Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 40: The Festival

“Mmmmmuuuuuummmghph…”

Tseng resisted the urge to laugh and instead prodded the pile of blankets a second time.

“I’m quite certain ‘mmmuuumghph’ is not a word,” he said, suppressing a yawn himself. It was ungodly early, even by his standards. He couldn’t fault the rookie for being less than wide awake. “Get up. We have to prepare the helicopter… and de-ice it, if necessary… before we can pick up Rufus.”

Reno groaned and sat up in bed, not bothering to push aside the covers. “Is the sun even up yet? ‘Cause it feels like the sun’s not up yet.”

The senior Turk rolled his eyes and yanked the blanket away, revealing a sleepy-looking redhead, blinking up at him in the far-too-bright light of his room’s ceiling lamp.

“It will be, soon enough. Get up, have some breakfast, and get dressed.”

“Yeah, yeah…” the teenager managed through a yawn. Tseng nodded and left the room. When he was gone, Reno laid back down, pulling a pillow over his head to block out the light.

“Get up, Reno…” his mentor’s voice called from somewhere near the kitchen.

“Ugggh…” he grunted and shoved the pillow off to one side, finally forcing himself out of bed. He staggered blindly down the hall and into the kitchen, planting himself at the table and propping his head up on one hand. He shut his eyes again and remained motionless. “‘Kay… I’m up. Feed me.”

The Turk lieutenant shook his head and set a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal in front of him, and then smirked slightly. He picked up the spoon and scooped up a mouthful of the warm cereal, gently prodding at his ward’s lips.

“Mmph! Hey! The fuck, man!?” Reno stammered, suddenly very much awake.

“You did ask me to ‘feed you’,” Tseng snickered.

“Oh, ha, fuckin’, ha,” the redhead replied, snatching the utensil and cramming the bite into his mouth before downing half the coffee in one go. “Ya know, your jokes are almost as bad as your cooking. And your coffee needs more sugar.”

The Wutaiian Turk was still chuckling as he slid the sugar bowl over to him and then turned his attention to his own breakfast.

“Have I ever mentioned what charming and wonderful company you are first thing in the morning?” he teased. “I don’t know how I’ll ever cope with the loneliness once you’ve moved out.”

“Heh… yeah, sucks to be you.”

In truth, Reno was still feeling a little nervous about that prospect. Oh… he was definitely looking forward to the freedom he’d be gaining, but a part of him was really going to miss… this. Even on days like today, when Tseng woke him at an hour no sane person had any right being awake… especially on a weekend. His new place would be empty and ready for him just days after they returned to work after the holidays. He’d be moving into it the following weekend, and his days under Tseng’s roof would be over. It was… bittersweet.

Tseng, oblivious to the younger Turk’s internal monolog, refilled his coffee for him.

“Hey… I get to take the coffee maker with me, though… right? I’m not gonna have to like… fight you for custody of her, am I…?” he asked with a joking grin.

“Her?” Tseng replied, arching an eyebrow. Reno’s grin widened.

“Hell, yeah, her. My beautiful, amazing Javalina… goddess of caffeine… savior of sanity…”

The Turk lieutenant snorted. “This seems a rather unhealthy relationship…”

“You just don’t understand our love.”

“… Reno, you’ve apparently named a kitchen appliance. Frankly, I think that may be grounds for a mandatory psych eval,” Tseng said in mock seriousness.

---

At promptly six thirty a.m., a helicopter emblazoned with the Shinra Company logo set down on a small, private helipad outside of a large residence near the center of Sector 3. Reno peered out at the imposing manor and cast Tseng a slightly incredulous look.

“So that’s where Rufus actually lives?” he queried.

“As well as his father, and several domestic servants, yes.”

Reno shock his head. “Fuck, man… The hell do two people and the hired help need with that much house?”

