Questions

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

Tifa was just closing up the bar, midnight having been replaced by twilight, when her front door opened with a jingle from the bell overhead.

"We're closed so- but she was cut off when she saw just who it was.

"Reno...what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see my girlfriend, is that a crime?" Reno replied, his smirk firmly in place.

"No, but don't you think it's a bit...late?" He moved closer then and took her empty hand in his.

"Actually, I think it's early," he corrected.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Tifa said, her eyes rolling at his answer. He chuckled and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her close until there was no more space between them.

"Are you up for a walk?" She thought about his offer. She didn't open the bar until late in the afternoon tomorrow giving her time to sleep in.

"Yeah, but is this a walk or a date?" Tifa asked. Reno gave another chuckle at her question and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her mahogany eyes.

"Does it matter?" he countered.

"No...but you have to help me finish up closing, alright?" Reno gave a salute and his eyes gleamed.

"Yes ma'am!" Tifa whacked him with the washcloth she had been using to clean off the counter and smiled.

"Any more lip from you and I'll make you scrub the toilets," Tifa threatened. Reno's eyes widened and he lost some of the teasing gleam in his eyes but it didn't vanish completely.

Rolling up their sleeves, they got to work.

Once the last table had been put up and Tifa was satisfied, fifty minutes had passed.

"Let me change and we'll leave," Tifa said. Reno nodded and she dashed up the stairs. Two minutes were consumed going through her clothes to find something suitable. But as she was pulling out her favorite pair of jeans, she realized how unimportant that notion was to Reno.

They had been dating for six months and the fighter was still confused about Reno. He was so spontaneous. The red head never planned dates, instead showing up out of the blue and offering to take her out or to go somewhere, much like tonight. It was similar to what she had gone through with Cloud, only instead of leaving unannounced Reno would come back to her.

Amid her thoughts, she found a plain long sleeved shirt to wear and nodded at her reflection before heading downstairs. He was leaning against the banister at the bottom and smiled as she came down, her feet covered in her comfiest pair of sneakers. Holding out his hand, she took it and they left the bar after locking up.

"So where are we going?" Reno shrugged at her question and outstretched his arm in front of him.

"Wherever the road takes us."

"Must you always be so secretive?" Tifa asked, half in jest and half in sincerity. Reno didn't answer right away, instead choosing to entwine his hand with hers.

"It's my job, remember?"

"And we're in a relationship, we need to be more open," Tifa replied.

"Never satisfied, are you? Well if you must know, I haven't exactly planned out what we're going to do tonight." Tifa took that in and leaned her head against his shoulder.

It was just like him to not plan ahead. As she glanced over at his face, she smiled.

"I'm not satisfied now, true, but I will be in a moment," she said softly. Reno turned to look at her and was about to speak when she kissed him on the lips. Breaking apart from the kiss for a moment, Tifa gave a content sigh. Reno chuckled, the sound reverberating through his body and causing Tifa's lips to tingle.

"Well now I know what I'm getting you for your birthday," Reno said. "Who knew you were such a low maintenance girlfriend?" he teased.

"And who knew Turks could kiss so well?" she teased back.

She wondered who would grow tired of the teasing first.

"I could give you a list of women- Reno started to say but Tifa punched him in the shoulder.

She should have known he would ruin it.

Tifa started to walk on but Reno stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"We're here," he pointed out. Tifa looked to what he was indicating and saw the brand new gates of Edge Park.

"Are they open?" Tifa found herself asking. Reno snorted at that and he walked past the gates, looking around before turning back to her.

"I don't see any security guards so they must be," Reno joked. Tifa punched him harder in the shoulder as she walked past him, muttering about stupid red heads and how she should be in bed.

The sprinklers were on but luckily the pair didn't get soaked as they walked deeper into the park, Tifa shivering as a particularly chill breeze went past her. She felt Reno's jacket being placed around her shoulders and she looked at him.

