Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all associated materials are property of Square-Enix.

Cross Out My Eyes
By: Nanaki BH

He could feel something warm against his side. It was wet… a cloth? Right, right, they had promised to protect him. The pain he felt was dull and almost nonexistent if he didn't focus on it. He concentrated instead on the delicate touches tat would occasionally awkwardly brush against his stomach. He could feel the damp cloth circle the bullet wound as if to wipe away blood. He kept his eyes closed though, lost in a strange and almost euphoric sort of dream. It was hard to remember when the last time was that someone else had taken care of him. Reno could only remember fending for himself and loving only himself.

The warm cloth and gentle touches vanished for a moment and were replaced soon with what was probably gauze and tape. And there were those fingers again, hard at work. Their touch was so sensual that it was hard to mistake them for simply doctoring. He couldn't stop himself as a soft sigh escaped his parted lips.

"Stop pretending to sleep. I know that you're awake."

Such harsh words to be spoken with such a nice voice, he thought. He cracked open an eye to look sheepishly at who had been tending to him, his eyes first blinded by the light of the room. He certainly wasn't expecting to see another guy. And to think that he had been thinking such thoughts about him... Though, honestly, once he gave him a good once-over, he realized how attractive his savior really was. White-blonde hair and delicate features, a white suit neatly pressed, and a scowl that could shatter dreams.

He just kept staring, too. Reno let his eyes travel, feeling sort of out of place. His gaze rested on the man's hands which he noticed were still stained slightly with dried blood.

"Ah… Thank you."

"Very little compared to what you'll do for me."

A stake to the heart! The same pretty boy who had saved his life was also the guy who had dragged him into this new mess. After such a peaceful nap, he didn't want to be hearing such things. He wanted to just curl up somewhere and sleep. It was an understatement to say that what the gang had done to him was traumatic. He thought himself a well-adjusted man but didn't want to adjust to the constant chance of betrayal.

Running, killing, fighting… It wasn't so bad when it meant it would save his life.

Reno sighed, burying his face in his palms. "What do you want me to do; your dirty work? You want me to kill them?"

"Them? The gang?" It was odd and definitely irritating to hear him speak so condescendingly. "Oh, no, of course not. You'll help kill them, yes. We need you to help us get the jump on them."

Some static clouded Reno's mind. "Why me?" It was dangerous enough to ask so many questions but Rude's words were nothing but sentimental in the end. His life was insignificant. What made him so special?

"Your skills are exceptional. You have a good head about you and you aren't irrational. And besides," he said, pulling up a seat and crossing his legs, "they think that you're dead."

"How…?"

"I told Rude to make it look real."

"Oh my God, he's the one who shot me! Bastard!"

"You'll live. They'll never suspect a thing."

"But they saw him."

"They did… They thought they got you then they saw him. A bullet can fly where a person is not. I'm afraid they aren't the brightest bunch."

Reno smacked his forehead, incapable of believing this man was yakuza. He was too laid back, too relaxed… too young. He expected their boss to be the mysterious and intimidating sort; perhaps an old man with long sideburns and a large tattoo on his back. The only things mysterious about him were his eyes and that was entirely irrelevant. If they were abducting him, he wasn't so sure he wanted to be taking orders from their boss anymore. Maybe it was his strong confidence that bothered him, sensing the lack of his own. In which case, why did it immediately strike him as a bad thing?

"Tell me, couldn't you and your guys have just gone and blown their heads off without me?"

Their boss quirked a thin blonde eyebrow. "You're overestimating our numbers. There are very few of us. I may have control over many people but I only have a handful of loyal followers."

Reno pushed himself up, suddenly feeling the need to just move. His stomach shouted as soon as he bent forward, fresh blood seeping through the gauze. He hadn't expected it to hurt so much anymore. Maybe that was to be expected after he had let himself slip back into a brief sense of false security before. He clutched at his middle, groaning softly.

"Screw this. I can back out now if I don't promise you anything, right?" With a little bit of struggling and effort, he managed to get on his feet and only leaned slightly against the arm of the leather couch. "I'm leaving."

As soon as he made his move to leave, the boss grabbed his wrist and with a tug that could easily be called much more than "forceful", he had Reno already lying flat on the couch again.

"You aren't leaving," he said, staring down at him with the look of a predator.

"I could call the fucking cops on you," Reno growled.

Bad idea to say that…

"I am the only authority in this city."

A cold fear gripped Reno's heart and curled its fingers around his throat. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even look away. His state had left him paralyzed.

"Rufus Shinra," he successfully managed to choke out.

"Correct. Now," he said off-handedly, "perhaps you could use some aspirin. Or maybe some calcium to make you more agreeable."

