Summary: When Reno is off duty their is nothing more he like doing better than going out and having fun, but recently he's noticed something strange, someone's watching him, following him, someone who envies him. They don't realise though that Reno isn't exactly as carefree and happy as he appears and in the end it may be that they end up helping him instead of the other way round (confusing I Know but it will make sense eventually.)
Disclaimers: I do not own FFVII or any of the characters in this story.
Warning: In this chapter there is a little bad language, some extreme mood swings, some extreme confusion, some cheeky behaviour, and reference to abuse, drug and alcohol use.
This is the first fan fiction I have posted for a long long time and I have no proof reader so I will say sorry now for any mistakes. The characters personalities etc my seem a bit off, I have just based them around how I see them after playing the game and watching the movie etc. I will try to update quick, but I've just finished university, started work full time, while looking for a another job and its all so crazy. (Full so very sorry list at the end)
Setting: A couple of years after Advent children
Yet again, I apologize for how very very very long this story has taken me to update. I'm blaming it this time on trying to pass uni, full time jobs and moving house. And also this has been the hardest chapter to write, plus I wanted to update on Sunday but yesterday I was very ill, twas evil.
Yet again, thank you to the people that have reviewed and to anyone out there that has took time to read this story.
Anyway on with the show…..
Chapter 5- Sometimes I think I could…
Cloud moved around his small, but clean kitchen area making a very late breakfast. Its even to late for it to be called brunch, he thought as he started to make a fresh pot of strong black coffee. As he busied himself with the various culinary tasks, his mind wandered. He was feeling apprehensive and on edge, but somehow happy and bouncy at the same time. As he caught a whiff of the brewing coffee, he decided it was probably not a good plan for him to drink any, since he didn't want to add 'hyper' to the list.
Sighing he leaned against the countertop, his thoughts centred on the man who was currently taking a shower in his bathroom. The man that he was both infuriated and infatuated with. Those bright green eyes, that wicked smile, that infectiously annoying personality.
The blonde snapped quickly out of his musings when he remembered what state the said red head had been in last night, he had been needy, and to happy to do anything it seemed for a little companionship. To be fair Cloud was sure Reno's drink being spiked was to blame for the most of the strange behaviour, but it scared him to realise that a small part of what he had witnessed had just been Reno being Reno. This Reno was unfamiliar to Cloud, he was not brash and confident, he was lonely and submissive.
Cloud huffed, pulling an unpleasant face, which was only seen by the unseeing kitchen worktop, as his glare fell upon it. Yesterday morning when he had woken up, he only had to cope with infuriation and infatuation, but this morning when he'd been rudely awakened by a tumble of his sofa, after a very short, fitful sleep, he found that the two dreaded 'I's had been joined by there friends 'worry' and 'concern' . Sadly the cause of Clouds emotional turmoil, who was currently inhabiting his shower was feeling just as confused.
Reno closed his eyes as the warm water trickled in many paths down his tired body. Leaning against the shower wall he give a week sigh, even though he couldn't see them with his closed eyes, he could feel the bruises that scattered his body in a twisted random pattern. Marks he guessed he had gained from being grabbed, slapped and groped. He shuddered despite the hot water and opened his eyes, hoping to prevent memories remerging and playing as a private movie just for him inside his head. He could not work out which was bothering him the most, the fact that he'd let some total strangers abuse and toy with him, or that Cloud had seen it all, seen him be overcome and then broken down before him.
These thoughts were still running through his mind a little while later, when Reno found himself walking quietly out of Cloud's bedroom, his fingers nervously playing with a silver chain he wore on his right arm.
As he stepped into the large bright room beyond he relaxed a little, he could see Cloud working away in the kitchen area of the large open plan living space, but no one else. No sooner had he let out a sigh of relief though that he found himself quietly questioning. "But I thought he lived with Tifa?"
Even though the question had never meant to reach his ears Cloud heard him and gave him a short, simple answer.
"I used to, not anymore though."
Reno blinked, the others voice had not been happy, but neither had it betrayed any other emotion, it had just sounded dead. Reno kicked himself for his lack of control over his vocal cords. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry." The last thing he wanted to do was annoy Cloud, he just wanted to say thanks and goodbye and be out of there before any questions could be asked. Didn't he?
Cloud stopped searching through the cupboard he stood in front of and sighed "Don't worry." He quickly snapped out of his melancholy mood though and gave himself a mental slap, now was not the time to be moping over things that belonged in the past. Turning towards the other he offered a smile. "Do you want a coffee?" He asked, hoping his voice didn't sound to much like that of a pleading child.
