Chapter Seven
His Realization
A/N: I have done it! After so long, I have finally updated, edited, revised, and nearly perfected this chapter!
In addition, I completely revised Chapter 6. You don't absolutely "need" to read it, but I changed a good portion of the story and the fighting scene so it flows in the direction I wanted this story to flow. So, please read Chapter 6 if you haven't!
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII does not belong to me, I personally own Alia, any other OCs, and this fanfiction. I hold no Copyright over any direct quotes used from FFVII, FFVII: Remake, or FFVII Advent Children.
~ oOo ~
From the Mythril Cave, it had been a long trek from there to the next city - Junon. Even then, by the time the group had made it to the base of the city, they weren't exactly in the city as the main elevator was guarded by Shinra. By the time Alia and her friends finally made it to the port city, it was nearing sunset and they were running out of time in finding Sephiroth and Rufus Shinra. Funnily enough, the only way to escape Junon was to disguise themselves as the Military by wearing their uniforms.
However, by the time all uniforms were secured, everyone was dragged to different locations. Tifa and Cloud traversed one way while Aerith, Nanaki, and Barrett went another. Alia was the only one not dragged off by a Military Officer so she decided to scour the area by traversing the first level of the city. The citizens were mostly holed up inside their homes watching the parade for Rufus Shinra on their televisions. Since there weren't that many people on the street allowed Alia to dilly-dally until she met up with her brother and the others.
Deciding to check the shops as the others were busy with their 'duties', Alia browsed what she could, buying what was necessary; potions, food, new weapons, especially new materia. When she was low on gil, she continued walking around the area, keeping her eye on the time to see when she was to meet everyone else on the boat. Upon discovering a local bar, Alia decided to grab a quick drink, knowing she needed it based on what has happened and what was to soon occur. As she walked in, Alia noticed the bar was sparse with customers, as there were only two sitting at the counter while the third, an individual in all black, sat at one of the booths.
Upon ordering a nice cold beer, the bartender handed her the bottle as she walked toward the lonely individual. She had recognized him the moment she walked into the establishment. It was Rude of the Turks.
If he was in Junon, did that mean Reno was as well?
Taking the seat opposite Rude, the man lifted his head from his phone and nodded, acknowledging the woman behind her infantryman helmet, assuming she was one of them. "Good to see another here. Take off the helmet and enjoy a cold one."
Glancing around to make sure there were no other soldiers inside and that the two men at the bar were still interested in only their drinks did Alia remove her helmet. With the contraption now sitting on the table, Rude lifted his head to see who the soldier was. Only then did the man recoil when Alia lifted the beer bottle to her lips, taking a deep drink.
"It's you," he stated lowly.
His comment had her smiling. "Yep. It's me."
"Hmm, so that means the others are here as well." Alia nodded as Rude waved his hand. "I'm shirking my duties to drink. I won't tell if you won't." Rude held his bottle towards her.
Clinking together, Alia said, "Agreed."
Taking a deep swig of the cold contents, Rude sighed. "So…I can only imagine why you're here."
"Obviously I wanted a beer," Alia replied sarcastically.
"Not that," Rude waved his hand again. "You're trying to tail Sephiroth, aren't you? Or are you guys after Rufus?"
"Eh," Alia lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "It's a mixture of both, to be honest."
Rude raised an eyebrow. "Why're you admitting this to me?"
Alia drained the rest of her beer, signaling the bartender for another; only when it was dropped off did she answer with another shrug. "Not sure," she said. "It's not like anything you do will stop us."
"We'll stop you," Rude stated confidently.
"I'd like to see you try," she said nonchalantly, bringing the new bottle up to her lips.
This caused Rude to smirk. "Heh, yeah, I can see why Reno likes you."
Alia nearly spat the drink from her lips. Covering her mouth, she coughed, trying to clear her burning lungs. "He…he likes me?"
"That dude's completely infatuated with you, Alia." Blushing at his admission, the woman wondered when she would next see the redhead. It had been a few weeks since the plate fell in Midgar, that being the last she had seen him. The only remembrance she had of their encounter was his EMR, including the note Rude gave her in the Mythril Cave.
"Speaking of which…" Rude pulled the woman from her thoughts. Going through the inside pocket of his jacket, the Turk pulled out an envelope, handing it to Alia. With shaky hands, she grasped the letter, staring at the familiar handwriting on the front. "I was instructed to give that to you."
Having read the previous letter from Reno nearly a thousand times, Alia was surprised to find his handwriting on the front, addressed with her name on it. Snapping her attention upward, she cried, "Where is he?!"
"He's here, in Junon," Rude replied casually. "Somewhere at least. We split up."
Alia's face fell, hoping she could get a specific location so she could find him. Then again, Rude could completely be hiding the truth from her. "I see," was all she said, fingering the outside of the envelope.
Eyeing her, Rude drank the last drop from his bottle before slamming it onto the table. Standing, he corrected his suit, fiddling with his tie until it was straightened, eyes still on the woman. "I better get back. And I'd find your friends if I was you. The ship should be departing soon."
Confused by his statement, Alia's eyebrow raised. "Oh, so you're admitting information to me now?"
Rude merely stared down through his sunglasses. "I was instructed to be nice if I saw you." Placing a gloved hand upon her head, the Turk ruffled the woman's hair as she shut her lips from squealing. "Take it easy, kid. I'll see you around."
As he took four steps toward the door, Alia fingered the envelope in her hand before she called out for the Turk. "Wait!" Turning back in her direction, Rude returned to his original standing position before her. Eyebrow raised, he waited for her to speak as she, too, pulled something from the pouch against her thigh. The note she had was also sealed. She had written this last night, waiting until her friends and brother were fast asleep so she could have the necessary privacy to jot down what she needed to say. Reno had already left one note for her, it was only common courtesy for her to do the same.
Slowly, she held her note close to the Turk's hand. A small lift of her lips and a glance into the man's sunglasses-covered eyes left the Turk reeling. He was starting to see the charm Reno had explained to him about this woman. "I hate that you've been used as the in-between person for Reno and me but, could you please…give this to Reno in my stead, the next time you see him? Trust me, I'd give it to him myself but I doubt we'll ever have time to speak alone in the next few weeks."
Instantly grasping the letter from her gloved fingers, Rude quickly pocketed the item. "I'll make sure he gets this." The man turned to leave once more, but there was something on his tongue he needed to state before leaving the woman alone. Peering over his shoulder, the last few words he left her with were, "For what it's worth, Alia, I've never, and I mean never, seen Reno act this way before. That man is my partner, my best friend. If you want me to keep being the go-between for the two of you, don't fuck him over. Please…"
And then he was gone.
Watching him leave, Alia inhaled sharply, staring down at the envelope before ripping it open, the letter inside falling onto the table. Unfolding the paper, Alia read its contents, a small smile forming on her face.
Alia Strife,
I'm glad you were able to receive my last note. I wish this one could be longer but I don't want to bring any suspicion; I'm not only risking my position but Rude's as well. You must've found Rude in Junon or he found you - I just hope he wasn't an ass. And…I still have your pendant. I don't know much about you, but this seems just like you to have one of these, especially a Chocobo. What about my EMR? Have you tried using it? I bet you'd be a badass using it.
I…I wish I could see you again. Alia, I don't know next when our paths will cross, just know I will do everything in my power so we can see each other again. Sephiroth is lurking out there, somewhere, so please stay safe. I'm very aware you can take care of yourself, but I must admit, you have this power over me where I want to do nothing but protect you within my arms.
Until next we meet peaches,
Reno Sinclair
~ oOo ~
High above the city atop the canon, Reno watched as the citizens of Junon began to traverse outside of their homes now that the parade for the new Shinra President was finally over. Having finished his rounds nearly an hour ago, Reno took a position here atop the canon where he glanced across the entire city. Even from his position, he could make out the ship that would take President Rufus across the ocean to Costa Del Sol. He and the other three Turks were assigned a separate mission once the ship sets sail but would then meet the President over in the summer resort. For now, he was content standing in this one position, a cigarette limp between his teeth as he inhaled and enjoyed the nicotine filtering his system.
