Overtime

Okay, so this is my first ever slash fic and boy, did it take a while to get it right! But now its finally done I'm actually quite proud of it. Sorry for squeezing it all on one page... The chapters just weren't long enough to warrant a seperate page each. Tis pretty short-ish anyway. Hope you like...
[Disclaimer: Hmph... yeah, its fan-fiction, all characters are property of Square Enix and the respective owners. I don't own any of them, although I sure as hell would like too.] Right. Now we can get on with the story!


OVERTIME

Prologue - Drink and Discontent.

Fans pumped fetid street aromas through the air-conditioning. You could smell the stench of humanity in every ounce of the air you breathed. Clamminess caused thin fabrics to cling uncomfortably to their wearers and perspiration beaded the brows of the other customers. But however hot and sticky it got in Midgar’s slums, none of it seemed to matter when the inhabitants were drunk.

At this time of day, the bar was packed with sweating bodies, swilling their liquor and indulging in their less-than-pretty bar-fights. It was a change at least from the sterilised formality of the office. Here at least you could let yourself go… live a little… and drink to your hearts content.

The redhead got his partner’s attention by elbowing him sharply in the ribs.
“Keen on joining in?” He nodded towards the brawl going on in the corner.
His partner looked at him solemnly through heavily tinted sunglasses.
“Meh, suit yersel’.” The redhead shrugged, leaned back on the bar counter and gulped down the last of his pint. He knew there’d not be much point in trying to get the bald-headed stoic to join in; sometimes he even wondered if Rude knew the meaning of the word ‘fun’.

It had not been the greatest of days. Rufus had been in a bad mood and in turn that had rubbed off on the rest of the Turks. Tseng had been his usual thoughtful self but you could see the stress showing on his face as he paced around his office. Reno had been told off by the Turk head-man on numerous occasions, but today was the snappiest he had been in a long while. Even the usually chirpy Elena had revealed her bitchy side, going as far as to sweep all the paperwork off her desk and storm off to the toilets at midday. As for Rude? He had been typically silent and reserved, trying his best to show as little emotion as was physically possible. It was hard to tell what the guy was thinking, let alone feeling inside. The boss was miffed, so the minions were too.

The tavern had been a release; an instant place of safety where the populace swarmed to escape their everyday lives. The slums may not have measured up to the standards of Shinra’s high-and-mighty, but to the thin redhead standing at the bar, this was more of a home to him than any.

“Reno…” Rude nudged his friend and nodded at the empty pint glass, “Refill?”
A satisfied smile on his face, Reno nodded. At least the guy knew when his mate needed a drink, you couldn’t fault him that.
“You get the good stuff, I’m goin’ for a smoke, yo.” He nodded to his friend as the big man began pushing his way through the densely packed populace to where the serving girl dutifully pulled pints.

There wasn’t really any need to leave the tavern to smoke a cigarette. The clingy air had been heavy with smoker’s exhalents all night; Reno just needed some room to think. He pushed open the side-door and stepped out into the alleyway. Whole-Eaters were prolific in the slums and evidence of their midnight feasting was spattered across the dingy walls that hemmed in the alley. He didn’t care. One hit with his Mag-rod and the creatures would fry. The slums were relatively harmless if you simply had the right equipment.

Slouching by the doorframe, Reno placed a cigarette between his lips and flicked open his storm lighter. The hissing flame lit up the alley as he held the fire to the end of his cigarette. It created an eerie glow that wavered, dancing over grimy brickwork. Glancing upwards, the youthful Turk tried to pick out the stars. He knew they were up there, but with the light pollution seeping from the disc it was impossible to see beyond the slum roofs.

With a sigh, he pocketed his lighter and took a long draw on his smoke. The slums brought back distant memories of a past life. A time before he was a Turk. Their stuffy air and rowdy culture wound around him like a blanket, encasing his senses and comforting his nerves. The squalid warmth of their makeshift houses pushed the best-left-forgotten memories of his childhood to the back of his mind and instead reminded him of the better times.

But Reno was not one to dwell in the past. The present was all that really mattered now. And the present consisted of drink; entertainment; sleep and then up again for work in the morning. What he lacked for in motivation, he made up for in dedication. If there were a problem with the current work situation then he would have to fix it… but not until after he’d downed a few pints first.

...

Meanwhile, in the executive offices of Shinra.Inc, the company’s young president was putting in a couple of extra hours. This was somewhat out of character for the notoriously self-absorbed Rufus, but ever since the assassination of his father, he had become restless. What with the constant meddling of that troop of Avalanche rebels and the increasing unpredictability of the warrior Sephiroth, he was starting to feel insecure.

