Reno sauntered down the path with his hands in his trouser pockets. It would take him straight past her cabin. He told himself it was just a precaution; after everything that happened earlier it was better to be cautious. Shinra teams were out patrolling and the perimeter was secure. It couldn't hurt to double-check she was okay.
It was late, well past midnight, and the rain was coming down fast. Whilst the walk wasn't helping to clear his head, it was at least allowing him to sort through everything. There was no sign of Erin or Garrison. The bomb on the chopper was on a timer, not a remote, so she likely believed they were in the air above the Eastern Continent when it detonated. Maybe that gave them an edge. If she thought they were dead she might come back, and when she did they'd be ready for her.
His foot landed in a puddle, sending splatters of mud over his shoes.
Tseng made contact briefly, although the connection was poor. He called from Rocket Town. Somebody took out the PHS lines surrounding North Corel, leaving the mining town and Gold Saucer unreachable. It explained Tifa's inability to contact Barret. Reno filled him in on the details, leaving out the part where Cloud found the photograph of him kissing her in the dirt.
Tseng signed off with a reminder to be cautious. He and Elena would be unreachable until they left North Corel. It felt like a bad omen.
The constant feeling of eyes on the back of his neck was making him antsy. The wall of photographs only proved how closely Erin was watching them, and the invasion of privacy galled him. It wouldn't be long before she realised they were still alive.
When Tifa returned to the main building she was distant and distracted. Something upset her and if he was being honest with himself, he was curious. He wondered whether Cloud challenged her about the photograph. The thought made him angry; Cloud was the last person who could judge her for getting caught on camera.
The wind picked up, chilling his skin through his wet shirt. Was this worth getting soaked to the skin? She might not even be awake. In the absence of alcohol, there was another distraction that would help to ease his nerves, but it depended on a willing partner. Ever the optimist, he carried on down the path.
Light spilled from her balcony. He smiled.
He could see her figure silhouetted beneath the light. She was leaning on the balustrade, staring out into the distance, lost in thought. The Turk in him grumbled about this; if she was going to be out so late she should at least be alert to prowlers in the dark.
Something about the slump of her shoulders cried defeat. This prowler's heart softened.
Her balcony looked out over the path, her cabin set higher up the cliff-face. If he stretched he could've just about brushed the ends of her hair with his fingers. She didn't notice him approach.
Reno leaned on the railing behind him. "You know… You should be asleep."
He took her by surprise. Her eyes widened momentarily, her mouth forming a breathless ' oh ' before her expression turned wary.
"What do you want, Reno?"
There was a bite to her voice that suggested anger. He felt relieved. He could handle angry women; it was the emotional ones he always found tricky.
"You," he said, flashing her a suggestive grin.
"Go away."
"Relax… I just came to see if you're okay."
"I'm fine." She turned her back on him.
"Yeah, looks like you're fine."
The rain was coming down in stair-rods now. His hair was clinging damply to his face and neck, and the cold was getting into his bones. Staying outside didn't appeal to him in the slightest. Her balcony offered shelter, even if the reception was a touch icy.
"I'm coming up," he warned her.
She didn't reply.
He quickly scaled the struts that supported the balcony, levering himself over the balustrade with ease. The wood was slick beneath his hands. He dropped onto the platform and wiped his dirty hands on the back of his trousers, his expression softening slightly when he saw her in the pool of yellow light.
Her eyes were bloodshot, patches of colour in her cheeks giving the game away. She stared past him, her frame rigid and her bare arms wrapped around her in deference to the temperature. Her teeth caught her bottom lip to still the tremble there.
"Let me guess… You don't want to talk about it?"
She inhaled slowly. For a minute he thought she was going to ignore the question, when her eyes snapped onto him. She was furious.
"You don't get it, do you?"
"I'm not a mind-reader," he quipped, throwing caution to the wind. "You're gonna have to explain."
"Why can't you just leave him alone? You just keep pushing him and pushing him all the time."
Her current anger centered on Cloud. What a surprise. Her defensiveness annoyed him. He couldn't understand why she was still looking out for the bastard.
"Pushing who?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Don't play dumb."
"You can't blame me. He makes it too easy."
"You're hurting him."
