A/N: Rated M for language and sexual content

Chapter 20:

Marlene had been chattering about Reno's promise all morning. Tifa honestly thought the little girl might forget what the Turk said to her the previous night by the time she woke up. No such luck. And now Barret was irritated.

"He said what?" he asked, his voice raised and guttural. "When did he talk to you?"

"Last night," Marlene offered in her most innocent-sounding tone.

"He offered to take us all up today," Tifa offered, as if that might help make Barret more comfortable.

"Absolutely not," Barret insisted.

They were all seated in Tifa's kitchen eating breakfast – eggs and pancakes, at Marlene's behest.

"Daddy!"

"Barret, she really wants to go, and remember what we talked about yesterday…"

"Drinking with them Turks is one thing, but letting one – that one – take us into the air in some rickety helicopter is out of the question," Barret said. He then shifted his gaze to Marlene and let his eyes droop. "Marlene, we can't always get what we want, and we can't expect other people to do what we want."

Tifa didn't interject again. Barret was Marlene's guardian, and truth be told, Tifa didn't really think Reno was being serious even with his text the night before.

"But he offered!" Marlene exclaimed, throwing her hands out to the side. "He's nice!"

Barret and Tifa both snorted at that comment. Barret hated to disappoint Marlene, especially since he had been doing that for most of her life. But he was also worried about her safety – that Turk could be planning something against AVALANCHE for all he knew. Still, if they all went up with him, maybe they would be safe. After all, he had always been a pushover during their earlier quest. Barret hung his head and took a deep breath. He shook his head in disbelief of what he was about to say. He lifted his head and saw Marlene, wide-eyed and hopeful, staring back at him. He couldn't say no to that little face.

"Okay, but one short trip and that's it," he said, trying to maintain some semblance of authority.

Marlene got up from the table and ran around to give her father a hug. Tifa smiled at the display of familial love. She missed that. She missed having Marlene around her home like in Sector 7. Things were so much simpler then, and she wasn't alone.

She stepped outside the room to text Reno back, figuring he wouldn't answer or would cancel or wouldn't show up at their meeting time and place if one was agreed upon. The whole thing was a ploy to get her attention, and bailing would certainly be a very Reno thing to do, she thought.

"Good for helicopter today? Can you pick us up at noon?" she sent the text and held her breath.

She had never responded to one of Reno's texts before and didn't want to make it a habit. This was all for Marlene. Reno would have to behave himself around Barret and his daughter, of that Tifa was thankful.

Then there was that little part of her that thought it might be fun to go up in a helicopter and spend the day with Reno. As much as she told herself she hated their encounters, she was really coming to enjoy what each new day would bring – whether he would sneak up on her and what he would do to her.

Oh, Lord help her, she actually liked his touch. Couldn't be, she just missed Cloud's touch. She hadn't experienced wanting someone other than Cloud before, so this was all new territory to her. It was exciting and horrifying at the same time. She really hoped Cloud would just come home soon to end all these thoughts rattling around in her brain.

Meanwhile…

Reno woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing. Probably Elena again, wanting to hang out on Sunday so she wouldn't be alone. Weakling. Why couldn't she just drink alone like everyone else?

He checked his phone and immediately shot up in bed, sheets falling below his naked torso, when he saw who had texted him. He even rubbed his eyes a little to be sure he was reading correctly.

"1 text message from Tifa."

Hot damn, that little girl worked a miracle. Maybe kids weren't so bad. They did seem to like Reno for some reason, but he hadn't usually tried to connect with any. He had that reputation and all, couldn't look like he'd pull his punches if children were around. He destroyed Sector 7, dammit, who knows how many kids died by his hand.

He shuddered at the thought. That, more than anything, had always haunted him. President Shinra ordered him to kill all those people, including children, just because of some little eco-terrorist group.

Oh yeah, the text!

"Good for helicopter today? Can you pick us up at noon?"

So, it wasn't the sexiest text, but it did mean he would get to see her if he got his shit together. He checked the time on his phone after reflexively looking to where his alarm clock used to sit. He hadn't bought a new one, and the one in pieces on the floor wasn't talking anymore.

