The Measure of a Man

Title - The Measure of a Man
Fandom – FFVII
Characters – Yazoo, Kadaj, Loz, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Rufus
Warnings this chapter – yaoi, swearing, angst, sex
Disclaimer – Don’t own the boys, just playing with them
Note – Story begins immediately after Advent Children

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– chapter 7 – Consequences –

“But Reno! It’s so cold in here. Can’t you stay, just until I go to sleep?” Kadaj pleaded, directing wide eyes at the Turk. Reno swallowed, trying to resist the urge to climb under the sheets and gather the youth up in his arms.

“Kadaj, I want to stay but Tseng is back and I don’t want to piss him off… again,” Reno explained, one hand playing with his ponytail nervously. The redhead looked over at the door, wishing the other two would hurry up. Rude was escorting Loz to the bathroom and Reno didn’t know how much longer he could resist Kadaj’s pleas without his partner to back him up.

“But Tseng is with Rufus, Reno. I only want you to lie down and hold me,” the youngest whimpered, sitting up to intertwine his fingers with the redhead’s. Reno turned around, opening his mouth to argue, but as soon as his eyes met Kadaj’s, he sighed in defeat.

“Just until Rude and Loz get back, okay?” Reno whispered, letting the youth pull him onto the bed. Five minutes later, the redhead had forgotten why he wasn’t supposed to be doing this. They were laying side by side, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed. It was different from any other kiss Reno had shared with the feisty remnant, slow and comfortable, and to the redhead it was his favourite so far. Pulling back, Reno looked into Kadaj’s eyes, one hand coming up to cup the side of the youth’s face.

“Gods you’re beautiful,” he whispered. There was so much more he wanted to say, words that stuck in his throat and refused to be uttered, so instead Reno just smiled and rubbed their noses together.

“Thank you, Reno,” the remnant replied softly, grinning at him adorably. “I like it when you kiss me like that.” Reno was about to tell the youth that he liked it too, but before he could get a word out, Kadaj’s smile disappeared, a blankness falling over his eyes that frightened Reno. The sound of breaking glass in the distance shattered the silence of the room but the redhead was too concerned about the youngest brother to focus on it.

“Kadaj? Kadaj!” Reno called, sitting up and grabbing the youth’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“Yazoo… Yazoo no!” Kadaj suddenly yelled, jerking out of Reno’s hold and standing up. He ran for the door as Reno stumbled off the bed after him, still calling his name. The redhead reached the hallway just in time to see Loz bolt past with Rude right behind him so he followed, his mind spinning with worry. They all ended up in the President’s office, Kadaj and Loz over at the open window, calling out for their brother. The room looked like a tornado had gone through it, broken glass and paper strewn everywhere. “What the fuck is going on?” Reno blurted, looking from Rude to the remnants with his eyes wide. “And where is Yazoo?”

***..***

Rufus groaned when Tseng bit down on his nipple, his hands pulling the Wutain’s hair roughly. The Turk’s tongue soothed the blonde’s abused nub, humming as his hands began to undo the President’s pants. “Tseng… not here,” Rufus attempted to order, his voice coming out more like a plea as he tried to push the older man away halfheartedly. Rufus’ eyes flicked over to a small hole in the far wall, knowing that the security camera hid within it and hoping that nobody was watching. Except maybe Yazoo, the perverted voice in the back of his mind whispered, causing his hips to push forward and make a mockery of his demand.

“Commando, Rufus? Surprising…,” the Wutain purred, ignoring the blonde’s request to stop. Tseng wrapped his fingers around Rufus’ shaft, squeezing gently and making the President suddenly forget about the camera, about Yazoo, about everything else but the beautiful man before him with his hand on his cock.

“Tseng, don’t… don’t keep it still,” the blonde whimpered, wriggling his hips again as he tried to get some friction. The Turk looked up, smiling before capturing the blonde’s lips in a heated kiss, his tongue dominating the younger man’s mouth easily. Rufus was powerless to do anything but surrender his control, his whole body yearning for the Wutain’s hand to start moving instead of continuing its teasing, light pressure.

