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"Hmm, well, if I say you can come look for any remnant of the Stigma personally,, would that answer your question?" He sounds too amused. "It won't take much, as we haven't returned home yet."

Forgive him for the fact that he is so relieved to hear that. His lover, finally given the chance to truly live the rest of his life. Who knows how long that will be, but it has more potential now.

"I worried about you," he lets Rufus know, but clearly he knows that was a thing. "Especially after Cloud seemed ready to give up."

"I'm surprised you thought he would give up for too long." Rufus remarks. "When it comes to Sephiroth, Cloud just won't stay down."

"He's been bad for the last several months. From my understanding you saw him when he came by Healin. He had some sharp words about that when the group of us met at the church."

Of course, Rufus is correct, but he has less of an idea of how bad it was. Reeve, of course, was able to learn about it from Tifa. The full and copious truth of how willing Cloud was to just let his Stigma kill him. If Reeve had known... if he had thought to tell the others...

"He is driven, though. I will give him that."

"He seemed the usual Cloud to me when I saw him, though Reno and Rude did inform me he was..." He pauses here, searching for a good word to describe the colorful report he had obviously gotten. "Well, down is sufficient. Reno said 'mopey ass.'

"But I wasn't worried."

"You're not a part of AVALANCHE. Of course you weren't given to seeing how bad it had gotten for him," Reeve sighs, shaking his head. "With what I've come to understand I fear he may ultimately have let the Stimga consume him."

Which was a horrible way to be talking about a hero, but he knew it was the way it was. He had been trying to give Cloud jobs away from the routes that would be the most painful memories for him, but the world had no patience for such consideration.

Heroes were merely humans who had done something others considered helpful and beyond the means of those viewing them. The Shinra Company had been considered a hero once. Sephiroth had been considered a hero, as well as countless others. Only time, the things they had done and the shifting of the public view had changed their title. Perhaps eventually, Cloud would be called something else as well.

Either way, it meant giving up was something entirely probable and likely when pushed to extremes. Rufus had been there, perhaps it had contributed to his getting the Stigma, and could understand. But ge understood something else, as well.

"If Cloud had ever confided in me, I would be concerned. Still, it has worked out, and worrying about before will do us no good."

"One can still have concern for the friends they care for," Reeve counters. Then, well... with the Stigma gone perhaps he can admit it. "I had no greater fear, Rufus, than that I would help this world but lose you. You've grown to mean so much to me."

"He'll be fine now, Reeve." Why does he sound so sure? Reeve is right that he doesn't know AVALANCHE, at least this version, very well. Yet he does know Cloud. Or knows him enough to be sure that the fight with Sephiroth, the cleansing rain, everything that had happened would have mended something broken inside the man.

Not that he would be much more social, of course, but he would be more complete. Something even Rufus felt. After all, that rain had been peaceful, and for a moment even he felt a sense of the world's forgiveness. Something Reeve probably could not understand, seeing as how he had never carried the Stigma, and certainly had not felt it hunted him out.

Still, he's not so much different that he doesn't chuckle at the last, his voice teasing as he speaks. "Is that so? Sure it's not just our compatibility in the bedroom?"

"If my options were either to have your affection or your body, I'd choose affection," Reeve assures him. "Forgive my sentimentality, but I care, Rufus, as you know. It can lead to foolishness."

HE sighs and looks at his watch, trying to figure out if he could manage to slip away.

"Tomorrow? Can I come by tomorrow? I might be able to steal some time then."

"I know." He chuckles once more, before his voice levels out to a more serious tone. "However, I have an audience right now... so we can certainly discuss all of that tomorrow."

Or, in other words, he won't say a certain three words because he would have to listen to Reno all night. However, he does give Reeve his hotel and the room number. He wasn't lying that he had stayed in town, mostly at Tseng's insitance.

In town? Reeve is shocked by that. Beyond shocked.

"You know... I could come by tonight," he offers, his voice soft. Sure, things are in a bit of a crisis, but could he be blamed for sleeping? And that hotel is closer to his current headquarters than his apartment is so it wouldn't seem weird to go there instead.

"That's up to you and your schedule, though I wouldn't mind seeing you. However," Rufus pauses and can be heard asking Tseng something before returning. "Tseng is insisting we stay at least till the day after tomorrow, in case anything else Stigma related comes up."

He won't mention that the Turk is also not wanting to move until they know the situation around people knowing Rufus is alive, especially since that would require letting Reeve know about base jumping without a parachute...

Don't tell Reeve. He has enough of an issue with heights as it is.

"I'll find time for you. I want to be there... to make sure you're all being thorough."

"Tseng is here. If things are not thorough, he gets mad." Reeve will probably be able to hear Reno agree in the background, before making some noise or another that means he has probably gotten a pattented Tseng look before Rufus speaks again. "But you're welcome to check where he can't. Just call when you come, I'll clear the room."

"I don't wish to send your security team away," Reeve assures him. But he is smiling. Because he can accept the idea as well. "Take care of yourself, and send me which room and all that. I'll come by with dinner for all six of us later. I'm glad to hear Tseng is alright. I'm going to assume Elena is too."

"She's here." Rufus confirms. "It seems your friend Vincent found them and tended she and Tseng's wounds. I'm sure they all would enjoy a good meal, not from the hotel."

That worked for him, and it made him relax some. "I'll bring quite a bit to eat then. I imagine you guys are worth feeding. You did really well in the face of this. Even Reno and Rude did."

Even if he had multiple ruined helicopters to deal with.

"Never underestimate those two, Reeve. They play a good game of being fools, but they know their stuff." Rufus chuckles again. "Could I ask a favor, though? Buy a bit of booze, even if just wine, on the way? I'd say a toast would not be out of line, and I shoulr be allowed to drink again."

"A few bottles for you," Reeve promises, happy. What does he care about putting money out for that? He can see his lover and make sure he's safe.

"Reeve, a few bottles for me would make me pass out." Rufus manages to sound exasperated, but amused. "Three should be fine... one for us, one for Reno and one for everyone else."

“You can be plural, love. But three it will be.” Somehow he isn’t shocked Reno needs one to himself though.

"Where's the fun in taking it that way? But I look forward to seeing you. It's been far too long."

"Indeed. I'll be there later, love."

He ends it with that, disconnecting the call and smiling a bit. Takes some hours, but later that evening he does arrive at the hotel, a few bags in hand.

Rude will come to help Reeve with the bags, obviously having no qualms wandering in the hotel, and leading the man up to the room in his usual silent way. He's even kind enough to stop Reno before he can latch onto Reeve to harass him.

"The boss will be out in a sec." Reno jabs Rude as he speaks, retaliation for the interruption of his fun. "He's trying to look all nice for some reason."

Thanks. Car has to be totaled

Oh no. I'm so sorry

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SOMEONE had to have seen that BS move

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