Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
15 – Cleanup and Recruitment
A thump woke Genesis. The noise was so faint that anyone but a SOLDIER would have kept right on sleeping. He kept his eyes closed and remained motionless, listening intently for any other noises. A light, indistinct click followed and his muscles tensed. He gently began untangling himself from Reno and the blanket wrapped around his legs.
"'srong?" Reno groggily mumbled, not opening his eyes.
"Bathroom," Genesis replied, kissing the Turk on the cheek. Reno mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over so Genesis could get up unhindered. The SOLDIER slid off the bed, grabbed his pants, and padded to the bathroom. Leaving the door cracked, he quickly pulled his pants on and slipped out of the room toward the living room.
At the end of the hall he stopped and cautiously looked around. Upon first inspection, everything appeared normal, but as he walked over to retrieve his sword, he saw a manila envelope laying underneath one of the large windows to his right. Eyebrow raised, he grasped his sword and closely examined the living room and what he could see of the kitchen. Everything else was as they'd left it. Just to be sure, he quietly opened every door and even poked through a few cabinets, eyes swiveling between his searching, the envelope, the door, and the windows the entire time.
Once satisfied no one was lurking anywhere and everything else was as it should be, he scanned the wall of windows on the South side of the apartment. Each window was at least five and a half feet across and six or seven feet tall. There was about six inches of actual wall at the top and bottom of each window with nothing but frame in between the panes of glass. From the outside, much of the building looked like a modern skyscraper, but inside it was a bit more 'homey' depending on the use of each floor.
Genesis didn't immediately see anything strange about any of the windows, but as he approached the one closest to the envelope, he saw a small latch. Someone had modified the window so that it could be opened! He suspected it could be opened from both inside and out, allowing one to come and go at will, bypassing most of Shinra's surveillance and security personnel in the process. Whoever had opened the window was probably long gone by now, which irked him.
The auburn sighed and tentatively approached the envelope. Snatching it from the floor, he spun and plopped down on the edge of the couch. Spinning the page sized package in his fingertips, he didn't see any distinguishing features or anything to identify who the thing was from or for. He thought about waking Reno but decided he'd take a peek first. He's not supposed to have contact with anyone after all…
Undoing the metal clasp on one side, he flipped open the flap and eyed the contents. All he could see were pages with the Shinra Company logo at the top. Since nothing appeared dangerous, he slid the papers out for a better look. A folded sheet fell into his lap and he flipped it open. 'Authorized Personnel Only: GR, AH, and Tks. Destroy After Use.' A mischievous smile crept over his lips as he shuffled through the pages and started to read.
"Genesis?" Reno called through a yawn a half hour later. He stopped at the end of the hallway, stretched, and narrowed his eyes at the SOLDIER. "What 'r you readin'?"
"Rufus, Tseng, and Sephiroth's reports to President Shinra," Genesis replied, looking up with a grin. Like himself, Reno wore nothing but a pair of pants and his grin widened a little.
"No shit?"
"No shit."
After a pause Reno said, "Thought ya had to use the bathroom," in an accusing tone.
"I lied," Genesis easily replied. "I heard a noise." Reno scowled and he scowled back. "I'm just doing my job Reno."
"Yer not my fuckin' bodyguard," Reno snapped. "If ya thought someone was in the apartment ya should have woke me."
Genesis was taken aback and he felt his face heat in anger. A twinge of panic ran though him but he squashed it. "No, I'm not," he snapped. "I do have orders though and can take care of myself just fine."
Reno snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever. I'm takin' a shower."
Genesis sat with his jaw hanging open as thoughts rushed through his mind. What the hell's his problem? Sure he'd lied but Reno's reaction seemed extreme. He knew Reno hated being protected but damnit, he'd not done it to baby him or because he thought the Turk was incompetent. The STC did have a job to do and whether Reno liked it or not, he was still concerned the man was in danger.
The paper in his hand crinkled and Genesis flung the documents onto the couch. He quickly stood and stormed down the hallway. Not bothering to stop in the bedroom, he flew into the bathroom and yanked open the shower door. The site of Reno naked almost made him lose his thoughts and kill his surging emotions, but he held it together. "What's your problem?"
Reno turned as the door swung open, startled. His anger evaporated at the look on Genesis's face; part anger and part something he couldn't identify. He sighed and leaned against the shower wall. "I'm sorry." The SOLDIER's anger didn't diminish much so he added, "I'm serious. I overreacted yo."
Genesis's emotions swayed back and forth. It wasn't just the Turk's words. The way the water hit Reno's body and ran down was entirely too alluring. How could he argue with that? He was formulating a reply when a sharp knock sounded at the door. "Accepted," he said, swinging the door closed.
He stalked down the hallway, grabbed his sword, hid the reports, and went to the door. "Who is it?"
"SOLDIER Third Class Sebastian."
Not him again, Genesis mentally groaned, punching the 'open' button. The door whooshed and there stood Sebastian. The STC was holding two short brown paper bags that smelled like food.
"Breakfast," Sebastian said with a grin.
"So it is," Genesis replied, waving the SOLDIER in. "What time is it anyway?"
"0900. Doesn't the Turk own a clock?" Sebastian playfully said.
"I honestly have no idea," Genesis replied. Taking one of the bags, he wondered at the change in Sebastian's attitude.
