The Aethereality of You

Grey clouds loomed over the dirty streets of the slums, threatening to pour down torrential rains. The low rumble of heavy thunder clouds boomed in the distance, rattling the glass of a nearby shop. A confident hand shook back disheveled red strands that terminated into that signature tail. The adoption of his over zealous battle stance signified that he was well prepared for the fight, the hum of the electro magnetic rod settling any hidden nerves that might have otherwise stirred. There were several occasions when he and his comrades met AVALANCHE in battle, and this time seemed no different than any other.

In the rare moments of silence before the commencement of battle, the clouds above thinned for what seemed an eternity, allowing precious rays of sunlight to drape the street in an ethereal glow. Turquoise settled on the woman standing opposite him, illuminated in the soft light. Her fists were raised defensively, but her hesitation was obvious. Time seemed to freeze as he watched the hypnotic rise and fall of her chest with each even breath, her legs steadily swaying in the manner that usually meant she was prepared to provide him with a black eye. She dared him, moving closer as she inspected this trance he seemed so lost within, and his eyes met with her own. He nearly drown deep in the calming colour with which burgundy shone. Without warning, a radiant smile curved plush lips, or so he thought. The red-haired Turk was left adrift, fleeting moments bearing down on his mind while he entertained the idea of stopping her with a kiss.

The clouds finally broke, a deluge of dirty water pouring down upon the scene. The brunette stood unblinking, while the water sleeked her calf length hair against pale features. His will to fight suddenly seemed to flee, his arm lowering the rod which one might have been surprised to find hadn't reacted poorly with the downpour. This was his second mistake. Her body moved with fluid grace, launching toward him, her boot providing a deafening blow to his chest. Lanky physique stumbled backward, the breath temporarily knocked from his lungs. In nothing short of a miracle, he managed to stay on his feet, though barely. Much needed oxygen was sucked harshly past parted lips as he fought to take a breath. The moment had passed and he stood before her, an enemy once again.

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Needless to say, that battle had been lost long ago. Lengthy limbs wrapped in the same blue fabric crossed at the ankle, his weight resting back on his palms as he rested against the small back of the bench. The slums had grown eerily quiet since the collapse of the seventh sector, and he was remotely aware of the fact that he caused this. His neck tipped back as he raised his face to the sky, peering up into the dark clouds as a single drop of rain kissed the then end of a red scar. The concrete smelled of rain, and it wouldn’t have taken a meteorologist to predict that Midgar was in for yet another storm. As a second drop fell against his forehead, he drifted back in memory to see her again. She had that look in her eyes after she kicked the wind from him, a sense of achievement bursting within the burgundy depths. Why did he ever let her get away with that, anyhow? He hadn’t put up much of a fight, for that matter.

He rose from the bench with swiftness, coming onto his feet as he shoved twin fists into their hideaway made in his pockets. As his boots thudded against concrete, he entertained the idea that straying from his partners during a mission to intercept AVALANCHE probably wasn’t the best idea. Turquoise slowly scanned the cement for something of interest as he continued down the walk, his intention to find Rude. Somewhere between the melody of his footfalls another’s steps joined in the chorus, sending a jolt down his spine as he froze in his tracks. He listened closely as the thunder rolled above him, but once the sky’s growl had ended, he heard the steps once again. Someone was approaching in the darkness, and he moved back against the bricks of a building, lying flush against the masonry. Haunting eyes narrowed, straining to see through the heavy mist and darkness the atmosphere had blessed him with. That was the moment she passed him, that familiar scent of lilies teasing his nose as it lingered in the air. She hadn’t even noticed his form hidden against the wall, which on any other occasion would have suited him just fine. This time, however, he decided to make a scene.

