A/N:...Right, so.

I've been writing on "The Fire" for a while, and as I'm working out the main plot I'm beginning to realize that a LOT of time has passed since AC took place. There are some relationships that are going to come about that- while they look nice in my head- won't make sense unless I explain them separately. I want to do this so their sub-story doesn't take over the main plot that I want to focus around Vincent and Yuffie.

I'm going to start this little mini-series of sub-fics explaining the relationships between the characters in my CURRENT FFVII "The Fire" universe. They'll all be individual stories, but they'll have this little spill at the beginning of them, and they'll all eventually tie into my main fic. Is that cool? If you don't understand you can always PM me. Thanks!

This story takes place about 6 1/2 months after the events of AC, about a year and a half before "The Fire."
~~~~~~~~~~

Tired

"Hold my hand while you cut me down,
It had only just begun but now it's, over now-
And you're in the heat of moments with your heart playin' up cold,
I'm between the middle watchin' hastiness unfold.

In my eyes you were smilin' in the spotlight dancing with the night,
The night, fell off your mind...

I'm tired of tryin'- your teasin' ain't enough.
Fed up of bidin' your time when I don't get nothin' back
And for what? And for what? And for what?
When I don't get nothing back, Oy I'm tired..."
-Tired
~Adele

...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...~...

Midnight at Seventh Heaven was normally very quiet- at least, the location in Rocket Town was.

"I promise I'll visit every month- I'll even teach some classes if you want."

Tifa only stared at the ninja as she pleaded her case for what felt like the fiftieth time that day. Yuffie was leaving and there was no stopping her, not even with the pile of guilt everyone in town had heaped on her head.

The barmaid crossed her arms, and younger woman whined.

"C'mon Tifa, don't take it personal-."

"I don't, I just-," seeing her hopeful expression Tifa decided it was futile to point out that her leaving would tip the halfway point of everyone being gone...again. "I'll miss you."

Letting out an exaggerated exhale of relief Yuffie hopped onto the bar top between them to lean over for a hug.

"You too. Good luck keeping those old pains-in-the-ass in line."
"Be safe, OK? Call when you reach Wutai."
"Will do."

She slid back to the floor. The women exchanged small, sad smiles before Yuffie picked up her backpack and left. The door practically echoed as it closed behind her, leaving Tifa alone.

She sighed. "And then there were three..."

Although the bar was usually vacant after eleven (a phenomenon that was new to her since they'd moved), it seemed even emptier now. Somehow the kid had managed to stave off the awkward air that threatened to settle on the group since Cloud and Vincent had left- something Tifa probably should have thanked her for- but now it was only a matter of time before the uneasiness set in. Cid, Barret and herself were all that remained of AVALANCHE in Rocket Town (Reeve and Nanaki both were needed elsewhere by their jobs), and she knew the two older men would constantly check in on her, making sure she was "OK" like she was some sort of empty-nester without a hobby. It's what happened last time, the only difference being that, back then, it was just her and Barret, and the nagging eased once Denzel came along.

She stared at the closed door a second longer before sighing again and turning to the sink behind the bar to work on dishes.

It didn't take long for her mind to wander. Only six or seven months had passed since AVALANCHE defeated the Sephiroth reincarnate and already the world seemed to have forgotten just how easily relying on empty power could hurt the Planet. ShinRa had just opened a new Tower; there was talk of materia harvesting on the South Continent near Old Mideel; she'd even heard from one of the older bar patrons that some company under ShinRa's umbrella was planning to drill for mako near the Northern Crater. It was all thin ice, as far as she was concerned. Not that she was against innovation- there just didn't seem to be anything innovative about putting the same damning technology in a different light and calling it progress.

Then again, she'd moved her entire bar out of Midgar in hopes of a chance at something normal with Cloud.

That had lasted a fraction of the first time they'd started over, and this time he wasn't even sick.

She should have known better than to believe some bullshit story about delivering medicine to kids in distant villages- not that he didn't have the heart for it, but Cloud could have never found work like that on his own. Even in the off-chance that he did, he wouldn't have been secretive about it.

That, and how any of them had believed for even one second that Vincent would have started a fight at all- much less over something like night-currying medicine- was completely beyond her. It was sad really, the things their group was willing to believe if it meant staying together, but believe it they had. Then, in the midst of everyone's harsh feelings because of it the gunslinger left, and Cloud followed suit weeks later.

