By: Albedosreqium / Soyna

Warnings and Genre:
Mature in nature. Yaoi.

Setting:
After Dirge and Advent is all said and done.

Disclaimer
All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©.

Summary:
Tseng and Reno because they have been neglected in my mind. I have been working on this one on and off for quite a while but finally buckled down to get it done. I hope you like it.
Enjoy.
Special thanks to BeruthielsCat for doing the Beta job on this.

When You Get Better

Tseng frowned at the scene in front of him. He stood back, feeling very helpless. He was helpless. There was nothing he could do as the doctors and nurses worked on the injured man in the room.

The pained sounds were coming from the man who lay in the bed, hurting.

He had been waiting for two weeks to know what happened; two weeks of not knowing where he was or if he was alive or dead. Two weeks where the only thing Tseng could think of was finding him.

Hearing the screams from the bed and the series of curses that followed set his heart beating faster and he had to force himself to keep his distance and let the medical staff do their job.

A large hand fell on his shoulder. He didn't look at its owner; knowing it was Rude. He already knew how he looked and didn't want to contemplate upon how much of the blood on his shirt was Reno's. He knew that some of the blood was his own, but Tseng was well aware of how severe Reno's injuries were.

"He's tough," Rude said simply and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Tseng could only nod. He did not trust his voice yet.

Reno was tough and Tseng knew that he was tough. You didn't last as a Turk if you weren't. He knew Reno was a good Turk and that he would recover quickly, but it still made his chest hurt at the thought of the screaming and cursing coming from the redhead's room.

He had spent the last two weeks worrying, which disturbed him. He didn't consider himself as much of a worrier, especially when it came to his Turks. They knew how to do their jobs and they knew how to do them well.

It was the fact that he'd allowed Reno to get to him a little more than he ever thought possible.

He had been just indulging Reno, in the beginning. Reno had shown up at the piano bar where Tseng liked to relax on Thursday nights and they had talked. Tseng had made it clear to Reno that they did not talk about work when they were there and he had complied. Since then, they had spent many a pleasant night there, talking about subjects that really made no difference in the larger picture. Eventually, he found he missed Reno's company when he wasn't around.

He got to the point where he enjoyed those nights where they would talk and have a few drinks. He had even indulged Reno by joining him at a club he liked to attend. Tseng was not one for dancing but the drinks and the strange tension he felt when he saw Reno dancing with the other men and women on the floor really bothered him, as did seeing others touching him.

Tseng's anxiety pushed him to dance to one song. He had felt awkward and strange, but he was determined to finish. He was starting to enjoy the movements when the song ended. Of course that was the night when Reno pushed things past their previous limits and as the song ended, Reno had thrown his arms around his shoulders and kissed him - quite firmly on his lips.

He had not been expecting it and had punched Reno hard in the gut before storming away. It startled him. He hadn't thought of their relationship as anything more than a friendship until that kiss, despite the other feelings he had been having.

Forming attachments was detrimental for Turks; always causing problems and complications. Complications that made him feel things that he wasn't supposed to feel.

Something he was finding out now as he watched a nurse roll out a bag with bloody bandages; Reno's bloody bandages.

The mission was supposed to be a simple one. A very simple one. It should have been easy for the two Turks and the small group of infantry. It was nearly humorous, the way Reno scoffed about it as they left the mission debriefing. Tseng had meant to talk to him about his attitude problem when he got back. After all, collecting a racing chocobo for Rufus was usually not something high on the list of difficulties for anyone but Rufus.

"Tseng?"

Tseng turned his gaze to Rufus. He did not want to deal with him at the moment. "How is Reno doing?"

There was a scream from the room and a series of curses. Tseng didn't feel the need to answer.

"Well, I am glad to hear he's still alive," Rufus said, and stood in front of him so that he had no choice but to look into his grey-blue eyes. "You're not blaming me for this, are you? I was not aware Zoloms were active in the area."

He did blame Rufus, though he knew it was irrational. He knew it was very irrational and he hated that his perspective was clouded. No one knew the Zoloms had decided they were going to travel outside their normal range; no one knew Avalanche was active enough in the area to shoot down the helicopter, either.

But he still wanted to blame someone else other than himself for not having correct information.

