In the Air Tonight

I don't own Final Fantasy or anything related to it. It belongs to Square Enix

Elena tapped her fingers repeatedly on the table and swirled her drink around in her glass with her other free hand. She glared at these two idiots that were with her, disgusted that they weren't taking this at all seriously. This wasn't a fuckin' vacation…this was business. Reno and Rude were laughing like fools. The two of them had been drinking all evening and were shit faced beyond belief. Elena alternated between staring into the crackling fire in the fireplace across the room and watching the two buffoons that were sitting on either side of her. She swallowed the rest of the liquid in her glass and shoved it toward the center of the table. She sighed irritatedly and shoved her chair backwards.

"I'm leaving. You two are dumbasses! You know that! You don't take anything seriously! My god! We're supposed to be collecting information and you two are treating this like some kind of fuckin' holiday!" Elena hissed at them.

"Relax, Elena! Come on! Sit down! Have another drink! Hell, I'm buyin'!" Rude said stupidly even though he was serious about buying her another drink.

"No! No! Just…just shut the hell up! You two can stay here, get even more trashed and drag some hoe back to your hotel room. I'm outta here. I'll see you in the morning." Elena adjusted her black trench coat and tied its belt around her waist. She jammed her hands in her pockets to dig her gloves out. It was a cold night tonight. She had left her umbrella near the door with her wool scarf tied around it. She gave her stupid colleagues one last look before wrapping her scarf around her neck and readying her umbrella for the chilly, rainy, Wutai night that awaited her outside. She pushed the door open and stepped outside underneath the canopy of the tavern. Cold rain poured off the canopy in lopsided streams. Once her umbrella was pushed up, she headed down the sidewalk, the heavy drops hitting the nylon that covered her steadily. Elena shivered as she proceeded north.

Wutai was desolate tonight. The streets, though brightly lit, were empty. The roadways had few passing cars. These were only the telltale signs that the war in Wutai had long ago decimated the once grand city. This was what was left. She shivered as she tried to pick up her pace. She had traveled almost an entire block to the north when she could feel the vibration of her phone in her pocket. She fumbled for it with her free hand and flipped it open. "Hello?" she answered it not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hey." The voice said.

"Hey. How are you?" Elena asked stopping where she was.

"Better. A lot better in fact. Thank god for restore materia, right?" the voice said to Elena. "Listen, where are you? I'm landing in South Wutai in twenty-five minutes."

"What! Tseng! What the hell are you doing in a helicopter! You're…you're still recovering! That's crazy!" Elena scolded him.

"The doctor said it was okay for me to fly. I just can't be doing anything stupid like…pick things up." Tseng explained.

"Well, I still think it's stupid that you got in a helicopter considering how severe your injuries were." Elena said.

"Can you meet me at the South Wutai helipad? Oh, and can you get me a room for tonight? If you have to pay up front let me know and I'll pay you back." Tseng requested of her. Elena quickly turned around and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Let me see what I can do. I'm headed your way. I'll call you back in a couple minutes." Elena assured him.

"Okay." Tseng hung up the phone shortly thereafter. Elena pulled one of her gloves off so she would actually be able to dial her phone. She called the inn where she, Reno and Rude were staying. "Hi, I need to book a room for the evening." There was a pause. "No vacancies? Hmm…is there anyone scheduled to check out this evening? I see. Well, are there any other inns I could check with? Alright, thank you very much." Elena hung her phone up. It wasn't the best of news on a cold January night like this. Out of nowhere, the wind tore through her as it pelted her with heavy drops of water. Her uncovered hand was frozen instantly. Her teeth chattered as she dialed her phone again. "Hey. We have a problem. There are no vacancies left at the inn. The receptionist said there was another inn on the east side of town but that would be well over a forty-minute walk." Elena explained.

"Hmmm. I see. I can stay with Rude and Reno." Tseng said.

"You don't want to do that. They are both going to be so shitfaced they won't know their own names. We'll figure something out. I'm halfway there." Elena said.

