A/N: Rated M for language and sexual content. Standard disclaimer applies. If you don't like sex scenes, please skip them.

Updated 6/19/2020: Edits throughout. Lots more angst from Tifa. More information from Elena. New scene with Reno near the end.

Chapter 6:

Tifa lay on the floor of her bar, her chest to the wood planks and her hands under her chin for support; her legs stretched out behind her. The bar was empty, except for her, Rude, and Reno.

Reno kneeled behind her and between her legs, his gaze transfixed on the wound on her upper thigh. It was not a place she had ever wanted him to be. He had already proven himself to be of ill-intent when he had commented on the color of her panties. She could only imagine what he was actually thinking about while in such close proximity to her nether region. She could feel his eyes boring into her even though she couldn't see him, and she knew his thoughts had to be impure. She could gag.

She flinched as Reno stitched her up, his hands pressing and pinching the sensitive skin of her thigh. She suddenly felt heat building in her abdomen based on where his hands were, and it frightened her. She bit her lower lip as she cursed herself for getting turned on by what was happening, and by Reno, of all people. This was the man who caused her so much grief, so much anguish, and had initiated most of her guilt. The only man to cause her more distress was Sephiroth who had killed her best friend, her father, and nearly killed her. But Sephiroth's actions were his own; Reno's actions were in response to something she had done.

Reno tried to murder one-seventh of the population of the largest city on earth, and succeeded in killing two of her best friends. What would they think if they could see her now, letting Reno touch her and get so close he could kill her? She shut her eyes tight, knowing that they could see her from heaven. She just hoped they understood.

As she continued to lie there, she noticed Reno's hand had started to travel further up her leg and away from the wound. His fingers tapped softly along her skin, first on the back of her thigh and then moving over to her inner thigh. His fingertips were just barely grazing her skin, but it was causing heat to pool in her abdomen. The butterflies seemed hungry.

She knew she needed to stop him, to spin around and kick him in the face for his transgression, but she had to admit his delicate touch was enticing.

"Reno…" she cooed in a tone that surprised even herself.

She heard herself moan slightly as his hand reached the hem of her miniskirt and lingered for a moment. His thumb traced the line of her skirt briefly before gently pressing against her skin to gain entry underneath.

No, this is wrong. But damn did it feel good, and it had been too long since she had felt a man's touch.

She said nothing as his fingers continued their way up her leg, under her skirt, causing a shiver to run up her spine. Her heart began to beat faster as she felt his body hovering over her back, his face inches from her ear.

"Tell me how you want it," Reno whispered. It made goosebumps appear on Tifa's skin.

Before she could respond, she felt something under her skirt, poking at her panties – the tip of his cock. She was soon damp with anticipation and yearning, shocked at her willingness and newfound exhibitionism.

She looked at the door, knowing that at any moment Cloud could come home and they could resume their once happy family life. Oh God. She hadn't actually broken up with Cloud, had she? He had been gone four months without a single word, could she really consider him to still be her boyfriend?

She had only ever had eyes for him, and now she was cheating on him with one of his most hated adversaries. The worst part was that the idea of cheating turned her on more at this particular moment. What she was doing was wrong, and Tifa had always tried to do what was right.

"Reno, we shouldn't," she whispered in a tone that had no assertiveness to it.

He didn't acknowledge that she had said anything. Instead, he moved his hands to her hips and pulled them sharply into the air as he sat up on his knees behind her. She looked around to find Rude watching, his arms folded across his chest and no look of concern on his face. Her eyes pleaded with him for help, but he didn't move. Why isn't he helping me? Doesn't he have a crush on me? Why would he let Reno do this?

A moment later, Reno was inside her. She couldn't remember how he got her panties off or when he removed his own pants and boxers. He was clearly taking her and wouldn't listen to her protests. She had never been so "bad" in her life, and she found it exhilarating.

With each thrust of his hips, Tifa felt her insides getting warmer. Cloud never treated her like this – like she was an object or a piece of meat. He had always treated her with love and respect, and it turned her on just as much.

But this, this physical pleasure was too much for her to take. She knew she was getting close to releasing her own pleasure and found herself repeating the red-headed Turks name over and over again.

Before she could release, Tifa woke up to feel herself pulsing wildly. Her heart was racing, and she was drenched in sweat.