Suddenly there was frantic knocking on the cell door, Reno’s voice calling out their names. “Fuck, you have to be joking!” Rufus gasped out. Tseng chuckled softly, giving the blonde’s cock a firm squeeze and making his hips jerk up into the Turk’s hand. Rufus bit his lip hard, holding back a moan that nearly escaped as he glared down at his tormentor. The Wutain just smiled back at him with a devious glint in his eye and the President whimpered again.

“What is it, Reno?” Tseng called, his hand finally beginning to stroke Rufus’ cock, a thumb teasing the slit on every upward pass. The blonde closed his eyes and moaned loudly before he could stop himself, his face blushing red. Damn you, Tseng, he thought, indignation and embarrassment igniting his temper. He opened his eyes, intending to tell the Wutain off, but when his eyes met his Turk’s, the words died on his lips.

“I… um… I mean, there’s an emergency and you both have to come out of there now!” Reno called, making Rufus glance towards the door.

“F…five minutes, Reno,” Rufus gasped, his eyes turning back to meet Tseng’s as the head Turk’s hand began to speed up on his cock.

“You ain’t gonna wanna wait five minutes, Sir,” Reno’s voice retorted, making Tseng’s hand suddenly pause.

“Gods be damned, don’t you dare stop!” Rufus hissed softly, his hips jerking up into the Turk’s motionless fist. “Please, Tseng!”

“We’ll be right there, Reno,” the Wutain called out, grinning as his hand began moving once more, stroking perfectly as the President writhed and moaned in his lap. The redhead swore, so loud that Rufus suddenly realised how clearly Reno must be able to hear him, before his footsteps retreated down the hall.

“Bastard… you did that… on purpose,” the blonde stuttered out, not willing to admit how much he’d liked it or how shocked he was by Tseng’s perverted actions.

“How could I resist, Rufus? I love you like this… so eager, begging and moaning, just from my touch,” Tseng purred, his eyes never leaving the blonde’s. “Show me how much you want me… come for me now and later I’ll fuck you so hard. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Like me to bend you over your desk and thrust inside your tight ass… make you scream so loud that everyone knows what I’m doing to you.” The blonde groaned loudly, his hips thrusting erratically as Tseng’s words made him lose control.

“Uhhh… fuck… Tseng!” the President yelled, his vision blacking out for a moment as he came hard into the Turk’s fist. When his mind started to function again, the Wutain was holding him against his chest and Rufus was blushing so much his face felt on fire, mortified that he’s come so quickly, just from his Turk’s dirty talk. Sitting up to gaze back into beautiful dark eyes, the blonde moved his hand down to rub the Turk’s erection through his pants, wanting to make Tseng lose control for him.

“Not now, Rufus,” Tseng gasped softly, his own hand removing the President’s. “First we deal with the latest disaster. After that you can satisfy me.”

The blonde stared into the head Turks eyes, wanting so desperately to even up the score between them but finding no justifiable excuse to ignore Reno’s summons any longer. “Promise me?” he murmured.

“I swear,” the Wutain replied with a chuckle, kissing him slowly as if sealing the deal. Rufus pulled back from Tseng’s lips, climbing off his lover’s lap slowly and a little confused at how he’d lost the upper hand so quickly to the head Turk. Just like with Sephiroth, his mind taunted him and he scowled, trying to stand on legs that were still trembling. The Wutain stood with him, an arm around his waist as Rufus buttoned up, wincing at the sticky mess in his pants.

“Regain your composure, Mister President. We have already taken too long,” Tseng scolded, a small grin showing Rufus that he was teasing.

“Damn it, Tseng. I’m only human,” Rufus muttered, breathing in deep as he walked towards the door with his Turk behind him. Reaching out he tried the handle to find it locked. “Oh fuck Reno!” he suddenly blurted, belated remembering he’d left his keys on the other side of the door and the redhead was suppose to let them out.

