It was the end of another working day and Cloud was returning home from his last delivery. When he was passing by an alley he heard the sound of fighting and screams of pain. Being the hero he was he walked towards the group. Unfortunately they heard his steps and ran away; leaving their victim lying on the ground.
Cloud Ran to the victim. A closer look revealed it was a man laying on the ground. Blood was pooling around him. Cloud is surprised to see it is a very red head with distinct facial markings. The eyes that cloud knew to be blue were closed. Reno was breathing slowly and wheezing in pain. Cloud quickly looked over the thinner man noting several wounds. There were defensive scratches and bruises on his arms showing he fought back. His lips were split as well as a knife wound on his abdomen.
"What the hell happened Reno?..." Cloud thought while carrying him to his own house.
He entered the house and took Reno to his room. Laying him on the bed Cloud started to take the red haired males clothes off.
When Reno moaned in pain Cloud stopped to make sure he wasn't the one who'd caused it. The Turk stayed unconscious and the blond continued. He removed Reno's goggles realizing the normally vibrant hair was darkened with blood and dirt. When he was done undressing the paler man he blushed a little.
"Why the hell am I blushing?" Cloud walked away to go fill up his tub making sure that it wasn't too hot or cold. When it was half filled he went to retrieve his house guest. He cleaned Reno carefully shocked with all the wounds that he found all over the body.
After finishing Cloud took Reno back to his room to dress his wounds. When each one had been cleaned again and bandaged; he pulled up a chair to watch over the red head.
"I hope you get better fast." He commented sighing. The hours passed and the blond wound up falling asleep in his chair.
Around midnight Reno woke up blinking back the light assaulting his eyes. He didn't recognize the roof above him.
"Where am I, yo?" He could feel something on his hand and despite the pain he lifted his head to look. There was another hand which lead up to none other than Cloud Strife who was still sound asleep.
"C-cloud?" Reno moved his hand to try and wake him gently. Blue eyes blinked open to look at the red head. He smiled.
"Welcome to the world of the living, Reno." This made Reno smile and blush a bit. Moving his leg a little he realized that he is only wearing boxers that defiantly weren't his own.
"Ano...did you undress me?" Reno asked teasing. Cloud blushed brightly.
"Y-Yes." He looked at the red haired Turk only turning a darker shade of red. Reno smiled and placed his hand on top of Clouds.
"Thanks for saving me and for patching me up. Also for staying." Cloud blushed again and looked at the wall trying to hide his face.
"You're Welcome..." He smiles. "You have nothing to thank me for anyway." Reno sat up and smiled when he saw Cloud's blush. He reached up to caress the blonds face.
"Of course I do." He said gently rubbing the other mans cheek. "I owe you one yo." Cloud looked at him shocked.
"Reno you should lay back. The wound on your abdomen was pretty bad." Reno smiled but nodded allowing Cloud to help him lean back against a pile of pillows. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get something for you to eat." The blond quickly exited his room shaking his head in the kitchen.
"Why the hell am I blushing and why the hell does Reno have this effect on me?" He asked himself.
Cloud hastily made something that resembled edible and returned to his room. When he entered he noticed Reno staring up at the roof.
"Reno?" Cloud moved closer and the red head looked over smiling at him.
"yes?"
"N-Nothing you looked distant. Are you okay? Are you in pain?" His eyes are filled with worry as he looked Reno over. The Turk just continued to smile.
"No I'm alright yo. Don't worry." Reno smiled and accepted the food Cloud had brought him.
As the days went by Reno healed and Cloud got used to his presence. Little by little he realized that there was something new inside of him, a feeling that he never thought he could have, even less so towards Reno.
After two weeks Reno felt like new. That morning Cloud entered his room and didn't find Reno laying on the bed. He looked around worried.
"Reno?" Searching again he found nothing until he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. The red head walked back in his hair wet and little drops of water ran down his body caressing his skin. Eventually the drops fall onto the towel around his waist.
"Are you okay yo? You look worried." Reno asked looking at Cloud. The blond haired hero blushed and shook his head.
"It's nothing." He smiled. "Baka I can't believe you were about to have a panic attack because you didn't see him when you entered the room. How come I didn't hear the shower?" he thought not noticing Reno's worried look. Stepping closer to Cloud the Turk caressed the shorter males face. Cloud jumped a little surprised because he hadn't seen Reno coming closer.
"Cloud what happened?" Reno looked into his eyes making the blond man blush.
"Nothing it's stupid." Cloud shook his head looking away.
"Come on tell me." Reno smiled sweetly and Cloud blushed looking down at the floor.
