all that jazz
theme 25: forgiveness
"This is bribery. Not an apology."
"… I'm sorry; would you prefer a chocolate fountain? It's a little hard to find a present when I'm still incapacitated and hospital." Elena sneezed, wrapping an extra blanket around her, still shivering.
"Could you get one?" Reno asked, kind of curious, letting him be detracted from his anger for a second.
"Maybe." Elena mused, thinking that a chocolate fountain really would spruce their apartment up…
"Reno." Rude sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't get off topic."
"Right!" Reno nodded, serious once more. "We're flattered that you'd choose hospital food as bribery, but we refuse. Can't stand the stuff."
"…" Pouting slightly, Elena what she could do to make it up to her friends. "How… why—"
"We had to." Rude said simply, ruffling her messy hair. "When we discovered that you'd disappeared, and the reason was obvious to us instantly – and… there was no option. We had to go after you… because you're one of us."
And we love you.
"Turks look after each other. We've got each other's backs." Reno confirmed this, flicking her forehead, mirroring the unsaid sentiment.
"… but I…"
"We're strong when you're weak. We're your pillar, you're our support. We tease you, you make us laugh. It's us. We are the Turks; three of a kind, now and forever." Reno aeroplaned the food into Elena's mouth. "So get better, 'cause we've got a lot more to teach you."
"Guys, I'm sorry. Really, I am."
"Nah, it's nothing." Reno shrugged, unmoved by her apology, but accepting it nonetheless. "You're bound to mess up at some point. That's why we're here to take care of you. But listen, if you ever put Tseng before us again, we're not going to be so tolerant next time."
"… 'kay." Scrunching up her face as she swallowed another piece of food, Elena made a mental note to separate her head from her heart; although if next time, someone had insulted these two, she wasn't so sure that she would be able to control her emotions so easily. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Good."
Silence.
"… did you really deck Strife?" Rude suddenly asked, wondering if the two SOLDIERs' reports were true.
"Yep! Momentum wasn't enough to stop me from tumbling down though…" Elena opened her mouth, ready for the incoming airplane with sound effects.
Munch.
"… d'ya really know a guy who can get us a chocolate fountain?"