Once Bitten, Twice is Shy, a final fantasy vii fanfic

Title: Once Bitten, Twice is Shy

Author Name: Lindz

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Cloud wants to talk to Reno to remind him of what they once had, but does Reno care anymore? YAOI! Set after the game. Songfic to Will Young's Leave Right Now.

Pairing: Reno/Cloud (w00t! Unusual pairing!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy Seven or the characters; they belong to Squaresoft (Or Square-Enix which ever you prefer) The song Leave Right Now belongs to Will Young. (For anyone who doesn't know who Will Young is, he won the first 'Pop Idol' programme in the UK)

If you don't like Yaoi don't bother reading. Ignore the typical English cursing it kinda comes out as second nature and I can't stop it lol.

*********************************************************************

They both sat at the bar, an empty stool between them. Both of them mirrored the action of the other, picking up their glasses and downing them in one gulp. Neither one looked at the other.

"Why did you ask me here?" the man with the bright red hair sat to the left asked, still not looking at his supposed companion.

The blonde shrugged. "I really have no idea."

The redhead laughed bitterly. "That's rich. You ask me to come here and you don't know the fuck why?"

"I'm weird like that."

Reno grabbed the bottle that was on the bar top and poured himself another drink.

"Don't you ever think about what we once had?" the blonde asked quietly.

Reno stared at the amber liquid rocking slowly in the tumbler. "No," he said. "Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"I used to; I stopped thinking about it years ago."

"What made you stop?" the blonde slowly turned his eyes to the redhead.

Reno shrugged. "I just.. stopped thinking about it one day."

"You can't just sto-"

"Well I did!" Reno snapped.

Silence fell upon the two. The blonde reached out for the bottle, but Reno had a firm grip on the bottle neck.

"Reno.."

"Get your fucking own," Reno growled.

The blonde sighed and signalled the bartender for another bottle, ignoring the scowl Reno was giving him for giving up the fight too soon.

"I'm not fighting you over it," he told the redhead.

"What if I want you to fight for it?" Reno asked.

The blonde thought that there might have been another meaning to that question, but he didn't want to crush his only hope. The bartender came back with the new bottle of whiskey and the blonde man drank straight from the bottle.

"You never answered me," Reno said.

"I know.." Cloud said quietly.

*~*

I'm here just like I said
Though it's breaking every rule I've ever made
My racing heart is just the same
Why make it strong to break it once again
And I'd love to say I do
Give Everything to you
But I can never now be true
So I say

*~*

Fourteen year old Cloud Strife gave his locker another glare. It wouldn't open. He had tried punching it, kicking it and head butting it. He had even had the urge to use a lightning materia on it.

The locker room at Shinra's SOLDIER base had long since emptied after a hard, gruelling, day's training. Cloud looked around the vacant room for any sign of life that might actually be able to help him.

He couldn't find anyone.

Cloud rested his forehead on the cool metal of the locker. "Damn piece of crap," he muttered under his breath.

He was just about to give in and go back to the army barracks in his training uniform when he heard a bang behind him. Cloud's eyes first lingered on his now open locker, then on boy stood next to it, one hand leaning on the locker to the right of his own.

Cloud would have guessed that the boy was probably about two years older than himself. He had a mop of bright red hair and even brighter blue-green eyes.

"Erm.. T-Thanks," Cloud managed to stutter out.

"Don't mention it," the red head replied. "Shinra are just too fucking cheap to buy new lockers even though the old ones don't open without a good-" He brought back his fist and smacked the locker he had been leaning on previously. "–Punch." The locker door opened.

Cloud blinked, looked at the open locker then looked back at the older boy. Cloud had to admit that the red haired boy was not exactly bad to look at. In fact, Cloud found him quite attractive. Cloud blinked again. Attractive?

The blonde boy noticed that the other boy was looking at him with a glint in his eye. Cloud decided to ignore it for now. "So I just punch it.." he said slowly.

"Yup," the redhead chirped. "I take it your new around here. I'm Reno. Reno Komiya," Reno said, holding his hand out to Cloud.

Cloud stared at it for a few seconds before he took it. "S-Strife. Cloud Strife I mean," the blonde said a little uneasy.

Reno chuckled a little. "No need to be so nervous. I don't bite." The redhead turned to walk out of the Locker room. "Hard," he said loud enough for Cloud to hear. He then walked out the room.

Cloud sighed and leaned back on his locker, knocking it closed. He smiled. At least he'd be able to have some fun in Midgar. He pushed himself back off the locker and turned around to open it again. It wouldn't budge. He glared at it and gave it a punch as hard as he could. He only succeeded in bruising his knuckles.

"Fuck!" he yelled out in the empty locker room.

