Author's Notes: Hmm, not much to say for this one beyond the fact that I
still remain mildly surprised that I'm writing this. Then again, it is fun
so I can't really complain. *smiles*. Oh, and fanfiction.net was giving me
a bit of a headache when I was trying to write my summary. I'm not sure if
it said it or not but the quotation "You can give without loving but you
cannot love without giving." is by Amy Carmichael, not me. I'm not a
plagiarist. *wink*
~ Salvation (2) ~
Tseng rolled over, expecting to feel Elena's warm body beside his. Instead, there was just a cold space.
Totally awake now, Tseng sat up in bed and looked around him. Elena's clothes were still on the floor around his bed, as were his. That must mean that she was still in his apartment.
As if to verify that theory, he heard some water being ran in the kitchen. Tseng tossed off the covers from his bed and looked around for something to wear. Once he was dressed, Tseng picked up his clothes from last night and threw them in the dirty clothes bin. Well, that was, everything except his shirt. He hadn't been able to find it.
Tseng paused a little when he saw the clothes Elena has been wearing last night. *Ever heard of. . .?* Now *that* had been unexpected.
Tseng picked her clothes up off of the ground and placed them on the bed. Well, that was, everything except her pants. He couldn't find *those* either. Mentally shrugging it off, he headed out to his kitchen.
"Good morning," Elena greeted him from over her shoulder. She was facing the sink, its water running. It took a moment for Tseng to realize what Elena was doing; she was washing dishes.
Elena turned back to her dishes and continued talking to him with her back facing him.
"I hope you don't mind that I made myself a bit of breakfast. I was just cleaning up. I put some coffee on; it should be done in a few minutes. You're out of milk though so I hope you like yours black."
Tseng looked at her, stunned. There she was, her blonde hair still mussed from last night. She was wearing his shirt, which was far too big for her. Elena was practically swimming in his navy blue shirt that went down way past her waist. She was also wearing the missing pants, he realized. It wasn't her appearance that disturbed him though. It was this homemaker quality, this quiet domestic scene. Elena was in his kitchen, cleaning dishes. He didn't know why that bothered him so much but it did.
Elena seemed to notice something in his silence because she turned around to face him again.
"You don't mind, do you, Tseng?"
He didn't know what to say. Instead, he nodded towards the shirt she was wearing.
"That's my shirt."
Elena turned back to her dishes suddenly, but not before he saw the slight tinge of pink that crept up on her cheeks.
"You ripped mine."
Tseng walked forward to the sink. He stood beside Elena but she didn't look over at him, concentrating instead on her dishes. Tseng turned off the faucet. She looked up at him, a stray strand of blonde hair falling in front of her face.
"You don't have to do that."
Elena stood there, staring at him, and swallowed hard. Then, suddenly, her eyes darted away from his and she walked away from him.
Tseng watched her walk and frowned slightly.
"You have a really nice place here," Elena said, adding a dose of false cheerfulness to her voice.
Tseng surveyed his stylishly decorated apartment. He supposed that it qualified as 'nice'. Shin-ra paid him enough to have a 'nice' place. Elena wandered through the open doorway to his living room. She gestured to encompass the room.
"I mean, look at this. Gorgeous furniture. . . and what a entertainment system!"
Elena looked back over her shoulder at him, and smiled slightly. Tseng walked forward and leaned against the doorframe. Elena's eyes widened a little and she turned away from him.
"Look at all those books!" She gestured to the bookshelf that was filled with hard covers that were a class apart from typical mass-produced volumes.
"Have you read all of them?" Elena asked.
Actually, he hadn't read any of them. Tseng really didn't know why he had them. Maybe it was a little bit like the television that Elena had just been admiring. Tseng couldn't remember the last time that it had been on.
He walked forward and picked up a smaller, older book. It was leather bound and dusty. He hadn't picked it up in a long time. Tseng handed it to Elena.
"I read this one."
She took the unmarked book from him. Puzzled, she flipped through its pages but she couldn't read the language it was written in.
"Is it Wutaian?"
Tseng nodded.
"Oh. . ."
Elena placed the book down on the coffee table, delicately, as if she was afraid she would shatter the volume. She straightened and turned to face him slowly.
