Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me...however much I may like it to. I own no characters, places etc. etc. so please don't sue me! I'm a nice person :) Oh and I don't own the song either!

Author's Note: Chapter Two...Woop woop, gotta love a bit of RenoxTifa...PLEASE review as I really enjoy reading your views and they inspire me to get better! It would make me very very happy! Anyway stop reading this and get on with reading the fic! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter Two: Promises to the Dreamers

A gentle rumble sounded around the red head, creating a somewhat comforting buzz that could have easily lulled him to sleep if he wasn't the one in the drivers seat.

It didn't help that he'd been stuck in a traffic jam for a good ten minutes now, and the sky was just beginning to darken, further adding to the cosy atmosphere, and soon the tired driver was letting out a long, lingering yawn, almost simultaneously to a loud crack of thunder over head.

Reno let out a grumbling sigh, If it starts raining, I swear I'll just stop the car right here and have a kip... For some reason the red head had always found the soft pounding of rain against the metallic chassis of a vehicle incredibly soothing,

Just when his head began to bob lazily, a familiar song started booming from the car stereo, and an energetic grin was soon spread across his face.

Before long Reno was tapping a solitary slender finger against the curved edge of the driving wheel, creating a mimic of the up beat rhythm sounding loudly from the small speakers.

''We're leaving together,
But still its farewell

And maybe well come back,
To Gaia, who can tell?


I guess there is no one to blame
We're leaving ground
Will things ever be the same again?''

''IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!'' The red head's voice reverberated around the vehicle and many of the surrounding motorists were looking on in either deep irritation, confused curiosity, or plain solid amusement.

Reno didn't seem to care about the outrageously noisy, and rather entertaining show he was putting on and continued to warble, ''Dolododo dodo do do do, dolodo do dododo...THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!''

Just as the next verse came around, a mass of honking car horns emulated from behind Reno, and it was then the realisation hit, that there was about ten metres of free space before him.

Although the red head was clearly embarrassed, and felt rather stupid, he didn't give an apologetic wave to his other motorists, in fact he rolled down his window and made a rather rude gesture, while pulling forward at a teasing slowly pace.

''Tsst...think they can beep me...I'M A TURK! I could have you killed!...After a tremendously lengthy process involving paper work and Tseng...BUT STILL!''

He carried on ranting to the supposed 'out of order' motorists until his car phone began to ring, and he drew his voice back to a soft grumble as he shifted his gaze to the small screen, and at seeing the familiar name displayed, all his previous angry energy evaporated and was replaced with a strange sort of childish excitement.

Leaning forward slightly, but still keeping his attention on the road, the red head pressed the tiny green button, ''Yo Tif, what's up?''

''Hey Reno!'' He could practically hear the smile in her voice, making the process of picturing her an ease, ''I just called to check that you remembered about tonight?''

The silence that proceeded seemed to answer her question quite clearly, and she let out a half disappointed, half testing sigh, ''Movie night...?''

''Wait, that's tonight? I thought we moved movie night to Wednesdays?''

This time when she sighed, it echoed with much more than just a hint of amusement, ''It is Wednesday Re...''

If she'd been in the car with him, she would have most definitely burst out laughing right there and then, his surprised flush far to comical for words, ''Oh right!...I...I knew that...''

''Good! So, seven-thirty your place? Great, bye!''

''No, wait Tif-'' He stopped when an all to familiar drone sounded from the machine, signalling to the red head that she'd hung up the moment the last word had left her lips.

Reno pushed on the accelerator pedal with some focus, attempting to will the traffic to hurry up and get out of his way, as the time displayed upon the car's digital clock, clearly stated it was six thirty and the red head was still quite a way from his flat.

The red head let out a low, agitated growl as he shook the key back and forth within the tight lock, a growing impatience radiating from his face when the door continued in its refusal to budge.

A few seconds of still silence passed before Reno suddenly and most unexpectedly let out a sort of war cry and rammed himself at the rather frail door, which proceeded to swing open immediately at the sudden impact.

The red head smirked proudly at the doors defeat, deciding to quell the depressing realisation that he'd basically furthered the poor condition of his home's entrance and instead turned his thoughts to the state of the rest of his apartment.

It wasn't a pretty sight. The place was littered with various pizza boxes, some empty, some containing old dregs of stale pizza, and on top of that there seemed to be a general untidiness to the place, not to mention a lingering smell, that no matter how hard he tried, Reno seemed unable to decipher its origin.

The red head made the quick decision that a hasty cleaning session was in order, knowing full well that if Tifa saw the place like this she would either faint or lecture him, and neither idea sounded too appealing.

