Midgar High School

Reno crouched by the black convertible, watching Sephiroth say goodbye to his family. He felt like he was seeing it from high up, or from miles away, separated by space or time.

His father shook Sephiroth's hand and gave him a look that said clearly that he owed him something. Reno didn't think anyone else saw it, but Sephiroth's jaw clenched in response, as if he were holding back emotion.

"You're a good friend, Sephiroth," his father said, still shaking. Sephiroth only nodded, at a loss for words.

"Oh, I am going to miss you," his mother crowed, flinging her arms around him. Reno's sisters took turns hugging him, too. Mina didn't, but she did burst into tears and run inside the house, distraught that he was leaving.

Reno shook his head and rolled his eyes. "It's not like he's leaving forever," he said loudly.

His mother turned and looked at him sternly. "Reno, you come right over here and give your mother a goodbye hug!"

He rolled his eyes and stood up, walking over.

"Don't make that face at me, young man," his mother barked.

Then she paused, smiled gently, and embraced him. She was one of the few people he knew that was shorter than he was. Reno couldn't help but fee as if she could be easily smashed, so he held her carefully.

"I love you, Reno," she said in his ear, so only he heard.

"I love you too, mom," he said quietly. I really do. Don't worry about me.

"Be safe," she said, still holding him. He could feel her breathing.

Reno couldn't see her face. "I will. Don't worry, mom."

She stepped back, wiping suspiciously at her eyes and laughing haggardly. "I can't help it, I'm a mother. You boys be good. Sephiroth, I'm counting on you to take good care of Reno."

Reno felt another damnable blush coming on, but put his foot down. I will not fucking blush! She didn't mean it like that, anyway! She’s my mom!

Instead, he just turned to Sephiroth for his response.

--

Sephiroth reached down and mussed Reno's hair in a rough, playful gesture. Reno snarled in response and slapped at his hands, though he flinched a bit at the action.

Reno's mother's vision lingered on a slightly purple mark on Reno's arm and she frowned.

Sephiroth forced a smile. "It's an art school; I'll just keep those strange photography kids from hitting on him."

It took Reno a few minutes before he realized that Sephiroth had made a crack at him. "Har har har, bastard." Reno snapped the seatbelt into place, slid out of his shoes and planted his socked feet firmly on the dashboard; a soda can in one hand and sunglasses in the other. "I think I'll have to watch out for those writers. I hear they like pretty things like me."

"I don't know about all of that." Sephiroth smirked, the long sleeved shirt he wore hid recent stitches from his last fight with Kadaj. Reno was too banged up to hide, despite Aeris nearly magic touch. Though his mother's first instinct when she saw them both was that they had been in a fight.

She was right enough and there was no reason to worry her.

"Ya sure that Ris and Vinnie an them'll keep a good eye on things without you?" Reno asked, his voice smaller for the highway and the top being down.

Sephiroth nodded grimly. "We've got a witch a monster and a demon tamer on our side. And cookies."

Reno rolled bright blue eyes. "That doesn't make me feel better, bastard."

"You're safe with me, Reno. Unless you kick me in your sleep or put your feet on me."

Reno felt his cheeks get hot then. He tried to throw a candy wrapper at Sephiroth, but the wind snatched it out of the speeding car as he let it go. Watching it float to the side of the road Reno swallowed.

Sure he'd kissed Seph – IN FRONT OF ZACK, Gaea how could he forget- but he'd never been really alone with him. Never slept in the same room. Hell, Reno'd only seen his sister's dorm room in passing, and at that point he'd been far more interested in the girls shower than where his smoke smelling eldest sister would be living.

She had an apartment in school now anyway, and worked almost as much as their father. There was an uncomfortable feeling of butterflies in his stomach, and even though he'd have liked to blame Sephiroth for them, he felt that Junon Academy of the Arts was more to blame.

He really DID want to go to school there, but Elena and Tseng were going to go do some smart-ass engineering or business thing. Reno hadn't wanted to be alone, so he never looked at it. Of course…now Sephiroth was going to be there.

And he blushed again.

--

Reno tapped on the edge of the seat, feeling like he was trying to hide. So what? You're a couple; couples supposedly deal with these things. There's just the little problem of never having been in a couple before. I don't know what to expect.