They placed the bags on the coffee table. Instead of leaving, the STC shifted nervously and looked at everything but Genesis. Maybe because I'm half-naked? The auburn man started to ask what was up, but Reno chose that moment to enter.
"Is that food? I'm fuckin' starvin'," the Turk cheerfully said, drying his hair with a towel.
"Breakfast, Sir," Sebastian said, looking even more nervous.
"Is there something else SOLDIER?" Genesis finally questioned.
"I, uh, wanted to apologize to both of you for last night."
"Don't worry about it," Genesis replied, leaning his sword up against the couch.
"It's cool," Reno said, digging into one of the bags.
Sebastian looked visibly relieved and gave a weak smile. "Thank you, Sirs," he said, heading for the door.
"I'm not your superior Sebastian," Genesis called, moving his sword away from Reno.
The STC huffed and turned around. "Yeah right. I don't know what happened but it's shit. I'm not your equal, rank be damned."
"Shit it may be, but I'm still your equal."
"My ass. If we ever have to spar you'll find out how not equal we are," Sebastian replied.
"'ou sayin' h's bett'rn you, er yer bett'r 'im?" Reno asked around a mouthful of pancake.
"Gaia don't they teach Turks manners?" Genesis asked sharply, not wanting to appear too friendly with him in front of Sebastian. It was the same reason he'd moved his sword. He half turned and gave Reno a sly wink, hoping he'd understand.
Reno swallowed and narrowed his eyes at Genesis, but understood the wink. "Stuff it SOLDIER boy."
"I mean he's better than me, Sir," Sebastian replied, ignoring the banter and looking a tad nervous again.
"Never know yo."
"Trust me, I know," Sebastian said. He added, "I'll see you at 1300 hours, Sirs," before disappearing through the door.
"The hell was that all about?" Reno asked, looking up at Genesis with a raised eyebrow. The SOLDIER shrugged and retrieved the hidden reports before plopping down on the couch. He looks tired, Reno thought, though aloud he said, "Plenty of food."
"I'm not hungry."
"Better eat anyway," Reno replied, thinking they'd had this conversation before or one very similar.
"You're not my fucking mother," Genesis snapped, abruptly standing and throwing the reports in his vacant seat. His bag was still by the door where he'd left it and he went over to it. Digging around he finally found the blank report sheets he'd packed before returning here. Once found, he yanked them and a pen out before moving into the kitchen. He could use the counter as a desk.
What the auburn really wanted to do was take a shower, but now that he knew about the window he was afraid to leave Reno alone. He didn't think the Turk would bolt but he wasn't risking it. Especially since both were already on Shinra's watch list. Add to that his fresh annoyance with the redhead and he wasn't letting him out of his sight.
The conversation with STC Sebastian was chewing at him. What had Reno meant when he'd told the STC he never knew? Was he trying to imply he wasn't as good as he thought or was he simply encouraging Sebastian? Maybe he was reading too much into it, but combined with the earlier confrontation he couldn't shake his anger. Sure he'd accepted Reno's apology, but he was still annoyed.
Reno watched Genesis head into the kitchen with a raised eyebrow. He finished breakfast, put the leftovers in the fridge, and sat down to read the reports. A scowl of frustration started forming and deepened the more he read. While all three reports differed slightly, the main points were more or less the same.
Tseng and Rufus's reports began with the Turks orders to hunt down AVALANCHE. At the beginning of the mission Veld was in charge. He'd sent the Turks out in pairs to gather intel on the group, which they'd successfully accomplished. They surrounded the group's location and struck; however, the group had already left. The process started all over again but every time they moved to strike AVALANCE was always one-step ahead and were gone. Due to this, President Shinra had felt someone within the company was feeding the group intel. The man's suspicion fell on Veld, the Director of the Department of Administrative Research.
At that point, leadership of the Turks was pulled from Veld and given to Heidegger. With Heidegger in command, AVALANCHE was cornered in Junon and a huge battle ensued. The entire city was almost flattened, making President Shinra less than thrilled. With an almost destroyed Junon and Veld blackmailing the President, leadership of the Turks reverted to Veld and they once again started sniffing out AVALANCHE.
It was during this time that Veld discovered the leader of AVALANCE, who went by the name of Elfé, was actually his thought-to-be-dead-daughter, Felicia. Reno didn't know all the details, but apparently Veld thought he killed his wife and daughter in some kind of accident in Kalm years earlier. Somehow the kid had survived and gotten to Cosmo Canyon, where she was raised by AVALANCHE, becoming the leader after the previous leaders death.
Needless to say, the knowledge of Elfé/Felicia's survival combined with the discovery that the woman was dying were too much for Veld and he defected, taking over half the Turks with him. It wasn't really a shocker to Reno since Veld had pretty much singlehandedly built the entire department, inspiring fear and serious respect from his subordinates along the way. The result was the first Kill On Sight order issued for all personnel of the Department of Administrative Research. By that point most of the Turks were scattered all over the damned place trying to save Veld and his daughter, gather intel, or just trying to save themselves; it was a nightmarish cluster fuck.
