Tifa felt herself start to respond to Reno's lips on hers, then she thought of Cloud and pulled away, slapping Reno smartly across his face.
"What'd you do that for?" Reno demanded to know, wishing he could move his arms so his hands could rub his stinging cheeks.
"I'm sorry I struck you, but you shouldn't have done that!" Tifa exclaimed.
"What, are you saving yourself for marriage or something?" Reno cynically asked, then noticed Tifa blushing in the firelight. "Are you for real? What's his name?"
"Now who's getting personal? Good night, Reno!" Tifa snapped as she blushed harder, turning over to present Reno with her back. He stared at her backside for a few moments, frowning before closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep.
In the morning, Reno woke up to the sounds of Tifa rekindling the fire. He watched her, wondering what her deal was. She didn't seem real…if the situation were reversed, he'd have left her to most likely die and escape while he had the chance.
"Good morning, I'll have hot water ready soon for tea I can make with some wild herbs I found." Tifa said, noticing he was awake and smiling at him. Reno started to smile back at her without realizing it.
As they drank from the thermos she had found in the helicopter, Reno was still rather put out that his arms were useless and Tifa had to help him eat and drink, while somehow enjoying the attention she gave to him.
"When do they come to rescue us?" Tifa asked him as she checked his arm splints to make sure they were still secure without affecting his circulation.
"I don't know if they are. I didn't send out a Mayday, so unless Rude and Elena come looking for us, I'm not sure if we ever will be 'rescued'. I hope you know how to hunt in case we run out of MREs before then."
"Never rescue us? What kind of people do you work for?" Tifa was shocked momentarily, then she realized she shouldn't be, because she knew exactly what kind of people he worked for. "Never mind."
"Don't worry, I never mind. That's part of my charm." Reno said offhandedly, trying to ignore the pity in her eyes. He went on the offensive, since it bothered him to know that she felt sorry for him. "You work for AVALANCHE, and they're just a bunch of thugs and vandals, that's kind of people you work for."
"We're not like that, we're trying to stop Shinra's rape and eventual murder of our planet!" Tifa stated passionately. "We help people!"
"That's why none of the members have ever been arrested and convicted of any crimes, is it?" Reno smirked at Tifa staring down at the ground and refusing to answer, then he frowned as he realized he didn't like making her feel bad. "Never mind."
"I need a bath, I'm heading to the stream." Tifa started to walk off, then paused and came back to him. "Let me help you up first." She got Reno standing up without hurting his arms, and then hurried to the stream.
Reno stared after her, then shook his head and found a tree to relieve himself behind, grateful that he could at least use his hands do that by himself, he didn't want to ask Tifa for help with that. It was bad enough that she had to bathe him. He felt his face go red again with the memory of her hands all over him. He finished his business and went back to the campfire, using some of the water to wash his hands off. He stood there, wondering what to do while Tifa bathed in the stream, when he suddenly heard a voice call for him. It sounded like Elena's, but something was wrong with it, and it wasn't close. He ran to the stream, pausing when he saw her naked and wet, stepping out of the stream to put her clothes back on.
"Tifa! You've got to hide!" Reno exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?" Tifa asked as she finished getting dressed. "What's that?" Tifa heard the voice then as well, calling out for Reno.
"They've come for me, but they don't need to find you as well." Reno looked around and spotted some bushes under trees that would provide cover from aerial and land surveillance. "Hide there until well after you see the helicopter leave that will be arriving shortly." Reno pointed as well as he could to the right spot. He didn't know why he was doing this, but he didn't feel right about taking her back to be interrogated, he knew what that entailed.
"Why should I hide?"
"Dammit, just do it!" Reno yelled. When she glared at him with a stubborn look on her face, he took a deep breath and got a hold of himself. "Save yourself now, just like you're saving yourself for your future husband. He must be out there waiting for you, isn't he? After the helicopter leaves, grab whatever you want from the helicopter and head east, I saw a small village that way just before we hit the storm. Now please, go!" Reno walked towards where he heard Elena's voice coming from, not seeing Tifa look back at him as she went to hide where he indicated.
"Thank you!" Tifa loudly exclaimed, but Reno pretended to ignore it as he continued to go reunite with his fellow Turks. In his world, there was no place for someone like her.