Façade
By Crystal Snowflakes
Summary: Apparently a skimpy dress, a layer of cosmetics and a darkened room was all that was needed to trick the old perv.
Yuffie fiddled with the glass in front of her before taking a small sip, wincing slightly at the taste—she wasn't sure why she kept being surprised when bartenders were never as good as Tifa. As a matter of fact, she didn't even know why she was here in the first place. In an attempt to form bonds with coworkers that she didn't normally work with, she had agreed to the secretaries and paper pushers' invitation to a club on a Friday night, when she could very well have sat at Seventh Heaven instead and gotten free drinks—drinks that were better because right now, she had to pay an arm and a leg for these shitty things and she wanted a refund, dammit.
It was hot and humid inside the club, the amount of spotlights flashing into her eyes as well as the deafening music ringing into her ear was exacerbating her headache—she had been filling out mission reports the entire day and now just wanted to drink in peace and chat with Tifa. Instead, her long hair stuck to her exposed neck, her eyelashes felt heavy and sticky from the mascara, her entire face felt like it was covered in dust and the blue dress she had borrowed from Tifa clung on tightly to her figure while the hem wouldn't stop riding up, despite her trying to fix it over and over again.
...Also, her armpits were sweaty as hell.
She cursed Reeve—It was his damn fault for putting the idea into her head. Never again would she try to build a rapport with these people—she was happy with being forever stuck with Vincent, Shelke, and even Cait Sith, although it pained her to admit it.
Her eyes glanced over her shoulders towards her coworkers who were having a good time on the dance floor and had been joined by other strangers. By now, she was fairly sure she had been forgotten, which worked well enough for her as she barely wanted to be here in the first place. With a small huff, she knocked back the rest of her drink before slamming the glass against the counter, the sound barely audible with the loud music playing.
Just as she was about to stand up and yell at the bartender to give him a piece of her mind about how shitty his drinks were, she felt an arm slip around her waist—warm skin against her bare back.
"Hey baby. You don't look like you're having a good time. I can show you a good time." An unfamiliar deep voice murmured with his warm breath against her ear—the hair on her neck stood up as a chill went down her spine.
Feeling cornered, she mustered a scowl on her face before turning around to glare at him. Her fingers clenched together to stop herself from attacking him—the last thing she really wanted to do was to gather attention to herself, despite the fact that the asshole deserved it. However, she made sure to elbow his arm aside forcibly as she side-stepped away from him, her body placed carefully in a position she could whip up her legs to kick him in the face instantaneously. "I'm not interested, you creep," she bit out fiercely. "Also, who the hell actually talks like that?"
His fingers dug into the soft skin of her cheeks as he tilted her head up to look at him, his dark eyes meeting hers as they glowered angrily. "Look here you little bitch," he growled out. Yuffie wondered absently how deeply she wanted to dig her stiletto heels into his shoulders instead and whether Tifa would notice the blood that would inevitably be left behind. His other hand grabbed her hip painfully, his grip hard enough to leave bruises as he pushed forward, practically pinning her against the counter.
"Fuck off," Yuffie snarled, wincing slightly as his nails dug deeper into her side. Before she could break out of his grip and cause him any bodily pain, a familiar flash of red entered her vision and a sudden roar of pain—raw and distressed—was heard briefly until it was cut off sharply.
Blazing green eyes met hers curtly before they glared warningly at the bartender to mind his own business—he refocused them back to the man in his grasp. Reno's arm was around the man's neck tightly, obstructing part of his airway as the man struggled to breathe. "If I ever see you treatin' a woman like that again, I won't just dislocate your fuckin' arm. Ya hear me?" He threatened, waiting patiently for a reaction before receiving frantic nods against his arm.
Yuffie could only gape silently at the chivalrous Turk as he released the now almost-sobbing and repulsive asshole—they watched him scamper back to a group of jeering men with his tail tucked between his legs, hand pressing his arm tightly against himself. "Good riddance," she muttered irately under her breath before turning back around towards Reno, about to let him know that no, she didn't bloody need help because she wasn't a goddamn damsel in distress—she was more than capable of taking the trash out.
"You good?" He asked her as his gaze trailed up to her chin before he studied her face, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. His voice was so low and gentle that it could barely be heard over the blaring sounds of speakers.
"Uh, yeah. You okay?" she replied with a small frown because he was acting weird—he hadn't called her a brat, a princess, a pest or a little shit yet. That didn't stop her from noticing the very distinct navy suit that was currently missing, nor did it stop her from noticing the way his dress shirt clung tautly onto his scrawny and very toned body. Realizing immediately that he was probably in the midst of a scouting mission, she was about to pester him about his assignment when he interrupted her again.
"Yeah, yeah. You remind me of someone, that's all," he said with a snicker. But before he could clarify, his eyes glanced sideways at the group of men that the sobbing piece of shit had run towards—they were watching the two of them menacingly still. "Name's Reno. I'll walk you out."
Her eyes widened in shock because he did not recognize who she was—though she shouldn't be surprised with the lack of lighting in the club and if the smell on his breath was any indication, he probably had quite a few already. No wonder he hadn't insulted her height, or her voice or called her any of the nicknames he normally would. Part of her wanted to burst out in giggles because apparently a skimpy dress, a layer of cosmetics and a darkened room was all that was needed to trick the old perv—she wondered briefly if Rude or Elena or even Tseng would fall for it. The next moment, she debated on whether she should pull off a prank with this so-called disguise, but decided against it.
He had helped her out, even though she clearly hadn't needed it.
"I'll be fine," she finally responded after a few seconds. The least she could do was be courteous.
His eyes flickered to the empty glasses on the counter with a small sneer. "I know a better place for a drink."
