NEW YEARS EVE
The bar was in full swing that evening and Tifa couldn't help but feel excited as the couples that decided to come to the party she was hosting in her bar milled about, helping themselves to the buffet spread she'd put out and dancing to the band she'd hired.
She'd done everything on the cheap and self-catered the event and bought discount booze. The band was actually local buskers that played together in the park that she'd happened upon and she thought to have actual talent. They were certainly proving that tonight as the makeshift dance floor was packed for almost every song.
Even though she'd been careful to keep the costs down, everything bit into her budget but the price of tickets had more than covered her expenses and the decorations she'd decided to splurge on added to the party atmosphere.
The party was in full swing and the mood high and Vincent had even agreed to dance with Yuffie and swung her around the floor in a surprisingly graceful manner and she glowed at this.
Tifa tried to keep with the moment but kept craning her neck to look for a nest of familiar blonde spikes or any hint that her beloved had gotten her message about the party she was hosting, so he could come and attend and kiss her at midnight.
"Can I get another beer?" Reno requested. Tifa looked at him, she'd vaguely noticed him drifting around and didn't seem to be with anyone in particular but already had a red lipstick mark on his collar. She filled up a fresh glass and handed it to him. "I guess Mr. Wonderful isn't here yet?" Reno observed as he looked at the woman tricked up fetchingly in a strapless black party dress that was slit up one slim thigh. He felt a flash of guilt as how sad she looked at his observation.
"He can't make it" Tifa lied.
"Fuck him, you don't need a partner to have fun. I'm here alone and am having the time of my life" Reno insisted and her lips quirked in a smile at how he appeared to be "alone" as every single girl in attendance seem to gravitate to the dynamic man.
"Why don't you have a date for tonight?" Tifa asked him.
"As you know, I like to play the field. If I was to ask one of them out for special occasions, they would get ideas about us that I can't offer them. I'm a lone wolf" he said and mock howled.
Tifa cracked up at this. "Don't you ever get lonely? I mean who will you kiss at midnight?" she asked him.
"Hell no, I sleep with who I want and am a free to come and go as I please. I have a job I love, good friends and make a great income and am alone only when I choose to be. As for who I will kiss. Perhaps you or that blonde over there" he said indicating her with a jerk of his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea" Tifa said with a blush as she fiddled with the hem of the new dress she'd foolishly bought to show herself off to Cloud. That had come out of her budget too.
"I don't gotta mean nutting. It can just be a kiss between old friends. I know that we're not close but I consider you a friend after knowing you all these years, no matter what we were in the past. The past is the past and can take care of itself. I don't slobber when I kiss and you can close your eyes and pretend my hair is blonde if you wish" he offered.
"But why would you want to? It looks like you have plenty of takers for so important a kiss" Tifa shyly said but didn't find the idea of kissing him repellent after not receiving any affection for so long. She had found him attractive in the past even when he represented their enemy.
"Who wouldn't want to kiss the best-looking gal here?" he said giving her a charming smile. "Now pucker up; they're doing the countdown" he said bending his head and her lips met his in a brief kiss that was chaste as could be.
"Thank you" she stiffly said.
"You don't got to thank me. A kiss at new year's isn't that important and I'll be collecting a lot more kisses tonight. Not that it wasn't nice kissing you" Reno added so he wouldn't hurt the woman's feelings by acting so dismissive about their kiss.
"I'm not given to kissing men I don't love. No offense meant" she explained.
"None taken. It was just a kiss, not a marriage proposal. I'll be honest with you, in my opinion you should find another guy if you don't want to be alone on holidays" he observed.
"Holidays are the ones that hurt the most" Tifa said with a candor that wasn't like her.
"What if I spend them with you?" Reno asked her.
"But you said" she protested.
"I don't spend them with girls who want me, you don't like me that way. I don't have any family to spend the holidays with either. I could just provide you with companionship" he suggested with a shrug. "Men and women are allowed to be friends, here's my private cell number if you want to hang out sometimes to see if we're a good fit" he said writing it on a napkin before he went over to the blonde and pulled her to her feet without a word and swept her into a clinging kiss.
