Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

The Reaper	By : crystalwind Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 676 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
Warnings: Slight language, a ridiculous amount of hugging, and… the end?

Chapter Nineteen – Family Matters

The ship pulled into port in the morning of the third day of the trip. As the docks of Costa del Sol became more and more visible, Reno was drawn to the railing, staring at the sun-covered town for over an hour as the ship began to dock. Rude stood at his side, alternating between watching the port and watching his partner, but neither spoke; the silence was comfortable enough that neither really needed to.
Yesterday morning had been a little awkward (and, as Reno had later put it, "completely fucking disgusting") when they woke up together, still nude, entwined, and dirty, but the day had been clear and calm and it only took a quick wash in the (still running) shower and a light breakfast for them to settle into a comfortable rapport with each other. They spent the day wandering the deck and soaking up the sun, Reno content to let his ankle rest (for once) and Rude content to simply follow and watch him. If a few crew members laughed at how the two were suddenly completely relaxed around each other, or how Rude seemed to follow Reno around like a puppy, neither of them cared enough to actually do anything about it.
Their second night on board the ship had passed much like the first, except Reno was awake enough to insist on a shower before they fell asleep again. The ship's horn had heralded both the morning and their approach to port, and the relaxed aura of the previous day persisted throughout breakfast, only beginning to fade as the crew started tying lines. Reno was not altogether convinced that Rude's mother would like or approve of him, and Rude had started to consider her behavior towards his past lovers and started worrying about the same. Neither of them voiced their concerns, but when they finally stood on the dock with their bags, neither was in much of a rush to head toward Rude's villa. Reno shuffled his feet a moment, then coughed.
"I'm going to wander around here for a little bit if that's ok."
"Yeah, that's fine, that gives me the chance to make sure everything's ready for us when we get there. Just don't wander away from the docks, so I can find you when I get back."
"Mhmm."
Rude sighed, staring at him. "Reno… I'm serious." Reno paused in his perusal of the docks to stare at him, eyes wide and innocent.
"I won't go anywhere." Rude's eyes narrowed behind his shades.
"Promise?"
"Fuck, Rude, relax. I promise. You know me…"
Rude rolled his eyes, trying to maintain a stern façade and failing. "Yeah, that's exactly the problem." Reno laughed and waved him away, dropping his bags by the seawall and wandering over to the edge of the dock to peer down into the water. Shaking his head and hoping that his partner wouldn't have time to wander far before he returned, Rude grabbed Reno's bags before the redhead could notice and complain and turned and made his way towards his family's home.

"Mama." Amoa turned, smiling, and embraced her son. His large body dwarfed hers – it had since he'd turned 15 – but that didn't stop her from patting his cheeks and cooing over his closely-cropped goatee, which he hadn't had the last time she'd seen him. In short, she treated him like he was a boy again, returning home from a summer vacation. Rude sighed inwardly, glad now that Reno wasn't present to witness the event – the teasing would probably never end. His mother's mind was apparently on his partner as well.
"Decided not to bring that new partner of yours after all?" Her voice, normally warm and caring, had taken on a decidedly cold tone, the barest hint of a sneer in her voice making it clear that she didn't want his partner there anyway, and that it probably wouldn't upset her if he vanished entirely. Rude felt his chest clench and his throat tighten, and he had to forcibly remind himself that this was his mother, and that he shouldn't crush her skull. Unclenching his fists occurred only through sheer force of will, but a low rumble in his voice still betrayed his anger when he replied to her.
"He's here; he's at the pier still while I make sure everything is okay here."His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "Mama. I expect you to treat him nicely; he's my partner, and he's a good person."
She sniffed. "You thought your first partner was a good person too." He growled, hands tightening into fists again.
"He isn't like that."
Amoa's eyes were sharp and calculating, and she quickly figured out just what had Rude so defensive of his partner. Her oldest child, so quiet and stoic and strong compared to the other two, was also in many ways the most vulnerable. His last partner – and lover – had nearly destroyed him; he hadn't always hidden his eyes behind mirrored sunglasses. She wouldn't let this new boy do that to him again.
"We'll see."

Predictably, Rude and Amoa didn't find Reno at the pier where he said he'd wait. Instead, Rude spotted him wandering barefoot through the sandy streets of the town, baggy cargo pants hiding his smooth legs and injured ankle, but white wifebeater displaying the toned muscles of his arms and shoulders quite nicely. The warm noon sun brought a healthy glow to his pale skin and turned his red hair into a riotous mass of flames, and for a moment Rude forgot to breath, nearly forgetting his mother's presence and striding over to either kiss or worship the unworldly image that his partner presented. Then he returned to his senses enough to wonder where the hell Reno's shoes were, and he shook his head, breath huffing out in a short laugh.
"Reno!"

