From The Wrecking
A.N: Gadamn, this is so long overdue to be typed, it's not even funny. *sigh* Well, thanks to Yaoi Flame, I'm actually working on it again. (Originally I wasn't going to put it up here...) Constructive critism is very much appreciated, as is other reviews. This takes place at the end of Advent Children. Like literally, the end of the movie, as an alternate ending... Enjoy! Or don't... whatever...
Warning: Rated T for Reno swearing, blood, alcohol use and shounen-ai (just a little) Don't like, don't read...
Summary: Reno was going to regret taking this risk, but life is all about risk. What's one more complication?
Arms of An Angel
And you're pulled from the wrecking
In your silent reverie
In the arms of an angel
May you find some comfort here
Reno ran past the pile of rubble, metal stun baton in hand as he headed to the explosions site to search for any remnants - of materia, useful explosives or the Sephiroth variety- orders from his boss, Rufus ShinRa*. Something silver caught his eye, so he skidded to a halt to examine it. Carefully, he made his way through the ash and broken slabs of concrete to find out what it was. His bright blue eyes widened as he realized it was a body - the gentle rise and fall of its back as it breathed unsteadily set it off - causing him to hurry for it, nearly tripping.
The body was Yazoo's.
Now, Reno had half a mind to leave him to die there, trapped beneathe the wreckage - the bruise on the side of his face from the Sephiroth Remnant's boot gave him a sharp reminder - but something told him he shouldn't, couldn't do it. He crouched next to Yazoo's half-visible, dirty body, unsure what to do. Yazoo's partially visible face was streaked black with ash, subtly sparkling with exploded materia bits. His bleeding lips moved in his unconcious state, mouthing incoherent words.
Yazoo looked, well, like an injured puppy dog as Marlene would say.
Reno knew there was a difference between killing someone in battle, and leaving someone to die in the aftermath of that same battle. The difference was a sense of guilt, something Turks were trained not to have, but being human, had regardless. If the cracking open of someone's skull, or the materia explosion in this case, was the cause of death, Reno would've known he had no other option, it was a necessary death. But right now, it was all up to him. He could leave Yazoo to slowly dehydrate and starve, his body maybe not found by someone else for a few days, and killing him as the explosion's intended purpose. Or, he could save him, relieving himself of the inevitable guilt that would follow.
"Dammit, I'm going to regret this..." Reno muttered to himself as he shoved the Electro-mag rod back into it's case.
Reno crawled over to the rubble covering Yazoo's lower back and left leg and lifted it off of him. He clawed away the rocks encasing the silver-haired youth's foot. Reno flipped Yazoo onto his back, making it easier for Yazoo to breathe instead of his face pressed into the dirt. Yazoo hardly even registered it, not even quietly whimpering in pain. Reno crouched beside Yazoo's chest and grabbed one arm, draping it over his shoulders. With a surprising amount of care, the ginger Turk picked up the Remnant**, right hand on his shoulder, left one under his knees.
Yazoo's head naturally rested on his shoulder, and at the moment, it didn't bother Reno. Honestly, despite the dirt, ash, and bluish crystals and blood splattered across his pale, angular face, the silver-haired youth looked almost innocent, and adorable in a child-like fashion.
Reno chuckled. "You look kinda innocent, Yazoo. It's almost... cute." His blue eyes widened. "What the hell am I sayin'?"
Reno, now with the Remnant in his possession, knew he could not go to ShinRa. He would have felt like he had failed if Rufus ShinRa saw that his opponent had been able to survive his attack. Not knowing where else to go, he headed home.
"You'd better be worth it, man," Reno muttered, shaking his head. He still couldn't believe he was doing this.
~0~
Reno lightly laid Yazoo on his bed where the unconcious male flopped where he was put uncaringly. Reno turned to leave, knowing the Remnant needed rest. But he couldn't, not yet. Reno tapped up Yazoo's body, patting him to find his Velvet Nightmare, the tall Sephiroth Remnant's weapon of choice. The ginger Turk found it on the inside pocket of the Remnant's black leather cloak, removed it, and slipped it into his own pocket.
"You won't be needin' that," Reno murmured as he turned, flicking off the lights and sitting on the edge of his bed.
Reno was rather exhausted - hand-to-hand combat was all a big adrenaline rush and he enjoyed every second of it - but he felt it would be inappropriate to sleep as Yazoo was already resting in his bed.
