A Little R&r

Reno strolled through the doorway, rubbing the towel on his head from the morning's shower. He was only partially in uniform for this time of day, but since it was a holiday weekend, no one certainly was going to push the point. "I need to do something with my hair. It's a mess."

Rude came up from beside him and ruffled it up from behind. There hadn't been one day where his hair kept to any order, much like the man beneath it. "S'no different than when you roll out of bed, no matter what you do," he chided.

"I have to use product after I shower or my hair doesn't do anything for the rest of the week."

"So you don't look like you just came out of the dryer?" Rude made to duck from an expected punch. Playfully, Reno grabbed the bigger man with an arm around his neck and rubbed the top of his bare head with his free hand.

"You wouldn't have that problem, would you?" The pair side-stepped around.

"I've been told bald men are quite sexy these days."

Still hanging on, Reno licked the top of his head. "I like it, yo," he said with a smirk. Rude bit at his lower lip a little.

"I'm not returning the sentiment...I fear hairballs."

"I'd be weirded out." Reno let him go as he gave his friend a strange look. Rude had returned to scavenging through piles of clothes and linens.

"You don't happen to know where my belt ended up, would ya?"

"Where did you have it last, yo?"

"Down by the storage room... but when I looked for it, it wasn't there..." He furrowed his brow while Reno quirked.

"Wait... where we were last night?"

Rude nodded once. "Yea... who uses that room?"

Reno looked thoughtful for a moment. "Eh, is it all that important? It's not like you don't have a spare." the big man shook his head no.

"You know how cheap they are... practically one for everything," he mused, staring out into space.

"Eh, what are you worried about, yo? I'd give you mine but I lost it a month ago."

"Like yours would even fit me." He rolled his head back toward Reno, who threw his head back and laughed.

"Yea. That would be like me wearing your jacket." He joined in rummaging around the room.

Rude snorted softly. "What are you looking for?" raising an eyebrow. "Not more of those pictures..."

"Rude... they were everywhere. I found one IN the bed last night. Nah, I can't find my damned jacket. It's around here somewhere, I know it. I brought an entire suit. I remember.

"Did you bring it with you when you took your shower?" Rude looked about idly.

"Nah, just the pants and shirt. They were all I could find."

Rude hopped up to perch on the bed and shuffled a few things around, finding another picture. "Damn, you were pretty close to take that one," he commented, moving his sunglasses out of the way. "I can see my nose hairs in this one." He rubbed his nose self-consciously.

"Yea," Reno shrugged. "You can tell the earlier ones from the later ones by how far I was. Hey, uh... sorry for... you know... freakin' out on you last night." Rude returned his sunglasses to their proper position, saying nothing as Reno shrugged, flopping on the bed beside him.

"After the cat was out of the bag I could've just talked to you, yo, instead of... eh... runnin' off." With a silent smirk, Rude got up and rummaged about some more. "Yea, and this is the point where you're supposed to, you know, talk to me or somethin'. You were talkin' enough last night!" Rude paused for a moment and straightened to his full height. He acted like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it and turned back to rummaging. "Rude..." Reno tossed his head back with a jerk, "What'sup?"

Rude turned his head over his shoulder, and then turned it back away. "It's just.... weird..."

"Weird?" Reno was taken slightly aback.

Rude shrugged and returned to sorting. Reno, not to be denied or ignored, especially when he was teetering on the edge of the unknown, walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around Rude's waist, pressing his face into his back. The wall of a guy paused, dropping the papers he had in his hands.

"Still weird?" Reno continued. Rude nodded his head ever so slightly, moving his hand to top the arm wrapped about him. He spoke softly into Rude's ear. "Why's it weird?"

When he spoke, it was softly and with a deep, heaving sigh, "Dunno..."

Reno slunk around in front of him and crouched on the floor, looking into his eyes behind the sunglasses. Rude dropped his head, adding in a hushed voice, "You've been my partner for years... so it's..." He dropped off, struggling to find what to say.

"Man. Rude, I'm still your friend, yo. S'why I didn't wanna tell you... or have you find those pictures, but I was more worried about the Third Division finding 'em." Rude closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, nodding lightly. "Come on... it's not that weird... is it?"

Rude stood up and pulled out the chair tucked under his desk, sat on it backwards, and folded his arms over the upper back of it. "You're asking after all of this... mess," he kicked a pile of socks, "...if I still find this weird. You have no idea."

