Disclaimer: I don't own jack. It should probably also be of note that this story is nearly TWO years old, and thusly any and all revelations from the Compilation of FF7 shall be gleefully ignored. It's been sitting on the hard drive for quite some time, though picking it up again may or may not have been wise, considering I'm still burnt out and twitching from term papers. Hope you enjoy. :D

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

With a bored and dutiful sigh, Reno hunched closer over the keyboard and frowned in concentration. The office was lit with only one lamp and the soft glow of the computer monitor, which played up the intense focus in his eyes as he impatiently scanned the keys. But he then noticed a small, white paw tentatively coming to rest on the return button.

Dully anticipating, he followed it up the arm and found himself nose to nose with a cat. She was all black save for her white face and paws, and she gazed back at him with curious green eyes. Softly, she mewed.

But the Turk, unfazed by her cuteness, returned a very unimpressed stare before he brought his arm up and swept her off the desk altogether.

"Hey!" cried a newly incensed Reeve, who rushed to his cat's aid.

"She landed on her feet," Reno vacantly assured him, though he didn't actually check to see that she had.

Protectively cradling his pet in his arms, Reeve stifled an exasperated sigh for about the twelfth time that evening. He should have known that he was going to regret allowing Reno to use his computer—a fact that wouldn't be so bad if he weren't progressing so painfully slow… and if only it weren't Christmas Eve.

Even now, he could not remember just what he was thinking to agree to this; whether or not it was because of the holiday cheer, he could have kicked himself for allowing someone he admittedly didn't even know that well to use his office. But at the time, he didn't think it could be this bad. He'd thought the Turk was joking when he told him he could type a "solid" five words per minute, but it turned out he was dead serious; and before now Reeve didn't know it was possible to run into so many problems just typing up a report… his assistance was needed almost constantly.

Setting his cat down, he checked his watch, weary to see that it was well past midnight. "Are you almost done yet?" he dreaded asking.

Reno took another long moment, not obliged to reply until he found the elusive letter he was looking for. "Not even close."

"Well, can you try and wrap it up pretty soon here? I—"

"Reeve!" Reno said with sudden alarm. "Reeve!"

"What is it?"

Reno clicked the mouse several times. "I think I broke the Internet!"

Reeve, who ordinarily had an immaculate appearance, was slowly deteriorating to a state of dishevel not unlike the sort his Turk companion here was most comfortable in. His red tie was freed and hanging around his neck, his dark, combed-back hair was falling loose about his face, and not even his goatee was so neat anymore. He put his head in his hands, mustered up his last patience, and rigidly strode over to the computer. "Reno," he began with repressed frustration, "you didn't break the Internet. You're not even on the Internet. You're on a word-processing application."

The Urban Development manager was not surprised when this explanation only warranted a blank stare from the redhead. He set his jaw. "Listen, I'll just—"

He was cut off when the computer beeped once and the screen turned blue. With curious surprise, Reno leaned in toward the monitor. "'Error,'" he slowly read aloud. "'Keyboard not detected. Press F1 to continue.'" As he processed what that meant, his eyes widened in unfathomable bewilderment. "R—"

"IT'S OKAY," Reeve interrupted almost convulsively, unable to bear hearing his own name one more time. "Really, it is. I'll fix it!…… you'd get this done a lot faster, though, if you would just let me type the report."

Reno looked up at him a second, and though his eyes darkened, he gave up his chair to the Shinra executive. He stretched, facing the window. "They didn't hire me into the Turks for my computer savvy, you know."

Or grooming skills, Reeve thought dryly. He settled into the chair himself as a worrying thought struck him.

But the restless and forever-nosy Turk had already moved on to other things. "Hey, do you have any candy?" he asked as he began pulling open the drawers and shuffling through what was inside.

"Reno, get out of my desk!" exclaimed Reeve, who just wanted him to stay on task and out of his things. "You didn't save the report, did you?"

"Nope."

"…where's the dictation?"

"Oh… I didn't make one."

