A/N: Rated M for language and sexual content. Standard disclaimer applies.
Updated 7/3/2020: Chapter almost entirely rewritten since it has been affected by changes in previous chapters.
Chapter 13:
"Are you feeling okay, partner?"
Reno snapped his head to look at Rude, surprised by the question. He had been tapping his foot along with the music in the elevator and drumming the fingers of his left hand on the handrail as they traveled to Rufus' floor. It was the same thing he'd always done in elevators – minus the snarky conversation.
"Yeah, why would you ask?"
"I don't know, you just haven't seemed like yourself since we got back from Nibelheim."
They'd been back in Edge for a few days now and hadn't gone to Seventh Heaven; too ashamed to show their faces after stealing the documents Tifa and Vincent had obtained from the Shinra mansion. Rude was in a mood that only Reno could detect as being sour. The bald Turk hadn't gotten an answer to his date question from Tifa before the Nibelheim trip and was certain the answer would be "no" now.
Reno had been uncharacteristically quiet since they returned, his mind swirling with thoughts of his time spent with the barmaid in Nibelheim and how even though nothing serious had happened, he felt like he had betrayed his best friend. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of what he might say if he spoke. He had tried to push her from his mind, but there she was, any moment he didn't have something to do – and the past few days had been slow around the office.
"Nah, I'm good," he said lazily and unconvincingly.
Rude eyed his partner from over the frames of his dark glasses, searching for a hint as to what was bothering Reno. He knew it had something to do with Nibelheim, but Reno wouldn't explain.
It had been Rude who spied Tifa out on the well that night in Nibelheim and, after a quick joke from the redhead about Vincent "sleeping like the dead," decided to send Reno out to distract her, since the bald Turk was too nervous to approach. When Rude left Tifa's room with the documents, he looked back out the window at the well and saw that Tifa was angry at Reno about something, but the older Turk just chalked it up to his partner making some stupid comment.
"When was the last time you got laid?" Rude asked Reno after the redhead went silent again. He thought at the very least it would get Reno to start talking again – the man loved to brag about his latest conquests. Lately, however, Rude had noticed Reno either had no conquests to boast about or simply no longer spoke about them.
"None of your business, partner."
Rude pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and folded his arms. A smirk crossed his lips ever so briefly.
"That long, huh?"
Reno thought back to his last one-night stand. It was months ago, just before he and Rude started chatting up Tifa. He pulled at his already loose collar, hoping Rude hadn't noticed that as well.
"Maybe I'm maturing," he said, pronouncing the hard "T." He had turned 30 during that time, maybe it was like a wall that would close him off from his previous dating past and open up a new future for him.
"I remember a time, not two years ago, when you told me that if you ever became a hopeless romantic like Cloud Strife that I should punch you in the face," Rude offered as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
"Don't worry about me, partner, that ain't my style," Reno replied.
He should probably find a woman to bed soon; it'd hopefully take his mind off Tifa anyway and help him deal with some of this pent-up frustration. Late night fantasies just didn't cut it.
The two Turks walked down the hall and past Rufus' receptionist, who motioned for them to go ahead and enter the president's office.
"Found anything useful yet, boss?" Reno asked cheerfully as he and Rude entered.
The president of Shinra had mountains of papers and files stacked around his office and on his desk and was at that very moment looking over a document. Though neither Reno nor Rude had seen him leave his office – or even look up from Hojo's research – in days, he looked as well-groomed and debonair as always.
"No," Rufus said, without acknowledging the Turks' presence. "Thanks to your overzealous acquisition."
"Haven't the new scientists been looking over it?" Reno asked.
He hated when Rufus belittled his work. The president's father may have been a hard man, but Rufus was every bit as ruthless, and he seemed to have an especially sore spot for Reno specifically. Reno knew that if he and Rude hadn't brought back as much from the old Shinra building, Rufus would have been just as irritated with them. They couldn't win.
"They have, but remember we don't have as many as we had in Midgar," Rufus turned over a page. "Most of our staff lived on the upper plate, so they were killed during Meteor."
Rufus rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and ring finger, then stood up to face the Turks, who had approached his desk.
"I'd like the two of you to take some of these documents and give them a thorough read for something useful," Rufus said, motioning to a smaller stack of files that had been separated from the rest.
It was the last thing Reno wanted to do, and he knew Rude wouldn't be too keen on the assignment either. First, they were turned into delivery boys and now they were readers? What was next, getting Rufus' coffee? Reno imagined Tseng wasn't being forced to read through all this stuff.
"Tseng and Elena have already been working through what you brought from Nibelheim," Rufus said, as if he were reading Reno's mind. "Good work getting everything from AVALANCHE, by the way."