"Are you going to say anything?" Rufus said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm waiting to hear how injured he is. I will give you a report when I have it completed." Tseng was grateful that both his voice and gaze were firm despite the new sounds of pain that were coming from that room. He felt his breath hitch and hoped Rufus didn't notice his moment of weakness.

Rufus' eyes narrowed and his lips pressed firmly together. They stared at each other for a long moment. "I will be awaiting your report." He turned on his heel and left. Cissnei followed after him, giving Tseng an apologetic look before she too disappeared.

He would apologize later; when he was more rational … if he felt Rufus deserved it.

A laugh came from the room, causing him to take a step forward. It was Reno's laugh. Tseng desperately wanted to know what was going on. Only a few moments before, Reno was groaning, screaming and crying; now he was laughing.

"Go in." He turned his head to see Rude holding out a cup of coffee, and accepted it. He would have preferred tea, but he wasn't going to turn down a source of caffeine or warmth. He was grateful that someone had given Rude a new shirt so he didn't need to be reminded of Reno's blood. Rude leaned close and whispered, "All he did was babble about you."

Tseng could believe that; Reno liked the sound of his own voice quite a bit. It was often a chore for Reno to keep his mouth shut and Tseng found that he often craved silence when he was around.

Strange that he found himself, when Reno was away, craving the sound of his voice.

He took a sip of the coffee and tried to gather enough courage to go into the now-quiet room. He much preferred to hear noise coming from it. At least he knew that Reno was still alive and well when he was cursing and yelling.

A large hand slapped his back, causing him to stagger. He could feel Rude's hard glare even through those sunglasses, and made himself walk into the room.

Reno looked horrible; causing him to pause as he entered.

A doctor was sitting in a chair, hunched over a large gash in Reno's leg with a rather large needle in hand. Tseng had been told that the Zolom had got a fang in there, but didn't know the details of the attack yet.

"Yo, Tseng!" Tseng looked up at Reno's face, frowning at the large smile there. His face…

Tseng had to turn his gaze to the floor. The gaping wound on Reno's leg was easier to look at the than the damage to his face. One of Reno's eyes was swollen shut, so blackened he couldn't see the tattoo he knew was under it. The other eye, normally a green-blue that shone as if he had been infused with mako was now blood red, obscuring its natural color. Reno's lips were swollen; and there was a scrape that ran from his forehead down to his jaw.

"Hey, bossman. You look a little pale," Reno said with a slight slur. Tseng forced his eyes up.

Tseng turned his attention to a nurse who was studying a chart. "What is the extent of his injuries?"

He could see the obvious ones, but he wanted to know how serious they really were. She started to rattle off the list: aside from the eyes and a slight concussion, there were four cracked ribs, and the pierced leg was also broken. Apparently the Zolom's fang had gone through his thigh and broke the bone in addition to poisoning him. "We have treated him with an antidote and painkillers."

"Awesome sauce, painkillers!" Reno announced from his place on the bed. The doctor gave him hell for moving and Reno started laughing again.

The nurse gave a small sigh before continuing. "He should recover just fine if he rests. The leg was the worst of it."

Tseng nodded and turned his attention to the doctor who was finishing up, looking as if he was just making sure the stitches were secure. The pad under Reno's leg was red with blood.

It was then he noticed all the tubes that were attached to Reno, providing a slow feed of antidote and other medicines. Zolom poison was known to be rather painful as well as persistent. They obviously weren't taking any chances and Tseng was glad for the extra precaution. There were two empty blood bags already in the garbage and the one that was dripping into Reno along with the saline solution was nearly empty. He was hooked up to machines that beeped softly as they were attached to his hand and chest.

This situation was not good.

"Yo, Tseng. Are ya gonna come on over and sit with me?" Reno said and patted the side of the bed where they weren't working on him.

Tseng moved forward, setting his forgotten coffee aside. He became very aware that Reno smelled like a swamp and his hair looked matted and flat. He moved to sit on the bed and Reno's hand slapped his thigh and squeezed. "Fucked up the mission, bossman."

"The mission specs changed. It couldn't be helped," Tseng replied simply in a low voice. He found his hand grabbing the one that was touching his leg.

Reno's hand was cold. Tseng felt his chest tighten.

