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Reflections on Snow	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 963 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all its characters are owned by SquareEnix. They aren't mine, and I make no money from this fix.

Chapter List
- 1-Reflections on Snow
- 1
A/N: This story takes place approximately a year after Advent Children. In this AU, the Lifestream spit Sephiroth out again, this time stripped of Jenova's influence. So nice of it to gift Cloud that way, ne? These characters aren't mine--they belong to SquareEnix. I'm just playing with them for a while. Oh, and I suppose I should give a warning...this is from Reno's POV, so there's a little profanity in there. :D That said, read on!
*****
Reflections on Snow
I hate snow. I hate the way it practically blinds you when the sun is out in full force, or the way it gets into your boots and melts into cold puddles around your heels. Let’s not forget the fact that it’s just damn cold. I might weigh 150 pounds, soaking wet, and let me tell you, there’s not enough fat on my body to insulate me from frigid temperatures. Unless I’m working, I spend most of the winter months curled up beneath a quilt Rude gave me the first year we were partners in the Turks.   I think he got sick of hearing me bitch about how cold I was--he got The President to buy me a wool trench, too, because I bitched when I was on duty, too. I quit bitching after that--the coat was toasty warm, and it’s been a well-guarded prized possession ever since. It’s become a joke among my co-workers that I love that coat more than my life.
So--like I said--I hate snow, so I found myself wondering why I was standing in front of a huge Chateau built into the side of the mountain just a few miles from where the Icicle Lodge was located. It was snowing as I stood there--big, fat flakes that fell without a sound around me. I winced slightly as one or a few found their way past the collar of my wool coat and melted on the warm flesh of my neck.
“Oi, are you going to stand there all day, or go in?” My Turk partner, Rude, stepped up beside me and looked up at the huge, almost castle-like mansion and gave a low whistle. “Nice.”
“Yeah, if you’re a fucking penguin,” I shot back. “Tell me again why I agreed to this?”
“Because the President said we all need a vacation, and he’s paying . . .and Cloud asked us to be here, too,” Rude replied calmly with a shrug of his broad shoulders. Even though I was dressed in my beloved wool trench, looking at Rude made me cold. The guy’s like a walking furnace, and at that moment he was dressed only in his dark navy Turk suit and nothing else. To look at him you’d never know that it was seventeen degrees and snowing. The flakes were melting all over his bald head, and he acted like it was nothing at all.
“I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason,” I retorted glumly. “Why couldn’t they fucking pick Costa del Sol or something?”
“Because, apparently, this place is more romantic or something,” Rude said with a shrug.
“And I care about romance because?” I shot back. For some reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on, the observation irritated me.
“Reno, deal,” Rude said with a smirk. He peered over the top of his sunglasses at me, and his dark eyes were amused. “Rufus polled everyone he invited, and you and I were the only ones that didn’t vote for this place. No one is going to force you to go outside, you know. You can curl up in front of a fireplace and drink warm brandy all week for all the rest of us care. It’s a vacation--you can do whatever the hell you want.”
“Hn.” I hefted my duffel over my shoulder and started to tromp my way up the snow-covered walk. I could hear Rude following behind. Our feet crunched noisily in the snow as we walked, and I shivered again as a particularly strong gust of wind swirled around my feet and tried to wrestle its way beneath my coat.
“You going to survive?” Rude asked, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.
“Bite me, Rude,” I shot back. I grinned, though. Rude knows me pretty fucking well--we’ve been work partners for years--and he knew that I wasn’t as unhappy as I sounded. The honest truth is, as much as I hate snow, I love the rush I get from skiing down a particularly steep slope. The only response I got from him was a smug sound, and then we were climbing the stairs to the Chateau’s sprawling front porch.
The door opened before we even had a chance to knock, and I drew up short. Sephiroth stared back at me from the doorway. He was dressed in jeans, a dark green sweater, and his ridiculously long sliver hair was braided down his back. I still wasn’t used to seeing him like this--friendly, I mean. It had been a year since the Lifestream had sent him back to Cloud, and I still was having trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that Sephiroth was one of the good guys now. His lips curled in a slight smile as he looked down at me.
“Cold, Reno?” he drawled.
“Arrogant, Sephiroth?” I shot back with a smirk of my own. The man really was an arrogant prick--not that I really cared about that. I’m an arrogant prick myself, and rather proud of it.   The thing was, I’m not the kind of guy to go around letting people mock me. If someone starts something--whether it be physical or verbal--I’m sure as hell going to finish it. I hang out with Cloud a lot, when I’m off duty, so Sephiroth knows this about me now, and the bastard enjoys a good verbal sparring just as much as I do.
“Are you the pot or the kettle?” Sephiroth wanted to know.
The wind chose at that moment to try and crawl its way beneath my trench again, and suddenly I wasn’t quite up to the banter any more.
“Who fucking cares?” I shot back, and my shiver must have been visible. “Now, get out of the way, jerk. It’s cold out here!”
The SOLDIER made an amused sound, but stepped out of the way, none-the-less. He’s actually a pretty nice guy, now that he’s not evil and trying to kill everyone on the Planet. He’s arrogant because he has a right to be--I never, ever want to be on the wrong end of his sword--I’d die. Cloud is the only one in our little group of friends that can defeat him in a battle--Sephiroth is the best damn SOLDIER this planet has ever seen, or probably ever will.
President Rufus knows it too, which is why Sephiroth is once again on the Shinra payroll. Not that the poor bastard had much of a choice in the matter. The people of the planet were frightened when it became common knowledge that Sephiroth was once again walking the earth--and they had good reason to be afraid. Fear is a dangerous thing, and it became evident pretty early on that Sephiroth was going to need the protection of Shinra if he were going to live in peace. More than once he’d had rocks or trash thrown at him while walking the streets, and once, Cloud and I had been forced to rescue him from a lynch mob. Sephiroth would not fight back, which is a measure of just how honorable the man is when Jenova’s not there whispering her insanity into his mind. He knew the people had a right to be angry with him.
After the lynch mob, Rufus had the man brought to his office, and they had a long talk that night. I’ve no idea what was said--Rufus even kicked his bodyguards out of the office for that one--but when their meeting was over, Sephiroth was a Soldier once again. Within an hour, the whole world knew it, because Rufus called a meeting with the media and made a public announcement that Shinra once again had Sephiroth’s reins. The good people of the planet felt somehow better knowing that Shinra owned Sephiroth again, and were content to leave him alone after that. If it bothers Sephiroth that he’s once again a Shinra lap-dog like the rest of us, he never mentions it. Maybe he’s like the rest of us--trying to atone for the things we did for Shinra while Rufus’ father was in power. Although, Sephiroth has a lot more to atone for than the rest of us.
“You’re later than we expected,” Sephiroth said as he shut the door. “We were expecting you this morning.”
“Heh.” I could feel a blush spreading to my cheeks.
“We missed the first flight,” Rude said with a shrug.
“Hangover, Reno?” Sephiroth asked slyly.
“No,” I grumbled. “It was warm in my bed this morning. I didn’t want to get up.”
Sephiroth just chuckled as he pointed at a row of boots along the entryway wall. “Leave your boots there. Closet is there, and then I’ll take you to your rooms. Rufus rented the entire chateau--no one else is here to bother us.”
“Hallelujah!” I dropped my duffel long enough to remove my boots and deal with my overcoat before re-shouldering it and taking a moment to look around. It was my turn to give a low whistle. The place was nice, and I was only seeing the foyer!
“Lead on,” Rude said as he closed the closet door and picked up his own bag.
Sephiroth took the lead, Rude went next, and I brought up the rear. I didn’t mind at all--my partner has a very nice ass, and I take a look at it every chance I get. I’m not entirely sure if Rude is aware of the hard-on I have for him. I’ve had it for years, but have never had the guts to do anything about it. He’s really hard to read, and I’ve got no clue at all if he’s straight, bi, or gay. He never talks about anything personal--he seems to eat, breathe, and sleep Shinra Corp. I’ve never heard him talk about a girlfriend or a boyfriend. I do know that he doesn’t have any family--they were killed during the last big war. I know a little about his likes and dislikes--you don’t work closely with people for as long as I’ve worked with Rude and not learn a little something about that. For instance, I know he likes to read mystery novels--he’s always got one along on plane rides. His favorite thing to eat is filet mignon, and he’d rather drink beer than liquor any day of the week. I know tons of little things like that. More than once I’ve thought that I’d like to know him better, but I’m too chicken to attempt it--I don’t want to ruin what we’ve got. Rude is my best friend--he and I have literally been through hell and back again, and I won’t let my own base desires fuck that friendship up.
