Chapter 11: Last Day
Having won the coin toss on the elevator ride down to the garage, Elena finds herself climbing into the front passenger side seat of Rude's large car. He drives a sleek black coupe of similar vintage to Reno's car, with dark tinted windows and a chrome hood ornament shaped like a leaping cat. "Wow, nice." she comments while looking around at the luxurious interior.
"Thanks." Rude replies as he cranks the ignition. "I've put a lot of gil into it."
"And it's still not as fast as mine." Reno remarks with a smirk from the back seat where he stretches out and puts his feet up on the seat.
"What was that? You forget who's got a turbocharged V-12 under their hood or something?" he retorts while driving out of the garage.
"It's all in the power to weight ratio, my man. This thing takes too long to get moving and handles like a brick."
"Brick? This brick has your under-armored piece of junk beat on top speed and outguns it."
"Hey, are you two boys gonna keep fighting about your toys all day, or are we gonna pick a place to eat?"
"Dunno, Lena. You never did answer my question earlier. You want late breakfast or early lunch?" Reno asks.
"It's getting a little late for breakfast. How about a big lunch, somewhere quick?"
"There's a McMoogle's down the street." Rude suggests.
"Good enough." she pronounces.
"Alright, then. Hey Rude, you decide what you're gonna say to Tifa when she gets here?" their leader asks.
"..." Rude does his best impression of a statue.
"Don't give me that shit. You're running out of time to make your move."
"Yeah, you need to at least tell her how you feel before Meteor hits." Elena adds, double teaming Rude.
"...she probably already has a good idea after overhearing us at Gongaga."
"Sounds like I missed something back there."
"Yeah, while you were patrolling the perimeter, I was bugging Rude about who he's got a crush on. I've known him long enough I can tell when he's got something on his mind, can usually make a damn good guess what it's about too. Avalanche had the bad timing to show up just when I got him to fess up."
"I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye, then I saw them standing a few feet away. Tifa and Strife looked surprised and that Ancient was standing there giggling. Reno hadn't noticed them yet and I was trying to decide what to do when you ran up."
"All she heard was you liked her, not why." Reno points out. "Hell, she probably just assumed you liked her knockers or something. Bet she got a lot of that at her old job."
"Yeah, you have to let her know there's more to it than how she looks. There is, isn't there?"
"Of course there is." he answers while pulling into the line at the drive-through.
"Like what?" she asks.
"..." Rude is looking visibly uncomfortable, at least to those who know him well enough to read him.
"Spit it out." Reno demands. "You know you can tell us anything, so don't pull that shyness bullshit. Hell, we already know you've got it bad for her, just tell us why. Think of it like practice, telling us'll make it easier to tell her."
"I'm not sure how to phrase this..."
"Hey, you're not asking us out, so don't worry about sounding smooth. Save that for when you tell her." Elena suggests.
"...everything about her, really. How she acts, how she moves, how she reacts, her personality, how she looks..."
"How about something more specific." Reno instructs.
"Well, for starters... I guess you could say I really respect... I suppose you could call it her inner strength. She lost almost everything in the Nibleheim incident, but kept going with her life anyway. And she didn't become bitter or turn into one of those drones with dead eyes you see so often in the slums. Somehow she managed to stay... well, nice."
"So you like her spirit." Elena states.
"Yeah, that's the word I was looking for. I've seen plenty of people broken by less than what she's gone through, but she has a strong enough spirit to deal with all the shit life's thrown at her. And on top of that, she's one of the kindest people I've ever seen. I've spent enough time on stakeouts keeping an eye on Avalanche that I can tell it's not just an act. She's got a good head on her too. That's what attracts me to her, even more than the physical stuff. But I'm still not sure what to say to her. I'm no ladies' man." he laments.
"Maybe not, but you musta picked up something from all the time you've spent as my wingman. After all those years of hitting bars together, cruising for chicks, you oughta be able to do some of my moves. And if all else fails, you can always walk up to her and say 'Nice shoes, wanna --?'." he jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood in the car. "Hey, it works on me." This comment draws laughter from his partners.
"Oh, really?" his lover asks while shooting an amused glance in his direction.
"You don't believe me, Lena? Go on, try it."
"I'll take you up on that later, somewhere more private." she says as the line finally advances far enough for Rude to pull up to the speaker by the menu.
"Welcome to McMoogle's, what would you like to order?" an incredibly bored-sounding voice says from the speaker.
"Two big moogles, large onion rings, large coffee." Rude orders. "What do you two want?"
