He didn't mean food, Elena knew that much. She hadn't touched any of the food yet; it wasn't polite, after all, and besides, Tseng was better at detecting drugs and poisons. "It looks delicious," she said cheerfully. Then, in a lower voice, "But I don't trust it."
Tseng took a bite of a snow pea, crunched it, then smiled. "Mm. I miss this kind of fresh food. It's perfectly safe," he murmured back. "Eat up. We have to talk."
Elena's gut twisted. I bet he's upset about what happened in the bathroom... "About... er... the shower... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking..."
"It's all right," Tseng chuckled a bit, gesturing for her to eat up. "It was a good plan, very... in character."
Elena relaxed, seeing that he wasn't mad. "Oh, but the man with the food was very helpful, you know. He let me prattle on and on about what a wonderful place this was and told me it wasn't very old, just built by someone quite rich, but that it had exchanged hands. I, of course, said whoever bought it was very lucky to own such a very big house." She chuckled a bit, remembering the hastily-hid expression of stunned incredulity on the man's face, that anyone could be so dense. "I asked, of course, to see the owner, and talked about nothing for some time, while he was bringing in dishes, and them I wanted to know, of course, if the place was haunted, and if there were any horrible stories about people vanishing and that sort of thing." She paused for breath, her charade carrying over, just a bit. "He looked startled enough, hid it very well. Someone like me wouldn't have noticed it. He knows what's going on."
"Was it the man from the front desk?" Tseng was expertly picking up some noodles with a pair of chopsticks. Elena admired his long, slender hands for a moment, before forcing herself to wake up and answers him.
"Unless he has an identical twin brother, it was certainly him." She ate her own meal, pleased that Rude had helped her learn how to use chopsticks years ago. "He must be a big shot around here."
Tseng finished his meal and stood, tugging her out the patio. There were no cameras or listening devices out there, though they did stand a chance of being overheard by someone, if anyone was around. He checked, and pleased that no one was there, frowned quietly. "I wonder if he's the one in charge."
"He didn't seem like it." Elena was attempting to make it a habit to rest on Tseng's chest or side or back when she could. If I do it enough on this trip, it will become habit, and I can claim it was an accident, if I happen to do so at home every now and again. She pressed up against his chest, sighing. "He didn't have that 'in-charge' vibe."
"You sound like Reno," Tseng said, amused. "What makes you think that?"
This felt like a test. Elena stood a bit straighter. "The way he carries himself. The way he speaks. I don't know, it could be an elaborate act, but I think someone else is behind it."
"You may be right," Tseng agreed, resting his chin in her hair and watching the sun dip below the horizon. "But you could be wrong. It's hard to say. And I'm worried. I don't like this, we don't have enough Intel on this place to do what we have to do."
"We've had missions with less Intel than this one," Elena shrugged. "All we have to do is act..."
"Act like this?" Tseng's voice was dark, and before she could question him, he had leaned down and captured her lips with his.
Her mind froze. Her body reacted. Instantly, her hands slid up his chest and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him closer. Oh, yes. Oh, Gods, yes, this is exactly what I imagined it would be...
Tseng broke the kiss, and she fought back a whimper. This is not a dream. This is not a fantasy. This is real life. Oh, Gods, this is real life, and Tseng just kissed me, he just kissed me, and he might just kiss me again... She looked up at him, fighting to keep her expression nuetral.
"Answer me, Elena," Tseng rumbled, his voice deeper than usual. "Should we act like that?"
Elena took a deep breath. Should we? Should we... do what's expected of every just-married couple? "If- if you don't want to... we... don't have to, we can always... play it off, I can act afraid..."
"With how you've been acting previously? No." Tseng stroked her cheek, the gesture soft, gentle, as if he truly wanted this from her. Did he? "No, Elena... I don't think that's going to work..."
"We could... fake it...?" She swallowed, closing her eyes and leaning into the caress. That's what her character would do anyways, even if there weren't any cameras out here. Even if they faked the sex, he would still be over her, against her, she could still touch him...