It was one of those rare compliments from Rufus that made Reno think he wasn't on the verge of getting fired. He looked at Rude, who offered no expression of commiseration, before walking to the stack of boxes. He plopped down on the ground, cross-legged, and began sifting through a file.
"In your own office," Rufus insisted.
The president didn't see Reno's look of dissatisfaction, but nonetheless, the Turk complied. He stood up and grabbed one of the file boxes while Rude grabbed the other two and headed for the door.
"And Reno," Rufus said.
Oh no, not again. Here it comes. What unfair limitation was the president going to place on him this time?
"Try not to antagonize the barmaid, she's our best source of information on AVALANCHE."
Reno shot Rude a nasty look as they left Rufus' office.
"The fuck, yo?" he said once they were in the receptionist's area.
"I told him they attacked us and we retaliated, that's all," Rude said, without a hint of guilt or persuasion in his voice.
"Still, man, he's always gotta get that shot in, ya know?"
Rude grunted in response.
The duo returned to the Turks' office several floors down. Elena was at her desk, dutifully examining documents. Ever the overachiever, Elena had her own notebook filled with impressions, speculation, and quotes from the information she had reviewed. Reno could see colorful tabs stuck to the pages and a brand new pack of different colored highlighters on her desk. He bet she was a teacher's pet in school, too.
He gave her a sneer as he passed by her desk – which she didn't notice – before dropping his box of papers on his own desk at the back of the room. Tseng had his own office attached to the room, but Reno, being second-in-command, had the largest desk of the three remaining Turks. In the old Shinra building he also had his own office. If those walls could talk… Probably why Rufus wouldn't let him have an office to himself in the new building.
Not that Reno hadn't made use of his desk after hours when everyone else had gone home, of course. He had to break in that shiny new desk somehow, and he refused to bring women back to his apartment. Couldn't let them know where he lived, in case they got a little too attached.
Reno sat down at his chair and propped his feet up on the desk, flipping through a file with zero interest. He rolled his head back and looked up at the ceiling to let out a groan. Rude had just accepted Rufus' orders and was quietly reviewing materials at his own desk.
Reno felt he should make an effort like everyone else and picked up the file once again. He was able to read the first paragraph before the words started blurring in front of him and he lost concentration due to boredom and annoyance. He looked up at the clock. 7:58 p.m. He had been staring at the same piece of paper for two hours.
He had gotten through one entire file, though he wouldn't have been able to tell anyone what he read. His mind kept wandering back to Tifa and the way she had reached out for him back in Nibelheim. It was really the only thing he had thought about since they left the village. He just couldn't get that woman out of his head.
"I think it's time for a drink, yo," Reno said.
"Where do you want to go tonight?" Rude asked.
They had tried to find a new bar for the past couple days, like they had when they'd been unceremoniously kicked out of Seventh Heaven before, but nothing felt quite as inviting as their usual haunt. Even though some of the other bars had attractive bartenders, none of them had the quick wit or world-saving experience of Tifa Lockhart. The Turks had traveled the world and fought any number of battles, so they sometimes failed to connect with people who had been more or less sheltered.
"Think it's time to head back to Seventh Heaven?" Reno suggested. Rude sighed.
"She's probably still mad," he replied.
"Wasn't it you who said you would keep trying to apologize? Do you really want to sulk around some other bar again tonight?"
"Not really."
"Then we might as well get this over with."
Rude grunted in begrudging approval and set down the file he had been reading. Both men stood up from their desks and headed for the door, though neither looked particularly excited.
Elena just rolled her eyes. Reno and Rude kept bottles of liquor in their desks and had been pouring drinks since they came back to the office with their own pile of documents.
She had also sensed something happened in Nibelheim that Reno didn't want to talk about. She couldn't say for sure what had led to it, but Reno had an unmistakable look of guilt plastered to his face since they returned to Edge. She somehow didn't think it had to do with stealing the documents.
The night shift at the Edge police department was somehow better than the day shift, as there always seemed to be fewer monsters on the streets. Even still, the Turks has to battle some fiends they recognized from the southern continent.
Reno held up his hand to halt Rude once they were outside Seventh Heaven. He sidled up to the front window to peer in before entering.
"Just wanna check what kinda mood she's in," he said, squinting unnecessarily.
She was standing behind the bar talking to a customer. She looked… ravishing, like she did back when Cloud was still around and they were a couple. Maybe he came back? She was smiling, confident, and natural – a far cry different than she had been the last time the Turks saw her.
"How does she look?" Rude asked quietly, as if Tifa would be able to hear them from inside.
Reno gave Rude a "thumbs up," rather than say what was actually on his mind. Rude nodded and the two men entered the bar.
Meanwhile…
Tifa had enough. She woke up that morning determined to stop moping over Cloud, even though their encounter had been just a few days earlier. She had resumed crying herself to sleep at night and hiding her tears from customers at the bar by stowing away in the storage room. She'd avoided Marle's orphanage to keep herself from bringing the older woman down again with her problems. She zoned out at the theater while trying to hold herself together.
