Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I leave Tseng’s office first, giving the partners a little private time for whatever they might need to talk about. I do make sure Rufus is going to give Tseng aftercare before I leave, though - now that I’ve realized that he probably got punished like this a lot in his youth, it seems even more important to make sure he gets reassurance after he’s punished now. Gods, poor Tseng…

I try not to dwell on it. It’s nearly lunchtime, anyway - food will be a good distraction from what I suspect might be drop trying to creep in. I’m on the watch for it this time - it will not fuck me over again.

Ooh, and yesss, they have my favorite pasta sauce today. That has me excited until I sit down to take my first bite and cringe from the continued soreness of my mouth. Owww… I take smaller bites and chew them less. Even swallowing hurts… Gods, who knew that too many soapy consequences at once comes with more consequences? The universe can be so cruel…

My train of thought is jarringly derailed by a plastic tray, smacked down at the spot next to me. I nearly jump out of my seat.

“‘Sup, kid?”

“Reno! You scared me!”

“Oops,” he snickers, not an ounce of sincerity in his voice. Rude gets him back for it though with a thump on the back of his head - “Ow!”

“Be nice,” he warns, setting his own tray down right across from me. Reno just grumbles under his breath, so Rude tries to actually make some nice conversation - “How’s your day going, Lane?”

“Phew…” I try to recount it in a word, “It’s been… pretty fantastic so far!”

“Good to hear,” Rude smiles that sweet, warm smile at me, “What’s been going on?”

Reno chuckles under his breath. Something tells me that he already knows a thing or two. I narrow my eyes at him - well, now he’s not going to get the satisfaction of hearing me get embarrassed. 

“You should ask Tseng,” I deflect instead. And bonus - if they actually do, Tseng’s sure to get embarrassed again when he recounts his own punishment. 

Rude raises an eyebrow and smirks, “Hm - got it. I’ll do that.”

I return his expression, then continue the convo - “How are you guys doing today? Anything exciting going on?”

“Nah, same old, same old…” Reno sighs, picking at a bag of potato chips, “Research, reports, repeat, repeat…”

“Well, we’ve got some training blocked off this afternoon,” Rude adds, “Good to stay sharp on that stuff.”

“Yeah, but it’s firearms ,” Reno whines, “It sucks. And you don’t even like it either, Mr. hand-to-hand…”

“I like it better than staring at a screen,” Rude shrugs, “And we can spar after work, if you miss it that much.”

“We’d better,” Reno snorts, picking up his sandwich, “I wanna hit somethin’,”

“Mm-hm…” Rude hums dubiously, giving his partner a look that I can read even behind his glasses. 

I laugh at their sassy banter, then do my best to keep the convo going. “Firearms training, huh?”

“Yep,” Rude answers, “Chief thought it was a timely topic, given recent events…”

Reno shifts uncomfortably. 

“Oh, yeah… I guess that’s not super surprising,” I add mindlessly, thinking back to my most recent experience with firearms. “Rufus asked Tseng last week to start training me to use them too, and it… Well, I guess it went okay, but I could barely even hold the gun without shaking.”

“Well, you didn’t exactly have a good first experience…” Reno mumbles. Oh, fuck - his guilt clearly set back in. I shouldn’t have said anything… I try to find a way to assuage him.

“I mean, if it helps you at all, I did still do it, and I’m glad I did. It made me feel a lot more confident about everything - I even shot one a couple times, and actually hit a target!” I share proudly.

“Congrats,” Rude says politely. I nearly laugh.

“Pffft - I mean, that probably sounds like child’s play to you guys. You’re like, pros - right?”

“No way - I wouldn’t call myself a pro,” Reno sighs, “I’ve just had to sit through a million training blocks. After a while, the basic stuff just gets easy.”

“With enough training, anything can seem easy,” Rude adds, “And what’s easy for one person might seem hard for another. Sparring’s a lot easier for both of us than firearms.”

“What exactly do you guys do when you… spar?” I ask. I guess I could probably figure that out, but I’m curious.

“Oh - you should spar with us after work today!” Reno interjects, “Come see for yourself!”

“Oh, gods… I don’t know about that,” I laugh a little nervously. He… didn’t mean that, right?

“Actually… that’s not a bad idea,” Rude says thoughtfully, “Rufus wants you trained in self-defense, right? You should know some basic hand-to-hand stuff too. We could teach you - starting off easy, of course.”

“Yeah, leave the firearms stuff to Tseng,” Reno snorts, “But if you wanna talk close-quarters stuff, then you got the right guys for it, right here!”

“Ha, gotcha - I’ll keep it in mind.” I hope they know that I don’t actually intend to join them. I guess they have a point on the hand-to-hand self-defense stuff, but until Rufus orders it, I’ll steer clear of any more training for now. 

Rude picks up on my hesitation, I think. “You sound nervous about that.”

“Well…” I shrug, “I’m just… I’m not gonna be able to keep up with you guys. I don’t wanna hold you back.”

“Gotta start somewhere, kid,” Reno adds through a mouthful of sandwich. 

Rude continues for him. “True - like we said, the more you train, the easier it gets.”

“Well, sure, but it sounds like this is your thing ,” I try, “I’m only gonna get in the way.”

“Did we get in your way when we were dancing?” Rude counters, “It really seemed like that was your thing, but you still left space for us. Right?”

“W-What?”

Rude chuckles at me, “Sorry - I’m still thinking about that. I have to admit, I was a little stunned - didn’t expect that out of you. You seemed so shy at first, but really - you’re an amazing dancer.”

 “Aww…” I blush, and am ready to just accept the compliment and expedite a change in subject when Reno snorts.

“Well, duh - they’re a stripper. Of course they’re good at dancing.”

“Reno!” I feel myself go red.

“What? You said you worked at the Honeybee Inn, right? And the way you worked that pole - it was pretty obvious.”

“It’s not stripping!” I hastily try to correct, “It’s burlesque and aerial arts.”

“So… stripping and pole dancing. Got it.”

“It’s burlesque ,” I say again, with more force behind my words, “And cabaret, and drag , and vaudeville, and so much more. And it’s not just pole, either - it’s both static and spin pole, silks, lyra, floorwork…” I shake my head, “If anything, it’s almost closer to circus or trapeze.”

“...With stripping though, right?” Reno mumbles as he chews. I shoot him an irritated look and resign to let it go… until I see a wry smirk curl over his lips. Ugh, this motherfucker… Of course he knows better - he’s just trying to annoy me. 

In that case, fuck letting this go. It’s worthless to keep trying to convince him of my point, but if he wants to push buttons, then I’m gonna start pushing them back. But how?

I take another bite of my pasta while I stare him down and think. Ow, gods, my mouth… 

And that’s when the lightbulb goes off. 

“I still owe you a mouthsoaping.” Tseng had told him last week to bank one for me. 

Reno stops mid-chew, and I watch with satisfaction as the smirk falls off his face and turns into a scowl.

“So?”

“So…” I take up the smirk instead. “It’s not stripping. It’s…?” 

Reno’s eyes narrow. Rude chuckles under his breath.

“It’s gettin’ boring , is what it is…” the redhead sneers after he swallows his bite of lunch, “How about you just let it go?”

“Answer first.” I press, “It’s not stripping, it’s…?”

Reno just stares me down.

I carry on - “Do you have anything going on after lunch?”

“Nope,” Rude answers before Reno can, “We don’t have training ‘til two.” Clearly, he’s looking forward to this little show. 

“Good,” I reply, “Then you can plan to spend some time with me in Tseng’s office when we’re done here.”

Reno’s glare trades between me and Rude - I can tell he’s trying to find some sort of retort, but instead of paying it any mind, I pull out my phone and send a text to the Director of the Turks. 

“Can Reno and I possibly use your office bathroom in about ten minutes? I want to cash in the mouthsoaping he owes me.”

As usual, the reply shows up fast. 

“Absolutely - come by anytime before 2.”

Boy, am I glad I found my toppy headspace this morning - it’s about to serve me very, very well. 

Unfortunately for Reno, he’s already down to his last couple bites, so he doesn’t have much of an excuse to stay at the table. He stays quiet for the last few minutes of lunch, scowling at his sandwich like it’s at fault for his bratty ass being in trouble. As soon as the last of it is gone, I stand up and take my own tray to the nearest trash can, turning back in time to see Rude grabbing Reno by the bicep and hoisting him to his feet. To my lack of surprise, Reno goes all ragdoll again, letting himself get limply dragged around. It reminds me of what Rude told me at Elena’s place - that Reno fights just until he gets what he wants, and then goes limp and lets himself go. If he really didn’t want this, he’d be fighting, but instead, Rude pulls him over, takes care of their trays, and the three of us head for the elevators. 

When we get to B3, we find Tseng’s office door open. I knock on the frame anyway - not wanting to barge in like some people... Tseng’s had more than enough of that for one day.

“Come in,” he says, sounding pleasant. He smirks when he sees Reno shuffling along behind us, “Sounds like someone’s gone and gotten himself in trouble again.”

“Not ‘trouble,’ per se,” I say, “But he thought it’d be funny to pick on me, so I’m cashing in.”

“Sounds like a good choice,” Tseng replies. “Go ahead - he’s already got a bar started, if you want. It’ll be in the cabinet under the sink - he knows where his box is. And feel free to use anything else you find down there - just be safe.”

“Yes, Sir!” Oooh, yeah… I get to raid Tseng’s mouthsoaping cabinet? Heaven.

“Oh - and leave the door open, please. Just so I can monitor.”

‘Monitor’ - uh-huh, sure, Tseng. I smile knowingly at him, and he raises a brow back - acknowledging my acknowledgement. 

But now, it’s time to turn my attention to the task at hand. 

“C’mon, Reno - pretty sure you know where you’re going.”

“He sure does,” Rude answers for him, sounding pleased as hell. Reno just grumbles, but again lets his partner push him into the bathroom. They step to the side so I can lean down and open the cabinet. 

It’s not a large cabinet, but it’s filled almost to the top with various toiletries. Some of it is stuff you’d find in any bathroom - a few spare rolls of toilet paper, hand towels, and boxes of bar soap - but it’s there that the similarities end, because this is obviously more bar soap than you’d think anyone would ever need to keep on hand. Half the boxes, I see, are open, and a closer look shows that there are names written on the boxes in permanent marker. Picking up the top one, I see it’s marked “ Elena .” I shiver, put it down, and pick up the next one - “ Lane .” Fuck, I nearly just drop that one… But finally, the next one down is labeled “ Reno ”. I tip the bar into my hand and hold it while I consider the other accouterments… A cup makes sense, so I grab the clean glass down there also, but… I don’t know. I don’t think I want anything else. I see toothbrushes, washcloths, even a couple dish sponges and one large yellow sponge (all of which again make me shiver at the thought of how they’re used…), but I leave them all in place. I’ve never used those on anyone before, so I’ll just stick to what I know this time. As I stand back up with my selections, I can’t help but grin as I see the teeth marks deeply embedded in the bar in my hand. 

“‘Kay, Reno,” I say as I stand back up and turn the tap open, “Before we start, I think we should go over this one more time: It’s not stripping, it’s…?”

I give him the space to answer, but he just sneers at me. I expected nothing less, but I still sigh. 

“... Burlesque, ” I finish for him - just in case he’s already forgotten. I see him roll his eyes in my peripheral as I lean over the sink to wet the soap and start lathering it up. My own mouth might water at the sight, if it weren’t already so raw… I hope Reno appreciates how lucky he is to be getting this right now. Part of me wishes we could trade places. 

…Actually, nah. I’m still too annoyed with him. This is gonna be well-deserved.

“Not sure what you’re standing over there for,” I smirk in his direction, “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“You can take that soap and shove it up your-! Hey!” Reno starts to mumble a snarky rebuttal, but Rude gives him a rough push toward the sink, and he stumbles right up to me. I step around to his other side, keeping him trapped between me and the wall, in a spot where I can most easily reach his mouth. 

Now… how do I take the first step? My top headspace falters for a second - this is only the second time I’ve ever soaped someone, after all, and the first time was under Tseng’s careful direction; it hardly counted as topping when I was really just following the instructions he gave me. And we were trying to be sexy about it - it wasn’t really a punishment, but this is. 

