"C'mon, Lilith. One more. Jus' stay for…" he paused as if he'd forgotten what to say next, then continued, "For 'nother round."

I sighed irritably at the redheaded Turk sitting to my left, who was already several rounds beyond his limit. As if he noticed. Reno was never very good at knowing when he'd had enough to drink; tonight was no different. And while his drunken antics usually provided much entertainment, I was more than ready to leave. The group of us had come in after work and it was nearing eleven already.

"Maybe some other time. For now, I think I'm headed home."

"But you can't leave, yo," Reno protested. "Party's jus' started."

Rude, Elena and Tseng rolled their eyes, all too familiar with this routine. As well they should be, having worked with him for so long. Even I could anticipate how this would play out, even though I'd been with Shinra for a little less than six months. So before Reno could cajole me into staying, I caught Elena's attention and motioned towards the back of the bar.

She took my cue and stood up, saying, "Wanna come with me to the ladies room?"

"Sure."

As we left the table together, I heard Tseng mutter under his breath, "Why do they always go in pairs? Do you know, Rude?"

Whatever the generally stoic Turk might have answered was lost in the noise of the people around us. I really didn't care, just happy to escape to the relative quiet of the restroom for a minute before I had to battle against Reno again. Elena and I walked in, and finding the room empty, she walked up to one of the mirrors.

"So…are you leaving, then?"

"It's getting late," I replied with a shrug.

"It's not even midnight. That really isn't all that late- and you don't have work tomorrow, anyway."

"Yeah, I know. Still…"

"Reno would be disappointed if you left."

Leaning against the edge of the sink, I pretended to be indifferent. That I didn't feel the tiniest thrill of pleasure at the idea he might care that I left early. Instead, I stared ahead of me, never taking my eyes off the dingy, barren wall on the opposite side of the room.

"In another half hour, he'll be so drunk he won't remember I was even here. Or even where he is, for that matter."

She said nothing for a minute, then glanced sideways at me.

"You like him, don't you?"

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"Elena, really, I don't."

Oh she definitely wasn't buying that one bit. I cursed inwardly at having been so transparent. Some Turk I was turning out to be right now. All that training seemed to have gotten me nowhere. My friend just crossed her arms and continued to study me until I felt the heat of a blush rise in my cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her smile.

"You do. You like Reno."

"Will you shut up!? Someone might hear you."

"What, over all that noise out there?" Elena gestured to the door leading back into the main room. "Besides, why does it matter? Don't you want Reno to know?"

"No, I don't."

"But…why not?"

"Because he's Reno, that's why," I replied sharply.

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning he's an incorrigible flirt and not to mention a notorious playboy. I've seen him chase every female Turk working for Shinra." Every one except me, my thoughts added in dismally. "And that's not including his exploits in Midgar as a whole."

"You think he'd see other women behind your back?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Not interested in finding out, so you can't say anything about this. To anyone."

"But…"

"Seriously. Not a word, Elena. Promise me."

"Oh all right," she murmured reluctantly. "I promise. But I still think you're making a mistake and should tell him."

"Duly noted. Now, let's see if I can run the gauntlet and get myself out of here in one piece."

We exited the ladies room and threaded our way back to the table so I could pick up my jacket and purse. I didn't even sit down, not wanting to be drawn into any of Reno's tactics that might entice me to stay. Needn't have worried; he had already procured another drink- perhaps two- and appeared to be well occupied with it. I bid everyone goodnight.

"It's been fun, guys, but I'm headed out."

Rude merely nodded, and Tseng answered with a neutral farewell. I was thinking I might be home free when my imminent departure seemed to dawn on Reno. He pushed away from the table to catch up with me as I headed for the exit.

"No- wait. Lilith, where're you goin'?"

"I just said- home."

He stumbled somewhat unsteadily on his feet, bumping into a few other patrons of the bar. Several of them cast Reno a dark look, but didn't challenge him once they realized who he was. No one wants to get into a fight with a Turk. Not even a drunk one. I had nearly made it when he caught up to me.

"Stay awhile longer. S'not even that late."

I tried not to look directly at him, knowing that if I did, I might be swayed. Truly, it was absolutely unfair how he could melt my resolve with just a single look. Avoiding his aquamarine eyes, mine landed on his goggles- perched as always atop his head. Before I got distracted again, I managed to find my voice.

"It's not about how late it is. I just feel like going home."

I had expected Reno to release me and pout for not getting his way; he surprised me by siding up close, wrapping an arm around my waist and whispering a suggestion in my ear.

