Notes: Forgive me, I've become obsessed with Rude loving birds thanks to the remake showing him feeding them haha! And this is meant to be a light piece ;)

Chapter 9: Decisions

The moments following the unexpected call were a flurry of activity. Reno rushed back to his room at the inn, quickly connecting his laptop and conferencing in to a priority briefing. Tseng appeared in the application window, his face tight and unreadable.

"I'll need to bring you back sooner than expected," he said by way of greeting.

"An assignment?"

"Yes and no," Tseng answered vaguely. He pinched the bridge of his nose with gloved fingers, a sure sign something was on his nerves. "Nothing new, I need you to assume Rude's current assignment. He's been...injured."

Reno felt a pang of worry at the mention of his partner sustaining an injury, but Tseng's demeanor implied it wasn't life-threatening. "What happened?"

"Our resident wildlife preservationist decided to attempt rescuing another bird, this time from the rafters of an old building he was using as a base."

"Oh, shit," Reno commented. He narrowly held back a chuckle, he could tell Tseng wasn't finding this very funny. "Took a spill?"

"Indeed, it seems the beams couldn't sustain his weight. Luckily, he didn't break any bones. He will have some time in a sling, however."

That partner of his. A smirk couldn't be avoided as he shook his head. "I can't wait to hear this story," he said, leaving out the fact that he'd also find some creative way of collecting repayment from Rude for the interruption to his vacation.

Tseng finally cracked a lopsided smirk as he said, "I'll let him fill you in on the details." He glanced down, scanning another screen from what Reno could tell. "A helicopter is en route, ETA two hours."

"Got it."

Tseng briefed him expeditiously on the basic details of the mission, screen sharing a few maps and schematics, before finally commenting that Rude could flesh things out a bit better. He'd make contact once he was back in Edge.

With a quick salute, he disconnected. So much for vacation mode. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or be annoyed. Of course Rude managed to get himself injured while attempting to save a bird. He could almost see that day on the way to Kalm, Rude chasing after a burrowing owl.

Packing only took about twenty minutes, even with all of his new additions to the contents of his duffle. He triple-checked his work bag, reassuring himself that his weapon and other necessary items were where they needed to be. With all the drawers around the room checked once again, Reno flopped onto the bed and tried to come up with a solution to something that was on his mind as soon as he processed the impending departure:

Tifa.

Fighting side-by-side with her was exhilarating and the chemistry explosive. It was easy to get lost in that, to forget all of his waffling thoughts from the day before. And he likely shouldn't be thinking about them when he needed to start focusing on the job to come.

It occurred to him that his partner might ask how his R&R went while he gathered the details for the assignment. What would he say to that? Ran into Tifa Lockhart, ended up fucking her against a tree. Just another vacay for the books. He snickered to himself as his mind went back to her.

A part of him wanted to just disappear. He'd been fighting off running from the minute things between them ventured into uncharted waters. It would be so easy to let this urgent recall be an excuse to vanish. To indulge in the habits he developed over the years as a way to keep everyone at arm's length. He only needed to wait until enough time passed and quickly make his way down to the docks where he could become but a memory from a summer trip. Nothing more.

Another twenty minutes ticked by.

Being someone who simply disappeared was exactly what he determined Tifa did not need less than twenty-four hours ago. Everything came down to whether he wanted this or not. It would also be fairly easy to leave the room now, to go to her and ask her what it was that she wanted. It was the fair thing to do, actually. Rather than take the choice from her, they could make a decision together.

Ten minutes passed.

Reno launched from the bed only to pace across the room several times. He wanted to do the right thing, but he also wanted to protect himself. Complications really weren't his favorite and seeing her back in Edge provided opportunity for complexity to abound. But what if it was worth it?

What if it was just a distraction, something that would cost him on his mission? He lost five minutes just considering that.

To hell with it.

He snagged his PHS, quickly opening their text thread. The morning's flirty banter felt hollow in light of everything that was on his mind. He could simply tell her he had to go and didn't have time to stop by. He wouldn't be disappearing that way, but it also meant he didn't have to make a difficult decision straight away. His fingers hovered over the digital keyboard, his mind blank.

