Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 30: Wedding Bells

Reno stretched his legs out in front of him as he drank deeply from his morning coffee. Well… technically, it was already his third morning coffee. And he needed it… desperately.

“Rough weekend?” Tseng asked, looking at this second in command from the opposite side of his desk. The redhead groaned softly and set the mug down.

“Rough? I think I’ve slept maybe nine hours total since Thursday night…”

Given that today was Monday, it was no wonder it was taking him some time to get going this morning. And the quiet solitude of Tseng’s office wasn’t exactly urging him to wakefulness. If anything, it was making him far more relaxed than he really had any right being while on duty.

Usually, they had these meetings on Fridays, but both men had been slightly preoccupied with various aspects of the fallout of last Wednesday’s eight-legged disaster. They’d mutually agreed to postpone.

“How bad is she?”

Reno sighed and reached for his cup again. Elena wasn’t nearly as rattled as she’d been the first night he’d stayed with her. She hadn’t explicitly told him so, but, at the time, he strongly suspected she hadn’t slept well, if at all, the night before, because she didn’t seem to want to go to sleep, even with him nearby. Those suspicions were strengthened a short while after she did finally nod off, when he himself woke to the sound of screaming from her bedroom. He’d kind of expected something like that – his own dreams following a mission gone bad were seldom pleasant – but two more similar occurrences that same night had taken a lot out of him. The second night hadn’t been nearly as dramatic, but Elena had still been restless and uneasy, waking several times in a panic. Sunday night had, at last, seen a great deal of improvement..

“She finally slept through the night last night…” he replied, swallowing what little of the dark liquid remained. It didn’t seem to be doing him any good. His eyelids still felt as though they had weights attached to them. “Wish I could say the same… I kept checkin’ in on her, ’cause she kept tryin’ not to wake me up the night before, even when she was really freaked out. Finally got sick of wakin’ myself up every half hour or so, and just stayed awake. Ended up on the couch watchin’ infomercials with Snuffy most of the night. Ya know… I dunno how the hell those things manage to get to ya so bad. I had to stop myself twice from calling in to buy one of those stupid miracle blenders.”

Tseng nearly choked on the sip of tea he’d just taken, and laughed.

“If you weren’t my boss, I’d be sorely tempted to tell ya to shut the hell up,” Reno commented with a half-hearted scowl.

“Fortunately, I am your boss,” the Turk leader replied, quickly regaining his composure and smiling. “But you do have a point. These meetings are to keep me up to date on Elena’s progress, not to discuss your late-night shopping habits. As such… your report?”

“Yeah, yeah…” he said, yawning. “Issues over what happened to her last week aside… she’s been doin’ pretty great. Could still use some more work in hand to hand, though, if you or Rude can spare an hour or two maybe once or twice a week for awhile. I’d kinda like to get her practicin’ on a more regular basis with someone besides me. I think she’s gettin’ too used to my fighting style. Knows how I like to attack and puts way too much effort into guarding against it.”

“I’m sure Rude would welcome a fresh opponent once his arm has fully healed. I’ll try and find some additional time as well.”

“We also gotta talk about the paperwork situation…”

Tseng’s eyebrows rose. “I wasn’t aware there was a situation…”

“We’ve been stickin’ ‘Lena with damn near all of it lately. I’m pretty sure she’s getting a little pissed off about it. Haven’t had a chance to ask her why she hasn’t been complainin’ about it, though, ’cause… ya know. She damn near got eaten and it didn’t really seem like a priority the past few days… but I think we need to start pullin’ our weight again.”

The Turk leader was silent for a moment, caught slightly off guard. “I… have, perhaps, been relying on her for that a bit more than is reasonable lately,” he admitted.

“So has Rude.”

Tseng fixed his gaze on the younger Turk, accusingly.

“Yeah, fine… so have I. Like I said… we need to start pulling our weight again.”

“Again? As I recall, your unentered reports have always grossly outnumbered mine and Rude’s combined… long before Elena started helping out. Who exactly was pulling your weight then?” he asked with a soft snort of amusement.

“Well, I always just figured since I weigh so much less than either of you two…” Reno replied, grinning as he trailed off.

“Very funny,” Tseng said, “But… I concur. It seems we’ve all been taking advantage. I assume you’re already making an effort to pick up your own slack… I’ll put some effort in on my own and have a word with Rude. Were there any other concerns?”

“Aside from the obvious? Not at the moment.”

“Will you be staying with her again tonight?”

Reno shook his head. “Nah… She’s doin’ a lot better now, and besides… I’m not really helpin’ her if I let myself end up bein’ a crutch. Plus, I gotta get some sleep tonight. I’m about beat.”

“Good… I had planned on making the same argument if you’d said yes. She’s much stronger than she thinks she is right now, and she needs the opportunity to realize that.” He smirked slightly, and stood, moving around behind the younger man and placing his hands on his shoulders. “You, on the other hand… are nearly at your limit, I think,” he said, giving the tense muscles a purposeful squeeze.

“Don’t do that…” Reno protested with a heavy sigh, relaxing into the gentle massage and letting his eyes close, “I’m barely half awake as it is. You keep that up, I’m gonna be out in about ten more seconds.”

“Yes… I know. That’s my intention. Get some rest, Reno… I’ll wake you if you’re needed.”

“Wake me for lunch, instead…” the redhead murmured, his head lolling against his chest. Tseng kept at it until he’d been motionless and silent for a few minutes, and then slipped out the door into the outer office. Elena looked up as he emerged.

“Good mor–”

Tseng quickly raised a finger to his lips silencing her greeting. Given his current state of sleep deprivation, Reno wasn’t likely to be woken nearly as easily as usual, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Rude… get the door, if you would,” he said softly. The bald Turk cast him a questioning glance, but did as requested, walking across the room and opening the door. Tseng turned back to his lieutenant and lifted his limp form out of the chair as carefully as possible, carrying him into the hallway. “With me, please,” he requested, and the other man followed. He briefly considered installing his unconsciousness charge in one of the sleeping quarters on the other side of their floor… but frankly, he wasn’t entirely certain he’d ever make it that far without waking him, even as tired as the man currently was. Instead, he opted for the lounge, letting Rude usher them both in, and leaving him on the couch.

When they returned, Elena was on her feet, waiting for them.

“I-is Reno alright?” she asked, obviously concerned. Tseng chuckled and escorted her back to her desk.

“He’s fine,” he replied, “Just exhausted. I would have simply sent him home, but he’s currently out of personal leave. And sick leave. And vacation time.”

“Oh…” The rookie looked down at the paperwork that littered her desk. Five minutes ago, she’d been thinking how sick of it she was. Most of it was Reno’s. “It’s because of me, isn’t it… ?”

She’d thought he’d looked a little tired this morning, but she hadn’t realized… She’d slept so well herself, she’d just assumed he had, as well. Especially without her disturbing him throughout the night.

“… Don’t let him hear you say that,” Rude commented from his desk.

“I have to agree with Rude. There’s no blame to be had here, and he wouldn’t want you feeling guilty over it even if there were. This is nothing a few hours’ sleep won’t fix, and by lunchtime Reno will be back to his old self again.”

When she didn’t answer right away, Tseng sighed softly. “Elena, join me in my office.” She glanced up at him nervously, and he quickly realized he needed to clarify that request. “You needn’t look so troubled… I simply thought we might continue this in private.”

“Yes, sir…”

He followed her in, closing the door behind them, and urging her into a seat.

“Reno may be the one in desperate need of rest, but I suspect your weekend was far more trying than his.”

“I don’t even know why it’s still affecting me so badly, sir… I wasn’t really hurt, and nothing that could have happened actually did happen. The spider’s dead, so it’s not as if it could come after me again,” she replied, looking down at her lap. “I just feel so… useless.”

“You’re hardly the first Turk to begin to doubt herself after a traumatic experience. I’ve been through it, myself… both from your point of view and Reno’s, in fact.”

“Why this time, though? I’ve been in bad situations before! I never woke up screaming in the middle of the night after I was drugged, or when Reno and I were buried alive in a cave, or even after I was captured in in Wall Market…”

The frustration in her voice was almost tangible, and Tseng knew the feeling well. “I’m hardly a psychiatrist, Elena,” he said gently, “Though based on personal experience, I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with how helpless and alone and terrified you felt at the time. In those other instances, you were either already safe by the time you realized anything had even happened, or you knew help was coming. In this case, however, you had no way of knowing what might be going on. For all you knew, Reno could easily have been attacked and ensnared as well… possibly even killed… and Rude and I were still locked out of the building. Hopelessness is a difficult thing to ignore.”

“Maybe… but, I can’t help thinking I’m the only one of us who would be so weak…” she said, sounding a little disgusted with herself. She looked up in surprise, and no small amount of anger, when Tseng chuckled softly.

“Forgive me, Elena… I certainly don’t mean to make light of this. I just find it amusing how very similar you and Reno can be sometimes.”

“W-what?”

“He made that comment to me once, as well. Almost word for word, in fact. So… I will tell you what I told him,” Tseng replied, “It’s only a weakness if you give in to it and stop trying to overcome it.”

“Reno kind of told me the same thing…” she admitted with a small smile.

---

The week had gone by in a blur of activity. Elena had found herself so busy, she’d barely had time to think about the lingering sense of fear while at work… and she had a sneaking suspicion that was intentional. Additional sparring matches with Tseng, forays into the slums with Rude, and joining Reno to assist in an interrogation had kept her thoroughly occupied.

Off-duty was another matter.

Reno had abandoned her Monday night. She felt awful for accusing him of that, even if it was only in her own thoughts at the time, and especially when he’d done so much for her already, but she couldn’t seem to help it. She’d been angry when he told her he wouldn’t be there that night. She had kept it to herself, though, and simply gone home without pushing the issue. It was incredibly unfair to expect him to sacrifice his own sleep and well-being for the sake of hers every night until she felt like she was back on solid footing again.

When he made it clear the next day that he wouldn’t be back any of the following nights that week, however, she’d snapped at him and stormed off, ignoring the hurt expression on his face… that is, until she made it to her car and began to regret what she’d said. She knew he couldn’t just keep babysitting her forever… and, she realized, she didn’t actually want him to. Elena wanted her life back the way it was, and she’d never get it if she didn’t make an effort to bethat person again. Which, in hindsight, was probably exactly why he’d done it. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to leave the building until she’d gone back and found him so she could apologize.

After that, it got easier… though she still missed his company, and she still woke up in a cold sweat several more times before the week was out. Thankfully, though, the horribly vivid nightmares that had haunted her for the first few days gradually faded to back to the sorts of dreams she normally experienced.

