She sprinted through the forests surrounding Wutai, low hanging branches slapping her face and sharp, bare branches scraping her legs. Ebony hair clung to her sweat dampened face, and the tails of her bandana were plastered to the back of her neck. Her fingers were sliced to ribbons from trying to pull the shuriken from the wall to free herself. Blood was splashed on her face and arms from trying desperately to bring a mangled Vincent back to life. She knew she'd been crying; her throat was thick and her eyes burned (or did she just get blood in them? She didn't know). She stumbled, tearing up her knees and forcing pebbles and dirt into the wounds on her hands. A whistling behind her stole her breath away. It was a faint, haunting melody that froze her blood with its closeness. Swallowing a cry of terror, she scrambled to her feet and took off again, her heart pounding as loudly, she was sure, as her boots on the earth.
She heard gunshots and this time she did cry out, involuntarily ducking as she ran. The volume of the noise made it seem as though the gun had been fired right next to her. She cast wild, wide eyes around, but there was no one that she could see. She took a sharp turn and almost immediately slammed into someone. She stumbled backward a step, looking up into the man's face. Black hair, slicked back from his handsome face; blue, blue eyes that could only be the result of mako exposure; a familiar scar on his left cheek.
"I'm sorry, little Treasure Princess," he said sincerely, mournfully. He reached out to her and she hastily backed up, only to bump into another person. A solid, masculine chest, a throaty chuckle, and then everything was cloaked in red.
"Vincent!"
Yuffie sat up in bed, covered in sweat and gasping for breath. She looked over at the glowing yellow numbers of her alarm clock; seven in the morning was normally too early for her to even think of consciousness, but the nightmare wasn't normal. It felt so real. What was Zack, of all people, doing in her dream, and why was he apologizing to her? Vincent died bloody and then was behind her, alive and well? But he barely knew how to smile, which made his laughter even more disconcerting. And that whistling; she couldn't get the tune out of her head. She sighed and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She gnawed at her lower lip, scuffing her bare feet against the plush carpet. Elena was insightful - maybe she could shed some light on her bizarre nightmares.
She pulled on a sweatshirt and a pair of lounge shorts and opened her bedroom door. She looked to her right; the kitchen and living room lights were off and Reno's door was open wide, but it was dark within. To her left, Elena's door was ajar and soft light crept out. Yuffie padded toward Elena's room and poked her head inside. Her eyes scanned the room and came to rest on the backlit bathroom door. "Poop," she muttered.
"Actually, I think she's in the shower, yo."
Yuffie spun, startled, and was about to tell that gawky jerk off for nearly scaring her out of her shorts, but the words fled from her mind. Or maybe they swooned. The lounge pants he'd worn yesterday were soaked and slung low on his hips, their weight pulling them down lower than they should have been. He was shirtless; his lean, toned body was mostly dry, but there were a few spots, like his navel (that did not look appealing in the slightest, no, no, nope), where water still clung to him. He held his shirt in one hand, the saturated material caught lazily on his long fingers (if he could wear wet pants, he could definitely wear a wet shirt!). His bright red hair was a few shades darker than usual, unbound, soaked, and clung to every bit of skin that it touched. He wore the grin of a little boy who'd just dipped a girl's pigtail in a jar of paint, and it only widened as his blue-green eyes slipped down to her legs.
Yuffie was pretty sure that she looked constipated, or at the very least as if she were deeply concentrated on something. She forced down the evil little voice that cackled something about concentrating on remaining upright and shook her head.
"No need to deny it, sugar, that's where she is," Reno laughed. Yuffie made a face at him and stepped away from Elena's door.
"Is it safe to ask why you look like a drowned rat, or is it one of those pervy old man things?" she teased.
"Yeah, Laney and I made passionate turkey love in the pool," he drawled.
"And now she has to wash your cooties off?" Reno nodded sagely.
"No need to get jealous, though. There's plenty of cooties to go 'round," he soothed.
"As if," she scoffed. "She whooped your ass and then you dragged her into the pool for revenge?" she guessed. Reno grinned again.
"Almost. She whooped my ass and shoved me in the pool," he laughed.
"Probably on principal for fighting like an eight year old," she concluded.
"Ow, my delicate masculine pride," he sniffed, touching a hand to his chest (which Yuffie fiercely avoided looking at). "What didja want, anyway? You out'a tampons or somethin'?"