The lure to explore was too much for Reno to resists, and he quickly found himself wandering the streets, passing from the warm cobblestones of the port area to the packed sand of the town. The houses were rustic and exotic all at once, their adobe walls gleaming golden in the warm tropical sun. The town's inhabitants wore clothing as brightly-colored as the birds that fluttered through the streets, and Reno quickly found himself charmed… if only because they reminded him of more brightly-dressed, cheerful versions of Rude. The laid-back atmosphere of the sunny town also appealed to him, it was so different from the harsh and fast-paced life that he was used to, and he ambled through the streets calmly, not paying attention to where he was going until his name was called.
He swung around quickly, spotting Rude standing next to a shorter woman who looked far too much like him to be anyone but his mother. Grinning at the partially amused, partially exasperated expression on his partner's face, he moved in their direction, abandoning his initial intent to bound over in favor of a slower walk when he felt his ankle twinge. His eyes flickered back and forth between Rude and his mother as he approached, wondering how it was that Rude took such pains to hide from the world and still managed to be so warm and easy to read, while his mother appeared so cold and remote. He made it about halfway over before a loud squawking voice caught his intention, and he found himself embroiled in one of the strangest conversations of his life.
"Hello!"
Reno eyed the creature in front of him warily, scanning slowly around himself to confirm that yes, it was actually the bird in front of him that was speaking. The bird was a bright scarlet color, with yellow and blue wings. And it was staring at him, clearly expecting a response. He blinked. "…Hello?"
"Hello!"
Reno frowned, not sure what he was supposed to say to the second salutation. "Hi…? I'm Reno…"
"Pretty bird!" Reno scowled. It was bad enough that the damned thing was talking to him, now it was mocking his hair, too? He stepped forward, opening his mouth to start doing some serious trash-talking, but the bird beat him to the punch, letting loose with a string of "Pretty bird! Pretty bird! Pretty bird!" Reno's eye twitched, and he started growling.

Rude sighed, adjusting his shades in exasperation. Only Reno would get into a fight with a damned bird. It was a good thing there weren't any children around, or the obscenities flowing out of his partner's mouth right now would have a horde of angry mothers after them with torches and pitchforks.
Amoa lifted an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Is he mentally retarded?" Rude shook his head, to amazed by the spectacle before him to get defensive again.
"He's lived in the city his entire life, most of it below the Plate. He's never seen a parrot before, and I doubt anyone has ever warned him that some birds can talk."
Somewhat mollified by her son's response, Amoa couldn't suppress the smile of amusement that flitted across her face. The kid was adorable… even if she was determined to hate him. Shaking his head again, Rude began to walk forward, deciding to intervene before either the parrot would up dead or Reno would up missing a chunk out of his skin. Amoa followed, carefully repressing the snicker that threatened to emerge when they got close.
"Reno, stop. The bird's an idiot."
"You're damned right it is! It…" Rude held up a hand, forestalling another string of insults.
"No, seriously. It's a parrot, a macaw. Their throats are developed enough to speak and their brains are developed enough to mimic humans, but beyond that, they're morons, with tiny brains. Rico doesn't actually understand things the way people do."
"Rico?"
Rude pointed. "The bird. He's lived in this town for 30 years, actually."
"Thirty?" Rude nodded, and Reno sighed. "So you're saying I'm arguing with someone twice my age, and he's an idiot." Rude chuckled, nodding again, and Reno rolled his eyes and turned his back on the bird, clearly deciding that it was no longer worth his time. He looked back and forth between Rude and Amoa expectantly, and after a moment of wondering why, Rude jumped, apologizing.
"Sorry, I forgot that I haven't actually introduced you two yet. Reno, this is my mother, Amoa. Mama, this is Reno." Amoa was nothing if not polite, and she extended a hand, watching Reno carefully as he shook it. He returned the scrutiny, and Rude sighed, wondering if they were going to treat each other like rival wolves the entire vacation. Deciding that it wasn't a battle worth fighting right now, he turned them in the direction of home.

