-1May Cause Turbulence by Reno-san

It was going to be another one of those days. I angrily scrubbed the table where someone had made a huge fucking mess. How was it humanly possible to spill shit off of your tray and onto a table?! There had to be some sort of intent to pull that one off. I grimaced to myself feeling the dull throb of the ankle. My foot had been injured in my initial capture and had never really been okay. The inside right ankle was always plaguing me, never really letting me forget my situation. Eighteen months.

"Reno!" That fucker who I have come to understand is my boss snarled at me. "Hurry it the hell up, we haven't got all goddamn day!" I sneered back at him. Christ what I would do to return to my old life. Anything was better than this. I was a street-kid from the time I could remember. I'd rather endure a life on the streets than a life in slavery. The cafeteria suddenly hushed as two pairs of footsteps could be heard echoing through the building. Blue suited uniforms that commanded respect. Not that the feline looking Wutan didn't have an aura that ordered fear and control. The guy next to him was immense. A tank of a human being hidden behind sunglasses. Out of the corner of my eye, my cohort Shawnda, was creeping up on me. She was washing tables, working her way to me. We had to be careful if we were going to talk. She was a cute girl, dark skinned, from another slum than me. Arrested for prostitution. Cute, but girls never really did it for me. At least she wasn't a felon, like myself. We were truly the end of the line. No hopes for a job, no hope for a life. The state merely waited for us to commit our next crime out of desperation. We would never be able to have the cash we needed to survive. We were slaves, and the rich liked having a group of slaves at its convenience for untouchable jobs. The Wutan suddenly turned and locked his eyes on mine. It was like staring into the eyes of a wild animal, like a great cat. He held me enrapt even though I saw him moving towards me.

"Reno!" Shawnda whispered harshly. "Stop looking at him and get the fuck away from him! He's a Turk!"

"What's that?" I asked absently as I watched him approach.

"Killers! Reno, move! Now!" I couldn't I was frozen in place. He stopped a few feet from me, inspecting me.

"Reno!!" That fat slob was screaming at me. I hesitantly turned from the Wutan. I was not about to let him think that I was afraid of him. His graceful form just watched me as I retreated to the kitchen trying to steal glances at him. Suddenly a harsh hand grabbed onto the front of my shirt. "Get the fuck in here!" My boss was screaming in my face. I bit back bile as I was assaulted with the stench of old cigarettes, sweat, and something which's origin I didn't want to know. He shoved me harshly into the crowd of other kids. I bumped into the eldest there. I think his name was Glenn. He looked down and away from me. They had broke him, taken his soul and his will to fight. It would be a hot day in hell before I ever became like that. Even if it meant selling my ass to anyone with cash. I would rather be raped, beat, and left for dead again than to be broken like that. I'd even let that bastard slice up the rest of my face than to become something so hollow. "All right, bitches, eat!" He bellowed. It was that time of day again. We could eat whatever was left over in the kitchen. Some people even smiled. What the hell was wrong with these people?!?! They were happy to eat another person's scraps! The thought disgusted me. I couldn't keep the look of disgust off of my face as my bowl was filled with some concoction. I breathed heavily as I began to eat. I knew I wouldn't get any other food. I could hear stirring behind me as I ate. Some high and mighty Shinra official was scouting the kids. They clung to him and kissed his ass. If they only knew what they were being selected for. I had seen Johns line us up for the same thing, before I was working for myself, anyway. The fat bastard took the cash and a kid several years younger than me was taken in the bearded pig's tow. That kid was lucky to be six or seven. I was glad that he had no idea of his fate. At 14 I had lived a full life and was tired. It had just been my birthday and I had undergone a great epiphany. No one gave a fuck about me and I knew it. All that was left to do was live until I died in some back alley. I felt fairly resigned to that fact, nothing upsetting about it. I would escape from this place even if it killed me. I couldn't finish my meal, it was too disgusting. I threw my fork into my bowl as another kid scurried up to me. He pleaded with his eyes to have the remains of my meal. I indiscreetly pushed it towards him. We never had enough food anyway, that way we were able to be kept weak and submissive. After a few minutes, we were put to work to clean up the kitchen.

