Author's Note: Okay everyone; this is my first attempt at a fic, so please
bear with me if it's not all that great to begin with. I chose Tifa and
Reno for this story because I think they make a great couple. ^_^ It takes
place shortly after Midgar is destroyed and Shinra collapses. Reno moved
to Junon, as did Cloud and Tifa. So they're still all trying to rebuild
their lives. Please R/R! ^_^
Disclaimer: I own none of it! Although I wish I owned Reno. It all belongs to big companies who, if they decide to sue me, will get little more than some lint covered pocket change and a guitar pick.
This Chapter rated R for language. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things Unexpected
Chapter 1: Lives So Changed
Reno sat at the edge of the bar with his chin resting in his hands. A whiskey sat on the counter in front if him, the ice inside it beginning to melt. He picked it up and took a large drink, swirling the bitter liquid around in his mouth before swallowing. He placed the glass on the counter and raised his hand for another. The old lady tending the bar hobbled over to refill it. "You ok, son?" She asked, benignly. He shifted his gaze to focus on her better.
"Yeah, fantastic. I lost my job, my hometown, and my life all in one day. I'm great." He said quietly, though his words were tinged with bitterness.
"You're from Midgar, huh?" The old lady leaned against the counter.
"You're a smart one." Was his reply.
"Now look here, kiddo. I know you think your life is more miserable than everyone else's right now, but that doesn't give you grounds to be rude to me. Now you'll change your tone or take your business elsewhere." She stood and pointed a finger towards the door. Reno smirked at her and took another drink.
"I'll be good."
A young woman entered the bar a moment later, but Reno paid her no mind. Normally, he would've been trying to pick her up, but he was in such a bad mood he didn't even feel like trying. She sat down on the stool next to him and ordered a drink. He glanced at her, and took another sip from his drink. He paused. Glanced at her again. He couldn't believe it. Was it her? Yes. It had to be. It was.
It was Tifa Lockheart.
Her eyes were red and puffy, as though she had been crying. Her hair was just as long and smooth as it had ever been, and her body just as lean. She put her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. He didn't really want to talk to her. After all, she had been one of the ones who ruined his life anyway. If she had some damned emotional problem it was hers to deal with. He didn't care. The bartender however, did.
"What's the matter, love?" She asked Tifa, who raised her head and sniffed loudly.
"Oh, nothing. It's nothing, really. Just boyfriend troubles" she answered, wiping her nose with a napkin.
"Well it's obviously something, but I won't make you talk if you don't want. If you need to, I'm here for you, dear." The old lady went back to wiping dishes.
Reno knew exactly whom she had been talking about. Old Clod. Clod Strife. He hated that man. He couldn't see what Tifa saw in him. He was messed up in the head, and everybody knew it.
He glanced at Tifa again, and this time, he decided to speak to her.
"Ole' Clod giving you a hard time, is he?" He said coldly. She looked up, startled.
"Reno! What the hell are you doing here?" Her expression changed from depressed to angry.
"What the fuck does it look like? I'm having a drink." He leaned on the counter, trying to look innocent.
"I mean why are you here?" She began to get frustrated
"Where?"
"Here!"
"In Junon?"
"Yes you asshole!"
"I have nowhere else to go."
She hesitated, then said,
"What do you mean, nowhere else to go?" He gulped down the rest of his drink and ordered another.
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no longer a Midgar." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. She glared at him, as if he'd insulted her family name.
"You ruined my life." She spat at him. He turned quickly and yelled,
"I ruined your life? No, Sephiroth ruined your life. I merely did a little handy work here and there. No, I think it's the other way around."
"What the fuck does that mean?" She stood up quickly, knocking the stool over.
"I think you know perfectly well what it means! I had a great career going! I was going places! Until you and your little friends came in and shut everything down!" He stood up also, but his stool remained standing.
"You killed my friends!"
"I was doing my job!"
"Have you no conscience at all?"
"Me? What about you! Going around blowing up reactors! Do you honestly think no lives were lost then? Or do the people you killed not matter!"
