Magnum Opus: Yep, gotta love that hair! And yes, those mistakes...
I'll try better this time!
Usual disclaimers apply
Playing With Fire
Chapter 11
Vincent Valentine walked slowly towards Yuffie, gun still pointed at Tasheki. He heard a sound behind him and greeted the newcomer.
"Your suspicions proved to be correct."
Reno came from behind the trees, riding a white chocobo. "Is Yuffie alright?"
The ex-Turk knelt next to the girl and examined her wound. "Yes." He took a materia from his pocket and healed Yuffie, while Reno watched over Tasheki. Satisfied that the wound has healed, he took the girl in his arms and gave her to Reno.
"Lucky I saw you around before you could mess things up." Reno snickered as he adjusted Yuffie in front of him. "Meet Cloud and the others. They should be back at the palace now, you know what to do."
Vincent simply nodded and watched as Reno disappeared with Yuffie, and turned his attention to the Captain who was looking at him with fear. Captain Tasheki tried to reach for another weapon, but Vincent quickly grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him up. The Captain could only stare at the most intimidating weapon that he had ever seen in his life.
"Walk."
Tasheki quickly examined his options. He would be hindered in fighting with his wound, and he recognized the man from Yuffie's descriptions about her friends. The one and only Vincent Valentine. His gaze traveled to the claw, and he shivered. "Do not tempt me to kill you," Vincent said softly, yet his voice was like steel. "It is Lord Godo who will see to your punishment."
"You don't understand! She would ruin everything!" He cried out in despair and panic, knowing that he was out of options. Whatever happens, he would be killed. He can't name the elders who were part of the plot. They would simply deny it.
Vincent ignored him, the Death Penalty pointed at the direction of the palace. "Walk or I will simply drag you back."
With his left hand covering the gunshot wound in his right shoulder, the Captain of the Royal Guards lowered his head in shame and defeat, and did as he was told.
Back in the palace, the Official Chamber was in an uproar; Lord Godo called for an emergency meeting. The council was shaken and angered at the assassination attempt, few were wondering if the real target was Godo, or his daughter. Some of the elders were seething from a different sort of anger, if only anyone could notice. The Guardians of the Pagoda were arguing amongst themselves, if they should look for Yuffie, or not.
Lord Godo sat in silence as his council argued and bickered amongst themselves, questioning the lack of security; conspiracy theories have been thrown around. He could hear the noise, but his only thought was of his daughter, if Captain Tasheki managed to hide Yuffie. He heard the golden doors open, and all fell silent as the man he knew as Cloud Strife walked in. Behind him, seven of the Royal Guards with their hands tied up followed, and was guarded by the rest of AVALANCHE, along with Elena and Rude.
"What... what is the meaning of this?" Lord Godo asked, shocked and angry that his Royal Guards were treated in such a fashion. Cloud Strife, leader of AVALANCHE met his gaze.
"Accomplices to the plot to assassinate your daughter."
The room erupted in angry shouts. The Lord of Wutai watched, slightly in awe as the blond man raised his hand, and the room fell silent once again. He had a commanding presence; even men twice his age followed his silent command. Cloud took out a tape recorder and walked towards him.
Lord Godo looked suspiciously at Cloud as he accepted the tape, and played it. The room was completely silent, save for the voices in the tape. Lord Godo paled as he recognized the voice. "Lies!" He shouted and threw the recorder to the floor. "I will not stand here and let you slander my Captain!"
"Those were his own words. Not ours." Cloud replied and motioned for Rude to walk beside him. "How else could these people have infiltrated your Royal Army if it wasn't for Tasheki's approval?" He asked as Rude handed a folder to Lord Godo who looked at them in disbelief. "You have traitors right in front you, Lord Godo."
There was chaos once again in the room as everyone started screaming denials and accusations against each other. It was Gorky that saw Captain Tasheki first, followed by Vincent Valentine. One by one, everyone saw the Captain, the look on his face already spoke the truth.
"Where is my daughter?"
The Captain remained silent, eyes cast down. "Where is my daughter?" He asked once again, anger swelling inside him as he walked towards his Captain.
"Safe."
The reply came from the man behind Tasheki. Vincent lowered his weapon. "Yuffie was stabbed at the back. I have cured her, and she is safe." His red eyes seem to glow as he scanned the room, most people looked away in fear at the man standing before them.
"Where is she? Why isn't she here?" He was met with silence and he looked at Cloud, then back to the other members of AVALANCHE. "My daughter needs to be protected! She needs to be here with me!"
"Prove your innocence." Vincent's voice was cold, and the Lord of Wutai suddenly felt all of AVALANCHE looking at him with suspicion.
"How dare you! How dare you accuse me?" He cried out in anger, the room still silent.
Vincent once again looked around the room before answering. "We have reason to believe that the people behind the plot to assassinate your daughter is in this very room."
If it weren't for his intimidating presence, the room would have erupted in anger again. "Until we are satisfied that your daughter is completely safe, she will stay hidden. She is not alone, she is well protected." He continued.
"She is the Lady of Wutai! We are the ones who are supposed to protect her!" One of the council spoke out bravely, and many echoed his statement. The rest of the Royal Guards, who were not involved in the plot, now looked at each other suspiciously, wondering if there was another traitor in their ranks.
Shake and the others who have been discussing quietly amongst themselves knew that until they could find out the whole truth, Yuffie would be safe if nobody knew where she was hiding.
"She is also a member of AVALANCHE." Cloud replied as he looked around the room, and saw the silent approval from the guardians. "She will be placed in our protection until we are satisfied with her safety."
"This is all a trick! A trick I tell you! How could you have known about all this if you are not a part of it?" Kindou, one of the senior members of the council cried out. "You should have told us the moment you got hold of that tape. This matter would have been resolved and Lady Yuffie would never have been in any danger!"
"How do we know that you're not a part of it?" Cloud asked, throwing the question back at the old man. "You have the accomplices here, ask them."
"They will be interrogated accordingly to our law." A voice spoke and Lord Godo watched as Li Xing, one of the elders stood up. "How can you prove the identity of this traitor?"
Vincent escorted the Captain towards the middle of the room. Tasheki looked around, avoiding a few looks of warning and pointed his hands at one of the elders. Kindou, the elder in question stood up in anger as he denied the accusation.
"Silence!" Lord Godo commanded, and the room was once again quiet, but the tension was so thick, and everyone was already on edge. "There is no proof of all this!"
Kindou sat down, shaking in anger as he looked at the Captain. He could feel all eyes on him. He wasn't about to let a group of renegades destroy his ambitions. He noticed a blond woman walking towards Lord Godo and handed him another folder.
Lord Godo accepted the folder, and read the contents. Kindou felt more and more uncomfortable at the expression on Godo's face. He could only look as Godo took his eyes from the report to him, and he knew. He knew at that moment that somehow, his treachery has been discovered.