The clock reflected another five minutes gone.

It would be the smart thing to do. Picking up an assignment that was already in progress required full attention. He didn't need to be torn in several directions, things with Tifa could be considered once the dust settled. Once he made sure Rude was all right. Despite all of his avoidance of connection, he somehow found himself very much connected to a few people.

And he was becoming connected to Tifa Lockhart.

What the hell was he doing? Intense chemistry, commonalities, complementary differences, and similar backgrounds were hard enough to find in one person. Finding it in someone he liked as much as he liked Tifa was…well, that never happened. He would be a fool to disappear or to leave her with just a text. Furthermore, he knew how to do his damn job—he could turn focus to the details on the ride back to Edge. Right now, he needed to see her.

Time was running out.

Reno grabbed his duffle, shouldered his work bag, and tossed the room key onto the dresser. He shot through Costa del Sol with about thirty minutes to spare, his heart beating furiously in his chest. He took the stairs two at a time, his hands shaking as he rapped his knuckles on the door to the villa.

What if she wasn't there?

A minute crawled by and he knocked again. This time, he heard muffled footsteps beyond the door. The sound of a lock disengaging floated through, a crack slowly expanding as the door opened.

Tifa appeared on the other side, her brows furrowing at the sight of him. She pushed the door further open, allowing him entry. He caught her focus as it drifted to the bags on his shoulder. "Duty calls?"

Reno wasted no time in crushing her to him, his bags hitting the floor with a thud as he pulled her in. He laced his fingers through her hair, committing the scent of it to memory. Rude's assignment was a long game, he wasn't sure when he'd see her again. If he'd see her again.

"I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly," he finally said.

Tifa put some space between them, looking into his eyes. "I thought you'd be gone by now. Whatever it was seemed urgent."

"It is. And I do have to go…but I didn't want to leave without seeing you." He realized the door was still open then and sent his heel into it, snicking it shut.

A slow smile curved her lips. "Now who's addicted?"

He laughed, briefly squeezing her in and brushing a kiss against her forehead. The quip was well deserved.

"When do you have to go?" she asked.

"In about twenty minutes."

Tifa untangled herself, crossing the room to claim a spot on the couch. He followed, sitting beside her. It was now or never.

"Do you—" they both said at once.

Tifa laughed briefly. "Go ahead," she encouraged.

But now that she was waiting expectantly, he couldn't find the words. "Maybe I'm crazy," he started, "and maybe we're not on the same page…but..." He huffed a breath, the words spilling forth like water from a burst dam as he said, "I just know I can't imagine not seeing you again."

Surprise shaped her features, her eyes alight with it. "So...you want to see where this might go? In Edge?"

He glanced away, trying to will himself to admit that was exactly what he wanted. It felt so foreign to open up this way.

"I realized the other day," Tifa began. In her pause he found her eyes again, searching as she continued. "I realized that I haven't felt so happy in years . Sure, the sun and freedom are probably getting to me." She took a shaky breath, playfully brushing a hand across his knee. "But I think you are, too."

He felt a smile curve across his lips, unable to hold back. "You're not so bad, either."

Tifa laughed gently. "Thanks, I think."

"Look, I have..." Get it together, man. "I have trouble connecting. It's tough for me. But I want to try," he got out. Realizing it might not be obvious, he added, "with you."

The temperature ticked up several degrees, his uniform feeling far too tight. But Tifa grabbed his hand, her touch telling him there wasn't need to be embarrassed. So he wasn't a wordsmith. The point was, he tried for the first time in a very long time.

"I'd like that," she finally said.

Joy wasn't a word that typically found its way into his vocabulary, but in that moment it somehow managed. The feeling gripped his chest and all he could think to do was kiss her. His lips found hers, softer than this morning's heated urgency. He took his time, bound the feel of her to his mind. While he could now rest easy that he would see her again, he had no inkling when that might be.