Well… how would Tseng do it?

I reach up and grab Reno by the ponytail.

“Head down,” I pull him to a more manageable height, then lift the soap to his chin. “Open up.”

I’m almost surprised by his obedience - he parts his lips right away. I even decide to push him a step further - “Tongue out,” - and again, he complies. He does roll his eyes, but unfortunately for him, it just inspires me to be even meaner. I rub the bar on his tongue, back and forth just about as fast as I can go without dropping it. His eyes squeeze shut in a wince, and if I had the stamina, I’d keep going just like this until he breaks down. I wanna make him whine. No… I wanna make him cry.

I am not a sadist. Or, at least, I’ve never thought of myself that way. But this is… Wow, I… might actually be a sadist when it comes to this. Or maybe it’s Reno that does this to me - I did enjoy kicking the shit out of him at that one Friday party, after all… but even then, there was a degree to which that was a performance. For Tseng, and the audience of onlookers. For Reno himself. But right now - even though Rude is keenly watching and I can see Tseng slowly making his way toward the doorway in the mirror - I don’t feel any need to perform. This is between me and Reno… and one particular word. 

“Say it,” I spit at him, pulling back the bar. He huffs out a hard breath, still grimacing at the taste, and just shakes his head defiantly. 

“Open.” Another yank on that ponytail makes it happen. This time, I get a little more mobile, moving the soap all over his teeth and cheeks as well. Bubbles stick to his lips, making me bite my own in pleasure. I’m absolutely going to savor every single second of ruining him here.

When I finally pull the bar out, I hold it back under the running water and relather it.

“Say it.” I’m not budging. Reno gives me a grumpy sneer - just a little less sassy, a little more subdued. I keep rubbing at the soap, making bubbles bloom up on its surface, and sigh dramatically before continuing in his silence, “Reno, we’re gonna keep this up until you say it. I’ll keep you here all day if I have to, so you might as well save yourself the trouble.”

“You can’t do that,” he tries to say, though it comes out more like, “You can’h do dhat,” when mumbled through a mouthful of suds. I can’t hide my grin, especially as he goes on, “We got trainin’ at two.”

On “two,” a few tiny bubbles spray from his tongue. They almost distract me and make me laugh, but instead, I’m delighted with how fast and how easily the reply to his claim forms.

“Pretty sure you could do your training with soap in your mouth. You can just hold onto it until you’re done - I’ll be happy to wait.”

The threat of that makes Reno’s eyes draw in a hint of skeptical fear. He isn’t sure whether I’m bluffing or not. Delicious. Is this how every top feels when they mouthsoap someone else as a punishment? Is it normal to love it this fucking much? 

“Open.”

Another round with the bar scraped generously on his teeth finally does it. Reno whines long and low as I push upward, making his front teeth draw grooves in the top of the bar.

“Say it.”

“Ugh… Burlesque,” he finally says. Or, rather, “ Burlethque.” I have to bite back my laughter.

“Again.”

“Burlesque.”

“And again.” Just for kicks.

“ Burlesque .” That one has an annoyed tone. Clearly, his attitude about the subject is still hanging on. 

“That’s right. Now open.”

His whining increases in pitch, but he does it anyway. This time, I skip straight toward trying to grind more soap off on his teeth, but he finally jerks away. Yanking on his ponytail doesn’t really help - he leans further forward over the sink and just lets the tugging lift his chin upward. The position makes it hard for me to reach. 

“Lane,” Tseng’s voice interrupts us, and I lock my eyes on his mischievous grin in the mirror, “You can sit on the counter, if that’s easier.”

That is easier. 

“Thank you, Tseng,” I reply cheerfully. “Reno - open and hold it.” 

This time, Reno obeys, allowing me to pull him back to a manageable spot long enough to stick the bar in his mouth. He bites down as I rinse the foam from my hand, then reach for the hand towel from the other side of the counter. While I’ve got it, I also wipe up the little drops of soap and water that we’ve spilled on the marble, then turn and hoist myself up. There isn’t a whole lot of space on this counter - I’m pretty stuck where I am, but now I’m even taller than Reno. The angle is perfect.

I drop the towel in my lap, reach for Reno’s chin, and hold it still while my other hand pulls the bar of soap back out. I lower it to rinse it off, and Reno leaves his mouth open, the upward-tilted angle preventing him from drooling. Man, he’s really got a lot of soap in there already… I realize suddenly that I need to let him spit every once in a while. He’s probably overdue for that.

“Go ahead and spit,” I release him as I lather the bar back up in my hands. Reno is fast to take advantage of the offer, leaning down far over the sink and coughing once to help clear his throat. As he starts to come back up, my sudsy hand finds his chin once again and brings him back in front of me. 

“Open up.”

“C’mon, Lane…” Reno whines through intentionally-clenched teeth, “I already said it.”

“And you’re gonna say it again,” I determine, making my eyes go serious, “Until I’m absolutely sure you’re not gonna forget it. Now, open .”

Reno hesitates - unsure if he wants to fight me or not. I watch his eyes briefly dart back to the mirror - to Rude and Tseng, who are watching with deeply satisfied grins. They don’t have a speck of sympathy for his plight right now. 

He whines again, but makes the smart choice to open his mouth.

In it goes, once again - the bar swirling suds to paint his tongue. His lips are getting coated with it, too. I feel like this lather is different from the lather I was making when I first soaped Elena - this is a lot thicker. Am I using less water? Maybe I need to experiment more and figure out how to make the various textures… This is the same soap brand, after all; it shouldn’t be all that different. 

Not that I need any excuses to want to do this again. Poor Reno - I’m going to be scrutinizing him forever now, looking for any excuse to get him back here. This is way too much fun. 

“Say it, Reno - it’s not stripping, it’s-?”

“Burlesque,” he again struggles to enunciate through the foam. 

“Open,” I demand, then give him another three-second workover. “It’s-?”

“Burlesque.”

“Open,” we repeat it again, “It’s-?”

“Burlesque.” He’s no longer being sassy about it, just repeating it tiredly - wondering when I’ll be satisfied, I bet. 

When will I be satisfied? I have to wonder the same thing for myself. I could do this all day, if I’m being honest… But Reno is looking pretty miserable already. I should probably ease off. 

…After one more round. 

“Open,” I take a little longer with this one, and hold him firm while I grate more soap off behind his front teeth. “It’s not stripping, it’s-?”

“Burlesque,” he huffs in desperate exasperation - his tone genuine and convincing. 

But the bubbles that blow from his mouth catch much more of my attention. Two tiny ones fly up into the air, and a larger one stays stuck on his lips. As soon as Reno realizes, he cringes and his face burns even redder with embarrassment. 

I can’t help but laugh out loud, almost giddy about that. Tseng and Rude laugh, too. 

“Oh my gods… Poor Reno,” I can’t help but tease him. 

I drop the bar of soap into the sink, but take his chin in my hands one more time before letting him go. He gazes up at me with wide eyes - silently begging for mercy. How lucky that I’m about to give it to him - as long as he doesn’t give me any more sass. 

“Did you learn your lesson?” I ask him. 

He nods emphatically with sad puppy eyes. It makes it tough to keep a straight-ish face.

“Are you gonna call me a stripper again?” I inquire pointedly. This time, he shakes his head, and I return his sorrowed expression with a smirk.

Alright, I gotta let him go. I release his chin.

“Okay - spit and rinse,” I deliver the mercy he’s been begging for, and he takes as much as he can at once. He bends down over the sink and frantically tries to wipe the soap off his face with his hands, so eager to rinse that he neglects to remove his fingerless gloves and even forgoes the glass I left him, just cupping the water in his hands to draw it to his mouth. He swishes the first mouthful vigorously, then spits and groans as I slide back off the counter to give him some space. 

“ Fuck, kid,” he pants, “You gotta quit spending so much time with Tseng and Laney!”

Tseng cuts in before I can respond. “What’s that supposed to mean, Reno?”

“It means they’re just as mean as you!” Reno responds. His almost-bewildered tone makes me laugh again. 

“You might consider watching your mouth if you want it to be soaped less often,” Tseng teases him. Reno just whines lowly in response, too whipped now to defend his pride. Instead, he keeps rinsing, sticking his fingers into his mouth to pick the soap out of his teeth. I briefly wonder if I should offer him a toothbrush from the cabinet… But nah. It’s all the more satisfying to think he’ll be tasting this for the rest of the day. 

Gods… Truly, I’ve never been so turned on from watching someone suffer before. Not that this is the most sadistic torture out there… but still. The power rush was epic, yet strange. I might have to watch myself and make sure I don’t get addicted to this… though I’m also willing to bet that being put on the receiving end on a regular basis will help me maintain a sense of empathy. I nibble my own lip again, which has gotten dry and chapped between last night’s soapings and how much I’ve been chewing on it today. I wonder if Reno’s tongue stings right now, or if there was room left for improvement…

“Lane...”

Tseng’s voice pulls my head out of the clouds. I turn to face him, and he grins at me.

“...Nice work.”

I can’t help but giggle - why did that embarrass me? “Th-thanks… I learned from the best, really.”

“Hm… You flatter me,” he says half-facetiously, then immediately firms up again, “Now clean up your mess and put the soap back in the box.”

“Y-Yes, Sir,” Fuck - how dare he sweep the rug out from under my toppy headspace? I was on fuckin’ fire, and he just had to take me down a peg. I almost pout as he turns and starts walking back to his desk. 

As he goes, his butt catches my eye - as it usually does (what can I say? He has a nice one!)... And it reminds me of something deliciously important. 

Before I can enact my scheme, I should actually clean up… But I turn to the sink to find Reno’s already wiped up the countertop and has pulled his soap box out of the cabinet to return the bar. He’s got it all taken care of, and as our eyes meet, he gives me a smirk.

“Let me guess,” he says, “You gonna go run back to your office now and stick your hands in your pants again?”

Oh, my face turns BRIGHT red. 

Fine then. No kindness or pity for him. Or for Tseng, for that matter - time for schemes.

“Hey, Tseng,” I call as I turn to walk back into his office. Reno’s eyes go wide - he probably thinks I’m about to tattle on him or something - but I have a different plan in mind.

“Yes, Lane?” Tseng’s already got his eyes back on his paperwork - he doesn’t even look up from it.

“How are you doing after this morning?”

That got his attention. His eyes zing with an almost scandalized look in my direction, as if to say, “ What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you dare.”

I’m gonna do it though. 

“Gotta admit - was a little surprised to see you sitting down when we got here,” I say, making sure I’m loud enough for Reno and Rude to hear. I can’t help but grin at him. “Guess I’ll have to let Rufus know he needs to go a little further next time.”

Tseng’s cheeks are turning red now, and his eyes are drilling through me with a sharpness that could cut steel. 

“Woah, Chief!” Reno exclaims with a laugh, “You mean you told us all about Lane’s morning and you left out all the juicy details about yours? ”

So Tseng did tell them about my morning - bastard! Oh, this is so well-deserved, then.

“Yeah, Lane mentioned something or other,” Rude adds with a grin, “Guess we’re supposed to ask you about it?”

Tseng’s angry, embarrassed look darts briefly to Reno and Rude in turn before it lands back on me. 

“If you are finished,” he says, his voice dark and frustrated, “You can return to your desks.”

“Aw, come on,” I push, “Don’t you-”

“ Lane, ” Oh, that was definitely more than a normal warning, “ Get. Back. To. Work.”

As much as I want to keep pushing… Oddly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tseng this on-edge. It’s honestly kinda scary - to the point that I briefly wonder if I’ve gone too far. I’m not violating his consent, am I? I… guess he would safeword if I was. Either way, I don’t need to find out what happens if I keep this up.

“Yes, Sir,” I say somewhat meekly. Reno, Rude and I all head toward the door, and on the way… Okay, maybe one last poke. 

“Guess you guys will have to ask Rufus instead,” I finish. Definitely loud enough for Tseng to hear. Even over the snickering from the boys behind me, I hear Tseng sigh with exasperation and slap his pen back down on his desk. 

At that, the door shuts behind us, and the three of us scurry away before Tseng chases us down, doing our best not to laugh out loud until we’re at least a few steps away from his door. After several seconds of inactivity, we realize he probably isn’t going to get us for this right now, so we pause to catch our breath.

