Now You Know
"I'll have a Scotch."
"And for you, sir?"
"Food."
"Reno."
"Food."
"Reno, you have a menu. Pick something."
"I want all of it."
"Denied."
"I hate you."
"I hate you too, now stop acting like an idiot and pick something."
"Fine. Lobster dinner. Scotch."
"Thank you, sir. Would you like something to eat as well, Mr. Shinra?"
"If I wanted something to eat I would have said so. Now bring me my damn scotch before I kill you and the stupid Turk."
Reno laughed loudly as the beleagered waiter scurried off towards the kitchen. "Damn, you are scary when you're pissed."
"Thank you." Rufus responded, something close to a smile playing on his lips. "I've learned that fear is a powerful motivator. Scare someone badly enough and they will never disobey you."
"Too bad you can't scare me, huh?"
"You're the exception to the rule. You're too stupid to be frightened. That's why you make such a good Turk."
"Funny." Reno grumbled, resisting the urge to slap the smug blond across the back of his head.
"So, where'd you live out your childhood years?"
"None of your damn business."
"Ah, come on, you know you wanna tell me."
"Sector Six slums."
"Liar. That's where I'm from. We would have been neighbors. Hey, is that why you were such a bastard to me when we met?"
"Perhaps." Rufus leaned back in his chair, picking up his drink and taking a sip the moment the waiter set it down. "Your parents still alive?"
"Nah. They died a long time ago. Your mother still alive?"
"No. She died a long time ago."
"Was that really her in the picture?"
"Yes."
"Thought so. Lucky you got your looks from her." Reno commented, reaching up to brush a irate lock of hair from Rufus' eyes. "She was beautiful, so are you."
"Stop it. You're creeping me out." Rufus growled, batting at Reno's hand irritably.
Reno laughed, drawing his hand back and draining his scotch in a single gulp. "Don't know how to take a compliment, do you?"
"Not from you. You're weird." Rufus grumbled before hurriedly gulping down the rest of his drink.
"If I'm so weird why are you hanging out with me?"
"I didn't have anything better to do today."
"Or yesterday. Or the day before that or the day before that. I must be pretty damn good company or your life must be real dull. I asked you to buy me lunch once and now I have you buying me two meals a day."
"I'm trying to fatten you up before I toss you in my oven and feed you to Palmer."
"Oh, now that's just plain wrong."
"He wants a raise, probably so he can add a few more inches to that enormous gut of his. I want to get rid of you. This way we'll both win."
"Fine, but before I die I want to test a theory of mine. Let's get drunk and go pick up chicks. I've been thinking that maybe if you got laid you wouldn't be such a tight-ass bastard all the time. Wanna test the theory?"
Rufus chuckled, "Sounds like a plan. Though I'm willing to bet you'll pass out before I'm drunk."
"That sounds like a challenge."
"There's a reason for that."
"You're on."
"Waiter! Bring me two bottles of scotch and where the hell is that lobster?!"
*****
A bottle of scotch later, Rufus was snoring lightly his head pillowed against his arms on the table while Reno chewed happily on the last of his lobster dinner. He smiled gently at the sleeping man,
"Drinking on an empty stomach is not the way to win a drinking contest. Poor baby..."
"Sir..." The waiter began hesitantly, his hands folded demurely in front of him.
"Reno is fine."
"Um, Reno. We're closing. Should I call Mr. Shinra a cab or..."
Reno chuckled, laying down his fork and pushing back from the table. "Don't worry about it, man. I'll take care of him. That's my job, after all."
"Th... Thank you, sir."
"No problem."
"Now, about the bill..."
Reno smiled and patted the waiter on the head before reaching down to drag Rufus from his seat.
"Don't worry about it. Just put it on my tab."
Before the waiter had a chance to respond, Reno hussled the bleary-eyed Rufus out the door and into the nearest elevator. Once inside, Reno carefully lowered Rufus to the floor before taking a seat beside him.
"Umm... Reno?" Rufus murmured, leaning heavily against Reno's slim shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"I don't feel so good."
"Of course you don't. When was the last time you ate?"