"Arrest him!" Lord Godo cried out, shaking in fury and the Royal Guards did as they were ordered. "Throw him in jail with the rest of these traitors!"
"I was doing you a favor, Lord Godo. Your daughter would have brought Wutai nothing but shame! Consorting with a mercenary, welcoming the same company that ruined Wutai." He cried out in anger as the guards grabbed him from his seat, and tied his hands behind his back.
Lord Godo walked towards Kindou, eyes filled with calculating hatred. "My daughter was the one that returned to Wutai and rebuilt the city, practically with her own two hands while you sat inside your fancy little house." He snarled as he motioned for the guards to take the disgraced elder away. He looked at the rest of the council carefully; looking at each and everyone that he had considered friends.
"This report not only contained proof of Kindou's treachery, but unfortunately it also implicates a few more people behind this plot. I ask you council, what do you propose I do?"
Li Xing spoke first. "Reveal the traitors." His voice was cold. "The Wutai Council is no place for dark hearts."
Lord Godo nodded, as the rest of the council who were innocent, nodded. The people behind the plot however, waited for their fate as the Lord of Wutai called a senior ranked guard and handed him the file. Falcor could only look at the report in shock, reading the names of the people he once admired. Yuffie's father didn't wait for the arrests to be made as he walked towards the door. His daughter's friends opened the door for him and he briefly heard voices begging for forgiveness, and then nothing, as the golden doors shut once again.
*-*-
Tifa felt as if she spent an eternity escorting the guilty people to their cells. She prayed briefly that Reno and Yuffie got away safely, and managed to hide in the cave Cloud found yesterday. Yuffie was still in danger, and now Lord Godo himself could be a target. She walked towards her room when she realized that Yuffie's door was open. She looked inside and saw Lord Godo sitting on Yuffie's bed, while holding a teddy bear. Lord Godo looked up at her, and looked down again.
"Did you know where she got this?" He asked her softly. Tifa walked inside and looked at the bear.
"I think Vincent won her that, over a year ago."
Lord Godo nodded, still looking at the bear. "I envy you, and your friends." He said softly. "I don't know my own daughter. If you and your friends didn't stumble on that information..."
Tifa just stood there, not knowing what to say. She wanted to apologize for even thinking of him as a suspect. Lord Godo sensed her discomfort and spoke first. "It's alright. You had every right to suspect me. My own council! How could I have not suspected anything?"
The anger that Lord Godo had been trying to control was slowly breaking loose. "I trusted those men, I trusted Yuffie with the Captain to keep her safe!"
"Yuffie's going to be safe, as soon as Cloud and Rude finished with what they're doing, they'll send a message to Reno, and they'll come back." Tifa said softly, trying to ease his mind.
Lord Godo sighed as he finally looked at Tifa. "Do you think that he loves her?"
Tifa blinked. "Well... I really don't know him that well." She replied carefully, wondering if she should tell Godo the truth. "They have a very strange relationship."
"I was surprised when Alec told me about this fiancé. She wouldn't even give me a name." He told her, attention back to the stuffed animal. "My daughter went out to gather materia, saved the world, returned to rebuild Wutai... I just couldn't believe that my daughter... my baby had a fiancé." Lord Godo laughed, yet the laughter was tinged with sadness. "My baby had grown up, and I never even knew..."
Tifa remained silent, not knowing what to say to comfort Yuffie's father.
*-*-
Yuffie could feel that she was moving... she wasn't moving, but she was on something that was moving. She could also feel strong arms around her, and a familiar scent filled her senses. She opened her eyes, and tried to adjust her eyes in the darkness.
"Finally awake?"
"Reno? What.. where am I?"
"You've been stabbed." He replied instead as they continued to ride the chocobo. "Do you remember that?"
"By Captain Tasheki." She replied softly, and her eyes widened as she remembered something else. "I saw Vincent... "
"He came as Cait Sith took you off," He replied. "You've pissed of quite a few people,
You know that?"
"I don't understand... is Godo alright?"
Reno didn't answer her for a while. "He's fine."
"Captain Tasheki tried to kill me." Yuffie whispered, as she leaned back on Reno. "I thought he was my friend."
"Welcome to the real world, sugar."
"He was saying something... about abolishing the council... I just couldn't understand what he was saying! Reno, he tried to kill me!"
"I know that. Why do you think Cloud and the others were missing from the ceremony? They were trying to save your ass..."
Yuffie groaned, her head aching. "I don't understand anything!"
"Understand this, there are people in the council who wanted you dead. They've been plotting your assassination for weeks. If Reeve didn't find out accidentally, you'd be dead
by now."
Yuffie listened in shock. "Who?"
"Kindou sound familiar to you?"
Yuffie nodded. "But why?"
"That's what Cloud and the others are going to find out. Until then, you and me are going camping."
"I want to go home. I need to know..."
"Listen, your father never even knew that his dear council wanted you dead. There are more people involve, and until we get all the information we need, you have to hide. The people you trust ain't exactly what they seem to be."
"I don't believe this, I can't believe any of this. They tried to kill me?" Yuffie asked, her voice shaking with anger. "When I get my hands on them..."
"Whatever, Yuffie. Until then, you have to stay hidden."
"Ummm, Reno?"
"What?"
"Where are we going?" She asked, not exactly sure where Reno was going.
"Cloud spotted a cave not far from here, I've taken the liberty of taking a few of your clothes, and we are going to be staying there until we know who exactly is your enemy."
Yuffie didn't say anything, her mind processing the events hours ago, to her discovery that there were people in the council who wanted her dead. Did she do anything wrong? Why? She tried to stop thinking about the situation, wishing that everything was just a big mistake. She didn't realize that she was shaking until Reno stroke her back.
"Relax, Yuffie. We're almost there."
She tried to smile, as she closed her eyes. "Hey Reno, I guess this means that you might have to stay in Wutai a little while longer."
"I guess so, why?"
"I don't think I can pay you more than another forty gil,"
Reno heard the need for Yuffie to relax, to forget everything if only for a moment. "Don't worry about it, I'll just hold you for ransom."
Yuffie didn't know why, but she started laughing. /I'm going crazy./
The chocobo came to a halt, and Reno jumped down, and helped Yuffie. The moment she stood on the ground, her knees gave away and she would have fallen completely to the ground, if Reno didn't catch her. She took a deep breath and stood up. "Thanks,"
Reno just nodded and pointed to the cave. "Come on inside, you need to change."
She followed Reno inside the cave, and was surprised to see two futons, and a box filled with food. "Did this just this afternoon. Spike's idea."
She looked around, and saw her clothes neatly piled on a futon and looked with dismay at what she was wearing. "Ayami told me that Godo gave this to my mother as a birthday gift. My mother wore this for god knows how long, I use it once, and now it's ruined!"
Yuffie reached for her crown, surprised that it was still on her head and took it off.
