Ad Infinitum
"Because, this is what we are."
He always came right after she had actually managed to get everyone out of her bar, just sauntering in carelessly, one hand adjusting the glasses on his head, and the other hand backhanding a wave in her direction. Every other night, or even every night, or, once a month or once a week, it didn't matter to her, it just mattered that he was there. Moreover, she was ashamed that when he walked in, he didn't even have to voice his request, because from the second time that he had asked for one, his flick of red hair and cocky smirk had done it in for her, and she had remembered it.
She remembered the first night he had come in.
It had been two years after the fall of Sector 7, and, she still held that burden deep in her heart, trying not to let go of it, for fear that the memories would someday whisper away like the smoke filtering through his lips. Therefore, when Reno of the Turks had saucily approached her bar, plunking himself down on a seat further away from the rest of the people and had smirked at her knowingly before asking for a straight shot of vodka please, she had half a mind to blow him straight to the life stream. However, he was a paying customer, and, in the state that her sorry bar had fallen down to, she needed it. He hadn't said anything after that, just silently nursing his cup before slipping it discretely in her direction, a hushed refill. Then, after his third cup, he stood up, dug around in his pocket before pulling out a large wad of cash, and ambled his way out from where he came. She had picked up the cash, and after she had closed the bar, she had sat herself down and counted it. It was short to even say that it had been enough to pay for a few groceries. In fact, it had been enough to buy stock, pay half the rent, and still buy a good batch of groceries to last a whole week.
That was the first time in probably her existence, that she thanked Reno of The Turks. Of course, nobody had been in the bar at the time—not even him—but the sole point was that she had done it.
The second time he had came in, it had been more of a sprint than actually a lazy promenade, but, whoever was after him, probably wouldn't find him at her dingy bar. It had proven to be a very effective hiding place for many interesting people, and she had housed more people, and helped them hide, that she really couldn't even keep proper count anymore. So, he had dashed in and then, sending her a catty grin sat down and asked for a straight shot of vodka. She figured, since the last time he had probably been too buzzed to even count the tip properly—which was the only way she could imagine Reno giving anyone that amount of money—she should at least give him a few shots on the house. He had stayed inside, even fifteen minutes after closing time, and the way he kept sending nervous glances at the door, kept her from sending him out.
Tifa may had been a hard bitch, but wasn't always one, just when the occasion needed it.
Like for instance, saving the world.
So, as she slowly moved around the bar, wiping the tables and lifting the chairs in their proper stored positions, she turned around to him, still quietly contemplating a half full cup.
"Hey, Thank You."
And, that had been the second time that she had thanked him. It was for the same thing, but when it came to saying it to a ghost of air, and the real thing, it was a hundred mile difference. Especially for the person being thanked.
"For what?"
She couldn't think that for once he wouldn't actually know what he had done.
It was more than the cash however. Cloud…he was nobody since two years ago. Just another lost infatuation, her friends were gone, busy in their own lives, rebuilding families…lives.
So, when he had walked into her bar, her loneliness, even for a meager second, had been forgotten, and instead, replaced with a respected and awed astonishment. So, even if was sort of about the money, it was also about her, and even he had unknowingly did it—which he probably did, because Reno of the Turks was probably never aware of anyone else besides himself. She couldn't help but be thankful, because for one moment, he had made her forget herself.
Not something easily done.
She stopped short of saying 'for being here' and opted for something actually worth thanking him for.
"For giving me that tip."
He made a show of looking confused, and even though she didn't know him that well, just enough to know that he was just making a show of cluelessness.
"I gave you a tip?"
She nodded; stopping over to pick up the dishrag, she had dropped before smiling a small grin in what she deemed to be his direction. Her eyes were averted somewhere else, towards the picture on the wall, of just her and Cloud. She willed herself to forget.
"Yeah, it was a pretty big one too."
Then, without warning, he had flashed her yet another one of his famous witty smirks, one that caught her breath, and before she even knew it, he was walking out the door, the back of his hand flopping in a sloppy wave.
