Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian ❯ Chapter 2

“Guardian”

Chapter 2

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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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After recovering from their encounter, the two men disentangled themselves from one another and cleaned up as best as they could. Cloud wiped at the drying evidence on his shirt and glanced at Reno with an amazed expression.

 

“How can you hold that much?” the blonde asked when he saw that Reno also had an impressive stain on his shirt.

 

The Turk zipped up his fly and chuckled, meeting Cloud's eyes and winking at him. “That's what happens when I'm deprived, yo.”

 

“Like I'm going to believe you're not getting enough sex,” scoffed the fighter. He tugged his cargo pants back up and fastened them.

 

“Not enough from you, baby.” Reno wiped off his shirt as well, thankful that the garment was white and thus wouldn't show the stain that badly. He could always cover it up with his blazer if he had to. Cloud, on the other hand, was wearing dark blue and the result of Reno's climax was quite visible on his sleeveless sweater.

 

The Turk regarded the blonde with a smug expression of satisfaction. He may as well have spray-painted “Reno wuz here” on Cloud's chest. He crossed the distance between them and slipped his arms around the blonde's waist, knowing he only had moments before Cloud recovered his wits and remembered what had prompted the encounter in the first place.

 

“Mmm, marked my territory good this time, yo.” Reno kissed him sensually, darting his tongue between the blonde's lips and flicking it against his. Cloud responded with a low groan, his body reacting despite being sated only moments ago. Reno was crafty enough not to resort to old tactics. Cloud might be muzzy-headed with the afterglow of sex but the Turk respected his wits enough to assume he'd adapted to certain techniques. Instead of trying to maneuver the blonde's hands into a favorable position for cuffing, Reno tried something else.

 

Reno's guess concerning the blonde's instincts were correct. He'd been unwillingly cuffed enough times by Reno in the past that he instinctively avoided putting his hands in a position that would leave him vulnerable. He slipped a hand into the open V at the top of Reno's shirt and explored his chest, while his other hand squeezed one of the redhead's ass cheeks. He was already getting hard again and he didn't even think of protesting when the redhead began to sink down to his knees with rather obvious intentions.

 

“Might want to lean back against the wall, baby,” Reno suggested as he popped the button of Cloud's pants open again and looked up at him. “I'm gonna suck the hell out of your cock.”

 

Cloud's breath caught in response to the promise and he twitched in his pants as a result. He obligingly leaned against the wall for support and stared down at Reno with glowing, eager eyes. Reno's hands stroked his hips and ran down his outer thighs and legs. The Turk nuzzled Cloud's crotch and the blonde licked his lips with anticipation. Reno closed his teeth over the pull-tab of the blonde's zipper and tugged his fly down with slow deliberation.

 

The action was so sexy that Cloud grunted with the effort to resist grabbing the Turk by the ponytail and shoving his cock into his mouth. Reno's hands were stroking his calves while he teasingly nuzzled the fighter's straining package and Cloud tilted his head back and closed his eyes, unknowingly giving Reno the opportunity he needed.

 

“Click-click!”

 

Cloud's eyes popped open as the sound reached his ears. Reno deftly rolled away from him and stood up. Cloud tried to take a step toward him but he was hobbled and he had to brace himself against the wall with his hands to keep from falling. He shot a confused look at the Turk, then looked down and saw the titanium cuffs binding his ankles above his sneakers.

 

“Goddammit, Reno!” Cloud gave him a furious glare, even as he flushed with embarrassment for having been duped yet again by the tricky redhead. His sword was still lying on the floor several feet away and Reno was backing away from him with a regretful little smile. “Come back here! I'm going to wipe the floor with your ass for this!”

 

“Gotta catch me first, yo,” Reno countered nonchalantly. “I know you'll break out of those, but by the time ya do I'll be gone.” He looked at the blonde's partially exposed erection and sighed. “Hate to run before I've had dessert, but I don't have time to fool around. Maybe another time, Blondie.” He winked at the fighter and turned to leave.

 

Cloud tried to hop after him. “The only thing that's happening the next time is going to be me kicking your ass!”

 

Reno paused and looked over his shoulder at him. “Why don't you hold off on that verdict until you call your pal Reeve, baby? I'm sure he'll give you the skinny on what's really going on and then you can relax, yo. Maybe you'll even apologize to me, who knows? Wish I didn't have to leave you like this, but I've got a job to do. See ya.”

 

Reno didn't waste any more time, knowing the restraints would only hold Cloud for so long. He hurried through the cave and out onto the paths, slowing only when he needed to catch his breath or watch his footing. Cloud's heartfelt curses rang in his ears as he made his way back down the mountain and he hoped Blondie would have the sense to call Tuesti when he got enough reception and ask him about the sample. Reeve wasn't obligated to keep the information from Cloud and it could simplify things a lot if he explained the situation to him.

