Chapter 12: A Grain of Sand


On the first night of Reno's unsure return, Tseng wanted nothing more than to return to his wife and daughter. He couldn't help but be tempted by the promise of life being returned to normal. However, he knew it wouldn't happen just like that. But still, he was a man, and men were allowed to dream, even if they were as dispassionate as Tseng often appeared.

Unfortunately, there was something nagging in the back of his head that he just couldn't shake. Not to mention, the disappearance of the Villa was also something he was finding disturbing. But that was secondary, since it was already under investigation.

So, once Rude came to relieve him for the night shift, and the awkward greetings and introductions to the mildly-sedated redhead were out of the way, Tseng decided he'd make a quick visit to his wife to let her know he had some important work to catch up on. She wasn't exactly thrilled, but she'd worked under Shinra long enough to know it was more or less 'par for the course'. So, with a sigh and a quick feel in the hallway outside of Allysia's bedroom, she said, "Fine… But don't take too long," leaving Tseng to honestly not want to take too long.

After all that, the slender Wutain found himself parking his car on the outskirts of Edge near a worn out shack, with broken windows and a broken door, and stepping out into the pouring rain with a take-out bag in his hand. With a heavy sigh, he tapped lightly on the partially ajar door and hoped he hadn't made the trip for nothing.

He could have made a call to ensure his trip wasn't in vain. But with Rufus being suspicious of him over everything he'd hidden from him so far, he felt it was best to avoid anything the man could listen in on. He was probably right to do so as well. He'd known Rufus long enough to know the man was less than scrupulous when it came to his curiosity, and after a few moments of silence and being soaked to the bone by the heavy rain, he was finally greeted by the commonly silent man on the other side.

"Tseng." Vincent greeted, as he opened the door to reveal a near-empty room with nothing more than an old mattress on the floor and a worn crate near the far wall.

"Vince." Tseng replied, and then he placed the bag into the man's hand and nodded at the quiet and inexpressive look, as the man who generally adorned himself with the accents of gold and red wore nothing but the buckled black leather underneath, simply stared at the bag. "No meat or animal by-products." Tseng assured, as the pale man stepped out of the way in invitation.

With a quiet resolve, Vincent looked over the Wutain to note the soaked state the man was in, and walked into the dingy bathroom to grab a ratty towel for the man. Then he sat down by the broken and dirt-stained window with his knees bent, before picking at the contents of the bag.

While Vincent rummaged through the contents and chose mostly greens to slowly chew on, Tseng commenced to drying his hair off while trying to collect his thoughts, before he simply stood there and stared at the pale man who said nothing and stared out the window.

Figuring he might as well get what he needed to get off his chest, he finally said with a slight hesitancy. " Reno called Rufus 'Marcus'." He'd known it all along, but he wanted to hear Reno verify it, which he never did.

Simply nodding, Vincent picked through the bag again and chose a piece of lettuce to sample. "We suspected as much." He said distantly, keeping his attention outside. Then he placed the bag down and lowered his head as if he was attempting to hide behind the cloak he normally wore and solemnly said. "I found Cloud's sword." After that, he looked over at the dark corner where the sword laid against the wall, making Tseng have to squint and move closer in order to see it properly in the dim lighting of the room.

Leviathan…

"You think –?"

"I know." Vincent corrected. In fact, there was no doubt in his mind that the younger man had been captured. Then he picked up the bag again and resumed to pick through it, while Tseng stood there with his hand over his mouth and a new impending sense of dread.

In all honesty, Tseng never really wanted to see anything bad happen to the ex-Soldier.

- - -

It took almost a week for Erryn to be fully satisfied with Reno's health. It was a little too long for Rufus' liking, but he wasn't about to argue with her. As much as she seemed to clash with nearly everyone, the woman knew what she was doing. Besides, Rufus couldn't help but suspect her attitude had a lot to do with the fact that it was a simple side-effect from living in the Slums, since Reno often came across the same way. Only, Reno possessed a certain charm that Rufus always found desirable.

Erryn didn't.

But she said she'd help him though, and she was doing just that.

And with words of harsh advice, and not always things that Rufus wanted to hear or listen to, she would tell him what he needed to do and not do. She was honest and unafraid to say what was on her mind, even when she was afraid, winning herself an odd sort of respect from the younger President, and leaving him to believe that the woman truly lacked the ability to tell a lie. And unlike Tseng, whom Rufus was sure was hiding something, and who only seemed to want to direct Rufus away from Reno, she at least gave him ideas on how to win the man back.

She also did her best at trying to convince Reno that Rufus was nothing to fear, and much to the President's liking, she seemed to be making headway.

- - -

Also, during that week, Rufus made every attempt to rekindle, at the very least, some sort of friendship with the redhead by making his presence grow more dominant with each day. It was hard for him at first, to avoid going to the infirmary during his breaks and staying for the evenings. But as Erryn said, "Don't push it," He decided he'd follow that advice. He knew that her only concern was for Reno's health, and therefore, she was the least-likely person to steer him in the wrong direction.

He also found himself paying more mind to his appearance again, and started grooming himself, much like he did before Reno went into stasis. And to everyone's cautious surprise, it was almost like the old Rufus had merely gone on holiday and had finally returned. There were still some odd inconsistencies though. Because truthfully, no one changes over night, even it if it's to go back to something near what they used to be, and Rufus was no exception.