He paced his office, stopping only momentarily to leaf through a few files and then fling them back on his desk. There was no way he could keep going with this. Sure he had big plans for the company, but what was the use if they were all going to go to waste under the cruel hand of fate.

Damn that Cloud and his interfering friends! If it hadn’t been for them then the Cetra would still be in Shinra’s grasp; a plausible weapon to use against the might of Jenova’s offspring. Enough engineering and the girl could have become the perfect warrior, or in turn, bred a race of pureblood fighters to defend against the Calamity.

“I wish…” the young president whispered to himself.

He wished a lot of things. Most of which, he eventually got. That was the advantage of being the sole heir to the most powerful corporation on the planet. But some things still eluded him. In his deepest of hearts, Rufus longed for contentment.

He missed the days of studying in Junon. Although his father had forcibly sent him there, the young man had rather enjoyed the experience. For once people hadn’t regarded him as ‘the president’s boy’ and had instead seen him as a friend. There was no chance of that nowadays. The people who were close to him lived more in fear than sought for friendship. Even his elite band of Turks kept their distance. And truth be told, he didn’t blame them.

The strawberry-blond ceased in his pacing and went to sit in the leather swivel chair situated behind his desk. He twisted the seat so it swung around to face the window. The million-dollar view was of little comfort. However one may try, you could not buy happiness.

***

Part 1 – When The Boss Is Away…

As the bell for last orders sounded, Reno finished drinking his last pint and bid farewell to his partner. Sauntering down the street in the comforting haze of cheap tipsiness, he swung his Mag-rod over his shoulder and glanced around him. On a better night he might have felt like singing loudly in order to wake the sleeping residents but neither was he drunken or bothered enough to do so at this particular time.

Somehow managing to hail transport to return him to the respectable neighbourhoods of the Midgar Disc, the red-haired Turk coaxed the driver into dropping him at the main crossroads and then paid off his fare. The buildings in this part of town rose skywards, reflective windows sparkling in the neon lights of upmarket stores. However, you could no more see the stars from here than you could in the dilapidation of the slums.

Reno’s apartment was not far from the centre of town but instead of turning left into the residential area, he headed onwards into the corporate district. For a brief moment he wondered why he wasn’t heading home, but then, with the discordant reasoning of the half drunk, he reminded himself of his mission. He knew exactly where he was headed, although he had no idea of his plan of action once he got there.

Soon he was standing at the flight of stairs leading to the main entrance of Shinra Headquarters. He remembered standing there on his first day and wondering exactly how tall the place actually was. He had soon found out too. Damn typical for the Department Of Administrative Research’s offices to be located right near the top of the building! And for first time employees there had been no direct lift service either. Reno growled under his breath at that memory.

Slowly he wandered up the steps and swiped his ID. The lock clicked and he entered, swiftly making a beeline for the executive lift. No more trudging up flights of stairs for him. He typed in the key code and entered the gilt-framed luxury of the president’s private elevator. Technically the spacious compartment was reserved only for his boss, but having previously nicked the keypad numbers from Rufus’s desk drawer, Reno had often used it out of office hours for various extra-curricular activities. Glancing distractedly at the gold-frame that lined mirrored walls, he fumbled through the pockets of his rumpled suit in search of his office keys. Unfortunately, all he could find were a handful of crumpled cigarettes; his storm lighter; the last of his spare change; his cell phone and some miscellaneous items that he’d prefer not speculating on the origins of. It was likely that he’d gone and left them at home before going out to the pub.

Oh well, at least it would make a plausible excuse for him being in the boardroom. A plan was forming in the redhead’s mind. If morale was low then it would have to be boosted. Rufus had to lighten up and concentrate on something other than those damn miscreants and that psychopath Sephiroth. What the guy needed was a good laugh and if there was one thing that Reno had a talent for, it was trouble making of a humorous nature. Pranks were his speciality and gods-dammit if he wasn’t gonna pull an entertaining one this time!

“Hmm… Turk, what a surprise seeing you here.”

Reno stopped short on his entry into the presidential office. He hadn’t quite been expecting this. Rufus was reclined in his swivel chair, feet resting on his desk, a weary look on his face. For a guy doing a couple hours overtime, the boss looked in a bad way. Dark circles were starting to form around his eyes from lack of sleep and his normally scathing tone of voice had all but disappeared. His sneering grin was still there but the glint of cruelty in his eyes, so much part of his character, had dissipated. The anger of the previous workday had gone and had been replaced by this.