 

~************************************~

 

Cloud swore violently and tucked himself back into his pants. He hopped over to his sword and sat down beside it, grumbling as he picked the weapon up. He began to pry at the thick links connecting the handcuffs with the blade. Reno had sounded pretty sincere when he advised him to call Reeve and ask about it. He would have asked what Reeve had to do with ShinRa collecting samples from Hojo's experiments, but then he remembered that the engineer still had ties with Rufus. In fact, Rufus was funding the WRO that Reeve was running, so it wasn't unlikely that he could tell him what ShinRa wanted with the tissue sample.

 

~Why couldn't Reno just tell me himself, though?~

 

Cloud hesitated in his efforts and grimaced as the answer came to him unbidden. Even if Reno had been willing to break confidentiality and give him details, he probably knew that Cloud would never believe him. For all the chemistry between the two of them, there had never been a solid foundation to build trust on.

 

~Maybe…maybe I should give the guy a chance. He's got his good qualities after all—I've seen that for myself. He doesn't just follow orders blindly.~

 

Still, the things Reno found immoral enough to object to were few and far between. He couldn't take the chance…he had to catch Reno and at least hold him until he could get some information. He wouldn't be able to get any reception while in the mountains, so he couldn't call Reeve to confirm Reno's claims until he got into town. Cloud resumed his efforts to break the cuffs hobbling his ankles, putting his full strength into it.

 

~************************************~

 

When Cloud made it back into town he ignored the looks he got from people that noticed the broken cuffs around his ankles. He raced to Fenrir, panting as he mounted the bike and revved the engine to life. He peeled out of town and swore when he spotted Reno in the distance, climbing into his helicopter. His chances of reaching the Turk before he got the aircraft off the ground were slim, but Cloud kicked his bike into gear and tried anyway.

 

He swore as the chopper ascended just as he was yards away and he skidded Fenrir to a halt and grimly watched it leave. Keeping his eyes on the retreating aircraft, he pulled his cellphone out and turned it on. He glanced down long enough to select Reeve's number and hit the speed dial and then he squinted up at the sky again at the helicopter.

 

“This is Reeve Tuesti,” answered a cultured voice after several rings.

 

“Reeve, it's Cloud. I need to ask you some questions and I want you to be straight with me.”

 

The other man was quiet for a moment. “Oo…kay. What's on your mind, Cloud?”

 

“I want to know why Reno of the Turks was in the Nibelheim reactor today, cutting a slice out of one of the test subjects that were still in there.”

 

~******************************************~

 

Reno was so sore by the time he got to his chopper and achieved liftoff that he had to search the first aid kit for some aspirin. The rough sex he'd had with Cloud and his trip back down the mountain had him aching to the point where he had to sit at an angle to keep pressure off his posterior. Once he'd safely gotten off the ground he looked out the window and spotted Cloud, who had just stopped his bike and was glaring up at him.

 

“Damn, he's fast,” Reno muttered. He must have just missed him. The Turk breathed a sigh of relief and called up Rufus through the chopper transmitter to let him know he'd gotten the sample. His next task would be to deliver it to Reeve at the WRO headquarters.

 

“Hey boss, it's Reno.”

 

Rufus excused himself to someone in the background and it took a moment for him to answer the redhead. “Reno, good. Did you get it?”

 

“Yeah, I got it all right,” answered Reno with a grin, not referring entirely to the sample. “Yo, I got it good.”

 

“Pardon?” Rufus's voice was politely confused.

 

“Nothing, Sir,” Reno quickly said, cursing his big mouth. “It woke up and attacked me is all. I had to put a few bullets into it.”

 

“Are you injured?”

 

Reno grimaced. “Just a little sore.”

 

~In my ass.~

 

“Good. Make the drop off and come see me when you're finished.”

 

Reno winced. He'd have to rush home first and change his clothes. Though Rufus had told him that he wouldn't interfere with any liaisons he had with Cloud and promised to give up his plans to recruit the blonde over to their side, Reno knew his sandy-haired lover was still jealous of Strife. If he walked into that office covered in Cloud's scent and wearing a cum-stained shirt, Rufus was bound to figure it out and Reno just didn't want to see that jealousy in his superior's gray eyes.

 

“Yes sir,” he answered lightly, “See you soon, yo.”

 

He ended the transmission and shifted in his seat, grunting when his tender backside throbbed. When he was almost to his destination, he felt his cell vibrate in his pocket and he yanked it out to peer at it. He had text message from Cloud. Reno sucked his teeth in thought, wondering if he was prepared for whatever it said. Deciding he couldn't stand not knowing, he opened the message and read it. A single word showed up on the screen.

 

“Sorry.”

 

A slow smile lifted the corners of Reno's mouth. For someone with such mad fighting skills, Cloud had a boyish shy streak. “Heh. Sometimes, you can be real cute, Blondie.” Whistling softly, Reno pocketed the device.

 

~****************************~

 

“Sorry it took me so long, boss,” Reno said as he walked into the President's office. “I had to take a quick shower and change after I got into town. I got some of that shit the thing was floating in on me and it stank.”

 

Rufus was standing at his window and he turned to face him. He examined the redhead with raised eyebrows. For once, Reno was wearing his uniform properly. His shirt was buttoned up to the collar, his blazer was properly zipped and he wore a tie. In contrast, his hair was hanging loose instead of tied back according to regulation. It was usually the other way around and the President found it very peculiar.

