Half Past Two in the Morning
By Crystal Snowflakes
#43 - Kiss
Their first kiss—fervent and messy, lips bruising together as he fucked her against the wall—was a drunken memory in the dark alleyway behind Seventh Heaven that should've never happened; their last kiss was soft and slow under a flickering streetlamp in Edge, and it felt like they had all the time in the world to spare, even if they didn't.
Expanded one of the word prompts from Fifty Words, Fifty Sentences that I wrote earlier last month.
The sound of her boots echoed through the hallway as she climbed down the stairs, and with each step, Yuffie felt her heart grow heavier and heavier. It was midnight, and she was tired. The day at work had been long—partly her fault because she had volunteered herself for every possible assignment and task to delay the inevitable.
Still, the inevitable had come knocking on her door in the form of Reeve Tuesti at nine in the evening to let her know that it was past time for her to go back to the bar and pack for her leave tomorrow. She had a feeling he knew she was just lingering to avoid facing reality. Damn him for being responsible. Damn him for knowing her so well.
Yuffie took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she neared the bottom of the stairs. Before arriving at the last few steps, she plastered a smile on her face to appear more cheerful than she actually felt. The last thing she wanted was to worry Tifa.
It didn't take long for Tifa to look up from the bar and catch her eye. "Are you done packing already?" Tifa asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
Unwittingly, Yuffie's gaze flittered past Tifa's shoulder towards the man sitting at the counter behind her, and she felt her own grin waver for a fraction of a second when their eyes met. Immediately, she forced the smile back into place; she hoped the movement was so small that Tifa hadn't noticed.
"Yep," Yuffie said with a small nonchalant shrug. "All ready to head off first thing in the morning!"
Tifa nodded thoughtfully, and Yuffie turned her attention away from him in an attempt to avoid getting caught staring; the last thing she needed was Tifa to question why she was blatantly gawking at Reno. So she was grateful when Tifa let it go without saying anything more, turning around to busy herself with grabbing a few beers out of the fridge before walking away to serve the customers.
"Finally headin' off to get hitched, huh?" Reno murmured, his tone low as he took a swig from his glass, his voice almost too soft to hear over the low buzz of conversation around them, and she couldn't help but wonder if he meant for her to hear him.
Yuffie's gaze flickered over to Tifa briefly before returning to Reno's lone figure, and she couldn't stop her cheeks from reddening at the unexpected mention of her upcoming marriage—one that she certainly wasn't ready for. Despite his casual attitude, Reno had always been so difficult to read—his body language and facial expressions rarely gave any indication of what he was truly thinking—and it made it difficult for anyone to tell what was going on inside his head—except Rude, who seemed to be able to read him like a book.
And yet…
She found herself wanting to know what he was thinking even though she knew she shouldn't be talking to him. Reno was nothing but trouble, and the last time she had actually exchanged words with him had been two months ago—since the day she had told him about her engagement. She remembered his reaction perfectly; his teeth had clenched tight, his jaw muscles bulged, and his eyes had narrowed until his fist slammed against the wall hard enough to crack it. Before she could react, his expression had twisted into something that looked horrifyingly close to pure unadulterated fury.
And then he had turned around and walked out of her apartment without another word.
Still, if she was honest with herself, she was relieved he hadn't tried to talk to her again after that night. That didn't mean that she didn't miss him because she did—more than she had expected herself to. It—whatever it was between them—was supposed to be a one-time drunken hookup with a guy who was allergic to commitments, but instead, she ended up finding comfort in his company despite his many flaws. There were so many times in the past two months where she would wake up in the middle of the night and find herself still missing his quiet snores, and there were times she would catch herself daydreaming about how things could have been different between them if she wasn't who she was or if he was born into royalty.
