Naril: uhm... hi? I'm... back... *silence*
Reno: You were saying something?
Naril: I... I'M SO SORRY! It took me ages to get back to this! I can't begin to tell you what has been happening in my life, but you probably don't really care other than... finally there is a new chapter. If anyone is still interested in me continuing this story, let me know and I will be happy to post some more?
*more silence*
Reno: *facepalm* She owns nothing by the way.
Chapter 3 - Nighttrain
Loaded like a freight train
Flyin' like an aeroplane
Feelin' like a space brain
One more time tonight
Well I'm a west coast struttin'
One bad mother
Got a rattlesnake suitcase
Under my arm
Said I'm a mean machine
Been drinkin' gasoline
And honey you can make my motor hum
Well I got one chance left
In a nine live cat
I got a dog eat dog sly smile
I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go
I smoke my cigarette with style
An I can tell you honey
You can make my money tonight
Wake up late honey put on your clothes
Take your credit card to the liquor store
That's one for you and two for me by tonight
I'll be loaded like a freight train
Flyin' like an aeroplane
Feelin' like a space brain
One more time tonight
I'm on the nightrain
Bottoms up
I'm on the nightrain
Fill my cup I'm on the nightrain
Ready to crash and burn
I never learn
I'm on the nightrain
I love that stuff
I'm on the nightrain
I can never get enough
I'm on the nightrain
Never to return - no
Loaded like a freight train
Flyin' like an aeroplane
Speedin' like a space brain
One more time tonight
I'm on the nightrain
And I'm lookin' for some
I'm on the nightrain
So's I can leave this slum
I'm on the nightrain
And I'm ready to crash an' burn
Nightrain
Bottoms up
I'm on the nightrain
Fill my cup
I'm on the nightrain
Whoa yeah
I'm on the nightrain
Love that stuff
I'm on the nightrain
And I can never get enough
Ridin' the nightrain
I guess I I guess, I guess, I guess
I never learn
On the nightrain
Float me home
Ooh I'm on the nightrain
Ridin' the nightrain
Never to return
Nightrain
Guns N' Roses
He was on his last cigarette. The damn bar was about to close and he was on his last cigarette.
The redhead dragged a frustrated hand through his shaggy bangs and took another drag. His hands were clean. There was no sign of the blood he had spilt today. There never was.
Mildly interested he glanced up as someone sat down on the barstool next to him. He rolled his eyes as he recognised the short blonde hair and the navy-suit. Just what he needed.
"Rosalind, what are you doing here, yo?" He muttered, reaching for his fifth glass which was already half-empty. Frowning a little, he contemplated the drink for a while. Half-empty, what did that say about him?
"Veld thought I should make sure you don't drink yourself stupid before we go on this mission tomorrow." She told him, looking none too pleased about that arrangement. They both knew they would be able to rely on each other during their missions, but that did not mean they had to get on well.
"Too late... but maybe you can get me some more?" Reno sniggered and lifted his cigarette to his lips again. She was staring at him with accusing brown eyes and in that moment he hated her.
"How can you not take this seriously?" The female Turk wondered incredulously as she watched her younger colleague balance the cancer-stick in one hand and gesture for a refill with the other.
The redhead hung his head. He did not want to talk to her; not now. Maybe he could do this tomorrow, but not now. Let her think he was not taking things seriously. Let them all think he cared about nothing. It was better that way.
"Are you even listening to me?" Her voice cut through his clouded thoughts and he grew even more irritated. He had drunk for a solid three hours to get to this stage. She managed to ruin it within seconds.
"What d'you want, Blondie?" He faced her, eyes as glassy as they were, still livid. "I've never fucked up on a mission. I do my damn job. So if I wanna drink my ass stupid at night, is that your business?"
"I…Reno!" Hurt shot through her deer-like eyes, but he could not find it in himself to feel sorry. She would forgive him in the morning. After all, he was drunk, he had an excuse.
"Look, you don't wanna be here, you're just here 'cause Veld wants you to be here and I don't want you to be here… So why are you here?" He tried to snarl, but left himself confused at what he was actally trying to say. With an annoyed grunt he turned to his new drink and downed it in one swift swallow.
"Just lemme have my fun tonight." He slurred and stared at the empty glass again. It was not enough; it never was. He knew sooner or later he would need something stronger, but he had promised not to.
Beside him his fellow-Turk got up and left alone, he started to fiddle with his PHS in his pocket. He still had the number from his gang-times, perhaps he had known he might need it again. Maybe he should give it a go. Just once could not hurt.
"If I ever see that guy again..." Reno grumbled under his breath as he supported the ninja who tottered on, despite most of her weight being carried by her bodyguard. He snorted. He felt more like a Nanny at the moment. This was what he got for resorting to an old habit. At least it kept him from doing something stupid
She had insisted that she could walk and for the amount of GHB in her system he had to admit he was surprised she was still awake at all. That did not make this any easier.
"Godo'll kill me…" She mumbled slurredly and the former Turk got the bad feeling she was not just a stubborn, but also a chatty drunk.
"Shut up, brat, he won't find out." He told her, tightening his grip as she started to slip from where he held her.
"Oh, he will!" The intoxicated ninja exclaimed, "A-and then… he'll keep me 'live long 'nough t'get my DNA so tha' he can c-clone an heir to the thro- throne…'nd theeeen he'll kill me!"
The redhead resisted the temptation to run his palm over his face only because then he would have dropped the girl and effectively lengthened the way back.
When they did make it back to the house, he sent a silent prayer of thanks to any deity there might be and placed her rather unceremoniously against the wall next to the door. He noted with little interest that she slid down to land on the ground with a soft thump while he tried to find the key.
"'s no' locked." A slur had him pause.
"What?"