Although, as he glanced down toward the ship, the cigarette almost dropped from his lips, quickly catching the fire stick with his fingers as his mouth dropped to the floor. At the ground level, Reno was able to see the AVALANCHE members, all dressed in sailor attire, glancing back and forth before entering the cargo hold at the back of the ship. The last individual was a female with long, beautiful blonde hair. Inhaling deeply, Reno knew it was Alia and as the woman turned, Reno's assumption turned correct. Even from his position high above the city, he could make out the beautiful mako-colored eye and the other covered by a black eye patch. Heart fluttering in his chest, Reno placed the cigarette back into his mouth, taking a deep swig of the unhealthy habit he had started not long after joining the Turks.
"Hey, what're you doing up here, red?"
Surprised, though not so surprised as he should have been, Reno glanced over his shoulder to see Rude meander his way across the platform to where the redhead stood. When the bald Turk claimed a standing position beside his partner and longtime best friend, the two stood in silence for several moments. Smoke filtered through the air as Reno heavily breathed in the remainder of his cigarette. Spitting off to the side, Reno dropped the stick to the ground, grinding the nicotine with the bottom of his shoes to cast away the burning flames.
"Those things will kill you, you know."
"Tch, that's what you say every time I go for a smoke."
"You know it's true. Hell, even Rufus has stated that numerous times to your dumb ass."
Reno lightly punched his taller partner's shoulder. "Oh ha ha, mister. What, did you come up here just to mock me?"
Rude shook his head, giving a silent answer. "No, we have about twenty minutes before takeoff and I had a feeling you'd be up here."
"Huh, is that so…You keeping' tabs on me?"
"Nah, you can just be predictable sometimes. Whenever we're here and have time to kill, this is your spot where you always take a smoke break."
This caused surprise to form on Reno's face. "For real? Tch, you're joking."
Rude was able to release a small chuckle. "Heh, no lie man. Like I said, you can be predictable." Ignoring his friend, Reno pulled the cigarette pack from the inside pocket of his jacket, suddenly needing another smoke to calm the nerves he was feeling. Stealing a glance to his side, Rude shook his head once more, this time in disbelief. "Really, another one?"
"Sorry man but my nerves are fucking shot right now."
"From what? Let me guess…is it because of the job? Or because you haven't seen Alia?"
Nearly spitting out his freshly lit stick, Reno rolled his eyes in annoyance. "The job, man," he muttered lowly through his clenched lips. "I-I don't miss Alia that badly…"
Rude snorted, pushing the rim of his sunglasses up his nose. "Yeah, sure…I do have to say, after speaking with Alia, I don't think she's the type of person to like those who smoke."
Holding the newly lit cigarette between his fingers, Reno's mouth fell. "You…you talked with her? When? Where? Was it recent?!"
"Heh, I thought you didn't miss the woman that much. Which is it, man?"
Caught from his own words, Reno did the only thing he could at the moment and that was to take a deep puff of nicotine. "Geez, hundred questions today or something? Can't a man be unsure sometimes?"
Staring off into the distance, Rude contemplated giving Reno Alia's note then and there or if he should wait. Deciding a few more minutes wouldn't hurt the redhead, he was about to speak when his partner beat him. "So, did she tell you herself she doesn't like smokers?"
"No, the conversation of smoking never came up. It's…just a vibe I get from her, I guess, I can't say for sure." Surprised by his quick actions, Reno took the cigarette from his lips, not even taking one last puff, and dropped it to the ground, smashing the damn thing with his shoes just as he did before. "I thought you needed another smoke," Rude pointed out at his friend's actions.
"I do - I did. But, if your assumption of Alia is correct, then I don't want to smoke or smell like smoke around her."
Genuinely surprised, Rude dropped the frame of his glasses slightly down the bridge of his nose to stare at his friend directly. Catching Rude's eye, Reno felt tiny, suddenly scrutinized by what he had just done. "All right, who are you and what the hell have you done with the real Reno Sinclair that I know?"
"What'd'ya mean, man? I'm standing right here!"
Chuckling slightly, the bald Turk lifted his glasses once more to fully cover his eyes. "You really are head over heels for this woman, aren't you?"
"W-Well, why wouldn't I be? You've met her, you've talked with her, Alia's just…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Reno wasn't sure what to say without sounding sappy despite wanting to sound sappy. "I've said this before. I just think she's fucking perfect."
Noticing Rude chuckling once more, Reno could feel the blush growing warm across his cheeks. An image of the blonde entered his mind, allowing the man to smile gently as he remembered what she looked like. He didn't have a photo of her, anything that he could gaze upon when he felt lonely, only the memory of her smile. Unfortunately, the last memory he had of him being in her presence was the night he dropped the plate in Sector Seven. She was bruised and bloody, courtesy of his and Rude's attacks against her and her friends. The thought sickened him that he was the cause of her pain that night.
"She's perfect, Rude. I don't know a damn thing about that woman, but something calls me to her. I gotta find out why she's so damn special to me."
Still shocked by such words leaving his friend's mouth, Rude was still happy to see this side of his partner. He held nothing against Reno and the one-night stand's he'd had in the past and if he had to think on it, the redhead hadn't even spoken of a woman for several months, long before he randomly met Alia Strife. Knowing now was the time, Rude spoke up. "To answer your question, I ran into her within the last hour. I took a much-needed break to get a beer and she found me, not knowing I was there. We shared drinks and we explained to each other what our plans were. She and the others are planning on using the ship to travel to Costa Del Sol. Who knows, seeing as that's our next destination after we take care of a few things, you may see her there."
"And…you gave her my letter…?"
"She was speechless but seemed happy to have something else you gave her." Tense shoulders relaxing, Reno sighed. He initially had been apprehensive about writing such a note in the first place; his heart had said otherwise, there were words he wanted to say that could only be spoken if he wrote them first. "She did give me something in return if you want it."
Head snapping to his partner, Reno nodded enthusiastically, curiously wondering what it could be. With a roll of his eyes, Rude thought Reno, at the moment, was a love-sick puppy. Grasping the letter from inside his jacket, Rude passed it to his eagerly awaiting partner who slowly took it from his hands. This would be the first note he had received from Alia. What would her handwriting be like? Would it be better than the chicken scratch that was his own? What had she said? Did she miss him as much as he missed her?
Suddenly wanting a private moment, Reno turned to his partner, mouth opening as he started to say, "Rude, hey, do you mind if…?"
Rude instantly raised his hand, understanding what his friend wanted without having to ask. "Say no more. We probably have only about ten minutes left before leaving so I'll head to the chopper and tell them you're still having a smoke. Sound good?"
Grinning, Reno nodded his head, holding a thumbs up toward his partner. "That's perfect, partner. I, well…thanks, man, much appreciated."
Slapping the redhead across his back, Rude mumbled under his breath, walking away before Reno could even question what he said. Once Rude was gone and out of sight, Reno glanced down at the paper in his hands. Hastily tearing through the envelope, Reno grasped the inside note, unfolding the piece of paper to see a beautiful mixture of cursive and print handwriting. Bring the paper to his forehead, Reno simply stood there at the top of the Junon Cannon, reveling at that moment that the woman he was head over heels for was communicating with him and how it wasn't a one-sided affair. Taking a deep breath, Reno pulled away and began to read.
Reno Sinclair,
Now that I know what your last name is, I feel entitled to call you such. To be honest, I've never met someone with the name "Reno" but it's quickly become a favorite name of mine. I'm very thankful for the two notes you have already left for me, I am just sorry this will be the first from me. Thank you for what you have written. These last few weeks since leaving Midgar have been challenging, far more than I wish to express through written words. But, I will say that a part of that has been the fact that I have missed you, Reno Sinclair. I'm…not quite sure, but whatever this feeling I have toward you is, I desperately want to know what it is. I have…never felt a pull, a connection to another person as I have with you. I only hope you feel the same, and I don't want to assume, but judging from your last message, it sounds like you feel the same.
Reno, we are trudging through dangerous waters. With me being a member of AVALANCHE and you a Turk, I don't know where this could land us. But I am willing to risk it, whatever this is.
Are you?
If I'm allowed to be honest, I think about you every day. I keep your EMR safe in my pouch though I never use it in battle. I have practiced with it on my own privately and I think you'd be right in that I'd be a badass with it.
You told me to be safe, Reno, but I must ask of you the same. Whatever Sephiroth is after, whatever he is planning, I know he will stop at nothing to accomplish whatever he is seeking. I want to see you again. For some reason, I need to see you again. In the minimal moments we've had together, you are special to me and I have to discover why if you'll allow us to do so. You said you wanted to protect me in your arms. The same goes for me. I want nothing more than to hold you and know that we can have more time together.
Until next we meet redhead,
Aliana Strife
~ oOo ~
"C'mon…pick up the fucking phone!"