The Turk lieutenant chuckled quietly. “I would agree it’s a rather… excessive… display of wealth,” he replied, as he shut down the engine. “But then, I’m not among Midgar’s elite. I only work for them. Let’s go and retrieve the vice president, shall we?”

The pair climbed out of the helicopter and started the short trek to the residence.

“So I guess that means you didn’t live in somethin’ like this growin’ up, huh?” the redhead teased.

“It certainly wasn’t comparable to the Shinra manor… but my family’s estate in Wutai isn’t exactly tiny, either. We’re quite a long way from being nobility or anything along those lines, but my father was his father’s only son, and neither of my grandfather’s brothers had surviving children… so Father inherited land from all three of them when they died. It provides a reasonably significant income.”

Reno arched an eyebrow. “So’s that mean you get it eventually?”

Tseng laughed and shook his head. “Well… some of it will be left to me someday, I expect. But I do have five brothers and a sister, as well. Why do you ask?”

The redhead shrugged and mounted the steps that lead to the heavy wooden doorway. “Just a weird concept for me, I s’pose. My mom pretty much died with next to nothin’… and what little there was, I didn’t get to take with me when they chucked me the in fuckin’ orphanage.” He paused, hanging his head slightly. “… I don’t even have a photo of her anymore. Some asshole kid stole the only one I ever had and tossed it in the fire a week after I got there ’cause he thought it was funny seein’ the littler kids cry.”

Tseng reached out and let his hand rest on the back of the rookie’s neck, squeezing gently for a moment. Reno glanced up and managed a weak smile, before his mentor rang the bell to announce their arrival. It opened almost immediately, revealing the younger Shinra.

“Don’t tell me you’re bringing the slum rat along, again…” the blonde boy said, with obvious distaste. “Doesn’t it have anything better to do than intrude upon my entertainment?”

“Tch… Who pissed in your coffee this mornin’?” Reno shot back.

“That’s enough. Both of you,” Tseng said, in a warning tone. “If you’re ready, sir?”

Rufus snorted softly and shoved a bag into the redhead’s arms. “Make yourself useful for once,” he scoffed and headed straight for the waiting helicopter.

“Oh, yeah… He’s so much less of a dick when he’s not ‘worried ’bout appearances’…” Reno muttered once the executive was out of earshot. He hefted the strap over one shoulder and followed.

“Three days with two teenagers, neither of whom are morning people…” Tseng sighed to himself, watching them go. “What in Leviathan’s name was I thinking?”

---

The streets were icy, and tiny clouds formed in the air each time Reno exhaled… but the wind that had been unpleasant back in the city was calm here, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky as he and Tseng escorted their charge down the little village’s main road. They’d made a brief detour to check into the little inn they’d be staying at, and were now touring Kalm as it’s residents began to get the festival underway.

The redhead inhaled deeply as they passed a bakery, the scent of fresh bread, cookies, and cakes filling the air and making his mouth water. More than anything, he wanted to stop and sample the tasty treats… but he was on the clock, and Rufus seemed to have another destination in mind.

Around the corner, he could hear music, and very quickly discovered where it was coming from. A small bandstand had been erected, and a quartet was cheerfully playing holiday songs under the shelter of an evergreen-bedecked canopy. Nearby, an old man was sitting in an open shop, making blown glass ornaments as half a dozen young children and their parents watched in fascination. Rufus paused to watch as well.

“Different than what you’re used to, I take it,” Tseng said, coming to rest at the redhead’s side, a wary eye still dutifully kept on the vice president.

“Heh… That’s puttin’ it mildly,” he agreed. “I mean… we celebrate down in Two, sure, but… doesn’t get this fancy.”

“It will be a very full few days,” the Wutaiian Turk commented, smiling. “There are a great many demonstrations and performances scheduled… as well as the tree lighting this evening, the parade tomorrow afternoon, and fireworks tomorrow night. And of course the various contests.”

“Contests?” Reno asked, his interest suddenly piqued. “What kinds of contests?”

