Yuffie spent the next few hours unpacking her belongings. By the time she'd put her few books on the shelves, her clothes in drawers, and some weapons on the dresser, she felt a little less like a prisoner.

She searched the kitchen and living room for Elena or Reno, but only found Jezebel stretched out on the couch. She peered into Reno's room, but it was dark and empty. She moved down the hall and knocked on Elena's doorframe. The Turk looked up from her dresser, where she was putting away some clothes. She waved Yuffie in.

"Where's Reno?" the ninja asked.

"He went into Junon to get the pumpkin, and probably cigarettes and booze," she added, crinkling her nose slightly. She looked at Yuffie and her gaze softened. "He did apologize to you, right?"

"Yeah," she answered with a nod.

"I hope he didn't upset you too much," the blond consoled. "He's got no filter to speak of, and he lives by stereotypes. I'm not making excuses for him, but that's just Reno." Yuffie sighed, flapping a hand dismissively.

"It's all right. I know I'm not pretty or curvy or chesty like Tifa. I'm a kick ass ninja, though!" she told the other woman with a wink. Elena smiled.

"You are!" she agreed. "But… just because you're built differently, why would you think you're not pretty?" There was genuine care in her voice, and Yuffie felt that certain tug of closeness to her again.

"Oh, I know I'm awesome looking," she amended. "I'm just not… I dunno, double-take Tifa." Elena shook her head, a smile on her face. Then she brightened and dug around in one of the drawers of her nightstand. She produced a small canvas bag and held it up.

"Let me prove you wrong." She unzipped the plain beige bag and Yuffie peered inside.

"Makeup?"

"Just a little. Some eyeliner and mascara, and just a pinch of something on your lips," the blond said thoughtfully, studying Yuffie's face carefully. The Wutaian girl made a face.

"I'm no good at girly stuff," she said. She recalled all the times Tifa had tried to take her shopping or paint her toenails, only to have them go horribly awry.

"I'm not either, but you can't tell I'm wearing any," Elena giggled. Yuffie cocked her head to the side and leaned in close. Her eyelashes were black, not blond, and brown eyeliner was lightly dusted across her lower lids.

"I never noticed it before! But… you're so pretty. Why do you wear it?" the ninja asked.

"I started wearing it when I found out I was the only female on the team. It was a vanity thing." She shrugged. "And then I just got comfortable with it. I liked the way I felt in it. That's why I wear it now, even though I'm no longer intimidated by being the only girl. Wearing makeup makes me good, and that's the only reason any woman should wear it." Yuffie had been somewhat doubtful, but she trusted Elena's judgment and reasoning.

"What the hell. Go for it!" Elena fidgeted happily and began to dig through the small canvas bag. Eyeliner was applied first, a dark, smoky charcoal. Yuffie giggled through the entire application, scrunching her face and forcing Elena to hold her eyes wide open. Black mascara followed; as the blond applied it, her face split into a wide smile. Then she pulled out a stick of lip colour. It was a peachy-pink, and she pressed it against Yuffie's lips in little dots, then smudged it with her little finger.

"Done!" Elena announced with a smile.

"Really? That's all?" Yuffie asked, incredulous. She nodded.

"Mhm, take a look." She gestured to the mirror. The ninja hopped lightly off the bed and bounded over to the mirror. Her eyes widened. She looked the same, only… not. The charcoal colour of the eyeliner brought out the warm brown in her eyes, made them seem lighter and brighter. And her eyelashes - she had to lean in close to the mirror to be sure that they were hers. They were long and thick like those women in the Rimmel London commercials. The colour on her lips was just barely discernible, but she found she rather liked the colour. She knew how little she was wearing, but she felt like a whole new person. She felt like she deserved a double take. She twirled around, smiling brightly.

"See what I mean? You are double take worthy, Yuff. You just never saw it," Elena assured her. The ninja looked at herself in the mirror again. 'Washboard abs, kick ass Materia, my own country, AND double take good looks. I am unstoppable,' she thought to herself.

"Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, eat your heart out, Vince," she muttered. Elena cleared off her bed, stuffing the makeup bag back into a drawer.

"Things rocky between you and Valentine?" she asked. Yuffie bit her lip and sat back down on the bed.