Pushing her thoughts away, she refocused her attention onto Reno, who was leaning forward, his green gaze boring into hers. He watched her intently while wearing his signature smirk—unreadable, cold, and completely devoid of any emotion except perhaps boredom. A lump formed in the back of her throat, and she felt her heartbeat pick up in her chest and prayed to Leviathan that the sudden pounding in her ears wasn't noticeable to anyone but herself.
It had been stupid of her to get attached to someone like him.
But it wasn't like she ever made good decisions to start with.
Instead of answering his question directly, Yuffie ignored her own instincts to stay away, merely shrugging before walking around the bar and dropping onto the stool next to him. She had avoided him long enough—fifty-something days—and she was determined to make the last night of her freedom count. There was always something about Reno that enabled her—that made her want to make impulsive and stupid choices—and tonight was no exception.
Not to mention, leaving on a sour note didn't feel right, even if it was their pattern of choice most days.
"Why'd you wanna know?" she asked with what she hoped was an easy grin. "You gonna miss me, Turkey?"
Reno scoffed, his fingers tracing the rim of his whiskey glass. "Sure, dipshit," he drawled lazily as he brought the glass closer to his lips. "I'll miss you like I miss having morning meetings at the asscrack of dawn with Chief, so piss off."
For a second, she blinked owlishly at him, surprised by the response; the words stung, but it was far less hostile than she had expected. Despite the callousness of the way he spoke, there was no real heat behind his words, and only exhaustion and the faint traces of something else lingered in the air—something she couldn't quite identify.
Before she could lose her nerves, she leaned over towards him, and her hand snatched the cup from his hand—and he let her, his fingers loosening its hold on the glass—and downed the rest of his drink before slamming the empty glass onto the table. She couldn't stop herself from grimacing at the strong, bitter taste of whiskey that sent fire down her throat. "Still means you're gonna miss me."
And then suddenly, he was right there in front of her, crowding in close as he placed one hand flat against the bartop, the other hand against the side of her stool, keeping her trapped. The look on his face was carefully blank, not betraying anything in the slightest.
"This isn't a fuckin' game," Reno said, his voice rough as his gaze locked onto hers, and she tried to ignore the way her stomach lurched at his proximity—it had been so long since they'd touched.
The warning in his tone was clear, and it made her second-guess herself for even daring to talk to him before leaving. But when did she ever heed the danger signals? If anything, they usually succeeded in riling up her reckless tendencies, making her more determined than she already was—making her want things she didn't have or shouldn't want.
Rather than continuing to think too deeply, Yuffie plowed right through. "Who said it was?" she asked, leaning her head forward until his breath was hot against her lips—until the familiar scent of him wafted into her senses and set her brain spinning with thoughts she shouldn't have—and she reached out with both hands to hold the lapels of his jacket so he wouldn't pull away. She watched a muscle twitch in his jaw as if he was trying not to react to the way she was so close to him.
Before she could lose her nerves, she used the opportunity to dip her fingers into the pocket of his suit with practiced ease, and she realized at that moment that she would miss this—digging things out of his pockets just for fun, just to spite him, just to piss him off enough so she could see his face twist in anger as she snickered at whatever came out of his mouth. She would miss the easy back and forth, the never ending banter, the way her childish pranks always managed to get a reaction out of him and he'd retaliate in turn. He was infuriatingly predictably unpredictable, but she found that she liked it.
A flood of sadness and guilt washed over her, and she forced herself to brush them away; she refused to acknowledge them, refused to let herself feel sorry for herself. None of it would do her any good right now, and she knew that she'd have time—the rest of her life—later to think about all her remorses and regrets.
When her fingers finally brushed against his wallet, she grinned triumphantly. "But I bet you're gonna miss the frequent exhilarating chases!" She held out his wallet in front of him and glanced up just in time to catch the glimpse of surprise on his face before Reno's lips pulled into an expected scowl.
Without warning, he tried shoving her aside so he could grab the wallet out of her hands, but she dodged the attack, having anticipated his reaction. They had done this song and dance so many times before. Sure enough, when he turned towards her again, his expression was dark and dangerous, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he succumbed to her challenge.