Pacing around the apartment living room, Reno's phone was currently glued to his ear. For possibly the thousandth time in the past twenty minutes since returning home, he, yet again, ran a hand through his fiery locks. The moment they walked in the door, Reno sat Alia at the kitchen table and glanced over her remaining wounds. He used her Cure materia to alleviate the pain from some of the cuts and slashes but, unfortunately, her bruises were to remain. The one cut on her cheek confused Reno and when he asked about it, the redhead saw nothing but red. Alia explained what the male had done, how he had easily sliced her face. Holding her cheek, Reno's palm glowed green, using all the magic he had and the materia to remove the marking though he wasn't able to erase it as an extremely thin line could still be seen, the marking slightly raised.
After, Alia wanted nothing more than to soak her body in hot water, where she was currently taking a long shower. Between the time she locked herself in the bathroom and now, Reno had been calling both Healen's and Rufus' numbers nonstop. Except, nobody was answering their phones.
Rufus gave us all vacation, but I doubt Tseng left since Elena's there. Rufus has to be there, and if he's there, I know Rude's there too. Reno walked in circles around the couch, phone endlessly ringing in his ear, mentally holding a conversation with himself. When the line landed on someone's voicemail once more, Reno angrily swiped the phone's screen to end the call, immediately entering another in the slim hopes of speaking to somebody - anybody at this point.
"Fucking shit!" Reno screamed through clenched teeth, slamming a fist into a couch cushion. He desperately wanted to throw the phone, knowing full well it wouldn't solve the problem at hand. What the fuck do I do about this? Reno couldn't help but think to himself.
Having landed in the kitchen from his aimless wandering, Reno stared upward at the ceiling, almost exactly where the master bath would be. From his position, he could hear the water running from Alia's shower. The sound was quiet and smooth. She had been in there almost the entire time they had been home, leaving Reno with little doubt as to why she wanted to hide within the sprays of hot water.
Hell, if I had been in her position, I'd want nothing more than an extremely long shower too. Thankfully we were able to heal almost all of her wounds, but she had been covered in blood. But thank fucking Gaia she hasn't asked me anything yet. Until I speak with Rufus, there's no answer I could give her.
The device in his hand began to ring softly, Reno nearly cracking the screen as he angrily swiped at it to answer the call. "It's about fucking time one of you learned to answer the fucking phone!" Reno screamed as quietly as possible.
Hearing a sigh from the other end, the person asked, "What is it you want, Reno?" It was Tseng - not exactly the person he needed to talk to, but it'll work.
"Tseng! Look, I seriously need to talk to Rufus, this is important!"
"In regards to what? Has something happened to Alia?
"Um, kinda!" Knowing yelling at his boss would do nothing, Reno fell silent. Taking a deep breath, he slowed his words, deciding to think before allowing his mouth to speak. "Tseng…Alia and I have only been home for about twenty or so minutes. Before that, she was attacked outside Edge!" Reno never liked the topic of Alia fighting. Sure, she had been learning to fight most of her life, especially these last several years. In regards to this, something was off. This wasn't a normal battle between two people who wanted to fight. No, this was the male who pitted himself against Alia. There was no doubt in his mind this individual was part of the scheme who had been after Alia for the last several months.
Taking a moment for consideration, Tseng eventually answered with, "All right give me a moment, let me get Rufus."
"Thank you, Tseng," Reno uttered softly. Returning to pacing around the room, the Turk waited as patiently as he could to speak with the President. From the kitchen into the dining room, through the living room to the base of the stairs. A few minutes passed in silence when Rufus's voice finally appeared on the other line.
"Reno, Tseng has informed me there is some important news that needs to be brought to my attention?"
"It's more than important, sir. Alia was attacked within the last hour and - "
Rufus was quick with his question. "Was it the person who's been sending us the videos?"
"I don't think so, sir. This guy stated he had been sent here to assess Alia's power by fighting her. A-And that…" Reno swallowed the anger in his throat. "He said that he was to 'report back to his master'? Something about how the master will decide to do what's next."
Rufus was quiet for a moment. "Hmm, so this individual works for whoever is after Alia."
"From the way he was speaking, it seems that way. Rufus, what do we have planned? After this, who's to say someone else won't come back after her? I wasn't there when she was attacked and - "
"Reno, Reno," his boss stated his name several times, gaining his attention. "I understand your concern. First, we need to calm down and take a deep breath."
"How-How do you expect me to calm down, Rufus? My girlfriend was just in battle with a person who was sent by the very person who is after her! In all these months, have we even considered that they would take the initiative and go after her?!"
"We knew this could've been a possibility, Reno. But right now, Alia needs you to be calm. She's with you in the apartment, no?"
"Yeah, she should be done with her shower soon. Poor things covered in cuts and bruises, let alone the new scar she now has on her shoulder from where he stabbed her."
Rufus huffed an angry sigh. "I am sorry this has happened, Reno. Truly, I am. Since we're speaking, are any details you can provide about what happened?"
Speaking as quickly as possible, Reno explained everything of what he knew to Rufus or what Alia had told him, who would then pass on the same information to the other Turks. He explained how Alia went for a run and how he suddenly received a call from her explaining her being attacked, to him rushing towards her location to see her and the mysterious individual fighting. When finished, the last piece he provided was the man's final words before he disappeared.
"Before he just vanished, the guy said that to save the planet, Alia needs more anger and how they could give that to her."
"That's… different than what has been stated in the videos. Did he mention anything at all about his motive? Or why he was sent there?"
"Besides stating he was tasked to measure Alia's strength, no, he didn't state anything else." Pausing as he lifted his head towards the ceiling, Reno couldn't hear the water running anymore, knowing Alia would be on her way downstairs in the next ten minutes. "There…was something odd he did say. He said he was surprised how weak he found Alia to be, going as far as to note all the stories he'd heard about her."
"…what?" Reno could hear the confusion in Rufus' voice. "How is that possible? Alia is…remarkably strong."
"And I told him that her power is stronger than his and mine combined, even more, but he didn't believe me. If anything, he scoffed it off by laughing. He then stated that she was…shit, how did he state it…" Reno looked at the ground, forcing his memory to kick into gear. "That…Alia is destined to save the world and she needs more anger…?"
"…hmm, interesting. That is something which hasn't been stated in those emails."
Reno was thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "…Rufus? What're we gonna do about this?" Even the redhead couldn't contain the shakiness in his voice. That alone scared the shit out of him.
"It's as I said: calm down. For Alia's sake, you need to keep a straight face."
"But…but sir!"
"Reno, listen to what I'm telling you: stay by her side. I get that Alia is a very independent woman, but you need to stay with her as long as you can. I hate to admit this, but if all they're going to do right now is attack her to test her strength and abilities, we can at least handle that. And with you by her side, two people fighting them and learning their strategies, the better it is for us to protect her in the long run."
"…sir."
"What is it, Reno?"
The redhead took a deep breath. "I have your word that Alia will stay safe?"
Rufus stayed silent for a few minutes. He didn't know how to answer the question, so he stated the most plausible answer he could muster. "We'll try out hardest."
"No offense sir, but…that's not very reassuring."
"I apologize Reno, but we're doing the best we can." Now it was his boss's turn to take in a deep breath. "Listen just breathe. We'll get through this. Has Alia questioned anything?"
"No. As far as I know, she's more confused than anything. She probably has questions but doesn't care enough to ask. The man may have said something before I got there and if that's the case, she acts as if she knows nothing."
"Good, let's keep it that way."
Listening to the sound of bustling in their room above, Reno's ears perked. "I think we'll have to cut this short."
"Ok, we'll discuss this later and create a game plan if this happens again. We'll record the info you've provided, Reno. Let us know immediately if anything else happens."
"No shit, sir, like I'd keep any additional information that could save my girlfriend a secret."
"Reno," Rufus replied sternly.
"I'm out, yo," and Reno hung up, effectively ending the call with his boss.
He knew that Rufus would have a talk with him the next time they met but at that given point of time, the redhead didn't care. Shoving the phone into his back pocket, Reno walked into the kitchen, suddenly needing a cold beer. But as he made his way into the kitchen, it occurred to Reno that there probably wasn't any alcohol in the fridge. Please, please, please, please…he begged to himself. But as he opened the door and was, once again, met with the disgusting fumes that reaped his nose, Reno noted that there were indeed zero delicious beers within the cold machine. "Well fuck…"
"What's wrong?"
