Chapter 3
Alas, I have created Chapter Three! I fell in love while writing this chapter and I don't know why. Maybe it's because this is my longest chapter yet? I'm not quite sure. I tried EXTREMELY hard to ensure that all the characters I introduced remained true to their original selves but, I will admit, that I might have put a little OOC in a few but I'm not sure. Please don't hate – appreciate! I tried my best and that's what counts doesn't it…?
Anyways, here is the introduction to Reno - finally! Come on, I know all of you have been waiting patiently for Reno to finally enter the picture and here he is! I hope he lives up to what everyone was expecting. :3
Nothing major happening in this chapter in regards sexual themes but soon! Just remember: patience is a virtue!
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)
~ oOo ~
Amalia's legs were beginning to cramp after sitting on her bike for over an hour; she hadn't been on a semi-long journey that long in quite a while. The last trip she had taken that was fairly long was about a month prior with Cloud when she had helped him deliver a package to someone over towards the Chocobo Farm and an even longer one when they had traveled to Junon for a few days to negotiate with a client. But on this current trip, since she was all alone for the first time in a while, time seemed to pass by slowly and she mentally cursed time for being an ass, but before she knew it, Amalia was winding through the ever familiar mountain curves, making her way up to the entrance to the lodge.
Healen - a place which became a sort of "HQ" for the members of the Shinra Electric Power Company after the fall of Midgar. It had also served as a place where Rufus could receive treatment for the geostigma he had succumbed too, just as Amalia and Cloud had. Although the medical treatment he had been using didn't work, there came a cure when an angel from above rained a cure on the people living in a fallen world. Though it had been two years since the incident of the geostigma outbreak, Healen was still used as a placed where the Shinra scientists could still work on their research and where people could head to if they were in dire need of any medical attention. Rarely that was the case, so the place was mainly used to house the original Turks if they had become injured. No longer was it the "HQ" operations for the company, Rufus had ultimate built a structure within Edge that served as his new Headquarters. It was a nice building and Amalia had always admired the structure and the layout – completely different than the original that lay in ruins in Midgar.
Ridding her mind of the past that wasn't so frightening the more she thought of it, Amalia looked up just in time at the building through her glasses as she made her way to the front entrance. Reaching the final curve, she thought she had seen a figure staring at her through the window but the blinds had closed before she could even begin to think of who it could be. Reno, Rude, Tseng – it could have been anyone. Hell, it could've been Rufus himself now that he wasn't sick anymore and was able to walk around on his own, without being confined to a wheelchair. Reaching the stairs, Amalia wheeled Shiva around and sat on the bike for a few more minutes, again thinking about the past before she decided to head on up.
It also worked as a great excuse to rest her cramping legs for a bit as well.
It had been a rough couple of years after she and her friends had tried to save the planet from Sephiroth's wrath against the planet. She grew up despising the Shinra Company after what it had done to her, Cloud and Zack. But those feelings of anger were long past, especially now that she was with Reno, a man she never would have thought she'd end up with. He was the man who had collapsed the plate onto Sector 7 - he was the man who had chased them as the enemy – and he was the man who had won her heart.
He had changed over the past few years and Amalia could see the difference. Reno was still his goofy, lazy ass self, but was still the hard worker she had always admired about him. Reno and the rest had acknowledged their mistakes and she had personally received an apology from all of them, even Rufus, and she could no longer hold a grudge. What would be the point if they each recognized their doing in what happened to the planet and the turmoil they indefinitely caused? Each day, she knew the small group worked their asses off to ensure that the planet remained as safe as it could be; safe enough for troubles they could handle within their limits. The love she held for the red-haired man grew from this conviction – she knew that Reno was working to keep the planet safe in any way he could. Her hate for the Turks had subsided a while ago, but the love she held for Reno and the world-saving group had only grown over the past few years.
Amalia sighed and turned off the engine to the bike, finally taking off the bag that was still around her shoulders and placed it in the secure compartment that was hidden underneath her seat as well as placing the glasses back in their safe place. Why didn't I just place it in there in the first place? Was I that excited to leave? Uh…yes, she thought.
