Disclaimer: I don't own Reno, the Turks, Midgar, the slums, ShinRa Electric Power Company or its executives. Those all belong to Square Enix. The translations from the Before Crisis handheld game belong to Dark Angel over at the Gunshot Romance webpage. What does belong to me are my Original Characters, Camryn and Miyuki, and the story itself.

Song and Lyrics: "Get Stoned" by Hinder

Pre-story A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're all enjoying those holidays.

So, here's another song-fic like Miyuki's, not particularly tied to the main story, just adding some dimension to it. Actually, this chapter is a sort of anachronism, as it takes place when the Reno and Camryn are maybe 15, 16. They're still in the slum, and Brendan's not even being thought of at the time. It's actually several months after the "Pain" chapter in the main story.

Also, and this really needs no saying but it has to be here anyway:

I am not condoning or encouraging adolescent sex, or alcohol and drug use. It's just a story, for fun and not advice.

Read and Review!!


"Just hear me out," Camryn said, wanting Reno to know all she wanted to tell him, all she felt. She looked at his beloved face, his tired-seeming eyes, thinking "If it's not perfect I'll perfect it till my heart explodes."

Reno sighed and looked at her, "OK. I'll listen. What is it you wanted to tell me?" Camryn smiled tentatively. She still remembered how he'd yelled and argued with her the previous day. It was a misunderstanding. It always was. The real thing was how they always managed to get on each other's nerves so quickly.

Ashe had soured their friendship, as the older man made lewd remarks about having abused Camryn, only to goad and provoke Reno, who then became sharp with her, unfairly thinking that maybe because of her he was having such a hard time in the gang.

Reno saw her narrow her eyes slightly, wondering what she was thinking.

"I highly doubt I can make it through another of your episodes," Camryn said, eyes downcast. Reno scoffed, but Camryn continued, ". . . Lashing out," while continuing that thought, " One of the petty moves you pull before you lose control . . ." Reno frowned, not wanting to see the truth in what she said. She could never understand he only argued and fought with her because he cared about her, enough to make him piss off his superiors.

He heard her whisper, "You wear me out . . . But it's all right now." Reno smiled and nodded, "Let's go home and get stoned."

She gave him a look that was equal parts amusement and annoyance. Reno smirked and shrugged, "We could end up making love instead of misery." Camryn began to smile, but she repeated, "Go home and get stoned . . .", a lilt in her voice, a small hitch in her eyebrow.

Again he shrugged, " 'Cause the sex is so much better when you're mad at me."

Again Camryn whispered, "You wear me out," thinking, "We could end up making love instead of misery . . ." Reno took her hand lightly, cautiously. He knew Camryn's temper was almost as volatile as his was. He tilted his head and looked kindly at her, "But it's all right now," feeling relieved and happy that he'd made her smile.

The next morning, Reno woke up and got out of bed without waking her. Looking back at her sleeping, nude form, he sighed, running a hand through his messy red hair and thinking, "Without a doubt, the break up is worth the make up sex you're giving me . . ."Still, she woke up. Camryn sat up, unselfconsciously revealing her chest. She frowned at him, the way he was looking at her, a crease on his brow and an unreadable expression on his face.

Reno pulled on his boxers, and took her nightshirt and tossed it at her lightly. He knew as well as she did that things were still tense and tight between them. Sex had been fun, as it almost usually was between them, but it wasn't enough. Camryn slipped the long nightshirt over her head and stepped out of bed, sighing as she pulled on a pair of panties.

She heard him let out a breath and say, "Let's hash it out." Camryn pushed her hair out of her face, wondering just what was Reno's obsession to piss her off, and why was she so helpless against him? Reno misinterpreted her sour look of annoyance with one of defiance, and he challenged her, " 'Cause your bitching and your yelling don't mean anything."

Camryn whispered under her breath, something quick and bitter. Personally, Reno thought it was an "Oh, fuck you," she'd muttered. Reno's jaw clenched at the animosity in her tone, and the hurt in it as well. He gestured with his hands, "Don't count me out! I can handle all the baggage that you're carrying."

She looked away from him. Out the window, at the rumpled bed, at the pot they'd used last night, anywhere but at him, because if she looked at him, she had no idea what she'd do. Camryn was thinking maybe she'd kill Reno, or throw him down and fuck him, or actually fuck him and then kill him, when she heard him whisper, "You wear me out . . ."

Camryn heard the heartfelt plea for forgiveness in those simple little words. She knew he really wanted the best for her, that he often acted out on an impulse to do something right for her, but why did he have to be so maddening? Camryn was the one to lightly take his hand, stroking his knuckles with her thumb, those knuckles he'd scraped and abraded over multiple fights and scuffles, many of them for her own self.

She smiled at him, forgiving him his last argument with her in an instant, "But it's all right now . . ." Reno arched an eyebrow as she suggested, "Let's go home and get stoned." Reno smiled back at her, nodding, "We could end up making love instead of misery . . . Go home and get stoned," while thinking how that seemed to be the solution to most of their fights lately.

Camryn snickered as she acknowledged, " 'Cause the sex is so much better when you're mad at me . . ." while thinking that things would turn around for them, that things couldn't possibly get much more complicated for them.


A/N: I have no idea where this came from. A friend of mine lent me the CD, and while I didn't like all of it, I just heard this song and thought of DCiS. Anyway, let me know what you think.