*~*

I think I'd better leave right now
Before I fall any deeper
I think I'd better leave right now
I'm feeling weaker and weaker
Somebody better show me how
Before I fall any deeper
I think I'd better leave right now

*~*

"So, why did you drag me down here and don't say you don't know," Reno asked, once again pouring himself a drink.

"I don't-" Cloud stopped talking as Reno glared at him. "Alright, I felt.. compelled to."

Reno snorted. "Compelled to? You told me to meet you because you felt compelled to?"

"Yes," came the quiet reply.

"That's a load of shit."

"What would you know Reno?" Cloud asked dangerously quiet.

"Don't blame me for something that wasn't my fault," Reno muttered.

"What?" Cloud asked a bit puzzled.

"You seem to act like it was my fault. I wasn't the one who broke it off," Reno said, still muttering under his breath, not even giving Cloud a second look.

"We were fuck buddies," Cloud said. "Nothing more. I met someone else."

"So, you decided to come here tonight to rub it in my face," Reno said flatly.

"No!" Cloud said, his anger getting the better of him. "I'm not that twisted."

"So why then?" Reno asked, his voice still flat, totally ignoring Cloud's anger.

"I felt.. I dunno.. Lonely," Cloud said, calming down slightly.

"And I'm supposed to care," Reno growled out. "Well I don't give a shit."

"Reno.."

"Just fuck off Strife."

"No."

"Ok. I'll fuck off then." A stool dragged across the floor.

"Don't go.."

"Well tough 'cos I'm going."

A pair of arms wrapped around Reno's waist to stop him from going anywhere. He couldn't help but feel calmer than he had been for the past few years. He knew it was wrong, but it felt.. right.

*~*

I'm here so please explain
Why you're opening up a healing wound again
I'm a little more careful perhaps it shows
But if I lose the highs at least I'm spared the lows
Now I tremble in your arms
What could be the harm
To fell my spirit calm
So I say

*~*

Reno grinned. Strife was looking at him. Again.

That was the third time he had caught him looking in the same day. The younger boy would always turn away when Reno looked back. Sometimes Cloud would blush, others he would squirm a little.

It had been over a year since Reno had helped Cloud in the locker room after a days training. A year cloud had been giving him glances. He'd always shrugged them off before, but for some reason today felt different.

Reno sighed. He could see the blonde staring at him from the corner of his eye, again.

He drained the glass of beer he was holding and slammed it on the table top. The music was too loud for anyone to hear it anyway.

It was just one of the regular barrack 'parties' that were held at a regular occurrence and it certainly wasn't the first one he had been too. Most of the time they were hushed up to stop anyone from higher up the Shinra company ladder from knowing about them. Apparently, Shinra didn't like their employees, especially SOLDIERS, to attend work with hangovers.

Not that that stopped Reno.

Yet again Cloud was staring at him. Reno nearly growled in frustration. He then saw Cloud whisper something in the ear of the guy he was stood next to. The guy nodded and Cloud took off towards the door, which lead to the dorms.

Reno grinned. If the blonde was going to keep staring at him, Reno was going to do something about it. He checked to see if anyone was looking in his direction then left the room.

Quickly, he walked through the corridor to catch the blonde up just before he entered his own dorm. Just as Cloud pulled out his keycard, Reno grabbed him by the shoulders, spun him around and slammed him against the wall, using his hands to pin the blonde up.

Cloud gasped as he felt someone behind him and closed his eyes, only to open them and see Reno stood in front of him. "Reno, what-"

Reno interrupted him. "I've seen you looking at me," Reno said quietly.

Cloud gulped. "I- I haven't been-"

Reno grinned. "Don't lie."

Cloud frowned. "So what if I have been staring?"

"Ha! So you admit you have?"

"I-" Cloud stopped talking and glared at Reno. "Damn you!"

The red head smirked. "So, why do you keep staring?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

The blonde glared again. "You already seem to know. Why bother asking?"

"Because I want to here you say it," Reno murmured.

Cloud swallowed as Reno's hand started travelling down his side. "I-" Cloud stuttered.

"Yes?" Reno urged on, a small smile on his face. Reno's hand stopped on Cloud's hip.

"I.. want.."

The same hand across the front of the blonde's stomach. Reno decided not to urge the other boy on by speaking. Instead, his hand drifted a little lower south, tracing a finger over the bulge in Cloud's trousers.

"I.. want.." Cloud stuttered again, closing his eyes tight.

Reno grinned. "Yes?" He then proceeded to grope the other boy.

Cloud let out a squeak, which in turn made Reno chuckle.

"What is it exactly that you want, Cloud?" Reno asked.

Cloud swallowed once more. "You," he said in no more than a whisper.

Reno smirked. "Thought so." Then he claimed Cloud's lips.

The kiss held more lust than anything else to begin with, but as the two of then kept on kissing, Cloud seemed to try and slow it down, making it more passionate. Cloud pulled away slightly, eyeing the buttons of Reno's shirt. Reno seemed to have the same idea. They both all but tore each other shirts off.

