Yazoo winced as Loz lowered him to his own bed gently. The marks on his back stung and he was sore and aching, Loz pulled the blankets up around him and took the bloody sheet from him. He went into the bathroom and Yazoo could hear him start a bath. Yazoo tried to relax against the bed, he didn't feel the same burning shame with Loz that he did with the others. Loz and he had been through to much for there to be room for such a thing.
But when Yazoo had seen Reno come into the room and seen the knowledge of what Rufus had done dawn on his face he had had to look away. He couldn't face his lover right now and certainly didn't want anything to do with any of the other Turks either.
"Can you walk?"
Loz had come back and was offering him his arm to stand. Yazoo reached up and gingerly swung his legs over the side of the bed, when he went to stand the pain seared through his spine and Loz just picked him up again. The water he was put into was warm and soothing. It stung where the skin was raw but only for a moment. Yazoo leaned his head against the cold tile and closed his eyes. He knew Loz was sitting on the floor close by.
"Was this the only time this happened?"
Yazoo didn't open his eyes. Let everything be dark, maybe he wouldn't see the scene play again that way.
"No"
He wouldn't lie to Loz. Not when despite all the hurt and embarrassment and the voice in his head screaming for him to just run and hide there was something beneath it all that wanted someone, anyone, to know the truth.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Loz's voice was hurt, Yazoo knew he would be. But wouldn't it have been worse if they would have been forced and hunted?
"He told me that if anyone found out it would go badly. He threatened to kill Reno and have us hunted down for it, not only by Shinra but AVALACHE as well. I couldn't tell you, I didn't want that for us." Now his reasoning sounded flawed even to him. Yazoo sighed, he knew he had been wrong. But at the time it just couldn't see a way out.
Loz turned towards him and Yazoo felt his large hand stroke his face gently. "Don't ever do something like that again. If someone hurts you I want to know, no matter what the cost."
Yazoo nodded. "It seems silly now. I don't know how I got trapped like that."
Loz kissed his forehead. "Never again."
Reno hadn't known what to think when Loz had told him that Yazoo didn't want to see him. Everything was in chaos and Tseng was nowhere to be found. Elena and Rude were trying to figure out whether they were supposed to cover for Tseng or chase him down.
Reno didn't care. He wanted to see Yazoo and his anxiety hadn't eased one bit when Loz had come and told him that Yazoo was sleeping and had agreed to see him when he woke up. Loz had told him the story of Rufus threatening Yazoo with his death if he told anyone. It only made Reno want to find Tseng and bitch him out for shooting the bastard before he got the chance to make him suffer for it.
He didn't have to go looking far, Tseng entered Rufus's old office, where the Turks had gathered, a grim look on his face. The room fell silent and Tseng spoke.
"In the event of the Presidents death, ownership of the company is passed down to the next highest executive, being myself. I in turn have begun the process of making Shinra into a publicly owned endeavor, I have asked Reeve if he would oversee the change." Tseng took a deep breath and the façade of the ever in control Director faded.
"I guess I owe you all an explanation. I acted out of jealousy and betrayal. I'm sure you can all draw your own conclusions as to the nature of the relationship between the President and I. I am stepping down as leader of the Turks. As for the rest of you, Reeve had agreed to keep all of you as employees, although your job descriptions would change rather drastically. But there is also another option, consider it a kind of retirement. Paid leave, until you either decide to return to Shinra as an executive or join the lifestream."
The silence continued as the three absorbed the information. It seemed too much. Shinra was gone. There was no longer a need for Turks or hired guns, Jenova or mako. It was over, for real this time. Reno cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. Tseng was just watching them all blankly.
"I think all of us need a little time to think that one over Chief." Tseng just nodded. "Take your time, call me on my cell when each of you make your decision. And for the record, you were all exceptional agents."
The three Turks saluted the Director and Reno felt a pang knowing that it would be the last time he would ever do so.
Reno grinned as the lock he was picking clicked and the door opened. Quietly he snuck into the brothers apartment. The shades were all drawn and the dim light made him pause to adjust his eyes. He opened the door to Loz's room where he could make out two figures on the bed. Loz was curled around Yazoo protectively in his sleep. Reno went to Loz's side and tapped his arm to wake him.
Loz was awake quickly and frowned up at Reno. "Please, I just want to talk to him. If he tells me to leave I will, but I cant wait anymore."
Loz sighed at the pleading tone in Reno's voice and got up out of bed and left the room grumbling something about crazy redheads and sleep.
Reno toed of his shoes and climbed into bed behind Yazoo, wrapping an arm around the clones waist and pulling him close. Yazoo shifted and groaned deep in his throat, he was clothed in a black long sleeved shirt and a pair of Loz's black pajama pants. He couldn't see any of the marks accept for one on his pale throat but Reno could tell from the way his lover moved that he was in pain.