"It's not hard. The drinks are kinda shitty here," she said with a snort, earning a glare from the bartender and she shrugged at him uncaringly. "It's true. You gotta shake the cocktail stronger so it's smoother."
A bark of laughter escaped Reno's lips and she had to blink in surprise at the pleasant sound. "You a bartender?"
"Ehh… I know my way around a bar," she answered honestly. At this point, if she had wanted to, she probably could run her own bar—Tifa had made sure to drill all the cocktails recipes into her brain for the days she was around to help.
"C'mon. There's a hotel 'round the block with better cocktails," he took a step back and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he settled into his usual lazy, slouched position.
"Posh tastes," Yuffie teased him, a small grin on her face. "Didn't peg you for someone who likes cocktails." The little interactions she had ever had with the Turk had been exchanges of insults and this was probably the most words they had ever traded without wanting to be at each other's throats—it was impossible for the two of them to be in the same room without clashing.
"I don't," he scoffed, "But you clearly do." His gaze darted over to her again and she realized at that moment that he was eyeing her. "You comin'?" he asked, offering her his arm.
Part of her was disgusted, because this was Reno, the asshole who insulted her at every given chance. But she couldn't stop the thrill that shot throughout her body at the idea that he was checking her out—her traitorous heart sped up in delight.
"You paying?" she quipped cheekily as she slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow.
What was the worst thing that could happen? She would get a free drink out of it—she knew the type of man Reno was and she wasn't about to fall for his charms.
Less than two hours later, she would be eating her own words because dammit Reno was charming when he wanted to be. They debated about every topic they could think of, from the state of the planet to the best name for a pet and Yuffie was thankful that he never tried to pry into her personal life—she suspected it was because he didn't want to share anything personal either. Conversing with him was refreshing and she had no idea that he was so intelligent because all she ever saw was an idiot who got drunk and picked up chicks at bars—at least she understood why Rude was friends with him now.
Her head was swimming with the amount of alcohol she had taken in—the warmth of his hand on her hip and the scent of him was not helping. She bit down a moan as his other hand entangled itself into her hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck as he nipped at the tender flesh of her throat. Her hands flew to his shoulders to try to balance herself with her back pressed tightly up against the elevator wall. "You know this can be considered public indecency, right?" She hissed at him, but the small whimper that escaped her mouth the next moment countered any threat in her voice.
His head pulled back suddenly and she found herself missing the heat of his face against her neck. He was looking at her with his lips quirked up, his eyes gleaming with wickedness and lust and she couldn't stop the pounding in her chest. "Didn't think you'd care, Hana."
A strong feeling of guilt flooded her mind as she realized she was being deceptive—it was the first name her mind popped up with and she had run with it.
But then his body pushed up against hers as he dipped his head and captured her lips with his again, almost bruisingly, and her thoughts disappeared. He tasted like smooth whiskey and his chapped lips were doing things to her that she hadn't expected—none of this would be happening if she was Yuffie Kisaragi to him. It was going to be a one-night stand anyways—he would forget her the next morning and none of it would matter.
"What if some poor old woman walks into the elevator and—"
"We'll give her a good show," Reno interrupted humourously.
She couldn't stop the cackle that escaped and she had to rein herself in. For a second there, her laughter sounded a little too much like herself and she was glad that Reno seemed just as sloshed as her. She would not have been able to tell anyone how many they had together—by the time they had left the hotel lounge to book a room, the table had been littered with empty glasses.
For just a brief moment, her brain realized that this might be a terrible idea because she was just about to become another notch on Reno's bedpost, but found that she couldn't care enough. She was bad enough with making good decisions with her mind intact, she had no interest in making good choices when she was hammered—especially because he lifted her up at that very moment, his fingers digging deliciously into the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. She let out a shuddering breath as her head bowed into the side of his neck, her legs wrapping around him as he carried her.
Her head was swimming from the alcohol and it was only then that she noticed that the elevator doors had opened and that they had reached their floor. She giggled as they tumbled through the hallways and when he struggled with getting the keycard from his pockets, she decided to help him a little by wriggling out of his arms and lowering her feet with as much grace as she could muster onto the ground—she stumbled slightly before catching herself against him.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bad influence? I don't usually do this—" Her murmurs were interrupted by the beep of the keycard unlocking the suite and before she knew it, he had whisked her away into the confines of the room, the door slamming shut loudly behind them.
There was a moment of agonizing silence as he stared at her, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness while he studied her face in the dim moonlight before he spoke. "D'you wanna stop?"
Yuffie blinked and her lips parted in surprise—she was shocked to feel her chest swelling with conflicting emotions. On one hand, all of her thoughts were screaming at her to abort because holy shit was this a terrible idea. On the other hand, she was stunned to realize she wanted him, more than she had wanted anyone before. And she knew that this would be the only time she would ever be able to see this side of Reno and she was curious beyond reason. Her eyes trailed down from his twin tattoos to his pronounced cheekbones, from his thin lips to his chiseled jawline before landing back to his eyes.
"No," she said confidently even though her heart was thundering in her ears. Closing the small distance between them, she reached up to pull his face down to hers and kissed him a little sloppily. He was stunned by her advance for the briefest moment before he let out a small groan, his calloused fingers tracing her sides lightly while moving upwards. His thumbs pushed the thin straps off her shoulders while her deft fingers unfastened his shirt—she couldn't stop herself from grinning smugly when she felt him tense up as her hands made contact with his bare skin. Knowing that she was the one who caused this reaction in him stroked her self-esteem.
