sleazeoverstyle | (no subject)

(no subject)

"Strap in, Chuck." He does the final check and all systems are a go. Of friggin' course they are; he does the maintenance on this helicopter himself whenever he can. Shin-Ra 3, ready and waiting. Because he can, he reaches over and adjusts the noise-reduction phones on Charlie's head, shows her how to use the mic so she can talk to him over the noise of the rotors, makes sure her seat belt's all fastened up the right way, and hands her a map of the known world, or the planet Gaia, whichever she wants to call it. There's a big red X next to Midgar.

"We're here. We got enough fuel in this thing to make it just about anywhere, and I can always put down for more if we need it. Any of those place names strike your fancy, Pie Lady?" There are some places he'd talk her out of goin' on general principle. Like... he just went to Costa del Sol and Gold Saucer with Lara and he ain't sure how much more fun in the sun he can stand. But there's all sorts of shit to do, from the port at Junon to a flyby of the Northern Crater, to the pretty little town of Nibelheim. The only place he ain't gonna go is Wutai, 'cause there's people there who don't like him real well.

Wait, what the hell's he sayin'? There's people everywhere who don't like him real well. But still, he ain't goin' to Wutai.

"Except here." He points the skinny little sliver of world out to her. "Or if nothin' calls to you by name, we can just fly around for a while and stop where we feel like stoppin'." He has to file some sort of flight plan, but he'll figure that out.

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"Aww, shit, Charlie." He'd run his hand through his hair if he didn't have those headphones on to block the motion. "Ain't it embarrassing enough I have to be the baby of the family?" What's he gonna tell her, that his oldest brother used to call him Squirt? Or about that time Riley cheated at knives? Or about when he was fourteen and stayed with him like every friggin' weekend he could?

Those ain't stories he just gives away.

"Well, that's a start," she laughs, oblivious to any discomfort in his tone. It's not that Charlie's bad at picking up on peoples' moods, but she's just so used to thinking of Reno as carefree and easy-going. He doesn't get uncomfortable, right?

"How about this." He steers out due south, water sparkling like a line of silk billowing gently in the breeze below them. "You ask me a question about 'em and I'll answer."

He doesn't promise to answer truthfully. Just to come up with an answer, but he won't point that out to Charlie. Nah, a guy's got to hold on to a little bit of mystique or at least a tiny shred of dignity.

Just enough to hang onto so he could say he's got something going for him.

"I suppose that's fair," Charlie agrees. She taps her chin thoughtfully then grins. "Did you ever beat up any of your sister's boyfriends because you didn't approve of them?"

"Nah." He taps the fingers of his left hand on the base of his seat. "She's six years older than me. I was still too little to beat 'em up by the time she had any."

Also, like he cared who she went out with. They weren't close or nothin', but Charlie doesn't know that. Why should she?

Charlie just assumes everyone treats family the way she would. "Then," she smirks teasingly, "did she ever beat up any of your girlfriends?"

"You're assuming she gave a fuck." Which she didn't. "And that I had girlfriends."

And that's enough said about that. Nah, he'll keep her wonderin' on that one. For a little while, anyway.

"Aww. I bet you had tons of girlfriends!" Charlie declares. "I mean, you're sweet and funny and handsome and--" then she realizes what she just said and claps her hand over her mouth.

You're oh-for-three, Charlie, he thinks, but he ain't stupid enough to say it aloud or nothin'. Instead, he hands her the thermos and his cup. "You mind pourin'?"

When in doubt, divert attention. It's a Turks trick as old as the friggin' hills and it'll save 'em both from this line of questioning.

Anyhow, the coffee's pretty good and he doesn't want to waste it... like he ever gave a fuck about that before.

Charlie's oblivious to any of the undercurrents going on, but she is easily distracted and she nods as she takes the thermos and pours, waiting for him to answer. Or to say something.

Or not to. She's easy.

"Thanks." The coffee's still kinda warm, and that's good enough for him. "So here's the deal, Miss Chuck. I had three brothers. Three older brothers. I didn't have a friggin' chance to bring home any girlfriends. Not with them around. Shameless bastards."

Maybe that'll make sense to her. Or maybe not, but he'll find out one way or the other.

She frowns, muddling her way through that for a moment or two. Then she giggles, then she looks embarrassed for giggling. "One of them stole your girlfriend?" she asked, trying to sound severe but clearly amused despite herself.

One eyebrow raised, he glances over at her. "Lowell, you met him. He's only four years older than me. You try bringin' a girl home when you have a brother four years older. He was like a friggin' magnet to 'em. Bowie and Riley, they were too old for that."

One of these days she's gonna ask him about Riley, 'cause he wasn't at the party for her to meet. But maybe they can get to Costa del Sol first.

Maybe.

Or maybe not.

Charlie looks over at him, frowning a bit. "Does Riley travel a lot?" It's totally not a non-sequiter to her.

"Nah."

The coffee really is pretty good; he swallows it back.

"He's dead."

Charlie blinks, her jaw dropping open.

"Oh." She says softly. "Sorry..." For the loss, for bringing it up, for any number of things.

Her gaze focuses down on her hands in her lap and she grows still. She doesn't say anything else, afraid to ask about something else she shouldn't.

