Righto, chapps and chapettes. I have here the product of Clouffie's request. She asked for a RenoTsengRufus. I came up with this little number. There is no threesome loveydovey fluff, and I'm sorry about that, but the end result pleases me muchly. Again, I must thank SinfulSecrets for helping. It was his idea to use the repetative ending. He did not have anything to do with the beginning, which was all my fault. It's the closest I've ever gotten to domestic bliss. Funny that those involved are professional assassins.
Anywho, y'all should read, review, and send me more ideas!
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
"Oh, God. Turn it off."
-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
"Can't reach. You do it."
-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
Slam.
"Thanks."
Reno rolled over, fully intending to snuggle up against Tseng and get a few more minutes of sleep, but Tseng was already sliding out from under the covers. Reno sighed and curled up in the warm spot his boss had left.
"Why so early, yo?" he complained.
"I have a flight to catch."
"It's still early."
"Reno, this assignment is taking me halfway around the Planet. I'd rather get up early than stay up late to make it out there. I can't sleep in the air, remember?"
"Right. When're ya gonna be back?"
"In three days."
"Three days from now, or three days after today?"
"Three days after today. Have you seen my belt?"
"On the dresser," Reno yawned. He pulled a pillow to his chest and settled in to watch Tseng dress. As always, it was a good show- Tseng had a habit of collecting all the pieces of his outfit before putting them on, even if it meant wandering around the entire apartment in his boxers while he tried to figure out where Reno had thrown his tie the previous evening. It wasn't the belt today, but his shoes, which Tseng had thrown the night before in the middle of a furious rant about bureaucrats. One of them was behind the door, but the other one was nowhere to be seen. The dark green silk of his boxers looked good against the golden tan of his skin, and it looked even better when he was on all fours on the floor, peering under the bed.
"Do you remember where I threw my left shoe last night?" he asked.
"Not under there," Reno assured him. "An' if you stay like that, I'm gonna make you late for your flight."
"Try it and die," Tseng growled. "Are you sure you don't know where it is?"
"Try over by the bathroom."
Sure enough, the shoe was just inside the bathroom door. Tseng picked it up and gave it a curious look.
"Wasn't I facing the other way when I threw these?"
"Uh-huh. Why?"
"How did it get over here?"
"Dunno."
The rest of Tseng's clothes were easier to find, and he vanished into the bathroom for a shower. When he emerged, buttoning his shirt, Reno was hanging off the edge of the bed, waiting for him.
"Why can't you just hand this off to someone else?" Reno complained, doing something akin to a sit-up and pulling his legs underneath him.
"I don't let anyone else do it, that's why. Think of it as a statement against the department heads who are corrupt bastards." Tseng loosened his tie a bit, then sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on. "I don't want to hear about you doing something stupid while I'm gone."
"Me?" Reno said innocently. "I would never."
"You managed to get three secretaries to quit the last time I was gone overnight. None of your shenanigans this time, alright?"
Reno sighed and fell against Tseng, obscuring the older man's view of his shoelaces. In spite of this, Tseng finished tying them without pausing, then cupped the back of Reno's head in both hands and kissed him breathless. Satisfied, he stood up, letting Reno slide limply off him, and headed out into the living room and the kitchen beyond.
"I mean it, Reno. Behave yourself. Maybe if you pay attention to work, you won't even notice that I'm gone."
"Fat chance, yo!" Reno called after him. "You gonna eat breakfast?"
"Just coffee. It's too early for anything else. Why? Want something?"
"Nah. Don't skip it, 'kay?"
"Don't worry, mother. I've been taking care of myself for twenty years."
"Call me when you're coming back. I wanna meet the plane."
"What? So you can be late? Never."
"Tsseeeeennnnng," Reno whined.
"Mmhm. If I remember. Don't be late for work."
"Yeah, yeah. Get outta here before I decide to get out of bed."
--
Three days later, Reno sat staring at the phone on his desk, willing it to ring. Today was the third day after Tseng had left, which meant he was coming home and ought to be calling any minute. It had been any minute for the last two hours, but that didn't matter. Tseng would call, like he always did.
--
Tseng didn't call. Reno went home to his own apartment in a huff, furious. Asshole. Just for that, there would be no warm Reno waiting in bed when Tseng got in. If he wanted to cuddle, he'd have to pick Reno's lock and come find him. Serve him right, too.
