77Daylight faded as evening stars shimmered along the watery horizon.
Tifa gazed skyward from the balcony of her suite at Posada del Sol. One, two, three stars formed the chocobo maiden's tiara. Her father taught her that, and the great Cetra polaris that would always guide you home. The star she looked for on clear, cold mountain nights, praying that the same bright light would bring Cloud back to her in one piece.
Sighing, she noted her tendency to stargaze whenever lost in thought over one particular love of her life. Her once upon a time. Her shattered fairy tail.
When he returned to her for the second time with a warped memory and a strange confidence (not to mention muscles, way more muscles) he had an air of sweet confusion that left her wondering. So she let her guard down and held onto the hope of a bright future together, that is, until his heart was unintentionally hijacked during a series of serendipitous events. There was a large, broken part of his heart that didn't belong to her. He never asked her to mend it, and she never asked him to clear space for her, either.
There were no stars in the sky when Cloud returned, just rotting pizza.
After a rocky adolescence in Nibeheim, Tifa Lockhart learned the hard way that whirling emotions plus Cloud Strife equaled wistful stargazing. She felt infinitesimal when it came to Cloud, like a tiny speck of dust in the macrocosm of her unconventional life. She meandered along with a ragtag gang of friends in lieu of blood-related family; friends who became family on the brink of the end of civilization as they knew it. A family born from battle and convenience, bonded by loss and purpose-driven. She wouldn't trade it for anything on the planet.
"That spigot could blow the ears off a typhoon! Water pressure isn't that aggressive on the big island. That's just in-sane!"
A freshly showered, ever-boisterous Yuffie Kisaragi dragged Tifa from her reverie. She turned to witness the towel-clad ninja tilting her head from side to side, whacking her cranium to wring water from her ears.
"Perks of the luxury suite. Serious shower jets," Tifa smiled as Yuffie be-bopped around. The less than graceful ninja struggled to keep her towel attached to her body while gathering an armful clothes from her tattered materia case.
"Where we off to tonight?" Yuffie mumbled with a toothbrush in her mouth.
Tifa leaned against the railing, surveying the scenery surrounding the charming suite: A palm tree covered in netted twinkling lights swayed in the ocean breeze while noisy gulls clambered for their dinner. The sun dipped completely below the horizon now to cast a lovely pink and orange glow upon the edge of the water. Blue and purple hues of the evening enveloped dwellings beyond the shoreline.
The last time she packed her bags for vacation, the duration of her getaway was spent in the company of an exceptionally mopey Cloud. They skipped town after the defeat of Kadaj and his merry gang of mother-loving misfits, lazing their days away on the beach and in Cloud's comfy king-sized bed. The point of a Costa del Sol holiday was relaxation and romance, right?
Cloud turned in early each night, rolling around in fitful dreams. Of what? She'd never know. He didn't speak of his dreams. Not to her. Not once. She'd been dead wrong when she assumed everything was resolved after his private battle with geostigma. Something happened to him in the old church on that day way back when. He saw something, someone beyond all the merry faces. He was at ease, peaceful, hopefuleven. But his distance from Tifa was evident, continuing to keep her at arms length after it was all over and their friends went home.
Back to more of the same old, same old.
The shimmering galaxy was clear as crystal on the coast far from Shinra's residual pollution and corruption. This is what she came for, and this time around her traveling partner was more energetic (to say the very least). The whole excursion was Yuffie's scheme: a weekend getaway after an excessive amount of time spent in The Golden Saucer's battle arena. A competition was advertised all over local radio and television, a sixty second commercial of Dio challenging the toughest of the tough, to "Come on down and show The Great Dio what greatness you're made of! Grand Prize: three days, three nights romantic getaway in an all-inclusive luxury suite at the ALL NEW Posada de Sol!"
This new resort was one of Dio's money laundering schemes, no doubt. The Golden Saucer didn't see many customers during the subsequent recession after meteorfall. The Great Dio was reduced to stunt shows and betting events, the likes of which Tifa hadn't encountered since her younger years running around Wall Market at night, hustling for money every which way besides the obvious. She shuddered recalling a point in history when she was so hard up for cash that she actually considered a 'Honeybees 4 Hire' flyer on a lamp post. Her still-fresh internal injury kept her from competing in Corneo's Colisseum, as much as she would love to kick some ass and win the big money prizes in the process. Surviving as an attractive single girl on the mend in the slums, she didn't want to draw much attention to herself. Not on that scale. Luckily she met Johnny who set her up as a bottle girl outside of Corneo's mansion on big event and fight nights, and she helped Chocobo Sam at his stables from time to time. A steady regimen of potion and Sector 5 herbs helped her heal below the plate where good medical care was scarce. That was enough for her. Lots of big tippers and kind souls of the slums helped her get back on her feet.
