Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Never Say Never ❯ Chapter One - Dinner and a Date ( Chapter 1 )

I suppose the day had started out like any other.

It was one of those days where you wake up next to the most hideous thing on two legs and are too stunned to decide whether you're more revolted or confused. My body had still been sore in all the wrong places: a veritable explanation for the events that had occurred the previous night. Maybe it was disgusting and a little sad that I was used to it, had even learned to go with it instead of resisting, but I suppose that it's just the way things go sometimes.

I had made my way to the little nook that I called home: a broken, discarded helicopter that the Shinra big shots had decided to dump somewhere and forget about. It was far enough outside of the main slums to be protected from the usual thieves and homeless whores, but close enough that I could still walk there easily, and I couldn't believe that I could receive something like that without some obvious great deed of good in my past, of which there were obviously none. Sure, I had done a few favors here and there, but they weren't spectacular.

So saying, in return to whoever decided that I deserved a small bit of shelter such as a Shinra-issue helicopter, I decided to share my little abode with the new kid of the gang. He was about twelve years of age and unnaturally small; a little on the feminine side, but a lot of guys in the slums really went for that sort of thing. He had a crop of blonde hair and hazel eyes, and a few freckles that had yet to fade from his cheekbones. Everybody who lived in and around the slums was freakishly pale, but it didn't seem to be a marring feature for the boy. When our gang leader, whom we were never to discuss in public, had picked him off of the streets, the kid had mentioned that his name was Xi. Nobody really called him that, though.

I had found the kid curled up into the pilot's seat, sleeping lightly. He was, not surprisingly, shirtless, and the only thing that was saving him from complete nudity was the pair of embarrassingly short hot pants stretched over his hips and crotch. His feet dangled a pair of tatty, hand-made flip-flops over the seat, in front of which was where I found myself now. A cold sense of guilt bounced against my ribs for a moment at the flawless display of innocence in front of me, and, shrugging out of my stolen jacket, I wrapped the filthy piece of torn canvas around the boy and tucked it in at the corners, hiding his body from the world.

I wasn't sure why I had grown so fond of him; perhaps because I had never had a mentor growing up or maybe I just needed a friend. My hair fell into my eyes and my body responded with old pain as I flopped down into the seat next to him. It wasn't the kid's first day on the job, not at all, but I still didn't want to wake him up.

I didn't have to.

He stirred and rolled towards me, pulling my jacket up around his shoulders and revealing the milky thighs that would later return blotted with purple and yellow-green fingerprints. I sighed as he sniffed at the material against his nose, blinked groggily, and yawned. "Reno?"

"Hey, kid."

"What time is it?"

"Early morning. A little bit before dawn, actually. We've got some extra time for breakfast before we hit the streets."

He stretched and blinked a little bit before closing his eyes again, trying for a bit more sleep. I reached out and ran a hand through his hair comfortingly, frowning at the scrapes and scabs that interrupted the smooth silk of his scalp. It was always up to me to get breakfast, of course, so I got up and stretched a bit before digging the change pouch out of my pocket. It was just a scrap of fabric folded in half and sewn at the sides, but it worked. It was true that we made quite a bit of money each day for our services, but most of it was either stolen or went to the boss.

The crusty polyester parted beneath my fingers and I pulled out the mere gil and a half. It wasn't enough to feed both of us, not nearly, but at least the kid could have something in his stomach if he had to heave it back up again. Jumping to the ground from the vehicle, I shook my hair into place and replaced the money. I was wearing more than I did on the job, but sometimes even that wasn't enough to keep the lustful hands of men and women alike off my body. The walk wasn't too long, and I soon found myself in the Wall Market.

Immediately recognizing two people leaning against a brick wall off to the right, I ducked my head and walked faster. They were two regulars at the Honey Bee Inn, and had had their sights set on me for a long time. Granted, if they caught me "on duty", I would have to do as they bid me, but in the meantime, I kept their reputations in mind and moved on before they could notice me.

