1.

Title: Monday

Rating: PG

Pairing(s): None

Word Count: 618

Warning(s): None.

Summary: For the Turks the week starts on Monday.

Dedication: To the people that still think the week begins anew each Sunday. IT DOESN'T!

A/N: I blame this one on my PASSIONATE LOATHING of Mondays. They are a HORRID thing.

Song: Young Magdalene composed by Hikaru Nanase, from the anime Chrno Crusade.

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An audible sigh never passed the man's lips. Regardless of whether Reno had just blown up his paperwork again and the mess was lighting the interns in the halls on fire, or if he had just been given another week's worth of paperwork to be done in a day. Tseng never sighed.

The weeks always dragged along, and once the weekend came by, with that blessed day of Sunday trailing the very end, it most certainly skipped by too fast. And though being the first one to wake up at five in the morning, and being the one to get to work early and bring the office to life was unpleasant, still he did not sigh.

The Turks had long fallen into a pattern, as those who have the same job do after years of working there. Every day had its own mood and problems. And though he should have been irked that it happened every single Monday, Tseng merely shrugged it off and didn't bother to watch the clock.

Rude would drag himself in about half an hour past due, his usual silence tainted with a grogginess that was shown in the unusually larger cup of coffee he cradled in his arms as he entered the office. With a nod to his boss, he would pick up the papers dealt out upon his desk and get to work.

Elena came in an hour after the bald Turk, more awake and peppy than anyone in their right minds should have been on the first day of the week. Her outfit was dosed in a new fragrance, as could be expected, and her hair was freshly trimmed, her dazzling smile just about blinding.

Which could have explained why Rude refused to remove his shades even during the in-office hours of their job.

Hours would tick by and the two men couldn't care less about their missing comrade. Elena was the only one who frequented glances at the clock, but even those became less common as she sank into the files that awaited her signature and review.

And then… at long last… Reno would stride in, elegant disarray and a wink at Tseng who was calmly signing away upon one of a great mass of papers on his desk. Rude would raise an eyebrow at the redhead before receiving a devilish grin in response.

"Reno! You're four hours late! Don't tell me you got drunk again," Elena chided, piping up and piercing the orderly silence of the room.

"What's it to ya, 'Lena? Not like you don' join me sometimes," came the easy response and a grin. "'Sides, Tseng doesn't mind, now do ya Tseng?"

To this the Wutian Turk remained silent. Reno smirked and threw himself down into his chair and kicked his feet up on his desk.

"Told ya, 'Lena!"

The blonde Turk was frowning and huffed quietly, getting ready to say something before she was interrupted by a loud bang. Reno nearly fell back in his chair, pitching forward instead after a moment to glance at the huge stack of files that had appeared miraculously upon his desk.

"Wha—?!"

But his answer was soon given as Tseng suddenly swept up in front of his desk again and dropped another load of paperwork on the red head's desk. The same sound was made and Tseng disappeared.

"What! TSENG! Come on man! I was just kidding! Seriously! Tseng! Tseng I'm not doing this paperwork! Tseng damn it! Listen to me!"

The Wutian Turk silently stepped out of the office, shutting the door on Reno's incessant shouting. A barely visible smile etched itself onto his lips and he breathed a pleased sigh.

Okay, so maybe Tseng did sigh sometimes.