"So let's find a bar so dark we forget who we are. Where all the scars from the never's and maybe's die." - that is what I'm offering as my explanation of why Tifa and Reno are so OOC in this fic. They wanted to get drunk and pretend that they weren't enemies, that they weren't fighting all odds to survive... Now here is the conclusion because we all knew what was going to happen.

Again, I'm poor and Squar/soft/enix owns everything except for the plot.

Oh quote disclaimer - line from the song "Out Tonight" from the Broadway musical Rent and owned by whoever wrote it/owns Rent

Reviews Please!

The scent of fresh coffee permeated Tifa's dreamless sleep and woke her up with a pleasant smile on her face. That smile was short lived when she realized that she didn't have a coffee maker in her apartment above the bar. Oh Shiva, what had she done? The bed she was snuggled in was not hers, it was too soft, too comfortable. Why was she here? Tifa refused to open her eyes and look to the world around her, thinking that if she just kept her eyes closed she would magically appear back at her place. Just what had happened last night? She wracked her brain, trying to remember but everything was still hazy and a headache was starting to form between her eyes. A hangover. How much had they drank last night? They? Reno! This was a nightmare, it should not have happened, she should have kicked him out when he walked in. Life had no way of getting worse. Maybe it was not that bad, maybe they had just passed out. Tifa shifted her legs a little. Nope, the evidence of what they had done was there and her clothes were missing. Oh Shiva! She could try to sneak out, find her clothing and go. No one she knew would see her leaving whatever hotel they were in, if they were in a hotel. Who had seen them walk there? Everyone probably knew that Tifa was in bed with the enemy.

The warm presence wrapped around her back made himself known by pulling her closer to him and nuzzling the back of her neck. By the sound of his breathing Tifa knew he was still asleep, heck, he would be panicking like she was if he was awake. This was something that would be hard to explain to his boss. 'You know the girl you told me to spy on and kill if need be, well she and I kinda... you know last night.' How was she going to explain it to Avalanche. 'You know that Turk? You know, he's a sworn enemy and his job is to kill us? Well he and I kinda... you know last night.' She was done, dead, out of the group, shunned, and left for dead. Why did she let him stay?

"You know, you're the only woman who has ever been in this bed," muttered Reno waking up. He was not freaking out which made Tifa freak out even more. He should be throwing me out or trying to kill me, not telling me about his bed. Her mind was racing, rapidly trying to find an escape.

"I gotta go," she said trying to scramble from beneath the covers.

"Calm down Tifa. Jesse is taking care of Marlene today because you were supposed to shopping for some new toys, which probably means you were going to buy some explosives or something. Either way I was going to follow you there, which means you wouldn't have bought anything. So really, all you've got to do is clean up your bar," he said relating the details of her day to her. Tifa's jaw dropped and all her previous concerns washed away. She wanted to know how he knew every detail of her day. There was one thing that he did not know though. Since he started spying on them Tifa and her weapons dealer and worked something out. The only thing she bought from his was the designs to make the explosives. There was no crime in have directions and blueprints for bombs.

"H-how"

"I'm really good at my job," was all that he said pulling her closer still. Tifa was beginning to have flash backs of the night before. They were not bad but they reminded her that she needed to leave. "As long as you stay we can keep pretending." That unguarded statement stopped her dead again. She heard such longing in his voice, such a deep desire to forget the real world. It touched the part of her that had let him stay at the bar and share one too many drinks with him, the part of her that wanted the same thing. She stopped struggling and relaxed in his arms. This was not okay, but no one was going to come kicking in the door... for now anyway.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"My apartment in Sector 6."

"And I'm the only girl to have spent the night here?"

"Yea. I've never been the type of guy to bring a girl to my place; it's either her place, a hotel, a back room, an alley, never here. I don't need stalker types and angry boyfriends knowing where I live," he told her shrugging. "But we're pretending to be different people."

"You can cut that out Reno. Like you said last night, we can't escape who we are," she scolded rolling over while still trapped in his embrace. He nodded and smiled. It was a good thing that there was never any sunlight in Midgar because it would have been killer on the hangover that was just starting.

"Weren't you the one that said that we could try," he added wistfully. His hand which had been lying still on her waist began to move slowly, fingers tracing out circular patterns.

"I'm usually not like this," she muttered looking down from his searching eyes. She meant that she was not usually one to be in a situation like this. Tifa was no virgin, but all the others had been her coherent choice. Never had just gotten drunk and went home with a random stranger. Was Reno still a stranger? He had told her about his childhood, his hopes, his dreams, everything that made him- well him – and in return she had done the same.

