A.N.: IMPORTANT (again). Out of order, remember? This one takes place after 'Next Time.' If you've read it, that's easy to figure out, but if you haven't and would like a better idea of what happened before this fic you may want to read it. I encourage everyone to read all my stories, in fact. This isn't a shameless plug, I'm just tryin to paint a picture here XD I think I'll put some kind of explanation in my profile, but also in the near future I'll be writing a fic that will kind of outline the whole thing. Enough of my blather. I don't own the people and places in this fic, and you're a fool for thinking so. There, I said it. Beware of innuendo. (Personally, it's my best friend but you may not feel the same). Get on with it then.

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Fate.

Or… something like that.

That was the only way Tifa could possibly explain it to herself or anyone else. Then again, she didn't see how she and Reno could possibly be tied together by fate, no matter how unpleasant said fate may be.

Maybe 'freak coincidence' was a better term for it.

So he showed up in her bar. What was so weird about that? He seemed no stranger to the drinkers' scene, and she served all kinds. A coincidence. Definitely.

Then again, the weird part was that he sort of… asked her on a date. More like using the proposition of a date in order to flirt, mess with her head, attempt to make her angry; every choice seemed to work. So maybe it was all of the above.

But that little incident had left her mind just as he had left her presence. It seemed like he'd left the face of the earth after that—she hadn't seen him since.

Now, she decided, it was time for some grocery shopping. The 7th Heaven was finally pulling in enough money where she didn't have to worry about a tight budget while doing her shopping. Having to be careful about even which vegetables she bought had been frustrating and… slightly depressing. Finally she could happily browse through ingredients for her next meal with barely a second glance at any prices. However, familiar red hair did earn a double take.

Guess he didn't vanish into thin air after all.

It was an odd sight, really. Reno, someone she'd really only encountered in battle or in bars, was casually inspecting the rows of food he walked past—in a supermarket. No one else would have thought it the least bit odd, but to Tifa he looked starkly out of place.

She slipped behind a shelf when he drew nearer, hopefully out of view. It took a lot of effort not to constantly check behind her. If he did appear in the same aisle, she didn't want to be caught in the act of pretending she hadn't seen him when she knew full well that he was there. She threw a quick, furtive glance over her shoulder, and saw no trace of him, cuing her to carry on with her shopping.

But she didn't need anything in the pet supply aisle... or the greeting card aisle. So she hurried through them with her basket on one arm. She quickly turned a corner and collided with something solid—not a shopping cart, not a product display, but a person. It was a likely occurrence in a grocery store, with limited vision as one turned among the shelves. She'd even been in the situation quite a few times herself, bumping into some unlucky stranger, but no instance had been as regrettable as this one—she'd walked right into Reno. Honestly. She wondered if he was momentarily stunned and she could make a quick getaway. What are the odds of this even happening? This is like some kind of cliché movie.

She was trying to inch away when Reno took notice of her. "Well, well, well…"

She winced. Oh NO…

He didn't give her the chance to respond or retreat. "Fancy meeting you here," She wanted to aim a punch straight at that grinning mouth. He was taking too much enjoyment in embarrassing her—he was deliberately raising his voice so everyone in the store would turn and look at her.

She sighed. She'd been a lot more patient with him that night at the bar—she'd been tired, and therefore dazed, and caught too off-guard to be susceptible to anything he did. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He blinked and gave her a strange look. "This is a grocery store," he said patronizingly. "Why wouldn't I be here? Believe it or not, I need more than booze for sustenance."

Tifa rolled her eyes at herself, letting them linger on the neatly stacked products with the store's name stamped on the labels. That WAS a pretty stupid question. She looked back at him."Sorry," she said quickly, already starting to back up in retreat and hoping he wouldn't notice. "That was unfair of me. I need to get back to my shopping now," Quick Tifa, run while you still can!

There was a sharp intake of breath when he caught her arm as she turned to walk away. "Heyheyhey wait just one second."