"Things were never… stable. We tried kind of a half-ass little… you can't even call it a relationship. I mean, it sort of was, but…" she stumbled over her words. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about it. In fact, it would be easier to talk about it with Elena than it would be with Tifa. Elena wasn't friends with Vincent, and wouldn't feel like she had to defend him if Yuffie got cranky. She just didn't know how to describe what it was that she and Vincent had. Seeing her distress, Elena flipped her legs around and stood up.

"C'mon, let's have a drink and some corn dogs," she said. Yuffie smiled gratefully and stood.

"You're a mind reader."

"I mean, I'm not repulsive. I even stopped stealing and started using the front door, all for him. It was just never enough, I guess," Yuffie mumbled. She had begun full of conviction and Vincent fueled fury, but it petered out quickly. She took a bite out of her corn dog. "I just couldn't be Lucrecia." She scoffed. "I wouldn't have left him for Hojo - I'm not into deranged scientists."

"So… did you leave him?" Elena asked.

"We were only half together anyway. It was kinda one-sided. He just… tolerated me. We're friends, and he cares for me that way, and he probably wants to kill the Bones just as much as Tif and Cid and Cloud do, but that's where it ends for him." She hoped that explanation made some sort of sense.

"Where does that leave you?" Elena questioned delicately.

"After a drunken hookup, made a list of options. A, wallow in misery and try to win Vinnie over for good; Two, have another drunken hookup; And D, wait for Prince Charming," Yuffie answered.

"Door number one sounds like the worst idea in the world." Elena took a bite of her corn dog. "Valentine isn't the only man in the world. You're the hot ninja princess who saved the world - twice! And now you don't even have to marry some stuffy old lord and have stuffy old lord babies," she said cheerfully.

"Ooh, you're right!" Yuffie gave her a lopsided grin. "I wish I'd had drinks with you and the others more often."

"It's entertaining, all right," Elena mused. She sipped at her rum and cola. "You'd fit in well." Yuffie grinned and bit into another corn dog.

"So, enough about my sad life between the sheets. What about yours? Reno thinks you're seeing someone." Elena flushed prettily.

"Well, I… I kind of am. I mean, I am seeing someone, but I-"

"You don't have to say who it is. I know it won't help, but I told Reno to cool it," Yuffie interrupted. The petite blond looked relieved, and she took another drink. "But what's he like?" she asked, squirming anxiously in her seat. Elena smiled; there was a fondness in her expression. Her eyes softened and she ran her thumb gently over the glass.

"He's smart - so very intelligent. He's dedicated to his work, but when he's with me, in the evenings…" she laughed quietly. "That is, when we have the time. We're both so busy all the time. But when we have the time, he's… gentle and sweet, almost. Quiet evenings together aren't common for us, but they're worth it," she murmured, somewhat dreamily. Yuffie sighed, her chin in her palm.

"He sounds like a real catch," she said wistfully. "How long have you been seeing him?"

"Almost three months now. I think we're past the awkward phase now. I stay at his flat more often than not, when I'm not on missions. He's an excellent cook and," she blushed, smiling shyly, "the best lover I've ever had. He comes off as a hard-ass at work. I've heard the guys he's in charge of complain about him sometimes. When it's just the two of us, though, he's almost… tender. I think he's had issues in the past with letting himself feel things, but he's getting better." Yuffie had a wide, wistful smile on her face. Elena caught her expression and smiled back. Before it could reach her ears, however, her face fell and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Gaia, listen to me, gushing like this after you've just told me about Vincent! I'm so sorry!" she blurted. Yuffie waved it off.

"P'shaw, don't worry. Gotta get over him somehow, right?" she dismissed. "You sound like you've got a keeper on your hands, 'Lena!"

"I think you're right," Elena agreed, relaxing again.

"How d'ya think he's holding up? I mean, with you being totally cut off for who knows how long," Yuffie asked.

"He understands. He encouraged me to do this, said it was important. He told me he'd be waiting for me when all this is over. His history says he won't be, but I think.. I think he's changed from the man he used to be." Elena nodded, as if reaffirming herself. "Yeah, I think he'll be there." Yuffie sighed dreamily again.

"So when are you gonna tell your friends and stuff?" she asked. Elena shrugged.

"Things are a little hairy at work for him right now; I think.. I think the current silence is better for the time being. Maybe when things settle down we'll make ourselves known, but that might not be for a while." She shrugged again. "I don't mind. If it makes him comfortable, then I'm game." She tossed back the rest of her drink, then poured another. "Plus, it's funny watching Reno try to guess who it is." Yuffie giggled.