Reno glanced up at Sephiroth. "What, we can't listen to music on this trip?"

Those strange green eyes slid sideways to look at him. "CDs are at your feet." He looked at the road again, lifting his arm up to brush a stray part of his hair as it danced in front of his face.

It was almost laughable that a guy Reno literally watched flipping off of walls, smashing through tables and all around sword fighting was so painfully INEPT with human beings. It would have to be something to work on.

Reno picked up the case. Without opening it, he closed his eyes and said, "Let me guess. A gay guy like you... This thing is going to be fucking full of Celine Dion and Elton John, right?"

Sephiroth shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You were gay too, last time I checked. Or you just REALLY like long hair and swords"

Reno sniffed, ruffling through the CD's. "I do enjoy a long haired person, now and again. And so what if I like swordfighting? That's pretty fucking masculine, if you ask me."

He took a CD from the plastic sheet. "Oh, my fucking god. Look what I found. Sir Elton John."

"Most men that like swordfighting SWORDFIGHT, Re." Sephiroth smirked. "You just like to fanboy. And it's a piano concerto, you cretin. Not pop songs."

Reno sighed and put the CD back. "Hell no, anyway." He picked another. "What the hell is this?"

Sephiroth sighed. "I don't know would you like me to read off my CD collection to you or drive?"

Reno twirled it, watching the sunlight catch in rainbows on its underside. "Both." He waved the CD so Sephiroth could see it. "So what is it?"

"That's Mako Sulphide- Die Before the Moon, not that you listen to that stuff. You probably only listen to gaming music MIDIS, don't you?" He started humming a dancy little song that reminded Reno of chocobos.

Reno slipped the CD into the player. "I have a fucking fine collection, thanks very much."

Sephiroth flinched. "You MAY wanna turn that down... just a tad." The music hadn't started yet, and if Reno was expecting something light, he was going to be rudely shown otherwise

Reno stuck his fingers in his ears as the uproariously loud music came on. "What the shit is this?"

Sephiroth sighed. "It's too loud!" he yelled. When Reno didn't respond, he turned it down himself.

Reno cocked his head for a moment, then nodded. "I like it. It has my stamp of fucking approval.

Sephiroth's face quirked up then, he looked down at the sleeve of his shirt. It was damp. "Damnit…" He then changed lanes, moving to a rest-stop.

Reno looked up, taking his feet from the dash. "What's wrong?"

Pulling in Sephiroth dug a first aid kit from under his seat. "It's nothing, just gotta go to the bathroom." He closed the door and left Reno in the car. The slice along his arm was pretty nasty, he would have to admit. He had been so preoccupied with Reno, though that he hadn't even thought to have Aeris do more than stitch it up.

Reno didn't need to worry about it. Kadaj had gotten him good; it was so hard to hold back with that… well he really wasn't a guy, was he? The bruise on his back was going away- quick healing- but it still stung. It was the slash at his arm that was the most troublesome. Aeris said that the stitches had to be open because of the kind of cut.

And so he had to clean it.

Giving up on rolling up his sleeve, Sephiroth looked around the rest stop before sliding out of his shirt. The bright room gave him a good view of the scratches. "Christ, he really did work me over…"

He started peeling the bandage off of his arm and taking out the medicine Aeris had given him.

Reno stepped out of the car and swung his arms around, getting the blood flowing again. He walked around for a minute, bored, before deciding to follow Sephiroth to the bathroom.

He opened the door, glancing up and...paused in shock. Sephiroth was standing, leaning over the sink, running water through the wound on his arm. His whole bare torso was covered in thick scratches.

Reno felt his blood thicken with rage. They can't ever leave him the HELL alone, can they? They can't ever leave us in peace?

Fucking hell," he muttered, walking to him. "You told me he didn't hurt you that bad. I'll kill him."

Sephiroth snapped around, one arm lifted and a snarl on his face. When he saw Reno he let out a haggard sigh. "I told you that I've had worse. And I have. You were too hurt for me to worry you." Turning about Sephiroth opened the jar of crème Aeris had given him. He scooped some out with his finger and worked it into the wound.

He pulled a face. "I don't want you to go looking for that guy, he's damned dangerous." One of the stitches made a soft pop, earning a hiss. He pulled the string loose from his skin. "So don't be stupid."