Intrusion came in the form of a harsh ping from his PHS. Reluctantly, he pulled away and fished the device from his pocket. His ride was near.

"Time to go?" Tifa asked, likely reading his expression.

"Yep, it's that time."

Reno pushed from the sofa, heading back toward the door. Before he could collect his bags, Tifa's arms went around his torso. The length of her sunk into his back, her cheek resting on his shoulder.

"Be safe," she told him. "I'll see you when I see you."

Shit. The girl was going to be hard to leave. He brushed his hands over hers where they connected. "I'll reach out when I can."

Tifa rose to her tiptoes, pressing a swift kiss to his cheek. He turned in her arms, repaying the gesture with one last, lingering kiss. When he broke away, he gathered his things and slipped out the door. The assignment came barreling in the moment he started toward the helipad, stealing away any room for thoughts of what just transpired.

As he hit the docks, his PHS went off again. Rude's name appeared on the screen and he scanned the sky to check if there was time for a call. Satisfied there was, he lifted the device to answer. "Hey there, partner," he drawled. "I'm gone for one teensy tiny vacation and you manage to go getting injured, huh?"

Rude seemed to grapple for a reply. "It's only a sprain," he managed to say. "And it's not like you went on vacation willingly. How much did you drink after Tseng stranded you there?"

"Oh, you know," he waved a hand dismissively though his partner couldn't see it. "Enough to put the bar out of business."

Rude didn't respond to that, but Reno could picture his brows raised in a quizzical expression.

"Kidding. So, I have a few before I need to head out to your assignment," he snarked. "Tell me what happened with you and whatever feathered damsel in distress you found this time."

A long sigh preceded Rude's answer. "It was a fledgling, perched precariously on the edge of a nest."

"And lemme guess, you just couldn't let nature run its course yet again?" Reno said through a smirk.

"It would have broken a wing falling from that height."

"Mommy and daddy bird were nowhere to be found?"

"Nope, I had to do something. I crawled out onto the rafters just fine, but the wood was rotting. Came crashing down."

"And the bird?"

"I just managed to get a hold of it. Protected it against my chest, which is why I came down so hard on my elbow."

"I was gonna say, we know how to fall properly," Reno said with a chuckle. "Damn thing better be thankful."

"It seems to be," Rude assured him.

Reno thought he could hear chirping in the background. "Uhh, what exactly does that mean?"

"I couldn't leave it after all that."

"You didn't bring it home." He palmed his forehead with his free hand. "Who the hell's gonna take care of it when you're gone for assignments?"

"I asked my neighbor, she said she was happy to. It'll be eating on its own by the time I'm out of this sling and back to work."

"Shit, Rude," was all he could think to say, shaking his head. After a beat, he teasingly added, "Don't tell me you named this one Elena, too."

His partner laughed before answering, "Named this one Phoenix."

"Risen from the ashes of a roof you destroyed." Reno paced the dock, wondering for a moment where his ride was. Another scan had him shrugging. "Well, if little Nix makes ya happy, I guess it'll work out."

"Speaking of things working out, how was the R&R anyway?"

"It was good," he replied slowly. He found an imperfection in the wooden planks to poke with the toe of his shoe. "Got recalled before I could truly settle in, but hey."

"Sorry about that."

"All good, man."

"Hey," Rude started, hesitating enough that Reno could tell he wouldn't like where this was going. "What was all that about Tifa Lockhart?"

His jaw went slack, discomfort brimming in his gut. There was no way Rude knew. "Huh?"

"The texts asking if I still had a thing for her."

Right, that. "Ah, no reason. Thought popped into my mind, got curious."

The silence that stretched over the line felt like a magnifying glass concentrating beams of light onto him. He knew Rude saw through the bullshit.

"We talked about that years ago," he said, clearly puzzled. "Why did you suddenly think about it?"

Reno cracked a little under the increasing heat of the inquiries, huffing in frustration as he gestured to no one in particular that he didn't have an answer—at least not one that wasn't total shit. His arm crashed against his side and with the sudden movement, his bags nearly slid off his shoulder. In the rush to catch them, his phone clattered to the ground.

