A/N: Derp. This chapter his not one of my favorites. It's a little jumbled.

Warning: Sensitive material ahead.

Chapter 36

Leon had honestly thought Cloud would sleep for only an hour, maybe two. He couldn't have been more wrong. The blob of fabric Reno had brought with him the previous evening was a change of clothes; a white t-shirt and a pair of black pants. The Carrier ended up balling his old clothing up on the floor and using it as a pillow while his Charge snoozed away comfortably. Leon didn't mind at first. He could sleep just about anywhere, but after almost a full day on the floor, his joints were screaming.

He was trying to be patient. He didn't understand the full extent of Cloud's withdrawal so he couldn't get angry or annoyed because it wasn't the blonde's fault in the first place. In an effort to learn more, Leon observed closely. He noticed a pattern in the blonde's breathing that wasn't quite right. He would breathe in, there would be a slight hitch, and then he would breathe out normally. The Carrier eventually got too curious and scooted a bit closer, hoping and praying that Cloud didn't wake up. He laid his face on his Charge's chest, listening to his heart closely. In between the beats, there was a barely audible 'whoosh' sound. The Carrier doubted he could've heard it if he were human, but would've liked to have had a stethoscope to be extra certain.

He has a heart murmur, Leon concluded unhappily. He wished he had the appropriate equipment to determine the severity. Zillions of people lived with murmurs without even realizing it, but relying on his ear alone was no way to gauge if Cloud's was one of those harmless ones. It was obvious his breathing was different and uneven; Leon could only imagine the damage that had been done to the rest of him. It was a depressing thought process, but one that built his determination to get them both out of there. But before he could focus on the important things, he needed to get Cloud out of his bed. He jabbed the blonde in the side with his finger. When he didn't react, Leon tried again. And then again. He lost his patience quickly and simply slapped the blonde on the chest. Cloud snorted loudly and sat up.

"The fuck was that for?" the blonde grumped, sending Leon a searing glare. The Carrier just stared at him. It took a few seconds, but Cloud eventually realized what the problem was.

"Get out of my bed. I'm tired of sitting on the floor. My ass hurts."

"Are you sure that isn't from all the dicks you've had up there?" the blonde spat. Leon rolled his eyes. The blonde scooted out of the bed and stood on wobbly legs. He didn't know how he ended up in the bed, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. But he didn't let on that he was bothered by it and left the cell in a huff, slamming the door behind himself. Back inside, Leon groggily pulled himself in the bed and lay down with a tired sigh.

It smells like him, he noted. He squished his pillow to his nose and inhaled. It was a comforting smell. He didn't know why, exactly, but he was okay with it. He was also happy that the majority of his paltry mattress was warmed up for him. He was able to focus on the positives and ignore the throbbing pain that thumped through his face. Falling asleep had never been easier. He could get used to that.

Cloud stayed away from Leon for several days afterward. He eventually got the go-ahead to use Mako again and was quick to suck up whatever the nurse would give him. He just wanted the withdrawal to go away. He hated feeling feeble and like his heart was about to explode from his chest. The rush was immediate when he felt the needle. He let out a relieved sigh and flexed his arm a few times, coaxing the substance to spread faster. Afterward, he was sort of at odds with himself. He felt better, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to do right away. He was jittery and needed to do something. Just talking with Leon wasn't going to be enough to keep him occupied.

He decided to try and get out for a bit. Where he was going to go, he had no idea. But he had a motorcycle, and that was enough for him. Trekking his way through the compound was simple enough, but once he meandered his way through the enormous front lobby, he was stopped at the doors. Other soldiers and workers were coming and going as they pleased, and yet a pair of guards was making a sincere effort to keep him from leaving. He was quick to get angry.

"Get out of my way," he spat. One of the guards put his hand on the blonde's chest and nudged him back.

"Mr. Shinra's orders. You're not to leave," he said simply. Cloud scowled.

"Fuck that; what is he going to do? Run over my foot with his wheelchair?"

"Possibly. Then shortly thereafter he'll have his people take you out into the desert and leave you there."

"Why? What difference does it make if I leave?"

"You have a job to do."

"And a couple hours away is going to make the world fall apart?"

