"Ya know, 30's not some horribly bad thing, ya know. .Tseng's. .well, he's 35, you think he's freakin' about it? Nothin' says ya can't still have fun, and there are benefits to having responsibility. It also means ya got stability." He offered up a smile that would gentle the sting of the words.
"That's Tseng," Rude mumbled, NOT wanting to talk about it.
"Yeah, well, it's the same damn difference. ..no need ta flip about it. I mean. .what haven't ya done, really? Hell, what haven't I done? I'm ready for some sort of stable life, especially after this year's insanity."
A grunt and a look from Rude clearly stated that he was NOT discussing it further. There were some things he'd suck it up and talk to Reno about, but there were some things he felt he had to deal with himself. And one of those things was getting old.
Reno just shrugged, his own look saying in his eyes Rude was nowhere NEAR old, the big 3-0 was nothing to be afraid of really, it's just another number in your life. Now 50, there was something to be scared of.
Rude was done discussing it, so he turned his back, taking his cigarettes out and walking towards the balcony.
Reno just sighed, sitting at the kitchen table with the bottle of wine sitting in front of him. He didn't get why it was such a big deal, really. ..Rude would still be Rude, no matter how old he was, and that was just fine by him.
Rude just buried his insecurities about his age, each puff of his cigarette making him ignore the problem more and more. When he was done with the cigarette, he wasn't so much worried about it. Besides, worrying wasn't the Costan way.
A knock came at the front door then, and Reno got up, opening it, waving at the dark haired woman there. in truth he looked like stomped shit, but he didn't realize that, dark circles under red-rimmed eyes set in a face even paler than usual, making the tattooed scars on his cheekbones stand out.
"Where's Rude?" Tifa asked, smiling at Reno while she pushed a stray spike out of the man's eyes.
"balcony, havin' a smoke."
"At least you two are doing that," she said with a smile. "So where's my little bus boy?"
"On the computer in his room, I ordered all new stuff for him, it arrived yesterday."
"You'll rot his brain," she teased, making her way towards the boy's room as if she'd been living with them all her life. Such was Tifa's ability to be comfortable wherever she went.
Rennan looked up from where he'd been on Noggin playing a learing activity game and smiled. "Tifa"
"There's my favourite little redhead!" she smiled, stepping over to give him a hug.
"I get ta go see Denzel and Em and Marlene again?" He sounded SO excited.
"Yes, sir," she replied. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let me grab my coat 'sgettin' cold, and Papa said he'd feel awful if I got sick"
Tifa raised an eyebrow at Reno, then smiled and shooed the child towards his things. "Is he staying the night?" she asked with a tiny wink.
"yeah. ..I. ..I need ta get some things straight. ." He explained to Tifa what happened while Rennan was getting his coat. "I asked him the right questions, like Laney said I should. ..but he's got this freaked out phobia about turning thirty, but ta me. ..it's just another number, ya know? He's still RUDE, no matter how old he is."
"Grab a change of clothes, Rennan," she called to the little boy. "You're staying with Auntie Tifa tonight." She looked back at Reno, dropping her voice. "There are some things you can't help him with, Reno. Thirty is scary. Fourty is scarier, but thirty's still scary."
"Nah, FIFTY'S scary. .. fifty's scary knowin' you've exhausted half your life. Average life expectancy for a Gaian male is 100. .. so yeah, that's scary. ..30, shit, you got your best years aheada ya yet." OK, so maybe Reno had a different definition of old.
Rennan stepped out of the bedroom with his overnight bag, smiling, giving his papa a hug and a kiss. "I wanna say goodbye ta Papa Rude, too."
"We all gotta deal with being old sometime," she said with a smile, as if she had already come to terms with the idea of getting older... which she had.
Rude walked back inside, another cigarette gone, and smiled at Tifa. "Thanks for taking him," he said quietly.
As they strode out he sighed. "First things first, I guess. ..the doc. ." He winced at the reiminder of what had happened, he wasn't MAD, but it did hurt.
Rude nodded, putting on his jacket and shoes. "Guy's new office is right across the street," he said, just making conversation.
