Rude felt groggy. That kind of groggy you get after a long night of drinking.
Tseng MOANED when he awakened, his head was pounding hard, and his legs were sticky. ..and he had no idea HOW he had gotten onto the floor of a banquet room stark naked.
Rufus, ever the dignified one, put his arm over his eyes, letting his senses sharpen back up before he assessed and dealt with the situation of why there was horribly uncomfortable carpet on his strangely naked back.
"Now, boys.. .care to explain this?" Gladys stood in the door with her hands on her hips.
Rude's eyes shot open and directly towards his mother's voice. "Momma?" he asked, voice small.
"Eric was nice enough to inform me you'd never returned to your hotel last night, I was a little concerned..also, the innkeeper said your cats did a number on your room.
A groan escaped Rufus' mouth. He couldn't take Dark Nation anywhere. He took his arm off his eyes, squinting slightly at the light. He quickly took in his surroundings. "Is there a reason we are all laying here naked?" he asked.
"That's what I'd like to know Mr Shinra." Glsadys sounded like she was trying not to laugh.
Rude's brain finally caught up with the rest of him. His hands instantly flew to cover his nakedness, even though he knew his mother had seen him more than naked before.
"If you would be so kind as to allow us to freshen up a little, Gladys," Rufus asked.
"Certainly."
A few scattered memories started to return to Reno's brain and he blushed deep red over his entire body. .no way no HOW was he telling anyone what his mind was saying he'd done last night.
"Gentlemen," Rufus said, standing up and wandering around the room, picking up his scattered clothing. He seemed far too comfortable and in charge in his nudity.
Tseng is quickly dressing, he too has a few scattered flashes here and there, but he's dealing with them better. ..he lofts a brow. "Would you really like me to break out my blade next time, Rufus-san?"
Rufus' mouth said, "Perhaps, Tseng. Perhaps," but his eyes clearly said 'Yes.'
Rude, meanwhile had finally gotten his thoughts in some semblance of order and was frantically grabbing his clothing and dressing.
Reno as he was fully dressed as he got, opens his mouth to say something, realizes it will get him into trouble, and shuts it again.
"Now," Rufus said, pulling a chair away from one of the tables and sitting in it. "Would anyone care to share what we remember from last night?"
Uh oh. .there it was. ..it was spoken as an order, and he had to obey an order. "I think. ..we all had a huge orgy and passed out, sir.. .but I can't be entirely sure." He flinches abit as he slips around inside the shirt, all of the tiny cuts on his back were sticking to the fabric.
Rude tried to straighten his tie, but it had been misplaced somewhere in the room, making the gesture significantly less effective. "I believe there was a period of time when Reno was, ah, servicing you, sir."
Rufus raised an elegant eyebrow before glancing over at his lover. "Tseng?"
"I believe I was. .using my dagger on Reno sir, but I do not remember much else."
Reno grimaced, that would explain why his back was so sore.
"I see," was all Rufus said, crossing one leg over the other in thought.
Reno then gets one last image. ..the bottle of liquor. ..he relates that to Rufus.
"It was the Everclear, sir," Rude said, certain that the strong alcohol was the cause of their... indescretions.
"And who would have access and reason to do such a thing?" Rufus asked.
"I think we all know the answer ta that, boss" He began running his fingers through touseled red hair in an attempt top at least somewhat tame it.
"We don't know that for certain, Reno," Rude protested. He saw that look in Rufus' eyes at the mention of his brother... and he couldn't save the twerp from the wrath of Rufus ShinRa even if he wanted to.
"Tseng told me he saw a kid who looked lot like you carryin' in a buncha liquor bottles, but I didn't think anything of it until now. ..you tell me, Rude. .he'd do anything to drive me out, he hates me, yo."
"He doesn't hate you," Rude protested yet again. His hand went to his head, running over it as if he had hair. "And it's not a crime to carry in liquor bottles. He does work sometimes..."
"Not the bottle of everclear, Rude. .I know this feeling, the disjointedness and shit.. I KNOW it because I got dosed with this shit on occasion when.." and he reddens, no he would NOT go into how he knew what GBH felt like.