Tseng chuckled quietly. “Among other things… Snowman building for the younger children… snow fort construction for the older children and adults. There is typically a town-wide snowball fight at some point, as well, and the residents of the town are participating in decorating and baking competitions.” He paused momentarily and turned his gaze briefly on his ward. “And… I believe I heard something about a pie eating contest around lunch time today.”

The redhead looked up, eyes wide. “… A… a what kinda contest?”

“Pie eating.”

“Like… they just put pie in front of you. And you eat it. All of it. By yourself.”

“That would be the general idea, yes,” he replied, with a soft snort of laughter. The redhead made a slightly desperate-sounding whine, as the realization that he was here to work, not to have fun, hit him full on.

Tseng glanced over at him laughed, before resuming his watch over Rufus. “You may participate, if you wish. Rufus only requires one bodyguard,” he said, and then added with a smirk, “… and for the record, you’re not officially here.”

“Wait, what?” The redhead blinked in confusion.

“I am assigned as Rufus’ security detail. You are not. To be honest, I brought you so that you could enjoy yourself a bit. Veld is aware that you accompanied us, but that you’re technically off-duty. Not that I will tolerate any unprofessional behavior on account. You’re still a representative of Shinra Company, after all.”

The grin that spread over the rookie Turk’s face was enough to make his cheeks ache. “So… does that mean I can go check out the bakery we passed a few minutes ago instead of standin’ around waitin’ on Rufus?”

The Turk lieutenant silently raised an eyebrow.

“If you wish to risk your chances at winning that contest, I suppose you may…”

The redhead’s grin only widened. “Please… You really think anyone around here’s gonna out-eat me?”

“Alright…” Tseng replied, shaking his head with a laugh. “Stay out of trouble.”

“I will!” he called back, as he disappeared into the crowd.

---

Rufus found himself uncharacteristically sporting a wide smile as he watched the artisan remove the finished ornament from the pipe, before passing it off to an assistant to place inside a large annealing oven. He glanced back over his shoulder, and spotted Tseng not far off, watching over him, and turned to make his way back.

The Christmas festival in Kalm was his favorite of all the celebrations held in the sleepy little hamlet, and he always came with Tseng… always, at least, since his mother had died. He’d tried, at first, to convince his father to bring him. He father, however, had simply forwarded the request to Veld, who, in turn, had handed him over to Tseng.

In the end, though… he’d found he didn’t mind. Tseng had saved his life when he and his mother were attacked… very nearly at the cost of his own… and that was, frankly, far more than his father would have done had he been with them that day. More than that, though, the Wutaiian was surprisingly friendly towards him, and had never treated him as though he were a silly child or an inconvenience. He never spoke down to him, or dismissed his concerns, or made him feel foolish for not understanding something.

And, though he wouldn’t under any circumstances admit it, Rufus… to a point, at any rate… even appreciated that the man didn’t always let him have his way. Not even when threatened. Tseng wasn’t some sycophant sucking up to him in the hopes of advancing his career. He was an employee, of course… but Rufus had long considered him a friend as well. One that he had placed a great deal of trust in over the years.

And for a time, he had believed himself to be of the utmost importance to the Turk, as well. Up until the slum rat came along, that is. He frowned slightly as he noticed the redhead was inexplicably missing as he made his way over to the Turk lieutenant.

“Where has that idiot run off to now?” he asked. Tseng chuckled lightly.

“The bakery. And after that, I’m sure, whichever food vendor happens to attract him next.”

Rufus snorted derisively. “Have you taken to making of habit of letting your subordinates slack off on duty?”

“Reno isn’t on duty,” Tseng replied, escorting his charge along the wide street. “I simply wanted him to experience the festival. He’s never been, and as a Turk, it’s essential that he become acquainted with customs beyond what he grew up with.”

“Hmph… More like you wished to spoil the obnoxious little creature.”

