-'More Than Words'-
-A 'Final Fantasy VII' songfic-
=^w^=
"As soon as I come back tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere special. Just you and me, what do you say?"
"I say I'll be waiting, Reno."
"It's a date. Love you, babe."
"I love you too." As the redhead disappeared out of the bar Tifa let out a loud sigh and propped her chin on her hand, staring at the still-swinging door. Not only had it been six months since she'd managed to tame the 'wild Turk' as Tseng called him (he called him other things too, but let's not go there), but it had also been twelve months since the Deepground incident in Midgar. She sighed again as she remembered all the things they'd done in Midgar...taking out the ground forces, assisting Vincent, keeping everything safe...
It was hard to believe that everything was safe now with the way she was feeling.
RING-RING. RING-RING.
"Strife Delivery Service, you name it; we deliver it."
"Hi Tifa! You sure don't sound happy to hear from me." Tora tilted her head a little as she heard the third sigh escape the martial artist.
"I'm alright Tora. What is it you needed?" she asked.
"I was just ringing to let you know Reno arrived and he and Cloud are busy out the back now. My other point of call was there's a barbecue here at the orphanage tonight to celebrate twelve months of no Deepground. Can you make it with everyone you love?"
"Of course. Um, Tora..."
"You can ask me anything, hun. You know that." Tifa smiled. The orphanage owner was notorious for reading into people; being the partner of her childhood friend tended to enhance that, too. Cloud had the emotional range of a teaspoon on the best of days.
"Could you please come to the bar? I just want to catch up with you."
"I'll bring you something to eat, too. Ethan and the twins just got through with baking a cake and there's plenty left over."
"Okay. I'll see you when you get here."
"Bye Tifa!" Hanging up, the martial artist headed into the back to shower and get freshened up before the gunslinger got there.
She just hoped Tora would be able to help her out.
=^w^=
Saying I love you is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I don't want you not to say it but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show you how you feel
More than words is all I need is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know
=^w^=
Stepping through the doors of 'Seventh Heaven', Tora was immediately ushered into the back by a nervous Tifa and given a glass of water. Sipping at it the orphanage owner watched the dark-haired woman rush about the place, picking at invisible dust and swiping at dirt that wasn't there. Gold eyes eventually rolled, and she stopped all hurried movement.
"Tifa, talk to me," Tora said in a voice she usually reserved for a distressed child, "Something is obviously occupying your mind and it's got something to do with Reno."
"How'd you-"
"You're not looking at me." Blinking, Tifa looked down at the photograph she was holding, Reno and her staring right back. It was a photograph of them on their first date on top of the new Shinra building stargazing. There was a real light there, but it wasn't coming from either of them.
"It's been six months, and the furthest we've gone is a kiss on the cheek," she said finally, "I just want to show him off without feeling like I'm chasing him away every time. I want a relationship like..." Dark eyes immediately looked down at the floor, shocked at the confession. She didn't want to admit she was jealous of the relationship Tora and Cloud shared, much less to Tora herself. Tora watched the martial artist recollect her thoughts, putting her glass down on the coffee table.
She suddenly looked around; when'd they enter the living room?
"Tifa, just because Cloud touches me more than Reno does you doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. I've known Reno longer than you have – I mean nothing by that – but the problem with him is he doesn't like to get physical." she explained. Tifa gaped.
"What?" she asked. The gunslinger nodded.
"Normally when he's asked to touch a woman, it's because Tseng has declared that she has no more use for the Turks. It's not that he doesn't want to touch you, Tifa, he's just scared to do it."
"But...he throws those three words around so easily; it makes me forget that he really does love me..." The orphanage owner sighed. Ever since the martial artist and the redheaded Turk had hooked up she'd heard every nightmare Reno had about the relationship, often having the same nightmares herself just from the stories.
The insecurities that came with his job must be absolutely stressful on him.
"Hey Tifa, want to go to the roof?" she suddenly asked.
"Sure."
=^w^=
What would you do if my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel that your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away?