Not that I wouldn’t jump him in a minute should he ever put the moves on me, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
We climbed two flights of stairs, and then Sephiroth led us to a door just down the hall on the right and opened it. Rude and I followed him into a very large common room that was furnished with a leather couch and chairs, all of which were positioned in front of a large fireplace. There was already a fire roaring there, and the room was toasty enough that I instantly felt much better.
“Nice,” I murmured. I noticed that there were two doors on either side of the room, and I nodded towards one of them. “Those are the bedrooms?”
“Yes,” Sephiroth said. “Each has its own private bath.”
“Cool,” I said. I crossed the room and entered the door on the right, and found myself giving another low whistle. This place was just posh as hell--I was now looking at a four posted bed that was made with what looked like might be very expensive cotton sheets and a fluffy down comforter in a shade of forest green. I turned my head slightly to look at the window, and found myself smiling slightly. It was one of those huge windows that went from floor to ceiling, and the view was, simply put, spectacular. The mountains rose around the chateau, snow covered and beautiful in their own, stark way. I managed to tear my eyes from the view to check out the rest of the room, and was relieved to find that there was a fireplace here, too. Maybe I wouldn’t freeze to death, after all. With that thought, I tossed my bag on the bed and went to rejoin the others in the sitting room. I’d check the bathroom out later.
“Good enough?” Sephiroth asked with a smile.
“Yeah, it’ll do,” I said. “Everyone else here?”
“Yes,” Sephiroth said. Rude returned from his own room about that time.
“How long till dinner?” Rude asked. “I’m hungry.”
“About half an hour,” Sephiroth said. He motioned for us to follow him. This time it was Rude following me, and I had to resist the urge to fidget.
Sephiroth led us back down the stairs, and into the main sitting room of the chateau, and if I thought the view from my room was spectacular, it was nothing to the view from there. The whole outside wall was one huge picture window, complete with window seats, and it afforded a very nice view of the mountains and the snow falling outside.
“So nice of you to join us,” a smooth voice said.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I replied bowing slightly in the President’s direction. The man was seated in an overstuffed chair near the room’s massive fireplace. He was looking pretty good, which considering he nearly burned to death just four years ago was saying a lot. Hundreds of medical and Cure treatments had nearly restored him to full health, but it certainly hadn’t been an easy road. I find Rufus Shinra to be one of the most amazing men--he’s been through some seriously painful shit, and he still finds the strength and will to go on. He’s made revitalizing the Planet his life’s goal, and he seems to be doing a pretty good job so far. I admire the man, and I’m proud to say that I’d gladly give my life for him. “I overslept this morning, sir. It’s my fault we’re late.”
Rufus laughed slightly, and shook his head. “No harm done, Reno. You are on vacation, after all. I suppose getting to sleep in goes with that. Is the suite to your liking?”
“It’s great, sir,” Rude answered.
“Good,” Rufus said with a pleased nod. “The others are outside, building snow forts with the children, I believe. They’ll be in soon.”
I looked sideways at Sephiroth. He’d gone to stand at the window, and was watching something outside. I walked over to stand next to him, and followed his gaze out the window until I found what he was looking at. I couldn’t quite help the smile that crossed my lips. There were two rather large snow forts in the last stages of construction out in the Chateau’s yard, and they were absolutely extravagant in their construction. I wasn’t overly surprised--there were a lot of over-achievers playing out there, Turks and ex-Avalanche members alike. It looked like they were having a lot of fun, and as I watched, a snow ball fight broke out between Cloud and Vincent. Marlene and Tifa were doubled over in laughter as they watched, their breath coming in visible puffs. Very soon, the rest of the group chose their sides, and the snow forts became bunkers as a very fierce snow war ensued.
Sephiroth laughed softly when Marlene and Denzel ganged up on Cloud and nailed him from both sides with snow. I looked sideways at him again.
“How come you aren’t out there?” I asked suddenly. It was a valid question. Unless Sephiroth was on duty, he was with Cloud.
“Someone had to make dinner,” Sephiroth said with a shrug. “And . . .” his voice trailed off, but I knew what he was getting at. He still didn’t feel comfortable in such mundane settings--he was a SOLDIER through and through, and he was still trying to learn what it meant to be a normal person with friends and loved ones.
“Well, if you ask me, they’re all fucking crazy,” I said with a snort of laughter. “It’s damn cold out there!”
“Give me a break, Reno.” Rude stepped up next to me and joined us. “Like you wouldn’t kill for a chance to nail Elena with a snowball.”
“Hn.” I snorted. “Maybe after I’ve had a decent meal and a glass or two of brandy! I’m just now warming up--I’m not going out there now.”
“They’re coming in now, anyway,” Sephiroth said softly. He turned away from the window. “I’ll go put dinner on the table.”
I watched him go with a half frown on my face. I’m a generally happy person, and it drives me nuts when those around me are sad. It’s one of the reasons I’m a joke cracking wise-ass--I love to hear people laugh. Sephiroth was a little more melancholy than usual, and I knew there wasn’t a damn thing that I could personally do about it--that was going to be up to Cloud. I brooded on it for the amount of time it took the snow bunnies to come in out of the cold and peel themselves out of their snow gear. I heard feet running down the hallway, and then two young voices cried out in unison.
“Reno!”
I barely had enough time to turn around before I found my arms full. Denzel and Marlene both had their arms wrapped tightly around me and were laughing their fool heads off. Why the kids like me so much, I just can’t figure out. I’ve never really gone out of my way to be nice to them, but for some reason, they think the world of me. It’s kind of scary, really, to be put up on a pedestal like that--I’m always afraid I’m going to do something to disappoint them. So far, though, I seem to have done alright, and I’ll continue to do what I can to keep myself on that pedestal for them--they’re great kids, and it’s no great hardship to do things to make them happy. One of these days I’m going to pull Cloud aside and ask him how he stands it.
“And how are my two favorite children?” I asked as I crouched down to their level. I mussed Denzel’s hair and pressed a kiss to Marlene’s forehead. Her skin was cold beneath my lips, and I shivered a little. “You’re cold, kid.”
She gave me a look like that said I was being a complete idiot. “I was outside,” she said with a little grin. “It’s cold out there, Uncle Reno!”
“Yeah, but it was fun!” Denzel said. “Our team won the snowball fight!”
“Only because you cheated,” Cloud said. The smile he wore was nearly non-existent, but his eyes reflected his humor.
“We didn’t cheat,” Marlene said with a giggle. “It’s called teamwork, right Tifa?”
“Right,” Tifa said with a laugh. “It’s not their fault your team was disorganized, although, I am a little surprised by that.” She smirked at Elena and Tseng as they entered the room. “You’d think the Turks would know a little about team work.”
“The children were just too good for us,” Tseng said with a slight smirk of his own.
I smiled at the children and gave them one last hug before releasing them and standing. “Perhaps we should recruit them, then.”
“So they can end up like you, Reno?” Elena drawled.   She was desperately trying not to laugh at my put-out expression, and every retort I could think of I had to swallow, because none of them were appropriate with the children in the room.
“She’s got you,” Rude muttered behind me with a soft chuckle.
“You win this time,” I said with what I hoped was an evil grin. “But only because the kids are in the room.” I thoroughly enjoyed the way her smile faltered slightly as I said the words.
Most people outside of our little group of friends would think that Elena and I hate each other. We spend more time throwing insults at each other than anything else, and sometimes they get rather nasty and personal. The thing is, I really admire Elena. She’s only the second female Turk in Shinra history, and she’s fucking earned the honor. The training for the Turks is hell for a guy--I can only imagine how rough it was on Elena. Not that I think she’s weak, because she obviously isn’t--she passed, after all. Even though, she and I still seem to get under each other’s skin and instead of pretending to be nice, we just call each other on it. It’s led to some rather spectacular fights in the past--Rufus even reprimanded us for it once--but in the end, we’re friends. She’d die for me, and I’d die for her. It’s part of what being a Turk means--we watch each other’s backs.
“Lucky me,” Elena replies, and her smile is saccharine.
