Chapter 1: Spark

Daylight faded as the first evening stars shimmered along the horizon.

Ocean waves crashed steadily below.

Tifa Lockhart gazed skyward, leaning forward on the balcony of her charming suite at the newly erected Posada del Sol. With a soft sigh she realized that she had the tendency towards whimsy, stargazing whenever she was lost in thought over Cloud Strife.

Old habits die hard and all of that...

Ever since her adolescence in Nibelheim, Tifa learned the hard way that angsty emotions plus Cloud equaled stargazing -longingly, hopelessly, lost. Both she and Cloud were alike in that aspect. She felt so infinitesimal when it came to him and what he meant to her. Helpless, yet destined to serve others. Often times she felt like a tiny speck of dust in the bigger picture of her eventful, yet unconventional life.

"WHOA NELLIE that shower head could blow the ears off a typhon!" a perky female voice rang out in alarm. "Our water pressure isn't nearly so aggressive on the big island. That's just IN-SANE!"

A freshly showered and ever-boisterous Yuffie Kisaragi dragged Tifa out of romantic reverie (or was it brooding? Another habit she picked up from Cloud), as she turned to see the towel-clad ninja leaning her head from side to side, whacking her head as she wrung the water from her ears.

Graceful.

"Perks of your luxury suite: shower jets that will sandblast your entire body," Tifa threw her attempt at a condolence over her shoulder, smiling.

Yuffie snorted, "You read that in the brochure or somethin'?" before changing her tune, "Where we off to tonight?" as she gathered an armful clothes from her suitcase, returning to their shared washroom.

Tifa leaned back against the balcony, surveying the tropical scenery. A lone palm tree covered in netted twinkling lights swayed gently outside. The last time she packed her bags and took a much needed vacation (if you could even call it that), the duration was spent moping around with Cloud after the defeat of Kadaj and his merry gang of mother-loving misfits. They lazed their days away on the beach or in bed. The point of a Costa del Sol holiday, after all, was relaxation and romance. That's what the pamphlet said anyhow. The Brochure. A cheap ploy featuring happy couples in pictures like that was the norm. There was very little romance on her end as Cloud preferred to fall asleep early, rolling around in fitful dreams. Of what? She'd never quite know, although she had an idea. He never talked about his dreams. Not once. Not ever.

Put THAT in the brochure why don't you?

Tifa preferred to walk along the beach at night while everyone was nestled away in their rooms. She could appreciate the stars in all their majesty, feeling a hint of the feelings that may have propelled Cid Highwind into his former career for Shinra a lifetime ago.

This time around, however, Tifa's traveling partner was much more energetic.

The whole excursion was Yuffie's idea. She won a Weekend getaway after an excessive amount of time spent in the Battle Arena at The Golden Saucer. It had been advertised all over TV: A sixty second commercial of Dio challenging the toughest of the tough to "Come on down and show Dio The Great what greatness that you're made of! Grand Prize: 3 days, 3 nights romantic getaway in the newly-renovated luxury suite at La Posada de Sol!"

Needless to say, Yuffie needed a vacation, so Yuffie cleaned house. The spirited little ninja-warrior had been pitted against a slew of monsters and madmen. Nothing a hero like lil' ol' Yuffie couldn't handle. Taking down monsters and madmen was her specialty, and so was snagging some loose materia in the process.

Duh, like, of course! Their loss, her gain.

After Yuffie's flawless performance, Dio seriously considered putting a disclaimer in his next commercial excluding members of Avalanche, SOLDIER, The Turks, or any other members of government or former government from participating in his generous "giveaways".

Tifa decided before they arrived that she wanted to pursue activities that did not necessarily remind her of Cloud and their time spent together in the ocean resort town. She would go out and have some much-needed fun with the spunky little ninja who was singing loudly to herself in the washroom.

Something better for the proverbial brochure packet of her life.

It ended slowly.

First, he wouldn't call to check-in, and then his trips stretched longer and longer. She would see him once, maybe twice a month? It wasn't good for her or the kids. He wasn't reliable. She loved him dearly, but there came a day when she decided that she just needed to love herself more.

