Even Demons Can Be Saved

Reassurances

Once Eve was done with her breakfast/lunch, she headed back to Tseng's office. When she looked at the clock on the office wall, she smirked slightly. She still had more than a quarter-hour. Her attention was drawn when she heard a drawling voice behind her. "Yo, cupcake, nice uniform."

She barely kept from cursing at the sound of Reno's voice, but she was wearing a smirk when she turned to him. She looked him up and down before she replied. "I wish I could say the same to you, flame face, but I'm afraid stretching the truth that much would break it."

She felt a tiny shiver run down her spine when his grin only widened. He walked until he was right in front of her and looking down before he said anything. "I think this is gonna be fun. I look forward to workin' with ya, doll."

He started to reach toward her, but before he could touch her face, she stepped back and knocked his hand aside. She was no longer pretending to smile. "I'm not sure if fun is the word I would use, but I'm certain you won't like what happens if you try to touch me again."

He gave her a confused look but didn't get to say what he obviously wanted to when Tseng's voice rang out. "Evelyn, you're late."

She glared back at him before looking up to the clock. It was still ten minutes before the hour, but when she looked back at his half-smirk, she clamped her jaw shut on the retort she was itching to throw at him. She shrugged before she managed to find her voice again. "The lines in the cafeteria were long. I'll try to remember that for the next time."

Tseng's smirk tilted a little more, but her attention was drawn by a strangled noise behind her. She turned to see Reno giving her a strange look. She knew it was probably a bad idea to provoke the redhead, but she couldn't help herself. She gave him a smirk and a wink before she turned back to Tseng with a straight face. "You said you had an assignment for me? Are we ready to go?"

It took all her willpower not to grin when she heard Reno burst into laughter behind her. Tseng looked between them with a raised brow, but he didn't ask. Instead, he pointed back to the door. "I will explain on the way." She followed him out while she resolutely continued to ignore the sound of laughter they were leaving behind.

Once they were on the elevator, Tseng turned a curious gaze to her. "Care to explain?"

She shrugged and shook her head, but she answered anyway. "It would seem that Reno enjoys being picked on."

Tseng's eyes narrowed slightly before he spoke. "I did warn you that it will get worse. You should not provoke him."

Eve lost her smile when she turned to face him fully. "You can put it on record that you warned me, so everyone knows. That doesn't mean I am afraid of any words he might fling at me. They are only words, after all. Unless he decides to come after me with that electromag, then I think I'll be alright."

Tseng gave her a contemplative look. "Even words can hurt. No one is immune when they are the right ones."

Her look lost all mirth when she answered. "I won't even bother asking if that means you too. Just know that despite what you may believe about me, I am quite well aware that there are far worse things than harsh words." She paused and made sure he was looking her in the eye before she continued. "There are even worse things than death, so a little verbal sparring isn't going to hurt."

Tseng's eyes widened slightly. He was reminded once again that he could not afford to take this woman lightly. Despite the smirk she often wore, he knew there was much more than met the eye. The thought that he didn't have enough data to make a full assessment of her irked him, but none of that showed. He didn't say anything else until they were out of the building.