“Now children, play nice.” Rufus sounded amused. “We’ve got a whole week here. I think I’d rather not spend it listening to the two of you bicker.”
“Of course, sir.” Elena and I spoke the words at the same time, and we grinned at each other before turning our attention elsewhere.
“How are you, Reno?” Cloud asked. He seated himself on a couch near the fireplace and looked over at me. “I’ve not had the chance to talk to you for a while.”
“I know,” I said. I’d just finished up a covert mission earlier that week--it’d been nearly a month since I’d seen Cloud. “The President there sent me on an errand.” I didn’t say anything else, and everyone in the room knew better than to ask. Some of the things I did for Rufus weren’t exactly the kinds of things you talk about in public, and this particular mission had been a classified one. It’d also been a rather nasty one--there had been a few moments that had left me wondering if it were going to be my last.
“I’m doing fine, though,” I finished. “What have you been up to?”
“Just work,” Cloud said with a shrug. “Business is good …but it’s nice to have a break.”
“Here, here,” Rufus said. He was wearing a wry smile as he spoke the words. If anyone needed a break, it was that man--being the President of the planet’s most important company was not an easy thing. I can’t even count the number of times we’ve found him asleep in his office after pulling an all-nighter, his arms crossed on the behemoth he calls a desk and dead to the world. I often worry that he’s going to work himself to death--and I’ve told him so, as have the other Turks. He always thanks us kindly for our worry and then politely tells us to mind our own business.
“Dinner’s ready.” Sephiroth had returned from the kitchen and was leaning against the doorpost leading into what I assumed was the dining room. “Come and get it, while it’s still hot.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I’d been over to Cloud’s home for dinner, and let me tell you, Sephiroth is an excellent cook. I was the first one to the dinner table.
*****
It was nearly three hours later when I made my way back to the suite I shared with Rude. He was still downstairs chatting with the others, but I was tired, and said my goodnights before retreating and heading for the stairs that would take me up to the third floor. My foot was on the first step when I heard President Rufus speak behind me.
“Reno? May I have a moment?”
“Yes, sir.” I turned to face him and sat my ass down, right there, on the stairs. I hoped he didn’t mind, but I was bone tired.
“Are you well?” he asked quietly. He moved closer to me, most of his weight supported on a cane. He still had several more treatments to go before he’d be back to full strength and able to walk on his own again. “It’s not like you to miss a plane, even if you are on vacation. You told the doctors you were feeling better. Did you lie?”
“I didn’t lie,” I said with a sigh. “I am feeling better sir, just not one hundred percent yet.” I spoke the words reluctantly, because I didn’t want him to feel guilty. I’d been injured pretty badly on the last “errand” I’d run for him--a couple of thugs had used me for a punching bag. I eventually beat the crap out of them, but not before they’d done a lot of damage to me. I’d only been out of the hospital for two days when Rufus had announced our group holiday. The real reason I didn’t get out of bed on time that morning was because I’d just hurt too damn much. The last time I’d felt that bad had been when Yazoo, Sephiroth’s sort of brother, had beat the crap out of me a year ago.
“I am sorry,” Rufus said softly. “I hope you can forgive me. I should have sent Rude with you, as well.”
“With all due respect, sir, there’s nothing to forgive you for.” I looked up and met his gaze. “I’m a Turk. It’s my fucking job to take shit like this and get up and keep going. It’s what you pay me for, and I take my work very seriously, sir.”
“Even so,” Rufus said, and his expression hardened slightly. “However, I am not my father. He may have thought the Turks were expendable, but I do not. I already have so many sins on my conscience, Reno. I do not want your deaths added to the list.”
I was shocked into silence. I hadn’t known that Rufus felt this way about us, and it left me completely speechless. I could only stare at him, with my mouth partially open, trying to come up with something appropriate. I wasn’t overly used to the big wigs giving a damn about me.
“I appreciate that, sir,” I finally said, dead serious. “I really am okay,” I added as an afterthought. “Just need some sleep.”
“Then go,” Rufus said with a smile. “Just don’t overdo it, ne?”
I arched my brow slightly. “I’ll behave if you do, sir.”
Rufus cracked a very rare grin. “Touché. Get.”
I stood and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
******
I discovered that the bathroom attached to my room was very nice indeed--the tub was more like a small pool, and I enjoyed a nice, long soak. When I was properly pruned, I got out, dried off, and dressed myself in my favorite pair of cotton flannel pajamas. They were dark blue and the warmest thing I owned. I turned the covers down on the bed, and as I was doing so, realized that I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was. I slid a pair of slippers onto my feet and made my way out to the common room of the suite.
I had the passing thought that there must be a staff of some sort working in the Chateau, because the fire was still roaring in the fireplace, and there was a tray on the coffee table that hadn’t been there when Rude and I had first arrived. I made an appreciative sound as I identified the contents of the tray--a snifter of brandy and two glasses. I sat on the leather couch and poured myself a glass of the amber liquid before settling back on the couch and staring into the flames.
I took a sip, and smiled slightly as the brandy slid smoothly down my throat and warmed me from within. It was good shit. I made another happy sound and took another sip. I watched the flames dance for a while, and just like they always do when I’m truly alone, my thoughts wandered in the direction of Rude. I closed my eyes, and I could see him in my mind’s eye. He always looked fucking perfect in that navy Turk suit--never a thing out of place, even after a tough fight. I groaned softly as I thought about the way his suit always seemed to cling to all the right places--it fit him so well that I could always make out the play of muscles beneath the fabric when he moved. I can only imagine how nice a view it would be were he to not have that suit on.   I’ve never seen him in any less than jeans and a t-shirt. I had liked that a lot, because the black t-shirt had been tight, and the muscles in his arms, chest, and abdomen had been clearly defined beneath the black cotton. I had ended up needing a very cold shower at the end of that day.
The sound of the suite door opening brought me out of my thoughts, and I heard Rude make a surprised sound behind me.
“I thought you were going to bed.”
“I was,” I said with a shrug. “But some nice person left me some brandy, and you know how I am about brandy. If I see it, I drink it.”
“Idiot,” he muttered, but it was more an endearment than anything else. He moved into the room, and a moment later I felt his weight settle on the couch. I cracked my left eye open and looked sideways at him. He’d seated himself somewhere between me and the other end, and as I watched, he stretched and then let himself sink into the cushions. “Is it good?”
“Heh . . .yeah, it’s good,” I said. I took another sip before closing my eyes again. “Everyone else go to bed?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Rude said. “I think Cloud and Sephiroth are still curled up in front of the fire downstairs, but the others are long gone.”
“Are the rest of Avalanche coming?” I asked. I’d noticed the absence of the others earlier, but the dinner conversation hadn’t really given me the chance to ask about it.
“Cloud mentioned that the others had been unable to get away,” Rude said with a slight shrug. “But Barrett sent Marlene along with Tifa--I guess he figured she should at least get to have some fun.”
“Nice guy,” I said. I took another sip of brandy, and then set the glass down. I shifted on the couch so that I was lying on my side with my head pillowed on the arm of the overstuffed couch. I reached up and snagged the afghan that was on the back of the couch and spread it over myself before curling up and turning my attention back to the fire.
“If you’re that tired, you should go to bed,” Rude said softly. He hadn’t moved, even when my feet had ended up in his lap. “You’re still in pain.”
“You too?” I asked with a chuckle. “Rufus stopped me on the way upstairs and asked about that too. You’re worse than mother hens, the lot of you. I’ve been a lot worse off than this . . .you can stop worrying about me now, Rude.” I shifted again, so that I was lying on my back. I decided to push my luck and stretched my legs out so that they were resting on Rude’s lap. I was pleasantly surprised when he made no move to stop me, nor did he move to the other end of the couch. I couldn’t help the slight smile that played across my lips as I settled in.
We stayed like that for some time, Rude staring into the fire and me staring at Rude. He’d taken off his suit jacket sometime during dinner, and his tie was loosened. His cufflinks had been removed and the sleeves of his crisp white shirt had been rolled up a bit. He still had his sunglasses on, of course--he almost never takes them off. He’s self-conscious about the soft glow the Mako enhancement gives his eyes, and chooses to keep them covered. It’s a damn shame, really. Rude’s got nice, chocolate colored eyes that I could quite happily get lost in. Hell, just watching him like that was nice--I could have done it for the rest of the vacation and been perfectly happy.
