Life's Twisted Sense Of Humor
"Cold and heartless, just like your damn father." Reno muttered, taking another drink from the bottle in his hand.
"Go to hell, Reno." Rufus stated, his voice as cold as ice.
"See, easy to tell me that when you don't want something from me, huh?" Reno spat, meeting his former lover's cold blue eyes. It had happened so quickly. One moment, Rufus had been declaring his love and now, two days later, here he was denying that he'd ever felt anything at all. "You're a real piece of work. You know that, don't you? One minute you're in love with me and the next it's all over, like it's no big thing. Damn you. I heard everyone saying how cold you were, now I know what they meant. I don't know what changed between us, Pretty Boy, but I guess that doesn't matter anymore, huh? I just hope that somewhere deep down inside you there's still something left of that nice guy I thought I knew, otherwise you'll be sitting right beside me on the bus ride to hell."
"You're really one to talk. Why don't you go complain to someone who cares... like Tseng or Rude? I'm sure they'll be perfectly happy to kiss your wounds." Rufus spat, his eyes crackling like icebergs in sunlight. "Get the hell out of my office, Slum Trash."
"Of course... sir." Reno hissed, his teeth grinding together almost painfully as he turned and stormed from the office, slamming the door behind him.
"Fuck." Rufus breathed, hitting the intercom button. "Mika? Hold my calls. I have an important matter to attend to and I don't wish to be disturbed for at least an hour."
"Of course... sir." The secretary's voice squawked back even as the first tears slipped down Rufus Shinra's pale cheeks.
*****
"He's different, man. I'm not kidding you. He used to be... I don't know. Different. I loved being with that guy. It was like having Christmas everyday. It was great, but then his Dad died and he became President and... he changed. One minute he was telling me he was in love with me and the next he's telling me it's all over." Reno flushed slightly, slumping down further in his chair. "Hell, I'm a real idiot, aren't I?"
Rude nodded, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Hey, look, I'm sure it hasn't all gone to hell quite yet. If you love the guy, maybe you should try and work it out."
"I don't think I could now. I said a lot of nasty things to him. It was just like when he first met. He looked at me as if I were a complete stranger. I just wish I knew why..."
"Whatcha guys talking about?" Elena asked, bouncing over to sit between the two Turks.
"Tseng's sex life." Reno remarked with a roll of his eyes.
Elena blushed prettily, her voice rising in pitch as she spoke. "Oh! Th... that's nice! I heard... that... well..."
"Say it if you're gonna say it." Rude commented, taking another sip from the glass in front of him.
"I heard that you were sleeping with him last, Reno." Elena said quickly, ducking her head as she spoke, as if that would somehow fend off the reaction that was coming.
Reno and Rude both nearly choked at this bit of news, "WHAT?!"
Elena blinked, not quite understanding their reaction. "It's the rumor that's been circulating the office all week. Isn't it true?"
"No!" Reno exclaimed, a rough laugh escaping him. "I can't imagine Tseng having sex period, much less with me."
"Oh! That's great! I mean, I... um... I guess that means the rumor about you two sleeping together isn't true either, right?" Elena stammered, hoping to cover-up her perhaps too enthusiastic reaction to the fact that Tseng was single.
"Me? Sleep with Reno? No offense, you're a great guy, but I'd probably end up with my ass in a sling considering how jealous and insecure your..." Rude paused mid-sentance and starred at Reno for a long moment. "Hey, maybe that's what he was so pissed about?"
"Ah, shit." Reno muttered irritably, tugging a hand through his tangled hair. "I should have seen that one coming sooner. That's why he's been acting like this, he thinks I'm cheatin' on him." After a moment's thought, Reno's expression brightened considerable. "Everything's gonna be okay then. When we get back home I'll just explain everything to him."
"But you're gone. I can't explain anything to you now." Reno growled, flinging his empty bottle across the wasteland of twisted metal that stretched as far as the eye could see. "Can't explain a damn thing to a corpse."
"Out of the two of us, I'd say you look decidedly more like the corpse, Reno."
Reno blinked up at the sky, "I must be going insane, I could swear I..."
"You're not insane, you damn fool."
"There it is again..." Reno murmured, closing his eyes against the tears that threatened. "I'm sorry, Rufus..."
"Reno, I will happily forgive you whatever you're fucking sorry for if you would just please get off your lazy ass and get me the hell out from under this mess."
"Rufus." Reno spat, sitting up ramrod straight and glancing around for the owner of the weak, pain-filled voice that had suddenly become more reality than memory.
"To your left, moron. I'm the blond man trapped beneath the very large, very heavy piece of metal which, I must assume, was once a refrigerator."
Reno turned quickly, his gaze instantly connecting with the slightly unfocused gaze of his former lover. "Holy... Rufus, you're alive?!"
"I almost wish I weren't at this point." Rufus murmured weakly, closing his eyes for a long moment. "Just help me, okay?"
"Ye... yeah." Reno stammered, crawling quickly to where Rufus lay. They were both silent during the next few minutes as Reno slowly managed to wrestle aside the mass of metal and concrete which held the former president pinned beneath it's weight. Finally, Rufus was able to pull himself free of the wreakage before collapsing unceremonious against Reno's unsteady frame.
"What the hell happened to you? Reeve told me you were dead." Reno whispered, stroking Rufus' blood streaked hair back from his forehead.
"I thought I was. I saw it coming. The weapon's blast. I couldn't move. All I could do was stare at that bright, white light..." Rufus paused, a tired laugh escaping his lips. "Turns out my old man built himself an escape hatch and when the light neared my office the floor just opened up and swallowed me whole. I can't remember much after that."
"Does anything hurt?"
"Is this a trick question?"
"No. Should I find you a doctor or something?"
"No. Just stay with me for a while, okay? I..." Rufus paused, "I need you with me."
Reno smiled, "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried. Look at all the trouble you managed to get yourself into the last time I left you alone."
"Point taken, but firing that cannon really did seem like a good idea at the time."
~fin~
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed this little story of mine.
This story was actually written as a much shorter piece several years ago but, as time has gone by, I've revised it many times. The latest revision, and the one I'm happiest with, is the one which I presented to you here. In the original version, Rufus was still dead as a doornail at the end and the story had a completely different title. However, I never did particularly like unhappy endings and I like this ending much better. *shrugs* Anyway, let me know what you think. ^_^
