Ahhhh…running out of ideas already! I'm still open for any suggestions!

Thanks to my dad for unintentionally giving me a last name for Reno xD

All places and/or street names I make up unless otherwise specified!

Chapter 3

The bar was packed, not to Tifa's surprise. She spent the first half hour behind the counter with Jessie, a pretty 21-year-old with straight brown hair that she normally kept in a bun or ponytail. She was another member of Deliverance, and worked at the police station with Barret during the day.

"Oh, thank goodness you're back!" she said to Tifa. "You've no idea how many guys have been asking about you." She waggled her eyebrows, then in a lower voice said, "I heard about your mission. Good job."

Tifa nodded. "Thanks." After awhile Jessie went out from behind the counter to make her rounds of the tables, armed with a rag and a bottle of cleaning solution, making small-talk with the customers. Five minutes later a tall man with piercing hazel eyes approached the bar and took a seat on one of the stools near Tifa.

"What can I get you, sir?" she asked him.

"Double martini, please, on the rocks." He flashed her a dazzling smile; he was very attractive, Tifa noticed as she slid the drink across the counter to him. She hadn't seen him before.

The man took a sip of the martini, then smiled at her again over the rim of the glass. "Were you not already serving them, I would ask if I could buy you a drink."

Tifa smiled at him as she filled a shot glass of whiskey and handed it to a man seated farther down the bar. "I would have to decline. I don't particularly like alcohol that much." Not to mention that Aerith would kill her if she ever came home drunk.

"How ironic," the man said, sipping his drink. His hazel eyes glinted with amusement. For some reason Tifa wanted to distance herself from him- she didn't like the vibe she was picking up. Something seemed…off.

Stop it, she told herself. You're being paranoid. "Would you like anything else?" she asked him.

"Oh, no, thank you." He glanced at his watch. "Oh, dear. I must get going. Have a nice evening, miss…?" He gave her a questioning glance.

She didn't know what made her say it, but she found herself answering, "Marlene."

"Marlene." That smile again. He paid for his drink, and Tifa could not shake the feeling of relief as he left the bar. A few minutes later Jessie came behind the counter, and Tifa went out to the tables. As she cleaned up a spilled tequila, a hand squeezed her right buttock, and she whirled around, an angry retort springing to her lips, to see a grinning man with red hair and aqua-colored eyes.

"Well, look who's back," said Reno Syn.

Tifa folded her arms. "Touch my ass again and watch what happens," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Aw, come on," Reno said, feigning hurt. "Is that any way to greet me?" He caught sight of her exposed arms, and his eyes widened. "What the hell happened to-?"

"Fell down the stairs," Tifa said, suppressing the urge to sigh. "Now what are you doing here?"

Reno ran a hand through his hair, looking rather subdued. "Are you still mad?"

Tifa felt all of the air rush out of her. "No, Reno," she said finally. "It's not a big deal."

He looked relieved. "Can I make it up to you?"

"If making it up means you won't get drunk off your ass and puke all over my car, then yes," Tifa said pointedly. Reno had the decency to look ashamed, and Tifa's voice softened. 'What, did you think I wouldn't be your friend anymore?"

"Something like that." Reno flashed her his boyish grin.

"Honestly, Reno."

"What?"

Tifa rolled her eyes, then gave him a swat with her cleaning rag. "You are such a dork, you know that?"

Reno pretended to think. "Well, seeing as how you've been telling me that for the past year or so…" He grinned again, but Tifa noticed a peculiar look in his aqua eyes. Something was different, but before she could open her mouth to inquire he said, "I gotta go- Rude's waiting outside, and I said I was just going to pop in and see if you were here. I'll call you later. Tell Aerith hi for me."

"All right," said Tifa. She aimed another swat at him with the rag, but he danced out of the way with that silly grin still on his face. Then he was gone.

Jessie popped up beside Tifa moments later. "Who was that?"

Tifa smiled, aware of the suggestive look Jessie was giving her, complete with raised eyebrows. "A friend," she replied.

"He was cute," Jessie grinned.

"He's just a friend, Jessie," Tifa repeated firmly.

"Oh! Then he's single?"

"Uhm…I guess so…?"

Jessie laughed. "Sorry, Teef. I couldn't resist. He is cute, though." She took the cleaning supplies, and Tifa went behind the counter again. At about ten forty-five Jessie left for the night, and Tifa stayed to handle the late-night stragglers until closing time an hour later. She made sure the bar was locked up, then went out to her car.

"Aerith, of course, was waiting up for her when she walked through the door. "Everything go all right?" she asked, delicately covering a yawn. She was dressed in her favorite pink sheath nightgown, one of the narrow straps hanging off her shoulder. The thin material shushed softly against her thighs as she stood up.

"Yep," said Tifa. "Reno dropped by. He says hi."

Aerith smiled, shaking her rich, dark brown hair loose from its long braid. "He's a real sweetheart," she said.

Tifa snorted. "Oh, yeah. Getting drunk and throwing up all over my car was really sweet of him."

"That was a bit immature," Aerith agreed.