Reno didn't reply as he walked out of the cave to hide the chocobo that they used. Yuffie wrinkled her nose in disgust as she took her gown off, and started to change into something more comfortable to wear. Reno walked in, just in time to see Yuffie closing the button of her pants. "You okay?"
She looked up at him and nodded. "I guess. I don't know what to think... Why would they want to kill me?"
Reno shrugged as he sat on his futon. "Well, you'll soon know." He replied.
The two of them stayed silent, and Yuffie sighed as she sat on her own futon. "I'm hungry."
"We've got fruits, a few bread, and everything that comes in a can."
Yuffie stood up and walked towards the box and started sorting out the food. "What do you want?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
Yuffie took an apple and sat back on her futon. "How long are we going to be here?"
"A day or two. Maybe more, why? You got somewhere you need to go?"
"No... "
She ate in silence as Reno leaned back against the wall and looked out of the cave. There were a million things that were rushing through her head, and despite learning that there was a threat to her life and that she was nearly killed; she also realized that half the people she trusted, like the Captain was a traitor. She was betrayed by someone she considered a friend, and she had never felt betrayed before. She looked at Reno, who was
still looking out, almost as if he was waiting for something, or someone to come. She looked at the scars beneath his eyes and wondered how he got it. She continued to stare at him, and wondered if his hair was soft to touch... she turned away as she felt her cheeks grow warm. /Gawd, I nearly died and I'm checking out Reno? I must be going crazy./
Reno could hear Yuffie eating quietly, and decided that looking out of the cave was better than looking at her. She didn't know the full details yet, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her everything. What was he supposed to say? Oh, by the way. Your father is a suspect. He took a deep breath, but he could feel her eyes on him. He ignored her, and continued to look out wondering when he would get the call from Cloud.
Both Yuffie and Reno stiffened as they heard a loud noise. Reno instantly recognized it as a helicopter and snarled. He had a sneaking suspicion who it was. They both stood up, and Reno adjusted the settings to his nightstick, and dragged Yuffie to the darkness. They both waited as they heard footsteps and voices. As the voices became clearer, Reno smirked. He was right.
Alec Kitani walked inside the cave and knew at that very moment where Yuffie was. The gown that she was wearing was folded neatly, along with the crown. His eyes narrowed as he saw the other bed, and knew who was with her. /Where could they be?/
His eyes scanned the cave, and smirked. "I know you're here. You can come out now."
Reno walked out from the darkness, hands on his nightstick. He kept Yuffie close behind him and smiled. "Alec, what brings you to our humble home?"
Alec ignored him and looked at Yuffie. "I'm here to take Yuffie back. Her friends have caught the people responsible for the attempt on her life."
"That's sweet of you, but as you can see, she's perfectly fine."
Yuffie looked at Alec and briefly wondered if he played a part in the assassination attempt.
Alec walked closer, but Reno pointed the nightstick at Alec and moved left, Yuffie still behind him. "Give her to me. Her father entrusted me with her safety, and I will not fail him."
"I'm staying with Reno." Yuffie spoke out; looking at Alec's violet eyes and saw them glint dangerously.
"I've been nothing but a gentleman to you, Yuffie. But this time, I'm afraid I have no choice. I have to take you back, by force if necessary."
Reno snorted. "You? A gentleman? Gentlemen don't challenge ladies for a date."
Alec called his bodyguards and looked at Reno. "Do you really think you can handle all of us?" He asked, as five other men walked menacingly towards Reno, who just laughed.
"You really crack me up." Without warning, Reno attacked the one to his left, using only one hand to fight with his nightstick, his other hand holding Yuffie by the wrist, who kicked another man coming towards them. Unknown to Alec and his bodyguards, Reno was skillfully choreographing the movements that allowed him and Yuffie to be closer to the exit. When they realized what happened, it was already too late as Reno flashed a cocky grin and trapped Alec's bodyguards in pyramids.
Alec looked in anger realizing that he had lost, and could only stare as Reno and Yuffie ran out of the cave. He took a radio out of his pocket and ordered more men, giving their location. He walked outside just in time to see Reno and Yuffie riding away on a white chocobo.
"How did he know about the cave?" Yuffie asked Reno as he increased their speed.
"I don't know, he's your stalker!" He replied and looked behind him to see if they were being followed.
Yuffie bit her lip as she looked around, and realization suddenly dawned on her. /I've been here before!/ "Reno, go left!"
"What?"
"I know this area, go left!"
Reno did what Yuffie asked him and turned the chocobo towards left. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"
Yuffie nodded as she turned around and looked at Reno. "There's another cave towards that end. That's where my mother and I were hidden during the war."
"Does anyone in the council know about that place?"
"Some of the elders do. There's a tunnel that you follow that leads to Da-Chao."
Reno shook his head. "It's too risky."
"It's the only place where we can hide. There's nothing here but trees..."
"How long will it take to reach Da-Chao using the tunnel?"
Yuffie bit her lower lip as she tried to remember. "More than three hours, if you go the right way. I remembered that several fake tunnels were made as well."
They rode in silence, both alert to the possibility that Alec had caught up with them.
"This is it!..." Yuffie cried out, as she stared at the very familiar environment. She looked at the trees, and sure enough, the marks of the Wutai ninja clan were still there, faded but easily recognizable if you knew what you were looking at. They both got off the chocobo almost at the same time, and Yuffie was about to rush in the cave, only to be pulled back by Reno.
"You should really be more careful." He muttered as he walked ahead of her. Reno took out a flashlight from his pocket, and looked around the cave. It looked empty and abandoned, but there were still a few material things that were left behind. He saw torches along the wall towards the back of the cave, and used his fire materia to light a few.
Yuffie on the other hand, was too lost in her memories. She could barely remember everything, but looking around her, she could almost see the place as it was those years ago. She closed her eyes, and suddenly felt cold.
"Hey, you okay?"
She turned towards Reno and nodded her head. "I... I was just remembering something," Yuffie replied softly. "I think we'll be safe here... "
Reno nodded and looked at the five tunnels. One of them lead back to the heart of Wutai, and the others were dead-ends. "Now, we wait."
Yuffie walked closer to Reno. "Hey, I... I just want to say thanks."
He shrugged. "I did it for Reeve, without you in Wutai, he's finished."
"Oh."
There was an awkward silence as Yuffie walked away, and sat on the floor. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, he did the same and sat next to her. "So we'll basically just have to wait for Cloud to say it's okay to return?"
"Yep." Reno replied as he tried to relax, and cursed Kitani. The first cave that they used had everything. Here, they had nothing. He would like to have given himself a pat on the back for finding the proof against the elders. Being a cold blooded Turk did have many advantages. He could hardly believe how easy it was. That bastard Kindou had a brilliant plot, but he was too stupid enough not to get rid of the evidence.
