Chapter Ten
What Happens Now?
A/N: We're slowly understanding more of Alia and her backstory. More will be released, and things will slowly escalate from here.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII does not belong to me. I own Alia, any other OCs, and this fanfiction. I hold no copyright over direct quotes from FFVII, FFVII: Remake, or FFVII Advent Children.
~ oOo ~
The warmth of the comforter was soft against her skin. Opening her eyes, Alia surveyed the room briefly before closing them once more. Rolling around, she flipped and curled tighter into the mattress, wanting nothing more than to gain a few more minutes of sleep. But she knew it was pointless. Taking a deep breath, she dared to open her eyes fully. Pushing the comforter away from her, Alia stretched, raising her arms above her head before they flopped onto the bed.
It was then she blinked,
Raising herself, she pushed against the bed until she sat against the headboard. Patting the mattress beside her, Alia's brain registered that the spot was empty and warm, but no one was there. Her favorite redhead was gone.
"Reno?"
Her soft voice echoed across the darkening room. The sun started setting outside, casting a warm glow across the mattress. Knowing the sun would fully set soon, she reached over and slipped the side lamp on; bright light flickered across her face. But, still, there was no Reno.
"Reno…?" She called again,
The bathroom door opened and out walked the man in question. His eyes blinked. Reno took Alia's hand in his as he sat beside her on the edge of the bed. "Hey, sleepyhead. You're awake."
Alia's first response was to rub her eyes. "What time is it?" Her words were slightly slurred, indicating that sleep still cloaked her mind and body.
She yawned, and Reno chuckled. "It's a little after six."
"Oh. That means I slept…?"
"Almost two hours," Reno finished her sentence. "Told ya you needed your sleep."
She yawned again. "It's been a long day," she commented.
"Yeah, it has." Reno's eyes softened. Cupping her cheek, he pulled Alia closer and dropped kissed her forehead. "You…doing ok?"
Remembering their lengthy conversation before falling asleep, Alia nodded sheepishly. "I…I think so. My eyes kinda hurt."
He tilted her chin upward, inspecting her face. "Well…you did have a good crying session, and they're slightly swollen. Want a warm cloth?"
"No, I…" Growling, Alia's stomach voiced in her stead. "I, well, I'm hungry."
"Really, what gave that away?" Reno saw Alia try and smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. He wanted to question what she was thinking but decided against it. "So, what would my peaches like for dinner?"
"Pasta," she quickly and confidently stated. Alia could feel her cheeks grow pink, but she stuck with her answer. "Spaghetti and some bread sound really good right now."
He chuckled again. "Then it's a good thing we went grocery shopping." Standing, he held his hand out for her to take. "Would you like me to make it so you can relax?"
Accepting his hand, Alia slowly stood, limbs stiff from her fight with the mysterious person just hours prior. There was a twinge of pain in her shoulder that she brushed aside. Peering into Reno's eyes, she fought against diverting her attention away. Alia suddenly felt small, and she didn't know why. Swallowing the unknown fear, she asked, "Can we cook together?"
Reno's brows lifted. He honestly thought she would've wanted him to cook for her. Smiling, he nodded. "Whatever my peaches want."
Stepping through the apartment, they turned on several lights as they made their way to the kitchen, illuminating the ample living space with brightness. Once in the kitchen, Alia instructed Reno to grab the specific dishes while she grabbed the necessary food. Setting the oven to the appropriate temperature, Alia grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed one to the redhead. Popping off the cap, Alia slowly drank hers but nearly downed half the bottle in one go. The redhead watched her the entire time.
"You ok, Alia? You never drink like that," Reno commented.
She nodded silently, settling the bottle off to the side. Filling the pot with water, she placed it on the stove and ignited the gas. All they had to do now was wait for it to boil. "I just…" She turned toward him. "I'm just thinking…"
"What we talked about?" She nodded again, turning back to face the stove. Maneuvering behind her, Reno wrapped his arms around Alia's waist, pulling her into his chest. "You wanna talk about it?"
At first, Alia shook her head, but then she changed her mind and nodded. "I'm still…I can't believe I told you everything."
"Do you regret it?"
"No, no!" She instantly stated. Twisting in his arms, Alia placed her hands against his chest. "No, I don't regret it. But you have to understand. For so long, only Cloud knew the truth. Now that you know, I just…"
"You feel vulnerable?" Starring into his beautiful blue eyes, Alia nodded. Of course, Reno understood. He just understood her; it was as simple as that. "Oh, Alia." Pulling her closer, Reno kissed her forehead before placing theirs together. "For the record, I appreciate that you told me. This makes me feel like you really trust me."
