Rating: T (only for the bad words)

Genre: Angst / Drama

Warning: Man x Man / Language

Words: 1139 Words

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Final Fantasy VII, just love to borrow the characters and world.

Summary: Rufus and Reno had been in a relationship for years now. Everything in Edge had been going smoothly and the planet recovered slowly but steadily from all the damage done to it. ShinRa was once more the biggest company in the world, but the policy and everything else was handled a lot differently. And so a decision is made one day...

Your Decision – Are You Happy Now?

Rufus x Reno

"Reno, it´s over. Leave. I don´t need you anymore."

The redhead blinked a few times at those words. What had he just said?

"What did you say?"

"I said leave. You can keep your job if you like, but I won´t have any contact with you anymore beyond business."

Reno said nothing, just looked the President in the eye. He was serious, dead serious. Goddamn fucking hell!

"Why? Tell me and I´ll leave."

Rufus nodded.

"I had to make a decision. Stay with you and get distracted all my life with you, maybe even ruining the company someday for you, or letting you leave and save everything else. I chose the later. One life for many."

The Turk sighed, shook his head and laughed dryly.

"You know, everyone has their own life - that includes decisions, so why should I ask why people do what they do? That´s why I don´t question my orders - I´m a part of their decision, a part of their life and trust. That´s all it really is, yo. So, with that decision – are you happy now?"

Rufus almost choked when he saw Reno like this. In an instant he had turned into the Turk with a professional mask on. The Reno that didn´t get hurt through anything and smiled through the worst things around him. It was the part he hadn´t seen in years. Near him the redhead had always put away the mask, had trusted him and been himself. That was now over and it was his fault, his decision that would make the Turk wear this mask forever now. And so he shook his head and answered in truth:

"No, I am not happy, but I won´t change my mind. The people are more important than my life or yours."

"Well, then it´s two lives for everyone else´s. Good bye then, Rufus..."

And so he turned sharply, walking out of the black double-door, trying not to break completely, and vanished from the President's sight. Rufus stared after him, lightly trembling. In all his life would he have never guessed that someone was more important to him than himself. But Reno was more important to him, more than anything and yet could he not leave it at that. Every time the redhead was gone on missions he was a wreck until he returned. Many chances for the business had been lost because of this and ShinRa was in trouble for that. Either he and him suffered or the company, and when the company suffered meant it that a lot of other lives suffered instead of the two.

Years ago he wouldn´t have cared, but Rufus Shinra had a conscience now, moral and certainly understanding and feelings for others. He wouldn´t go around destroying lives like that ever again and so had the decision been made. Forever set in stone...

The blond sighed and sat down on his chair behind the desk, looking out onto the city at night, the lights illuminating all and said with a broken voice, ripe with tears:

"And so it ends, the curtain falls, this is the end of our fairy tale... - the end. Isn´t it?"

He chuckled dryly, without emotion and yet full with it to the brim – ready to break - and closed his eyes.

Reno walked harshly through the streets. Anger, sadness, disbelief and certain understanding were swirling within him, though hurt was the most present feeling he could pinpoint. How the hell could Rufus make a decision like that?! Was he worth so little to him? Had he been delusional about the affection given to him? Cruel! Just cruel!

He shook his head so strongly that his flame-red tail whipped around him like a weapon. For quite some time now had he felt moisture gather in his eyes, but he refused to acknowledge it or let it freely fall down his cheeks. Rufus would not cry over him, he knew.

Rufus Shinra never cried – he only broke, every time a little more when he got hurt. And the Turk had been the only one to take the pieces and reattach them on the man. Of course not healed, but repaired like a shattered mirror glued together by a child, because it was precious.

The black suit had made scars out of deep wounds within the young president and yet he had been thrown out. Was he healed enough now? Was that the reason? No, the people were – or to be more precise: the change that had made the Shinra a person to care for others.

It was a good thing, everyone agreed on that, but Reno cursed it now. If it was the old president would he had never let go of the redhead. Or more likely wouldn´t have let him get close enough in the first place.

The Turk gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists, turning to the left and letting one of them meet with a wall of solid concrete. It hurt, it really fucking hurt, but he didn´t care and continued to punch the unresponsive opponent of his until his hands were a bloody mess. His chest rose and fell quickly as he let air rapidly enter his lungs.

It hurt...

And with a heart-wrenching cry – seeming neither man nor beast – fell he to his knees and let the tears fall. Salty water he had last seen on his face when he had lost everything as a child. And now had he lost it all over again, just even more than years ago, because his heart was gone now as well.

The sounds echoed through the dirty allies of the city as no one paid attention to the sad howling, except for one man standing at the huge window of his company.

Rufus grit his teeth when he heard it, because he recognized it immediately and his heart was ripped apart. Never would he forgive himself for this. Never... And he turned and walked out of his office as he seemingly melted into the darkness, no longer illuminated by the moon light, and vanished.

Sacrifices must sometimes be made, but it is always one's own decision – are you happy now?

The End

A/N: Now a question for you readers from me: What do YOU think will Reno and Rufus do now? If anyone of you has a good idea and one that even sparks my imagination I just might ask for permission of usage from that someone and continue this. So, get crackin´ people! :D