Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
22 – Declassified
The nerve grating sound of his alarm clock pulled Reno to consciousness. The alarm was set for 0600, two hours earlier than usual. He'd planned on going in early and catching up on whatever needed his attention. Now he wasn't sure. Staying late and going back to bed sounded like a better option.
For the most part he hadn't been able to sleep, and when he had, his dreams were plagued with insecurities and fears. Yet was escaping his dreams worth being tired all day? Probably be tired anyway, get up.
The redhead wearily pulled himself upright and rubbed his hands across his face. He wasn't exactly sure why he hadn't slept well, but thought the cold, half-empty bed had something to do with it. It had been almost two weeks since he'd slept alone and now it just felt strange.
As he climbed out of bed he wondered where Genesis was and why he hadn't stopped by last night. He was disappointed he hadn't seen the auburn but he understood. Something had probably come up and it wasn't like the STC didn't have his own life. A call would have been nice, but he was pretty sure Genesis didn't have his PHS number and wasn't even sure if he could get it through the switchboard. The numbers of executives and high-ranking departmental personnel weren't given out without verification and clearance. He had no idea if Genesis had clearance.
After relieving himself, he turned on the shower and removed his hair tie, vowing he would find the auburn sometime today. He started to step into the shower until a glance in the mirror reminded him of the goggles on his forehead. Shit. They were so lightweight and comfortable he had forgotten they were there and slept with them on.
Returning to the bedroom, he slipped them off and laid them on the bed. The water wouldn't damage them but he wasn't sure about shampoo and soap. Those might dry out the padding or something and he didn't want to risk it.
Returning to the bathroom, he stepped into the shower. Even the warm water wasn't doing much to break his subdued mood. As he washed, the redhead tried to finger the problem but it eluded him. Rinsing off, he finally gave up and hoped things would improve as the day went on.
Shower finished, Reno dried his hair, replaced his hair tie, and headed back into the bedroom. He quickly got dressed and decided he would get coffee in the cafeteria instead of making his own. No way would it be as good but he was feeling lazy.
Grabbing his new sidearm off the nightstand, he quickly put it in place, grabbed his EMR, replaced his goggles, and went back to the mirror for a final inspection. He repositioned a few chunks of unruly hair before turning the light off with a sigh. Since he hadn't bothered to turn on the bedroom light, it was almost pitch black. With a last longing look at his bed, he headed into the living room, to the door, slipped his shoes on, and left.
At this time of day Reno didn't have to wait long for the elevator. The only people out were SOLDIERs, military personnel, and a few staff members. The former two groups would probably be out training already, leaving the hallways to workaholics and exercise fanatics. He hit the 59 button and settled into one of the back corners of the carriage with a sigh. It was a pain in the ass to go up and deal with the hassle of going above the 59th floor, but the cafeteria on the 61st floor had better coffee and food than those on the lower levels.
Finally reaching his destination, Reno purchased the biggest cup of coffee the cafeteria offered and an egg, cheese, and sausage sandwich on an oversized croissant. Munching on his sandwich, he grabbed a paper and headed back to the elevators, making his way down to the 52nd floor.
The 52nd floor contained the offices of the Department of Administrative Research. It was comprised of a meeting room, a weapons training room, a hand-to-hand training room, a gym, locker room, storage, and lounge area. In addition there were several offices. By the end of the day, each Turk would probably have their own office if they didn't already. There simply weren't many of them left and it seemed pointless to continue to share offices if space wasn't an issue.
Unlike many Reno had always had his own office. It wasn't that no one wanted to share with him, rather when he was hired every office had already contained two, if not three Turks. A tiny closet had been converted for him as a result. It had no window, no space, and shit for ventilation, but it was his.
Since his office had originally been a closet, there wasn't a lock on the door. There wasn't enough room for a proper filing cabinet, so he ended up using the one in Tseng's office and saw no need to add a lock as a result. Nothing to protect so why mess with it?
Reno inhaled the rest of his breakfast and threw the wrapper into a garbage can in the hallway before opening his office door. Rolling his head on his shoulders, he hit the light switch. Bringing his head around the way it should be, his jaw hit the floor and he panicked. Everything was gone! No desk, no chair, no nothing! For a moment he thought Shinra had cleaned out the entire floor seeing as they were all supposed to be die. Then he noticed a bright green piece of paper taped to the back wall. Eyebrow raised, he walked forward and yanked the sheet from the wall.
'You have been relocated to office two – Tseng'. Reno's other eyebrow raised before he scowled. Office two was Tseng's office, though obviously he'd moved into Veld's old office. None of that bothered him. What bothered him was that he hadn't been asked. What if he wanted to stay where he was? He'd grown partial to his dinky space and enjoyed the reaction of those that came to visit. Often they felt claustrophobic which he found amusing, so he'd sit back and watch them squirm.
The redhead exited his former space with a scowl. The Turk offices were backward, with the highest numbered rooms toward the elevators and the lowest the farthest away. The only reason he ever came up with for that was that perhaps Shinra thought higher ups would like less distraction from the elevators. The lower number offices were larger, supporting his theory.