Anger rose and Reno had to fight to push it aside. Yazoo didn't need that now. Softly he pushed silver strands out of Yazoo's eyes and then gently stroked his cheek to wake him. The clone came around slowly, as if he had taken something that made him drowsy.
"Hey beautiful" Reno whispered.
"Hey" Yazoo replied softly, but he wouldn't meet Reno's eyes.
"I love you"
That made Yazoo look up. "Don't think that this changes that. I feel like shit for not being able to do anything sooner. I wish I could have protected you. Don't think that this was your fault, or feel ashamed or-" Reno stopped. Yazoo had moved closer to him until he was pressed flush against him, his face buried in his chest.
The Turk wrapped his arms around his lover and held him close, careful not to hurt him but still holding him tight. Yazoo sighed and relaxed. "Its like I can still feel him. Erase it Reno… please…"
At first he was at a loss as to what Yazoo wanted, so he started with something simple. Reno kissed him gently, softly, with a slow smoldering passion. He worked his way down Yazoo's jaw and neck, pausing over the bruises Rufus had left and giving them special attention with swipes of his tongue and feather light kisses.
Every angry red welt, every mark from Rufus's nails and every bruise from his abuse was kissed and caressed as Reno did his best to try and overshadow the memory of them. Yazoo had been tense at first but he was slowly becoming languid and calm beneath Reno's ministrations. Slowly and as unthreatening as he could Reno reached to stroke Yazoo through the soft cotton pants. The clone tensed again and Reno whispered in his ear telling him to relax and that it would be okay.
Loz hadn't been able to fall back asleep after Reno had woken him. He couldn't shake the memory of feeling what was going through Yazoo's mind as Rufus did what he had done. Loz didn't want to think about it but his mind wouldn't focus on anything else. He had gotten a small bit of satisfaction from breaking the bastards arm but he had wanted to do so much more…
But Rufus was dead. Killed by his own people, his own lover apparently. It was over and done with. So why were his fists clenched against the railing of one of the outside walkways as he stared into the night sky? He was almost shaking with anger at something that he would never be able to do a damn thing about. Yazoo was his little brother, just like Kadaj was, and he hadn't been able to protect either of them.
"You seem like you could use a distraction."
Loz turned to see Elena coming towards him, two cups of something in her hands. She handed him one and he took a swallow, feeling liquor warm his throat.
"How is Yazoo?"
Loz shrugged. "He'll be up again in a few days."
Elena sighed. "I know he'll recover physically. How is he otherwise?"
Loz looked at her sharply then softened his gaze. It wasn't Elena's fault this had happened. "I don't know, I'm hoping Reno can do something. I'm not very good with things like this, Kadaj was much better at reading Yazoo than I am."
"I think you do a fine job, or at least he thinks you do. It was obvious when we first found him alone to when we found you. He seemed… more sure of himself with you there." Elena thought back to the lost look in Yazoo's eyes when he had been trying to escape when they had first found him, then the determined gaze that he had gotten when Loz had broken through the wall to get to him.
"Maybe he shouldn't be. Its not like I did him much good when this happened." Loz finished off his drink, trying to hide the guilt and self deprecation in his voice. Elena gave him a small smile and looked past Loz at the lights of Healin Lodge.
"Yazoo made his own choice, and Rufus could be very good at manipulating people. You did everything you could. Don't beat yourself up over this when he needs you now."
Loz met her eyes, "it seems like you've been there."
Elena nodded. "When we thought that Sephiroth had killed Tseng, I blamed myself for things I couldn't help and because of it I almost missed opportunities that came up to help him. If it hadn't been for Reno then we may have never found him alive."
Loz looked away. He knew she was right. But there was a part of him that wouldn't feel right again until he knew without a doubt that Yazoo would be alright again. There had been an empty look in his brothers eyes that he had only seen before in the labs. He had hoped to never see it again and it had scared him to see it now.
But what good would him standing here worrying do? Reno was with him now and he could offer a comfort that Loz couldn't. But the Turk couldn't be there all the time, and Loz knew that there were some things that Yazoo would share only with him. Yes, his brother needed him now, maybe more than ever.
"Thank you"
Elena looked up at him, a question on her face. "I mean for the advice, Thank you." Loz smiled at her as she nodded. When Loz had first seen Elena he had mistaken her for weak and more than a little inept. He saw now just how wrong he was, she was confident with herself despite the fact that her current world had just taken a drastic blow and was even able to help him despite the worries she must have.