"That could work," he nodded slowly, gaze turning inwards. "If, of course, that is what you want..." He looked up at the starts that were beginning to wink into existence in the sky above. "It's risky, but it could work, if we do it right."
"What do you want, Tseng?" Elena looked at him quietly. He blinked, and looked almost surprised. She supposed that no one asked him what he wanted very often. "What do you want to do?" Do you want me, Tseng? Do you want me as much as I want you? The way you're acting... I almost believe you do...
Tseng was silent for a moment, for much longer than Elena liked. He doesn't. He doesn't want me... I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up...
"I think," he finally said, very slowly, "that in the best interests of this mission, we should stick as closely to our roles as possible." He leaned in closer, looking down at her with eyes that were so dark, they were nearly black, and so full of desire she could barely comprehend it. How- how can he want-
"Tseng-" she whispered, and it didn't matter if anyone was listening, because they wouldn't hear her now, her voice was so choked, so quiet. "I-"
"I want you," he rumbled, and leaned down to kiss her again, then again. "Now," he added unnecessarily, pulling back and maneuvering her into the room.
A thousand thoughts ran through Elena's head, first and foremost "But I wanted a bath..." and ending with "Oh, Gods, this is really happening." She moved in front of him, throwing all caution to the wind and pressing herself wantonly against him. She wasn't a virgin, but she hadn't had more than a handful of lovers, and the last one had been some time ago. And it was Tseng. She'd wanted him for what, two, three years now?
She had just managed to wrap her mind around the fact that Tseng did want her- if only in a situational way- before the back of her legs hit the bed, and she sat down. He was over her in a minute, legs straddling her thighs, kissing her again. She'd never seen him like this, so uncontrolled, so uninhibited.
Was there something in the food?
But she'd eaten the same, and all she felt was desire, all-consuming desire. Exactly as she would feel occasionally, when she would wake up from sweat-soaked dreams of sex and Tseng.
She blinked, her mind suddenly wrapping around the fact that she was going to have sex with Tseng. Oh, Gods. Please tell me this will happen more than once...
He had gotten rid of his shirt by now, and though she'd seen him shirtless before, but it wasn't like this. It had always been clinical, injury control, never anything so sensual. She reached out to touch pale butterscotch skin, pale but still darker than her own. "Tseng," she whispered, kissing him again.
"Elena," he murmured in return, shivering at her touch, his eyes closing. Gods, he was beautiful. So beautiful.
"I hope we're not compromising our mission, but I really can't... call you... you know." She started giggling, and, to her horror, couldn't stop. Oh, shit, knock it off, Elena... before he thinks you're insane, or decides to stop...
Tseng, much to her surprise, laughed as well, kissing her gently. "I know. I understand." He examined the silk dress, debating how to get it off. "Zipper?"
"Ties in the back," Elena murmured, shifting forward. "Then just slide it down..."
Tseng's skilled fingers had the dress' knots untied and had his hands smoothing over the skin of her back in moments. "Scars," he murmured, tracing one he could feel, one she remembered. Yazoo. She thought so, anyway. It was the exit wound from the first shot she'd taken.
"You have your own," she murmured, touching the massive one that marred his chest. Sephiroth, no doubt. Another time he should have died, before they had anything like this. Her fingers trailed over the scar, and before she realized it, she'd dipped her fingertips into the waistband of his pants. Oops. Grinning, she unbuckled his belt.
Tseng, meanwhile, was sliding the dress off her shoulders, trailing kisses down her neck, along her shoulders, along her collarbone. He allowed her to undo his pants, and she could feel him tense, groaning softly as she freed him from his slacks. "Mm, commando, hmm?"
"You expected less?" His lips brushed her breast, and she arched slightly. He took the opportunity to push her back to the bed. She arched as the skin of her back hit the soft, cool silk of the bed.
"No... oh, Tseng..." His lips were right back where they had left off, teasing and coaxing one nipple into hardness. "Oh, Gods, Tseng..."
