Before we start, you all know the drill. And Yeah, no, I know. Haha.
I NEVER
Tifa sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. Only eleven and she was already exhausted. Rolling her eyes she continued wiping. Still another three hours and fifty minutes to go before last call. On top of that it wasn't even busy.
She had been surrounding herself with work over the last week since Cloud had been out on a long delivery. Her friends were also away busy doing their own things. The only company she had was her work, her regulars, and maybe the random wayward Turk that made their way down to her bar. Suffice to say she was feeling a bit lonely. Now she was beginning to seriously contemplate closing up shop early.
Yeah sure things had been quiet lately, but there was still this nagging feeling of unease within her. Like things wouldn't be staying that way for much longer, plus she was getting antsy.
"So…I thought the point of that was to, I don't know, clean the bar, and not sand it into dust."
Tifa snapped her head up to be greeted with a smirk. That of which belonged to a certain smart mouthed, red haired Turk. The exact same one who was now sitting in front of her.
"What?"
"I've been sitting here for the past five minutes. And you've just been wiping away at that counter like your gunna some how make it disappear. Got some troubles, girl?"
"Cute. But no. I was just thinking is all. You want something? I'm kind of busy."
He looked around, an eyebrow raised in protest.
"Busy? Now, I do believe you just made a joke. Now I KNOW something's up."
"Nothings up Reno. Isn't it past your bedtime any how?"
"Nope. I have tomorrow off."
She shook her head. "So do you want anything… or did you just come by to harass me the whole night?"
"Well, now that you mention it. Close up early, and come out with me?"
"What? No. I'm…I can't."
"That your favorite word tonight or something?"
"Wha..."
"Yeah that's the one. Why not?" He leaned forward so that his face was just inches from hers. He could smell her lavender perfume, and that just made him want to try harder. "C'mon, tell me you couldn't use the company."
"I couldn't use the company." She bit her lip, turning around. His offer was tempting…but….No, she couldn't go out, the bar. And what if Cloud came back early? "I…Have to watch the place until Cloud returns."
Reno slumped back down into the chair, propping his arms back behind his head.
"Bullshit."
"Excuse me?"
""Bullshit." He repeated. Again a grin formed on his lips, knowing he was getting to her was just prodding him on. "He's a big boy. And you and I both know if he's been gone this long on a job, he's probably gunna be out for at least another week. What have you got to lose?"
"Please, where should I start? My sanity, my dignity, my reputation, my self respect…"
"Okay, okay, I get the point. If you wanna stick around here and deal with nothing all night, wallow in some isolation, that's cool with me. I guess I'll just go on my merry way to some other bar, and be bored there…Bored all by my lonesome." He made a mock frown.
"Oh sure, I know you have girls all over this town. I know you Reno." She wiggled a half painted nail in his face. The paint was chipping away from working so much, plus the biting of her nails. He smirked, standing up.
"Do you now…? You think you have me pegged eh? Okay then, legs, who am I you know me so well? What's my favorite color?"
"Ha ha." She scrunched her face in sort of a yeah right way. "Hmph, I'm talking personality wise. Okay. For one I know you probably have slept around. You can hardly commit to anything. You don't care for anyone but yourself….You…Um…"
"Stuck, hm?" He chuckled.
"No…There is more. I."
"Yeah thought so. You don't know me as well as you'd like to think you do."
"No?"
"Nope."
"Whatever, Reno. I'm not playing your little games."
"Look, your just digging a bigger ditch….I have a proposition for you."
She raised an eyebrow, and placed her hands on her hips. He picked it up as a symbol to keep going, and this was his chance to get her out.
"Grab two bottles of booze, close up and meet me outside in fifteen minutes. I will truthfully tell you what you want to know about me. Things I don't disclose to anyone."
"Hah, yeah right!"
"That's my offer, legs, take it or leave it. I'll be outside for 20 minutes. If you're not out by then, I'll take it as my cue to go somewhere else."
And with that last lingering statement he waltzed out of the establishment leaving her to think about the offer he just made.
Her initial reaction was one of reprehension, but then her female curiosity started to get the better of her. Maybe she could find out some things about the enigmatic Turk that she had been wondering for a while. Plus he was right on some level. She did need to get out, and get her mind off a few things.
XXX
Reno had been waiting outside, leaning against the building. At about the ten minute mark he began to see the few patrons filing out of the place. He smiled to himself knowing she was considering his proposition. About five minutes later she emerged locking the place up. Out of her left arm was a bag with what he was guessing was the contents he ordered. She turned around, and seeing no one was question what happened to him.