"I trust you, Reno," Alia stated firmly. "Besides Cloud, you are the person I trust the most."
He grinned. "Heh, I can never beat Cloud, can I?"
She rolled her eyes but still smiled nonetheless. "Reno…"
He snickered. "I know, I know." Heaving a breath, the redhead grasped her cheeks. "Listen to me. This does not change the fact that I love you."
"It-it doesn't…?" Alia widened her eyes.
"Hell no, it does not. If anything, it makes me love you more." He kissed her nose and added, "You've been through so much, Alia. Sometimes…sometimes I can't believe how strong you are, and I am incredibly proud of how you continue to fight and live your life."
Alia blinked to clear her vision. She knew - she knew - what this man thought of her. But hearing him speak such words after revealing her dark secret left the woman loving him more as well. Brushing a tear off her cheek, Alia turned, needing to find something to do. As she dumped the meatballs from the bag onto the cookie sheet, she felt Reno tap her shoulder.
"I love you, Aliana. You know that, don't you?"
Placing the cookie sheet in the oven, she finally answered the man: "And I love you, Reno." She kissed his cheek. "More than I think you know." She moved to grab the pasta, as the water was now boiling, but Reno took the box from her hands. Surprised, she glanced up at him.
"We're cooking together, remember?" He said.
She smiled at that, eyes softening. "Yes, how could I forget?"
Reno snickered, gently dumping the dry pasta into the boiling water. "Alright, Chef Aliana, what should we do next?"
"The meatballs need to cook while the pasta boils. When the noodles are done, we'll drain the water and place the sauce inside, heating it in the same pot. Once the meatballs are done, we mix it all together. I'll throw the bread in the oven for a few minutes; then we can eat."
"Oh, damn." Reno took a quick drink from his beer. "You're just telling me what to do, and that sounds fucking delicious."
She drank a sip as well. "It's simple, but spaghetti is one of my favorite meals."
"Now that I know." Taking the spoon, Reno gently stirred the noodles. When he set the utensil aside, the man released a heavy breath. "I feel like I need to ask what happens now."
Still, Alia chugged the rest of her drink for a moment, placing the glass in its rightful place before grabbing another. The woman stalled, taking a deep breath herself, unsure how to answer the question. "I don't know," she said softly. "You said this doesn't change anything, right?"
"Not at all. I wanna make sure you feel safe." Reno grasped her hand, to which Alia tightened her fingers around his. Swallowing, Reno lifted his head to stare into her mismatched-colored eyes. "But, I…I have questions. Would it be ok if I ask…?"
That took Alia by surprise. Blinking, she then said, "Of course. What…do you want to ask?"
Inhaling the rest of his beet, Reno maneuvered around Alia to grab another cold bottle from the fridge. After taking a drink from the new bottle, he returned to the stove and stored the noodles more. "I-I dunno where to start."
Leaning back against the counter, Alia asked, "What's the first thing on your mind?" She placed a gentle hand on his arm and added, "You can be blunt; I don't mind."
Lifting his head, Reno stared briefly, his mouth opening and closing several times. "What happened once you joined Shinra?"
Huffing, Alia was slow to answer. "To be honest…I felt like a completely different person. I listened to my superiors and excelled in training, but…For the first few weeks after leaving Nibelheim, all I could think about was Zane. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened."
"That sounds like torture."
"It kinda was. I-I had nightmares for several weeks where I relived everything that happened." She curled into herself. "It got so bad that they almost kicked me out."
Reno accidentally dropped the utensil onto the counter after reaching for the strainer. "They…almost kicked you out?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I excelled during training at first, but as the weeks flew by, I fell behind. I was lagging and so sleep-deprived that I was slacking at my posts. My superior gave me one week to shape up, or I would be shipped back to Nibelheim." Taking hold of the pasta, she drained the food before placing it back into the same pot.
Reno watched her the entire time. He removed the lids from the sauce jars and handed them to Alia, who dumped the contents with the noodles before stirring everything together. "Then, something must've changed because you weren't kicked out."