"Yeah. .." he grabbed his own coat, sliding it over thin shoulders. He wondered idly if he was going to end up starving himself to death before they had some sort of normalcy
And that was all the words Rude could say without feeling he would agitate the redhead more. So, without another word, he set off towards the doctor's office.
Reno walked next to him, grabbing his hand almost out of habit. For some reason, despite recent events, it felt right.
A tiny smile touched the corner of Rude's mouth as he held Reno's rather cold hand. "You need gloves," he said softly as he held the door to the office open for Reno.
"Yeah. .I know." He strode in, hoping everything turned out clear, it would suck hardcore if Josh had given Rude something that had ended up hitting him on top of everything else.
Rude was brought in instantly, leaving Reno in the waiting room while he was poked and prodded at.
"While he waited he read the old Costan Beat monthly they had on the table. "Board shorts, print or solid, what's this year's style?" he snorted.
By the time Reno had finished that and another magazine, Rude walked out, a tiny frown on his face and a little limp. "I'm clean," he said through clenched teeth, indicating that he wanted to get out of there NOW.
"Good, let's MOVE." he wanted to as well.
As soon as the door shut behind them, leaving them to the relative safety of the streets, Rude ground out, "Man doesn't know the meaning of lube."
Reno chuckled softly. "This is why you don't get married to a doc."
Rude just frowned and pouted as they made their way back to the condo.
Reno as soon as they got inside leaned him against the wall, kissing him, lips desperate, hungry. ..seemingly reclaiming what was his.
Rude pulled away just long enough to say, "Eager?" before reclaiming Reno's lips.
"You're mine" he says between desperate kisses. "Mine. ..not his. .. ."
It took Rude's brain a minute to figure out who Reno could be talking about, and once he did... he pulled away. "I'm sorry. I... I don't deserve this."
"I'm reclaiming you, dammit. .I need to. ." his eyes misted, but didn't fill all the way.
"You have every right to be angry with me, but instead, you're throwing yourself at me. Why?" It made no sense to Rude. He felt he should be on the bad end of a screaming at.
Reno stepped back. .thinking about that for a moment. ..all he could come up with was that he was marking territory, and he told Rude as much.
That made Rude frown. "I'm not territory that needs to be marked."
"It's more than that. ." he gestured with his hands, sometimes even HE was at a loss for words with a concept he understood so clearly.
Rude's frown clearly told Reno he needed to explain, and quickly.
"I want it to be ME you scream for. ..I need to hear that. ..I want it to be ME in every part of yoour mind and heart. .to eleminate every trace of what hold he once had. .."
"If you want to mark territory, just piss on me and get it over with," Rude said softly. "But know this: I can't ever 'eliminate' Josh from me. He's as much a part of me as the President is of you."
Reno sighed "But I didn't do that without you here when I wasn't under the influence of foreign substances. ." OK, so maybe he was pretty guilty, too. . .but at least he hadn't been clear headed when he had... his voice grew in volume. "I know you did it to get out of a rough situation, but he said you called HIS name! Do you know how damn much that HURT?"
"According to you, the circumstances of the sitation doesn't matter. So you were drugged, and I had a fucking gun to my head. What's the fucking difference?" Rude's tone became louder with each word. "And what if I did call his name? I wasn't thinking straight, Reno; it's kinda hard to do that with a fucking GUN to your fucking head. All I was thinking about was getting the fuck out of there alive."
Finally he calmed down. "So I have the right to be mad. .so did you.." he said softly. "Doesn't change the fact that you were there, fully aware or at least as aware as we COULD be about what happened. .. and I wasn't. ." Of course he knew under the circumstances he couldn't have been, which is why he looked away and then down.
"I just don't like how you feel you have to 'reclaim' me like I'm some kind of animal gone astray.
He shook his head. "It bothers me some, too. ..but I hate the thought of another man's hands on you. ..as much as you hate it."
Rude just tilted his head back and sighed. "So... now what?" he asked.
The kiss this time was gentler...mouth opening he simply WANTED him.
Rude was hesitant, but kissed Reno back just as gently.