That precise day was two weeks prior when she broke it all off for good. He returned from a delivery and spent a solid week at home, the longest stretch in recent memory. The duration of his stay was spent in tedium fixing his bike and making modifications to his weapons.

Tifa woke up one morning that week, clear-headed and resolute:

"Cloud, don't you think it's time you moved on...?"

He looked up at her from his morning miso, his eyes gone wide in... confusion? Dread?

With an iron will or sheer cowardice she tore her gaze away from him, "I think… I think it's time we both... I'm not happy. I haven't been happy. I don't think you've been either. I know you feel some sort of duty. To me, to the kids ...to... her..." She faltered.

'Her' being the ghost that always stood between them and a normal life. Well, as normal as one could get in this Post-Meteor World.

Cloud looked away, ashamed. This was a long time coming. The thrill of battle brought them close, but he was never one to sit still for very long; Tifa had known that particular trait since they were kids. The open road called to him -and that was the one call he would always answer.

"Tifa," he started softly, like he was tip-toeing around a testy chocobo, "I - I'm sorry I can't be who you need me to be. I haven't felt the same since," now it was his turn to falter, "-since she died, since Sephiroth... it's like, there's always going to be a part of him inside me, inside my head. Like a glitch that keeps me from functioning normally, properly. I'm no good at explaining it," he stood in frustration before pacing through the small kitchen in their quaint upstairs apartment.

Tifa listened intently. She didn't want normal. She didn't want proper. Ifrit, that wasn't the point! She didn't want to hold anyone back. That's the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to be the reason for his unhappiness, for his dissatisfaction. She valued herself more than that. She valued his happiness, too.

"I'm always going to love you ... and Marlene, Barrett, Denzel, the gang..." he continued on, trying to save it all from going down the loo, "But I'm never going to be a boyfriend or a father or someone who can be there the way you need me..." he trailed off, gripping the back of his chair until his knuckles turned white.

The rest didn't really matter. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Get up, make breakfast, send the kids to school, tend bar, fight the man, repeat.

They exchanged a few more niceties and words of mutual respect and admiration. This needed to end quick. No use in fighting. They did enough of that to save the world. Not once, but twice. Three times if you count that Deepground business. Good thing Vincent was still lurking around... This was just the cookie-cutter diplomatic stuff that happens when two people are in so much pain and just can't make it work anymore. It was the easiest, most painless ending the both of them could have hoped for.

He sat back down, settling in to this new, uncharted territory between them. They had explored all the the rest, and unfortunately there was no best for last. Now was the time to explore themselves. Apart.

Since they were children, Tifa always knew how to ease his pacing. Today she set him free. She stood tall, ever the image of beauty and grace, to lean over and kiss him directly on the forehead. She cleared their breakfast bowls before dropping them in the sink.

The next morning he was gone.

"We should hit up the beach for the concert! There's supposed to be fireworks after—OH! Then we can throw back some cocktails! And wrangle in some guys!" Yuffie's excited voice echoed from the bathroom.

Tifa contemplated their options as she heard the whir of a blowdryer being activated. She pushed herself off the balcony to traipse into the bedroom. She already showered upon their arrival that afternoon and had been lounging around in her silk robe ever since. What to wear? Something fun and flirty, though she wasn't exactly in the mood for romance. Tonight she preferred go just with the flow. No expectations, no desperation, just relaxation. She settled on a cream colored halter top that exposed her mid-section, a dark denim miniskirt, and strappy black sandals- jazzing up her look with some gold hoop earrings, bangle bracelets, and a partial upswept hairdo with a seashell barrette -courtesy of the boardwalk market. She applied some mascara, gloss, and spritzed some vanilla scent into the air before walking through it.

"Good enough," she said aloud as she gave herself the once-over in the mirror.

"Good GAWD!" she heard Yuffie's voice behind her. Tifa turned to a bug-eyed ninja appraising her look as she brushed her teeth. Yuffie popped the brush out of her mouth, "Looks like I gotta step up my game tonight with-" she motioned with her hand "–THIS- around!" she sputtered some toothpaste before shoving the toothbrush back in her mouth for a more thorough scrubbing.