Elena had never been one to remember her dreams. At best, she could sometimes recall fleeting glimpses of them them upon waking, that quickly slipped away the more alert she became… and usually not even that. Those first few nights, though… they’d been so real she would have sworn it was actually happening. And she could remember ever last detail as if it were seared into her memory.

By the time Friday rolled around, she really was beginning to feel more like herself again… though she couldn’t say with any confidence that she was over it. The strangest things seemed to trigger memories of being paralyzed and trapped… and the elevators in the building continued to be a somewhat foreboding presence. Several times, she’d had to force herself to step into one of them. Twice now, she hadn’t quite managed it, and opted for the stairs instead.

This afternoon was one of those moments of weakness. She emerged from the stairwell and made her way into the cafeteria, heading for the counter. She was a little shocked when the aroma of freshly-baked lasagna hit her… she’d never walked into this place and had her mouth start to water. It looked like it was going fast, too. Elena hurried to claim some.

“Hey, ‘Lena… What took ya so long?” a familiar drawl called out to her, and she spotted Reno at their usual table. Rude and Tseng were nowhere in sight. She smiled and took a seat across from him.

“I was finishing up the transcript from our interrogation yesterday morning… I wanted to get it out of the way so we wouldn’t have to worry about it later.”

“Tch… I told ya to leave that shit to me. You didn’t have to. I’da gotten to it eventually…”

“It’s alright. I’ve had a lot fewer reports than usual to enter this week, for some reason,” she said, with a shrug, “Where is everyone?”

“Tseng’s been and gone,” Reno replied, “I’ve already eaten, too, but I figured I’d stick around and keep ya company, since you’re with me after lunch anyway.”

“What about Rude?”

The redhead suddenly grinned madly. “He finally snapped.”

Elena paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, looking up in concern. “W-what? What happened? Is he alright?!”

“Oh, yeah… He’s fine. The cafeteria staff, on the other hand, may be traumatized for life,” he replied, and it was obvious he’d been eagerly waiting to relate the tale to her. “I’m not sure even I coulda managed to keep what they were servin’ today down. Neither one of us were even sure what it was supposed to be, since they just called is ‘Friday Surprise’. Looked like shit… tasted like death. Rude lost it. Totally went off on ’em for a good five minutes. The phrase ‘crime against humanity’ was used. Fuck, it was epic.”

“Rude lost it?” she asked, in disbelief. Such a thing was unheard of. Outside of a mission or an interrogation, Rude was the most even-tempered, quiet, slow to anger person she’d ever met. She’d seen Tseng angry more times than Rude, and the Turk leader was practically a bastion of calm.

“Yep. What can I say? Guy takes food seriously. They finally pushed him too far.”

“Where is he now?”

“Kitchen… Why do you think you’ve got somethin’ edible in front of ya for a change? Cooking 101… at gunpoint.”

“You… You’re kidding, right?”

Reno snickered. “Yeah, I’m kidding. He hasn’t gone completely off the deep end. He really is still back there, though. I can only assume he’s watchin’ their every move… Don’t dare check it out for myself. I’m not allowed to set foot in his kitchen at home anymore… and I’m pretty sure he’d throw me out here, too, if I tried it.”

Elena giggled and finally took a bite. It was pure heaven… definitely Rude’s handiwork. “Why exactly are you banned from Rude’s kitchen?”

“Uh… long story. Fire was involved. So…” the redhead continued, quickly changing subjects, “While I gotcha here, what time do you want me to pick ya up tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” she questioned, staring blankly at the man.

“We’re still goin’ to that wedding, aren’t we? I know its been kind of a shit couple of weeks… but it sounded like you were really lookin’ forward to it. Hope you’re not standin’ me up…”

“Oh, my god…” Elena gasped, “I completely forgot…” She’d been so consumed by the events of last week, and the stress of this week, it had entirely slipped her mind.

“So?” he prodded, chuckling.

“I… um… Well, it starts at five in the afternoon. And we’ll have to have time to get over to Sector 4. It’s at the Silver Swan.”

“I’ll come grab ya around four, then… traffic over there is hell on the weekends. ‘Specially around the Swan.”

“Sure… that sounds good,” she said, nodding, “I cannot believe I just forgot about it…”

“Aw, give yourself a break, ‘Lena. You’ve had a lot on your mind lately.” He suddenly sat up straighter in his chair, sniffing the air softly. “Am I imagining things, or do you smell cookies?”

Elena suddenly caught the sweet aroma as well. “I think you’re right.”

“I’ll… be right back.” Reno was out of his seat and bee-lining for the counter before she could respond. Elena laughed quietly to herself as she watched him collect two handfuls of the oven-warm treats that had just been brought out, and stuff another into his mouth before heading back to the table… much to the annoyance of several other people who had been waiting to get their hands on them.

“Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?”

“I don’t fuckin’ care,” he managed to say around the dessert already between his teeth. He set the rest of his haul down on the table. “If Rude’s baking, I’m eating.” A second cookie quickly disappeared, followed by a third, and Elena shook her head.

“Well… Can I have one, at least?” she asked.

---

Reno scowled at his reflection in the mirror. He’d never understand how something that looked so incredibly simple could be so ridiculously impossible. The redhead sighed and yanked the tie off. He hated the damn things anyway.

He turned, instead, to taming his hair… still a somewhat tricky task, but significantly less so than getting a tie to cooperate. He’d just finished carefully pulling it back, and was about to make one final attempt with the despised accessory when the sound of knocking interrupted him.

“Now what?” he muttered, and stormed out of the bathroom, to see who his unexpected visitor was. He took a calming breath before he opened the door… after all, there was no need to take out his frustration on innocent neighbors… and then turned the knob.

“Boss?” he queried, surprised to find the Wutaiian standing there. Tseng’s eyebrows rose in similar astonishment as he took in his friend’s appearance. Reno couldn’t really fault him for for his reaction… He’d bought the outfit specifically for today. Had even gone so far as to enlist Kel to help him find it, the hotel concierge being the closest thing to a fashion-forward friend he had. And he had to admit… he looked pretty damn good.

Kel had insisted that everything be tailored to his naturally slim build, and the result was impressive, if a bit on the formal side. Deep charcoal gray pants made of a soft, supple material, and a matching, form-fitting jacket… a narrow black leather belt… a crisp white dress shirt, and a crimson and black waistcoat. And the damned tie… red with narrow gold stripes.

“I was nearby and thought we might have an early dinner, if you’re free tonight… Though it would seem you already have something planned. Trying to impress someone?” Tseng asked, before suddenly smirking, “Or have you perhaps at last decided to take my advice and make an effort at dressing better?”

Reno rolled his eyes and stood aside so the man could come in. “Funny, Tseng. Yes, I’ve already got plans, and no I’m not gonna show up at work on Monday lookin’ like this… this is a special-occasion-only sacrifice of my comfort.” He paused a moment, then sighed. “Uh… since you’re here, though…” He held the tie out to him, imploringly.

Tseng chuckled softly, accepting the accessory and looping it around Reno’s neck, knotting it with the ease of years of practice.

“Thanks,” Reno grudgingly murmured.

“Whoever she is, she must be very attractive, if you’re going to such lengths for a date. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you so… polished,” he said, amusement evident in his tone.

“Yeah, well… It’s not a date exactly.”

“Oh? I have to admit, I’m curious what would prompt such tremendous effort on your part, then…” Tseng said, teasing the younger man, who shot him a dirty look. Reno shrugged his jacket on, fastening the delicate buttons at the waist.

“If ya really gotta know… ‘Lena asked me to take her to a friend’s wedding.” He brushed some non-existent dust from his sleeve and smirked. “She wanted someone to make her look good. Some old rivalry between her ‘n the maid of honor.”

“Ah… so you’re going as decoration, then.”

“Pretty much,” Reno snickered, “‘Sides… there’s an open bar. At the Silver Swan, too, so it’s gotta be top shelf.”

“I suggest you partake in moderation… for once.”

“Tch… what’s that s’posed to mean?”

“Simply that if you over-indulge and do something to embarrass her at such an event, you’re not likely to live long enough to tell me about it,” Tseng replied, with a smile. Reno snorted in contempt, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Come on… Have I ever embarrassed you while I was drunk?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Tseng’s eyebrow rose slowly in challenge.

“I mean in public.”

The Turk leader laughed, shaking his head in defeat. “Well… Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Shall I inform Rude now of his impending promotion?”

“I keep tellin’ ya, boss… Your jokes are terrible.”

Tseng patted the younger man on the shoulder. “That has never stopped you. I don’t see why it should stop me,” he replied, turning to go, “Have a good time. You really do look very nice, by the way. I think Elena will approve.”

---

He pulled into the parking lot of Elena’s building just before four o’clock, making his way to the eighth floor, unhurried. By the time he reached her door, he was almost exactly on time… which, he mused as he knocked, ought to cause the rookie a bit of a shock.

She wasn’t the only one.

The door opened, and for a moment, all he could do was stare. Elena looked… stunning. Her dress was a deep emerald green, low cut and with a slit up one side, revealing a teasing glimpse of her thigh just above the knee. The fabric hugged her body, shimmering softly when she moved. Reno had made no secret of the fact that he thought the woman was beautiful… he’d even told her so point blank once or twice. But this…

It took him several seconds to realize that she was saying something, and he mentally shook himself from his daze.

“Huh?” he finally managed.

“I said you look great,” she laughed, blushing a little, “I… I guess that means I look okay, too?”

“Okay? ‘Lena, you look amazing.”

“Really?” she asked, looking up at him shyly through her lashes, “It’s not too much?”

“Would I lie to you?” Reno responded, finally managing to recover.

Elena giggled. “No… but you would flatter.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true,” he said, grinning widely, “Ready to go?”

Elena nodded, and collected her coat, joining him in the hall. He escorted her downstairs, to his car, making a show of opening the door for her.

“You know… you don’t have to play the perfect boyfriend until we actually get there…” she said, snickering quietly at the attention.

“Oh, no… You’re gettin’ the full treatment from the time I pick ya up, ’til I bring ya home. Wouldn’t want to blow our cover, after all… Never know who might be watchin’…”

The rookie Turk rolled her eyes, laughing. “I’m pretty sure we’re not being tailed by members of the bridal party…”

Reno snickered as he pulled into traffic and headed for Sector 4.

“So how exactly do you wanna play this?” he asked, turning a bit more serious, “I mean… I’m up for pretty much anything, so it kinda comes down to where you draw the line… and I think you know me well enough not to give me free reign and say anything goes unless you really mean it.”