--
No phone call on day four, or on day five. If the stupid assignment was going to run long, someone ought to have told him. Reno felt a little bad about locking himself in his apartment the third night. Good thing Tseng wouldn't know about it.
--
The phone rang on day seven. Reno answered it before it was through the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Reno?"
It wasn't Tseng's voice. The person on the line was Zack, who had no reason to be calling the Turk's office.
"What?"
"You might want to get down to the hospital."
"Why?"
Zack didn't say anything for a long moment.
"They just brought Tseng in."
The bottom dropped out of Reno's stomach.
"What happened?" he whispered.
"Nobody's really sure, but he's in really bad shape. You're the only name he has on his contact list. Y'know, in case he…well, anyway, they asked me to call you 'cuz you'd hear me out. Get down there as soon as you can, okay?"
"Yeah," Reno said dazedly. "Yeah, thanks. I will."
He hung up and slumped in his seat for a moment. The assignment hadn't run late. Fuck. He was out of his chair and running out the door a split second later.
--
"Late for something?" one of the secretaries asked. She was standing next to him in the elevator, which was moving unbelievably slowly.
"What?"
"I asked if you were late for something. You seem awfully out of breath."
"No."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I said no," Reno growled. "Quit talking to me."
"I just-"
The door opened. Reno shoved his way to it and ran for the stairs. To hell with the elevator. He could move faster than the damn thing. And he did, taking the steps three and four at a time, coming perilously close to falling several times.
--
"He's in the ICU," the nurse at the desk said sweetly. "You can't go in and see him, but the doctor wants to see you. Down the hall, take a right, then follow the hall until you hit the doors. You can't miss it!"
Reno nodded and bolted down the hall she pointed at, nearly taking a doctor down as he went. He skidded to a halt in front of the big swinging doors, not sure who he was looking for.
"Reno?" A tall man with average looks and a doctor's coat was approaching him, hands shoved in his pockets. "You're here for the Head Turk, aren't you?"
Reno nodded.
"Excellent. I'm Doctor Carryn- he was assigned to me when he came in."
"What happened to him?" Reno growled.
"Hmm? Oh, right. He had two gunshot wounds, in addition to multiple stab wounds and a fracture in his right wrist. There were also a number of bruises and abrasions. Due to the random placement, we think he was attacked before or after carrying out his assignment- this was the work of someone who had no idea what they were doing. They wanted him dead, but didn't know how to go about doing it. Lucky for him."
"How's he doing?"
"The gunshot and stab wounds were showing signs of infection, and fever had set in before he was located. He's doing well for someone in his condition, but-"
"But what?"
"But he has made it very clear to the staff that Materia is not to be used to heal him without his express permission. He can't give that permission in the state he's in, so all we can do is treat him slowly and wait for him to wake and allow us to treat him properly. He's very ill…there is a possibility that he won't regain consciousness."
"I want to see him," Reno said softly.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible."
"I'll tell you what is or isn't possible," Reno growled, one hand going to his mag-rod. "Take me to see him. Now."
Dr. Carryn hesitated, then nodded.
"Er…right this way."
They went through the double doors and down another hallway. This one was more alive than the others, with doctors and nurses hurrying along it, the sound of the intercom and various monitors providing constant background noise. Reno fingered his mag-rod, uncomfortable in this sterile place. People died here.
Tseng was hooked up to more machines and monitors than Reno wanted to count. He looked terrible. Reno felt like crying, but didn't. They kept their relationship a secret for a reason, after all, and breaking down now would reveal things the public had no business knowing.
"Can I talk to him?"
"He won't hear-"
"I need to, okay? This isn't what I'm supposed to do, so I'm kinda new to it all. I wanna talk to him, so leave, dammit."
Dr. Carryn left hurriedly. Reno settled in the chair by the door, afraid to move it any closer.
"We're supposed to swap places," he muttered. "You're supposed to be sittin' here telling me what an idiot I am. Waiting for me to be able to get up so you can pound me into the mat and try to beat the lesson into my head. I'm supposed to be lying there, so high on painkillers that I'm not getting a word you're telling me."
Tseng's only answer was the steady sounds of the monitors. Reno stared at him, waiting, for some time before getting to his feet and walking out.
"Call me if he wakes up," he said shortly to Dr. Carryn. "Or if he gets worse."
