Tumble

Author: Kichara

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: 4,930

Warnings: After Advent Children. Very, very mild spoilers.

"So what are the main objectives?" Rude asked from his spot next to Reno in the back of the old bus.

"Get everyone out, and stop any looting if it's happening. People don't need to be trying to steal shit if the buildin's about to come crashin' down on 'em." Barret said across from him, where he was sitting with Cloud.

The Turks had gotten the call about an hour before from Tifa telling them that downtown Sector 3 was breaking apart, and people needed to be evacuated by all means necessary. Reno and Rude had been the only Turks available, Tseng and Elena on a mission escorting Rufus, and they'd agreed to help. She'd shown up about 10 minutes later driving an ancient bus gotten from Shiva knows where, Barret and Strife passengers.

"It's obvious that the residents have to know that evacuation is essential, it's pretty obvious when the buildings are falling apart onto the streets. But since the communication satellite that covers most of that sector was damaged recently, we're not exactly sure what's going on." Cloud announced, looking somewhat agitated.

It had been less than a month since the city had had gone under attack by Behemoth, loosening the grip Midgar had been getting on it's boot straps to right itself after the meteor had hit. Because of all the energy and magic, satellites had started malfunctioning. The physical damage was becoming obvious as buildings had begun randomly falling over, collapsing the plates underneath them, all of it initially set in motion from the monster's smashing of buildings and upsetting the city's foundations in the process.

"So how exactly did you guys know this was happening?" Reno asked, crossing his arms and leaning back into the uncomfortable seat.

"Vincent. He stopped by the store earlier and told us what was happening, and then left to help in the sector where he could." Tifa answered, eyes on the road. "Alright boys, we're here. I'm parking the bus here, away from where all the buildings have been collapsing, and we'll continue on foot. Hopefully Vincent's been able to cover most of the area and get everyone out, but we have no way of asking him, since the communication satellite is out." She parked the old rusty vehicle, which jolted uncomfortably, Reno's slim figure sliding rather forcefully into his partner, and causing a pile of blankets in the corner to yelp.

Everyone paused.

Barret got up, hand grabbing at the blankets and lifting them up. "MARLENE? What're you doin' here!"

The little girl pouted, obviously mad that she'd been found. "I wanted to help, and I knew that if I asked, you'd say no."

"Damned right I'd say no! I don' wanna have to be worryin' 'bout you on top of everything else!"

"You won't!" She argued, getting to her feet and looking obstinate. With both her increasing age and the trials she'd seen and made it through, she'd become a lot more than the shy child that wouldn't meet stranger's eyes that she had once been. "I just wanna help!"

"Outta the question. Now you stay here, and we'll be back." Barret said, walking towards the door at the back of the bus. They were on a tight schedule, and he knew he didn't have time to be arguing. "I mean it, Marlene."

"Fine." Her pout grew, and she crossed her arms across her chest, finishing the look completely as she sat down hard on the abandoned bench.

"Alrigh', let's get a move on." Barret had jumped down and was holding the door open. The Turks exited next, with Cloud behind them. "You stay here, Marlene!" He shut the door, and they were off.

"So I wonder what it's like... having kids?" Reno pondered as he and Rude ran though the city, scouting for citizens. They'd split up, Turks in one direction, AVALANCHE in the other.

"I wouldn't know." Rude answered. "Must be a lot easier when the world around you isn't falling apart and trying to fix itself at the same time."

"True. You ever thought about kids?"

"No. You?"

"Not really. I don't know how I'd handle it, really. I didn't exactly have a parental unit that I can remember to give me an example as to how I'd do it." The words were obviously nonchalant, and Rude glanced over at his partner, whose lips were pressed together seriously, and he decided he'd talk to him about it later.

"Looks like Vincent's done the job by himself well enough." He remarked as they jogged up to a large building.

"Yeah, ya know, he's decent." Reno smirked, fiddling with the bullhorn Tifa had given them for a second before speaking into it loudly, his voice turned up hundreds of volumes, towards the building. "Is anyone in there! This sector is unstable, all citizens are required to evacuate for their own safety!" He paused, grinning over at Rude, who was rubbing at his ear. "This thing is neat, you wanna try?"