“Nothing that’s going to cause a scene… I don’t want to ruin Chai’s day. I… I just want to Penta to know that she can’t treat me the way she used to.”

“That all? Come on ‘Lena… Don’t you wanna make her a little jealous, too?” he prodded.

“Well…”

“I mean… from what you told me about her, it sounds like she took great pleasure in screwin’ with you at every opportunity…”

“Yeah, but…”

“And you never did anything to her…”

“I know, but…”

“You had to take your brother to prom,” he pointed out. Elena froze, eyes narrowing.

“You know what? You’re right. I don’t care if it’s petty. I’m sick of taking the high road. I want her jealous. I want to see it in her eyes. In fact, I don’t just want her jealous… I want that bitch to see you, and want you, and be devastated when she finds out she can’t have you…” Elena replied, vehemently. Reno took his eyes off the road briefly to glance over at her.

“And I thought Rude was good at holdin’ a grudge…” he teased, “Anyway… It kinda hinges on her actually takin’ the bait… I might not even be her type. But I’ll do my best. Anything you’d really rather I not do to get her attention?”

“What do you mean?”

“Heh… well if I’m s’posed to be your incredibly attractive and adoring boyfriend, no one’s gonna buy it if we’re just holdin’ hands all night. How… adoring… am I allowed to be? ‘Cause like I said, I’m up for about anything.”

Elena flushed bright red as she realized what he was asking. “I-I… um…”

Reno burst out laughing as they reached a stoplight. “Aw, relax, ‘Lena… I wasn’t planning fondling ya on the dance floor, or anything… ya know, unless – ”

“I know, I know… Unless I want you to,” Elena finished for him, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you ever get tired of saying that?”

“Not really…”

“Just… make it convincing, but don’t go overboard,” she replied, sighing in defeat. The redhead grinned mischievously.

“So… no tongue?”

Elena groaned. “I think I’m starting to regret ever asking you to do this…”

“There’s still time to back out,” Reno pointed out. The rookie quickly shook her head.

“N-no… No. I didn’t mean that. Really. I just… I guess I’m just a little worried Penta’s going to see right through me if I try too hard. You can be a little, well, over the top, sometimes. I don’t want to end up a laughing stock… again.”

“How ’bout ya just relax and leave it to me…” he replied, “All you gotta do is worry about enjoyin’ yourself.”

“I guess…” The uncertainty in her voice was hard to miss.

“Look… It’s not like this is the first time I’ve had to play a part, ya know. Just trust me. I promise I’ll behave myself.”

Elena relaxed a little, realizing he was right. After all… Subterfuge was their job. And Reno was very good at his job. And it wasn’t as if this were life and death… at worst, she was risking public humiliation if Penta figured out she’d basically hired her date with the promise of free food and alcohol. It would be awful, but certainly not the end of the world.

“Okay… Let’s do this,” she responded, as Reno was pulling into the Silver Swan’s wide circular driveway.

---

“I just can’t get over how amazing this place is…” Elena gazed up at the high ceilings and crystal chandeliers that decorated the exclusive hotel’s lobby. She hadn’t been here in nearly a year… it was just the way she remembered it. Reno had offered her his arm as they’d come through the revolving door, and she now found herself letting him lead her as she took in the sights of the elegant room.

“It is pretty impressive… even as many times as I’ve been here.”

“Just how many times have you been here, anyway?” the rookie asked, somewhat morbidly curious. She’d never been entirely clear on just what sort of arraignment the redhead had with his concierge friend… just that he occasionally brought women to the hotel for the night. Reno smirked.

“Enough to know my way around pretty well. Kel actually lives here during the week, ya know. Has a place over in Sector 3 on the weekends… mostly just so his kid can have a room she can decorate however she wants. So I’ve seen a lot more of this place than most people get to.” He grinned at her. “For example… There’s a secret billiards room in the basement. Staff only. And friends of staff. Kel and some of his people put it together when management redid the one that’s open to guests and were gettin’ rid of the old tables. Couple of poker tables down there, too.” He paused a moment beside the central staircase, grin widening lewdly. “Or were you wonderin’ how many dates I’ve brought here? ‘Cause I’ve really never bothered keepin’ track. Probably somewhere in the mid twenties…”

“Closer to thirty…” a voice corrected. “And I oughta know. I have to comp the room every time…” Elena peered over Reno’s shoulder to the individual who had just approached them and smiled warmly at the sight of a familiar face. “Gotta admit, though… I don’t think any of them looked as good as you do right now, Elena.”

“What the hell are you doin’ here on a Saturday?” Reno shot back, good-naturedly, as Kel gallantly took Elena’s hand and raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss. “And she’s still off limits… so watch it.”

The hotel concierge chuckled when Reno pulled her protectively against his side. “Just bein’ friendly. Anyway… Didn’t have a choice. My weekend manager called in sick, and we’ve got a big wedding goin’ on this evening. Plus the reception, later. So… wait. This is the wedding you practically begged me to help ya find somethin’ to wear for?”

Reno glared at the man. “There was no begging involved and you know it,” he said, dropping his voice to a more hushed tone. Elena had to stop herself from laughing… though she wasn’t entirely successful. She hadn’t realized Reno had gone to that much trouble just for her sake.

“You’re right… it was more desperate pleading and bribery than begging,” Kel said, giving Elena a wink. “Course I don’t know why I bothered. Who’s even gonna notice you next to her?” The rookie couldn’t help but blush, and Reno sighed, shaking his head.

“Oh, sure… I tell her she looks amazing and I get accused of flattery. You pull that cheesy line out and she looks at you like no one’s ever paid her a higher compliment in her life.”

“Maybe she just likes me better…” Kel retorted, grinning, before glancing over his shoulder at the front desk and the guests who were beginning to overwhelm the staff. “Ya know, I’d love to stick around and chat, but looks like I’ve got some actual work to do. Wedding’s on forty in the Sunset Room, but you’re a little early. Cocktails are bein’ served in the main ballroom on two ’til they’re ready to get started. And…uh… if ya maybe want a room afterwards, we’re pretty heavily booked, but I could probably swing it. Ya don’t have to bring him with you if you don’t want to.”

He was off toward the desk at a swift walk before either of them could say anything. “Remind me to kick his ass for that comment later, will ya?”

“Do you have any normal friends?” Elena asked, teasingly.

“Depends… how normal do you consider yourself?” the redhead deadpanned. He smirked, and offered her an arm, escorting her up the staircase.

---

Tseng let his head rest against the back of Rude’s couch. The last time he’d been this full… well, come to think of it, it had probably been at the Christmas party. It occurred to him that Rude was almost certainly responsible for every ounce of the extra weight he tended to put on this time of year.

“Ready for more?” the aforementioned Turk asked from the kitchen, and Tseng had to refrain from groaning out loud.

“Rude… not all of us are capable of Reno’s level of eating. No matter how excellent the fare is. I certainly don’t mind taste testing, but I would prefer not to explode in the process.”

The bald man chuckled and set aside what he was working on. It needed to cool a bit anyway.

“How am I doing so far?” he asked.

“Given how unfamiliar you are with Wutaiian dishes in general, rather impressively. Though I think you’re being a bit conservative with the spices. It’s something of a balancing act, or so I’m told… I wish I could be less vague, but I’m afraid I never paid much attention to what my mother did in the kitchen. Much to the detriment of my own cooking, unfortunately.”

“If you can call it cooking,” Rude couldn’t help but say. The Turk leader laughed.

“Fair point… I sometimes dread eating it myself, much less serving it to anyone. Be glad you didn’t have to suffer through weeks of it like Elena did. I was afraid she might move out before she even found a new apartment just to avoid hurting my feelings on the subject.”

“Still better than Reno’s, though.”

Tseng smiled and shook his head. “You only say that because he accidentally gave you food poisoning… You never have given him a second chance. It’s really not terrible… so long as you stick to one of the three or four dishes he’s suitably mastered.”

Rude gave derisive snort. “Oh, I gave him a second chance… and now he’s banned from my kitchen until the end of eternity.” He smirked slightly. “I may trust him with my life… but not with my cookware.”

“I’m not sure I even want to know…”

“Have you ever seen water catch fire?”

“Now I’m quite certain I don’t want to know.”

“I should have invited him over, too,” said Rude. “He’s been dropping not-very-subtle-even-for-Reno hints most of the week that he wants to try the new recipes. Guess I still could… We’ve got plenty to go around.”

Tseng shook his head. “You won’t reach him without sending his phone an emergency signal. He’s attending a wedding this afternoon.”

“Who’s getting married?” Rude asked, eyebrow rising. The redhead hadn’t mentioned anything about it to him, and he suddenly found himself slightly annoyed at being left out of the loop. Tseng shrugged.

“I’m not certain,” he replied, “I only heard about it because I dropped in on him shortly before you called and invited me to be your guinea pig. Someone Elena knows, apparently. He’s her date.”

Rude looked up, surprised. “They’re on a date?” He’d begun to think such a thing was merely wishful thinking on his part.

“Of sorts… I didn’t get the whole story, but it would seem Elena has a rival who will also be in attendance. She enlisted Reno to… Well, I’m actually not entirely sure what she enlisted him to do, to be honest,” he said, chuckling, “I just hope she doesn’t end up with more than she bargained for. Reno mentioned an open bar…”

“… Does that mean I going to be promoted?” Rude asked, in mock-seriousness.

“I was planning to surprise you after the funeral,” Tseng returned, in a similar tone. He sighed and sat up, before making his way slowly back to the table. “Alright… bring on the next course. I shall endeavor to find space for few more bites.”

---

Only a handful of guests had arrived before them, but they seemed to have converged on the small bar at the far end of the ballroom and were chatting amiably amongst themselves as Reno and Elena made their way in. The room was beautifully decorated in pale violet and cream draperies with silver accents. A long table stood on a raised dais at the head of the room, presumably for the bridal party, and smaller round tables big enough for three or four people dotted the periphery around a large dance floor. Floral centerpieces matched the overall palette of the room, and gave each table and its pristine white tablecloth a splash of elegant color.

“Oh, wow… Chai really went all-out…” Elena breathed, as they angled towards the bar and the other guests.

“It’s alright, I s’pose,” the redhead at her side commented. She elbowed him. “Ow! Hey…”

“How can you not be impressed?”

Reno shrugged. “Eh… Ya been to one high-class party, you’ve been to ’em all. I’ve gotten dragged off as security to so many Shinra corporate events at this point, it’s kinda just more of the same. They’re usually so tame ya can hardly stay awake. My idea of a party is a little loud music and fridge full of beer.”

“Well, maybe for you it’s old, but I’ve never been invited to anything like this so I reserve the right to be impressed.”