He proceeded to get out a giant black bin bag and gather every scrap of rubbish within it, before having a tremendously dramatic battle with the aerosol can, whose lid refused to come off, that is until he hit it with his EMR, causing the plastic to melt just enough to allow him access and soon he had emptied a great deal of the spray into the air, causing himself to endure a slight coughing session.

Once the apartment was back to a reasonable state, the red head glanced at the clock, five minutes left...perfect... before heading to the bedroom.

Reno's chest was stripped of his Turk shirt within seconds and soon his form was nearly fully consumed by the wardrobe in which he was rummaging through for a new piece of clothing.

His search didn't seem to last long, though when he had pulled the garment on and went to close the wardrobe door, he got quite a shock, as in the reflective surface of the mirrored door, was the clear image of a pretty, if slightly naked, young red head of the female variety.

The unknown bed guest's reflection purred softly at him, ''Hey sexy...''

Reno's head snapped round as though needing to check the image in the mirror wasn't just some nightmarish mirage, and when he came face to face with the very real article, he let out a rather high-pitched yelp and slammed his back against the wardrobe, ''Who the hell are you!'' Did I go out drinking last night...I can't remember!...oh wait, that probably explains it...

The girl looked rather put out and more than a little insulted at the young man's refusal to recognise her and it wasn't long before she had sprung from the bed and had begun to collect up the feminine pieces of clothing the littered the room, muttering to herself as she went.

The young Turk cringed a little as he desperately tried to calm the situation, ''Yo, I mean, hey! You...Course I remember you...you're that girl...that I...Hold on have you been here all day?'' There was a slight pause as a curious wonderment took over him, and soon his eyes gave a strange sort of flash, ''Oh right...I get it! You were waiting for payment right?''

As soon as the words had left his mouth, the girl an almighty screech, ''WHAT? I'm not a prostitute you ass hole!''

Reno quickly came to the conclusion that he was going to end up being the bad guy whatever he said, but decided he should at least put up a good fight, ''Hey! I resent that, how am I suppose to know what you are, I can't even remember your name...In fact I can't even remember what we did! For all I know we spent all night watching re-runs of family guy and playing trivial pursuit!''

The girl didn't look to impressed, and glared daggers at him, ''You're despicable! You shouldn't have come on to me if you weren't going to have the decency to remember me!''

''Hey you're the one who went back to a complete stranger's apartment for the night, and a totally hammered stranger's at that! If you ask me...this is all your fault.''

She let out a rather obnoxiously high pitched squeak of outrage, and was about to storm out of the room when a familiar tentative knock sounded from the quite damaged front door.

The girl didn't seem to care and carried on her way, leaving a panic stricken Reno to quickly think up a plan of avoidance for the young girl and his new guest.

Being a Turk of course it didn't take long, and soon he had grabbed his current house guest firmly, but comfortably by the arm and proceeded to drag her hastily to the side of the living room, whispering to her as they went, ''You're gunna have to go out the window...''

''What?''

''Ok let me expand on that; I'm sure you're a lovely, conventional girl who likes to use front doors, but right now, mine is...occupied, so you're gunna have to use another exit. Thus...window!''

Tifa had never been too impressed with his womanising habit, so finding a young, half dressed female running in an angry huff from his house wasn't going to help matters, and he really wanted to be kept in her good books for at least a little while longer.

''Listen, I'm not just gunna-WOAH!'' Though the girl had intended to protest, she soon found herself being nudged gently from the window, and falling into the shrubbery, which Reno had in fact grown there on purpose incase such a situation every arose in which he found himself in need of an escape, and he didn't fancy falling straight onto the hard soil.

''Now, I'm very grateful for this, so I'm gunna give you a friendly piece of advice... '' The girl straightened herself, looking at the young man as though he'd gone insane, ''Next time you go to a bar, don't go home with the first drunk that shows you a bit of attention!'' Before she could let out another high pitched screech Reno slammed the window shut.

He had to admit that he felt pretty bad for treating the girl in such an...undignified way, but he definitely didn't believe the entire situation was his fault, and right now his attention wanted to be focused on Tifa, and if that was selfish, then it was selfish, after all nobody's perfect, and this was just one of Reno's many flaws.

He took a few deep breaths and ran five nimble fingers through his flame red locks, as if trying to fix himself into a state of charming calm for his new, and much more wanted, guest.

''Yo darling!'' He swung the door open as softy as he could, not wanting to cause even more damage, and flashed his best trademark Reno smirk at the young brunette, leaning against his outside wall.

''What took you so long?''

''Sorry, I...I was watching an advert on the television about...a poor...mistreated donkey!...And...and I just had to ring up and donate some money! Yeah that was it!''

Tifa cocked a highly amused eyebrow, ''Oh really...?''