He swore and scooped it up, pressing it back to his ear in time to hear Rude ask, "Something happen?"

"Dropped my phone."

"You know what I mean."

He took a long moment to reason out whether he should fill Rude in just yet. He hadn't intended to, but he was never really any good at lying to his partner. There didn't seem to be a clear way out so he admitted, "I ran into her at the bar here."

When he pivoted back toward the water, he still didn't see the telltale signs of an inbound helicopter. He wouldn't get out of the conversation so easily.

"How'd that go?" Rude asked cautiously.

Backed into a proverbial corner, everything came out in a rush. "Yeah, we hooked up. Didn't see that coming, but there it is. Spent almost every day with her."

Something like amazement was probably working its way through Rude's features, he imagined. The speculation was easy to visualize and he could practically hear all the questions that would flood Rude's mind with it.

"Damn," was all his partner said.

" Damn is right." Thank fuck, he could just see the outline of the bird. "But I'll have to fill you in later, my ride's about to be here."

"Right," Rude started, clearing his throat. "The assignment, that's why I called. I have a few details to hand over."

Rude quickly fleshed out the brief Tseng provided with some final details, connecting all of the dots. Reno was increasingly thankful for the distraction, the ability to switch effortlessly into work. The time away to finish up the assignment would give him the ability to think things through, he realized. To figure out how to proceed.

It was time he definitely needed after the whirlwind that was Costa del Sol.

Before he ended the call, Rude switched gears. "I know you'll fill me in later but…you're good, right?"

He could feel the concern permeating the question. Running into an old enemy like that, it was an easy guess to assume that things would be complicated. Rude likely knew just how much it messed with his head, the kind of issues it would dredge up. What Rude didn't know yet was that Tifa forgave him, helping to patch up some of that rough spot left over from the events surrounding the night they brought down the plate. That he'd found a way to connect with her.

Reno glanced toward the sky, watching the approach the pilot was making. In time. For now, he said, "I'm really good."

As a burst of wind from the helicopter's spinning blades washed through his hair, he realized he was good. It wasn't just an empty statement he made to delay the conversation and catch his ride. He honestly felt good. While the path forward from this point might not be an easy one, he knew in that moment that he'd walk it anyway.

The door clicked shut and Tifa realized she felt a bit hollow. It was always weird when anything came to an abrupt end. While her vacation wasn't the one cut off, she found that she was a little disappointed to see him go. And yet, she really shouldn't be.

This wasn't the end.

Reno managed to open up to her and she'd returned that gesture. While clumsy in execution, the moment warmed her heart as she thought about it. She found she was exhilarated by the idea of continuing whatever it was they found here in paradise once back home. It was a little jarring to think about how quickly this all developed, but then so little about it made sense anyway. It seemed fitting that a romance between them would be so like a summer storm, rolling in with unexpected intensity and shaking things up. When she arrived, taking a relationship home wasn't even on her radar.

And just like that, unease crept in.

Tifa crossed the room, leaning on the kitchen counter. There were so many considerations for this development. She was immediately thankful she'd asked Yuffie to start sowing the seeds with Barret but no matter how well that went, this would not be an easy path forward. It knotted her stomach to think about how he might receive the news, how the kids would deal with it. Another person appeared in her thoughts:

Cloud.

While it was true they weren't together and hadn't been for months, things weren't completely resolved. They were on her end, but between them, there was never a time for a conversation to lay it all to rest. Something like this wouldn't be easy to share with him, she wasn't sure how he would take her moving on. Her moving on with an old enemy? That was an entirely new level of complexity. She could imagine a million different outcomes, all of the possible reactions that he might have. Her mind had a tendency to run wild with conjecture and she tried desperately to rein it in. Picturing the worst-case scenario would do little good and she should give him more credit than that.

As if all of her thoughts somehow conjured him, his name appeared on her PHS as it interrupted her speculation with a shrill ring. The device gently turned with the vibration as it rang between her hands. She traced the letters of his name, willing herself to answer before the phone cocked sideways.