Her dress fell to the ground, flowing around her feet and she kicked off her heels, shivering slightly from the chill. His dress shirt dropped next and she couldn't stop herself from pulling away and snorting out a chortle when he managed to unhook her bra with one hand—his drunken laugh was low and ragged in response. She unbuckled his belt and felt his pants drop to the ground and while Yuffie was shameless in practically all aspects of life, running around in practically nothing was not exactly the same as actually being completely naked. The liquid confidence was helping slightly—it was the only reason why she was in this predicament in the first place.
Feeling the warmth of her cheeks, she hid her face into the crook of his neck as she took a deep breath of his scent—he smelled of whiskey and smoke, of coffee and chocolate, of mint and pine. Her breath caught as he lifted her up again and their bare skin pressed together tightly—all she could focus on was the heat radiating off him, the intoxicating scent of him and the way his skin felt so good against hers.
"You've done this before, right?" He asked. It was adorable that he seemed to care.
Was it obvious that she was nervous?
She pulled her face from his neck as she stared at the way his brows were furrowed slightly, her eyes wide before swatting at his shoulder gently, almost forgetting that she wasn't Yuffie at the moment. "Haven't slept with a guy I met at the bar yet," she responded cheekily as she slurred and if her face hadn't been red before, it definitely was glowing bright now. It was a good thing that neither of them had bothered with the lightswitches.
A snicker was heard before she felt herself lowered onto the silky sheets, her long hair already in a tangled mess. Through her long lashes, she watched as he pulled down his boxers before studying her figure in the moonlight. She knew she looked good—years and years of intense training had guaranteed that. She observed him in return and she had always known that he was a handsome man who would be more likeable if he'd just shut his mouth, but what she didn't realize was just how good looking he was until that very moment.
"You joining me?" She asked as she pulled off her underwear, her voice sounding a lot more confident than what she was feeling. "Or are you too drunk?"
His smirk turned predatory as he lowered himself onto her and she felt her heart stutter at the unexpected touch of his body. He pressed her into the mattress with his weight and his lips grazed just below her ear, causing her to let out a shaky breath and close her eyes in pleasure.
"Sober enough to make you scream my name, babe."
She opened her eyes and they flashed in mischief. "Is that a challenge?"
There was a strong sense of regret as soon as she said that because he had somehow maneuvered her so that she was on her side and he settled behind her—it didn't help that she was trying really not hard to use her strength and give herself away. That, and she was probably a little too drunk to do anything, to be honest.
Her wrists were held behind her by one of his hands while his teeth began pulling at the soft skin of her neck. His other hand crept between her thighs, teasing her as he caressed her before cupping her rear, squeezing her flesh slightly. She could feel him ground his pelvis against her, making her more than aware of his hardness against her bare back—she pushed back boldly and felt his laughter rumbling in his chest. An irritated sigh escaped her lips as his hand grazed the side of her breast before his touches retreated again.
"Hm?" he murmured lazily in her ear as his fingers brushed between her legs again, his eyes intense as she writhed beneath his touches.
Yuffie was a highly trained espionage who was stubborn and who would never negotiate with terrorists. Hana, on the other hand, was a mere civilian who was not trained in the arts of resisting torture techniques. Closing her eyes in frustration and leaning her head backwards against his collarbone, she gave him what he wanted.
"Reno," she breathed out and was rewarded by him slipping a finger inside her. A small moan trickled out as her hips arched against him, causing him to groan as he released her wrists and he gripped her hips tightly instead.
"Fuck," he muttered as her hands, finally freed, wrapped around him firmly, stroking him. His hot breath against her ear caused her to shudder and he seemed to have noticed because he had tilted her head to allow more room for him to nibble at the skin on her shoulder—she gasped, startled at the pleasure that it brought.
When his lips had trailed up to her earlobe, she couldn't help the raspy sigh of his name that came. Reno chuckled deeply in response, slipping another finger inside as they curled and she fought back the urge to cry out, her body pulled tautly against him instead.
"What was that, Hana?" He teased as she squirmed, her muscles clenching around him. She wished she had given him a name that was more similar to her own because being called another name in the middle of this was jarring.
"Reno, please," she moaned out loudly as his other hand climbed up again, cupping and kneading her expertly. "You are such an asshole." And she meant it, because nobody had made her practically beg—she was a princess gawddammit. His fingers froze and for a moment, she wondered if what she said had pissed him off, but it was Reno and calling him an asshole really shouldn't have been insulting. But her thoughts were cut off as another gasp escaped—he had nestled his fingers deep into her while his thumb drew slow circles, driving her near insanity.
"Dammit…" she hissed out.
She held on as desperately as she could, but came suddenly, unexpectedly, her strangled cry caught in her throat as she pressed her face against the sheets, her heart pounding in her ear—her entire body stiffened before melting against him in total surrender. Nobody had made her feel like this the last few times she had had sex. Was this what it was supposed to feel like?
He rolled her body towards him and laid her down, his hot mouth pressing against her stomach before nipping and licking and she let out a sigh of pleasure as his lips trailed up to her breast—her eyes fluttered shut. His teeth against her collarbone caused her to clench her teeth together tightly as her nails dug into his shoulder blades, desire washing over her.
She was not going to say his name again. Hearing the crinkle of a condom wrapper, she felt him lift her legs above his shoulder—she swallowed thickly and knew things would change between the two of them, even though he didn't know it yet. Her eyes opened blearily when he hadn't moved for a few moments and she was surprised to see his blazing eyes studying her face.
"Reno?" She asked in a mumble, her forehead creasing in confusion. Was that almost a flash of recognition in his eyes? Her heart almost jumped out of her throat at the idea that he knew—but his gaze turned indecipherable the next instant and she couldn't figure out if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.