"Tseng. . ." Impulsively, Tseng leaned forward to kiss her. He didn't really want her to talk anymore.
Elena's eyes widened slightly when he kissed her but she soon closed them and enjoyed the moment. Tseng backed her onto the couch and Elena lay down against it easily.
This time, when Elena woke up, she stayed where she was for a little while. Her brown eyes were open, staring at the room around her. It really was nice; the kind of place you saw in a decorating magazine. She blushed a little, thinking about her own modest apartment. Her eyes trailed down to the small book on the table in front of her, a thoughtful expression on her face.
After a while, the awkwardness of her cramped position on the couch made its presence known to Elena. She stood up languidly and stretched. Elena started to walk away from the couch when she felt a hand reach out to grab her wrist. She gasped and turned around to see Tseng looking up at her, his hand holding her wrist lightly.
For a moment, she was locked in his gaze. He didn't say anything, didn't move, but, for a moment, she couldn't budge. Then, her eyes snapped away from his and she looked down.
"I have to get ready," she mumbled.
Tseng let his hand drop. Perhaps Elena might have been imagining it but she could've sworn that he had almost looked embarrassed. Of course, she couldn't picture Tseng embarrassed. It must've just been her imagination. She looked up again.
"You don't mind if I have a shower, do you?"
Tseng shook his head slowly. Elena smiled, gathered up her clothes, and scurried out of the room.
Tseng looked at the doorway that Elena had just left through. He didn't know why he had snatched her hand. It had just seemed natural at the time.
His eyes strayed to the book on the table. Tseng sat up slowly and stared at it. He reached out to take it but then he snatched his hand back as if burned. Shaking his head slightly, Tseng stood up and got dressed quickly. He left the room, the little book still left alone on the table.
Elena stood by his doorway, her hair still wet from her shower. She was back in her blouse, her blue jacket covering the worst of the rip. Tseng leaned against the doorframe, also fully clothed. Poor Elena didn't seem to know what to say. Of course, he had to admit that he had no idea either. After a bit of an awkward pause Elena settled on a weak, 'see you Monday' before turning to leave.
Tseng closed his door on the now empty hallway. He walked back into his now quiet apartment, and looked around. He seemed to mentally shake something off before heading into his kitchen, searching out that before mentioned coffee.
He never noticed the small book that was now missing from his living room.
~ Salvation (2) ~
Tseng rolled over, expecting to feel Elena's warm body beside his. Instead, there was just a cold space.
Totally awake now, Tseng sat up in bed and looked around him. Elena's clothes were still on the floor around his bed, as were his. That must mean that she was still in his apartment.
As if to verify that theory, he heard some water being ran in the kitchen. Tseng tossed off the covers from his bed and looked around for something to wear. Once he was dressed, Tseng picked up his clothes from last night and threw them in the dirty clothes bin. Well, that was, everything except his shirt. He hadn't been able to find it.
Tseng paused a little when he saw the clothes Elena has been wearing last night. *Ever heard of. . .?* Now *that* had been unexpected.
Tseng picked her clothes up off of the ground and placed them on the bed. Well, that was, everything except her pants. He couldn't find *those* either. Mentally shrugging it off, he headed out to his kitchen.
"Good morning," Elena greeted him from over her shoulder. She was facing the sink, its water running. It took a moment for Tseng to realize what Elena was doing; she was washing dishes.
Elena turned back to her dishes and continued talking to him with her back facing him.
"I hope you don't mind that I made myself a bit of breakfast. I was just cleaning up. I put some coffee on; it should be done in a few minutes. You're out of milk though so I hope you like yours black."
Tseng looked at her, stunned. There she was, her blonde hair still mussed from last night. She was wearing his shirt, which was far too big for her. Elena was practically swimming in his navy blue shirt that went down way past her waist. She was also wearing the missing pants, he realized. It wasn't her appearance that disturbed him though. It was this homemaker quality, this quiet domestic scene. Elena was in his kitchen, cleaning dishes. He didn't know why that bothered him so much but it did.
Elena seemed to notice something in his silence because she turned around to face him again.
"You don't mind, do you, Tseng?"
He didn't know what to say. Instead, he nodded towards the shirt she was wearing.