She was tired of feeling this way and letting Cloud get to her. She didn't want to be some pathetic, heartbroken woman who struggled to function without a man in her life. She needed to do something for herself, something to boost her confidence. As silly as it was, she remembered the last time she needed such a boost was in the Sector 7 slums after Cloud had agreed to go out with her to celebrate their reunion.
She had been devastated after she watched him plummet from the Sector 5 reactor, but she somehow knew he hadn't died. She had just gotten him back into her life, she didn't think she would lose him so quickly. To take her mind off his disappearance (back then) she had enlisted Marle's help to find an outfit for her night out with Cloud.
Flashback…
"What did he suggest?" Marle asked again when they were in the clothing store in Wall Market.
"He said…. 'something refined,'" Tifa reiterated, unsure herself what that really meant. "What does that mean? Elegant?"
"That's what I would imagine," Marle answered. "But he's a man – and a SOLDIER at that – let's spice it up a little bit."
"You don't think…" Tifa giggled, "he'd buy a suit, do you?"
"Can you picture him in a suit with that big sword on his back?" Marle chuckled with the younger girl.
"No, I suppose not. Okay let's look for something nice, but eye catching."
The two women began sifting through items on the clothing racks, sliding hangers along the bar and occasionally studying a dress to see if it fit Cloud's request.
"How about this?" Marle asked, holding up a floor-length red gown with a high slit along the side.
"That's beautiful, but I think it might be too fancy," Tifa said.
Marle checked the price tag. "It's also way out of our price range," she said, putting the dress back on the rack.
They continued searching, finding a couple pink options that Tifa dismissed since she had told Cloud they weren't kids anymore. There were also a few overly fussy gowns with ruffles and ballroom skirts that again seemed like overkill. Tifa held out a hanger with a short black kimono dress on it.
"What do you think of this one?" she asked Marle.
The older woman tilted her head and brought her hand to her chin as she studied it.
"Hmm, I think that's more exotic than refined," she said.
"Well, I clearly don't know what he meant then," Tifa said, shoving the dress back on the rack in frustration. This was going to be her big night with Cloud, the boy she hadn't stop thinking about since he made a promise to her and left to join SOLDIER. She wanted to impress him, and he said he wanted her to look refined.
"Don't get discouraged, Tifa," Marle soothed. "Here, look at this one. The blue will really bring out the color in his eyes – and you'd look good in any color."
Tifa let go of the fabric between her fingers to see what Marle had found. Marle was holding the end of a short, low-cut blue dress with an open back. Tifa thought she must be joking at first.
"Seriously Marle?" she asked, but the older woman just looked at her with sincerity. "Do you think that could be considered refined topside?"
"I think it will be considered by Cloud," Marle said suggestively. Tifa giggled.
"I'll try it on," she said, taking the dress from Marle and heading into a fitting room. A few minutes later she popped her head out, trying to get Marle's attention. "Psst, Marle! Do you think they have a bigger size?"
"That's the only one I saw," Marle replied. "Let's see how it looks."
Tifa pulled the curtain to the dressing room open and walked out, tugging at the hem of the dress. She felt like she was wearing lingerie rather than an actual dress, but Marle seemed enthused.
"He's gonna love it," the older woman said. Tifa smiled wider than she expected as her cheeks flushed.
"You think so?" she asked, turning around to get a look at the back of the dress in the mirror. It was shorter than her normal black skirt, and the only thing holding the dress on her was the halter clasp behind her neck. She did like to imagine Cloud's face when he saw her in it – if he ever came back.
"I know so," Marle said, her eyelids heavy. "A boy like Cloud won't know what to say when he sees you in that."
Tifa couldn't help but blush harder. A boy like Cloud? She realized she didn't even know what Marle meant by that, but she trusted the older woman's judgment.
"I think I have enough gil for this one…" Tifa said, rifling through her purse at the checkout counter after she had changed back. The young man working the register had his eyes fixated on her, nearly popping out of his head. He had seen her come out of the dressing room wearing the blue dress.
"If not I'll take care of the rest," Marle said, stepping up beside Tifa.
"Oh, no, you don't have to—"
"I insist. I want you to be happy."
"Thanks, Marle."
Tifa had tried the dress on about a half-dozen more times when she got home, practicing her laugh and responses to what Cloud might say to her. She wanted to play it cool. "Oh, this old thing?" she'd say if he asked about the dress. She was just changing back into her regular clothes for the fifth time when she heard a commotion outside.
Present Day…
Tifa remembered how confident she felt in that dress when she was waiting for Cloud and how Marle had lifted her spirits after he fell from the plate. She knew that what she needed right now was to do something just for herself.