"So what are you going to do? Kill him?" Rude spat. He felt the situaction spiralling dangerously out of his hands.
"He coulda killed US, Rude..do you know how dangerous a combination ANY of those party drugs and alchohol is? I do know, from experience, I watched two of my friends die from that combination! I'm not suggesting killing anybody, but he does need to realize how stupid his actions are."
"Eric is MY brother. I will handle it." Rude's words had a certain finality to them.
"Then I suggest you handle it with a hand upside his head and knock some sense into it, 'cause I, personally, am tireda bein' the victim of his dangerous pranks."
"I said I will handle it," Rude repeated, a tiny snarl in his tone.
Reno stormed out of the room, he was TIRED of being Eric's victim and feeling as if he was not being stood up for by the man who was supposed to do so, family loyalty be damned. In his honest opinion once someone did something to you that could KILL you they'd stopped deserving that loyalty.
A wordless growl left Rude's lips. He could feel his temper boiling just below the surface. "If you will excuse me, sir," he said to Tseng and Rufus through clenched teeth before taking his leave to follow the redhead.
Rufus raised his eyebrow again. "There seems to be trouble in paradise, my dear Tseng..." he paused, as if a thought had just occured to him. "Also, I hate to ask this of you now, but I have a job for you to do..."
"Yes sir."
"I need you to contact one of our operatives in this city," Rufus explained. "This Eric issue needs to be dealt with for more reasons than this. However, since he is Rude's brother, he needs to be dealt with carefully. Rude MUST not know of this... and the brother's life will not be forfeit for his... indescretions. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir...he is to simply be. ..brought under control."
"I knew there was a reason other than the great sex that I kept you around, Tseng," Rufus smiled, standing up from his chair and dusting himself off.
Tseng pressed a light kiss on his mouth.
Reno meanwhile had picked up his emr, storming out into the countryside outside of town, monster hunting, to say he was beyond pissed would have been an understatement.
Rude had stalked back to his mother's house, offering little more than a hello before going upstairs to change. He was quickly dressed in his jean shorts and open shirt, sandles flip-flopping as he quickly jogged down the stairs. One last check to make sure he had both his wallet and his phone, and he was gone.
"Rudy.." Gladys shook her head, SOMETHING had happened. .and she had her suspicions it had to do with her youngest son.
The bar at the main corner of town was relatively dead for that time of day. Rude only had to deal with a handful of stares before everyone got the hint to leave him the fuck alone. He was there for one thing and one thing only: the oblivion that pure drunkeness brings.
"Perhaps we should track down the more sensible of the two, Rufus-san...this trouble in paradise could affect their working relationship, as well, and that would not be good"
"I believe we should clean ourselves up first, Tseng," Rufus pointed out. "It would untoward for persons in our position to be out in public in this state of disarray." Which was Rufus-speak for 'Let them get the majority of their frustrations out before we find them.'
"Yes sir."
Four empty glasses sat in front of Rude, and he was quickly working on the fifth. It hadn't taken long for the dog that bit him the night before to become friendly again. He was even making small talk with the bartender, something he almost never did.
Reno meanwhile looked up with his mouth wide open..a Marlboro. ..he just had to run into a friggin' MARLBRORO.. .with his item pouch back at Gladys'. ..his stomach turned and he hit the tracker on his phone just before the thing's Bad Breath attack got employed. ..to be frank. ..he was in trouble.
Rude's phone beeped at him, but he was too drunk to see straight and accidentally turned whatever was going off, well, off.
The first tentacle to whip into him knocked the confuse spell off him, but his movements were still slowed. ..he could feel the poison eating at him and he just barely got off a pyramid so he could walk back into town. ..he was going to ask the bartender for help, but he didn't make it, instead collapsing in the doorway.
Rude frowned at the redhead on the floor. "Reno?" he asked, voice gruff. "Come over here and have a drink. We gotta talk."