"Yeah, I need two more to stuff in my ears when you start yappin'," she quipped. She waved off his feigned look of offense. "I had a question for her. Does she know anything about dreams?" And then an idea struck her. "Hey! You knew Zack Fair, didn't you?" The mirth faded in his eyes a little, his smirk slipping.
"Yeah, a long time ago. Why?" he asked, his tone subdued.
"What was he like?" she asked carefully. Reno rubbed the back of his head, mussing his hair.
"Good. That's the best way I can describe him. He was just a real good guy. Why'd'ya wanna know?" Yuffie stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt and bit her lip.
"It's kinda a long story," she muttered. Reno slid a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Alright. I'll change and you can ask away." He had stepped past her, but stopped and tossed a glance at her over his shoulder. "Unless you didn't get enough of my perfection." Yuffie shoved at his shoulder, sending him back on his way. She wandered into the kitchen and refilled Jezebel's bowls with food and water. Hearing the kibble hit the metal bowl, the giant cat came loping into the kitchen, pausing to rub against her mistress's legs affectionately. She bent to pat her beloved cat on the head, then turned to the refrigerator to retrieve the orange juice. She was pouring herself a glass when Reno walked in, stepping over Jezebel as if he'd been doing it for years. Yuffie glanced at him and Inner Pervert Yuffie squealed and did a happy dance. She wished she had an Inner Aeris or Tifa to slap Pervert Yuffie, but her luck had never been very good anyway.
"You call that getting changed?" she mused. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out another glass. His white shirt was unbuttoned, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His slacks were missing a belt and he was barefoot.
"Be grateful I put on this much," he muttered, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. He held the white stick between his lips as he gathered together what he would need to make breakfast.
"Pancakes or French toast?" he asked, his voice muffled.
"Oui, oui," she replied in her best horrible French accent. Smirking, Reno plugged in the griddle and removed a package of bacon from the refrigerator. He prepared the batter for the French toast in a large glass bowl, separated the bacon, and lit his cigarette while waiting for the griddle to heat. He inhaled deeply, then finally looked at Yuffie.
"What'cha wanna know about Zack for?"
"Well, I knew him a long time ago," she began. Reno exhaled abruptly.
"How'd you know him?" he asked.
"Tried to steal his materia, of course," she grinned at him. "Never got my hands on any of that, but I did get all the awesome crap he hunted down for me. He was such a softie," she snickered, recalling how she always swept in with her amazing ninja skills and nabbed the treasure right out from under his First Class nose.
"Yeah, it always was pretty easy to get Zack to do whatever you wanted," Reno agreed, smiling around his cigarette. "I got him to give Tseng a lap dance while wearing a Honey Bee costume once." Yuffie snorted, a loud, obnoxious guffaw that usually had people around her wincing; Reno grabbed his cigarette between his middle and index fingers and laughed with her. He took another pull of his cigarette and grinned broadly at her. "Once we get topside and I get my usual phone back, I'll show ya the pictures. I managed to keep 'em over the years."
"Does Cloud know?" she asked, her words carried on the bubbles of laughter.
"Naw, blondie was too young back then. Well, too young for the Honey Bee Inn, at least. Didn't stop Zack from taking the party back to him," he chuckled. He flipped a row of French toast and prodded bacon around.
"So he was a good guy? I mean, he wouldn't ever... hurt anyone, would he? Someone innocent?" she asked, somewhat subdued. Reno glanced at her, his blue-green eyes curious.
"Zack was... he'd do anything for his friends. I know... Tseng... we, uh. We were in the same boat as Zack for a while. Help your friends regardless of orders. We didn't have that SOLDIER honour he was always bangin' on about, though." A small, fond smile slipped across the Turk's face, slightly askew from his cigarette. "And he'd serve up a sword full'a fuck you to anyone who told him to hurt a friend, or someone who didn't deserve it." Yuffie bit her lip and snatched up a piece of bacon, passing it between her hands to cool it. "Why the sudden interest in 'im? He's been gone... a long while now," he said, his eyes rolling skyward, counting the years to himself. Yuffie chewed her bacon vigorously, her face uncharacteristically sullen. Reno turned to her and blew smoke into her face.
"Come on, princess. You can tell yer old pal Reno," he sang, poking her cheek. She made to bite the digit, but he pulled away in time to avoid being Yuffie chow.
"I had a dream about him," she said. He glanced at her sharply, inhaling on his cigarette. "If you keep looking at me like that, you're gonna stress me out and I'll steal your cigarettes," she groused. He put his hands up in surrender and then gestured for her to continue. "He... he called me Treasure Princess, and he was the only one who ever knew about that nickname. Then he.. apologized to me." She pulled her sleeves down to cover the backs of her hands.