“You left the keys in the outside lock on purpose, Rufus, didn’t you? Using my own men against me…,” Tseng murmured, leaning in close behind the President to whisper in his ear. “I’m impressed by your initiative but I will still punish you later for your deceit.”

Rufus didn’t respond, leaning forward to rest his head against the door and sigh as he suddenly released that he may have gotten more than he could handle with Tseng.

***..***

A few minutes later, Rude finally came down and unlocked the door, Tseng noticing the look on the quiet Turks face and asking him what had happened as they walked out the cell block.

“You both need to see the President’s office. We left Yazoo there to put the other two to bed and now he’s gone,” Rude answered as they approached the stairs.

“What the fuck are you saying?” Rufus demanded, grabbing the dark Turks arm and pulling the larger man to a stop with an angry glare. “You and Reno were supposed to be taking care of him!”

“We only left him for five minutes, Sir,” Rude answered, his eyes darting away nervously.

“Rufus, calm down. Rude lead the way and we will discuss it inside,” the Wutain ordered coldly, pulling the blonde away from the other Turk with a sharp tug. Rude nodded to the Wutain, running up the stairs and leaving him to deal with the spluttering President.

“What makes you think you have the right to overrule me, Tseng? I am the one in charge of all of you and when I ask for an explanation from your Turks, I expect one immediately!” the blonde hissed, pushing the Wutain away. “Their lack of respect for my authority is probably why they lost Yazoo in the first place!”

“I may be under your command but the other Turks still answer to me, Rufus,” Tseng growled, stepping closer to the President. “You will get your explanation when you shut the fuck up and go upstairs!” the Turk ordered, the blonde’s face flinching back in shock. There was a standoff that lasted around a minute before Rufus swore and turned towards the steps, jogging up them while Tseng followed. The fact the blonde was so upset over Yazoo’s disappearance had re-ignited the Wutain’s own anger and doubt, making him feel as if he’d miscalculated Rufus’ true feelings towards himself.

On entering the office, the President exploded in a tirade of insults at Reno and Rude who stood on one side of the room with their heads down. Kadaj and Loz were over at the window, staring out into the darkness. Tseng walked up beside the President, waiting until Rufus paused before cutting in.

“Rude, Reno report,” the Wutain ordered, ignoring the dirty look Rufus directed at him before the blonde stormed over to his desk. Tseng stared at his men, watching as they shuffled uncomfortably. He knew he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

***..***

“So, basically you were spying on us and letting the remnants watch as well?” Tseng asked, his eyes darkening as he glared at the Turks.

“It wasn’t like that, boss! We couldn’t leave them all unattended and we were worried about Rufus’ safety and you always said that his safety comes above everything else, no matter what,” Reno insisted nervously, hoping that his boss wasn’t going to start yelling at them as The President had. His ears were still ringing from that barrage of insults.

“You both honestly thought I would hurt him?” Tseng questioned, his eyes suddenly showing offense. The redhead flinched, looking down at his feet as he tried to think of how to answer without getting himself killed.

“Tseng, stop taking it so personally,” Rufus interrupted, opening his laptop and frowning as the monitor disintegrated in his hands. “They were just doing their job. There was no way they could of predicted Yazoo’s reaction and we’re wasting time here, arguing over details when we should be out there, looking for Yazoo. Hurry up and get to the fucking point.”

“Fine, Rufus. If you insist on getting to the point then maybe you can answer a question for me,” Tseng stated, turning towards the President. “What exactly is your relationship status with the missing remnant?”

Rufus stared back at the Wutain, Reno noticing how The President had suddenly gone from the man in charge, to a deer in the headlights in under five seconds. Asking the blonde in front of all of them had insured that he would be unprepared, his true feelings for the missing youth written all over his face even though he refused to answer. Tseng always got his information, one way or another and Reno was shocked he’d use the tactic on the man the he was supposed to love. And here I was thinking Kadaj was going to be difficult…

“He thinks you’ve both rejected him for each other,” Loz’s voice suddenly cut in, Rufus’ head flicking over to stare at the oldest remnant.