...until the plate fell.
Tifa admired the ninja princess's boldness in the face of adversity, fearless and headstrong, always the very first to rush into a fight. Yuffie needed a vacation so Yuffie cleaned house. The spirited ninja-warrior was pitted against a slew of monsters and madmen. Nothing lil' ol' Yuffie couldn't handle on her own. Knocking out monsters and madmen was her specialty, as well as snatching up their loose materia in the process. After Yuffie's flawless gauntlet performance, Dio ordered a disclaimer in his next commercial excluding members of AVALANCHE, SOLDIER, The Turks, or any other members of government or former government institutions from participating in any of his events.
The moment the girls touched down on the hot cobblestone streets of the sun coast, Tifa decided to pursue activities that didn't remind her of Cloud and their time spent together in this famous vacation spot. She would go out and have fun with the girl singing loud Wutaian pop group songs to herself in the washroom.
Tifa Lockhart longed for something new to add to the proverbial brochure of her unconventional life, and boy was she about to get it.
It ended slowly.
First he wouldn't call to check-in. His trips stretched longer and longer. They'd see each other once, maybe twice a month. It wasn't good for her ...or the kids. He wasn't reliable, not in that aspect. She loved him dearly, but there came a day when she decided to love herself more. She owed herself at least that much. He didn't exactly shape up after the geostigma incident, so it was time for him to ship out. She desperately hoped he changed. She was wrong.
Cloud put on a good show in that church.
Maybe she was watching.
Tifa was bitter, she could at least admit that to herself. She replayed the day in her head: precisely two weeks prior to her trip with Yuffie, the day she broke Cloud off for good. He returned from a delivery in Junon to spend a rare week at home. The longest stretch in recent memory. The duration of his stay was spent in tedium tuning his bike, modifying new weapons and retrofitting Fenrir. The usual.
Tifa woke that morning resolute, "Cloud, don't you think it's time you moved on...?" Her voice that didn't shake. She hoped.
The ex-SOLDIER looked up from his morning miso, his eyes glowing in... confusion? Dread? Disbelief? Belief?
Slowly but surely, his expression turned into one of sheepish understanding. It pained her to do this to him, and it pained her even more to continue living inside of a lie that had become their shared routine. With the iciness of a seasoned Turk, she tore her gaze from his Mako-infused irises to press on:
"I think… I think it's time we both... I'm not happy. I haven't been happy. I don't think you are either. I know you feel some sort of duty to me, to the kids ...to her..."
Always stumbling through emotions. 'Her' being the ghost that always stood between Cloud and a normal life. Well, as normal as one could possibly hope to get in this post-Meteor world.
Cloud glanced away, ashamed of himself for putting her in this position. Just one more thing to add to his never-ending list of transgressions. This was a long time coming and they both knew it. The thrill of battle brought them close but he could never sit still for long. Tifa knew his quirks and habits ever since childhood, with each and every day spent playing together in the treacherous mountain ranges and deep valley forests of Nibel. You can take the boy from Nibelheim but you can't take Nibelheim from the man. The open road and a life of true freedom called to him, and that was the one call Cloud would always answer.
"Tifa," he started, "I - I'm sorry I can't be what you need. I haven't felt the same since... since she died, since Sephiroth... it's like, there's always going to be a part of him inside of me, inside my head. It's like a glitch that keeps me from functioning the way everyone else does. I'm no good at explaining it," he stood in frustration, scratching the back of his head and pacing through the small kitchenette. Tifa listened. But she didn't want normal. She never wanted normal. Ifrit, that wasn't the point! She didn't want to hold anyone back. That's the last thing she ever wanted. She refused to be the reason for his unhappiness, for his dissatisfaction over how his life turned out. She valued herself more than that, but more nobly, she valued his happiness more than her own. Up until today, at least.
"Tifa, I'm always going to love you ... and Marlene, Barrett, Denzel, the whole gang..." he pressed on, trying to save it all from going down the loo, "But I'm never going to be a husband or a father or someone who can be there the way you, the way everyone needs me to be..." he trailed off, gripping the back of his chair as his knuckles turned white. Tifa couldn't blame him. She knew Cloud's lack of a father growing up contributed to his avoidance of the subject. Denzel looked up to him and counted on him. The ex-SOLDIER was forced into a semi-permanent role after merely offering to help. The story of Cloud's life...