She gave the orphans a lesson that morning, apologizing for being away so long. They missed her, so she promised not to go so long between sessions unless it was an emergency. Being around the kids definitely took her mind off of everything else in her life and she didn't want to spend any more time wallowing in self-pity back home.
"Hey Marle, you busy today?" she asked the older woman after she had served their customary tea.
"The tutor will be here soon, so the children will be in lessons all afternoon. What do you need?"
"Remember way back when – in Midgar – when you helped me find that perfect dress?"
"Of course I do, you looked so good in that dress."
"Do you think you could help me pick out something new?"
Tifa hadn't seen the Turks since Nibelheim. Good riddance, after what they had done. She would have thought they'd be in the bar immediately after to gloat about their theft. Still, without them she had lost consistent customers, and she thought they had grown friendly. Reno even seemed to give her the slightest hint that there was more to him than sex and Shinra before confirming that, no, there wasn't when he and Rude stole everything she and Vincent had discovered in the Shinra manor.
As cliché as it seemed, she knew the new outfit would put her in a better mood.
She rarely went shopping, finding the practice more exhausting than a battle with, well, the Turks. Clothing makers never seemed to make anything that fit her particular body shape. If she wanted something that hugged the curves of her abdomen, her breasts would pop out. If she got something that fit her breasts, it'd hang off her midsection like she was hiding a pregnancy bump. It's frankly why she wore so many crop tops – they'd fit her upper body and she wouldn't have to worry about her midsection.
She also wasn't looking for something that didn't match her style as she didn't plan on wearing this outfit only once. Instead, she asked Marle to help "remake" her. She would be her classic self, but with a twist that would make her appear fresh and, possibly, bring in more tips to replace Rude's.
She and Marled picked out a new white tank top with extra support that sported a neckline low enough to give a hint of cleavage, but high enough to hide her scar. Her new miniskirt was pleated and made of black leather, looser than she was used to, like something a schoolgirl might wear (except much, much shorter). She purchased a new pair of comfy red ankle boots and instead of her usual black socks she decided to go with black thigh-high stockings, which Marle had suggested to help protect her legs from the monster attacks (and draw more attention from men).
She thanked Marle for her help and returned to Seventh Heaven to prepare the bar for opening. She tied her long hair near the end to keep it from flowing everywhere and even though she usually didn't wear much makeup, she was sure to put on some mascara and a little powder to give her a special glow.
She checked herself out in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. She felt rejuvenated, like a whole new person even though the difference was minor. She was always happy to open the bar since it meant taking her mind off of Cloud, but she was especially excited tonight.
She sauntered to her place behind the counter once it was opened and kept up her cheerful and flirtatious mood as customers asked about her new look. She welcomed the compliments but despised the crude comments of some patrons. Either way, her mind was free of a certain chocobo-headed loner.
She thought she would escape the Turks' presence for a while longer, but sure enough, tonight was the night her luck ran out. The two thieves sauntered in around 8:30 and took up their usual seats, ignoring the scowl she shot their way. Reno flung his arm over the back of his seat and tapped his other fingers on the countertop, mentally rehearsing his first snarky comment. He needed to get in one good shot before smoothing things over for Rude. He just couldn't help himself.
Words seemed to fail him, however, when she appeared in front of him across the bar in her new outfit. He hadn't even noticed she was wearing anything different from his view on the other side of the window, so focused was he on her face – shockingly. He imagined this was how Rude felt every day of his life – unable to say more than a few words at a time. The expression on her face was breezy and wicked, similar to his own usual expression, except more feminine and alluring.
His eyes lingered at her breasts, of course. Her new tank top did provide more support, but really it just lifted her assets to a pleasing height. He could see the fabric stretched between them, holding on for dear life, just aching to let go and tear open. He was not a religious man, and was not prone to praying, but in that moment, he prayed for the fabric to fail.
He hadn't seen her walk out from behind the bar, so he hadn't seen her lower body just yet, but he could feel something was different about her other than the struggling shirt. She was carrying herself different, like a female Reno, with a swagger about her he hadn't seen before. He didn't see Cloud around, which would explain her newfound fortitude, so he wondered what was going on. When she approached them, however, her entire demeanor changed. She looked about as enthused to see them as she had been in the early days of the bar.
"You've got some nerve coming in here after that stunt you pulled in Nibelheim," she growled, crossing her arms over her chest and taking away Reno's pleasant view.
Rude held his head in shame, studying the grain of the wooden bar.
"It was not our decision," he offered. Tifa didn't accept his explanation.
"It was just business, yo," Reno said, resting an elbow on the bar and casually waving his other hand. "Besides, you should be thanking us."
Tifa and Rude both looked at him; Tifa with malignant confusion and Rude with simple concern over what the redhead would say next.