"Why'd he apologize?"
"I was running from someone. I dunno who it was, but I heard him whistling. And then I turned and Zack was try'na grab me and apologizing for it, like he was working for the Bones or somethin'." She spoke rapidly, nearly working herself into hysterics. She could still feel the sweat on her face, could still see the cool moonlight guiding her, guiding her pursuers. Before her hands could start shaking, she reached up and plucked Reno's cigarette out of his mouth. She pressed her lips against the filter and inhaled, closing her eyes as the burn of smoke filled her lungs and throat. Reno chuckled and pulled out another cigarette, flicking the spark of the lighter against the tip.
"You'll kill yourself if you smoke those things, yanno," he said, his voice muffled once more. She blew smoke at him.
"The pot speaks." She hoisted herself up onto the counter next to the griddle, swinging her legs to beat against the cabinets. "I only smoke when I'm super stressed or worried." She snatched another piece of bacon up.
"I can't really see you stressin' over much, princess. 'Specially not some dream 'bout ghosts," Reno reasoned, his tone mild. "Shouldn't worry so much over a dream, midge," he advised. "A dream ain't gonna hurt'cha." Yuffie nodded and finished her cigarette, stubbing it out in the ashtray Reno had placed between them. She didn't tell him about Vincent's death and subsequent resurrection; she had a feeling that Reno couldn't handle hysterical women. She took a drink of her orange juice, letting it wash the residual smoke from her throat. Reno glanced over at her, blew smoke through his nostrils, then pulled his cigarette out of his mouth.
"I knew Zack. An' so did Tseng and Cloud. They'd all tell ya the same thing. The guy was hyper and friendly and the Midgar champ of Edward 40 Hands. He didn't have the capacity to be a douchebag," he assured her. His hand paused in the air for a second or two, as if he were going to reach out to her, but he retracted it before she looked up at him. She smirked, her cocky bravado back in its rightful place.
"Bet he sucked at Circle of Death, though." She hopped off the counter and began to pull plates and cutlery from the drawers and cabinets.
"Doubt it. Guy could drink like he had six livers. He said it was all the mako." Reno chuckled. "Said it helped him in other departments." He sighed wistfully. "Bet he woulda been a damn good lay." Yuffie giggled.
"Maybe that's why Cloud misses him so much," she laughed.
Tifa, Cid, Cloud, and the newly arrived Vincent Valentine were seated at the bar. It was closed that night, but never to friends. Cloud was seated at the end of the bar, doing a crossword puzzle and imbibing a whiskey sour. Vincent sat next to Cid and fixed his crimson gaze on Tifa.
"It's good to see you, Vincent," she said warmly. Vincent nodded.
"And you as well, Tifa." He wasn't one for small talk, but he believed certain conversational formalities should be observed. "How has business been?"
"Oh, things have been going well, overall. A little slow, with the Bones of Wutai being so bold, but it's not all bad," she said. "Do you want anything to drink?" He shook his head.
"No, thank you." He glanced around, taking in the sights and sounds of the bar. Marlene and Denzel were in bed, and quiet music could be heard from the old radio that Tifa kept behind the bar. "Where is Yuffie?" he asked. Tifa bit her lip. Telling Cid had been bad enough - the pilot treated Yuffie as if she were his daughter. Like any good father, he'd been outraged to learn that she'd been whisked away without so much as a goodbye. He then went through an entire pack of cigarettes and wandered around, muttering about breaking Bones and using them to fuel the Shera. Tifa knew how to handle irate fathers. Vincent, however, was anything but predictable.
"She's... well," she mumbled, not meeting Vincent's penetrating gaze. "The turks and Rufus put her into a safehouse," she finally blurted. "We don't have any idea where she is, but she's safe."
"You let the Turks take her?" he demanded without raising his voice.
"Her father is paying them," she said quickly. "He agreed to it."
"The Turks blow themselves up more often than they get anything productive accomplished," Vincent snapped. "The only one that might be even remotely capable of safeguarding her is Tseng, though I doubt he's left Rufus' side." Cloud smirked.
"Reno and Elena are with her," he said, his smirk widening as he watched his friend tense.
"The rookie and the whore?" the gunman growled.