The villa had been empty when Rude first arrived, but now that was not the case. As the trio approached the front door, it slammed open and a girl dashed out, darting across the path too quickly for Reno to make out anything more than a blur of tanned skin and dark hair before she launched herself at Rude, squealing and tackling him in a hug. Staggering under the sudden weight, Rude grinned, one of the few times that Reno had ever seen a full smile on Rude's face that didn't involve him. Biting back a sudden and irrational surge of jealousy, he waited until Rude set the girl back on his feet before stepping over. Rude turned to him, holding the girl around the waist, and introduced them.
"Reno, this is my little sister, Etrix. ET." He smirked, sniggering when she jabbed him in the side with an elbow. "Sis, this is my new partner, Reno." Reno smiled and stuck out a hand, far more at ease around Rude's smiling sister than his mother, but she just snorted, wiggling out of Rude's grasp and embracing Reno too. Startled, it took him a moment before he returned the hug, and she giggled at him before letting go.
"Nice to meet you. Come on! I'll help you unpack your stuff." Rude glanced over at his partner in amusement, the realization that Reno had never had the benefit of having a sibling around fully sinking in for the first time. The bemused and slightly dumbstruck look on Reno's face was priceless, and Rude wished he had his camera out to capture the moment. They followed Etrix inside, Amoa trailing closely behind them.
The bags were laying just inside the door, and Rude again snatched them before Reno could reach them. Ignoring his partner's huff of irritation and grumbling about not being an invalid, Rude started up the stairs behind his sister. Amoa watched them start up, noting how Reno had to support most of his weight on his arms and left foot, pulling himself up with the banister rather than stepping up with his right. She frowned. Rude hadn't mentioned any injuries resulting from his latest mission; in fact, he had pretty much avoided discussing the mission at all. Now she wondered if his feeling for the redhead might have some merit after all; he wasn't one for befriending Turks who were too weak to do their jobs, and she suspected that there was a lot more to his partner than Rude had told her. Shaking her head, she allowed Etrix to show them to the room Reno would be staying in and turned away. The boys were probably hungry for lunch by now.

Rude and Reno unpacked, smirking and trading amused looks about the separate living quarters when Etrix wasn't looking, and then they all wandered back downstairs to eat. Reno was surprised to find sandwiches already made for them by the time they made it into the kitchen; his mother had never made him food without being ordered by his father to cook dinner, and he was under the impression that Amoa didn't particularly like him; the fact that she'd made him lunch startled him. Rude and Etrix both took note of his surprise, and although Etrix didn't say anything the look in her eyes promised questions later on.
The rest of the day passed by in a lazy haze. Rude and Etrix followed Reno out to the beach behind the house, watching as Reno rolled up his pants and waded into the surf. He was surprised to find small fish swimming around in the shallow water, their colors ranging from nearly transparent to vivid yellows and blues. He laughed when they darted forward to nibble at his toes and ankles, and Rude practically glowed at the sound. Reno laughed far too seldom. Etrix' gaze passed between her brother and his partner, and she smiled quietly. She had noticed the amused glances in Reno's bedroom, even if they had been trying to hide them, and she was glad to see her brother happy again. It had been far too long since he'd let anyone get close to him.

Dinner that evening was a noisy affair. Reno learned that Rude had another sibling, a younger brother, who was attending a trade school on the Northern Continent; Etrix was in high school, and would be graduating next year. It didn't mean much to Reno, who had never been to high school, but Rude promised to attend her graduation, and Reno quickly discovered that he was incapable of saying no when she turned a pair of puppy-dog eyes on him and asked if he'd be coming too. He looked over at Rude in bafflement when Etrix turned back to her food, and across the table Amoa smiled to herself. The kid really was adorable.
The mood continued to be light and friendly for the rest of the meal… right up until Etrix glanced over at Reno and asked about his family.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well… I have a little brother…" He sighed and continued at Etrix' urging, the girl too excited and curious to notice how ill at ease he was. Amoa noticed, however, and watched him closely. "His name was… is… Axel. I haven't seen him for a long time though." He picked at his food, obviously wishing the conversation was over.
"What about your parents?" Rude and Reno both tensed, and Etrix immediately wished she hadn't said anything.
"I don't talk about them." Reno's voice was tight, a mixture of anger and fear and grief, and Etrix didn't ask him any more questions. The question of his family remained unanswered, and Amoa didn't even try to bring up the subject of their mission. Dinner ended in uncomfortable silence.

