This chapter is so fluffy i nearly drowned! Serves me right for listening to the instrumental titanic love theme! Why is that even on my laptop? Aaaaanyway the big day is here! Reno's birthday! Hope you like :D

Disclaimer: ....well i think we all get it now but here we go... I don't own anything!

Reno woke up that morning to a hug from Axel and a whispered 'Happy Birthday'. He was surprised when Axel presented him with a small bar of chocolate. He must have saved the money Reno gave him to buy it.

"Sorry it's not wrapped and it's not a very good present." Axel said looking down. Reno smiled.

"Hey, this is an awesome present, know why?"

Axel looked up and shook his head.

"Cause you bought it for me yo."

Axel giggled.

"You sound like a bad movie!" he said as he laughed. Reno laughed too.

"Thanks! Anyway come on, school and then we're moving!"

When he got to school he was jumped on by his friends, all calling happy birthday. He got presents from them all and walked to class wearing a huge '18 today!' badge that Zack made him wear. The day was a blur of laughing and jokes. Reno felt as though he took take anything on and win.

The day went by so fast that pretty soon he was walking up the driveway to his 'home' with Axel in tow. He had left all his presents, the badge and their school things at Cloud's house.

"One last time buddy." He said as he raised a hand to open the door. Axel nodded nervously.

"Will she be real angry? That we're going?" he asked.

"I don't know." Reno said and he pushed open the door.

The hall was deserted.

"Go get your stuff, lock the door as you do it yo." Reno instructed him. He followed Axel up the stairs and went into his own room. He grabbed the bag he had left and took all the things he had gathered over the years into it. There wasn't much of it.

When he had finished he hurried around to Axel's room. The younger red head was just walking out, looking around cautiously.

"Okay let's get you outta here yo." Reno said, he took Axel's hand and pulled him downstairs and to the front door, keeping an eye out for their mother as he did. They reached the front door and Reno was starting to feel a little elated. Big mistake.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Reno's eyes widened and he felt Axel grip his hand tighter.

He swallowed.

"We're leaving." He said, turning to face her. She had a bottle in her hand and whatever it was must have been strong because she couldn't stand up very well.

"Leaving? You can't leave." She slurred.

"I can, I'm eighteen today, it's my birthday. And I'm taking Axel with me."

She laughed drunkenly and scornfully.

"Where the hell're you gonna go? No one'll have you!"

Reno stared at her with a detached expression. When had she gotten so small? The scary mother of his childhood had shrunk. Or had he simply got taller and stronger. He could see now that she was nothing. She couldn't hurt him anymore.

"Just because your life got screwed, why did you have to try screw ours too?" he said in a voice that was hoarse and sad. Despite all she had done, he still wanted to love her. She was his mother.

"My life was ruined because of you! It's your fault things turned out this way!" she yelled at him, pointing a finger at him threateningly. Axel moved closer to Reno with a look of terror on his face.

Reno shook his head and smiled sadly and disbelievingly. He had been scared of this woman for seventeen years? She wasn't scary, she was pathetic.

Reno laughed quietly.

"I can't…I can't believe I spent so much time being scared of you. Mum…" he looked at her incredulously and gave another 'ha' of laughter, shaking his head.

"S stop it! Stop laughing!" Their mother stammered, trying to sound threatening. But the effect of her voice was to make Reno laugh harder. He laughed until tears ran down his face. Then his voice caught in the back of his throat and he sobbed. He shook for a minute in silence then took a deep breath and looked up at her again.

She was looking angry and confused. She was still clutching the bottle in her hand.

"We're leaving mum. Maybe if you'd loved us… more than you loved the bottle, maybe then…" he paused. "No it doesn't matter, dwelling on maybes is ridiculous. Goodbye mum."

Reno pulled a trembling Axel to the door.

"Don't you dare…Don't. You. Dare walk out that door!" she was furious and desperate.

Reno took the handle and twisted, pushing the door open. Axel looked up at his brother. His expression was dead. No emotion save for the stray tears rolling down his cheeks. Their mother screamed at them.

Axel looked back, his eyes were blurring. He saw their mother pull her arm back, the one with the bottle in hand. Axel's eyes widened. His mouth opened to yell to Reno. He took a deep breath ready to scream.

