Tseng tapped his finger on the table. He caught Reno's expression and stopped. Minutes later his leg began shaking and once again he saw Reno looking at him with pure annoyance. He stopped. When he began picking at some skin on the back of his hand, Reno growled.
"What the hell?" he scowled as Tseng glanced up at him.
"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you," Tseng answered tartly. "But this isn't a small secret. This could get up both killed if the President finds out we withheld this information, Reno!"
"Cloud only told me because I pressed him," Reno admitted quietly, looking a little ashamed. "I'm never gonna do that again."
"Good. Look at his lovers," Tseng pointed out. "Sephiroth and Zack are both very influential men. When they have secrets, they are usually big secrets."
"Don't forget about Angeal and Genesis," Reno piped up. "According to Cloud, they've had sex too. Never thought the kid would get around so much."
"It's always the quite ones," Tseng agreed ruefully. "There isn't much we can do now but talk to Rufus."
"What?" Reno yelped, sitting up sharply in his seat. Tseng sighed and gave him a look.
"He won't say anything to his father," Tseng pointed out. "We can trust him."
"You can trust him, you mean!" argued the redhead. "I don't trust him at all!"
"Then what are you doing working for him?"
"I'm not! I'm here for you!"
"You-" Tseng seemed to be struggling for words so Reno just cut him off with a kiss.
"Don't be mad, Boss, I'm just stating facts here," he whispered. Tseng sighed again and wrapped his arms around the younger. "Not mad?"
"Not really. But we still need to talk to him. Any problem with that?" Tseng looked at him and his boyfriend.
"Yes. But I'll do it," Reno conceded. "You owe me though."
"I'll make it up to you," he promised and unwound his arms. "I'll call him. Get yourself ready."
Reno sat down in his chair again and tried not to fidget. Tseng smiled reassuringly and picked up the phone. He didn't focus on the conversation, just the tone of his lover's voice. It was strangely soothing. When he set down the phone, Reno locked eyes with him.
"Reno, you have to face him sometime," he was gently reminded. "I know you haven't seen him since that incident, but you have to calm down. You're a Turk after all. And I'm going to be here. It's okay."
"I'll be okay," Reno smiled weakly.
"Reno... Do you still have feelings for Rufus?" Tseng had to ask and he saw the answer on his face as soon as the words were out. "It's okay. I'm not going to be angry at you for having feelings."
"You've got to be the most understanding boyfriend ever," Reno muttered and Tseng smiled.
"No, pretty sure that title goes to Sephiroth or Zack. After all, Cloud seems to be quite a handful."
"No kidding. The idiot told me that since he last talked to me, he'd been kidnapped twice and he got a shiny new cursed sword."
"Delightful," Tseng smiled. Before Reno could respond, there was a knocking on the door. The older Turk looked over his shoulder and called out, "Come in."
"This had better be important," Rufus complained, letting himself and shutting the door behind him. He saw Reno sitting behind the desk and cocked his head. "Giving up your position?"
"Cute," Tseng said without inflection. "We have very delicate information."
"Well then share. Reno is involved?" Rufus glanced at said individual and found him to be looking out the window at Midgar.
"He's the one that brought me it. He heard it directly from Cloud Strife, so you must be discrete with it," Tseng cautioned.
"I always am. What is it?"
"Genesis and Angeal have resurfaced."
-o-o-
To say they were angry would be an understatement. Furious would be closer.
"Do you know what you've done?" Genesis roared and Cloud flinched.
"But I trust him!" he protested for the millionth time.
"Cloud, he's a Turk. It doesn't matter, it's his job to find us and either kill is or take us back. It's what they do," Angeal frowned.
"Zack," Cloud pled, turning his blue eyes on his hyperactive lover. "You know Reno. He's good. He's my best friend!"
"I know, Cloud," he muttered from his place by the door. He didn't want to get involved with this; it could only turn out ugly. Still, he moved closer to the group.
"Perhaps we can distract them with our prisoner," Sephiroth offered without much hope. He frowned when the room remained quiet after his suggestion. He hated that his friends would be hunted and hated it even more when he realized it was all Cloud's fault.
"It was bound to happen at some point," Angeal pointed out wearily. "This doesn't really change anything. We can still split off and go back into hiding or return with you. It just means people will know we're alive."
"We'll be hunted," Genesis said flatly. "Like dogs. I am not into that kind of stuff."
"Don't dramatize," Angeal scolded.
"He's right though," Cloud muttered. "If Reno tells anybody then they'll come after you."
"It depends on who he tells," Zack perked up. "The Vice President is generally on the same page as us. He probably wouldn't hunt you down."
"He'd tell Tseng first," Cloud informed him.
Sephiroth pointed out, "But the Vice President is who he works for."
"Reno doesn't like the VP right now, he'd tell Tseng and Tseng would tell him."
"Don't question it," Zack advised his lover. "Seriously, remember the sister thing..."
