Techno begets bad dancing.

There's a note of hope in Reno's voice that almost breaks Rude's heart. How could he have gone so long without knowing? It's obvious from the way he says it that Reno doesn't expect this turn of events or that Rude is so willing to let him into his life now, but it's something the dark skinned man has been thinking about for a long time. It's strange how his feelings for his partner developed, the opposite from every other relationship he'd ever had. All the others had started in lust and ended in him caring, though never to this extent. With Reno, he had of course thought the man handsome, but he hadn't realized he was interested in men until he developed feelings for Reno. No other man had ever caught his attention. Maybe that was why he had so desperately bedded all those blonde bimbos, he had been running from his acceptance of what he really wanted all along. He'd eventually realized it but only after he'd already fallen for his partner pretty hard. Once he'd been willing to accept that it was Reno he wanted, he found that he had already developed emotional attachment before he had admitted his physical attraction. For the last year he had been coming to terms with it all, with wanting Reno, desiring him, wanting not only his body but all of him. Now that all his dreams were coming true and Reno was returning the affection, all Rude really wanted in this world was to draw Reno into his life and into his bed. He wanted to make slow soft passionate love to a man, to THIS man, for the first time in his life and then fall asleep curled around him. "Yes, Reno," he rumbles gently, placing whispered kisses across the other man's lips, "I'm taking you home with me and you're going to stay there, in my arms for as long as you want."

"We gonna get in trouble with Dot by not showin' up to work for a good long time, then," he chuckles, meeting each kiss with one of his own and cupping Rude's face in his hands. There's an odd thrill down the back of his neck when he hears his name that way, when he's not being addressed in the office or on a mission. He could get used to that. "Rude," he says out loud, more of a test to see how it sounds to him this way than an actual request for his partner's attention. He likes that too, he finds, and the snicker following it, while incongruous, gives off his pleased air. It's almost a confirmation, of sorts- only now does his body stir to react, first luring him forward with Rude's scent- the musk of his sweat and afterwork- and then the salt on his skin with the faint spice Reno's always imagined to be there, whether it exists or not, when he kisses at Rude's jaw and throat. The tickle of the sparse goatee against his lips gives him itching shivers all over, and the truncated noise from the bottom of his vocals says he likes that too. "I'm a li'l tired... don't think I wanna dance no more tonight. How 'bout you?" he intones, grinning and shifting his own lap to relieve a budding discomfort.

Rude stills his breathing as Reno kisses over his throat and jaw, mostly because he doesn't trust that he can keep the moans out of his breath. He lets out a low shuddering sigh in response to Reno's question and his eyelids flutter closed for a moment. "Time to go home, partner," he says in a throaty baritone that Reno's never heard before. He's never let the redhead hear it though it's been wrapped around his name on many lonely nights. Rude has lost count of the times he's cum for Reno all without the other man eery knowing and he thrills at the idea of being able to do it with him tonight. Rude's large hand smoothes over Reno's back and he toys idly with the hem of the shirt. He doesn't want to do this here though. He needs to take his time with the redhead, get him someplae safe where Rude can relax enough to figure all this out. He slides back and takes Reno's hand to lead him from the seat. He stops at the counter and grabs his weapons and jacket before walking Reno back out into the chill of the Midgar night. He doesn't release the fingers in his grip for an instant, carrying his belongings in his hand, but no one says a word about the Turk and his redheaded boy toy. They simply step aside to let the pair pass and one or two women make sad little noises of disappointment as two handsome and dangerous men walk past with more interest in each other than in them.

Rude walks Reno to his truck and climbs in beside him, cranking up the engine and heading back toward his own apartment. He's never been with a guy before and he wants the comfort of familiar surroundings to be able to relax enough.


Reno's smile holds the ease and comfort of ideas like 'relax' and 'all the time in the world.' He moves to follow Rude with the same loose flow and attitude as he did on the dance floor, twining his fingers with Rude's and harboring a faint tinge of red in his cheeks like a schoolboy granted a first kiss. He knows how the night will end- he can even make a fair guess as to how tomorrow will work out- but the jaded haze of 'the conquest' is gone. He finds himself excited, almost like a virgin, but not really- and for Rude, it's so easy to be patient. The first thing Reno learned with the guy was patience and the value of comfort zones, and while the hardest things of all to learn and control, he found them the biggest keys to earning Rude's trust in the past, using them to make his wily way through the nicks and holes in Rude's walls. He can wait as long as he needs to, as long as it means Rude will accept him in the end. Love... him? He blinks at the notion and shrugs it off, curling up in the truck and leaning against the driving arm while careful not to let his feet mark up the upholstery.