Reaching office two, he slid his keycard through the lock and the door slid open. The smell of fresh paint hung faintly in the air as he turned on the lights. The blank off-white walls weren't the only thing that was fresh. Every piece of furniture was still wrapped in plastic; desk, executive chair behind the desk, two reception chairs in front of the desk, three filing cabinets, and a two-seat overstuffed black couch. The carpet was new too, though it wasn't plastic coated, leaving him disappointed. He would have loved people's reactions when they stepped on saran-wrapped carpeting.
Moving into the room he spotted boxes neatly placed in one corner next to a new trashcan. Two contained various office supplies, one contained a new desk lamp, and the rest contained the items from his old office. While he was impressed, he still wasn't sure if he liked this new arrangement or not. His first thought was to drag everything to his old office, but he resisted with a sigh.
Reno walked to the desk, threw his paper on it and leaned against it, facing the door and sipping his coffee. Only then did he notice the green light on the door of the office across the hall. He looked at his PHS: 06:57. He raised an eyebrow, sat his coffee on the desk, and went to the door. As he raised his hand to knock, the door slid open.
"Boss?" he called into the dimly lit interior. "What are you… look like shit," he amended spotting Tseng sitting on the couch. The Wutain's normally smooth hair was frizzy with white spots in it and his eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows and partially wrinkled. His jacket and tie were hanging on hooks by the door and appeared no worse for wear.
"Do you like the new office?" Tseng asked in a flat voice.
All annoyance over the move vanished as he realized the white spots in Tseng's hair were paint. There were also small matching spots on the Wutain's arms, hands, and pants. He'd assumed the Turks had rearranged the offices yesterday while he and Elena were in the air and Tseng left him the note so he wouldn't complain too much. Guess not. "Yeah boss, it's nice. You, eh, been up all night yo?"
"I am glad you like it. I know you liked your old office, but given you are now officially the Assistant Director you need a bigger space."
"Heh, now I won't have ta bum space in yer filing cabinet," Reno joked, wondering if Tseng was being evasive or if he simply hadn't heard his question. "Somethin' happen yesterday?" Again, Tseng failed to respond and Reno had his answer. Evasive. After a few minutes of silence he said, "Stay here, I'll be right back."
Reno darted out the door and into the storage area. As the name implied, the room was storage for all the Turks handy accessories, most of it locked in safes. There were weapons, ammo, toolkits of all shapes and sizes for just about any job, electronic devices for surveillance along with all the wiring and equipment to install it, electronic surveillance testers of all kinds, unfitted uniforms, and random disguises in case they had to go undercover. In addition, each Turk kept at least two uniforms here, some more than that. After a mission a Turk never knew what they might be covered in. Was the same reason there was a shower in the gym. Some things you just didn't want to bring home with you.
The redhead quickly found Tseng's backup uniform supply and grabbed one. The Wutain didn't seem to mind Reno seeing him in his current condition, but Tseng obviously wasn't in top form and he knew the other Turks would start trickling in soon. Reno honestly didn't know how Tseng would react or if he cared, but the Wutain always took careful care of his appearance, especially in front of those he wasn't close with. Sure the Turks were a family, but like a family some were closer than others. On top of that, Reno had always been, and probably always would be, protective of his boss.
The redhead took the fresh uniform into the gym's locker room and hung it from one of the units before returning to Tseng. He crossed the room and knelt down in front of the silent Wutain. "Let's get you cleaned up ya?" Tseng nodded and the redhead stood, extending a hand to pull his boss up.
The two silently walked to the gym. All the while Reno was still wondering what the hell was going on. As Tseng slowly started to unbutton his shirt, he crossed his arms and leaned against one of the lockers, trying to remember what was on Tseng's agenda yesterday. The last time he'd talked to him he'd been with Rufus and he'd sou-… "Rufus, ah, talked to ya, didn't he?"
"You knew?" Tseng said, snapping his head up and locking eyes with Reno.
"Yeah," sighed the redhead.
"For how long?"
"I don't know, couple months at least," Reno shrugged. "Don't get the wrong impression, Rufus didn't run up and gush his feelings. I noticed things and after awhile, I finally told him I knew and he didn't have to hide it from me anymore."
"Why did you not tell me?"
"It wasn't my place and you know it Tseng. Besides, Rufus begged me not to and he was content just having you around so I promised him I wouldn't interfere." Reno paused before asking, "Ya pissed at me?"
"No. I understand," Tseng quietly replied, removing his pants and underwear.
Like it or not, there was no way Reno couldn't be affected by the sight in front of him. While not Genesis, Tseng was gorgeous in his own right. He lowered his head and closed his eyes.
"You surprised me at how easily and flawlessly you lied to Cissnei," said the Wutain, folding his dirty outfit. "Not to mention Genesis."
"Mighta seemed easy but it wasn't and I feel guilty as hell for it," Reno replied, gaining control of himself and raising his head.