Upon hearing a voice he didn't, Reno tried to back out of the fridge but banged his head into the top shelf of the fridge, instantly yelling curses into the air. Slowly, while holding the back of his head, Reno straightened his body, turning towards Alia who finally graced her presence from upstairs. Alia furrowed her eyebrows and attempted to hide her smile, but to no avail, it leaked through. Seeing how she was fresh out of the shower, Reno noticed her damp hair was placed into a bun upon her head and she was dressed comfortably in black leggings and a thin sweatshirt.
"Aw, are you ok sweetie?"
"Yeah," Reno replied, continuing to rub his head. "I'm fine, just a tiny ass bump on the head." Alia walked towards him and, standing on her tip-toes, kissed his forehead.
"Better?"
"Much, thank you."
"Good." She peeked at the fridge behind him. "So what you were looking for in that death trap anyways?"
"An ice-cold beer sounded good." She nodded and voiced her agreement. Reaching forward, Reno cupped her cheek. "Hey, you doin' ok?"
She nodded. "That shower was a relief, it was super helpful."
"Are you…scared at all?"
She cocked her head to the side. "Scared? No…? Should I be?"
He blinked and tried his hardest to dismiss his surprised expression. "I just…would've thought that this whole attack…thing might have frightened you a bit."
"Well, maybe a little, I guess. I'm more confused than anything." She leaned into his hand, wanting more comfort than he was providing. Taking the hint, Reno pulled her closer until her arms wrapped around his waist. "Neither of us know what that asshole wanted and he didn't say. So I'm just gonna play this off as someone told him about me and wanted to test my abilities as someone who saved the planet, I dunno. I'm not gonna question anything unless it happens again."
"Hmm, you could look at it that way."
"Well, then that's how I'm gonna look at it." She beamed up and him and stole a quick kiss from Reno's lips. He growled on the inside, knowing he desperately wanted more but Alia was the one who needed to tell him when she was ready. And he would wait as long as he had to; she was completely worth everything to him.
Even if that meant he would suffer from long-term sexual frustration.
His hand suddenly grasped, Reno looked down to see Alia had joined their hands together. "I have an idea."
"Oh, and what would that be, peaches?"
"How about we leave the apartment and go grocery shopping? You know as well as I do that we cannot leave the fridge in that state and you also have no food here."
Cradling her cheek, Reno gazed deeply into her eyes. "Are you sure that's something you're wanting to do? Are you feeling well enough to do so?"
"Heh, I won't lie and say I'm one hundred percent better but I feel well enough to move around. And grocery shopping isn't too strenuous an activity. Besides, once we're done I can relax for the rest of the night."
"Are you absolutely sure? I just don't want you to push yourself." She nodded, smiling as she turned to kiss the palm of his hand. Kissing her forehead in return, Reno nodded. "Ok, we'll go. But the moment you need to come home just tell me. Is that fair?"
"That's more than fair," she agreed earnestly. Reno grabbed his wallet and Alia placed her mini backpack on as they made their way downstairs to the garage. Despite the drive to the store being short, the two piled into Reno's truck, taking only a few minutes before they found a parking spot. Inside the car, they each agreed that they wanted to make this as quick a trip as possible. Though it was Alia's idea, she still wanted to be home wrapped in a comfortable blanket on Reno's couch watching movies or working on her next crochet project. The redhead was in complete agreement as he, too, wanted to go home, cuddle Alia, and watch movies while drinking a nice cold beer.
Yeah. He really needed that beer.
Grabbing a cart near the front entrance, they entered the store and exhaled a comfortable sigh, the loving air conditioning hitting their skin, considering how it was humid and slightly off-putting outside. Making their way through the diverse aisles, Reno pushed the metal contraption as Alia grabbed what they needed. Most of what was placed into the cart was random food they loved to snack on as they hadn't created a game plan on what meals they would make over the next few days. There was at least one meal Alia had planned as she was currently craving spaghetti so she made sure to grab noodles, sauce, meatballs, and garlic bread to satisfy that desire.
Though they had, indeed, made the trip rather quickly, their cart was growing full by the second. Snacks upon snacks, chocolate, bread, milk, crackers, ice cream, vegetables, frozen meals, frozen dinners, sparkling water, water bottles, additional drinks, and so much more were piling high. As they moved, they also grabbed additional items they would need in their home. Reno knew they were almost out of toilet paper and paper towels; paper plates and bowls were nice on nights they didn't want to deal with dishes; and, of course, Alia had to grab a new candle. Glancing at his watch, the redhead was fairly impressed that they had only been shopping not even an hour.
Lost in his thoughts, Alia's brought him back to reality as he could hear the woman speaking to herself. Glancing into the cart, she counted with her fingers everything they had grabbed, mentally noting if there was anything they had missed but she grab. "I…think we got everything. Wait, did we grab meat for the spaghetti?"
"Yes," Reno replied automatically.
"Even sandwich meat?" He nodded. "What about chips?" He grabbed the three bags consisting of barbecue, fire, and lime flavor that was positioned directly in front of her face. "Ok. And did we get rice?"
"Yes, peaches."
"Eggs?"
"Yes."
"Umm, what about…"
"Alia?"
"Yeah, Reno?"
He walked around the cart and held her head in his hands, the tip of his nose brushing against hers as he lovingly squished her cheeks. "I think we're good. If we somehow forgot anything, we can always just come back later."
She giggled. "Ok." Kissing her, Reno walked back around the cart as they proceeded to checkout. Peeking to check the food one last time as they were walking, Alia grinned, realizing they were missing one crucial item. She double-checked the rack underneath just to be sure before speaking. "So, was there anything you wanted that we forgot?"
"Heh, are you kidding me? I didn't overlook anything, we're perfectly fine, yo."
"You sure about that?"
Reno raised an eyebrow at her and then looked for himself. "Why? What do you think I…fucking shit. Don't tell me I forgot the beer."
Chuckling behind a hand, Alia nodded rigorously. "You forgot the beer."
"Damnit!" Leaving her behind, Reno quickly left the aisle, backtracking several aisles to the left, returning only moments later with three twelve-packs of his favorite bottled beer, Red Dragon. Grunting as he placed the cases on the bottom rack, Reno narrowed his eyes at Alia who had moved from chuckling to full-on giggling. "Yo, don't even say it."
"Wasn't gonna," she said through laughter.
"Yeah, but you were thinking it. I know you too well peaches." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they made their way to the registers.
Now standing in line, they patiently waited, quickly moving until they were placing all their items onto the conveyor belt. As the employee scanned the items, Alia worked on placing the products into reusable bags, maneuvering each item until they fit perfectly like a puzzle piece. Reno helped as best he could but was never able to do as Alia did which is why he mainly handed her the items. Glancing at the employee who scanned the last item, Reno pulled the wallet from his back pocket, ready to hand over the required amount.
"All right your total today is…" Alia blanked, eyes blinking as she heard the amount being over three-hundred gil. Watching as Reno swiped his card into the machine, the woman could do nothing except stare.
Growing up with enough to survive, which meant a roof over her and Cloud's heads, food on the table, and clothes on their backs, Alia knew nothing of riches, only the bare minimum. Now, she knew Reno had come from a rough childhood, experiencing the same financial situation as her, if not worse. With his job as Second-in-Command of the Turks, Reno had been granted special perks from the position, one being the benefit of compensation he received as a salary.
And damn was his yearly salary a lot.
During the time they knew each other, Alia knew that Reno could be frivolous with his money, but he was financially smart. He knew what to lay back and when he could spend. It's not that she was jealous, no, she knew Reno worked hard and damn sure earned the money he had in his bank account.
But, she tried to argue with herself. He works extremely hard for his money, so he is allowed to spend it the way he wants. But me…?
Alia reflected on her lack of employment recently. Since the fall of Midgar and helping to build the new city of Edge, she had worked sporadic jobs here and there, some positions were in construction, she had an alternate delivery job before Cloud created his business, and she had even been a waitress one time in Kalm. That hadn't lasted long considering the distance to the city. Even now these last few months she had been helping Tifa in the bar and would help her brother with his delivery business. It wasn't theirs, it was his.
If Reno and I are in this together, how will I be able to contribute financially? It's not like I have a stable job right now, unlike Reno…
"You ready, peaches?"
