Working Towards Happiness Chapter 3: Crush
Suki woke up to a slight breeze and the smell of beer. Squinting at the bright light above her, she recognized the ceiling of the relaxation room. Rolling over slightly, Suki looked up at Reno, who was fanning her face with a paper fan, a half-empty bottle of beer in his other hand. Slowly sitting up, her head still ringing slightly, Suki sighed. Looking around the small room, she saw other girls, at least 5, laying down on surrounding cots.
"What happened?" She asked Reno.
Reno shrugged. "Ya fainted after ya heard who your date was."
Suki looked at him, confused, for a moment. Then asked, in disbelief. "And that made me faint?"
Reno nodded.
Suki motioned towards the other girls, who were all still asleep. "What about them?" Reno shrugged.
"Same as you."
Suki sighed. "Just who was it again? My date."
Reno laughed. "You must have hit your head if you forgot. It's Mr. Pretty-Boy-I-Am-Rich-Fancypants."
Suki growled slightly. "And I'm supposed to know who that is?"
Reno smirked slightly. "Who else do I call that, 'cept Rufus?"
Suki paled significantly. "Rufus...as in Rufus Shinra...as in President Rufus Shinra?"
Reno laughed again. "I don't know any other Rufuses and thank god for that!"
Suki sighed shakily and laid back down on the cot..."I think I need to lie down for another hour or two..."
Reno stared at her, then laughed even louder. "Of all the things! She can eat my cooking, which in itself is saying somthin', she never gets grosses out, and she can stand to watch those graphic medical programs, but she faints when she finds out she's got a date with Rufus? Looks like I found her weakness after all..."
Meanwhile, in the conference room, Rufus has gathered the other three Turks, Reeve, Heighdigger, Scarlet, and Palmer for a meeting concerning the ball. Elena was staring dreamily at Tseng, who didn't seem to notice her. Rude was laughing under his breath at something, Scarlet was checking her nails for flaws, Palmer was arguing with himself, Heighdigger was eating, and Reeve was checking over paperwork. The door at the far end of the room opened and in strode Rufus. No one seemed to notice however, until he slammed the door shut behind him.
"All preparations are finished?" Rufus asked lazily.
"Yes, sir. Just completed an hour ago." Scarlet answered, smiling widely.
Rufus ignored her glance. "The food?"
"It's very tasty...and all ready too. GWAHAHAHA!" Heighdigger responded, shoving a bagel in his mouth.
Rufus glared at him "Shut up. And what about the music?"
"The DJ arrived and hour ago and Rude & I went through the song list and eliminated all the 'improper' songs, sir." Elena responded, perky as ever.
No one noticed when Reno snuck back in the meeting and took his normal seat next to Rude, who punched him in the arm, only to get punched back.
"Okay, so onto more important matters: did anyone figure out the last three?" Rufus asked, pointing towards the chart behind him which contained a listing of everyone in the room's name, plus Hojo, as well as their color for the dance, and their date. Three names had blank spots in the date area: Elena, Rude, and Rufus.
"I know who mine is!" Elena chimed in. "It's that weird guy from the lobby who has the glare that makes his eyes look like they're popping out of their sockets. I think it's Tinnt or something like that."
Rufus shrugged and wrote Tinnt's name in beside Elena's. "What about you Rude, any idea who your date is?" Rufus turned his head towards the bald Turk.
"Floor 50's secretary, the one with the poofy brown hair." Rude answered, looking like it was the last thing he wanted. Rufus shrugged again and wrote Mina in next to Rude.
"And finally, anyone find out my date?" Rufus asked, eyes scanning the room.
Reno, meanwhile, was trying to decide whether or not to tell Rufus. His 'guardians' were debating for him. (AN-Like the devil and angel who appear on people's shoulders during cartoons. **angel** and ^^devil^^)
**You should tell your boss who his date is. He deserves to know.**
^^If you tell that grump, he might decide not to go and then it will be Suki that gets hurt!^^
**Rufus would never do something like that!**
^^He pushed that employee out the window of the 40th floor, now didn't he?^^
**... ... ...**
^^And let's not forget what he did with the guy who called him 'Bub'^^
**... ... ...Okay, let's not tell him.**
^^Hey, you're not supposed to agree with me! We're supposed to debate endlessly until Reno makes up his own mind.^^
**It's not my fault! I always have the losing side of the argument!**
^^True...^^
"Anyone?" Rufus asked again, looking in the direction of the four Turks.
Tseng shook his head, Rude shrugged, Elena looked disappointedly, and Reno...wasn't paying attention.
"Reno? RENO!" Rufus yelled at the fiery-haired minion until he finally snapped out of his dream-like state.
"Huh? Whatas?" Reno muttered confusedly.
"Reno, do you know who my date is?" Rufus asked, a little more calm than before.
Reno scratched his head, the fact that Rufus meant for the ball obviously not registering. "Date? For what? I didn't know ya dated..."
Rufus covered his face with his hand, sighing. "Dismissed, all of you..."
Reno shrugged and walked out with the other four. Once outside, everyone went their separate ways, except for Rufus who was still sitting there is disbelief and Rude who followed Reno down the hall until they were about ten feet away from the meeting hall before slapping the red-headed Turk on the back, hard.
"Hey, what that for?" Reno shouted, turning around in mid-step. He smashed into a nearby door, causing it to shatter a vase nearby.
Inside the meeting hall, Rufus looked up after hearing the noise and spotted the ruined vase. His left eyebrow twitched.
"For your dumb act! 'I didn't know ya dated...'! Give me a break!" Reno scoffed.
"Wait, he didn't mean his date for the ball, did he?" Reno asked, scratching his head.
"Well, YES!"
"Oh! OH! I wasn't thinkin' back there! I know who that is." Reno lamented.
"Really?" Rude asked him, disbelieving.
"Yup, its Sukes." Reno nodded.
"Sukes?" Rude asked looking confused.
"Yeah, you know? Suki?" Reno prodded.
"Who?" Rude questioned.
"Sukidaii." Reno stated.
"Whasa?" Rude asked again.
"Sukidaii Ko Usowana: the blonde chick with the sapphire eyes from floor 54!" Reno practically screamed.
"Oh, HER!" Rude smiled and nodded. "She's pretty cute."
As the two Turks rounded the corner, Rufus charged down the hallway after the two, holding what remained of the priceless vase that Reno had slammed the door into. As Rufus got closer, both Turks didn't even seem to notice.
"So, you know that chick right?" Rude asked Reno.
"Yea, old friend. We go back ta 'mentary school." Reno remarked.
"Ya like her?" Rude accused.
"NO! Heavens no!" Reno said, shaking his head adamantly, his face turning red.
"Ya do." Rude teased, knowing Reno probably didn't.
Reno put his head down and whispered. "Is it that obvious?"
"Obvious that what?" Rude questioned.
"Is it that obvious that I like her and have liked her since 'mentary school?" Rude whispered.
Rude's mouth dropped open, but he quickly recovered. "Aw… Reno's got a crush! Reno's got a crush!" Rude sang, running ahead of Reno down the hallway.
Reno looked at Rude singing away and charged after him screaming "SHUT UP! I do NOT!"
Rufus stopped in his tracks, watching the two chase each other down the hallway yelling at the top of their lungs. Sometimes, he truly wondered if these elite spies were in their men or little children...aparently not all of them had all their marbles...