And Reno slammed the door shut. They heard the bottle hit the door and smash. They heard her scream like a wild animal.

Reno gave a shaky sigh. He felt the dark weight that he had been living under become a little lighter. He looked down at Axel. And he smiled through his tears.

"We're okay, she can't hurt us anymore yo."

"No…she can't."

Reno pushed open Cloud's front door. The hall was dark, there was no one around. He dropped his bag by the stairs and Axel did the same, then they walked into the living room. Reno flicked the light switch.

"SURPRISE!!" His friends yelled. They popped streamers and the brightly coloured paper flew all over the room.

Reno was stunned. The whole room had been covered in balloons, paper-chains, confetti and sparkly things. There was a cake on the little table and his cards and presents were sat with it. He blinked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

"I think we surprised him a little too much!" Zack grinned.

"Axel!"

Axel's grin widened when he saw Roxas and Sora were here. He hurried over to his friends.

"Wha? You…?" he gave a weak 'ha'. "Guys I… thanks."

Rude stepped forward. He looked down at Reno's surprised face.

"I don't have a real present for you, I couldn't actually think of anything. But I thought…you might like this." And he leaned down and captured Reno's lips with his own.

Reno's eyes got wider. And then he found himself melting into the kiss he had been waiting for. When Rude made to pull away Reno moaned and took a step forward. He put a hand on Rude's neck and pulled him back until their bodies were pressed together. Rude wrapped his arms around Reno's slim waist, pulling the red head onto his tiptoes.

"Ew." Axel said simply, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Kissing is ew." Sora agreed. Roxas nodded.

Cloud laughed.

"Kissing isn't ew! You'll do it when you're older!" he told them

"Will not!" the three eleven year olds protested.

"You will, when you find someone as beautiful and clever and adorable and kind as my chocobo." Zack said as he pulled Cloud to him and kissed him.

"Oh no wait, there is no one as good as you." Zack amended and he kissed the tip of Cloud's nose while the blonde laughed at him.

"AHHH!! SEE!" Tifa squealed and she punched Leon's arm. Leon groaned and clutched his bruised limb." I told you it was more than friendship!!"

"Yeah, yeah you did." Leon said through clenched teeth.

Aerith gasped happily and put both hands to her mouth. She laughed and tears of joy ran down her face. Reno finally had someone who would truly love him.

When Reno and Rude finally pulled away from each other, they were panting and Reno was blushing slightly. Reno laughed as he leaned his forehead against Rude's, tears started in his eyes again.

"Looks like tonight is a night for tears yo." He said.

"You cry all you want baby, I'll still be here." Rude said tucking Reno's head beneath his chin and letting him cry onto his shoulder.

"You have…no idea how long I've waited… for someone to say that yo." Reno sobbed.

Tifa and Aerith nearly died on the spot at how sweet they were. They sighed simultaneously and Leon looked at them with one eyebrow raised.

"Can we have cake now?" Sora asked, breaking the moment with his usual tact and delicacy.

It had been a long night. Axel, Roxas and Sora had fallen asleep on the sofa together before the end of it. They had had to be carried upstairs by Reno, Cloud and Zack and then carefully put into their beds. Axel was, for the moment, on a mattress on the floor. Reno smiled as he tucked in his little brother. Axel looked peaceful when he slept. He had none of the tension and wariness.

Leon and the girls were sleeping on the sofa bed downstairs and Zack was going to share with Cloud.

Rude finished helping Cloud shift the table so they could get the bed out and then went upstairs to look for Reno. He found the red head lying on the bed in his room, fully clothed and fast asleep. He had his arm across his chest and his head was tilted to one side.

Rude smiled and walked in. He carefully led down beside him and stoked Reno's red hair from his face.

"It's been a long day for you huh?" he whispered. Reno murmured in his sleep. Then he frowned and gasped but didn't wake. Rude heard him whisper,

"No."

Rude gathered the red head to himself and hugged him tightly. Reno seemed to relax and fitted in Rude's arms like a jigsaw piece.

"It's okay, she won't hurt you anymore." Rude reassured him. Then he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.

Bleh the ending is.... oh well fluffy and sickly but i hoped you like it :D pleeeaaaase review :D