A/N: Read and Review, please.

Hurricane on the Horizon
A Realization

Reno was no one's fool. He knew that there were still things haunting Cloud when he took up with the kid. It was that common thread that bonded them. What kept the attraction was how each dealt with issues. Reno lifted Cloud while the blonde grounded him. But there was one person, one ghost that could and had been driving a wedge between them for as long as Reno could remember.

Zack Fair.

The bastard was dead but he was more alive in Cloud's thoughts and memories now more than ever. Reno could never hate the man, hell they were somewhat chummy when Zack was alive but he despised the spell the slain SOLDIER still wove around his lover.

Reno knew and dealt with the identity crisis and the guilt that Cloud felt over living while Zack and Aerith perished. He stood by him through all of that. What Reno could not and would not deal with was how Cloud had a stranglehold on keeping Zack's memory alive. It was one thing to remember a birthday or the anniversary of someone's death. You should remember and celebrate that but what Cloud did was just unhealthy.

In Reno's –their apartment Reno mentally correct himself- was a proverbial shrine to the fallen 1st Class SOLDIER. Cloud had tracked down and met up with Zack's old SOLDIER roommate, Kunsel, and retrieved a bunch of Zack's belongings. There in Cloud's closet, along with his clothes were Zack's 2nd Class and spare 1st Class uniforms. Pictures of the fallen hero were strewn about their apartment. Every which way Reno turned he was always face to face with HIM and what HE had with Cloud and what Reno could never get from Cloud.

It all came to a head one night about a month ago and at the worst possible time. Cloud and Reno were being frisky as usual but Cloud suggested that they shake things up a bit. In the midst of their love making, as Reno was bringing Cloud to a climax; instead of moaning his name, the blonde let out a feral groan calling for Zack or at least that's what Reno thought he heard. He wasn't sure so he didn't say anything.

A short time later, Cloud was curled up into Reno's side while the redhead was looking over his next mission dossier. He would be taking the rookie with him on this mission. It wouldn't be an easy one but Reno knew Yaz could handle it, hell Reno was the one that recruited him. While flipping through the documents, Reno listened intently to Cloud's light snoring. It was one of the secret pleasures he had in this relationship. Smiling down at his lover, he reached out and stroked the blonde spikes lovingly. That's when he heard the words that cut him deeper than Cloud's sword ever did.

"Zack," the blonde sighed. "Still love you. Always," Cloud mumbled as he turned into the caress.

It was no secret that Cloud talked in his sleep sometimes. Reno's sick sense of humor loved it actually, he would hold the most asinine conversations with the blonde but they were informative. It's how Reno found out that Cloud liked him a long time ago when they went on a mission together.

Licking his suddenly dry lips and trying to calm the knot that formed in his stomach Reno, in a low tone, asked a question. One that he prayed would be answered, and answered correctly.

"But, ya love Reno more, right?" Reno asked with a smirk.

Reno's heart thundered in his chest as he waited in the still of the night for a response. The silence was killing him but maybe it was for the best. Reno stared unfocused at the papers before him when he felt Cloud violently switch sleeping positions and huffed.

"No, 'snot Zack."

The Turk stared down at Cloud. Hot tears suddenly started spilling from his eyes. He always knew this, had a gut feeling about it, but as long as it was unspoken he guess it was good enough for him. Cloud did love him, he had no doubt about that but to hear that a dead man had more of Cloud's heart than he did was too much to handle.

As quietly and quickly as he could, Reno gathered up all of his documents and headed into the living room. He could not lay in that bed where Cloud was thinking about being with someone else. Getting back down to work, hoping that it would ease his mind, Reno decided he would kind of confront Cloud in the morning before he left, or at least make a veiled plea.

Groaning as his back popped back into position, Reno opened one bleary eye to look at the dimly lit living room. Reaching above his head, he grabbed his cell phone off the end table, knocking over a few picture frames in the process. He checked the time and saw that for once he was up early, and would definitely be on time. Reno grinned evilly, what a perfect way to scare Tseng. Show up at his place with coffee and donuts.