"I explained everything to Cloud," the woman sighed. "He found me at our post one night, and we just started talking when I told him they would kick me out. Of course, he didn't believe me at first." She chuckled at the memory, but that laughter soon fell. The timer dinged, and Alia pulled the meatballs out, tossing them into the spaghetti concoction.
Reno handed her the bread to put in the oven. "I'm guessing his attitude changed."
"Yeah…I remember just losing it and explaining everything to Cloud. I told him about everything that happened to me."
"Mean, how did he - wait. What do you mean you told him everything? Didn't he already know what happened with Zane?"
"No," she said.
"Then how did…? Now, hold on just a minute." Grabbing two bowls from the cupboard, he held them as Alia scooped their dinner into each. "I thought Cloud knew it all before you left for Midgar?"
Alia shook her head and watched Reno set the bowls on the smaller table in the corner. "Cloud, he…" Rubbing her temple, Alia took a moment to breathe.
Sheltered inside the cave, fifteen-year-old Alia held herself, sinking back further against the rock when she could hear someone nearing her location. She cringed, fearing it was Zane, only to realize it was Cloud as he suddenly held her into his body. She remembered muttering to Cloud that Zane had attacked her but refused to go into more details than that. Cloud had probably figured it out at the time but didn't ask anything specific.
"…Alia?"
Returning to the present, Alia watched as Reno removed the bread and turned the oven off. "I'm fine," she muttered quickly and quietly.
But Reno was fast to catch on. "No, you're not, don't lie to me." Cupping her cheek, he pulled her closer. "Listen to me. If this is too much, we can stop."
She shook her head. "No, it's helping, it really is. It's just…hard." Taking their seat at the table, the couple was quiet for a moment, allowing the food to cool. "Cloud only knew what I initially told him. When he found me in that cave, I only told him that Zane had hurt me. He never questioned it, never asked me anything specific. He just took me home. But," she swallowed. "That night in Midgar, I told him all that happened. Everything I explained to you, I told him."
"And…what did Cloud do after that?"
"Said that he'd kill Zane. I swear, that was the first time I laughed in weeks because it was something I also wanted to do." She took a small bite of her meal, Reno following as they both hummed in appreciation of the delicious food. "Honestly, I remember feeling ten times better by telling my brother what happened. He helped me through the week, and I could stay."
"Wow. So…he really was the only one who knew before you told me."
"I wasn't lying about that."
"No, no, I wasn't saying you were. I just couldn't believe you kept this a secret for eight years."
"Well, I had no reason to share it until now."
They fell into silence. There was a slight tension, but they still ate. Reno watched Alia, wondering where she pulled her strength from. Zane, to the incident at Nibelheim, to Hojo's capture, to fighting Sephiroth. He wondered how she had survived it all.
"…I know you have another question," Alia suddenly stated, catching the redhead off guard.
Clearing his throat, he stole a drink to calm his nerves quickly. "Well, I was wondering…
He waved his hand, unsure how to phrase his question without sounding inconsiderate.
"Reno, I won't be mad."
"It's not that, I-it's just…" Taking a deep breath, he exclaimed, "Did you…d-discover you were p-pregnant?"
Alia's eyes snapped open as she dropped her fork. Quickly picking it up, she scratched at her cheek, trying to figure out how to answer. It was such a simple question that held so much meaning. Swallowing the small amount of bile that crept up her throat, Alia shook her head. "No. Thankfully…thankfully, that didn't happen." Reno seemed to sigh out of relied; Alia took note of that. "For a moment, several weeks afterward, I thought I was."
Reno's face perked at that truth. "You-you did?"
"Yeah." Alia nodded, swallowing once more. Taking a bite of her dinner, she was slow to figure out how to explain the situation. "My period was late, and I thought I was showing symptoms of early pregnancy. After I explained everything to Cloud, he went with me to the medical wing to have me examined. We didn't state why I thought I was pregnant; the nurse didn't need to know why. Thankfully, I was negative, and the nurse suggested that my period was late because of stress from the move from Nibelheim to Midgar and training. I believed her. I was fine after that."
Reaching forward, Reno took hold of Alia's spare hand and squeezed. He didn't know what to say, so he showed it through his actions. Reno spoke after several moments of squeezing her fingers to know he was there. "I…can't imagine going through something like that. I can't say nothing would have changed if you had a child, but…is it wrong that I'm slightly glad you didn't have to go through that?"
