Never Say Never - 02 - The Confusion At Home

Reno glanced over his shoulder, noticing Elena had walked out of the restrooms. Knowing he had little time as she kneeled down to help pick up the items that person that bumped into her had dropped, he looked up at Rude.

"Shit dude, hurry, she's coming. Terms to the bet!" Reno ordered and Rude nodded.

"I'm betting that either one of you is going to get drunk and wind up having to be taken to the other's apartment. And I bet 500 gil it's her," Rude smirked.

"Well I bet I'm gonna be the one who gets shit-faced and I ain't gonna be going home with her, yo," Reno smirked equally. They shook hands on it just as Elena got there.

"Hey guys, what're you shaking about?" Elena inquired, sitting down in her seat opposite Reno.

"Oh, I got a call and got to go do some business," Rude informed her. "So I'll see you two kids later, don't get into any trouble now."

"Oh u-uh…we won't…why would you say that Rude?" Elena laughed a bit more nervously than she had expected, causing Reno to raise an eyebrow and a smile merely danced across Rude's eyes, safely hidden behind his shades.

"Goodbye," Rude nodded his head before pushing his chair in and walking off.

"So Babe, what shall we talk about?" Reno asked, smirking.

"Stop calling me that," Elena retorted, making the redhead's grin only widen.

"What, Babe? Why?"

"Because it's annoying and usually you call your girlfriend that, not your co-worker or friend," Elena explained, downing the rest of her mug.

"Awww that's it? But I call women that all the time yo, and they don't mind it," Reno smirked again, making Elena roll her eyes. "Didn't you pass for girlfriend earlier 'Lena?"

Argh there he goes with that other damned nickname, Elena thought in annoyance.

"Shut up Reno, I'm getting myself another drink, you want one?" Elena asked, getting up. He was surprised at this, seeing as how he was only half-way through his, and she'd taken a bathroom break.

"Uh sure 'Lena…you sure you need another one though, I mean you've had two already and-"

"Save it Reno, I can hold my old, so let off," Elena demanded before walking away.

"What the hell is her problem yo…?" Reno asked in whispers as he watched her grab two more orders from the smiling bartender.


"Lena seriously, lay off the booze, you're starting to look wobbly," Reno commented, laughing slightly when Elena merely raised the middle finger of her right hand.

"I can-do whatever…I wanna…do Re so…back o…off," Elena spoke, her words completely slurred.

"Alright, time to go then," Reno sighed, getting up and walking over to pull Elena's seat back.

"W-What…why?" Elena said drowsily as Reno pulled her to her feet. "No, I lahke it here Re…go 'way…"

Reno merely rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her towards the exit of the nearly vacant bar after leaving a tip for the bartender, whom he knew.

"Take care o' her now Red," the man smiled and Reno nodded amiably before pushing the door open with his free hand and walking out, keeping Elena leaned against him.

As she muttered unintelligibly as Reno directed her towards his car in the parking lot. He opened the passenger door and after catching her from wandering off slightly, he managed to help her into the seat.

"Alright, all buckled in," Reno announced as he sat back in his own seat moments later after making sure Elena was strapped in. Her eyes were already closed and she was leaning on the window.

"So, once I get outta this parkin' lot, I just gotta go…go…where the hell do I go?"

Shit, that's right! Rude picked Elena up tonight and any other night she needed a ride in the past three weeks since she got her new apartment. I've been to the old one before but…not the new one. I don't know how to get there! Reno thought in despair. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his steering wheel. Crazy bastard was planning this all along!

"Ok 'Lena….'Lena I need you to pay attention to me for just a sec, alright?" Reno said, gently shaking her awake. She looked up at him slowly with slightly red and glazed eyes.

"How do we get to your apartment, yo? Do you know?" Reno asked quietly.

"O-oh that's easy…ya go left, then right, then straight a ways, turn on the left in a lot, and to the third floored," Elena muttered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Reno thought hard about the directions she had just incoherently given him and sighed.

"Uh, no, the new place not the old one," he told her.

"Where?" Elena inquired before closing her eyes slowly and slipping into an alcohol-induced sleep.

"Shit," Reno cursed. The girl can remember how to get to her old apartment when she's hammered but not her usual one? Great. Just great. And I'm sober enough to know I gotta take care of this. Wait…why am I sober? Ugh!

Elena stirred slightly beside him and he waited to see if she was awake. When he noticed she wasn't, he went back to thinking. Now what am I gonna…wait, that's it! Rude!

He whipped out his phone and pressed the speed dial for Rude's cell phone. "C'mon, c'mon, pick up dammit!"

"Hello, Rude here," the voice on the other end spoke.

"Rude, old buddy, old pal, I need favor," Reno smirked.

"Sure," Rude agreed.

"I need directions to El's apartment cuz I gotta drive her home, yo."

"Why can't she tell you?"

"Uh…cuz she's a little preoccupied," Reno stated.