"Glad you could make it, babe."
"Ah! Damn it, Reno! You scared me, I didn't even see you."
"That's my forte. Follow me."
"Where are we going…Reno?"
She gave up realizing, he was forfeiting no answer. They had been walking down city streets and alleys for about ten minutes, when the buildings had begun to fan out. Soon the wildlife of the planet was in full view as they left behind buildings for trees. He led her through a thick cluster of Elms, which led out onto a mountain path. A small circle of light clicked on in front of him.
A flashlight. Reno had come prepared. He chuckled to himself, knowing no woman could resist him. Not even Lockheart.
Tifa began to get a bit nervous. While it seemed he had no intention of hurting her, he was a Turk after all…And they were far away from what seemed like civilization. But her thoughts were interrupted when they came to a clearing.
They were up pretty high, on a cliff or the side of a mountain. Tall grass on either side, trees boxing them in a circle. And a view. What a view. She felt the crisp autumn air playing with the few loose strands of her hair.
"Oh, wow! You can see all of Edge, and the Midgar Ruins! This…How did you find such a place?"
"Yeah, no, I know. Have a seat. I'll be right back."
Then the red head disappeared into the trees. Placing the bag on the grass she sat down on a log placed in front of a darkened pit. Charred remains of sticks were the pit. The place looked like it had been used before, for camping or something. Different colored leaves covered the ground like a rug. Was it possible he had been here before?
Reno returned with a bunch of sticks. He placed them upon each other in a teepee sort of shape. Then he reached behind himself and grabbed a handful of the dry, dead leaves and placed them underneath the sticks. Fishing around in his pockets, he grabbed out a lighter and began to light the leaves. Soon a soft orange glow began emitting from them. He leaned over taking a bottle out of the bag, popping off the cap and dousing the leaves and sticks a bit with the liquid. Soon the fire was popping, and dancing about. Reno sat back across from the log where she sat. He took a sip.
"Ah…Really puts the hair on your chest."
"Do you come to this place often?"
"Ah, ah, ah. No asking questions."
"But you said…"
"I know. We're gunna play a game."
He laughed a bit, "Just grab the other bottle, Lockheart."
"What? Why?"
He gave her a look like she was stupid. "No questions. The game is called I never."
"Never heard of it."
"No way! You never played it when you were younger?!" It was more of a statement than a question.
"No…"
Reno rolled his eyes in mock frustration, and then smiled with a mischievous hint in his eyes.
"Well, it goes like this. You make a statement starting with I never. Like…'I never played I never before.' Then you wouldn't take a drink because you never have. And I would because, I have played it before. So you drink to every I never that wouldn't be true, and you won't drink if it's true. Get it?"
"Yeah…" Her eyes moved to her feet. "But how do I know you'll be telling the truth?"
"The same way I'll know you are. Trust. That, and I told you if you wanted to find out about me, I'd tell you. Now you try…And go easy on me for the first one."
"Um, okay. I never smoked a cigarette."
She eyed him as he tipped the bottle back taking a long sip." Whoah, what is this…Moonshine?"
"You said no questions."
"Yeah, yeah. Technicality okay. All right my turn." He thought for a bit. " I never kissed a man."
She shook her head with a smile and took a sip.
"I never kissed a woman."
He smiled this time and drank. She tipped the bottle back as well.
"What!?!" She nodded to his surprise. "But you've never even played I never before, how…?"
"I may not have played this game, but I have played spin the bottle."
"Wow, so hey, wanna reenact the story to me later?" She shot him a look that could have killed a WEAPON. "Joke, Tifa, Joke. Haha. Um, okay. I never kicked a man in the cajones."
He watched her eye him before lifting the bottle to her lips, he did the same. She coughed a bit, bringing her wrist to her lips. Lowering it slowly, she looked out over the city.
"I…never had a fear of something…girlish that my partners don't know about." She grinned, and he groaned taking a sip. "Haha, I knew it! What is it?"
"I'm not telling."
"C'mon! Please, I won't tell a soul I promise!"
He grumbled, and said it as quietly as possible, "Mice…"
"Little mice? Big, bad, Reno is afraid of a little mouse! Oh that's rich."
"Okay, okay. Can we please move on? Thanks. I never had sex before." He took a sip, and watched as she did as well. "Hmn, so I see we're not as pure as we'd like to think eh?"
"Oh come on, Reno. That's just like asking if a bird chirps."