Eventually the Turks found out Rufus Shinra was the traitor, feeding AVALANCHE inside intel and even financing the group. They 'kidnapped' him and used him as leverage to try and save Veld and his daughter. They received word from Shinra that if they brought Rufus back and turned Veld and his daughter in, the KOS order would be lifted and all charges would be dropped. After a lengthy discussion everyone agreed and Tseng, Rude, Rufus, Veld, Elfé/Felicia, and Reno made their way to the meeting point.
Upon arrival, the awaiting Shinra infantrymen stated that the KOS order had not been lifted and they were all to be killed. After a hasty call to the President, they learned the only way for them to survive was for the Turks themselves to kill Veld and his daughter. Tseng shot them both, much to Reno and Rude's despair. A helicopter was sent to pick up Rufus while Tseng, Rude, and himself piled into the back of a vehicle. Only then did he realize Veld and Elfé/Felicia weren't dead.
Upon arriving at Shinra Headquarters, Rude and he were immediately assigned a mission in Costa del Sol so they boarded a chopper and left, taking Veld and his daughter with them. Getting them out had been difficult, but they were Turks and made the impossible happen all the time. At their destination, he'd given Veld their provisions and parted ways. Rude and he picked up the package they were sent to retrieve and headed back to Midgar. Now came the part that he didn't understand.
They'd just made the Eastern Continent when three choppers intercepted them. He'd demanded to know what the problem was and the response was a simultaneous missile attack from all three birds. He was a great pilot but he wasn't that great. He dodged two of the projectiles but the third hit them and he'd had no choice but to try to evade from that point on. That didn't work out so well and the bird went down. That crash had led him to meeting Genesis and the most recent string of events.
What he didn't understand was what the hell had happened. When he and Rude had left Midgar everything seemed fine. Tseng even stayed behind for Planet's sake! Hell, Elena and Cissnei were also in Midgar. If Shinra had suddenly changed their mind about killing them all, why the hell hadn't they started with the ones right under their nose? Why the hell had they gone after he and Rude first?
Only after that incident was the shit with Veld brought back up. Some crucial detail seemed to be missing but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. Even if Shinra had figured out Veld and his daughter weren't dead, why hadn't they killed Elena, Cissnei, and Tseng when they were here? Tseng and Elena hadn't left Midgar until several hours after the chopper crash and Cissnei left after them by almost a day! It just didn't make sense!
Reno sighed in frustration and continued reading the reports. To his annoyance, Rufus was taking the blame for most of it. When he'd discovered the President had issued a new KOS order for the Turks he'd done everything in his power to undercut it, even going so far as to work with Legend. Apparently, his father had walked in on a meeting between the two, causing Legend to snap. He stated that Legend thought he was working both sides and that the VP had finally decided to sell out the Turks. On top of that, he thought Rufus was a valuable bargaining chip. As a result, Rufus was kidnapped, again. So that's how he ended up in this mess.
Rufus stated that he repeatedly tried to convince Legend to take him back and turn himself in, but Legend wouldn't listen. During a phone conversation with President Shinra, Legend had become agitated and shot Rufus. Afterword he told Rufus that his farther didn't seem to give a damn about him and he'd probably be better off dead. He also told the VP there was a board meeting and Tseng had to attend. Rufus stated that by this point, Legend seemed mentally unstable and would rant and shift thoughts so quickly he had a hard time following him.
After that, Legend had taken him to where Rude and himself were hiding. Rufus went on to state that Legend told them that they should kill him for being a double agent. At that, he and Rude attacked him to protect Rufus. They won the battle, killing Legend in the process. Reno contacted Tseng via PHS, told him what happened, and informed him that Legend had stolen a chopper. After a day of recovering, the Turks decided to 'risk their lives' and take Rufus to Shinra HQ and safety.
During the journey, they'd encountered Genesis and Sephiroth. Sephiroth initially attacked the Turks, thinking Rufus was a prisoner, but Rufus ordered him to stop. Since Rufus outranked him within the company, he stopped. Hearing Rufus's story, Sephiroth decided to escort them all back to Shinra and let the company sort out the mess. They'd run into Angeal just outside of Midgar who was returning from a mission. At Sephiroth's request he assisted with the prisoner transport.
In reference to Sephiroth and Genesis being together, the man's report stated that he was returning from a mission when Director Lazard called and informed him of an AWOL SOLDIER: Second Class Genesis Rhapsodos. He was asked to locate the missing SOLDIER and bring him back to headquarters for questioning. Upon finding Genesis, he'd had to 'subdue' him, though he didn't state why. Furthermore, the SSC had given no explanation as to why he'd gone AWOL. The last few lines stated that Genesis had accompanied him willing to HQ and had obeyed all commands along the way after the first initial bump.
Tseng's report stated that he had been notified of possible AVALANCHE activity near Midgar. Before leaving, he had also been notified of a downed chopper and decided to take the new recruit, Elena, with him as a copilot and for backup. Once in the air he learned the chopper was one that two of his subordinates had been piloting. The two headed to the crash site but couldn't find the Turk passengers. Assuming someone from Shinra had already recovered them, dead or alive, he turned the chopper back to Shinra HQ. In transit, he received a call saying the KOS order was in fact still active and changed destinations until he could figure out what was going on. He also ordered Cissnei, the only Turk left within Midgar, to leave the city.