"Don't be sorry, Charlie. I didn't say whatever the fuck you do, don't bring up my oldest brother. No, it's cool. He died a while ago. He was a Turk too. Worked for Shin-Ra. Got killed in the line of duty. But if he hadn't, you would've met him yesterday. Me and him were pretty close."

If there's pain behind the informative nature of the statement he sure as shit doesn't show it. He ain't shown distress over it for friggin' years now.

"If we go back to my place, I'll show you his picture. People said we looked alike, so you can tell me if they were right or full of shit." The Western continent is just now visible in front of them. It was a good call, decidin' to touch down at Costa del Sol. He could use a stretch.

"Hey, look. Over there. That's where we're going." In the distance, the water changes from deep blue to brilliant turquoise.

While he's talking Charlie reaches over and wraps her arms around him in a hug. It doesn't occur to wonder whether that's dangerous since he's piloting.

"I'm still sorry," she says softly. Then she lets go, still watching him closely. When he directs her gaze outside again, she turns and brightens slightly. "It's beautiful," she whispers.

He ain't ever gonna say that hug makes him uncomfortable. There's a time and place for everything and he gets just as physical as anyone with as many women as possible. But the thing's this: he does it on his terms, and in his own way. And usually he likes the foolin' around just fine, but he's not a real hug-me-hold-me person.

It's stupid and he knows it, and he ain't gonna even start to think about it now. "Shit, Chuck. You don't have to be sorry. Shit happens." Fuck, he's sorry she got killed. There's always somethin' to regret, ain't there? Turning for just a second, he lifts her chin with his index finger. "Repeat after me. There's nothin' to be sorry for."

Even if there's really every reason to be sorry as anything; his hand goes back to the controls. "Costa del Sol, this is Shin-Ra Three on approach for landing. You got that open helipad you promised me?"

This time when he glances Charlie's way, he gives her a wink and a small smile.

"Shin-Ra Three, you're cleared for landing at Helipad One. Repeat, Helipad One, copy."

"Helipad One. Over." The airport there's right on the water and the numbers on the landing pads are visible from way up here. It's cool. It's probably his favorite place to bring in a chopper on the whole friggin' planet.

Charlie's smile is wavery as she obediently repeats after him, but it firms up at his obvious pleasure as they come in for the landing.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaims looking out at the perfectly blue water as it rolls up onto the beach. "That's beautiful." And just like that her shadowed mood is gone.

He ain't been piloting for as long as he has to do a shit landing, especially when he's got precious cargo along for the ride with him. And she is: she brings him pie, for fuck's sake. No one brings him stuff. So he sets Shin-Ra Three down nice and soft, like landing on a friggin' cloud.

Then he turns to her and smiles, takes off the headset -- finally -- and helps her off with hers, and the seatbelt. "All right, there, Charlie. You stay put till I open your door. No gettin' out on your own." She might already be dead but he doesn't want to see her die all over again. Odds are she'd be just fine -- this is a big helicopter -- but still. So he gathers up his few things and opens the door and hops out, then makes his way around to her side and opens the door, motions for her to keep her head down, and helps her down and out.

First thing he always notices here is that blast of heat, and it's a big friggin' contrast to the Northern continent and the crater there.

Once they're away from the helicopter and down off the landing pad, he lets go of her hand. "Welcome to the tropics. Charlie." And just 'cause, he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Town's this way."

The truth is that Reno's spoiled her for helicopters. The chance of her ever flying in one again may not be high, but the chance of her doing it with as skilled a pilot is nearly zero. She doesn't have enough experience to realize that this isn't how it always goes.

"It's humid," is the first thing Charlie says as she exits the air-conditioned cockpit. She's not complaining, really, but it is unexpected. She's used to a much drier sort of heat.

Her eyes dart every which way, trying to take in everything at once, even as she follows Reno's directions and keeps her head down and clear of the swirling rotors. And then he kisses her and her face heats up bright enough to compete with the tropical climate.

"Th-then we should go that way," she stutters, trying to cover the fact that he'd thrown her off balance with that.

It's a real quick and simple matter to order up a refueling on Shin-Ra's tab and once that's taken care of, he grins off-handedly at Charlie. She's blushing again.

That means they're even: payback for that unexpected hug. Everything's back to normal; he sticks his right hand in his pocket and nods her in the direction of town. "Good weather for somethin' nice and cool to drink, don't you think?" And they could do whatever people call it -- freshen up -- and get somethin' to eat.

And he'll get her that piece of jewelry too. Shit, why not. They know him here.

"Oh, it is!" Charlie agrees with a grin and a laugh, flush moving from embarrassment to excitement. "Like a real beach vacation!"

A real beach vacation's gonna have to wait for some other time; he doesn't have the time to spend on it just now. But at least he knows what she wants, so maybe next time, if there is a next time, and if he learned his friggin' lesson from bein' around Lara he'll make it a quick beach vacation. He does wonder how Lara's doin', though. She was brave here. They had that thing with the Beachplugs and everything, and she fought 'em. Then again, that's what she does.

He ain't seen her since, and he won't see her here now. Different day, different story.

"Come on, pretty lady. This way." They take the short distance to town in stride and he gets a couple hello sirs on the way, and it's 'cause of what he's wearin' and he knows it. This town likes him and the rest of the Turks for whatever reason.

At the very end of the road's the inn, and that's where he leads her. He ain't sure what she needs, but he knows he could use a pit stop. He's the one who drank a bunch of coffee on that long flight.