"I will. Does he have family I should contact, in worst case?"
"Not any more. Just call me."
--
Word spread quickly that Tseng had been hospitalized. Whispers that he might not wake up flew around the building. Rumors that he was going to be gotten rid of quickly, so another Turk could take his post. Reno gritted his teeth and waited. Tseng would wake up.
--
Curiosity took many down to the little room in the hospital that housed a man who had been feared. They peered in the door, or came within a pace of the bed, then
rushed out, unnerved. It was like seeing the General bedridden: impossible. Implausible. Wrong.
Rufus ShinRa did more than stand. He slipped into the room early one morning, wanting to pay a visit to his favorite bodyguard. Tseng had healed enough to not need the oxygen anymore, and his face was blessedly free of attachments now. He usually looked peaceful, the way patients as ill as he was tended to, but this morning he was ashen and sweaty, fighting off his fever. There was talk that he'd been close to waking several times.
"It's interesting to see you like this," Rufus said, staring at his hands. "So helpless. I think I like the commanding presence better, though. Feeble isn't a good look for you."
"R…Reno?"
Rufus started, looking up sharply.
"What?"
"So sorry."
Tseng's eyes were open, gleaming with fever and tears. Unseeing.
"What for?" Rufus asked, getting up and moving to the bedside.
"I didn't call…I promised…You're angry."
"Never."
"Missed you."
"You did?"
"I always do…Easier to keep the demons away when I have help."
"Of course it is."
Tseng smiled faintly.
"Love you," he said. "Forever."
Rufus smiled.
"You too. Now, go to sleep. You need to rest and get better."
Tseng smiled blissfully and closed his eyes. Rufus crept to the door and left, closing it carefully behind him.
--
"Y' wanted to see me?"
"I did. Sit down, Reno."
Reno settled on the leather couch, wondering what Rufus wanted with him.
"Do you know what the company policy is concerning homosexuals?" Rufus asked, not looking up from his computer screen.
"Not really."
"Discharge from the army. Retirement for the rest. Public ridicule all around."
Reno winced. Retirement meant death for Turks.
"Okaaayyy…what does that have to do with me?"
"Are you gay, Reno?"
"Me? Nah."
"Bisexual?"
Reno swallowed. Oh, shit. Rufus was on to him.
"Does it matter?"
"Answer the question."
"Yes."
"Mmhm…and your partner…you do have one, don't you?"
Reno nodded dumbly.
"That would be Tseng, right?"
Shit.
"Maybe."
"Imagine what would happen to the two of you if anyone found out."
"Speakin' of which, how did you find out?"
"I have ways," Rufus said coolly. "But we have more important things to talk about than how I get my information."
"Like what?"
"Like the price for my silence."
Oh. Right. So much for hoping that Rufus would keep quiet on his own. Reno should have known that the sneaky little bastard wouldn't. He was too like his dad, even at a mere sixteen- no, he'd turned seventeen a few weeks ago- seventeen years old. Manipulative. Power-hungry. Devious. Only he was smarter than ShinRa Sr. Always had been. And he was so good at getting what he wanted.
"What do you want?"
"You."
"Hang on, say that again. I swear you just-"
"I said that I want you, Reno."
"Meaning?"
"You aren't the only man in the company who swings both ways."
"What? You gotta be kidding! I ain't banging a kid! And I'm definitely not doing a kid I work for! Find someone else to be your fuck buddy!"
Rufus smiled thinly.
"I suppose I could go to Tseng," he sighed. "But I'd have to authorize use of Materia on him- and you know I can, Reno, so don't tell me I can't- so he'd be in better shape. I don't like to be kept waiting."
"You can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"He's got reasons for the Materia thing! Personal reasons!"
"A Turk sets aside his personal needs for the company, Reno. If I need him, then exceptions will be made."
"You can't."
"I'll take you first."
"I-"
"Come now, Reno, I know what your track record is with the secretaries in the building. I know you enjoy a very active sex life. I want in on it."
"But-"
"Choose me, or watch me with Tseng. Who knows…maybe he'll prefer me to you. Would you like that? You'd be free to pick and choose your partners again. As many whores as you like."