The short silence in the office was interrupted by a sharp thud, which was Reeve's head hitting his desk.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Reno said as he leaned around him to snatch the voice recorder. "I'll just be a second. It was a short mission, really." He cleared his throat, turning again to face the window.

"Department of Administrative Research mission report," he began with an eloquence that was not unlike Tseng's. "Objective was to investigate the Great Glacier. Elena and two SOLDIERS were dispatched for the job, but they were sidetracked by AVALANCHE. In a woefully unprofessional attempt to harm the terrorists, the rookie reportedly missed"—at this point his voice turned bitterly informal—"and rolled down a friggin' hill as incompetent SOLDIERS stupidly looked on. The mission to investigate the Glacier was forgotten, and the side objective to annihilate AVALANCHE was a failure… for about the TWENTIETH TIME IN A ROW." He tossed the voice recorder at Reeve. "There. Transcribe THAT."

Reno turned away, leaving the Shinra exec to stare vacantly at the red ponytail hanging over the poor posture of his back and the white shirttails below the hem of his blazer. The way he had spoken lacked all humor, and Reeve suddenly became aware of the physical and mental encumbrance, the easier strain in the way he had been carrying himself. Silence fell fast between them as he considered why that was—and clearing his throat, he tried to remain professional. "I can't put that…"

"Sure you can," came the overnight Head Turk's reply, entirely apathetic.

Reeve stared unseeing at the computer screen, worried. "No… I can't."

Reno did not insist any further. In the sheer reflection of the glass, he could be seen rubbing his face with distressed exhaustion. As he watched him, Reeve was struck with the precise reason he was not using his own new office, and he immediately felt horrible for not understanding sooner. He then thought of Tseng's recent exit, and struggled for a moment, feeling that he should express his condolences somehow. "I'm sorry," was all he could manage.

Turning just enough for a sidelong stare, the redhead passively acknowledged it. "It's fine," he said with a barrenness smoothed over with something heavily casual, looking back over the snowy view of Midgar. "Always wanted to be Head Turk…"

"But like this?" questioned Reeve, who felt it came off as a little disrespectful.

Reno stared through cold glass. "What am I supposed to say?" he said indistinctly. "It's the order of procession. Tseng died; I took over for him. And then I guess if I get run through, Heideger'll just say, 'Well, looks like he snuffed it—Rude, you're in charge.' It's how we work. We just keep going, and…… nobody slows down. For anything…"

He declined to go further, feeling that he said too much, though it obviously troubled him. The city light far below paled the sullenness in his eyes as he gazed out over Midgar. He pressed his forehead against the cold window, preoccupying himself with watching the snow, straining to see it all the way down.

"Where are Rude and Elena?" Reeve asked him quietly.

"I sent 'em home."

"Why? So you could be by yourself on Christmas?"

At the way he'd said it, the Turk reeled back and threw an outraged look his way. "Well you're alone tonight, too, hot stuff!"

"Because YOU'RE still holding me up here!"

"…oh yeah…"

"Anyway," said Reeve, shaking his head. "Why did you dismiss them? Do you really think you're doing yourself any favors going it alone—especially tonight? I mean, what about Rude and Elena? You know that they've just lost their boss, too!... Look," he sighed when Reno didn't respond. His voice lowered considerably. "Don't listen to Heidegger… don't listen to any of those people. They don't understand. But your Turks do, and you need to be with them right now."

The redhead turned back to him, frowning. He stood straighter, proudly in the crisp contrast of his Turk uniform, his cool eyes narrowed, blinking and staring hard—a little uneasily, a little guarded and hazy, as if he were trying to read him. "I'm not gonna discuss this with you… it's not—"

"I don't care," Reeve heavily interjected, "if it's not appropriate—I know, Shinra looks down on this sort of talk. Of course they do… they forge your ties with these people but they want you to shut up and keep taking orders when one of them gets ripped from your lot. Well, I think you know you're not some automaton. You're not one of them. And you don't want to follow them to where they're headed……" His voice dropped again, and he was suddenly very tired. "They're losing their grip; the entire headquarters is tense. Can't you feel it? How much longer do you think it's going to last…?"