A few days later, Legend contacted him via PHS with news that he'd kidnapped Rufus. Legend also stated that he was taking Rufus to where the other Turks were hiding and informed him of the upcoming board meeting. Tseng immediately decided to attend the meeting, but told Elena to take the chopper and go to the other Turks, leaving him behind and close to Midgar. He believed Rufus to be safe until a call from Reno informed him that they had to kill Legend to protect the VP. The Wutain regretted his earlier decision, but not having any form of transportation, he was unable to do anything. He also learned that Legend had stolen an Apache and told Reno to leave the chopper somewhere safe and sit tight. After that, he states he has no idea what happened to either chopper or any of the Turks and returned to Midgar alone.
Ya need a map to follow all that, Reno thought. The redhead sighed and leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes. No matter how convoluted the reports seemed they did explain the major events in such a way that the Turks didn't look too bad. They were basically portrayed as confused victims in hiding instead of terrorists. Rufus on the other hand was taking a huge risk. On one side it didn't bother him, but on the other he felt guilty and was worried. He had no clue how the President might react to such news, but it could be very, very bad. All he could do was hope nothing drastic happened. On a more positive note, he knew exactly what to put in his report and so did Genesis.
The redhead's emotions spiked and muddled as he thought of the SOLDIER. Snapping at him this morning wasn't the best way to start the day and was pretty stupid of him. Genesis was right, he did have a job to do whether he liked it or not. On top of that, he knew the STC had one hell of a temper. What he'd done was the equivalent of poking an injured Dual Horn with a stick or worse. Problem was he had a temper too. If this thing… relationship… was going to work, they were going to have to find a balance.
Reno heard pen scratching across paper and sighed, wondering why Genesis was secluding himself in the kitchen. He opened his eyes, placed the reports on the coffee table, and got up. For a second he was torn between waiting for the SOLDIER to approach him or approaching Genesis himself. Making a decision didn't take too long; he hated that Genesis was upset and wanted to try to fix it. If the SOLDIER didn't seem receptive, he'd back off.
The Turk strolled into the kitchen and leaned against one of the counters so that he was cattycorner from Genesis. "What's wrong yo?" The pen stopped moving and the SOLDIER turned to face him.
"Nothing," Genesis scowled and Reno raised an eyebrow.
"Uh huh," Reno replied.
"Nothing's wrong. I wanted to get my report out of the way, that's all."
"Uh huh," Reno repeated, scowl deepening.
"What?" Genesis snapped with a glare.
Even though Reno said he'd back off if Genesis didn't seem willing to talk, he was torn between pressing the issue and leaving him alone. Like it or not he was getting irritated at the SOLDIER's evasive behavior. "Nothing," he finally said, propelling himself off the counter. He went to one of the built in shelving units that he used to store paperwork. After grabbing some report sheets and a pen, he went back to the couch, scooted the coffee table closer, and went to work on his own reports.
Genesis watched Reno leave with mixed emotions. Maybe he should have just said what he was thinking. The thing is, even in his mind it sounded childish, something he wasn't or didn't want to be. The problem was probably something deeper that he hadn't pinned yet. Could have just tried to explain, he thought.
As Reno began to write, Genesis leaned his forehead up against the refrigerator and sighed. He had a horrible sense of dread and loss though he couldn't tell where it was coming from or what it related too. The feeling vanished as he banged his head against the fridge and went back to writing.
Reno heard a bang and turned around in time to see Genesis push off the fridge and go back to his report. Oh sure, nothing's wrong, he thought with a scowl. He almost snapped his pen in half out of frustration but stopped himself in time. Breaking shit wouldn't solve a damned thing and with his luck ink would go everywhere. He started to call to Genesis but stopped as a PHS rang. Genesis pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered.
"Hi 'Geal."
"Hey. How are things going?"
"They're fine. What about you?"
"Fine. Did you get the paperwork?"
At Angeal's question Genesis froze. Surely he wasn't asking about the reports over the PHS? "Uh, 'Geal?"
Angeal laughed. "Our PHS's are still secure remember?"
"I'd forgotten," Genesis chuckled. "What if the apartments are bugged?"
"They aren't. Legend swept them all after the board meeting and found nothing."
"Ah," Genesis replied. So I was right, they didn't kill him, he thought. Aloud he said, "Yeah, we got it."
"What did you think? Pretty good huh?"
"I guess."
Angeal sighed. "What didn't you like?"
"Nothing 'Geal, they're fine."
"It's me you're talking to Gen," Angeal scolded.
"I'm just worried about Rufus. Besides, I thought I told you to blame it on me."
"It was his idea Gen. Apparently he worked all night so we could use his report as a guideline. As for blaming you, I guess Sephiroth didn't want too or didn't think he needed to."
"You haven't talked to him?" Genesis questioned.
"Ah, no."
"Oh. How do you know Rufus stayed up all night?"
"I almost knocked Legend off the side of the building as he was dropping off the reports," Angeal chuckled.
"What?"
"I was sleeping on the couch, heard the window open, and was at the window before the reports even hit the ground. I reached out and grabbed a hold of him. The only reason he didn't splatter was because I yanked him inside."
"Bet that went over well," Genesis chuckled.
"Surprisingly he wasn't pissed. Said I was only doing my job. He did warn me not to do it again though."
"Heh."
"Anyway, I don't know if Sephiroth's PHS is secure so I didn't want to risk calling him."
"Tseng's is," Genesis replied.
"Don't have the number."