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then shut it. He was right. She had killed people. But that was different, wasn't it? He killed people without remorse, intending to do harm. She was trying to help. It wasn't the same, was it? Maybe it was. Maybe they were both cold- hearted murderers.
They stared at each other. She had not come here for an argument. She was in a bad enough mood as it was. Meeting Reno was something she did not need to deal with right now. She picked up her stool, slammed it down on the floor, and sat back down.
"I don't want to argue right now. That's all in the past." She ordered another drink. Reno sat back down as well, seeming to accept her refusal without question. It seemed he was not in the mood either.
Everyone who had been in the bar had either left when they began screaming at one another or were hiding in the shadows, trying to avoid these two potentially dangerous individuals. The old lady bartender seemed to know when not to interfere, and as long as they didn't harm her, her other customers, or her bar, she didn't care what they did.
Tifa looked over at Reno, who had returned to his slumped position. His long red hair, which was pulled back in his usual ponytail, hung in his face slightly. The light reflected in his bright blue eyes, which looked exhausted and weary. Maybe he had seen more pain in his life than she knew. She didn't, after all, know how he had grown up, although she'd heard from Reeve that he had been an orphan. That didn't justify his actions, not in the least, but she couldn't blame him for being the way he was, if his life had been as hard as hers.
But he was still wrong. He had killed a whole sector of people with the push of a button. Of course, those were his orders, but he had been amused when the plate fell. When her friends were killed. He was a murderer. She may have killed people, but she had, in the end, been trying to help. Not that her actions were justified by that fact either. They had both performed unthinkable acts of violence and terrorism in the name of something greater. He, in the name of the Turks. She, in the name of the planet. But it didn't matter. Lives had still been lost.
Reno looked at his watch. It wasn't very late, only 9:15. But he needed some air. Sitting in a stuffy bar for a few hours could really get old. He turned to leave, and has almost reached the door when he heard Tifa's voice.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly. He hesitated.
"Me too." Was his final, flat response. Then he walked quickly out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Well, that was chapter one. What didja think? Why was Tifa crying? Did Reno really mean it when he said he was sorry? Ok, ok, I know this chapter wasn't really that interesting, but it takes me a while to get a story started. It'll get better as it goes. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer: I own none of it! Although I wish I owned Reno. It all belongs to big companies who, if they decide to sue me, will get little more than some lint covered pocket change and a guitar pick.
This Chapter rated R for language. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things Unexpected
Chapter 1: Lives So Changed
Reno sat at the edge of the bar with his chin resting in his hands. A whiskey sat on the counter in front if him, the ice inside it beginning to melt. He picked it up and took a large drink, swirling the bitter liquid around in his mouth before swallowing. He placed the glass on the counter and raised his hand for another. The old lady tending the bar hobbled over to refill it. "You ok, son?" She asked, benignly. He shifted his gaze to focus on her better.
"Yeah, fantastic. I lost my job, my hometown, and my life all in one day. I'm great." He said quietly, though his words were tinged with bitterness.
"You're from Midgar, huh?" The old lady leaned against the counter.
"You're a smart one." Was his reply.
"Now look here, kiddo. I know you think your life is more miserable than everyone else's right now, but that doesn't give you grounds to be rude to me. Now you'll change your tone or take your business elsewhere." She stood and pointed a finger towards the door. Reno smirked at her and took another drink.
"I'll be good."
A young woman entered the bar a moment later, but Reno paid her no mind. Normally, he would've been trying to pick her up, but he was in such a bad mood he didn't even feel like trying. She sat down on the stool next to him and ordered a drink. He glanced at her, and took another sip from his drink. He paused. Glanced at her again. He couldn't believe it. Was it her? Yes. It had to be. It was.
It was Tifa Lockheart.
Her eyes were red and puffy, as though she had been crying. Her hair was just as long and smooth as it had ever been, and her body just as lean. She put her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. He didn't really want to talk to her. After all, she had been one of the ones who ruined his life anyway. If she had some damned emotional problem it was hers to deal with. He didn't care. The bartender however, did.
