Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian ❯ Chapter 5

“Guardian”

Chapter 5

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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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The Turks visited often, usually every two days each. Rufus was so busy that he could only make it over on the weekends—which incidentally suited Cloud just fine. He kept telling himself that he should try to get over the things Rufus had done in the past, because as much as he wanted to deny it, he was beginning to see a different side to the man. He always brought a book with him and he'd read to Reno for hours. He didn't speak to Reno as if he were a sick person, either. One day, three weeks after he found Reno in the forests of Healin, Cloud decided to try and see what Reno saw in Rufus. The president had stayed the night and he was already up and reading a book to Reno when Cloud heated up the redhead's breakfast and brought it to the room.

 

“Do you want to try feeding him?” Cloud offered when Rufus eyed the jar of baby food and the spoon he was carrying. He expected Rufus to refuse, but the president nodded quietly and set his book aside to get into the bed with Reno.

 

“Like so?” Rufus inquired as he lifted Reno's upper body and embraced him from behind to support him.

 

“Yeah, that's right. Here, I'll put the jar on the nightstand. He slops a little so you might have to use the napkin a few times.” Cloud handed the spoon over and set the jar down. He could have left Rufus and Reno alone but he was frankly curious to see how the sandy-blonde president would handle feeding the Turk.

 

Rufus scooped up a spoonful of the baby food and brought it to Reno's lips, whispering for him to open his mouth. He didn't do it immediately and Rufus did something that Cloud never would have thought of: he kissed him on the lips. Cloud's shock over Rufus finally displaying affection in front of him was over-ridden by his shock that it worked. Reno's lips parted and Rufus slipped the spoon in. Reno swallowed it and Rufus scooped up more baby food and fed it to him.

 

This time, Reno spit it back out but Rufus patiently wiped his chin off and murmured: “That's all right, Fox. We'll try again.” He scooped up another spoonful and fed it to him carefully. After a while, Rufus noticed the look Cloud was giving him and he paused in his task. “Is there something on your mind, Cloud?”

 

“I think I'm starting to see it,” answered the golden-haired fighter with an odd little smirk.

 

Rufus frowned at him. “Oh? What are you starting to see?”

 

Cloud flushed, unwilling to answer. It was subtle…much harder to spot in Rufus than in others, but it was there. He was starting to see the man through Reno's eyes and he could finally understand what drew the Turk to him. Rufus was handsome, sexy, strong-willed, determined and authoritative. What most people didn't know was that he was also fiercely loyal to his people and he could be loving and patient when the situation demanded it.

 

Rufus fed Reno another spoonful. “I'm waiting, Strife. I'm interested to know what it is you're talking about.”

 

“Maybe I'm starting to see a human being when I look at you,” Cloud finally murmured, flushing deeper.

 

“Ah, that,” Rufus said dryly, “Reno does tend to bring out the worst in me.”

 

Cloud smiled a little in spite of himself.

 

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

 

More time passed…several months, in fact. Tifa kept Reno's hair trimmed but the roots grew out and by the time summer came again, he was back to his natural auburn color except for the tips of his long hair. Cloud liked his natural color but it made him seem less like the Reno he knew. His facial hair never grew, either. In many respects, he was now like Cloud; the Mako had altered his body but it was impossible to tell just how much until the day he woke up…if he ever did.

 

He did daily exercises with Reno, helping to keep his muscles and tendons loose and stop them from deteriorating. The Turk had lost some weight but it wasn't excessive, thanks to Cloud and Tifa staying on top of keeping him well-fed and exercised. Rude and Tseng were always easy to be around but Elena tended to get on his nerves and he still held a grudge against the president. With time, Cloud was able to get along with Rufus more than he thought possible. One weekend Rufus surprised him by trying to give him a wad of money.

 

“What's this for?” Cloud asked as he stared at the gil in Rufus's hand.

 

“I've noticed that your business is suffering, since you've been taking care of Reno. I'm offering you compensation to make up for the money you've lost.” Rufus patiently held out the gil and waited.

 

“I don't want your money,” Cloud stubbornly said.

 

“Look Cloud, I understand as much as the next man that you've got your pride,” reasoned the other blonde, “but your bills still need to be paid and there's the additional cost of Reno's medication and food. Surely you don't expect for Tifa to take up all of the slack?”

