A/N: Rated M for language and mild sexual content. Contains some brief, graphic sexual description, so if you don't want to read it you can skip the first section dealing with Reno coming home to Edge. Standard disclaimer applies.
Updated 12/5/2020: Edits throughout. Extended the fight sequences in Cosmo Canyon and added a new scene with Reno.
Updated 12/14/2020: Made changes to the exchange between Tifa and Nanaki about going to the Forgotten Capital.
Chapter 23:
The eternal sunset of Cosmo Canyon drenched the village in fiery light, casting long shadows across the reddened shale and obscuring the actual time. In the library where four members of AVALANCHE were gathered, the bright gleam of the sun peeked through a narrow opening above the top bookshelves.
Tifa had to face the opposite direction to avoid the penetrating glare, but could still feel the white hot burn on the back of her neck, a sure sign that her already tanned skin may soon crisp. The heat of the sun was nothing compared to the warmth between her thighs, still aching from her encounter with Reno the day before. It was disappointing how easily she quaked at the mere thought of his touch. It was reminiscent of the effect Cloud had on her during their journey two years ago, when the simple act of him accidentally brushing his shoulder against her own could leave a lasting warmth that made her smile long for his embrace.
She and her fellow AVALANCHE members had nearly searched the books placed on the higher shelves, having found only a few that might hold information about the Lifestream's effects on living creatures. Those found to be useful were placed in a small pile near the door, numbering fewer than the books and documents Tifa and Vincent lost in Nibelheim.
Nanaki was already reading one of the books gathered from the dusty reaches of the library and set aside, lying on his belly with his front paws holding open the tome. His species, or possibly just him, was capable of reading faster than humans, and so the only sound in the library as Tifa, Vincent, and Yuffie searched was a rather steady stream of the word "Interesting" coming from Nanaki's mouth as he read.
Tifa and Vincent were each atop one of the two ladders in the room, with Yuffie on the ground ready to climb up to safely retrieve any useful books to add to the pile. Tifa could tell these books hadn't been touched in decades, possibly since long before she was even born. Some of them were stiff, hardened with time and the dry air while others threatened to crumble at her very touch.
As she searched, her mind kept wandering back to Reno and what he might say if he were in the room, given the fact that she was wearing her classic miniskirt and standing at the top of a tall ladder. She could just imagine the crude comments he would make and thanked the stars that he was on another continent at the moment.
Nice view.
The words were as clear to her as if he had said them in this very room, and Tifa flailed at the thought that the Turk had once again not only found where she was without telling him but had also snuck in without her knowledge to make a smart-ass comment. She startled for a moment, her arms flapping to the sides in an attempt to steady herself as she leaned back, her stomach dropping briefly at the thought that she would fall from her high place on the ladder. With a quick swing of her arms she was righted again, grabbing the rung in front of her tightly with one hand while managing to maintain her grip on a displaced book with her other. Her heartbeat quickly returned to normal as she reminded herself that Reno wasn't even on the same continent and hadn't just spoken.
"Um… Tifa?" Yuffie asked from below. "You okay up there?"
The younger woman couldn't see Tifa's cheeks heat up from her vantage point below and the martial artist refused to turn to meet Yuffie's gaze, instead returning the book she was holding to the shelf and pulling out another.
"Yep, I'm good," she insisted, cursing Reno as if it was his fault she was thinking about him at that moment.
Yuffie glanced over at Nanaki, who had noticed Tifa's sudden contortion as well. Brown eyes met yellow as the two shared a questioning look before Yuffie shrugged and turned her attention toward her friends above her. Vincent had been too busy reading to have noticed anything, his inhuman ability to tune out the world around him on full display. Tifa absentmindedly tugged at the hem of her skirt as she skimmed the contents of the book before returning it to the shelf as well.
"This looks to be everything in here," Vincent declared after replacing a book that nearly fell apart in his hands. He had to hold the book together and stuff it into the shelf between two other ancient books to keep it from completely disintegrating. As it was, the front cover was nearly ripped from the binding, though it might not be visible to the naked eye from the floor. "I think it's time to head to the other library."
"Yeah!" Yuffie exclaimed, pumping her fist. "Finally, some action!" she added with a little dance.
Vincent and Tifa climbed down from their respective ladders to join Yuffie and Nanaki in the doorway. The three with opposable thumbs picked up the relevant books and moved them into Bugenhagen's laboratory to be read later.
"Ready?" Nanaki asked after everyone had set down the books they were carrying.
The others nodded and he led them out of the laboratory and down to the vault door that led to the Cave of the Gi. The door seemed even heavier than it had two years ago, but Vincent managed to pry it open, a cloud of dust releasing into the air as he did so and coating the group's sinuses. Yuffie and Tifa coughed as Nanaki sneezed a couple times. Vincent seemed unaffected, as he was so often, and continued into the cave to the rope that led below.
Tifa followed, sliding down the rope and once again thankful that Reno wasn't around to look up her skirt. She considered that perhaps she should start wearing something else when she traveled, but this is what she felt comfortable in most of the time. Besides, she didn't think it mattered what she wore – athletic gear, spandex, sweats, whatever – Reno would find a way to ogle.
Once in the main entrance of the cave, Tifa was struck by the musty air and scent of decay, bringing her back to her first trip here two years ago. She could never forget that smell; dank and moldy with a distant hint of smolder from the lava beyond the initial maze. It made her want to gag but she pressed on.
The group passed by the first broken section of rock, wherein two years ago Cloud broke open a strange looking rock to reveal a door to another section of the cave. They followed Nanaki along the narrow path, through clouds of hazy green light emanating from an unknown source. The path seemed straightforward, and Tifa wondered how they had felt so lost during their first visit.