No. God, no, she said to herself as she realized what she had just dreamed - and what her mind had thought of in the dream. Never in a million years would she ever consider cheating on Cloud; and it would never turn her on. It was just a stupid dream, but her dream self was right to question whether she could still consider Cloud her boyfriend when she hadn't heard from him in four months.

Tifa was no stranger to sex dreams, but she had never had one about someone she had once found so odious. Usually such dreams were reserved for Cloud, or someone from her distant past. Once she had a particularly embarrassing one about a certain towheaded pilot from Rocket Town. It happened shortly after they had met the foul-mouthed spear wielder, and boy was that day awkward.

She brought her hands up to her head as her body finally calmed down. It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything, and one couldn't control what they dreamed about. But now she couldn't get it out of her head. Reno had somehow burrowed into her brain, his sardonic grin mocking her without even knowing it. His features were taunting her. His spikey, flaming red hair; those intense, smoldering eyes that must have once been some sort of creepy hazel color (creepy in the sense that the color would clash with his pale skin and red hair) but now had a mako glow that made them appear aquamarine. Those tattoos under his eyes that always seemed to be laughing, even if he wasn't. His lips, always curled upward. His sense of humor and the way he could make her laugh even if he didn't say anything particularly funny.

No. No, no, no, no, no! She would not let a dream get the best of her. She was not attracted to Reno, just like she was never attracted to Cid. So why did this feel different? Okay, so, she could admit he was objectively good looking without finding him attractive herself, right? Like that time Yuffie admitted she thought Sephiroth was hot even though he was insane and evil. Tifa and Aerith chastised her for the comment, but they could understand what she was saying. The three women had several conversations of a similar nature - not about Sephiroth, but other people they met along the way - as they traveled.

Tifa was only even thinking this about Reno because she was so heartbroken over Cloud, she told herself, and was looking for a distraction and Reno, more than Rude, cheered her up with his comments and flirtations, even if she knew it was just an act he put on.

She hated that she would spend the rest of the day thinking about Reno in this new light. He may not be the same threat he once was, but he was still a Turk and still one of the men who murdered her friends in Sector 7. He may not have been the one who pushed the final button, but he started the process. His regret and everything he has done to atone since didn't matter. Tifa was just starting to accept the idea that she saw the Turks as acquaintances, she would never be ready to accept one as a crush.

She spent her atypically long shower daydreaming; reliving the dream from the night before. She just couldn't get it out of her head. Cloud hadn't touched her for six months before he finally left, and even though the dream was about someone she claimed to still despise, the intimate feelings it provided were welcome. She just tried to imagine Cloud in place of Reno.

"Tifa?" Marle asked while Tifa was helping at the orphanage.

She hadn't even realized she zoned out. She was standing in the backyard of the building, tilting a watering can forward onto some vegetable sprouts that were now overwatered. She immediately pulled the watering can away and blushed.

"I'm sorry."

"You okay?" Marle asked. "You've been pretty distant today."

Tifa turned her head to hide her face as she turned a deeper shade of red.

"It's nothing, Marle," she lied. "Just out of it today, I guess."

Marle regarded her suspiciously and lingered to watch a moment more. Tifa tried harder to pay attention to what she was doing, but her thoughts kept wafting back to that dream. She wished she could kick her brain for putting these thoughts in her head.

"Well, let me know if you need anything," Marle knew enough about Tifa's moods to know when she needed to talk and when she needed to be left alone. This was one of those latter times. If Tifa wanted to talk about something, she would.

When it was time for Tifa to continue on with her errands, Marle placed a hand on either of the younger woman's shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"If you need anything, you'll call, right?" she asked.

Tifa nodded with a slight smile. Her stupid dream was causing Marle to pity her. Stupid Reno.

Tifa headed to the theater, trying to push the dream from her head, but it kept cropping back up. Suddenly she found herself not just thinking about the dream, but some of her other interactions with Reno as well. She knew how he treated other women and told herself he wasn't treating her any differently; he was just a flirtatious person. Rude actually liked her, but Reno, if anything, would only want her for her body. It was these thoughts that finally allowed her to concentrate on some of the plywood she was helping to cut at the theater. Remembering what she hated about Reno allowed her to push the dream out of her mind and focus on construction.

She still prayed he wouldn't come to the bar that night.

