Filling The Gap

AN: I own nothing in this story. This is for fire mystic so enjoy! Please R&R.

Reno sighed as he leaned his chair against the wall, Tseng too bored to tell him to stop.

They were "stranded" on their latest mission, which shouldn't really be called a mission. Rufus's newest lover had demanded fresh strawberries from Kalm and so the president had sent two of his Turks to retrieve them.

"So...still pining after Aerith?" the red head asked.

His boss chalked it up to boredom that Reno would ask such a question and attributed the same ennui to what came out of his lips next.

"No...I never really knew her enough to love her. What I loved was an ideal, not a woman."

Reno took that in for a moment before a teasing smirk found it's way to his mouth.

"Anyone you're interested in?"

Tseng sighed before looking at his friend.

To think the adolescent he found in that nightmare of an orphanage bruised, bloody, and nearly dying would turn out like this? And Tseng wasn't just thinking about Reno's marriage to Tifa Lockhart but his attitude in general.

"As a matter of fact, there is," he confessed. Reno's smirk vanished and was replaced with a somewhat serious expression.

"Seriously?" Tseng narrowed his eyes at Reno's question.

"Yes and I don't think I want to tell you who it is."

"Now I have to know. I won't tease you, promise!"

Tseng sighed once more as the red head began a truly childish pout and began rubbing his temples.

"Elena. I like Elena and if you tell her I'll make sure you get transferred to WRO as Kisaragi's subordinate, understand?"

Reno nodded and a moment later the door finally opened, the farmer they had been waiting for carrying a big bag bursting with fresh wild strawberries.

Tifa watched as Elena sobbed into her bowl of ice cream as Say Anything ended. And although Tifa herself had some tears in her eyes, Elena was clearly more effected.

"Why does it always work out for others but not me?" Elena muttered.

"Tseng still hasn't come around yet?" Tifa asked, patting Elena's shoulder. The blonde sniffled at that.

"No, I heard him talking about Aerith a week ago. How do you get a guy to stop loving a dead woman?"

"I don't know. But cheer up, he'll come around eventually."

"You really think so?" Tifa nodded at her friend and gave her a smile.

"Yeah, I do." Elena returned her smile and looked down at the melted goop that was her ice cream.

"I hope so..." the blonde murmured before the two friends decided to gossip and carry on with their girl's night.

Reno slid into bed beside his wife a few hours later and sighed, Tifa wrapping herself around him in that peculiar way she always did.

"Rough day?" she whispered.

"No, just annoying," Reno replied. "Though I did find out that Tseng's over Aerith and-"

Reno suddenly found himself being kissed fiercely by his wife, the Turk's eyebrows arching in surprise at the unexpected lip lock. And once his wife had broken apart, he had a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"What was that for?" Reno asked after a moment or two. Tifa winked at him and moved farther away, closing her eyes and allowing several fake snores to escape. This abruptly stopped when Reno started tickling her.

Pulling his wife close, Reno ceased his tickle attack and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You know I don't like being teased," Reno said with a slight pout.

"But it's so much fun," Tifa replied.

"Yeah, yeah, so are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"We're going to get Tseng and Elena together," Tifa answered.

"You make it sound so easy." Tifa just winked at him again and lay back down, snuggling up to his warmth.

"It's elementary my dear Reno," she whispered.

Reno didn't respond and closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him. His last conscious thought was spent pondering just how his wife planned to get his fellow Turks together.

The next evening, around seven, Elena walked into one of the newer clubs around Edge, a fancy establishment named Mysidia. Tifa had invited her for a night out along with Reno and since the blonde didn't have anything better to do, she accepted.

Dressed in a white gown that suited her nicely, Elena smiled at her friends and sat down at one of the empty seats.

"Are we expecting someone else?" Elena asked, looking at her friends.

But before they could answer, the female Turk spotted her boss walking in, his suit and slacks matching the atmosphere of the club nicely. Spying the group, he walked up to the table and took the vacant seat across from Elena.

"Reno, what are you planning?" Tseng asked after several moments.

"Nothing boss, just taking the wife out for a night of dancing and fine dining. We invited Elena and you because you guys need to have some fun, right dear?" Reno said, turning to look at Tifa.

She was positively glowing.

"Of course darling."

Tseng and Elena looked at each other.

Tifa and Reno never used those endearments with each other.

Something was up.

The waiter came by shortly upon seeing the full table and took their orders. Bowing, he left. Another employee showed up with a bottle of the house wine cradled in his arms. Tifa refused but the rest took a glass.

Smalltalk was made, mostly on Tifa and Reno's part. Elena was content to sip more of her wine while Tseng was trying to not stare to much at Elena.

He really liked the way she looked in that dress.

As time passed and their meals arrived, the four ate and chatted, Reno trying to prank Elena by putting some pepper in her wine but Tifa caught him and with a glare put an end to it.

The band started playing then, a slow song, and a woman approached the microphone, smiling at the couples at the tables before singing.

"Am I blue?" she sang in a soft voice with just a hint of sadness behind it.

Reno stood up then and led Tifa to the dance floor, giving Tseng and Elena a final smirk before beginning to dance with his wife.

The two Turks were now alone at a table set for four.

"Elena..." Tseng started to say.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to dance?"

Elena looked a little flushed but Tseng chalked that up to the wine and gave a half hearted smile.

"It's okay if you don't want to I- but he was cut off when he saw Elena shake her head.

"No, I want to."

So they made their way out to the dance floor which was quickly being overrun by couples. Another slow song was playing and Elena's heart beat a bit faster when Tseng placed his hands on her hips, bringing her close. She noticed a faraway look in his eye.

"Thinking of Aerith?" Elena asked, hiding her jealousy as best she could.

"No, I was thinking of you," Tseng replied softly and before Elena could even drop her jaw, Tseng kissed her on the lips.

As Tifa pulled Reno close and continued their slow dance in each other's arms, she grinned at the sight of Tseng and Elena kissing.

"We did it Re," she whispered. Reno twirled her then and he saw his two friends.

"It was mostly you," he replied.

"You're being modest. Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" Tifa joked.

Reno decided to kiss her instead.

Once the dancing was done, the four friends came back to the table, Tseng and Elena sitting beside each other.

"It's been a wonderful evening," Elena said, "But we should be going, right Tseng?"

"Indeed..." he said.

Wishing them goodbye, the two then left.

Tifa sighed and looked over to her husband.

"And I wanted to ask if they would be godparents too," she remarked offhandedly.

"Babe, why would you be asking- but then it all clicked.

The way she refused the wine, her glow, and her slight increase in weight.

"Y-you're- but Reno was silenced by a finger to his lips and a grin from Tifa.

"Yep, Happy Father's Day Reno!"

She then kissed him full on the mouth and Reno realized something else.

He didn't deserve his wife.

Even if she did love to sing in the shower just like he did.