Well here's one I never thought I'd write – Rude/Reno! Not my usual OTP, it has to be said, (and you may spot some tiny hints of the one that is in this story). This came from reading "The Case of Shinra". I just don't buy all that stuff about toilet doors (!). I'm sure these two can come up with a better last thrill than that.

Warnings: m/m sex. But you knew that. Lots of Reno swearing, and reference to his interesting past sex life. In case you're wondering, the 'Before Crisis' Turks mentioned here are (my names for them): Sadie – Shotgun, Rod – Rod (duh!), Trig – Two Guns.

I don't often write with a particular song in mind, but Groove Armada's 'Look me in the eye sister' was running through my head for this one.

If these two are your OTP, may I recommend the wonderful stories of notraffic, who writes amazing Rude/Reno.

Earth and Live

They've just reached the main entrance of the Shinra building when the ground starts shaking. Always agile, Reno moves with the rocking concrete as easily as he once balanced on a skateboard as a kid, but Rude stumbles, and Reno catches his arm steadying him.

"Woah!" exclaims Reno. "Here we go again!" There's nothing of fake bravado about his grin, teeth flashing red in Meteor's bloody light; Reno always gets off on adrenaline. Rude finds himself smiling back, sharing his partner's mood.

"They're getting stronger. I think this could be it."

"Yeah? Damn we have the worst timing! So – we go in? Stay out here?"

"Go in," Rude says. "If some miracle happens, we'll need those tools to keep the choppers airborne. If not – doesn't matter where we are."

Reno glances up at the flaming mass of Meteor, so low now that it blocks out any view of the sky. "Yeah. I'll take the Shinra building over that bastard. At least it's home."

The quake subsides, and the two Turks run into the lobby. The floor is littered with debris – plaster from the ceiling, dust, strewn papers. Looters have taken anything moveable, but the tools Reno and Rude have come for are in the basement garages, only accessible with the correct code. The emergency power still appears to be functioning - the subterranean generators must have kicked in when the main power went out. Reno knows of at least seven floors below the garages: who can tell what other secret levels the President might have ordered constructed over the years? But the tools they need should be in the maintenance garage on level -2.

Not bothering to check whether or not the elevators are working – because Reno doesn't use elevators any more and Rude is secretly relieved about that – they head for the stairs. They're half way down when there's another violent quake. The earth groans, and above them the steel frame of the main building shrieks in response. Reno grabs the metal banister and manages to stay upright, Rude falling against him, his sunglasses dropping to the concrete and smashing as they hit.

"No worries, partner," Reno says. "I know you got a spare pair."

"That was the spare pair."

"Fuck it - not as if we're gonna see the sun again, most likely. C'mon!" He dances down the stairs ahead of Rude, energy practically fizzing off him. Reno's always like this when there's real danger – at his most alive – hyped. Rude watches him for a moment, thinking about the way he moves, and how it always makes him feel so heavy in comparison – lead to Reno's mercury. It's funny that they've always worked so well together, considering all the ways people probably think of them as opposites. It's true that they balance each other – Rude's silence and Reno's inability to keep his smart mouth shut – Rude's stillness and Reno's constant motion – Rude's methodical nature, and Reno's intuition. But of course it's not really true that they're opposites – not when it comes right down to the wire. They're both Shinra – both Turks. Taking out targets, or surrounded back to back in an alley, they may differ in style, but they're both equally deadly.

They reach the entrance, relieved to find that the steel doors are still secure. Reno punches in the code and the doors slide open.

Nothing has been taken from the garage. Reno locates the tools they've come for, and Rude picks up some other items from the benches that line the walls – mostly electronics as far as Reno can see. "Are those detonators?" Reno asks, incredulous.

"Could be made into," replies Rude. "Might come in useful."

"Yeah? Whole damn planet blowin' up not enough for you?"

"Hasn't happened yet," Rude observes.

Reno's face, in the dim red emergency lighting, is filled with a weird, almost longing excitement. "Better get back up then. We're missing the show."

Rude locks the door behind them just in case there's anyone left tomorrow to loot anything, then follows Reno, who's already half way back up the stairs. The building still vibrates with small aftershocks, making odd groaning sounds. Reno laughs. He's as wired as Rude's ever seen him, and his laughter has that edge that means trouble.

