Chapter 80

Aura let herself collapse down onto Reno's chest, her breath coming hard and fast as all energy drained from her. Her eyes closed as she listened to her heart thundering in her chest and, with her ear pressed to Reno's chest, she could hear his as well. After several moments Reno stirred slightly and then his arms came around her and Aura smiled gently.

"Aura…?" His voice was soft.

"Mmm…" Aura didn't move, but found his collarbone with her fingers, tracing it slowly, pleased to be able to touch him, but unable to make herself do anything more energetic just yet.

"You okay?"

"Mhmm…" her fingers continued to stroke him as she let out a deep breath, and Reno ran his hand up and down her back. "Yes…"

"That's good…" he slid his hand up into her hair and, when she tilted her head up to look at him, she found him smiling. "If I didn't know better, I'd think somebody taught you that…"

Aura blinked, wondering what that meant. "Really?" she murmured, "Why?"

Reno's hand came to her cheek, picking a lock of hair from where it was sticking to her and smoothing it back. "Because… you seemed to know what you were doing…"

"I…" Aura looked at him, hoping that he didn't really think that. "I just… wanted you." The moment the words were out of her mouth Reno grinned widely.

"Well, I'm glad you got what you wanted, yo." His hand moved down her back again. "You can have me any time you like…" his fingers began moving in circles across her skin and Aura felt herself smile. Reno took a deep breath and then added, "You really should wear that perfume every day."

"Should I?" she asked, her fingers still moving back and forth across his collarbone. "Being reminded of eighteen-year-old slum-rat-Aura make you hot does it?" The way Reno didn't quite meet her eyes gave her all the answer she needed and she pushed herself up to better see his face. "It does, doesn't it?"

"Well…"He sat up a little as Aura shifted off of him and lay instead beside him, "I… think it's more me realising that it's likely I always felt this way about you…" Aura stared at him, "and just didn't recognise it for what it was…"

"Reno…" Aura slid her hand into his, watching his face as he tried to work out what he was saying. "Even back then…?"

"Mm…" His eyes moved around the room, seemingly unable to settle on her. "Sorry…"

"For what?"

"You trusted me…" he said softly, "Back then, you trusted me…"

"I still do. You never did anything to jeopardise that…"

"But if I… I could have…" He broke off and Aura shook her head, squeezing his hand.

"Reno, everything you did was perfect." She told him, "I would be dead a hundred times over without you."

"I just… I was always trying to protect you and what if I had have been someone you needed protection from."

"Reno, that's ridiculous." She said flatly.

"Is it?"

"Yes…" she sat up and moved closer, sliding an arm around his shoulders and rubbing him softly. "I have never needed protection from you. You never did anything, whether you realised it or not, Reno…" She looked at him for a moment, "Even if you did feel that way back then, you never so much as hinted at it… Maybe it was a bit of that nobility you often pretend you don't have…"

Reno's eyes flicked up to meet hers. "I'm not noble."

Aura dipped her head to press a soft kiss to Reno's cheek. "That depends on who you ask, yo…" she smiled at him, "And if you're askin' me…"

Reno shook his head. "Not with what I've done…." He said, "And the fact that the thought of you back then makes me wanna…"

"…fuck me?" she asked. He nodded silently, not looking at her, and Aura trailed her fingers down his arm.

"It's fucked up."

"No…" Aura took his hand again, "It's not fucked up. Back then, when it was just the two of us… it was very intense. I still feel a lot of it when I think back on stuff that happened…" Reno nodded again, not saying anything and Aura let out a soft breath. She didn't think that it was fucked up. What she had told him was true. Everything had been intense back then. Their relationship had been extremely close, even if it hadn't been sexual. It made sense that thinking back on it would cause intense reactions and, with their changed relationship now, they had new ways of exploring those reactions and dealing with old emotions. "I think it seems perfectly normal…"

"You think?"

Aura nodded, "Yeah, yo."

"So… you're okay with it…?" He sounded hesitant and Aura pressed her lips to his cheek again.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she murmured. "Besides, eighteen-year-old slum-rat-Aura would definitely have fucked you."

"What?" he asked, "Seriously?"

She smiled at him, "Well, I mean… I would never have done anything… but if you had, I would have let you." Reno's eyes moved back and forth across her face, as if trying to read her, while shock was clear on his own face.

"I… I was fine as fuck." He eventually replied, and Aura laughed.

"Yeah, you were…" She grinned, "Strutting around in that jacket and those tight little pants…"

"Tight…" Reno blinked indignantly and she laughed again.

"Hey, it worked, yo…"

"Well, I'm glad you thought so."

"Mmm, I did." She smiled at him as he took one of her hands.

"Aur, I just don't want you to think that I had some sort of ulterior motive back then… that I was just trying to get into your pants or somethin'."

