8. Innocence.
It had been a long mission. Four weeks of tromping through jungle and snow had led to this end. Washed, clean, and back in the office, his staff had fallen asleep. Tseng smiled softly to himself, watching the three he called friends.
Elena's slow breathing was spaced by small murmurings, sprawled in her char, hair over her face. Every exhalation revealed the small scar beside her nose she'd gotten early on in the mission. Tseng watched her features squinch in a dream then soften. Even in sleep the Junon native looked stern.
Rude had this low, rumbling snore like thunder in his chest. His arms were crossed and his shades slipped low on his nose. He seemed…looser in sleep to the Wutaian, the dark Costan features strong and firm. He looked like he was ready for action at an moment. He looked as he did awake, shadowed by the things he'd done.
And Reno. The little redhead had sprawled uncaringly on the floor, hair splaying ahead of him. Tseng didn't blame him, because he'd slept maybe an hour each night this month. He moved in his sleep, an arm tucking up against his side with his other sprawled above his head. In his sleep he looked so innocent, as if three hours before he hadn't shot the man they'd spent a month hunting for their superior.
It had been a long mission, and now his friends slept on unawares of his watching. Stern, Hard and Innocent. He heard his lover come into the room, wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"Come to bed." it was a whisper that he obeyed. And Rufus Shinra smiled at Tseng, knowing that his Dragon looked as innocent as Reno when he slept.