Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Bullet ❯ Chapter 3

~III~

An hour before Reno was supposed to show up he heard a knock on his office door. Rufus swore softly, wondering who the hell that good-for-nothing secretary had cleared without his approval. He crossed the spacious office, his strides quick and forceful. Scathing words were on his tongue as he wrenched open the door.

"Who the hell do you think--?"

Reno stood on the other side of the doorway, appearing calm and faintly amused. A slow, sly grin curved his lips as he tilted his head slightly.

"Sorry to intrude but I figured you were expecting me," Reno drawled.

Rufus blinked a couple times, more than just a little surprised. He hadn't expected him to show up early. Though it hadn't been noted in his file, Rufus had imagined him to be the type to run late. This was a pleasant surprise indeed.

"Of course," Rufus gestured for him to step inside, "Make yourself comfortable, I was just finishing up some work."

"No problem," Reno shrugged as he followed Rufus into the office and sat down in a chair across from his desk. "You mind if I smoke?"

"Let me call Eliza in for an ashtray. I don't keep one in my office," Rufus replied. He pressed a button on his phone and spoke to her briefly on intercom. As usual she seemed nervously eager to please. She had a crush on Rufus, like many of the female employees he interacted with daily. He suppose he should have been flattered, but he could only feel annoyance.

A few moments later, the girl entered with a small, pristine glass ashtray and placed it on Rufus's desk.

"Much obliged," Reno grinned at her as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

She blushed, Rufus's eyes narrowed, and he dismissed her with the request that he didn't wish to be disturbed.

"She's cute," Reno remarked after she was gone.

"I suppose. She's not really my type," Rufus shrugged as he finished e-mailing the team of managers that would be in charge while he was gone.

"Ya don't like brunettes?" Reno asked.

Rufus looked at him, saw him slumped casually in the chair with a cigarette burning between his fingers. Yet his bright blue eyes were alert and curious.

"Something like that," Rufus replied carefully before adding with as much casualness as he could muster, "She's single, if you're interested."

"Nah, I prefer blondes."

Reno held his gaze meaningfully, and Rufus smiled at what had just transpired. "While I'm not complaining, what are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the mission. How are we going about this? Will you be wanting me to protect you as a bodyguard or act as backup?"

Rufus arched his eyebrows. He must have found out about the Turk training. "I think it's best they underestimate me."

"How much will they be underestimating, anyway?"

"Quite a bit," Rufus smirked.

Reno chuckled and put out his cigarette. "Man, I hope the rumours are true," he sighed, "I've been itching for some excitement."

"Well, I'm sure there'll be some excitement to be had even if there are no attempts on my life."

Reno narrowed his eyes and grinned wickedly, "Oh yeah? I hope so."

Rufus powered down his computer, greatly enjoying the interaction. Too frequently people fell over themselves trying to be formal or kiss his ass. It was nice to be spoken to like a human fucking being and not just the president's son.

"Have you ever been to Wutai?" Rufus asked as he took his duffle bag out from under the desk. He unzipped it and double-checked that he had everything.

"Nah, they've mostly kept me local since I know the slums so well. There've been problems below the plate," Reno explained with a shrug.

"What sorts of problems?" Rufus asked, scowling slightly. This was the first he'd heard of problems in Shinra's crown jewel.

"Talk of an uprising against the company mostly," Reno replied, "Honestly, I think it's a bunch of bullshit. What your father don't understand is that the slums have been a hotbed of anti-Shinra for years. As long as I've been alive anyway. Just this time...it seems pretty serious."

"Do you think it will become something we can't handle?" Rufus asked a little sharply.

Reno laughed and Rufus could detect a nasty touch to it. "Doncha mean, 'will it become something Sephiroth  can't handle'?"

Rufus sighed softly. Many Turks expressed a measure of distaste toward Sephiroth. He didn't really blame them. "No Reno, I want to know if the Turks consider them a serious threat to the company?"

"Eh, it's an even split. I don't know. Maybe if things go well in Wutai, shit will calm down for awhile."

Rufus nodded idly, silently agreeing with him, but thinking of Sephiroth and Nibelheim. He had a feeling if that mission went south, terrorist groups would be the least of their problems.

*****

Much to Reno's amazement, Rufus had spent most of the trip to Rocket Town sleeping. He supposed he shouldn't have been terribly surprised; no doubt he was used to traveling by helicopter, but even Reno couldn't completely ignore the noise of the propeller blades and certainly didn't find it soothing.