I came up to the small restaurant and clutched my small pouch of money self-consciously, knowing full well what I must have looked like. It was almost silly, considering that several members of gangs similar to mine frequented the place and were not an odd or disgusting site at all, not anymore, but I still tugged at the pockets of my filthy sweatpants and averted my eyes when I walked in. It was frustrating and embarrassing that I had so little money, and that I had to spend it in front of people who could see just how poor I was, but it's not like I could do anything about it.

"Well, well, if it ain't the centerfold himself!"

"Hey honeycakes, you free tonight?"

My heart fell to my stomach and died at the uproar of laughter. I looked up to meet the eyes of one of my usual clients, and also those of his friend. The first man was a rough, violent man who insisted on being seme no matter what and in every situation. His friend was much more desirable to bed, as he was far gentler and always paid to the dime, but he was still...a client. Unfortunately, he didn't seek me out nearly as much as super-seme. "Come on, guys, can't you wait until later?"

Super-seme licked his lips and grinned. "What if we can't, pretty pretty?"

A trickle of sweat made itself known on the palms of my hands, causing the cloth of my coin pouch to moisten and bunch into a ball. I couldn't afford a fight right now, not after last night, and the kid still needed to eat. I glanced around for potential exits if things got ugly, which brought to my attention the most beautiful person that I had seen in a very long time.

He was seated in the far corner next to the back exit. His hair was glossy and tucked tight behind his ears, covering his neck and flowing behind his shoulders. His skin was porcelain against the crisp, professional navy blue of his expensive business suit. He was swirling a tall glass of amber ale in one hand; his other was tucked inside of his jacket, and his eyes were locked onto me. Though it briefly flashed through my mind that he could pay a decent sum were I to service him, I quickly decided that he looked as if he could do a little bit better than a scrawny slum boy. I bet he didn't even like boys in the first place...

I turned my gaze back to my clients, who were suddenly a bit close for comfort. Placing my hands up in a gesture of defense, I smiled charmingly and shrugged. "Look, if you can wait until later, I promise I'll be extra nice. I'll even give you a discount. Whaddya say?" I really hated bribing people, and the boss hated it when we gave unauthorized discounts, but my muscles ached and I was starving. At best, I probably could have taken only the milder of the two, so I tried to talk my way out of it altogether. "Sound good?"

"Naw. I'm thinkin' that we want you now." Super-seme cracked his knuckles again and lifted me up by my neck. Wow, that really hurt... I could feel the blood trapped in my face burn bright red, and my nose twitched distastefully at the alcohol (drinking this early?) on his breath. "And if we have to force you into it, we will, and you'll like it."

Now, I'm not exactly your typical brawny guy. I eat three times a week tops, and I'm abused nightly. However, you don't exactly enter my "profession" without a little knowledge of self-defense. I had taken notice that super-seme's buddy had taken position behind me, so I brought my right knee straight up into my dominant client's crotch, and after he had let go, back-kicked his friend in the ribs. I was still weak, though, so in the time that it took for me to plant my second kick, super-seme grabbed me in a vice-grip. My head hit against his front teeth, opening a deep gash at the top of my forehead, and strong hands gripped around my left ankle and pulled. The people of the restaurant, for the most part, had fled, not wanting to be a part of a fight between two strong men and a street urchin.

I was now in an extremely awkward position, standing on one leg with my arms pinned, but I refused to be taken advantage of so easily. I opened my mouth wide and bit down on my captor's shoulder as hard as I could. He howled in pain and yanked back on my ponytail so hard that I could feel the vertebrae in my neck grind against each other. I grit my teeth and kicked hard, dislodging my foot from my other captor. My arms were still pinned against my body and I had long since lost my breakfast money, so all I could really do was thrash around like a beached fish and hope to escape in one piece.

Again, I didn't have to.