"Trust me, you do not want to be reading all that crap – and now you don't have to," Reno continued.
Tifa was not persuaded. "I wanted to read 'that crap.' We're trying to save the planet, you know."
Reno propped his head up on his hand. "Eh, let Shinra handle the boring part, I'm sure your AVALANCHE cronies'll let you know when the fighting starts."
Tifa fumed. She looked almost ready to kick them out of the bar again. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The two Turks watched her chest rise and fall with interest as she calmed herself. When she opened her eyes again, her expression lifted. She didn't smile, but she no longer looked on the verge of rage.
"You're paying customers, so I won't throw you out, but whatever goodwill you had built is gone," she said before turning her back to reach for two tumblers.
Reno's eyes followed her, though she said nothing more to him or Rude, clearly incensed by their trickery in Nibelheim. She placed two glasses in front of the Turks before quickly turning around to grab the liquor bottle they each preferred. Reno was now able to see the rest of her, and he blew air out of his mouth in approval, trying to keep from whistling or yowling. He liked what he saw; he liked that her skirt looked like it would give him easy access to what was underneath. And those thigh-high stockings! It was enough to drive him wild.
He liked when she was like this, even if it meant she was angry at him and Rude. At least she wasn't distraught over Strife anymore. Despite her earlier comments, he thought he might be able to smooth things over with her – for Rude, of course.
And then he saw his chance. Rude left to use the restroom, and Tifa was unfortunately positioned behind the bar at the moment.
"You look good tonight, doll," he said to her even though she had his back to him. It was a view he didn't mind.
"Thank you," she said while reaching for various liquor bottles to pour into a mixed drink.
She didn't acknowledge his presence; didn't even turn to give him a smile. Crafty. He kept his eyes trained on her, waiting for her to make even the quickest eye contact, but she wouldn't.
"Definitely prettier than those stars in Nibelheim."
She stopped for the briefest of moments before shrugging off his comment. He knew that one would stick with her. If she was trying to get back at him and Rude for Nibelheim, he had to be two steps ahead. And he was always two steps ahead.
Rude returned and resumed his drinking without saying a word. Tifa was out delivering drinks to other patrons, moving her hips more as she walked, like she had done the day after she had the sex dream.
She refused to acknowledge the two Turks for the rest of the evening but continued slinging drinks their way whenever they were empty. Around 11 o'clock, Rude stood up to pay, his expression glum.
"You should stay, you haven't even tried to win her over," Reno chided as Rude placed a larger-than-usual stack of gil on the counter.
"Forget it man, we blew it," he said before slinking out of the bar without waiting for Reno.
The redhead watched him leave, considering his options. He could go console Rude, or he could stay and hopefully get Tifa to forgive them—Rude. He chose the latter.
Tifa's gaze had shifted to the door when Rude left, the chimes above alerting her to the movement. She was briefly relieved until she saw Reno still sitting at the bar, an empty glass in hand. She groaned and walked to his end of the bar to refill his drink.
"You know we didn't want to do that," he said after taking a sip of his freshly poured scotch.
"Do what? Break into my room and steal my hard work?" she seethed.
"Yeah, that," Reno said, pointing his index finger toward her while continuing to stare into his drink. "Rufus really wants to help the planet, but he still has a Shinra way of doing things."
"And you two? Still 'just following orders'?" she snapped.
Reno rolled his eyes back along with his head. She wasn't going to make this easy.
"Look, Lockhart, I'm tellin' you, that shit is boring as hell to read, and that's what my life is gonna be the next week or so. You don't want that."
"What I don't want is to be lied to, manipulated, and stolen from," she shot back. "You told me you weren't doing that 'Turk shit' anymore."
The slightest twinkle appeared in Reno's eye. Manipulated? Did she think his kindness had been manipulation? Does that mean she had been responding to him?
"Nobody died," he said calmly. She didn't relent. "Okay," he looked around to see if anyone was listening before leaning forward and lowering his voice, "we'll let you know if we find anything of value."
Tifa scoffed. Another promise from a Turk, and she had about had it up to here with promises – from anyone.
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because I really, really hate having to read that crap. Seriously, I'd rather be on patrol duty like some grunt."
Tifa was called out to a table for another round of drinks. After she served the customers, she ignored the Turk as much as she could until closing time, when he stood his ground despite other patrons leaving. He had that look about him telling her he wanted to unburden himself again. She wanted to kick him to the curb, but figured she'd listen to his grousing like a good bartender and see what he would say to try and patch things up with her. It had better be good.
"Why do you guys keep doing things for Shinra if you don't want to?" she asked after the bar cleared and Reno was staring at half a drink.
