arms, and his pale pink lips had a small red line down them.

"I feel it dude" Reno draped himself over the bar with a groan

"You either been playin too rough on the tiles or you got put on a shitty mission"

"Kinda both. Not really in the mood for anything" he was in one of those difficult moods Cid concluded

"I'll leave Barret in charge of the bar; you're comin for a talk." Cid whistled and a large dark skinned man nodded at him.

"I don't wanna have a talk" he groaned

"Tough shits kid" Cid grabbed his collar and dragged him off to the back office. The blonde man put him on the sofa in front of the TV; he then sat by the sofa. Reno didn't like looking him the face when talking about stuff so he doubted it'd be any different this time.

"My boss has got me into the shits again."

"Tseng? He's a weird fucker..."

"No Rufus. If I don't stay his pet he's going to set Sephiroth on me again" the red head tucked his knees up under his chin.

"Aren't you doin that Rude fella?" Cid's ears twitched, he'd only heard about what that creepy fuck had done to Reno when he was younger, but it didn't sound good.

"I'm going to break things off with him."

"Why?" Cid looked up at his back.

"I need to work some things out. I can't have him too close to me unless I want him to get into trouble"

"You're a real dumbass aren'tcha?" Cid smacked the young man's back "Somethin' in the air here gives everyone I know an over active guilt gland or summin. You, Tseng, Vincent, Cissnei..."

"Who's Vincent?"

"Regular, he's usually in on Saturdays, I'll get you two talkin tonight, might find something in common. If his brain doesn't explode at your energy"

"I can be quiet if he prefers it" Reno replied blankly

"He ain't some client for you to bang you dumbass"

"Oh..." Reno was obviously elsewhere.

"I'll call Tseng tell 'im you're here and to pick you up later." Cid patted his shoulder sighing in defeat

"Can I stay at your place tonight?" Reno looked up at the blonde through watery eyes, "I don't think I can stand going home..."

Cid groaned and scratched his head, "Hyne's sake, course you can you dickhead" He opened his eyes and looked at the streaming green eyes "Whatcha cryin bout?"

"I've used him...just like everyone else"

"No you haven't you idiot, get a grip wouldja?" Cid clouted Reno round the back of the head, the redhead mewled in shock like a cat "If you start comin out with that bullshit again next time it'll be harder. Don't start spouting self-piteous crap that isn't true. Ya get me?"

"Sure" he sniffled clutching his head, crying harder

"Crap's sake, s'like having a daughter to take care of" Cid sat next to the redhead and grabbed his shoulders, "Sit back here, sleep, have some coffee, cigarette whatever you need, and come out to the bar when you're ready to face the world, alright?"

Reno nodded and nuzzled into the blonde man's neck, he didn't want to be left alone just yet.

"Forget the daughter part, kitten more like" Cid rubbed his head harshly and awkwardly patted his back; his personal bubbled needed to be temporarily forgotten.

"Kitten eh?" Reno sniffed "Quite like it..."

"I ain't callin you that as a nickname ya perv, sound like we were doin each other" Reno laughed and shook his head

"Not the nickname bit, just what it implies in an innocent sense..."

"You, innocent sense? You're finally movin yer brain from the gutter"

"Temporary circumstances, it's pretty comfy there normally" the redhead Turk chuckled

"Alright I gotta get back out there, sleep or something you look like shit."

"Not as much as you do, everyday" Reno replied with a cheeky grin as he wiped his still damp eyes.

"Fuck you, sleep already!" Cid flipped Reno the birdy as he closed the door.

Reno beamed and slumped back on the sofa, he liked the musky smell in here, it was a lot like the brothel's smell, but in a nicer way, it didn't take long for the redhead to curl up on the sofa and doze off.

When Cid came into the room the lights were off, the only source was beaming through the blinds from street lamps and neon signs. There was a small glow in the back of the dark room, there was a fresh smell of cigarettes and musky rich incense.

"Reno you ready to come out?" he couldn't make out what he was wearing, just that he had his hair out.

"Yeah. I need a night to forget it all, so give me your strongest drink." The redhead turned his head slowly to him, before his body joined it.

Reno leisurely glided from the corner of the room, his hips swaying like a woman, he was wearing it again...Cid inwardly groaned. His expression was stern but sexy, long dark thigh high silken stockings lightly glowed against the light, his boots came up to the knee, a deep crimson colour with studs up tracing the shape. His dress was deep midnight blue with a zip from top to bottom of it. It came above half way down his thigh, he was lucky he had such a feminine figure or he wouldn't have been able to pull it off.

The bar fell silent, a slow clicking of heels echoed throughout the room. Walking through the bar as though he was a mere breeze; subtle but had impact on everyone. All eyes were on this mysterious redheaded beauty. The piano player was playing a slow sad melodic beat that went in perfect time with the redhead's hips rocking from side to side with the professionalism of a top model, he glanced over at a table every so often with a distant yet inviting look, before he worked his way to the stage, he took up the microphone, a pause from the piano before he opened his mouth and let his intoxicatingly smooth voice take the crowd by surprise.

