Reno woke up with his head buried in Tseng's chest, completely content to stay where he was no matter how loudly his bladder screamed in protest, threatening to rupture if he didn't do something to fix the problem and soon. He didn't care though, he was warm, safe, and happy despite the discomfort he could easily disregard. He didn't know how many opportunities he would have to simply be wrapped in Tseng's very snug arms and he wanted to relish the sensation for as long as he could. Reno didn't think he had ever slept so soundly in his life. He had had none of his usual nightmares about his father, no terrifying visions of Tseng being torn apart by human shaped wolves, no dreams at all. It was the most peaceful night's sleep he had ever had.
Once he was awake however, it didn't take long for what had woken him to make itself known. His mother was hovering over the bed and had started poking him in the shoulder irritatedly, whispering his name to try and rouse him. Reno feigned sleep for as long as he could, not wanting to leave the warm body he was nestled beside, but his mother's continued prods completely killed the good mood he was in. He grumbled his annoyance as he rolled out of Tseng's arms and onto the floor, landing with a boneless thump and rolling onto his back. Reno opened angry sleep fogged eyes at his mother, scowling as much as his tired muscles would allow. She scowled back and beckoned for him to follow her downstairs, disapproval evident in every line of her face. Reno groaned louder and pointed at the bathroom, making it very apparent what his first priority was. She rolled her eyes and pointed out the door again before stalking off quietly, obviously not wanting to disturb Tseng.
Reno wobbled to the bathroom on unsteady legs and relieved himself, his aggravated bladder giving a cry of triumph as it emptied into his porcelain throne. He washed his hands and tiptoed out of his bedroom to figure out what his mother wanted, throwing Tseng's sleeping form a jealous glance. Tseng had rolled over and had a confused look on his sleeping face as the spot where Reno had been began to grow cold under his sleepy hands. Reno smiled and shut the door quietly, hoping Tseng would stay asleep for just a little while longer.
The trip down the downstairs was much quicker when Reno actually tripped, but he rather preferred the more commonplace method of traversing the stairs. He landed in a small heap at his mothers feet, cursing quietly as he picked himself up off the floor. She backhanded him across the face when he was back on his feet and he rubbed his cheek, mouth open in surprise. He gaped at her silently as she began to scold him without mercy, her finger wagging in his face in a very motherly fashion.
"What do you think you were doing? Why were you and Tseng in the same bed? Why were you two...cuddling like that? Did you have sex!" Reno hadn't seen his mother so angry in as long as he could remember. She had been almost ridiculously happy since she had divorced his scum-bag of a father and Reno hadn't seen her do more than frown since then and she had refrained from laying a malicious hand on him after all his father had done to his far too young body.
"Did I do what!" Reno shouted back, his short fuse quickly burning to its end and unleashing anger he didn't know he had. "You think I would do that to Tseng? Are you sick woman!" Reno couldn't believe she would accuse him of taking so much advantage of his delicate friend. It wasn't that sex had never crossed his mind, he just never thought of making his dreams reality. In his mind Tseng was as delicate as if he were made of glass, held together only by thin pieces of tape and bandages. Reno didn't know much, but he knew male sex involved an awful lot of tearing, tearing he had experienced first hand at far too young an age. It was a memory he would never forget and had caused his mother to divorce his lecherous and filthy father. The fact that she would accuse him of doing something similar to Tseng disgusted him beyond belief.
"Don't you talk to me that way!" His mother shook a disproving finger in his face. "Answer the question!"
"Fuck no I didn't have sex in your house! How could you think that? Did ya smell sex? Aren't we wearing clothes?" Reno plucked at his shirt for emphasis, noting the small tears forming at the edges of his mothers eyes. He lowered his voice. "Why the hell do you think I had sex with Tseng? SO what if we were cuddling! He's my best friend! So what if I like him? Do you have a problem with having a gay son?"
Mrs. Sinclair stammered for an answer, her mouth gaping like a fish. "I'm sorry Reno, its just..." She trailed off with a chocked sob, pulling Reno into a tight hug. "There's nothing wrong if you are gay. I just...I don't know alright? I know you're seventeen and you've got...urges but.....Please at least be safe and use a condom or something okay?" She ran a hand over her face and squeezed her eyes shut with a small shudder.