Reno nodded confidently before stepping aside, realising he was still blocking the entrance, and no doubt the brunette had been waiting patiently for him to move.

She shone him a tired smile as though to say 'finally' and began to make her way inside, but just as she stepped over the threshold, the brunette let her smile transform into a hint of a smirk, ''Oh and Reno...''

''Hm?''

''Before you graced me with your presence, I saw a half naked girl crawling out of those bushes by your window. Care to explain?''

The red head's eyes flashed with a mingle of fear and surprise, and when he spoke his tone was subconsciously higher than necessary, ''Oh! Her...well she's...she...has an obsession with my shrubbery...she's always in it...I think she must be...you know...'' Reno gestured to his head and twirled one slender finger in the shape of a circle, clearly gesturing his definition of her mental condition.

There was a short pause as the brunette just stared at him, straight faced and serious before nodding in agreement, ''Thought as much...''

Reno was about to let a proud marching band play within his mind at his apparent successful cover up, when he saw the widened smirk forming upon his guest's pale pink lips, ''She must be mad to have slept with you...'' Tifa flashed him a cheeky wink before strolling past him and slumping herself down on the couch, leaving a rather relived Reno to close the door and count his losses, Well at least she didn't shout at me...there's a plus...

Though Reno got away with the bush girl incident, he had to make up for it by letting the young brunette choose the movies. It wasn't that she had particularly bad taste, but she tended to go for ones with sad or tragic endings, not all the time, but most of the time, and no mater how unreal it was, he didn't like to see Tifa upset, especially at something so trivial like a movie.

Of course there were plus points to watching tear inducing films with the brunette, as she had taken to using him as her comforter, and would always end up nuzzling herself into him, and he was more than happy to play the strong, brave teddy bear.

The night seemed to flash by like a lightning strike in a storm and before either could realise the clock was hitting in on the early hours.

Reno made a soft sort of grumble, becoming horribly aware that he would have to get up in to shorter time to be able to also get in a satisfactory rest.

Luckily for him the credits were just beginning to roll on E.T, the very last film Tifa had chosen at the beginning of the evening, thus bringing the movie night to a bitter-sweet end.

The red head looked down at the body slumped in his lap and was about to shake the brunette out of the sleep he had been almost certain that she had fallen into, but instead found her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed, concentrating on the carpet by the side of television, as if musing over something, and not a good something at that.

Slowly and softly, Reno began to stroke the skin of her left arm, in an attempt to let her know he was aware of her, not realising just how intimate this little motion was, and before he knew it, he had opened his mouth and a strange, half choked voice emerged, as if his throat had suddenly become incredibility dry, ''Tifa is everything all right?''

The silence before her response was only momentary, though her form still remained fixed in position as though unable to face him, ''Yeah.''

Reno noticed how tense she had become, and soon he too was frowning, ''Are you sure? It's just...you seem a little quiet...''

''Hm.'' This time her answer was somewhat croaked, her mouth being forced shut, her other energies seemingly being used to withhold tears, totally unrelated to alien homecomings.

A hint of a smile appeared upon the red head's thin lips, his subconscious trying to lighten the situation to a bearable level of discomfort, which had invisibly formed around the pair, ''You know, you're not really convincing me...''

Her reply was quicker this time, in an almost desperate attempt to get her friend to drop the subject, ''Reno could you get me a glass of water?''

Though he was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her alone, he carefully lifted her from his lap and sighed, ''Sure...''

When he returned with the glass of clear cold liquid, he found the young woman lightly snoring, her tummy pressed softly against the sofa, and within her hands she was cradling one of the plushy cushions.

He put the drink down beside her on the coffee table as quietly as possible, and pulled the blanket which lay over the back of the sofa and tentatively wrapped it over the brunette, making an effort to be extra gentle, not wanting to wake her from the peaceful slumber in which she looked so restful.

Reno continued to watch her,, subconsciously letting a slender finger brush a few strands of hair away from her face, allowing his eyes the pleasure of viewing her delicate features in the warming glow from the table lamp, I wish she'd tell me what was wrong..I feel so helpless like this...

The red head had never quite felt so powerless, after all being a Turk, he was used to getting everything so easily, of course with the use of force, and usally many many guns, but this was something that no amount of Turk skill would help solve for him.

After what seemed like an eternity, he lifted himself up and whispered more to himself, than the sleeping brunette, before strolling tiredly to his bedroom, ''I will help you...I will make happy again...I promise.''

A/N= I just wanted to apologise for this being a few days later than I said it would be, and I know I've only put up one chapter, but do not fear for the next will be out tomorrow...unless my laptop explodes...but yeah anyway I'm sorry for the delay, but I've had issues with my concentration, most likely due to the fact I haven't slept in three days!