Business As Usual

Chapter 13: Remembrance

By Miyamashi

Miya's Note: Oh, goody! This chapter for the most part goes back to the story's earlier tone! Though there are serious parts some portions are very silly, and the chapter in general has a lighter tone than the last few have. The whole chapter revolves around a midnight conversation between Reno and Rufus, and I'm sure you know how those can get. When your brain's not functioning properly, you say some silly things.

The most ironic thing about this chapter is that it's the only one that was written in broad daylight. The rest were done in the middle of the night!

Sorry, reviewers, but my little tradition for this fic of replying to all of my reviewers has to stop. These little intros are getting too drawn out with all of the replies. Don't worry. I'll still answer questions and the like, but I won't be replying to EVERYONE's reviews.

"Rufus," Reno whispered to the blonde's back on the bed beside him.

Rufus' back didn't respond.

"Rufus," Reno whispered more harshly.

Rufus grunted, and his hand waved dismissively at the redhead.

"Rufus, I can't sleep."

"Do you have to take it out on me?" groaned the blonde, pulling the sheet over his head.

"But I'm bored, and I wanted to talk to you."

Without flipping over, Rufus reached back out of the covers and smacked Reno in the face.

"Hey, listen, Rufus. I've been thinking, and there's some stuff I want to talk to you about."

"Can't it wait 'til morning?"

Reno went silent. There was a moment of stillness before Rufus flipped over with a grunt.

"What do you want?" asked the blonde with an impatient sigh.

"…Nothing. It's not that important."

"Reno, don't piss me off any more. I'm already awake. Just tell me."

"I just thought you should know about my past," Reno said, sitting up and resting back against the Vice President's headboard.

"What brought that up?"

"I dunno. I was just thinking a lot, and I guess it's because you've told me some stuff and you don't know anything about me."

Rufus sat up and looked intently (albeit a bit annoyedly) at the redhead. "…Alright then. I'm listening."

"I really don't remember my parents," the Turk started. "I was still a kid when my mom O.D.d on something. I don't know what it was. I was too little. I just remember finding the empty bottle that she had dropped."

"Then we both lost our mothers."

"Yeah, but my dad didn't stay either. He committed suicide a little after my mom died."

"So, you were an orphan."

Reno nodded. "I took the little money my parents left behind and tried to escape from the slums."

"What sector did you live in?"

"Sector 7."

Rufus' voice became very quiet. "What's it like down there?"

"Just like it is on the plate, but dirtier. I fount that out when I got out of there. Imagine my surprise when I realized that, even though the houses are nicer and the air's a little cleaner, the people are exactly the same. That's why I wasn't all that disappointed when they caught me and threw me back in the slums."

Rufus leaned back against the headboard, and the green mako light from outside highlighted his features, which were arranged into an expression of remarkable empathy--a very rare sight, indeed.

"I joined a gang of teenage hackers," Reno continued. "Even though they were older than me, I picked up on computers fast and was the first to learn how to break into Slum Security. We dreamed, just like everyone else, of making it into Soldier, so we took fake names (which is when I became Reno) and made fake I.D.s that we used to sneak up in the train and get into the Shinra building. I was the only one who didn't get caught. The rest were killed. I saw it."

Rufus nodded solemnly. "What was your real name?"

"Zelig Morrison."

"Zelig?"

"Yeah, but that name doesn't really mean anything to me. I'm Reno Kiribani now."

"So you went from having an interesting, unusual name to one that sounds like something a stripper would use?"

The green mako light showed Reno as he glared at Rufus.

"So, you got into SOLDIER after escaping from the slums?" asked the blonde.

"Yeah."

"You must really trust me to tell me information that could get you killed."

"I do."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or to call you an idiot."

"Hey, you did all that crap to save me before, so I don't think I have to worry about you getting me killed."

"Point." Rufus smirked. "Or, I could just be weird like that." The smirk turned mischievous.

"Stop it! You get creepy when you do that," Reno hissed. "You always do something strange when you get that look."

"Oh, I do, do I?"

"Yeah, like kiss me in front of your father."

The blonde laughed. "You're learning, my favorite little stripper-Turk," he said, scooting up very close to Reno, until their lips were almost touching and Rufus' breath mingled with the redhead's.