"Has he ever guessed right?"

"He doesn't have a clue!" The two shared a laugh, but were interrupted by Reno's arrival.

"Who don't have a clue?" he asked without looking at them, setting a pair of bags down on the counter.

"Oh, yanno, just uh, Cloud has no idea that, uh, Rude likes Tifa," Yuffie covered lamely. Elena stifled a giggle behind her hand.

"How does he not notice? Rude's a regular there, sittin' in his corner and makin' eyes at her from behind those shades of his," he said, unloading a few liquor bottles from one of the bags. "Unless she's still too wrapped around Cloud's oblivious ass."

"He's just not into her like that, I guess," Yuffie said. "Him and Cid and Barret and Reeve got drunk one night an' he kept talkin' about him and Zack, and he'd get this dopey, squishy, lovebird look on his face." Reno chuckled.

"So they did have a thing. Zack, you naughty, naughty boy," he mused. He unloaded a few baking ingredients, including canned pumpkin. He left everything on the counter and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"You're gonna fill this whole place up with smoke," Yuffie complained. Still not turning around, he reached over and flipped a switch on the wall. There was a gentle rumble and then near silence.

"Shinra senior smoked like a chimney; he had a fancy ventilation system put in; I can continue to kill myself down here," he said happily. He turned around and shifted his eyes over them, and then to look at Yuffie again, his eyes slightly wide. The ninja wasn't paying attention, too preoccupied with pouring herself another drink. Elena, however, saw his second look, watched his hand loosen on the unlit cigarette he held. She smiled inwardly. 'There's her double take, and she's missing it.' Reno quickly fumbled for his lighter and once he was successful in lighting his cigarette, he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Elena observed, resting her chin in her hands. He nodded, his eyes still closed.

"Over a day. Never doin' that again," he murmured, his voice husky with smoke. He cracked one eye open and looked at them. "Sausage marinara okay for dinner?" Elena smiled.

"Oh yay, I was hoping you'd take over cooking," she said, somewhat smug. He waved a hand at her.

"Yeah, I hear ya. You'll be thanking me when you're dyin' over pumpkin pie later." He looked at Yuffie. "No more corn dogs, midge," he scolded as she reached for another one. "You won't have any room for my delicious sausage." He winked at her. Yuffie raised an eyebrow at him, her deadpan expression clearly telling him that she was ignoring the innuendo.

"I gotta pee," she announced, shoving away from the island and wandering back to her room. Elena dragged her gaze over to Reno once the ninja was out of earshot. She grinned knowingly at him.

"What?" He took another pull of his cigarette, turning around to busy himself with dinner preparations. Her smile widened and she moved, silent and stealthy, to stand behind him, elevated on her toes to leer over his shoulder. Her chest bumped into his back and he rocked forward, grunting. The smile never left her face. "You're such a creep, Laney," he muttered, the smoking stick held loosely between his lips, muffling his speech.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Elena murmured.

"Who, princess?" he asked. He felt Elena nod against his shoulder and he shrugged. "She ain't an eyesore." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Uh-huh," she said, an observant inflection in the last part of the word. She slipped away from him easily and grabbed her drink off the table.

"You didn't cut her hair or anything, didja?" Reno asked mildly, his tone carefully disinterested. Elena smirked, grateful he couldn't see her.

"Of course not," she said smoothly. "She hasn't changed a thing." Reno grunted, smoke billowing out from between his lips. Smirk still in place, Elena slunk out of the kitchen.

"See, I toldja my cooking was perfect," Reno crowed as they sat down to eat. Yuffie had to admit, it was delicious. Fat sausages covered in marinara sauce, on top of penne pasta. It was damn good, and the stabbity noodles were her favourite.

"Uh-huh, sure. Cook for me when I'm totally sober and we'll talk about that ego'a yours," Yuffie said around a mouthful of noodles. She and Elena had been happily drinking down the bottle of rum all afternoon, and she was pleasantly buzzed. So really, anything could have been tasty to her at that point. Well, probably not Cid's bacon and eggs, but just about anything else was fair game.