“Why do you always stare at me like that?” Rude’s voice was soft and curious as it broke the silence. “You do it all the time, when you think I don’t notice.”
“I do not,” came the automatic response. I winced as the words came out, because it was a blatant lie, and by the way a quick smirk pulled at Rude’s lips, he knew it, too.
“You do.” Rude said, calmly. He pulled his sunglasses off and unceremoniously tossed them on the coffee table. “You’ve been doing it for years now.”
“I have?” I was proud of myself--my voice didn’t crack when I spoke the words.
Rude gave a slow nod, and then turned to look at me. I found myself pinned into place by his dark eyes. They looked black in the dim light from the fire, and I could see the faint Mako glow in their depths. I could tell by his expression that he was hell bent on getting a real answer from me. I momentarily entertained the thought of giving some flippant reply, but some gut instinct told me that wasn’t the way to go.
“You have to promise not to hate me,” I found myself whispering. I was feeling a little fearful now, because I realized I wanted to tell him the truth, and the truth might very well ruin our friendship of years.
"Will you quit being an idiot?” His tone was reproachful, but somehow gentle at the same time. “How long have we been partners, Reno?”
I did a quick calculation in my head, and came up with “Ten years?”
“Ten years, two months and fourteen days,” Rude said with a slow nod.
I could only stare at him in amazement. He knew the exact number of years, months and days that we’d been partners! Why in the hell would he even care to be that specific?
“That’s pretty good there,” I said, trying to sound flippant. “You must have aced math in school.”
“Stop trying to change the subject,” Rude said. “I’m not going to hate you, idiot. After all this time, you should know that.”
“Oh, I should?” I retorted. “I only know what I’ve seen while we’re on duty together. I don’t know anything about you outside of that. For all I know, you could tell everyone you hang out with during your free time that you hate my guts.”
“Idiot, I spend all of my free time with you.” His tone was exasperated, and I knew then that my attempt to once again change the subject was going to fail. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“Are you going to promise not to hate me?” I shot back. I was feeling more and more nervous as the conversation went on. I really didn’t want to fuck up what I had with Rude by telling him that I wanted him more than anything I’d ever wanted in my life.
He scrutinized me with slightly narrowed eyes before he sighed softly and nodded his head.
“I promise not to hate you,” he said.
I took a deep breath and thought a moment about how I was going to phrase my answer, and came up with nothing spectacular. I realized the only way out was to jump in headfirst and fucking hope for the best.
“I look at you like that because I like you,” I said slowly.
“You like me.” Reno repeated the words as a statement.
“Yes, Rude, I like you,” I said. “And when I say ‘like’, I don’t mean just as a friend.” My voice was barely a whisper now, and I think that I started to shake a bit as adrenaline hit my system. This was totally unexpected and was starting to freak me out a little. To be honest, I had never thought that I’d ever be having the conversation at all.
His lips twitched slightly as he looked away from me and rested his head on the back of the couch.
“That’s what I thought,” he said softly.
“Excuse me?” The words came out a hoarse whisper, and I ignored the sudden spark of hope that ignited in my chest--my cynical side was telling me that I was just headed for a letdown.
“I kind of thought that might be the case,” Rude said.
“And you’re only now asking?”
“Well, I wasn’t sure,” Rude said. “You flirt with everyone, Reno--even Sephiroth.”
I blushed a little, because Rude was right. I like to flirt--it’s fun. And most of the time it means nothing--except where Rude is concerned.
“I didn’t want to mention it and be wrong,” Rude continued. He lifted his head from the cushion and turned to look at me again. “Our friendship is probably the most important thing in my life,” he said quietly. “I didn’t want to fuck that up.”
“What are you saying?” I asked. For once in my life, the need to crack wiseass jokes was gone--I had the feeling that I was on the edge of something very important, and it was no joking matter at all.
“I don’t mind it, the way you look at me,” Rude said after a moment. His lips quirked in a quick smile--it was so quick that I might have imagined it. He stifled a sudden yawn with his hand before he wrapped his hands around my ankles and carefully swung them off of his lap. I could feel the heat of his hands through the cotton flannel of my pajamas, and my skin tingled where he touched me.
“Where are you going?” I whispered.
“To bed, idiot. It’s late, and everyone wants to go skiing in the morning. You should go to bed, too. You’ll want to do some skiing too, right?” He stood from the couch and gave a mighty stretch. My mouth went dry as I watched the play of muscles beneath his cotton shirt.
“Yeah, I’ll want to go skiing too,” I said as he turned to walk to his room. “Rude!” My voice sounded utterly terrified, but I couldn’t help it. He’d told me he didn’t mind. . .but I still had no idea how he really felt for me.
“Yes, Reno?” He turned to look at me.
“I . . .” I couldn’t find the words to explain the sudden terror I was feeling.
“Idiot,” he murmured. “I don’t hate you, Reno.”
Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, but his tone of voice seemed to convey that what he felt for me was the complete opposite of hate. I felt my face flush again, and was grateful for the dim lighting in the room. His lips curled in a slight smirk, and then he turned and walked to his room. The door closing behind him was a soft click that was barely audible over the crackling of the fire.
*****
I slept like the dead, and when Rude knocked on my bedroom door the next morning, I was feeling pretty damn good. I only ached a little, and figured a dose of painkillers with breakfast would have me feeling like my normal self by the time we hit the slopes. Rude was standing by the fireplace when I emerged from my room. He was dressed in jeans and a cream-colored cable knit sweater that looked damn good on him. The jeans were tight, and his incredible ass was well defined in them.
I swallowed hard before clearing my throat.
“Morning, partner,” I said.
“Morning.” He turned his head slightly to look at me, and I realized that he was not wearing his sunglasses again. I watched his eyes roam down my figure before he looked up and met my eyes. I, too, had worn a tight pair of jeans, and had a dark green Midgar University sweatshirt on. His lips quirked in a slight smirk. “Ready to hit the slopes?”
“Do I get breakfast first?” I asked, arching a brow. I was certain that I was blushing--the way he’d just checked me out had warmed my blood and had fanned that spark of hope in my chest into a small flame.
“Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” I said. I followed him out of our suite and into the hallway. He walked right beside me as we descended the stairs.
“Ne, Reno?”
“Yeah?” I held my breath, thinking to myself that I was about to get the “Let’s forget the conversation we had last night ever happened” speech.
“I watch you, too.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at the back of his head as he continued down the stairs without me. The tiny flame of hope was beginning to grow a little larger.
“Oi, Rude! You’re seriously just going to leave me hanging like this?” I called down. Even though my tone was disbelieving, I was suddenly grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t help myself. Rude had pretty much just admitted that he was, at the very least, mildly interested in something more than just a work partnership.
“Yup,” he called back. “I’m hungry, Reno.”
“But . . .” I wanted him to come out and really say it, because I don’t trust subtext. I wanted to hear it out loud because it was important to me.
“Reno.” He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look up at me. He still hadn’t put his sunglasses back on, and I again got to enjoy the sensation of getting lost in his eyes. “We’ve got a whole week to talk about this, you know.”
I made a frustrated noise, but couldn’t argue the point. He was right. “Fine,” I huffed, and continued my way down the stairs. He was smirking when I reached the bottom.
“Besides, those kids are anxious to get out onto the slopes. Neither have been skiing before and they’re pretty eager to try it out,” Rude informed me. “It wouldn’t be nice to keep them waiting any longer.”
“They could go without us,” I said.
“They won’t go without you, and you know it,” Rude said with a snort. “I’ll bet they even manage to drag Sephiroth out there.”
“He’ll put up a fight,” I said, laughing.
“Maybe, but those kids are good,” Rude said with a chuckle.
I followed him into the dining room and was met with a round of greetings. I sat down between Marlene and Denzel and proceeded to stuff myself with pancakes and sausage, followed by three cups of coffee and a shot of brandy for good measure. Conversation was lively at the table, and sure enough, Marlene and Denzel managed to cajole Sephiroth into joining us on the slopes.
“I’d like to join you, as well.”
The table fell silent as Rufus’ words penetrated the gathered group. I looked down to the head of the table, where Rufus was sitting, and he smiled slightly at all of us.
“Is that wise, sir?” Tseng asked.
“I’ve no intentions of skiing, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Rufus said with a chuckle. “I’d like to observe--I’m sure there’s somewhere I can sit out of the way and enjoy the show.”