"Rude would."
"True," Angeal sighed. "Didn't think of that. I think the reports are fine though. If you have a problem with them, you get in touch with him."
"Ookkaayy," Genesis replied. He sensed some discomfort from his friend but didn't know what caused it. "Reno and I have already started our reports. No reason to change the others now."
"Good." Angeal paused before continuing. "So, what happened with the President last night?"
He would have to bring that up. "I got demoted," Genesis sighed.
"What?" Angeal practically yelled. "For what?"
"My mouth," Genesis replied before giving Angeal the meeting details.
"Damnit Gen, you've got to watch your temper," Angeal chided.
"Fuck off Angeal," Genesis snapped. "If Lazard would have done his supposed job, I wouldn't have been on the chopping block in the first fucking place."
"True, but that's not an excuse."
"I'm not a godsdamned child!"
"Then stop acting like one."
Genesis heard plastic creak and realized he was squeezing his phone so hard the case was cracking. He loosened his grip and started to reply when a beep sounded in his ear. "I've got to go," he said then pulled the PHS from his ear and pressed the 'Send' button to switch calls. "Rhapsodos," he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Something the matter, SSC Rhapsodos?"
"STC Rhapsodos," he bit. "How was the paper closet?"
"Relaxing. I had a chance to practice my origami."
Genesis chuckled at the mental image of the big bad Director of the Department of Administrative Research doing origami. Somehow, that seemed to tame of a hobby for a Turk. "You want to talk to Reno I assume," he said.
"No need. I called to verify you received the package."
"Yeah."
"I also wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?" Genesis said, confused.
"Yes. You believed in us when few did. I thank you for that and for keeping Reno safe."
"Just doing my job."
"Had you been doing your job, you would have liquidated us. The Turks owe you a great debt, as do I."
Liquidated? What a polite word for murder. "True. You're welcome." He wanted to add, 'you don't owe me anything' but knew Tseng would disagree so he let it go.
"Sephiroth would like to speak with you."
"Ok," Genesis said. As he waited, he turned around and leaned his butt up against the counter. Reno was watching him intently and he shrugged. The Turk flashed a lopsided grin and he couldn't help but smile back.
"Genesis?"
"Hello Sephiroth."
"I heard what happened," Sephiroth stated.
Even without elaboration, Genesis knew exactly what he was talking about. "Good. I don't have to explain it again," he replied in a light voice.
"You're taking it well."
Genesis chuckled. "Less rigorous training sessions, no one to challenge my fighting or Materia skills, hell I'll practically be King of the Thirds. All that after a two-week vacation. What's not too like?"
"Then I have bad news for you."
"Oh?"
"You're not the trainee, you're the trainer."
Genesis went completely still. "Come again?"
"President Shinra told me what happened last night after Angeal left. I told him it was a waste of your skills and that being out of training for so long may be detrimental to your performance. He was unwilling to revoke your punishment; however he thought that if you were to instruct, the Third Classes and you may both benefit."
Reno saw Genesis's demeanor change from his perch on the couch. The SOLDIER had gone from looking amused to stunned. His curiosity got the better of him and he hurtled the back of the couch, quickly closing the distance between himself and Genesis. When he was directly in front of him, the SOLDIER placed a hand on his chest but didn't push him away. It was almost as if he wanted the support of something solid.
"Please tell me you're joking," Genesis finally replied, uneasy.
"I'm not."
"I don't know the first thing about teaching!"
"Teaching?" Reno said, confused. Genesis glared at him but pulled him closer.
"How hard could it be?"
"Harder than you think. I have absolutely no patience for that kind of thing Sephiroth!" Genesis replied, exasperated.
"Then we were right, it will be a learning experience for all parties involved," Sephiroth replied, sounding almost amused.
"Godsdamnit this isn't funny!" Genesis snapped, getting frustrated. "Wha- what about my Mako imbalance? I can't teach Materia skills! It's too risky!"
"You have been assigned to combat weapons training."
"Get him to change his mind! I'll work twice as hard in training!" Genesis said, clutching Reno's upper arm with his right hand.
"No."
"Sephiroth!" Genesis practically whined.
"You'll figure it out Genesis."
Genesis growled and leaned his forehead against Reno's chest. "Fine damnit, you win."
"I was unaware we were having a competition."
Genesis laughed. "Just an expression." He took a breath and blew it out before asking, "How did your and Angeal's meeting go? Did either of you get in trouble?"
"It's pending."
"Pending? What the hell does that mean?"
"Unless President Shinra is convinced by the reports, he will likely suspend Angeal for a week."
"What about you?" Genesis asked, raising his head.
"Nothing."
"Figures," the auburn snapped, immediately regretting it. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I thought I told you to blame everything on me."
"You did and... thank you; however there was no need. As the reports stand now you'll face fewer consequences and so will everyone involved."
"I know. They're good reports," Genesis replied. After a pause he said, "So when do I start teaching?"
"I do not know. President Shinra or Director Lazard will notify you."
"Ok." There was another pause. "Thanks Sephiroth."
"You are welcome," Sephiroth replied before disconnecting.
Genesis sighed, placed the PHS back in his pocket, and wrapped his arms around Reno's waist, pressing the front of their bodies together. He was mentally exhausted and the Turk was a great comfort. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Genesis felt Reno's reply rumble up from his chest. "For being a jerk."