"Challenge accepted. Tomorrow morning, you're gonna eat the best pumpkin spice pancakes you've ever had," he declared. Yuffie smirked. Getting him to cook for her was easier than she thought it would be. Elena had been right, all those weeks ago at the bar. Appealing to a man's ego and sense of pride was the easiest way to get what one wanted.

"Did you get anything else while you were out?" Elena asked him. He raised his eyebrows as if remembering something, then dug around in his pocket. He set a small black PHS on the table and slid it to Elena.

"Secure, direct line to Rude, Tseng, or Rufus," he said. "Calls are completely untraceable and are outgoing only. We know their numbers by heart, so this phone deletes all data when the call's complete." His tone was completely professional.

"You get this from the drop spot?" she asked, flipping the phone open, glancing at the blank, blue screen before snapping it shut again. Reno stuffed a piece of sausage into his mouth and nodded.

"Rude n'me stuffed 'em there when we brought the paintings and corn dogs," he replied, all professionalism gone once more. "The guys are supposed to keep the other phones on their persons, charged and on, at all times, but you know Rufus; he'd forget his head if it wasn't attached." He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. "I called Tseng, got a news update on the Bones." He looked at Yuffie, who straightened and focused her eyes on him.

"Are my friends okay?" There was a fierce sort of determination in her eyes, as if she were silently commanding her friends to be safe through sheer force of will.

"They're fine. An attempt was made on your father's life last night. Apparently, they found out you were missin' and got pissed," Reno told her. He paused, waiting for some sort of reaction from her. "Ain't'cha wondering if he survived?"

"You said attempt," she pointed out. Reno allowed a little, pleased smirk to dash across his face. "Besides, my old man won't go down so easily. Great ninjas don't come from crappy ones."

"You're right on the first bit, at least." ("Hey!" she cried indignantly.) He forked more noodles into his mouth. "His guards took down the assassin easily. He was a clumsy little dipshit, from what Boss says. They're not havin' any luck gettin' anything out of him, but Tseng's on his way to Wutai now," he murmured darkly. That shadowy coruscation was back in his blue-green eyes, and Yuffie shivered slightly.

"Poor guy," Elena whistled. Yuffie smirked. 'Poor guy' didn't even begin to cover what he was. During the war with Wutai, she had heard stories of Tseng; a man that turned on his own people was now Shinra's best interrogator. Men were screaming for death within an hour. He worked alone, so no one ever really knew what went on in the dim interrogation room. Of course, no one ever lived to talk about it, and Tseng was a lockbox.

"Your daddy's safe, but I figured I'd let'cha know what's goin' on topside. Tseng should have some answers for us soon," Reno chuckled. Yuffie poked her sausage around on her plate.

"Any chance of this flunky knowing everything and Vinnie putting a bullet between the big man's eyes?" she grumbled. Reno waved a hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure your boyfriend is just dyin' for revenge," he said loftily.

"He's not my boyfriend!" the ninja huffed. Reno sipped at his drink, raising his eyebrows lazily, mock surprise on his face.

"Oh really," he drawled. "Then why's it always-"

"Reno," Elena warned. His gaze flicked over to his colleague, then back to Yuffie, who sat rigid in her seat, her eyes cold and empty as she stared at her food. Reno scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah- yanno, forget about it. Anyway, that kid what tried to polish off your dad probably doesn't know a damn thing, but we can squeeze his base outta him and hopefully strike gold," he said, changing the subject.

"How long d'you think it'll take to get somewhere?" Yuffie asked, her voice tight and controlled.

"He'll probably take one look at Tseng, wet his pants, and spill all in thirty seconds," Elena said cheerfully. "We can probably get your dad on the line once Tseng gets to Wutai. Do you want to talk to him?" Yuffie considered this for a moment, then shook her head.

"Nah, he's totally fine. Besides, I'm still pissed at him for telling you it was okay to beat me up." She pushed away from the table and put her plate and cutlery in the dishwasher. "Dinner was pretty good, Red. I guess I'll just see you guys tomorrow." Her voice was flat and monotone; Elena looked at her sharply, for just a flash, and then glared at Reno fiercely.

"Good night, Yuffie," the blond said, her sweet voice belying the fury of her gaze. Yuffie didn't look at either of them as she swiped her glass off the table and left the kitchen silently. When her door clicked shut, Elena struck out and slapped Reno on the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I deserved that," he winced.

