Yup. No excuses. But here is a new update! And I hope you all enjoy! I apologize so much for the hold up! You know like has just been a bitch lately.
I only own my characters!
Read. Review. I'll see ya next time!
"What is this!" Elena laughed as she pointed towards the giant yacht docked at the end of the pier.
"Its your brothers." Reno shrugged as he stepped onto the dock, but immediately came to a stop once he noticed she wasn't following. "He's not on there." He assured before continuing his path to the yacht.
Elena knew that.
If her brother was here he'd would have kicked down her hotel door, and dragged her to his yacht himself.
They only needed to get back home and she could put this all behind her. Cloud and her brother were on the hunt. The professor and mystery man would be making a poor decision if they showed their faces again. Elena knew Reno would be hiding in her shadow for now on.
"Stop daydreaming and come on!" Reno shouted from the end of the dock before kicking off his shoes and disappearing into the yacht.
Quickly stepping onto the dock, following the steps Reno took she was surprised to see that the yacht had workers bustling about some of the deck hands were pulling Clouds bike into storage, and she caught a stewardess taking her duffle from Reno, who Elena noticed let her hand linger atop his a little longer than necessary, as well as their shared seductive smirks not going unnoticed.
Huffing she ripped her shoes off throwing them carelessly near Renos, stepping heavily up the stairs onto the main deck. Why should she even care if some women was openly flirting with him, she definitely did not want to go down that path again.
Elena quietly stepped around the flirting duo determined to find a room and not leave until it was time for her to depart. She didn't know the people working on this ship, and didn't want to risk any mouthy ones slipping something who works close with her brother.
In the process of taking a small step over the outside lip into the parlor room, Reno called haulting her.
"You're going to be in the main master. I'll take you." Elena ground her teeth as she listened to him trying to control his chuckles.
"Oh um Reno-" the busty stew spoke up stepping in front of Elena "the master? I don't think."
"It will be fine." Reno assured as he pushed past her waving for Elena to follow.
"Er. Sorry." She wasn't sure why she was apologizing to the woman, definitely with the irritated look covering her beautiful face. But regardless she pushed past her and hurried after Reno.
As they went down halls, stairs, and multiple rooms Elena was in awe the entire time. She wasnt surprised that her brother was still living weathly, but this is insane.
Dark wood covered the walls, marble floors covered every inch of the halls, and from what she could tell expensive art and furniture was decorated and polished pristinely.
"Gods. How much is my brother worth." She mumbled not really looking for an answer.
"A lot." Reno answered they finally reached the end of the hallway they were walking down. "This ship has 7 rooms, 2 of them are masters, and the crew have their own quarters below us." He answered her questions before she even had to ask.
"Wonder what he'd think of my living arrangements." She grumbled as she stood patiently behind him waiting for him to open the bedroom.
She wasnt jealous, of course not. But she wasnt going to lie and say she missed living with unlimited disposable income.
"He would be very disappointed." Reno criticized as he pushed the door open.
Growling at his negative attitude she pushed past him taking in the massive room. It surprised her that all this could be on one ship! The main master suite was at the front of the ship, windows stretched and curved around the entire room, giving a beautiful view of the ocean in front.
"This is your brothers private room. You have everything you need, but if you need something else just pick up the phone and somebody will get it for you." Reno went around the room pointing at all of the remotes, teaching her how to close the blinds blacking out the entire room.
"My liquor?" Elena wanted to hit herself for almost forgetting. This whole trip would be for nothing if she doesn't come back with anything.
"It will be here." Reno put down the remotes and stepped over to Elena. "I'm going to the infirmary to see if I can find anything for this." He dragged his thumb down her bottom lip. "I'll kill the man who did this."
Elena shivered, her eyes fluttering shut as Reno moved his hand and caressed her cheek brushing the bruise softly. She wanted to push him away, she sounded like a broken record each time she scolded herself about getting close to the Turk. But when he did things like this, and the other things she knew he could do to her really made ignoring her feelings hard.
"Reno. We can't." She sighed as he stepped closer her chest pressed tightly to his. Her back arching as her head tilted back staring up to him.
"Just-"
With their lips almost connected, her body reacting instantly, she wanted this, just like at her apartment a couple days ago.
But was immediately drenched with the cold feeling of dread when a soft knock, and Clouds voice filled the room before the sound of the door opening caused her to push away from Reno.
Elena quickly turned around ignoring the hurt and angry expression on the red heads face. Maybe all these interruptions are trying to tell her something.
Like making out with an ex who is hated by most of her friends.
Yeah a super bad idea.
Frowning she stepped over towards the door pulling it the rest of the way open and letting Cloud enter.
"Hi! Sorry Reno was showing me my room. Have you found where you're staying?" She kept her eyes away not wanting to meet with Renos.
Cloud just nodded, taking in the room, before sending a glare to Reno. "Yeah. I'm a floor down."
Elena was surprised to hear that, since this floor alone had four rooms, that couldn't possibly be occupied. Finally glaring she gazed over to Reno seeing both men grumpily glaring at one another.
"Cloud?" Elena squeaked as he shot her a glare but immediately changed it to one of indifference.
"It's fine. We will be back tomorrow. The Chef wanted me to let you know dinner will be an hour after we leave the dock. We will talk then."