He looked at Yuffie and wondered how she could have fallen asleep so fast. Against his better judgment, he moved her head so that it rested on his shoulders. He was really starting to consider holding the girl for ransom. Reno raked his hands through his hair.
/Shit, I knew I should have turned her down./
He recalled the day she came to his office. The moment she walked in, he remembered being quite surprised. She still looked like the little materia-hunting brat, but there was something else, which was why he accepted her offer. She intrigued him. There was something in her eyes, in the way that she moved that day... He didn't know what, all he knew was that he was going to get paid, and he had two weeks to figure out what the hell it is about Yuffie Kisaragi that he found fascinating.
Reno snorted softly. The more that he spent time with her, he just found more questions, but no answers. She was just... different. She could be a whining brat one second, and be responsible the next. He had to admit; she looked very pretty when she blushed. It was also fun to see how much he can get any sort of reaction out of her. Yuffie would probably kill him if she found out that he spent almost all night watching her sleep, after coming home from the club. He didn't even know why he did it; he just found it quite comforting.
/The sooner I get out of here, the better. I'm going to go insane if I stay.../
His gaze traveled to her lips, and wondered what kind of a kisser she was. Had she ever been kissed before? /Shit. I am going insane./
Reno settled on watching the bare wall, and listened to Yuffie's breathing.
A few hours later, Yuffie blinked, and opened her eyes. Had she been sleeping on Reno's shoulder? She felt cold, and as she strained her ears, she realized that it was raining.
"How was your nap?"
"Okay... did you sleep?"
"Turks never sleep on a job."
Yuffie stared at the wall, and suddenly grinned. "How the hell did you all work together without killing each other?"
Reno smirked. "You don't want to know. I really should get a pay rise, you know."
There was nothing again but silence. Yuffie rubbed her hands to generate heat. The fire from the torches wasn't enough anymore, and the silence was killing her. The assassination attempt, the betrayal of Tasheki was once again on her mind, and she closed her eyes, wanting to forget. She didn't want to remember what happened. She looked up at Reno who was still staring at the wall.
"Reno, you want to play a game?"
He looked down at her. "What?"
"A game. I'm bored, and it's too quiet..." She replied softly.
Reno looked back at the wall and sighed. /I'm going to regret this./ "What do you have in mind?"
"Twenty questions, I ask you answer..."
"I'm familiar with the game, played it a few times my self."
Yuffie looked at him. "Played as in game, not played as in interrogation."
"I played both, if you must know. So, any questions? No holds barred?"
Yuffie nodded her head. "Okay, I ask first. Favourite color?"
Reno laughed at her question, but answered it nonetheless. "Black. My turn, favorite
sport?"
"Materia-hunting!"
"That's not a sport..."
Yuffie grinned. "It is to me! Favorite movie?"
"Anything with a blood-fest." He replied and chuckled at the look of distaste on Yuffie's face. "Favorite weapon?"
"My Conformer! Fave food?"
"Anything spicy. First crush?"
Yuffie turned bright red. "Excuse me?"
Reno smirked as he looked at the girl. "This is your game, sugar. I was just playing along. You don't answer and game's over."
She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. "Vincent."
/I knew it,/ Reno felt his fists clench as Yuffie thought about her next question.
"First date?"
"Local no-name restaurant in Midgar. Forgot the name. First kiss?"
Yuffie blushed again. "None."
He looked at her in surprise. "You're kidding me."
"No, I'm not! It's true!"
"You've never been kissed?"
Yuffie shook her head. "First love?"
"None!"
"Come on, with all those women you dated? Not one?"
Reno looked at her. "Just because I dated them doesn't mean I felt anything." Before Yuffie could say anything, he delivered his next question. "Favorite fantasy?"
Yuffie smiled. "To own and control all the materia in the world!"
The redhead didn't know if he should laugh or not.
"First job?"
"I can tell you, but I'm gonna have to kill you." He replied, his voice suddenly loosing its' playful tone.
Yuffie stared at Reno. "Is it with the Turks?"
"No. Favorite toy?"
The ninja blinked at his question. "I don't know I used to have a magic eight ball.
I guess that was my favorite. You?"
"I never had toys." He replied, thinking of his next question.
The two of them fell into silence once more. Yuffie knew she was pushing it, but she couldn't help it. "Reno, what do you think you'd be if you didn't join the Turks and... Well, had a normal life?"
Reno took a deep breath, slightly surprised at the seriousness of her question. "A guitar player." He expected her to laugh, but she didn't. "I used to play the guitar. I stopped playing when I joined the Turks. I don't even know where it is anymore. What about you, what do you think you'd be doing if the Wutai-Shinra shit never happened?"
"I'd be with my mother." She replied softly. "Maybe... maybe I'd even be married by now, she married Godo when she turned sixteen." She looked at him, and she couldn't help but admire how gorgeous his blue eyes were. "Reno?"
"Yeah?"
Yuffie felt her palms sweat. "How... how did you..."
"Get my scars?" He turned towards her and saw the discomfort on her face, the flush of her cheeks, and the redness of her lips. He looked away before answering. "I was double-crossed on my first job for a second-rate gang. I thought I could trust my so-called brothers, but they just left me in the ditch."
Yuffie wanted to ask another question, but decided that it was better if she shut her mouth. The silence was really getting to her and she looked at Reno who was just staring at her. There was something... she couldn't tell what, but there was something in the way that he was looking at her that made her want to just wrap her arms around him. Before she could stop herself. Her hands reached up to trace the scars lightly with her fingertips.
Reno didn't stop her, he didn't know what the hell was going on, but he couldn't move away to save himself. He moved closer, and soon the fingers that were tracing his scars moved to his cheeks, down to his lips. She quickly pulled her hand away, but his hand grabbed hers, and pulled her closer.
She was hypnotized by his eyes, she didn't protest when he pulled her towards him, she didn't know what was happening, all she knew was that she wanted something to happen, he leaned closer, and she felt a shivering sensation in her body as he brushed his lips gently against hers.
"Reno..." Her voice was soft and gentle, and at right at that very moment, he didn't give a damn about the world. He felt his eyes close as her lips gently caressed his eyelids, and he felt something hit him, the pleasure that her kiss gave was nothing compared to anything that he had experienced with other women. She repeated that same gentle caress, and Reno desperately tried
to hold on to his control.
"What are you doing to me, Yuffie?" He asked softly, his voice smooth and dangerous, but Yuffie knew she had nothing to fear. Her hands wrapped around him as he pulled her even closer, his lips touched hers, and he felt as if the whole world disappeared and the ground beneath them opened up, and they had nothing else, but each other. /What have you done to me?/
*TbC*
So, how was it? I'm not sure about the kiss on the eyelids thing, but according to Cosmo, for some guys getting kissed there is as good as doing the deed. Can't exactly say from experience, but let me grab a boy somewhere and I'll get back to all of you on that... ^__^
And yes, the white chocobo... I couldn't help it.
