Chapter 6: A Meeting and a Parting

Tifa walked in the door to find Reno just setting down his mobile phone.

'What'd you get Cloud?' He seemed slightly ratty.

Reno stared past Tifa expectantly as if to see a herd of elephants following in her wake.

'This.' Tifa said simply, holding out a single white rose.

'A flower?' Reno looked disbelieving.

'A white rose. The rose is a symbol of love… or friendship,' she added hastily as Reno raised an eyebrow. 'And the colour white is a symbol of repentance, apology, or purity.'

'Ah, I see.' This was news to Reno. 'Anyway, I've been in contact with Yuffie…' 'Yuffie?'

'Cloud called her over all the way from Wutai, believe it or not, to help in the pub.'

Tifa gave a bark of laughter. 'Desperate or what?'

'I know. Anyway, Cloud says he would be happy to have you back, as long as I don't show my 'Pitiful, ugly, miserably pug like face again.''

Tifa let her breath hiss between her teeth. 'That's a bit harsh, surely?'

Reno shrugged. 'Nyah, well, personally, I always thought people bearing resemblance to canines were quite handsome, actually.'

Tifa laughed. This was what she loved about Reno. She stretched lazily, and Reno appreciated the gentle curves of her body.

'Goodness, is that the time?' yawned Tifa as she glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. 'Nine o'clock! I was away for hours!'

'Huh.' Time had gone very fast, hadn't it?

'Ah, well. Hey, if it's all right, can I stay here tonight? I promise I'll leave you in peace and go back to my own house in the morning.'

'I'm gonna miss havin' you around, Lockhart.' Said Reno ruefully. 'I don't have to go in to work tomorrow, so you can stay as long as you want.'

'Thanks.' Tifa yawned for the umpteenth time. 'I'm really tired, I might go to bed early tonight.' She stretched. 'Yeah. I'll go now. You didn't seem very comfortable on the couch last night, do you want me to sleep there instead?'

'Nah, I'm fine.' Reno hesitated before opening his arms for the kiss he had not received last night. Tifa gave it to him gladly in a prolonged process, and they finally said goodnight as the clock struck half nine.

Reno did not even attempt to cook breakfast the next morning. He merely slapped some jam on a slice of bread and brought it in to the still sleeping Tifa on a tray with some orange juice.

She was aware of him coming in, but did not open her eyes. When she heard him exit, after feeling his eyes on her, she whispered softly: 'Thanks, Reno.'

Tifa swung her legs out of bed and began wolfing down the bread and jam. She decided she would set off for home that morning; she hated to admit it, but she missed her bartending duties.

Reno walked her to the door of Seventh Heaven.

'Well, this is goodbye for the moment.' He said unenthusiastically.

Tifa blinked back a tear.

'For the moment,' Reno assured her. 'I'll come see you.' He gave her a nudge. 'Now go on, you've missed this place.'

It felt odd to be walking through the door of her own pub, not knowing what to expect.

Like a customer. Tifa thought snootily.

She stepped through the door, clutching the white rose, to a mixture of cheers ( from the customers who recognised her) and wolf whistles ( from the newcomers).

Cloud, who was wiping a glass, looked at her in cold astonishment. She stared at him with grim defiance as if to say 'I dare you.'

Tifa walked nonchalantly over to him.

'This is for you.' She said without much emotion, holding out the white rose.

Cloud took the meaning at once. 'I'm sorry too, Tif. I shouldn't have expected you to wait around for me forever.' He mimicked Yuffie's words. 'I'm just not sure bout Reno. I mean, honesty wise.'

Tifa smiled dreamily. 'You can't expect a Turk to be all honesty and fairy tales, but I think he is a solid enough guy.'

Cloud looked at her in a fatherly way.

'well, if he's good enough for you, then I guess he's good enough for me.'

Upstairs, an eavesdropping Yuffie clicked her fingers in agitation.

'There was meant to be a whole 'Why are you here?' argument that I could have told Reno about! They weren't meant to forgive each other straight away!' she sulked, disappointed. 'It's no fun here. People are much easier to annoy back home in Wutai!'

Tifa closed the bar early and spent the evening talking with Cloud and Yuffie.

Then a thought came to her.

'Cloud…didn't you say for Reno never to show his 'pitiful, miserably pug ugly face' again? Yet now you say he's good enough for me.'

Cloud frowned. 'When did I say for him not to show his face again?'

'Yuffie told Reno that you said that.'

Realisation dawned on her. 'Yuffie!'

But Yuffie had already gone.

Cloud sighed.

Teenagers…

End of chapter 6! Please review!

Chapter 7 coming soon!