Poison - Chapter Seven

                                     ~ C H A P T E R - S E V E N ~


Lifting his fist, Reno pounded hard on the front door of Seventh Heaven.

The wind billowed through his clothes and hair, piercing his currently bruised and tender skin with its bitter coldness. Reno shivered.

It was late. Too late. He knew he should’ve come sooner, but that damned interrogation lasted a lot longer than he had planned. It must’ve been about one in the morning by now. A little late to be pounding on the bar door demanding a word with Kadaj.

It would’ve been less risky if he just spoke to the young Remnant tomorrow at a more decent time. But he couldn’t. Not the way he was feeling. He needed to let it all out immediately. If not, the thoughts would haunt him all night, deprive him of any sleep, and he’d see Kadaj tomorrow while stumbling over his words like some blubbering idiot.

Reno stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, feeling colder by the second. His knuckles stung sharply from the interrogation. He took a shot at the thug, but the bastard ducked, and sent the Turk’s fist crashing into the brick wall behind him, tearing off skin. That, plus his skull was throbbing from being thrown to the floor, which caused a small bloody gash to form just above his left eyebrow. It stung like a bitch.

Frustrated and freezing, Reno slammed his aching fist against the door again. Finally, a familiar voice shouted from behind the door.

“Hold on! I’m comin’! Don’t get yer panties in a knot!”

Reno recognized the voice before he saw the face that opened the door.

Cid Highwind; the gruff, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed, tea-drinking captain of the elite ships “Highwind” and “Shera”, and one of the lead members of AVALANCHE. A rough-and-tumble kind of guy with a heart of gold. The kind of man Reno had always admired. A man that consistently reminded him of his father.

Cid stared at Reno with his steel-blue eyes and short, unkempt blonde locks adorned with a pair of pilot goggles. He took a long drag of the cigarette that always hung from his lips. “I know you. Yer one of them Turks. Uhm…Rambo, ain’t it?”

“Reno.” The redhead corrected.

Cid nodded. “Ahh…yeah. Reno. I remember you. What you think you’re doin’ here at this time, boy? It’s a lil’ late to be drinkin’, ain’t it?”

“I ain’t here to drink, Cid.” Reno frowned. “I need to talk to someone.”

“Who?” The gruff pilot asked. “Everyone in this place is sleepin’, far as I know.”

Reno shivered. “C-Can we discuss this inside? I’m freezing my ass off, yo.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Cid stepped aside and allowed the redheaded Turk to walk in, before shutting the door behind him. “Don’t make any noise, boy. Or it’ll be my ass on the line.”

Reno breathed a sigh of content as the warmth of the room quickly overtook his aching body. The room was desolate and quiet, a satisfying contrast to the usual hustle-and-bustle he was so accustomed to experiencing when entering the bar. The lighting in the room was very dim; it almost kept Reno from noticing the dark form seated at the far end of the bar.

“Evenin’ Vinnie!” Reno grinned cheerfully at the dark form. “You’re looking exceptionally sullen tonight.”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, Reno, don’t call me that.” Came a gravelly voice from the shadows.

“What? Sullen?”

“No. Vinnie.”

The redhead smirked. Being a dark, brooding, soft-spoken man, Vincent Valentine wasn’t what most people would call the ‘bright and sunny’ type. The life of the former Turk gunman had been brutally tainted by tragedy and sin when he was viciously experimented on, thus cursing his body with five notorious demons. Though presented with the capabilities to do much evil to the world, Vincent was a loyal ally to AVALANCHE.

His appearance did not mask his personality, either. Vincent was a tall, lean man, pale skinned, with long silken raven locks, and sinfully crimson eyes. His left hand and arm was adorned with a metallic golden gauntlet, and he wore a long, ragged red cloak and mantle over black clothes. He looked like the physical form of all the sin that tainted their world.

Vincent looked so in-place amongst the shadows of the bar, Reno didn’t even bother to ask why the two men were awake at this time of night to begin with.

“What happened to yer face, boy?” Cid asked, frowning over at Reno. “Ya look like you’ve run smack into a wall.”

“Oh.” Reno shook his head. “Nah, just Turk business. A suspect got a little out of hand. Nothing to worry about, yo.”

“I see.” Cid sauntered passed Reno and took a seat next to his dark husband. “Now, what is it ya want?”

The Turk shrugged a bit. “I just need a quick word with Kadaj.”