Reno threw his head back against the pillow and laughed again. "Damn snake was fuckin' huge. Put a claw right through me, yo," Reno said and his red eye blinked as a bloody tear fell from it.

"It was a fang," Tseng said.

"Fang. Claw. Whatever," Reno said, giving him another large, drug induced grin.

"What did you give him?" Tseng asked, turning to the doctor who was removing his gloves. Reno's leg was now bandaged and the nurse had removed the bloody pad from beneath it.

He listened to the doctor recite the list of drugs. He was about to ask what the side effects were when Reno started laughing again.

"He'll be a little out of it for awhile," the doctor said with a grin. "His leg wound was pretty serious but he's stable. He just needs to sleep it off and not move that leg for a good while. At least a week."

Tseng nodded and found his hand on Reno's again. "Got the fucker in the eye with my EMR. It was fuckin' gross when it blew, yo," Reno said and giggled promptly after. His one visible eye was drooping. Tseng reached for a tissue and wiped the bloody tear that had streaked down his face.

"Go to sleep," Tseng said and ran his hand down the mostly uninjured side of his face.

"'Kay," Reno said as he nuzzled into his hand and almost immediately started snoring. Tseng sat on the side of the bed and stared at the injured man for a long time. He didn't pay attention to the nurses injecting things into the IV tubes or clearing out the bloody bandages scattered on the floor.

Reno had gotten under his skin. Deeply.

Tseng had not worried too much when Reno left on the mission. After all, it was just to collect a large bird. He had only started to worry when they lost track of the helicopter, sending more Turks and SOLDIERs to find out what happened.

Reno was reckless but he was never reckless enough not to report in when he was supposed to. He may twist orders to his liking from time to time but he obeyed.

He placed his hand back on Reno's and rubbed, trying to warm it. It was disturbing that he was so cold.

Reno hadn't been deterred by the punch at the club. Instead, he walked in the next day as if nothing had happened; continuing with his work and annoying him as if things weren't changing. Tseng hated how he had kept thinking about that kiss and how it had startled him; it startled him more that he wanted another one.

They didn't talk about it until the next Thursday night at the piano bar. Reno was at their usual table with their usual drinks sitting in front of him. Tseng sat down in his usual chair and the first thing that Reno did was grab his arm and pull him into a kiss.

He didn't punch Reno that time.

"Knew ya liked me," Reno had whispered as he pulled away with a smug look on his face.

Tseng hadn't wanted to admit that he did. He tried to steer their conversation away from the kiss the entire night but Reno kept moving it expertly back there. Tseng never underestimated Reno's interrogation skills again.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see a nurse coming in with a cart, followed by an assistant. "I am going to give him a sponge bath now. I can call you back in when we are done."

Tseng stood and found that he was a little reluctant to let go of Reno's hand. He did though, straightening his suit as he prepared to leave but before he could, he heard his name moaned from Reno's bruised lips. He nearly told the woman he was going to stay but stopped himself as he went into the hall.

He reclaimed his coffee and took a sip. It had gotten cold. He looked at his watch and was a little shocked to find he had been sitting beside Reno for four hours.

Tseng went to the nurse's station and left instructions to be informed immediately if anything happened to Reno, no matter the hour or how seemingly trivial, he wanted to know. There was an older woman on duty that he had dealt with before even though he couldn't remember her name, one who was familiar with Turks. The younger ones didn't have the same respect but they soon would if anything were to go wrong.

He didn't go home. He went to the office and quickly compiled all the data from the incident as quickly and as rationally as he could.

When he opened the file that contained the pictures of the crashed chopper, it made him pause. The tail rotor was gone, which meant they would have been out of control when they landed and should by all rights be dead if the pilot had been anyone less than Reno.

The pictures of the Zolom were pleasing, causing him to smile; he was glad that the monster that hurt Reno was dead. He could see that Reno had been accurate in detailing how one of its eyes exploded. It was riddled with bullets as well; their backup infantry had to have emptied out their guns into the large snake.

Seeing the images of how Reno looked at the scene made him want to run to the hospital and make sure he was still alive. In the pictures, he looked like he was dead; his skin nearly blue.

