A/N: Rated M for language and sexual content. Standard disclaimer applies.

Updated 1/11/2022: Massive edits throughout to bring in line with past chapters.

Chapter 26:

Darkness outside, many of the city's street lamps damaged or destroyed by monster stampedes; new ones built on rooftops but dimmed so as not to disturb those on higher floors. A sky still muddied even with the reduction, stars begging to be seen by a populous that only knew them through books.

Silence inside, except for the occasional creak of the building's structural beams and floorboards or the gentle sighs of its one sleeping occupant.

Reno sat awkwardly on a windowsill in the living room, folded unnaturally within its frame, contorted in pain to the casual observer. The window was open, and he had his right foot on the floor and his left resting on the sill, level with his hips. His right shoulder blade was pushed into the window's frame with the wood-encased glass panel resting on the point where his shoulder and neck met, leaning out the window to blow the smoke from his cigarette into the night air. He wore only his suit pants, the remainder of his clothes sitting in a disheveled pile on the floor nearby and his long red hair untied and falling about his shoulders.

What seemed an uncomfortable position had actually been perfected over years of escaping the bedrooms of one-night stands. Sometimes he would linger for a smoke if the woman was a deep sleeper, particularly in the summer when it was best not to spend too much time in the sweltering and unforgiving heat of Edge. He'd slowly folded his body tighter and tighter over the years, until his hunched form curled almost completely within the opened portion of the window.

This time, however, the anticipation of flight was not his most prominent thought, though he couldn't say he hadn't originally planned to abscond once again. Sleep had once again eluded him, too wrapped up in the swirl of confusion clouding his brain that kept him from fully comprehending what was going on between him and the beautiful woman next to him, all soft skin and dangerous curves. He would have thought that without the need to be somewhere at a specific hour the next morning, he would be able to sleep easily next to her, the issues usually leading to his insomnia solved by her presence. Perhaps he was expecting too much from her.

When he realized he was again watching her sleep, he slowly slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb the sheets or the mattress so as to avoid waking Tifa, who seemed to sleep easily in his presence. He briefly contemplated the meaning behind that as he gathered the clothes he had discarded around the room the night before when he pleasured her, his brain on auto-pilot and prepared to make a stealthy exit, as he had done with countless women before. He stepped into his pants as he quietly padded out of the bedroom and into the living room, toward the window through which he had once viewed Tifa on her sofa looking at his risqué photo. He smirked at the memory as he approached the window, dropping his clothes on the floor before opening the glass to feel the cooling night breeze on his face.

His jacket hit the wooden floorboards with a crack, hopefully not loud enough to awake Tifa, but definitely a sign that his sneaking skills had taken some kind of hit these past few months. Whether that was due to a lack of use since he was no longer regularly sleeping with random women or because somewhere deep in his psyche he didn't really want to leave Seventh Heaven and was hoping to get caught, he didn't know.

He couldn't see much from this vantage point, just the brick wall of the building on the other side of the alley and a narrow strip of Edge beyond the alley opening, but it was enough for him to chart an escape should he follow through with the consideration.

His cigarette was nearly ashed when he heard the distant clash of fiends: horns and claws and talons and paws all coming together to create a symphony of battle. It was a constant cacophony in Edge these days, monster cries and attacks so common it had become just background noise, like the stridulation of crickets or indistinct murmur of a crowd.

Tifa probably wouldn't wake up to the faraway clatter, but the sudden chirping and squeaking of wererats in the alley below the window certainly might do the trick. Reno let his gaze fall lazily to the creatures, fighting for territory in a pack against a larger doomrat. The Turk watched the scene for a moment before the battle escalated with several wererats screeching in pain after the genetic variant attacked.

Reno flicked his finished cigarette out the window with expert precision, not bothering to watch as the smoldering nub landed between the doomrat's shoulder blades, causing the fiend to cry out and scratch at its singed fur with one clawed hand. The momentary distraction allowed the smaller monsters to pounce in unison, assaulting the creature with simultaneous bites and scratches as Reno removed himself from his position and closed the window, a satisfied smile on his face. Fiends were fiends, but why not help the bullied conquer a bully regardless of social status?

He picked up his pile of clothes, having decided against leaving, and returned to the bedroom, where he slipped out of his pants and crawled back into bed, sliding closer to Tifa's form and reaching an arm across her waist to pull her against him.

"You're back," she sighed, her voice husky but not dour.

Reno stiffened at her comment, assuming she had been asleep while he was at the window. The words rolled over him in steady bewilderment, unsure if she was disappointed that he had returned or relieved. He'd never heard a woman speak those words in this context, only familiar with them from a bartender or Rude after an office storm out. He swallowed before answering, the quick wit he was known for with women again taking a backseat to trepidation and nerves.

"Of course," he said, as if he hadn't spent an entire cigarette debating whether he should disappear again, though his voice cracked a little.

Tifa seemed satisfied nonetheless, snuggling closer to him and settling against him in a way that made him want to catch on fire, the heat from her body pressed against him in an unintentionally seductive way. A spark of electricity seared from his brain through his veins and ending in a certain part of his anatomy, causing a twitch he hoped Tifa didn't feel. He may have spent the previous evening neck deep in her pussy, but right now he didn't want her to know how badly he wanted her, how every move she made set him alight and brought his heart to a standstill, how his throat closed up now when he wanted to respond to her. His timing was just a fraction off, probably not even noticeable to most – but he knew, and it felt like a chasm that would definitely be obvious to Rude or Elena.

And Tifa was observant.

A few minutes later and Reno felt Tifa fall back asleep, her breathing slowed and her body relaxing as she drifted into a pleasant state of dreaming. It didn't take much longer to doze himself, his mind rattled with indecent thoughts and anxieties but somehow content enough to acquiesce.

The next morning…

Feather-light kisses brought Tifa into the new day, tiny whispers trailing along the back of her shoulders that she may have slept through had the morning sun not slipped through her window coverings and invaded her dreams. Reno had stayed through the night, a fact not lost on the barmaid as she awoke. As he approached her neck a shiver ran down her spine, goosebumps covering her flesh and giving away the way he kept her on ice, seconds from heating up but trying to remain calm.

His tenderness was more surprising than his remaining at Seventh Heaven, a drastic change from the roughness he had shown her the past two nights when he had her pinned against the wall or the ferocity of his tongue and fingers the previous night as she screamed his name and begged for release. She honestly had never considered the idea that Reno was capable of this kind of compassion, but she had to admit she was noticing him showing a sweet side more and more, though she never knew when she would see it. When they were alone, he could be snarky or, dare she say, sexy, but there were many times – like when he hugged her the other night – that he seemed softer, perhaps even capable of something she'd tried not to think about.

Other times, however, when they were fighting fiends or when he was sitting at the bar with Rude during business hours, she would be reminded of the Reno she had known until just a few months ago – wild and reckless, with just a dash of poison. Sometimes she'd catch glimpses of the façade crumbling, if only for an instant, as if the effort to maintain his reputation was crushing his soul, though Tifa questioned whether she was seeing the truth or what she wanted to see.