"Well, there's no sense in taking it back now."
Then, after he had left, she looked at the spot where his glass had been and in its place, was another wad of cash, crisp and folded.
She never noticed the note of messily scrawled text on the bottom, and when she swept, it went into the trash, never read.
I saw a girl at a bar today
She was beautiful
And I knew she would be mine
As she stood in an empty bar on a Friday, she knew that the third was coming soon.
It had been the end of a long night, even longer than some of the longest, and as she wiped spilled beer, sticky on the smooth counters surface, the front door slammed open, and suddenly, she was being pushed against the counter. Her mind registered that in some way, she was being attacked, and it was prepared to go into defensive, if needed, offensive, but, as soon as she prepared to crouch, her body forgot how.
There he was, his hair wet and salty, from sweat most likely, because rain usually wasn't salty, his chest moving rapidly up and down from heaving breath's—either from panic, or anxiety, she couldn't tell—and his eyes screwed tightly shut. He had her held against the counter, her shoulders pressed painfully into the edge as her hands curled and uncurled in their fists. His forehead rested against hers, and she couldn't look away from his face, edged and ragged, sweaty from running and wet from the light rain outside. She could feel his hands on her arms, grabbing tightly as if she was a lifeline, something that could protect him. And so, as she saw his mouth turned into a grim line, not a frown, not a smile, just a devoid line of emotion, she couldn't help but wrap her arms around him.
As she opened her lips to ask him, he answered quickly, the words blurring past her ears like a frenzied car engine, quaking in a deep terrified intensity that she would have never known he possessed.
"They want me to kill her."
To keep her voice from shaking, she held her breath, slowly sipping in the air as if it was medicine.
"Kill who, Reno?"
He snapped, banging his head sharply against her cheek, causing her to cry out before he let her go, pacing frantically around the room in circles. His eyes were now wide and alert as they scanned the room, blinking rapidly before his hands clenched into themselves, a thin line of blood staining one hand.
"It doesn't matter. They want me to kill her, and if I don't, then they will."
"Who is she?"
He stopped long enough to kick a stool off a nearby table, one of the legs snapping in half upon impact with the hardwood floor. He picked it up with the bloody hand, not even noticing the splintered wood rubbing against his cut as he paced the room slower than before, occasionally whipping his head in the direction of the front door.
"They're going to come any second now. That bastard had second dibs…And he doesn't waste time. I've got to…I've got to save her."
"RENO! Who the hell are you talking about? You're going crazy!"
Reno's head snapped in her direction, his eyes narrowing as they looked at the front door. She looked, and with a gaping 'oh' of astonishment, watched with him as the doorknob turned, the cocking of a gun heard from behind the door.
She knew as well as he did, that the door was unlocked.
Before she knew it, he had grabbed her arms, his eyes narrowing as he spied a window in the back room.
"C'mon. We've got to get out of here, before that bastard gets in and shoots both our brains out."
She didn't answer, the breath suddenly hitching in a sour cloud in her throat. Her tongue felt numb, and as he worked the window open with one hand, the other still death gripping her arm, a gun rang out, and as his arm started bleeding, she found that she couldn't remember any words worth saying.
They ran down the street, stopping at alleyways and backyards, until they were at the literal edge of the city, Tifa gasping for air and Reno pacing again, his hands tangling his hair in a frustrated knot. Both stopped as a shrill ring seemed to fill the air, mixed in with the far away sounds of late evening traffic and the police sirens whining in the distance.
Both stopped, holding their breaths. She had no idea what was going on, but she had enough of an idea to know that if he still had his cell phone, and if it was the wrong person, they could trace it.
That was the way his association and practically any other worked its dirty secrets.
On his side, she heard a sigh of relief as he flipped the phone open, barely giving the other person a chance to talk. He mouthed 'Rude' in her direction, and she nodded back before slipping on her pair of black leather gloves.