"Yeah, we do, but I'm in no shape for a serious convo at the moment. ..ran into a fuckin' marlboro."
"That sucks," Rude said, polishing off his drink then stumbling towards Reno. "Why didn't you call?"
"I did. ..check your phone yo, I turned the tracker on, didn't have time ta talk.
Rude frowned, taking out his phone. His fingers felt too large for the buttons, and he couldn't exactly make out the fuzzy blobs on the screen anyway. He shrugged as if that were a good enough response. It was good enough for him, anyway.
"Look, I know he's your brother, yo, but the pranks have gotten DANGEROUS. and they aremn't just affecting ME anymore, even though I am his main target... they need to stop."
"You think I don't know that!" Rude howled. Amazing how alcohol could make one's mood jump from pleasant, happy drunk to a raging one.
Reno shivered..the terror from the fight at the condo nibbling at the edges of his mind. ..no, he had to stay logical and in control. ..he had to.
Rude stood over Reno, his size seeming infinitly more than usual. "Eric is MY brother, MINE. And you are MINE," he hissed. "It is MY responsibility to fix this, not yours, not Tseng's, and certainly not Rufus ShinRa's." There is was; the only time Rude ever called the President by his name in as far back as he could remember.
Reno just looked up at him. ."It's also your job to protect me and you have done a piss POOR job of it since I've been here." He got up, stumbling toward the bathroom, as soon as he did he bent over the toilet, shivering as he let loose everything he'd eaten the prvious night into the porcelin bowl.
Rude grumbled under his breath as he went back to the bar, throwing down a pile of gil for another drink. Fuck it. If he was doing suck a piss poor job, fine. He'd show that idiot just what a fucking piss poor job looked like.
Tseng watched Rude stride out of the bar, and traded a look with Rufus "Perhaps now might be a good time to step in."
Rufus frowned. "We need to be delicate about it. A wrong move now would be disasterous."
"Yes, sir. ..You have some pull with Reno, I suggest you handle that end, sir."
Rufus nodded. "Excellent suggestion, Tseng. Keep your phone on." With that, he strode into the bar.
Tseng followed Rude to where he'd finally wandered, his expression neutral. "Would you like to talk about it? it hhelps to clear ones head and get all of one's ducks in a row sometimes."
"Fuck him," Rude said. Well, nothing like getting to the point. "He thinks I'm handing this Eric thing so badly, then he can fucking deal with it. It's not like I haven't been trying to keep them apart, trying to fix things. He'll see just how much I was doing now that I'm not. Fuck. Him."
Tseng simply listened. but said only one thing. "Can you see how they've gotten out of control, and can you see how you could handle the situation in a way that Eric would no longer be able to do things of this sort? I think he feels as he does because despite your effort the pranks are STILL happening. .. I know you cannot control everything, and I do see your point, but I can see his as well. I am an adjutant, after all, seeing both sides is my job."
"Screw him," Rude spat. "I've been doing my best to be a good brother and a good husband, and what has it gotten me? Fuck all, that's what. Not even a 'Thanks, Rude, you're doing the best you can with your idiot brother' or a 'Hey, Rude, thanks for keeping Eric away from me.' Nothing. I got fucking nothing."
Tseng shook his head. "He loves you, you know this, and he's never been good at expressing things of that sort, though you know, he does appreciate you watching his back, he's said as much to Rufus and I both...do you really wish to explore the possibilities of what you could lose should things get entirely out of hand?"
"He's the one with the problem, not me," Rude said, sounding all the world like a petulant child.
"He could end up the DEAD one with the problem if this goes too much further." He did not WANT to point that out, but it was the only thing he could think of now that might possibly reach Rude in this mood.
Rude tried to make his tone flippant, really he did. But his words came out far more hurt, like a kicked puppy. "He doens't care if he lives or dies; why should I?"
Tseng let out a breath through his teeth. "Because you do care, whether you try to make yourself sound like you don't or not."
Reno hugged the toilet in truth he felt horrid for what he'd said, absolutely, positively horrid.