VALENTINE'S DAY
Reno stared at text from Tifa where it stated she wanted to be alone that night. He'd been spending time with her since his proposal and had discovered a friend and amusing companion in the shy woman. They were polar opposites when it came to the idea of relationships but that was fine, she had her thing and he had his many things.
"I'm coming over" he texted back.
"I'm not in the mood" she texted back.
"Did Cloud even send you a card?" he texted and took her text silence to mean he hadn't and then Reno texted. "I don't care. I'm coming over. you shouldn't be alone considering how much this stupid day means to you" he answered and got his car keys and ignored all further texts as he made some stops along the way. He all but forced his way into her place.
"You should be out with someone you care about" she said when he asked her why she was protesting his company so much.
"I am with someone I care about" he corrected her. "Now I couldn't get you no roses but I got you the purple irises you like and some chocolates" he said handing them to her.
"You care about me?" she asked him.
"As a friend" he hastily added. "Now I'm not Cloud but I'm a man bringing you chocolates and flowers on a holiday created by commercialism to prey on couples by making a man live up to a woman's romantic ideals of what a man in love should act like. That being said, I'm not letting you wait around for... Put on something fancy and we'll go to dinner wherever you want. We'll hit my place so I can get changed into my good suit, I'll even wear a tie for you" he said.
"But how will you get a reservation today?" she asked him.
"I'm a Turk" Reno said with a smirk and felt oddly happy at how she smiled at him and went to change.
EASTER
"This ham is really good" Reno commented while the children animatedly discussed what to eat first from their Easter baskets and Tifa picked at her own food at the festively set table.
"I wonder who he's eating Easter dinner with?" Tifa blurted out.
"Don't stress, he's probably at some crappy roadside dinner eating chicken wings and wishing he was here eating your delicious dinner" Reno said to console her.
"He could have been. He knows I do this every year and somehow always forgets" she all but whispered to him.
"I bet you wish he was here in my place" Reno mused.
"No, you would have been invited regardless and he would have had to accept that you're part of our lives now" she insisted and this made him feel all gooey inside was the only way he thought to describe the feeling. "Who do you normally celebrate with?" she asked him out of curiosity.
"This is my first-time eating Easter dinner" Reno admitted.
"Well it looks like you're not a virgin anymore" Tifa muttered to him and he suppressed a laugh at this.
"Not for a long time" he assured her and she quirked an amused smile at him to this.
"I'm glad you're with me, having you here makes his absence a little more bearable" she said.
"Hey Reno, would you like to see what I got in my basket from the Easter egg hunt?" Marlene asked him.
"The bunny left an Easter basket for Reno that all three of you can look at after dinner" Tifa said.
"He did?" Reno said in surprise.
"And you didn't even have to find any during the hunt, the Bunny must like you" Denzel said in envy.
"He does. Happy Easter Reno" Tifa said and ventured to cover the back of his hand with her own small one. The flesh was soft and warm there and masculine at the size and length of his fingers.
He moved his hand so her fingers were threaded through his own and gave them a squeeze before they resumed eating.
FATHER'S DAY
Reno was surprised when Tifa presented him with the childish drawings of himself. Marlene had drawn a stick figure with bright red hair wearing a dark suit and Denzel's art skills seemed to be more advanced with how he'd drawn a picture of Reno's chopper with his head poking out of it. "What are these?" he asked her.
"Marlene seems to have a bit of a crush on you and asked if she could make you a Father's Day gift and Denzel decided he wanted to make you one too" Tifa explained.
"But I'm not their father" he protested.
"Neither is Cloud and they know I'm not their mother but they make gifts for both of us on either mother's or Father's Day. They like how you play with them and have minds of their own when it comes to making presents for people. All you have to say is thank you and discreetly throw them out if you don't want them" Tifa explained.
"I can do better than that" Reno said and she positively glowed when he taped them to his seldom used fridge and proclaimed he'd better get some magnets.
HER BIRTHDAY IN JULY
"Here's my present" Reno said when he presented it to her.
"You didn't have to get me anything" she protested.