Reno raised an eyebrow at his mother and scratched his head, his anger suddenly gone as the awkwardness of the situation settled in. "Ma, are you givin' me the sex talk? Weren't ya s'posed ta do that like four years ago or somethin'?" He chuckled slightly, the sting in his cheek quickly forgotten as the misunderstanding passed. It only took a few words from his mother for Reno to completely understand why she was upset. Gaia looked down on homosexuality and since Gaia looked down on it, his mother looked down on it. Reno knew why she didn't like homosexuals, but he didn't approve of the bitterness she showed, no matter how warranted it was. There were several reasons he himself should hate homosexuals, but he refused to blame the entire community for the pains inflicted on them both by one. If Gaia wanted everyone to love everyone, why were certain people excluded because of the fact that they loved? In his mind the hypocritical judgment Gaia issued was an injustice that made him stop believing, even though he would never admit his atheism to his mother.
Mrs. Sinclair gave a weak chuckle as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Sorry baby, I overreacted. Forgive me?"
"Course Ma, ya know I can't get mad at ya when ya make such amazing cookies." Reno wiggled his eyebrows as he dropped a hint for what his breakfast of choice would be, nudging her with a sly grin.
She playfully shoved him towards the stairs before turning towards the kitchen. "You're not havin' cookies for breakfast."
Reno gave a dramatic sigh and raced up the stairs, much better at going up them than going down them. He quietly opened the door of his room to find Tseng sitting up and rubbing tired eyes with a sleepy smile. Reno smirked and slammed the door behind him, making Tseng jump. "Hey Tsengy-poo. Sleep well?"
Tseng had never slept so well in his entire life. He had never felt more safe than when he had had Reno's arms securely wrapped around him and he had hoped to wake up to that same comfort. Even though Tseng had woken up alone he knew he had been accompanied throughout the night by his protector and friend, the slightly warm spot beside him letting him know that Reno had left only moments before he had managed to wake up.
Tseng hadn't wanted to leave his dream, it had been the most pleasant dream he had ever had without any competition. He and Reno had been sitting toe to toe on the stainless blue carpet Tseng had come to love and they had been talking. Tseng couldn't remember the conversation, but he didn't need to. The words weren't important, only the gentle movement of Reno's lips had been important. He had been happy, one hundred precent happy and there was nothing that could compare to the euphoria he had felt in the dream. There was no fear that his parents would break him, that the demons would slice him, that Reno would leave or turn away with a disgusted glare. There had only been bliss. At the very end Reno had crept closer, closing the short distance between them with his trademark smirk as he pressed their lips together. Tseng had woken up just at the moment their lips touched, his heart pounding as if he had run miles while never leaving the safety of Reno's bed.
"Yeah, I did." Tseng stretched his arms above his head as Reno jumped to sit on the bed beside him, his motions wiggling the mattress and throwing Tseng slightly off balance. Reno smirked and prodded Tseng in the side, giggling as the dark haired boy jumped in surprise. Tseng quickly lowered his arms and raised an eyebrow at Reno. "What was that for?" His heart was still jumping in his chest and he wished he could rip whatever trampoline it was bouncing on out from beneath it so he could feel somewhat normal around his friend. If Reno found out about his Gaia-condemned feelings he would definitely push him away out of disgust, Tseng was sure of it.
Reno shrugged and said nothing, laying down on his back and throwing his head in Tseng's lap. Tseng looked down at his somewhat puzzling best friend with his head cocked to one side in confusion. "Where did you go?" Tseng was still a little upset about having to wake up alone after falling asleep so peacefully the night before in Reno's arms. He had never fallen asleep with so little fear of not waking up and he wished he could spend every night that way.
"Ma needed ta talk to me." Reno looked up at Tseng with a smile that betrayed none of the devious things he was thinking at the moment. He had to restrain himself and it was getting harder and harder for him each day, something he noticed but Tseng didn't seem to pick up on. Reno didn't know whether or not he should be happy about Tseng's lack of perception or upset by it. He liked keeping his secret thoughts secret, but he did want to know what Tseng thought of him. Even if Tseng shared none of his attraction he still wanted to know, just so he could have the knowledge and know how to act around his reserved friend so he wouldn't push him away and lose every chance he ever or never had of playing out his dreams.
"What about?" Tseng resumed his stretching despite the heavy head that rested on his legs, intent on removing the small knots of tension in his body. He gave a happy sigh as his back and arms cracked several times, startling Reno. Tseng laughed freely as Reno shot upright and glared at him fiercely.
