Countdown
By Crystal Snowflakes
Summary: Yuffie's initial plan was to spend the New Year's countdown on the balcony by herself because everyone was being gross and pairing up… Except her plan doesn't exactly go as planned thanks to a certain annoying asshole.
Perched perilously on the balcony of the sixteenth floor in the new Shinra building, Yuffie couldn't help but think just how far they've gotten in a decade—the notable eerie glow of mako that lit up a similar asphalt jungle was gone and wouldn't ever be back. Her heavy boots hit the glass panel rhythmically as she swung her feet in the cool night breeze, her gaze focused on the dim lighting of the city. The sight of the dark concrete and metal and the stench of rusting iron in the air brought on a sudden feeling of homesickness that she didn't often feel, didn't like to feel, didn't like to think about.
Well, there was one way to rid those thoughts.
With a slight frown, she looked down at the empty glass of cocktail in her hands and while she was beyond tempted to go in to refill it at the open bar, one quick look over her shoulders persuaded her to do otherwise. It was nearing midnight and people were starting to pair up so they could countdown the seconds until the New Year…
Grossness.
The sound of the door opening and slamming shut behind her brought her out of her thoughts. Upon hearing the lid of a lighter being opened and the flint being struck, she sighed with exaggerated annoyance before turning her body around. The last thing she needed was to be pushed off a building on New Year's Eve, though it would make a great headline—Drunk Lady of Wutai Falls to Death at Hands of Shinra Employed Asshole.
"What's up, princess?" Reno leaned casually against the railing, his hand with the cigarette somehow holding onto a very full glass of amber liquid. With a quirk of his lips and doing it just to spite her, he blew the smoke at her face.
It stung her eyes, but instead of turning away, she glared defiantly at him instead with a wrinkled nose. "Well," she grumbled with a huff, "I was sitting here minding my own business, but then some jackass—"
Her response was cut off by his mocking snickers. "I wouldn't be here if your scrawny ass didn't look like you just lost your stash of materia."
If anything, her scowl darkened and she felt her eyebrows pulling together in annoyance. "You telling me you came out here to check on me? If that's the case, you did a shitty job." And then with a flick of her wrist, she snatched the cancer stick from his loose hold and threw it into the abyss below. She felt a sense of petty satisfaction at the flabbergasted look on his face—he had clearly not anticipated her to toss out his smoke.
"Also," she said with a smug shit-eating grin on her face, "you think that I'll ever lose my stash of materia? Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Reno shot her a dirty look and she could feel her own mouth widening. "Yea, you do," he muttered as he took a long sip from his glass. His fingers twitched just slightly and she suspected that the thought of pulling out another cigarette had crossed his mind, but he knew just as well as she did that she was the quicker one out of the two of them. "But that's 'sides the point," he said as he nodded his head towards the conference room where the party was taking place. "Why're you out here instead of inside?"
Her grin wavered. "The hell are you out here for?"
Rolling his eyes, he glanced over at the crowds of people inside the building and shrugged, a lazy smirk on his face. "Everyone's too fuckin' smoochy-woochy."
She couldn't stop the burst of giggles that bubbled out of her chest. "Smoochy-woochy?" she asked, her lips stretched wide. "Your black turkey heart can't stand the sight of people being all—"
"I answered your question," he cut her off with a shrug but his eyes glinted in amusement. "Now it's your turn, princess."
Biting her lips to suppress her chortles, she tried to imitate the look on his face and the sneering tone of his voice as best as she could. "Everyone's too fuckin' smoochy-woochy."
His sudden bark of laughter caught her by surprise and she realized it was the first time that she had heard him actually laughing—not snickering, not sneering. Her stomach fluttered at the way she wanted to hear him laugh like that again—to be the one to make him laugh like that again.
"What?" she screeched with her arms flailing instead to attempt to rid that uncomfortable feeling at the pit of her stomach but her lips curled upwards anyway. "Can't I be coming out for the same reason? It's like, grossness! Like, did you see the way Teef was practically mauling Baldy? And gawd, even Spikey is in the corner with Vince chit chatting away. And 'kay, did you see Reeve's secretary? Cause like, she's gotta be more obvious with the flirting 'cause I think everyone knows she's into him but him."
The sight of him shaking with controllable laughter caused her lips to lift lopsidedly. When his chuckles quieted down, he flashed her a crooked smirk. "Lookin' a lil green there—"
This, the teasing, she was used to. "The hell? I am not jealous, you—"
"How 'bout this, dipshit," he suggested as he tilted his head back for another swig. "I'll stay out here with you every year we have to suffer through this fuckin' party till you—"
"You?" she interrupted, flabbergasted as she blinked in confusion. "Are you offering to be—"
"I have to suffer through this shit anyway, might as well—"
"Wow," she murmured in amazement. "You must be pretty lonely too, huh." And then she added as she gave him a playful shove, "That, or desperate, I guess."
His face shifted back to the familiar scowl that she was used to. "The fuck? I was being generous, brat."
"Hn. I don't think you know what the word generous means even if it kicked you in the teeth, Carrot Top," she said as she flashed him her trademark impish grin. And then knowing that it would irritate him, she scooched over closer and ruffled his hair before he could react—she realized with annoyance that even with her on the railing, she was still shorter than him by a couple of inches.
His glower deepened as his eyes narrowed into angry slits before he slapped her hand away.
She cackled in response.
"Tch," he muttered. "I'm rescinding my offer."
Her mouth dropped open comically. "You can't!"
"And why the fuck not?" he asked as his eyebrows rose.
"'Cause!" she insisted as she grabbed a hold onto the lapel of his suit, yanking him closer. "Cause I'm bored and well, Reeve is gonna keep forcing me to come to these things. And let's be honest," she said as she flashed him another grin, "I'm entertaining as hell and Rufus is gonna keep making you come to these things anyway. So why not hang around with the Great Ninja Yuffie?"
"Yeah? Well—" Their heads whipped towards the building because whatever he had intended on saying was suddenly drowned out by the loud 'ten' that could be heard from inside as they began their countdown for the final ten seconds until the New Year.
Nine!
Eight!
Seven!
Yuffie glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and couldn't help but notice the way his characteristic lazily smirk fit so well on him.
Six!
Five!
Four!
Three!
His eyes were on her now and she noticed the way his gaze flitted just briefly down past her nose.
Two!
One!
Mustering all her courage and throwing caution to the wind, she ignored the cheers in the background as well as the voice of reason in her head as she pulled him down closer to her face and brushed her lips against him. It lasted for a fraction of a second, but his lips were warm and softer than she had expected—had ever imagined them to be.
Their gazes locked and she felt her face flush and her stomach somersaulting as she studied the mesmerizing green of his eyes.
"Happy New Year, Turkey," she said with a shaky breath, somehow managing to force the words out as her fingers clenched tighter around his suit.
One side of his mouth lifted in a half grin. "Happy New Year, brat."
Before she could make any more rash decisions, she let go of his jacket and hopped off the railing, bending down briefly to grab the empty glass she had left earlier. With a playful smile, she couldn't help but take a quick glimpse backward and notice the way he was staring at her. Hips deliberately swaying side to side, she walked back inside.
She had a feeling that things were going to be real interesting this year.
Author's Notes: A little shorter than my usual for a Reffie one-shots, but I was pooped after rushing last week's Christmas fic. 'Parenthood' chapter will be updated as regularly scheduled this week :)
Happy New Year, everyone!
As usual, comments and kudos are very much appreciated!
Completed: December 30, 2020