Everyone was dragging with exhaustion as we made our way back to the rooms we slept in. Small rooms that they would try to cram as many as a dozen or more people into. There was no ventilation and no heat at night. The stench of suffering was unbearable. I had already been here for eighteen months. Each night I had to listen to kids crying themselves to sleep. The door opened as the young kid led off earlier was flung into our room. He could hardly walk and tears were streaming down his face. I knew exactly what had happened to him. Yeah, it happened to me too but at least the guy offered me a shitload of money and a place to stay for a few days. I had never seen so much money. This kid got nothing. He tried to sit but cried out when he did. Yeah I knew it all too well. Even in the dark of the room I could see his face and the pain on it. No one went to comfort him. In here, you're on your own.

I got up out of bed and quietly left the room. I needed to change my clothes, I felt disgusting. We only received one other pair. I brushed the wrinkles out of them the best I could. We were allowed one bathroom break during sleeping hours. Tonight I would have to sacrifice it for some privacy to change in. Slipping on my shoes, I padded down the hall only to see no one. That was a rare occurrence. I quickly continued on my way, if I wasn't caught I might be able to sneak in two breaks. I suddenly froze. One of the doors leading to a fire escape was left ajar! The alarm wouldn't sound when I left and I could close the door behind me rearming it . I felt my heart throbbing in my chest as a cool fire burned through my veins. I ran. I ran so quickly that my feet were numb. My mind was spinning as I fled down the fire escape and leaped onto the asphalt. The stars shone like diamonds and I was off. It was exhilarating as I ran down the alley. I dashed through traffic, I didn't care. How the hell I was going to get off of the Plate was another matter but all that was on my mind was being free. Free. I roamed among the crowds that were wandering in the night for hours. A middle-aged woman gently handed me a sandwich. From the looks of me you knew I didn't have a pot to piss in. I found a nice roof to perch on. Safety and solitude as the building was getting renovated. I could see the lights of the Shinra Tower in the distance. It made a great backdrop as I devoured my food. Free food was hard to come by on the streets. I bit in with gusto to the delicious ham. It had been so long since I had eaten real food. I tasted lettuce, tomato, and it was magnificent. Had I not been a street rat for so long I would have been too lost in my happiness to see the shadow creeping up on me. I kept a secretive eye on the moving form as I pretended to eat my food. If I ate too much I wouldn't be able to run or fight well. Maybe they just wanted my food, maybe they wanted me. I wasn't about to take a chance. They were well skilled in sneaking up on someone. Several times I lost sight of them. It had to be a military person or a fucking cop. No, cops weren't this talented. He was almost on me. I bolted throwing the food at him for a distraction. He was fast, lightening fast. I felt him claw at my hair as I slid off the roof and onto the dusty alley below. I was on the ground and running when I heard him in hot pursuit. I turned just long enough to confirm the suspicion in my mind. It was not only a Turk but it was the Wutan. My ankle started to pound but I pushed past the pain. I leaped over a garbage bin only to have him follow me just as easily. I skittered across cars in a parking garage and over seesaws, he ran like a fucking professional track athlete right behind me. I was running down a narrow corridor before I realized that it was a trap. The big guy emerged from the end of the alley blocking my path. I'm tall but nimble as a damn cat. I sped towards him as he braced to catch me. I leap into the air flinging myself forward and over his head by using a bar on the bottom of a fire escape.

"How the hell did he do that?!?!" I hear the big guy yelling. I'm laughing, you've never chased someone like me. I leave him in the dust. I have to keep up my speed and make it across a busy eight lane street. "Stop! You're gonna get yourself killed! We're not going to hurt you!" I can hear the guy yelling to me. Fuck that! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that no I won't get killed, already tried too many times to take care of the deed myself. And yes, you will hurt me and probably return me to the fucking kitchen. A horn blasts and I slide over his hood. The driver is screaming at me as I bolt across the lanes of traffic. I emerge into a new area. I stop to catch my breath when I can sense someone is watching me. I look around to notice the Wutan is aiming at me with a rifle of some kind. I act as if I don't see him and wait. I close my eyes and listen to his movement. I bolt at the right time to see some sort of dart lodged into the ground near me. I'm off running. I have my second wind and I'm gone. The two chase me all over. Through a field, through alleys, through streets. Goddamn, my running has saved me more than once but I had never seen someone who could keep up. I'm getting exhausted and they are still in hot pursuit. There is a drop up ahead where a bridge is out of construction. I'd rather be dead than to go back. I bolt towards the bridge as I feel something stinging my back. I tear at the object and realize that one of those fucking darts made a direct hit. My ears are already ringing as I begin to run again. Before I can reach the bridge my head is spinning and I have loss my sense of direction. Something hits me sending me into the air and I can hear the screech of tires. My body feels weird as I fight to stay conscious. A woman is standing over me crying.

