Time for friendship and forgiveness(Anya)

[renoraines]

After all that happened the previews night Reno couldn't stop thinking about Anya and what happened. It took a couple of so days but eventually he forgave her. Reno just didn't like that she told about him so easily but other then that he liked her still. He hoped that they could be friends again, in fact as far as he was concerned they were still friends. Reno didn't like the fact that she was bad with secrets and even if he understood Spike, Anya best friend he still didn't agree with him because Spike clearly didn't understand the whole thing even so in a strange way it did seem that Spike felt bad for him or so it seemed to him but that was all. Anyway, he shock his head out of this thoughts and sighed.

After their fight and argument that day, he just left to stay at a hotel instead of going back to her house as he couldn't do that after what happened between them. However, no matter what Reno still missed her as well as thought about her.Yet, he couldn't go see her because he couldn't bring himself to do that. Also, he was worried that they would end up fighting again and he couldn't effort that. Not in along shot. Reno just wished that she was better with secrets then she was because he almost got in trouble when she said his real name and all. Every passing moment he wished that she would be better with secrets. Yet, he doubted that she could but he still wanted to be her friend no matter what. All he hoped to avoid talking was his secrets and anything to do with secret period, since he wanted no trouble that was for sure. After all he was rather them becoming friends again then fight again.

[Anya]

OOC:// This IS set at Anya's apartment right..? Just goin' off what we said in the cbox, 'cause I wasn't sure from your post, xD. If you mentioned Reno being somewhere else and I missed it, I can just edit this <3 !

There was only one downside to making money: you couldn't just save it up and bask in its wonderful green awesomeness forever. Eventually, money had to be spent on the necessities and pleasures of life...but that was all part of the beautiful circle of capitalism! So Anya wasn't too upset about her trip to the market today; though it had required a little spending, it had been worth it. As she returned home now she staggered slightly under the weight of the several paper bags she was carrying, full of apples, bread, peanut butter, dinner supplies she'd need for the week...if there was one non-demonic thing she actually happened to be good at, it was cooking. Surprisingly. Xander had always complemented her cooking; and at first she'd thought he was just being all nice and tactful...but it turned out she really did have a talent for the culinary arts!

Of course it would have been much easier to just teleport back home, rather than to stumble clumsily three blocks back to her apartment building and then up several flights of stairs...but Anya stubbornly pushed away this possibility each time it crossed her mind. If she was going to really find her place in the human world, she needed to stop relying so much on her demonic abilities...especially since they'd recently proved to be more potent than she had realized. Besides, there was something so domestic and normal about returning home on a Sunday afternoon with your arms full of groceries. Her appearance today reflected this casualness as well; she'd adorned herself in jeans, a t-shirt and a half-buttoned white jacket, her wavy blonde locks tied back in a high pony tail.

But as she reached her floor and made her way down the hallway to her apartment, she was going mostly by memory - because between the bags in her arms obstructing some of her vision, and her current one-handed struggle to find her keys in her purse, she didn't exactly have the best view of her surroundings. As a result, she remained oblivious to the fact that she was about to run smack dab into the bounty hunter until... thump! Anya stumbled back a pace, only just managing to keep from dropping her groceries. With a half-strangled yelp of surprise, she quickly rearranged the bags she was carrying in an attempt to make the newcomer visible. "Excuse me! Single white female walking here, you really shouldn't sneak up on...oh."

Her finally eyes met those of the man before her, and blinked as she immediately recognized him. Tilting her head, the vengeance demon bit back an exclamation of surprise. What was Reno doing here? She hadn't seen him; hadn't even heard from him since their last little encounter...and while part of her was more than happy to avoid another angry confrontation, truth be told Anya had been worried sick. Sure, there was every chance that her friend had stormed off simply because he was too angry to speak to her, but...in times like these, one could never be too sure. Anything could have happened to Reno with New York being in the state it was currently. What with the aftermath of the zombie invasion, not to mention the fact that there were shady characters like Hazama and the First Evil hanging around...