"W-well when I came in the room I couldn't find you and I thought that..." He looked up at Reno and sighed. "I thought you had left without saying anything to me. I thought I wouldn't see you again." His blush was still bright and Reno chuckled smiling again.
"Baka. Why would I leave?" smiling he hugged Cloud.
"R-Reno?" Reno smiled and pulled him closer. He sat down on the bed and pulled Cloud with him making the other sit on his lap. The blond looks at him surprised.
"What are you doing?" He looks at Reno confused and the Turk just smiled.
"Hugging you, Can't you see it yo?"
"Y-yes... But why are you doing it?" the red head smiled and kissed Clouds cheek softly.
"Because I want to cloud, because I like holding you, because I need it, because I like you." Cloud looks at Reno surprised.
"But Reno, I'm a..." Reno rest one of his fingers on top of Clouds lips silencing him.
"I don't care, Cloud that's what you are for me the Cloud nothing more." Smiles and caresses his face. "I don't want to hear anything against it cloud, I like you and nothing will make it change. But… if you don't feel the same for me its ok I'll leave. I don't want to force you into something you don't want..." Smiles and makes Cloud sit on the bed, stand up and grab some clothes and goes to the bathroom to get dressed leaving cloud alone to think.
Cloud sits staring at the bathroom door that is now closed. Reno leaned against the door sighing unhappily.
"I should have known he wouldn't accept it. I should probably get going. I don't want to make him uncomfortable or make my presence unbearable." After he was dressed he walked out of the bathroom to see Cloud wasn't on his bed. Sighing he went out to leave and Cloud met him at the door.
"R-Reno? Where are you going?" Cloud looked at him once again confused. Reno smiled.
"I'm going back to my place yo. I don't want to pressure you. Thanks for everything Cloud and don't worry I'll keep in touch yo. I just want to give you time to get used to the idea that I like you." Cloud looked at him but couldn't say anything. Reno left still smiling as he shut the door behind him. Cloud watches stunned.
Reno walked down the street with his hand in his pockets and his head down. He smirked at himself sadly. Cloud continued to look at the door and sighed. Walking back to his room he sat on the bed where Reno had be lying.
"And what about me?...What do I feel for you?" Laying back he sighed and let himself fall asleep.
Seeing as time doesn't stop two weeks go by in what seems like an eternity and an instant. Cloud couldn't stop thinking about Reno and what had happened.
Reno hadn't left the house once in the two weeks and Rude was worried. Thankfully the bald Turk was stubborn and eventually got the guarded secret out of him. Rude smiled at his partner affectionately.
"Instead of worrying if he's going to choose you, you should go talk to him." Rude can't help but continue smiling.
"Yeah and then he kills me yo!" Laughing the older Turk shook his head.
"Baka. Do you really think that?" His eyes pierce Reno in a way only Rude's gaze could.
"Come on you need to get some fresh air." When his partner pulled him from his apartment Reno didn't struggle.
"Fine just let go of my hand. I don't need a rumor at work saying we're dating yo." Reno teases Rude like normal making the larger Turk grunt like normal.
Still down Reno doesn't really pay attention to where they are walking eyes down and thoughts traveling as fast as his chopper. Still in work mode Rude notices Cloud coming up behind them.
"So What are you going to do Reno?" the stoic male asked when the blond was within earshot.
"I don't know Rude. I like him, but I don't want to force anything on him. I don't want to hurt him either. Then well...if he doesn't feel the same I will just have to accept it and move on. I'll be happy as long as he's happy." Feeling a comforting hand Reno turned to look up at his partner. Instead Mako blue eyes were waiting.
"C-Cloud? What are you doing here?" Reno asked blushing. Rude was nowhere in sight and he couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed by his partner. Cloud smiled sweetly at the blushing Turk and leaned down to kiss Reno's soft pale lips.
"I...I love you Reno...I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize that." The hero watched the emotions across the other man's face change from doubt to happiness. Reno stepped forward Cloud enfolding the red head close. Tears of happiness run down Reno's face
"I love you Cloud, so much..." Reno moved kissing Cloud passionately. The younger male accepted letting his eyes close as he pulled the shorter male closer.
"Reno...I'm finally in your arms and that's where I want to stay." Smiling they held tight to one another.
"Thank you..." Reno whispered into Clouds ear.
"For what?" Cloud asked confused.
"For choosing me. I love you." the red head kissed him again. Cloud blushed but was still smiling.
"Baka. I love you too."
Life is made of choices… should I help? Should I love?
What is your choice?
THE END