“Is that really so terrible of me?” Tseng asked, with a faint smile.

“Yes!” Rufus shot back, petulantly. “This is my trip. Not his. You are supposed to be paying attention to me, not him.”

Tseng sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench, gesturing for him to do the same. Rufus reluctantly joined him a moment later.

“I think it is long past time you and I had a little discussion about Reno.”

“I agree,” the young executive said, folding his arms stubbornly over his chest. “That imbecile is beneath you, Tseng. I don’t know why you keep him around… unless it’s for entertainment purposes. He’s certainly not worthy of being a Turk.”

“Oh?” Tseng replied. “And just what brings you to that conclusion?”

Rufus glared in response.

“I hardly even know where to begin. He’s uneducated, unkempt, uncivilized, and wholly unappealing. Not to mention irritating, idiotic, incompetent, and… and… infuriating!”

The senior Turk quickly smothered a laugh. “While I applaud that rather impressive display of alliteration… you hardly know him. In fact, beyond your brief prank war, you’ve spent very little time in his company at all.”

“It was more than long enough,” Rufus replied, stubbornly. Tseng gave a quiet sigh.

“May I speak frankly, sir?”

“Hmph… When ever do you not?” the younger man snorted.

“Jealousy does not become you, Rufus,” Tseng stated, plainly. His charge choked on whatever response he’d been planning to make, and stared at the Turk incredulously.

“I beg your pardon? How dare you?!” he growled, scowling deeply. “I hardly think I have anything to be… jealous… of where that worthless little stray you dug up in the slums is concerned. He came from nothing, and for that matter, he still is nothing. If I demanded it, Father would dismiss him in a heartbeat and toss him right back into the cesspool you found him in.”

“… Yes, he probably would. If you demanded it. Would you really go that far to prove your own superiority over a boy who has had none of the advantages in life that you have?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Rufus muttered contemptuously. “He’s nothing more than a lowly employee… entirely expendable.”

“That ‘lowly employee’ would willingly risk his own life for yours… even though you’ve given him very little incentive to want to do so,” Tseng replied, frowning deeply. “Any of the Turks would, and whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, Reno is a Turk. My Turk, in fact. Reno is not just a rookie. He’s my first rookie… though I’m well aware that you have no reason to understand what that means.”

“And just what does it mean?” Rufus asked glancing up at the Turk lieutenant with something akin to curiosity in his eyes.

“It means that I’m one step closer to being worthy of taking over for Veld one day. I suppose you could call him a test of sorts… One I don’t intend to fail.” Tseng smiled slightly. “Thus I would appreciate it if you did not demand his immediate dismissal. I’ve put a great deal of effort into him. Starting over at this stage would be… difficult.”

“Is that all he is to you?” Rufus queried, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

“No,” Tseng replied. “He’s also my friend. A new one… not a replacement for an old one. You would do well to remember that.”

“Who you count as a ‘friend’ doesn’t matter to me,” Rufus scoffed… though not very convincingly, even to his own ears. “Particularly when they’re as replaceable as you are.”

Tseng’s expression suddenly mirrored the executive’s scowl, and Rufus very quickly came to regret his words. He hadn’t meant them. He wasn’t even entirely sure why he’d said them…

“Perhaps it’s time you heard some harsh truths,” the Turk lieutenant replied in a clipped tone. “I know you well enough to take little offense at many of the things you say to me. Not everyone in the company has that insight, however, so I do not say this lightly. You are not well-liked, Rufus… and eventually that’s going to become a problem for you if you persist in this immature, entitled, elitist behavior.”

Rufus felt as though someone had yanked the rug out from beneath his feet. No one, aside, perhaps, his own father, spoke to him like that. Certainly not someone on the company payroll. And… never Tseng. The Wutaiian had always been staunchly reliable, both as a bodyguard and as a sympathetic ear. It seemed those days were past. And it hurt.

The younger man stood up, stiffly, in the cold air, glaring at the Turk.