The body wrapped around mine suddenly gave a great jerk and went limp, and then I was staring at the side of a gun barrel. It was connected to the arm of the man I had noticed earlier, and pointed at super-seme's buddy, who bolted immediately. I swayed slightly, so hungry I could faint and more than likely covered in my own blood from the cut on my forehead. I kept my eyes to the floor even as he gripped my shoulder and kept me on my feet. "Are you alright?"

His voice was as smooth as would be expected, like it had come with the suit instead of from the man within, and all I could muster was a nod. In all actuality, my head, back, shoulders, and other places we won't mention all ached severely, and I really just wanted to collapse onto the man and have him carry me home. However, memories of what had happened to me the last time that I had passed out on someone blinked to the front of my mind and I quickly muttered an apology, hoping that it would be enough to ward off the man's temper. If he had one.

The tip of the gun pushed under my chin and directed my head in an upward motion, my eyes reflexively meeting his. I didn't see any malice or disgust in his gaze, but then again, I usually didn't until it was too late. He cocked his head at me and frowned, which in turn caused me to frown, and feel more than a tad awkward. Was he interested in having me for the night? Or what? Why was he just staring at me? I blinked and averted my eyes again, unused to looking my clients, potential or otherwise, straight in the eye. It only brought danger in the long run, and I had had enough of that to last me three lifetimes.

The man in front of me chuckled lightly, stuffed a wad of paper wrapped around something hard in my pants pocket, and waved his hand over his shoulder as he turned and left, leaving me thoroughly confused and a bit light-headed. My fingers dug their way into the violated pocket, deftly seeking out and retrieving my new gift. It was a note wrapped around a 10-gil piece.

Well, I'll be damned.

I read the note.

7 o'clock tonight, out back of this restaurant. Don't be late, and act as you normally would on the job.

Well, okay. So he was a potential client. But, hell, a sweet catch like that shouldn't be too bad. You didn't see much of them around the slums at all, and to lie with one was actually a serious boost for your reputation. I looked back to the 10-gil piece in my other hand.

I'll be goddamned.

The money was spent on two decent-sized meals for the kid and myself, and only after I had left the diner did I hear super-seme picking himself up off the floor. My feet carried me over my previous tracks, remembering to steer me away from the two men lingering at the wall, and after a small, almost pleasant walk (funny how getting your ass kicked can put you in a good mood), the helicopter came into view.

The food was warm in my hand when I overstepped the threshold, steaming and putting savory smells into the air. Theoretically, it should have made me gag because of the lack of care and skill put into making it, but if one goes long enough without any food at all, anything begins to look good to them. I heard rustling clothing and small murmurs of curiosity emanating from the front seat, and I grinned a wide, genuine grin.

"Hey you, get up. I've got some actual food for us to eat."

"It isn't the meatloaf scraps again, is it? That stuff gave me the worst ache right here," he pointed to the left of his abdomen while walking towards me.

"Nope. Lots better. I met a pretty decent guy at the diner today, and he gave me a 10-gil piece to buy some food or whatever. Saved me in a fight, too."

"Wow, really? 10 gil, huh? Do you have any left over?"

"Of course I do, I gotta make it last, don't I? Now eat up, we don't have much time before we have to get ready and report." I pulled the charred, bare hamburger and packet of ketchup out of the bag, spread the condiment haphazardly on the bun, and ate half of it in one bite. It felt odd to be chewing something substantial, felt good, and I savored the taste for a moment before swallowing.

"You really ought to get into fights more often, Reno-san."

"Heh, naw, it was with super-seme and his sidekick. I'm beat from last night, and had this guy not stepped in, I would have had my ass canned."

"What's he look like?"

After finishing the other half of my burger, I crumpled my paper up and threw it out of the broken doorframe, dusting my fingers off on my pants afterwards. It only managed to spread more grime from my pants to my hands, but it was a habit, so I didn't really care. Then, with a discouraging lack of hesitance, I nabbed the two balls of clothing off of the bottom shelf next to me, throwing one to the kid. "Tall, dark, handsome... Just like me, you know."