“Really?” he asked, “Gotta admit, that surprises me a little.”

Elena pulled up short, stopping them in their bid for the small crowd. “Why?”

“Don’t really know, now that you ask. Old prejudices, I guess,” he said with a soft laugh, “I mean… Even as a kid I knew not everyone from the Plate is Shinra-level loaded, but most of ’em are fairly well-off. ‘Specially compared to the slums. And the ones that aren’t usually end up down below eventually anyway. Reality is there’s a pretty wide range up here… I guess for some reason I always just pictured you as bein’ somewhere on the upper end of that range.”

The rookie Turk giggled and resumed her unhurried pace towards the bar. “Oh, please… I was no debutante, that’s for sure. Comfortably middle-class would probably be more accurate. I had some friends… like Chai… who had money, but my family was really pretty average growing up.”

“Huh… Musta been nice,” he said, a little wistfully, and Elena suddenly realized how dismissive she must have sounded to him. No, she hadn’t grown up wealthy… by Plate standards, at any rate. Reno hadn’t grown up on the Plate, though. She was startled from her thoughts when he leaned down slightly and kissed her on the cheek. “Forget I said that,” he whispered, his voice just barely audible next to her ear, and she blinked, recovering a bit. Reno smiled. “How ’bout a drink?”

She had little difficultly interpreting that to mean ‘Don’t start getting upset over my less than ideal childhood right now.’ Elena quickly returned the smile and nodded.

“Elena?!” a female voice rang out from the little group, and the rookie hurried to scan the faces for the source, her eyes finally coming to rest on a lithe young woman about her age… Wutaiian, with long, cascading black hair. “Elena Brewer?! Oh my god, you haven’t changed a bit!”

“I… Rui?” she asked, uncertain. It certainly looked like her… only about sixty pounds lighter than the last time she’d seen her. Of course that had been almost six years ago… The woman flashed her a dazzlingly white smile.

“Big difference, huh?” she giggled. “You would not believe what a few years in Mideel will do for your figure. Who’s your friend?” She turned her gaze on Reno, eyes roving his entire body, unabashedly… almost hungrily… and Elena was too shocked to answer right away. Rui had always been so painfully shy in school. Apparently she’d come out of her shell at some point…

Thankfully, Reno came to her rescue, slipping behind her and pulling her gently against him.

“I am her very, very lucky boyfriend,” he replied, placing a kiss on top of her head.

“Oh my god, he’s adorbs. I am so jealous!” Elena had to bite down hard on her tongue to stop herself from laughing. She hadn’t thought anyone outside of the teenage actresses in romantic comedies actually used the word ‘adorbs‘ in conversation. Apparently, Reno was having similar thoughts, because she could plainly feel the soft tremor of his repressed snickering against her back. She was about to introduce him to her properly, when the woman’s gaze suddenly shifted behind the pair. “Oh my god, is that Tian? I have to go say hi! We’ll catch up later, okay?”

“Um… sure?” Elena managed, though she had the distinct impression that Rui had mostly lost interest once she learned Reno wasn’t available. Reno cleared his throat behind her.

“Now… what were you sayin’ earlier about my friends?” he asked, learning down close to her ear.

“Oh, be quiet,” she sniggered, and pulled him along toward the bar. “She’s more of an acquaintance, really, anyway.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever referred to me as ‘adorbs’ before,” he added, smirking, and looping an arm back around her waist. “Is it true, ‘Lena? Am I adorbs? Please tell me I’m adorbs…“

“Oh my god, I so need a drink,” Elena replied, mimicking Rui, and drawing a laugh from the redhead.

“Cosmo Candle?” he asked, learning against the bar, and Elena hesitated.

“I don’t know… They’re so hit or miss in Midgar… Maybe just a glass of wine.”

Reno switched his gaze to the bartender, a young woman who barely looked old enough to drink herself. “Can ya make ’em?” he asked, looking her over appraisingly.

“Honestly?” the woman queried softly, and Reno nodded, “I haven’t quite gotten the hang of those yet…”

“Want a quick lesson?”

“I… I’m really not supposed to let guests back here…” she said, hesitantly, though it was clear she was interested.

“I won’t tell if you won’t…” the redhead said, pouring on the charm, and Elena watched, slightly intrigued. Rude had always told her Reno was better than anyone at talking his way into places he shouldn’t be… especially if there happened to be a woman involved… and she had never doubted it, given his general nature. But she’d also never actually witnessed it.

“Well…” The woman glanced around the room. Most of the handful of early arrivals were engaged in conversation, and she was the only hotel employee in the room. “Okay… why not?”

Reno grinned and hopped the bar. “‘Kay… so… Actually a really easy cocktail, but everyone makes the same mistakes with it. Vodka, triple sec, grenadine, lime.. fresh, not just the juice. Totally ruins the drink if ya don’t squeeze it yourself. And cherries. And for Ifrit’s sake don’t waste anyone’s time with lower tier vodka thinkin’ everything else’ll make up for it. It won’t. Always use the good stuff.”

The bartender was retrieving the requested ingredients as he called them out.

“Two and a half parts vodka,” he said, pouring it into a shaker, “three quarters parts triple sec, one half part grenadine, one half part lime juice… Ice… And then shake it like ya mean it.” He picked up the shaker, and went to work. Several seconds later, he set it down, and retrieved a glass. “Strain…” he continued, pouring the concoction out, sans the ice from the shaker, “And cherry.” He dropped a single maraschino into the alcohol before presenting it to Elena. She giggled quietly, and took a sip.

“Excellent, as always…” the rookie said, smiling. Reno bowed slightly and swung himself back to the other side of the bar, before turning back to the bartender. “And I will have one of those obscenely expensive Ultima Ales I saw hiding back there.”

The woman behind the bar smiled widely and handed him the chilled beer… and Elena noticed that her gaze lingered on the redhead as they walked away.

“I think you impressed her,” she said, thoroughly enjoying the drink.

“Heh… That wasthe idea. How the hell else was I gonna get one of these?” Reno replied, lifting the bottle, “No way she’d break out the really high-end stuff before the reception otherwise…”

Elena rolled her eyes. “The way you drink, why do you even care about the quality?”

“Ah, I only swill the cheap shit. Not the stuff that’s worth enjoyin’. The stuff that’s worth enjoyin’ costs a small fortune, though. Even on our salaries, it’s a luxury. You got any idea how much Ultimas go for?” Elena shook her head, not having a clue. “Somewhere around ninty gil a bottle.”

“Seriously?” she asked, a little appalled.

“Yep… like I said back there. Obscenely expensive,” he said, before adding with a grin, “And worth every gil, too.”

“If you say so…” She really wasn’t at all convinced a bottle of beer could be worth that much to anyone. But then, she wasn’t exactly a connoisseur, either. “Hey, Reno?”

“Yeah?” He took a small sip of his drink, and Elena couldn’t help but notice that he really was taking the time to savor it.

“Where’d you learn how to make a Cosmo Candle, anyway?”

“Used to tend bar down in Sector 3. Little bit of a hike from home, but they paid better than most of the dives in Two. Place called the Lonely Dragon. Learned that, and fuck only knows how many others, there.”

“W-wait… You were recruited when you were sixteen. When did you have time to tend bar?”

“They’re pretty lax ’bout the drinking age down in the slums,” he said, shrugging, “Long as ya got the gil and don’t cause trouble, they’ll serve ya. And they’ll hire ya, too, ’cause kids work cheap. I started workin’ there, runnin’ drinks and food out to the tables, when I was eleven. Got moved up to the bar when I was thirteen. Not a bad gig, really… ‘Long as ya were real careful to avoid certain regulars at closing time.”

Elena looked down at her drink, thoughtfully. The two Turks took a seat at one of the empty tables. “When I was eleven, I think the most stressful thing I had to worry about was whether or not I’d remembered to do my math homework. I can’t even imagine having to go to work at that age just to get by…”

“I glad ya can’t.” She glanced up at him, and found the redhead eying her with an amused expression. “‘Lena, believe it or not, I’m happy you had all the things I didn’t as a kid. ‘Cause bad as you feel for me, I think I’d feel a hell of a lot worse if I heard some of my stories comin’ from you.”

“It just doesn’t seem fair,” Elena commented, lightly swirling the remaining liquid in her glass.

“Don’t think anyone’s ever tried to claim life was fair.” He reached over and trailed his fingertips along her cheek. “‘Sides… It turned out pretty good for me, all things considered.” Reno smirked and subtly glanced over his shoulder. “We’re bein’ watched…”

Elena slowly raised her eyes, looking past Reno, and spotted a trio of young women huddled together, indeed watching the two of them while trying pitifully to look like they weren’t. She nearly laughed when she recognized them. “That’s Chai’s little sister, Paget, and my friend, Sadi. And I think the other girl is one of Chai’s cousins… she looks kind of familiar, but I don’t really know her.”

“They know your favorite maid of honor pretty well?” he asked, and the rookie nodded. A wide grin settled over Reno’s face. “Well, let’s give ’em somethin’ to watch, then… maybe it’ll get back to her…”

Reno gently tilted her chin up and leaned in close, kissing her deeply. Elena let her eyes drift shut, and responded in kind, a little surprised at just how easy it was to do so… and – though she wouldn’t in a million years have admitted it – by how much she was enjoying the attention. His lips were soft and insistent, and she quickly found herself giving in to the demands they were making of her own. From a short distance away, she heard excited chatter and giggling. When the redhead finally broke the kiss, she was left a little breathless.

“Think they enjoyed the show?” he teased.

“I think we’re about to find out…” Elena replied, quietly, as the little group broke up and Sadi made her way over to them.

“I hate to interrupt…”

“No you don’t,” the rookie said, grinning, and the woman giggled.

“Okay, you’re right, I don’t. So… ?”

“So what?” Elena asked, feigning ignorance of what her friend was fishing for.

“SO… When were you planning to tell me that you’re seeing someone? And that he’s gorgeous?”

“Yeah, ‘Lena… When were you gonna tell all your friends that I’m gorgeous?” Reno asked, innocently batting his eyes. Sadi snickered, and walked around the table, resting her hands on his shoulders.

“Cute, and a sense of humor? Ellie, you’d better keep a close eye on this one. Penta’ll be after him the second she sees him. If you weren’t such a good friend, I might give it a shot, myself.”

“Did you get a divorce and forget to mention it?” Elena laughed.

“Sadly, no…” Sadi sighed, dramatically. “Way to kill a fantasy, Elena. So does he have a name, or is he just a pretty face?”