"I'll see you in a few. We're getting ready to land." Tseng told her.

"Okay, bye." Tseng said. Elena shoved her phone into her pocket and quickly reached for her glove. She wondered what condition she would find Tseng in. The incident at the Temple of the Ancients had occurred nearly three months prior. He had been recovering ever since it happened and had been under intensive care for the majority of the time. It was only recently that the doctor's had given him clearance to be mobile again. Elena worried about him. He had been lucky. The situation could have been fatal, but thanks to powerful materia and fast medical care his worst wounds had been quickly attended to. She continued walking, picking up her pace a little and dodging the puddles that were flooding the sidewalks. It was understandable that the inn hadn't had any vacancies. There were only forty rooms in the small, three story structure and it was apparent that the last of the rooms had been booked at some point during the day. Elena hoped that Tseng didn't have a lot of luggage. They had a ways to travel and he wasn't supposed to be tugging on anything. The streets were becoming dimmer the farther away from the business district Elena traveled. Not that Wutai had much of a business district anymore, but nonetheless, the lights were still fading. Elena pushed her umbrella into the January air that whisked a sheet of rain toward her. The bottom edge of her black trench was getting wet. Elena could see the lights of the helipad in the distance. She was glad that at least Tseng had sense enough to have someone fly him here tonight rather than trying to fly himself. Elena knew she would have to get some sort of clearance from the helipad watch-tower before she could enter the gates. She looked both ways down the barren street before crossing to the opposite side. It was a miracle someone was even operating this tower on a night like this. She approached a heavily barbed-wired gate with a keypad beside it. She could hardly see by the dim light above her but she managed to press a call button.

"Hi, Shinra Electric Power Company. I'm meeting my boss here. My ID number is D2941139SEP." Elena rattled off her ID number like it was her phone number. It became second nature very quickly. In fact, she already thought she would know what the tower operator would ask her next.

"State your party's ID please." The operator asked knowing good and well Elena was referring to the Shinra marked chopper that was currently landing.

"Director, Department of Administrative Research. ID number E3720048SEP." Elena rambled off again like clockwork. She knew Tseng's ID and he knew hers. You work together long enough and it was second nature.

"You're clear." The operator told her. There was a buzzing sound and the gate unlocked. Elena pushed the chain-link reinforced gate open. The chopper blades blew rain in all directions. Elena held her umbrella directly in front of her face as she got closer to the screaming blades. As if the night weren't already cold enough, the moving blades created an icy current. She circled the chopper until she was at the side door, moving her umbrella to the side. The door slid open slowly. Tseng was yelling something to the pilot before preparing to leave the safety of the cabin. Elena noticed a large duffel bag laying in the floor of the cabin. The lights inside the chopper were much needed on this landing pad. Aside from the exterior lights on the chopper and the faint blinking landing lights around the helipad, there wasn't much other lighting around.

"Hi. Thanks for meeting me." Tseng said dragging the duffel across the metal toward the edge of the chopper door. Elena quickly reached for it, swooping it up and onto her shoulder before Tseng even had a chance to oppose. She pointed for his other bag.

"No, no…it's okay. I can get it. It's lighter." He insisted. Elena extended a hand out to Tseng and he didn't hesitate grab her. He needed her for stability. Once out of the chopper, Tseng gave the pilot once last wave before the door slid shut.

"Did you bring an umbrella?" Elena asked loudly as they slowly moved away from the blades. The current coming off the blades blew Tseng's tied back hair around his shoulder. The helicopter wouldn't take off until they were long gone in order to ensure Tseng got through the gates with Elena.

"Not at all. Two and a half hours ago I was in a very dry Midgar. I can't believe this." Tseng said. Fortunately, Elena's umbrella was enough for the two of them.

"So, do I need to hold you up or what?" Elena asked wondering what was still healing and what wasn't.

"No, I'm fine. It's just my ribs. I have this adhesive bandage thing wrapped around me." Tseng explained. "I'm sorry you have my luggage on your shoulder. That's not the way it's supposed to be. I'm ashamed, really." Tseng continued. Elena laughed.