"Go to hell Zack. I'm a guy and Reno is too. That joke is dead and rotting."
"I still find it pretty funny," Zack teased with a grin, ruffling Cloud's hair. "Come on, it's not that bad. Reno still calls you puppybo."
"Zaaaaaack," Cloud whined. Zack's grin just grew and Cloud knew better than to try and fight it. He leaned back and huffed.
"We're agreed," Angeal announced, "that we really can't do anything about it at this point. And I have decided to return with you."
"Angeal!" Genesis yelped, sitting up straight in his chair. "Shouldn't we discuss this?"
"No, we're both grown men. If you don't want to return with me then you don't have to. I won't tell them where to find you."
"That isn't fair! You know that I'll go where you go!"
"Then come with us," Angeal said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Genesis glared at his oldest friend and growled lowly before moving away to get some space. Even with the inevitable fight brewing, Cloud and Zack still grinned like idiots. They were ecstatic that the two older men would be returning with them.
-o-o-
The night was somber as they all packed their things for the trip tomorrow. Cloud's heart felt particularly heavy, as he hadn't resolved things with his mother. He had to be gently dragged to bed by a sympathetic Angeal.
Even lying between his lovers he was still sad. He knew that only time could help the argument and time seemed to be what they lacked the most. Still, he managed to force his mind from the issue, intent on sleeping sometime tonight. The other men fell into deep slumbers and Cloud tried to join them but his mind wouldn't rest.
His fight with his mother was pushed out but the looming assessment took its place. He knew he would do well, any cadet of Sephiroth's would, naturally, but the anxious fear was still there.
He stayed awake all night, in fact, just thinking about the assessment and what he would do if he did poorly. He'd never get into SOLDIER. He'd shame Zack and Sephiroth and even Angeal and Genesis. He'd be kicked out as a resounding failure.
When he could bear no more, he wiggled and slipped out of bed, waking only Zack. He looked at the pale cadet and sighed.
"What's up?" he whispered. Cloud just shook his head.
"You don't tell me and I'll wake the entire room up, prisoner and all."
"Worried. Afraid I'll do badly on the assessment."
"You can fight on par with me, you'll do fine," he hissed.
"You don't use your enhancement to the fullest though," Cloud pointed out. "Don't lie, I know you hold back."
"Okay, whatever. You're forgetting that the other cadets have no enhancements. You'll do fine."
Cloud sighed and shook his head, mostly ignoring the sleepy glare he got from his lover. "Go back to sleep. I'll just sleep on the ride back to Midgar."
"Okay," Zack relented. "But Cloud?"
"Yeah, Zack?"
"I love you."
Cloud flushed pink and turned his head away for a moment. He shyly looked back at the black haired menace and whispered, "I love you too."
Zack grinned and closed his eyes, returning to sleep almost instantaneously.
Cloud continued to blush, shutting his eyes in embarrassment. He didn't notice the red eyes watching him from the other bed until the man spoke.
"You shouldn't worry if you can hold your own against a First Class."
Cloud squeaked in alarm, further embarrassing himself and prompting the SOLDIERs to stir. He waited with bated breath to see if they woke and realized he had slipped away. They muttered threats to silence whoever made the noise but they didn't fully wake.
"Sorry," Vincent said, sounding almost amused. Cloud glared at him. "I am not intimidated. You're still blushing."
Cloud growled and Vincent didn't look any more affected than he was before. It was rather like watching the kitten he was nicknamed after trying to intimidate a wolf. Useless, of course, but rather cute in a hopeless sort of way.
"We're going back to Midgar," Cloud informed him as if he hadn't guessed from the packing and discussions they had with him present.
"Yes."
"Are you scared?"
"Why would I be? I will be handed over to the Turks and everything will be cleared up from there."
"The Turks know you?"
"Not personally. It was too long ago. But they know of me, and that's enough."
"Who are you?"
"Vincent Valentine. What I am, you will learn soon enough."
Cloud was dissatisfied with this answer but he sensed he would not get anything else from the man, at least tonight. He returned to bed and slept lightly until his other lovers awoke.
-o-o-
They packed everything up. They were absolutely ready to hop in the truck and ride down the mountain to their helicopter. Of course, one mother was not absolutely ready. She approached and Cloud moved from the group huddled by the truck to meet her.
"Mom," he greeted. She just looked at him with a heavy frown.
"Mom..." Cloud whispered.
She looked him in the eye and placed her hands on his shoulders, seeming to be searching for something. Whatever it was, she found it.
"Go. Do what you have to."
"I always have."
"I won't accept you back here until it's over," she told him, dropping her hands. His expression turned stony and he nodded once before turning and walking away, out the village and to the truck with his waiting lovers. He was leaving Nibelheim and he would not turn back for anything in the world.
-o-o-
Sorry for the short chapter, especially with the long, long break. But I have a treat for you guys! Have another chapter in a couple hours!