"Give it back, you little fucker."
"No." Yuffie's characteristic grin grew wider at the sight of his scowl deepening. She loved provoking his temper and getting under his skin because if she played her cards right, he would do something stupid that would show how much he cared.
Even if it was just for tonight.
Swinging off the stool, she bounced away from him, her laughter filling the air, causing everyone around them to look. Without looking back, she called over her shoulder, "Catch me if you want it so bad, asshole!"
The sound of Reno's stool falling over rang out loudly behind her, followed by muttered curses, and she was out of the bar before she knew it. She weaved through the busy crowds, and his footsteps trailed closely behind her, the click clack of his expensive shoes echoing against the concrete.
With the stars shining in the dark skies above and the cold wind in her hair, she enjoyed every second of the adrenaline coursing through her veins while her heart pounded in her chest and her blood sang in her ears. She felt free, free, free, but all her mind could focus on was that time didn't stand still, and that all she had to herself was until the sun rose.
The alcohol coursed through her system, and she felt lightheaded and giddy and high, as if everything was right in the world and she was invincible. This was what she deserved: a night to forget everything that was weighing down on her shoulders like lead—a chance to let loose and to enjoy the freedom she'd worked so hard to keep.
Yuffie let her legs take her where they wanted, her feet barely touching the ground as she sprinted across dark alleyways and ran through abandoned buildings of the city she knew like the back of her hand.
Her lungs burned, her breath came in short bursts as she continued to laugh—to revel in how free she felt as the cold wind whipped past her cheeks.
It was exhilarating.
It wasn't until they arrived at a neglected playground by the edge of the city—one of the older ones that had been built when Edge had first been constructed—that she thought she couldn't go another step. Just then, a hand shot out in front of her, wrapping tightly around her arm before dragging her backwards. They fell to the ground, rolling and tumbling through the dry grass, and she couldn't stop the hysterical laughter from escaping.
The force of their fall knocked the wind out of her, but Yuffie felt more alive than she had in a long time.
She was pinned to the ground, and all she could do was look up to see Reno smirking down at her with a triumphant glint in his eyes, his previous irritation forgotten. His eyes were so green and bright and smug that she was once again reminded of how much she would miss this—how much she would miss him—more than she ever thought she would.
"You've got grass in your hair, yo."
Despite everything—everything that was wrong with who they were and how fucked up everything was—she couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement, so she did the only thing she could think of in that scenario: reaching down next to her, she pulled out a handful of dry grass and rubbed it into his hair. It was childish and immature, but she couldn't bring herself to care because it felt good and victorious, and the look of mild surprise on his face made it even better.
"You've got some in your hair too," she said with a shit-eating grin stretched across her face. "Now, get off of me, fatass," she growled half-heartedly as she attempted to push his leg off her, but he merely shifted closer before his hand moved to brush her hair away from her face. As the tips of his fingers grazed her cheek, she froze and her breath caught in her throat.
The scent of smoke and whiskey and sweat hung heavy on his skin, and Yuffie inhaled deeply and held onto the smell. It was so intoxicating that she could drown in it.
A moment passed between them—long enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from his body and the heat emanating off of his skin as he stared at her with such intensity. Until his lips curled into that cocky smirk that never ceased to drive her up the wall and make her weak in the knees at the same time.
"Not till you return my wallet, princess," he said lazily.
"Can't exactly give it to you when you've got me pinned to the ground, ya know?" she retorted in response as she tried to wriggle out from underneath him, but her efforts only resulted in a snicker from him. "You can get offa me now," she grumbled.
"And if I don't wanna?"
Before her mind could process his words, Reno leaned down, one knee between her legs and his face inches away from hers. He hesitated—almost as if giving her the opportunity to move away if she wanted to—for a second before he pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't their first kiss, but there was something about the way he kissed her that was different from any other kiss they'd shared. A shiver ran through her spine as his hand slid up the curve of her cheek and reached up towards her neck, fingers brushing lightly against the soft curve of her jaw.