Reno felt a twinge in his stomach as Cloud flashed that bright smile at him. He looked at the blond and then quickly at the apartment door, debating whether he should stay or go.
What you going to do if you go back Reno, crack open another bottle of Whisky to greet your latest hangover.
Frowning with displeasure he turned back to Cloud, who was still smiling that wonderful smile. He instantly saw which was the more pleasant of the two options and nodded at Cloud, offering a week smile of his own.
"Great!" Cloud said a little too enthusiastically, he could not help it though as he had been sure for a second back then that Reno was going make a run for it.
Berating himself for his lack of faith, he soon realised that his still sleepy looking guest was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, seemingly unsure what to say or do.
"Anyway take a seat, I'll just sort out that coffee." Cloud just like the unnervingly quiet red head found the need to kick himself for what was probably the tenth time that day, he sounded like a hyper five year old, and it had never taken him this long to make a coffee. He was just grabbing two mugs out of the cupboard when Reno spoke.
"Thank you, for last night, and well today." Cloud turned to the red head, not liking how cracked and pained his voice seemed, if it was possible he sounded worse now than he had earlier. "I'm sorry…" An uncertain, uncharacteristic pause, followed by a nervous laugh "Not the most enjoyable way to spend your night I bet, getting lumped with a drunken sad case, and having to baby-sit and listen to him ramble on like an idiot."
Cloud didn't reply immediately, but instead finally poured out the coffee and sat opposite Reno and placed the mugs in their respective places. He then slowly looked up, feeling a nervous tingle run down his spine the moment before he carefully caught the gaze of startling green eyes.
Reno found himself discovering that the 'oh so very cliché' idea of drowning within someone's eyes was actually possibly, and that the intense, albeit thoughtful blues eyes that had suddenly hypnotized him, had a great effect on calming his mind and making him forget all of his problems.
Cloud grinned subtlety to himself, although he did not like seeing this sadder, disheartened version of Reno, he decided the unguarded nature that companioned it was quite a nice development. "True there are better ways I could think of ending a night out, just don't do it again and you've got nothing to be sorry or thankful for." He watched as the other relaxed, then broke eye contact, he knew that Reno had seen more in his bright eyes than he had gathered from his words, that there were no hard feelings.
A small smile graced the red heads face, he then waited until Cloud had risen to his feet again, and had his back to him before he spoke.
"You do amaze me, for as long as we've known each other I've never really made life easy for you, but here you are treating me like a friend." Reno sighed as he finished, feeling uncharacteristically guilty for the way he had treated the blond in the past.
Cloud turned back to Reno, frying pan in one hand, egg in another, and a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well that's true I suppose…" He looked up towards the ceiling, unsure of what to say. Placing the items in his hands on the work top, before leaning against it, he tried to choose his words carefully, but before he could utter a syllable Reno found his voice again.
'When you found me in the club last night, I know I was rather out of it, its it hard for me to remember what I told you, if I told you anything at all that is.' The red head only left Cloud enough time to catch what he was saying before continuing, not wanting to hear what he had to say in reply just yet. 'I just want to let you know I don't usually let myself get in that state.' The little voice in Reno head decided to interrupt, taunting him about the lies he was telling Cloud. Don't usually get in that state, ha don't make me laugh, your still handing out lies and deception, just like a true Shinra lapdog.
Renoresisted the urge to batter himself other the head with the heaviest object insight, and instead carried on speaking 'It's just that some of the events that have occurred during the last week have shaken me up somewhat.'
Cloud thoughts at that moment were not far from Reno's own. He knew some of what Reno had just said had been a lie, Cloud had seen with his own eyes that the red head spent more and more time at various clubs, squandering away the late night and early morning hours by losing himself in a euphoric haze of alcohol and pounding music . Not that he could challenge what Reno had said, because as soon he decided to do so his big secret would be not so clandestine anymore, and he was not even sure he understood himself why he had all of sudden developed the need to follow the other around. He could not distinguish if it was jealously which had lead to such actions , or something more akin to desire, but what he did know was that if Reno discovered that Cloud had become his own personally stalker, he definitely would not even be able to start to explain any of it to the red head.
The colour from his face drained from just contemplating such a thing, and he quickly turned his thoughts back to the conversation Reno was trying to initiate, rather than focussing on the track that his own thoughts were racing down 'You did mention a few things last night but I could not tell if the drugs coursing through your system were affecting your actions.' Cloud thoughts moved on to memories of the early hours of that morning.