"Excuse me," Rufus asked the bartender. "Is there still a redhead man in here? He was speaking with the tall, bald gentleman that was here."
The bartender just pointed towards the bathroom.
"Thank you," Rufus replied, walking towards the door. He paused just outside of it, choosing to knock to announce his presense. "Reno?"
"Yeah. .m'here" His tone was subdued, almost sad.
"May I come in?" the blonde asked.
"Suit yourself." Again that flat, subdued, sad tone.
Rufus sighed quietly before pushing open the door. The bathroom was small, just two stalls, two urinals and one sink. Feeling the sink was probably the cleanest thing in there other than himself, he leaned against it. "Are you all right?" he asked, knowing the answer already.
"No. .I'm just fuckin' peachy." he regretted the sarcastic tone just as soon as he'd used it.. . and it showed in the downtilt of his head. "Ran into a marlboro, I'm a sick as a fuckin' dog, and I said something absolutely stupid. ..how would YOU feel?"
Rufus turned his head as Reno wretched again, stomping down hard on his gag reflex. When he heard people being sick, it made him feel sick. It sucked. "I would say about like that." He paused, reaching over to grab some paper towels and wet them at the sink. "Let's go get you a remedy," he said as he offered the wet paper towels to Reno.
"Thanks, yo. ..left m'bag at Gladys'. ..like a dumbfuck." He stood very shakily, his knees almost buckling underneath him, but he grabbed the wall. "I can't believe I said that" and he relates to Rufus what he'd said.
Rufus shook his head, placing Reno's arm around his shoulders so he could help the man walk out. "I've noticed something about you two," he said thoughtfully. "You both seem to have quite the temper. Yours flares up verbally, sometimes physically, but always dies down quickly. Rude's, on the other hand, tends to take a while to kindle into a raging inferno. However, like a wildfire, takes longer to tame that anger."
"Yeah. .I'm just sicka this shit with Eric, yo. ..you know how I feel about bigoted people anyway.. .An' I feel a lil' helpless 'cause he won't let me defend m'self, an I lnow he's trying, but this shit is STILL happening. .got me all on edge."
Rufus nodded to the bartender as the hobbled past him towards the door. "Things have already been set in motion," he said very quietly in Reno's ear. "This will not be a problem for much longer."
"good. .shit yo. ..I love him. ..but sometimes I don't get him. .."
"There are things that I don't think even you know about our stoic Rudolph," Rufus said enigmatically. His tone indicated that he would not elaborate on that particular issue further.
He nodded. ."But if I don't know, how can I know the things that're gonna trigger these stupid-ass fights an' avoid 'em?"
"If there is no conflict in a relationship, neither party is being honest with the other," Rufus said with a small, almost secretive smile. Oh yes, even he and Tseng had their spats...
Reno just shook his head he felt, more than anything else, overwhelmingly hurt. "I feel like he's takin' Eric's side, ok? I know it's silly, an' stupid, but Hell.. .is it too much to expect for him to let me defend myself? Even if the kid is family?" He knew Rufus knew how important that was to him, he'd been in a situation where he COULDN'T defend himself against people that were supposed to care.
"You're sending him mixed messages, Reno," Rufus stated, leading him down the street towards the item shop. "First you tell him he's not doing a good enough job at protecting you, then you tell me that he won't let you stand up for yourself. Which do you want, a protector or to stand up for yourself?"
"I don't fuckin' know right now. ..I'm just. ..I want to stand up for myself, but it could fuck things up with his family. ..an' shit ..I'm just so damn confused myself. ..how do you deal with family issues? only issues I had was trying ta hide so Dad couldn't beat on me."
"I can't say I know where he's coming from. I was an only child, if you remember." Rufus was at a loss for what he could tell Reno to do.
"I mean period, yo. ..I never had so much at stake. .." No, he was NOT going to cry, as shitty as he felt, he'd done that ENOUGH over the past few weeks.
"Wait here," Rufus ordered, letting Reno sit on the bench outside the item shop. "Once we get a remedy in you, it'll help you think more clearly."