"Yes," the guard said flatly, nudging Cloud back more. The blonde considered starting something physical; throwing a punch or two. But he was more concerned with who Rufus Shinra thought he was. In Cloud's mind, the man had some serious balls to get in his way and prevent him from doing as he pleased. He made it his priority to confront him and stomped away and headed back upstairs. He barged into the man's office where Rufus was sitting behind his desk with the phone to his ear. There was a woman standing next to him like a statue with her arms folded behind her back.

"Where the hell do you get off thinking you have control over me and what I decide to do?" Cloud barked, making his way towards the desk. Rufus mumbled something into the telephone and placed the receiver back on its cradle. The woman rounded the desk and stood in Cloud's way. He glared at her.

"You're on loan from the military. They own you. Since I'm borrowing you, that means I have temporary ownership. Do as I say, finish your job, and then you can do what you want," Rufus explained simply.

"That's bullshit. You don't own me. Call off your dogs and let me get out before I go insane."

"And what do you plan on doing out there? There is nothing but sand."

"I didn't get that far."

"You seem to think there are things to do outside this facility; as if you were in the city. Well you're not. I can guarantee you won't find anything of interest out there so you may as well get back to work."

"What I would like to do is have a break. I spent… I don't even know how long in the infirmary and I need a bit of a morale boost. If that matters to you. Which I doubt it does," Cloud said flippantly. He looked the stone-faced woman over as she stood like a wall in front of him. He smirked. "If I could borrow her for a couple hours, that'd be enough."

"No thanks," the woman said.

"I wasn't asking you."

"No thanks," Rufus interjected.

"Then I guess I'm not asking," Cloud said arrogantly and reached out to grab the woman's arm. She sidestepped him, grabbed his wrist, and twisted the limb around until it was flattened against his back. With her free arm, she drew a pistol and pressed it to the base of his skull as she held him in place.

"Elena. Stop it. He's just and idiot. He can't help himself," Rufus said with a sigh. Cloud wrenched his arm around, yanking the woman with it. He flung her aside easily, sending her sprawling onto the office floor. He made to stalk over to her and manhandle her some more, but he was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder. He turned and came face-to-face with Rude. Reno appeared next to him with a wide smile.

"You seem uptight. Is there a problem?" the redhead asked gleefully. Cloud scowled.

"It's none of your business."

"But you're wigging out in front of my boss and assaulting my friend; I think it is my problem."

"He was just leaving," Rufus said, wheeling himself around his desk with a bit of strain. Elena stood calmly and brushed her suit back into place. Cloud looked between the three bodyguards in turn before he caught Rufus' very meaning glare. He took the hint and left angrily, slamming the door closed behind himself. There wasn't much else he could do. His only alternative to going completely insane was to go down into Leon's cell and try to get as much out of the brunette as he possibly could.

He headed off towards the stairs.

Reno was quick to excuse himself and leave Rufus' office. It was Rude's shift anyway, but now that Cloud was awake and on the loose, he needed to keep an eye out for Leon. He hurried off back to his bedroom and started weaving his way through the halls with a camera. He caught up to Cloud quickly, as the blonde was taking the long way down into the prison. He was attempting to expel as much pent up energy as possible before he met with Leon again so he could keep control of himself. He was getting tired of waking up to dead bodies.

The redhead's heart sunk a little when they got to Leon's cell. Cloud wasn't any calmer despite his best efforts and burst into the room in a rage. Leon sat up in his bed almost instantly with wide startled eyes. He then cringed and held his face in pain. Reno frowned. The blonde didn't pay any attention to the Carrier's current discomfort and immediately backhanded Leon across the face. He grabbed the brunette's shirt and shook him.

"Tell me!" he roared furiously. Leon was seeing stars again as the pain swelled in his face and took over his entire thinking space.

"T-tell you what?" he asked hesitantly. Cloud shook him harshly before dropping him back on the bed.

"I can't leave this pit until you tell me something of use! They're keeping me here like an animal when I've done nothing to deserve it. It's your fault I'm here. It's your fault I'm going insane. So now you have to fix it. Tell me something I can use so I can leave!"

"You're acting like a child," Leon muttered, massaging his face through his bandages gently. Cloud's face went from anger, to hell splitting fury at the comment and he grabbed the brunette by the throat and pulled him to his feet. He was prepared to beat the Carrier to a pulp but he stopped himself, vaguely remembering that Leon was important and he shouldn't die yet. Reno watched the scene with worried eyes, wondering how far Cloud would go and why Leon wasn't resisting.