"It's not much" he promised her.
She eagerly opened it "the painting, you remembered" she said in surprise.
"I could hardly forget it. Who would want to put a picture of two clowns kissing on their wall?" he said.
"I love it. Thanks Reno" she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Are you coming to the party tonight?" she asked him.
"Are you sure you want me there in front of all your friends?" he asked her.
"Now that Cloud's officially out of my life, I need all the support I can get. Unless you would rather not..." she added, dreading him saying no.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world" he promised her and the full force of her smile hit him like a laser beam. Through an attorney, Cloud had sent her the settlement papers ending their common law status, a custody agreement for Denzel and an agreement for child support. His personal letter had read that he had accepted a job elsewhere and had decided to take it. Tifa had numbly signed it and forwarded it back and then spent the evening sobbing in Reno's arms as he greedily inhaled the coconut body wash lightly scenting her skin and stroked the heavy fall of her dark chocolate hair.
HIS BIRTHDAY IN AUGUST
"Honestly, I don't know how I forgot my wallet. I'll grab it and then we'll be..." Reno said as he flicked on the living room light in his house.
"Surprise" everyone said as they jumped out of their hiding spaces.
Reno's stunned eyes took in the banner that read, "Happy Birthday" the buffet spread on his table and how the ex-Avalanche members mingled with the Turks present.
"How? What?" he said to her.
"I removed your wallet using those pickpocket techniques you taught me" Tifa explained, taking it from her purse. "You said you've never had a birthday party before and I mentioned that to people and they wanted to help" Tifa said kissing the stunned man on his cheek.
"Come to some shots with me you Son-Of-A-Bitch, you may but a fucking Turk but I like you" Cid said, draping one muscular arm around Reno. "Besides, our group doesn't mind Turks" he teased Vincent, who just stared at him.
Reno couldn't believe how well everyone got along and he only had eyes for Tifa as her kids sat on either side of him wearing party hats that matched his own. She walked towards them with a tender smile on her beautiful face, carrying his birthday cake while everyone sang and they helped him blow out the candles on it.
HALLOWEEN
"I don't have a costume for this year. My heart wasn't into assembling one" Tifa told Reno.
"There's always your wedding dress" he reminded her.
"That's not meant as a costume" she said with a frown.
"I have an idea and if you agree to wear it. I'll dress to match you" he mysteriously said.
"What do you have planned, Sinclair?" Tifa asked as she folded her arms over her chest.
"Trust me, it'll be brilliant and you can go as my date to Rufus's ball" he promised her.
She reluctantly agreed and felt stupid when he came to pick her up. He wore a tux and red lined cape. She didn't understand the costume until he grinned and showed her his convincing vampire teeth and handed her her own set. They stood before photographer at the ball and both grinned widely to reveal fanged teeth as Dracula placed his arm around his beautiful bride.
CHRISTMAS
"Here's my present to you. I don't expect an answer right away. I'm not good at this stuff and certainly never expected to find myself in this situation. You showed me that being in a relationship isn't as bad as I thought and you slayed my bachelorhood. I want you but know you need more and accept that. I don't want to be without you anymore and can't ask you simply to live with me, that wouldn't be fair to your children" Reno said as a startled Tifa stared at the diamond ring she'd unwrapped. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he ventured.
"Do you love me?" she asked him in a tight voice.
He was only able to nod "yes" she cried and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him in a way that fully claimed him, her kiss was so giddy that he felt drunk on it as they hurried to his bedroom to consummate their new love.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
Tifa threw her party again and wore a new dress, it was red this year as it was his favourite colour. She easily outshone every woman in the room but only had eyes for one man and he was acting as co-host and helping her by tending bar that evening.
"I was wondering if I could ask you for a kiss at midnight?" a handsome young man asked, he wasn't a regular and was unaware she was off the market.
A pale hand fell on his shoulder "sorry pal, the lady's spoken for" Reno said as he put an arm around Tifa possessively.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know" he apologized.
"No harm done but only I get to kiss her" he explained and claimed her in a bone melting kiss that fused their very souls.