Head shook at the call of her name, Alia instantly smiled, nodding as Alia took the cart as they made their way outside. Stepping into the semi-humid air, the two grabbed all the bags and stowed them into the backseat of the truck before taking off back home. Once parked in the underground garage, it took two trips before Alia and Reno had removed everything from the truck and as they stood in the elevator the second time heading upward, Alia heaved a sigh.
"This thing doesn't move fast enough," she finally said.
"Considering we're bringing home over three-hundred gil worth of food, yeah, I can see why," Reno commented in agreement.
Smiling up in his direction, considering the tip of her head reached just over the redhead's shoulders. As the elevator slowed to a stop on the top floor, they made their way to the apartment, placing the remaining bags onto the kitchen table and the tiled floor. Knowing what was to come next, Alia and Reno could only stare a the fridge, too afraid of the smell that emanated from inside.
Nudging his shoulder, Alia asked, "Want to do the usual?"
"Yeah, I ain't volunteering to clean that shit." He smiled, a serious tone etched into his response.
"All right, let's get this done quickly." Holding a fist in front of each other, they both said, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Alia opted for the paper whereas Reno decided to go with rock.
"Damnit!" He yelled into the air, his eyes glaring at the metal deathtrap he did not want to mess with. Turning back to stare with puppy dog eyes, he meekly asked, "Best two outa three?"
Rolling her eyes, Alia nodded. "Ok, but just because you asked so nicely."
Hands before them, they then said "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" once more, with Alia displaying scissors and Reno with paper.
Seeing as he lost again, the man growled. "How the fuck did you know to choose that?"
"Oh, I had a fifty-fifty that you would choose what I originally picked and it paid off."
Scoffing at her answer, Reno rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn, I knew you were smart, but…"
Alia patted his shoulder. "Don't worry Reno, the sooner you get that shit outa here the sooner you'll be done!"
Mimicking her statement under his breath, Reno began to work. Cautiously opening the door, Reno scrunched his nose and searched for the culprit. It took no time at all for the redhead to find two containers from his favorite sushi place, a half-full carton of milk - no longer in its liquid form - and small items here and there that were partially opened, releasing their toxic smell. All of which were definitely past their due date.
While Reno had been attempting to breathe and not die; granted, the smells could be worse, just knowing what was inside had his imagination run wild. As he did so, Alia preoccupied herself by finding the correct spots for everything they had purchased. She found all the items that belonged in the fridge and placed them on the table then focused on spreading all the dry products on the counter knowing they were to be placed in specific locations throughout the cupboards and the pantry. When she was almost done, she glanced over to see Reno holding his breath. Grabbing a spare trash bag, she handed it to him, knowing he was going to need it. "Shit, that smells nasty."
"Tch, at least the smell's not directly in your goddamn face," Reno lightly sneered, annoyed at the situation, not her.
Looking inside the metal contraption, Alia said, "Then it's a good thing we bought the whole grocery store."
"Exactly."
"Heh. Well, you almost done? I'm just waiting to place the cold items in there and we're done."
"Yep, got the last of it right here." Tying off the trash bag, Reno held it up, grimacing at the thought of everything he was throwing away.
Able to see through the thin material of the trash bag, Alia whistled. "Damn Reno, how many times did you go for takeout before you left?" She knew the man loved take-out, especially if it was food from the Wutai restaurant down the street.
"Well…remember there was that week right before I left when we didn't see each other? I was too lazy to make any food and didn't want to deal with cleaning dishes before I left."
"So…you didn't want to do any dishes, ok, I get that. But you couldn't be an adult and throw any trash out before leaving?"
"Hey!" He gave her that look that sent a shiver down Alia's spine. She knew Reno wasn't mad, more the fact that she immediately noticed his stupidity. "I never said I was smart, all right?"
"Hey now, don't say you're not smart." Leaning on her tiptoes, Alia kissed his cheek. "You are incredibly smart and you know this. You can just be…a little bit of an airhead sometimes, but that has never stopped me from loving you."
"Gaia, I hope not."
To helps things go quicker, Reno helped Alia move all the cold items into the fridge, the last item to be placed inside was one case of beer, as the other two were placed atop the fridge. When they were done, Alia moved to any remaining items as she had already organized them how she wanted. Leaving Alia to finish, Reno kissed her head, taking the trash bags in hand. Watching the man as the door closed behind him, the woman was left to feel…at home.
Glancing around the apartment, where she was putting food away that she and Reno would cook and consume together. She had placed the necessary toiletries around the apartment, both down and upstairs. She knew the exact location of his shampoo and how it was to face. She didn't even technically live here, but this apartment felt more at home than her room back at the bar. She felt welcomed, but to an extent. But, when she was in Reno's home, she felt safe. Safer than she had in an extremely long time, which broke her heart to have such a thought because Alia always felt as if she was including Cloud within such a statement.
With Cloud being her brother, the man was everything to her. If Alia had to think about it, she wouldn't be in the spot at this exact moment if it hadn't been for Cloud. He's the reason she was able to safely leave Nibelheim, he's the reason she was able to retain some of her sanity after…what had happened. Even after Zack died and she fell into denial, feeling it was her fault they had been discovered.
When she thought about feeling safe, she was including her brother in that statement. It was everyone else in her life that she needed to be away from. They were her friends, but they weren't home. She could be safe with them, but not the safest.
Without even realizing it, she had finished placing all the food products in their designated places. When the area in the kitchen was done, she meandered upstairs only to notice there were piles of laundry needing to be taken care of, one of which were the towels. Gathering the basket, she threw a large load into the washer, closing the lid as the machine clicked to life and she could forget about the ordeal for the next hour. Replacing the basket to its rightful place in the master bath, Alia trekked into the closet, pulling out black sweats and a purple tank top Reno had gifted her from a trip to Costa Del Sol. Discarding her jeans and t-shirt, she quickly changed, wanting nothing more than to simply sit. Now that she was changed and felt accomplished, she trekked back downstairs, grabbed her crochet project beside the couch she left last time then fell to her comfortable seat.
Just as she set her feet on the table before her, Reno had walked back inside, locking the door, then desperately heading into the side bathroom to wash his hands. Happy now that his hands felt clean of rid of any potential smell from the trash, the redhead booked it to the kitchen to grab the beer bottle Alia had stashed in the freezer just for him. Once the cap had been popped off, Reno claimed the seat next to Alia and plopped down, smiling over at her as he noticed she had started working on the blanket again.
Taking a swig of his alcohol, Reno said, "Feels good to just sit, huh?"
"Oh yes it does," she replied without looking up, her attention solely on the blanket. Her eyes were focused on intertwining the yarn as she used the powerful dexterity of her fingers, a gift the redhead had not obtained as eloquently as she.
Merely watching her, Reno eyed her intently, wondering how she could work as fast as she did, especially with a crochet needle to create something so intricate and beautiful. "So…how's the project coming? I'm surprised you left it here, to be honest."
"It's coming along good!" She smiled brightly, leaving Reno to thank the gods she was not questioning this morning's events. He did not have an answer prepared if she were to ask other than to redirect any question back to her.
"Have you decided what you're making for the baby? I don't think I ever asked that."
"I thought about making some baby clothes but ended up buying a whole bunch instead. I also bought a bunch of diapers to get them started along with whatever was on their wish list."
"Geez, how much money have you spent, Alia?"
Side-glancing at the man, the woman smirked. "…too much."
"Oh, peaches…" Reaching over, Reno rubbed the top of her head endearingly, Alia growly softly at the contact as he messed up her perfectly messed up bun. Ignoring his actions, she instead said, "I still wanted to make one homemade gift and I thought a baby blanket would be perfect."
"Considering the thought you put into everything, I think Vincent and Yuffie are going to love it."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah," Reno took another drink. "I do and if they don't, well…then they better realize that the diapers alone will for sure come in handy. I mean, this is their first child, they would be stupid if they weren't at least grateful for what you've done." Loving the way she smiled, Reno was glad she had taken his words to heart. Deciding another drink was in order, the redhead moved to down another swig when he realized that the contents were already gone. Leaning forward, he placed the empty bottle on the table, stretching his limbs as he leaned backward. "So…have you talked to the happy couple lately?"
Keeping her eyes on the project before her the entire time, Alia nodded, not once faltering in her crochet. "Yuffie called me…last week or the week before. She and Vincent and doing great and she said the baby is healthy as well.
"I forget, how far along is she now?
"I believe she's almost or just passed the six-month mark."
Reno whistled. "Damn, she's gonna pop that kid out before we know it, yo."