 

Cloud narrowed his eyes. Rufus made some good points but he didn't want to be a charity case. “I'll take the money to pay for Reno's needs,” he finally said with reluctance.

 

“Good enough,” Rufus nodded. Their fingers brushed as he handed the gil over and for a moment, their eyes locked. Rufus felt a swell of warmth and desire for the fighter, but he wasn't foolish enough to act on it. No matter how appealing the thought of seeking comfort in Strife's arms was, Rufus wasn't about to push for it.

 

~If Strife wants my comfort, he'll come to me for it himself. I've learned my lesson.~

 

“Uh, thanks,” Cloud said softly, lowering his bright eyes in an endearing way.

 

Rufus smiled subtly. “You're quite welcome.”

 

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

 

Later that week, Reno opened his eyes for the first time since he fell into the Mako stream. Rufus was undressing him for his bath and the president froze when Reno's ginger lashes fluttered open. He was shocked senseless when the redhead's eyes opened and stared blankly at the ceiling. They were glowing a vivid color, with a darker blue band surrounding a vivid green…not the gentle sea green that Rufus was used to.

 

“Strife, get in here,” Rufus ordered as calmly as he could. He brushed Reno's bangs away from his eyes and stared at the shocking aqua color of his irises.

 

Cloud hurried in from the hallway and he saw how pale Rufus was. “What's wrong?”

 

“His eyes,” Rufus murmured. “They're open. He isn't looking at me, but…why are they so bright?”

 

Cloud looked at Reno's dilated eyes and he sighed. “It's the Mako. He's not really awake yet but this is a pretty good sign.”

 

“Will they stay that way?” Rufus was genuinely concerned and his body was tense as he gazed down at the Turk.

 

“Maybe not,” Cloud answered uncertainly. “The Mako glow stays with Soldiers because they're infused over time until it's part of them. Reno was exposed to high amounts but this was natural Mako, not concentrated shit pumped into him. Plus, he wasn't exposed to it over a period of months like Soldiers are. The glow might fade or it might stay with him for the rest of his life.”

 

Rufus closed his eyes. “Will he go blind from it?”

 

“No,” Cloud answered, “at least, I'm pretty sure he won't. I've never heard of Mako poisoning making anyone lose their sight.” Reno's eyes closed again and the redhead's body strained in one of his spasms, prompting Cloud to comb his fingers through his hair and whisper soothingly to him. He looked up at Rufus again to see that the other blonde had his hands clenched into fists.

 

“Hey, maybe we should take a time out and have a couple of beers,” he suggested. He wasn't about to insult the man by saying it out loud but Rufus looked like hell. He'd never seen the guy so stressed and any doubts he might have had concerning the president's feelings for Reno were laid to rest.

 

“He needs his bath,” Rufus murmured softly, his gray eyes going to Reno.

 

“He can get it later,” Cloud insisted. “He's not going to mind and we need to take a break now and then.”

 

Rufus sighed and nodded slowly.

 

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

 

“So, how did you and Reno meet anyway?” Cloud handed a beer to Rufus and sat down beside him on the couch. The kids were out visiting friends for the day and Tifa was at the bar, so they were alone in the house with Reno.

 

Rufus recalled the first time he'd seen Reno and he smirked. “He used to own a mechanic shop in the slums of Midgar. Would you believe I broke down a few blocks away from it one day, while surveying that part of town for reconstruction plans?”

 

Having seen his share of strange and ironic things in his life, Cloud nodded and sipped his beer. “So you went to his shop for help?”

 

“Yes—or rather, he saw me broken down and he ran over to me and offered to have a look at my car. I remember looking up and seeing this gorgeous creature jogging across the street toward me, with his shirt hanging open. Needless to say, it made a lasting impression.”

 

Cloud smirked, easily imagining the sight of Reno running around with his shirt hanging open. “I'll bet it did. So did you offer him a job in your company right away or what?”

 

“No, he joined the Turks later,” answered Rufus after taking a couple of swallows of beer. “I wasn't certain at first that he was suited to the job, so I merely kept in touch with him at first and watched over him.”

 

“'Watched over him', eh?” Cloud rolled his eyes. “You mean you spied on him.”

 

“Call it what you will,” Rufus said without concern. “I was immediately charmed by him and I assured myself that he wasn't in any sort of trouble. I admitted as much to him, in fact. He didn't mind.”

 

No, Reno probably wouldn't have minded. The redhead was a strange person and things that would piss off other guys hardly fazed him. “So what made you decide he was Turk material?”

