Hey! Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I had it wrtten and ready to upload last week, but and my computer were being a butt... Anywho, here's the latest installment! I'm going to update either tonight or tomorrow. And I've already got an idea for another Elena fanfic that I'm going to start on soon. And I'm thinking it's not going to be Relena this time...Anywho, enjoy the latest chapter!
Elena sighed as she walked into her darkened and empty apartment. She could feel the beginnings of a headache tugging at her temples.
"Here, Ten-ten," she said loudly as she kicked the front door shut. A soft meow could be heard from the shallow depths of the small apartment. Stumbling in the dark, Elena made her way to the small kitchen. She set the bag of take-out on the counter and flipped the light switch on.
"Ten-ten! Dinner!" she shouted again. A snow white cat lazily wandered into the kitchen and meowed. "Yes, I know I'm late. But there was a longer than usual line at Mizo's," she said, loosening her tie. The cat sat down and stared up at her. Elena sighed and rolled her eyes as she pulled the tie off.
"God, this is pathetic. I'm having a conversation with a cat." She looked down at the cat. "What are you looking at?" After sitting the tie on the counter, Elena reached up and opened a cabinet, revealing a box of cat food. She took the box and filled the small, plastic bowl that sat on the ground at her feet. Humming softly, she then put up the cat food, grabbed her take-out and walked into the tiny living room, decorated with a few pictures on the walls of her and her sister. She kicked her shoes off before settling on the couch and reaching for the remote. Keeping with ritual, she turned the TV on to the evening news and began to eat. Through the boring, fake new banter, thoughts of Tseng pervaded her self-induced isolation. Elena stood, take-out in hand, and walked over to her window that looked out over the city. Bright lights glittered into her darkened living room that was illuminated slightly by the glow of the TV. Out there were people living their lives. Enjoying their lives. And here she was. Sitting in a dark apartment, eating take-out and sulking over a stupid crush that wouldn't die.
"Pathetic," she murmured. Looking over her shoulder, Elena caught sight of her purse, abandoned on the counter in the kitchen. Reno's invitation sifted through her mind. Did she really want to go? Memories of the last time she let Reno take her out drinking drifted into her mind. Memories of nearly getting kicked out of the bar and horrible hangovers that lasted all the next day. But anything was better than sitting in her apartment alone, wishing she were out having fun. And, she had tomorrow off so she would have enough time to get over whatever hangover came her way. Her mind was made. Abandoning the news and the take-out, Elena grabbed her purse and left the apartment, hoping that she could find this supposedly "kick ass" bar that Reno was at.
Kick ass was not the first phrase that entered Elena's mind when she arrived at Remington's. Granted, the aged exterior promised that the bar had character. Elena sighed and walked in. It was smoky, but not full of people. Elena looked around, her eyes scanning the room for Reno's bright red hair. He was no where to be found. As usual. She rolled her eyes, quietly kicking herself for talking herself into coming. But there was nothing she could. And while she was there, she might as well have a drink. An opening at the bar revealed several open stools. Elena slid into one and waited until the barkeep looked her way.
"And what will the lady have this evening?" he asked, his gray eyes still twinkling with amusement from a conversation he was previously engaged in.
"One beer," she said, sitting her purse on the bar in front of her.
"Want to start a tab?"
"Why not?" Elena said as she shrugged. He smiled and reached into the cooler. He pulled out a bottle, popped the cap and slid it across the bar to her.
"Now what's a pretty girl like yourself doing out drinking by yourself? Meeting someone?" he asked as he leaned against his side of the bar. Elena took a long swig, emptying a good one-third of the beer and set the bottle down.
"I was meeting someone, but it looks like he's not coming," she said, tracing her finger around the bottles mouth.
"Boyfriend? Fiancé? Secret lover?" he asked, thoroughly amused by Elena, who had just managed to nearly drain the bottle with her next swig.
"Boyfriend? Secret lover? Heh!" she said with a laugh. "Try idiotic co-worker who is always trying to drag me out to bars." The barkeep reached down and grabbed another bottle, stopping to pop the cap off before sliding it across to Elena.
"So, idiotic co-worker...something tells me he knew you needed to get out to drink tonight," he said. Elena stopped mid-swig and place the bottle down.
"Is it that obvious?" she asked.
"Well, you walked in looking like you had a stick up your ass, so I would say it's obvious," he said, trying to hold off his laughter. Elena shook her head and finished off the first bottle, then reached for the second one.
"Oh, if only you knew the whole, freakin' story," she said, starting to feel the alcohol barely begin to prick on her bloodstream.
"Well, I'm here all night and we're not too busy," he said.
A couple more beers and a few shots later, Reno still had not shown up, but by this point, Elena didn't care. She was feeling buzzed and had made a new friend out of Joe, the barkeep, who not only sympathized with her, but agreed that Tseng was an arrogant bastard and idiot for not returning her feelings. At the moment, Joe was busy at the other end of the bar, tending to the other patrons that had wandered in as the night progressed. Elena took the time to look around her. The bar was actually picking up and most of the tables were filled with people drinking and hitting on each other. She sneered slightly at the thought of everyone hitting on each other. Here she was, sitting a bar, telling her life story to the barkeep while others around her were scoring.
"I should be getting hit on," she thought. "But what's the use? It's not like I'd actually go home with anyone."
"Is anyone sitting here?" someone asked. Elena looked up to see a very handsome, blonde man standing next to her. She shook her head no and watched as he slid onto the stool next to here. "Come here often?" he asked.