"Tseng, please. It's not a big deal. Besides, you've been through hell with this recovery. The least I can do for you is carry you bag." Elena's teeth chattered again as the January air cut through both of them. They would make slow progress heading back toward the inn and toward the business district.

"What are Reno and Rude doing tonight?" Tseng asked. Elena moaned in disgust.

"Getting way drunk and not taking our assignment seriously at all." She said. " I was going to head out alone tomorrow since they are being such dumbasses."

"That's a stupid choice. You can't do it alone. Don't be so impulsive with things like this." Tseng warned her.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…they act like this is nothing; as if they are on some kind of paid vacation." Elena explained.

"I'm glad you feel passionately about your work." Tseng said. There was silence between them for a moment.

"You know, we uh…we've never had a chance to go to dinner." Tseng reminded her. "That's what happens when you get a little fucked up unexpectedly…you have to postpone your dinner plans."

"You're right. We haven't have we?" Elena realized. There was silence again.

"Let's go tonight." Tseng finally said. Elena shot her eyes sideways.

"Tonight? You want to go to dinner tonight?" She asked both delighted and surprised.

"No, I want to take you to dinner tonight." Tseng emphasized. Elena laughed again.

"Okay, well…there are a few places around the inn. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get there?" she asked.

"That sounds perfect." Tseng assured her as cold water began penetrating both of them. Elena found herself moving closer to Tseng in hopes he would be warmer. It was only then that she noticed her umbrella leaning too far forward; the rain was blowing in on she and Tseng from behind.

"Oh, damn it that's cold. Sorry." Elena said tilting her umbrella back once more.

"My god, it's a brutal night." Tseng commented as they approached the lights of the business district. The vertical red sign of the inn could be seen in the distance.

"It is." Elena agreed.

"Is there a pharmacy near the inn?" Tseng questioned.

"Yeah, a 24-hour pharmacy is across the street." Elena said.

"Excellent. I need to get some fresh gauze tonight to wrap myself up again." Tseng said as they trudged through a series of puddles.

"Oh no! I forgot about your wrap. The rain hasn't soaked through your coat and into your bandages has it?" Elena asked rather worried.

"No, it's fine for now. I'm supposed to change the bandages daily to avoid an infection of any kind." Elena lead Tseng toward a small hole in the wall pub near the hotel. The pub seemed so out of place for Wutai, but nonetheless it was here and it appeared busy. Elena grabbed the door for Tseng and then quickly closed her umbrella once they were both covered by the pub's overhang. She shook it a bit before heading inside the dryness of the pub with Tseng.

"That's not right. No woman should open a door for a man." Tseng told her as he tried his best to stay out of the immediate crowd for fear someone would bump into him.

"Hush. Do I need to remind you again that you're injured?" Elena said.

"Now all these people that just saw that think I'm a total prick." Tseng said over his shoulder to her. Elena laughed. She wrestled her umbrella and the bag on her shoulder as she stumbled inside behind Tseng. Thank goodness it was warm in here. Both Tseng and Elena could use this time to dry off a little and shake away the numbing chill. "You sit down, I'll tell the hostess to put us on the waiting list. Looks like it will be a while." Tseng said looking around them.

"No, please. Will you just relax? Sit here and I'll take care of it." Elena said putting her hands on Tseng's shoulders and pushing him down in one of the only available seats left in this small waiting area.

"Elena, I'm not that….injured." he said the last part to himself because she had already scampered off. He watched her closely. She wasn't gone long.

"Come on. There's a table now." Elena said reaching out for Tseng's hands and pulling him up.

"And why do we get a table before all these other people?" Tseng asked, realizing he had only let go of one of her hands.

"Apparently, they are all here for some party in the back room of this place." Elena said still holding on to Tseng. Thank goodness the hostess took them to a table in the very back of the place away from the bustle of the waiting crowd.

"Your waiter will be here shortly." The hostess said before leaving them alone.