 

Rufus laughed suddenly. He covered his mouth when the unexpected laugh made him choke a little on his beer. “Ah, pardon me. That's one memory I never grow tired of. Tseng and I recruited him into the Turks after he stole one of the company helicopters.”

 

Cloud blinked and grinned. “Seriously? Did he know it was ShinRa property?”

 

“No,” Rufus chuckled, “and I'll never forget the look on his face when he found out. He thought I was going to have him locked up for life, but I offered him a job instead. He's been a Turk ever since.”

 

Cloud couldn't contain his laugh. Leave it to Reno to get caught steeling something and end up getting hired instead of thrown in jail over it. “He's got the strangest luck of anyone I've ever met,” the blonde fighter said, shaking his head. He finished his beer and got up to get another one. “Are you ready for another?”

 

Rufus looked at his half-finished beer with an ironic expression. “I'm afraid I don't drink as quickly as you, but thank you.”

 

“Maybe you should drink a little faster,” Cloud suggested. “You might sleep better tonight with a few under your belt.”

 

“So you want me drunk, is that it?” Rufus was smiling crookedly at him and Cloud paused, admiring the sexy smirk without meaning to.

 

“Maybe just a little buzzed,” the fighter said evasively. He didn't want to get too comfortable around Rufus Shinra. The lumpy couch wasn't the most comfortable bed in the world and Cloud knew that the president didn't sleep well on the weekends he spent visiting Reno.

 

“I'll try to drink a bit faster,” Rufus promised, “though I can't guarantee I'll polish them off as quickly as you do.”

 

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

 

Cloud gave Reno his bath after having another couple of beers with Rufus. They often took turns with the task when Rufus or any of the male Turks visited, which Cloud oddly didn't mind. He couldn't understand why he wasn't jealous. He remembered Reno saying that he and Rufus had more in common than Cloud thought and he remembered how offended he'd been by the statement. Now he wondered if there might be a grain of truth to it, because Rufus tolerated him as much as he tolerated Rufus.

 

As Cloud sank into the tub with Reno, he nuzzled the redhead's neck and kissed it briefly. “Your boss is growing on me,” he murmured. “I know that would make you happy but I'm not sure it's a good thing.”

 

Reno didn't answer, of course. He lay back against Cloud bonelessly, except for when a spasm shook him. His head turned to the side and his mouth pressed against Cloud's neck as the blonde shifted him in his arms. Cloud felt his companion's breath against his throat and he impulsively cupped his chin and planted a soft kiss on his lips. It was all that he allowed himself to enjoy, knowing that any more than that would tempt him into doing something inappropriate.

 

First, Cloud grabbed the large cup he kept on the side of the tub and he rinsed the Turk's auburn hair out. He shampooed it next, rinsed it and conditioned it, taking care to work the creamy rinse through the hair from root to tip. He loved Reno's hair and he took care to keep it healthy. He kissed the redhead again as he started to soap down his body and Cloud went still when Reno responded to the kiss.

 

“Reno?” he murmured against the silken lips. The Turk didn't answer verbally. His lips continued to caress Cloud's softly and the blonde returned the kiss warily. Reno's eyes were still shut and Cloud doubted he was even aware of what he was doing. He swallowed as he began to harden and he gently broke the kiss and combed his fingers through Reno's damp hair. The Turk leaned his head back against Cloud's shoulder and relaxed against him.

 

Cloud found it difficult to resume bathing Reno without letting his hands linger in certain places. When his attentions got to the Turk's groin area, he found that he was erect. The blonde swore softly and bowed his head over Reno's shoulder, fighting an inner battle with himself as he wiped between Reno's thighs with the washcloth.

 

“It's totally involuntary,” Cloud reminded himself as he tried not to think of how stiff and inviting the flesh was. “You probably can't even feel this.”

 

Somehow, he got through the rest of the bath without losing his senses and jacking Reno off. When he finished, he sat him on the toilet and dried him off, then did the same for himself before dressing and getting Reno into his pajama pants. The redhead's stiffy finally went down just as Cloud was dressing him, for which the blonde was thankful. It just felt wrong to fantasize about feeling up a guy that was in a vegetative state.