Maybe... maybe I can just sleep around him... Reno thought as he fell backwards, stretching out his sore muscels.
Reno carefully splayed out on his bed, makign sure his leg or arm didn't jostle the sleeping Remnant, but could avoid inflicting pain on his various and luckily minor wounds. Yazoo slept with his weight off of his left side so that he was facing Reno as the red-head was sprawled on his back, his arm flopped over his face. With shockin ease, Reno was fast asleep beside Yazoo, breathing slow and relaxed.
A short while later that only felt like five minutes, Yazoo accidentally kicked Reno awake, his left foot slamming into his side and shifting him halfway across the bed. Reno's eyes snapped open and his jaw was set in annoyance as he gripped his side, sitting up.
"Ah, fuck, Yazoo, why did you - ?" Reno growled angrily, turning to hit the Remant most likely in the face when he noticed Yazoo was still sleeping.
Reno sighed in exasperation as he watched Yazoo twitch in his sleep, troubled by the wounds that marred his body. What was left of this leather black cloak - the right sleeve and most of the torso, save a large cut across the middle - was covered in dirt and soot, so it was more of a dusty gray than black now. Thick blood still oozed from gashes on his arms, legs and torso and his right eye was swollen shut, purplish black with bruising. A thin trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, joining another line of the sticky red liquid that came from a different cut that marked the Remnant's pale face. Yazoo unconciously held his right wrist to his chest as if to protect it from any further damage.
And who knew what damage could lurk beneath the untattered remains of Yazoo's clothing.
Reno, to his surprise, felt his annoyance fade, his sky-colored eyes softening. "Is this really all that's left of you, Sephiroth? A broken, bleeding Remnant?"
Yazoo gave him no reply.
Yawning, Reno stood up to shower and change into cleaner clothing - he glanced down at his stained casual suit and frowned - and did so quickly, thankful Yazoo was not facing him and deep into sleep.
"R-Re-Reno..." Yazoo mumbled as Reno was drying off and putting a clean pair of pants on.
Reno glanced up from sliding the belt through the belt loops and buckling the belt tightly in time to see Yazoo make a kicking motion in his uneasy sleep. Reno's brow furrowed.
Save someone's ass and they dream of kicking yours... literally, great, Reno thought, sighing as he went to fix his long, disheveled ginger hair.
Reno remembered Yazoo's gun in his discarded pants pocket and he retrieved it before cautiously approaching Yazoo's sleepin form. He reached out his hand to wake the Remnant and as soon as his fingers brushed his skin, Yazoo stiffened. He reached around and with surprising accuracy, gripped Reno's shirt front and yanked the Turk down. Yazoo turned, wincing subtly in pain, to look at Reno.
"Where am I? What is going on?" Yazoo asked, his voice hoarse.
Reno placed his hand on Yazoo's, trying to pry his fingers off of his white button down. "My house... And don't you remember? The fighting, Jenova, the explosion...?"
Yazoo's bright green eyes flashed and he nodded. "Yes... You're Reno of the Turks, the one who attempted to blow us up?"
Reno nodded as Yazoo's head tilted at the end of his question. "Yeah, c'mon, get up."
Down to the kitchen, more room to work, and the kit's downstairs... Reno slung Yazoo's arm over his shoulders and lifted him up. He tried to get Yazoo to walk but he seemed to favor his left foot, moaning in pain as he placed weight on it.
A sharp intake of breath. "Ah-nuhh..."
Reno knew this wasn't going to work.
"You know what... No. You sit here, relax, and er, don't do anything stupid," Reno told the tall, damaged Remnant of Sephiroth as he helped him sit down.
Reno ravaged the kitchen and bathrooms for gauze, rubbing alcohol, tweezers, neosporin, the extensive first aid kit, and other items needed to heal Yazoo. He dropped the numerous items on his bed where Yazoo sat, motionless, head tilted to the right. Reno ran a washcloth under cold water to clean Yazoo's wounds but after seeing how many there were with a once-over, he decided there was a better way.
Not that he was happy about it. Reno started the warm bath water.
Reno sighed as he tossed the washcloth onto the counter and headed back to Yazoo. The ginger knelt before the Remnant and began to undo the nearly broken shoulder pads.
"What are you doing?" Yazoo asked, tensing in shock as Reno removed the pads and began unzipping his cloak.