Later…

Elena knew.

She wasn't the most clandestine of the Turks, but her ability to quickly and accurately assess subtle nuances in behavior to gain insight into her targets was unmatched. It's why she had been promoted as a Turk despite her big mouth and inability to control her emotions.

Even Tseng was impressed with her skills, having figured out she was more astute than either he or Rude during a particularly humbling game of poker.

Elena had started at Shinra years before Sephiroth's return and Meteor with the dream of one day getting promoted to the Turks. Her sister, Emma, was already a Turk, and Elena had been locked in an intense rivalry with her since they were kids. Emma, however, was older, so she always won. She had a boyfriend first, she got a job first, she became a Turk first. Emma became a Turk before Elena even graduated from university, even though she went to classes year-round to try and graduate sooner. Soon after graduation, Elena was hired by Shinra full-time and was on track to someday become a Turk, she hoped.

During her first week as an employee, she developed a little crush on Reno after seeing him stroll through the building with a confidence that told her and every other woman in the company that he had been there and knew exactly what he was doing. She quickly realized that most female employees – and even some of the men – had developed an attraction for the fiery redhead. When he'd walk by, with his shirt unbuttoned and that cocky grin displayed with a wink at any woman he passed, the women swooned. Elena, being so young, couldn't help but get caught up in his masculine aura.

Within months, however, Elena was bombarded with rumors and gossip about Reno's womanizing that made her rethink her crush and even see him as potentially diseased. Plus, she learned that Emma had slept with him. Emma beat her once again, Elena stewed, until she found out Reno never called her back. It made her like Reno slightly more at the time, since he hurt her rival, but her crush was as good as dead.

She decided to focus on his work attitude, since she did want to be his coworker someday. She figured it would be a bad idea to despise a coworker, though having a crush on a superior didn't seem like a good idea either. Still, after several years with the company, Elena had developed feelings for someone else – Tseng.

Tseng was handsome, stoic, mysterious. He showed Elena that Turks didn't have to be brutal killers all the time. She felt like she had developed some deep connection with him when he told her that he had allowed Aerith to avoid capture for the past decade despite his orders.

She had been talking to him about her desire to be a Turk, which he only knew about because she blurted it out at him one day when he asked why she had been staring at him. She felt it was better to say that than to tell him she was in love with him.

Elena first suspected Reno had a secret during their first mission together in Gongaga after he Rude had fought AVALANCHE atop the Sector 7 pillar. She had overheard their little conversation about crushes and could swear she detected a hint of anger, hurt, and confusion in his response to Rude saying he liked Tifa. At the time, Elena placed the suspicion in the back of her mind and went about her business, silently cursing the men for discussing her crush on Tseng and his affection for the Cetra girl. Later that evening, her suspicions about Reno would be heightened.

She had been out with Reno a few times before that mission. Tseng had introduced them over drinks to get her familiar with her new coworkers after she had become a Turk. Elena watched as Reno methodically entranced a different woman each night before eventually leaving with her while the rest of the Turks finished drinking. Each night, Reno took his time to romance the women, telling them things Elena wished Tseng would say to her. She saw Reno act as if he had just met the love of his life; the first woman he had ever been attracted to. She knew it was all lies, but she marveled at his ability to seem so sincere about it all.

After Reno and Rude fought AVALANCHE outside Gongaga, however, Reno seemed different. Elena knew he had fought Cloud, Tifa, and Nanaki, while the other members of AVALANCHE traveled separately.

The Turks met for drinks later that night. When Reno entered the bar, he didn't even stop to acknowledge her or Tseng. Instead, he eyed the first attractive woman he could find, walked right up to her and whispered something in her ear, and then ushered her to the back of the bar toward the rest rooms. Elena saw him pinch the woman's ass before they disappeared into a room in the back. She wasn't sure exactly how long he was gone – Tseng was drinking with them, after all – but she thought it must have been hours.

Elena suspected Reno's drastic change of behavior had something to do with the fight earlier but didn't want to make any assumptions about the exact reason. She hadn't seen him after his fight atop the pillar, so she had nothing to compare his actions to – that could just be how he acted after any major fight. Being new, she didn't want to ask Rude if Reno seemed off after their fight on the pillar. If her suspicions were wrong, she didn't want to spread rumors. At that time, Emma and about a dozen other former Turks were in hiding, leaving Elena as the only woman. She didn't want to fall into any gender stereotypes about being the office gossip.