 

“Okay, let's get you to bed,” Cloud murmured. He draped one of Reno's arms around his neck before picking him up. Rufus was waiting when he returned to the bedroom with Reno and the other blonde held the covers back for Cloud as he put the Turk into bed. Rufus tucked him in and Cloud heard him sigh with exhaustion.

 

“Why don't you take the bed tonight?” Cloud suggested on a sudden whim.

 

Rufus shook his head. “The couch is fine.”

 

Cloud stared at him and he came to a decision that took him by surprise. He couldn't believe he was even considering it but Rufus looked so uncharacteristically vulnerable as he stared at Reno. The blonde fighter got up, grabbed Rufus by the arm and practically dragged him to his bed.

 

“Strife, what in hells are you doing?” Rufus frowned severely at Cloud as he struggled against the other man's superior strength.

 

“I'm taking you to bed,” Cloud answered abruptly. “You're barely able to stand on your feet and you need a good night's rest.” He sat down on his bed and yanked the president down with him, biting back a laugh as Rufus windmilled his arms and lost his balance.

 

“You're out of your mind,” Rufus growled, trying to get out of the bed.

 

Cloud pulled him down onto his back and pinned him there. “That's funny, coming from the guy that kidnapped me twice,” he said coolly. “Now relax and go to sleep.”

 

Rufus couldn't believe he was having this conversation, much less while being forcibly held down by a young, deceptively sweet-faced blonde. “Cloud, let me up this instant!”

 

“Shut up and go to sleep,” growled the other man, his mouth inches away.

 

Rufus felt his body reacting to the contact and he was horrified. He certainly didn't appreciate being dragged to the bed and held down and he thought it was the ultimate betrayal for his body to react this way. He swallowed and stopped struggling, trying to shift so that his stiffening crotch wasn't pressing against Cloud's leg.

 

“Fine, if I close my eyes would you let go of me?”

 

Cloud started to answer but then he felt Rufus's groin tightening against his leg. The other man's lips were parted and tempting. He almost gave into his urges and kissed him, but he remembered whom it was he was thinking of kissing and he clamped down on his lust and rolled to the side instead. He allowed himself one single pleasure—he threw an arm around the other blonde and spooned up against his back.

 

“Goodnight, Rufus.”

 

The president stared blankly into the dimness of the room, not daring to move or shift. He couldn't see Cloud's wolfish grin as he struggled to swallow his own medicine without panicking. He was used to instigating encounters or at least, having the upper hand in them. There was no seduction in Strife's methods—he'd just grabbed him without warning. Rufus didn't enjoy being taken off guard and he certainly didn't enjoy the insecure feeling in his gut or the blush he knew was tainting his complexion. His one consolation was that Cloud seemed content to just spoon him, when he could easily have forced more on him if he wanted to.

 

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

 

Cloud was still spooned against his back when Rufus woke up. The president turned his head to peer at his bedmate, debating inwardly on whether he should try to slide out of the fighter's embrace or pretend to be asleep until Strife got up on his own. He started to move but Cloud's arm tightened around his waist and the young fighter mumbled in his sleep and nuzzled the back of his neck.

 

~Oh hell, of all the times to…~

 

Rufus glared down at his tenting crotch and pressed his lips together. He looked at the bed a few feet away, where Reno slept on his back. ~Reno, you really need to wake up and pacify your wolf.~

 

He didn't mind swapping roles with Rude, but there had always been an element of control in Rufus's favor even when bottoming for the bald man. Rude was still his subordinate, even when he was doing the fucking. Strife…well, he was another matter. The blonde cuddled closer to him, pressing his Mako enhanced body firmly against Rufus's. The president could feel every hard line and contour of Cloud's tightly muscled frame and his stupid body was reacting with sluttish fervency to it.

 

He had no way of subduing Cloud to make an encounter go in his favor, and that scared the hell out of Rufus. He felt the golden-haired fighter's morning wood pressing against his bottom and he tried to squirm away from it. Unfortunately, his faint struggle woke the other man up.

 

Cloud opened his sapphire eyes and realized whom he was pressed against on the small bed. He could feel the tension in Rufus's body and he knew the president was awake and feeling quite unsettled by the contact. Cloud bit his lip to contain a snicker of schadenfreude.

 

~Payback's a bitch, isn't it Rufus?~

 

Cloud ground his pelvis against the other blonde's back, giving him a better feel of how stiff he was. “How'd you sleep?” he murmured. He bit the president lightly on the earlobe and he grinned when the other man jumped in response.