“Heh, he wants to see you hit a tree, Reno,” Elena said with a laugh.
“Very funny, Blondie,” I shot back. “Your tumbles are much more amusing.”
“We’ll drag a chair out there,” Tseng said, and shot both Elena and I a look that told us to shut the hell up. “It will be no problem, sir.”
“After I try skiing you can help me build a snowman!” Marlene said to Rufus. “I mean . . .if you want that is . ..”
“I think I can handle building a snowman,” Rufus said with a smile. “It sounds like fun, Miss Wallace.”
I snickered inwardly at the blush that spread across the girl’s features. Rufus was such a ladies man--it didn’t matter what age they were, the President could charm any female off their feet. The only reason the man hadn’t gotten married yet was because he was already married to his work. Perhaps, after he gets Shinra straightened out, he’ll find himself a nice woman and actually settle down a little.
“Well, should we hit the slopes, then?” Cloud asked as he stood from the table.
“Hell, yes,” I said.
*****
It turned out that Marlene didn’t like skiing all that much, so she pretty much joined Rufus on the sidelines while the rest of us attacked the slopes. It was fun, and I made two runs before I decided to quit dicking around and really show off my talent. The third run was a lot faster than the first two, and I managed a little bit of air time. I grinned hugely as I heard Denzel give an awed exclamation.
“Very nice, Reno,” Rufus said as I swished to a stop just twenty feet from where he and Marlene were starting to build a snowman together.
“Thank you, sir!” I pushed my goggles up on my head and flashed him a smile. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Rufus smirked as he lifted a mid-sized snow ball onto the base he and Marlene had already rolled. Marlene stepped in and started to pack snow around it.
“I eagerly await your next show,” Rufus said. “Please do try not to break your neck.”
“As if,” I shot back. I pulled my goggles down and made for the ski lift. I was afforded a very nice view of Rude taking the slope at a speed only slightly less slow than what I’d just done, and it was fun watching him swish back and forth in the white snow. I hit the top of the hill just in time to watch Sephiroth start his third run. He was pretty damn good, too. I waited until he was a quarter way down the slope before I started my fourth run.
I was a third of the way down when a movement in the trees near the base of the mountain caught my eye. I checked my speed a little and squinted through my goggles at where I’d thought I saw the movement. After a moment I saw the braches on the pines, very close to where Marlene and Rufus were, move again. I had a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach as they moved yet again, this time more violently.   I saw Rufus look that way sharply, and then my eyes grew impossibly huge as I watched an ice dragon stalk from beneath the trees. It was the biggest damn ice dragon I’d ever seen--easily twenty feet tall in the shoulders and somewhere between thirty and forty feet long--and its icy blue scales shimmered in the winter sun. It fixed its dark eyes on Rufus and Marlene, and took a menacing step towards them.
A quick glance around me showed that I was the closest to Rufus--the others were on the other side of the slope, and I had no clue if any of them had even noticed the sudden peril. I cursed under my breath and used my poles to give myself a violent shove down the slope.
“Turks! Code Alpha Red!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and hoped that the others would hear. Alpha Red is the code we give to each other when we knew the President’s life is in dire danger, and I thought that this qualified. Rufus was probably armed with a gun, but his condition didn’t allow for him to run very quickly, and ice dragons were bloody fast . . .and he was the only thing standing between that dragon and Marlene. I knew Rufus well enough to know he’d die protecting that kid, if it came down to that.
I heard Marlene give a terrified shriek as the dragon opened its maw and let loose a thundering roar, and she hid behind Rufus. I was much closer now, and I was able to see the grim expression on Rufus’ features as he produced a gun from within the folds of his coat and took aim. I heard the gunshot, and a moment later the dragon screamed bloody fury as its left eye exploded in a shower of green-black blood. The beast reared back on its haunches, clawed forearms scraping at the pain in the side of its head. It let loose another deafening roar before it came down on all fours and whipped its head around to glare balefully at Rufus.
I was close now, and halted abruptly and hastily released the catches holding my boots to my skis before dashing towards Rufus. I slipped and tumbled, but tucked myself into a roll and used my momentum to carry me the rest of the way. I came up out of the roll positioned between Rufus and the dragon, my own gun cocked and ready in my gloved hand.
“Not today, you ugly bastard,” I hissed at the dragon. I aimed for the creature’s other eye as it let go with another bellowing roar. It was almost deafening, and I heard Marlene scream again from her hiding place behind Rufus. I pulled the trigger and hissed a very nasty curse as the bullet ricocheted harmlessly from the scaly armor just above the eye.
“Reno!” Rufus barked my name in warning, but it was too late.
The dragon lunged suddenly, and my world exploded in pain as the creature’s jaws closed over my left shoulder and bit down hard. My teeth rattled as it shook me violently before tossing me aside with a flick of its head. I cursed violently as I impacted the trunk of a nearby tree, and I felt and heard something crack in my ribcage. More pain followed when my body hit the ground, and I suddenly found it extremely difficult to breathe.
“RENO!” There were several people screaming my name now, but I couldn’t move from where I was. Tears of pain filled my eyes, and I was dimly aware of the fact that my blood was now staining the pristine snow beneath me. I heard the dragon give another screaming roar somewhere nearby, and felt the ground tremble as it stalked towards me.
Good, I thought. If it was coming after me, then it was leaving the President and Marlene alone. I opened my eyes and managed to lever myself up on my hands and get myself into a kneeling position. Sure enough, the blue behemoth was stalking towards me, hissing and growling the entire way. It roared again, and charged.
“Fuck you,” I hissed as I closed my eyes. I refused to show it fear, but was pretty much resigned to the fact that I was about to die. My right arm was completely useless, and I couldn’t aim with my left arm to save my life. At least the President and Marlene are safe, I thought to myself.
The sound of skis in the snow made me open my eyes, and Sephiroth suddenly appeared between me and the charging dragon. He didn’t even look my direction. He lifted his hand towards the sky and I saw the telltale glow of materia emanating from the bracelet on his wrist.
“Bahamut Zero, come forth!” Sephiroth’s voice was colder than the snow he stood in, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Thunder pealed through the sky, a hundred times more deafening than the dragon’s roar, and I looked up just in time to see the summoned beast materialize from the clouds above us. The dragon-like creature floated above us, its great wings sending up flurries of snow with every flap. It screamed a challenge at the ice dragon that was bearing down on us. The creature slowed its charge and glared balefully up at the summoned dragon, and screamed a reply.
“Oi, oi! Don’t you think that’s overkill?” I shouted over the din. Bahamut Zero was one bad mother fucker, and I was entirely too close to ground zero to be happy about Sephiroth summoning him.
“Shut up,” Sephiroth commanded. He was releasing the catches on his skis as he spoke. “I’ve got to get you away from here.”
“Yeah, no shit?” My voice was a little high pitched. I felt the electricity in the air as Bahamut started to wind up for its ultimate attack, and I’m not ashamed to say I was beginning to panic. If we weren’t gone by the time it let loose, we would most certainly be toast--very well done toast.
“No shit,” Sephiroth replied humorlessly. “Sorry about this,” he said before hooking his arms underneath my arms and hauling me upwards.
I screamed as the motion made my broken ribs shift and the bite in my shoulder protest with stinging pain. Tears streamed from my eyes, and I groaned again when he tossed me over his shoulder and ran. Every stride was a new horizon in pain for me, but I bit my lip and bore it, knowing that if he slowed it could very well mean our obliteration.
“We’re not going to make it!” I shouted. I had craned my head upwards slightly so I could watch the battle unfolding behind us, and the ice dragon was attempting various freeze attacks, but they were useless. Bahamut screamed in anger, and let loose with a Tera Flare. Blue-white light descended down from the creature’s mouth to envelop the ice dragon. My eyes grew impossibly wide as the dragon all but disintegrated, and then there was a blinding explosion. The force of it knocked Sephiroth to his knees, and he let me slide to the ground before covering me with his own body. This is it, I thought. We were still too close . . .
“Shield!” Cloud’s voice screamed the word, and he was suddenly standing over us, the materia equipped on his glove shining brightly.
A moment later the shockwave hit us, and rolled harmlessly over the shield Cloud had summoned. I heard Bahamut give a triumphant scream, and opened my eyes to watch it as it winged upwards. It gave another victory roar before it closed its wings in around itself and disappeared.