"Reno and Elena aren't incapable," Tifa interjected. They frequented her bar enough that she trusted them; she hadn't forgotten what they'd done three years previous, or all the work they'd done for Reeve. "They'll keep her safe." She did her best to keep the uncertainty from her voice. She didn't doubt the Turks' skills. Rather, her uncertainties lay with the Bones of Wutai and how far they'd go.
"Oh, very safe," Vincent muttered sarcastically. "I am sure Reno has got her convinced that the safest place she can be is in his bed." Cid snorted.
"Give her some credit. She ain't stupid, and she ain't a kid anymore," he huffed.
"Besides, it's not like she's dating anyone," Cloud mused. Two pairs of eyes snapped up to Cloud sharply, while Cid suppressed a chuckle in his beer. "She can sleep with whoever she wants." Tifa tipped her forehead into the palm of her hand. She knew she should have cut Cloud off three drinks ago. Cid coughed, muttering something into his drink about Yuffie being pure and asexual and having zero knowledge of what goes on below anyone's belt.
Vincent stared at Cloud with an indescribable expression on his face. Most of his expressions were difficult to read, however, so Tifa couldn't tell if the gunman was about to have a mental break or if he was going to shoot Cloud. It wasn't surprising, however, when he stood up abruptly, upending his stool, and left the bar. Tifa sighed and made to move from behind the bar, but Cid waved her off and picked up the stool beside him. She thanked him wearily, then glared at Cloud, who smiled impishly at her. She was glad that Cloud was acting more and more like his old self - well, the self that he'd become after he'd escaped from Hojo's lab. She was pretty sure that the Cloud he'd been as a boy was so sizzled and fried with mako that it was beyond all recovery. Still, he talked more, even smiled occasionally. But he also had zero filter to speak of, especially after taking in a few drinks.
"Cloud," she began slowly. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why would you say something like that?"
"I'm not wrong," he pointed out, tapping his pen against the newspaper. "I don't see why Yuffie being single would upset Vincent," he said mildly.
"You know why," she said sternly, crossing her arms.
"Valentine ain't got no right gettin' his panties in a bunch," Cid groused. "Not three weeks ago she was mopin' round my place 'cause he wouldn't take her on a date."
"A victory date," Cloud chimed in.
"Specifics be damned, he's been wreckin' that girl's emotions for years now," Cid snapped. "He ain't got no claim on bein' jealous now." Cid gave Tifa a smug little smile and jerked his thumb at Cid.
"What he said." Tifa really wanted to slap both of them.
"That doesn't mean he doesn't care about her - as a friend," she finished lamely.
"If he 'just' cared about her as a friend, like me 'n Cid here do, he wouldn't be throwing her in bed with Reno in his mind," Cloud reasoned. Cid nodded earnestly. Tifa wanted to scream, and suddenly missed the Cloud that didn't talk to anyone, ever. "Besides, I can see Yuffie with Reno more than I can see her with Vincent." Cid suddenly became very interested in his beer. Tifa groaned.
"Please, don't-"
"They're both certifiably insane," he said, happily ignoring her. "They could benefit from her kleptomania. He can keep up with her." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Let's face it, Vince ain't gettin' any younger." Tifa scrubbed a hand down her face, then glared at Cloud.
"I don't know who turned you into such a gossip monger-"
"Reno."
"- but you need to be quiet before you give Cid a heart attack," she admonished.
"He's nine years older than her," Cid grumbled unhappily. Cloud stood and moved to stand behind Cid, clapping the pilot on the shoulder.
"Vince is thirty-nine years older than her. That's only three years older than you." Cid groaned. "Suddenly nine years isn't so bad."
Behind the bar, Tifa gave Cid an apologetic look and resolved to never let Cloud have more than three whiskey sours again. "You really shouldn't be gossiping about Yuffie's love life when she's not here to defend herself," Tifa sniffed. Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Fine, let's talk about the ones that are here. I already know that Cid's bangin' Shera ("Damn straight!"). I'm dead inside, which just leaves you and Rude," he said, leering at his friend. Tifa flushed a deep red and turned around, putting Cloud's glass in the sink.
"There's nothing between Rude and I," she said quickly. Cid and Cloud exchanged grins.
"Sure, an' Vincent ain't out there weepin' in his Haagen-Dazs," the pilot reasonsed sarcastically.
"Vincent hates ice cream," Tifa said offhandedly. Cid gave her a pointed look, raising an eyebrow at her. The martial artist flapped her hand dismissively. "He just spends some evenings here. We talk." She put her hands on her hips. "Do you really expect me to not talk with my customers?"