"Well. This is awkward." Anya stated bluntly after a moment, probably only making things even more awkward by pointing it out. Right now, the demon wasn't sure whether she wanted to hug the bounty hunter, or hit him for worrying her...but right now, neither option seemed particularly appropriate. After their recent little scrap, approaching Reno at all didn't seem like the best idea, actually. What if he was still angry with her? In fact, Anya wasn't even sure how she felt towards him at the moment. Hurt, frustrated at her inability to understand him...even guilty at her outburst against him, although she hadn't allowed herself to admit this.

"...Hi, Reno." she greeted him at last, albeit a bit warily. What was he doing here, anyway? The blonde glanced from her friend to the door of her apartment, frowning confusedly. Had he been waiting for her here? But why? Why would he want to talk to her?

[renoraines]

Reno watched her closely as she came home and when they collided he tried his best to grab a hold of her before she fell with her shopping bags. He listened to her speak until she looked at him as he sighed and then gave her a small smile and a wave. "You weren't looking either, but then again you got to many bags. Did you rub a store or something?" he said as the last part was just a joke. Reno was teasing her in a friendly manner and he hoped that she will understand it.

He watched her and her reaction to him being there as he sighed. Reno went through a lot after he last saw her but he did missed her a great deal, even if he wasn't sure how to tell he that. Just as he wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. He did hope that she was fine in the time that they hadn't saw each other and by the looks of things she was fine. Reno doubted that she was happy to see him even so he hoped that she was. However, if not then he didn't mind to leave and not to come back. Also he did hope that it wasn't the case. Not that he would blame her if it was. Reno was still getting used to idea that for the time being he was stuck in New York but he helped the local cops get criminals so it worked fine. All this time so he hoped that he and Anya could be friends again.

"Yes it is, it is good awkward I hope. I am sorry for everything that happened but you see I don't want Dutch finding out I am around and try to kill us all and what not. Plus I rather not getting arrested as it won't be good either way. Nothing personal against you so, Anya. I do care for you and I cared for you then, which was why I was hurt and pissed. I didn't want to get you in more trouble nor myself. I hope you can forgive me" he said as he looked at her closely. Reno then looked around them then back at her as he was glad that it was just the two of them, as he wanted to talk to her alone as the were friends after all.

"Hi Anya, good to see you" he said to her as he was really glad to see her. Reno noticed the way she greeted him as it confused him a little but he figured but he figured that it was because of what happened last time. Not that he was surprised but he did hope that she wanted him to stay. He noticed her glance between him and her apartment door and sighed. "I was in fact waiting for you, if that what you are wondering"

[Anya]

Given the circumstances, Anya was quite unprepared for the lightly teasing joke Reno threw her way—not that she was particularly good at picking up on these things anyway—and for a couple of seconds she stared at him with wide, puzzled eyes. What was this? He was accusing her of thievery? She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what exactly she'd done wrong...but then, upon stopping to observe the bounty hunter, she noticed the slight smile that had crossed his features. Reflecting on the easy, lighthearted tone of voice he'd used, it occurred to Anya that perhaps Reno was actually making a joke. ...Oh. That would make a bit more sense. Damn, she kept forgetting how to recognize these things...

She relaxed slightly upon reaching this realization, her gaze shifting down to the grocery bags she was carrying and then back up to Reno again. A hint of a smile graced her lips, although she was doing her best to suppress most of her amusement given the uncertainty of the entire situation. "Yes. I've decided to renounce my love of money in favor of pursuing a much more dangerous and exciting life of crime." she replied in her own shade of humor that probably would've been slightly more amusing had it been delivered with a bit less stiffness...and, well, less of her typical Anya-ness. The vengeance demon had once expressed her wariness of a robot-girl she'd come across in Sunnydale because the girl "spoke with a strange evenness and selected her words a shade too precisely." If that wasn't the pot calling the kettle black...