"Please return to your vehicle, this is a Turk matter." I can hear the Wutan say. I try to grab at the ground to drag myself over to the bridge. "Easy, Reno." His voice is surprisingly soft as he strokes my hair.

"He's hurt bad, Tseng." The big guy kneels next to me and tries to move my leg. I hear myself scream. I can feel people touching me and reassuring me. I'm so very tired. I exhale heavily and feel like I'm not in my body. I'm looking at it. There's blood pouring out of my mouth and me leg is twisted at a horrific angle. The woman who hit me gets in her car and speeds off. The bald guy keeps blinking back tears as he tries to stabilize me. I don't mind dying, really. I don't have anything left to live for. The feeling I got when I was first free was worth dying over. My body racks and a fresh river of blood is pouring over the concrete. I see the medics arrive but the two Turks stay with me.

For a moment there is silence, like an old movie. Everything is still happening but then I hear the bald guy's voice. "Come back to me, please. Don't go." His words are shaking with tears. Then the cacophony begins. Beeping and people talking. I hear the Wutan explaining to him that these things happen. He's right, they do. "Not to a kid." He retorts back. Heh, silly man. There has been worse things to happened to me.

Then I dream. I dream of pain and monitors. Of people looking at me from behind green masks. Of IVs and wires hooked up to me. Then I dream of that soft powerful hand holding mine. Talking to me, telling me to hold on and that I was going to make it. It was the only comfort in the black dream nightmare that I was in. I couldn't wake up. I began to look forward to that voice. He would stroke my hair and encourage me to wake up. But I couldn't. He would get angry with me and demand why didn't I stop, why didn't I just surrender? See I couldn't. I can never give up. Then something changed.

I woke up on a new surface. The room was quiet except for the sound of a fountain. I was groggy as hell as I tasted my dried out mouth. I moaned softly. My head was pounding I reached up to try and massage it only to discover my hands were in handcuffs. Fuck! All of this only to be busted by the goddamn cops. I looked at the cast on my arm as well. Wow, a rich person's cast, one that can be opened easily and even has places for materia. A hand gently begins to massage my temple. "Relax, Reno." The voice is dark and deep, with a hint of an accent. I discover through the waves of pleasure that I am laying on a couch and wrapped in blankets. I try to move my legs and notice that I have one in a cast up to my thigh. I begin to feel the bandages around my ribs and the dressing on my forehead. I am really fucked up. I suppress a laugh. "What did you think you were doing?" I shot a look at him. Don't you even think that you can save my ass and think that gives you the right to take a parental tone with me!

I shrug and wince from the pain. "Trying to kill myself." My throat is sore. He lifts my head and offers me a drink of water. I'm not a big fan of water but right now it was an elixir of the gods.

"You almost succeeded." His voice is soft and he smoothes my hair back. "I am offering you a choice, Reno." I close my eyes and hear the soft click of his pistol as he cocks the barrel. At first I feel panic, after all of this I don't want to die. But then my senses return to me.

That's cool, too. I will take a bullet to the head rather than go back to a life of slavery. "I would rather die than return to the kitchen."

I feel the barrel touching me right behind my temple. "Either way, you're not going back to the kitchen." He reassures me. My jaw would have dropped open if I had more strength. "Your skill impresses me Reno, I could use you.." Now granted I have had a few Wutan customers in my day but I don't remember this guy at all. "Your physical skills are very impressive indeed, no one has ever eluded us as long as you did." Oh that skill. I am listening intently to him. Well then no one you have ever known was a successful street rat. "What is your decision?"

My mind whirls. Nothing can be as bad as the kitchen…or the streets. "Okay, I'll do it."