The tears that tracked downn his face were completely silent, no choking or hitching breath at all, no sobs. . .just silent, cleansing away the fear. ..the anger and the uncertainity. "I love you. .so much. .. please. ..don't do that again unless you absolutely MUST. .. you know how Rufus scares you sometimes? Well Josh scares me that way. .." the he reclaimed Rude's mouth, tounge questing with less desperation but no less hunger.
Rude just grunted, his tongue caressing Reno's as his hands moved to pull the redhead closer.
Reno led him toward the bed without ever breaking the kiss, dropping garments to the floor as he went. ..he'd pick them all up later and put the dry cleaning aside to take and the normal laundry in the hampers. When they reached the bed he laid down, a few trails of salt still on his face, but he didn't seem to realize that, stretching himself out fully nude. ..he whispered. . ."make love to me...I want to feel you. ..I want you to feel me. ..please."
Rude slowly undressed, his eyes not leaving Reno's. He stood naked at the foot of the bed, just looking at the redhead Reno's eyes seemed to beg. . .his arms reaching out. .his expression said he was completely serious.
Rude took a deep breath, as if doing so helped make his decision. He was still a little upset with Reno calling him the equivalent of property -- something he conveniently forgot that he used to do himself -- but he slowly crawled onto the bed.
Reno took him into his arms, pressing the bigger body against his own, letting the heat seep into him, whispering endearments into the dark skin, pressing hands and lips to that body he knew and loved so well.
A tiny sigh escaped Rude's lips. "Why do you put up with me?" he asked softly, his lips tracing Reno's collarbone.
"'Cause I love you. .."
"That all?" he asked against the redhead's skin.
Reno shuddered at those full lips against him. "An' that's not enough? Though those three words encompass so much for me. . .You're my heart, my soul, half of my being. ..how could I NOT put up with you?"
Rude shrugged goodnaturedly. "My feet smell after I work out?" he asked.
"An' I get loud and mouthy and bitchy when I'm drunk or tired." He chuckled, the chuckle becoming a soft moan as that mouth grazed from his collarbone down to a pink nipple.
Rude smiled against Reno's skin, the continued kissing his way down past belly button to the hardness jutting from between the redhead's thighs.
Reno lost the power of speech totally then, his head tilting back as his fingers scrabbled for ANYTHING to hold onto. ..even the thick satin sheets under his fingers were not enough to anchor him to reality, not that it mattered. ..if THIS was a break from reality it was more than welcome. "ngn. .." the sound was soft, reedy with pleasure.
"Don't think I heard that," Rude muttered before going back to kissing up, down and all around Reno's arousal, not quite taking it into his mouth just yet.
That slender back arched up. ..flush spreading across that pale skin. ..mouth opening, a hitching gasp and a soft moan echoing froom it. "Rude. ..Gods, you feel. ..so fucking good." His body gave an all over shiver at the sensation.
"And I haven't even gotten to the good part," he said softly, his breath moving the dark red hairs under his nose.
Another hitching gasp, the hips rising up yet higher, the slow torture a feeling he needed desperatly at the moment. ..he planned on enojying every bit of it.
"Something you want?" he teased, letting his tongue flick out for just a moment here and there.
"M-more. ..more of you. .."
Rude waited, not stilling his movements, but not doing anything more. "You have to tell me what you want," he gently demanded. "Don't make me assume..."
"Take me. ..suck me. ..there.. " His cheeks pinkened a bit more.
Rude had the wherewithall to take Reno into his mouth before moaning deeply. Reno, usually so vulgar everywhere else, was nearly virginal in his words while they were in the act. To hear him speak those words was just... incredibly sexy.
Reno let out a gasping cry, Rude's name on the tail end of it. .. . then began almost PURRING with the intensity of what was running through his nerves now.
One of Rude's hands wrapped around the base of Reno, his mouth taking the rest of it in with a hard -- but not too hard -- suction.
"I want. ..want you inside me. ..want to feel you sliding against that spot that makes me shake. ..makes me scream for you. .." The words came out a soft moan. .."Then. ..I want to hold you. ..to feel you against me. .to know. ..that you're mine."
Rude groaned, Reno leaving his lips with an audible pop. "Not dry," he said, nodding towards the nightstand.
Reno reached over, grabbing the tube, his head was still spinning, nerves firing with sensation. ..he handed it to Rude. ..hhis hand trembling a little as he did.
