Just wanted to make sure y'all know that when the words are italic it's a flashback…That's all for now! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or anything that revolves around Final Fantasy 7 has ever belonged to me but will always be credited by Square-Enix.

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Chapter Fourteen – Drink Away the Pain

The bartender watched her newest customer with keen interest for two main reasons. One was that he was quite a nice thing to have your eyes on heck if she gave him enough free drinks she may be able to take him home. Two he didn't seem to drink just for sheer amusement, he was trying to drown away unwanted thoughts or emoticons.

After all, she was a bartender; she was a pro on these things. Walking over to him so only the wooden counter separated them; she leaned closer making sure to allow her eyelashes to flutter flirtatiously as she watched him drown the new glass.

When he pushed his empty glass she filled it up as if understanding his silent comments, pushing the glass with new contents poured she waited till his hands reached out for it before slipping a hand on top of his. He was caught of guard as he looked up seeming quite dazed, his lips parted to ask but she let out a giggle inside her be heard.

"So stranger, what's bugging you?" She asked as her fingers teased him as they left his hand but chose to curl a strand of his crimson hair when she leaned foreword. But she kept her eye sight on his emerald windows the stunningly left everything else out.

He could tell she was teasing him; usually he would play along feeling quite in the mood; but not this time. "Many things, yo" he stated before pushing some of the liquid down his throat.

"Oh is that so, poor baby" she whispered softly not wanting of course to ask but doing so, "So tell me one of the things bothering you on the top of your head"

He avoided her questions then as he drank away and wondered if he should say anything.

Should he say that the thought of Denzel was still scarred in his head?

Or that he was disgusted that Elena had kissed him?

Or that he was confused why she couldn't just leave him alone?

He stopped thinking for a moment as he looked at the doorway that was left ajar, there it stood; one of his problems.

"That" he told the bartender nodding at the person standing in the doorway looking around.

"Oh that's too bad, you're kind of too cute to be sulking; cheer up" the bartender said with a wink before serving her newest customer leaving Reno trying to hide from the person who just came in. But of course he cursed silently for the radiant colors he was born to hold on his head as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Reno?" The arrived person asked calmly as the person soon sat down on a stool and twirled herself childishly.

"Hey you"

He ignored her for a while only leading the person to pout, wait he couldn't act like that; she didn't know and he wasn't planning on telling her anytime soon.

"Hey" he said flashing a smirk as he watched the female smile back and allowed to tug gently at a strand of his hair.

"Reno why does it seem that you have a curled strand?" She asked tugging gently as he let out a soft laugh.

"Long story, babe" he told her drinking the last of the glass's content and giving his full attention soon on her.

"So you never answered why you're here!" She told him rested her hands on both sides of her hips now as she pretended to look upset.

"Thought I'd get one drink" he lied being thankful his other glasses were taken away before she came.

"Then I'll give you company" she chirped happily as she chose to make herself comfortable on the stool she sat on.

"Because you'll do anything for my attention"

"Lovely. Because the company here is really poor" he said with a smile before choosing on doing the talking now, "So what brings you here?" He asked her calmly.

"Thought I'd get a drink" she lied.

The two never did find the false truth behind they're companion as they're busy hiding they're lies from the other more.

But of course, she was always weak when lying as she soon broke down and looked down before catching his sight.

Wrap her arms around the person's neck that dark day.

She fidgeted; she had to ask the whole building until she found where Reno had chosen to leave early for. She didn't know why she was doing this now, but she felt guilty ever since Rufus kissed her before leaving for a meeting before. She needed to take her guilt out of her chest to even look at the young president in the eye anymore. She was of course not dumb to tell Rufus, but telling the second person which was Reno would be better but still give out the effect.

"Hey, let's do a sharing moment" Yuffie mentioned all of a sudden as the red head tilted his head but gave a nod.

"You go first" he told her calmly.

"Do I have to?" She asked but then shook her head indicating that she would speak first after all.

The drunken person

"There was this one night…" She started calmly raising the interest of the red head to actually listen to her.

She just got deeper into it.

"Remember when we all went for a drink and Rufus had to leave early?" She asked and received a nod from the red head.

"I couldn't remember anything after that shouldn't have drunk so much" Reno muttered with a soft laugh before letting her continue.

The drunken person never did know about that moment.

"Yeah well, after a while Tseng & Elena left because Tseng thought it was late and Elena wasn't feeling so well and didn't wish to have to be the one to carry you home in the end" Yuffie told him.

Reno hearing upon this, didn't like what he was hearing.

Not act as foolish as that person had.

Yuffie took a deep breath before going on, "Before I continue Reno, you need to know that I had to let you know." She said but of course chose to speak quickly so the red head wouldn't get a chance to talk, "So then it was you & I with Rude" she said.

How she keep him under the lime light?

"In the end, I thought Rude looked really tired so I told him he could go I'll bring you back home. In the end after a bit of talking he did, and it was just you and me" she said with a weak smile.

She should have taken the responsibility.

She took a glance at the pale faced figure before going on in a whispered tone so no one could hear her except him, "When he finally got to your place, you were kind of wasted. And…and" she of course stopped not wanting to say was happened next.

The drunken person kissed her; she just got deeper into it.

Wrap her arms around the person's neck.

She didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault…I was sober I should have pulled back. And now I feel so terrible for doing this to Rufus" she stuttered not daring to look Reno in the eye anymore as she felt confused as he pressed some money on the counter and get up.

"You want to know something funny, Kisaragi?" Reno asked with an amused laugh that just left the ninja confused.

There she was, looking for the man he promised would never hurt her.

Leaning foreword so his lips were close to her ears he spoke gently, "I lied, I was sober the whole time" he mentioned before walking away.

Stopping when finding the quivered lips ninja stand in front of him, he stood there. "Why?" She asked confused.

"Well you weren't so keen on stopping either, heck if I tried going farther that day you would have gone through thinking I was drunk enough not to remember" he told her before wincing at the pain at his cheek when he felt her coldly collide against his cheek.

"I love him" she reassured him.

"Yeah you keep telling yourself that, love" he said with a wink before leaving the bar as the ninja stood there ajar. Guess he'd have to find a new bar to drink away his pain from now on.

"Oh yeah, Yuff; it's my time to share something. I might be falling for you" he thought as if saying to her as he lighted his cigar and carelessly walked on the street with his hands in his pockets, his same posture he held when entering the bar. And after that second, his emoticons back then turned immune as he held a laid back and aloof karma once more as if nothing just happened.

-ToBeContinued-

Authors note; Next chapter involves pink petals, the calm air and purity watching over loved ones.