"It's ok yo," Reno replied, kissing the top of Genesis's head and giving him a squeeze. "You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Ok," Reno said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"But I will… a little. Earlier... with STC Sebastian... were you trying to encourage him?"
"Huh?" Reno questioned, pulling back a little so he could see the SOLDIER's face.
"You... Gods never mind. I'm being stupid."
Reno's mind raced as he recalled the conversation with Sebastian. For the life of him he coul-, "Oh... that 'never know' comment?" Genesis looked down at the floor and he laughed. "Yeah, I was just tryin' to encourage him Genesis. In our line a work, ya ain't got shit if ya ain't got confidence," he finished, lacing the fingers of his hand with the auburn's.
I'm such an idiot! Genesis thought. He squeezed Reno's hand and sighed. "I'm sorry. I- I took it the wrong way and instead of asking you to clarify sooner, I pouted," he said, looking up at the Turk.
Reno grinned, "Yer frustrating, but cute when ya pout yo," he replied with a wink. The SOLDEIR narrowed his eyes and he laughed again.
"Why didn't you tell me about the window?"
"The win-, is that how the reports got here?" Genesis nodded and Reno shrugged. "Didn't think about it. Please tell me you weren't seriously thinkin' I'd take off and hang you out to dry?" he said, sounding angry and defensive.
Genesis sighed. "The thought did cross my mind but I don't believe you'd do that, no. I'm more irritated at myself."
"Yourself?"
"The damned things a security risk Reno. I should have checked the apartment more thoroughly."
"In yer defense it's hard to spot. I mean, we designed them with all Shinra personnel in mind." Genesis snorted and he caught the SOLDERs chin with his free thumb and index finger. "Why are you so hard on yourself?"
"I- I-," Genesis sputtered. He yanked his hand out of Reno's, pushed him away, and took a few steps, stopping where the kitchen transitioned into the living room. His thoughts were colliding at the speed of light and he started to pace. He could answer the Turk's question and part of him wanted to, but the majority of him didn't feel ready for that.
Reno watched Genesis pace in frustration. The frustration wasn't directed at the SOLDIER, it was at himself. That question was almost always a loaded one and he knew it. It was always a minefield to ask such personal things. In this case, he hadn't known Genesis long enough to start poking at him. Regardless of what they'd been through together, he barely knew the guy. He started to say 'don't worry about it' when Genesis stopped pacing and turned to face him.
"I- give me some time ok? I'm new at this and I'm not trying to be a dick or evasive I just..." he trailed off and looked away, wrapping his arms around his chest.
Reno watched Genesis and his frustration melted into concern. He looked like someone had massacred his cat right in front of him. His eyes were shiny from unshed tears, he'd shrunk in on himself, and he was shaking. Gaia he hadn't just hit a nerve, he'd hit a huge nerve.
The Turk quickly closed the distance but stopped about a foot in front of Genesis. It was killing him but he didn't want to make matters worse and thought the SOLDIER might want space. "I understand Genesis," he said in a soft voice.
Genesis turned his head toward Reno. The Turk looked sincere and as soon as their eyes locked, he had no doubt he was. To his annoyance, tears slid down his face. He was wrapped around the Turk before he even registered he'd moved.
"Heh, now that's a hug," Reno said, regaining his balance.
"Oh shut up," Genesis said, voice muffled by Reno's chest.
The two stayed pressed together for several minutes. Finally, Genesis pulled back and gave a weak smile. "Promise you won't run off if I take a shower?" he said. Reno gave him an offended look and he threw his hands up, palms out. "Okay, okay. I trust you."
Reno turned his look into a grin. As much as he wanted to join the SOLDIER in the shower, he knew he wanted some private time. Besides, he'd have plenty of chances in the future. He grinned wider when he realized his inner voice hadn't contradicted him. For once. Damnit! "I'm not gonna give you a tour. Just help yourself to anything in the bathroom. I'll finish up my report."
"Thank you," Genesis replied with a more confident smile.
Reno watched him walk away, heart aching out of anger and love. It was becoming increasingly more apparent that Genesis had been through a lot. He knew from personal experience just how bad that sucked and he was pissed at whatever, or whoever, was the cause. The Turk was more determined than ever to not hurt him and be there for him whenever he could, for as long as Genesis allowed.
"Reno?" Genesis called from the entrance of the hallway.
"Yeah?" Reno replied, plopping down on the couch.
"If you want... you can call me Gen."
The SOLDIER hadn't turned around so Reno couldn't see his face, but he knew that the statement meant something. Genesis stated to walk away and he called, "Okay nushi," through a huge grin.
Genesis stumbled and felt his face heat up. He crept to the end of the hallway and peered at Reno around the wall. Given his position and Reno's, he knew all the Turk could see was the top of his head, his eyes, and part of his nose. Seeing the huge grin Reno was sporting, he raised an eyebrow.
"Wha'?" Reno innocently asked.
"Which meaning?"
"Heh, that's up to you yo," Reno replied. Guess he speaks Wutain. What he could see of Genesis immediately vanished and he chuckled before bending over his report.
