Finally Finished!
I feel very triumphant that I finally finished one of my pieces! So I decided to share!
I will warn you, it is forever long... about 10,000 words if I am not mistaken, but it is also all here. Complete. So enjoy :)
Hungover
Prompt: "Tell me how I ended up in a movie theater alone with a bottle of Smirnoff and a bendy straw!"
Inspirational Music: "For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert
This fic is for albedosrequium's Passion and Pain Contest! And trust me, this is definitely a Pain entry ^^
Rating: M
Warnings:
-Excessive alcohol
-Partial nudity
-Embarrassing situations
-BDSM clubs
-OOC
-Author's own take on architecture
Main Pairing: Tseng/Reno
Minor Pairings Mentioned:
-Elena/OC
-Rufus/Reeve
-a few other OC pairings
Setting: AU
POV: Reno, since I *will* make him suffer! And a little Tseng to torment Reno properly! And lastly, Elena, because she ties it all up in a neat little package <3
Summary: Reno has certainly had it rough: celibate for three months, dragged to BDSM clubs on a nightly basis, and dealing with a bitchy blond. But one night with a hell of a lot of alcohol has made it much, much worse. As soon as he finds his phone, he's gonna let Elena have it!
Additional ANs: I have modified Elena and Reno's relationship: she's pretty much his best friend. However, I have tried to stay as true to the characters as possible.
I've also made him rather close with Reeve, as well. It amuses me to do so, plus, this is AU, so I totally can ^^
And! There is no sex scene in this piece! By the time I got to the point I would need to write it, I didn't have enough time. So all of the sex is implied, although there are a few tasty tidbits :P
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's alright
You'll be fine
Baby, I'm in control
Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I'm the master of both
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I'ma work it 'til you're totally blown
~"For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first thing I noticed when I woke up this morning was that my head hurt.
It's never a good thing when I wake up with a headache. It usually means I've been doing a little too much partying and my boss is gonna kick my ass if I snip at him because of it.
But it's even worse when I wake up and realize I'm not in my bedroom.
Perhaps the worst thing is that I just realized I know exactly where I am: in the back of a fucking movie theater.
Where's my phone?
I pat down my pants pockets to look for it, only to discover that I'm not wearing any.
Oh, God, this is not good.
I tried to remember what had happened the night before. Large portions of the memories were there, unbroken, but there were also gaps. I remembered getting home from work. Then there were a couple of missing hours before I remembered Elena invading my apartment.
The events played like a 3-D movie in my mind.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~the night before~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Oh, c'mon, Reno! It will be awesome," Elena coaxed, pulling on my arm.
The 'It' in question was the new club, Tie Me Up. Now, granted, this says nothing about my sexual preferences -which are 'frequent' and 'good'- but it does say a lot about Elena's. Being as her boy-toy was out of town for the week, she wanted to hit the clubs and -as usual- drag me with her.
"No offense, Lena, but last time I went clubbing with you, every female we passed groped my ass."
"That's because you looked hot, you dumbass," she returned with a flirty smile.
"Yeah, but that's not the gender of skank I'm usually trolling for," I pointed out.
"And saying that was why most of them smacked it."
She had a point. I did have quite the talent for bring my own misery. I eyed her carefully. "You promise to act like a possessive bitch if any woman even thinks of touching my ass?"
She rolled her eyes. "Cross my heart," she agreed, making the hand-gestures like a ten-year old girl. "Honestly, I'm hoping a guy grabs it, 'cause you really need to get laid," she added, turning away like it made it harder for me to see her roll her eyes again.
I glared at her. "What, you think I like being celibate for three months? 'Cause let me tell you, honey: there's only so much originality you can have with your hand."
She scrunched her nose. "Ew. Maybe you should consider playing for my team to keep you from making comments like those."
I laughed softly. "Can't take the drama of women. It can be hard to take with a man, but women are worse about it."
"Whatever. Get dressed, 'cause we're hitting the town."
And the thunderstorm of a perky blond woman tromped out of my bedroom, probably heading for the living room.
I shook my head and thumbed though my closet for the proper clothes. Might as well enjoy it.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Elena gaped at me. "Good Shiva, Reno, you look like an ad for a BDSM magazine."
I laughed. "Hopefully an attractive one."
She nodded, eyes taking inventory of my clothing: my scuffed black boots, black leather pants that clung tightly to my slender hips and the fishnet top that had started out whole but had rips in a few strategic places -for example, my nipples, which were sporting my favorite nipple rings tonight. I'd worn my hair down, leaving me surprisingly grateful I'd let Elena talk me into cutting it all one length a few months ago. And my do-me-now expression completed the outfit perfectly.
"I'm not gonna lie to you: you might want to tone it down a bit if you don't want to be topped tonight," she told me.
I snorted. "Baby, getting topped is better than not gettin' any at all."
"It's good you think that way," she returned, laughing. "You look like you stepped off the cover of a bondage porn movie."
"I like porn." I shot back, defensive. "With porn, everyone gets a happy ending".
"What do you mean?" She cocked her head to the side.
"Orgasms count as happy endings, babe."
She laughed. "I should have known. C'mon. Let's get out and get you laid. I don't think I can stand to talk to you celibate for another hour."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Elena knows a lot of people in the right circles, so I really shouldn't have been surprised. All we had to do was walk up to the bouncer and say "hi" to get let in before the line that went down two city blocks.
"Just keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking," Elena commanded as she led me into the club. For all her talk about 'checking out the new place', it seemed to me she knew her way around in the dark.
"Leeland," she greeted, her voice suddenly candy-coated and slow.
Uh-oh. That meant trouble with a capital T.
"Elena. Who's the fresh meat?" The man stepped out of the shadows enough for me to see that he was huge, tall and overly muscular in a way that matched that booming voice.
"Oh, he's my new pet," she purred softly, her hand sliding into my hair in a show of possession.
I dropped light kisses on her bare shoulder and waited, sensing the seriousness of my situation.
"Any chance I can steal him?" Leeland asked, his hand tracing the curve of my neck.
I shivered and moved toward Elena. "Mistress?" I asked, my tone portraying discomfort.
"No, darling. He's so fun to play with and I am just getting started," she returned, her tone telling him that she was not willing to share.
The man backed off as quickly as he would have if Elena pulled a gun on him. He hurried away as quickly as he had appeared.
"I know you're so horny it hurts right now, but avoid Leeland at all costs," Elena whispered in the dark. "Most of the doms here enjoy the power-trip and the trust of their partner, but Leeland gets off on seriously hurting them."
"How badly?" I asked, letting her pull me upstairs and to a balcony.
"You've met Greg, right?" she asked as we were greeted with drinks. She handed one to me and took one for herself.
Greg was a very sweet, very gentle man who got off on being dominated. Unfortunately, some accident had blinded him. His lover Rick took great care of him. "Yeah?" I asked, downing the sweet beverage quickly.
"Leeland is the one who took his sight."
I felt like someone had given me a sharp elbow to the solar plexus. How could anyone hurt someone as gentle as Greg? "Can we kill him?" I growled out.
She shook her head no. "That's why we didn't tell you earlier, Reno." She gestured outward. "Look at the crowd, Reno. See anything you like particularly?"
Obeying, I looked out at the crowd dancing on the floor to the pounding rhythm of whatever song they were playing. "Brunette, my two o'clock, stubble, nice ass."
The waiter reappeared with a bottle of stronger stuff. I nodded and filled my glass with it before taking a taste. It was a small bottle -probably less than half the normal size- but it was a good bourbon, smooth and long-bodied. I emptied the glass.
"Mm," Elena said, sipping the pink concoction she'd been handed earlier. "David. Don't go there, love. He's got a possessive steady that treats him like gold."
Nodding, I looked out again, refilling my glass. "Blond, spiky hair, my three, nice moves."
"Ashley. He might be nice to look at, but he plays for my team."
I winced and downed the whole glass. Shit. My luck was running in the wrong direction.
It kept going like that, back and forth. My list of attributes, her reasons not to go after them, chased with more than a shot of bourbon. After ten cycles, when I could feel the alcohol in my system, I glared at her. "Then who is free and likely to leave me whole?"
"My seven, black hair, nice strut, cute butt," she directed.
I followed her directions. "Oh, shit. Seriously? He comes here?" I asked no one as I recognized the ass I was staring at. I should, being as I have spent at least five years staring too much at it and working too little.
Elena did a double take. "Shit. Is that who I think it is?"
"Oh, I don't know… Our boss?" I hissed out before draining my glass yet again.
To my absolute horror, I watched him climb the steps to reach the same balcony we were on. I finished the bottle of bourbon quickly.
"What would you like, sir?" the waiter asked politely.
"Just bring me vodka. The bottle," I returned curtly as Tseng walked up to Elena.
The waiter scurried off to get my order, so I grimaced and turned to face them both with my casual smile.
"Reno. Didn't know your tastes ran this way," Tseng said blandly.
Where I would have returned, 'I didn't know yours did either, asshole,' Elena quickly interjected. "Mine do. Reno is just here to keep me company."
He cocked his brows at that.
"She tops, dumbass," I hissed out. "If she comes here with someone she calls as her sub, it keeps other subs from coming on to her."
"And you… don't mind being called her sub?" Tseng asked, choosing his words carefully.
"It never mattered to me who was on top and who was on bottom as long as pleasure was to be had by all," I ground out, trying not to look at the -fucking sexy- jackass's face.
"That's… surprisingly open-minded of you, Red." Tseng purred out, as though the single comment had put me in a new light.
"Fuck. I don't have enough alcohol in me," I muttered, just as the waiter returned with my vodka.
He handed me the bottle. "Anything else I can do for you, sir?"
I smirked at him. "Got a straw on you?"
He pulled a neon pink bendy-straw out of his pocket and handed it to me.
As he left, I opened the small bottle of Smirnoff and stuck the straw in. If all I would be getting was alcohol tonight, it might as well be fun for me.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Tseng touched my arm. "How drunk are you, Reno?" he asked, his tone betraying his concern.
"Not drunk enough," I told him. "I'm not tipsy, I'm not loose-lipped, and I'm not clingy."
"But you had quite a bit of bourbon and then vodka," he returned. "Your liver will thank you for stopping."
"Oh, just shut up and dance with me, boss-man," I commanded, pulling on his hand as the music began to change.
He looked a little startled for a moment, then he was calm again. "The dance floor is downstairs."
"Who said anything about the dance floor?" I asked as the first few phrases of the first verse became audible.
So hot
Out the box
Can we pick up the pace?
Turn it up,
Heat it up
I need to be entertained
I moved in close to him, then shimmied with the music. If I had been in anything near my right mind, I would never have even thought of dancing with him. But he looked so cutely flustered by me dancing with him this way that I had to press closer to him, had to turn, had to rub my ass against his groin like I wanted it -hell, I did want it but there was no way I was telling him that!
Push the limit
Are you with it?
Baby, don't be afraid
I'ma hurt 'ya real good, baby
He gave my ass a firm swat and took a little more active role dancing, his hands sliding down my fishnet-clad chest. "What do you want from this dance, Reno?" he rasped in my ear, his body moving provocatively against mine.
"Just a dance, boss-man. Just dance with me," I told him, despite the fact I was harder than a rock from the single swat and his rasping voice in my ear.
Let's go
It's my show
Baby, do what I say
Don't trip off the glitz
That I'm gonna display
"Really, now?" Tseng asked, as though he didn't believe me.
I turned to face him, dancing close enough my nipples brushed against his starched but open shirt. "Yeah, really. Just a dance." I sighed out softly.
Fuck, I missed dancing like this. I went out with Elena pretty regularly, but it had been a long time since I'd wanted to dance like this with someone.
I told ya
I'ma hold ya down until you're amazed
Give it to ya 'til you're screaming my name
He suddenly moved forward, grinding his hips against mine until I was breathless against the pleasure of the friction, the pleasure of feeling him against me. I was not the only one harder than a rock.
I opened my mouth to point it out, and he pressed his lips against mine, giving my lower lip a punishing bite.