Shit! It was almost noon now!

Reno jumped out of bed as if he had gotten an urgent, direct command from Rufus Shinra himself, then ran to the bathroom for a quick shower and shave. No time for coffee. Wait, there was always time for coffee.

It was the fastest he had gotten to the office from his apartment in, well, ever. The helicopter was on the roof.

Okay, so he didn't exactly have permission to use the helicopter whenever he wanted, but that hadn't stopped him before – and he hadn't been caught. He knew how to get to the roof undetected, even though he did feel a pang of guilt using his Turk training against his employer. Just a pang, though. Besides, he was the only professional pilot Shinra had at the moment, it basically belonged to him.

Twenty past noon, but the chopper was fast. He had to fly it back over Old Midgar and then quite away around Edge to keep it out of sight of any Shinra employees. It felt good to be back in the sky again. It'd been a couple weeks since he and Rude went to Nibelheim, and he had been itching to get back into the pilot's seat. Plus, he was going to get to spend his day with Tifa (and the oaf and the kid, but whatever) and he was much more excited about the antics they could get up to than spending another day drinking with Rude and Elena.

Don't get him wrong, he loved drinking with Rude and Elena, but he needed a change of pace, even for just one day.

He had texted Tifa back to tell her to meet him on the plains outside Edge. He half expected her not to show, but after a couple swings in the chopper, he saw her with the big man and the little girl. A few dead monsters lay beside them. Even on a beautiful day like this, fights couldn't be avoided.

He brought the helicopter down a little further from Edge and shut off the engine. He trotted around the vehicle to greet his new companions.

"Where to?" he said cheerfully as he looked them over.

Tifa was wearing a pair of jean cutoff shorts and an off-the-shoulder white netted sweater that made no attempt to cover the bright red bikini underneath. She wore flipflops and a big floppy had with oversized sunglasses, clearly prepared for a beach trip.

"The beach!" Marlene said excitedly. She too, had sunglasses and a bathing suit on, though hers was a purple one-piece.

Barret was dressed… as Barret. He never had time for beach trips. He was also standing with his arms folded and his gaze narrowed on Reno, searching for the dastardly scheme the Turk had worked out against them.

"The beach it is, then," Reno beamed, though his cheerfulness seemed a bit contrived.

Things couldn't have worked out better, in Reno's mind, as he led them back to the helicopter. He'd get to spend the day racking up points with Tifa and staring at her half naked. He had always wondered – but never complained – why women were perfectly comfortable wearing basically their underwear in public so long as they were near the ocean. Tifa had been so concerned about him seeing her in her underwear yet here she was offering herself up on a silver platter, and she didn't seem concerned. He loved it.

They were already over the ocean when Tifa made her way to the cockpit, supporting herself by leaning on the back of the two pilot's chairs.

"Shouldn't we have landed back there?" she called over the roar of the engine.

"You said the beach, right?"

"Yes, I thought you understood the Midgar beaches," she said.

Barret's distrust level was rising as soon as he saw the chopper fly past the beaches. He knew that Turk was taking them somewhere for an ambush.

"So, I'm taking you to the beach!" Reno yelled over the engine.

It was then that the three passengers saw Costa del Sol out the window. Marlene was ecstatic, she had never been to the resort town before. Tifa became nostalgic. She still had the key to the villa on her keyring. Maybe she would find Cloud there. It would break her heart to know he had abandoned her to go live in a luxury resort, but knowing he was alive would at least ease her mind a little.

Reno set the chopper down outside of town, quite proud of himself for the extra step he had taken to ensure the little girl's happiness. He helped the girls with their bags – perfect gentleman – and led them into town like he was their personal chauffeur or something. The beach was surprisingly crowded despite the increase in monster attacks around the world. Costa del Sol was still the lovable little resort town it had always been, but the group of travelers now realized there was a large police presence in the street and especially around the beach.

"Those Midgar beaches are no good, yo," Reno said as they made their way toward the oceanfront. "We'd be fighting monsters all day. At least here the police keep them at bay."

They managed to find a space and set down some towels. Tifa was dying to go see the villa, but Marlene was already running to the water.