“Up to your old tricks again? Don’t think I haven’t noticed. The elevator logs all journeys to the top floor.” Rufus raised an eyebrow.

Reno gulped.

“Huh… not that I care. There are more pressing things to worry about than your silly pranks.”

The skinny redhead was shocked by his boss’s reply. Rufus never let things slip past him. This was more than uncharacteristic… it was utterly astounding. In fact, he was now getting quite worried about the president’s sanity. Had all the stress finally driven the kid crazy? To find out, Reno was going to have to change tactics. He sidled up to the seated president, hands in pockets, and leaned on the edge of the desk.

“Aww… ya know ya appreciate me really. I mean, what’d ya do for entertainment if I weren’t here to make a complete fool of myself!” he raised one eyebrow and grinned cheekily.

Rufus shrugged his shoulders and sighed. The leader of Shinra disliked showing this side of himself; especially to subordinates. Truth was, he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks and there was very little he could do now to hold back the overwhelming feelings of depression and helplessness. However much of an idiot Reno was, the Turk was only trying to cheer him up.

Smiling slightly, the president glanced up at the blue-suited young man. White shirt half unbuttoned and hanging loose around his wirey frame, he cut quite a scruffy picture. Tufts of hair stood up at odd angles and created a lopsided fringe over the redhead’s goggles. Slender fingers tapped nervously on the edge of the desk, clicking out an apprehensive rhythm. Come to think of it, the normally cocky Turk looked in just as much of a state as Rufus himself felt. The president’s gaze rested on Reno’s face. He had worked alongside the Turks for so long and had never really realised how pretty the youth was. Cat-like turquoise eyes glinted eerily, dragging you into their depths. A shapely nose and well-defined cheekbones were highlighted by crimson markings that spoke of long-forgotten experiences. As for the smile… it was to die for.

Somewhat unnerved by the trance-like stare, Reno coughed and looked expectantly at the white-clad blonde seated before him.

“Boss?” he leaned in closer.

Shaking his head, Rufus looked away. Damn, the guy was so darn attractive and now within reach, only inches away from him.

Taking the quick diversion of attention as a dismissal, Reno turned to leave. However, he was stopped in his tracks by a hand grabbing hold of his wrist. Before he had time to wonder what was going on, he was swung around into the grasp of the president, who then proceeded to kiss him fiercely.

Seeking the warmth of Reno’s mouth, Rufus pressed firmly against the softer lips of the rather surprised Turk. His tongue wrapped around that of his employee and plunged deeper to take in the extremities of the orifice. Letting his hands move over slim shoulders and fingers run through hair the colour of flaming sunset, Rufus pressed himself up against the redhead’s slender form and kissed for all he was worth. This all made sense now. His anxiety and loneliness faded away as he felt his kiss returned. All the time he’d been thinking he would never be as happy as he’d been in Junon, afraid that with responsibility came detachment, he’d really been ignoring that which stood before his very eyes.

***

Part 2 – …The Minion Doth Play

At first utterly taken aback by his employer’s actions, Reno considered tearing himself away from the other man’s grasp. His eyes flickered confusedly from side to side, expecting his assailant to loosen his grip, but he just pulled him closer.

Rufus seemed to want him desperately. The way he clung on like some wretched soul grasping the last remnants of life. Maybe, in all Reno’s blundering, he had come up with a solution to the problem. If this gave the president a reason to brighten up then so be it. It wasn’t as if Reno was unaccustomed to attention from other men and he didn’t care in most cases as long as the guys were good-looking; a quality for which Rufus was renowned. Carefully, he relaxed into the kiss, closing his eyes and pressing himself firmly against the tailored material of his boss’s suit.

Letting his grip relax on the other man knowing the Turk wasn’t going to make a run for it, the young president let one hand drop to the blue-suited waist and slid it up under his typically un-tucked shirt.

The lukewarm fingers crawling up his chest and the intensity of the blonde’s kisses were seriously starting to get Reno aroused. He could feel the fabric of his trousers getting tighter around the crotch area. Man, he never thought Rufus would turn him on like that. Sure the boss was as handsome as they come, but to be honest Reno had never thought of him in that way before. Anyhow, something was gonna have to be done about those uncomfortable trousers or things were gonna get nasty.

Hastily breaking the kiss, the redhead glanced down, fumbling for his zip fly. But a hand reached out to pull his chin back up and he gazed into the sky blue eyes of Shinra’s leader.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Rufus growled, “Its my turn to play now.”