“That’s bullshit,” the President whispered.

“It is?” the Wutain murmured, staring at the President. “What the fuck does that mean, Rufus?” Oh shit, Reno thought, fighting the urge to flee. He couldn’t leave Kadaj in the middle of this and the youngest remnant was still staring out the window, seemingly oblivious to what was going on behind him.

“I mean… I thought…,” Rufus stuttered, his gaze meeting Tseng’s. The Wutain’s eyes narrowed dangerously, the air in the room electric as Reno held his breath.

“Fine, Rufus. I understand perfectly. I will go and find your boyfriend for you,” Tseng spat, heading out the door with Rufus gaping after him.

“Fucking gods, Tseng! Just wait for one second!” Rufus called, taking off after the fuming head Turk.

“Well that was… interesting,” Reno muttered, yelping as Rude smacked him in the back of the head.

***..***

Rufus ran after the head Turk, his aggravation rising with every step. “Tseng! Tseng! Stop walking the fuck away from me!” he demanded, coming up behind the Wutain as he entered his bedroom. Suddenly, the President was thrown into the wall, the door slamming closed beside him.

“What do you want, Rufus?” Tseng growled, his hand around Rufus’ throat as his face stopped inches from the President’s.

“I want… you,” Rufus gasped out, his own hands coming up to wrap around Tseng’s to try and pull it away. The blonde saw pain flick across the Wutain’s eyes before he found himself suddenly released, sliding to the floor as he stared up at his Turk, sucking in breaths.

“I can’t do this, Rufus. I can’t play your fucking games,” Tseng whispered, turning away and taking off his suit jacket, throwing it on the bed without looking. The Wutain walked over to the cupboard, getting out a thick, fur lined jacket and pulling it on.

Rufus stayed on the floor, peering up through his bangs at the fuming Turk. “No games, Tseng. I want you both.”

The Wutain turned back, looking down at him with an expression that threatened to chase away the President’s courage. “You can’t always get what you want, Mister President.”

“Why not? You love us both so what exactly is the fucking problem?” Rufus insisted. “He loves you and I know he at least likes me. Why can’t we…”

“Rufus!” Tseng hissed, cutting off the blonde’s sentence. “Are you even listening to yourself? Do you even realize what you’re saying?” Rufus frowned, trying to come up with another way to make his Turk understand but before he could think of anything, the Wutain was speaking again. “I love you, Rufus, despite the fact you’re a fucking asshole,” he spat, kicking off his shoes and pulling on a pair of boots. “That is why I will find him and bring him back to you. After that, you will have to find yourself another Turk. This is my official notice of resignation.”

Rufus gaped at him, not able to hide his shock as the Turk strode past him and out the door. Five minutes later Rufus was still there, staring at Tseng’s suit jacket on the bed as he tried to process what had just happened.

***..***

“Reno, where have Rufus and Tseng gone?” Kadaj asked, turning from his vigil at the window.

“I don’t know, Daj,” Reno murmured, walking over to pull the youth into a hug. At that moment he didn’t care who saw them as the youth looked like he was falling apart inside.

“They will go and look for Yazoo, won’t they, Reno?” Kadaj asked, his voice so soft that the redhead almost didn’t hear it.

“If they don’t we will,” Reno whispered back, hugging the youngest brother even harder.

“Reno, don’t even think about doing something stupid like going to look for him yourself,” Rude muttered from behind him, making the redhead turn to find Rude standing next to Loz, the eldest brother still staring out the window. “Tseng’s the only one of us capable of finding Yazoo out there, especially at night.”

“But what if he won’t because of all this love triangle shit with Rufus?” Reno retorted, getting angry at how much Kadaj was suffering. “We can’t just sit back and do nothing, Rude.”

“I know that, Reno. Give Tseng until morning to go. If he hasn’t by then, I’ll come with you,” the quiet Turk responded.