Like the mansion in Nibelheim, the Cave of the Gi was one of her most unpleasant memories from her journey with AVALANCHE. She remembered constant attacks, made all the worse by not knowing there was a switch in one of the dark alcoves that would allow them to proceed further. She remembered Cloud going into each one expecting to find something, while her and Aerith waited outside, giggling at first when they heard Cloud break something and then swear, their laughter evaporating when he ran out of the alcove toward them followed by a Gi spector.
And then there were the oil spills and stingers. She thought back to Cloud having to grab Aerith by the arm after she slipped on the oil and nearly rammed herself into the spiked wall. Tifa remembered the look the two exchanged after Cloud rescued her, his arm still around her waist and her face just inches from his own. Tifa had felt a quick, hot pain in her chest at the sight and cleared her throat to the remind the two that she still existed. Aerith had blushed and attempted to give Tifa a look that told her the scene wasn't what she thought it was, but it stuck.
Tifa herself had nearly fallen off the path and into the lava just a few minutes later. Cloud saved her as well, calling out her name in that way he always did that made her heart melt and snatching her arm just before she was out of reach. He had pulled her back onto the path and close to him – closer than he had held Aerith just moments earlier. Tifa could have sworn Cloud was about to say something as they lingered, the feeling of his chest beating rapidly against her own before Aerith interrupted to suggest they get what they were coming for and get the hell out of there before someone died.
As they had traveled through the first archway near the oil spills two years ago, a stinger came within an inch of killing Cloud before Aerith was able to heal him. All around, just a terrible experience.
At least this time Tifa knew what was lurking in the cave, and they didn't have to deal with the puzzle or the oil.
She was snapped from her memories by the screech of two Gi spectors flying toward them, spears outstretched and just nearly missing her shoulder. She spun around to kick one in the ribcage, sending it reeling backwards and in range for Nanaki to leap up and drag it to the ground in order to finish it off. The other attempted to stab Vincent, but its flimsy spear snapped against the former Turk's armor as he stood perfectly still, arms folded across his chest. The spector looked down at its broken spear, giving Yuffie a chance to blast it with fire materia before it regained its senses.
After the creatures were disposed, Nanaki continued through the narrow passageway to the far end of the cave, below the entrance to the next area, and began sniffing along the ground. The other three watched as the red beast brought his nose to the wall, searching for something without explaining his intentions or asking for help.
He then stood up on his hind legs, continuing to sniff the wall before he started moving to his right, stepping gently and running his nose along the cool, smooth limestone that appeared to everyone else as just another part of the cave wall. Finally, he stopped sniffing and began pawing where he had just pressed his nose. Soon, the wall began to tremble and vibrate before it opened, detritus shaking loose and more dust clouding their view.
"Whoa!" Yuffie exclaimed, convinced Nanaki had been smelling a solid wall.
As the others stepped toward the new opening, some more Gi spectors appeared, brandishing their spears and chattering amongst themselves in some ancient, dead language. Tifa kicked one as it attacked and punched another to her opposite side, causing each to fly back a few feet. Vincent was able to shoot three more in quick succession as Yuffie finished the two Tifa had already hit by again casting fire.
Nanaki was on guard in the newly formed doorway to ensure the fiends didn't get through to the library and stepped aside when the others had finished their fight. Like the opening maze of the cave, this tunnel smelled of stale air and fiend remains, but lacked the cool glow and strange green lights of the previous area. The four members of AVALANCHE found themselves shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from Nanaki's tail. He turned back toward the entrance; to the corner just inside the tunnel. He stepped to the side with his back feet, swinging his hind quarters toward his front and raising his tail into the corner to light the end of a torch that had been resting against the wall.
Tifa quickly grabbed it and held it above her, allowing the others to see they were in a long, straight passage with high rock walls on either side, smooth to indicate this was a manmade tunnel. There was only darkness ahead and the faint sound of shuffling, a sure sign that fiends lay ahead, though none had attacked so far.
"The Lifestream may not have been able to affect this place," Nanaki wondered aloud as they walked toward the library, given the lack of monster intervention thus far.
Of course, as soon as he said something a pair of hegs slithered up to the team. One wrapped itself around Vincent before he could get away and began constricting, tightening around the former Turk as he struggled helplessly against it. Tifa and Nanaki immediately went to work on it, Tifa pummeling it with her fists while Nanaki slashed it with his claws. Yuffie made quick work of its partner with an ice spell and joined the others to pry the second beast off of Vincent before he was squeezed to death.
Vincent fell to his knees to catch his breath while Yuffie cast cure on him.
"Thank you," he said while gasping for air, clutching his chest as his typical calm demeanor loosened for a brief moment.
"Maybe I spoke too soon," Nanaki worried.
The tunnel they were in eventually opened up into a large cavern that remained in inky blackness even with what remained of the torch. Nanaki took the lead, since his eyes were better attuned to the dark, and led them forward cautiously, alert for signs of movement.
"We're almost there," he said after a few minutes of walking seemingly nowhere.
Tifa suddenly felt a rush of wind across her back as if something ran past her, and the torch light evaporated. "Oh no," she whispered as what little light they had now disappeared.
"Ack!" Yuffie cried, clearly getting knocked off her feet and landing hard on the cave floor. "What the hell?"
Each looked around as they heard a distant skittering that seemed to move away from them, then to a far wall, and finally on the ceiling above them. It sounded like an insect, but far larger than anything they were used to – or had encountered in a long time.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Yuffie warned as she stood up, her neck craned so she could see above.
At that moment Tifa felt tiny drops of what she hoped was drool fall onto her shoulder. It singed her skin and caused her arm to immediately tingle. Before she could use anything to remedy the pain, the group suddenly felt as though four large poles dropped around them. Yuffie felt a rush of wind fly up her back, unsettling her hair. She could tell something solid was behind her and she jumped toward Tifa when it moved. They were boxed in, by something large, solid, and alive; it was clear things were about to get really bad, really fast.