He laughed and unrolled his clothing, grinning at me like a son would grin at a father that had just made a joke about the mother behind her back. "Sure, Reno, you keep on thinkin' that. The only things dark on you are the bruises and the blood, and even they fade and go away after time."

I smiled at him and winked, earning myself another grin. I liked to make the kid laugh and smile; it made me feel good that I was brightening someone else's life, you know? I stripped off my pants with ease long earned from being in the gang. The words "shy" and "modest" didn't mean much to me anymore, and I wasn't even sure that I remembered what they meant. Nudity was just another outfit for me.

So was the one in my hands. I put it on, but I still might as well have gone nude anyway. "Seriously, though? He's gorgeous. Rich, too, from the looks of it. Real rich. He was wearing a pressed suit and drinking beer."

"Whoa!"

I smiled and tied the front of the tank top loosely. My outfit was simple: A leather tank that tied down the middle and only reached to the bottom of my ribs, and a pair of black denim cutoffs that barely covered anything. They didn't have a button and the fly only zipped halfway up, making them a bit uncomfortable, but they'd be off soon, anyway. "Yeah, he even asked me to go see him out behind the diner tonight. He said to `act like I normally would on the job', whatever that means."

"Wow, Reno-san, do you think he'll be any good?"

"I dunno, kid, but I'm sure as hell gonna give it my all. If I can keep this guy coming back, our bellies will be fed for a long time." I finished trying to get my shorts to fit over my butt and flashed him a victory sign with a large grin. He laughed and stood, adjusting his own matching outfit, and then gave me one in return. Who knew, maybe whole thing would work to our favor.

~(fast forward to 6:30 that evening)~

It had been a slow day all day. I had only had two hits since I had left this morning, and they weren't even anything complicated. It was a double-edged sword, as fewer clients meant less dirty work, but fewer clients also meant less money. My mind wouldn't stay put on the task at hand and kept flitting over to the mystery rich guy that had saved me that morning, and I kept wondering if he would actually show. I was probably just deluding myself into thinking that I had scored it lucky this time, but why would he have paid me and given me a note if he weren't going to show? Charity was even rarer than rich people in the slums.

Super-seme hadn't bothered to come back to find me, and his friend hadn't shown up, either... I guess they were as amazed as I was that someone would save me, and that maybe if they tried again he would come back. I leaned back against the brick wall I was standing in front of and winked at a few passers-by, but they didn't even spare me a second glance. Definitely a slow day. The kid looked up to me from the garbage can he was sitting on with his legs spread. "Reno-san?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

I braced my hands on the spot of wall above my head and arched my back a bit, posing a little more obviously than I usually did. "I'm thinking about that guy that saved me in the diner."

"What kind of guy did he look like?"

"What kind? Hmm..." I cocked my head and licked my top lip at a pretty girl walking along the main market path. She blushed from her hairline to the hem of her collar and hurried on, causing me to chuckle a bit. Some people, I tell ya. My savior (I snorted) flashed back to the front and center of my thoughts, and I considered the kid's question. He had had a very serious face, a flawless complexion... Looked Wutanian, but then, a lot of people looked like something and were something else entirely. He hadn't been particularly large, and I'd bet that he didn't have a scar on him. "I don't really know. He was kind of tiny, very handsome... I'd say he was probably into light S&M."

"That's not so bad. How much longer until you have to meet him?"

"Beats me. Let's go find a clock; business is slow enough to mosey."

We set off to the nearest shop, the weapon shop, and walked through the door. I felt like a woman with the way I had to walk, but I was used to it by now. The people in the shop looked up incredulously as I walked in, obviously not believing that I'd have the money to buy even the rodents on the floor, but I ignored them and walked right up to the counter. There was a small man sitting with his feet propped next to a TV behind the chicken wire. He was gnawing on a half-spent cigarette and dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, under which was probably a set of bulletproof armor. I cleared my throat. "Um... Excuse me," his head snapped up at the rare use of manners, "could you tell me what time it is?"

