The Unspoken Truth:

The Ugly Side of Mornings

Reno's POV

Mornings can be a refreshing or a horrible phenomenon depending on the person. In Reno's case it's the latter. He hated the smell of mornings; the smell of condensed dew and trapped mist, it reminded him of his own armpits. Whenever that sunlight pierces through his battered blinds he felt like getting smouldered alive might have been a better choice. Too bad Shinra apartments had no heavy curtains to pin against the cursed windows that leaked light. Well not that Reno wanted them anyways. Too feminine for his tastes.

Well this morning was especially bad. He woke up feeling like someone has pulled out his insides and thoroughly washed them with bleach, which would probably explain the nasty taste lingering in his mouth. Last night was a complete blur. His brain ached with the aftermath of a total hangover and his body kept bumping into various sharp things.

When Tseng and his stupid, iron-flat expression greeted him, Reno knew he should pack his office and leave this good-for-nothing organization once and for all. The only good thing about this job is that you don't get fired, just eliminated so nobody lives to tell the tale. The Turks never have a pretty past to boast about anyways.

Sometimes Reno wished he got himself a normal job like those aged old men in a tie and a worn-out suit, this way he'd have more freedom with his secret drinking obsession. But in these days everybody works for Shinra. Escape was futile.

"Morning." Tseng spoke coldly while keeping his cool. "Your recently behaviour has now been reported to the higher-ups. Reno you have broke seven out of the ten regulations we Turks must observe. They are now deciding your days of suspension. I believe this is a good time to rethink some things. Hmm perhaps it is yet not too late."

Who is this punk telling me of? Reno groaned as he dug for gold in his ears with a pinkie. Well this punk was his boss. There were two things he now hate, mornings and bosses. He muttered something he knew he'll regret later, but during mornings when his emotions take over the best of him, Reno only lives for the moment."Yeah, just make sure they dun' forget to send the pay check to mer bank. Those ungrateful bastards."

Tseng wore a displeased look. But anyone would in his situation. He was the boss who was lucky enough to shoulder the burdens of the whole crew. Well Reno obviously doesn't give a fuck. Blame it all on mornings.

"Reno, there's a reason why we Turks are paid better." Tseng peered at his wristwatch and continued in a flat tone. Yaddey yaddey laddah. The same old lecture. Reno closed his eyes wishing he was back on his soft bundle of a bed, snuggling against his pillows and then finally drift into oblivion rather than wasting precious time listening to his goody-goody boss. Blast it!

"Tseng," Reno pleaded out of pure desperation, "Save the preaching for some new kid. I get you already."

"You don't get me enough."

Oh God! 'How can that man still keep a straight-face?' Reno wondered. He also wondered what Tseng's expression would be like if he had a different job. Probably have settled in nicely with a family of his own; taking care of the babies while his lovely wife cooks a homey meal. Fuck that too. Reno knew he was wasting brain cells by trying to imagine Tseng smile. The only way to get out of this situation was to speak the truth! Hesitatingly, Reno finally decided to give up arguing against the poker face, "Alright man, sorry. I just don't feel well."

"I wouldn't expect any less. Cissnei had to carry you home because of you were drunk beyond logic."

Did Tseng just say a woman took him home? Oh no! Reno felt every fibre in his body ablaze. Out of all the people in the god damned world and it had to be Cissnei. His face flushed uncontrollably.

"Tseng, seriously? No jokes mate! You sure it was Cissnei? Please man tell me what I did last night. I want them all. The details Tseng, the details!" Reno yelled with an ill-feeling that it was not going to look good. The thought of his missing memories bittered as he hand-brushed his red spikes, hoping for the best.

"You perhaps might become paranoid."

"I already am! Just tell me Tseng! God, I need to know!"

Reno could see Tseng's lips break into a frown and his eyes reverted from his gaze. This definitely can't be good!

With a calming attitude, Tseng began illustrating his tale, "After the previous mission and the loss of one of our newest members, Reno you disappeared to a bar and drank until you were deprived of reason. Furthermore you also threatened the customers and we were called to pick you up. By the time we arrived the damage was already done, of course the cost of it all would have to come from your salary."

He did all that? Well that wasn't exactly that bad… Reno thought to himself, maybe nothing is as serious as Tseng made it out to be. "What about the chapter with Cissnei? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Here Tseng paused. His eyebrows knotted and he had a slight worried expression in his eyes as if he didn't know how to word the event. "The others were away on missions and only Cissnei was available so she went to retrieve you. However it appears that on your way home… you…"

Groped her? Beat her? Told her how un-Turk like she has been acting? "What? What did I do? Come on dun' be a cliff hanger!"

"You kissed her," his boss stared straight into his eyes. "I was not informed about the details afterwards."

Tseng looked even more displeased, especially after speaking out the truth. Reno himself was shocked. No, he was beyond shocked. Okay, the bleach he tasted in the morning was real. It made so much more sense that Cissnei would have tried to wash the flavour out of his mouth, once and for all.

He was at the part of the day where you have to reimburse your earlier responsibilities. Reno did not like what was coming next. He knew he would have to face Cissnei sooner or later. Tseng was now going on about the ten rules of the Turks, how one of them is that relationship between members must be kept strictly on a friendship level and blah blah blah. He has done it now. Screwed up a mission and not to mention losing someone's life, crushed a bar, went plain drunk and to have went as far as kissing Cissnei. It was not like he really did have affections for her. He just found her kind of pretty...sometimes. But once knowing her for what she could do, that tingling feeling was instantly purged away, or in Reno's terms: locked it up good and threw away the keys.

"Oh fuck." Still struggling in his biggest hangover ever, Reno muttered sleepily, "I really.. really do hate mornings."