Chapter 21

Elena's back hit the mat hard and she gasped as the breath was knocked from her lungs. "Wow…" she choked, looking up at Tseng who was gracefully getting to his feet. "Every time…"

"One would hope you would learn from your mistakes, Elena." He replied evenly. "Time and time again, you expose the same weakness. I thought you were working on this with Reno."

"I am." She said, getting to her own feet, "Twice a week."

Tseng fixed her with a steely look, "I would recommend more."

"Maybe you could train with me more often?" She asked hopefully. He gave a single nod, pulling his sleek hair back and tying it in his usual immaculate way.

"Very well." Adjusting the sleeves on his shirt, Tseng moved to the edge of the mat, "Shall this be our regular afternoon?"

"Yeah." She smiled, watching him. Even just pulling his jacket on, the man was graceful.

"You are improving, Elena." He told her, turning to face her once more. "You just need some fine tuning."

She smiled, trying to choke down her reply that he could fine tune her anytime. That was something Reno would say, and she definitely did not need to be telling her superior anything of the sort. No matter how true it was. "Thank you, sir."

Tseng nodded again and checked his watch. "You should have finished half an hour ago." He told her.

"Time to go home." She agreed, "… are… you going to go?"

"I'll check on the President first." He replied absently, doing up his jacket, "See if he needs anything…"

"And tonight?" She asked, trying to sound casual, "7th Heaven, maybe?"

"Maybe." He agreed, leading her toward the door. Elena watched him from the corner of her eye, wishing he would just commit.

"Maybe I'll see you there." She said, trying not to sigh. She knew that Reno wasn't going, and Rude had said something about needing a quiet night at home. If Tseng went, it would just be the two of them. When they reached the offices again, Tseng hurried off to find the President, and Elena grabbed her jacket and bag. It looked as if Reno and Rude had already left, so she headed for the doors alone.

Several hours later, Elena sat at the usual table in 7th Heaven, nursing her second drink and idly watching grinding bodies on the dance floor. As Rude had said, he hadn't shown up, nor had Reno. The redhead had been a little downcast the last few days and Elena had supposed it had much to do with the fact that Aura seemed to be avoiding him. She couldn't blame the girl, though, after what she had seen. She didn't think either of them had actually been back here since that incident, in fact. Zena certainly had.

Elena's eyes found the blonde woman now on the dance floor, wrapped around some guy. That blonde curly hair was flicking in every which direction and Elena had to look away after only a few seconds. Gross.

Suddenly Tseng sat down opposite her with several drinks in hand and pushed one across the table toward Elena.

"Sir…"

"Good Evening, Elena." The man replied, downing one of the drinks he had sat in front of himself. Elena eyed him, shocked.

"Are you okay, Sir?" She had never seen him drink like that before.

"Just fine." He replied, "The President ordered me to go and 'relax'."

Elena nodded, no idea what was going on. He wasn't acting like his usual self at all. "Why?"

She watched as Tseng drew a deep breath and exhaled. "He intends to have Aura's reverse engineered cure tested on himself."

"Oh." She nodded, "Surely he should have it tested on others, first…"

"I suggested as such." He replied, now leaning back in his seat, "I have advised Rufus Shinra for most of his life." He told her, "But he told me that my opinion was not required in this matter."

Elena understood now. "I see." She nodded, "So, he told you to go and relax. Well, that is why we come here."

"We?" he asked, his eyes flicking to the dance floor. "I think Zena and I come here for very different reasons…" Reluctantly, Elena looked around for Zena. As if she had heard her name, the blonde woman looked back at them and grinned, before heading in their direction. She slid onto the seat beside Tseng, and began twirling a strand of her hair as she looked at them.

"Hey guys." She simpered, "Is Reno coming tonight?"

"I don't think so." Elena said simply.

"No?" Zena pouted, "Why not?"

"I think he's tired." Elena replied, "He's been doing a lot of patrols lately."

"Well," Zena giggled, nudging Tseng with her elbow, "Wouldn't want to tire him out further, would I…"

"I doubt you could." Tseng said, downing another of his drinks, "Reno has inexhaustible energy."

"Oh, I would vouch for that." Zena laughed, winking at Elena, "But I think you underestimate me…" Tseng frown and glanced in Zena's direction before meeting Elena's eyes. Elena saw the moment he cottoned on to what the blonde was saying. Zena just kept talking, "I mean he was injured the other night, but you wouldn't have guessed with the power that man wields. So strong, it was like he'd never stop."

"Sweet Shiva." Elena picked up the drink Tseng had given her and took a sip as her boss downed his next and then looked hopefully toward the bar. A moment later, Tseng got to his feet and pushed past Zena as he headed off to get more drinks. Zena just kept talking.

"I mean, have you ever gone there?" She asked, looking at Elena, "Reno, I mean. I guess, you could have but I don't think you have. Anyway, I was a bit surprised when he just grabbed me, but like I was going to turn that down. I had always known he would be something to remember, and I was so right. He was rough, you know, and I kinda like that. All virile and in charge."

Elena wished she could drive a knife into her own ear canals. She didn't need to be hearing this. She had seen enough the other night, following Aura into that back room. "I… don't think I want to be picturing this…"

"I don't think you could, anyway." Zena grinned. "Do you think Tseng would be the same?" Elena's jaw dropped. Tseng? Virile and in charge? She had pictured that on more than one occasion.

"I…" she bit her lower lip.

"I think he would be." Zena smirked at Elena knowingly. "He's so… controlled… It'd be intense."

