Aftermath

Author’s Note: Some quick stats for those of you interested: This chapter took more than 500 revisions before I finally decided that it was acceptable to post. It's approximately 3200 words, and I've had the file open for over 24 hours (mind you, not working on it the whole time non-stop). It took a lot of dedication and energy to get this one fleshed out. *pants* Anyway, no warnings that I can think of... let's hope my next chapter isn't so draining!

Thank you to...
- Youkofox, for your beta help, and your review. *hugs*
- Squallfan, for your review. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.
- Pyra, for your reviews. I appreciate the encouragement and enthusiasm.
- Iggy Lovechild, for your review and insights. I'd glomp you, but that's just weird. *laughs*

Reviews are indefinitely appreciated! Also, I like receiving email, so feel free to drop me a line. Flames shall burn in hell, and will be deleted.

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Chapter 3: Wondering

Reno woke up with a start. He drew in a sharp breath, groggily coming to the realization that he wasn’t in his own bed. He pulled off the soft yarn blanket that been covering him and jumped up, trying to focus his eyes in the half-light of the darkened room. He stood defensively, with his feet spread apart, scanning the area for any possible threats.

His head began to throb, and he swayed unsteadily. Feeling lightheaded and dizzy, he sat back down on the couch. He had gotten up much too quickly.

“Couch?” Reno said. His voice sounded scratchy, and his throat begged for water.

Trying again, he stood up much slower the second time. The pain in his head continued to pound relentlessly; it was the kind of pain that came with a hangover. Now, in addition to desperately craving a drink, he wanted to get his hands on some pain medication. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips, trying to remember what had happened the previous night.

Shuffling around the room, he found a light switch, and flipped it on. A lamp in the corner came on, allowing him to see the room more clearly. Once he could see, he realized that he knew exactly where he was. He was standing in a sparsely furnished bedroom above Tifa’s bar. He’d been in here once or twice before. In fact, he had been on this very couch for an extended period of time while waiting for Cloud and Tifa to recover from the trouble they had gotten into in that quaint little church. Cloud still owed him for that rescue.

Reno vaguely recalled seeing Cloud at Club Nine last night. Last thing he remembered clearly was Cloud taking off his weapon harness, and putting his sword on the rack in Shinra’s V.I.P. room. The thought of Cloud being in one of Shinra’s V.I.P. rooms made him chuckle hoarsely.

The spiky blond must have brought him here, afterwards. Probably covered him with the blanket, too. He smirked, liking the idea that someone had taken care of him after a night of bingeing. Usually that role was filled by Rude, who almost always made sure to let Reno know how much of a burden he could be.

Rude had told him that his habitual drunkenness was getting out of hand, but he knew that it wasn’t just his drinking that made Rude want to ditch him last night. His work partner was put off by his affections for Cloud. He was tired of hearing about Reno’s interest in the younger blond. Seeing both of them hanging out together was probably frustrating for Rude, especially since he wasn’t getting anywhere with his own interest these days.

Reno had been keeping an eye on Cloud for more years than he cared to admit, and Rude had borne the brunt of his status updates. It was safe to say that Rude was probably tuning him out when Cloud’s name came up, unless it was important. He didn’t mean to talk about it so much, but he couldn’t help it; the words just slipped out every once and awhile. Last night, he had been particularly talkative when he had seen Cloud at a table by himself at the club. Reno guessed that his excited grin had been enough to piss Rude off.

Reno closed his eyes tightly, as his head continued to throb. He swallowed dryly. Maybe Rude was right. Maybe he was a little too out of control when it came to partying. He certainly wasn’t as young as he used to be, and the hangovers were hitting a little harder than they had in the past. Minimal effort had been made on his part to change; he knew he wasn’t ready to yet. As far as he was concerned, he wouldn’t be slowing down any time soon.

Rude had been trying to get him to stop smoking, too. Reno wrinkled his nose and his lips drifted apart unconsciously as he remembered Rude taking his last pack of smokes from him right before they’d entered Club Nine. He wasn’t ready to stop smoking either. He made a mental note to pick up some cigarettes before he reported to work.