"So tell them the truth."
"You kiddin' me? Cissnei would probably fly off the handle again. Don't know about Genesis, but as ya saw, he's kinda easy to anger yo."
"Actually he seemed to keep himself in check rather well. He could have sliced Cissnei to shreds before we even knew it, but he refrained. As for Cissnei, if you explain things to her I believe she would understand."
"I'll think about it," Reno shrugged, locking eyes with Tseng. "You, ah, wanting me to tell her?"
"I will leave that decision to you."
"Alright. Everyone will be in soon so ya better get cleaned up."
Tseng nodded and headed for the shower in the back of the locker room. "Reno?" he called over his shoulder.
"Yeah boss?"
"Thank you. When I am done, I wish to speak with you further."
"I'll be in my office gettin' things sorted," Reno replied. He watched Tseng walk into the shower area before exiting the locker room. The redhead absently walked down the hall, wondering exactly what kind of exercises the Wutain did to have such a nice ass. "Ifrit's Horn where did you come from?" he exclaimed, barely avoiding colliding with Cissnei.
"The elevator," she giggled before getting serious. "Can we talk?"
"If ya help me unwrap furniture, yeah."
"Huh?" Cissnei said, tilting her head to one side in confusion. Instead of an answer, Reno walked into Tseng's office. "Reno what are you doing?" she called, heading after him. "Is Tseng even… in…" she trailed off at the sight before her. "When did you do all this?"
"I didn't, Tseng did."
"I take it he moved as well?"
"Yeah," Reno sighed. "I know you and Veld were close and I'm sorry about what happened."
Cissnei shrugged. "It will take some getting used to, that's all."
"I know you're not fond of me or Tseng yo," said the redhead without accusation.
"That's why I wanted to talk to you actually."
"Just so you know I got a new gun yesterday," Reno half joked.
Cissnei gave a weak smile. "Reno I really am sorry about what happened the other day," she said as the redhead moved his paper and coffee before unwrapping the desk.
"I'm not the one ya need to say that to."
"I already apologized to Genesis."
"You did? When?" Reno asked, stopping his task and turning to face Cissnei.
"Yesterday after his class. He didn't tell you?"
"I haven't talked to him since yesterday morning. How did it go?"
"Alright. I don't think we'll have a repeat anytime soon anyway," shrugged Cissnei, removing the plastic from one of the chairs in front of the desk.
"Good," Reno breathed, amazed at how relieved he was. "So, eh, why'd you go off like that anyway?" he asked, finally getting the plastic off his desk. He walked over to the couch, unwrapped it, and sat down. Comfy…
Cissnei sat in the chair she'd just unwrapped. "I worked my ass off to be the best Turk possible, the ideal Turk. You're just the opposite yet you got promoted over me? What the fuck?"
"Cissnei I-" Reno began but was cut off.
"Wait, let me finish. After talking to Genesis, I realized some of my conclusions were unfair. You're not really all that lazy, disorganized, or sloppy are you?" Reno shook his head and she sighed. "I just wrote you off and never gave you a chance. I automatically assumed you'd slept your way to the top."
"Ookkaayy," Reno said uncomfortably.
"On top of that, I was angry and hurt because Veld just… left. Guess I picked you to take it out on."
"Ya could have gone with him."
"The Turks are my family Reno!"
"Yeah, and over half of us defected. With Veld. Ya could have joined 'em."
"Maybe I should have. It would probably be better than working with the outcasts."
"Us good ol' outcasts," snorted Reno.
"Godsdamned right! You all had this little clique of disapproval going and apparently still do," Cissnei said, standing. "Where does that leave me Reno? Where?"
Reno sat stunned for the fourth time in less than an hour and watched Cissnei pace. Gaia it was too early to deal with all this intense shit. First, he found his office empty, then he finds Tseng in what amounted to shock, then he gets all frustrated over the sight of him naked, and now this? He mentally swore he was never, ever going to get out of bed early again. At least not and come to work.
"You've got no fuckin' idea what you're talking about," Reno finally snapped. "The four of us aren't some little clique. Yeah, Tseng and I are somewhat close and Elena seems to be his new apprentice, but I don't know how close they are aside from that. The rest of us? We aren't as close as you think. Rude and I have just begun forming a relationship that extends beyond being partners. Elena and I barely know each other. The same goes for Elena and Rude, and Rude and Tseng. You probably know them about as much as they know each other. The four of us never intentionally cut anyone out. We were cut out and if you hadn't always been up Veld's ass or on missions, you'd know that."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Cissnei exclaimed, plopping back down on the chair angrily.
"Like it or not Cissnei Veld played favorites and you were a favorite. Me, Tseng, Elena, and Rude were irritations."
"Explain."
"Don't ya find it odd that out of 15 Turks, the four of us never made any other friends?"
"No, I always assumed it was by choice."
"Hardly," Reno snorted. "Veld fuckin' despised me and toward the end the same was true for Tseng. Rude couldn't fucking stand him after he found out some shit and Elena, well Tseng did everything in his power to keep her away from him and I don't think Veld ever really formed an opinion on her other than general annoyance and suspicion for hanging out with us."
