A Kiss for Christmas

Rating: R
Category: Fits into the Rabid Tiger AU shortly before 'Twelve Hours of Silence'
Pairing(s): Cloud/Reno, Rufus/Reeve, Cid/Vincent.
Warnings: Brothers kissing.
Summary: It’s the holidays, but Reno’s not in a festive mood.
Notes: This story was supposed to be something else entirely, but Reno and Rufus decided they had things to work out.

It was snowing in Costa del Sol. It did once in a while, every few years or so. Vincent was delighted. Cloud could see him in amidst the drifting flakes as he stood looking out the huge picture window. Vincent acting almost goofy, chasing, and being chased by, Benji and Aiden. Vincent was a winter bunny; cold weather, long dark nights and isolation made him bloom. Add a little snow, and he turned into the man he was before Hojo shot him in the guts. Being nine months pregnant didn’t even slow him down. He was acting like a colt. Cid was less impressed with the situation. Cloud grinned as Cid threw the door open and poked his head out, the ember of his cigarette glowing.

“Dammit, Vincent! Get in the house!”

“No.”

“NOW!”

“Make me.”

“Vincent… I’m warning you…”

Reno walked up to Cloud, slipping an arm around him, watching with him. “Don’t you just love how docile and obedient Vincent is?”

“VALENTINE! You get your little skinny ass in this house right…!”

With brilliant accuracy, Vincent clobbered Cid with a snowball. Reno laughed.

“Well that’s not fair, Cid can’t chase him, he’s pregnant!”

Cloud gently drew Reno closer. “I suspect Cid is just glad to see Vincent playful.”

Cid ran out into the snow. “Oh that’s how it is, is it?” He scooped up a handful of the white fluff. “Think I won’t smack you back because of your delicate condition?”

Vincent walked up to him, coming face to face with his husband. Cid did not smack him with the snowball. Instead he let it drop, head falling to his chest in defeat. Vincent took his hand and kissed him softly, and then let Cid guide him into the house, followed by their twins.

“Cute little family,” said Reno.

“We have a cute little family, too.”

Reno turned his head to look at Kin, lying in her crib beside their bed. Cloud stroked Reno’s long hair, sensing worry. Up the hill and across the field, the Valentine-Highwind household was alive with Yule lights. Here, a person would never know it was but a few days before Christmas.

“We should have a tree or something. It is Kin’s very first Christmas,” said Cloud.

Reno flinched, looking worried. Cloud felt frustration build within himself. Reno never talked about the things that had happened in his past; and he was clearly sitting on some very large demons. In the years they had been together, Reno never celebrated Christmas. Something about the holiday upset him, but Cloud had no idea what.

“Talk to me, babe,” he said softly.

Reno shook his head. “No,” he said softly.

Kin made a small sound, and Reno went to her, picking her up. She was so small that when she slept people often mistook her for a doll. Cloud watched Reno cradle the tiny infant beneath his chin, his long hand patting her back. He walked over to him, hearing Kin make the odd little snuffles and snorts babies did. She seemed content, just awake and wanting attention.

“Hard to believe she’s four months old,” said Cloud.

“Two, actually,” said Reno quietly, “and small even for a two month old.” He ran his hand over her fuzzy explosion of red and gold hair.

Cloud studied his beautiful husband, feeling his heart break. “Reno…”

“No,” he said softly, firmly.

Cloud slowly nodded. “Okay. But… can I at least put up a few lights?”

Reno said nothing, but the mismatched eyes became anxious once more. Cloud’s heart sank.

“Or we can just leave them down. Maybe next year.”

Cloud watched Reno slump slightly, eyes troubled, his face buried against his small daughter.

“I’m being selfish, aren’t I?”

“No,” said Cloud softly. “I think something very bad happened to you once upon a time and you haven’t dealt with it. I’ve got a few problems like that myself.” He paused, then carefully said; “but I think you have become more nervous since the baby.”

Reno didn’t argue. “Yeah I have.” He drew a steadying breath. “But… maybe a few lights wouldn’t be bad.”