“Okay, okay. Only until morning though,” the redhead muttered, looking down at the youngest remnant. Kadaj’s face was still blank, the youth seemingly lost in his own thoughts and worry and Reno hated to just stand there and watch.

“Come on, we’ll go and find out what’s going on,” Reno said to the youth. One arm dropped away from the remnant so they could walk together, side by side down the hall, looking in the open doors until they found Rufus on the floor of Tseng’s bedroom, propped up against the wall with tears sliding down his face. The redhead stared, not knowing how to handle this one. Reno had come to believe the President wasn’t capable of crying, having never seen him do it before.

“Rufus,” Kadaj murmured, pulling free of the redhead to kneel down beside the blonde and wrap his arms around him. “I’m sorry Tseng made you cry.” Reno was frightened for a moment that Rufus would react badly, but was surprised when the blonde just leaned into the youngest brother’s chest.

“He’s gone to find Yazoo,” the President whispered flatly. “He will bring your brother back and then leave me forever.”

***..***

Tseng was so angry, his body running on automatic as he prepared a backpack and finally left the compound grounds. He’d started at the bottom of the window, using a torch to follow the trail of broken branches and footprints that the middle remnant had left behind. Tseng concentrated on his mission, pushing all thoughts of Rufus out of his head as he buttoned up the front of his jacket, the chill creeping in as he continued deeper into the forest.

After about half an hour of walking his anger had softened, worry beginning to rise as the trail Yazoo was leaving behind became harder to find. While the Wutain was a well trained tracker, it had been years since he had used these particular skills. The remnant was barefoot and only wearing a t-shirt and light cotton pants when he had left the compound which meant that he wouldn’t last long out in the low temperatures. That wasn’t even taking into account the beasts that roamed the mountains and Yazoo was unarmed and without his previous strength. Tseng guessed the remnants still knew how to fight but needed time and practice to adapt to fighting with normal human abilities.

Walking through a clearing, the Wutain looked down, shining his torch into the dirt and noticing the youth’s footprints had changed, showing that he was slowing down and probably dragging his feet as he walked onwards. Yazoo had run off after a jealous fit and, by now, he must have calmed, finding himself lost and in the middle of nowhere.

A twinge of sympathy made Tseng frown and chew his lip, his own thoughts returning to Rufus and how he’d left him on the floor. The expression on the President’s face was burned into his memories, the pain and shock… something that he had put there even though he’d sworn never to hurt Rufus. Tseng had been so angry, just the thought of finally getting a chance to be with the President, only to lose him because he loved the remnant, too much for the Wutain to bear. He had to admit that the thought of never having a chance with Yazoo had also added to his anger. Looks like Yazoo isn’t the only one throwing jealous fits, he thought to himself, sighing as he realized how wrong he had been. The whole situation was one huge mess, three people tearing each other apart because of love and desire.

He knew from what Reno and Rude had said that Yazoo had been watching him and Rufus in the cell… watching as Tseng stroked Rufus and the President begged for release. He must have been hit with his first taste of jealousy, setting off a rush of anger that made him trash Rufus’ office and run away in a blind rush of emotions. Considering the remnants unusual upbringing, he was probably unfamiliar with the emotion and would have been easily pushed to the edge by such strong feelings. Tseng could sympathize and was uncomfortable with how alike he and Yazoo where in that respect. How ironic, he thought, shaking his head.

It was another hour later before Tseng finally heard a noise up ahead, a sobbing sound that stood out in the silence of the night. Turning off his torch, he approached slowly, finding a hunched figure huddled up next to the roots of a huge tree, silver hair shining in the dim moonlight that speckled through the canopy of leaves overhead.

“Yazoo,” Tseng called softly, hoping the youth wouldn’t run again. The sobbing suddenly ceased, a pale face hidden in the shadows turning towards him.

“Tseng?” Yazoo’s voice whispered. “Have you come to kill me?” The Wutain flinched back at the question, surprised at how empty the voice of the youth had become.

“Why would I kill you?” Tseng asked, taking a step closer. He wished he could see the youth’s eyes so he could better ascertain what was going through the remnants mind.

