Business As Usual:

Chapter 7

By Miyamashi

Miya's Note: Whoo! I'm on Chapter 7! This is definitely the fastest that I've EVER written a fanfic before. I'm really surprised at how popular this is turning out to be. Runo is a really rare couple, and, compared to other yaoi couples with the two, like RufusXTseng and RenoXRude (NOOO!), there aren't many people who like these two together. Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way! Runo FOREVER! :D

So, they finally kissed! Hurrah! Though it wasn't a very romantic smooch, per se….what will happen next?! (I'm so cheesy.) Oh, and, in case you haven't noticed, Rude talks quite a bit in this fic. I get the feeling that he, like Fujin, would talk more around close friends than he does around his enemies.

I read through the blasted fic again and noticed some typos that got through my initial proofreading. BLAST THEM! I keep using "you're" when I need to use "your". It's probably because I'm doing most of my writing at 2-3 in the morning! Of course, I'm also too lazy to correct the typos, as of now. Ah well.

To Cutter Cristoph Covens: Why, thank you! You want to make a comic out of my fanfic? REALLY?! Wow! [is honoured] If you really DO make a comic, you'll definitely have to show it to me!

To MyOwnShukuun: Thanks for the review! I'm really glad that you like it. Was this a fast enough update?

To pewp: LMAO

To Roxi: Let's BOTH hit Shinra with sticks! :D Oh, and correction, I update about every other day. LOL.

To Ezri-Candy: Let's all just get together and kill Shinra, shall we? Then, we can revive him and kill him again and again and again… I'm so glad that you like the fic!

To Mashimaro-Byul-012: Checked out your DA account, and I still need to look at those comics of yours. I'm so happy that you liked the kissy chapter, and yes, Reno needs to put a smile on Rufi's face.

To Kuro Yokai: First off, thanks for recommending my story to Ezri-Candy! That makes me feel truly honored! As for the kisses, you'll have to read and find out!

Tseng caught Reno in the hallway and stopped him to find that the redhead was walking slowly and in a daze.

"Reno, what happened? Did you find anything out?"

"…Yeah. It was the President."

"Are you sure of this?"

"Yes. Rufus told me everything." Reno fell silent and continued walking, Tseng beside him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, really."

Tseng, realizing that it would do no good to press the matter, changed subjects.

"You're quite a Turk, you know that?"

No response.

"Although you may not think it, you did a very good job on your first mission. You found the traitor in the first place, then stopped him and kept the Vice President alive. Now, you've uncovered a scandal that affects the whole company. You are a great asset to our ranks."

"…Thanks, Boss."

Tseng could hear that something was strange by the way Reno responded. It was as if his mind was in another place altogether. He could also hear a large amount of confusion in his newest Turk's voice, but he could tell that it would not be welcome for him to intrude.

"Tseng, could I take the rest of the day off? I need some time to think."

"I…of course. You've had a busy couple of days. Enjoy your rest."

"Thanks."

Reno spent the rest of the day locked in his room, eating, drinking, and smoking his way out of his thoughts. He had tried thinking already and didn't like the results. It was all too confusing, too blurred, too frightening.

Had Rufus Shinra actually kissed him? Had he actually kissed Rufus Shinra back? Even more, had he actually liked it?

Impossible. Reno was a ladies' man. Reno was a womanizer. Reno was also not stupid enough to get into a relationship with his boss…

He took another large gulp of scotch. It really wasn't working all that well.

"Why did Rufus have to go and piss his father off like that?" Reno slurred slightly drunkenly. "Is he a friggin' masochist?"

The redhead desperately wanted to get the blonde V.P. out of his head, but it seemed like the harder he tried, the more prominent his thoughts of Rufus became, and the thing that he wanted to erase from his mind most of all was the hardest to get rid of: the worry that Rufus really wasn't going to be alright.

Reno somehow felt that Rufus' lips had more to say than their words could express. When those lips had touched his, Reno felt that he had learned something secret and hidden about the man. He could feel Rufus' sadness…and he could feel that the blonde really did want to die, a fact that scared him to no end.

Yet, Reno had left him alone, and it was probably already too late. The Turk took another large gulp of scotch, emptying his bottle. He was still too sober to get rid of the thoughts. He'd have to pass out before they went away. The guilt made Reno wish that he didn't have such a high alcohol tolerance.

But Rufus wasn't dead, and he wouldn't be for quite some time. Something about Reno's words had hit a chord in him, and Rufus suddenly found himself unable to give up. He crawled onto his be and plopped down on his stomach and thought.

It had definitely been an interesting day, and he had really outdone himself in annoying his father this time.

Reno.

Rufus did have to admit that he was a bit guilty. Though his father was more angry at him than ever before, Rufus had used Reno for his personal gain. In a way he had betrayed the man who had saved his life and shown a true concern for his health.

