Degrees of Acceptance
folder
Final Fantasy VII › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
1
Views:
810
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Final Fantasy VII › Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
1
Views:
810
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Degrees of Acceptance
Title: Degrees of Acceptance
Chapter Title: Of Assassinations and Meetings: Acceptance
Rating: R (for now)
Pairing: Rufus/Reno (later)
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, but maybe I should after SquarEnix made that atrocious Papuwa Island anime...
A/N: This fic is *AU*! But I promise that I will put in as many FFVII characters as I can while staying within the bounds of my fic, and as close to their actual professions as possible. Please bear with any grammar mistakes or any boredom, cause I promise that it'll get better. Chapter 2 is looking so yummy...*drools* Anyway, on with the show!
~*~
“…breaking news: the President of ShinRa Electrical Company was injured during an assassination attempt just moments ago, and we are told that he is in critical condition and likely not to survive. For more on this story, we now go to-”
“Just what I need to start my day—a new bastard.”
Chapter 1: Of Assassinations and Meetings: Acceptance
~*~
Red hair flailed in the wind as a motorcycle dodged through the morning traffic of Midgar. The sun glinted off a pair of goggles holding back spikes of red from green-blue eyes and a baton dangling from a right wrist.
Turning sharply into a parking garage, the motorcycle made its way to its normal parking place. But as it came nearer its destination, the hands upon the handlebars began to guide it in a different direction. The motorcycle idled then died within the rectangle graced with a sign that read “Reserved for the President.”
“Reno!” The driver whipped his head around to see a woman in black pants, jacket, and tie walking off the elevator, and he smirked.
“Heya, Elena!”
“Reno, what the hell are you doing parking there?”
“Like the bastard’s gonna to be usin’ it anytime soon.”
“Regardless, Reno,” Elena sighed, “that space is… Nevermind. Tseng wants all Turks in Conference Room A in ten minutes.”
“Oh joy, I’ll be there with bells on.”
Reno laughed as Elena sighed again and walked away, the elevator ding loud in the silence of the garage. He noticed that she held the door for him, so he straightened out his wrinkled jacket as best he could and joined her. As the doors closed, Reno turned to begin his traditional elevator conversation.
“So, you ever wander what it’s like to fool around in an elevator?” Reno waggled his eyebrows at the female Turk. Elena sighed a third time, but ignored the question. “Ah, come on, Elena, live a little.”
“I live plenty, Reno, just like you. There’s just a difference between my wholesome living and your decadent lifestyle.”
“If that’s your way of sayin’ I get more sex than you, I won’t complain.” Reno accompanied his smirk with a wink and laughed once again as he wrung from her another sigh. The elevator doors dinged open, and Elena preceded him down the hall to Conference Room A. Upon entering the huge meeting room, Reno saw that he was the last to arrive. Tseng had more than likely sent Elena down to make sure he came to the meeting as soon as he got here. He found a seat open next to his partner Rude and assumed it was for him.
“Now that everyone is here,” Tseng eyed Reno slightly, “I’d like to get straight to the matter at hand. In light of this morning’s attack on the President and his dubious hold on life, the executive board of ShinRa Electrical Company has unanimously voted to expel the current president for a new one. Our division will either be disbanded or continued following an inspection of our ranks by the new president. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior,” he eyed Reno again, “as well as show the new president the utmost respect for his position.”
Tseng glanced over all assembled, and Reno stuck out his tongue slightly when the man’s gaze fell upon him. He knew he could be a handful sometimes, but that was with just cause; he was bored. As long as they gave him something fun to do, he’d lick the new bastard’s shoes.
“Rude, I expect you to keep your partner in line.” Reno glared slightly at his boss, but quickly transferred it to his partner when the bald man groaned.
“Sir, you know that’s a full time job. I can’t do that *and* protect the President.” The gathered Turks just laughed, and Reno was damned if he’d let them get away with it. Aiming his baton at a Turk close by, he was just about to swing it when something came to mind.
“Tseng, just who is the new bastard?” All laughter died down, more than one person curious as to the answer, though ‘bastard’ wasn’t the term they would’ve used.
“Rufus Shinra.”
“Fuckin’ hell, Tseng! We just got rid of one Shinra bastard, and they’re saddlin’ us with another one?!” He was just about to say something more when a throat being cleared sounded through the conference room. All eyes turned to take in a young man dressed in impeccable white, blonde hair slicked back to reveal piercing blue eyes.
“I hope this particular display is not representative of the entire organization, Tseng.” Rufus Shinra began a slow walk to the front of the conference room and gazed upon those assembled. Reno found himself staring and glared at Rufus; whether he was mad at Rufus or himself he didn’t know.
