AN: Giftfic for Dazed Puckbunny on dA.
Tifa Lockhart flung her arms around the redhaired man and kissed him fiercely, with everything she had. Tears streamed down her face as she clung to him tightly, unwilling or maybe unable to let him go. She'd loved and lost before, she wasn't willing to do so again. He returned the kiss with just as much passion, hating to leave her, trying to delay the moment when he would have to walk out of the door.
He knew, they both knew, that there was a chance he wouldn't come back alive. No-one had ever resigned from the Turks before - once you were in, you generally ended up dying on a mission, in the line of duty. Reno Tarshil hadn't. It was ironic that he'd first met Tifa when they were fighting on opposing sides, fighting each other. But that was in the past. For the last few months, they'd been in hiding, trying to live together in peace, which was all they wanted. Now, though, they'd been found. The past had caught up with them, and it was time to deal with it once and for all.
Reno's body armour was in the car, ready to put on when he walked out. His weapons were loaded and already attached to his person. Nobody could say he wasn't prepared for a fight.
"Promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll come back."
"I promise, Tifa."
He would be careful, as careful as it was possible to be. He wanted to come back to her, alive and safe, though he couldn't guarantee it. If it made Tifa feel better, though, he'd say it.
Another searing kiss, her hands tangled in his hair, clutching him so hard it hurt. Reno didn't care about the pain, if this was to be his last time with Tifa, he was going to savour every single moment. His hands roamed over her body, imprinting it in his brain. He wanted to go into this fight with a clear memory of her, needed to have a reason to return safely, and she was that reason. He would do anything for her, anything at all.
"I don't want to go, Tifa, but I really do have to."
She nodded, taking a step back as she reluctantly released him. "I love you, don't forget that."
"Love you too."
Words they rarely said, didn't usually need to say. This time, though, it was different. It might be the last time they ever saw each other. Before he lost his nerve, Reno turned and walked out of the door. Tifa stayed where she was, watching and already hoping to see him return unharmed.