"Yeah, hi. I'm afraid I can't make it to that 1:00 meeting. Because, it's 1:20 and clearly, I'm not there. Yeah, yeah just sign 'em and stick them in my mailbox tray. I'll pick them up tomorrow. Well, I'm in traffic and…" Tseng hung up his cell phone. Rude looked over at him.

"Dude, you just hung up on him?" he asked.

"Nooo, I'm in the car right now….I went through the traffic tunnel in downtown Midgar." Tseng said completely lying on the phone. "Lo mein?" he asked extending the open take-out box toward Rude.

"That's genius, man. That's genius. Hands down, best fake phone call I've ever heard. And yeah, here…I'll trade you the orange chicken for the Lo mein. Rude and Tseng were getting absolutely nothing accomplished this afternoon. After the blow up between Reno and Cissnei they figured they'd get some work done. However, that was only the beginning. Eventually, Reno found her and here they were sitting at the round table toward the back corner of their floor while Tseng and Rude were hostage in Tseng's office. The Chinese food was ordered by the Urban Development floor upstairs but they had ordered far too much and Rude managed to get up there, take it all, and get back to Tseng's office before Reno came back with Cissnei. Rude and Tseng were happily listening away to the conversation that had been going on for nearly two hours. Both of them had their phones on vibrate which was a good thing because they were both receiving text messages all over the place.

"Do you realize that you and I have been right here in my office listening to them for almost two hours and they aren't even concerned or aware that we are just…gone!" Tseng observed. Rude gasped.

"You're right! Oh my god, they don't care where we are!" Rude said softly.

Reno looked at Cissnei and she looked right back at him. There was silence for a moment. Cissnei finally sighed.

"I'm…I'm tired Reno. I'm tired of talking…I'm tired of…thinking." She finally said.

"I'll do anything…I…will do absolutely anything to prove to you how sorry I am…for everything. You're right…you're right about everything. I was jealous of Zack. I didn't want him to have any of your time at all. And that's not right of me. 'Cause shit, I ain't never gonna tell you who you can and can't hang out with. That ain't cool. I did jump to conclusions. I just…I just assumed you'd slept with him Sunday night. I'm sittin' here…before you….tellin' you that you're fuckin' right about everything and I'm wrong. I was so, so fuckin' wrong." Reno said.

"That's not what bothers me….what bothers me is that I can't believe in all the time you've known me…worked with me, and only recently since we've officially been 'talking'….I can't wrap my mind around the fact that you honestly thought I could have two guys…that I could have two guys and whatever the fuck I wanted with both. What have I done? What have I said or what have you read into in the countless texts we've sent back and forth made you honestly think that I wanted…him…and not you? Was I not obvious enough when I pulled my skirt up and got in bed with you? Is that not obvious enough anymore? Did I miss the memo? I'm sorry but I'm still with Tseng's school of thought that sex isn't just sex for the hell of it…that you gotta be pretty damn serious about someone to sleep with them. And sure Reno, sure I didn't say hey I think we're goin' out now. We're not just friends anymore, we're boyfriend, girlfriend. But I didn't think I fuckin' needed to. You have a drawer of clothes at my apartment and vice versa! For god's sake Reno, there's a constant supply of Wild Berry Capri-Sun in my fridge!" Cissnei said throwing her arms out to her sides.

"Oooh the clothes drawer….yeah Reno, that….man, you shoulda' picked up on that one." Rude whispered to Tseng. Tseng shook his head. "Fried cheese wonton?" Tseng asked offering over another box.

"Please. And did you hear that? Cissnei likes your school of sex or something like that. I didn't quite hear all that." Rude said. Tseng's phone buzzed at him. It was obvious Reno didn't know what to say. She was right…again. He shook his head as he tugged repeatedly on a rubber band.

"I…guess…I guess I just needed to hear you say it. I mean, after Geralyn…" Cissnei cut him off again.

"Look, Reno…no one can undo what happened with her. No man wants to come home and find his girlfriend fuckin' another guy. But I can't undo that! She's a slut, okay? You found out the hard way….that she….is a total slut. You never deserved what you got with her. Okay? Of all the people in the world…you deserved it the least."

