Lady, running down to the riptide
Taken away to the dark side
I wanna be your left hand man
-Vance Joy
Chapter 1: Midnight Swim
Tifa noticed two things as her feet hit the docks of Costa del Sol—first, she was greeted by an overwhelming wave of humidity that wrapped around her, and, second, by the sense that she was already lonely.
The sun was out in force, bathing her in the harsh rays only tropical climes offered. Overhead, gulls trilled as if to welcome her. Her hesitant feet eventually brought her across the length of the dock, her suitcase in tow. Go and have fun, they said. We've got this.
She had her doubts.
For a moment, she could only think about how her nerves were already buzzing. She had spent the boat ride over worrying about whether Barret could successfully manage the kids, the bar, the house, everything. And she wasn't necessarily sure that Yuffie would be a lot of help either. Images of the kids covered in chocolate and watching way too many cartoons flooded her vision, curving a conflicted smile onto her lips. She'd initially tried to convince Yuffie to come with her. A solo vacation was something that truly scared her; she had quickly recognized that fear to be the exact reason sheshoulddo this.
Still, she was having second thoughts as she started toward the villa. Stairs and heavy suitcases were not the best of friends, she decided, as she heaved her bag up each step. The thunkmade with every pull annoyed her so she hoisted it up high, carrying it the rest of the way.
The stale air that wafted from the villa as she opened the door pulled her mind with it. Flashes of a stagnant room covered in a veil of dust, the betrayal of yet more absence. She'd been foolish in thinking thatstill there might be a chance for change. It never really lasted even when he tried. Domesticity just wasn't his cup of tea. Most days, she felt relieved to have accepted this as fact. Some days, it still shadowed her.
She pushed the thoughts away as quickly as they came. Her friends were giving her a precious gift by sending her here, even if she had mixed feelings about their methods. She couldn't let herself spend this rare stretch of free time digging up the past.
As she unpacked, she realized there was one thing that she wanted in her life just then and that was to get lost in a sea of new faces she didn't have a history with.
Reno had been assigned to check up on a potential threat in Costa del Sol. That he'd been sent alone communicated how little of a threat there actually was. It had only taken him two nights to wrap up, but his ticket out had been delayed.
Despite that the past few nights nearly bored him to tears, he hadn't fully given up hope that being stuck in this town might still prove entertaining. He decided to make the most of the free evening.
As he strolled into the bar, his roving gaze snagged the attention of the bartender. It should've been sad that the Turks pretty much knew every bar in every town, but he didn't give it enough space to become much of a thought. His usual drink was up a moment later but rather than opt for his stool of choice, he took up a spot in the corner.
He was propped casually against the wall, peeling bits of the label from his perspiring bottle when he spotted her. She leaned against the balcony rail out on the patio, opposite his perch. He had to check a few times to be sure he wasn't seeing things—craning his neck around a few patrons who walked into his line of sight—but sure enough, it was her.
Seeing her alone sent his mind down a path he'd not traveled in a long time. Though she wore something completely foreign to his memories of her—a flirty linen dress and sandals with a little heel—he'd know that shape anywhere. Plus, there was the pink thread tied around her left arm to ease any doubt. Her hair was longer, he noticed, growing back out into that signature look she'd had when he first met her.
And just like that, he was back in that moment in Midgar. Beads of sweat worried his hairline. He'd done everything he could to suppress what happened with the plate, his part in dropping it. He tugged against the side of his collar with a free hand, struggling under the heaviness of the memory as it replayed in his mind.
It was a night not long after the plate dropped, and the mission to take down an Avalanche helicopter was about to be underway. He was still at HQ and on his way to the helipad, a couple of minutes behind Rude, when he saw her.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" he asked, caught with his feet split between steps. How had she gotten into the building?
She took a defensive stance, watching the way he tapped his Electro-Mag Rod on his shoulder. "I'm just trying to make sure a friend is safe."
The Ancient. They stood that way for a long while, rooted to the metal floor in uncertainty. Never mind that she was a worthy opponent, he had enough guilt on his shoulders already, and didn't have the time or the stomach to see her harmed in that moment. And it had surprised him greatly, considering how much harm he'd done to her on the support pillar.
"Right," he replied, finally springing into motion. Calculated steps had her in retreat until her back met with the stairwell door she'd been angling to escape through. "And lemme guess, you promise not to blow anything up while you're here?"