Rude is acutely aware of Reno's presence at his side. The swelling of affection he feels for his partner duels with the growing need of his physical body as images flash through his mind of what to expect next. He tries to decide where he should start first and he has so many daydreams to try but it all comes rushing in around him as he drives. He's going home to sleep with a guy...not just any guy, his PARTNER. It thrills and scares Rude all at the same time. He has no second thoughts on the matter, he knows this is what he wants but the rush of doing something so utterly foreign to him is overwhelming. Reno's body close to his is comforting and distracting at the same time and by the time Rude gets to his house, he is breathing a little more heavily than usual. His pants feel uncomfortably tight and he wants to shed his clothing as soon as possible. He'd seen Reno naked before just as the smaller man had seen him. It was hard NOT to see your partner nude at some point during the long missions and shared shower rooms, but this was different. The implications were entirely different and Rude knew that he would finally be able to look at Reno the way he wanted without fear of reprisal, not the fervored glances in the bathrooms that helped fuel all of his long nights.

When they get to the apartment, Rude walks Reno to the door. It's a nice enough place, a long low building with only one floor in a nice gated community. Rude opens the door to the apartment he's renting and leads Reno into his sanctuary for the first time. The place is a little larger than it looks from the outside. There is a hallway just inside the door that leads into an open livingroom space. The opposite wall houses a large entertainment center and a leather couch. On the left wall of the hallway, a door leads into the kitchen with a storage closet on the right side of the hall. Rude kicks of his shoes and leads Reno into the livingroom. Just like Rude, the place is simple neat lines and soothing colors. White carpet and black leather with ebony and smoked glass tables. There isn't much in the way of decoration really. Rude seems strangely shy. He isn't sure even where to go next. He gestures lamely toward a door on the right side of the living room which leads into his own bedroom but he doesn't want Reno to feel rushed. "Not very big...but...well, you can have a look around. Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything?" He feels ridiculous asking the question. It's silly being this nervous around his partner suddenly but with a woman, he'd normally have taken her to a hotel, not wasted words, fucked her and then left. With Reno he can't do that. He needs to be gentle and kind with him...take his time and show the man that he's so much more than a casual night of sex.


Reno takes in the sight around him when Rude ushers him in, appreciating the quiet decorations he somehow isn't surprised by. His own place, while no poorer, is decidedly gaudier and more lived in than this. He finds the atmosphere here intrinsically Rude-like, however, and can't fault any of it. He warms again at the invitation and does what he does best whenever Rude gives him an inch: he takes a mile, but slowly, so as not to spook his partner out of giving it up. He follows Rude's lead and leans against the wall next to the front door, unlacing his boots to kick them off, and when asked what he wants, he doesn't really answer at first. Instead, he drifts into the kitchen, hands on everything he can touch without breaking it and peeking into cupboards and fridge, before he does virtually the same in the living room. A contented hum follows him as his fingers trace over the leather and his toes dig into the carpet, betraying his tactile, just about hedonistic nature.

He wanders back toward the bedroom and peeks in, rubbing the doorframe of it reverently with two fingers before wandering back to Rude with a bright smile. "Nice place," he murmurs. "Real comfy feel about it. I like it- prob'ly get used to it if I ain't careful, huh?" His arms circle Rude's neck and he leans in, though he doesn't push for affection Rude isn't comfortable with. He rests his cheek against the broad collarbone, closing his eyes and breathing in his partner. "Cuppa tea sounds about good right now. Seen a li'l in yer cupboard up there. Y'got good taste," he coos quietly, letting his fingers trail up to stroke reassuringly at the back of Rude's neck. More than anything, he wants to be clear that he doesn't care what happens tonight, as long as Rude is there.

