Next Round (5/7)

“Well, we fucked that one up,” Reno said, his head still deep in the refrigerator, the only thing visible were the four digits holding the upper side of its door.

“Still bothering with the redundant, I see,” Sephiroth commented dryly from the doorframe. Reno’s head appeared over the refrigerator door, cheeks flushed from the bent position, red spikes over his forehead. He growled.

Sephiroth chuckled and shook his head, seeming all the way as the parent watching their child try and push the triangle shaped toy through the round hole on one of those creativity slash intelligence puzzles for toddlers. After doing exactly the same thing for days now; unsuccessfully, of course.

What used to be boots and power, now was barefoot stealth. With equal calculated perfection, Sephiroth silently passed the three tile rows distance from the door to the sink, pouring himself another glass of water.

As stealthily as he came, he turned on his heel and left, stopping just at the doorframe as he heard the other ask; “Beer?”

He chuckled again, right after taking a sip of his water. “There isn’t enough beer in this world to make me drunk.”

Reno snorted, pulling another pair of bottles from the refrigerator. He grabbed all four of them with his hands and kicked the door shut with his leg. “So we do have something in common,” he said, passing Sephiroth by on his way to the living room table. “Besides Vincent,” he added dryly.

Sephiroth seemed to be ignoring the comment. He seated himself opposite of Reno and downed the remaining water from the glass. He opened the bottle then and slowly poured the liquid into the glass. As the foam reached the rim, he put the bottle down and licked the foam.

Reno snorted, rolling his eyes, then downed half a bottle in one go. Sephiroth licked a bit more foam again.

“So…” Reno started eventually. “What can make you drunk?”

Sephiroth tapped the fingers of his right hand on the table surface a few times; an action so similar to the one Vincent did when lost in thought that Reno had a hard time trying not to wince. “Distilled ethanol can do the trick,” Sephiroth said, his eyes narrowed as though he sensed something on the Turk. “But I do not recommend it. The taste is not to my liking.”

Listening, Reno decided to down the other half of the bottle as well, and was now already opening his second one. “Anything a bit more… natural?” he asked.

“Let us not go into the philosophical discussion on what is or is not natural,” Sephiroth commented, finally taking a sip of the beer as the foam dispersed. He locked his eyes with the liquid surface for a while; again, too familiar for Reno’s liking. Then he blinked slowly. “Theoretically, rum could do the trick.” Sephiroth nodded, a slight smile on his lips. “Yes, rum probably could. The problem, again, is that there is just as much rum you can put into a rum cake before you have to start calling it a cake in rum.”

Reno blinked, trying to process what had just been said. It took him another moment to realize that, yes, this was a joke. Then he laughed loudly, surprising even Sephiroth, who just paused before swallowing another sip, smile on his lips.

“Personally,” Sephiroth started as Reno’s laughter subsided, “I cannot say I recall anyone finding a baking discussion as amusing as you do, but I suppose the tastes and colours are not to be discussed.”

Reno snorted. “If I recall correctly, we do share at least one similar taste.”

“Indeed we do.” Sephiroth took another sip, his green eyes locked with the liquid again.

“What happened between the two of you?” Reno asked, the second bottle only one third full. “I asked him, but I kept getting the cosmic shit.”

Sephiroth chuckled, that deep, almost purred sound. “The cosmic shit did happen.” He shrugged almost unnoticeably. “I like that expression – cosmic shit.” He nodded, eyes locked with Reno’s, lips smiling but face bemused.

Reno rolled his eyes but thought it better if he kept his mouth shut.

It took Sephiroth a while. He slowly emptied the glass, then poured the rest of the beer, filling a bit over the half of it now. “Imagine finding yourself walking one day, casually. Not many bumps on your road. Killing monsters, training recruits, parading around; the usual.” He smiled, eyes on Reno but definitely not in this time anymore. “Then all of a sudden, your entire body screams for you to go somewhere, even though you haven’t the slightest clue what awaits you there.” He took another deliberately slow gulp. “And then… you see it… and you realize it just… is.”

Reno stared, eyes open as wide as his mouth, beer forgotten for a moment. Then he came to his senses. “Vincent doesn’t belong to you,” he said, growled even, as defiantly as he could in a moment like this.

Sephiroth just nodded. “He does, in fact. As I do to him,” he added quickly, silencing any protest that was about to come from Reno. “Call it the sense of humour of that sorry excuse for a human being.” His upper lip curled. “Call it,” he paused, then smiled, raising his eyebrows, “cosmic shit. I don’t really care. All I know is that…” He closed his eyes and slightly shook his head, the silver hair dancing fluidly. “I don’t know.” He chuckled, then downed what was left of his beer. “Cosmic shit.” He nodded.

“Holy shit,” was all Reno managed to say and it made Sephiroth laugh.

Reno raised his eyebrows in question, pointing to the last bottle next to Sephiroth, who just nodded and pushed it towards the Turk.

“I can’t say I’m fond of this drink,” Sephiroth commented dryly as Reno just drank. “He cares for you a lot,” he added nonchalantly and it made Reno choke on his beer, which ended up with the Turk turning the shade of his hair as his nose tried to learn how to breathe beer.

“The fuck do you know?!” he managed to say between coughing and fighting for air.

Not moving a muscle to try and help Reno in his breathing trouble, Sephiroth just smiled. “Oh, I know everything. This is why I’m contemplating leaving before he returns,” he added.

That just made Reno’s lungs have to fight the battle on a whole new level as the Turk, besides managing to inhale beer, forgot how to breathe. “You’d do that?” he managed to say eventually, voice the strained near yawning one as his body screamed for oxygen.

“This might come as a surprise for you, but I do wish to see Vincent happy.” Sephiroth simply shrugged.

