~ Salvation (3) ~
Author's Notes: Not much to say here beyond the fact that I am still having a great deal of fun writing this. Sorry about taking so long to post though. I should be able to update more quickly from now on. Hopefully. *Crosses fingers*.
Reno sat at his desk, drumming his fingers against it, making a rough tattoo. Rude was sitting across the desk with a newspaper open in front of him.
"Reno, quit it."
The drumming paused for a second.
"What?"
Rude looked up from his newspaper and glared at Reno.
"That thing your doing. . . quit it. It's annoying."
Reno rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
Reno leaned back in his chair, resting his feet against his desk. For a while, it was quiet.
"'Lena's late."
Rude rolled his eyes and looked up at Reno again.
"'Lena's *never* late. 'Specially when we have a *meeting*." A small smile pushed at Reno's lips and Rude tried not to sigh.
"She'll be here."
". . . Tseng's late too. . ." Reno mused out loud.
"Reno." Rude said, a note of warning in his voice. Reno sighed expressively.
"Fine."
He leaned back in his chair and the quiet resumed. Absently, Reno started tapping his fingers against the arms of his chair. Rude shot him yet another glare before he stood up, tucked his newspaper underneath his arm, and stormed out of the office.
"What?" Reno asked but his only answer the slam of his door.
Rude walked out into the hallway that separated the four Turks offices. The set up was simple. The only entrance to the level was the elevator located at the end of the hallway. The first office was Reno's which was across from Rude's. A little further down the hallway was Elena's office and further down, on the opposite side, was Tseng's. The second last door in the hallway led to a conference room where the Turks could meet and, on occasion, be briefed personally by the Heidegger or the President. At the very end of the hallway was a plain, unmarked door. The only thing to denote its importance was the key card slot beside it. Only six key cards to it existed in all of Midgar. That door led to one more hallway that contained three more doors, each having their own personal key card slots. Rude wasn't heading in that direction though.
He was about to walk into his office when he saw Tseng come out of the elevator.
"Good morning, sir." Rude said.
Tseng nodded to him.
"Has everyone arrived, Rude?"
Rude shook his head.
"Elena's not here yet."
Tseng was quiet for a moment.
"We'll wait."
Without another word, he headed into his office.
Elena walked into the ground level of Shin-ra's head building.
"Good morning, Miss Elena," the gate guard greeted her. She acknowledged the guard with a smile before hurrying to the elevator. She was late.
Elena tapped a foot impatiently as the doors shut and then pressed the number for the Turks personal floor.
"Please enter identification key card," a mechanical voice said.
Elena swiped her card and was rewarded with the soft hum of the elevator's motion.
"Finally," she said, sighing slightly.
Elena watched the tiny light at the top of the elevator flash across its numbers and did her best not to think about what was coming. She didn't want to imagine seeing Tseng this morning or having to face Reno and Rude. She felt like they'd know the instant she walked into the room with them. If they asked her. . . Oh god, best not to think about it. Just watch the light.
23, 24, 25. . . She wouldn't be able to lie if they asked her; she had never been able to lie to them.
29, 30, 31. . . They wouldn't ask though. Why should they? They wouldn't know. Tseng wouldn't tell them. For an instant, Elena had the brief image of the boys talking together, sharing stories. That's what guys *did*, wasn't it? She shook her head. No, Tseng wouldn't say anything.
33, 34, 35. . . Why should he? It wasn't like she was the first girl he'd tumbled. Of course, he hadn't been her first either. Elena snorted slightly. Far from it. God, she didn't want to think about *that* either.
39, 40, 41. . . Okay, think about something else. They had a meeting today. Very important. She would listen like she always did. She might take notes and maybe ask some questions. It was easy, nothing new. She just had to get off the elevator, walk down the hallway, sit in a chair, listen, and then she could go to her office. There was nothing to be worried about. After all, Rude and Reno wouldn't notice anything. There was nothing to notice! So why did it feel like she had some sort of a giant target painted on her face that said 'Tseng fucked me last night!'? Elena flinched. She *definitely* didn't want to think about that. She couldn't help it though. He'd pretty much made it impossible to forget.
