Author's Note:
Alright, it's late, and I want to write. So here's my go at a late night chapter! I don't own FF. And I'm not wearing pants as I write this. Just thought I should share.
Chapter Twenty Five
Loyalty For Hire
Elena watched Reno walk across the luxurious apartment that Rufus had assigned to her after he had come fully into his power. The red-headed Turk had been pacing about the room since his return from the Underwater Reactor, a stench of whiskey coming off of him. He seemed completely pre- occupied by something. Something that had made him seek strong drink right after his meeting with the President. She had a good idea as to what it was.
Reno grumbled again, and seemed on the verge of yelling. She sighed.
"It's Rude, isn't it?"
Reno stopped in mid-stride and looked over to her. "What?"
"You're worried about Rude, aren't you?"
Reno frowned, then looked about the room. He spotted an end table across the room, walked up to it, and kicked it over. A self-satisfied look came over his face.
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are you going to destroy more of my furniture?"
"I saw him."
"Saw who? Rude? Where?"
Reno threw his arms up in frustration. "Of course I mean Rude! And in Kalm, where else? Can you think of anywhere else I've been the last couple days?"
Elena stood up from her spot on her couch, caught up in the moment. "So? Where's he been? Did you talk to him?"
"I was gonna! But then I saw what was up with him."
"What?"
"He was with Avalanche! Would you believe that? Avalanche!" Reno sat down on the couch, and put his head in his lap. "I can't believe this. Rude's gone and defected to a bunch of freedom fighters who probably don't even pay well."
"Why would he do that?"
Reno raised his head up and looked at her. "You mean you don't know? You, who always used to criticize us on what our favorite conversation topic was?"
"You mean...? Is he with Tifa?"
"Yeah. He's with that cute little Avalanche bartender. You know, I really don't like her. First she dislocates my arm at Sector Seven, then she stomps all over my ribs at the Gelnika, and then there was that time she set my pants on fire in the Midgar subway tunnels.... and now she's gone and stolen my best friend from me. This is bullshit."
Elena completely ignored him, a smile spreading on her face. "Well, I'm happy for him. I think she's a good match for him. He always wanted a girl who could put beat him in a fair fight, she always wanted a guy from Soldier..."
"What? From Soldier? What's that gotta do with anything?"
"Rude was in Soldier before the Turks, during the Wutai-Midgar war. Didn't you know?"
"No. He didn't tell me. How do you know?"
"I saw him without his sunglasses once. He has Mako eyes. I asked him about it and he told me. But isn't this romantic? He's finally with the girl he loves."
"No! It's not romantic!" Reno stood upright, his hand going to the staff hanging from a loop on his belt. "Dammit, I'm all confused. I should tell Rufus. He's paying the bills for us right now, and for Rude, and now my best friend's gone and switched sides on us."
Reno was starting to ramble. The alcohol was really getting to him. That never happened.
"All right, listen, Reno. Rude is your friend, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you don't like Rufus, right?"
"Right."
"Then why should you tell Rufus anything? As far as he's concerned, you didn't see anything. Isn't that right?"
Reno put his hands over his face and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know... I mean... I just want my friend here. Everything here is messed up. Rude's gone and joined Avalanche, I don't know if I should be loyal to my friend or my employer... And Rufus wants me to go and risk my life on stupid missions like that one to get that... thing!"
Elena frowned. Reno was right. That last mission had been too risky, and it hadn't even been necessary.
"Screw it!" Reno nearly yelled, "I'm not going to tell Rufus a damn thing. I see the way he looks at me. He doesn't like me. He'd never go out drinking with me. I'm going to go out, have another drink, and toast it to my dear, defected friend Rude, and I'm going to wish him a happy ending, where he gets laid many times. Lucky guy. That Tifa girl sure is hot."
Elena rolled her eyes. For a moment there she had almost been proud of Reno.
Author's Note:
Basically a filler character development chapter. But Reno's my favorite character to play with, and I thought I should add a serious moment to his life for a second. Alright, next up should be Rude/Tifa, but it could just as easily go Lucrecia, depending on my mood. I have to do the Lucrecia chapter, but I want to do the Rude/Tifa... hmmm....