"Could this place be any dimmer?" Tseng said looking at the small red votive that held a melting candle. It was true this place was dimly lit, but that was part of the pub atmosphere. Elena smiled.

"I like it. It's…rather cozy." She said. "So, what do you drink?" Tseng laughed at her.

"Tonight, nothing. As much as I want something, alcohol is forbidden until I come off of this stupid pain killer. It's really strong and I hate it; not to mention those pills cost 185 gil per refill." He said.

"You're kidding? Why!" Elena wondered.

"Probably because they have a street value of like 150 gil. If I ever need to supplement my income I know what to do." Tseng said jokingly. Elena laughed.

"I fact…it's time for me to take one." Tseng said looking at his watch.

"Let me see that." Elena said reaching for his wrist. "This is a beautiful watch. It's vintage isn't it?"

"It is. It belonged to Reeve. He gave it to me when he resigned. I was honored because I had always thought it was unique and frankly, he valued it tremendously." He said.

"Is that real emerald inlay?" she asked.

"Yes. Emerald inlay with onyx and oyster shell." He explained.

"Hmm…well it's truly beautiful." Elena said letting her fingers run over the face of it.

"Thanks. I certainly thought so." He said. Elena smiled.

"Are you interested in splitting something?" she asked.

"Anything you want." Tseng said. "I have an idea, let's get the sampler. This thing has pretty much everything on it." Tseng said.

"That's a wonderful idea. I could go for a sample of everything." Elena said. "So, why did you think it was necessary to come to Wutai?" Elena asked as she closed her menu.

"Well uh…to tell you the truth, I…I just kind of wanted to see you and Reno and Rude and…spend some time with you since we never got the chance when I was injured." Tseng confessed to her. "Do you realize how awful it gets in that damn hospital and how much your mind just…turns over and over a million times a minute because you're just laying there with the weight of the world on your mind?"

"I can imagine it's quite mundane. I'm glad you came. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice." Elena said. "Hi, can I get unsweetened tea please." She looked toward the waitress.

"Certainly. For you sir?" the woman asked.

"I'll take the same and we want the sampler." Tseng told her.

"Very well. I'll put that in." she said before turning and leaving them. Elena laughed.

"She thinks your fine." Elena said shooting her eyes to the table.

"What in the world makes you say that?" Tseng asked her smiling.

"Because it was so obvious. She looked at you as if you were the most delicious thing she'd seen all day." Tseng laughed at her again.

"Well, Elena…there are countless women beating down the hospital doors to get to me." He said sarcastically. She laughed at him.

"I know I sure would…" she mumbled. She studied him with heavy brown eyes. Tseng studied her just as closely. It was a rather awkward silence for a moment until their waitress returned.

"Thank you." He said to her. He looked at Elena once more. "You know Elena…there are so many at Shinra that would just kill for the chance to be with you." Tseng told her. She turned horribly red.

"I'm so sure, Tseng." She said smiling.

"Oh yes…yes…it's a full time job to keep them at bay from you." Tseng admitted.

"What? Are you saving me for something?" she asked rather jokingly even though part of her may have been serious. Tseng never really answered her.

"I love this song." He said instead. Elena watched him, listening to the haunting melody.

"This song's about…tragedy…something tragic happens and…he waits and waits to…confront the pain." She said distantly as she looked at Tseng.

"Or maybe…he's haunted…by that festering thought…the thing he knows he should do but…he's never done it. And…he knows he needs to…or he's gonna lose her." Elena's eyes shot to the table as she felt Tseng's hand on hers. She looked up at him again but this intense stare was broken by the arrival of their plate. "So, uh…I should probably call Reno. You know, to make sure I can stay with them tonight." Tseng said unwrapping his silverware.

"Oh, yeah…yeah. That…that might be smart. But remember, he's totally smashed so don't expect him to actually take you seriously." Elena said doing the same. Tseng reached for his phone and tried Reno.

"No answer. Why doesn't he have his voicemail set up?" he asked.

"It's hard to tell. Elena said."