The rest didn't really matter. There was nothing more to say. Get up, work out, make breakfast, send the kids to school, tend bar, fight the man when necessary, repeat.
They exchanged a few more niceties and words of mutual respect and admiration. They held each other briefly through some sniffles. But this needed to end quick. No use fighting, they did enough of that to save the world. Not once, but twice. Three times if you count that Deepground business. This was just the cookie-cutter diplomatic stuff that happens when two people are in so much pain that they just can't make it work anymore. It was the easiest, most painless ending both parties could have hoped for.
Cloud settled into his chair again, settling in to this new, uncharted territory between them. They had explored all the the rest and there was no best for last. Now was the time to explore themselves apart. Today she set him free. Tifa stood tall, ever the image of beauty and grace, before leaning over to brush his unruly chocobo hair aside to kiss him directly on the forehead. She cleared their bowls and dropped them in the sink.
The next morning he was gone.
"We should hit up the beach! There's supposed to be music and fireworks—OH! Then we can throw back some adult beverages! And wrangle in some menfolk!" Yuffie's excited voice echoed off the tile walls of their shared washroom.
Tifa considered their options over the whir of a blowdryer before wandering into her designated room. She showered on arrival and spent her time lounging around in a silk robe ever since. What to wear? Something fun and flirty, although she wasn't in the mood for romance. Tonight she preferred go with the flow. No expectations, just relaxation. After digging around her suitcase she settled on a cream-colored midriff halter top, and a dark denim miniskirt with a pair of strappy black sandals. She jazzed up her look with some hoop earrings, bangle bracelets, and a sideswept hairdo with a seashell barrette courtesy of the boardwalk market. After applying some light makeup, she spritzed a sugary scent into the air before walking through it -a fancy fragrance that was a gift from one of her patrons (an attempt to woo her, no doubt).
"Good enough," she said aloud, giving herself the once-over in a large vanity mirror.
"Good GAWD!" Yuffie's voice rang out for the second time that evening. Tifa turned to see the bug-eyed ninja brushing her teeth. Yuffie popped the brush out of her mouth to comment further, "I gotta step up my game with-" she motioned with her hand "–THIS!" sputtering toothpaste before shoving the brush back in for a more thorough scrubbing.
Tifa winked, flattered by Yuffie's words. "I still got it, huh?"
"GOT IT?!" The ninja rinsed her mouth, "STILL?" before tossing her toothbrush on the counter. "How'm I supposed to meet a guy with YOU around?" she pouted before wiping her mouth with a big fluffy towel and chucking it into a corner.
Tifa smiled softly, securing her earrings, "Oh, stop! Let's work on your outfit. There's plenty of guys out there and I'm not interested in any of them."
"Yeah but that doesn't mean they aren't interested in you!" Yuffie pouted.
"True," Tifa smiled, "and that's the fun part," she winked. "Gotta keep 'em on their toes."
After a bit more primping, the pair strolled strolled arm-in-arm down a quaint cobblestone street. The sights, scents, and sounds of the seaside resort town swirled in the air while vacationers emerged from their villas, eager to experience the nightlife that the charming little coastal town had to offer.
Yuffie settled on a black tube top and knee-length red skirt with a slit up the side. Both pieces were covered with ornamental gold dragons, a traditional Wutai evening outfit with a modern twist. Tifa lent her a pair of heeled sandals which, much to Yuffie's chagrin, had no room for hidden throwing stars. Tifa offered a crash-course in how to walk in said sandals, quite literally, because Yuffie crashed into the wall after one step. She clung to Tifa for balance as they wandered down the bumpy road.
"I am SO not a lady" Yuffie whined, lamenting the loss of her composure due to some difficult footwear. "Am I showing too much skin? Not enough skin? How's the skin situation?"
Tifa laughed, "Just enough skin." She rarely laughed these days, caught up in her own emotional tiptoeing around Cloud, her parenting duties, running the bar, running from emotions... she cut off this depressing train of thought to instead offer: "Let's head to the beach. That flyer back there said there's an oldies band playing by the pier tonight."
"I'm game," Yuffie gave a slight shrug. "If it means I can chuck these contraptions off and dance barefoot, I'm all for it!"