"Not. A. Word. Reno," he growled, his hands tracing my shoulder blades.
No escaping when I start
Once I'm in I own your heart
There's no way you'll ring the alarm
So hold on until it's over
And just like that, our sorry excuse for a kiss was over.
So, being the punishing bastard I am, I ground against him, then followed it up with a series of harsh thrusts. It would look like we were dry humping, rutting like animals, but I didn't fucking care. I wanted to punish Tseng for teasing me every fucking day for years, for teasing me even more today, and for not doing anything about it, despite his body's obvious enthusiasm.
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
He pressed forward, his face blank as he ground his hardness against me until I released a hiss of pleasure.
"Oh, so are you really into this kind of thing?" he asked me in a dark whisper.
I felt his breath at my ear and I held my breath as he bit my earlobe. Hard.
I mewled, the pain mingling with the pleasure in my veins. "Only under the right circumstances."
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept you off ya feet
But I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
He chuckled. "I'd bet next week's paycheck that you never expected me to be in a club Elena was prowling," he told me, panting softly.
I turned my back to him again, his hands sliding over my nipples as my ass met his groin. "I've seen you around some of them before," I confessed, shimmying down and then up again. "I never expected Elena to point you out to me as possibly available, though.
It's alright
You'll be fine
Baby, I'm in control
His hands slid down to cup my hipbones and pull me tighter against him. "Really now? I didn't see you around."
One of my arms slid behind his neck to hold my body against his. "I'm good at blending in."
He chuckled, the sound deep and decadent, as he dropped a kiss on my ear. "I know that, Red." His teeth grazed and locked onto the curve of my ear.
I let out a startled little moan and let my head fall back onto his shoulder.
Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I'm the master of both
He chucked again, his hands sliding until one hand was on each of my nipples. He tugged gently at the silver rings that pierced each.
A little sound of pleasure bubbled out of my throat, shocking the hell out of me.
His teeth played at the skin on my neck gently. "You like that, hm?" he purred.
I couldn't decide: was he mocking me or enjoying me?
"How about this?" he asked before his teeth clamped down where my neck curved into my shoulder.
My head lolled back and a high-pitched pant escaped my lips. Fuck! My mind knew I shouldn't like him hurting me, but my body was aroused to a point that any stimulation was interpreted as pleasure. I couldn't -wouldn't- come up with a reason for him to stop.
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I'ma work it 'til you're totally blown
He made a rumbling sound of arousal. "Mm, Reno, you must stop acting like a wet dream…" he murmured against the skin of my neck as he nibbled at the tender place he'd just bitten.
As if inspired by his words, my hips undulated in time to the beat. I could feel him growing harder still as my ass swayed against his cock. At this point, I was beyond caring about the fact that I was acting like a wonton whore, my body moving and begging my boss for anything and everything he would give me.
Sliding like silk, his hands moved from my nipples to my waist. One hand slid lower, caressing the urgent need that was making a hard ridge in my leather pants.
I felt his lips quirk against my neck as he stroked and taunted me through my pants. Fuck, I knew he could blow my mind, but one-handed through my pants was ridiculous!
No escaping when I start
Once I'm in I own your heart
There's no way you'll ring the alarm
So hold on until it's over
My restless hands -one holding us together, the other currently off-duty- itched to touch him. Sighing in appreciation of his touch, I fisted my hand in the midnight satin of his hair and let the other find his cock. It wasn't exactly lost, being as it was pressed against the curve of my ass.
Cupping him through the cloth, I could tell he was as aroused as I was.
He stopped moving at the contact. "Red, Red, Red," he purred out in a velvet voice. "Haven't you played these games before?"
"As my rather un-marked skin will attest, no. We told you: that's Elena's thing, not mine."
Why were we talking when we could be touching?
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept ya off your feet
Well I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
He chuckled. "You have a lot to learn, Pet. You are, at this point, a toy. If I ask Elena nicely, she might let me play with her toy. Toys don't touch, Red. The Master touches."
"Which is exactly why I'm not particularly into that," I shot back, just wanting his hands on me again, his mouth on my neck, something!
"Oh, but you must play by the rules when we're here, Pet. You can't have me disrespected as a dom," he whispered in my ear.
I shivered. "May the Pet ask the Master?" I asked softly, rubbing myself against him in time to the music.
His laugh was musical to my ears. I still didn't know if he was mocking me or enjoying me. "What is it you wish, Pet?"
"May I touch you, Master?" I asked, mentally gritting my teeth at calling him that.
"Just this once, Pet," he returned, his hand rubbing hard against my need.
I moaned softly and raked my nails across his hardness, reveling in his shiver. At least his responsiveness was worth it.
Oh oh... mmm Entertainment...
Oh oh... Oh entertainment...
I'm here for your entertainment...
Oh... Do you like what you see?
Whoa... Let me entertain 'ya tell you scream!
He moved around my body until he stood in front of me.
My hormones were given time to slow down enough that I could feel ashamed for coming on to him this way.
Then his hands returned to me, one sliding into my hair and pulling me close enough our chests touched, the other making trails of fire down my back, and all of those thoughts retreated behind the curtain of lust. He brought his my lips to his gently, brushing his lips against my bruised ones as lightly as one brushes a feather across flesh.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Red," he murmured as his gaze fell to my slightly swollen lower lip.
"Kiss it better," I purred back.
He chuckled softly. "So demanding," he chastised a mere whisper from my lips.
"Just impatient." I met his gaze. His dark eyes were dilated with desire, so dark they were almost black. I figured if I played nice, I could get what I wanted. "Please?"
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
"See? You're learning," he returned before taking my lips with his.
I say 'taking' because it felt almost like an assault to take the territory from me. I didn't respond for at least a heartbeat and his kiss became gentler. I drew back for one quick breath.
"Hm, so are you," I returned against his lips as his tongue slid into my mouth to touch and taste every inch.
He chuckled against my lips, but didn't break the kiss to punish me. Instead, his hands moved down my spine, making me arc and shiver.
When his hands cupped my ass and squeezed, my instant response was to rub my hardness against him and let his mouth swallow my moan.
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept ya off your feet
Well I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
Perhaps that was when we just resorted to swaying to the music, despite its pounding rhythm, and touching, tasting, and teasing each other.
At any other point, in any other place, Tseng looked like a dark avenging angel, so pure and so far above the filth and desires and needs that frame up our world and make the human race what it is today. But tonight, right now, he looked like a fallen angel that had tasted of the desires, the needs, the filth and had come back craving more.
Perhaps that was from the feel of a body against him, his power, his arrogance, or the soul-deep need I could see in his eyes and I knew was mirrored in my own. Either way, I couldn't help but feel like the reason this angel had fallen. And I would never admit it to his face, but I liked that, liked feeling like I had some of the same power over him that he had over me.
The song had ended, but he did not let me go. If he had, I doubt I would have been able to have left him. I could feel need radiating off of him, and I was not letting him sate that need with anyone but me.
I tugged him toward the stairs. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."
Elena shot me a thumbs up from her post at the railing.
Tseng smirked and led me down the stairs. "I take it Elena approves?"
"Elena approves of me having sex, the possibility of me having sex, or even me having phone sex. She had to listen to me bitch for three months, so I suppose it's fair." I shrugged, falling behind him but finding myself unable to release his hand.
He abruptly stopped in front of me, causing me to run into his back. "I thought you lived, breathed, slept, ate, and drank sex."
"In general, yes. For the last three months, however, I seem to have hit a dry spell." I nuzzled his spine like a cat seeking attention, but I was happy he couldn't see the blush blooming on my cheeks.
I could feel his chuckle through the cheek I rested on his back. "Oh, is that why you've been so grumpy recently, Red?"
"Nah, that's the hangover from trying to forget I wasn't getting any," I shot back as he began to pull away, toward the door.
I knew it wasn't the door Elena and I had come in through, but I didn't realize it was the back door until I found myself pressed between a brick wall and a warm, eager body. "Well, will you be drinking after tonight?"
"If I get to have your body pressed all over me, I could give up a hell of a lot more than alcohol," I breathed out.
I swear I saw a soft smile on his lips before they descended on mine. When his lips touched mine then moved as to devour me, however, soft smiles and tender glances were the very last things on my mind.
My hand laced into his silken hair and pulled him closer as my other hand traced the muscles in his chest. The muscles rippled under my touch, and his gasp was almost audible. His mouth slanted over mine and the kiss deepened as his hand fisted in my hair. His other hand traced the sensitive skin over my spine. My body arced into his, our erect cocks colliding and robbing me of breath.
"So much for Elena not sharing her new pet," rumbled a familiar voice.
Tseng drew back slowly. "She made an exception for me, Leeland."
I assumed a more submissive pose and looked at Tseng with empty eyes. "Master?"
Leeland lost it then, wrenching Tseng away from me and slamming his fist into Tseng's stomach. Tseng doubled over, pain evident on his beautiful face.
I rushed to Tseng, only to watch him crumble to the ground. A red haze covered my vision as I turned on the man responsible.
There's a reason I do well in the business I'm in: it doesn't matter how I'm dressed, how I look, where I am, I can be intimidating as hell. But if you hurt someone I care about -and make no bones about it, I cared a lot about Tseng- I could be scarier than your worst nightmare, scarier than an assassin's bullet or torture. I'll chop you to pieces and I'll laugh about it. I'll put a bullet in your brain when I'm done with you and still feel that I've gone too lightly on you.
Perhaps Leeland recognized the sadistic gleam in my eye because he back away like he'd seen a ghost.
The upside of being smaller and leaner than Leeland was that I was a lot lighter on my feet. I reached him quite easily, still angry and wanting my pound of flesh for the pain caused to Tseng. The larger man panicked and pushed me into a wall.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
And then... nothing. That's where the memories ended.
I found my leather pants balled up. It seemed I'd used them as a pillow last night. I picked them up. They unfurled quickly and there were two accompanying thunks when things fell to the floor.
I found my cell phone, I thought wryly. But there beside it laid the small bottle of vodka -half empty- and the neon pink bendy straw.
I reached for my phone and dialed Elena's number. It rang twice before she picked it up. With no preamble, I demanded, "Tell me how I ended up in a movie theater alone with a bottle of Smirnoff and a bendy straw!"
"Reno?" she asked, sleepy and stunned.
"Yeah."
"I don't know, hon. What do you remember?"
I told her the chunks I recalled quickly. "So now my ass hurts and I… I just don't know who…"
Her voice was tender. "I know. But we still have to go to work today."
"I'm supposed to be in today?" I was never scheduled on Fridays.
"The boss called me this morning when he couldn't get a hold of you. Rude can't be in today, so you're on shift with me." She at least had the grace to sound apologetic about it.
"Yeah. I didn't make it up to my apartment last night, I guess. So when do I need to be in?"
Elena tapped her fingers lightly as the wheels in her brain turned. "You have to be in at 10:00, so you have two hours."
"Why is it that I wake up with enough time when I'm drunk but I always run late when I'm sober?" I asked.
She laughed lightly. "It's a built-in warning. If you get in on time, the boss is less likely to go off on you and add to the headache. I'll see you in two hours."
"See ya."
We hung up at the same time, like we always do.
I shimmied my sore body back into the tight leather pants. I was usually pretty fast at it, but with a hangover and several sore spots, it took twice as long.
With long strides, I made my way to the red-velvet curtain that had seen better days. I live above a retired movie theater, so I guess everything here had seen better days from the thread-bare carpets to the dusty heavy curtains to the holey chairs. I ducked behind the curtain and groped for the doorknob with the heavy material against my back.
The door swung inward and I stumbled into the stairwell. No elevators in the building, unfortunately, so even if I'm falling-down drunk, I have to stumble up the stairs. I counted the stairs as I hurried up them; unfortunately, despite my headache, I couldn't resist the compulsion.