She shied away as subtly as she could, but when she finally lifted her eyes to his, it was a defiant look that made his mind go hazy. Lightning crackled in the space between them, and if it weren't for the whole enemy dynamic, he might have been turned on. Ah, who was he kidding, that made it worse. Or better, depending on how he looked at it.
Rude's voice in his earpiece telling him to get his lanky ass up to the helicopter shocked him back to focus, "Don't make me regret this, yo." Reno said, and he left her on the landing looking more than a little confused.
Years later, she answered the phone during his search for Cloud and laughed when she told him, I remember you, yo, as if they had built some strange, unexpected bond.
The memories twisted around his head and his gut as he stilled, unsure whether to approach. Either this was exactly the kind of thing that he'd been waiting for when he'd wished for something more entertaining, or he'd come to regret even spotting her. Whatever the case, he was more interested in outrunning the thoughts on his mind. He started forward, headed for the balcony.
Tifa had been at the bar to start, but quickly noticed the sunset could be better viewed out on the balcony. She abandoned her drink in favor of watching the tangerine sun descend into the cerulean waters. More than a little hypnotized by the sight, she hadn't even sensed him coming.
A whistle sounded. "Of all the rum joints in all the towns…"
She jumped out of her skin, whirling on the assailing charmer she assumed was there to pass cheap lines at her. But she came face-to-face with the last person she expected to see. So much for faces she didn't have history with.
"Oh, no. No way," she declared with a strangled noise.
"Shit, nice to see you too."
If she didn't know any better, she might have thought he was truly offended. But this was Reno and that hurt look on his face was definitely for show.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, the memory of a time when he asked her that very same thing not lost on her.
"Isn't it obvious?" He swept a hand over that same suit she'd always seen him in. "Not exactly board shorts and a tank top."
She almost laughed at the thought of him in such an outfit. Tifa shifted to rest her elbow on the railing, suddenly wringing her hands in nervousness. Reno was eyeing her fidgeting, a smirk inching across his lips.
"Empty-handed in a bar? Shit, these losers around here clearly don't have eyes," he offered playfully.
"Not that I mind," she added with a gentle tilt of her head.
"Still. Can't let that go on uncorrected. What're you drinking?"
"I umm—" She tussled with the prospect of Reno buying her a drink.
"C'mon, Lockhart. Live a little."
It occurred to her that he had a point. She had agreed to come here to try new things, to discover what it was that she wanted. So what if she had a drink with an old frenemy. The ridiculous term sketched a grin on her face but that's what he was, right? The incident with the Remnants had cast a different light on their relationship. Gaia, the change had likely started before that when both sides had rescued one of their own by working together in Wutai. They had subsequently refused to fight below Sector 8.
She eyed the amber lager in his hand and with a nod toward it said, "I'll have what you're having."
"Deal."
Tifa watched him stride over to the bar, her thoughts stumbling this way and that. She entertained apprehension with a hint of curiosity over the odds of running into him like this.
Reno made quick work of grabbing her drink and swapping out his. He was moving back her way and again, she was thinking of that night so long ago in the old Shinra building. She had felt a dizzying array of things when he prowled toward her; she was somewhat frightened, a touch nervous, but also slightly exhilarated in a way she couldn't explain. Those feelings came rushing back in, taking up residence in her stomach like a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies.
"For you." He held out her beer with a mock bow.
She obliged, relishing the feel of the ice-cold bottle.
"So, we've established why I'm here. What I wanna know is why are you here?" he asked, mirroring her stance as he reclined against the rail beside her.
The question stayed suspended a moment while she weighed her answer. "Mostly because I was handed an overstuffed suitcase and shoved out the door."
His eyebrows shot up. "Do I wanna know?"
She huffed a small laugh. "Barret and Yuffie trying to be helpful. Mostly Yuffie, judging by the weight of my bag."
"So they sent you over here?"
She nodded. "They think I could use a break. To do something for myself, for once."
"And are they right?"
She considered, chewing her lip. "They might be onto something."
"Kind of figured. Last I saw, you had a lot on your hands."
Had it been so obvious? Reflecting, she supposed that it was. She'd gone off on Cloud a little with Reno and Rude in the background. "There was a lot going on then."
"How about now?"
She wasn't sure exactly what he was asking with that so she dodged. "Now I'm here."
Reno shifted, turning in toward her. Distractedly, she traced the curvature of his chest, the severe 'V' of his mostly unbuttoned dress shirt leaving little of his chiseled form to the imagination. She noticed the light sheen forming across his skin from the humid evening and with it, the sandalwood-and-leather scent of him. When she trailed back up to meet his eyes, she found turquoise irises staring right back at her.
