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“I gotta ask,” Cloud says, eyes on the damp bar-top, glass in one hand, “Why the hell do you want Shinra rebuilt?” He lifts his gaze, blue like the sky and shimmering with green. Like a sickness it’s creeping out from the pupils; luminous ink in clear water.
Reno looks away. He picks up his own drink, puts the lip of the bottle to his mouth and drinks. It gives him time. He’s not sure really what brought him to the new, improved Seventh Heaven. Only that he was thirsty and its hot outside. He lowers the bottle, thumb sliding up the side and pushing at the damp label, “It’s…” He pauses, licking his lower lip, eyes on the ceiling and the slowly rotating fan. “Home.” He says finally. Honesty isn’t his usual go-to, especially not here. Not in this house of old enemies. He laughs at himself, a low huff of air as he leans on his elbow and pushes fingers through his hair. He had discarded his jacket a while ago, it hangs over the bar. A slash of black against old wood worn smooth by hands and fingers.
Ice tinkles softly as Cloud lifts his glass again, “Not an answer I would’ve expected, not from you.”
Reno finally looks at him. He watches his profile, wild golden hair, eyes lidded and lowered like he’s expecting to be chastised. Reno laughs again, “Oh? And why not?” He rests his chin on one hand, leaning closer to Cloud. He focusses on the soft baby hairs at the nape of his neck.
“Well…you’re…” Cloud’s frown deepens as he searches for the right words, he taps his fingers against the glass in his hand. Tap, tap, tap. “You’re a Turk.” He says it with a wrinkle in his nose, a tightness in his voice that still speaks of disgust.
Reno finishes his beer, sets the bottle back down on the bar. “Yeah, I am. Will be until the day I die, yo.”
“But…why?” Finally, Cloud lifts his gaze and meets Reno’s. He’s drunk, even Reno can see that. There’s a bottle sat just beside his hand, half-empty already. The bar’s empty too, it’s still too early for the type of people Tifa’s bar attracts. Reno’s only here by chance. He reaches over, across Cloud, getting inside his personal space just to feel him squirm. He picks up the bottle Cloud’s been drinking from and lifts it to his own mouth, he drinks and then leans back.
“Why’d you wanna become a SOLDIER, yo?” Reno retorts. It throws Cloud off guard for a second, he stares at Reno, nose still wrinkled and swaying a little.
“I wanted to be a hero.” He answers finally, “I wanted…” He hesitates, looks away and then back again. “I wanted to impress a girl.”
Reno’s sudden laughter explodes from his chest, he doubles over, nearly knocking the booze off the bar. He slaps his hand to his knee, head bowed. “Oh shit. That’s…that’s fucking hilarious, yo!” He manages after a good minute. He straightens and wipes a hand across his eyes, still sniggering. “You had issues.”
“What and you don’t?” Cloud’s eyebrow rises, his cheeks are a little pink.
“Pfft, I got so many the company therapist quit, yo.” He says and waves a dismissive hand, “You got into all that trouble, just to impress a damn girl.” He shakes his head again, “Gotta give you credit, man. That’s some fucked up thinkin’.”
“Thanks.” Cloud rolls his eyes.
Reno takes another deep swig from the bottle then holds it out to Cloud. Cloud’s gloved fingers curl around it. Reno watches his lips close around the bottle neck and then watches his throat bob as he swallows. Reno licks his lips and looks away just before Cloud offers the bottle back. He takes it and picks idly at the label.
“Why’re you here, Reno?”
Reno looks up, gaze calculating. He takes his time before answering, “I was bored.” He lies, a small smile curling the corner of his lips, “What’re you doing here? Getting drunk with a Turk?”
Cloud laughs quietly, it’s a nice laugh, “Got no deliveries. Tifa asked me to watch the bar.”
“Pretty sure that doesn’t mean you getting drunk, yo.”
Cloud smiles again as he takes the bottle from Reno’s hand and drinks again. Reno’s smile widens, takes on an edge. He leans closer, prizing the bottle from Cloud’s fingers.
“I’m a Turk because I love my job, yo.” He says, maintaining eye contact, “Because Shinra’s my family. Only family I’ll ever have.” He drinks and pulls back.
“Typical Shinra, huh? Taking advantage of people who don’t have much.”
Reno sighs heavily, he leans back against the bar and tilts his head, “When I was a kid, there was this guy. He was a drunk, an addict, yo. Can’t remember the guy’s name, not even sure he could.” He shakes his head, adjusts his goggles and looks side-ways at Cloud, “When he died his body was just left to rot in the gutter, yo. We used to go see it, watch it decompose. I watched that guy’s flesh slowly rot from his bones ‘til nothin’ was left. Not even the rats’d touch him, probably all that mako he dosed up on.” He shrugs one bony shoulder, shirt shifting to reveal more of his exposed chest. The cloth is wrinkled but clean, his hair falls into his eyes. The red is almost too bright to be real. Cloud stares at him, riveted. “That guys fate would’ve been mine.” He says, looking across the room and out of the large windows. Beyond them they can see people pass, shadows against the bright sun, “So when I got the chance to move up onto the top plate, I damn well took it. Shinra saved my life, yo.”
Cloud looks down at the bottle, watches the light glint from the glass. The booze is a soft amber, glowing in the dying sunlight, “Guess you gotta be more than a little fucked up in the head to wanna join Shinra.”
Reno laughs, the tension eases from his shoulders. He reaches for the bottle and pours some into Cloud’s glass, then he lifts the bottle up with a grin, “To being fucked up in the head,” He says as a toast and downs what’s left. Cloud sniggers and drinks as well.