I live 132 stairs up -on the third floor. I've actually got the floor to myself, since people seem to think they need an elevator. I paid less a month than most people do for a one-bedroom apartment in the city and I got four rooms, a living room, and a kitchenette, plus my own bathroom. Hey, I know I got the better bargain; others just don't think I did.
It could get a little lonely at times, but hell, it was safer for me and for others. I often pissed off the wrong people; if I'm the only one here, they can only take it out on me.
So what if one of my unachievable fantasies is to wake up to the sunlight streaming through the window in my bedroom in my own bed with a lover who knows what I am and doesn't care? I have given up a lot of things to keep people safe; that dream was just another one.
I showered quickly and dressed for work in the usual black suit and white dress shirt. I'm supposed to also wear a black tie, but I usually just leave the top two buttons of the dress shirt undone and call it ready.
But not today. Today, I buttoned up all the buttons and put on the tie. I pulled all of my hair back into a neat ponytail -it usually was a very messy one. I was disgustingly meticulous in my dress and styling, mostly because I could control it. Right then, it felt like the Fates were conspiring against me for some wrong I'd committed -and there were a lot to choose from.
My cell phone rang as I sat down in my kitchen with a cup of coffee.
I read the caller ID: 'Take Cover!'.
Tentatively, I answered the phone. "Sinclair."
"Oh, Reno! I'm glad I caught you!"
Not only did the mannerism not match the caller ID, but neither did the voice. "Reeve. Why are you calling from Mr. Shinra's phone?" I asked evenly.
"Oops," he returned, giggling. "I'm sorry I gave you a heart attack, Reno. He must have grabbed mine this morning."
I felt a smile tug at my lips despite my earlier apprehension. Reeve was my favorite of the tech geeks -apparently, Rufus's favorite as well, considering the fact Reeve had been gracing his bed for about three months. "Since you obviously didn't call me to scare a few years off my life, why did you call?"
"Rufus left a file here that I'm very sure he needs today. I have to run errands today, so I was wondering if you could run it to him for me?"
I shook my head. "Reeve, you always did have good timing. I don't usually have to go in on Fridays, but today I do. I'll be by in a couple minutes."
He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It doesn't matter if I'm his lover; he'd still fire me if I knew it was here and didn't get it to him."
I laughed. "Can you believe some folks sleep with their boss for job security?"
He chuckled. "You're chipper for being hung-over."
"Always. I've gotta go."
"See you soon, then."
"Yeah."
We hung up without saying goodbye. I knew better than to do that, being in the business I'm in, but it was like a blatant refusal to not see people again. Let's just hope Death is hung up on etiquette.
I finished my coffee in a burning swallow and cracked a window before lighting up.
Even when I was saving a friend's ass, my addictions had a way of demanding to be fed first. Caffeine -see morning cup of coffee. Chocolate -see creamer in morning cup of coffee. Hair of the dog -see whiskey in morning cup of coffee. Nicotine -well, I was getting to that.
I was actually surprised I was that pleasant without my first cigarette of the morning, but, hell, it was a weird day.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Thank you, Reno."
"You've mentioned that twenty times now, Reeve. I get it." He was so intelligent at points and so clueless at others.
He handed me the file. "You look surprisingly spiffy this morning. You're even wearing your tie. What are you intending to do, storm into Tseng's office, tie him up, and have your wicked way with him?"
I laughed and prayed the heat I felt in my cheeks wasn't visible to the man before me. "Yeah, right. Actually, he yells less when I'm dressed correctly. It's a survival mechanism."
"That lovely blush you're sporting says otherwise, Reno."
Damn him. I felt the blush darken.
"You want Tseng…! Why in hell didn't you tell me?" Reeve cocked his head.
"Uh, because I have a feeling it won't go as well as your office romance?" My mind's eye flashed back to the feel of Tseng's lips on mine, the taste of his mouth, the feel of him pressed against me. It could be fine… if we each got a personality transplant.
"Judging by the look on your face, something tells me you know otherwise."
"I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here for that file. Remember?"
"Evasion tactics at their finest," he returned wryly before handing me the file. "Call me later, or so help me, I will let Rufus help me plot!"
I shuddered and pulled the file out of his hand. "I'll call you when I get home."
He smirked. "I'll be waiting."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"You look nice this morning."
God, unless the next person who told me that was Tseng, they were going to get smacked. "Thank you," I ground out, looking at the man who sat behind a dark oak desk. "Reeve asked me to drop this off for you," I told him nonchalantly as I handed him the manila file folder.
He stiffened and took the folder from me. His shoulders visibly relaxed as he realized what the file was. "I was wondering why I couldn't find this," he mumbled into his chest.
I smirked. "You also have his phone today."
He turned bright red. "How-?"
"Did I know that? Call your phone and ask Reeve." I stood there silently for a moment before asking, "May I leave?"
He nodded and looked down to his desktop. "Close the door behind you, please."
***~***~***~***~***
I flagged Elena over to my desk covertly. "What is up with Reno?" I asked, my eyes catching on his neat hair and impeccable conformity to the uniform.
"There's a reason he doesn't drink if he has to be in the next day, boss. He has alcohol-induced amnesia right now."
I had to wonder how much of last night he had forgotten, but I never got the chance to ask.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I couldn't focus, my head hurt like crazy, and my stomach was incredibly upset. I usually didn't get a hangover, so this was odd.
"Reno," Tseng called from across the room.
I winced. His usually even tone sounded like a sonic boom to my ears. The noise hurt my head, but I shakily rose to my feet. What the fuck? Was my balance going all to hell now?
The room spun but the world seemed to slow down around me. I sat back down so I didn't fall down.
"I… I think I have a problem," I quietly admitted to the room.
I didn't imagine the concern in Tseng's eyes as he eased me up and led me out to his car.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
The doctor -a slender man with a long black pony tail- sadistically shined his light in my eyes for a third time under the guise of checking my pupils.
"Doctor Hojo," Tseng growled from beside me. "What's wrong with him?"
"He has a concussion," breezed a lady-doctor with a lovely face and long, straight brown hair. Her brown eyes shined with disapproval at Doctor Hojo before she looked at Tseng.
"Thank you," Tseng told her softly.
"Don't mind my colleague. He can go a bit overboard on examinations," she told me, her voice as lovely as her face.
Hojo gave her a rather dirty look before leaving.
"So what can we do, Doctor Crescent?" Hm. Tseng and his 'we' business might make me start thinking he cared.
"That depends. Mr. Sinclair, do you live alone?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a friend that can stay with you? Since you're just showing symptoms now, someone needs to stay with you to make sure the symptoms don't get worse." Her voice betrayed her concern. "For tonight, at least."
"I'll stay with him," Tseng volunteered from the seat beside me.
Oh, I am totally screwed six ways to Sunday! And not in the fun way!
"Alright. You're also his boss, correct?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Tonight, watch for headaches that get worse or don't leave; weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination; nausea or vomiting; slurred speech; extreme drowsiness or being unable to wake him; confusion, restlessness, or agitation; loss of consciousness; or difficulty recognizing people or places. Until he's better, he also shouldn't do anything that's physically or mentally strenuous. Mr. Sinclair, you're also not to drink."
"Aw. Now he's gonna enforce that, too," I complained, pouting slightly.
She laughed at that. "Let me finish. I think you're okay to drive. Take ibuprofen for any pain you experience." She smiled. "I don't think you're going to have any complications, Mr. Sinclair, so you should be fine in under a week."
"Thank you." Tseng sounded like he meant it.
"Doctor Crescent, I've had concussions before. I'm usually better in about two days."
"Come back in then, Mr. Sinclair. I have a feeling you're hard-headed."
"You have no idea," Tseng murmured.
She laughed, the sound pretty and bell-like. "Oh, I have other doctors' notes. I have a notion."
"May I go home and sleep?" I asked. Dealing with doctors was stressful.
Tseng rolled his eyes. "I'll get him out of your hair."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Remind me why we're going to your place, again?" Tseng asked as he parked in front of my building.
"More space." I shrugged.
He studied the building silently for a moment. "I remember this place. It's a movie theater."
"It was a movie theater, but buildings, like people, can retire. I have the entire third floor to myself. The only downside is no elevators." I shrugged. "It doesn't bother me any."
"And here I was under the impression that you're a terminally lazy creature."
I laughed lightly. "I thought you knew me better than that," I told him, opening the car door and sliding out.
My balance had returned and the dizziness had eased away for the time being, so I was okay on my feet. Tseng got out of his car as well, his concerned gaze pretty much glued to me. There was a monstrous lump in my throat at the concern in his gaze and in his actions. If he kept acting like this, I was going to start thinking he cared for me as more than just a friend. As it was, I wasn't sure I could handle having him this close to me all night, hence me wanting to go home. If all else failed, I could lock myself in my own bedroom.
***~***~***~***~***
Reno's home was… well… homier than I'd expected. It smelled like coffee and cigarettes and something earthy and musky that was so familiar yet hard to place.
He'd decorated in mocha and crimson with black accents. Everything looked simply functional. There was no elaborate scroll-work on the tables or trim, despite his love of the theatrical, exotic, and occasionally ostentatious; everything had straight edges and a lacquered finish. And the furniture was simple and tasteful. Above all, it looked and felt like a comfortable, lived-in space.
He smiled slightly. "This is the living room. The kitchen is just over that way," he told me, pointing to the elaborate kitchen on his right. "This floor was originally intended to house four tenants and the bathroom, lounge, and kitchenette were to be shared. But when no one else showed any interest in the other apartments, Mr. Soto let me have the entire floor."
"Most landlords won't let you redecorate as you wish," I commented.
"I'm buying the building from him," he told me, shrugging. "A little at a time so he doesn't ask how I make so much money."
Well. That was a bombshell. Reno never struck me as the type to need the stability of a home base, yet I was standing in his. "It's a nice place, Red. You have good taste."
A blush rose to his cheeks and it took him a moment or two to gather his thoughts before he took my hand and pulled me through the open doorway of the living room. "C'mon, I'll show you the other rooms and you can have your pick," he murmured, not looking at me.
Silently, I willed him to look at me, to show me the adorable blush on his face, to let me see a side of him no one else got to see.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I warmed under his compliment, but I was too afraid to show him that side of me, too afraid to admit that he was the first person aside from Elena to see my home.
So instead, I gave him the five dollar tour of my rooms, ending off in my bedroom. He stared at the room like he'd expected something different. I'd painted the room cerulean blue and the various shades I could achieve by adding a white and black to the color. It looked oddly like a piece of renaissance art, aside from the pale yellow 'stars' scattered on the ceiling.
"It's breath-taking, Reno. Who would have thought you had a classical bone in your body?"
I could feel the truth in his words the same way I could feel the blush blooming like a rose on my cheeks. I glanced away, hoping to collect myself.
"Didn't you tell me this was intended to hold four tenets? I've only seen three rooms."
The moment he said that, I knew exactly which room I had neglected to show him. I swallowed hard. "I must have forgotten that one," I murmured, tugging him back into the hall and down to the room beside mine. Pushing the door open, I showed him the room I'd designed while lingering on thoughts of him. The walls were a medium jade, but the silver accents truly gave it an ethereal feel. Above the bed, I'd painted a tribal-style dragon in black.
"Wow. I really like what you did with this room." He slightly smiled at me, and it stole my breath.
"Then this can be your room," I returned slightly gruffly. He was, after all, who it was designed for.
"Oh, I can't!"
"No one else is sleeping in it," I shot back smartly. Sighing, I felt my expression soften. "Enjoy this room. Please." It was made for you.
"Alright," he said, setting his bags on the floor beside the bed.
"I'll let you get settled. I need to make a phone call," I told him, suddenly remembering Reeve's threat if I didn't call him.
He smiled. "I'll be here."
***~***~***~***~***
Reno had done a remarkable job sound-proofing the rooms -I had seen the evidence of his work in the drywall he had stacked in the first bedroom he had shown me- but I could still hear bits and pieces, never mind the fact that the bedroom doors were wide open and this place had great acoustics.
"Don't play with me, Reeve," Reno growled into the phone. "I'm calling, just like you demanded."