In the russet Carrier's mind, all he could see was the damage he had caused to Seifer by retaliating. It was taking every ounce of willpower he had to not strike Cloud back. It was obvious the blonde was tweaked and not in his right mind; he wasn't deserving of punishment yet. Even if he was deserving, Leon still didn't want to hurt him. He didn't know the extent of the medical care in the prison and he wasn't willing to chance causing permanent damage to his Charge if the people there didn't have instant healing like they did in Balamb. Even as he choked on the air as it rushed back into his lungs, he didn't want to hurt anyone. He was put off by how Cloud backed away from him and just stared at him.

"You disgust me," he said simply.

"Not much I can do about that, sorry," Leon said hoarsely, pulling himself back into his bed.

"Where's your beard?" Cloud asked. The brunette furrowed his brows a bit, confused by the question.

"What beard?"

"They obviously don't let you bathe in here, so why would they let you shave? Where's your beard?"

Oh fuck, I forgot people are hairy like that, Leon told himself. On the other side of the camera, Reno had to laugh a bit. The random logical observation was amusing. His friend seemed to be at a loss with the question and stayed silent.

"Well?" Cloud asked impatiently.

"Uh… good question. I must have misplaced it. Have you seen one lying around anywhere?"

"You can't even grow a beard? It isn't enough to just look like a woman? Do you really have to go the extra mile and be one?"

"You like your women that hairy? Interesting. Remind me to try harder later. I'm making a serious effort to appeal to all of your fetishes."

"That's sick."

"No, that's dry sarcasm."

"It's still disgusting. But if you're going to put that much effort into it, I may as well take advantage, yeah?" Cloud asked rhetorically and stepped to the side of Leon's bed and shoved the Carrier to the side. He grabbed the top hem of Leon's pants and dragged him backwards towards himself. The brunette tried to cling to the mattress.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked shakily, fearing he already knew the answer. Cloud pressed his pelvis against Leon's rump and grabbed a handful of the Carrier's hair. He pulled the brunette back, forcing him to bend at an unnatural angle. He brought their face close.

"You won't give me what I want, so I'm stuck here. That means you're my only source of entertainment. Until you give me something I can use, I'm going to use you for what I want," the blonde said, his tone low and threatening. He kept hold of Leon's hair with one hand and used his free one to pull at the Carrier's pants.

"Wait! Stop for a second and think about what you're doing!" Leon said frantically, trying to worm away from his Charge. Between being pulled backwards one way and his legs being trapped between Cloud and the bed, he was going nowhere fast. He clawed at the mattress, trying to find enough friction to pull himself away.

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing, thanks. I don't need advice from a professional queer on how to do this. It all works the same, right?" the blonde replied. A swift pull broke the zipper and the button on the front of Leon's pants and they were tugged down easily. Leon's struggling doubled in force as the panic set in. Cloud let go of the Carrier's hair and Leon immediately crawled further onto the bed. He only got a few inches away before the blonde was on him again, forcing him on his knees with his face pressed to the wall above his pillow. Leon tried to get away again, but only managed to scoot forward and allow Cloud to pin his entire torso to the wall.

Leon had enough leverage to get away. He knew he did. All it would take was a quick elbow into Cloud's side and he could get away and to a point where he could defend himself properly. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was scared of hurting Cloud. It scared him so much that it kept him frozen in place, accepting whatever the blonde was going to do to him. His pride had been shot full of holes and left to die on the floor. He felt pathetic. Useless. Humiliated. Even when he heard the blonde's zipper come undone, all he could think was:

This isn't him. This isn't my Charge. This isn't Cloud.

A scream ripped out of his throat when Cloud forcibly entered him, obliterating any though processes he had. His mind couldn't focus on anything else but the pain and the heat of the blonde's breath on the back of his neck. Leon squeezed his eyes shut and kept his forehead pressed to the wall, refusing to look over his shoulder and see his Charge's face. The pain from the gash on his forehead counteracted the pain coming from behind him but the mental anguish was still there, blanking the rest of everything out and ripping his psyche to pieces.

