Dependency
Pairing: Tifa/Rude, mentioned Cloud/Reno
Summary: It was hard to suddenly have the person who depended on you not need you anymore, luckily I had him who knew exactly how I felt.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII

I heard the chime on the door, signaling someone had walked in to the bar. A smile graced my lips, I didn't need to turn around to know who the sound of those strong footsteps belonged too. I could still hear them, even over the noisy patrons filling up Seventh Heaven.

Setting the current bottle on the counter in front of me I glanced up at the clock, right on time. He always came in at 12:30 on Tuesdays, just when the crowd was about to get riled up before closing time.

I turned, beer already in hand and set it down in front of him as he took his place at the counter, and our eyes met for a moment, the glasses tilted down slightly so only I could see past them. While everyone else only saw the strong confident man, that simple gesture told me his day had not gone well.

I continued serving the regulars while he casually sipped at his beer. I smiled inwardly at how much safer I felt when he was around, lightly touching his shoulder as I moved past him to pick up some glasses left on the tables.

The men were unruly to me as always, but I knew they wouldn't try anything while he was sitting there, staring them down.

Eventually they cleared out and I locked the door as the last person stumbled outside, clinging desperately to a slightly more sober man for support.

As soon as the lock clinked in place I heard his deep sigh fill the suddenly silent bar. I turned to see his hunched figure, no longer pretending to be unaffected by the day's trials.

I walked back to the counter, replacing his empty bottle with a full one, and only then did the dark shades come off. Neither of us spoke, we didn't really need to. It was a simple understanding of each other that made being together so refreshing. He stayed silent as I finished up cleaning and pulled up a stool to sit across from him, a bottle of my own in my hands.

Sitting there in silence made me think of just why I liked these nights so much. It gave me a chance to be with someone who knew exactly what it was like to be the support, to be the one someone could always come to. He knew what it was like to depend on having someone to depend on you, and then suddenly have them not need you anymore. His redhead found my blonde, and suddenly we were both lost.

That is, until we found each other.

These simple nights meant so much to me. I don't know if he understands what he brought to my life by just being there. It was nice to know someone was there simply because they could be, and not want anything out of it.

At least that's how it was at first. Sitting there, looking into his eyes like I had so many times, I realized that my want to be needed was being filled, just like I was filling his desire to be depended on.

It was our common bond, and without a word I leaned in a placed a kiss to his lips. I can't explain it, the timing just seemed right.

I leaned back and smiled, happy that he returned it, and rubbed his shoulder lightly. His hand came up to play with my hair and we sat there, me making his day a little brighter, and him assuring me that I wasn't alone.

It was nice to have someone to depend on.

--

AN: Wrote this for a friend on DA cuz she wrote me a wonderful Larxus!

I really like the way this turned out and I love this pairing sooo much!

If people like this, I'm thinkng bout doing a side story with reno/cloud!

Review please?