Something in her tone caught him. Sadness in her voice. He almost missed her next words, barely a whisper in the wind.
"You're hurting me."
"I'll dial it back," he said, guilt trickling through him.
Her weary sigh did nothing to absolve him.
"Can't you see how difficult you're making this?"
This? He stared at her.
She shook her head and straightened up, heading for the shelter of the cabin.
"Wait!"
He caught her wrist.
She turned, her expression one of frustration. Reno smiled weakly. He didn't really give much consideration to getting her friends on side, loathe to consider them allies even if they weren't still enemies. He realised he was putting her in a shitty position.
"Me and Cloud will never be friends, babe," he said.
"I know. But do you have to hate each other so much?"
Her eyes snagged on his fingers, still curled around her wrist. He let go, but she didn't retreat.
"I don't hate him," he said. "I just don't like him."
"Why?"
"That should be obvious." He curled a strand of her dark hair around his finger, and she angled her cheek into his touch.
"You're jealous," she murmured.
"Why would I be jealous?" He grinned, bravado ringing through his words. "He doesn't stand a chance."
"You're so full of yourself."
"I'm confident. There's a distinction," he assured her.
He caught it then, the barest hint of a smile on her lips.
"Why don't you like him?" she asked.
"The guy's a fucking idiot. "I've watched you wait for him for years. You deserve better."
"Oh, and I suppose you're better?"
He trailed his fingertips down her jaw. "I'm here, aren't I?"
"That's really why you don't like him?" her eyes softened.
He nodded slowly. Her lips formed a wry smile.
"You've watched me for years?"
"Eh…" He backpedalled, fingers leaving her cheek to scratch the back of his neck. "Did I say that?"
Tifa nodded, a flush creeping softly into her face.
"Well, you are very watchable."
"Right…"
"Don't be getting any ideas." He grinned. "I have a reputation to uphold."
She leaned back against the balustrade, her bare arm brushing against him. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and he froze.
"I'll bear that in mind," she said.
If she noticed the tension in him, she didn't pass comment. He exhaled, forcing his body to relax, and trailed his fingers down her forearm. She was freezing cold. Part of him wondered whether to suggest taking the conversation indoors, but there was something in this soft contact that had him rooted to the spot.
"I'm only winding him up," he said, his voice defensive. "It builds character."
"It builds character?" she echoed.
"Yeah. It's not my fault he can't handle someone yanking his chain. He needs to grow a pair."
"I see." She didn't sound convinced.
"Look, if it really bothers you so much…"
She looked up at him, caution in her eyes.
"I'll be nice."
"Really?"
"Sure."
Her eyes changed, turned liquid. She smiled; the playfulness in her expression made him weak. Her mouth was inches away from his. Grinning, he leaned in to kiss her.
Tifa pressed the pad of her index finger against his lips. He frowned. Her smile turned sultry as her teeth grazed her bottom lip and he swore he felt it, the low down tug on his nerves that sent his mind spiralling into far more dangerous thoughts than claiming her mouth.
He nipped her finger, eyebrows quirked.
Her eyes never left his, her hand drifting slowly to his waist as she moved to stand in front of him. He tried to close the distance again, and she leaned away, hands pressed against the damp material of his shirt. Her refusal to give in left him uncertain of the game she was playing. Her cool fingers slipped beneath his shirt.
"Tifa..."
Instinct cried out for him to force her hand, to wind his fingers through that silky hair and put a stop to her teasing. Curiosity made him pause, intrigued as to where she was taking this.
She tilted her head. Pressed a kiss to his earlobe. He shivered.
"What're you doing?"
"Hmm?"
She worked her way down from his ear, her kisses light and unhurried. He swallowed hard and felt her mouth form a smile against him. When her teeth scraped lightly against his throat, his hands clenched involuntarily.
He laughed, mouth dry. "Are you trying to make a point?"
When she looked up her eyes were unsure. Perhaps she wasn't so confident. He reached for her, fingers grazing her neck to run through her hair, tilting her mouth towards him. Eyes heavy-lidded, she wet her lips, her breath warm against his skin.
"Am I?" she murmured.
She pulled away.
His petulant frown made her laugh. Her hands grew bolder, slipping higher beneath his shirt to trace the planes of his stomach, and he tensed, exhaling sharply. His patience was waning, his heart thudding loudly as his blood rushed south.
