Author's Note: Dipping my feet into the fandom pool after disappearing for ages. Testing the waters. You know how it is.

If you didn't get it from the summary, this is implied Rufus/Reno (all depending on how hard you look), and it's rated T for language and ~adult situations~.

Rufus Shinra's eyes opened before he could register that he had been sleeping, and that something had just disturbed his slumber. A flurry of disorganized thoughts rushed his head as a loud ringing came to focus, and he propped himself up with an elbow to reach for his phone.

It must have been an emergency, that was certain. He glanced at his digital clock and took note that it was a little past three in the morning. This phone call must involve one of his current business negotiations. The deal in Junon, most likely. He assumed the investors refused to sign their business contract and he sighed.

Reluctantly, he cleared his throat of any obvious traces of sleep and answered the still-ringing telephone. "Rufus Shinra. Yes?"

Laughter met him on the other end of the line. It was very shrill; very obnoxious; very piercing. Rufus's stomach turned, as the laughter sounded ominous at first. Was this a kidnapping situation? The Remnants again? Gaia, it had been so long since he had to deal with that magnitude of drama… Suddenly, an important business deal that had fallen through sounded a lot more appealing than what the situation actually was.

And then the person finally spoke.

"Jeeze, boss, didn't think ya'd be up."

Rufus sighed again, from part relief and part exasperation. "Reno. What is it?"

Reno exhaled, and from the sound of it, he had his mouth pressed right against the receiver. Rufus cringed and moved his phone away from his ear.

"Nothin', boss... Listen I-"

"Reno. Do you realize what time it is?" Though he knew Reno couldn't see him, Rufus rubbed his eyes with his other hand to emphasize his grogginess.

"Yeah, sir." Rufus was starting to hear a lot of background noise coming from Reno's end. It also sounded like Reno was shuffling around. "It's uh... Shit, hold on. Fuck, I can't even work this piece of shit watch right now. Ah, fuck, I know it's after 2 'cause Tifa closed the bar already, yeah? But me and Rude, we're just shootin' the shit, and-"

"It's past three," Rufus interrupted, and then heard what Reno had been saying. "Tifa? You're at the 7th Heaven?" Then the bigger picture started coming into light.

"Reno, have you been drinking?"

"Yeah!" The Turk loudly confirmed.

Click.

Annoyed, Rufus set his phone down on his bed counter and started to make himself comfortable so he could fall back asleep. The nerve of his Turks...

Quickly, Rufus decided he would report the incident to Tseng in the morning, and would probably cut Reno's work hours for this.

His phone started ringing again. It was probably Reno calling back, and having known the Turk for years now - especially when he got around alcohol - the man wouldn't let up. Rufus glared at the phone before answering.

"What?" He greeted, with as much acidity in his voice as he could muster, considering it was the middle of the night. He wasn't exactly used to handling business – or people – at this time.

"Boss, my connection's fucked up. Sorry about that, yeah?"

Rufus rolled his eyes.

"Reno," he started, and he made sure to speak slowly, and with enunciation, so that his words could get through to Reno's inebriated state. "I only take calls after 9 PM if it's an emergency that needs to be immediately addressed. This goes especially for anything past midnight."

"Right, boss, yeah. But this is an 'a-murge-uhnt-untsee.'" Reno slurred the last word, which was apparently amusing to him. "That's a fuckin' hard word, man."

The blond man was starting to get really agitated. "What, Reno? What is this emergency that you have to call me at three in the morning for? What couldn't wait?"

Reno cleared his throat. "All right, lemme sit down." Rufus heard shuffling on the other end again. Meanwhile, he grimaced, as he forgot that Reno liked to ramble. Maybe answering the second call wasn't such an astute idea.

"Okay, look. Boss. Tonight, the gang and I came down to the slums, to 7th Heaven as a kinda reunion thing with Tifa, and Cloud, and ya know the others. Yeah?" His voice lowered for the next bit. "Now look, we didn't tell ya, cause Tseng and the others weren't really sure if ya'd approve or not. 'Fra-dernizin'' the enemy or somethin'. For the record, I know ya would have been fine with it."

Rufus's interest was piqued at the start of Reno's story, and he silently agreed with the man. He wouldn't have been bothered from the idea of a reunion between them all. Gaia, considering everything that AVALANCHE and ShinRa had been through, how could they survive without talking to one another, if only once in a blue moon?

If Rufus had been invited, he might have even attended.

"Boss?"

"Continue."

"Well, okay. Right. So we all showed up, free drinks and shit, lots of alcohol. Tifa's got a full fuckin' bar now, I mean. Place is comin' up. Still in the shithole, but boss, man, she really-"

"Reno. The emergency. What is it?"

"Right, boss. So everyone left at two, but me and Rude stayed even after she closed. Jus me, Rude, Tifa, Cloud. Barrett. Started reminiscin', ya know how that goes. Anyway, Tifa accused- Well she said- Ah... I was talkin' about..."