Rude shook his head. "You do it. Let me watch."
Reno nodded, biting his lip as he squeezed enough out to do what needed to be. . .sliding one finger in first. ..touching that spot, inside his face flushed even more and atrembling moan came from him. ..then two. .. those half-lidded, eyes never leaving his lover's. . .a soft, sexy smile spreading on his face as he buried a second one in. ..spreading himself, head arching back again as he let out another moan of utter abandon. . .as he moved his fingers out of the way, his breathing still a bit heavy, he lifted himself to indicate he was ready.
Rude licked his lips, finding them and his mouth rather dry. He nodded once, moving forward to hold himself over Reno's body. He gently lifted the redhead's knees, then took one hand to gently brush that opening just one more time for good measure.
He shivered at the touch. .letting Rude's name fall from his lips. ..his name like a pulsing presence in mind and heart as well as body. He'd wanted no other for a VERY long time.
Rude was careful in positioning himself, not wanting to get caught up in the moment and hurt either himself, Reno, or both of them. With a nod -- whether it was for himself or for Reno he wasn't sure -- he pushed inside.
Reno's cry this time was muted, more of a moaning sob than a true cry. .."Mine. .." he whispered. .."Call my name. .." with each movement the level of intensity rose yet more and he could do little more than breathe.
It took more than a few breaths for the words to be processed in Rude's brain, but as he began thrusting, slowly at first, but quickly moving faster as the sensations erupted over his nerves, Reno's name seemed to burst from his lips.
Reno let out a cry of Rude's name as the bliss filled him, body and soul. ..turning him into a creature of sheer pleasure, of lust and emotion and feeling. his limbs began twitching with all that he felt.
Rude snapped his hips forward with each thrust, his mouth open but no sound other than ragged breathing coming from his lips.
Reno arched into each thrust, his entire body shivering. ... his mouth open wide, his own breathing ragged panting. . .then the dragon awoke in the pit of his stomach, the serpant uncoiling. ..spreading liquid sensation through his body as his cock began to twitch and soft droplets of precum dripped from it. It would take barely more than a single touch and that would be that for him.
A touch that Rude chose not to give. He'd always wondered how much Reno could take, and whether or not he could get off without the obligatory reach around.
He titled his head back, he was so very close. ..so close he could feel it. ..his nerves tingle as his prostate is brushed again, the pulse pounding in the hollow of his throat, pounding so hard he can hear it in his head as well as his ears. ."f-fuck. .so. . .so f-fucking close. ..shit, m'body's on fire."
"You can come for me," Rude said with a tiny smile, still denying that reach around.
And he did, with a soft sob of Rude's name, his back lifting high off the bed, driving himself hard onto Rude as another brush inside sent a boiling aftershock through his nerves. ..his hair stuck to his face by sweat, his eyes hooded and darkened in bliss, he settled back down as he came down, chest heaving to catch his breath, body still trembling as he clenched around his lover in pulses like crashing ocean waves, a smile lighting his face as he reached up a trembling hand. "I want to hear you too. ..come for me. ..fill me with your very essence."
Rude could not deny him. He sucked in his breath, hips snapping forward into that clenching heat. After a moment, he exhaled harshly, his fingers tightening in the sheets as his chin dropped to his chest and he just breathed, sated.
Reno draped himself over Rude's chest, just trying to catch his breath, when he hears the beeping of a timer. "Ah, shit, the quesadillas!"
Rude's eyes were wide as he watched the redhead scramble, getting tangled in the sheets as he tried to take them with him, only without asking Rude to get off first. A hearty chuckle fell from his lips, a laugh of the caliber he hadn't felt in a long time.
Finally he manged to get completly untangled, running in just in time to save tem from being burnt. ..they were a bit crispy, but still, in his opinion, good.
Rude exited the bedroom at a more leisurely pace, having used a wet washcloth from the attached bathroom to clean himself. He paused at the entrance to the kitchen, stretching and feeling more comfortable than usual in his nudity.
"I saved 'em. ..man, can't believe I forgot about 'em.." Reno suddenly let loose with an easy, rolling laugh of his own. ..then stopped. ..suddenly realizing how long it had been since he'd laughed in true amusement.