"Stop bringing up Vincent around her," she hissed. Reno's eyes widened and he gestured toward the living room.

"She brings him up first! She's always talkin' about that damn vampire," he defended. Elena smacked him again.

"Because he broke her heart, you moron," she snapped. His eyebrow twitched.

"Then why's she always bringin' him up? Aren't you not supposed to talk about the people you don't like?"

"She doesn't hate him. She's just not over him. She probably doesn't want to talk about him, but so much relates back to him that it just… pops out," Elena explained. Reno blinked at her for a moment, then shook his head.

"Women," he muttered. He jabbed his fork at Elena. "You're all the same. 'I hate him, he stomped all over my emotions with hobnailed boots, but he's SO dreamy and handsome, but don't talk about him, I hate talking about him!'" he simpered, his voice rising to a falsetto. His hand fluttered to his chest and he bat his eyelashes at her, and then he fixed her with a deadpan expression. "And you wonder why men can't ever figure you out."

"That is so sexist, and it just makes you a big fat hypocrite, Reno." Elena dropped her voice several octaves. "'I can't believe Sarah-Beth would up and leave me for some guy in the army, what's he got that I don't? You yahoos bring her up again and I'll shovemy EMR so far up your-'"

"That was different!" he protested, cutting her off. She poked him hard in the chest.

"It wasn't. You're human, just like she is. You've both seen and done things that most normal people wouldn't even dream of, but you've both still got emotions. She can't help hers any more than you can help yours." Reno scowled, crossing his arms petulantly.

"Why you always gotta pull that touchy-feely crap on me?" he grumbled. Smiling, she pecked him on the cheek.

"Because you're just a big bowl of pudding under all that liquor." She picked up their dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. They made their way into the living room and sat down on the couch. Elena curled up against Reno's side, and he draped an arm around her shoulder. She flicked through the stations on the tele for a while, and eventually settled on 'The Prestige'. She snuggled into Reno's familiar, warm chest and cast her eyes on Hugh Jackman's handsome, rugged features.

His knuckles rapped on Yuffie's door. He waited, but he didn't hear anything. He knocked again, harder this time. Nothing. Cracking the door just no more than three fingers wide, he called, "Hey, midge." No answer. He pushed the door open gently and stuck his head in. The bed was vacant; the lamp cast its dim radiance across the room, which he scanned. No one. He was about to retreat, to maybe see if she were in the training room when he heard the faintest rustle of clothing in the corner of the room. Reno pushed his head into the room and twisted to look in the right corner.

Yuffie was curled up in the chair, a book dangling from her hand. Jezebel was draped over her lap, her green eyes nearly glowing.

"Can I come in for a minute, yo?" he asked. Yuffie's wrist twitched, and she shrugged. He stepped into her room, leaving the door cracked. Her brown eyes flicked to the door, just briefly, and her shoulders dropped a fraction. He moved toward her and sat down on the edge of the ottoman, his hands falling between his knees.

"There was this girl. Sarah-Beth. Most serious I'd ever been with a chick," he said, his voice quiet. Jezebel stretched her front legs out and touched his upper thigh with her paws, perhaps in silent support, but more likely because the giant feline had taken a shine to him. "Long, mournful story short, I just wasn't good enough for her."

"What's that got to do with me, turkey?" she asked, her voice less monotone than it had been before.

"Look, I'm no good with this shit," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't like people talkin' about her to me, and Rude kept bringin' her up and bringin' her up…" He shook his head, a grim smirk on his face. "I decked him."

"So you're sayin' I should punch you?" Yuffie asked; he could hear the smirk in her words. Reno winced.

"I guess I'd deserve it, if you really wanna… but what I'm try'na say is that I know why you talk about him, an' I know why you can't stand it when he's brought up," he mumbled. Yuffie stretched her leg out and shoved at Reno's hip. He looked up at her, and was relieved to see a small smile on her face.

"Now, c'mere and lemme show you what I wanted to last night," he said, standing up. He walked over to the wall to the left of her bed and kicked at the green paneling. Yuffie twisted to her feet and moved over to stand beside him, dropping her book on the bed. Reno crouched down and pressed on the panel. With a soft click, it moved back half an inch, which allowed him to slide it over. He stooped and folded his body nearly in half and slipped inside. Yuffie poked her head in and looked up at him. He was standing up in a narrow space behind the back wall. He looked down at her and grinned. He stepped down the walkway, giving her room to enter and stand.