Evil master plan in mind to mess with his boss' head, Reno sat up quickly and bent over to pick up the frames he knocked over. Checking the first one to make sure it wasn't cracked he looked lovingly at the picture of him and Cloud taken at some formal event Rufus insisted they dress in tuxedos for. It was one of Reno's favorites and his phone's wallpaper. Still smiling at the memory of the event, Reno picked up the other frame and turned it over. His smile vanished in an instant. It was a picture of Cloud and Zack. Zack looking every part the hero in his 1st Class uniform and Cloud the cutie in the cadet uniform. Zack was standing behind Cloud, with his arms wrapped around the blonde's waist. The blush on Cloud's cheeks was endearing. Reno hardly ever got to see that blush for himself. Reno felt the beginning tendrils of jealousy wrapping around his heart, he tried to stop it but remembered what happened last night and why he slept on the couch. Letting that anger and jealousy over take him, he smashed the frame on the ground, causing the glass to shatter underneath.

Reno got up and walked into the bedroom to grab some fresh clothing before he entered the shower. The noise of the water being turned on woke Cloud from his restful slumber. Rolling over, he read the time on the clock, it was just barely after 6 am. Casting a bemused look towards the bathroom, Cloud got out of bed and padded over attempting to open the door. He frowned when the handle didn't turn. Reno never locked the bathroom door, ever. Chuckling to himself that this may be just a side effect from the Turk waking up a good two hours earlier than normal, he headed out into the hallway towards the half-bath to relieve himself.

Cloud walked into the living and saw Reno's laptop and paperwork strewn all over the coffee table, along with a pillow and thin blanket neatly piled on one of the seats. 'He slept in…here?' Cloud didn't let the thought stay too long once he noticed the item on the floor. Quickly closing the distance, Cloud reached for the frame and slowly turned it over. Biting his lip, he picked off pieces of broken glass, hoping none embedded itself into the picture. It was one of his favorite pictures of him and Zack. Stroking a finger lovingly down Zack's image, the blonde didn't hear Reno enter the room.

Shooting a dark glare to Cloud's back, Reno made his presence known, intentionally interrupting whatever it was Cloud was doing to that blasted picture.

"Mornin' yo," Reno muttered as he continued to towel dry his hair. He stood there; his bare feet peeking out from his black dress pants, no shirt on but the towel now tossed over one shoulder as his arms were akimbo.

"Reno, did you knock over this picture?"

Reno's head reeled. The blonde didn't say anything to him but asked about the damn picture. Falling back on his defensive mechanism, Reno let all of his sarcasm come out in his statement.

"Well let's see, there's only two of us living in this apartment, right?" he sneered.
"Just be a bit more careful, okay? These pictures mean a lot to me," Cloud sighed and he stood up and turned to look at Reno.
"I know," was the only thing the redhead said as he gave Cloud an unreadable look before retreating back to the bedroom to finish dressing.

A few minutes later and fully dressed with his messenger bag packed with his laptop, documents and EMR that was closed, Reno peeked into the kitchen where Cloud was enjoying his morning tea.

"Hey," Reno said with a slight sigh as he kissed Cloud on the forehead.
"Hi. I'm not used to you being up this early," Cloud said as he was slightly fidgeting in his seat. "Want some breakfast?"
"Nah. I'ma go pick up some coffee and donuts and head over to Tseng's."
"Okay."

Reno looked at the blonde for a moment as he weighed his next words.

"Cloud?"
"Hm?" he responded as he turned in his seat to look at the redhead.
"Whatcha think about redecorating?"
"Re…decorating…"
"Yeah," Reno said as he scratched the back of his head. Cloud stared at Reno, the action always reminded him of Zack. The two men always scratched the back of their head when they were nervous about something. Letting a ghost of a smile pass his features, Cloud encouraged Reno to continue.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Well, uhm. I was thinkin that, that is ah. Well it's like you have your stuff and I got my stuff but we don't really have our stuff," the redhead said as his hands animated the conversation.
"Our… stuff?"
"Yeah, like ok… most of this shit in here is mine and when you moved in yours just got added to it yanno but there's nothing that's ours that we chose together," Reno said hoping he was getting his point across as he picked up a glass replica of a Banora White Apple.
Frowning, Cloud plucked the knick-knack out of Reno's hands and gently placed it back in its place as he answered him, "I guess…"
"Cool. We'll talk about it later. I'ma head out to work yo. Love you," Reno said as he bent down to kiss Cloud goodbye.
"Love you too."
"Always?" Reno asked as he turned to walk out of the kitchen not waiting to hear the response.

Cloud heard the door close to the front entrance and closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Reno," he breathed as he got up from the breakfast table to clean up his dishes.