He realized that the earlier reports had not been fully accurate in stating how bad Reno's injuries were. He would talk to his fellow Turks about withholding information like that again.

"I don't really need that report."

Tseng looked up from the pictures to see Rufus standing in his office. He hadn't even heard the door open. Rufus was in his running clothes and must have been out, because Dark Nation was circling around his feet.

"I'm nearly done," Tseng said as he closed the picture on his computer screen. "You will have it before I retire for the evening."

"Its morning already and as I said, I don't really need that report. Go back to the hospital," Rufus replied, tilting his head. "Go take care of Reno."

Tseng did not look at him. "I am that obvious?"

Rufus snorted. "No. You are the most difficult person in the world to read, but Reno isn't and it's obvious he has been pursuing you and you haven't pushed him away."

Tseng didn't move.

"Leave. I will look the report after my run," Rufus said, and Tseng finally looked at the young man standing in his office. "Just don't expect me to make this a habit."

Reno realized he wasn't in as much pain as he had been before, wondering if that meant he was dying.

He cracked open an eye carefully. The last time he opened the eye, everything was tinted red and he was almost scared that it would be the same again. He was able to see enough to confirm he wasn't in the swampy jungle anymore.

He sort of remembered now that he had been rescued. He examined the hospital room and all the wires and tubes that were coming out of him. He made himself look down and saw that he still had his leg. That was a good thing; he knew the injury was bad when he was stuck in the mouth of the Zolom. He knew it was horrible when Rude kept talking to him about everything but his leg, keeping it covered with his jacket. Rude was never talkative and it had made him worry that he was dying.

He rolled his head on the pillow to see Tseng sleeping, still wearing his stuffy suit, in the chair beside him. He couldn't help but smile, though it hurt a little as his lips were chapped. "Yo, bossman," he croaked. He hadn't realized his throat was so dry with the multitude of other injuries.

Tseng's dark eyes opened and he sat upright abruptly. "Reno?" Reno could see that Tseng was doing a quick survey of the room and his injuries. "Do you need me to call a nurse?"

Reno tried to laugh but it hurt like hell. He'd forgotten that the snake had cracked a few of his ribs before the infantry shot the damn thing full of bullets and got him out of the things mouth. Tseng put his hand on his arm. "I will get a nurse."

Reno didn't stop Tseng as he watched him walk briskly out of his hospital room. He didn't mind. He could ask for water and maybe a few more doses of whatever drug that they had given him when they came back.

He was starting to remember how worried Tseng looked when he first came into the room and he was glad that Tseng was here. He knew the man was coming around. It had taken a hell of a long time to get him to open up but this proved Reno now had his undivided attention.

A nurse came in and asked him a bunch of questions as she checked all the tubes and machines. He had to ask for water halfway through as his throat was so dry, smiling when Tseng darted off to get it and returned with a glass and a straw. He was a little startled when Tseng held the straw for him to have a drink.

He finished answering the nurse's questions and she gave him another dose of something that made him feel all groggy and nice. "The doctor will be here in an hour to check you."

Tseng waited until the nurse left. "How does your leg feel?" He held the straw for him again and Reno took another sip before he answered.

"I don't really know," Reno answered honestly. It was covered with a blanket now and he knew it was there but he was scared to move it. All the other pains, even the time he had been shot, had not been as bad as this. "It is there, right?"

"It's there," Tseng said. "Do you want more water?"

Reno shook his head. "Did ya see it?" Reno asked. He had refused to look at his leg after they had extracted the fang from it. He knew it was a bad injury, and he knew that it was swollen and it hurt like hell. He was surprised that he was even alive.

Tseng nodded.

"How long have ya been sittin' there, bossman?" Reno asked and licked his lips. They still felt sore and dry.

"I have been here since early this morning," Tseng said. "You've nearly slept the day away. You have already missed supper."

Reno blinked. "I've been out that long?"

Tseng wetted his finger in the glass and rubbed it over Reno's lips. "You needed your rest," Tseng said as he repeated the action.

Tseng was not one who showed his feelings very well; it was hard for him to open up in any way, shape or form. It took him forever to be the one to initiate the first kiss or caress between them. Having Tseng nursing his chapped lips like that was not only touching but was turning him on. Reno couldn't help himself as he captured the tips of those fingers between his lips.