“Sadi Miller, meet Reno Donovan,” she replied, “Sadi and I have been friends since we were little. We grew up on the same block and everything.” The other woman slipped into the seat next to her, laughing.

“And we got into all sorts of trouble together,” Sadi added.

“Oh, really,” Reno intoned, looking far too interested in that claim for Elena’s comfort.

“You got into all sorts of trouble. I was the one who kept telling you that you were going to get in trouble, remember?”

“Details, details,” she replied, waving a hand dismissively. “So how’d you two meet? How long have you been together?”

“We… met at work.”

“Oh, so you work for Shinra, too, then…” The woman gave a soft sigh. “That’s so sweet…. An office romance… falling in love over filing… sharing looks outside the conference room… flirting glances as you walk by his desk…” She trailed off, smiling to herself.

“And, we’ve lost her…” Elena said, shaking her head. Reno had once accused her of having a bit of a romantic nature, but Sadi was the textbook definition of a hopeless romantic. The redhead snickered and waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh! Sorry… Got a little sidetracked there for a second.”

“Sadi!” someone shouted from across the room, and Elena looked over to see Paget waving from the door.

“Uh oh… Gotta go. Chai must be ready for her dress. You won’t believe what she had me design for her… takes four people just to get her into it! She looks incredible, though…”

Elena sniggered and waved to her friend. “See you later, then…”

“Fallin’ in love over filing?” Reno repeated somewhat incredulously, once she was out of range. “Yeah… seriously, ‘Lena… I think I definitely have the more normal group of friends.”

“I’m starting to think you might be right…” the rookie replied.

“So I’m guessin’ she doesn’t know what you actually do for Shinra…” he smirked, and Elena shook her head.

“I’ve really only told my family,” she replied, looking a little embarrassed, “I… I was a little afraid I might jinx myself if I just started telling everyone I knew that I was being promoted to the Turks, so when they asked, I just told them I was working for Shinra Company, and let them draw their own conclusions. It’s never really come up again since then, and we’re so limited on what we can say anyway… I’ve just never elaborated. I’m pretty sure most of them think I’m a secretary or an assistant or something.”

Reno started laughing and it took him a moment to get himself back under control. “Oh… That’s fuckin’ hilarious. You hangin’ out in the secretarial pool… waitin’ for me to stop by. ‘Course, then again, you do take care of most of my incident reports and transcriptions. I could maybe see that workin’, actually.”

Elena rolled her eyes. “Keep joking around like that and you can go back to filing your own reports.”

“Fine by me… Just means most of ’em’ll probably never get filed. Tseng’s the only one who’s gonna be annoyed by that,” he replied, with a wide smile. He finished off the last of his beer.

“You know… I don’t really enjoy all the extra paperwork…” she said, a little testily. The redhead set the bottle aside, and chuckled.

“I know. Why do ya think it dropped off so dramatically this past week? Ya shoulda said somethin’ instead of just puttin’ up with the rest of us bein’ lazy as fuck. I’da done somethin’ about it a lot sooner if you’d told me to pull my head outta my ass.”

“Y-you’re the reason I haven’t been filing things left and right all week?”

“Tch… ya think our caseload suddenly got lighter or somethin’? Why didn’t you just say you were sick of pickin’ up the slack, anyway? I know you don’t have a problem speakin’ up anymore…”

Elena plucked the cherry out of her glass and popped it in her mouth. She loved maraschinos…

“You guys all seem to hate it so much… and I don’t really mind doing a little extra… but I wasn’t sure how to say I was starting to feel like you were all taking advantage of that, without coming across as being angry about it. I really wasn’t mad… I was just getting a little buried.”

“Next time, just call us assholes and tell us to do our own damn paperwork, ‘kay?” said Reno. Elena’s eyebrows rose.

“You really want me to call Tseng an asshole and tell him to do his own damn paperwork?”

“Uh… you may have a point there. The first and last time I made a mistake like that, Rude had to teach me a new word to describe what happened.”

“What word?” she asked, guardedly.

“Defenestration.”

“Yeah… I think I’ll just stick to calling you an asshole,” she replied, somewhat wide-eyed.

“Ah, you could probably get away with it. The boss doesn’t really get mad at you. Now me, on the other hand… He was already beyond pissed at me at the time. Swearin’ at him just kinda accelerated my unexpected exit from his apartment…” he laughed. Elena quickly joined him.

“You know something… You’re the only person I’ve ever met who could tell me as many bizarre, deranged stories as you do without me thinking you’re just making it all up.”

“Well… I am pretty bizarre and deranged in general, after all,” the redhead joked.

“Yes… Yes, you are.”

“Geez, ‘Lena… ya weren’t s’posed to agree with me…” he retorted, feigning a wounded expression.

---

Tseng all but dragged himself through the door. He couldn’t honestly say he hadn’t enjoyed every bite, but he was going to be in misery for hours after eating so much. He found, however, that he didn’t much care. It had been worth it. Cooking was more than a mere hobby for Rude. It was very much a passion… and he loved to share it.

The thoroughly stuffed Turk leader flipped the deadbolt behind him out of pure habit and dropped bonelessly into his favorite chair. Sometimes, though… Rude shared just a little too enthusiastically, and left Tseng with the firm belief that he would never need to eat again. Ever.

Reno never seemed to have that problem, he mused, which had always suited Rude just fine. The two of them made quite a pair. They really were polar opposites, but their differences only seemed to make the bond they shared that much stronger. Tseng could clearly remember the first time they’d met. He’d plucked Reno from the slums mere days before, cleaned him up and fed him, and presented him to Veld as his new rookie just that morning… a departure from protocol, to say the least, but they’d suffered a heavy loss several months before thanks to some bad intelligence, and recruits had been in short supply at the time. And Reno had just felt right… in spite of his youth, and in spite of his lack of discipline.

Rude had, in fact, been the only recruit to stick around when knowledge of the botched operation had spread through the ranks of the recruiting program. It hadn’t really come as a shock to see so many turn tail when Tseng learned the information had leaked… the aftermath had been quite gruesome indeed. The quiet young man had been promoted to probationary status almost immediately, and was doing fairly well under Veld’s direction, with frequent assistance from Tseng, as well.

Reno, though, was to be his. Veld had been hesitant to take him on at all at first. It was only after Tseng asked that he be his first protégé, that his own mentor had finally realized how serious the young Wutaiian was about the boy and agreed to the unorthodox recruitment.

The two rookies had hit it off almost immediately, despite Rude being three years Reno’s senior, and nearly a year ahead of him in training. Of the two, Rude had been slightly more hesitant at first, preferring to feel things out before plunging in with both feet, but the redhead very easily won him over. Reno was rather uniquely gifted in that regard… His ability to read people occasionally bordered on supernatural, though Tseng was under no illusion that there was anything otherworldly about it. For Reno, learning to recognize who could be trusted and who he should avoid at all costs had simply been a matter of survival, and he had honed that talent over years of practice into recognizing other traits as well.

Reno, in spite of his carefree personality, actually spent a great deal of time observing others… even when he was actively engaged in some other activity, or didn’t appear to be paying any attention to someone at all. He did it instinctively and effortlessly, and with great precision. And that was the basis of why Tseng had been so drawn to him in the first place.

Reno and Rude’s first conversation had been largely one-sided… though the lack of response from the other young man hadn’t phased the redhead in the slightest. If anything, he’d seemed almost encouraged by it, oddly enough. At some point, the little slum-rat-turned-Turk had coerced Rude into trying on the sunglasses he used to keep the wild strands of crimson hair out of his eyes… to what end, Tseng wasn’t certain, as he’d been observing from a distance, but Rude had rapidly turned more animated after that. When he’d finally gone to collect his rookie for afternoon training, the redhead had refused to take them back, simply commenting that they looked better on Rude.

Rude had worn them, or other pairs like them, religiously ever since.

That one simple act had somehow instantly established a lifelong friendship… and it wasn’t long before Tseng began pushing Veld to let them train together more and more. The two of them were natural partners.

When Veld had been killed and the choice of Tseng’s new lieutenant had been down to one of four possible candidates, he had hesitated in choosing Reno, solely because he was afraid of driving a wedge between the two men. Rude had seniority. Rude had trained directly under both Veld and himself. Rude had more than earned the position.

But Reno was just as skilled by then… and was far better suited for leadership. Tseng had come dangerously close to passing them both over, in favor of one of the other two Turks on the roster who could have qualified at the time. But the truth was, he wouldn’t have been entirely happy promoting anyone else… and so he had chosen Reno, and hoped for the best. To his relief, Rude hadn’t so much as batted an eye before congratulating his friend. There was no jealousy or feelings of being usurped. In fact, Tseng had, over the years, come to discover that Rude had understood exactly why it had been Reno and not him, and furthermore, had wholeheartedly agreed with the decision.

For his own part, Tseng had ultimately become a mentor to them both… particularly once they were his only remaining Turks. If he had felt protective of them before, those feelings easily tripled after Istev’s bombing attacks had decimated their numbers. Neither man was really that much younger than he was – not even ten years separated himself and Reno – but he more often than not found himself thinking of them both as his charges, rather than merely his subordinates, even before they were all he had left. There had been numerous occasions that he’d fallen into the role of a pseudo-parent to one or both of them, and gradually, they had filled the hole left by his own family’s shunning of him.

Tseng finally pulled himself from his reminiscences and eased himself out of the chair. He moved purposefully toward a tall cabinet, drawing out the bottle of cognac Elena had given him for Christmas… a guilty pleasure he hadn’t even known she’d been aware of… and pouring himself a little with a slight smile.

He’d been as hesitant about her as Veld had Reno… and in both cases the more experienced Turk in the discussion had been dead wrong. Elena was still inexperienced and a little impulsive… particularly when her temper was riled. But Reno had been right. She was becoming a perfect fit.

Quite possibly in more ways than one. Rude could see it, too, Tseng was almost certain, though his stoic friend apparently preferred to keep his own counsel on that matter.

It really was astonishing how much Reno had matured just in the short time since her promotion. Oh, he was still decidedly wild in his ways… but Elena had placed upon him a whole new level of responsibility, and he was was taking it seriously. Perhaps more seriously than any other task Tseng had ever set him. The redhead wasn’t merely responsible for her training. He was liable for her safety, her mental and physical well-being, and to at least some extent, her happiness. And he was determined to live up to that responsibility.

Tseng couldn’t help but think his one-time rookie was finally growing up a little.

---

“Oh, wow…” Elena breathed, taking in the Silver Swan’s aptly named ‘Sunset Room’. The space itself was on the top floor of the hotel… which gave the massive windows an unobstructed view of the horizon. The days were still short, and the sun still in the habit of setting early… the light that now poured through the glass was breathtaking, as was the view.

