Disclaimer : I do not own FFVII, Crisis Core, Advent Children, or any of the characters that you recognise. As much as I love these guys, they belong to those other guys.

Chapter 8 : Rumours, Rumours, Rumours.

"So, why Icicle Inn for a holiday? Didn't you guys buy a villa in Costa del Sol?" Reno tilted his head slightly as he returned from the fridge with a third beer for each of them. Tifa was already beginning to relax slightly thanks to the alcohol, though Reno reckoned she was anything but a lightweight. Most barmaids could hold their drinks, he'd found. Tifa finished off the drink in her hand and set it down as Reno handed her another. She shook her head, her hair sliding over her shoulders. Reno noticed it had grown longer since he'd seen her last, though not quite as long as it had been when he'd first met her.

"That was Cloud who bought the villa. He lets us use it whenever we want but I wanted to get away from... everything." Tifa explained with a slight frown. She didn't want to go into much detail. This was Reno she was talking to, not one of her friends. She took another drink and looked away from his gaze. He lifted an eyebrow but took the hint she didn't wanna talk about it. He'd just got her to chill out, he didn't wanna push her walls back up again.

"Fair enough. Icicle Inn is as good a place as any to get away from everything."

"What about you? Why here?" Tifa turned back to look at him. Reno shifted in his seat slightly but kept his expression neutral. She thought she saw his eyes flash a little.

"Just wanted away from Edge. I travelled around for a bit but I've been here about six months. It's quiet, I get left alone to do my own thing so it suits me. Change of pace." He replied in a tone that made it clear he didn't want to go into why he was here any more than she did. Tifa looked down at her beer, picking again at the label. Reno looked at her, then at the little pile of discarded labels beside her empty bottles on the table. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. She caught him out the corner of her eye and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothin'."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Tifa narrowed her eyes slightly as she continued to pick at the label. Reno's grin widened.

"No reason, it's just... that's an interesting habit you've got there."

"Huh? Oh!" Tifa noticed the little pile of labels in front of her. She hadn't realised she still did that. She put the beer in her hand on the table and folded her hands. "Sorry. I didn't even know I was doing it." She apologised, noticing the grin on Reno's face didn't falter.

"No need to apologise. It's not a big deal."

"Then why are you grinning like that?"

"It's just... you've never heard what they say about people who pick labels off their beer?"

"What? It's just a form of fidgeting, isn't it?" Tifa blinked a couple of times as she looked at the labels again. Reno couldn't help but chuckle.

"If you haven't heard after all your years in a bar, I ain't tellin' ya now!" He laughed, polishing off the last of his bottle and standing to get another. Tifa quickly got to her feet and waved him back down.

"I'll get these ones. On the condition you tell me what people say about label pickers." She called over her shoulder as she trotted over to the fridge. She had jumped up a little fast and felt her head spin ever so slightly. What beer number is this? Damn, all I've had is a sandwich. But this stuff tastes so good. Reno looked over his shoulder into his open kitchen as Tifa bent over to reach the beers at the back of the fridge. With each beer, he was feeling less guilty about enjoying the view. And those jeans were rather snug around her hips. He whipped his head back around as Tifa stood up and wandered back into the livingroom with the beers and sat down. He noticed she sat a little further round the table this time round. He wondered if she was aware she had moved closer to him.

Holding out his hand to offer to open the beer, Reno nodded his head at the table. Tifa shook her head in response and picked up one of her empty bottles. Tilting it against the closed bottle, she popped the cap off in one smooth motion. Reno's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she handed him the open drink. She smiled as she opened her own.

"So. The rumours?" Tifa grinned a little more as she took a swig of her drink. Reno wasn't the only one with hidden bottle-opening talents, it seemed. He blinked at her a few times before shaking his head slightly and grinning in return.

"Well. Keep in mind I didn't make this up. And ya can't hit me when I tell ya."