"No. At least, I don't think so." Sighing, she dropped her forehead into her hand, thinking back to those long nights all those years ago. "The thought of having a child…When I think about it now, the thought is welcoming. But if I had discovered I was pregnant after being raped…I don't know if I would have kept the child."
"I don't think anyone would blame you for that. Something like that…" Reno's face fell. "Alia…I'm sorry you had to go through something like that."
She smiled up at the man. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm ok." When she acknowledged the incredulous look on Reno's face, she released a soft laugh. "No, really!"
"Are you sure? This is heavy shit we're talking about."
"I mean, now that the truth is out, it's easier to talk about it with you. Just that hurdle of admitting the truth was the hardest." Retaking his hand, Alia rubbed his thumb across his skin. "I know this: I'm living a better life now than I was. I'm in a safe place living here and being with you, and I wouldn't ask for anything better than that."
She chuckled at seeing a slight blush coat Reno's cheeks. Clearing his throat, he glanced off to the side, wanting to avoid her gaze suddenly. "Stop. You're embarrassing me!"
"Oh, really now?" Reaching across the table, Alia poked Reno's cheek, who pulled back, a bright smile gracing his features.
"Can I…ask something else?"
She tilted her head. "Of course. I'm trying to be open about this."
"I know, and I'm extremely thankful you're being this honest with me." Taking a deep breath, Reno stared straight into her eyes. "What do you feel about intimacy? You mentioned it earlier, but is it something you truly want?"
Alia instantly nodded. "Yes. I didn't want anything to do with men for a long time. Zane kinda ruined the idea for me. But then I met you. And I…I was conflicted because, for a while, I thought I didn't want a relationship with someone because of how my first love - crush? - hurt me. But then…" It was her turn to smile. "I met you down in the slums, and everything changed. I suddenly wanted to be near another male. I wanted to have a conversation with you and see you smile."
The entire time she was talking, Reno listened intently. He continued eating in silence, knowing this was something that Alia needed to speak about.
She sighed as she remembered their chance encounter several years prior, smiling at the memory, knowing that it was the first time in a long time that she had felt alive. "I find myself craving that next step with you, Reno. I have for a while. At the beginning of our relationship, I didn't want anything to do with intimacy because what we had was so new compared to what I experienced in Nibelheim. But the longer we've been together, I just…" Inhaling deeply, Alia was blunt with her following statement. "Reno, I want to have sex with you. I want us to make love, to enjoy the intimacy we deserve."
Caught off guard by her bluntness, Reno's face coated itself in red again. He had wanted the same notion with Alia since the start of their relationship. Thinking back, he could tell something had been different with Alia. The other women he had enjoyed back in Midgar threw themselves at him, willingly and quickly offering their bodies to the redhead. But Alia was different. She was slow with her mannerisms. She was quick to offer hugs but was slow to kiss and slow to show any other type of romantic intimacy. And still, he craved no one but her and wanted no one but her.
"Alia, I…" At a loss for words, Reno smiled, not knowing how to express his sheer happiness. He had already made the conviction that if Alia didn't want to be intimate, then so be it because he wanted to be with her. He didn't love all those other women. The women he sued were just that - something he could use to feel instant gratification in pleasure. With Alia, he loved her. He wanted the life he craved for so long. The man wanted the domesticity of life with a romantic partner. And for so long, he could envision himself with Alia.
He could see himself coming home from a long day at work to find Alia cooking in the kitchen. Reno wanted to enjoy domestic life, watch TV on the couch on a lazy Saturday, go clothes shopping for the upcoming seasons, go grocery shopping, and enjoy life.
But then there was one image pressing Reno's mentality, even long before Rude had asked him several days prior.
Reno wanted to marry Alia.
The redhead wanted nothing more than to propose to Alia, gifting her the perfect ring on the ideal night. Dreaming of her reaction, Reno could envision how her eyes would light up as she stared at the ring before moving to his face. The night would be perfect, and he would pop the question as they walked the beach at Costa Del Sol, enjoying the evening breeze with the soothing sound of the ocean drifting into their ears.
One day, maybe soon, Reno would make this a reality.
"Alia." Reno grabbed her attention and said, "I've said this before, and I'll repeat it: we will only do something when you're comfortable." The woman was about to speak, but Reno shook his head, politely cutting her off. "No, no. What you've shared is fragile, and I don't want to rush into anything because we both want the same thing." He then took both her hands in his. "The right time will happen. And when it does, we will enjoy the night."
Breathing, Alia stared at their combined hands. "I'm afraid," she stated in a small voice.
