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School
Rufus slid into the car with bruised knees and leaves in his hair after taking a tumble during basketball, and swore Tseng to never to mention it again.
Change
Rufus wondered, when it was that Tseng's abrupt bursts of laughter had died into chuckles so dry they cracked.
Comfort
Tseng might've thought he was good at hiding things, but Rufus knew better than to let him carry the weight by himself.
Frown
Tseng had seen Rufus' frown grow from that of a rebellious teenager, to that of a man who knew he had to make things right.
Amusement
In the heights of Gaea's Cliff, Rufus hid a smile behind his hand at the sight of Tseng's long hair getting swept against his face like a whip.
Embarrassment
The only time Tseng had seen Rufus so embarrassed was when he was changing the bandages on his wounds, and he flinched and giggled at the touch of his cold fingers.
Honest
Rufus' honesty was most disarming to Tseng, who too often hid everything behind barred doors and windows.
White
Tseng had always wanted to try on Rufus' jacket, but never had the nerve to ask such a thing, until he threw it on by accident after oversleeping on a Friday morning.
Confrontation
Tseng was sharp to argue against Rufus' pettiness, yet both men were too calm to go past bickering that seemed so childish to others.
Shot
The first time Rufus stepped between Tseng and a bullet, he realized that he wasn't the only one in love.
Reverberate
Tseng couldn't hide the upturn of his lips after hearing Rufus pronounce his name right on the first try.
Unexpected
No one believed Reno, when he told the others that he saw Tseng and Rufus high-five each other one afternoon.
Bodyguard
Tseng couldn't help but scoff every time someone said no one had ever seen Rufus cry or bleed.
Obvious
Elena couldn't understand why everyone laughed at her, when she asked which one of them would wear white on their wedding day.
Advice
It was Rufus, who told Tseng to not let others suffer from his personal bitterness.
Grown
Every time Tseng visited Rufus in Junon he had gotten a little bit more tall, and a little bit more cocky about it.
Unwind
Rufus knew he had seen everything when he witnessed Tseng scream his lungs out to the depths of Cosmo Canyon.
Surprise
When Tseng leaned in for a kiss one uneventful noon, Rufus felt all of his defenses melt into a stupefied smile.
Lifestream
When Tseng felt the earth underneath him tremble, he wondered how long it would be until he'd see Rufus again.
Understanding
Rufus waited patiently for Tseng outside of Aerith's house after her passing, and surrounded by the flowers and light he caught a glimpse of what Tseng had felt for her.
Worry
Tseng hoped Rufus wouldn't give him heart palpitations every time he revealed his plans.
Confess
When it came to telling each other how they felt, even Rufus' facade faltered under the knowing gaze Tseng gave him.
Telepathy
Something mastered between two loyal men, whether it was just a quiet request to make more tea or a decision made in a split-second before facing danger.
Equip
Tseng and Rufus switched their Materia around like trading cards.
Conversation
Tseng had always thought he was more of a listener, but with Rufus he noticed how much he really wanted to speak.
Glance
It was an usual occurrence for Tseng and Rufus to exchange looks with each other, each time the Turks started their report after something had exploded.
Promise
What Tseng didn't know about Rufus was that he too, had long ago promised to keep the other safe.
Fortitude
Anyone else would have moved out of the way when Rufus got angry, but Tseng stood still as a mountain.
Remembrance
Rufus' gaze held something very tender, when he watched Tseng tie the ribbon that had fallen out of Marlene's hair back to her light brown braid.
Proud
When Rufus rushed past him regardless of danger, he knew he was nothing like his father.
Children
Tseng and Rufus were unsure whether to laugh or cry when Reno mentioned the others think of them as parents for the Turks.
Physical
Rufus gained a whole new appreciation for shoulder blades when Tseng tied his hair up.
Blueprints
Tseng caught a glimpse of plans for a house on Rufus' desk, and had himself hide a grin behind his hand at the sight of a shared room for the two.
Trust
Rufus knew he would be all right, as long as he had Tseng in his peripheral vision.
Joke
When the Turks got them a room at the Honey Bee Inn, no one expected them to actually go.
Survival
When Rufus' laughter died down after his near-death experience, he wondered if even Tseng would've cracked a laugh seeing him plummet through a chute.
Cards
The long days at Kalm were spent between two bluffers, who were both equally hard to read.
First
Rufus never told even Tseng, that he had been his first kiss at the age of fifteen, when they had accidentally knocked heads during training.
Team
It would be easy for either of them to give up, but the unspoken strength they gave each other always prevailed.
Overtime
Rude knew the meeting would stretch on for longer than it was supposed to, once Tseng and Rufus got caught in one of their mental staredowns.
Vulnerable
Rufus didn't mind losing control to the man he trusted with his life.
Bond
The first time Rufus felt he had bonded with Tseng was when they made up an inside joke about Heidegger's laugh.
Gravity
Tseng had fallen under Rufus' gravitational pull long before he had even realized it.
Victory
The soft pump of his fist that Tseng allowed himself after a win inspired Rufus to twirl his gun.
Goodbye
Rufus stood over the confirmation of Tseng's existence on this earth, and left a bouquet of flowers under the carving of his name.
Tired
In the dim light of the early morning Tseng spared no shame leaning against his shoulder, and smiling as the weight of Rufus' head landed on his.
Trauma
When Tseng was the only one after the Meteor who showed no signs of being tired, Rufus knew he had it the hardest.
Lie
The only time Rufus ever lied to Tseng was when he claimed to have not saved the Turks for his sake.
Hilarious
They found that laughing at Reno, Elena and Rude's reports was much easier than being disappointed with them.
Longevity
The only constant they had ever known was with each other.