Before she had gone too far, his arm reached outward, fingers encircling her small wrist and pulling her hard in the direction opposite of the one she’d been walking. An exaggerated gasp sounded as she became startled. Her lithe form came to rest inches away from him, and turquoise burned into burgundy as she met his gaze. She felt the urge to scream, but nothing came of it when she caught the lopsided smirk that teased his lips. She was reckless, wandering the streets alone after witnessing another of those moments between Cloud and Aerith. She thought it unjustified that she would meet her demise over such a simple thing. She stood motionless in his unrelenting grasp, heavy breaths falling from parted lips as the fringe of sable bangs caught in sooty lashes. What was he going to do to her? Perhaps he’d have his way with her before sending her into the Lifestream? She knew him only to be a ruthless assassin, a member of the very organization in which she found herself battling for all she had.

Just before she had the chance to conjure up any more bizarre fates he might decide upon, he pulled her with him as he hurried around the corner just right of him and into a dark alley way. Funny that she thought it dark, for it was lighter than the street they had just inhabited. A dim, strangely yellow light burned from a small sconce that settled against the brick building. There were no words to be exchanged as he pushed her against the bricks, one of the uneven corners cutting into her shoulder beneath his force. He was instructed to relieve Shin-Ra of the nuisance that was AVALANCHE, and that explicitly included this Tifa Lockhart. This order roamed his mind as he held the girl against the bricks, surprised by the fact that she wasn’t struggling beneath his enclosure. Perhaps she hadn’t the will to fight him, as he hadn’t the will to fight her in that brief encounter. The grey clouds sent a flash of lightning over the sky, a crack of thunder following in the illumination. As he stared deeply into burgundy eyes, he found that familiarity stirring the same feeling he experienced in that battle. Droplets of rain began to fall slowly, one by one in a method which could be called mere drizzle. She watched his eyes soften, as the smirk faded from his lips. This much, she decided, needed to be questioned.

“W-what are you doing?” Her voice was soft, tickling his lips as she spoke. She looked like a doe caught in the crosshairs of a rifle.

He didn’t answer her. This came as a disappointment, but she thought better of arguing with a man who was in a position to kill her. As she pondered his strange behaviour, she felt the press of soft lips against her own. Starless lashes fluttered as burgundy took the form of saucers, his weight crushing against her as his kiss came with full force. She sunk into his affections as his tongue teased her lips apart, leaving the faint taste of alcohol as it traced her mouth in exploration. The passion that bubbled up in her came as a shock, but the moment his actions fully registered in her mind, she immediately brought her hands to his chest, pushing against him with all her power. His lips ripped away from hers as he stumbled backward, breathing heavily with desire. Elbows bent as she reached up, grabbing the wrists connected to the hands which currently held her still against the wall. She pulled harshly against this thin portion of his arm, and he growled with the pain that shot up to his shoulders. His hands, however, did not release her as she assumed they would. His fingers moved further back, gripping around her shoulders like vises, eliciting a soft whisper of a scream from her. Brute force came into play as he whirled her around against the wall opposite them in the narrow alley, the thud of her back causing her to groan. She was absolutely right in her earlier assumption. He was certainly going to have his way with her before he killed her.

As she gave up struggling beneath him, the clouds gave up their battle to hold back the rain. The drops came faster, immediately turning to a full fledged downpour. Her hair took to her face as the moisture forced it down, and she watched his perky red bangs slick down under pressure from the rain. For a moment, she saw a glimmer within turquoise depths that simply spoke volumes. He hadn’t the look of a killer, but the look of one whom was nearing the confession of a long kept secret. Any words she may have had were buried upon her lips when he brought his mouth crashing against her once again. His hand snuck beneath the soaking white fabric which she considered adequate for a shirt, leaving a wake of gooseflesh as he trailed fingers over her ribcage and up to her left breast. He groped against the fullness of her, a soft sigh failing to be heard between the mesh of lips. Adrenaline raced throughout her veins as he kissed her deeply, not an ounce of resistance falling between them as she became lost in his affection. Reno was well aware of what he was doing to her, his charm and the way he had mastered it could seduce even the most resistant of women. His training provided him the tools to use his given assets in ways he didn’t even understand. Her body was in flames as he pressed himself against her, her mind in utter disbelief of what was happening. His hand slipped back out beneath the hem of her shirt, and suddenly he broke the kiss, leaving her panting against the wall. Her mind snapped back to reality once his lips left hers, and she struggled beneath him once again. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to break free, but was astonished when he simply let her go. She stood still against the wall, now free of his hands. A smile curved his lips as he brought his fingers to brush against her flushed cheeks. A chill raced through her spine when his fingers gingerly fell against her collarbone, but she was left with the pinching cold of the rain as he turned his back to her and disappeared into the darkness.