 

“Is today `opposite day', Reno?” Rufus inquired dryly. “I never got the memo.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Rufus eyed the Turk's suit meaningfully. “You're finally in uniform but your hair breaks regulation codes. I've been witness to some very odd spontaneous behavior from you before, but there's usually a reason behind it. This seems…random.”

 

Reno stayed as relaxed and casual as he could as he approached the desk. “Oh, that. My hair band snapped on the way here from my apartment, yo. I just wanted to see your reaction to me walking in here dressed like the other Turks.” He grinned at his lover and boss, hoping he wouldn't see through his charade. Rufus's eyes narrowed on him and he gulped.

 

The blonde saw the movement of Reno's Adam's apple and he knew for certain that something was off. “Come here,” Rufus said softly.

 

Reno gave him a sensual grin and pretended it was desire he heard in the man's voice…not suspicion. He obeyed and his tension rose when Rufus reached out and caught hold of his tie as soon as he was close enough.

 

“Don't like the tie or something?” Reno asked.

 

“I don't like lies,” corrected Rufus coolly. He loosened the redhead's tie and Reno didn't dare stop him. “You're hiding something and I suspect I'll find out what if I unbutton this shirt. Am I getting warm, Fox?”

 

Reno swallowed again and worked his mouth as his superior steadily undid the buttons of his shirt. “Well, you know how I said I was attacked at the reactor today?” The jig was up…Rufus was about to see Cloud's little territorial marks on him and there was no use lying to him.

 

Rufus paused and his steely eyes caught Reno's. “You said you were uninjured. Is that what you're trying to hide from me, Reno?” He frowned. “If you've been bitten or scratched you need to be examined. Those creatures in that reactor have Mako running through their veins and their saliva is likely laced with it as well.”

 

Reno felt a leaden ball of guilt in his stomach. Rufus was concerned for him, subtle though his expression of it might be. He wasn't the most affectionate man in the world but the redhead knew he genuinely loved him, and here he was lying to the man. “Okay look,” he said softly, “I did get bitten but it's not—”

 

“Let me see,” Rufus demanded, pulling Reno's shirt open and brushing his vivid red hair away from his shoulders.

 

Reno stammered in his attempt to finish telling Rufus that it wasn't the lab specimen that bit him. His throat and chest were exposed and the President's eyes roved over the pale, bared skin. When he saw the raspberry bruises and the human teeth marks on Reno's throat, Rufus frowned.

 

“Reno.”

 

“Yeah, boss?”

 

“Was this mutant a vampire?”

 

“Um…no Sir.”

 

“Then please tell me, why would necking be its attack technique?” Rufus's tone was sardonic.

 

“Actually, a wolf did that. You know…the blonde variety, yo.” Reno lowered his eyes and grimaced.

 

Rufus heaved a tired sigh. “I see. So am I to understand that you had an…encounter…with Strife?”

 

“Yeah, but it wasn't something I set up, yo,” the redhead answered defensively, “He just showed up at the reactor and helped me kill the freak I was getting the sample from. Uh, one thing kinda led to another.”

 

Rufus crossed his arms over his chest. “He just `showed up',” he repeated. “Just like that? Doesn't that sound a bit convenient to you?”

 

“I know what you're thinking,” Reno said, “and you're wrong. I didn't call him up and invite him on a freakin' date at the reactor, boss. He just showed up in town around the same time I did and I still don't know what the hell he was doing there!”

 

Rufus reigned in his jealousy and spoke softly to his agitated lover. “Calm down, Reno. I believe you. I just find it strange that he arrived in the reactor just when you were collecting the sample. I can't imagine Strife being opposed to the research plans we've made…if he even knows about them.”

 

“He didn't know about `em,” Reno confirmed. “He didn't know why I was cutting a piece out of the thing after we killed it but I think he drew his own conclusions, yo. He tried to stop me from taking the sample and we ended up fighting.”

 

“Fighting,” Rufus said dubiously, eyeing the markings on Reno's throat again.

 

The Turk gestured at his neck. “This happened after.”

 

The left corner of Rufus's mouth turned up subtly. “I know the value of makeup sex, so I won't ask for details. I suppose the encounter was what convinced him to stop interfering with your mission, or did you tell him about the project?”

 

“I told him it was classified and he'd have to ask Reeve if he wanted to know more about it,” Reno said truthfully. “You never said I could tell him so I didn't, yo.”

 

Rufus nodded. “Good. Now I have one other question for you. Why did you try to hide this from me?”

 

Reno shrugged and averted his gaze. “I wasn't sure how you'd react, yo. I know you said you were cool with me and Strife but…well…”

 

“I obviously haven't perfected control over my jealousy,” Rufus guessed with a wry smirk. “Reno, I meant what I said to you. You don't have to conceal it from me every time you have a tryst with him. I don't particularly want you to flaunt it, but I'll learn to accept it.”

 

Reno's tension faded and he gave the other man a crooked smile.

