Ruthless Gravity

Note: Much thanks and love to Reno a la Turk for some assistance in this snippet.


It would be best to simply leave, Tseng assessed as he made his toward Heidegger’s office to report the assassination attempt, knowing well that his superior most likely already knew of it, and quite possibly the failed outcome. However, Tseng continued to stand on formality, as though he had not known of the conspiracy either. Heidegger met his report with a grim look, assuring the Turk that he had no such knowledge of the attempt and would report the unfortunate news to the President. And Tseng accepted this to an extent, mentally sighing as Heidegger went about phoning President Shinra. He could already detect the false concern lacing the muffled voice of the President, could hear him feigning shock and outrage at the attempt on his son’s life. It sickened him, almost as much as the knowledge that he would have allowed it to happen.

Settling the receiver back onto the cradle, Heidegger reclined slightly in his chair as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Just your typical day at ShinRa, Inc. It was something Tseng had been trained to deal with, but his thoughts kept going back to the look of utter betrayal on the Vice President’s face, his light eyes showing more emotion than most thought him capable of. If he thought too long, he could see Rufus dead—either by the sniper or his own hand—and Tseng knew that he had to get away, if only for a few short days. And so it was that after his dismissal from Heidegger’s office that he planned his hiatus, leaving Reno and Rude to take up his duties toward the Vice President, for there was little way that he could face Rufus now.

He had given brief details of the current state the Vice President was in, and had threatened Reno to at least stand on some form of protocol when around Rufus, or else, as well as orders to not contact him unless the situation was dire. With the concerned orders that one of them always kept a watchful eye on Rufus, Tseng departed in a borrowed helicopter to make a side trip to his homeland, hoping that it would aid in sorting out the conflicting emotions that plagued him.

However, when news reached Rufus that Tseng had taken a sudden leave of absence he felt as though the Turk had abandoned him, running from the consequences. Not that it mattered, he mused as he sat in the green tinged darkness gazing out the newly replaced window upon the twinkling city below. The telltale signs of the assassination attempt had been all but erased. The glass swept from the rug, and the mirror removed without as much as a questioning glance toward the Vice President. Security had been tripled, and the President had assured his son that the sniper would be found. It was all Rufus could do not to become physically ill from his old man’s false concern. And though the external damage had been cleverly concealed, Rufus still bore the scars of the attempt. Lifting his glass of vodka, he drank a toast to his own defeat.

The insistent sound of knocking broke in upon his thoughts, and turned abruptly, his usual calm demeanour frazzled. A moment passed before a lanky, slouched silhouette graced the threshold. ‘Looking for Rufus.’ The figure spoke unnecessarily, stepping inside; spiky red hair haphazardly tied back, green eyes sparkling like materia.

‘That’s Sir, to you.’ He corrected icily, turning back to skyline.

‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll get right on that. The name’s Reno. I don’t like you, you don’t like me, and we’ll be spending some time together while the would-be knight in shining armour takes a bit of time to figure out which way is up.’ There was no shutting this one up it seemed, as he voiced his entire feelings on the matter in a few sentences, before slinking toward Rufus’s seated form, lips curling up into a little smirk. ‘I thought there was no drinking on duty, Sir.’

The corners of Rufus’s mouth twitched slightly at the words. ‘For you, there isn’t. Now if you value your life, I’d shut my mouth if I were you.’ He had little time for this ones running commentary.

For a moment Reno questioned how Tseng was able to get through the day with the brat. Then again, he had almost been killed hours before. Perhaps it was forgivable at the point. Moving closer toward Rufus, he noted that he was younger than he let on, and beneath the ever-present scowl was a shaken boy. He could almost pity him, almost. ‘Is this the part where we get to know each other and pretend for a moment we wouldn’t like to push each other out the window?’

Light eyes narrowed just barely in the darkness. ‘I’m not going to lie and say that I want you here either. But there was an assassination attempt earlier, and though we all know that my old man planned the whole thing, we’re going to have to play our parts, got it?

‘I know there was. I know ‘cause I’m supposed to. I know what I’m supposed to be doin’ here, I just don’t particularly care what the old bastard says. I don’t feel like cleaning up blonde bits, so I’m actually going to make sure no one splatters you, so rest assured, boss.’ Rufus flinched visibly at the redheaded Turk’s words.