“Oh my gods, kid… He’s gonna destroy you later,” Reno cackles.

“Yeah, I know…” I giggle back. Yeah, I’m sure I’m gonna suffer for this, but frankly, that look on Tseng’s face was totally worth it. Well worth another spanking and a soapstick, anyway. For sure.

“Really though,” Rude presses, “What happened that neither of you wanna tell us?”

“Oh, well… I guess since you already know…” I shrug - might as well, “After I… got caught this morning, we kinda came to the realization that I didn’t know there was a camera in my office… So Rufus thought Tseng needed to get a punishment of his own for forgetting to tell me that. And I got to watch.”

“Ohohoho,” Reno snickers, “What did he get?”

I grin and happily share, “He got paddled by both of us and then had to stand in the corner. Oh, and he’s probably still got a plug in - which Rufus lubed with soap first.”

Reno whistles at that while Rude chuckles.

“Bet that was a blast to watch,” the bigger Turk grins, “It’ll be interesting to get Rufus’s take on that as well.”

“Way ahead of ya,” Reno smirks. I turn to see that he’s got his phone out, and as soon as he taps the screen, I feel my own device vibrate in my pocket - the group chat. 

We’ve reached the elevator, which means this is where we part ways. Before I go, I pause.

“Hey, Reno?” I say. He turns to give me his attention, and I smile at him a little more kindly this time, “You gonna be okay?”

Reno snorts, “Of course I am, kid. As nasty as that soap is… It was fun to watch you in your element. I like seeing that fiery side of you every once in a while.”

“Pffft…” I wave away his compliments. In my element… is that what that was?

Before I can turn away again, Reno interrupts, “Oh, but for serious, I was gonna ask-” 

I give him the floor, and the bastard smirks.

“-Burlesque includes stripping, right?”

Before I can even reply, Rude’s broad hand sweeps back and gives Reno a hard smack on the ass, making the redhead yip. I laugh, but despite it, I have to swallow my pride and reply honestly.

“It… doesn’t always include stripping…”

“But it does!” Reno shouts and points at me, then turns an indignant look to Rude. “I was right all along!”

“You were oversimplifying it!” I debate. 

“Would you brats cut it out? Reno, let Lane go back to work,” Rude scolds us (with a smile, though). 

As the elevator doors shut, I lean against the back wall and sigh. Looking down, I notice, to my great embarrassment, some white-outlined drops of dried soap on my pants. 

Guess I’m doing my second walk-of-shame of the day, then. If I’m lucky, maybe my coworkers will think it’s cum and not soap - that would at least make a lot more sense. The smell probably gives it away, though - I’ll just have to be quick.

Back in my office with the door locked, the scent is a lot more obvious on me, but it smells like heaven all the same. As I sink back down into my desk chair, I sigh happily. Tilting my head back, I see my bookshelves, and I stare at them for a moment. Where the hell is that camera, anyway? The curiosity drives me to stand and start scrutinizing - is it behind a book? Maybe under one of the shelves?

My phone vibrates in my pocket. This time, I have the good sense to check it, and I’m glad I do - it’s a text from Tseng.

“It’s replacing a screw. Second shelf down, middle section, on the upper-right joint.”

Well, damn - that screw definitely looks different from the rest. It’s shinier, and now I can tell that it has a lens instead of a standard screw head. Wow… that’s so small! I didn’t even realize cameras could get that tiny…

Another question pops into my head, and I text it.

“Does it also pick up sound?”

“Yes. I usually keep the feed muted though.”

Instead of texting back, I look up at the micro-lens and wave. 

“Thank you!”

I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of all this as I sit back down. 

So, the problem with all the excitement of the morning is that I am now going to be even less productive than I already was. As embarrassing as Reno’s comment was about me sticking my hands back in my pants when I got back up here… I am admittedly very tempted. 

But Tseng is obviously still watching me. And between the trouble I got myself in by masturbating in here earlier, and the extra humiliation I just served him, I am absolutely certain my ass is gonna suffer enough when I get punished tomorrow. There will be no more touching myself in my office for the foreseeable future. Or, at least, not until I get a craving for more discipline. Though, even then… I’m gonna wait and see what my coming discipline looks like before I make any final calls.

In the meantime, I have to at least make an attempt at working. It goes predictably poorly - I wind up spending most of the afternoon switching between fantasizing about future boudoir shoot themes, daydreaming about last night, and keeping up with the group chat.

Reno: @Rufus got a question for u when u got a sex

Reno: sec*

Elena: Lmao nice

Reno: >:P

Rufus: Yes?

Reno: I heard Tseng had a fun morning & that you were the person to ask about it ;)

Rufus: Ha, oh yes… But why not ask him?

Reno: He didn’t wanna answer…

Rufus: Really? Good to know. Did he tell you to ask me?

Reno: Nope, that was @Lane

Rufus: Ah, I see… Well, what did you want to know?

Reno: I mean, Lane kinda spilled the beans already, but I just wanted a second source. And the defendant ain’t talkin. 

Rufus: You just want to embarrass him in the group chat then, huh?

Reno: No, @Lane is the one who said to ask!

Lane: I didn’t tell you to put it in the group chat! I just told you to ask Rufus!

Tseng: It’s amazing how quickly you both forget the number of consequences you’ve already racked up. 

Rufus: And it’s amazing how you, @Tseng, wouldn’t answer Reno’s simple question. 

Rufus: Do you want to tell everyone about your morning, or will I have that pleasure?

Rufus lets five full minutes pass after that one - giving him ample opportunity.

Rufus: Alright, then. My pleasure, I guess. 

Rufus: @Reno, to answer your question - Tseng sent me into a meeting this morning unprepared, and it put me in a very embarrassing situation. So I went ahead and returned the favor with a paddle, a hairbrush, a plug, and a corner. Fairly straightforward. 

Rude: What, no soap?

Rufus: Oh yes, there was a little soap - in some very strategic places.

Reno: @Tseng is it still there?? Lmao

Elena: !!!!?

Rufus: @Reno @Tseng It better be.

Reno: And what exactly was the meeting he sent u into, boss? ;)

Rufus: Proprietary.

Reno: Really? Cuz Tseng said he had a real nice view of u pounding Lane!

Rufus: Oh, I know. I’m sure he enjoyed that meeting just as much as we did. 

Elena: Wait, why was soap involved!? Where!???

Reno: Lmao, Laney saw her favorite word XD

Rufus: @Elena, Tseng has @Lane to thank for that. They were telling me earlier about how it was supposed to be a little turnabout for last night, but I don’t believe they were ever able to finish that story…

Reno: @Lane what other secrets are you keeping from us???? SPILL

Elena: OMFG that’s right, I forgot you two had the party last night!!! What happened!!?

Lane: …You know what? You can ask Tseng about that one. 

Reno: @Tseng

Elena: @Tseng

Rufus: @Tseng

Rude: @Tseng

FUCK. 

And less than ten seconds later…

Tseng: Are you sure about that, Lane?

I… cannot answer him. He doesn’t give me long to decide, anyway - 30 seconds go by before…

Tseng: Well, then. My pleasure.

That man spends the next twenty minutes, minimum, sending the most thoroughly detailed play-by-play to the group chat, one message at a time. He floods it - there must be twenty messages in a row there, most of which tag me so I can’t ignore them, and no one says a word in between. He describes my first bath in excruciating detail - from shampoo to soapstick to enema (rekindling that horribly mortified feeling), then my “inspection” in his playroom. He touches briefly on my collaring, not letting the sweet sentiment interrupt what is undoubtedly part one of my karmic punishment for teasing him in front of the guys earlier, before carrying straight into our flogging scene and then the wax/spanking/soap scene at the end. And it doesn’t even end there, because he also describes our later bathtub adventure in just as much detail as the first. 

Tseng: I believe that’s it - so far. Sound accurate @Lane?

Reno: Damn!!!! No wonder they had soap on their mind today, you used so much it replaced their brain!!!

Elena: 0////////0

Rude: Sounds like a soaped-up plug was pretty well warranted, if you ask me.

Tseng: I did not ask.

Reno: Yeah, we noticed XD

Rufus: Thank you @Tseng - I appreciate your detailed reports, as always ;)

Rufus: So when do the rest of us get to watch all of this happen again?

Elena: If you make me just stay in the audience while you do all that, I swear to gods, I will make you regret it!

Tseng: Elena, what have we said about making threats?

Elena: This one wasn’t specific though! That doesn’t count!

Tseng: Oh, yes it does. At the rate you’re going, you’ll earn your own way to the same treatment soon enough. 

Elena: Is that a promise??

Tseng: THAT is a threat. You know I won’t go easy on you like I did for Lane.

Reno: You call THAT going easy?! Remind me not to get on your bad side anymore…

Tseng: Reno, why don’t you scroll up to the top of this conversation and take a look at who started it?

Tseng: You are already there. 

Once again, these walls had better be soundproof - I cannot keep myself from literally laughing out loud at these conversations.

Things eventually quiet down, though. I still can’t focus, but the day’s almost over, anyway. If nothing else, it served as a good brainstorming day. I’m packing up my things, ten minutes left on the clock, when there’s a knock on my door. When I open it up, I find a certain redhead standing there.

“Hey, kid,” he says, “You ready to go?”

“Uh…” I hesitate, confused, “Go…where?”

“Downstairs. You’re gonna come spar with us, remember?”

Oh, fuck. I never actually intended to agree to that. I thought I’d made that pretty clear… but I guess, now that I think about it, we never really came to a consensus. 

“Uh… right. Reno, listen, it was super kind of you guys to offer, but I don’t think-”

“Not offering anymore,” he smirks, crossing his arms and tilting his weight to one hip, “Tseng cleared it as self-defense training. This is on Chief's orders."

Fuck. I wrack my brain for a way out of this, but Reno reaches and grabs me by the wrist, dragging me along. “H-Hey! Reno-!”

“C’mon, kid - Rude’s waitin’ for us!” He’s having way too much fun with this - enjoying the eyes of all my coworkers on us, I suppose.

“Well, at least wait for me to lock the door first!”

Within the next minute, I’m fully packed, my door is locked, and Reno’s hand is back on my wrist, dragging me toward the elevators. As we ride all the way down to B3 and make our way down the hall, he makes small talk.

“So - how much work did you actually get done today?”

“Didn’t really have any work to do…” I answer, mostly honest. I could’ve been working on one of Marjorie’s projects, I guess… but frankly, I had better things to pay attention to.

“So, jack shit,” Reno smirks. I shrug innocently, which turns his smirk into a laugh.

I retaliate, not letting him take control back from me just yet, “What about you? Did you enjoy picking soap out of your teeth all through your training this afternoon?”

“Joke’s on you - I brushed my teeth before we started.”

“Damn,” I snicker. Right about then, we reach the door Reno’s been leading me toward. When he opens it, I realize we’re in the same training room Tseng had me in for firearms training last week. This time though, where there had previously been a wide-open empty grid in one half of the room, there is now a raised boxing ring, encircled with thick elastic ropes. How the fuck did that get there so fast? Standing next to it, Rude is waiting, taking a swig from a sporty water bottle. He’s dressed in workout clothes - a light gray tank top, navy gym shorts, and matching sweatbands on his wrists, though his glasses disrupt the flow of the look a little. 

“Okay - I’m gonna go change real quick,” Reno reports, giving us both that little two-fingered salute he does, “Be right back!”

I am left alone with Rude. I start to casually make my way toward him, but can’t help but meander, turning side to side and looking around at the room again. 

“Have you not been in here yet?” Rude asks.

“Oh, no, I have - Tseng and I did our firearms training here… But I don’t remember that being in here last time…” I point to the boxing ring.

“This room is actually a VR training space. We can alter its appearance to whatever we need. Tseng had it set to the shooting range, I’m sure. We like having it set to the ring.” Rude gestures to the floor, covered in square-shaped tiles, “Each of these boxes can rise up and form platforms.”

“Wow,” I can’t help but marvel at the tile.

“Yeah, it’s pretty neat,” Rude smirks, then starts walking my way, “How was your day?”

I can only grin at that question now. “Pretty damn good.”