Nanaki had galloped toward Tifa and Yuffie to face what had just surrounded them, sliding on the cave floor in order to flip around and face the creature. With a low, menacing growl he crouched on his front legs to raise his tail in the air, lighting the beast. Once they saw its numerous eyes, the fiend released an ear-splitting screech that expelled wet, hot spittle over the three nearest members of AVALANCHE.
The largest stinger they had ever found in the canyon lunged for them, the sputum it discharged already poisoning their blood. The fiend was at least twice the size of the ones they fought in the Cave of the Gi two years ago, its body hovering maybe five feet above them.
The creature cried out in pain as Yuffie's Conformer glanced off its body and cut deep into a leg as it returned to her. As soon as she caught her weapon, she winced, feeling toxin coursing through her veins. She dodged a swipe of one of its other mighty legs and ran toward its hind quarters, digging in her satchel for a cleansing materia.
"Keep it busy!" she called as she desperately searched through her stash, feeling each orb's power to find the right one in the darkness.
Ice, Magnify, Chakra, Wind – no! Without light to guide her, she crashed against the back wall of the cave, stumbling backward and holding her head as another sharp pain shot throughout her body.
To her right, Vincent was shooting, though the beast's small body and narrow legs made it difficult for him to land a shot. Nanaki leapt into the air to tear at one of the creature's legs, gnawing near the base of it until he had managed to bite through. The stinger stumbled on its remaining three legs, lashing out violently at the four attackers. Nanaki dropped back to the floor as he, too, felt the acid in his bloodstream.
Tifa moved to uppercut the fiend's body, but a wave of pain and nausea hit her all at once. She felt as though tiny needles were coursing through her veins as her limbs began to go numb. The nausea and a thorough, sharp pain to her heart only happened about every 10 seconds, at first, allowing her to push through the poison and fight until it inevitably hit.
It was odd, since stingers weren't poisonous. Tifa had little time to contemplate whether this fiend had been affected by the Lifestream or had evolved differently locked away in this separate cave, the venom plaguing her body taking its toll. She carried no antidotes with her; pointless extras that would weigh her down in a region without poisonous fiends. As she struggled to stand, each shot of toxin draining her life force, she realized how foolish it was to not be prepared for anything at this point. Thankfully, she knew Yuffie was searching for the right materia.
Tifa found it difficult to stand, bending over to place her hands on her knees in case she threw up. It was unlike any poison she had experienced, completely debilitating and causing her to consider death. The gunshot wound to her abdomen had been painful, but she never once thought she would actually die. This toxin, however, had her thinking over the past few years of her life and what would happen if she were to meet her demise in a hidden section of a forgotten cave. Would Cloud come back? Would he mourn her? How would Reno react? And what kind of burden would she leave on AVALANCHE with her bar and funeral costs?
She closed her eyes and doubled over, clutching her stomach and gagging harshly, though no bile escaped. Lights flickered around the edges of her eyes, tiny specks of color threatening to swallow her whole with the promises of ending the pain.
Nanaki was slowing down as well, struggling to stand but still trying to attack. His head was so foggy with poison that he couldn't cast magic, and just hoped Yuffie would be able to with the same condition. He staggered, his paws having lost feeling to the stinger's bile. He barely even noticed the sudden pain in his ribcage as he was thrust from the ground into the wall of the cave by one of the fiend's remaining legs. He crumpled to the floor, trying his best to place one front paw flat on the ground, then the other one, before pushing himself up shakily. It took a few tries, like trying to steady himself on a sheet of ice, and even when he managed to stand up fully he felt the call of darkness.
Vincent remained unscathed, having been behind the stinger when it spewed its venom. He continued firing away with the Death Penalty, landing more shots than not and eventually landing a fatal blow, unaware of the dire situation that had befallen his comrades. With one last wail and thrash of its remaining legs, the stinger fell to the ground, ceasing to move.
Knowing the fiend had died, Tifa tried to call out for help in the darkness, but only exasperated gurgles escaped her throat.
"Got it!" Yuffie tried to call out, but her energy was drained, and she slumped to the ground, her voice barely a whisper that even she couldn't hear. She knew she had just seconds to act, but every movement and every thought was agony. She held the green orb between her thumb and index finger and forced through the pain to bring it to her opposite wrist, using her palm to push it into her bangle.
Just as his eyes were closing against his will, Nanaki saw a flash of green light illuminate the room. The pins and needles that had engulfed his body dissipated, the nausea instantly subsiding and allowing him to stand up fully again. On the other side of the room, Tifa, too, was slowly getting back to her feet.
"That was… unexpected," Nanaki offered as the four regrouped around his tail.
"No more surprises, okay?" Yuffie asked timidly before casting cure over the group. The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"The library is just over there," Nanaki said, tilting his nose toward what appeared to be more inky blackness.
The others followed him a few hundred feet in the dark before he stopped and again stood on his hind legs to search for some unseen mechanism in the cave wall. After a moment, the wall rumbled and vibrated before moving to one side to allow passage. As soon as all four had entered the room, the door shuttered closed behind them, causing the four to turn around in preparation to fight. They settled once they realized they were alone, though suspicion was in the air.
Typically, when a door closed on its own behind them, trouble was near.
"This is where the Elders stored their most sacred texts," Nanaki informed them, trying to refocus their attention elsewhere.
A soft orange glow lit up the room, though there was no discernible source. It allowed plenty of light for the group to start searching the small library, pleasantly dim to avoid eye strain. The three walls without the door contained bookshelves that were not filled with many books. Another two rows of shelves lined the middle of the small room and were stuffed with literature. The aisles were cramped and the air was stuffy, reminding Tifa of a bookstore she and Jessie once visited on Midgar's Topside when they were on better terms – before Cloud came into the picture, back when blowing up a mako reactor was still just a distant dream.
"More reading, yay," Yuffie grumbled sarcastically, bringing Tifa out of her reverie.