‘You’re really shook up about this?’ He arched a thin eyebrow at the Vice President before adding, ‘Can’t tell me you didn’t see it comin’.’

Ice rattled in Rufus’s glass. ‘You knew, then?’

‘I’m a Turk. It’s our duty to know.’ Noting the silence that followed, Reno clarified, ‘Our only loyalty is to each other.’

‘All personal feelings aside, duty first. Mm?’

‘Ah, hell no.’ Reno replied with a laugh. ‘I think that duty is second to whatever you feel is more important.’ He paused thoughtfully for a moment, as though judging his words. ‘Me? I thought it was more important to take the stairs this morning than be on time. I don’t give a shit what your father says, I know he’ll sign something for me, be it a death certificate or pay check, and I’ll deal with whichever when it comes. But until then, you have to see how much duty you really need to adhere to to be efficient. Too much duty can get in the way of efficiency.’ A shrug, ‘But what do I know, anyway.’

Lifting his glass to his lips, Rufus might have smiled just barely.

‘Yeah, we’re funny creatures, us Turks.’ Reno replied dully. ‘Tseng—he’s got a rod stuck up his ass. I’d never let a job mean that much too me.’

Rufus raised a light eyebrow in question. The redhead waved his hand dismissively, gazing levelly at him. ‘Nah, don’t worry yourself. He didn’t tell. Rude ‘n me, we figured it out. He can fuck whoever he wants to fuck. His death sentence.’ He smirked a little, before taking on a more serious tone, ‘He’s very protective of you.’

‘It didn’t stop him.’ Rufus’s gaze darkened. ‘My fault for ever letting my guard down.’

‘Eh, yer young an’ innocent and impressionable. His fault. Blame him, it’s fun.’

‘I know what is whispered behind my back. I had seen the attempt coming ... I just hadn’t seen Tseng’s betrayal.’ Rufus shook his head. ‘I should have. It would have been simpler for everyone had the attempt not been a failure.’

‘Do you really pity yourself that much?’

Light eyes flashed, ‘Look, the man I went to bed with betrayed me. How would you feel?

‘I’d get used to that.’ Reno replied bluntly. Rufus may have been young and naïve, but Tseng should have known better. And though he and Rude had known of their affair for sometime, it wasn’t exactly his place to address the issue. ‘You can’t honestly expect everyone you sleep with to look past the bedclothes. There’s a reason they say no to office affairs. Tseng’s too much of a stiff to get involved with, if you ask me. But hey, if that’s something you go for, I’m advised not to say anything. It’s not worth dying for though, no matter how much it stings.’

Rufus silently mulled over Reno’s words as the Turk eyed him, looking for some form of reaction. When there was none, he continued. ‘I don’t know. I’m not supposed to think or anything, not what I’m paid for. But really, it all boils down to jealousy. Yer dad’s threatened by you, jealous that everyone hates him and is at least indifferent to you, so that’s not something you can really just go talk to him about and get it fixed. I don’t know about Tseng—I say you corner him about it or something of the like. Or punch him. That’d make you feel better, at least.’

‘I should kill him.’ Rufus remarked wryly, downing the half inch of vodka, rattling the remaining ice in his glass as Reno snickered.

‘Yeah, but from what I hear you tried and couldn’t do it. So set on it now and not then. What, worried about that white suit of yours?’ There was an awkward pause of silence. Perhaps, Reno had overstepped his bounds, and he uncommonly fidgeted beneath Rufus’s unreadable stare—calm, deadly, cold like the ice in his glass. ‘I don’t know about you, but I think this place would be a lot better if everyone loosened up. I mean, it works better that way, y’know?’

Rufus made a faint noise in the back of his throat, fluidly rising from his seat to top off his glass.

‘Drinkin’s bad for ya when you’re doin’ it to drown other shit, you know. Shouldn’t drink alone. Nasty habit to start.’ Reno pointed out. Tseng had wanted him to keep close supervision, and leaving Rufus alone with nothing but his demons and a wet bar stocked with a variety of judgement altering substances most likely wasn’t doing his duty.

And perhaps it was out of need for company, or need for reassurance among the wolves, but Rufus Shinra took this Turk up on his offer, returning with two glasses of vodka, and the bottle. After all, the prospective of spending the night drowning his sorrows and wallowing in misery alone was hardly appealing, and he handed the glass to Reno, both drinking the first of many in a toast to their own mortality.