He was still kissing her along her neck, gingerly coating her delicate skin with the moisture from his lips, so light and airy that he left no new marks. He tightened his arm around her belly, burying his hand between her and the mattress to squeeze her as close to him as he could manage, a move he instantly regretted once he felt her warm backside against his cock, afflicted with morning stiffness. Reno strained to keep Tifa in a position that wouldn't make her think he was trying anything, balancing his shaft against her fleshy rump and trying not to poke her or spasm.

She noticed.

She wasn't naïve; she'd shared a bed with Cloud for more than a year before he pulled away and recalled many days where he'd wake her up with a similar trail of kisses along her shoulder as his member begged for entrance. She never told him no, still so early in their relationship that nothing could dull their hormones. With Reno, however, a little morning delight was out of the question, but she couldn't ignore the heat he caused to pool in her belly.

He decided to distract her as best he could without moving from his comfortable and desirable position, snuggling his face into her shoulder and curling his knees upward to cradle her body against his. She sighed contentedly, relaxing into him as he realized the satin slip she had worn to bed had ridden up during the night, one of the last warm evenings left in Edge this year. He let the hand that was pulling her against him wander to her abdomen, feeling the lines of her taut muscles before gliding up to her hip and down the outside of her thigh and around to her exposed backside, squeezing her flesh and causing her to squeal.

He still hated the idea of Shinra and the other Turks listening to her, especially since he believed he would now be in that apartment a lot more. He didn't want his colleagues to hear what they were doing, finding something… unsettling about the idea.

Just as the previous night, however, he let those feelings fall to the wayside, instead motivated by desires other than his and Tifa's privacy. He brushed his hand down her outer thigh one more time, fingers lightly grazing over her silky smooth skin, his digits sending burning hot messages along her leg. He shifted his hand forward, teasing her as he slowly traced a line back up her inner thigh, causing her knees to quake when he reached the sensitive skin just beyond the fresh pair of lace panties she had to grab after their night together. As soon as his fingers reached the soft, delicate fabric acting as a barrier between him and her warm center, Tifa cooed, shifting to stop him from taking things further and setting the bed on fire.

"Mmm morning," she said as she turned to face him, still pleasantly surprised that he had stayed the whole night.

"Morning, babe," he whispered, hoping the recorders wouldn't pick it up. He didn't need to be teased at work. "Sleep well?"

"Mmhmm," Tifa moaned, her eyes investigating his, searching for the aquamarine blaze ignited by the trace amount of mako pumping through his blood. It was there, cushioned by a softer smolder of ice that told her he was still not quite fully awake. She reached out a hand to entangle her fingers in his hair, as loose and messy as hers at the moment.

Reno let his eyelids become heavy and brought his thumb up to her mouth, gently stroking her lower lip as his eyes remained locked on hers. She gave the pad of his thumb a soft kiss, still amazed at how sweet he was being and briefly forgetting that this man had once stood over her crumpled form, laughing as Sector 7 burned.

All at once his aura dissolved at the sound of his ringing phone, a klaxon interrupting his moment of domestic bliss. He groaned and reached over to grab his PHS, the sheet falling from his exposed chest as he sat up to answer. Tifa watched him intently, hoping it would be a spam call or something else unimportant so they could keep cuddling, her need for gratification the night before replaced with a craving for the emotional connection she didn't believe Reno could muster. She wanted to maintain it as long as possible, even if it was a temporary illusion.

"Reno! Get your ass in my office, now," Rufus Shinra seethed from the other end of the phone, his anger so apparent Tifa could hear him clearly from her place beside the Turk.

"Right away, sir," Reno said before hanging up. "Shit, babe, I gotta go," he told her, jumping out of bed to find his discarded pants, forgetting to whisper to avoid the recording devices.

"Something wrong?" Tifa asked in that sweet voice women had when they woke up the morning after intense sexual activity. She had propped herself up on one arm, allowing Reno to see the top of the satin slip she had worn to bed that could barely contain her breasts.

No, he had to stop thinking about that or looking at her. Rufus was pissed and Reno wasn't exactly in the office. Stifling a groan, he pulled his pants up quickly, hopping on one foot as he buckled his belt, frantically grasping for his shirt and shoes when all he wanted to do was lie next to Tifa and stare into her pretty eyes.

"Shit, shit, shit," he said as he haphazardly buttoned his shirt and reached for his jacket, the possible origins of Rufus' ire running through his head. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and shoes, barely getting them tied before lunging across the bed to grab his phone from the nightstand, his hair falling over his shoulders and reminding him to pull it back into his usual ponytail.

He continued to avoid looking at Tifa when he patted his jacket and belt to make sure he had everything he needed: Keys, wallet, PHS, mag rod. Finding everything he could think of, he made a beeline to the bedroom door, his hands subconsciously catching him on the door frame and jerking his body to a stop, the thought of running out on her too painful to consider at the moment.

Tifa watched him stall at the door, his arms bent behind him and his hands gripping the door frame like a vice, the indecision apparent even from this angle. It felt like time had frozen, given his agitated behavior just moments earlier and his strained form now. She gathered the covers at her chest and sat up on the bed, wondering if she should approach him.

Reno hung his head and dropped his shoulders, his body pulling against his weight and stressing his need to leave. Whatever morning intentions he may have had dissipated the moment he heard Rufus' voice on the other end of his phone, but that didn't mean he could just leave like this. He shook his head and pulled himself back into her room, spinning on his heel and jumping on her bed so fast Tifa couldn't even be sure she had seen him cover the distance.

She bounced when he hit the mattress, though he was careful not to land on her legs and risk hurting her lovely weapons. He quickly scooted up to her and grabbed her cheeks in his long hands, pulling her face towards his for a zealous kiss, his lips hungry but his tongue maintaining its distance. Before she could even lift her hands to wrap around him and keep him from leaving, he was off the bed and out the door. She heard the front door slam just seconds later.

Her lips were still parted, left in a daze from his intense kiss and insistence on saying goodbye instead of simply leaving her in a panic. He had reacted so strongly and quickly that Tifa wondered if he had ever heard Rufus so mad, and why the president of Shinra might be calling the Turk's second-in-command so early and in such a rage.

She barely had time to comprehend his absence when her own PHS began to ring on the nightstand next to her. She answered it upon seeing the name that appeared on the screen.

"Hi Nanaki," she said, her mood dropping a bit as a cold suddenly enveloped her, the loss of Reno's warm body pressed against hers suddenly an obvious hole in the room, combined with the knowledge of how this conversation would likely turn.

"Tifa, we're almost finished reading through the rest of the books we found in the Canyon," Nanaki responded, oblivious to Tifa's subdued tone.

"And?" trepidation built in her chest and she found herself praying to Shiva that she wouldn't have to go to the Forgotten Capital, unsure how she would handle seeing Cloud again now that she and Reno…

"There hasn't been much else in them," Nanaki interrupted her thoughts. "We should be done soon, then I think it's time to head to the Forgotten Capital, see if we can find the final piece of the puzzle there."

Tifa sighed deeply, wanting to object but knowing she couldn't abandon her friends or the world just because she didn't want to face her ex-boyfriend or the place where her best friend died.

"When?" she asked, hoping to have more time to prepare for the emotional toll the trip would take on her.

"Vincent and I will leave for Edge after we finish the last book, probably in a few days. Cid said the airship should be fixed by then, too."

"I understand, see you soon," Tifa replied.

"You okay?" Nanaki asked.

