…I think we can come to the conclusion that…I have an obsession with that red-headed spunk, Reno. ::sigh:: he's just got SO much charisma, it's hard to hate him!! I loved him the moment I first saw him…and I don't know why. Smee-chan thinks its cos me and him are one in the same…only I'm not excruciatingly thin. But I DO have red hair, and blue/green eyes…no scars…the same kinda personality.
But I don't
think that's why I like him. I'm just
drawn to him…strange, huh?
Anyway, this is one
pairing I haven't tried yet, and one that isn't too unrealistic, either. So
there! SCREW REALISM!! THIS IS FANFICTION
ALRIGHT?!
Uh…AAAGHH! My
kitten is chewing on my sunglasses! NOOOO!!! …and now he is decimating my
botched-up photography film…awww…
Me start
now! You have problem?! (I will not talk like Quina again!!)
Note from Smee:
the / blah / around some thoughts is cos I've been having formatting errors…
~ Wannon-chan ~
Revelations.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
The question was simple enough…
But the answer isn't quite as easy…Reno thought. He responded with silence, immersing himself in his beer. He certainly hadn't expected to ever see the blonde warrior again…yet, here he was.
In Wutai, of all places…why did he come here? To visit Yuffie? Reno thought. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and took an annoyed look around to see him again.
Is he still here?!…damn. he thought, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"What?!" he asked. The blonde's blue Mako eyes narrowed.
"You didn't answer my question, Turk." He said, removing his hand slowly. Reno could still feel the warmth he gave off lingering there, and he frowned.
"I'm not a Turk anymore, blondie. Remember it." he snapped. A ghost of a smile appeared on the other man's face, puzzling the redheaded ex-Turk.
"Why are you smiling…?" he asked, drink forgotten for now. The blonde merely shook his head, the smile widening.
"Nothing…just reminds me of the old rivalry, you know?" he said, and Reno frowned again.
"…Uh, yeah. Listen blondie, why are you here?…and more importantly, why are you talking to me?" he asked. The presence of his old 'target' wasn't exactly unwanted…more like uncomfortable. It reminded Reno of his cowardice, the fact that he couldn't bring himself to kill the unusual man.
I don't like being reminded of my failures…he thought, looking at the cause of his discomfort. He was sitting on the barstool, drink in hand, looking at him curiously. His eyes were twinkling with something…merriment? Or, was it happiness?
"Hey, call me Cloud. And don't be so guarded…we're not enemies anymore, are we?" Cloud asked, sidestepping Reno's earlier queries.
If he won't answer my question, I won't answer his…Cloud thought with a grin. He had come to Wutai to visit Yuffie, and had ended up bumping into Reno, of all people. He'd been a little apprehensive at first, but pushed the niggling doubts aside and approached the ex-Turk.
I've always wondered his reasons behind letting me go…why he didn't do his job, and kill me…he thought. It had never ceased to amaze him just how many times the Turks had let him escape.
But why did he do it? I know he's not a coward…he thought, glancing at Reno.
I'm such a coward… Reno thought miserably, his attention returning to
the neglected beer in his hand.
He's not even a threat anymore…the Planet is safe, Sephiroth is dead, Shinra is no more…so why can't you just relax around him?! He asked himself, looking back at Cloud.
~ You can't relax around him 'cause you got the hots for the little guy! ~ his inner voice taunted. Reno's eyes widened and he choked and he choked on the sip of beer he had taken.
Me?! Like Cloud?!…no way!! He protested silently. Cloud's brow creased, and he leant forward to pat Reno on the back, his concerned face dangerously close to the redhead's. At Cloud's touch, Reno locked eyes with him. Their faces inched closer and closer, until they could feel each other's breath.
A sudden realization hit both men, and they pulled away, blushing furiously.
"…I…I gotta go." Cloud whispered, and rushed from the bar. Reno watched him leave, and felt a sudden pang of disappointment.
I don't believe this…no way did that just happen! He thought, tugging at his hair.
No way…anyone but him!…he's just too damn attractive for his own goo-uh?! What am I thinking?!
Reno sighed and finished his drink, before he grabbed his leather jacket. He left the bar and made his way back to his house, utterly confused.
/I need to think…/
~ * ~
Cloud rushed into Yuffie's house, where he was staying. Yuffie snapped awake upon hearing his loud footsteps.
"…Uhn? Cloud? Hey man, what's the problem?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes and yawning. Cloud frowned.
"N-never mind…" he said, going to his bed and flopping down with a sigh. Yuffie got up and sat down next to him.
"You sure? You don't look too great…" she said. Cloud gave her a weak smile.
"…yeah…I, uh, ran into Reno today." He said. Yuffie grinned.
"Yeah, he lives here now. He's a great guy, we hang out sometimes." She said. Cloud frowned again.
"He doesn't seem…edgy? Nervous?…guarded?" he asked. Yuffie shook her head.