Raising an eyebrow at this, Reno let himself be pushed back until he was pinned against the edge of the desk. With less than his normal agility he bounced backwards onto the smooth desktop and pulled Rufus to him by the lapels.

“Go ahead boss… don’t make me get all impatient, yo.” He purred, running his tongue over his lips.

It was nice to have your boss go down on you after being someone else’s bitch for so long. The skinny Turk grinned at this. If this whole night didn’t pay off then there were always other ways to get a guy to co-operate.

“Oh boy!” a slight whimper escaped his lips.

All thoughts of blackmail swiftly left his mind as he felt the president pull down his pants and take a hold of his half-erect cock. Fingers crumpling sheets of scattered notepaper under his hands, Reno closed his eyes as Rufus started licking him. Damn the man was good. Even hedonistic as the redhead was; he was getting more satisfaction from this than any other casual fuck. Steadying himself with one arm, he let his other hand reach out, tangling his long fingers into the blonde’s neatly combed hairstyle. He tugged on the other mans hair, coaxing him to move his mouth further forward over his dick and suck harder.

The president let his dreamy sapphire eyes wander upwards. The Turk had his head tilted slightly back; his escaping breaths came short and harsh. Rufus could feel the redhead’s shaft becoming firmer between his lips. A salty taste crept into his mouth and he moved his mouth further up the shaft, letting his tongue massage the slick flesh. Those slender fingers wound so tightly into his hair. Pain pricked at his scalp but he continued dutifully, playing with his prey. Although the pretty Turk may think he was in command, Rufus knew it was he, the president, who held control over the situation.

One further suck and Reno moaned, arching his back and erupting into the back of his boss’s mouth. Relaxing his grip on Rufus’s hair, the redhead collapsed backward onto the desk, a huge grin on his face. His counterpart swallowed without protest and licked off the remainder.

Wiping the corners of his mouth with his thumb and forefinger, Shinra’s president started unbuttoning his white jacket with the other hand. He was a tidy man by nature and it wouldn’t do to make a mess of such a nice suit. Stripping down to his boxers, the blond glanced at his prey still lying outstretched on the table, climbed up on the smooth surface and straddled him.

“So, Turk… what do you say to your all-too-kind boss?” he growled.

Opening one eye, the cocky redhead smiled but kept silent. Propping himself up on his elbows, Reno tilted his head to the side. He could feel the blonde’s hardness pressed up against his crotch, almost equal to the erection he had had a minute or two ago. Something would just have to be done about that. With typical audacity, the half-clothed Turk stuck out his tongue insolently.

With a glare, Rufus grabbed a hold of the cheeky bastard’s lapels and slammed him back onto the desk, planting a fierce kiss on his lips. Reno, not taking this lightly, dug his delicate fingers into his boss’s muscular shoulders, wrapped his legs around the other man’s waist and tried to pull himself on top. Struggling to gain back control over each other, the two guys tumbled over the loose papers on the executive desk and ended up in a pile on the floor.

The agility of the Turk meant that he was first to recover, soon righting himself and pinning Rufus to the floor. His eyes twinkled as a light-hearted chuckle broke from his tantalizing lips. Hair-tie lost in the tussle, the dark crimson hair fell in waterfalls of brilliant red over his shoulders and around his delicate features. Below him the blond moved to speak but the pretty Turk stopped him; hushing him as he put his forefinger on the other’s lips. The look in his eyes whispered ‘Don’t talk… just sit back and enjoy’. Rufus nodded. He would stay silent for now.

Leaning lower, strands of hair brushing gently over presidential skin, Reno bent to softly kiss his boss’s neck. His kisses were light, lips working their way up to nibble on Rufus’s earlobe and then moving down over the well-built chest to suck gently on tender nipples. The smooching became more frantic as the blond became more aroused, grinding his hips against those of the Turk.

Desperately wanting more and seeing that Reno was merely teasing him, Rufus reached over to caress his back. He slowly inched the blue jacket down over the redhead’s shoulders and then swiftly started on his shirt buttons.

Becoming a hindrance, the remainder of the suit was shrugged off, baring pale pearly skin to the light. Now Reno was fully unclothed, Rufus was momentarily caught up in the beauty of his prey. A radiance of ruby locks stood out against a smooth, milky white complexion. The Turk’s build was thin but athletically scrawny; muscles evident but bones more prominent. The appearance of toughness and delicacy rolled into one.

