Chapter 23

Reno strode up Aura's street, dinner in his hands and a bottle of wine under his arm. He had been extraordinarily pleased when she had agreed to let him come, as he had begun to fear that she would keep avoiding him for a time to come. The mistake he had made with Zena had become more and more regrettable each time it was remembered, and Reno was pretty certain that he would do just about anything to be able to take it back. Knocking quickly on her door, he glanced up and down the street as he always had while waiting for her to open to him.

"Reno…"

He smiled at her when she let him inside. "Did you dress up?" he asked, looking her over. Aura's hand moved down the pale blue dress she wore and he watched her blush lightly.

"Uhh… No…" She turned away, closing the door.

"My mistake." Reno murmured through his smile.

"Should I have?" She turned toward him once more and he paused when her green eyes met his own.

"I…" Reno swallowed, "I would not have you any way other than as you are…" She smiled at him and moved toward the couch and Reno rolled his eyes at himself. What the hell was he even saying? He didn't know how to do this. Eyeing the kitchen, he sought refuge. "You sit… I'll sort this…" Out of the corner of his eye, Reno saw her sit on the couch as he headed for the doorway. He set about collecting some wine glasses and then some plates for the food he had brought.

He wanted her. It was as plain to him now as anything he saw around himself. He did not know when or how it had happened, he could not place the moment when the way he looked at her had changed, but it had. There was no use in denying it anymore. It had happened and he needed to deal with it. Setting about dishing the dinner out onto plates, Reno bit his lip. He did not know how to broach the subject with her. He had no expectation, and yet he could not ignore it. Perhaps he would just see how they were together now. He could not deny there was a new dynamic between them. They both needed to navigate this new relationship, and then he would see where things fell.

"Smells good, yo." Aura smiled when Reno carried two laden plates into her living room and set them upon her table. "Where did you get it?"

"What makes you think I didn't cook it?" He asked her, mock hurt on his face. Aura just raised an eyebrow at him. It wasn't that Reno couldn't cook, she knew that he could. But she also knew that he hadn't cooked this. "There's a new place not far from my apartment."

She nodded, leaning forward to better see what was on the plates he had set down. Reno went back into the kitchen and returned with two glasses and a bottle of wine. "Excellent." She watched him pour the burgundy liquid into the glasses and then pass one to her. Lifting it to her lips, Aura took a long drink before setting the glass back on the table. Reno's surprised gaze met hers although he said nothing. She gave him a small smile, not knowing what to tell him. She had never been anxious in Reno's presence, not in the years they had known one another. Yet, here she was, unable to calm her nerves.

"Aur…" Reno said softly, handing her a plate. "Maybe you should get some food in your stomach before you drink like that."

"Since when are you the voice of reason?" she asked, taking the plate he offered and picking up a fork.

"Since you downed two thirds of that glass in one go." He looked carefully at her and then shrugged, "Hey, no judgement, yo. It was a shit of a day."

Aura inclined her head in agreement. "I am glad that you were not hurt." She told him. "Seeing Elena like that… it might have been you." She watched him pick at his plate, nodding his head gently.

"It has been." He murmured, "But… that's the job."

"We… haven't really discussed it properly." She said, moving things around on her plate, "What you do. Now that I work for ShinRa too… maybe…"

"You don't need to know, Aur…" He replied, not meeting her gaze. She frowned.

"I'm not stupid…"

"I know that…"

"I know that you… kill… You're an assassin. I know what a Turk is…"

"Yes…"

Aura blinked, but pressed on. "The primary purpose… is to protect the President, right?"

"Yes… Aur… I don't…" Reno shook his head, setting his plate aside. Aura did the same, feeling the wine's heat begin to spread in her stomach.

"Tell me."

"I… couldn't handle it…" he told her softly, "the change in the way you would look at me… once you learned what I have done."

Aura moved closer to him on the couch. "Not this again." She breathed, reaching out to him. "I told you the day you killed Hugo Barron. I could never hate you, no matter what you did."

"But Aur, you don't know what I've done."

"You have done whatever you have had to."

Reno's fingers closed around Aura's wrist and her strange mako eyes met his own as she watched him. Reno went over what she had said in his mind, wanting to believe her.

"I dropped the plate on Sector Seven." The words were out of his mouth before he had made the decision to utter them. Aura's eyes widened and she sat a little straighter, staring at him.

"What…?"

He recoiled, trying to move away, but this time she had taken hold of his wrist and did not let him. "I…"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I… dropped… the…" he glanced quickly at her and then away. "It was me… I did it…"

"No…"

"Yes…"He steeled himself, ready for the disgust he would see in her face. When he lifted his eyes to look at her once more he saw nothing but shock however.

"Reno…" she breathed. He lowered his eyes. "All of those people…" She leaned toward the table, picked up her wineglass and drained it.

"I know." He closed his eyes, "I know…"

When she said nothing else, he knew what was coming. He did not expect her soft fingers to move up his arm to his elbow, pulling him to turn more fully toward her. "You have held this for so long…?"

"I thought…"

"You thought I'd hate you."

He just nodded. Aura shook her head. "Don't you?"

"Don't be stupid." She murmured, "I've told you I could never. You know that."

"You said that before you knew."

"Hasn't changed, yo."

Reno stared at her. "How?" he didn't understand how nothing could have changed. Aura had always been the most soft-hearted person he had known. How could this new knowledge of the scale of blood on his hands not have any impact on her view of him? She tilted her head, looking back at him. "Aur, how?"

"Because I know you, you stupid moron." She sighed and Reno's breath caught in his throat as she crawled across the space between them and into his lap. He stared into her eyes as she sat atop him, adjusting herself until she was comfortable. "You," she said softly, "are still the person who saved me in a dark street when you had no reason to get involved. You are still the one who made sure I was safe and fed and, for the most part, warm when we could manage it. You protected me, and made sure I had a home… even when ShinRa pulled you out of the gutter and you had no reason to look back…"

"I did have reason." He replied, but Aura pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"The sacrifices you have made for me never went unnoticed, Reno." Her hand was gentle against his cheek now, and Reno didn't know what to do. "I would do anything for you." She told him.

Sweet Shiva. He tried to keep his hands off her, but he couldn't. Before he could stop himself, Reno had wrapped his arms around Aura's waist, drawing her closer to himself. The small sound she made went straight to his cock and he bit back a small groan. He tried not to think about the fact that he could have her right here and now on her couch, and instead focused his eyes on her empty wineglass. The way she had downed its contents had no doubt had an impact upon her, and he would do nothing while she was so affected.

"Aur…" he murmured, meeting her eyes again. "I should go…"

"Should you?"

"Yes…"

She sighed and moved back, getting to her feet. "Kay… See you later, yo." Reno reluctantly got to his own feet and turned for the door. She followed him and had just reached for the handle when Reno's hand caught her wrist.

"Thank you." He breathed, looking down at her when she threw him a questioning glance. "For not hating me."

One of her gentle hands came to rest on his arm and she looked as if she were about to say something to him in reply, but Reno had raised one of his own hands to her cheek as he bent and pressed his lips to hers. Aura melted against him and before he had even realised what he was doing, her arms were around his neck. Somehow, he managed to gain control of himself and he placed both hands on her waist, moving her back. "I… I… really… should go." He managed, struggling to even his breathing out. "Aura… I… have to go."

She just watched him silently as he opened the door and turned to look at her again. He noted the flush in her cheeks and the way her eyes followed him as she stood as still as any statue. "I'll see you… tomorrow…" Reno then turned and forced himself to walk out the door and into the cool night air. Fuck.