“You hate me. I’ve been fucking the man you love. Why wouldn’t you want to kill me?” Yazoo replied, not moving as he watched Tseng. “I am just a thorn to you, an annoyance that keeps getting in your way. Kill me and your life becomes easier… and you can get your revenge for what mother and I did to you.”

Tseng slowly stepped forward again, stopping about two feet away from the middle remnant and crouching down to be on level with the youth. “I don’t want to kill you, Yazoo. Honestly, I don’t even hate you,” the Wutain sighed out, suddenly so sick and tired of all the constant drama that their lives had become.

“I don’t understand,” Yazoo murmured, Tseng close enough now to see his body shivering. The Wutain slipped his backpack off his shoulders, taking the blanket tied to the front off and unrolling it.

“First we need to warm you up. Then we will talk more,” he said, holding out the blanket to Yazoo. The youth did nothing at first but after a minute, he tentatively reached out and took it, wrapping it around his shoulders and the Wutain stood and began gathering firewood.

***..***

Yazoo watched as Tseng started a fire, just a few feet away from him. The brightness of the flames grew and he could feel the warmth it radiated, driving out the chill that had numbed his body. He turned his body to face it, stretching out his bare feet to let them soak up the heat while he huddled under the blanket. His eyes were drawn away from the fire and back to the Turk, watching as he too settled down, digging through his backpack before stopping to frown at its contents. The youth wanted to ask what was wrong, but couldn’t seem to get his voice to work anymore, a mixture of fear, longing and confusion settling over him as he peered at the Wutain. Tseng looked up, meeting his eyes and the Turk’s expression softened.

“Feeling warmer?” he asked. Yazoo nodded in reply, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth to chew on it nervously. “I think you and I need to discuss things, Yazoo,” Tseng began, his eyes watching the remnant intently. “Firstly, I want you to know that Rufus does love you, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. He’s been yelling at Reno and Rude ever since he found out you were gone and he’s beside himself with worry. That’s why I am here. To find you and bring you back to him.”

“But you and him…don’t want me,” Yazoo whispered, coughing as his words stuttered to nothing. Tseng passed him a water flask and he took it, drinking some down and sighing as it soothed his throat. “I saw the two of you together. You love him and he loves you.”

Tseng kept looking at him and the remnant could see the different emotions flickering over his eyes. “Rufus doesn’t love me, Yazoo. He thinks of me as a possession and what you saw in the cell was just another facet of that ownership. It is you who he loves,” the Wutain murmured, turning away to look into the flames.

“I think you’re wrong. I watched his face and the whole time he was in your arms, his expression was unguarded and completely open. Rufus is never like that with me,” Yazoo insisted, hugging the blanket closer as he began to feel the cold once more.

“What is he like with you?” Tseng asked, still not looking at the youth.

“Closed off… completely dominating and in control at all times. I think I’m the one who is a possession to him, not you. He would never let me dominate him like you do,” Yazoo mused, picking a stick up off the ground to poke the edge of the fire. Silence fell over them both, Tseng apparently thinking over what the remnant had said. Yazoo’s mind was so full of thoughts that he couldn’t still them, finally just deciding to voice them as he had nothing left to lose at this point.

“Tseng, why do you no longer hate me? After what you said in the shower, I thought you would always hate me for what I did to you before,” the remnant asked, holding Tseng’s gaze when he turned towards him.

“I never hated you. I was just angry that you made me… that I… fuck,” the Wutain stuttered, looking away and continuing to swear under his breath. Yazoo stayed silent, waiting for the Turk to gather his control. Never hated, just angry, he repeated in his head, remembering that Rufus had said the same thing about Tseng’s feelings. Does that mean that Rufus was right about him loving me too?

“I took you against your will and for that, I am sorry,” Yazoo said softly. “I regret hurting you and wish that I could undo it all.” Tseng said nothing, making Yazoo worried that his apology would not be accepted. Minutes ticked by until finally, the Wutain looked up at him and when their eyes met, Yazoo sucked in a breath at the intensity coming from those dark eyes.

