This is bad.

Axel was staring at the multitude of crates and boxes that lined the inside of the garage. After meeting Xemnas in old Midgar and destroying one of the abandoned and crumbling buildings, he'd paced around the shop all day waiting on a delivery from The Organization cronies. Several hours had passed after closing time before a truck pulled up and two men, one with an eye patch and nasty scar and the other with thick eyebrows and long dreads, had started unloading the large amount of equipment.

He was now realizing that this wasn't enough to make one more small bomb, or even two or three. This was enough for something huge. Whatever was in the works was much bigger then revenge on some traitor or a rival gang. Xemnas had never specified exactly what it was he wanted Axel to do, only stressing that the redhead was meant to use everything at his disposal.

"Axel?" Roxas was staring up at him, blue eyes impossibly wide and his hands twisting together into knots.

"Yeah Rox?"

"What are they going to do with all of this?" Axel pried his eyes away from the supplies and his terrified expression was mirrored on his friend's face.

"I have no fucking idea." Axel crossed his arms and went back to staring at the crates. He worried his bottom lip, wondering, not for the first time, if he could really do this.

"Ok, listen, I talked to my brother…"

"You told Sora?" Axel turned back to the blonde, his alarm obvious. "I haven't even told Kairi! If she finds out what's going on she'll freak."

"No, hear me out, I just described the situation, he doesn't know it's us." Roxas patted the air with his hands in a calming gesture, looking earnestly up at the redhead. "He said that Riku, you know him right? Well, anyway, he said that Riku knew somebody that might be able to help, he had some kind of connections…"

Somebody that might be able to help…

Axel tuned out the rest of what Roxas said, his mind kicking into overdrive.

Reno. He's a Turk, right? He's the second in command or something. Maybe he'll know what to do. Can I really trust him though? Well, it's him or some guy that my friend's brother's friend kind of knows and get more people involved. That or I could still go through with it. Damn...this is fucking insane!

"Hey, are you even listening?" Roxas tugged on the hem of his shirt, looking agitated.

"Yeah, sure Rox. Know what? Don't worry about it. I know someone that can get us out of this." Axel patted the top of his friend's head with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other. He pulled out his phone and scanned through his contacts for Reno's number.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Nobody you know, but it'll work out. Why don't you go home, spend some time with Xion. I'll call you if anything changes." Axel mustered up his most reassuring grin and ruffled Roxas's blonde hair.

"Are you sure?" Roxas still looked skeptical, but also a little relieved.

"Positive." He gave his friend one more comforting pat on the shoulder before typing out a quick text to Reno.

Gods...I hope this works...

A short blonde walked out of 813 Auto, hopped on a skateboard and cruised around the corner and out of sight. Reno recognized him as Axel's business partner and friend from the descriptions the redhead had given him. By his calculation, Axel should be alone inside, he'd seen his flatmate leave twenty minutes earlier in a beat up sports car. He wondered how many of them were involved, or if Axel was in on it alone.

Reno's phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Hey are you busy tonight?"

Reno snorted at the irony, but decided to play along for the time being.

"Not really. What did you have in mind?"

He tapped his phone impatiently against his thigh waiting for an answer.

"Could you come over to my place?"

Instead of answering, Reno eased open the door to the company issued car and stealthily worked his way across the street. He watched the entrance to the shop, perfectly still and concealed behind some bins. After a few minutes Axel exited the garage and started making his way over to the stairs that led to his apartment. Reno moved behind him, quiet as a shadow, until Axel stopped at the door to fumble with his keys.

"Hey babe." Reno breathed into his ear, grinning despite himself.

"HOLY HELL!" Axel's arms windmilled comically as he spun on the spot, eventually clutching one hand firmly to his chest, pale as death and breath ragged. "What the fuck Reno? Where did you come from?"

He leaned against the railing and considered the man before him. Axel looked about ready to have a breakdown and a skittish kind of fear had taken residence in those green eyes, making them dark and wary. Reno smirked a little, stepping forward with the pretense of giving the other man a welcoming embrace, when in truth he was checking for concealed weapons. It had crossed his mind several times that Axel could have been hired to kill him, or to try to weasel Shinra's secrets out of him.

"You asked me to come over, yo."

"I didn't think you'd get here quite that fast." Axel melted into his arms and buried his face into the side of his neck. Reno swept his arms up and down his sides, finding nothing present but the obvious. "Why are you still in uniform?"