Rufus shrugged vaguely, "I don't know. Yesterday? Maybe. You smell nice."
"Now, who's weird?" Reno replied, giving the golden-haired man a sideways glance.
"I don't care. You always smell nice." Rufus whispered, burying his face against Reno's shoulder. "I bet you taste nice too..." Rufus lifted his lips to touch Reno's neck, his tongue darting out to lick across the sensitive skin there. "I was right..."
Reno closed his eyes as Rufus' breath whispered across the moist trail left by his tongue, his hands bunching into fists as warm tremors coursed through his body. "Oh..."
"You like that..." Rufus whispered, licking Reno's neck again before placing his lips against the moist spot and sucking the skin eagerly. He lifted his lips from the spot when he heard Reno moan, eyeing the red mark his attentions left behind. Smiling, the slim blond shifted from his seated position beside Reno, moving unsteadily to straddle the younger man. "I like it too..." He whispered, slipping his hands beneath Reno's jacket.
"Rufus..."
*****
"What is it? Are you feeling sick again? Get up, you are not getting sick on my carpet!"
Reno opened his eyes, blinking rapidly until Rufus' pale face swam into view. "Rufus? Wh... where am I?"
"Who were you expecting? You're at my place. I couldn't take you home like this. I don't even know where you live." Rufus grumbled, pressing a cool cloth against Reno's forehead. "You know, I wasn't expecting to be playing nursemaid to you tonight."
"Sorry. What happened?"
"You passed out. I had to have that waiter help me take you up here."
"Oh."
"What were you dreaming about just now? You were moaning. Are you okay?"
"Careful, Pretty Boy, you almost sound concerned."
"Really? I'll have to work on that. Now, shut up and try and go back to sleep."
Reno smiled, reaching up to touch Rufus' face gently. "Thanks, Pretty Boy." Still smiling, Reno let his hand drop back against the blankets on which lay and closed his eyes, finding sleep almost instantly.
*****
"Rufus?"
Rufus blinked and turned over in his bed to find a pair of mako-tinted eyes starring at him. "Reno? What are you doing in my bed?"
"I'm feeling better now."
"That's nice. Get out of my bed."
"Do you really want me to do that?" Reno asked softly, his eyes shining with mischief. Rufus frowned. He didn't like that look. That look in Reno's eyes usually meant he was about to do something strange.
"All right. What are you up to th..." Rufus gasped, whatever he was about to say flying from his mind as he felt Reno's hand settled against his bare stomach. He couldn't move, couldn't breath and then he was trembling with some unknown feeling, a feeling which made his entire body burn.
"Reno... what..."
"Shh..." Reno whispered, his hand traveling upwards to rest against his bare chest, his fingers dancing lightly over Rufus' skin. "Don't speak unless you want me to stop."
Rufus bit down on his lip. He didn't know what he wanted except that he didn't want this feeling to end. Reno's hand felt so natual, so nice against his skin. It wasn't like when other people touched him. There was none of the old revulsion, the old horror of memories long dead. Not when Reno touched him. He wanted to tell Reno that, but if he spoke the spell might be broken and the sickness would return. But if he didn't try, he'd never know and...
"Reno, don't stop. Please don't stop. Please..."
Reno sighed visably, retracting his hand from Rufus' body. "Sorry. You broke the rules. It was a game, Pretty Boy. And if you can't obey the rules, you can't play."
"Don't I get to make rules?" Rufus asked weakly, his body already aching to feel Reno's touch again.
"Afraid not. You're lucky I'm even willing to play with you. After all, I know where you've been. I know about those men... the men that killed your mother. The same men that used you in every way possible. You're tainted. You may look like a golden angel, but inside you're all darkness. I know you're a whore."
"I... Reno... please..." Rufus whispered, the first tears whispering across his cheeks as he reached out for the redhead. "I... can explain..."
"How can you explain the things you've done? Maybe if you got on your knees for me I'd be more forgiving."
"I... no... I..."
*****
"Rufus? Hey! Wake up! You're having a nightmare."