“Figured,” he returns my expression, “You all tuckered out now? Or do you think you’re ready to go a few more rounds?”

I am… not sure whether he means sparring, or like, sex or something. Either way…

“I think I’m good to go. For now.”

He hums affirmatively, “Guess we’ll see how you feel after a little warm-up.” I wish I could see his eyes through his glasses - it would probably tell me which direction he’s trying to take this conversation - but the smirk on his lips could still go either way. 

The door reopens, and Reno steps out - dressed similarly to his partner, in a white tank top and forest green shorts. 

“Heads up!” he calls, and I turn just in time to catch a bundle of fabric flying through the air. Unfurling it, I find another pair of shorts - maroon, this time - and another gray tank. God, fuck - they really are going to make me work, huh?

“Quit throwin’ shit!” I hear Rude’s voice. I look up at him, only to get hit in the arm with something a lot harder than fabric. It thumps down and bounces a few times on the floor, along with a partner - a pair of tennis shoes. 

“Yeesh… What, no ‘thank you, Reno, for finding some shoes in the right size?’” the redhead snarks as he reaches up to pull a sweatband into the spot his goggles usually rest on during the workday. 

“No one’s gonna thank you for pelting them with shoes,” Rude shakes his head at his bratty partner. Reno just laughs in response.

“Whatever. We doin’ this or what?” 

“Whenever Lane’s ready,” Rude says, and both of them turn and give me a pointed look. 

“Uh… sure,” I say hesitantly, “Um… locker room is…?” I await directions.

“Just change here,” Reno blows me off, “Not like we haven’t already seen it all anyway, right?”

Heat fills my face… But he’s not exactly wrong. I reach down and get my pants off, changing as the two partners ascend the steps into the ring together. Rude takes one end, Reno takes the other, and they both start to stretch before straightening back up. 

“One quick round?” Reno asks, sounding eager to go.

Rude casts me a glance, seeing me just about to start unlacing the shoes. “One round,” he answers, “Just so Lane can start stretching.”

Sheesh - it’s been a while since I’ve had to do that, but I mean, I’m not a stranger to exercise. Pole takes a lot of conditioning to do well, and while I’ve kinda let myself go in the last year, I haven’t forgotten my usual warm-up routine. I still do it sometimes, when I wake up feeling particularly stiff in the mornings.

The question is really whether I’ll be able to do it while I watch Reno and Rude. Because I don’t think I can keep my eyes off this.

The air in the room goes still as they lock eyes. Simultaneously, they take their stances - Rude plants his feet solid, while Reno pushes up onto his toes, prepped to move. He takes the first step toward his partner, and then another, just a little faster. And then there’s a bright blue blur as he zips forward the rest of the way. I wasn’t expecting it, but Rude clearly was - he blocks the punch Reno throws at him effortlessly. The redhead uses the pushback to elegantly backflip out of Rude’s reach. 

“Don’t tell me you’re goin’ easy on me just ‘cuz you don’t wanna scare the audience,” Reno grins ferally. His voice has dropped into something darker than usual - wilder, maybe. I recognize it from that time he roughed up those thugs who tried to mug me. 

“This is just the first round,” Rude replies, “I’m saving my strength. You know that.” Gods, fuck… his voice has also dropped even deeper. It’s similar to the tone he’s used during our previous bedroom escapades. 

Reno replies to his partner’s claim with another bolt in, this time ending in a kick, which Rude again blocks. This time, Rude throws a left hook, but Reno gracefully bends to dodge it. 

I know I’ve said it before, but everything these two do together feels more intimate than usual, like the bond they share is palpable. I feel it again - that swelling feeling that crops up just from watching them. Something about the way they lock eyes, or the scattered smiles and smirks that pepper their match between punches - I can hardly look away (though I do at least manage to get some of my stretching routine in, too).

Finally, Reno coaxes Rude far enough forward out of the corner to zip around behind him. Using the bounceback from the elastic rings, he kicks at the back of Rude’s knee and sends his partner down. He then attempts to grapple from the back, but Rude somersaults halfway forward, taking Reno with him and laying him prone before getting a strong grip on his neck with both hands. They both freeze, letting the sound of their heavy panting stand alone. 

“Ugh,” Reno finally groans, “I have got to figure out how to pull that move off.”

“It’s not difficult to counter,” Rude replies as he eases off his partner and stands up, “I know it looks effective, but it’s harder to execute than it seems.”

“Yeah, obviously…” Reno grumbles as he gets himself upright again. Rude offers him a hand and helps him up, and from there, Reno recedes to the far corner of the ring while Rude steps to the side closest to me. 

“You wanna give it a try?” he asks me with a grin. 

“I… think I would like to live, thanks.” 

“Ah, c’mon kid - get up here. Rude can spot you. And I promise I’ll take it easy on ya, okay?” Reno calls from his corner. 

“Reno…” I answer, “Listen, I… I-It’s nice of you to offer to let me join you, but frankly, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”

“Aw, you’ll be fine - we’ll show you the ropes, one step at a time. You want a little demonstration first?

“Uh… sure?” I say tentatively, making my way up the steps. Didn’t I just see the demonstration?

“Great - come on in,” he smiles, and so I duck under the rings and follow his beckoning finger a few more steps forward. I’m not sure what to expect - I guess he’s gonna throw punches at the air or something?

Instead, in just a split second, he zips toward me in a blue flash. Something sweeps my ankles out from under me, and I land hard on my side. Luckily, the matted floor of the ring is soft and bouncy… But it still fucking hurts!

“That…” Reno smirks at me from above, “...Was for the soap.”

I wheeze, trying to reclaim the breath that he knocked out of me. So much for a clever response.

“Reno!” Rude scolds him, but Reno just laughs and bounds away from us.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” the redhead giggles, “I couldn’t miss the chance… But I promise I’ll go easier. For real this time.”

“Fuck you,” I spit from the floor.

Reno laughs, “Not ‘til later.” Oh… Guess there’s my answer.

 I regain my bearings and start to push myself upward, finding Rude leaning down to help. I take his outstretched hand and feel myself get effortlessly swept back up to my feet. 

“Don’t worry,” Rude says quietly, almost whispering to me, “We’ll get him back for that.”

In response, I smile, but I have to break it off as Rude steps back behind me and curls his muscled arms across my shoulders. The smooth heat makes me shiver.

“Okay… In a self-defense situation, a good defensive strategy is foundational. You gotta protect yourself first, and you look for openings while you’re defending. And defense starts with a strong stance, so stagger your legs. Imagine your feet at two opposite corners of a square… and turn your feet, too. That’ll keep you stable when you take a hit.”

I swallow hard at the realization that I am, in fact, about to be taking hits. Although… It’s probably not that different from BDSM, right? That’s just taking hits left and right. And I’ve seen cool-looking grappling scenes at parties… Yeah, if nothing else, it must be similar. 

Yeesh, why am I thinking about that right now? I have more important things to worry about - like not getting hit in the face, apparently, as Rude lifts my arms. 

“Get ready,” Rude says, “Arms up. Get them in front of your face - that covers the most area, and your face is what you want to protect the most right off the bat.” He lifts his head above mine and speaks up - “Reno, you ready?”

“Sure am!” I can’t see Reno with my arms in front of my face, but I can hear him clearly and feel the springy floor underneath me bounce up and down a little. 

“Alright,” Rude responds. I sense him give Reno a nod, and then the spring mat starts to pound with Reno’s footsteps.

“Brace-” Rude says, squeezing my wrists. I tense.

Reno’s fist knocks into my forearm.

“Ouch!” I shout. That hurt a lot more than I thought it would!

“Oh shit!” Reno immediately breaks his form, and I feel him touch me, “Sorry kid, that was my bad.”

“Reno, what the hell?” Rude asks, sounding all the more irritated.

“I’m sorry!” Reno defends again, “I… I didn’t think that through.”

“Open palms, man,” Rude instructs, but Reno’s already bounding back to his side of the mat and interrupts - “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Rude then turns in to me. “You okay, Lane?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say honestly - though I can tell that’s gonna leave a nasty bruise. I’ve survived worse. 

“Okay. One more time then?”

“Sure.”

“Alright - open palms , Reno.”

Reno interrupts him again. “Yeah, got it, got it.”

Rude helps me reform my stance, instructing me to squat a little deeper. My arms go in front of my face again, and the bouncing floor indicates when Reno starts to move toward me. 

Pomf. This time, the hit is on my opposite arm and is way lighter, made with the butt of his palm - much softer than his fist. 

“There you go,” Rude praises me, talking right in my ear, “Good job.”

I shiver again. Gods, fuck. I remember when Tseng was wrapped up behind me like this, showing me how to shoot a gun - it had left me with a very similar feeling to now. Is there something in this room? Why do I end up feeling butterflies every single time I’m in here?

Reno and Rude run me through the same drill several more times, with Rude never taking his hands off me. Even when he starts to move away, his hands slip down to my waist instead, bracing my lower back. Then he lets me try a few completely on my own, and then they run me through the process of defending from kicks. All the while, the boys banter at each other - teasing and poking fun. 

On one particularly hard kick, I grunt. Embarrassed, I immediately apologize - “...Sorry.”

Reno just laughs. “Don’t worry about makin’ noise, kid - Rude likes when his partners are loud!” 

“Oh, they know,” Rude responds, moving me to block a kick with the side of my leg, “If I wanted peace and quiet, I wouldn’t be puttin’ up with your big mouth every day.”

“Funny - you weren’t complaining about this ‘big mouth’ last night!” Reno teases, sticking his tongue out at his partner. 

“Didn’t have to,” Rude answers, then winds us up for an offensive kick that punctuates his sentence, “You weren’t talking!”

We switch to some light offense next, with Rude guiding me through how to look for opportunities to hit Reno back (I, too, am instructed to use the butt of my palm - not for Reno’s sake, but so I don’t hurt myself before I know how to properly hold a fist. Not something I realized could happen). Rude stays curled around me and indicates weak points - both on myself, and on Reno. Some of them are standard, but Reno apparently has a few old injuries that can be exploited in battle (“Classified info, obviously - don’t let that leave this room”). 

“Another weak spot for Reno is the center of his chest,” Rude explains, guiding my hand to deliver a solid strike there (which Reno takes effortlessly, of course), “Since he won’t button up his damn shirt to protect it.”

“Like one layer of fabric is gonna be protective!” Reno scoffs. He slowly picks up his leg to bring a weak kick in my direction, and Rude’s leg picks up to intercept it. I copy it exactly (though my leg is a bit shorter, so I don’t connect). 

“It’d protect you from spells,” Rude counters, “You always bitch about Blizzards, then leave your whole damn chest exposed - it’s no wonder.”

Reno barks out a laugh, “Well, at least mine’s got a reason behind it. Still not sure why you’re afraid of a little wind, partner.”

“It makes it harder to use Earth spells,” Rude explains, “Not to mention fucking with my balance when I’m trying to land kicks.”

“Yeah, well, if you can believe this, the cold makes it a whole lot harder to move fast.” Reno says facetiously as he throws another open-handed punch my way. I block it - on my own this time, apparently, as Rude has suddenly released my arms. I’m glad he’s still behind me, because Reno’s hit would’ve knocked me off-balance otherwise - guess I wasn’t braced for it properly.

The two have locked eyes, staring each other down - sharing a thought. 

“Are we thinking the same thing?” Reno asks his partner.

“...You think Tseng would approve?” Rude asks slowly. Reno squints in thought.

“Probably…” he responds just as slowly. “It’s not like we have to go in deep - just a little taste, right?” Woah, what the hell? That took a turn. 

“Yeah… that should be okay,” Rude says. Reno takes the cue and steps to the side of the ring, vaulting himself right over the side and jogging up to the wall of weaponry on the other end of the room.

“Uh… what’s happening?” I ask, clueless as ever as I try to catch my breath. Gods, that sounded suggestive as hell…

Rude grins at me. “How do you feel about trying out some materia?”

Woah! “R-really?”

“Yeah - it makes fights a whole lot easier, as long as you got the right type.”

“Huh… I mean, sure!” I happily agree. Wow… I get to try materia! That’s so cool!

Within another minute, Reno has returned with two green materia in one hand, and his EMR in the other.