Reno had abandoned the computer when Cloud pinned Leon to the wall. He left everything on and recording in his panic and flew out of his bedroom towards the elevator. The machine was taking entirely too long to come to his floor and he stood there for all of two seconds before he decided to gallop down the stairs. All he could think about was how he and Leon needed to leave. The pain wasn't worth the life of torture Leon would have if he took Cloud home with him after everything so far. It didn't matter if the brunette could forgive the blonde; he would still be interacting with his rapist on a daily basis. Reno couldn't understand the appeal of having Cloud after it all. Surely Leon could find someone else that didn't abuse him and would keep him happy for the rest of his life.

The redhead blew past all the security on his way through the prison halls. Everyone there knew his face but still called after him, trying to see what the problem was. He ignored them and patted his pockets for his keys when he grew closer to Leon's hall. He didn't have a huge ring of keys for every cell in the prison, but he did have a master key that unlocked just about anything in the facility. It was a useful tool to have, and he thanked Rufus' trust for every second it took him to find it amongst the rest of his keys.

A door closed loudly down the hallway and the sound made him stop running. Cloud was leaving Leon's cell. They passed one another, Reno watching the blonde walk by him casually and hating him for every step he took. The redhead waited until he couldn't see the Charge anymore before he tried Leon's door. It wasn't even locked and opened easily, something that made his stomach turn to ice. He peeked around the door into the room and found Leon on his bed, curled up in a ball, squashed into a corner. Reno's eyes fell to the smear of blood on the mattress that trailed towards his friend. The brunette didn't even acknowledge him.

"Leon?" Reno asked. The brunette hugged his knees to his chest tighter but didn't respond. The pants he had been wearing were nearly torn in half and lying on the floor. The brunette had pulled his t-shirt over his legs and was attempting to hide himself in it like a cocoon. Reno closed the door behind himself gently and scooted into bed with him. He put a hand on the brunette's back and Leon flinched away and finally looked at him. He was surprised Leon wasn't falling to pieces. The brunette wasn't crying, he wasn't hysterical, he wasn't expressive at all. He looked shaken, but blank. Reno couldn't decide which sort of reaction he preferred.

"Well...I guess we're having sex. Isn't that what you wanted?" Leon asked meekly. The redhead furrowed his brows together sadly and frowned.

"Why would you say that to me? This wasn't something I wanted to have happen."

"Sorry. Bad joke."

"How can you joke about this?"

"Because if I wasn't joking, I'd be in p—" Leon attempted but his words got caught in his throat. He cleared it. "Pieces."

"We need to get out of here."

"Not without Cloud."

"Leon it's not worth—"

"Fuck off. Don't fucking tell me it isn't worth it," Leon said angrily.

"Do you really think you can live with him after all of this?"

"I'll get over it. It doesn't matter what happens to me so long as I can have a family to go home to. If I leave, I won't have that. I won't have anything. Cloud is my family. I can't…" the brunette hesitated as he felt his eyes water some. He was trying his hardest to keep the trauma out of his voice and bury it under his determination and control, but it was immensely difficult. Far more difficult than he had anticipated. He laid his face on his knees, looking away from Reno to save some of his crippled dignity. "I can't wait another twenty years for someone else. I need Cloud."

Reno sighed and moved Leon's pillow out of the way so he could sit at the head of the bed and lean against the wall. He pulled the russet Carrier towards himself and forced him to rest his head against his chest. Leon stayed defiant and didn't react for several minutes, but eventually his dilapidated defenses crumbled and he timidly hugged Reno around his chest. The redhead pet his hair and laid his cheek against the top of his head, allowing the brunette to suck up as much comfort as he could.

"I'm going to take you upstairs with me and get you cleaned up," Reno said.

"You can't," Leon mumbled against his shoulder.

"Yeah well, I'm going to anyway."

"We'll get in serious trouble if we're caught."

"I know. I'm still taking you with me, though."

"How?"

"I'll figure something out and come back. Try to get yourself together as much as you can. Put your uniform back on and stuff. I'll be right back. I need to ask for some help," the redhead said, patting his back. Leon sat up shakily and Reno shuffled out of the bed.

"Be careful," the brunette said. The redhead nodded as he left, closing the door behind himself quietly.