"Shh." Tseng kissed her lightly, palming her other breast, pulling back to look at her. "So beautiful," he murmured, as if he didn't quite realize what he was saying. He tugged the dress all the way off, tossing it into a crumpled, expensive pile of silk to the floor. Elena tried not to blush and cover herself, as she she was naked now except for the skimpy pair of panties that- that Rufus had picked out, and wait, hadn't he picked out the dress as well?
No, no, surely Rufus had someone do that for him. Reno, probably. Why the hell was she even considering this when Tseng was kicking his pants across the room and kissing her again, stealing her breath and making her feel so warm...
(Had Elena known what was going on in a small surveillance room two stories down, she would not feel so comfortable. Two of the men who had helped take the resort from Shin-Ra hands into the hands of the gentleman who had desired it were watching the monitors, making crude, crass remarks, and making certain that the events were recording.
The problem arose when the man who had worked at the front desk came in. He hadn't trusted the two who had come- something wasn't right. Too many questions, about too close a subject. He took one look at the scars marring Tseng's back and frowned. "Look those two up," he said, frowning. "No. I will. Go and stop them. Kill them if necessary."
"But the show- it'll be easier later..." One of the men complained, pointing to the monitors. "She just got naked!"
"They are from Shin-Ra, I know it," the man insisted, frowning. "Go and disable them. Keep them alive. I will find out who they are, and join you up there shortly."
"Can't we watch the show, just a bit longer?" The second man complained, shaking his head. "We will go up soon."
"Make it sooner, rather than later, or else you will regret it." The man took over one of the computers, tapping away, searching for something he knew was there. The men turned their attention back to the monitor.)
Elena arched into Tseng's touch as he trailed his fingers down her stomach, blissfully unaware of what was occurring downstairs. "Oh, Gods."
Tseng chuckled, pressing a kiss to her hip. "Do you know what I've dreamed of doing to you?" He couldn't care about this now, couldn't keep pretending that it was only the mission anymore than she could. She knew it, and knew he knew it, and didn't care. She couldn't either.
"What?" She managed to say, breathless, eyes half-closed. "Tell me, Tseng, show me..."
"Show you?" Tseng arched an elegant eyebrow, squeezing her thigh lightly. "Mm, certainly." He shifted up, kissing her, tongue lightly touching hers, while his hand slid between her legs.
Elena's breath left her in a whoosh, and her hips jerked convulsively as Tseng curled his fingers inward, sliding inside slick flesh. She tried to speak, but her throat wouldn't work, her breath was trapped in her lungs, and she could barely breath.
"Tseng..." she finally managed, hands clawing at the sheets. "Tseng, oh, Gods, please, Tseng..."
Tseng had wanted to bring her to the peak at least once before taking her, but there was no time, not now, not yet. He needed her too badly, and she needed him too.
She slid a hand into his hair as he kissed her this time, settling over her, his weight pressing her into the mattress. Finally, Gods, yes, finally... She wanted him inside her, more than she wanted anything else. And she was finally going to get her wish, he was going to- to make love to her, that had to be what it was...
Gods, yes... She whimpered as he broke the kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Please..."
Tseng hushed her with another kiss, pulling back to look at her, taking in every detail, the way the light fell over her, the heat of her body against his, the rich scent of vanilla and honey that filled his nostrils, the sounds of footsteps echoing up the stairs...
They both froze at the same time. Footsteps? They looked at each other silently, then Tseng spoke. "We're in the honeymoon suite."
"Maybe it's room service, come to take the plates?" Elena asked hopefully, though she knew it wasn't true. Fuck! No, please, so close... Her body wailed in thwarted pleasure, Turk senses overwhelming the desire for Tseng.
"Unlikely, that occurs in the wee hours of the night, and they are usually silent." Tseng's body was tense. The footsteps drew nearer, and he rolled sharply to one side, off the the bed. He landed flat on his back, the impact driving the air from his lungs, Elena landing heavily on top of him. Before she could curse the ruined moment, the door flew open, and gunfire spattered the bed where they had lain.