He scratched his neck behind his ear. "Short answer? The money. Long answer? Also money, but, ah, never mind." He stopped scratching and rubbed the back of his neck instead. Tifa's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Reno rolled his head, cracking his neck. He'd opened up to her a little before but this went beyond a little small talk about growing up. This was something only Rude knew – but he knew he'd have to let her in if he hoped to earn her trust and forgiveness… for everything.
"Shinra may have done a lot of shitty things, but it also helped a lot of people, yanno?"
Tifa said nothing. She understood what he was saying in concept: Shinra provided power which let a lot of people live comfortable lives, but it torched cities to cover up its own failures and paid the press to look the other way.
"Like, giving two worthless gangbangers from the slums a chance to make something of themselves."
"Kill people for money? How is that any better"
"Dammit, Lockhart, I'm trying here, okay?" Reno's words carried a bit of venom. "If it weren't for Shinra, Rude and I probably would have died when we were kids, and my fam—" he stopped himself. "We never woulda had a chance."
Tifa stayed silent, considering his words. Reno seemed to sense what she was thinking.
"And alla that crap Shinra did? It woulda all still happened whether Rude and I were there or not."
"Why not walk away?"
"Do you know what would happen to someone – anyone – who stood up to Shinra? We'd be hunted 'til the end of our days and shot like animals."
"I was there at the pillar, I heard you in the helicopter."
"Then you heard our hesitation and how clear we made it we were being forced to lie for Shinra."
"I remember you trying to kill me and Cloud and taunting us."
"All for show. Shinra's always watching and listening. You know what Tseng said to us when we were sulking afterward?"
"Sulking?"
"I know words, Lockhart."
"Go on."
"He said if we hadn't followed through, someone else would have done it and that 'we spared that someone of the burden of a guilty conscience.'"
"You didn't really buy that, did you?"
"Of course not, but he was right. Like I said, all that crap would have happened no matter what.
Maybe it was the alcohol in his system or maybe it was the fact she wasn't responding to his attempts to explain their circumstances, but Reno finished his drink and prepared to admit more.
"I was savin' up, thinkin' I could leave some day. Just disappear and never look back."
"And Rude? Why did he push the button and steal our documents?"
"To protect me and Tseng, and now Elena. We're the only family we got, yanno? Like you with your AVALANCHE buddies."
Tifa hadn't considered the possibility that the Turks were their own makeshift family doing whatever was necessary to protect themselves.
"We've all got blood on our hands, Lockhart," Reno continued, holding up his palms to study them as if he could see the blood. "It just washes off some of us better than others."
That one hit close to home. Tifa had always felt responsible for the innocent people who died while AVALANCHE was in operation – from the civilians who lived near the reactors that were blown up to the Shinra grunts who just needed a job to support their families.
Reno knew how Tifa felt about her own actions back then. He had once heard a low-level Shinra manager bragging about how he was on the train with AVALANCHE when they were going to blow up the Sector 5 reactor. The man said he helped get people to safety. Reno's ears had perked up when the manager mentioned that a member of AVALANCHE, a "hot chick with a big rack" tried to help, too. After meeting Tifa atop the pillar, Reno realized she must have been the one mentioned by the manager.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Tifa asked after it seemed like Reno was done confessing.
"Because we want forgiveness, too," he said. "And… you should really give Rude a chance."
Tifa scoffed. "And why should I do that?"
"Cuz he's the best of us. Yeah, he does his job well, but he questions orders and does what he can to make sure people don't get hurt. Yanno, he jerked my head into the side of the helicopter trying to stop me from shooting you on that pillar."
He said it even though it made him look bad. At this point he knew that if he didn't try to push Tifa toward Rude he wouldn't be able to stop flirting with her and he'd end up hurting his best friend.
"He did?"
"Why do you think you're alive right now?"
"I always thought you were just a bad shot."
Reno laughed. Great, Rude had made him look like an idiot in front of AVALANCHE. Not that the multiple beatings from them had helped his reputation with the group.
"He always had a soft spot for you. Ever notice how he wouldn't hit you? Just deflect?"
"I did notice that… when I wasn't in one of your damn pyramids."
Reno ran his fingers through his hair. She didn't seem to have noticed why she was always in a pyramid.
"So, that means were going easy on us? I always thought you just weren't that good," she added when he didn't respond.
It was Reno's turn to scoff. "To be fair, Missy," he pointed an accusatory finger at her, "I was weakened from a fight with Boy Wonder the day before – and you may recall the helicopter crash got me, too."
Tifa brought a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh yeah, I remember Cloud telling me how he kicked your ass in the church."
"Guess he left out the part about how he barely made it out alive himself."
Cloud had told her Reno was tough. He didn't hit hard, but he was lightning fast and nearly impossible to strike. Hearing something like that from Cloud, with his inhuman reflexes, really struck her. It didn't prepare her for her fights with Reno on the pillar and in Gongaga, though. It was something she had to experience.