"Yeah, it's just…"

"I get it."

"You do?"

"Tifa, I might be young in human years, but I did spend enough time around you bipeds to learn a thing or two."

At this, Tifa let out a sound resembling amusement.

"Thanks, Nanaki."

"Anytime, Tifa, see you in a few days," the red beast responded before hanging up.

Tifa was glad that she would see some of her friends again so soon, but knowing where they would be traveling didn't sit well with her, butterflies already starting to flutter uncomfortably in her stomach at the thought of seeing Cloud again after what he had said to her the last time.

I am the danger.

What would they find at the Forgotten Capital? Would he still be there? Would he be alive? Beyond those questions, Tifa wondered if there really was a library in the ancient Cetra city that was still accessible, and whether the books contained therein would be legible.

She leaned back hard against her headrest, wishing she could reverse time about thirty minutes, back to when it was just her and Reno, the day just starting and no stressors threatening to tear them apart.

At Shinra's new HQ…

"Reno, what did I tell you to do?" Rufus asked once he sensed the Turk was in his office. The president of Shinra was standing at the window with his back toward Reno when the redhead entered, dressed in one of his immaculate but complicated white suits, his blond hair perfectly sculpted except for that one lock that always seemed to disobey.

"Get close to the target to learn information?" Reno questioned, slowly treading toward his boss' boss. He had been given the assignment only yesterday, Rufus couldn't possibly have determined that was enough time to find out what AVALANCHE was doing.

"And what have you done so far?" Rufus pried, still looking out the window, watching a nest of birds perched on the parapet outside.

Reno thrust his hands into his pockets and relaxed his posture. Obviously, he wasn't going to tell Rufus the whole truth, but he had to give him something.

"Sir, I made inroads with the target by assisting her with her daily errands and distracted her while Rude bugged the bar."

"You know what I heard?" Rufus asked, turning to Reno and walking toward his desk, pressing his knuckles onto the glass to support himself. Reno's gaze shifted downward, unable to hide the shame he knew he was about to feel and giving away his treachery. "I heard sounds I never wanted to hear a member of AVALANCHE make."

Reno blushed, never hearing Rufus discuss anything other than business and never in a million years considering the president would ever comment on sex. At the same time, he felt a small sense of pride at the thought that he had pleasured Tifa to such an extent that it embarrassed Rufus Shinra. He considered responding, but for once thought anything he had to say would only further anger the president.

"You know what I didn't hear?" Rufus continued. "I didn't hear anything about AVALANCHE's plans to save the world or my subordinate even trying to get those plans."

"Sir, I'm working up to that."

"That's not what it sounded like you were working up to," Rufus spat. "If you can't get me anything soon, we'll have to resort to more… aggressive… means to extract the information from her."

"Sir?" Reno knew what Rufus was implying and he didn't want to put Tifa through that again.

He and Rude had been ordered to subdue her and Barrett Wallace shortly after Sephiroth summoned Meteor in order to make examples of them to soothe the people of the planet. The two Turks had been on the Highwind when it was nearly destroyed at the Northern Crater, when Tifa fell on the upper deck, hitting her head hard enough to put her in a coma for seven days. Rude and several Shinra soldiers had forced Barret into the holding area – with the help of some sedatives – while Reno carried Tifa and set her down on the table amongst the lab equipment in what would become their prison for the week.

Neither he nor Rude spoke up when Rufus decided to kill the two AVALANCHE members just to get the people's attention away from Sephiroth. Of course, they were both more concerned about Tifa, but back then they didn't say anything – in part out of loyalty, but also because they were too afraid to admit that they were concerned about the world ending and didn't want to spend their potential last few days on Gaia running from Shinra forces for betrayal.

If Rufus decided to bring Tifa in this time, Reno knew it meant she would be tortured, and knowing Rufus' flair for creative punishment, he would probably order Reno to carry out that torture.

"Just do your damn job!" the president yelled, motioning for Reno to get out of his sight.

The red-haired Turk pivoted on his heel and stormed out of the room, thankful that Rufus couldn't see the expression on his face as he thundered past the receptionists' desk toward the elevator. He stomped into the Turks' office to try to calm down, but knew they must have all heard the recording once he entered and saw Elena's face turn bright red. She quickly looked away from Reno as he walked past her. Rude, too, avoided eye contact with his partner.

Great, just great, Reno thought to himself as he collapsed into his chair so hard it slid back against the wall behind him. He couldn't even enjoy the fact that he had made Tifa scream with pleasure anymore because Rufus was threatening his job. Oh, and his colleagues all knew. Sure, there was that pride he felt, but mainly he was pissed.

"Reno," Tseng said in a tone that commanded Reno to enter his office, but was neither an outright demand nor a question.

The red-haired Turk sighed and rose to walk into his boss' office to get reamed for the second time that morning. And the day had started out so perfectly…

"Yes sir?" he asked as he approached the desk, already knowing what Tseng was about to say.

"Just get Rufus the information he wants and try to remember the building is bugged," Tseng said, his expression flinching just a fraction to show his discomfort with the situation

Could this day get more humiliating?

"That all, sir?"

"Not quite, Elena heard something in the apartment after you left," Tseng informed him, his face returning to its usual stoicism. Reno paused, crossing his arms. "It appears the red beast called her, though we couldn't hear what he said and Tifa didn't give much on her end. She did say she would 'see him soon' but she didn't seem happy about it. See if you can figure out what they're planning."

"Yes, boss," Reno said with a lazy salute before turning to leave Tseng's office with his shoulders slumped and his tongue pressing against his cheek in irritation.

Neither Rude nor Elena would look at him as he passed their desks, busying themselves with the notes they were taking while listening to the recordings from Seventh Heaven. Whatever. Reno held his head high as he left the office, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the recordings had been shared with more Shinra employees, as it seemed everyone was staring at him with a more stilted expression than usual. He huffed the suspicion away, choosing to focus instead on returning to Tifa and the potential for this day to regain its splendor. He hadn't been gone that long, maybe she was still in bed wearing that little satin number that barely covered her…

He was practically skipping when he reached the last roof next to the bar, taking the rungs of the side ladder two at a time and dropping several feet above the ground. He looked up at the sky but covered his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, the sun out in full force and reminding him that though it might technically be fall, summer was still in control.

The front door to Seventh Heaven was still unlocked when he returned, though Tifa was not in the bar. Reno slowly made his way to the stairs, listening to see if she was in the storage room or elsewhere, before walking upstairs to find her sitting in the kitchen wearing her red satin robe. She was seated at the kitchen island, with her foot up on the seat and her knee bent under her chin as she sipped on coffee, holding the mug with two hands and looking adorable, in his opinion. Reno made sure to note that her hips were shifted away from the window just in case Rude was sent back to the roof to spy on her, a possessiveness taking hold inside him to which he was not accustomed.

For once she wasn't startled to find him standing near her, instead smiling and putting her coffee mug down so that she could stand up to greet him. She stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up to kiss him sweetly and tickle his nose with the tip of her own. Reno accepted her soft, warm lips, encircling his arms around her waist, but glanced over her head at the window in an absentminded attempt to see if Rude was watching. He knew he wouldn't be able to see Rude even if he were up there but couldn't help checking to see if they were being watched. Absurd, he thought, since there was no point for Rude to be out there now that the place was bugged.