“Okay… now I might be just a little impressed.” The pair made their way down the aisle with the other guests, looking for a seat, and Reno nudged her into a row that was already filled, save the last two on the aisle. He smirked. “Gonna be hard for her to miss us here…” he whispered in response to her questioning glance, and she quickly realized he was right. The bridal party would pass within inches of them… and they were close enough to the alter that they would be directly in Penta’s line of sight the entire time.

They settled in, and Reno calmly draped an arm around her, coaxing her head down onto his shoulder. Elena couldn’t stop the soft, contented sigh that escaped her lips, as she thought to herself that the redhead really knew how to treat a girl. He’d been nothing but polite, charming, and attentive the entire afternoon, with plenty of gentle teasing thrown in for good measure, though very little of his signature lewdness. If this was how all of his dates went, it was no wonder women at the office were always so eager to spend a little time with him. There had been several times she’d even had to remind herself that this wasn’t an actual date. He’d been making it very easy to forget that little detail.

A string quartet began to play, as the wedding party made their entrance, and Elena quickly spotted Penta, looking cold and elegant in pale violet. Penta wasted no time in locking onto her as well, and the rookie was positive she saw the woman scowl briefly. Reno must have picked up on it, too, because he immediately pulled her closer and kissed her again. When she looked back, Penta was openly glaring at her, and Elena couldn’t help but cast a noticeably superior smirk in her direction. She huffed and pointedly turned her attention elsewhere.

“You weren’t kiddin’…” Reno chuckled softly. “She really hates you.”

The music shifted, and the crowd turned as Chai entered, making her way down the aisle. Sadi hadn’t been exaggerating about the dress. She really did look amazing, with the long, flowing train and delicately embroidered layers upon layers of satin and lace.

Elena let herself forget about Penta and their pretty feud for awhile, and sat back, enjoying seeing Chai so happy.

---

“Oh, man… that was long…” Reno moaned as they stepped into an elevator. They’d somehow managed to catch a break in the crowd that was headed downstairs for the reception and gotten one all to themselves.

“Reno…”

“What?” he asked, snickering, “It was.”

“You really don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?” Elena sighed, shaking her head.

“Hey, I can be plenty romantic under the right circumstances… but I just don’t get why people wanna put themselves through so much ceremony. If ya want to be with someone, be with ’em.”

“Spoken like a true bachelor,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Okay… tell me somethin’, then. Who’s all that really for? The couple, or the people watchin’?”

“I… um… well, both, I guess,” she said, not really sure where he was going with this. Reno shook his head.

“I disagree. Wouldn’t they still be together without all that?”

“Well, sure they would… They got married because they’re in love. They’re not suddenly in love because they got married.”

“Exactly… A wedding is for pretty much everyone except the couple gettin’ hitched.”

“Okay… even if that’s true, and I’m not saying it is… what’s so wrong with it?” Elena asked.

“Nothin’… I just personally don’t see the appeal.”

“Some people want to celebrate being happy.”

Reno grinned, and threw an arm around her as the elevator arrived at its destination. As the doors opened, they could already hear the music from the ballroom. “So what the hell’s the reception for, then?” he countered, escorting her inside. “Oh, yeah… that’s more like it,” the redhead added, spotting the long buffet table that had been set up in their absence. He smirked teasingly at her. “That is how ya celebrate bein’ happy, ‘Lena.” She giggled, and twisted out of his grip, before seizing hold of his hand and pulling him along toward the line that was forming.

“Well, then… let’s go celebrate. I’m starved!”

---

Reno had the definite feeling he was being watched. Hell, he almost felt like they were breathing down his neck, it was so blatant. He let Elena lead him towards the food, all the while scanning as subtly as possible for his observer. It didn’t take him long to spot her. She was standing near the head table, ostensibly talking to one of the other bridesmaids. The rookie hadn’t seemed to have noticed her yet, or if she had, she was doing an excellent job of pretending otherwise.

They reached the line, and Reno kept an eye on the woman’s position, but otherwise ignored her for the moment. He was hungry, too… and Elena’s friend had put out quite a spread. He piled his plate high… and was a little surprised when Elena did much the same.

“You tryin’ to compete with me, or somethin’, ‘Lena?” he teased her. The rookie flushed slightly.

“I kind of didn’t have lunch. Or breakfast. I was too nervous.” She added some sort of spinach puff to her growing pile. “Actually, I really haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday… I got a little sidetracked last night watching Shadow & Sword to unwind before bed and forgot all about dinner.”

He frowned, a little disturbed by that, wondering if she was still having trouble sleeping. That was a discussion for later, however. “Almost a day and a half with nothin’ to eat? No wonder you’re hungry…” the redhead commented as they carried their plates to an open table. “I’d’ve passed out by now.”

“It’s not that bad,” Elena snickered, as Reno took her plate, setting them both in front of their seats, before pulling her chair out for her.

“Maybe not for you…” he said, flashing her a smile and pushing her chair in behind her. He sat down beside her and grabbed a fork trying to decide where to start. It all looked good.

“Wait… you’re serious?”

“Mmmhmm…” he managed, having singled out the very tasty-looking breaded chicken as a starting point. He swallowed the first bite and speared a second. “Why do you think can I eat so much and never gain anything? I’ve got a ridiculously high metabolism… plus there’s also trainin’ and missions and whatever else Tseng throws at me. According to Ward, I burn through calories about three times faster than most people. Probably not quite so much when I’m off duty, but, yeah… when I don’t eat, it’s kind of a big deal for me.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that before?”

Reno paused mid-bite, glancing up at her, and was surprised to see just how concerned she looked. He himself had always considered it to be more of a minor annoyance than anything else… or at least had done so since he’d been in the habit of eating on a regular basis. It had, admittedly, been a rather different story during his pre-Turk teenage years.

“Think I’ve mentioned it in passing once or twice. Heh… actually, I’m sure I have at least once. But it’s not somethin’ I spend a lot of time thinkin’ about in general. It’s just the way I am.”

“But it’s… it’s not dangerous, right?”

The redhead gave a soft snort of laughter, and finished off the chicken. “Not beyond me probably bein’ the first to go if we were ever legitimately starvin’ to death…” The look of relief on Elena’s face made him grin. “Oh great… now you’ll be on my case about annual physicals ‘n shit, too, I s’pose…” His tone hadn’t been serious, but he wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t just accurately predicted the future. The rookie did tend to obsess a bit when any of them were hurt, and he’d just given her an all new reason to check on his health at random intervals. Still… As much as he complained about it, he thoroughly enjoyed having people care enough about him to worry. Damned if he’d ever admit that, though.

“Well, someone has to be…” Elena replied, sounding far more relaxed now.

“Yeah, well I’ve already got two someones doin’ that… Three someones, in fact, ’cause damned if Ward’ll ever let me skip out on a checkup without sending someone after me or huntin’ me down herself…” He sighed in defeat. “Just promise me you won’t film it the next time she has me dragged down to medical. Rude’s got so much footage on me, I should save myself the trouble and die of embarrassment now…”

Elena snickered at that comment, and went back to eating.

“I’m gonna grab somethin’ to drink. Want another Cosmo Candle?”

“Sure…” Elena said, with a nod. Reno slipped effortlessly past the other tables and the guests wandering between them, walking towards the bar. The young woman they’d encountered earlier was still on duty, and she grinned as he approached.

“I seriously owe you…” she said, “Turns out all the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride are big on Cosmo Candles. Things would not have gone over well if you hadn’t turned up earlier.”

“Heh… Don’t mention it,” he replied, leaning casually against the bar, and smiling flirtatiously, “Feel like makin’ another one?”

“And another Ultima Ale?” the bartender asked, and Reno smirked.

“Hard to say no when you’re just givin’ ’em away…”

“Coming right up!”

As she finished up Elena’s cocktail, he leaned in across the bar. “Hey… So, I don’t wanna getcha in trouble or anything, but if ya happen to have any of those Ultimas leftover after the party, ya think maybe one or two could find their way downstairs to Kel to hang onto for me?”

The girl flashed him a knowing smile. “I think that can be arranged. A few of them were planning to wander off in that general direction, anyway…”

“Tch… shoulda figured…” he chuckled, “Tell him Reno will be very unhappy if he forgets to share.”

He picked up the drinks, raising the bottle in salute to the young woman, and then headed back to where he’d left the rookie.

He’d barely even sat down when a voice called out “Ellie!” over the din of conversation, and a body suddenly planted itself in the seat next to Elena and latched onto her in a hug. Reno blinked in surprise, wondering where in the nine hells the woman had come from. Normally, he would’ve noticed, particularly given that she was dressed in blindingly brilliant white.

“Chai!”

“I’m so glad you came…” the bride said. She dropped her voice conspiratorially, “Just between you and me, I cannot believe how long that ceremony went on. Mom insisted on everything being super traditional.”

Reno elbowed Elena in the side and looked over at her triumphantly, ‘I told you so’ clearly etched on his face.

“Not a word from you,” Elena said, firmly, smothering a laugh, and Chai giggled.

“I guess that means Jordan and I weren’t the only ones falling asleep by the end of it. Sweet Shiva… halfway through, I was starting to wish we’d eloped!” she declared. “Well? Are you going to just let him sit there looking pretty, or are you going to introduce me to your new boyfriend… who Sadi tells me swept you off your feet in the middle of the office and declared his love for you to the entire company. I’m… assuming she embellished a little.”

“Oh, only a little,” Reno teased. He grinned and took Elena’s hand, and was rewarded with a faint blush from his date when he lifted it to his lips, pressing a light kiss against the palm. As he did so, he caught the subtle scent of perfume on her wrist and smiled. It was the one he’d given her for Christmas. “I’m Reno, by the way.”

Chai looked at Elena, serious expression firmly in place. “Ellie… How attached to him are you? Because we might have to switch…”

The rookie shook her head, playing along. “I’m… not sure that would be a very fair trade…”

Ouch. He liked a good joke as much as the next person… even at his own expense… but he had to admit, that stung a little. Particularly coming from Elena.

“I could throw in my sister-in-law of honor. You can toss her off the edge of the Plate. Do us both a favor.”

Elena leaned her head against his shoulder. “Tempting… but I just don’t think I can part with him.”

Reno laughed softly, realizing he’d misinterpreted her previous comment. A slight movement a short distance away, drew his attention away, however.

“Oh, dear Odin… speaking of my hag of honor…” Chai groaned. “Brace yourself, Ellie. Here she comes.”