I can sense him smiling in relief as he holsters his gun. I imagine that it would suck to shoot a kid but I am also quite aware that he will do what he has to do. "Congratulations. How old are you, Reno?"

I bit my tongue as I come up with my lie. "Sixteen."

If he has caught my lie, he doesn't say anything to me. "My name is Tseng, I will be your supervisor and trainer." His actions seem so formal, like I am applying for a job. I guess the strangeness of the situation is punctuated for me as he just considered putting a bullet in my head. "Someone would like to see you now."

I hear the door open and a powerful presence enters the room. That familiar hand holds my own. I use the last reserve of my strength to open my eyes and to squeeze that hand back. "Hello, Reno." It's the big guy and he's smiling at me. He crouches next to the couch near the Wutan and brushes my hair back with his free hand. There is a connection between us. I can already feel it forming. I realize that despite his size he is only a few years older than me.

"Rude, meet your partner and newest Turk…Reno." A…Turk?!….and my partner?! I am stunned to say the least. "Well Mr. Sinclair I will leave so that the two of you may get acquainted with each other and I can begin to process you." We wait in silence as the Wutan stands, bows to us and leaves the room.

Rude turns to me still smiling. "I am really glad you came back to us." He lowers his head as I take him in. Something in me stirs as I look at him. I really like him already. "I'm honored to have you as a partner." His words are sincere to me. I can feel myself smiling as I sense the truth to his words. He gently removes my shackles and begins to massage the sore flesh. "I'm ready to take you to your home whenever you are ready to leave." I have...a home?

"I have a home?" I am still processing this statement. It sounded like he said I have a home.

"Yeah, right next to me. Or you can even stay with me if you would like." I have to smile at his animated expressions

"Yeah, that would be nice." I am so...exhilarated. I have never had a stable home before.

"Let's go home, Reno." He says softly as he looks deeply into my eyes.

I have to smile. "Yeah, let's go home."

After maneuvering me onto my crutches and painfully making our way home my new partner had to carry me up the stairs. I got a good laugh out of it because he was trying to be so gentle with my battered body. He gently set me down in the confines of his apartment. He definitely lived well. Huge television, lots of books, a kick ass computer system. All I could say was wow. "Well there are your things." He pointed at a gaggle of sacks near a recliner. I limped my way over and took a seat. I opened each bag with the eagerness of a kid at Christmas. Clothes! Not crap like I was used to wearing but decent stylish ones. "I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of checking your sizes while you were in the hospital to make sure everything would be okay."

I looked up shocked, of course I wouldn't! This was more new shit than I had ever seen! There was no way all of this was for me. "So what is yours so I don't get into it." I asked as I began to poke through another bag.

"Everything you see is for you." He took a seat in his kitchenette and watched me with a smile. I found clothes, electronics, personal items, even my own towels and new shoes!

I wanted to cry as I looked through everything. "Thanks, I've never really had anything."

"I'm glad you like everything." I could sense the kindness in his voice. "Oh and the long box and the small red one are gifts from Tseng."

I took a moment to look over the rest of the gifts until I saw the long brown simple box. It was unmarked save for a few Wutan symbols. I almost dropped it as I was not expecting it to weigh as much as it did. I carefully opened the box and blinked. It was some kind of baton. I explored it finding a switch. I jumped as I pressed the button, a crackle of electricity hummed through the rod. It smelled of lightening. I pushed aside my awe of the weapon and reached for the red box. I swear I could feel it trembling as I opened it and pulled back the tissue paper. Two orbs of materia gleamed from the container. I took each one in fascination and examined it. The first one felt static, like lightening. The other seemed just like a golden orb. I had never seen materia before and had only heard few stories about it. I carefully set each piece in the electrical rod and waited. I could hear the singing of the electricity in my ears as I wielded the rod and something in it seemed to ease the pain of my body. I could swear that my wounds were tingling. I giggled with happiness as I looked over to my partner, who just smiled back. He had a look in his eyes that drove me crazy. Was that love? "This kicks ass." I mumbled through my smile. No one had ever cared about me before. I gently cradled my new prize in my lap and begun exploring the other bags, despite my impending need for sleep. The next object I came upon was a relief to me, pajamas. My expression of joy soon turned to exasperation and I realized that I couldn't really dress myself. I turned away as I gathered the courage to ask Rude to help me. A gentle hand shocked me back into reality as I whipped my head around . He was already helping me to maneuver out of my old clothes. My body began to ache again but I was elated to be in new clothes. I turned to him and smiled. "Hey thanks for everything. I'm feeling tired though." I really would not mind spending the night here with him.