"That's my shirt."
Elena turned back to her dishes suddenly, but not before he saw the slight tinge of pink that crept up on her cheeks.
"You ripped mine."
Tseng walked forward to the sink. He stood beside Elena but she didn't look over at him, concentrating instead on her dishes. Tseng turned off the faucet. She looked up at him, a stray strand of blonde hair falling in front of her face.
"You don't have to do that."
Elena stood there, staring at him, and swallowed hard. Then, suddenly, her eyes darted away from his and she walked away from him.
Tseng watched her walk and frowned slightly.
"You have a really nice place here," Elena said, adding a dose of false cheerfulness to her voice.
Tseng surveyed his stylishly decorated apartment. He supposed that it qualified as 'nice'. Shin-ra paid him enough to have a 'nice' place. Elena wandered through the open doorway to his living room. She gestured to encompass the room.
"I mean, look at this. Gorgeous furniture. . . and what a entertainment system!"
Elena looked back over her shoulder at him, and smiled slightly. Tseng walked forward and leaned against the doorframe. Elena's eyes widened a little and she turned away from him.
"Look at all those books!" She gestured to the bookshelf that was filled with hard covers that were a class apart from typical mass-produced volumes.
"Have you read all of them?" Elena asked.
Actually, he hadn't read any of them. Tseng really didn't know why he had them. Maybe it was a little bit like the television that Elena had just been admiring. Tseng couldn't remember the last time that it had been on.
He walked forward and picked up a smaller, older book. It was leather bound and dusty. He hadn't picked it up in a long time. Tseng handed it to Elena.
"I read this one."
She took the unmarked book from him. Puzzled, she flipped through its pages but she couldn't read the language it was written in.
"Is it Wutaian?"
Tseng nodded.
"Oh. . ."
Elena placed the book down on the coffee table, delicately, as if she was afraid she would shatter the volume. She straightened and turned to face him slowly.
"Tseng. . ." Impulsively, Tseng leaned forward to kiss her. He didn't really want her to talk anymore.
Elena's eyes widened slightly when he kissed her but she soon closed them and enjoyed the moment. Tseng backed her onto the couch and Elena lay down against it easily.
This time, when Elena woke up, she stayed where she was for a little while. Her brown eyes were open, staring at the room around her. It really was nice; the kind of place you saw in a decorating magazine. She blushed a little, thinking about her own modest apartment. Her eyes trailed down to the small book on the table in front of her, a thoughtful expression on her face.
After a while, the awkwardness of her cramped position on the couch made its presence known to Elena. She stood up languidly and stretched. Elena started to walk away from the couch when she felt a hand reach out to grab her wrist. She gasped and turned around to see Tseng looking up at her, his hand holding her wrist lightly.
For a moment, she was locked in his gaze. He didn't say anything, didn't move, but, for a moment, she couldn't budge. Then, her eyes snapped away from his and she looked down.
"I have to get ready," she mumbled.
Tseng let his hand drop. Perhaps Elena might have been imagining it but she could've sworn that he had almost looked embarrassed. Of course, she couldn't picture Tseng embarrassed. It must've just been her imagination. She looked up again.
"You don't mind if I have a shower, do you?"
Tseng shook his head slowly. Elena smiled, gathered up her clothes, and scurried out of the room.
Tseng looked at the doorway that Elena had just left through. He didn't know why he had snatched her hand. It had just seemed natural at the time.
His eyes strayed to the book on the table. Tseng sat up slowly and stared at it. He reached out to take it but then he snatched his hand back as if burned. Shaking his head slightly, Tseng stood up and got dressed quickly. He left the room, the little book still left alone on the table.
Elena stood by his doorway, her hair still wet from her shower. She was back in her blouse, her blue jacket covering the worst of the rip. Tseng leaned against the doorframe, also fully clothed. Poor Elena didn't seem to know what to say. Of course, he had to admit that he had no idea either. After a bit of an awkward pause Elena settled on a weak, 'see you Monday' before turning to leave.
Tseng closed his door on the now empty hallway. He walked back into his now quiet apartment, and looked around. He seemed to mentally shake something off before heading into his kitchen, searching out that before mentioned coffee.
He never noticed the small book that was now missing from his living room.