Chapter 41

Reno sat on his bed waiting. He'd stripped his suit off once he'd put a towel in the bathroom for Aura and sat now in his pyjama shorts. He listened to the shower, and sat straighter when he heard the water shut off. Watching the door to the bathroom, he tried to be patient. He had her back. She was in his home, and she was safe, and she was right through that door. She claimed that Cadan hadn't done what he'd said he had. The piece of shit had told him that they'd all had a turn on her, but she said that wasn't so. He believed her, but that didn't mean he didn't see the other marks. Even in the half-light, Reno had been able to make out the fingerprint shaped bruises around her throat, and the raw skin that told of something else being wrapped around her neck. He knew, from the condition her face was in, that she had been beaten, and he knew that Cadan was going to pay for it.

The bathroom door opened and Reno leaped to his feet as Aura walked out, pulling her long hair up into a messy bun atop her head. "Aur… do you feel better?" he asked. His shirt hit her about mid-thigh as she walked toward him, and Reno tried not to look.

"Yes." She murmured, wrapping her arms around him when she was close enough. Reno slid his own arms around her waist, loosening his hold when he heard her slight gasp of pain.

"Aur…?"

"It's fine." She replied, leaning into him. Reno held her silently for a few moments, trying not to move as he didn't want to hurt her.

"…Do you need a doctor?" he asked eventually. He'd only looked her over on areas he could see. He had no idea what else had been done to her. "I… I can call someone…"

"No." she whispered. "Nobody but you."

"I'm not a doctor."

"I don't need a doctor, yo." She said, "I'm just sore."

"I'm sorry…" he breathed, pressing his lips to her forehead, "I'm so sorry, Aur. I never should have gotten you involved in anything to do with ShinRa. I tried for years to keep you away from it all. I shouldn't have allowed it to slip…"

"It's not your fault." She said, and he closed his eyes when her hand moved up his back slowly. He felt her other hand move down over his chest "Reno…" he looked down to meet her eyes and both of her arms came around his neck again as she pulled herself to him. Reno's own hands went to her thighs, his fingers skimming the hem of the tshirt before he lifted her to himself, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Let's get some rest." He murmured and she nodded.

Reno carried her to his bed as she threaded her fingers into his hair and he could feel her looking intensely at him. "I didn't thank you." She said softly. He knew that she meant for getting her away from Cadan, so he shook his head.

"You don't need to." He crawled onto the mattress, still holding her. "I'll always come for you." Her fingers moved through his hair gently as he settled her down and pressed a soft kiss to her nose. "You know that."

"Yes." She breathed, "I do… I did… know…"

"Good." He stroked her hair. "Lay down… Let's rest." He lay beside her, a hand lightly touching her arm, afraid to touch her anywhere else. Shuddering as one of her hands moved down his side, Reno watched Aura try to shift closer. "Aur…" he breathed and she looked up at him.

"Reno…" She moved his hand slowly from her arm to her thigh, her green eyes still on his.

"Aura… You need to rest…" he whispered.

"I… need…" She slid a leg over him, "…you."

"Mmm…" Reno bit his lip, his blood heating in his veins. "You… You're hurt, Aur…"

"Yes…"

"I can't…hurt you more." He willed himself to take control. It took all of his willpower to keep himself from rolling her beneath him.

"You wouldn't." Her hand slid up his chest.

"I would." He couldn't help sliding his hand up her thigh. "I've hurt you just by touching you a dozen times already."

"It's okay." She breathed, and he shook his head.

"It's not." His hand stilled, "First thing we're doin' in the morning, yo…" he smiled wryly at her. "Taking you to get checked out."

"Reno…" she pressed her lips to his chest and he groaned. "That's tomorrow…"

"Aur… I…"

"You're not going to hurt me." She said, and Reno's protests died in his throat when she slid her leg further over him and lifted herself atop him. He draw a long breath, letting it out slowly when she pulled the shirt she wore up and over her head.

"Aura…" his fingers moved to the dark purple bruise across her stomach, stopping just before he touched her. He shook his head. "This is…"

She looked down at her own stomach and Reno saw her frown. "He did that to hurt me." She said, her voice low. "He thought we laughed about tricking him…"

"He'll never touch you again." He promised, his hands moving from her hips around to her back and he froze when he saw her wince. She tried to hide it, by smiling at him a moment later, but he didn't move again. Aura sighed and leaned forward, both her hands sliding up his chest, until her face was mere inches from his own. Reno lifted a hand to her bruised cheek. "You could have internal bleeding, Aura…" She lowered her eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze again.