Reno’s phone startled him as it vibrated deep in his pants pocket. He quickly emptied his pockets in an attempt to get to his buzzing phone. Crumpled money, a pocket knife, a lighter, some gum, his I.D. card, a condom, and a keychain bottle opener soon littered the couch. Finally, he grabbed the phone and flipped it open.

“Yeah?”

“Boss says get in here,” Rude said. “Now.”

“What’s going on, yo?”

“Not sure, but Tseng looks damn serious about whatever it is.”

“How much time I got?” Reno said.

“The quicker you get in here, the less hell to pay. You know the drill.”

Reno closed his phone and tossed it onto the couch. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his bangs, and adjusted his goggles on his forehead. His headache was still going strong, and he had no way to get over to Healin headquarters quickly. At least he wasn’t hungry; the hangover had made sure of that.

“Dammit!”

Hastily stuffing his things back into his pockets, he quickly checked the area to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. With one hand on his head, he found his way to the door, and swung it open.

No one appeared to be around, although he could hear distant voices. He stepped out into the hallway and began making his way to the front door.

“Reno?”

Reno stopped, hearing a familiar female voice behind him. He turned around and squinted at her, his expression still groggy. He tried to concentrate on answering her, but the pain in his head was making it hard to think and speak. He smiled at her, but it ended up looking more like a grimace of pain.

“Are you alright?” Tifa said, concern evident in her voice.

Reno straightened his left arm, and dropped his E.M.R. straight down from the hidden harness in his suit. Of course he was alright. The leather strap that fastened the rod to his wrist went taut as it stopped the weapon from clattering to the floor, and he swung it around in a small arc, as if to demonstrate that everything was fine. As the rod completed its first circular swing, it smacked him in the back of his leg. Good thing it was turned off.

“I’d be surprised if he was, after all that drinking last night,” Cloud said, nodding in response to Reno’s performance with his weapon.

Reno’s ears perked up at hearing Cloud’s voice. He looked up, his eyes hungrily searching for a glimpse of him. New memories flashed jaggedly through his mind, as he remembered snippets from the night before. Cloud had been with him most of the night, keeping him company. Reno blinked as he suddenly remembered Cloud grabbing him around his waist to keep him from falling over a chair. Damn, he had been so drunk, but it seemed like Cloud hadn’t been. He silently wished that he could remember more.

Reno drew in a quiet breath as he laid eyes on Cloud’s exposed muscular arms. Seeing Cloud’s flesh reminded him just how solid and strong the blond’s arms had felt around his waist. In fact, Cloud had been watching out for him all night, going over and above what Rude usually did for him. His new friend had even been buying him harmless drinks like water and coffee toward the end of the night to try and help him ward off a hangover. Reno melted inside, as he realized that it had been fun to hang out with Cloud last night, even if he couldn’t fully remember everything that had happened.

“I got a bit of a headache, yo.” Reno tucked his weapon back into his suit, his expression was apologetic.

“I figured,” Cloud said.

“Probably would’ve been worse if you hadn’t slowed me down,” Reno said. “I can’t believe Rude left without checkin’ on me.” Reno smacked his dry lips together, and struggled to swallow.

“Here,” Cloud said.

The red-head’s eyes widened in surprise as Cloud took his hand, and pried his fingers open gently. He carefully pressed two small pills into Reno’s palm, and then handed him a small bottle of water.

Reno searched the younger man’s face for some kind of clue as to why he might be so kind to him. Medicine was scarce these days, and everyone knew that Shinra was well stocked. He certainly wouldn’t be one to go without. It was unclear to him why Cloud would give him anything from his own personal supply, but he was thankful for the gesture. The sooner he could get the meds down, the sooner they’d start working.

“Hey, thanks,” he said. His gaze softened and his lips turned up in a grateful smile. Cloud simply nodded back silently.

Reno put both pills in his mouth and tossed his head back, swallowing them without water. He trusted that Cloud wasn’t trying to poison him. He opened the bottle of water, and gulped the cool liquid down in record time. Once he had drained the entire bottle, Tifa took it from him, and left the room silently. Reno watched her leave, his eyes wandering a little lower than they should have. He didn’t know her very well, but she had seemed a little subdued, maybe even a little upset about something.