It wasn't as if she had much time to fret about her comedic timing anyway, for when Reno next began to speak she was immediately stunned into silence. He was...actually apologizing to her? Anya stared at her friend in disbelief; she certainly hadn't expected this, and...in all honesty, she wasn't sure how to react. She could remember very few instances in her life when anyone had ever offered her a genuine apology. Her horrid troll of a husband all those centuries ago certainly hadn't thought to apologize after he'd cheated on her. And it wasn't like she came across as particularly forgiving person during her years spent as a VENGEANCE demon. As for the Scoobies, well...they'd mostly viewed her as too much of an annoyance; just a silly, oblivious ex-demon, to ever bother to apologize for their dismissal of her. So now, with Reno suddenly expressing such sincere regret, Anya was left feeling a little lost.

Nervously, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Crap, she'd really never been good at forgiving people. And yet, her simultaneous guilt about her own wrongdoings in the affair and her undeniable relief of finding Reno unharmed were quickly starting to consume her natural vindictive instincts. Suddenly very uncomfortable, Anya averted her gaze. Now came the hard part. It looked like she was going to have to swallow her pride and face this...it was a very human task that, ironically, seemed so much more difficult than the numerous trials she'd faced in the demon world.

"...I shouldn't have told Spike your name." she admitted at last, her eyes narrowed as she tried with difficulty to overcome her usual stubborn tendencies to refuse to admit that she'd been wrong. "I mean...I've known him for a long time now, and I'd trust him with my life. But...it was wrong of me to trust him with yours." She'd expected to experience some kind of relieved sensation after getting this off her chest, like a weight lifting off her shoulders...but instead, all she felt was the unbearable urge to brace herself against the possibility that Reno might reject her own apology. What if what she'd said hadn't been good enough? Cursing herself for royally sucking at this human stuff, Anya blinked nervously at the bounty hunter and then turned slightly toward the door to her apartment. She really needed to put these bags down, and what was more she wasn't sure she could stand this waiting for Reno's reaction much longer.

"Do you want to come in?" Anya asked abruptly, nodding toward the door. If Reno accepted, they'd have a chance to actually sit down and talk this out properly.

[renoraines]

Reno looked at her confused and sighed, as he could tell that she couldn't understand him. Which was weird to him but he still understood her rather well. As not many understood things like that, also with her being a demon and such, it wasn't too surprising, not to mention, they had a misunderstanding before but sooner or later he was sure that they would understand each other. After all it usually how things worked, even if not always and he hoped that between him and Anya it would work that way. Reno planned to help her understand human jokes, no matter how long would it take. Any way not long after he noticed the way she looked at him, as he had the feeling that she finally understood him. Reno figured that it might had to do to the fact that she was a demon as that would definitely make sense.

He watched her closely and shock his head as he laughed a little but then just smiled at her. Reno did miss her more then anything even after all what they went through as he believed that they could be friends again, if she let it. Which he hoped that she will as he would, besides friendship was more important then anything else, at least it was that way to him anyway, and he believed that to her it might be the same. Anyway, as she spoke he just listened to her yet again. "Haha, you are funny, I am impressed! I knew you got a sense of humor inside of you somewhere, glad that I wasn't wrong. Sense of humor is a good thing to have, don't lose it. It would be a shame if you do" Reno said to her with a laugh. "Well then, maybe I will have to arrest you then" he said pretending to be serious and then he burst out laughing. Reno noticed the way she made a joke and the tone she used but ignored it and saw it as a joke still, for someone who wasn't human he saw it as a plus that she could actually make a joke, even if not the best she was pretty close to it, or so he thought anyway.