Tifa winked, flattered by her words. "I guess I still got it, huh?"

"GOT IT?!" Yuffie replied after rinsing her mouth in the sink, "-STILL?" tossing her toothbrush on the counter. "How am I supposed to meet a guy with YOU around? I'm doomed!" she pouted before wiping her mouth with a towel.

Tifa smiled softly as she secured her earrings, "Oh, stop! Let's work on your outfit. No weapons tonight. Just our fierce looks …and our fists. And since when did you become guy crazy?"

"Boo…" Yuffie pouted. "I do not go anywhere without a handful of shuriken in my boots."

"Stuff a few in your bra, who cares? " Tifa waved her hand in the air before adjusting her sandals. "Mind those sharp edges,"

The girls laughed together. Tifa was relieved to be lighthearted again.

After a bit more primping the pair strolled strolled arm-in-arm, navigating the cobblestone streets together. The sights, scents, and sounds of the resort town swirled around them as the other vacationers began to emerge from their villas to experience the seaside nightlife that the charming little coastal town had to offer.

Yuffie herself had settled on a two-piece outfit composed of a black tube top and knee-length red skirt with a slit up the side. Both pieces were covered with ornamental gold dragons. Tifa lent Yuffie a pair of black heeled sandals (with no room for hidden shuriken, unfortunately), as well as a crash-course in how to walk in said sandals. Literally, because Yuffie crashed into the wall after she took one step. She clung desperately to Tifa for balance as the pair walked carefully down the bumpy old road.

"I am SO not a lady" Yuffie whined, lamenting the loss of her composure due to a pair of any footwear besides her trusty boots.

"Me either!" Tifa laughed. "I'm a fighter, and you're a ninja. We're disguised as ladies for the night," she asserted with vigor. They both laughed again. It felt so good to laugh. Tifa rarely laughed. She got so caught up in her own "emotional tiptoeing" around Cloud, her parenting duties, running the bar, running from her emotions...

"There's a swing band playing at the pier tonight. Wanna head to the beach?"

"I'm game." Tifa answered with a light shoulder shrug.

They rounded the corner and made their way along the boardwalk. A few whistles could be heard in the distance from some ogling fisherman. The girls took their flattery, giggled, and kept on going -removing their sandals as they made their way down the ocean steps to the musical sounds and soft lanterns on the beach.

Tifa couldn't help but feel some sort of anticipation as something crackled in the air.

It was going to be a fun night.

By end of the fireworks display they made their way back to town. Their feet were worn out from dancing together in the sand, but nothing they couldn't handle. They were two of the world's greatest warriors after all. Just having a girl date.

What fresh nonsense…

"Who wants to do shots?" Yuffie beamed, raising Tifa's arm for her.

Tifa snatched her arm back, "Hard liquor? It's too early for that."

"Oh c'mooooon let's tear it up -we gotta get started, sister! It's only ten! Half price everything, everywhere until eleven. And some buff boys from the beach are headed in that direction..." Yuffie smirked, eyebrows wiggling as she motioned her head towards a nearby watering hole.

"Only ten?" Tifa replied, pulling back to look Yuffie up in down in a sassy fashion.

"Oh don't be so OLD, Teef!" Yuffie teased, lightly slapping Tifa's arm. "You're too pretty to be a stick in the mud, ya hear me?!"

"Oh alright," she gave in. "Old…"

She reasoned that it would be nice to be the tend-ee instead of the tend-er for once. "Maybe I can borrow some of their drink recipes and put my own twist on them," she quipped, tapping her finger on her chin.

"Yeah like how i just borrow materia," Yuffie snorted in bemusement. "I bet you'd make 'em better -you've got mad mixing skills, yo!"

She smiled at that. Yuffie sounded so familiar in her intonation, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"OR I can charm the Salted Starfish's secret ingredient from the owner," this time it was Tifa's eyebrows that wiggled as she did a little shoulder shimmy for emphasis. The Starfish was the most popular bar's signature drink, a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

"Let's do it!" Yuffie concurred. "I bet it's salt…" she added, "Better not be starfish. Grossness."