“I am confident that Tseng has informed you that I am now president of ShinRa Electrical Company. I am also confident that he has expressed my declaration that your fates are now in my hands. Considering that my father is dying in a hospital bed at this moment, I am leaning heavily toward your disbandment.”
Rufus’ declaration was met with surprised silence. Though Tseng had indeed informed them, they didn’t think it had been an actual threat. Reno couldn’t lose this job. He was actually good at it. Where would he go after this? Who would hire an ex-Turk?
“What the fuck?! You can’t do that! The Turks’ve been around for decades, and Daddy’s little brat isn’t gonna just walk in and change that!” Reno’s outburst was met with a chilly silence. He stared at Rufus, green-blue eyes blazing, and Rufus smirked.
“You disagree with my assessment?”
“Hell yeah I disagree!”
“Then prove me wrong, Turk.” Again a surprised silence befell them. Reno watched as Rufus calmly walked to the door and turned around. “Turk, what is your name?”
Caught off guard, he answered, “Reno.”
“Hn, well, Reno, I look forward to your outcome.” Then he was gone, leaving Reno staring at an empty space in a mixture of confusion and shock with the unusual urge to laugh.
Rude spoke up as the door slammed closed. “What the hell just happened, boss?”
“I think Reno just bought the Turks some time. Let’s not waste it. Everyone dismissed. We need to prove ourselves to our new president.”
Reno turned to leave, still muddled over the entire encounter, when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Resisting the urge to turn and attack, he looked behind him into Rude’s concerned stare.
“Reno, I don’t know if what you just did was very good or very stupid.”
‘You and I both,’ he thought, but just plastered on his ever-present smirk for his partner. “Regardless, buddy, I think the both of us will need a drink tonight, your treat.”
~*~
In light of the morning’s happenings, Reno and Rude were reassigned to guard the new President and were stuck going from one boring meeting to the next. Rufus had to meet with his father’s business partners to assure them that they would still be affiliated with ShinRa even with the power change. Or not, if Rufus’ constant scowl after these meetings was any indication.
“Such blithering idiots! My father did not keep them around for business interests, I have come to find. I will have to rethink not replacing them.”
“So you’re gonna go back on everything you said to them?”
“Should it become necessary.”
Reno stared at Rufus’ back as they walked back to the helicopter. And out the corner of his eye the entire flight to another meeting. And at his back again as they walked down another hallway. All morning, Reno had had been witness to the two sides of Rufus Shinra, and what he saw didn’t impress him. There was the proper businessman that walked into these meetings and the cold-hearted bastard who came out. Reno didn’t know which one he disliked more. A buzzing in his ear let Reno know his mind was wandering too far; Rude had begun to hum softly to get his attention.
Tseng had given them new headsets that let them hear every little thing that happened or was said, a precaution for if one Turk couldn’t be with the other in the President’s presence. So now Rude was quietly telling him to pay attention without calling unwanted attention to his wandering focus. Snapping his attention back to Rufus after throwing his partner a grateful smirk, Reno saw a pale hand lift to Rufus’ temple.
“Reno, return to the helicopter and bring my medicine back. If I am going to get through this meeting, I am going to need some help.”
Reno purged himself of the urge to bash Rufus over the head with his baton and quickly turned around to do as told. He actually had to fight off the thought to just get into the helicopter and fly away. But then speech flowed along his headset that stopped him in his tracks.
[Ah, Rufus, so glad you could see me.]
[Of course. You are a business partner, after all.]
[I see you’ve already started to make use of the Turks. But I’ll tell you, watch out for the one with the red hair.]
[…Why?]
[That one will be the death of you. It wouldn’t surprise me to know that he was in charge of guarding your father this morning. He probably let your father die.]
Silence reigned for a minute. Reno’s rage was coming more and more to the surface as the seconds ticked by. This man whom he’d only seen at parties he’d been forced to guard Shinra Sr. at was slandering his image to the man who currently had the Turks’ fates in his hand. Reno took his job seriously, dammit, and even though he hated Shinra Sr. with a burning passion, he’d never just let the bastard get killed. He was just about to turn back around to confront him when Rufus spoke.
[Reno is here with me. I would kill him before he even thought to betray me. But…I don’t think Reno would ever be that stupid. I think he takes his job quite seriously. So, it is more likely that I would shoot you for slandering my Turk before I would even think to shoot him for insubordination.]