"What?" Rude asks.

"Just thinking about Sadie. She used to sound like that." He imitates the moaning of the building above then, and Rude frowns.

"Sadie? As in Shotgun Sadie?"

"Yeah." Reno pauses in the entrance to the lobby, turning to look back at Rude. "I told you about me an' Sadie."

"No."

"Yeah – must've."

"I would have remembered."

"Right. Thought I told you."

They make their way towards the main doors, Rude asking, "So – was it awkward – seeing her again yesterday? After all this time."

"Hell, no! Was never anything serious. Good to see all of them. Well – maybe –"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe a bit awkward seein' Rod. Shoulda put a stop to that before Trig –"

"Reno!"

"What?"

"They were your subordinates."

Reno just shrugs. "Not like I was the one doin' the chasing there."

They hesitate in the lobby looking up through the glass doors at the vast lowering mass of molten rock and flame. In the weird light the red swirling funnels of tornados twist and howl across the city, lightning flashing to earth, violet, blue and white as though conducted by the sinister columns of wind. Parts of the building – glass, concrete render, a metal sign bearing the Shinra logo – are hurled past them and swept away on the wind.

"Fuck me!" is all Reno can say. "Have to be crazy to go out in that!" There's that light in his eyes, though – the one that tells Rude he's thinking about it. Rude can't really blame him – it's not as though there's much to lose.

They stand together in the doorway of the ravaged Shinra building, watching the end of the world.

"Not like a real meteor," Rude says. "It just – hangs there! How can it move so slowly?"

"It's magic," Reno replies. "It's not a meteor – just – Meteor." There's the tone of respect in his voice that Rude rarely hears. Sometimes, when Reno's talking about Tseng, Rude catches it then. Reno's eyes are bright as he stares at the unravelling city.

"Glad we're here," he says.

"Hm," Rude agrees.

Rude stands beside Reno, watching the wreck. After a while he starts watching Reno instead. Reno feels the weight of Rude's eyes on him – a prickling sensation over his skin, like the build up of static on his magrod just before it discharges.

Reno is already tense enough to snap and Rude's considering gaze is close to too much. He jams his hand in his pockets, eyes on the ground and makes himself breath slowly. He's not sure why he's suddenly angry. He turns an electric glare on Rude, muttering, "Fuck's sake – What?"

Rude looks him in the eye. "Who else?" he asks. "I mean, I heard plenty of rumours – but I always wondered."

Reno raises his eyebrows. "Seriously? All this shit goin' down, and this is what you want to talk about?"

"I heard – Elena."

"Yeah, yeah. Only once – after Da Chao. Don't know what she was more relieved about – escaping death, or escaping Corneo." Reno shakes his head, almost smiling, and the tension eases marginally.

"Scarlet?"

"Come on – who didn't? You fucked Scarlet!"

Rude pauses before making himself ask, "Tifa?"

Reno's eyes widen. "Shit – no! You think I'd –"

Rude nods. "No. I guess not. But – you could have."

"Na. She was always hooked on Strife."

"That wouldn't have stopped you. Or her."

Reno can't stop himself from grinning at that. "She's something else, though, ain't she?"

Rude only nods.

There are more tornadoes now - whirling pillars that seem to stretch to the surface of Meteor itself, making all of Midgar into Meteor's slums - tiered like a hellish parody of a wedding cake - and the obscene, slow gravity of that fireball poised to crush – to obliterate…

Fair enough, Reno can't help thinking, remembering a time when he was Meteor. Bring it on, fucker. He's jittery now, fingers flexing, like he gets before a fight.

But Rude hasn't finished. "Rufus?"

"Fuck yeah Rufus. All the time. His office, the cars, the chopper – on the clock, off the clock, Tseng's fucking desk! Happy now?"

Undeterred, Rude only asks, "Tseng?"

For the first time Reno doesn't meet Rude's eyes. "Not Tseng," he says, turning away from Rude, staring out across the city. "Not – really. Why do you want to know all this shit, huh? Never seemed to bother you before."

Rude moves suddenly, catching hold of Reno's hair, spinning him around. "So...?"

It's too late for Reno to pretend he doesn't know what Rude means, or to invoke the other lie they've kept shored up between them over the years – that Rude only does women. Confronted with Meteor, there's nothing left but honesty.