Reno continued to study the Shinra manager with outward skepticism and growing annoyance, though the faint unease in his stare betrayed the slight fear that he could be quite right. Still, he hung back.

"Reno," Reeve urged, a little wound up. "You need to get out of here. And I'm not just saying that because you hijacked my office on Christmas Eve and it's past midnight and you really can't type and you somehow changed the language settings on my computer. Go home."

Quietly, the Turk looked back at him as he deliberated. At first he regarded him with defiance, as he was in no place to order him around, but his eyes traveled aimlessly about the office and a grudging shadow of a smile grew smugly on his face. "Fine," he said with harmless derision, as if he were happy to go; as if he were here in the first place to be entertained and not to use his resources. "There's no candy here, anyway…"

Reeve inwardly allowed himself a sigh of relief. They both proceeded to gather up their things, though as they did Reno still took it upon himself to mock him and his knowledge of computers, butchering software terms and spelling out emoticons as he stuffed one arm through each sleeve of his coat. But Reeve thought he could bear it, just this time.

"Happy Christmas," the Shinra manager offered as the redhead stopped at his doorway.

Reno looked back to him, the collar of his coat turned out. "Yeah, yeah…" he brushed away his platitude. Before he departed, he paused and swept his gaze around the room one last time, reflecting on the fact that this night did not turn out the way either of them could have anticipated.

He was not comforted by the sound of his own footsteps as he made his way down the dimly lit hall. He hated that Tseng's—his own new office was on the way to the elevator, and his pace slowed as he prepared to pass it. But he noticed the door was slightly ajar, which was not how it had been left… someone was inside. Without another thought, he decided to see who it was. A heavy sense of dread tempered his indignation—in a heartbeat he remembered he had not been in this room since it happened—as he turned into the office and flung the door open all the way.

He stood still in the entrance as he found Rude and Elena sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Reno…" Rude said.

"We were waiting for you," Elena put in timidly.

"You waited…?" He blinked in the poor light, numbly looked between the both of them, his mind reeling with things Reeve had only just said. "But I thought I told you to—"

"We did go," Rude answered. "But we had to come back. It's just not the same without you…"

The office was only lent silvery light from outside, from streetlamps and the pure snowfall through the window. Reno felt as if there were too many shadows in here, and everywhere he looked would be a reminder… it was Tseng's office, not his. It was well-worn, but not by himself. He dropped his gaze and sent it to a far corner. "It's not gonna be the same without him, either…"

Rude and Elena looked to the floor, silently agreeing. They got up and met him where he stood—tentatively, Reno noticed; he had been so terse with them since he'd been promoted. Neither of them said anything for a short while, and he became conscious of how wary they had become around him. Rude had his eyebrows worked in quiet worry, and Elena nervously played with the sleeve of her arm with her other hand.

"Don't tell us to leave again, Reno," Rude said wearily. "We won't go."

Their boss was no longer looking at either of them. He knew that they looked as miserable as he felt, but they were actually still here for him; they wouldn't leave without him, and he found he was so glad for it that his vision was almost beginning to blur. There was a huge new void in their lives, something none of them could reach for anymore, but he knew that he had to stop thwarting what he did have left. He shook his head, breaking something like a smile. "I'm not," he said honestly, and he looked up at Elena and Rude. "Come on… let's get outta here."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Cheesy? You better believe it. D So why Reeve? I've always loved the guy, and I will most always find an excuse to write him in... I always saw him as being more understanding, at least, than the other Shinra upper-ups. But I must apologize if it seems like everytime I do write him, he's going crazy from annoyance or sleep-deprivation or something. Oh yeah, and I don't even believe that Reno's computer-illiterate... the scenario just seemed too amusing to ignore, so I wrote the first (silly) half and it collected dust for a great long while. I was meaning to get this out a day or two sooner, but relatives are in the house and I had to wake up earlier everyday so I could actually have the quiet time to finish it. I rarely ever upload a new story, so I'm always scared outta my wits when I do. But please tell me what you think of it! And here's to a safe and awesome holiday, you guys. :)

-runs and hides-