An hour, two Banora hard cider shots and one Mideel Iced Tea later, Tifa had a good buzz going. It was nearing 11pm as she checked her PHS for the umpteenth time -in case one of the kids messaged her. The bar was positively packed. She figured it was good thing that she and Yuffie had arrived early. They grabbed seats at the bar, refusing to budge for the next hour.

"Don't break the seal," Tifa warned, "We can't lose our seats, this is no holds barred now," as patrons packed the establishment from wall to wall.

Yuffie took full advantage of happy hour, downing 2 fruity drinks and 3 shots, 2 of which were bought for her by a cute young sailor from the beach with dark hair, tanned skin, and a bright smile. Tifa let them be, ignoring unwanted come-ons by men both young and old. She focused her attention instead on the skill of the bartender -an older man with salt and pepper hair, his wrinkled skin looked worn from the endless summer sun of the coast. He had kind eyes, taking each patron's order with a smile and a nod. His bar-back was a young woman in a bikini, presumably his daughter based on their respectful interactions.

Tifa smiled warmly to herself as she thought of Marlene, her little bar-back. She giggled as she pictured Marlene all grown up, working in her bar, and Tifa herself as a kindly old woman, still serving the faithful patrons of 7th Heaven.

::Clink::

She was pulled from her reverie by a shot glass placed upside down on the bar in front of her. She really had to stop daydreaming and pay attention to the world going on around her, looking up to see the barmaid smiling at her.

"Free drink!"

"Oh?" Tifa said, eyes going wide, "Did I win?" only teasing, of course, as she assumed one of the potential suitors she brushed off earlier was now trying to win her over with some free beverages.

"You sure did! Compliments of the suit at the end of the bar!" she motioned in that direction with her thumb.

Yep.

Tifa didn't even spare a glance to whoever bought her the drink; She didn't want them to get the wrong impression. Not that she didn't appreciate the gesture, she just wasn't interested, perfectly content to do little more than to watch the old bartender in action in an attempt to pick up some tips and tricks on the sly.

"What'll it be?" the barmaid asked with her hand on her hip.

"How about a Salted Starfish?" Tifa smiled. Time to spring her stealthy plan into action.

"Coming right up!"

Yuffie spun around on her bar stool to get in on the action.

"Ooooh do you have an admirer?" she tickled Tifa's ribs, referring to the upside-down shot glass on the bar in front of her.

"Oh please" Tifa swatted her hand away. "Probably just some lech. I didn't ask. I just ordered the shot."

The young man who had been wooing Yuffie butt in between them to put his arm around both girls shoulders, yelling to the barmaid, "Two more of whatever she's having!" as he jabbed his thumb in Tifa's face. She arrived shortly after with a small tray of caramel-colored shots lined in salt, setting them down carefully, one-by-one.

"Well, Yuffie my dear -looks like you were right," Tifa took a dab of salt from the shot glass and popped her finger in her mouth, savoring the flavor. It was a mixture of salt and brown sugar, as well as something else. Coconut maybe?

"Oh we're not done yet," the barmaid had a twinkle in her eye as she struck a match and lit the shots on fire, caramelizing the salt and sugar on the rim.

Pretty.

"OhmiGAWD Is that RENO?!" Yuffie abruptly yelled in Tifa's ear, making her wince as she lifted up her shot glass.

Tifa's eyes flitted above the flame atop the shot glass to make out a wavy image of the infamous red-haired Turk, watching her intently from the opposite end of the bar. From her current state of inebriation she could make out that he was a good six or seven seats away, appearing almost demonic beyond the flame. His devilish good looks were amplified in the warm, ambient light of the bar. Tifa sat stunned as he lifted his own glass to cheers with her, but her initial shock had been interrupted by Yuffie's suitor bellowing in her ear, "One, two, ...THREE!" Prompting her to blow out the flame.

