A Breakfast for Pawns

((Well this story took me forever to write for some reason. The story takes place sometime between late January or earlier Febuary 29482 (2008 for the non RPers :p ) ))


The sound of his comm unit going off, woke him from a warm sleep and heartfelt dream. Rolling over slowly with eyes opening, he see the plant sitting there on his windowsill and he smiles. The fragile moment of half consciouses happiness was broken by the incessant sound of his comm. Fumbling around his bed he reaches for the comm piece on the nightstand and puts it in his ear, and lays back down on his bed trying to recall the smile from his dream. “Foos here” he answers his comm in a sleepy voice.

“You there boss? You missed breakfast, I was getting worried about you” the gruff voice on the other end of the line laughs.
Foos lays there in bed and runs his fingers through his hair, “Sorry Reno I must have slept in.” He looks over at the clock noticing the time, the only thing he wants to do is roll over and go back to the smile in his dream, but he knows the large atrox named Reno isn't going to let it happen. “Alright Reno where are you, we'll met up and get something to eat.”

“Well I'm right outside your door boss. Tell ya what why don't ya let me in and you can just cook us breakfast”, Reno says with another laugh.

Foos slowly crawls out of bed and looks over once again to the planet on the windowsill, and smiles brightly. “Alright Reno, just give me a second and I'll let ya in.” Foos walks out of the bedroom and down the hall to the door. Opening the door to see a large smiling atrox standing in front of him.

“Well don't get dressed on my account boss” Reno says to him wearing a grin.

Foos looks down at him self standing there in is boxers and shrugs, “Come on in Reno” he says in a sleepy voice as he turns around and walks down the hall.

“So Boss, what's got you sleeping in, this fine morning?” Reno says as he follows his friend down the hall, “And what ya going to make us to eat I'm hungry.” Foos looks back and says nothing as he walks into the kitchen as Reno heads down to the into the living area and looks out the large windows. “I really do like this place Foos, I'll have to get one for myself one of these days.”

“Ya? Why don't you Reno, then I can come and wake you up” Foos laughs, “and then you...” he stops speaking as his eyes move from where his friend is standing to the chair over by the window, and he smiles. Reno looks back at Foos and looks at him for a moment then follows his eyeline.

“So you going to tell me what that silly smile is all about?” Reno says to Foos, eyeing up his friend with curiosity.

Foos shanks his head snapping out of his trance, “Hmm? What was that Reno? I'm sorry I spaced out for a second there. What were you saying?”

“You Boss, what's up with that goofy grin ya wearing today?” Reno says looking rather amused.

“Nothing Reno never mind, now tell me what do you want to eat?” Foos turns and walks back to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

Reno lets out a loud belly laugh, “Oh no Foos don't even think for a second you're getting off that easy.” He moves quickly from where he was standing and up to ramp toward Foos, “So you going to spill or am I going to have to smack ya around?” he laughs.
Foos looks back and Reno and smirks, “Oh ya you wish you could take me.”

“You're not packing, we both know you couldn't take me without a gun there Boss” Reno speaks wearing a grin.

Foos looks back and pulls out a gun from the drawer, and smirks, “Oh you were saying?”

Reno looks at Foos and takes a quick step back then smiles, “Oh we both know you wouldn't shoot me.” Foos looks at Reno and raises an eyebrow. A serious look come across his face, as he point the gun at Reno. Reno's eyes widen in disbelief and he goes to put his hands up. Foos pulls the trigger, squirting water on his atrox friend. They both burst out laughing. Foos puts the toy gun away and returns to cooking. Reno wipes his face and has at seat at the table. “You had me going there Boss. But don't think I'm going to let ya off the hook” Reno says still laughing. “So come on Foos, tell old Reno what happened last night.”

Foos signs a bit, “Nothing really Reno, it was just a good night that's all. Nothing really more to say about it.” Foos starts to rummage through the refrigerator, “So I'm just making whatever then?”

Reno looks over at Foos, “Ah I see. So did we have some company last night?” he says smiling, “And yeah just some breakfast type grub is good.”

Foos says nothing to his friend's question and continues cooking. Reno watches him and chuckles a bit asking, “So tell me was it a good night? Or was it a 'Good Night'?”

