Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Sept Lora. She's randomized, and not important.
Other: Sorry if the whole 'Gay Bar' thing seems outta place. I just watched Party Monster. I promise it'll only happen once.
The next morning, Tifa woke up to yells of a woman and Reno.
"You know what! I'm so sick of this!" The woman shouted, muffled through the apartments thick walls. Tifa yawned, crawling out of the bed she had fallen asleep last night in. She forgot where she was for a second, until she saw Rude come into the room watching her as she made the bed she slept in. The gray blanket was tightly stretched across the large bed.
"They're fighting over you, you know," Rude said, leaning in the doorway. He was in boxers and a white wife beater, which was weird to see him in, because Tifa had only seen him in the infamous suit.
I turned and looked at Rude. My hair was probably a mess, my clothes probably totally in the wrong places, my eyes probably looked hazy. I didn't care. "Me? They're fighting over me? Why?" I said, finding it hard to believe that a little thing like staying the night at an old acquaintance's house could cause trouble for Reno.
"Lora, Reno's girlfriend, is getting sick of Reno having girls over but not having an explanation. She's sick of him never calling her, and that's not good. She's his boss..." Rude said, walking away from the doorway. Tifa stood there shocked that anyone would think that she'd be the mistress of anyone, especially someone as grimy as Reno. I wanted to see this for myself, so I headed out of the room, going to where the yelling was coming from, which was the den. I walked in the large frame that was a doorway, and all of a sudden the yelling stopped.
"See! We didn't even sleep in the same bed!" Reno said, breaking the silence. His girlfriend was still gawking at me, like she was reading me like a book. "I swear, this time I'm not lying! Everyone fucking thinks that I'm this... perverse womanizer who hits on anything that has tits!" He yelled at the girl, his arms flailing out. His eyes looked like they were filled with hate.
The girl started at him through her long blonde bangs. "Oh, so before you were always lying? Cool. Real cool, Reno. But then again, what else would I expect from someone like you," she hissed back at him, her words stinging him. Tifa cringed.
"Hey, uh, I can explain," she started to say, budding into the conversation.
In unison, this woman and Reno snapped back at her, "Shut up!" Tifa jumped back a step.
"I don't get it, Reno, I buy this apartment for you, I promote you, and yet you cheat on me?"
"But you're not listening to me, Lora, fucking hell."
"Okay, well, I don't want to hear."
"You're ridiculous!"
"I don't want to deal with this, this is just OVER! It's all over, Reno, I'm sick and tired of putting up with whatever you throw at me!" And with that, the blonde stomped out of his apartment, slamming the door behind her and angrily walking down the steps. Reno leaned against the wall behind him, sliding down it. He rubbed his temples in his hands.
"I didn't even tell her that I loved her," he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "And now I'm probably fired..." Tifa walked over to him, sitting on the ground next to him.
"This is my fault, I'm sorry..." Tifa tried to look Reno straight in the eyes, but he wouldn't. He turned his head to the side, looking off in the room, biting his lip. His face started to grow with a pink grow, and his eyes filled with water.
'Don't cry,' he thought, 'Men don't cry. This is retarded, I've never cheated on her. This is...'
"Reno?" Rude said, walking into the room, eating a bowl of cereal sloppily. The sight was funny to Tifa. She smiled.
"Sorry," she warmly said. "I'll leave." Tifa stood up, and was Reno grabbed her wrist, Tifa eyed his hands on her body.
"Don't. It's not your fault," Reno said, sighing. Muffling noises started to emerge from his throat. He wiped his eyes, and Tifa looked down at him, and sat, her back leaning on the wall next to him.
"Reno, obviously whoever that was, she's not really worth it," Tifa said, unsure of what to say. She looked up at Rude, and he shrugged.
"Reno," His deep voice boomed as he sat on the other side of Reno, eating his Captain Crunch, "You know why you first even got involved with Lora. Wouldn't this be good riddance?"
"I'm not even fucking upset about that," Reno said, getting angry rather then letting himself cry. "I'm sick of every single girl just thinking that I want in their pants, that I cheat. Rude, c'mon, you know I don't do any of that shit anymore. It's immature," He said, gaining back his regular tone. "But you're right, she wasn't anything to get upset over."
Tifa didn't believe him, but she sat there as a stressed Reno gained back his self control. Reno stood up. "I'm going to take a shower." He started walking out of the room, taking off the pants he wore to sleep, his boxers sliding off slightly as well as he started to go out of Tifa's view. Tifa blushed at the exposed Reno, groaning.
"Does he always do that?" She turned to Rude.
"Yup," he answered back, getting up and walking into the kitchen, getting more cereal.