"Kempai!" the trio sang in unison before downing the shots. It burned sweet cinnamon and caramel down her throat. Followed by, she guessed right: Coconut. She felt light-headed, coughing a little. Good stuff! This bartender was the real deal.

She looked up again to see Reno in the same position, giving her a handsome half smirk. "Yo." he mouthed to her. The crowd around them faded as they exchanged glances.

"Hi," she mouthed back shyly, lowering her head and smiling bashfully. She wasn't sure why she was acting so coy. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the charged atmosphere, maybe it was the fact that she was officially single and she couldn't hide from handsome men anymore (but Reno didn't know that... did he?).

She couldn't hide and longer behind the false relationship that she and Cloud had carried on for far too long.

The last time she encountered Reno and the Turks had been nearly two months prior.

On one ordinary night in 7th Heaven, the Shinra Department of Administrative Research rowdily stomped into her bar twenty minutes before last call, and continued to stay well past the average patron's welcome. The kind bartender couldn't find it in her heart to kick them out, though. After everything they'd been through, they'd all settled upon a mutual respect (maybe even admiration) for one another. Tifa never charged them for their drinks, yet they always left a hefty tip; MORE than enough to cover their collective drinking habits.

That particular night, however, Tifa caught Reno eying her up -which was nothing out-of-character for the fiery Turk- as she bent over the small table to serve their drinks. A game of poker had started up and Reno's feet were propped rudely on the table. She appraised the group in front of her: Elena was deep in thought, contemplating her dealt hand. 'Don't burst a brain vessel, Blondie'. Tseng chewed furiously on an un-lit cigar. Tifa noted that he held the winning hand as she gingerly placed his Dirty Martini near his wrist. Rude was stone-faced and dour as usual, his odds weren't favorable -that, and he had the most amount of Gil wagered on the table. 'Bluffer, like always,' Tifa noted wistfully. Rude had always been kind to her with an air of hopeful reservation, but she just wasn't interested. She loved Cloud and that was that, right? (...right?)

"Feet off the table, Turk," Tifa asserted as she set Reno's vodka on the rocks near his boots, looking him dead in the eye to get a handle on his current state of inebriation. Without breaking eye contact, a cigarette hanging from his lips, Reno deliberately removed one foot, and then the other, stomping each boot on the floor for emphasis. He sat up straight, exaggerating good posture as he took a long drag . "Any other requests, Miss Manners?" he said, challenging her authority, before blowing an offensive cloud of smoke in her direction.

"Yeah," she moved to snatch the cigarette from his mouth, "don't blow smoke in my face."

It was enough that she allowed him to smoke in her bar, and that she even let Tseng stink up the join with a cigar from time to time.

Tonight Reno was pushing it.

What a night for Cloud to be out of town... Reno tended to act up more when he wasn't around.

Before she could get too far, however, he snatched her wrist, the offending cigarette fell through her fingers and onto the floor as he pulled her hand close to is face, audibly sniffing her wrist in a crude fashion. He let out a moan followed by a comedic growl. Tseng laughed out loud, which was highly uncharacteristic for the Leader of The Turks –that is, of course, unless he had more than a few drinks in his system. Like now. Elena rolled her eyes as she slouched forward, folding her deck in defeat. She leaned back in her chair once again to sip on her fruity cocktail. Tifa could practically feel Rude's jealous eyes shooting daggers at Reno. Even with those signature shades, Rude gave himself away completely.

Tifa snatched her hand back and bopped Reno on the head with her tray.

'Ow!' he feigned an injury.

'Behave,' she smirked at him. 'I'm cutting you off for the night, Mister." They both knew she could easily sock him. It was all in good fun.

'Don't know the meaning of the word, gorgeous," he grinned back, giving her a wink as he extracted a fresh cigarette from his coat pocket. "I'll take a gin and tonic!" he called after her.

She rolled her eyes before sauntering back to the bar to begin closing down for the night. Reno just shook his head before returning to the matter at hand: Cheating Tseng blind and clearing out the lot of them.