Taking slow, yet wide strides, she gradually made her way up the oh-so familiar ramp; but looking up she noticed a figure in black standing against the railing, his back turned towards her. The closer she got, the more she could tell it was him. His red mane flowed against his back as a gale of wind picked up and tousled the strands of hair. God, how she loved his hair and always wanted to thrust her hands into it and play with whatever she could grab. The male turned as he heard footsteps from behind him and he fully turned towards her as Amalia reached the top of the ramp. His red hair flared in the afternoon sunlight, the red cheekbone tattoos glowed against his porcelain skin. Amalia stood at the edge of the ramp, simply staring at the man she hadn't seen in a few weeks. Her heart screamed at her to move and jump into his arms but her legs wouldn't move; they became jelly and she wanted to fall to her knees but held the railing for support.
"Amalia," Reno breathed. His voice was enough to ignite her legs and before he could blink, she had run up to him and jumped into his ever waiting arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. Her ashy blonde hair and his red clashed as he twirled her around the lodge deck; his hands tightened around her waist as hers crushed his neck. Reno brought her feet down towards the ground and crashed his hungry lips against her even hungrier ones. His large, masculine hand found her cheek, hers found his muscular chest; she could feel the warmth radiating off his chest through the opened work shirt he never cared to button. Their lips moved in one; if there were people watching them they didn't care – they only wanted each other. Amalia hoped that he was longing for her as much as she did him. But judging by the way his hands roamed her back, she already knew the answer. Reno pulled back and Amalia couldn't help but smile as she stared into his cerulean blue eyes.
Reno looked into the eyes of the woman he thought he would never love. He hadn't seen her face in a few weeks other than the picture he secretly kept inside of his wallet. It was a picture he had taken while she was unaware that he had a camera facing her. The sunlight captured and framed her face perfectly, creating a natural glow against her already beautiful features. She had been laughing at some joke he had said, her eyes lightly closed and her mouth slightly open, a small laugh escaping her lips. It was the only picture Reno kept of her on him at all times but it simply was not enough. They had been together for a few years and it was getting hard for the Turk to stay away from the only person who he had entrusted with his heart.
Her skin felt so soft under his and Reno could smell her scent of cherry blossoms which, after a while, had become his favorite fragrance as well. Her cupped her cheek and brought her lips back to his. "Well hello beautiful," he muttered as he pulled away for the second time.
"Hello handsome," she replied, her voice just as silky as he remembered it. Hearing her voice over the phone had never done him justice. Leaning down, he placed his forehead on hers, the two standing in the sunlight, basking in its warmth that it could provide the two lovers. Amalia looked into his eyes and brought her fingers to his cheek, lightly touching his red tattoos, a touch she had always done whenever Reno returned from a mission – it was something to ensure herself that he was there and that he wasn't hurt. It was stupid of her to always do it but it made her happy on the inside and she didn't want to let it go.
Reno released a sigh and leaned forward for another kiss. God, I just cannot get enough of her. This kiss was a swift one and before it turned into anything else, he pulled back and brought her hands into his. Cocking his head to the side he asked, "Miss me?"
Amalia followed the same move and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Reno's eyes widened slightly. "Why you little -" he was cut off by her lips. Pulling away, again, he said, "You know, we can just skip saying hi to everyone and just head back to my place." Amalia smacked his arm.
"No! I have to say hi to everyone, especially Elena. I want to see how she's doing." Reno held the spot where she smacked him and pretended that it hurt. "Oh you're such a baby."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"I am not."
"You're a baby when it comes to me."