 

~************************************~

 

Cloud was confused. Reeve had explained everything to him and the blonde remembered Reno saying: “Maybe you'll even apologize to me, who knows?”

 

Guilt over drawing the worst conclusion gnawed at him—not because it was unfair to accuse the ShinRa company of foul deeds but because he he'd been unfair to Reno. True, the redhead had deceived him and cuffed his ankles to stall him, but if Cloud had given him the benefit of the doubt, he probably wouldn't have done that in the first place.

 

~I can't really be mad at the guy for being good at his job. He was just doing what it took to finish his assignment and avoid another fight.~

 

As he drove into Edge, he realized that Reno had never deliberately hurt him in order to subdue him. He could have stunned him with that rod of his or hit him over the head to knock him out, but outside of full-blown battles with him, Reno had always used the cuffing method. Was it just because he liked handcuffs so much, or could it be that he chose to use them because he didn't want to hurt him?

 

~Knowing him, it's probably a little of both…the kinky bastard.~

 

Cloud snorted at the thought. Reno's sexuality definitely wasn't the average garden variety. Not only did Reno have a habit of cuffing and screwing him whenever he got the opportunity, but the guy had three lovers! Two of them were his superiors and the other was his work partner. As far as Cloud knew, he was the only other man Reno was sleeping with besides Rufus, Rude and Tseng. Cloud had gotten used to the idea that he was sharing Reno with those guys but the thought of him sleeping with anyone else outside of that circle bothered the blonde.

 

“That doesn't make any damned sense,” Cloud grumbled to himself. “How can I be okay with him fucking Rufus Shinra and the Turks, but jealous at the thought of him screwing anyone else?”

 

Fortunately, the golden-haired fighter had no idea of how similar his thoughts were to Rufus Shinra's.

 

~****************************************~

 

Cloud went to the house to have a shower and change clothes first. Nobody else was at home because it was business hours at the bar and Marlene and Denzel were away visiting Barret in Corel. After he got cleaned up and changed, he ate a quick meal and watched the evening news. He kept reaching for his cellphone and then abruptly changing his mind. He wanted to call Reno but at the same time, he didn't. He'd never gotten an answering text message for the brief apology he'd sent.

 

The Turk wasn't normally the sort of guy to hold a grudge but Cloud wondered if he'd finally insulted him one too many times. When he thought about it, he couldn't count how many times he'd called Reno an asshole, a liar, untrustworthy, etcetera…but Reno always laughed it off and never took it personally. Maybe he was starting to, though. Reno never had a problem apologizing to Cloud when he did something to piss him off, but the blonde realized he hardly ever bothered apologizing to the redhead…and he'd said plenty of hurtful things to the man. Maybe a one-word text apology wasn't enough.

 

Sighing, Cloud decided he needed a beer and a friendly face. He turned the TV off and locked up the house before going to the bar to see Tifa.

 

~*************************************~

 

Seventh Heaven was busy when Cloud walked in. He made his way to the bar and Tifa spotted him and tossed him a smile, holding up one finger to signal that she'd be with him in a minute. He leaned against the counter and waited, looking around for a seat. He couldn't see any available from his viewpoint, but he could have a more thorough look after he got his drink.

 

After mixing a drink for a customer, Tifa made her way to Cloud. “How was Nibelheim?” she asked carefully. She couldn't always bring herself to go with him when he made his yearly trips there and she admired him for enduring it without fail.

 

Cloud shrugged. “Pretty much the same. There's a new shop in town but that's all I noticed different.”

 

“I'm sorry I didn't go this time,” Tifa said in a low-pitched voice. Her brown eyes reflected sorrow and loss.

 

Cloud reached out and squeezer her hand. “It's okay. I know how hard it is.”

 

She sighed and nodded, putting her emotions in check. “So, what will it be tonight, beer or a mixed drink?”

 

“Beer,” he answered. “At least to start out with.”

 

Tifa went to the cooler and selected his favorite beer. He noticed a tense look on her face as she handed it to him and he assumed it was because her mind was on the Nibelheim tragedy. “Are there any seats available anywhere?” he asked, choosing not to comment on the tension he could sense.

 

“There's one,” she said reluctantly, gesturing vaguely over her shoulder and to the left. “At a table in the back corner. Um…someone saved it for you.”

 

Cloud frowned at her. “Who?”

 

She grimaced. “Reno. He showed up about twenty minutes ago and said he knew you'd end up coming here. Cloud, is he having you watched?”

 

The blonde flushed and his heart rate picked up annoyingly. Reno must have flown straight there after he finished his assignment. Just when he thought he was starting to understand the man, he pulled a surprise on him.

 

“No, I don't think so,” he answered. His cerulean eyes scanned the floor, seeking a familiar shock of cinnamon colored hair. There were too many people in the way for him to spot him. He turned his attention back to Tifa. “Don't worry, Reno just has a knack for guesses.”

 

Tifa almost asked him what Reno wanted with him, but then she remembered the one-night stand Cloud had with the Turk months ago. If the faint blush on his fair face was any indication, the blonde had more than one encounter with Reno since then. She suspected that one of those encounters took place the night they ran into Reno at the festival in Kalm, but she didn't want to embarrass Cloud.

