Author's Note: This is my first story ever.. I'm not a writer or anything like that.. this is just for fun.. r&r plz! Thanks

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The bar was dark and dirty, the stale air filling the patrons' lungs with smoke, booze and other none too healthy and difficult to identify substances.

Reno didn't seem to mind, in fact this was his habitat, his element, he enjoyed this atmosphere to the outright fullest. Taking a deep drag of his cigarette he only added to the odor that had become part of the air.

"Y'know.. I have no idea why you do that."

Reno didn't bother to answer, didn't even bother to glance at the man beside him. Zack and him had lots in common but smoking was one of their characteristics where they seemed to differ, along with appearances. Zack's charcoal black hair which somehow jetted in all different directions deeply contrasted with Reno's shock of flame red hair. His eyes' although the same color as Reno's, cobalt blue, had the tinge of mako noticeable shining through, marking him as a SOLDIER. He carried some kind of boyish charm whereas Reno's aura screamed of smooth player. The turk and the SOLDIER, both were handsome, lean, tall and shared the same passions.

Women and Booze.

They were both notorious womanizers, incredible good ones, despite Reno's scruffy wardrobe; wrinkled blue dress pants, scuffed black shoes, an unbuttoned open blue jacket that couldn't hide the un-tucked white dress shirt and only drew notice to the tie that seemed to be permanently MIA.

A few people scattered the place despite it being only early evening, but the drinks were cheap and the location good. Reno sat elbows slumped, half concentrating on his drink with the rest of him half heartedly noticing the barmaid. Hair a little too bleached, shirt a little too tight, her makeup caked on in desperation to compensate for the lack of natural beauty.. nope, it was a little too early for the really pretty ones to be working the floor.

Zack, a little annoyed at the lack of conversation cleared his throat, "So.." he started with a small grin breaking through, "what's the final number?"

"Nineteen," Reno didn't even have to think for the answer.

After a moment's pause, the turk asked the question he knew his dark haired companion was waiting for.

"How about you?"

Zack's goofy grin merely grew wider and began to borderline idiocy. Reno scowled in anticipation, waiting for the answer and the bragging that would soon follow. Truth was, Zack was not exactly a "friend". That would be more like Rude, or Tseng, oh hell, even Elena. Unfortunately, Rude was never much of a talker, and the constant sunglasses that sat on his frowning face always did seem to intimidate the ladies. Tseng, on the other hand, although considered as quite handsome, never showed interest in interacting with females unless it involved a gun. No, Zack was definitely not a friend but more like a rival. If not for their mutual competitiveness and mentality of the opposite sex Reno would probably never associate with the younger SOLDIER. But staring at his stupid grin and ridiculous expression, Reno wondered how in bloody hell did he manage to charm all those women into bed with him.

"Twenty!" he declared triumphantly. And as predicted proceeded to drape an arm over his now sour faced companion.

"What the hell! You were at 18 when I spoke to you last night," scowled Reno, attempting to shake off the annoying arm around his shoulders.

Zack only leaned in closer flashing him a smile, the same smile that some woman somewhere was probably swooning over in their dream, and answered with a wink, "Twins man, twins!"

"fuck…"

Reno had lost the bet. God damn! his mind screamed, who would have thought that the scrawny SOLDIER-boy could bag more babes in a week then him? Picking up his drink, he downed it in one swig and slammed the glass down, causing the surrounding peanuts on the counter to dance as if they were in mid-jig. They had both made the bet exactly a week ago, gambling on which one would be able to sleep with the greater amount of girls in a week's span. The thought that Zack had best him infuriated him. The steady chatter and streams of conversation flirting from ear to ear were not enough to drown the string of swear words escaping the red head's mouth. Friggin twins of all things…

Inversely as Reno's mood went down, Zack's went sky high. Pumping his fists into the air he whooped out a cry of joy, he had just beat Reno in a bet that his flame-haired associate himself had proposed! So of course there was nothing wrong with adding salt to the wound..

"Haha! Man.. not only were they twins.. they were from Wutai! W-U-T-A-I! You shoulda seen them they were sooo smokin' hot! This one girl.. she did the sexiest thing…" Zack's face lit up at the memory that replayed in his mind.

"Friggin' cock-sucking idiot…" mumbled Reno as he swiveled sharply away in his stool, tired of hearing the air coming out of the boy's mouth.

Sensing as if he pissed off the Turk a little too much, Zack cut off his bragging to give him a good humored smile. "C'mon.. you know I'm just joshin'! Tell you what! How about we make another bet, all or nothing! What do you say?"

The turk, interest instantly piqued and spirits up, swiveled around again to face the smiling face. His pride was at stake here, he couldn't walk away knowing this boy here had the one-up on him. He could feel his ego stinging, sharp pins, invisible to the eye painfully jabbing straight through his pride so that embarrassment leaked out and started to pool out inside him. He needed to plug it quickly and mend the damage.

"State the terms."

Accepting the simple request as an agreement, Zack could already feel the extra weight in his wallet from the easy money he was about to win. But it wasn't the appeal of money that caused him to make another bet. The knowledge of another win, even an easy one over the red head would be satisfying enough, "Well, it's quite simple you see. I name the girl, and you have to somehow get her into the sack willingly." Putting emphasis on the last part.

A stray lock of hair had fallen into his eyes, Reno flicked it away coolly, not believing his luck. There wasn't a women on earth who could resist him. The small dent in his ego would be easily buffed over and erased. He adjusted the shades on his head, his demeanor taking a sudden businesslike turn.

"Tell me when you find someone"

Zack's smiled never wavered, "Already got one."

Reno leaned closer, straining to hear Zack's deep voice that had suddenly dropped to a tone that stood between a whisper and a sigh.

"Aeris. Aeris Gainsborough…"