Do all the damn channels have to play this ridiculous crap?
The thought crossed Tifa's mind as she flipped relentlessly through channel after channel. Each channel proudly displayed their news correspondent standing in nearly the same spot in front of the New Year's street party downtown. They were all counting down to a new year, but she couldn't care less. The previous year had been nothing but a let down, and she was glad to have it behind her, but she didn't bother sugar coating another year with a little bug called hope.
With her chin propped against her hand and her elbow against the counter of her empty bar, she sighed heavily as the bouncy blonde on the screen squealed to the camera. Every drunk in town was out in full force. Despite being one of the more lucrative nights of the year, she'd closed the doors at five sharp to avoid the mess she'd had last year. The fights and destroyed furniture had nearly cost her more than she'd made, and the bruises stayed for some time. Better not to fool with that.
What a year it had been. She started out youthful and full of dreams, only to end up tired and feeling useless. Three months ago, to the date, Cloud had finally walked out on everything they'd tried so hard to hold together. Barret had gotten Marlene, much to Tifa's excitement. She was glad to see the father take initiative; Marlene needed him with Cloud gone. Denzel became her son, in all legal sense of the word. He was the last spot of happiness she had within the dingy walls of the bar. If not for him, she might have moved on. Everyone else had gone back to life as it had been before the rise of the silver haired strangers.
Her fingers danced across the counter idly, before making themselves useful. She grabbed the bottle of mango tinged rum and knocked back a healthy gulp. The burn reminded her of the reason she so despised alcohol, but the affect was suddenly on her list of desires. Just another odd contradiction. With the bottle returned to the counter, she flipped once more, finding another close-up of the crowded center. Absently, she began to wonder what Cloud was doing. The thought earned a stiff palm to her forehead, eyes cringed in avoidance.
While she avoided her thoughts, the familiar scuff of the door across the threshold sounded. Damn, she'd neglected to lock up after closing down. She fought off a flare of frustration and managed a quick sentence, "Sorry, but Seventh Heaven is closed." She barely resisted the urge to add, can't you read the sign?
"On New Year's Eve? Well… shit."
Familiarity struck her. She knew that voice. From the tone, she also knew it wasn't simply a mistake that he'd walked into a closed bar. One that happened to belong to her. He'd been coming around quite a bit since Cloud left.
"Reno…" she said his name as if it exasperated her, swiveling on the stool to face the direction of his voice. She found him, rooted to the floor and wearing that signature smirk.
"This how you plan on celebrating?"
"What, should I be out there?" she nodded toward the television, watching turquoise eyes trail from her, to the picture, and back again.
"Why not?" He moved forward, taking a long look at the rum beside her.
"Um… too many wacky people? And let me guess, you want a drink…"
"You know me so well," he grinned wider.
"You're so … difficult to figure out," she bit back sarcastically. Their relationship was an odd thing. He'd come in and tease her, drink a few beers, make inappropriate comments to see how red he could get her, and go home. She couldn't even remember when he'd first come around, he was just there. And he had been religiously, every Saturday night for weeks.
"Yeah, yeah," he took a seat while she went around the bar to grab a beer. The top came off easily and she set it beside him.
"Why aren't you out partying? I figured you'd be there, sloshed."
"Do ya really think so highly of me?" He winked and swallowed his first drink.
"You just enjoy that kind of thing…" It was an assumption, she admitted, but not anything outrageous.
"Maybe I don't…"
"Oh, come on." She jested at him with a finger, "You're such a liar."
"No, really. Private parties are more fun than a bunch of drunks and screaming bimbos."
"Smooth," she quipped, rolling her eyes.
"I know." He took another drink as she laughed softly. That was one thing she had to give him. Somehow, he could always make her laugh; no matter the mood she happened to be in. "So really… why are you sitting here, watching that crap by yourself?"
"I don't know. Nothing else to do?" She took a drink, the faint warmth in her ears signaling she should really be slowing down.
"No interest in parties?"
"Nope."
"Friends?"
"They're busy…"
"No desire to see what the hell they're doing with this 'surprise' downtown?"
"Sort of… but I didn't want to wade through the crowds."
His eyes seemed to ignite with something that made her stomach swirl. That was another thing she had to give him. He had the most arresting eyes of anyone she'd ever seen.
"That look makes me nervous," she said, quirking an eyebrow.
"And it should…" She didn't like the way he was eyeing her one bit, but by the time he'd grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the door, she didn't have a second to consider why that look was so dangerous.
"What are you doing?" she asked as they headed toward the door.
"I have an idea."
"Who says I want to know what it is?"
He halted abruptly, turning to face her just as she narrowly avoided slamming into him. With her nose inches from his, she gave a slight cry of surprise.
"Better than sitting here getting wasted by yourself…" he offered.
"Maybe I like that idea?"
"Fine, suit yourself." He shrugged, turning for the door.
She chewed her lip for a moment, "Oh, hang on." She opened the closet adjacent to the door, grabbing a coat from the hangers. It looked frigid enough outside, and running around in jeans and a tank top wouldn't exactly be a smart idea.