Tseng pulled away sharply. "What are you doing?"

Reno smirked. "Fuck, I'm hurt, not dead." He knew he was going to get a lecture about inappropriate behaviour again but it was damn sexy having the other man run his fingers along his lips like that.

"This is not the time for such things," Tseng said in a stern tone.

"Yeah, yeah," Reno said with a smile as he watched Tseng straighten his back. "I know, inappropriate behaviour and all that, yo." Reno rested his head back against his pillow and stared up at him. "Were ya worried about me?"

Tseng frowned. "I knew you were capable of dealing with the situation." Tseng was still standing there with the ice cup in one hand and the other at his side. Reno knew it was a bullshit line; he could see the look in his eyes. Tseng was worried; he knew Tseng was worried because the boss did not sit at the side of the bed while one of his Turks was in the hospital.

Tseng would only do that for him.

Reno smiled at the thought. It had been a long hard road to get into Tseng's life. They still had a lot of misunderstandings and tense moments but they always worked things out. The only thing he regretted is that they had only progressed a little beyond kissing; and how that had always left him wanting more.

After nearly dying, he was not going to have any more regrets.

He licked his lips. "I think they are still a little dry, yo," Reno whispered and blinked up, not so innocently, at Tseng.

Tseng scowled. "Reno." The way Tseng said his name made Reno smile, his tone only holding a touch of annoyance. "You need to rest. You shouldn't get yourself worked up." Tseng put the straw against his lips again and he took a sip. He knew Tseng wouldn't give in just yet.

The doctor walked in and Reno had to answer all the same questions again but the doctor pulled the blanket off his leg. He looked away, not even wanting to see the bandage. "I need you to wiggle your toes.

He tried and it fuckin' hurt. Reno was pretty much sure that the whole floor heard how much it hurt to try to move his toes. He didn't like how the doctor frowned but he did like how Tseng grabbed his hand and told him to squeeze.

Tseng didn't let go when the wave of pain faded. Reno didn't like his toes being poked with a pen and he didn't like the doctor messing with his bandages. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and buried his face in his pillow. He felt a comforting hand run through his hair and felt his heart strain. Tseng was not a man who was openly affectionate and feeling that tender hand was more than enough to elicit a groan.

"Can you tell me where it hurts?" the doctor asked.

"Every-fuckin'-where, yo," Reno mumbled. If getting nearly killed made Tseng turn into a tender wuss, it was well worth all the pain.

Tseng was glad to see that Reno was sleeping more comfortably again. They had used a cure on him but the wound was bad and the bone and muscles were being stubborn. The doctors said it had to do with the poison and the length of time it took to get Reno to treatment.

Tseng paid attention to all the doctors and nurses. They removed his leg bandage after the Cure and it looked better but still not well enough to remove the stitches.

Tseng found that he was rather annoyed by the hospital, as it was hardly a restful environment. The sounds of the nurses laughing amongst themselves and the clattering of carts and people who had no idea how to use a lower tone of voice was irritating.

A person could not heal with this much noise going on. With every sound, Reno would twitch or whimper. Tseng also hated that every time someone would enter the room he would have to let go of his hand. Reno only had one IV now, one that was feeding him saline solution to keep him hydrated, and needed a quiet place to heal.

When the doctor came in and checked his leg at the end of the day, Tseng asked the question which had been on his mind for hours. "When can he be released?"

"I was going suggest in the morning. He needs to someone to take care of him though as he shouldn't be putting weight on that leg for at least a week." The doctor said. "We can set up home care for him if he doesn't have any family."

"That won't be an issue."

Reno couldn't help but have a huge, silly grin on his face. It wasn't how he imagined he would finally get into Tseng's bed but he would take it. Rude carried him in as Tseng pulled down the covers and he was placed in the most comfortable bed in the world.

Rude grunted. "You're grinning like an idiot," he whispered in his husky voice as Reno was laid down.

Reno just kept grinning and Rude shook his head. Reno's thoughts were that he couldn't think of a better way to recover from an injury.

"He will not be allowed visitors," Tseng stated as Rude straightened up. "His phone will be off while he is here and if there is something urgent you can contact me. No one, not even Rufus, will visit during this period of recovery. It will go more quickly if he is not disturbed; make sure that everyone knows this. I will be checking my emails when time allows and will deal with any difficulties then."