Reno stared in morbid fascination as Sephiroth worked with his wounded arm. "You...should you be doing that to yourself? Shouldn't somebody else do it?" he asked, stepping closer and frowning.

He looked down at his arm, and winced. "Ah, that really is shitty, isn't it? He's so dead as soon as we get home."

"It's awkward, I'm not right handed." He frowned at the wrappings that were sitting on the sink and his left arm. Reaching out he started trying to dry the area around the cut off.

"And you are not going NEAR him, Reno. Do you forget him almost killing you? You kept Aeris checking in on you all night long." He didn't mention how he knew that Aeris was continually looking in on Reno, however and hissed again as the corner of the paper towel brushed under a stitch.

Reno reached out and took the paper towel from him. “Then let me do it.” Without looking at Sephiroth's face, he started to carefully dry around his wound.

A few moments passed without words, then Reno muttered, “I hate that bitch.” He traced around the angry red white-filled gore. “I really hate him.”

Fuck. How am I supposed to protect him, if I can’t even protect myself?

Sephiroth watched his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I gathered, but what gets me is I don't think you hate him because he almost killed you." He didn't seem to expect Reno to respond, instead he watched the other man bandage his arm up.

"Re, let's just not worry about it alright? Not this weekend. Let's just be normal this weekend."

Reno finished wrapping up his arm with white gauze and paused, his fingers delicately cupping the muscle. He was not looking at Sephiroth; his eyes were focused somewhere beyond his chest, as if he were thinking very hard.

He continued, fingers brushing along the sticky bandage. He licked his lips, staring at the same point. “What is going on? What are they planning? Is someone…going to die before the end of this?”

Reno tightened his grip on Sephiroth’s arm, as if he needed something to hold on to. “I couldn’t protect Shera, Sephiroth. I really couldn’t do it. I’m weak.”

"Re, if you hadn't have been there Kadaj would have taken her with him." Sephiroth's voice was close; his breath was hot on Reno's hair. "You don't have to protect everyone, you know. You just…"

Suddenly Reno's back was pressed against the wall, Sephiroth's mouth over his. Eyes pressed shut, even after he backed away. "You're just you." Sephiroth finished mouth close to Reno's ear.

He backed up then, putting his shirt on and putting a cap on the crème. "I don't really care about anything else."

Reno frowned and nodded, breathing through his mouth. “It’s not enough. Someone’s going to die because of me. I can feel it.”

He closed his eyes. “You probably just let me win…that time when I zapped you.” A pause, breathing. “Didn’t you?”

"I think in the long run, Reno, you won." Sephiroth responded, leaving the rest stop and heading to the car. "I mean, if it weren't for you I'd be playing football, falling right into whatever plans they had set out for me."

He leaned back on the hood of the car and looked out in the direction of Junon. "This wouldn't be possible without you. So don't forget that, alright? There are a lot of kinds of strength… right?"

“Right,” Reno sighed. “And I have the kind where I yell at evil people until they start to kill the people I care about. Really fucking useful.”

Sephiroth slammed his car door. "Don't make me pull over at a cornfield and beat you half to death."

Reno's look seemed to have softened whatever else he was going to say. "He took his anger out on YOU, if you hadn't have been there he would have kidnapped Shera. That is very important that she NOT go with those psychotics. Let me handle the swordfights, you do the verbal stuff, alright?"

“…verbal.” Reno laughed self-depreciatingly. “Right. Fine, I guess I’ll just hide behind you.” He kicked at the ground. “What if you’re not there again?”

Sephiroth started his car and growled. "Re, get in, don't act like this." He watched the red head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, it won't happen again."

Reno looked at him for a long moment before nodding and slipping into the front seat. “Yeah, okay.”

He was quiet as the car started up and they got back onto the freeway. “Sure,” he muttered, voice caught in the passing wind.

Sephiroth sighed. "Reno, don't, come on. We're going to college, how the hell are you going to hit on hot coeds if you're pouting?"

Reno sighed and smiled, rubbing at his face. “I don’t know. With my usual fucking grace and charm, probably. I wonder if there will be any brunettes there.”

Sephiroth's smirk faded. "Brunettes?"

Reno closed his eyes, looking bored. "Yeah, brunettes. I love brunettes. They're all so fucking hot."