Axel had leaned back, his eyes darting like a wild animal. "I was sent on an assignment, yo. I was in the neighborhood when you messaged me."

"Oh, right..." Axel gulped visibly reaching around for the doorknob. "We should get inside."

"Sure, hot stuff. Everything all right? You seem kind of nervous, yo." Reno followed him into the apartment, his EMR ready up his sleeve.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..." Axel trailed off and ran long fingers through that red, red hair, eyes still wide and his body language jerky. "Actually, no. I'm not all right."

He turned to the waiting Turk and seemed to be fighting some kind of internal struggle. Reno quirked an eyebrow. Curious. This wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. He'd been ready for Axel to act like he always did and pretend like Reno had assumed he'd been pretending. It seemed, however, that something had the other man severely spooked.

"What's wrong?" Reno appeared lightly concerned, and reached forward to soothingly brush some loose bangs off of Axel's forehead.

"Listen, I know that you haven't really known me forever, and I really hate to ask, but...I think I need your help." Axel's pleading eye's bore into him and Reno fought to keep his guard up, there was no way he could trust anything that came out of the other man's mouth.

He's right, I really don't know him that well. This could all be an act.

"Anything you need, yo." Reno cupped Axel's jaw and subtly let his weapon drop into his other hand, ready to strike.

Axel let out a heavy sigh and leaned a little into Reno's touch. "I'm in trouble, man. Big trouble..."

Once he started, he couldn't stop. Axel told Reno everything, right there in the middle of the living room. He droned on and on, spilling his heart and soul, saying things that he'd barely dared to even think over the years. He told him about high school and his problem with pyromania. He told him about how after his father left and his mother turned into an alcoholic zombie, he just wanted to watch the world burn. He told him about selling goods to gangs for extra cash, and how Roxas and Kairi made him promise to stop. He talked about opening the shop and Saix hooking them up with his boss for a loan.

Then after a long pause and several deep breaths, he told Reno about The Organization. He admitted his guilt and his fear. He even told him about the materials waiting in his garage at that very moment. He couldn't look the Turk in the eye, feeling vulnerable, and scared.

"I didn't know what else to do. They've got so much on me. The shop, Roxas, Kairi..." He chanced a glance at Reno's face and found himself unable to read what he saw there. "I can't do it. This is way bigger than I thought it was. I don't know what to do. What should I do?"

Axel desperately wanted Reno to say something, anything, the silence was freaking him out even more.

"Show me." Reno's eyes seemed a little detached, and his hand had moved from Axel's face to grip his upper arm.

"What?" Axel was starting to wonder if he'd judged the other redhead wrong and was startled to see some sort of silver baton waiting in Reno's left hand. "Reno, what's..."

"Show me what they sent you, Axel." He noticed Reno had completely dropped his slum drawl and realized that for the first time he wasn't seeing the redhead that he knew and trusted. He was seeing Reno of the Turks. A deadly assassin.

"You believe me, right?" Axel tried to jerk his arm out of Reno's vice-like grip, but the Turk's expression only hardened. "No...you have to believe me! I didn't ask for any of this…Reno!"

The fiery Turk turned and slammed Axel into the wall, the back of his head connecting painfully. The rod that he held before was now inches from Axel's throat, electricity dancing along its length.

"Listen, sweet cheeks, I'll spell it out for you. I'm a Turk, right? Today, I find your picture and your file among a group that's looking to take down Shrinra. Know what my job is? To kill people who plan to take down Shinra." Axel felt a horrible dread wrap tightly around his heart at Reno's words and stony expression. "Now, I volunteered to come down here to keep surveillance on you and I listened to your godsdamed sob story. Believe me, if you're telling the truth I feel for you, and I'd really like what you're saying to be the truth. But, when you've seen some of the bullshit I've seen over the years, it's hard not to be a little skeptical."

Here Reno took a breath and loosened his grip a bit and clicked the power off of his weapon. His rested forehead against Axel's, their breath intermingling. "So. You're going to show me what these wannabe terrorists sent you, and then you're coming back to headquarters with me. You better hope your story pans out, babe, cause if you're lying to me, you're gonna wish you were dead."

"I promise. I'm not lying." Axel's voice was small but sincere. He licked his lips and Reno's eyes followed the motion. "It's all the truth."