Reaching his flat with a sobbing Reno in his arms, Cloud found himself struggling to get the door unlocked, before he finally managed to make it inside his bedroom, and unburden his arms as he placed a distraught Reno upon the covers. He had then tried to exit the room again, in hopes off finding something to calm, or help Reno in some way, but before he had even taken one single step, he was pulled back by a hand that had slithered its way around his wrist.
'Don't leave me, please they'll come back, they all think, they think…' A broken whisper was the best way to describe the way the red head spoke. It was a haunting sound all by itself, but when his eyes were greeted by the sight trembling bruised lips, and bright green eyes full of terror, framed by eyelashes glistening with tears, Cloud felt his breath catch in his throat. He placed his own hand over Reno's, hoping to offer some comfort as he moved to sit on the edge of the squishy mattress.
'It doesn't matter now, those guys won't ever dream of touching you again.' He spoke soothingly, even though he was becoming lost in the memories of a few hours earlier. His hands were still caked in the dry blood, which had covered his fists, as they had smashed into the faces of the men who had took it upon themselves to take advantage of Reno.
Cloud was pulled from his thoughts of violent rapture as Reno sobs morphed into manically laughs.
'You think I'm bothered about those losers?' Cloud blinked in shock as Reno's hand moved from his wrist to the blonds face. With tears still pouring from his eyes, but a disturbing smile forming on his lips he leaned forward and whispered breathily right next to Clouds ear. 'They could have had me, done whatever they wanted to me, it wouldn't mean anything. I've always been up for a cheap, meaningless fuck all my life, but I don't like being abandoned.' After the harsh, self detrimental words left his mouth, he slumped forward onto Cloud's chest, a fresh round of sobs racking his body. 'They were all I had, and he tossed me out just like the trash I am, I can't ever go back now, they won't ever have me back.'
Cloud tried to keep up, but he was finding it hard when he could make little logically sense of what the man clinging to him was saying, so he did the only thing he could as Reno began to speak again, and wrapped the other man in his strong arms, trying to comfort him.
'Just don't leave me, they'll never take me back, but they won't let me live for long either. They'll come to find me soon enough, because I know to much. Just one bullet in the middle of my head, problem solved, I won't be able to use me pretty little mouth then, to tell there secrets.' Reno voice slowly became quieter as a drink and drug induced sleep beckoned to him. 'Just don't leave me.' He snuggled deeper into the warmth of Clouds embrace. 'Please don't leave me Cloud.' And with that final pleading request he drifted into a deep sleep, still clinging helplessly onto the man who still held him, a man who wondered what on earth he should do or think, a man who was questioning if the person who had just spoke those words was Reno at all.
Cloud snapped out of his musings, suddenly feeling the need to find something much stronger than coffee to drink, just to chase away the distressing memories. He reprimanded himself though for his selfish thoughts, if being on the receiving end of Reno's words had made him feel so terrible, then being the person with the reason to speak them in the first place must have been infinitely worse. 'You told me not to leave you, that they would come back for you, that they would kill you…' Cloud took a shuddering breath before he continued '…and you were not talking about the guys that attacked you last night.'
Reno eyes widened slightly in shock when he heard this, he really did detest the fact that he could not remember any of what had transpired while he was drunken and drugged up.
'I've always been up for a cheap, meaningless fuck all my life, but I don't like being abandoned.'
Reno nearly fell out of his chair in shock, as a disturbing memento from last night came back to him. What the, I said what to Cloud, oh please say I did not say that. He pleaded silently to anyone who might be listening in on his thoughts, but stopped as the rest of the conversation came flooding back to him with vengeance.
'…they all think, they think…You think I'm bothered …done whatever they wanted to me…able to use me pretty little mouth then…please don't leave me Cloud…'
The red head bit his bottom lip unconsciously, and looked awkwardly at Cloud. 'I feel I should explain some of what I said last night.'
Cloud had seen the realisation dawn on the others face as last nights events had come back to him, and did not wish to force Reno into talking about something so intense. 'Really its not necessary, not right now at least.' The other paid no attention to his words though.
'Well the shorter, less messy version of the story goes something like this- The other day I was on a job, and as a results of actions made by myself, events took place which have had serious consequences. Due to this Rufus had no choice but to suspend me, and well lets just say suspension in this case means expulsion from the Turks and Shinra for the rest of my sorry life.' Reno thought on reflection that when you put it like that it all sounding incredibly simple, to clean compared to the actual reality of the situation.