"No, I think you've got the hang of it." Rude said, digging the heel of his hand against his ear, earning another grin and a kiss on the cheek from Reno.

"Well, looks like no one's here, let's move on." Reno said, shutting off the microphone. Rude nodded in agreement.

The city continued to appear deserted, the two Turks stopping along the way at buildings that looked as though people might occupy it, Reno calling out for anyone remaining, but coming up empty.

"Wonder if AVALANCHE found anyone. It's pretty dead over her--- Yo, what's that?" There was a distinct form of something moving on the road ahead of them. The partners broke into a run, coming up to the persons, which turned out to be a woman lying on the road, and two small children tugging on her, calling for her to wake up.

Fearing the worst, Reno checked her neck, relieved to find a pulse. "Think she musta fainted from exhaustion." He informed his partner, who looked over the two children.

"Probably carrying these two." He intoned, then leaned down to pick up the two kids, who watched him with quiet brown eyes, not struggling. They were very small, both couldn't have been older than 5, a boy and a girl with tears running paths down smudged faces. The boy sniffled, looking down at his mother, as Reno hefted her limp form up easily, the bullhorn hanging from the strap around his wrist awkwardly.

"Alright, let's get them back to the bus." He shrugged; his ponytail had become pinned in between the woman and his shoulder, to free it. Rude nodded and they hurried back, a little slower than before with the added weight.

"Looks like they like you." Reno remarked with a fond little smile, glancing over at the bald man. The boy and girl looked content, tousled heads pressed against either of Rude's shoulders, the girl's tiny hand flicking idly at the lapel of his jacket.

"She looks taken with you, too." The larger man answered, indicating with a nod of his head towards the unconscious haul in Reno's arms. "When was the last time you had a woman that willing?"

"Why Rude, that almost sounded like a joke." Reno mocked, his voice a couple pitches higher. "You getting delirious, buddy?"

"Just stating the obvious." The depilated bus came into view as they turned a corner, and no more playful words were exchanged as they ran to it, Rude opening the jarred door with his elbow, setting the kids inside first, then climbing up, reaching out to take the woman from the redhead, taking her to the pile of blankets in the corner, as Reno shook out his numb arms. There was a passenger already there, a boy asleep on one of the benches, grubby hands pillowing his head. "AVALANCHE must've found him." He remarked, nodding towards the sleeping child.

Reno reached out a hand to help Rude down, which was both entirely unnecessary and necessary at the same time. Rude accepted the hand, squeezing it lightly as he climbed out of the bus. Reno grinned, catlike, eyes bright, and looked over the other man into the bus, where the boy and the girl were crowding against their mother, pressing against her sides comfortably.

"You two stay with your mom, we'll be back soon!" He called out, closing the heavy door.

"Ready?" Rude looked back in the direction they'd come from. "We should go on and finish checking that area."

"I'm ALWAYS ready. My middle name is Ready." Reno babbled, grin still plastered across his face. He reached over, grabbing at the other man's hand for a second, then ran forward a few steps, and looked over his shoulder, ponytail swinging. "I thought you were ready? We going yet?"

Rude adjusted his dark glasses, gloved hand slightly covering the shadow of a smile on his face.

"I guess Vincent's already covered everything." Tifa said as they walked back to the bus. "I'm glad we can depend on him."

"Fast guy." Barret said by way of answer. "Didn't see anyone out there." He opened the bus door, peering inside to find a woman laying out in the corner, two small children asleep next to her, and a boy asleep on one of the bus' long benches. "Looks like the Turks did though." He clambered inside, checking their pulses, then looked behind the prone mother and children. He whirled suddenly, dark eyes scanning the bus. "MARLENE?"

There was no answer.

"So how do we know exactly when we're done?" Reno asked as they tread quickly back down their original path.

"We'll go as far as Park Avenue, that's where Lockhart said they were checking to."

"She said that?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Were you even listening to her?"

