Authors Note: D Don't kill me, I know i promised updates quicker, but I am a bad bad bad bad girl. Sorry. I am trying, but I have school and work and shit! I promise to get them out faster though because I am already thinking about a sequel to this story. It probably won't be posted as a fanfiction though. I am slowly breaking away from fanfiction and going to original, which Cherry Soda Boy is at Anyway... Here is chapter nine. Maybe I can try to get chapter ten out tonight to. Hopefully. I will try!

Chapter Nine

You Can't Be Missed If You Never Go Away

Four days wasn't enough time. Wasn't enough time to heal all the wounds we managed to inflict on each other. Not enough time to completely go back to the way things were- back before we had to care about college and leaving…and abandoning. It was a small dose of love- and like junkies we wanted…no needed…more. I contemplated not leaving until late on Monday- savoring every second I could with the red head. Part of me wanted to leave school for the whole week; another part never wanted to go back. But my parent's wouldn't even let the thought materialize into words- they know how important it was for me to get out of Staten Island (and they already paid the tuition). I couldn't help but think there was another hidden motive behind their insistence that I remain in upstate New York. I briefly took note at the way they would look at Reno- with concern and disappointment- after one of their college lectures. But if I ever pressed the issue…all three would go silent and change the subject…

If I had more time with Reno, I would have probably pushed him to tell me- but it was silly to waste our days talking about school.

It was Sunday- the day Cid and I had to return to the frozen hell- and I had already delayed our departure at least three times. Cid didn't mind it too much despite his yelling and cursing in my ear; leaving meant leaving Tifa…Cid just didn't want that, though he was too stubborn to admit it. I looked at the digital clock that sat rather proudly on my night table; the red numbers screaming a dirty number "12:00" back at me. If we delayed anymore, there was the possibility of being stuck in a good five-hour traffic jam…and I doubt I would live to see hour two. I sighed and tighten my hold on my boyfriend's body; burying my head in his short red locks.

"I have to go," I whispered, half-hoping he wouldn't hear. He groaned and rolled over to face me with his bloodshot green orbs that suggested he sleep hadn't claimed him.

"No you don't," he argued with a sleepy yawn, and nuzzled my shoulder rather cutely.

"I'm sorry baby," I kissed his head, "but school is calling me. I'm sorry."

"Fucking school," he murmured, "you shouldn't have gone so far…"

I winced at his comment- I guess I was delusional in thinking he would let that go…once Reno discovered he was right about something, he held onto it like a fucking security blanket; holding it over my head. This was no different. He knew I regretted going so far. He knew I wished I could have made a better decision- like going to Manhattan or Brooklyn, or even Jersey wasn't that far. But despite that, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing his control over me…

I merely smiled, "I am going to jump in the shower sleepy head."

As I moved off the bed, I saw the mock death glare he was shooting me, and allowed a small laugh at his expense. "Are you going to glare at me? Or join me?"

"Asshole," he joked, throwing a pillow at my ass- earning a very girlish giggle from my end- before dragging his body off the bed and into the bathroom with me. He was oddly silent as he watched me turn on the water and getting into the shower- just watching me with cautious interest and puppy dog eyes that suggested he was thinking anything but innocent thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I inquired.

"Nothing, just watching you…"

Reno followed me into the shower, instantly wrapping his thin arms around my body, and nuzzled face into my neck. As the steamy hot water pounded against our bodies, I briefly took note on how thing he actually had gotten. He looked frail under the dill bathroom light, with some of his bones gently poking out of his too pale skin. Dark circles plagued his eyes, and his normally vibrant red locks seemed dry and worn out. I knitted my eyebrows together, and glided my knuckles over his wet cheek. He smiled and brought his green eyes to lay on me.

"Are you okay?"

He seemed to understand what I was getting at, "Just been missing you….am missing you…"

"I haven't left yet…"

"You are, soon, for three weeks- four maybe."

He had done it. With his worn expression and weakened force, he brought me to the breaking point of guilt. I couldn't even assure him everything would be okay after I left, because it was clear he wasn't okay- hell, thinking about it, I wasn't even okay. And maybe it had been all my fault at the end of the day.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "Sorry I left."

I think he felt satisfied, from the way his body relaxed and the smile on his face morphed into a smirk. He shouldn't have this much control over it- it wasn't right. It was dangerous. The little voice of reason that lived in my head was screaming at me to remember a moment in that that had long been forgotten. Purposely forgotten. I swallowed them back along with pride, and placed a gentle kiss upon his head to show my submission to him. Point was, I guess, right or not, I was leaving him behind at the end of the day.