Tifa hummed thoughtfully. It had happened just like last time- the ex-mercenary grew cold, distant; his smile faded as the weeks went by, he stopped coming down for breakfast and stayed out past dinner. At first she'd just tried to smile through it like she usually did, but the night he and Vincent disappeared, she knew. Something inside of him had woken up again. Something had started calling out to him.

Something...or someone.

(It isn't fair,) she thought bitterly. (He'll never move on until she lets him. Until she gives him closure...)

She paused her dishwashing and shook her head, rubbing her temples as a pang of guilt ran through her heart. It was wrong to blame Aeris, she knew that, it just...sometimes it was all she could do to keep from blaming herself. Why wouldn't he stay? Wasn't she good enough? What ocean did she have to cross, what mountain did she have to move, what demon did she have to slay to make him realize he had a home right there in Rocket Town- right there with her?

(Maybe he just...doesn't feel the same.) The thought made her stomach turn, but it was one she dealt with daily. There had only been a handful of times Cloud had ever looked at her like she'd wanted him to. A handful, and every time she thought he might not care about her, she walked through every one of them...

"Whiskey, on the rocks."

Her daydreaming was interrupted by the familiar voice of one Reno of the Turks as he walked into the bar. Tifa rolled her eyes, ditched the dishes and fetched the requested drink.

"Long day again, Reno?"
"Just leave the bottle, yo."

She couldn't help but laugh. He'd been coming in every night for the last week- same time, same worn-out expression on his face. His usual cheeky attitude was nowhere to be found, which she thought strange, but she also considered it none of her business.

"Need some food to go with that drink?"
"Maybe some fries to go with that shake."

Good grief. Never mind.

She shook her head as he snort-laughed. Maybe he was starting to feel better.

"Chili fries it is, then."

Walking back into kitchen, she barely caught the sound of his PHS ringing, but she had no trouble hearing the conversation that followed.

"Yeah. ...what? What do you mean 'compromised'? ...No, fuck that. I was told five mon-...well you tell your boss he had better fucking call me with more information, or I'll come to Kalm myself and burn that shitty town to the ground again!"

The call must have been over, because all she heard after that was swearing...and the sound of glass breaking...and the chair hitting the wall...and more swearing. She gave him a few minutes, finishing up his order of fries before taking a deep breath and walking back out to assess the damage.

Her face dropped. "Dammit Reno, I just bought that chair!"

He grumbled, muttering something that sounded like 'I'll pay for it' under his breath as she handed him his food. Resolving with herself that she would just make it through the night before telling him he couldn't come back, Tifa crossed to the sink and quietly went back to work.

Several minutes passed in silence. Every once in a while the barmaid would look back at her customer, and each time the nagging welt of concern would grow in the back of her mind when she saw he hadn't moved. He'd barely even touched his drink, and that alone was cause for alarm.

Unable to take it anymore she tossed her towel to the counter and crossed to where he sat, leaning on the bar to look him in the face.

"Are you OK?"
He gave a short laugh, picking up his drink loosely and looking at her over the rim as he took a sip. "What'sa matter? All this quiet makin' ya nervous?" When she didn't react, he popped an eyebrow. "Just work, babe. Dealin' with people- you know how it is."

Pursing her lips, she went to find something else to keep her busy.

Reno looked around. "It is pretty quiet, though. Where's the kid?"
She paused, his question making the fresh wound in her heart sting. "She left."
"Huh. Today?"
"About a half hour ago."
"Damn," he leaned back in his chair. "Guess that just leaves you-."
"I'm aware," she cut him off sharply, never turning her head.

He watched her for a while, a curious itch in the back of his head.

"...Any idea when Cloud's comin' back?"
That made her stop. Slapping her rag to the counter she turned to him. "Are you gonna finish that drink or do I need to put the bottle away?"
Her anger didn't faze him. "You don't know, do you?"

She glared at him, then after a few seconds let out a disgusted breath and stormed out the back door of the bar, leaving him alone.

Tilting his head, he went back to drinking. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"

...~...~...~..

Outside, Tifa leaned against the deck railing, fighting back tears she knew would probably come despite her best efforts to keep them away. She was alone- she knew that. Why did he have to remind her? It wouldn't have mattered if the entire bar had been full of people- as long as Cloud was away, with no one knowing where he'd gone to, she would feel lost.

She wasn't sure how long it had been since she left the Turk inside, but eventually she heard him walking around. A few minutes of scattered movement passed, then the door behind her opened to reveal him standing with a full glass of what looked like hard iced tea in his hand.

Wiping the stray tears from her eyes, she turned to face him. "What's that?"