Reno snuck back up to his living quarters as quietly as he could. He tiptoed through the halls and quickly darted past doors in an effort to be as nonintrusive as possible. The guards he passed on the way raised eyebrows in question but he ignored them and they stayed quiet. He also didn't see Cloud at any point. Which was fine by him; he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from beating the blonde's face in. He went into his apartment and closed the door. He turned around and abruptly yelled in surprise when he saw Rude standing in the living room with his arms crossed over his chest. Apparently Rude had done some investigating. Leon's computer was sitting on the coffee table and Reno could see Leon getting dressed like he was told.

"You mind telling me what the fuck is going on?"

"I thought you were with Rufus. It's your shift."

"I got Tseng to cover for me. I saw you run past the office like your pants were on fire and it worried me. Tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing new. It's more of the same, but things are progressing into bad territory. Leon and I need to get out of here. Leon, because he can't take much more, and me, because I'm going to help him do it."

"And what? You were just going to leave me here?"

"…I never got the impression you were all that excited to leave."

"I considered it."

"Y-you did? And?" Reno asked hopefully.

"I still have questions."

"I would be worried if you didn't. But if you need to talk to me, that's totally cool, but I really need to get Leon up here."

"I know. I heard you," Rude said, pointing to the computer. "What happened to him?"

"Cloud… got a little carried away. He um… he raped Leon."

"…Oh. Wow, that's not what I was expecting."

"So you understand. I want to get him up here so he can get cleaned up and hide out for a bit."

"You're asking a lot, Reno."

"I know I am. If you want to go hang around somewhere else so you don't get in trouble, I'll understand."

"No, I'm going to help you."

"Really?" Reno asked, a bit of relief washing over him. Rude nodded. Reno beamed. "You're the best friend ever. I'll have to buy you a drink or something."

"Just answer my questions eventually and I'll be satisfied."

The half-baked plan was basically that of diversion. Reno and Rude snuck back downstairs to the prison proper and convinced the guards that Mr. Shinra had given them a break. It wasn't very hard to do; the guards seemed rather bored anyway. Rude stood watch at the end of the hall while Reno went and retrieved Leon. They all snuck back upstairs, Reno and Rude taking turns scouting ahead and waiting for people to clear out so they wouldn't be seen. The amount of staff wandering around was sparse as it was getting late in the day and most of them were returning to the city and their homes. Once back at the apartment, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

Leon was quiet the entire time. Reno ushered him into the bathroom and shoved an armful of fluffy towels in his face. He then helped the brunette remove his bandages as gently as possible. The cut had started bleeding again with Cloud's abuse but it was a slight trickle and nothing much to worry about. The scabbing had solidified more and seemed a bit more stable. All positive signs, but nothing that would make it all go away anytime soon. The scar would last the rest of Leon's life. The russet Carrier refused to look at himself in the mirror and nudged Reno away when they were finished with his bandages.

"You don't want any help?" Reno asked.

"With showering? No thanks. I don't need a mother to wash my ass for me," Leon grumped. The redhead scowled but left anyway. He did agree it seemed sort of stupid to try and baby his friend, but he couldn't help himself. He still felt that everything was his fault. He waited until Leon was in the shower before he went back in the bathroom and stole the brunette's clothing so he could wash it. He dumped it all in the laundry with what seemed like twenty tons of soap and went to flop onto the couch.

"How is he?" Rude asked, sitting across from the redhead.

"I can't tell. Logic tells me he's bottling it up and being unhealthy about it, but my Leon-sense is telling me he's just being a hardass. Either way, none of it is good," Reno sighed, slouching in his seat and rubbing his face. "This is all my fault."

"You can't blame yourself for this. There was no way this was your intention."

"It wasn't, but if I hadn't butted in, they may have met on better terms."

"Or Leon could've become a prisoner and died here without making any progress," Rude said. Reno didn't have a response and stayed silent. His Charge stood from his seat and came to sit next to him. He patted the redhead's shoulder.

"So what did you have questions about?" Reno mumbled. Rude shrugged.

"I wanted to know what would happen to my parents if I left? Would they even know?"

"I'm told that the people the Charges knew during their life would forget them."

"Charges?"

"Right. Sorry. You're my Charge. Or, supposed to be. In my perfect world anyway."

"So what does that make you?"