Reno noticed that when he apologized to her she seemed rather shocked, confused as well as speechless. He figured that probably no one ever apologized to her for doing wrong, which wasn't nice at all or so he believed. Not many apologized to him for doing wrong, but at least there were some who did apologize to him, even if not many so in away he understood her if that was the case. Reno wished that people would have been more nicer and smarter, but he knew very well that it wasn't the case with many. Then again with demons and vampires it was exactly the same. At last by what he noticed so far. Not that he was surprised because he doubted that all beings were just good, so it wasn't something new to him. Anyway. Reno just hoped that she will accept his apology because he was serious about it, and he wished that she noticed and understood that. After all what happened that particular night and such wasn't her fault or his but a misunderstanding and such, which he felt terrible for.

Reno watched her as he sighed, he noticed that she felt uneasy by it all as well as still shocked and speechless, which he still didn't blame her for. After all he definitely could understand that, being that she was a demon anything to do with humans would definitely be hard for her to understand for some time, but eventually he was sure that she would as well as he was sure that she would get used to it. Sooner or later anyway, it was just a matter of time and of course patience. Anyway, Reno kept watching her as he wondered what she was going to say and do next. He just hoped that she won't storm off and stuff like that but somehow he doubted that it would be the case so, then again he couldn't be too sure, so he was slightly worried but still ready for whatever was going to happen, or so he kept telling himself anyway.

"No you shouldn't but it's mostly because I pissed off Dutch by testifying against him and others like him. If I didn't then none of it would have happened and maybe then we could have met on better terms or something!Also you did a mistake and that way you proved it that you do have something human in you, you proved it even now by apologizing and also when you tried being funny and all. No harm done, at least I know that I can trust you both, as he never told on me even when he had the change and that is something I will always cherish" he said to her as he then just hugged her gently but still tight. Reno watched her as he shock his head and just smiled at her. "You are but you also were right trusting him with mine as thanks to you, it looks like I just gained a new Allie! It's just being on the run for so long I am used to trust only the few people that I trust and no more. It's hard for me to trust so I got panicked when you told him, as I was betrayed before so trusting more people is rather new to me. Also you should have asked me but after all I saw now, it was also smart move because it looks like he doesn't want to tell on me, which means I got a new Allie, at least I hope so anyway" he said to her. Reno watched her as he then just hugged her again and kissed the top of her head.

"Yes, I would love to come in, if you really don't mind of course" he said to her. Reno then looked down and after that back at her with a smile as he gently touched her face with the palm of his hand as he kept smiling at her, after that he just moved his hand away.

[Anya]

Anya couldn't help but return Reno's grin, albeit a bit nervously, as he chuckled lightly at the little joke she'd made. Attempt number one at humor...somewhat successful, at least. "Yes, well," she replied good-naturedly, giving a bit of a shrug to casually brush off the incident. "Humor seems to be something of a requirement for successful human interaction. I'm getting better at it. Sort of. Plus, it gets boring being so serious all the time." It was true. If she kept allowing these sorts of jokes to soar right over her head, she was going to end up as somber and stuffy as Giles. God forbid. She did, however, tense slightly at Reno's next words - he was going to arrest her?! The demon blinked at him, her expression suddenly wary as she took in his mock-serious expression. Anya wasn't exactly skilled at interpreting the emotions of others under normal circumstances, let alone when someone was putting on a charade, and--

...Oh. He was laughing? Her expression changed from a slight, cautious frown to a look that was less uncertain, but more bemused. Right. This was another joke! She'd caught on a tad more quickly this time, and even allowed a brief laugh of her own to escape her lips. "See? Learning." she quipped after a moment, her light brown eyes brightening in a slightly more mischievous way than they had a moment ago. It was nice to laugh a little, she realized. It certainly relieved some of the tension that'd been building between them, and she'd actually almost eased herself into a more relaxed state when the bounty hunter responded to her rather stilted apology.

Well, he didn't seem angry. That much she could detect, and it served to make her feel a little better as she listened wordlessly to him. Reserved but attentive, Anya watched him carefully as he spoke, trying in the most sincere way she knew how to make some sort of connection. To understand. Being able to understand each other was an important ingredient in the foundation of friendship, she knew, and while humans tended to baffle her more often than not...she really would make an attempt this time. And then...well, then Reno told her something that she couldn't remember anyone ever telling her before.