"Some of the time. I find her boobs speak louder than her words though." He glanced over with a wicked smile, knowing that Rude was rolling his eyes under his sunglasses. "Hey, there's someone up that way." He pointed at a small figure ahead of them, scurrying around a gaping hole in the street where a building had already fallen and broken through into the abandoned sublevels below.

Rude stopped, looking back at a large building. His partner paused, looking at him. "S'wrong?"

"We didn't check that building before, and I think I heard something."

"Alright, go check it out, I'm gonna go see who that is and point them in the direction of the bus. I'll catch up with you in a second."

"Alright." Rude went back towards the seemingly abandoned building, while Reno hurried on ahead towards the tiny figure, who seemed to be trying to hurry but be careful at the same time as they crept along what was left of the street.

As he ran closer, he cursed, recognizing the braided brown hair and faded blue dress from earlier on the trip to Sector 3; Barret's kid. "Aw, shit. What's that kid doing out here?"

A thunderous crack caught his attention and he looked up, not slowing his gait, to see the building that had been standing next to the fallen tower, crumbling and becoming less of a standing building and a lot more of a falling building, toppling towards the ground where its neighbor had put a massive hole in the pavement. "Shit."

The girl screamed, trying to outrun the descent, but it smashed heavily against the edges of the pit, cracking it open further as it dove down. Marlene screamed as she lost her balance, the ground literally breaking away under her feet. In a flash of black fabric and red hair, Reno had her scooped up into his arms, her little body wrapping around his instinctively. The pavement under foot cracked entirely, taking the two of them with it.

The Turk suddenly saw Rude running towards them, far away, holding something in his hands. He dropped it as he ran closer, his arm outstretched, but the ground was gone and by the time the Turk got to the hole they were gone, not even a swatch of fiery red noticeable in the gaping darkness below. He wasn't sure how long he knelt there, peering into the blackness and towards wherever the bottom was, until a sudden touch at his ankle alerted him, looking back at the kitten he'd found in the abandoned in the building.

"Shit." He breathed, picking up the tiny animal and tucking it into his jacket pocket, then bolting back towards where the bus was parked.

It was pitch black down there, the lights no longer functioning, so the flashlights of the rescue team looked eerie, darting and cutting the dark into sections.

"MARLEEEEENE!" AVALANCHE's former leader boomed out to the dark, desperate.

Rude was silent, which was normal, although anyone that knew him well enough would know it was an apprehensive silence. Reno would know that.

'Fuck.'

"MARLEEEEENE! MARLEEEEENE!"

Tifa chimed in too, her high voice colliding messily with Barret's deep one in the air. "MARLENE! MARLENE!"

A soft pitter-patter of rapid steps caught Rude's attention and he readied himself for his gun. There was no telling what might be living down here...

"Papa, Papa!" A tiny voice accompanied the tiny steps and the little girl was there, caught in the beams of several lights.

"MARLENE!" The big man ran forward, catching her and holding her. "Oh Gods... Are you alright!" There were bright patches of blood covering her, although Rude looked her over closely, remembering just how fast she's been running without hindrance and not seeing any noticeable wounds. Which meant all the blood covering her was...

"Where's Reno?" He spoke firmly, alarming the rest of the group that had been very intent on the little girl, talking loudly around her, quieting at the man's words.

"Oniisan! We need to help Oniisan, Papa!" Marlene cried, gripping at her father's arm before squirming from his hold to land on the floor. She began running back towards the direction she'd come from.

"Marlene wait, don't run ahead of us!" Tifa yelled as they began chasing her; but the little girl kept going, forcing them to continue after her.

"Oniisan!" Her voice chimed out to the darkness as she ran, and then suddenly stopped. They caught up with her, flashlights finding her again in the darkness, as well as Reno's crumpled form.

Blood stained the gray concrete and his white skin. He lay, not moving, teeth slightly apart in what looked like a grimace. His jacket and shirt were torn, looking like they'd caught on something during his descent, a deep gash oozing blood with the unmistakable white of bone in the center of the wound.

