Chapter Text
“Reno, oh my god~”
His name on your lips like that is music to Reno’s ears; never in a million years did he think he’d get here with you. You’re practically falling apart under his touch, and he gently pushes you back onto the bed as your lips meet in a passionate kiss. He can’t believe you’re here like this, all flushed and gorgeous, ready for him to-
Beep beep beep
Reno wakes with a start, his dream dissolving into reality at the blaring sound of his alarm clock. He groans softly, gently caressing himself as he’s still feeling the effects of the scenes in his dream, where he was about to- Oh fuck. Oh no. He did not just dream that. He stops abruptly and covers his face with his hands, groaning with embarrassment; he’s currently sporting quite the, ahem, problem, and he’s not sure if he could actually face you at work in less than 2 hours’ time if he actually relieved himself to the thought of taking you like that. Thankfully, the shock of his realisation has killed it slightly, and he then goes to his usual tactic of thinking about that one hellish day being Palmer’s bodyguard to abruptly stop his arousal. It works, but doesn’t get rid of that lingering embarrassment of the realisation that, had his alarm not woken him, he’d have probably had a wet dream about you. Shit.
He gets up, grumbling to himself at how stupid he’s being, and he’s about to head to the kitchen and grab a coffee when his phone rings,
“Who the fuck’s callin’ me at this time in the morning…?” he mutters to himself, voice still thick with sleep, but then nearly throws his phone across the room when he sees your name. He battles with whether to answer or not for a moment; on the one hand, he’s not sure he can face hearing your voice quite yet, but on the other hand he doesn’t want to be rude, or end up stumbling over some shitty excuse for not answering your call when you both get to work. In the end, he decides to answer, taking a deep breath before doing so,
“Mornin’ princess, what’s up?” he asks, hoping that he just sounds tired and not thoroughly rattled like he’s feeling right now.
“Ah- sorry, did I wake you up?”
Success, Reno thinks to himself, before realising just how stressed you sound,
“Nah it’s fine. You okay?” he asks, his brow furrowing with concern.
“Uhh, kind of? I really don’t mean to be cheeky but there’s been a problem at the station and trains have been cancelled for the morning… I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer for a lift into work? I’m sorry to-”
“Hey you ain’t gotta apologise, I gotcha,” Reno interrupts, and despite his thoughts racing at the prospect of having to see you so soon, he can’t face the idea of leaving you stressed and alone just to spare his blushes, which is… new, “Gimme chance to shower and get myself together and I can be at yours in like an hour if that works?”
“That works,” you reply, and Reno can practically feel your relief over the phone, “Thank you so much.”
“‘Course, sweetheart. I’ll see ya soon, yeah?”
“Yeah, see you soon,” comes your reply, and then you’ve gone. Reno puts his phone down and flops back onto his bed with a huff. It is not like him to be so concerned about someone who he’s not long met, and he hates it; it feels out of character for him and is completely throwing him for a loop,
“Dammit, princess,” he mutters to himself, though he’s obviously not annoyed at you, and has a coffee and a quick breakfast before going to get a shower. A cold one, to dispel any lingering effects of his dream.
Reno practically yelps when he gets into the shower, but the cold water does the trick, and by the time he’s dressed and ready for work he’s feeling much better and back to himself. He checks himself out in the mirror and smirks as he sees himself looking good, as always,
“Alright, I got this,” he says to himself as he heads down to his car, twirling his keys around his finger and whistling idly as he goes. When he pulls up outside your apartment building, he drops you a text to say he’s there before stretching a bit and checking his hair in the rearview mirror. He spots movement out of the corner of his eye, and glances across to see you walking over to the car with a sheepish yet grateful smile on your face. His heart does a little flutter when your eyes meet, okay so that bullshit from last night is still happening, but he hides it with a cheeky grin,
“Any excuse to spend time with me, huh?” he teases you as you get in. To his relief, the joke lands, and on top of laughing you also seem to relax a bit,
“Oh shush,” you chuckle, and the blush that dusts a pretty pink across your cheeks has Reno wondering if his words hit the truth more than he’d expected, which is a thought he swiftly pushes away. If he starts thinking that on top of remembering his dream- nope. He is not about to revisit that with you sitting next to him. He flashes you a playful smirk then starts the car,
“So what’s the deal with the trains this morning, then? I haven’t heard about any security threats or nothin’,” he asks as he sets off, and you sigh, resting your head back against the seat,
“It’s uh… maintenance works. I meant to organise alternate transport but with being busy last night I kinda forgot,” you admit sheepishly. It takes Reno a moment to process your words, before a sly and inquisitive smirk passes across his features,
“I thought you said there was a ‘problem’…” he says playfully, and you gently bat his arm, which sends his heart fluttering in that stupid way again.
