Chapter 30

It was several days later, when Elena was finally out of the hospital, that they all found themselves at 7th Heaven. Reno watched as, within ten minutes of being in the joint, Rude settled into his usual routine of watching Tifa from across the room with longing in his eyes.

"Just go talk to her, yo."

Rude simply grunted in reply, taking a sip of his drink. Reno shook his head, his gaze moving to Elena who made a face at him.

"Leave him alone," Aura put in lightly. "He knows what he's doing…"

"So do the rest of us," Reno replied, clapping Rude on the shoulder. "Nothing." He looked at Aura who gave him a disapproving look and he smiled widely, "He knows we're just teasin'," he told her, "If he suddenly decided he wanted to get up and go pull Tifa into that back room with him, he knows we'd guard the door for him too…" Reno regretted the words at the look on Aura's face, and he realised that she was probably remembering walking in on him with Zena.

"Well that sounded rapey…" Elena muttered.

"I should probably shut up." Reno said draining the last of his drink.

"Not something you hear every day…" The dryness in Tseng's voice nearly made Reno choke and he looked to his boss incredulously.

"The sass…" He remarked. Tseng just raised a dark eyebrow at him.

Reno looked up when Zena flounced over to their table, her hand on her hip. "Are you guys just going to sit here and talk or are you going to dance?"

"I don't know…"Elena replied, and Reno could see the resisted smile, "Am I allowed to dance or is that too… strenuous for me?" Zena's eyes turned serious, and Reno recognised the analytical gaze of the doctor as she looked Elena over for a moment.

"Maybe you should sit this one out…"

"Guess I'm not dancing then." Elena said slowly. Zena's eyes shifted to Tseng hopefully and Reno watched her face fall when his boss spoke up.

"Someone has to stay with Elena…"

"Rude can stay with Elena…" Zena protested.

"Rude is busy watching Miss Tifa…"

"Ugh…" Zena huffed and turned her eyes on Reno. He saw Aura sit straighter in her chair, but his friend remained silent.

"Hmm…" Reno kept his eyes on Aura, "I don't know…" Those Mako Green eyes flicked up to meet his and he watched her hesitate, obviously warring over something within herself. He smiled a moment later when she held a hand out to him.

"Dance with me?"

"You know I will, Aur." Reno leaped to his feet and seized Aura's hand, pulling her past Zena and onto the dancefloor.

He let the pounding beat of the music wash over him and when he reached a free space among the pulsing bodies, and turned, pulling Aura to himself, he was ready to move. Reno grinned at her when she wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him with a grin of her own.

"Glad you asked me to dance, Aur…"

"I wasn't going to let Zena get her hands on you again." She replied sweetly. Reno gave a low chuckle, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"That's not going to happen." He told her. "Not ever." He let his hand move gently down her back, enjoying the feel of Aura's dress against his skin. She nodded, meeting his eyes.

"Okay." One of her hands slid up the back of his neck and into his hair. Reno resisted the urge to kiss her and instead tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her closer and beginning to move them to the music. He enjoyed her delighted laugh as he lead her around, their movements exaggerated and spontaneous. He rather liked not having to try and hide how much he wanted to touch her, he liked the freedom he now had to hold her any way he wanted without Tseng looking the wrong way at him. He could have stayed that way all night, but after a while he noticed how flushed Aura's face was and supposed he really should allow her to get a drink.

"Come on…" he led her towards the bar and asked Tifa for some water. Watching as Aura leaned against the bar, her attention on the dancefloor they had just left Reno was reminded of when they used to go dancing in order to keep warm under the plate. Back then he never would have thought they would ever be where they were now. He allowed his hand to rest on her lower back, the simple act familiar and yet far more meaningful than it had been in the past. She looked up at him and smiled, her own hand landing on his arm. "Did you want to get some food?" he asked her.

"I have some at home I was going to make for dinner…"

He glanced at his watch and then back to her. "It's getting a little late, did you want to go?" He watched her eyes flick to his watch and then she met his eyes once more.

"Maybe…" she bit her lip, "Come with me?"

He nodded and she smiled, taking a sip of water before setting the glass back on the bar. "Okay, let's just tell the others that we're leaving." He said, craning to see over the crowd to their table. He made to head back that way, but Aura caught his hand and pulled him back.

"Or, we can just go…" she told him, nodding toward the door. "They won't notice anyway, yo."

"Yeah…" he let her pull him toward the door. Rude would work it out pretty quick anyway. He supposed Elena would as well.

Aura pushed open her front door, kicked off her shoes, and headed for the kitchen. "I just have to chuck some vegetables in the oven… it shouldn't take long." She said over her shoulder to Reno who followed her.

"Can I help?" he asked and she smiled, tossing a potato to him.

"You can cut." She replied.

Aura passed Reno what he needed and then set about selecting the herbs she would use before they tossed it all together and put the tray in the oven. When she had turned back to her friend it was to see him carry a bottle of wine into the living room with a pair of glasses. "Come sit with me." He called.