Reno just sat there, trembling with the effort to maintain a thinly held veil of emotional control.
Rufus returned shortly, holding a tiny bottle filled with potent medicine. "Here," he said, uncorking the bottle and handing it to Reno.
Reno drank it, and his head cleared, but his heart didn't. ..he looked at his ex-lover with those bright green eyes dulled by something like grief. "I hate fightin' with him. ..I really do."
Tseng took another tac. "Just see it from his perspective. ..he's never had a real family before, he has no idea how to handle this sort of thing. ..what he knows is defend himself, with FISTS if necessary. He really needs you more than anything to guide him through this whole thing so he knows what to do."
"I tried," Rude complained, putting his head in his hands. He was getting a headache. "I told him coming here was a mistake."
"Maybe it was. ..he wanted the chance to know a real family, and Eric seems the only one who HASN'T taken to him. . .probably because he can't pull his usual tricks."
"My brother is my brother. I can't change that." Rude seemed to be repeating himself.
"And he is your husband, completely new dynamic. ..what you need to do is take a stand, tell Eriic it will not be tolerated, and if he does it, back it up. ..with force if need be." Tseng spoke from experience on that one.
"He. Is. My. Brother." Rude wished he could make everyone else understand that.
"He is, yes. ..no one wants to harm him, Rude. ..but he needs to be controlled. coralled, before he does true harm."
"It is MY responsibility to do that, not any of yours, or Reno's."
"Then do it." It was all Tseng said.
Reno just shook his head again. "He tries ta take too much on himself, I guess I do too. ..it would be a different thing is Eric actually LISTENED to him, I can already tell he doesn't."
"Things have been set into motion, Reno," Rufus reiterated. "The point will be moot soon enough."
"An' when Eric blabs? He'll be mad at me. ..all over again."
You forget, Reno," Rufus said, a small but dangerous smile crossing his face. "I am sending a Turk. He will know better than to speak."
Reno nods, just looking up at him tiredly. "But how do we solve the troubles in paradise? That's a thornier one. .."
Rufus sighed. "Sometimes there are some things which can't be fixed. Sometimes you have to... agree to disagree, for lack of a better phrase."
Reno nodded again his chin going into his hands, he looked to be thinking. "Maybe it was a bad idea..I love his mom an' dad to death. ..first time. . .I knew what a real family felt like."
Rufus' eyes took on one of those far off looks. "I wish I knew how to help you."
"Yeah, your dad was a buttmunch, too. ..his mom adores you, you know. .. "
"She is a fine woman and has raised two fine sons," he replied.
He suddenly smiled "Wish they'd been mine, yo. ..you've read all the records, you know what mine was like."
"Perhaps then you would have turned out with a sense of decorum," Rufus said good-naturedly, looking at Reno from the corner of his eye.
Reno chucked "I'm a street rat. ..decorum went out the window the day my family fell apart."
"So it did," Rufus replied. He looked pleasantly thoughtful for a moment "However, perhaps you two would not have found each other had things been different."
"I'd prob'ly be some beach rental shop manager or some shit like that now.
"And what do you suppose he would be doing?" Rufus mused.
"Bouncer somewhere prob'ly. .or runnin' like he usedta still, or maybe even dead. ..street rats don't have the best life expectancy."
"Perhaps..." Rufus contemplated. "Or perhaps not. Your husband is a very proud man, Reno, and that pride will, someday, be his downfall. I'm sure you know that."
"Yes sir. .I got no pride left, streets beat it outta me long time ago. Only got this little slicea heaven with him...right now, he wants to carry it all on his shoulders, like ya said, 'sthe pride thing."
It was a roundabout way to get Reno to understand, but it was worth it. "Now do you see why he feels he has to take care of this issue with his brother on his own?"
"Yeah. ..'snot ta say it don't hurt when it hasn't happened yet an' my own hands're tied, though.. I'bve been trained not only by Turk training but life experience that if ya don't kick a problem like Eric in the teeth it will come back ta bite ya."