"Oh, really? And why haven't you talked to Tifa yet then?" There was a near serious tone of his voice.

Reno waved his hand, eyes still closed. "Nah, she's too creepy to be hot. Vincent too. I'll have to make a clean start at college. Find some normal brunettes to get with."

Sephiroth smiled. "Well, Cody told me that there are some great bars, when he meets us he'll show us around."

Reno opened one eye suspiciously. "Cody? Who the hell is Cody?"

"Oh this guy that I've been talking to in the writing program. We've got contacts to keep in touch with, you know. Can't wander campus all on my own now, can I?"

Reno turned toward him, glaring. "Is Cody one of those gay writers you were talking about?"

"Oh him? No, he told me he liked football players." Sephiroth looked out of the corner of his eye. "But you like brunettes so no skin off your nose, huh?"

Reno shrugged, scratching his head nonchalantly. "Nope, none at all." After a moment, he stopped, frowning. "Well, maybe a little."

"We'll I'm about the opposite of a brunette." Sephiroth teased a smile on his lips.

Reno shook his head. "You totally dye it. You're a brunette underneath all...that." He made twirling motions toward Sephiroth's head.

"Oh please, you’re the one that dies your hair, Red." Sephiroth teased. "And don't worry about Cody."

"I do fucking not dye my hair, damn it." Reno growled to himself. "Haven't you seen my family? Yeah, the red is natural."

A few moments passed. "And I wasn't worrying," Reno said quietly, seriously.

Sephiroth laughed. "You are blushing, Re."

Reno rolled his eyes. "So what else is fucking new?"

--

Sephiroth pulled into the campus, and the pair fell silent. Reno reached forward to turn the radio down. The campus was large, totally covered in massive red-brick buildings with complicated art pieces and fountains adorning open grass malls and corners.

Sephiroth pulled into a parking lot, double checking the space number before shutting off the car. "Get your bags, let's go." He inclined his head to one of the buildings; it proclaimed "Cendrillo Hall".

Sephiroth slung the pack over his shoulder and looked from right to left. "This one's Cendrillo hall, the one to the left is called Seventhe and the one over there is called Reunion Center. The dorms for visitors are in Cendrillo, and we will be going to Drakonlily for orientation."

Reno only nodded, raising an eyebrow at the names.

Sephiroth shrugged. "They all have names after famous writers and artists, there's a Quela Hall, Vestergaard Building, Fly Center, CG Auditorium, that sorta stuff."

They made their way through the parking lot and through the double glass doors into the main hall of the dorms. Before they made their way to the information center, a good looking auburn haired man intercepted. "You have to be Sephiroth."

Sephiroth blinked and swallowed. "Ah… yeah?"

The young man laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, just you really DO have silver hair; I thought Ms Scarlet was playing games with me. I'm Cory, your student advisor."

Sephiroth then extended his hand. "Yeah, she told me about you."

"All lies, I assure you." Cory laughed, shaking Seph's hand. "Damn, you've got a grip, watch it; I'm a photographer, delicate hands." He then turned to Reno. "You did bring someone! I'm glad, this is much more fun with..ah, little brother?"

Reno instantly exploded. "Little!? What the fuck makes you think I'm his little brother!? I'm fucking older than he is, you dick!"

Sephiroth and Cory both blinked at him. Cory looked from one to the other with a knowing smile. "Ah... and then you are?"

Sephiroth interjected, quickly. "This is Reno." Sephiroth smirked. "I'm sorta an orphan, you know, and Reno's family took me in for the rest of the year. He wanted to check the campus out."

Cory nodded. "Well, ah, Reno." He lifted an arm up. "Hey! Tiffany! Come'ere!"

A pretty Wutain girl with cropped black hair skipped up to them. She had a shirt on that looked suspiciously like something Aeris had worn on a few occasions. Glasses perched on her little nose. "This is Sephiroth and his friend Reno, Seph – can I call you Seph?- Seph then, made it into the full ride program."

"You're a writer with that name." She giggled. She then looked Reno over approvingly. "So, not a writer…" She tilted her head. "Not totally… photography?"

Reno was impressed as well as spooked. "Hey, how did you know that? Are you fucking psychic?"

Tiff laughed. "Yes. I am."