Normally, she'd jump at a call from Cloud. To her surprise, the desire to hear his voice was faint and fleeting, her hesitation in retrieving the call proof. Another ring passed before she finally swiped the phone from the counter, answering with a smile and a cheerful note to her voice. "Your ears must be burning, I was just thinking about you."

There was a pause before he replied, "You were?"

Lovely . She needed to think of a way out of explaining what, precisely, she was thinking of when it came to him. "Mhm," she stalled, searching the counter for anything of interest. Her eyes snagged on the wolf figurine she'd grabbed for Denzel. "I happened across this figurine at one of the tourist traps. A wolf, like the one you wear. I bought it for Denzel."

Cloud huffed a laugh. "I'm sure he'll like that."

"So...it's good to hear from you." She wondered if he would find it strange, her being so easy going about this call after such an extended absence. She fumbled in the blank space. "What's up?"

A sound drifted through the line, almost like he was scraping the ground with his boot. Fidgeting, if she had to guess. "I called the line at the bar looking for you."

"Oh? And who'd you get, Barret or Yuffie?" She laughed, picturing his shock at the news that she was on vacation.

"Yuffie. That was a surprise and an earful."

"I'll bet. Did you need something?" After she said it, she wanted to take it back. She hadn't meant for it to come off as though he needed a reason to call. Awkwardness slipped in, taking up residence in her chest.

A lengthy pause almost had her clarifying, but he finally spoke.

"I know it's been a while since we've talked. I wanted to see how you were, how the kids were."

"Ah." Of course , she almost said. Instead, she asked, "Yuffie filled you in on the kids?"

"She did. I'm glad they're doing well, getting to spend time with Barret."

"Marlene was over the moon when he came into town. I'm hoping he'll stick around for a bit even after I get back."

"You're in Costa del Sol?"

"I am. I'm sure she told you that she pretty much shoved me out the door with a packed bag?" She pushed off the counter, pacing the kitchen floor.

"Yeah, how is it?"

"It's been…" Tifa tried to think of the right words to capture the experience without giving much away. "Refreshing. I've been able to just be —I can't remember the last time I got to do whatever I felt like doing and simply enjoy my time. I've learned a lot about myself, too."

"Traveling alone will do that. Sounds like it's been good," he said.

She could tell there was more he wanted to say, so she kept quiet to let him process. Her bare heel caught against the tile as she turned and started back toward the sink.

"I thought you might be there…because of me," he eventually offered.

It was true that she finally broke down over a month of not being able to reach him the last time he left. Yuffie, hearing it in her voice during a call, came as soon as she could. Together, they at last processed through how much she bottled up over the years. Everything she refused to share that burdened her when it came to the relationship she and Cloud had come pouring out that night. Once the tears dried up and she saw with clarity that things between them simply weren't meant to be, she felt the weight of it all begin to melt away.

That was when Yuffie came up with the idea of sending her here to soak up some sunshine and heal. To celebrate that hard-won breakthrough. To allow herself a break from the routine of everyday life. She'd finally let go and felt she was living for herself again. And this call was unnerving her, it felt like somewhat of a setback.

She wouldn't let it be.

Tifa found her voice. "You know, I'm not," she mused with a hint of a smile. "I'm actually here for me."

"That's great," Cloud said. He nearly sounded relieved, but there was something else in his tone.

"Are you okay?"

He took a deep breath, letting it whoosh out into the receiver. "That's why I called. I'm better than I have been in a while."

She was glad to hear it. Curiosity shifted through her and she asked, "What changed?"

"Well," he started, muffled sounds carrying through from whatever he was fiddling with. "I never had the time to think about everything that happened. It was always one disaster to the next, then the rebuilding started. I kept on putting more and more into this box in my mind, thinking I could just keep it all there until there was time to deal with it. But…"

"There was never time."

"No. And I figured out that time wouldn't just show up on its own. I needed to make it."