“You’re sure?”

Reno pondered, then nodded. “Yeah I think I’m okay with that, yo.” He smiled. “I’ll even make eggnog.”

“We’ll need eggs,” said Cloud.

“I’ll get some.” He held up Kin, looking at her, giving her a gentle little bounce. “Want to go out with mommy?”

Kin burped.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

So Reno bundled up Kin in her little blue snow suit, dressed himself in a full length and ludicrously expensive leather coat with matching gloves, and he and Kin went into the snow for eggs. Cloud watched him go, then, the moment he was safely out of sight, he called Elena. If anyone knew what was wrong, she would. He phoned her number, and got Yuffie.

“Hi Cloud!”

“Hi Yuffie, can I talk to Elena?”

“Yup!” She called out to her. “Elena! Cloud wants to speak to the adult in charge.”

“Tseng’s in the hospital.” Pause. “Oh you mean me!” Cloud heard her run to the phone. “Hi Cloud!”

“Hi! Listen, Elena… what’s with Reno and Christmas?”

“He hates it.”

“I know. Do you know why?”

“No, sorry, I don’t. He’s said very little about it, but… well… I get the impression something pretty bad happened. Something about his mom. I think that was when she died. I do know he gets a little strange this time of year. I mean even for Reno. Rufus might know. They did have a rather intense little affair going until Rufus found out they shared a parent.”

Cloud felt his jaw drop. “What? I thought it was just the one time!”

“Whoops, gotta go.”

Cloud growled as Elena hung up. He next called Rufus, listening as the phone rang, and was answered.

“Rufus Shinra, you know you wish you were me.”

“So just how many times did you sleep with Reno?”

Rufus growled. “Elena has a big mouth.”

“So it was more than the one time that I have been led to believe.”

Rufus sighed. “Cloud, honestly, what does it matter what Reno and I did once upon a time? He loves you, I love Reeve, we know now we are brothers, it is not going to happen again. Happy?”

“No.”

Well colour me shocked. What do you want, you mental grunion?”

“I need to know what it is about Christmas that bothers Reno.”

“Oh.” Rufus’ tone softened. “Yes I suppose he would start acting a bit odd this time of the year, especially with a baby.”

“Then you know.”

“I know assorted bits. I know his mother died at Christmas. I know his infant sister died at the same time…”

“He had a sister?!”

“Briefly. And… I… dumped him at Christmas.”

Cloud closed his eyes and sighed. “You could not have found a better time?”

“There is no good time to break up with someone you… cared very deeply about. Believe me, Cloud, I did care about Reno. I gave him some bullshit line about having to maintain a professional working relationship that he did not buy and made me sick to say but I had just learned the man was my brother. It made things very odd as I am sure you can understand. But in a nutshell if you wish to know what bothers Reno about this time of the year, it is because this is when life usually drops a very large axe on him. I suspect he is worried you will leave him or Kin will suddenly expire of some horrid ailment or both.” Rufus’ voice softened. “He is frightened. He has reason to be. This is not a happy time of the year for him. He’s bound to be a little paranoid and depressed. The only thing you can do is assuage his fears.”

“I’ll try.”

“I know you will. It’s the only thing that makes you even remotely tolerable.”

Cloud smiled. “And will you please stop showering my husband and child with needlessly pricey gifts?”

“I’m sorry I can’t hear you, this connection has become just dreadful all of a sudden.”

“Rufus? I hate you.”

“Thank you, I hate you too, darling. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Rufus.”

Cloud turned off the phone and put it in his pocket, looking up as Cid walked in through his front door. “What are you doing here?”

“Raiding your fridge. The baby wants fish with lemon and this is the only place I can get a lemon at seven o’clock at night.”

“How is Vincent?”

“Frazzled. How’s Reno?”

“Frazzled.”

“What say we stick them together in a room and let them drive each other nuts and we can go get drunk.” Cid took a lemon and closed the fridge door, then looked around. “Hey isn’t it supposed to be Christmas or something?”

