Entanglement

Chapter 1 — Camaraderie

By Crystal Snowflakes

Summary: They were dissimilar people who led distinctively different lives, and it was only because of inevitable circumstances that had caused their lives to intertwine intricately.

For TaurusDragon (on AO3): Whose Random Nonsense ended up fueling my motivation for finishing this story (and also adding another four chapters to it…). Thank you (I think)!

Yuffie strapped her goggles over her eyes as the cargo bay doors began to open, wincing against the brightness of the early morning sun. Below her lay North Corel, cast in an eerie glow of red. WRO issue vehicles could be seen driving towards the town in the distance, and the destruction laying before her was a concrete reminder of what was happening—what would continue to happen. It didn't matter how many years it had been since Meteorfall, how many years Rufus Shinra had tried to repay the planet in his own way; there would always be those who held stubbornly onto their grudges and hatred as an excuse for revenge.

The WRO military had been dispatched onto airships at the crack of dawn to deal with a group of terrorists threatening what little peace there was during this uncertain time. Not only had they hidden themselves deep in the caverns of Mount Corel, they had also taken over the impoverished town of North Corel who had only slowly begun to thrive in recent years. She wasn't sure if the town could ever come back from this.

It wasn't the first group of terrorists she'd had to deal with—she knew it wouldn't be the last.

"You'd think that these anti-government fanatics would learn that attempting to plan a terrorist attack was a bad idea," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible to herself as the engines roared and rumbled. "We're soooo gonna be stuck in those crappy WRO tents for the next week and a half while we clear the caves and clean up the mess," she continued talking to herself, her voice getting lost in the wind.

"What're you complainin' 'bout again, brat?"

Right. Reno was here. She was hoping it was just a dream—a nightmare, really.

Scowling, she cast a glance backward as a gust of wind blew her hair across her face. "You being annoying again, Turkey? Maybe you shouldn't, since, y'know, I'm letting you tag along."

"You ain't lettin' me do shit." He retorted, his snickers loud, and she let out an irritated huff in response.

She was going to murder Reeve once she got back to the headquarters, even though she knew it wasn't exactly his fault. Rude was too busy playing expectant father until further notice, and someone had to keep an eye on the asshole; she agreed with that much. What she didn't agree with was why she was the one stuck with him.

Would it really have been so bad if Reno and Vincent had teamed up instead? If Vince could ignore her all day, he'd have no trouble ignoring the annoying asshole all day either. Or better yet, they could've left the jerk with Tseng while she and Elena led the other team.

But nooooo.

For the millionth time that morning, she double-checked her weaponry and hoverboard before refocusing her gaze outside again. Her stomach felt queasy at the idea of jumping off the airship, and she had to remind herself that it would be fine—that her stomach would be fine; she definitely did not pop enough motion sickness pills to keep both her and Cloud from feeling airsick.

Hah.

The blaring alarm reminded her it was time to jump. Before she could motion her team to follow suit, the jackass had the gall to jump—without her directive.

"Piece of shit," she cursed, glowering at the quickly disappearing figure. She was the one in charge, dammit.

Taking a deep breath, she motioned the team before leaning forward and felt the familiar jerk of the hoverboard. Instantly, the sharp, cold wind whipped her hair around, and she felt the chill seeping into her skin. Gritting her teeth, she reminded herself that the descent would only take minutes.

The exhilarating rush of soaring through the skies as her body coasted could not be described—she felt her heart pumping and racing as the adrenaline rushed through her body.

By the time she finally glided to a stop, Reno was already at the entrance of the cave they were assigned to—according to their intel, there were two others. A couple of rebels were already on the ground, their faces down against the dirt. If she didn't know any better, she'd thought that they had somehow passed out from fatigue.

"Show off," she said under her breath..

"It's not showin' off if you back it up, yo." Reno's lips curled into an ugly smirk, his nightstick tapping against his shoulder in a lazy manner. She stuck her tongue out at him. Instead of responding to her again, he turned around and walked into the cavern, quiet humming under his breath.

"Hey, jerk!" she called after him. "Wait up!"

