Reno gradually recovered from his hangover during the day and by the time he left work to go home he felt better. He wasn't looking forward to babysitting Rufus for a week, but he couldn't complain much because that meant he didn't have to pretend to be doing paperwork when he was really goofing off. He could spend all day twirling in a chair in Rufus' office, flicking rubber bands at the walls, and scratching himself without having to care about Tseng walking in and chastising him.
Rufus never gave a damn what he did so long as he didn't hover over him, break anything, or leave him unattended. Sure, he had to follow Rufus everywhere, get him to meetings on time and in one piece, fetch his coffee, and basically do everything but hold his dick while he pissed, but that was tolerable when the freedoms gained were thought of. He would get to go to all of the board meetings, make faces at Reeve, shoot things down Scarlet's dress with a rubber band, and be a nuisance that had to be ignored because he was Rufus' personal body guard. So long as he didn't do anything to harm Rufu, he was able to do anything to anyone else without fear of immediate retribution because he was Rufus' babysitter. That didn't mean he wouldn't pay the consequences for his actions later, but he didn't care much about consequences.
The only unbearable issue he could find with the arrangement was that this Friday he would be in Rufus' lonely mansion sleeping on a couch alone. That thought was what made him want to tear his hair out as he filled a bag with what he would need for the week. He was suffering from Rude cravings after only a few hours of not seeing him, he didn't know what he would do if he had to go another two weeks without being able to pop in and out of Rude's office at his leisure. If he didn't get to be with Rude on Friday he was sure to snap like a dry twig.
Reno shouldered his duffel bag of unnecessary necessities and locked his apartment door. He hoped Rufus would let him sleep on the couch like he normally did. Rufus usually tried to stick him in a guest bedroom, but Reno just couldn't feel comfortable sleeping in someone else's bed. He couldn't even feel comfortable sleeping in his own bed. He only knew of one bed that was comfortable enough to sleep in, and he couldn't make himself stay in it long enough to do so.
Reno flicked Rude's sunglasses over his eyes and smiled as he strode to his car. He loved his car, but knew that it would have to sit in the Shinra parking lot for a week because he would have to ride with Rufus in his overly long and lavish limousine.
Rufus leaned against his car with his arms folded over his chest, ignoring Tseng's angry glares as best as he could as they waited for Reno to arrive. He knew Tseng wasn't happy with being pulled off of nanny duty, but as far as Rufus was concerned it wasn't nearly as big an issue as Tseng was making it out to be. Sure, he had ulterior motives for wanting the red-head to watch him, but why did that matter to Tseng? Tseng had always kept his nose out of his romantic affairs, even when he unwisely courted his secretaries, but now he seemed irrationally upset. He sighed and turned to Tseng, unable to ignore the glares any longer. "Why are you so upset?"
"You know the answer to that question." Tseng's dark eyes narrowed and he felt a small bit of triumph as Rufus shivered visibly from the intensity of his gaze. He had never seen Rufus quail under any other gaze, even his father's, but for some reason he was able to make the man shake where he stood. It was an ability he often misused, but he didn't feel he was misusing it now.
Rufus squared his shoulders and glared back at Tseng, knowing his angry look had no affect whatsoever on deterring the determinately fierce glare of his most trusted Turk. "That's not a good enough answer."
Tseng kept his angry façade even as he felt the bottle he stored his emotions in start to crack. He was pushing too many emotions into it at once and if he didn't get away from Rufus soon he knew he would have a breakdown because the bottle would shatter. "No answer is a good enough answer. You've decided what you'll do and, as usual, nothing I can say will keep you from doing it."
Rufus growled and straightened, curling his hands into fists at his sides. Tseng was right, not a word that leaked from his lips would deter him from doing what he set out to do. Even so, Tseng was avoiding the question and he hated not being given a straight answer. The lack of emotion in Tseng's voice only made his anger worse. He wanted something besides malice to radiate towards him from that beautiful face, but he didn't know what that something was. "Don't beat around the bush! Give me an actual answer!"