"Everything okay?" Tifa asked, tilting her head and knitting her eyebrows together with concern. He had been frustrated, but one look into those big ruby red eyes of hers just melted that anger away, his expression softening further when she placed a hand on his cheek. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned into her hand before opening them again, the stress of the morning evaporating at her touch and the heat he felt earlier that morning returning.

He sat down on one of the stools at the kitchen island as if it were a perfectly normal thing for him to be in Tifa's kitchen in the morning, sunlight casting long beams of light behind him and warming the back of his neck. She brushed a hand along his shoulders and walked around the counter to grab another coffee mug to pour Reno a cup, as she had done thousands of times for Cloud when he sat on the very same stool before he'd be off on a job or picking up supplies for the bar.

But things were different now. Tifa smiled to herself as she poured the coffee, closing her eyes for a moment as her mind drifted back into a memory. Strong, ghostly arms wrapped around her waist from behind, cooling her body without applying pressure, existing only in her mind. Her reverie was interrupted with a static scratch, like a video glitching or a station going dark, accompanied by a sharp crack of pain to the top left side of her head. Thankfully, the mug was already sitting on the counter, allowing her to grip her head with her left hand while the coffee pot balanced on the counter in her right hand. The sensation was gone in a flash, leaving her questioning and woozy.

"Are you okay?" she heard Reno ask, standing up from his stool and causing it to slide against the wooden floorboards, a scratch that irritated her skull.

Tifa turned around to look at him as if she had been in an entirely different dimension, unable to remember how she came to stand in front of her coffee maker at that very moment. She recognized the look on Reno's face – it was the same one she had given Cloud countless times years ago when his memory was failing him and the Jenova cells played tricks on his mind. Was this what he experienced during those moments? She suddenly had a new understanding of what he had been going through back then, but that didn't explain why she had just experienced this. She didn't have Jenova cells or even mako in her, so why was a fleeting memory so painful?

"Of course," she said, faking a smile to push through the incident. "Just a slight headache. What happened with Rufus?"

She sauntered back over to the kitchen island to hand him the mug, leaning over the granite counter, resting her chin on her hand and her elbow on the smooth surface to study his face while she waited for him to respond. Reno was skeptical of her answer, but figured it was better not to push the issue if she was trying to move on. Besides, the collar of her robe was parted just enough to show off some of her exquisite cleavage, all remnants of the morning's anger now completely gone.

"Eh, nothing important," Reno said, trying to answer her question without pissing off the people listening in on them. He took a sip of his coffee and exhaled through his mouth in delight. "How is your coffee this good?"

Tifa smiled and took another sip from her own mug, shrugging off his comment as if she didn't think her coffee was anything other than ordinary. "That's top secret," she said with a wink.

"I won't tell," Reno said, holding up two fingers and then running them in a cross pattern on his chest, knowing full well the recording devices would pick this up so he would have a backup in case she had some complicated recipe he would quickly forget.

"It's really nothing special, and I assume you'd be too lazy to steal the recipe anyway…" she trailed off, walking around the kitchen island and sitting on the bar stool next to Reno. "I add a vanilla bean to the grounds and a dash of nutmeg once it's poured."

"I guess I should have known you'd be able to mix more than alcohol."

Tifa laughed. "Surprised? I can also cook and put together an outfit and combine materia," she added in a mocking tone.

"Okay, okay you're right – I guess I always just saw you as a hot fighting bartender," Reno joked.

"Oh? You think I'm hot?" Tifa asked, putting down her coffee mug and turning to Reno.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, forcing her to get up from her seat and stand between his knees, their centers nearly aligned and the closeness not escaping them.

"Damn straight," he said, lowering one of his hands to squeeze her ass. She yelped but started laughing, playfully batting at his shoulder.

"You are…" she looked down at him, suddenly finding herself amazed by his aquamarine eyes and playfulness, his wide pupils staring up at her with so much mirth. "You are something else."

She hadn't expected to be so comfortable around him this morning, treating him as if he had lived with her for months in some kind of committed relationship. She felt like she did when Cloud lived here – before the headaches became unbearable – when everything was rosy and the perfection felt like it would last forever. He used to act like this around her, always finding ways to touch her and make her laugh, breezing through days like they were the only two alive.

But Reno was not Cloud, and the Turk didn't treat women this way, like he had eyes for only her. She pulled back, confused, as if she had dreamt their whole relationship and had just woken up. Reno's shape blurred, his spikey red hair briefly replaced with blond, as if the channel had been changed on an old TV set. Static clouded her vision as she remembered mornings at the kitchen island with Cloud, drinking coffee and making small talk about the weather or their plans for the day.

Through it all she saw mako eyes, brilliant shades of blue tainted with a turquoise outer rim of flowing Lifestream, each with an intensity she had never seen anywhere else and reminding her of nights spent under the stars in Nibelheim.

But the man in front of her was part of the reason Nibelheim was destroyed; her childhood home, where dreams were dreamed and promises were made. It had been ripped from her just as Sector 7 had been, burned in a fiery blaze by the very company for which the man in front of her continued to work.

She hadn't spent the past two nights with Cloud, slamming against walls and screaming his name in ecstasy as he taught her what it meant to be a woman. She hadn't been fighting monsters in edge with a man wielding an impossibly large sword, hadn't been helping out at the orphanage with the children's favorite hero, or running a bar at night with her knight in shining armor standing guard in case any customers got a little too rowdy.

No, these past few months had been spent fighting fiends with a man using an EMR he had once turned against her, teaching children alongside the man who made most of them orphans, defending herself from his own drunken advances in her bar.

How did she get to this point with Reno? How long had Cloud been gone? Why was she in her kitchen, in a robe, with Reno of the Turks, the man who murdered her friends in Sector 7? Had she really forgiven him for that? She thought that she hated him just a few months ago, how had that changed?

She clutched her chest and tried to slow her breathing as the questions whirled through her head and made her dizzy. Had he drugged her? She thought back to Nibelheim, Junon, Costa del Sol. All those things happened, right? She had allowed him to become her… friend and more, let him see things she never imagined another man seeing.

Her eyelids started to flicker, tears threatening to escape as her bottom lip quivered, remembering that everything she had once known was gone, a crater in her heart the size of the one in which Sephiroth was buried. Those butterflies in her stomach suddenly turned violent, more like bats startled by light and swarming to attack.

"What did I tell you weeks ago? I'm a pretty unbelievable guy," Reno responded, oblivious to the change in her demeanor and happy to be back at Seventh Heaven, where Shinra didn't matter and his past didn't seem quite so blatant. He expected Tifa to at least smirk at his statement, possibly even object, but when he realized she hadn't made a sound he finally noticed that her expression had changed. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," Tifa said, the color fading from her face and her movements wobbly and distressed. She motioned around the room unsteadily with her hands as she continued: "This. Us. All of this. It's all wrong."

She was backing away from him as she spoke, trying to keep her balance as the butterflies threatened to make her vomit. Now it was Reno's turn to be confused, watching as Tifa's eyes darted around the room, seeking to find a point to focus on and keep from passing out.

"Lockhart?" he asked, standing up and walking slowly toward her as she continued to back away from him, like she was seeing him clearly for the first time.