He stopped and thought about what she said. "Ok, that's true, I can't argue with that, yo. Alright, let's go say hi so we can have some alone time for ourselves." Pulling Amalia's hand, Reno turned and opened the door to the main room of Healen. Amalia walked in as Reno shut the door behind her. The blinds along the opposite wall were open, letting in the sun's beauty and allowing everyone to see the nature that existed behind the building. Scanning the room, no one was inside and Amalia gave a quizzical look up to Reno, who stood almost a full head taller than her. He just shrugged his shoulders and was about to say something when the only other door in the room opened and Rude walked out, his sunglasses still covering his face and his Turk attire was perfect as it always had been. Rude's eyes looked up at the people in the building and before he could say anything as well, Amalia quickly ran up her lover's partner-in-crime and squeezed her arms around his muscular torso.
"Rude!" She smiled up at him as Reno stood by the front door watching what was happening in front of his eyes. A light blush grew on Rude's cheek's that hastily disappeared and he looked down at the random attacker. He, too, was taller than her and he ruffled the top of her head with his hand, a small smile forming on his lips as well, which was rare for the quiet, but deadly, Turk.
"Hey Amalia, didn't expect to see you here."
"I know. But I wanted to see everyone and I heard Elena got hurt. How is she doing?" Amalia tried to peek over the Turk's shoulders to see if the only female Turk was in the other room but she couldn't see anything at all.
"Elena? Oh she's fine. Tseng's with her now."
Amalia switched her gaze between Reno and his partner. "Am I allowed to go and see her?"
"Of course you are, Amalia, she isn't in critical condition." A third person joined the group, his all white cotton suit flowing in motion as he stood beside Rude, arms crossed across his chest; blonde hair, white suit with a smirk across his face - Rufus Shinra. Before, if Amalia had been in the presence of Rufus, she would have most likely punched him straight in the jaw; but that was before she had received all of their apologies and had seen firsthand exactly what the Shinra group was now up to. She was pleased with their progress and, before she knew it, Amalia had grown a fondness for Rufus within her heart – she could see the good he was trying to bring to the world and, knowing that, it made her happy to think she could say he was her friend.
Acknowledging the still President, Amalia held my hand out, waiting for him to shake it. "Rufus." He nodded his head and placed his hand in Amalia's extended one, but she pulled the man towards her in a hug, who actually chuckled and pulled away after a few seconds. "What?" she asked. "Afraid of a girl giving you a hug?"
"No," he said weakly, nervously messing with his tie. "I am worried because your boyfriend is here in the same room." She glanced back at Reno who casually leaned against the door, his arms crossed against his chest, eyes gleaming at Amalia.
"What?" she asked him this time.
"Nothing," Reno said. "I just find it amusing that you want to hug everyone you see."
"Oh be quiet you, you're not the only one I can show affection too. And besides," Amalia looked back at Rude and Rufus. "These are people I haven't seen for a while; it makes me happy knowing they're safe."
"I appreciate your concern, Amalia, but I am perfectly fine."
"Nothing drastic since the geostigma incident, I hope?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and provided another smirk. "I could ask you the same."
Amalia showed the President her left arm, one of the places the nasty disease had struck her body a few years prior. "Nope! I'm all healed as well!" She smiled brightly at him.
He chuckled again. "You're nothing but smiles and laughter, aren't you?"
"No," Amalia immediately answered. "I've had my fair share of saddened moments that I'm probably sure you're aware of. However! Time has passed and we all need to look into the future. Isn't that right, Tseng?" Amalia peered to the left of Rufus at Tseng, the head of the Turks and the man who was one position higher than Reno. He had just appeared beside the President and, although she was glad to see him as well, sadly, she also used him as a scapegoat to bounce away from the topic they had suddenly found themselves discussing.
"I completely agree, Amalia. How have you been?" His firm face stayed the same, but Amalia could tell that he meant well.
"Oh, I've been good, you know me. Helping out at the bar when I can and also helping out with the delivery business. So, is Elena in there? Can I…?"
"Of course you can," Tseng stepped aside and gave room for Amalia to walk into the hallway that led to the rest of the rooms in the Lodge. "She's on the third door to your right. She's been hoping you would come and see her."
