"Look how she lights up the sky

Ma Belle Evangeline

So far above me, yet I,

Know her heart belongs to only me."

Ma Belle Evangeline, Jim Cummings

— sk —

He's never really been one for knights in shining armour.

"Mind rescuing me?"

Or being extremely sophisticated.

"You got it."

Or being an utter jerk.

"Awesome. One more thing."

Pushy.

"What?"

Clingy.

"Are… are you really in love with me?"

Crazy.

"You bet."

He's tried… and Tifa doesn't accept him. (Although, now, she's got a valid reason, technically.)

"Oh. Good. That's really good."

But he doesn't have to try with Elena, as he runs into the balcony and slides down the banister.

"And why's that?"

And he loves her for it.

"Because I'm in love with you too."

And she loves him back.

"Huh."

And she loves him back! This is very good news. The best.

"Yeah."

And confessing hadn't exactly gone straight to plan.

"… maybe we should have confessed this face to face."

Oh well.

"Well, shall we chalk it up to our unconventional charm?"

Improvisation is always adored. Be it good or bad, right now, he's going to be her rescuer.

"Sounds pretty damn good to me."

And there's Elena. Glowing as she clings, legs dangling, dress torn.

Stuck in a tree.

"You." He sighs as he rakes his hand through his hair. "Are. Ridiculous."

"Reno!" Both are getting soaked by the light downpour, but still, she's laughing; crazy at it seems, he's joining her, because they're both ridiculous people who love to have a fun time doing whatever they want. It's free, it's liberating.

And he stays himself, not changing – just existing and being him.

Next to her, it's exhilarating,

"You're here!" Elena smiles, and her hair has darkened into the colour of gold.

"Well, I said I'd rescue you, didn't I?" Arms outstretched, he shouts, nose wrinkling. Her brown eyes glitter, gleaming with glee. "So this is me. Rescuing you."

A beat.

"Aren't you… aren't you going to leap in to my arms?" It's only thanks to his flair of melodrama that he's acting hurt.

(She should taken the cue immediately.)

"Well, that depends. Are you going to catch me?"

"Of course! Don't you trust me?"

He goes nearer, just in case she hits the ground instead.

"Well, if you promise…"

"I promise, Elena."

And with that, she throws herself off the tree, and into his embrace. Only screaming slightly.

But he catches her, acting as her cushion, as both of them hit the ground, and let their lips touch.

"See," Reno smiles, a little breathless when he pulls away, (it feels so weird, and electrocuted, and he's not sure if he's in control of the situation), and her eyes are just as bright, and never has his heart hammered in chest like this. "Told you I'd catch you."

"Guess so." Elena grins, and her voice is just as breathy.

The world is spinning, and spinning, and spinning, and all they are doing is staring at each other, in each others arms.

"You know, I always hated the King of Hearts. Thought he was kind of stupid." She's rambling, but he doesn't care.

Doesn't care that the sky is shinier with stars than every before, and only because two brown orbs have been added. They're getting soaked, but can't be bothered to move.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but… you're the King of my Heart, aren't you?"

"Right."

"And that doesn't mean that you're stupid." Hardly. Reno has never been stupid, he likes to have fun. "It means that you're mine."

"Likewise." And if they're stupid, it's only because they're in love.

"They say, that you should always bet on the Queen of Hearts, you know." She teases him, giving him this one fact that amuses him greatly.

"Well then, Queen of my Heart, I think you should know that I'd always bet on you."

She grins, and he kisses her nose, the impulse too much for him to resist; Cinderella simply beautiful – and this spell was never going to break.

— sk —

a/n. Thank you for reading and reviewing, I hope you enjoyed it as much I loved writing!