A Day in the Life
Collection of drabbles.
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AN: This part follows chapter 23, with a significant time-lapse between them.
Disclaimer: Dialogue in this section (except from the flashback) comes almost verbatim from FFVII.
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Entering the church, Reno's calculating steps faltered when he spotted the flower garden. Sent to retrieve the Cetra, he had expected her to be alone. Though her companion didn't appear to be much of a threat, his appearance nonetheless threw the young Turk off balance. Standing next to the flowers, the young man conversing with Aerith had yet to notice his presence, so Reno stood back to watch the exchange.
The young man's blond hair was striking in a way that caused Reno's brain to hurt, as if he were forgetting something important. A nervous ache settled ominously in the pit of his stomach and he refused to look away from the figure. That's when he noticed the uniform. Though the young man was garbed in SOLDIER attire, Reno was sure he had never known a blond SOLDIER like the one standing before him. Yet there was something oddly familiar about the way the blond carried himself, reminiscent of SOLDIER, but guarded and unsure. His stature was small, and the uniform hardly appeared fitted, instead awkwardly hanging off the man. The more Reno studied him, the more confused he felt about standing in the church aisle eyeing the pair.
Suddenly, the blond turned to face him and Reno was struck by the luster of blue eyes staring him down. And as confused as he felt, the confusion he saw in those blue eyes rivaled his own. The SOLDIER's face was impossibly young, belying the expression he wore, which was impressive in its resolve. There was a world of knowing in those eyes—it captivated the redhead and left him speechless. And he couldn't dispel the growing sense of dread that he knew the blond.
Stepping forward, the SOLDIER eyed him questioningly. "I don't know who you are, but…" he began. As the blond paused, Reno had the distinct impression that he was trying to read him. And as thrown as he felt, Reno cursed himself for being such an open book.
"You don't know me…?" The younger man's tone was both questioning and hesitant, as if he were genuinely afraid of knowing the answer.
Reno abruptly realized the blond was unknowingly having a conversation with himself, but the Turk was not amused. His eyes locked with the blond's. Brilliant blue clashed with his own, and he realized with sudden clarity that he was staring into mako-infused irises. For a SOLDIER, that was to be expected. But Reno was beginning to suspect the man wasn't whom he pretended to be. Those vibrant blue eyes struck a chord within Reno—he'd seen those eyes before.
"Oh yeah… I know you," the blond countered, even though Reno hadn't spoken a word since their meeting. Still, he kept silent, mentally burning the other man's image to memory. He knew there was something buried deep within his subconscious that spoke volumes about the blond standing before him.
With unguarded eyes, the blond raked his own eyes over Reno's rigid form. "That uniform," he pointed out, more to himself than anyone else.
A sudden rustle from behind reminded Reno that he hadn't come alone. Two Shinra soldiers stood back, waiting for the Turk to give order.
"Heh… this one's a little weird," one of them spoke up.
Reno ignored the subordinate. Instead, he attempted to piece together the puzzle that was standing before him. When his eyes caught sight of the auburn haired woman to the blond's left, a strange thought struck him. He'd been here before. The fact that he was standing in the ramshackle church was nothing new, but the familiarity of the situation caused his skin to crawl. A sense of sorrow and caution overwhelmed his senses and caused the fingers of his right hand to itch for the feel of the cold steel of his EMR. The absence of the metal rod set his mind on edge. Instead, he reached underneath his suit jacket and grabbed hold of the pistol he kept there instead.
"You work for Shinra," the blond pointed out, never taking his eyes off of the redhead—those bright blue eyes. He felt like they could see right through him.
"Reno? Want him taken out?" The harsh voice of the soldier behind him cut him from his thoughts and pulled his eyes from the penetrating gaze. Instead, he focused on the girl, her figure tense and her eyes filled with a plethora of emotions Reno wasn't willing to name. She studied him just as deeply as the blond had, but her eyes held his with no hint of confusion. She knew exactly whom he was—and for that, Reno was afraid. He'd never admit it, but being near the Cetra caused his mind to stumble into memories he wasn't willing to relive.
With a jolt, his eyes locked with the SOLDIER's again and he realized just whom he was staring at. The blond figure was unmistakable, even after several years. But his presence nonetheless caused his heart to clench and he tried to gather himself without seeming affected.
Cloud was supposed to be dead.
And with the clarity of that thought, flashes of memories forced his eyes closed and he almost dropped his weapon. A familiar face tugged at his memory. He knew whom those eyes belonged to.
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"Hey—you mind if I join you?"
Reno turned around at the familiarly irritating voice and shrugged, inhaling from the cigarette he was currently working on. The tall brunet stepped onto the balcony with a grin and reached forward too swiftly for Reno to react, snatching hold of the cigarette. He took a long draw from the stick, the end burning brightly for a moment. Reno was too tired to argue. Instead, he pulled out another and lit it just as quickly, inhaling deeply, appreciating the nicotine moment he was having.
Letting out a deep sigh, the brunet dropped his hand, the cigarette held securely between his fingers. His head bowed and he stared fixedly at the red glow.
"I'm heading to Nibelheim tomorrow," he began. His voice was soft—his entire demeanor had changed. In fact, Reno couldn't remember ever seeing the dark-haired SOLDIER ever so somber. He didn't know how to respond. Instead, he raised his own cigarette and inhaled from it deeply, closing his eyes. When the other man didn't look like he was going to continue, Reno looked up at him questioningly.