Unfortunately for her, she was too polite not to. She sighed inwardly. This was so much easier in the bar. I'm better at handling people when I can treat them like customers, not like people who track me down in supermarkets. Or maybe he's just more persistent during the daytime… She whirled around to face him, biting her lip with hesitation. "…Yeah?" What does he WANT?

"You owe me dinner," The look on her face was so priceless it warranted another obnoxious grin.

"I—wh-what?" she spluttered.

"C'mon, babe," he said deviously, "Don't tell me you don't remember."

Whether or not she did was beside the point. She hadn't seen him for a long time up until now. How did he figure that she owed him anything? I just wanted to buy some ingredients for pesto…

She scowled at him and he took that as a no. "Guess not. You said I could pay you for the drink with dinner, remember?" He crossed his arms as he stared at her.

Her scowl deepened. "That's not how it went," she shot back. "You offered to pay that way and I said no. Then I took your money, threw you out, and said maybe I would next time."

The smirk that followed didn't amuse her. "So you do remember."

"Okay fine, I do," She crossed her arms as well. "But I didn't see you again for, what, another month? And now you want me to take you up on that?"

He sidled closer to her with a broad smile. "I'll take ya somewhere nice," he suggested. She said nothing. "If you promise to wear something sexy."

She knew she was supposed to be offended. She probably should have had a comeback lined up. And more than anything, she wanted to get back to her shopping. But she did have a new dress and no legitimate excuse to wear it… "All right," she waved her free hand. If he'll drop it. "Fine," His smiled widened. "Here," She took a pen from her purse, grabbed his hand and began writing on it. "This is my address. Come pick me up at 6:30 tonight. If you're late the deal's off," That's that then…

She seemed oblivious to just how close she had moved his hand to her chest, but Reno definitely noticed. His eyes lit up "You'll wear something sexy then?" She muttered something that was unintelligible but sounded insulting.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" she mumbled when she finished writing and released his hand.

"Aww, don't be like that," he insisted. "It could be fun," She gave him a look. He went on. "If you play your cards right," he said slyly.

She was silent for a moment, glancing surreptitiously at the shelf next to her. Reno didn't see it. "Well in that case…" she started, sounding a bit like he did when he had something sneaky in mind. "Maybe you'll need these," She grabbed a box of condoms and thrust them into his hands. She wasted no time in making her escape. "See you tonight…" She gave him a quick wave and a strangely mischievous grin over her shoulder as she walked away.

He could have sworn he heard her laugh when she turned around. He didn't know whether to be excited or confused. Then again, he was a bit distracted by the view he got as she continued down the aisle—a view he eagerly took advantage of by staring. When she finally disappeared around the corner he went back to wondering what had gotten into her. But when he took a better look at the box in his hands, more specifically the lettering in the bottom corner, he fully understood what the laughter was for.

"Small?"

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Tifa checked herself in the mirror. What was I thinking? She turned at various angles to get a better look at the dress she was wearing. '…wear something sexy.'

She took a deep breath and frowned. Sexy probably wasn't the word she would use—it rarely was—but 'revealing' seemed awfully fitting. Maybe this was a bad idea…

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The summer weather was still in full swing, and she was glad for it. She decided to wait outside for Reno, assuming he did actually show up. She hadn't brought a watch, but she knew it was around twenty-after. She fidgeted and straightened her dress and toyed with her hair. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date.

…A date? With Reno? Weird.

She willed herself to stay still when she caught herself pacing anxiously on the sidewalk. She would have taken a seat on the curb had the length—or rather, lack thereof—of her skirt allowed it. …Why do I buy clothes like this?

Her pondering was interrupted when she caught sight of Reno sauntering down the block. Here we go…He obviously hadn't brought a car with him, but that didn't surprise her. Kalm was so small there was never much need for one. She usually preferred walking anyway.