Searching through the books was much easier than trying to read through Hojo's research, as the texts in the hidden Cosmo Canyon library generally had titles on their covers and tables of contents. Nanaki, of course, wanted to read everything he found to gain a greater knowledge of the world, but resigned himself to reading only what was necessary at the moment. Just as in Cosmo Canyon's proper library, the group created a small pile of books containing information that might be useful based on a cursory glance of the title and contents.
"This looks promising," Tifa said a few hours into the search as she pulled a book with a green leather cover from one of the shelves. It was called "The Lifestream's Unknown Gifts," and she flipped open the cover to find the table of contents. A chapter called "Terrestrial Lifeforms" caught her attention.
She began mumbling as she read, using her finger absentmindedly to keep her place.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I think this is it. 'In 1387, an earthquake brought forth a pool of Lifestream. Numerous fauna fell into the pool and needed rescue. Some of the creatures died of unknown malady, but the survivors were known to villagers long after as troublemakers and degenerates.'"
She brought the book over to Nanaki so he could study it further.
"Interesting!" he said as he placed his front paws on the pages to hold the book open on the floor, his tail twitching gently. "So, one need not be injected with Mako to be affected, or at least, that is the case with beasts."
Nanaki continued reading the book as the others (who were better able to search the shelves anyway) continued looking.
There was no PHS reception inside the canyon, so when Tifa started to yawn she couldn't tell whether she was tired of the search or genuinely tired due to the time.
"Are we camping out here or should we head back for the night?" she asked when she saw Yuffie nodding off as well.
"I don't really sleep," Vincent said.
"Bullshit, you had slept for 30 years when we found you!" Yuffie countered, suddenly energetic.
"Anymore," Vincent added.
"I'm also too excited to sleep, but if you two want to head back I can go with you. I'd just like to take some of these books with us so I can look through them tonight," Nanaki offered.
"Agreed," Tifa replied.
The two women scooped up the half-dozen books the team had collected and followed Nanaki out of the library. The stinger's body had long since evaporated into the Lifestream, making it easier for the trio to navigate the darkened cavern as they made their way back to town. Thankfully, nothing else lurked in the fiend's lair, but they were attacked in the tunnel between the cavern and the Cave of the Gi. A pack of sneaky steps attacked them just outside the tunnel in the entrance to the cave, but their emaciated state made them easy to defeat.
"They look so… sick," Yuffie said, crouching near the corpse of one of the fiends she had just killed. Its body lie beside her with lesions across its flesh and opened wounds that appeared infected. "I almost feel sorry for them."
"They look like the zenenes I've had to deal with in Edge," Tifa said, hovering over Yuffie as they both observed the corpse. "Maybe it has to do with what that book said – that some species died after falling into the Lifestream."
"What a horrible way to die," Yuffie commented before standing up and dusting off her shorts.
The three continued back through the Cave of the Gi, fighting more specters and a lone heg as they returned to civilization. Back on the other side of the vault, Tifa and Yuffie followed Nanaki up to Bugenhagen's observatory to set the books down on his small table.
"Come get me in the morning when you wake up," Nanaki said as he bid the women goodnight. They nodded and waved as they left the observatory to return to their hotel room. Tifa's instincts had been correct, as it was now night in the canyon, stars sparkling overhead as the reddened rock turned a deep purple hue, bathed in celestial light. Yuffie stretched her arms up over her head once they were out of the observatory, letting out a purposeful groan.
"Man, I am soooo tired! All those hours searching through dusty old books is really boring," she said.
"It's important, Yuffie," Tifa chided gently as the two climbed down the ladder from the observatory.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you just want this to be over so you can get back to Reee-no," the ninja added, making an exaggerated kissing noise.
"Absolutely not!" Tifa insisted, perhaps a little too forcefully. She looked around to see if any townspeople had heard them, though the village was empty this late.
When they were back in their hotel room, Tifa's PHS buzzed.
"I bet that's him!" Yuffie said excitedly.
Tifa rolled her eyes and opened her phone. Yuffie was right, but Tifa didn't want her to know that. It actually looked like the text hadn't come through since they arrived in Cosmo Canyon the night before. It wasn't surprising, the rock formations of the canyon and the lack of a reception tower made connection within the city difficult. Their hotel room had a window, which seemed to be the only reason they were able to get a little reception now.
"Heading back to Edge. See you soon?"
The date on the message was for the previous day.
So, Reno was back in Edge. At least Tifa knew that even when she got back and Yuffie left she wouldn't be alone, even though she really had to figure out how to be okay by herself. She never thought she relied on anyone before, but ever since Cloud left and she felt alone, she realized she had always relied on other people. She had her parents and then Marle until she was given her own apartment at Stargazer heights. After that she traveled with AVALANCHE for months searching for Sephiroth and had been with Cloud after Meteorfall.
This was the first time she was truly alone in her life, and she hated it.
"Still a couple days out," she texted back.
She stared at her phone for a few minutes before realizing the time difference meant it was probably the early morning hours back in Edge. Reno was probably still asleep. Tifa put her phone under her pillow and tried to sleep, wondering what Reno had learned while in Junon with Rufus Shinra.
She realized then that even though he had promised to tell her what they learned from Hojo's research, he hadn't offered her anything yet. What if it was all a lie? She had let him feel her up after he made that promise, and she hadn't gotten information in return. Was that why she was giving in to him? No, she'd never do that. Even in Wall Market she was never going to have to go through with anything that would debase herself. But maybe he thought he was using her by stringing her along with the promise of information.
Meanwhile…
Reno had to admit, he liked being back home in Edge, even if his apartment lacked the normal homey touches that made a place feel welcoming. Seventh Heaven was closed, of course, since Tifa was still on another continent, and Rude was still sore over the whole betrayal, so Reno had to settle for drinking alone at home. Elena had offered to grab a drink with him, but he knew she just wanted to fish for information and judge his behavior for insights. No thank you.
He entered his dark bedroom and left the lights off, shrugging off his wrinkled white dress shirt and tossing it onto the clothes pile on the floor. He unbuckled his belt and slid it from his waist, depositing it on the floor as well.