But he gave it his best though, and he even took another piece of Erryn's advice, which he found somewhat hard at first, and much to his own surprise. He did it nonetheless, however, and he cut back on the alcohol. He didn't quit altogether though, and he still managed to drown himself the moment he wound up in his apartment all by himself, which often led him back to his office to sleep at his desk. Of course, his excuse was as it always was…

He needed to catch up on his work.

On the fourth day, he found that he could sit closer to the redhead without the man flinching or seeming too nervous around him, and he even ordered that the cuff be released to allow Reno more comfort and freedom in his room. Of course, the door was always to remain locked, and both Tseng and Rude never let their guard down for a second. Despite the fact that they all wanted nothing more than to trust the man, they still couldn't avoid the fact that Reno may have been under the wrong influence of which he was still keeping quiet about.

The man was also a trained killer, and it would have been outright negligent to ever let that thought slide.

By the fifth day, Rufus felt certain enough that it would be all right to dismiss Tseng for a short time, while he stayed down by Reno's side, allowing him to talk to the uncharacteristically quiet redhead for a while in private. Nothing extraordinary was exchanged between them, but Reno did finally go out of his way to make one of his usual snide and mocking comments in regards to why Rufus thought it was so cold in the building.

When all the President did as a response was stare at him with a strangely uncertain look, Reno elaborated while motioning his hand toward the man and said. "The layers, Man… It ain't that cold in here. Why doncha stay a while… relax… take off the fuckin coat."

If it wasn't for Rufus' unrelenting resolve that was practically beaten into him by his father, he probably would have smiled.

But he didn't…

Even though he wanted to.

Instead, he offered the man answers to his curious questions in regards to the stasis they kept him in and why. Then, whether it was based on some kind of judgement or simply a desire to appease the man and give him everything he wanted, Rufus offered to take him down to the lab to show him where they kept him.

"I'm afraid it's only been under construction for a few months." He warned. "But it might help set your mind at ease if you see it."

But he was disappointed when the redhead eyed him cautiously and asked. "Can Tseng come with us?" Almost like he was afraid to go anywhere alone with Rufus.

"Certainly." Rufus answered, with a hidden disappointment, as he looked to the side and wondered if he should have left, while they both fell unnaturally quiet.

He knew there was something about him that the redhead was afraid of, and although that was generally something he actually enjoyed from most people, it was something that tore him apart when it came from Reno, particularly at that point in time.

He also suspected that Tseng might have known why.

- - -

Well, after that trying week, and even going so far as to show Reno the surveillance of the Cryogenics lab to prove to him that he really was there, and even allowing him to inspect the area his pod resided in, it was finally time to bring Reno home.

And like a giddy child, Rufus found himself going through everything with a strange anticipation to ensure everything was as perfect and comfortable for the redhead as was possible. However, Rufus being Rufus, he practically had to fight with himself over whether or not to put that damn jacket away that was still hanging over the back of the sofa. But Erryn was there to help him out and simply said. "Just put the damn thing away." As she lit a cigarette and walked into Reno's room to help out with making it seem like that was where Reno resided. "There'll be plenty of times where you can give him shit for not puttin things away."

With a slight aggravation over how she spoke to him, he simply nodded and did as she said. She was, after all, most-likely right.

Then with only an hour left, he found himself fretting over his appearance and nearly poured himself a drink to calm himself down. But he thought better of it the moment Erryn stopped in the frame of the door and set her judging grey eyes upon him, while shaking her head in disapproval.

With a subtle nod, Rufus muttered, "Right," and hesitantly placed the bottle back in the cupboard. Then he lit a cigarette and found himself uncharacteristically turning to her and asking "How do I look?"

"Desperate." She said, and then she sighed when she realized Rufus didn't find the comment very amusing as he set his cold gaze upon her. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable for thinking it was okay to say something like that to a man with a reputation such as his, she quietly mumbled "Sorry" with her head down, as she came up to him hesitantly, and motioned her hand toward the scarf around his neck in a manner of permission to adjust it for him. "I didn't mean it like that."

Then she added when he lifted his chin to let her fix it, and caught her attention when he flinched slightly, almost like he was going to grab his gun and shoot her, simply for touching him. "It's just…" With a slight hesitation, she was going to say she simply didn't expect him to ever ask her that kind of question, but instead, she found herself more curious about his reaction to her touch and asked. "You don't like bein touched, do you?" In a manner of surprise, as she turned her eyes to study his cold return after she finished adjusting the scarf.

"That's none of your concern." He answered with a slight chill. Then to change the topic, he found himself equally musing over her. "In all the time you've been under my employment, I've never seen you leave the building."

"Are you watchin me?"

"I watch everyone." He answered matter-of-factly, knowing full-well that she knew that. "You don't even leave to buy groceries." He pointed out, and then he added with a strange puzzlement. "In fact, I'm not the only one that's noticed."

"Oh?" she asked, and took a step back once she was satisfied with the way the scarf sat.

Nodding, Rufus adjusted his coat, and studied her reaction for a short while as she brought her hand unconsciously to her scar as if she suddenly felt it was all that was visible of her. "I realize I've never taken the time to get to know you… or anyone for that matter." Rufus indulged without any kind of emotion. "But I do take it upon myself to observe those under my employment. And I couldn't help but notice that for the last four years, Reeve seemed to be more than aware of the fact that you ate in the cafeterias and spent most of your time either in the labs or in your apartment."

Then he opened his fridge to take out some food for the dinner he planned on preparing for Reno.