Alright, it's late, and I want to write. So here's my go at a late night chapter! I don't own FF. And I'm not wearing pants as I write this. Just thought I should share.
Chapter Twenty Five
Loyalty For Hire
Elena watched Reno walk across the luxurious apartment that Rufus had assigned to her after he had come fully into his power. The red-headed Turk had been pacing about the room since his return from the Underwater Reactor, a stench of whiskey coming off of him. He seemed completely pre- occupied by something. Something that had made him seek strong drink right after his meeting with the President. She had a good idea as to what it was.
Reno grumbled again, and seemed on the verge of yelling. She sighed.
"It's Rude, isn't it?"
Reno stopped in mid-stride and looked over to her. "What?"
"You're worried about Rude, aren't you?"
Reno frowned, then looked about the room. He spotted an end table across the room, walked up to it, and kicked it over. A self-satisfied look came over his face.
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or are you going to destroy more of my furniture?"
"I saw him."
"Saw who? Rude? Where?"
Reno threw his arms up in frustration. "Of course I mean Rude! And in Kalm, where else? Can you think of anywhere else I've been the last couple days?"
Elena stood up from her spot on her couch, caught up in the moment. "So? Where's he been? Did you talk to him?"
"I was gonna! But then I saw what was up with him."
"What?"
"He was with Avalanche! Would you believe that? Avalanche!" Reno sat down on the couch, and put his head in his lap. "I can't believe this. Rude's gone and defected to a bunch of freedom fighters who probably don't even pay well."
"Why would he do that?"
Reno raised his head up and looked at her. "You mean you don't know? You, who always used to criticize us on what our favorite conversation topic was?"
"You mean...? Is he with Tifa?"
"Yeah. He's with that cute little Avalanche bartender. You know, I really don't like her. First she dislocates my arm at Sector Seven, then she stomps all over my ribs at the Gelnika, and then there was that time she set my pants on fire in the Midgar subway tunnels.... and now she's gone and stolen my best friend from me. This is bullshit."
Elena completely ignored him, a smile spreading on her face. "Well, I'm happy for him. I think she's a good match for him. He always wanted a girl who could put beat him in a fair fight, she always wanted a guy from Soldier..."
"What? From Soldier? What's that gotta do with anything?"
"Rude was in Soldier before the Turks, during the Wutai-Midgar war. Didn't you know?"
"No. He didn't tell me. How do you know?"
"I saw him without his sunglasses once. He has Mako eyes. I asked him about it and he told me. But isn't this romantic? He's finally with the girl he loves."
"No! It's not romantic!" Reno stood upright, his hand going to the staff hanging from a loop on his belt. "Dammit, I'm all confused. I should tell Rufus. He's paying the bills for us right now, and for Rude, and now my best friend's gone and switched sides on us."
Reno was starting to ramble. The alcohol was really getting to him. That never happened.
"All right, listen, Reno. Rude is your friend, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you don't like Rufus, right?"
"Right."
"Then why should you tell Rufus anything? As far as he's concerned, you didn't see anything. Isn't that right?"
Reno put his hands over his face and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't know... I mean... I just want my friend here. Everything here is messed up. Rude's gone and joined Avalanche, I don't know if I should be loyal to my friend or my employer... And Rufus wants me to go and risk my life on stupid missions like that one to get that... thing!"
Elena frowned. Reno was right. That last mission had been too risky, and it hadn't even been necessary.
"Screw it!" Reno nearly yelled, "I'm not going to tell Rufus a damn thing. I see the way he looks at me. He doesn't like me. He'd never go out drinking with me. I'm going to go out, have another drink, and toast it to my dear, defected friend Rude, and I'm going to wish him a happy ending, where he gets laid many times. Lucky guy. That Tifa girl sure is hot."
Elena rolled her eyes. For a moment there she had almost been proud of Reno.
Author's Note:
Basically a filler character development chapter. But Reno's my favorite character to play with, and I thought I should add a serious moment to his life for a second. Alright, next up should be Rude/Tifa, but it could just as easily go Lucrecia, depending on my mood. I have to do the Lucrecia chapter, but I want to do the Rude/Tifa... hmmm....