"'Course not, but most customers don't sit here till three in the morning on a weeknight, nursin' the same pint o' beer till he wanders home," Cid chuckled.
"And he just sits there, looking at you like he's never seen a pair of double D's in his life," Cloud added. Tifa flushed again.
"You two are disgusting. He's a good listener," she mumbled. "And Cloud, I hereby forbid you from spending any more time with Reno. He's teaching you all sorts of bad habits. What would Aeris say?" Cloud winced a little at the mention of the flower girl.
"She'd probably be glad he's not sleepin' in a busted up church without a roof anymore," Cid declared. Cloud nodded.
"I'm with him." Tifa shook her head and stalked out from behind the bar.
"And I am going to bed before you hens can come up with anything else about me or our friends," she said exasperatedly.
"You sure you don't want to hear our theory about Tseng and Rufus?" Cloud asked with a grin. Ignoring him, Tifa gave them each a kiss on the cheek.
"Goodnight, guys."
Every night for the next week, Yuffie had the same dream. A dead Vincent, a haunting whistle, Zack, and a burst of red. On the eighth straight night of the dream, it changed. Nothing was different; it was extended. After backing away from Zack and bumping into the person behind her, she no longer heard the laughter. Now, she felt a strong hand grip her arm; it was not the unwelcome touch of a captor's grip. It was the firm, comforting hold of a friend, of someone who gave a damn about her safety. She spun, wanting to see Vincent, but all she saw was red. 'I've got you' floated through her mind, voiceless, as if she herself that thought the words. She felt like the words were coloured, like the cool blue-green of the lifestream had been used to paint them in her mind's eye.
And then she woke. She was not as breathless this time, she noted with some satisfaction. It was also the middle of the night. Perhaps this was a good sign - she'd been able to wake herself before it escalated. Still, it was frustrating to her that that was the only bit of control that she had. Yuffie snuggled down in the bed and hugged a pillow close to her. For the next forty minutes, she tossed and turned in bed, not finding any modicum of sleep or rest. With an agitated sigh, she flipped back the blankets, shivering almost immediately at the chill in the air. She briefly wondered if it was snowing outside, wishing she could make a snowman and build a snow fort. Smirking to herself, she wondered if she could enlist Reno's help in burying Cloud's motorcycle under six feet of snow.
She slipped on a pair of shorts and her slippers and wandered out of her room. It was much warmer in the living room, she noted gratefully. A dim light was on in the kitchen, and her ears caught the sound of muffled talking. Yuffie entered the kitchen and Elena and Reno looked up from their conversation.
"Welcome to Insomniacs Anonymous," Reno greeted with a lopsided grin. He reached behind him and swiped a clean glass off the counter and proceeded to pour her a drink. He dumped some cola into the glass and passed it to her. Never missing a chance to admire her body, he raked his gaze over her small tank top and shorts. "We should have nightly meetings more often."
"He's still miffed that Tseng crushed his company pajama party idea," Elena grinned.
"I still think he just doesn't want anyone to see him in his moogle onesie," Reno maintained. "I'd wear my moogle onesie."
"No one wants to see anyone in a onesie," Yuffie declared, and Elena nodded. "So what were you guys talkin' about?"
"Nothin' much. Just got off the phone with Rude. The kid that tried to whack your daddy-o didn't know anything, an' Godo had him tossed into the ocean with cement shoes. Very Capone," Reno informed her. "Oh, and Tifa says hi, miss you, yadda yadda, girly crap."
"You talked to Tifa and you didn't wake me up?" Yuffie whined.
"Naw, she just screamed across the bar. She's got a big mouth." Yuffie grinned.
"Just like everything else on her." She took a drink. "So we're no where with the Bones?"
"Not no where," Elena said brightly. "We've uncovered something of a shrine dedicated to Phoenix on a cliff overlooking the ruins of Midgar. We think the Bones were the ones who constructed it. And, Aya says she's close to honing in on some Emir that might be able to tell us more." Reno made a noise, and Yuffie glanced over at him. He looked slightly uncomfortable, but he belched and grinned at her. She snorted with a short laugh and then shifted her gaze back to Elena.
"Is Aya a Turk, too? I thought she ran a tea shop?"
"Aya's not a Turk; she's like an ace in the hole," Elena explained ("Tseng's an ace in her hole!" Reno laughed). "She's been secretly working for Rufus, keeping an eye on the Bones and the drug cartels for him, even before the Bones started causing trouble. Her tea shop is right across the street from some seedy dive that a lot of the scumbags frequent. She lives above the shop, so she can always keep an eye on them." Yuffie whistled.