“At this time of night?” Vincent raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Reno smirked a bit. “It’s the only free time I’ve had for a long time, yo. Been workin’ my ass off on a case for the past three weeks. I haven’t had the time to speak to him.”

“Couldn’t ya wait till mornin’?” Cid asked as he took another drag of his cigarette.

“It’ll only be a few minutes.” Reno stated reassuringly. “Just a quick word, then I’m out of here. Please?”

The two men exchanged a quick glance, before the gruff captain finally nodded with a deep sigh. “But make it quick. The boy’s had a rough day.”

Reno blinked. “What do you mean?”

Vincent brushed back a few strands of dark hair from his face. “He had some sort of attack earlier this evening. One second he was fine, and the next he’s convulsing on the ground, screaming in agony. It was rather unnerving. Everyone was terrified that he was going to die.”

Reno felt his throat clench. “Is…is he alright now?”

“He’s fine.” Cid smiled lightly, which allowed Reno’s heart to settle. “Seems perfectly healthy to me. Course, I ain’t no doctor, but a few hours after he had that little fit, the boy looked as if nothin’ happened to ‘im. When we asked ‘im what it was that made ‘im go all nutty like that, he said he didn’t know. Said he must be sick or somethin’.” Cid snorted. “I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I’ve seen my share o’ ailments and diseases, and this thing was like nothin’ I’d ever seen.”

“The most important thing is that he’s alive and stable for now.” Vincent reassured his husband. “We can only hope it won’t happen again.”

“Yer righ’, Vince.” Cid smiled warmly, placing his gloved hand over Vincent’s gleaming claw. He looked up at Reno. “You can go up to see ‘im now. His room’s the one at the end of the hall. Try not to wake everyone.”

Reno nodded and proceeded up the stairs without another word or a second glance at the couple. He was too busy keeping his heart from bursting out of his throat. Kadaj had had another seizure. He really was sick. A lot sicker than he made himself out to be. What was happening to him?

The upstairs hallway was dark and deathly quiet. Reno tried as best as he could to not make too much noise. He took light, slow, measured steps passed the many bedroom doors, wincing every time the floorboards creaked under his boots. He could faintly hear the soft snores and mumbles coming from within the rooms. Everyone was still asleep. Thank God.

Kadaj’s room was at the end of the hall. Reno paused in front of the door and listened intently for any sounds coming from inside the room. It was silent. Not even the sound of snores was heard. That worried him a little more than what he was planning to say once the Remnant opened the door.

Lifting his fist, Reno knocked on the door, making sure he didn’t knock loud enough to wake the entire house. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he waited. There was still dead silence coming from within the room. No sound of footsteps, shuffling, or even a voice. Reno sighed. Kadaj was not making this easy for him. He was tense enough without all this Goddamn anticipation.

Just as he was about to knock again, the bedroom door suddenly swung open and Kadaj appeared in the doorway. He blinked his tired cat-slit eyes, clearly having been just woken up. “The hell do you want at this hour?”

Reno couldn’t muster an answer at the moment. He was too busy staring unbelievably at the youth.

Kadaj wasn’t clad in his usual vicious skin-tight leather jumpsuit or armour. Instead, he wore a pair of baggy dark-blue cotton trousers and a black tank top that clearly belonged to Cloud, seeing as it was two sizes too big for the young Remnant. One of the straps hung loosely off one of Kadaj’s lean, strong shoulders. He was barefoot too, lowering his usual height about half an inch. His usually flawless silver locks were slightly dishevelled from sleep. A look Reno positively adored on the youth. He had to remind himself to breathe, but God…the way he looked.

“I-I…uh…well…it’s…” Reno stammered, still overwhelmed.

Kadaj tilted his head to the side, frowning. “What happened to your face?”

The Turk blinked. “What? I…Oh! Oh that. It’s nothing. Just the usual Turk business. A suspect got a bit physical.”

“I’d say.” Kadaj stepped toward him, Mako eyes squinting up at the gash on his forehead. “That thing’s pretty deep.” He looked down. “Your hand’s messed up as well.”

“It’s nothing no worry about.” Reno reassured him.

“Hmm…” Kadaj thought for a second. “I may have something for that. Come inside.”

“Really, yo, it’s alright.” Reno smiled a bit. “I just need to talk to you.”

“You can talk while I fix your head.” Kadaj held the door open. “Now get in the room.”

“Kadaj, really, it’s-”

“Move your ass before I grab you by that thing you call a ponytail and drag you in.”