"Why?"
Lifting her head, she said, "Because…what if I freak out? Reno, I've never done anything remotely sexual with anyone since Zane. I haven't even…" She swallowed the thick saliva coating her mouth. "I haven't even touched myself since then."
Reno's eyes widened at that truth. "Never…?"
She shook her head in confirmation. "I've been too scared," she admitted. "I can't explain why, but I've tried. Anytime I got close, I was immediately transported to that night in the Shinra manor, and I just…" She shook her head, not able to finish. Sheepishly, she peered up at the male. "Does that make me weird? Or crazy?"
"Absolutely not," he stated calmly. "It makes you human." Squeezing their hands, Reno was firm with his following statement. "I don't blame you, not in the slightest." He then chuckled, causing Alia to lift an eyebrow. "We are seriously two peas in a pod."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because there's you, who's…gone through this traumatic experience, and then there's me. Until I met you, I slept with so many single women before Midgar fell. And now, I don't even care if we have sex or not. Just as long as I get to spend my time with you."
Seeing the irony, Alia laughed. "Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. But then again, how many people thought someone like you would wind up with someone like me?"
"You don't regret any of our relationship, do you?"
Lifting their hands, she kissed his fingers. "Not in the slightest. I have never been happier than when I was with you, Reno. If you promise to be patient with me, I promise that I'll get there."
Reno pulled their hands to him and copied her movements, kissing her fingers, too. "I promise. But please, seriously, remember that it won't end what we have. I would honestly die a thousand deaths then end our relationship."
She smiled brightly. "Then I guess that's something we have in common."
When Reno turned his attention to the kitchen, a bright idea entered his mind. "Hey, have you finished with dinner?"
Alia stared down at her plate. "I mean, I'm still hungry and can eat, but I think something else sounds good."
"Want to make some brownies?"
Her eyes brightened at that. "Brownies? Oh, hell yeah!"
Deciding to take action, the couple spent the next several minutes cleaning the mess they made. Reno placed the rest of their dinner into spare containers as Alia washed the dishes, placing them in their appropriate spots in the dishwasher. It only took several minutes, but when they were done, they set to start making their dessert. Reno turned the oven on and grabbed the dishwater while Alia grabbed the box, eggs, and oil from the cupboard.
They took their time, enjoying the moment with each other. Even though Reno was on a short vacation, he wanted to enjoy every moment with Alia. His work had lightened since Midgar fell, but there was still enough to do as Second-in-Command of the Turks for his job to take priority. There were still days when he could leave early in the morning and not come home until late at night. Forget about the days that he spent outside of Edge when he had to travel around the earth.
While appreciating his time with Alia, Reno dipped his finger into the brownie mixture and tapped the woman's nose, causing her to giggle at the sticky sensation. Copying his movement, she placed a fingerprint of the mixture onto his cheek, loving how he didn't even try to lick away the mess with his tongue.
"Have we ever made dessert together before?" Reno suddenly asked.
"I don't think so. Typically, we buy something from the store, or I bring something from the bar. But I'd say this is a first."
"And what a delicious dessert it is." Reno sloppily kissed her cheek, causing the woman to squeal.
"You wanna know my favorite part about making brownies?"
Reno thought for a moment. "Eating them when they're done?"
"Nope!" She shook her head. "I love eating some leftover brownie mixture after the rest has been placed in the pan."
The male's face contorted at the thought. "You eat the brownie mixture? Really?" The idea seemed to shock the man.
"Oh, hell yeah, it's delicious!" Alia dipped her finger in the stirring mixture to prove her point and hastily placed it in her mouth, moaning at the chocolatey taste against her tongue.
Rolling his eyes, Reno laughed. "You are officially weird."
"Oh, come on, live a little! Have you never tried it?" The man shook his head. Alia poured more batter onto her finger to correct this truth and placed it in Reno's mouth, waiting for him to open his lips. "Say 'ahh'!" Complying with her request, Reno opened his mouth and gently sucked the batter of his finger. Two seconds later, Alia removed her finger and waited for Reno's input. His face was confused for the first moment, then changed from disgust to questioning. "Well?" She asked.
"It's…not bad, actually. Not my favorite, but I can see why you like it." He smirked.
"So…" Alia grinned evilly. "More for me?"
He nodded. "More for you."
"Sweet!"