“What’s with her?”

“She’s upset I have to work today,” Cloud said.

“Oh, more deliveries?” Reno grinned at Cloud, trying very hard not to make fun of the blond’s current profession. Owning a delivery service just seemed like a strange thing for the savior of the world to be doing with his life. Reno knew that if his skills with a weapon were anywhere near the level of Cloud’s, he’d be asking for a raise rather than delivering packages for a living.

“Something like that,” Cloud said, gazing warily at Reno.

“Work’s callin’ my name, too,” Reno said. “I gotta get to Healin as soon as possible, or the boss is gonna kill me.”

The two men stared at each other for a few seconds. Reno tilted his head to the side, trying to understand what Cloud’s scouring eyes were looking for. He liked the feel of those thoughtful blue eyes looking at him so intently. Smirking and resisting the urge to stare back, he distracted himself by picking off a few yarn lint balls from his sleeve.

“You can clean up if you want,” Cloud said finally. “The bathroom is on the left.”

Reno nodded and swaggered down the hall. He wouldn’t have been offended if Cloud had just told him to clean up, but the blond probably didn’t realize that. Years of observation had taught Reno that Cloud rarely liked to chance conflict: especially personal conflict. Being indirect was one of his ways of protecting himself. So, rather than take a chance that Reno might get offended, he merely suggested a course of action, and let the Turk do the deciding. Reno chuckled quietly, enjoying his analysis of the situation.

He was pressed for time, but ultimately, it wouldn’t hurt to straighten himself up a little bit before heading out. The boss would like it, at least.

After he finished with the toilet, Reno crossed over to the sink. He removed his goggles, and turned on the cold water. The chilly wetness felt good on his face, lessening his headache slightly. Maybe the meds were starting to kick in.

He picked up a plain white piece of soap and lathered his hands, scrubbing his face gently. It had a musky-clean smell that he liked. In fact, this is what Cloud smelled like last night at the club.

A faint sense of longing coursed through his stomach, and he stared at his reflection in the mirror on the wall in front of him. For what seemed like the millionth time, he was finding the thought of Cloud’s lips pressed up against his attractive again, but he knew that he needed to try and stop the thoughts as soon as they started. Thinking about it too much might make him do something he wasn’t ready to do.

If he rushed into anything with Cloud, he could lose him permanently. The younger man was so unpredictable. Reno had been slowly making a mental note of things that caused Cloud to react negatively and positively, but he wasn’t getting nearly enough information when it came to Cloud’s passions. He splashed more cold water on his face, hoping it served a dual purpose: rinse off the soap and quiet his desire.

He often found himself wondering what exactly Cloud’s relationship with Tifa was all about. He’d snooped around in their house a few times, but had never found any evidence that they ever slept together. They had separate rooms, and nothing interesting in their cabinets or drawers that might indicate something intense was going on.

Yet, Tifa seemed to care pretty deeply for Cloud. What Reno couldn’t figure out, was how Cloud felt about her. Rude just assumed that they were both in love, and occasionally complained that he didn’t understand what Tifa saw in him. Of course, Rude was so infatuated with her that he couldn’t think straight, much less understand why Cloud might be the object of her desire.

Reno definitely understood. He’d like nothing better than for Tifa to completely disappear, or hook up with Rude. It could open up some nice opportunities for him, if in fact Cloud did have some sort of affection for her, and he liked thinking about that. He dug some light dirt out from under his fingernails, rinsed his hands, and turned off the water. He dried his face and hands with a clean white towel left for him on the sink, and snapped his goggles back onto his forehead.

“Okay, I’m done,” Reno said, as he emerged from the hallway.

His heart skipped a beat in his chest, and his eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly. Cloud was sitting at the bar counter facing Tifa, his back to Reno, holding a mug of something that looked like coffee in his hand. Tifa was leaning across the bar on her elbows, her face close to the blond’s ear. At first, it looked like she was kissing him, but the red-head soon realized that it wasn’t a kiss he was seeing: it was quiet conversation. Reno calmed his expression immediately, and averted his narrowed gaze. He jutted his chin out rebelliously, as he became aware of the jealousy he was feeling.