She stood rooted to the pavement. She'd meant to walk closer to meet him, but the impulse never made it from her brain to her body. She smiled when he was near enough, not really knowing how else she was supposed to greet him. She was going out to dinner with a former enemy. It was all happening so fast—she wasn't prepared at all. Then again, how was she supposed to prepare for something like this anyway?

He looked her up and down appreciatively, but said nothing. Her face took on a red tinge as she blushed and crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously. "So… where are we going?"

"Uhh…" He hesitated and looked around. "How about… over there?" He motioned to a small restaurant at the corner of her block.

She eyed him. "You haven't put any thought into this at all, have you?" she asked.

"No," he smiled in a weirdly proud way. "No I haven't. Shall we?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "Sure."

She was grateful that the short walk was a decent excuse for no conversation. What could they possibly talk about anyway?

"You didn't have to wait outside for me, ya know," he said suddenly, almost startling her. He held the door open for her, like a perfect gentleman, and she was… impressed. She paused before answering. "Actually… I kinda did."

They were seated immediately—the restaurant was practically deserted. She pulled her chair out for herself before he could—a little chivalry was all right, but she could hold her own just fine and didn't want anyone to forget it. "Yeah?" He looked at her from over his menu. "And why's that?"

"Well…" She squirmed in her chair. "I didn't think you'd be all that welcome inside," She winced inwardly—she didn't want the evening to start out on a note like that. He merely raised an eyebrow, which she assumed was her cue to continue. "I didn't tell Barret where I was going or who I was going with… I'm not sure he would have taken it very well."

"Barret?" He closed his menu and leaned closer. "The big guy with the gun for an arm?"

She shifted again and avoided his intense gaze. "He has a prosthetic now, but yes, that's him."

He leaned on one hand and used the other to drum his fingers on the table. "You're living with him?"

She could see where he was going. "Only temporarily. I'm staying with him and helping to take care of his daughter, Marlene, until I have enough money for a new place. It's not like we're involved or anything," He nodded, still staring. She still hadn't touched her menu. "But the 7th Heaven is making a lot of money now… I think I'll get my own place soon."

He nodded again, thoughtful but silent, still drumming his fingers. She wished she could tell what he was thinking. "7th Heaven was the name of your bar in Midgar, wasn't it?" He wanted a cigarette, but forgot to ask to sit in the smoking section. He liked to push Tifa's buttons but didn't think it would be a good idea to get them kicked out.

"Yeah," she said, lowering her eyes to her menu, finally deciding to look it over "It was."

The original 7th Heaven's destruction had essentially been Reno's fault. He'd only been following orders when setting the bomb that dropped the plate, crushing Midgar's Sector 7, but the association remained the same. It was clear neither of them really wanted to talk about it.

"But I think this one is better," she went on, smiling as best she could to lighten the mood. "It's in a nicer location, and fewer bars, so less competition…" She was worried she'd start rambling. "So… why are you in Kalm?" She asked once the waiter had taken their menus and their orders. "Do you live here?"

"Yeah. I've got a place on the other side of town." Reno was regretting his decision not to order some strong alcohol. But after his comment about needing more than booze to stay alive, he felt a need to live up to the claim.

"Oh," She smiled again. "That's nice," This is going nowhere fast… why did I agree to go on a date with him? You know, this isn't even a date! A date is supposed to be between two people who at least LIKE each other or are friendly…

"You know," he said, and she forced herself to pay attention. "I've got an amazing psychic ability." She was silent but her look spurred him to continue. "I can tell what color underwear a girl is wearing just by lookin' at her," He smiled proudly.

Tifa stared. Well that came outta NOWHERE. I guess he's bored. I'm in for it now. …Fantastic. "Oh yeah?" she challenged. "And how do you know if you're right?"

"Simple," he replied. "I take their clothes off," His smile this time was more for the look of utter distaste on her face than anything else.

"Charming," She was set to label him a 'pig' at that very moment, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, "So what color are mine then?"