“Here, kid - catch!” he says. 

Lucky I’m paying attention, because one of the orbs - about the size of an orange - arcs through the air toward me. I successfully catch it… And immediately drop it with a shriek. 

“What the fuck!?” It… It was buzzing in my hand! Gods, I’ve never felt anything like that before - it’s terrifying!

“Chill out, kid - it’s just a regular Lightning materia,” Reno shrugs nonchalantly.

“Do they always feel like that?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

My brain can only form one random thought. “...How can you stand to have your tongue pierced with that?”

“I mean, it’s just electricity. It’s not like it makes my teeth buzz - you get used to it real quick.”

I still shudder at the thought of that. I could see it being fun for play or something, but all the time sounds hellish.

Rude steps up and leans down to pick up the materia I dropped. 

“Lightning? Reno, why didn’t you grab an Aero, or something… gentler?”

“‘Cuz Lightning’s the easiest to cast,” Reno explains, “And besides - Lane needs something to aim at, so…”

He stands in the center of the boxing ring and stretches out his arms dramatically.

“Go ahead, kid - hit me!”

I balk.

“...Guys, I don’t have any idea how this works.”

“Yeah… we know,” Rude sighs, “Or at least, I know…”

“Materia’s a… well, it’s the kinda thing you gotta feel your way through,” Reno tells me, “It lets you channel the planet’s energy and turn it into a spell. That’s why Lightning’s usually the easiest. Just hold it in your left hand, focus on the buzz, get yourself aligned with it… Then just ‘think’ the spell toward me, call Thunder out loud, and cast it from your right palm like you’re throwing the energy.”

“Isn’t that… gonna hurt?” I ask timidly.

“Nah, it’s never gonna touch you. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I meant… hurt you .”

Reno snorts. “Kid, you know how many times I’ve accidentally shocked myself with this thing?” He spins his EMR on his fingers like a baton, “And speaking of which, this has a Lightning materia equipped already. I’m tuned into mine, and that’ll make it hurt way less. Don’t worry about me - just focus on your technique.”

I… guess I’ll try. 

“Reno…” Rude admonishes him, “Hold on - I’m gonna get a different one.”

Reno opens his mouth to debate, but Rude’s already descending the steps and heading toward the materia shelf-case - taking the orb I dropped with him. Reno huffs, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out the second materia orb he grabbed. He tosses it to me, and again, I catch it. This time, I can at least anticipate the zing - I do my absolute best to keep it in my hands.

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Reno repeats, stretching his arms out again, “Just give it a shot.”

O…kay. I do my best to follow Reno’s instructions - I let the buzzing orb slip into my left hand, and I hold it tightly. The buzz reverberates through my wrist and into the rest of my body. I take a good look at Reno, face my body toward him, and close my eyes. 

Lightning, I think. Lightning, Thunder, electricity, zapping… Zapping Reno. It’s not gonna hurt him, just a little test-zap… Just gonna cast it in his direction… Just gonna… 

“...Calling Thunder!”

With my right palm, I swing back and throw air, following through in Reno’s direction. I feel my body hair stand on end, and a static-y charge billows up in the air. Vaguely, I hear Rude call my name through the vibrating. I open my eyes. 

Reno is holding his EMR up like a lightning rod. As I stare, a few visible sparks form around the tip.

There is nothing else. No big bolts, or audible thunder - just a couple tiny snaps, like the sound of touching a doorknob after walking across the carpet in slippers. 

Reno’s brow furrows in confusion. 

“Uh… Did I do it wrong?” I ask.

“I don’t… think so?” Reno answers, sounding just as hesitant as I am, “Everything looked right. You had a good stance, good form… Good everything, really. Just… I don’t know. Maybe you didn’t focus on it right?”

“Huh? How the hell am I supposed to focus on it?”

“Everyone interprets that differently,” Rude clarifies from behind me as he steps back into the ring, “What works for one person might not work for another. But Reno’s right - your form and stance looked great. And… you did get a few little sparks.”

“Yeah… a few,” Reno echoes, still looking up at the tip of his EMR like he’s trying to visually investigate what went wrong. While I watch him do that, Rude grabs my hand and deftly swaps the Lightning materia for another one. This one is also green, like the last one, but the swirling pattern in it is different. Whereas Lightning materia look like they have a miniature thunderstorm streaked with bolts rolling inside them, this one looks like it has some sort of cloudy current. The feeling in my hand is different, too - there is no live-wire buzzing, but instead, there’s a lightness, as if the orb wants to float off and drift away. I swear I can feel the lightest of drafty breezes emanating from my palm. 

“Why don’t you give this one a try?” Rude suggests, “This is a low-level Aero materia. You might find it easier to use - some folks click better with lower-level stuff when they’re just starting out.”

“Gotcha - what should I aim at?”

Rude looks pointedly at Reno, sassily enough for me to see it through his glasses. Reno’s face twists into a sneer, but he doesn’t move from his spot - just puts his hands on his hips and pouts. 

Okay… I try again, setting my stance as it was before, letting the materia sit in my off-hand and feeling the air as I focus. Wind, blowing breeze… Tornado! Big wind! Gusts of a hundred miles per hour! (I have a strong suspicion that my failure with the last one was due to my hesitance, trying not to hurt Reno… so screw it. He can take a full-force hit from a gale of wind; he’ll be fine.)

“Calling Aero!” I announce it more confidently this time. I throw out my right hand to cast - a little harder, putting more faith and effort into it. I open my eyes to watch.

The tips of Reno’s spiked hair sway like he just walked under an air vent.

“What the hell?” I stare down at the orb in my hand, “What am I doing wrong?” 

“You… probably just need some practice,” Rude says. Reno now leaves his spot and comes over, holding his hand out for the materia. Not thinking, I hand it over, and before we can say anything, he casts it. An absolutely bracing blast of wind pounds my face and mostly-bare body, knocking my little frame straight back against Rude, who’s having his own struggle with it.

“Reno!”

“What? I was testing to make sure it wasn’t a dud.”

“It came out of our materia reserve. Of course it’s not a dud,” Rude admonishes him. 

We are interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind us. Rude and I turn around, and Reno leans around us to look. 

Tseng walks in, his eyes locked on the three of us. Rude immediately shifts the Lightning materia he took from me behind his back, and in my peripheral, I see Reno hide his materia, too. 

“How’s it going in here?” Tseng asks.

“Going great, boss!” Reno replies confidently, “We just stopped for a water break!”

“I see,” Tseng doesn’t seem to suspect anything amiss yet, “Lane - how are you holding up? They’re not being too rough on you, are they?”

“Uh…” I mean, not anymore… unless you count getting blasted with an Aero spell as rough. But I get the sense from Reno and Rude’s reactions that Tseng isn’t going to be happy if he finds out we were messing with materia… so I lie. 

“...No, not really.”

“Well, good,” Tseng says, sounding quite pleased. “Would you like to show me anything you’ve learned?”

“Um…” I turn to look at Reno, who fakes a smile and a forced shrug at me. Not helpful. “...Yes?”

Now Tseng has picked up on something being off. His pleased expression falls just a little, his eyes turning back to serious stone. 

“Well, go ahead.”

Rude expertly turns around without letting the materia be seen, and I follow him. Reno does the same a second later, and the two of them exchange glances before each stuffing them into their shorts pockets - Reno on his left, Rude on his right.

…I hope they don’t expect to get away with that, because having a heavy, orange-sized bulge in the pockets of gym shorts isn’t exactly subtle. 

I look back at Tseng - trying to act casual, like I’m taking my spot and just waiting for the guys. The Director’s face has gone even darker. Now he’s glaring at the three of us, arms crossed, foot tapping. As I stare at him (sorry, guys - can’t help myself), he slowly turns his head to the materia case - a portion of which is open, the glass lid flipped up. Fuck… he knows.

“Reno, Rude…” Tseng growls, “Would either of you care to explain to me what you’ve been doing in here for the last hour?” It’s been an hour already? Damn… didn’t feel like it. 

“Uh…” Rude loses his words, going silent. Reno does the talking for him.

“We’ve been running some defense and blocking strategies, Sir. Just some slow kicks and palm strikes, that’s all.”

Tseng’s not having it. “There better not be any materia in that ring with you.” 

Dripping with guilt, both of my sparring partners reach silently into their pockets, extract the orbs, and display them in their palms (all still in perfect sync, making me have to fight a smile). 

“I can’t believe the two of you. Honestly.” Tseng can’t decide whether to sound pissed off or tired as hell. 

“I-It’s a good self-defense tool!” Reno tries to defend their choice.

“We only tried one cast of each, Sir. Just these two,” Rude adds, minimizing the damage with honesty, “We’ve only been doing this for maybe five minutes, at the most.”

I feel like I should say something as well - help get these two out of hot water, if I can. They’re in it because of me, after all. “It hasn’t really been working, anyway.”

At that, Tseng rests his eyes on me. His face softens a little - dropping the glare and taking on a different look that I can’t quite place right away. It might be… confusion? Is that what that looks like on him?

“What do you mean, it hasn’t been working?”

“I… I…” I look at the guys, not sure what I should or shouldn’t say to keep them out of trouble, hoping they’ll bail me out… But Rude just kinda shrugs and nods down to Tseng, as if to say ‘Just tell him.’  

I take a deep breath and spit it out. “I’ve been trying to cast them, but it’s not working. I don’t think I’m doing it right.”

Tseng’s eyes soften even more at that - somewhere between confusion and concern. Without a word, he steps toward us, climbing the stairs and gracefully ducking under the ropes to enter the ring.

“Let me see your arm,” he says to me. 

Oh… Random, but okay. Unsure of which one he wants, I hold out both. He takes hold of my right one and bends it to get a good look at one side of my forearm - where Reno really hit me hard, I realize. 

“You’ve got a bad bruise forming here.” He bends my whole arm back a little further, tucking my wrist under my chin and exposing the best view he can give me of the site. Yowch - he is not lying. That’s already turning weird colors. Dammit, Reno…

“Try this.”

I look back up to see Tseng pull something out of an inner jacket pocket and hold it out to me. Though this materia is green like the rest, it’s closer to the size of a ping-pong ball and has a beautiful shimmer within. It might be the prettiest one I’ve ever seen. 

“...Woah.”

“This is Healing materia,” Tseng explains patiently, “Have you tried one of these yet?”

“No?” I peek back at Reno and Rude to make sure I’m right. They shake their heads, confirming. 

“It works the same as other materia,” Tseng explains, “Except you’ll cast it on yourself. The spell you’re going to cast is called ‘Cure’ - I want you to try to heal the bruise on your arm. That should be easy for a materia like this, especially at this level.” 

“Okay.” Third time’s the charm, I guess - maybe. “If I’m casting on myself, what… direction should I cast?”

“Over your head,” Tseng answers succinctly, “Like you’re throwing dust in the air.”

I can do that.

I take the materia from Tseng’s gloved hand. This one is warm to the touch (though that might be because it was just in Tseng’s jacket) and feels in the palm of my hand the way a potion feels when you drink it. The best way I can describe it is “fizzy” (though this is a lot less intense than a potion). 

I try something else this time - focusing on that feeling more than anything else. I imagine that fizz flowing through my body toward the bruise on my arm, like potion fizz radiating to the site of an injury. I don’t think in words - I think in feelings. Calmness, serenity, cleanness. I picture my skin, again unblemished. 

Something in that focus approaches and rapidly sharpens - like a lens flare. Now.

I cast the spell, raining it from my fingertips across the sky above me. I feel a dust settle over my skin. It tingles a little more on my bruise… and, to my utter confusion, on my butt. 

…Did it work? I open my eyes and look at my arm. Maybe the shades of green have lifted a little… but everything else is still very much there.

“ Fuck .” I hiss.

Tseng sighs - not in exasperation, but in concern, if his face is any indication. 

“How did that feel?” he asks.

“It felt… different than the other times I tried,” I do my best to recount accurately, “It felt sharper - more focused, somehow. Like there was a moment when I just knew it was the right time to do it.”

“Damn,” I hear Reno whisper behind me.

That doesn’t seem to have assuaged Tseng’s concerns at all. “That’s… That’s usually the mark of a perfect cast. But… I barely noticed any improvement. Did you feel anything healing?”