“Immature, am I? We’ll just see how ‘immature’ I can be, then. You’re fired,” he stated angrily, and stormed off, leaving Tseng behind and disappearing into the crowd.

---

Reno glanced up from the pair of icing-slathered sticky buns he was currently double-fisting as he made his way down a side street just in time to see a familiar blonde head dart past the the upcoming intersection. What he didn’t see… a sudden realization that made him decidedly concerned… was an even more familiar figure following the Shinra heir. The redhead sighed, and crammed the remains of his snack into his mouth, and hurried off after him.

He wasn’t quite sure how Rufus had managed to escape Tseng’s supervision – or, for that matter, why he’d done so to begin with – but he couldn’t just let the company’s second-highest ranking executive wander around on his own. Even if he was off duty.

Wherever Rufus was going, he was in a hurry. It took Reno several seconds to spot his quarry once he’d rounded the corner and stepped out onto the main road. He sighted him almost a hundred yards away, heading for the small lake at the edge of the town, away from most of the festivities.

“The fuck’s that asshole up to now?” he muttered as he quickly followed. Rufus paused at the lake’s edge, and sat down on a large rock, gazing out across the frozen surface. It didn’t take long for the rookie to close the distance between them. The blonde boy looked up, glaring angrily at his approach.

“What do you want?” he spat. Reno stopped mere feet from the executive, and folded his arms over his chest.

“Tch… You’re the one runnin’ around out here without the boss. What’d you do? Ditch him?”

“I fired him,” Rufus retorted, and then smirked coldly. “In fact… you’re fired, as well. Now leave me alone.”

Reno felt a chill run down his spine as he wondered if the little fucker was serious. Technically speaking, he wasn’t exactly sure what it took to fire a Turk. But Rufus was the vice president of the company. It stood to reason that he could probably do it if he really wanted to. The son of a bitch was spoiled rotten, after all. He doubted daddy would ever tell him he couldn’t, and President Shinra was the only person who outranked him.

“The fuck do you mean you ‘fired’ Tseng?” he demanded.

“Exactly what it sounds like, you simpleton. He services are no longer required, and neither are yours.”

Reno was, by then, openly glaring at the older teen. “You’re a spoiled little shit, ya know that?”

Rufus’ eyes narrowed. “Watch your tone, slum rat…”

The redhead snorted derisively. “Why the hell should I? You just fuckin’ fired me, remember? I don’t work for you anymore.” He took a slightly threatening step toward him, and smirked when Rufus scrambled to off the rock and backed away. “Ya know… I was almost startin’ to believe Tseng when he kept insistin’ that you’re not a complete asshat. Every once in awhile, you’d do somethin’ that makes me think your shit personality’s mostly an act and you just don’t wanna let anyone get too close to you… and then you pull some bullshit like this. Man… I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. Fuck you, Rufus.”

Rufus’s eyes narrowed, and had it been just about anyone else, Reno might have been expecting what happened next. But the Shinra heir seldom seemed to lift a finger to do anything himself… which was why, when his fist came flying, squarely aimed at Reno’s face, the redhead was caught off-guard enough to let it connect.

Reno staggered back a few steps and blinked in surprise. It hadn’t been an especially powerful punch. Rude had clobbered him way harder than that a few times during training. But the anger behind it left him slightly speechless for a moment.

It quickly passed. The rookie growled and tackled the other teen, taking him to the ground, and sending them both of them skidding several feet across the icy lake. They wrestled briefly for control, Reno having little difficulty overpowering the untrained aristocrat and eventually pinning him facedown against the ice.

“You think you’re so fuckin’ great,” the redhead hissed close to his ear. “Just ’cause you got money ‘n power ‘n people to do shit for ya. Take that outta the equation, and all you’re gonna walk away with is an ass-kickin’.” He let up on his grip, giving Rufus the chance to wriggle free, and got to his feet. “I could beat the livin’ crap outta you if I wanted, right now, and no one’d stop me.”