“So, I guess I’m going,” Reno said, starting for the door.

Cloud turned around, obviously startled as Reno announced his presence. He looked at the Turk and then back at Tifa apologetically.

“I have to go, too,” Cloud said. Tifa nodded at him. She looked unhappy, but didn’t seem to want to talk about it. “Reno, do you need a ride to Healin?”

Reno stopped in his tracks, and his jaw fell open. His bright bluish-green eyes widened with surprise. He tried to speak, but nothing came out immediately. Cloud was offering to give him a ride? A wide grin spread across his face.

“That would be great, yo.”

“Alright, then. I have to make a couple deliveries on that side of town, so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to go a little further to drop you off.”

Cloud got up from the bar, and drank the rest of his coffee. Reno watched the blond’s throat as he swallowed. Cloud’s smooth skin rippled seductively, causing the red-head to measure his breathing carefully as he tried to maintain control of his desires. It was a beautiful distraction that Reno knew he didn’t need right now.

Painfully mesmerized, he forced his eyes to look elsewhere, and ended up meeting Tifa’s gaze. Her eyes swam with bewilderment, and she immediately looked downward at her hands, as if she wished she hadn’t seen the direction of his stare. Reno felt like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Not to mention, that he was wary of Tifa and the control she had over Cloud. One word from her was probably worth more than a thousand of his own words. He forced his legs to move toward the front door.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Cloud said, seemingly unaware of the exchange that had just occurred between Tifa and Reno.

Reno walked outside, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the new brightness. He stopped on the broken sidewalk to observe his surroundings. Cloud’s bike was parked in the yard. It looked like two people would be able to fit on it pretty comfortably. Reno decided that he wasn’t too worried about the trip. Truth be told, he was looking forward to sitting so closely to Cloud. Maybe he’d let his hands do a little exploratory wandering under the blond’s sweater. He licked his lips, wondering what exactly he could get away with.

Reno’s eyes continued to scan the area, and he happened to notice a bright red ribbon lying on the ground. Bending over to pick it up, he tried to remember where he had seen it before. Then it came to him: Cloud’s gang wore these on their left arms in remembrance of their fallen friend, Aerith. It seemed like a nice gesture, but when truly would they all move on?

While he pondered how the ribbon had ended up on the ground, he noticed a small news stand across the street. Quickly stuffing the ribbon in his pocket, he briskly jaunted over to the vendor to buy a pack of smokes.

As soon as the pack was in his hand, he immediately ripped it open and lit one up. He took a deep drag, completely losing himself in the nicotine rush. The next time Rude fucking tried to take his cigarettes, there would be hell to pay. He wouldn’t be separated from them again.

Reno glanced up and saw Cloud exiting the 7th Heaven. He watched as Tifa said something briefly, and she planted a quick kiss on the blond’s cheek before disappearing back inside. Reno squinted and chewed on a tiny piece of tobacco that had gotten loose in his mouth. That kiss had been as boring as a drawer full of socks. Reno’s mind went into overdrive, as he tried to comprehend what he had just seen.

Reno thought back to the previous night. Cloud had denied that he was romantically involved with Tifa when he’d teased him about her. Maybe there was something else behind that sort of a reaction. Reno concentrated, and tried in vain to remember if there was anything else important he should remember from the night before.

The red-head spit the shard of tobacco out of his mouth and crossed the street, reassessing his thoughts about the nature of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. It was seeming more and more likely that he had a very good chance at getting Cloud’s attention. There was that one other matter that needed to be cleared up, and Reno knew it was the most important: How was he going to figure out if Cloud had any interest in guys? He’d only heard rumors…

Reno cleared his throat as he approached the bike. He drew one last intoxicatingly sweet drag from his cigarette and dropped it on the ground, snuffing out the glowing ember with the heel of his black boot. He’d eventually figure out everything he needed to know. All in good time.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” Reno said. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”

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A/N: Thanks for reading. ^_^