Foos looks back at Reno sharply, “Shut up!”

Reno chuckles at Foos' response, “Well then I guess it wasn't that good of a night then huh?”

Foos signs and turns back to his friend, “No it wasn't like that, it was just... “ pauses for a moment to think of the words, “it was just, I don't know man, it was special...” Foos suddenly stops not waiting to give away more then he already has.

Reno looks at Foos and grins with a wide smile, “Oh my, could it be?”

“Could it be what Reno?” Foos says rolling his eyes.

“Could it be someone found their way past that steel casing you have around your heart” Reno says with a slight laugh. “Could it be some little lady found a crack and wiggled her way in? I have to say, maybe Rubi-Ka is making you soft.”

Foos finishes up his cooking, and turns look at Reno, “Well maybe, I guess, but it's not.” Foos looks up at the ceiling, “Look it's not that I don't want anyone close to me, it's just easier if I don't. In the long run it's better for me, in the end everyone leaves.”

Reno looks at his friend and shakes his head, “Look I don't remember anyone ever telling you things were suppose to be easy. You know just as well as anyone life ain't easy, but that doesn't mean you can cop out like you keep trying to do.” Reno stops speaking for a moment as Foos sets down a large plate of food in front of him. Reno looks up and notices the slight scowl on Foos' face, “Don't look at me like that boy, you know it's true.” Foos turns and walks back to the counter. Reno starts to dig into his breakfast, he looks up at Foos and says swallowing his food, “I know you were raised better then that. Besides you know what your father would say.”

Foos looks down at the counter cleaning up the mess from cooking, not bothering to look back at Reno, “No Reno tell me, what would my Dad say?”

“Well I don't know he was your Dad you tell me. Why do you think I asked you in the first place?” he says with a laugh. Foos looks back and smirks at his friends attempt to lighten the mood. “But what's this with everyone always leaves, I'm still around ain't I?”, Reno says with a smiles.

Foos turns back to his cleaning and fakes a sigh, “Yeah I know Reno, and God knows I've been trying to get rid of you” he laughs while finishing the sentence while Reno sits there smirking and shaking his head. “It's not a cop out Reno” he sighs while trying to think of the next words, “It's just. Look it just better if I don't get close to people, if I don't let people in. It's not about what just good for me, it's better for them too. I'm not a good person Reno...” Foos tries to finish what he's saying as Reno cuts him off.

“You're not a monster Foos. No matter what you may think you're not. And you need to let go whatever this thing is that keeps you thinking that and let it go boy, it ain't good” Reno says looking over at his friend. “Look Foos I know you've been through and seen a lot, but it doesn't mean you have to just lock yourself away.” Reno goes back to finishing up his last few bites of food.

“Reno when are you going to get it, I just think it would be better if I was alone. People leave or I leave, things change, and there's betrayal and disappointment. The list goes on and on Reno. So what should I just stand around and wait to be screwed over again and again?” Foos pauses and takes a deep breath, “It's like no matter how hard I train, no matter how hard I push myself, it's like I'm never in control. None of it matters cause in the blink of an eye everything can be flushed away. In the end I'm just a pawn of the Gods sitting here waiting to be used in some evil whim and then cast aside like a wore out chew toy.” Foos pauses once more, clenches his fists and trembles a bit, “I can't stand being helpless, it's too much for me to know there's the chance I'll have to sit and watch not being able to do anything. I can't take that Reno, and I don't want go through it anymore.”

Reno looks up at Foos and shakes his head, “Fine then boy, maybe you're right we're all just pawns of the Gods, we're all at the whim to the powers that be. So what? You act as if all in life is pain and you never smile.” Reno looks over at Foos who is about to speak and cuts him off, “Don't sit here and tell me you don't smile, don't tell me you're never happy cause I know it's a lie. I walked in here today and saw the goofy grin you were wearing. I saw that gleam in you're eye. Someone put that smile on your face. Somewhere someone or thing in the universe felt you needed to smile and you got it. And so what if it all comes crashing down around you, you'll still smile again.”

Foos looks at Reno with a grim expression on his face, “You sure about that Reno?”