Thanks to your comments!
I'll try better this time!
Usual disclaimers apply
Playing With Fire
Chapter 11
Vincent Valentine walked slowly towards Yuffie, gun still pointed at Tasheki. He heard a sound behind him and greeted the newcomer.
"Your suspicions proved to be correct."
Reno came from behind the trees, riding a white chocobo. "Is Yuffie alright?"
The ex-Turk knelt next to the girl and examined her wound. "Yes." He took a materia from his pocket and healed Yuffie, while Reno watched over Tasheki. Satisfied that the wound has healed, he took the girl in his arms and gave her to Reno.
"Lucky I saw you around before you could mess things up." Reno snickered as he adjusted Yuffie in front of him. "Meet Cloud and the others. They should be back at the palace now, you know what to do."
Vincent simply nodded and watched as Reno disappeared with Yuffie, and turned his attention to the Captain who was looking at him with fear. Captain Tasheki tried to reach for another weapon, but Vincent quickly grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him up. The Captain could only stare at the most intimidating weapon that he had ever seen in his life.
"Walk."
Tasheki quickly examined his options. He would be hindered in fighting with his wound, and he recognized the man from Yuffie's descriptions about her friends. The one and only Vincent Valentine. His gaze traveled to the claw, and he shivered. "Do not tempt me to kill you," Vincent said softly, yet his voice was like steel. "It is Lord Godo who will see to your punishment."
"You don't understand! She would ruin everything!" He cried out in despair and panic, knowing that he was out of options. Whatever happens, he would be killed. He can't name the elders who were part of the plot. They would simply deny it.
Vincent ignored him, the Death Penalty pointed at the direction of the palace. "Walk or I will simply drag you back."
With his left hand covering the gunshot wound in his right shoulder, the Captain of the Royal Guards lowered his head in shame and defeat, and did as he was told.
Back in the palace, the Official Chamber was in an uproar; Lord Godo called for an emergency meeting. The council was shaken and angered at the assassination attempt, few were wondering if the real target was Godo, or his daughter. Some of the elders were seething from a different sort of anger, if only anyone could notice. The Guardians of the Pagoda were arguing amongst themselves, if they should look for Yuffie, or not.
Lord Godo sat in silence as his council argued and bickered amongst themselves, questioning the lack of security; conspiracy theories have been thrown around. He could hear the noise, but his only thought was of his daughter, if Captain Tasheki managed to hide Yuffie. He heard the golden doors open, and all fell silent as the man he knew as Cloud Strife walked in. Behind him, seven of the Royal Guards with their hands tied up followed, and was guarded by the rest of AVALANCHE, along with Elena and Rude.
"What... what is the meaning of this?" Lord Godo asked, shocked and angry that his Royal Guards were treated in such a fashion. Cloud Strife, leader of AVALANCHE met his gaze.
"Accomplices to the plot to assassinate your daughter."
The room erupted in angry shouts. The Lord of Wutai watched, slightly in awe as the blond man raised his hand, and the room fell silent once again. He had a commanding presence; even men twice his age followed his silent command. Cloud took out a tape recorder and walked towards him.
Lord Godo looked suspiciously at Cloud as he accepted the tape, and played it. The room was completely silent, save for the voices in the tape. Lord Godo paled as he recognized the voice. "Lies!" He shouted and threw the recorder to the floor. "I will not stand here and let you slander my Captain!"
"Those were his own words. Not ours." Cloud replied and motioned for Rude to walk beside him. "How else could these people have infiltrated your Royal Army if it wasn't for Tasheki's approval?" He asked as Rude handed a folder to Lord Godo who looked at them in disbelief. "You have traitors right in front you, Lord Godo."
There was chaos once again in the room as everyone started screaming denials and accusations against each other. It was Gorky that saw Captain Tasheki first, followed by Vincent Valentine. One by one, everyone saw the Captain, the look on his face already spoke the truth.
"Where is my daughter?"
The Captain remained silent, eyes cast down. "Where is my daughter?" He asked once again, anger swelling inside him as he walked towards his Captain.
"Safe."
The reply came from the man behind Tasheki. Vincent lowered his weapon. "Yuffie was stabbed at the back. I have cured her, and she is safe." His red eyes seem to glow as he scanned the room, most people looked away in fear at the man standing before them.
"Where is she? Why isn't she here?" He was met with silence and he looked at Cloud, then back to the other members of AVALANCHE. "My daughter needs to be protected! She needs to be here with me!"
"Prove your innocence." Vincent's voice was cold, and the Lord of Wutai suddenly felt all of AVALANCHE looking at him with suspicion.
"How dare you! How dare you accuse me?" He cried out in anger, the room still silent.
Vincent once again looked around the room before answering. "We have reason to believe that the people behind the plot to assassinate your daughter is in this very room."
If it weren't for his intimidating presence, the room would have erupted in anger again. "Until we are satisfied that your daughter is completely safe, she will stay hidden. She is not alone, she is well protected." He continued.
"She is the Lady of Wutai! We are the ones who are supposed to protect her!" One of the council spoke out bravely, and many echoed his statement. The rest of the Royal Guards, who were not involved in the plot, now looked at each other suspiciously, wondering if there was another traitor in their ranks.
Shake and the others who have been discussing quietly amongst themselves knew that until they could find out the whole truth, Yuffie would be safe if nobody knew where she was hiding.
"She is also a member of AVALANCHE." Cloud replied as he looked around the room, and saw the silent approval from the guardians. "She will be placed in our protection until we are satisfied with her safety."
"This is all a trick! A trick I tell you! How could you have known about all this if you are not a part of it?" Kindou, one of the senior members of the council cried out. "You should have told us the moment you got hold of that tape. This matter would have been resolved and Lady Yuffie would never have been in any danger!"
"How do we know that you're not a part of it?" Cloud asked, throwing the question back at the old man. "You have the accomplices here, ask them."
"They will be interrogated accordingly to our law." A voice spoke and Lord Godo watched as Li Xing, one of the elders stood up. "How can you prove the identity of this traitor?"
Vincent escorted the Captain towards the middle of the room. Tasheki looked around, avoiding a few looks of warning and pointed his hands at one of the elders. Kindou, the elder in question stood up in anger as he denied the accusation.
"Silence!" Lord Godo commanded, and the room was once again quiet, but the tension was so thick, and everyone was already on edge. "There is no proof of all this!"
Kindou sat down, shaking in anger as he looked at the Captain. He could feel all eyes on him. He wasn't about to let a group of renegades destroy his ambitions. He noticed a blond woman walking towards Lord Godo and handed him another folder.
Lord Godo accepted the folder, and read the contents. Kindou felt more and more uncomfortable at the expression on Godo's face. He could only look as Godo took his eyes from the report to him, and he knew. He knew at that moment that somehow, his treachery has been discovered.