Reno's head jerked back again. "Yea." It was all he could muster. He had fucked up. What could he do to make this right again? There was so much Reno needed to hear, but he couldn't ask about it and even if he could, Rude wouldn't answer him. To occupy his hands, he started picking up pictures off the floor and stuffing them into the envelope. Rude turned his head to the side and heaved another sigh.

"Who would have thought I'd ever end up...?" He dropped off again, his head buried into his elbow. Reno paused, a photo dangling between his fingertips.

"End up what?" he asked, his voice picking up an edge. From within his elbow, Rude murmured. Reno twitched involuntarily. "Rude, so help me... I'm no match for you. Don't make me try and beat you." Rude muffled a snort in response.

"Then talk to me, goddamnit."

Rude stood up sharply and flipped the chair back towards the desk. "I like women, ok?" He appeared agitated. "I was never brought up thinking any of this was..." His voice dropped off and his brow furrowed. "I'm not..." He stared at the wall farthest from him.

Reno snorted. "Is that what this is all about?" It was a statement more than question. "Yea, know what? I like women, too. I like men. And, hey, it doesn't have to go any further than me, eh?"

The big man turned his attention to the large crack in the wall. After a long moment of silence he braved to ask what has been tearing at his mind. "So I am... aren't I?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Full sentences would help you there, pal."

"Don't make me say it..." His hands flexed at his sides.

Reno stood from his crouching position. "Don't make you say what? Aren't you what? I've got half a dozen things you aren't right now and the main one is 'making sense'." Rude cut to the wall with the crack and rested his forehead against it. Reno sighed and dropped the envelope full of pictures to the floor, crossed the floor and wrapped his arms around as much of Rude as he could manage, pressing his forehead against his back.

"So would it be easier for you to forget about this?" Rude began to hit his forehead against the wall. Reno spoke against his broad back, "Stopit..." The bald man slowed his frequency, but didn't stop. Reno balled up his fist and socked him in the chest, which was no small feat considering how wide Rude was. "I said stop it." Rude made one more thump to the wall. Irritated, Reno darted around in front of him and put his hand in front of the wall. "Rude, stop it. You're hurting the wall."

Rude rested his forehead against Reno's hand. In a murmur, he spoke, "This is getting complicated..."

"Hey, like I said. You wanna just forget about it, you forget about it. Nothing changes."

"But it has," he huffed.

"Alright. You want it this way; I'll make the choice for you, yo." He turned and walked out the door without another word.

Rude put his cheek to the wall and waited a few seconds before following Reno out into the hall. He was torn by the situation. Not only was he mad at himself for a number of reasons, but he was too proud to say anything to Reno. He prized his friendship with the rogue Turk, but now things were muddled, and he feared he would lose his friend after all.

Reno headed down the hallway to his room. It's not like he had to stay with Rude forever. Hell, he could go stay with... well, alright, no one else would let him stay with them. He rounded the corner and poked his head into the room. If Rude didn't want him, that was fine. He'd dealt with rejection before... too bad it hurt so deep this time. Reno shook it off and turned on the usual charm.

"Hey! So what's going on in here? Any luck yet?"

Several suited men stood about watching a few more men who were in full biohazard gear. One of them was negotiating a large wrap over a mattress corner with a pair of tongs. He tried greeting again. "Hey, so what the hell are you people looking for, anyway? Some nuclear cockroach get in my room or something?"

One of the men dressed in gear tried to say something. Tseng turned to the flunky next to him. "What'd he say?"

He shrugged. "I think it was something about he needs help." The other protected men look between each other, shirking the job.

Reno sighed and strolled into the room. "Tseng. What the hell are you guys looking for?" One of the bio-suit guys held a meter up to Reno. It chittered noisily. "Look, I want my room back, yo. Tell me what you're looking for and I'll help you or something."

"We're not looking for anything." Tseng stepped forward, leveling a cool gaze at Reno. "If you can't tell already, we're trying to bring this room back up to... code." He rubbed his fingers together as if something disgusting had dirtied them. Reno wondered if he knew how creepy it made him look, and not in a good way. It wasn't creepy in an intimidating way, it was more like creepy in a child-molesting kind of way. Reno stopped himself before he blurted the words.