44, 45, 46. . . Elena shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She wondered if he was satisfied. God knew she had made it easy for him. Why was she doing this to herself? It didn't matter! Still, she had never expected . . . Well, what had she expected?
48, 49, 50. . . The truth was that she had expected nothing and that was exactly what she had gotten. God, why had she thought it would be different with him?
52, 53, 54. . . But that was it, wasn't it? It had been with *him* and so for her, it had been different. Not for him though. He had made that painfully obvious last night.
57, 58, 59. . . It had been in his eyes. They hadn't changed the entire time. Not once. Those gorgeous, beautiful, cold, cold eyes. . . God, she should have known better! What had ever possessed her to think differently? They had all proved it to her, time and time again. . . so why had she thought. . . ? Idiot.
No, she was going to stop thinking about it. Right now.
The rest of the numbers flew by and Elena didn't notice. A soft ding resounded throughout the elevator once it reached the desired floor. The doors swept open and Elena spotted Reno leaning against the doorframe of his office. She walked over to him.
"You're late, rookie."
"Must be your bad influence Reno," Elena said with an easy smile. Reno laughed low in his throat.
"Sure babe. I'd say it's an improvement though."
Elena swatted him playfully in the arm but Reno just laughed.
"Don't take it out on me, sweetheart. Just cuz Tseng's gonna lecture ya. . ."
Elena's face suddenly blanched and Reno couldn't help but laugh at her expression.
"God 'Lena! I was just kidding! Come on, babe. Much as I hate these things, we still gotta go to 'em."
He locked his arm with hers, and propelled her forward. Elena smiled somewhat weakly.
"At least they're better than paper work."
Reno laughed again but he never noticed the steadying breath Elena drew in before she pushed open the door of the conference room.
(To be continued.)
Author's Notes: Not much to say here beyond the fact that I am still having a great deal of fun writing this. Sorry about taking so long to post though. I should be able to update more quickly from now on. Hopefully. *Crosses fingers*.
Reno sat at his desk, drumming his fingers against it, making a rough tattoo. Rude was sitting across the desk with a newspaper open in front of him.
"Reno, quit it."
The drumming paused for a second.
"What?"
Rude looked up from his newspaper and glared at Reno.
"That thing your doing. . . quit it. It's annoying."
Reno rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
Reno leaned back in his chair, resting his feet against his desk. For a while, it was quiet.
"'Lena's late."
Rude rolled his eyes and looked up at Reno again.
"'Lena's *never* late. 'Specially when we have a *meeting*." A small smile pushed at Reno's lips and Rude tried not to sigh.
"She'll be here."
". . . Tseng's late too. . ." Reno mused out loud.
"Reno." Rude said, a note of warning in his voice. Reno sighed expressively.
"Fine."
He leaned back in his chair and the quiet resumed. Absently, Reno started tapping his fingers against the arms of his chair. Rude shot him yet another glare before he stood up, tucked his newspaper underneath his arm, and stormed out of the office.
"What?" Reno asked but his only answer the slam of his door.
Rude walked out into the hallway that separated the four Turks offices. The set up was simple. The only entrance to the level was the elevator located at the end of the hallway. The first office was Reno's which was across from Rude's. A little further down the hallway was Elena's office and further down, on the opposite side, was Tseng's. The second last door in the hallway led to a conference room where the Turks could meet and, on occasion, be briefed personally by the Heidegger or the President. At the very end of the hallway was a plain, unmarked door. The only thing to denote its importance was the key card slot beside it. Only six key cards to it existed in all of Midgar. That door led to one more hallway that contained three more doors, each having their own personal key card slots. Rude wasn't heading in that direction though.
He was about to walk into his office when he saw Tseng come out of the elevator.