I couldn't hear what Reeve said back to him, but with the response he received, I really wished I could. "N-no!" Reno sputtered. I could almost hear him blush.
Whatever had been said, it ticked Reno off. I heard the phone drop to the floor. "What the hell?!" he yelled. "Why on earth would you say that, you pervert?!"
The man replied with something else I couldn't hear. "Reeve!" Reno almost whined in reply, his voice breathy. Needy. "Don't do that!"
Reeve must have said something patronizing next, because Reno growled at him. "Fuck you, Reeve. I have a concussion."
I had no clue what was said next, but Reno's reply shook me a bit. "Tseng's in my apartment, you shit," he growled. "So stop."
What in the hell? Are they having phone sex? I wondered before Reno threw back a harsh reply. "How can you even fucking ask that?"
Whatever he said next pissed Reno off even more. "Bastard! Stop saying things like that!" Reno demanded, his voice trembling slightly.
What made his voice tremble that way? Probably something dirty, I concluded.
"Reeve! Stop it now," Reno barked. "Some days, I don't know why I even put up with you. You say such perverted things!"
Well there was the confirmation of my suspicions.
"I am not having this conversation. Talk to you when your mind is out of the gutter."
I heard a beep and then I heard him throw the phone at the wall.
"Fucking perverted bastard," he growled. "That is why I didn't tell him. He just found out this morning and he's already using him against me."
What in the hell is going on here?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I really wanted to kill Reeve.
It had never happened before, not in my long acquaintance with the perverted technological genius. He usually just drove me up a wall on occasion, but I seriously wanted to hurt him.
Where in the hell did he get those fucking ideas from? Who asks their friend those kinds of things? "How often do you dream of him, hm? How often to you dream about him naked and at your mercy? How often do you dream about him taking you hard and rough?... Are you fucking him now?... You are aren't you? Naughty boy.… Or are you still touching yourself and pretending he's the one touching you?"
I mean, hell, I had phone sex that hadn't embarrassed me this much!
Someone knocked on my open door.
Oh, fuck me. I'd left the fucking door open. There was only one someone in the apartment aside from me. Rookie mistake, Sinclair. You'll remember in your afterlife that a rookie mistake is what did you in.
"What in the hell is going on, Reno?"
My gaze shot to him. His emotions were hidden behind a blank mask, but it made me want to run like a frightened rabbit. I knew that danger lurked when he hid behind an emotionless mask. Instead of running, I motioned him into my room
He sat down in the chair beside my bed.
Close enough to not be impolite, but not close enough I could touch him. I sighed. "Just how much of that phone conversation did you hear?" I asked, reaching for the recording device I had attached to my home phone.
"Half of it. Your half."
I nodded, trying to hide my panic, my fear, as I tossed him the mp3 recorder that had the phone call on it. Then I tossed him a pair of headphones. "If you want the rest of the story, here you go."
Then I stood up and walked out of my bedroom.
***~***~***~***~***
He records his own telephone calls? It seemed quite absurd and paranoid, but then again, Reno was the best assassin attached to our firm. That had to be one of the precautions he took.
I looked at the little rectangular object in my hand and plugged the headphones into it. I placed one green ear-bud in my ear and pressed play.
"Don't play with me, Reeve," Reno growled. "I'm calling, just like you demanded."
"Aw, you wound me! So what are you up to? Something naughty?" There was a hint of teasing in Reeve's voice.
"N-no!" Reno sputtered. His embarrassment was nearly audible.
Reeve laughed heartily. "Oh, Reno, the way you say that makes me think you are. Are you fantasizing about Tseng?"
There was a loud clatter and I realized he'd dropped the phone to the floor. "What the hell?!" he yelled. "Why on earth would you say that, you pervert?!"
"Oh, so you are, aren't you?" Reeve purred. "How often do you dream of him, hm? How often to you dream about him naked and at your mercy? How often do you dream about him taking you hard and rough?"
"Reeve!" Reno whined, his voice breathy, needy. "Don't do that!"
"Aw, poor baby. Am I teasing you?"
Indignant, Reno returned, "Fuck you, Reeve. I have a concussion."
"Oh, that's never stopped you from getting off before."
"Tseng's in my apartment, you shit," he growled. "So stop."
"What? Why? Are you fucking him now?"
"How can you even fucking ask that?" Reno demanded.
"You are aren't you? Naughty boy," Reeve teased.
"Bastard! Stop saying things like that!" Reno demanded, his voice trembling slightly.
"Or are you still touching yourself and pretending he's the one touching you?"
"Reeve! Stop it now," Reno barked. "Some days, I don't know why I even put up with you. You say such perverted things!"
"Oh, you like it, Reno. You're a bigger pervert than I am."
"I am not having this conversation. Talk to you when your mind is out of the gutter."
The recording ended there, but I could still remember the next words he had said: "Fucking perverted bastard. That is why I didn't tell him. He just found out this morning and he's already using him against me."
I, for once, did not know what to say. I always knew what to say; it was how I'd gotten where I was now. But one sexy-as-hell paranoid assassin had my tongue tied in more knots than a cherry stem.
I closed my eyes for a moment. How in the hell do I tell him?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I was curled up on the bed in one of the spare rooms. What in the hell had I been thinking, handing over a recording of that conversation of to Tseng?
Knuckles rapped lightly on the door. "Reno?"
"Go away," I mumbled, blushing and curling into a tighter ball.
He tried the doorknob and found I'd locked it. "You know I can pick the lock, right?"
"Try picking the deadbolt."
He sighed. "Reno, let me."
Sighing, I got off of the bed and unlocked the door to let him in. The good news was he didn't sound revolted, so it wasn't all alcohol and circumstances last night.
I went back to the bed and made myself as small of target as possible before calling out, "You can come in now."
The door opened, revealing a slightly disheveled-looking Tseng. Somewhere or another, he'd lost his suit jacket and released his hair. The dark silky strands fanned about his shoulders, loose and messy-looking like he'd run his hands through it a couple of times. "Reno," he started, "what do you remember from last night?"
I sighed. Oh joy. Let's talk about the night I don't remember half of. "Going out with Elena. Seeing you. Dancing. A large guy named Leeland finding you and me in an alley. Then… nothing."
"You remember that much?" he asked, almost like he couldn't believe it. "Well, Leeland found us in the alley behind the club. He was angry at Elena, who -after claiming she wouldn't share you- watched you walk out of the club with me. So he attacked us; he slammed his fist into my solar plexus and slung you against a wall." I could hear a slight smile in his tone as he continued. "Then I pulled out my gun and he ran off like a scared schoolgirl."
"So... we were together last night?" My heart slammed against my ribs, but my tone remained calm and even.
"What makes you think that might have happened?" he asked wryly.
"I woke up aching in a few choice places. I knew I'd definitely been the bottom, but I wasn't sure who I had been with." I couldn't very well have this conversation and not look at him, so I slowly uncurled my body. Then I turned so I could meet his gaze.
"Oh, Red, trust me: you spent time on top." He purred so sensually, seducing me with his tone and his eyes and his expressions.
"Oh? Cowboy or Reverse Cowboy?" I asked jokingly, even as my heart raced in my chest.
"I don't kiss and tell, Red. You're going to have to remember if you want to know that." His gaze searched mine.
I'll show you anything you want, I thought. Just tell me what you want.
My heart thundered in my chest and I reached out for him. "Well, would you consider refreshing my memory?" I asked softly.
He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned into me until our lips could almost meet. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Because I think it bothers you as much as it bothers me that I don't remember. Hell, I've been wanting you too damn long to not remember our first time." Then I closed the distance between us, my lips touching his and my arms pulling him to me.
He rolled on top, pinning me beneath him easily. Roles could be argued at length; it still didn't matter to me.
"What are you saying, Reno?" he asked softly against my lips.
"I want you. I've wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you." I smiled softly and nudged his hips with mine, just enough for him to feel how much I wanted him. "I'm long-past being ashamed of the fact and long overdue when it comes to doing something about it."
He pulled back a little, his eyes widening.
Aw, how cute. I could still unnerve the hell out of him. It made me happy to see that I could still affect him like that.
"Reno," Tseng began. Then he sighed. "Is that why you went out of your way to be the biggest fucking tease I've ever met?" he asked me, a wry smile pulling at his lips. "You wanted me to want you as much as you wanted me? Well, wake up and smell the coffee, Red," he told me before jolting his hips downward and against mine. "I want you at least as much as you want me."
I pulled him back down against me and nuzzled my way to his ear. "Then show me," I commanded softly before licking the shell of his ear lightly.
He shivered and spoke against my skin, "Only if you'll show me as well."
Unable to contain a smirk, I rolled us over until I was on top of him. My fingers played along the row of buttons on his shirt until I reached the button of his pants. Teasingly, I traced the seam of his pants along the length of his cock before simply pulling untucking his shirt and sliding my hand beneath to touch the warm skin of his stomach.
His breath came out in a rush. "Tease."
"Oh, you like it, babe," I returned tauntingly.
After attempting a few of the buttons on his shirt, I released a frustrated breath. Then I ripped the shirt open, a few of the pearly buttons rolling to the hardwood floor.
"Two-thousand dollar shirt. Just saying," he murmured.
"I'll buy you a new one. Maybe in green. You would look hot in green." I grinned down at him. "But you'd look even better naked."
Intense chocolate eyes stared up at me, desire making them molten. "So would you."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
The sunlight streaming through the window woke me the next morning. We'd christened each room the same way we'd christened the first one: by having sex on every available surface. I was actually surprised to see the familiar blue walls and feel the soft, familiar sheets against my skin.
The second surprise laid half on top of me, his nose buried in my hair. All I had to do to watch a whiff of his scent was turn my head a burry my nose against his neck, which I promptly did. I loved the way he smelled, like jade and lavender and a touch of something spicy and soothing that I just couldn't place.
One of his legs was between and one arm was wrapped possessively around my waist. My arms were wrapped around him, as well. It was like we were both scared that the other would be taken from us.
Slowly, the dark haired man on top of me stirred, stretching like a relaxed cat and wincing at the soreness in his back before ignoring it.
He nuzzled my neck slightly. "Good morning, Reno," he said softly before dropping a kiss on my skin. "What time is it?"
"Eh, it's only about 5:30 am. Sunrise woke me," I commented.
He made no effort to move from where he was. "Good. Then we have some time."
When he pressed his lips to mine, the apocalypse could have come and I wouldn't have noticed.
I could like waking up to this.
***~***~***~***~***
Ah, Reno. For one so straight-forward, he was full of contradictions. He had no trouble sleeping with me -and I was his boss- but he didn't want everyone at the office to know.
"It's not that I'm not proud, Tseng," he'd told me this morning. "It's that they'll never let me live it down."
Despite that, I was not at all bothered by the fact our coworkers might know. So what? I finally got the one I'd wanted all along. I kind of wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
It must have been that delirious insanity that drove me to do it. Really. Because if it wasn't that, we were going to find out a few interesting things in the bedroom soon.
The door to my office was closed, as always, and I was aching for Reno. Again. So I did something I'd never even dreamed of doing at the office: I opened my pants, took my already-hard cock in my hand and began to work myself with slow, steady strokes, just enough to keep stimulating me but not enough to push me over the edge. The point of this was not to get myself off. It was to achieve the proper breathless, I-need-you-now tone. Once I achieved it, I called the one person who would care.
"I need you," I breathed out into the phone when he picked up.
The phone was slammed back on the receiver, and less than a minute later, a very horny-looking redhead stormed into my office.
Ah. Office romances, how I love them.
--***--***--***--***--***--
Quiet voices raised in passion were not a common thing in the office.
I was almost embarrassed to hear them until Reeve gave a knowing smile.
"Perhaps I should talk to Mr. Shinra about getting Tseng's office sound-proofed?" he suggested casually.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. But at least they've stopped dancing around it."
"Yeah. All it took was one hell of a hang over," Reeve told me, chuckling darkly.
