A Day in the Life

Collection of drabbles.

l l l Part 11 l l l

Distantly, Reno could hear the sound of voices penetrating the fog of his sleep, but he tried to ignore them as the steady throb in his head grew with such intensity that he wished he were still asleep. But his mind slowly came into focus and he could pick out bits and pieces of the conversation nearby.

"What the hell happened?"

"Kid disregarded the protocol. You know how he is—how he acts, though he's not fooling anybody." That, Reno decided, was the pleasantly surprising voice of Tseng—pleasant in that it would be incredible to kick his ass—and surprising because Reno didn't expect the man to actually be there. Since when did Tseng ever visit anyone, he thought.

"Then straighten him out. I won't have irresponsible members in my company." Fuck. Shinra. And not the young one—this one was a fucking tyrannical bastard. And no fun at all.

"Yes, sir." So obedient, Reno reflected, what a fucking traitor.

With the sound of retreating footsteps fading, Reno allowed his body to pull him back under.

Less than a week later, he was called into Tseng's office, but this time it wasn't for a new mission. Instead, Tseng was holding a red file—personnel. Great, Reno thought, what's it say in there about me now?

Tseng cleared his throat and gestured to his left, and Reno turned to see another man, obviously a Turk, standing to his own right, whom he had overlooked when he had first arrived.

"Name's Rude—your new partner," Tseng explained.

Reno turned back to him and glared, "I don't have a partner."

Tseng only smirked, fully aware of Reno's distaste. "Well, you do now, kid."

"Don't call me 'kid,'" Reno practically snarled. This hadn't been what he had expected at all.

Tseng's expression cleared and he stated seriously, "Then stop acting like one, Reno."

They stared each other down for several moments before Tseng finished. "That limp better not slow you down." With that, he turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing in the silence left in his wake.

Reno turned to look at his new partner who was standing ten feet from him, hands behind his back, eyes disguised by a pair of outdated sunglasses. He was tall and dark-skinned, and very nonverbal. And not in favor of body language, either, it seemed. It made Reno feel uneasy and anxious, but he shrugged it off, deciding he wasn't going to let the man get one over him.

"So… Rude, is it? You got a last name, yo?"

He wasn't surprised at all by the silence.

l l l

to be continued.