Never Say Never - 05 - Sunsets and Truths

Now that Elena thought about it, today hadn't been bad at all. They had spent the whole day shopping along the beach front, pigging out at a restaurant for lunch, and just plain enjoying each other's company.

She smiled at the thought as she glanced to her left, seeing the redhead she'd spent the day with, staring blankly out the windshield as he drove, smoke in hand. "So um, where are we going now? Back to your place to get my clothes?"

"Nope, we still got one more place to stop 'Lena," he smirked, not looking at her as he drove down the dirt path.

She frowned in confusion. "Where?"

"The beach," Reno told her and she rolled her eyes.

"Um hello, we spent the whole day there, and it's behind us anyway," Elena reminded him.

"The main beach yes," Reno agreed, making Elena frown again.

"If we're not going there, then just where exactly are we going?" Elena demanded, not really wanting to play his little games.

"I told you, the beach," Reno smirked. "And before you ask which one or where, you'll just have to see alright? Keep in mind, I'm supposed to be helping you feel better yo, and surprises come with that there price."

"Fine," Elena said with a pout and Reno laughed.

"Oh and one more thing," Reno said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"What now?" she inquired.

"You gotta wear this, 'cuz it's a surprise," Reno smirked, holding up a blindfold with one hand.

"Are you serious?" she asked and he turned to smirk at her. "I guess you are…fine." She grabbed the blue piece of fabric and wrapped it around her head, plunging herself into darkness.


One minute twenty…one minute twenty-one…one minute twenty-two…where the hell is he taking me? Elena wondered as she counted the time since he'd stopped the car and gotten her out, taking her walking.

She knew she'd been walking in huge circles, probably around a path or something, she just couldn't figure out why. She also could tell it was getting later and later, since the light at the edges of the blindfold were getting darker and darker.

"Alright stop here," Reno instructed, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. By the direction of his warmth, she knew he stood in front of her and she her suspicions were confirmed when he whipped off her blindfold and there he stood.

"Ok, and?" she asked, seeing as how she was looking up into his aquamarine eyes. "Where's my surprise?"

"Just give it...a few more…seconds…bingo!" Reno smirked, turning her around slowly. Her eyes widened at the dazzling sight before her. The sun was only a half-circle of mixed orange and yellow, blazing just over the surface of calming amber and blue waves. The sand at her feet stretched down to meet the waves in a clash of blue, amber and sable.

"Wow," Elena breathed.

"Yup 'Lena, took the words right outta my mouth yo," Reno smirked, keeping his hands on her shoulders as she continued to stare forward.

"It's…it's so…," Elena hesitated, trying to find the right word.

"Beautiful?" Reno asked, looking at her rather than the sunset. Elena however, didn't notice this as she was too absorbed in the sights.

"Yeah…," she said breathlessly. "It's incredible. All the colors from the water, and the sand and the sun. It's so pretty, so peaceful. It makes me want to just lie down and look at it forever. I mean, the sand, the water, the sun, the colors…"

And the sky. The sky was the most beautiful arrangement of fading blue, orange, yellow, red, pink and grey that Elena had ever seen. She'd only seen something like this once before, but not in person – merely in the sketchbook this morning.

Unfortunately this thought mixed with her current dazed mood proved difficult for her brain to react coherently and with intelligence and she did not keep her mouth shut about it.

"You captured it perfectly in your drawing," Elena whispered and Reno immediately released her shoulders, taking a step back.

"Excuse me?" Reno inquired, his mind having just been attacked with so many possibilities to her statement that it hurt. She knows, yo. How does she know? Has she been snooping? I bet you she has. She found the book and went through it. That's why she took so damn long this morning. Talk about nosy little bit– no…I don't know if she did it on purpose. Just ask…yeah; calmly ask if she's speaking of my sketchbook and why…

He took a breath and tried in vain to calm himself. "What the fuck did you just say?" Yo, that's real calmly you idiot, he mentally scolded himself.

Elena gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, being brought back to reality, realizing what she had just said aloud with Reno there to hear her. Shit, shit, shit, shit! I am the biggest idiot ever! What am I gonna do! He heard me!