The last present she would ever receive from Cloud. She shook her head from the memories. It was definitely not the time for recollecting dead reminiscences. She saw the bandage wrapped haphazardly on his arm. The bullet had missed, leaving a scrape but nothing worse than that.
"Yeah. No. Rude, they want me to kill her. We're all in the same fucking group, I thought… She wouldn't give information to the TATO Group. Goddamn! Call me, five minutes, I'll figure out a way. I'm not going to let her get hurt because of me…"
Tifa stared Reno down as he shut his phone, glowering weakly at the ground.
"What's, 'TATO'"
"They call themselves 'The Anti Terrorist Organization' TATO for short. They're a select group that started over a year and a half ago, mainly against the Turks. They're intent on disrupting Shinra and anyone involved with Shinra. That means, associates, employees, and anyone involved with Shinra personnel. Even personal acquaintances that have nothing to do with our public lives. Their association is not supposed to include others outside of Shinra, but they do it anyway. They're starting to assassinate even innocent civilians who converse with any of us, even if it's only a two minute conversation. Anyone associated with our group, dies. "
"And…who is this girl?"
He rubbed his head, frowning deeper as he sat cross-legged on the damp ground, his eyes closed in concentration.
"The term now is actually girls."
"Oh, really?" She sat down beside him, her chin resting against the flat of her palm as she scanned the perimeter, taking comfort in the coolness of her gloves. "Who are these girls then?"
"The first is Rude's younger sister. Her name is Kalona, she is twenty-Eight, and as of now, TATO has confirmed the order that Kalona must be eliminated. Our new Shinra president has ordered me to eliminate her first before TATA gets to her. The Shinra president doesn't want any personal or public information tortured and extracted from her about our organization. The bastard who broke into the bar was after me, he's a mercenary working as of now for TATO." He opened his eyes, pupils small pinpricks of black as he stared at her, eyes almost softening before they hardened again, his teeth biting down on his lower lips with enough force to draw blood. She noticed that it did, a small well of blood collecting…he absentmindedly licked it off before taking a deep breath, his hands shaking spastically in his lap. "The other girl…is you…"
She did a double take before snapping her jaw shut, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Me?! Why me?"
"Because you know I'm a Turk, and, you worked for Avalanche."
She frowned deeply, clenching her fists tightly, the leather biting into the creases in her hand. She could feel the cold sweat pooling on her forehead.
"Avalanche is dead."
"That's not how they take it, you're my friend and—"
He answered the phone, lips pressed tightly together as the color of his skin faded into a pasty white, his eyes wide and alarmed. He snapped the phone shut and stood, tucking the phone back into his jacket before staring at her.
She could tell that he was slowly…slowly…slowly…
Starting to cry.
He started to walk, hailing a taxi before opening the door for her, letting her scoot in as he slammed it shut, slipping the driver a wad of cash.
"Drive as fast as you can, don't stop on any circumstances. Drop us off on the corner of Fifth, and then, drive in the opposite direction. Is that clear?"
The taxi driver nodded a curt jerk of the head before stepping fiercely on the gas pedal. As the car flew forward, Reno leaned back, taking in a deep sigh.
Tifa stared in awe. This was a serious side of Reno that she had never really had the chance to see. In a way… His maturity was…attractive.
She shook her head.
No time for thoughts like that when they were paying for a chanced leg of survival.
His voice choking, he rang Rude's number waiting for it to ring two times before he answered, his mouth dry, and face coated with what she thought to be a cold sweat.
"Kalona's dead."
He sat there for a few moments, staring blankly out the window before rolling it down with his free hand.
"Don't call this number again. And get out of there. They're tracking our phones. If you have to, use a pay phone to contact my place. You know the number."
Taking a deep breath, he snapped the phone in half and tossed it out the window, watching the pieces clatter to the ground as a few scattered civilians watched in curious observation.
His hand suddenly held hers tightly, his fingers intertwining with hers, his thumb involuntarily brushing small circles on her knuckle.