"You are getting a bath, and you're too weak to stand and I'm willing to bet that your hand is sprained, if not broken, so I'm helping you," Reno answered through gritted teeth as he finished taking off Yazoo's cloak.
Reno tossed the black leather clothing to the floor. Reno locked his bright blue eyes on Yazoo's light green ones as he took off his black boots and braced himself for his next task. He focused solely on the Sephiroth Remnant's emerald eyes as he stripped him of his pants, and Yazoo cooperated, helping shed the clothing.
Leaving the Sephiroth Remnant in his dark blue boxers, mostly because Reno couldn't will himself to remove them, nor did he want to, and Yazoo would rather be killed than be so exposed in front the Turk, Reno helped Yazoo hobble over to the bathroom. Carefully, Reno eased Yazoo into the bathrub, though he had half a mind to drop into the white porcelain tub and tell him to take his own fucking bath. But he sw how nearly every movement caused the tall, skinny Remnant pain and his wrist was definitely sprained and fractured in different places, and the more human side of him would not let him.
The once-clear water turned a murky brown-gray by Yazoo sitting on his knees in the tub, all of the ash and dirt running off of his lower half. Reno cupped a palmful of water and dunked it over Yazoo's head, soaking his long silver hair. Yazoo merely blinked the water out of his cat-like eyes as his face cleared of the gray streaks. Reno soaked and lathered a washcloth with sweet-smelling soap before going to work.
As long as Reno did not think about what he was doing, it didn't bother him too much, and the same went for Yazoo. Reno had done this for Rufus before, when the man had been too sick to bathe himself, and Yazoo easily would have done this for one of his brothers if they'd needed it of him. It was nothing erotic, only necessary, and it was an act done in silence. Though, on some wounds, like the scrape across his back, Reno wasn't too careful and Yazoo whimpered softly.
"Shh... it was an accident..." Reno told him tensely. Sh? When did you become so nice, Reno? Not like anyone can hear him anyway...
Yazoo made another soft noise of discomfort as Reno dragged the washcloth across the sensitive burn-scrape again. "Is there reasoning behind you doing this for me?"
Reno paused, thinking. "Y'know, I'm not too sure. Maybe you looked so damn pathetic on the broken highway. I could've left you to die, so just shhh and appreciate my kindness."
There was a long silence as Reno continued to wash Yazoo. Finally, Yazoo very murmured at an almost inaudible level, "Thank you." Yazoo may be proud, but he wasn't above thanking someone. Feeling gratitude was a small price to pay for living, and death was not the preferred option here, regardless of the embarrasing circumstances.
Reno blinked in surprise. He had expected silence from the Remnant, cold, ungrateful silence. "You're welcome," he replied before tossing the used washcloth into the water. "You're clean."
Reno retrieved a fresh towel for Yazoo and after helping him stand and step onto the tile floor, shoved it at him almost awkwardly.
"Dry off, then we'll dress your wounds," Reno told before turning his back on the tall, skinny Sephiroth Remnant.
Right as Reno crossed into his bedroom, he heard a soft sound of wet fabric hitting the floor. Reno hadn't really thought the non-removal of the boxers through - they had to be removed eventually, whether it be sooner or later had been the real issue. Now Yazoo stood, weakened and naked in his household, completely at Reno's mercy.
Quickly, Reno organized an outfit for his unintentional visitor and set it among the other items on his bed. He grabbed a pair of underwear and frowned. Would they fit Yazoo? Yazoo's hips gave off the illusion that they stuck out more because of how lean his figure was, when in reality Reno's hips were wider.
Well, they're just going to have to work. For now, at least.
After a few minutes, Reno headed back across the hall to his bathroom and tossed in the undergarment through a crack in the door and waited for Yazoo to be ready. Slowly, the door opened and once again, Reno helped a nearly-naked Yazoo cross into his bedroom. He glanced behind him and winced at the sight of the blood-streaked towel.
Yazoo gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Alright," Reno said, scanning Yazoo up and down. "Where do we start..."
Reno moved his hand to touch the scratches on Yazoo's cheek but Yazoo caught his wrist and shook his head.
"They're just scratches, they'll heal quickly," Yazoo said quietly.
