Joke

Title: Joke
Author: Enide Dear
Pairing: not much
Rating: cute
Summary: Tseng cracks a joke. No, really!
A/N 1: We used to tell that joke when I was a kid…I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. Swedish, English, Wutai – it's just not funny!
A/N 2: There really used to be a record company with that name….and that slogan
Dedication: To hubby, for telling me about that company!



"So, I'm gonna go to the Golden Saucer on my vacation," Reno leaned back on the comfy leather seats of Rufus' limo, blowing a smoke ring and smiling lecherous, giving the other males expectant glances.

Tseng and Rufus didn't look up from the paper work they were going through and Reeve was reading a comic.

Whining a bit, Reno turned big eyes towards Rude, who smiled faintly.

"All right, I'll bite. Why the Golden Saucer?"

"'Cause there's a lot of *slots* there, so I'll be sure to *score*!"

Snickers and grins broke out from the assembled males, all except Tseng who frowned and snatched the cig from Reno's mouth, killing it under his shoe.

"Can't you ever be serious?" He sighed.

"C'mon boss, it was just a joke. They're fun! You should know if someone hadn't surgically removed your sense of humor years ago!" Reno rolled his eyes.

"Just because I don't usually tell jokes don't mean I don't know them," Tseng said a bit stiffly. Apparently, the jib had hit home.

"Yeah, right." Reno snorted.

"Fine!" Tseng snapped. "This is one we used to tell in Wutai when I was a child…" Clearing his throat under the suddenly very expectant eyes of everyone in the car, he said: "Two tomatoes crossed a road. A car hit one of them, and then the other says 'come here ketchup, let's go.'"

Four pairs of blank faces stared at the Head of Turks, making him blush just slightly. Buring his face in the papers once more, he muttered:

"Maybe it lost something in the translation."

"Yeah, it was lost alright," Reno muttered.

"Never mind that," Rufus took pity on Tseng by bringing attention back to work. "What about that new music company? 'Stiff', I think it's called. Is it worth getting engaged in?"

"Oh, oh!" Reno suddenly jumped up in the seat. "Are you fucking kidding? That's the best thing out there! I mean, it's like the most awesome thing ever! None of the others are even *close* to it! It's like…like.."

"I think what Reno is trying to say, sir," Tseng said solemnly, "it that it ain't work a fuck, if it ain't Stiff."

For a second silence fell in the car. Then all of them burst out laughing.