"They're after us next…" his voice tightly rubbed her nerves, wracking her mind with panic as he closed his eyes, willing the tears away, "We have to hide for a while. They probably burned your bar. Where's the kid?"
"With Barrett and Marline. I can't say where they are though…"
"Good, don't. We can't trust anybody. Don't say my name in public, and don't reveal yours either. We stay inside at all times unless we have to vacate the building In case of a breach. I'll brief you once we're safely situated."
She managed a weak reply before letting her head drop onto his shoulder. She must have drifted off for a few moments before waking to the warmth of his arm around her shoulder. She kept her eyes closed as she listened to him murmur to the Taxi driver.
The driver's smooth voice filled the cabin with a secure tone.
"Reno, what are you going to do with Miss Lockheart?"
"We're going to my hiding spot. Never thought I would have to go there again…after all this time…y'know, 'specially with someone like her with me."
"TATO destroyed her bar. Nobody has been able to contact Strife yet. Should I let you know if we do get a hold of him?"
"No. That would complicate things. For now, we should all keep a low profile. Does the president know you're helping us, Tseng?"
"No. He does not. Rude and I will disappear off the radar for a week or so, I suggest highly that you do too."
"Are you two staying in Midgar?"
"No. I have some previous reliable connections in Wutai. We'll be staying in a secluded town until the TATO problem is considered a past issue."
"Call the place if you know of any changes."
"I will. And Reno?"
"Yeah Tseng,"
"Don't trust anyone."
She felt his hold around her tighten, his voice laced with a sardonic anger.
"I never do Tseng."
"Good. I'll leave you two to your own business. Do not contact any others besides Rude and myself, understand?"
"Yeah, I get it. Uh…Tseng?"
"Yes Reno, I will tell Rude."
"Thanks."
"There is no need for thanks between comrades."
She felt the car stop, the pattering of rain on the windshield plinking against the glass in a scattered pattern. He could feel him breathing, his heart pounding. He shook her arms, his hand grabbing hers before pulling her out of the car. The Taxi drove off, turning the corner with a screech.
All remained silent, before he took out a key ring and made his way down an alley, still holding onto her hand as he unlocked a door.
As they walked down the musty smelling hallway, he stopped, staring her down.
""You heard?"
She fumbled, looking everywhere else but him.
"Yes. I did."
"I knew you were awake. Don't trust anybody."
He started unlocking a door, opening it before grabbing her arm and walking inside, shutting and bolting it quickly before narrowing his eyes, smiling dryly.
"Not even me."
She backed away, eyes wide.
He laughed, walking towards her, pushing her onto a couch before disappearing into what she deemed the kitchen, coming out with two bottles of lukewarm water. Smiling calmly at her, he tossed one, which she caught, as he unscrewed the cap to his own, gulping half of it before sitting down next to her, putting the cap back on and setting it on the carpet next to his feet.
"You can trust me now, but I'm just letting you know…" He leaned in, and before she knew it, his lips were grazing against her own, one hand cupping her cheek while the other rested against the curve of her waist. "In this silly game of cat and mouse, there is no such thing as the 'good guys'."
She managed to murmur shakily, her hands making their way up his chest, one slipping into his hair.
"I knew that when I first met you Reno."
His tongue licked her bottom lip, earning a breathy sigh from her as his hands slowly brushed the undersides of her breast, his eyes boring holes into her own as in his own way he asked permission.
"I won't save you."
She kissed him full on the lips, hands grabbing at his hair, leaving him breathless before she let go, smiling softly before leaning in again, and breathing hotly against his skin.
"You already did, Reno."
They kissed again, his hands peeling her shirt off before she moaned, strands of her hair falling into her face.
As they lay naked and warm under his long coat, he whispered in her ear, biting down softly on the sensitive skin, his hands cupping her thigh.
"Are we in love?"