"The boy seems relatively harmless... a mere prankster," Rufus said. He cut off Reno's protest with a raised hand. "However, you are right. He could become much, much more if left unchecked. Which is why I still had Tseng send someone to... enlighten the boy to the ways of the adult world."
"That prank last night coulda been much much more if Rude hadn't happened to have that tin o' antidote on him, kid didn't think." Reno sighed.
"Most children don't," Rufus said plainly.
"Guess I should go face the music now, eh?"
"If you don't feel well enough to, you can stay with Tseng and I for the evening," Rufus offered.
"Ya think a night away would help him cool off, eh?" He spoke tiredly.. he really didn't want to be away from Rude, but was afraid if he stayed they'd be fighting all night.
"I'm just offering a place to stay if you feel you need a night away," Rufus said plainly. "Whether I think you need one or not is irrelevant. What matters is what YOU think."
"I'll stay with yuou guys, call him an' feel things out. .." He was so terrified of screwing things up, he'd always been afraid of that, which was part of what drove Rude so nuts.
"I'll call Tseng and let him know the situation," Rufus said, taking his phone from his pocket.
"Thanks yo. ..means a lot. 'sonly the second time I've ever been really afraida him, and I don't like the feelin' one bit."
"And the first time was during Meteor, correct?" Rufus inquired. An idea was forming in his mind, and he was certain he could get to the bottom of the pair's problems a lot easier than he originally expected.
"Yes sir.. ."
"Hmm..." Rufus said, lost in thought for a moment. "And never before then has this rage you've described broken away from him?"
"Not directed at me. ..directed at others on occasion, Cloud once, an' a couplea guys thata tried ta hit one me once or twice, but never at me 'cept those two times."
"I see..." Rufus pondered it over a little more. "Perhaps what we're seeing is the proverbial straw that broke the chocobo's back. Lately it has been one issue after another, with little to no downtime between them."
"Too much fightin' in too little time, pretty much...'show I think of it."
Rufus laughed thoughtfully. "As much as we have a hard time believing it, our Rude is just as human as the rest of us, it seems."
"'course the fact that I tend ta lose it under stress don't help, either. .somethin' I've tried workin' on.. .but it ain't easy..he's always been mentally an' emotionally the stronger o' the two of us."
"Don't confuse strength of emotion with the burying of emotions, Reno," Rufus said. "While I will be the first to admit that Rude is rather strong overall, I am fully aware that some of that strength is a show just as much for us as it is for himself."
"Speaks ta how rough these past few monthsa been, though...I think I've cried more this past few months than my entire dang life. "He shakes his head. "We all need vacations."
"Perhaps even a few of us need small vacations from each other," Rufus offered. He certainly hoped the redhead wouldn't take that statement the wrong way.
"Prob'ly do. ." He sighed brokenly now. "Hate bein' so damn needy, I really do. ..Rude's the best thing that's ever come inta my life, no offense meant ta you, o'course" he unconsciously rubs the scar that lies under his hairline. "You n' I if we'd ever gotten this far prob'ly woulda killed each other." he chuckles softly.
"More than likely, pet," Rufus said, lovingly using his pet name for Reno. He reached out and ran a single fingertip across the redhead's cheekbone.
"I'm just so used ta bein ' parta unit, me n' him. ..not sure how well I'd do on my own even for a short amounta time."
"You don't need to be alone to be apart," Rufus explained, his finger moving to trace the redhead's jawline. It was a familiar movement, one he'd done on Reno during the time they had called each other lover. He blinked, then shook his head, realizing just what he was doing. "My apologies."
"'sokay. ..I know what ya mean, though. ..'sjust. ..'sgonna feel funny." He was trying to convey what he meant, and it wasn't easy for this guy who rarely talked about how he felt, humor and insults were what he was good at.
"How long did you say it took for that drug to leave the body?" He asked. Rufus wasn't sure if it was actual residual feelings for the redhead, or if he was still experiencing the effects of the drug.
"12-18 hours sir."