Reno heard some stuttered apology from the old man, ignored by Rufus, but he was stuck on what Rufus had said. This man had known him for one morning, and he had stood up for Reno. Maybe Reno had been wrong in judging the man so soon.
[But I could shoot him for incompetence. Where the hell is he?]
Maybe not.
~*~
“Oh, poor Reno and Rude! Having to go back and forth between meetings like that. And with the new boss to boot! Wish I had pictures!” Elena reached in front of her for another round of drinks.
“Shut the hell up! Today was the day from hell. Rufus is as much of a bastard as his bastard fath-”
“Reno!” Rude leaned over to whap Reno on the head.
“What the fuck?!”
“Reno, you need to show a little more respect for our new boss. And address him as President or Sir.” Reno glared at Tseng, who stared back impassively.
“I’ll do that when I accept him as my boss. Right now, he’s just another bastard who has a slim chance of getting my acceptance.”
“Reno, tell them what happened today.” Knowing Rude would just hit him if he didn’t, Reno grudging did. In clipped phrases until he saw Rude’s gloved hand rising as if to reach for a drink, but his body was steadily leaning toward him.
“And the President didn’t know about your new headsets?” asked an amazed Elena.
“I haven’t informed the President of our newest acquisition from Hojo yet.” Tseng picked up another drink himself as they passed by.
“Whatever. I’m sure he did it to save his own reputation, not mine. Shinra doesn’t need others to think he’s weak, or that he doesn’t have control in a situation. Face it; he’ll never see us Turks as anything but expendable protection.”
A gloomy silence greeted his statement as the Turks gathered more or less agreed. Reno picked up another shot glass and slammed it back, grimacing as the bitter liquid burned down his throat. Then Elena let out a shocked gasp as she looked toward the door. Reno and a few others had to turn around, but all eyes were soon at the bar’s entrance. Rufus Shinra stood there, obviously looking for them. Finding them in their darkened corner, he stalked over.
Tseng stood quickly, drink in hand. “President, what are you doing here? I mean, is there something we can do for you, Sir?”
Rufus grabbed the drink from Tseng’s hand. The Turks tensed, thinking it would be thrown in Tseng’s face, but were surprised when Rufus knocked it back. Shrugging his white jacket off, Rufus sat in Tseng’s seat and stared at the Turks.
Slamming the shot glass down on the table, Rufus looked up into Reno’s eyes. “Play it again. Tonight, I need a drink.”
Reno found himself smiling and handed him a shot. “Welcome to the club, boss.”
Chapter Title: Of Assassinations and Meetings: Acceptance
Rating: R (for now)
Pairing: Rufus/Reno (later)
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, but maybe I should after SquarEnix made that atrocious Papuwa Island anime...
A/N: This fic is *AU*! But I promise that I will put in as many FFVII characters as I can while staying within the bounds of my fic, and as close to their actual professions as possible. Please bear with any grammar mistakes or any boredom, cause I promise that it'll get better. Chapter 2 is looking so yummy...*drools* Anyway, on with the show!
~*~
“…breaking news: the President of ShinRa Electrical Company was injured during an assassination attempt just moments ago, and we are told that he is in critical condition and likely not to survive. For more on this story, we now go to-”
“Just what I need to start my day—a new bastard.”
Chapter 1: Of Assassinations and Meetings: Acceptance
~*~
Red hair flailed in the wind as a motorcycle dodged through the morning traffic of Midgar. The sun glinted off a pair of goggles holding back spikes of red from green-blue eyes and a baton dangling from a right wrist.
Turning sharply into a parking garage, the motorcycle made its way to its normal parking place. But as it came nearer its destination, the hands upon the handlebars began to guide it in a different direction. The motorcycle idled then died within the rectangle graced with a sign that read “Reserved for the President.”
“Reno!” The driver whipped his head around to see a woman in black pants, jacket, and tie walking off the elevator, and he smirked.
“Heya, Elena!”
“Reno, what the hell are you doing parking there?”
“Like the bastard’s gonna to be usin’ it anytime soon.”
“Regardless, Reno,” Elena sighed, “that space is… Nevermind. Tseng wants all Turks in Conference Room A in ten minutes.”
“Oh joy, I’ll be there with bells on.”
Reno laughed as Elena sighed again and walked away, the elevator ding loud in the silence of the garage. He noticed that she held the door for him, so he straightened out his wrinkled jacket as best he could and joined her. As the doors closed, Reno turned to begin his traditional elevator conversation.
“So, you ever wander what it’s like to fool around in an elevator?” Reno waggled his eyebrows at the female Turk. Elena sighed a third time, but ignored the question. “Ah, come on, Elena, live a little.”
