Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's notes: Interlude-ish chapter because real life is kicking my ass and this is the best that I could come up with.
Hope you enjoy it!
Elena is not normally the person that drinks their feelings away. In fact, she didn't like the taste of alcohol very much. Sure, she'd been on a few bar hopping trips with her team mates but it was only for the sake of 'team-bonding' as Reno puts it.
Tonight was different though, she thought, downing her third (or was it fourth?) shot of tequila. She made a face at the aftertaste but moved to pour another shot anyway.
She was alone in the bar. The rest of them had gone off to bed. Elena knew she would not be able to sleep and had asked Tifa for some alcohol to aid her. Ever the sympathetic bartender, Tifa had poured her a shot and left the bottle at her disposal.
Elena could already feel the effects of alcohol kicking in; she was light headed and vision was getting slightly blurry.
Lightweight, she berated herself.
Elena lifted her fifth (or maybe sixth) shot into the light and gave herself a toast. "Cheers."
As she prepared to down the shot, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her shot glass.
"Hey!" she protested, "I was drinking that."
Reno emptied the glass and grinned at her. "Not anymore."
He sighed appreciatively as he felt the liquid go down his throat. "That hits the spot."
"Whatever," Elena pouted and reached forward for the bottle. Reno swept that out of the way before she could get hold of it.
"Damnit, Reno. Stop messing around with me."
"You've had enough for the night," he said, tone uncharacteristically soft.
"Enough?" she retorted, "Never."
She grasped the empty table in front of her in an attempt to locate the bottle, but was stopped by Reno's hold on her hands.
"Enough, Elena" he repeated in a gentle voice that she'd never heard before. It made her stop and look at him.
"Okay," she finally agreed softly.
"Good," he said, patting her hands a few times and moving to sit on the chair next to her.
They didn't say a word to each other for a few minutes and Elena closed her eyes to savour the silence.
"Still can't sleep?" Reno asked after a moment has passed.
She nodded. "He told me he didn't do it," she said softly, her eyes glazing over as she remembered. The words rang in ear.
He turned to gaze at her. "I know, but…"
"…we can't take the chance," Elena finished the sentence that he started.
"It will…"
"…be better tomorrow," she said with a solemn smile, "That's what you told me."
Once again, they fell into silence. Elena had already expected that because that's what Turks do; they don't share more than they are supposed to.
The sudden weight on her shoulders however, was unexpected. She turned to her side to make sure that it wasn't a figment of her imagination.
Reno was still staring into the darkness nonchalantly as though nothing was different but she could see that his arms were wrapped around her shoulders; just as she'd suspected.
Turks have no emotions.
She repeated the mantra in her head but her body seemed to react on its own when she leaned against his arms; alcohol must have clouded over her judgements.
She felt his arms shift and somehow, her head was now rested comfortably between the crook of his neck.
Turks have no emotions.
But just for a moment, she thought, closing her eyes against the soft material of Reno's shirt, just a moment of vulnerability.
She would allow herself this moment because tomorrow it will be as if someone had hit a reset button and she will return to the way she had been (should be).
After all, tomorrow is just another day.
