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Diversification	By : RandiLynne Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 798 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
Reeve was the first through the door, eyes wide with the vision of Cid
and Rufus having their little scuff. Leave Rufus with a woman, find Rufus in a
fight. Something was missing in the equation. In his momentary hesitation, Reno breezed past him and
skillfully pinned Cid back from Rufus. It all really happened in the blink of
an eye, but Cid managed to give Reno
a good, hard elbow. The shot elicited a groan from the redhead, and he faltered
slightly.
Clearly, Cid would not play nice. Rather than break up the fight, Reno found it necessary
to provide a hard shove to the drunk. In his stupor, Cid fell back against a
chair and sat hard. Reno
moved in, his face nearing Cid�s as he spoke a quick insult, though it seemed
in good humor. �Cid, ya old bastard� would you just calm the fuck down?� The
tone was nothing overly threatening. It was common knowledge that Cid was an
angry drunk. They�d been through this dance before, but Rufus had yet to become
the target of Cid�s rage.
Blinking incredulously, Cid grunted and gave a grin. �Old?� he barked.
Oh, for the love of Holy. That would have been the moment the tanned skin of
his cheeks began to glow red. This wasn�t embarrassment, this was anger.
Normally, such a comment would not insult him so, but then again, alcohol
worked wonders on a soul.
As Cid was aiming to deal another blow, Ava circled Reno and quickly interceded. �Yes, he means
wise and distinguished. And quite handsome,� she put on her best smile. She
wasn�t really much of a charming lady, but perhaps with the aid of alcohol, he
would buy this little charade.

�That so?� Cid seemed to beam with the compliment. Drunks were so
easily distracted.
�Complete, honest truth,� she nodded discreetly at Reno. He took the cue and began to slip away,
hoping to avoid the show and dance of more commotion than had already been
stirred. The way the waiters were glaring said enough.
�Well, ain�t that sweet. But Reno�s
not my type,� Cid remarked with quite the grin.
�Oh� is that so?� she replied, sighing. He was hopelessly drunk.
Thankfully, drunk enough not to notice Reno,
Rufus and Reeve making a clean break. That was enough to satisfy her. A scene
would not do well for their meetings and negotiations.
��Sides, I got a woman,� he boasted.
�Well, that�s nice. Why don�t you head home, then? I�m sure she misses
you.� Ava felt confident that the worst was put behind that grin he wore, so
she turned to make her exit. That could have been some mess.
�
�The hell was that all about?� Reno
queried as they waited outside the restaurant.
�I don�t know, I didn�t even know he was there. Besides, I thought that
you�d formed some kind of relationship with his friends,� Rufus answered.
�He�s drunk. That�s Cid,� Reno
stated simply.
�Well done, got us out of that without having to injure someone,� Reeve
stated, the first to notice Ava as she moved up beside them.
�I don�t think that was the most skillful option. Apparently, he
thought Reno
was making a pass at him,� she said with a light laugh.
�Well that�s great�� Reno
shook his head, quite honestly wanting to return to the room and get some
sleep. It was late, and he was sure they�d be up early. Waking up was always
difficult enough, never mind if he didn�t happen to get his eight hours.
�How did you all end up at the restaurant anyhow?� Rufus asked with
raised brows.
�I was concerned. That woman seemed oddly familiar, as if she may have
been in Wutai,� Reeve answered.
�Well that would make sense. She is from Wutai, you know.� Rufus yawned
quite tiredly after replying, idly crossing his arms. �Besides, she left when
Cid went wild. Can we perhaps go back to the inn? I�d like to sleep.�
�Best idea I�ve heard all day,� Reno
added while turning to head for the comfort of paisley walls and shag carpet.
�
Once back in the halls of the motel, the plans were set for an ungodly
hour of the morning, Reno
promptly retreated to the room he and Ava were to share for the night. The
light flickered several times before actually popping to life and bathing the
green room in a yellow glow. The d�cor was distasteful, but he felt as though
it brought back memories of what little childhood he had.
With a huff, he fell onto the starched comforter. The mattress was not
the most pleasant he�d slept on, but it would do just fine. But that awful
musty smell draped over the covers was another story. With a grimace, he rolled
onto his back and stared at the popcorn ceiling.
When the door squeaked wider and finally closed, he propped himself
against the pillows and found Ava leaning back on the wall with an inquisitive
stare. She was probably wondering how he�d make her evening difficult. No doubt
she�d heard about the time he and Rude had gone in on some fun while Elena was
sleeping. It was nothing dirty, just a bit of a practical joke. Though, he
hadn�t yet decided whether he felt like having any fun at Ava�s expense.