They were only stopping to refuel and decided to spend the downtime at the local pub. Reno was a little surprised that Rufus would agree to such a thing, but took it in stride.

"I don't even think this joint has wine," Reno told him as they secured a table near the door.

"That's fine. You can order me a beer," Rufus shrugged as he sat down. "Do you need any money?"

"No, I'm good," Reno replied. He always withdrew a bit of gil for mission expenses that he didn't feel comfortable charging on the company credit card (or for the rare establishments that didn't take credit).

He ordered Rufus a beer, the best that they had, which really wasn't  very good, and a caught a glare from the bartender when he ordered a water. The man didn't say a thing, though. The suit garnered fear and respect in the strangest ways sometimes. He put down some extra gil for the water anyway, just so he didn't come off as a complete dick.

Back at their table, Rufus sipped his beer and Reno was secretly impressed when he didn't make a face. He noticed the faint sheen of saliva and beer that pull off the bottle had left behind. God the man had a gorgeous mouth....

"Your tattoos are...fascinating," Rufus told him.

"Huh?" Reno raised his eyebrows as he searched for the mocking look that he'd come to expect when it came to Shinra executives and his slightly garish facial tattoos. Strangely it wasn't there and Reno realized that Rufus had complimented him. "Thanks," He replied.

"Do they mean anything?" Rufus asked.

Usually Reno told people they were gang tattoos that he'd acquired while involved with Wall Market's organized crime families. It was a bit more complicated than that. "I got them to make sure I blended in with the street toughs of the slums," Reno replied.

"Tattoos are that important to your image down there?"

Reno sighed softly, a bit embarrassed by his childish excuse for the tattoos' placement. "Not exactly. I was trying to fuck up my face."

Rufus frowned, "I'm afraid you failed in that endevour."

Reno chuckled, "No shit, but it helped."

Rufus nodded slowly; his eyes reflected a strange kind of hunger. There was something like lust in his expression. "You know I still don't quite understand why you wanted to become a Turk. Due to their presence below plate, I'd think you'd have resented them."

"Lotta folks do, but I never did. Maybe their methods were harsh, but their presence in the slums made it a little safer," Reno shrugged.

"So you wanted to help clean up crime below the plate?" Rufus frowned slightly.

"Not really. I just knew that's what I wanted to be from the moment I learned what the Turks did for the company," Reno explained. "I didn't want to rot behind the counter of a general store or become a victim of the streets.  My mom couldn't afford to send me to the military academy, so I had to think of another way."

"How old were you when you began unfolding this ambition?" Rufus asked, seemingly rapt.

"Fourteen or so," Reno replied and fixed Rufus with a calculating eye. "What about you?"

"Pardon?"

"When did you start training as a Turk?" Reno asked quietly.

"Thirteen, once Tseng thought I could handle the recoil of a revolver," Rufus met his eyes steadily. There was definitely a  heavy, almost seductive quality to his gaze.

Reno's stomach squirmed with anxious desire. He wanted to seduce Rufus or be seduced by him, Reno really didn't care which. It disturbed him faintly and he wondered how much trouble he'd get into if he started up with Rufus. There was nothing against Shinra employees dating, but Reno was quite sure getting involved with Rufus would be considered taking the concept a bit too far. Of course he was all too aware that he had little desire to deter any advances Rufus might make.

"Whose idea was it?" Reno asked, trying to stay cool even though all he could think of was how this little crush of his was starting to get the better of him.

"Mine," Rufus told him rather blandly, "There was no reason why I should be helpless. Status and money means nothing when you're staring down the barrel of a gun."

"Too true," Reno murmured, surprised by his insight.

They fell into a comfortable silence and Reno silently marveled over the man. He could see how people could be unnerved by him, but on a whole Reno thought he was was alluring in his intensity. He was driven and Reno had always found ambition rather attractive.

"You're not as big an asshole as everyone claims," Reno told him, taking a gamble on Rufus's asofar positive reaction to blunt honesty.

Rufus laughed, "I'm glad you think so."

Knowing that he could make Rufus laugh like that made Reno feel curiously giddy. Rufus looked like someone who didn't smile enough.

"I like you, Reno," Rufus told him, his tone carefully measured. Reno was getting the picture that Rufus wasn't exactly used to speaking directly with people.

He wasn't sure quite how to answer that other than 'I like you, too.' So he reached across the table as casually as he could and squeezed Rufus's hand. He expressed acceptance without words and hoped it spoke the volumes he wanted to convey.