Author's Note: I'm a hurry so this will be quick! Sorry for not updating last Friday, I had company! Hope you enjoy this one-shot and I'll let you know that I have begun work on the sequel to The Beginning! Please review! Thanks!
Reno opened his eyes, an unseen force suddenly waking him. Something was wrong. Reno had lived long enough to learn to trust his instincts almost infallibly, as it was the same gut feelings that had kept him alive so far.
Elena. His first thought was for the girl laying next to him. Turning his head quietly, he noted that she was perfectly fine, still curled up and sleeping soundly as she'd been when he fell asleep. He kept his breathing calm and noiseless easily, even though his mind was on the full alert and his heart rate was starting to pick up. Elena was alright, so what was it that had caused him to awake so swiftly?
For the briefest of seconds, a shuffling sound was heard. The sound was barely audible and maddeningly short, but it was enough for the redhead. He knew the sound of footsteps made by someone attempting perfect silence, a feat accomplished by very few. Carefully, Reno rolled out of bed, hardly making a sound as he slid out from under the sheets, the fabric flowing over his black sweatpants and his contrastingly pale skin. Another instinctual urge gripped him, and Reno instantly reached across the bed to put his hand over Elena's mouth at the precise moment her eyes were fluttering open.
She looked first alarmed and then simply surprised and confused when she recognized the man leaning over her. Putting a finger to his lips, Reno motioned for her to remain silent as he leaned down until his mouth almost touched her ear.
"Don't move, don't speak," he whispered so low she could hardly hear him. Elena was starting to look alarmed again as Reno backed away, his hand sliding under his pillow and grabbing the black handgun he kept there. He knew he could probably handle the situation without it, but he didn't take chances anymore. Not when he had someone to protect, someone who depended on him.
With the silence of a highly trained professional killer, Reno crept to the door, luckily left open a crack so he didn't have to bother with a doorknob. Widening the gap just enough to get a good look through it, Reno almost smiled. Just what I thought. Some pathetic bastard lookin' for anythin' to steal. He wasn't surprised the man currently poking around in his living room had managed to get in. Reno frequently didn't even bother locking the door to his apartment. Anyone who knew whose home it was wouldn't dare break in, and if they knew and were still breaking in, they must be extremely intent on killing him and a measly lock wouldn't be much of a deterrent anyway.
Now that he'd realized there really was no danger, Reno just became annoyed. He opened the door wider and slipped out, hugging the wall where it was darkest. He knew Elena was listening as hard as she could, probably frightened, and he hoped she wouldn't move or make any noise and draw attention to herself. He still didn't know if the intruder was armed or not. It wouldn't make much difference anyway. Reno could drop the man before he had time to register any sound made by Elena. However, anyone who woke him up in the middle of the night did not deserve to get off that easily.
When he'd gotten exactly where he wanted to be, Reno intentionally let his footfall make a sound, just to set the burglar's nerves tingling. The desired effect was produced. The man froze, listening intently. The silence inside the apartment was so deep it seemed to scream. Eventually, the intruder crouched behind a chair, hoping to be hidden in case his position had been compromised. Reno had predicted the movement, of course, and was positioned against the wall behind the same chair, now less than five feet from the man.
"Ya know," Reno spoke up at a normal volume, "That would work if I couldn't see in the dark." The intruder practically jumped out of his skin, glancing around frantically for the redhead who leaned casually, and still as a statue against the wall, invisible for the moment. It was times like these when his mako-enhanced vision came in handy. Darkness posed no problem to Reno. Everything still appeared in shades of grey, but it was like half-light to him.
"Do you know where you are?" Reno asked conversationally. The would-be thief made no sound for a moment, and then bolted wildly for the door. Reno easily tripped him, and then moved away before the man got his bearings so that his location remained unknown. The man now attempted crawling his way to freedom, but was jerked to his feet and whirled through a series of precise motions that ended with Reno holding the man's arms securely behind his back with one arm. With his other hand, Reno cocked the gun audibly and pressed the cold metal barrel against the intruder's temple.
"Congratulations," Reno was beginning to sound upset, "You've broken into the home of a Turk!" He could almost feel the man go cold and he could certainly hear the gasp of horror.
"I didn't know, I'm sorry, just let me go!" the man begged, struggling hopelessly. By now Elena decided the need for silence was over, and she had stepped into the room and flicked on a light, banishing the thick darkness from the area.
"Oh, let him go, Reno," she yawned, "He's scared to death."
"But he woke me up! I'm pissed off now!" Reno complained, "I am really tired, and it took me forever to fall asleep, and then this bastard had to come sneakin' around and wakin' me up!"
"Is it worth shooting the guy over?" Elena questioned skeptically, approaching the two men. The burglar had stopped struggling, and appeared to be holding his breath, evidently hoping that Elena would convince Reno to let him go. When she reached them, Elena put a gentle hand on Reno's bare upper arm and leaned up to speak quietly in his ear.
"We do enough killing as it is. Why add one more to the count if it's not necessary?" The words were spoken with feeling, obviously coming from someone who believed in them very much. What she said seemed to have some effect on the redhead, who un-cocked the gun and lowered it with a sigh.
"Fine," he sounded a bit sullen, "But ya ain't gettin' away that easy." With the ease of long practice, Reno plucked a wallet out of the man's back pocket in the blink of an eye. He shoved the man away from him, surprising the intruder and making him fall to the floor as Reno flipped open the wallet. "Dude, next time carry a little more cash, will ya?" Reno complained, removing the money and tossing the wallet to the man.
"Did you just steal from the guy who broke into your house?" Elena asked, having trouble processing what had just happened as the man took his emptied wallet gratefully and ran like the devil was at his heels. He wouldn't be breaking in anywhere for a long time.
"Yup," Reno replied, appearing satisfied with himself as he picked the girl up and carried her, his gun, and the newly acquired cash back to the bedroom, "Cause I'm just that awesome." He flicked the light off in passing and set the money and gun down on the dresser, still holding Elena. "And now I am going to get some freakin' sleep!" He held her close as he lay down. Smiling and shaking her head slightly at his uniqueness, Elena pulled the blankets over them both and ran her fingers through his blood-red hair until he fell asleep.