Then you couldn't make things new just by saying I love you
(It's more than words, it's more than what you say
It's the things you do, oh yeah)
=^w^=
A gentle sun shone down on Edge as the two women crawled up onto the shingles of 'Seventh Heaven', the light making their hair shine with a careful light. Releasing her ponytail, Tora shook out her long orange and black strands, letting them blowing about in the light breeze sweeping the city. Tifa's own dark hair was fluttering about as well, but it didn't quite have the same length as the contrasting strands beside them.
"Tora, will you tell me more about Reno?" the martial artist asked. Tora looked over at her.
"What would you like to know?" she replied.
"Well, I'd like to know how you can be scared to touch someone." Tora blew a stray section of her hair out of her eyes and laid back, the shingles warm on her back and neck.
"Like I said, whenever Reno was ordered to 'take out' a girl, it was to literally 'take her out'. All the girls he 'took out' were real pretty, from the stories he told me. Mind you, when he was telling me all this I was fifteen years old and being used as a lab rat." Both women chuckled, the idea that the redhead would trust a child nearly ludicrous. Tifa relaxed and laid beside the orphanage owner, staring up at the azure sky stretching as far as they could see.
"What do you think would happen if I told Reno he couldn't tell me he loved me for a day?" she asked suddenly. Tora snorted loudly.
"He'd find other ways," she replied, "He's a Turk; don't doubt his ability."
"I learnt that a long time ago." A buzzing from between them brought their conversation to a pause as Tora pulled out her cell phone and answered it.
"Altona. Oh, hey Cloud...what's wrong with – what? When did...oh. Did Ryan take out the stuff from the freezer? No, that's alright; I'll just stop by the supermarket on my way home. Oh...he did, did he? Relax honey, it's not that hard to get out...alright, I'll be back soon. Bye, Cloud."
"Trouble in paradise?" Tifa asked as Tora stood up.
"There's been an accident and both Cloud and Reno are scared to touch it," Gold eyes rolled, "Honestly, you'd think they'd never seen someone throw up before. Anyway, just remember that Reno uses words because he likes verbal reassurance, and Cloud uses actions because he likes physical reassurance. I'll see you tonight Tifa; keep the cake." Dark eyes watched the orphanage owner slip inside, and then as she roared away in the car she'd bought after the Remnant attack. Speaking of Shinra...
Tifa wondered how Reno was doing.
=^w^=
(It's more than words, it's more than what you say
It's the things you do, oh yeah)
Now that I've tried to talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes and just reach out your hand
And touch me, hold me close; don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know
=^w^=
"Tora is going to shoot when she sees this mess..."
"Relax, she's on her way back." Reno shot a confused look at the swordsman replacing his phone in his pocket, wondering how the hell he got so fast at contacting the orphanage owner. Perhaps there was something more than just trust between them, something that he wished he had with Tifa...
"You really love her, huh?" he asked. Cloud looked over at the redhead, who was looking slightly dejected about something. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes had lost their cheeky sparkle and he spoke a little softer than normal. Ushering the group of children still gathered around the mess toward the stairs with orders to clean their rooms, the blond gave the Turk his full attention.
"Are you and Tifa having problems?" he asked. Reno blinked at how blunt the question was.
"No!" He waved his hands around wildly, "No...no..." Cloud folded his arms.
"You don't sound convincing. Does she know about your insecurity?" Reno looked away, which spoke volumes. He'd been meaning to tell Tifa for weeks about the nightmares and the women he'd 'taken out' but he could never find the courage. He was scared that if he told her, she wouldn't want him anymore out of fear.
"I think she thinks I don't love her because I don't do what you do with Tora." The finest hint of blood rushed to Cloud's cheeks, but he passed it off for the heat; did it suddenly get warmer in here?
"Tora knows about me," he said, "and she has accepted my past."
"She was present for most of it; how can she not?" Reno countered, ducking as one of First Tsurugi's swords whistled over his head, "Sorry about that, Strife."
"Tell Tifa about your past and she'll accept why you're so scared to go further." The look in those mako blue eyes made Reno flinch (inwardly). It was the look that clearly told the redhead that if he didn't do it he was going to be dismembered slowly, one joint at a time, until he screamed for a mercy killing.
He believed Cloud would do that too; they guy had the shit to back his threats up.