"Fine," Reno growled. "Just keep your hands off him. No Materia. No sex. Or I'm outta here, and I'll get every reporter on the Planet on your case. Bet Wutai'd love to hear that one of its sons, no matter how low he's fallen, is being raped by the son of ShinRa. The war'd happen all over again."
"Fair enough," Rufus said easily, hands flying over his keyboard. He looked up to meet Reno's eyes. "Come back up here after your shift is over tonight."
"Yessir."
--
Reno went that evening, as he'd been ordered. He went the next night as well, and those that followed. Rufus might have his body, but he never put any effort into the time they spent together. Reno played the part of a doll.
Meanwhile, Tseng healed.
--
Reno was granted a short reprieve one evening two weeks after the start of his nightly visits to Rufus' quarters. The night before, Rufus had demanded that he participate in their activities. Put some life into them, he had said. Reno's response had been to behave the way he did when he and Tseng were being rough with each other: biting and scratching at Rufus, leaving bruises, bite marks, and stinging scratches all over the fragile skin. Sore, Rufus gave him the night off. Reno went to visit Tseng, the first time he'd been since the night he'd come back.
Tseng had been moved since then, into a private room in a quieter area. He wasn't in immediate danger anymore, so the room in the ICU had been unnecessary. Reno pulled the chair up to the bed and curled up in it, holding Tseng's hand.
"I swear I'll do anything if you wake up," he whispered. "Anything. I'll quit smoking, and oogling the secretaries. I'll wear my suit right and speak properly and be a model Turk, if you'd just wake up. I can't do this anymore."
"Can't do what?"
Reno jumped, nearly falling onto Tseng in his hurry to get out of the chair. Zack stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
"W-what's up?"
"That's what I wanna know," Zack muttered, entering the room and closing the door behind him. "You and I haven't gone out drinking in weeks. I haven't seen you outside work hours either, and there's been no trouble that you've been tangled up in. What's goin' on?"
"N-nothing."
"Liar."
"Am not."
"You always act like a kid when you try to lie to me. Tell me what the problem is."
"I…I miss him, y'know? He's always there, and he never gets hurt, and now…"
"Now he's hurt bad and no one knows when he'll wake up," Zack finished.
Reno nodded.
"Look, I get that, but you're getting really close to blowing your cover. If anyone finds out that you and Tseng are partners in every sense of the word, then all hell is gonna break loose. He'll be fine."
"When will he be fine? The real problem is that he won't wake up!"
"I don't know. He just will. You two have too much for him to just give up, and you know it. Cheer up."
Reno managed a small smile. Zack grinned.
"That's better. Give him time, alright?"
"Yeah."
"See you on Friday night?"
"Maybe."
--
Tseng came to a week later.
--
Rufus switched their meetings, so Reno found himself in Rufus' office more often that he'd have liked. Tseng, weak and a little dazed from just over five weeks in the hospital, got to work on a rather late report on his assignment. Yes, he had carried it out to the letter. No, they weren't responsible for his injuries. Yes, he'd been taken by surprise and it would not happen again. Reno watched him, waiting for his release from the hospital and the long-awaited return to his own apartment.
--
"So you got jumped by some punks in an alley? Jeez, Tseng, that's a rookie mistake."
"I know," Tseng sighed. "They were on a balcony above me, where I failed to look. Your bad habits are rubbing off on me."
"What bad habits?" Reno complained, jabbing at the air with his chopsticks to punctuate the words. "I'm a good Turk."
"You never look up."
"Do too!"
"No, you don't. Not unless someone tells you to, or the idiot overhead makes a noise."
Reno opened his mouth, failed to come up with a suitable response, and slumped back into his chair. Tseng chuckled and offered a bite of his dinner. Reno accepted, then sputtered and grabbed for his drink. Takeout had been Reno's idea, but this particular type had been all Tseng's doing- someone had decided to combine the versatility of Wutain cuisine with the spice of Costa del Sol. The result, at least in Tseng's case, was a fiery dish that Reno couldn't handle.
"I swear you have mutant taste buds," Reno groused, sticking to his nice, safe, relatively mild shrimp. Both dishes had chili in them, but Tseng's was lethal.
"You just can't handle spices."
"I like spices."
"Yet you don't like my dinner."
"That's overkill."
Tseng shook his head and took another bite, exaggerating his appreciation just for Reno's benefit.
They finished eating and curled up on Tseng's couch together, Reno tucked into Tseng's arms. It was a position he'd missed, full of the warmth and safety he desperately needed.