"See something you like?" It came out in that damnable swagger.
Tifa blushed furiously, throwing her eyes across the balcony, out toward the sea, anywhere but on him again.
"Relax, I'm teasing you."
She got the impression he was and he wasn't. Either way, she dodged again. "So what's there to do here?"
He rolled on like nothing happened, "Plenty to do here. You can chill on the beach, snorkel, take a surfing lesson… Hell, you can even go zip-lining or hiking in the hills just outside town."
"Really? I had no idea. The last time I was here, we really couldn't take the time to explore. I think that's why he bought the villa." Her voice trailed, softened with deflated hopes and it drove her crazy.
As though to avoid stepping right into something, Reno just told her, "Well, I think you should do all of it this time. You seem a little tense. Maybe you should find a distraction at the bar one night, maybe get laid."
Wrong time to take a drink. "Good Gaia, Reno!" she said, nearly spitting out her beer. The snort she made set him chuckling. "Do you even have a filter?"
His broad shoulders shrugged and he plastered a shit-eating grin on his mouth. "Not really, no."
"At least you own it, I guess," she replied to his admission.
A comfortable silence settled as they sipped their drinks. Briefly, she wondered what it was like to be so forward, to say whatever came to mind with confidence. If she was being honest, she found the quality downright refreshing. No toeing the line, beating around the bush. Just thoughts, put out into the open.
She glanced back out toward the ocean, thinking how it looked like the edge of the Planet now that darkness that had fallen. A thought occurred and she asked, "Hey, do they have sharks here?"
Reno joined her in looking over his shoulder toward the ocean. "They might, I'm really not sure. I never got the chance to dive here."
"You haven't?" It surprised her. The way he'd listed off things to do had given her the impression that he might have experienced them all.
He shook his head. "Nah. I wanted to, but there was never time. I've been in other places, just haven't been here."
"Well, you should. I've never really been in the ocean like that, it makes me kind of nervous."
He looked back toward her with a smirk. "Sharks?"
"Something like that." She thought of her time in the Lifestream. The way it had surrounded her, suffocated her. The push and pull of its tidal energy.
"Sounds like it's time to get over some fears, Lockhart."
Something in the way he said it barreled right into her, fostering a fresh sense of adventure. She felt an unfamiliar hunger for life spring up. What was the point in coming all this way just to sit on the safe side of things?
Reno was watching her with eyes narrowed in interest. "Uh oh, I've seen that look before."
"Strange as this will sound, I'm glad I ran into you. I think I could learn a thing or two from your… way of seeing things."
He cracked a sly smile, sipping the last of his beer. "That's the spirit. Say, see that guy over there—" He emphasized with a casual gesture toward a younger man lurking by the doorway to the balcony. "I think you've got a fan."
She followed his direction, finding the stare that settled on her like a brand. It made her increasingly uncomfortable, she fought to yank her gaze back to the redhead at her side. "Oh, no. Just no."
"You said you wanted to learn from me, I'll be your wingman. A little casual fun is definitely something I practice regularly."
She blushed for the umpteenth time that night and swatted at him. "Just go get us another drink, Reno."
He threw up his hands with a laugh but took the empty bottle she held out. "Don't shoot the messenger, yo."
An amused smile found its way to her lips as he backed away, finally turning after his heel brushed the threshold of the doorway. When was the last time she had smiled this much? She felt like she could actually breathe, really take a moment to just enjoy herself. And this night simply couldn't get any more outlandish. She marveled at the fact that she was in another city, by herself, drinking with Reno of all people. Yuffie would be positively rattled.
Movement caught her attention. But it wasn't the spill of red hair or a sleek black suit, this time. The owner of the branding stare was approaching. She huffed an irked sigh and tried to paint on a friendly expression. She could be nice in sending him away.
"Hey there, come here often?" The line blasted forth with little finesse.
Oh, real original. The brown-haired man looked like he might lose his dinner, to be fair. She fumbled for something to send him along without ruining what little confidence he seemed to still possess. It struck her how that lackluster self-assurance was so at odds with the cocky Turk who was currently fetching her a drink.
"First time at this bar, actually," she said with a grimace.
"Ah, me too!"
So much for getting rid of him quickly. "Vacation?"
"Yep."
"Same," she offered weakly.