 

“Just be careful with him, okay Cloud?” She murmured. She wasn't about to tell him whom he could sleep with and to be fair, Reno was a fox…but she didn't want Cloud losing his head and winding up hurt.

 

The blonde's flush deepened in response to her words and her knowing look. “I know what I'm doing,” he mumbled.

 

“I'm sure you do,” Tifa shrugged. “But as your friend, I'm obligated to lecture you.”

 

Cloud chuckled and left the bar to make his way to the back of the room. He finally spotted the vivid head of hair he'd been searching for and his pulse quickened again. Reno was relaxing at the two-seater table, absently spinning a coin between his long fingers and over his knuckles as he nursed an orange-red drink.

 

His hair was hanging loose down his back and for the first time Cloud had ever seen, his Turk uniform was done up professionally. His dark-shaded goggles were the only things that weren't different from his usual appearance; they sat comfortably at the top of his head as usual. Cloud stared at him, fascinated with the new look and mesmerized by the way his hand deftly made the coin dance.

 

Reno seemed to sense his presence and the redhead slowly looked up and met his eyes. A sensual smile curved his lips and he caught the coin between his thumb and index finger. “Hey, Blondie. Have a seat, yo.”

 

Cloud pulled the chair out on the opposite side of the table and sat down, taking a swig of his beer before setting it on the table. His eyes were glued to the Turk and he couldn't make them look elsewhere no matter how hard he tried.

 

Reno was watching him with a sly expression on his pale, sculpted features. “Apology accepted, man.”

 

Cloud didn't immediately comprehend the words. “Huh? Oh…right.” He bit his lip and blushed deeper, finally tearing his eyes off the Turk. He heard a soft, sexy laugh from the slim redhead and he glanced at him covertly to find him devouring him with his eyes.

 

“You're so fucking cute, Cloud.” Reno sipped his drink and chuckled into it when the blonde muttered a soft, embarrassed denial. “You are. Deal with it. Anyhow, I guess your little text message to me means ya talked to Reeve, right? Did he tell ya what's going on?”

 

“Yeah,” Cloud admitted, taking another deep swig of his beer. It was already half-gone and he felt a burp rising. He turned his head and covered his mouth as it erupted. “'Scuse me.”

 

“There ain't no excuse for you,” Reno teased.

 

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So you flew all the way here just to tell me you accept my apology?”

 

Reno shrugged casually and bounced the coin he'd been playing with off the table and into the empty shot glass near his drink. “Just wanted to hang out with ya for a while, if that's all right. How about a game of shots, man?”

 

Cloud considered the redhead thoughtfully. He'd secretly wanted the chance to do something just like this, for the longest time. It was refreshing to him that Reno also wanted a more normalized experience with him. “I guess we could do that.”

 

“Cool.” Reno motioned for one of the barmaids and ordered another beer for Cloud, a drink refill for himself and a couple of shots of whiskey. “It's on me, yo,” the redhead said to Cloud with a wink.

 

“So how did you know I'd be here anyway?” Cloud asked suspiciously.

 

Reno clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “It wasn't rocket science, Strife. For one thing, ya brood like nobody I ever met. For another thing, there's no place better than a bar to get your brooding on. Finally, what's a better bar to brood at then the one being run by your little lady friend?”

 

The fighter couldn't really argue any of those points. He finished his beer and motioned with the empty bottle to Reno's attire. “So what's with the professional look? Or should I say `semi-professional', since your hair isn't pulled back.”

 

Reno's long, tourmaline eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned forward. “You don't remember?” He whispered, “I got bitten by a wolf I was playing with today, man. He got a little too frisky, yo.”

 

The memory of fucking Reno against the cavern wall and biting him on the neck rushed back to Cloud and he shifted in his seat. “Afraid of people seeing it?” he challenged, trying to conceal the sudden rush of desire he felt.

 

Reno's eyes flashed with lusty amusement. “Hell no, I'll stand up and announce it to the whole bar, if you want me to.” Then, to Cloud's horror, the redhead began to rise from his seat. “Yo, I've got something to say,” Reno hollered as the blonde tried to grab his arm and force him back down. He avoided Cloud's reaching hand and grinned.

 

“Reno, cut it out!” Cloud hissed as people looked at the Turk curiously.

 

“Can't,” Reno shot back with a wink, “ya gave me a challenge, goldilocks. What's the point of marking your territory if nobody sees it, yo?”

 

“Reno- sit-the-fuck-back-down-right-now!” Cloud's words came out in a jumbled rush and his wide blue eyes flicked from Reno to the crowd of people looking at him.

 

Reno pointed at the blushing blonde. “This guy here—mph!”

 

Cloud had jumped up as soon as he started talking and he grabbed Reno around the waist with one arm and clamped his free hand over his mouth to muffle his announcement. The Turk snickered behind the fighter's hand and tried to tear it away from his mouth.

 

He managed to pry Cloud's hand away for a second. “See, he's a really good—mph!”

