Taking Care of Reno: Advent Children
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The Keys to the Kingdom
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Three years later…
Rude struggled valiantly against his assailant, but it was no use. Her grip was just too tight, and it was slowly cutting off his airway…
“Can’t… breathe…” he gasped, reaching out toward his partner for help. Reno rolled his eyes.
“She’s never gonna learn proper technique if you keep fakin’ it like that…” he said with a smirk. Rude sighed and sat up, bringing his attacker along with him.
“Aria, stop trying to choke out your uncle Rude, please,” Elena called from the other room, “I need him in the kitchen.”
“But we’re playing!”
“Heh… Sorry, baby,” Reno replied, lifting her off of Rude’s back, “Mommy says Uncle Rude needs to come help her, and we always listen to Mommy. Or else. You’ll have to play with Daddy for awhile.” He flipped her over, suspending her by her ankles so that the skirt of her dress flopped over her face, and the little red-haired girl giggled madly.
“Put me down, Daddy!” she squealed. Reno laughed.
“Gonna have to make me!”
The three year old squirmed in his grip, and wrapped her arms around one of his legs before poking sharply at the back of his knee. The Turk dutifully dropped to the floor.
“Ahhh! Oh, the pain!” he moaned, and his daughter laughed.
“Daddy…” she giggled. A loud knock at the door interrupted their ‘training session’, and Reno sat up, grinning.
“Go see who’s at the door!”
Aria released him and darted towards the door, reaching up for the knob and pulling it open.
“Uncle Tseng!” she cried, and immediately lifted her arms, demanding to be picked up. Tseng chuckled and obliged.
“Ah… There’s the birthday girl. Remind me… How old are you today?”
“Three!” Aria shouted.
“Hmph… Three going on thirty,” a new voice commented from behind the Turk leader. “Are you aware that last week she made a formal request to become a Turk? And was very displeased when I had to deny it for failing to meet the age requirements.”
“We got age requirements now?” Reno snickered as Rufus followed his head Turk inside, several colorfully wrapped packages in his arms.
“Age requirements for what?” Lira asked, pushing past the two men standing in the doorway, and shoving a present into Reno’s hands. Aria squirmed in Tseng’s arms and he set her down, allowing her to race over to the little boy hiding behind his mother’s leg.
“Hi, Cole!” she greeted him.
“Hi…” her friend replied, with a shy smile. “Happy birthday, Aria.”
Tseng shook his head as the two scampered off to play away from the grownups.
“Abandoned for a younger man…” he sighed, and glanced up at Reno. “Justinia asked me to let you know that she’ll be a little late and to start without her. I’m afraid Viridia is a bit tied up, as well… though she may be able to make it for dinner tonight.”
“Heh… Tied up?” Reno snickered, “Never knew you were into that sorta thing, Boss…”
“Oh… Wow! I turn around for two seconds, and everyone’s already here!” Elena said, stepping out of the kitchen, before Tseng could comment. Rufus gave a quiet snort.
“It’s not as if we had particularly far to travel.”
“Hmph… speak for yourself,” Lira replied. “And I had to come all that way with a five year old.”
Elena giggled as Rude poked his head into the room. “Can I get anyone a drink? Lunch will be ready in about ten more minutes…”
“And will last about five minutes, at which point Aria will demand her cake and presents,” Elena added.
“Five whole minutes? That’s pretty impressive,” Lira laughed. “My Cole would have already eaten the cake and started in on the presents by now if I let him. Thank Shiva there’s only one of him.” She suddenly flashed the couple a grin. “Which reminds me… When are you two gonna start workin’ on number two already?”
Reno laughed and pulled his wife against his side, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I dunno. ‘Lena? You wanna try for another one tonight?”
To his surprise, Elena didn’t respond right away. He turned to look at her, confused by the expression she now wore.
“What?” he asked, slightly concerned.
“… Um… W-well… About that,” she began, blushing faintly. “I was sort of saving it for later, but… I… er… went to see Dr. Ward yesterday. And… we don’t have to try. We’ve kind of… already succeeded.”
Lira squealed in excitement and Reno suddenly found himself flanked on either side by Tseng and Rude, who’d firmly taken hold of each arm.
“… ‘Lena?”
She grinned and nodded. He moved to hold her, but found himself still restrained.
“Would you two get the hell offa me? I’m not gonna faint this time!”
The pair of Turks sniggered and released him, and a moment later, Reno had Elena in his arms.
“Really?”
“Really,” Elena giggled and Reno kissed her.
“I love you,” he said softly.
“… Oh, dear Holy,” Rufus suddenly moaned, “No more diapers. Please Ramuh, no more diapers…”
Reno snorted in laughter. “The guy changes one diaper, one time…”
“Once was more than enough,” Rufus proclaimed. Tseng shook his head in amusement, and went to comfort the newly distraught President.
“Sooo…” Reno grinned as the executive temporarily drew their guests’ attention away from the expecting couple. “Another one, huh? Heh… How ’bout we pick a name before the kid is born this time?”
“I still like Monica for a girl. And I have to admit… Alexander has kind of grown on me for a boy,” she said with a laugh.
“Ya know… Alexander’s gettin’ kinda common these days,” Reno replied, “… What d’ya think of Lea?”
~fade to black~
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