At the expression on Reno's face, she laughed again, hitting him on the shoulder. "No, I'm just kidding. Geez. I just...know people. I have a good eye."

Reno crossed his arms and looked away, at all of the modern art sculptures and buildings. "So, what else do you see?" he asked, only mildly interested after being made fun of.

She winked, looking back and forth between him and Sephiroth. "Oh, a couple things."

Sephiroth started then, green eyes narrowed.

Tiff was totally unfazed. "You have SUCH a look you know that? You should get an acting minor, I did it to help with my screenplays, really helps out."

Cory rolled his eyes. "Writers…"

He then turned to Reno and started babbling about the photography program.

He and Tiffany led Sephiroth and Reno up to one of the visitor's dorms. Cory handed the key over to Sephiroth after unlocking the door. "Definitely not a pent house, but it's free, can't complain. Bop the heater one if you need to, and the windows are a little tough to open."

Tiff unfolded a map and sat it on one of the desks. "Here's a map, we are all meeting in Rene for dinner and then campus tours. After that-" She spun around and Cory did likewise. "Hey Core?"

"Yeah Tiff?"

"Do you see any minors here?"

"Minors? Why-" He looked from side to side, but not behind him. "Nope I do not."

"Well then want to meet me by Miri Fountain to walk to the Tri Chi party tonight, say ten?"

Cory laughed. "I think that's a WONDERFUL idea, I'm glad no minors overheard us."

They both looked over their shoulders. Cory smiled broadly at Sephiroth. "See ya tonight, Seph." And with that, Reno and Sephiroth were alone in the dorm-room.

---

Reno turned a full circle, giving everything a quick glance before throwing his duffel on one of the beds. "It's fucking small."

"It's alright. It doesn't need to be huge," Sephiroth replied. He was looking down through the window. A little light was spilling in onto him, weaving his hair into silver and gold. His face was expressionless, but Reno could feel the excitement and trepidation coming off of him in waves. There was an underlying confidence in the way he stood and in the way he was looking at the buildings outside, as if he had already won. As if the whole place already belonged to him.

So that's what he looks like. Reno's lips curled in a small smile. That's what he really looks like. Not a bully, not an athlete, not a weakling, not a god. Just Sephiroth. Just him.

Reno closed his eyes against it for a moment.

He only looks like this here, in this place. Maybe it could be possible to be normal here. A new start.

Sephiroth turned, long hair glistening. He caught the look on Reno's face and smirked. "Now, see, I'm curious now. What in the world could you be blushing about?"

Reno shook his head and rubbed his face. "Fuck. It's nothing."

The smirk widened as he walked toward him. "Oh, I think it is. You never told me what makes you do that."

Reno flushed deeper and looked to the side. "You do, you bastard."

When Reno looked up again, Sephiroth had closed the distance between them. "Really, I thought you liked brunettes?"

"Of course I do. Brunettes are fucking hot." He snorted, "and you've already got a fan…fucking Cory."

"He seems to like my hair." Sephiroth smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's it." Reno tackled Sephiroth then, earning a grunt of pain from both of them as Sephiroth's knees buckled, against the bed. His head smacked against the cork board on the wall and he let out an "ompf" into Reno's mouth.

Reno's hands smacked against the corkboard, before he could move them Sephiroth captured his wrists and rolled to the side, holding Reno's arms above his head and kissing him. Sephiroth freed one of his hands then, moving it to Reno's stomach before he moved his mouth to his neck.

"Ahh…hey, watch it…that fucking tickles!" Reno tilted his head back.

"Thought you-"

Sephiroth then found himself flipped over and on the floor. Once the wind returned to his lungs he glared up at Reno. "Weren't ticklish…"

Reno laughed and kissed him. "I'm not. YOU however are-"

Sephiroth made a noise that could only be described as a yelp, but it was muffled beneath the redhead, so one couldn't be sure. He broke away, laughing helplessly as Reno dug his fingers into just the wrong spot on his ribs.

"Re-e-eno!" he chuckled, eyes tearing. "St-o-o-o-p i-i-i-it!"

Reno shook his head. "Never. It's my only fucking weapon, I've got to use it as much as humanly possible."

Sephiroth tried to roll away from him, but it was futile. Reno had way too much practice with his sisters to be escapable.

