Summary: Set post Advent Children, Reno and Cloud have an on-again-off-again affair that is fraught with tension; but no matter how badly suited they feel they are for one another, they can't seem to avoid the inevitable. Established CloudxReno relationship.

Usual disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did - this is written for fun and not profit. Any lyrics quoted within are attributed to the artist.

Warnings for bloodplay, profanity, dark themes.

Do you mean this horny creep
Set upon weary feet
Who looks in need of sleep
That doesn't come

This twisted, tortured mess
This bed of sinfulness
Who's longing for some rest
And feeling numb

Barrel of a Gun – Depeche Mode

He clung to the shadows, the grimy walls of Edge's alleyways – even for a city reborn, the new metropolis already had its pockets that were reminiscent of Midgar's Sector 7 slums. Below the plate, before it all came down with the push of a button.

And the one who pushed the button, the one who made that house of cards fall –

-just following orders i was just following orders –

- was now in pursuit of the Hero under Rufus' s orders, the one who'd defeated Sephiroth not once but twice. Shinra needed Cloud, again, and Reno was going after him full throttle.

Again. He kept a sharp eye trained on the familiar spikey blond head as it bobbed and weaved through the crowd. Edge's day workers were turning out onto the streets; it was near dusk, the pubs were hopping, nine-to-fivers looking to let off a bit of steam over a few drinks, maybe get laid.

Been a while for you, hasn't it? The thought popped into Reno's brain quickly, and he frowned, not wanting to think about that right now. No, he was a professional, he had an objective.

Even if that objective had him writhing, begging for more, more, more, the few times they made the mistake of falling into one or the other's bed.

A mistake they couldn't seem to keep but repeating; old habits die hard, even for a professional.

"Reno…how's about a good time, baby?" He put his finger to his lips, shushing the whore that approached him. One he knew, one he'd had before, but now was not the time.

"Aylin….not tonight, doll. On the job. Here – take this." Quickly, he pressed a wad of gil into her hand, gave her a brief smile.

"For the kid. How's he doin', anyway?" Reno asked, glancing away from her, keeping one eye trained on Cloud, who was slipping out of sight –

"He's a good boy…growing like a weed! You should come see him sometime – "

"I will," Reno promised. "I gotta go now, though." He'd never been sure if the kid was his or not – she swore up and down it was his, and aside from the turned up nose, the boy looked nothing like him.

Kid ain't mine, the kid ain't mine - Gods, he'd made some shitty choices in his life, and here he was about to make another one. He turned, left without another word to Aylin after handing her the cash, pushed his way through the crowd amid annoyed glares and muttered profanities –

Cloud was turning a corner, he'd heard the commotion, sensed Reno coming after him; he didn't want to talk to him, didn't want to talk to anyone –

- why can't everyone just leave me the fuck alone!

"Fuck!" Reno drew out his rod, shot a spray of sparks out, over Cloud's head, just to get his attention.

Well. That worked. The hero turned, whirled, drew his sword and pointed it at Reno's throat.

"I told you to stay away from me," Cloud growled. " What the hell do you want?" It hurt to look at Reno still, it hurt to know he'd been played for a fool. Why did he ever think it could work, anyway? They were nothing alike, they were cut from different cloth.

And yet -

"Listen – Rufus sent me – " Reno began, only to be cut off by Cloud raising a gloved hand, begging him to stop.

"I don't want to hear it. So….I should have known. He sent you – "

"Will you shut up? It wasn't just him, I wanted to see you – you know what, quit pointing that damned thing at me. " Reno grabbed the point of the sword, pushed it away from his throat, slicing down the palm of his hand. Blood pooled in a thin line, and Cloud's grip on the sword relaxed. He glared, muttering.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Cloud muttered, exasperated. "Fucking idiotic – "

Reno grinned. "Yeah, well – you know me - " He held up his hand, letting the blood flow. It was good, to feel something.

"Stupid." Sighing, Cloud reached into his pocket, pulled out a crumpled yet clean bandanna, ready to wrap it around Reno's bleeding hand when he stopped. He stared dumbly at Reno's hand, feeling his heat, the pulse just beneath the skin. Cloud studied the Turks' fingers, long and nimble, remembered how they felt raking through his hair, tugging and yanking as their mouths crushed together in an angry, searing kiss –

Reno noticed Cloud's obvious hesitation and leaned forward, unsure and uncertain, but feeling the tension hanging between the two of them like a curtain. "Cloud - what are you doing – "

"Nothing…." Cloud murmured, feeling his rage dissipating, being replaced with something else, a something else that only Reno had seemed to be able to ignite in him lately. The wound wasn't even bleeding that much now, only lightly, and Cloud pressed his lips to it, ran his tongue over the thin rivulet of blood.

Reno shuddered, felt it like a sucker-punch straight to his groin; part of him wanted to snatch his hand away from Cloud, demand to know just what kind of game the hero was playing; but he didn't want this game, this whatever it was, to stop.

"Cloud – " Reno murmured, felt his legs buckle slightly and frowned –

- god damn it I am a Turk, I am not supposed to go weak in the knees like this over some guy ! –

But it wasn't just some guy, Reno told himself, it was Cloud. It was always Cloud.

Finally Reno tugged his hand down, raised his uninjured hand up to cup Cloud's face as he pushed him roughly against the wall and kissed him, hard and desperate. He felt water drip, drip, dripping on both of them from above – rain, or a leaky air conditioning unit, he didn't know.

It didn't matter, Reno reflected, nothing else mattered - just here and now, pressed up against Cloud, kissing him as though his life depended upon it, hoping that when dawn broke on his grey and sordid life, that he would not wake up alone.