�You sleeping like that?� he asked, absently drumming his fingers
against the comforter.
Ava didn�t respond, simply began to dig through her open case for a
pair of pajamas. Once she settled on a wad of cotton and disappeared into the
bathroom, he took his time rolling from the bed lazily and went to the task of
pulling back the sheets. There were four pillows, and he never really cared for
the damn things anyway. Grabbing bits of the case, he flung one of the pillows
onto the floor. The other found wings as it flew across the room and nailed the
opening bathroom door with a fluff of white. With her hand frozen on the door
knob, Ava stared with a crooked smile.
�You missed,� she quickly pointed out.
�That�s not the point,� he countered. He�d predicted her exit from the
bathroom, partly credited to the shrill turn of the old knob.
�Well, you still missed.� With that, she bent to pick up the slumped
carcass of the pillow. Reno
quite shamelessly took advantage of the view provided by the white cotton
shorts, and she was no fool to notice this as she rose with the pillow in hand.
One brow arched, a look of near embarrassment claiming her eyes for all of
three seconds before the pillow was harshly thrown in his direction.
�Hey now, play nice,� he urged while dodging the oncoming object.
�You�re not,� she retorted as she came around the opposite side of the
bed.
�Oh I�m not? I miss you on purpose and I�m not playing nice?� he
crossed his arms, feigning disbelief.
�So now you missed on purpose�� she considered that for a moment before
laughing boldly at the idea while comfortably sitting down on the bed.
�The hell is funny about that?�
Before she had even noticed a move, he�d grabbed the pillow beside her
and thwacked it across her side, nearly displacing her enough to knock her off
the bed. Wisps of chestnut flew in the wake of the pillow and flopped
listlessly on the opposite side of her head, waving in protest. A faint gasp
hitched her breath, but she quickly recovered and tossed him a glare.
�That was rude,� she practically growled. He could not have foretold
the next move as she quickly whipped the pillow from behind her back and
brought the weight of her body behind it until it smacked him across the chest
with force. He tumbled backward and met the wall with a thud, the pillow
sliding lifelessly down his legs and slumping on the floor.
�And that was polite?� he asked, quickly shedding his jacket and
tossing it onto one of the wooden chairs accompanying the table in the corner.
�You deserved that,� she boasted, looking quite proud as she sat on the
bed.
�I suppose I did,� he admitted, closing the short distance between the
wall and the bed. �But you know�� he began, lifting the pillow she�d slammed
into him with a smirk. The pause he took had her practically dancing with
anticipation, but once she was interested enough in whatever he was plotting,
he set the pillow against the headboard and yawned. �I�m pretty tired. Maybe
we�ll finish that up some other time.�
�Quitter,� she remarked, adjusting the pillow he�d thrown until it
lodged behind her.
�I�ll get�cha back� just wait,� he gave her an insatiable grin and
sauntered off to the bathroom.
She was surely annoyed with the unknown threat, for the second he shut
the bathroom door she huffed in frustration. Reno quickly rinsed his face and removed the
remaining articles of clothing. A pair of cotton pants replaced his usual
attire, no shirt. He was well aware of the implications, but that was a part of
the game. And that�s what this was, wasn�t it? There was always some ulterior
motive.
When he emerged from the dull bathroom, he glanced over toward the
waiting brunette as she worked under the covers, devious eyes rested on him as
if expecting some sort of trick. He switched off the light, leaving the room
palely lit by the moonlight flooding through the thin curtains.
The sheets were softer than he�d assumed as he slid between them,
settling into the stiff posture of the mattress. The bed was small, slightly
larger than a twin. That, however, was the beginning of his problems. As he
attempted to get comfortable beneath the covers, he moved his hand down the
mattress and idly caught the smooth flesh of Ava�s thigh.
A sharp gasp broke the silence as she quickly withdrew her leg and
shrunk back into the bed. The behaviour nearly caused him to laugh, but he
opted to say �Relax, I wasn�t tryin� to touch you.�
Though, for a moment, he wished he�d the opportunity to run his fingers
down her thigh once again. Her skin was warm, human. He never got tired of the
feeling that came from touching a woman. This was shaky ground, if he�d ever
known it. A delicate matter, all too complicated and easier left alone. With an
invisible grin, he rolled over and closed his eyes, his focus on falling
asleep.