"I… I need to be alone," she said as she gasped for air and turned to the hallway leading to her bedroom.

Reno recognized that face. It was the look she had when the plate dropped, when he was entering the code and had to block Strife's attack to continue his mission, back when the mission was all that mattered to him. When he'd pushed the blond back, he saw her standing nearby, that look of horror and hatred in her eyes. She had the same look when she was crawling around on the steel floor, injured, calling for Cloud as Rude authorized the destruction of Sector 7. The last thing he remembered before passing out from his injuries was the taste of blood in his mouth and that damned look in her eye, the way she looked at him – at them – with so much anger and hurt.

It was enough to make him want to quit, even more so than being forced to destroy an entire sector. It was a look that was burned into his eyelids when he closed them for months after that day, a look that made him want to stay awake for days to avoid seeing that expression on such a beautiful and captivating woman. It was all he could think about as he lay on that couch in the old Turk office, bandages on his face and injured skin. The pain wasn't the true reason he turned down Tseng's offer for Rest and Relaxation, but because he knew if he didn't keep working, all he would be able to see and think about was crimson eyes burning revulsion into his soul.

She had the same look when she fought them outside Gongaga, accompanied by a new bitterness in her punches. Aside from the fact that she was turning him on, he had to lock her in that pyramid so that she couldn't torment him with that look. Of course, it didn't work, as her expression was amplified with thousands of bolts of electricity coursing through her body, her face trained on him, boring hostility deep into his veins.

"Lockhart!" he shouted, but she was already stumbling away from him as quickly as she could muster, disappearing down the hallway and heading for her bedroom, steadying herself against the walls as she ran.

No. No, no, no, no, no! She couldn't look at him like that again, not after everything they'd been through these past few months, not now that he was… so close to getting everything he ever wanted from her. This had to be a panic attack, she couldn't suddenly be looking at him like he was the monster they both knew he was, like she had just been released from some uniquely powerful manipulate materia. Who could hate him so much to torture him this way? Okay, so that list was long, but still… who hated him that much and had access to or could create such a strong materia?

Reno caught up to her as she lunged for her bed, screaming at him to get away from her as she curled up into the fetal position and clutched a pillow to her chest, still trying to breathe. He had to dodge swinging arms as he tried to reach for her, wanting to hold her to him as tightly as he had before and let her know she would be okay.

Oh, Reno knew a panic attack when he saw one. He used to get them occasionally when he first joined the Turks, but had learned over the years to control them, the need necessitated by the likelihood of death if he did not. He knew whatever Tifa was panicking about involved him, but he knew he needed to help her, so he picked her up by her shoulders and got her into a seated position on the bed, holding her steady as she continued to flail her arms at him, as if she was fighting a common fiend. She clipped him in the jaw with her knee, but he remained firm, pulling her into his embrace so that he could control her movements, though he knew constricting her wouldn't help her breathing. Holding her was meant to let her know that she was safe and protected, a hug she wouldn't be able to appreciate until she calmed down.

Even when she stopped fighting and he loosened his grip to allow her to sit back on the bed, she refused to look at him, not wanting to see the face of the man who caused her so much pain. Reno, however, kept his eyes completely fixated on hers, his fingers digging into her upper arms as he struggled to get her to relax.

"Lockhart, listen to me," he said in his most soothing voice as she tried to jerk out of his grasp. "You're having a panic attack, but I can help you through it. Just keep your eyes on me. Focus on me."

She continued to flinch, but he kept his hold tight, making sure there was enough distance between them that she wouldn't feel confined. He started taking slow, deep breaths while keeping his eyes locked on her, finally making brief enough eye contact that she began to naturally match his breathing.

Once she had fallen into rhythm with him, she finally focused her eyes on his, even though he was the source of her panic. Well, it wasn't really his fault, but he was still the reason she was in this current position.

"Just say with me: This shall pass. This shall pass," he said it over and over as she tried to slow down her heart rate.

"This shall pass, this shall pass," she repeated with him.

After repeating the phrase several more times and continuing to take deep breaths, Tifa felt the panic dissipating, the vicious bats in her belly turning back into agitated butterflies before finally fading into the ether and her heart rate returning to normal. The claustrophobia she felt by his presence also disappeared, replaced by a sudden need to be closer to him than ever. He may not be Cloud, but he was proving to be a compatible match for her in more ways than one, a thought she never imagined possible.

"Lockhart, I'm here for you," Reno cooed when it seemed like she was settling down. "Nothing's going to hurt you so long as I'm around."

Cloud had said that to her before. As her breathing slowed down, and the violent butterflies began to disappear from her stomach, she started to feel tired. Once he was sure she was no longer panicking, Reno wrapped his arms around her tightly, not entirely sure what was going on but giving in to his instinctual reaction to hold her. He pet her head and let her melt into his chest until she felt comfortable enough to speak.

Tifa had never loved another man besides Cloud. She had never let another man into her home as a romantic partner and because the only other man in her life had been Cloud, she certainly had never moved this quickly with another man. A lifetime, that was her usual pace for courtship.

But Reno's comment made her remember the persona she had spent years building. She didn't need to be protected by a man, not Cloud, nor Reno, nor anyone else, even if it was comforting to know they were there in case she fell. She pulled back from his embrace and let her lips form a slight smile, wiping the liquid that pooled beneath her eyes.

"I'm not some damsel I distress, you know," she said in a teasing tone, causing Reno to smirk.

"Lockhart, you could be tied to some train tracks by a villain with a curly mustache and no one would see you as a damsel in distress," he replied.

She laughed a little at his comment, the amusement just barely escaping her lips; more of a harsh breath than anything else.

"I'm sorry…" she said after a few moments passed.

Reno held her at arm's length and looked into her still sad eyes before letting out a short laugh.

"For what? The panic attack?" he asked.

Tifa shook her head, her bangs falling to cover her eyes. She swept them back and looked back up at the man in front of her.

"No, for this. I don't…" she trailed off again, trying to mask her hesitation with another laugh.

Reno's heart started to race, joined by a growing pit in his stomach he had felt when they were on top of her roof and she tried to push him away. He felt like she was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear…. Again.

"You don't what?" he asked, more afraid than he thought possible.

"I don't know how this happened," Tifa said, looking away from him.

"How what happened?"

"This! I hated you just a few months ago. You killed my friends…"

Reno furrowed his brow and waited for her to continue, hoping she just needed to get this all out before he could talk his way back into her good graces. She had been so happy last night, and she seemed perfectly fine up until just a few minutes ago, all past hindrances forgotten.

"But we've moved past that."

"Have we?"

"I thought so… remember Junon and Costa del Sol?" that pit was starting to get bigger by the second.

"It's just…" she fell from his grip to sit back on her heels, looking up at the ceiling and letting a puff of air escape her lips. "I don't know."

Reno placed a hand on her and gently rubbed her shoulder, looking into her eyes even though she wasn't returning his gaze. He could salvage this. He always could.

"Lockhart…" he trailed off for a moment, trying to comprehend what she was saying and what was going on. How could things have changed so drastically after everything they had worked through already? Reno placed a finger under her chin to coax her to look over at him. "Are you worried you've moved on too soon?"