I will warn you, it is forever long... about 10,000 words if I am not mistaken, but it is also all here. Complete. So enjoy :)
Hungover
Prompt: "Tell me how I ended up in a movie theater alone with a bottle of Smirnoff and a bendy straw!"
Inspirational Music: "For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert
This fic is for albedosrequium's Passion and Pain Contest! And trust me, this is definitely a Pain entry ^^
Rating: M
Warnings:
-Excessive alcohol
-Partial nudity
-Embarrassing situations
-BDSM clubs
-OOC
-Author's own take on architecture
Main Pairing: Tseng/Reno
Minor Pairings Mentioned:
-Elena/OC
-Rufus/Reeve
-a few other OC pairings
Setting: AU
POV: Reno, since I *will* make him suffer! And a little Tseng to torment Reno properly! And lastly, Elena, because she ties it all up in a neat little package <3
Summary: Reno has certainly had it rough: celibate for three months, dragged to BDSM clubs on a nightly basis, and dealing with a bitchy blond. But one night with a hell of a lot of alcohol has made it much, much worse. As soon as he finds his phone, he's gonna let Elena have it!
Additional ANs: I have modified Elena and Reno's relationship: she's pretty much his best friend. However, I have tried to stay as true to the characters as possible.
I've also made him rather close with Reeve, as well. It amuses me to do so, plus, this is AU, so I totally can ^^
And! There is no sex scene in this piece! By the time I got to the point I would need to write it, I didn't have enough time. So all of the sex is implied, although there are a few tasty tidbits :P
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's alright
You'll be fine
Baby, I'm in control
Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I'm the master of both
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I'ma work it 'til you're totally blown
~"For Your Entertainment" - Adam Lambert~
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first thing I noticed when I woke up this morning was that my head hurt.
It's never a good thing when I wake up with a headache. It usually means I've been doing a little too much partying and my boss is gonna kick my ass if I snip at him because of it.
But it's even worse when I wake up and realize I'm not in my bedroom.
Perhaps the worst thing is that I just realized I know exactly where I am: in the back of a fucking movie theater.
Where's my phone?
I pat down my pants pockets to look for it, only to discover that I'm not wearing any.
Oh, God, this is not good.
I tried to remember what had happened the night before. Large portions of the memories were there, unbroken, but there were also gaps. I remembered getting home from work. Then there were a couple of missing hours before I remembered Elena invading my apartment.
The events played like a 3-D movie in my mind.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~the night before~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Oh, c'mon, Reno! It will be awesome," Elena coaxed, pulling on my arm.
The 'It' in question was the new club, Tie Me Up. Now, granted, this says nothing about my sexual preferences -which are 'frequent' and 'good'- but it does say a lot about Elena's. Being as her boy-toy was out of town for the week, she wanted to hit the clubs and -as usual- drag me with her.
"No offense, Lena, but last time I went clubbing with you, every female we passed groped my ass."
"That's because you looked hot, you dumbass," she returned with a flirty smile.
"Yeah, but that's not the gender of skank I'm usually trolling for," I pointed out.
"And saying that was why most of them smacked it."
She had a point. I did have quite the talent for bring my own misery. I eyed her carefully. "You promise to act like a possessive bitch if any woman even thinks of touching my ass?"
She rolled her eyes. "Cross my heart," she agreed, making the hand-gestures like a ten-year old girl. "Honestly, I'm hoping a guy grabs it, 'cause you really need to get laid," she added, turning away like it made it harder for me to see her roll her eyes again.
I glared at her. "What, you think I like being celibate for three months? 'Cause let me tell you, honey: there's only so much originality you can have with your hand."
She scrunched her nose. "Ew. Maybe you should consider playing for my team to keep you from making comments like those."
I laughed softly. "Can't take the drama of women. It can be hard to take with a man, but women are worse about it."
"Whatever. Get dressed, 'cause we're hitting the town."
And the thunderstorm of a perky blond woman tromped out of my bedroom, probably heading for the living room.
I shook my head and thumbed though my closet for the proper clothes. Might as well enjoy it.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Elena gaped at me. "Good Shiva, Reno, you look like an ad for a BDSM magazine."
I laughed. "Hopefully an attractive one."
She nodded, eyes taking inventory of my clothing: my scuffed black boots, black leather pants that clung tightly to my slender hips and the fishnet top that had started out whole but had rips in a few strategic places -for example, my nipples, which were sporting my favorite nipple rings tonight. I'd worn my hair down, leaving me surprisingly grateful I'd let Elena talk me into cutting it all one length a few months ago. And my do-me-now expression completed the outfit perfectly.
"I'm not gonna lie to you: you might want to tone it down a bit if you don't want to be topped tonight," she told me.
I snorted. "Baby, getting topped is better than not gettin' any at all."
"It's good you think that way," she returned, laughing. "You look like you stepped off the cover of a bondage porn movie."
"I like porn." I shot back, defensive. "With porn, everyone gets a happy ending".
"What do you mean?" She cocked her head to the side.
"Orgasms count as happy endings, babe."
She laughed. "I should have known. C'mon. Let's get out and get you laid. I don't think I can stand to talk to you celibate for another hour."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Elena knows a lot of people in the right circles, so I really shouldn't have been surprised. All we had to do was walk up to the bouncer and say "hi" to get let in before the line that went down two city blocks.
"Just keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking," Elena commanded as she led me into the club. For all her talk about 'checking out the new place', it seemed to me she knew her way around in the dark.
"Leeland," she greeted, her voice suddenly candy-coated and slow.
Uh-oh. That meant trouble with a capital T.
"Elena. Who's the fresh meat?" The man stepped out of the shadows enough for me to see that he was huge, tall and overly muscular in a way that matched that booming voice.
"Oh, he's my new pet," she purred softly, her hand sliding into my hair in a show of possession.
I dropped light kisses on her bare shoulder and waited, sensing the seriousness of my situation.
"Any chance I can steal him?" Leeland asked, his hand tracing the curve of my neck.
I shivered and moved toward Elena. "Mistress?" I asked, my tone portraying discomfort.
"No, darling. He's so fun to play with and I am just getting started," she returned, her tone telling him that she was not willing to share.
The man backed off as quickly as he would have if Elena pulled a gun on him. He hurried away as quickly as he had appeared.
"I know you're so horny it hurts right now, but avoid Leeland at all costs," Elena whispered in the dark. "Most of the doms here enjoy the power-trip and the trust of their partner, but Leeland gets off on seriously hurting them."
"How badly?" I asked, letting her pull me upstairs and to a balcony.
"You've met Greg, right?" she asked as we were greeted with drinks. She handed one to me and took one for herself.
Greg was a very sweet, very gentle man who got off on being dominated. Unfortunately, some accident had blinded him. His lover Rick took great care of him. "Yeah?" I asked, downing the sweet beverage quickly.
"Leeland is the one who took his sight."
I felt like someone had given me a sharp elbow to the solar plexus. How could anyone hurt someone as gentle as Greg? "Can we kill him?" I growled out.
She shook her head no. "That's why we didn't tell you earlier, Reno." She gestured outward. "Look at the crowd, Reno. See anything you like particularly?"
Obeying, I looked out at the crowd dancing on the floor to the pounding rhythm of whatever song they were playing. "Brunette, my two o'clock, stubble, nice ass."
The waiter reappeared with a bottle of stronger stuff. I nodded and filled my glass with it before taking a taste. It was a small bottle -probably less than half the normal size- but it was a good bourbon, smooth and long-bodied. I emptied the glass.
"Mm," Elena said, sipping the pink concoction she'd been handed earlier. "David. Don't go there, love. He's got a possessive steady that treats him like gold."
Nodding, I looked out again, refilling my glass. "Blond, spiky hair, my three, nice moves."
"Ashley. He might be nice to look at, but he plays for my team."
I winced and downed the whole glass. Shit. My luck was running in the wrong direction.
It kept going like that, back and forth. My list of attributes, her reasons not to go after them, chased with more than a shot of bourbon. After ten cycles, when I could feel the alcohol in my system, I glared at her. "Then who is free and likely to leave me whole?"
"My seven, black hair, nice strut, cute butt," she directed.
I followed her directions. "Oh, shit. Seriously? He comes here?" I asked no one as I recognized the ass I was staring at. I should, being as I have spent at least five years staring too much at it and working too little.
Elena did a double take. "Shit. Is that who I think it is?"
"Oh, I don't know… Our boss?" I hissed out before draining my glass yet again.
To my absolute horror, I watched him climb the steps to reach the same balcony we were on. I finished the bottle of bourbon quickly.
"What would you like, sir?" the waiter asked politely.
"Just bring me vodka. The bottle," I returned curtly as Tseng walked up to Elena.
The waiter scurried off to get my order, so I grimaced and turned to face them both with my casual smile.
"Reno. Didn't know your tastes ran this way," Tseng said blandly.
Where I would have returned, 'I didn't know yours did either, asshole,' Elena quickly interjected. "Mine do. Reno is just here to keep me company."
He cocked his brows at that.
"She tops, dumbass," I hissed out. "If she comes here with someone she calls as her sub, it keeps other subs from coming on to her."
"And you… don't mind being called her sub?" Tseng asked, choosing his words carefully.
"It never mattered to me who was on top and who was on bottom as long as pleasure was to be had by all," I ground out, trying not to look at the -fucking sexy- jackass's face.
"That's… surprisingly open-minded of you, Red." Tseng purred out, as though the single comment had put me in a new light.
"Fuck. I don't have enough alcohol in me," I muttered, just as the waiter returned with my vodka.
He handed me the bottle. "Anything else I can do for you, sir?"
I smirked at him. "Got a straw on you?"
He pulled a neon pink bendy-straw out of his pocket and handed it to me.
As he left, I opened the small bottle of Smirnoff and stuck the straw in. If all I would be getting was alcohol tonight, it might as well be fun for me.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Tseng touched my arm. "How drunk are you, Reno?" he asked, his tone betraying his concern.
"Not drunk enough," I told him. "I'm not tipsy, I'm not loose-lipped, and I'm not clingy."
"But you had quite a bit of bourbon and then vodka," he returned. "Your liver will thank you for stopping."
"Oh, just shut up and dance with me, boss-man," I commanded, pulling on his hand as the music began to change.
He looked a little startled for a moment, then he was calm again. "The dance floor is downstairs."
"Who said anything about the dance floor?" I asked as the first few phrases of the first verse became audible.
So hot
Out the box
Can we pick up the pace?
Turn it up,
Heat it up
I need to be entertained
I moved in close to him, then shimmied with the music. If I had been in anything near my right mind, I would never have even thought of dancing with him. But he looked so cutely flustered by me dancing with him this way that I had to press closer to him, had to turn, had to rub my ass against his groin like I wanted it -hell, I did want it but there was no way I was telling him that!
Push the limit
Are you with it?
Baby, don't be afraid
I'ma hurt 'ya real good, baby
He gave my ass a firm swat and took a little more active role dancing, his hands sliding down my fishnet-clad chest. "What do you want from this dance, Reno?" he rasped in my ear, his body moving provocatively against mine.
"Just a dance, boss-man. Just dance with me," I told him, despite the fact I was harder than a rock from the single swat and his rasping voice in my ear.
Let's go
It's my show
Baby, do what I say
Don't trip off the glitz
That I'm gonna display
"Really, now?" Tseng asked, as though he didn't believe me.
I turned to face him, dancing close enough my nipples brushed against his starched but open shirt. "Yeah, really. Just a dance." I sighed out softly.
Fuck, I missed dancing like this. I went out with Elena pretty regularly, but it had been a long time since I'd wanted to dance like this with someone.
I told ya
I'ma hold ya down until you're amazed
Give it to ya 'til you're screaming my name
He suddenly moved forward, grinding his hips against mine until I was breathless against the pleasure of the friction, the pleasure of feeling him against me. I was not the only one harder than a rock.
I opened my mouth to point it out, and he pressed his lips against mine, giving my lower lip a punishing bite.
