AN: The prompt for Feb 1 is "Space."

Summary: Tifa is surprised when two men return from a long mission.

Tags: friendship, coming home, reunion

Tifa polished a glass, served a drink, then reached under the counter for two bottles of ale. Popping the tops, she set them down in front of the waiting customers with a smile, before turning around to serve a few more. They all waved their wrists over the counter, and she saw the credit transfer on her kiosk behind the bar.

Someone whistled at the end of the counter.

"Hey cutie, how's it goin'?"

Tifa flashed a grin. "It's going just fine Reno. Are you two supposed to be in this part of the district?"

The bald man next to him loosened his tie just a little. He hadn't removed his gloves. "We're not on the clock right now."

"And you've got the best bar on Delta. All that shit up top? Too many frills."

"We don't even have dancers here," she mused, leaning over the counter with her arms crossed.

"Only pretty lady we need to see is you," the redhead countered.

She laughed. "You don't have to flirt with me to get a drink like everyone else around here tries to." She reached under, screwed the caps off of two cylindrical bottles, and slid them across the counter to them. Both men swiped their wrists and she heard the kiosk ding.

She stared out the window for a moment as she cleaned up. The stars in the endless black void twinkled back at her. A ship or two went by, but otherwise it was almost totally dead out there. If she only went by what it looked like outside, she'd never be able to tell the time - there was no changing sky to alert her. But she could feel the fatigue in her bones. And when she checked the time, she saw it had been about twelve hours since she started her shift.

"You're the owner of this bar, why the hell do you work so much?"

Tifa turned back and began wiping down the counter. Her short-haired friend swung her legs over a stool on the other side.

"Yuffie, I like working."

The younger woman shook her head. "Why spend all your time working?"

Tifa shrugged. "Not a whole lot else to do on this station."

"Not a whole lot to do on Delta? Are you out of your mind?"

The front door opened. Yuffie rolled her eyes at the cheery woman who walked through.

"Evening Aerith!" Tifa greeted.

Aerith came and sat at the bar next to Yuffie. "Good evening ladies."

"How's the shop doing?" Tifa asked.

"Just as well as a flower shop can on this rock."

"Flower shop my ass," Yuffie mumbled.

Aerith pushed her lightly on her shoulder. "Why do you dislike me?"

Yuffie smacked her lips. "Aren't you a little too jolly for a girl who runs guns?"

"Hey, this place closed?" a voice called at the front.

All three women looked to the source. Two men walked through, one with long black, unruly hair. His arm was slung around the other, who had a mess of blonde spikes.

Aerith screamed, jumping up from her seat and running to the taller of the two men. She wrapped her arms around his neck and layered his face with kisses.

"Zack! Oh, by the Goddess!"

He chuckled and held her around her waist.

Tifa fought not to walk too fast to greet them. Excitement nearly trapped the words in her throat, but she managed to say,

"What are you doing here?"

The blonde scratched the back of his neck with a slight smile. "We… had an emergency. This was the closest station."

Her hands shook and she couldn't contain herself anymore. Tifa hugged him around his waist. He returned it.

"Welcome back from your mission, Cloud," she said quietly.

"Thanks," he replied, holding her by her head.

AN: These are actually all caught up on my AO3 account. You can find me there as "Karmi." I'll spend the weekend catching them up here as well.