Her own fingers came against her lips, moist with rain and saliva. She traced her plush bottom lip for a moment, dwelling on the way his lips had felt when he kissed her only minutes ago. He hadn’t said a word, but his actions told her a story. She had noticed the prologue of that story during their battle just a short week ago. She was enraged with grief for her friends and her home, but beyond her emotions, she found a comfort in his eyes. As the rain poured down that day, he looked as though he felt remorse for his actions. He seemed to display a faint need for her, and she felt absolutely wanted. Such a feeling warranted the swelling of her heart. Cloud had never paid attention to her the way he had in their two short encounters. She questioned the events that had transpired. He had every opportunity to kill her, yet he left her alive and well, with two kisses. This was a little more than confusing to her throbbing head, but as the rain bore down on her with a vengeance, she pushed off the brick wall and headed back down the darkened streets. She needed to get to the safe house quickly, before he changed his mind and came back to finish his duties. With a heavy mind, she trotted through the forming puddles, splashing down the road as quickly as her body would allow her to run.

Cloud and Aerith were huddled away in the corner, as Barret and Cid discussed strategy. Nanaki and Vincent were silent in the corner opposite the lovebirds while Yuffie plotted more ways to annoy the life from Vincent. When Tifa burst through the doors, sopping wet and dripping a puddle onto the floor beneath her, all eyes immediately came upon her. She glanced around feeling the pressure of seven stares, and Aerith was the first to speak up.

“What happened to you, Tifa?” She asked in that ever friendly tone of voice.

“Nothing, I went for a walk and got caught in the rain.” Tifa kept her tone calm, so as not to draw any suspicion. She simply ignored them and went into one of the rooms where she proceeded to search out a towel to dry herself. Upon finding the terry cloth, she began to dry her neck first, remembering the way his fingers felt as they trailed down to her collar bone. A tingle shook her spine and she couldn’t help but feel as if she needed to see him again.

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The hour had grown quite late when Reno appeared utterly drenched as he waltzed into the room where his three comrades had settled. All eyes found him when he laughed heartily at the looks they displayed. Rude even had a trace of an expression as he eyed the red head.

“Stayed out a little late.” Reno broke the silence, earning a stern look from Elena.

“How nice. Did you actually accomplish anything out there?” She stared at him.

“Not a thing.” He lied through his teeth. Not even a hint at what had actually happened, as he knew them to be human lie detectors. Once he satisfied their need to know what he had done, he slumped into a chair while Elena went to find him a towel. His mind easily drifted back over the affair he had just had with a supposed enemy. What would he do the next time they met in battle? He couldn’t very well openly defy orders and throw down his position for a woman, no matter how he thought he felt about her. How did he feel, anyhow? Such was still a mystery. He hadn’t figured that out, nor did he have any urge to do so. It seemed everything about her attracted him. Her temper, her style of battle, the way she moved when she attacked him. The way she had melted into his kiss and allowed him a glimpse of what she had to offer. There was so much about her that was desirable, but he pushed the thoughts away. He would only hurt himself when it came time to take her life. He simply shrugged off the feelings of discomfort as he awaited the next day. Even he could not predict where this new path would lead.

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That's the start :) The timeline may be a little confusing. The first three paragraphs are during the game and the rest is several weeks after that, but for convenience, all characters are available and present. The next time line will switch slightly, but I will be sure to explain time lines. Review if you've enjoyed :)