Reno sounded flustered, which Rufus found interesting. Granted, the man was drunk, but he had been doing a semi-decent, not-that-horrible job at speaking up until now.

"Well," Reno cleared his throat. "Point is, workin' for the company came up. And she- well, someone said we were a slave to y-ah, the company. I don't know. Guess we all kinda opened up 'cause of the booze, yeah?"

Rufus genuinely had no idea what Reno was attempting to say.

"Anyway, we all got in an argument... it got heated." Reno exhaled again. "They didn't understand why me and Rude haven't quit, or given up on ya or the company."

Rufus didn't say anything. He guessed AVALANCHE still held a grudge against him. He understood, but at the same time, he had gotten over the events that transpired years before. Rufus just didn't want to carry that burden of guilt and resentment anymore.

Then again, he thought, the Shinra Company still made it out of it all right, and without claiming for bankruptcy. Cloud and Tifa, on the other hand, still lived in the slums. Rufus would have still been bitter about everything if he was in their positions as well.

Back to the current conversation, though. "Good. You argued for us. That still isn't an emergency, Reno."

"It just... The whole conversation got me thinkin'." A pause. "About you." Another pause. "I mean, shit, not like... I mean. Boss. It got me thinkin' about you, the company, you as President, and-shit."

What was going on with his Turk? Rufus pressed his ear closer.

"Fuck. I guess I just called to say that... fuck. I, uh. Heh. I think... Well, I kinda have- I lo-... Ah."

There was silence for several moments. "...Yer a great boss, sir. Yer like, um, an inspiration or some shit. And I - Well, that is, me, Rude, Tseng, Elena, the Turks… We ain't leavin'. No matter what. Even if some crazy shit happens again, like another Sephiroth. More geostigma and shit. We fuckin' lo...-We respect you. Yeah? And I thought ya should know that."

Rufus was fully propped up on his bed now, listening intently to Reno's extremely chopped and slurred speech. He truly didn't know how to respond, or how to react. He never once doubted his Turks' loyalties. Their actions in the past proved their worth to him. He appreciated them as much as they did him, and there was no question about that mutual respect. So this "emergency" phone call wasn't necessary.

Well, he thought… it was necessary for Reno.

"Boss? Shit... Ya there?"

Rufus nodded, and then remembered that Reno couldn't see him. "Yes, Reno. I'm here." He realized Reno was waiting for a proper response. "Thank you. The sentiments are reciprocated, and... I understand."

Truthfully, he only thought he understood, but...

"That's fuckin' great to hear, boss, and hey, listen if ya ever-"

Reno was interrupted by what sounded like someone shouting in the background. "HEY BUDDY! WHERE YA BEEN?" Reno accidentally yelled into the phone, and there was muffled talking. It sounded like someone had covered the receiver with their hand. Rufus couldn't make out anything, and this lasted for a minute, but he waited patiently for Reno to speak again.

"Sir." It was Rude on the other end now. Rufus could hear Reno laughing in the background.

"Rude," Rufus addressed him, slightly surprised. He heightened the professionalism in his tone. "Good evening; I trust everything is fine? No emergencies?"

"All clear." Rude hiccupped then, but it was barely audible.

"I hear you're at 7th Heaven?"

Rude hesitated. "Yes, sir... For-"

"Reno told me," Rufus said, and then added, "It's fine. Enjoy yourselves."

"Hm. Apologies, sir. Reno came outside for a smoke. I only just walked out here because he's been out here for a long time. I'll keep a closer watch on him. It won't happen again."

"It's fine," Rufus repeated.

"Bye, sir."

"Wait."

"Yes, sir?"

Now it was his turn to sound flustered. "Do you know... Do you think Reno will remember our conversation tomorrow?"

Rude said nothing for several moments. "I'm not entirely sure, sir. Blackouts are a wild card for him."

"Right."

"...Sir, it's none of my business, but anything he revealed to you, or said, was fueled by a lot of al-"

"Rude."

"Yes, sir?"

Rufus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please, take care of him. For me." And then, fearing he sounded far too sentimental, continued. "I mean, (he coughed) Reno has an early shift tomorrow. Make sure he gets home. Coffee. A change of clothing. Please."

Rufus swore he heard a smirk in Rude's voice, and he softly blushed. "Of course, sir. I will. Apologies again. Good night."

Click. Rufus allowed himself a smile and set his phone down again. He half-expected, half-hoped that Reno would call back, but after five minutes of waiting for another phone call, he guessed Rude had taken the Turk's cell phone to avoid having that happen.

Rufus lied down on his bed and sighed. He had lost a half hour of sleep, and would have to get up no later than an hour and a half from then, but it didn't bother him. He was going to sleep well. With that thought, he allowed himself another smile.