The redhead paused and took a breath to calm himself down. "Most Turks that were close to Veld loathed us and went out of their way to show it. The others… well a lot of them didn't want to be seen with us 'cause they didn't want to risk getting on Veld's shit list. That's why you think we were, or are, a clique. You were Veld's fuckin' pet. When you weren't on a mission, you saw what he wanted you to see. He did a damned good job at puttin' yer blinders on too."
"That's bullshit Reno!"
"Hn. Go talk to Tseng, Rude, or Elena if ya don't believe me. Hell, call some of yer AWOL buddies or Veld fer that matter."
"Talk to me about what?" came a deep voice from the doorway. Apparently it was locked in the 'open' position. "Nice office," Rude said, entering and wiggling his tie.
"Whether Veld disliked me, you, and Tseng, whether he played favorites, and whether he made certain people see what he wanted them to see."
"Disliked? More like hated," said Rude, running his fingers across the new desk. "As to the other two, yes and yes."
"Fine, he didn't like you all, but why?"
"Eh, well that's kinda complicated and open to interpretation," Reno sighed.
"No it's not," Rude snorted. "He hated Reno for having the nerve to stand up to him, among other things. He hated him even more when Tseng got in the middle of it and that hate leaked over onto Tseng. As for me… well Veld hated me for hating him."
"That's a lotta fuckin' hate yo," Reno bitterly laughed.
"So Veld hated Reno simply for standing up to him and the rest of you got caught in the fallout? I find that hard to believe," replied Cissnei, her doubt obvious.
"Believe what you want," Rude said, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms. "There were, and still are, a lot of unanswered questions which might explain some of what happened. As for fallout, Tseng is the one that got caught up in it. Veld might not have hated me had I not knocked his front teeth out, literally."
"What?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow. "When did that happen?"
"When you were in the hospital," replied the bald man without elaboration. Reno visibly paled and he knew he understood.
"Fill in the Gaia-damned blanks!" Cissnei snapped at no one in particular.
"Technically it is classified, however if Reno wishes to talk about it, I will allow it," Tseng said, stepping into the office, looking as normal as ever.
"Fine!" Cissnei growled. "At least answer this, if you all hated Veld so much and vice versa, why did you help him?"
"'Cause even if you don't like someone ya can respect them and 'cause we were all Turks," Reno shrugged.
"We're family," added Rude.
"Even when we are angry at each other," Tseng chimed in.
"Or hate each other," Elena called before stepping into the office with a wave. "We having a meeting?"
"Alright, are you going to tell me what the hell I'm missing or not?" Cissnei bit at Reno, ignoring Elena.
"I'll tell ya," Reno said as Tseng sat on the couch next to him. Rude removed the plastic over the second reception chair and gestured for Elena to sit. The redhead watched as he slid behind the desk, uncovered the executive chair, and took a seat. "Don't get too used to that partner," he smirked.
"Mmm, it's nice," replied Rude, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back with a smirk of his own.
Reno snorted, knowing he was stalling and hating it. It wasn't that he was still hung up on what happened he just didn't like talking about it. He was always afraid people would suddenly look at him differently, with pity him or something. Spit it out!
"First things first, my assignments were normal for my first six weeks. I gathered intel, kicked some ass, killed some people, got my ass kicked, ya know, the usual. I got high marks on missions and everything was fine between me and Veld. Then shit changed," Reno began.
"I'd been here for eight, nine weeks when Veld recalled me from a mission. Said there was a new one that was urgent and he wanted me on it. Course I came back ASAP to pick up the assignment. It seemed simple enough. Some guy was claimin' he had classified Shinra documents and would sell 'em to the right person. I was to retrieve the data at all costs. Turned out nothin' was as cut and dry as it seemed." Reno paused and started playing with his zipper. He managed to stop himself before continuing, however his left leg started bouncing up and down.
"I had a bad feelin' before I even left Midgar, but I shook it off and high-tailed it to the coordinates Veld gave me; an area on the very southern edge of the Western Continent. I knew I was screwed from the second I got there," the redhead shook his head. "I wasn't dealin' with one guy, I was dealin' with a whole fuckin' well-armed squad. The closest town was miles away and it was tiny, so it wouldn't have any equipment worth a damn. All I had was the shi' I could carry," Reno closed his eyes with a sigh. "I called Veld, asked him what the hell was goin' on. The bastard told me Iwas no longer his problem or Shinra's. That I was no longer a Turk and hung up."
"What?" Cissnei and Elena exclaimed in unison.
"I said worse yo," Reno grinned, though it didn't last long. "I started to call Tseng but this fucked up lookin' SOLDIER thing popped up outta nowhere, smashed my phone then my head. Next thing I know, I'm wakin' up in chains with Fuhito, the wacked out ex-Shinra scientist who's now probably AVALANCHEs leader, in my face. Turns out, there were never any documents, only AVALANCHE. Veld fuckin' knew it and even told 'em I was comin'."