"Nope! he's always real sweet…why? Did you talk to him?" she queried. Cloud nodded.
"Uh…yeah. I went to the 'Turtles Paradise' and he was there…I asked him a few question, but he was being really…weird…and then we, uh…almost…" Cloud trailed off. Yuffie grinned.
"You kissed him!" she squealed happily. Cloud blushed furiously and shook his head.
"No!…I almost did!" he protested. Yuffie pouted.
"Almost is not good enough, Cloud." She said. That shocked a laugh from the spiky-haired blonde.
"Hey! I don't even know why it happened…it just did…" he said. Yuffie let out a long-suffering sigh and rolled her eyes.
"Did you ever wonder why he never killed you like he was supposed to? Did you ever notice that he was mostly quite nice to you? He likes you Cloud…sheesh, love really is blind!" she said. Cloud felt himself blush more.
"You're too into other people's relationships, Yuffie…" he muttered. The bubbly girl grinned and winked.
"What would you do without me?" she trilled. Cloud buried his face in his pillow and moaned. He felt Yuffie pat his back soothingly.
"Hey, don't be like that…just get some sleep…I bet you'll have nice dreams!" she teased.
"Yuffie!" Cloud squeaked in embarrassment.
"Sorry!" she replied, crawling back into her bed.
"'Night, Yuffie…" Cloud muttered, and slipped into a troubled sleep.
~ * ~
Reno slammed his front door, throwing his jacket on the floor. He untied his now-longer hair, and ran a hand through the tangled mess, sighing loudly. He took a long look around his cold, empty house.
Never realised how damn lonely this place is… he thought, switching on the lights. He stared into the kitchen, contemplating feeding his loudly grumbling stomach. Laziness overruled, however, and he opted for sleep instead. His emotions were in turmoil, thoughts racing, keeping him from falling asleep.
Would it really be so bad? There's a definite attraction there….maybe I should let the past go…he pondered. It won't be easy, though. Maybe I should have a little talk with Yuffie…she's such a little relationship expert. I'm sure she'd be delighted to help.
With that thought, Reno's mind slowed down enough to let him drift into slumber.
~ * ~
"Cloud! Yo! WAKE UP!"
The loud cry rattled the windows, and caused a nearby chocobo to have a heart attack. The recipient of the yell continued to sleep peacefully, a goofy smile plastered on his face.
"Man, that's so completely out of place on you…" Yuffie mused, as she tried to twist Cloud's mouth back into his usual soft smile.
"You must be having one hell of a good dream if I can't wake you up…" she muttered, patting Cloud's soaked spikes. She had tried everything to wake up the sleeping warrior…to no avail.
"Oh, well. Enjoy it while you can, bub. But I still think you'd enjoy the real Reno more…" she said with a sigh. She'd watched and listened to Cloud toss and turn, and was extremely happy to hear him whisper Reno's name.
I felt like such a pervert…ah, well. Whatcha gonna do? She thought gleefully, as she sat down to devour her lunch…yes, it was lunchtime already. A knock on the door interrupted it, however, and she skipped merrily to the front door, flinging it open. She grinned upon seeing who her visitor was.
"Reno, hi!" she chirped, embracing him. He laughed and hugged her back.
"Hey kid, how are ya?" he asked, and she shrugged.
"Ah, I'm alright…you?"
"I, uh…could be better…" Reno admitted. Yuffie nodded knowingly.
"I already know…here, I wanna show you something." She said, ignoring Reno's puzzled look. She grabbed his hand and led him inside, then pointed at Cloud's sleeping form.
"Cute, huh? He likes you. He just hasn't admitted it to himself yet. Although…no, I can't say." She said quietly. Reno simply stared at Cloud's angelic face, feeling warmth in his heart. A sweet smile appeared on his face.
"You like him, huh?" Yuffie whispered softly. Reno jumped and blushed.
"Uh…I do, yeah. But I can't…can't do anything about it…" he said. Yuffie frowned.
"Why the hell not?!" she snapped. Reno shrugged.
"It's just weird, ya know? I can't start sleeping with the 'enemy'…" he said, and received a slap to the arm.
"You big dork! He's not your enemy anymore!" Yuffie hissed. Reno looked sad.
"I know that. But every time I look at him, I see the man I was ordered to kill…and I keep reliving the battles we had, and seeing the way I would let my heart rule my mind, and run from him like a coward…" he admitted. Yuffie hugged him tightly.
"But…aren't you kinda glad you did run?" she asked softly. Reno gave her a shocked and puzzled look, but she simply smiled.
"I'll leave you here to think about it. I gotta go have a word to my dear father about some Materia that went missing…oh, and don't worry about waking him up. He sleeps like a log!" she said, and ran out the door.
"H-hey!" Reno said weakly, but she was gone. He glanced over at Cloud and blushed.