"You know why not, Partner," Reno says. "Partners is why not."

"That's the only reason?" Rude asks, pushing Reno up against the wall just inside the doors. Reno's eyes gleam red in the Meteor-light. "You were always my best partner," he says. "Can't go fucking up a good team just 'cause…" The light in Reno's eyes is intense now – dangerous. He adds softly, "Doesn't mean I didn't want."

"Story goes you fucked half of Midgar," Rude says, pushing himself tight against Reno. His voice is harsh, accusing - but Reno hasn't blushed since he was fourteen, and now he only blinks, raising his eyes slowly to Rude's in that way that he does, and smiling.

"Yeah," he says. "An' the other half wishes. So what? You're my fucking partner. What's more important?"

"Doesn't matter anymore," Rude says, putting his hand on Reno's cock, feeling the heat of him through worn fabric. Reno's cock is as hard as his own. Reno presses himself against Rude's hand, shameless, and murmurs, "Last thrill, huh, partner?"

Rude doesn't reply, tugging on Reno's hair and crushing his mouth against Reno's. Reno's body arches beneath Rude's weight, and he thinks of gravity – pushing down, drawing towards. Inevitable. It's right that they're together at the end. Standing together, or breaking together, Rude's right - it doesn't matter now.

Yes – Reno's fucked a lot of people, but Rude knows Reno best of all of them – knows how it has to go – knows that this is no different from the way they work together. Reno needs him to be what he's always been: Reno's earth wire – grounding him, focussing him, giving him a path for all that restless, dangerous energy.

Reno's hands tear at Rude's shirt, scattering buttons, yanking cotton aside to feel heat and skin. Both Rude's hands are inside Reno's pants, fingers digging into muscle, thumbs exploring tight skin over jutting hipbones. It takes no time to ease the still-buttoned pants over Reno's cock, and down. Rude has seen Reno naked plenty of times, but he's never seen him fully hard before. His cock, Rude notes with interest, is as well put together as the rest of him – perfectly proportioned – his erection promisingly hard, and curved just right. He lets the pants fall to the floor, and, as Reno kicks them off, palms Reno's balls, squeezing gently before stroking upwards to take his cock in a firm grip. Reno pushes against Rude's hand, his breathing suddenly uneven. As he reaches for Rude's belt, unfastening it swiftly, with deft, practised fingers, Rude kisses him hard, his free hand in Reno's hair, drawing them closer together.

He's not sure if it's the adrenaline, or the fact that Rude knows him better than anyone, or just something about the way their mouths and tongues work together – but if Reno's ever had a better kiss he can't remember it now. It's partly the rasp of beard, which is a rare enough thing in Reno's catalogue of experiences to deliver a jolt of lust all by itself. It's partly the taste, which is half familiar from long years working together - stakeouts in cramped spaces or the backs of cars, breathing each other's scent without really thinking about it – so that now kissing Rude seems right. It's sharp, electric desire, which Reno thought he knew, but it's never burned like this.

Reno keeps kissing Rude, unzips him with one hand, and feels the weight and heat of his cock, running his thumb over a warm metal ring - the piercing he's often glimpsed, but never asked about. He's thought about it plenty of times though. "Fuck," he whispers, his mouth still on Rude's, "Bet that feels good." He twists his neck to look out at Meteor. It looms over everything, so close he knows nothing will be able to halt its progress now. "Time's almost up, looks like," he says.

Rude's hand leaves Reno's hair. He takes Reno's jaw in strong fingers and looks him right in the eye. "We have time," he tells Reno. Reno nods, and Rude kisses him again, slow and different from before. Reno almost panics because this is something else - something he ran from the one other time it happened. Rude feels the sudden tension in Reno's body, and only relaxes his grip on Reno, touching the side of his face as he kisses Reno's mouth and jaw and neck. His other hand strokes Reno's cock with gradually increasing pressure.

"Okay?" Rude murmurs, his mouth on Reno's throat. He can feel the pulse there, rapid, strong.

Reno relaxes under Rude's kiss, under his hands.

"Yeah," he says, closing his eyes. "Yeah – okay." He's not sure exactly what he means, but it feels like an admission.