"You look like you'd drink the classy stuff," he set it on the rail beside her. "I think I made it right."

Before she could ask he walked back inside, leaving her to enjoy the drink in peace. At first she was hesitant to sip it- Reno offering her booze couldn't have been a good thing, right? Surely someone like him was incapable of pity...

(Then again,) she thought disdainfully, (Maybe I'm just that pathetic.)

Going against her better judgment, she took a drink. Much to her surprise, it was better than the ones she made. What the hell had he put in it? It was almost fruity, in her opinion, and before she knew it, it was gone.

It wasn't strong enough to make her drunk, but it did ease the tension in her shoulders. Calmer now, she went back inside, startling when she found he was still there- no jacket on, white sleeves rolled up, and a broom in his hand. He was cleaning up the mess he'd made earlier, and was almost finished. Tifa gaped, then shook her stupor and went to intercept the broom.

"Reno, no, you don't have to-."
"I do," he held it away from her as she approached. "I shouldn't have broken your stuff in the first place."
She blinked. "Are you drunk?"
He looked confused. "...no?"
"Did you hit your head?"
"No."
"Are you dying?"
"Tifa-."
"You're on drugs, aren't you?"
"What? No- well, not the kind-." catching himself, he narrowed his eyes. "Tifa."

She crossed her arms. "I think I'm asking perfectly reasonable questions, because what you're doing right now isn't normal."

He didn't respond. Instead, he just went back to sweeping.

"I'll be outta yer hair in a few, alright?"

She couldn't believe it- he was actually cleaning up after himself.

"Fine," she tossed her hands in the air and went back behind the bar to start inventory. "Just don't...cut yourself on the glass."

It was a weak attempt to make the situation somewhat normal, but it seemed to work. The two went about their business, barely acknowledging one another for a short time before finally, Reno walked over to the trashcan in the corner beside the kitchen and dumped the dustpan.

"Done," he brushed his hands off. "Any chance you got a room for me to rent tonight?"
She grimaced. "We're...full."
"Huh," he mulled it over for a second before shrugging. "Guess it's the car, then."

He went to get his jacket from the back of his chair. Tifa couldn't help but feel bad, considering he'd taken a chance at being human for once.

"Can't you check at the Inn across town?"
"Did that on my way in- they've been booked for a week."

She frowned. Surely there was something she could do.

By the time she could gather a thought he was at the door- jacket hanging over his shoulder by his fingertips. "Well babe, I hate ta leave ya this way, but I don't know when I'll be in town again. Money for the tab and the chair's on the bar. It's been real."

Somehow, even Reno leaving was a miserable thought to her. Inwardly, she scrambled for something to say.

"Cid's workshop."

He furrowed his brow, and she nearly face-palmed.

"What?"
"Cid has a workshop," she collected herself, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "Behind the bar. There's a bed there. You can sleep in it."

Skepticism was clear on his face, but he left the doorway anyway.

"OK...lead the way.

...~...~...~...

The night air was cold as they trudged through the dark to the shed behind 7th Heaven. Even as they reached the small lamp that illuminated the side-door, it was hard to see the lock. Fortunately for them both Tifa had a feel for the knob and had no trouble getting it open.

Lighting inside wasn't much better. There was a small lantern on the blueprint table that the barmaid quickly lit; the flame revealed a door leading into the back room where the bed was.

"What, no power out here?"
"There is, but it's probably not the best idea to use it," she replied. "If Cid finds out you're sleeping here he might lock the doors and burn the place down."

He might have laughed if he hadn't known she wasn't joking.

"Through there," she said, handing him the lantern and pointing the way. "I'll go get blankets."

He didn't get a chance to ask her how she would see where she was going, but he didn't hear her run into a wall so he figured she was fine. Stepping gingerly around a few stray powertools in the floor he made his way back to the bedroom. It was a quaint setup, complete with a desk on the far wall and a shelf riddled with pictures and ancient gadgets he could only assume were from aircrafts Cid had worked on in his lifetime.

Setting the lantern on the desk he sat on the bed, surprised when the mattress sank down comfortably.

"Man, this thing's broken in," he said to Tifa as she walked in, a quilt in her arms. "Old lady must make him sleep out here a lot."
"Actually, Shera used to sleep out here when Cid was gone," she explained, tossing the thick blanket to the bed and crossing to the desk. "She said the sheets held the smell of him better than anything in their house."
Unimpressed, the Turk kicked his shoes off and laid back. "Great, so I'm gonna have sweet dreams about the Captain then, am I?"