"Are you telling me he set you up?" demanded Cissnei, mind revolting against the idea.
"Pretty much yo."
"Why?"
"Cause not too long after I was hired AVALANCHE was always a step ahead of the Turks."
"He thought you were the traitor?" asked Elena in disbelief.
"Yep."
"Based on what?" Cissnei questioned.
"Abso-fuckin'-lutely nothing. Veld played judge, jury, and damned near executioner based on intuition, coincidence, suspicion, or whatever. Never was a traitor or do I ever plan to be," Reno smirked. "Didn't matter ta Veld though and Fuhito sure as fuck didn't care. He got a real kick outta torturing me. Wanted intel and I wouldn't give it to him. Somewhere along the way I pissed him off or confused him or somethin' and he didn' wanna play with me anymore so he let his special SOLDIERs have a go. I don' remember most of it. I don' even know how long it went on or how long I was there."
"Nine days," Tseng whispered. "I am sorry it took me so long," he added, looking at Reno, doing his best to hide his shame and guilt.
"Not yer fault. I'm just glad ya fuckin' found me at all."
"What do you mean?" Elena asked.
Tseng looked at Reno and the redhead nodded, signifying he should tell his part. "I was out of Midgar when Reno was assigned the… mission. When I returned, I thought nothing of his absence, as it was not unusual. After a few days, I finally checked the mission sheet and could not find Reno's name so I went to Veld. He told me that Reno was on a classified assignment. I thought perhaps Reno had impressed Veld and was getting a chance to further prove himself and his skills. That is, until I ran into Rude, Gun, and Katana." The Director paused and for a moment regret broke through his usual impassive façade.
"My sister?" Elena exclaimed.
"Yes," Tseng nodded. "At that time Reno was typically partnered with one of the three. As such, I became concerned when they were all here, but he was not. Even on a black mission Turks work in pairs with one in the field and one as a handler. I hacked into the classified missions and found no mention of any active assignments. Then I checked the employee files and found Reno listed as terminated. I immediately confronted Veld and we fought, verbally and physically."
"Woulda liked ta see that yo," smirked the redhead, shaking his head.
"That does not surprise me," Tseng sighed. "I managed to corner Veld and disarm him. He was so angry I was stunned, which he misinterpreted as victory or disdain. To anger and hurt me, he told me Reno was a traitor and that he was dead already, if he was lucky. I asked him what proof he had and he faltered. I used his guilt and doubt against him, reiterating his own rules and said he was dishonorable to convict someone as he had done. In the end, he gave me Reno's last known coordinates. I sought out Rude, we obtained supplies, and left."
"You two rescued him alone?" Elena exclaimed.
"Not exactly," Tseng replied. "Either someone told AVALANCE we were coming or they simply left, leaving Reno behind. When we found him, he was unconscious and near death. We did what we could to stabilize him and flew to Junon, the closest city with adequate facilities to handle such injuries."
"I'm glad you didn't die," Elena proclaimed, smiling weakly.
"Actually I did yo. Twice."
"What?" Cissnei and Elena exclaimed in unison again.
"You two'er cute when you do that," Reno smirked, earning a grin from Elena and a glare from Cissnei. "Jus' tryin' to lighten the mood, shesh."
"Go on," Cissnei stated.
"Well I don' really know what happened cause I was dead 'n all," said Reno sarcastically.
"He died in the chopper on the way to Junon," Rude said. "I used a Phoenix Down to revive him and managed to keep him going until Junon. The second time he was at the hospital."
"His injuries were so severe that when the doctors tried to heal him, his body went into acute shock and shut down," Tseng said, picking up where Rude left off. "By chance, Professor Hollander happened to be in Junon, which is the only thing that saved him."
"Holy Minerva," Elena whispered. "You're on your third life!"
"Eh, fourth, but that's another story. You can ask me about it later or ask Tseng," Reno said. Genesis knew as well, but he knew the auburn wouldn't say anything unless he gave him expression permission. Tseng wouldn't either but he'd just given it to him. Besides, he doubted the others would be all that comfortable talking to the STC.
"After that?" inquired Cissnei.
"Ah, well, as you can guess I was in the hospital fer awhile. During that time Tseng managed to get me reinstated by goin' over Veld's head, much to his annoyance. After that, as you can also guess, my relationship with Veld was incredibly strained," Reno sighed. "When I returned to work, I was on restricted duty. I mean, I'd just died twice and they didn' want me to push it for a while. Veld fuckin' loved that and thoroughly enjoyed whorin' me out."
"Say that again?" Cissnei said, thinking she'd misheard. Tseng closed his eyes as though in pain. Elena had saucers for eyes and both of Rude's eyebrows shot up.
"Heh, fucked up huh? Hn, maybe I did sleep my way to the top," Reno snickered. "Anyway, Veld told me he had little use for a Turk that couldn' even manage to die right and started exchanin' me for intel whenever he could. Sometimes I was a thank you and sometimes I was an incentive. Gender didn' matter."