And then he lowered his face to hers and kissed her with tenderness she hadn't expected from him—she felt her toes curl and her heart race and she was pretty sure this was nothing like what a one-night stand should feel. Pulling away from her, their eyes locked together before she felt him push into her and she whimpered needily as she met each thrust.
"You f—" he grunted out, before he stopped himself abruptly, his voice ragged and shaking and for a split second, she thought he was about to call her by her name. It was surreal, watching him struggle to hold onto his composure, because in all the years that she had known him, he was always cold, calculating and in control despite the snarky front he put up. His eyes were glazed over and she still had trouble believing that it was her who was making him lose his cool. Was he like this with every woman he slept with? "Fuck," he cursed, burying himself deep inside of her, his head falling against her neck.
Her fingers tugged at his hair, weaving through it and the silkiness of it surprised her—his light stubbles grazed against her smooth skin roughly. All she could hear was the way he breathed deeply into her neck irregularly and the way her breath came out in short pants, repeating his name over and over again. Even then, she could feel his lips curl up in pride against her neck each time his name escaped her lips.
Her body felt like it was on fire and without warning, she came again as she fell over the edge, a low unfamiliar moan coming out of her own mouth before she stifled her voice against his neck. And then he pulled away, his lips capturing hers roughly as he bit her lips, causing her to gasp in pleasure and pain before he thrusted his tongue into her. His figure went rigid for a moment before he pushed into her a few more times, shuddering, and collapsing on top of her, careful not to crush her small frame.
"Fuck," he repeated, his breathing shallow and Yuffie could feel her heartbeat still racing. "Shit."
As she laid under him, the realization and severity of what she had just done crashed into her like an airship. She had to see this man practically every few days and she had to pretend that whatever happened had never happened. How? How was she ever going to tease him and insult him without remembering whatever just happened?
She couldn't stop the hysterical giggle from slipping out of her lips.
He lifted his head up to look at her and she had never realized how beautiful his eyes were until that second. The rare vulnerability in his gaze sent her chest fluttering.
Trying to fill the silence, she said the first thing that was on her mind. "Is it supposed to always feel like this?" At the quirk of his questioning brow, she continued prattling on like her usual self. "Sex. Either I've been having really bad sex or this was really good sex or I'm just really plastered. And I can't tell which is worse—" After all, there was no shame in her oversharing. Hana didn't exist, would never exist again after tonight.
He kissed her, shutting her up in the process before rolling his eyes. "Anyone ever tell you to shut up?" He asked as he smirked lazily, pulling away from her.
She wanted to respond with 'yeah, you,' but that would definitely give away who she was. Watching his naked body half-strut half-tumble towards the bathroom, she knew she only had seconds before he would come out. Her brain seemed like it was slowly starting to work because it was suddenly running a mile a second and she just realized she just slept with Reno and oh my gawd she was never going to be able to look at him without blushing again.
Scrambling around to throw on her bra, panties and dress in record time, she was tempted to swipe something of his but thought better of it because while Yuffie had sticky fingers, Hana didn't. And as tempted as she was to open the balcony door and vault off ten stories, that would most definitely give away who she was—also, she was drunk enough that she might end up a puddle instead. With her purse slung over her shoulder and her stilettos hanging off her fingers, she glanced over at the bathroom door that was opened just a slit—she was tempted beyond reason to join him, but she knew it was a terrible idea. She had already met her quota of awful decisions for the night. Her feet barely making noises as she padded through the suite carpet, she opened the door and slipped out, taking the staircase.
The walk of shame back to the bar at three in the morning lasted much longer than she had expected. Clearly the lack of one-night stand experience was messing her up because she could swear she was feeling something for Reno that she hadn't felt before tonight.
"Shit," she breathed out, the chill in the night air causing her to shiver just slightly.
Scaling up the side of the wall with some difficulty in heels, she unlocked the window to her guest room quickly and let herself in, closing it as quietly as she could before turning around—she cursed when she realized Tifa was staring at her with her eyebrow raised.
"Omigawd," she groaned into her hands, embarrassment flooding her entire being. "Can you pretend you never saw me?"
"I was just about to call you," Tifa said, a small frown on her face and her voice was tinged with worry. Yuffie's stomach churned with guilt as her mind realized that her friend must have stayed up an extra hour to make sure she made it back safely. Tifa's wine-red eyes glanced over at the clock briefly before looking back at her, tilting her head curiously. "Did you have fun, at least?"
Her mind flashed back to the way Reno's naked body pressed up against hers and she tried with all her might to push away that particular set of memories because it would no doubt cause her cheeks to burn darkly.
"Yup!" She squeaked and changed the topic. "Where's Rude?" Because gawd, Rude could never know she came back late...what if they somehow made the connection? Or was she being ridiculously paranoid?
"He's in the bedroom...been asleep for hours. They had a mission earlier tonight that required a bit of drinking—"
"Oh my gawd," Yuffie interrupted, tempted to just burst. She was never good at keeping secrets from anyone, let alone Tifa, her best friend in the whole wide world and now it made sense why Reno was already half drunk. "Look, you can't tell Rude this, but I met a guy at the bar and—"
"You slept with him!" Tifa squealed with a giggle, her eyes shining brightly in mirth.
Yuffie's eyes bulged wide open as she took the few steps towards her and swatted at her head. "Teef!" She hissed, "Keep it down! And how the hell do you know?"
"You're glowing!" Tifa exclaimed quietly as she dodged her hit, but Yuffie knew she wanted details and now although she would never admit it. "You can't even keep the smile off your face. My goodness. That good, huh?"
Yuffie hadn't even realized she had a smile on her face until Tifa had brought it to her attention—was that why her cheeks were aching? She pressed her hands to her cheeks, moaning in despair. "Gawd, oh, gawd… I've never had a one-night stand before."