During their vacation in Wutai, Elena had been shocked when Reno refused to fight Cloud and his friends. Reno had lifted his head initially when he saw Cloud Strife but lowered it after seeing Vincent and Aerith with him.

Flashback…

"Y—you!? How did you get here…?" Elena asked when the three members of AVALANCHE walked toward their table at the Turtle's Paradise pub. She jumped to her feet and prepared to fight right there in the bar. "Never mind that. I guess it's fate that brought us together. Get ready to die!"

Cloud and his friends drew their weapons. Elena perhaps had a bit much to drink and nearly laughed when Aerith drew her "weapon" – an umbrella. The look on the woman's face, still so determined to fight, tickled Elena. But the boys didn't seem to notice or care.

"… Elena, you talk too much," Reno scolded her, his gaze fixated on his drink. He was drunk, close to that fork in the road where he could either get into some serious debauchery or pass out. He veered toward debauchery when he saw Cloud stroll in, but now he was closing in on passing out. Reno was surprised to see the legendary Vincent Valentine with Cloud – but just for a moment. Reno had heard about Vincent and everything Hojo had done to him, everyone in the Turks knew about that, but no one had seen him in 30 years. It couldn't be a coincidence that Sephiroth had returned and so had Valentine.

Vincent was taller than Cloud, but Reno knew those AVALANCHE rats traveled in separate groups, but Cloud always had an entourage of two. His heart fluttered a moment – which at first, he thought might be a heart attack since he had never experienced such a feeling before – until he saw the Ancient bobbing along behind the two men. Reno sneered and returned to his drink, assuming Rude and Elena would follow his lead.

"W—what?" Elena asked, shocked that Reno wasn't itching to kill these AVALANCHE bastards.

"What are we doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?" the redhead asked as Cloud and his friends watched, their weapons still drawn.

"We're taking our vacation and resting up from our work," Elena said, slumping her shoulders.

She hadn't been a Turk for very long and hadn't even been in a fight with AVALANCHE yet. She was itching to get at them – especially Aerith.

"Now our vacation is ruined," Reno replied.

"B—but—" Elena stammered.

"… even the booze tastes bad now," Rude added.

As always, the two men had ganged up on her. She sighed and sat back down, mumbling "…sorry…"

Cloud and the others relaxed and put away their weapons as Reno and Rude tried to ignore them. Reno in particular was trying to get his mind off certain things; mainly the absence of Tifa. He was too drunk to leave the bar and go looking for her, even though he thought he might have a chance since Cloud was paling around with the Ancient. His legs weren't working anymore, however, so he decided to challenge Rude to a drinking contest instead.

"Drink, Rude!" he cheered. "How long have we been a team…?" Reno was slurring his words as he downed another shot. About five shot glasses were already empty near him. "There have been hard times being a Turk, but all in all, I'm glad I did it," Reno continued, his inhibitions lowered enough to tell AVALANCHE what he really thought. "I even got to meet a bunch of wing nuts like you."

"To the Turks… To Reno… cheers!" Rude said, his face red from alcohol.

They both had too much to drink that day. Elena was used to seeing them drunk, but not like that. Maybe they both were trying to forget something.

Elena had thought that Reno was originally considering the prospect of fighting Cloud yet again but quickly decided against it. Based on the other nuggets of information she had stored in her brain, she suspected things might have been different if a certain someone had been traveling with Cloud at that particular moment.

Present day…

It wasn't until after Rude and Reno fought Cloud, Yuffie, and Cid in the Gelnika that Elena was absolutely positive she had figured out the red-haired Turk. When she saw him after that – at a bar, of course – he picked up a woman with his charm, taking the entire night before asking her to leave with him.

The only difference between their fight in Gongaga, their vacation in Wutai, and the fight in the Gelnika was the absence of one woman: Tifa Lockhart.

After it all came together, Elena didn't even think she had uncovered some deep secret, as Reno hadn't been particularly subtle after the battle in Gongaga. Elena couldn't imagine that Rude and Tseng hadn't noticed, yet it seemed they hadn't.