 

People were mumbling and some were chuckling as Cloud wrestled his hand over Reno's mouth again and hissed at him to shut up. The blonde looked at the crowd and he spotted Tifa staring from behind the bar. The brunette had her eyebrows raised and she looked like she was torn between amusement and annoyance.

 

“Mechanic,” Cloud finished desperately. “Uh…just a little business talk, right Reno?”

 

Reno shook his head and yanked Cloud's hand away from his mouth again. “Nah, he's a really good fu—“ The hand clamped down on his mouth again, this time with bruising force.

 

“Okay, I take it back,” whispered Cloud into the Turk's ear, “you've made your point!”

 

“Vhuphll fa gif mph `f vi fuf uf?” Reno mumbled.

 

Cloud couldn't understand the muffled question. He looked at the audience sternly. “Just go back to what you were doing. Sorry about the interruption.”

 

It took a moment for them to comply, but most of the patrons knew who he was and what he could do—despite his youthful, fair countenance. Most of them turned their attention elsewhere and Cloud blew a sigh of relief.

 

“Now, what did you say?” Cloud murmured in Reno's ear as he loosened his hold over his mouth, “and don't holler.”

 

“I said; `what'll ya give me if I shut up?'” Reno purred, pressing his bottom against Cloud's pelvis.

 

Cloud swallowed and his groin began to swell in his pants. “I'll give you a hand job later if you cut it out,” he promised, blushing furiously.

 

“Mmm, nice bargain yo,” Reno murmured. “Ya got yourself a deal, babe.”

 

Cloud released him and quickly sat back down. Thankfully the barmaid returned with their drinks and Cloud started chugging his beer immediately, trying to ignore the smirk Reno shot at him as he sat back down, too.

 

“So Cloud, I hear ya dressed in drag a few years back to infiltrate Corneo's mansion,” Reno said conversationally as he positioned the empty shot glass and started making calculations with the coin. “Any truth to that?”

 

Cloud's sapphire gaze was startled and the flush already present in his cheeks spread down his face, to his neck and even to his ears. “That was…I was trying to…how did you hear about that?!”

 

Reno had to pause in sipping his drink as he shook with soft laughter. “So it's true? Man, I'd like to see that! Never thought you'd be the type, yo.” He controlled his laughter for long enough to bounce the coin on the table and into the glass. “Take a shot, man.”

 

Cloud grumbled and grabbed his shot and Reno motioned for one of the barmaids while he downed it. “Hey doll, just bring us a whole bottle, would ya? Otherwise we'll be running you all night long.” He winked at the barmaid while Cloud gaped and she blushed and hurried to comply.

 

“You flirt with everyone, don't you?” Cloud said, grimacing as the liquor burned his throat.

 

“It's my nature, Blondie,” Reno answered with a shrug. “Don't get yourself worked up though—I only fuck guys and you're the only one I'm doing outside the inner circle, yo. Your turn.” The redhead slid the glass with the coin in it over to the blonde.

 

Cloud sighed and rinsed down the shot with a swig of beer. “So it's just me, Rufus, Tseng and Rude?” he questioned as he fished the coin out of the glass and took aim. He pressed his lips together and he flushed again when Reno gave him a bright, knowing look.

 

“Jealous, baby?” The Turk studied him with interest.

 

“No,” Cloud insisted. “I mean, I knew you were with Rufus and the others. I can handle that.”

 

“Soooo, the thought of me with someone other than you or them bothers you?” Reno persisted. His eyes were narrowed and thoughtful, even as his lips were curving into a sexy smirk.

 

“I don't have the right to be jealous,” Cloud said as casually as he could.

 

“That ain't what I asked ya, Blondie.”

 

“Hey look, here comes the barmaid with our liquor,” the fighter said evasively. He bounced the coin but he was so flustered his aim sucked. It struck the rim of the glass and failed to go in.

 

“Hmm, you missed,” observed Reno. He thanked the barmaid as she set the bottle of whiskey on the table and took away their empty bottles and glasses. “My turn again, yo. Did I get under your skin, Cloud?”

 

“No,” the blonde lied. He tried to calm his agitation, tried to regain control of his cool and his raging blush factor.

 

“I think I did, just a little,” Reno said with a smug glance at him. The Turk got the coin into the glass again and poured another shot for the blonde. “Drink up, baby.”

 

Cloud grumbled again and poured the shot into his mouth.

 

“Ya know, you've got more in common with Rufus than you think, yo.”

 

Cloud spontaneously choked and turned to the side just in time to spray his mouthful of whiskey all over the wall. “You did NOT just say that,” he coughed as he wiped his mouth on his arm.

 

“Sure I did,” Reno chuckled. “Here, use this.” He pulled a couple of napkins out of the holder on the table and handed them over to him.

 

Cloud wiped his mouth and gave the redhead an exasperated look. “Okay, I'll bite. What exactly is it you think I've got in common with Rufus, besides you?”

 

“First admit you can't stand the thought of me fucking anyone outside of the four of you and then I'll answer your question, yo.” Reno was smiling at him in a way Cloud hadn't seen him smile since they'd first met. There was something dark and dangerous about that smile.