"Marlene, wait!" Tifa called as she chased after the little girl.

That left Barret and Reno alone at the beach.

"What's your angle?" Barret asked, accusatorially, though he didn't take his eyes off Marlene.

"No angle," Reno said casually. "I wanted to take the chopper out and figured I could make your girl happy."

"My girl?" Barret asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Your daughter."

"Right," Barret was now suspicious in a different way. "Just how often do you come to the bar?"

"A few times a week, it's Rude's favorite place," Reno said while watching Tifa and Marlene wade into the ocean.

"Uh huh," Barret said. It was all starting to make sense, but he figured he'd let it go for now.

Tifa returned with Marlene, practically dragging the little girl back to their towels. Tifa already looked a little winded from trying to herd the girl.

"She really wants to go swimming," Tifa said to Barret upon their return.

"Can you take her? I guess we'll be here for awhile, might as well go buy some trunks," Barret said, eyeing the shops behind the beach.

"You mean you didn't pack your sailor suit?" Tifa teased.

If anyone other than Tifa had just made that comment, Barret probably would have murdered them. He prayed Reno hadn't heard; the redhead didn't seem to be paying much attention. Barret stormed off toward the town as Tifa began to remove her outer clothing.

"Now this is what I came here to see," Reno smirked as Tifa removed her sweater, folded it, and placed it in her beach bag.

"Behave," Tifa warned, motioning toward Marlene.

"What did you come here to see?" Marlene asked, prompting Tifa to give Reno a look.

"The ocean, sweetheart," Reno cooed. "The ocean."

Tifa removed her shorts and placed them in her bag as well, completely aware of Reno's constant gaze. She rolled her eyes. Yup, he used Marlene to get a day with her. Not like she was making it difficult for him, what with allowing Marlene to choose the beach as her destination.

"Ready to go swimming, Marlene?" Tifa asked the little girl, who nodded eagerly.

Reno certainly enjoyed watching Tifa walk away. He rolled up his sleeves and leaned back on his towel, just imagining all the vile things he'd love to do to that woman. He watched as Tifa held Marlene's hand until the water was up to the little girl's waist, and then kneeled down in the water to teach her the basics of swimming. Tifa would make an excellent mother someday, he thought, uh, for some other guy who was certainly not him because all he wanted from her was sex. Definitely. One hundred percent. Just sticking to the plan.

He watched as this gorgeous, nurturing woman coaxed the little girl onto her stomach while keeping her own hands underneath the child just to get her used to floating in the water. He could watch her all day.

"You ain't swimming?" came a husky voice the brought him out of his head.

"Nah, never learned," Reno told Barret, without taking his eyes off Tifa.

"Really?" Barret asked, sitting down on the towel furthest from Reno, now wearing some black cargo swim trunks. Why did they have pockets? Who knew, but there they were.

"Yep, grew up in the slums," Reno informed him. "No water, and even if there was, you wouldn't wanna swim in it."

"Gonna ask her to teach ya?" Barret said with a half-smirk.

"Hmm?" Reno was only half paying attention to his former adversary, who he still wasn't too keen on.

Barret just chuckled to himself and watched Marlene splashing about in the shallow water. Tifa looked back at him and smiled, then turned Marlene around so she could wave.

"She's an amazing woman, ya know," Barret said in a warning tone. He didn't want to start anything with Reno right now but wanted to give him the "don't you dare hurt her" talk, even if he didn't believe Tifa would ever fall for a guy like the Turk.

Reno didn't answer. Oh, he heard Barret alright, but wasn't about to let the big man think he was right. Because he wasn't.

"Well, enjoy your view," Barret said mockingly as he stood up and strolled down to the beach to join Tifa and Marlene.

Tifa let Barret take over teaching Marlene how to swim, and laughed at the image of such a large man being so delicate with such a small girl. Tifa stood up and took a few steps back from them in the water, just to make sure Barret had things under control, then headed back to her towel to get some sun.

She sat down gently, trying not to squish her wound. She no longer needed bandages, but the thing still hurt. The salt water definitely didn't make it feel any better, but she didn't want to say no to Marlene or be alone with Reno right off the bat. She didn't want Barret to get the wrong idea.