Reno was still Reno: tall, cocky, good-humored with a wicked smile, with a hint of danger lurking behind his azure blue eyes. Tifa's enemy-turned-ally could charm the skirt off of any unsuspecting girl. Luckily she wasn't just any girl, and she knew Reno to be highly suspect in most instances. He motioned his head in an upward nod, coaxing her to come over and meet him.

Suddenly as though she'd been burned, Tifa caught herself. Her whole demeanor changed as she jolted back.

Ohhh NO.

No, no, nonono.

She wasn't going to fall for this. No way. She had to sober up quick. Her expression shifted from bashful girl tactics to a stark realization: She couldn't trust herself. Not with a wild card like Reno around to get her all flustered. With this sudden realization came instant sobriety. Just like that. She had to get out. Fast.

"Yuff, you have your PHS, right?" she asked in a hurry.

"Yeah, why?" her younger companion gave her the side-eye, sincerely puzzled by her the sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm going to the restroom but it's super packed in here, y'know in case we get separated. Just call me if you can't find me or if I don't make it back before last call."

"O...kay," Yuffie trailed, watching Tifa dart off through the crowd. "What was that about?" She looked back to wave at Reno, but he wasn't there, either. Yuffie simply shrugged her shoulders, spinning like a little kid on her barstool before returning her attention to the cute boy buying her drinks.

"I hope you can keep up with me, little lady!" he smiled.

She grinned wide, baring her teeth, "Is that a ...challenge?"

He had no idea what he was in for did he?

Tifa expertly weaved through the crowd, desperate to run from the wily Turk and his womanizing ways. She anticipated he would follow her. Reno refused to be ignored. He wouldn't let her off easy, no way, no how. And why in Hades did she have to act so goofy like that? He was definitely going to be relentless in finding her. She knew how Reno operated. She witnessed it multiple times in her own establishment: Reno chased women like it was his job, and boy did he ever love his day job. He had also made it known in the past just how attracted he was to her in particular. Not that it mattered, really. Men chased after her all the time. The only man she had ever really wanted to chase her didn't exactly return her affections.

The story of her life...

Come to think of it, whenever she and Reno had fought one-on-one he was downright sadistic. After a particularly rough day in primary school when she got sent home for fighting with some boys at recess, she recalled her father in his wisdom trying to console her by telling her that "little boys can't help but to pick on the girls that they like". Tifa fought back so hard that those boys never bothered her again. Judging solely based on every time Reno chose to torture her in particular with his Mag Rod (fuck that thing. Seriously), Reno definitely liked Tifa. She had fought Reno so hard that he wrecked her entire neighborhood and still came back for more, never retreating for too long. He just couldn't stay away, could never leave well enough alone.

She had to get lost quick, opting to head for the restroom and plan her escape from there.

Catching a glimpse of Reno not far behind in hot pursuit, she ducked into the ladies room, which of course was packed wall to wall with all sorts of women waiting for stalls to open up, re-applying makeup, adjusting bra straps and pantyhose, gossiping about potential love interests.

Tifa surveyed the area: As luck would have it, there was a window on the far end of the restroom just past a row of occupied washbasins.

"Excuse me ladies," she sang out sweetly as she hurried by them, exiting swiftly and efficiently through the window to the street below.

She heard shocked comments from the gossiping women inside as she landed gracefully in an alleyway. Quietly, after checking that her skirt and handbag were secure, she darted back toward the Main Street, silently hoping to blend in with the nightlife. With any more luck she would be back to the suite before Reno realized she was never coming out of that restroom again.

But of course she couldn't be so lucky.

Just as she stepped back out into the brightly lit cobblestone street, bustling with food and souvenir vendors, she caught sight of the hot-headed Turk. He had stepped outside for a smoke and she bore witness to his genuine surprise when he spotted her in return. Tifa's eyes grew wide. Before she knew what she was doing her legs carried her swiftly in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" he yelled out, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot before giving chase. "Hey Tifa! Wait!" he yelled after her. "What gives?" he muttered to himself as he hit the ground running.

