Reno was walking along the roof of the Shinra building, a cigarette held loosely between his lips. Gareth was sitting in the helicopter Reno had always used during his lessons, spectral feet swinging idly as he waited for Reno to reach him.

When Reno finally reached the ghostly form of his ex-lover he paused, confused, "You're dead, am I dreaming?"

"I'm dead as a doornail." Gareth grinned, passing a intangible arm through Reno's cigarette, "You will be too if you keep smoking those."

Reno laughed and flicked the cigarette away, "You know I'm not worried about that yo."

Gareth stood up, his see through feet not touching the ground, "Listen red, this might be a dream for you, but I've got something to talk to you about and I don't exactly have a ton of time to do it."

"Why not?" Reno frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets moodily.

"'Cause I'm dead genius, I can only appear in your dreams and Rude's got plans to wake you up with a pillow to the face." Gareth laughed and put his hands on deceivingly solid looking hips.

"How do you know that?" Reno raised an eyebrow, head cocked to one side.

"Because I'm dead, I know these things." Gareth rolled his eyes, "Shut up and listen for a bit red. This is important!"

Reno sighed and sat cross-legged on the ground, "Fine, tell me whatcha gotta tell me."

"Okay, I wanna talk to you about us." Gareth sat down across from Reno, his form not touching the ground, "We had a fun run Reno, and I love you, but we weren't made for each other."

Reno scowled, "Thanks that makes me feel so much better about this ya asshole."

"I'm not finished so zip it!" Gareth growled with a smile, "Listen, you remember thad story I told you about my friend? The one who died?"

"Yeah." Reno remembered the incident clearly, the pain he had felt while he lay on the floor after over-exerting himself making the memory razor-sharp.

"Well we were made for each other." Gareth smiled, "We're soulmates. He was more than just my friend, even if we never did anything while we were alive. We're coming to realize that we've always loved each other now that we're together in the Lifestream, and I regret not figuring all this out sooner."

"Not to be rude but why is that important?" Reno pulled out another cigarette, growling as his dream lighter decided to run out of fluid.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Gareth gave Reno a good-natured smile as he reached out a spectral hand and flicked his thumb and forefinger like a lighter, a small ghost flame shooting up from the end. He lit Reno's cigarette with a smile before shaking his hand, putting out the fire.

Reno gaped in awe, "You have got to teach me how to do that!"

"You better not die so that you can come learn." Gareth warned, shaking his previously lit finger in Reno's direction.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Reno sniggered at his own joke, "I have a question before you keep talking."

"What's that?" Gareth raised an eyebrow, eager to continue his story as he sensed Rude picking the lock of Reno's room.

"Do you want me to avenge your death or anything? That's usually what ghosts ask for." Reno cleared his throat nervously as Gareth frowned at him.

"If it makes you feel better." Gareth shrugged, "Can I finish telling you what I came here to tell you now? Rude's picking your lock as we speak."

"Go ahead, he has to get through my deadbolt before he can reach me." Reno laughed, straining his ears to hear the tell-tale sounds of lock-picking.

Gareth smiled, "What I wanted to tell you was that you and Rude are soulmates."

"What?" Reno raised an eyebrow, confusion evident on his face, "But he's my best friend."

"Yeah, but you love him don't you?" Gareth gave a smug smile, "Don't be afraid to tell me. I'm dead it's not like I can go blabbing your secret."

"How do I know you're not popping up in his dreams too?" Reno frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Besides, I can't love him, he's my best friend."

"So how do you feel about him then?" Gareth smiled his smug smile as he surveyed the pouty and confused and very tangible red-head in front of him, a tangibility he was somewhat jealous of. Gareth wasn't too envious of Reno's life though, being dead certainly had its benefits. Reno chewed his lower lip, thinking hard. Gareth waited a few minutes, letting Reno get his thoughts together, before rushing him, "Haven't got all night Reno, Rude's going to get in here any minute."

Reno scowled at Gareth, "I don't know all right? I can't tell you how I feel about him! I don't have the words!"

Gareth grinned, spectral teeth pearly and see-through, "That's how love feels."

"How would you know ghost boy?" Reno growled, tossing his cigarette through Gareth's insubstantial torso, "You're probably just a figment of my imagination."

Gareth laughed, "Believe what you want, but think about what I said alright? Even figments know what's what." Gareth stood, hearing Rude finally start to click through the tumblers of the second lock on Reno's door. He reached into a ghostly pocket and began to fumble around, "Here's a little something to let you know this wasn't all a dream." He tossed a lump of metal into Reno's lap.

"What's this?" Reno raised an eyebrow at the black distorted lump of metal in his lap.

"My EMR, the one that should still be sitting at the bottom of that building burnt to a crisp like everything else. Believe me now?" Gareth sniggered and started to fade away.

Reno gaped, "So you're really Gareth?"

Gareth grinned as his already insubstantial body lost more substance, "And this is really a dream and you really need to think about what I said."

Reno got to his feet, a hand outstretched as he tried to make Gareth wait so he could ask him questions that were burning in his throat. Suddenly a white fluffy mass attacked his vision and roused him from his sleeping reverie.

Reno bolted upright with a loud cry. "Dammit Rude what the hell was that for!?"

Rude jumped backwards, the movement causing his injured leg to crumble out from beneath him. He fell to the floor, his laughter intermittently turning into pained gasps. He clutched his leg and managed to choke out, "Thought it would be funny."

Reno frowned and set his hands in his lap, "You alright?" Rude nodded, his face a mixture of pain and laughter. Reno shook his head, "Since when did you do silly stuff like this?"

"You're rubbing off on me." Rude grinned happily from the floor before pain marred his happy features, "You haven't done anything stupid or fun in a while and it's starting to freak me out, so I took matters into my own hands. I see why you do it now, it's hilarious."

Reno chuckled, "Don't go thinking you can take me job yo, I'm the prankster and that's all there is too it."

Rude pulled himself to his feet, "What were you dreaming about?"

Reno raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Rude shrugged, "You were saying my name."

"Must've known you were coming I guess." Reno shrugged back, the movement shifting a small weight on his blankets. Reno frowned and hid the object in his hands like it was evidence of a crime.

Rude didn't notice and shook his head with a smile, "I'm going back to bed now."

Reno nodded, hands still resting on the lump on his blankets. He waited for Rude to leave the room before uncovering it, eyes widening with shock and confusion. A few tears fell from his eyes as he looked at the lump of metal laying on top of his blankets, proof that his dream had been more real than he wanted to know. He looked at the ceiling and leaned back against his blankets, the disfigured weapon clutched tightly between his hands as he blinked away the tears, turning his thoughts down the alley Gareth had directed him towards.

Author's Note: Gareth has made another appearance! He's still dead, but he was in it! R&R.