“I was embarrassed!” you protest, “Was kinda hoping I’d get away with being vague. Sounds way cooler than ‘I completely forgot because I had so much fun last night’.”
Those words hit Reno like a punch to the stomach, and he actually has to stop himself from gasping audibly, “Nah… I think I like the sound of that better,” he admits, his voice softer than he’d have liked it to be, and he can feel a stupid soft little smile on his face that he can’t quite wipe off. Soft. Him?! Ugh…
“Oh- uh… I-I’m glad.”
Are you flustered?! Reno can’t quite believe it, and despite his almost-crisis just a moment earlier, now he can’t get that shit-eating grin off his face,
“Sweetheart, I take you forgetting travel disruption on account of having fun with me as a compliment,” he says smugly, taking advantage of finally having the upper hand in this situation.
“Yeah, well, I suppose it is one,” you say, and when Reno takes his eyes off the road for half a second to chance a glance at you, he sees that you’re smiling, and he’s relieved he didn’t push his luck too far. For some reason, he actually cares what you think. The brief silence that follows, however, is enough for the memories of his dream to come flooding back, and he swiftly tries to push them down again. He can’t let those kinds of emotions show on his face, no way. He’d probably die of embarrassment if he told you about it. Yeah, not gonna happen. Stupid feelings. Which, obviously, he doesn’t have. You’re just hot, that’s all. No emotions and stuff or anything stupid like that. Wait- hot? Fuck.
He’s a little all over the place for the rest of the drive after that train of thought, but he must hide it well because you don’t seem to notice at all. He’s starting to feel a bit more settled as he parks up in the parking garage, but then, of course, Rude pulls up just as you’re both getting out of the car,
“Good morning you two,” he says, and, though it’s extremely well-concealed from people who don't know him as well, Reno can hear about twenty questions in his best friend’s deep baritone.
“Uh, mornin’. Trains aren’t running so uh, I gave the princess here a lift,” Reno says, rushing to explain himself.
“Yeah, I’m really grateful,” you smile, apparently completely and utterly oblivious to what Rude thought had happened between you and Reno the night before, “I might head to the cafeteria to get coffees before going to the office, start the day on a good foot with Tseng. Do either of you want anything?”
“Black coffee would be great, thanks,” Reno says; he’ll need all the caffeine he can get today if how the morning’s started is anything to go by. Rude asks for the same, and once you’re gone he immediately rounds on Reno, a hint of a teasing smirk on his lips,
“Giving the new girl a lift, partner? Didn’t know you were the giving type.”
“I-I’m not! Shut up, it ain’t like that,” Reno retorts a little too sharply, folding his arms and not looking his partner in the eye.
“Mhm…” Rude hums, barely suppressing a laugh.
“It ain’t! We just hung out together last night and I mighta said that if she ever needed a lift into work she could ask me and she asked me!”
“You hung out with her last night…?”
Fuck. Busted immediately. Me and my big mouth, Reno thinks to himself,
“Yeah? So what?” he snaps defensively, “Ain’t like it’s illegal to spend time with someone outside work. I hang out with you all the time and you don’t say that’s weird!”