Reno couldn't stand it anymore. He engaged Axel in a forceful kiss, and the pinned redhead returned it with equal vigor. His EMR pressed into Axel's throat, and his other hand buried itself in that thick, wild hair.

Axel groaned and didn't even try to dominate the kiss, allowing Reno to explore his mouth, warm hands fisting themselves into the Turk's blazer.

They were both frantic. Reno trying to convince himself that everything he thought they'd had wasn't a lie, and Axel panicked that Reno wouldn't believe his story. They moved against each other and Reno never let up the slight pressure against Axel's neck. He broke the kiss for air and looked into Axel's face. His eyes were still wide and wild, his breath coming in deep gulps.

Reno brushed a thumb along kiss-swollen lips, memorizing the porcelain features and green fire.

How'd I get into this mess?

"Please..." Axel trailed off, his grip on the Turk tightening.

"Let's get a move on, yo." Reno slipped back into his usual drawl and drew back while Axel collected himself. His EMR was still present and readied, trust not completely won. Axel nodded once, a new determination taking over his features.

The silence was suffocating. Axel had shown the Turk the garage, all the materials, and the vague instructions given to him by the Organization's superior. Reno hadn't said much. He just looked everything over closely, taking note of all the details, before stepping outside to make a phone call with strict orders that Axel was not to move.

It felt weird to be driving in the Shinra issued car with Reno at the wheel. Everything was wrong. There should be wind and speed and laughter. Axel shouldn't be buckled into the sleek leather passenger seat, but should be pressed tightly to a hard body, the ends of Reno's long hair whipping him in the face.

Axel was wondering, not for the first time, if he'd be more likely to live if he went to WRO headquarters or threw himself out of the moving vehicle. The dull scenery of Edge was a blur out the window and the frequent glances he chanced at the other redhead weren't returned or acknowledged. Reno remained distant, eyes fixed on the road.

The WRO building finally loomed ahead, and the trepidation that had taken root in Axel's insides boiled up to new heights, making him kind of glad he hadn't had time for dinner. Reno pulled to a smooth stop in the parking deck below the building and immediately exited the car. Axel rubbed his sweating palms against his thighs and took a few deep breaths. The passenger door opened, nearly throwing the him into a full-on panic attack. Reno leaned against the car, a ghost of a smirk in place.

Axel hauled himself up to stand beside the other redhead and sent a halfhearted glare his companion. Reno reached out and pulled him into a loose embrace, and just as Axel was about to relax…

Click.

The feeling of cold metal around his wrist put Axel on red alert, and he tried to twist his way out of Reno's grasp. The Turk had the element of surprise and after a brief struggle had Axel bent over the hood of the car, hands cuffed behind his back.

"Reno! What the..." Axel continued to squirm, but Reno pressed into him, one hand with a bruising grip on his forearm, the other tugging back on his ponytail.

"We don't know each other." Reno was whispering harshly into his ear, the hand on his arm moving to his side and finally resting on his hip. "You spotted me and decided to turn yourself in. When we go inside you're gonna tell the boss everything you told me, except you don't know me and you've never seen me before today."

Axel nodded along, and tried to stop the familiar shivers only Reno could cause from traveling up his spine. He should be terrified, scared out of his mind, but all of his worries suddenly seemed to take on second priority because this was so fucking hot.

There's definitely something wrong with me.

Reno took note of how Axel had gone very still and his ears were burning a bright red to match his hair. The Turk raised an eyebrow, all sorts of new ideas pouring into the more kinky parts of his brain, and filed the information away for later...assuming there would be a later.

He lead his captive past the elevator in the parking deck to the stairwell next to it and they began the long trek up forty-two flights of stairs to the Turk offices. Axel never complained, nor did he look back. Reno kept a grip on his wrists and the EMR ready.

"This is our stop, yo." Reno pulled Axel backwards through the door leading into the carpeted hallway and began dragging him towards the double doors that lead to Tseng's spacious office.

Axel had decided that those dark wutaian eyes were the gates to hell.

He'd been having a staring contest with the commander of the Turks for what seemed an eternity. Shortly after dumping him in a chair in the Turk leader's office, Reno had been ordered to leave. Tseng had then introduced himself, taken a seat behind his desk, and leveled Axel with a calculating stare and the business end of a pistol.

"Explain."