Reno smiled, pulling his fingers through his hair. “That would solve all our problems, wouldn’t it?”

“Most. I’m certain it would.”

“You’d really do that?” Reno asked.

Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.

“Really really?” The smile on Reno’s face grew wider.

Sephiroth nodded, again.

“Fuck!” Reno combed his hair with his fingers again. “Fuck!” He realized this really was the solution to everything. Well, except… “Vincent would never forgive me.” He shook his head. “I would never forgive myself.”

Sephiroth just raised one eyebrow in question.

“I’m aware of the fact that a year can’t beat a quickie in a dusty coffin, but,” Reno started, shaking his head, “I fucking do care about that undead thing.” He laughed dryly. “It just wouldn’t be fair.”

“I see.” Sephiroth uncrossed his arms only to press his palms to the table surface. “I thought Turks didn’t mind playing dirty.”

Reno rolled his eyes. “Well, tough shit. I always thought SOLDIERs chose death before defeat.”

“Myself, I never thought I’d live to see the day when I’ll say I like you, Reno.”

“Well, you didn’t.” Reno grinned. “You’re dead, remember?”

“Indeed. My mistake,” Sephiroth answered, pressing the table surface even harder, thinking about getting up. “We have a situation here, Reno. And I do not see a way out.”

Reno grinned again. “If there’s no clean way out, call in the Turks.”

“I’m all ears.”

---

He didn’t belong to the Ancients, but the beasts inside him were from the time when hearing the Lifestream whisper was normal. He loved this place. He hadn’t known it existed until their crazy quest; until them chasing after Sephiroth; but after feeling the forces even he could not explain for the first time, he knew the City of the Ancients was where a big part of him belonged.

It was easy not to think about it with Reno as a distraction, but right now he needed simplicity. He needed to hear the murmur he couldn’t understand but was strong enough to distract his mind. He needed the soft glow and warmth of the trees that carried more wisdom than cities of today. He stayed seated on one thick branch, back relaxed on the tree’s trunk, just enjoying the trembling warmth that travelled from his back to the heels of his feet.

Then he heard something, and it was definitely not from inside his mind. It was a sharp sound, too distant at first to be recognized but, the moment the purring grew loud enough for Vincent to recognize its signature, he couldn’t help the small smile escape to his lips. He jumped off the branch and into a path that looked too wild to be created purposefully and yet too tame to be left there accidentally. His eyes focused at the distance, at first seeing only light, but then the silhouette around it.

Quickly, it became obvious that the person saw him too, and recognized him even. He stopped speeding and let the friction slow him down. Vincent managed a small smile as the blond head became recognizable in the distance. He waited a few more seconds as Cloud slowed down his beast as magnificently as only an engineered human could, as well as needing an engineered human to recognize and appreciate its perfect accuracy.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call,” Vincent said, not bothering with greeting someone as quiet as Cloud usually was.

Cloud just smiled faintly, out of politeness more than anything else, and nodded. Then he pointed with his head to the back of his bike, a movement barely visible and, without a word, Vincent climbed onto Fenrir behind Cloud.

They could sulk alone, but they could also sulk together.

---

“I’m hungry,” Sephiroth commented and, without further ado, walked towards the kitchen and the refrigerator. Reno didn’t move his head away from the TV set. Sephiroth opened the refrigerator door and looked in. A second later, he opened the small freezer door as well, then closed them both instantly, frowning. “Do you mind explaining me why your food supplies consist of a can of liver paste and a loaf of frozen bread?”

Reno flipped a channel, pursed his lips to hide a smile, then turned his head towards the kitchen door, Sephiroth already there, arms crossed over his chest, definitely not amused. “I usually eat at work and that in there is the only thing Vincent eats,” he answered. “When he bothers to,” he added quickly with a shrug.

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows, all the less amused. “Are you actually telling me,” he started, his voice as though he was addressing an idiot, “that Vincent, my Vincent, has been living on frozen bread and that… greasy thing… for the past year?”

Reno grinned and jumped off the sofa, crossing his arms as well. Unlike Sephiroth, he was definitely amused. “And an occasional portion of protein, when he’s been feelin’ kind enough.”

Not bothering to acknowledge this mere mortal’s attempt of a dirty joke, Sephiroth just stared at him, his green eyes ready to pierce holes through that defiant red head. He narrowed them then, in two thin lines. “You are going shopping and I don’t care about the cost.”

“Since I’m paying, I do,” Reno responded, not moving a step from the place he was standing at.

“I would do it myself, but do you actually think the owner of the local shop would survive long enough to show me where the dairy is?” Sephiroth responded, allowing a small smile, flicking his long hair away from his face. Reno laughed. “Now, please, provide me with a pen and some paper, before I change my mind and decide not to grant you with perfection known as my cooking.”

Reno opened his mouth, obviously having a ready remark but, upon hearing the last word, he was definitely lost for words. So unlike him, but then again, this seemed even more unlike Sephiroth so he didn’t think much of it. Well, that much.

First, he needed to find out all about this general’s cooking business. “… excuse me?” he started. Not his best performance but, he thought, he’d be able to forgive himself.

Sephiroth blinked, slowly, as though bored, used to the reaction. “Which part? You going shopping or me asking for a pen?”

Another moment passed in which Reno needed to think twice before remembering to close his mouth. “You cook?”

Sephiroth smiled, chuckled almost. It was that specific almost annoyed sound he’d make deep in his throat when referring to someone so obviously under him. “I am an extensively genetically engineered individual capable of slaughtering whole divisions with one hand, ducking bullets and hearing people whisper in a building next to the one I’m stationed at,” he said matter-of-factly. “And you are surprised that I can shuffle edible ingredients and kitchen appliances?” He added an eyebrow raise to the mix. “Pen and paper, please.” He extended his left hand to one still very much lost for words Turk.