"Not. A. Word. Reno," he growled, his hands tracing my shoulder blades.
No escaping when I start
Once I'm in I own your heart
There's no way you'll ring the alarm
So hold on until it's over
And just like that, our sorry excuse for a kiss was over.
So, being the punishing bastard I am, I ground against him, then followed it up with a series of harsh thrusts. It would look like we were dry humping, rutting like animals, but I didn't fucking care. I wanted to punish Tseng for teasing me every fucking day for years, for teasing me even more today, and for not doing anything about it, despite his body's obvious enthusiasm.
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
He pressed forward, his face blank as he ground his hardness against me until I released a hiss of pleasure.
"Oh, so are you really into this kind of thing?" he asked me in a dark whisper.
I felt his breath at my ear and I held my breath as he bit my earlobe. Hard.
I mewled, the pain mingling with the pleasure in my veins. "Only under the right circumstances."
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept you off ya feet
But I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
He chuckled. "I'd bet next week's paycheck that you never expected me to be in a club Elena was prowling," he told me, panting softly.
I turned my back to him again, his hands sliding over my nipples as my ass met his groin. "I've seen you around some of them before," I confessed, shimmying down and then up again. "I never expected Elena to point you out to me as possibly available, though.
It's alright
You'll be fine
Baby, I'm in control
His hands slid down to cup my hipbones and pull me tighter against him. "Really now? I didn't see you around."
One of my arms slid behind his neck to hold my body against his. "I'm good at blending in."
He chuckled, the sound deep and decadent, as he dropped a kiss on my ear. "I know that, Red." His teeth grazed and locked onto the curve of my ear.
I let out a startled little moan and let my head fall back onto his shoulder.
Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I'm the master of both
He chucked again, his hands sliding until one hand was on each of my nipples. He tugged gently at the silver rings that pierced each.
A little sound of pleasure bubbled out of my throat, shocking the hell out of me.
His teeth played at the skin on my neck gently. "You like that, hm?" he purred.
I couldn't decide: was he mocking me or enjoying me?
"How about this?" he asked before his teeth clamped down where my neck curved into my shoulder.
My head lolled back and a high-pitched pant escaped my lips. Fuck! My mind knew I shouldn't like him hurting me, but my body was aroused to a point that any stimulation was interpreted as pleasure. I couldn't -wouldn't- come up with a reason for him to stop.
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I'ma work it 'til you're totally blown
He made a rumbling sound of arousal. "Mm, Reno, you must stop acting like a wet dream…" he murmured against the skin of my neck as he nibbled at the tender place he'd just bitten.
As if inspired by his words, my hips undulated in time to the beat. I could feel him growing harder still as my ass swayed against his cock. At this point, I was beyond caring about the fact that I was acting like a wonton whore, my body moving and begging my boss for anything and everything he would give me.
Sliding like silk, his hands moved from my nipples to my waist. One hand slid lower, caressing the urgent need that was making a hard ridge in my leather pants.
I felt his lips quirk against my neck as he stroked and taunted me through my pants. Fuck, I knew he could blow my mind, but one-handed through my pants was ridiculous!
No escaping when I start
Once I'm in I own your heart
There's no way you'll ring the alarm
So hold on until it's over
My restless hands -one holding us together, the other currently off-duty- itched to touch him. Sighing in appreciation of his touch, I fisted my hand in the midnight satin of his hair and let the other find his cock. It wasn't exactly lost, being as it was pressed against the curve of my ass.
Cupping him through the cloth, I could tell he was as aroused as I was.
He stopped moving at the contact. "Red, Red, Red," he purred out in a velvet voice. "Haven't you played these games before?"
"As my rather un-marked skin will attest, no. We told you: that's Elena's thing, not mine."
Why were we talking when we could be touching?
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept ya off your feet
Well I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
He chuckled. "You have a lot to learn, Pet. You are, at this point, a toy. If I ask Elena nicely, she might let me play with her toy. Toys don't touch, Red. The Master touches."
"Which is exactly why I'm not particularly into that," I shot back, just wanting his hands on me again, his mouth on my neck, something!
"Oh, but you must play by the rules when we're here, Pet. You can't have me disrespected as a dom," he whispered in my ear.
I shivered. "May the Pet ask the Master?" I asked softly, rubbing myself against him in time to the music.
His laugh was musical to my ears. I still didn't know if he was mocking me or enjoying me. "What is it you wish, Pet?"
"May I touch you, Master?" I asked, mentally gritting my teeth at calling him that.
"Just this once, Pet," he returned, his hand rubbing hard against my need.
I moaned softly and raked my nails across his hardness, reveling in his shiver. At least his responsiveness was worth it.
Oh oh... mmm Entertainment...
Oh oh... Oh entertainment...
I'm here for your entertainment...
Oh... Do you like what you see?
Whoa... Let me entertain 'ya tell you scream!
He moved around my body until he stood in front of me.
My hormones were given time to slow down enough that I could feel ashamed for coming on to him this way.
Then his hands returned to me, one sliding into my hair and pulling me close enough our chests touched, the other making trails of fire down my back, and all of those thoughts retreated behind the curtain of lust. He brought his my lips to his gently, brushing his lips against my bruised ones as lightly as one brushes a feather across flesh.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Red," he murmured as his gaze fell to my slightly swollen lower lip.
"Kiss it better," I purred back.
He chuckled softly. "So demanding," he chastised a mere whisper from my lips.
"Just impatient." I met his gaze. His dark eyes were dilated with desire, so dark they were almost black. I figured if I played nice, I could get what I wanted. "Please?"
Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for you entertainment
"See? You're learning," he returned before taking my lips with his.
I say 'taking' because it felt almost like an assault to take the territory from me. I didn't respond for at least a heartbeat and his kiss became gentler. I drew back for one quick breath.
"Hm, so are you," I returned against his lips as his tongue slid into my mouth to touch and taste every inch.
He chuckled against my lips, but didn't break the kiss to punish me. Instead, his hands moved down my spine, making me arc and shiver.
When his hands cupped my ass and squeezed, my instant response was to rub my hardness against him and let his mouth swallow my moan.
Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet
'Ya thought an angel swept ya off your feet
Well I'm about to turn up the heat
I'm here for your entertainment
Perhaps that was when we just resorted to swaying to the music, despite its pounding rhythm, and touching, tasting, and teasing each other.
At any other point, in any other place, Tseng looked like a dark avenging angel, so pure and so far above the filth and desires and needs that frame up our world and make the human race what it is today. But tonight, right now, he looked like a fallen angel that had tasted of the desires, the needs, the filth and had come back craving more.
Perhaps that was from the feel of a body against him, his power, his arrogance, or the soul-deep need I could see in his eyes and I knew was mirrored in my own. Either way, I couldn't help but feel like the reason this angel had fallen. And I would never admit it to his face, but I liked that, liked feeling like I had some of the same power over him that he had over me.
The song had ended, but he did not let me go. If he had, I doubt I would have been able to have left him. I could feel need radiating off of him, and I was not letting him sate that need with anyone but me.
I tugged him toward the stairs. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."
Elena shot me a thumbs up from her post at the railing.
Tseng smirked and led me down the stairs. "I take it Elena approves?"
"Elena approves of me having sex, the possibility of me having sex, or even me having phone sex. She had to listen to me bitch for three months, so I suppose it's fair." I shrugged, falling behind him but finding myself unable to release his hand.
He abruptly stopped in front of me, causing me to run into his back. "I thought you lived, breathed, slept, ate, and drank sex."
"In general, yes. For the last three months, however, I seem to have hit a dry spell." I nuzzled his spine like a cat seeking attention, but I was happy he couldn't see the blush blooming on my cheeks.
I could feel his chuckle through the cheek I rested on his back. "Oh, is that why you've been so grumpy recently, Red?"
"Nah, that's the hangover from trying to forget I wasn't getting any," I shot back as he began to pull away, toward the door.
I knew it wasn't the door Elena and I had come in through, but I didn't realize it was the back door until I found myself pressed between a brick wall and a warm, eager body. "Well, will you be drinking after tonight?"
"If I get to have your body pressed all over me, I could give up a hell of a lot more than alcohol," I breathed out.
I swear I saw a soft smile on his lips before they descended on mine. When his lips touched mine then moved as to devour me, however, soft smiles and tender glances were the very last things on my mind.
My hand laced into his silken hair and pulled him closer as my other hand traced the muscles in his chest. The muscles rippled under my touch, and his gasp was almost audible. His mouth slanted over mine and the kiss deepened as his hand fisted in my hair. His other hand traced the sensitive skin over my spine. My body arced into his, our erect cocks colliding and robbing me of breath.
"So much for Elena not sharing her new pet," rumbled a familiar voice.
Tseng drew back slowly. "She made an exception for me, Leeland."
I assumed a more submissive pose and looked at Tseng with empty eyes. "Master?"
Leeland lost it then, wrenching Tseng away from me and slamming his fist into Tseng's stomach. Tseng doubled over, pain evident on his beautiful face.
I rushed to Tseng, only to watch him crumble to the ground. A red haze covered my vision as I turned on the man responsible.
There's a reason I do well in the business I'm in: it doesn't matter how I'm dressed, how I look, where I am, I can be intimidating as hell. But if you hurt someone I care about -and make no bones about it, I cared a lot about Tseng- I could be scarier than your worst nightmare, scarier than an assassin's bullet or torture. I'll chop you to pieces and I'll laugh about it. I'll put a bullet in your brain when I'm done with you and still feel that I've gone too lightly on you.
Perhaps Leeland recognized the sadistic gleam in my eye because he back away like he'd seen a ghost.
The upside of being smaller and leaner than Leeland was that I was a lot lighter on my feet. I reached him quite easily, still angry and wanting my pound of flesh for the pain caused to Tseng. The larger man panicked and pushed me into a wall.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
And then... nothing. That's where the memories ended.
I found my leather pants balled up. It seemed I'd used them as a pillow last night. I picked them up. They unfurled quickly and there were two accompanying thunks when things fell to the floor.
I found my cell phone, I thought wryly. But there beside it laid the small bottle of vodka -half empty- and the neon pink bendy straw.
I reached for my phone and dialed Elena's number. It rang twice before she picked it up. With no preamble, I demanded, "Tell me how I ended up in a movie theater alone with a bottle of Smirnoff and a bendy straw!"
"Reno?" she asked, sleepy and stunned.
"Yeah."
"I don't know, hon. What do you remember?"
I told her the chunks I recalled quickly. "So now my ass hurts and I… I just don't know who…"
Her voice was tender. "I know. But we still have to go to work today."
"I'm supposed to be in today?" I was never scheduled on Fridays.
"The boss called me this morning when he couldn't get a hold of you. Rude can't be in today, so you're on shift with me." She at least had the grace to sound apologetic about it.
"Yeah. I didn't make it up to my apartment last night, I guess. So when do I need to be in?"
Elena tapped her fingers lightly as the wheels in her brain turned. "You have to be in at 10:00, so you have two hours."
"Why is it that I wake up with enough time when I'm drunk but I always run late when I'm sober?" I asked.
She laughed lightly. "It's a built-in warning. If you get in on time, the boss is less likely to go off on you and add to the headache. I'll see you in two hours."
"See ya."
We hung up at the same time, like we always do.
I shimmied my sore body back into the tight leather pants. I was usually pretty fast at it, but with a hangover and several sore spots, it took twice as long.
With long strides, I made my way to the red-velvet curtain that had seen better days. I live above a retired movie theater, so I guess everything here had seen better days from the thread-bare carpets to the dusty heavy curtains to the holey chairs. I ducked behind the curtain and groped for the doorknob with the heavy material against my back.
The door swung inward and I stumbled into the stairwell. No elevators in the building, unfortunately, so even if I'm falling-down drunk, I have to stumble up the stairs. I counted the stairs as I hurried up them; unfortunately, despite my headache, I couldn't resist the compulsion.