That's all the commander had said and apparently that's all that needed to be said. Axel had done what Reno told him to do and relayed everything he knew, leaving out his relationship with the other Turk. Occasionally he had to stop to gulp down the lump that had lodged itself in his throat, and had to constantly remind himself not to squirm or break eye contact. He didn't want to appear weak or unsure, didn't want to look like a liar.

Tseng had thrown out a few questions to make him elaborate and search for information that the redhead honestly didn't know.

Now, Axel had said everything that could be said. His mouth had gone dry and his own heartbeat pounded in his temples. Halfway through telling his story, Axel realized he wasn't all that useful. He didn't know if the Organization had any other hideouts. He didn't know the target. He didn't know their purpose. He didn't know the size of their force.

Crap.

Tseng considered him from across the desk. The long silence that followed the practically one-sided conversation was heavy and loaded. His features were unreadable, but Axel guessed that there were wheels turning behind that expressionless mask. The gun still hadn't moved. "I see."

I am so dead.

Shortly after Reno had left Axel with Tseng, the other Turks had gathered outside the office. All of them silent. Waiting.

Elena sat across from him, fidgeting like she always did before there was going to be some action. Her legs crossed and uncrossed. Her attention shifting from trying to eavesdrop on the conversation in the office to checking her phone. Rude stood silent and still as always, leaning against the wall, his face its usual stony expression that hid all thoughts and emotions.

Reno was seated, eyes locked on Tseng's door, his knee bouncing up and down. His palms were uncharacteristically clammy, and he was doubting his decision to alert the company and bring Axel in.

Shinra comes first, man. Had to be done.

He'd known from the moment that'd he'd first called his boss that his redheaded firebrand might not come out of that room alive, but that was part of the job, and the job was his life.

Had to be done.

The low voices and conversation from inside the office ceased, and the only sound was that of Elena impatiently tapping her foot. Reno listened hard, and tried not to let himself be encouraged by the lack of pleading, screaming, or gunshots. He was about to tell the "rookie" to fucking sit still, when Tseng opened the door and regarded all of them with his cool gaze.

"Come. We have an opportunity"

The Turks filed in behind their leader and assumed their usual positions around the office. Tseng sat, elbows resting on his desk and fingers steepled in front of his face. Rude stood by Axel's chair, crossed his arms and became a living statue. Elena perched herself on the corner of Tseng's desk, her fingers tapping a rhythm and her gaze alternating between their commander and the captive. Reno sprawled himself in the open chair, and propped one foot up next to Elena's thigh. He was doing everything in his power to act natural and treat this as any other mission. Hyper aware of Axel's presence, but doing everything in his power to barely acknowledge the other redhead.

"So, bossman. What's this opportunity, yo? You got a plan?" Reno denied to himself how much the answer to that question mattered, and prayed that Axel had the good sense not to turn those panicked green eyes to him and give them away.

"Yes." Tseng relaxed his arms by his side and turned to the Turk's prisoner. "I believe, that we have been given a favorable situation. This young man can be of some use to us."

"How's that?" Elena quirked a blonde eyebrow.

"Bait."

Reno heard Axel gulp.

It was showtime. Axel had been given five days to complete the explosives for the terrorist group. It was only the third day, but he'd spent all his time locked in the WRO headquarters, going over and over the plan with the Turks.

He was supposed to go inside. Speak to Xemnas. Inform the organization leader that the project was complete. Stall for time. Wait for the Turks and their reinforcements. Hope to whatever gods were listening that he didn't get caught in the crossfire.

Axel was acutely aware of the wire taped to his chest, and the invisible eyes following him as he approached the Organization's hideout. The air seemed crisper, and every noise was louder. He felt lucky to be alive and doomed to an inevitable death all at once.

Even if I make it out of this mess, will Tseng let me walk away?

There'd been no discussion about what would happen once the Organization was taken out, and Axel had zero guarantees. For all he knew, the Turk leader would execute him once he was no longer useful.

The young mechanic steadied his hands and knocked on the steel door he was far too familiar with. Saix's cruel yellow eyes peered at him through the small opening, and no sight had ever been less welcome than the smug grin the gang member leveled him with. Axel mentally finished his prayers, enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his skin, and heaved a resigned sigh before following Saix into the darkness.

"He's in."

Elena's voice crackled through the earpiece Reno was wearing. She was monitoring the feed from the camera hidden on Axel and counting off the number of Organization members present. They had wired their bait to estimate what they were up against and create an impromptu map of the inside.