"Why don'tcha take me with you, yo? You an' me could have some fun."

His meaning was unmistakable. But rather than feeling flattered at his interest, I was struck by the disappointment that Reno could only show it when he was drunk out of his mind. He needed to drown himself in half a bottle of liquor before he'd consider me acceptable. Yeah, that hurt. More than I cared to admit.

I plucked his hand off my waist and stepped back.

"What'sa matter," he queried in a bemused tone. "I'ma good time- an' you're definitely in need of a good time, Lilith."

"What's that supposed to mean," I demanded angrily.

"Don't get all mad, yo. Just sayin'…"

By now, the others had left the table to shuffle in our direction. Must have noticed something going on and were curious to know what it was.

"Lilith," Elena spoke up from behind me. "What's going on?"

I ignored her- all of them, really- glaring stonily at Reno.

"What? Saying what, Reno?"

"Nevermind," he sulked. "Shoulda known you'd be too cold t'go for it, anyway."

"Cold!? How dare you say that to me!"

The Turk shrugged and said, "S'what everyone says 'bout you. Jus' thought I'd see if it was true." He paused to study me with an expression that was both smirk and scowl. "Guess it is."

I was suddenly aware of how quiet the room had become. Conversations around us died, and everyone was looking at me. Not just Rude and the others. Even complete strangers were eyeing me speculatively.

Tears threatened to overwhelm what remained of my outrage. I didn't care that the majority of my colleagues thought I wasn't approachable. Okay, that was a lie- I did care. But to have Reno sling it in my face like this, and to know that his invitation had only been a means of testing the theory…my heart broke.

I have to get out of here. If I stay, I'm going to cry in front of everyone, and I'll never live it down.

Without another word to Reno, I pushed past our group and escaped the crowded bar into the street. The cold night air locked in my lungs, and I gasped for a steadying breath. It left as a choked sob. I clapped a hand over my mouth to contain it as best I could, having heard the door open behind me.

Didn't turn around to see who it was. Couldn't. I just started running. As fast as I was able until I reached the door to my building and scrambled inside. I didn't stop, climbing the stairs two at a time. The key in my hand rattled as I jammed it into the lock and turned it. Then at last I was in my apartment. Alone.

I threw the keys into the bowl on the table beside me and sank to the floor. Curled up in a ball and wept.

Reno stood awkwardly in the silence. Given the irate looks on his friends' faces, he'd done something stupid again.

Like I always do.

"What?" he asked when he couldn't take it any longer.

"You colossal ass," Elena berated him at considerable volume.

The words reverberated in his head. Quite painfully, since he was incredibly drunk right now. Tomorrow's hangover was likely to kill him. That was, if Elena didn't murder him first. She looked pissed off enough to do it, too.

"An' now you're mad at me. I don'even know what I did."

"How typical. So drunk you can't remember a thing you say once it leaves your mouth."

"If you rem'mber so well, you tell me."

She sighed in exasperation, hands on hips. Oh she was about to scold him good.

"I would if I thought it would do any good."

Or not.

"Sooo…we're cool, then?"

"No, we're not cool, Reno. Lilith was right. I didn't think she was before, but now I see her point."

As Elena was about to stalk away, Reno managed to puzzle out her words. He called out to her.

"Right 'bout what?"

"Nothing."

"C'mon, yo."

"Why don't you go pickle yourself in booze and go chase the skirts of any woman who'd fog a mirror? Leave Lilith alone."

"Ouch," he remarked, not quite believing that she'd ever say anything so cutting to him. "What's her problem?"

Neither Rude nor Tseng answered him. Just stared at him in judgmental silence.

"Oh, so now you're both on her side?"

"I'd take Elena's advice if I were you, Reno," Tseng replied at last. "Because when you sober up, you're going to realize you screwed up tonight."

"I screw up all the time. S'no big deal."

"Yeah," Rude contradicted him. "This time it is."

They turned away, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the room. Reno let them go. His head was swimming, and any attempt to run after them would land him face-first on the grimy floor. Rather than order another drink, he nodded at the bartender.

"Got any coffee, yo?"

By the time he'd downed the eighth cup several hours later, he was starting to feel human again. The others were long gone- as were most of the other patrons. Near two in the morning, he figured, and only a few stragglers stuck around as the owners began closing up shop. As for Reno, he was still a little woozy, but the fuzzy parts of his memory were beginning to clear. He remembered trying to convince Lilith to stay, and then…the rest of their argument fell into place with the impact of an avalanche.