Finally, Sephiroth caught his wrists in an iron grip, face dead serious.

"Quit it."

They stared at each other for a few tense seconds before they both cracked up. While he was distracted, Sephiroth took the opportunity to pick Reno up and throw him on the bed. He bounced a few times, then blushed furiously again.

"There that goes again. It's so funny," Sephiroth said, standing over him. "Your face, it's redder than your hair."

Reno glared at him. "So fucking what?"

Sephiroth considered for a minute before responding. "So THIS!"

He grabbed one of Reno's wrists and pulled him toward him, touching his lips with a smiling kiss. Reno softened and kissed back, wrapping his arm around his neck, hands in his beautiful hair, tracing his muscles.

Sephiroth broke off, kissing his neck, his ear. "I love it when you blush," he breathed, hot breath on his neck, mouth tracing the shell of his ear. "It's fucking adorable."

Reno closed his eyes and opened his mouth, needing air, gasping. "No, it's fucking not."

Then Sephiroth tensed, and Reno paused in question.

Sephiroth jabbed his fingers in Reno's armpits, tickling him thoroughly. "Yes, it is!"

Reno collapsed back on the bed, laughing helplessly and shaking his head from side to side. "Sto-p it! Fu-u-ucking sto-p it!"

Sephiroth grinned. "Yeah, this would be so terrible if you were ticklish."

Reno managed an arm in Sephiroth's hair and yanked down, biting his shoulder.

Sephiroth tensed then, one hand gripping the metal rail at the head of the bed. "Re… you don't know what you're doing."

"Sure I do." Reno responded into Sephiroth's shoulder.

That earned another shiver before Sephiroth grabbed Reno by the hair and yanked his mouth back. Reno let a strangled noise leave his mouth when Sephiroth growled into his throat. "Don't stop… that… that feels fucking good."

Sephiroth laughed. "I don't plan on-"

And then there was a knock on the door.

---

Reno came back to reality like someone splashed cold water on him. "F-fuck," he said. "Get off."

Sephiroth growled again, biting his neck, which made Reno's eyes roll in the back of his head, slipping back under the current. "Gehhh..."

More knocks.

Reno pushed on him. "F-fuck! I said get off of me!"

Sephiroth sat back, licking his lips and smirking. Reno sat up, cheeks stinging from another blush. "Fuck."

Sephiroth's smirk widened. "Come in," he said, eyes laughing at him.

Reno's back was to the door. He heard it open, but he didn't turn around.

"Ah, hey. One of the campus tours is starting in a minute. Just wanted to let you know," said Cory.

Reno turned around and glared at him. "Thanks for the fucking info, Cor-y," he said sarcastically. "Why don't you go shove it up your ass!?"

Cory's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry," he said, retreating.

"No, wait," Sephiroth called. When Cory tentatively stuck his head back in, he continued. "Listen, he didn't mean it. He's just mad at something I just did. He has a temper."

Reno glared at him, aghast. "Oh, yeah. I have a fucking temper alright." And with that, he got up and left.

"Yer boyfriend's kinda hostile, isn't he?" Cory asked, watching the other red head stalk down the hall. "It dead ends over there…"

"Yeah, I think it’s the hair." Seph raked a hand over his own hair and stood up. "Where is the tour starting up at?"

"At CG Auditorium. You've got like thirty minutes." Cory shook his head again and walked the other way.

Sephiroth waited for Reno to come back across the hall, knowing he'd have to if he wanted to go anywhere.

After a minute, Reno didn't pass by, so Sephiroth peeked out to see that he was at the end of the dead-end hall, looking out the window with his arms folded. He looked up at Sephiroth and scowled, then looked away as if he were disgusted.

"Alright, what the hell is your problem?" Sephiroth asked, crossing his arms over his chest in a similar fashion

Reno rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Feh, it's fucking nothing."

"Reno, it's something, you're acting like a dick." Sephiroth snapped. "I mean, shit, you can talk about hitting on brunettes but I can't TALK to someone? What's the deal?"

"Well you don't SEE any fucking brunettes around, do you?" Reno yelled, glaring. "Damn it, Sephiroth!" He broke off, rubbing his head and not meeting his eyes.

"And your thrice damned problem is?" Sephiroth looked out the window. "Kinda hard for me to make friends if you jump down their throats, you know. Christ, like you have anything to worry about."

