Tease: Second Epilogue - Regrets

By:Albedosreqium / Soyna

Setting: Just before the game ends and meteor is still hanging in the sky.
Rating, Genre and Warnings: T, Angst, oh, so much angst. Yaoi mention… very subtle.

Characters: Turks

Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©. I do not profit from this endeavour.

Summary and Additional Information: An additional ending for Tease. I was going to post it separately, but I don't think it is a stand alone.

The Turks talk about their regrets.

They were all waiting for the world to end. Meteor hung in the sky; a glowing mass that was meant to end them all.

The Turks were now waiting for their doom like the rest of the world. They all waited in the small villa that they acquired near the town that had been Mideel to be close to doctors. Rufus was still gravely hurt and they were not sure if he was going to recover from being in a building that had crumbled around him. The doctors said that he was lucky to be alive, but he needed constant medical care and observation.

Tseng was up and about now, which they were all grateful for after thinking he was not going to make it. He was more timid with his movements and he walked with a slow grace around the small building. It was odd seeing the head of the Turks wearing a simple T-shirt and wearing a pair of dress pants that seemed a little too large, but no one dared say a thing.

After all, not many people survived having a sword nearly skewering their heart.

"Do you think it'll be quick?" Elena asked.

They were in the living room of the villa and looking out into the meteor-bright sky. There had not been a dark night for the past week due to the light from their impeding destruction. Rude didn't say anything but his actions spoke volumes. He pulled Cissnei closer to his side and held her there. Cissnei did not object to the overprotective Turk. Tseng, who was reclined in a chair, let out a small sigh, as though he were too tired to answer the question, and most likely was. It was not the first time that Elena had asked. Reno stood in the doorway with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth and just stared at the sky.

It was Cissnei who answered, "I'm sure it will be."

Elena took a drink of the tea that was in front of her. "I should try calling Gun." Her voice was low and tinged with regret. She had her phone in her other hand and flipped it open and closed. "The last time we talked we yelled at each other."

Tseng turned his head to Elena and put a hand on his chest. It was common to see him do that, as though the simple movement tugged at the still healing wound in his chest. "Then you should call her."

"I dunno," Elena said, still flipping that phone opened and closed. "I should, though. This may be the last time, and maybe we will be able to talk."

The room was silent except for the click of Elena's phone opening and closing.

"Be grateful that you can still talk to your sister," Tseng said and closed his eyes. "I do not have the options of such conversations."

Eyes turned to Tseng. He never talked of his past or if he had ever had a family.

"I would like to talk to them again," Tseng said.

"Why don't you?" Elena asked as she stopped fiddling with her phone.

"They are all dead. I had the chance to talk to them before they died, and I didn't take it."

Cissnei adjusted herself beside Rude and rested her head against his chest. "That's horrible. What stopped you?"

Tseng took a deep breath that he let out slowly before speaking again. "I couldn't face her. I thought that I wouldn't be able to leave if I had to face my sister." He paused and closed his eyes. "I was scared that she would have convinced me to stay with the family, like a good boy that I was supposed to be. I didn't know if I was strong enough to walk away. I would have been. I know that now, but I was full of doubt then and it still haunts me that I didn't say goodbye to her."

The room lapsed into silence again as their eyes turned to their doom that hung in the sky.

Cissnei spoke next. "I always did want to find out what happened to my parents." She threaded her fingers in Rude's. "Did they want me? Did they sell me? Did they die before they could tell anyone about me? I know I could find the files, but I always was a little scared of the answer. I wish had gotten over that fear and looked it up. Maybe even found them."

Rude squeezed her hand for support and kissed her forehead. She looked up at Rude. "Is there anything you regret?"

Rude nodded. "Not killing the bastard that hurt my mom the first chance I got. I waited too long and he killed her first." It was Cissnei's turn to comfort him as she returned the squeeze of his hands.

"If I remember correctly," Tseng wheezed and clutched at his chest, "The man was not recognizable."

"Wouldn't have been nothing but a smear if I wasn't interrupted," Rude said in return and turned his gaze back to the window.

The room was silent again for a moment. Elena's gaze fell onto Reno and she asked the question, "Do you regret anything, Reno?"

Reno blew smoke out the door before he dropped the cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with the toe of his shoe. He closed the door and looked at the people in the room. "Yeah, I got a regret," Reno said in a tone that made everyone look up at him. Reno slouched and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I would have kissed him."

Elena looked confused at the statement but the others knew to whom he was referring.

"Oh, Reno," Cissnei said and moved away from Rude as though she were going to go comfort him, but she was stopped when Rude pulled her back down beside him and shook his head. Tseng looked away from Reno as Reno started to walk towards the room where Rufus was resting.

"I'll go check on the brat," Reno said as he shuffled along, hardly lifting his feet as he walked.

"Who would you have kissed?" Elena asked and quickly cowered at the glare that she received from the others in the room when she realized that it was not the appropriate question to be asked. Reno stopped cold and blinked his eyes a few times, as though he were trying to stop his watery eyes from letting loose a tear.

"Doesn't matter," Reno said and resumed walking, "He didn't remember me anyway."

Do you remember the scene in the game where Reno walks into the church and sees Cloud. Cloud didn't remember him… he knew what a Turk was, but not Reno. Stomp his heart a little harder, Cloud. Reno notes his mako eyes though. … Poor Reno.

The ends for real this time.