Second Chance

Kagura Kyo Shinra

Warning: This story has shounen-ai. So if you don't like homosexual males, you shouldn't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I take no responsibility for these characters or Final Fantasy or anything except this story.

Part Fourteen: Second Chance

Tseng avoided Rufus for their entire trip back home. He had so much to say to Rufus, and he didn't want to blurt it out in front of everyone and without putting much thought into it. Back in Midgar, Tseng decided he couldn't wait any longer to see Rufus or else the younger man might start getting worried.

"Rufus?" Tseng asked as he entered Rufus' chambers.

"Oh, Tseng," Rufus smiled. "How are you?"

"Good. Um, I know it seems like I've been avoiding you since we left the warehouse."

"A little," Rufus said nervously. "But I figured you had a good reason."

"I did," he said. "I had a lot of things I wanted to say to you, and I didn't want to blurt it out in that nasty warehouse or in that loud helicopter."

"I have some things I wanted to say too," Rufus added. "Like thank you for saving me. Even though I told you to leave, it meant a lot to me that you came."

"How could I leave you, Rufus?"

"After everything I did to you."

"No, I was wrong to say those things."

"But I did hurt you. I finally remembered that I was a little jerk."

"That doesn't matter," Tseng said. "It was the past, and I didn't listen to you when you kept telling me you had changed."

"But . . ."

"Let me speak, Rufus," Tseng pleaded. "You said thank you for coming for you, but you came for me first, Rufus. You gave everything to save me, even yourself. That's when I realized that those words you said were not just words that you really felt them and that you really had changed."

"I tried to tell you," Rufus grinned.

"But I didn't listen because I was so obsessed with my own thoughts and feelings. I can't explain to you how it felt when I thought you might be gone."

"You don't have to. I've dealt with it so many times already," Rufus said.

"Rufus, we've almost lost each other so many times already. I don't wanna waste anymore time, so let's start this now because I can't wait, and I can't walk out of here."

Rufus smiled and hugged Tseng. "Even if you do leave, I'll just follow. I wasted our first chance by being selfish, but I'm definitely not going to waist the second."

End