Around 4 o' clock when Tifa left without telling anyone, she left a note and some money thanking Reno for letting her stay, telling them she left to go home and get ready for work. Reno was almost sad as he read the note. Tifa and him did collide heads, but she was good company.
Better company than most people would expect.
Reno wanted to find where she worked.
Tifa was halfway through her job shift, giving drinks and collecting money for practically the whole night life of the town because where she worked, tonight was ladies night. Girls get one drink free or equal or more value than the one that they bought, which meant that girls were buying hard drinks for all of the men, and the men were staring at the girls breasts as they danced. Tifa sighed, pouring out the liquor for a customer when a red headed man caught her eye.
Where Tifa worked now, it wasn't like Seventh Heaven. This place was all night, techno, Madonna, trannies, club kids. You named it, it was there. Bright lights, bright make up, Reno blended it in more than green on green. Everyone there blended in. You could be a middle aged man, balding and over weight, but you'd blend there. At that bar, or well, club, you could be whatever you wanted to me. That's why it was called "Imaginary".
But apparently, Reno didn't know that he was blended in. Between the people dancing, probably all on ecstasy, Reno crawled over to the bar. Tifa started to giggle as a group of gay men eyed the cocky red head, who obviously just wanted out of this place.
"Tifa," Reno said, saluting her as he sat down on a bar stool that said "C" on it, and the rest down all said "A" "N" "D" "Y" all over again. The bright pink counter was almost blinding in the contrast of the baby blue walls, which of course had lime green stripes on it.
Tifa just laughed some more as Reno stared at the people around him.
A woman with an adam's apple called over Tifa, and told her that he wanted to buy a drink for the 'Fiery man over there, with the goggles and the cocky smile'. Tifa just laughed, smiling as she took the money, making a simple passion fruit martini and handing it to Reno.
"Sheila wants me to give that to you," Tifa said, leaning over the bar and pointing at the man dressed as a woman, with all of his men dressed as women friends. They all waved, but Reno just gawked at them.
"Reno!" she yelled in a slight whisper, "Just drink it. It's free." Reno sighed, waving back at the now squealing trannies, gulping down the drink.
"Yeah, so I came for a reason," Reno said, pushing forward the drink.
"And that reason is?" The bass on the booming music was making the whole place shake.
"To give you this," Reno said, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out the gil that Tifa left when she left.
Tifa pushed it back at him, "It's the least I can do. I feel totally guilty for what happened between you and... uhhh..."
"Lora. Her name was Lora. Honestly, I only started screw-- dating her because she was my boss. I guess I can understand why all girls think I'm slimy."
"You're not slimy, Reno," Tifa, looking the man in his teal eyes. In his, she almost saw herself. Not just her reflection, but her as a person. Both of them did have pasts that are regretful and painful. But this sensation that she got in her stomach was too much, so she broke it.
"Where's Rude?" She asked, running her hands through her hair.
"Rude is looking at getting him and I new jobs with this group called Sako," Reno replied, angsty. He hated small talk. It was like the gift wrapping on a Christmas present. He wanted it over with. "Okay, well, obviously, you know that I didn't just come here to give you money," Reno said, cutting Tifa off with whatever she was saying.
"You didn't? That's the first I've thought of it," She replied, a warm smile was placed on her luscious, pale lips. The girl had skin like porcelain. Her dark hair made a beautiful contrast to her cream colored skin, and her chocolate, big almond shaped eyes gave her such an innocent appearance, filled with curiosity and emotion.
"You know me, I like to cut to the chase," Reno said.
"So then why did you come here?"
"I wanted to see you."
"Why me?" Tifa made a cautious face at him, but it was offensive to him.
"What? Do I need a permit or somethin'?"
"No, you don't." She bluntly said, walking over to a man who wanted a drink. Reno sighed, wishing that he was gulping down some 160 Proof rum. Tifa walked over to him.
"Why did you want to see me again?" She asked, playing around with the empty martini glass in her hand.
Reno shrugged. "Why, what's wrong, Lockheart, can't we just play nice?" He felt the jerk part of him radiating off of his body.
"What am I, six? I don't play with dolls, Reno," She sighed.
"So you admit, I'm a doll?"
Tifa laughed, "I've always seen you as more of an action figure."
"Good. At least I don't have to wear dresses."
"That'd be a sight."
"Let me tell you, it is a sight. Rude in a dress is even funnier."
"Why were you wearing dresses?"
"It was a long day at work. Getting hammered was our top mission."
"Oh, okay Reno. 'Cause it's totally cool to wear women's clothing..."
"I know what you're thinking. No, I didn't take pictures, 'cause I know you wanna see my legs in a miniskirt."
"Oh, of course! Who wouldn't?"
And their talking continued all through the night.