"You don't have to thank me, I like Yazoo, he's not such a bad guy and he's even gotten Reno to become a little more levelheaded. Speaking of him, I left the bottle of this in the break room so I'd better go get it before he finds it and it disappears. Join me?" Elena had turned back towards the building and was looking at him over her shoulder.
Loz raised an eyebrow at her but followed.
Black terror and something that felt like mental nails on a chalkboard was the only thing he could remember as Yazoo woke with a start. He felt arms around him and warm skin against his as Reno pulled him closer.
"You okay?" Reno's breath tickled his ear. Yazoo nodded and turned over to face him.
"Morning."
Reno just grunted at him, his eyes closed as the small rays of sunlight pushed their way through the blinds.
"What's happening to the Turks? To Shinra?" Trust Yazoo to get down to business first thing in the morning. Reno yawned and stretched, trying to get his brain into working order.
"Tseng's having Reeve make Shinra Company publicly owned. The Turks can either stay and have boring jobs as people working at a power plant, or we can be paid off for the rest of our lives, including you and your brother. Not a bad deal really, it might be nice to retire." Reno hadn't given the matter much thought but honestly, who in their right mind needed to? Despite the companies downfall it was still rich, Rufus had barely tapped its resources so far making him pretty sure that he would be pretty well taken care of.
"Tseng?"
Reno winced. "Tseng has stepped down as head of the Turks. Technically that would leave me in his place."
"But without Shinra, there aren't any Turks." Yazoo was resting on his chest looking up at him, Reno put his hands behind his head to help him look down.
"Not necessarily. The Turks were a mercenary group before they became a part of Shinra. The Turks were here before Shinra so I'm willing to bet they'll stick around afterwards." Reno didn't know what the hell they would do if Rude and Elena agreed, there wasn't exactly a huge demand for assassins these days anymore. But hey, once the government got up and running again, politicians started coming back and all that mess, they would be back in business.
"Can we take a break?" It was so soft that he wasn't sure he had heard it. Then when he realized what had been said he wasn't sure if he understood.
"A break?"
Yazoo nodded, the motion sending strands of silver across his face. "Just for a little while. Some place calm, without people, without Shinra or Jenova or anything like that."
Reno understood now and he sat up, forcing Yazoo to move with him. He took the clones face in his hand and pushed away the obscuring hair. "Yeah, lets take a break."
It had started out innocently enough. Just a few drinks between friends and talking about the future that seemed like it was pressing down on them expectantly. Loz still couldn't pinpoint exactly where in the whiskey induced haze things had taken a turn but as he opened his eyes to see Elena lying next to him in her bed, covered in nothing but her red satin sheet he couldn't complain.
Closing his eyes Loz reached out for Yazoo, he found his brother in a warm ball of something very much like satisfaction and relief. The thoughts were disjointed but made him smile nonetheless.
Reno….warm, someplace in the mountains. Far from Edge and Midgar…. Morning Loz. Gonna take a vacation…..love you….wait what the? Elena?
Loz cut the contact off abruptly. He wasn't sure what Yazoo felt or saw or heard through their connection but he didn't want to invade Elena's privacy, and from the quick withdrawal on Yazoo's part as well he bet his brother didn't want to either.
Morning light peeked through the curtains and for once in a long time Loz had a feeling that things might finally be alright.
Rude was staring on what had to have been his tenth beer, he wasn't sure what time it was since the black out curtains they had didn't allow for such a thing. It was painfully obvious to him that the walls between the apartments were not as thick as he had previously thought. While the sounds of the activities of his coworkers came around him in stereo Rude took a look in the mirror, a long one, without sunglasses and all.
In the end the only conclusion that he could come to was this.
This was really fucking sad.
It wasn't quite self pity, Rude knew that there were plenty of women out there who would enjoy a bit of his cough time. He wasn't being arrogant, just honest, but he wasn't looking for a senseless fuck in an alleyway or a one night romp with a wall market girl. The sounds around him quieted and he went to grab another beer from the fridge, wishing for once that they had something much stronger.
Rude downed the bottle in a few swallows and with a resigned sigh made his way to his own empty bedroom. Something on the nightstand caught his eye. A bright yellow post it note with loose scrawl across it stared up at him.
Thought this might come in handy for ya.
Tifa- 480710623
Rude stared at the note for a long time.
A very long time.
Rude pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.
AN- No this is not the last chapter, there will be an epilogue. Although this is very close to the end. Sorry guys, as much as I love the story it cant go on forever. Although I must say that I have loved the reviews and the support this story got, it was awesome and I thank everyone from the bottom of my little black heart.
ANN- And as always, if you want the full Yazoo/Reno smut you must go my livejournal. phoenixdash647 (With the dash peoples!)