 

“I slept just fine, thank you,” answered Rufus in a perfectly calm tone. Cloud had to give the man credit; he was a master at disguising anxiety—at least, in his voice. His body told a different tale and the fighter took sadistic delight in the nervous tension he sensed.

 

“Good. It's still pretty early so you can go back to sleep if you want to.” Cloud nuzzled Rufus's neck and stroked his torso through his expensive, button-up shirt. He was tempted to reach down and give the other man's crotch a squeeze but he wasn't ready to be that blatant yet.

 

Rufus grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. “You seem inordinately affectionate towards me this morning,” he murmured.

 

“Think so?” Cloud teased. “Maybe I'm just horny and you're starting to look pretty appetizing.” ~Reno must be rubbing off on me. Either that, or I miss him so damn much I'm acting like him to make myself feel better.~

 

Deciding he had to put an end to this quickly, Rufus chose to inform Cloud of something he'd been keeping to his self for a while. If nothing else, it would cool his ardor. “Reeve's science team is working on an experimental antidote for Mako poisoning. So far, the tests on lab rats seem promising.”

 

The announcement produced the desired reaction. Cloud went still and Rufus turned his head to find the fighter gazing at him with narrowed blue eyes. “And you waited until now to tell me? How long has this been going on?”

 

“Months,” Rufus admitted. “And you know very well why I didn't tell you as soon as the research began. You're ambiguous at best when it comes to experimental treatment and while I imagined you might be more agreeable if you knew that Reeve was overseeing it, I didn't want to bring it up until there were solid results.”

 

Cloud sighed and shook his head. “I knew it. ShinRa's always got to fuck around with nature.”

 

Rufus's eyes went hard. “It's coming up on a year now, Strife. Reno hasn't shown any signs of improvement, other than opening his eyes once. If I thought that he could beat this on his own I wouldn't have funded the research. While we're on the subject, think of what this could do not only for Reno, but also for the world. If Tuesti is successful we could reverse mutations caused by Mako exposure and heal other people affected by it. Is your prejudice against my company so great that you'd deny the needs of the many?”

 

Cloud's smooth, sculpted features were tense with conflict and his bright eyes lowered in thought. “So you think this serum Reeve's people are concocting might help wake Reno up?”

 

“Given the reports I've gotten on the testing done so far, there's a good chance that it will,” Rufus answered. “Eight out of ten infected lab rats came out of their catatonic state when it was administered to them, and half of them returned to their previous biological state.”

 

“What about the other half?” Cloud asked.

 

“They still retained some alterations from the Mako exposure…but they could function again, regardless.” Rufus studied him carefully, hoping he wasn't misjudging his reactions.

 

“And the other two that didn't wake up?” The fighter persisted.

 

Rufus braced himself. “They slipped deeper into a coma and died.” Cloud's eyes widened and his lips parted but Rufus cut him off before he could speak. “Now, before you go into a panic, that was stage two of the testing. I've got no intention of using the treatment on Reno until there are no further instances of death. This could be what we need to save him, Cloud. Without it, he could remain catatonic for the rest of his life or he could slip deeper on his own and pass away. I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather not let that happen.”

 

“Thought you didn't know that much about Mako poisoning,” Cloud grumbled. “You freaked out when you saw his eyes last night.”

 

“I `freaked out' because I wasn't aware that it would infuse his eyes with that glow,” Rufus admitted, “but I've learned other things about the condition in the time he's been afflicted. Naturally I'll ask you questions, since you've lived through it twice. That doesn't mean I don't conduct research myself.” He looked over at Reno and his eyes softened. “Especially now that one of my own is suffering from it.”

 

Cloud gave the other man a level stare. “Do you swear you won't try to give him this treatment until you're positive it won't kill him?”

 

“On my mother's grave,” Rufus answered steadily. “And if you can't trust me, you can at least trust Reeve.”

 

Cloud sighed again. His heart warned him not to trust a word Rufus Shinra said, but he'd seen for himself that the man loved Reno—even if it wasn't a “normal” kind of love. “I'll take your word for it, for now.”

 

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

 

The next weekend that Rufus came to stay, he came up with an idea that Cloud thought was terribly stupid and pointless.

 

“You're sleeping in your car?” Cloud repeated with a bewildered look on his face.