"Arrest him!" Lord Godo cried out, shaking in fury and the Royal Guards did as they were ordered. "Throw him in jail with the rest of these traitors!"
"I was doing you a favor, Lord Godo. Your daughter would have brought Wutai nothing but shame! Consorting with a mercenary, welcoming the same company that ruined Wutai." He cried out in anger as the guards grabbed him from his seat, and tied his hands behind his back.
Lord Godo walked towards Kindou, eyes filled with calculating hatred. "My daughter was the one that returned to Wutai and rebuilt the city, practically with her own two hands while you sat inside your fancy little house." He snarled as he motioned for the guards to take the disgraced elder away. He looked at the rest of the council carefully; looking at each and everyone that he had considered friends.
"This report not only contained proof of Kindou's treachery, but unfortunately it also implicates a few more people behind this plot. I ask you council, what do you propose I do?"
Li Xing spoke first. "Reveal the traitors." His voice was cold. "The Wutai Council is no place for dark hearts."
Lord Godo nodded, as the rest of the council who were innocent, nodded. The people behind the plot however, waited for their fate as the Lord of Wutai called a senior ranked guard and handed him the file. Falcor could only look at the report in shock, reading the names of the people he once admired. Yuffie's father didn't wait for the arrests to be made as he walked towards the door. His daughter's friends opened the door for him and he briefly heard voices begging for forgiveness, and then nothing, as the golden doors shut once again.
*-*-
Tifa felt as if she spent an eternity escorting the guilty people to their cells. She prayed briefly that Reno and Yuffie got away safely, and managed to hide in the cave Cloud found yesterday. Yuffie was still in danger, and now Lord Godo himself could be a target. She walked towards her room when she realized that Yuffie's door was open. She looked inside and saw Lord Godo sitting on Yuffie's bed, while holding a teddy bear. Lord Godo looked up at her, and looked down again.
"Did you know where she got this?" He asked her softly. Tifa walked inside and looked at the bear.
"I think Vincent won her that, over a year ago."
Lord Godo nodded, still looking at the bear. "I envy you, and your friends." He said softly. "I don't know my own daughter. If you and your friends didn't stumble on that information..."
Tifa just stood there, not knowing what to say. She wanted to apologize for even thinking of him as a suspect. Lord Godo sensed her discomfort and spoke first. "It's alright. You had every right to suspect me. My own council! How could I have not suspected anything?"
The anger that Lord Godo had been trying to control was slowly breaking loose. "I trusted those men, I trusted Yuffie with the Captain to keep her safe!"
"Yuffie's going to be safe, as soon as Cloud and Rude finished with what they're doing, they'll send a message to Reno, and they'll come back." Tifa said softly, trying to ease his mind.
Lord Godo sighed as he finally looked at Tifa. "Do you think that he loves her?"
Tifa blinked. "Well... I really don't know him that well." She replied carefully, wondering if she should tell Godo the truth. "They have a very strange relationship."
"I was surprised when Alec told me about this fiancé. She wouldn't even give me a name." He told her, attention back to the stuffed animal. "My daughter went out to gather materia, saved the world, returned to rebuild Wutai... I just couldn't believe that my daughter... my baby had a fiancé." Lord Godo laughed, yet the laughter was tinged with sadness. "My baby had grown up, and I never even knew..."
Tifa remained silent, not knowing what to say to comfort Yuffie's father.
*-*-
Yuffie could feel that she was moving... she wasn't moving, but she was on something that was moving. She could also feel strong arms around her, and a familiar scent filled her senses. She opened her eyes, and tried to adjust her eyes in the darkness.
"Finally awake?"
"Reno? What.. where am I?"
"You've been stabbed." He replied instead as they continued to ride the chocobo. "Do you remember that?"
"By Captain Tasheki." She replied softly, and her eyes widened as she remembered something else. "I saw Vincent... "
"He came as Cait Sith took you off," He replied. "You've pissed of quite a few people,
You know that?"
"I don't understand... is Godo alright?"
Reno didn't answer her for a while. "He's fine."
"Captain Tasheki tried to kill me." Yuffie whispered, as she leaned back on Reno. "I thought he was my friend."
"Welcome to the real world, sugar."
"He was saying something... about abolishing the council... I just couldn't understand what he was saying! Reno, he tried to kill me!"
"I know that. Why do you think Cloud and the others were missing from the ceremony? They were trying to save your ass..."
Yuffie groaned, her head aching. "I don't understand anything!"
"Understand this, there are people in the council who wanted you dead. They've been plotting your assassination for weeks. If Reeve didn't find out accidentally, you'd be dead
by now."
Yuffie listened in shock. "Who?"
"Kindou sound familiar to you?"
Yuffie nodded. "But why?"
"That's what Cloud and the others are going to find out. Until then, you and me are going camping."
"I want to go home. I need to know..."
"Listen, your father never even knew that his dear council wanted you dead. There are more people involve, and until we get all the information we need, you have to hide. The people you trust ain't exactly what they seem to be."
"I don't believe this, I can't believe any of this. They tried to kill me?" Yuffie asked, her voice shaking with anger. "When I get my hands on them..."
"Whatever, Yuffie. Until then, you have to stay hidden."
"Ummm, Reno?"
"What?"
"Where are we going?" She asked, not exactly sure where Reno was going.
"Cloud spotted a cave not far from here, I've taken the liberty of taking a few of your clothes, and we are going to be staying there until we know who exactly is your enemy."
Yuffie didn't say anything, her mind processing the events hours ago, to her discovery that there were people in the council who wanted her dead. Did she do anything wrong? Why? She tried to stop thinking about the situation, wishing that everything was just a big mistake. She didn't realize that she was shaking until Reno stroke her back.
"Relax, Yuffie. We're almost there."
She tried to smile, as she closed her eyes. "Hey Reno, I guess this means that you might have to stay in Wutai a little while longer."
"I guess so, why?"
"I don't think I can pay you more than another forty gil,"
Reno heard the need for Yuffie to relax, to forget everything if only for a moment. "Don't worry about it, I'll just hold you for ransom."
Yuffie didn't know why, but she started laughing. /I'm going crazy./
The chocobo came to a halt, and Reno jumped down, and helped Yuffie. The moment she stood on the ground, her knees gave away and she would have fallen completely to the ground, if Reno didn't catch her. She took a deep breath and stood up. "Thanks,"
Reno just nodded and pointed to the cave. "Come on inside, you need to change."
She followed Reno inside the cave, and was surprised to see two futons, and a box filled with food. "Did this just this afternoon. Spike's idea."
She looked around, and saw her clothes neatly piled on a futon and looked with dismay at what she was wearing. "Ayami told me that Godo gave this to my mother as a birthday gift. My mother wore this for god knows how long, I use it once, and now it's ruined!"
Yuffie reached for her crown, surprised that it was still on her head and took it off.