To Reno, it was intoxicating.

That is, it was intoxicating until Rufus suddenly pulled away. Reno leaned forward and whispered, "Why are you playing like this?"

"You know how I love my little games."

"Yeah, but that's just wrong."

Rufus grinned that familiar, impish, toothy grin before he straddled Reno's hips and ran his fingernails over the redhead's chest. Reno let out a long, quivering breath.

"My father always hated me, you know," Rufus said suddenly, his fingertips still running over Reno's skin.

"Where did that come from?"

"I don't know. I just thought that, now that you've told my your life story, you should know mine. Keeps me from having an unfair advantage, and I'm sure you don't want that."

"You seem to have a bit of an advantage right now. Can't you finish what you started first?"

"I'm punishing you for waking me up."

"I should have known." Reno shivered from head to foot as Rufus ran a hand through his red hair. "Go on with your story, and hurry. I don't know how long I can take this, even if my boyfriend is a drama-queen," he taunted.

Rufus stopped suddenly, ignoring the drama-queen comment and taking the opportunity to counter. "Boyfriend? Who said I'm your boyfriend?"

"I think it's pretty much implied."

"You're not my boyfriend, Reno. I can't go around having relationships with my employees. You're my man-slave."

"I am not your man-slave."

"Whatever you say. Anyway I was…"

"Oh yes, Rufus, yes!" Reno butted in suddenly, prompting an icy glare from the blonde.

"Quiet, Man-Slave!"

"Yes, Drama-Queen…" Reno returned meekly.

Rufus chuckled, and went back to his previous pursuits. "I was born prematurely, so I was very small and very sickly. It was a big surprise when I lived through it, but the doctor was very qualified, and I somehow managed to pull through. My mother was ecstatic, but my father wasn't happy at all. After all, a weak heir is a worthless heir."

"That's harsh."

"Well, to make the most of it, my father figured that, maybe, just maybe he could turn me into a weak, tiny, obedient pawn of a son."

"That didn't work out."

"For a long time, it did. When you're two feet tall and the skinniest thing to ever walk on two legs and your giant of a father tells you to do something, you do it."

"What did he do if you didn't?"

"He beat me, just like he does today--although it hurt more back then--and he locked me in my room without food for days at a time."

Reno grimaced. Every time he heard something about the President, he learned to hate him more.

"One of the ways that he kept me in check was to eliminate all personal and intimate things from my life. He forced me to call him 'Sir' and my mother 'Ma'am'. I didn't even know there were any other names for them, he had me trained so well."

"What was she like?"

"Hm?"

"Your mother, I mean."

"I don't really know for sure. I never truly had too much of a relationship with her, although, back then, I thought the world of her, since she was nicer to me than my father. She didn't approve of what he was doing to me. She never liked him. I fact, I think you could say she hated him. While my father was away on a business trip, she told me lots of things, like how I was born and how father bought her from the club where she danced because he thought that she'd make a 'suitable' child-bearer. She also told me that her stage name was Virginia and that she couldn't remember what her real name was."

"Your mother was an exotic dancer?"

Rufus just nodded. "That's the same time she told me that there were other things to call parents besides 'Sir' and 'Ma'am'. Can you believe that? For the first eight years of my life, my mother was 'Ma'am' to me. When she told me to start calling he 'Mother', it threw me off, especially since she said to only do it when my father wasn't around. I didn't understand, really. The fact that your father's trying to turn you into a mindless puppet isn't something an eight-year-old can really fathom."

"When I got a little older, I started to purposely replace 'Sir' with 'Father'. He didn't like that, and the beatings got worse. That's when I realized that I didn't care. I didn't want to be his pawn anymore. I started doing other little things; anything to make him angry. I just wanted to make him pay for being such an asshole to me and to Mother. What I didn't realize was that Mother would be the one to really pay for my being such an 'ungrateful, useless whelp'. Father demanded her to either 'fix me' or give him a new son. I didn't realize that I was hurting her. She pleaded for me to stop, but I had gained too much momentum and I couldn't. She couldn't get pregnant again after what my birth did to her, and he blamed her for my insubordination and for the fact that I never had a brother."

