Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII doesn't belong to me.

Takes place around a month or two before the start of the game. Reviews makes me happy.

refill&return

The bar had looked really shabby and disgusting when he spotted it. He had ended up there by accident but it didn't matter really.

He's screwed up and he knows it. He's always been fucked up and he doesn't care anymore. Doesn't give a shit because no one else does so why should he? He doesn't see the point – probably doesn't want to see the point – and that is why he is the way he is. He doesn't care at all and drowns everything and all those thoughts that ruin his mind, by going into a bar and wasting his salary on drinks.

So what? It's his money; he can do whatever he wants. He's Reno; he can do whatever he wants and so he does whatever he wants. It's easy to not care about everyone else. It's just to keep them at a distance and make them stay that distance.

"Refill?" the gentle woman with the long dark hair behind the bar asks. He grunts in reply and she takes it as a yes.

He nods when the glass is filled again and he gives her a glazed look. How did such a woman end up in a slum like this? Why is Midgar so fucked up these days? Like himself? Is that why he is fucked up? Because of Midgar?

He'd like it to be the other way though. Everything should revolve around him. He's egoistical and narcissistic but he loves being that way. Makes it easier.

He gives her a drunken smile and she smiles back and he doesn't notice the strain behind the smile. "Pray tell, how are you tonight, beautiful?"

He doesn't hear how he slurs but she does and she keeps her forced smile. "I'm very well, thank you. And you?"

Reno wants to glare at her, but of course he doesn't. She's a perfect creature – she should be very well and he's not a perfect creature and therefore there is nothing wrong in the world.

She probably hears that line every evening at least twice.

There are others in the bar and they need her attention too. They're all men and they're all ogling over the woman behind the bar. She doesn't seem to take notice, Reno observes. Either that or she's used to all the perverts and sickos and just doesn't care because it is easy to not care about everyone else. Just withdraw into yourself. No biggie. The only problem is to stay there.

He watches her as she refills other glasses and when she return to him, his glass is by long empty too. She smiles again and asks the same thing as before and he grunts again and she fills his glass again.

He drinks it, just to have her return to refill it.

"Are you sure you can handle another one?" she asks as she comes back. She's still smiling and he hesitates.

"No."

She nods, "That's probably a good idea. We're closing in ten minutes anyway. You should go home." She glances over at the local drunks and speaks a little louder and very clearly. "We're closing soon. Finish your drinks, fellows."

They all grunt in reply – just the way he had – and he gets up from his chair and leaves a few gil next to the now empty glass. Maybe he'll come back to this bar again.

It was rather cosy.