That she possessed some undeniably human qualities. That her making a mistake was only further proof of this.

Anya...really didn't know how to respond. Humans were chock-full of mistakes and imperfections, there was no doubt about that. And yet...that was part of what made them so undeniably lovable and unique. And the truth was, after everything that had happened with D'Hoffryn and the frat boys and Halfrek, and after she'd fought to the death against The First Evil's army to protect Andrew...she'd realized that what she wanted, more than anything, was just to be human. The problem was, being human wasn't really something Anya was good at. She was blunt. And overly talkative, and insensitive, and at times a little ditzy. Most humans...didn't tend to appreciate these qualities. Which was why, quite honestly, Reno's comment had absolutely stunned her. She opened her mouth, attempting to force out some sort of reply, when he quite abruptly pulled her into a sudden, warm hug.

Anya froze. She'd been quite unprepared for this spontaneous little display of affection, and initially her only response was to stand completely still, rigid and tense, as if suspecting that this was some sort of trick. It only took her a moment, however, to realize what had happened - and to slowly relax into the embrace, lightly resting her head against his chest and tentatively wrapping her arms around his shoulders to return the hug. "You trust me?" she mumbled sheepishly into Reno's shoulder. "I didn't think, after what happened..." Not particularly keen to voice the sentiment she believed Reno'd had; that she'd lost his trust after the incident with Spike, Anya trailed off. If this was true, and Reno still trusted her, then...then she'd prove that he'd made the right decision. Even if she...wasn't completely sure of that herself, she'd prove it. She hadn't done this whole 'friendship' thing too many times before, but certainly it couldn't be all that difficult?

Pulling away from him with a slightly hardened expression of determination, she lifted her chin slightly. "I won't take that for granted again. I'll keep your secret, Reno. I...I'll even help you clear your name. The human legal system is full of exceptions and loopholes, and you're innocent! I'm sure we'll think of something!" Anya furrowed her brow slightly, as if she intended to find a solution to this here and now, but before she could make her way too far into her own muddled thoughts...she processed Reno's next words about accepting Spike as an ally. Well! That was an unexpected relief! Both the bounty hunter and the vampire could be more stubborn than either of them would admit, and they'd seemed to have clashed a bit upon their first meeting - but the less problems between her friends, the better as far as Anya was concerned. Perhaps Reno would even be willing to help out the Scoobies here and there! She grinned slightly at the thought.

"You and Spike will get along just fine, I know it! He's a little bit grumpy sometimes, but don't let him fool you. He's a big ol' softie when it comes down to it. ...For a vampire, anyway." She shook her head slowly, all too aware that the vampire impression would not be too happy about being referred to as a 'big ol' softie'. It actually would probably be pret-ty darn amusing to see the expression on his face if he ever heard her refer to him as such - maybe she'd try saying it to his face just for kicks! She giggled, amused at the very thought, and her mood only brightened further when Reno took her up on her offer to come in and chat with her for awhile. Not only would this give them a chance to talk things over a bit more, but it'd also be the perfect opportunity for them to catch up - after all, she hadn't seen much of him over the past few weeks. She was just about to turn and elatedly lead the way into her apartment, in fact, when Reno reached out and gently rested a hand against the side of her face.

...Now, Anya had been a vengeance demon for over a thousand years. It'd taken her awhile to get used to Xander's little displays of affection toward her, and after she'd lost him...well, she tended to push herself away from that sort of thing. So she jumped quite a bit upon receiving this gesture, her gaze instantly flickering upward to search Reno's expression questioningly. But she couldn't see anything manipulative in his features, anything possessive or underhanded - just compassionate and gentle, as usual. She tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, her own smile warm as ever but slightly uncertain - and then, quite abruptly, turned away.