Rufus staggered upright as well, glowering at the former-Turk.

“Tch… Ya know what? You’re not even worth the effort. Anyone who’d fuck over a friend like you did to Tseng is about as low as ya get,” Reno spat, and turned away, walking out farther across the lake. With an angry shout, Rufus managed to surprise him for the second time that day. Reno felt the teen’s body collide with his, sending him sprawling onto the glassy sheet of ice. He hit painfully on the hard surface, knocking the wind from his lungs for a moment. By the time he recovered, Rufus was making a valiant attempt at putting him in a choke hold… though it was more than clear that he didn’t have the faintest idea what he was doing.

The redhead shoved him off, and scurried to regain his footing again… only to freeze a moment later as their fight was interrupted by a loud crack from beneath them. Rufus froze, too, his eyes going wide.

“Ooookay... That’s not good sound.”

“You have a gift for stating the obvious,” Rufus replied, though the noticeable tremor in his voice all but shredded the false bravado.

“… Uh… How ’bout we call a truce ’til we’re, ya know… not standin’ over icy death.”

“Agreed.”

Rufus slowly stood and took a cautious step towards him, in an effort to make it back to shore before the ice gave way. It creaked and groaned disquietingly beneath him. Another loud crack, and Rufus stilled. He looked down at the spiderweb of cracks that had suddenly formed at his feet and then back up at the redhead, fear more than apparent in his eyes.

“Look, just… take it real slow…” Reno said, holding a hand out to him. Rufus swallowed harshly and reached for him as he took another tentative step forward. As he let the ice take his weight, it cracked again, and this time, his foot went through.

“Shit!” Reno seized him by the arm and pulled. It wasn’t exactly the most graceful throw, particularly with no real momentum to use, but it was enough to get the other teen clear. Rufus landed with a loud oof a few feet behind him. Unfortunately, just as the executive made contact with the more solid ice, the ice beneath Reno gave way entirely.

---

Tseng watched the ‘fight’ from a short distance away, hidden in the shadow of a small stand of trees near the lake’s edge. Tempted as he was to break things up… sometimes young men like Rufus simply needed to learn a lesson the hard way. He doubted Reno would let things go too far… and if he did, then Tseng would step in.

He shook his head slightly at the somewhat pathetic display. He’d, for several years now, been suggesting that Rufus undergo at least some very basic defensive training with the Turks, but his father had always shot the idea down, insisting that it was their job to protect his son. Tseng was rather more of the opinion that Rufus should learn to protect himself… just in case, one day, there were no Turks around to come to his rescue in time.

He sighed softly when Reno easily forced him off of his back. Rufus really didn’t know the first thing about fighting. The redhead probably could have put him on the ground his very first day as a Turk if he’d had to. He cocked his head to one side as both teens seemed to freeze in place, and it took him a long moment to realize what was going on.

By the time he did, it was already too late. Rufus was being flung bodily across the ice by the rookie, and Reno was quickly disappearing beneath it. Time seemed to slow as the redhead vanished from sight. Tseng closed the distance between himself and the small lake in mere seconds, just in time to wrench the vice president back from the rapidly expanding hole.

“Get to shore!” he shouted, giving him a none-too-gentle shove in the direction of safety before lowering himself flat onto the ice in an effort to distribute his weight over the fragile surface and avoid any more breakage. Reno’s head popped up above the icy water for a moment, and he clawed ineffectively at the edge of the hole, only to be dragged down again by heavy, sodden clothes.

Tseng lunged for him, fingers clamping around the sleeve of his coat, and hauled him upwards, pulling him closer.