Rude and Tseng were the ones that most embodied what it meant to be a Turk: quiet, ruthless, emotionless. Yet each of them let their love for a woman distract them from their jobs. Rude never hit Tifa in Gongaga, and Reno had teased him about it mercilessly afterward. It was another of the little things Elena had noticed. Reno seemed a little too interested in teasing Rude about Tifa. Rude had mumbled something about Reno constantly putting her in a pyramid, but that didn't deter the redhead's teasing.

Tseng's love for Aerith – unfortunate as Elena found it – prevented him from doing anything to make her willingly return to Shinra years before she had teamed up with AVALANCHE. Had Tseng done his job earlier, so many things might have been different.

Elena now found herself sitting at a table in Seventh Heaven. Reno and Rude were here practically every night – and she knew why. They tried to drag her out each time, but she refused. She didn't enjoy sitting around watching men gawk at another woman; it made her feel undesirable. She especially hated that her coworkers were there to gawk at this particular woman, whom they had all been ordered to kill several years ago. This woman, who stood against everything they worked so hard for, and who would gladly watch them all burn to death if she could, probably.

Her coworkers regaled her with stories from Seventh Heaven; about how Tifa didn't seem to hold ill-will against them anymore and how she even gave them free drinks once in a blue moon. Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing when they'd talk about the barmaid like she was their friend. Reno would prod Rude to ask her out now that she didn't hate them anymore and Rude would refuse. Elena wanted to tell them to shut up and forget about the busty brunette.

Elena hated Tifa. Hated how her coworkers fawned over her. Sure, Reno hid it well by picking up other women in the bar, but Elena knew. She hated how she was ignored if Tifa was in the room. She hated Tifa's thick, long, perfect hair. Her perfect legs. Her perfect breasts. Her perfect face. Elena sneered at the thought of the brunette bartender.

Elena didn't want to come to the bar that night, but Tseng had surprisingly accepted Rude and Reno's offer of free drinks. It was so rare when the boss agreed to join them – and this was the first time he ever agreed to go to Seventh Heaven – so Elena wasn't going to miss the ability to spend time with him outside of work. Elena was happy to have some company. Since Reno and Rude would be preoccupied, she would have Tseng all to herself.

Tifa had been shocked when Tseng entered her bar. She had been sure he died at the Temple of Ancients after Sephiroth stabbed him through the chest with his masamune blade. Aerith hadn't survived a similar attack. Cloud had survived it too, and it angered Tifa a little to know that the only person who seemed to lose their life to that freakin' sword happened to be her best female friend.

But it was now confirmed that Tifa had seen Tseng at the hospital during Meteorfall. She and Cloud had been searching for patients floor by floor at the hospital when she heard sounds coming from a room with a light still on. She was just about through her usual speech when she realized she was looking at Reno, Rude, and Tseng. The three froze when she leaned into the room – Reno bending over to gather Tseng's clothes and Rude helping Tseng, who was halfway through getting off the bed. Before Tifa could say another word, Cloud pulled her away.

It also proved to Tifa once and for all that the rumors swirling through Edge over the past couple years about Rufus Shinra surviving Weapon's attack and running the company from some secret base somewhere.

Sure, Reno and Rude had all but confirmed it a couple months earlier, but she hadn't seen any evidence of it other than the fact that the Turks still traveled together. Reno had said months ago that they worked "security" now. He may have been telling the truth, but she wondered what he really meant by that. Did they really just patrol Edge alongside the cops, taking out fiends that threatened the town? She found that hard to believe, especially since they all still wore their Turk suits.

But she also knew that Reeve was receiving support from someone or some corporation as he worked to develop Edge. Reeve was smart and ambitious, but Tifa had wondered if he were capable of true leadership over a prolonged period.

She carried a tray of drinks over to the table occupied by the Turks. Reno was several drinks in but showed little sign of inebriation. Rude was matching his partner drink-for-drink and Tseng and Elena were just receiving their second of the night. Tifa stood between Reno and Rude, who were seated closest to the bar with their backs to it. They were both trying their best to pretend they weren't there to watch Tifa.

The barmaid leaned over the table to hand Tseng and Elena their drinks, unaware that Reno was making crude gestures and expressions behind her derriere. Elena glared at him as he did so, Tseng didn't seem to notice, and Rude remained his emotionless self. Reno knew when Rude was amused, though, and right now he knew Rude was fighting back laughter in his own way.

