Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Between the Lines ❯ Everyday Miracles ( Chapter 14 )

Between the Lines

 

Description: What happened to Reno and Rude in Advent Children during the times they were off camera. How and why they showed up where they did when they did. Rated T for language and descriptions of torture.

 

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and its characters are the property of Square-Enix. Everything in this fic is just speculation on my part. I have no insider information. I also have no money, so suing me would be pointless.

 

Fourteen: Everyday Miracles

 

Rain.

 

Soft, warm, soothing … forgiving?

 

Rude blinked as a perfectly-placed droplet fell behind the lenses of his glasses and broke upon his eyelashes. Interesting how something as simple and natural as rain could bring up such feelings within him. Normally, he would have attributed it to the relief upon seeing the sun again, the dissipation of the dark, ominous clouds, and the knowledge of what the sight truly meant. But Rude could feel something special in the water that dropped from the sky. Something that cured Geostigma on contact. A presence that was familiar and oddly comforting.

 

He shifted his attention to Rufus, still sitting comfortably in his wheelchair. A few green vapors lingered in the air above the smooth skin of his right hand. Rufus lifted it and inspected it for a moment before returning his attention to his Turks. The four of them stood before the President in a slightly curved line. Survivors.

 

Rufus smiled at them. A genuine action with perhaps even a trace of affection. "Tseng, I would like you to drive me to Healin. I have an account there I would like to close. You and I will discuss next week's assignments on the way."

 

Tseng inclined his head. "Sir."

 

"Elena, Rude, Reno, you are dismissed until tomorrow."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Thank you, sir."

 

With a final nod, the President rotated his chair and advanced to the car, Tseng following at a respectful but still helpful distance.

 

Rude turned to Reno who was stretching and doing a very poor job of stifling a yawn. "Interested in getting something to eat?"

 

"Dunno," Reno answered, scratching the back of his head. "I'm really tired. My bed is calling me, and there isn't even a woman in it."

 

Rude snorted good-naturedly. "You must be exhausted then." He swiveled his head to look over his shoulder. "Elena, you hungry?"

 

"Yeah, a bit," she replied, walking up to them. "Reno's paying, right?"

 

"You wish. Nah, I'm going home. I'm beat."

 

To Rude's surprise, Elena's face fell at this news. "Really? I was kind of hoping you'd tell me about how you blew up those two creeps. I'd like to hear the details."

 

Reno gazed at her, puzzled. "You would? Since when are you interested in bombs and explosions?"

 

"Oh, I'm not interested in the explosion," she explained, lifting her left hand and slowly flexing each finger individually. "More the elimination of the targets."

 

Reno laughed lightly. "I gotcha, girl. Okay, I'll go. Some food will probably make me feel better."

 

Elena smiled at him. Rude had to fight the urge to rub his eyes and gawk in disbelief. Reno and Elena getting along? This was indeed an interesting day. In fact, he didn't know which was the most remarkable: Sephiroth's rebirth (and re-death), the end of Geostigma, or this. He had no doubt the truce would be short-lived, but still, for now it was very nice to see.

 

"I need to talk to Tseng real quick. Can you guys wait a minute?"

 

"Sure," Rude replied.

 

"See if you can get him to pay for dinner," Reno added.

 

Elena shook her head at him and dashed away to get Tseng before he left.

 

The two men stood together in comfortable silence. After a moment, Rude looked over at his partner, the man who was both his worst headache and his greatest friend. He smiled.

 

"Reno."

 

"Yeah?" He turned his head and noticed the smile. One eyebrow shot skyward in consternation.

 

"I just wanted to let you know …" He paused, relishing the worry in the other man's face. "… that if you get drunk tonight, I am not carting your sorry ass home."

 

Instantly, Reno's face brightened, and a teasing grin spread across his lips. Rude swallowed a laugh. You thought I was going to say something emotional and sentimental, didn't you? I know us better than that.

 

"Geez, Rude," Reno drawled, more than happy to play along, "you are so uptight. You know what you need to wind down? A woman. I know a few who would do the trick. Pretty girls. Low standards."

 

"If they've slept with you," Rude interjected, "their standards must be extremely low."

 

Reno laughed. Then he suddenly stopped and said with uncharacteristic seriousness, "Yo, don't ever change, all right?"

 

Rude looked at him in surprise. Then, slowly, gently, he smiled again. "I won't if you won't."

 

Guess we can be a little sentimental. Once in a while.

 

"Good. It's a deal then."

 

"Okay, guys, I'm back," Elena's voice broke in. She trotted up to them and then turned to address Reno with a smirk. "Tseng says he'll take us all out to dinner once you get caught up on all the paperwork you owe him."

 

Reno shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Well, it was worth a shot. Come on, let's go already." He clapped a hand to Rude's back and began walking toward the square.

 

Rude and Elena exchanged a knowing look before easily falling into step beside their fiery-headed teammate. Tomorrow, another crisis would undoubtedly arise, but for tonight at least, the Turks were off-duty. The rest of the world could leave a frigging message.

 

Together, Reno, Rude, and Elena headed off into the city.