A long pause stretched. She wished for a beer, something she could focus on other than his awkward gaping.
Her floundering companion found some semblance of enterprise. "So, uhh, what's with you and that guy? Is it serious or do I stand a chance?"
Another flash of movement had Reno throwing an arm casually over her shoulder, the entirety of his side coming to rest against her. "Oh, it's serious all right. Beat it, man."
The stranger's hazel eyes shifted up to take in the man now glued to her side. She hadn't given much thought to just how tall Reno was until he was within such proximity. She could practically feel the wicked grin oozing out of him as he locked eyes with her would-be suitor. A thrill from the iciness of the beers Reno held by the neck snaked up her spine as the bottles brushed against her bicep.
Reno squeezed her shoulder in playfully with his wrist and pressed a lingering kiss against her hair. Her legs went flimsy beneath the weight of it, the heat of the evening suddenly excessive. Butterflies took flight again; a tense minute passed. She could have sworn that she heard a gulp from the man as he shifted gracelessly and made a break back toward the bar.
"I think you've terrified the poor guy," Tifa remarked.
"Perks of the uniform," he replied as he dropped the act and reclaimed his spot against the rail.
Her heart skipped a beat as she found he had somehow balanced two shot glasses in the palm of his right hand, nudged together to stay upright by his fingers and the heel of his hand.
"I'd say now, more than ever, you could use one of these." He extended his palm, fingers falling away while the glasses balanced precariously.
She eyed the golden contents. Was he crazy? "I'm not so sure that's a great idea."
"What, don't tell me you can't hold your liquor."
He was goading her and she knew she should do just about anything but fall for it. "Pfft. I can hold my liquor just fine, thank you."
"Uh-huh," he pushed.
"Listen, you," she started to say with a pointed finger aimed at him, "I don't need to prove anything."
"Really?" He leveled a look at her, one she didn't particularly like. "I bet you're just afraid you can't keep up. All bartender, no barfly."
She returned his skeptical look. "You say this like it's a bad thing."
"Ease up. I'm just saying when's the last time you got a little hammered, did something wild? Something unexpected?"
Shit.He had her there. She hadn't realized just how predictable she'd become over the last year until that instant. It bothered her immensely now that he mentioned it. She had every right to do something unexpected, to live in the moment. The chance was so rarely presented these days and she found herself unable to deny the opportunity.
Her hand raised just a little, his extended in answer.
"There we go. Let loose, forget about things for a night. Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing here?" he nudged.
"You are a bad influence," she concluded.
"I know, I know. What's your point?"
To Hades with it.She let her hand drift the rest of the way, fingers settling on the rim of the shot glass. She plucked it from his palm defiantly, swishing the liquid as she sniffed gingerly. Alcohol made from the succulents around the region, glorified moonshine. She bounced her eyes from the shot to him and back again.
"You got this, Lockhart. On three. One, two—" And he was throwing the shot back expertly.
Tifa sluggishly brought the glass to her lips and tossed back the liquor. Heat flooded her mouth and burned all the way down. She cleared her throat, pressing the back of one hand to her lips as she reached for the beer he still held with the other.
"Atta girl," he told her, extending her bottle.
She swiped it and took a long drink, appreciating the chill on her tongue and the malty flavor to cover the bite of shot.
"Ugh, what did you ask them for? That was rough."
"Hey, now. Speak for yourself." He flashed her a grin, seemingly unfazed by the shot.
That second beer turned into a third, followed by a fourth. Somewhere in the evening, she had indeed followed his advice and found herself properly smashed.
Reno had an internal bet wagered as to whether Tifa was a bit of a lightweight. Sometimes, bartenders made the worst of drinkers. To his surprise, she'd held her own right up until the fifth beer. He favored this particular brew for its high ABV and it wasn't without consequence, he felt his own mind spin just a tad.
"Shiva, color me impressed," he announced, earning a curious look from her. "Tell me this is getting to your head."
"I d'not have any idea what you are talking about."
He tossed her an incredulous, "Mm-hmm."
He eyed her suspiciously, waiting for her to swat him for the fifth time for his smart mouth but she just looked at him with this devious smirk. It unsettled him thoroughly.
"I have an idea," she revealed, looking giddy.
He quirked a brow, just foolhardy enough to bite. "What's 'at?"
"Well, you said I need to let loose…" It was a good start, though her pitch was all over the place. "Live a little."
He nodded along, encouraging her.
"And what you said earlier—" Her breath hitched in what might have been a hiccup. "I'm ready."