"Okay! Well! We're sure to get a couple of silly looks if we just keep standing around out here, so by all means come in!" Motioning quickly to him, she turned, inserted the key into the lock, and swung the door open. Hurrying inside, Anya dropped the grocery bag onto the table before turning around again, her usual bubbly demeanor mingling only slightly with a touch of apprehension. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Soda? Water?"

[renoraines]

Reno watched as he kept laughing at her little joke, she was funny joke indeed. "In some cases, Anya. Not in all of them. You are doing just fine, don't worry about it and yeah that is true just try not to go over the top with humor, alright?!" he looked down then back at her. Reno watched her reaction as he said the next thing and sighed as he shock his head at her. He kept the same look he had when he said that as he hoped that she will understand that he was only kidding with her.

He kept watching her, as he noticed that after a while she understood him. He sighed relived as he his look hadn't changed at all. Reno noticed that this time she understood the joke much faster which was good. "Yes I see that, which is good. I am glad" he said to her with a smile still on his face. Reno watched her as he was glad that they laughed and had fun as it helped ease the tension and he was sure that she felt the same way, or at least he hoped so anyway. He watched her as he replied to her apologetic reply.

Reno watched her as he spoke, he could tell that she was listening to him or at least it looked that way. He thought that this time their friendship would be better then before or at least he hoped so anyway. What he said after that so made her shocked, at least she looked shocked and he wondered why, he hoped that she knew that he meant it because he sure did.

He looked down then back at her as he saw her try to speak but with no luck. Reno just smiled and then just pulled her in to a hug as he thought that she deserved a hug. He hoped that he didn't scare her but he couldn't tell for sure, but it didn't like he did, at least not to him anyway.

Reno noticed that she tensed or he had the feeling that she did. If it was so he hoped that she didn't hate him, because he meant to hug her for real not as a joke. After a while so he noticed that she relaxed and even hugged him back, as he just smiled to that. "I know ans same here, for a bit there but it's alright now, that what matters" was his reply. Reno thought for a while that their friendship was over too but it surely wasn't, which was good or so he thought anyway.

As Anya did the next he did the same, and just looked at her instead. "I know you will and I am sure you do, as I trust you. Thanks for willing to help me, that would be great and that would be great if it works. Also sometimes I am not sure that it will" Reno looked down then back at her. "Don't get me wrong, I do hope it will" he added. Reno watched her as he noticed that she wanted to say something or so it seemed, right when he spoke again. He noticed her reaction and sighed to that.

"I do hope so, he was rather rude after you left but I don't blame him so. He really does care for you, as do I which is a good thing! After all I went through I had no idea whom to trust and whom not but you both proved me that there are some people who are worth my trust, so thank you" he said as he hugged her again. Reno looked around the place just curious, then after that he looked back at her as he said the next, and after that he did what he did as he smiled at her once more.

Reno watched her as he paid attention to her reaction to that and sighed then when she smiled he did the same once more. When she turned away he looked down and moved his hand away. When before that she seemed to look in his face to find if he was serious or not he just watched her so. Reno wasn't playing with her and hoped that she knew that.

"That's a good point and don't mind if I do, that would be nice to say the least, that's for sure." he said as he watched her do the next thing, as he just followed her inside then closed the door. Reno then just smiled at her. When Anya asked him the next thing he just smiled and nodded. "Yes, Coffee would be nice, thank you"

[Anya]

"Me? Over the top? Pffftt." Her words weren't a protest so much as a lighthearted statement though, and she accentuated them with a slight grin. There was certainly still a lot to learn about human etiquette. Apparently you could be too serious, or you could be not serious enough. You could be so blunt that it became offensive, or you could be so cryptic that you became untrustworthy. The list went on and on, and...well, behaving normally just required so much balance! Not that Anya had any particular desire to change her personality, but...learning some of this stuff would prove more than useful in certain social interactions.