“Get ’em out of there, boys!” someone called out behind him, and he felt hands gripping him, pulling him back away from the hole. Tseng tightened his grasp on the rookie as several of the townspeople dragged the pair of them to safety. It was only once the younger Turk was back on top of the ice and clear of the damaged section that the Wutaiian spared a glance back. Rufus was watching from the shore, in something of a state of shock, an older woman dutifully looking after him. Several other people were crowded around the young man, also watching the spectacle, entirely unaware of just who he was.

One of the men who’d come to their rescue hoisted the violently shivering redhead into his arms and carried him the rest of the way to shore, while the other two helped Tseng to his feet. He hurried to collect the wayward executive, nodding a hurried thanks to the woman who’d been keeping an eye on him, and then hustled the Shinra heir off after his other charge.

---

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to stop shaking. Even being stripped of his soaking wet clothes and wrapped tightly in several blankets wasn’t enough. Reno couldn’t remember ever having been this cold in his entire life. A weight settled beside him on the mattress, and the redhead opened his eyes, peering out of his little cocoon.

“Here… drink some of this,” Tseng said gently, as he held a steaming mug to his lips. Reno gladly did as he was ordered, savoring the warm, salty broth that smelled distinctly of chicken. He looked up at his mentor.

“H-hey… ‘s the b-brat o-o-okay?” he managed, through chattering teeth. Tseng glanced toward the far side of the room for a moment and then back.

“I believe the ‘brat’ is just fine,” he chuckled, “Though… he seems to be brooding at the moment.”

Reno gave a relieved sigh. He’d been worried that he hadn’t been able to get him far enough out of the way before the whole mess had collapsed. Everything after he’d hit the water was a little bit of a blur at the moment. All he really remembered was the shock of suddenly being submerged in freezing cold water, and how it had almost immediately driven the air from his lungs, and the panic he’d felt when he realized that his heavy winter clothing was pulling him under no matter how hard he fought it.

He had a vague recollection of Tseng grabbing him, and an even vaguer memory of being surrounded by an almost tangible sense of urgency as he was carted back to the inn. After that, he was pretty sure he’d been out of it for awhile, because the next thing he could recall was waking up and feeling like human ice cube.

More soup was coaxed down his throat, and he simply let it happen. He was too cold and too exhausted to protest being babied at the moment. Tseng’s fingers lightly grazed his cheek.

“I think you’re finally beginning to warm up,” he commented.

“Tch… D-doesn’t f-f-feel like it. Can’t y-you just s-s-stick me in a b-bathtub f-fulla hot w-water or s-s-omethin’?”

Tseng smiled slightly. “Unfortunately, no. You’re still somewhat hypothermic… It’s dangerous to rewarm someone too quickly.”

Reno sighed, resigned to spending his day shivering, and closed his eyes… only to open them again as a new realization hit him out of nowhere.

“D-did I m-m-miss the p-pie eating c-contest?”

“I’m afraid so…” the senior Turk replied. Reno groaned and sank back into his nest of blankets. He heard his mentor’s quiet laughter, and fixed him with a glare. “I’m sorry,” Tseng replied, quickly sobering, though a hint of a smile remained on his lips, “I simply find it amusing that, after very nearly drowning, your primary concern is that you don’t get to gorge yourself on pie.”

“Hmph… I hardly find that surprising,” a snobbish voice commented from just outside of Reno’s present range of view. “I’ve seen that little glutton of yours eat before.”

Tseng looked up, frowning.

“I’ve had more than enough your attitude, Rufus. After what happened, I refuse to humor you any longer for today. Speak civilly, or don’t speak at all.”

Reno heard the older teenager murmur something that, unless he was far more out of it than he realized, almost sounded contrite. Tseng, at least, seemed satisfied by the response, and a moment later got to his feet.

“I’m going to get Reno some more soup. Behave yourself.”

The redhead rolled over onto his side as the senior Turk – or was it still former senior Turk? – left the room, and curled up, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging the blankets tightly around himself. It didn’t really help. The sensation of being chilled to the bone refused to abate and tremors still wracked his body.

A moment later, Rufus drifted into his line of sight.