"Double moogle with cheese, ceaser side salad, large fries, large coffee." Elena answers.
"BLT, eight-piece moogle nuggets with buffalo sauce, large fries, large coffee." Reno states. Rude passes their orders along.
"That'll be forty-three gil. Pay at the first window and have a moogle-rific day." the bored voice states.
"Heh, almost feel sorry for that kid, having to say stupid shit like that. Who the hell comes up with all those idiotic names?" Reno chuckles. "Anyways, you worry too much, big guy. Just tell her what you want her to know, get it over with. Hey, if she's as kind as you say, worst case scenario's just her letting you down easy."
"There's still the Strife problem."
"Just tell her 'Lose the zero and get with the hero' like I'd do." Reno jokes. "Seriously, though, she's probably getting tired of waiting for the asshole to notice her." The conversation pauses as they pull up to the first window and Rude pays the cashier.
"It's been over a year since he came back to Midgar, right?" Elena asks. "She's gotta be pretty damned frustrated by now." A rueful smile crosses her face. "Trust me on this, being ignored like that by someone who's right next to you nearly every day's very frustrating. She should be getting pissed off at him and trying to hide it by now. That's your chance, let her know she's got another choice. There's no way she wants to spend the last few days till the end of the world frustrated."
"Thanks." Rude says with a rare and faint smile on his face. "I still haven't decided how, but I'll try." He then pulls forward and accepts their food and drinks from the last window in the drive-through. "Back to the safehouse?" he asks while passing around the food.
"Nah, I wanted to show Lena the Brown Box." At her inquisitive glance, he elaborates, "It's a novelty store. The fun type, one of the ones you've gotta be eighteen or older to get into. It's where I got my fun t-shirt collection. They sell the best massage oil too."
"Sounds interesting." she says before taking a bite of her sandwich. They drive in silence for several minutes, devouring their lunches.
"Here we are." Reno announces around a mouthful of fries as Rude parks in front of a small windowless building on one of Junon's back streets. He leaves the engine running while the trio finish their lunches. Looking out the window, Elena notices a small sign above the door that's painted to look like cardboard and proclaims the building to be 'The Plain Brown Box'. A smaller sign on the door says 'Must Be 18 to Enter; We Card'. After finishing their meals, Rude turns off his car and the trio enter the building.
"Holy shit, that thing's bigger than my arm!" Elena says, surprised at the sight of the large purple device hanging on the wall opposite the entrance.
"Want me to buy it for you?" Reno asks with laughter in his eyes.
"Hell, no! That thing looks painful. Who the hell would buy one that big?"
"No one, apparently. That's been hanging there for years." Rude states.
"Yeah, it's like the store mascot by now. Heh, this place's never boring." Reno laughs while walking towards a rack of clothing. "Hey, Lena. Check it out, I found one that's perfect for you."
Walking closer, she laughs when she sees that he's holding up a shirt that says 'It's Not PMS, It's You'. "That would've been handy for the first few missions we went on." she remarks, remembering the friction that had existed early on between her and Reno and the frequent PMS jokes that had made it worse. "They have one my size?"
"Probably. Or you could go for the opposite message." he says before holding up a shirt that says 'Not Now, I'm Bleeding'.
"Heh, that's just wrong. I'll take the first type."
"Here's a good one." Rude announces, holding up one that says 'Narcoleptics Sleep Around'.
"Hey, this's new." Reno declares when he finds a shirt that says 'I Eat More -- Than Cervical Cancer'. "Perfect for me, right Lena?" he asks with a wink.
"Whatever you say, douche breath."
Reno grins at her comment. "Hey, and here's a two sided one that'd go good on you." He holds up a shirt that says 'Who Needs Huge Melons?' on the front, then turns it around, showing the message 'When You Have An Ass Like This' on the back.
"Are you saying my breasts're too small?" she asks, looking upset.
/Shit, didn't think she'd take it that way. Guess I just found one of her buttons./ "Course not, Lena. I'm saying you've got a great ass." As if to prove his point, he reaches around her and squeezes her rear, pulling her into a hug. "Where'd you get this bullshit too small idea? I like 'em this size." /And every other size, but that's not important right now.../
"You're not just saying that to try and cheer me up? Or avoid having me kick your ass?"
"Hell no. I thought I proved that to you last night. And this morning. Guess I'll just hafta keep proving it to you till you believe me." he says with a suggestive grin. Elena smiles and practically melts against her lover.
"Get a room, you two." Rude jokes. This comment causes Reno to chuckle and Elena to lightly blush.