"No. This is actually my first time," she said, taking another, much smaller drink. "You?"
"Ah, I've been here a few times before. I thought I hadn't seen you before. I'd remember someone like you," he said, smiling as he flagged down Joe. Elena took another drink of her beer, trying not to giggle. Hadn't she just been mentally complaining that no one had been hitting on her? Then this incredibly gorgeous guys waltzes right up to her. It was as if he read her mind. Oh, the joys of fate.
"I'm Tristan," he said, extending his hand. Elena accepted it.
"Elena," she said, shaking it.
"Wow, nice grip. What do you do for a living?" he said, half-joking. Elena smiled and took another sip of her beer.
"I work for Shinra. I'm a Turk."
"No, shit. I bet that's a fun job," he said. Elena giggled.
"Yea, if you like pushing paperwork and working with an insanely OCD boss," she said, finishing off another beer.
"What? Don't you go out and kick people's ass?" he asked.
"Yes, but what most people don't realize is the mountain of paperwork we have to do after kicking someone's ass," Elena said before taking another drink. Joe walked up. "Hey, another one for the lady and one for myself," Tristan said to Joe. Joe glanced over at Elena.
"You sure you're okay for another one?" he asked, glancing warily at Tristan.
"I'm a Turk, damnit. My tolerance level is higher than the average person," she said with a laugh. Joe shrugged and pulled out the beers.
"Whatever you say, dear. I just want to make sure you can get home safe." Elena took the beer.
"Don't worry, Joe. I always get home safe. Granted it's not always my home," she said winking at Joe as she took another drink. She had no idea what possessed her to add on that last part. It was unlike her. All of her behavior tonight was out of character. But Elena figured she was due for some time to let her hair down and live dangerously. Tristan grinned as he took a drink of his own. Joe stood for a moment watching the two, before being flagged at the opposite end of the bar.
"You're a fiesty one, aren't you?" Tristan asked, watching Elena. She shrugged and laughed.
"I'm normally not like this at all. At work, I'm so responsible and follow all the rules. I bet Reno and Rude would shit their pants if they saw me now. Well, maybe not Reno, he'd probably laugh. And Rude probably wouldn't either. He doesn't show emotion. But Tseng. Now he would totally shit his pants," she rambled on. Tristan leaned in closer to her, his eyes taking in her animated face as she talked, then casually moving down her neck to her white work shirt that had the top three buttons undone.
"I really need to get out more often," Elena finished as she set her bottle on the bar, completely oblivious to Tristan's blatant examination. Luckily for Elena, it didn't go unnoticed.
"Hey, maybe we could get out of here," Tristan said smoothly, as he placed his hand on her thigh. "You know, go somewhere less...smoky?" Elena looked at his lust-filled eyes and then stared down at his hand that was rubbing her upper thigh.
"Um, well...," she said. "Damn, he works fast," she thought. "Quick. How do I say no?" She looked up at him and smiled. "Eh, not tonight, buddy," she said, lifting his hand off her thigh. Quickly, his hand was back on her thigh.
"Come on, you know you want to," he crooned, leaning in closer to her face. Elena shook her head.
"Not really," she said. Tristan leaned in and tried to kiss her. Elena dodged it with her hand.
"Stop. I said no. And get your filthy hand off my thigh," she said, getting noticeably irritated. Tristan sat back and glared at her.
"You're begging for it," he said.
"I think she said no," a familiar voice said. Elena looked to her right and saw bright red.
"Who are you?" Tristan asked, irritated that his mac session was being interrupted.
"Reno! It's about damn time you got here," Elena said as she slid off the stool. "I've been waiting F-O-R-E-V-E-R," she said, crossing her arms. Reno shrugged and smiled.
"What can I say? I like being fashionably late. And you said you weren't coming," he said. Elena rolled her eyes.
"Typical." Tristan looked back and forth between the two.
"I think you're in my seat, yo," Reno said, acknowledging his presence. Tristan nodded and quickly left. Elena giggled as she and Reno slid onto the stools, just as Joe showed back up.
"Ah, Reno, my man! Good to see you! The usual?" he asked, glad that someone had shown up to take care of Elena. Reno nodded.
"Yea, and maybe another one for Elena," he said, noticing her bottle was nearing empty. Joe raised his eyebrows at Elena.
"It's okay. I'm fine," she said. "Besides, Reno is here. He'll get me home safe." Joe shrugged and got the two their drinks. "Where the hell, have you been?" Elena asked once Joe left. Reno shrugged.
"Making the rounds. I try to hit up a few different bars on Fridays," he said, taking a swig. "This is actually my last bar for the evening."
"Oh, Mr. Popular," Elena said. Reno looked at her, perplexed. Elena didn't joke around that often. He figured she must be under a good buzz.
"You know, I think I like drunk Elena better than normal Elena," he said. Elena put her bottle down, feigning offense.
"Excuse me, but I am not drunk. I do not get drunk," she said, trying hard to keep a straight face. She failed miserably.
"You are drunk," Reno said, laughing.
"What, like you've never gotten drunk before?" Elena said, taking another drink.
"Of course, but never with you," he said. Elena giggled.
"Well, then. I guess we're just going to have to change that, aren't we," she said, leaning in close to Reno. Her eyes were alight with a conspirative glow.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" he asked. Elena turned back to her drink.
"No, I'm not trying to seduce you. I'm only trying to get you drunk. So, drink up, buddy."