"So you left…"

"To make the time. I needed to...grieve." Cloud paused and she could sense his struggle to find the words. He sighed, his voice soft as he continued, "In the span of a few years, I lost my mom. My friend, maybe the only person who really understood what I went through, died in my arms. Then I lost myself for a while. And eventually, I lost Aerith. I needed to work through all of that."

Tifa inhaled slowly, steadying herself as she stopped pacing. The small of her back came to rest against the edge of the counter, the cool tile a soothing link to keep her grounded. She didn't know what to say.

Taking her silence as a sign to continue, Cloud expanded on what he shared. "I—I went to Gongaga. I went to a lot of places, but that was probably the toughest. Everywhere else, it was just my grief. There..."

The revelation snaked down her spine, pooling apprehension in her stomach. "Did you finally tell Zack's parents what happened to him?"

"I did," he admitted, voice breaking gently with the words.

"Are they all right?"

"They will be. His mom collapsed and to be honest, I wanted to curl up on the floor with her. But I tried to be strong. Once I got outside, though…" he trailed off, a tremor wracking his exhalation.

"Cloud," she whispered.

"After that, I went back to the place he...passed. I haven't been there often, but I had to go and finally say goodbye." There was a moment of hesitation before he said, "I saw him once, you know. With Aerith, in the church. A vision of them."

The admission and its accompanying imagery nearly broke her. She'd seen the distant smile on his face, the way he watched the doorway before glancing at their gathered friends. Now she knew why. A single tear slipped down her cheek. "After all that time, we never did get to grieve losing our friend, did we?"

"We didn't. Even following everything that happened that day Geostigma was cured, when I thought it would bring closure to know they were together like that, I still felt unsettled about it."

"I could tell you still weren't here with us. I thought things would just work themselves out but…I guess that was just wishful thinking. Kind of foolish, really."

"It's not. Tifa…" Another scuff of his boot. "I'm sorry I let you down."

She waited so long for him to find this sort of clarity, to say these words. That they'd come now, just when she thought she had things figured out, was dismaying. But it wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault, it was just the way life seemed to go half the time.

"I'm sorry, too," she said, unsure what else to say.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"I do, though. I could have done things a bit better."

"You and me both," Cloud said with a small, uncomfortable laugh.

"I'm just glad you've been able to work through things." She picked at her top, finding bits of lint as she reached for more to say. "I'm happy that you're feeling better."

"Thanks, Tifa. What about you?"

The question caught her off guard and sent her pacing again. She thought of how Yuffie helped her through so much before she left. She thought of the zip-line, her breakdown from guilt and repressed memories and the resolution of it all. The fact that she felt free, happier than she had in quite some time. Tifa stopped in the center of the room as she said, "I suppose that I found a way to work through things as well."

There was still one thing she wanted to do, and she knew exactly where she'd be heading once she figured everything out back home. Once all of the hard conversations were had and the dust settled.

In the silence that stretched across the line, Tifa wandered through the villa, unsure of her destination until she ended up on the balcony. She gazed out toward the setting sun, remembering the evening she watched the sunset from a balcony just down the road. An evening that changed so much once she found herself open to a new future.

"You sound happy," Cloud finally said.

"I am, Cloud." A grin bubbled up, curving her lips as she added, "I'm really happy."

It felt good to say it aloud, to know that it was true. She'd found happiness again. Even before she arrived here, she'd known that her heart was mending from the tender care of a friend. She allowed herself the grace and acceptance to come to terms with things that would never be. She'd come down off that high shelf, found a way to live in the present. More importantly, she'd forgiven herself for a great many things, let them wash away on the currents of the ocean.

That alone was enough to be overjoyed. Finding something unexpected with Reno was just like finding a Manta Rays in the dark. Swimming through tropical waters in all of the beauty was plenty to be thankful for but watching the rays that night added another facet of happiness, a little extra on top.

Deciding that was still a conversation for another time, she said goodbye to Cloud after he promised to visit soon. She'd tell him then, in person. As she watched the sun sink into the water, she knew that while the road ahead would be difficult, she would keep walking. Keep fighting through it to hold on to this happiness.