"Strife,there's a second entrance on the East side of the building."

"Copy, we're headed over there now."

Out of loyalty to Tuesti, the former Avalanche members had joined in for the fun, along with some of the WRO's freshest recruits. Tseng had taken extra precautions for this mission, unsure if the Organization consisted of a dozen or a hundred members.

Reno was waiting around the corner with Rude and three WRO operatives, ready to storm the front entrance when the time came. A half finished menthol dangled from his lips, the nicotine doing little for his nerves. Normally Reno was all for a good fight and kept a cool head in the thick of the action, but today there were butterflies in his stomach thinking of all the things that could go wrong, especially for Axel.

Don't think like that, yo. Do your job right and he'll make it out.

It sounded as if this "Xemnas" had at least fifty followers inside, and all the entrances guarded, but not rigged. That was good news.

Inexperienced thugs they could deal with, booby traps would be another problem.

Reno impatiently started twirling his EMR.

"You alright partner?" Rude turned to face him.

"Yeah, man. Just a little anxious, yo." Reno tossed his cigarette away and exhaled. "Been awhile since we've had a real sting."

"Hmph." Rude nodded his consent, but Reno could tell he didn't believe him.

"Excellent." Xemnas's deep voice rumbled, a disturbing smirk adorning his features. "We will collect the fruits of your labor tomorrow."

They were in the plain room that Axel had been taken to before. No windows and only one exit. He assumed that Saix was waiting outside the door. Now was usually the point at which Axel would be dismissed, and escorted out of the building. It was also where the plan got risky.

Axel had to prove they were planning to attack the WRO and expose their motive.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Axel tried to maintain a politely curious tone, but Xemnas looked up at him sharply, clearly surprised that he'd opened his mouth. "What's all this for anyways?"

Xemnas considered him for a moment, not used to Axel doing anything but following direct orders. It seemed like he might brush the redhead off, but clearly the opportunity to gloat was far too tempting. "Those old mako reactors, the ones the WRO have taken out of commission? Suddenly, they are not going to be as stable as was claimed. And when cities all over the planet start going up in flames, the WRO will be back in the public eye, in a most negative way. It'll be just like the disaster with the Shinra Electric Power Company all over again. While they are busy cleaning up the mess, we attack the WRO directly, and take over. Then we'll be supplying the energy to the people, and we will be the ones to be feared."

What a psycho…

Before he could finish that thought, shouts echoed from the other areas of the warehouse and the alarm was raised.

The fight had begun.

Once Xemnas had started his speech, Tseng gave the command to attack. Reno and Rude rushed down the street, the WRO operatives not far behind. Rude barreled through the steel door, and immediately punched out the first goon he saw. Reno followed, EMR charged and dancing with electricity, making short work of the other guard. People started shouting around him, and a bullet narrowly missed one of the operatives, before they started to return fire.

Reno and Rude fought back to back as the enemies appeared to come out of thin air. The redheaded Turk rolled and dodged, careful not to electrocute himself or his partner, while laying into the thugs around him. A shock of bright blue energy broke up the throng for a moment, and Reno saw Cloud twirling that impossibly large sword of his around his head before continuing his attack. Tifa flew by, sending a powerful kick into the head of a large man with dreads.

Everything was caught up in the confusion of battle. Yuffie's shuriken taking out an enemy, Barret joining the line of WRO operatives and providing cover, Tseng shooting one of the attackers just in time, Valentine and Highwind fighting against two to thirteen odds. Reno skirted through the chaos and attempted to make his way steadily to the Northwest corner of the building where he knew Axel was.

And where he's hopefully still alive…

Somehow, Reno managed to get separated from Rude, but a quick glance backwards showed that his partner had joined up with the other Turks. Sensing an opportunity to get to Axel, Reno sprinted away, momentarily out of the Organization's focus.

He turned a corner, and saw a door ahead, but before he could make it there, a blue-haired man that Reno recognized from their stakeouts jumped into the air and launched an attack at him. The Organization member's trench coat was charred and his hair slightly singed, but that didn't stop him from swinging wildly at the Turk with his oversized claymore. Reno danced out of reach and tried to detect a pattern in the crazed blunette's slashes and stabs so that he could get in close, but there was none.