"So we should be in the clear, so to speak?" Rufus didn't want to invite Reno into his and Tseng's room, only to take advantage of the obviously vulnerable redhead.
"Yes sir. .." He nods, "Gods, hate being vulnerable an' shit. thigsa just gotten turned on their damn sides."
Rufus nodded. Good. His own residual feelings he was certain he could control far better than those brought on by a party drug. "Well, we should call Tseng," he said, dialing his phone.
Reno leaned back, nodding.
Tseng answered his ringing phone. "Tseng here, sir."
"Tseng," Rufus said, "Are you still with Rude?"
"Yes sir, how are things where you are, Rufus-san?"
"Things are as well as can be expected," Rufus replied. "I need you to let Rude know that Reno and he will be spending the night without eachother to... cool off. Reno will be staying with us, if he asks."
"I will relay the message, sir." He turns to Rude. "Reno will be staying with us for the night, I tend to agree with Rufus on this, the two of you could use the break from one another."
Rude was still rather intoxicated. After a moment to think over the words, he said, "Fine." With that, he stood and walked back in the direction of the bar.
Reno cringed a little at the tone, but didn't say anything.
A half-nervous laugh left Rufus. "Well, at least he took it better than you would have."
He nodded, but he felt his eyes misting, no, no he was NOT going to. ..he refused.
"You look tired," Rufus said. In all actuality, Reno looked exhausted. "Would you like to head back to the room?"
"Yes sir.." a single tear broke through, he sniffled, dashed it away and got up. ..
Rufus nodded once, then spoke to Tseng, who was still on the line. "We're heading back to the hotel. You can meet us there or keep an eye on our intoxicated friend."
"He's already gone back into the bar Rufus-san."
"I see," Rufus said. "Perhaps that is what he feels he needs."
Reno stumbled his way back to the hotel, he knew he'd probably cry in his sleep, it was when so many of his emotions came out...if he didn't end up screaming his way free of a nightmare.
Rufus followed the redhead at a more steady pace, keeping just enough distance between them to not make it look like the blonde was checking up on him.
He collapsed into the suite's already extended, likely by Tseng, sofa-bed/
"Would you like a drink?" Rufus asked, closing the room's door behind him. He walked over towards the minibar. "To take the edge off, perhaps?"
"Anything but everclear, yo. .." it came out a soft mumble.
A tiny chuckled escaped Rufus. "How about a martini?" he asked, pulling out the metal shaker.
"sounds good. .." He was on the verge of just letting out the past few days right here, but he felt inhibited about doing so in front of his boss and ex,'
Rufus fixed both drinks as if he were a professional bartender, handing one of the glasses to Reno before taking his own. "Cheers," he toasted, raising his glass.
"Yeah. . ." he toasted and with a shuddering breath downed the drink. Everything was so close to the surface, and he had to work to tamp it down.
"I won't think less of you if you cry, Reno," Rufus said, taking glass from the redhead. He walked back to the minibar and began preparing another.
"Yeah, just. . .feels wierd. ..Hell Rude's put up with so much shit from me lately. ..don't wanna dump it on you too."
"You need to let it out," Rufus said, looking over his shoulder as he shook the drink shaker. "We do not need another Rude on our hands."
Reno sighed, gesturing helplessly, he had no idea where or how to start to put all of the crazy, crashing emotions into words.
Rufus ShinRa was a patient man. He could wait for Reno to let it out.
"'sjust. ..I guess I'm afraida drivin' him away. .I know he worries about me, I go off half-cocked n' do stupid, dangerous shit when I'm upset an' don't think about the consequences, I KNOW that.. but it doesn't mean I don't care how it affects others...I do.".
"Rude has always been a 'by the book' Turk," Rufus said, bringing back another drink for Reno. "From what I hear, he wasn't always a rule follower. Perhaps he sees in you a little of his past self, and it scares him."
"Scared I'm gonna drag him back. ..that night at the club. ..the night when I had the arrest and refused to be hospitialized. . .we'd been doin' coke that night. ..it's that sorta thing he's scared of, isn't it?
