Give to me sweet sacred bliss
Your mouth was made to suck my kiss

"Suck My Kiss", Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Betcha a hundred gil I can do it, Rude," Reno said in a half-drunken slur, propped up on his elbows at the bar of Seventh Heaven.

Rude snorted derisively. "And I bet you the same hundred gil, that you'll get your ass kicked trying."

Tifa came by with yet another round of drinks for the two Turks, and rolled her eyes. "Is he on that again?" Tifa asked Rude, blatantly ignoring Reno.

"Yes," Rude replied, shaking his head. Finally, here was someone reasonable to talk to, Rude figured. Because Reno was surely not reasonable. Or terribly sober, at the moment.

"I know he wants me, yo," Reno said cockily, leering as the object of his as-yet unrequited desires walked by without a word to anyone.

"Yes, Cloud so obviously wants you, Reno," Tifa said sarcastically. "He just walked by and ignored you."

"He ignored you too, yo," Reno argued. Honestly, he wasn't sure about the status of Cloud and Tifa's relationship – or what kind of relationship they had, and he wasn't about to ask. They didn't seem very lovey-dovey, though, which gave Reno a small glimmer of hope that Cloud might actually be available.

"I don't even know why you'd want to put up with his moody ass anyway," Tifa said in a low tone. "He is impossible to live with," she added, her comment mostly directed at Rude. The silent Turk was used to it; Tifa would often unload on him, telling him what a "good listener" he was. Rude smirked at Tifa and nodded sympathetically. He had his own love interest at the Seventh Heaven in Tifa, but he was far more subtle than Reno was about it.

"Moody, my ass, I bet I can put a smile on his face!" Reno chirped, tipping his head back as he swilled his drink.

Tifa and Rude chuckled amongst themselves. "This should be interesting," Tifa commented, resting her elbows on the bar. She looked around her bar; the place was emptying out, and she was glad to have a few moments to unwind. "Tell you what, Reno," she said, a sly look on her face. "I'll add fifty gil to Rude's one hundred. I am that certain this won't happen."

Rude laughed, and fist-bumped Tifa. "I'm all for that," he said, smirking. "So, Reno. Let's see you put your money where your mouth is."

"Or vice-versa," Tifa quipped, giggling. Reno frowned at the two; he was getting rather annoyed with the conspiratorial way Rude and Tifa were behaving.

"Ha, just watch me," Reno said confidently, swaying slightly as he got up shakily from his barstool. Cloud had come back downstairs from his apartment, and was now engrossed in a game of pinball, keeping to himself, and looking as if he did not want to be disturbed. Reno blanched, swallowing hard, as he took in the sight of one perfect, leather-clad ass belonging to one Cloud Strife, who stood hunched over the pinball machine, all of his concentration directed on the little lights and sounds as he navigated the stainless steel ball to and fro.

"Yo," Reno drawled, lazily leaning up agains the pinball machine, jostling it slightly enough to throw Cloud off balance. The steel pinball fell back into its slot, and Cloud groaned.

"You just ruined my game," Cloud grumbled, frowning at Reno. "What do you want?"

"Shit, I'm sorry, man," Reno stammered, feeling sheepish. "Didn't mean to move the damn thing. Wanna play pool?"

"The pool table's in the basement," Cloud replied, raising an eyebrow. "How'd you know about that? Nosing around down there again?"

"I did no such thing!" Reno said, vehemently denying the accusation. "It was Rude who told me about it. I think he's trying to get an eight-ball into Tifa's corner pocket, yo, if you know what I mean," he added, snickering.

"Actually, I do know what you mean," Cloud replied, a faint smile on his face. "If that's what she wants...then I'm happy for her. Anyway," he went on, "you didn't answer my question."

"What question?" Reno said, ever clueless.

"I asked you, 'what do you want?'" Cloud reminded him. He stood there eyeing Reno warily, waiting for an answer, thinking that Reno was likely up to no good.

"Oh," Reno said softly, leering at Cloud as he moved in closer. "I want this." He swore he could hear Tifa gasp at the bar, as he grabbed Cloud by his lapels and quickly pulled him in for a kiss. He's not fighting me, holy shit! Reno thought triumphantly, grinning slightly as he parted Cloud's lips with his tongue. Yes, this was going just the way he wanted, Cloud was not only letting the Turk kiss him, he seemed to be enjoying it, if the low growl coming from Cloud was any indication.

But...Cloud was just standing there, arms at his side. He wasn't fighting Reno off, but he wasn't exactly reciprocating, either. Wait, is that tongue? Reno mused, certain he felt Cloud's tongue doing battle with his own. Reno let out a soft moan, unable to help himself. And I'm one hundred and fifty gil richer now, too, Reno thought. The kiss went on for at least a minute, when finally, Reno had to come up for air.

"So how was that?" Reno murmured, staring lustily at Cloud through half-lidded eyes. Those eyes would fly open in surprise just moments later, when Cloud's fist flew out, connecting with Reno's jaw, sending him reeling back against the wall.

The Turk glared in outraged surprise and anger at Cloud. "What the fuck was that for!" he shouted, rubbing his jaw. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that, Strife, because I will know that you are lying. You gave tongue!"

"Never said I didn't," Cloud replied, gazing steadily at Reno. "But...you didn't ask first." Cloud shoved his hands in his pants pockets and walked away, trudging back upstairs to his apartment, a small, triumphant grin on his face, Reno staring at the departing figure open-mouthed.

"...the hell?" Reno murmured, as he walked back over to the bar. "I...I don't even know what to make of that," he muttered, perplexed. "I think he liked it, when I kissed him? But then he fucking punched me! What the hell!"

"Welcome to Life With Strife, where you don't know whether you're coming or going," Tifa quipped, shoving a shot glass full of whiskey in front of Reno.

"I'd prefer to be coming with Strife, if I'm being honest," Reno muttered, downing the shot. Rude jabbed him in the side with his elbow. "Ow! Haven't I been abused enough tonight?"

"You know," Rude remarked, leaning back on his barstool. "I'm starting to think that maybe you and Strife deserve each other."

Reno made a face and stuck out his tongue at his partner. "Pay up, both of you," Reno said with a smirk. "I got him to kiss me, after all, you can't deny that, you both saw it!"

"And I told you that you'd get your ass kicked trying, and he did punch you, Reno," Rude interjected. "So, I think we're even."

Reno balked, protesting. "The hell, man! That's fucking shady, yo. I demand a rematch. When Cloud comes back downstairs, I'll kiss him again. Double or nothing this time, Rude, I'm serious."

"I used to think you were a masochist," Rude muttered over his beer. "Now, I realize...you're just insane."

Reno cackled, and sat back on the barstool, placing a whiskey-soaked ice cube from his glass onto his swollen jaw. They'll see, Cloud's crazy about me!

He just doesn't know it yet.