Disclaimers: I do not own FFVII or any of the characters in this story.
Warning: Just my read through before post, so mistakes ahoy!
Setting: A couple of years after Advent children
Oh me oh my it has been years…..this chapter and many of the next have been in form for years, but well life it ran away with me one could say…sorry.
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 6- Somewhere between waking and sleeping
A storm was rolling over the hills and barren waste lands beyond the city limits, Reno could sense it. The air was unbearably hot and still, and Clouds apartment was slowly growing darker as the sky outside became grey with heavy clouds.
Reno looked over the back of the sofa on which he currently sat, his sight focused on the white door that the blond had slammed shut behind him, when he had rushed into the room beyond it in panic earlier. He had stood up to follow the other initially, but he knew when people needed to be left alone, and it had seemed very much like one of those times.
Standing up the red head wandered aimlessly over to a set of double doors that appeared to lead out onto a small balcony. Opening the doors and stepping outside he took in the surrounding area. It was a nice neighborhood, clean and quiet, the exact opposite to where he called home. He snickered to himself; home sweet home to him was gunshots, sirens and all the unsavory characters one could imagine. He found it comforting though in a strange way, this neighborhood was nice, but it lacked in personality, it was cold and lifeless. Reno needed noise, needed the buzz, and plus he fitted in to that world like a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle, albeit a small insignificant piece. That was his way of life, and now what would he do.
With that question rattling around in his head, he caught sight of the first flash of lightening far in the distance. Tingles ran through his skin, he was wide awake and full of a nervous energy that he could not explain. He needed to do something, to calm down and wear himself out.
Turning back into the flat he searched for something to do, without disturbing his kind host.
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'Pick up please…' Cloud leant against the not so sturdy desk that was nestled into a corner of his small office. His left hand held a phone receiver up to his ear, while his right tapped out an erratic rhythm on the paper work strewn over the desk.
His fortunes today had been unbalanced at best, but at this very moment they had taken a decidedly unwelcome plummet towards doom and despair.
Just as he was about to give in as the phone rang for the umpteenth time, the line on the other end clicked and connected.
'Hello Tifa speaking.'
The blonde nearly jumped out of his skin in relief, sending a nearby pot of pens flying of the desk and clattering to the floor. 'Tifa you answered, I was just about to hang up!' He let out a sigh of relief, almost collapsing into his swivel chair.
'Nice to speak to you to Cloud, I'm busy so I was hoping the person ringing would just give up.' She laughed, and waited to see what her long-time friend wanted.
Cloud paused, juggling around in his mind how it was best to ask Tifa for help, 'How busy?' but quickly decided the direct approach was probably the best.
'Why?' Tifa's asked, a curious tone sneaking into her voice.
'I need a favor' He took a deep breathe, and then launched straight into his explanation not giving Tifa a second to say anything.
'I have this job, this very important job, the kind of job I really can't mess up, and well I have kind messed up' He said a silent prayer and continued. 'I was supposed to pick up a parcel this evening, I've already been paid half up front to pick it up and deliver it and if I don't turn up to collect it tonight, well…' He stopped not quite sure what the consequences may be.
The client was not a regular, but he had called Cloud after a recommendation from one of Clouds biggest customers, the job was a going to be tough, but the pay more than compensated for that fact and that's what you got for transporting questionable goods for unsavory characters, plus it paid the rent.
Tifa finally spoke up again, confusion apparent in her voice. 'I don't understand Cloud, why can't you just go pick it up?'
'Urm well…please Tifa if you can just pick up the parcel for me, it's not far from yours, I'll be forever grateful.' He tried to escape giving an explanation, and resorted straight to begging.
'Why what's wrong with you, are you ill?' Confusion soon ebbed into concern.
'Not exactly' Cloud replied sheepishly.
'Not exactly? Wait are you hung over?' Concern turned to disbelieve, and before Cloud could even shape the word 'No' in his mouth, his friend continued, he sighed knowing that at least for the next few minutes he would struggle to get a word in edge ways.
'What, did you go out last night?'
'No, well yes, but I'm not..'
'Cloud, I don't believe you! You expect me to do your job because you got wasted last night, and now you're nursing a sore head.'
'Hey! If you'd let me finish I'm not hung over.' He spoke quickly, his voice edgy.
'But you were out last night?' Tifa asked the same question again, this time a bit more calmly, and Cloud took a deep breathe too before continuing.
'Kind of, it was late on, and…and…' he stopped before blurting out 'I just can't leave the flat at the moment.' He kicked himself mentally as soon as the words had left his mouth.
'Oh ho, I see! You spent the night with some floozy and now you expect me to be all understanding.' Tifa was back on the rampage again.
'No and anyway…' Cloud was interrupted as Tifa spoke again.
'I'll do it on one condition, you tell me who she is Cloud.' A devious laugh, Cloud felt he could practically see his dear, yet sometimes unbearable friend smirking like a mad woman on the other end of the line.
'Tifa!' Disbelieve.
'Oh come on Cloud, I'm only looking out for you.' That was a lie and Cloud knew it, well at least a half lie, Tifa may have been concerned, but it was more likely she wanted something to gossip about with Yuffie next time the young Ninja paid a visit to the city.
'Well I can't tell you, because I do not at present and never did have a girl round here.'