Tifa's eyes widened and her irises appeared to quiver, proving he had hit the nail on the head. How did he know? Oh, he was a Turk, that's how. They were good at reading people.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to show that it pained her to say this to him, fearful of hurting his feelings, of ruining what they had been building. Reno placed his palm on her cheek, as she had done for him in the kitchen, and stroked her soft skin before leaning over and kissing her softly on the lips.

"I told you, don't sweat it. You had a panic attack because you have feelings for me," he was getting cocky now, grinning as he hovered over her, adding, "I get it."

His last line at least got her to laugh fully, a throaty laugh that lit up her whole face and returned the color that had drained when she first started panicking.

"I don't think that's it…" she said.

"Okay, Lockhart, you don't have to admit it," he waved a hand as if it were unimportant, sitting back up and resting on his heels.

The truth was Tifa had suddenly felt like she was in a relationship with a man who was not relationship material, and it scared her. She had always heard about people getting cold feet in relationships when they were too close to a commitment, but she always thought it was just an excuse; the real reason being a lack of attraction. Cloud was always in the back of her mind – where was he, was he okay, was he coming back, if he did come back what would she do about Reno? It all hit her at once when Reno seemed to be acting toward her just like Cloud.

It had been some dream-like game when Reno was being Reno and acting like he was just in it for the sex, but she suddenly thought there might be something more to his recent actions, and she didn't know if she could reciprocate. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

It was at that moment they both realized the satin robe Tifa had been wearing was… not really covering her much. It was still tied but had loosened so that the lapel was spread open at her chest, covering one breast fully but exposing the other up to the nipple. It was also open at the bottom revealing red lacy panties.

"Ahem," Reno said with a fake cough into his fist, thinking it was probably not a good time to paw at her. Tifa quickly gathered the robe in the middle to cover herself.

"I should… probably finish getting ready," she said before leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Thank you."

She scooted off the bed and turned away from him to tie the bathrobe again. She grabbed some clothes out of her dresser and rushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Reno watched as she skittered about in embarrassment, leaning back on the bed with a satisfied grin on his face once she closed the door. That was a close one.

He almost lost her. Again. She was heading down the path toward pushing him out of her life, but now he thought he still had a chance. A weird thing happened when he was trying to calm her down from her panic attack: He found himself wanting to help her and protect her. He had worried about her wellbeing and wanted to fight away the demons that were haunting her, feeling an odd connection when he held her, like he wasn't just holding her, he was absorbing some of her anguish.

In the bathroom, Tifa splashed some water on her face and dried off, looking at herself in the mirrod as she brought the towel down below her chin. What the hell was that? She would definitely have to call Yuffie once Reno was gone to find out, knowing the younger woman always had decent advice on matters of the heart even though there was no reason for her to have such knowledge.

Tifa never had a panic attack before, and she never wanted to break down in front of anyone, least of all Reno, even though she had cried in front of him on a few occasions. Yet he had been kind and gentle and understanding. Maybe she hadn't scared him off.

She returned to the bedroom after getting dressed to find him lying back on the bed, his shoes kicked off and his hands resting behind his head, an unreadable look on his face. He jolted up at her presence and smiled, the remains of his previous thoughts vanished.

"Feel better?" he asked, cocking his head to the side and grinning. Tifa nodded.

"I'm sorry about that, I've never had a panic attack before," she said, looking at her feet sheepishly. "Thank you for helping me."

"Hey, I caused it with my irresistibility, didn't I?" he asked while wiggling his eyebrows seductively. Tifa rolled her eyes sarcastically. "You going to the theater today?"

"No, I think I'll take it easy today before I open the bar," Tifa sighed.

Reno's lips slowly curled into a thin, wild grin. Tifa shook a finger at him.

"And none of that," she said, forcing Reno's grin to turn into an exaggerated frown.

"Okay, okay, no fun," he said, putting his hands up defensively, giving Tifa a moment of déjà vu. Reno had said almost that exact thing with that exact gesture back before he stitched up her leg. It felt like so long ago, yet it was only a few months; back when she still hated him but begrudgingly accepted his help fighting fiends in Edge.

"So, what do you want to do if we're not going to build walls and fight monsters?" Reno asked. Tifa gave him a strange look.

"Well, I'm going to relax, don't you have to patrol?"

"I probably should, but I'll let the police handle it today."

"Aren't you leaving Rude all alone out there?"

Reno had forgotten he couldn't use the "Rude is sick" excuse again today since the bald man proved he was healthy the night before.

"Uh, he's actually on a special assignment right now," Reno lied, scratching the back of his head. Tifa clearly didn't buy it but didn't feel like arguing, too exhausted from her panic attack. "You know a great way to relax?"

Tifa's eyes narrowed at him. "I told you, I'm not doing any of that." Reno laughed.

"You gotta trust me more, babe, there's more to me than sex."

"There is?"

"Come here," he said, patting the bed beside him, the mattress calling to her as her tired eyes struggled to focus.

So far, Tifa thought, this was not helping his claim, but she obliged and joined him on the bed, giving him the benefit of the doubt, for once.

"Now, do as I do," Reno said. Tifa tepidly agreed, figuring she would humor him for a minute before laying her head down on the pillow and passing out.

First, he brought his palms together in front of him like he was meditating. Tifa copied his position, focusing on him intently as if he were about to share some Shinra company secret. Reno then took a deep breath, which Tifa, again, mimicked. Finally, he put his hands – which were still together – to the side of his face and laid down on the pillow in a sleeping position.

Once Tifa had done the same, Reno put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"See? Relaxing," he said.

Tifa let out a soft giggle, pleasantly surprised that Reno hadn't made a move on her, perhaps sensing how tired she was and maybe, just maybe, having the wherewithal not to come on to her when she was not feeling 100%. Her head had barely hit the pillow before she was out cold, the events of this morning catching up to her in a way she had never imagined.

Reno could practically hear Rufus breathing down his neck and telling him to get information from Tifa, worrying that Shinra wouldn't give him much more time before it just came and took her away. He didn't see how kidnapping and torturing a member of AVALANCHE wouldn't leak to the press and damage the company further, but Rufus had been rather obsessed with saving the world lately.

Reno wasn't exactly tired when he suggested Tifa take a nap, that was more for her benefit. He, instead, laid awake studying her pretty features and thinking of a way to get Shinra the information without violating her trust. There really was no way, but maybe if he got her to give a little information it might get Rufus off his back. He rubbed her back gently so as not to wake her, thinking of a way he could learn AVALANCHE's plans without giving away his assignment or the recording devices in her home.

He bet everyone back at HQ had a good laugh over her panic attack. He didn't know for sure that they had been listening, but he was pissed off anyway. They had been listening as soon as the bugs were installed early in the morning, of course they were listening all day. Rufus probably had it playing through headphones while he was at the gym.

If they said anything to him about her panic attack he'd… well, he'd definitely think of something mean that wouldn't get him fired.

He was surprised to hear her voice and feel as though he had just woken up when he was quietly making his blood boil over perceived insults, remembering clearly the spot on the wall that he had studied while she slept. He remembered watching her back when she turned away from him, reaching out to gently brush her ebony locks off of her neck to reveal the perfectly shaped hickeys he had left on her skin. He remembered smiling at his handiwork and knowing that she would have to entertain all sorts of questions if she kept them visible while working the bar later. He remembered all this and yet, now, it felt like it had all been a dream she was pulling him out of with her innocent question, which he couldn't quite hear.