"Later." he whispers in her ear, a promise that sends a shiver of anticipation coursing down her spine. "So, got a favorite scent?"
"Huh? That was random."
He directs her attention to a shelf loaded with an assortment of scented massage oils as an explanation. "We used mosta my supply last night. So, what do ya wanna smell next time?"
"This could take awhile..." she remarks as she begins to browse through the various types of oils. The guys spread out and look around the rest of the store.
/Probably should stock up on these./ Reno thinks, looking at a shelf of condoms. /Hmmm... Three days, both of us expecting to die at the end of it, we're gonna go through a lot of these... Gotta get a fun assortment of the novelty types too... Now, double it in case Rude gets the best case scenario with Tifa, add a few more boxes in case Meteor doesn't kill us, and we're set./
"Think you've got enough?" Rude asks, one eyebrow visible above the frame of his shades.
"Hey, Tseng always told me a leader needs to prepare for every contingency. Bet he never thought I'd use his advice like this." he answers with his trademark smirk. "Add in the ones I've got stashed at the safehouse and we'll have plenty even if you get lucky with Tifa and Meteor doesn't kill us."
"I wonder which is less likely..."
"Isn't it obvious? You saw the projections the science department came up with for the impact. You've got a better chance of scoring than of living to next week."
"Kinda sad when something like that's encouraging..."
"Yeah... But I seriously think you've got good odds on winning her. Those last couple days of life're gonna be fun."
"It took a while, but I picked some." Elena announces, walking up with several bottles of oil and a few shirts. "Wow, someone's an optimist." she quips on seeing Reno holding an armload of condom boxes.
"Half're for Rude." he explains with a grin.
"It's still a lot."
"Yeah." he agrees, his grin growing wider.
"Optimist." she teases. After browsing a bit more, the trio check out and pile back into Rude's car.
"Back to the safehouse." Reno orders. "Time to pack up and get our gear together."
A short while later, the Turks exit the elevator onto the roof, carrying their luggage and recent purchases. "Hey Lena, you decide what gun you're gonna bring?" Reno asks. "May as well bring something big, no need to worry about concealment on this mission."
"Yeah, I was gonna bring this." she states before tossing Reno one of the compact rifles with mini grenade launchers that she'd looted from the Shin-Ra building.
"Nice." he says while shouldering the weapon and looking down the sights. Then he looks down and notices the ejection port pointed right at his face. "Son of a bitch. Those damned -- sucking, mother -- anti-lefty bastards in weapons development did it again. I swear, someone down there hates me. Always making these right-hander-only weapons that toss hot brass in my face. I'll just take my old rifle." He then tosses the rifle back to Elena and picks up his old rifle from the war. He also grabs the anti-tank missile he'd packed.
"Told you he'd be pissed." Rude remarks. "Guess I'll grab one of these new ones too."
"Might want to check the storage downstairs before you do that." Reno suggests. "Last time I was here solo I swiped a M-144 minigun from a chopper in the boneyard and had the base armorer set it up to use on foot. Figured it might be useful for a raid or something."
Rude lets out a low whistle, impressed. "Guess I'll be taking that then." Primary weapons selected, the three begin to sort through their looted materia.
"What's an Underwater?" Elena asks, holding an unfamiliar orb. "I've never seen one of these."
"That's a fun one." Reno answers. "They made that to replace the old rebreathers and scuba gear we used to use. It lets you breathe and talk normally underwater and gives you a bit of protection from the bends and freezing to death. No limit to how long you can stay down, either."
"Those were always good to 'borrow' before taking vacation time on a coast." Rude adds.
"There's a lot of stuff in here you can't find in stores." Reno points out while holding up a small red orb with the name 'Raiden' etched into it's surface. "The company kept a lot of fun stuff to itself." Several minutes later they've sorted out materia and other equipment that will be useful on their mission. "We've got a few more hours. Hey Lena, I know how much you love to fly. Wanna try the fastest plane in the company?"
"You need to ask? Let's go!" she says, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
"A joyride in a T-8 sounds fun. I think I'll swipe one too." Rude announces.
Author's Note: Once again, big thanks go to Noroi for betaing. Thanks for all the reviews icewolf9, Yumesuta, TheDonutMistress, The Tiramisu Of Impending Doom, Cathy7, diamond hunter, Omega Gilgamesh, and RenoOfShinRa. Feedback's always appreciated. Dumb chapter title, but I couldn't think of anything better.
Edited again because some site update deleted all the '--' lines I used to use to denote scene changes. So time to slap horizontal rulers into all my fics.