"I'm assuming that's why he took to buying your groceries for you."

"No offence, Rufus." She said rather hesitantly, and decided she'd help out a little by pulling out some cookware for him. "But that's creepy."

"I'm well-aware of that." He answered casually, as he pulled out a knife and started his preparations.

"So, why do you do it then?"

"I find you curious." Not seeing anything wrong with anything he'd ever done, he simply continued to chop at the vegetables while elaborating a little. "You're the only person under my employment that knows a part of Reno that no one else knows."

"Oh." She mused, and then she shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably and scratched at her scar. "Well, anythin you wanna know about him, you're gonna have to ask him."

"In time." Rufus mused. Somewhat disappointed over the fact that she was probably the most mysterious person under the roof of Shinra, and was also the hardest to find anything on.

- - -

Now, at this point, it would simply seem pointless to focus too much on the smaller events involving Allysia's growing fascination with Reno, or the more secretive event involving Tseng and Vincent's search for Cloud that took place within the next month after Reno was brought home. Except to say that it didn't take the redhead long to find everything, except the fridge, to be mildly familiar.

And of course, it would go without saying that several small mistakes were made on Rufus' behalf, simply because he couldn't keep his hands off the man. Now, we're not talking about anything perverse or overly flirtatious. It is after all, Rufus we're talking about.

So before you jump to any naughty conclusions, allow me to fill you in…

Let's start by saying that Rufus simply felt there was no reason for anyone to watch over Reno during the times the President was at home, and that made perfect sense. After all, the last thing Rufus wanted was Tseng or Rude hanging around while he was trying his best, in the only way he knew how, to rekindle his relationship with the man.

So, every evening, Rufus made the man dinner, causing Reno to be somewhat leery over the fact that he simply couldn't see the man ever doing that. I'll add here too, that Reno was becoming slightly more comfortable with the man as each day passed, realising that he was a completely different person than who he initially confused him with, which, if you haven't guessed by now, was Marcus.

Actually, there was simply no way the two men could be confused with one another, despite the fact that they looked identical. However, that strange coldness was similar, and so was the oddly bitter glare that hid somewhere beneath the surface. Even the strange Mako glow to the eyes was similar, as was the voice. But the movements were entirely different, as was the mannerism in which Rufus, at times, struck Reno as almost…

Flirtatious?

It must have been his imagination though. But he couldn't help but notice that, sometimes, Rufus would brush his arm or hand against him with a feathery touch, supposedly by accident. Other times, he'd catch the man staring at him, but the look in his eyes never really showed any interest; he was simply staring. But then again, Reno found himself doing the same when Rufus wasn't looking, and he never really knew why.

He figured he was simply trying to figure the strange President out.

And let's reflect on that one night where Reno could have sworn the man pulled a strand of hair out of his head, and when Reno turned around to glare at him, he simply said he thought it was a loose hair.

But that didn't exactly explain why he stuck it in his pocket when he thought Reno wasn't looking.

Then there was the even stranger event when Reno burned himself on the stove after insisting that Rufus let him cook for a change. The reaction was a slight shock, as Rufus came up to him and said. "Let me see that."

Wondering why the man wanted to see it, he let him look at it anyway, and then he simply stood there and stared at the man when he ran his fingers over it gently and commented that it was going to blister, and kissed it lightly before realizing what he'd done.

Actually, they both fell a little silent for a moment, and Reno oddly didn't pull his hand away. Instead, he simply stood there and stared at the top of the man's head since he appeared to have frozen in time. In the meantime, Rufus silently cursed at himself and turned his attention toward the fridge while tying to figure out what the hell kind of explanation he was going to give. Perhaps a drink would have rectified the matter, or perhaps if he'd been drinking, he could have used it as an excuse, and the redhead hardly seemed drunk enough to be able to convince him that it never happened.

But unfortunately, nothing useful was coming to mind as the usually controlled man came up with the only thing he could come up with.

"I'll get you a potion." He said, and quickly left the kitchen, leaving Reno to suddenly realize it was awfully hot in the apartment, before he grabbed the open bottle of scotch on the counter and drank straight from it.

Fuck the glass, Reno thought.

Maybe a cold shower would help…

- - -

But those weren't the only strange things that happened. There were things that simply didn't make sense to the redhead, like why in the hell was he the President's roommate in the first place? He couldn't help but notice the place was extremely immaculate and completely out of character for himself. However, when the question arose during the day when Tseng was present and Rufus was at work, the answer came out rather simply.

"Rufus gave your apartment away." The man told him, and when he noticed the confused expression that pretty much said 'that don't make sense', he elaborated a little further. "He needed an apartment for one of the new Turks on short notice." Then after taking a sip of his coffee, Tseng went on to say. "Of course, the building has been renovated and extended since then."

"So…" Reno started as the cogs turning in his head were practically visible to the Wutain. "If the place has been extended, why am I still in this apartment?"

Well, there was an answer to that question. However, Tseng couldn't quite think of one at the moment, and he wound up sitting there with his lips pursed before suddenly saying. "Have you had a chance to see the training room since you've been back?" Then he got up and motioned for Reno to follow. "We've made quite a few enhancements that you'd probably find interesting. Of course, I won't be able to allow you to try anything out. But you'd still probably find it interesting, particularly the mechanical aspects of it. However, if you'd like, I could probably get permission to allow you to sit in on one of the training sessions and…"

Blah, blah, blah…

Following the man anyway, Reno couldn't help but think that was probably the most he'd ever heard the Wutain say without taking a breath.