Tifa bent her knees but leaned back on her elbows, squinting at Reno in the glare of the sun that was shining just behind his head, making his bright red hair look like it was on fire.

"Not going to swim today?" she asked. Reno didn't want to admit to her that he couldn't.

"Nope, today I am just a humble chauffeur," he said, pretending to tip a hat toward her.

"Too bad, I was hoping to get some time to just lie in the sun by myself."

"Well, you know I can be quiet," Reno said, that roguish grin forming on his face. "Besides, I can't wait to see you with tan lines."

Tifa swatted him with the back of her hand and sat up to start applying sunscreen. She had gotten sunburned in Costa del Sol last year and did not want to experience that again. Her only consolation was that Cloud had gotten burned as well, so they suffered together and spent the next couple days regularly applying aloe to each other. It would have been hot if they hadn't been in so much agony.

Flashback…

"Morning, lobster," Cloud said to her one morning when they were both at their reddest.

"Mmm morning firetruck," she responded, in a voice that otherwise would have turned him on if the very thought of moving didn't cause him so much torture.

"Moogle nose."

"Ruby Weapon."

"Hedgehog pie."

"Reno's hair."

"Hey," Cloud said, "let's not say things we can't take back."

"I'd laugh but my face hurts."

Present Day…

"Want some help?" Reno looked positively devilish.

"I'm good, thanks," Tifa waved him off and smiled wryly. "Remember, I'm very flexible."

She put some sunscreen in her hands and reached behind her to apply it to her own shoulder blades, then applied a little more and reached her hands back lower to apply it to the area around her bikini top strap.

"Impressive," Reno said with a nod of his head and a short golf clap. "Now how far back can you stretch your legs?"

Tifa chuckled and shook her head before lying back down on her towel and stretching out her legs.

"You're really going to sit here all day in the sun like this?" she asked the redhead.

"Do you need silence to get a tan?"

Tifa snickered.

"You can use my sunscreen if you want," she said, handing him the bottle. She closed her eyes and settled in.

"Thanks, but I may need help with my back, yo," Reno said, deciding that it was too hot to wear a dress shirt even with the sleeves rolled up.

"You're saying you're not very flexible?" Tifa teased.

"Oh, I'll show you how flexible I am…"

"Tifa! Watch me!" Marlene called from the ocean.

Tifa sat up gently to see that Marlene was now paddling in the shallow water toward Barret, who kept moving backward while crouched down to get her to swim a little further.

"You're doing great, sweetie!" Tifa called to the girl, before lying back on her mat and hoping Reno had lost his train of thought.

"So, about my back…"

Of course.

"Fine, but only because I know how painful it is to be sunburnt," Tifa said, getting to her knees and squeezing some sunscreen onto her hands. She then rubbed them together and started massaging it onto Reno's muscular back. He was paler than Cloud, and thinner, but he was clearly fit with lean muscles in all the right places.

She hadn't touched a man like this since she rubbed aloe onto Cloud's back after their little getaway in Costa del Sol last year. The bar was under construction so they spent a week in the resort town just enjoying each other's company and basking in the sun. It was one of her most perfect memories with Cloud. They both laughed and loved and didn't seem to notice there was anyone in the world but each other. She would give anything to have those days back…

"Having fun back there?" Reno asked after he realized Tifa was taking too long.

She shook her head and finished applying sunscreen to the small of his back.

"Sorry," she said, embarrassed.

"I already know how you find me distracting," Reno said, smiling.

"You and your ego!" Tifa rolled her eyes before lying back down on the towel and closing her eyes.

She thought about the villa, and whether Cloud had stayed there recently or if he was there right now. She wanted to investigate but didn't want to appear hopelessly devoted. If he were there now, he could come out at any moment and catch her out of context with Reno.

"Reno?" she asked after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"Yeah, babe?"

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry, babe."

"Did you get me those flowers?"

"How could I? I was working all day and was in the hospital with you practically all night."

"Reno?"

"Nuh uh, lady, you ain't gettin' nothin' outta me," Reno smirked. "I'm trained to withstand all sorts of interrogation techniques."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"What about this one?" she said softly, causing him to look in her direction only to find her looking up at him with the sweetest, most pathetic puppy-dog eyes he had ever seen on a person.

