[ at least he isn't all beat up anymore, most of the cuts and bruises are all gone, and he isn't stiff when he rises from the bed, tying his towel around his waist just before it can slip off his lap. he settles over between Rude's legs, sitting with his back to him, and brings the breakfast with him. his hair is... yeah, really tangled. even a shower couldn't fix it. getting it wet might've made it worse. ]
[With that he takes off his gloves and starts working. It's part comb, part brush, and quite a bit of fingers gently teasing tangles free. It's a task that doesn't feel so difficult. Except for how close he is.]
[ it's rough work, but Rude's so gentle about it. never makes the snags hurt. Reno sighs through his nose, relaxed—relieved for something pleasant after the last few days he's had. so pampered and spoiled, sipping his coffee and being tended to like a pet. he rests his cheek on Rude's thigh. ]
Mm... you are. Best of the best of the best. How are you even so good at this?
[ it's not stepping out if they're not a thing outside their own heads! Reno makes an obnoxious, whiny sound of annoyance again but doesn't chase him. he just pouts and drinks his coffee. ]
I couldn't find the kind I usually use. This place sucks.
Think so? [ grinning—and offering the bag of doughnut holes up over his head for Rude to have, finally. ] Dunno how he keeps it out of his face while he's fightin'.
[ suit yourself. Reno consumes another one whole, humming thoughtfully—then laughing. or rather, snorting humorlessly and without any real amusement. ]
Rude—man, you've got it all wrong in that head of yours. Bedding is stretching it and lovers is gonna make me hurl. It ain't like that.
[ jesus christ. he does not want to think about either of his bosses with either of those terms. at least not when he's stone-cold sober. it's making him queasy. ]
[ it takes great trained, physical effort not to shiver, but he can't do much about the goosebumps. he's sensitive there. also, Rude looking for a fight is kinda hot. ]
[ or something. he fucked up. he's lucky to still have a job. lucky to still be alive, besides, but at least that part wasn't entirely his fault. er, kind of. it sort of was. he's not the type to kick himself and blame himself for every little thing, but he's struggled a lot with taking on more than his fair share of culpability lately. ]
[And Rude doesn't like it. They don't have the support structure of Shinra here. They don't have cure materia. And he's almost lost Reno a few times recently. He doesn't want to have that 'almost' be a 'actually.']
[ he can't think about "safe." right now. if they want to talk about keeping anyone safe—he sure screwed that up, back at the plate. it's been eating him up for days, nearly a week now. he just can't get it out of his head. ]
What you need to keep me safe from is me. That's why I called.
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