He shook his watch out of the sleeve of his clothing and peered down at it, and then turned back to the show he was watching. "Six thirty-seven," he ground out, and I nodded in thanks.

The kid had stood outside when I had entered, a bit unnerved at the menacing atmosphere, and he wasn't there when I went back out. Maybe he got a taker? I shrugged and ran my fingers through my hair a few times, grimacing when they grazed over a few crusty mats, and started toward the café. If the guy did happen to want me for the sort of thing I expected him to, then I was in for a very long night. Distantly, as I stepped into the diner and headed to the back door, I wondered if Xi was okay.

The back lot looked like a clearing for dogfights; it had a small ring set up and numerous whips and chains laying about the place. Cold air flowed over my thighs and gravel crunched under my sandals, giving me chills along my back and shoulders. Wonderful... Could he have picked a creepier place? I rubbed at my shoulders, my arms crossed in front of me, and never even expected the body suddenly wrapped around me or the gun aimed at my temple.

There was also a deep, rugged voice in my ear, and although it sounded nothing at all like the man that had saved me, I hope hope hoped that it was him. "You're early."

So he wanted to play threats and defiance? I had plenty of both in me. "Business was slow."

The gun clicked menacingly, cueing a small bead of sweat to drip down the small of my back. "You've got one chance to reassure me that you're not gonna pull anything on us. You blow it, and I'll kill you. Simple?"

Us? There was more than one? I snorted and the gun pressed into my head hard enough to create a bruise. "You're not going to kill me. You would have done it already." It was a bluff, and an arrogant one at that, but I didn't care. Though I was concerned for Xi, he wasn't related to me or anything, and life is hard in the slums. If I died, I died. Tough luck for him.

There was a single, climactic moment of suspense as my new captor's hand readied the gun and pulled the trigger in one full motion, and I could physically hear the mechanisms working on the inside, cooperating with each other flawlessly to bring me-

...a single, passionless click and a shudder of relief from my own body.

"Good answer." The voice was conversational this time, but still quite close to my ear. The arms around me didn't budge at all, even as I tried to shift. "I don't think we've ever gotten that one before."

"Who is `we'? And why the hell are we back here?" I bit my lip on the inside and reprimanded myself for the loss of control. My mouth usually got the better of my brain, thus normally getting me in a lot of trouble. However, the response from the dark was cool and soothing. This was getting weirder by the minute...

"To answer both of your questions, Reno, would mean that we would have to reveal information about ourselves that we're not ready to, not just yet. However, surely from the array of arsenal you can deduct as to why we're back here?"

I looked around once more at the weapons on the ground, then back ahead of me. When it was done correctly, S&M was one of my favorite activities to participate in. I nodded. "Yeah, I figured. Where do you want me?"

"Right there will be fine. Release him." The arms around me immediately retreated and I couldn't help but shiver at the loss of warmth. The guy who had saved me that morning stepped out of the shadows silently, holding a brand new, very deadly looking pistol in his hand. I cocked a brow at the unusual choice for a bondage toy, but instead of pointing it at me or shoving it into whichever orifice struck his fancy, he simply handed it to me.

"What...?"

"I'm assuming, by your situation, that you've learned how to use a gun before?"

Always that smooth, emotionless voice. I loved guns, had loved them ever since I first shot one back when the gang was still fresh, and I had actually gotten pretty good at using one when I wasn't on the streets. "Yeah."

He nodded and turned to the other man with us, whom I could see quite clearly. I didn't really go for bald men, but I suppose he was handsome in his own way. I didn't get the whole sunglasses at night thing, though. He removed a small target out of his pocket: a circular piece of paper about the circumference of a baseball. It was all white with a black dot in the center. He expected me to hit that? "My friend, here, is going to hold up this target for you." He handed the paper to baldy and joined my side once more. Baldy held the target in his forefinger and thumb, an arm's length from his body. "You will hit it. Should you injure him, the same will be done to you."

