By Aputhee
My first FF7 fic. I won't say be nice XD So enjoy Angst!Reno, and UnusuallyCaring!Elena XD
"Reno?... it's Elena. We really need you back at the office, Tseng's fretting. Look, we're worried! Please pick up..."
Beep.
"...It's Elena again. Please pick up Re."
Beep.
"Me again. Re..."
Beep.
The Turk in question was sprawled on his bed, head under his pillow.
After the incident, the phone had almost been ringing off the hook, people asking him if he was alright, offering their feelings.
The two had been partners ever since Reno joined the Turks, at seventeen.
That was over eight years ago now.
So how could he be alright, when his partner was dead?
Rude was gone.
The usually happy-go-lucky Turk was in too much emotional pain to do anything, much less pick up the phone, so it went straight to voice messages.
He could barely hear them, as his mind was void of all concious thought but pain.
Pain and eternal suffering for his buddy.
Though he couldn't hear it, the door to his apartment was slowly picked with ease, and Elena poked her head around the now open door.
It was dead silent inside.
"Re..." she whispered, nearly stepping on the large amount of smashed up glass frames and specks of blood that was littering the general area of the floor.
Photos, too, all of them had Rude in them somewhere, usually with his hand stuck up in front of his face - to little effect to a gleeful photographer.
Namely Reno.
It hurt her, Reno's replacement, to see him hurting.
Elena reckoned he hadn't suffered so much since Cloud wounded him so bad and cut the scars that now adorned the skin under his eyes.
The four of them were supposed to be together; Tseng, Rude, Reno, and herself.
Tseng scolding Reno for drinking too much, or showing up late for work.
Rude silently drinking in a corner, or watching silently over his peers.
And her, blushing whenever Tseng talked to her.
That was how it was supposed to be.
Elena ventured through the other rooms, all void of broken glass, to find Reno's room.
As she had guessed, the door was unlocked.
Not a common practise for someone who wanted to be killed by at least half the world.
She sat by his bedside, and unconciously started running her fingers through his thick, tangled red locks.
"Re... Rude wouldn't want you to be hurting like this. He'd scold you for living such a meaningless life... come back to Shinra. Please."
Reno's hand slowly grasped Elena'a other one, and squeezed it.
She faintly smiled.
"Come on Reno. You've got to start living again. What about the booze? The women? All of that? Are you going to lounge around here and throw it all away? We're all hurting by Rude's loss, but... we're here too, if you need to talk to us."
"There... is only one woman for me..." he whispered quietly.
Elena was glad that Reno had finally said something.
"Oh, and.." her throat choked up at this point, "Tseng's made me your new partner... I hope you don't mind..."
Two blue eyes slowly cracked open, and peered at Elena.
She looked half terrified, and half honoured, waiting for his reaction.
"Remember what I said before, Elle? One girl only."
His voice was kind of hoarse with misuse, but Elena couldn't have been more happy as she threw her arms around him.
He wasn't so alone anymore.