"Why didn't you fight us in Midgar, at the end?" she asked.

Reno's eyes fluttered open as he tried to make sense of the world, realizing he must have fallen asleep alongside her and not noticed when she woke up, as she was now sitting up against the headboard and picking at her fingernails.

"Huh?" he responded, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes.

"Why didn't you fight us underneath Midgar, back then" Tifa repeated, glancing down at him with an expression that said she had been thinking about this question for quite awhile.

Reno sat up on his elbow with a sigh, drawing invisible circles on her abdomen as he tried to figure out how to respond without sounding like a sap.

"What woulda been the point?" he asked. "Meteor was coming, weapon was coming, everything failed, and we were in the sewers. Why use the energy fighting you assholes when I coulda put that toward enjoyin' my final days on Gaia?"

Tifa looked down at him and blinked, her expression unreadable.

"Did you?" she asked.

"Did I what?" he replied, glancing up at her as he stopped drawing circles.

"Enjoy your last days on Gaia?" her implication was tinged with jealousy, thinking he meant to spend his final days drinking and whoring as much as he could.

"Not like that, we were helpin' people," he insisted.

Tifa seemed satisfied with his answer, her mouth forming a thin line of acceptance as she stared straight ahead at the bathroom door, considering what else she could say to him that wouldn't drudge up the events of that morning. She noticed that the sky was getting dark outside, streams of pink and orange lighting up the reflection in her window. It was probably close to opening time.

Before she could move to get up, Reno suddenly rolled over on top of her, his elbows pinning her to the bed and his chin resting on her chest as he looked into her eyes with devious conviction.

"Wanna go away this weekend?" he asked. Tifa looked at him and blinked a few times. Did he really just asked that?

It was her turn to sound confused. "Huh?"

"Come away with me this weekend, just you an' me, babe," he said, a devilish flare in his aquamarine eyes that made the mako flare in the outer rims of his irises. "Let's get away from this awful place and these fucking memories, anywhere you want."

"We just went to Costa del Sol," she corrected, causing Reno to deflate slightly.

"Just us this time, no friends, no kids."

"I, um, I don't think I'm, um, ready," she stammered. "Even if I was, I'm, um, already going away this weekend."

Reno marveled at how cute she was while turning him down. Her AVALANCHE buddies must be planning something important.

"Your terrorist buddies?" he huffed as more of a statement than a question. Tifa's expression dropped and she met his gaze pointedly, tilting her head in annoyance.

Reno rolled off of her and onto his back with an exaggerated sigh, staring up at the ceiling, knowing that as irritating as this turn of events was, it was an opportunity for him.

"You guys need a lift?" he asked, drawing a smile from Tifa's lips.

"I'm hoping Cid's airship will be fixed by then," she said.

So, they were going far enough away to need the airship, and Cid was definitely going with. Interesting. Maybe Rufus could work with that for now, Reno hoped.

"Well, if not, you know who to call," he said, poking himself in the chest with his thumb.

"Thank you," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I should probably get the bar ready for opening."

Reno helped Tifa prepare for opening – well, he sat at the bar and started drinking while watching her work to ready the bar and cover up the hickeys on her neck with makeup while he made crude comments – and remained in his usual seat when Rude entered. The bald Turk didn't look like any emotions were running through him when he discovered his partner already in the bar, taking his own regular seat as if they had walked in together. Tifa would have thought he'd look suspicious, surprised, or even mad, but he didn't look like he cared at all, a signed she hoped meant that Rude had forgiven Reno and was over her. She knew the value of friendship, and even though those two particular Turks had caused her the most pain in the past, she didn't want to see them fall out.

She served Rude his scotch and continued with her evening. It was Tuesday, so the bar was pretty slow, but she still tried to avoid looking over at the Turks so as not to further cause a rift. It was a little embarrassing for her, still, to know what Rude might have seen back in Junon and now what Reno had seen today. He had stayed while she napped, but she kept thinking that he would disappear soon and never look back after watching her break down yet again. He seemed to be acting completely normal around her, but that didn't mean much to her. He could just be acting.

Later…

The Turks paid their tab and were starting to head out after she closed down the bar that night, the last two customers she had let stay behind in the hopes that Reno would make some indication he wanted to stay with her again. When she saw him head out the door behind Rude without even a look back, she decided to intervene, her cheeks flushing as she prepared to speak.

"Reno?" she asked from behind the bar as his hand held the door open to leave. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He spun around at the sound of her voice, hiding the glee in his eyes from her saying something to stop him from leaving. He held up a finger for Rude to wait for him for a moment before the bald man went outside and Reno turned back to Tifa, who had come out from behind the bar to stand just a few feet back from the door. She bit her lower lip and shifted her weight onto one foot so she could tap the floor with her other one.

"I, um," she was stammering again, and not looking at him. She took a deep breath, "Would you stay with me again? After what happened earlier… I'd just feel safer if you were here."

Reno's eyes lit up as she spoke. Hell yeah he would share a bed with Tifa Lockhart again! Even if it meant he couldn't sleep. He walked over to her and rubbed her upper arms.

"Sure, let me just talk to Rude and I'll be right back," he said.

She nodded and he was out the door.

Rude was standing on the sidewalk about a hundred feet from Seventh Heaven when Reno strolled over to him and brought his lighter to his mouth to light a cigarette. He had needed to talk business with Rude all night but couldn't with the bar being bugged.

"She ask you to stay?" Rude asked, the displeasure in his voice recognizable only to his best friend. Reno nodded and puffed on his cigarette, blowing smoke down the street and away from his partner.

"Yeah, and man, I gotta ask you a favor."

Rude crossed his arms over his chest.

"What?" he asked.

Reno rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and smirked, trying to hide the nerves that made him feel about two feet tall asking his subordinate and partner for this particular favor.

"I need you to try and convince Tseng and Rufus that we should work with AVALANCHE on this one instead of trying to steal the glory," Reno said, lowering his gaze to the ground as he inhaled more tobacco.

"I mean, I agree with you…" Rude said, "but Rufus… I don't know."

"You all listen in today?"

Rude averted his gaze.

"Don't know, after you left, I was told to come back here and watch you two."

"They're still making you do that even though they can hear inside?"

"Just today. I'm on listening duty tomorrow."

"This sounds like a real hassle for everyone."

Rude mumbled something under his breath.

"Hey! Today I found out that wherever they're going and whatever they're doing, it's happening this weekend!" Reno insisted.

He had been doing his job. He may have been close to Tifa already, but it wasn't like she was telling her friends about him or inviting him along on their adventures. He still had to warm her up, and he was doing a damn fine job of it.

"Just, try to say something to Tseng, please?" Reno pleaded in a tone he had never had to use with his fellow Turk.

Rude sighed heavily. "Fine," he said, before turning and walking toward away from the bar.

Reno watched him for a minute and discarded his cigarette butt, crushing it under the toe of his boot and kicking it toward the curb. Things with Rude weren't okay, and this "special assignment" of Reno's wasn't helping. He didn't want his best friend to be mad at him, but there wasn't much he could do about that now, given the current situation. Maybe he really should have waited until Rude was okay with it all before he went back to Tifa. He turned to look over his shoulder at Seventh Heaven. The warm yellow lights from inside seemed to be begging him to come back and he couldn't resist.