“I live plenty, Reno, just like you. There’s just a difference between my wholesome living and your decadent lifestyle.”
“If that’s your way of sayin’ I get more sex than you, I won’t complain.” Reno accompanied his smirk with a wink and laughed once again as he wrung from her another sigh. The elevator doors dinged open, and Elena preceded him down the hall to Conference Room A. Upon entering the huge meeting room, Reno saw that he was the last to arrive. Tseng had more than likely sent Elena down to make sure he came to the meeting as soon as he got here. He found a seat open next to his partner Rude and assumed it was for him.
“Now that everyone is here,” Tseng eyed Reno slightly, “I’d like to get straight to the matter at hand. In light of this morning’s attack on the President and his dubious hold on life, the executive board of ShinRa Electrical Company has unanimously voted to expel the current president for a new one. Our division will either be disbanded or continued following an inspection of our ranks by the new president. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior,” he eyed Reno again, “as well as show the new president the utmost respect for his position.”
Tseng glanced over all assembled, and Reno stuck out his tongue slightly when the man’s gaze fell upon him. He knew he could be a handful sometimes, but that was with just cause; he was bored. As long as they gave him something fun to do, he’d lick the new bastard’s shoes.
“Rude, I expect you to keep your partner in line.” Reno glared slightly at his boss, but quickly transferred it to his partner when the bald man groaned.
“Sir, you know that’s a full time job. I can’t do that *and* protect the President.” The gathered Turks just laughed, and Reno was damned if he’d let them get away with it. Aiming his baton at a Turk close by, he was just about to swing it when something came to mind.
“Tseng, just who is the new bastard?” All laughter died down, more than one person curious as to the answer, though ‘bastard’ wasn’t the term they would’ve used.
“Rufus Shinra.”
“Fuckin’ hell, Tseng! We just got rid of one Shinra bastard, and they’re saddlin’ us with another one?!” He was just about to say something more when a throat being cleared sounded through the conference room. All eyes turned to take in a young man dressed in impeccable white, blonde hair slicked back to reveal piercing blue eyes.
“I hope this particular display is not representative of the entire organization, Tseng.” Rufus Shinra began a slow walk to the front of the conference room and gazed upon those assembled. Reno found himself staring and glared at Rufus; whether he was mad at Rufus or himself he didn’t know.
“I am confident that Tseng has informed you that I am now president of ShinRa Electrical Company. I am also confident that he has expressed my declaration that your fates are now in my hands. Considering that my father is dying in a hospital bed at this moment, I am leaning heavily toward your disbandment.”
Rufus’ declaration was met with surprised silence. Though Tseng had indeed informed them, they didn’t think it had been an actual threat. Reno couldn’t lose this job. He was actually good at it. Where would he go after this? Who would hire an ex-Turk?
“What the fuck?! You can’t do that! The Turks’ve been around for decades, and Daddy’s little brat isn’t gonna just walk in and change that!” Reno’s outburst was met with a chilly silence. He stared at Rufus, green-blue eyes blazing, and Rufus smirked.
“You disagree with my assessment?”
“Hell yeah I disagree!”
“Then prove me wrong, Turk.” Again a surprised silence befell them. Reno watched as Rufus calmly walked to the door and turned around. “Turk, what is your name?”
Caught off guard, he answered, “Reno.”
“Hn, well, Reno, I look forward to your outcome.” Then he was gone, leaving Reno staring at an empty space in a mixture of confusion and shock with the unusual urge to laugh.
Rude spoke up as the door slammed closed. “What the hell just happened, boss?”
“I think Reno just bought the Turks some time. Let’s not waste it. Everyone dismissed. We need to prove ourselves to our new president.”
Reno turned to leave, still muddled over the entire encounter, when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Resisting the urge to turn and attack, he looked behind him into Rude’s concerned stare.
“Reno, I don’t know if what you just did was very good or very stupid.”
‘You and I both,’ he thought, but just plastered on his ever-present smirk for his partner. “Regardless, buddy, I think the both of us will need a drink tonight, your treat.”
~*~
In light of the morning’s happenings, Reno and Rude were reassigned to guard the new President and were stuck going from one boring meeting to the next. Rufus had to meet with his father’s business partners to assure them that they would still be affiliated with ShinRa even with the power change. Or not, if Rufus’ constant scowl after these meetings was any indication.
“Such blithering idiots! My father did not keep them around for business interests, I have come to find. I will have to rethink not replacing them.”
“So you’re gonna go back on everything you said to them?”
“Should it become necessary.”
