Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Hazard Pay ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: LilyMoonsAlias 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.21.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 356 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Supernatural / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 02.21.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 356 | Status: Work In Progress
Reno yawned and stretched his arms above his head to try and ease the ache in his neck and back. It was very late and Cloud still hadn't reawakened, nor had Reno's cell phone rung. He was starting to get fidgety with mounting tension and tempted to call Rude, an act that would be very stupid on his part if Rude and Vincent were trying to remain unobserved. Reno had no choice but to wait.
Cloud lay very still and looked as if he hadn't moved at all since lapsing back into unconsciousness. A couple of times Reno had even placed his hand lightly on Cloud's chest to make sure he still breathed. The utter stillness was more unnerving than the silence. It wasn't like Cloud was a talkative person anyway, but that and the waxy look to his complexion had Reno fighting the urge to shake him awake.
"I'm going to make some coffee if I have to stay awake all night, you insensitive shit," Reno told Cloud.
He was calmer than he had been earlier and had been talking to Cloud off and on, staggering between concerned queries and irritated vitriol. Cloud didn't respond to any of it, of course, but the venting made Reno feel better. Grumbling to himself, Reno lightly descended the stairs into the darkened kitchen area. He set up the coffee maker and while he waited for it to brew, he noticed the damaged hinges of the back door. Oh hell, he thought, better get that fixed before Tifa comes back or she'll have my balls.
Reno was fixing his first life saving cup when he heard a crash from upstairs. Cursing loudly and balancing the cup, he rushed up the stairs to find Cloud sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. Cloud's eyes were wild and unfocused, his faced turned towards the noise of Reno entering the room. He had the dazed look of a crazed animal caught in a trap.
"Cloud?" Reno asked from out of reach. He wasn't sure getting too close was a good idea. "Can you understand me?"
Cloud blinked his eyes a few times in an effort to focus on Reno's voice. He tried to move his right arm and stopped with a grimace of pain.
"Reno."
Reno breathed a sigh of relief and set down his coffee before crouching next to Cloud. Blue eyes watched his every move and got steadily clearer.
"Let's get you back on the bed," Reno said and wrapped his arms around Cloud's upper body being careful to avoid jostling the injured arm. "What were you thinking, huh? Never mind. You weren't."
"How did I get back here?" Cloud asked. He bit his lip to hold back a pained groan. "You?"
"Vincent. You can thank him later." Reno managed to get Cloud on the bed and sighed. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've been shot."
"Well, ha ha, so you have, smart ass," Reno said and leveled a glare at Cloud. "You probably could have avoided it by staying home."
Cloud glared right back, pain making him even more on edge.
"Are you saying I can't protect myself?"
"No. No!" Reno pulled on his own hair. "Dammit, Cloud! I don't want to argue about this again. I'm saying you were outnumbered and they used tainted materia. I could have helped."
Cloud turned his face away, and Reno let out a sharp sound of anger.
"You won't even admit that much, will you?" Reno sat on the edge of the bed. "I should call Tifa and leave you in her care." He yelped when Cloud grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard enough to make the bones ache. "What the hell?!"
"No," Cloud said menacingly. "I don't want Tifa and the kids here."
"Fine, then you put up with me," Reno said.
Cloud glared at the redhead a moment longer to make his point then released his wrist. Reno rubbed the red marks on his skin.
"Jerk," Reno said.
"Arrogant ass," Cloud mumbled. He turned his face back to Reno and let his body relax into the bedding. He reached for Reno's arm again, this time his grip gentle in a silent request for company. "Hurts."
"Yeah." Reno let the rest of his anger fade away and gave in to the impulse to run his free hand through Cloud's hair. "You're not healing like you should, not even with the potion. "The bastards thought of a weakness to use against you."
Cloud didn't reply, his burst of energy used up for the moment. Reno looked longingly at the cooling cup of coffee that was just out of reach, but he stayed where he was. He wondered if Vincent and Rude were having any luck. Vincent and Rude. Something clicked in Reno's head. Vincent and Rude. Rude arriving to help when Reno hadn't called him. The two of them leaving to work together. The black hair on Rude's suit. Now that he was calm and thinking more clearly, Reno was sure he *had* seen Vincent set Rude's sunglasses straight. An amazed snort of laughter bubbled from his throat.
"No. Fucking. Way," Reno chuckled, his laugh disturbing Cloud.
"Hmm?" Cloud asked and opened his eyes fractionally.
Reno chuckled a bit more then leaned forward to press his forehead against Cloud's and felt confident and amused enough to dare brushing their lips together.
"Nothing, babe," Reno said. "It just looks like there's someone else I need to grill for a few answers."
After Cloud fell asleep again Reno retrieved his now cold cup of coffee drank it anyway. Even cold he had made it strong enough to raise the dead and the hit of caffeine helped him stay awake. No matter Cloud's pissy attitude about it, Reno was still going to follow his orders to watch Cloud's back. The situation had just gotten a little...more personal.
Reno's cell rang quietly in his pocket and he flipped it open.
"Talk to me."
"We found their base," Rude's voice rumbled over the line, rich with satisfaction.
Reno felt the tingle of blood lust in his veins. "Anybody home?"
"No, but Vincent found some more of that tainted materia and what he thinks might be something to counteract its effects."
"Good." Reno was satisfied that he would have a chance at a little payback. "Bring it in. Cloud's not getting much better and he's in pain."