Reno looks back at Foos with disgust, “Ya know what, screw it. Go get dressed, make yourself look nice, and go find Toog and tell him you quit the council. Then go find that girl that's got you smiling so much today and tell her you never want to see her again. Oh and we can't forget Roo now can we, you go and find her too and tell her you can't be there for her anymore.”

Foos looks around his eyes darting everywhere, his mind scrambling for something to say. Foos focuses his eyes on Reno and finally speaks, “I can't just do that Reno I've made promises, and honor demands I keep them”

“Well screw your honor!” Reno says in a loud shout, taking Foos by surprise. The words sound so foreign to Foos he sits there speechless while his friend continues, “Look you don't want to care about anything anyway, so why would you let something as silly as honor get in your way of closing out the galaxy around you?” He pauses for a moment running his hand across the top of his head. “Like if you really shut yourself out and became the heartless monster you think you are, do you really think you would care about things like honor?” Reno looks up at the ceiling and speaks out loud to himself, “Honor, he sits here and tells me about honor.” He looks back at Foos who is sitting there looking around the room-- it had been a long time since someone made Foos feel like a child-- and continues speaking, “Look if you want to be protective about who you're close to that's one things, some would tell you that's the smart way to go. And I'd be one them. But to sit here and tell me you don't want to feel, that's a damn lie.” Reno looks down for a moment and shakes his head, “It's a lie you've made for yourself, because you still haven't learned how to let go. Foos, you can't save everyone, and sometimes you can't even save the ones you love. It's a reality you need to face and learn to deal with, cause until then you're never going to really be happy.”

Foos sit there still and looks down at the ground, “You sound like Johnny.”

Reno looks up at Foos, “What's that?” he says with a grin.

“I said you sound like Johnny” he said rolling his eyes, “and you're not Johnny.”

“Yeah you're right I'm not Johnny, but it doesn't matter you know I'm right” Reno says as he starts to get up from his chair, “Well I've said enough, guess I'll be on my way.”

Reno gets up and starts to walk toward the door. Foos sits there quietly thinking to himself for a moment. As Reno is about half way down the hallway Foos speaks, “Reno wait.” Reno stops and turns and looks at Foos saying nothing. “Reno you're right, I'm sorry it's just sometimes I... I...”

Reno cuts Foos off, “It's alright boss, I know no need to say anymore. You know what ya need to do.” Foos looks back at Reno, nods, and then gets up to walk his friend to the door. “Well, I don't feel like leavin' on this note, so any chance I'm going to get a name out of ya?”

“Name?” Foos looks at his friend slighty confused.

Reno laughs, “Yeah I want a name of this girl that's got ya grinning this morning.” Foos looks at his atrox friend, smiles and shakes his head. “Well ya can't blame a guy for trying can ya?” Reno says with a loud laugh. “Come on Foos, ya gotta give me something” he says looking hopeful.

Foos just shakes his head, “Reno I told you we just came up here to look at the stars that's about it, what more do you want me to tell you? You already know it wasn't a 'Good Night', not like I would tell you if it was, but still.”

Reno chuckles, “Alright, so tell me what smooth moves did you use to get her up here?”

“Well um, I hmmm” Foos looks at Reno unsure what to say, as they reach the door.

“You um, what boss?” Reno says trying to hold back his laughter.

“Well she um, kidnapped me” Foos says looking at Reno blushing a bit.

Reno looks at Foos and burst out laughing, “Kidnapped ya? Are you sure it wasn't Ruby?” Reno stands there smiling at Foos while he opens the door.

Foos shakes his head faking a scowl trying to hold back from laughing, points his finger at Reno and says, “This is exactly why I'm not telling you her name.”

“Aww come on boss don't be like that”, Reno says still laughing, “Come on I'll be good.”

Foos shakes his head no, smiling a bit, “Get out of here ya silly atrox. I'll talk to you soon, Goodbye Reno” he says while he close the door on the large man laughing loudly.

After the door is close Foos sits on the ground and thinks to himself, reflecting on what his friend had said to him earlier. He knows his friend is right, he just doesn't know what path he should take. He does know the smile she gave him felt good, and he knew he wasn't ready to give that up yet.

((Very well-written! I liked it :D ))