"Hey, what's going on between you and the guy?"

"Guy? What guy?" Tifa asked quizzically as she wiped the counter.

It was early morning, a day after Tifa's 'dinner' with Reno. Mae had been pestering Tifa ever since the night before for more details on their 'so-called dinner date'. She wasn't going to let up so easily.

"That Turk." Mae answered pointedly.

"Ex-Turk." Tifa corrected her.

"Right."

Tifa shrugged. Mae raised an eyebrow and leaned forward across the counter. She cupped her chin in her hands as she looked at Tifa expectantly.

"It's nothing."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes. He's just some…some kind of friend."

"Some kind of friend? That's it?"

"Mae!"

Mae laughed.

"Okay, okay. I'll quit prodding."

"Thank you."

"But really, what do you think of him?"

Tifa shot her friend a mock glare. Mae grinned.

"C'mon." She wheedled.

"I told you what I think of him before. Remember?"

"That was right after the Meteor, when you obviously still harbored feelings of resentment for the guy. What? You still think he's the same, I quote, 'motor-mouthed alcoholic smoker who goes around whoring'?" Mae questioned.

"Not exactly."

"So?"

"I'm not saying that he's turned good or anything. But I guess, he's not that all bad either."

Tifa shrugged and stared at the rag in her hands for a little while. Mae eyed her with a goofy grin on her face.

"So, he's not a bad guy after all?"

"That's not what I said. He still has that streak of a…" Tifa paused and looked back down at the rag, racking her mind to find the right words, not noticing Mae's eyes had suddenly widened.

"Streak of a motor-mouthed alcoholic smoker who goes around whoring?"

Tifa froze at the sound of the voice. She averted her gaze from the rag to Mae. Her eyes posed a silent question. Mae merely nodded. Her eyes had said it all. Tifa bit her lower lip and grimaced. She took a deep breath and turned around.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk behind a person's back?" He said as narrowed his aqua blue eyes at her.

"I was…"

"Bullshitting." He interjected.

"I was not bullshitting."

"Oh yeah, that was major bullshit."

Her cheeks flushed, knowing that she had been caught in the act. 'Okay, so I was… a little…'

"How long were you standing behind me anyway?" She suddenly said, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

She fiddled nervously with the rag, struggling to keep a cool, unaffected aura but failing anyway.

"Long enough to hear what you had said about me before."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to eavesdrop?"

"No, obviously she didn't." Reno replied nonchalantly.

"Well, then I'm telling you now."

"You're not my mother."

Tifa felt her cheeks flamed up in anger. That was a 'do-not-pass-through-brain' statement. It wasn't the words that annoyed Tifa so, it was the way he had said it, the tone of voice used. She didn't understand why he was being so upset over it either.

"I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Like I fucking want to."

"Fine." Tifa replied hotly as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Fine." He mimicked her.

Tifa opened her mouth to say something but decided the better of it. She snapped her mouth back shut and turned away from him. She continued to wipe the counter violently, obviously taking out her anger on the innocent counter.

An amused smile grew on Mae's face as she noted the childish side the two were showing. She shook her head.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked Reno.

"Yeah, can I get some ear plugs?"

"Whatever for?" Mae asked in confusion.

"I don't want to hear that annoying high pitch squeaky girl voice of that bar brat there." He said as he pointed at Tifa's direction.

Tifa dropped her rag and glowered at him. He smirked back at her as his eyes reflected the arrogance in them.

"Mae, can you please tell that brat that I do not have a high pitch squeaky voice and I would be more than please to take the ear plugs and shove it up his nose?"

Mae sighed and looked at Reno.

"Tifa says she does not have a high pitch squeaky voice and she would be more than please to take the ear plugs and shove it up your nose." She said to him.

"Tell that kid, she doesn't have to act like she has a goddamn stick up her ass." Reno said as he kept his eyes on Tifa.

"Tif, he says you don't have to act like you have a goddamn stick up your ass."

"Tell that ego-headed egg, he's the one acting like he has a stick up his ass." Tifa shot back.

"Ego-headed egg?" Reno repeated.

"What?" Tifa replied defiantly.

"You're a real goddamn brat you know that?"

Reno gave her a withering look. Tifa felt her blood boil. He really went too far now. Sure, she could take his sarcasm, his stupid jokes, his corny lines, but this time he was really getting too much for her to take. She stepped up to him. Mae backed away a few steps, sensing Tifa's obvious anger.

"You're a real jerk, Reno."

"And you always think you're fucking right? You are…"

"Hold it! Stop!" Mae suddenly raised her voice over the 'little commotion'.

They both turn to look at her. Mae swallowed hard. Both Tifa and Reno had this glowering look on their faces, and the tension between them was really heating up. Mae smiled weakly.

"Weren't you guys getting along yesterday? And now the both of you are acting like sworn enemies, ready to take each other down."

Tifa and Reno looked at each other. Reno smirked as she wrinkled her nose. Mae shook her head, feeling like she was separating two bickering kids.

"She started the damn thing." Reno accused.

Tifa narrowed her eyes.

"Like you weren't looking for a fight yourself."

Reno's aqua blue eyes illuminated a flare within them. His patience had really been pushed to the limit this time.

"I came in here and there you were, bitching about me."

"You weren't supposed to listen." Tifa argued though she knew it wasn't really a good excuse.

"Oh right. Like I'm suppose to know when you're gonna start bitching about me." Reno snapped back.

Tifa clenched her fists at her sides. She was trying really hard to stay calm and it wasn't easy. Reno's tone of voice was getting edgier and the mean, sarcastic side in it was really getting to her.

"I wasn't bitching. And you don't have to get so work-up over it."