“Reno’s not really big on Christmas.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I remember you mentioning something like that. Still, seems a shame you don’t even have a tree. Let me go get you one.”

“I don’t want to be a bother…”

“Nah, no bother. Where is tall and skinny, anyway?”

“Buying eggs.”

Cid perked up. “Making eggnog?”

“That’s the idea.”

“Great! I’ll get the tree. We’ll have a decorating party.”

“Cid I…” Cloud sighed as Cid left. “Well if you’re getting the tree, I’ll… see if we have ornaments,” he muttered to the empty room.

Cloud did not think there was so much as a candy cane in the house, and he was right. He was just coming down from the attic when Cid returned with the tree. Tagging along after him, in a great deal of pain, encased in a back brace, was Rufus. Following Rufus were several members of his serving staff. Reno’s cats, Sid and Johnny, scrambled for the safety of the bedroom

“Rufus!” Cloud could hear his own voice crack in outrage as the servants busied themselves. “What is this?!”

“I just thought you could use a little holiday décor. Oh, and I had this lying around. Cid mentioned you were making eggnog.”

Cloud stared at the three bottles of two hundred year old brandy. “Rufus…”

“You will drink it and smile while you do it.”

Cid found a corner he liked for the tree. “I know I sure as hell will.” His cell phone went off, and he answered it. “Hi beautiful. Yeah I know you sent me out for the lemon an hour ago. I got side tracked. Yeah Cloud is throwing a Christmas party.”

Cloud’s jaw dropped. “I’m what?!”

Cid ignored Cloud, instead asking Rufus; “Any fish on the menu?”

“Shellfish, yes, shrimp cocktail and lobster tails.”

Cloud watched helplessly as his house filled up with servants, some decorating, some cooking, some laying out food. He heard Cid relay the information to Vincent, then something about seeing Vincent in a few minutes. That was when Reeve showed up with more servants and several boxes of gifts, Cait Sith in one arm as usual. Cloud slapped a hand over his face as Rufus drew Reeve close and nibbled him.

“Rufus!” snapped Cloud. “What the hell are you doing? What is all this stuff?”

Rufus gave him that wide-eyed whatever-can-you-mean look that never failed to piss Cloud off. “Just a few little gifts.”

Cloud watched a man walk by leading a white animatronic panther. Sid and Johnny fled the bedroom for the basement.

“And what the hell was that?” asked Cloud.

“Reno adores cats.”

“Reno has cats!” Cloud snarled through gritted teeth.

“Does he?” Rufus blinked innocently.

Cloud smouldered. “Rufus one of these days…”

“We’re here!” Aeris came bouncing into the house, followed by Vincent, who simply went to the closest sofa and settled on it. Cid bent to kiss him.

“Where are the kids?”

“With mom. I needed a break. Besides if I waited for you to get back with the lemon I would have starved to death.”

“Shit! The lemon! I forgot!”

Cid went to get Vincent some lobster with lemon and butter. The front door flew open once more.

“You can relax!” Yuffie yelled. “The lesbians are here!”

“Well thank god for that, I was getting worried,” said Rufus.

Elena had six bottles of wine in her arms. Yuffie found a pot, grabbed some spices, and the two began making mulled wine. Cloud suddenly understood how Bilbo Baggins must have felt with all those Dwarfs showing up.

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE COMING FROM?!” Cloud yelled, nearing the end of his rope. Assorted place names were shouted back at him from different areas of the room. Then a massive hand patted him on the back.

“Just go with the flow, Spiky.” Barret handed him a beer.

“Like I have a choice?” Cloud asked, accepting the beer.

Tifa came over and hugged him. Cloud began to have the feeling that whatever was going on had been planned around him. Hmmmm…. Who did he know who was sneaky and underhanded enough to plan a blitz party?

“I smell Turk,” muttered Cloud.

“Not this Turk,” said Elena, “I just had a bath. Ask Yuffie, she helped.”

“It’s true, I did. We’re watching the video later.”

“Can I borrow it when you’re done?” asked Cid. Aeris was appalled.