"So? Are you meeting him again?"
"No!" Yuffie screeched before quieting down. "It was a one-night stand, remember? Plus, he doesn't even know my real name."
"...Because you didn't want him to realize you're Lady Kisaragi?"
That thought hadn't even crossed her mind because she didn't want him to know that she was Yuffie, the brat that kept bugging him every chance she got, but she would never tell her that.
"Something like that," she muttered, her mood a little deflated because whatever excitement she had experienced that night would never happen again—could never happen again. "Ugh. I need a shower."
Tifa exited the room but glanced back over her shoulder for just a moment as she was about to close the door. "Maybe he won't mind who you are, Yuffie. Not everyone is deterred by your title."
As Yuffie stripped herself down to get ready for a shower, she studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror—her flowing dark hair, her painted lips, her elongated lashes. Tifa had done a wonderful job; she barely recognized herself. And she knew it shouldn't bother her, because why would it? But she couldn't stop her heart from sinking upon realizing that the only reason he'd look her way was because she looked nothing like herself.
When she finally settled into bed half an hour later, feeling like she had a gaping hole in her chest, she swore she could still smell the unique scent of his cigarette on her.
She saw him two nights later as she was helping Tifa with the bar on her day off. As soon as the beers touched down on their table, she had gotten the hell out of there. Just seeing that flash of red caused her heart to race rapidly and as much as she wanted to stay and chat with Elena, tease Rude and insult Reno like usual, she couldn't even get her breathing back to normal—the worst thing was that she had to make sure nobody around was suspicious of her.
Over the course of the next few weeks, she had to force herself not to run away and hide at the mere sight of him. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with her because her heart lurched everytime she smelled the distinct scent of his cigarette, or caught sight of his unique shade of hair, or heard the sound of his unmistakable drawl. All she wanted to do was scream because if she had known how much it would have affected her, she wouldn't have slept with him.
What really didn't help and she hadn't expected was that her mind would involuntarily drift to that night at the most random time and it drove her absolutely insane—she was an adult and no, she did not want to daydream about her one-night stand with Reno. She was happy to forget it all, except it seemed like her mind refused to let her forget it.
So when she returned after a dinner date on a weekend, a bouquet of flowers in tow, she walked right past what she had dubbed the Turkey table and headed straight to the barmaid. Filling an empty vase with water, she dumped the flowers into it without a second glance—Tifa liked flowers more than she did anyways.
"So?" Tifa asked, leaning her weight on her elbows as she glanced sideways at her. "How was it?"
Yuffie shrugged as she made herself a cocktail, making sure to shake thoroughly before pouring it out and taking a large gulp. "Fine. He tried to get in my pants. Or uh...under my dress?" She flicked her long ponytail over her shoulder before glancing down at the half-assed attempt she had made of dressing up for the date she barely wanted to go on.
"Still can't forget Mr. One-night stand?" Tifa teased, her eyes twinkling.
Her face flushed immediately and it took all of her self-control not to look towards that particular table even though she knew he was right there. "Tifa!" she hissed at her friend, her nails digging into her palms uncomfortably. "Oh gawd," she moaned in mortification. "Do you really have to bring it up now? People can hear you, ya know!"
The older woman laughed. "Fine, fine! Here's another thing that's been interesting," Tifa whispered conspiratorially as she leaned closer to Yuffie. "Is it me, or has Reno been staring at you a lot lately?"
She was not going to look, no matter how tempting it was. Her head tilted back as she brought the drink up to her lips to buy herself a couple of seconds, her mind racing as she debated on what to say. Finally, she settled on shrugging again. "He can look all he wants, but I'm not interested."
There was something seriously wrong with her because she could hear her brain calling her out on what a liar she was.
Muttering to Tifa something along the lines of needing some fresh air, she finished her drink before pouring herself a cup of his favourite whiskey—then she sauntered up the stairs noisily before Tifa could study the look on her face because she was sure she would betray something.
Staring into the darkened abyss of the city, she took small sips of her drink, the taste of it reminding her of his lips and she closed her eyes guiltily as she recalled the way he looked at her that night. Leaning against the ledge with a sigh, she took a deep breath to force her heartbeat to slow down. The door behind her slammed opened suddenly and she straightened up, her mind already realizing who it was because there were only six people who would come up the roof—and no one else would slam it open but him.
"Go away," she called out without turning around. "You realize this is private property, right?" She tossed the drink back, savoring the way the smooth amber liquid burned the back of her throat although it did nothing to settle her lurching stomach.
"You realize my partner lives here, right?" He drawled, mocking her.
The unexpected semblance of normalcy in their bantering sent her reeling because she realized it had been weeks since she had really exchanged any words with him. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his green ones unintentionally and even just that sent her staggering for breath. Her hands were tempted to cover her face because she did not want to be here right now, dealing with him. Why the hell was he up here anyways? Clenching her hands to her sides instead, she sent him a glowering scowl. "He sleeps here part-time," she retorted. "But you realize I don't give a shit, right?"
His stare flickered appreciatively at her legs openly for a moment, causing her to feel unusually self-conscious before he looked back up at her face. And then the strangest thing happened because she could have sworn his gaze softened. "You been givin' me the slip, brat."
Her breath caught her throat for half a second before she schooled her features carefully, rolling her eyes breezily with a shrug. "Jeez, Turkey. You really think you're that important, huh? Avoiding you would be implying that there's a reason to do it and sorry, you're reaaaaaally not that important." Inwardly, she was panicking because why the hell was he calling her out like this? Why the hell did he care? She had always known that she was quick-witted, but she had never been so grateful about it as she was today. Outwardly, she bounced flippantly past him, making sure to stick her tongue out childishly at him.