"That's lucky. Is that how she and Tseng met?" Reno snickered.
"He didn't even know until after they were seein' each other. He wanted ta kill Rufus when he found out, but she's too useful to let go. Plus, she volunteered, and she's stubborn as Rufus is blond."
"It's so romantic, though," Elena sighed. "They practically work in the field together." Reno made a face.
"Spyin' on some stupid grunts ain't romantic. There ain't any fire or explosions," he complained, gesticulating with his hands and mimicking bombs exploding. "Aya told me what they do on their Shinra Sanctioned Stakeouts. They make googly eyes at each other over wine an' fancy cheese and take notes. It's boring," he whined.
"It is not!" Elena huffed.
"And your idea of a date is more exciting?" he countered.
"Fireplaces, snow, squashy armchairs, bear rugs, and dimly lit rooms-"
"Boooring," he droned. Elena harrumphed and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Dates aren't supposed to involve violence," she sniffed.
"Tell that to Tifa," Yuffie chimed. "She pops a ladyboner over those underground Fight Club style things." Reno's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"I doubt Rude knows this?" Yuffie snorted.
"I doubt anyone knows this. I had to get her completely tanked before she told me." Reno grinned and pulled out his PHS, sending a quick text message to Rude.
"I owe ya one, midge," he said with a wink, snapping his phone shut.
"Of course you do. I'm a vast, sexy pool of information to get your bff laid," she crowed.
"We're still looking for the pool of information to help you, Reno," Elena said. "It's not going well."
"Fortunately for your flounderin' little search party, I'm witty and charmin' and shit like that. One look at these pretty eyes and the ladies fall all over me," he boasted.
"Since we know Reno's a lost cause for romance," Yuffie began, smirking at his feigned whine, "what else was there about this shrine?"
"Well, Phoenix is the god of Life and Rebirth. But, not many worship him anymore. Recent history provides us with evidence that the summons aren't really gods; they're more like extremely powerful beings that have control over whatever the goddess Minerva tasks them with. Most people today acknowledge this as fact," Elena explained.
"Except for Wutai," Yuffie murmured, thinking of their patron god, Leviathan. Elena nodded.
"Exactly. That's why we're so sure it's the Bones. Most Wutainese people living on the western continents practice quietly within their own homes, or they go to temples and churches. But this shrine was abandoned. It looked as though someone had tried to tear it down in a big hurry. We don't know why they'd build it in the first place, why they built it there, and why they up and left it," she said.
Yuffie worried her lip between her teeth. She'd been doing a lot of that lately; being worried, being afraid, being frightfully un-Yuffieish. She didn't usually want to tear her hair out, she usually didn't want to get blackout drunk and cry on someone's (read: Vincent's) shoulder. She was starting to feel like she'd be stuck underground forever.
She was snapped out of her miserable little reverie by Reno poking her glass against her arm. "You just let Tseng worry about things up there, princess." His voice was warm and thick with liquor, but his smile was sincere. Elena nodded her agreement.
"No one can figure things out like Tseng can. We'll get this sorted out and you'll be back with your friends before you know it," she assured her. Reno refilled her drink and looked at her seriously.
"But you got'ta promise we'll all still hang out; you got'ta join us on Friday nights, yo," he demanded. Yuffie's previously sullen expression lifted, and a wide grin slid across her face. "Good. Now, since you managed to change the subject, you slippery li'l shit, what's your idea of a date?" he drawled. Elena's brown eyes flickered to Reno for half a second, and she knew he was perfectly aware of it, too. Yuffie swallowed her drink and smirked.
"Gettin' fallin' down drunk and tryin' to catch chocobos. Or Cloud. When you're drunk, they kinda look the same," she guffawed. "Or ordering pizza for breakfast. Oh!" She squirmed in her seat. "Playing tag in the marshes with the Zoloms! Bonus points if it's storming!"
"You'd best clear your schedule after this, princess, 'cause you an' me are goin' out," Reno announced. He'd been grinning at her from the moment she'd said 'drunk'.
"Maybe," she said slyly, taking another drink. Elena cast her eyes at Yuffie this time.
Oh boy.
In which Cid channels Bobby Singer. Yes, I realize that Cloud is probably [okay, completely] OOC, but he's so much fun to write that way. Apologies to Stephen King for butchering his book title. Reviews are like swedish fish to my depraved little soul.
Peace, love, and chai~