“Holy shit,” I managed hoarsely. “Let’s not do that again anytime soon, ne?” I coughed, and tasted blood.
“Okay by me,” Cloud said as he knelt next to us. He gave me a wry smirk, which I was somehow able to return.
“Reno! Reno, are you okay?” It was Elena, and now that the danger had passed, she was running towards where Sephiroth had me cradled in his lap. The others were close on her heels, Vincent coming a little more slowly because he was helping Rufus over to where I lay.
“Reno!” Marlene’s voice was full of tears as she knelt next to me.
“I’m fine!” I said as they converged on me. “Nothing a few potions and some rest won’t take care of!” I coughed again, and tasted more blood. I looked up and met Sephiroth’s eyes. “I don’t feel so good,” I said. I felt my perception of things starting to warp, and realized with a start that I was going to pass out. I opened my mouth to tell Sephiroth, but nothing came out. My vision grayed around the edges, and the last thing I remembered before the blackness claimed me was Rude screaming my name.
*****
I came to with a start, and instantly groaned with pain. My ribcage ached like a son of a bitch, and I had that distinct nauseous feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when someone has fed me one healing potion too many. I had no doubt in my mind that someone had--I was pretty bad off when I passed out, and was pretty sure that one of my broken ribs had punctured a lung when Sephiroth had hauled me over his shoulder. There was no way in Hell that I’d be feeling remotely as good as I was unless someone had given me a potion or two. The bad thing about potions is that while they’ll heal soft tissue damage pretty quickly, they’re pretty useless on broken bones. It takes a Cure materia to really do the trick.
“Reno?” It was Tseng’s voice coming from next to my bed. “Are you awake?”
“Unfortunately,” I croaked. “You got any water over there?”
“Yeah.” He appeared in my line of vision with a glass of water in his hands. “You need help getting up?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “The ribs . . .”
“Figured as much.” He set the water down on the bedside table and helped me sit up.
“Oh, son of a bitch that hurts,” I hissed as he helped me up and fluffed the pillows up behind me. Someone had wrapped my ribs tightly, but they still ached horribly. I glanced down at my right shoulder, and wasn’t at all surprised to find that the dragon’s bite was completely healed. “How many potions did it take?”
“Four,” Tseng said as he handed me the glass of water.
“Fuck. No wonder my stomach feels like someone’s shredded it,” I said. I took the water and drank it all, and instantly felt a little better. “The President?”
“Safe and sound,” Tseng said. “He’s giving you a bonus on your next paycheck, by the way, and has sent for a Cure materia. It‘s being delivered within 24 hours.”
"Good,” I said. That had so not been fun, and I was supposed to be on vacation! “Everyone else okay?”
“Yeah,” Tseng replied. “Except, we won’t be doing any skiing on that slope anytime soon. The Tera Flare pretty much evaporated all the snow on the bottom half of the mountain.”
“Excuse me for saying, but I don’t think I give a shit if I ski again this trip,” I said wryly. I was grounded for the rest of my vacation--the broken ribs I now sported would allow for nothing less. Even after they used the Cure materia on me, the spot where the bones had been broken would still be weak--any trauma too soon would re-break the bone.
“That’s what Rude said you would say,” Tseng said with a grin.
“Hey, where the hell is Rude, anyway?” I asked.
“Sleeping,” Tseng said. His lips curled into a smirk, the kind of smirk that told me that he knew something. “I finally made him go to bed a few hours ago. He wouldn’t leave your bedside.”
I just stared at Tseng for a moment, and then suddenly remembered the Rude had been screaming my name when I passed out.
“How long was I out?”
“It’s been nearly 18 hours since you passed out,” Tseng said. “Rude sat here for most of it, but he was exhausted. I pulled rank on him.”
I arched a brow in surprise. Tseng is, in theory, the head of the Turks. Most of the time he lets us do our own thing, because we’re that good--we don’t need supervision. But every once in a while, he’ll exert his rank, and apparently Rude had been obstinate enough to make Tseng do so.
“So, something going on that I should know about?” Tseng asked. “Rude was acting a tad agitated that you were so badly wounded.”
“That depends. . .are we going to be in trouble?” I asked, warily. I wasn’t entirely sure how Tseng felt about homosexuality in general--I mean, he doesn’t strike me as the type that would care, but one can never be too careful. The last thing I wanted to do was get Rude or I thrown out of the Turks.
“Reno, you really are an idiot,” Tseng said, his tone somewhat fond. “You won’t be in trouble. . .unless you’re screwing around on company time. To be honest, the President and I have been wondering why the two of you aren’t together yet. We’ve been expecting it for some time. . The way you guys look at each other. . .”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Deadly,” Tseng said with a nod.
“How come I never fucking noticed him looking at me?” I wondered out loud. “He noticed me!”
“Because he’s a lot better at being covert,” Tseng said with a laugh. “Why else do you think we always send him in undercover instead of you?”
“Bite me,” I growled.
“Maybe later,” Tseng replied with a smirk. “So, you hungry?”
“No,” I replied, instantly. My stomach had rebelled when he’d mentioned the food. “Maybe later.”
“Thought you might say that. Go back to sleep, then. Dinner is served in about three hours. Someone will wake you for it,” Tseng said. He crossed the room to leave.
“Ne, Tseng?”
“Yeah?” He paused and looked over his shoulder at me.
“Were you serious about it being okay?” I asked, my voice suddenly soft.
Tseng nodded.
“To be honest, it’s something Rufus and I discussed seriously a long time ago--you and Rude have been dancing around each other for quite a while now.” He gave me a slight smile. “I guess you could say that you’ve got the President’s blessing.”
“Is that so?” I was grinning like a maniac by that time.
“Yeah, that’s so,” Tseng said with a chuckle. He turned towards the door again and opened it. “Get some sleep, Reno.”
“Yes, sir.”
*****
Surprisingly enough, I actually did sleep. Three hours later, just as Tseng had promised, someone was there to wake me.
“Reno. . .time for dinner, idiot. Wake up, already!”
I came out of my slumber unwillingly--it was warm in the bed, and I ached all over. Eventually, though, I opened my eyes, and found Rude sitting on the edge of my bed. Once again, he was without his ever present sunglasses, and his dark eyes held an edge of worry as he looked down at me.
“Yo,” I managed weakly.
“Yo,” he replied. “Need help getting out of that bed?”
“Probably,” I replied. There were a lot of things that I wanted to say in that moment, but I had no idea where to start. “Ne, Rude . . .”
“Yes, I like you,” he interrupted. His lips twitched in a slight smile. “Actually, it’s more than just like, but I don’t want to scare you off, so we’ll just leave it at that for now, ne?”
More than just like?
“I don’t want to leave it at that,” I said suddenly. I reached out and grabbed his arm with my hand. My ribs protested at the movement, but I ignored it. “What if I almost get eaten by a dragon again? What if something happens and I never really know just exactly what you’re thinking in that head of yours? What if I never get another chance to tell you how I feel . . .”
His fingers over my lips brought my words to a halt. His touch was warm against my lips, and my breath hitched in my chest.
“You really want to hear it now?” He asked after a moment of gazing directly into my eyes. I could only nod in reply. His lips quirked again. “Okay, fine.”
I was expecting words, but he answered me with action, instead. I gasped softly as he moved his fingers from my lips and leaned down to press our foreheads together. He cupped my cheek with the palm of his hand before shifting his head slightly to seal our lips together. I gasped, and he took advantage of my slightly parted lips to twine our tongues together and deepen the kiss. I lost track of everything but the feel of his lips on mine and the warmth of his hand against my cheek.
He chuckled softly as he broke the kiss. “Reno, I won’t say this often, because it’s hard for me to do it . . .but I’ll say it now, since your so convinced we’ll never have another chance.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I love you.”
I stared up at him in shock.   Sure, I’d been expecting to hear him say he was attracted to me, but the ‘l’ word? I hadn’t been expecting that, or the way my heart all but sang with his confession. It was then that I realized the lust I had originally felt for him had become something much, much deeper over the years.
“Me, too,” I found myself whispering. “For a very long time.”
Rude’s lips twitched in a quick smile, and he brushed his lips against mine again before pulling away.
“Is it good enough, for now?” He asked softly. “You really should have something to eat, and I think Marlene wants to see for herself that you’re doing okay. You scared the hell out of us all, Reno. Will you come downstairs and get some food if I promise to continue this discussion later this evening?”