In fact, it was probably the most he'd ever said… ever.

Was it suspicious to the redhead?

Well…

Hell yeah.

- - -

Anyway…

There was still more that left Reno questioning, and left him becoming more and more curious with each day. For instance, there were a couple of times that he and Rufus simply started arguing over nothing, without either of them really knowing who started it and getting rather heated over it as well. Each time, it ended with them slamming their bedroom doors, and then showering.

Why in the hell they always showered after that was something they should have probably found curious. But either way, there was still more…

A couple of times it even became physical, and that was generally after some sort of weird flash Reno couldn't recall the content of. All he really did know, was that he'd accuse Rufus of something and Rufus would deny it, and then he'd throw something at him and Rufus would go all strange and grab him, telling him to clear out his messed-up head because he was a deranged maniac. There were other things he'd call him too, but maniac seemed to be Rufus' favourite name for him.

Then, there was the strange fight over Cloud, which seemed to be quite a heated topic for some reason as Reno defended him and Rufus condemned him, and, consequently, furniture and the word "Slut" was involved.

Did he feel threatened or hateful toward Rufus though? Considering the impact of whatever it was between them, he should have been running, like he did with Marcus. But for some weird reason, he found himself wanting more from the man. In fact, they both seemed to enjoy fighting with each other; it was almost like…

Foreplay?

"Is it hot in here?" Rufus asked, with a suddenly curious calm, while he held his fists in the collar of Reno's shirt and his mouth dangerously close to the other man's.

Not answering the man, they both simply turned to look at the thermostat and mused over the fact that it seemed to be a normal temperature. "M-Maybe it's broken."

"Perhaps." Rufus replied, and let go quickly to brush his hair back with both hands. "I believe I'm going to take a shower."

"Yeah…" Reno agreed, and decided that a shower wasn't such a bad idea. "M-me too."

At that, Rufus made his way to his private bathroom and Reno quickly found himself in the main one.

Oddly enough though, they never seemed to run out of hot water.

Not that either of them honestly would have noticed.

- - -

With all that aside though, the least questionable person Reno got to know was probably Rude, whom, since Rufus had removed the need for a nightshift, alternated the day watch with Tseng. The man seemed to be void of the uptight avoidance that Tseng possessed, and the bizarre and questionable behaviour that Rufus seemed to possess, bringing some sort of balance to the redhead's uncertain existence.

However, just like Tseng, Rude also became quite uncomfortable whenever Reno started asking too many questions about why he was sharing an apartment with Rufus. But unlike Tseng, Rude didn't start babbling away like he was trying to cut the redhead off from the possibility of thinking about anything in particular. Instead, he'd stiffen up a little, and then appear to carefully gauge out his answers.

In fact, his answer to why Reno never got one of the newer apartments made a hell of a lot more sense than an invitation to see the training room.

He simply said, "They all filled up when we expanded the Turks, and we never knew how long we'd have to keep you in stasis for."

Why in the Lifestream Tseng never thought of that, was simply beyond reason. Because it was probably the most sensible explanation to give, and it seemed to satiate Reno's curiosity enough to make him stop asking.

"Ya got a girlfriend… right?" Reno asked, after nodding to what Rude told him.

With a returning nod, Rude sat back slightly to pull out his wallet and then he pulled out a small photo of her to show the man.

"Lucky man." Reno muttered at the picture. He couldn't help but feel the man definitely had good taste, even though Reno was more partial to blondes.

"Her name's Tifa." Rude answered impassively, and then he set his wallet on the table when he saw Reno curiously study it.

"How long ya been seein her?"

"Over six years."

"Long time…" Reno mused, as he felt a strange familiarity over her image. Then he sighed and sat forward with his arms on the table while still studying the picture some more. "Ya think ya might marry her?"

Not answering, Rude simply dug into his pocket again and placed a small velvet case on the table for Reno to look at.

"Aww." The redhead drawled with a big grin when he saw it, and then he batted his eyes at Rude playfully while saying "I never got ya nothin… Ya should'n have." Then he opened it up and turned quite serious when he saw it. "Fuck man, ain't no way she's gonna say no ta that."

"That's what I'm hoping."

"So, when ya gonna pop the question?"

"I've had two chances already." Rude answered honestly, and collected the case when it was handed back to him. However, he kept the second one secret.

"Really?" The redhead asked, and set his attention back on the picture again. "Ya gettin cold feet?"

"I've never been very good with the women." Rude confessed, as he put it back in his pocket. "And each time, something came up before I finally got the nerve to ask her."

"That sucks… How'd ya snag her in the first place if ya ain't no good with the ladies?" Reno asked, while digging around for a cigarette. "No offence, Man… But she don't exactly look like an easy catch."

"You left me no choice."

"I left ya no choice?" He repeated, while searching his pockets for his lighter. "What'd I do? Hold a gun ta yer head?" Then he chuckled and pointed his finger in the air like it was a gun and snickered out. "Ask that bitch out or I'll shoot ya, Man!"

"Not exactly." With a deep breath at the fact that Reno was still an idiot, but likeable, Rude leaned forward and took another sip from his coffee. "You just gave me the push I needed."

"So… we we're good friend's, huh?" Reno asked, with an almost guilty look on his face.

Simply nodding again, Rude let out a large yawn and fell forward, into an unexpected slumber.