Letting out a shaky breath, Elena watched Tseng head back toward them, drink in hand. Her boss sat down, and Elena tried not to watch him too closely. He looked less controlled than usual, and several strands of that long dark hair had come loose and were hanging in his face. "You still talking about Reno?" He asked, looking at Zena.

"There's a lot to say." The blonde replied, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger.

"I'm sure there is." Tseng muttered, "I spend a lot of my time talking about Reno." He took a sip of his drink, "Specifically his disobedience."

"Mmm, but that's so fun." Zena replied, smirking widely. "I like them wild."

"I'm sure you do." Tseng finished his drink and then waved his hand toward the dance floor, "Maybe you should go find a new toy." Elena watched as he continued to gesture for Zena to leave. The blonde woman just looked him up and down before getting to her feet. She then flounced off across the room and into the mass of grinding bodies. "I cannot stand that woman." Tseng muttered, turning to look at Elena. "If she wasn't so good at her job…"

Elena blinked. She had never seen him be so… open and honest before. He was drunk, she realised. Tseng was actually drunk. "I'm tired of this noise." She could have sworn she heard a whining tone in his voice then.

"Maybe it's time to go home." She told him, almost disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see him get properly smashed. Tseng gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Maybe." He got unsteadily to his feet and then looked at her. "I want to talk to you."

Elena tilted her head and got to her own feet. "Of course, Sir." She said. Perhaps she should make sure he got home as he talked to her. She wasn't sure how well her boss could handle his alcohol. She hadn't even known it was possible for him to even get drunk. She wondered if Reno knew. "I'll walk with you." She told him.

Tseng nodded in acceptance and began to stagger off toward the door. Elena hurried after him.

By the time they got to Tseng's apartment, Elena was impressed that the man was even still walking. The whole way home he had complained about Reno arguing with Rufus, and how he had to always talk the President out of punishing him. He had then whinged about how Rufus really ought to listen to his advice more closely, and that he was marginally offended that he had been dismissed the way he had earlier.

As they entered her boss' apartment, the man had moved on to how annoyed he was when his orders were not properly adhered to. "I swear." He muttered, throwing himself down on the end of a long couch. Elena sat gingerly beside him. "Reno does it on purpose." He poured two drinks from the table beside him and handed one to Elena before downing the other quickly. "He gets the job done, but he always does it in a way he knows will piss me off." Elena put her glass, still full, on the table before her.

"He has a unique way of doing things, yes." She agreed.

"Selective hearing, is how I'd put it."

"Maybe that's why he is so effective."

"No." Tseng shook his head, his hair now hanging free. Elena tried not to notice how soft it looked. "He needs to learn to follow orders properly. I am tired of people not doing as they're told!"

Elena bit her lip. "I… I'm sorry, Sir."

Tseng's dark eyes flicked directly to her. "You do, don't you…?" He placed his glass on the table. "You always try, don't you, Elena?"

She nodded, "Yes, Sir. I do. I want to be the best." She jumped when his hand suddenly shot out and took hold of her left wrist.

"You're so very good at following orders." He pulled her closer by her wrist, "I always know that you'll do whatever I say. That you'll do everything exactly the way you're told…"

"Yes, Sir…" Elena's breath caught in her throat when his other hand moved to her cheek.

"I so very enjoy it." Tseng breathed, his thumb tracing her lower lip, "Knowing you'll do exactly what I want…"

"Whatever you want." She watched as understanding flooded his eyes then and he looked her quickly up and down.

"Whatever I want?" he murmured. She gave a slight nod and Tseng pushed her back on the couch, moving over her as he did so, pressing a knee between her hers, his hands sliding her skirt up. Elena gasped when one of his hands was suddenly between her legs. Lifting her own hands to his hair, she allowed her fingers to move through it, marvelling at just how silky it actually was.

Tseng had ripped her underwear off and Elena watched his face as she felt him fiddling with his own pants. She wrapped her legs around his waist and in an instant he had pushed into her and her hands left his hair to find his hips as she let out a gasp. Tseng allowed no time for Elena to adjust to the feel of him inside her. He immediately braced himself with one hand on the cushion by her head, and then he was thrusting quickly, desperately, into her. Almost distracted by his hot breath in her ear and the unchecked moaning coming from her boss, Elena couldn't help but wonder. She had next to no doubt that, if Tseng had been sober, his movements would have been strong, fluid, and rhythmic. Right now, she could smell the alcohol on his breath and his movements were erratic as he fucked her. This was what it was, Elena knew that. It wasn't the romantic scenario she had imagined where Tseng would lay her down gently and make love to her. She was lying, still clothed, on his couch with her skirt bunched up around her hips as he drunkenly fucked her. Elena's hands clutched now at Tseng's shoulders and she watched the ceiling while listening to the sounds of his urgent thrusting.

It didn't last long. Only a few minutes later he came with a hard grunt as a shudder ran through him and he pulled out of her, quickly doing his pants up. She watched as he silently tied his hair back once more, appearing to compose himself. Tugging her skirt back down, Elena sat up slowly. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she bit her lower lip. What now?

She eyed him silently, but he didn't say anything. Tseng slowly smoothed his shirt down, fiddling with the cuff of one of his sleeves. "I… need to …sleep…"

"Probably a good idea." Elena said softly. Were they really going to pretend like that had not just happened? Tseng got unsteadily to his feet. Elena followed suit, standing there for a moment, unsure. After a few seconds, Tseng cast a glance at her.

"You can stay or go…" he said.

"I'll go home…"

He nodded once. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." She smoothed her hair down as she headed for the door.