"Uh… nope, not gonna work."

She pouted her lips and somehow managed to look even more pitiful. Reno turned away from her and lifted in his chin in an exaggerated protest maneuver, but turned his head to look over his shoulder at her with one eye opened. Tifa started quivering her lower lip and acting as if she were about to cry. She knew he was struggling.

"…still nothing."

Tifa let out a soft whimper.

"No way," Reno was more defiant now. "Well, there might be some way you could convince me to tell the truth."

"You're terrible!" she retorted, smacking him with the back of her hand.

"Yanno, we've never had this much time together, just the two of us," he offered, seeming a little nostalgic.

"Well, that's usually because you sneak up on me and can't keep your hands to yourself!"

"So, you're saying you wouldn't mind spending time with me like this?"

He had her now. She'd walked into a trap he hadn't even planned to set.

"You ain't gettin' nothin' outta me," she said, mimicking him.

"Sounds like a yes if I ever heard one."

Tifa sat up as quickly as she could with her stitches.

"So, you did get me those flowers!" she was already sure it was him, but this was basically confirmation. And she was still surprised. It was Reno after all. "How'd you do it? Why'd you do it?"

"I was in the Nibelheim neighborhood…" he said calmly.

"Bullshit."

"Hey, language there little lady."

"So, Reno really does have a soft side," Tifa laid back down and brought her hands up behind her head in triumph.

"Huh? No way!" he quickly tried to correct. "I'm hard, baby, nothin' soft about me."

"Yeah, okay," Tifa said sarcastically. "Your secret's safe with me."

Barret and Marlene returned, with the little girl excitedly telling Tifa about how she was just swimming,

"I saw," Tifa said in mock excitement to encourage Marlene. "You were doing great out there."

"Yeah but it's really tiring," Marlene said, plopping down on her towel.

She'd be back up and playing in five minutes, tops, Tifa bet herself.

"Hey Barret, I'm gonna go check out the villa, will you be okay here for a minute?" Tifa asked.

"Sure," he said. "Take your time."

Tifa stood up and put her flipflops back on. As far as she knew, no one had been to the villa since she and Cloud visited the previous year. She grabbed the key out of her bag and made her way to the house AVALANCHE had purchased while chasing Sephiroth.

It had been a whim, one of those unpredictable, sort of romantic kind of moments with Cloud. She and Yuffie had been with him when they returned to Costa del Sol before heading back to the Northern Crater for their final confrontation. They had known long before that the place was for sale following President Shinra's death, but hadn't expected it to still be on the market so much later. They had just sold their first mastered "All" materia, and Cloud suddenly wanted to go on a spending spree. Tifa supposed it was because he had never had much money growing up.

Flashback…

Cloud and the two remaining AVALANCHE women burst into the villa without considering whether it might now be someone's home. Tifa and Yuffie had actually been giggling about Cloud's claim that he was going to buy the place and name it "Villa Cloud."

"Sure you are," Tifa had teased when he made the suggestion. He may have been feeling better after Tifa helped him find his conscious in the Lifestream, but he still didn't seem to be the type of person who would buy a beachfront home on a whim.

Cloud's swagger as he entered the building shocked the realtor who was again napping on the bed when they entered. He leapt up and looked the three over and somehow (must have been some kind of realtor sense) that they could afford the place.

"'Praise the Lord,'" he said. "It's a miracle! Who'd ever think someone with some real money would ever come here… I probably shouldn't even ask, but are you really going to buy it?"

Cloud looked back at Tifa, who was trying to stifle a laugh. He hadn't shared his feelings with her yet, but he had rediscovered his love for her. He wouldn't admit this until much later, but he had bought this place for her.

"Yep, 300,000 gil," Cloud said.

He handed the realtor the money in an unmarked sack, feeling a suitcase would have been too seedy and cliché, though he had briefly toyed with the idea.

"What are you, some kind of mobster?" Yuffie had chastised.

Cloud turned back to Tifa after signing the necessary paperwork. She was still not believing the purchase was complete, even though she witnessed the whole thing.