He flopped back on his bed with his arms outstretched, staring up at the ceiling even though all he could see was the darkness surrounding him. Tifa hadn't responded to his last text, even after what had happened between them on the roof of Seventh Heaven and in Junon, a concern that had crossed his mind on more than one occasion while in the military city. He was starting to consider taking things seriously – not from a label standpoint, but from the realization that his games and tricks wouldn't work on her. Even worse, he didn't even seem capable of playing games anymore when it came to Tifa Lockhart. His mind turned to mush around her; happy just to be able to string a sentence together with some of his usual snark. Yet now she wasn't answering and he was beginning to worry that she had talked to Barret Wallace again. It was always one step forward, two steps back with her, and he found himself constantly thinking about whether she would try to end things again.
The thought terrified him in a way he had never felt before, similar to how he felt any time it looked like one of his colleagues might die during a risky mission. The idea of suddenly having Tifa taken from his life was beginning to feel the same as his fears that he and Rude would never patch things up. There was currently a hole in his life - a big, Rude-shaped hole - and he was already struggling to deal with that.
He exhaled to clear his mind of the stress, letting his mind wander back to the image of Tifa in that alley, her back pressed against the brick wall of the pub as his hips pinned her in place. He brought his right hand up to rest beneath his head as he remembered how her lips tasted that evening and how her newly tanned skin felt against his own, the wild look in her eye that he caught for a brief second as he pulled back to ask why she had agreed to meet him in Junon in the first place.
He closed his eyes while his thoughts shifted from history to fantasy, and he began to imagine her straddling him on his bed, riding his cock in a way he suspected she was capable of, yet never attempted with someone as milquetoast as Cloud Strife. Reno scoffed and slowly, absentmindedly, his left hand casually drifted down to the waistband of his pants, his fingers dipping below the fabric to the elastic of his boxers. His eyebrows scrunched as he reached beneath his underwear to his member, already partially erect thanks to his memories.
He grasped the base and began to stroke slowly, partaking in an act he hadn't committed since he was a teenager and still a Shinra rookie, when he was a small fish in a big pond and hadn't yet perfected his pick-up skills. Sure, he was already experienced by then, but not to the degree he was now.
With silence and darkness consuming him, he pictured Tifa above him, sliding up and down on his cock, her perfect tits bouncing pleasingly as his name oozed from her lips. He watched, mesmerized by her taut, pink nipples just aching for his tongue, recalling the way they looked when covered by flimsy fabric, soaked with chill.
His pants grew tight, prompting him to remove his hand to quickly unbutton and unzip them, lifting his hips to push them and his boxers down his legs so he could kick them off the end of the bed. Reno scooted further up toward his headboard, naked and chilled against freshly cleaned sheets, to resume where he had left off. He again took his erection in his hand and began to stroke, now more vigorously as he let his eyes close to imagine Tifa on top of him again. Should the stars ever align enough to grant him the chance to experience her as he wanted, he would definitely insist on this position.
He could see his hands reaching up to rest on her hips, guiding them up and down his shaft as a bead of sweat streaked down her temple. He imagined her crimson eyes staring into his with a ferocity he hadn't seen from her since they were trying to kill each other, wild with abandon and losing all sense of dignity. He licked his lips and halted her ride, shifting her hips forward and backward so that she grinded against him, his full length buried inside her. His hand pulled vigorously at his member, ending each tug with a slight flick of his wrist at the tip before traveling back down to the hilt as precum offered him lubrication. He had no lotion or tissues anywhere near his bed, a testament to his opposition to what he was currently doing.
He was ashamed of himself for this, lying alone with only his fantasies to console him like some sex-starved teenager unable to control his hormones. He convinced himself he was only doing this because he was experiencing the longest dry spell since he first became sexually active in his early teenage years, yet another way Tifa made him feel like an inexperienced dolt.
He should have been putting this much energy into forgetting her, instead of making it even more difficult to imagine her as anything other than a sexual partner. Maybe he should have spent more time investigating Hojo's labs in the Shinra building and Nibelheim for some sort of potion to erase memories of a particular person. Truth be told, there were others in his life he would prefer to forget, but maybe Hojo had some sort of anti-love potion to end these feelings. Surely Shinra had something to give to SOLDIER's to keep them from getting too distracted by personal interests.
He increased his speed and tightened his grip as he pictured her moving to turn around on his cock to face his legs, trying her best to remain connected to him. Her glorious ass now taunted him as long ebony hair cascaded down her back.
"Oh, baby," he said out loud, further emphasizing how embarrassing a moment this was for him. He might succeed in getting off for the first time in months, but it wouldn't carry the same satisfaction.
Still, he was getting close, and he considered this might be beneficial to get it out of his system on the off chance he was able to obtain the real thing. Nothing would scar him more than failing to satisfy Tifa Lockhart should he get the opportunity. Imagine, he thought, the girl of his dreams and him performing like a virgin choir boy. Or worse, Strife.
He felt his heartbeat racing, his blood on fire as his hand continued to stroke, the sound of skin smacking against skin the only other sound in the room besides his occasional moaning. His hands by now were slicked with precum trickling out of his tip, begging to thrust inside Tifa rather than a gripped fist.
Her name began to escape his lips as he felt a wave of pleasure wash over him, culminating in a heated pool in his belly that traveled up his cock and exploded from the tip, sticky fluid raining down on his legs and sheets. He was still in the throes of ecstasy when he heard the familiar alert of a text message, startling him. All passion drained immediately; the only person who would contact him this suddenly in the middle of the night was Tseng.
Reno lunged to the end of the bed, ignoring the fact that he had just dove onto his own puddle of sticky shame. He quickly found his pants and boxers and leapt into them before retrieving his PHS, determined to be ready in an instant for whatever emergency assignment Tseng would demand. He was uncomfortable, stuffed inside his boxers that were bunching something fierce under his wrinkled pants.