"Way ta make me feel like shit, Man." Reno muttered, and then he checked his watch before getting up and placing the picture down by the man's hand.

He figured he had two hours at best, and hoped he didn't put too much sedative into the man's coffee. Judging by his size, he figured he'd need to over-mix it a bit. Then he placed his fingers over the pulse on the man's neck to ensure he was all right, before nodding to himself with a bit of relief.

He couldn't help but like the man a little, and honestly didn't want to hospitalize him, or worse. But there was something that had been bothering him way too much, and he needed to get an answer. And since no one was giving him one, and he honestly couldn't ask, he decided there was only one way left to find it.

At that, he found himself in the cutlery drawer looking for anything that looked like it could act as a possible device for picking locks.

Finally, after finding two metal skewers, he figured he could make due with them, and made his way over to Rufus' room while bending them into shape and checking his watch again. "One hour and forty-eight minutes." He muttered to himself, and proceeded to pick the lock on the President's door.

Once he got it open, he found himself craning his neck to peak at the sleeping Turk in the kitchen, and then he took a hard gulp and opened the door.

At first glance, there was really nothing odd about the room, except for the strangely fresh scent of mint.

The bed was adorned with clean, white sheets, and a black, silky-looking comforter, and not so surprisingly, it was neatly made. Beside it, there was a small black lacquer nightstand with a small crystal vase holding a red rose, and to his left, was a short, long black dresser. Against the left wall, was another black dresser, but it was tall in contrast to the other, longer one, and it rested next to a mirrored closet. There was only one window, above the bed, that seemed to follow the theme of everything else; it was adorned with a white sheer pocket rod curtain, and a heavier black over drapery lay overtop. And the carpeting was a soft, plush white.

To the right was a private washroom that Reno didn't seem to be very interested in at that point, and instead, he found himself creeping over to the closet and opening it carefully and quietly. Once again, there was no surprise in there either. There was a row of five white silk shirts, three thin black leather vests, and five pairs of white silk pants, neatly pressed and carefully hung. There were also three blazer-type jackets, also white, and three white overcoats.

"Obsessive… Compulsive… Anal." Reno mused, as he fingered through the hangars and snickered to himself. "One fer each day, huh, Rufus?" Then he shook his head and wondered if the man's pajamas were in the same state while muttering "'Cept fer yer vests an coats."

He was almost about to check when two things crossed his mind. One was, why in the hell did he want to know about the man's pajamas? And the other was the suddenly curious attention on a few black suits pushed to the far, back end of the closet that he didn't notice at first.

Figuring he'd resist the urge to open the top drawers of the dressers, he decided he'd inspect the black suits instead, and discovered they were Turk uniforms. "I never knew Rufus was a Turk." Reno mused, and wondered why no one bothered to tell him as he ran his fingers through the bluish-toned shirts with faint vertical stripes and black zippered blazers and pants.

Then he shrugged and found himself irresistibly digging through the top drawers of the dressers to find the tall one completely empty, leaving him somewhat curious about by it was there in the first place. After that, he wound up at the lower dresser to find the man's pajamas, and sure enough, it was just what he suspected, partly. He wasn't expecting them to be made of a delicate silk, but he did expect there to be six pairs, and for them all to be the same, and white, and he strongly suspected that if he checked the laundry hamper in the man's private bathroom, he'd find the seventh pair.

"So, ya hafta start everythin out on a Sunday." He mused quietly again, realizing that it was Monday, and only one particle of clothing was missing from each pair, along with what the man would have been wearing for the day. "Poor kid… what kinda childhood did ya have?"

After being unable to resist the urge to truly verify his suspicions, he was in the man's bathroom and checking the hamper to find a pair of pajamas, a silk shirt, and a silk pair of pants from the day before, folded neatly on the top of the lid, along with two white towels lying inside.

"Well, ya definitely ain't Marcus." He assured himself with a sigh of relief. As he made that assumption, he found himself looking over the immaculately clean white porcelain, and another small, crystal vase with a red rose in it. "Fer one, ya never leave the building… 'cept on Wednesdays when ya sneak out early in the mornin, an yer gone fer a couple hours…"

Yes, he'd been watching the man rather attentively.

"An I saw Marcus a helluva lot more'n that…"

While muttering away to himself to let it sink in, he found himself walking up to the rose and raising his brow at it. "Ya like flowers… Ya like comfort… Yer neurotic… But ya make every attempt ta hide that… an ya like… silk."

Raising his brow again, he found himself studying, not just the objects but the style of the decoration. "Ya got a thing fer straight lines suggestin yer practical an controlled… an ya don't like things outta place." Then he turned his attention back to the rose. "But that don't exactly explain the roses, now, does it?"

Cuz that's definitely out of place…

"Yer everythin Marcus ain't."

Despite the fact that he was feeling a little better about who Rufus wasn't, he couldn't help but find himself drawn to wanting to know who Rufus was. But just like the man, everything that belonged to him was just as hard to read beyond the surface of it. Everything was too black and white, and Reno was sure there was more.

After checking his watch again, he noted that he had one hour and two minutes left, and stood there with the corner of his cheek screwed in thought when something under the bed caught his eye. Then with a cautious glance through the door at the sleeping Turk again, he found himself carefully kneeling down and pulling out an oddly worn-out box. "So…" Reno mused, and pulled out the skewers to pick the lock on it. "There's more."