Having enough of all this foreplay, the president sat up and tried to grab a hold of the other man’s arm. But, swift as always, Reno dodged just out of reach and slunk backwards on all fours, beckoning for his exasperated playmate to follow. Dammit if the little slut didn’t like playing hard-to-get! The only way to stop him getting away was to act unexpectedly. He feigned a tired crawl forwards and then made a pounce. He managed, at last, to pin the elusive Turk to the ground beneath him and was rewarded with a hiss of pleasure from his partner.

“So, Slut, like playing it rough?”

Reno merely blinked his cat-like eyes and grinned wickedly. Sure it was nice to have someone else be his bitch for a while; but the guy knew his place and was actually quite comfortable there. With a chuckle, he brought his legs up and wrapped them around his boss’s toned midriff.

Rufus moistened his forefingers with cum-saturated saliva and moved them between the redhead’s legs, running them slowly around the entry before slipping them within. He paused momentarily when the Turk let out a small yelp, thinking that he’d hurt him. But it was merely another of Reno’s attention-seeking ploys, owed more to gratification than pain, so he continued. Feeling the warmth of the other man around his fingers caused Rufus to moan and clutch at his crotch. He wanted the redhead almost obsessively now.

Sliding his fingers out, he roughly grabbed the Turk’s shoulder, twisting him so he was forced to roll onto his stomach. Grasping hold of pale hips, the blond hauled the moon-curved buttocks up towards him. The redhead looked like a drowsy cat, obediently stretching in front of him. Fumbling as he tugged down his boxers, Rufus groaned as he pulled his partner to him.

Pushing himself up onto his elbows to steady himself, Reno nearly overbalanced as his boss thrust into him. Forceful at first and then slowing to smooth strokes, the slim Turk relaxed into the movement, letting Rufus take the lead. Hair hung raggedly over his face, getting in the way when breaths turned to gasps. He irritably brushed a swathe of it away from his lips, slowly pushing back further and arching his back. However familiar the moves were to him, he couldn’t help thinking this time wasn’t the same: different energy, a whole new sensation. He could feel his lover’s hips pressing firmly against his backside with every thrust, not dominating like in previous masculine encounters but instead caressing, yearning with every motion. Even as his boss climaxed, he did it with care, clasping his partner to him firmly in his manly grasp.

Worn out, Rufus withdrew and collapsed in a heap against the patterned wallpaper of the office wall, his shortened breaths heaving to weary sighs. An equally shattered Reno crawled over to him and crumpled breathlessly into his lap, a satisfied grin smudged across tired features. There they stayed, encompassed in the silence of the now quiet room, seeking comfort in each other’s arms.

***

Epilogue – Aftermath

The light from the desk-lamp cast a warm glow over the two exhausted men. Rufus was half asleep already; head tilted up towards the ceiling, a contented smile on his face. Golden locks of tousled hair drooped over his forehead, lightly dappling his sapphire eyes with light and shadow. In his mind he reflected on the past moments of ecstasy. They had taken away all of the anxiety and stress he had been experiencing prior to the encounter and brought him a new feeling of reassurance. He had no idea how the Turk felt, but Rufus had definitely warmed to his co-worker.

Closing his eyes, the young president slipped off to sleep, clutching his currently most valued asset to him.

Reno, curled up in his lover’s arms, leaned his head against the president’s chest and let his gaze wander over the peaceful face. The plan to lighten his boss’s mood had definitely worked, even if it hadn’t gone quite as the redhead had previously imagined. Reno was fine with it… after all it was only sex. Or so he kept telling himself. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind, irritating him endlessly. Of course Rufus had been reacting to a base instinct, as had he. Merely lusting each other, surely. But there had been moments back there, staring into the president’s eyes, when Reno had seen something else reflected in their blue depths. Dependency? Longing? Love, even?

No. He brushed aside the thought. The leader of Shinra, need him? Meh. Not likely. He shrugged off the somewhat unsettling idea and blinked his tired eyes. There was no time for sentimentality in the current climate. Reno grinned. This arrangement, or whatever it was, would be a bit of fun; that was all. No need to make a big deal of it.

Slipping out of Rufus’s now sleep-heavy grasp, the cocky redhead wrapped the president’s white suit around the sleeping form and slipped in to his own clothes. It wouldn’t do for them to be found like this in the morning. Doing up a couple buttons on his crumpled shirt, Reno took one last backwards glance at his boss, turned and left the executive office. In the morning he would be nothing more to Rufus than a faint imprint of lips on the vast expanse of memory.

Yet still the thought lingered at the back of his mind. Biding its time, waiting its turn.

Love?