I turned off the water, but we didn't move. We remained with arms tangled around each other, cold air sweeping in to chase away the little drops of water, and freezing out bodies together. I could hear my phone going off in my bedroom- Cid no doubt calling to inform me that hour to leave was now…no more delaying. My mom called from downstairs to wake up- dad was mumbling something loudly about Reno and I sleeping together. The sounds seemed so different than the first time I left; no silence.

Except from Reno, who sighed and pulled away coldly. He walked out of the shower, leaving me there to fester in my growing guilt, as if he didn't know how bad this was hurting me- maybe he didn't care. Maybe he enjoyed the look of hurt in my eyes- it was his revenged. I repeated his sigh, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist before emerging from the shower.

When I got into my room, he was already pulling some jeans over his thin hips.

"Are you going to hate me this whole time?" I asked.

He turned his head slightly and shrugged, "No."

"Please, Reno, don't make this any harder than it already has to be…it isn't fair…"

I half expected a nasty retort to slide from his mouth- and for second there, the death glare he shot me suggested as much. But nothing. Instead, he glided to me and placed a kiss on my lips. "Sorry."

Seemed like the little game he was playing got boring.

"Thank you."

We finished getting dressed in silence. I took noticed in how he choose to wear that special Taking Back Sunday shirt that held so many members, and one of my old jackets that I left behind. I smirked when he purposely bent down in front of me to tie one of his shoes, and smacked his ass hard.

He yelped and swung around, "Jerk! That fucking hurt!"

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his waist, "Aww, did widdle Reno get hurt?"

He laid his head on my chest and clung to my jacket for dear life, as the realization that I was drifting away began to slowly sink in. The bright red numbers blinked angrily at me from the night table; flashing the evil "1:00" as if the zeroes had been demonic eyes. My eyes pulled away from the clock and laid themselves on my desk, where two familiar gold rings caught my attention. I smiled and slowly pulled away from my boyfriend, who whimpered when my body left his.

"Reno…" I grabbed the two rings, "I want to try again.

"Try what?" He knitted his eyebrows together cutely, before looking at the two rings in my hand, "Oh…man."

"What? You don't want to wear them again?"

"No! I do!" he snatched his ring and placed in on his finger, "I just…I don't know. I just forgot how good it felt to be apart of someone. To be in love like this."

I slipped the ring on my finger and smiled at how well it still fit, "I know. I forgot what it was like…I missed it….

"I missed you."

-

It was getting cold- winter was slowly creeping into Staten Island, despite how warm it was on Thanksgiving. I smirked at the gray clouds that hung in the sky, preparing to shower this island with either frosted rain or snow- knowing almost full well they weren't a sign of trouble ahead. No. They couldn't be. They were just clouds in the sky- a natural occurrence. Nothing could put a damper on this feeling that surged through my body. Not even clouds. Not even myself.

I felt my boyfriend place a quit kiss on my neck to draw my eyes back to earth; back to his eyes that lost their worn out look. I smiled and kissed his lips right as Cid's car pulled in front of my house.

"So," Reno said, "I guess this is good bye for now?"

I shook my head, "No. No goodbyes. Not like last time."

He smiled, "I'll see you later then, my love."

We kissed each other quickly one last time, before I forced myself to pull away and walk down the cement path to Cid's car. I felt so high- naturally high- smiling for the first time in months it seemed. I got the love of my life back and everything seemed to fall back into place. However, when I took my rightful seat, the air seemed to change dramatically. I looked at Cid, whose eyes were plastered on Reno. The aura surrounding my hot-tempered friend was tensed- strained.

"Did something happen with Tifa?"

He snapped his head back to me, obviously flustered and slammed on the gas without answering. I figured I was right on the money with my assumption, and merely relaxed in my seat without pressing the issue. Cid just didn't talk about his problems with his fiancé; never. Not like it was a big deal anyway- they always fought, that's how they showed they cared. It was a fucked up relationship, but they were two fucked up people. It worked.

But something kept bugging me…dancing in the pit of my stomach like an unasked question. I swallowed it back and tried to focus on the passing trees and buildings…

"Can you trust him?" He finally asked, "Can you trust Reno?"

"Yes," I answered without hesitation, "why?"

"Just making sure…"

And now those clouds in the sky…seem to be laughing at me…