"Don't do that! Don't you know its bad for your bones?" Reno grabbed Tseng's chin and forced him to meet his eyes as Tseng smirked and began cracking his knuckles out of spite. "No! Bad Tseng!"
"Am I a dog now?" Tseng felt heat creep up the back of his neck as his pulse jumped under Reno's thin fingers. He couldn't help the small gasp that passed through his lips despite the cocky attitude he was trying to pull off. Tseng hoped Reno hadn't heard the tiny noise, but knew better than to think there was a thing about him that Reno didn't pick up on. Reno knew where every hurt was, heard every quiet noise, and could tell what kind of mood he was in by simply looking at him. It was slightly unnerving, but Tseng couldn't say that he truly minded Reno's powers of perception.
Reno ran his thumb over Tseng's jawline with a smirk, enjoying the smooth bruise-less skin jumping under his fingers as he gazed into deep brown-black eyes. The quickening of Tseng's pulse sent his heart crashing up to his throat and then plummeting down into his stomach to settle somewhere around his loins. He tried to ignore the very real urge to pull Tseng just a little closer and taste the body that had kept him warm the night before, but the harder he tried to resist the more determined he seemed to be to fail. He was lightheaded with desire and the deep black pools he was gazing at seemed to choke and drown all of his reasoning. He was just about to act on instinct and damn the consequences when his mother's voice crashed over him like a bucket of cold water. "Boys! Breakfast!"
Reno pulled his hand from Tseng's face, his head spinning back onto his shoulders with a heavy thud. He flashed Tseng a smile, determined to act like nothing had happened even though he had unconsciously leaned dangerously close to the pools he was drowning in. Reno jumped to his feet and rushed to the door, shouting to Tseng as he went. "Last one down is a rotten egg!"
Tseng stayed where he was as Reno bolted down the stairs, rooted to the spot. As the blur of blue and red had left his vision he was able to comprehend what Reno had said and he stood up on shaky legs that threatened to spill him onto the floor. The pulse roaring through his ears matched time with the rib breaking crashes of his heart as he staggered downstairs and reached the bottom landing just in time to see Reno being beat upside the head with a spoon. He paused in confusion as Reno grabbed his arms and hid behind him, giggling like mad. Reno's mother stopped and gave him a bright smile. "Good mornin' Tseng. Sleep well?"
Tseng nodded dumbly as he looked between the spoon in Mrs. Sinclair's hand and the tuft of red he could see over his shoulder. He could feel hot breath against his back as Reno laughed uncontrollably and let his arms be held to his sides as he was used as a human shield. Tseng finally opened his mouth to speak as the batter coated spoon was lowered and Reno's mother began giggling. "What did I miss?"
Reno peeked his head over Tseng's shoulder and sent his mother a cheeky grin. He rested his chin on Tseng's shoulder as he tried to explain what had happened, unsure of where exactly to start. The entire situation had unfolded so fast he had to straighten out his own giggling thoughts before he could answer Tseng's question. "Well Ma was stirrin' up more pancakes and was just about to put blueberries in the batter when I distracted her and stole a bunch of 'em. Then she started chasin' me around the kitchen with a spoon like a madwoman!" He giggled as his hands left blue stains along Tseng's arms.
Tseng raised an eyebrow and pulled away from Reno slightly so that he could look at him without bringing their faces any closer together. His heart was still pounding erratically from the electric moment they had shared in Reno's bedroom and he knew Reno's mother probably wouldn't enjoy it if the tension was recreated before her eyes. He didn't understand what was so wrong about wanting to be with someone of the same gender because to him people were people and even though some were better or worse than others, they were all technically the same. They all had the same basic needs and desires and if it was possible to find someone who met those needs then why did it matter to anyone what they were hiding in their pants? Homophobia made no sense to him, but he knew that Reno's mother would hate him if she knew what his feelings were towards Reno. He was still unsure of those feelings himself, but he knew that not all of his thoughts about Reno were innocent.
Reno smirked back at him and Tseng was reminded of his dream, something that made him pull away from the sticky blue hands that held him as his rib cage started to crack from the strain his heart was putting it under. He watched as Reno's mother took advantage of his shift in position and whacked Reno on the top of his head with the spoon, batter flecking in all directions so that Tseng couldn't escape the thin doughy spray. Reno whined as his mother grinned in triumph and stalked back to the kitchen without a second glance, her spoon dripping a gooey trail on the floor behind her. Tseng quailed a little as Reno glared at him, wondering if he had done something wrong. He really hadn't meant to leave Reno completely unprotected from his mothers wrath, but he was fairly sure he would have had a small heart attack if he hadn't left Reno's immediate proximity right away.