As they rounded the corner, whistles could be heard in the distance. Ogling fly-fisherman spotted the two long ladies from the pier, packing up for the day while the tide rolled in and vacationers came out. Apparently their attention turned from catching fish to catcalling women. The girls took their harmless flattery, giggled, and kept moving, removing their sandals as they descended the ocean steps to the musical sounds and soft lanterns on the beach. Tifa felt a spark of anticipation as something crackled in the air. Energy was swirling, conspiring, turning the tide.
It was going to be a fun night.
After the fireworks...
The two girls strolled back into town, energized from the crowd of vacationers that danced and sang to songs that came a few generations before they were born. A more prosperous time before the iron fist of Shinra came crashing down upon them.
"That was great! Now lets find some hooch," Yuffie beamed.
Tifa interjected, "The hard stuff?! It's too early for that."
"Oh c'mooooon let's tear it up! Let's get this party started, sister! It's early. Half price everything, everywhere, until midnight," Yuffie asserted before adding, "Midnight, Tifa. Aaaand boys from the beach are headed in that direction..." the ninja smirked, eyebrows wiggling as she motioned to a nearby watering hole.
"Early?" Midnight was only a few hours away, and Tifa was already dreaming of bed. Sleep before midnight was the highlight of any bartender's vacation...
"Oh don't be so old," Yuffie teased, slapping her arm. "You're too pretty to be a stick in the mud, ya hear me?!"
"Oh alright," Tifa crossed her arms. No use putting up a fight, Yuffie wouldn't be denied a good time. "Old…" she brushed off the mild offense to reason that it would be nice to be the customer for once, tapping her finger on her chin, scheming. "Maybe I can borrow some of their drink recipes. Put my own twist on 'em and see what happens."
"Yeah like how i just borrow materia," Yuffie snorted. "You'd make 'em better with your mad mixing skills, yo!"
The older girl smiled at the compliment. There was something familiar in Yuffie's praise, but Tifa couldn't quite put her finger on it...
"Or I can charm the Salted Starfish's secret ingredient from the owner," Tifa snapped her fingers, accompanied by a shoulder shimmy. The Starfish was the most popular bar's signature drink, a favorite among locals and tourists alike.
"Let's do it!" Yuffie concurred. "I bet it's salt. It better not be starfish. Puke."
An hour, a handful of Banora cider shots and one spiced tea later, Tifa had a good buzz going. She checked her PHS for the umpteenth time in case one of the kids messaged her -before flipping the darn thing shut, reasoning that they were in bed by now. 'They'd better be. You're just looking for any excuse to be anxious.' Barret and the gang back in Sector 7 always told her she had an anxious heart. Her surname definitely suited her, locked up real tight.
Relax, Tifa. All is well...
The place was positively packed. The girls grabbed seats at the bar, refusing to budge for the next hour. "We can't lose these seats," Tifa warned, "It's no-holds-barred now, every woman for herself."
Yuffie took full advantage of their prime real estate at the bar during half-price, downing a fruity drink and a handful of shots alongside Tifa, two of which were bought and paid for by a cute young sailor from the beach affair. He was roughly Tifa's height with dark hair, tan skin, and a bright smile. Tifa left Yuffie and the sailor to their own devices, ignoring unwanted come-ons from vacationing men. Instead she focused her attention on the skills of the bartender: An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and skin that had been wrinkled from the endless summer of the sun coast. He took each customer's order with a smile and a nod, and his bar back was a young woman in a bikini, presumably his daughter (based solely on their respectful interactions). Tifa knew from her first bartending experience in Sector 6 when a man had ill-intent. This man, however, was a respectable business owner and person. She could tell, smiling warmly to herself as she thought of Marlene, her own little bar back. She pictured Marlene all grown up, working in her bar, and Tifa herself as a kindly old woman still serving the faithful patrons of 7th Heaven.
::Clink::
An upside-down shot glass on the bar pulled Tifa from her musings of the future. She really had to stop daydreaming and pay attention to the world going on around her before someone or something got the best of her. The bartender in civilian disguise glanced up to see the barmaid sporting a cheeky smirk.
"Free drink!"
"Oh?" Tifa's clasped her hands together in amusement, "Did I win?" only teasing, of course, assuming one of the men she brushed off earlier was still trying to talk to her.
Not gonna happen.
"You sure did! Compliments of the, uh, suitat the end of the bar," motioning her thumb in the from which the order came.
Yep.
Tifa didn't spare a glance to whomever paid for the drink, outright refusing to give them the wrong impression. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the gesture, she was perfectly content doing little more than watching the bartender work.