It’s a weak argument, and Reno knows it. Rude’s his best friend, of course he’s going to spend time with him. But the new girl? Someone he doesn’t really know? Reno’s all too aware that Rude knows he doesn’t do that,
“So you f-”
“No! The hell, partner? I ain’t fuckin’ the new girl. We went bowling, that’s all.”
“But you want to,” Rude presses.
“No! I mean yes! I-I mean- I don’t fuckin’ know, man. I ain’t lookin’ for a one night stand with her. Don’t think she’s the type anyway,” Reno tries to get over his initial slip-up by casually dismissing the idea, but of course Rude knows him too well for that.
“Personally, I think you like her,” Rude says calmly. Too calmly. Annoyingly calmly, given the storm it unleashes inside Reno. His damn partner knows him too damn well because obviously that’s what’s going on but Reno doesn’t want to and isn’t ready to admit that to himself yet, but of course Rude has to go and say it, make him actually face up to that being a possibility. Or, more accurately, a reality.
“Like her?” Reno hates how his voice cracks when he says that, “I-I don’t- I ain’t- she’s- shit,” he curses as Rude holds his gaze even through his sunglasses, and he cracks, the words flooding out as he realises if anyone is gonna hear about what’s happening, he’s sure as shit gonna make sure it’s his best friend, “Rude, fuck, I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on with me, man, she has like this effect on me and I hate it. I don’t get like this around people!” He can’t bring himself to mention the dream, even to Rude; it’s too embarrassing.
“You’re talking as if you’re losing your mind.”
“I am! I don’t do this shit, partner, I can’t,” he says, his voice trembling again in a way he only ever allows it to around his most trusted partner, “You know I can’t.”
“Reno…” Rude’s brow furrows for a moment, and he actually takes off his sunglasses to look at Reno proper, those honey brown pools full of concern and sympathy, “You’re allowed to feel, you know.”
Reno actually splutters a bit at that, before managing to regain his composure, “Yeah, I know that, but it’s shit, man. I don’t know how to let myself. And I don’t know how to explain that to her either. That’s even assumin’ she feels the same way.”
“Have you even seen how she looks at you?” Rude quizzes him, and Reno feels his heart jolt at the question,
“Uhh… with her eyes?” he asks sceptically, raising an eyebrow at his partner. Rude stares at him for a moment, blinks, and then says,
“Feelings have turned you into a dumbass.”
That draws a genuine cackle from Reno, “The hell, man? Shut up,” he says, giving Rude a playful but also slightly indignant smack on the arm.
“I mean it, Reno. You’re usually sharp as hell but you’re being so oblivious with her,” Rude says, “Take last night, maybe. Was there anything she did that hinted at her being interested in you?”
“Not really. She leaned on my shoulder and let me put my arm around her and shit but like, we ain’t kissed or nothin’.”
“…” Rude just stares at his friend in utter disbelief at how oblivious he’s being, “Do you actually think she’d have let you do that if she wasn’t at least a bit interested in you? Not to mention that she agreed to hang out with you one-to-one.”
Reno’s stomach does a weird flip when he realises Rude’s right; he’s been so caught up in denying his own feelings that he hasn’t properly stopped to even consider for a moment that you could feel the same. But that doesn’t serve to make him any less stressed. If anything, it stresses him out more,
“Fuck, partner, I ain’t sure I’m ready for a relationship. What if I’m not and then she thinks I’m an ass and I’ve led her on?” he says, panic building inside him quicker than he’d care to admit. In fact, his palms are sweating and he can feel his heart racing in his chest.
“Talk to her,” Rude says, “I know you don’t like it, I know it’s not your style, but I think being honest here would be best. She’s a smart, mature woman, she’ll understand.”
“But-”
“Do you really wanna self-sabotage such a good thing?” Rude presses, trying to get through to his friend, “Stop acting like you don’t deserve happiness.”