"Toodles!" She cast him a sideways glance just as she was about to open the door.
"Coward," he sneered.
She froze.
The asshole knew exactly what to say to push her buttons—to get her to react. Turning towards him with a dark frown on her face and her arms folded in front of her, her heart was pounding furiously at the sight of his face, although at this moment, all she felt was fury. Good, because she knew how to deal with anger. "Did you just call me a coward?"
"You're walking away from this conversation, ain't ya?" Reno nodded towards her with a peculiar look in his eyes. Yuffie's shoulders stiffened as her jaws clenched and she had a distinct feeling that he was studying her posture, watching her discomfort, waiting to see how she would react.
Angry.
She reminded herself she could be angry. For once, maybe her impulsivity would get her out of this situation because she was nowhere near ready to face the reason behind why her stomach was churning, or why her palms were sweaty, or even why her chest was tightening.
"Well maybe," she muttered with all the irritation and bitterness she could muster from not sleeping well because everytime she closed her eyes, she thought of that tender kiss between them. She knew it wasn't his fault because he hadn't even known it was her, but it was easier to be angry with him than with herself. "Maybe I don't wanna talk to you cause all you do is piss me off and insult me?"
She caught the brief flash of irritation in his eyes before he returned back to his aloof, self-righteous attitude—his fingers flexed ever so slightly before his hands slipped into his pockets as he stood languidly against the wall. A thrill of excitement coursed through her as she realized that he was losing his composure in front of her—not Hana.
He scoffed. "We both know that's never stopped ya from pesterin' me before, you dipshit."
The way he insulted her brought some level of familiarity in their relationship and for the oddest reason, it brought her some comfort. She couldn't stop the faint snort that escaped her and if she wasn't feeling so confused, it might have turned into a laugh. "Are you seriously giving me a hard time cause I've stopped bothering you? Aren't you supposed to be thanking me for being so considerate?"
Reno pushed himself off the wall and leaned forward towards her—he was close enough that she could see the flecks of blue in his aquamarine eyes. If her face tilted forward a few inches, she'd be able to kiss him, and the last time she was this close to him, they were in a much more compromising position on a bed together. Her cheeks burned furiously at the thought.
"What the fuck changed?" He was studying her again, his face unusually serious.
Part of her was tempted to be honest and let him know that she had made a terrible decision for the both of them, but she wasn't ready to see his look of absolute disgust. And as much of a bad decision as it was, the idea of him tainting that memory of them made her feel a little empty inside.
"Look here, Turkey. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, why you've decided to chase me up the roof to annoy me, or why the hell you even care. But maybe I've just got better things to do than talk to you, you asshole."
She didn't wait for a response before she actually opened the door and slammed it shut behind her this time.
She spent the next four weeks away from Edge—three of which were in Wutai as a delegate from the WRO to attend mind-numbingly boring conferences and meetings. Yuffie suspected Godo had gotten Reeve to send her as the WRO delegate to ensure she would attend because he knew just as well as she did that she would never have attended otherwise. The last week had been spent at Cosmo Canyon to visit Nanaki and Rocket Town, where she had spent waaaaaaaay too much time talking about pregnancy with Shera. And then she had gotten an airship ride back to the WRO, where she continued to hide because she was finally forgetting details about that night.
Until Tifa called, begging her to watch the bar for her because she hadn't been out on a date with Rude for weeks. There had been a few gangs hanging around Seventh Heaven, and while they were good about not causing trouble, it was another matter when they were drunk off their asses. Tifa had been hesitant to leave any hired help running the bar by themselves and Yuffie felt her pride inflate—she was pretty damn awesome and would have no problem handing their asses to them.
With a bounce in her steps, she let herself into the bar and felt instantly at home—everything was in the same place and nothing had changed. She took a deep breath in, surveying the half-empty stools before grabbing an apron to wrap it around herself, making sure to greet Ashley, the hired help, quickly. Her eyes darted over to the clock quickly, knowing that Tifa was most likely putting the kids to sleep before she readied herself for the date.
By the time seven o'clock rolled around, the bar was full and Tifa had come down briefly to greet her before heading back upstairs to get ready. She hadn't realized how much she missed working at the bar until that moment—there was something calming about the mundane and familiar chores of taking orders and serving customers. She was on autopilot, going through the motions mindlessly, her legs carrying her from the beer fridge to the tables and it wasn't until she heard his distinct snicker that she looked over to the counter.
The bottle of beer in his hand was nearly empty as he spun it around absent-mindedly while talking to Ashley, who looked captivated with whatever he was saying. The sudden flash of jealousy that swept over her took her by surprise, but she tampered it down immediately because the next moment, guilt swarmed through her body instead.
Reno didn't deserve the way she had given him the cold-shoulder the last time they had talked. Sure, they had never really been on friendly terms, but he had approached her to genuinely figure out why the hell she had been unusually distant and she had brushed off his concerns by insulting him. The month away from Edge had been good for her because while she could still feel the twisting warmth in her stomach at the sight of him, the ache in her heart had dulled. And while it hurt her pride to admit it, her curiosity and her spontaneity were the reason she was in this mess to begin with.
His eyes flickered over to her briefly, uninterestedly, before they looked back towards his beer and she felt the sharp sting of rejection—she didn't even realize she had been holding onto her breath until that moment. A large part of her was tempted to ignore him, but she knew it wasn't a feasible option—his best friend was dating her best friend. How could they possibly stay away from each other forever?
Mustering the cheekiest grin she could, she skipped over to the bar, almost tripping over in the process, and grabbed a new bottle of his usual beer before slamming it down in front of him. "Whatcha doin' here, Turkey?"