"Well, I just figured you'd been saving yourself, so it would be all doves and roses with that lame-o Strife..." He mocked a girl voice. "Oh my big strong hero! Do me right here. Oh yes! Oh yes!...Wait, so its not as big as that sword?"
She laughed. "All right, all right. Let's keep going shall we? You want to play that way? I never led some one on."
He took a sip. "…I never lied."
They both sip.
"I never second guessed what my higher ups told me."
He drank again.
"I never…waited for someone to return in hopes that something will change." He eyed her as she cocked her head to side, and gave him a look that said she knew exactly what he was going for. Needless to say, she drank.
"Okay…I never had a one night stand before."
She felt her lips tug to a bit of a smile. He shook his head and took a long drink.
"Oh man, I knew it! I told you, you got around."
"Yeah, yeah. I guess the prelims are done, huh?" He laughed a little. "Well then. If we're gunna start getting personal…I never lied to myself to make someone else happy."
His gaze never moved from hers, but she shut her eyes thinking before lifting the bottle.
"You've never lied to yourself?" She questioned.
"Not to make someone ELSE happy."
"Okay…I never." Her face went from lost in thought to stern. "I never killed someone before."
She watched his lips purse into a thin line, before he looked away and drank. He left the bottle to his lips for a few seconds. Then he stared right back at her. She closed her eyes and forced a sip back as well.
"Hmn. Someone's not as high and mighty as they'd like to believe."
"I was never okay with it, that's the difference. I did it because I had to."
"And I did it out of pleasure?" Well maybe sometimes, but he wasn't about to tell her that.
"…I dunno. Maybe. Who knows why you did half the shit you did for that stupid company. Or still do for all I know."
"Well, let's continue then. I never wanted to hear three words from someone so bad that I fool myself everyday into thinking he'll come around."
She just stared straight into his eyes, knowing his intentions with that one. The tears began to well up, and her eyes got watery. She was convincing herself that it was the alcohol, but she knew there was some part of her down there that wanted it. He was right. She did want to hear those words. That's why she stuck around, day after day. The bottle was tipped back the whole time her eyes on him.
"…I never…I never felt bad after what happened at the Sector Seven plate pillar."
Reno looked at her for a long time. His gaze then moved to the stars above, as he took a swig from the bottle. Tifa looked away as well; she could feel some resentment welling up inside her. She had opened her mouth to say something, but words came from him first.
"I never…was glad that a person was out of the picture because I was so selfish that I feared losing someone close to me to that other person."
She looked away again. This time he meant to sting, just as she had with the previous statement. He was starting to get tipsy and her last remark actually got to him. He saw a tear roll from her eye as she took a long gulp. Then her head lowered.
"I'm done. I'm going home." She stated. "This is a stupid game anyway…"
"We're all ready this far, one more round. Let's finish this."
"Fine. I never fell in love before…I never cared for someone else so much that I would give anything to see them each day. To hear their voice, to see them smile. I never wanted to live alone my whole entire life. I never became in touch with my feelings. I never became a human fucking being. I never just realized I'm actually the scum of the earth. Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you wanted to hear by bringing me out here?! Huh, Reno? Was that it? Was that the game, to humiliate an old enemy further?" She put the bottle to her lips and began to chug.
Her eyes were shut tight, when she felt a weight stop the bottle. His hand was on it and he was right in front of her.
"Tifa." Her eyes glinted with hurt and drunkenness. For a minute he just stood over her, before leaning in and kissing her on the lips. The taste of her that mixed with the poison on her lips was even more intoxicating than the hardest drink. He wanted to keep going, but she pulled away after a minute. He stayed before her still exchanging stares.
"I never said a tiger never changes its stripes. And I never said I could never change."
And with that last statement he finished the last of the contents of his bottle, and threw it over the side of the cliff. "C'mon Lockheart, let me walk you home to make it up to ya."
She looked at his extended hand wearily.
"I…I never said I don't forgive and forget." She took one last sip, and threw the rest of her bottle over the edge as well. Then she placed her hand in his and stood up with him.
"I should have learned my lesson the last time I played this game."
"What?"
"…Long story. I'll tell it to you next time."
( So yes, thats my story. I tried to make it as light hearted as possible, but realized there was going to be a bit of emotion in it, because it was unnavoidable, but hopefully its logical to just end like that. Anyways, yeah I know...It was inspired by a Lost episode. And no, I don't watch that show...Okay, yeah I'm addiced to it. So anyway, review if you'd like, it'd be appreciated. Hope you liked it.)