"I'm a Carrier. I'm not prepared to get into much more detail than that. You wouldn't understand any of it until you came to my world with me."

"Okay so… I'd be forgotten."

"Yes. They wouldn't know who you were, and all evidence you ever lived would be gone. They wouldn't grieve over you because you never existed to them. It'd be a clean slate."

"Okay. That sounds better than what I thought would happen."

"Which was?"

"That they would eventually think I was killed or something."

"Yeah. Forgetting is better," Reno said.

"It's not like I've talked to them in the last two years."

"Well, who knows what they're thinking? I wouldn't worry about it if you plan on coming with me. It'd ultimately be irrelevant."

"Yeah…" Rude trailed thoughtfully. "And you said that you'd be taking me away from the war? Does that mean your world isn't at war?"

"That's right. There was a really big one a long time ago that blasted everything to smithereens so now everyone is focused on trying to work together to fix it. There hasn't been a war since then. In a sense, it's a good thing. The fighting stopped, but it took the sacrifice of just about everything else to make it happen. Leon and I are part of the effort to make everything better."

"And if I went with you, I would be a part of it too?"

"Yes."

"No war?"

"No war."

"And you're not lying to me?"

"Never."

"Do I get to punch you if you are?"

"I'll hand you a gun so you can shoot me."

There was a long pause between them.

"Okay," Rude said. Reno blinked a few times and stared at him wordlessly.

"W… Was that an 'okay' like…"

"Like I'm going with you? Yes."

"Don't joke about this."

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"Yes!" Rude insisted, furrowing his brows together, his patience starting to dry up. Reno stared at him, his mouth hanging open a bit in quiet disbelief. He was in such shock that he couldn't feel his fingertips. His throat was dry and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He stayed frozen in place for several minutes, unable to think of anything to say. The pent up energy eventually became too much and he abruptly threw himself on his Charge, hugging him around his neck. Rude let out a startled yell and didn't make an effort to hug him back, but didn't push him away.

"You've made me the happiest tatanka ever!" he squealed.

"Ta—what?" Rude asked confusedly.

"Never mind! AH! You've made me so happy, I could strangle you," the redhead spewed, yanking his Charge around and rolling on the couch as much as he was able.

"Please stop," Rude said flatly as he was twisted around as Reno tried to force him to roll around with him. The redhead released him and flailed around in his spot, nearly kicking his Charge in the face. He flopped off the side of the couch and bolted into the bathroom, letting out a loud excited laugh. Leon, in response, screamed in surprise. There was a loud 'slap' that followed and Reno quieted immediately.

"Don't fucking do that to me!" the brunette roared. The volume reverberated off the walls, making the mirror above the sink shake. Reno's ears started to ring and he flinched away.

"Holy shit! You don't have to bust my eardrums!" the redhead cried, covering his ears. The shower curtain had been flung open and a very pink and very pissed off Leon glared daggers into Reno's face, which had a large red spot forming on the cheek. The brunette shut the curtain again angrily, returning to his steam filled bubble.

"Get out," he said, his voice calmed considerably. Reno stuck a finger in his ear and shook it around, trying to get the ringing to stop.

"Sorry, I forgot. Rude agreed to come with me and I got a little too excited."

"Yeah, I noticed," Leon grumbled. Reno noticed how his hair was sticking to his forehead and he scowled, fanning his face a bit.

"How hot do you have the water on? Damn. It's like a sauna in here."

"Get out," Leon repeated. Reno used a finger to move the shower curtain just enough to see inside. The brunette was crouched down with his arms around his legs, staring blankly at the floor while the water scalded his back. The redhead frowned but didn't protest anymore and headed for the door.

"If you're not out in twenty minutes, I'm coming back. Don't pass out," he said and closed the door behind himself. He sighed a bit and went to go sit with Rude again. "Sorry for freaking out. I had myself convinced you weren't coming with me. I'm glad I was wrong."

"It was an impressive display for someone who's supposedly in their forties," Rude said. Reno laughed.

"Maturity? What's that?"

"It's overrated is what it is. Everyone gets stupid when they're overly happy. It's fine."

"You are such an anomaly in this world, you know that? You're way too understanding. I think it's awesome."

"My parents raised me right."

"Lucky me," Reno said with a wide smile.