Reno stared at Rufus’ back as they walked back to the helicopter. And out the corner of his eye the entire flight to another meeting. And at his back again as they walked down another hallway. All morning, Reno had had been witness to the two sides of Rufus Shinra, and what he saw didn’t impress him. There was the proper businessman that walked into these meetings and the cold-hearted bastard who came out. Reno didn’t know which one he disliked more. A buzzing in his ear let Reno know his mind was wandering too far; Rude had begun to hum softly to get his attention.
Tseng had given them new headsets that let them hear every little thing that happened or was said, a precaution for if one Turk couldn’t be with the other in the President’s presence. So now Rude was quietly telling him to pay attention without calling unwanted attention to his wandering focus. Snapping his attention back to Rufus after throwing his partner a grateful smirk, Reno saw a pale hand lift to Rufus’ temple.
“Reno, return to the helicopter and bring my medicine back. If I am going to get through this meeting, I am going to need some help.”
Reno purged himself of the urge to bash Rufus over the head with his baton and quickly turned around to do as told. He actually had to fight off the thought to just get into the helicopter and fly away. But then speech flowed along his headset that stopped him in his tracks.
[Ah, Rufus, so glad you could see me.]
[Of course. You are a business partner, after all.]
[I see you’ve already started to make use of the Turks. But I’ll tell you, watch out for the one with the red hair.]
[…Why?]
[That one will be the death of you. It wouldn’t surprise me to know that he was in charge of guarding your father this morning. He probably let your father die.]
Silence reigned for a minute. Reno’s rage was coming more and more to the surface as the seconds ticked by. This man whom he’d only seen at parties he’d been forced to guard Shinra Sr. at was slandering his image to the man who currently had the Turks’ fates in his hand. Reno took his job seriously, dammit, and even though he hated Shinra Sr. with a burning passion, he’d never just let the bastard get killed. He was just about to turn back around to confront him when Rufus spoke.
[Reno is here with me. I would kill him before he even thought to betray me. But…I don’t think Reno would ever be that stupid. I think he takes his job quite seriously. So, it is more likely that I would shoot you for slandering my Turk before I would even think to shoot him for insubordination.]
Reno heard some stuttered apology from the old man, ignored by Rufus, but he was stuck on what Rufus had said. This man had known him for one morning, and he had stood up for Reno. Maybe Reno had been wrong in judging the man so soon.
[But I could shoot him for incompetence. Where the hell is he?]
Maybe not.
~*~
“Oh, poor Reno and Rude! Having to go back and forth between meetings like that. And with the new boss to boot! Wish I had pictures!” Elena reached in front of her for another round of drinks.
“Shut the hell up! Today was the day from hell. Rufus is as much of a bastard as his bastard fath-”
“Reno!” Rude leaned over to whap Reno on the head.
“What the fuck?!”
“Reno, you need to show a little more respect for our new boss. And address him as President or Sir.” Reno glared at Tseng, who stared back impassively.
“I’ll do that when I accept him as my boss. Right now, he’s just another bastard who has a slim chance of getting my acceptance.”
“Reno, tell them what happened today.” Knowing Rude would just hit him if he didn’t, Reno grudging did. In clipped phrases until he saw Rude’s gloved hand rising as if to reach for a drink, but his body was steadily leaning toward him.
“And the President didn’t know about your new headsets?” asked an amazed Elena.
“I haven’t informed the President of our newest acquisition from Hojo yet.” Tseng picked up another drink himself as they passed by.
“Whatever. I’m sure he did it to save his own reputation, not mine. Shinra doesn’t need others to think he’s weak, or that he doesn’t have control in a situation. Face it; he’ll never see us Turks as anything but expendable protection.”
A gloomy silence greeted his statement as the Turks gathered more or less agreed. Reno picked up another shot glass and slammed it back, grimacing as the bitter liquid burned down his throat. Then Elena let out a shocked gasp as she looked toward the door. Reno and a few others had to turn around, but all eyes were soon at the bar’s entrance. Rufus Shinra stood there, obviously looking for them. Finding them in their darkened corner, he stalked over.
Tseng stood quickly, drink in hand. “President, what are you doing here? I mean, is there something we can do for you, Sir?”
Rufus grabbed the drink from Tseng’s hand. The Turks tensed, thinking it would be thrown in Tseng’s face, but were surprised when Rufus knocked it back. Shrugging his white jacket off, Rufus sat in Tseng’s seat and stared at the Turks.
Slamming the shot glass down on the table, Rufus looked up into Reno’s eyes. “Play it again. Tonight, I need a drink.”
Reno found himself smiling and handed him a shot. “Welcome to the club, boss.”