"Well, we don't deserve that either, we're as cool as Reno." Rude added quickly to Tseng, hanging on every word.

"Totally, totally…" Tseng agreed with him. "Shit! I just….oooh my god sweet and sour sauce all over my phone screen!"

"Sshhhh! They're gonna hear us!" Rude insisted.

"I know that you're a little bitter and I know that you have issues trusting a woman now…but why me? Why the hell did you ever think that I…would ever, ever, ever….hurt you?" Cissnei leaned forward and put her hands on his. It was a good sign. He shook his head again.

" 'Cause I flipped the fuck out…'cause I….went all psycho irrational. And….I somehow thought that…sleepin' with Geralyn was gettin' back at you. But….the truth is…it bit me in the ass." Reno admitted.

"I don't care about her. Just…just get that through your head that I don't give a shit that you slept with her. What I'm still upset about is the fact that you thought I was like her. Some slut that lays down with anything she wants." Cissnei reiterated.

"No, I've never….thought you were a slut. I just…I know how charming he is, he's not at all hard to look at, and I know how beautiful you are and how…how you are so easy to fall for. Everything about you, makes every other woman seem only half as good. I…I just thought you had it for him in the little time he had been back from his assignment." Reno admitted. Cissnei pulled her phone out.

" 8:10 PM: hey, just got to play house w/ Zack can't wait to see you later. 8:13 PM The show just started so I'll text you at intermission 9:27 PM: The first half is over. So what are you doing? 9:32 PM: I told you I'd come over and help you with that. 9:34 PM: K, second half is starting will text you when I leave play house. 10:17 PM: The Den, then making a liquor run, will be home by 11:30 or 12:00. 10:22 PM: This place is neat we should come down here sometime. 10:27: You're not the only one who likes my scent. 10:31 PM: Yes, I'll wear only it but just for you, wink. 10:36 PM: Best…guacamole ever! 10:38 PM: I swear if you were here I'd give you the last bite. 10:39 PM: No, I'm not lying lol. 11:39 PM: Leavin The Den. 12:15 PM: Just got home. Bring Pet Cemetery. See you soon." Cissnei read all the texts she wanted him to hear from that night a while back. "Here, I'll even let you go through my phone and look at every text and every call I've sent or made to Zack just to prove to you, that it's always been you." She slid her phone across the table.

"No, not that's not necessary. I know there ain't nothin'." Reno said sincerely.

"I hope to god Cissnei has unlimited text." Rude said. "Oh my god…wonton soup Tseng! How did we miss this?

"Who doesn't have unlimited text? You can have that, I'm still working on the vegetable fried rice."

"Yeah, you're right. I send….what….like 100 texts every fifteen minutes?" Rude said as his phone ironically buzzed at him.

"Yeah…but you don't get texts like this." Tseng said handing his phone over.

"Shiiiiiiiit. Who's yacht is that! Waaaaaaait a minute, that can't be your girl's?" Rude's eyes were huge behind his glasses. Tseng shook his head.

"Guess where I'm going this weekend? I'm only working until Thursday. Gonna be a hell of a weekend. It's actually her parents yacht but they just sold it to her because they wanted rid of it and she loves it. It's docked at Costa del Sol."

"How the hell does a twenty-eight-year old academy student afford a million gil yacht!" Rude asked excitedly.

"They sold it to her for 10 gil just because they know how badly she wanted it." Tseng explained.

"God it's true what they say about how if you come from money you attract other people who come from money!" Rude said a little too loudly. I wanna go! I need to go home to Costa anyway!" Rude said.

"Ssshhhh! Now you're bein' too loud!" Tseng warned him.

"Well, text her back and tell her that if things don't work out with you I will somehow be available for the rebound." Rude said jokingly. "Shit, Tseng….you'll come strolling in Monday all tan, oversexed, and loaded up with stories from the marina!"

Neither Reno or Cissnei were saying anything. Cissnei still had ahold of his hands. Her eyes were gentle and forgiving. "Reno…I could fall in love with you so easily…but all this…I can't do this anymore...and by 'this' I mean…" Reno closed his eyes.

