Title: Burn 1?

Rating: M

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Warnings: Language, implied sexual situations

AU Reno/Yuffie fanfic.

Sunday

Yuffie ignored the heat of the water as she stood underneath the shower. She stopped the tears from falling and instead concentrated on the light, prickly sensation of water. She grabbed the soap and she began to scrub herself in disgust.

A few minutes later, she got out of the shower and dressed up. She walked to the wardrobe and grabbed her suitcase and she quickly took her clothes and stuffed everything inside. She needed to leave now, even if she knew she was being irrational. Reno wouldn't be back until Tuesday. She had just snapped her suitcase shut when Reno walked inside the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked as he shut the bedroom door. Yuffie grabbed her suitcase off the bed.

"What does it look like?" She replied. "I'm leaving, I can't stay with you anymore."

She walked towards the door and just as she reached for the doorknob, Reno's hand gripped her wrist tightly. He grabbed the suitcase away from her and threw it to the floor.

"And you think you can just leave without an explanation? I don't think so."

Yuffie tried not to cringe at the sound of his voice. She needed to leave, and she needed to leave NOW. "What's it to you?" She asked as she struggled to get free. "Besides, shouldn't you be with your new friend in that bar?"

"Is that what this is about?" He asked as his temper snapped. "I told you nothing happened!"

Yuffie avoided his gaze as she finally got her wrist free. "Whatever." She turned away from him to walk away when he grabbed her other wrist, and this time, she yelped in pain.

Reno blinked. He wasn't even holding her that tight. He grabbed her hand and pulled the long sleeved sweater to her elbow and his eyes narrowed as he saw a bruise. "Where the hell did this come from?"

He looked in surprise at the expression of her eyes. Guilt, hurt, and shame. "Nothing, I don't know how it got there."

"Don't screw with me Yuffie! We both know you just can't get a bruise like this, where did it come from?" He demanded as his eyes blazed in fury.

"None of your business!" Yuffie yelled as she snatched her hand away. She walked away from him and grabbed her suitcase off the floor.

"You're not leaving until you tell me where you got that bruise!" He shouted, angry that someone had hurt Yuffie.

He barricaded himself against the door.

"Gawd, get out of my way!"

"Not until you tell me where the hell did you get that bruise!"

"Fine!" Yuffie screamed as she lost her composure. "I got it when I screwed the guy I met at a bar." She replied. "Happy?"

Her words stunned him.

"What did you just say?" He asked, and hoped that he heard wrong.

"I said, I got it from a guy I screwed last night! Now, will you get out of my way?"

He moved towards her and she moved back. "You cheated on me?" He asked, the ice in his voice a contrast to the deep fire in his eyes. "You have the nerve to go all Miss High and Mighty on me and you've been screwing around?" He asked furious.

"It was just once!" Yuffie answered defensively. "Why do you think I'm leaving?"

Reno gave a sarcastic laugh. "Why, is he better in bed? is that where you're going?"

"Would you believe me if I said 'no'?" She asked as she flinched at the expression on his face.

Yuffie tried to stop the tears as she made another attempt to leave the room when Reno grabbed her arm.

"So tell me, did you like it?" He asked, his voice bitter.

"Let go."

"Why? Already excited to see your lover boy?"

"No!"

"You don't have to be shy with me." Reno sneered and Yuffie winced as his hold on her tightened.

"Why can' you just let me go?" Yuffie screamed in a high pitched voice that startled Reno. "Just let me go..."

He bit back another sarcastic retort as his hold on her loosened and allowed Yuffie to walk away. It was at that moment that he saw through his anger. There was a look of distress, almost hysterical expression on her face. "What happened?"

"What exactly do you want to hear?" She asked, her voice shook as she tried to move towards the door.

He barricaded her way again and this time, he tried to control the anger, and the jealous rage within him. "How did it happen?" He asked as softly as possible.

Yuffie took a deep breath trying to regain her composure. "I was so angry at you last Friday, when I saw you with that woman... so I went out, and I met this guy. He just seemed so... sweet. Nice, and I... I ended up with him," she replied without meeting his eyes.

"Doesn't explain the bruise."

"I think you can guess." Yuffie answered as she moved past him, only to stop when Reno grabbed her arms again, gently this time.

"Did he do this to you?" He asked softly, as he drew her closer to him.

Yuffie nodded her head and moved further away from Reno. "I have to go."

Reno held her arms a little tighter, but not enough to hurt her. "Why?"

She looked up at him. "I just can't stay here. I can't... I can't handle what I've done."

Reno took a deep breath. Sure, he was angry and felt betrayed. But how many times has he done the same, without any remorse. It may have been a long time ago, but it didn't change the fact that he cheated on her too. His pride screamed at him to let her go. Let her leave. His heart however, screamed differently.

"Stay." His words were soft, but sure.

"I can't" She replied, her voice broken as her shoulders began to shake.

He held her in his arms. "We'll work this out. I'm not letting you go. Not like this.."

"I'm so sorry, Reno..." She sobbed as he held her tighter.

"Sshhhh," He whispered to her as she continued to cry in his arms. "We'll work it out."

"Why won't you let me go?." Yuffie asked, her voice was soft.

Reno closed his eyes and spoke the words he knew he should've spoken before. "Because I love you."