Reno sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "So, you're just going to be a dick and not let me know what the fuck happened so you can lord it over my head the NEXT time I piss you off and have no idea why?"

Reno shook his head. "No, it's not fucking..." He sighed. "Listen, I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry." He still wasn't looking at Sephiroth, and he was blushing with a frown on his face.

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder for a moment before putting a hand under Reno's chin and making him look up. "Look, Reno, I take you seriously. I do. Alright? Don't worry about it."

Reno closed his eyes. "I won't...yell at...fucking Cody anymore. Sorry." The last word was a murmur.

"Well I am too." With another quick look around he brushed his lips with Reno's and backed up. "Now, let's go before they leave and we have to wander around lost."

Reno sighed again and nodded. "Alright."

Not entirely convinced that Reno wasn't still upset with him, Sephiroth turned and started back to the dorm-room. He dug around for his wallet and the key on the dresser.

Sephiroth heard the door close and lock. Startled, he looked up at Reno, who was standing by the door with his hand on the knob, flushed and glowering. "Sephiroth, I just want to know one fucking thing."

Sephiroth frowned. "What?"

Reno snapped, "How can you be so fucking calm all the time!? You never get mad or anything! It's like you don't even care!"

Sephiroth blinked. "I- what?"

Reno stalked up to Sephiroth then. "Like RIGHT now, just brush everything off like it doesn't mean anything! That fucking pisses me off!"

"Well would you rather I scream about it?! Reno I'm a fucking raving psychotic, don't you think I need to STAY CALM?"

This gave Reno pause. "You- God damnit stop saying that! I mean… fuck. Seph, I know you aren't all there, but it doesn't matter."

They were silent for a long time. "You really think I don't care?" Sephiroth sounded…well, hurt, for lack of a better word.

Reno looked away again, he was just … "I'm just afraid you're going to leave me behind." Reno muttered. "I don't want you to forget about me."

"You're impossible to forget, Reno." Sephiroth said honestly, leaning with one hand flat on the desk. He smirked. "And I mean, come on, I didn't kill Kadaj for you, that has GOT to prove something."

Reno leaned back against the door, hands still cupping the doorknob. "You REALLY wanted to kill him?"

Sephiroth nodded his head once. "I kinda wish I did."

"And why didn't you?"

Reno finally looked up and caught Sephiroth's eyes. He'd thought them eerie, but now, he had gotten used to the glow. Sephiroth walked forward with the same graceful strides that he always used. Nose to nose, Sephiroth's long hair brushed the side of Reno's face. "Well, because you asked me not too."

Reno could feel himself blush again. "You…. You're a bastard. I thought that we were supposed to do sweet things, not say 'I won't go on a killings spree for you.'"

"You wouldn't appreciate flowers and poems very much, Reno." He leaned forward a bit more, putting his hands on either side of Reno's head.

"Not my fault you like that dryer guy's writing." Tilting his head up, Reno lifted off the door a bit, closing the distance between them.

"Emerson is not – you're a cretin."

Closer.

"You are the one that hasn't seen STAR WARS."

Reno thrusted his hands up then, under Sephiroth's arms and they toppled to the floor. Reno found the place on Sephiroth's shoulder again, nipping at it. He laughed when Sephiroth tensed under him. "What?"

"You know very well what." Sephiroth growled. Reno continued and he growled again, fisting a hand in red hair. "I thought that we were going on a tour."

"Not after you get me worked up like that, bastard. I locked the door for a reason."

Reno yelped when Sephiroth rolled them over and once again his head was tilted back and Sephiroth was growling at his throat.

Reno's hands worked their way under Sephiroth's shirt and he shrugged it off, breaking away for a second. Reno's grip on Sephiroth's hair tightened, jerking him back down to the floor. Sephiroth pulled Reno to a sitting position and Reno's shirt followed and then they looked at each other. "Ah…Re?"

Reno was blushing, but he still had a smirk on his face. "Yeah?"

"What… ah exactly do we do next?"

Reno's eyes darted around the room for a moment in thought. "I ah.. I have no idea, really…"

Sephiroth pushed him back down, biting that place on his neck. "We'll just figure it out, I guess."

"Works for me, now shut up talking and keep doing that."