Unfortunately, Reno never got the chance to find out what was in the box, nor did he even get to pick the lock on it.

Because Rufus' voice from the door startled the hell out of him. "Learning, are we?"

However, when Reno jumped and turned around, he realized it wasn't Rufus that was standing there. "How the fuck did you get in here?" He found himself shakily asking, as Marcus took a step forward, and Reno scooted back, on the floor, toward Rufus' end table by the bed, and noticed the strange scar across the man's throat.

"That's not a very intelligent question." Marcus mused darkly as he lunged forward, when Reno went to push himself up, and he wound up pressing the redhead to the wall against the man's will. "I thought you'd have known the answer to that by now."

"Fuckin Exit." Reno muttered with his eyes to the side, and his hands around the wrist gripping the front of his shirt.

"Very good." Marcus purred, and reached into his back pocket while continuing to hold the redhead. "And I must say, it certainly was nice of you to finally give me the opportunity to pay you visit by putting the only witness within earshot to sleep."

"How the fuck did ya know about that?"

With nothing more than a cruel snicker, Marcus twisted his fist more into the shirt and practically hissed. "I've missed you so much." Before he placed what he was pulling out of his pocket roughly into the redhead's hand.

Then he let go and pushed the box back under the bed with his foot while muttering "Leave the man his dignity," as Reno looked at the photos placed in his hand and paled. "Fuckin Ifrit…" He muttered and felt his knees weaken.

"Mm." Marcus mused, while suddenly taking an interest in his surroundings and sneering at the sight. "I hoped you'd feel that way." Then he placed his hand on the wall by Reno's head and leaned forward. "He's still alive, you know." After that, he leaned closer so that his mouth was tauntingly close to the redhead's ear and purred "But I'm willing to make a bet with you that he wishes he wasn't," causing the redhead to cringe as the photos of Cloud fell to the floor from his suddenly listless hand.

"What the hell do you want from me?" almost unable to find his voice, the words came out like a worn out rasp while he attempted to slink away from the man.

"Ten-ji…" Marcus started, and placed his other hand on the redhead's shoulder, to hold him in place, while staring darkly into the green before him with a sickly grin turning at the corner of his mouth. "Would like you to co-operate with him." Then he dug his fingers in and knocked the redhead's knees apart with his own in every attempt to make the man as uncomfortable as was possible. "He's very upset with you right now."

"Ain't nothin I can do." Reno admitted with a grimace. "I'm trapped here."

"Ah." Marcus purred again, and ran his other hand down Reno's arm with the armlet, causing the redhead to cringe again. "We're very aware of that." He pointed out as his fingers toyed over the metal around Reno's wrist, and then he reached into a small packet around his waist to pull out an extra Exit Materia and placed it into the armlet around his wrist. "I'm sure you'll figure out what to do with that in time… From what I understand, you're a quick learner."

"I ain't crazy enough ta pay him a visit."

"No one said you were." Marcus purred again, and pressed his groin against the redhead's, eliciting a small, surprised cry. Then he chuckled at him and purred once more. "This is my gift to you."

Utterly confused, Reno simply stared at the lunatic in mortified horror over what the hell he wanted from him now.

"You killed his men, Reno." After snaking his hand back up Reno's arm, Marcus wound up wrapping his hand, roughly, around the redhead's neck with his thumb under his jaw, forcing him to keep his attention on the madness in front of him. "And as payment, he'd like me to remind you that anyone under his employment has the privilege of coming and going as we please." Then with a tilt to his head as the confused green simply swallowed nervously, he continued with his mouth dangerously close to the other's. "He'd also like me to remind you that we always know what's going on in these walls, and anyone we feel you're close to, could always wind up like you're poor, unfortunate boyfriend… Cloud? Was it?"

"Ya can't fuckin do this." Reno hissed, and tried to turn his head away but was stopped by Marcus' thumb digging deeper into the soft spot of his jaw.

"Oh, yes we can…" Marcus answered darkly. Then he let go of the redhead and pushed him to the floor before looking at his own watch and muttering. "Ten-ji will let you know what he wants in time. But for now… He simply wants you to collect as much information about Rufus and the Turks as you can, preferably weaknesses. He's absolutely thrilled that you've decided to work from the inside for him once again. However…" Turning his attention over to the unconscious Turk in the kitchen, Marcus decided he'd throw his own little request in as well, without really elaborating that it was his own. "It's preferable if you don't get too close to the President."

Then he muttered out "Exit" and disappeared, leaving the redhead to check his own watch nervously, and quickly grab the photo's to hide them in his back pocket, before haphazardly ensuring everything was left as he found it, and leaving the room.

- - -

Completely unsure of what to do, Reno found himself disregarding the fact that he'd put Rude to sleep and suddenly wound up on his way to Tseng's office in a panic. Out of everyone he'd gotten to know, he couldn't help but feel that Tseng was the best confident he could trust, and wound up disregarding the protests of the man's secretary as he walked hurriedly by her to brashly invite himself into the Wutain's office.

"I need yer help."

" Reno?" Tseng said with surprise, as he looked up from his monitor and placed his hands on his desk in concern. "What's on your mind?"

"I can trust ya… right?" The redhead hesitantly muttered, while scratching at the back of his neck nervously.

"Of course you can." He answered, and took note of the fact that Rude wasn't with him. But concerned over the chances of putting a blanket over what Reno wanted to tell him, he found himself refraining from asking why that was, and motioned his hands to the chair in front of his desk instead.