 

“Why does it matter?” Cloud argued angrily.

 

“'Cause I wanna know if I'm right. Start wagging that talented tongue of yours, Blondie.” His expression…changed. He wasn't teasing anymore—he was dead serious.

 

Cloud had no idea why it mattered so much to Reno how he felt about who he slept with. He didn't want to let it ruin what had started turning into a pretty decent night, so he took the plunge and sighed. “Fine, have it your way. I do hate the thought of you being with someone else. Doesn't mean I think I've got a say in it, though.”

 

Reno's serious expression relaxed. “Mm-hmm,” he hummed in satisfaction. He slid the coin glass back over to Cloud.

 

The blonde raised an eyebrow. “What?”

 

Reno sipped his cocktail and nodded at the shot glass. “Take your shot, Strife. I'm thirsty.”

 

“You're already drinking,” Cloud pointed out.

 

“Not the whiskey. Hurry up, already, yo.”

 

Cloud sighed and took aim. This time, he got the coin into the glass. “There, now drink and tell me what the hell you're talking about.”

 

“Touchy,” Reno chuckled. He downed his shot and shivered. “Alright, I'll tell ya. For one thing, you and Rufus have the same selective jealousy when it comes to me, yo.”

 

Cloud worked that over in his head and grimaced. “So Rufus doesn't have a problem with you and I anymore…is that what you're saying?”

 

“Yup,” Reno confirmed as he reached for the glass and pulled it back over to his side of the table. “But if I slept with another outsider he'd make me pay for it, get it?”

 

“Well I'd never—“

 

“Doesn't matter,” Reno interrupted with a grin. “The point is, you've got the same hang-ups as him when it comes to me.”

 

Cloud scowled, disliking being compared to the President for any reason…even if he could totally empathize with Rufus Shinra's feelings about sharing Reno with only a select few people. “So what else do you think I've got in common with him?”

 

Reno's smile grew and he leaned over the table and cupped the back of Cloud's head, putting his mouth close to the fighter's ear. “Ya both fuck like beasts,” he purred lasciviously, capturing Cloud's earring between his teeth and tugging lightly on it. “Nobody else makes me beg and scream like you two, baby. Sometimes I don't even know if I can take it, yo.”

 

Cloud's eyes shut and his body went hot with lust. Reno's tongue traced the shell of his ear briefly and Cloud's body reacted so strongly that the top button of his pants popped right off. Reno backed off with a smug look in his eyes and sat down in his seat. To any onlookers, it appeared that the Turk simply whispered something in the blonde's ear.

 

“Seriously Cloud…if they could harness that kind of thrust, the space program would have had a dozen successful launches by now, yo.” He winked conspiratively at the blonde, enjoying the burning flame of lust in his eyes and the way his breath caught. He scored another dunk in the shot glass and he jerked his chin at the whisky bottle and kept his eyes on the blonde.

 

Cloud knew that Reno had whispered the erotic comments into his ear just to get a reaction out of him…not to keep anyone from overhearing. He tore his carnal gaze off of the redhead and clenched his jaw, forcing his libido down as he poured a shot and downed it.

 

~So what if Rufus and I both give it to him rough? I'm nothing like that asshole and I don't care what Reno says.~

 

“So, back to the cross-dressing incident,” Reno prompted as he passed the coin glass back to Cloud. “What happened with that, yo? I know you didn't let that disgusting creep—”

“Hell no!” Cloud denied fervently. He pitched his voice lower and leaned closer to Reno. “Look, I only did it to get Tifa out of there. That was how we found out about…about the plans for Sector seven. You know that part, though.”

 

Reno's ginger lashes lowered and he turned his cocktail glass slowly with his fingers. “Yeah, I know about that part,” he murmured.

 

Cloud's alcohol softened heart suddenly went out to him. He'd known for some time now that Reno carried some remorse for his part in that incident. That he was just following orders wasn't enough to redeem the redhead, but his regret over it made it harder to hold a grudge against him.

 

Thinking it was better to avoid the subject, Cloud bounced the coin into the glass and poured Reno another shot. “Gotcha,” he said with a crooked smile.

 

Reno lifted the shot and returned the smile. “Cheers, Blondie.”

 

~*************************~

 

Cloud never got the chance that night to give Reno the hand job he promised him in exchange for shutting up. They got caught up in the drinking game and talking about their different experiences and both of them forgot about the compromise. Only a few patrons were left in the bar by the time the bottle that Reno had purchased was three-fourths empty.

 

Reno was entertaining Cloud with the story of his and Rude's first assignment together. “…So Rude says, `Yeah…well, the Turks don't compromise with punks that kidnap our own, man.' The next fucking thing I know, everyone's reaching for guns, yo.”

 

Cloud found the story inappropriately funny…especially the description of everyone's reaction when Rude abruptly shot the guy in the head for hitting Cissnei. He laughed as Reno described the shootout and the bomb going off in the house. “So did you guys get in trouble for being so extreme about it?” He asked when Reno finished.