"Unbelievable!" Elena exclaimed in outrage. "You just went with it?"
"Fer awhile I did. I was so relieved to be alive and to have my job I didn' give a damn," Reno said, blowing air out of his mouth. "Hell at first I even agreed with him. Well not about the dyin' thing, but what the fuck could I do on restricted duty? I'd be a danger to anyone I was partnered with, yet I couldn' work alone either. Any mission, even the smallest, can turn into a fuckin' firefight at any second. 'Sides, there are worse things than having to screw somebody."
"You could have done paperwork or something!" Elena said.
"Why did you never say anything?" asked Tseng quietly, looking distressed.
"I was already on Veld's hit list Tseng. I thought if I just kept my head down and did what he wanted he'd back the fuck off. Besides, I didn' want to cause any more friction between you and Veld," Reno replied, thinking that answered the question about whether Tseng knew about those assignments or not.
"Did he? Back off that is," Rude queried.
The redhead shook his head. "When I got off restriction the assignments didn' change. I confronted him a few times, each time more forcefully than the last. Finally I fuckin' snapped. I was either gonna beat the shit outta him or die tryin'. Once again, Tseng saved me by walking into the office at the right time. I'd just jumped to launch myself over Veld's desk and he literally grabbed me out of the air."
"That is what you two were fighting about?" Tseng questioned, shocked.
"Yep."
The Wutain shook his head. "I thought perhaps Veld had called you a traitor again."
"You really didn' know what was gonna on, did ya?" Reno quietly inquired.
"I did not," Tseng sternly replied.
"One of the reasons I never said anything to ya was because I was afraid ya knew and didn' care. That ya'd tell me to suck it up because it was a Turks duty to do whatever they were ordered without complaint. I mean, killin' people and bein' in danger is worse than sex right? The fact that I respected ya and looked up to ya combined with everything else," Reno shook his head, "I don' think I could have dealt with that." Tseng paled and looked angry, which made Reno feel terrible. "I didn' mean to offend ya or anything. Ya gotta remember, I didn' know you that well back then. Hell, ya didn' even tell me everything about the AVALANCHE incident until after you officially made me your apprentice."
"That is true," Tseng replied in understanding.
"It was after that he made you his apprentice then?" asked Elena.
"Yeah. The day after I almost jumped him, Veld tried to fire me, again, sayin' I'd tried to attack a superior officer, which was true. Tseng was already basically in the middle of it so I went to him and asked his advice," replied Reno.
"I was extremely pissed off," Tseng said, giving a rare chuckle. "Surprisingly, it takes quite a bit to anger Reno to the point of violence so I assumed Veld had provoked him, making the incident just as much his fault as Reno's. I ended up going over his head once again, getting the charges dropped and officially designating Reno as my apprentice."
"Bet that went over well," Rude sarcastically stated.
"As well as a one-legged chocobo at the Golden Saucer," Tseng dryly replied.
"If Veld hated you both so much how did you rise in the ranks?" asked Cissnei. Reno shrugged as Tseng spoke.
"Whether Veld liked it or not, by his own standards and regulations, I was already the Assistant Director and Reno was the Third in Command. He had no grounds for demotion and grudgingly dealt with it. A few weeks later, it was discovered that Rufus had been feeding AVALANCHE intel and even funding them," Tseng replied. "When Veld found out, he said he was no longer fit to be a Turk, let alone lead them, since he had been so wrong and had almost cost an innocent their life. He decided to retire and said he had much to teach me before then. I was pulled from the Assistant Director position and given the title Director in Training. Reno was promoted to Assistant Director because he was next in line."
"Did Veld ever say he was sorry or anything?" asked Elena.
"In his own way, yeah," Reno nodded. "We still don' like each other much, but we can work together without killin' each other. With enough time, we mighta been able to work through it better, but things didn' end up that way."
"I can't believe I never knew any of this," Cissnei sighed, almost overwhelmed.
"Don't feel bad, I didn't either," Elena said.
"Nor I," added Rude.
"Sorry yo. It was decided to keep everyone in the dark, though I'm surprised Veld didn' start screamin' about me being a traitor."
"I am not sure it was ever entirely about you being a traitor," Tseng whispered through a wince.
"You two, ah, had a thing goin'?" Reno inquired, unable to help himself. It was a question he'd had for a long time.
"Yes," the Wutain sighed. "While Veld truly did suspect you were a traitor, I believe his actions were clouded by his emotions. That was his second, albeit unstated, reason for retiring."
"AAHHH!" Reno yelled, standing up and jumping halfway across the room before pacing in agitation. "Godsdamnit I knew I was gettin' in the way!"
"Wait," Cissnei replied, narrowing her eyes, gaze flickering between Reno and Tseng. "You two were sleeping together?"
"No, we weren't, but every time he saw us together he watched us like a Kalm Fang watchin' dinner. It was one of the reason's I didn' go to Tseng for help or advice in the beginning. I was afraid I was already strainin' their relationship fer some reason and didn' want to cause more problems. That and I didn' wanna look like a kid who couldn' handle myself."