"Is that what you're worried about? I don't think that, Reno." She replied gently, "What we went through… everything you did for me… that goes well beyond that."

"Okay." Reno nodded, then the seriousness faded from his expression as he smiled crookedly at her, "Although maybe that's what I'm thinking after finding out that you liked my tight pants so much…"

"Oh, yes…" Aura trailed a fingertip up his arm. "Since the night we met in that alley, I have had no other goal than to get into those tight pants." She met his eyes and smirked, holding his gaze when Reno's hand lifted to tilt her chin up as he brought his lips to hers.

"Goal achieved." He murmured, and she could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Whatever will I do with my life now?" she asked and Reno settled back against the pillows again. Aura leaned against him, pleased when one of his arms snaked around her waist, holding her close.

"Right now? I think you just need to relax and get some rest…." He pulled her around until her back was pressed to his chest and she felt his lips on the back of her neck, "You did have a bit of a workout…"

Aura's eyes fluttered closed as she suddenly felt exhaustion flood her. "Yeah…" she murmured, "You liked it…"

"Sure did, yo." Reno's other arm went around her waist and Aura smiled, feeling herself fading. Reno's lips returned to the back of her neck and she gave a soft hum of appreciation. Feeling comfortable and warm and content, Aura allowed herself to slowly drift towards sleep.

"Are you certain?" Rufus Shinra was looking at Tseng, waiting for confirmation and Elena found herself flicking her gaze between the two of them.

"Yes, Sir." Tseng replied, "The source is reliable."

"Very well." Rufus said, leaning back in his chair, "You will send someone to attend."

"Me." Elena had spoken before thinking, and had to steel herself not to flinch when Tseng's dark eyes bored into her.

"No."

"Why not?" Rufus put in, and Elena's hopes soared. "Elena has proven herself effective…"

"She…" Tseng actually faltered for words, and Elena tried not to stare. "The last time…"

"They didn't make me." Elena said, "That night we attended that meeting or whatever it was meant to be. They didn't make me as a Turk…" They'd just drugged her because she was a woman and they were scum.

"You…" Tseng shook his head.

"I can blend in." Elena pushed. "Reno stands out, and so do you…" she looked him over. "Rude is huge and everyone notices him… but I can get by without even being noticed…"

"Elena…"

"I'm the best option and you know it." She watched Tseng blink. "… sir." She twisted her hands together in her lap, only now remembering that Rufus Shinra sat watching them and listening to everything and she had been more than a little insubordinate, which was very unlike her. Elena held her breath, her eyes on Tseng who was sitting very still although she could practically see his brain working quickly. What she had said was true, she was the least noticeable of them. The memory of someone yelling 'ShinRa Bitch' at her in the street before shooting her did come to the forefront of her mind, but she pushed it away as she kept her eyes on Tseng, waiting for his response.

"It's dangerous."

"I know…" she broke off at the look he gave her.

Tseng turned back to Rufus who gestured at them, "You will send someone to attend." He repeated what he'd said before. "And, as Elena has suggested, she is the least conspicuous."

"Sir, I…" Tseng caught himself when Rufus raised a hand.

"You will send Elena."

"Yes, Sir." Elena watched Tseng silently, wondering if anyone else noticed the tightness around his eyes and the small creases around his mouth, or if they only saw the emotionless mask he presented them. She was a little surprised when he opened his mouth again. "If we waited for Reno to return…"

"We don't have the time." Rufus cut him off, "Your source says it's tomorrow night, and if you think Reno is done fucking Aura by the beach…"

Elena couldn't help her jaw dropping at that. She saw Rude run a hand over his face out of the corner of her eye and Tseng's face went carefully neutral again. Rufus raised an eyebrow at Elena and she tried to work out what response he was wanting from her. "Uh…"

"You don't think that's what they're doing?"

"I… hadn't given much thought to it…" She murmured. "But I know they're not due back for days yet…"

"Days and days…" Rufus replied, "Good thing he's got stamina."

Elena's gaze flicked to Tseng for a moment, hoping that he would somehow help her. She had never seen Rufus act like this before, and she didn't know what she should be doing or what she should say.

"Sir…" Tseng began but Rufus held up a hand again.

"You'll send Elena tomorrow, and then I expect a report by morning."

Elena watched Tseng nod, and then get to his feet when they were evidently dismissed. She and rude then followed the darkhaired man out into the hall and back to their desks.

"I'll see you in the training room in ten minutes, Elena."

"Yes, Sir." She caught Rude's sympathetic look as Tseng strode from the room, and she set about tidying up her desk by way of procrastination. She was sure Tseng would be irritated that she had continued to argue against him, and she didn't know what he was going to do or say when she got up to the training room.

Eventually conceding that her desk was as tidy as it always was, Elena sighed and headed off to find out what Tseng wanted.