"What's the matter, love?" She asked Tifa, who raised her head and sniffed loudly.
"Oh, nothing. It's nothing, really. Just boyfriend troubles" she answered, wiping her nose with a napkin.
"Well it's obviously something, but I won't make you talk if you don't want. If you need to, I'm here for you, dear." The old lady went back to wiping dishes.
Reno knew exactly whom she had been talking about. Old Clod. Clod Strife. He hated that man. He couldn't see what Tifa saw in him. He was messed up in the head, and everybody knew it.
He glanced at Tifa again, and this time, he decided to speak to her.
"Ole' Clod giving you a hard time, is he?" He said coldly. She looked up, startled.
"Reno! What the hell are you doing here?" Her expression changed from depressed to angry.
"What the fuck does it look like? I'm having a drink." He leaned on the counter, trying to look innocent.
"I mean why are you here?" She began to get frustrated
"Where?"
"Here!"
"In Junon?"
"Yes you asshole!"
"I have nowhere else to go."
She hesitated, then said,
"What do you mean, nowhere else to go?" He gulped down the rest of his drink and ordered another.
"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no longer a Midgar." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. She glared at him, as if he'd insulted her family name.
"You ruined my life." She spat at him. He turned quickly and yelled,
"I ruined your life? No, Sephiroth ruined your life. I merely did a little handy work here and there. No, I think it's the other way around."
"What the fuck does that mean?" She stood up quickly, knocking the stool over.
"I think you know perfectly well what it means! I had a great career going! I was going places! Until you and your little friends came in and shut everything down!" He stood up also, but his stool remained standing.
"You killed my friends!"
"I was doing my job!"
"Have you no conscience at all?"
"Me? What about you! Going around blowing up reactors! Do you honestly think no lives were lost then? Or do the people you killed not matter!"
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then shut it. He was right. She had killed people. But that was different, wasn't it? He killed people without remorse, intending to do harm. She was trying to help. It wasn't the same, was it? Maybe it was. Maybe they were both cold- hearted murderers.
They stared at each other. She had not come here for an argument. She was in a bad enough mood as it was. Meeting Reno was something she did not need to deal with right now. She picked up her stool, slammed it down on the floor, and sat back down.
"I don't want to argue right now. That's all in the past." She ordered another drink. Reno sat back down as well, seeming to accept her refusal without question. It seemed he was not in the mood either.
Everyone who had been in the bar had either left when they began screaming at one another or were hiding in the shadows, trying to avoid these two potentially dangerous individuals. The old lady bartender seemed to know when not to interfere, and as long as they didn't harm her, her other customers, or her bar, she didn't care what they did.
Tifa looked over at Reno, who had returned to his slumped position. His long red hair, which was pulled back in his usual ponytail, hung in his face slightly. The light reflected in his bright blue eyes, which looked exhausted and weary. Maybe he had seen more pain in his life than she knew. She didn't, after all, know how he had grown up, although she'd heard from Reeve that he had been an orphan. That didn't justify his actions, not in the least, but she couldn't blame him for being the way he was, if his life had been as hard as hers.
But he was still wrong. He had killed a whole sector of people with the push of a button. Of course, those were his orders, but he had been amused when the plate fell. When her friends were killed. He was a murderer. She may have killed people, but she had, in the end, been trying to help. Not that her actions were justified by that fact either. They had both performed unthinkable acts of violence and terrorism in the name of something greater. He, in the name of the Turks. She, in the name of the planet. But it didn't matter. Lives had still been lost.
Reno looked at his watch. It wasn't very late, only 9:15. But he needed some air. Sitting in a stuffy bar for a few hours could really get old. He turned to leave, and has almost reached the door when he heard Tifa's voice.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly. He hesitated.
"Me too." Was his final, flat response. Then he walked quickly out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Well, that was chapter one. What didja think? Why was Tifa crying? Did Reno really mean it when he said he was sorry? Ok, ok, I know this chapter wasn't really that interesting, but it takes me a while to get a story started. It'll get better as it goes. Any input would be greatly appreciated!