Words were shouted in Wutaian, she couldn't understand, and looked down at Tseng. His jaw was set, and he did not look happy. Neither was she, for that matter. I finally start to get what I want, and the bad guys break in. Not cool.
She remained frozen, waiting for Tseng to indicate what they should do. The men who had burst in were shouting- at each other, it seemed. Well? Now what?
-
"You idiot! You are supposed to take them alive!"
That didn't sound good. Tseng held his breath, and held Elena close. What the hell is this? He felt absolute, overwhelming rage; base, animal anger at being interrupted while claiming his Elena. While the burst of violence had killed his desire for sex, it hadn't dampened his thirst for Elena in the slightest. So close, so damned close! She had practically been his, dammit!
He glanced up to the nightstand, looming above him. While the goons at the door argued about what had happened, why he'd disobeyed orders, and where the hell were the victims, he carefully pushed Elena off, miming for silence, and slid over to the nightstand, reaching up very carefully to coax the drawer open as silently as possible.
"Oh Liang-sama," one of the men sing-songed, peering into the bathroom. "Do come out... This was all a misunderstanding..."
And I'm a chocobo, Tseng thought bitterly, getting a hand on the gun Elena had stashed in the drawer and pulling it down quickly.
"Good girl," he whispered to her. She beamed at him, nodding.
"Liang-sama..." The same man was out of the bathroom, still calling. Where had the second gone? He doubted he had time to mount a search effort. Throwing caution to the wind, Tseng rose, gun already trained on the area where he'd last heard the man speak. He fired twice, then dropped down as a burst of cursing erupted from the man.
"They're armed! Maybe the boss was right, that damned bastard!"
Right? Right about what?
"It doesn't matter, it's only one man."
"And the woman!" The man Tseng had fired upon- it didn't seem as if he'd hit him- added.
"Bah. She is a woman. What can a woman do?"
Oh, you are a fool. Tseng glanced over at Elena to see her response- and she wasn't there. Using the darkness of the room to her advantage, she had stuck to the wall and gotten to another gun she had hidden, along with a stash of ammunition. You are a fool as well, Elena, what in hell are you doing!?
She threw him the bag of ammo, which he caught carefully. "What was that?" One of the men scanned the room, their eyes still adjusting to the dark from the light of the hallway.
"Hit the lights, you idiot."
Oh, shit.
The main light of the room flicked on, and Elena, naked and exposed against the wall by the dresser, stared at two ugly, muscle-bound men holding sub-machine guns. They stared at her, she stared at them, then one of them grinned. "Hello, lady. Aren't you pretty?"
Elena reacted on instinct, shooting the man in the shoulder. Had she not been shocked and surprised, she would've gotten him in the head. Tseng rose to his feet again and took out the injured man with a bullet through the skull. Elena dove for the bed for cover, just as the other man opened fire again. Tseng cursed and dropped, hand clasped to his arm where a bullet nicked it. Elena was not as fortunate, a bullet taking her through the calf. Her diving momentum allowed her to land behind the bed, where, swearing like a sailor, she curled around the pain in her leg.
"Let me see it." Tseng leaned over, tugging her had away from the wound.
"It's not bad," she insisted, pushing at him. "I'm fine. Focus on the guy with the gun."
"You need a bandage." Tseng gestured to the comforter. "Wrap it."
"If you value the lady's life, Liang-sama, you will surrender now... I guarantee you I am not alone, and reinforcements are coming soon..."
Tseng looked down at Elena, then, lips peeled back, he rose to his feet again, and startled as he was practically face-to-face with the gunner. The other man was obviously surprised too, and had not been expecting such a move. His gun was lowered, obviously intending on firing through the bed to them, and before he could bring his gun up to fire point-blank at Tseng, the Turk shot him in the chest.
"Do you think he meant it?" Elena pulled herself to her feet. "That he has friends?"
"I'm sure of it," Tseng helped her. "Can you run?"
"Maybe." Elena tested her weight against the makeshift bandage. "It hurts like hell, sir, but I think I can handle it.
Sir. She had to be in pain if she was referring to him as "sir" again. "Good. Let's go." He led her off, helping her move as best as he could while still moving quickly.