What none of the other Turks saw, however, was Reno's nimble fingers slip Tifa's PHS out of her back pocket and under the table, between his thighs. He planned on having a little fun with her later.

As Tifa turned back to her perch behind the bar, Reno grabbed her wrist and pulled her back so that she fell onto his lap. Perhaps he was feeling some of the effects of alcohol. Tifa struggled to get up as Reno laughed. She was used to rowdy patrons making sudden moves on her, but today, of all days, was not the day she needed Reno to pull a move like that. He had just come dangerously close to recreating part of her dream before she managed to stand up and adjust the hem of her skirt, hoping her face wasn't as red as she thought.

She gave his shoulder a hard shove before turning and briskly walking back to her bar as Reno continued to be amused with his own antics. He quieted down and took a sip of his drink, his lips still curled into a smile that he wouldn't be able to shake the rest of the night no matter how hard he tried. He held the glass in front of him with both hands and stared at the liquid inside as he settled down.

Elena knew. She knew why Reno was acting that way. He was like a little kid with a crush, teasing the object of his affection. Elena bet he pulled girls' pigtails when he was a kid, though she could never picture Reno as an actual child.

Reno knew what he was doing, too. What Reno didn't know – but that Elena also knew – was that Reno wasn't just acting this way because he desired Tifa physically. Elena had never seen Reno act this way over any other woman. This was the longest, slowest, saddest pursuit Elena had ever seen from Reno. Literally, years, and tonight was the first night he even physically flirted with her. Prior to that it was just the odd sexual remark. Elena chuckled to herself before pitying her colleague. Reno was fiercely loyal to Rude, so Elena knew why the redhead wasn't really pursuing Tifa. It almost pained her to watch, since she knew Rude was never going to make a move. The move Reno pulled tonight had to be an indication that it was getting harder for him to control his feelings.

Elena suspected the incident tonight had to do with Reno suturing one of Tifa's wounds the other day. He had returned to their new office in an odd mood. He seemed, flustered, for lack of a better word. He carried with him his trademark grin, but Elena saw through it. She could practically see his heart aflutter. Just as tonight, he was trying to wipe the smile from his face, but his pale skin couldn't hide his pink-tinted cheeks. She almost wanted to tease him about it, but she knew her attempts always somehow ended with Reno and Rude ganging up on her.

There was something else Elena noticed tonight. She hadn't been to Seventh Heaven that often, certainly not for a month or so, and she had previously sat with Reno and Rude at the bar. On those occasions, Tifa almost never looked over at them. She was a skilled bartender and knew how long it took particular types of drunks to finish their beverages. She would only look over in the Turks' direction when one of them needed a drink, and she never made eye contact. She would just look at their glasses. She would then walk over and take their glasses so she could provide them new drinks, without objection from them. Elena listened as Reno and Rude talked about how friendly she had become with them, but her previous interactions with the bartender made her skeptical of their claims.

Tonight was different. Tonight, Elena caught Tifa looking over at their table – at Reno – throughout the night. Something had changed. Tifa had been predictably shocked and embarrassed when Reno pulled her onto his lap, but what he didn't see – what no one else at the table saw – was the look on Tifa's face in the brief moment as she turned her back to them.

Elena saw that Tifa's face was far too red. She wasn't angry, she was blushing. A smile formed on her lips as she turned and sauntered back to the bar. She walked with a slightly different gait than usual, like she was purposefully moving her hips more.

It clicked with Elena immediately. Tifa Lockhart, the woman who wished the Turks were dead. Tifa Lockhart, the woman who had herself tried to kill Elena's coworkers. Tifa Lockhart, member of AVALANCHE, a group dedicated to destroying Elena's employer. Tifa Lockhart, sworn enemy, had a sex dream about Reno the night before.

Not only that, but Elena knew Tifa was struggling with something involving Reno now, due to the awkwardness of the bartender's actions. She didn't appear to be attempting to flirt, or if she was, she wasn't very good at it. Elena supposed Tifa never really had to develop such skills with the way she looked and due to the fact that the only man that ever seemed to hold her attention was completely oblivious but was also already in love with her.

Sometimes Elena hated her ability.

Later…

Reno returned home to his apartment and let out a deep sigh, tossing his keys on the console table to his left and running his hands through his hair to remove his goggles, placing them on the table as well.