"What'll it be?" the girl offered with a hand on her hip.
Time to spring her plan into action: "How about a Salted Starfish?"
"Coming right up!"
Yuffie spun around on her bar stool, "Ooooh do we have an admirer?" tickling Tifa's ribs, referring directly to the empty shot glass on the bar.
"Oh please," Tifa swatted her hand away, "Some lech. I didn't ask, just ordered the shot."
The sailor wooing (being wooed by?) Yuffie decided that now was a good time to butt-in, grabbing both girls' shoulders and yelling, "Two more of whatever she's having!" as he jabbed his thumb in Tifa's face. The barmaid arrived quickly with a small tray of shots lined in salt, setting them down one-by-one in front of the trio.
"You were right about the salt," Tifa swirled the rim of the glass before popping a finger in her mouth to savor the flavor. It was a mixture of sea salt, palm sugar and something else. Choconut?
"Not done yet!" the barmaid struck a match, lighting the small glasses ablaze, caramelizing the salt and sugar on the rim.
Pretty.
"OhmiGAWD Is that Reno?!" Yuffie bellowed in her ear, causing her to wince.
Tifa's deep crimson eyes flitted above the flame to make out a wavy image: Yuffie's eyes did not deceive her, it was none other than the infamous hot-headed Turk watching them. From her current state of inebriation, she figured that he was a good six or seven seats away. Reno -the most sadistic, sardonic, sarcastic, not to mention second in command of the Turks- appeared as a playful demon beyond the flames. His devilish looks were amplified in the warm, ambient light of the seaside bar. Tifa sat stunned as he lifted his own pint glass to cheers. Her initial shock at the wild Turk's sudden appearance was interrupted when Yuffie's suitor cheered, "One, two, ...THREE!" -
"Kempai!" the trio sang out in unison, extinguishing the flames before downing their shots together, burning sweet followed by -Tifa guessed right- Choconut. The whole event left her a little lightheaded, covering her mouth as she coughed. This bartender was the real deal. She looked up again to see Reno sporting his signature toothy bad guy smirk.
Always up to no good...
"Yo," he mouthed, grinning like a cheeky devil. The crowd faded as they exchanged glances.
"Hey," she mouthed back, waving shyly, lowering her head a little.
Tifa wasn't sure why she was acting so bashful. Typically Reno's presence made her blood boil. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the charged atmosphere, maybe it was the fact that she was officially single and she couldn't hide from men on the prowl anymore. Even no good men like Reno who had her criminal record on file -and all of her wiretaps, too. Probably. It was especially difficult to hide from men like that...
But Reno didn't know she wasn't with Cloud anymore.
Did he?
Two months prior...
On one ordinary night in 7th Heaven, the (former) Shinra Department of Administrative Research stomped into the establishment a mere twenty minutes before last call to stay well past the average patron's welcome. The kind bartender couldn't find it in her heart to kick them out for being pleasantly rowdy. After everything they'd been through, mutual respect seemed more amicable. It was definitely the more manageable route. They all survived for a reason, right? Tifa didn't charge Turks for their drinks, not these days. They always left a hefty tip, which was more than enough to cover their collective drinking habits. Turk money was no longer blood money now that Rufus was attempting to right his wrongdoings.
Still, Tifa remained wary...
That particular evening she caught Reno eying her up. She approached a small table to serve the suited group of shadowy government workers, and a game of poker was well underway. Reno, much to her displeasure, propped his dirty boots on her table, her hard-earned property. If there's one thing Reno was definitely born without, it was couth.
Tifa appraised the group: Elena contemplated her hand while Tsung furiously chewed an unlit cigar, noting that he held the winning hand as she placed his dirty martini near his wrist. Rude was dour as usual, and rightfully so: His odds weren't favorable. Not to mention he had the most amount of gil wagered on the table. 'Big ol' bluffer, like always,' she noted. 'That perpetual poker face might give him an advantage tonight.' Rude had always been kind, approaching her with an air of hopeful reservation. Truth be told she just wasn't interested. She loved Cloud and that was that, right?
Right?
"Feet off the table, Turk," she asserted as she set a cordial on the rocks near his Reno's boot, looking him dead in the eye to study his current state of intoxication, wondering if this drink would put him over the edge. It was always hard to tell with the Turks, tricky business on all fronts, assuming they were all functioning alcoholics considering their line of work. How else could anyone deal with it? It was definitely not a profession she could handle and she'd be the first to admit it.