"Why would I hit you?" Tifa questioned, curiosity getting the better of her now. Reno's grin widened.

"For all I know, it could hit a nerve."

"I doubt that." Tifa snorted as she lifted her bottle to her lips again. She really had to slow down on the drinking.

"Well... They say if you pull labels off your beer bottles, it means you're sexually frustrated." Reno said matter-of-factly, just as Tifa took a mouthful of her drink. "And if ya manage to get them off whole, it means yer gonna get lucky." He finished. Tifa's eyes flashed to the pile of perfectly intact labels on the table and she couldn't help but spit out the mouthful of beer. Reno collapsed into peels of laughter as she coughed and spluttered, frantically scrunching up the discarded labels.

"That is not true!" Tifa squeaked as she stuffed most of the labels into one of the empty bottles. She wiped at her mouth with the sleeve of her polo shirt as Reno almost fell over with laughter, clutching his stomach. She glared at him, but she couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Sorry! I ain't even mad that you just spat beer all over my floor, your face was fuckin' priceless!" Reno laughed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. Tifa propped her fists onto her hips and pouted at him.

"Well I was gonna apologise and clean it up, but not after that!" She huffed. Reno couldn't help but grin widely. He saw her glaring, but couldn't help but notice her eyes were sparkling with amusement. Along with her flushed cheeks, and her pouted lips which were glistening slightly with drops of beer, Reno couldn't ignore the slight flip of his stomach. Damn, Tifa looks good with her hair down. And I don't mean without her ponytail. He mused to himself as Tifa lifted her bottle again. He noticed her shiver slightly, and when he looked past her he noticed the fire was dying down slightly. Putting his drink on the table, he got up and went to throw another log or two on the fire.

Tifa watched him as he walked past her and hunched down to stoke the fire. Her eyes roamed over his back as his white t-shirt pulled taught over his skin as he leaned forward. She has always thought of Reno as scrawny, even more so than Cloud who was mostly lean muscle. But as he prodded at the fire, she saw his lat muscles working under his clothing. She followed the line of his body up and noticed that his arms, while slim, were mostly taught with muscle, his triceps flexing slightly as he twisted the poker in the fire. She found herself staring through half lidded eyes before he shook his head and the red ponytail flashing at the corner of her vision brought her back to the present. Tifa quickly whirled her head back around, the temperature in her cheeks rising. Oh my god, did I just actually find Reno attractive for a moment? RENO?! I need to lay off the beer. She thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut as she took another drink. She opened her eyes and looked at the bottle in her hand before laughing at herself. Reno had finished with the fire and made his way back to the couch, looking at her quizzically. She shook her head and waved her hand. Shrugging, Reno picked his beer back up and drained the rest of it.

"I dunno about you, but I'm startin' to get bored of the beer. I'm gonna get somethin' a bit stronger." He said by way of explanation as he stood up again. Tifa watched him as he wandered back into the kitchen and opened the cupboard above the fridge. she could make out a few different bottles, all filled to varying levels with amber liquid. He picked one out and grabbed two small glasses before heading back to the couch and sitting down. Without looking at her, he pulled the lid off the bottle and poured a small amount into each glass. Reno replaced the lid and pushed one glass across the table to her. Tifa set down her beer and picked up the glass, swishing the liquid inside slowly. she raised it to her nose and instantly recoiled. Whisky. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but after the soft scent of the beer, it had caught her off guard. She looked up at Reno as he lifted his own glass to his lips with a grin.

"Whisky, Reno? Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked, raising his glass to her nose again. Now that she knew was she was dealing with, she inhaled deeply and noticed a spicy yet peaty scent. She heard Reno chuckle.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If you're a lightweight or not."

AN: That is just one of those responses that just oozes the word 'challenge'. It's worked on me a few times! I don't turn down a drinking challenge. It was during one such challenge that the sexual tension label connection was brought to my attention. Anyone else ever heard that one?