'So that's who you were talking about, the ones who…' He stopped momentarily as all the pieces fell into place, and Reno not wanting him to continue that question, began to speak himself.
'I'm sure I don't have to tell you why being thrown out of the Turks is worse than it first sounds.' He paused and took a sip of his coffee, jumping a little when the hot liquid burnt the roof of his mouth. Cloud took his momentary distraction as a invitation to voice his thoughts.
'Its not just like losing a job I guess, its…' Cloud ceased speaking once again, feeling it was not his place to finish what he had started to say.
'…like losing your whole life.' Reno spoke bitterly, his eyes downcast. 'When you're a Turk its hard to really make acquaintances. Lets face it, the only people I know outside Shinra, I know for the wrong reasons.' He sighed as he mentally ticked off all the people that would be so happy to hear that he was no longer a part of the Turks, he was basically a free and available target now, for anyone wanting to exact revenge for past 'misunderstandings' . He became so engrossed in tallying up the grim list in his head, that he had not noticed that Cloud had begun speaking again.
'Reno?' The blond soon realised that the man across the kitchen from him had not heard a word he had said.
'Uh what…' Reno looked at Cloud slightly dazed, quite clearly partially still in his own little world. The blond just subtlety shook his head and continued.
'I said, so which group do I come under?' He was less interested in the answer to that question now though, and more intrigued in finding out what Reno was so deeply contemplating. Said red head quickly wondered to himself where Cloud did fit into the little equation he was formulating. So far it read,
Survival Rate
number of people who do not want to kill me - number of people who do want to kill me
Reno grimaced, it did not bode well that his survival rate came out as a negative figure. 'Well,' He started, focusing his attention on Cloud. ' I suppose I kind of know you through Shinra, but then again we weren't ever really work buddies.' He gave Cloud a sickly sweet, but week smile. 'So that means the question is, do you want to kill me, or are you quite happy with me being alive?'
'What?!' Cloud blinked taken aback by the ludicrous question, especially after what had been said last night, but Reno continued with his twisted train of thought.
'Then again if you wanted to kill me, you'd have done it by now.' The red head was even shocking himself, it seemed whatever had been slipped into his drink last night had screwed with whatever part of his brain processed logical thought. 'Unless of course your working for some shady character who has a vendetta against myself or Shinra, and your only being all nice to me just so you can serve me up to them on a silver platter.' he mulled other the idea for a moment, and then cracked his first genuine smile in days. 'Nah, your to nice and hero like to something so sneaky and cunning.'
Cloud nearly crushed the egg he had just picked up. 'Hey! I'm not all angelic, I have my dark side.' He turned back to the stove, decidedly sulking.
Reno laughed to himself, happily replacing his thoughts of being disowned by Shinra by making fun of Cloud. 'No, not angelic, saintly maybe.'
Cloud huffed, and pretended to ignore him, but could not help the annoyed mutter that escaped his lips. 'What would you know.'
Reno did not miss the mumbled words though. 'Well prove me wrong, show me this dark side of yours.' He said with a hint of mirth, his eyes twinkling deviously.
The blonde turned towards him, wooden spoon in one hand, egg in the other. 'Well, there was that one time…' Reno stopped him, shaking his head.
'If its anything to do with Sephiroth, it doesn't count, since you were being controlled.' He pointed out, then with what Cloud thought was an unnervingly innocence smile upon his face continued. 'Unless of course, its something you and Mr Silver haired crazy of the century got up to in private, before he was overcome by previously mentioned madness, if you know what I mean.' Reno barley had time to smile and wink at the now red faced blond, before an egg was thrown directly at his face. He ducked just in time, wincing as he heard the egg smash, crack, and slide down the wall behind him.
'Hey wait, it was a joke.' Reno dared to peer up slightly, from where he cowered beneath his arms. 'Everyone knows really that your…' The red head stopped speechless, for one Cloud was not coming towards him, brandishing a kitchen knife with a murderous glint in his eyes as he had expected. He failed to even look angry. 'What are you smiling at?' Reno wondered if he had finally caused the ex-soldier to have a nervous breakdown.
'I suppose its just nice to see you acting more like your normal self.' Cloud explained, before frowning to himself. He'd all of a sudden had a very bad feeling that he had forgotten something important, but Reno interrupted his thoughts as he spoke again.