Rude nodded and then patted his partner's head as if he were a kid. Reno didn't care though. He was in Tseng's bed and he was going to be undisturbed for a week. This was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Rude left with a wave and a smirk on his face.

Reno smiled up at Tseng. "So, what we gonna do, jus' the two of us, yo?" The bed did feel really comfortable. Not too firm and not too soft and he couldn't wait for Tseng to lie down beside him.

Tseng removed his jacket and Reno thought his face was going to crack from his smile. He'd only gotten Tseng out of his jacket once and had just about got his shirt nearly undone as well. That was an epic day but then he went on the mission so he couldn't continue his progress. But this was a wonderful step forward and it was almost worth nearly dying to end up where he was.

"You're going to rest. I am going to get you some food; something much better than that horrible hospital food and then you are going to sleep," Tseng replied, looking over at him.

"I was thinkin' that ya could join me here for a little while," Reno said and patted the empty spot beside him.

Tseng shook his head and crossed his arms. "Not until you are better. You're certainly in no shape for any activities other than resting."

Reno blinked as Tseng left. He could hear him moving around in the other room, supposedly preparing food. Then the horror of what Tseng had just said sunk in. He was going to be spending a lot of time in Tseng's bed without Tseng.

"Aw, come on!" He yelled. "You can't be fuckin' serious, yo?"

He didn't get an answer.

"Tseng!" He yelled again and started to cough. The motion from it hurt his chest and then hurt his leg. "Fuck," he mumbled as Tseng came in with a glass of water and a smug smirk on his face.

Reno forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths to calm the coughing and the pain it left behind. When he finished, the glass of water was handed to him and he took it in his shaking hand, managing a sip before Tseng took the glass and placed it on the bedside table.

Tseng leant over him and touched his lips with his own. It wasn't a deep kiss but it was a kiss that Reno wanted to deepen. He would have too, if he could have moved and Tseng had let him up.

His dark eyes looked down at him with a hint of amusement. "Not until you're better." He stood straighter and let out a deep sigh. "Now, can I go prepare you dinner without you yelling or hurting yourself further?"

Reno knew he was pouting.

This was not how he'd thought this was going to work out.

He lay there and stared at the ceiling as he listened to Tseng move around in the kitchen. The bed was quite comfortable and it would have been a hell of a lot more comfortable if Tseng was in with him.

He ran a hand over his chest. The ache wasn't as bad as it had been in the hospital before the cure but his ribs were still tender. His leg was the worst. The doctor said that he should stretch it but not put weight on it to make sure the muscles didn't tighten too much. There was talk about some physiotherapy stuff but Tseng said he was going to make sure that Reno did what he was supposed to do to get better.

Without the fun that he was hoping for.

So, maybe it wasn't as good a deal as he'd hoped; at least he had finally gotten a kiss and if he was persistent, maybe he could get a little bit more.

Tseng finally re-entered the room and asked him if he was okay. "A bit hungry," he admitted especially because whatever Tseng was cooking smelled good. The hospital food wasn't the best and he knew Tseng was a good cook from the last time he made a meal for him. "I guess," he added. He would rather have Tseng lying beside him than eat.

"Good," Tseng said. "Let's get you comfortable." That was when his back was supported by more pillows and Tseng pulled out a bed tray and set it over his lap. He then brought in the food and Reno was pleased to see that it was his favourite meal. He smiled at the plate of food.

"I even made extra meat balls for you as well," Tseng said. "I don't make this very often, so I hope that it turns out all right."

Reno took a taste and it was good. Hell, anything Tseng did was good. "Excellent," Reno said through a mouthful before he remembered how much Tseng hated that. He covered his mouth and swallowed. "Thanks, yo."

Tseng sat on the edge of the bed and gave him a sad smile, running his hand over his injured leg with a touch that was gentle and concerned. "It shouldn't take you long to recover if you follow the doctor's instructions."

"Uh-huh," Reno said and stuffed some more of the spaghetti in his mouth. It was good and he hadn't realized he was so hungry until he started to eat.