Following Reno into the living room, Aura dropped down beside him on the couch and turned the television on. Reno passed her a glass of wine and lifted one of her feet into his lap. Settling back against her cushion she watched as he carefully massaged her foot in his large hands. "Thank you…" she murmured, smiling when his gorgeous eyes flicked up to her face. He smiled back at her and Aura shifted her attention to the television, comfortable and happy to let Reno continue what he was doing while they waited for their dinner to cook.

When they had their plates before them, and Aura considered a piece of roast potato on the end of her fork she glanced at Reno to see him frowning lightly. "What is it?" she asked, "Is it the food?"

"No… no…" he murmured, looking at her, "The food is great, yo."

"Then what's on your mind…?" She watched him push some vegetables around his plate for a moment, twisting his fork in his long fingers.

"I never…" he paused, "You never… actually… told me what you thought…" he looked at her, his eyes wary "…knowing what I did. Sector Seven."

"Beyond you thinking that I would screw Rufus because you thought I wouldn't want you? For that?" she watched him blink in response, but he didn't say anything. "Reno… I understand doing things that you don't want to do because you have to." She looked back down at her plate. "I always have. Especially more recently." She shuddered as the unbidden image of Rufus Shinra thrusting into her body forced its way to the front of her mind. She put her half full plate aside, looking away, no longer hungry. Reno's hand was suddenly on her knee, drawing her attention back to him.

"I know…" he said softly, gently squeezing her knee "I just need to know… if it… changed…"

"No." she cut him off. "I said so the night you told me, and I'll tell you again. It changes nothing…" Suddenly Aura knew what he actually needed to hear, and the words came out more softly. "I still feel safe with you, Reno..."She watched relief wash through Reno and he let out a long sigh, his gaze falling to his hand on her knee. "I… I could ask you the same question." She breathed, and he frowned lightly, tilting his head as he looked back up at her.

"Did you murder thousands of people too?" he asked mildly.

"No… I mean… Rufus…" her gaze fluttered down to the cushion sitting between them.

"Aur…"

"You kissed me." She said quietly, her eyes still on the cushion and she found herself unable to look at him, her chest tightening. "The night before it happened. I think you may have been… may have felt something … new… for me… and then you looked so betrayed when he called you into his office and you saw…" she shook her head, raising her eyes to his face once again. "Did it change how you see me?"

"No." he said simply, his eyes earnest. "It changed nothing. You are exactly the same person you have always been, Aura."

"…that's not what I asked."

Reno nodded and set his own plate down on the coffee table before looking steadily at her. She just watched him, waiting to see what he was going to say. He shifted closer on the couch, moving the cushion out of his way, holding her gaze, and Aura's chest tightened again. "Aura…" he began, his voice a whisper, and she leaned toward him, not wanting to miss a word. Reno's eyes moved back and forth across her face as he evidently tried to read her, and then he lifted his hand from her knee to her cheek as he closed the remaining space between them, kissing her gently.

"Reno…" she murmured when he had released her.

There was an intense flare in Reno's eyes when she met his gaze. "I want you." He told her, his voice rough. She stared at him. "I… don't know for how long now, but I do." His hand found one of hers, "I want you, and I'm sorry for what Rufus did… but it hasn't changed that…"

Aura could barely swallow. She just stared at Reno, suddenly hot all over. "You…" she didn't know what to say. Her heart was thundering in her chest.

"Is… that okay?" the hesitation in his voice made her tighten her hold on his hand.

"Yes."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes…" a small laugh escaped her and Reno's eyes widened in surprise, "Yes… I've wanted to hear you say that…" she watched the wonder fill his eyes at that and Aura moved toward him, lifting herself into his lap. His hands moved to her waist as she settled over him, her eyes never leaving his face. "Tell me again…" She smiled widely at him.

His hands moved down her thighs as he gazed up at her. "I… want you." Aura bent, bringing her lips to his as her hands slid across his shoulders and up the back of his neck.

"You can have me." She told him, a little breathlessly when she had eventually broken the kiss. Unable to help a smile when Reno groaned at that, she threaded her fingers through his hair as she felt him harden beneath her. The look of awe on his face made her press a soft kiss to the tip of his nose. "Come…" she carefully got to her feet, taking one of hands in hers again. Reno got to his feet, his eyes never leaving her as Aura backed toward the hallway and her bedroom, drawing him with her.

She didn't think she had ever known Reno to be so quiet. She watched him for a moment, his eyes focused on her bed as they stood before the mattress. When he still didn't say anything Aura stepped in front of him, looking up at him. She lifted his hand, still in hers, and set it to her breast. That seemed to wake him up, and Aura watched as he blinked and his focus seemed to sharpen as he looked at her.

"Aur…"

"Have me." She was only half surprised at the brazen words she heard coming out of her own mouth, but this was Reno and she had never trusted anyone more.

"Aur…" his other hand moved to her waist and Aura stepped closer. She went up on her toes to kiss him, pleased when his arms came around her after only a few seconds. Leaning into him, she tugged at his belt until he moved to unfasten it before dropping it to the floor. A moment later his hands were on her dress and Aura helped him loosen it. Her breath quickened when Reno's quick fingers had dragged it from her shoulders before allowing it to slide down her body to pool at her feet. She stepped out of the dress and then Reno had lifted her to himself, his hands on her thighs, as he carried her toward the bed.