Tseng's face fell as Reno gave an evil laugh and lunged at him, pushing him to the floor and rubbing blue hands in his face. Reno felt he had to get some kind of payback for Tseng's desertion and turning the nice pale skin beneath his hands blue seemed like a very good way to get revenge. Besides, he really enjoyed touching Tseng and made no effort to refrain from doing so when the opportunity presented itself. Tseng rolled out from under him and ran laughing into the kitchen with Reno in tow, hiding behind Reno's mother with an evil grin. Mrs. Sinclair set her hands on her hips and glared at Reno as Tseng very quietly snuck a handful of blueberries out of the carton she had left unguarded. The two shared a secret glance and Tseng grabbed the entire carton of blueberries as Reno grabbed the plate of pancakes from the table and they ran from the room. Mrs. Sinclair stood in shock, her pancakes slowly charring behind her as she watched the boys run out of the house with a loud chorus of 'thank you'.
Reno was howling with laughter as he led Tseng into the grassy field behind his house, his feet following the well-worn path they had made in the grass. They had decided to use the field to build and launch their rocket after the first in-house explosion. Actually, Mrs. Sinclair had ordered them both out of the house and forbid them to bring the rocket anywhere near her, but Reno preferred to see it as their decision instead of an order. Reno didn't mind the switch being moved outside because he loved being outside and being outside with Tseng made outside even better. The fact that they could be alone while outside was just topping on the cake.
Soon enough they reached their destination, a tiny circle of flattened grass that had more than its fair share of bald spots from all of the explosions and failed launches that had taken place on it. It wasn't their fault the rocket wouldn't fly, Reno didn't see how the thing was supposed to get into the air when it exploded before it ever left the ground. Tseng had been wracking his brains over the problem for weeks but Reno didn't mind. The explosions were entertaining.
Reno sat down in one of the larger bald spots so that the grass wouldn't tickle his legs, grabbing one of the pancakes and taking a large bite as Tseng joined him. Tseng set the carton of blueberries on the ground and reached for a pancake himself, taking a bite before commenting. "Do you think your mom will be mad that we stole all the food?"
Reno shrugged and quickly finished his pancake before answering. "Why would she? She made them for us and had some cooking for herself so it shouldn't be a problem. She'll just be mad that we didn't pray first." Reno laughed and grabbed another pancake, not noticing the somewhat mortified look on Tseng's face.
Tseng quickly set his pancake back on the plate and folded his hands, preparing to pray. Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed Tseng's hands, startling the teen as he shoved the pancake back into them. Tseng raised an eyebrow and Reno explained himself. "Listen Tsengy, ya don't have ta pray every time ya eat okay? We don't pray at lunch do we? Ma just has a thing about praying like a maniac for everythin'. She probably prays after she sneezes." Reno snorted as he took a large blueberry filled bite of pancake.
"Hey Reno." Tseng held his pancake loosely in his hand as he watched Reno continue eating. "Do you have something against Gaia?"
Reno nearly choked on his food, not expecting the question at all. Tseng gently patted him on the back as he coughed and tried to swallow the angry pancake that was cutting off his airway, wrestling it into submission and forcing it back down his throat. Once he finally won the battle with his food he looked at Tseng in confusion, unsure of just how to word his answer. He knew that the idea of Gaia gave hope to Tseng and he didn't want to disillusion his friend, but he knew if there was anything in the world that would keep Tseng from loving him the way he wanted to be loved, it was Gaia. Reno felt selfish for pulling Tseng from his newfound religion, but he justified it as necessary. He sighed and explained his views. "Tsengy, if Gaia is all-powerful, why does she let bad things happen? If we're supposed ta treat everyone the way we wanna be treated, why does she tell us to exclude certain people? The entire religion feels like a hypocritical sham ta me, ya know? For all we know Gaia could be somethin' the government thought up ta give us hope and keep us complacent, or she could be the real deal. Either way, she's too abstract for us ta know how ta worship and if everyone in the world prays to her all the time, how will she ever hear the people who really need help?"