"Oh my GAWD, he bought you a house!" Yuffie enthused before running into the bedroom to jump on one of the mattresses.

Tifa blushed. She liked when Yuffie – or anyone else, for that matter – hinted to her that Cloud was in love with her, but she didn't really believe it at them. She certainly hoped they knew something she didn't, but she didn't find it likely.

Cloud scratched the back of his head and approached Tifa while Yuffie was in the other room.

"Why don't you, uh, hold on to this key," he asked. "Just wanna keep it safe in case Sephiroth wants to take control of me again. We can make another key later."

Tifa beamed. Maybe Yuffie had been right. Either way, she now had the keys to her very own Costa del Sol villa that she could visit whenever she wanted.

Present day…

Tifa reached the door and placed a trembling hand on the wood. She lowered her head and took a deep breath. He could be here. He could be here. He could be here and hiding from her and chasing skirts on the beach and break her heart. Maybe she didn't want to find out what was inside. But she had to.

She knocked gently and waited patiently for some indication of life inside.

Nothing.

She knocked again, with a little more force, but still no sound from inside.

She placed the key in the lock and turned slowly. Inside she could find all her answers. With her heart heavy, she opened the door and called his name. No answer. She flipped on the nearby light switch.

Nothing.

The villa hadn't been touched in some time. The sun shone through the large lattice window to the left of the entrance, reflecting its shape on the floor in front of the folding screen. In the light Tifa could see dust particles dancing and floating, only visible where the sun cast its gaze. She looked around and started moving forward, noticing a film of undisturbed dust covering everything like some protective layer to preserve her memories.

The bedroom door was open and she could already tell it was empty, but she entered anyway, running her finger tips over the top of the dresser and allowing the trails to serve as a marker that she was here. Nothing had been disturbed for quite some time. Even if Cloud had come here after he left Edge, he was long gone.

Tifa walked around to the far end of the bed nearest the back wall and sat down to process what she had just discovered – or not discovered.

Meanwhile…

Tifa would be alone, in a villa, in a resort town, with a bed. Reno considered his various excuse options to get him away from Barret and Marlene, who were now building a sandcastle near their towels, and make his way to Tifa. He shot each one down as being too lame or obvious. Barret already seemed suspicious. What would he think if Reno left the beach shortly after Tifa? Would he think they were having secret romantic getaways? Or that Reno was up to no good? Probably the latter, and the redheaded Turk did not want to cause a ruckus today. Today was all about getting Tifa to think his intentions were above board.

Oh, but there was one way to get away from the eco-terrorist and his daughter.

Reno took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and brought his lighter up to the tip.

"Hey!" Barret growled. "You can't smoke on the beach?"

"I thought anything goes in Costa del Sol," Reno mused.

"Take it somewhere else!" Barret commanded.

Reno shrugged and stood up to walk off the sand and back toward town, with some uppity beachgoers complaining about the smoke as he did.

Mission accomplished.

Reno knew from experience that sandcastles took infinitely less time to destroy than to build. If Barret and the little girl were going to make something photo worthy, they would be awhile – and Marlene had demanded many accoutrements.

Reno finished his cigarette by the time he reached the villa door. He hadn't had to watch where Tifa went, everyone knew about the Shinra villa. Or, he guessed, it was now the AVALANCHE villa. Ugh.

He considered for a brief moment what would happen if that Cloud guy was in the villa. Tifa might go running into his arms, but if he were here, it meant the bastard really did skip out on her. That could certainly open a door for Reno, but he didn't really want to win his prize by being the rebound guy. That was too easy. He also at that point considered how much Tifa would be hurt if she did turn to a Turk only to get immediately crushed again. That's right, he considered her feelings. He shuddered before placing his hand on the door handle and turning.

He had to admit, the place was choice. Decently sized for Costa del Sol, but big enough for a couple people to spend a vacation or live, if they really wanted to. He didn't spend too much time looking around before he noticed Tifa through the bedroom doorway. She was sitting solemnly on the far bed facing the wall, her long hair all that was visible as her back was to him. The heavy smell of the beachfront mixed with sunscreen filled his nostrils, with just a ghostly reminder of the floral scent of Tifa's hair. She didn't seem to flinch when he entered, as if she either knew who was coming in (and didn't care) or hadn't even heard the door. As he walked toward her he could see that she was fidgeting with her hands in her lap and though he suspected she was upset, he didn't see her shoulders rising and falling with the telltale signs of crying.