"You were not the only problem Reno," Tseng firmly stated.
"Fact that I was a problem at all is pissin' me off yo," muttered the redhead.
"I can't believe Veld threw Reno to AVALANCHE because he thought the two of you were sleeping together!" Elena exclaimed.
"I can," sighed Cissnei. "I spent a lot of time with Veld and he had one hell of a mean streak. Guess I just didn't realize how mean."
The group fell into silence. Tseng watched Reno pace in amusement. Cissnei mentally scorned herself for being so naïve. Rude was slightly angry for being so left in the dark and Elena was glad she'd managed to stay underneath Veld's radar, though she was sorry she hadn't been able to help anyone in anyway.
"From this point forward," Tseng said, breaking the silence. "I would like this to be a more open group. I am not saying we must share everything and that nothing is personal. I just do not wish to have another communication breakdown or misunderstanding." Everyone except Reno nodded as he stood. "Rude your new office is next to Reno's. Elena, you're new office is next to Cissnei's," he said, walking to the door. "Please get everything in order. I will be in my office," he finished, looking directly at his AD.
Reno nodded and watched Tseng head into his office. "Stay for a sec Cissnei," he said, stopping the auburn from leaving. Rude patted him on the shoulder as he left and Elena gave him a quick hug. When they left, he took the door off the open position and closed it. "I'm not gonna sugar coat it. I lied to ya the other night and I feel guilty as hell about it."
"About what?"
"I have slept with Tseng."
"So Veld did have reason to be jealous!" Cissnei snapped.
"No, he didn'. We didn' sleep together until a few months ago and by then the Turks were already scattered. Neither one of us had even spoken with Veld in awhile, let alone seen him," Reno replied, sitting down hard on the couch. "Look I'm sorry I lied. You were so pissed and I was tryin' to keep Gen from losing it. I ain't makin' excuses, just explaining." He paused before adding, "It was a onetime thing Cissnei and didn' have a damn thing to do with my promotion. We were hiding out together and one thing just led to another. I think… I think I needed him and he needed me. I'm only tellin' ya this now 'cause we have to work together and at least partially like each other."
Cissnei sighed and sat down next to Reno. "I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that and with STC Rhapsodos's… issues I understand why you lied. Thank you for telling me the truth."
"I still feel like a jerk yo."
"That's because you are, but don't worry, I think we can work together just fine. Maybe even be friends. Now if you'll excuse me I have some thinking to do," Cissnei replied before standing and exiting.
That went better than expected, Reno thought as he stood and headed out the door. There was commotion down the hall as Rude and Elena packed their personal affects. Cissnei was already scavenging the now empty offices for the best equipment. He paused briefly and smiled, thinking everything was falling back into place.
After a few moments of reflection, the redhead walked forward and into Tseng's office. "Yo," he called with a wave as the door slid shut behind him.
"I take it Cissnei took it well?"
"Well enough," Reno replied, not surprised Tseng knew he would tell her. "Headache?" he asked, watching Tseng rub his temples with his fingertips.
"Yes."
"Hang on," Reno said, popping out of the office. "Rude where ya at?"
"In Rod's old office."
"You got an-, the hell is Cissnei doin'?" Reno said, stopping just outside the door. As he watched, the Turks legs disappeared through a hole in the ceiling and her head appeared with a grin.
"Disconnecting the security camera. You broke mine, remember?" Rude replied.
"Heh, yeah. Was yer fault yo."
"How did you break it?" Cissnei inquired, working on unhooking the camera.
"He chucked me into the fountain in Sector 8, so I bought a water gun and brought it to work the next day. He kept movin' and I ended up sprayin' the camera along with him."
"You two are weird," Cissnei said, handing the newly freed camera to Rude before jumping to the floor.
"Yep," Reno nodded, watching Rude wiggle his tie with a grin.
"What did you need?" Rude asked.
"Headache pills. I know ya gotta stash yo."
"You get headaches?" inquired Cissnei.
"You would too if you had to deal with Reno all the time," Rude replied, handing two pills to his partner.
"Ya love me and ya know it. Thanks Rude," he called as he left. Returning to Tseng's office, he grabbed a bottle of water out of a mini-fridge and handed it, along with the pills, to his boss.
"Thank you," Tseng said after downing the pills and half the water. He sighed and closed his eyes as Reno sat down in a chair on the other side of the desk.
"Spill it," Reno said after a long pause.
At that, Tseng began to relay the events with Rufus yesterday. He told him how Rufus had seemed troubled, uneasy, and evasive all day. About how the two had a minor confrontation in the kitchen, quickly skimming over the kiss. "Then he told me to leave, so I did," he finished a few minutes later.
Reno thought for a moment before asking, "Did you like it?" At Tseng's glare he knew he didn't need to elaborate and added, "Hey you wanted to talk to me Boss. Ya know how I am."
"I… yes."