Rude waits calm and quiet while Reno wanders around his place. He knows this behavior in his partner to an extent though he fights the smile that tugs at his lips as he watches the other Turk digging his toes into the carpet. He is suddenly reminded of a small animal being set loose somewhere new. Reno pokes his head in every nook and cranny, familiarizing himself with the surroundings and Rude finally allows himself a brief smile. He likes the way Reno is making himself at home. It sets off something warm in his gut, this sight of his partner adjusting and adapting to make Rude even more a part of his life. He knows in short order that Reno will have memorized most of his apartment if he hadn't already and that sits surprisingly well with him. Rude welcomes the affection from his partner by curling his arms back up to stroke tenderly at his love's....his love? Rude looks down at the top of Reno's head and feels the heartbeat pressed against his own chest, the slow rise and fall of Reno breathing. Yes, his love. It's an odd feeling, admitting that, but Reno had been so much a part of his life for so long now, always there when he needed him, that it shouldn't have surprised Rude how strong his attachment was. Men who fought side by side often developed such attachments though most never took it any farther. Reno had always been there when Rude needed him. He had always offered that black humor when Rude needed it most. The large man sighed contentedly and laced his fingers through the foxtail hanging down Reno's back. "I want you used to it," he murmurs, "want you to stay here as much as you like." Rude makes a noise almost like a throaty purr when Reno traces up his neck. He relaxes naturally into the gentle hands, inhaling Reno's unique scent before finally withdrawing from the embrace reluctantly to go make tea. Reno is right of course, there is tea up in one of his cabinets. He pulls down the tin and opens it, shaking the contents a little. He needs to pick up more. Rude grabs two mugs down and fills a stainless steel teapot with hot water. While the water comes to a boil over the stove, Rude prepares the strainers and mugs. He seems far more relaxed here in his own home than he ever is at work...or perhaps it's the fact that he has his partner safely here with him. "Sugar? Cream?" he calls back to the livingroom.

"Nah," he answers, padding over to lean in the doorway of the kitchen. "I don't like makin' milkshakes outta that. Juss' a strong brew'll do me right." He falls quiet again, watching Rude's back as he moves around his kitchen, before his hands itch for contact again. He detaches from the doorway to slip up behind Rude and rub lightly at his shoulders with needy fingers. "Sorry," he murmurs. "I can't not touch ya. Think I'm turnin' into a fuckin' monkey or somethin'. Juss' don't feel right bein' ten feet away now. Oughtta be fun 'splainin' that one to Dot, huh?" he rambles quietly. He should have declined- said he didn't want anything, then at least Rude would still be facing him. It's confusing to swing between lust and nerves and affection in the same breath. He's never felt a NEED before, not for something as silly as touching in its own right.

Rude slows ever so slightly in his preparations, enjoying the gentle contact from his partner. Reno had never been one for personal space but since they had broken down the barriers of their relationship, the redhead had been a constant source of physical affection. Rude finds he doesn't mind. Where Reno's presence had thrown him off when they were first partnered, now he finds it comforting and is glad for the contact. He would have been almost disappointed to find that Reno WASN'T this affectionate. The water begins to boil next to him but Rude ignores it at first. The soft whistle of the steam grows more insistent after a few moments and Rude pulls the pot from the stove reluctantly before pouring it over the tea bags. He turns with the mugs in his hands, careful not to bump Reno and then finds himself leaning in for a soft kiss instead of just handing over the mug. The kiss starts ever so gently, an exploration of Reno's lips more than anything as Rude adjusts once more to kissing his partner. He begins to press it, the need in his stomach growing by the minute but he breaks it off before he can push too far. He barely registers the mugs in his hands as he stares down at Reno from behind smoky glass lenses. Rude swallows hard and finally passes the mug to his partner. "Livingroom," he rumbles quietly and then slips around to head that way. He glances back to make sure Reno is following, almost as if he's afraid he'll lose the redhead in his tiny apartment, and then heads for the overstuffed couch. He sets his tea down, forgotten on the coffee table. He is acutely aware of every move Reno makes and suddenly he finds himself wanting and needing to touch the red head right back.

Reno lets his eyes fall shut for the kiss, having seen the same pair of shades for enough years to know what they look like up close. His hand wavers just a little with the mug when Rude gives it, and words seem to leave him for a moment as he follows the man obediently. His body no longer gives him the option of idle fancy, but he only makes this known by the ginger way he sits and shifts, balancing the cup in his hand as he climbs into his partner's lap and curls up there. He takes a deep breath around his first sip, not bothering to let the brew cool down- he's always been a fan of coffee and tea fresh in the pot and scalding his tongue. He regards Rude intently for a few moments as he sips, the fingers of his free hand idling with the collar of the shirt he coaxed Rude into loosening in the club and the facial fuzz he's always wanted to touch. Finally, he slides his next to Rude's on the table and turns to give him full attention again, squirming to straddle him and rearing up to kiss his forehead. "Rude," he murmurs, and it's not entirely clear as to whether he's testing the name again or actually addressing the man. "Y'got a comfy couch," he adds with a hint of good-natured sarcasm, considering the fact that only his knees are on it. There's a hesitation in his tone that's never been there before when he flirted with coworkers or picked up bar birds, as if he wants to ask things, suggest things, pursue matters, but the ball isn't in his court.