Home wasn't what it used to be when the Turks lived in the Shinra building. Now he felt far away from his comrades even though they were in the same city. Reno had used some of the money in his old getaway bag to purchase a swanky apartment in the upscale north part of Edge once the town was built enough to have such a region. It was a risk to dip into his stash, but he had already repleted most of the money already. Even in its diminished capacity, Shinra paid well.

Rude, however, had purchased a more modest apartment in the east part of the city. Elena and Tseng each lived somewhere in between. Reno was used to being around his colleagues all the time, so even the distance between their homes made it seem like they had grown apart.

That was not what weighed heavily on him tonight, though. Tonight, his mind was elsewhere. He'd flirted with women before - many women, many times - but something about Tifa on his lap tonight didn't sit well with him. He'd pulled that move with other women at other bars before - when he was pursuing them - so it wasn't out of the ordinary for him. But he wasn't pursuing Tifa.

He had buried his attraction to her for so long he couldn't even remember what it felt like, but since he and Rude had been going to her bar, those dormant feelings had re-emerged and he didn't like it. Rude was his best friend and had an actual crush on Tifa, yet Reno couldn't get her off his mind. He needed Rude to get over her, then he could either pursue her or hate her for hurting his friend. Preferably the latter.

He laid down on his bed feeling guilty for taking her phone and putting his number in. That was a step too far toward hurting Rude. He pulled out his phone and held it over his face, staring at her name in his contact list. Maybe he could flirt with her knowing he didn't have a chance. It might help him get past his desire - for her body, of course. Maybe if he flirted with her, she would start hating him again. That would certainly fix whatever it was that was clawing in his brain, like someone running a single nail down a chalkboard.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This is going to hurt.

Meanwhile...

The rest of the evening passed without another incident from the Turks. Tifa tried to avoid their table as much as she could and she definitely didn't stand next to Reno when she did take them new drinks. It had been a strange feeling with all four of them in the bar that night. She had gotten to know Reno and Rude pretty well over the past couple of months, but Elena looked like she still hated Tifa – and Tseng looked like he didn't want to be there. Four sets of eyes with very different looks in them. Reno, with his wandering eyes and antics. Rude, with quiet admiration. Elena, with jealous hatred. And Tseng, with unreadable disinterest.

Tifa flopped back on her bed after closing up the bar and cleaning up. She was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep, hoping a certain red-haired Turk wouldn't enter her dreams again. She had smiled to herself when he pulled her onto his lap, even though she was embarrassed and angered by his brazenness. She assumed he just wanted to fuck her; some of his comments made that clear, but his actions tonight were curious. Or maybe it was just because the dream was still on her mind. Why did he pick tonight to do this? Did he know? He was a Turk, could he sense what she had dreamed about?

She shuddered at the thought. She had gotten pretty close to them these past couple months but not close enough for them to know her darkest, most embarrassing thoughts.

As she closed her eyes to once again drift off to her memories, she heard her PHS vibrate on her nightstand. She snapped her eyes open and grabbed the device, thanking it for interrupting the impure thoughts she wished would disappear.

Her heart began to race, and butterflies formed in her stomach as she pulled the device to her, wondering if the message was from Cloud.

Cloud, remember him? She wanted this day to end so she could go back to hating Reno and dreaming about Cloud's return. He was the only man she wanted making her panties wet and pulling her onto his lap.

She flipped open the PHS and immediately sat up in a panic. If the message wasn't from Cloud, she at least thought it would be from one of her other friends checking in – most likely Yuffie – or asking if there was any change in the monster attacks. What she did not expect was a message from this particular person; a person whose number she didn't even have in her phone but whose name now appeared on her screen:

"1 text message from Reno."

What the? How did he…? She thought back over the night. Reno must have stolen her phone and put his number in it, but when? Her PHS had been in her back pocket all night and she hadn't felt it move. It had to have happened when she delivered them drinks or when he pulled her onto his lap. Hopefully that was what she felt between his legs when she landed on him.

That sneaky little…

She would kill him. This may not be "Turk shit" but it was pretty damn shitty. Stealing her phone to taunt her. So why wasn't she angrier? A nervous smile crossed her lips as she opened the message.

"So, how flexible ARE you?" it asked.

Yep, she was going to kill him.