Several hours later, any sort of real sleep eluded him. There were
moments where he drifted into unconsciousness, but never for more than twenty
minutes at a time. Part of that could be blamed on the horrendous light the
curtains let in, and he was sick of sleeping on his left side. The covers
tangled slightly as he angrily rolled onto his right side, nearly banging his
nose against Ava�s forehead. The shift of the mattress caused interruption in
the stability of her breathing, and she sounded a sleepy little whimper.
Inhaling a deep breath, he moved back as much as the mattress would allow and
made another attempt at sleep.
The following time he came into
coherence, something heavy was draped across his thigh and pressure had seeped
onto his chest. The heat beneath the covers was annoying, and he shifted
uncomfortably. That�s when the weight on his thigh moved, nearly startling him
as he realized the thing on his leg was Ava�s hand and lower arm. That made the
pressure against his chest her forehead. Well, that was certainly an odd
predicament. If she were to wake up, she�d surely blame him for where her hands
were.
Carefully, he reached down and began to lift her fingers away from his
thigh. The move was unsuccessful as she squirmed, and caused him to drop her
hand for fear that she might come awake. Though, the fear wasn�t quite what had
him paralyzed. When she squirmed again, her fingers graced a spot he was sure
she�d not meant to find. Nevertheless, he grunted at the contact and quickly
clenched his eyes shut. What was that old saying? Picture an old�the thought was quickly interrupted when her
fingers tensed against the inside of his thigh. And that was enough. He quickly
moved her back across the bed and feigned sleep, just incase she happened to
rouse from slumber. Putting the incident aside when she didn�t awaken, he
buried his head in the pillow and finally managed to fall asleep.
He did not stir again until the motel phone blared from the nightstand.
An indecent little noise Rufus had no doubt inspired. With a sigh, he reached
over and found the white plastic with heavy fingers. Tugging the phone from the
cradle, he brought it to his ear, allowing the cord to drape across the length
between the bed and nightstand.
�Hello?� his voice cracked in
nauseating drowsiness.
�Good morning! This is just your five o�clock wake up call!� The
shrill, too-ecstatic voice came pounding into his ears, surely to blame for any
headache he might suffer later in the day. He snarled at the inhuman happiness
and slammed the phone back in the cradle without a word.
�Holy shit,� he grumbled, rubbing his palms hard against his face. The
tips of his fingers pushed his eyes back open, but his lids felt as if they
were sewn to the flesh beneath. This was terribly wrong. Nevertheless, they
were expected to follow orders. With a sigh, he rolled to face Ava. Amazingly,
the woman was still asleep after all the noise and he couldn�t help but recall
the last encounter he�d had with her.
Slowly, her lashes began to flutter until thin flesh parted to reveal
cobalt depths. She looked at him as if she�d no recollection of where she was,
but a smirk tugged the corner of her lips. �Looks like you behaved,� she said
sleepily.
�And you did not,� he added with a grin.
�What?� To this, her eyes widened substantially, her smirk fading and
whatever peacefulness had dominated her eyes fled quickly.
�Oh, nothing.� Satisfied with the idea of letting her figure that one
out, he disentangled from the sheets and crawled out of the bed. Her eyes
followed him all the way to the bathroom, but he paid her no mind.
Redressing was a bitter chore as he worked to wake himself. He�d surely
need a mug of pitch black coffee to settle this score. Reno was by no means a morning person, and
that wasn�t likely to change any time soon. Once the three piece uniform was
adjusted to put on the appearance that he was half-interested in what they were
doing today, he exited the bathroom to find Ava fully dressed, save for the
blazer belonging to her suit. How lucky that he did not walk out on her�note
the sarcasm he�d care to interject.
However, her hair was a tad disheveled from all that fidgeting she did
throughout the night, which brought a justified snicker from him. She only
glared at him and went to the now free bathroom to smooth things over with that
mop of brunette hair.
Not two minutes later, a knock came at the door, followed by Reeve�s
voice. �Are you ready?� he called out. Reno
shook his head, for a moment wondering why Reeve had even agreed to come along.
Oh, that�s right� WRO needed funding!
Funny how someone might disapprove of a company until their financial
assistance comes into play. And Rufus had his reasons for seeking to offer such
financial assistance to Reeve. What better way to �rebuild� the planet and in
turn put power behind your name.
�Be out in a sec,� Reno
replied as he zipped the case from side to side.