"You sure she's not just drunk and you don't wanna take her to your place cuz that means I win?" Rude inquired and Reno could tell from the minor tone in his voice that he was smiling on the other end of the line.

"Nope, not at all, so you gonna tell me now?" Reno smirked.

"No."

"Goddammit!" Reno yelled and Elena stirred slightly again, mumbling incoherently.

"Reno, is Elena passed out beside you?" Rude asked.

"Yes…," the redhead muttered.

"Then keep your voice down," Rude ordered.

"Argh!" Reno growled. "Ok, Rude, where are ya? You home?"

"No, I'm at the 7th Heaven," Rude replied.

Of course, while I'm stuck here struggling with a drunken Elena who'll hate me if I gotta bring her back to my place and she wakes up there, he's at the fucking bar and I'm guessing with Tifa. Ever since the damn Meteor thing, he's been spending more time with her now that Cloud's off being a moody jerk.

"Reno, you need anything else?" Rude's voice interrupted his friend's thoughts.

"Yes, directions, fuck you very much!" Reno growled, becoming more annoyed by the second at his friend's amusement in the matter.

"Since you asked so nicely, I'd be glad to tell you," Rude replied sarcastically. "Not. Now, is there anything else?"

"Can I come there and get her a room at Tifa's then?" Reno asked, now becoming slightly desperate.

"Sorry Reno, bar's closed," Rude told him.

"What? It's a bar, yo! How's it closed at this hour?" Reno demanded.

"Cuz Tif's tired and decided to close earlier," Rude replied.

Tif? Reno thought in confusion regarding the nickname. I think I've let him spend too much time around her…whether he likes her or not.

"Then why're you there?" Reno frowned.

"We're having a late dinner, a drink and talking," Rude explained.

Rich. Real rich. I knew he was that broad. What the fucks he see in her anyways? I mean sure, she's got big knockers, but hell, she's so damn mopey 'bout Spike, and cutesy and such a damn girl it's annoying. Least the girls I look for when I want a good time have a little spark to 'em. They've got a fire to 'em and either play hard to get or make it interesting and challenging. They've got a temper and an edge…kinda like Ele-…NO! Reno's eyes widened at where his own thought process was going.

Don't think that Reno my man, he told himself mentally. It must just be the beer that's getting to ya…yeah that's it. And I've been thinking too much…

"Reno, you still there? Rude broke him from his thoughts again.

"Yeah I am. Anyways I guess I got no damned choice since you won't help me. I'll give you the accursed 500 gil tomorrow. Have a wonderful fucking night," Reno growled.

"You too bud," Rude chuckled before hanging up and proceeding in filling in Tifa about the conversation.


"Ok, slowly, there ya go 'Lena," Reno whispered as he laid her down and pulled the bedcovers up around her. She immediately relaxed and curled up, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it.

She looks so peaceful like that yo…pretty innocent too…so cute…, he thought, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly. Then, he frowned, realizing what he had just thought about Elena, about his friend and fellow X-Turk, about the woman on who's nerves he constantly got on and annoyed to no end. Argh, damn beer it's getting' to my head again. Yeah, that must be it!

He looked down at her as she shifted slightly and smiled (yes actually smiled, not smirked) and leaned over. He knew he had been heading to give her a kiss on the forehead and wish her goodnight but somehow, he'd ended up giving her a small peck on the lips.

His eyes widened as he began to pull away from what he had just done but didn't get far as she leaned up and locked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer into a longer and more emotional kiss. As soon as it finished, she slid back onto the bed, whispering an unintelligible 'goodnight' before pulling the covers to her and falling asleep.

"The fuck was that yo?" Reno blinked repeatedly. "Beer, it's cuz she's hammered is all. She don't know what she's doing…probably won't remember it either."

He walked out of his room slowly and went to sit on the couch. "Yeah…that's why…and that's why I did that too…yep...," Reno muttered, actually trying to convince himself more than anything.

You only had two beers, since when does that cloud your judgment? A voice inside his head asked him.

"It's affecting me more than usual then. Damn inside voice or conscious or…whatever that was. Yeah that's it…there's no was Rude's right. I don't like her, nope, I don't," Reno told himself.

He got up and stretched before smirking at a sudden thought. "Man I need a drink," he chuckled, heading towards the kitchen where he knew a bottle of Limoncello and another of Whisky was waiting for him


Lannie: Alright so there's the second chapter! I worked on it yesterday and today at school because it's review time for exams and we're doing absolutely NOTHING in my classes...shows how much our teachers care about it. Oh well. Then I have some stupid Provincial Ninth Grade Math Test tomorrow and my Gym exam...EW ACROGYM!! Then Exams thursday and friday morning. If the next chapter is slow, you know why.

P.S: LILY!!!!!!!!! Limoncello is there for your sake! And for Avril's! "I will drink as much Limoncello as I can...and I'll do it again, and a-ga-in!"