Her eyes locked on him. The words ricocheted, stirring confusion with something a little more lecherous considering everything he'd said, particularly when it came to relieving tension. His mind shot to the way she had felt pressed against him earlier and how the scent of her hair, something bewitching yet sunny like tuberose with sea salt, had undone him just a bit. Down, boy.
"Come again?"
"I'm gonna show that fear where to shove it," she stated firmly.
This time, he was the one to nearly spit out his sip of beer. A lazy laugh bubbled up as he said, "Yeah, I bet you will."
And with that, she did swat him across the chest. She glanced down at her hand as if it'd been burned, peering at each finger like she could still feel the heat of him. And it wasgetting sultry, though he doubted the tropical night had much to do with that in this particular moment. He needed to derail this quickly before it got out of hand. Or possibly encourage it for reasons both wretched and divine. He was torn.
Tifa was quick, though, and she latched onto his wrist with one hand. "Come on."
Baffled, he set his beer on the shelf beneath the rail next to her abandoned bottle and allowed her to tug him along.
"And where is it that we're going?"
"I told you, conquering fears," she said as if he had any idea what that meant.
"I guess I'm just along for the ride," he jested.
The woman was on a mission, her determined pace zig-zagging around the crowd and out into the streets with a parting wave to the amateur who'd tried to hit on her. That made him snicker and he sent his own parting gift, a shrug that communicated he was definitely getting lucky even if that wasn't the case.
As tipsy as her speech had sounded, he was half expecting her to trip over the cobblestone road but she skillfully pulled him all the way down to the beach. They trudged across the sand, only coming to a stop once at the water's edge.
Exceptionally confused, he gave her a once over. "The ocean?"
She nodded, looking every bit resolved. But a thought occurred to him and he once again swept a hand over his suit. "Hey uhh, not exactly dressed for a swim here."
"So?"
"Last I checked, neither are you," he pointed out.
The rebellious gleam in her eye spanned right through him. "And?"
"Look, I'm all for having some fun and besting a few fears, but maybe we should head back up."
He clung to that resolution and it surprised him. The last thing he wanted was to be a sunrise regret. Which alarmed him all the more, considering he didn't typically give that much consideration.
"Are youchicken?" she quipped.
Where was this coming from?
Hold that thought. He knew expressly which drink had them on this beach, no denying that. She interrupted his consideration with choked little noises somewhere between a chicken and a chocobo.
Suppressing a laugh he told her, "Hey, that's not very nice."
"Since when are weever very nice to one another?"
"Touché," he smirked. Under his breath he added, "Though there was that one time."
She either didn't catch that or she was pretending not to. Tifa just waved a dismissive hand at him and said, "Well, I'm going in. You suit yourself and sit here like a bump on a log."
With that, he was left gaping as she kicked her sandals off and lifted her dress right over her shoulders, flinging it to the sand with fluidity he didn't expect from someone so under the influence. For a moment, she almost looked flustered to be standing there in only a sporty bra and underwear as his eyes roved the length of her. He realized very quickly how the tempo of his heartbeat ticked up from seeing her that way.
"Chicken bump," she countered as she turned toward the lapping waves.
This time, he laughed outright in a burst. "Ahh what now?"
"You heard me," she called over her shoulder, pointing her toes and dipping them into the dark water.
"The fuck is a chicken bump?"
He was hoping to distract her from her wandering, bring her back from her now knee-deep exploration of the water. She just kept going, circling until she was facing him again. She came up shivering as the water touched her navel.
"A chicken bump is you. You are a chicken bump," she declared, tapping her open palms on the surface of the water.
"The question remains…"
She wheeled both arms, splashing water clear up to land in the sand just in front of his shoes.
"Someone who is both a chicken and a bump on a log. Boring."
"All right, that's not even—" he started.
"And who is the one standing there on the shore like a lump?"
The teasing got to him somehow, pulled better judgment right along with it. His fingers fumbled with the clasp at his sternum, popping the buckle open. He shrugged his jacket back to his elbows, pulling it the rest of the way from behind his back. Quite dramatically, he dumped it onto the sand next to her dress.
"Oh, I'll show you boring."
Reno further emphasized his point by peeling his fingerless gloves off slowly with his teeth like something wild had possessed him. She shuddered and he wasn't sure if it was from the cool water or the promise. He stripped layers until he was down to his skivvies and caught her stare. Let her be the one with the roving eyes, now.
