met Ed's eyes. "And she should be happy that you're in love. That you're going to have someone beside you for the rest of your life. Ya know... if you don't run half way across the world I'd stay till the end too. I-I can help you out. Do stuff around your house if you need."

Reno looked down at Ed's withered hands as they clung to his own. He swallowed down a sob of his own and licked his bottom lip. "It's breakin' my heart, old man. How you think it won't break hers? Death sucks man, trust me I see more than most people." And he had caused so much of it. Slowly Reno -

on this day he drifted into Sector Five and found himself at Aerith's Church. He walked in without hesitation but froze just passed the threshold. "Ryan... what are you doing here?"

slums. It was not odd for Reno to be there. Dressed casually he was much harder to recognise. But he was known, he had been raised in the slums and had won his reputation down there. Usually when Reno was in the slums he was there to buy cheap alcohol and participate in the more illicit trades. But-

thing. It kept his mind busy. He would work until he was too exhausted to think and he would collapse into bed unable to even dream. And if dreams threatened to come he would take sleeping pills with an unhealthy dose of whiskey. But there was no work for him today. And he found himself in the-

Time was passing slowly for Reno. He never knew what day it was anymore, all he knew was where he was meant to be. And it was one of those dreaded days where he had no where to be. Days off were in his contract and Reno had always valued his work life balance. But these days work was the best-

this of me. Stuff you wouldn't ask Alina to do. Guess that's it though ain't it? You care more about her n' protecting her than you do me."

Reno flinched when Ed's coughing fit took him. But the old man was able to regain himself enough to plead. That just made things even worse. "I-I... you're asking too much. You're not being fair," Reno swallowed back his own tears. "You're... you've been like a father to me. N' now you're askin'-

|| Happy for you to make a start. :)

Reno shrugged his shoulders. "Another rum and cola. I'll also have that tequila shot I asked for."