Unexpectedly, Yuffie felt his hold on her slacken, almost as if he was about to pull away. And in an instant, she threw caution to the wind—it seemed like she did that a lot when it came to him—and she grabbed at his collar, pulling him down closer to her once more. Her mouth parted under his chapped lips, and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss; he responded immediately by pressing his lips harder against hers, tongue flicking out to lick at her bottom lip.
His teeth tugged gently as he began nibbling her lip, and she sucked in a sharp breath when she felt him press himself against her, and her body arched against his, her hips thrusting upwards to meet his. With a low groan, he broke the kiss, breathing heavily as his forehead rested against hers, and she let out a contented sigh, her eyes flutter closed as she willed herself to breathe normally.
"You're a goddamn menace," Reno murmured against her mouth, voice husky. "Don't know what the fuck I was thinkin'—letting you get under my skin."
The corners of her mouth twitched up, and her hand travelled up to run through the silky locks at the nape of his neck. "I keep you from being too bored," she teased, looking past his shoulder and up at the sky. The moon was full tonight, casting an eerie glow upon the barely lit playground.
The silence between them was comfortable, and for a brief moment, she wondered how it would be to spend her entire life just like this—with him: tangled together in the dark and listening to each other's shallow, ragged breaths. When she finally refocused her attention on him, there was a deep frown etched on his face, making him seem more serious than usual, and she wondered if she had accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud.
"W-Why're you looking at me like that?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
And then his expression shifted into something softer—something that sent shivers crawling down her spine. Warmth curled in her stomach at the look in his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the uncharacteristic tenderness in his gaze. She found herself unable to look away as her mind replayed all the moments they had spent together—all the nights they had spent together talking, arguing, fighting, or driving each other up the wall—over and over again.
Without warning, he leaned forward again, his breath hot against her skin, his mouth ghosting over the shell of her ear, and she felt her breath hitch; every nerve ending in her body tingled with anticipation, and her heart started thumping noisily against her chest.
"Cause you get under my skin like no one else fuckin' does," he finally breathed in her ear, his voice low and deep. Before she could respond, he captured her lips with a kiss—gentle, but rough at the same time. A small moan escaped her throat when he flicked his tongue against her lip, and she pulled her hands into his hair, gripping tightly at the roots.
His warm, calloused hand found its way down, tracing delicate circles into her skin before his fingers danced deliberately over the waistband of her shorts and slowly inched downwards. Without taking his eyes off of her, his thumb traced along the line of her hip bone. Yuffie bit her lip hard, trying to quell the whimper building up inside her chest when the tip of his fingers brushed against her sensitive flesh, and she sucked in a shaky breath as her back arched against the ground, her legs instinctively rising up to tighten around his hips.
Suddenly, it wasn't hard to ignore her surroundings—that they were in an empty park in the middle of the night with nothing around them but a few small dimming lamp lights illuminating the space.
The world faded and nothing existed except for Reno.
Nothing else mattered—not the cold air against her bare skin, not the dull throbbing of her back from being pushed into the ground, not even the dry grass scratching against her exposed thighs.
All she cared about was him, him, him—his touches and his kisses and his heated gaze as he rolled his hips against her own, pushing deeper into her as her fingers dug into his skin, clutching desperately onto him. She wanted to commit this moment to memory—the taste of him, the weight of his lips against hers, the heat of his body against hers, the scent of smoke and alcohol, and the overwhelming desire coursing through her veins.
At that moment, the world narrowed to nothing but him.
Yuffie didn't even realize she had started crying until her vision blurred.
It took longer than she had expected to straighten their clothes and pull out each piece of dry grass from their hair. But in true Yuffie fashion, she had dumped another handful of grass on Reno just as he was brushing the last few pieces off his suit, causing him to scowl and her to let out a short burst of laughter before they both began to snicker.