"Well, shit," Reno bit out. "Didn't get the memo that we were on talkin' terms again, princess."
Yuffie almost winced at the cutting tone of his voice as her grin faltered. She had deserved that. Ashley glanced quickly between the two of them before she threw an awkward smile on her face and mumbled an excuse to leave. Luckily for her, Tifa chose at that moment to appear down the stairs and Yuffie took the opportunity to turn away from him to squeal about Tifa's outfit instead.
"Ahhhhhh! You look so pretty, Teef! Baldy won't know what hit 'im!" Yuffie giggled loudly.
"Thanks, Yuffie." Tifa blushed slightly as she walked to the bar and went on her tippy toe to look for something on the more expensive whiskey shelf. When her fingers wrapped around a bottle in the back, she pulled it out slowly and turned around, placing it in front of Reno along with an empty glass—Yuffie realized it was his favourite whiskey. "Thanks for coming by, Reno. I really appreciate it. I know Rude kind of offered up your services—"
"No prob," Reno interrupted, the scathing tone in his voice earlier gone as he gave the barmaid a two finger salute before pouring out a generous amount of amber liquid for himself.
"Wait," Yuffie cut in. "What services?"
Tifa leaned her head towards Yuffie, glancing at some of the patrons at the bar before she whispered quietly, "Just the troublemakers I told you about, so I just wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly."
Yuffie scowled because she thought that was the reason she was here tonight. "Didn't realize being a bouncer was part of Turkey duty."
"It's not," Reno snorted. "But bodyguarding spoiled little princesses is."
She spluttered in disbelief. "I don't need a bodyguard!"
Tifa looked at her sheepishly before patting her gently on the shoulders. "I know you don't. But he's just here to ease my conscience. He'll leave as soon as the bar closes, okay? Maybe make sure Ashley gets home safely?" The barmaid tried desperately to ease the tension, but all Yuffie could feel was her chest tightening at the thought—she knew what happened between him and women he decided to walk home with.
Gawd, she'd never been jealous of someone over a guy before. Yuffie felt her scowl darkening but she knew she was being unreasonable. "Fine," she muttered. "You have fun, okay Teef?"
"Mhmm," Tifa hummed with a smile. "Yuffie, you'll remember to—"
"Make sure to lock up. Cereal for breakfast once the kiddos are up and make sure they're done their homework before they're allowed any screen time. Got it," Yuffie finished for her, her expression sliding back into something resembling a grin although she wasn't feeling particularly cheerful.
"Thanks Yuffie. Thanks Reno." Yuffie watched as Tifa waved and as soon as her figure exited the entrance of the bar, Yuffie spun her body around and walked away.
A month away had apparently not been long enough. She'd have to get Reeve to send her somewhere else for a longer period of time. Maybe she was desperate enough to return to Wutai—she was sure Godo would be ecstatic if she were ever to willingly return to do her duties.
The next five hours passed in a blur with her deliberately ignoring his presence and him doing the same. She reminded herself constantly that it was better this way although she seemed to be becoming more and more aware of the empty void that she thought she had gotten rid of. The hollow aching feeling hit her sporadically and almost took her breath away, so when the time came for Reno to walk Ashley home, she nearly sagged in relief against the counter.
Her eyes glanced over at the big pile of dishes that still had to be taken care of almost thankfully—it would take her mind off and by the time she would be done, she'd hopefully be tired enough to sink into bed and pass out.
Except her mind would not stop evoking up images of the two of them, naked and tangled up in her bedsheets.
"Arrrrrrrrghh!"
When the dishes were finally done, the tables wiped, the chairs stacked and the floors cleaned, Yuffie gave a satisfied sigh before leaning against the wall tiredly. She let out a shuddering breath before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor wearily. Swallowing thickly and before she knew what was happening, she felt her eyes water involuntarily as she hugged her knees tightly to herself.
She told herself she didn't care, because why would she? Before that night of terrible decisions, he had been nothing but a constant annoyance in her life. Why did that have to change?
A loud rapping from the door jolted her from her thoughts as she wiped the wetness away with the back of her hand furiously.
"Bar's closed!" She yelled out with as much of a normal voice as she could muster. "Goddamn Turkey. It shouldn't hurt this fricken much," she muttered to herself as she pushed herself off the ground. "One-night stand, remember Yuffie? It shouldn't hurt at all."
The quiet sounds of the lock being picked was heard and she tensed up, her fingers snagging a few throwing knives from the small arsenal she had on her. The door creaked open slowly and Reno stepped inside the bar, letting it shut firmly behind him before he locked it as he looked up at her. His sharp gaze studied her face and she felt exposed and vulnerable with the way he zeroed in on her misty eyes..
"Why're you back?" She asked with a huff as she put away her knives before she crossed her arms in an attempt to look confident and unflappable. "Didya forget something?"
Reno seemed to pause for a moment before he strode towards her, his steps sure and decisive, stopping just two steps short of her. His lips were turned into an irritated scowl as he stared at her and she felt strangely intimidated by this man whose ass she was pretty sure she could kick.
"You're a fuckin' bitch, you know that?" His eyes were blazing with intensity as his lips pressed thinly together and whatever Yuffie had expected from him, it wasn't the vitriol directed at her.
"The hell?" She exclaimed shrilly. Did he really expect to come back, insult her, and then get away with it without retaliation? "You had too much to drink, Turkey? Didn't think you were such a fricken lightweight! Or are you just intentionally being a jackass?"
He took a step forward and she had the feeling he was studying her reaction. She stood her ground stubbornly, staring defiantly up at him, cursing the way his body towered over hers. He looked at her dead in the eye and when he finally spoke, his tone was low and tense, burning with barely restrained anger. "You're a selfish little shit."