"I want you to…I want you…to fall in love with me….so fuckin' badly. And I'm sorry…I'm so, so fuckin' sorry for thinkin' you'd just sleep with someone for the hell of it. I'm so sorry for…nearly messin' all this up. Cissnei…I'm on my fuckin' knees….beggin' you to understand that I think you're the most wonderful woman in the world and that I know you're no fuckin' slut and you never fuckin' have been…I went off the fuckin' deep end. Yes, yes I know that you'd never…I'm already in love with you. I'm in love with you, Cissnei. That's another reason I went fuckin' berserk." Reno confessed to her.

Rude and Tseng were looking at each other with one of those more than shocked looks. Not even Rude knew that Reno was in love with Cissnei.

Cissnei couldn't hold back her tears. "I can't do this…I can't…I can't be angry at you any more. Ever since I stormed outta that door…I…shit I didn't want to so pissed at you but I was." She lunged forward and threw her arms around him. She had never been squeezed so tightly.

"If I didn't have a gun against my ribs that would be a thousand times more endearing." Tseng confessed as he polished off the fried rice.

"I know what you mean." Rude said as his phone buzzed at him. "Oh wow…Naomi's team won the volleyball tournament. Shit their record was 9 and 1. They're unstoppable." Rude told Tseng.

"My god, that must be a good team. Oooh, Ele….I mean…the yacht has a wine fridge, a full kitchen, and two forty-six inch TVs." Tseng said showing Rude another picture.

"You can say her name. Tseng. I mean, hell we've all seen 'er." Rude said.

Cissnei look at him and smiled. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's like the song says Reno…boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away, beating like a drum and it's comin' your way …it's just like that." Cissnei laughed. She wiped her tears again.

"Let's…let's just…I'll come over later. We'll order in and…start all over." Reno said still holding on to her.

"We don't have to start all over, Reno. Kiss me." Cissnei said putting her hands on his shoulders." She sniffed a few times.

"Really? Are you serious?" He asked her. Cissnei shook her head. It was a kiss that could have sent fireworks across Midgar.

"Tseng? This has been one weird ass workday." Rude said.

"Agreed, wow that is one hell of a kiss. I'm actually glad that this is over because I have to turn in the guest list from our department for graduation. Naomi's coming, right?" Tseng asked him.

"Yeah, she'll be here." Rude said.

"Okay, so that's her and you. Reno, his mom, his sister and his nephew, Cissnei, my mom and dad, two uncles and their wives, my three cousins…one husband there, and me. Eighteen from our floor." Tseng said reaching for a paper with Academy letterhead.

"Oooh sweet, I love it when your family comes to Shinra crap. You all look exactly alike. God, you're a fuckin' carbon copy of your dad. Oh, is your hot cousin one of the cousins that are coming?" Rude asked laughing.

"Just because we all have black hair and half of us bare the mark of Leviathan doesn't mean we all look exactly alike. But, yeah I am a carbon copy of my dad minus the long hair." Tseng said signing off on the guest list for the academy graduation. "And yes, my…as you call her…hot and MARRIED cousin…will be here. I won't lie, I have entirely selfish motivations for so much of my family coming to graduation this year."

"I can understand that….shit, Tseng…if I were takin' off on a million gil yacht with a smokin' fine academy graduate-to-be. Who, you know, could probably pull off an assassination pretty damn quickly…I would be beating down the door to show her to my family." Rude said. "Hey, who's catering the graduation after party this year?"

"Oh my god…it's gonna be the best food we've had in years…it's…" Rude cut him off.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Shit's happenin' out there again!" Rude said slugging Tseng in the arm.

"Cissnei, there's something else I really need to tell you. I kinda…decked Zack in the face pretty damn hard." Reno admitted to her. Cissnei shook her head.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but…just this once…he kinda' had it comin'. Zack's a good guy and all but….oh, Reno." She didn't want to talk about it. She just wanted to hold him. She didn't care about anything else in the world except for the man in her arms.