“That’s the thing though, ain’t it?” Reno says quietly, his voice bitter and laced with self-deprecation, “I ain’t sure I do. You know what we do for a living, partner. It ain’t pretty, and she’s so sweet, I don’t wanna bring her into that world.”
“She’s already in it, Reno, given her job. She’s well aware of who you are and what we do, and she still agreed to spend time with you. She still felt comfortable enough to get physically close to you. And at the end of the day, that’s her choice to make, not yours. All you can do is put your cards on the table, be honest with her and with yourself about what you want, and she can decide if it’s what she wants too.”
“Ugh, dammit partner, why’d you gotta be right?” Reno groans; he’s absolutely not at all looking forward to the conversation that needs to be had, but also knows that Rude’s got a point. Plus he’s not usually one to let things fester so… guess he’s got a hell of a conversation coming up.
“Thought you’d be used to it by now,” Rude smirks, hoping to cheer Reno up, and it works, as Reno scoffs and gives him a playful shove,
“Fuck outta here, asshole!” he laughs, his eyes sparkling with mirth. No matter what, Rude always knows how to not only make him face up to his shit, but also keep him sane as he does so, and Reno’s not sure what he’d do without him.
When Reno and Rude walk into the office a little while later, you’re not there yet, though you’ve still got some time before work officially starts. Reno gets settled in the same seat as yesterday and, now he’s actually aware of what his feelings are, he finds himself hoping to everything that you’ll sit next to him again. Which… has him scoffing internally; he really is acting like a teenager with you and he still kind of hates it. Rude notices what Reno’s doing and leaves the seat free, much to Reno’s relief, and as they’re getting settled down for the first meeting of the day, you come in holding a carry tray with four coffees in it, and Reno can’t help but smile,
“Sorry that took a while,” you apologise, coming over to each of them in turn to give them their coffee. You start with Tseng, who you also greet with a, “Good morning, sir,” and then give Rude his coffee and, finally, you come over to Reno. He offers his hand to take the cup instead of you setting it down on the table, and now Rude’s told him to actually be observant, he takes note of the soft pink blush that dusts your cheeks when his fingers brush against yours (deliberately, of course) as he takes the cup. He smiles to himself again when you take the seat next to him again, biting back a joke of how he thought you’d be sick of him by now to avoid questions from Tseng,
“Lemme guess, you’ve been blessed with the task of takin’ minutes for this meeting?” he asks in a lazy drawl, a smirk on his lips, and you laugh softly, god that laugh’s too cute, and nod,
“Got it in one,” you smile, getting out your notebook.
“Rather you than me. I’ll try not to talk too fast,” he teases you, which earns a soft chuckle from you and a subtle cough from Tseng, “Ah, boss, c’mon,” Reno initially protests, but when he looks up at his boss he sees a hint of amusement in those so-often-unreadable eyes. Regardless of the professional front Tseng puts up, he’s still a friend and, Reno realises, with a bit of a jolt, that he’s probably able to read Reno well enough to be able to tell that ,something’s going on. Much to Reno’s relief, however, Tseng doesn’t comment, and instead starts the meeting now everyone is in and settled.
The meeting is long and boring; Reno is far more of an action kind of guy than a bureaucratic business kind of guy, and meetings bore the hell out of him. He knows they’re necessary, and has learnt to bear them more as his responsibility in the Turks has increased (he knows full well that if anything were to happen to Tseng then he’d have to lead the meetings), but it still doesn’t stop his attention from wandering from time to time. He finds himself periodically glancing at you, thoroughly engrossed in taking notes about what’s being said, and he can’t help thinking that the look of intense focus on your face, tongue popping out ever so slightly between your lips, is kind of adorable. He mentally rebukes himself for this when he notices himself thinking it, pouts slightly, and then turns his attention back to what’s being said. It’s nothing particularly interesting, just discussions about the past month and plans going forward, especially with things being somewhat unsettled at the minute. Even though Reno mostly finds it boring, he excels in the mission planning part of the meeting; there’s a reason he’s second in command, after all, and it’s not just his phenomenal (if he does say so himself) fighting abilities. As it happens, this week is lining up to be pretty quiet, unless something unexpected comes up, and all they’re being sent out to do is their regular patrols to keep an eye on Aerith, the ancient living under their surveillance in the Sector 5 slums. Reno sees this quietness, which he’d usually be dismayed by, as an opportunity to actually sort things out with you, and once the meeting finishes and you’re all sent on a break, he manages to catch you in the corridor away from the others,
“Hey, uh, princess? Got a minute?” he asks, trying to calm his nerves at the prospect of an actually serious and emotional conversation with someone. Especially with you.