Reno didn't reply as he walked out of the cave to hide the chocobo that they used. Yuffie wrinkled her nose in disgust as she took her gown off, and started to change into something more comfortable to wear. Reno walked in, just in time to see Yuffie closing the button of her pants. "You okay?"
She looked up at him and nodded. "I guess. I don't know what to think... Why would they want to kill me?"
Reno shrugged as he sat on his futon. "Well, you'll soon know." He replied.
The two of them stayed silent, and Yuffie sighed as she sat on her own futon. "I'm hungry."
"We've got fruits, a few bread, and everything that comes in a can."
Yuffie stood up and walked towards the box and started sorting out the food. "What do you want?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
Yuffie took an apple and sat back on her futon. "How long are we going to be here?"
"A day or two. Maybe more, why? You got somewhere you need to go?"
"No... "
She ate in silence as Reno leaned back against the wall and looked out of the cave. There were a million things that were rushing through her head, and despite learning that there was a threat to her life and that she was nearly killed; she also realized that half the people she trusted, like the Captain was a traitor. She was betrayed by someone she considered a friend, and she had never felt betrayed before. She looked at Reno, who was
still looking out, almost as if he was waiting for something, or someone to come. She looked at the scars beneath his eyes and wondered how he got it. She continued to stare at him, and wondered if his hair was soft to touch... she turned away as she felt her cheeks grow warm. /Gawd, I nearly died and I'm checking out Reno? I must be going crazy./
Reno could hear Yuffie eating quietly, and decided that looking out of the cave was better than looking at her. She didn't know the full details yet, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her everything. What was he supposed to say? Oh, by the way. Your father is a suspect. He took a deep breath, but he could feel her eyes on him. He ignored her, and continued to look out wondering when he would get the call from Cloud.
Both Yuffie and Reno stiffened as they heard a loud noise. Reno instantly recognized it as a helicopter and snarled. He had a sneaking suspicion who it was. They both stood up, and Reno adjusted the settings to his nightstick, and dragged Yuffie to the darkness. They both waited as they heard footsteps and voices. As the voices became clearer, Reno smirked. He was right.
Alec Kitani walked inside the cave and knew at that very moment where Yuffie was. The gown that she was wearing was folded neatly, along with the crown. His eyes narrowed as he saw the other bed, and knew who was with her. /Where could they be?/
His eyes scanned the cave, and smirked. "I know you're here. You can come out now."
Reno walked out from the darkness, hands on his nightstick. He kept Yuffie close behind him and smiled. "Alec, what brings you to our humble home?"
Alec ignored him and looked at Yuffie. "I'm here to take Yuffie back. Her friends have caught the people responsible for the attempt on her life."
"That's sweet of you, but as you can see, she's perfectly fine."
Yuffie looked at Alec and briefly wondered if he played a part in the assassination attempt.
Alec walked closer, but Reno pointed the nightstick at Alec and moved left, Yuffie still behind him. "Give her to me. Her father entrusted me with her safety, and I will not fail him."
"I'm staying with Reno." Yuffie spoke out; looking at Alec's violet eyes and saw them glint dangerously.
"I've been nothing but a gentleman to you, Yuffie. But this time, I'm afraid I have no choice. I have to take you back, by force if necessary."
Reno snorted. "You? A gentleman? Gentlemen don't challenge ladies for a date."
Alec called his bodyguards and looked at Reno. "Do you really think you can handle all of us?" He asked, as five other men walked menacingly towards Reno, who just laughed.
"You really crack me up." Without warning, Reno attacked the one to his left, using only one hand to fight with his nightstick, his other hand holding Yuffie by the wrist, who kicked another man coming towards them. Unknown to Alec and his bodyguards, Reno was skillfully choreographing the movements that allowed him and Yuffie to be closer to the exit. When they realized what happened, it was already too late as Reno flashed a cocky grin and trapped Alec's bodyguards in pyramids.
Alec looked in anger realizing that he had lost, and could only stare as Reno and Yuffie ran out of the cave. He took a radio out of his pocket and ordered more men, giving their location. He walked outside just in time to see Reno and Yuffie riding away on a white chocobo.
"How did he know about the cave?" Yuffie asked Reno as he increased their speed.
"I don't know, he's your stalker!" He replied and looked behind him to see if they were being followed.
Yuffie bit her lip as she looked around, and realization suddenly dawned on her. /I've been here before!/ "Reno, go left!"
"What?"
"I know this area, go left!"
Reno did what Yuffie asked him and turned the chocobo towards left. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"
Yuffie nodded as she turned around and looked at Reno. "There's another cave towards that end. That's where my mother and I were hidden during the war."
"Does anyone in the council know about that place?"
"Some of the elders do. There's a tunnel that you follow that leads to Da-Chao."
Reno shook his head. "It's too risky."
"It's the only place where we can hide. There's nothing here but trees..."
"How long will it take to reach Da-Chao using the tunnel?"
Yuffie bit her lower lip as she tried to remember. "More than three hours, if you go the right way. I remembered that several fake tunnels were made as well."
They rode in silence, both alert to the possibility that Alec had caught up with them.
"This is it!..." Yuffie cried out, as she stared at the very familiar environment. She looked at the trees, and sure enough, the marks of the Wutai ninja clan were still there, faded but easily recognizable if you knew what you were looking at. They both got off the chocobo almost at the same time, and Yuffie was about to rush in the cave, only to be pulled back by Reno.
"You should really be more careful." He muttered as he walked ahead of her. Reno took out a flashlight from his pocket, and looked around the cave. It looked empty and abandoned, but there were still a few material things that were left behind. He saw torches along the wall towards the back of the cave, and used his fire materia to light a few.
Yuffie on the other hand, was too lost in her memories. She could barely remember everything, but looking around her, she could almost see the place as it was those years ago. She closed her eyes, and suddenly felt cold.
"Hey, you okay?"
She turned towards Reno and nodded her head. "I... I was just remembering something," Yuffie replied softly. "I think we'll be safe here... "
Reno nodded and looked at the five tunnels. One of them lead back to the heart of Wutai, and the others were dead-ends. "Now, we wait."
Yuffie walked closer to Reno. "Hey, I... I just want to say thanks."
He shrugged. "I did it for Reeve, without you in Wutai, he's finished."
"Oh."
There was an awkward silence as Yuffie walked away, and sat on the floor. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, he did the same and sat next to her. "So we'll basically just have to wait for Cloud to say it's okay to return?"
"Yep." Reno replied as he tried to relax, and cursed Kitani. The first cave that they used had everything. Here, they had nothing. He would like to have given himself a pat on the back for finding the proof against the elders. Being a cold blooded Turk did have many advantages. He could hardly believe how easy it was. That bastard Kindou had a brilliant plot, but he was too stupid enough not to get rid of the evidence.