 

Rufus nodded. “It's a luxury sedan, after all. No offense Cloud, but I'd rather not spend another Monday morning at the office with a stiff back. The car will be fine.”

 

It took a moment for Cloud to figure out what was really going on. He had a “blonde moment”—as Zack had always liked to call them—and then it dawned on him that Rufus was afraid of getting trapped in the bed with him again.

 

“What's so bloody funny, Strife?” Rufus asked with a glare when Cloud abruptly blurted laughter.

 

“You are,” answered the fighter between chuckles. “What do you think I'll do to you? I had a little fun messing with your head but I'm not you.”

 

Rufus flushed. “Fair enough. I still think—”

 

“Oh, unclench,” Cloud huffed. “If I wanted to force you to do anything I would have done it by now. Maybe you'd deserve it but I'm not like that. Hell, if it'll make you feel better, you can have my bed and I'll take the couch while you're here. You can even lock the bedroom door if you think I might sneak up the stairs and pounce on you in the night.”

 

Rufus pursed his lips with annoyance as Cloud burst into fresh laughter. “You glean amusement from the strangest things, Strife.”

 

“Like you can talk,” the other blonde shot back with a smug look.

 

Rufus sighed.

 

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

 

Reno's birthday came around and Reeve, Rufus and the Turks were all there for it. Cloud and Tifa met Cissnei for the first time and though Tifa wasn't thrilled with having a house full of Turks, she got along well with Cissnei. She reminded her a little of Aerith, though tougher. She had an upbeat attitude and smiles came easily to her. Denzel and Marlene were excited with all the activity and Tifa felt a knot of dread when Denzel started asking Elena about life as a Turk.

 

“Maybe someday when you're older, I'll tell you,” the blonde Turk woman told the teenager.

 

“You aren't much older than I am.” Denzel observed.

 

Elena smiled with pleasure. “Actually, I'm twenty-six.”

 

“You look a lot younger than that.” Denzel flushed a little and Tifa hid a smile behind her hand. Obviously the boy thought Elena was pretty.

 

Cloud carried Reno down the stairs on his back and set him carefully on the couch in the front room. The Turks gathered around as Cissnei took the cake she'd brought out of the box and lit the candles.

 

“Can he eat that?” Elena whispered to Reeve as the petite brunette Turk solemnly brought the cake to Reno.

 

“I suppose we'll find out,” Reeve whispered back. “He's managed stew before and cake is rather soft.”

 

They sang a birthday song to Reno, though Rude was flushing with embarrassment as he added his deep voice to it and hit a couple of sour notes. Marlene had a surprisingly lovely singing voice and hers carried over all the others. Cissnei blew the candles out for Reno and Tseng took the cake from her and began to cut it.

 

“I want to try and feed it to him,” Rude stated abruptly when Cloud started to bring a slice to the catatonic redhead.

 

Surprised, Cloud handed the plate to him without argument. Rude always had such a hard time watching Reno get fed—like the sight of his partner so helpless physically hurt him. Maybe it was because it was Reno's birthday that Rude was so insistent on tackling his own issues and feeding the redhead his cake.

 

“I've got something in my eye,” Cissnei sniffled when the bald man sat down beside Reno and began to carefully feed him. “Where's the bathroom?”

 

Tifa directed her down the hall and Elena quickly followed, pleading the same ailment. Cloud noticed that Tseng was blinking a lot as he watched Rude with his stricken partner and he sidled up closer to the Wutaian.

 

“If you've got something in your eye too, there's another bathroom at the other end of the house,” he whispered to the raven-haired Turk.

 

Tseng looked at him sidelong and graced him with a brief smile. “I believe I can endure it until Reno's finished with his cake, thank you.”

 

Rufus stood silent and brooding beside Reeve, who was respectfully silent as well and dignified. The air was heavy with sorrow as Rude talked softly to Reno and fed him.

 

“We got your favorite for you, partner,” the bald man said, “white cake with sweet frosting. You're doing good, man.” He swallowed a lump and powered through the painful experience, until Reno had eaten half the slice and jerked his head to the side in refusal when Rude tried to give him more.

 

“He gets full fast,” Cloud said in explanation. “His stomach's shrank a little.”

 

Rude nodded and handed the plate over to the blonde fighter, taking a deep breath. He put an arm around Reno and hugged him lightly. “You always were stubborn, Red.”

 

~Thank Shiva for that,~ Cloud thought silently.

 

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

 

-To be continued