"Really? Well then I better not keep her waiting. Thanks!" She lightly slapped the Turk commander on the arm and hastily made her way down the hallway, knocking on the third door to the right once she had reached in. "Come in," a voice had called from the inside and she slipped in.
Still in the main room, the four men watched the back of the ashy blonde as she made her way down the hallway. As she walked into the door and shut it, the men looked at each other, not knowing how to bring up the next question that was on everybody's mind. But Tseng was the brave one to break the awkward silence that had befallen on the comrades. Looking at his Second-in-Command, Tseng said, "She looks good Reno. Has she been here long?"
Still leaning against the door, the red-head answered, his eyes wanting to discuss another conversation. "Nah, only about twenty minutes, yo. We spent some time outside but she wanted to say hi to you all. Oh and Elena too."
"Did you tell her anything about the mission?" Rufus interjected and looked at the Turk.
But Reno shook his head. "No, nothing. I know she's curious but all she's asked is how we did. I told her we were successful and how Elena got hurt, but that's about it. I know she'll want more details later, if she's really that curious."
"Make sure you don't tell her, she's not ready to know what's going on. We need to find out more -"
"Rufus," Reno interrupted his boss, looking at him dead square in the eye. "How long do you keep expecting me to lie to her? She's going to find out sooner or later, and I'd rather it be sooner so nothing extreme falls upon her."
"I am well aware of that, Reno, but until we have more information as to why we were sent those videos about her, I don't want her to know." Rufus returned the look. "Listen, say you did decide to come clean and tell her all about the last few missions you've been on; since the missions and these videos have been about her, wouldn't you want to be able to tell her everything that you could? To ensure that she's safe no matter what and that we've been trying to keep her safe?"
"Well…of course. But we would keep her safe no matter what! I think I can definitely say that everyone here would give their freaking life to save her." Reno glanced at Rude who nodded at his partner and then to Tseng who only pursed his lips, his silent way of agreeing without causing a fuss.
"Reno, I'm in the same boat as you. I want to tell her what's been going on – that secretly we have been protecting her from an unseen enemy. But until we find out more – she is not to know. Do I make myself clear?"
Reno's hand turned into a firm fist and he had to restrain himself from slamming it into the wall behind him. All the fury that was growing within his body need to find an exit before he decided to do something drastic, acting out on pure rage rather than thinking logically of the situation and whether it would help at all. Taking a slow, even breath he asked, "And what gives you the right to decided that? Why do you think you get to decide what Ashe needs to know?"
Rufus gave a cold stare to his Second-in-Command, shocked at how Reno had decided to stand up to his boss with such brave words. But at the same time, he has a point, the President mentally thought. Amalia and Reno are now in a relationship, the two of them should be making these decisions on their own. But…all I want to do is protect her. She has done nothing but showed me kindness when I deserve none. I want to use all the resources I have to find these madmen and bring them down.
The President sighed to himself and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Reno, listen, I get what you're thinking and I understand your concern. But I really think that this is the best choice we have."
"The best choice? To keep my girlfriend in the DARK?!" He was beginning to raise his voice and, out of the corner of his eye, Reno could see Rude staring him down, mentally tell him to relax and calm down. "Rufus, I've been following you for a long time but this…this is ludicrous!"
"Reno…all I'm asking you is to trust. Truly, I get it, this honestly could be the worst decision we could make, but I want to keep her in the dark until we can get as much information on this group as we can. When we finally tell her what's been going on, I want to be able to have all the answers to our questions so we can provide them for her. Or better yet, maybe we'll even have the chance to defeat them before she finds out. Isn't that what you would want?"
"I…" Reno immediately let go of the fist he had been holding, his fingers falling limp against the palm of his hand. Rufus was beginning to make sense, but, it still didn't feel right. "All I want is to protect her…" he whispered.
"And there's nothing wrong with that. But, I'll only ask this one more time: do I make myself clear with what I expect from you?"
The red-haired Turk remained silent for a minute before nodding his head. "Crystal, sir. But on one condition."