He's smarter than he lets on, Genesis thought as he walked into the bathroom. Catching his own reflection in the mirror, he tilted his head sideways. "Nushi huh?" he said to himself. The fading blush returned and he ducked out of sight with a grin. He found some towels, removed his pants, and adjusted the water temperature before stepping under the spray. Whatever meaning I want... The grin turned positively devilish as he began to lather his hair.
20 minutes and an evil smirk or two later he padded down the hallway barefoot. He'd pulled on the pants from the night before but remained shirtless. Looking up from towel drying his hair, he spotted Reno chewing on the end of a pen while scowling down at his report.
"Did it offend you?"
Reno jerked his head up in surprise. "Damn yer quiet. Did what offend me?"
"The pen."
Reno raised an eyebrow and pulled the pen away from his mouth. "Eh, no?"
"Then you shouldn't be chewing the poor things head off. Besides, it's bad for your teeth," Genesis said, grinning.
"Smartass," Reno said returning the grin. The teeth comment made him remember his fight with Rude and the fact that he thought the man had knocked a tooth lose. He poked his teeth with his tongue, deciding that if one had been lose, the minor Cure spell Professor Rayleigh had cast on him last night had healed it. Nice.
"Having trouble with the report?" Genesis questioned, sitting down next to Reno.
"Nah, just making sure the blanks are filled in and it follows along with everyone else's. I wanna get this thing turned in yo."
Genesis nodded. "Mine's still in the kitchen if you need it."
"How much more till it's finished?"
"It was done before 'Geal called," Genesis replied, standing. "I know you have a hairdryer. I will not tarnish my reputation for looking spectacular by having poofy hair a day longer so if you need me…" he trailed off, leaned down, and lightly pressed his lips to Reno's. "… you know where I'll be." With that, he straightened himself and padded back down the hallway.
"Sexy," Reno breathed.
"I heard that," Genesis called.
Reno chuckled and retrieved the SOLDIER's report from the kitchen. He didn't need it since according to all the reports the two hadn't been together, but he was curious. Handwriting could say a lot about a person after all. Looking at Genesis's he didn't believe it.
The writing was precise; every letter was the same size with absolutely no slant at all. Every 't' was crossed and every 'i' dotted. He could believe that Genesis was precise and accurate, but in handwriting analysis no slant usually meant someone who was in control of their emotions; mind ruled the heart. From what Reno had seen that wasn't exactly true with the STC.
Reno sighed and placed the report on the coffee table. The more he learned about the SOLDIER, the more complex he seemed. It reminded him of himself and he had no clue whether that was a good or bad thing. Guess I'll find out. He heard the hairdryer kick on and returned to his report.
15 minutes later Genesis reemerged feeling refreshed. He found Reno with his legs propped up on the coffee table channel surfing. "Finished?"
"Yep," Reno replied.
"Got anything to drink?"
"There's bottled water and soda in the fridge."
"Want anything?" Genesis called, heading into the kitchen.
"Soda?"
Genesis grabbed two cans of soda and sat down on the couch about six inches away from Reno. "Anything on?" he asked, handing a can to the Turk.
"Heh, is there ever?"
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence. Reno finally settled on a comedy and sipped his soda. Every now and then, he looked at Genesis out of the corner of his eye. The SOLDIER seemed relaxed and he was pleased.
The program ended and another one began. This one was even dumber than the last and he decided conversation would be better. "Soo, Angeal said he followed you into SOLDIER. Why'd ya join?"
"I wanted to get out of my hometown."
That seemed like an automatic response, Reno thought. Aloud he said, "That's it?"
Genesis blew air out of his mouth before replying. "No. I was pushed into it." Not to mention I adored Sephiroth…
"Who the hell would push you into a career where you could be dead within a year?"
"My parents."
Ouch. "Oh…"
"Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime," Genesis said, giving Reno a bright smile. "Why did you join the Turks?"
Reno saw right through the smile but let it go. "It's a kinda long story…"
"If you want to share I've got time."
We gotta start somewhere right, Reno thought. He also thought that if he opened up a little, Genesis might as well. "Alright. Ah, I left home when I was thirteen. In fact I'd just turned thirteen," he chuckled at Genesis's horrified look. "It's not as bad as it sounds yo. I wadn't abused or anything. My family was just… poor and I thought it would be bett- easier, financially, if I wasn't there. I was old enough to work so I split. 'Sides, I wanted bigger and better things. The dream of most kids ya know?"
"Oh," Genesis replied, looking decidedly less horrified. Sweet and reckless, he thought. "Then what happened?"
"I busted my ass's what. I worked fer gil or food, whichever I needed at da time. After about a month I had enough money to afford a room in a boardin' house. I stayed there til I was 14 and found a tiny furnished apartment. By that time, I had two steady jobs and things were lookin' pretty good. Then I got sick."
"Sick?"
"Yeah. At first I was jus' tired all the time and didn't pay much attention to it. I worked two jobs, course I was tired all the time. Then things got worse. I couldn't keep food down n' I was startin' to cough. I got fired from one of my jobs 'cause I was a waiter and people don't want some sick kid bringin 'em food." He stopped and realized he was rubbing his hand back and forth over his knee. Until then he hadn't noticed he was nervous.
Genesis had been engrossed by Reno's story but when he stopped, he too noticed the nervous gesture. He placed his hand over the Turk's, stopping it. "It's ok Reno. You can stop if you want."