"I stand on the stones and I stare at the waves

And all of my anger runs red in the sea

I have let go of all of my rage

It's sailing, it's sailing away from me

I will placidly go amid the noise and the haste

And the voices and days all subside into peace

I have let go of all of my rage

It's sailing, it's sailing away from me"

One man in the back looked up, watching the performer with interest, he was sure he recognised him from a party that had been here the night before...His crimson eyes glistened with intrigue. This performer's song had such a sad undertone, the slow piano and the lyrics, but there was something more to it, like it had a meaning special to them.

"And you come around to restore my soul,
For you make me down to lie
And I'll carry you
If you carry me too
All my life"

"Who is that?" he asked as Cid placed a new drink on his table.

"That's Reno"

"I am acceptance and I am forgiveness

I will believe this was nobody's fault

Spiders and shadows as long as I live

But I have nothing to fear, I have nowhere to fall

I have no-one to hate, I have no-one to blame

And I have no more shame or deceit or dismay

And I have let go of all of my pain

It's sailing, it's sailing, it's sailing away"

"Haven't I heard that voice before?" Vincent asked in his deadpan demeanour.

"Mighta done, if you're that interested go talk to 'em" Cid was making very sure to avoid mentioning that Reno was actually a guy, he didn't know how Vincent would react to it

"And you come to me and restore my soul
Cause you make me down to lie
And I'll carry you
If you carry me too
All my life

Through

I stand on the stones and I stare at the waves

And all of my anger runs red in the sea

I have let go of all of my rage

It's sailing, it's sailing away from me."

The redhead finished with a fleeting breath, he opened his eyes and looked up at the crowd, applause he bowed and began his graceful sway back to the bar, once again in ecstatic silence asides the clicking of heels and the pianist.

Vincent stayed in his corner, drinking a small glass of wine, he'd been on the run from Hojo for a few days now, but Hojo wasn't one to come down to the slums in sector 8. So he was safe for now, considering Cid hated ShinRa he wasn't about to turn him in.

"You look like you were having fun" Cid said putting a glass in front of the redhead

"I haven't sung something slow in a while, suited my mood really" Reno took a thick swig, having to do that pitch killed his throat, he did it well, but it wasn't really natural for an 18 year old teenage boy.

"You've got someone interested in you" Cid tilted his head towards Vincent who was off in his own world as always

"Oh who's that?" Reno sprung up at the sight of him

"That is Vincent I was telling you about, complicated dark kinda guy and not in that whiny emo way."

"What's his drink?" Reno beamed

"Finest red wine I've got, s'expensive" Cid warned him

"I got paid today, it's nothing." The blonde sighed back.

"Give him another 20 I just took him over another, he'll have finished it by then, spend some time with your other adoring fans" Reno beamed and got off the stool "But don't flirt with 'em for christ's sake if you want to get his attention"

"Whatever happened to giving competition?"

"He has a sophisticated air, besides, if he thinks you're with someone he won't go for ya"

"Then I'll make it quite clear I'm with no one" Reno sauntered into the crowd, and before long he was draped in someone's lap. Cid watched Reno out the corner of his eye sighing mournfully at what the redhead had reduced his standards to for kicks. The redhead was on his front in one man's lap, while another was letting his hands trail up Reno's femininely curved thighs, then an obviously unwanted fiddling around a private area made the redhead subtly twitch. Cid could tell he wasn't enjoying himself, but he didn't know if it was best to break it up things really didn't seem to be going that well for him if he was reduced to drowning his sorrows with the cheap affections of horny and drunk low lives.

"Why don't we go back to our place, you can have some fun" the leader grunted

"I'll have to decline, I don't feel like it tonight Izanagi you know? One of those moods tonight"

"You always have those kinds of moods whenever we're concerned" Izanagi snarled, Reno snaked his way out of his lap.

"Sorry but I have my eye on someone else tonight, you guys aren't the only fish in the sea, besides, you always find someone else, I just get you guys in the mood" Reno was about to put his hair into a ponytail again when the gang grabbed either arm.

"I'm tired of being fucked around by you!" he raised his hand about to smack Reno in the face, the redhead's eyes widened and he flinched.

When Reno opened his eyes the group were sprawled on the floor, he looked up and Vincent was stood there, his hand on Reno's wrist.

"Um thanks..." he blinked, Vincent looked down sharply and went back into his corner. Reno looked back over at him, then at the group passed out on the floor. Cid's eyes widened at the sight, he caught Reno's eye, who shrugged in response, approaching the bar. "I'd probably better go get changed, this outfit's causing more problems again."

"Yeah go do that ya big dumbass" Cid lightly clipped the redhead round the ear before he scurried into the back room.

As much as Reno loved wearing that outfit, it felt good to get back into a pair of loose jeans again, when he entered the bar again the dull roar kept going thankfully, he reached into his pocket for the black hair tie again, twisting his hair around until it was firmly in its usual ponytail. He exhaled deeply as he sat back at the bar. Vincent was watching the teen again, with wide eyes and a tilted head.

"Reno...is a...boy?" He quickly glanced back at his glass, it was empty. "Damn it..."

"Now's your chance to talk to him" Cid handed him another wine glass