Shuriken unstrapped and in her hand, she followed.

The cave was barely lit and damp, and the passages were too narrow. Yuffie was thankful that the troops that followed behind were carrying flashlights because she wasn't sure how much she'd be able to see in the dimness of the tunnel. All around her, it smelled musty and stale, and she tried not to breathe too deeply.

As she tried to strain her ears to listen, she realized it was too quiet.

In the past, anytime she had gone into caves, she had been immediately bombarded by monsters. This time, there was nothing.

It was the least favourite type of situation for her to be in because it was second nature to her to fill the silence, but she also realized it was not the time to talk, especially since it was with Reno. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as her gaze flickered over to him, who was seemingly fazed by their surrounding. His empty hand was in his pocket as he walked with his back slouched, but she noticed the way his fingers twitched constantly as he fiddled with his nightstick; it seemed like he was just better at concealing his uneasiness.

She didn't blame him—she had the unnerving feeling that they were being watched.

"Gawd," she said under her breath kicking a small pebble out of her path as the tunnel widened into a large spacious cave filled with slabs of rocks spread throughout. "How long is this gonna take?"

"Whiny bitch." His voice was so quiet she had to strain her ears to hear him.

As she was about to retort, a chill slid down her spine.

The next moment, she felt strong arms wrap around her, holding her tight against him. Before she could even react and look up to yell at him, her world exploded in a brilliant flash of white as a deafening bang sounded. It was so loud and bright that she felt herself wince in pain.

Even while stunned, her mind realized that they had been stun grenades. The cave must have been rigged ahead of time.

She felt him jerk her away from the action. Despite the loud ringing, she could hear the sound of bullets ricocheting off the cave walls as screams of pain echoed through the den. Stubbornly, she forced herself back on her feet and blinked repeatedly, desperately trying to see through the blurry haze. As much as it pained her to admit it, she was lucky that Reno had been close enough to help her because she couldn't imagine how much pain she would be in otherwise.

"Yuffie!" It was hard to hear him over the roaring in her ears and the surrounding noises. But was that a hint of concern in his voice?

"You do know my name," she quipped with a wince before leaning against the wall; her own voice sounded distorted to her ears.

She heard him scoff. "Hard not to when you go 'round announcin' your name to everyone in the goddamn vicinity."

A small giggle bubbled out of her; she tried to ignore the dryness in her mouth and the pounding and throbbing of her head.

By the time she finally shook off as much pain as she could and looked up to peer over the rock Reno had placed her behind, she was both mesmerised and horrified; the flashlights lit up the fresh blood splattered all over the walls where she had been standing mere moments ago. Her stomach lurched again, but for completely different reasons this time. She forced herself to look away from the corpses laying near her feet, and to focus on those who were alive still. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the familiar flash of Reno's red hair as he darted through the caves, pulling injured WRO soldiers behind covers.

What she couldn't understand was how he still seemed to be functioning normally when her ears were ringing so much it was giving her a migraine.

Scrambling towards the injured, her fingers unslotted her cure materia in the process. She wouldn't be able to fully cure the more severe injuries, but it would keep the troops alive long enough to get to the makeshift hospital being set up once the town was free of terrorists. They'd just have to wait until she got a signal that things outside were calm as well.

Keeping half an eye out, she continued to heal those with serious wounds and helped them away from the middle of the battlefield.

The sudden touch on her back startled her. What shocked her was the way her body craved to lean into his touch to attempt to find comfort. Instead, she spun around to meet his gaze.

"I'm gonna take a handful of troops and continue on," Reno spoke. "You good?"

And as tempted as she was to jump into the fray and join Reno on the offense, her eyesight was bothering her more than she wanted to admit. That, and her head was still hammering each time she stood up from crouching too long. She had a mild suspicion that he knew—goddamn bastard.

She waved him away. "Don't get killed, cause I'm not coming to pick up your corpse."

"I won't, yo," he said as the corners of his lips lifted. He turned around and walked away before she could think of a witty comeback.