'Urm Cloud, is something burning?'
The red head couldn't help but laugh as the colour drained from the others face. That was until the blonde whirled around, knocked the handle of the frying pan, which as a result went flying across the room, narrowly missing Reno, who was glad for the second time that day that he had quick reactions, as he ducked but not before letting out a high pitched yelp, which caused Cloud to jump in shock, reach out to grab something for support, only to put his hand on the hot stove behind him, then yelp even louder than Reno just had, and fall unceremoniously into the chairs opposite the red head with almighty crash.
888
Twenty minutes or so later found Cloud sat on his sofa, grimacing in pain, as Reno wrapped a freshly soaked, icy cold towel around his throbbing burnt hand. 'Ouch!' Cloud whimpered out again, he had done so, so many times that Reno had lost count.
'Oh hush you big baby' He chided Cloud, as he swatted away his un-burnt hand as it reached over to interfere in what the red head was doing.
'Well you could try and be more gentle.' He sulked, wincing as the painful stinging rushed through his hand again.
'Oh come on are you telling me the medics in Solider were gentle, and anyway I am being gentle.' As if to prove a point, he took great care in resting Clouds hand in his lap, making sure none of the burnt area rubbed against anything, as he reached down to retrieve some burn salve from the first aid box by his feet.
Cloud all of a sudden feeling rather childish refused to give up and smirked at Reno as he sat back up, tube of burn salve in one hand. ' If this is you being gentle, it really leaves me wondering what your like when your treating somebody roughly.' Cloud knew as soon as he finished what he was saying that he should have kept his mouth shut. Reno's eyes had taken on a devious glint, and his smile was almost malicious.
'I'll have you know many people have informed me how they love how gentle I can be..' He slowly crept more onto the sofa, making a beeline for Cloud '…but even more people have told me how they love it even more when I'm anything but gentle.' He practically purred out as he placed a hand on either one of Clouds thighs. Leaning forward till their noises were just millimetres apart Reno grinned wickedly at Cloud who was staring at him with nervous wide eyes. 'If your so curious I'm very willing to give you a demonstration of how rough I can be.' Just as Cloud thought something truly unexpected was going to happen, he found himself crying out in immense pain, as some part of Reno's body, he could not even being to figure out which, came into contact with his burnt hand.
Reno tumbled back off Cloud and the sofa in shock. Recovering, he picked him self up off the floor to see the other clutching his burnt hand in anguish. 'Oh shit.' He leapt into action grabbing the previously forgotten towel, dashing out of the lounge area he came rushing back in a few minutes and proceeded to kneel at Clouds feet. Gently but quickly grabbing the injured hand, he wrapped it in the newly soaked cold towel once again, and listened as Cloud let out a bizarre noise, created by a mix of pain and relief, Reno took it as a good sign and sheepishly looked up at him. 'I'm sorry, I guess I got a little carried away.' He then removed the damp towel, dried Clouds hand carefully and began to massage some of the salve into it.
Cloud did not reply straight away, but first let out a content little sigh, as the salve and Reno's slender fingers worked some of the pain and tension out of his hand. 'Its fine really, I shouldn't have taunted you in the first place.' He finished speaking and let out another happy little moan. Reno smile and stood up, to which Cloud hummed in disappointed as the soothing sensation left his hand, fair enough the salve was still working it magic, but Reno fingers rubbing it in had felt good.
'Scoot forward a little Cloud.' Reno asked, and Cloud still lost in thoughts obeyed without question, he did tense up somewhat though as he felt Reno slide onto the sofa and sit behind him.
'Reno wh…' Cloud was halted in his questioning as Reno silenced him.
'Shush Cloud, just relax.' Reno placed his hands on the others shoulders, and began to run his hands across them. 'I feel I should repay you for the kindness you showed me last night, and also make it up to you for causing a few problems today.' He continued to massage Clouds shoulders, working on the tense knots he found within the well defined muscle that lay beneath the thin layer of fabric that formed clouds t-shirt. 'And plus you also seem like such a tense guy most of the time, so this seemed like an appropriate thank you gift, plus I've been told I'm quite talented with my hands.' He said happily progressing to work his hands over Clouds back.
Cloud, not yet feeling anymore relaxed was just about to tell Reno this was not necessary when the red heads hands found a certain spot, and Cloud found himself unable to bite back a loud moan that escape his lips. Reno laughed quietly. 'See, I am good.' He said self assuredly.