Reno nodded, withdrew his hand and crawled behind Yazoo on the bed and examined the burnscrape. It followed the Remnant's spine, starting at his shoulders and ending halfway down his ribcage. It wasn't too severe, but it was far from being anywhere near pleasant. Reno swabbed some Neosporin onto a Q-tip and with as much gentleness he could muster for his former enemy, he rubbed the ointment onto the burn wound. Yazoo flinched under Reno's touch and braced himself on the edge of the bed. Reno hesitated for a moment before continuing. The ginger Turk slid around to the lean Remnant's front and applied Neosporin to the small gashes on his arm. Once coated in the translucent liquid, Reno carefully wrapped the cuts in gauze.
"Are you okay?" Reno asked on impulse.
Yazoo shot him a pained look but nodded his head.
Reno examined the wound across his abdomen. It started thin on his right side and widened as it cut across his flat stomach before tapering off again as it crossed to his left side. And sweet Shiva, it still dribbling blood droplets...
Reno fumbled around on the king-sized bed for the extensive first aid kit and took out everything he needed to stitch Yazoo's wound. He was relieved to find a syringe full of numbing, liquid Materia. It was a prototype, used only on the battlefield a few times, but this was better than nothing. He also knew that if he attempted this operation without it, Yazoo would most likely attempt to shoot him.
Reno pulled out the syringe and showed it to Yazoo. "This is liquid-version Numb Materia. I'm using it so I can stitch up this wound. This will hurt."
Yazoo merely shrugged and nodded, giving Reno the go-ahead look. Reno carefully inserted the needle and pressed down on the top, pushing the Numb Materia into him. Yazoo only tensed, fingers entangling in the sheets as the materia was forced into his body. Reno knelt before the lean Remnant and pressed the wound closed as close as it would go without stitching. Yazoo felt nothing and merely sat there, head cocked to the side. The ginger dabbed the blood away before setting to work.
An hour later, Yazoo's stomach wound was stitched up quite nicely - there are things you learned to do as a Turk in emergency situations - and was covered in protective gauze.
Almost done, Reno thought to himself.
He felt across Yazoo's shoulder and could tell it was an unhinged shoulder blade by how the bones felt out of place.
"Yeah, this is going to hurt, a lot. The Numb Materia only spread to your lower injury," Reno warned. "Look at me."
Reno climbed back onto his bed and Yazoo tiredly turned to look at him. Lightly he grasped the tall, skinny Remnant's shoulder with both hands, his left hand on the juncture where Yazoo's shoulder met his neck and the other on his upper arm.
"On three, ready?" the red-headed Turk asked.
Yazoo nodded, though not really prepared to have his shoulder blade rammed back into place.
"One... two..." Reno said slowly and right before he said, three! he snapped the shoulder back into place swiftly and forcefully.
"Bastard!" Yazoo swore as explosive pain ignited in his shoulder.
Under different circumstances, Reno might have smirked cockily and said, "Thank you." But for now he merely shrugged and replied, "Told ya it would hurt."
Reno's attention took to Yazoo's favored right wrist. After feeling it with a surprising amount of care, his gentle, calloused fingertips' analysis came through that it was only a bad sprain, luckily. Reno reached among the medical supplies and grabbed the splint. Carefully, he wrapped Yazoo's wrist in the splint, tightly binding it in place but gently doing so.
"I think that's everything," Reno murmured after tenderly, albeit awkwardly, feeling up Yazoo's left leg, the one he'd been limping on and could determine nothing was broken or sprained, only bruised and perhaps a pulled muscle.
Reno felt kind of lucky. Here Yazoo was, ridden with injuries that would have to be cured with time and Yazoo's own strength, but because Rufus had access to Materia whenever he pleased if they had some in stock, he and his Turks were mostly injury-free. Reno helped Yazoo get dressed silently, dressing him in what could be considered Turk uniform, minus the jacket.
The after-effects of the Numb Materia were beginning to kick in - the reason it was still a prototype - as Yazoo's eyes clouded a little bit and he collapsed forward, his silver head landing directly into Reno's lap, face down. Reno stiffened and pushed him off of his lap, his hands roughly grabbing his shoulders and shoving him to the side. With a small sound strangely similar to a mewl, Yazoo flopped onto his left side, wincing in pain. Reno looked over to see if he was okay - where did this sense of worry come from since Yazoo was Sephiroth's Remnant and evil.
Reno was struck by how pathetic and yet somehow stunning he was at one time. His long moonlight hair hung in his pale, angular face, hiding his black eye and scratch so only his unharmed features were revealed. Yazoo's bright green eyes were tired as he glanced up at Reno, his expression curious and yet guarded.