Reno didn't break eye contact as a cigarette hung precariously from his bottom lip, removing one foot, then the other, stomping each boot on the floor for emphasis. He sat up, exaggerating good posture as he took a long drag. "Any more requests, Miss Manners?" he challenged before blowing smoke from his nose like a giant jerk of a dragon.
"Yeah," she moved fast to snatch the cigarette from his mouth, "this is a non-smoking establishment. It's not pre-meteor anymore, Reno," as she turned to ash it in the sink. The typically brash Turk sat in momentary shock while his peers ooh'd and chuckled at him. Tifa considered for a moment that he ended up in Shinra because was probably expelled from primary school (if he didn't drop out voluntarily). Criminy,it was enough she allowed him to smoke in her bar. Hell's bells, she even let Tseng stink up the place with a lit cigar from time to time. Tonight Reno was really pushing it...
What a night for Cloud to be out of town. Reno only acted up when he wasn't around. Come to think of it, these days he only showed up for a drink when Cloud wasn't home. It was more than a coincidence after the third time, like the Turk knew something before Tifa could get a chance to figure it out.
He snatched her wrist before she took one full step. Reno was lighting fast, a product of Mako infusion, swift genetics, and serious government co-op training. The cigarette fell through her fingers and onto the floor as he pulled her hand to his nose, audibly sniffing her wrist in a lewd, crude fashion, unleashing a moan followed by a comedic growl. Tseng bellowed, which was highly uncharacteristic for their stern, yet polite leader. That is, unless he had more than a few drinks in his system. Elena rolled her eyes as she slouched forward, folding her deck in defeat before leaning back to sip on her fruity cocktail. Tifa could practically feel Rude's eyes behind his designer shades shooting daggers at his partner for making a move, any move, however routinely innocuous, on the girl he liked.
In lieu of starting a fist fight and dampening the all-around good mood, Tifa snatched her hand back and bopped Reno on the head with her tray.
"Ow!" he feigned injury, rubbing his red mane for emphasis. His associates snickered and shook their heads at their goofy coworker.
"Behave,'" she smirked at him, "or I'm cutting you off for the night." They both knew she could easily sock him. It was all in good fun.
"Don't know the meaning of the word, gorgeous," he grinned back, giving her a wink as he extracted a fresh cigarette from his coat pocket. "I'll take a gin and tonic this time!" he called after her, chugging his drink before holding out his glass for her to retrieve.
The tired barmaid rolled her eyes, snatching the glass and the cigarette from the floor before sauntering back to the bar to begin closing down for the night.
Reno shook his head before returning to the matter at hand: cheating Tseng blind and clearing out the lot of them. He needed a new suit and a fresh pack of smokes.
The cigarette remained unlit between his lips. Tifa served him a glass of city tap water without further incident.
Reno was still Reno: tall, cocky, good-humored (until he wasn't), with a wicked smile to boot. Noting the ever-present hint of danger lurking behind his enhanced eyes, she never fully understood why he appeared to have gone through Mako infusions while the rest of the Turks didn't. He wasn't entirely SOLDIER material, and she got the feeling she wouldn't get the full story since she didn't know him well enough to ask. All things considered, her enemy-turned-ally could charm the skirt off of any unsuspecting lady. Luckily she wasn't just anyone, and she knew Reno to be highly suspect in instances like the one she currently found herself ensnared in.
The Turk motioned his head in an upward nod, coaxing her to come over and greet him.
Tifa caught herself before this strange turn of events went any further, her whole demeanor shifting as she jolted upright.
Ohhh no. No, no, nonono.
She wasn't going to fall for this. No way. She had to sober up quick. Her expression shifted from coy girl tactics to a stark realization: she couldn't trust herself with a wildcard like Reno hanging around flustering her to no end. With this realization came instant sobriety. She had to get out. Fast.
"Yuff, you have your PHS, right?"
"Yeah, why?" she gave Tifa the side-eye, puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor. Yuffie looked at the Turk sipping a drink and back at Tifa, slowly putting it all together.
"I'm going to the restroom but it's super packed in here, y'know, just in case we get separated. Call me if you can't find me. Don't know if I'll make it back before last call."
"O...kay," Yuffie trailed, watching Tifa dart off and disappear in the crowd. "What was that about?" She turned back to get another look at Reno, but he was gone. Yuffie shrugged her shoulders, spinning on her barstool before returning her attention to the cute sailor buying her drinks.
