Rayne (freezing_rayne) wrote in ffvii_yaoi, @ 2008-04-20 23:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | - fic, author: freezing_rayne, pairing: cloud/reno |
"Go Home Happy"
Title: Go Home Happy
Author: Freezing_Rayne
Pairing: Cloud/Reno
Rating: M
Summary: Reno screws up on a mission big-time, and there's no one around to help him but our favorite blond hero.
One after the other. Just one after the fucking other.
Reno chanted this mantra in his head as he slowly raised a foot, setting it one step higher. He shifted his weight and clawed at the banister. His sweaty palm slipped off the polished wood and he stumbled, catching himself just short of slamming his face into the white carpeted stairs. This had begun seven steps ago, and it would end five steps later.
If he didn’t die before he got there.
The hotel lobby was brightly lit and strangely empty, not even someone behind the welcome counter. No guards, no bellhops, no one to notice the shining trail of fresh blood he'd left in his wake. It was as if the onset of darkness had driven away any hope of rescue.
Twelve fucking steps, Reno thought, gritting his teeth as he climbed. What kind of hotel has twelve fucking steps in its fucking lobby?
The hand that wasn’t clinging to the banister was clamped to his side, trying to keep pressure on the wound, trying to minimize the blood loss. Reno had field training; he knew the basic drill. Never go on a mission alone, never contact a source until you’ve staked the place out for a night, and most of all, never travel without some sort of Cure Materia.
Well, shit, was there a prize for breaking all the rules in one spectacular fuck up?
The men had come out of nowhere, the gun seemingly materialized out of thin air. He’d dived for cover, bullets whistling by his ears. But one had torn into his ribs, knocking him backwards against the rusting balcony of second floor apartment. He’d had just enough time to shoot the bastards the middle finger, before toppling backwards down to the pavement.
Luckily, he’d flipped in midair, so instead of breaking his crazy fucking neck, he’d only sprained an ankle. And traipsed back over half of this shit-hole of a town and into its one and only hotel. Which was empty. Of medical personnel and every other kind of sentient being.
Reno went to take another pain-soaked step up, but found he had nowhere to go. He had reached the upper landing. There was nothing else but a long line of shining gold elevator doors. And about ten yards between them and Reno.
Fuck, yo. This is it.
There was no way he was getting out of this one. He could feel the life draining out, as sure as his blood was pooling on the pale carpet. What the hell was he going to do, drag himself through the halls and knock on someone’s door? They’d most likely just shoot him in the face, looking the way he did at the moment.
With a wheezy chuckle, he sank to his knees. He’d always imagined he’d go down shooting, shoulder to shoulder with Rude, fighting tooth and fucking nail until the end. This…this was just lame.
The darkness began to close in, bringing with it the comforting promise of an easy death. The elevator doors pinged open just as his eyes began to shut. He caught a glimpse of black clothes and a hint of gold hair, before he slipped into unconsciousness.
-------
Cloud’s couch had been commandeered by a redhead.
He couldn’t tell you how bizarre it had been, finding a familiar face way out here. Granted, it was a scratched, bloodied, and not all-together welcome face, but it was familiar just the same. He’d taken a ride down the elevator for lack of anything else to do (he was having trouble sleeping) and found one of his old enemies bleeding on the stairs.
He laid him down gently, slicing open his shirt and pulling it off. Cloud whistled. That was some nasty scrape. Reno’s torso was covered in blood from a gaping hole in his side. He leaned in for a closer look. As gruesome as it appeared, it didn’t seem like the bullet had hit anything major. But it was still lodged in there.
Cloud searched his bags until he had everything he needed to perform exceptionally crude surgery. Alcohol, a very small, very sharp switchblade, gauze, and bandages. He turned back to the couch.
One of Reno’s arms was crooked over his head, the other hanging limply off the couch. That startling hair was everywhere, shaken loose from its ponytail. His eyes were shut and his lips were slightly parted, dried blood coating the corners of his mouth. From where Cloud stood, the Turk might have been posing for one mightily fucked up photographer.
Thanking the Planet he wasn’t squeamish in the least, Cloud went to work, mopping up the blood around the wound and opening his blade. He sterilized it with the rubbing alcohol and moved to start cutting the thing out, but it quickly became clear the unconscious Reno wasn’t going to make this easy. He squirmed against the pain, his muscles going into spasms and his arms flying at Cloud out of reflex. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to dig the bullet out. And it was way too late to find a real doctor. He was going to have to tie Reno down.
But with what, and where?
Shit, Reno, he thought stiffly, as he straddled the redhead’s hips and pinned his arms over his head. You’re damn lucky I’m a good guy.
Reno thrashed, but Cloud was able to keep him down as he resolutely dug the bullet out of his skinny chest. Wrapping the wound in gauze and bandaging it, he thrust a hand into his coat pocket. A little green orb rested in his palm.
“Cure,” he muttered. He felt the tiny breath of wind as the healing spell swept over the prostrate form. Not good as new, but better than before.
Slowly, agonizingly, Reno’s face became tranquil. The creases in his forehead smoothed and the rigid muscles of his neck relaxed.
Cloud brushed the fiery hair off of his sweaty forehead, admiring for the first time how striking Reno was. Even covered in blood and perspiration he managed to look sexy instead of trashed. Sighing, Cloud tugged his a belt from out of its loops, employing it to bind Reno's hands together. There was the chance he might try to scratch at his wound in his sleep, and that would start the bleeding all over again. He might have a couple of questions when he woke up (such as, what’s with the bondage?) but it was better than being dead.