"Won't you get cold?"

"Not really," he replied. "But if I do you can be sure I'll be taking my jacket back." Tifa laughed at that and they continued their walk.

Something caught Reno's eye as they turned a curve and he started walking towards it. Tifa followed after him, her eyebrows raised.

"Feeling like going for a swing Re?" He didn't answer and sat down on one of the four black swings, feet kicking the ground. Tifa sat beside him and looked over. "Reno..."

"Yeah?"

"Where do you see us in a few years?"

"Always thinking ahead, aren't you babe?" he said softly. Before Tifa could respond, he continued talking. "Honestly, I see us getting hitched. Maybe in Kalm, maybe in Wutai, but not here. We'll have a kid or two and you'll be nagging me about doing the dishes while I'll make some stupid joke and you'll scrunch up your nose in that cute way that you do when you're pissed."

"So I'll have to nag you even more than I do now? That sounds wonderful," Tifa said with a laugh. Reno just shook his head from side to side.

"I act funny and I get glared at, I act serious and I get made fun of, I can't win with you, can I?" Reno said, sighing dramatically but Tifa could hear the irritation behind it. Getting out of her swing, she moved behind him and gave a push to his back.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I see us getting married too. We'll get an old house, something that needs fixed up, something our kids would love exploring when they're older." She stopped pushing him as she finished and wrapped her arms around his neck as he came back to her. "You know, maybe swings aren't that bad," she said.

"They're great but only in moderation," Reno replied. Tifa giggled at that and Reno looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "I think it's my turn to ask you a serious question." Tifa motioned for him to go on. "Why did you want to be rescued? I mean you're strong, so I find it odd that you wanted to be saved like your typical damsel in distress." Tifa sighed at his question and looked up at the heavens.

The stars were out still, their glow reminding her of that night at the well so long ago. But they were brighter now then they had been in the past. Gathering her thoughts, she spoke.

"The truth is...I'm not that strong. When I asked Cloud to save me, it was to save me from myself, from my weakness as well as from anything else. Then I wouldn't have to be scared anymore. Sounds silly, doesn't it?" Tifa finished, chuckling.

"No...it sounds human." He paused here and looked into her eyes. "What about me? Do I need to save you?" Tifa shook her head and reached out a hand to stroke one of his crescent shaped scars.

"No, all I want from you is your love...and maybe a few new shoes." Reno laughed at her levity and got out of the swing.

"Your turn," he said. Tifa nodded and sat down, Reno pushing her for several minutes before talking again.

"I suppose you want to know where I got these scars," he said softly. Tifa stopped her swing then and glanced up at him. She noticed his far off expression and the fearful look in his eyes as he gazed at something only he could see from his past. A moment later however, he looked up at the sky and gave a laugh. "Growing up, I never knew my parents," he started off. "The first memories I have are of an orphanage. I could only see the stars through my window." Here one of his hands raised up and traced over the scar by his right eye. "There was no one there to save me, no one to care about me, and one day they- but Reno was cut off by Tifa hugging him.

"You don't have to tell me anymore, that's enough," she whispered and Reno could hear the sorrow in her voice.

"Alright..." he said in reply. Breaking apart enough to look in his face, Tifa stroked his right cheek.

"I'm here for you Reno. I care about you and I'll save you, if you want me to," Tifa said.

"You already saved me, Tifa." She smiled at that and yawned.

"Can you take me home now?" Reno looked pensive at her question.

"I don't know, I'm kind of tired." Tifa pouted then, her lower lip trembling. "But since you're asking so nicely, then I guess I will."

"Thanks..." Tifa murmured, sleep starting to claim her.

As she drifted into her dreams, she realized she didn't need to worry about the future or find out every little thing about Reno right away.

She had the rest of her life to worry and discover, but right now all she was focused on was the way Reno held her and the beating of his heat.

And that was enough for a sigh of true contentment to escape her lips.