"I know, you said that last night... A lot," he said smiling gently at her. It would appear that even though they had drank enough for six men they had not entered the realm of blackout. Tifa was starting to remember everything in vivid detail, their stumbling through the streets arm in arm as she kept reminding him that she was not that type of girl and that she was not like this. Reno had taken it all very well because Tifa was getting upset with herself from just replying the situation in her mind. "Look Tifa, you can try to remember everything that happened last night and try to reason it out if you really want. All you're going to do is give yourself a headache. Stop thinking so much, you don't have to plan out every little detail."

"People like us have to plan out all the details Reno or else we're as good as dead." Tifa was getting frustrated with his uncharacteristic behavior. It was crazy but she wanted the drunk, cocky, Shin-ra employee back. Things seemed easier with him being the enemy and her not being in his bed after a drunken and wild night. Tifa took a moment to glance around the room, proving that it had indeed been a wild night. She found her white top torn almost in half and hanging on a doorknob, her underwear were draped over a lamp shade, looking like they had been flung there as a joke. All of it was a reminder that she needed to leave and soon. She started scooting away from him, slow inch by inch, hoping that he would not notice until she could get from under the warmth of the thick comforter. It was another underestimation of Reno on Tifa's part, his hand clamped down on her side. Where it had been making gentle little circles before, now it was applying a pressure that was fierce but not threatening.

With a quick practiced move he rolled her to her back and climbed on top of her. Tifa was pinned to the bed, the only hope of escape being possible if she used enough force to break one of his bones. He was not holding on to any part of her body. In fact, other than his lower body, no part of him was in contact with her; but, the way that he was positioned left no where for Tifa to easily escape. There was no threat in his eyes, no malice in his posture, he looked utterly relaxed and even comfortable.

"Stick around for awhile babe," he muttered leaning closer to her lips. Tifa waited to see if he would close those last few millimeters, but he just waited, proof that he would not force her and if she wanted to leave all she had to do was go. In a way, her wish had come true. The Reno that she caught glimpses of stalking her in the shadows was grinning down at her. The cocky and flirtatious look was back in his blue eyes. He was the stereotype of the guy that all girls' parents warn them about, only to Tifa he was particularly dangerous. She was confident that the only problem he would have in killing her right then and there would be the blood on his white sheets. Even then, if his boss called him and gave the order to do it, he still would. There was no soul behind those blue eyes, there was nothing but cruelty disguised as practicality and obedience to superiors.

"I shouldn't," she muttered turning her head so that his lips brushed against her cheek. To her weak protest Reno only laughed, his breath tickling just beneath her ear cause a small shiver to run through Tifa's body. That involuntary reaction was the only invitation that the red headed Turk needed to begin his assault on the sensitive skin of and below he ear. Tifa squirmed, wriggled, gasped, and panted.

"I can make it worth your while."

"You're going to need a better sales pitch," she muttered catching her breath. Reno gave her the best he could come up with on the spot and apparently it was good enough for Tifa.

[...]

Hours later Tifa stood under the scalding water of the shower in Reno's apartment still cursing herself. She needed to start thinking straight and get her head out of the clouds. Clouds? She hadn't seen clouds or the real sky in years, since she came to Midgar. Why was she thinking about clouds? What did they even look like anymore? That was not important, she needed to really leave this time. First she needed to shower and wash the scent of him off her skin. His cologne and whatever it was that made him smell like him was clinging to her skin and no amount of hot water was getting that out. She could only use one of the extra bars of soap that was lying around his medicine cabinet because using his body wash was out of the question. It was bed enough that she would have to borrow one of his shirts considering that her's was ruined. Her bra was still AWOL and Tifa was the type of girl who needed to wear it or else everyone would know. The suspenders that held up her skirt had been located on the outside of his bedroom door and the skirt was there as well.

"You're an idiot Tifa," she scolded herself turning the hot water up higher. The steam in the bathroom was getting so thick that soon it would make it difficult to breath, but Tifa still turned the knob and scrubbed her body. They did not make water hot enough to get her clean. She had just done a very taboo act; you were not, under any circumstances, to sleep with your enemy. It was in the rulebook: The hero is not to consort or in any way associate with his/her enemy. It was wrong but it had been so sinfully delicious that she could not help but to keep it as a fond memory, even if that beautiful reverie were tainted with shame.

A pounding on the bathroom door brought her out of her mind and back to reality, where she needed to be. This dream world had to end; she had to go back to being Tifa Lockheart of Avalanche and he had to go back to being Reno... something... of the Turks. The fun was over and the real world was threatening to crush both of them to death if they kept playing pretend as if they were children.

"Hey, you done yet? That water ain't free yo," Reno screamed through the door still pounding. Tifa turned off the water and searched for a towel, the only problem being that there were none to be found. Apparently Reno was a fan of dripping dry. Were she alone in her own apartment Tifa would have thought nothing of walking around in the buff, but she knew that Reno was probably waiting right outside the door. Call her weird, but she was just a little embarrassed about the situation that they were in. She had spent the majority of her time there nude, but the idea of him seeing her now was troublesome.