"Um…I uh…well I…," Elena stammered incoherently. Real smooth Elena.

"You said something about a drawing of mine, yo. What did you see or do?" Reno asked, his voice slightly raised.

"I didn't do anything! Well…actually…this morning I…I dropped my earring and went to pick it up and found a black book with your name on it and…well I just-"

"So you decided to stick your nose in shit that's not yours and go through it? What it didn't look special and important enough with the big gold engraving yo? Or was it so interesting because it's just about the only fucking preciously clean-kept thing in my apartment?" Reno shouted and Elena winced, narrowing her eyes at his tone.

"What is your problem? I found it by accident and just skimmed through it quickly but I never asked anything about it or demanded to know why you had a sketchbook addressed to you! Or if you were the one who'd drawn things in it! I mean, I would have every right to ask about it, since the last fucking drawing is of me!" Elena snapped, her tone of voice rising to rival his. Thank god they were in a pretty off-the-map area. "Why are you being such an ass about it?"

"Because it's private, Elena. It's important and it was a gift from someone special! You couldn't guess that from the engraving and the expensive look to it? How blonde are you, yo?" Reno growled, getting angrier by the second.

"Well maybe I wouldn't have to go around being interesting in things like this if you actually opened up whole lot more! I mean, did I know you were an artist? No! Did I know you held something so beautiful like that special? No!" Elena shrieked, ignoring his comment about her hair. "And besides, 'a gift from someone special'? Someone Special? This Hayley, she's the 'someone special', right? What's so special about her?"

"She was my…forget it, I don't wanna talk about it. We've already ruined most of the sunset," Reno said bitterly as he saw the sun was now only a third of it's full, peeking out over the waters. "Let's just watch the rest and then I'll get you your clothes at my place and drive you home, alright? No more fights, no more nothing yo."

Elena thought about it for a moment and knew that if it was her being secretive and moody, he wouldn't let her go mad and moody. So nor would she. She smirked, an idea coming to mind as he punched Reno in the arm and grabbed his keys at the same time. She took a step back from him and got herself into a fighting position. "No."

"What the-?" he began, puzzled. He looked at her. "The hell are you doing yo?"

"Frustration and depression is not a good thing. You helped me with my breakdown this morning, now I'm gonna help you with yours," Elena told him.

"Ok one; I ain't having a breakdown yo. And two; how is stealing my car keys and looking like you're ready to kick my ass helping?" Reno asked in confusion.

"Because we're going to spar for the answers. No rules, just like our old Turk training sessions. Hits I score, you tell me more about this book and this…Hayley," Elena explained. "And the hits you score…"

Reno thought about it for a moment before smirking. "You owe me 100 gil each time," he told her.

She winced, thinking of how much this could cost her. It's for his own good, dammit. "Fine."

He nodded and got into a similar fighting stance before she rushed at him. She swung her right fist sideways and he ducked it easily, thrusting out his own fist to hit her in the stomach just enough to knock the air out of her and make her fall, but not to hurt her.

"That's 100 gil Babe," Reno smirked as she thumped onto the sand. Before he could even react, her legs shot out and curled around his, causing him to fall and eat sand beside her.

"And that's an answer about the book and Hayley," Elena told him.

"The book was a fifteenth birthday gift when I went off to the war," Reno answered, getting up and charging at her.

For a while neither Elena nor Reno managed to land any blows, since the other was always in check with the other to parry, dodge or block.

"You've gotten better since the Turks yo," Reno complemented her as they fought.

"Thank you," Elena smirked.

"But not good enough rookie," he smirked as he grabbed her wrist from her trying to punch him and twirled her around, landing a kick on her back. "Cha-ching. 200 gil, please."

"I'll write you an "I.O.U" later," Elena announced, flipping backwards from her crouched position to fly over him. He whirled around just in time to see her rushing to punch him in the face.

Before I could ever let you go
Gonna beg until I drive you mad
Say something you could understand
I'm a statue baby, knock me out

Reno ducked as Elena swung at his head again but this time she saw it coming and caught him with her left fist in and uppercut. He clenched his jaw as he reeled but stopped himself from falling over.