He opened his PHS with one hand as the fumbled around in the dark to look for his belt with the other. The name that lit up on the screen stopped him in his tracks, causing a throb in the vein along his temple as he realized there was no emergency. He could have ridden out his orgasm and enjoyed his pleasure high.
Don't get him wrong, seeing a text from Tifa was anything but frustrating, he just wished he hadn't been so eager to accept an assignment that would take his mind off of her.
"Still a couple days out," she had written.
He groaned, running his free hand through his hair and pulling out the band that held his ponytail to free the tangled tresses beneath. Now he was wide awake with nothing to do but stew over an empty couple of days until she returned. Rufus had returned to Edge with a plan to figure out how to stop the monster attacks, but he wasn't sharing it with the Turks, leaving them to languish in their office or patrol the streets for fiends.
Well, he knew one thing he could do right now: Shower. He needed to wash off the shame and guilt of his actions, so he tossed his dirtied clothes onto the floor pile and stepped into his shower, keeping the water cool. He grimaced as he scrubbed his lower abdomen a little harder to erase the evidence of his misdeed, but recovered quickly when he came up with a wicked idea.
He grinned as he stepped out of the shower and strolled back into his bedroom to escape the steam that had built up in the bathroom. He flicked the lights on and grabbed his PHS, not bothering to wrap a towel around himself or cover up with any article of clothing. He opened his phone and accessed its camera, angling the lens down over his still glistening skin and flexing his abdominal muscles. He held the camera so as to capture his abs and part of his pectorals in the frame, cutting the image off just a few inches above the point where the lines of his Adonis Belt would meet. Satisfied, he snapped the photo and checked it over before sending it to Tifa.
The next morning…
Tifa woke up to discover another text, sent just a few hours earlier after she had fallen asleep following her text back to Reno. Had she been drinking water, she would have spit it out when she opened the message.
"Something to think about until then ;)" the message read.
Attached was an image that instantly made Tifa's insides jump. It was clearly a photo of Reno, either naked or wearing very little clothing, showing off his chiseled abs. She could see the line of hair that stretched from his belly to… much lower, and she felt her cheeks fill with heat.
"Oh my god," slipped from her mouth and she quickly looked over to the other bed to make sure Yuffie was still asleep. Thankfully, the young ninja was a surprisingly heavy sleeper and didn't even stir.
Tifa grabbed her phone and rushed into the bathroom to study it some more while she got ready, her lower abdomen filling with heat and feeling as though it was doing somersaults each time she looked at the picture, cursing Reno for such an underhanded trick.
I guess that red hair is natural, she thought as she studied it, suddenly feeling an intense need to touch that trail of pubic hair… and see where it leads.
Tifa was rather perky that morning as she waited for Yuffie to finish getting ready so they could meet Nanaki and head back to the library, and the young ninja took notice.
"You're too perky today," she said flatly as she struggled to keep her own eyes open. "Be less of that."
Tifa just smiled as her friend reached for the coffee pot. It wasn't every day Yuffie thought someone was being too energetic, and Tifa knew she needed to calm her hormones before anyone caught on. She couldn't have Yuffie teasing her all day and letting Nanaki and Vincent know about Reno. The young ninja took a couple sips of coffee before taking a deep, meditative breath and speaking again.
"Okay, now that I'm awake, you wanna tell me about your little texty text?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, failing to feign ignorance. She was a skilled fighter, but her poker face needed a lot of work.
"Oh please, you're as red as Reno's hair!"
Tifa blushed further.
"So, what'd he say?" Yuffie asked.
"N-nothing," Tifa stammered.
"SO, IT WAS A PICTURE?"
"NO" but it was too late. How did she even make that leap so quickly?
Yuffie was lunging for Tifa's PHS like it had the secret to immortality stored on it. Tifa was taller than Yuffie, so she held the phone as high in the air as she could as Yuffie tried her best to obtain it through non-violent means. Failing at that, Yuffie suddenly got a devilish grin and tickled Tifa under her arm, causing her to lower the phone while defending herself.
Yuffie grabbed the device and ran into the bathroom with Tifa right at her heels, slamming the door and locking it as the bartender screamed at her and pounded on the door. Tifa knew her actions were now futile, but the thought of Yuffie doing something with the photo or worse, responding to Reno on the martial artist's behalf, frightened her more than a one-on-one fight with Bahamut.
"I already know you're out there, it's not going to work," the younger woman said calmly, leaning against the door so she could make sure Tifa could hear her clearly on the other side. Yuffie flipped open Tifa's phone and grinned as the photo came into view.
"HOLY SHIT TIFA!" the bartender heard from the other side of the door.
Tifa leaned her head against the door and frowned. She could only imagine how she would feel if Rude stole Reno's phone to look at a picture of her, even one that didn't show anything too scandalous. She was somehow embarrassed on Reno's behalf, even though she was sure the redhead was supremely proud of his body and wouldn't mind the photo being share publicly. Hell, he'd probably want it on a billboard.
Yuffie opened the door and tossed the PHS to Tifa, making a sly comment about the "carpet matching the drapes."
"I'd be in a good mood too if I woke up to that," the ninja added.
Tifa rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. All the enthusiasm she had for this day was suddenly gone, replaced by sheer humiliation. At least Yuffie wouldn't be able to tease her anymore once they rejoined Nanaki. No suggestions for how to respond, no attempts to ask for more scandalous photos, no advice on how to angle the camera to capture a similar photo to send back. Tifa looked forward to the reprieve as they knocked on the observatory's door.
"You're in a good mood this morning, Tifa," Nanaki commented when they entered the building.
Yuffie stifled a laugh and Tifa tried to keep from turning red again.
"Just positive we'll find something good today," the bartender answered.
