Chapter Eight

Sleeping by Rain

Rufus had always liked the rain. It cleared his mind, helped him relax and think properly. The flash of lightening and the echoing boom of thunder sent his heart racing chasing away the normal chill that surrounded him. But while the storm outside was welcomed on the merits of clear thinking alone, he had no need to be warmed at present... Reno's body was managing that all on it's own.

What was he going to do? Over the months of frustrated longing for the redhead to acknowledge him, he'd never once considered what would happen if what he wished for actually came to pass. And now, in a heady rush of passion, the bottled up sea of misery and helpless attraction had been released, crashing through the dams and spreading out in a deep, tranquil and utterly terrifying wave. And Rufus couldn't ignore it anymore.

Easing his body out from under the slumber redhead, Rufus wandered out of the bedroom and over to the large plate glass window that stretched across the living room wall. He slumped down on the floor below it, delicately pressing his cheek to the cool, rain streaked glass and closing his eyes. What now? For the first time in his life, the blonde had run into something he couldn't fully deal with. Not on his own, anyway. Luckily he wouldn't have to.

Muffled by the carpets, he didn't know of Reno's presence until warm arms wound gently around his slender body, dragging him back against and equally slender frame. Normally he would have shoved the other away, but he trusted his bodyguard by now and the touch, while hesitant and ready to pull away at the slightest flinch, still held enough of the warmth and confidence of earlier on that Rufus just relaxed, leaning back against the lanky redhead with a gentle sigh. For the first time in years, possibly for the first time ever, he felt safe. And a thin line of water mirrored the droplets on the glass outside, tracing its way down alabaster flesh, to drip and darken white cloth.

A soft chuckle rumbled in Reno's chest. Although the sound barely made it out into the atmosphere, Rufus could feel the vibration of it against his back. He never knew that being close to someone could feel like this. "So much for 'never bleeds, never cries'..." Reno murmured, brushing slender fingers over his cheek and collecting the last of the moisture. He surveyed his damp fingers for a moment, then curiously licked them, tasting salt and helpless beauty and Rufus. One could easily get addicted to that taste. And did his skin taste the same as his tears? Reno wondered if Rufus would kill him if he licked his cheek or something to find out.

Rufus opened his eyes before Reno had made a decision on whether or not he wanted to risk Rufus' wrath, and frowned half-heartedly at the redhead, who still, incidentally, had his fingers in his mouth, an adorably confused expression on his face (he had to fight hard not to smile at the sight). "I don't like letting people see me cry," he murmured, casting his eyes away from the strangely touching image of Reno with his fingers in his mouth. "So consider yourself..." He paused, searching for a word that didn't make him sound too much like an arrogant bastard.

"Honored?" Reno supplied for him in an odd tone. "Trust me, I am." There was no irony in his voice, and it was obvious that he meant what he was saying. Suddenly moving from his seat on the floor next to Rufus, he walked back into the bedroom, emerging with the feather-stuffed comforter from the bed, which he calmly dumped right over Rufus' head.

"Reno? What the hell are you doing?" Rufus demanded in a slightly muffled voice, warring with the awkward folds of the blanket. He heard a soft thump as pillows were dropped nearby and then Reno was removing the feather comforter from his boss' head and spreading it out over the floor next to the window. "Well, you like the rain, yo... So I figured we could sleep out here tonight. That okay?"

Rufus felt a lump rising in his throat, and looked away, as the redhead calmly arranged pillows and quilt, creating a rather comfy makeshift bed. "It's... fine." He seized on a random bit of information, forcing his mind away from thoughts of how kind Reno was being, how... unReno-ish. "Yo? Since when do you say that?"

Reno flushed. "It's... kind of Amber's fault," he muttered, his voice catching on his dead ex-girlfriend's name. He sat back on the quilt-bed and occupied himself with taking his boots off until he felt like talking again. "She says -- said -- it all the... time. And it's kinda contagious. I can try and stop, if ya want me to."

Rufus reached out hesitantly, and traced his fingers over on of the symmetrical scars beneath Reno's eyes. He'd learned a few months ago that the idiot had gone out and had red ink put into the scars when they were still fresh wounds, courting blood poisoning so as to put a permanent reminder of... something on his his face to be seen everyday. Rufus would have to ask him why he did it, now that they seemed to be... closer.

He shook his head. "It's fine." A sudden, sly smile crossed his face, and he turned his eyes away, almost flirtatiously, as a matter of fact. Watching him, Reno felt a brief stab of apprehension -- what the hell was he up to? Rufus climbed to his feet with easy elegance, and slid his hopelessly crumpled jacket off, tossing it over the arm of the couch. "It's kind of cute, actually," he said over his shoulder, fingers pulling apart the buttons of his waistcoat. The sly smirk widened, then disappeared abruptly as an arm coiled tightly around his waist, pulling his back against the lean length of Reno's body. "Cute?!" Reno demanded indignantly in his ear. "Me? Cute?!"

Rufus laughed, actually laughed, and Reno lost all interest in being called cute, and watched with fascination the glacial eyes warm and slide closed and the golden head tilting back against his shoulder. He could feel the muscles of Rufus' body relaxing, and shivered, stabbed with a wave of longing. Dear gods, he was beautiful... Reno couldn't help but say it.

"You're gorgeous, yo," he muttered, unconsciously adding the invasive syllable to the end of the sentence once again. Blue eyes opened abruptly, and the body went tense again, and Reno could have kicked himself. He let go of Rufus and stepped away, turning to conceal his blush, and removing his suit jacket so as to occupy his suddenly rebellious hands, who wanted to reach out and touch the other boy, trace the contours of his bewildered expression and somehow turn that frown into a smile.

"Sorry..."

And this time, it was Rufus who reached out, tugging lightly at his sleeve and turning the other to face him. "For what?" he demanded, a sweet, tentative smile touching his ordinarily cold face and sending an immediate rush of blood to Reno's cheeks. The fuck? Since when did Reno of all people blush? Hello... "I can think of few people who don't like... being paid compliments," Rufus continued, "especially when it's from one who can be said to be giving a professional opinion."

And what the hell did that mean, please? It took Reno a few seconds to puzzle it out, but the conclusion he came to was the Rufus was saying he was gorgeous as well. Which, of course, made the dear little redhead very happy. He loved compliments. A smile to match Rufus' touched his face as well.

And then Rufus kissed him, and he stopped thinking at all.