/Oh man…I'm alone…with Cloud!/
~ * ~
Playing possum with Yuffie had been fun, up until Reno made his appearance. Now Cloud was simply uncomfortable. He had heard everything that was said, and knew he was alone with Reno, making him all the more uncomfortable.
I want him so badly…but…but I…I don't know…he thought, hearing Reno sit down on his bed. His heart began to pound as he felt…or rather, sensed Reno's face near his.
"I know you're awake…" the redhead whispered. Cloud's eyes fluttered open to look into Reno's.
"How?" he asked quietly. Reno grinned.
"I used to do it all the time at the orphanage…" he said. Cloud frowned.
"Orphanage?" he queried, relaxing slightly, but still painfully aware of Reno's proximity.
"Yeah. Lived there for most of my life. I never knew who my real parents were." He told the blonde.
"I'm sorry…" Cloud said softly. Reno shook his head.
"Ah, don't worry about it. You can't mourn the loss of something you never had…" he said. Cloud shrugged.
"Well…if it makes you feel any better, I was…um…a genetic experiment for most of my life…I never knew my father, and my mother died in the Nibelheim fire…" he said simply. Reno's eyes widened.
"…yeah…that makes me feel so much better, Cloud." He said shakily, and Cloud laughed.
"Sorry…" he said. "Hey, where are Rude and Elena nowadays? And did Tseng make it out of the Temple before…before it was too late?" he asked softly. Reno's face fell.
"I don't know where Rude and Elena are…we had an argument after that final battle with you in Midgar, and I haven't seen them since. Tseng…Tseng didn't make it out…" he said, his voice cracking. He and Tseng had been close, and it still hurt that he was gone. Cloud touched Reno's shoulder gently.
"Sorry, Reno…I keep saying the wrong things…" he said. He saw a tear trickle down Reno's cheek, and recognized what was about to take place.
He's going to break down…like I did with Tifa. All those bottled-up emotions are going to spring free…Cloud thought with relief. He knew how good it felt afterwards. He watched Reno swipe away the tear furiously, and frown as more appeared. He let out a little sob, his thin frame shaking. Cloud felt his heart clench painfully, and he wrapped Reno up in a warm embrace. Reno leant into Cloud, trying to stifle the flood of emotions threatening to burst through.
"I've been so lonely…Yuffie's great, but…" he whispered through his tears. Cloud felt love and compassion overwhelm him, and he pressed a kiss to the top of Reno's head.
"I know how you feel…I felt the same way when Zack died…" Cloud mumbled.
He's so much like me… Reno realised.
I sure relaxed around him pretty quickly…I…I wonder… Cloud thought, tilting Reno's face up towards his.
"Reno…y-you don't have to be alone anymore. We don't have to be alone anymore…" he whispered. Reno smiled, and kissed Cloud softly, looking into his glittering blue eyes after he broke it.
"There's your answer…" he breathed. "That's why I didn't kill you…"
Cloud smiled, and kissed Reno, trying to convey in that one action, just how much the redhead meant to him.
"I was hoping you'd say that…" he whispered back.
~ * ~
Yuffie grinned from her position at the window, holding in a squeal of joy when she saw Reno kiss Cloud. She rushed off, to where she thought she was out of earshot and let out a whoop.
"Yes! Matchmaker Yuffie shoots, she scores!" she cried, leaping into the air.
~ * ~
Cloud broke the kiss and looked at Reno.
"You hear something?" he asked. Reno grinned.
"Nope…" he lied, and began to plunder Cloud's mouth once more.
/Heh…Matchmaker Yuffie shoots…I score!!/
The End.
::grin:: Well?
How was it? …you like? ::pleads pitifully:: please
tell me you liked it!!
I liked writing
it…it was FUN!! ::giggle::
I have actually
been wanting to write a Cloud/Reno, ever since my first FFVII fic, 'Walking
into Bars can hurt'. I even began
writing one…but it sucked, so I killed it. I smacked it over the head with a trout…with nails in it. ::huge grin::
Let me know what
you think! See the little box under this?? Well…click in the nice little
boxy-woxy and write what you thought of this story. Then click the magic button underneath, and TA-DA! You have
successfully reviewed! I bow down before you, o great reviewer!!
This here story is
dedicated to…um…Smeegee, of course, cos she's my bud, and cos without her I
couldn't even post my fics. Muchas
gracias, mi amiga!!
To I-chan, cos
he's SO FUNNY AND CUTE!! Luv ya, bub!
And to all you
Reno fans out there!! I love you all, too!! You people are…nifty! ::giggle::
Also, this is for those who:
a) Wanted to see an unusual pairing such as
this,
b) Or really like Cloud and Reno, together,
or apart.
But I need your
help. I need some pairing suggestions,
cos I'm running out of ideas…so…HELP ME!!
Thanks a lot!
~ Wannon-chan ~