A/N: This is truly one of my most favorite chapters. Originally published 1/15/09. Revised 2/19/09.

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7

Summary: Reno doesn't want to be saved. Cloud doesn't care.

Pairings: Cloud/Reno, Periphery Rude/Tifa

Warnings: Yaoi, Cursing, Suicidal Reno ANGST!, Multiple-Crazy! Hero Cloud, Cloudy says Hi!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.

Chapter 2 - Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Almost Gone

XXX

For a last mission, Reno couldn't have chosen an easier one. The infiltration into the terrorist group's hideout was made easier with the help of a well-paid snitch's map.

Reno scurried his way through the underbelly of the basement, set up the bombs around the base of the main post which supported the whole structure, and simply sat there waiting to die.

To Reno, it wasn't like the reminisces he had read about in the old psychological case files of potential suicide victims. He refused to leave a pathetic goodbye note explaining why he did what he did. He was a Turk. That was a good enough reason right there.

Reno had left all his valuables to his various Turk comrades by express mailing the packages to their homes that morning. By the time, Rude, Elena, and Tseng received their packages, he would be at rest in the Lifestream.

Reno grinned to himself. Hopefully, the Gods would take pity on him and let him see Zack. He never got the chance to say he was sorry for some of the stupid things that went on in their shared past. Maybe, in a few minutes, he would be able to fix that and see the Puppy's smiling blue eyes once more.

Reno sighed. Well, as soon as the damn bomb's ticker rounded down.

Who was the stupid ass who timed this fucker for five whole minutes anyway?

Reno blinked for a minute and giggled. Oh yeah. It was him.

Reno knew Rude was on to him. He had made the bomb himself, so Rude couldn't tamper with it, and stave off his dearly wished for end.

Reno glanced down and gave a big sigh of relief. Fifty seconds left.

Reno's thoughts went into slow-motion.

The joy of flying his helicopter on a clear, cloudless day.

Forty seconds.

His Mama's soft, loving laugh, when he sang her to sleep, after the last john of the night left.

Thirty seconds.

The one time he got Cloud to smile at him. Reno had been on Cloud Nine for weeks afterwards.

Twenty seconds.

The sounds of the Plate shrieking as it fell below his dangling feet.

Ten seconds.

Cloud's rage-filled face as he almost beat Reno to death before he escaped.

Five seconds.

Reno felt a hot rush of air and, for a moment, he felt the soft brush of Chocobo blond hair against his face.

Two seconds.

Reno was in a daze as he saw his body rapidly moving away from the terrorist hideout. Wow. He never knew he could run that fast. Oh wait. It isn't him.

Hello, Lovely Chocobo. Didn't you know? I'm supposed to die today.

The last thing Reno thought of, right after Cloud Strife gave him a soul-searing kiss, and before knocking him out cold, was that he never saw Cloud cry before.

Reno was glad he was able to see that before he died.

XXX

The first thing Reno saw when he woke up was Tifa Lockheart's breasts, as they were smooshed against his face.

Needless to say, Reno still thought he had died and gone to Heaven.

"Oh good! Rude! He's awake!"

Reno groaned and brought his hand up to gently touch the tender part of his skull where Cloud clocked him. Damned Chocobo! He was enhanced but he wasn't a First Class.

Reno pouted as his ocean-blue eyes focused on his partner's bare face. The shades were off. He was in deep shit.

"You did wrong, Partner, and you know it. You and me, Reno. Till our bones turn to dust. Swore it true and I believed you. Hurt me bad, Reno. Right down to the bone."

Reno whined and rubbed his nose against Tifa's warm breasts. Heh. He could get used to this.

Reno whined again when Tifa let him go, and got up to stand next to Rude, so she could comfort him. "Wasn't meant to find out 'til I was in the Lifestream, Partner. Just got too much for this Turk. Got no love. Got no hope. Ain't never gonna have it. Not like you. Fuckin' Strife. Shoulda left me there. Had it planned good too."

At the mention of Cloud's name, Reno felt a definite change in the room. He quickly glanced around to see if Cloud was there, but it was just Rude and Tifa with the door closed.