"Shit." Rude was on his knees next to him instantly, fingers frantic as they searched for a pulse. He remembered to breathe again when he found one. His hands were gentle as they quickly roamed over his body, assessing the damage. It didn't look like there were any broken bones, but there were innumerable gashes and bruises.

Reno's sunglasses were broken, shattered on the ground next to his head, and they seemed very important for some reason. Maybe because Reno would care so much. Rude shined his flashlight upwards to see where they had fallen from. The opening, along with it's jagged edges of concrete and Shiva knows what else had become more narrow as it reached the bottom, and the Turk's teeth pulled back in a grimace as his flashlight shone on a sharp piece of something that was stained red with blood.

"Oniisan?" Rude became aware again of the little girl that was sitting next to him, her fingers white against the black of Reno's jacket as she touched his arm, and Rude remembered his surroundings and company.

"I'm taking him." He announced to no one in particular, taking out a knife and cutting away Reno's jacket so that it wouldn't hinder his movement. Replacing the knife, he lifted the unconscious Turk, leaving his flashlight on the ground as he began walking away.

Marlene grabbed the heavy flashlight, running after him to hold it out in front of her to light the way; Cloud in step with them, Tifa and Barrett bringing up the rear on watch, in case anything living in the dark tried to attack from behind.

Reno's nose seemed to the first thing to wake up, wriggled slightly in dislike. The scents he breathed in registered in his brain hazily. Pure oxygen, metal, soap. Certainly not the familiar smell and warmth of his bed or even Rude's.

That thought was very clear in his mind, and his eyes snapped open.

Hospital ceiling above him, Rude not wearing his sunglasses in the dark of the room beside him, dark eyes focused on him.

Reno watched him for a moment. "The kid ok?" He asked, voice cracking a bit from not being used for a while.

A nod. "No injuries worth anything."

The red-haired Turk nodded, satisfied, and moved a little bit, wincing at the raw ache on his back and the overall soreness of his body. "What's the damage?"

"Your worst was a 22-inch gash over your shoulder blade, cut to the bone. They stitched you up earlier."

"No concussion?"

A shake of the head.

"Miracle." Reno smirked. "Must be all the cushioning." A little slower than he would have liked, he reached up to tug a lock hanging in his face. He looked over at his quiet partner. "You okay?"

"No injury taken."

"That's good. After all, you don't have any cushioning." He grinned, catty, and Rude shook his head slightly, what looked almost like a smile crossing his lips before he pressed them to Reno's.

"So why did you do it?" Rude asked, gun-roughened hand reaching up to lightly touch the bandages wrapped around Reno's head, his hair sticking out more wild than usual around them.

A slight shrug, a little smile tugging at his lips. He always liked this Rude, a little more vocal than usual, hands exploring his skin as if memorizing it. Of course, he liked Rude whichever way, but that was beside the point.

"Didn't really think about it. I remember it getting really dark, and something hurt like a bitch; I'm guessing that's my shoulder. But that's about it, yo."

"Hm."

"So was there someone in that building you checked?"

A small noise that sounded like a snort. "A cat."

"Did you take it?"

"...Yes."

Reno laughed, very much wanting to see his partner holding a cat and bringing it to safety. "What'd ya do with it?"

"Gave it to the kid."

"Barret's? So why was she out there anyway?"

"Kid apparently heard something and went out to find it. Guess it was good that she did, since it was that other kid we saw in the bus when we went back. He was in a building nearby and none of us realized it. Then she decided there might be other kids that we might not have heard, so she went out to look."

"Makes sense, I guess." Reno took a moment to appreciate the fact that, for such a big guy, Rude's touch was awfully gentle, thumb stroking along the side of his face, from the top of his high cheekbone to his temple, grazing the soft red hairs along the way.

"Hey, let's do it."

The other man's hand stilled, and he looked very thoughtful. "...You sure?"

"Yeah, I really like you right now." His smile was a little tired, but still the same Reno smile under it.

Rude paused again, considering. "Alright. If you want something, just tell me what."

