Interludes – Scene 4
Scene Notes: Chapter 7: The Island Closest to Heaven and Hell makes mention of Reno’s eating habits. This is the dinner Elena was talking about.
“I’m more concerned with quantity than quality,” said Reno, “‘Sides… I’m starved.”
“How can you be?!” she asked in disbelief, “You ate your dinner last night, went back for seconds, and then ate at least a third of mine!”
“Reno?” Elena prodded.
“Mmph?”
“I know it looks like rain, but that doesn’t mean you have to inhale every scrap of food in sight before it gets here…”
Reno paused in his efforts to cram most of a bowl of instant mashed potatoes into his mouth and swallowed… with no small amount of effort. He’d already downed the last two remaining sandwiches from the day before while the potatoes were rehydrating. Now he’d started in on them with gusto, and at the rate he was going, Elena had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he got to the beef stew she’d just finished heating from the can as well. It was actually making her a little ill seeing him gorge himself like that… particularly after their first dinner on the island had left her sicker than she could remember being in years for doing the very same thing.
“I’m hungry,” he replied with a shrug. She stared at him between bites of her own meal, trying to figure out how in the hell he managed to pack so much food into such a slender body. The potatoes disappeared, and he went for the stew, leaving Elena grateful that’s she’d already claimed her portion. She didn’t think she’d be getting seconds tonight.
And she was right.
Minutes later, Reno scraped the last of the food out of the cooking pot and sighed.
“That’s it?” he queried, looking a little annoyed by the prospect.
“You just ate enough for three people,” Elena informed him, “Keep it up, and we’ll be living on nuts and berries before we make it halfway. Tseng only packed us enough food for two normal people.”
Reno scowled and leaned back against the fallen log he’d propped himself up against, as Elena continued to eat at a more sane pace. It wasn’t long before she became keenly aware that he was watching her… or more accurately, he was watching her bowl. She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, just take it,” she muttered, holding it out to him.
“You sure?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.
“If it’s either that or having you eying me like scavenger waiting for a kill to be abandoned while I try to eat… yes. Take it.”
Reno grinned, and grabbed the bowl from her, finishing off the small amount that was left. Elena watched him the whole time.
“What?” he asked, licking the back of the spoon. Elena shook her head.
“I’m just trying to figure out where it all goes…” she replied.
~fin~