He'd taken to leaning by the door, a sly expression etched on handsome features. She suddenly remembered why she had been hesitant to go with him.
"I swear, if this is anything weird I'll knock you into next year."
"Relax," he rolled his eyes and opened the door, shamelessly giving her a once over as she walked past him. There would be no way to deny that she was stunning. Everything in the way she moved got to him.
He'd parked right out front, the sleek black coupe sticking out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood. Another hint of that machismo he somehow managed to pull off without being a total insult to his gender. The lights flashed twice in unison and he opened the passenger door.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
She hesitated a moment, weighing her options. She'd begun to trust him since he'd come around. Some of the conversations about life had been surprising, and he had a lot more depth than she ever would have imagined. True enough, they'd fought some hard battles and his loyalties fell in places she didn't necessarily appreciate, but he really had grown on her. That terrified her, to say the least.
He'd opened the passenger door, allowing her to take a seat on the chilled leather. Seconds later, he was roaring in reverse and she was biting her lip. She should have known he'd drive like a maniac. The headlights beamed over the broken asphalt, and Reno found the accelerator much too hard to resist.
"Do you always drive like this?" she asked, swinging her neck to get a look at him. She had to admit, it was nice to see him in jeans and a jacket rather than the usual uniform.
"Where's the fun in driving like a grandma?"
"Following the speed limit isn't driving like a— Reno!" She grabbed the door handle as he swerved a hard left, sticking to an outside-inside-outside pattern onto the next road. The chuckle he gave to her startled expression only furthered her annoyance. "Knock it off."
"Quit being a damn backseat driver."
This could go on for hours, and she wasn't going to play it that way. If she didn't give him any fuel, he wouldn't tease her that way. Just another way she'd become accustomed to dealing with him. By the time he'd pulled into a sidewalk parking spot, she realized that she'd been doing a lot of things lately that she did only because of him.
She craned her neck, nearly brushing her forehead against the window as she peered up at the tall complex. He offered her a hand after propping open the door and she obliged. She bundled when the night air seeped through the thin coat, absently moving closer to him as they walked toward the door. His hand sought the small of her back as he escorted her through the door, which would have surprised her any other night.
"Is this…" she started, marveling at the cool marble and stainless steel.
"Yeah, Shin-Ra foots the bill." He was calling the elevator when she realized the 'S word' no longer gave her chills. Another new development.
"It's nice…"
The elevator ride was silent, but as soon as they traveled into his condo, she couldn't hide the excitement that suddenly settled over her. Not that it was a surprise that he an impressive bar, but the living room and kitchen were positively gorgeous.
"You did this yourself?" She couldn't help but look at him with surprise.
"Not completely… Elena was pretty useful with this stuff."
"She has good taste."
"Hey."
"So do you…" She smiled around a mock sigh.
"But I do have a plan. Just a sec." He disappeared down the hall while she explored all the little details of the living room, stopping to provide a double-take to the vase filled with what looked like bullets. He must have done that… only a guy like Reno would display odd décor such as that.
He returned with a blanket tucked beneath his arm, sweeping a paper bag from the counter. She had to wonder at that point if he'd come with the purpose of bringing her here. Sure, he seemed spontaneous, but the bag was contradicting. Her curiosity flared but she checked it and followed him onto the balcony of the condo.
The view overlooked downtown, where she could see – not to mention hear – the commotion from the New Year's celebration. He spread the blanket over an oversized lounge chair and produced a bottle of champagne from the bag. She recognized the brand she'd been tempted to buy the minute he set the bottle down beside two fluted glasses. And she was supposed to believe this was an impulse? She'd just been talking about that particular brand a week ago.
"I thought you didn't like champagne?"
"Not really," he said, glancing up. "But it fits, so why the hell not?"
She laughed at the casual shrug he gave before wadding up the bag and tossing it aside. There was enough light from the circus below to see the grin he was wearing, and she felt her stomach tighten. She wasn't sure what he was getting at with all this, but she had a vague idea.
"Sit."
It wasn't necessarily a command, but she followed it anyway. He was beside her then, glancing at his wrist watch to check the time. She could see that it was just fifteen until midnight, which seemed a little perfect on timing.
"Did you plan all this?" she finally asked, giving him a suspicious look.
"Absolutely not," he winked with an actual smile. No smirks or grins, but a smile. She wished he'd smile more often.
"Why?"
"I just said I didn't."
"I don't believe you," she shook her head, glaring at him.
"Really," he set his jaw, "but if I did would it earn me a kiss at midnight?"
So there it was. That attraction she thought she'd been imagining for months had bubbled right to the surface, in the form of some grand scheme just to earn a kiss from her. She'd never pictured him as the type to actually go to lengths to impress someone. Yet here he was with some romantic New Years evening and a smile.
"I'm not that easy you know," she replied, secretly wishing she'd just give in. But the barriers were a lot stronger since she'd been abandoned, she really wasn't sure she could allow anyone in.