He strode into the water trying to portray confidence, but grumbling about the temperature every time a wave rose a little higher. Tifa started to giggle, pushing back against the tide with this look of wonder on her face. He started to consider that maybe she was relishing in the way it felt to face her fears with a little liquid courage.
"Seems like you've definitely shown that fear where to shove it," he commented.
She splashed him again, this time with far more zeal.
"Hey!" He held his hands out as he waded closer. The sprays of water came faster. "Oh, I see. So we're gonna play it that way."
He unceremoniously shoved water right back at her, a shower of salty ocean raining between them. For a moment, she looked shocked as the splash doused her hair and sent it flat against the sides of her face. Then, her features shifted into something mischievous. She threw as much water his way as she could manage. It devolved into all-out war; a battle that left them soaked and breathless with laughter.
Wading into the fray, he reached blindly and found both of her wrists, wrapping his hands tightly around them. He saw a flash of mistrust in her eyes, it stole his mind back to earlier thoughts about that first time they'd been alone. The sight peeled through his gut, overwhelming him with a desire to make it right. To show her he wasn't really a bad guy, just a little lost. A little off-kilter from a horrendous number of things he'd somehow gotten himself into. That was it, had to be. Anything else simply twisted him into a mess of things he wanted to avoid.
Without thinking, he let her right wrist go to trace the tips of his fingers up her arm. They traveled past the pink ribbon, over her shoulder, and down to the small of her back. He noted the way her skin prickled with a shudder, definitely not from the cold this time. He crushed her against him while seeking her eyes, leaving the smallest of spaces between her face and his as he dipped down slowly. The invitation was open, he wanted to see if she'd take it or shove him down into the sea.
She'd gone entirely rigid, her breath caught in her throat with a small noise. But she held his stare for a moment and in those deep garnet eyes he saw unabashed thirst.
"Tifa…" His voice had gone guttural. It was maybe the first time he'd used her given name and it seemed to course through her.
Her gaze dropped to the tattoos on his cheekbones, traveling a painfully slow path from there to the tip of his nose, and shyly to his lips. She swallowed hard and his mouth went dry. That little shift was all he needed; he captured her mouth with his own in a searing kiss. She tasted of rich, malty cocoa from the beer laced with the tang of alcohol. It further undid him.
Tifa practically climbed onto him, pressing herself against him fervently like she couldn't get enough. He let his hands roam her curves, farther down, and when he felt the shift he palmed her backside to assist with a lift as she wrapped her legs around him. He knew she could feel every inch of just how eager he was then.
He was keen to carry her back to shore, to spread her on the sand and worship—
Blinding light flooded his vision, so bright it ached more than the need that has settled in his core. A tinny voice came next, "You two. Lovebirds in the water, yeah you. Out. Now."
Tifa all but launched off of him, looking for all the world like nothing had happened. He just growled and shot a hand out, trying to block some of the light as he looked for the source. A lifeguard tower, the sole one to be occupied at this hour.
Reno shifted his gaze, finding his very sobered companion. Their eyes locked and he couldn't help it when he saw her trying to hold back the laughter. He threw his head back and cackled.
"Yes, ha-ha, very funny. Now out," the loudspeaker told them again.
It did nothing except spur on more laughter. But they reluctantly followed orders, sloshing back toward the sand in amiable silence. With that blush on Tifa's cheeks and her depraved grin in contrast, he couldn't help wondering if the lifeguard's interruption would be the end of the night or the beginning.
Notes: Oooh boy. This little ReTi beginning is a rewrite of my very first fanfic, a huge throwback after a long hiatus. If you're curious, the mess of an original can be found here (A Little Competition by Sixth Night). I don't recommend that version 😂
In this overhaul, I wanted to give so much more context and a bit of backstory for these two to make the end of the chapter a bit more plausible. I took the liberty of adding a little scene into the world of the Remake (the stairwell flashback) which lends itself to why Tifa teased Reno when he called after Cloud during Advent Children. I read that the English dubbing failed a bit in that scene. In the original conversation, Tifa teases Reno by throwing a "yo" his way and I just love that idea. I wanted to work in more of why she might do such a thing by giving them the stairwell scene. The rest is just me having a bit of fun with one of my all-time favorite pairings.
While this chapter is a play on my original fic, I'll be taking this in a whole new direction! I hope you had a bit of fun reading and will join me on this venture with future chapters.
Special thanks to Motchi who helped me comb through this and shake off the rustiness of an extended hiatus!