He looked at Yuffie and wondered how she could have fallen asleep so fast. Against his better judgment, he moved her head so that it rested on his shoulders. He was really starting to consider holding the girl for ransom. Reno raked his hands through his hair.
/Shit, I knew I should have turned her down./
He recalled the day she came to his office. The moment she walked in, he remembered being quite surprised. She still looked like the little materia-hunting brat, but there was something else, which was why he accepted her offer. She intrigued him. There was something in her eyes, in the way that she moved that day... He didn't know what, all he knew was that he was going to get paid, and he had two weeks to figure out what the hell it is about Yuffie Kisaragi that he found fascinating.
Reno snorted softly. The more that he spent time with her, he just found more questions, but no answers. She was just... different. She could be a whining brat one second, and be responsible the next. He had to admit; she looked very pretty when she blushed. It was also fun to see how much he can get any sort of reaction out of her. Yuffie would probably kill him if she found out that he spent almost all night watching her sleep, after coming home from the club. He didn't even know why he did it; he just found it quite comforting.
/The sooner I get out of here, the better. I'm going to go insane if I stay.../
His gaze traveled to her lips, and wondered what kind of a kisser she was. Had she ever been kissed before? /Shit. I am going insane./
Reno settled on watching the bare wall, and listened to Yuffie's breathing.
A few hours later, Yuffie blinked, and opened her eyes. Had she been sleeping on Reno's shoulder? She felt cold, and as she strained her ears, she realized that it was raining.
"How was your nap?"
"Okay... did you sleep?"
"Turks never sleep on a job."
Yuffie stared at the wall, and suddenly grinned. "How the hell did you all work together without killing each other?"
Reno smirked. "You don't want to know. I really should get a pay rise, you know."
There was nothing again but silence. Yuffie rubbed her hands to generate heat. The fire from the torches wasn't enough anymore, and the silence was killing her. The assassination attempt, the betrayal of Tasheki was once again on her mind, and she closed her eyes, wanting to forget. She didn't want to remember what happened. She looked up at Reno who was still staring at the wall.
"Reno, you want to play a game?"
He looked down at her. "What?"
"A game. I'm bored, and it's too quiet..." She replied softly.
Reno looked back at the wall and sighed. /I'm going to regret this./ "What do you have in mind?"
"Twenty questions, I ask you answer..."
"I'm familiar with the game, played it a few times my self."
Yuffie looked at him. "Played as in game, not played as in interrogation."
"I played both, if you must know. So, any questions? No holds barred?"
Yuffie nodded her head. "Okay, I ask first. Favourite color?"
Reno laughed at her question, but answered it nonetheless. "Black. My turn, favorite
sport?"
"Materia-hunting!"
"That's not a sport..."
Yuffie grinned. "It is to me! Favorite movie?"
"Anything with a blood-fest." He replied and chuckled at the look of distaste on Yuffie's face. "Favorite weapon?"
"My Conformer! Fave food?"
"Anything spicy. First crush?"
Yuffie turned bright red. "Excuse me?"
Reno smirked as he looked at the girl. "This is your game, sugar. I was just playing along. You don't answer and game's over."
She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. "Vincent."
/I knew it,/ Reno felt his fists clench as Yuffie thought about her next question.
"First date?"
"Local no-name restaurant in Midgar. Forgot the name. First kiss?"
Yuffie blushed again. "None."
He looked at her in surprise. "You're kidding me."
"No, I'm not! It's true!"
"You've never been kissed?"
Yuffie shook her head. "First love?"
"None!"
"Come on, with all those women you dated? Not one?"
Reno looked at her. "Just because I dated them doesn't mean I felt anything." Before Yuffie could say anything, he delivered his next question. "Favorite fantasy?"
Yuffie smiled. "To own and control all the materia in the world!"
The redhead didn't know if he should laugh or not.
"First job?"
"I can tell you, but I'm gonna have to kill you." He replied, his voice suddenly loosing its' playful tone.
Yuffie stared at Reno. "Is it with the Turks?"
"No. Favorite toy?"
The ninja blinked at his question. "I don't know I used to have a magic eight ball.
I guess that was my favorite. You?"
"I never had toys." He replied, thinking of his next question.
The two of them fell into silence once more. Yuffie knew she was pushing it, but she couldn't help it. "Reno, what do you think you'd be if you didn't join the Turks and... Well, had a normal life?"
Reno took a deep breath, slightly surprised at the seriousness of her question. "A guitar player." He expected her to laugh, but she didn't. "I used to play the guitar. I stopped playing when I joined the Turks. I don't even know where it is anymore. What about you, what do you think you'd be doing if the Wutai-Shinra shit never happened?"
"I'd be with my mother." She replied softly. "Maybe... maybe I'd even be married by now, she married Godo when she turned sixteen." She looked at him, and she couldn't help but admire how gorgeous his blue eyes were. "Reno?"
"Yeah?"
Yuffie felt her palms sweat. "How... how did you..."
"Get my scars?" He turned towards her and saw the discomfort on her face, the flush of her cheeks, and the redness of her lips. He looked away before answering. "I was double-crossed on my first job for a second-rate gang. I thought I could trust my so-called brothers, but they just left me in the ditch."
Yuffie wanted to ask another question, but decided that it was better if she shut her mouth. The silence was really getting to her and she looked at Reno who was just staring at her. There was something... she couldn't tell what, but there was something in the way that he was looking at her that made her want to just wrap her arms around him. Before she could stop herself. Her hands reached up to trace the scars lightly with her fingertips.
Reno didn't stop her, he didn't know what the hell was going on, but he couldn't move away to save himself. He moved closer, and soon the fingers that were tracing his scars moved to his cheeks, down to his lips. She quickly pulled her hand away, but his hand grabbed hers, and pulled her closer.
She was hypnotized by his eyes, she didn't protest when he pulled her towards him, she didn't know what was happening, all she knew was that she wanted something to happen, he leaned closer, and she felt a shivering sensation in her body as he brushed his lips gently against hers.
"Reno..." Her voice was soft and gentle, and at right at that very moment, he didn't give a damn about the world. He felt his eyes close as her lips gently caressed his eyelids, and he felt something hit him, the pleasure that her kiss gave was nothing compared to anything that he had experienced with other women. She repeated that same gentle caress, and Reno desperately tried
to hold on to his control.
"What are you doing to me, Yuffie?" He asked softly, his voice smooth and dangerous, but Yuffie knew she had nothing to fear. Her hands wrapped around him as he pulled her even closer, his lips touched hers, and he felt as if the whole world disappeared and the ground beneath them opened up, and they had nothing else, but each other. /What have you done to me?/
*TbC*
So, how was it? I'm not sure about the kiss on the eyelids thing, but according to Cosmo, for some guys getting kissed there is as good as doing the deed. Can't exactly say from experience, but let me grab a boy somewhere and I'll get back to all of you on that... ^__^
And yes, the white chocobo... I couldn't help it.
Thanks to your comments!