Reno shook his head to clear it of such thougts and moved to slip on his jacket - he had a report to write, a job to do. Before he could, Yazoo grabbed his arm, pulling his back down. Reno blinked, trying not to flush at the proximity. He shouldn't be this close to him, nearly nose-to-nose, able to see from the closeness that Yazoo's eyes weren't just green, but were tinted blue as well. He really shouldn't be.
And he really shouldn't be kissing him either.
Reno argued with himself that it wasn't technically kissing, per se - he was being kissed as Yazoo pressed his lips to his on whim, not the other way around. And before he could pull away, the Remnant pulled away first.
"The hell, yo?" Reno asked, blue eyes wide in shock.
Yazoo didn't answer him, the weird, closed-off bastard. Yazoo's head was a little fuzzy from the materia overriding his thoughts, causing him to take on careless actions. He was a little bit confused - in the stories he'd heard, someone was saved and thanked them by a kiss. Wasn't that was he supposed to do? Whatever, he thought to himself. The look on Reno's face was good enough for him - shocked, disturbed, confused beyond belief. "Where are my brothers?"
Reno tensed. Way to go, Yazoo. Today is not your day, yo. First you nearly get yourself blown up, then you kiss me, now I have to tell you your brothers are dead. "They ain't here."
Yazoo gave him a withering look which effects were worn by the tired look in his cat-like eyes. "I surmised that much. Where are they, Reno? Surely you know."
Reno sat down next to the injured Remnant. "They're dead, as far as I know. Loz failed to survive like you did, and I think Cloud got Kadaj."
Yazoo did not speak, but simply curled up into a ball, a glassy look entering his eyes. Dead? No, they can't be...
"I'm sorry, yo," Reno offered out softly.
For the first time since the Turk had met him, Yazoo looked lost, and actually seemed to feel. Within his glassy, cat-like eyes, pain flashed there and anger, and sadness, despite that his facial features remained calm and still as ever. Reno wondered what it was like, to lose the only true family he'd ever had, his siblings Loz and Kadaj. He wouldn't know - he was an only child.
Reno was shocked when a tear slid down his pale cheek. He knew the Remnants were capable of emotion - Loz had been very emotional and teary-eyed and Kadaj was as bipolar and had mood swings like a woman - but Yazoo had appeared so closed off, so distant and unattached to anything. It was strange to watch him cry, because he didn't shudder or shake or sob, like a normal human. His eyes merely burned with pain when you looked them straight-on and tears slipped, one after another down his cheeks.
Reno awkwardly pulled Yazoo into his arms in an attempt to comfort him. Yazoo didn't physically react, and said and did nothing.
"We're lookin' for them y'know... But the chances are unlikely... Do you know where they might've gone if they lived?" Reno asked as he held Yazoo.
Yazoo would not answer him. He didn't respond to Reno talking to him, he didn't respond to Reno trying to make him feel better, whatever possessing him to do that was beyond the silver-haired youth. Yazoo had lost his brothers... besides Kaasan, they were the only things he really cared about. Reno could never understand, and therefore could never provide adequate comfort. Yazoo trapped all the sadness inside himself though, locking it away. He was the strong brother, the enigma, the quiet one. Reno was not allowed to see him like this and it annoyed him that Reno did. So as punishment, Reno was not to be responded to.
It was much later, hours later before Reno got any form of response.
Not looking at him, his face angled away from Reno, Yazoo spoke. "Reno... Are you an angel?"
Had Yazoo not been serious-toned, Reno would have laughed. "Flattering, but no... why?"
"I've head angels have the ability to give and take lives, to heal and to break... And you seem to struggle with what side you're on when it comes to this."
Reno questioned him, repeatedly, on the subject and how it occured for the next half-an-hour. But Yazoo did not answer him, and eventually Reno quit asking about it. Reno was annoyed at the crypticness and strangeness that was Yazoo, but he figured it all make sense in time. Or perhaps it was just more of the Numb Materia. Who knew. Yazoo passed out in Reno's arms and Reno disentangled himself from the sleeping Remnant. He threw a blanket over him and cleared off the bed before heading out to the Shin-Ra headquarters in Edge.
TBC...?
*ShinRa or Shin-Ra? I'm not sure on the correct spelling, I've seen both.
**Remnant... I figured captilization since it's a specific kind of remnant, but I wasn't sure.