"Selfish for not wanting to talk to you cause you're an asshole?" She asked, snarling. "See? All you do is insult me every time we talk. Why the hell—"
His hand came under her chin and his calloused fingers held her face in place as he cut her off. "This isn't a goddamn game," he seethed. And then he swooped down, his lips moving over hers roughly, forcefully, almost painfully.
Eyes wide open, she stiffened in surprise at his touch before her eyes fluttered close, her body instinctively leaning into his touch. The familiar taste of him and the way his chapped lips brushed against hers sent her heart racing, her chest lurching and why the hell had she waited so long to do this again? When she realized after a moment of clarity what she was doing, she forced herself to push back and pull away. Yuffie knew deep down she should be angry at him for assaulting her—that she should snap her leg up and kick him in the jaw as hard as she could—but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Reno…" she trailed off, her voice wavering as her stomach heaved with panic and uncertainty. "What the—"
"You tell me, Hana," he hissed angrily as his hand lingered on her face and before her mind could even think about side-stepping away, his other hand held her hip firmly. Her eyes snapped open and the furious look in his gaze caused her heart to stop, but she couldn't seem to look away.
All she could hear was the sound of her own thoughts telling her to deny, deny, deny because he looked like he was about to murder her the next moment. "Who?" she finally asked, and his eyes darkened with rage as Yuffie wondered whether she should have been honest instead.
A brief flash of doubt crossed on his face before he steeled his features just as quickly. "You know who, you fuckin' brat."
"I don't—" she tried to insist before he pushed her hard against the wall, her breath forced out of her chest, her feet barely touching the ground as he supported her weight. His body was pressed tightly against hers and all she could feel was the warmth and firmness of his body. Her hips lifted against his and she felt him ground himself into her with a low groan.
"Damn you," he growled as his knee parted her thighs, one of his hands threaded through her hair and pulled her head sideways to expose her slender neck to him. There was no tenderness in the way he left a blazing trail down her neck as he bit down where her shoulder met her neck, his teeth digging softly into her delicate skin.
Yuffie gasped in pain unexpectedly before a throaty moan escaped her, her lips parting while she took a shuddering breath. She wondered if there was still a point in denying it, because she didn't think she wanted this to ever stop. Burying her face against his neck as she trembled, her eyes closed again as she took in his familiar smell—she didn't realize just how much she missed it until that moment.
"Did you know?" She asked, her voice small and her heart almost jumped out of her throat when she felt his arm tighten around her, her hands pressed against his chest.
"Not while we were fuckin'," he murmured—his breathing was hot and ragged against her ear and his chest beat frantically against hers. "And not till you kept avoidin' me. From far away, I thought it was you, and when that bastard grabbed you—"
"Oh," she breathed out before she scowled slightly. "And do you really have to be so crude?"
"D'you know I've been combin' through the database for a Hana in Edge?" He asked, pulling back as he gazed down at her face, his aquamarine eyes softening subtly as his glare faded. She shifted against him and felt her khaki shorts riding up as his rugged hands cupped her ass before sliding down to her thighs. And then her legs wrapped around him instinctively as he lifted her up, her back still against the wall.
Her eyes widened in surprise before she bit her lips shyly as her brain grasped the hidden meaning in his words. Nonetheless, she asked, her gaze glittering with curiosity as she curled her fingers tightly against the lapels of his suit jacket. "Why?"
A snort of snicker was heard before he responded. "I've never had someone I didn't know call me an asshole in the middle of sex." She blushed hotly as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, their stares locked. "I couldn't get you outta my fuckin' head," he admitted.
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
"Me?" she squeaked as her heart thudded loudly in her chest before she gave an awkward laugh. "Ah… Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"
When he kissed her again, she felt his warm lips over hers, suckling and nibbling gently. Her body shook with need as she arched her back, pressing herself tightly against him before she realized what was happening. Again.
She wasn't going to make the same mistake once more.
"Wait, wait, wait!" She muttered quietly as he carried her weight completely, heading towards the stairs to go up to the guest room. "Stop! I am not having another one-night stand with you!"
His feet walked up the steps steadily, pausing only momentarily, the slightest hint of his usual lazy smirk touching his lips as he replied, "Tough shit. And who said it was gonna be one night?"
She felt her chest flutter wildly.
"Wait, what?" She asked breathlessly as she blinked, trying desperately to wrap her mind around the words that had just left his mouth. "Wait, wait, wait, wait." Her hands grabbed his shoulder to anchor herself to him. "Don't I get a say?"
"No," he grunted out as he twisted the doorknob to her room. "You owe me for last time."
"You got sex out of it!" she hissed at him before adding, "Plus the kids are just across the hall and—"
"I know," he interrupted with a mild hint of frustration in his voice. "Now will you shut the fuck up before you wake 'em up?"
Yuffie couldn't help it. She squealed with giggles as she hid her face in the crook of his neck briefly before she pulled away and stared at him, her trademark grin on her face.
"What are we gonna tell the kiddos when they see you tomorrow morning?"
His lips quirked up in one corner with amusement.
"That's your fuckin' job."
Author's Notes: ACK! Okay, so my lemon/lime/smut (?) scenes are usually two paragraphs long because that's as much as I can handle without breaking down in nervous laughter. But then this happened and I think I must have been possessed or something because I can't read it without blushing and giggling.
I've tried making this more 'realistic' and by that, I mean really focusing on the dysfunctionality of their relationship… And then the last scene became my usual Yuffie/Reno humour fluff arrrrrrrgh lol. Woops.
As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!
Completed: September 25, 2020