Rating: T - Minor coarse language, cause hey, it is Reno from Rude's POV?
A/N: Please read the sister fic to this, called Reno, meet Rude to complete this story arc.
Disclaimer: You know I don't own it and I know that I'm not making one freaking penny doing this.
Please review, for it makes me happy. In my pants.
Without further ado
The bald Turk watched his boss levelly, trying not to act too casual or too tense. He had only met Tseng once or twice in person but everyone knew the Leader of the Turks was a badass, better to keep him on your good side.
Rude hadn't been working for ShinRa very long at all, a few weeks maybe, when Tseng approached him.
"I'd like you to do something for me," Tseng had said, cornering Rude while the novice Turk was doing meaningless tasks.
Rude glanced at the Wutain over his sunglasses.
"Sir?"
"I want you to become a Turk. One of my, Turks."
" " Rude listened. He never really did anything else. Tseng grinned inwardly. He was a perfect match. Well, he was a perfect opposite actually, but that's what would make it work.
"My second in command is a bit on the wild side, you could say. I've read your files, they're impressive but they're also clean. Maybe you could rub off on him, yes?"
Rude just stared and nodded after consideration.
"If you say so."
"Great. I'll set up an interview so you two can get to know each other, hmm?" Tseng hummed and turned tail.
Two days later and Rude found himself in a mostly concrete room save for a one-way mirror and a stainless steel table. He had to admit, he was excited at the prospect of being one of the Turks. I mean, there were plenty of Turks, he was one himself-but an iactual/i Turk, one of Tseng's that was impressive.
Except he'd done a little research himself and he found out who exactly he was about to be paired up with. That part wasn't so grand, at least from his perspective.
Reno. The red head with a personality to match. Superbly good at what he does, except for the fact that he sometimes goes a little overboard and generally in need of some lessons in morality.
And that was putting it in the best possible way.
Tseng talked to him for a few minutes before leaving the room. Rude waited another fifteen when the door to the room opened and in walked a tall pale man with blazing red hair and even more blazing still blue eyes.
Rude stayed silent and sat up straight, watching Reno steadily. He watched the red head look around the room and knew that he was avoiding him. Trying to intimidate by not giving the time of day, maybe? Rude felt like shifting about but made himself stay still, letting Reno come to him instead of the other way around.
Rude watched as Reno gazed into the mirror, watched the grin that spread over pale lips. Rude knew it was a one-way and could guess who was watching but never looked there, himself.
Finally Reno turned his blue eyed gaze to him. Rude stared back as long as Reno did, not that the other Turk could notice.
God, he really loved sunglasses in cases like these. They always came in handy. He'd never be caught without a pair on him.
After sizing him up, Reno finally smirked and said,
"Who the fuck are you?"
The tone was mocking even if it was light, Rude wasn't as dumb as some thought, and so he didn't answer. The redhead didn't seem deterred. Reno set a weapon down on the table-Rude recognized it as an EMR-and then plopped himself down in the seat across from him.
"Aren't you going to say somethin'? Anythin'."
Rude didn't. Instead he let his gaze skim over the creature in front of him, sizing him up in his own way. Reno slouched a lot, giving the impression of laziness even though Rude could tell from the twitching that Reno was just pure waiting to strike. The more experienced Turk looked disheveled but was probably anything but; he was long and lanky, natural muscle. Not that Rude's muscle wasn't just as natural, he was just a lot more broad.
Reno looked toward the mirror, thumbing in his direction while smirking.
"Hey, Tseng, I think you found me a mute for a partner," his accent was back and he drawled out the word so it sounded like 'pardnah'. "Isn't that somethin'? I wasn't aware your tight Wutain ass knew of irony."
Finally, Rude felt it was the right time to speak up.
"Rude."
Reno snapped his attention to him so quickly that Rude thought the redhead may have just experienced some whiplash. And now his expression wasn't so much cocky as it was pissed.
"The fuck! If anythin', you're the one that's rude! Not even anwerin' simple questions-"
"I was answering your question. I'm Rude. That's my name."
He knew it was a little cheeky but Rude felt he could get away with it. Reno wasn't going to put up with someone who was going to bend over and take it. Even if the redhead needed someone to calm him down, he also needed someone to challenge him. That's what Rude was beginning to feel, anyways. As long as he stayed calm
Reno leaned across the table, smirk wide and mean.