Rufus' eyes shot open and he found himself looking into Reno's mako-colored eyes, but there was no loathing in his eyes now, only concern and perhaps a bit of fear. Without thinking, Rufus wrapped his arms around Reno and buried his face in his friend's chest, sobbing violently. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to touch you, but I have to." He whispered brokenly, clinging to Reno as tightly as he could.
"Rufus..." Reno murmured softly, slipping his arms around the sobbing blond's shoulders. This was a first for him, having to comfort someone else, but it didn't feel nearly as strange or foreign as it should. Somehow, comforting Rufus like this seemed almost natural... almost. "It's okay... what ever it is... it's okay."
They stayed like that for a long time. Long enough for Rufus' tears to finally run dry and even then they still sat in the middle of Rufus' bed, holding each other tightly. It wasn't until Reno felt Rufus loosen his grip and move to sit up, that he released his hold on his friend. Rufus was silent as he pulled away from Reno and scooted back to put some distance between them. "I'm sorry." He said finally, folding his legs beneath him and clutching his hands in his lap.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." Reno responded instantly, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Now this, however, did feel both strange. Rufus was apologizing to him. Hell, Rufus apologizing to anyone had to be one of the signs of the apocalypse.
"I do." Rufus murmured, interupting Reno's thought with his quite confessions. "I... didn't have the right to do that. I... I haven't told you about myself at all..."
"You don't have to. You don't owe me anything." Reno shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable with this situation.
"I know. I know that, but I want to tell you. My mother was killed when I was fourteen. I saw it. Saw it all. I was hiding in a cupboard, because she begged me to. It was the only thing she ever asked of me. So I watched her die. I went to find them afterwards. I... I let them use my body so that I could gain their trust. I waited for my chance and then... I killed them one by one. He managed to track me down after it was all over, my father I mean. He brought me here... to be his successor. To do his dirty work for him." Rufus shivered violently, "I may live differently, but I'm still the person I was then. I'm still... still..."
"A whore? Don't be so damn stupid. You did what you felt you had to do. My hands are no cleaner then yours, Rufus." Reno shrugged his shoulders easily. "Though I'm kind of curious what brought on this little confession."
"It's hard for me to explain."
"After telling me all that, you're having trouble telling me why you told me?" Reno asked, slightly incredulous.
Rufus nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Yeah."
Reno found himself laughing suddenly and after a moment Rufus was laughing with him. Neither really knew what was so damn funny, but it felt good to laugh, even if there wasn't a real reason for it.
"Could I show you?" Rufus asked suddenly, sobering.
"Show me? Um... yeah, I guess. That's... hmph..." Reno's eyes widened as Rufus leaned forward and pressed his lips to his exerting just the slightest pressure before drawing back.
Rufus' cheeks were flushed as he eased back to his seated position.
Reno touched his fingers against his lips, a little shocked by Rufus' actions. "Rufus..."
"Now you know." Rufus sighed, shrugging his shoulders a little helplessly. To Reno he looked young, sitting there in silk pajamas that were a little too big for him, wearing that lost expression.
"Now I know." Reno replied, leaning forward and capturing Rufus' lips with his own. Rufus responded instantly with a small squeak of pleasure, his arms slipping around Reno's waist and pulling him down onto the bed with him.
*****
"I can still feel you." Reno muttered, picking himself up off the ground, bottle still firmly in hand. "I can even smell you, but I know you're gone... gone..."
"You're still here." Rufus stated quietly, running his fingers idly across Reno's chest. "I almost expected you to be gone by now."
"Why? I don't got anywhere important to be." Reno answered, folding one arm behind his head while keeping the other firmly locked around Rufus' waist.
"So you're staying the night?" Rufus questioned after a moment's silence.
"Unless you have other plans."
"No, I don't. Though, I should warn you, if you stay in my bed neither of us will be getting a hell of a lot of sleep." Rufus purred, leaning in to kiss Reno's exposed throat.
"Good. I don't like getting to much sleep. If I get too much I'll end up fat and lazy... then you might just have to bake me and feed me to Palmer after all."
"I just might. Now, kiss me again, Reno. I'm beginning to forget what it felt like."
"Yes, sir."