"Then take everything out, burn it and move on." He was getting impatient. He needed space to himself for awhile so Rude could sort himself out. "Spend some of Shinra's hard earned money and get something... new. Put someone else in this room and give me theirs. I don't GIVE a rat's ass, just get me somewhere." Rude sided up behind Reno.

"But you are somewhere." He dropped, turning to talk to some of the other men at his off-side. Reno threw his hands up and turned to walk out, running smack into Rude. One of the men from Tseng's group radioed through to an unknown end as Tseng turned back to the pair. "Until this matter is back under control, you two will be sharing your room," he stated, eyeing Rude, "until further notice." He punctuated his statement with a smirk. Rude's jaw dropped.

"That's bullshit. You have half a dozen other rooms you could put me in." His usual charm was completely gone now, replaced with irritation and hurt. It was clearly obvious in his voice he was distraught. Tseng was smiling a bit more now, pleased to have gotten under Reno's skin.

"I wouldn't complain too loudly at this point, very few others are willing to tolerate your..." he paused, eyeing him up and down, "...mannerisms. Besides, you know there's a policy about

boys

being in the women's dormitories." He added emphasis on the word

boys

for further irritation.

Reno turned on his heel and muttered under his breath, "You're an ass," and stalked out of the room. Rude stared blankly where Reno had just been.

"Don't worry, Rude," Tseng soothed. "I'm sure if you made it past the first night with him, the others should be a piece of cake." Rude said nothing, simply boggling inside his head.

Reno headed back to Rude's room, snagged his blanket, kicked the envelope of pictures under his bed, and headed for the supply closet just outside in the hall next to the room. He couldn't believe this was happening. Something he'd wanted for so long he finally had in his hands... he had held it... and then it was gone. Just like that. Wasn't that always the way?

Never wish for something too hard, Reno. You might just get what you want.

Reno picked the lock of the supply closet, walked inside and shut it behind him with a soft click. He nestled between the boxes of sheet paper and wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, welcoming the blissful darkness.

As Rude made his way back to his room, hoping to find the brooding Reno, two workmen bumbled through the hallway carrying a large, solid object hidden under a sheet, nearly knocking him over. They barely navigated the bulky item through the doorframe before the sheet caught on the way and pulled it off. The two men each grabbed an end of Rude's bed, caring not who or what might have been on it and began to haul it up and out the door. Rude blocked the doorway.

"The hell's going on here?" He turned his head to look at the new obscurity. "BUNKBEDS?" His lips flap like a fish in bewilderment. The two workers push past Rude, barely leaving him a second to grab his own blanket and pillow. Rude stood in the doorframe, scratching at his head. "Yeeeah... thanks for the memo, Tseng..."

So now what, Reno?

He puzzled.

You've alienated your best friend, given him more issues than Don Corneo's girly magazines, and now you're living in a frigging supply closet.

He sighed heavily and buried his head in his blanket. Thinking his room was safe had been his first mistake. Nothing in Shinra was sacred and he knew that. He'd seen it first hand many times in his time as a Turk. Hell, he hadn't agreed with it, he had just gone along with it because it had never affected him before. He sighed and buried his head deeper into his blanket, tears welling in his eyes.

This was your idea, Reno. You brought this down on yourself, you know?

Reno snapped his head up with the jangle of keys in the door handle.

Great. Just what I need.

Elena pulled open the supply closet door and reached for the first box of paper out of instinct. She jumped and stumbled back when her eyes caught Reno's. The shock was short lived and quickly replaced by confusion, then rage. She narrowed her eyes. "HOW did you get IN here?" She tapped her foot in irritation, one hand on her hip. Reno closed his eyes and shook his head, slinking back into his blanket.

Can this day get ANY worse...

he sighed. Elena would not be ignored. "You didn't answer my QUESTION, Reno. HOW did you get into the supply closet?"

"Tseng locked me in here." He lied, his voice flat as the blanket swallowed him.

"OH! Which REMINDS me, RENO," she cried, her eyes flashed liquid lightening, "HOW did Tseng get those pictures you told me you destroyed?"

Reno's voice was more hushed and rather raw. "I thought you'd change your mind later, yo. I kept them for you in that tissue box you had them in. They called in people to renovate my room and the only way I could get them out of there without everyone seeing them was to give them to Tseng."

"Didn't you get the MEMO about that?"