"Then what's the problem?"
"He is a child Reno!"
"Rufus ain't that much younger than me." Tseng paled and glared. "That wasn't supposed to be a slap in the face."
"I know," Tseng sighed in defeat. "I have known him since he was much younger Reno. That makes a difference and I do not think I could get past that."
"You might be surprised yo." Tseng raised an eyebrow so he continued, "I don' think age has as much to do with it as you think."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning I think yer bein', well, you. Whether consciously or not you use any excuse you can to keep people at a safe distance."
"What on Gaia makes you think that?"
"I don' think Tseng, I know. You've done it ever since I met ya. I don' know how or why, but you've become so good at disengaging yourself from others and suppressing your emotions that you constantly miss the obvious, least when it comes to yourself."
"I do?"
"Yeah. No one is askin' or expectin' you to change Boss. We just worry."
"Why?"
"Cause we want you to be happy and fulfilled."
"I am."
"Happy, maybe," Reno shrugged, standing. "Fulfilled? There's more to life than work Boss. Even so, if yer truly happy, wouldn' it be nice to share that with someone?" With that he walked toward the door. "I need to get my office in order and I'm behind in paperwork. Tell Rufus I said hi," he called over his shoulder. Tseng called his name but he ignored it.
As the door slid closed Reno sighed. A squeak to his right drew his attention and he raised an eyebrow at the site of Cissnei with a huge chair. She manhandled it into the office next to his and he heard Rude say 'now that's a chair' before she giggled. Least her annoyance with me ain't spillin' onto him.
The redhead smirked and went into his office. There wasn't much point in trying to work right now. The place felt too new and foreign for him to concentrate. Instead, he grabbed the box with the desk lamp in it, thinking he'd start there then put everything else into place.
Ten minutes later he was ready to bash the lamp into bits. The damned thing was refusing to be assembled properly, the arm extension refusing to snap into place. "You will not foil me yo, stupid fucking lamp," he said, fighting the urge to smash it against the desk.
"Frustration often leads to reward," purred a familiar voice as arms wrapped around him from behind, making him wish the chair was backless. Heh, I didn't jump. "Did you bother reading the instructions?"
"Who the hell reads instructions yo?"
"People who wish to put something together properly… yo," Genesis grinned, moving up beside Reno's chair and taking the lamp of out his hands. He pulled a plastic plug from the extension piece and pulled off a plastic cover from the lamp piece before snapping the two pieces together.
"Show off," Reno sniggered.
Genesis grinned, placed the lamp on the desk, then turning around and leaning up against it. "Sorry I didn't come over last night. I was going to call, but I don't have your number. Before I could ask Sephiroth to get it for me I feel asleep on his couch."
"You feel asleep on Sephiroth's couch?"
"Yeah. We didn't get back until almost 2300 hundred."
"Didn't get back?"
"We went shopping."
"Shopping?"
There was a long pause, which the STC finally broke. "What's with the look? We went furniture shopping for Gaia's sake!" Genesis exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at the Turk's scowl.
"You ditched me for Sephiroth?"
"I did not ditch you," Genesis snapped, getting defensive over Reno's implication and tone.
"Kinda sounds that way. Besides, why do you care how his apartment looks?" the redhead bit back.
"I was just supposed to get my stuff from your apartment. Ditching suggests we had a date, which we didn't. As for why I care about his apartment, he needed stuff better suited to him."
"Ya chose spending time with him over me," Reno sharply retorted, completely ignoring the last part.
Genesis walked around the desk and stopped in front of it, crossing his arms. "Are you always so jealous?" he asked, eyes narrowed at the Turk's scowl.
"No one's ever given me a reason to be," Reno said in a scathing tone.
"I don't have time for this right now. I have to drop my report off to Director Lazard and requisition a new sword before my class starts. We will talk about this later," Genesis stated, heading for the door. While what he had said was true, he suddenly felt desperate and vulnerable. He needed to get out of here before he lost it. The auburn didn't know if he'd break shit or cry, but either one was unacceptable right now.
"0927442," Reno called, feeling panicked as Genesis nodded and exited.
For the fifth time that day, Reno was stunned. This time he'd done it to himself, which somehow made it worse. What the fuck is wrong with me? He waited for his inner voice to comment, but it didn't. Apparently, even his subconscious was confused. His forehead thumped against the desk in defeat. He wanted to go after Genesis and try to sort this out, but he knew better. Unless he could figure his own emotions and thoughts out he'd do nothing but further agitate the auburn.
Mind swirling, the redhead knew he'd partially lied to the STC. It wasn't that no one had ever given him a reason to be jealous. Hell, some had tried to make him jealous for one reason or another. Truth was he'd never cared about anyone enough to become jealous. What really pissed him off was that he didn't like jealous people, and he'd just become one!
The redhead raised his forehead and almost slammed it onto the desk, but remembered the goggles and refrained. Instead, he got up and angrily grabbed one of the boxes from the corner. Regardless of what was going on, there was always work to be done and he was good at multitasking.