Cloud washed the blood of his hands in the bathroom sink, giving the mirror a tired glance. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he needed some serious sleep. He seemed to have gotten more of Reno’s blood on him than he had first imagined. It was on his chin and neck, up his arms, even in his hair a bit. He really needed a shower, but he didn’t want to risk leaving his guest alone that long. He might die. So, he washed off as much as possible leaning over the sink.
Sighing audibly, Cloud walked back into his room and sat on the bed across from Reno’s couch. The redhead’s chest was rising and falling gently; he was sleeping peacefully enough. Every so often, however, his face would contort, as though he was dreaming of different and darker times.
-------
Reno awoke tied up on a stranger’s couch.
This wasn’t exactly a new experience for Reno. There were plenty of times when he’d come to consciousness with absolutely no recollection of how he’d got there, how much he’d drunk, or who he’d fucked.
Dammit, did he feel like shit.
Reno rotated his stiff neck. He was in a small room, most likely a hotel, judging from the cheap lamps and generic wallpaper. Boring, boring, wait. Not boring.
There was someone lying curled up on the bed, a certain blonde, shirtless someone.
“Fuck, what did I do last night?”
The blonde was stirring at the sound of his voice. He tried to say something and it came out in a sleepy mumble. A mako-bright eye cracked open.
Reno was putting two and two together. Blonde hair, freakishly blue eyes, totally bitchin’ body…
“Oh, holy shit!” Reno yelled. “Cloud?”
Cloud sat up blearily, a hand unconsciously reaching for his ridiculously oversized sword, which was nowhere in sight. Cloud’s pretty eyes widened at the sight of the guy stretched out on his couch, but then he seemed to get his stride back.
“Morning,” he greeted him half-heartedly.
“Uh…what the fuck, yo?” Reno said. Waking up in a hotel room with some random guy or chick was one thing, but waking up with Cloud…he didn’t know whether to berate or congratulate himself.
“Do you remember what happened?” the blonde inquired.
Reno thought for a moment. “Well, I definitely think I was on top. I ache pretty bad, but not in the right place, if ya know what I mean.” He smirked in satisfaction. Hey, what was the point of freaking out? Cloud was damn sexy and a pretty good catch, considering they had been mortal enemies not too long ago.
Cloud grimaced. “No, Reno, you were not on top. Or on the bottom. You were half-dead in the lobby.”
Reno opened his mouth, then closed it. “Oh. Shit.”
He remembered now. Going out and getting himself shot like a total rookie.
“So you found me? Fuck, what’re the odds of that?”
Cloud shook his head. “No idea. Not good.”
More and more was beginning to drift back to Reno. “Hey…I think I remember you straddling me, yo. You sure we didn’t fuck?”
“Yes, Reno, I’m sure.” Cloud sat up straighter, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I took the bullet out of you. It was all very romantic.”
Reno still wasn’t convinced. “So you didn’t rape me in my sleep?”
“No!” Cloud said, looking affronted.
“You sure?”
“Yes!”
“Then why am I tied up like someone’s bitch?”
“I had to make sure you didn’t scratch at the wound!”
“Okay, fine.” He grinned. “But you were tempted, weren’t you?”
“What?”
“Oh, don’t even give me bullshit.” Reno attempted to go into a luxurious stretch, but remembered his injury at the last minute. “You know it got you hot to see me all fucked-up and defenseless.”
“Reno…” Cloud said, exasperated.
“You know you wanted it.”
Cloud was blushing now. “No, I didn’t!”
Reno laughed. “Hey, baby, you might be able to kick Kadaj and his gang’s collective silvery asses up and down the highway, but you suck at lying.”
“Shut up,” Cloud muttered, getting to his feet and walking over to his bag. He pulled a grey shirt out and put it on, much to Reno’s disappointment. He sighed.
“Whatever, yo. Ya think ya could untie me? I gotta get back to Midgar and get this hole sewn up.”
A little smirk played on his lips as Cloud crossed the room and knelt next to the couch, unfastening the belt from around Reno’s wrists. “Thanks,” the redhead said, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Cloud kissed him without thinking. Reno wound his fingers in spiky blond hair, gasping slightly as the movement jarred his side. The kiss was kind of clumsy; both of them were tired and on edge, and neither really gave a shit what the other thought about it. Cloud broke away after a few moments.
“Ha, ha, sucker,” Reno said triumphantly.
“Not today, Reno,” the blonde said, standing up. His face was slightly flushed and he was pretty thrown, but he was hiding it quite well. He began to move around the room quickly, gathering up his things. “Here,” he flicked a key card onto Reno’s bare stomach. “The room’s paid for until noon. Get your ass back to Midgar and get cleaned up. I gotta finish my deliveries in town here. Later.”
He hiked his bag onto his shoulder, grabbing his coat and heading toward the door.
“When, then?” Reno called after him.
“What?” Cloud glanced over his shoulder.
“You said not today. When?”
“Don’t be stupid, Reno. You were shot last night and all you can think about is sex?”
Reno rolled his eyes, as though marveling at Cloud’s naiveté. “What else could I possibly think of around you? You do it for me, yo.”
Cloud opened the door and was just about to step into the hall, when he turned at the last moment. “I’m staying at the 7th Heaven.”
“Cool,” Reno said, stretching. “I’ll get fixed up, come around sometime next week, we’ll fuck, and then everyone can go home happy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Cloud answered, closing the door behind him.
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