"I'm not asking you for the most energetic record breaking performance you've got…" she breathed, her fingers sliding back into his hair, "I just… I need to… feel you…" She let out another sigh and lay against him, pressing her forehead to his shoulder. "You're safe, Reno. You feel safe. You smell like home… The feel of you… I just… I need that."

"I see." He whispered, moving his own hands carefully back to her waist. It wasn't about sex, it was about feeling secure. He could give her that. "Come here." He lifted his head slightly to meet her in a kiss, groaning as her fingers tugged gently at his hair. Lifting her carefully, Reno turned, tucking her in beside himself again. "You want to feel me?" he murmured.

"Yes."

"Alright…" He turned her and pulled her closer until the smooth skin of her back was flush against his chest and his arms were secure around her. "How's this?" he breathed. Aura nodded and he felt her relax back into him. Reno held her firmly, listening to her breathing and then matching his to hers. He pressed his lips to the back of her neck, smiling at the soft shudder he felt pass through her. "Feel better?" he whispered.

"Getting there." Her reply was so soft that Reno nearly missed it. "Reno…" He felt her hand come back around behind her, rubbing him gently through his pants. He groaned softly, closing his eyes and pressing his face into her hair.

"Mmm…" One of his own hands moved down between her thighs as he pressed his lips now to the side of her throat and then her shoulder. He was careful with his fingers, paying close attention to her reactions, ready to stop at any sign of pain. When Aura let out a soft gasp, Reno paused, trying to gauge if it had been a good gasp or a bad one. When she tilted her head back and pushed herself harder against him, he dragged his teeth gently across the soft skin of her shoulder, drawing another shudder from her.

"Reno…"She groaned his name and Reno licked the place on her shoulder he had just lightly bitten. "Reno…" He held her firmly against himself with one hand pressed against her ribs, the other still between her legs. Perhaps if he was slow and careful he wouldn't hurt her. He knew what she wanted and he wanted it too, he had since the moment he had gotten her through his door.

"Aura," he breathed, tugging the elastic of his pyjamas down enough to pull himself out. He then lifted her leg slightly to make it easier for himself to adjust before he carefully slid into her. "tell me if it hurts."

"Uh-huh…" she groaned, turning her head to kiss him. Reno met her in the kiss, holding her softly in place as he pushed carefully into her in slow deliberate strokes. He enjoyed the small whimpering moans she made into the kiss as he moved inside her, and he made sure to keep her still. Reno kept one hand pressed to her ribs, holding her firmly against himself as he held her leg with the other. The only movement he allowed was his hips as he pushed into her again and again.

"Is that alright?" he panted, breathless in her ear. She just nodded, and he pressed his lips to the back of her neck once more. Reno struggled to maintain his careful rhythm when Aura reached back over her shoulder to slide her hand into his hair, tightening her grip as she gasped again. He tried not to think about how close he had come to losing her, how easy it would have been for Cadan to kill her, to do anything to her, and Reno wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it. He had her back, and she was safe. He could hold her for as long as he wanted to, and until it sunk in that she was alright. Lifting her leg slightly higher, Reno pushed a little deeper, noting the hitch in Aura's breathing as he did so.

"I love you." He whispered, his lips brushing her ear. Her hand tightened in his hair once more and she nodded.

"I know, Reno." She breathed, her breath hitching again. "But I love you more."

"Doubtful," he replied, clenching his teeth with the effort to keep himself from rolling and pinning her beneath himself and fucking her until she screamed his name. Instead, her kept her where she was, every movement he made slow and careful as he took in every reaction she had to him. Still, the only movement he allowed between them was his hips as he shifted with each gentle push, and he kept himself in check. Closing his eyes, Reno drank in every sound Aura made as he continued what he had been doing until he realised that she had drifted to sleep.

Slowly then he pulled out of her, wrapped both of his arms carefully around her and held her against himself as he waited for morning and when he would be able to get her seen to by someone who would know exactly how to help her, and check for the proper extent of her injuries. Tomorrow.