Reno's hand comes up to touch the back of Rude's, still gentle against his cheek, and then he's pressing something into Rude's hand. Rude pulls back and looks at the packet of lube, wondering why he's surprised. He tears the packet open with his teeth, his other hand never leaving Reno's cock.

Reno looks at him. "Got condoms too – if you want…"

"You want?"

Reno smiles, then, and the devil is back in his eyes. "Hell no!"

Reno wants contact – skin on skin. Needs it. Rude nods; needs it too.

Rude squeezes lube over his own cock and Reno's hand. Reno slicks him up, and shivers – not from the cold of the lube, Rude thinks. When Rude's fingers find Reno's ass, Reno lets him touch for a minute because it feels damn good – but slow and gentle isn't what he wants. He hooks a leg around Rude's solid thigh, and says, "Do it."

Rude lifts Reno off the ground, both hands on Reno's ass. Reno wraps his legs around Rude's hips and arches back against the wall as Rude pushes into him all the way. "Ah fuck!" Reno cries, and the thought flashes through his mind that if this does turn out to be the end of the world, he's saved the best for last.

Rude's hands are tight on Reno's ass – secure. Rude's the strongest man Reno's ever known. Reno has one arm around Rude's neck, and the other hand on his own cock. Rude watches Reno stroking himself as he thrusts harder and harder, Reno's moans mixing with his own harsh grunts. For once Rude is all motion, and there's little Reno can do but hold on, bracing himself against the wall, trying to push himself further down onto Rude's cock. Even now, though, Reno can't stop talking. "Fuck," he pants – "Feels so – fucking – good! Always knew it would – yeah – harder!"

"Y -yeah," is all Rude manages, moving faster, hitting Reno exactly where he needs it. That ring in Rude's cock is an added thrill – an extra surge of adrenaline on top of sensations that are already right on the edge of too much. When the earth starts shaking again, Reno's not sure for a second whether it's him – but then everything's rocking – the steel of the building screaming in protest –the wall flexing behind Reno's back. Rude holds him firm though, and doesn't stop.

"We're gonna die," Reno says, his mouth against Rude's.

"Yeah," Rude replies, kissing him, somehow keeping them both upright in spite of the world falling apart around them, and it's a kind of ecstasy, knowing that this is how it ends – together – after years of the secret fear of dying alone. Reno has always been the risk-taker, and Rude thinks of all the times he's almost lost him – Sector Seven – that elevator, and the icy feeling in his gut when he thought it was too late. But it didn't happen like that – Reno's here, for however many minutes or seconds they have left. Half of Midgar, and yet he's here, with Rude, at the end. Rude thrusts harder, braced against the unsteady earth. Reno comes, Rude's name tearing out of him, and that's all Rude needs to follow him.

Everything turns white as something impossibly bright explodes outside the building. Rude lowers Reno to the ground, and holds him close. This can only be the end. Reno rests his head against Rude's shoulder, and feels a kind of peace. Rude's hand curves around the back of Reno's head, as though he could protect his partner even from the end of the planet, and they wait to die there, together.

When the world stops shaking, it's Reno, of course, who speaks first. "We're still alive."

"Seems that way."

"Okay. Why are we still alive?"

"I don't know."

They disengage, sorting themselves out, retrieving discarded clothing. Reno picks up the tools they came for. Rude's pockets are full of the electrical components he took from the garage. Only when they're dressed do they look at each other. Rude wonders whether this is going to be awkward, but Reno only grins at him, pushing damp red hair out of his eyes. "Fuck, that was hot!'

Rude smiles as much as he ever does, and says, "Yeah."

They both turn to look out of the doors. There's a long crack across the glass, but the building's still intact, mostly. Outside streams of undulating green light weave patterns around the city. From here they can tell that there's been vast destruction, but Meteor has vanished from the sky.

"What the hell happened?" Reno asks.

Rude shrugs. "Who knows? Something to do with the Lifestream."

"The Lifestream…" Reno's eyes are filled with the green light. Rude watches him ignite again. He's not surprised when Reno takes off, out of the building, into the heart of the action. Ribbons of energy twine around Reno, and he holds out his arms, light playing over him, and turns to look back at Rude. "It's the fucking Lifestream!" he yells. "Come on, partner!"

Rude pauses for a moment, watching Reno, thinking he's never seen anyone look so purely alive.

Reno calls again, impatient as always, and Rude follows him out into the light.