"Do you want to go home or stay with me?" He asks, I can see the hopefulness in his eyes.

"Staying with you. Yeah, that would be great." I can't keep the smile from my lips.

I laid down in his bed, smelling his scent on the dark sheets. I felt him moving behind me probably just rearranging me before he sought another place to sleep. I almost squeaked in surprise when he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me next to him. "Is this okay?" He meekly asked.

I pulled his arm tighter around my waist. "Yeah, more than okay."

"I just thought you could use the comfort after everything that has happened and I…" He was stammering, now that was cute.

"It's okay Rude, really." I felt so protected in his arms. I nuzzled against his body.

"Reno, I…care a lot about you. Probably more than I should given that you're my partner and all." Was he telling me that he loved me?

I played it cool and caught him before he left himself feeling vulnerable. "Rude, I am your partner in any way you would like me to be."

He exhaled in relief and chuckled. "Reno, I have never met anyone like you before. There is something about you that calls to me."

I laughed and smiled. Maybe I should say something. "Yeah, I…know the feeling. I feel the same way about you."

He pulled me closer. "So you want to be with me?" He asked in almost disbelief.

"Yeah, if you'll have me." I rolled over on my back as he hesitantly came in for a kiss. I kissed back forcefully eliciting a moan from him. I tipped my head back as he kissed down my throat. I was nervous. I had never had anyone do this to me before. It was usually get on the bed, get naked, take it, here's your cash. I felt his hand roaming under my clothes exploring my body. He gently slid my shirt off and pulled my pants to my knees. His warm wet kisses took me beyond the pain that I was feeling. I couldn't tell the difference between pleasure and pain anymore. I felt him exploring every inch of my body, I wanted him to take me. Every sigh was a testament to his skill. He returned to my lips after an eternity that passed like a moment. He was kissing me deeply as he slid into me. I moaned softly. He was big but the sensation was maddening. He moved carefully so as not to hurt any of my wounds. His thrusting was soon making me cry out, my voice reverberating off of the walls. He was stroking me gently but quickly. I threw my head back into the pillows and screamed as I came. He came immediately after me, wrapping his powerful arms around me and holding me tight. He lifted his head and gently took my mouth. He let me taste him.

Rude began to run his fingers through my hair as he looked over my face. "Reno…I …I love you."

I looked deep into his eyes to see the truth behind his words. "I love you, too." I whispered to him. He let me lift my uninjured hand and caress his face. He had such a beautiful face, powerful and strong.

"I want to take care of you, be there for you. I want you to realize that you don't have to fight anymore. In this place there is just the two of us." I smiled at the thought of his words. But did I know how not to fight anymore? I had done it for so long that it seemed second nature to me now.

"Yeah." I whispered to him. Our mouths met in agreement. He rolled off of me and gently pulled me into his arms. I was almost settled when he jarred my arm, making me yelp.

"Sorry, sorry, come here." He quickly comforted. He gently trailed kisses all over my cast. He ended at my lips again. "You know I would never hurt you, Reno." He was staring deep into my eyes.

"I know." I swear I felt my heart flutter. I had always sworn that love was bullshit but now, I wasn't so sure anymore. He held me next to him and let me fill the hollow of his form. Sometime after breathing in his scent I drifted off to the most peaceful sleep I had ever felt.

I awoke to the sounds of birds and the cool scent of morning. It had been a long time since I had the opportunity to feel this. I felt Rude pulling me close and letting me nuzzle into his neck. I had never felt so…safe. His soft hands ran down my back. "Good morning." He whispered to me as he kissed my lips gently. I returned the kiss passionately. "What would you like for breakfast?" My brain was still spinning from recent events. I can't ever remember being asked what I want to eat. I either found it, stole it, or it was given to me. "You just want me to surprise you?"

I smiled. "Sure." He tucked me in to the bed and smoothed my hair out. He left the room quietly. I snuggled down into the bed. "You already have, several times." I whispered almost as an afterthought.