"Fuck that hurts," Reno cursed as he wiped the blood from his lip. "I used to draw the time all the time as a kid. It's what I wanted to become, not a Turk, but an artist."

Elena rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips as Reno came running at her again. "I realize I suggested this but seriously Reno, can you cut to the chase and tell me what I wanna know rather than fucking around with me every time I hit you?"

He jumped over her as she tried to kick him and landed behind her, whirling around and weaving his arms around hers so she was pinned against his front, facing away. He held her tightly and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"'Lena, do you do realize how much sexual tension was disguised in that could-be-mistaken-for-a-two-sided-comment or yours, yo?" Reno whispered as the blonde fidgeted.

"I fucking hate you," Elena spat as he pulled her closer, further annoying her.

"You don't mean it babe," he grinned before flipping her over his back, expecting to drop her.

Oh how these moments fade away, you say you never loved me
We say things we didn't mean to say
I take it back, I take it all back now
I take it back, I take it all back

He was surprised however, when she stood up, back-to-back with him and smirked, laughing casually.

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Thinking back now will you ever feel the same?

"Is that the best you got?" she asked him before unlocking her arms and ducking down as he fell backwards. She hooked her arms under him and flipped him onto the ground, straddling him in the process.

"Now, tell me what I wanna know, or neither of us is going anywhere," Elena ordered but Reno merely smirked.

"Who's to say I wanna go anywhere now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively and Elena rolled her eyes.

You mean more to me than you'll ever know
You're my girl and I think it's a shame
That we get along this way
I'm just a statue try to knock me out

"Please Reno, I just want to know why you've kept something like this a secret, it's a really wonderful thing. Your drawings are beautiful," Elena told him.

"So are you, but that doesn't mean I gotta tell ya about that now does it?" Reno asked and Elena frowned.

"What do you mean?" Elena inquired and Reno chuckled.

I guess these moments fade away, saying you never loved me
We said things we didn't mean to say
I take it back, I take it all back now
I take it back, I take it all back

"I'm saying that for someone who spent all her fucking time as a Turk fawning over a guy who barely noticed her, you're pretty oblivious when it comes to someone doing the same to you," Reno told her and she remained confused.

"I don't….I don't get it? What does this have to do with the sketchbook and your secrets concerning it?" Elena asked. When Reno didn't answer, she merely hit him in the shoulder. "Reno please!"

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Thinking back now will you ever feel the...

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?

"You really don't notice do you? After all this, you still think you see everything yo?" he inquired.

"You're speaking in riddles," she observed.

"No I'm not, you're just not paying attention," Reno commented. "And this may have nothing to do with the sketchbook's secrets yo, and yet it may, since you're in the sketchbook."

"Yeah I saw, that's why I said this concerned me, because you drew me. Although it was really nice and detailed I…why? Why did you draw that and why won't you tell me? Please just…tell me the truth. No more riddles," Elena pleaded and Reno sighed, smirking slightly.

Thinking back now will you ever feel the same?
Yea I know you feel the same

You gotta let me know
I'm dying inside to know
Knock me out, I'm dying inside to know
Let me know, knock me out
(Knock me out)
(Knock me out)

"Promise you won't hit me for what I'm gonna say or do?" Reno asked and Elena frowned again.

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Promise!"

"Alright, alright I promise…god, you sound like a little kid," Elena sighed and Reno glared at her.

"Yo, you want your answer?" Reno inquired with an annoyed tone. 'Cuz I sure as hell want mine…note to self, remember to say screw you for being right to Rude later….

"Yes," Elena nodded.

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Thinking back now will you ever feel the same?

Reno smirked and pulled Elena down towards him until their lips met. At first, she was completely shocked, but then she just closed her eyes and let herself fall into his embrace, deepening the kiss.

Because she was now lying on top of him, he began to let himself go and let his feelings take over as he rolled her over, continuing to kiss. In his mind he chuckled. Never thought a fistfight with Elena would wind up turning into us kissing on a beach…or anything else romantic for that matter…, Reno mused in his mind, amazed he was keeping and forming coherent thoughts at this point and time.