She laughed quietly, pushing to sit on the surface behind her. He watched her in the soft light, unable to help but admire how naturally beautiful she was.

"He's crazy, you know."
She raised her eyebrows. "Cid? Oh, I know."
"No, Cloud," he crossed his arms behind his head, relaxing. "The man doesn't know how bad he's pissin' this all away."
Tifa laughed again, leaning back on her hands and looking at the ceiling. "Yeah, well, if you ever see him again, tell him that."

He hummed a humorous agreement, giving the moment a chance to pass before sitting upright to begin unbuttoning his shirt.

"Well, guess it's about that time, yo," he yawned. "Got a long day tomorrow."
"Going to Kalm?"
He paused. "...What?"
"Kalm," she repeated, smirking. "You're going to burn it down, right?"
"Ah, heard that, did ya?"
"Half the town heard that, Reno."
"Right..." looking down, he finished unbuttoning his shirt and stripped it off. "Guess I shouldn't yell things like that so loud."

It was the way he said it that caught her attention. Reno never apologized, and in one night he'd cleaned up a mess and admitted he was too loud...and he'd been sincere about it- no head bashing required. Something wasn't right.

"Reno, what's going on?"
"Hm?"
"You're being nice."
"Yeah, so?"
"'So,' what's wrong with you?"

Chuckling, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask, unscrewing the top for a swig.

"Can't a guy just be nice?"
"Not when the guy is you."

Rolling his eyes he looked at her, taking another contemplative drink.

"You really wanna know?"
"Yes."
"Okay..." he leaned onto his knees. "Couple months ago I started a thing with some girl. Let's just say the Boss didn't take too kindly to her, and we wound up having to stage her death to keep him from killing her. Now she's in hiding. I was supposed to be able to see her a few weeks ago, but shit keeps comin' up to block me. The excuses are weak, so I'm about ninety-percent sure it's her comin' up with 'em." Eyes dull, he shook his head and pulled another drink from the flask. "Fuckin' roses, ain't it?"

Tifa stared at him. Shocked barely covered how she felt at the moment, and it was all she could do to keep from laughing in disbelief as she moved off the desk and sat down beside him, snatching the flask from his hands to take a drink for herself. The Turk didn't flinch, as though she'd done it a hundred times before, he just waited for her to hand it back.

"Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "That's what the call earlier was about, wasn't it?"
"Somethin' like that."
"...You can't be telling the truth."
"Wish I weren't. My life would be a helluva lot less complicated right now." Bored with the conversation, he looked around the room. "Why does he have a bed out here?"
"Why did you tell me all of that?"
He didn't miss a beat. "Hey, you asked- and you said you wanted to know."
"Right, but you actually told me."
He snorted, looking ahead incredulously. "Why does everyone think all I do is lie about stuff?"
"Because you usually do lie... about most things."
"Yeah, well, I'm not lying this time." Wrinkling his nose he glanced at her, finishing off the flask and tossing it to the desk. "You just seemed miserable, and I thought you could use the company."

Suddenly, she felt bad for being so harsh toward him. "Reno, I-."
"No, no. It's OK. I get it." He stood, pulling the goggles off his head, then starting on his belt. "I'm gonna crash now though, if it's all the same to you. Burning villages down aside, I actually do have a long day tomorrow."

Tifa stood behind him, reaching out to touch his arm. "Reno-."

The moment her fingers touched his skin he turned on her, grabbing her wrist. Instinctively she swung her other fist up to catch his jaw, but he was faster than her, catching it in his hand.

Frozen in a stalemate, they stared at each other.

"Tryin' ta kick my ass now?"
"It was a reflex. You grabbed me."
"You touched my arm."
"Fine," she broke away, jerking her arms to her sides. "I started it- but I didn't mean to."

It seemed to be apology enough for him. Sliding his EMR out of its holster he murmured.

"You're strong, you know that? You're gonna be just fine, with or without that spiky-headed jackass." He set his weapon on the desk and turned to look at her again. "Now go on, before I take all this weird silence the wrong way and try somethin'."

...*...*...*...*...*...

The statement alone felt like a suggestion, and the two found themselves staring at each other again.

Tifa made the first move. Ignoring every alarm going off in her head she took a slow, deliberate step toward him; in response he turned the rest of the way to face her, watching her quietly as she reached up to touch his chest. This time when her fingers grazed his skin, it started a fire. Leaning in, he gently kissed her lips.

When they broke apart she looked up at him, somewhat relieved to see he looked just as surprised as she felt.