And that was it. Elenas stomach sank as he quickly turned and exited the room without much more.
"I don't know what you see in him." Reno grumbled as he walked across the room to exit as well.
"Hes my friend." Elena wanted to say more, to defend herself. But honestly that is all Cloud was, a friend. And she was okay with that. Sure they had moments of closeness but it probably wouldn't get anymore intimate. And Reno definitely didn't need to hear about that, he already pisses him off enough.
"Sure. See you at dinner." Reno huffed as he stalked out the room closing the solid wood door loudly.
"We didn't find any evidence of last night." Cloud broke the awkward silence at dinner. "But that doesn't mean we don't have another lead."
It had been several hours of waiting holed up in her brothers lavish suite for the yacht to leave Port. Elena patiently sat atop the bed watching as the waves rolled across the horizon.
Once she felt the steady rocking of the boat, she decided that venturing out, and finding the dining room was the best choice. Elena doubted that anyone would come for her.
So after multiple failed turns, getting lost, she found a beautifully set table for four.
She expected it would be her, Cloud, Rude, and Reno.
But to her disappointment Rude hasn't shown.
Though dinner was delicious, she just couldn't calm her anxiety, and the awkward silence wasn't helping.
Until Cloud spoke up...
"A lead?" Reno questioned taking a long sip out of his crystal tumbler. Elena couldn't stop herself from staring as he downed the dark liquid. "Information like this should be shared immediately."
"We get Elena home safely then I'm leaving again."
Elena continued to push a piece of broccoli around her plate, staring at Cloud from the corner of her eye. Him and Reno were surprisingly civil at the moment as they discussed the next location. But she couldn't focus on anything, all she could think about was how Cloud hasn't said one word directly to her.
Another round of silence. And she was beginning to accept that he wasn't going to say a word to her again.
"What about you two. And don't tell me nothing Elena. This guy wouldn't be after just anyone. Who are you." Cloud ordered as he tossed his napkin on his plate, a stewardess immediately coming in and taking the plate.
"Huh?!" Elena choked on a vegetable surprised with how blunt he was being. "What do you mean?" She wheezed picking up her wine, drinking it greedily hoping it would push down th caught food.
"Stop it. I know something is going on! Who are you!" Cloud growled glaring at Elena, she would be lying if she wasn't terrified.
"Elena Shinra." Reno spoke up finishing off his drink as he too threw his napkin on his plate.
"Reno!" Elena hissed shooting him a glare before sending a pleading look to Cloud, praying that he would listen.
"Excuse me?"
She would laugh at the baffled look on Clouds face, if it wasn't for the fact he literally just learned her deepest secret.
"Cloud. Its complicated, I'm truly sorry, I left-" Elena tried to explain but he shot her down with an even more menacing glare.
"So big brother wants her safe? My whole job was just to protect the Shinra Princess? The files you gave me had me believing we might be heading towards another world crisis." Cloud completely ignoring her spoke straight to Reno, not even acknowledging her.
"And it possibly is. Rufus has no knowledge of Elena, to him, she's dead. So do your job and I'll protect her." Reno growled tilting his head clearly annoyed with the Merc.
"Fine." Cloud shot up with such force his chair barreled into the wall causing the frames to shake.
"Cloud. Please!" Elena begging standing up cautiously reaching out a shaky arm. "I swear-"
"Not now."
And with that Cloud stormed out of the dining room.. Leaving the young blonde alone with her thoughts, and fears of the past finally catching up to her.
"How could you!" Elena cried pushing through the door entering her suite. "I cant believe you'd do that! I needed to do that on my own time!" She turned around throwing her hands up, her aggravation growing by the second.
"It was never going to happen. He needed to know. If he's going to find the guy. He needed to know." Reno explained stepping closer towards her.
"But-" Elena cried harder the tears finally falling down. "They will hate me!"
"Then they were never your friends."
She only sobbed harder turning around staring blankly into the dark abyss. The sun has long set, but her room was dimly lit from the multiple lamps, which if she guessed the stews turned on when they did turn downs.
"I'm sorry." Reno whispered softly into her ear, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
Jumping slightly, Reno wrapped his arms tigher around her, comforting her with the best way he could. Slowly her sobs calmed, her erratic behavior ebbing, her mind was finally starting to clear.
Sighing contently she leaned deeper into his embrace before turning around to face him. Groaning she pushed her chest further into him.
This was her emotions.
This will take her mind off of everything.
But this could make things complicated.
One time couldn't hurt.
"Kiss me." Elena breathed wrapping her arms tightly around his neck pulling him down to her mouth. "I need you."
"Finally." Reno growled lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, his mouth trailing hot kisses down her throat. He carried her effortlessly across the room depositing her on a desk pulling her tightly against him, twining his fingers into the hair at her nape, tilting her head back, trailing his lips back up to her mouth deepening the kiss.
Moaning she trailed her hands down the front of his chest ripping open his button down shirt.
"Easy now." Reno chuckled nipping at her jaw, up to her ear.
"No. Now."
Groaning Reno kissed her roughly before pulling away and lifting her off the desk, carrying her across the room, tossing her on the bed. Following after her, covering her whole frame with his broad body.