"And what would that be?"
"That if this all explodes in our faces and she blames me for lying to her, that everyone in this room, including Elena, will come clean and give her the truth. I agree, I'm doing this to protect her, but at the same time, I want to tell her. As her protector, I have the right to tell her. If, down the road she finds out before we need to tell her, I don't want to take the responsibility or guilt for this. Deal?" His boss stood there quietly, his eyes darting back and forth between objects on the floor. "Rufus, I love that woman with all my heart," he gritted his teeth. "And I sure as hell won't let this fucking lie ruin it. So is it a deal? Or not?"
The President watched his subordinate and only smiled. Reno had certainly come a long way over the past few years and, he had to say, that it was all because of her. Amalia had worked her magic underneath the skin of the infamous Turk and he hoped to god that whoever was sending those videos would eventually leave the poor girl alone. She and Reno deserve a future they've been fighting to have for years. I want to ensure they will have that future.
"Deal." Rufus turned to the other Turks who stood by his side. "Rude? Tseng?"
"Agreed."
"I understand."
"Then it's settled. Tseng," he turned towards the Turk leader. "Once Amalia and Reno leave, please inform Elena what we have discussed here."
"Yes sir."
"Good," the boss-man replied. Reno left the doorframe and made his way to sit on the black leather couch that was planted against the wall. Throwing himself against the length of the leather, the Turk crossed his legs against the arm rest and held his hands on his forehead. Rufus watched his employee with slight concern. "You act as if you've had a long day. Amalia is here – aren't you happy?"
Glancing at his boss, Reno nodded his head. "Of course I am. One, I'm giving her a few minutes alone with Elena and two, I'm still not happy with this whole lying bit so I'm trying to cool off for a bit. Ashe…she'll strangle me if she finds out." He focused his eyes on the ceiling, trying to forget all the times he had indeed lied to her in the past few months.
At first it had been one video sent to warn the Shinra group about some people wanting to use an abandoned Mako reactor for their own use. Meaning, they wanted to use the reactor to extract Mako and use it for their gain – illegally. From there it had escalated to where the same unknown group was bouncing to abandoned reactors across Gaia, causing the Turks to hunt and find them to end their plans. Each time they were successful. But each time the group fled, the same leader from every encounter always mentioned Amalia's name as if he knew her, leaving each member of the Turk's confused as to how Amalia was connected to the people.
This chasing had continued for about four months until Reno personally received an email with a video attachment; in the video, a man, who had coincidentally blurred his face, lectured to an unknown audience and told of his great plans to steal Amalia from their clutches unless the Turk's handed over Amalia to him personally. Watching the video, Reno had been scarred, but what scarred him most was what came next. The unknown man then decided to grab a chair and bring it in front of the camera. Sitting, he had leaned forward and whispered into the lens:
"Fail to bring her and I will personally see that she is allowed an early visit into the Lifestream."
Shaking his head, Reno threw away those ugly thoughts and tried his hardest to forget about what he had heard. That day he had declared to himself that no one, absofuckinglutely no one would dare to touch his Amalia – his girl, the woman he loved most above all and the only one in the entire world of Gaia who gave a damn about him and all the shit he carried on his back.
"Reno." He looked back at boss. "I swear to you, we will find these guys and ensure Amalia's safety. I don't want any harm to come to her, just as much as you do."
The redhead Turk could only chuckle at the words that poured from his boss's mouth. Starring up at the ceiling again, he eventually closed his eyes and imagined Amalia arms wrapped around him. He always wanted to protect her, but in that moment, Reno wanted her to protect him from the possibility that he couldn't be there for her when she truly needed him. Sighing, Reno opened his eyes again. "I'll hold you too that, sir."
~ oOo ~
"Come in." Amalia had heard Elena's voice and opened the door, gently shutting it behind her. Walking into the room, she noticed that the female Turk was sitting upright in a hospital bed, her right arm covered in bandages and held within a sling for support. Walking quickly up to her, Amalia pulled a chair from the far wall and sat on the left side of Elena.