"I know, but it's exciting, no? Out of all of us, she'll be the first person to have a child. I mean, Tifa has practically been a mother to Marlene and Denzel for two years, but Yuffie will be the first to have her biological child."
Grasping his chin in thought, Reno eyed Alia suspiciously. "Are you…upset by that?"
Head shaking, she replied, "No, should I be?"
"I dunno peaches, you just…sounded different when you said that."
"It's not that…" Alia's fingers still moved like clockwork before ultimately halting, placing the yarn upon her lap. "I dunno…I cannot express how happy I am for her and Vincent, truly, I am. It's just…sometimes I wish it could happen to me too."
Head falling slightly, Reno couldn't believe what he was hearing. In the past, the topic of children had rarely come up but when it did, the topic was brief except that both of them stated how they weren't sure if children were meant to be in their future. "Wait, are you telling me you want to have kids, Alia? I thought you weren't sure that's what you wanted?"
She shook her head. "That's not really the part I'm focusing on."
"Ok, but then, what…" Reno blinked a few times as she held her hand up, politely interrupting him.
"I-I still don't know if having a child is meant for me, but…to me…the thought is nice? What I'm trying to say…" Slamming her hands on her face, Alia groaned, not quite sure what she was trying to say. "Never mind, I don't know. Forget that I said anything."
"No, no Alia you can't just shut it off like that. Tell me what you were thinking, I'd like to know."
Her head turning in his direction, Alia knew, by his words alone, that Reno was telling the truth. Seeing his expression, on the other hand, was an additional belief that he just wanted to hear her thoughts on the matter. Inhaling then exhaling, Alia slightly swiveled on the couch to face the man. "Ok, I don't think I'd make a good parent, but…it's nice to know that I could have that chance. I mean…no one and I mean no one, in our group thought Yuffie would be the first to get married, let alone state she was pregnant." Peering at the redhead from underneath her eyelashes, Alia's face turned pink, cheeks burning as she then added, "I'd like to know I could have that chance with someone…maybe even you, Reno."
Turning back to face the way she had, Alia picked up where she had let off on the blanket. As she had said her last words, Reno's mouth fell. The man knew exactly what Alia was implying and he'd be lying to himself if he hadn't thought about proposing to Alia, especially in the last few months. For fucks sake, the man knew he wanted Alia to be his wife the moment he first laid eyes on her in the Sector Five slums. His life had only been a blessing by having her at his side since. To have her by his side for eternity, with her as his wife and he her husband? Nothing could make the man any happier.
"Alia…" The man was about to speak, wanting, needing to more know of what the woman could say on the matter. Did she feel the same? Did she want to marry him as much as Reno wanted to marry her? Before he could even consider what to say, his phone was ringing, echoing throughout the group floor of the apartment as he left it sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Taking the empty bottle with him as he stood, Reno was swift to pick up the ringing device.
"I swear, if this is Rufus saying I need to go in to work today or tomorrow, I'm gonna be pissed."
From the living room, he could hear Alia say, "If that is Reno let me talk to him."
Chuckling at her words, knowing Alia was probably the only individual who could talk down to Rufus without fear, he glanced at the Caller ID, seeing that it was his partner. Sliding the phone, he was loud as he said, "Rude!"
"Hey Reno, how's Alia doing? I heard from Rufus what happened this morning."
Keeping his voice quiet, he said, "Oh, I see." Peering at Alia just as she glanced at him from the couch, Reno answered, "She's doing good, all things considered. Did'ya wanna talk to her directly?" Rude mumbled a reply as Reno walked back into the living room, handing his phone over to Alia.
Phone against her ear, she was all smiles. "Hiya, Rude!" At this, Reno couldn't help but smile. Who would've thought that these two would become pals like they are? But then again, so much has changed these past few years. "What did I do to receive a phone call from you today?"
"Well, I mainly called to chat with Reno, but also wanted to see if he'd been treating you right."
Stealing a peek at the redhead who raised an eyebrow left the woman softly chuckling into the phone. "Psh, don't worry. This redhead is treating me just fine, perfect even."
"Good, that's what I like to hear."
"So Rude…I know you didn't just call to see how Reno or myself were doing. What's up?"
"O-Oh, um, you see, Alia…"
"Rude, you're just like your partner. I can tell when you guys aren't speaking what you want to say. Now, what can I help you with? Because it seems as if you called to speak with me directly."
"Damn, well, can't deny the truth in your logic. Look, I know Reno is spending his first day off with you, but I was wondering if we could hit the bar for a few drinks?"
Blinking, Alia didn't know what to say for a moment. After another moment of silence, she countered Rude's question with, "W-Why're you asking me, Rude? Reno's a big boy, he can decide if he wants to go out or not, that's not up to me."
"Yeah, but…it's his time off and I know he wants to spend it with you."
Laughing, Alia did admire the consideration Rude was holding for his best friend and himself. "I really, really appreciate what you are saying, Rude. But I won't stop Reno if he wants to go get some drinks with you. He deserves to have fun when he wants." Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Alia glanced upward, only to feel Reno dropping several kisses against her head. "The only thing I'm gonna say is this: all I ask is that he doesn't come home reeking of alcohol."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, then it's settled! I'll hand the phone back to Reno, ok? Have a hard drink for me Rude!" She handed the phone back to the redhead who traversed back into the kitchen.
"Yo, Rude, so what's happening?"
"We're hitting a bar. I need a drink and I think you do too."
"Hey, I'm totally down! Are you there now?"
"No, I'm headed your way to pick you up. I'll be there in five then we're going to Moogle's Place."
"'k, I'll be outside soon, order me the usual." Reno locked the phone and looked over at Alia. "He told you he wanted to go drinking, didn't he?"
"Course he did, tried asking for my permission too." Leaning her head backward, she stared at the man as he moved closer to her position. "You heard what I said to him. I appreciate him asking but you are your person, you can make your own decisions."
"Damn girl, I seriously don't deserve you." Smiling widely Reno held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
This caused Alia's smile to grow as well. "No, but you could say it more often."
"I will scream it as much as you would like." Sealing her lips with a kiss, Reno stood up. "You sure you'll be ok on your own?"
She nodded, automatically returning to her crocheting. "I've got this, a television full of movies, and fresh food in the fridge. I think I can manage."
"Here, the least I can do is hand you the remote." Meaning, Reno walked around the couch, grabbed the remote from the table, and handed it to Alia, which took all of ten seconds.
"You are such a big helper, thank you, sweetheart. What would I ever do without you?"
"I don't like the thought of you living a life without me."
"Same here, because it's not going to happen. Right?" Alia held her knuckles out for Reno to bump with his.
As he did, chuckling all the while, the man agreed. "Right." Walking towards the closet beneath the stirs, Reno pulled his leather jacket out, wrapping himself in the warm material as he walked into the kitchen, knowing Alia would want something to snack n and drink. "All right missy, before I leave, what would you like?"
"A soda and some chips! Plus a napkin!"
Grabbing her requested items, he placed her can on the table along with two different bags of chips, not knowing which she would prefer. "Wasn't sure what you were in the mood for."
"You're such a sweetheart, Reno, thank you."
As she leaned upward to kiss the man on his lips, Reno asked, "Anything else my peaches would like?"
Just hearing her favorite nickname left the woman blushing, thus the reason behind the name. "No, no, you're good Reno. Besides, I don't want you keeping Rude waiting forever, he is expecting to have a beer with you."
"Most likely several, if I'm allowed to be honest."
"And he's picking you up, correct? Does that mean he's the designated driver?" Rubbing the back of his neck, Reno hadn't thought that far ahead, all he knew was that he and his friend were going to have several drinks and talk. "Look, the only stipulation I gave Rude is that you don't come home sweating alcohol, so don't have so many you pass out in his car."
With a noise beeping from his phone, Reno glanced at the screen to see Rude had just arrived and was waiting out front. "Well, he's here. You sure you're good?"
Alia waved him off. "Yes, yes, and I can fix my dinner once I'm hungry. Now go and have fun, despite having spent the last few weeks with your best friend."
"I'll see you in a few hours. I love you, Alia!"
~ oOo ~
"Rude, why did you call me here?" Taking a long swig of his beer, Reno smacked his lips, loving the feel of another alcoholic beverage running down his throat. He looked over at his sunglass-clad friend, watching as Rude had already finished his first beer.
"Damn, you and Alia both?"
"Both what?"
"You both can tell when someone needs something that they're not expressing."