"No it's not that. It's jus', heh, I've never told anyone this. It's… weird but feels… good." He locked eyes with the auburn and smiled. Genesis beamed at him and his own smile widened.
"I'm honored."
"Honored?"
"That you're telling me," Genesis replied, kissing Reno on the cheek.
"Oh… ah..." Reno stumbled for words, unsure how to respond.
"You got sick and lost one of your jobs…" Genesis prompted.
"Oh, yeah. Eh, at first I thought it was a good thing ya know? Maybe I was sick 'cause I was working all the time but that wadn't it. I jus' kept gettin' sicker and now I had less gil," he stopped and took a sip of soda. He flipped his hand over and laced his fingers with Genesis's before continuing.
"Things went on like that fer a couple months. Then one night I was so tired I asked ta go home early. My boss said ya and I left. On the way home I more or less collapsed. I was conscience but, like, I couldn't move. I didn't know if it was cause I was so fuckin' tired or what. I tried to get back up fer a few minutes but I finally jus' gave up. I… just… closed my eyes ya know? I- I wasn't even afraid I wouldn't wake up anymore," again he stopped. He could feel a phantom tiredness wash over him and he shrugged it off.
"Reno," I'm sorry, Genesis thought but he had a feeling Reno didn't want to hear that. Who likes it when people feel sorry for them? Minerva knows he hated it. "Please go on."
Reno had braced himself for the 'I'm sorry'. When it didn't come he wanted to hug Genesis. In this situation, 'I'm sorry' would have made him even more uncomfortable and it simply wasn't relevant. "Okay." He took a deep breath and continued.
"I don' know how long I was out. The next thing I knew some guy was standin' over me and yellin' 'you okay', 'what is wrong', 'can you stand', 'give me a sign'. He sounded concerned and I opened my eyes. It was this guy I used ta wait on all the time at the restaurant before I got fired. I tried ta say somethin' but I couldn't, tried ta move and couldn't. The guy seemed to understand and picked me up. I remember thinkin' 'at least I won' die on the sidewalk' and I blacked out again."
Reno started to take a sip and realized his can was empty. He crushed it and tossed it onto the coffee table. The auburn held out his can and he smiled before taking a sip. Who knew talking could make your throat so dry? Yer nervous dumbass.
"Next time I opened my eyes I was in this overly white room with all these beepin' and buzzin' sounds. It finally clicked I was in a hospital and I damn near panicked 'cause I couldn't afford that. I tried ta get up but the guy from the restaurant was suddenly there, tellin' me not ta worry and that I needed rest. I couldn't do much so I jus' lay back down and went back to sleep. Finally one day I woke up and managed to stay up fer awhile. That night mystery guy came in and introduced himself as Tseng."
Genesis gasped. "Your boss?"
"Yep," Reno grinned. "I asked him how long I'd been there and where 'there' even was. He said three, almost four, weeks and the Shinra Electric Power Company Infirmary."
"Holy shit."
"Yeah. I completely flipped out on him. Started goin' off about how I couldn' afford four weeks' worth a hospital bills, especially from a place like Shinra, and all the while tryin' ta yank the IV's out of my arm and remove all the little sticky things they'd put on me. Tseng grabbed me by the shoulders, pushed me back, told me to stop, and said I had options."
"Options?"
Reno chuckled, "Option One was that I pay in installments out of my meager pay. Option Two was that I could work for SEPC, get a much higher pay, and pay the bill back sooner. I told him both options sucked and asked if there was an Option Three. He chuckled and said Option Three was unadvisable."
"I take it you took Option Two?"
"Heh, you'd think that right? But no, not right away. I stayed in da infirmary for another week and went back ta my old life once I got released. After three weeks, I ended up at Shinra begging Tseng to let me take Option Two. Fucker said he'd think about it an let me suffer fer two weeks before comin' to get me and bringin' me to HQ."
"Shinra gave me a tiny apartment on one of the lower floors and I worked in the Department of Administrative Research as an errand boy. When he was here and had free time, Tseng taught me some hand ta hand among other things. One day we ended up at the firin' range and after a few rounds he said, 'That was your last test. Welcome to the Turks.' I couldn't fuckin' believe it. I stood there with my jaw hangin' open fer the longest time. I finally realized I still had his gun and Tseng had already walked away. I went runnin' after him, started ta hand it to him, and he told me the gun was already issued to me and he'd see me at 0800 the next day. He walked away, I showed up the next day, and that's that," he finally finished.
"Remind me to thank Tseng the next time I see him," Genesis said.
"Fer what yo?"
"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have you," Genesis replied, pressing his lips to Reno's.
"Jus' don't thank him like that and you gotta deal," Reno said, pulling back.
Genesis smirked, "Okay."
The two lapsed into silence. While telling the story had felt good, Reno was now feeling somewhat claustrophobic and jittery. "Hey Gen?"
"Hmm?"
"Can ya call the President's office and see if we can turn the reports in? I wanna get out of here and stretch my legs yo."
"Sure," Genesis replied, pulling his PHS out. After a few minutes on the phone he hung up and said, "We're to be there in a half hour."
"Good," Reno said, standing. "Better get ready then," he added, pulling Genesis to his feet. The SOLDIER nodded and walked over to his bag while he headed into the bedroom, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.
Side Note: 'nushi' can mean god, master, lover, or owner in Japanese.