Title: Competition

Author: Lacey

Rating: T

Chapter: 1/?

Summary: Reno is jealous of a new-arrival.

Warnings: Adoption, cursing, bad role-modeling, AU (The Turks/Shinra is only a research company sort of thing), Reno POV

AN: Alright, this came to me from seeing a mattress commercial…and I decided that this needed to be written. :3

Age Two: The Beginning

I can't believe that Rude talked me into this. I know I will be terrible with this new job, and being a Turk means that this will be even more challenging. I have a habit of doing things that are considered 'bad'; I have a sex addiction problem, I like to act out on things, I never act my age and I often expressed explosive bouts of anger.

Rude…Rude is a different story entirely. He is patient, calm, compassionate…he has to be if he is living with and dating me. But somehow, he had come to the conclusion that it was time for us to step our relationship up and get something that would be life-changing. While I had thought that that thing would be something small, like a puppy, I soon found out just how wrong I was when the 'adoption center' wasn't the Pound.

"Ru…are you sure about this?" While I'm normally fairly nonchalant, I find myself questioning him nervously and chewing at my lip. "I mean…we're gonna get a kid?"

"I already picked one out and we're just picking him up, today. He's a two year old." Rude replies, "It'll be fine, Reno." He smiles, kissing my brow, trying to soothe me.

"I'm not so sure 'bout that, pardner…" I drawl, licking my lips carefully. "I'm worried 'bout this…child shit. I mean, do I look like some Goddamn parent to you?"

"You will if you watch your language."

"Taking away my language is like taking away your sunglasses. I won't be recognized as me without that."

"It's more like your famous sex drive leaving that would make you unrecognizable." He leveled his green eyes at me.

"Hey…wait a sec…how are we gonna keep our sex life alive if like…we get a kid. Can't we start with some kind of…animal or something, instead?"

"Ren…it'll be fine. Just trust me on this, okay?" Rude smiles, taking my hand and leading me into the building. We were taken to the room with our child in it, waiting for us, and I lock my knees outside the door.

"Rude, does he realize that we're gay men?"

"I'm not sure…but he's two, he's bound to be open to things. Ren, stop worrying and come meet our son." He smiles, leading the way in. Rude had been to see the child before, and they had already formed something of a bond. The child teeters over to him and held his arms up to be picked up, and I cringe a little as he was lifted. I'd seen those hands be used for pure evil, for brutality…it didn't seem right that they were being so gentle with someone else. Well, someone other than me. I felt something burning in my gut, and I set my jaw so I'd refrain from saying anything.

"Reno, come see him." He held the child out for me, and I look at the thing held out for a little strangely. I don't really like that look he's giving me. In fact, I'm kind of worried by it. I take the drooly creature slowly, making a face as it's sticky and smelly body is passed into my arms and placed up against my chest. "You have to hold him close."

"How about you do the holding…?" I say this as the thing starts crying. "He doesn't like me."

"You're not holding him right." Rude situates my arms around until I'm holding him just right, and the crying stops as soon as I find my hand full of dirty diaper. I nearly drop the thing and my lover takes him, sighing. "Someone needs a change." I sigh, shaking my own head.

"I need to go wash my hands." I offer, heading off to find somewhere while he makes kissy face at my new enemy. I'm used to having him all to myself; this whole sharing thing is ridiculous. I don't know why he thinks we need some stupid brat around to make our relationship deeper. Personally, it's times like these that I wish Rude was stupid, because then he probably wouldn't realize that men can't get pregnant and we'd try for days on end to get me pregnant. That in itself would be amazing, I think.

When I return to the front, I see Rude there with a freshly diapered brat and some lady helping him with paperwork. It all seems like a blur before I find myself back in the car and sitting on the other side of a baby seat, which has firmly been planted between my lover and I. I have a feeling this is going to be happening a lot.

AN: Alright, short chapter, but I liked it so far. Reno doesn't like this little addition to the family.