Between... Somewhere, and the Dorms, Monday Night

[raspberryturk]

Reno was standing around outside, after doing things of an entirely nondescript nature, leaning backwards against a nearby wall, tucked out of obvious sight.

He had a lit cigarette clamped in his teeth, and he was clearly just hanging around, having a smoke outside on an October night. Nothing the matter with that.

It wasn't at all that he was waiting to intercept somebody. It wasn't at all that he had to talk to her.

Really.

[For one.]

Comments

[raspberryturk]

"You understand what it's like to be proud of what you are. And the things you did... they're huge," he said to her back, frowning. "Difference is, you did it for the right reasons. I'm proud of all the shallow shit- the tortures and the killings and the sabotage. And it ain't for any noble cause. It's cause I'm fuckin' good at it. Might be all I'm good at."

Deep breath. Maybe he'd harass the ferret some more. Hey, limp noodle weasel. Awesome.

"I got you guys here? I mean. I know I got you guys here. You followed me to the end of the world. And... I dunno. Yeah. I got you. And it scares the shit outta me."

[the_merriest]

"It's not all you're good at," she said firmly. "I wish you could see that. You ... I mean, I'm good at killing fiends, that's not -- I'm proud of it, not just because it means, hey, I can protect people, but also because I'm good at it and I like it. I stole a Shining Gem from that Bahamut you guys had, in Gaia. And I felt like I was awesome, 'cause I didn't lose a limb or anything."

Look, that Bahamut had had huge freaking claws, okay? And she hadn't even had time to squee over her loot.

"That's not the point. It's ... you're proud of it. But maybe not, hey, you're glad you did that, you look back on it and think it was an awesome move. Two totally different things, right? And ... who you are, and what that means, that's not the same as ... whether you work for him. Is it?"

Because she had a feeling they were using the same terms for twenty different things, here.

[raspberryturk]

"Right," Reno agreed, nodding faintly. "Somethin' to be proud of. I mean... If I quit, I won't be a Turk. Not officially. But I'm gonna be one anyhow. That kinda thing, you know?"

He focused on his cigarette, then, holding it between two fingers and watching the length of ash creep up the filter.

"I made a shitload of real stupid moves in my life. Things I ain't proud of. Ain't the same."

[the_merriest]

She shrugged. "You can be proud of ... being a Turk, without being proud of the things you do," she said. "Or ... you can go, hey, go me, I'm really good at ... breaking arms, but not think, gosh, I'm proud of me for breaking so many arms. It's ..."

She stopped, abruptly, to rub her eyes. "I'm not making any sense."

[raspberryturk]

That was almost a smile, there.

"Yeah. Not proud of breakin' so many arms. But damn, I do it good." He flicked the ash off his cigarette and shook his head a little. Had himself a few more puffs. Dropped the rest of it in a half-full glass of something decidedly stale on his nightstand. "Makes enough sense. Maybe not the example that I woulda used. But it makes sense, yoto."

[the_merriest]

"That's ... progress, for us. Isn't it?" She smiled, weakly. "We're at least making sense. This is new."

She ran a hand through her hair. "So ... what now? You call Tseng and ... see what he thinks? What happens next?"

[raspberryturk]

"Next?" Reno made his way over to take a seat on the edge of the bed, frowning thoughtfully to himself. "Tseng's advice is somethin' I respect. I mean, this whole quittin' thing was kinda his idea. I mean, so that we can... get away with doin' it. I gotta call him. Maybe I call Rude, first. See if the dust's settled in Edge yet, or something."

He glanced sidelong at her and chewed on his lower lip, and then gave his shoulders a shrug.

"I'd settle for just callin' it a night, right now. Long week."

And it was only Monday. Go figure.

[the_merriest]

"You want me to go?" she said softly. "I can ... go. So you can call Tseng. Or Rude. S'good, zoto."

Not quite the fighting, or talking, or bad-idea-sex. She'd. Okay. Shrug.

"Long week. Probably ... for the best, right?"

Dammit.

[raspberryturk]

He shook his head a little and reached for her hand, still chewing his lip.

Maybe that was all he had to do.

[the_merriest]

Her fingers ... played with his, hesitantly, and then she fell onto the bed, next to him, folding into his arms. Please? Could they ... could he just put his arms around her?

[raspberryturk]

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you.

He pulled her close and... laying down was an excellent idea, wasn't it? His shoes were being kicked off before his shoulders had even hit the mattress. Close. Close. Just being close to her and holding her in his arms and shutting his eyes and the rest of it could go away for a while. He could deal with the rest of it some other time. Any other time.

Right now, his arms weren't empty.

That was more than he'd had in nearly forever.

He shared exactly how much this meant to him by shifting closer and pressing his lips against her forehead.

[the_merriest]

She wasn't crying.

Okay. Maybe she was sniffling. So what? She could burrow in against the side of his neck and sniffle and he'd understand. Wouldn't he? Kick her own shoes off, wrap her arms around him, and ... right here. This was awesome. He still smelled Reno-scented, on the side of his neck, and his bed was such a great place. She didn't mean it like that, even. Just. Here. And.

Here. She was going to squeeze and cling and not budge an inch and maybe live here for about a week. A week? Did that sound good?

[raspberryturk]

A week was awesome. They didn't even have classes this week, so they wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted for detention for skipping for days on end. A week. And it would feel like minutes. And it would be awesome anyhow.

Another kiss, on the top of her head, now. And shifting his weight a little just so that he could run his fingers through her hair. She had damn nice hair, and he missed just getting his fingers into it. Touching. He missed touching. Like he'd been starved this whole week past, and just having his hands on her, warm and real and right there was going to make up for all of that.

It was.

[the_merriest]

She nuzzled back against his fingers, his lips, and she leaned up -- so hesitantly, dammit -- to press her lips on his chin, and then so lightly, over his.

Not that. Would fall into pieces. But. A soft kiss, and here in his bed, and -- they could stay here? Just sort of hold on to each other and sleep and maybe not get out of bed for a while?

Warm, real, safe. Alive. Not allowed to blow himself up again, buster.

[raspberryturk]

Not in any hurry to run out and detonate any more bombs, really.

Perfectly content to just snuggle closer, and let his mind linger on that kiss, and close his eyes.

Yeah. Right about now, 'alive' was looking pretty nice.

Seha.