"He said he'd make it up to me. As he should." Tifa rubbed her aching eyes. She really need to sleep. Aerith noticed this and gently ushered her up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Get some rest," she said. "I won't wake you up in the morning."

"You really are an angel." Tifa grinned as a pale pink blush rose in Aerith's cheeks. She blew her a kiss, then then shut her door and changed into a pair of black cotton pajama shorts and a red tank top. She paused long enough to comb out her long, dark hair, then fell into a deep- and, to her relief when she woke up in the morning, dreamless- sleep.

VVVVV

The first thing Tifa did when she had showered and dressed was check her phone. Reno had called at 10:47, saying that he was free for lunch if she felt like it. She dialed his number and waited.

He picked up on the second ring. "Tifa?"

"Mhm. You mentioned lunch?"

"Yeah. I'm heading over to Cecily's at about 12:30."

"I'll meet you there, then."

An hour later she was seated in a booth, listening to the snatches of conversation around her while she waited for Reno. Cecily's Restaurant and Café was almost always full, like the 7th Heaven on Friday and Saturday nights.

"I don't see how he could've done that…"

"Doesn't everybody know that about him?"

"That cheating bastard…I knew that he was trouble…"

"You got engaged? That's wonderful!"

Tifa took a slow sip of her water and lowered the glass to see Reno approaching her. Jessie was right: Reno was very attractive. He'd just walked through the door and already girls were turning their heads. She was sure one or two were undressing him with their eyes.

"Heya, Teefie," he said as he slid into the seat across from her.

Tifa made a face. "I told you not to call me that."

"Sorry.' He didn't look it. "So how did your trip go? I tried calling a few times, but you never answered."

Of course she couldn't have answered, what with being stripped of her possessions and locked up like an animal. "It was fine," she said, keeping her tone light. "Just visited a cousin. We haven't seen each other in awhile, so it was good to catch up." She felt awful for lying, but she couldn't tell him the truth. She had already stretched the rule with Aerith, and she doubted Reno would he as supportive.

"Ah, I see." Reno's aqua eyes scanned the menu as he spoke. Tifa was surprised that he hadn't memorized it by now, considering how often they came to the place. He always ordered the same thing, anyway.

A young waitress approached their booth, staring openly at Reno with thickly lashed blue eyes. "What can I get for you today?" she asked, barely giving Tifa a second glance.

Reno gave her a dazzling smile. "Salami, cheese, and fried egg on toast, please."

The waitress made a note on her pad. "Anything else?"

Tifa cleared her throat, and the waitress unwillingly tore her eyes away from Reno to look at her. "I'll have the same thing," she said.

After the waitress walked away, Tifa said, "That gets really annoying."

"Do I hear jealousy?" Reno teased.

Tifa gave him an "oh please" look. "Come on, Reno. I'm surprised you couldn't read her mind, the way she was looking at you."

"And you could?" He sounded interested.

"I might as well have. And it's not just her. Half the women in this place would let you take them right on one of the tables."

Reno grinned boyishly. "Funny how I never noticed. And that bothers you…why?"

"It's…" Tifa couldn't find the right words for what she was feeling. Reno was teasing and flirtatious by nature and didn't even seem to realize it. He unknowingly encouraged girls with his charming, easy smiles. Tifa didn't like that. She found herself worrying about how easily girls allowed themselves to be taken in by something as trivial as good looks. They should be more cautious.

Reno was gazing at her curiously, brow furrowed. She hoped her face hadn't betrayed anything. "Never mind," she said. "You're just too much of a stud for your own good." She smirked and lightly kicked his lower leg beneath the table. A few minutes later the waitress returned with their food, smiling flirtatiously at Reno before walking off.

As they ate, Tifa became increasingly aware of Reno staring at her periodically, looking away whenever she caught his blue-green eyes. She'd known him long enough to deduce that something was bothering him. He even paid for the lunch without a single gripe or sarcastic remark like he normally did. Yes. Something was definitely bothering him.

"What's up, Foxy?" she asked once they had left Cecily's. Being only 5 foot 4, she had to tilt her head back to make eye contact with him.

"Uh." He seemed to waver under the intensity of her gaze. Finally he blurted, "Tifa, I want to take you out."

Tifa stared at him, bewildered. "Please don't answer right away. But please think about it," he went on quickly. He gave her a fleeting smile, then clambered into his black Mustang and drove away, leaving her standing there gazing after him.

VVVVV

"And then he drove away," Tifa said.

Aerith sighed softly. "I'm surprised he waited so long."

"Huh?" Tifa blinked, and Aerith sighed again.

"He came to me about a month ago," she said. "He said it'd been coming on for awhile."

"So that's why he groped my ass," Tifa muttered, though she doubted that. Reno was very lax when it came to personal space. She threw herself onto the couch facedown into a pillow, suddenly exhausted. She was not looking forward to work.

"So what are you thinking, Teef?"

Tifa forced herself into a sitting position and simply stared at Aerith in silence. If there was anything she could rely on Aerith for, it was her understanding without a need for an explanation.

"I expected that." Her green eyes were compassionate, free of blame.

Tifa sighed. "Yeah."