But then, why had Reno kissed him back?

The blonde decided that thinking on it would do no good. There was nothing that he could do until the next time that he saw Reno, so why worry about it? Rufus fell into a deep slumber.

It was almost a month before the Vice President and the Turk met again. At first, this worried Reno, but, since he hadn't heard any news, good or bad, things must be going fairly normally. After all, if Rufus had died, there would surely be gossip about it, right?

Rufus recovered slowly without the doctor's care, but he recovered nonetheless. Out of sheer rage, Shinra hadn't dropped in on his son in some time, partially hoping that the injured V.P. would wither away and die after all.

So, of course, Rufus did the exact opposite. Plus, it was hard to give up when he had finally gotten a break from the man that made his life a living hell.

Once Rufus felt that he was healthy enough to return to work, he did so, calling his Turks into the office.

"I never formally got to thank each of you for a job well done," he stated, nodding to each Turk in turn. "Without each of your contributions, I would not be sitting in front of you here today."

"Reno was the one who really saved you," Tseng interjected. "I believe that he is the one that you need to thank."

"Ah, yes. Though I have already spoken to Reno on the matter, I must express that my gratitude can never be enough."

Reno sensed that this wasn't all true. He had begun to realize that Rufus was an exceptional actor when it came to covering up his emotions. Though Rufus sat behind his desk, nodding and smiling cordially and with a politeness that one could only get from being brought up in a wealthy family, Reno knew that none of it was real. It seemed as if everything that Rufus did was a front.

Rufus noticed that the redhead was looking at him strangely.

"Reno, is something the matter?" Tseng asked his comrade, causing the subject to turn with a start, breaking his gaze from Rufus' mask of a face.

"It's nothing."

"You've been saying that a lot."

"Tseng, Rude," Rufus cut in, "may I speak to Reno for a moment? I have a feeling I know what's the matter."

Rude gave a wayward glance in Reno's direction and walked out. Tseng nodded and followed, closing the door behind him. Instead of waiting patiently outside, Rude put his ear up against the door. He had noticed Reno's strange behavior and wanted to know exactly what was going on. Though Tseng objected at first, the Turk leader soon found that his curiosity got the better of him, and he joined Rude in front of the doorway.

"Reno, listen, if you think…"Rufus murmured from inside the office walls.

"Was it real, or was it just something you did to piss your father off? If it was fake, you should win an award."

"I will answer in a moment, but first, I need to know why. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about."

"Answer me first. Don't I deserve that?"

"Reno, I need you to tell me why so that I can answer you truthfully."

"…It…was to make the whole thing more realistic. I mean, if it was just you, then your father would have known that it was all a lie."

Tseng and Rude looked at each other and Rude shrugged, getting annoyed as the next part was impossible to hear as the blonde and the redhead began to whisper.

"You're lying."

"What makes you think that?"

"If you were telling the truth, you wouldn't be this close to me."

Reno looked at Rufus and realized that he had been stepping slowly closer to the man as their conversation went on. The two were then less than a foot apart. Rufus smirked.

"You're right…" Reno whispered softer than before.

"To answer your question, it was all a lie…"

Reno stepped away from the blonde.

"…until the moment that you responded to me…"

"What?" Reno mouthed.

"That's when it became real," Rufus stated in his normal tone of voice. Rude and Tseng looked at each other confusedly.

Rufus left his desk and stepped up to Reno, whispering into his ear. "Do you mind me being this close to you?"

"No…" Reno whispered in a hush, his heart pounding for a reason that he didn't want to admit. "I mind you being that far away."

"Why?"

"Because…I liked it."

"You know, I'm still alive because of you. You get to thinking a lot when you have nothing to do. That's when I realized that I didn't want to leave anymore. I wanted to experience all that you have to offer."

"Rufus…I…"

"Don't talk, Reno. Just kiss me again."

Reno's heart seemed to be trying to make an exodus from his chest as he pulled back from Rufus a little and stared into his eyes. Was this really what he wanted? Why did Rufus make him feel this way? Why did Rufus bring out so much of his primal lust?

But, for the first time since that moment in Rufus' room, Reno pushed his thoughts aside and just went with it. Rufus moaned softly into Reno's mouth as he pressed his lips against the blonde's, a sound that sent a wave of electricity through the Turk's body. Rufus pressed himself close to the thin body in front of him, running one hand down Reno's back, the other entangled in the mass of crimson hair.

Tseng and Rude pressed their ears even harder against the doorway in an attempt to hear what was going on, but Rufus and Reno were almost silent in their passion, their only sounds meant for each other alone.

Miya's Note: WHOO! …That's about all that I have to say.