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Thinking back now will you ever feel the same?

After a few moments she was the one to turn him onto his back again before breaking the kiss for air. She sat up slightly as he put his hands on her waist and looked down at him wide-eyed.

"Why…what did you do that for?" Elena asked breathlessly.

"C'mon 'Lena, you're not seriously gonna play dumb after what just happened yo? I mean, you didn't stop me either," Reno smirked his trademark grin.

"And…and what does that…mean? H-How does that answer m-my question?" Elena stammered, flushing red.

"It means I love you, you ditz," Reno laughed at her shocked look. "Yes, I know that look, not only has the great Mr. Always-Looking-For-A-Good-Time-No-Strings-Attached actually has fallen for a girl, and man he's fallen hard, but that girl just so happens to be you 'Lena."

"But I…I'm not special and you…I thought you hated me?" Elena asked innocently.

"Maybe all those damn mushy stories 'bout replacing your true feelings with the fucking opposite really do come true yo? I dunno…but I tell you the truth like it is; I love you," Reno explained. "Now…you gotta answer my question. Do you…feel the same?

Paralyzed by the same old antics
Back and forth like some walking spastic
How could a fistfight be romantic?
Thinking back now, could you feel the same?

"I…I…," Elena hesitated.

"C'mon 'Lena, it's a yes or no answer for three little words. I thought you were the brilliant mind here, where'd that go? I think you do, from the kiss you gave me last night, although that mighta been 'cuz you were drunk."

"That really did happen? I didn't just imagine it?" Elena asked in amazement.

"Yup," Reno refrained from idiotic comments, seeing as this was serious. "I think you meant it though…but I wanna hear it from you, not just speculate. So, your answer?"

Many images flashed through Elena's mind. Her fawning over Tseng, him finally asking to take her out to dinner despite the lack of flare in his eyes, him dying, Reno comforting her, Reno and her arguing playfully, Reno helping her when she was drunk, Reno and her kissing the previous night, Reno calming her that morning and everything that had just happened now.

You gotta let me know
I'm dying inside to know
Knock me out, I'm dying inside to know
Gotta let me know, knock me out
(Knock me out)
(Knock me out)
(Knock me... out)

She sighed as the flashed ceased and looked down at him. "I…I love you too Reno," she smiled before leaning down to kiss him again.

When they pulled apart, they noticed the sun had completely set during this time, but neither cared as Elena lay down, resting her head against his chest.

"Yo Elena…," Reno began.

"Yeah?"

"Hayley…the name on the sketchbook….she was my mother," Reno told her and she looked up at him wide-eyed. "She died when I was out at war, malnourishment or something like that, since she'd used her savings to buy me that book, saying it was my future."

"I…Reno I'm so sorry…," Elena whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "When I lashed out this morning saying you didn't know what it felt like to lose someone you cared about I didn't realize…"

"Don't worry about it 'Lena. What's in the past is done and stays there right?" Reno smirked. Then, he looked at her directly and his smirk turned into an actual smile. "Besides, I've got you as my main girl now don't I? I gotta take care of you! Uh - not that I don't think you can take care of yourself I just…"

"Reno…," Elena began and Reno stopped, looking at her again.

"Yeah?

"I've never heard you talk this much, you're turning into me," Elena giggled, making him laughed.

"Hey, never say never about nothing huh?" Reno told her before they both relaxed.

"Guess Rude won all the bets then…," Reno whispered as each other's warm and comfort began lulling them to sleep.


Lannie: And there you have it! The last chapter (unless i come up with Reno and Elena's revenge against Rude (that's why I ended it with Reno saying that). I think I will I just need an idea. I love the song, I'm hooked on it recently and when I heard it I was like "Oh, that totally fits Reno and Elena's hate/love relationship!" Which is what gave me the idea for this chapter when I was still writing chapter three! lol! Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, 'twas fun! R&R!!!

I don't own nothing 'cept the idea. Reno and Elena and Rude are Sqeenix and "Paralyzed" is by the Used.