Matter of fact, Reno blinked and really looked at his surroundings. Swanky. Way swankier than his pay could ever afford him.

Reno's suspicious nature immediately took the defensive and his eyes darted back to his suddenly nervous looking Partner and his big-breasted mate. "What the fuck's goin' on? Why ain't I home or in Kalm or dead for bein' stupid. What gives, Rude?"

Rude took a big breath in and out.

Tifa wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight to give him support.

Rude knew Reno would not take anything less than complete honesty from him. It was what had always made their partnership so strong.

Rude just let it rip like an old bandage on a still-healing wound. For Reno, it hurt even worse. "Your life-long Turk Contract. Rufus traded it to Strife in exchange for being his personal bodyguard for life. By civil law, you're now essentially Reno Strife. He owns you, Partner, until the day you die."

Reno drew inside himself a little bit at a time, until he was just a small ball of big blue eyes and red hair, laying in the big bed, Rude and Tifa had picked out that very day.

Tifa made a small cooing noise and sat down to pet Reno's head comfortingly.

Reno rubbed his head against her hand. It was just like Mama.

Reno was a possession, just like his Mama had been. He wouldn't be free until the day he died. Knowing Cloud Strife, he wouldn't even be free then.

Reno's blank gaze slowly moved up Tifa's body, until it met her caring, brown eyes. "Feel like ya got something to tell this Turk, Tifa. Something else to brighten my new life, yo."

Tifa sighed heartbrokenly as her face crumpled, trying not to cry. "I know that you know Cloud has some mental problems, but you don't know the full extent of it. I was able to piece together three of Cloud's personalities so he could function day by day. But he has other separate personalities still lingering in his psyche. Cloud and the others inside his head refuse to be integrated. They're happy with the way things are. I'm afraid this is who you're now married to."

Reno slowly sat up with an extremely perplexed look on his face. "So instead of marryin' one guy. Ya sayin' I married five guys?"

Tifa looked to the side, while rubbing her hands nervously together. "More like ten guys and a seven-year-old boy."

"The fuck!?! So not only am I enslaved to a Nut. I'm gonna be a pedophile too?"

Tifa sheepishly smiled back to a flummoxed Reno and shrugged. "Only if you have sex with Cloudy while he's out. You can usually tell when it's Cloudy. All he wants to do is play sword-fighting and do coloring books. He's actually quite sweet."

Reno covered his face with his hands and shook his head. He knew Rufus liked to fuck with him, but this was the limit. The absolute limit.

"I'm sure if Rufus knew the extent of Cloud's mental problems he would never have burdened you with him."

At that, Reno flung his head back and burst out laughing. "Aw fuck, Doll! Rufus would sell his dead Momma's left tit to get what he wants! Shit! Shit! Shit! Why didn' Strife just leave me there! Why!"

Tifa slowly got up, and moved towards Rude, as Reno flung himself back on the bed. He began to cry in earnest.

The couple both turned as they heard the bedroom door open. Rude moved Tifa back as Cloud walked past them.

Cloud sat down silently on the bed. He leaned down and kissed the side of Reno's head.

Tifa attempted to go to Reno when she saw him noticeably flinch, but Rude quickly held her back. She couldn't feel the tension emanating from Cloud, but Rude could.

Rude had spent enough time around SOLDIERS to notice the tell-tale signs. Time for him and Tifa to go. "Strife. Remember what you swore. In Zack Fair's name, you would treat Reno better than a husband treats his wife. I'm holding you to that."

Cloud didn't even move his head. "I know what I swore. I also know that Tifa told my mate things that should have been left alone. Thank you for all that you've done so far, but my mate needs his rest. Get out."

Rude moved to punch Cloud, but Tifa quickly caught him, and pulled him out of the room.

Cloud didn't relax until he heard the couple leave his and Reno's new apartment.

XXX

"Shouldn' have talked to Rude that way, Cloud. He's my Partner, through and through. Ain't right. Ain't right at all, yo."

As Cloud stood up and quickly got undressed, Reno refused to look at him. He stayed wrapped up in his little ball of self-comfort.

