Chapter 2: Misleading thoughts

That night, Tifa journeyed up to the room she had claimed when they had moved in, toying with the idea of going to bed. She was very tired; Denzel had not been well the previous night, and Cloud didn't have a clue what to do for him, so she had stayed up most of the night looking after him until he eventually fallen into a fitful doze.

She switched off the main light, and turned on the various lamps dotted around the spacious room to give a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

Drawing the beige curtains, she sat on her bed and pondered the day's events. The Turks really were presumptuous. They could walk easily into her pub, after all they had done? Tifa snorted slightly, stretched, and lowered herself gratefully onto the bed.

There was a loud rap at the window, startling her. Cautiously, she moved towards the curtains which she had drawn less that a moment ago, frowning. She gingerly lifted a side of the curtain, and peered out, half expecting to see a masked assassin staring back at her, and prepared for the worst. Instead, she found herself lost in a pair of deep midnight blue eyes.

She gathered her wits about her and opened the window to let Reno in.

'You climbed up the drainpipe?!'

Tifa ogled incredulously as the red headed Turk clambered inside and straightened up, brushing dust from his expensive suit.

'Yup.' Reno said with a certain pride.

An awkward silence fell between them. Tifa shattered it by coughing loudly.

'So… um.. why did you climb up the drainpipe to get to my room in the middle of the night?' she asked tentatively, lowering her eyelashes, wondering if she really wanted to know the answer, and if her suspicions were correct.

Reno took a deep breath.

'Well, Tseng was injured on that last 'mission' of ours…'

Tifa blinked, slightly taken aback. 'Oh.'

'And we were wondering,' the red head continued, 'seeing as you seem to have in built maternal instincts, whether you could look after him while he recovers?'

Tifa bit her lip. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more anxious. She couldn't leave Tseng without proper care, but then again, nor could she risk Cloud accusing her of 'fraternizing with the enemy'.

…They weren't their enemies any more.

The Turks were allies, even friends, now, she supposed. Cloud just refused to let go of the past; and if Tifa could cast off from the past, then there was nothing stopping Cloud except blind stubbornness.

Tifa nodded. 'I'll do it.'

Reno grinned. 'I knew you would.'

He flung himself on her bed, stretched languidly and settled down. Tifa frowned slightly, her nervousness increasing with every moment he remained in the room, her mind racing to find a topic of conversation to bridge the silence that had come between them. With a small sigh, she plucked up the courage to ask:

'What exactly are the 'jobs' that the Turks do?'

'Well,' Reno paused in mock thoughtfulness. 'We generally do jobs that the President won't or can't do. We might be involved in some assassinations…' He looked around uncomfortably. 'But we get specimens for the Science Department, deliver messages, strike business bargains, that sort of thing.'

'Oh.'

'A Turk,' he continued, 'needs to have skill. Stealth, physical strength and a silver tongue. Most importantly though, a Turk needs irresistible charm.'

Reno grinned roguishly at her, and Tifa's insides melted.

She smiled mischievously back and Reno reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

'Good.' He crooned softly, looking into her liquid maroon eyes. 'You're getting the idea.'

There was a decisive knock at the bedroom door, shattering the moment.

'Tifa?' Cloud called. 'We need to talk about the money we're earning.'

Tifa sprang from where she was sitting and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 'Agh, I,… I'm not fully dressed… I, um.. hang on!!'

Reno had given a frightened yelp at the knock on the door and was dancing from foot to foot frantically looking for a way to escape.

'The window!' Tifa hissed, pointing.

'Tifa?' Cloud called as he strode quickly in. 'Who are you talking t-'

He froze in his tracks when he saw the eccentric redhead standing behind Tifa. Cloud took a few short, choked breaths before closing in on the frightened girl.

'First, you look at him,' (Reno glanced sharply at Tifa) 'And now he's in your bedroom?!'

Tifa tried to reason with him. 'Cloud, he came to…'

'Well it's perfectly obvious why he came! I just would never have believed it of you. Fraternizing with the enemy. Or worse!'

Those words hit Tifa like a physical blow, causing her to take a step back in anguish. Her eyes hardened after a moment and she clenched her fists.

'They aren't our enemies any more, Cloud.' Her voice was dangerously quiet.

Cloud's eyes narrowed. Tifa's tone of voice unnerved him. He decided to end this matter once and for all. Tifa could do and be what she liked, but not in his house.

'Out.' He commanded.

'Okay, okay, I'm going.' Reno said pointedly.

'No. Not you. Tifa. Out.' He pointed toward the door.

'Cloud, this is my house.'

'Our house. Or it was.'

Tifa walked towards him.

'Out!' Cloud spat bitterly.

'Cloud…'

'NOW!!' he thundered.

'Fine!' Tifa shouted, flouncing out the door. She did not bother to take any of her things; she knew she would be back.

Breathing heavily, Cloud turned back to the spot where Reno had been standing. He must have slipped out while Cloud had been arguing with Tifa.

'And stay out.' Cloud muttered, casting a dark look at the curtains fluttering in the night air.