Like...those social situations in which your fugitive friend was confessing that he worried his name would never be cleared. "Reno," Anya attempted to catch his attention by speaking his name, meeting his gaze and concentrating complete earnestness into her expression. "If I thought you were some doomed hopeless case that didn't have a chance, I would've just told you. Of course there's hope!" Anyone who knew the demon well knew that she wasn't the type to feed people bullshit in situations like these - if she thought they were screwed, she was going to tell them. And as hilariously blunt as her words might have sounded, at least Reno would have the comfort of knowing that she meant every bit of it. "We just have to find that...um, guy. The one who set you up. If we find him, then trust me. I'll be able to make him talk." She tried not to make her tone too dark for Reno's sake, but...well, she wasn't called a vengeance demon for nothing.

Despite the slight tension that had flitted through the air just then, she had to grin a bit when Reno mentioned that Spike had been...less than pleasant during their last encounter. Sometimes Anya really did forget how...odd the Scoobies must seem to the outside world. She became so accustomed to Spike's taunting and snarkiness, to Buffy's sometimes-obscure pop culture references, and to Giles'....well his excessive use of big words, that she'd become somewhat desensitized the the overall quirkiness of her friends. And then there was the fact that Anya herself was the textbook definition of quirky, of course. And that was putting it modestly. "Oh I never said he wasn't rude. He is. All the time. But he is trustworthy, and...and you're welcome!" She'd never had someone thank her for being trustworthy before, but it was kinda nice and - oh! He was hugging her again.

"Oh, yay, more hugs!" she squeaked out with a slight giggle, though this time she wasn't quite as surprised by the whole 'displaying affection' thing. She returned the hug considerably less uncertainly this time, though she seemed slightly jittery when she pulled away. Anya had always considered Reno fairly easy to 'get' - for a human, anyway, he was pretty straightforward in his emotions and intentions. But just a moment ago? Well, she wasn't sure what that had been. The way he looked at her almost reminded her of Xander for a moment, and...and she really wasn't sure how to respond to that. So for once Anya didn't pursue her habit of bluntly pointing out the obvious, instead promptly taking the opportunity to lead him into her apartment and promptly scurry off to take care of that coffee request.

"You know I'm going to have to bug you with all sorts a questions about what you've been up to in the past few weeks we haven't seen each other." Anya told him as she busied herself in the kitchen, pouring the coffee into a mug after it'd finished brewing and throwing out another question - "Do you take sugar in your coffee?" She couldn't remember from the last time he'd been here...

[renoraines]

"Yes you and good as over the top humor isn't a good thing at all" he said to her and sighed. Reno understood what he meant as he smiled at her. He saw her grin and it was one of the reasons he understood she wasn't protesting or anything like that, as well as the tone of voice she used told him that. Then again he was teasing her a bit with what he said, even so he meant it seriously too. Reno could tell that it was all still new to her but she seemed to learn rather fast which was a good thing. He was definitely impressed with her, which was a good thing for sure.

It was true that Reno was loosing hope, and he hated that but he really doubted that there was a chance at all. Anyway, when he mentined what he mentined he heard her say his name as he looked at her and listened. As he just smiled at her. "You are too kind, Anya. You really are" he said to her. By her voice he could tell that she was serious and he felt nice hearing it. Then again Reno liked hearing that from anyone, who didn't seem to make fun of him. Anya surely didn't seem that way and that was good. "Well that is true we do need to find him, but how are we going to do that? Where should we look? And what do you mean you will make him talk? How will you do that? Are you going to scare him or something?" he wondered as he really had no idea what to think or expect from her and it slightly worried him.