"Don't eat so fast. If you choke I will have to reinjure your ribs," Tseng said with a smile that just touched the corners of his mouth. Reno slowed down but he also found that his stomach couldn't handle too much. It was starting to protest the rich food.

Besides, it was a little unnerving to have Tseng watching him eat.

"I don't think I could eat anymore," Reno said as he half finished. His stomach grumbled in protest. He remembered not being able to hold much down while he was poisoned and injured; every time they tried to feed him, he would throw up. Before that, Rude kept had him going with potions and water. This was a lot of food.

Tseng just nodded, taking the plate from him before removing the tray.

"So what are we goin' to do now, yo?" he asked as Tseng returned.

"You are going to rest," Tseng said and started to remove the extra pillows from behind his back. "You need to sleep to recover."

"Can't I watch a little TV or somethin'?" Reno asked.

"No. No TV, no radio, no computer. You can read if you want but you are resting and nothing else," Tseng said as he pulled the blankets over his chest.

"But …" Reno started to protest.

"No buts. You're going to rest and get better." Reno closed his eyes as a hand ran through his hair and he felt Tseng's lips on his forehead. "Rest."

"I could use a proper goodnight kiss, yo," he whispered in return.

"When you're better," Tseng replied fondly. "Rest."

"I'm not in that bad of shape," he protested.

Tseng shook his head but kept running his hand through Reno's hair in a soothing manner. "You can still have a relapse from the poison and we have to watch for fever. You were hurt really bad, Reno. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Reno smiled fondly up at Tseng. Tseng was not one to display emotions and this was the most he had ever seen from him.

"Yo, too stubborn to die."

Tseng chuckled and removed his hand from his hair. "That you are. I am grateful for it."

"So," Reno drew out the sound. "How 'bout that kiss, yo?"

"You do not need to get worked up. You need to rest."

"Too late Boss man," Reno said as he looked down at the impressive tent forming under the blankets. Tseng must not have realized how sensual his touch was or how deeply he was affected by the dark-haired Turk.

"Go to sleep," Tseng said and stood with his arms crossed. "This is not the time to think about that," he started to walk from the room, "When you are better."

Reno pouted a little as Tseng left. This time with Tseng was not going to be as much fun as he thought.

Reno was surprised he had been able to sleep for so long. He was rather comfortable in Tseng's bed but was still disappointed that Tseng did not join him. He wondered if Tseng slept on the couch; it was nice enough but not as good as the bed.

His biggest concern was how he was going to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. He didn't want to call Tseng to help him take a piss. Definitely not how he wanted it to go down but he moved his damaged leg and it still was not really cooperating with him. He groaned. He knew there was no way he was going to be able to put weight on it and he didn't have crutches nearby.

Tseng walked in and it nearly caused his heart to stop. Tseng was only wearing a pair of cotton pants that were a little loose on the hips and held up by a drawstring. He could see the treasure trail that dipped into those pants and groaned at how quickly he got a boner at the sight. It was even going to be more embarrassing to take a piss if he was hard.

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Better," he said. It wasn't a lie. He did feel better. It was just his full bladder and the boner that were causing him discomfort now. "Gotta take a piss, yo." He felt his cheeks start to burn.

"I will help you. While we are in there, you can soak in the bath." Tseng left to get the crutches.

More than Reno's cheeks were burning at the thought of having a bath and all the naughty and pleasant images of what they could be doing in the tub.

Tseng returned with the crutches and helped him out of the bed. Reno found it a little awkward and jarred his leg when he tried to stand up. He no longer had to worry about his boner as by the time he got to the bathroom, he was sweating.

"Can you manage on your own?"

Reno nodded. He didn't want help. He managed to brace himself against the sink, using one of his crutches to steady his body on the other side. It left him one hand to deal with his pants and the rest, but he didn't want Tseng to help him with this. He wanted to be naked with the man but not like this.

He was grateful that Tseng let him do it on his own.

Then it struck him. Tseng was going to give him a bath. He was going to be naked in Tseng's bath. He looked over to the tub and saw that Tseng indeed had a big enough tub for two. He started to smile like an idiot again and couldn't stop the silly grin from coming on his face.

Tseng politely knocked before opening the door. He had a small bottle with him as he walked in. Reno couldn't help but wonder what the bottle was.

