Author's Notes: The last time I attempted to put Reeve into a school environment, he was bullied. This time is a bit more positive. But still AU. Written as a partner piece, albeit late, to Mistreated. The music I wrote this to was No Such Thing by John Mayer, which the extended version of kinda fits this. But hey, it's Reeve, and it's Tseng. So it's good.

Theme: School

Regrets

You could see the whole of the school grounds from here, and Reeve had grown to love it. The place was quiet, secluded, and not exactly easy to get to anyway. No one went out onto the roof anyway, and the little area above the band room saw even less traffic. After all, there were student areas fenced off above some parts of the school, but the band roof was only accessed by a maintenance ladder. And it helped that while he could see down and out, it wasn't easy to see up to him.

The place had grown into the refuge for the fifteen year old, despite discovering it two weeks after he had stopped needing places to hide out. Reeve knew irony when he saw it, and the discovery of this place most definitely qualified under that header. Still, the place had its uses. While he was free of physical abuse, that didn't stop the emotional, verbal, or any other shit. Only fear of his fellow seniors taking him in as a 'pet' kept him safe anyway. Were the trio to leave who knew what would happen to the young genius of the school.

Reeve closed his eyes and stretched his arms out as the wind began to blow in. The air was heavy with the smell of rain, and the smell of rain had always made Reeve happy. It was the scent of a fresh start, of washing away sins and failures and short comings.

"If you're going to say something cheesy like 'I'm king of the school', please, just jump now."

Quickly the young man turned to face the voice, only to be met with the teasing grin of an arrogant red haired senior. Reno, with his uniform shirt untucked, his posture slumped, and a cigarette hanging between his lips, just gave a mock salute before plopping himself down on the roof. He didn't come any closer than his predetermined five foot radius though. Somehow the obnoxious teen just seemed to sense how nervous Reeve was around him and knew how close he could get without scaring the kid off.

Of course, where Reno want, so went Rude, and when the shaved head of the silent senior soon appeared over the top of the ladder, it didn't come as any surprise to Reeve. Rude was the total opposite to Reno. Where the red head was boisterous and wore his heart on his sleeve, Rude was silent and stoic. A good compliment to each other. Rude pretty much dominated the school in maths and sciences, while Reno took to the arts like a moth to the flame. Reeve often mused that were one to combine the two there would actually be a challenge to his status as top student. Well, one other than Tseng.

And speaking of the asian…

Reeve turned back to the view, not letting himself look towards the ladder anymore. If he did, he'd only betray a smile when he laid eyes upon the charismatic leader of the small assemblage. A smile and a frown. And who knew what that would lead to.

"I should have expected you knew about this place too."

The comment, maybe an accusation, was met with silence save for the sound of shoes on the roof as someone approached. After a moment there was a sound of annoyance from Reno.

"Come on Rude. Looks like Dot-Head wants time alone with Poindexter."

There was a grunt, Rude's agreement, before Reeve heard the sound of shoes on metal rungs. If the duo was leaving, then Tseng did have something he wanted to talk about. The older teen never really spoke to Reeve alone, something that both upset and comforted the young genius. Time alone with the asian was always awkward. Reeve would always blunder somehow, sound stupid, and apologize near obsessively until Tseng just laughed it off and bid him farewell for the day.

And Reeve didn't want what could turn out to be their last conversation to end up like that.

"You didn't hang around long after rehearsal," Tseng said at length, not yet moving closer.

"Had no reason to."

"There was the picnic."

Reeve just chuckled. He was well aware of how the rest of the senior class felt about him. No way was he going to put himself in the middle of a park, thick with trees and a lot of people who didn't like him anyway.

"You know as well as I do that I'm hardly considered part of the senior class. Hell, I'm three years younger than most of the students in the class. I wasn't welcome."

"You were at prom," Tseng pointed out, "And you did turn a few heads."

"My parents insisted."

"I see."

Tseng sighed and moved forward, coming to rest just behind Reeve. He too stared out at the school grounds below him, or so Reeve assumed. There was little else to look after all. Only the view and himself. Reeve hoped that the asian could at least understand where he was coming from. People didn't like the kid who had showed up and moved through four years of high school in only two. People didn't like the smart kid that all the teachers liked, and the most popular kids in school protected.