"Reno?"
"Mmhm?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Nuh-uh. Why do you ask?"
"You look…different."
"I got my hair cut last week."
"That isn't it."
"I think you're just imagining it," Reno said carefully.
"No, it's…it's in the way you're carrying yourself. Like you've recessed back to your days as a rookie."
"Gee, thanks," Reno scowled. "I needed to hear that."
"Not like that. You're acting like a caged animal, tense and wary the way you were when we got you. Like you're sure there's a sword hanging over your head by a thread and someone is holding a pair of scissors."
"Hiding it was hard."
"Hiding what?" Tseng prodded.
"Hiding how worried I was. I wanted to spend every minute in your room, waiting for you to wake up, but if I did that, someone was gonna notice, so I had to stay away. It sucked."
Tseng smiled and nuzzled the top of Reno's head affectionately.
"Thank you for protecting us," he said softly. "I dreamed of you, you know."
"You did?"
"Mmhm. We talked for a bit…I suppose that wasn't you sitting by the bed while I raved, but I'd hoped it was."
Reno froze. That was how Rufus knew. The bastard had talked to Tseng while he was delirious, had fooled Tseng into thinking it was Reno and not him standing there.
"Reno?"
"Yeah?"
Tseng hummed softly, lips buried in Reno's hair. Reno tensed a bit more, knowing what Tseng was saying and just how much trouble they were in.
--
Reno displayed a serious dominant streak after Tseng's recovery. Tseng assumed it was just Reno's frustration at their temporary separation and let him have his way. He didn't know that Reno was trying to hide that he'd already been with someone else that day. Every day. He carried a Heal Materia with him at all times, to hide the hickeys and bruises from his meetings with Rufus. His 'caged animal' behavior got worse.
--
Flu season came in with a roar that year. Army regulars were dropping like flies. One strain mutated to survive the toxic systems of the SOLDIERs. No one was safe, and it was not at all surprising when, one cloudy day in early December, Reno wound up confined to his bed on Tseng's orders, threatened with painful death if he so much as thought about moving.
Tseng took Reno's place as Rufus' guard.
"Tseng?"
"Yessir?"
"Where is Reno?"
"He's sick, sir."
"No, where is he?"
"At his apartment, unless he decided to visit the hospital."
"Sounds reasonable. Tseng?"
"Yes?"
"Do you prefer the dominant or submissive position?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Which is it? Do you prefer lying on your back for Reno, or do you like having him helpless under you?"
"I-"
"It's such an unlikely relationship, really. He's such a loose cannon, and so mouthy, while you're a model Turk. How on earth did you two ever wind up in bed together, let alone in love?"
"Sir, h-"
"You told me yourself, Tseng. You told me you loved Reno. That you missed him. That it was easier to…how did you put it? Easier to fight off the demons with help? Something along those lines, I think. Poetic."
Tseng paled. Reno had been tense. Like he'd been threatened. Like there was something being held over his head. Like there was something big being held over his head. Something like their relationship.
"So which is it? Dominant?"
"It depends on the partner, sir."
"What if I was the partner?"
Tseng gritted his teeth.
"Dominant," he ground out.
"And if I didn't want that?"
"Submissive, sir."
Rufus smiled.
"Is that so?"
Tseng flinched, mortified that someone else had heard him murmuring endearments to Reno and that he was being forced to discuss such personal things with a seventeen year-old, then nodded.
"In that case, I accept. On the couch."
"Sir?"
"Strip and get on the couch. On your back."
"That's-"
"An order, Turk. Do it."
--
"Uhn? Tseng? Where're you goin'?"
"Running. Go back to sleep."
"M'kay," Reno mumbled, burrowing back into the blankets. Tseng slipped out of the apartment in his workout clothes, got into the elevator, and headed up to Rufus' quarters.
--
Two weeks later, Tseng was starting to feel the beginnings of one of the bugs going around. He called himself in and curled up in his armchair with a cup of tea. Nothing and no one was going to bother him today. With a little bit of luck, he'd head this bug off and get back to work quickly.
It was just before noon when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"I hear you've taken the day off."
"It is flu season, sir."
"Mmhm. Since you're free, why don't you come on up?"
"But-"
"Come now, Tseng, I'll be doing all the work anyway. What's a little trip upstairs going to do?"