Penta was making her way straight towards them. “Chai… My brother’s waiting for you at the table. He wants to start the toasts,” she stated, haughtily. She fixed Elena with a cold glare, but said nothing.

“I suppose we should get on with it,” Chai sighed. She giggled and turned back to Elena. “Besides… the sooner we take care of the formalities, the sooner we can all get out on the dance floor.” She got to her feet and headed off towards the head table. Penta lingered.

“Elena,” she acknowledged the other woman, her voice cold.

“Penta.”

The woman shifted her gaze to Reno. “Where’ you dig him up? Wall Market?” she asked, snottily, before turning on her heel and following Chai back to the bridal party. Reno had to grab the rookie’s arms and hold her in her seat to prevent her from going after her.

“God, she’s still a bitch…” Elena muttered once she’d regained her composure.

“Uh… Probably shoulda asked this earlier, but… You’re not armed, are ya?” he asked, feigning concern. The rookie relaxed a little and rolled her eyes.

“Of course I’m armed… So are you.”

Reno laughed. “Oh, good. Training’s finally payin’ off…” he joked, releasing her. Though he had to admit… he was rather glad to hear it. He had never explicitly required that she carry a weapon off-duty, but he was pleased she’d picked up his own habit.

He was a little curious as to where she was keeping it, however… That dress she was wearing wasn’t exactly made to conceal. As he looked her over, he could really only think of two possible places… and both made his grin widen a bit.

“Pervert…” Elena giggled, suddenly becoming aware of what he was doing. She followed his gaze to her chest. “And it’s not there.”

One possible place, then. He shrugged. His own sidearm was secure in the holster around his ankle… not nearly as interesting.

“Just wonderin’…” He glanced up at the head table, only half listening to the ongoing toasts, and spotted Penta… who still seemed to be glaring at the rookie. Apparently just the idea of seeing Elena happy was upsetting to her, and he briefly wondered how someone could possibly be so insecure that a perceived slight from years ago seemed to consume her full attention now.

Elena certainly didn’t share the same level of obsession. Had Penta not come out fighting, he had little doubt in his mind that the rookie would have let the whole thing go entirely.

Reno smirked to himself. He had teased her earlier about holding a grudge, but really… if she were that dedicated to past grudges, he’d probably be sitting here with a broken nose for what he’d just done.

Elena suddenly elbowed him. “Would you stop trying to picture where I’ve got my gun holstered…”

“I was actually picturin’ your right hook…” he laughed, quietly.

---

The toasts and speeches seem to go on for ages, and though she had initially listened intently, by the end of them, Elena was beginning to understand how Reno had felt during the ceremony. It never seemed to end. Eventually, she switched her attention back to Penta.

The woman had always been something of an ice queen, and the years since they’d been in school together hadn’t seemed to have thawed her at all. Her brother, Jordan, on the other hand, had always been very kind-hearted. He’d been a year behind them, and he and Chai had been best friends for as long as she could remember. It had taken them both awhile to realize that they wanted be be more than friends… but when it had finally happened, no one who knew them had been the least bit surprised.

Penta, though… she was the exact opposite of Jordan. Snobbish and cruel… The only reason most people even put up with her was because of her brother, and he was the only person in the world she seemed to treat with any kind of respect. Everyone else was beneath her.

Especially Elena.

It had started with her offer to tutor Penta’s then-boyfriend. But it had continued simply because Penta had enjoyed being so cruel. Even when Elena’s friends had stood up for her, she had persisted. It had made the last year and a half of high school nearly unbearable. But somehow she had muddled through, and moved on. Evidently, Penta hadn’t.

Elena had come so deliciously close to settling things right then and there when her old rival had made that crack about Reno. She hadn’t asked him to come with her so he could be subjected Penta’s abuse as well… She’d just wanted him to shut her down cold when the woman inevitably tried the same tactics she’d always used on the boys Elena liked. And if she couldn’t let Scarlet get away with treating the redhead like that, Elena sure as hell wasn’t about to let Penta. Reno deserved better than that.

She swirled the last little bit of her drink. Reno deserved a lot better, really. And not just from people like Penta and Scarlet. From her, too. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d so much as hurt her feelings. Meanwhile, this past week alone, she’d brought him to the brink of exhaustion, accused him of abandoning her when she needed him, yelled at him… and he’d still been willing come with her today and let her use him as a prop in an idiotic feud that should have been forgotten years ago.

“Somethin’ on your mind?” Reno asked, suddenly cutting in on her thoughts, “You’ve been starin’ at that for awhile now…”

Elena tossed back the last swallow of liquor, and felt the soothing pressure of Reno’s fingers kneading the back of her neck. She sighed, smiling slightly in spite of herself, and let her muscles relax. It always felt so nice when he touched her. He could be so very gentle. As the music came up, it took her a moment to realize that the the toasts were over and the guests were moving out onto the dance floor.

Someone giggled to her right, and Elena opened her eyes, discovering that Sadi had at last made her return.

“You looked like you were totally blissed out,” Sadi said, “You’ve either had one two many of those, or he’s really good at that…”

“Heh… combination of the two, I think,” Reno snickered. Elena could already feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

“I am not drunk!” she said indignantly, and both of them broke down in laughter.

“Well, in that case, my dear, not-drunk ‘Lena… Would you care to dance?” Reno stood and offered his hand to her, glancing enthusiastically toward the dance floor. His smile was contagious, and the rookie quickly found her morose mood dissipating as she took him up on the offer.

The song was up-tempo and soon, she was following his lead as he twirled her and spun her, and whisked her around the floor, thoughts of Penta quickly shoved to the back of her mind. She wanted to enjoy herself… and she wanted Reno to have fun, too. For a short while, they did. Until Elena’s rival decided to butt in.

“He’s much too good looking to be seen with you, you know,” a snide voice cut in. “Why don’t you just go and sit down. I’ll keep him company for you.”

Elena didn’t have time to reply, Reno turned her away from Penta, putting himself between the two women. “Fuck off,” he responded, dismissively, and then proceeded to ignore her.

The rookie sniggered as he guided her away from the woman, and caught a brief glimpse of her deepening scowl before she turned and stormed off.

“Thank you for that…” she said, smiling.

“Hey, it was pretty satisfyin’ for me,too, ya know… If you recall, she not so subtly implied that you paid for me earlier,” Reno replied, before jokingly adding, “Free food and booze don’t count as payment, by the way. I’m not that easily bought.”

“Does that mean you do have a price?” she giggled. She wasn’t sure why she’d thought to ask such a question, even in jest. It was decidedly inappropriate, not to mention more than a little insulting. Fortunately, the redhead seemed to find it hilarious.

Reno laughed, and twirled her again. “Even if I did, she couldn’t afford me. I have standards.”

The first song ended, and the next one was slower. Reno’s arm encircled her, drawing her close to him as he seamlessly adapted to the change. They moved languidly to the melody.

“Figures you’re a natural dancer…” she sighed, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

“I’m not,” he replied, with a self-deprecating laugh. “I actually used to have pretty terrible rhythm. Had to play escort to one of the President’s mistresses at a company function a while back, though… there was dancing, and I was expected to participate for some Ifrit-forsaken reason. Tseng made me practice ’til I could do this in my sleep. With Rude…”

Elena’s entire body shook with laughter, and she missed several steps, having to shuffle awkwardly for a moment to catch up to her dance partner. “Poor Rude…” she snickered.

“Ya know, I’d take offense to that… if I didn’t kind of agree.” Reno’s hand trailed slowly up her spine, coming to rest at the back of her neck, and resumed the slow, gentle massage that had been so suddenly interrupted back at the table. Elena couldn’t remember ever feeling more content than she did right now. Run-ins with Penta aside, she couldn’t have asked for a more perfect date… and – to her great confusion – she was almost beginning to feel disappointed that it was all an act.

She did not want that sort of relationship with Reno. He was too much like a brother to her. End of discussion.

And even if some tiny, miniscule part of her might have been a just little bit tempted right now… how many times had he made it clear to her that he wasn’t interested in romance? Or even exclusivity? Even if she could be okay with something entirely physical, she didn’t think she could handle the idea of sharing a lover with other women, no matter how kind and sweet he was. Reno was a friend, and a mentor, and a brother. And that was all she wanted from him.

So why did she suddenly feel like she never wanted this song to end?

When it finally faded out, Reno was still holding her. Elena lifted her head slightly and caught sight of Chai near the head table with a microphone.

“Alright, everyone! Unmarried couples only for this one! And we’re taking bets on who’s wedding we’ll be attending next, so you’d better make it count!” she said, animatedly, drawing laughter and a few cheers and wolf-whistles from the floor. “But… um… Keep it clean, okay?” she added, before dropping her voice to a loud whisper, “My parents are still here…”

Reno chuckled. “I’m startin’ to like that friend of yours…”

“Chai’s always been a little bit of a goof,” she replied, smiling widely, “The rest of her family’s kind of uptight, but Chai has no fear of being silly.”

The redhead suddenly tensed, and it took her a second to figure out why. When she spotted Penta storming towards Chai, it became pretty clear what he had reacted to. The woman snatched away the microphone for herself.

“Real couples, only,” she demanded in a smugly superior tone, “So that means you’re out, Miss Elena Brewer. Take your little rent-boy and go sit down.”

Elena saw red, and Chai tried, unsuccessfully, to retake the microphone. She started towards her, only to be held firmly in place by Reno.

“Aww… what’s the matter, Ellie? Couldn’t even talk that pathetic brother of yours into being your date again, so you had to buy one? Belane has better taste than I thought.”

Her entire body went cold at the mention of Bel, and she could already feel the tears threatening. That wound was still much too fresh, and she still missed him too much.

Chai, and several other people who knew, at least in passing, of Belane’s death, were staring at the other woman in shock and disbelief. Reno, meanwhile, seemed torn between ripping the woman’s throat out or staying with the rookie. The dilemma was solved for him, however. Chai slapped her… hard… sending her staggering back against the table, and the microphone hit the floor, sending a loud squeal of feedback through the speakers.

“Get. Out.” Chai’s tone left no room for negotiation, and Penta turned, somewhat dazedly, and stalked out of the ballroom.

“Come on…” Reno’s voice was soft, and she let him lead her off, paying little attention to where he was taking her. Eventually, she realized he’d pulled her into the little coat room near the ballroom’s entrance. She sniffled softly and tried to pull away, determined not to let Penta’s words get to her… but he was so thoroughly wrapped around her she could hardly more.

“I’m okay…” she finally managed to say.

“‘Course you are,” he replied, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. His grip didn’t loosen, but one hand tilted her chin up to look at him, and he grinned. “Want me to kill her for ya? Maybe torture her a little first? Or I could snatch her ‘n hand her over to Hojo for one of his experiments…”

Elena laughed quietly, in spite of herself.