Reno gaped. "And I thought I had a screwed-up childhood."

Rufus shrugged haphazardly.

"And…that's when he had her killed?" Reno asked slowly.

"Yes."

Thinking it'd be better to change subjects slightly, judging by Rufus' increasingly angered expression, the redhead asked, "What did you used to do, like when you were locked in your room?"

"I just found ways to spend my time: little things to keep me from paying attention to the hunger and the boredom."

"Like what?"

"Well, my mother used to slip me pencils and paper, so I'd sit in there and sketch."

"Were you any good?"

"Not really, but it kept me occupied." Rufus traced one finger over Reno's facial features. "I sing better than I draw."

"You sing?"

"Is that funny or something?"

"No, it's just…a little unexpected." Reno paused and gave the blonde a quizzical look. "And exactly what kind of music do you sing?" Reno tried to imagine Rufus singing heavy metal.

"Classical types and opera." Rufus raised one eyebrow. "What did you think?"

"…Nothing. Nothing at all." Reno's face brightened. "Can I hear you sing?"

"Rufus just stared before replying with a simple "No."

The redhead looked as if he had melted. "Why not?"

"Because I don't sing in front of other people."

"Not even me?"

"Nobody."

"Why not?"

"I just don't sing in front of others."

"Hey, I'll sing for you, and I can't sing!"

"Oh, please don't."

Reno looked dejected.

Rufus was thoughtful for a moment. "Just wondering; what kind of music do you attempt to sing?" Rufus tried to imagine Reno singing opera.

"Heavy metal. What else?" The redhead grinned widely.

"That's not singing. That's screaming with rhythm. Hell, sometimes the rhythm isn't even there."

"Then do better, Opera-man"

"It's not going to work, Reno."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying."

"Why do you want to hear me sing so much?"

"I'm curious."

Rufus stared for a long while, running his eyes over the redhead with an amused look before finally giving in. "Fine. I guess it can't hurt."

"Wow. I can't believe you gave in so easily. You're usually as stubborn as I am.

"Don't push it, Pet," Rufus growled, reverting back to his earlier mischievous grin and running his fingers even more lightly over Reno's chest.

"Yes, Drama-Queen," Reno purred, sinking back farther into the headboard as Rufus' surprisingly haunting tenor voice filled the air.

"Spirits of the Cetra, I think I've died and gone to the Promised Land," the Turk said as Rufus finished his song.

The blonde chuckled. "I'm really not that good."

"Good enough. Plus, the fact that you're petting me while sitting on my hips doesn't hurt."

"And to think, this was supposed to be your punishment."

"Then this has to be the best punishment I've ever had."

Rufus laughed silently, and, if one looked hard enough, he or she could see him staring hotly at the redhead.

"What song were you singing, anyway? I couldn't understand the words."

"Just something I used to hear my mother sing. When I asked her what it was, she said it was some sacred song, back from my ancestors."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. I actually don't think it means anything."

Reno moaned lightly in consent, reaching up to mirror Rufus' hands on his own chest.

"As much as I'd like to have more nights like this, though the lack of sleep isn't going to be kind to me in the morning, I want you to leave tomorrow," Rufus said darkly.

"Why?"

"This is going to be the first place my father will expect you to be once he realizes that you're not in your apartment any more. You can't go to Rude or Tseng's apartments either, because those will be the next places he'll check. I want you to get out of the building tomorrow. We can't afford to take any risks."

"I see," stated Reno. "I know a motel that I can stay in cheap down in Sector 7."

"No. You can be tracked if you head into the slums, especially if you take the train."

"I know a lot of back routes."

"It'd be safer and more convenient for you if you stayed on the plate. I'll worry about the money issue. I'll get you a room at the Zolom's Fang in the morning. How safe is your old name? You'll be too easy to track if you use your current one."

"I don't think that anybody even remembers that Mr. Morrison even existed, and those who would are dead."

"Good."

"Rufus, let's make the most of tonight. How does that sound?" the Turk asked in a tone that couldn't have been mistaken as anything other than suggestive.

"Not just yet. I'm having far too much fun toying with you."

"You can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Do you know that?"

"So can you, but I'm not complaining."

"Rufus, did that statement have a double meaning?"