In retaliation, he had grabbed a handful of her shirt and yanked her closer to him until they were practically in each other's arms and rubbed grass onto her, causing her to cackle hysterically once more; laughing with Reno—being able to laugh with him—felt like such an easy task that it made her feel lightheaded.
Her cheeks were flushed with pink as she brushed the last few stubborn bits of grass off her clothes, and she felt her heart flutter when he pressed a gentle kiss into her hair.
They were both grinning like idiots, but she couldn't bring herself to care because there was something so unexpectedly beautiful about this moment. It was so easy to forget the world when she was with him.
The walk back to Edge was quiet, filled with a companionable silence that wasn't often—if ever—found between them. They took their time to walk the empty sidewalks, their fingers intertwined loosely. The wind carried the scent of iron and smog to her nose, and she couldn't help but wonder if their night would've ended differently if it wasn't her last night here.
They were across the street from Seventh Heaven now. The bar was dark, and a lone light lit up the area by the counter space. It was the first time she had seen the place so eerily quiet and empty, and her eyes flickered to the clock hanging above the sink.
2:30 a.m.
Only then did she realize how much time they had actually spent together. It hadn't been her plan at the beginning of the evening—and yet, somehow, here they were.
Above them, a streetlamp flickered weakly, casting their shadows long against the concrete sidewalk. It was oddly hypnotic and peaceful, and Yuffie found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the shadows dancing against the pavement. Reno's hand squeezed hers, and the sudden pressure broke through her thoughts, startling her out of her daze. Blinking, she looked up at him.
His lips were curled up in that familiar smirk of his but there was something different about the way he was looking down at her—something soft and almost fond—as his face was illuminated by the yellow glow of the streetlight. "You alright?" His voice was soft, barely audible.
Her gaze travelled down to their hands, the warmth of his palm seeping into her skin, and she realized that of all the places in the world she had visited, it was here, in the middle of the night, with him, that felt like home.
Her chest tightened for reasons she didn't want to analyze too closely, and she swallowed the lump in her throat before she deliberately ignored his question. Shrugging her shoulders, she forced a small grin as she tried her best to sound nonchalant. "I guess this is it, huh?"
The back of his hand brushed against her cheek, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Guess so," he muttered, his thumb caressing the tip of her chin before he leaned down and pressed his mouth softly against hers. The kiss was different than any of their previous kisses—tender and soft and lingering.
She melted beneath his touch, her eyelids fluttering shut as she let out a sigh before her hands went up to cup the side of his neck. His arms circled behind her waist, pulling her tighter against him, and she felt her heart squeeze painfully.
Gawd. Why was this so hard?
When they finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his chest as she breathed in the scent of him deeply, her pulse pounding in her ears. He didn't say anything right away and simply held her close, but she knew that time was up. Almost as if he could read her mind, his lips brushed against her temple lightly.
"See you around, princess," he murmured against her ear.
She laughed softly at the almost condescending term of endearment before nodding into his shoulder, reluctantly untangling herself from his embrace, and stepping away from him. Even though every nerve ending in her body was screaming at her not to let her leave, all she could do was watch as Reno turned and began walking away.
Yuffie stood rooted in the spot as she watched him go.
And then he was gone, leaving her alone in the darkness once more as the sounds of the city surrounded her.
She closed her eyes tightly, inhaling sharply through gritted teeth as tears burned the backs of her eyelids and threatened to spill over. All she wanted to do was run after him. Instead, she bit her lower lip and pushed any emotions aside before making her way back to the bar, whispering quietly under her breath—secretly hoping that he'd hear her even though she knew he wouldn't.
"I'm gonna miss you, you stupid, dumb turkey."
Author's Notes: It's been a while since I've posted anything on here, so I hope everyone has been doing well.
I took a breath from writing the longfic to write this...and at this rate, I'll never finish my longfic before Part 2 comes out XD
Completed: April 5, 2022
