I don't own FF7 or its characters and make no profit from writing these stories.
Reno woke up with an aching head and the sound of cheerful bird song in his ears and wondered why; he lived in a sound proof condo high in the sky where those cheerful motherfuckers dared not tread.
He opened his eyes and then squinted them against the bright light of the room. He had blackout curtains….so where?
Then he recognized the guestroom at Tifa's apartment. There were three bedrooms in her apartment; one she slept in, one she wouldn't ever let anyone else sleep in but…..him even when he wasn't around and the final one, she reserved for those she trusted when they drank too much. Like Reno.
He turned his head and did not spot his clothes, but he did see his goggles had been placed on the nightstand along with his weapon, wallet and keys.
He cracked up that Tifa had whimsically placed an actual mint on the pillow beside him.
This he ate while retrieving the guest bathrobe she kept in the closet and padded his way to the washroom. Reno kept a toothbrush and duplicate toiletries of his own at home there for when he stayed over and wouldn't dare touch the dusty containers belonging to the man who lived there out of respect for her.
Tifa woke up to the sound of Reno badly singing an old eighties song while he showered and got up and found herself grooving to it while he sang.
"Rag doll, livin' in a movie
Hot tramp, daddy's little cutie
You're so fine, they'll never see ya leavin' by the back door, mam
Hot time get it while it's easy…."
She brushed her hair and went and made coffee for them.
Reno shaved and gelled his hair and let it air dry, feeling better after a good, cleansing shower.
He laughed when he found Tifa ironing a white shirt that seemed to be his own and leaned against the door frame. "I thought women ironing clothes in their slips was reserved just for old movies?" he commented with amusement in his voice. "I keep telling you; you don't have to do my laundry."
"It's a night dress" she corrected him. "Considering what you spilled on your uniform and how not one, but five women threw their drinks at you. I had to do something before your shirt was ruined. Thank you for remembering to wear underwear this time" she said while looking pointedly at him, making him aware of who had undressed him and put him to bed.
"You like what you see?" he asked her.
"Not bad for a scrawny guy" she commented as she handed him his neatly folded uniform and well pressed shirt on a hanger and unplugged her iron.
"You're a doll" he drolly said taking them and going to dress.
Tifa held a cup of coffee out to him as he turned up in all his usual shabby elegance and he took it with a grateful smile.
He sat down at the table with her "five women huh?" he commented as he drank it.
"And you got slapped three times as well; twice on your right cheek and once on your left" Tifa summed up for him and he downed the Tylenol placed in front of him without comment.
"I told you I'm irresistible to women" he said beaming a cocky smile at her.
"So I noticed" she said smiling back. He stayed with her about once a week and she found herself liking the Turk no matter what he stood for. After all they were no longer what they once had once been with their dwindling numbers and were far more benevolent and now were being commanded by a far kinder Shinra. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that the cheerful young man sitting in front of her was a deadly assassin. But then again, her own small stature was deceptive too.
"Would you like breakfast?" she asked him.
"My belly's a little off" he politely declined.
"An hour from now you'll be scarfing down a cheeseburger" she said in disapproval.
"And you'll have half a grapefruit and continue to eat hardly anything throughout the day, but binge eat at two am" he said looking at her through narrowed eyes and she blushed and looked away and he grinned victoriously at her.
"I should go to the office" he said standing up.
"Yes, you're already fashionably late" she said looking at the time.
"They wouldn't recognize me if I was on time" he said.
"You're pretty hard to miss Turk-wise. Everyone else looks so prim and proper" Tifa commented.
"I think I was born without those traits" he said walking towards her entryway.
"You okay to drive?" she asked him.
"We're you planning to drive me? I'm fine" he assured her as they both stood on her porch. She wore a black nightgown that did resemble a long black slip and her hair hung loose down her back. He thought she looked beautiful.
"Drive carefully then" she said as she always did.
"Like a little old lady" he assured her. "Do I get a kiss goodbye?" he asked her facetiously.
"On the cheek" she said pointing to it.
He went to but then turned his head and kissed her on the lips instead.
"Stop that" she said but with no heat behind her words as red bloomed at the tops of her cheeks; he chuckled when she punched him on the arm.
"I think you like my kisses. That Cloud is a real idiot to leave you on the market for so long" he commented and then realized he had said the wrong thing when she looked sad. "I meant; what a wife you would make. I'll tell you what, if you're not married in five years. Will you marry me?" he said crossing his arms and looking down at her.
"You're on. The way you drink, you'll probably be dead in five years" she flippantly commented while wondering if he was being serious.
"Probably, but we shall see" he said and got into his car.
"You know, it's okay if you want to keep some changes of clothes here" Tifa offered.
"You really like me being here with you. Is my charm starting to rub off on you? Shall we start picking out China patterns?" he teased her, his blue eyes seemed to dance in the morning light and she blushed that she noticed this and looked away.
"I was just thinking it would save me on laundry duty" she hotly insisted.
"I told you I'm irresistible" he said with a smirk and drove off, giving her a cheerful wave goodbye and she waved after him.
He was such a rascal but she liked him and although she would never admit it to him, she liked when he stayed overnight, it was nice having someone to talk to in the mornings even if they slept in separate beds. She was used to taking care of members of avalanche but both the Turks and avalanche had changed with time. So was it so odd that a Turk had found his way into her limitless heart?