"Please. How would you feel if you walk in on me bitching on you?"

"I. Wasn't. Bitching. About. You." Tifa repeated through clenched teeth.

"And the dogs will suddenly be skydiving in the air."

Tifa threw her hands up in the air in disbelief.

"You're impossible!"

Reno narrowed his eyes furiously. He took a step back, feeling like he had more than enough.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"You can go to hell for all I care!"

Silence.

She stared at him in shock. Reno took a deep breath. It came out louder than he intended it to be, he hadn't meant to shout. 'Who fucking cares? I'm pissed. I have the goddamn right to shout if I want to.'

With that, Reno stalked off in a huff, slamming the door behind him as he left.

Tifa stared at the empty spot where Reno was standing just seconds ago. She was stupefied over his sudden leave.

Mae switched glances between the door and Tifa a few times, before her gaze finally rested on Tifa. She decided to keep her mouth shut, just to be on the safe side.

Tifa was too numb to say anything. She took deep breaths, trying to comprehend everything and to calm her anger. She slowly shook her head in disbelief. Mae watched her quietly from the side.

Tifa reached out for a glass of water and raised the glass to her lips. The cool water gave a refreshed feeling her to the heated feeling in her throat. She then decided that she had too much for that day and quickly grabbed her jacket and headed out. 'I need some fresh air.'

Tifa made her way through the crowded street. She watched as a group of little kids ran past her. They were laughing and playing happily, with not a single care in the world. Tifa sighed and wished things in her world are just as simple as their world, black and white. Simple and easy. She could feel a throbbing pain in her forehead. She gently rubbed her temples with her fingers, hoping the pain would quickly go away.

There was another feeling inside that was also nagging at her, but she couldn't make out what it was.

She sighed again and made her way back to the bar, hoping that whatever was bugging her would go away.

……………………………………………

Throughout the rest of the day, the nagging feeling remained. Tifa felt uneasy and was silent during the whole evening. She hardly talked to her customers like she always did. Even Tristan and Mae didn't approach her, knowing that it would be best to leave her alone.

Finally, after closing, Tifa had silently followed Tristan back without a word. Tristan tried to break the silence a few times, but Tifa only answered with monosyllables. Tristan gave up his effort and decided to keep his mouth shut.

She fell onto her bed and stared up ahead at the ceiling. A strand of sable hair fell onto her face and she blew it away. The uneasy feeling was still there, nagging at her. An image formed in her mind and she tried to brush it away. His piercing aqua blue eyes was really bugging her. She shifted uncomfortably in her bed.

Tifa sighed in frustration and sat up. The feeling was now nudging her conscience.

Her mind reeled back to what had happened. 'Did I really went out of line earlier?'

Tifa miserably cupped her chin in her hands. 'Stupid Reno.'

But deep down inside, she knew it was partly her fault. She should have understood how he had felt to hear something like that. She knew she wouldn't like it if someone were to describe her that way. She felt bad for letting her temper off like that.

'I have to make it up to him and apologize or something.'

The thought of it made Tifa scrunched her face. She wondered how in the world was she going to apologize to him. She didn't even know if he would still want to see her, let alone to let her apologize. And it bugged her to know that she actually cared about his feelings.

……………………………………….

Reno sleepily dragged himself over to door when he heard the knocking on his door. 'Who the hell can it be at such an early hour? Don't people sleep?'

It was barely 8 in the morning and Reno had finally been able to fall asleep after tossing, and turning throughout the night. As much as he hated to admit it, the whole 'fight' with Tifa had really bugged him. After their 'fight', he had went over to another bar and drowned himself in the wonderful world of alcohol. Amazingly, the alcohol seemed to have no whatsoever effect on him.

"What!" Reno barked as soon as he opened the door.

A guy holding a bunch of flowers stood there in shock at the sudden outburst. Reno narrowed his eyes.

"Uh…are you…" The guy fumbled with a piece of paper in his hand.

Reno sighed and shook his head. '8 am. And here I am bugged by a guy who doesn't even know who he's looking for and with a bunch of stupid flowers in his hands.'

"Reno right? The flowers are for you. From a….oh, it's not mentioned here. Well, here it is." The guy said as he handed the flowers over to Reno.

Reno's eyes widened in shock. He stared at the flowers for what seemed like forever until the delivery guy cleared his throat. Reno shook out of his stare and grabbed the flowers.

"Thank you. Have a nice day sir."

Reno stared down at the small bouquet of flowers in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of small white piece of card at the side of the bouquet. His hands deftly reached out and flipped it over.

'The white tulip is a symbol of forgiveness, so, it's just my unconventional way of saying sorry…somewhere along those lines anyway. So, I'm sorry. Tifa.'

'What the hell is wrong with that girl?' He stared back down at the bouquet in his hands. 'White tulips?' A small smile slowly appeared at his thin lips. It then cracked into a grin before he finally burst out laughing. 'That Lockheart girl is really something.'

A/N: Fourth chapter…uh, so far so good…I guess. Lol. Well, it's slightly shorter and I'm actually satisfied with it. So, once again…thank you to everyone who reviewed…your comments/advice/etc. is very much appreciated by me. Empress-Eerian-Sadow, The Tiramisu of Impending Doom (Hey, I like your pen name a lot. Probably cause I'm a tiramisu lover. Lol.), Dazzle1, Dragon Girl323 (You're so nice! Oh yeah, sorry I haven't been leaving my reviews at your fic lately. But yes, I still like your fic.), GreenEyedJo, Marta, WrexSoul, Izzia, RebelliousNekoAngel, Nando the RPS King, AniGirl 7 and Neko-Yuff16… thank you! And also…to everyone else who took the time to read my fic, thanks.