 

“Almost,” Reno admitted with a nod. “The Prez didn't like us drawing attention to the orga…organization,” he stumbled on the word and covered his mouth on a burp. “But as soon as he found out we brought all the ranshom money back, he was cool.”

 

“Did you just say `ranshom'?” Cloud asked with a smile.

 

Reno's brows drew down. “Nah, I said ranshom…er…ran…ransom. Ya know what I meant.” He waved a hand negligently and smirked. “Anyhow, Rufush was happy with the way things turned out. He liked…um…ya know…he liked…”

 

“Violence?” suggested Cloud dryly, choosing not to call attention to Reno's referral to Rufus as “Rufush”.

 

“No, man,” Reno countered with a huff. “He liked showing people whose boss, yo. His old man liked to use his money but Rufush uses his balls.”

 

Cloud snickered helplessly at Reno's inadvertent pun. “Balls, huh? There's a picture I could have lived without.” Cloud tried to control his laughter as he took aim with the coin.

 

Reno stared at him for a moment and then it clicked. He joined Cloud in the laughter, sucking in gulps of air as his sides began to ache. “Oh fuck,” the redhead guffawed, “I think I cracked a rib, yo! Okay, okay…we gotta stop, man.”

 

There was a “clink” as Cloud bounced the coin into the glass. “Bottom's up,” he said with a smirk at the redhead. His aim wasn't perfect as he poured the shot and he sloshed a little whiskey on the table. Reno took it and swallowed it gamely.

 

“Yo, am I ever gonna get to see you in that *hic* dress, Cloud?” Reno asked as he peered blearily at the shot glass and tried to aim the coin.

 

Cloud looked around with faint alarm. “Shhh,” he shushed sloppily, accidentally blowing a little spittle on the finger he put to his lips. “I don't want that shit advertised! And no, you're never gonna see me in a dress. That was a one-time thing I want to forget about.”

 

“Awww,” Reno pouted. “I'll bet you were cute, yo. Damn, is there a train going by or something? This glass ain't holding still.”

 

Cloud chuckled. He wasn't terribly steady on his feet either but Reno was getting pretty trashed. “It's not a train…you're just drunk. And why would you wanna see me dressed like a girl anyhow? You said yourself you only like guys.”

 

“Never said I wouldn't go for a hot blonde guy in a dress,” countered the redhead with a wink. He kept aiming the coin, closing one eye in an attempt to focus on the glass better.

 

“Then ask Rufus to put a dress on,” Cloud suggested.

 

Reno barked a laugh and slapped the table. “Yo, he'd shoot me for even suggeshting it!” He and Cloud laughed together again, neither of them noticing Tifa looking impatiently at the clock on the wall.

 

“Alrighty, here I go,” Reno slurred after getting his laughter back under control. He chucked the coin with inordinate clumsiness and it ricocheted off the table and popped Cloud in the forehead, just above the small scar in his left eyebrow.

 

“OW, SHIT!” Cloud yelled as he slapped a hand over the spot.

 

Reno realized what he'd done and he lurched out of the chair and rounded the table to grab the blonde's head. “Aw, sorry baby…you okay?” He pushed Cloud's head against his chest and stroked his hair with rough, bungling motions. “Lemme look at it.”

 

“Remo, you'rf smoverink me,” Cloud mumbled against the Turk's chest.

 

Tifa decided it was time for an intervention and she came out from behind the bar and closed the distance. “Okay guys, you may not have noticed but the bar is cleared out and it's closing time. Time to go home.” She moved around to Cloud's other side and eased Reno's hand away from his head. “Let me have a look.”

 

“I'm fine,” Cloud huffed when he pulled free of Reno's embrace. “Both of you quit fussing!”

 

Reno winced when he saw the little red welt on the blonde's forehead. Tifa examined it and clicked her tongue. “It's just a scratch. Put some ice on it when you get home.”

 

“Guess it's time for me to head out, yo,” Reno said softly. “Sorry I pinged ya, man.”

 

“You're not flying in your condition,” Cloud said with a stern look up at the Turk.

 

“I booked a room at the hotel,” Reno informed him. “I'll be all right, Blondie.”

 

“Then I'm making sure you get there okay,” Cloud muttered stubbornly.

 

Reno stumbled and barely caught himself on the table. Tifa sighed at him and looked at Cloud, knowing he probably wasn't going to make it home tonight if he was seeing Reno to his hotel. “I'll call a cab for you. Be careful, Cloud. I'll see you sometime tomorrow.” She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and went to work on helping her barmaids clean up.

 

Reno looked at the brunette and felt a sudden, unreasonable burst of jealousy toward her. It was stupid…he knew they were just friends but seeing the easy affection she showed for Cloud made him realize he was missing out on something special. He blamed it on the liquor and tried to take a step away from the table.

 

That was a mistake. Reno tripped over his own feet and if Cloud hadn't seen him going down and lunged out of his chair to catch him, he would have ended up sprawled on the floor.

 

“Easy, I've got you,” Cloud murmured as Reno swore and shook his head in an effort to clear it. “Come on Reno, let's get you to your hotel.”

 

~*****************************~

 

-To be continued