“Apology accepted,” Tseng whispered, pulling his legs into a folded position. “I regret the incident in the showers as well. What I said to you was inexcusable. I said it to purely cause you pain and none of it was true. I am sorry for hurting you, Yazoo.”

Hearing those words, Yazoo couldn’t help but smile, his heart pounding in his chest in excitement. None of it was true… “Thank you,” he whispered. Minutes ticked by but Yazoo couldn’t look away, his own emotions shining out at the stoic man before him. He now knew the Wutain didn’t hate him but he needed to know if there was a chance for something more. “Tseng, do you want me like you want Rufus?”

Tseng’s eyes widened, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. “I… I think I do,” he mumbled, looking away and making Yazoo smile even wider. It was quiet for awhile, the middle brother happily thinking over the possibilities of having both the men he desired, until the Wutain sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair and glancing back. “I will be honest with you, Yazoo. I do not know how to handle this… whatever this is, between the three of us. I have never dealt with a situation like this before and I find myself lost. Then again, after what I said to Rufus tonight, I may have pushed him away, once and for all.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, Tseng. Rufus loves you enough to forgive you, no matter what it was that you said,” Yazoo replied, shuffling over closer to the Turk.

“Thank you, Yazoo, but I don’t think it will be that simple. With Rufus, there are certain things that hurt him more than others. I told him that I would leave forever as soon as I brought you back, and to him, that is the worst thing I could have said. His mother left him, Sephiroth left him… he will not forgive me for this so easily,” Tseng responded, looking back into the fire. “I was jealous that he was so upset by your disappearance and I lashed out.”

“I left him because I was jealous too,” Yazoo suddenly realized, biting his lip. “He’s going to be angry with us both.” Yazoo was now close enough to touch the Wutain, so he reached out, gently laying his hand on the Turks arm and smiling when Tseng looked up. “We both need to apologize to him. I’m sure if we work together, we can win him back.”

“Together?” Tseng asked, an eyebrow rising in surprise.

“If we’re going to make the three of us work, we have to stand together,” Yazoo whispered, his hand lifting off of Tseng’s arm to tuck a lose strand of hair behind the Wutain’s ear. The Turk gazed at him, his eyes searching the remnant’s before his own hand rose up to gently trace Yazoo’s jaw with one finger.

“I think… I would like to do it with you,” Tseng murmured with a grin.

***..***

TBC

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Review Replies

Faoiltierna

I love a double squee!!! LOL. Which means that this will be a double update too! Yeah, the remnants and Rufus are the perverts of this story... although I think Tseng is just a closet pervert... LOL. Oh yes, much more angst to come. If there's one thing the boys do well it's angst... well that and smexing... which means two things... oh and killing... okay, now I'm raving. Reno's poor brain will be broken again next chapter which should already be there by the time you finish reading this one. I try to feel sorry for him, but I fail. I wouldn't mind my brain being broken like that!!! The muses are still firing so lots more to come! Thanks for your review and support! *hugs*

Kira

Hey Kira!!! Glad you're enjoying the drama I'm making the boys suffer through... LOL. I am a cruel master, but I think they enjoy it. black/cream/silver are the perfect combination, so there will be much more on this love triangle. Tseng is one touchy bastard so he's gonna be causing trouble again in no time. He really needs to lighten up and I'm sure Rufus will do his best to make him. Thank you so much for saying I'm a great writer!! *blushes* and for saying you'll read some of my other stuff too. Just don't read corpse in the cupboard... it was my first ever fanfiction and I flinch every time I try to read it... ug... I do hate going back and reading my old crap... LOL! Thanks again for your review and support! I really appreciate it! *hugs*

THANKYOU TO ALL MY NINJA READERS AND RATERS!!! HEY, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WRITE A REVIEW, MY NINJA FRIENDS, HOW ABOUT PRESSING THAT RATING BUTTON DOWN THERE??? I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!

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