"Don't get me wrong, Tseng," Reeve said with a sigh. He could almost sense the disappointment radiating off of the only real friend he'd come to have. "It's not that I didn't want to go. It's that… I didn't belong. I don't belong. The rest of you… or a good part… You've been together for four years or more. Who am I to consider myself part of that?"

"One of us," Tseng responded without hesitation, moving forward at last to stand besides Reeve.

"Tseng…" Reeve actually had to turn away from questing eyes, for the tears such a statement brought to him. Tseng hadn't even known him for a year, and he was saying stuff like that.

"It doesn't matter if you've been here four years or two weeks. You're one of us, like it or not. Or… at least that is how Reno would put it."

Reeve didn't respond as he attempted to regain control of his emotions. Why they were always so on the edge with Tseng around was something he didn't know, but the fact was that he needed control right now.

"What are you going to do?"

A neutral topic, and loaded all at once. Reeve knew it, and he knew Tseng knew it. Thinking he didn't wouldn't be giving the teen the credit he deserved. He was, after all, only half a point behind Reeve's position of Valedictorian.

"Give a speech, cross a stage, take some pictures, and go home."

There was a chuckle from Tseng, "No. Not tomorrow. I meant…"

"I know what you meant."

The silence between them was comfortable for a few minutes before Reeve finally came up with a response.

"My life has been planned out for me for a while now. I'm going to MTI. Robotics. What about you?"

"My father is the head medical researcher for the ShinRa Corporation," Tseng said with a smile. "I'm expected to follow in his footsteps."

Reeve turned quickly to look at Tseng. He hadn't expected something like that. The ShinRa Corporation was a powerful company in this day and age. They were in every field from medical research to robotics to plastics to even agriculture. And that was just in addition to a booming industry in computers. For Tseng's father to be who he was meant that Tseng's future had been laid out long before Reeve's was.

"It might surprise you to know that Rude is the son of the main bodyguard of the ShinRa CEO, Mister ShinRa himself. And Reno's father is the CFO of the company. They come here by request. Well… Reno got kicked out of his private school, and Rude joined him as protection. My father sent me here to have more of an experience with normal people than I had in my youth."

Suddenly Reeve felt less confident about his fears about a preplanned future. Tseng and the others were more on a set course than he was. It was almost scary.

"You know what the secret is?"

Reeve looked at the asian nervously. He had no clue what Tseng meant and he was almost afraid of what would be said.

"Living for the moment while you can. Tell me, Reeve, have you ever just shouted in the halls after hours?"

The question was responded to with a frown. What did that have to do with anything?

"How about just running through the halls?"

Another shaking of the head.

"Are you going to come back here in ten years and regret not doing stuff like this? Regret not living while you had the chance?"

"I…"

Tseng chuckled and shook his head. "Well then. I guess we'll have to wait and see then."

Reeve nodded, his eyes still on the school grounds before them.

"I have no intention of regretting my time here."

Before Reeve could react he found himself pulled up against the older teen, with Tseng's lips against his own. His eyes widened and the first instinct was to pull away. Of course, as close to the edge as they were, and lacking a fence, that was hardly a good idea. And with Tseng's strength it wasn't likely the other senior would allow it if he didn't want to. So the best thing he could do was just wait it out.

Though, just when Reeve was getting comfortable with the contact, and when an odd fluttering filled his stomach, the older teen pulled away. There was a smile as Tseng backed up and then turned away. And while Reeve was still completely shocked and speechless the popular asian made his way to the ladder down.

"See you tomorrow Reeve."

There was a chuckle as the male went over the ladder and started down.

"And try not to trip when you get your diploma!"

In silence Reeve stared out over the school grounds. After a while he watched as Tseng rejoined Reno and Rude near the parking lot. There was something said by the red head and laughter resulted before the trio clambered into Tseng's convertible.

And it was with a smile that Reeve finally climbed down from his safe haven. Tomorrow he was going to have to find a way to make sure he wouldn't regret all of his time in high school…