All Reno did was pace though, and shake his head while trying to figure out how he was going to ask for the man's help.

Should he tell him what happened? He knew he couldn't. Marcus made it quite obvious that they could come in at any time. He also made it quite clear that they could watch him as well, making anything he did or said a risk. Gaia, he couldn't help but realize he'd made a big mistake by coming to the Wutain's office and had to think about what the hell he was going to say rectify that mistake.

Suddenly frowning at the frazzled redhead, Tseng couldn't help but notice the red marks on the man's neck and got up to grab the redhead and hold him still in concern. " Reno." He started as the younger man's eyes darted away. "Tell me what happened."

"Nothin." Reno said, and tried to pull away. But the action was anticipated, and Tseng didn't let go. "I… I fell down."

"Really." Tseng muttered, and tilted Reno's head, knowing damn-well that wasn't what happened. Then he remembered how his daughter was taken right under his and Elena's noses, and what Reno called Rufus the first day he was back, and with a big sigh, Tseng brushed Reno's hair back in a fatherly way, before he started guiding the man to his private bathroom where he knew no one would be listening or watching, while suddenly meeting a paranoid resistance. "Shinra has been under attack for several years now." Tseng confessed, as he closed the door behind him. "We suspect they're using Exit Materia."

Sighing again, Tseng pursed his lips in thought while wondering if he should really be saying anything. But then again, Reno was honestly his only hope. So, he decided he'd lean his back-side against the counter and start with a short history lesson as a way to test the redhead's reaction. "I'd like to tell you something, Reno." He started, before adding. "However, whatever I tell you, I'd like to ensure that it never leaves this room."

With a confused nod, Reno dug into his pocket to take out a toothpick to chew on while he anxiously waited for whatever the man was about to share with him.

"A little known fact that goes back to the Wutain resistance against Shinra was that the Wutains had managed to master the Exit Materia… Are you familiar with the Wutain resistance?" Tseng asked, and nodded slightly when the redhead nodded back. "Very good." He said, a little thankful that he wouldn't have to explain too much. "Well, at the head of the Wutain army was a man named Ten-ji." He informed, and studied the redhead's reaction, as the man slowly turned his eyes to him like he recognised the name.

With a nod, Tseng felt he was on the right track and continued. "This man took pride in training his soldiers, along with his son who also bared the same name, to master this Materia and manipulate its uses in ways that would help the army. And in time, it was what helped the Wutains win the war and drive Shinra away from the entire Island. Unfortunately, Ten-ji was cut down in his prime by Mako poisoning which was believed to be an assassination performed by Shinra. However, those most loyal to him strongly suspected it was his own son."

"His own son?"

"Yes." With another nod, Tseng regarded the redhead and continued again. "Ten-ji… junior… was ambitious about his desire to continue with the attacks against Shinra. He became rather antagonistic toward his father when he was angered by the man's desire to put an end to those attacks out of a sheer desire to put an end to a war that was already won." With a slightly sarcastic smirk, Tseng brushed at his pants, and stared at the floor for a moment. "He became unscrupulous though, and unknown to the majority of his own people, he became one of the strongest leaders in an underground movement that involved more than just Wutai, and in time, he moved on to even more questionable activities and wound up controlling the Don of Wall Market, and all other forms of criminal activity, including Mako development for use as a street drug."

"He's a powerful man, Reno. And to make matters worse, he's also a powerful delegate for Wutai and is highly regarded by them. But he was believed to be dead for decades, even though the Wutains suspiciously refused to admit to it. Now, I suppose I could simply come to the conclusion that the Wutains knew something the rest of us didn't since the majority of Wutai still sees Shinra as the enemy, regardless of the fact that Rufus is trying to clean up that mess."

Then with a knowing look, Tseng regarded the nervous redhead in front of him and smoothed his hair back with the palm of his hand before saying. "I suppose I could also come to the conclusion that you know something the rest of us don't as well, and given the fact that it's Ten-ji I'm talking about, I can also understand the reason for your silence. But I need to ask…" With a stern resolution, Tseng simply watched the redhead chew more nervously on his toothpick before grabbing another one. "He's alive, isn't he?"

Knowing he was right, simply by reaction alone, Tseng wound up cursing silently when his PHS rang the moment Reno went to open his mouth, and he muttered out "Leviathan" before answering the line to a slurring and distraught Rude. Simply closing his eyes with a shake to his head, he honestly thought he could feel a headache coming on and answered. "It's okay. He's right here… in my office." Then he hung up and turned his attention back to Reno.

"You drugged Rude, didn't you."

"I… uh…" Scratching the back of his neck nervously, Reno honestly couldn't come up with a lie and sheepishly admitted. "Yeah."

Simply frowning at the man, Tseng stepped forward and tilted Reno's head to view the marks on his neck, before oddly musing. "It would appear the Exit Materia is still being used by Ten-ji and his men." Then he went on to say, almost to himself, "Rufus is going to go nuts if he sees this," and ignored the suddenly inquisitive look he received from the redhead.

Then to test the waters, he decided he'd attempt a small glimpse that he knew more than most people within the walls of Shinra. And the fact that he was running out of time due to the fact that one hell of an angry Rude was on his way to collect the younger man, he decided to go ahead and just say it the only way he knew how. "One would think Marcus would have been smarter than to leave a mark like that… unless it was his intention…"

"Marcus?" Reno asked cautiously, as the two men locked eyes. One with a brown-eyed knowing, and the other with a green-eyed hesitancy over what the Wutain could possibly be aware of.

