Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Interludes – Scene 12

Scene Notes: Lira is convinced Reno and Elena would make a cute couple. This is how she decided to broach the subject with everyone’s favorite redhead.  This takes place immediately before Chapter 24: When Things Fall:

“Sorry ’bout her, ‘Lena… Lira’s almost worse than I am when it comes to sayin’ whatever’s on her mind.” The two Turks had already gone several blocks at a light jog. “Plus she’s got it in her head that you ‘n me should be a thing…”

“Don’t worry abo– Wait, what?” Elena stopped dead, trying to process that. Reno slowed to a stop as well and turned to look back at her, laughing.

“Just ignore her… She’s way off base. I know you’re not lookin’ for anything like that from me.” He grinned teasingly, and added, “Course if you ever change your mind on that…”

---

Reno laid back against the pillows, eyes closed, and relaxed as teasing fingertips traced a slow, gentle pattern on his chest. He shifted almost imperceptibly, and let his arm wrap around the warm body next to him.

“Mmm… We really need to do that more often. It’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten how much fun you can be. You’re all business these days,” Lira purred.

“Offer’s still open to get you topside. Hell of a lot easier to come see me if you’re up here full time…” He toyed with her hair, drawing a contented sigh from the woman. She’d turn him down again. She always did. He’d been trying to coax her out of the slums for almost as long as he’d been out of them himself. Lira had never told him why she wanted to stay in Wall Market… but she was adamant about it. She was his friend, though… he’d keep offering anyway. Maybe one of these days she’d finally be ready to leave that life behind.

Lira leaned over him and kissed his throat, her lips slowly making their way down along his collar bone and across his chest, and he shuddered at the pleasant sensation it left behind on his skin. “Now what would your little girlfriend have to say about that?” she teased.

Reno lifted his head just enough to see her grinning impishly at him.

“The fuck are you talkin’ about?” he asked, one eyebrow rising in confusion.

“Oh, you know… Your girlfriend. Cute little blond… Looks much better as a redhead.”

He rolled his eyes and let his head drop, letting his eyes drift closed again. “‘Lena’s not my girlfriend.”

“She should be.”

“Lira…” He wasn’t sure where this was coming from, but at the moment, he wasn’t at all interested in discussing it. Though her very soft lips drifting teasingly past his navel were getting himinterested in doing something else…

“I’m just sayin’… you two are cute together.”

Reno groaned softly… both in response to the woman’s pronouncement, and to what her hand was suddenly doing under the sheets.

“You’re outta your mind, Lira. ‘Lena’s more like a little sister. And besides… she’s not interested.”

“Oh, please. She’s only like a little sister ’cause that’s what you’re settlin’ for. I’ve seen how you look at her. You’d love to get her into bed. And not just because she’s so pretty. You really connect with her.”

“Do we have to talk about this now?” he managed, gasping involuntarily. He hated it when she started trying to meddle in his personal life, and doing it now was downright unfair. Hell, if that hadn’t felt so good, he’d have cut their evening short. Well… Maybe. He’d at least have put things on hold for a few minutes until she was feeling a little less talkative.

“The only reason you haven’t made a move on her… an actual move, not your pervy bullshitting… is because you’ve got yourself so convinced she’s too good for you, you’ve talked yourself right the hell out of it.”

“For Ifrit’s sake, Lira… are you seriously tryin’ to convince me to hook up with someone else, while you’re doin’ that?” he asked, incredulously, fingers curling into the sheets at his side. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and giggled.

“You know what? You’re right. Conversation first…” she said grinning maniacally. The redhead couldn’t quite manage to hold back a soft whimper of frustration.

“You’re fuckin’ evil, Lira. Seriously evil.”

She shifted back to her earlier position and nuzzled her check against his shoulder.

“And you’re not gettin’ any more attention if you don’t promise me that you will at least make an honest offer to her the next time you see her,” Lira replied, nipping lightly at his earlobe. “You’re such a sweetheart, Reno… I want to see you happy.”

“I am happy.”

“I mean really happy.”

“Tch… if ya wanna see me really happy, go back to doin’ what you were doin’ a minute ago… before you decided we desperately needed to discuss my love life…”

“Only if you promise…” she responded in a sing-song voice next to his ear. The soft tickle of her breath against his neck made him shiver.

“… Fine, okay? I’ll offer,” he finally conceded, unable to hold out any longer. “But I’m not sayin’ anything that’s gonna fuck things up with ‘Lena. I like things just fine the way they are between us.”

“Mmmhmm… You keep just tellin’ yourself that.” She leaned in and kissed him, laying claim to his lips with her own, and laughing softly when she finally pulled away. “But eventually, you’re gonna have to be honest with yourself. Now… where were we?”

Reno smirked, and rolled over, pinning her beneath him. “Round two.”

~fin~