"No..." he mumbled, barely audible.

"Reno, you look me in the eye and tell me that you HONESTLY did NOT get that memo. You tell me you HONESTLY had my best interests in mind. You do those things and MEAN IT and I will forgive you." Rude was listening to the entire scene from behind his doorway.

Reno pulled the blanket down around his shoulders, his eyes still glinting with tears. "Elena, I had your best interests in mind when I gave those pictures to Tseng." He dropped his eyes to the floor, his voice hoarse. "And, believe me, if I had gotten that memo, I wouldn't be in the hell I'm in right now."

"Hey... you're actually... upset... about something." She crouched down beside him. "What could be bothering the Joker King, hmm?" She smiled down at him, attempting cheeriness. Reno buried his face in his knees.

"Can we not do this right now?" He reached over, flipped the lid off a box of paper and handed her a packet. "Just close the door and don't tell anyone you found me, 'kay?" Elena took the paper, blinking.

"Reno... what's going on? This is definitely NOT like you..."

A random office guy walks by. "Hola, Miss Seniorita." He flashed a big cheesy grin. Elena glared at him, and then turned her attention back to Reno. Reno shook his head and dug deep to fire up the old charm.

"Eh, Rude and I are having a lover's spat." He smiled up at her, hoping she bought it as a joke. "It'll pass. So just close the door and leave me here, alright? I'm fine."

"You know, Reno... I don't know how he puts up with you like he does. I think I would have to kill you by now."

Two guys quietly pushed each other down toward Elena, chiding the other to do something. "You do it!"

"No, YOU do it!"

"It was YOUR idea!"

The first guy cleared his throat. "Uh, hi, Elena..." The second guy elbowed him hard. "Nice weather we're having." He giggled. "Looks like it's gonna be sunny..." They broke into a fit of giggles.

Elena glared at them. "What are you guys talking about?" The first one cut in front of the other.

"N-n-nothing... just ah... wanted to know if you brought a hat for today," he asked, snickered. Elena gave a tight-lipped smile and glared down at Reno.

"Why, no, I didn't." She turned back to them with a fake smile. "I planned on staying in today and doing some paperwork, which is WHY I stopped to get some paper. Don't you guys have anything better to do?"

The giggling pair stumbled back down the hallway. "Awww... no hat for today," he snorted.

"Come on," he sniggered. "Let's go before she calls dogs on us... I wouldn't want Tseng or Rufus bustin' my balls this weekend, I got PLANS today."

"I'd just call Rude and have him bust your head like a melon," she called down the hall at them. Rude, from behind the doorway, snorted. Elena, hearing the soft sound, peeked up and around the door, catching the tip of his shoe. She turned back to Reno.

"You know, with as much as the two of you work together, I would almost believe you and Rude had something going on." She smiled at Reno. "Too bad I know for a fact he has a crush on a girl. Besides, you wouldn't be his type. Hell... he would crush you." Somehow, busting Reno's balls when he was down just wasn't satisfying. Rude blushed from his spot behind the door.

Reno nodded. "I just want my room back, Elena. I want somewhere to go."

"I'm sure Rude would let you stay with him for a couple of days until they get done. You have to admit, Reno, your room was nearly toxic."

"I TOLD you. Rude and I aren't on the best of terms right now. I pushed something a little... too far with him and I can't take it back. I just need to wait for it to blow over again and we'll be fine."

"Wow. I never thought I would hear Rude had actually gotten upset with you."

"Eh, he'll be alright in a couple of days. I just have to give him some time to let it blow over. S'what I do with everyone else, yo. They eventually forget about it." Rude flexed his hands a few times. "Rude's the only one who will put up with me, yo. He's my best friend. I just need to stay away from him for awhile so he can cool off." Reno buried his head in his blanket again so Elena didn't see the fresh tears welling up. "Do a guy a favor and close the door, eh?" Elena nearly closed the door, looking around the corner for Rude.

Rude's mind was drowning now, to hear his friend on the verge of tears, it was twisting him all up inside. He rolled over to press his back against the wall. Elena closed the door on Reno and walked around the corner to Rude.

"So since I couldn't get any answers out of Reno, maybe I can get them out of you." Rude shifted his gaze to the ceiling and blinked back a tear. Elena leaned in and lowered her voice. "What in the HELL is going on with you two??"