“Oh, of course,” you say, clearly worried by his tone, “Do you wanna speak here, or…?”
“Would ya be up for a walk?” he asks, a sheepish look on his face, which gives way to relief when you agree to it, “Great! Uh… let’s go,” he adds, hating how he just stumbled over his words. God he’s all over the place around you.
You walk together through the streets of Sector 8, and although Reno tries to cover up his nerves with his usual chatter, even he knows it’s glaringly obvious that something’s on his mind, and worrying him. Eventually, as you’re sat having a coffee on an outdoor terrace of one of the many cafés in the area, he finally decides to speak up about what’s been bothering him,
“So uh… I kinda do need to talk to you about somethin’…” he says, trying, and somewhat failing, to keep his nerves in check.
“Of course. Is everything okay, have I done something to upset you?” you ask, the worry crystal clear in your tone, and it stabs at Reno’s heart.
“No! No no nothin’ like that. You ain’t done nothin’ wrong,” he reassures you hastily, “It’s just- ugh dammit I’m shit at his,” he sighs, before trying again, “The thing is, sweetheart, I had a really great time last night, and I-”
Just as he’s about to confess everything, as if the universe hates him, his phone rings. He curses and pulls it out, answer the phone with a snap,
“What? This better be important.”
It’s Tseng, and he’s being called in to deal with an emergency caused by one of Hojo’s lab specimens. Because of course he is, “Shit, alright, I’ll be right there,” he says, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice as he realises it’s actually a serious situation. He glances at you apologetically, “Sorry, sweetheart, duty calls. Can we pick this up later?”
“Of course,” you say, your expression curious but understanding, “Message me when you’re done?”
“Yeah, I will,” Reno promises, taking a breath to refocus and get into work mode, “Later, princess.”
And with that he’s heading back to the Shinra building at a good pace, though he doesn’t use his EMR as he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. He slips through the shadows with the stealth only a Turk possesses, and soon he’s back at HQ, heading up to Hojo’s labs.
When he gets there, it’s a mess, with smashed glass everywhere and that weird goo that comes from too many of the genetically engineered creatures that Hojo creates. It’s horrific, and he’s just cursing softly under his breath when he finds Rude,
“What’s the situation?” Reno asks him, “Except for Hojo bein’ a creep as always.”
“Not good. Apparently one of his ‘prize specimens’ has broken out of its enclosure. Security have put the floor on lockdown already but we’ve been called in to either trap it or put it down before it can try to escape.”
“Shit, alright. And Tseng?”
“Having to deal with the paperwork, and keep it quiet down below.”
“Alright, well, looks like I’m in charge then,” Reno says, and Rude nods, relinquishing control of the situation to the Turks' second in command, “Right okay, everyone over,” Reno starts, addressing both Rude and the security officers who are in the room, “You all got gloves? Breathing apparatus?” They all nod, “Put ‘em on. We’ve got no idea what shit is in that goo, and knowing Hojo, it’s probably poisonous.”
Everyone agrees and quickly obliges, with Reno putting his own equipment on too. Calmly, but firmly and urgently, with an authority that shows why he’s Tseng’s number 2, he gets everyone searching the area, while he and Rude quickly look into it more. It’s when they come across what was holding the creature beforehand that Reno gets an awful sinking feeling,
“Fuck, nobody told me it was that big…” he mutters, before hissing a string of curses that has Rude glancing across at him as his partner realises what he’s thinking.