"The reckless abandon, the substance abuse, it all boils down to a loss of control," Rufus explained, sitting carefully on the bed by Reno. "If there is one thing our Rude is terrified the most of, it's that loss of control."
"I did it ta deal. ..but then again I had a harder timea it than he did...I did it to be numb so I wouldn't hafta FEEL the pain the bastards were inflicting."
"Which was why he delivered more drugs than he used," Rufus added, taking a sip of his drink.
"Life was easier if I was too high or drunk to feel anything. .." He sighed, shaking his head. "Rude n' you are the only ones that have made me WANNA stay clean. .. I feel safe 99 of the time with you two."
"Rude is ashamed of his past," Rufus said. "He sees it as something to strive to get away from, where you have accepting who and what you were. Perhaps he sees in your past little bits of what he could have become. Or perhaps he sees what he detested. Or perhaps none of those at all. Regardless... I know how much of a hard time he gives you about even the over the counter things."
"Yeah, he does. . I'm. ..kinda envious actually. ..he gets to NOT wake up screaming 5 nights outta 10. .."
"He has his demons as well," Rufus said, finishing his first drink. He gestured with his empty glass at Reno's, a question of whether the redhead wanted another or not.
Reno shakes his head, yawning widely, his eyes beginning to flutter open and closed, In truth he felt like stomped shit, both physically and emotionally.
"I see," Rufus said, standing to make himself another drink as he noticed Tseng walk in the door. "Tseng. Would you like a drink?"
"Thank you, Rufus-san." He looked over, he could see the moisture in the younger Turk's eyes but did not comment on it. "This seems to be hurting him more than he wants to let on. ..he always was a stubborn one." he made sure Reno was completely asleep before he spoke.
"Emotionally fragile," Rufus added, handing Tseng a freshly made martini. "How was Rude when you left him?"
"Tense as a bow string."
"Good to see him handling the situation at least as well as his partner," Rufus chuckled, raising his glass in a toast.
Tseng toasted in return. "It's been quite a bad seeveral months for them both."
Reno is letting out soft whimpers in his sleep, it sounds as if he is calling himself all sorts of hateful names. . ."stupid. .so fuckin' stupid."
Rufus raised a finger, as if telling Tseng to hold his thought. He walked quietly over to Reno, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. His hand went to brush a few stray hairs from the redhead's face as he whispered, "Not stupid, pet... just inexperienced..."
The tears start falling in his sleep, just as he had predicted they would. ."Rude. ..so sorry I drove you away. . .why'd I hafta ta do somethin' so stupid that you went away?" This was not a nightmare to wake him screaming. ..just something that was an effort to sort out everything in his mind.
Rufus fingercombed Reno's hair, gently working out a few knots that had made their way into the mane. He glanced over at Tseng, his eyes telling the older man that he had no freaking clue what to do to comfort Reno.
"Just let him work through it. .it's all we really can do until things calm down. We'll call Rude in the morning and see how things go."
Rufus nodded, placing a soft kiss to Reno's temple before he stood. "What are we going to do with them?"
"I'm as much at a loss as you are. ..it's obvious they love one another very much. ..but Reno is so insecure about driving him away it is possible it will become a self-fulfilling prohecy."
"He needs to trust that Rude loves him," Rufus said, taking a small sip from his drink. "I'm afraid if we lose one of them... we'll lose the other as well."
"It is likely. ..though Reno..if Rude left he'd probably simply give up, if not take active measures toward ending his pain."
"Rude would stay out of duty, eventually partner up again, but I guarantee you he'd hate every moment of it."
"We cannot let that happen, Tseng," Rufus said, tone the most serious it had been in a while. "The Turks are short-handed enough as it is, we do not need to lose two of the most senior members to something like this."
"Honestly sir. .I think a vacation far away from everyone is something they both need desperatly."
"Is there anywhere on this planet that is far enough away for them?" Rufus asked.
"There is that small island just off Mideel. .it has only one house, and that house has been abandoned for years."
"But is Mideel remote enough?" Rufus wondered.