They were again attacked by a few Gi spectors and hegs as they returned to the library through the Cave of the Gi, but the creatures didn't put up nearly as much fight as Tifa remembered from the first time they were in the Cave of the Gi all those years ago. She had grown so much since that time, fought so many tougher enemies, that maybe the fiends in the cave weren't necessarily weaker, though Tifa swore the creatures back then fought like they were berserk, where as they now almost seemed resigned to defeat.
Nanaki again opened the secret door on the far wall that led to the library. This time, they brought a couple flashlights to help see rather than rely on the red beast's tail. When they reached the room, they found Vincent standing in almost the exact same place as they had left him the night before.
"Geez did you even move?" Yuffie asked, placing her hands on her hips defiantly.
Vincent continued to read. He may not have heard what Yuffie said, or he was just that adept at ignoring people. After a few moments, he closed the book and put it back on the shelf, then moved to a different area to keep searching.
"The back wall is done," he said without turning to look at the others, motioning to a few books he had stacked on the floor near the entrance.
"Great!" Nanaki replied, moving toward the pile and sitting down so he could open up a book and begin reading.
"So, did you learn anything from the books you read last night?" Tifa asked, looking through the books on one of the free-standing shelves in the middle of the room.
"Quite a bit, actually," the red beast responded. "It appears the presence of the Lifestream altered the hunting and mating patters of most of the species on earth. As you discovered, Tifa, some species are dying from the contact, but others are thriving."
"Okay, so what can we do about all the attacks in town?" Yuffie asked.
"For the most part it looks like we just have to keep fighting and eventually there will be fewer monsters," Nanaki answered.
"That's it! We just have to wait it out?" Yuffie was not pleased.
"Well, I found something in one of the books that might give a clue," Nanaki continued. "Apparently, something similar happened thousands of years ago after Jenova landed and the planet tried to heal itself."
"The texts go back that far?" Vincent inquired, turning to the group for the first time since they returned to the library.
"The book I read was not that old but had apparently been written based on historical documents from the Cetra. If you'll recall, Jenova disguised itself as a Cetra and poisoned them with its own cells, turning them into monsters."
The others quietly stared at Nanaki with anticipation.
"Which means many of the monsters in the world today still contain Cetra and Jenova cells within them. The Lifestream appears to be interacting with those cells."
"Wait, I'm confused," Tifa said, holding up her hand. "So, the only ones affected are those with Cetra or Jenova cells?"
"I believe so," Nanaki said.
Tifa's eyes began to well up with tears. "So, Cloud's disappearance really is probably due to what happened two years ago…"
"That looks to be the case now. Also remember, that if any part of Jenova still exists, Jenova can influence the creature."
"That was Hojo's 'Reunion Theory,'" Vincent noted.
"Exactly."
"But we defeated Jenova. And Sephiroth!" Tifa insisted.
"Yes, but it doesn't look like we cleared Jenova cells from the planet," Nanaki said.
"Is there a way to do that?" Vincent asked.
"I'm not sure, honestly. If I don't find anything more in the books here, I think our next place to search would be the Forgotten Capital."
Tifa closed her eyes. So many thoughts were swirling around in her head right now. What Nanaki said made sense on some level, but it didn't seem like there was much anyone could do. She just spent days traveling to Cosmo Canyon and searching the libraries there, she wasn't exactly looking forward to another lengthy trip to the Forgotten Capital. She wasn't sure she could handle seeing Cloud again right now, even if his actions over the past couple years were the result of the Lifestream interacting with his mako and Jenova cells.
She wanted to know if there was a way to stop what was happening around the world and maybe even save Cloud, but his words still rang in her head.
They weren't the only reasons I left…
Was he just saying that to get her to leave that day? Or was he not actually affected in the same way the monsters were and truly missed Aerith?
She had to know, because if there was a chance that Cloud needed her help, she had to be there for him.
"So, let's head to the Forgotten Capital now, you can finish reading on the way," Tifa offered.
"Tifa, I understand your concern, but this is just a theory, even if it does seem plausible," Nanaki replied. "I'd like to finish looking through these books before we go rushing off on what might be a dangerous adventure."
"Maybe the Highwind will be fixed by then," Yuffie interjected.
The young ninja certainly was not looking forward to anymore boat or car rides. Not that the Highwind was any different, but at least it was quicker. The quickest way to the Forgotten Capital without an airship would be to take the intercontinental highway Reeve had built, which connected Edge to the Northern Continent. But it would still be a long and difficult journey, and even if they used Tifa's truck, it would be a lengthy trek, with little chance the vehicle would survive. Plus, two people would have to ride in the back on the uncomfortable fiberglass bed.
"Maybe," Nanaki mused.
Tifa looked dejected, surprised that her friends lacked her urgency. Cloud could be in danger, but Vincent and Nanaki wanted to conduct more research before going to help him. Maybe information in those books would lead to a different conclusion, and maybe Tifa just wanted to hold out hope that she hadn't been rejected by the man she loved, but if Nanaki's theory was correct, they didn't have time to waste.
"Well, I'm heading back to Edge to start preparing," she said defiantly. "Please come as soon as you can."
Nanaki nodded. "I don't suspect it will take much longer," he said, before raising his chin to look up at Tifa. "And remember, Cloud has successfully fought through the Jenova cells before."
Because I was there to help him, she thought, but didn't say out loud.
Meanwhile…
Reno had been tapping his fingers on his desk for way longer than even he realized, bored out of his mind as he waited to start the afternoon patrol. Ever since they'd returned from Junon, Rude had refused to join in any office fun, instead choosing to do something on his computer or simply read quietly. Reno had no idea how to include Elena in any pranks since she was usually on the receiving end of them, and he felt pranking Rude would be in poor form at this moment.
"Could you stop that, please?" Elena said in a way that made it clear she was leveling out a command, not a request.
"I'm your superior, you can't tell me what to do," Reno barked back at her. He had no qualms about stopping his finger-tapping, he just didn't like when Elena used that tone with him.
"Reno, stop annoying Elena," Tseng said from inside his office. He had ears like a bat.