He entered the bar to Tifa's relief.

"I'm back, baby, but I gotta ask a favor," he said before she could even welcome him properly. "Can I take a shower here? Haven't been back to my place in a while and feelin' kinda ripe."

"Oh!" Tifa exclaimed. She hadn't even thought about that. "Of course, go ahead."

Reno resisted the urge to ask Tifa to join him. Not tonight. Tonight he had to be the guy who was there for her, not the guy who pawed her, even if the latter was more fun.

As soon as Tifa heard Reno enter the bathroom upstairs she grabbed her PHS to call Yuffie. The young ninja answered on the second ring.

"Yuffie? I need some advice."

"Whatcha need, kid," Yuffie asked as if she were Tifa's elder.

"I had a panic attack today… I think it was because of Reno."

"What? What did he do?" Yuffie practically screamed through the phone.

"Nothing!" Tifa insisted. "He was being really sweet. He actually reminded me of Cloud and then I started thinking about Cloud and I couldn't breathe and I had to get away but he helped me."

"Who helped you? Cloud?"

"No! Reno! He calmed me down and stayed with me even when I started panicking."

"Over who? Reno?"

"No! Cloud!" Tifa barked.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't keep up with all these names," the ninja retorted. "So, what's wrong?"

"I just can't get over the fact that I've been spending so much time with Reno, considering who he is and what he's done and the fact that I still miss Cloud…"

"Well, look," Yuffie said, taking a bite out of something she was holding near her phone. "We don't know where Cloud is or if he's coming back. I told you to move on, so what's the big deal?"

"I've…I've only ever known Cloud," Tifa said sadly.

"Oh," Yuffie said. "Yeah, you were pretty much head over heels for him all this time, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"But he's not here anymore, is he?" Yuffie asked. "So, I wouldn't worry about anything else. If things work out with Reno, then there's no problem."

"That's just it. Things do seem to be working out with Reno."

"And that scares you?"

"A little bit, yeah," Tifa said quietly. "What if I get hurt again?"

"What if you don't?"

"He… he invited me to go away with him this weekend, just the two of us," Tifa said, the words spilling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She could hear Yuffie suck in air on the other end of the line before squealing.

"He did? What did you say? Did you say yes?" the excited little ninja rattled off her list of questions rapid fire, not stopping for a second to realize they were supposed to go to the Forgotten Capital this weekend to search through more old books.

"I said no, that I already had plans. Nanaki said we were on for this weekend."

Yuffie let out an audible "tch" before responding: "Oh yeah, that."

"He offered to fly us out but I said we didn't need it since Cid's airship would be working by then," Tifa added.

"Yeah, well, we'll see about that," Yuffie said with the same tone she used when talking about materia.

Tifa realized she no longer heard the water upstairs, oblivious to Yuffie's devious intent and unable to respond. She listened as footfalls stepped along the wood floors upstairs above her head and then over to the top of the stairs, before Reno walked down them wearing nothing but a towel, his lean muscles glistening from his shower.

His hair was loose around his shoulders and slicked back with water, making him look as though he was prepared for a formal event and not like his usual, rough self. He almost looked like he could be presentable at a high-class affair – almost. A ball of fire shot through Tifa's body to her abdomen as she looked him over, the towel hanging dangerously loose over his Adonis belt.

"I gotta go," she said quickly into her phone before flipping it shut without waiting for Yuffie's response.

"Did I interrupt something?" Reno asked.

"Nope, just Yuffie," Tifa said before walking over to him and ruffling his wet hair to make him look more like himself. "You're dripping all over my floor," she added, pretending to be mad.

"Well, it was either a towel around my waist or a towel around my hair," Reno responded. "I guess I could have grabbed your robe…"

Oh Gods, they would certainly get a kick out of that over at HQ.

Tifa laughed.

"I'll get you another towel," she said as she passed him to go upstairs.

Reno eagerly followed her up. He may be playing "the good guy" tonight, but that didn't mean he couldn't flirt and show off – so long as he tried to keep things quiet.

Tifa tossed a second towel over his head, obstructing his vision as soon as he entered her bedroom before she went into the bathroom herself. Reno brought his hands up to his head to dry his hair as Tifa closed the bathroom door behind her, listening as she went through her nightly routine of washing her face, brushing her teeth, and rinsing her mouth out. He pulled on his boxer briefs and wrapped the other towel around his head as best he could. How did women do this?

Tifa emerged from the bathroom wearing a light pink slip dress with lace edging. Reno forgot for a minute that he had his hair wrapped in a towel until Tifa started laughing so hard she brought an arm around her stomach. Well, at least she wasn't laughing at him in underwear.

"What, you don't find me sexy?" Reno asked, holding his arms out to his sides and shimmying in an awkward dance.

Tifa nearly fell to her knees laughing at him as he danced closer to her, still wearing that towel on his head. When he reached out to put his arms around her, she tried to escape, laughing too hard to do anything else.

"Come on, you know you want to dance with me, Lockhart!" he teased as he chased her around the room. She hopped up onto the bed and crossed it to get to the other side of the room from him, still trying to catch her breath from laughing.

"Stop, stop!" she pleaded, falling back onto the bed and clutching her stomach.

He jumped onto the bed next to her and shimmied up to her until the towel fell off his head and covered her.

"There, happy?" he asked as she looked up at him after pulling the towel from her face, coughing and encircled by his long, unbound red hair. It was a different angle than she was used to, the bitter edge he usually carried with him replaced by calming elegance. He was almost lionlike as he looked down into her eyes, a hint of a natural smile that seemed reserved just for her.

"You're insane, you know that?" Tifa asked when she'd regained her composure and couldn't handle the sentimentality anymore.

"You love it," Reno said immediately before he wished he could take it back.

The two looked at each other in an awkward silence, expressionless and frozen before Reno broke the aura by "booping" her on the nose to change the mood and save his pride.

"I take it back," she said. "You're not insane, you're just weird."

"I can live with that," Reno replied, swooping her up in his arms and laying her down on her side of the bed. She turned to him and caught his gaze, wide eyed and a little feral.

"Are, are you okay just sleeping next to me without anything else tonight?" she asked, suddenly nervous that he would leave if she rejected his advances.

Reno took a deep, exaggerated breath, knowing the recording devices were hearing this and that everyone back at HQ would know how far he had fallen from his carefully crafted, lascivious persona that made it clear to his subordinates that he would never be tied down to anything but work.

"I think so," he finally said, whispering in the hopes the bugs wouldn't pick up his response. "Besides, it's not like I can't touch you at all, right?"

Tifa smiled and turned out the lights.

"Good night, Reno," she said as she settled in, facing him and taking his hand in her own, their faces just inches apart. She couldn't see him in the dark, but the mako in his eyes allowed him to see her faintly.

"G'night, Lockhart," he said before running his hand along her cheek and kissing her on the lips.

He put his arm around her again and pulled her close to his chest, her body contouring perfectly to his own as she nestled her head against his pectoral muscles. Sure, it would have been nice if she returned the favor he had given her last night, but if this was getting her to warm up to him more, then he was all for it. When she turned away from him, he kept his arm around her, but let his hand slowly travel up her belly to cup her breast. She didn't scold him.