“You think it’s already escaped?”
“Honestly? Yeah, I do,” Reno says, frowning, and an intense worry builds in the pit of his stomach as he thinks of you, innocently making your way back to the Shinra Building with no idea of the potential dangers ahead. Dammit, he should’ve told you to wait in Sector 8, “Damn Hojo, giving us half the information we need. I’m gonna call Tseng,” he says, whipping out his PHS and quickly calling his boss,
“Reno? What’s the status?”
“Not good. What Hojo didn’t tell us is that the damn thing’s the size of a house. If it were in here, we ain’t missin’ it, and it ain’t here.”
“…I’ll get the building on lockdown,” Tseng says, understanding immediately, “You and Rude look for a trail, track it, and put it down by any means necessary. We can deal with Hojo afterwards, civilian safety is paramount. Keep me updated.”
“Copy that, boss,” Reno affirms, then hangs up, “Alright partner, looks like this just got messy. Let’s stick together til we know what we’re facin’.”
Rude hums in agreement, and they head off together to find a trail. They soon find it; the thing’s blasted through into one of the other rooms and found a way out of an automatic door,
“Shit…” Reno curses again when they finally uncover where the monster’s escaped from, “C’mon, Rude, let’s kick ass and take names.”
They take off their PPE, not needing it away from the high concentration of chemicals in Hojo’s lab, and follow the trail, easily done with such a huge creature. They’re just starting to hope they’ll be able to put it down without it causing any problems when they hear screaming up ahead,
“Civilians,” Rude says, concern clear in his voice.
“Fuck, c’mon,” Reno says, using his EMR to get there as quickly as he can while Rude follows behind. The scene he comes into isn’t pretty; the monster’s managed to get into the recreational area of Skyview Hall and has some workers cornered. And- oh god. One of them is you. Okay. Calm. Losing your head ain’t gonna help her. From the look on Rude’s face, he’s noticed too. Reno gives him one of those signals best friends communicate with that are imperceptible to anyone else to let him know that he’s okay, but that this needs to get fixed asap. He takes a steadying breath, then shouts, his EMR sparking and a blazing fire in those blue-green eyes as he does,
“Hey shithead! How about you get over here and have a real fight?”
He doesn’t miss the shock, and relief, on your face when you realise he’s here, with Rude, to save you all, and, well, he just knows he’s gotta put on a good show for you in this fight.
And put on a show he does; the monster, thankfully, isn’t too tough despite its size, or at least it’s not for Reno and Rude. Shouting to the civilians to get back, his heart fluttering slightly at seeing it’s you who has the presence of mind to move everyone while the monster’s distracted, he then shouts a cue to Rude and they start with a Turks Combo to immediately put the specimen on the back foot. Then he flips back and surges back in with a Flashstrike, knocking the thing off balance as Rude follows up with a Shockwave and Reno then goes at it with a pretty impressive, if he does say so himself, martial arts combo then jumps in the air and comes crashing down with an Electroburst as Rude runs in and lands a few hard-hitting punches on the creature’s weak spot. Then, they attack with flawless synergy before finishing up with a Turks Unleashed that finishes the monster off without it really landing a blow on them. Reno stands up from where he landed, brushes himself off, and once the monster starts disappearing into the Lifestream he turns and fist bumps his partner before rushing over to the group of civilians, trying not to fixate on you despite his heart thundering with worry in his chest at the prospect of you being hurt,
“Anyone hurt or injured?” he asks, keeping his tone casual, but he can’t help the way his mouth turns upwards slightly in a subtle smirk at the way the group is staring in awe at him and Rude. He pays particular attention to you as his gaze passes over the crowd, and relief fills him when he sees you’re okay. Only a couple of people are hurt, sprained ankles from running away from the monster, so Reno advises them to go to medical to get checked out, but he can’t stop glancing over at you. He’s not usually the kind of guy who worst-cases things, but he keeps thinking about what would’ve happened if he and Rude hadn’t got there in time, if you’d been injured, or worse. He shudders at the thought, and once he’s updated Tseng, called for cleanup, and the crowd has dispersed to leave just him, you, and Rude, he’s immediately over to you,
“You okay? I’m sorry, I shoulda told ya to stay in Sector 8 but I didn’t-”
“As if you’re apologising to me after saving my life,” you say, a soft laugh of disbelief escaping you, “Reno, you didn’t know, and you saved me when it counted.”