"Kiss me," he said, as her fingers skimmed his waistband.
The breathy pitch of his voice surprised him. Her whisper-soft caress made him ache for more.
She caught his eye, stumbled to a crouch. Pressed an eager kiss to the groove of his hip, her breath hot and damp through his shirt. Knees weak, he fisted his hand in her hair, eyes sliding shut as her lips found bare skin at his waist and lingered there.
"Tifa…"
The warmth was fleeting. She straightened up and his hand fell away from her hair. The kiss she finally allowed him was chaste, her eyes triumphant as she pulled away.
"Wait…"
Confused by the sudden distance, he tried to pull her into his arms. Her mouth found his ear, her laugh vibrating against him and sending a shudder down his spine.
"I'm only winding you up," she whispered, extricating herself. "Doesn't it build character?"
There was challenge in her eyes, sparkling in the low light. He watched her walk away, eyes fixed firmly on the soft sway of her hips as she moved.
"Goodnight, Reno," she called over her shoulder.
The absence of her body let the cold air wash over him. Disappointment did nothing to temper the heat in his blood. The door clicked shut behind her.
"Shit…"
Doesn't it build character?Reno smirked; she had him there. He stared at the door for a long moment after she left, trying to get his body back under control.
The small part of his mind that was still operating on survival instincts was screaming at him. He missed a tiny detail when she made her escape. His eyes narrowed, his grin turning feral.
A test, then. She was staking a lot on his curiosity. He should walk away and let her dwell on what she started. His aching need for physical gratification overrode his desire for revenge.
He straightened up and crossed the balcony, heart still racing. His legs were unwilling to cooperate, the blood rush making him lightheaded. His entire body yearned for her, his thoughts no longer fixated on her mouth. No… He'd kiss every inch of her, given the chance.
He tried the handle, and his sins were rewarded. He was right; it wasn't locked. He let himself into the cabin, closing the door quietly behind him.
Tifa was waiting for him, silhouetted in the light from the bedroom. She didn't turn when he approached. He fancied he heard her breath hitch when the door clicked shut. The rise and fall of her shoulders betrayed her. She wasn't sure he'd take the bait.
She needn't have worried. Any man that walked away after that little display was insane.
Reno stood at her back and ran his hands along her arms, a featherlight touch that bought goosebumps to her skin.
"You know, you should lock your doors."
His fingers caressed her shoulder, brushing her hair aside to bare the fine curve of her neck for his inspection. When he pressed his mouth into the hollow of her collarbone, she melted into him.
"There's dangerous people out there," he purred, lips grazing her ear.
"Maybe that's what I was counting on."
He ran his hands lightly over her waist, palms skimming the bare skin exposed by her vest. Her stomach tensed beneath him.
"You're very confident," he said.
Reno dug his fingers into her hips and dragged her closer, showing her the very physical response she teased out of him. She gasped, arching her back, and he caught her earlobe in his teeth.
"Reno…"
He spun her around. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her as slowly as he dared, fighting tooth-and-nail against every fibre of his body that demanded he give in. Her fingers grasped the collar of his shirt, her body softening into him.
His hand moved to her throat, tracing the pulse that fluttered beneath his fingertip.
"You don't know what you do to me," he growled.
Reno kissed her again, one hand winding its way through her hair whilst the other fell to her waist and pinned her against him. This time the kiss wasn't gentle, it burned from his lips and took her with it. She came alive in his arms, fingers clutching desperately into his hair as she surrendered to the heat of his mouth.
He pulled away long enough to tug her vest over her head, casting it blindly aside. His mouth sought her out again whilst her fingers fumbled for the buttons of his shirt. He pressed his hands against her bare skin, savouring the feel of her. Her scent overwhelmed him, her breathless moans only spurring him on. He lifted her easily, her thighs wrapped around his waist, his fingers lost beneath her skirt.
Tifa whimpered needily, grinding against him as his hands fumbled for her bra. When his calves hit the bedframe he stumbled, throwing his hand out to steady himself. She took advantage of the distraction to relieve him of his shirt.
He couldn't have torn himself away now for anything. He was lost.
They tumbled, breathless and laughing, onto the bed.