It was then they seemed to remember they were still in the hallway.

"How about we go in there?" Reno said hoarsely.

Cloud nodded and fumbled around with his keycard, eventually getting it to scan the reader. The door clicked open and Reno all but threw the blonde boy into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

*~*

"Let go Cloud," Reno said quietly, the blonde's arms still wrapped around him.

"No," Cloud mumbled. "I wanted to talk to you so you're staying until I have."

"So now you admit you want to talk to me?" the redhead said a little angrily. He pushed Cloud away from him and spun around.

Cloud sighed in frustration. "This is exactly why I left you!" The blonde looked a little sheepish as soon as the comment left his lips.

"What?" Reno asked in a weird tone.

Cloud seemed to regret the words as soon as they were falling out of his mouth. "You never ever listened to me!"

"You never talked half the time!" Reno shouted in protest.

"I was fifteen. I didn't even know what I wanted when I was that age."

"And that make's everything alright, does it?"

"Yes.. I mean no.. I don't know," Cloud said in a defeated tone.

"Cloud, don't call me until you sort out that little fucked up head of yours." Reno began to walk away.

"Reno, just listen to what I have to say," Cloud said quietly. "When I've said my peace you can go and I'll never try to find you again."

Reno stopped, one hand gripping the door frame. "Alright," he said in a tone that was quite unlike his own.

*~*

I wouldn't know how to say
How good it feels seeing you today
I see you've got your smile back
Like you say your right on track
But you may never know why
Once bitten twice is shy
If I'm proud perhaps I should explain
I couldn't bare to lose you again

*~*

"Reno?" Cloud said as he pushed open the door that led to the dorm Reno lived in. Well did live in, he was moving out that day.

A box was place in the middle of the room, clothes and other bits and pieces just thrown into it.

"Reno I know you're in here. Your dorm is still a tip," Cloud tried again.

The said redhead then crawled out from under the bed. "You know, I never knew how much crap I shoved under the bed until now," he said with a frown on his face. "I think the mould on the leftover pizza grew its own mould."

Cloud let out a laugh, but it was easy to tell that it was forced. Reno looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What's up?" he asked, shoving the last bits into the box.

Cloud nervously looked around the room. "Nothing, nothings wrong."

"You're lying through your back teeth," Reno said folding the flaps of the box down and sealing it with a bit of tape that he had stuck on his trousers earlier for that purpose.

"I-" Cloud looked behind him at the open door then back at Reno. "I can't do this anymore," he whispered.

If Reno was holding the box, he would have dropped it. "What?"

Cloud sucked in a breath. "I want to stop.. you know. I.. I've met someone else."

"Fine," Reno said in a tight voice.

"Reno.."

"Is that all you wanted? I need to be somewhere," Reno continued.

"Look Reno, I'm not saying I never enjoyed being with you, but.."

Reno shrugged. "So you found someone else to fuck? Big deal."

"Reno!" Cloud shouted. "This is bothering you more than you're letting on."

"No it's not," Reno said in an odd tone.

"Yes it bloody is!"

"So what if it is!" Reno yelled out. "All you're going to do is go and be someone else's fuck buddy and I'll go out and find someone new. Until we get fed up of them and move on again. It's just a never bloody ending cycle!"

"Reno," Cloud said weakly. "Don't make me feel bad about this."

The redhead let out a bitter laugh. "What do you want me to do? Jump up and down with a smile and say its ok?"

"Not exactly what I was looking for but-"

Reno cut him off by kissing him soundly on the lips. Cloud pulled back sharply.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Cloud spat out.

Reno smirked. "Just showing you what you'll be missing."

Cloud took a step backwards and spun around, stopping as he came to the open door. "Don't think I'll be missing that much then." Then he walked out the room.

He didn't see Reno sit on the box, letting his head drop into his hands.

*~*

"I miss you Reno," Cloud began. "You were right when you said I'd miss it."

Reno smirked. "I told you so."

"I know better now, don't I? I'm all grown up, not like I was last time."

"Ah, but you've forgotten one pretty vital thing," Reno told him.

"And that is?" Cloud asked, a little afraid.

"I grew up too and I saw what a fucked up little git you were, probably still are."

"Reno.."

"Not everyone in this world is hero worshipping you Cloud. Not everyone thinks you're god's gift. I hate you. Maybe I felt something once, but when I saw you with Avalanche for the first time I realised I didn't care anymore. Standing here now.." he trailed off.

"Yes?" Cloud urged on.

"No," Reno whispered. "I can't do this again."

"Do what?" the blonde asked a little dumbfound.

"Fall for you again. Why don't you just fuck off, out my life, for good this time." This time he did leave the bar.

He didn't see Cloud drop onto the bar stool and let his head fall into his hands.

~Fini~