"I'll try Rude." Tseng said doing exactly that. His phone rang a few times. "No answer with him either."

"You uh…you could…you could always…just stay with me. I mean…you know I have a couch…in my room." Elena said awkwardly.

"Oh…well…I mean if you have a couch…that would…that would work, right? I guess, I…I wouldn't need to get ahold of Reno or Rude. I mean, if I were going to stay with you." Tseng said nervously.

"Yeah, yeah…yeah…you…you don't need to call them. Of course, that is…if you…don't mind…spending the night…with me." Elena said cumbersomely.

"No, no, no….I….I don't...mind…no. Okay, well…I'll stay with you then…if…you're okay with that." Tseng said.

"Alright." Elena said. And so it was settled. Unfortunately, this conversation had created a sort of nervous tension between them.

"I'll uh…I'll have to take a shower when I get there…is that alright?" It was a completely stupid question, but nonetheless it was something to break the silence.

"That's okay, of course it is. You probably need to….do that before rewrapping your gauze anyway. When we return to the inn I'll get some extra pillows and a blanket requested from the front desk." Elena said.

"I'm not used to this kind of thing." Tseng said.

"What kind of thing?" Elena questioned.

"Being taken care of." He answered.

"You've been in the hospital for more than three months! The only thing you've been is taken care of!" Elena said laughing. Tseng smiled.

"Well, I'm certainly not used to being taken care of…by a woman like you." He said. Elena blushed and shot her eyes toward the table again.

"You know, this was a good choice. I like that it's not noisy in here." Elena said quickly changing the subject.

"You're right. It was a good choice." He said. "Has it rained here all day like what we walked through?"

"No…didn't start until near sundown, but it's been brutally cold." Elena explained.

"I love sleeping through the rain. Even a cold one like tonight is…" Tseng didn't finish his sentence. He looked up at Elena. "I've hardly gotten a decent night's rest since I've been in that hospital….except when it rains. I toss, I turn, I thrash…I relive every moment of that mission…except when it rains. When the pain would come back…I would…I would lay there miserable staring at the ceiling, watching the fluorescent lights spin until the medicine bit in. God Elena it's been…it's been hell in there." Elena studied him carefully the entire time he spoke. She reached out and took his hands in hers.

"It was my fault. That whole mission…you ended up the way you did because of me." Elena said.

"That's not true. It just happened, Elena. If anyone's to blame it's Rufus. Don't you ever tell him I said that. You didn't do it Elena." Tseng reassured her.

"I just wish…I wish I could make that mission up to you somehow." Elena said sincerely.

"Just…just spend time with me for a while." Tseng asked of her. Elena continued watching him.

"I would…I would love nothing more than to do that." Elena said. "Um…should we get the check?"

"Yes, lets." Tseng watched Elena for a moment. "Elena…there's something…in the air tonight." He said as Elena flagged their waitress.

"What? You mean rain?" she asked jokingly.

"I was thinking…the calm…that I feel tonight but…maybe it is in fact…just the rain." Tseng said.

"You're exhausted, aren't you?" Elena asked looking in to weary brown eyes.

"It's not so much me…it's the medication." Tseng said.

"Come on, we'll just leave some cash here, she'll get it." Elena said as she dug in her pockets again for her gloves.

"You know…when we get back to Midgar, we should…we should do somethin'." Tseng said pulling out his wallet. Elena wrestled her coat but stopped when he said it.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"I don't know…like…we should do something together….that's not work related. All we ever do together is work related. Even tonight…I'm here with you because I'm here on work business." Tseng explained as he laid some bills out on the table and reached for his own trench coat.

"Is um…is that your way of asking me out? Like on a date or something?" Elena asked buttoning her coat and pulling her gloves on. Tseng actually blushed a little, which Elena thought was impossible, considering it was her straight-laced boss and all.

"Yeah…yeah, I…I guess I am. Sorry it's…I'm not very good…you know…with women." Tseng admitted. Elena smiled.