“Yeah, but there’s one more thing I need to know before we go down there,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“We don’t have to hide, do we?” I asked.
“No,” he answered. I felt relief wash over me. This was real. Rude really loved me, and wasn’t ashamed for the whole world to know. I wasn’t going to have to pretend that we weren’t more than work partners.
“Okay,” I said with a grin. “I’m ready to go downstairs, then.”
*****
Marlene would have tackled me when I first entered the dining room, but Vincent stopped her just before she launched herself at me.
“I don’t think his broken ribs would appreciate that much,” Vincent said with a wry smile.
“Oh. Oops . . .I forgot,” Marlene said sheepishly. She turned and looked up at me. Her lips were set in an embarrassed smile. “Are you okay?”
“I’m going to be fine, kid,” I replied. I squatted down so I was on her level, and opened my arms. “You can hug me if you promise not to squeeze too hard.” I somehow managed not to wince when she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a gentle squeeze. She bounded to her place at the table then, and I made my way slowly to my own place. Rude shadowed me the whole way, and only after I was seated between Marlene and Denzel did he move to take his own place.
I forced myself to eat a little of the roast beef and potatoes that was set in front of me, but I passed on the dessert. I was in enough pain that the thought of anything beyond the few bites I’d taken made me want to retch. Everyone at the table knew it, too, especially when I passed on the brandy. I never pass up brandy.
“Perhaps we should retire to the sitting room,” Rufus suggested when the others had finished their desserts. “I think you’d be more comfortable there, Reno.”
By that time I was feeling pretty lousy. My ribs were throbbing, and all I could manage was a slow nod in agreement. Rude appeared at my elbow, and he helped me out of my chair and into the living room. I knew the others were watching, but I didn’t give a damn. I leaned into Rude as he slid an arm around my waist and supported a great deal of my weight. It was warm so close to him, and I found myself hoping he’d settle in on the couch with me.
I wasn’t disappointed. Elena arched a brow as Rude and I settled onto the couch. Rude only smirked slightly as I burrowed my way under his arm and rested my head against his chest, and when I was comfortable, he wrapped a blanket around my shoulders before draping his arm around me. I felt a moment of elation as I realized we were actually cuddling, and we were doing it in front of our friends. Rude had really meant it when he’d said we didn’t have to hide our relationship, and even though I was in pain, I think to date that was the happiest moment of my life.
I dozed on and off for a while after that. I was vaguely aware of Denzel and Marlene starting a game of cards in front of the room’s roaring fire, and the adults in the room held quiet conversations. I think they were trying to be quiet for my sake, not that I would have really cared. It was nice being amongst my friends and warm in Rude’s embrace. Eventually, I actually slept.
It was nearly two hours later when Rude’s voice rumbling under my ear woke me.
“Reno, the Cure materia has just been delivered,” his voice informed me.
“Hm.” I yawned hugely and slowly opened my eyes. I didn’t want to move, even though letting someone use a Cure materia on me would alleviate the horrible pain in my ribs. I was warm where I was, and surrounded by the scent of Rude. The kids were gone--off to bed, I presumed--and the only people left in the living room were Rufus, Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth was kneeling in front of the couch, and he held a green, glowing orb in the palm of his hand.
“Just stay there,” Sephiroth said. He spoke quietly. “This will only take a minute.” He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before he softly uttered “Cure.”   He placed his hand on my forehead, and I felt the strange tingling sensation almost immediately. It moved through my body and concentrated in all the areas that were seriously injured. It took less than a minute, and by the time Sephiroth took his hand away, I was pain free.
“You are my hero,” I joked.
“Twice,” Sephiroth said with a smirk. “Quit getting into trouble, Reno. I can’t always be there to dig your ass out of trouble!”
“Bite me, you bastard. I was doing my fucking job, thank you very much.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Sephiroth said. He was trying hard not to laugh out loud. “I really think Rude might be a bit annoyed if I took you up on that offer.”
“And I wouldn’t be?” Cloud wondered. He was actually laughing.
I, on the other hand, was blushing.
“There’s a sight I don’t get to see often,” Rufus said with a chuckle. The president slowly stood from his chair. “I do believe I will retire for the evening.” He paused, and leaning heavily on his cane, he turned to look at me. “Thank you for saving my life today, Reno.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied seriously. “Did you need help to your room, sir?”
“No,” Rufus said with a shake of his head. “I can manage, thank you. Good night.”
“You should go to bed, too,” Rude murmured after the President had left. “You’ve had one hell of a day, partner.” He was looking down at me with his dark eyes, and his expression was concerned.
“You going to tuck me in?” I murmured. I felt heat on my cheeks as I asked the question. I pointedly ignored the snicker I heard coming from Sephiroth’s general direction.
“Do you want me to?”
“Do you really need to ask?” I wanted to know.
Rude’s lips curled into a slight smirk and he slowly shook his head. “How about a hot bath before bed?”
Now that sounded like heaven. Even though my cracked ribs were now healed, my muscles still ached, and the thought of soaking in a tub of hot water was fine indeed.
“Sounds good,” I murmured. I reluctantly sat up. It was warm next to Rude, and the room was starting to get chilly.
“Want company?” Rude murmured.
I went utterly still and turned my head to look at him. He’d removed his sunglasses and was gazing at me. His lips were set in a slight smirk, as if to say he already knew what my answer was going to be.
“Was that a trick question?” I finally managed after a moment.
“No.” Rude was definitely smirking now. The sight of it did strange things to my insides--it was sexy as hell.
“Yeah,” I finally managed. I tried to swallow, but my throat had suddenly gone dry. “That sounds nice.”
*****
The hot water felt as good as I had imagined it would. Even better was the sight of Rude stripping himself out of his clothes. He had made me get undressed and into the water first, and only then did he start to disrobe. I watched, entranced, as he peeled his sweater off and over his head. I think my jaw might have dropped at the sight of his well-defined chest and abs. The man worked out daily, and did it ever show!
He turned away to hang his sweater on one of the various hooks next to the door, and then started on his jeans. My breath hitched as he slid the denim off his hips and down to the floor. He either didn’t have any underwear on, or had taken them off with the jeans. At any rate, I now had a perfect view of Rude’s finely toned ass, and what a sight it was. He turned around then, and I found myself looking at the rest of him. I swallowed hard at the sight of his partially aroused manhood. He wasn’t huge, but he was large, and the thought of it nearly made me swoon with want. I finally looked up to meet his gaze, and found myself pinned into place by the heat I saw there.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked lightly.
“Hell, yes,” I replied in a hoarse whisper. “God, Rude . . .you’re fucking perfect, dressed or undressed.”
His lips quirked in a quick smirk as he crossed the distance between the door and the tub. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you!” I replied with a nervous laugh. Funny--I’d been dreaming of this moment for nearly ten years, but now that it was here, I found myself experiencing something akin to fear. I think I was afraid that it was all a dream my imagination had supplied. I was afraid to blink, for fear Rude would disappear and leave me all alone in that room.
“Is the water warm enough for you?” Rude climbed the two steps up and then stepped down into the tub. He slowly lowered himself into the steaming water until the only thing left above was the top of his shoulders and his head.
“Yeah.” I found myself thinking that it had gotten even hotter in the last five minutes.
Rude made a content sound and rested his head on the edge of the tub. “Perfect,” he agreed.
“Yeah,” I said again. And it really was. The wet heat had already worked its magic on my aching muscles, and I could almost forget the fact that earlier in the day an ice dragon had used me for a chew toy. I was still nervous, though, and it showed in the way I couldn’t quite sit still. I kept shifting position slightly every few moments, and after a moment Rude made what might have been an annoyed sound.
“Reno, relax.” He said. His voice wasn’t commanding, just soothing. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and it sounded far more needy that I wanted it to sound.
Rude lifted his head and gazed at me for a moment before he extended a hand towards me. “Come here.”
I looked at his hand for a moment. It was perfect just like the rest of him. I reached out after a moment and placed my hand in his, and he tugged me across the tub and into his reach. He wrapped his arms around my waist and moved me so that my knees were resting on the bottom of the tub and I was straddling his thighs. He smiled at me then, and moved one arm from around my waist so that he could push damp hair out of my eyes.
“Promise?” I repeated in almost a whisper.
“Promise,” Rude replied without hesitation. He rested the palm of his hand against my cheek for a moment before he slid his hand around to rest on the nape of my neck. “You are so damn beautiful,” he whispered, and then he pulled me forward for a kiss.