“Yeah - I felt it tingle in my arm…” I shift uncomfortably as I mumble an admittance, “...And… my butt.”

Reno and Rude snicker aloud. Tseng bites his lip to try to hide a smile - mostly succeeding, but not enough for me to miss it. 

“We bruised that up last night,” he reminds me.

“Ohhh… That makes way more sense,” I let myself laugh now… until Tseng takes the materia from my hand and draws a small circle with a downward-pointed index finger. 

“Well then, turn around. Let’s see if those bruises healed at all.”

“W-What?”

“Sometimes a Cure spell will accidentally redirect to a different injury,” Tseng explains, still trying to keep his face straight, “So I need to know if anything happened there before we make any assumptions.”

Blushing, I turn around to face Reno and Rude, and lower the back of my shorts and underwear to let Tseng see. 

“...No change, as far as I can tell,” he says. Frustrated, I pull my damn pants back up and turn again, finding Tseng’s face no longer fighting a smile. He almost looks… sad. 

“Is… Is there something wrong with me?” I can’t help it - I have to ask.

Tseng’s hesitance does not make me feel better.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he finally says determinedly, “Just… materia use doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Some people are simply not attuned to it. I wouldn’t call it common… but it’s certainly not unheard of.”

My heart sinks. So… I just… can’t use materia, then? Wow… That is not the answer I wanted to hear. 

“Some people improve with practice,” Tseng quickly adds, “So we can continue trying. There are a lot of variables that can make a difference in your casting. We’ll try again another time…” He pauses to cast a very sharp look at Reno and Rude behind me, “But only with explicit approval. ”

“Yes, Sir,” they both hurriedly answer.

Tseng then turns back to me, taking my arm in hand again and facing my bruise toward him. As I watch, he activates the materia he took back. A green current glitters through the air and surrounds my arm, tingling ten times as much as when I did it… and only on my arm bruise, not my butt at all. While Tseng works - healing me perfectly, effortlessly, in less than five seconds - he continues to make casual conversation. 

“Did the three of you practice any hand-to-hand skills?”

“Yes, Sir,” Rude answers for us, “We spent the last hour working on both defensive and offensive strategies.”

“Then you’re going to demonstrate some progress for me.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tseng releases me, and I twist my arm again to look at the site of the bruise. It’s completely gone - like it was never even there. He hardly had to put any thought into that.

“Healing is my specialty,” Tseng interrupts my train of thought, “So don’t compare yourself to me. I’ve had almost two decades of practice with it.”

“...Gotcha,” I mumble in reply. That just isn’t fair. 

“Well,” Tseng puts a hand on my shoulder and turns me back toward the guys, “Don’t worry about that right now. I want to see what else you’ve been learning. Go ahead.”

I return to Rude, curling in next to him, and he wraps his arms around me. 

“What are you doing?” Tseng’s voice interrupts us again.

“Uh…” Rude hesitates, trailing off to silence again. 

“It’s fine to reach in and correct their form,” Tseng scolds, “But you can’t do everything for them. Step back.”

Rude lets me go, leaving me standing on my own two (shaky) legs. Even Reno looks at me with a sort of unready cluelessness. Even though we practiced this earlier, just one-on-one, that was at least half an hour ago. Do I even remember what to do…?

“Stances.”

Tseng is not waiting for us anymore - he starts barking orders. Reno and I both set our feet and lift our arms - me, into a defensive position. 

“Go.”

Reno still hesitates, but takes a few slow steps toward me. I get my arms up and tensed, waiting for his first hit. When he throws it, palm open, it’s the lightest one he’s given me yet - easy to block; he’s barely tapping me. It’s leagues different from how this all started, when he swept my feet out from under me and gave me that wicked bruise. He gives a weak kick now, slow enough that I can intercept it with my own.

“That’s enough,” Tseng announces, then makes my stomach drop: “Switch partners.”

“Huh?” Reno gives him a look of confusion, but I get the sense that Tseng answers him with a look of his own, because Reno quickly wipes that look off his face and leaves the spot. Rude, just as apprehensive, takes the spot instead. Setting his own stance, he raises his arms up as if poised to strike.

We… never practiced like this. I haven’t sparred with Rude yet. I have no idea what to expect.

“Lane, stance.”

Tseng’s voice whips me to attention - as it so often does. I form up.

“Go.”

I brace for the first impact.

Nothing comes. I look up to see Rude in a defensive stance. Is he… waiting for me to take the offense?

I haven’t tried this yet, but I take the risk of stepping in. Rude forms up his own guard even more - it makes him look bigger, and therefore even more intimidating. I am suddenly reminded that I am a full foot shorter than he is and likely weigh half as much. 

…I cannot throw a punch at this man. 

Luckily - or not - I don’t have to, because I suddenly find myself with a suited elbow hooked around my neck instead.

“Mmph!” I try to shout in surprise, but a leather glove over my mouth muffles it. I grip Tseng’s arm, seeking stability. 

“Can you get away?” Tseng asks me - simple and to-the-point. I guess I’m gonna try - I start tearing at him with useless hands, trying to turn my head and kick my legs backward as much as I can. It is, of course, completely useless. 

“Not watching your six is one of the biggest weaknesses you can display,” Tseng says simply, letting me go, “And your overall form needs an awful lot of work.”

“Sir, with all due respect, it’s their first day…” Rude cuts in for me.

“And as you’ve so clearly pointed out before,” Reno adds with ample snark, “They’re not a Turk.”

Tseng stares them both down. “They’re not… But neither is Rufus.” 

Is… Is that what he has me aiming for? Hasn’t Rufus had years of training in this kind of thing?

“High bar to meet, Chief…” Reno grumbles, echoing my thoughts.

“It is,” Tseng agrees, “But do you think this was a good first step?”

Reno and Rude both look at each other and kinda shrug. Their faces suggest that they do kinda think they did a decent job… Maybe not the best job, but not bad, either. 

“We’ll set aside some time to discuss goals and strategies before we continue this training,” Tseng decides, “And before that, I expect a full report on what was covered, from both of you. Separately. Including whatever you did with materia.”

“Yes, Sir,” they both state. 

Tseng turns to me. “Lane, you’re dismissed for the evening. As are the two of you… but I’d advise you to write your reports sooner rather than later.”

This time, all three of us give him a “Yes, Sir,” in response. With one more nod, he pockets his Healing materia, turns, and leaves the room. 

Gods, I… I don’t think that went well. For any of us.

“Whew,” Reno makes the first move, patting me on the shoulder, “Tough crowd, huh?”

“I…” Honestly, I don’t really know what to say. I find myself just generally feeling kinda bad about this whole thing. 

“No kidding,” Rude chuckles back, “Wasn’t exactly a fair examination, was it?”

“I mean, I get what he means - we did kinda spring this on him, after all. Sitting down and planning this shit out is probably smart,” Reno adds.

“Mm-hm,” Rude agrees.

This is not my conversation to have. And, you know, I bet these guys probably want some time to actually spar without me getting in the damn way. Slowly, I start to slide away toward the stairs.

Reno’s hand on my shoulder stops me. “Hang on a sec, kid. Where ya goin’?”

“I mean… Tseng said I’m dismissed, so… was just gonna go change and head home, I guess.”

“Like hell you are,” Reno snorts, “Not without hittin’ the showers first - right, Rude?”

“Mm,” Reno’s partner steps up beside us and hums a noise of concurrence, “You worked up a sweat.”

Damn it. Damn my brain’s fucking override switch. Damn them for hitting it whenever they want. 

“C’mon sweetheart - you know you want to,” Reno croons, letting his hand trail all the way down my arm until it encircles my wrist and gently tugs me along with them. 

I… I do want to. But I still can’t shake it.

“D-Don’t you guys wanna spar some more? Just the two of you?”

“Nah - showering with you sounds like a lot more fun,” Reno smirks over his shoulder, and a fresh wave of butterflies follows. My cheeks are moving past pink and into red now, I can tell. 

“But… C’mon, guys, I totally fucked up your afternoon… You should take some time for yourselves, don’t you think? I’m just gonna get in the way again, you don’t have to-”

“Ah!” Reno suddenly stops and shouts loud enough to make me jump. He turns to me, and before I can act, his arm is around my waist and he’s got me half-bent over.

A series of sharp smacks is rapidly laid down on my borrowed gym shorts. I squeal and kick uselessly.

“Reno, what the fuck?!”

“You’re dropping!” he says as he releases me. It takes me a second to catch my breath, rub my ass, and process what he just said.

“...What?”

“You’re dropping, aren’t you?” It’s less a question and more an accusation, “You did this last time. All this ‘I’m just in the way’ stuff - it’s the same thing you said before, remember?”

I freeze, then cringe.

“ Fffffuck.”  

Reno laughs at my reaction, but all I can do is balk. He’s right. Completely. Totally correct. The combo of emotions is wild as they all nail me at once - anger at myself for missing it again , titillating embarrassment at being called out and spanked for it, and a strange, shameful disembodiment of some kind as I am made to see my own pathetic actions from an external perspective. All on top of a stinging butt, not to mention…

“Hey, it’s okay, kid,” Reno reassures me, again patting my shoulder as his laughter trails off, “At least we know what’s up. Caught it early this time, right?”

“...Yeah,” I’m at a loss for words, unable to say much else.

“You had a long day,” Rude adds, laying a broad, warm hand on my back, “If you really don’t feel up to it, you don’t have to come with us. But you are definitely not in the way. We want you there, as long as you want to be there, too.” 

“I…” Gods, I do want to be there, but… “You’re sure ?”

“Ah, ah!” Reno scolds, reaching down to give my ass one more whap.

“Ow!” I jump again.

 “That’s the drop talkin’, kid. Don’t let it tell you what to do.”

“Alright, alright! I…” I swallow my pride and admit it, “...I do want to go with you guys. As long as you quit spanking me!” (Can’t resist trying to retain a shred of dignity…)

“Tseng told us we could spank you anytime you get down on yourself like that,” Reno flaunts that permission like a trophy, “So as long as you quit lettin’ your drop talk for you, I won’t spank you…”

I wait for him to finish that sentence.

“... hard. ”

“Uh-huh, there it is…” I roll my eyes and smile.

While Reno and I are bickering, we make our way across the room, back to the wall of weaponry. Rude returns to the materia case and deposits what was taken from it a while earlier. Gods, every time I walk by this thing, I can’t help but look… Materia is just so beautiful. Perfectly spherical and faintly glowing, they remind me of crystal balls for seeing the future. Every one of them swirls with a unique pattern, foretelling the power they contain. I guess in the right hands, they can really pack a punch… And yet, the way Tseng healed my arm bruise and left me with the ones he laid below my belt suggests finesse of a form I hadn’t witnessed before. He did say he had a lot of practice, but I’ve only ever seen Reno and Rude use their materia at full-strength. I suppose if Tseng had done that, my ass wouldn’t be sore anymore (or, not as sore - Reno did just warm it up again, after all). 

“Yoo-hoo, kid,” the redhead nudges me, shaking me out of it, “You distracted or something?”

“Oh, uh… yeah,” I sheepishly admit, “Just looking at the materia. Thinking about stuff.”

“‘Stuff,’ huh?” Reno repeats, “What kinda ‘stuff?’”

“I guess the way Tseng healed just my arm bruise and not, uh… everything else.”

Reno snorts at that, but Rude doesn’t - instead, he says, “Tseng’s a fantastic healer. It takes a lot of skill to heal selectively like that, and it’s not easy to learn. I know I can’t pull that off - and I’ve tried.”

“Yeah, but you know, partner… you’re skilled at using materia in other ways,” Reno adds with a wink and a stuck-out tongue. The corner of Rude’s lips turn up at the tease.

“Oh, that’s right… I remember us talking that one time about using materia for like, electroplay and stuff like that,” I think out loud, recalling my walk home with Reno after he saved me from those thugs that night. That’s when I found out he has his tongue pierced with materia, too. 

“Oho, kid…” Reno purrs, shaking his head, “When it comes to materia in the bedroom, electroplay is barely even scratching the surface.”

