"Tseng, I love you." The president's fourteen-year-old son put his hand on Tseng's face, stroking.
"Sir," Tseng's expression was blank. He held Rufus' hand, took it away from his face, "you are so young, that you may likely misunderstand your own feelings."
"No, I don't." Rufus held Tseng's hand to his lips, and he was kissing it. "Maybe you do. You like that pretty flower girl, don't you? She is the guinea pig of Shin-Ra. If you love her, you can not afford some day losing her! But it's your duty being loyal to me. Haven't you thought about it?"
Tseng took his hand out of Rufus' grip gently, just smiled, and said nothing.
—·—·—·—·—·—·—
"Relax," Rufus smiled warmly, "don't be so nervous."
Elena looked at Tseng standing not too far away, who was looking out of the window, down the street.
"It's nice to dine with you, my fair lady. You should be more confident of your attraction." His eyes followed Elena's to the street. There's a flower girl in pink dress passing by.
Rufus stared at Tseng, whose attention seemed completely on the girl, but instinctually feeling someone's heed on him, he turned his eyes to the vice president. Rufus smiled, put the porcelain cup against his lips, then he placed his hand on Elena's, calling her attention. His touch turned into grip, before Elena stirred and flinched.
"Easy, Elena." Rufus let go of her hand, "Are you disturbed by Tseng's presence?" He studied Elena's expression.
Elena blushed visibly. "No, sir." Then she protested eagerly, "I just feel it's not proper I sit here in the restaurant, with my superior standing by." She picked up the napkin, and decided playing with it than looking at either of the two gentlemen.
"You are a lovely girl, Elena. You saw that flower girl, did you? She's beautiful, but I appreciate your loveliness and enthusiasm more. Tseng likes her, maybe loves her. For about more than six years, even before he became my bodyguard." His hand twisting the table cloth, he gazed into nothingness, thoughtfully. "Some Danteish illusion. 'The eternal feminine draw us on.' Never pays attention to the worldlings who are really around him." He curled his lip bitterly.
Not even aware of the last words of the other's speech, Elena looked up, stared at him, surprised, and sad.
He felt sympathy for her. He then turned his eyes to Tseng, smirking triumphantly and unconsciously.
Tseng frowned, and turned his gaze away.
—·—·—·—·—·—·—
"Don't ever tell me you can do nothing about his condition! If anything happens to him, I'll have you killed! You got what I said?" Rufus clapped the phone down. The doctor's reports about Tseng's injury have upset him for quite some time. Things haven't improved. Damned Sephiroth. But leastwise he is now firing at the attempted murderer.
The intercom buzzed. Rufus turned it on, and heard the operator's terrified voice reporting the Weapon's assault. Then he saw the beams.
He looked fixedly at the scene. The yellow beams lightened his face.
"At least I will come to lifestream earlier than him, if he is about to join her in it."
He sighed ruefully, taken into the painful brightness and then darkness.
—·—·—·—·—·—·—
Light and things gradually came into vision. In a fog, he saw the ceiling, bright window, and someone beside him, with dark hair, dreamy face and lanky figure.
Tseng. His precious Tseng.
Where was he? It didn't matter. It's only him and Tseng. Together with pain. The unendurable pain.
So he was alive, if pain can only be felt in secular world, in the same world with Tseng.
Tseng's eyes were on him, softly.
Then everything was covered in mist again. He just heard voice in his mind screaming happily, "At least he stays here, with me!"