Guilt’s Cost: Part LXVI

Bonding Time

Reno sat with Jaras in the cafeteria. They had finished their respective breakfasts and were watching the other people in the room.

Reno finally broke the silence and turned to Jaras. "So, you don’t remember anything at all?"

Jaras shook his head. "Nothing."

"Oh." He was intrigued at how the world’s greatest general and warrior could have become this almost nerdish man. "You know, you don’t act at all like you used to."

"That was the Jenova Madness." Jaras sighed.

"What?" Reno didn’t understand.

"Jenova Madness. People who are exposed to Jenova cells invariably go insane. It’s a well documented side effect." Jaras had read enough on the subject to know what he was talking about.

"Oh, so that’s why Hojo is such a friggin’ nut job, then?" Reno asked.

"In his case, I think he was a little off the beam before he injected himself." Jaras managed a smile.

"Yeah, you’re probably onto something there." Reno had another question. "So, how do you feel about Vincent being your daddy?"

Jaras raised his eyebrows. "Fine."

"You mean it doesn’t bother you that you got a daddy that looks younger than you?" Reno leaned closer. He knew that if he were in Jaras’s place it would creep him out.

"That’s just because Hojo altered his body." Jaras replied simply.

"Yeah yeah, I know that, but still you’ve got to admit it’s some weird shit." Reno took up his coffee cup in his hands.

"Yes, not exactly what I was expecting before I found out who I was. Even so, you can’t deny that it’s better than having Hojo as my father." Jaras looked down at the table before him.

"Well I don’t know about that. Vinny’s a pretty far out mother fucker himself." Reno set his cup back down. "But at least you and Angel have personalities unlike daddy."

"What do you mean?" Jaras hadn’t yet gotten to know his father well enough to confirm or refute such a statement.

"You know, he’s just boring, but in a creepy way. He’ll just sit there and stare at you without talking. Makes me think that he’s trying to think of creative ways to torture and kill me or something. Sort of acts like he hates everyone and everything." Reno’s smile faded.

Jaras didn’t know what to say in response and he just stared back. He narrowed his green eyes slightly. He was fairly certain that he shouldn’t tolerate such talk about his father.

Reno caught Jaras’s glare and raised his hand. "Aw fuck, you do it too. Don’t look at me like that!"

Jaras turned his eyes to something else. No one liked the way he tended to stare when he was less than pleased with someone.

Reno seemed to relax a little. He couldn’t help but continue to make Jaras’s life difficult. "So, how do you feel about your step mom?"

"They are not married, at least, no one has said anything to the contrary." His green eyes seemed to flare slightly.

Seeing that Jaras was going to be disturbed by such a conversation, he pressed on. "That’s just a technicality. So let’s have it."

Jaras sighed, and met Reno’s gaze again. "I like Tifa just fine."

"WRONG!" Reno slammed his fist into the table’s surface. "Try again."

"What?" Jaras was confused.

"I heard the little talk in the hallway this morning." Reno smiled wickedly.

Jaras closed his eyes and hung his head. "What the Hell? Does everyone in the entire base know?"

"Yeah, probably." He laughed. "Gossip like a bunch of old ladies. So out with it."

"I would rather not discuss this." Jaras looked away again.

"No way, I’m not letting you just clam up like your daddy would do. Spill it." Reno was really starting to enjoy himself.

Jaras furrowed his brow. "All right, fine. I am attracted to her."

"And?" Reno leaned even closer.

"And what?" Jaras was growing defensive. "That’s it. I’m attracted to a woman I will never have, and who I have no right to pursue. She belongs to my father; that is the long and the short of it. I’ll just have to move on."

Reno nodded. "Good, I just wanted to make sure that you understood. Besides, if something happened to Vinny, I don’t think that he would like the thought of his old lady banging his little boy."

Jaras tightened his jaw. "I would prefer that this conversation end."

"Aw come on, Jaras!" Reno smiled again. "Back in the day you and I used to share all our secrets! You used to tell me everything!"

"I find that unlikely." Jaras was getting annoyed. "There were probably very few words between us if any."

"Yeah fine, you got me." Reno stood up. He knew that Jaras was reaching his limit, and he didn’t want to be the first one to piss the new and improved Sephiroth off. It would be better to leave that task to someone else.