"Hey you, I see they've got you bandaged up. How're you doing? You feel ok?"
The Turk only smiled, although she had frequent visits from Amalia when she accompanied Reno while he was with his fellow employees, she still felt uneasy around the girl's politeness. After the last few years they had grown closer, Elena still expected for Amalia to hate the Turk for being a part of the disasters she had caused. But no, Amalia showed no hate and Elena wanted to crying knowing that the AVANLANCHE member had forgiven her. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She glanced down at her arm. "Well, my arms busted for a while, as is my leg."
"Wait, your leg too?" Amalia's eyes widened.
"Yeah, Reno didn't tell you?" She shook her head.
"He said that your arm was badly injured while on the mission."
"Ah, that's why. Oh Reno you're such an ass," Elena whispered as she giggled to herself. "No offence, but your boyfriend's weird."
"Watch it girly, I can say the same about yours too." Amalia laughed as well, reminding herself that Tseng and Elena had finally expanded their relationship a few months ago. "Why didn't Reno tell me?"
"He probably only told you my arm was hurt because you specifically asked about the mission. I hurt my leg when we got here, after our mission was complete."
Amalia's mouth drop. "Are you serious? What did you do?"
"Look at it yourself." Amalia did just that. Pulling the white blanket off of Elena, she starred at the pink cast that held Elena's ankle in place – a cast that extended from her foot all the way past her knee. "Let me guess," she said as she placed the blanket where it had been and sat back down. "Your clumsiness got in the way again, didn't it?"
An innocent blush covered the Turk's cheek. "Yeah… My arm was hurt pretty badly but Tseng was able to bandage it up nicely in the chopper on the way back – meaning I could walk myself. Well, knowing myself, I tripped over my own feet simply trying to exit the damn contraption and ended up fracturing my leg in three places."
Amalia winced, knowing exactly what it was like to break a few bones, something she was not a fan of. "Damn, I'm so sorry to hear that. How long you gonna be here?"
"Well my arm should be better in no time as long as I keep the bandages fresh. As for my leg, they want me to stay here for at least a week. After that, they'll do some more x-rays and determine whether I have healed enough on my own. For some reason, the materia we have in stock her isn't helping it so the doctors decided to let it try and heal naturally. My arm they think will be fine but if my leg doesn't end up healing the way they want it to, I'll most likely end up having surgery to fix it"
"Wait, why won't any of the materia work? I have a Mastered Cure materia at home, should I bring that?"
The Turk shook her head. "Nah, they tried that too. They believe that whatever it was that attacked me had something within its system that transferred into my own body in which blocks out the effects of materia."
"Sounds nasty, if you ask me."
"Oh well, I think I'll heal fine so I'm not too worried."
"Oh Elena," Amalia covered her friend's hand with her own. "My heart goes out to you and I hope that you don't need surgery. That is never a fun ordeal."
"Oh you are such as sweetheart, Amalia. But I'll be ok. Rufus decided to give all of us a few days off so Tseng'll be here if I need anything."
"I heard. I'm excited to finally have some time with Reno." The ashy blonde couldn't help but flash a smile at the whiter blonde who gave one in return.
"You two deserve it. Here I am, always with my boyfriend wherever it is we go, whereas you have to wait until yours either has a few days off or when he comes home from a mission."
"It's not as bad as it sounds; I still help Cloud with the delivery business and occasionally help Tifa with the bar so I'm able to keep busy. It's hard when my mind wonders off and thinks about him. But…actually, I've been meaning to ask you… Is it just me or has there been an abundance of missions you guys have been assigned to, lately? Other than today, I haven't seen Reno or any of you guys in a little over a month. Why did this particular mission take so long? Is something going on I should be worried about?"