A perfect opportunity.

He quietly rounded the bed and sat next to her. She let out the soft laugh of someone who was trying to force back tears. Reno put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against him.

"He's not here," she said, almost to herself.

Reno didn't have to ask who "he" was but knew he had to suck it up to move her along.

"I'm sorry," he said, and he sounded sincere. He could act when he needed to.

"I'm happy," she said.

Now Reno was confused, by all outward appearances she was trying not to cry after seeing someone run over her puppy.

"You don't look happy," he said.

There was that little laugh again.

"I know," she said. "I'm sad because I still don't know where he is, but I'm happy that he's not here."

"Why does that make you happy?" he had to ask.

"Because it means he didn't ditch me to chase loose women on the beach," she said with a snicker to cheer herself up.

"Hey now," Reno said. "Let's not go knocking the chasing of loose women on the beach."

She guffawed at his comment, not meaning to sound so unladylike.

"Sometimes I just feel so alone," she said, returning to her pensive state.

Reno didn't accept that one bit. He removed his arm from her shoulders and placed a hand on each of her upper arms to turn her toward him. She kept her head lowered, so he took his index finger and hooked it under her chin to gently lift her head until she was looking into his eyes, which were wide and earnest. It reminded her of when Cloud did the same thing when they confessed their love for each other under the Highwind.

"Hey, don't you say that, yo," Reno began. "If there is one thing you in this whole world you ain't, Lockhart, it's alone."

His words comforted her a little, even if they were clumsy. She smiled at him, though her eyes were still filled with sadness.

"You got Barret and his little girl, all your other terrorist friends (he couldn't help himself), and uh, the Turks now," he added.

Tifa blinked. "Thank you," she said as her eyes offered a hint of acceptance.

Reno wasn't sure if he should keep going. He wasn't used to this. He'd comforted Turks before – mainly Elena – but that was different. Usually he had been telling her to buck up and get back to work but he didn't want to take that tactic with Tifa. Instead, he reached forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. She leaned toward him and rested her head on his chest with her arms around his waist.

Damn it felt good to hold her.

Her chest was pressed against his, with just a thin piece of bathing suit material between them. Reno kept quiet but tried to think how he could move from this position to one more favorable. He scrunched his eyes to remove the thought. He had to be a gentleman here. But his hands were so close to the knot on her bikini…

"Reno?" she asked, as if she were about to scold him. Could she read his mind?

"Yes, babe?"

"Why did you bring us here?"

"Marlene said the beach, so she got the beach."

"No, I mean, why did you offer her the helicopter ride?"

Reno pulled away from her and scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, well, I hadn't been in the chopper for awhile, and" he stammered, "it's actually my favorite thing in the world…"

"Really?" she asked in equal parts innocent and surprised. "Even more than booze and loose women?"

Now this was a more comfortable conversation for him.

"It's actually a pretty big gap," he told her. "That chopper is my baby, booze and cheap women don't hold a candle to her."

"Really? I never would have guessed."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about me," he said, placing his hands behind his neck.

"We should get back before Barret gets suspicious," she suggested.

"You worried he'll think you're off screwin' around with the enemy?" he chuckled.

"No!" she insisted. "Well, maybe."

"Let him think! It'll do the big lunkhead some good."

"Reno…"

"Hey, you know what will cheer you up? Let's go play some of those boardwalk games. I'm a champion ring tosser."

"Oh, really?" Tifa asked skeptically.

"Yep, woulda gone pro but sprained my thumb before tryouts."

Tifa loved how easy it was for Reno to make her laugh even when she was feeling blue. And truth be told, she loved carnival games but didn't get to partake very often. And Reno was behaving for the most part.

"Okay, show me your skills," she challenged.

"Okay, but I gotta do one thing first," Reno replied.

"What's that?"