"Everybody step aside, the bitch is back!" There was a loud scream from upstairs as Tora entered the main living room, eyeing off the two men standing beside the mess on the floor. The smell had permeated the carpet, vomit stench making everyone's eyes water. Sighing, the orphanage owner turned to the door.
"Emma, paper towel and carpet cleaner please!" The green-eyed tomboy raced downstairs with the aforementioned items, handing them over before being sent outside to check on the entertainment area. Quickly cleaning up the mess, the gunslinger straightened up and wiped her brow free of invisible sweat.
"You boys better learn how to deal with that if ever you want children." she said, making them both wince.
"Tora, where do you want all this food?"
"Just in the kitchen, Tifa!" Reno froze as he heard his girlfriend's voice come through the orphanage. Cloud walked forward and took Tora's hand, leading her outside to check on Emma's progress. As they passed the redhead, Tora leaned into his ear.
"She knows." she whispered as they left.
=^w^=
What would you do if my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel that your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away?
Then you couldn't make things new just by saying I love you
=^w^=
Under a gazebo in the large backyard of the orphanage sat Tifa and Reno, watching the action in front of them interestedly. The children were out in the field either playing ball or playing with the three Chocobos Tora had bought for them as a present after the Deepground attack. Supervising them were Barrett, Cid and Vincent, discussing something mechanical, weapons-related or both. Rufus Shinra sat near the barbecue where Rude and Tseng were cooking, Elena hovering around to make sure they didn't burn anything. The blond man was chatting amiably to Reeve, who had Cait Sith on his knee and Yuffie in his other ear about the next mission she wanted to go on.
"Planet to Reno? Come in, Reno!" A hand waved in front of his face and giggling flooded his ears. Snapping out of his trance, blue eyes flickered over to the martial artist, who was badly concealing her laughter.
"What's so funny?" he asked, narrowing his eyes playfully.
"Y-your face..." Tifa choked out through bouts of laughter. Reno chuckled alongside her – laughter is contagious, after all – then looked down at his hands, which were wringing the fabric of his pants out of nerves. Dark eyes watched the action, and her hand closed over the nervous ones.
"Tora told me about your past," she began slowly, "and at first, I didn't believe her."
"Yeah?" Reno gulped a little as she took a breath.
"It must have been awful for you to go through all that stuff. I'm just glad that you don't have to do it anymore." The smile on Tifa's face could've lit up the Planet with its intensity. A strange feeling welled up inside the redhead's chest, pushing aside all his doubts about the martial artist and her not accepting him. Leaning over, he cradled her face in his calloused hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"I hope you're not expecting me to turn into Strife overnight." he murmured, shooting a glance at the blond out of the corner of his eye. Either Cloud was ignoring the look or he didn't know it was being shot his way, because he continued to run his fingers through Tora's hair with a content look on his face. Tora had a large brush on her knees in case he got tired of using his fingers or if he found a knot.
"That's the last thing I want from you, Reno. When we started this relationship we agreed to take things slow, and I'm more than willing to wait for you." she replied just as softly. The distance was becoming shorter...eyes were slipping closed...
"You owe me, Tora!"
"Shut up, Yuffie! You're ruining the moment!" Snapping apart, the two under the gazebo looked up at the ninja, who was dancing in front of the orphanage owner with her hand outstretched. Tora sighed and rummaged about in her pockets for some Gil, depositing it into Yuffie's hand before she skipped away cackling. Tifa sighed; juvenile...
"Hey." Reno said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"I haven't said those three words at all this evening."
"You haven't either...you're taking the first step." Smiling, Reno leant forward and pressed his lips against hers lightly. If this was what rehab was like, then he was more than willing to have regular sessions.
=^w^=
Author's Note: I thought I'd take a different look at Reno's 'womanising' persona; I, personally, think that this is what would happen. I mean, he is a Turk, after all. Something's gotta give.
=^w^=
DISCLAIMER: The disclaimer applies to the characters and settings of all 'Final Fantasy VII' franchises – SquareEnix – the song 'More Than Words' – Westlife – and Tora, her orphanage kids and the Lost Pathways Orphanage – me.