Chapter 61

Aura was not at work the next day. Reno searched all of Healen Lodge twice for her, before Rufus had called him into his office to ask about the warehouses and had told him that she wasn't coming. The man's smirk as Reno just blinked at him made the redhead want to leap across the desk and punch the smug bastard in the face, but he didn't. Instead, he had just nodded and then gone and collected Rude to head off to what was left of Midgar. They had warehouses to investigate, and he needed the distraction.

Staring at the phone in his hand, Reno sighed. His thumb hovered over the 'call' button with Aura's number on the screen. He glanced up from where he waited by a low grey wall. Rude had gone around the east end of the warehouse they were checking out and had not yet returned. The big man was still not in sight, so Reno looked back down at his phone. His thumb twitched but he didn't press the button. He hadn't heard from her, and he suspected that was deliberate. Not knowing what would happen if he tried to force her to talk to him, Reno figured it would just be better if he didn't. He slipped his phone into his pocket and looked back up for Rude.

His partner finally came around the corner, and Reno pushed off the wall to meet him. "Place is locked up." The big man said.

"No sign of them?"

"Nothing has been disturbed in a while…"

"Let's go to the next one." Reno began walking and Rude moved to catch up with him.

"Are you going to come tonight?" his friend asked, and Reno cast a glance his way.

"To what?"

"Elena is trying to get everyone to go to 7th Heaven. Tseng is being let out of the infirmary, and she wants us to celebrate." Rude gave Reno a look that Reno couldn't quite decipher. "She's even invited Topher."

"Hasn't invited me." Reno muttered, not sure why he was feeling argumentative.

"You don't need an invitation." Rude said flatly.

"Suppose you're going to ogle Tifa the whole time…"

"We'll see."

"Guess we will." Reno staggered when Rude suddenly gave his shoulder a push.

"You're one to go throwing judgement around." His partner said, "When was the last time you even slept in your own bed?"

"Last night." Reno muttered, lengthening his stride.

"That's a surprise." Rude quickened his pace to keep up with Reno who focused on the road ahead. "Uh-oh…" Rude looked more closely at him and Reno kept his eyes averted. "What's with you today? Problems with your Lady?"

"No."

"Reno…"

"Just…" Reno gave an irritated huff, "Rufus fucking with things again."

"Oh?"

"He told her about Cissnei."

Rude said nothing and Reno turned his head to look at him. His partner just nodded in understanding. Kicking at a rock, Reno ran his hands through his hair. "Fucking prick."

"She jealous?" Rude asked, his voice gruff.

"Fucked if I know." Reno muttered, "She won't talk to me." He glanced at Rude again, "She was acting like I cheated on her… but it was years ago."

"She know that?"

"Yes." He sighed out loud, "What the fuck?"

"Probably jealous." Rude told him.

"I dunno. She's not like that… " Reno growled, "Fuck Rufus."

"What you think he wants?" Rude asked after several moments of silence during which they did nothing but walk beside one another.

"I have no idea," Reno shook his head, "I have not a fucken clue, yo."

Elena took the third drink that Zena had pushed into her hands and shifted along the bench seat to make space for the blonde woman. With a start, she felt Tseng's hand on her lower back and she turned her eyes on the man, now squished into the corner beside her. He just looked silently back at her. "You still feeling okay…? Sir?" she asked, unable to resist a smile.

"I'll survive." He replied, his voice low. Elena grinned at him and then looked back across the table to see Reno watching them incredulously.

"What?" Elena asked, taking a sip of whatever it was that Zena had gotten her. Reno raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I didn't say a thing, yo." He grinned at her and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, yeah." She replied, rolling her eyes, "I know what your face is thinking…"

"What… my…" Reno leaned back in his chair, looking down his nose at her, "Think you may have had enough to drink, Laney."

"You're not my boss…"

"Think again."

She made a face at him and then turned her attention to Topher, sitting beside Reno. "It's good you came with us." She told him. He nodded, looking between her and Tseng again and Elena quickly remembered that he'd heard them the other day in the infirmary. She thought she may have blushed, but she was warm all over and couldn't be sure.

"Yeah… this place is cool." Topher said, his eyes moving around the room "I don't think I've ever been here before…"

"We come here all the time." Zena said, "You'll like it."

"All of you?" Topher asked and Elena nodded, "Is Aura coming?"

Elena blinked when both Topher and Reno watched her for an answer to that question. "… Not tonight." She replied softly. "She said she wasn't feeling up to it."

"Shame." Zena said, "Maybe I should go and call on her tomorrow… if she's not back to work."

"Is she sick?" Topher asked, and Elena watched Reno stare at the drink on the table in front of him. His fingers moved quickly over it, tracing condensation in silence.

"I don't know." She answered Topher with a smile.

"We should dance." Zena announced, getting to her feet as she pushed her empty glass away. "Who wants to dance?"

Elena looked hopefully at Tseng but received nothing but a stony look in return. "Please?" she asked but he shook his head.

"I don't dance."

"Not ever?"

"Never."

Elena sighed and downed the rest of her drink. Then, getting to her feet, she gave Tseng a last look before following Zena out on to the dance floor. If he wasn't going to come and dance with her, she would show him what he was missing.

Hot bodies pressed in on her as she wound her way onto the dance floor, following Zena's blonde curls until the woman stopped and turned to face her, pulling her closer. Elena closed her eyes, her head spinning, as she moved, letting the pounding music guide her.

Reno fingered his glass absently. He'd come out in the hope that Aura would also be here, and he wasn't really in the mood for it himself. She wasn't here, and he was beginning to wish that he wasn't either. He wondered if Aura had really told Elena that she hadn't been feeling up to it, or if she was simply avoiding him.

Picking up his glass, Reno took a heavy swig. What would happen if he went over to Aura's place tonight? He didn't suppose that was a good idea. Rude nudged him and Reno looked up, setting his glass back on the table. The big man gestured at the dancefloor and Reno turned his eyes that way. Elena was seriously getting down on the dance floor. Reno felt his jaw drop as he watched her. "… We can't let little Laney behave like this in public…" he snickered, glancing quickly at Rude before looking back to Elena.

"Baby Bird has flown the nest…" Rude replied.

"Ahh…" Reno nodded, "She does like doing… things… in public…" He flicked a quick grin at Tseng who ignored him.

The three of them watched as Elena dropped low, her back to Topher who had gone to join the two women a few minutes earlier. "Ohh… no…" Reno shook his head, and then looked to Tseng. The darkhaired man's expression was practically marble. "That coulda been you, yo."

Black eyes turned on him and Reno made a face. "I don't dance." Tseng said simply.

"Yeah, you said so." Reno gestured at the dancefloor, "And look what happened."

"That…" Tseng nodded his head at the bodies moving to the music, "is nothing."

"So, not jealous then?" Reno asked, and Tseng raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Why in the name of Shiva would I be jealous, Reno?"

Reno blinked at him. Was the man suggesting that he didn't care about Elena dancing like that on Topher, or that he didn't care about Elena at all? "I dunno, yo." Reno sighed, "I'm fucken sick of trying to understand other people."

The knowing look that Tseng gave him got under Reno's skin and he pushed to his feet. He needed another drink.