"Oh, I think you must be quite good with them because you just convinced me to say that I'd love to do something when we get back to Midgar." Elena stood up and slung the bags over her shoulder once more. "Come on. We'll talk more about it when we get to the inn." Once they had themselves put together again, it was time to head out. Fortunately, they only had two blocks to go; the inn on one side of the street and the pharmacy on the other. Tseng grabbed Elena's hand as they headed down the street.

"You're holding my hand." Elena said out loud as she pushed her umbrella up once more.

"I know. I'm dizzy, it's a side effect of the medicine. If I hold on to you, I'm less likely to walk like a drunk." He explained.

"It's okay." Elena promised him. "Listen, the pharmacy is right up here another block. Are you okay to go in and get the gauze while I request a couple extra pillows and a blanket?" Elena asked.

"That's perfectly fine. I'll meet you in the room." Tseng said as he held on to her shoving his other hand in his pocket, trying to avoid the cold with his bare hands.

"Alright, it's 307, I'll leave the door dead bolted open." Elena said as a jittery feeling shot through her. She wasn't certain why but she felt a bit of nervousness over the fact that Tseng was staying the night in her room. She hoped Reno and Rude didn't catch wind of this otherwise she knew she'd never hear the end of it. They approached the block of the inn, seeking refuge under the small awning over the main door.

"Okay, I'll be back in just a few minutes." Tseng said.

"Here, take this with you." Elena handed over her umbrella, trading it for Tseng's other bag he was carrying. She was grateful for the warm, dryness that was the lobby of the inn. She shuddered and walked over to the desk. "Hi, could I get an extra blanket and perhaps some pillows sent to room 307, please?" she asked.

"Certainly, are you on your way to your room now?" the woman behind the desk asked.

"Yes." Elena answered.

"Very well. I'll send them right up for you." She answered Elena.

"Thank you." Elena said heading for the stairs. It was an old building and it didn't have an elevator. Thank goodness the bags weren't all that heavy. The inn was so quiet tonight, the sound of the rain blowing against the windows was all to be heard in the halls. The red light from the vertical INN sign streamed through the room's window. Elena sighed with relief as she opened the door, flipping the dead bolt over as promised. She awkwardly kicked her shoes off as not to track water and grit across the carpet and sat Tseng's bags down near the dresser. Elena unwound her scarf from her neck and unbuttoned her coat; jamming her gloves into her pockets for good this time. She hung everything on the back of the door. There was a faint knock at the door.

"Oh, thank you so much." Elena said to the housekeeper who had brought the linens.

"Certainly, have a nice evening." The housekeeper said before leaving Elena. She threw the blanket and pillows on the nearby couch and dug around in her bag to find something to put on for the time being. With her hands full, she plopped a white cardigan and short black shorts down on the counter. She unzipped her black blazer and slung it over the nearby chair, the rest of her clothes followed suit. Elena should have thought this through a little more thoroughly before stepping in the shower. Her cold and weary body wanted to feel the heat of the streaming water but she didn't think about the fact that Tseng may actually come in while she was still in the shower. She didn't have to be concerned with the thought because it was a quick in and out, just long enough to wash the long day away. She felt better and warmer as she reached for a towel. The ends of her blonde hair were wet. She dried off quickly and threw her towel aside. The knock at the door startled her. There she was naked and at least seven feet from her clothes.

"Uh…hold on….hold on just a….don't come in here yet! Juuuuust a minute!" Elena said slinging her clothes on as quickly as she possibly could. "Okay, I'm decent!" Elena could hear the door open. "I'm sorry. I should have waited until you were back before getting in the shower but oh my god….it feels so much better. Did you get…what?" Elena questioned realizing Tseng was just standing there, dripping with rainwater staring at her.

"Oh, oh….it's….nothing. I'm…I'm sorry. It's just…I've never seen your legs…like that….before." Tseng said awkwardly. Elena looked down, suddenly self-conscious.

"Huh?" she asked not really understanding where Tseng was coming from.

"I'm…I'm sorry….I always see you in a suit." Tseng finally said.

