A/N: This scene was originally part of chapter 26 of Memory's Struggle, but I moved it here so I could keep the teen rating for the main fic.


"Vincent."

"Sir. We arrived in Corel a few hours ago. Everybody made it there in one piece, as promised."

"And?" Rufus asks as he runs his fingertips idly through the beads of sweat that had already started to form on Tseng's back. Vincent may be one of the best, but Rufus can still tell that he's hiding something.

"I may have relieved Johnson of his… johnson, sir."

Johnson of his…? Rufus groans – and not because he and Tseng are still coupled. "Vincent, never make a joke again."

"My apologies, sir – " he doesn't sound sorry in the slightest " – But aren't you going to ask why I emasculated him?"

"Please enlighten me."

Vincent starts to speak again – "The boy showed no remorse, sir…" – but Rufus finds his attention pulled away as Tseng shivers and squirms beneath him, one of his eyes peeling open in a silent plea for Rufus to move. Whether to find some friction or relief, Rufus doesn't know, though Tseng must be oversensitive by now. Rufus had been lodged firmly against the man's sweet spot since his phone rang.

Rufus won't deny it, Tseng does look so pretty stretched out before him like this, his left arm pillowing his head, the gloved fingers of his right hand still spread across the desk from where Rufus had his own twined not a moment ago. He's almost tempted to give the man what he wants, to let his lack of self-control slide. But Tseng was better than this.

Besides, he was still being punished for being so thoroughly outwitted by a child.

Holding the speaker of his phone to his chest, Rufus gives Tseng a sharp pinch to his thigh and whispers a warning, "Behave, Tseng. I'm not done with you yet." While he doesn't hear Tseng's answering moan, he certainly feels it from where they are still connected. But even in his wanton state, Tseng is still exceptionally obedient, the man's squirming coming to a complete and total stop as Rufus places his phone back to his ear. "My apologies, Vincent. Could you repeat that?"

"…The boy showed no remorse, sir." Rufus can hear the question in Vincent's voice as he begins anew, but luckily the man doesn't press. "As soon as he thought Reeve and I were gone, he immediately started plotting what he would do to Cloud once he got his hands on him. His friends were wise enough not to align themselves with him, so he was alone when I returned to remind him that there are eyes and ears everywhere."

"Good."

"Sir?"

He's sure Vincent must be at least mildly surprised at his lack of concern – he had insisted that the delinquents not be harmed further after all. But that was before and this was now. Things had changed. Especially with the bully planning to harm Cloud again. "After what that delinquent tried to do, he doesn't deserve to remain in one piece."

There's a pause on the other end of the line and Rufus just knows that the Turk is analyzing everything available to him – Rufus's words, his tone, the predatory edge to his voice (more predatory than usual). "Have you been talking with Cid?"

"How so?" Rufus's fingers dance across the canvas that is Tseng's body, up his thigh, over his hip, across his back once more, as he waits for Vincent to answer.

"Cid is convinced that you and Cloud are related. You have always been rather… protective – " he can almost hear the 'possessive' that Vincent clearly wants to say " – of those you consider yours. The Turks, for example." Rufus twitches as a smirk seeps into the man's voice. "Some of us more than others."

Rufus narrows his eyes, his fingers pausing in their mapping of Tseng's body. "You know."

"I pride myself on being more observant than Reno." Rufus snorts – he could certainly agree with that. He had left Reno in charge of clean-up after everybody else had left. The poor man had thought that he was being punished for making fun of Cloud – "Sorry, Boss…" – he hadn't realized that Rufus was just dying to peel the suit off of Tseng. Lord Godo could wait, Rufus has had a hell of a morning. "You are already somewhat protective of Director Lazard. I would assume that that… instinct would just be multiplied for a younger brother."

Tseng stares back at him, the one eyebrow that Rufus can see raised as if in question. Well, he supposes he could let the man know what Vincent had figured out. Wrapping a hand around Tseng's body, Rufus palms him under the desk, smirking as the man lets out a strangled groan.

"My apologies again, Vincent. Hold that thought. We've had quite the commotion here today." Not even waiting for a response, Rufus puts the man on hold and places the phone back on his desk. Leaning over Tseng once more, he deliberately shifts closer, savoring in how ragged Tseng's breathing becomes.

His eyes hold Tseng's own as he twirls a lock of long black hair around his fingers and kisses it. "I won't lie, Tseng, I do love the sounds you make." As if on instinct, Tseng moans again – from this close, Rufus hears as well as feels it, even with how soft and breathy it is. "But I need you to be quiet now."

"Sir…?"

Brushing Tseng's hair over his shoulder and out of the way, Rufus nibbles the lobe of his ear. "We have all afternoon. It's not nearly time for you to break yet."

"Sir?!"

"Besides, how can I talk to Lord Godo if you're making so much noise?"

"S-Sir!"

Rufus chuckles as he pushes himself back up – he so did love to rile Tseng up. Winking at the man, he reminds him, "Remember, Tseng – you need to be quiet." And he grabs his phone again, taking the other Turk off of hold. "Vincent. Where were we?"

"…Am I interrupting something, sir?"

Smirking down at Tseng, Rufus answers, "Not at all. I have all afternoon." From the glare Tseng sends his way, Rufus knows the man will have his revenge with Rufus's body later.

Good.

"Though I do have to say, Vincent, you missed all the fun today."

"Fun, sir?"

"Heidegger tried to kill me this morning." Tseng tenses under him, the man undoubtedly reliving everything that had happened that day. "If it wasn't for Cloud, we might have had more than just a dead Director on our hands."

"…Cloud?"

Oh, the poor dear. He hadn't been able to hide the slight intake of breath or stop the hope from creeping into his tone. It definitely was amazing the effect that Cloud had on everybody. Though, Rufus begrudgingly admits that perhaps he has to add himself to that list as well now. "Cloud remembers. He was the one who told me that we might be brothers."

"That's… that's good to hear."

"Yes, it is. Though, Vincent, I do have to ask – just what all did you teach Yuffie?"


A/N:

- This was my first time writing anything like this, so I hope it worked out well for everybody!

- Credit for the "Johnson loses his johnson" joke goes to my beta reader. (Johnson wasn't named for the joke, it just turned out to be a wonderful coincidence.)

- This was originally written as just Rufus and Vincent talking, but then inspiration struck. I asked my beta reader if I should keep it as is or if Rufus should have Tseng bent over his desk. Her response: "You broke me with your Rufus question..."