"Trick question," he said. "I don't think you're even wearing any. Of course, I'd be more than happy to buy you some—hope you don't mind my taste."

Her mixture of anger and embarrassment resulted in a very red shade covering her face. "Yeah, well. That's for me to know. And you'll never find out, by the way, especially by means of your usual method."

He looked disappointed, and she had a feeling that it was only partially feigned. He wasn't even trying to be subtle about messing with her—it was most likely revenge for the prior afternoon. She smiled to herself. It had been a little out of character for her, but it was certainly worth it for the damage it must have done to his ego.

Well… if he's going to play THAT game. The saying was 'fight fire with fire,' wasn't it? "Although if you somehow managed that, it would be nice knowing that you have protection. Got the right size, didn't I?"

He took the bait without hesitation. She felt evil. Men were so easy that way. "No," She could swear she saw his cool façade fade just slightly. "I think you're underestimating me or something."

"Oh no," she answered, eyes following her plate as the waiter set it down in front of her. "I think my judgment is spot on," She picked up her fork and fought from laughing at his effort not to be insulted.

Reno ignored the waiter and his comment of 'enjoy your food.' "Is that so? I'll have to prove you wrong then."

Tifa tested her rice and held up a hand. "No need. Keep your pants on."

He narrowed his eyes and started stabbing at his own food.

The meal contained no real conversation, just his come-ons, suggestions and propositions and her responses of 'I don't think so,' 'Not gonna happen,' and her personal favorite, 'No chance in Hell.'

The only interruption was when Tifa excused herself to use the restroom. When she returned, Reno remarked how surprised he was to see that she hadn't tried to make a break for it through a window.

She'd considered it.

When their plates were taken away, he glared at her. "You know, I figured if I kept it up you'd either get pissed off and bitch at me or kick my ass, or you'd eventually say yes and we'd be having wild sex right now. And since you're not mad and you're still saying no, I think I just wasted a whole bunch of time."

She nonchalantly observed the dessert menu that the waiter handed to her. "I figure I'm doing you a favor by saying no. You ask for the thrill of the challenge—I'd just be spoiling your fun by saying yes."

"Maybe," He paid no mind to the dessert menu—he was resolute now. "But if you said yes, we could both be having fun," He grinned widely. She didn't reply, her eyes just skimmed over various kinds of pastries and ice cream. "You know," he started again, anxious for the upper hand. "If you wanted 'dessert,' we could have just gone to my place."

"Hmm," His words didn't faze her. "I'm sure that would be great and all, but I think," she turned to the waiter who had just arrived to take their dessert orders, "Cheesecake would be a lot more satisfying."

The waiter wrote down her order, gave them both a look that clearly indicated he thought they had a few screws loose, and walked away. She turned back to Reno. "Do you always talk about sex?"

"I speak my mind."

"Fine then, do you always think about sex?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest…" He leaned in, prompting her to do the same. "When I'm sitting across from you and you're wearing a dress like that, it's hard to think about anything else."

She sighed and gave him a bored look, but jumped nearly a foot in the air at a loud ringing noise. "That's mine," she told him, even though he hadn't asked. "Hello? Oh, hi. No… No, it's fine. Yeah, I'll be right there. No really Barret, it's no problem. See you," She hung up. "I need to go watch Marlene—Barret has to run out for something."

He opened his mouth but she was already standing. "Thanks for a truly lovely evening," she said with a falsely sweet smile. She rooted around in her purse and put some money on the table. "Don't let that cheesecake go to waste," she started making her exit and turned back to him over her shoulder. "That's the only," she paused to grin, "Satisfaction you'll be getting from me tonight."

And then she was gone. The only coherent thought Reno could put together was 'What the fuck?'

More than anything, he knew he needed to get outside and have a cigarette.

Maybe two.

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Let's just say Reno's sentiments at the end reflect my own. Lemme know yours.