Tseng took a bite of his pancake as he mulled over Reno's words, noting the somewhat scared look Reno was sending him as he talked. The fact that Reno seemed scared to share his beliefs with him confused him, usually Reno was unafraid to say anything. He knew Reno would be damning himself in Gaia's eyes by thinking the way he did, but he did know that he didn't care that Reno didn't believe the way everyone else seemed to. Tseng himself had been having doubts about Gaia since he learned about her, wondering why she continued to let the demons rip them to shreds on a daily basis when they had done nothing to deserve the punishment. He had heard the demon from the day before tell Reno that he was a 'Wutain bastard', but he didn't know what his ethnicity had to do with his actions. He had never even been to Wutai, couldn't speak Wutain, and was fairly sure his parents had never been to Wutai either. If Gaia was letting the demons hate him for being Wutain, then why should he love her? Tseng looked at Reno and finished his pancake with a smile. "I don't get it either."
Reno felt relief drop onto his shoulders with a heavy thud and he sighed with it, glad that the tense knot that had been twisting his insides was gone. He grabbed one of the blueberries from the carton Tseng had brought and popped it into his mouth, chewing happily as he placed his hands behind his head and laid back on the grass. "I don't think we're gonna be able ta eat all these pancakes."
Tseng laughed and followed Reno's lead, grabbing a blueberry and laying down on the soft grass. "Your mom will be disappointed if we don't." Reno's mother always expected them to eat until they burst and Tseng usually made himself somewhat sick trying to please her. He had put on some weight since he had started eating regularly, something that startled him as much as it pleased him. He no longer had the emaciated look of a starving dog and had grown actual muscles with all the extra nourishment he was getting and all the fighting they were doing. The health that was blossoming on his features angered his parents and made their attacks even more ferocious, but Tseng wouldn't trade the pleasant changes in his physique for anything.
Reno sniggered and stretched on the ground, content to watch the clouds skip across the sky above them. "So what? She made fifty of 'em! How in the hell were we supposed ta eat fifty pancakes?" The quickly cooling stack of delicious blueberry laden pancakes was taunting Reno and he sat back up and grabbed another, unable to resist the sweet temptation.
"Put them in our mouths and chew, that's how." Tseng laughed and propped himself up on his elbows so he could watch Reno feast on pancakes. Reno was sitting with his legs crossed underneath him and staring down at Tseng with a happy smile as he ate, his teeth turning blue after all the blueberries he had eaten. Tseng couldn't get enough of the smiles Reno gave him, unable to convince himself that they were going to be around forever. He had the ominous feeling that this small and happy period of his life was a calm before the storm, and that someday soon his parents would keep him from waking up like they promised. Every night they threatened him with death until it no longer scared him. Tseng could handle the idea of dying, but the idea of leaving Reno was something he couldn't come to terms with. He didn't want to come to terms with the idea either, hoping that if he didn't think about it it would never happen.
Reno smirked at Tseng and threw a blueberry at him, grinning as it bounced off the Wutain boy's nose. Tseng's face and arms were still blue from the sticky juice Reno had rubbed on him earlier and Reno couldn't help but laugh as Tseng rubbed his nose and spread the blue gunk around more. He ducked as Tseng retaliated by throwing a blueberry at him and soon they had a blueberry war going on, the small blue fruits flying in all directions and only occasionally hitting their targets. Reno soon got sick of missing Tseng and lunged at him with a frustrated cry, pinning him to the ground and straddling him so he couldn't get away. He held one hand on Tseng's shirt and grabbed a blueberry with the other, holding the juice filled fruit over Tseng's face with a malicious smile as Tseng tried to push him off. He shoved the blueberry onto Tseng's forehead and began smearing it around, grinning as Tseng writhed and tried to fight him off. He drew thin blue lines down Tseng's cheeks, very very tempted to follow the trails with his tongue. A blush coated his cheeks as he tried to get his urges back under control as Tseng wriggled maddeningly beneath him, his concentration slipping along with his grip on Tseng's shirt. Reno yelped as Tseng managed to roll him onto his back and pin his arms above his head and sat panting with triumph as he hovered over him. Reno felt his heart race as Tseng simply straddled him and held him down, his thoughts beginning to drift into dark daydreams again. He cleared his throat and pushed his hips into the ground, trying to keep himself from brushing against Tseng as he tried to pull his thoughts back onto a topic that wouldn't make him blush so much. It was rather hard to do with Tseng straddling him the way he was. "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Tseng cocked his head to one side as he gazed down at Reno, his chest throbbing with the palpitations of his heart. He didn't know when he had gotten stronger than Reno, but at the moment it was an advantage he didn't mind at all. Of course, now that he had Reno pinned he didn't know what to do with him. Usually he was the one being tackled to the ground and Reno had a plethora of things he enjoyed doing to torment him while he was down, but Tseng was at a loss for what to do.
