On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords a leaping.
With Rufus, Rude, and Elena gone Tseng shuffled his way to the kitchen to check on Reno. The red head was just putting the lasagna into the oven when Tseng entered.
"You've finished it already?" he asked taking a seat at the table.
"Yes." Reno said as he put two bottles of wine in the refrigerator.
"What are your plans for the rest of the evening until the others get home?"
"Probably finishing the cookies, getting out my presents for under the tree, all while attempting to get drunk as fuck before the others get home."
Tseng shook his head, "You always say that, but you never do."
Reno said nothing as he started to clean some of the dishes he had dirtied. He rolled up his sleeves.
Tseng's phone went off and he smiled when he looked at the number. He answered the phone with a "Merry Christmas" in Wutain and ducked out of the kitchen to talk with his grandmother.
It was a longer conversation than usual. She told him about some of her antics and even some old family stories. He promised that he would be there for the Wutain New Years and she was ecstatic. He had asked Rufus for the time off over a year ago, he just prayed that Rufus wouldn't stop him with all that had happened.
He hung up and heard the faint sounds of piano music playing from the living room. He followed the music until he found Reno playing "Where are you Christmas" with a glass of rum that sat on top of the upright piano.
He sat on the couch and listened to Reno play, closing his eyes. When Reno finished Tseng opened his eyes and watched Reno take a long drink from the rum.
"Want some Eggnog ala Reno?" He asked waving the bottle he had produced from beside the piano as he turned.
Tseng shook his head, "For someone who hates Christmas, you certainly have some Christmas songs memorized."
"I know many songs by heart, that doesn't mean I like them all." Reno said turning back to the piano and starting "Silent Night."
"You play beautifully."
Reno picked up his glass and took a long drink from it. "I do my best." He said after he set the glass back down.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a candle that was all white. He set it on top of the piano and lit it. He took another long drink and then began to play a song that Tseng knew but couldn't place. It was a lilting tune, that echoed eerily throughout the house.
It reminded Tseng of a song his grandmother used to dance to when he was young. He remembered her pulling him to his feet and asking him to dance with her, careful to show him the male parts of the dances she danced. He remembered her thin hands and feet that looked so frail on the tatami mats, but still moved with all of the grace the younger dancers possessed and more. Years of experience in the art that she knew would be lost now without a granddaughter to teach to, ignored by the happiness in teaching her grandson a dying art form among Wutain men.
He snapped out of his moment when the song ended.
"What was that called?"
"Seven Children." Reno said.
"There is a dance that goes with it."
"Every piece of music has a dance to go with it, but yes this song has a Wutain dance to go with it." Reno said flatly.
Tseng watched as Reno poured himself some more rum and put his fingers to the keys. He played a fast song that Tseng knew immediately.
"Reno."
The red head kept playing, his eyes closed as he swayed slightly to the song. Tseng sat on the couch and listened to him play. Neither heard the door open when the others arrived, the three stood silently staring at Reno playing.
They all stared until Reno finished the song and blew out the candle. The timer went off in the kitchen and Tseng stood carefully.
"Rude would you?" Tseng asked.
Rude nodded and went to the piano. He carefully took Reno's arm and knelt to whisper something.
"What is the name of that song?" Rufus asked suddenly.
Tseng tried to intervene, but it was too late.
"It is called "Once upon a December." Reno snarled, striding the short distance to Rufus' wheel chair. "In the town I was born in, there was a carousel, it played that song throughout the month of December."
Rude stepped in front of Reno and set a hand on his shoulder, "Come with me Reno. You have had a bit too much-"
"What? I can't tell pretty boy about where I grew up? I can't tell him what his father did to-"
"You will regret this in the morning. You drank almost a whole bottle of Rum on your own and I know that it was brand new this morning. Please come with me and we can-"
Rufus set a hand on Rude's elbow.
"What did my father do Reno?" Rufus asked, his eyes sad and soft.
"He burned my family alive. He ordered Soldiers to murder my entire town. He burned my parents alive and once they were dead I was thrown into Midgar to-"
Rude pressed a hand over Reno's mouth, stopping him from continuing.
"I KNOW you don't want to say that right now. Please, let's go either enjoy the delicious dinner you made or let's get you to bed."
Reno looked away, his face red with anger.
"I am sorry, sir. I didn't mean for that outburs-"
"I remember that day. I remember the day my father ordered your town be destroyed. He went by the town to make sure they had done as ordered on the way back from church. I could barely see the fire, but I could hear that song from the back of the limo. I had always thought it was a dream." Rufus looked away, "I am sorry. I am sorry that you went through all that you have and I am sorry that once we hired you we asked you to do the very same thing that happened to you to other people. I am sorry Reno."
The red head froze, stunned into silence. He stared at Rufus for a moment, clearly not sure what to do.
When he finally settled on what to say he whispered, "It happened so long ago I can barely remember it except for this time of year. Thank you, it is alright."
"It's not. It's not alright. The Shinra Corporation has done some horrible things. I think it is high time that the company make up for it. We must change the world for the better. From now on that is my goal. I WILL make sure this company resurrects itself and does everything it can to make this world a better place. We will do our best to protect this world from the evil's that we have unleashed starting with Sephiroth. After the New year we will make sure that there is nothing left of the General."
Tseng cringed in the kitchen, his grandmother would be so disappointed. The Wutain set the lasagna on the stove and tried to think of a good way to break the news.
"Except you Tseng. You will be going to visit that grandmother of yours. You requested two weeks and you will have them." Rufus said.
Tseng smiled to himself, relieved that he might get to actually see his last bit of family.
Rufus smiled at his Turks, looking at each one in turn. He would do better, if not just for them, for the rest of the world.
Tseng cleared his throat, "Dinner is ready, we wouldn't want all of Reno's hard work to go to waste would we?"
They all took their places and Reno got the honors of cutting and serving the meal. Tseng got the least messiest piece, Rude got the biggest piece in the pan, Elena got a medium sized piece with extra sauce, Rufus got piece with very little sauce, but lots of meat, and Reno got an extra cheesy slice.
Tseng looked at Reno positively beaming. The only thought he could manage was, 'And he, he himself, the Grinch - carved the roast beast.'
~Here it is Chapter 10! Only two days left! I hope you all enjoyed it and please, as always, feel free to R&R. Thank you for reading! ~CR