“I appreciate the offer..”

A tentative knock interrupted just then, and the door creaked open a crack. Music filtered in from the outer room.

“Can I come in?” Chai asked, peeking around the edge.

“Yeah… I think she’s good,” Reno replied.

“Oh, Elena… I am so sorry. God… I always knew she was a bitch, but I can’t believe she’d pull something like that. I don’t think she knew about Bel, but that’s still no excuse. Jordan’s seriously pissed. He took off after her to make sure she doesn’t come back tonight.”

“It’s okay, Chai… It wasn’t your fault. I’m just sorry I ruined the party.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. That was a hundred percent Penta. And it’ll be fine,” Chai assured her. She giggled quietly, “I’ll just have them start serving more liquor. The whole thing will be forgotten in twenty minutes. You’re not going to take off on me, are you? I’d really like you to stay. If you’re up for it.”

“Sure…” Elena replied, managing a smile.

“Good. Because if you’d said no I was going to go with you so we could find Penta and shove her over the edge of the Plate… and I don’t really want to spend my honeymoon in prison.”

“Yeah… I think could definitely get along with this friend of yours, ‘Lena.”

“It’s so nice to know I have so many people willing to murder for me…” Elena deadpanned. She shook her head and sighed. Though to be fair, that knowledge was strangely comforting… in the disturbing and completely wrong sort of way that had become perfectly normal in her life. Chai might have only been joking to make her feel better… but Reno hadn’t been. At least not entirely.

The redhead smirked. “Just name the target,” he said with a grin. “Now, come on… If she’s gonna start plyin’ people with alcohol, let’s get back to the party before all the good stuff’s gone.”

---

It was almost two in the morning by the time she and Reno pulled into her apartment complex’s lot. For all his teasing about ‘the good stuff’ the redhead hadn’t had much interest in drinking after they’d gone back out there. In fact, he was still completely sober by the time they’d left, and she was pretty sure it was because he’d wanted to make sure she had a good time. She’d only had a glass of champagne, herself, the rest of the evening, and only because Chai and Sadi had insisted on a mini-toast between friends.

He shut off the engine and got out, circling around to her side of the car and opening the door for her with a slight bow. She smothered a laugh and climbed out.

“You don’t have to keep up the act, you know…” she teased, as he took her hand, pulling her to her feet.

“Hey… Told ya when I came to getcha, you’re gettin’ the full treatment tonight. And what kind of a jerk doesn’t walk his date to her door?” Reno replied, an arm snaking its way around her waist as he escorted her towards the building.

“The kind that doesn’t immediately follow it up with a proposition?”

The redhead grinned. “Shows what you know. Usually by that point, I don’t need to suggest anything…”

“You are such a pervert,” she sighed, poking him gently in the ribs while they waited for the elevator. It arrived and they stepped inside, Reno automatically hitting the button for the eighth floor.

“Some girls go for that, ya know…” He took her hand and leaned back against the wall of the car, smiling warmly, “Didja have a good time, at least? Psychotic super bitch aside, I mean…”

The doors opened on her floor and he walked her out, toward her apartment.

“I actually had a terrific time.” More than terrific, really… She hadn’t wanted to leave. Or at least she hadn’t wanted to go home. What she wanted, she realized, was to stay with Reno a little longer.

He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear when they reached her door, and Elena let herself in. “Good. It was fun for me, too.” He smirked slightly and added, “We should do it again some time… preferably without you havin’ to put up with me bein’ all over you the whole time, or the delusionally obsessed bridesmaid that thinks I’m a prostitute.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “‘Night, ‘Lena.”

Something in her finally broke. She wasn’t sure if it was the self-deprecating humor, or the soft, chaste kiss, or just the realization that he was turning to walk away and, dammit, she didn’t want him to. Elena grabbed his wrist and pulled him back around, before throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his.

Reno inhaled sharply through his nose and stiffened slightly in surprise, but she didn’t release him. A moment later, she felt his hands on her back, clutching her to his chest as he responded in kind, deepening the kiss with a soft moan. She lost track of time entirely, and when she at last let him come up for air, she found herself dizzy and breathless.

“‘Lena?” he asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

“Don’t go,” she said, quietly, “Please, don’t go.” He silently let her pull him into the apartment, looking a little dazed, and very much in shock at this sudden change in her. She closed the door behind him.

“‘Lena… Are you askin’ me to –” She cut him off with another kiss. “Guess that’s a yes…” he breathed once she relinquished her hold on him. He seized her, lips leaving a trail of fire along her neck and shoulder, teeth nipping softly at the juncture between the two, and making her shudder. Elena closed her eyes and let him explore to his heart’s content. The next thing she knew he was lifting her… carrying her… towards her bedroom.

Reno carefully laid her on the bed, and his hands crept around her back, fingering the zipper at the back of her dress. He paused, leaning back a bit to look at her, breathing heavily.

“Are you sure this is what you want, ‘Lena?”

Elena looked up at him, locking eyes with him, and stroked a hand across his check, and slowly letting it drift along his neck. His pulse was racing… she could feel it, and it excited her. He swallowed sharply, waiting for her answer.

“Yes,” she whispered.

It was all he needed to hear.

---

Elena sighed and turned her head slightly in an effort to block out the light that prodding her awake. She nuzzled the soft warmth beneath her cheek, listening to the steady, even rhythm of a heartbeat. A smile crossed her lips and she opened her eyes, slowly raising her head to look at her bedmate.

Reno was still peacefully asleep, and she was hesitant to move too much, since it would almost certainly wake him. She had been lying half across his bare chest, her head pillowed in the center, his arm around her, holding her lightly in his sleep. Elena shifted just enough that she could see his face. His features were untroubled and relaxed. He was perfection. She could have stared at him for hours.

“Startin’ to like wakin’ up and findin’ you watchin’ me…” he murmured. Elena let her fingers drift upwards, playing with his hair.

“I didn’t mean to wake you…”

Reno smirked and opened his eyes. “I’m used to it. Hazard of bein’ a light sleeper,” he said, dismissively. His eyes traveled, unhurried, along her figure beneath the sheets. “Dear Ifrit, you’re beautiful…”

Elena blushed, smiling shyly.

“‘Lena… You don’t regret last night… do you?”

She shook her head. “Not even a little.”

He smiled, and kissed her. “I’d pretty much resigned myself to the idea that you weren’t interested and never would be, ya know. Kinda hit me outta nowhere when you kissed me the way ya did,” he confessed, smiling, “Not that I’m complainin’…”

“It kind of hit me out of nowhere, too…”

“So what changed?” A hand trailed gently along her spine, slowly, up and down, at a soothing cadence.

“I’m not sure…” Elena gave a soft moan at the sensations his touch was sending through her body. “I guess… I guess I just started to realize last night what I was missing out on. No one’s ever treated me the way you do… and it just suddenly seemed so stupid that I wouldn’t even let myself consider the possibility.” She giggled against his chest. “I hate to admit it… but in a way, I think I really was waiting around for a guy like the ones in those trashy romance novels to come and sweep me off my feet. You never tried to do that… You let me decide for myself.”

Reno laughed, the vibrations of his body triggering a pleasant tremor that stole down her spine. “Told ya those things were ridiculous…”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Elena said, coyly, suddenly feeling a bit more brazen than usual. She lightly traced a pattern across his skin with her fingertip. “If last night was anything to go by, they got at least a few things right…”

---

Reno sat calmly in the shadows, watching the woman in front of him for any signs of waking. Waiting for sedatives to wear off was always a pain the in ass… but he hadn’t wanted to damage her. Not physically, at any rate.

Eventually, she stirred, raising her head groggily and looking around the room. He could pinpoint the precise moment realization hit and fear began to take over.

“W-where am I!?” she called out. “Is anyone there?!” She pulled at the handcuffs that held her fast to the chair. “Why are you doing this… ?” she asked in a small, terrified voice. Reno smirked and leaned forward, letting the little bit of light hit him.

“Because you had comin’, Penta.”

She gasped as she recognized him. “Y-you?”

“Yep. Me.” He stood and slowly walked towards her.

“Whatever you want… you’ll have it. Name your price. Just… just let me go,” she pleaded.

“You want outta here?” he asked, and she nodded. “Then all I want is a few minutes of your time.”

“F-for what?” She was shaking now. Visibly shaking… He wasn’t surprised. People like her were cowards at heart. Take away their power and they practically shit themselves in fear.

Reno dragged his chair over and set it in front of her, taking a seat uncomfortably close to the woman. “As a general rule, I don’t much like seein’ women suffer, and I don’t enjoy makin’ ’em suffer, either. But you hurt someone who’s very special to me. Gotta tell ya… I was very tempted to make an exception to that rule.”

She whimpered and turned her face away from him.

“Oh, no…” he chided, roughly taking hold of her chin and forcing her gaze back around. “You’re gonna look at me while I’m talkin’ to ya.” When he was satisfied that she would obey, he released his grip. “First… I want ya to know somethin’. The only reason you’re gonna be walkin’ outta here alive today is because ‘Lena said no when I offered to deal with you. If she’d asked it of me, believe me, you’d already be dead.”

Penta shuddered and a tear made its way down one of her cheeks.

“That bein’ said, ‘Lena might be willin’ to forgive and forget, but I’m more of an eye for an eye kinda person. But… she doesn’t know I’m doin’ this, and I don’t think she’d entirely approve. So we’re gonna compromise a little. This is what you’re gonna do. You’re never gonna speak to her, or about her, again. As far as ‘Lena’s concerned, I want it to be like you don’t even exist. Clear?”

“Y-yes…”

“Good… ’cause you only get one chance at this. Like I said, you’re gonna be walkin’ outta here alive today. If I ever have a reason to haul you back in here again, you won’t be walkin’ out at all.”

Reno stood and produced the key to her handcuffs from his pocket. He slipped behind her and quickly removed them.

“There’s the door. Get out.”

Penta stood, shakily, and all but ran for the exit.

“Oh… one more thing,” he called after her, and she froze, hand on the knob, trembling. “Just in case you’re inclined to think I’m not completely serious about everything I just said… ya might wanna pay very close attention to exactly where you are when you leave, and give some very serious thought to who I am.”

“W-who are you?” she asked.

“Oh… I’m pretty sure you’ll figure it out.”

She didn’t press him any farther, instead opting to give the doorknob a violent twist and flee. He heard the sounds of her frantic footsteps retreating quickly down the tiled hallway. She’d be emerging from Shinra Headquarters in about a minute and a half.

~fin~