Genuinely surprised, Rude wasn't one to come out and request help if needed. The bald man was always a silent individual and his tell would be if he ever removed his sunglasses. "Oh, you need something partner? What is it?"
"No, Reno, I don't need anything."
Reno blinked, slowly taking another drink, becoming confused as each second passed. "Then…we're here cause…why?"
Rude gently slammed his empty mug on the counter. "Rufus told me what happened to Alia."
"Yes, you mentioned that on the phone earlier. What all did he tell you?"
"Everything you told him. So it did happen, huh?"
"Yeah. Scary shit happened this morning." Reno began retelling Rude exactly what happened, beginning from when Alia left the apartment until they finally left the outskirts and made it back home. It had taken Reno about twenty minutes to explain everything to Rude, he kept stopping every few minutes, not able to handle what he was saying, unable to believe all his fears from this last year could have come true.
The bartender came back around, refilling both mugs. He knew who Reno and Rude were since they were familiar customers and knew the drinks each Turk preferred to have. "'sup Reno, Rude! How've you two been lately? Haven't seen ya in quite some time!"
Reno took his mug once it was filled, lifting it in the air as thanks. Max had been a bartender at the local bar they frequented when Midgar was still alive. When the Turks learned he and his family had survived, Rufus had given the man some money to rebuild the bar he had lost in the destruction of their city. "Sorry Max, we had some stuff to take care of for work. We just got back yesterday."
"Ah, Rufus still keepin' you busy, eh?"
"When needed," Rude stated.
"Well, it puts money on the table, does it not?"
"That it does," Reno said, tilting his head back as the alcohol seeped down his throat. "Damn, that's the stuff!"
"Reno, where's your pack of smokes, man? You're usually lighting one by now."
"Max, you didn't know?" The bartender looked at Rude with a questionable look. "He quit - almost two years ago."
"What?!" Max turned towards Reno, who only drank more of his beer. "Why'd you quit, man? You were addicted to those things!"
"I quit for my girl," was all Reno said. Yeah, he had loved smoking, and it was the best stress relief he'd known when discovering his love for cigarettes. However, his love for Alia was stronger, and when he began to understand the feelings he held for her, even before their friendship grew into a romantic relationship, the redhead quit. After the fall of Midgar and Reno contacted Alia for her help to save Rufus did she admitted her distaste for the nasty habit. She didn't care that people smoked as she believed that was their right. What she couldn't stand was the smoke as it made her nauseous and it affected her lungs, giving her severe coughing fits whenever she was around smokers.
But Max was still in denial. "You're tellin' me you quit two years ago and I didn't notice?!"
"Sorry Max, but you weren't that observant about his smoking," Reno said.
"Well damn. I mean, congrats. I bet it was ridiculously hard since you probably smoked a pack a day, if not more. That means you've got one lucky girl for you to up and quit for her."
Reno's voice dropped. "Yeah, honestly it was the easiest decision I have ever made. She means everything to me."
Max smirked, being one of the few people outside the Turks and Rufus to know the story behind Reno and Alia. "Then do everything you can to keep her safe. It's about time you settle down with someone you care deeply for." Noticing as more customers grabbed a seat at the bar, Max waved his friends off as he moved down the line, but Reno and Rude could hear him mutter as he walked off, "Two freaking years…"
Needing to backtrack to the original conversation, Rude spoke up. "Reno, listen. Don't let today bother you. As long as you stay by Alia's side, everything will be ok."
Clapping the bald man on the shoulder, Reno took another swig, for some reason he need alcohol today. "Heh, thanks, partner. I don't think Alia's been able to tell but I've been stressing all day about this shit. Today just…scared the crap outa me. I mean, we've been dealing with this behind the scenes for about nine months, right? What if something worse happens in the future? What if I'm not there or…what if I can't do anything to help Alia at the moment?"
"Like I said, don't try to worry about it as much as you are. Rufus is working on something right now as we speak."
"Oh, is he now?"
"He wants to keep Alia safe just as much as you, Reno." Rude gulped down the remainder of his third beer, waving down a different bartender to refill his mug. The redhead knew his limit was several beers, but Rude…even Reno hadn't seen him full-on drunk. "You know he cares about her in his own way."
Reno peered at his friend. "Seriously? We're talkin' about Rufus Shinra, right?"
"It makes sense when you think about it. She's the reason he survived the attack from Weapon, she's the reason he's still here to this day. He feels as if he's in her debt or something."
"And he told you this directly?"
"Nah, just call it a hunch." Taking a decent sip of his freshened drink, Rude continued to speak, clearing the foam from his upper lip. "So, what else has been happening to you lately? Has it finally happened?" Shaking his head, it was the redhead's turn to down his beer, this time Max quickly refilled his mug before moving on. He didn't need to glance at his partner to know that Rude had his eyes slightly narrowed behind those infamous glasses. "Still nothing? Damn. Ironic, if you think about it. Between all of us, you were the womanizer, and the moment you get into a serious relationship you can't get laid."
Though Reno slapped the back of his partner's head, the redhead was soft spoke with his next words. "It doesn't bother me."
Rubbing his head, Rude was quiet. "Shit, man. Last time we went drinking you told me it did. Which is it then?"
"I'm being honest here, Rude! Alia and I had a…somewhat serious talk last night after returning home from dinner. She…kinda told me her reasoning? I-I can't really say."
Rude waited patiently as his partner did nothing but stare down at his mug. "What was it that she said?"
Reno inhaled deeply. "She…she's afraid that I'm only here to fuck her once and then be off. Alia doesn't think that she'll be good enough for me considering my sexual history."
"Wow," Rude was quiet for a moment before speaking.
"I know, I couldn't believe it was what she was telling me last night. I still find it hard to believe."
"It…makes sense though, right?"
"Aw man, why do you say it like that?"
"Reno, face it – you were quite infamous in Midgar for sneaking your way into a girl's pants for a night where you never called them back. In comes Alia, someone who has never been in a serious relationship before, and you two start having this connection almost instantaneously. Not only that, but you two have remained faithful in the two years since Midgar fell. I hate to say it partner, but…I can kinda see why she would say what she said."
Reno stayed quiet, looking back down at the remaining liquid in his mug. He knew Rude was right, it made sense when his partner stated it like that. "Damn…" He set the mug down and threw his face into his hands. "I'm not upset with her. I'm angry and frustrated with myself! I never wanted to hurt her with my past!"
"I know you didn't, Reno. What did you tell her?"
He drew in a shaky breath. "I told her that the decision was up to her and that I wouldn't push anything.
"I think that's your best bet."
"But…" Dropping his hands slightly to peer at Rude through open fingers, Reno then added, "Something feels…off."
Dropping his mug to the counter, Rude raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
"Alia, she…ok, so she said what she said, right? But she kept asking why I would want someone as broken as her, though she never explained why."
Mug dropping to the counter as he was about to take another drink, Rude's mouth fell as well. "Broken? Wha' the hell does Alia mean she's 'broken'?"
"I have no fucking idea! That's why I think there's something else she's not telling me!"
Arm gripping Reno's in an attempt to calm him down, Rude gently said, "Stop. Whatever it is you are thinking you need to stop. You know the life Alia has had, especially when you consider what Professor Hojo did to her during the four years she was held captive. Maybe something has happened to her that she doesn't want to say aloud."
"I…I mean I guess, but…this is me, Rude! Why wouldn't Alia be able to tell me everything? Doesn't she trust me?"
"Reno," Rude stated his friend's name firmly. "Believe me when I say that Alia trusts you wholeheartedly. You don't see the way she looks at you the way we do. But from my spot, even I can tell that Alia is still suffering from her demons, and maybe…maybe she hasn't told you of all that has gone through because she can't."
"But…"
Rude squeezed his best friend's arm. "Sometimes it's not about trust, Reno. Sometimes people just aren't physically able to speak about things they have suffered."
"So…she's gone through something that has…affected her ability to be intimate with me?"
Rude shrugged. "I can't say for certain; for her, it could be something completely unrelated to sex, you just don't know. All I can say is this…give the woman some more time. Yes, you've been together for almost two years but you need to consider Alia. Maybe she's just not at the point where she'd be able to freely tell you everything she's kept a secret."