What it did was build on Tseng's stress level, leading to the better part of a week lost while he fought with the cough he'd been hoping to avoid.
--
By the New Year, Rufus had turned his two favorite Turks into a pair of nervous wrecks. They showed it differently: Reno continued to get more and more aggressive, snapping at anyone who moved quietly enough to startle him. Tseng reverted to stony silence, speaking only when absolutely necessary and avoiding contact whenever possible. Up in his office, Rufus smiled.
--
Shortly after Valentine's Day, Zack decided that he'd had quite enough. One evening, after he'd been freed for the day, he waited outside the Turks' offices. When Reno came out, he grabbed him, covered his mouth, and bolted for the stairs. Reno kicked and struggled all the way to Zack's quarters.
"What the hell?" he yelled as soon as Zack moved his hand. Zack ignored him and locked the door, then turned to face him, hands on hips.
"What is up with you?"
"That's what I wanna know!"
"Don't you start. Tseng's okay now. Your secret is safe. Life is back to normal. But you're still moping around, looking like there's a gun to your head! What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Don't nothing me, you little liar. I know you better than that. What. Is. Up?"
"I- Tseng," Reno fumbled.
"Tseng? This is still about Tseng?"
Reno nodded.
"Shiva's tits, Reno! You two have it all going for you! He loves you, you love him, there's great sex involved-what's the problem? You aren't…thinking about breaking it off, are you?"
"No! No, I'd never, I just…I can't explain, okay?"
"Why can't you explain?" Zack demanded. "We've been buddies for years. You told me about Tseng. You told me when you and Tseng became an us. What's changed?"
"Me."
Zack said nothing for a minute, thinking it over.
"Alright," he said finally. "I'll keep out of it. But I hate seeing you like this. Fix whatever this is as soon as you can."
"I'll try."
"I guess I can accept that."
Reno slunk out of the room, feeling lower than the cheapest whore under the Plate.
--
That March, Rufus went to Costa del Sol for some publicity thing. Reno and Tseng were both left behind in Midgar.
Around noon, when the entire compound calmed down for lunch, Tseng dragged Reno into his office, slammed the door shut, locked it, and pinned Reno to the wall. Reno responded in kind, just as glad for a chance to be as spontaneous as they'd been before Tseng's disastrous assignment.
Tseng slid Reno's shirt off and froze.
"Wh…what is this?"
"Huh?"
"This," Tseng growled, prodding a very clear bite-mark on Reno's chest. "And this. And this." Reno's chest and stomach were dotted with bites and bruises. Dark bruises low on his hips were arranged in a pattern that told anyone who'd seen it before that there had been hands there, pinning Reno's hips down. "We agreed that there would be no other men."
"I-"
"Explain yourself."
"Tseng, it's not-"
"Not what? Not what it looks like? Because it looks like you let someone have their way with you."
"Yeah, but-"
"Yeah? I've put everything on the line for you, Reno. My career. My life. My reputation. Everything. And you go off and do this? How dare you?"
Reno trembled in Tseng's grip. He'd never seen Tseng truly angry before.
"I did it to protect you!" he said quickly.
"What?"
"While you were out, you said something to…someone who shouldn't have heard. If I do this, then we stay secret. I swear, Tseng, I only agreed because there wasn't anything I could do."
"Who?" Tseng breathed.
"I…I can't, Tseng."
"Rufus." Not a question. A statement.
Reno nodded.
"That filthy bastard. Threatening you with…and then me."
"Wait- you?"
"Me. He's been playing with both of us."
Reno flushed, angry and embarrassed.
"Any ideas?"
"One."
--
April arrived with a spattering of rain showers and flowers everywhere outside the toxic border surrounding Midgar. In the city, summer warmth began to pick up. In the ShinRa building, plans were being made.
--
"It's good to see you've finally perked up," Rufus purred, stroking Reno's stomach. "The depressed look just doesn't suit you."
"What choice did I have?" Reno said bitterly, lying still while Rufus petted him.
"True. But you accepted it. Like a good Turk."
"Funny to hear that I'm a good boy when I'm screwing with my career."
"A good Turk does what he's told, Reno. Like a better soldier."
"Don't compare me to them."
"Why not? Many people think the SOLDIERs are heroes. No one appreciates the Turks. You're just living boogey-men to the public. Nothing more then pai- gghhk!"