"Want help cleanin' tonight?" Reno asked after a brief pause.
"As long as you don't steal anything," Tifa snapped, though her eyes contained mirth.
Reno held up his hands in defense. "Wouldn't dream of it, but if you feel like grinding against me again, I'm all for it."
"I did not grind against you," Tifa scolded as she grabbed a broom and started sweeping.
"Sure, Lockhart, sure," Reno said before collecting the trash so Tifa could wipe down the tables.
When they were finished placing the chairs on the tables, Reno scratched the back of his head as Tifa stood awkwardly nearby. He spoke before she could kick him out.
"Seriously though, you should give Rude a chance," he said.
"Why are you so insistent on this?" she asked, returning to the bar.
"He's the best of us, like I said, and I want him to be happy."
"I'll think about it."
"You should, there's only one person in this world who deserves to be happy more than him," Reno said, heading for the door.
"Oh yeah? Who's that?"
He didn't turn back toward her as his hand rested on the doorknob. She couldn't see the smirk that crept onto his lips.
"Goodnight, Lockhart," he said before opening the door and disappearing into the night.
Tifa stared after him a bit, trying to figure out what he meant. She didn't think he could possibly be referring to her as being more deserving of happiness, but that seemed to be what he was implying.
She lay in bed for hours after she went through her nighttime ritual, unable to sleep, unable to get Reno's admissions out of her head. Was he telling the truth? It certainly cast him and the rest of the Turks in a whole new light, but was it enough for her to forgive them for what they had done?
Reno was again an enigma. He'd made several flirtatious comments toward her but then spent the evening pushing her toward Rude. It didn't make sense.
Meanwhile…
Reno fell back onto his bed, a bottle of cheap liquor in one hand. It spilled a little when he hit the sheets, but he soon brought it to his mouth and held it upright again. He'd never opened up like that to anyone else. Even Rude only saw glimpses of Reno's humanity at various points, not all at once.
Tifa seemed to draw it out of him without trying and he couldn't figure out why. He understood now why Rude liked her, even if he didn't see the point. He eventually drank until he passed out, knowing he was in for a pounding headache in the morning.
The next day…
Reno managed to drag Rude back to Seventh Heaven after an agonizingly long day of reading through Hojo's research documents. The bald Turk had been insisting he had no shot with Tifa and that she would say "no" after what they did in Nibelheim. Reno was determined not to let his best friend carry on in such a sour mood. Either Tifa would say "yes" thanks to Reno's admissions the night before, or she'd say "no" and Rude could finally move on.
Reno – and Elena, though she wouldn't admit it outright – had grown tired of Rude's years-long crush and the insecurities that came with it. They needed to snap him back into "Turk mode."
They took their customary seats at the bar. Tifa served them willingly, having lost the edge she carried with her the previous night. Rude thought the tenuous truce had returned, but he didn't know how and suspected Reno had something to do with it – which raised his concerns. Tifa was flittering around the bar as if something had made her happy. Rude couldn't imagine – didn't want to imagine – that had been thanks to Reno, yet here she was, a complete 180 from the night before.
On about his third scotch, Tifa placed her hands on the countertop in front of him and smiled sweetly at him.
"You know Rude," her words honeyed, "I think I would like to go on a date with you."
Reno's eyes snapped to his partner. She had actually done it. She had actually taken his advice and agreed to go out with Rude. So, why wasn't he excited for his friend?
Rude nearly choked on his drink when she spoke. He thought she had just been nice when she told him she'd think about it. He had accepted that she could never look at him the way he looked at her, or the way she looked at Cloud. He had tried for years to get over his hopeless crush, tried to pursue other women – even given in to women who pursued him. But he couldn't get Tifa out of his head. She was one of the few non-male monks he had ever met, and one of the few who could match (or outmatch, though he wouldn't admit) his skills.
"Sounds good," he said, for once actually trying to contain emotions.
Tifa had always considered Rude's date request, though their treachery in Nibelheim certainly made her reconsider even the possibility until Reno spoke to her the night before. Rude actually cared about her. Though she could have sworn Reno had admitted those things to her the night before to try to ingratiate himself with the barmaid, he kept mentioning Rude. Tifa suspected the redhead hadn't forgiven himself for his past and that despite his cocky attitude, actually felt he wasn't worthy of forgiveness.
She wondered what was behind that cold exterior of Rude's. Reno certainly saw something in his comrade, as they were almost always together. Maybe Reno just liked to hear himself talk, but maybe, just maybe, Rude was hiding a personality behind those dark sunglasses.
He also wasn't bad looking, even if Tifa preferred wild spiky hair, preferably blonde.
Reno waited until Tifa turned away from him and Rude again before whipping around in his chair – fast enough for Rude to make a mental note. The redhead was surprised Tifa had actually listened to him. He had kind of wished she wouldn't, though he was kicking himself for such thoughts.