“Vincent! Are you going to put up with that?”

“Why not, I put up with everything else this man does to me.”

Cid came to sit beside Vincent, passing him a plate and kissing his face. “And I can’t wait until that bun comes out of the oven so we can do them all over again.”

Aeris shook her head and sighed. “Cid you’re awful.”

The door opened and Zack came in, trailed by Sephiroth. Both paused in the doorway, wide-eyed at the chaos.

“It’s an invasion!” exclaimed Zack.

Aeris came over to give Zack a hug. “Where are the babies?”

“With grammy and grampy, Baby and I wanted a weekend of peace and quiet. Oh, hey, look who we found outside.” Zack held the door open and Skippy galloped in, happy to see everyone and leaping onto the sofa with wet paws. Nanaki followed at a more stately pace.

“I’ve never been formally invited to a party before,” he said. “Hello Cloud, lovely party.”

Rude was the last person to show up, simply coming in and helping himself to a glass of mulled wine, saying nothing. By now the house was decorated, the table was laid, the wine was served, and the tree was ablaze with lights and colour, having been decorated primarily in Christmas silver. The majority of the servants cleared out save for a few whose duty it was to tend to the food. Cloud had resigned himself to the situation.

“So who planned this?” he asked. “I can’t imagine this is just happy coincidence.”

“You are such a suspicious little thing,” said Rufus, an arm around Reeve, the two of them settled comfortably in the huge nesting chair that Rufus had given Reno. It was back from the cave, there now being room enough for it in the house. Cloud still thought it looked like the world’s biggest pet bed.

“When you are involved, yes, I am.”

Yuffie was already half tanked, she and Elena on the same couch as Cid and Vincent. “Hey, remember when all of us in one room would have been, like, really weird?”

“And it’s not now?” asked Zack.

All heads turned as there came the sound of the door opening, and Reno peered in, clearly as surprised as Cloud had been at the invasion. He had Kin in his arms, and a dozen eggs, and he stood in the doorway, staring.

“What is going in?” he asked.

“Cloud threw you a Christmas party,” said Rufus.

Cloud opened his mouth to protest. The last thing he wanted was his already upset husband to have an emotional fit and put his slightly rocky marriage on even shakier ground. For a brief second, Cloud hated Rufus with a violence that could rend the earth. Then he saw the look in Reno’s eyes, and the hate softened.

“You did this for me?” Reno asked quietly, eyes shimmering.

Cloud opened his mouth, unsure of what to say now. After all he hadn’t had anything to do with this, and he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of lying to his husband. But nobody was saying a word to contradict Rufus. And the last thing he wanted to do was say something to make that shining light leave Reno’s eyes.

“I’d do anything for you,” he said softly.

Reno set the eggs aside and walked over to Cloud, throwing his free arm around his neck and kissing him. Cloud returned the kiss, then drew him close, holding him, stroking his long red hair, all the while his blue eyes fixed on Rufus, who was just smiling that smug Shinra smile that made Cloud want to haul off and punch him. Silently he mouthed the words; “I hate you.”

Rufus just blew him a kiss.

***---***

Rufus was standing on the porch, watching the snow fall, glass in one hand. He was in pain, but he would not give in to it. He had stepped outside to watch the snow fall, and watch it he would. He glanced up as he heard someone come to stand beside him, and smiled as he saw Reno.

“Lovely party,” said Rufus.

Reno blinked his beautiful feline eyes at him. “I know Cloud didn’t plan this, yo.”

“Really? What gave it away?”

Reno took his arm. “Well let’s see; the silver tree, the non-traditional lobster, the returning of my white panther…”

Rufus smiled, a little sadly. “I owed you a Christmas.”

“You owed me an explanation. You said you learned about our being related after you moved to the manor house outside Costa del Sol, but that’s not true, is it? You learned about it at the Christmas office party, the one after your father died. That’s why you broke my heart at the party.”

Rufus lowered his head, unable to meet Reno’s gaze, and nodded.