And she realized with mild surprise that she wasn't worried; he was more than competent as a fighter, as much as she hated to admit it. If she was honest with herself, he'd probably give her a run for her gil; she doubted the fanatics would be a match for him. They'd only gotten the upper hand on her because of a dirty trap.

Yuffie wasn't sure how long she had spent casting spells, but by the time she felt like she had finally done all that she could, the cave was finally quiet once again. The sounds of gunfire and grenades could no longer be heard, though the faint ringing in her ears was still there. Wincing slightly at the dull throbbing of her sore muscles, she rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms.

There was nothing else she could do until more help came; she wished now she had packed more ethers and potions in her knapsack. Tiredly, she pulled out her PHS from her shorts and glanced down at it—no signal still.

Exhausted, she propped herself up against the cave as her eyes gazed darted from soldier to soldier; they would be okay for a while longer. They had to be.

It wasn't until she caught a familiar flash of bright red at the corner of her eyes that she realized she was close to dozing off. Her head turned towards the sight, and she was surprised at the way her body sagged in relief at seeing him alive. For a moment there, she'd forgotten that her partner was Reno. It was a funny concept for her to wrap her mind around—the person who she had once fought against, she was now working alongside with.

And it wasn't just him—it was all the Turks.

Elena and Tseng were in charge of one of the entrances, while Vincent was in charge of the last one. It wasn't often they worked alongside each other since they had, at one time, been on opposite ends. But the Shinra heir was apparently capable of feeling some form of remorse and guilt for how his company had condemned the Planet straight to hell.

Behind Reno were a handful of medical personnel, and she felt herself relax at the sight. He was making a beeline straight for her and she noted, with a bit of surprise, his dishevelled appearance and the weary look on his face. His shirt and jacket was torn on the left side and it was splattered with dried blood, some of which she was sure belonged to him, if the angry red gash she caught a glance of beneath his tattered shirt was any indication.

Grudgingly, she felt a surge of worry upon noticing the slightest hint of a limp as he moved closer.

"I'm back, dipshit," Reno finally said as he got close enough. She noticed the way his eyes trailed down her figure, checking for injuries, the briefest flicker of concern in his gaze. Unwittingly, she felt a flash of warmth at the pit of her stomach.

"You look like shit, Turkey," she responded, her arms crossed. And then she tilted her head, a mischievous grin crossing her face. "I mean, more than before anyway."

A snicker escaped him. "I'd still fuck me."

Yuffie stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. "Grossness!"

"How's the head?" he asked as he ignored her theatrics, a lazy smirk dancing on his lips.

A scowl. "Fine," she muttered under her breath. She wasn't going to tell him how her eyesight was still blurry, and how her hearing was still bothering her. But then she peered back up at him again, eyebrows raised. "You worried?"

Reno scoffed, his gaze flittering around their surroundings. "You wish, princess." The next second, he had slid down next to her tiredly, his lanky legs stretched out before him, ankles crossed. "Chief, Laney and Valentine are sweepin' the rest of the area. Thought I'd make sure you didn't die yet."

"They okay?" she asked, letting out a huff of annoyance as she smacked away his hand that was sneaking too close to his inner pocket. There was no doubt he was reaching for his pack of cigarettes and lighter.

It was his turn to scowl. "They're fine."

"D'you get a call yet?"

"From Rude?" he clarified. At her eager nod, he shook his head. "Not yet. Probably enjoyin' whatever time they have left before that spawn escapes," he responded with a grimace.

She couldn't stop the giggles that bubbled up. It didn't take a genius to realize that Reno wasn't fond of children. "Blargh!" she uttered with a snort of laughter as she scrunched up her nose. "They're so gushy with each other it's sickening to look at."

"You sound jealous, pipsqueak," he murmured, his gaze continuing to trail to the injured soldiers being carried out, his lips quirked upwards. And then his eyes darted towards her. "You ready to go?"

Annoyed, she elbowed him gently in the side, exactly where she knew it would hurt—just a little.

What she didn't expect was the immediate hiss of pain that cut through the air as he shot up from where he was sitting. "Fuck!" he cursed. "What the hell was—"

Yuffie cast him a look of disbelief before she hoisted herself into a crouching position in front of him, her fingers unbuttoning whatever little buttons there were on his shirt. He yelped in response as he attempted to swat her hands away.