"Fucking shit…" Rubbing his temple, Reno didn't want to think of the hardships his Alia has endured. He's known, from the beginning what she's gone through, especially since she moved from Nibelheim to Midgar in the hopes of joining SOLDIER. And though he knew much about her life in Nibelheim with Cloud and their mother, if he had to be honest, Reno honestly didn't know as much as he thought he did. Probably not as much as would like. "Regardless…" Reno found himself speaking without realizing he was. "Whether we do eventually have sex or not, I don't care. I've been in love with Alis since the moment I laid eyes on her and this won't change that." Setting his third empty glass aside, Reno turned his head toward Rude. "I'm not about to lose her. And I won't let this lack of intimacy or whoever this 'master' is taking her away from me. That woman is my entire world."
"Heh, I've known from the moment that you said you were in love with her that you two were meant to be."
"Heh, I think so too, Rude, I think so too."
"Then I've got one last question to ask you."
"And what would that be?"
"When are you finally gonna ask her to marry you?"
~ oOo ~
By the time Reno walked through the front door, the clock chimed a little after eleven, meaning he had Rude had stayed at the bar for several hours, ordering deep-fried food and playing several rounds of pool. Reno had stopped drinking after three beers, wanting to keep his promise to Alia bout not reeking of alcohol when he came home. Rude, on the other hand, had one beer after another though finally switched to water an hour before they had decided to leave. As he locked the door behind him, Reno sighed. Although it had been a great stress reliever to talk to his longtime partner and best friend, the redhead was simply happy to be home with Alia.
"Hey Alia, I'm home," the man called out as he locked the door. Turning, he was surprised to hear nothing but the t.v. playing in the background until he spotted Alia on the couch. Chuckling to himself, Reno walked to the edge of the couch and simply stood there, eyes set on the beautiful woman that lay before him. Alia was laying on her side, cuddled underneath the blanket she had made for Reno's birthday last year, the frantic pulled until it was bunched beneath her nose. Her eyes were shut gently, and the beautiful blonde locks cascaded around her, almost as if her hair was a halo surrounding her peacefulness.
Reno couldn't help but stare at the most mesmerizing spectacle before him. He was appalled at the beauty Alia held and couldn't grasp the idea that she was his, wanting to stay by his side. Rude's words from earlier echoed in his head. When are you finally gonna ask her to marry you? He knew Rude was right, they had been together long enough and were living together - when the opportunity was upon them - and he knew her inside and out as she did him. Without a doubt, Reno wanted to stay with Alia as long as possible but…marriage?
The thought made him think back to the last the but of their conversation with Alia before leaving to meet Rude. Though she didn't explicitly state she wanted to marry Reno, she had implied that she did and was looking forward to the prospect of becoming pregnant with his child.
Shaking his head, Reno quietly turned off the television, pulling the blanket off Alia's body and folding it before placing it on the back of the couch. When the colder room temperature blew against her delicate skin, Alia curled up into a tighter ball, her lips quivering from the lack of heat she had grown accustomed to. Smiling at her cuteness, Reno turned off the rest of the lights and then lifted Alia into his arms. Though still in a deep sleep, Alia curled against Reno's warm body, her head unconsciously finding the crook of his neck where she always placed it. Leaving the confines of downstairs, Reno made his way to the bedroom where he placed the woman on her side of their shared bed.
Quickly and quietly as he could, he began to disrobe, watching Alia softly breathe. Walking toward the dresser, Reno pulled out a clean shirt. Throwing the white fabric over his shoulders, he heard Alia mumble behind him. Turning to the bed, he saw she turned onto her other side, her eyes squeezed together ad her breathing had increased. She must be having a bad dream.
"Reno…" Alia whispered softly. Or…maybe not, he thought.
Reno stood at the foot of the bed watching as Alia tossed all over her side of the bed until she eventually found herself lying on her back. "Ohhhh…Reno…" she whispered again, a small, delectable moan escaping past her lips.
Reno's eyes immediately widened. Holy fuck. Alia gasped lightly and her head tilted backward, her mouth slightly open as she breathed in short, heated pants. She continued to moan and whimper, redness glowed upon her cheeks and Reno instantly knew what she was dreaming about. "Holy fuck, that is so hot," he whispered to himself, unable to look away.
Having already taken his pants off, Reno didn't need to glance down to know his erection was growing within his boxers. He had seen her when she wanted to kiss him or after a long make-out session. But never before had he seen her so…turned on. Reno's hands fell to the bulge and lightly touched it. He gasped but quickly pulled away, though his breathing wouldn't calm down. Damn! As hot as this is right now, it'd feel wrong to do something while Alia's asleep. But fuck…That mouth, her legs, her…
Knowing it was wrong considering she was asleep, Reno pushed himself away into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Alia deserved much more than Reno masturbating before her while she slept, so doing so locked in the bathroom was a better option, right?
With his back leaning against the counter, Reno removed his hardened cock, fingers gliding over the smooth skin, shuddering at what he was about to do. He had only stared at Alia for a moment, but the tiny whimpers and the luscious moans were enough to bring Reno to stand at full attention. Knowing he could take care of his immediate need, Reno fully grasped his member, instinctually thrusting himself into his hand, fingers softly caressing his hardened shaft. Head thrown backward, Reno exhaled, the sensations coursing through his being were wondrous.
Moving the hand to his mouth, Reno spat into the palm, needing additional lube as the cold saliva met his cock. Hissing at the temperature difference, Reno released a tiny moan, though he bit his lip, not wanting to release sounds loud enough that could wake the woman in the other room. Fingers gripping his length, Reno increased his speed, using the pressure between his thumb and index finger, tightening these two fingers to create the perfect pressure that would allow him to orgasm within a few minutes.
Huffing, Reno glanced upward, eyes soon falling closed as he could hear the squelch sounds from the spit around his cock. Breath coming in short gasps, Reno momentarily forgets his life for a few seconds. All he can comprehend is the hand running up and down the length of his cock. Taking his left hand, he reaches inside his boxers to fondle his balls, and the moment he does, Reno clenches, knowing the time is nigh. His hand moves in a perfect rhythm, not too fast or too slow with just enough pressure against the head of his cock where it was now weeping with arousal.
Thinking back to the woman in the next room, he hated to admit it, but Reno had imagined her several times in sexual situations where he utterly devoured her. He imagined slowly removing her clothing piece by piece, kissing her soft lips as his fingers placed with her breasts, moving to twist her perky nipples. Reno had heard her moan, let alone the sound she released just a few minutes prior, and the redhead had to guess she would be fairly loud; he imagined she would be loud. He'd kiss and suckle his way down her toned stomach, pausing to lay a gentle kiss above her blonde curls before opening her lips and dropping another kiss to her pearl. He imagined she would release a silent scream, though would openly beg for more. Alia would trap her fingers within his fiery hair, sinking her nails into his scalp as he licked her lovingly, ensuring that she would have the first orgasm of the night because she deserved it.
He would move back up her body once she released, watching adoringly as her body would quiver, spasming as the orgasm he gave tore through her body. Reno imagined cupping her face, thumbs running across her peach-colored cheeks, saying aloud how much he loved her. He hoped she would then raise her legs, wrapping her powerful thighs around himself as he lined up, not withholding himself from sinking his hardened cock into her wet pussy.
Hissing through clenched teeth, the redhead felt his abdomen muscles squeeze, and he was barely able to move his hand in time before his impending orgasm washed upon him without warning.
Grasping his cock's head, Reno's body shook, and spasms, like he hadn't felt in some time, took control. Holding this position for several moments, the redhead was finally able to release the fist he held, glancing down and smirking at the amount of sperm he had released. Taking in a deep breath, Reno released what he inhaled before turning to the sink behind him to wash his hands.
Stealing a peek at himself in the mirror, Reno took note of the redness within his cheeks, the way his breath was still short despite having calmed down from such an orgasm. "I love that fucking woman and she hasn't even touched me," the man whispered, dragging a wet hand across his burning face. Drying his hands, Reno adjusted himself before turning the light off and crawling into bed. With his nightstand lamp being the last light he extinguished, Reno rolled onto his side to face Alia when he felt her curl against his body. Frozen for a second, the man's arms instantly wrapped around her smaller frame. Kissing the top of her head, the last words to leave his lips before closing his eyes were, "I love you, Alia."
~ oOo ~
This is so much better than what it used to be. If you've read the original, please tell me what you think! I did a tremendous amount of editing in this chapter as I'm wanting it to flow more eloquently.
In addition, I am considering changing the name of this story. Originally, the current title was supposed to be related to a scene I have planned down the line, and though I still plan to write that specific scene, the title isn't what it should be. I would love to hear suggestions but I won't change the title until the next update.
DragonGoddess629