"How long will you be gone?" he prompted.
There was another deep sigh as the brunet turned away to look up into the night sky. The pollution from the city kept the stars from being clearly seen, yet it still posed a spectacular sight from so high up in the Shinra Tower.
"I'm not sure," he began. "I just have the feeling that this is it."
When Reno looked into the other man's eyes, he faltered. Zack Fair feared nothing. But as Reno stood before the younger man, he realized that was exactly what he was seeing. Blatant and unrepentant fear coursed through those blue eyes and caused Reno to drop his cigarette. With a curse he glanced down at the smoldering stick before crushing it under his boot. When he brought his gaze back up, the brunet had turned back away and was staring back up into the darkness.
Reno took in his friend's profile, aware for the moment that they were on common ground. Their positions within Shinra were irrelevant as they both stood in the night air, both collecting themselves from the bustling atmosphere of mission work. And though Reno had worked for Shinra far longer than the other man, they were equals.
Leaning back against the railing, he crossed his arms and exhaled.
"The kid's coming with me," Zack continued. His posture was slouched and he'd finished the cigarette moments ago. Reno didn't turn back to look at him, but instead regarded his own reflection in the glass of the sliding doors leading back into the building. They were standing just outside the break room; it was empty.
Reno considered the kid Zack was referring to. In his mind, he pictured the short, blue-eyed blond with zero personality. Unfortunately, Reno was pretty damn sure the boy wouldn't make it into SOLDIER, but he wasn't about to reiterate these concerns—Zack had heard enough of them to understand the redhead had no confidence in the blond's ability.
With a shake of his head, Reno turned back around to look at the city, the lights burning through the mako pollution induced haze hovering over the plate.
"When do you leave?"
Zack turned away from the city, his eyes clearing slightly from the glaze that had overcome them moments before.
"Early," he responded. His head ducked again and he gazed down at his feet. Reno knew he was staring, but the younger man's behavior was causing him to become anxious.
"Well," he began, trying to cut the tension he could feel crawling up his spine. "I'll see you when you get back, then."
He tried to smile, but he lost the sensation as Zack looked at him. There was a deafening finality in that look. So much so that he forgot what he'd said, forgot what they'd been talking about, and forgot why the hell he was even out on the balcony in the first place. Before he could lose sense of his own identity, the brunet blinked, breaking the stare.
"Yeah…" He turned to look through the glass doors off to the side. Reno followed the turn of Zack's head and they both watched as several cadets filtered into the break room, rowdy and excited at such a late hour. A shorter cadet with striking blond hair trailed in after them, his head bowed and shoulders hunched. Instead of following them to the vending machines, he settled into one of the chairs at the table and folded his hands in his lap, unaware of the steady gaze following his every move. The other cadets banged relentlessly at the unforgiving vending machine before it forfeited their purchases.
A sudden thought struck Reno and he eyed the blond speculatively.
"Isn't Strife from Nibelheim?" he asked.
Zack didn't turn to look but frowned deeply.
"Yes," he responded.
Reno watched as the other cadets settled at the other end of the table, far from the silent blond.
"Why isn't he excited about going home?"
Zack sighed deeply, and it caused Reno to turn his gaze back to the brunet.
"I don't know."
With a sudden turn of his body, Zack reached over and squeezed Reno's soldier momentarily before dropping his hand, his eyes locked with the redhead's. After a long, awkward moment, Zack took a step back.
"You owe me a rematch," he reminded, and Reno struggled to figure out where that had come from. Then his memory returned and he let out a short laugh, his eyes flashing briefly with amusement.
"You lost fair and square, Fair. I suggest you admit defeat and move on."
"Poker may not be my strong point, but it's not a weakness—I can handle it."
Reno considered the man before him. "How 'bout a spar?" he suggested.
Zack's eyes brightened at the proposition and he inclined his head to the side, clearly skeptical of the redhead's intentions.
"A spar?" he questioned.
Reno nodded, grinning. "Yeah. When you get back."
Zack eyed the suited young man. The uniform spoke volumes about his ability and character, both of which the brunet was well aware of. Unafraid and up for the challenge, he smirked.
"Definitely."
As Reno watched the man turn back around, a sudden fear seized him and caused his expression to waver.
"Wait," he called before Zack reached the glass doors. The brunet turned a questioning gaze on the Turk, but said nothing.
The expression caused Reno to question himself. What was he so afraid of? Stumbling over his inability to voice himself properly, Reno settled on the familiar.
"Don't let those bastards kills you out there—that's my job." And even though the sarcastic tone filled the void between them, Reno could see the understanding behind Zack's unguarded expression.
Smiling sincerely, the SOLDIER nodded before turning back around and exiting the balcony with a swoosh of glass and cold air. Reno watched him leave.
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As his vision cleared, Reno watched the blond SOLDIER pull out his weapon—also familiar. A pang of regret tugged hard at Reno and he didn't know what to do. That was Zack's sword.
Aerith turned around and headed toward the back of the church and Reno jerked back to reality as he watched Cloud turn to follow her. As the two soldiers behind him gave chase, he tightened his grip on his gun.
With a sudden thought, he raised his head.
"Don't step on the flowers," he directed.
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to be continued.