“If you’d just taken a step back, you wouldn’t be in this pathetic state,” he commented after a few seconds of staring down at him.

“Tch… Yeah. And t-then Tseng w-woulda been f-f-fishin’ y-your sorry ass o-outta the l-lake.”

“Why would you care?” he snorted, folding his arms across his chest.

“‘Cause… T-tseng d-d-does. H-he l-l-likes you, e-even if y-you are a f-f-fuckin’ s-spoiled little b-bastard. Hell, e-even I d-din’t c-c-ompletely h-hate ya… ’til ya f-fired us. S-still couldn’t just l-let ya f-fall in, though. M-my fault y-you were out o-on the ice…”

He fought back a yawn. The cold had sapped most of his strength, and the constant shivering wasn’t giving him much opportunity to recover it. He just wanted to sleep. As he felt his eyes drifting shut again, a sharp poke – somewhat dulled by the blankets, but uncomfortable none-the-less – in his ribs jolted him awake again.

“Wake up, you moron,” Rufus sneered, though with considerably less venom behind it than previously, “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to fall asleep when you’re half frozen? It slows your heart rate, and makes it harder to keep warm.”

“Who t-told ya that s-shit?” the redhead asked with as much of a glare as he could manage.

“Hmph… Tseng did, years ago.”

Reno smirked slightly. “Guess y-you’re not as d-dumb as you l-l-look.”

“Keep that up, and I’ll soon be reconsidering my decision not to fire you,” Rufus replied, eyes narrowed. Before the redhead could come up with a retort, Tseng returned with the promised soup and resumed his place beside his rookie. He carefully propped the teenager up and helped him to sip the welcome hot liquid.

“Once you’ve recovered enough to make it to the helicopter, we’ll return to Midgar.”

Rufus, for a brief moment, looked as though he was going to protest… but instead, the Shinra heir simply clamped mouth shut and looked away, disappointed.

“Fuck that,” Reno replied. “I w-wanna stick around ‘n s-see the rest of the f-festival.”

A faint smile twitched at the corners of Tseng’s mouth. “I would normally be willing, provided there are no lasting effects from your little misadventure. However… I, unfortunately, have been summarily dismissed, and if I heard correctly out by the lake, so have you. Allowing the vice president to wander around Kalm with no security is simply unacceptable.”

Rufus rolled his eyes.

“You know perfectly well that Father would inevitably have overruled me on that, so stop fishing for an apology. I admit, I behaved… childishly. There’s no need to rub my nose in it.”

Tseng chuckled softly. “Then, as I’m not in the market for a new job, I supposed we can stay. Provided, of course, that you’re both feeling up to it.”

---

Late Monday afternoon, the helicopter touched down on the roof of the Shinra Building. A fresh blanket of snow had fallen overnight, leaving the helipad little more than a slightly raised outline in a sea of white. Tseng shut down the engine, and turned to glance back at the two teenagers.

“I need to see covering the helicopter. The two of you wait for me in the Turk offices.”

The redhead nodded in acknowledgment and hurried to haul open the side door, before hopping down into the ankle-deep snow. Rufus joined him a moment later and the pair made their way inside, boarding the elevator.

“Gotta admit… that festival was pretty awesome,” Reno said, as he hit the button for the fifty-eighth floor. Rufus snorted incredulously.

“Awesome? You very nearly drowned and then spent the better part of an afternoon shivering uncontrollably.”

“Yeah… but aside from that, it was pretty awesome,” the redhead replied with a grin. A moment later his grin widened noticeably. “‘Specially the part where I got to kick your ass and not get fired for it.”

“You most certainly did not ‘kick my ass’,” Rufus scoffed. The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened at Turk headquarters.

“If you say so,” Reno shrugged, still grinning. The executive glowered at him, but didn’t press the issue, instead simply opting to follow the Turk into the lounge to wait for Tseng.

~end chapter 40~