Disclaimer: Spinning belongs to me, FFVII does not.
Sakura-Angel: Alright, this was written because of my need for cute!Reno x Tifa. Sorry if they're out of character, or maybe that's just the reading-too-much-angsty-fiction talking.
Her beauty was remarkable. It was a sort of beauty you couldn't help but be struck by, the sort of beauty you couldn't help but admire and long for. Her voice was gentle, concerned and delighted all at once. He found himself comparing it to an instrument and he couldn't help but think of it as a harp, words plucking the strings tenderly. Her movements were graceful and certain, no doubt honed to perfection over her years of training. Her fragrance, her touch, her very presence... it was irresistible.
But who was he to think such thoughts? Who was he to want something so far from his tainted grasp?
Well literally, it wasn't that far, Reno thought, pulling himself out of his sudden, unexpected, mopey rut and back into the bar, focusing his jade eyes on her back.
She was mixing a dangerous looking drink, what with it being neon green and all, nodding occasionally at the remarks a businessman was directing towards her. She poured it into a polished glass and slid it over to the man, still babbling, with a subdued expression in her eyes, clearly not wanting to listen to him. She leaned on the counter and placed her head in her hand, trying her best to stay awake.
"Hey, Tifa," his voice suddenly found its way to his throat, unbidden.
Tifa lit up instantly and excused herself hurriedly from the one-sided conversation. She took a few strides towards him and asked, "More vodka?"
"Nah," Reno waved his hand, physically dismissing the drink. "Had enough for tonight."
Tifa raised her eyebrows and her mouth bent itself into an impressed line. "Well that's certainly a change," and she turned around to prepare a spritzer.
The normally volatile redhead chose to ignore the comment and said fairly loudly, "Is that also for Sir Blab-a-lot?"
Tifa turned swiftly around and silenced him with her expression.
"Whoa, sorry," he placed emphasis on the 'sorry' as his hands went up up in the universal 'don't hit me' gesture.
After a moment or two of a silence that wasn't exactly comfortable nor uncomfortable, the brunette spoke up. "If you must know, it's for me."
Reno chose that moment to spin around on his barstool amusedly, untamed hair looking even more wild than usual. "You-"
Tifa watched, befuddled at the sight of Reno turning again and again.
"Don't-"
Tifa noted he spoke to her on every rotation he saw her, leaving breaks in his speech.
"Drink?"
She lifted the spritzer to her lips and couldn't help but think that there was an adorable side to the assassin, and started speaking now that she saw he was slowing down. "Nope, I've never really felt the need to," she looked at him questioningly. "Aren't you dizzy?"
"Nope," he told her, thinking that it was ironic that thirty or so rotations on the spot couldn't get to his head, but she could.
"Good ears then," she replied between sips.
Reno raised a charming eyebrow, smirk gracing his lips. "What?"
"Isn't the liquid that keeps you balanced in your ears?" her voice took on a mildly regretful tone. "I don't know, just forget it."
He watched her feel embarassed over being knowledgeable on the subject of ears and couldn't help but think she was incredibly cute, sipping her drink self-conciously, eyes on the tiled floor.
She noticed his teasing grin and snapped, "What?"
Not one to hide his thoughts, he blurted out, "You're cute."
She stiffened. What? Her, cute? In the eyes of a Turk, no less? "And you're crazy," she retorted half-heartedly. She waved her hand and dismissed the idea, the gesture reminiscent of Reno's, much to her dismay.
"No, really," his green eyes took on a michevious shine. "You were all... fidgety and embarassed, it was cute. In, you know, a funny, weird sorta way."
Tifa blushed at him calling her cute again. What, was he drunk? "Are you drunk?"
Reno's eyes still shone in a carefree way, which was kind of unsettling for him. He'd always made sure that his eyes only showed cold mockery, but she seemed to have taken care of that without knowing it. Instead of letting the sudden ironic grin make its way to his face, he scoffed at her question. "Me? Drunk? Over a bottle of vodka?" he started turning on his seat again. "You've got to be kidding me."
Tifa blew air out her nose sharply and set her glass down. She replied, "You're acting like it."
He stopped the stool with a carefully placed foot that brought him face-to-face with the defiant bartender. "How?" he asked, chin sticking out a bit more than usual in a standoffish pose.
She uncrossed her arms and leaned on the counter in front of him, not intimidated, surprisingly enough. A hint of amusement slipped into her tone. "You're... spinning."
Reno leaned forward himself, fully realizing how close he was bringing his face to hers. "Yeah?"
She felt his breath on her and stiffened a little, but went on, "And you're saying I'm cute," her eyes darted about, taking in his sunglasses and mussed hair.
He grinned, a stray strand of red falling into his face. "Yeah?"
Confused and frustrated by his neutral responses, Tifa threw her arms up and sighed. She chanced another look at him, hoping for an actual response, but all she got was a cocky grin and a pair of happy blue-green eyes. She walked into the back.
Strangely lighthearted, Reno half-turned on his stool to lean his back against the counter and said to himself, dizzy from her inquisitive eyes and swaying brown hair, "So cute."