Conundrum

Love or Lust?

AN: I own nothing in this story. This was requested by a great artist on Deviantart so enjoy. Please R&R.

Tifa opened her eyes and took in the hotel room she was currently in. The decorators of this particular room must have had a fascination with yellow for that was the color that met her eyes at every turn until she glanced beside her. Flaming red hair grew wild down his back and he looked at her with piercing green eyes.

"How are you?" The man asked, smiling softly at her. But there was something about his smile that wasn't sincere, Tifa thought.

"I'm fine Axel but…." Axel reached out a hand and started stroking her hair gently.

"But what?"

"Do you really love me?" Axel chuckled at that and moved his hand to her cheek, cupping it.

"Babe you know I love you and I'll always love you, got it memorized?"

"Yeah…" Tifa said. Her gaze moved from Axel to the engagement ring on the bedside table.

"I'm going to go take a shower, alright?" Axel announced. Tifa nodded and he got up to go to the restroom, shutting the door softly. Tifa laid her head on her pillow and thought about the man who had given her that ring.

"Reno what are you doing?" Tifa asked as she walked onto the roof of his apartment. Reno's hair was styled in its usual ponytail and it seemed to glow in the dark of night. Reno turned around at her voice and smiled.

"I'm just watching the stars and one's standing right in front of me." Tifa rolled her eyes at the cheesy remark but came closer to him.

"The night's so beautiful isn't it?" Tifa said, snuggling into his chest and looking up at the stars over his shoulder.

"Yes it is…Tifa?"

"Hmm?"

"We've been together for a few years now and you've made me so happy. I don't want to lose what we have so Tifa will you marry me?" Here Reno got down on one knee and presented her with a gleaming diamond ring set in a gold band. She stared at the ring for sometime before slipping her finger through the band. From there she hugged onto Reno tightly and started kissing him all over his face.

"Yes." Tifa said in-between kisses.

The day before the wedding Tifa was having second thoughts. And that's when Axel reappeared in her life. He had been her best friend growing up and he had wanted to meet with her. Her childhood crush had returned during that meeting and that led her here to a hotel room having spent the night in his bed. The phone suddenly rang out and Tifa picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Is Axel there? Who are you?"

"Housekeeping…may I ask whose calling?" Tifa lied.

"This is Megan and would you remind Axel that we have a date tonight? Tell him to call me, okay?"

"Alright I'll make sure he get's the message." Tifa replied, hanging up the phone. She should have known Axel didn't love her. He loved her body and those fleeting moments of physical contact and joining but never her soul, something that Reno near worshipped. A few moments passed until Axel came out of the shower, a towel draped across his neck. He noticed the expression on her face and hugged her from behind.

"What's wrong?" He whispered. Tifa gave him a soft smile.

"Nothing I'm just hungry. Would you mind getting me something to munch on from the vending machine?"

"Sure thing, I'll be right back." Axel said with a cocky smirk. Once he had gone Tifa got out of bed and quickly got dressed, leaving the room and dashing downstairs, but not before grabbing her engagement ring.

Reno sat on the floor of his living room and quickly took a swig of the champagne he was going to drink at his wedding. He was still dressed in his tuxedo and glared at the white walls, memories rushing through his head like a storm.

"So Reno now that this house is semi-habitable what do you think?" Tifa asked while painting one of the walls. Reno looked at the newly painted wall from the ladder he was on.

"Honey, you missed a spot…" Reno said, moving his roller to cover what Tifa had missed.

"Tell me what you think." Tifa said.

"I think you look really sexy covered in all that paint." Reno remarked. Tifa brushed some of the paint still attached to her brush on his right cheek and laughed at how silly he looked.

"Well you're not so bad yourself Re." She then squealed when Reno leapt from the ladder and started tickling her with his paint smeared hands.

"I also think that this place is perfect for us, don't you?" Reno said, stopping his tickling.

"It doesn't matter where we live, as long as we're together." Tifa replied.

"Did you get that from a fortune cookie?" Reno joked. Tifa stuck her tongue out at him and flipped him onto his back and now she was staring down at him.

"I love you Tifa."

Reno took another swig of alcohol and sighed heavily. Why had she left him? She had seemed happy so what had caused her to act like she did? Standing up Reno walked towards the bathroom door and glanced in; the memories returning.

Tifa was currently splashing around in the tub haphazardly while Reno was shaving at the sink with his back to her.

"Go ahead, missy- keep splashing…I've got this big old' cup and some ice cold tap water…"

"You wouldn't dare." Tifa replied.

"Mighty sure of yourself aren't you?"

"I'm a woman." She splashed around some more before looking at him. "So where are we going to celebrate my birthday?" Reno turned his head and smiled at her.

"I thought we'd go dancing, have a picnic on the beach, watch the sun go down, fool around."

"I don't feel like dancing." Tifa said, smirking.

"Great! That gives us a few hours to kill!!" Reno said, matching her smirk and eyeing her body covered by a layer of soapy water. Her smirk vanished and she mock glared at him.

"Oh no you don't…don't even think it." Reno stepped closer. "Reno two people can't fit in here, I'm serious!" Reno just laughed before hopping into the tub sending water flying everywhere. Tifa glanced at the now wet bathroom and back to Reno. "O.K. wise guy, you're mopping that-oohhh!" But whatever Tifa was going to say was cut off by Reno's hands moving their way up her lithe form.

A knock came at the door then and Reno sighed. Walking up to the door he flung it open and his eyes went wide.

As Tifa exited the cab and rushed towards the house Reno had bought for them she remembered the way he would just hold her in bed.

Their bodies lay entangled on the sheets as she pressed into him. He responded by massaging her gently before kissing her neck fiercely. As she pressed her forehead to his she looked deep into his turquoise eyes.

"Mine?" She whispered. Reno's response was to place her hand on his heart.

"Yours." He replied back.

"Forever?" Tifa said as she trailed kisses along his jaw. Reno smiled at her and kissed her deep on the lips. Once they had broken apart he hugged her close until the words he spoke next reverberated through her skin.

"Forever and ever…"

Tifa had finally reached the house and knocked on the door. She heard footsteps and when he looked at her with wide eyes she flung herself in his arms, face pressed against his chest. She started sobbing then and tried to speak amid her tears.

"Re…sorry…forgive me…I…" But Reno only held her tightly to him and stroked her hair gently.

"It's alright Tifa…you're with me and that's all that matters." Tifa cried even harder at that but nodded her head. Neither knew how long they stood there holding each other but eventually Reno led Tifa to the bedroom. Lying down with her, he wiped away her tears.

"Please don't cry…" He whispered. After a few moments he spoke once more. "So what do we do now?" Reno asked. Tifa gave him a small smile.

"I thought we'd go dancing, have a picnic on the beach, watch the sun go down, fool around…" Reno shook his head at that and both chuckled.

"I don't feel like dancing…" Reno answered.

"Great…" Tifa whispered, hugging him tightly and never wanting to let go.