Giving a defeated sigh, Reno walked passed the Remnant and into his room. It was a small bedroom with steel blue walls abundant in framed photographs and drawings from Denzel and Marlene, dark carpet, and large curtained window. A twin bed stood near the window, along with a short, wooden bedside table dressed with a small lamp and a few books. Kadaj’s leather suit was thrown over the back of an armchair near the door, while his Souba was hung ever-so-carefully over a hook on the wall.

The room was quite dark, too. The only light source was the pale moonlight glowing outside the large window. Not nearly enough to fully illuminate the room. Reno had to make sure he didn’t go crashing into anything as he carefully made his way over to Kadaj’s bed.

“How’re you feeling?” Reno asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Kadaj was currently fumbling about in his beside drawer. He didn’t look up at him. “They told you, didn’t they?”

“Who?” The Turk frowned.

Kadaj was still too preoccupied to look up. “Captain Highwind and Vincent. They’ve been downstairs for most of the night. They told you about what happened to me, didn’t they?”

“Well…yes.” Reno’s brow creased with worry. “You had another seizure. Like the one you had that night a few weeks ago.”

“It’s nothing.” Kadaj muttered.

“No it isn’t, yo.” Reno protested more passionately than he expected. “You’re sick, Kadaj. People don’t normally collapse spontaneously in a fit of agony. There’s something wrong with you.”

To his surprise, the silver-haired youth chuckled. “You sound just like my brothers. I’m not a kid; I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, but-”

“Aha!” Kadaj suddenly shouted in glee. “Found it!”

The redhead blinked when Kadaj pulled out a case, no bigger than a tissue box, from the drawer. He sat cross-legged on the bed in front of Reno and set the case down between them.

“What’s in there?” The Turk asked curiously. “Healing Materia? Phoenix Down?”

Kadaj snorted. “I wish. No one will let me go near the stuff. Not after the stunt I pulled last time.” He removed the lid. “It contains bandages, tape, cotton balls, needle and thread, and rubbing alcohol.”

“The hell you got that for, yo?”

The youth smirked. “Believe it or not, this stuff comes in handy when you’re a swordsman. Now give me your hand. We can talk while I work.”

Reno frowned. “You really don’t have to-”

“Shut up and give me your hand, Turk.”

Reno obliged, holding his stinging hand out to Kadaj. The youth proceeded to soak a few cotton balls in the rubbing alcohol. When he took Reno’s hand in his, the Turk was surprised at how soft and warm it was. With Kadaj’s skin as pale and flawless as the winter moon, Reno would’ve never expected such warmth ascending from his body.

“Now…” Kadaj said as he ran the wet cotton over the torn skin. “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Reno winced, not just at the sting, but at the fact that this was it. It was time to tell him. “Oh, well…uh…you see, Kadaj, the life of a Turk isn’t an easy one.”

“I can tell.”

“We as Turks must sacrifice a lot in order to sustain peace and order within our lives.” Reno continued. “We can’t really come in contact with our families as often as we’d like, nor have any close friends. This is because of safety reasons. Being a Turk means that you have many enemies. Constant danger lurks around each corner. Your life is constantly threatened, and with that, the lives of the one’s you love.”

“Makes sense.” Kadaj muttered as he began to wrap a bandage around Reno’s knuckles.

“When I became a Turk, I had to make a solemn vow to not get involved with anyone outside the business, in order to prevent any unnecessary collateral damage if my life was ever threatened. I had to promise myself and my superiors that I would not care for anyone under any circumstances. But…” He trailed off.

Kadaj softly began to wipe a new cotton ball across the cut on Reno’s forehead. “But?”

Reno sighed, hating how much his heart was racing inside his chest. Hating how beautiful Kadaj looked in the moonlight. Hating how much he loved the feel of the youth’s hands against his skin. “But, I don’t think I can keep that promise.”

The youth raised a silver brow. “Why not?”

“Because I find myself caring very deeply for you.”

There. He said it. Done. Over.

Oh God, someone kill me now.

Reno couldn’t meet Kadaj’s eyes. He couldn’t bear to see the look of confusion, of disgust. He just stared down at the bed sheets, trying hard to preoccupy his racing mind with the thread count in the blanket. The room was as quiet and still as death itself.

The Turk felt his heart clench. “Your silence isn’t comforting, yo.”

He waited. Still, no sound.

Reno finally looked up at the Remnant, who was currently staring down at something. “Please, say something.”

A moment of silence, then, “Why?”

“Because this silence is awkward.”