They moved out into the hallway, still naked and uncaring, until the sound of more footsteps brought them up short. "We need to get outside." Tseng muttered.
"It's freezing outside, Tseng!" Elena looked up at him, shaking her head. "We'll die of exposure."
"Better than dying of whatever's coming our way." Tseng hurried her on, hitting the stairs as fast as he dared.
"Liang Jun! Or, perhaps, I should say, Xian Tseng?"
Tseng froze as they hit the ground level, whirling around to see the desk clerk descending the stairs, a small pistol in hand. "Ah, yes, I thought so. And you, you must be Miss Elena Cole. Two of Shin-Ra's finest. I am truly honored."
Elena cursed, taking a step back and nearly buckling. "Tseng, run," she whispered, brining her gun to bear on the man approaching them. "Get out."
"Elena!"
"G-get out..."
"No." Tseng said firmly. "He's one man."
"Oh?" The little clerk laughed, as the Turks carefully backed away from the stairs and him, as he drew closer to the ground floor. "Ah, I see. Now, kindly stay still, my girl, and let me put you out of your misery. I'll be sending your heads back to Rufus Shin-Ra; I'm certain he'll be interested in retrieving some portion of his beloved Turks."
"You?" Elena laughed, but the sound was nervous. She knew as well as Tseng did that something wasn't adding up. How could three men wipe out an entire unit? "You're just one man. You might kill me, but Tseng will kill you before I'm dead, I can guarantee it."
"You won't kill us." Tseng took over, frowning. I will not lose her. Not now. "You wasted your lackeys on us, trying to burst in on us while we slept."
"Sleeping, was it?" The man cackled, eyes dragging over Elena. Tseng felt himself starting to bristle and he forced himself to calm down. Elena shuddered in disgust, covering herself as best she could with one arm while still pointing the gun at him. "No matter. Who said I was alone?"
He whistled shrilly, and Tseng glanced over his shoulder to see men rapidly filling the foyer. The lost unit wasn't lost after all. Oh, shit. "Elena..."
"The unit?" She whispered, not taking her eyes off of the clerk. She could hear the men behind her.
"Yeah." Tseng's voice was very quiet.
"You see, Turks," the clerk was now level with them, gun pointed at Elena's chest, "when I bought this place, I bought it. That includes your dear Shin-Ra's men."
"This could be bad," Tseng murmured, attempting to think of a way out.
"I told you to run," Elena said, glancing at him. "I'm sorry. I screwed up again."
Tseng simply shook his head, as the clerk laughed and clapped his hands together. "Now, ma'am, sir, where was I? Oh, yes. I am going to kill you both, and send your heads back to Shin-Ra with a little message." He leaned forward on his toes, smirking. "That message is that Wutai is mine. And I am coming for him." He looked over the Turks' shoulders, nodding to the unit behind them. "Take them. Leave them alive... I want to choose who dies first... I want to let one to watch while the other is butchered."
He was looking at Tseng with an unpleasant gleam in his eye, and Tseng already realized who he was going to choose. Oh, no. He looked over at Elena, who still had her gun trained on the clerk. No. I won't let it happen. He touched her arm, and she glanced at him as the unit started towards them. He wants us alive, Elena. That's a huge point in our favor.
Let's go. Let's force them to kill us, so we do not disappoint Shachou. We will not allow this man the satisfaction of seeing our pain.
She must have read his intent in his expression, and she nodded and turned her back on the clerk, starting for the unit. He must have been waiting for that, because she heard a gunshot, and a bullet clipped her shoulder.Tseng heard her make just a tiny sound of pain before firing into the ranks of the unit. Tseng followed suit, using his gun as a club as well as his fists when the bullets ran out.
The fight was short, but bloody, and far too one-sided. Two against a hundred were never good odds, especially when one was injured. Soon they were borne down beneath the mob, still struggling, before being clubbed into unconsciousness.
Tseng could hear the man laughing, the sound following him down into darkness. No... I'm sorry, Elena...