Ava quickly tossed her things in her suitcase and threw on her blazer.
The upswept ponytail bounced as she threw the case over her shoulder and
glanced back at him. Her hair must have been unmanageable.
�Come on,� she nodded and headed through the door, and he followed
carrying his things.
�
This Rocket
Town meeting had not worn
on quite as long as the previous in Wutai. For that, Reno was grateful. Presently, he was even
more grateful that they were meeting Rude and Elena in Nibelheim. The trip over
had brought a lot to mind, and he was interested to see Rude. The image of Rude
tied to strange medical machinery was not something he cared to revisit, ever
again.
Upon arrival, they found Rude and Elena near the run down safe house
Rufus had invested in not so long ago. The manor was not a place anyone cared
to visit, especially with all the musty secrets hidden beneath rotten floorboards.
The streets, if you could call them that, were deserted and quiet, as could be
expected.
Elena and Ava had taken to one of the couches, talking quietly over
steaming mugs of tea. Reeve was busily working on something to do with the
imaging involved in his latest experiments with Cait Sith. Rufus had gone in to
be with his laptop, leaving Rude and Reno
to discuss matters amongst themselves.
�Is there a scar?� Reno
asked, watching the shadow of Rude�s eyes beneath the dark glasses.
�There is now. It�ll take a while to fade,� Rude replied, rather
hesitant to talk about the incident. Something about the shooting made him feel
vulnerable, perhaps even a tinge of failure since he�d been the only one shot
thus far. Not that he wanted anyone else to be injured.
�Right,� Reno
averted his eyes, noticing the threads of carpeting spun throughout the floor.
�We�ll fucking get him, I�ll make sure of it.�
�I�d like to be there,� Rude nodded, thinking aloud.
�I doubt we�ll move on him in Junon. I�ll let you do the honors if it
comes down to it.� Reno
gave a smirk to this. It would surely be justified for Rude to put the bullet
through this guy�s head. Even if they didn�t get to kill him, surely they�d
allow Rude to melt the key to Slater�s cell.
�Thanks,� Rude said with an almost-smile.
It was then Reno
noticed Rufus moving in with two younger women and an even younger male. The
heavy metal cases they carried at their sides were reason enough for him to
suspect his make-up artists had arrived. A strange thought for him.
�Reno,
Ava,� Rufus called, waiting for their attention to drift toward him. �Your crew
is here. I guess you can get ready tomorrow, unless you think starting this
evening will help.�
Ava took on a strange expression, looking down at her hands and arms as
though nervous about something. With a long sigh, she set her mug down and rose
from the couch. �I think my skin will give me away,� she mentioned.
That was the first time Reno
had ever really paid attention to her skin, but he noticed that it was almost
rough looking. He�d assumed she was the feminine sort who bathed in lotion
before going to bed, but apparently she was not. Her complexion was also
unique, with a healthy glow that rested just between shades of gold and white.
�We can give you a finer, more pale complexion that�ll last a couple of
days,� the first woman spoke up with a high pitched tone.
�That�d work, can you make it realistic?� Ava asked, approaching the
artist.
�Yeah, it�s the best on the market. I can also work on those calluses,
as well,� the second woman replied, lifting Ava�s right hand and inspecting the
wear that was standard to training.
�That�s fine.� The deep breath and nod seemed a bit nervous, but then
again, who wanted to be painted in white make-up and body butter?
�We should start on that tonight, it might take a while.� The two women
took a hold of Ava and headed for one of the rooms.
�I can�t miss this,� Elena nearly laughed and followed the male
assistant into the room.
�Women.� Reno
shook his head and stretched absently.
�Every little bit helps,� Rude countered. Undercover missions were
sensitive subjects, and the perfect level of disguise would be required if they
were to succeed in a compound with several body guards and many other dangers.
As Reno
was grabbing for the remote to switch on the television, one of the artists
came out with a black apron on. �Actually, we�re going to need you,� she said,
smiling at Reno.
The smile made him apprehensive, something was definitely up.
�What the hell for?� Reno
asked, not moving from the chair.
�Well, there are some things we�ll need to do.� With that, the woman
gave an undeniable smirk. There was no question that he was in for some kind of
freakish treatment.
�Uh� Rude?� Reno
asked, avoiding the woman�s gaze.
�Hey, it was your idea,� Rude lifted his hands as if to express his
guiltlessness, and even urged Reno to go along with a nod of his bald head.