"Shut up, yo. Just shut the fuck up. You think you're a tough man, huh? Well let me tell ya somethin' you ain't shit. You're probably just some goddamned muscle-man who thinks he can make it in the Turks cause he made a few bucks bouncing at a club for a few nights. Ya think ya tough? I'd like ta see you try to make it one day in my shoes."
Rude smiled lightly. There was nothing else to do. Any response was what Reno was looking for and it wasn't what he was going to get.
So next came the silent treatment. As long as Rude wasn't the first to speak, he would have the upper hand.
After about twenty minutes by Rude's internal clock, Reno finally gave in.
"So tell me 'boutcha self."
Rude shrugged, glancing around without looking over his sunglasses. He didn't want Reno to know what his eyes looked like yet.
"You're supposed to be my partner."
"That's telling me 'bout me, not 'bout you," Reno scoffed. Rude looked back at him, not really knowing what else to say so he just said the first thing that came to his mind.
" I'm a weapons expert but I prefer hand to hand combat."
"Oh, eyuh? What type of weapons?" Reno asked, not so much intimidating anymore. Yeah, that's it that's the person Rude knew Reno was. A softy on the inside, huh? At least, if you play your cards right. Rude smiled internally. Reno and himself were two of a kind.
"Explosives."
Reno perked right up, as Rude had a feeling he would.
"Fuck yeah! That's " he caught himself before he showed too much enthusiasm and then shrugged, half rolling his eyes. iYeah, that's right, keep up the act a little longer. We're not partners. Not yet./i "Yeah, that's alright, I guess. You know. Whatever."
There was some more silence. Reno fidgeted for a while and then sighed, glancing around. Rude stayed still, staring at Reno the entire time from behind his sunglasses. He was interesting. He couldn't wait until the time came where they no longer had to play these domination games and they could get busy really getting to know each other.
"The fuck you lookin' at?" Reno finally spat. Rude was caught off guard, not knowing he'd been staring so intently, and so he said the first answer that came to his mind. It was also an honest one.
"You."
Reno shifted again, ever fidgety. " Well, fuckin' stop it."
Again, the first that came to his mind was what Rude said. He usually wasn't one for talking but Reno was a man who demanded answers so he said immediately, but still calmly, "It's not my fault you're the most interesting thing in the room. Besides, you were looking at me, too."
Rude lifted an eyebrow when he saw a blush cover the cheeks of the pale man in front of him. Interesting Reno, instead of saying anything, just huffed and muttered something under his breath.
"Whatever. I'm outta here," Rude thought he heard vaguely and was proven correct when Reno stood and marched out of the room. Without his EMR.
Rude didn't know if he should chase after Reno or not. He knew the redhead liked and more than that probably needed the EMR, so after a minute of hesitation he grabbed it and walked out of the room. He started down the hall and was just in time to hear Tseng say,
" your first mission together is three days from now. Until then, I want you two to get to know each other a bit more."
Rude lifted an eyebrow and gazed at the two head Turks over his sunglasses, slowing his pace so he could hear the rest of the conversation before he reached them. He couldn't tell because his back was to him, but Rude could hear the tension in his voice when Reno replied sarcastically,
"And how the hell do you suggest that? I'm not going to take the fucker out on a date or some shit."
Rude looked over Reno's shoulder to see Tseng facing them both while standing in the elevator. The raven haired Turk was smirking and Rude got a chill from the simple motion.
"No. You two will be living together."
"HUH!"
Rude's eyes widened slightly but didn't say anything. Reno was unaware that he was standing right behind him but Tseng saw and winked just barely as Reno proceeded to have a conniption fit.
"Have fun, Reno. See you in a few days."
"YOU BASTARD! NO WAY! NO FUCKING WAY!" Reno objected, but the doors had already slid shut. Cursing not so quietly under his breath Reno turned around and nearly ran smack into Rude. They both were silent then, Rude because it was normal for him to be so and Reno because he was shocked. After a long while of being glared at, Reno finally growled out,
"What!"
Rude extended his hand, shoving the EMR towards the redhead. Reno stared at his EMR and after a few more moments of silence, sighed dejectedly and snatched the Mag Rod out of his hands.
"Fine. Fuck it. Your house or mine, partner?"
Rude smiled. This is where the fun was going to begin.