"I didn' lock i' when I lef'." The ninja muttered, head lolling a little to the side, eyes closed.
Reno took the time to roll his eyes, before pushing down the handle. Sure enough it opened without a problem. Great, he thought. This meant he would have to search the house again since anyone could have gotten in here and planted a bomb or bugs.
When he turned back to Yuffie, she was trying to get to her wobbly feet without much success. "Turkey?...why d'I have go-goey legs?" She asked after plopping back down onto her bottom.
-"'Cause you're an idiot!"
He decided that simply throwing her over his shoulder was not an option, considering her motion-sickness. It would only mean his shirt would suffer. So, he reluctantly reached around her back and the back of her knees, to carry her up the stairs.
Her energy must have begun to wear off, since she simply let him and went limp like a bag of potatoes in his grasp. It did not really worry him, knowing how these kinds of drugs worked.
So he was surprised when she stared at him as they reached the landing. He tried to ignore it, but it did not really work.
"You're no fun, Turkey. Why are you no fun?" She then mumbled into his shoulder. Again he tuned it out, concentrating on getting her to bed sooner rather than later.
"You used t'be fun…wha' happened?" Her voice was quiet.
-"Stopped taking drugs." He muttered, doubting that she would hear it and not without a slight twinge to his insides.
He sat her down on her bed, watching her collapse almost instantly onto her side without support.
For a second he stood there, trying to make up his mind whether he should do the right thing and watch her just in case, or simply go to bed and get some sleep himself.
"T-Turkey?" She took the decision from him, "I don' feel so good…" Her body gave a little twitch and choke that he recognised all too well.
"Oh, hell no!" He grabbed her as fast as he could and hastily placed her down next to the toilet in the bathroom before she could decide to empty her stomach on him. Really, he should have thought of that earlier.
It was not a moment too late, because she immediately started to heave into the toilet bowl. Reno stood watching for a moment, too caught up in a memory of a similar situation to be any help as she threw up what was left of the drug she had taken.
When her head fell to rest on the toilet-seat, he came back into action. He realised he had to keep her awake a little longer. At least until he was sure that she would not choke on her own spit. He knew that the drugs usually just had to be slept off. Not that she was really awake at the moment.
Before he could take the few steps to her side though, she jerked forward again and seemed to choke out her entire stomach. He knelt down next to her and tried very hard to ignore the smell wafting towards him. Just like he remembered her doing, he put his hand onto her back and drew small circles until she put her cheek to lie against the china.
"I'ma die…" She stated, glazed eyes closing.
The redhead could not help but snort. "Nah, you're not." He told her, without thought brushing some strands of hair out of her face. "You're just gonna have a hammer-headache in the morning."
She looked at him out of glassy violet orbs. "'s not funny!" Her protest was a little weak, especially because she started vomiting again almost before she had finished the sentence.
"But it'll teach you about taking drinks from strangers."
The ninja glared at him through her shaky breaths. "You…m-my babysitter now?"
"Looks like it. It wasn't in the job description though." His attempt at a joke was lost to her, steadily slumping more against the toilet. "'m tired." She muttered.
"Yeah, I guessed as much." The ex-Turk gave her shoulder a little shake, "Think you can keep the rest down now?"
Her weak little nod did not fully convince him, but when he had waited another five minutes, just watching her breathe, he decided to give it a chance and get her into bed.
This time was not as awkward to lift her up against him and carry her out of the bathroom. He set her down on the bed, laying her down this time and he even went as far as pulling the cover over her, surprising himself. After a second's thought he went back to grab the little bin from the bathroom and took the top off.
After placing it next to the bed, he turned to leave.
"Turkey…where d'you…?" a quiet slur stopped him.
"I'm here brat. What's up?"
-"Thought you'd left." The ninja mumbled into her pillow, already too far gone to move from her position on her stomach as it seemed.
"Nah, I'm still here." Reno frowned when she relaxed at that. He was standing in the middle of her room with no clue about what to do.
Scratching his head, he tried to make up his mind about what to do next.
"Uhm….try not to miss your royal barf bin, okay? I don't wanna have to clean up after you." He told her barely conscious body for lack of anything else he could think of.
"Reno?" She managed to turn onto her side this time and actually blink up at him for a second.
"What?"
Yuffie had closed her eyes again, but gestured sloppily for him to come closer. "Wanna tell you some'in."
The redhead had a sudden bad feeling, but crouched down next to her bed nonetheless, face to face with the ninja who still had a green tinge to her face.
"I really…really, really like you." She whispered loudly and he could smell the vomit in her breath still, which reminded him to smirk. Inside he was frozen.
"As long as you don't honk all over me, princess." He drawled, all the time hoping that she would just pass out.
Her glassy eyes never wavered as her lips drew into a small pout. "'m serious…"
He had a hard time trying to not look away, but somehow he managed. "Sure you are, princess."
"'nd don't call me that…I hate it." She curled into a tighter ball, eyes sliding shut finally.
"You are though." Her bodyguard muttered almost to himself and made to get up when she started to shake her head against the pillow.
"Don't wanna be!"
Frowning, Reno stayed where he was. "But you are."
"Don't wanna be." Came her petulant retort almost immediately, but with little energy as she slipped slowly into sleep or unconsciousness. He would not mind either.
"Sorry, princess," He put extra-emphasis on the second word, "can't be helped."
Sure that when no answer came, she was breathing evenly and had succumbed to the land of dreams; he left her alone with a sigh.
On his way out, he took a glance back at her and shook his head at himself. At least things were not boring around her. Also, watching out for her, gave him less opportunity to mess up himself. Which was definitely a good thing considering he had been about to go out and get wasted.
°°°TBC°°°
Let me know if there is still interest okay? XD