Reno watched her closely and as he mentioned how odd Spike was when they met last, he noticed her reaction and picked up an eye brow. He figured that she knew that and was used to that no doubt since the two were friends longer before he met either of them but since he only met Spike there and then it was rather new to him. Also Reno understood what Spike was saying, the guy somehow seemed not to understand him which still annoyed him. Yet he decided to let it go for a time being and he did. "Well no you haven't but you haven't said that he was nor did you say that he was nice or not but yes he is trustworthy so it seems and little odd too. Your friend is interesting for sure" he said and he could tell that she was surprised that he thanked her for being trustworthy but he couldn't help it, as it meant a lot to him. Reno hugged her gain as he was still very grateful to her.

When he heard her say the next he just laughed. "Yes more hugs" he said to her. Reno definitely noticed that she squeaked and giggled as she said this, as it was what made him laugh in the first place. Reno noticed that she wasn't as surprised about the hug as before as well as he could feel her hug him back. Once she pulled away Reno did the same. Reno wondered what was she thinking about as he noticed the interesting look on her face, at least it looked interesting to him. He hoped it wasn't something he did or sad as it wasn't what he meant at all. Part of him told him that perhaps it was something he did or say. However when instead of speaking again he saw him lead him inside in to her apartment he just followed her in and sighed.

"I know, I am sure you will and I have no problem with you doing it, as long as I can rest first! Other then this, don't worry I will tell you about it all you can be sure of that" Reno said to her with a smile. Reno watched her go in to the kitchen as he set on her couch. As he heard her speak again he just listened to her and sighed. "Sugar works fine, thank you!Is it OK if I wash up? I don't usually do that but I was so busy today and all"

[Anya]

Kind...? When he referred to her as kind, Anya shot him a rather bemused look. Reno had a certain habit of saying things that took her completely by surprise; and certainly no one had ever called her kind before. That just...wasn't a word commonly associated with manipulative, ruthless vengeance demons...turned blunt, insensitive, money-obsessed humans...turned demons again. She blinked several times. "But that's good, right?" she wanted to verify immediately. "I mean - I'm pretty sure heroes are supposed to be kind. Even to the obnoxious people they'd secretly like to punch in the face." Anya nodded to herself. Buffy had always practiced kindness - well, to those who needed it.

She arched an eyebrow when he asked how exactly she was going to get the man who'd framed him to talk, however. What'd she look like, some ditzy, helpless human...? ...Wait, on second thought. That didn't need answered. "I'm a demon." Anya reminded him with a slight smirk. "I have ways of making people do what I want. And this man ruined your life. He deserves to be punished." As good as the vengeance demon's intentions often were, a thousand years of evil-doings didn't fade just like that...and when it came to avenging the people she cared about, sometimes her sense of morality was still just a teeny bit confused. Biting her lip lightly as they headed into her apartment, she added, "But yes, it's finding him that's going to be the tricky part. Don't worry, though. I've hunted down sneakier scumbags."

As if this were a perfectly pleasant conversation point, Anya beamed and headed into the kitchen to fix their coffee. Reno's comment about needing to rest awhile before answering any of her various questions elicited a small laugh from her, and she glanced back over her shoulder at him with a good-natured roll of her eyes. Really, it was easy to forget that humans didn't exactly have the best stamina of all the beings in the world. "You do that. I can wait. ...A little while, at least." she decided as an afterthought - it was no secret that Anya's inquisitive nature didn't exactly result in the profound gift of patience.

Busying herself with fixing the coffee, she nodded once when he responded that he'd just take sugar. Easy enough. It was only when Reno inquired as to whether or not it'd be alright if he washed up that Anya glanced up and spoke again. "Of course you can. Hygiene is very important - don't forget that, no matter how busy you get! You know, my friend Buffy - the one who fights vampires for a living? Showered every day. Or at least I think she did. Not like I watched her or anything, but she always had the best hair in Sunnydale. Ridiculously unfair, if you ask me - I really need to find out what conditioner she uses..." It was fairly safe to say that the demon was finally beginning to relax in the bounty hunter's presence again, if the way she was rambling on was anything to judge by...not that this was anything unusual. Rambling was kind of her trademark.