"Guess I'm distracting," Rude said with a tiny, almost mischevious smile as he made his way to the fridge for a beer.
"You are, but you're a good distraction, yo."
Rude passed a beer to Reno with that tiny smile. "Could think of worse things," he said before taking another drink.
"Oh definatly. ..like that bastard kidda Tseng's. ..speaking of. ..I wonder where he's gone off to?"
"Lick his wounds, probably," Rude mumbled, face clearly showing that he did not want to ruin the good mood with talk of Shion.
"Yeah, prob'ly right. ..fucking asshole."
Rude pointed to the food with his half empty beer bottle. "They edible?"
"Yeah, lil' crunchy, but they're still good."
Rude poked his head back in the fridge. "Salsa? Sour cream?" he asked, knowing Reno would want both anyway.
"Yeah, 'course. .wine's cold. ..now, where'd I put those friggin' candles?"
Rude let out a low whistle. "Candles? Getting fancy..."
"I wanna be nice tonight, yo. ..we deserve it."
"Breaking out the good china?" he asked, knowing full well that they did not have anything even close to resembling good china.
"As in eatin' off the glassware insteada outta the carton? yep."
Rude just shook his head and smiled, taking down the only two wineglasses they owned.
"Eh, you forgot about the cut crystal stemware the boss gave us for a wedding gift.. don't think we ever opened 'em. "He rifles through the boxes the movers had brought up until he found the box they were in.
Rude smiled, a tiny snort coming from his nose as he replaced their two wineglasses in the cupboard.
Reno filled two of them with the merlot he'd chilled, and he lifted his. "To old partnerships with new beginnings." he smiled a little.
"To crispy quesadillias," Rude replied, clinking his glass lightly against Reno's.
Reno laughed. clinking back.
Tseng meanwhile also had candles up. ..the steaks that had been delivered wih all the trimmings smelling absolutely wonderful.
"You spoil me, Tseng," Rufus chuckled, leaning back in the chair, dressed only in a silk bathrobe and the pair of bunny slippers Elena had gotten him last holiday.
"It is my duty and my pleasure.. .the winter festival will be here soon. I wished to make it enjoyable. "He looks over at where Dark Nation cleaned her kittens, curling around them. .. in two more weeks it would be time for them to go to their new homes, and he knew a lot of Rufus' tension would ease once they were gone, though they'd not been near as difficult as Dark Nation when she was a kitten, something he thanked Leviathan for.
"I don't remember a holiday without a company party to attend..." he said softly. As much as he hated the functions, he found that they were missed when things were... as they were.
Tseng stiffened suddenly before mouthing to Rufus "Go. ...call Yuffie." the motion in the dim corners of the room disturbed him.
Rufus smiled and stood. "I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?" he asked, understanding Tseng's words but not wanting to give whomever was spying on them any indication that they knew they were being watched.
"Please."
Rufus' movements were slow and easy as he set about making tea with more noise than was nessissary. While he was doing that, he picked up his phone, quickly dialing the Wutain princess.
"Hey, Yuffie Kisaragi here. What's up"
Tseng meanwhile kept a close eye on that shadow, he did not wish to alert Shion that he knew he was there,, but he did not want to be surprised either.
"Track my phone," was all he said before hanging up and placing the phone in his robe's pocket. He finished with the tea, bringing out two cups and handing one to Tseng.
"Thank you."
It took Yuffie all of twenty minutes to track the phone, she did not knock, but rather slid inside through the door that Tseng had left slightly ajar after Rufus had called. ..her eyes narrowing as she took out a shurikan, one that had a sleeping draught on the tines, and flung it into the shadow she could see moving against the wall of Tseng and Rufus' bedroom.
There was a tiny chuckle from the complete opposite direction, the direction of the wall with the open window. Then there was a little movement, followed by... silence.
Yuffie was out of the window, and after him, giving chase. .determined to catch him. ..
"Good to see you as well, Yuffie," Rufus said with a chuckle to the empty window.
Tseng chuckled. "She'll catch him, you do not ever try to toy with the princess, she pays you back double for it."