I moaned softly as our lips met, and Rude took advantage of the way my lips parted slightly. His tongue slid inside my mouth, and I sucked eagerly on it. He tasted good, far better than I had ever imagined he would. At that point in time I would have been perfectly happy to just sit in that tub and do nothing but swap kisses for an hour. He was that good. Rude had other ideas, though. He broke the kiss after a moment and chuckled lightly. It was a soft, sexy sound that made my already engorged arousal twitch in anticipation against his belly.
“And what do we have here?” he mused, and his hand dropped between us and his strong fingers encircled my penis.
“Idiot, you know what that is,” I retorted, my voice a bit breathy. My breath hitched audibly as he slowly ran his fist down my length. Gods, but he was good! The pressure was just right, enough to drive my lust through the ceiling, but not enough to really give me any satisfaction. It was a damn good thing he had an arm wrapped around my waist, or I might very well have ended up sliding under the water and drowning myself.
“Mm. . .you like that,” Rude commented. His voice was muffled against my shoulder. He was intermittently kissing and nipping at the skin there, and the sensations were driving my libido through the roof.
“Hell, yes!” I gasped as his teeth found their way to the juncture between my neck and shoulders. He nipped harder this time, and I knew he’d left a mark. The whole time his hand was slowly pumping my hardness with a light pressure that was never quite enough to give me any relief. “God, Rude! Quit teasing me!”
Rude laughed against my neck, and his hand tightened slightly. I gasped sharply and thrust upwards, trying to get more of that delicious friction.
“It’s called foreplay, idiot,” he informed me.
“I don’t want foreplay tonight,” I managed. “I’ve been watching you from afar for nearly ten years--that’s enough fucking foreplay!”
“Impatient as always,” Rude chided, but his tone was fond. “Fine. Just this once we’ll do it your way . . .but next time I get to worship you longer.”
I gave a very undignified “eep” when he suddenly stood and took me with him. His arms were tight around my waist and my feet were not touching the bottom of the tub at all. He shifted me, and the next thing I knew he was carrying me out of the tub like some sort of newlywed bride. I was speechless--I had always known that Rude was exceptionally strong, but he carried me like I was weightless.
“Dry off,” Rude commanded. He set me on my feet and handed me a towel. “You don’t need a cold on top of everything else you’ve suffered this week.”
“Bossy bastard,” I muttered, but did as I was told. By the time I’d finished, he was done drying himself off, and I was shivering so bad my teeth were starting to chatter.
Rude frowned at the clicking noises my teeth were making, and he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I made a happy noise and melded myself against him. He was so unbelievably warm!
“Bed, now,” he murmured, and before I could protest, he was carrying me again.
Someone had started a nice, roaring fire in the hearth in my room, and it was almost warm. Rude carried me to the bed and stood me on my feet.
“Are you sure you don’t want any more foreplay?” he asked with a smirk.
I stood on my toes and kissed him hard. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer, and both of us moaned as our arousals made contact and slid against one another.
“No more foreplay,” I whispered when I broke the kiss. “Please, Rude. I need you more than the air I’m breathing right now.”
Rude went still with my words, and for several moments all he did was gaze into my eyes. And then, he gave me a slow, heartfelt smile. It damn near made my heart stop, because Rude didn’t smile that often, and when he did, it was usually a sarcastic smile. But not this smile. This one was real, and I felt something suspiciously close to tears in my eyes when I realized I was probably the only person that would ever see that smile. That smile was mine, and mine alone.
“I love you,” Rude whispered, and then he was kissing me again.
I lost track of time after that. Rude and I stretched out on the bed, and for quite a while all we did was kiss and touch. I had said no more foreplay, but once I started to touch him, I couldn’t quite stop. His skin was surprisingly smooth, and beneath that I could feel his well-honed muscles flexing and quivering beneath my touch. He reciprocated everything I did, and I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the feel of his warm hands smoothing their way over my skin for quite some time.
I have no idea how much time passed before I heard the soft snapping sound of a tube of lubricant opening. I slowly opened my eyes and watched Rude slick his fingers before tossing the tube onto the bedside table. His eyes were intense as he gazed down at me.
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Make love to me,” I whispered.
He gently lifted one of my legs and wrapped it around his waist and then dipped his slicked fingers down to find my tight opening. I gasped as he circled it once, twice, and then gently slid a finger inside. It was almost enough to make me come right there, but I somehow managed to hold on and not embarrass myself. I groaned as his finger brushed across my prostate. The pleasure was almost painful in its intensity.
“Reno?”
“Gods, don’t stop!” I managed to gasp. “Come on, Rude! Give me everything!”
He gave me another finger, and then a third, and just when I thought I was going to go crazy with wanting, he withdrew his fingers and replaced them with the head of his thick arousal. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. I met his eyes, and the emotion I found there was almost overwhelming. He had said that he loved me, but he didn’t need to say it any more. It was so plain in his eyes that I found myself wondering how I’d missed it before now. It was humbling, and for once in my life, I didn’t have anything smart to say. So I said the only thing that seemed right at that moment.
“Love you, partner.”
Rude gave me that smile again, and then he was pushing inside. It hurt for a split second, and then he was sliding smoothly in. He stretched and filled me completely, and I moaned deep in my throat as his hardness lodged right against my prostate.
“Reno? Okay?”
“Oh, God, yes! Move, Rude! Please!” I was begging him now, but couldn’t bring myself to care. It felt too good, and I had wanted this for far too long to care about my pride anymore.
Rude obliged. He began to slowly rock his hips against me, and each thrust caused his arousal to caress that sensitive spot. I realized, sadly, that I was not going to last much longer. I could feel the orgasm building deep within, and I could tell it was going to be the most incredible thing I’d ever experienced.
“Close,” I managed to gasp out.
“Good,” Rude breathed into my ear. “Me, too.” He made a wicked little sound, and then I felt his hand wrap around my arousal. He slid his fist over my arousal once, and that was all it took. My vision went gray around the edges as the orgasm slammed into me. I cried out hoarsely as waves of pleasure washed through me, and the intensity of it made my eyes tear.
“Oh, yes!” Rude hissed, and his whole body tensed as he found his release.
“Oh, yes,” I repeated softly. I caught him as he collapsed on top of me and wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and planted a kiss against the flesh there. I closed my eyes and just held him and let the last aftershocks of pleasure wash over me.
Eventually he lifted himself up on his elbows and looked down at me. “Okay?”
“Fantastic,” I replied with a lazy grin. “Can we do that again?”
Rude laughed and pressed a kiss against my forehead. “How about sleep first?”
I thought about that for a minute, and decided that sleep seemed like a good idea. It really had been a long day, and there were several more days of our little vacation left.
“Sleep is good,” I finally replied. “But only if you stay here with me.”
“Idiot,” Rude growled. “Where else would I sleep after that?”
My grin was unrepentant. “Just making sure, man.”
“I don’t do one night stands,” Rude informed me. “You’re stuck with me.”
My grin grew a little wider. “Best news I’ve had all day.” I let the grin fade and reached up to lay a palm on the side of his face. “I love you, man.”
Rude answered me with a kiss.
*****
When I next woke, it was just barely dawn. The drapes were open on the floor to ceiling window in my room, and I could see that the morning sky was gray, and that there were thick, fat flakes of snow falling noiselessly outside. I watched them fall, and after a while, I felt a smile curl the corners of my lips.
“What’s that smile for?” Rude’s voice was fuzzy with sleep. He shifted closer and molded himself against my side and rested his head against my shoulder. His hand began to trace lazy patterns over my stomach.
“I’m happy,” I replied with a shrug.
“Good.”
I watched the snow fall some more, content to just lie there and revel in Rude’s soothing touch against my skin.
“Ne, Rude?”
“Mm?”
“Maybe snow isn’t so bad after all.”
“Oh, yeah?” He shifted so that he was propped up on an elbow and looking down at me.   His eyes glowed softly with mako in the morning light.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “’Cause it makes me think of you now.”
“Idiot,“ Rude whispered. I wasn’t offended in the least--his tone was far too affectionate.
“Yeah, but I’m your idiot,” I said.
“Lucky me,” Rude retorted.
I ignored the sarcasm. His lips against mine felt far too fine for me to even care.
OWARI
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Reflections on Snow