Smiling, she pressed herself against him, her back arching, muscles taught and aware, a familiar fire burning holes in her stomach. She suppressed a moan.
"Should we be?"
He blew into her mouth, tongue mingling inside before his hand cupped the familiar warmth under the coat. "No, we shouldn't."
She wrapped her legs around his waist, licking his shoulder and rocking gently.
"Then…I think that…we are…"
And, as they became frantic, he spoke harshly into the groove of her shoulder, kissing her neck repeatedly between breaths.
"…Good…"
Three hours later, he had his pants on and she had a pair of his shorts hanging loosely on her hips, one of his jackets wrapped closely to her damp skin. As she rested, her hands splayed on his chest, his breathing slowed, and they both listened to the nonsensical droning of the T.V. displayed in front of them.
"So…if we survive…"
"Wanna live together?"
She smiled, grasping his hand and kissing the tips of his fingers before pressing them against her cheek.
"Stay with me?"
He kissed her fully before rolling on to her, throwing the blanket over them before once again reaching under her shirt. She sighed as he kissed her again, whispering softly against her skin.
"Indefinitely."
For three days, they had lived like that, drinking lukewarm bottles of water, and eating scattered bites of refrigerated food between frenzied kisses.
She knew that the third time was going to end soon, and she wasn't so sure, that there was going to be a fourth.
Her fears were cornered on the fourth day as they sat half dressed on the couch, wrapped in a blanket as the T.V. as always, spouted unimportant commercials, and Day Time shows. His phone rang the one he had stored in his 'hiding place.'
"Reno here. Any info?"
The other voice murmured, as she heard a door slam in the distance. Reno looked in the direction of the sound before grabbing her around her waist, his fingers pressing into her sides as he hung the phone up, throwing it against the wall.
His eyes were on fire.
And that was when she knew, that they were never going to have a fourth time.
She started to cry, and stood up, his shirt billowing loosely around her as he stood up in front of her, his mouth set in a stone hard line.
"Tifa… They found us. He knew we were here all along. Tseng… He's coming…to…finish the job."
Her sobs suddenly wracked her body, as he pulled her closer, her chin resting on the top of her head.
"We have nowhere to go Tifa…"
She pulled away slightly, her mouth a hanging gap, her breaths open and wet, and her eyes rimmed red. She was desperate.
She remembered a saying told by her old friend, now dead in the ashes of her old hometown.
Third time's the charm.
And, she knew that it was.
He let his arm hang by his side as his eyes silently pleaded with her.
"Do you regret being with me?"
Slowly, her index finger grazed the skin of his cheek and as he leaned forward, eyes willing hers shut, she backed away, her heart racing and lips trembling. "This…death is all that remains…after a mistake like us…"
He remained, stalling her as he spoke in quiet whispers, his warm breath harsh, almost to the point of cutting, against the shell of her ear.
"This is what we are." His hand splayed against her collarbone, the other hand on her neck, one finger lifting up to her chin, the others slowly one by one tracing the outline of her lips. "A perfect. Terrifying. Disaster."
He kissed her, both falling onto the familiar sofa, her lips touching his before pulling away, the tears starting again, quietly running down her skin.
"I'm going to die, Reno."
His lips grazed her forehead before he sat up, pulling her with him.
"Then so will I."
And as they sat on the ratted brown couch, holding hands, they waited for the click of a gun.
-o-
"In the end, all I wanted was for us to be able to be together…And so we will."
-o-
A/N
This is what people write when their best friends die, and you wish that you could've died with them, and told them that you loved them.
Don't wait.
I shouldn't have.
And it's too late.
-
Anyway, it's not quite that explicit, so I just put the rating on 'T'. Reno and Tifa are indefinitely my favorite couple yet.
God knows we need more of them around.
Disclaimer- As of now, and as of forever, and as of the day that Final Fantasy was created, I do not or a never will own it. Sue me if you wish. I'll pay you pack when I'm dead.
Hope you enjoyed it,
TMoh