"Good morning, sir." Rude said.
Tseng nodded to him.
"Has everyone arrived, Rude?"
Rude shook his head.
"Elena's not here yet."
Tseng was quiet for a moment.
"We'll wait."
Without another word, he headed into his office.
Elena walked into the ground level of Shin-ra's head building.
"Good morning, Miss Elena," the gate guard greeted her. She acknowledged the guard with a smile before hurrying to the elevator. She was late.
Elena tapped a foot impatiently as the doors shut and then pressed the number for the Turks personal floor.
"Please enter identification key card," a mechanical voice said.
Elena swiped her card and was rewarded with the soft hum of the elevator's motion.
"Finally," she said, sighing slightly.
Elena watched the tiny light at the top of the elevator flash across its numbers and did her best not to think about what was coming. She didn't want to imagine seeing Tseng this morning or having to face Reno and Rude. She felt like they'd know the instant she walked into the room with them. If they asked her. . . Oh god, best not to think about it. Just watch the light.
23, 24, 25. . . She wouldn't be able to lie if they asked her; she had never been able to lie to them.
29, 30, 31. . . They wouldn't ask though. Why should they? They wouldn't know. Tseng wouldn't tell them. For an instant, Elena had the brief image of the boys talking together, sharing stories. That's what guys *did*, wasn't it? She shook her head. No, Tseng wouldn't say anything.
33, 34, 35. . . Why should he? It wasn't like she was the first girl he'd tumbled. Of course, he hadn't been her first either. Elena snorted slightly. Far from it. God, she didn't want to think about *that* either.
39, 40, 41. . . Okay, think about something else. They had a meeting today. Very important. She would listen like she always did. She might take notes and maybe ask some questions. It was easy, nothing new. She just had to get off the elevator, walk down the hallway, sit in a chair, listen, and then she could go to her office. There was nothing to be worried about. After all, Rude and Reno wouldn't notice anything. There was nothing to notice! So why did it feel like she had some sort of a giant target painted on her face that said 'Tseng fucked me last night!'? Elena flinched. She *definitely* didn't want to think about that. She couldn't help it though. He'd pretty much made it impossible to forget.
44, 45, 46. . . Elena shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She wondered if he was satisfied. God knew she had made it easy for him. Why was she doing this to herself? It didn't matter! Still, she had never expected . . . Well, what had she expected?
48, 49, 50. . . The truth was that she had expected nothing and that was exactly what she had gotten. God, why had she thought it would be different with him?
52, 53, 54. . . But that was it, wasn't it? It had been with *him* and so for her, it had been different. Not for him though. He had made that painfully obvious last night.
57, 58, 59. . . It had been in his eyes. They hadn't changed the entire time. Not once. Those gorgeous, beautiful, cold, cold eyes. . . God, she should have known better! What had ever possessed her to think differently? They had all proved it to her, time and time again. . . so why had she thought. . . ? Idiot.
No, she was going to stop thinking about it. Right now.
The rest of the numbers flew by and Elena didn't notice. A soft ding resounded throughout the elevator once it reached the desired floor. The doors swept open and Elena spotted Reno leaning against the doorframe of his office. She walked over to him.
"You're late, rookie."
"Must be your bad influence Reno," Elena said with an easy smile. Reno laughed low in his throat.
"Sure babe. I'd say it's an improvement though."
Elena swatted him playfully in the arm but Reno just laughed.
"Don't take it out on me, sweetheart. Just cuz Tseng's gonna lecture ya. . ."
Elena's face suddenly blanched and Reno couldn't help but laugh at her expression.
"God 'Lena! I was just kidding! Come on, babe. Much as I hate these things, we still gotta go to 'em."
He locked his arm with hers, and propelled her forward. Elena smiled somewhat weakly.
"At least they're better than paper work."
Reno laughed again but he never noticed the steadying breath Elena drew in before she pushed open the door of the conference room.
(To be continued.)