I live 132 stairs up -on the third floor. I've actually got the floor to myself, since people seem to think they need an elevator. I paid less a month than most people do for a one-bedroom apartment in the city and I got four rooms, a living room, and a kitchenette, plus my own bathroom. Hey, I know I got the better bargain; others just don't think I did.
It could get a little lonely at times, but hell, it was safer for me and for others. I often pissed off the wrong people; if I'm the only one here, they can only take it out on me.
So what if one of my unachievable fantasies is to wake up to the sunlight streaming through the window in my bedroom in my own bed with a lover who knows what I am and doesn't care? I have given up a lot of things to keep people safe; that dream was just another one.
I showered quickly and dressed for work in the usual black suit and white dress shirt. I'm supposed to also wear a black tie, but I usually just leave the top two buttons of the dress shirt undone and call it ready.
But not today. Today, I buttoned up all the buttons and put on the tie. I pulled all of my hair back into a neat ponytail -it usually was a very messy one. I was disgustingly meticulous in my dress and styling, mostly because I could control it. Right then, it felt like the Fates were conspiring against me for some wrong I'd committed -and there were a lot to choose from.
My cell phone rang as I sat down in my kitchen with a cup of coffee.
I read the caller ID: 'Take Cover!'.
Tentatively, I answered the phone. "Sinclair."
"Oh, Reno! I'm glad I caught you!"
Not only did the mannerism not match the caller ID, but neither did the voice. "Reeve. Why are you calling from Mr. Shinra's phone?" I asked evenly.
"Oops," he returned, giggling. "I'm sorry I gave you a heart attack, Reno. He must have grabbed mine this morning."
I felt a smile tug at my lips despite my earlier apprehension. Reeve was my favorite of the tech geeks -apparently, Rufus's favorite as well, considering the fact Reeve had been gracing his bed for about three months. "Since you obviously didn't call me to scare a few years off my life, why did you call?"
"Rufus left a file here that I'm very sure he needs today. I have to run errands today, so I was wondering if you could run it to him for me?"
I shook my head. "Reeve, you always did have good timing. I don't usually have to go in on Fridays, but today I do. I'll be by in a couple minutes."
He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It doesn't matter if I'm his lover; he'd still fire me if I knew it was here and didn't get it to him."
I laughed. "Can you believe some folks sleep with their boss for job security?"
He chuckled. "You're chipper for being hung-over."
"Always. I've gotta go."
"See you soon, then."
"Yeah."
We hung up without saying goodbye. I knew better than to do that, being in the business I'm in, but it was like a blatant refusal to not see people again. Let's just hope Death is hung up on etiquette.
I finished my coffee in a burning swallow and cracked a window before lighting up.
Even when I was saving a friend's ass, my addictions had a way of demanding to be fed first. Caffeine -see morning cup of coffee. Chocolate -see creamer in morning cup of coffee. Hair of the dog -see whiskey in morning cup of coffee. Nicotine -well, I was getting to that.
I was actually surprised I was that pleasant without my first cigarette of the morning, but, hell, it was a weird day.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Thank you, Reno."
"You've mentioned that twenty times now, Reeve. I get it." He was so intelligent at points and so clueless at others.
He handed me the file. "You look surprisingly spiffy this morning. You're even wearing your tie. What are you intending to do, storm into Tseng's office, tie him up, and have your wicked way with him?"
I laughed and prayed the heat I felt in my cheeks wasn't visible to the man before me. "Yeah, right. Actually, he yells less when I'm dressed correctly. It's a survival mechanism."
"That lovely blush you're sporting says otherwise, Reno."
Damn him. I felt the blush darken.
"You want Tseng…! Why in hell didn't you tell me?" Reeve cocked his head.
"Uh, because I have a feeling it won't go as well as your office romance?" My mind's eye flashed back to the feel of Tseng's lips on mine, the taste of his mouth, the feel of him pressed against me. It could be fine… if we each got a personality transplant.
"Judging by the look on your face, something tells me you know otherwise."
"I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here for that file. Remember?"
"Evasion tactics at their finest," he returned wryly before handing me the file. "Call me later, or so help me, I will let Rufus help me plot!"
I shuddered and pulled the file out of his hand. "I'll call you when I get home."
He smirked. "I'll be waiting."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"You look nice this morning."
God, unless the next person who told me that was Tseng, they were going to get smacked. "Thank you," I ground out, looking at the man who sat behind a dark oak desk. "Reeve asked me to drop this off for you," I told him nonchalantly as I handed him the manila file folder.
He stiffened and took the folder from me. His shoulders visibly relaxed as he realized what the file was. "I was wondering why I couldn't find this," he mumbled into his chest.
I smirked. "You also have his phone today."
He turned bright red. "How-?"
"Did I know that? Call your phone and ask Reeve." I stood there silently for a moment before asking, "May I leave?"
He nodded and looked down to his desktop. "Close the door behind you, please."
***~***~***~***~***
I flagged Elena over to my desk covertly. "What is up with Reno?" I asked, my eyes catching on his neat hair and impeccable conformity to the uniform.
"There's a reason he doesn't drink if he has to be in the next day, boss. He has alcohol-induced amnesia right now."
I had to wonder how much of last night he had forgotten, but I never got the chance to ask.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I couldn't focus, my head hurt like crazy, and my stomach was incredibly upset. I usually didn't get a hangover, so this was odd.
"Reno," Tseng called from across the room.
I winced. His usually even tone sounded like a sonic boom to my ears. The noise hurt my head, but I shakily rose to my feet. What the fuck? Was my balance going all to hell now?
The room spun but the world seemed to slow down around me. I sat back down so I didn't fall down.
"I… I think I have a problem," I quietly admitted to the room.
I didn't imagine the concern in Tseng's eyes as he eased me up and led me out to his car.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
The doctor -a slender man with a long black pony tail- sadistically shined his light in my eyes for a third time under the guise of checking my pupils.
"Doctor Hojo," Tseng growled from beside me. "What's wrong with him?"
"He has a concussion," breezed a lady-doctor with a lovely face and long, straight brown hair. Her brown eyes shined with disapproval at Doctor Hojo before she looked at Tseng.
"Thank you," Tseng told her softly.
"Don't mind my colleague. He can go a bit overboard on examinations," she told me, her voice as lovely as her face.
Hojo gave her a rather dirty look before leaving.
"So what can we do, Doctor Crescent?" Hm. Tseng and his 'we' business might make me start thinking he cared.
"That depends. Mr. Sinclair, do you live alone?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a friend that can stay with you? Since you're just showing symptoms now, someone needs to stay with you to make sure the symptoms don't get worse." Her voice betrayed her concern. "For tonight, at least."
"I'll stay with him," Tseng volunteered from the seat beside me.
Oh, I am totally screwed six ways to Sunday! And not in the fun way!
"Alright. You're also his boss, correct?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Tonight, watch for headaches that get worse or don't leave; weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination; nausea or vomiting; slurred speech; extreme drowsiness or being unable to wake him; confusion, restlessness, or agitation; loss of consciousness; or difficulty recognizing people or places. Until he's better, he also shouldn't do anything that's physically or mentally strenuous. Mr. Sinclair, you're also not to drink."
"Aw. Now he's gonna enforce that, too," I complained, pouting slightly.
She laughed at that. "Let me finish. I think you're okay to drive. Take ibuprofen for any pain you experience." She smiled. "I don't think you're going to have any complications, Mr. Sinclair, so you should be fine in under a week."
"Thank you." Tseng sounded like he meant it.
"Doctor Crescent, I've had concussions before. I'm usually better in about two days."
"Come back in then, Mr. Sinclair. I have a feeling you're hard-headed."
"You have no idea," Tseng murmured.
She laughed, the sound pretty and bell-like. "Oh, I have other doctors' notes. I have a notion."
"May I go home and sleep?" I asked. Dealing with doctors was stressful.
Tseng rolled his eyes. "I'll get him out of your hair."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"Remind me why we're going to your place, again?" Tseng asked as he parked in front of my building.
"More space." I shrugged.
He studied the building silently for a moment. "I remember this place. It's a movie theater."
"It was a movie theater, but buildings, like people, can retire. I have the entire third floor to myself. The only downside is no elevators." I shrugged. "It doesn't bother me any."
"And here I was under the impression that you're a terminally lazy creature."
I laughed lightly. "I thought you knew me better than that," I told him, opening the car door and sliding out.
My balance had returned and the dizziness had eased away for the time being, so I was okay on my feet. Tseng got out of his car as well, his concerned gaze pretty much glued to me. There was a monstrous lump in my throat at the concern in his gaze and in his actions. If he kept acting like this, I was going to start thinking he cared for me as more than just a friend. As it was, I wasn't sure I could handle having him this close to me all night, hence me wanting to go home. If all else failed, I could lock myself in my own bedroom.
***~***~***~***~***
Reno's home was… well… homier than I'd expected. It smelled like coffee and cigarettes and something earthy and musky that was so familiar yet hard to place.
He'd decorated in mocha and crimson with black accents. Everything looked simply functional. There was no elaborate scroll-work on the tables or trim, despite his love of the theatrical, exotic, and occasionally ostentatious; everything had straight edges and a lacquered finish. And the furniture was simple and tasteful. Above all, it looked and felt like a comfortable, lived-in space.
He smiled slightly. "This is the living room. The kitchen is just over that way," he told me, pointing to the elaborate kitchen on his right. "This floor was originally intended to house four tenants and the bathroom, lounge, and kitchenette were to be shared. But when no one else showed any interest in the other apartments, Mr. Soto let me have the entire floor."
"Most landlords won't let you redecorate as you wish," I commented.
"I'm buying the building from him," he told me, shrugging. "A little at a time so he doesn't ask how I make so much money."
Well. That was a bombshell. Reno never struck me as the type to need the stability of a home base, yet I was standing in his. "It's a nice place, Red. You have good taste."
A blush rose to his cheeks and it took him a moment or two to gather his thoughts before he took my hand and pulled me through the open doorway of the living room. "C'mon, I'll show you the other rooms and you can have your pick," he murmured, not looking at me.
Silently, I willed him to look at me, to show me the adorable blush on his face, to let me see a side of him no one else got to see.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I warmed under his compliment, but I was too afraid to show him that side of me, too afraid to admit that he was the first person aside from Elena to see my home.
So instead, I gave him the five dollar tour of my rooms, ending off in my bedroom. He stared at the room like he'd expected something different. I'd painted the room cerulean blue and the various shades I could achieve by adding a white and black to the color. It looked oddly like a piece of renaissance art, aside from the pale yellow 'stars' scattered on the ceiling.
"It's breath-taking, Reno. Who would have thought you had a classical bone in your body?"
I could feel the truth in his words the same way I could feel the blush blooming like a rose on my cheeks. I glanced away, hoping to collect myself.
"Didn't you tell me this was intended to hold four tenets? I've only seen three rooms."
The moment he said that, I knew exactly which room I had neglected to show him. I swallowed hard. "I must have forgotten that one," I murmured, tugging him back into the hall and down to the room beside mine. Pushing the door open, I showed him the room I'd designed while lingering on thoughts of him. The walls were a medium jade, but the silver accents truly gave it an ethereal feel. Above the bed, I'd painted a tribal-style dragon in black.
"Wow. I really like what you did with this room." He slightly smiled at me, and it stole my breath.
"Then this can be your room," I returned slightly gruffly. He was, after all, who it was designed for.
"Oh, I can't!"
"No one else is sleeping in it," I shot back smartly. Sighing, I felt my expression soften. "Enjoy this room. Please." It was made for you.
"Alright," he said, setting his bags on the floor beside the bed.
"I'll let you get settled. I need to make a phone call," I told him, suddenly remembering Reeve's threat if I didn't call him.
He smiled. "I'll be here."
***~***~***~***~***
Reno had done a remarkable job sound-proofing the rooms -I had seen the evidence of his work in the drywall he had stacked in the first bedroom he had shown me- but I could still hear bits and pieces, never mind the fact that the bedroom doors were wide open and this place had great acoustics.
"Don't play with me, Reeve," Reno growled into the phone. "I'm calling, just like you demanded."