"You guys are nuts." I took aim and glanced at him to make sure he wanted me to attempt this. My shorts cut painfully into my thighs and waist, and I wanted to take them off, regardless of the situation. He tilted his head towards his friend expectantly but didn't avert his eyes from my gaze. "Alright, I'll take a shot at it." Ha, ha. Shameless pun. I suppressed a chuckle.

Cocking the gun, I took aim at a dark blot on the ground and fired, getting a feel for the kick and sensitivity. Shifting my stance a little, I closed one eye, winced with the other, and repeated the process at my mini target. When the smoke cleared, I was relieved to see both men still standing and that, lo and behold, the black dot was mostly missing from the white paper. I must be the luckiest bastard alive.

The longhaired man beside me crossed his arms and tilted his head. His eyes narrowed a bit, and then he smirked suddenly. "Very impressive, Reno. Not many have that type of impromptu aim." He put his arm around my shoulders and I tensed, not from the contact, but from the strength in the embrace itself. He looked to the bald man. "You may leave. Report to headquarters tomorrow morning, we've got another assignment." The man nodded and left.

I sighed and tugged at the bottom of my shorts. It was getting awkward (for me, anyway), and I looked up at him. Did he actually want sex? Or something else? "What do you want from me?" I really hoped that I didn't look as pathetic as I had just sounded.

He stepped in front of me and looked me in the eye. He had beautiful eyes... "Reno," he licked his lips and smirked, and I decided that this guy was even weirder than I had first thought, "have you ever heard of the Turks?"

I had, actually. A friend of mine had gotten into some real shady business and was taken care of by the Turks. I wasn't going to tell him that, though, and so I shook my head. "No, I haven't."

"The Turks are a highly organized top secret group of people that work at the right hand of President Shinra. Recently, we've lost quite a few of our agents and have been sent to recruit and train people of our choice. I've picked you, Reno."

I stared at him. "And what, exactly, does a Turk do?"

"The dirty work. Sniping, murder, torture... It's extremely dangerous, but it's also your choice, Reno."

"What's the catch?"

"I have to make sure that you're unbreakable."

His comment was oddly funny to me. "That's it?" I chuckled at the incredulity of it. "You wanna take me out of this hell-hole, put me in this fancy organization to be paid for what I already do to survive, and all I have to do to do this is prove that I'm more stubborn than the average guy?"

He nodded. "It is my choice as to how I'm going to prove it. You're my responsibility, if you say yes, until you make it in. However, if you fail, we have to kill you. There's no going back."

"I'll do it. Anything's gotta be better than this. I hope you know, though, that that shot was half luck."

He chuckled and began to walk away, his arms folded. "We can fix that." I tugged the bottoms of my shorts down while he had his back turned, but they refused to budge. I glared down at them and tugged harder, but a hand threaded through my hair stopped my actions and pulled my gaze back up to its owner. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, and leaned in to kiss me instead. I wasn't the least bit surprised, had actually almost muttered the word "finally" into the embrace, and as he closed his eyes, I closed mine as well. His lips were soft and gentle; pleasant and unlike anyone's I'd ever kissed or gotten kissed by. He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine for a moment. I felt compelled to hold him for whatever reason, so I reached up around his shoulders and gave him a brief hug. The action gave me the opportunity to rest my forehead against the groove of his neck, and I could smell his shampoo and deodorant.

He opened his eyes and met mine when I pulled away. "I've got a new assignment beginning tomorrow. From the briefing, it should take my friend and me nearly the whole day, if we take our time. You've got tonight and until this time tomorrow to decide that you really want this." With that, he ran a thumb across my jaw line and walked off into the darkness.

What a strange man.