The whiter blonde's eyes widened for a fraction of a second but she immediately covered her emotions and spoke a half-truth, half-lie. "Yeah, we have been assigned more missions but all we've been doing is stopping people from trying to mess with any of the Mako reactors that are still out there. Nothing too much – we're just trying to stop any future bad guys or anything that could potentially injure the planet." She smiled brightly, hoping Amalia would believe every word she told her. Although Elena felt terrible about lying to Reno's girlfriend, and her friend for that matter, she knew she couldn't utter a single word about what's been going on.
"Hmm, well that makes sense, I guess." Amalia crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back into her chair. "I do find it odd that all of a sudden people are now deciding to mess around with the old reactors."
"Uh… y-yeah it is kinda weird but it's our job."
"You ok, Elena?" She eyed the other blonde quizzically.
"Who, me? Oh yeah, I'm fine, I just think the pain meds are wearing off."
"Oh! You want me to get Tseng for you?"
"Nah you're fine… Speaking of Tseng, he somehow reminded me of Reno."
"How did me mentioning Tseng make you think of Reno?"
"Because it pertains about you, that's why." Elena pushed her good arm against the bed to aid in her effort to sit in a more upright position. "Obviously all of us here have known about you and Reno and that you've been together for a while. But…do your friends know?"
She blinked her eyes, not expecting to be asked a question she preferred to stay away from. It wasn't the idea that she was ashamed of being with Reno; on the contrary, she absolutely loved the idea that she finally had a person in her life that cared about her and only her. On the other hand, she knew everyone else who have a shitfit if they knew that she was in a relationship with the infamous Turk – especially since they had been together for almost four years, joining together not that long after they had defeated Sephiroth.
Amalia knew that her relationship with Reno wouldn't remain a secret forever, but she never had tried to keep it a secret in the first place. True, she had never come clean and announced Hey! I've been in a relationship with a man I truly love for a few years now; oh and by the way, he's Reno, of the Turks. Just so you guys know! No one had ever asked her why she was gone for a few days at a time or who her "random friends" were. No one asked and no one seemed to care so she had left it at that. If they asked, then she would summon up the courage and come clean. But until then, she left it up in the air, available for anyone to see if they really decided to look; up until that moment in time, no one even dared to take a peek.
Cloud somehow had discovered their relationship and Amalia knew that he had known for a long time, probably since she and Reno had become official. She made sure to always tell him where she would be and how long she would potentially be gone. It was a habit she had gained when they lost their mother in the destruction of Nibelheim all those years ago when their family had been just reduced to the two of them. He never questioned her intentions, he never asked who she was truly with and he never once demanded to know what has happening in her life.
But it was the little things she noticed. Amalia was the only person Cloud ever sent a text message too, and he somewhat "rarely" did so; unless she said she was leaving then he would always send something simple:
Stay safe; make sure you're well protected.
Don't have too much fun.
Come back in one piece.
But the most interesting message was the last time Reno had returned from a mission and she stayed with him for almost two full weeks until he was called on his latest mission he had just returned from. Cloud, as usual, had told her to stay safe and watch out for herself, but after she had been with Reno for almost a week, Amalia received an unexpected message from her twin brother stating:
Amalia, if your "friend" wants to keep seeing you, then your "friend" just better make sure that he has the skills to protect my baby sister. If this "friend" is serious about you, he won't let you out of his sight.
And then, as Amalia had stared gaping at the screen of her phone, Cloud had sent a message immediately after saying:
And make sure to tell Reno I said hi.
From that moment on, Amalia knew her brother had an understanding of what was going on when she was outside of Seventh Heaven. But what made her the happiest she had been in a long time was that Cloud didn't object. If he truly knew, his silence on the matter signaled that he was perfectly fine with the "secretive" relationship Amalia had with the Turk. Deep down she had wanted to bring it up with her brother and tell him everything, but she didn't want to risk the tiniest chance that he seriously didn't know the truth.
Cloud respected and loved his sister to remain silent.
Looking down at her hands, Amalia folded and unfolded her fingers, knowing she had to answer her friend. "No, they don't."
"You mean you're still keeping this a secret from them?!"