"Pin me." Reno pulled at his hands and tried to free them, but Tseng's grip wasn't going to be broken any time soon. He lay very still, unsure of what Tseng's thoughts were. He knew very well what his thoughts were and was trying to keep them under control as they buzzed around his head and began making him very uncomfortable.
Tseng shrugged and moved both of Reno's wrists into one hand as he reached for a blueberry, an evil smile on his lips. He held the blueberry over Reno's face and saw a small smile curl the edges of blue-stained lips. "Think I should get payback?" He was going to get payback either way, the blue juice running down the side of his face making him feel vindictive.
Reno squirmed, half-heartedly trying to escape the juice that dripped onto his face as Tseng squeezed the sticky berry. He could feel blue stains forming on his cheeks and grimaced as Tseng squished the blueberry onto his nose. Reno managed to rip his hands from Tseng's distracted hold and pulled the berry off of his face before grabbing Tseng's shoulders and pushing him off of his chest. He got up and ran, dashing back towards the house with a loud mirthful shriek as he heard Tseng get up behind him.
Reno stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the driveway, panic flooding his senses as he recognized the second car in his driveway. His breath caught in his throat and he stood rooted to the spot as Tseng caught up to him and grabbed him from behind. The unexpected shock of hands wrapping around him nearly made him scream and he turned around quickly, shoving Tseng away in fear. Tseng stood and stared at him, looking confused and hurt as Reno's shoulders heaved with panicked breaths. Reno felt tears sting his eyes and he let out a panicked whisper. "Dad is here."
Tseng's eyes widened as he looked between Reno and the very rusty car sitting in his driveway. He could feel the terrified trembling that shook Reno's thin frame under his hands and they both jumped in fear as they heard a loud long scream. Reno turned on the spot and rushed into the house, Tseng at his heels.
Reno crashed through the front door without taking his shoes off, knowing that the mud on the carpet wouldn't matter if his father was allowed to continue pulling tortured screams from his mothers throat. "Ma! Ma!" Reno shouted in fear as he ran into the kitchen, his screams cut short as his face met a large beefy fist. He stumbled backwards and hit the doorframe as lights flashed before his eyes. It didn't take long for his vision to clear but when it did, he screamed in horror. His mother, his kind, loving, over-protective, Gaia-fearing mother, was sprawled against the oven. Her fear-filled and glassy brown eyes were pointed at the ceiling and her mouth was open in a now silent scream as her blood pooled on the floor around her. Tears filled Reno's eyes as he watched the blood-red hair that matched his own lick the flames that were still cooking blueberry pancakes despite the fact that the chef was dead. For Reno timed stopped completely as he stared at his mother's bloody face, transfixed by the horrible sight. Reno didn't even notice Tseng walk into the room as his attention was soon captured by the thick-set man grinning at him from his position by his mothers body, trimming his nails with the bloody knife he had used to gut the still warm Mrs. Sinclair.
Reno's father hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen him. He was still thick, tall, and filthy; his black hair sticking to his neck in matted clumps as he watched Reno with cruel blue eyes. Reno felt anger rise to the forefront of his emotions as his father set a hand on his mothers head and stroked her luscious red hair away from the flames that threatened to burn it. A scream ripped from his throat. "Don't touch her you stupid bastard!"
"Don't talk to your father that way Reno." The murderous man smirked at Reno as he continued to stroke his ex-wife's hair. "Besides, it's a little late for that doncha think?" His father sighed with mock regret as he ran a grimy finger down a teary and bloody cheek. "It's a shame she had to cry so much Reno. It would've been quick if she hadn't cried. I had ta cut out her tears ya see. I hate it when pretty people cry, it makes them so ugly." Mr. Sinclair grinned as he wiped blood from the still flowing wounds beneath the dead woman's eyes, showing Reno and Tseng the long symmetrical lines he had carved into her flesh. "You're not goin' ta cry are ya Reno? I don't wanna hurt ya. I wanna take ya home with me. Doesn't that sound like fun? Things can go back ta the way they were before yer bitch of a mother started interferin'." Reno grabbed his stomach as it threatened to turn over as the mixed disgust from the horror of his mothers dead body and the remembered horror of 'how things were' overwhelmed him. The memories of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse made his legs shake and his skin crawl as his father continued talking as if that part of their lives had been paradise. "I've got a nice place out in the country where we can stay and not be bothered by any o' those asswipes who think I can't take care o' my boy." The nausea was soon overpowered by anger as the beast he was forced to call 'father' continued speaking, taking notice of Tseng during his rambling. "Who's yer frien' Reno?" Reno's fists clenched at his sides and he glared at the blood splattered demon in front of him. "He's Wutain, but where's his little head dot? I thought all Wutains were s'posed ta have head dots? Maybe I can carve him one before we go." His father moved forward with an evil smile, his knife pointing towards Tseng's face.