'Don't you ever just relax Cloud, you know just ever take a few days off and get away from it all?' It was genuine curiosity that caused Reno to ask the man who was now basically purring beneath his fingertips the question, he had never really seen Cloud just kick back and, well act like a normal, healthy twenty something. To Reno, who took much pleasure in kicking back and partying, this realisation was just little a unsettling.
He waited a little while but the blond did not answer, he even wondered if the other had been lulled into a sweet sleep by his massaging hands. 'Some days I just wake up with the thought of leaving at the forefront of my mind. I have spent to much time in this city. I know too many faces, faces that I wish I'd never clapped eyes on in the first place, and to add insult to injury there are people that follow and track my movements that I don't even recall ever being acquainted with in the first place, yet they seem to know me, sometimes better than I know myself.' He finished with a bitter laugh, which caught Clouds attention, only enough to allow him to think up, and drawl out a simple statement in response. 'Yet you're still here.' This caused the red head to halt his actions, and when Cloud turned towards him he was greeted with a confused, ponderous expression.
'Well I suppose I did not leave because I could not leave, you know since Shinra don't really offer a sparkling sickness and holiday plan to their employers.' Another bitter laugh, another over the top smile. 'Now I think about it though I don't have a clue where I would go, what I would do. I suppose I thought I'd be in Shinra till my dying days, since its rare a Turk ever even makes it to retirement age, one of the oh so joyful perks of the jobs.' Cloud nodded in agreement, and then thought about his own job.
It was a far cry from Reno's, he would just leave the city without a word and drive across barren wastes, and lush green fields, not a care in the world. The only thing he had to worry about was making sure he delivered whatever he had been entrusted with in time, and recently he had not run into all that much trouble on the road. It was strangely peaceful, simple life, and in all honestly Cloud was beginning to tire of it. Maybe that was why he was becoming so enamoured with Reno, he was the embodiment of excitement and exhilaration itself, or at least that is what Cloud had thought until last night.
The blond organised when it came his work, he could recall all the jobs he had planned for the next two weeks, his next job would take him out of the city for quite a few days, and it was imperative that he made it to his destination on time. He decided all these mundane thoughts of work were unnecessary, and began to wonder when Reno might decide to continue to massage he back again. 'Its not like I have to leave to leave till Wednesday anyway.' Instead of making Cloud relax though, this thought caused him to jump to his feet.
Reno who had been watching the Blond in a tranquil daze was taken back, shocked out of his state. 'Cloud what's wrong?' He asked in concern as he watched the colour drain from the others face.
'Its Wednesday.' Was the only answer Reno got, as Cloud raced from the room, leaving him sitting on the sofa staring at where the other had disappeared to in wonder, before he got up and decided to follow, his curious side taking over.
TBC (I have not had time to check how has changed my formatting, so sorry if its gone a bit strange...)
Ah yes, TBC sooner than this chapter was. My sincerest apologies for this chapter taking so long for me to write and update, but basically I was failing my degree and all my efforts had to be driven into passing. I did pass though, I got a 2.2, which may be not good enough for some, but for me that is great, and more importantly I got a 1st for my dissertation (the big big essay) so wahoo.
Anyway enough about that and onto the story. Well this chapter was the big talkie talkie one, and I think it is the longest chapter so far, and maybe to you the most boring (but I kind of enjoyed writing it, and re-reading- one will take this time to say sorry for any errors, but I do not always spot them). I had Reno being a very naughty boy near the end, which was fun to write, but also writing a Clouds flashbacks, and long bits of conversation between the two was also nice to come up with.
I know Reno's behaviour seems to jump from happy, depressed, manic such and such, but he's having a hard time off it at the moment, and that's just the way his thoughts and actions are going.
So anyway thank you very much for reading and reviewing, and cheers for sticking with me and this story.
Special thanks goes to- oruchuban Ebichu, Ithilian, Sabith, lacyrelic, and Toolittletoolate for reviewing the last chapter, your reviews made me even more determined to get out of my writers block black hole, so thank you again
I've realised getting to this chapter that it has marked just the beginning, (and I think that is why it has taken me so long to write, I wanted to get it right, so the relationship and story could grow well from this point) so I think this may go on for a while, and that means quite a few more chapters. In between working and other commitments I shall try my best to get the next chapter out quick. There is one hell of a journey to come, and this is just the beginning, it may take me a year or two more, but I'll complete it don't you worry hehe.
As always feel free to read and review!
Love and hugs,
Emily