He leaned over the bed, one arm propped up on the opposite side of Reno to keep himself steady. The Turk reached up, a little unsteady, and grabbed at Rude's shirt.

"Lay down on me, I need to feel you."

The other man hesitated, eyes glancing at the heavily bandaged upper torso.

"I'm not made of glass. And c'mon, even if I get hurt some, it's worth it, yo."

So the other Turk climbed onto the bed, movements looking almost awkward in their grace. He braced himself up on his elbows, his lower half coming in full contact with Reno, who squirmed slightly in appreciation.

"You gonna kiss me?" Reno asked, tone coy as he arched his neck up.

Rude, placed one hand on the redhead's neck, gentle but firm as he pressed the smaller man back down, "Stay still.", and then proceeded to attack Reno's mouth.

The bigger Turk pressed his tongue into the other's mouth, where he found Reno's tongue as lively as ever, sucking Rude's tongue further in, his own running along the side of it and exploring beyond and into Rude's own mouth.

When they finally broke for air, panting slightly, Reno's hands were starting to stray, ignoring the fact that he didn't really have the strength to do so. He reached up to run his hands over Rude's chest and up to his shoulders. Rude caught the hands in his own, "Stop."

"But I---" Reno looked slightly hurt.

"I want to do everything for you, let me." He brought one of the hands to his lips in an almost-kiss, touching his mouth against the skin.

The touch left the redhead feeling dizzy, oversensitized, and he smiled, "Alright, yo. I guess I can deal with that. I AM pretty good at being lazy."

Rude allowed him a rare smile, placing his partner's hands back down and kissing him on the lips again, slow and undemanding. "So..." Reno smiled against Rude, their lips centimeters apart. "You have to do what I tell you, then?"

"Within reason."

Reno didn't even take the opportunity to laugh in his eagerness. "Take your clothes off, I want to see you." He brushed his lips against Rude's cheek. "Speaking of which, where're my clothes?" Through the dim light, he could see his arm garbed in what looked like a long-sleeved pajama top in a hideous sea green color. His pants felt loose and comfy, probably pajama pants too.

"You bled all over them, they threw them out."

"Oh." He looked over Rude, who was wearing, from what he could see, what also looked like pajamas, but in white. "Where're your clothes?"

"You bled all over them, they threw them out."

"Oh." He lifted up his hands, gently grabbing at the back of Rude's head to bring him in close, their noses just touching. "Did I worry you?"

"A little. Should've known you were too stubborn to die, though."

A laugh, that caught a little bit in his throat with emotion, and he wasn't sure who did it first, but they were kissing again, tongues thrashing and mouths open against each other. "So yeah... your clothes?" Reno gasped out when they broke apart.

Rude smirked, hands moving between them to unbutton his shirt, shrugging it off. Then he reached down, loosening the knot in the simple drawstring pants he was wearing and easing them down, finally kicking them off.

"Lemme see." Reno said, and Rude sat up, straddling his hips. "Shit. You are really hot." Rude chose not to comment, holding Reno's gaze when it had stopped skirting up and down his figure. "Touch me." The redhead whispered.

"Where?"

"Somewhere. Everywhere. Down there. Fuck, I rhymed." He bucked against the other man a bit, feeling desperate.

Rude's rough hand touched the other man's chin, fingertips gliding down the smooth column of neck. They ghosted down the bandages covering his chest, trailing down, touching skin again where the gauze stopped at his ribs. His thumb moved up and down the ribs, which showed slightly under the taunt skin and muscles, finally circling around his belly, hand flat against the surface that quivered under his touch, partially from the chill and the room and partially from the reaction to the gentle touch.

The larger man's eyes caught bright blue ones, holding the gaze as he untied the other's pants, slipping them down to his knees, and gripped his erection, rough at first, then continued with the gentle touch he'd presented the rest of Reno's body with.

"Shit." Reno's voice was barely a whisper, feeling particularly overcome by the intensity of the situation at hand. "Kiss me. Bite my ears."

The Turk complied without question, first leaning in to nibble at his pierced lobe, his hand never straying from its task. He kissed him again, biting at his pink lips first. Reno bucked up him again, a low whine in his throat that never reached the air as he hungrily kissed his lover. "I need you in me."