"Is this where you lock me back here and have your way with me?" she wondered, staring around at the darkness. Reno chuckled.

"Not unless you want me to," he purred. Yuffie snorted and gave him a shove. "Naw, go that way." He pointed in the direction of Elena's room. They moved quietly; it was rather late and they didn't want to wake her up if she were asleep. He touched her on her elbow to signal her to stop, and he pointed down at a small handle on a panel. "This leads into Laney's room."

"What is all this?" she whispered.

"It's a safe house, yo. These were built into it, just in case. If someone gets in, you can get to us, safely," he told her quietly. He cocked his head to the side and held his finger to his lips, silencing her before she could speak. "Hear that?" His voice was barely above a whisper. They leaned in and pressed their ears against the wall, facing each other.

"I miss you." Elena's voice filtered through the wall, muffled and quiet, but discernible. Reno's eyebrows shot up, and Yuffie's crinkled in confusion.

"Tseng?" she whispered. Reno shook his head shortly.

"She hacked the phone; she's calling whoever she's seein'."

"Everything is fine. I wish you were here," she said, her tone wistful and almost sad. "The nightmares started already. You've spoiled me." She sighs, and they can barely hear it. "No, Reno does help. But… he's not you. You know what to do." She giggled softly. "Just my knickers. The red ones you like."

Reno's eyes widened and Yuffie stifled a giggle behind her hand. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her away before they could hear any more that they shouldn't. They wandered past her panel and continued on to his. "One more thing at show you," he said, the smile still on his face. He pushed open his panel and bent down, stepping into his room. Yuffie followed him, and he held out his hand to her. She accepted it and pulled herself up. Reno walked over to his closet and opened the door; he pushed his clothes aside and flicked on the light. He jerked his thumb, motioning for her to look inside.

In the back of the closet, there was a large metal door with no handle. It was slightly ajar, and she pulled it open and looked inside. There were shelves with MRE's, bottles of water, and monitors that displayed the various rooms of the safe house. A stainless steel toilet was against the wall. A small cot hung suspended opposite it, and a sink was adjacent to that.

"It's a panic room. The button there on the wall," he pointed to a small number pad next to the door on the inside, "closes it. It can't be opened from the outside; this door is bullet proof and bomb proof. The code to open it is your birthday."

"Why are you showing me this?" Yuffie asked, somewhat cautiously. Reno sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"I'm gonna level with you, princess. These Bones are good. It's not smart to think they couldn't find this place. It's well hidden and defensible, but they're not dumb. If anything happens, you gotta get to this panic room and shut yourself in, right away," he said, his eyes holding none of their usual mirth.

"What about you and Elena? I can't just leave-"

"You can and you will. We're here to protect you, and if we can't, you gotta get in here and stay in here until someone shows up. You'll be able to see what's goin' on through those monitors. Unless it's me or Laney, or anyone else you know, don't open that door." Yuffie crossed her arms.

"None of this is inspiring any confidence, yanno," she groused. Reno shrugged.

"I know, all this blows," he agreed. "But there's enough food an' water in there to last a month, but the most you'll be in there for is a day. Probably." They stepped out of the closet. He shut the door and turned to her. "Swear it, midge." He gazed down at her, no-nonsense and intense, and he found his hand reaching out for her wrist. He stopped, jamming the wandering appendage into his pocket. "Shit goes down, you get in there." Yuffie licked her lips and looked away.

"Fine," she finally said. She turned away from him and made toward the open panel of his wall. She paused, looking back over her shoulder. "Thanks, Reno." And she was gone, slipped through the hole in the wall like she hadn't just been standing there. The panel clicked shut, and there was silence.

Reno stood still for a moment, the hand in his pocket balled into a fist. He stared at the panel listlessly, trying to think of something, anything, other than the way she said his name.

I tried to base Reno and Elena's relationship off of the kind I've got with my best friend. We can snuggle under blankets and sleep wrapped around each other and it's still totally platonic. I might edit this later, I might not. Depends how I feel about it in the morning, I suppose. Let me know what you think! Reviews make my day. Oh! Spot the movie reference (not The Prestige) and you win some of Reno's pumpkin pie, since they never ate it.

Peace, love, and chai~