"Reno," she breathed. "I don't know-."
"No, I know," he nodded. "We don't have to do this."

He said it, but they didn't move. The next thing they knew they were kissing again; Tifa slid her arms behind his neck and he wrapped his around her waist. Becoming more fervent, they fell back onto the desk.

Taking a moment to brace himself against the surface, the Turk then turned his efforts to helping the warrior pull her shirts off. First the jacket, then the tank top- Tifa climbed up to straddle him, and he reached around to unclasp her bra.

"Wait," she rasped, knocking his hands away. "Just...wait."
"Okay," for a second he wasn't sure if she was backing out or not, but she moved her hands to the sides of his face and continued kissing him, so he went with it. Gripping her thighs he stood, carrying her to the bed. Tifa was surprised at how strong he was- she knew she wasn't heavy by any means, but she also wasn't used to anyone picking her up, especially not like this.

She didn't protest when he laid her down. The second his lips traced her her neck she felt herself beginning to cave to the growing desire in the pit of her stomach. How was this happening? Reno wasn't Cloud...

The thought gave her pause. Reno wasn't Cloud. Not by a long-shot. In the time they'd known each other the Turk had worked with his partners to destroy her team way more times than they'd ever worked together. Cloud had always fought for the good guys...

On the other hand, Cloud had never really seemed sincere when he apologized...for anything. He'd never fixed her a drink or cleaned up a mess he'd made. And he wasn't there. He was never there. It literally took the end of the world to bring him back to her, and every time the danger passed, he left soon after.

Cloud Strife may have shown up to keep her alive, but he sure as hell didn't stick around to help her live.

"Reno..." abandoning her apprehension, she focused on what was happening to her body. "Please."
"Anything," he breathed into her skin. "Whatever you want."

Sliding her hand behind her, she unhooked her bra. He was quick to remove it, and sighed at the beauty that were her breasts. Taking one in his mouth and the other in his hand, he sucked and kneaded gently, drawing desperate cries from her lips. She said his name, she pleaded for more, and he was quick to give it to her. Sliding a hand from her breast he moved to her shorts, slipping beneath them to stroke her heat.

Tifa gasped, crying softly as she arched into him. He leaned away, pulling the thin fabric down and off her ankles, then carefully spread her legs and licked her want. She blessed him under her breath, and he couldn't help but feel more driven by her attempt to be quiet. Even still he didn't push her to scream, knowing what they were doing would be frowned upon by pretty much everyone they knew. He just reveled in the silence, gripping her thighs when he felt them tighten with her first orgasm. Breathing heavily, she pressed a hand to her forehead and watched him sit up, a smirk on his face.

"Better?"
She nodded. "More?"
"You got it," he stood long enough to take off his pants and boxers, then came back to bed.

Without a warning he slid inside, drawing a surprised yelp from her.

"Shh!" He snickered, kissing her neck.
She laughed into her hand. "You did that on purpose!"
"Maybe."

She would have smacked him but he began moving, and the feeling that gave her made her very forgiving.

The build for both of them happened quickly, but Tifa came first- arching into his chest and raking her nails down his back as she moaned. In response he hit harder, going faster and faster until she tightened again, this time whimpering her pleasure as she gripped his shoulders. He finished shortly after- groaning into her hair and collapsing beside her as he floated back down to Gaia.

...*...*...*...*...*...

For the next few hours they laid quietly- peacefully tangled together as the night passed them by. They knew that what had just happened would never happen again, and once they left the shop, they could never speak of it. But the moment- the long, blissful moment- they looked at one another and, for the first time in either of their lives they felt like something different had happened, something...honest. This wasn't a relationship. They weren't in love. There was no wondering what would come of things once they left that room. There was just...that moment.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Understanding what she was feeling, Reno reached up and brushed the hair out of her face.
"Yeah...no problem."

Drawing a deep breath the barmaid peeled herself out of the bed, put her clothes on and left. Reno sighed, crossed his arms behind his head and quickly fell asleep.

...~...~...~...~...~...~...~

A/N: I just want EVERYONE to know that this is the first lemon I've written since I had a baby. To most of you that might not mean anything, but for some of you...you get it. Please mentally pat me on the shoulder and leave constructive criticism, if you are so moved to.

Also, if the thought of Tifa and Reno hooking up enrages you, take comfort in knowing that when this story popped into my head I fought it. At the end of the day, however, an important part of my main fic depends on this happening, so blame Fate! XD

Thanks for reading!

-Ari