"There's no need to answer me, Reno." Tseng finally consoled after an awkwardly silent moment, proving there was a very good reason the man was the head of the Turks. "However…" He started, as he heard Rude knock on his door. "I'd like everything we've discussed to stay in this room. And…" Then he put his hand on the doorknob and turned to the quiet redhead as he regarded Reno's neck with a nod. "I don't want Rufus knowing about Marcus just yet."

After that, he opened the door and motioned for Reno to follow before he called a greeting for Rude to enter.

- - -

It was originally Rude's intention to grab Reno and wring his scrawny little neck the moment he saw him. But instead, he found himself hesitating and setting his focus on the man's neck with a sudden concern before he turned his attention to Tseng and demanded. "What the hell happened to his neck?"

"I found Reno in the training room." Tseng said, like it was the truth. "Apparently, he thought he'd take the opportunity to take advantage of some of the new methods of training, and got a little overwhelmed." Then he patted Reno on the shoulder and bowed his head in a feigned shame. "I'm afraid it was my fault for showing the man too much too soon."

Trusting Tseng enough to go along what he just made up on the fly, Reno simply shrugged and hung his head in his own feigned shame before muttering out "Sorry… was'n thinkin."

Looking at them both a little sceptically, Rude simply nodded and said. "I take it you talked to him about that then?"

"Yes. I doubt Reno will be doing it again." Tseng answered, as he felt something inconspicuously go into his pocket before the redhead walked toward Rude to be escorted back to his apartment.

Then the man returned to his desk after the door closed. But before sitting down, he reached into his pocket and paled at the sight of the photo's Reno so carefully placed there.

"Leviathan." He muttered, and then he quickly doctored the surveillance of the training room to make his story believable, before leaving to go and pay Vincent a visit with his latest concern in regards to Cloud.

- - -

Two days had passed since Reno's conversation with Tseng, and he was assured that the Wutain was doing everything he could do in regards to finding the unfortunate ex-Soldier. However, it was one more thing Tseng requested to never leave his private bathroom.

"I'll let you know the second I find anything, Reno." He assured, leaving the redhead oddly comforted, but somewhat suspicious as to why he wanted to keep so many things hidden from Rufus.

But he trusted the man and felt he knew best. So, he went along with everything the Turk requested from him, including a disturbing request to play along with Ten-ji.

He felt guilty though.

Mostly because the more he got to know the aloof President, the more he found he didn't want to hide things from him. However, there was more than just Tseng's desire to keep things hidden; there was also Marcus' threat, and he took that rather seriously too.

Besides all that though, there were other things, stranger things that involved the younger President that he also couldn't put his finger on, and he found himself suddenly reflecting over certain incidences that raised even more questions.

For one, the flashes he was having back when he was with Marcus suddenly started to make a strange sort of sense to him. He wasn't really sure what he thought or felt about it, but he found himself relieved that maybe it wasn't Marcus, nonetheless.

There was also the things Marcus had said to him that never really made sense. But they were starting to in a strange sort of way, and as Reno sat on the edge of his bed in the middle of the night, he found himself unable to sleep as he played everything over in his head. He couldn't help but feel that Rufus had been inadvertently flirting with him after about a week of him being back in what was supposedly his home; another strange fact that still didn't really make a lot of sense to him, despite the explanations. Stranger still, Reno couldn't help but reflect on the fact that he may have been liking it.

Then, there was what Marcus said about not getting too close to the President. Why was that? With a strangely anxious feeling, Reno found himself muttering out "Fuck it" as he pulled a shirt off his dresser to loosely throw on so he wasn't just in his boxers and decided he'd get himself a drink.

But he found himself outside the President's door and just staring at it when it suddenly hit him that there were no Turk uniforms hanging in his own closet. Didn't they tell him he used to be a Turk? Even more curious, whose Turk uniforms were hanging in Rufus' closet? And what was with the empty dresser?

Don't be silly. He told himself, as he shook his head and started to walk toward the kitchen, before stopping in the middle of the living room to look back at Rufus' door. He couldn't possibly be…

No, that was just a silly thought. But then he found himself suddenly wondering why Cloud kissed him and he never stopped him, and the strange fight that he and Rufus had over that very same ex-Soldier.

There's an explanation… Yer jus confused… That's all…

A drink…

A drink would certainly help him to clear out his head enough to fall back into the nightmares he could never remember, that seemed to haunt him nearly every single night.

But that wasn't what he did.

Instead he found himself back at Rufus' door and tapping on it lightly. I'll jus ask him about the uniforms… That's all.

He was certain Rufus would either tell him they were his or that he simply decided to remove them from Reno's room because he wasn't a Turk anymore. Both would be a sensible explanation.

But that wasn't what he said when the tired President opened his door and stood in the frame with an almost pissed off look for having been wakened up in the middle of the night.

"Please tell me you have something important to say." Rufus said with a yawn, and brushed his hand through his hair before pulling his collar up and over the thin scars around his neck. Then he simply stood there and stared, unimpressed, at the quiet redhead who looked like he was caught in someone's headlights. "For Gaia's sake, Reno. I have an important meeting in the morning with Tjen Syn."

"We ain't friends…" Reno finally said, somewhat hesitantly and disregardful to all of Marcus' warnings, as he stared into the tired and irritated blue before him. "Are we."