�Fuuuuck,� he drawled, almost whined. They�d better not cut his hair.
Beyond the door, he found Elena standing with crossed arms. Ava was
beneath the hands of the little male, having some kind of white cream massaged
into her arms and legs. This was not going to be fun.
�Come have a seat, Reno.�
Elena smiled proudly and patted the seat next to her position. This did not
look to be going well for him, if Elena was calling the shots, he�d pay dearly.
�I think I�ll pass,� he said with a nervous laugh.
�Then I�ll have to go with Ava tomorrow,� Elena sighed longingly, as if
feigning disappointment. It was then that it dawned on him. She wanted to go
with, and she was trying to dissuade him.
�Not a chance,� he remarked, sliding into the chair she�d previously
offered.
With a huff, Elena called over one of the women and idly played with a
lock of red hair. �Dye it,� she demanded.
�Temporary dye�� Reno
growled, glaring up at Elena.
�I think you should cut it, too. Can�t have this tell tale hair style,�
she said in a sickeningly sweet tone. For good measure, she fluffed the pony
tail and tugged it before joining Ava on the opposite side of the room, where
the two shared a small laugh.
�Cut it, and I�ll shave your head,� Reno threatened, raising his brows and
tilting his head.
�We can use a wig, but it won�t be as convincing,� the woman stated,
looking quite unaffected by his antics.
�Do whatever works without cutting or permanently dying,� he commanded.
Not two hours later, Reno
emerged from the back room to be met with five pairs of eyes all fixated on
him. Where a mess of red once stood, dark brown silk cascaded around his
shoulders to frame his face. The stylist had managed to tame his bangs until
his hair looked a strange combination of Tseng�s and Vincent�s, with a little
more length. The way he shook his head as Elena began to giggle was nothing
short of dejected, he really hated the way his hair fell on his shoulders and
brushed against his cheeks. Hence the shine he�d taken to wearing a pony tail.
�One more giggle and I�ll blow that smug smile off your face,� Reno pointed toward
Elena, but the threat stood for everyone. Laughing at his hair would only bring
trouble.
Without bothering to back up his words, he slunk into one of the
bedrooms and slammed the door behind him. It was crystal clear now, what he
hated about going undercover. The idiotic hair styles and ridiculous clothing
that Elena made sure he wore. Well, there�d be a time for revenge eventually,
and he couldn�t wait.
�
The morning came far too quickly, and he finally awoke to a pounding on
the door. �Get up! You need to finish getting ready,� Elena yelled through the
door. A glance at the clock on the dresser made him nervous. He�d slept in to
eleven, and he still needed to change and finish preparing for their mission.
The party wasn�t until six, but they�d need to be there early to figure out
their means of getting in.
When he broke past the door, he couldn�t help but notice the ridiculous
mess of midnight that cascaded around Ava�s shoulders in some odd shag style.
The stylist had evidently done a number on her, as well. The bangs she wore
practically meshed with long false eyelashes, and her skin was a deathly shade
of delicate white. She was beginning to look like a different person.
�I figured out how to get in, but it could require� some pretty
ridiculous stunts,� Ava said, ignoring the look he�d given her.
He liked the sound of that. �Such as?�
Elena covered her mouth with her hand and snuck off to join Rude in the
corner. Obviously, these ridiculous stunts were more ridiculous than he�d first
assumed.
�Well, Slater�s into strange� things. He almost always hires people to
entertain at his parties. I guess the theme at this one is� well, sex.� With
that, Ava shook her head and averted her eyes.

What, exactly, is she
expecting? �Sex? Meaning� we
do what?� Reno
inquired, hiding the devious grin that fought to spread across his lips.
�Pretend to be part of the group going in to entertain and break off
from there. He�s done these kinds of parties before� everyone�s dressed the
same. I�d say we have a good chance of making it in that way,� she said, but
her eyes betrayed her. She was visibly nervous about something.
�What kind of man were you with?� Elena chimed in from the corner,
obviously not impressed with the morals set in place by Slater.
�I guess I never paid much attention.� Ava cast the question away and
turned toward the two stylists. �That in mind, I guess we�ll need a certain
kind of look,� she instructed.
This was going to be one interesting night.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, that�s chapter nine. As you can tell, this fic is about to obtain
it�s current rating ;) Hope you�ve enjoyed this installation, and thanks to
those who have reviewed! Please review if you have any comments/suggestions,
etc. I�d love to hear them.
- 8
- 9
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Diversification