“I am so sorry Reno. I… I didn’t know what to do! I was in complete turmoil; I had just made love with you! And then… there it was, staring me in the face. Things were all so bloody complicated, and I was an emotional mess anyway. My father had just been killed and that brought up feelings I could not name on a bet, I was seeing you and Reeve and falling very hard for both of you, I had this major corporation dumped in my lap, and when I began sorting through my father’s private papers and saw that…” Rufus drew a deep breath. “I am so sorry. I should have sat you down and explained things to you. Instead I shattered you. It’s no wonder you don’t like this time of year. You lost your mother and sister, you certainly had nothing to celebrate when you lived in a dumpster, and then I broke your heart with not a word of explanation. And… when Cloud mentioned to me that you were not letting him decorate for the holiday, I knew I had to do something.”

“So you decided to redo that night,” said Reno quietly.

“It was a foolish notion, I know. But dammit someone needs to have the decency to apologize to you.”

“But not you. All you have done since we found each other is apologize, yo. It’s not your fault what happened to me. But… you do owe me one thing that I want.”

Rufus gave him a questioning glance, as if wondering what that may be. Then realization came into his eyes.

“You begged me for a parting kiss, and I would not give it.”

Reno nodded. “I want my kiss.”

“Reno, I…”

“You gave me back this night so you could make up for what you have done, yo. All I wanted that night was a kiss. All I wanted was one last moment with you. I thought if I had that… somehow things would have been all right, that I would be all right. If you want to make that night up to me then I want you to give me the only thing that mattered; my parting kiss.”

Rufus smiled. “And if we are caught?”

“Then we owe the people we love an explanation for hurting them, don’t we?” said Reno softly.

Rufus sighed quietly. “Yes. We do.”

Reno drew a little closer. “Sometimes a simple explanation is worth more than a thousand apologies and parties and panthers.”

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

Rufus turned so that he and Reno were face to face, and suddenly it seemed as if it was that night long ago. They stood in each other’s arms, shivering slightly with the cold. Rufus could still hear Reno begging him to tell him what had happened, where this knife in his heart had come from. At the time Rufus had not known how to tell Reno the truth. It had been easier to hurt him than tell him about the wretched joke played upon them both. He had walked away, and hated himself for it ever since.

“I do owe you a kiss,” said Rufus.

“You do,” agreed Reno.

Rufus swallowed nervously, looking into mismatched eyes as he lowered his head, cautiously, almost making contact, then breaking into quiet, nervous laughter.

“Oh this is just so wrong.”

“Pay up, little brother.”

Rufus grinned, then lowered his head once more, their lips meeting shyly, then parting. Their tongues explored each other, recalling this dance, though the steps had changed a little. Once upon a time kissing Reno would have had Rufus on his knees, begging for another taste. But now it was just distant nostalgia, as if looking through one’s phonebook and finding the number of a long-dead relative still listed. It was bittersweet and tasted like what it was; a farewell kiss. After a little while it ended, and Reno lowered his head to Rufus’ shoulder, while Rufus laid the side of his face against the top of Reno’s head, his hands gently stroking his back.

“So is my debt paid?” Rufus asked quietly.

Reno smiled. “In full. Thank you.”

“You know Cloud loves you. I want the two of you to be happy.”

“Cloud worries. It’s his nature. He can’t help himself. But what I have with him is worth the bumps we have been over. And the road is a lot smoother than it was, yo.”

“Good. I’m very glad to hear that.”

“And you love him too, yo, don’t pretend you don’t.”

“I do love the little cretin. But don’t you dare tell him.”

Reno smiled, then raised his head to look at Rufus. “Thank you. This meant an awful lot to me.”

They stood together in the falling snow a little while longer, then, without a word they released one another and went quietly into the house, into the light and gaiety. Rufus went to sit with Reeve, while Reno settled himself beside Cloud. Rufus smiled as he saw the two draw each other close, nuzzling one another. Reeve gave Rufus a gentle nip on the chin.

“So was your sneak-attack party a success?” asked Reeve.

“Absolutely,” said Rufus, and hugged him.