"I hope you can keep up with me, little lady!" he smiled, clinking his glass against hers.
Yuffie grinned wide, baring her teeth, "Is that a challenge?"
He had no idea what he was in for.
Tifa bobbed and weaved through the crowd, desperate to retreat from the wily Turk and his womanizing ways. She anticipated that he would follow her. Past experience proved that men like Reno refused to be ignored. Working in the slums hardened Tifa to the men who patrolled them, men like Reno who didn't take 'no' for an answer. He wouldn't let her off the hook easy, no way, no how. He bought her a drink and she accepted. When the straight male mating call goes unanswered, they tend to want to know why. They'll go to great lengths, any lengths, to find out why. And why in Hades did she have to act so ditzy like that? She could have kicked herself for letting her guard down for even one second around a Turk. She knew better.
Reno was definitely going to be relentless in finding her. She knew how he operated, witnessing it for herself numerous times in her own establishment: Reno chased women like it was his job, and Reno loved his job. He made it known in the past just how attracted he was to her in particular, in playful, flirty ways. Not that it mattered, really. Men chased after her all the time. The only man she had ever really wanted didn't return her affections, preferring to chase memories instead. She was an emotional masochist and she knew it. Maybe Reno knew it, or at least sensed it.
Come to think of it, whenever she and Reno had fought hand-to-hand he was downright sadistic, like he cornered the perfect prey. As though he saw something in her that the wild beast inside him desperately hoped to force into submission; knowing she was soft-hearted for head cases no matter how tough she acted, in the way that government profilers can sense through years of training, with a little help from mako-heightened intuition, no doubt. The way Reno fought Cloud was to assert dominance, and to impress her through the entire act. Cloud may have had her loyalty, but Reno made damned sure that she saw him get some good hits in, made sure she witnessed all the marks and scars he left on Cloud. Her precious hero could be wounded, and Reno was someone besides Sephiroth who could actually do it.
After a particularly rough day in primary school, Tifa was sent home for fighting with boys at recess. She recalled her father in his skewed, old-timey wisdom attempting to console her by stating that "Little boys can't help but pick on the girls that they like". Tifa fought back so hard that those boys never bothered her again. Judging by each and every time that Reno chose to torture her in particular with his Mag Rod, Reno definitely liked Tifa. (Fuck that thing. Seriously.) She fought him so hard that he wrecked her entire neighborhood and still came back for more, never retreating for too long. He just couldn't stay away. Couldn't leave well enough alone. The only thing standing in his way was Cloud Strife...
Tifa opted to head for the restroom and plan her escape from there.
Catching a glimpse of the Turk in hot pursuit, she ducked into the ladies room. The place was lined with women waiting for stalls to open up, applying makeup, adjusting bra straps and pantyhose, gossiping over potential love interests. As luck would have it, there was a window on the far end of the restroom just past a row of occupied washbasins.
"Excuse me ladies," she sang out sweetly as she hurried by them, exiting swiftly through the window onto the sand-swept street below. She heard a few gasps as she landed quietly in an alleyway. After checking that her skirt and handbag were secure, she darted back toward the main path, hoping with all her might, praying to any god that would listen to help her blend in with the wandering nightlife. With any luck she would be back to her suite before Reno realized she was never coming out of that restroom.
Of course she couldn't be so lucky. Since when did anything ever go her way? As she crept into the bustling street lined with late-nite food and souvenir vendors, she caught sight of Reno flipping his PHS shut. He had stepped outside for a smoke and she witnessed his genuine surprise when he spotted her in return. Tifa's eyes blew wide. Before she realized what she was doing, her legs carried her swiftly in the opposite direction.
"Hey!" Reno yelled after her, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot and giving chase. "Tifa!" he hollered, alarming the tourists around him. "What gives...?" he muttered to himself as he hit the ground running.
She ran faster now, catching her stride as ebony hair trailed behind her. Her heart thumped audibly as an odd wave of exhilaration and serious dread came crashing over her, brushing the strange (yet not entirely unwelcome) feelings aside as she neared the inn, practically tearing her keycard from her handbag. She closed her eyes as she rounded the corner near Cloud's Villa, preferring not to trip and fall down memory lane as she attempted to escape from a jilted Turk. And not just any Turk, but Reno, the Turk that Cloud loathed most of all. Oh, the irony...