Dishes after dinner was over were a quick affair, and Etrix shooed everyone else out of the kitchen to do them. Reno took the opportunity to slink out the back door, muttering something about taking a walk for a while, and Amoa followed Rude up to his room.
"What did that boy's parents do to him?" She sounded so upset and defensive that Rude could only stare for a moment, wondering what had made her change her mind so quickly. Her outraged glare didn't waver, however, and he sighed, shoulders slumping, and sat down on the bed.
"It's not really my place to tell you. I only know bits and pieces of it myself anyway; he doesn't ever talk about it so I've never heard the full story." He pulled off his sunglasses and rubbed his face tiredly, and Amoa crossed the room to sit next to him.
She thought for a moment, wanting to press for answers about Reno's past but knowing better than to push her son too hard on the issue. Giving a sigh herself, she asked the other question that was on her mind: "What happened on your mission?"
Rude didn't look at her, fiddling with the sunglasses in his hand for a moment before replying. "Well… it's a long story I guess. I guess… I guess it really started a couple of weeks before the mission, maybe even before that, when Reno was still doing his Field Trials as a Trainee. The mission in the Slums I guess was really the worst of it though. The crime rate in the Slums had been skyrocketing for a little less than a year – since Reno became a Trainee, really. We were supposed to be gathering information about one of the new drug rings, and there was this informant we were going to talk to…"

Reno was sitting on top of the low wall that partially enclosed the patio when Amoa walked out to find him, a sketch pad on his lap. She thought about the breakdown in the Slums that Rude had told her about, and about his near-drowning experience in the small mountain town. Then she walked over, hopped up to sit on the wall next to him, and gave him a hug.
Reno froze when her arms wrapped around him, moody and paranoid by the thought of his parents and half-afraid she was about to try and strangle him. When she just continued to hold him, the moment passed and he hesitantly returned the hug. It took him approximately two seconds to register that she used the same body wash as Rude and had the same spiced chocolate scent, and only a few seconds more to lose all hesitation and snuggle in, still confused about why he was on the receiving end of a hug but too warm and content to really question it. If Amoa found his quick attempt to burrow into the embrace odd, she didn't say anything. Instead, she simply held him tighter, the same way she used to hold Rude when he was younger and less reserved.
They sat that way for a while before Amoa gave him a tighter squeeze and slowly let go. Sitting up, it occurred to Reno how weird his cuddling may have seemed, and he flushed slightly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Amoa chuckled at him, putting him back at ease, before her gaze dropped to the sketch pad sitting on his lap.
It was a low-angle drawing of the beach, with a wave foaming up on the shore. Striped fish swam below the surface, the ripples of sunlight on the water casting shadows and distortions across their scaled surfaces. It wasn't finished – only half of it was shaded so far – but it was already beautiful. Amoa was enchanted for a moment, before she paused to wonder how someone who created such beautiful art could have such a painful past that he became a trained killer. Her eyes were sad when she looked back up at his face, and he shifted, knowing before she spoke what she was going to ask about.
"My mom… she used to drink a lot, and do drugs. And she was obsessed with being clean…"

Reno crept down the hall to Rude's room that night, late after Amoa and Etrix had gone to bed. Rude was waiting for him with the small table lamp next to the bed turned on, and he drew Reno into a warm hug before pulling him onto the bed. Reno smiled, cuddling back up as soon as they were seated, and Rude chuckled. For someone as loud and sarcastic as Reno normally was, he certainly had a soft side. Still smiling, Rude pushed the covers away behind them with one arm and lay down, tugging Reno down with him. A brief struggle for covers and optimal sleeping positions later, and they were nestled back together, Reno's head and arm resting on Rude's chest.
The soft crash of the surf outside slowly lulled them to sleep, and Rude smiled softly, fingers combing through Reno's hair. He didn't know what Reno and Mama had said to each other that evening, but it had done much to dissipate the tension left behind by dinner. Amoa had offered to walk with them to the Market the following day (rather, she had offered to take Reno to the market the following day), and Reno had responded eagerly, more than willing to spend the day "hanging out" with her. He had called her "Mama" without even seeming to realize it, and she ruffled his hair, reminding Rude very much of the way she'd used to ruffle his own hair… back when he was younger and still let it grow out. It had taken less than a day, and Reno was already a part of the family.
Rude smiled again, shifting to wrap his arm across Reno's shoulders. Tomorrow was going to be a beautiful day.

A/N:
We never did find out what Reno did with his shoes… And macaws can live up to 85 years or so, if anyone's interested.
Check out this picture to imagine the kind of thing Reno was drawing (remove the spaces): kristo1974. deviantart art/Fish-n-rock-110306187 and now pretend he's drawing fish like that from an angle like this: spanishalex. deviantart art/Seashore-and-Starfish-60506861 (I'd draw it myself but… I'm not that good lol)
Aaanyway… The End!
- 21
- 22
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Reaper