Oh no…no I didn't. Please tell me I didn't. Reno slumped forward until his forehead hit the bar with a dull thud. Of course he did. Damn, no wonder they were all so pissed off. I've really messed things up this time.

He could fix it, though. Hopefully. Just needed to talk to Lilith and explain. She'd forgive him. Maybe. Reno prayed she would. But he had no idea where she lived.

Elena does, he reminded himself.

Reno pulled out his phone and punched in her number. It rang three times. Then six. He was about to hang up when she finally picked up.

"What do you want," she demanded irritably. "And you're lucky I even answered after the shit you pulled tonight."

"I know, I know. Look, I need to know where Lilith lives."

"Nuh uh. No way am I telling you that."

"C'mon, please? I need to talk to her."

"That's the last thing you need to do right now. Haven't you talked to her enough for one day? I told you- leave her alone."

"But I can fix this."

"No, Reno, you can't."

He sensed Elena was about to hang up, and so his next words came out as a rush.

"Look, I really like her and wanted to ask her out but she's never shown any interest in me so I couldn't do it and so I tried to make her jealous with all those other girls- then that didn't work and so tonight I got a little too drunk and before I knew it I'd said more than I should- which she took the wrong way and I get why she did- but it still made me mad and so I said some more stuff that was really stupid and I really, really, really need to talk to her so if you'll please just give me her address…"

"Whoa- slow down. How much coffee have you had?"

"Enough to sober up."

"Oh geez. Okay, well, she'll probably kill me for this, but I'm giving you Lilith's address. But Reno- you've gotta promise me you won't hurt her like this again."

"I won't. I swear I won't."

She recited the street and building number, and then repeated it a few more times to be sure he got it down. Reno thanked her profusely, hung up, and then paid his tab before leaving. As he made his way to Lilith's apartment building, he hoped when he got there she'd hear him out.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, waking me from a fitful sleep. I'd collapsed into bed around one, trading the hardwood floor in my entryway for a mattress. Not that it had helped any; I still couldn't erase the hurt feelings from the incident at the bar. My phone buzzed again.

When I glanced blearily at the screen, it read 'Front Door'. I studied the words again, sure I was mistaken. Nope, that's what it says. Almost quarter to three in the damn morning. Who in the hell would be ringing my apartment at this hour? Likely just drunks screwing around like usual.

They did that all the time, pushing random doorbells in the wee hours of the morning just to see who'd answer. I wasn't going to play into their game, and set the phone down again. Whoever it was would move on to another potential victim and I could get back to sleep. And then my phone buzzed a third time.

What the hell?

This time, I was annoyed enough to answer, ready to give the person on the other end a blistering lecture. With a snarl, I jabbed the button with my thumb.

"Listen you inconsiderate jackass- go play games with someone else's doorbell and leave me the hell alone! Better yet, just go home- or jump off a damn bridge if you really want to do us all a favor."

A moment or two of silence greeted my tirade before I heard a tentative voice answer, "Lilith? It's me- Reno."

I dropped the phone. It landed on the coverlet, where I stared at it incredulously. How in heaven's name did he get my address? No one at Shinra knew where I lived. No one except…

Elena, I finished inwardly. Elena must have told him. But why?

"Lilith, are you still there? Hello?" Reno's voice, muffled from the blanket partially covering the speaker, interrupted my thoughts. Somewhat in a trance, I retrieved the phone and held it up to my ear just in time to hear him continue. "I know you're mad, but I really need to explain."

Complete sentences. No slurred words. I wondered how he'd managed to sober up so quickly. But sober or not, that didn't necessarily mean I wanted to talk to him right now. Or ever. Whatever explanation he might have for what happened tonight. I swallowed to clear the dryness from my throat.

"Go away, Reno," I told him before hanging up.

The backlight on my phone dimmed and grew dark. When he didn't hit the buzzer again, I figured he must have done what I asked and left. Then a couple of minutes later, I heard a loud knock at my apartment door. So much for that hope. He must have snuck his way in somehow. I threw off the blankets and stumbled down the hall. Really didn't want to answer it, but knowing Reno, he wasn't going to give up and the incessant pounding would wake the neighbors.

I drew the bolt and unlatched the chain before turning the knob to open the door. Reno blinked in surprise, as if he also hadn't expected me to answer it. And so for a few minutes, both of us just stood there, staring. Until at last I drew in a breath and started the conversation.

"What are you doing here?"

"I messed up tonight, Lilith."

"So what- you conned Elena into giving you my address so you could patch things up with a quick apology? And that's supposed to make everything okay again?"