Kadaj shook his head. “No. Why do you care about me? No one cares.”

Reno’s jaw dropped. “That’s not true, Kadaj. There are many people who care about you. Your brothers, Cloud, Tifa, the kids, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, the list goes on.”

Gleaming Mako eyes met his. “You don’t understand. I grew up knowing that no one in this world would ever care for me as much as my Mother did. I was always told that no one would ever accept me, and that my soul purpose was to live for pleasing Mother. When the duty was done, she was to love me and cherish me. Just like I was promised.” The youth’s voice choked back tears. “I guess you can imagine what I must’ve felt when I was overshadowed by Sephiroth. When the only person in this world who could ever care for me pushed me aside like I was nothing compared to him. You see, Turk? No one cares.”

Reno couldn’t stop himself from grabbing hold of Kadaj’s hands. “That’s bullshit, Kadaj. Whatever those bastards in the Labs made you believe was nothing but lies. They only did that to control you, to brainwash you into thinking that you were exactly like Sephiroth, and the only way you could please your Mother was to be just like him.” He squeezed the soft hands. “What I said back on the roof a few weeks ago wasn’t a lie, Kadaj! You’re nothing like Sephiroth. You’re your own person. Not some puppet. Not a pawn or avatar. You proved all those idiots wrong.”

Kadaj’s green Mako eyes gleamed with disbelief, his jaw hung open, yet he did not pull his hands away. He didn’t speak, didn’t shout, or make the usual sarcastic remark. Instead, he suddenly collapsed into Reno’s embrace, burying his face in the Turk’s neck.

Reno blinked, shocked at the Remnant’s sudden gesture of weakness and trust. Of compassion and sorrow. An action he didn’t expect coming from anyone like Kadaj. He could feel the youth trembling against him; the redhead wrapped his arms around the smaller, lithe body and held him close. He could feel Kadaj’s hot breaths brushing against his flesh. He softly stroked his hand over the silken silver locks, trying as best as he could to soothe the boy’s troubled soul.

This certainly wasn’t a situation he planned out for tonight.

Pulling away slightly, Reno cupped Kadaj’s face, and gently lifted his head up, allowing him easy access to the youth’s full, moist lips.

It was a quick kiss. Nothing passionate. Just a tender peck. It lasted no more than a second, yet Reno found himself reluctantly pulling away.

Kadaj blinked up at him, eyes wide. “You…you kissed me.”

“Yes I did.” Reno didn’t remove his hand from Kadaj’s warm cheek. “Consider that proof that those bastards were wrong. That there is someone on this planet that cares for you more than your Mother.” He smiled. “And if you still don’t believe me, you have full permission to hit me.”

Green cat-slit eyes searched his for a moment. Reno half-expected to be punched out at any moment. Clearly the boy had never been kissed before, and the one person who finally does it just had to be a previous enemy. The Turk really wished he had thought this whole thing through.

Suddenly, Kadaj grabbed the sides of Reno’s face and pulled his lips down against his. Reno was shocked, puzzled, but didn’t complain in the least bit. This kiss lasted a bit longer than the last. Reno felt his entire body warm up as though a furnace had suddenly been turned on inside him. It was unreal.

The youth pulled back, eyes gleaming. “You’re only allowed to care for me on one condition.”

“Name it.” Reno breathed.

Kadaj smiled. He smiled that same warm wonderful smile that made the Turk’s heart leap. Running his fingers along the exposed area of Reno’s chest, he whispered, “I get to care for you in return.”

The redhead grinned, pulling the youth up onto his lap. “Done.”

Wrapping his arms around Reno’s neck, Kadaj leaned in for another kiss. A longer, deeper, heart-stopping kiss. Reno returned it in kind, basking in the feel of the Remnant seated on top of his lap, lithe legs positioned on either side of his waist, chest pressed against his in a moment that allowed their two hearts to beat as one. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect outcome.

Wrapping his arms around the youth’s lean waist, Reno deepened the kiss. He took full advantage of Kadaj’s slightly parted lips, and slid his tongue inside the youth’s mouth. Kadaj gasped slightly, moaning at the feel of Reno’s tongue exploring the hot, wet cavern of his mouth. The Turk could feel his hands clutch the back of his red hair in a moment that almost made him forget his own name.

Kadaj tasted like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Hot and sweet. Overpowering and compulsive. Deliciously addictive, like a drug. It was a miracle and a sin all at the same time.

He tasted like poison.

And Reno was addicted.