Reno screamed with incomprehensible rage and threw himself at his demon, fists flailing as he tried to protect the one person he had left to love. He caught his father by surprise and knocked the knife from his hand, shoving him back into the table and pummeling every inch of the filthy man that he could reach. His father grabbed his hair and threw him, his head cracking the drywall as it hit the wall.
Tseng listened to the entire scene with horror, frozen to the spot until Reno finally moved. Once Reno flung himself at the bloody creature before them Tseng raced to the oven and turned off the heat. He grabbed the simmering frying pan and held it like he was a sword, swinging the hot, batter covered piece of metal at Reno's attacker. The pan crashed into the back of the man's skull and made him stumble, giving Tseng an opening to swing again. Tseng crashed the pan into the large man's back as the heat from the pan singed his fingers. Reno was slumped against the wall, dazed with pain as he grabbed the back of his bleeding head. Tseng moved to swing again but missed as the large man showed uncanny speed, dodging the blow and grabbing Tseng by the throat. Tseng dropped the pan and gripped the thick fingers that crushed his windpipe, trying to pry them away so he could breathe. A fist repeatedly collided with his face and gut, knocking the remaining air from his lungs and scattering his drowning thoughts.
Reno tried to pull himself to his feet and fell in a heap, his head swimming as it throbbed. He watched with helpless horror as Tseng was beaten, his already broken body seeming to shatter before Reno's eyes. Reno managed to make it onto his hands and knees, crawling towards the discarded knife on the floor with every intention of turning it against the murderous beast that was trying to destroy everything he loved. Just as he reached the knife it was yanked from under his hands and a shabby boot collided with his side, cracking one of his ribs with a hollow snap.
Tseng felt his eyes roll back into his head as he drowned without inhaling, his lungs screaming for the air that they were being denied. He saw the knife move towards his face and tried weakly to break the hold that held him. He screamed with air he didn't have as the knife carved into his forehead, ripping a small circle of flesh from it.
Reno watched with horror as his father cut Tseng's face open, crimson stains falling thick and heavy onto the floor as Tseng thrashed in pain. Tseng was dropped onto the floor beside him and they screamed together as Tseng pressed his hands over the wound, trying to choke the blood that fell from it. Reno felt tears sting his eyes as a thick hand gripped his hair and wrenched his head upward, his frightened tears falling fast as a grotesque face leveled with his. His father sighed heavily, his disgusting breath washing over Reno's face. "I told you not ta cry Reno." The knife was placed under his left eye. "I can't stand it when pretty people cry." The knife dragged upward. "I really hate crying." Reno didn't scream as two symmetrical lines were carved under his eyes, identical to the ones under the sightless eyes of his dead mother. He didn't shift or move until the knife was withdrawn, afraid of sending the knife deeper into his flesh. His head was dropped and he watched in shock as his blood ran thick and red onto the floor below him.
Tseng blinked blood from his stinging eyes and growled with anger as he watched Reno take his torture without even a scream, proving far stronger than Tseng as he showed none of his pain. Tseng rolled to his hands and knees and searched with bloody hands for the pan that had aided him earlier. Once he found it he gripped it tightly and stood, wobbling as blood obscured his vision. He wiped it from his eyes irritably, no longer feeling any of the pain his body throbbed with as anger coursed through his veins. He swung the pan and it collided with the back of the demons head repeatedly as his anger fed on Reno's pained and frightened sobs, giving him strength he didn't know he had. Soon the demon lay on the floor in a bloody heap, twitching as the pan continued to crash into its head. Tseng continued to beat the demon until his hands dropped the pan out of exhaustion, the dented and bloody chuck of metal landing next to the glassy eyed murderer.