He visibly relaxes at your reassurance, his shoulders sagging in relief, and he finally slips his EMR away after realising he’s been holding it with an iron grip since the fight ended,
“Thank god, sweetheart,” he says quietly, his voice more tender than usual, “If anythin’ had happened to ya…” He realises he’s acting out of character, his cocky front ripped away by his worry for you, and he quickly shakes it off, asking with a grin, “Anyway, didja enjoy the show? Seein’ me and Rude at work?”
“You guys were amazing!” you gush, brightening up as Reno does, “Rude, you’re so strong! And Reno, you’re so fast, I honestly couldn’t keep up with what you were doing. And your attacks were so cool,” you add, your eyes shining, and despite the fact that you’re complimenting both of them, your eyes are fixed on Reno. Realising this, Rude adjusts his sunglasses, and speaks up,
“You know, I’m gonna go get freshened up. I’ll catch you guys in a bit?”
Reno flashes Rude a grateful look, “Sure thing partner, thanks as always.”
And with that, Rude’s gone, leaving Reno alone with you once more,
“You sure you’re okay…?” he asks, stepping closer to you and giving you a once over, and he doesn’t miss the soft blush that rises to your cheeks at his proximity.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Just shaken,” you admit to him, “That thing was hideous. I’ve read about things like that in reports, but to see it up close…” you trail off, and Reno can see you’re trying to process everything you’ve just witnessed. But then you meet his gaze again, and dammit he feels like his knees could give out at the look you give him, “I meant it when I said you were incredible, though. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Well, if his knees were gonna give out before you spoke, he’s not sure how he’s managing to keep standing after you’ve just said that. He smirks, trying to play it off, but he can’t keep the softness out of his gaze,
“All in a day’s work, sweetheart,” he replies, trying to sound cocky, but instead the words come out… tenderly. Fuck. His brow furrows again as his gives you yet another once-over, his hands coming to rest on either side of your upper arms, and a soft gasp escapes you at the contact that, along with the adrenaline still coursing through him from the fight, has him threatening to spiral out of control of this situation,
“You sure you’re okay, though? You’re trembling,” he says quietly, and he can’t stop the worry being etched on his face. He knows you’re physically okay, but seeing shit like that when you’re not used to it can be a lot, he assumes. And he’s right, apparently, given the way you give him a shaky smile that’s not entirely from the contact between you,
“I thought we were gonna die, Reno,” you say, your voice trembling and barely a whisper at this point as his question tears down your facade, “You saved our lives. My life. And though it’s all in a day’s work for you, I’ll never forget it. So thank you.”
Reno’s jaw drops as your words have a profound effect on him; his eyes widen, his lips part in genuine surprise, and, damn it, he can feel a blush rising to his cheeks. He wants to play it off, make some snarky comment to cover up just how much those words have just affected him. He’s not sure anyone, outside Tseng and Rude, has ever thanked him for his work before; he’s either the enemy, or taken for granted by Shinra execs. Finally, he manages to actually form words,
“Anytime, princess. Wasn’t just gonna stand there and let you become monster food.”