The newer villas came into view, and all she had to do was bound up one small flight of stairs to unlock the door. Once inside, she could hide from Reno and the rest of the world, snuggling under her blankets until it was time to leave. Or until Yuffie dragged her out by her freshly-pedicured toenails. As fate would have it she wasn't quick enough. Reno darted in front of her from an alleyway as she crashed into him with an unceremonious "Oof!"
"Hey-HEY," he grabbed her by the shoulders, gripping tight, steadying her as she swayed from the impact. "Jeez Louise, what's the hurry? Where's the fire?" he cooed in that smooth voice of his. Damn alcohol slowing her down like that... And damn him! He wasn't even out of breath after all that running! She jerked from his grip, aggravated. Reno took it all in stride, putting his hands up in a no harm, no foul fashion. "I don't mean to interrupt your late-night marathon training, but an old friend buys you a drink and you take off? That's not very nice," he raised an eyebrow. Tifa glanced up at his tall frame, annoyed with his disingenuous chastising. "Aaand you left the little Wutie cutie at the bar, who knows what kind of trouble she's getting herself into," he chided, easing into a playful smirk, "lighting fires and robbing people and shit." His eyes softened at her lack of comment, "What's the matter?" To Reno, her behavior was definitely odd. He was used to playful banter, not avoidance and silence from the sweet, sassy, fist-fighting bartender that he fancied a visit to every now and again.
Had they ever been alone together? The realization seemed to strike them both at the same time.
"Why'd you follow me, Reno? I'm tired," she huffed, stepping back.
"Judging from your record-breaking sprint across town a minute ago, I think you might be fibbing about that. I don't wanna bother you but jeez, when you bolt from me I'm gonna assume something is wrong."
She huffed, crossing her arms, "Nothing's wrong, Reno. I had a long day."
The normally sure-willed Turk was unsure of what do with the uncharacteristically shrewd woman in front of him. Tifa was rarely set on edge, even when he went out of his way to get her all fired up. She usually held it together with style and grace. Tifa swore she saw a light bulb illuminate above Reno's head before he blurted his next transgression:
"Where the heck is Spike?"
There it was. She couldn't run from that question, so she figured she may as well be honest. She wasn't going to get rid of him by lying. This Turk could practically smell dishonesty, and dishonesty made him downright rabid.
"He's not here," she replied after a short silence, eyes cast downward.
"Oh?"
Oh, indeed. She could feel his gaze burning a hole through her. A girl like Tifa understood the insinuation: "You alone tonight, sweetheart?"
Gods be good, he understood her reluctance to speak on the matter. Reno was an asshole, but he wasn't a complete jerk. Not all the time, anyhow. Contrary to popular belief the man had a heart. He figured he had to do something, so he did his damnedest to ease the tension that had bubbled up between them.
"Well, Lockhart, you're lookin' mighty fine tonight. Not that you're not a knockout every night –no pun intended. Seems a shame for you to hit the hay so early, and I've been looking for some company. Rude had the same idea about turning in early. Left me high and dry in a bar full of nobodies," he ambled on with his hands in his pockets, kicking up sandy cobblestone dust with his boot. "-went back to the room over an hour ago. Couldn't convince him to come out and play," he paused to light up a fresh cigarette, taking a drag while adjusting the ever-present goggles atop his forehead. "My night was a dud until I saw this pretty lady at the bar and ya know what? She RAN from me! Like a stark raving lunatic! Like I grew three heads, like- like one of those creatures up near the crater. She couldn't get away from me fast enough. I tell ya..." he trailed off with a smirk and a shake of his head. "Mighta figured I'm government. Suit gives it away every time, yo," he winked.
Tifa softened at his honest attempt to be friendly, "Sorry, Reno, I just..."
"It's all good," he cut her off. "Say no more. Just, please don't be tired or whatever it is that you don't wanna talk about. I got the memo loud and clear." He scratched the back of his head before placing his free hand in his pocket. "I like you better when you're giggling and telling me what to do."
Was Reno nervous? She had to be imagining things. He always seemed compelled to put on a show while he was with his companions. She liked this softer side of him (with her guard up, naturally).
"How 'bout you buy me a drink and tell me all about your long day? Or we can just make fun of the old-timers who're trynna act young 'cause they're hot on the coast?"
Tifa sighed internally,'Why does he have to be good-looking? And funny. Damn it all...'
"Okay," she relented, "but I'm NOT a stark-raving lunatic."
"Never said you were," he winked again, extending his elbow to her.
She gave in and gave him a chance.
They walked arm-in-arm back to the bar, chit-chatting like old frenemies do.
To be continued...