Tseng noted Rufus' outward aggression with distaste, unsure of what his true problem with the situation was. He knew Rufus wanted him out of his hair, he also knew that he spent far too much time hovering over the attention spoiled president for it to be healthy, but no matter how much time they spent together Tseng could never truly understand just what it was that made him hate the looks Rufus gave Reno. He had no right to feel jealousy, and he was sure that wasn't the right label to give his unseemly anger. He had no reason to feel jealous or even mildly concerned.
Rufus would toy with Reno for a week, maybe two. Then he would do what he always did; he would get bored and toss Reno to the side in favor of a fresher conquest. With every other person Rufus did that to Tseng felt nothing, but with Reno he could feel himself bristle internally at the thought. He didn't know what it was that made him so furious, but maybe it was the fact that he would have to personally deal with the mess after Rufus got bored. Usually Tseng just fired whatever secretary got her heart broken by the ravishing blonde, but he couldn't fire Reno. As uncouth as Reno was, he was a vital member of the Turks and Turks didn't get fired, they got killed.
Tseng kept his glare even with Rufus' as he struggled to find an answer that would avoid the question while doing something to soothe Rufus' anger. It seemed like the perfect retort was floating just out of his reach, but he couldn't wrap his tongue around it and give it form.
Rufus growled and leaned back against his car with his arms crossed, tired of waiting for a response. "Do you ever give me a real answer, Tseng?" He felt a strange sense of sorrow as he watched Tseng struggle to think of an answer. He knew the answer; Tseng's eyes told him everything. Tseng couldn't, or wouldn't, give him the answers he craved.
Tseng felt his glare weaken as he struggled to think of a response. He was saved from retorting by the thin red car that entered the parking lot. For the first time that day he could say he was truly glad to see Reno.
Reno parked by Rufus' car and shivered as he sensed the thick tension radiating between the two intimidating men waiting for him. He didn't know what he had interrupted, but he was glad he had interrupted it. He pulled his bag from his car and locked it, walking between the two with a smug grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, relieved that whatever fight they were having was stopped by his presence. "Ready ta go, boss-man?"
Rufus nodded and shot Tseng one final glare as he slipped into his car, glad that his chauffeur was driving and not Reno. Reno was attractive, but his driving skills were not known to be as pleasant as his body.
Tseng looked Reno over with a mixture of pity and anger, "Try not to screw up." He turned on his heel and marched back into the building. He was only able to keep his hands from fisting at his sides by sheer force of will. He struggled to keep himself from showing any outward signs of frustration as he strode towards his office. The bottle of his emotions was cracking badly and he needed to get home so that he could repair the cracks with his one vice; bourbon.
Reno slipped into the limousine beside Rufus and slammed the door shut, lounging on the seat as the chauffeur pulled out of the parking lot. "So what pushed you over the edge this time Rufus? He spit in your coffee?"
Rufus rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window, "No. I was simply feeling smothered. You know how he gets sometimes."
Reno laughed and rested his hands on his stomach as he stared out the opposite window. "Yeah, I understand. Still got that comfy couch for me to crash on?"
Rufus chuckled and nodded, subtly admiring Reno out the corner of his eye. "Yes. The couch is still there. I do have a guest bed you know."
Reno shrugged and watched trees and cars fly past his window, struggling to keep his attitude aloof and upbeat. "Your guest bed is covered in Tseng germs! He's already pissed because I'm takin' his job for a week, I don't wanna make it worse by sleepin' in the bed he always uses."
Rufus chuckled softly and they spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, each stewing in their own thoughts.
Author's Note: This chapter feels short….very short. Hopefully it's satisfactory though. I've turned Tseng into a closet alcoholic and I'm getting Reno to Ruf's house. He still has Rude's sunglasses
That makes me happy.