Even now, a weak attempt at humour, anything to distract him from what he’s really feeling. But it isn’t working. His heart is still fluttering and he feels all soft and mushy and he should hate it but he doesn’t. You hold his gaze for a moment after he’s said that, something unreadable in your eyes, and he starts to think he’s screwed up or something, but then suddenly you’re hugging him, your arms around his waist and your face buried into the crook of his neck. It’s not like he’s not hugged you before, hell you hugged last night, but the surprise of it makes him freeze for a moment, his eyes widening and his heart feeling as if it’s going to explode out of his chest from how fast it’s beating, but then he regains just enough composure to actually return the hug, and when he does he melts into it, arms wrapping tightly around you as his cheek rests on the top of your head,
“…Was so worried when I saw ya in the crowd,” he murmurs after a few moments of silence, letting the words escape before he has time to stop them.
“I kinda had the opposite when I saw you; I knew you’d be able to save us,” you say softly, those words making Reno’s heart ache. He wants to say more, wants to pick up on where you left off earlier when he was about to confess his feelings to you, but it doesn’t feel like the right time. You’re still shaking, still seem terrified about what happened despite your initial relief at being saved, and he realises you’re finally trying to process it; something that he knows all too well isn’t easy,
“You’re still pretty shaken, huh?” he asks you gently, pulling back from the hug just enough to look at you but still not letting you go. You’re obviously surprised at how tender he’s being with you, but you clearly appreciate it too, and you nod,
“Yeah… it’s kinda just dawning on me what happened. I guess I’ve gotta go back to work though. I mean, you guys are gonna.”
“Sweetheart, we’re trained for it, you’re not. It’s not somethin’ you can just take on the chin if you ain’t had the trainin’,” he insists, not wanting you to even try to hold yourself to the standards kept by highly-trained special agents like him and Rude, “C’mon, I’ll talk to Tseng, see if you can have the rest of the day off. And I’ll give you a lift home early if he’ll let me.”
“That…” you look like you’re going to argue, to say you’re fine, but as you meet Reno’s gaze he can see that argument die before it’s even out, “That would be great, thank you, as long as it’s not too much?”
“Nah you’re good. Wouldn’t be offering if I didn’t mean it,” he smiles, then says, “C’mon, let’s get you back to the office and I’ll talk to Tseng. Might be after the debrief, but I’ll get you home.”
It is indeed after the debrief, as Tseng needed the full details of what happened from Reno, but once that’s done, he gives Reno the all-clear to take you home, and to stick around with you instead of coming back to work if you need him to. Reno has a sneaking suspicion that Tseng’s not just doing this out of the goodness of his heart; Hojo will be coming down to confront the Turks at some point about killing his ‘valuable specimen’, and Reno’s not famed for being tactful around the guy. He can deal with pretty much anyone else on the board no matter how much some of them irritate him, but Hojo? God no. That guy gives him the creeps with his complete disconnect from sanity. Reno’s snapped back at him in the past for similar reasons, whenever he causes unnecessary danger or starts treating humans like test subjects, but given that Hojo’s blasé attitude towards general safety led to you being in danger today? Tseng’s the most perceptive person Reno knows, he’s no doubt picked up on something between the two of you, and Reno’s aware that his boss knows him way too well to risk having him there when Hojo comes crawling down. Not that Reno’s complaining; he’d much rather spend time with you than spend it confronting that slimeball.
Anyway, enough thinking about Hojo. He’s got you in the car with him again, safe and unharmed, and that feels like a comfort in and of itself. As he starts the car, he has an idea, but hopes to everything that you don’t misinterpret it for something malicious,
“Hey, princess? Been wonderin’… if you’re not feelin’ being on your own tonight, I’ve got a spare room if ya wanna crash at my place?”
You’re silent for a few moments, which terrifies Reno. The last thing he wants is to make you feel like he’s trying any funny business with you. Okay, so maybe he usually would with someone he found as attractive as you but once again with you it’s different. He doesn’t want to screw this up by shamelessly flirting with you to the point where it ends in a one-night stand and you never want to see him again. With you, as he’s thought a few times before, he wants to be careful. But then, mercifully, you reply,
“Actually… that’d be really nice, if it’s not too much trouble? Thank you.”
And that reply? As much as he loathes to admit it, it means the absolute world.