Jade, Wine, and Turk training
By Kimetara
Multi-part
Disclaimer: Chapter 17, please.
AN: Warning – little limey in the beginning, but nothing worse than Titanic.
Chapter 24: An old routine and old obsession
Reno lazily blinked his eyes open. Where was he anyway...?
Oh yeah.
With a slight murmur in his throat, the redhead rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He searched around the small shore grotto for his clothes, thankful for the blankets covering the ground – having his pants filled with sand wouldn't have been a pleasant sensation; he knew from experience.
As he got dressed, the Turk heard a sound behind him, and turned to see Terisa stretching out on the mats.
"Well..." she purred. "That was a nice night..."
Reno shrugged, pulled his shirt over his head, and walked out.
Terisa watched him go. Yes, it had been a very nice night, but he had seemed...distracted. Even so, she couldn't deny, he was skilled.
*That was one fine man right there...* She envied the woman that held his thoughts – for her it'd be more than nice, it'd be explosive.
Oh yes, she knew when a man was thinking of another woman. With all her experience, it would have been impossible to miss.
*Oh well.* Terisa lay back down and shut her eyes. A nap felt good at the moment...not like she could walk comfortably anyway...
~~~~~
Cloud pulled on Aeris' reins, pausing to get a drink from his water bottle and figure out just where the hell he was going.
He had just detoured North Corel – Cloud didn't want to risk running into Barret, the black man would have been extremely pissed off for possibly skipping out on his wedding. Besides, if either Tifa or Aeris had been around Corel, Barret would have said something.
Cloud figured he ought to get on a ship from Costa del Sol and head down to the Temple of Ancients again. There was no point going back to the City of Ancients...he'd searched it, or at least as much of it as possible, the last time he looked for Aeris – four years ago.
*****
"...you sure you're okay with this, Cloud?" Tifa put a hand on his shoulder, a concerned expression on her face. She knew how hard it was for him to return to Aeris' place of death.
"Yeah." Cloud steeled himself resolutely. "Let's go."
The pair walked silently into the huge shell house, Cloud a step ahead of Tifa. He had to do this – he'd already searched and rested in the shell village, and there was no trace of the lost Ancient.
When he came in sight of the stairway, he stopped. Behind him, Tifa gave a slightly audible gasp.
It was gone.
Cloud walked over shakily, touching the fish. He was sure...he had been so sure the hidden city was the key to Aeris, and now...he could never reach it again.
His fist clenched, and he almost broke the innocent structure – yet, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was the Ancients', it was Aeris'. He couldn't destroy it.
Cloud turned and ran out of the building. For a moment, he paused at the lake – Aeris' final resting place – then kept running.
Tifa found him, an hour later, inside the cave. He was sitting within the waterfall, watching the hologram of Aeris praying, over and over. The woman walked toward him softly, stopping behind him.
"This is as close as I'll ever get to her again..." he murmured aloud, as if in a trance.
There was a pause, then Tifa laid a gentle hand on his shoulder once more. "Come on, Cloud. The world's a huge place," she urged.
Cloud blinked, then tilted his head up to peer at Tifa. She smiled encouragingly, her eyes warm and reassuring to his defeated azure orbs. Cloud turned his gaze back to the movie.
He and Tifa had stayed there for a minute longer, watching Aeris pray for the last time, before he nodded and stood.
He'd find her...sooner or later, he'd find her...
"...thanks, Tifa," he sighed.
She nodded. "What're friends for?"
Cloud managed a weak grin. "Yeah. And you're the best."
*****
Cloud sighed. He should have noticed Tifa's voice being a bit off when she was talking about what friends were for...he should have seen the secret pain in her eyes besides the comfort... Looking back now, knowing how Tifa had loved him, it all seemed so painfully clear. And he'd missed it over his own blindness; God knows how many times he'd hurt her...
*I'll apologize when I find her,* he determined. He owed her at least that much...she had pulled him out of his depression over Aeris, even though it had taken years.
With that in mind, Cloud set his chocobo on a course to Costa del Sol.
He hadn't even realized he'd slipped back into his obsession.
~~~~~
Jason was waiting at the inn. He raised an eyebrow at Reno's appearance, searching for some trace of where he'd been all night – not that he didn't know already. To his disappointment, there was no sand on Reno's clothes, and as his suit was always wrinkled, Jason couldn't hold that against him. He was good.
"So, how was your night?" the blond asked instead, leaning against the wall of the building.
Reno shrugged. "Like all the others," he replied.
"Dude, I hook you up with a babe and you go saying she's like all the others?" Jason rolled his eyes. "Well, c'mon then. I got the trailers ready."
Reno followed the SOLDIER to the outskirts of the city, oddly quiet.
"Watcha thinking about?" Jason asked casually as they approached the trailers.
"None of your business," Reno answered curtly, striding past Jason and entering the trailer.
Jason frowned, standing outside of the portable homes. He had hoped Terisa would get Reno's mind off of Lockheart, but if the Turk's actions were any indication...
*Damn, I never would have pegged him as an idiot.*
Jason shook his head. If anything, he was just as stupid as the Turk, trying to look out for him. Let Reno save his own ass, he had other things to deal with...
Jason opened the door to the trailed and stepped inside.
~~~~~
Tifa groaned. Sadly, despite being kidnapped and going to goodness knows where, she was bored. She had explored every single section of the ship that wasn't either locked up or life threatening.
And...she missed Reno. She missed his jokes, his flirting, the games and walks and conversations they'd shared. He had been the only relief from her inescapable situation, even if he was a part of it.
And besides...as Tifa didn't really believe he knew anymore about the situation than she did, at least not since they were captured by the four members of SOLDIER, she did something that had she even considered two months ago she would have gone to see a shrink.
Tifa Lockheart trusted a Turk. She really believed that if Reno knew anything more, he would tell her. If he could help her at all, then he would. It was something that went against all logic, but...
*No use thinking about that.* The female rolled over, trying to sleep. Just when her eyelids began to slide closed, the door opened.
Tifa sat up, blinking her eyes to clear them. She was met with the sight of a gun held level to her head.
AN: Um...like I warned, a bit of lime, but it wasn't too bad, right? O_o;; Lol, that's the farthest I'll go in that direction – I'm only 15, after all.
And yes, we all know that Reno's holding on out Tifa, but of course she wouldn't. Oh well, don't forget to review!