Taking the pan, Reno held the bowl as Alia scraped the mixture into the dish. Using the spatula to clean most of the bowl but leaving enough batter behind to enjoy as a pre-dessert treat, they placed the dish into the oven and set the microwave with the appropriate timer. The two first stared at the stove before moving to stare at each other.
"Well, that's twenty-five minutes we need to wait. What now?"
Angling his head toward the living room, Reno asked, "TV?"
"Sounds like a plan to me."
They then moved from the kitchen to the living room, where they plopped on the couch. Reno turned the TV on and quickly found something for them to watch. Taking a couch pillow, Alia placed it on her boyfriend's lap, giving him an infamous look as she nodded while laughing, knowing she wanted to lie down. Content with his answer, Alia lay down, enjoying watching the screen as she waited for the timer to go off.
They enjoyed the quiet of the apartment, aside from the TV. Reno began running his fingers through Alia's hair, knowing this was her favorite thing for him to do when she was lying down. Purring, she snuggled closer to the man, who could only grin at the serene picture of her content in his lap.
They were quiet as they watched the screen; Alia could feel her eyelids growing heavy. It had been a long and strenuous day, what with the events that happened with Cloud and her crying session with Reno. The woman was left to wonder where her life would go from here. Her brother now knew of her secret relationship with the Turk, which didn't bother him. Alia smiled at the thought that her brother approved. Maybe he did not entirely approve of the man she was with, but he was happy as long as she was happy. And boy, was she happy being by Reno's side.
The timer dinged from the kitchen, and Alia stood to take care of their dessert. Carefully removing the dish from the oven, Alia placed it on the stovetop to cool. Though it was still warm, she took a knife and sliced through the brownies, creating small square sections perfect for a single bite. Knowing she couldn't wait, Alia grabbed a small plate and piled several of the squares high, enough for her and Reno to enjoy together. She then grabbed a small glass of milk and headed back into the living room, sitting next to the redhead.
He laughed when he noticed her plate. "Ah, so you couldn't wait until they were cool, huh?"
"No, no, these suckers are going to be hot, but they are moist and will be oh-so delicious." Taking one in her hand, she blew on the bite-sized brownie before popping it in her mouth. She kept her lips open, trying to breathe in cool air because the damn thing was hot. But as she described, it was delicious, still somewhat gooey on the inside, exactly how she preferred them to be baked.
Reno then stole one from her plate, copying her movements as the brownie was hot in his mouth, but as he swallowed, he moaned. "Damn. Yeah, that was the best dessert we could've made." He leaned over and dropped a gentle kiss against her temple. "Thank you, Alia."
She returned the kiss. "What for? We made these together."
Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close against his side. "For everything," he admitted. "I'm just so thankful to have you in my life. You have made my life so much better, and I am grateful you have chosen me."
"Reno, that is so sweet," she smiled at him. "I just…" She stared ahead at the giant TV. "If I'm being honest, even before Zane, I didn't think I would find someone who would want to spend their life with me. And I never thought I'd wind up with you - a Turk of all people." She giggled and poked fun at his job. "You said it earlier: we are definitely two peas in a pod."
"That we are." A kiss to her head. "But I wouldn't have it any other way." Reno glanced back and forth between the TV and her glowing face. "Hey…wanna watch a couple of movies, stay up late, and eat the entire tray of brownies?"
Alia's grin turned sinister. "It's like you read my mind."
And that is what they did. They cycled through two and a half movies before crashing together in a pile of limbs on the couch. They had moved the tray of brownies to the table and had eaten most of them, their bellies full of chocolate deliciousness and love. Reno woke up after midnight to see Alia asleep against his chest. Carefully, he set her aside, moved from the couch, cleaned their mess from the table, and then picked up his girlfriend and carried her to their shared bed. Setting the woman on her side, Reno dropped to his side and pulled the woman close. She was out like a light, not waking up once as he had moved around.
Turning off the lamp beside him, Reno gave one last kiss to Alia's head as he settled down for the night, ready to start the day anew in the morning. Every day with Alia was an adventure, and the redhead was curious to see what joy awaited them the following day.
But Reno's sleep did not come quickly that night. His mind kept wandering to the discussion he and Alia had earlier that night, all the secrets she revealed, and her reasons for why she acted a certain way. But none of that mattered. If anything, it made Reno love the woman more.
~ oOo ~
I remember this chapter in the last story being so awkward, so I'm hoping this one's better.
DragonGoddess629