"We need to get your hair washed," Tseng said and stopped to give him a serious look. "Get that smile off your face. It's only a bath."

Reno was going to try his best to make sure that it was more than just a bath.

Tseng shook his head and walked to the tub, starting to fill it. Reno limped over, using the crutches. Tseng turned his head slightly and ran his hand under the tap. "Aren't you going to get undressed?"

"Aren't ya gonna help me?" Reno smirked and leaned one of his crutches against the wall.

He heard Tseng grunt and watched him shake his head. "You are insufferable." It didn't stop Tseng from standing and wrapping his arm around his waist. Reno leaned into Tseng and reached for a kiss. He ran his tongue over Tseng's lips and was pleased when he was allowed to deepen the kiss.

This was more like it.

When Tseng pulled back, he felt his nightshirt go with him. Reno gladly let Tseng do it, imagining how wonderful Tseng would look when he got him naked in that tub. Tseng ran a hand down his hip and tugged on the already loose pants.

"You have lost too much weight," Tseng said. "You are going to have to eat more."

"There are a lot of things I would like to eat," he said with a raspy voice.

Tseng gave a sigh. "Let's get you in the tub." Reno was more than willing.

Tseng removed the rest of his clothes and Reno tried to get Tseng's pants off but got the, 'not until you're better' line. That was really starting to frustrate Reno. He was stark naked and being clumsily lowered into the tub.

"Ya wanna join me?" Reno asked as he finally settled into the tub. It was harder than he thought to climb in, as his leg didn't want to bend properly and ended up splashing Tseng. Not enough to get him to take off his pants, though.

"Not until …"

Reno interrupted him. "Ya, ya. Got it."

Tseng smiled and reached over to cup his face in his hand. "Be patient, Reno. When you are better, you will be able to enjoy it more." Reno wanted to protest. He wanted more than just these kisses. The evidence was growing again to prove how much he wanted more but he just sighed and gave in.

"Promise, yo?"

Tseng nodded and gave him a quick, chaste kiss. "Now, let's get that swamp smell out of your hair."

Reno didn't argue as Tseng washed his hair. He never thought someone massaging his scalp and soaping his hair would be so relaxing and sensual. Tseng washed him and turned him into a pile of goo in the warm water of the tub that smelled of the lavender oil that Tseng added after he washed his hair.

"This is the best way to recover, yo," Reno said with hooded eyes.

"I will go change the sheets and then I will put you back to bed," Tseng said with a comforting hand on his shoulder before standing.

"Will ya sleep with me tonight?" he asked.

"Not until you are better."

"Jus' beside me. You're couch can't be comfortable, yo," Reno said. "I can restrain myself from mauling ya."

Tseng shook his head and chuckled. "We shall see."

Getting out of the tub was more difficult that getting in. He did get Tseng all wet as his leg gave out on him. He was then wrapped in a warm, fluffy towel and dried off before Tseng dressed him and tucked him into bed. It was exhausting and comforting all the same that Tseng had the patience to take care of him.

But he wanted Tseng in the bed with him. "What's wrong with a little cuddlin'?" Reno knew he was whining, but he didn't care. He was hurting and wanted to be close to the other man.

"You need to eat something before you fall asleep," Tseng said as he left the room and went into the kitchen.

Reno pouted but his stomach growled. "Traitor," he mumbled as he arranged himself in the bed.

Tseng brought him some food he must have cooked earlier, placed the tray on his lap and waited as he ate. It was simple chicken and noodles with some sort of beans in it that he protested eating but Tseng made him. He realized that he was starting to fall asleep as he ate and must have dozed only opening his eyes when he felt the tray being removed from his lap.

"Sleep," Tseng whispered and ran a hand through his hair. Reno wanted to protest but he was warm from the bath and now full. The room was dim and comfortable and the touch of Tseng's hand relaxed him. "We can talk more in the morning."

He tried to reply but it just came out as a moan as some of the pillows were removed from behind him and he was tucked into the warm bed. He hoped that Tseng would sleep beside him instead of on his couch but he didn't know if he was able to get the words out before sleep took him.

TBC… promise, yo.

This is just a 2 parter. More is being written.

Reno and Tseng... Tseng and Reno. They are beautiful together XD