He gave a quick snort, looking at her as if she'd said something ridiculous. She could tell he was hiding disappointment, but then he wasn't the hardest book to read at times. She'd gotten good at picking out those near-invisible signs in his expressions.
A scream on the street interrupted her train of thought and she glanced out toward the party. "I'm glad I didn't go…" I'd rather be here, actually. But she wasn't quite sure that she could voice the thought.
"Probably better you didn't… there's some serious jackasses out tonight."
He was pouring the champagne into the glasses when she glanced at him, watching the thin line of his brows as he concentrated on filling the glass. He handed one glass to her, meeting her eyes for a moment. She decided he was a lot harder to resist than she'd first assumed. Though he seemed shallow and strange on the surface, the months she'd spent getting to know him had proved her wrong.
"I appreciate this, Reno. I really had committed to spending the night alone with the rum." And she was paying for that with a slight buzz so far.
"That's sad, Tif'." He was sipping the bubbly liquid, remembering why he preferred beer or vodka.
"I just feel pretty lost. We've talked about this before, but I haven't been able to figure things out."
"He really fucked you over," Reno added, lips turning down.
"It's not his fault…" she diverted her eyes, studying the tiny people stories below.
"You keep saying that. I don't see how you justify what he's done for years."
A part of her welcomed the honesty. The others all justified the actions and offered only shallow consolation. They were partly loyal to him for unknown reasons. Reno, on the other hand, had never particularly liked Cloud.
"He was confused. That confusion spread to me and now I have no idea what I want…" she downed the glass, grimacing.
"I don't think you're supposed to drink it that way," he snickered, using his thumb to wipe a tiny drop from her chin. She looked at him with liquid eyes and he realized why she had. It was that, or allow the tears threatening to fall show their true colors.
"Then get something I can drink that way."
Her voice came across bitter, the way it did every time she brought up the past. He hated to see her that way. It was then he decided she deserved a lot more. He took the glass, setting both aside. She gave him quite the glare, but he distracted her with a tug. She came easily enough into his arms and he placed his hand against the back of her head.
The ease with which she melted into his arms surprised her, but the embrace was comfortable and warm. Her pulse spiked when his hand trailed from the crown of her head to her shoulders, brushing strands of hair along the way. She knew bringing Cloud up had been a bad idea, but suddenly the tinge of pain seemed to lessen. Reno was simply full of surprises. And the most surprising were the effort and the kindness.
After a while, she heaved a sigh into the crook of his neck, her moist breath nudging across his skin. He shuddered from more than the chill of the air, and she pulled a few inches away.
"Tif', I can't promise to make it all better for you, but I can tell you that I want a chance to try."
The honesty startled her, but it shouldn't have. She'd seen this coming, but she'd never imagined he'd say it in a way that made her want to melt. The crowd began chanting loudly, the countdown as usual. Tens and nines, but she was more concerned with the way his aqua eyes focused on her. She'd been trying to avoid a moment like this ever since they'd been caught in a precarious position the night he'd helped her clean up the bar. She'd stumbled and he'd reached out without hesitation, scooping her into his arms. She recalled it as the kiss that nearly happened. Now she found herself curious to see what he'd taste like, how his lips would feel nudged between hers.
The threes and twos barely registered when he trailed his gaze from her eyes down to her lips. She knew then that he wasn't going to heed that warning she'd given him earlier. Not that her body language really backed the warning. As the crowd cheered, his lips brushed hers. She wasn't sure if it was the electricity between them, or the explosion of fireworks that reverberated through her, but she liked it anyway. The tingling did not subside when he deepened the kiss, and she hungrily pressed herself against him.
The taste was simple, champagne and a slight hint of cigarette smoke despite the fact that she hadn't seen him light up since he walked into the bar. His lips were thin but soft, graceful in the strangest sort of way. His hands were trailing down her back one moment, and gathering chills as they slid into her hair the next. And she loved every second of it. He finally broke the kiss when the crackle of fireworks shook the balcony, his fingers trailing beneath her chin and his eyes half-lidded.
"Wow…" she managed, glancing out at the light show.
"Yeah, they really went all out…" he replied, keeping his eyes on her.
She shook her head and smiled, leaning in to steal a dozen soft kisses from a man she'd never thought she'd kiss.
Quite the short little one shot made just for the New Year. I did absolutely nothing with my hubby overseas, so this is what you get ;) There was so much background to the idea and the storyline, it was hard not to go on about what conversations I'd imagined them to have in the months leading up to this night. However, it was meant to be short and sweet, light hearted.
I really need to work on that Reno/Tifa piece I've been scheming. Both of them, actually. I want to do a pre-game and a post-AC, or perhaps a combination. Revamp The Aethereality of You, as well? So many things I'd like to do now that I've gotten the bug back.
I also would like to note that I've got the next chapter of Insomnia nearly finished. That should be up soon. I've been entirely too absent, but I have one month to go and I'll be back to normal! Anyway, I hope this wasn't terrible. I'm feeling a little rusty. Drop a review if you feel like it.
-Randi