"We are far more than that," Tseng growled. Rufus scrabbled at Reno's hands, fighting to get free before Tseng reached the couch. Reno held on, not quite tight enough to choke Rufus, but tight enough to make it a bad idea to move too much. "It's a pity that you don't understand the way the world works, Rufus. The world needs people who do."
Reno let go abruptly, sliding off the couch to collect his discarded shirt, jacket, and tie. Rufus made to get up himself, but found himself pinned to the couch, Tseng leaning over him, a wicked knife just touching the skin on either side of his neck.
"Th-those aren't standard issue," he stammered.
"No, they aren't. These were made for me when I turned sixteen. Fit to my hands, and my tastes. I take them out when I have very important work to do."
"B-but-"
"I am not the man you think I am, Rufus. I am not some refugee who fled the war to join the winning team. I am not some lost man who works under your father for the money. I am here because the work keeps me happy. I enjoy killing. I enjoy having a cause to do it for. I would not be here if I didn't."
"You can't do this," Rufus hissed. "I'll tell the company everything. You'll both be killed."
Reno snickered. Rufus turned to look at him, wincing when the blades cut shallowly into his skin.
"You're such an idiot," Tseng laughed.
"He's right," Reno said softly. "How did you know that Tseng and I are partners? How likely is it that you were there the only time he said a word until waking? If we mentioned what you asked for your silence, then you'll be in a lot more trouble than we would be. It would be a scandal- the son of ShinRa, blackmailing his bodyguards into little more than consented rape to sate his own sick preferences."
Rufus paled, looking back up at Tseng.
"I-I…t-this isn't like you, Tseng. You always acted like…like you still respect your country, but this can't be how-unh!"
Rufus jerked when Tseng's knee hit him just under his ribcage, then went limp, coughing and wheezing. Tseng smiled thinly and knelt on the couch.
"You know nothing about my people, Rufus, just like you know nothing about the wars. We were not broken. We accepted that we could not stand against ShinRa at the strength we were at. Someday, Wutai will rise up again and ShinRa will not be able to stop it. I respect my people. I accept that I left them. I accept that I am not welcomed by them. I live the life I was taught, serving my cause and my god, and honoring those who came before me."
"Your cause is-"
"My cause is Reno. It has been for some time. ShinRa allows me to be with him and keep my skills sharp, all that I can ask for in my life. And you dare to threaten it all."
"Y-y-you can't k-k-kill m-me," Rufus whimpered. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled down the sides of his face.
Reno joined Tseng at the couch, leaning down to give Rufus a skeptical look.
"Ever wonder if he's got a split personality?" he asked. "Kid that forced me into this mess was scarier than this."
"He knows he has lost a game he made the rules to. That makes a fool out of anyone."
"Good point. You about done?"
"I think so, yes."
"Great. My turn."
Tseng got off the couch, taking his knives with him. Reno replaced him, holding his mag-rod next to Rufus' right ear. It was turned up as high as it would go, sparking occasionally.
"Can't say I've got as much to say as Tseng," Reno said thoughtfully. "I like to let my fists talk, y'know? Can't really do that today, but whatever. Wanna know why you're gonna quit bothering us? And why you can't go tattle on us?"
"Why?"
"First, because I wasn't raised to be a nice kid. I didn't get all the 'honor your opponent' stuff drilled into me. I fight to kill or maim, and I don't care if you can't fight back or don't have the weapons I have. I'll kick you when you're down, and I'll laugh. And guess why you can't rat us out?"
Rufus stared dumbly up at Reno's eyes, glowing faintly from old drugs and anger that had been simmering for months.
"C'mon out. I want this one done as a close-up."
Zack stepped out from behind a potted plant, carrying a video camera in one hand. The viewing panel was flipped out, and there was a little green light blinking over the lens.
"Tell him exactly what you've been up to, Fussie. If you ever try to tell anyone about us, or this, we'll air this."
"Air it?" Rufus repeated.
"I know this chick who works with Action 9 News," Zack said. "She'd put your Dad in the shower on the air if I asked her to. This'd get her all kinds of attention."
Rufus swallowed hard and did as he was told.
--
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
"Leviathan bless, what time is it?"
-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
"No idea. Too early. Turn it off."
-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-
Slam.