"You don't have any towels in here," she called through the door, hoping he would take the hint to either leave her be until she could get to where he clothes had been piled or get her a towel.

"I know that, I happen to live here in case you forgot. Now are you done?" he replied. Tifa could only huff in response and steel her nerves enough to open the door and step out. She tried to brush past Reno but he managed to catch her arm and spin her back to face him. Tifa could not help but to blush and look down as he examined her.

"I need to go Reno," she pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah just give me a minute," he muttered. "It would be easier if you weren't an enemy to Shin-ra and so damn smart. You should have just been born an empty-headed broad."

"Thanks?" Tifa had no response to that. He had just told her that she should have been born dumb. Was he calling her intelligent? And what would have been easier? It was all confusion and Tifa turned to pull her arm out of Reno's hand. He smirked and let her saunter back off to his bedroom where he had put all of her clothing.

"Borrow what you need babe," he called while shutting the door. Once inside Reno followed the same routine as Tifa, trying to scrub the feel and scent of her off his skin. They were pretending that they were outwardly okay with the situation that they were in, but within their minds were muddled with guilt and fear.

Tifa had found her bra and slipped her skirt on, not bothering with her panties. It would be better to leave them as a reminder for Reno. She would have one of his white dress shirts and he would have her underwear, fair trade she thought while laughing. Before she could grab the shirt off the bed, Reno came barging into the room. He was naked and soaking wet, not an unpleasant sight but Tifa could not afford to get distracted again. The Turk only gave her a passing glance as he moved through the room searching for his blue Turk suit. He pulled a rumpled shirt, jacket, and pants from the bottom of his closet; apparently the pressed ones that were hanging up were not what he wanted. By the time Tifa got her suspenders fastened he was fully dressed in his usual messy manner.

"Don't you ever try to look presentable?"

"Naw, so long as I look good. That's all that matters," he grumbled while rummaging through a drawer in the table beside his bed. "Speaking of which, come'mere."

"What?" she asked walking towards him with an arched eyebrow. Reno stopped his search and stood up. Without warning he grabbed Tifa's face and crushed his lips against hers. While Tifa was distracted by his kissing expertise he pulled the dress shirt from her skirt, unbuttoned the bottom few buttons and tied it around her waist.

"You can't look like an innocent girl coming from my apartment, my neighbors might start to worry," he said stepping back. After looking her over for a moment he smiled. "You know, with some pigtails and knee socks you'd pull off that school girl look."

"You got a thing for school girls, perv?

"No, I like my women legal in which case I'm confused as to why I brought you home," he chuckled releasing her. "Come on, let's get you out of here and me to work yo."

"So I walk home and you follow me? I mean that seems to be a usual day at the office for you," she chided.

"Cute," he grumbled motioning for her to follow him. Before he opened the door to his apartment she made sure that she pulled her fighting gloves on. Reno may have been calling for back up while she was in the shower. The last thing Tifa wanted or needed was to be ambushed by a group of Shin-ras. Reno smirked as he looked at her hands before opening the door, she really was a smart girl. He would potentially kill to have her in the Turks and on his team. "After you babe."

"How sweet of you," she groaned rolling her eyes. The two walked down the stairs in silence until they reached the alley where they would part ways.

"We can't escape who we are, this is where the illusion ends," Reno said giving Tifa a parting hug and grope. She pulled him in for another kiss as his hands massaged her butt. "No panties, you little freak." He muttered against her lips as he pulled her short skirt up those few fractions of an inch.

"A little present to remember by," Tifa whispered.

"Run away with me babe."

"If I were someone else and somewhere else, I would." Tifa said pulling away from Reno and walking down the alley that would take her back to her bar. Both knew the next time they met they would be enemies trying to kill her. It was only a matter of time until Avalanche was exposed. Tifa was living on borrowed time. In the end, she hoped that it would be Reno to pull the trigger and end her life. Reno hoped that if he were to die a Turk that it would be her hands that take that last breath from his body. It only seemed right. He would not hold back and neither would she. Still neither of them would even be able to forget the night that they were kindred spirits, the night that they needed an escape, and found one at the bottom of a bottle and in a tangle of bed sheets. Nothing would ever stop them from wishing that they could be someone else and someplace else.

Like the ending? I actually had an idea to continue but it falls just after the events of AC. Perhaps Reno and Tifa get the chance to run away together or maybe Tifa's still so hung up on Cloud that she refuses Reno's offer yet again.

I hate Cloud Strife, how can he just ignore a woman like Tifa... (huff puff huff puff)... sorry enough Cloud hating. :)