“Huh…” I ponder that for a moment, trying to imagine the possibilities… but frankly, I’m coming up pretty dry. Other than using a healing materia after a rough play session or something, I can’t really picture how else you could make their use sexy. I mean, it’s not like an Aero materia could be useful in the bedroom unless you had a fetish of some kind… And if electroplay with a Lightning materia is just scratching the surface, then…

“I… I guess I don’t know enough about it to picture that,” I say truthfully. 

The partners before me exchange mischievous glances and turn right back to the materia case. Oh dear… 

“I mean, Fire and Blizzard are pretty self-explanatory…” Reno drawls. I feel my wrists get grabbed and raised by Rude, leaving my palms open for Reno to deposit a twin set of green materia into them. One of them feels quite warm, like a mug of fresh hot coffee, threatening to burn if held too long… and the other feels cold, like I’m holding an ice pack in my hand. It could wind up just as painful if I held it with bare hands for more than a minute or two.

“Oooh… Temperature play…” I grin, letting the orbs roll gently back and forth. I’m reminded again of my scene with Tseng last night, alternating hot wax and ice cubes all over… Of course materia could be used the same way. I shiver, imagining them getting rolled like massagers across my back, or… deviously stuck into places, or maybe held against sensitive spots…

“Oh, but wait - you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Reno grins. Rude takes the two materia back, and I wait to see if Reno will put another one down… But instead, I look up in time to see him cast one at me. 

“Woa-!” I start to shout at him, but my voice breaks. Not exactly uncommon for me, honestly, so I just take a deep breath and shout with a little more force.

Reno, what the hell?! What gives? 

What comes out is… nothing. I can feel air passing through my vocal cords, but there is no sound. What the…? I try again, but I get the same result. Just like that, out of nowhere, I’ve completely lost my voice.

Reno grins and shakes the materia in his hand.

“Binding materia. Doesn’t quiiite live up to its name in the bedroom… But a Silence spell makes for a great gagless gag.”

Silence? I try to speak again - again, to no result. My fingers press softly against my throat and I try to just make noise - any noise. I try to scream, to hum, to growl. All that comes out is air, and my touch confirms that nothing’s even vibrating. H-how the fuck does it even do that?!

Reno is enjoying my plight entirely too much. He lifts the materia again, and it begins to glow in anticipation of casting.

“Or, if you really-”

“Absolutely the fuck not, ” Rude cuts him off, plucking the materia out Reno’s grip and holding it high up out of the way. “No Sleep spells unless they agree to it. That’s too close to the line - Chief would have your ass if he found out you did that.”

“Aw, c’mon! You know I wouldn’t do anything!”

“I know, but they don’t,” Rude points at me, “No Sleep spells. End of discussion.”

Reno pouts, but doesn’t dwell long before he’s back to digging in the materia case. In the meantime, Rude picks up another one - a purple one this time - and holds it out for me to take. 

“This one is a fun one - Underwater materia,” he smirks, “Lets you breathe underwater, so I’m sure you can guess what kinds of things we use that for.”

“Yeah, I can make a guess or two,” I gaze down at the pretty orb in my hand. Breathing underwater, huh? I wonder if Elena has ever used that for playing in the bath or shower… That was honestly the first thing that popped into my head. 

“We’ve got some custom-made toys for them, too,” Rude continues, “Just slot a materia into a plug and you’re good to go.”

“Ooh, now that sounds fun .”

“Oh, it is,” Rude grins, “We’ll give you a formal introduction some-”

Out of nowhere, Rude suddenly freezes mid-sentence, his mouth even stuck shut on the “m” of his word. Reno’s laughter gives away what happened. 

“Time materia might be my fave in the bedroom,” he adds, “You can fully Stop your partner, or speed yourself up…” I watch him cast that spell on himself, accelerating all his movements, “...Or slow somebody down!”

A burst of energy surrounds me, and suddenly I feel extremely sluggish - more than I ever thought a person could be. I’m hardly moving, even as I try to take a step backward - I’m already way too late, and with Reno’s movements sped up, I’m practically ten seconds behind his moves. He zips over, ruffles my hair fast enough that it hurts, and then zips out of the way just as Rude regains his ability to move.

“Reno!”

“What? Slow isn’t as bad as a Sleep spell!”

Reno is moving far too fast for anyone to catch, so Rude just shakes his head.

I feel the Slow spell wear off, returning my own movement to normal speed. “Yeesh… That’s intense.”

“Absolutely,” Rude nods, “Using materia is definitely what I’d call edge play - a lot of it is really consensual-nonconsent territory. You have to negotiate really carefully before you go casting spells on people.” His last sentiment is called off in Reno’s direction. 

“Well, yeah,” Reno zips back over and puts the materia back in the case as his own spell wears off, “But like Rude was saying, we’ll gladly set up a formal introduction to materia play sometime, if you want. With negotiating before, obviously.”

“I have to admit… that sounds really fun,” I reply. Reno grins brightly. 

“For now,” Rude says, his voice dipping low again as he gestures toward the locker room door, “...Shall we?”

Oooh… Butterflies. 

By my wrist once again, I’m led off by Reno, and again, I have to nearly jog to keep up with his long-legged strides. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest, though - I’m much more distracted by Rude pulling his tank top off over his head. I get a perfect view of the broad muscles of his back, glowing and shiny with sweat. His shoulder blades flex as he stretches out his arms. 

The swinging door almost smacks me as we slip through. The locker room still has the slightest traces of dampness from whoever showered in here last, but I don’t have time to register anything else before my own tank top is yanked upward and over my head.

“Ah-!” I’m about to indignantly scold Reno, but his fingertips pinching my right nipple turn my scolding into moaning instead. Gods, fuck - that was way louder than it needed to be!

Reno chuckles lowly, “Hey, relax - we don’t have to rush.”

“Y-you’re the one who ripped my shirt off…” I make a poor attempt at grumbling, but a twist from Reno’s fingers elicits another high-pitched noise from me instead. 

Another broad pair of hands wraps around my hips, gently pulling downward on my shorts and underwear. They fall to the floor around my borrowed sneakers, leaving me in just shoes and socks. A pillow-soft pair of lips kisses the back of my neck.

“Reno,” Rude breathes between kisses, “Go start the water.”

In response, Reno wraps his own lips onto the inside of my neck, gradually gliding up my collarbone. “‘M busy,” he mumbles.

“Gods, you two…” I can’t help but laugh, even though they’re already leaving me breathless, “Couldn’t even wait ‘til we’re actually in the shower, huh?”

Both pairs of lips lift from my skin, and I feel Rude’s hand smack down and cup one of my ass cheeks. 

“Go on, then,” he says playfully, “Since you’re so eager.”

“I-I’m not eager! I just-” 

“Kid,” Reno cups a hand over my mouth, “Just shut up and get going.”

Together, they give me a push toward the showers. I look back over my shoulder as I continue forward, finding Reno and Rude gazing at me while they get themselves undressed. I decide to do the same, pausing by the benches to ditch my shoes and socks before stepping through the threshold and turning on one of the showerheads. Hm… should I turn on more of them, or are we going to just share the one?

Before I can make up my mind, my ass gets grabbed again - not spanked this time, but squeezed firmly on both sides. I can feel that both hands are very different sizes, but they work in tandem to push me forward until I’m under the stream. At first, the water is almost chilly, but it’s halfway warmed up, so it only grows cozier as the partners encircle me. Gods, the way they play off of each other, so in sync… I feel another pang of guilt just for getting in between them, and I have to consciously remind myself that they want me here. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have offered. 

Their lips are adventurous, roaming across my shoulders, neck, and upper torso. I do my best to kiss back when they’re within range, but they stay moving so much that I’m mostly just left to whimper at their soft touches - so different from the kicks and hits we were throwing in the ring just a short while ago. 

Reno finally pauses in front of me to suck on my chest, just above my nipple. He latches on hard - enough to bruise. 

Rude shoves him away with a huff, “Reno! No marking right now - off-limits.”

What? I start to correct that, making sure they know I’m perfectly happy to get marked. 

“Oh, no, it’s fiiii-ahhh…”

Rude cuts me off with a hand cupped over my crotch, grinding the butt of his palm against my most sensitive spot. I hear Reno snicker, but I’m not sure if it’s at my reaction, or at the mark he just left on me. All I know is that he steps away for less than a second, and when he returns to my back, I feel something hard, cold and slippery press against my butt. Gods, is… is that Tseng’s soap? Before I can ask, Reno moves it to his other hand so his soapier fingers can make their way deeper, teasing my entrance. Oh gods, fuck…

“So,” the redhead says, “Tseng soapsticked you last night, huh?”

I’m not collected enough to reply properly - I just squeak in response, embarrassed as all hell. 

Reno laughs at me. “Yeah?”

I feel his soapy fingers push into my ass. 

“Then this’ll probably feel familiar, huh?”

Indeed, his fingers moving within me brings a recognizable sting. Maybe it’s all the roughness we put that spot through last night, but it hurts enough to make me wince and hiss through my teeth. 

Rude counters Reno’s pain with pleasure, pressing two thick fingers into my pussy. It turns my hiss into a guttural moan as the sting turns into something that rockets through me, all the way up and down. Oh my holy fuck .

A tongue - Reno’s - teases along my shoulder as his fingers keep working. The tip of his tongue almost tickles, drawing my attention to the spot… And then he lays it flat and broad. I feel his tongue piercing touch my skin… And buzz.

“Ah - Reno…” I groan and turn to look at him.

“Hwa?” he asks, tongue still out, grinning and far too proud of himself. I can see the green glow of his Thunder materia piercing, flickering with the tiniest of lightning storms inside. I feel like I’ve got a storm inside me now, too. 

Before I can collect my thoughts enough to say something, Reno chooses to dive back in with his pierced tongue, stepping around to my front and letting his fingers slip out of my ass and drag up my back, holding me in place for him to run his tingling materia jewelry over my nipple. 

“Oh, fffuck…” Gods, that feels good . The buzz against that sensitive spot zings deep within me, racing toward my pussy, where Rude’s fingers have begun to slide in and out, over and over. They drag up and over my clit when he pulls out… Gods, I could stay here forever, and I think I’d be perfectly content for the rest of my life. 

A strong push on my shoulders interrupts me, sending me downward until my knees hit the tile. The shower spray is aimed at the back of my head, making me wince as I get my bearings around the water.

Something slippery and solid touches my lips, leaving a creamy coat behind. 

“Mmph! Reno!” I whine, trying to pull away from the soap bar. 

“Aw, c’mon… Don’tcha wanna open up? I know you can’t resist this.”

…Man, normally I can’t, but…

“I actually don’t think I should… My mouth is still… really sore from last night…”

“Ohhh, right - Tseng got you good, huh?”

I’m spacey enough to chuckle. “Better than good…” I hear both the guys laugh at that, too. 

“Has he made you deepthroat him yet?” Reno carries on. I tip my head up and squint through the shower spray to look at him. 

“...No…”

I am distracted from answering further, instead entranced by Reno soaping up his own cock. 

“No?” he purrs, “Well, it’s only a matter of time, you know. He gets real hot for that.”

He taps the head of his soapy dick against my lips.

“Might as well start practicing now.”

Oh, fuck.

Thoughts and hormones flood my brain - too many at once. I hesitate, trying to decide if I should do this when my mouth still hurts… but it’s so fucking hot , how can I not?

Reno’s impatient with me, and before I can make up my mind in any direction, he pinches my nose with wet fingers and pulls, causing my jaw to open and allowing him to push halfway into my mouth. Gods, I just can’t help myself - I start to suck. 

Rude stands above me, leaning in to kiss Reno (and conveniently blocking the shower spray for me, thank you). I attempt to reach a hand up behind me to find his cock, too, so I can give them both some nice attention while I’m down here.

…And then Reno juts forward. His slippery cock slides deeper than expected. I cough a few times.

Asshole - I know he did that on purpose. All that talk about deepthroating… I have to move both my hands to his thighs to give me some better control while I work. Which… may not be for much longer, honestly - my lips and tongue are starting to sting again. 

A hand on the back of my head is all the warning I get before Reno bucks forward again. Even with my hands in the way, he goes deeper than I can handle, and once more, I start to cough and hack.

“Reno…” Rude scolds him.

“What? I’m helping, ” the redhead snickers.