I couldn't hear what Reeve said back to him, but with the response he received, I really wished I could. "N-no!" Reno sputtered. I could almost hear him blush.
Whatever had been said, it ticked Reno off. I heard the phone drop to the floor. "What the hell?!" he yelled. "Why on earth would you say that, you pervert?!"
The man replied with something else I couldn't hear. "Reeve!" Reno almost whined in reply, his voice breathy. Needy. "Don't do that!"
Reeve must have said something patronizing next, because Reno growled at him. "Fuck you, Reeve. I have a concussion."
I had no clue what was said next, but Reno's reply shook me a bit. "Tseng's in my apartment, you shit," he growled. "So stop."
What in the hell? Are they having phone sex? I wondered before Reno threw back a harsh reply. "How can you even fucking ask that?"
Whatever he said next pissed Reno off even more. "Bastard! Stop saying things like that!" Reno demanded, his voice trembling slightly.
What made his voice tremble that way? Probably something dirty, I concluded.
"Reeve! Stop it now," Reno barked. "Some days, I don't know why I even put up with you. You say such perverted things!"
Well there was the confirmation of my suspicions.
"I am not having this conversation. Talk to you when your mind is out of the gutter."
I heard a beep and then I heard him throw the phone at the wall.
"Fucking perverted bastard," he growled. "That is why I didn't tell him. He just found out this morning and he's already using him against me."
What in the hell is going on here?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I really wanted to kill Reeve.
It had never happened before, not in my long acquaintance with the perverted technological genius. He usually just drove me up a wall on occasion, but I seriously wanted to hurt him.
Where in the hell did he get those fucking ideas from? Who asks their friend those kinds of things? "How often do you dream of him, hm? How often to you dream about him naked and at your mercy? How often do you dream about him taking you hard and rough?... Are you fucking him now?... You are aren't you? Naughty boy.… Or are you still touching yourself and pretending he's the one touching you?"
I mean, hell, I had phone sex that hadn't embarrassed me this much!
Someone knocked on my open door.
Oh, fuck me. I'd left the fucking door open. There was only one someone in the apartment aside from me. Rookie mistake, Sinclair. You'll remember in your afterlife that a rookie mistake is what did you in.
"What in the hell is going on, Reno?"
My gaze shot to him. His emotions were hidden behind a blank mask, but it made me want to run like a frightened rabbit. I knew that danger lurked when he hid behind an emotionless mask. Instead of running, I motioned him into my room
He sat down in the chair beside my bed.
Close enough to not be impolite, but not close enough I could touch him. I sighed. "Just how much of that phone conversation did you hear?" I asked, reaching for the recording device I had attached to my home phone.
"Half of it. Your half."
I nodded, trying to hide my panic, my fear, as I tossed him the mp3 recorder that had the phone call on it. Then I tossed him a pair of headphones. "If you want the rest of the story, here you go."
Then I stood up and walked out of my bedroom.
***~***~***~***~***
He records his own telephone calls? It seemed quite absurd and paranoid, but then again, Reno was the best assassin attached to our firm. That had to be one of the precautions he took.
I looked at the little rectangular object in my hand and plugged the headphones into it. I placed one green ear-bud in my ear and pressed play.
"Don't play with me, Reeve," Reno growled. "I'm calling, just like you demanded."
"Aw, you wound me! So what are you up to? Something naughty?" There was a hint of teasing in Reeve's voice.
"N-no!" Reno sputtered. His embarrassment was nearly audible.
Reeve laughed heartily. "Oh, Reno, the way you say that makes me think you are. Are you fantasizing about Tseng?"
There was a loud clatter and I realized he'd dropped the phone to the floor. "What the hell?!" he yelled. "Why on earth would you say that, you pervert?!"
"Oh, so you are, aren't you?" Reeve purred. "How often do you dream of him, hm? How often to you dream about him naked and at your mercy? How often do you dream about him taking you hard and rough?"
"Reeve!" Reno whined, his voice breathy, needy. "Don't do that!"
"Aw, poor baby. Am I teasing you?"
Indignant, Reno returned, "Fuck you, Reeve. I have a concussion."
"Oh, that's never stopped you from getting off before."
"Tseng's in my apartment, you shit," he growled. "So stop."
"What? Why? Are you fucking him now?"
"How can you even fucking ask that?" Reno demanded.
"You are aren't you? Naughty boy," Reeve teased.
"Bastard! Stop saying things like that!" Reno demanded, his voice trembling slightly.
"Or are you still touching yourself and pretending he's the one touching you?"
"Reeve! Stop it now," Reno barked. "Some days, I don't know why I even put up with you. You say such perverted things!"
"Oh, you like it, Reno. You're a bigger pervert than I am."
"I am not having this conversation. Talk to you when your mind is out of the gutter."
The recording ended there, but I could still remember the next words he had said: "Fucking perverted bastard. That is why I didn't tell him. He just found out this morning and he's already using him against me."
I, for once, did not know what to say. I always knew what to say; it was how I'd gotten where I was now. But one sexy-as-hell paranoid assassin had my tongue tied in more knots than a cherry stem.
I closed my eyes for a moment. How in the hell do I tell him?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
I was curled up on the bed in one of the spare rooms. What in the hell had I been thinking, handing over a recording of that conversation of to Tseng?
Knuckles rapped lightly on the door. "Reno?"
"Go away," I mumbled, blushing and curling into a tighter ball.
He tried the doorknob and found I'd locked it. "You know I can pick the lock, right?"
"Try picking the deadbolt."
He sighed. "Reno, let me."
Sighing, I got off of the bed and unlocked the door to let him in. The good news was he didn't sound revolted, so it wasn't all alcohol and circumstances last night.
I went back to the bed and made myself as small of target as possible before calling out, "You can come in now."
The door opened, revealing a slightly disheveled-looking Tseng. Somewhere or another, he'd lost his suit jacket and released his hair. The dark silky strands fanned about his shoulders, loose and messy-looking like he'd run his hands through it a couple of times. "Reno," he started, "what do you remember from last night?"
I sighed. Oh joy. Let's talk about the night I don't remember half of. "Going out with Elena. Seeing you. Dancing. A large guy named Leeland finding you and me in an alley. Then… nothing."
"You remember that much?" he asked, almost like he couldn't believe it. "Well, Leeland found us in the alley behind the club. He was angry at Elena, who -after claiming she wouldn't share you- watched you walk out of the club with me. So he attacked us; he slammed his fist into my solar plexus and slung you against a wall." I could hear a slight smile in his tone as he continued. "Then I pulled out my gun and he ran off like a scared schoolgirl."
"So... we were together last night?" My heart slammed against my ribs, but my tone remained calm and even.
"What makes you think that might have happened?" he asked wryly.
"I woke up aching in a few choice places. I knew I'd definitely been the bottom, but I wasn't sure who I had been with." I couldn't very well have this conversation and not look at him, so I slowly uncurled my body. Then I turned so I could meet his gaze.
"Oh, Red, trust me: you spent time on top." He purred so sensually, seducing me with his tone and his eyes and his expressions.
"Oh? Cowboy or Reverse Cowboy?" I asked jokingly, even as my heart raced in my chest.
"I don't kiss and tell, Red. You're going to have to remember if you want to know that." His gaze searched mine.
I'll show you anything you want, I thought. Just tell me what you want.
My heart thundered in my chest and I reached out for him. "Well, would you consider refreshing my memory?" I asked softly.
He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned into me until our lips could almost meet. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Because I think it bothers you as much as it bothers me that I don't remember. Hell, I've been wanting you too damn long to not remember our first time." Then I closed the distance between us, my lips touching his and my arms pulling him to me.
He rolled on top, pinning me beneath him easily. Roles could be argued at length; it still didn't matter to me.
"What are you saying, Reno?" he asked softly against my lips.
"I want you. I've wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you." I smiled softly and nudged his hips with mine, just enough for him to feel how much I wanted him. "I'm long-past being ashamed of the fact and long overdue when it comes to doing something about it."
He pulled back a little, his eyes widening.
Aw, how cute. I could still unnerve the hell out of him. It made me happy to see that I could still affect him like that.
"Reno," Tseng began. Then he sighed. "Is that why you went out of your way to be the biggest fucking tease I've ever met?" he asked me, a wry smile pulling at his lips. "You wanted me to want you as much as you wanted me? Well, wake up and smell the coffee, Red," he told me before jolting his hips downward and against mine. "I want you at least as much as you want me."
I pulled him back down against me and nuzzled my way to his ear. "Then show me," I commanded softly before licking the shell of his ear lightly.
He shivered and spoke against my skin, "Only if you'll show me as well."
Unable to contain a smirk, I rolled us over until I was on top of him. My fingers played along the row of buttons on his shirt until I reached the button of his pants. Teasingly, I traced the seam of his pants along the length of his cock before simply pulling untucking his shirt and sliding my hand beneath to touch the warm skin of his stomach.
His breath came out in a rush. "Tease."
"Oh, you like it, babe," I returned tauntingly.
After attempting a few of the buttons on his shirt, I released a frustrated breath. Then I ripped the shirt open, a few of the pearly buttons rolling to the hardwood floor.
"Two-thousand dollar shirt. Just saying," he murmured.
"I'll buy you a new one. Maybe in green. You would look hot in green." I grinned down at him. "But you'd look even better naked."
Intense chocolate eyes stared up at me, desire making them molten. "So would you."
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
The sunlight streaming through the window woke me the next morning. We'd christened each room the same way we'd christened the first one: by having sex on every available surface. I was actually surprised to see the familiar blue walls and feel the soft, familiar sheets against my skin.
The second surprise laid half on top of me, his nose buried in my hair. All I had to do to watch a whiff of his scent was turn my head a burry my nose against his neck, which I promptly did. I loved the way he smelled, like jade and lavender and a touch of something spicy and soothing that I just couldn't place.
One of his legs was between and one arm was wrapped possessively around my waist. My arms were wrapped around him, as well. It was like we were both scared that the other would be taken from us.
Slowly, the dark haired man on top of me stirred, stretching like a relaxed cat and wincing at the soreness in his back before ignoring it.
He nuzzled my neck slightly. "Good morning, Reno," he said softly before dropping a kiss on my skin. "What time is it?"
"Eh, it's only about 5:30 am. Sunrise woke me," I commented.
He made no effort to move from where he was. "Good. Then we have some time."
When he pressed his lips to mine, the apocalypse could have come and I wouldn't have noticed.
I could like waking up to this.
***~***~***~***~***
Ah, Reno. For one so straight-forward, he was full of contradictions. He had no trouble sleeping with me -and I was his boss- but he didn't want everyone at the office to know.
"It's not that I'm not proud, Tseng," he'd told me this morning. "It's that they'll never let me live it down."
Despite that, I was not at all bothered by the fact our coworkers might know. So what? I finally got the one I'd wanted all along. I kind of wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
It must have been that delirious insanity that drove me to do it. Really. Because if it wasn't that, we were going to find out a few interesting things in the bedroom soon.
The door to my office was closed, as always, and I was aching for Reno. Again. So I did something I'd never even dreamed of doing at the office: I opened my pants, took my already-hard cock in my hand and began to work myself with slow, steady strokes, just enough to keep stimulating me but not enough to push me over the edge. The point of this was not to get myself off. It was to achieve the proper breathless, I-need-you-now tone. Once I achieved it, I called the one person who would care.
"I need you," I breathed out into the phone when he picked up.
The phone was slammed back on the receiver, and less than a minute later, a very horny-looking redhead stormed into my office.
Ah. Office romances, how I love them.
--***--***--***--***--***--
Quiet voices raised in passion were not a common thing in the office.
I was almost embarrassed to hear them until Reeve gave a knowing smile.
"Perhaps I should talk to Mr. Shinra about getting Tseng's office sound-proofed?" he suggested casually.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. But at least they've stopped dancing around it."
"Yeah. All it took was one hell of a hang over," Reeve told me, chuckling darkly.