Hopeless For You [Rina/Alessandro]

All was right on the Planet.  Alessandro had a job, and a pretty girl waiting for him at his apartment.  This was exactly the best case scenario he'd imagined in his head.  Hell, any scenario where he made it out of freaking Shin-Ra's offices with his head held together without lead was a best case scenario.  He still couldn't believe Rufus Shinra saw his alive and didn't shoot him on site.  He was pretty sure he'd need to buy more cigarettes on the way home.

Alessandro had taken the scenic route home.  He wanted to make a couple stops on the way after successfully getting his old job back with the Turks.  First, he used that fancy gold card he'd had reactivated to pick up a massive bouquet of flowers.  He was halfway home when he realized he didn't have a vase or anything to put them in.  Well, maybe his tall beer glass would work.  Secondly, he stopped for cigarettes because he'd smoked up nearly half a pack since they'd left the cruise liner, and it was still fairly early in the afternoon.

Finally, Alex bounded up the stairway of his apartment building.  It wasn't much considering he had to afford it after he'd been declared legally dead.  It wasn't much more than a small efficiency apartment.  It was pretty much just a bed, kitchen, bathroom, and a couch.  There wasn't anything fancy about it at all.  He turned his key into the door and opened the door.

As he crossed the threshold, it was immediately evident that Rina had fell asleep on the couch waiting for him.  Poor thing was probably still tired from their lack of sleep last night.  Alex knew he was, as he hadn't slept at all in fear of what would happen when he invaded Tseng's office.  He didn't say a word as he quietly walked into the kitchen to grab a tall glass mug with a handle.  It was not only tall, but thick and sturdy as well.  He filled the glass half full with water and used a knife to cut the tips off the flowers.  He sat the mug on the small coffee table in front of the couch and placed the flowers inside of it.  It'd make for a nice sight when she woke up. 

Then, Alessandro sat on the other end of the couch and quietly lit a cigarette.  He was trying to be as quiet as possible so she could catch up on her sleep.  He knew that she'd been worried, so she'd have her answer as soon as she woke anyway.  Once he was finished, he laid across the couch himself.  He gently lowered his head into her lap to use as a pillow, and sleep immediately called to him.  He felt his eyes grow heavy under the weight of sleeplessness, and lost consciousness within a few seconds.

Alessandro was awoken by a thump to the back of his head.  He jumped awake in such a manner that he rolled off the couch and found himself lying on the floor staring back at the angry woman staring a whole straight through him.  He was instantly feeling a mixture of confusion and the slight pain from the smack and the fact that he just met the floor head on.

"OW S*#)! What the hell?!"

He blinked a couple times and stared at her.  She had her dagger out, and that immediately told him that she was startled.  Maybe she hadn't been sleeping peacefully.  He rubbed the back of his head and sat up on the ground.  It seemed she had noticed the flowers and asked him if he bought her flowers.

"Uh yeah.  I didn't know which was your favorite, so I just a little of all of them."

He returned back to the earlier moment.  She must have been worried about him, and he must have startled her when Rina felt him laying on her lap.  Maybe he ought to explain himself.  He felt bad that she'd been so worried about him that it caused her apparent nightmares during her nap.

"Sorry, you looked like you were sleeping so well that I didn't want to wake you.  I didn't sleep last night, so I thought I'd lay down with you."

Dark circles were apparent under his eyes, and, even with the sharp awakening he'd had, Alex still felt the heavy call from his eyelids.  He was exhausted, plain and simple.  He probably wouldn't be able to sleep now, though, because he figured she'd want to know what happened.  How on the Planet was he supposed to tell her he'd seen Rufus Shinra and didn't get killed?  He'd have to soften the blow somewhat.

"Uh...so...remember that worst case scenario?  Turns out it wasn't bad at all.  Turns out Rufus was in the office and he popped in while I was talking to Tseng.  I thought I was a goner..but I think he was more annoyed with Tseng for lying to him.  I got reinstated, no problem."

The panic causing Alessandro's accelerated heart rate began to settle as he felt Rina pull him back onto the couch.  He was mostly in his original position.  He couldn't help the deep breath leave his lungs in relief as he listened to her explain herself.  She didn't need to do that at all.  Given time, he would have realize that he should have calmly woke her when he returned, but he was just as exhausted as she after their sleepless night.  Alex turned so that his head was facing her torso, which muffled his voice as he spoke.

"See, then its a good thing that I woke you.  Nightmares need to end.  Alex do good?"

He could feel his grin pressing into her stomach as he spoke.  His heavy eyelids fought him with every waking moment.  He strained to keep himself from sleeping again.  As she kissed his head, he returned the favor by planting one right on her navel with the smile still firmly on his face.  She thanked him for the flowers and he knew he had more of his gifts for her to present before his let sleep enthrall him once more.

"Dinner tonight?  They reactivated that fancy gold card so its on their gil."

Alessandro chuckled again, but her hand stroking his hair was the final straw.  The laughter slowed as his eyes closed.  The smile slowly faded from his face.  The warmth of her thighs and chest called to him.  His consciousness faded as sleep pulled him away from the moment and into a pleasant dream.  The only thing he'd remember was a pie eating contest for two Golden Saucer tickets.

Alessandro was unconscious.  He was in such a deep sleep that he might sleep though a hurricane.  It had been such a long day that he absolutely needed the rest.  Slumber's hold had him deep inside a dream state, and he was about two pies away from winning the contest and claiming two tickets to the Gold Saucer.  The chef that was quickly baking these pies for the contestants was none other than the beautiful Rina.  He'd eat anything she put in front of him, especially if it would win them tickets to the famed theme park, those things were expensive.

With bits of various berries and cream filling on his face, he dug into the next to last pie, in a furious rush.  He had to finish it before he stomach signaled he was full.  The large bear of a man next to him hadn't slowed down.  Wait...that was an actual bear next to him!  Who the hell let a bear compete in an eating contest?  He was screwed!  No, he couldn't let the bear win!  He dug in deep and reached for the last pie-

-----

Rina had called out to him and announced that they had overslept.  Alessandro was in that awkward place of acting on the very thing he was dreaming.  With his head buried into her waist, he half mumbled in response to her.

"Hold on..let me eat your pie and we'll go play.."

Consciousness was fading back out quickly, and he'd soon be snoring once more.  The couch was comfy...and it was definitely not a bear eating pie next to him.  He blinked once before he realized what he had just said with his head in her lap.

"Uhhh..."