His chest felt heavy; his ears burned. He didn't feel like he thought he would. He thought his own attractions for the barmaid would go right out the window if he helped Rude get a date with her. But now that he had accomplished that, he just felt empty and lost.
He hadn't picked up a woman in several months; maybe that was the reason for this cavity he felt in his stomach.
"Well, I'll leave you to it, then," he said, standing up and patting Rude on the shoulder. "Congratulations, man."
Rude's brows knitted above his sunglasses as he watched his partner leave the bar. It was only 8 p.m. His concern for Reno dissipated when Tifa came near him at the bar once again, consumed with his own merriment, though no one could see it.
"So, Rude, how are you going to make up for that little caper in Nibelheim?" Tifa asked.
Rude hadn't actually figured out where he would take her on their date. He had been thinking about it since the second she accepted, but nothing seemed good enough. Edge had some fine dining establishments, but they didn't yet compare to those in Junon or Wutai.
"Do, do you have a favorite restaurant?" he asked, his head tilted toward the bar as he cradled his drink.
"I've been to The Golden Chocobo once" – with Cloud – "it was amazing. I've always wanted to go back," she said, clearly reminiscing.
Rude was no dummy, he realized she must have gone there with Cloud, even though she didn't come out and say it. But she had been with Cloud for years, and he only took her there once? Definitely an opening.
"The Golden Chocobo it is, then," he said, trying to smile. It wasn't that he wasn't happy, he just wasn't used to using his face muscles.
Tifa clasped her hands in front of her chest and beamed. She had never been to such a nice restaurant before Cloud took her there for their one-year anniversary. She saw food there she – being a talented cook herself – had never even dreamed about. The dessert especially: A perfectly shaped volcano of chocolate cake with a thin yellow sugar crisp in the shape of a chocobo stuck on top. Drizzled with a white chocolate raspberry ganache. Decadent as fuck. Cloud was never one for sweets, but his eyes rolled into the back of his head when Tifa fed him a piece of that cake.
"I can't wait," she said.
"Would it be too difficult to go Saturday night?" Rude asked. Tifa thought for a moment.
"I could close early," she offered.
"So, maybe a late dinner, around 9?"
"Do you think you could get a table on such short notice?"
Rude was not prone to bragging, but Tifa had just opened the door for him. Reno would have taken a mile, but Rude was more subtle.
"I don't think it'll be a problem once I say I'll be bringing a member of AVALANCHE." In truth, the Turks could easily get tables on their own, but that was because people still feared them – and Rude didn't want to remind Tifa of that fact.
She gave him a kiss on the cheek as he left the bar at closing time. She didn't have that flutter in her chest that she always felt when she was around Cloud, or even the warm feeling she got when Reno had held her in Nibelheim or made her laugh. But Cloud was gone – almost five months now – and she didn't want to feel so alone anymore.
Maybe Rude would surprise her; or maybe not. Either way, it was time to start moving on, the thought of which stung.
Meanwhile…
Reno ducked into a dive bar on his way home from Seventh Heaven, where he spotted a petite young woman, barely old enough to legally drink, with light brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She was wearing a pink minidress. She looked vaguely familiar, and when she fluttered green eyes at him he knew he had a chance.
Reno locked eyes with her and gave her a cocky grin. He quickly flicked an eyebrow and raised his drink in her direction. She blushed and looked at her feet for a moment. She turned back to her friends, a mixed group of moderately attractive women and some doofy looking (in Reno's opinion) guys who couldn't have made as much money as he did. Reno kept his gaze on the woman for the next few minutes. She kept looking back in his direction and gave him a flushed smile each time.
After her third look, Reno stood up and ambled on over to where the young woman sat with her friends. Her female friends looked at him with some admiration and jealousy, while her male friends glared. Reno didn't care. He ignored them, choosing instead to whisper sweet nothings into the young woman's ear. Maybe Rude was right and he just needed to get laid. He had set his partner up with Tifa, so now he just needed to experience another woman to get the barmaid out of his system, or so he thought.
He stayed with her for maybe half an hour to ensure the young woman now seated on his lap – he didn't catch her name – knew he had eyes for only her. After she had allowed him to nibble on her neck for a while, he whispered the question into her ear. She had her head back to give him better access to her neck and moaned in agreement. He shifted under her to get her to stand up and then took her by the hand and led her to the door, giving her ass a squeeze as he held the door open for her.
It was his typical pickup routine, which he could follow without even thinking. This time, however, something just didn't feel right. He left the young woman satisfied, as always, but as he walked alone back to his apartment – fighting several fiends that the Edge police missed – he didn't have that usual swagger. And as he lay in bed after a few more drinks from his own stash, his mind returned to a different woman, one who remained perfectly unobtainable.