Rude frowned, and Reno understood him like he usually did without the man having to say anything. "They always have free little bottles of lotion in the bathroom, get that." He mouthed against Rude's ear, lips grazing the piercings there.

He pressed his lips against Reno's in another searing kiss, which Reno took as an, "I'll be right back." as Rude climbed out of the bed and into the bathroom. The redhead giggled a little to himself at the sight of Rude's muscled ass walking away.

"What?" Reno wondered how Rude managed to look so stoic while saying that and not wearing any clothes as he climbed back into the bed, rubbing lotion over his hands.

"Damn, you're cute." Again, that familiar, coy smile cutting into the angles of his sharp face.

"I am not cute." Rude said, punctuating that statement by entering a finger into Reno.

"Nnng." The Turk groaned appreciatively as Rude twitched the large digit inside of him. "Just a little bit, and not all the time, really…" Another digit entered, and his neck arched in response, hands clenching in the thin bed sheets. "I mean, you're not now. You were a little while ago, but now…"

Rude let the other man talk. In truth, it turned him on a little in how the Turk could manage to keep talking even at a time like this. "Really, just… Uhhh, C'mon Rude, just fuck meeee." The last word dragged on as his partner quickly removed his fingers and replaced it with his larger member, sliding in not quite smoothly, skin catching against skin in a pleasant way. He paused, watching his partner pant and writhe a little, head thrown back and hitching his long legs around him.

Reno's heart thrummed loudly, he could feel the pulse beating at his temple and he gasped as Rude moved again, inside of him completely now. The bigger man paused again, listening to Reno breathe loudly, the only noise in the silent hospital room. Then, "C'mon Rude, I've only got the rest of my life here.", still slightly out of breath as he said the words.

There were no sparkles or magic when they did it together, but this seemed just a little more subtle than the usual clash of skin and sweat. Or at least that thought passed through Reno's mind as Rude thrust against him a little slower than usual, taking the time to run his tongue along Reno's lips before kissing him thoroughly, never slowing in his movements.

"Lil' faster." The redhead breathed, lips brushing against Rude's lightly with the words.

So he complied.

Reno found some energy in him to rock against his partner, any other energy he had being used in its entirety to make sure he was remembering to breathe. And then Rude's hands were gripping his hips, moving faster and more forceful, the rhythm more like the norm they were both used to in their fucking. Shallow breaths, skin against skin, and then Reno was spilling over onto himself, eyes looking at the ceiling but not seeing anything but stars. Rude grunted, the sight pushing him over the edge as he thrust deep, spending himself deep inside of the other Turk.

They were still, breathing heavily but that was about it, Reno's legs hanging haphazardly from Rude's shoulders, Rude's hands steadying himself from his position at the end of the shaky bed. Then he moved, reaching up to the bedside table for a handful of tissues, cleaning off the both of them and tossing the tissue into the trash.

Rude remembered their pants, which would probably be a good thing to have on to avoid later embarrassing moments. He stood up, tugging on his own, and then helping Reno into his, all business-like. Reno lifted his hips to aid him, looking lazy, and grinned at his partner sleepily.

"Rude, you're so cooool." He crooned as the larger man tied his pants. He laid down, half on Reno's good side and half on what was left of the impossibly narrow bed. "Dunno how you have the energy to move, much less put our pants back on."

Rude grunted noncommittally, and Reno lifted his head, reached up to tug the thin pillow more towards Rude's "side of the bed", then dropped his head back down. He hoped Rude would comment about how Reno had managed enough energy to move the pillow for him, but not enough energy to bother with his pants. In which case Reno planned to explain to him that pants weren't really all that important. But the other man said nothing, predictably. Reno smiled sleepily, enjoying his wit on his own.

Again, what looked like a smile crossed Rude's face in the dark as he laid his head down on the shared pillow, one arm slinging around Reno's slender figure. The other man unconsciously wriggled closer to his warmth in the cold of the hospital room.