Reno's eyebrow lifted at the strange, sudden suggestion. His attitude was totally different. What had just happened, he wondered? What was that fierce, hungry look had had seen in him? The feeling that clawed at his heart was familiar and yet not. He couldn't explain why his pulse had quickened when Shinra had shoved him down so roughly. The feeling of his large, warm hands on his shoulders was left smoldering even after he pulled away, leaving him even more frustrated and confused than he was to start with.

"Calcium? Are you messing with me? You'll do anything to keep me here, won't you?" he asked, sounding more concerned than aggravated.

Rufus shrugged. "Oh no, I've just heard that angry people are lacking calcium in their diets." He tipped his head to the side and his golden blonde hair cascaded over his delicate face. If nothing else, his beauty was convincing. Although there was much to him that indicated that he was inexperienced, he exuded confidence.

"You seem to care so much," Reno said sarcastically, sitting up.

"Oh, I do."

"I bet you're just going to use me, then kill me."

"I wouldn't dream of anything so horrible."

"Of course you would."

"Maybe just a little."

"What? Yes or no."

"Maybe."

At that moment in their discourse, Reno realized that what they were doing could be defined as "playful banter". He instantly felt like running off and burying his head. Not only was he suddenly letting his guard down, he was enjoying himself. It felt so fundamentally wrong. Then again, what was fundamentally wrong could be sometimes overruled by what felt right.

If Rufus didn't kill him, then his own embarrassment would.

He gave him another look over. Looking at him with an honest eye, he couldn't help but admit that he found him good-looking. He had all the features of a refined diplomat. Rufus was perfect in contrast to himself. He looked down solemnly at his own pitiful attire, wishing he had worn something a little nicer than jeans that day if he were to appear before Midgar's most elite.

He knew that his own self-consciousness and Rufus' glorious good looks shouldn't factor into deciding whether or not he should willingly side with them. It should've been about living or dying. He didn't want to stick around only for the unrealistic prospect of… What do I want anyway? Don't tell me I'm actually interested in this guy…

Rufus smirked knowingly, as if he knew what was going on inside Reno's head.

"So can I ask why?"

"Why do I want them gone?" he asked, resting his chin on his palm.

If he knew what he was going to ask, then why parrot it back? "Yes. Why?"

"It's the way things are supposed to be," he answered at first, looking away to gaze unseeing into space. He said it like it answered everything yet he didn't seem like he was convinced himself. It was at that very moment that Reno noticed a weakness in him; an uncommon fragility that he hadn't seen in him before. "It keeps the order. Not just for us but for everyone." It sounded like it was just thrown in as an afterthought, as something that could soften the severity of the actions he was predestined to perform.

Just as Reno was destined to become something awful because he was born in the slums, Rufus was destined too. He was born the son of a yakuza boss and was destined to live a corrupted life.

Reno could feel his fate change just a little and wondered if he could possibly shake Rufus' if he chose to stick around.

Why am I thinking like that?

Rufus seemed to notice his own intense expression and immediately tried to lighten it up, smiling a weak, unconvincing smile. "So you see?" he said. "Let's keep fate in line."

"Can I ask you something else?"

"More questions?"

It was a rash, hastily devised question with little discretion. He was sure that he would regret it if he voiced it. Still, it tugged at his lips and made him feel like he just had to say it, like it was really the right thing, regardless of how foolish it was.

"Can I kiss you?" Because, you know, I'm an idiot who thinks it's totally normal to just…

"Why?"

Reno blinked. Once. Twice. "Why answer a question with a que-"

Before he could even property complete his sentence, Rufus had pressed their lips together. Reno's mind drew an immediate blank, all of his thoughts effectively stopped in their tracks. It was a nice kiss, honestly, but he couldn't allow himself to enjoy it. His back went rigid and his mouth went dry. It was a mistake, I didn't mean to…

He's making fun of me.

But even when Rufus pulled away, his eyes still lidded, Reno knew he was wrong. The kiss was honest but Reno didn't understand it. It was like Rufus was really trying to communicate something through it but Reno wasn't sure what yet.

The boss stood, smoothing his hands over his slacks. "Thank you," he said. "For joining us."

He would've stopped him to remind him that he hadn't necessarily agreed to join them if his mind wasn't so devoid of thought, if his mouth had been a little more cooperative. But with that, Rufus simply left, leaving Reno confused and alone in the room. He just wanted to scream or do something that could release his mounting frustration.

"C-cant he just be serious?!"

Author's Notes: I hated this chapter. I hope you won't agree with me but I promise that the next chapter will be better. It's just because I took such a long break from writing. Bleh. Sorry 'bout that. My bad.