“Give me that…” I hear Rude say, clearly leaving no room for argument. I look up to see what’s going on, but Rude’s hands hit me first, running that warmed-up bar of soap from shoulder to shoulder. I sigh as I finish catching my breath, reveling in the wonderful sensation he gifts me. 

He leans down and whispers in my ear.

“Lane… Can we fuck you together?”

Always the gentleman - checking in with me. I gaze up at him and grin.

“Please,” I whisper back. 

With that, Rude runs his slippery arms under mine, hooking them so he can pull me back up to my feet.

… And beyond. My feet leave the ground entirely, and while I’m up, Reno catches my legs and pulls them up, effectively folding me in half and holding me suspended. Woah, are they… Really? If they’re doing what I think they’re doing… Well, that’ll be a new experience for me. 

Rude’s thick cock prods at my ass, and Reno presses in closer so he can slip in from the front. Oh gods, oh fuck…

And then Rude slips in. Oh my gods, they actually are… They’re double-penetrating me while I’m held up in the air. I’ve been DP’d before, but only laying down. This is something I’ve only ever fantasized about - I honestly didn’t think it would ever actually happen. I wasn’t even sure it was possible.

It feels extremely good. I moan - louder than intended, but I can’t help myself. Reno’s angle presses him against that sweet spot inside me, while Rude stretches me in the absolute best of ways (I can feel the burn of it, but in concert with Reno’s rocking, it all just melds into true pleasure). Gradually, Reno and Rude begin to rock - one in, one out, without any communication, still perfectly in sync as they always are. I can feel the occasional splash of water from the shower still beating against Rude’s back, making its way over his shoulder as he fucks me, gradually picking up speed. 

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuuuuck…” I can’t stop all the noise I’m making, and even though I know Tseng’s office is just a few doors down from here, I don’t bother trying to quiet myself - I’m utterly shameless in the hands of these two. 

“Fuck… Partner, I’m close…” Reno’s the first one to start to crack, having to slow down a little and falling out of sync with Rude for a half-second until his partner matches him again. 

“Me too,” Rude grunts, shifting my weight in his arms to get a slightly better grip. His hands find each other behind my neck, pushing my head forward. 

I can’t believe it, but I’m getting close too - really close, actually. Reno’s rocking presses against my clit every time he shifts, and the rhythmic sensation is going to tip me over the edge - if they don’t slow down any more!

“Oh, don’t stop, don’t-!” I whine. And it works almost too well, as my cries seem to pump new energy into both of them, and they pick up again at an even faster speed than before.

I’m the first one to cum, but I guess the feeling of that knocks both of the guys over the edge at the exact same time. I can’t tell you which one of them cums first - I’m too focused on my own orgasm peaking and winding down as they slow. 

Just like that, the bathroom goes quiet, aside from our panting breaths and the steady hiss of the shower. Slowly, Reno and Rude slide out of me and put me down on shaky legs (thankfully, Rude lets me hang off him to keep from crumpling to the floor). Man, are my muscles gonna be sore as hell tomorrow…

“Fuck,” Reno speaks first, “That was… so good.” He’s too breathless still to say much more, and I can’t help but laugh at it.

“That was amazing ,” I correct. And I mean it, too.

“Glad you liked it,” Rude pants, reaching over to stroke my arm, “You wanna get washed up, or do you need a minute?”

“I… think I’m good,” I grin, still coming back down from the high. But I think I have enough strength back to stand on my own. I watch Reno bend down and pick up the bar of soap that was abandoned on the floor at some point, and he smirks as he hands it to me. 

I wash the sweat off of myself, but Reno offers to wash my hair for me. I’ll be honest - at first, I’m a little suspicious that he’s only offering so he can prank me again or something… But he proves himself sweet as I agree. He’s so gentle with me, massaging with his fingertips and dragging short nails to comb my hair out as he goes. It feels amazing and makes me shiver. In turn, Rude washes his partner’s hair, which is of course wonderful to get to watch - it feels like a special privilege just to see how much these two care about each other, not to mention being brought into their circle like this. 

Once all three of us are clean and wrapped in towels, Rude slips next to me and wraps an arm over my shoulder. 

“You’ve worked hard today,” he says, “Are you heading home after this?”

“Oh, yeah - probably,” I shrug .

“You really should - you deserve some rest,” he says, then leans down and kisses my damp, wild hair. It makes me smile - how did I ever earn this kind of treatment? These guys make me feel like royalty, honestly. 

“Hey, thanks for sparring with us though,” Reno adds, coming up to hug me from behind (as well as he can with Rude still curled around me, anyway), “It was a lot of fun!”

“Aww, thanks for inviting me,” I say, but then a sour pang of memory hits me. “Though… I’m sorry I got you guys in trouble with Tseng, and-”

In unison, two palms swing back and smack my ass hard.

“OW! Okay, okay, I’m sorry!”

The first thing I do when I get home is take a long nap. It’s almost 7:30 by the time I wake up, but I don’t mind - Rude was right; I did deserve the rest. It’s been a very long few days for me…  I hadn’t realized just how long until I stepped back into my place and realized that I didn’t wake up here this morning. Nor did I wake up here the morning before… Gods, so much has happened since I last slept in this bed! Rufus and I becoming partners, Tseng collaring me and giving me the night of a lifetime, Reno and Rude sparring with me… And, I guess, finding out I can’t use materia… and getting Tseng punished unintentionally…

Oops, there I go again - the drop is back. I know that’s what it is, obviously (thank you, Reno, for the reminder…), but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to counter. I can’t shake the feeling that I was in the way all day today. I guess I wasn’t in the way all weekend, but… 

Gah. You know what? It’s dinnertime. I think I need to order some food or something. 

It doesn’t take me long to pick something - I’m really craving sushi today, apparently - but I almost get distracted again by the notifications on the top of the screen. Guess the group chat’s been really active today… I open it and catch up, starting with several messages from much earlier. 

Tseng: @Reno @Rude @Lane - it’s fine if you want to play in the showers, but please consider keeping the noise down in the future.

Tseng: And @Elena - get your hand out of your pants and see me in my office. Now, please.

Reno: LOL, nice one Laney!

Rufus: Something in the water today? Can no one behave themselves in their offices?

Rude: I don’t think any of us did, no. Yourself included, Sir.

Rufus: I did not misbehave in my own office. Therefore, your claim is unfounded.

Rude: Well, we didn’t technically misbehave in our office either - just the showers.

Rufus: Touche.

Reno: @Elena was it worth it?? What did you get???

Elena: None of your beeswax, perv.

Reno: Strong words from someone who just got spanked for getting off listening to us…

Tseng: @Elena Would you like to come back for a repeat lesson? So soon?

Elena: No thank you, Sir 0//////0

Reno: For real Laney, what did you get???

Tseng: @Reno Elena is not at liberty to say right now, as Lane will be getting similar treatment tomorrow for their misbehavior today. 

Reno: Oooooh, gotcha… ;)

Tseng: Speaking of - @Lane, did you get home alright?

Ooh, butterflies… And boy, am I lucky that last message was only sent about five minutes ago - any longer, and I probably would’ve been in trouble all over again.

Lane: I did, thanks :) Just woke up from a nap lol

Tseng: Good - I’m sure you needed one; you had an exciting weekend and a very full day today, didn’t you?

Lane: Heh, yeah… I did ^_^’

Reno: Yeah, no kidding - what all did you do, kid? 

Reno: I know you and Rufus had a hot night on Saturday, and you and Tseng had the party last night, and it sounds like you had a whole lotta fun today… Is there anybody you didn’t bone today??

Lane: Pffft… Well, actually, yeah - Elena…

Reno: Yeah, but she was fuckin herself to you, so… close enough

Tseng: @Reno, that’s enough. 

Reno: Aw cmon chief, you know im just teasing!

Tseng: When are you ever not teasing someone?

Tseng: Regardless, no need to make anyone feel bad. 

Tseng’s words again draw my attention to my drop. Ugh. I was trying to find a distraction from that…

Reno: Fair enough… sorry @Lane @Elena

Elena: Oh, don’t worry - we’ll get you back for it sometime soon. He’s probably overdue for another mouthsoaping anyway, right @Tseng?

Reno: No fuckin way, Lane already got me today >:P

Elena: Um!!!! Why does nobody ever tell me shit anymore!!!

Lane: Sorry! Tbf, I already owed him one XD

Elena: Oh right! Did you have fun with it?

Lane: Oh, absolutely… And I’m pretty sure my lesson stuck, right @Reno?

Reno: >:PPPP

Elena: …Apparently not. Guess he needs a round two…

Lane: I imagine we should team up to do that?

Elena: Omg, PLEASE

Seeing Elena’s enthusiasm for our new plans makes me smile like an idiot at my phone screen. She’s so cute when she gets all excited like that… Like she did earlier when she heard about what Tseng did to me in the tub last night. Gods, that was just…

It’s about then that my food arrives. I put my phone down so I can retrieve it and get it set up. My mind, however, lingers over last night’s scenes. They were perfect, truly - more than I had ever dared to fantasize about, even. I can hardly believe the last 48 hours happened at all. 

But my drop creeps back in with a much less happy thought.

Last night was perfect, so… will anything ever measure up to it again?

I mean, think about it - how do you top that? Have I hit my peak now? Gods, I’m only twenty… I have so much life left to live, but I’ve already lived my ultimate kinky dreams. How could it ever be improved?

And even more scary to think - what if it never happens again? I know Tseng threatened to do this to me again in the future, but I mean… does he really intend to bathe me like that before every party we attend together? That’s just not realistic… so how many of his promises were actually true? Does he intend to collar me at every opportunity from now on, or just in public? And he’s not ever going to give me an enema again, is he? I safeworded out of it - there’s no way he’d even try it again, even if the second time went a lot better. I don’t think I’ll ever find the strength to actually ask for that, gods forbid… So it’s kinda just up to him. 

That’s a scary thought, if I’m being honest with myself. 

Ding. I check my phone.

Reno: Counter-proposal - the rest of us watch Tseng mouthsoap both of you

…And the override switch is hit.

Elena: 0//////0

Lane: fhdsjkffhfhds

Reno: Lmao, ok, case closed XD

Elena: Just you wait, you brat!

Reno: Come at me bro

Tseng: All three of you are going to end up at my sink if you don’t knock it off.

Ah, another threat. Wonder if that one’s got any weight to it. 

…Man, my mental state is really a mess tonight. This drop just won’t stop dragging me down. 

Well, you know what? I don’t have to let it. From this moment on, my drop cannot touch me. I’m just going to power through it.

Ding. Huh - a new message thread? 

Elena added Reno to the chat.

Elena added Lane to the chat.

Elena: So is anyone actually opposed to that happening? Or… Can we make that a thing? :X

Reno: Lol, I mean, I’m not completely opposed… tho a break would be nice after Lane got me today

Elena: Oh yeah, fair enough XD maybe sometime next week?

Reno: Yeah, that’s doable i guess

Elena: Yay! Lane, you in?

How could I ever say no?

Lane: If I ever say no to that question, I give you permission to get me psychoanalyzed or something XD

Elena: Yay!! Omg, that’s gonna be so much fun <3

…It is. If it happens - and this group chat makes me believe that it really will - it would be so much fun. I smile. 

Ding. The main group chat again.

Rufus: 50 gil says those three made a private chat to discuss that.

Rude: They definitely did. 

Reno: Why you always gotta narc, man??

Tseng: That’s fine. I’ll gladly give them the opportunity to make the right choice. 

Elena: …We may be rain-checking that offer. 

Tseng: Understandable - I suppose Reno could use a break after today. 

Reno: Yes pleeeease

Tseng: Noted. We’ll revisit that option next time the three of you start acting up, I suppose.

Rufus: I’m sure that won’t take long.

Reno: Ye of little faith…

I quite enjoy the rest of my dinner. 

When my food is gone, I treat myself to a bubble bath using the stuff from Rufus’s gift basket again before wrapping myself in cozy stolen pajamas (Rude’s boxers and Reno’s hoodie) and climbing into bed. I plug my phone in to charge and roll over, gazing toward the window and the slivers of mako-green light peeking through the curtains. 

I tell ya - one hell of a Monday. But a very good one, all in all.