Elena rotated around in her chair to give Reno a childish "haha you got in trouble" look that he did not appreciate. He narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her.
King of the playground.
Reno stopped tapping his fingers but started humming just to get back under Elena's skin. It also covered up the sound of him flipping his phone open to check for a response from Tifa and then closing it again, something he had been doing all morning while waiting for a text. He had sent that photo hours ago, and even though she was in Cosmo Canyon, he felt she should have responded by now. His relationship with Rude was improving each day, but he still felt guilty for texting Tifa.
He had told himself he'd wait until Rude was over the situation before continuing to expand his relationship with the barmaid, yet all that quickly went out the window when the redhead couldn't stop thinking about her. Just a couple days after getting punched in the face because he betrayed his best friend and he was already back to his shenanigans. He was truly a lousy friend, but he couldn't help himself anymore.
He also figured that things were only improving between him and Rude because Tifa was out of town. Would Rude still want to go to Seventh Heaven every night knowing that Reno could be scoring with the woman he still idolized? Reno didn't think Rude had moved on from Tifa completely; after all, it had only been a few days.
Her last text said she wouldn't be in town for a few days. He hoped Rude would forgive him completely by then, but seeing Tifa might change things. Now Reno had to really look like he was a nice guy, not just to lure Tifa into bed, but to keep Rude from kicking his ass for hurting her. He was in too deep now.
"Reno? Rude?" Tseng said from his office. "Go upstairs, Rufus wants to talk to you."
Reno looked at Rude with a "now what?" expression on his face, but the bald man looked just as confused (well, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, which was as much confusion as Rude was capable of showing). They each stood up and quietly walked out of the Turks' office.
"What do you suppose he'll have us do now?" Reno asked with his hands on the back of his head.
"Probably needs a coffee," Rude said once they were out of the office and out of Tseng's earshot.
Reno guffawed and smacked Rude in the shoulder. "You got your sense of humor back, buddy!"
"Yeah, brushing up on my comedy routine," Rude said in a monotone voice.
Maybe things between them would be okay.
They entered Rufus' office a moment later without stopping to check in with the secretary first. Rufus was standing up at his desk and on the phone when they entered, holding one finger up in their direction while giving no other indication he had noticed them.
"Thank you, that will be all," Rufus said to the person on the other end of the phone before hanging up. He continued to stand and rested his knuckles on his desk to lean over it, peering at the two Turks in front of him. "I need you two to start surveilling AVALANCHE again."
"Why?" Rude asked.
"It seems some of them were spotted recently in Cosmo Canyon," Rufus began. "I think they're continuing to search for an explanation to the monster problem."
"So? What if they are?" Reno asked, a little indignantly.
"I told you, Shinra needs to be the ones to save the world. We can't have them getting in our way."
"Okay, but, what if, like, we teamed up with them, yanno?" Reno suggested. "They're the 'planet saviors' after all. Helping them would still help Shinra."
Rufus seemed to ponder his suggestion for a moment, much to Reno's genuine surprise.
"You're right, Reno," he said after a while.
Reno's jaw dropped at the response, not used to hearing such a comment from Rufus, or anyone, really. He knew he was right. He was right about a lot of things, but because he was Reno, people didn't seem to want to give him credit. Pfft.
"I am?"
Rude looked shocked as well (in his own Rude way).
"I want you two to start surveilling the barmaid. She's apparently traveling back from Cosmo Canyon now. She seems to be at the center of their activities. Follow her. Bug her place. Find out who she's talking to and where she's going. And report back."
"Just surveil, sir?" Reno asked, eliciting a knowing glance from Rude.
"I still want Shinra to end the world's problems this time, but" he lowered his head and signed, "if it looks like AVALANCHE will beat us to it, we should join with them to increase our own stature."
"So, leech off their popularity?"
"It was your idea, Reno."
"Sounds good, boss," Reno said. "We'll see what we can squeeze out of her."
Rude shot him a decidedly malicious look that Rufus didn't notice. Reno just had to try his luck. It didn't matter; this was the closest thing to a real Turk assignment they had gotten in months. The two men stood up and headed for the door as Rufus disregarded them and returned to his work, whatever that was.
"What a perfect assignment for you," Rude said with a hint of envy once they were outside Rufus' office.
"Hey man, this is great!" Reno enthused. "No more desk duty. No more patrol. We get to stalk someone in the shadows and drink all night – for work!"
Rude shrugged his shoulders. This did beat sitting at a desk all day surfing the Database or getting his work suits covered in monster blood and guts. His salary may go further with Edge's reduced cost of living, but his dry-cleaning bills made up the difference.
He said nothing to Reno as the two rode the elevator back down to their floor. He wasn't just upset that this meant he had to be in the same room as Tifa and Reno for the foreseeable future, but the fact that if she found out they were there to surveil her, they might forever lose the friendly relationship they had built with her over the past six months. Even if she were no longer a romantic option for Rude, he didn't want her to start looking at him with malice in her eyes again.
Reno could feel his phone buzz in his pocket once they returned to their office, causing him to hitch a step as heat traveled up his body to his cheeks with the thought that maybe Tifa had sent a return photo.
"So, what's the new assignment?" Elena inquired. While she was glad to have them out of the office again so she could be alone with Tseng, it still meant she was forced to do boring work rather than the more devious tasks a Turk was to perform.
"Surveilling Tifa," Rude said plainly.
"Haven't you been doing that for years?" Elena asked, as innocently as she could muster.
Rude was not amused.
"Too soon?" she asked with a rueful smile.
Reno plopped down in his desk chair with a chuckle and pulled out his phone.
"1 text message from Tifa."
The words made his heart skip a beat. That was new. Should probably see a doctor. Probably smoking too much. Yeah, that was it.
"Nice photo :) Be home in two days," it said.
She really needed to work on her flirting. Reno decided at that moment he would help her with that when she returned.