➼ The Turks Two-Step [Reno x Reader]

ׂׂૢ Chapter 1: Flowers in Bloom

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Calm were the winds as they brushed past you, lightly ruffling the hem of your f/c dress as it sent ripples along the quality fabric like lulling waves on a sandy shore. Your s/c hands found their way around the reed handle of your wicker basket, the soft scent of a distant memory invading your nose as you embraced the delicate flowers you had collected a few hours beforehand.

It was so peaceful. When you could escape the monotonous duties of being a flower girl, you would take that chance every time and escape to your favourite spot - The rooftops. It gave you a clear view of Midgar, of what you could see of course. This was the Slums after all, with the sector plates looming over in the distance alongside the monumental eyesore of the Shinra building.

Shinra.

God, you hated that place. Despised it, even.

You didn't know why, though. There was no recollection of ever setting foot in there, nor encountering any of its members. Yet, something about the building provoked a sense of anger in you - as if a forgotten memory was resurfacing, clawing its way back into your mind. Alas, you pushed the thought aside. It was unfair to hold a grudge against a company you hadn't had any dealing with, right?

Continuing this mini debate of holding grudges in your head, you didn't take note of the petite figure approaching you. A small clap of their hands caused you to perk your head up, giving a gentle tilt of the head as your h/c locks fell just above your e/c eyes.

"There you are, Y/N! I was looking everywhere for you! Well... Maybe not exactly everywhere. But I found you now!" The now beaming figure giggled at you, rocking on their heels excitedly. This was no one other than Aerith, a close friend of yours since childhood. She looked just the same, with the same bright eyes and charming smile - rather infectious in your opinion. Giving a small smile back, you picked up your wicker basket and climbed down from the rooftops in an eager attempt to reach your friend.

"Hey, Aerith. Any update on the flowers?" You questioned, both swinging your baskets full of vibrant blossoms in unison as you began your stroll back to the church. Despite your growing boredom towards the repetitiveness of your occupation, you still wanted to maintain the growing beauty of the flowers. After all, you were still waiting for the time they would bloom.

"Nuh-huh! No update, but we really should go and put these ones we collected in the church. They'll look beautiful next to the yellow ones!" Aerith chimed, flashing you one of her charming smiles. It only took a few moments before you began to mimic her grin, starting to pick up the pace as you were keen to set the new flowers down. Noting your increasing speed, Aerith broke into a sprint; her peals of laughter echoing down the pathway.

A wave of relief washed over you in that moment. It just felt so perfect, so right in this idyllic routine you had. Despite the boring aspects at times. Just bounding down pathways to the church every day, flowers in hand... It was peaceful, calm, serene. No distractions, no interruptions... Just you, Aerith, and the Church.

That's all it would ever be... Or so you thought.

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"Aren't they beautiful? I told you so!" Aerith grinned, laying the last flower down on the bed of soil. You knelt down in front of your blossoms you had collected, organising them while Aerith peered over your shoulder. It never hurt to be organised, it made things look a lot nicer in your opinion.

"Yeah. They are beautiful, Aerith. Another fine addition to our collection..." You smiled in content, settling yourself opposite the flowers in a cross-legged position. The scent was pleasing, reminding you of a place long forgotten once more. Perhaps you were just tired - you did struggle to sleep last night...

"Y/N! No dozing on the flowers, silly! You'll crumple the petals!" Aerith scolded, pulling you up by your f/c jacket. This wasn't anything new, not at all. Instead, it was a rather common occurrence.

"Sorry, Aerith... I'm just tired. You know that." You gave a small sigh - Lips in a thin line. A yawn escaped your lips, leading Aerith to frown and give a double take at your appearance. Suddenly, she seemed to realise the state you were in.

You looked awful.

Yourself, you hadn't realised it. In your opinion, you believed that you looked fine. Your h/c head of hair was quite knotted, and dirt was smudged on your face from traversing the rooftops of the slums. Faded bags rest under your s/c eyelids, almost complimenting the tiredness in your e/c eyes.

"You know, Y/N. I think you need a rest, don't you?" She grinned, her grin reaching ear-to-ear. Did you really look that tired? A small tint of red crept up onto your s/c cheeks, your eyes darting to the nearest mirror you could find in the church.

She was definitely right. You needed a rest, a long one at that.

Without much resistance, you allowed Aerith to pull you over to one of the quieter and more peaceful parts of the church. Along the way she urged you several times to rest, reassuring you that she would lock the doors - Those grand wooden doors. Nodding to her nattering, you set yourself down and snatched up the velvet blanket from the cupboard. Pulling it over yourself, a small smile crept up onto your lips as you embraced the soothing comforting feel.

"Night, Aerith." You hummed, stretching out your legs and curling up, almost the equivalent to a young kitten. Aerith nodded happily at your tired figure, giving a small wave as she picked up her basket and made her way out of the Church. Her melodic humming could just be overheard as it became a mere echo in the distance.

However, you waited patiently. Quite frankly, you wanted to be 100% sure that your friend has securely locked the front doors. It would be absolutely disconcerting to Aerith - let alone a complete stranger walk in on you! Internally cringing at the thought, a heavy sigh escaped your lips as you turned over - facing the dull wall opposite.

Finally, a small click came from the doorway. This caused another wave of relief to wash over you, allowing you to truly relax. Letting your eyelids slip closed, you drifted into a calming rest as the worries from the day just vanished into the subconscious of your mind. Thankfully, you could rest easier knowing the church door was securely shut.

You just hoped no one could pick locks.

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≪•◦ Author's Note ◦•≫

Good day everyone! This is the first chapter of 'The Turks Two-Step'! I've been debating writing a long fic for some time... But I'm glad I managed to convince myself to do so! To be honest, I'm not too sure how long this will be. I will try to aim for this fic to be as long as possible! Until I run out of ideas that is.

I am currently in my exam year of school, so if I don't update after a while I do apologise! It's just that I need to focus on my grades rather than writing stories, these grades are going to cost me my career after all!

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic rest of the day!

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