She ran faster now, catching her stride as ebony hair trailed behind her. Her heart pumped harder as an odd wave of exhilaration came crashing over her. She brushed the weird yet not entirely unwelcome feeling aside as she neared the inn, practically tearing her keycard from her handbag. All she had to do now was bound up one small flight of stairs and unlock the door. Then she could hide from Reno and the rest of the world, snuggling under her blankets forever, or until Yuffie found her and dragged her out by her freshly-pedicured toenails.

As fate would have it she wasn't quick enough. Reno darted out in front of her from an alleyway as she crashed into him with an unceremonious "Oof!"

"Hey-HEY," he grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying them both. "Jeez Louise, what's the hurry? Where's the fire?" he cooed in that smooth voice of his with just a hint of alarm, steadying her as she swayed.

Damn alcohol slowing her down. And damn him! He wasn't even out of breath after all that running! She jerked away from his grip.

He took it all in stride, putting his hands up in a no harm, no foul fashion. "An old friend buys you a drink and you take off? That's not very nice," he raised his eyebrows. Tifa glanced up at his tall frame, annoyed. "Aaand you left the little ninja all by her lonesome back at the bar," he chided, easing into a playful smirk. "What's the matter?" His eyes softened at her lack of comment, a little more concerned again. All of this seemed very out-of-character coming from the sweet, good natured bartender (and fighter) that he fancied a visit to every now and again.

Had they ever been alone together? The realization seemed to strike them both at the very same time.

"Why'd you follow me, Reno? I didn't want to be bothered. I'm tired," she huffed, taking a wary step back.

"Well I'm not," he visibly relaxed. "I don't want to bother you but jeez when you bolt from me I'm gonna assume something is wrong, yo."

She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Nothing's wrong, Reno. I had a long day."

The normally sure-willed Turk was unsure of what do with this.

"Where the heck is Spike?"

There it was. She couldn't run from that question. She figured she may as well be honest.

"...He's not here," she replied after a short, contemplative silence, her eyes cast downward.

"Oh?"

Oh, indeed. She knew what he was really asking, suggesting:

You alone tonight, sweetheart?

Gods be good, he figured out her reluctance to speak on the matter so no more needed to be said.

Reno was an asshole but he wasn't a total jerk.

As if that made any sense at all...

He figured he had to do something, so he broke the tension that had bubbled up between them: "Well, Lockhart, you're lookin' mighty fine tonight. Not that you're not a knockout every night –no pun intended. It's a shame for you to hit the hay so early. I've been looking for some good company, yo. Rude had the same idea as you, left me high and dry," he ambled on with his hands in his pockets, kicking up dust from the cobblestone with his boot. "-went back to his room over an hour ago. I couldn't convince him to come out and play." He paused for a moment to light up a cigarette and take a drag, adjusting the ever-present goggles atop his forehead. "I thought my night was a dud until I saw this pretty lady across the bar, and wouldn't you know it? She RAN from me! Like a stark raving lunatic! Like I grew three heads and she couldn't get away from me fast enough. I tell ya..." he trailed off with a smirk and a shake of his head. "She mighta figured I'm a Turk. It's the suit that gives it away, yo. Every time."

Tifa softened at his attempt to be friendly, "I'm sorry," she began, "I just..."

"It's all good," he cut her off. "Say no more. Just, please don't be tired or whatever it is that you don't wanna talk about. I get it." He scratched the back of his head before placing his free hand in his pocket. "I like ya better when you're smiling and telling me what to do."

Was Reno nervous? She had to be imagining things. Still, he always felt compelled to put on a show in front of his companions. She liked this softer side of him (with her guard up, naturally).

"How bout I buy you another drink and you tell me all about your long day? Or we can just make fun of the old-timers who try to act young because they're on vacation?"

Why does he have to be so good-looking? And funny, like always. Damn it all...

"Okay," she relented, "but I'm NOT a stark-raving lunatic."

"Whatever you say, gorgeous," he winked as he extended his elbow to her.

She gave in and gave him a chance.

They walked arm-in-arm back to the bar, chit-chatting like old frenemies do.