"You decide. Did it?"

"I think it did."

"Well, then it did." The blonde bared his teeth in the widest, most malicious grin that Reno had ever seen.

"No, Rufus. Don't look at me like that. I'm not your lunch."

Rufus licked his lips (just to make Reno cringe).

Reno cringed.

"You're so wonderfully predictable, Man-slave."

Reno took direct offence to that statement, so, he of course had the sudden urge to prove Rufus wrong, about being predictable and about being a man-slave. He decided that he had to take control.

"I really think you have our roles switched, Drama-queen. I think you're my man-slave, judging by our previous experiences."

"Then why am I the one sitting on you?"

"You're just in denial about your role in this relationship."

"Whatever you say, Reno. You just keep thinking that."

Reno grabbed Rufus by the shoulders and flung him forcefully to the bed. He pinned him down and kissed him roughly.

Rufus couldn't help but to laugh into his mouth.

"What?" Reno asked annoyedly.

"You just proved two things to me."

"And what are those?"

"That you really are my man-slave and that you like it that way."

"How did I prove that?"

"Well, you did exactly what I expected you to do, which was to follow my taunts."

"That just proves that you're manipulative."

"I have you trained, Reno, and you know it."

The redhead stayed remarkably silent.

"And, if you didn't like it, you wouldn't have taken that long to switch our positions."

"Damn you, Drama-queen."

"Am I correct?"

"…Yeah. How do you do that?"

"You mean know you so well without even trying?"

"Yes. That."

"It's just one of my specialties. I'm a good judge of character. I always have been. Don't worry. This'll be our dirty little secret."

"I think I can manage that." Reno grinned widely. "You know, our relationship makes no sense."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you. You must be the world's only submissive control freak."

"Probably. It comes with the job, I think. That's okay. Do you know what you are?"

"What am I?"

"You're a trained rebel."

"That makes no sense at all."

"I know. I think it's safe to say that we are both complete contradictions."

"Of course." Reno narrowed his eyes and interjected a small "Rawr" to the figure lying on the bed.

"It's probably a good thing that we're not going to have many of these midnight conversations. We turn into complete idiots," said Rufus. "Oh, wait. You're always like this."

Reno punched him in the shoulder before resigning with a sigh. A battle of wits against Rufus was one he knew he would never win. "Oh well. At least I can say that I'm one of the few people in the world who's slept with the world's most powerful man."

Rufus remained expressionless. "What do you mean, 'people'? There's no 'people' about it."

The Turk did a double-take. "You have to be kidding me."

"No. I'm not," Rufus said, his expression becoming completely serious.

"That's impossible. Don't make me laugh. You're the world's most eligible bachelor."

"You're the only one."

"Holy, fucking shit." Reno paused. "Rufus, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four. Why?"

"You spent over 23 years as a virgin?"

"Yes." Rufus' eyes narrowed menacingly.

"How could anybody do that and stay sane?"

"That's easy. I just think of what my crazy bastard of a father would say if I got some girl pregnant."

"…Oh."

"But I can't get you pregnant, so it's okay."

"So, you're probably never going to sleep with a girl, are you?"

"Probably not."

"So, you're, in some sort of twisted way, gay?"

Rufus just raised one eyebrow.

"Freaky…" Reno shrugged. "Oh well. More for me!"

"You're an idiot."

"You're a masochistic, manipulative, murdering madman. So what?"

"Good use of alliteration."

"Eh?"

"That. Was. A. Good. Use. Of. A. Li. Te. Ra. Tion."

"…Okay then."

"Just forget it and kiss me, Man-slave."

"I can do that." Reno snaked his hands around Rufus' head and pressed his lips to the blonde's. He stopped after a long while and grinned. "Finally, we can get to the good stuff."

Miya's Note: Tar-dar! Chapter 13! Oooh…aaaahhhhhhh. Eeeeee. Wow. Wonderful. Gasp!

Nothing much to say, except that I hope that it was entertaining and that it explained some…stuff. This actually WAS my longest chapter yet (and all one section, to boot)! Oh, and if you can guess what song Rufus was singing, you get a…something. I dunno what it'll be yet.

Oh, and Zelig is a Germanic name meaning "blessed".