"We'll be back soon," Rude promised and ended the call.
Reno sat back. His lips curved in mischievious anticipation at the thought of making Rude squirm a little. As soon as Cloud started to heal he would see if he was right. Reno looked forward to seeing if he could make the big man blush.
Cloud lay very still and looked as if he hadn't moved at all since lapsing back into unconsciousness. A couple of times Reno had even placed his hand lightly on Cloud's chest to make sure he still breathed. The utter stillness was more unnerving than the silence. It wasn't like Cloud was a talkative person anyway, but that and the waxy look to his complexion had Reno fighting the urge to shake him awake.
"I'm going to make some coffee if I have to stay awake all night, you insensitive shit," Reno told Cloud.
He was calmer than he had been earlier and had been talking to Cloud off and on, staggering between concerned queries and irritated vitriol. Cloud didn't respond to any of it, of course, but the venting made Reno feel better. Grumbling to himself, Reno lightly descended the stairs into the darkened kitchen area. He set up the coffee maker and while he waited for it to brew, he noticed the damaged hinges of the back door. Oh hell, he thought, better get that fixed before Tifa comes back or she'll have my balls.
Reno was fixing his first life saving cup when he heard a crash from upstairs. Cursing loudly and balancing the cup, he rushed up the stairs to find Cloud sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. Cloud's eyes were wild and unfocused, his faced turned towards the noise of Reno entering the room. He had the dazed look of a crazed animal caught in a trap.
"Cloud?" Reno asked from out of reach. He wasn't sure getting too close was a good idea. "Can you understand me?"
Cloud blinked his eyes a few times in an effort to focus on Reno's voice. He tried to move his right arm and stopped with a grimace of pain.
"Reno."
Reno breathed a sigh of relief and set down his coffee before crouching next to Cloud. Blue eyes watched his every move and got steadily clearer.
"Let's get you back on the bed," Reno said and wrapped his arms around Cloud's upper body being careful to avoid jostling the injured arm. "What were you thinking, huh? Never mind. You weren't."
"How did I get back here?" Cloud asked. He bit his lip to hold back a pained groan. "You?"
"Vincent. You can thank him later." Reno managed to get Cloud on the bed and sighed. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've been shot."
"Well, ha ha, so you have, smart ass," Reno said and leveled a glare at Cloud. "You probably could have avoided it by staying home."
Cloud glared right back, pain making him even more on edge.
"Are you saying I can't protect myself?"
"No. No!" Reno pulled on his own hair. "Dammit, Cloud! I don't want to argue about this again. I'm saying you were outnumbered and they used tainted materia. I could have helped."
Cloud turned his face away, and Reno let out a sharp sound of anger.
"You won't even admit that much, will you?" Reno sat on the edge of the bed. "I should call Tifa and leave you in her care." He yelped when Cloud grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard enough to make the bones ache. "What the hell?!"
"No," Cloud said menacingly. "I don't want Tifa and the kids here."
"Fine, then you put up with me," Reno said.
Cloud glared at the redhead a moment longer to make his point then released his wrist. Reno rubbed the red marks on his skin.
"Jerk," Reno said.
"Arrogant ass," Cloud mumbled. He turned his face back to Reno and let his body relax into the bedding. He reached for Reno's arm again, this time his grip gentle in a silent request for company. "Hurts."
"Yeah." Reno let the rest of his anger fade away and gave in to the impulse to run his free hand through Cloud's hair. "You're not healing like you should, not even with the potion. "The bastards thought of a weakness to use against you."
Cloud didn't reply, his burst of energy used up for the moment. Reno looked longingly at the cooling cup of coffee that was just out of reach, but he stayed where he was. He wondered if Vincent and Rude were having any luck. Vincent and Rude. Something clicked in Reno's head. Vincent and Rude. Rude arriving to help when Reno hadn't called him. The two of them leaving to work together. The black hair on Rude's suit. Now that he was calm and thinking more clearly, Reno was sure he *had* seen Vincent set Rude's sunglasses straight. An amazed snort of laughter bubbled from his throat.
"No. Fucking. Way," Reno chuckled, his laugh disturbing Cloud.
"Hmm?" Cloud asked and opened his eyes fractionally.
Reno chuckled a bit more then leaned forward to press his forehead against Cloud's and felt confident and amused enough to dare brushing their lips together.
"Nothing, babe," Reno said. "It just looks like there's someone else I need to grill for a few answers."
After Cloud fell asleep again Reno retrieved his now cold cup of coffee drank it anyway. Even cold he had made it strong enough to raise the dead and the hit of caffeine helped him stay awake. No matter Cloud's pissy attitude about it, Reno was still going to follow his orders to watch Cloud's back. The situation had just gotten a little...more personal.
Reno's cell rang quietly in his pocket and he flipped it open.
"Talk to me."
"We found their base," Rude's voice rumbled over the line, rich with satisfaction.
Reno felt the tingle of blood lust in his veins. "Anybody home?"
"No, but Vincent found some more of that tainted materia and what he thinks might be something to counteract its effects."
"Good." Reno was satisfied that he would have a chance at a little payback. "Bring it in. Cloud's not getting much better and he's in pain."
"We'll be back soon," Rude promised and ended the call.
Reno sat back. His lips curved in mischievious anticipation at the thought of making Rude squirm a little. As soon as Cloud started to heal he would see if he was right. Reno looked forward to seeing if he could make the big man blush.