"It's just a flesh wound!" he retorted, glowering at her as he tried to move away.

Brazenly, her fingers grazed his side, and she watched him flinch in response while he let out another low hiss of pain. "The fuck—"

"Clearly not," she said dryly with a roll of her eyes. "You're such an idiot. Is this what Baldy has to put up with all the time?"

Reno's lips thinned in response.

Shaking her head, Yuffie let out a snort before her nimble fingers unslotted the cure materia again. She was drained, but she might have enough for a low-level cast. It was clear he had doused his wound with whatever potions he had managed to get his hands on, and while it was probably enough to take the edge off, it wasn't enough to completely heal the injury.

Without waiting for a response, she closed her eyes to concentrate. Her fingers tingled with warmth as the familiar sensation of magic coursed through her veins. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the grateful glance Reno sent her way. Watching the flesh heal itself up in a mist of green never failed to bewilder her. A silver cut that was several inches long was left on his side—it was healed enough that it wouldn't be hurting as much anymore.

He stood up slowly before twisting his body to stretch and test the wound, wincing slightly in the process.

"No 'thanks for the help, O Great Ninja Yuffie'?" she asked wryly as she reslotted her materia before standing up. What she didn't expect was the sudden bout of light-headedness. Unanticipatedly, she stumbled slightly and before she knew what happened, he had darted forward to help her. Her impulse was to push herself away from him, but the pounding in her head and the queasiness of her stomach made it hard.

"Blech," she groaned, letting out a small moan.

A low snicker. "You're welcome, you little shit." His right arm wrapped around her waist before he hoisted her up against him, and she leaned into him involuntarily. "Now let's get outta here before you blow chunks all over me."

"Gawd, you're such an asshole," she uttered under her breath.

Great. How embarrassing.

He was the last person she wanted to show her weakness to because she just knew—

"You owe me," Reno demanded, the slightest hint of amusement in his tone. She felt the rumble of his voice where the side of her head was pressed against his chest.

Dammit.

Letting out a small huff, she debated for a split second to push herself away from him, but thought better of it. Instead, she pouted. "Whatevs," she mumbled under her breath.

They walked in relative silence, both exhausted, and she was surprised he didn't try to insult her. As they drew closer to the exit of the cave, she looked up at him again. "You gonna make this a habit?"

"What?" he asked. "Carryin' your ass back?"

Exasperated, she didn't stop her urge of nudging his side, making sure to dig her elbow into his ribs. He winced.

"Y'know what I mean, Turkey," she muttered as she felt her cheeks flush with annoyance. It wasn't often she needed someone else's help and it pained her that she did. "Being one of the good guys, duh," she said as she blew her bangs out of her eyes before waving her hand haphazardly in the air.

Reno stumbled in surprise, and the look of revulsion on his face was almost comical. "Shiva's tits, I fuckin' hope not."

She couldn't help the bark of cackles that burst out of her mouth. A grin lingered on her lips as she shook her head in mild amusement. "Good."

The corners of his eyes crinkled in mirth. "Why? You got a thing for bad boys?" he asked, tauntingly.

Yuffie snorted. "Even if I do, which I totes do not, it wouldn't be you!" Then she added with a glower directed at him, "Not even on the off chance that you were the last man left on Gaia would I pick you!"

His lips quirked upwards. "If you say so, princess."

This is the fourth and final version of this chapter (hopefully). The last version was posted briefly last Saturday before I took it down and the story has now gone from six chapters to ten (why brain?!). And while I don't usually upload stories before completion, I've made an exception to this one since most chapters have been completed. Having said that, apologies in advance if updates do get delayed (snippets will be posted as offerings instead that week if it happens)! Plans for all chapters are done though, so it'll be completed, promise.

This is your one and only warning: there is angst in latter chapters. Sorry in advance haha. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a comment to let me know what you think! :)

Completed: January 11, 2021
Revised: March 11, 2021
Final Revision: March 15, 2021