"You're my mate now. My responsibility. I let Shinra take care of you and they almost let you die. Not going to happen again, Reno. You'll stay here where it's safe." Cloud crawled into bed naked and pulled Reno tightly up against his warm body.

Reno was ice-cold with misery and fear. "Why did ya do it, Cloud? Why did ya save me? Was gonna go to Lifestream. Gonna get some rest and see Mama and Zack. Was gonna tell all those people I was sorry for dropping the Plate. Gonna do right for once, Cloud. Shoulda let me go, Strife. Shoulda let this Turk die."

Reno's eyes opened wide as he heard a deep growl coming from his new husband. He winced as Cloud's embrace became painful.

Reno quickly raised his lower arms and began to pet Cloud's forearms with his pale hands. "Easy, Strife. Easy. Ain't First Class. Gonna break me, Cloud. Be nice, Husband. Hurtin' really bad inside. Be nice, yo."

"Never let you go, Reno. My Turk now. Mine forever. Keep you safe. Keep you close. Never be alone. Never be alone again."

Reno sobbed and quickly turned in Cloud's embrace. He buried his tear-stained face in Cloud's strong chest. "Promise, Cloud? Promise ya won' let me go?"

"Always, Reno. I promise."

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love me, Husband? Ya love this Turk?"

Cloud held Reno tighter and kissed the top of his head. "Yeah, Reno. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But like Tifa said, I get a little mixed up sometimes."

Reno couldn't help but snigger at that. A little. Ten different personalities, including a seven-year-old. Yeah, that was a little. "Which one of ya love me?"

Cloud growled, rubbing his nose in Reno's spiky, red hair, inhaling his sweet scent. "Silly Turk. We all love you."

"Even Cloudy?"

Reno held his breath as Cloud's voice suddenly became high-pitched and breathy.

Cloud sounded just like a little boy. "I love you, Reno. Love ya lots. Why did you cut your pony, Reno? It was a pretty pony. Why?"

Reno felt himself shudder. Tifa didn't have to worry. There was no way he would have sex with Cloud while he was like this.

Reno frowned for a minute, trying to figure out what the little boy, in Cloud, was referring to. He realized what Cloudy finally meant when his nose accidentally brushed against the hair necklace that Tifa had connected around Cloud's neck just that morning.

Reno sat up, away from Cloud's embrace, and gently ran his finger along it. Huh. Blue and gold ribbons. Pretty. "Was a little confused and depressed, Cloudy. It happens to grown-ups when reality hits 'em."

"Reality sounds mean. Tell me where I can find it so I can tell Big Cloud to go kill it!"

Reno slightly tilted his head and caressed the side of Cloud's face. Big, blue Mako-enhanced eyes. So innocent. So pure. Damned Hojo! He didn't want to ponder what happened to Cloud to make Cloudy appear.

Reno sighed. All he could do now was take care of him. If Reno was Cloud's responsibility, Cloud and all the other Clouds inside his scattered brain was his.

As usual, Reno got the short end of the stick. "Can't kill it, Baby Doll. Just gotta learn to live with it, yo."

"Not a baby! I'm seven-years-old!"

"Well, you're my baby now. If I wanna call you my baby, I'll call you my baby and you'll like it. See!" Reno punctuated the last statement with a gentle hair tug.

Cloudy winced and pouted. "'Kay, Reno. But just you. 'Kay?"

"Yeah, Cloudy. Just me. Now it's late. Little boys like you need to get some shut-eye. Let me talk to Big Cloud. Need some understandin' 'tween the two of us."

"Boring grown-up talk?"

"Definitely."

"Okay! Here ya go!"

"He didn't make you color with him. Did he?"

"Nah. Listen, Strife. I ain' gonna lie. I still kind of don' wanna be here and I really don' wanna deal with all your crazy. But I know a deal's a deal. So I'm gonna try. Don' ask for more from me right now. 'Cause it's all this Turk's got."

Cloud drew an exhausted Reno back down and held him close. He kissed him deeply before Reno fell into a deep sleep. "I'll change your mind, Reno. I swear I will."

"Promise, Cloud?"

"Promise."