He then pounced on her, causing her to fall back onto the bed. Though she put up a little fight due to surprise, he was able to get on top of her and force his tongue into her mouth. He lowered his body down onto hers, his bare chest now pressing hard against her chest, hoping that his movements might dislodge a breast from its bikini trap.

So, this was outside of the plan, but he would kick himself later if he didn't get at least a little smooching in while she was half naked around him. What kind of man would he be then? Last year's Reno would certainly kick his ass if he didn't. He couldn't upset that guy.

He pulled back with little notice and stood up. He hadn't succeeded in procuring a nip slip, but she was so stunned by his actions that she was still lying on the bed in front of him, giving him a good look at her body. The medical attention and cure spells had just about disappeared the gunshot wound, and for some reason today she didn't seem concerned about the scar on her chest. Just as well, most people didn't even notice the scar when looking at Tifa Lockhart in a bikini.

Reno offered her a hand to help her to her feet and she accepted.

"After you, my dear," he motioned for her to take the narrow space between the bed and the wall out of the bedroom. He watched her ass as she walked toward the front door, and had to run to catch up to her once she reached it, lest she discover his lechery.

Reno had totally lied about his ring tossing skills, as evidenced by the large plush chocobo Tifa carried back to their area on the beach.

"Where you two been?" Barret said with narrowed eyes.

Tifa hoped her flushed cheeks weren't noticeable.

"Cloud wasn't in the villa so I left," she said. It was the truth, just not the whole truth. "Found Reno playing carnival games. Here Marlene, he won this for you."

Reno counted the lies and omissions in her statement. He was definitely corrupting her already.

Marlene took the chocobo excitedly and hugged it to her chest, then took Tifa by the hand and dragged her toward the sandcastle she had built with Barret.

"Do you see my sandcastle? Daddy helped me build it," she said.

"That's beautiful, sweetheart," Tifa again used that mock-excited tone. "Fit for a princess."

"Daddy, I want to go swimming again!" Marlene demanded.

"Okay, but this is the last time today," Barret compromised.

When they were gone, Tifa laid down on her towel with her chest to the ground in order to tan her back. She brushed her hair off to her side to make sure her skin was available to accept the sun.

"So, when you do that, do you have to make divots in the ground for your tits?" Reno asked.

Though he was clearly messing with her, he did kind of want to know. Those things had to be painful in some situations, right?

"You're pushing it today, Reno," was all she said, though she didn't sound mad.

"Okay, okay, last question: do you undo the strings to your top when you tan?"

"I might if lecherous Turks weren't around," she said, without looking at him.

She must truly be able to read his mind.

Barret and Marlene returned about 20 minutes later to rest. Within the hour, the group was ready to call it a day.

Reno flew them back with Marlene in the co-pilot's seat. She had decided she wanted to learn how to fly the helicopter, so Reno was giving her a very basic tutorial. Barret, of course, was watching from the main seating area horrified, convinced that Turk bastard would hand over the controls to a six-year-old without thinking.

But Reno did not hand over the controls and set the chopper down outside Edge just where he had picked them up. He turned off the engine to help Marlene out to rejoin her father. The whirl of the engine and the dust kicked up by the vehicle was at least useful enough to scare away some of the monsters that were patrolling the area, even if it did mean choking back dirt. Reno waved farewell after informing them he would spend the rest of the day cleaning out the sand and sea water they had all left behind in his baby.

Tifa rolled his eyes when he said it and turned to walk back to Edge with Barret and Marlene.

They had just gotten inside Seventh Heaven when the expected text from Reno came.

"Had fun today, yo," it said, "even if it didn't involve booze or sex."

Tifa giggled to herself and shook her head. She helped Marlene draw a bath and get ready before deciding that she would actually respond to Reno.

"But you had your favorite thing. The helicopter," she replied.

Twenty minutes later, the next text came:

"I guess one out of three ain't bad. Could have used one of the other two tho."

Tifa cleaned up the sand from her home and bar and threw everyone's wet and dirty clothes into the laundry before responding again.

"Okay, next time I'll buy you a drink," she said, knowing it would drive him crazy.

An immediate response.

"YOU'RE NO FUN LOCKHART."