"Oh! Oh, that!" Elena laughed sweetly. "Yeah, I…I don't sleep in my suit." She said. Tseng sat the umbrella aside so it wouldn't drip water all over the carpet.

"Here, I'll take your gauze. I put your bags on the bed. Just hang your coat on top of mine. Do you need to charge your phone? There's an outlet over…" Elena stopped mid sentence. Tseng was staring at her again. "Tseng, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…yeah I'm fine…I'm so sorry…I'm just…a little distracted. Um, I hate to ask you this but…after I get out of the shower would you help me wrap these gauze? The nurses did it for me in the hospital but…I can't wrap it correctly myself."

"Of course, I'll help you." Elena said.

"I swear Elena…I owe you." Tseng said leaving his shoes near Elena's before emptying the contents of his pockets on the small table beside the couch. He searched his own bag before leaving for the show just as Elena had done. It was vital he wash the healing wounds out every day and tonight was no exception. As Elena heard the water turn on, she shot her eyes over to the table: wallet, a bottle of pills, cell phone and the beautiful watch that Reeve had given Tseng. She picked up the bottle of pills and read the possible side effects: drowsiness, headache, abdominal pain, blurred vision, and nausea. It seemed like pretty typical side effects. Elena picked up his watch, admiring the beautiful oyster inlay. It was so stunning and she knew in her heart it was Veld's way of promoting Tseng to director upon his own resignation. She looked at the back of it. There was an engraving: ShinRa's Finest. She smiled and wondered if Rufus's old man had once given this very watch to Veld and then that would perhaps explain how Reeve got it. She laid it back in its spot thinking how true a statement that engraving was.

Elena had just now noticed that the red light from outside was a bit harsh and so she leaned over the small couch and pulled the sheer curtains over the window, causing a pinkish hue to leak in. She started unfolding the blanket over the small couch. Truthfully, she wondered how she would comfortably sleep on this small sofa tonight. She knew she would manage, it was only for tonight after all. Once she had the couch arranged, she tugged on the covers of the bed. She knew how exhausted Tseng was and she just wanted settling in for him to be easier. Elena couldn't imagine the hell he had been through in the past three months and she wasn't about to tell him how Reno and Rude had done pretty much nothing but goof off for the past three months. She had been feeling so alone regarding missions and the seriousness of them compared to her colleagues. Even though Tseng wasn't here to investigate or get overly involved; she was so happy he had left Midgar for Wutai.

"Do you to sleep on an incline or anything? I won't need both pillows." Elena said as Tseng finally emerged.

"It's fine. The flatter the better actually." He sighed. "Alright. You ready to do this?" He asked her referring to the wrapping of his bandages.

"Yeah sure how do you….wow…" Elena let it slip out. She didn't mean to look up and realize that Tseng pretty damn hot when he was half naked. It didn't matter that he was wrapped tightly in waterproof adhesive bandages as the base layer and it didn't matter what was left of his deep bruising was still visible under the bandages. He…was slimly sculpted and without flaw. Wet hair fell forward over his shoulders; the dampness of it making it look even blacker than it already was.

"Should I turn this light out?" Tseng asked her tying the cloth string of his gray flannel pants. Elena found herself examining his motions far too closely. She should have been opening up the package of gauze bandages or answering Tseng's question, but instead she was too occupied eyeing her gorgeous boss.

"Um…yeah….yeah you can turn it off." Elena finally said. It was a stupid choice because that left only the pink veil that was cast throughout the room. "Clearly, that was the wrong answer." Elena said nervously as she realized how much the ambience had changed with the florescent light out. She quickly flipped the nearby lamp on and reached for the gauze. "Okay…so…how do I do this?" Elena asked nervously moving closer to Tseng.

"Just start under this arm and wrap it around. The waterproof strips are what's truly holding everything in place. The gauze is to prevent any kind of bleeding and to protect me from…well…sticking to stuff and getting the adhesive dirty." Tseng explained.