'Stars above…never did… dear me Cloud your sex life is in dire straits. Maybe I should introduce you to a few friends of mine.' Cloud could hear the cogs turning in Tifa's brain already, as she mentally sorted through which of her friends Cloud might go for. He wanted to laugh, she could never have been more wrong.
'Tifa, my sex life is just fine without your meddling, thank you very much, but your half right.'
'What you do want to meet some of my friends.' Her voice filled with gleeful joy, but Cloud soon changed that with what he said next.
'No, what I mean is I have got someone here, at the apartment, and I can't leave them at the moment, their…well…in a delicate condition.' Cloud finished, hoping that Tifa's questioning would now come to an end, oh how wrong he could have been, and if anything it got worse.
'Oh I knew it!' She practically screamed down the phone, causing the blond to grimace. 'Wait delicate condition? Cloud you beast, what did you do to the poor…'
'Tifa I told you…'
'Guy!' Another girlie squeal come scream. 'You had a man round at yours last night, and he's still there, you should have said, I mean we all had our suspicions that you were, well you know, batting for the other team, but ah Cloud that's brill..' Cloud couldn't keep up, who had their suspicions? Brill? It was all too much for his tired brain to take.
'I'm hanging up now'
'Wait, wait! You still want me to get that package for you don't you?' Tifa teased.
'Yesssss' Cloud switched right back into begging and pleading mode.
'Well I'll head out right now and get it for you.'
'Tifa you're a life saver.' Cloud was going to give Tifa the biggest hug in the world when he saw her, and Cloud did not hug people, well not often, or in public, did nothing for his image.
'And you can come and pick it up after closing.'
'That's great!'
'And you can bring along your new boyfriend.' Cloud nearly fell of his chair, oh why was their always a catch.
'But I…'
'Anyway must dash…'
'Tif..'
'Seeeeeyouuu later Loooverboy!' A giggle.
'Tifa…' But it was too late; the line had already gone dead.
Cloud slumped back in his chair, only to nearly have a heart attack as his phone rang shrilly; he scrambled to pick it up.
'Cloud all that hot man sex you've been partaking in must have messed with your brain; you never gave me any details on where to pick your parcel up.' Tifa's voice was still full of girly delight.
'Urm I urm…' Cloud shook his head, and searched though the scattered papers on his desk until he found the right one. No sooner had he relayed the relevant information to his friend had the line gone dead once again. He was given no chances to put her right on the whole 'how Cloud actually spent last night' matter.
Relaxing back into his chair once again, Cloud sat trying to figure out exactly what the hell had just happened. How had Tifa come up with such a crazy notion, but as he worked through his thoughts he felt a blush start to creep onto his face. Thinking about what she had suggested he and Reno had been doing the previous night caused any number of inappropriate images to float into his head. He quickly decided he better stop sitting around and find something else to occupy his mind, before he ended up having a slight problem.
Strangely enough, the only thing Cloud could think of doing now he had averted the small crisis of a missed job, was to check on Reno.
He had thought the red head would have followed him straight into the small office, but it had been nearly an hour and he had not seen, or heard anything that would alert him to the others presence in the apartment.
'Maybe he's left' He whispered to himself, a pang of something akin to disappointment crept into his mind, sending unwelcome shivers down his spine.
Gathering his thoughts Cloud walked out of his small and now untidy office, and into the seemingly empty and dark lounge area. He felt the pangs of disappointment creeping back over him, as he realized Reno had left and was probably now making his way back to where ever he called home in the worsening storm.
Deflated and slightly annoyed that the red head had gone without even saying bye, Cloud kicked out in frustration, only to find himself cursing as his foot hit the edge of the rooms solid wood coffee table, stubbing his toe. Limping, still muttering under his breathe, he located the light switch and flicked it on before he had anymore clumsy moments.
As the bulb flickered into life he had to put a hand over his mouth to muffle a shocked yelp. It appeared that Reno had not left after all and unnoticed before by Cloud in the dimly lit room, was actually curled up fast asleep on one end of the sofa.
On further inspection Cloud found that the Kitchen area had been fully cleaned, all evidence of the disastrous attempt at breakfast cleaned and cleared away, the place almost sparkled.
He smiled to himself, despite the throbbing pain in his foot and cast his gaze back to Reno, now quite unable to tear his eyes away from the scene. Reno was, dare he say 'cute' when he was sleeping. His face was relaxed; knees were pulled up to his chest, with his hands pillowing his head where red hair was gorgeously messed up and fluffy. It was the picture of peaceful innocence, two words Cloud had never expected to associate was the ex-turk.
Suppressing a yawn himself, he checked the clock on the wall, he had some time to spare now Tifa was helping him out, plus the poor quality of sleep he'd had the previous night meant he was feeling if not more than a little tired himself. Quietly he grabbed a blanket from his bedroom, and draped it other his sleeping companion and sat down himself on the opposite end of the sofa, pulling the trailing end of the fluffy cover over his legs and as soon as he closed his eyes sleep found him easily.
TBC
xxx
Right then my dears hope you enjoyed that, next update hopefully in months, maybe even weeks, but one promises not ahem ….years.
Review if you wish (how they make me smile with glee), but if not I do hope you enjoyed the read and thanks for taking the time to do so.
That is all for now,
Cheers
Miss Milly Jane