Reno continued to circle around the wild man, barely able to block his unpredictable swings in the close quarters of the hallway they were in. Just as he was about to make use of an opening to end the fight, Reno slipped in a puddle on the concrete floor, and fell undignified onto his back. The berserker's eyes glowed triumphantly as he raised his claymore above his head, ready for the killing blow.

What a shitty way to go...

Upon hearing the shouts from outside the room, Axel took the opportunity to reach into his pocket and extract a small green orb. He'd filched it from the crate of materia that the Turks and WRO operatives had armed themselves with. He'd never used magic before, but as he heard the door opening behind him, he raised his clenched fist as Saix entered.

I really hope this isn't a Restore materia…

A fireball exploded from his fist and collided with Saix's chest, throwing the Organization member out into the hallway. Axel turned immediately to find Xemnas drawing a gun from the folds of his trench coat. Reacting on instinct, Axel tackled him around the middle. The two men wrestled and struggled for the gun, with Xemnas having the advantage of strength. Axel, however, was wiry and flexible…and he fought dirty. He bit down on an exposed wrist, tasting blood and hearing Xemnes curse above him.

Just then remembering the materia clenched in his left fist, Axel focused his energy and released fire that engulfed Xemnas's right arm. While he was distracted, the redhead snatched the gun and leapt away. He shot the Organization leader in the knee and listened as the man yowled in pain. Deciding that the silver haired terrorist was no longer a threat, Axel went out to the hallway to see what had become of Saix.

He was shocked to see him, standing above Reno, readying for a killing strike. Axel didn't even have to think. He raised his fist again, his rage centralized into his hand and another fireball, this one significantly bigger than the last one, blasted into Saix. There was a sickening crunch when the blue haired man's body connected with the wall.

Axel strode over to the Turk casually, rolling the small orb of materia across his fingers like a coin. He reached down to help Reno up, smirking.

"Miss me?"

Reno was still in a mild state of shock over what had just happened, but that was forgotten when Axel flashed him that familiar smirk, and his green, green eyes had that crazy glow about them.

"Definitely." Reno grinned, and grabbed the back of Axel's head to steal a quick kiss.

The brief battle ended without too many casualties for the WRO. Xemnas and the other surviving members of the Organization were being carted away to headquarters for questioning and sentencing. Reno passed the members of Avalanche, all of them still in one piece and looking satisfied. Strife nodded at him in acknowledgment, and he threw a lazy salute. Rude clapped him on the shoulder as he passed by. Reno continued weaving through the crowd of people and hastily set up medical tents searching for a particular shock of red hair.

Reno spotted Axel as the other man was being attended to by a female WRO operative. The crazy bastard had burned his palm casting the fire spells without any sort of barrier between him and the materia.

"Reno." Just as he was about to go tease Axel, Tseng snuck up on him.

"What's up boss?"

"Do me a favor," Tseng appeared to find something amusing, because Reno could see the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, which was like uproarious laughter for the commander of the Turks. "in the future, avoid get romantically involved with someone who's being blackmailed by a terrorist group."

Reno gaped at him, his mouth opening and closing a couple times, at a rare loss for words. "How'd you know?"

Tseng quirked an eyebrow, as if to say, is that a serious question?

"So you're gonna let him go, right?" Reno did his best to keep any anxiousness out of his voice as Tseng started to walk away.

"Of course." The wutaian man called shortly over his shoulder.

Reno grinned, and directed his attention toward the subject of their conversation.

"Ouch! Dammit lady, be gentle!" Axel was pouting and shrinking away from the WRO operative.

The woman sighed, exasperated and tugged on the stubborn redhead's wrist. "I have to clean the wound before I can cast a restore on it, or you'll get infected."

Reno gave a short tug to that bright hair. "Don't be such a baby, Ax."

"Not a baby," Axel mumbled, shooting a glare at the Turk. "OW!"

The WRO operative rolled her eyes and cast a hasty healing spell. "There, you're better. Now scram."

The two redheads walked away from the crowd together, Axel turning to stick his tongue out at the woman who healed him. Once they were some distance from everyone else, Reno noticed Axel fidgeting nervously.

"So, uh...what now?" Axel's green eyes bore into him.

"Now?" Reno grinned and draped his arms over the taller man's shoulders. "Well, babe, now we go grab some dinner, get back to your place, and I screw you into next Sunday. Sound good?"

A slow, hesitant smile began to grace Axel's features, and became stronger when his brain fully processed what Reno had just said. "Sounds great."