Reno crawled towards his mother, tears mingling with the blood on his face as he reached into her apron, cringing at the blood that was still damp in her pockets. It took him a few moments to clench his shaking hands around the phone that rested in her clothes. He pulled it out and dialed for the police, his voice shaking as he begged for help. The woman on the other side of the phone was emotionless and anything but calming as her monotone voice asked for details. Reno clicked the phone shut after a few minutes, blood loss making him woozy as he crawled to the spot where Tseng was heaped on the floor, his hand over his head. Reno grabbed Tseng by the elbow and pulled him from the room where his dead parents lay bleeding, dragging Tseng with him. He sighed sadly as he dripped blood onto his mother's previously pristine carpet, not terribly worried about his injuries now that there was an ambulance on its way. He sat on the couch and pulled Tseng into his lap, wrapping his arms around the shivering boy that had saved him. Reno wiped blood from Tseng's eyes and gripped his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. Tseng opened his mouth to speak and Reno shushed him before pressing their bloody lips together in a desperate kiss, no longer caring if Tseng wanted him or not.
Tseng reacted instantly, grabbing Reno's bloody face and pulling him closer. He slipped his tongue into the welcoming mouth below him, hungry to taste the flavor that was hidden by the sweet taste of blood and blueberries. Tseng turned and straddled Reno's lap, kissing him desperately as sirens sounded in the distance. Reno kissed him back just as passionately, both of them completely immersed in the taste and feel of each other. Tseng felt his tears leak into the kiss, his head swimming from the loss of blood and the gain of Reno's intoxicating touch. He pulled away to breathe but quickly dived back into the kiss, memorizing the contours of Reno's mouth in case he never was able to taste him again. Tseng was sure he would be placed in prison after what he had done to protect Reno. The man laying on the floor of the kitchen was most definitely dead, and that made him a murderer. Tseng didn't give a damn if he was a murderer or not at the moment and it showed as he tangled his fingers in red-locks and gently ran his hands over bloody cheeks. It was hard to tell whose blood was whose as it mingled on their faces and over their hands, the fatigue associated with the loss of so much of the vital fluid making them both woozy. Tseng pulled his lips from Reno's with a regretful sigh, his dark eyes straining to focus on the bloody blue eyes in front of him. "I love you Reno."
Reno could hear sirens closing in on the home, their wails echoing through his ears along with Tseng's words. He gave a choked sob and pressed one more kiss to Tseng's puffy, crimson stained lips, praying to Gaia and any other god he had heard of that they would be okay. "I love you too Tseng."
Tseng tucked his head into the crook of Reno's neck as he heard the familiar crunch of tires on gravel, his spirits crashing to the floor with his eyelids as he mumbled once again. "I love you." He didn't know if Reno heard him, but the warm arms holding him close squeezed tighter as the door crashed open and people flooded the room.
Reno felt Tseng slump against him and looked over his shoulder as the door was forced open. A light was shined in his eyes and he rolled them in the direction of the officers who flowed into the room. "The door was unlocked ya know."
"Are you alright?" A very thin faced officer approached as the others went into the kitchen, one female officer's high pitched scream cutting through Reno's eardrums.
"Do I look like I'm alright? Grow some brains yo! Take care of him first." He gestured to the dark haired teen still settled in his arms. "I swear if you hurt him more you'll pay for it."
"He'll have the best care we can provide, don't worry." The officer peeled Tseng out of Reno's arms as an EMS crew brought in stretchers and thick black body bags. "Wanna tell me what happened on the way to the hospital?"
"I'll tell ya whatever the hell ya want once I know he's gonna be okay." Reno glared at the officer as Tseng was lifted bodily onto a stretcher, his chest still raising in shallow breaths. "Until I know he's gonna be safe you're not gonna hear anything from me about anything."
"Fine kid, we'll do things your way." The officer frowned as he watched medical personnel lift a weakened Reno onto a stretcher.
"Damn straight we will!" Reno sniggered and blacked out, his blood starved brain allowing him one last glimpse of Tseng before shutting down completely.
Author's Note: Man, this is the longest chapter I have ever written ever! Hopefully you all liked it but the story isn't over yet, I've still got more to write. I had to force myself to stop so that you guys could get a somewhat less ridiculous chapter xD
Also; the poll on my profile has been remade so that the final two contestants for my first song-fic can be voted on! Seifer or Tseng? Hmmmmm......you decide because I obviously can't xD