"Not intentionally…it's just that I've left it up to them if they truly want to know what's going on. They haven't asked so I haven't told. Simple as that."
"And Cloud?" Elena whispered the name of her brother.
She smiled. "I'm pretty sure he knows, but if he does, he hasn't said a word. And from what I can tell, I think he has no objections. Knowing my brother, if he did, he would have said something by now."
Elena shrugged. "Yeah I guess that's true. But I have another question…what do you think will happen to you and Reno -"
"Knock, knock, I'm coming in anyways," came a voice that was unexpected but the girls knew he would enter the hospital room within a matter of time anyways. Reno opened the door and looked at the girls in front of him. He walked up to Amalia and gently held a hand on her shoulder. "Elena, how you doing, yo?"
She giggled. "I'm doing better Reno, thank you. I should ask, what made you decide to suddenly grace us with your presence?"
Reno diverted his eyes to look at the top of Amalia's head who, a few seconds later, lifted her eyes to meet his and a smile graced both of their faces. Looking back at Elena, the Turk replied, "I wanted to see if Amalia wanted to stay here longer of if she was ready to go."
She gasped, unsure of how to answer. Over the last few years, Elena became one of Amalia's closest and most trustworthy friends and she rarely had the chance to speak with her. But on the other hand, she rarely had the chance to simply be with Reno, someone she wanted to be with more than Elena. Amalia closed her eyes and silently thought to herself. I'm sorry Elena. I know you're hurt and I wish there was more that I could do, but I want some time with him. I hope you can forgive me.
Opening her eyes once more, she was about to speak her mind when the whiter blonde beat her to it. "You should go, Amalia. Go enjoy the time you have with Reno."
Amalia furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her friend who was gleaming at her; she knew Elena was telling the truth. "Are you sure? Don't you want some company?"
"Are you kidding me?" Elena held her hand up and swept it across the room. "I have Rude, Rufus and Tseng to keep me company. Oh, and the doctors and nurses if I get that bored. Just promise me you'll have some fun, ok?"
"Ok, I can promise you that." Amalia stood and leaned to gently hug Elena who wrapped her good arm around her friend's back. "Listen, if you need me to bring you anything, if you simply want to talk or if you want me to stop by, just give me a call. Alright?"
"Deal."
"Good. Reno?" She turned and looked at the redhead who leaned against the doorframe. She had seen the man perform that same pose countless times, but the way he angled his hip against the wood and cocked his head to the side sent numerous butterflies into her stomach. And lower. She swallowed back a moan that was demanding release from her throat but she forbade it – at least not her with Elena in the room. Instead, she ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep calm. "Is there anything here you need to get first, before we leave?"
"Nope, I'm all set and ready whenever you are babe." Reno's eyes gleamed with love and lust for the ashy blonde standing before him. He could tell she was becoming nervous – a good nervous that he caused. He watched as she continued to play with her hair, the looking at her nails, then back to her hair. She was so easy to ready, yet so hard to understand. But after four years, he finally had a better grasp on how to somewhat understand the woman he loved.
The answer was always hidden in her eyes. When something made her happy, her eyes gleamed and sparkled. When sad, both eyes darkened. Nervous, she always glanced at the ground and would only look up when someone spoke to her.
Walking up to her, Reno placed her hand in his and squeezed, Amalia's eyes lifting to me his. She gently tugged in the direction of the door, indicating that she, too, was also ready to go. Looking back one last time, Amalia waved to Elena and said she would be back soon to visit. Elena only laughed and waved her hand, specifying that the couple needed to leave in order to have their time together; which they did.
~ oOo ~
Wow, this turned out to be a really long chapter. Initially, I wanted this to be two separate chapters with the second would have started when Amalia entered into Elena's room. However, the longer I looked at it the more I realized that these two chapters flowed better as one. Does anyone think I'm right? Or would it have been better to keep them separate as I originally had?
Please don't be afraid to tell me what ya'll think! I would really like to know! Kindly review if you can!
Chocobocolina ~ out! :3