"So…where…where can I touch you without breaking things." Elena asked wondering how the hell she was going to do this without letting her trembling hands mess this up. Tseng laughed at her.

"It's fine, really. You're not going to hurt a thing. Everything is way compressed. You can touch the adhesive like this, see?" Tseng said taking her hand and putting pressure on his chest. The right side is almost healed. All those ribs were broken. Elena looked up at him. She had never really looked in to those deep brown eyes, with wisdom and experience well beyond their years, until right now. "I'll hold the edge to get it started." Tseng said slightly raising his right arm and holding down the edge with his left hand. Elena looked up at him again as she began the first wrap. She could smell the clean scent of shampoo lingering in his wet hair. His was skin shockingly soft under her fingertips as she grazed the edges of his back just above the adhesive bandages. He was four inches taller than her and as she put her arms around him, wrapping the sterile gauze securely in place the tips of her hair brushed just underneath his collarbone. Tseng's eyes followed the deep V in Elena's cardigan as her body shifted to the left and right. He found himself wanting to brush his fingers over the bare skin of her neck and her collarbone. Not in a creepy fetish kind of way…he just wanted to see what she felt like. He, of course, didn't act on the thought. Elena's thigh brushed against soft flannel. She was pretty certain she had never stood this closely to Tseng, but she liked it. He noticed she was about halfway done and the metal clasps that would hold the gauze in place were nowhere to be seen.

"So, do I just use this roll of gauze or more than one?" Elena wondered looking at the other two boxes.

"Just the one will be fine. The other two will cover me for the next couple days until we get back to Midgar. I need to find those metal clasps though.

"Gotcha covered. There was a set in the box." Elena said nodding her head toward the otherwise empty box on the bed. Tseng smiled.

"You're always one step ahead." He said putting his hand on her shoulder. He didn't mean to shift the soft cotton fabric but couldn't help doing so as she shifted her arms. His heart seemingly skipped a beat as he realized she wasn't wearing a bra underneath the supple fabric. He swallowed hard and quickly pulled his hand away from her.

"Tseng…" Elena paused as she glanced up at him. "You uh…you are so…" Elena shook her head quickly. "You're a nice guy, Tseng." Elena turned as pink as the light that was filtering in to the room. She wasn't sure why she said it and it wasn't exactly ver batim what she wanted to say. The words in her head were more like: You're so incredibly sexy but the words that came out were a thousand times safer. Elena was now nearing the bottom of his ribs, swiping the last of the gauze around him. "Just hold that for a minute and I'll get the clasps." She said leaving her hand where she wanted Tseng to hold it. Elena stepped around him and got the clasps, pushing them in to place on his left side. "All done." She said lighting rubbing her hands over the freshly wrapped area. She looked up at Tseng again. The ends of his hair were beginning to dry.

"You're hair dries perfectly straight doesn't it?" she asked noticing that it was beginning to lay just as flat and straight as it would have had it been dry.

"It does." Tseng answered her carefully studying, soft brown eyes. The heat kicked on in the room much to Elena's liking. It was starting to get a bit cool and Tseng knew the heat would put him to sleep instantly. This would be the first night he would spend outside those bitter hospital walls. "Sleep well, okay? I'd say goodnight 'sir' but um…I think we're long past that." She said laughing.

"Elena, we were long past 'sir' anything after the Temple." He sighed. "I'm so relieved to finally get some sleep away from that damn hospital."

"I'm happy for you…boss." She winked at him and laughed. "Wake me if you need anything. I'm a light sleeper." She said turning off the lamp. Elena's cardigan looked pink in the light as she curled up into the blanket on the sofa.

Tseng settled in to the most comfortable cotton nest he had felt in months. He stared at the slightly pink ceiling above him, relieved that it wasn't those horrible fluorescent bulbs. That was part of the torture of having to sleep flat on your back…staring at those damn bulbs. The sound of the rain and the sound of the heat had him half asleep in no time.

" 'Night Elena." He whispered mostly to himself. He didn't expect her to actually hear him.