I had expected the Turk to make some smartass reply as he usually would. But the Reno standing before me was absent his typical cocky attitude. Very serious- which I didn't know he was capable of being- and if I didn't know better, I might actually think he looked…sad. When he spoke, even the tone of his voice sounded different.

"No, Lilith. I dunno if anything I say now is going to undo what I said earlier- and that's okay. Well, it's not, I guess. I mean…"

He was floundering, seemingly unable to find the words to finish that thought. Baffled, I swung the door open a little wider and gestured inside. Reno hesitated.

"If I'm going to listen to whatever you have to say, might as well do it in the living room where I can at least sit down."

"You're…inviting me in?"

"I guess I am."

I led the way into my living room, not checking if Reno would follow. From the entryway, I heard the door close softly, accompanied by the sound of footfalls on the hallway runner. I settled on the couch and tucked my feet under me just in time to see him enter the room. Large windows let in enough pale moonlight that I didn't turn on the lamp beside me. Reno perched nervously in the chair opposite the sofa and folded his hands in front of him.

"All right, I'm listening."

"I messed up."

"You said that already."

"I know. I just…really, really, really messed up."

If I was ever going to get any sleep tonight, I needed to find some way to get him past that part of the story. Maybe if I started listing out some of the key points, he'd get on with whatever apology he'd come to deliver.

"You're right. You did. For starters, if you have to get that drunk to flirt with a girl, she's not going to take it as a compliment."

He winced at the sharp edge in my voice.

"Yeah, I overdid it on the drinks tonight and got a little carried away. And that's not at all how I ever intended to ask you out. But every time I tried I'd lose my nerve…so tonight with all the liquor- I wasn't thinking and before I knew it, the words were out."

I had been about to tell him that I'd rather he never flirt with me at all if he didn't mean it, but then the rest of Reno's confession sunk in. He was about to continue onto something else, so I held up my hand to stop him.

"Wait, wait…go back a minute- what did you say?"

"I didn't know how to make a move with you. The past few months I've wanted to, but you didn't seem interested. Or even to want to be friends, yo. Wouldn't even talk to me for the first three months you joined the Turks. So I didn't ask."

I was stunned, but was not willing to be convinced just yet. After all, I didn't recall him pining over me much this whole time. Which was exactly what I said to him.

"I don't recall you wasting much time finding someone else. Rather, a lot of someone else's. It's a wonder you found time to do your job with your hectic social life."

"I lied," he admitted with a rueful smile.

"Lied?" I echoed in confusion.

"Never went out with half the girls I said I did. And even the ones I did take out- never took them home with me."

"Then why…?"

"I thought it might make you jealous if you thought I was seeing other people. Maybe you'd give you a reason to notice me. It was stupid, I know."

It worked, though, I sighed. Every time I heard about your latest conquest, I would want to shake you to pieces and demand to know why you played around with them. Why you didn't want me.

"And it was incredibly stupid to say all that stuff about people calling you cold. None of that was true, either. I was just mad because you turned me down- even though you had every reason to. I'm glad you did, actually."

I wasn't quite sure what to say. To any of what Reno had just told me. If I believed him- and he was a terrible liar, so I knew it was all true- then I could see how he'd stumbled into the mess that ended so horrendously in the bar tonight. All of it sounded just like what I'd expect with his personality and all around miserable timing.

I couldn't say that I would forget the cruel things he'd shouted at me tonight, or that I hadn't been hurt by them. But I could forgive and move beyond them. Especially since he wasn't the only one who'd handled this whole thing badly. I had my own share of it to bear.

"Lilith? Lilith, I owe you an apology. It's all my fault and if I can make it up to you in any way…"

"It's not all your fault."

"No, it really is, yo. Everything is always my-"

"I wanted you to ask me out," I interrupted him. "For a long time. And I was jealous about all those other girls. But I never said anything."

"You…really?" An incredulous look mirrored the shock in his voice at hearing my confession. "This whole time?"

"Almost since I started working for Shinra."

"If I'd only known…"

I hesitated a moment before finding the courage to say quietly, "You know now."

No sooner had the words left me, Reno abandoned the chair to join me on the sofa. His arms folded around me, drawing me so close I could feel his heart beat. One hand slid up to lift my chin so that our gazes met. He leaned forward a fraction.

"Will you let me spend the night with you, Lilith," Reno whispered against my lips. "Please say yes."

"Well, when you put it that way…how could I possibly say no," I answered with a wicked grin.