"When do we leave?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. I was hoping to stick around until Leon figures out what he's doing, but once that's all settled and we leave here, I couldn't say when we could actually go back to my world. The door between yours and mine only opens every six years so once we leave Midgar, we may have to wait elsewhere for a little while. But it's okay. We have a place."

"I see. You don't have a limit as to how long you can stay here?"

"Not specifically. But we do need to get back so we can start rebuilding so it's best not to have too much idle time."

"Okay. One more question? It's something that's been bugging me for a while."

"Sure."

"You said before that you'd 'figure out what to do with yourself later' when you first told me about everything. What did you mean by that?" Rude asked. Reno looked down at his hands and picked at his fingers a bit.

"I honestly don't know if I want to tell you about that. I also said that I don't want to make you do something that you don't want to do. If I tell you what I meant, you might feel obligated, and that's pretty much the same thing as forcing you into it. But at the same time, the details were never really a concern for me in the past so you shouldn't worry about it. It's okay," the redhead lied. It wasn't okay. Part of him wanted to tell his Charge about the legalities surrounding Carriers and their relationships and guilt Rude into giving him what he wanted; but he knew it wasn't right. Rude didn't press him for it and a comfortable silence passed between them for several minutes.

"Are you going to have Leon go back to his cell? He probably should. Someone's bound to notice he's missing."

"I was hoping to have him sleep here for the night. He can have my bed; I'll take the couch."

"Still doesn't change the 'noticing' situation."

"I know. That's why I'm hesitant. I'll figure it out," Reno said, reaching forward and taking up Leon's computer from the coffee table. The camera was still focused in on the empty room and he poked at the machine idly, trying to occupy himself.

Leon's twenty minutes passed and the redhead barged into the bathroom again like he said he would. The brunette was out of the shower though, and standing at the sink with a towel around his waist, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked awful. Thin, pale, unhealthy, miserable. The miserable part wasn't anything new, but coupled with the rest of it made for a very pathetic and beaten package. Reno tried not to pay attention to his friend's ribs that were starting to show and went to him. He shooed the brunette away from the cabinet and stooped to dig under the sink. He produced a toothbrush that was still in the packaging and handed it to him. Leon got the idea and started brushing his teeth.

"I smell like I just rolled out of a giant flower," he grumbled when he was finished. He scratched his arm. His entire body was itchy from the fragrances in the soap.

"Believe it or not, it's the least offensive soap we could find at the store. But I have stuff for the itch," Reno said, taking Leon's wrist and leading him towards his bedroom. He closed the door and went to retrieve a bottle of unscented lotion and handed it off. Leon uncapped it and deposited a blob in his hand.

"So how did you get Rude to accept?" he asked, smoothing the cream over his arms.

"The war was a big deal for him, which I didn't realize. Getting away from it seemed to be a decent motivator. I didn't think he was all that bothered by it since he's not an active part of it, but he is; enough that he's willing to leave everything behind to get away from it, apparently."

"I can't tell if Cloud is bothered by anymore it or not. I'd like to think he's unhappy here and would like something different, but he's high half the time so I can't really gauge what he truly thinks," Leon said, handing the bottle to Reno and turning his back to him, giving the clear indication that the redhead was to assist him. Reno took the hint and squirted a glob directly on the brunette's skin, making Leon twitch and look over his shoulder at him with a glare. The redhead grinned and started to work the lotion in.

"I make Rude do this for me all the time. There's something to be said about the strength of companionship when you can get your non-gay friend to squirt lotion on your gay self and not have him be bothered when you get a bit of a boner while he's rubbing your back. Or maybe he just doesn't notice."

"That's awkward, Reno," Leon sighed. Reno chuckled.

"But I wouldn't be me if I didn't make you feel weird every now and again."

"It's how I know you're happy."

"The smiles aren't enough of a clue?"

"Anyone can fake a smile."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I'm a terrible liar."

"…You're so depressing."

"Sorry. I had a bad day," Leon huffed. Reno frowned and slid his hands around to the brunette's front and hugged him tightly from behind.

"I know. But I can help. Your uniform is in the wash, and we have some decent food you can eat. If you want to stay the night, you can have my bed. But we'd have to get up really early and get you back to your cell so we don't get our asses handed to us."

"…Thank you."