Disclaimer: ha. I own the FF:7 video game, a stategy guide and two copies of Advent Children, and this idea.

Notes: I'm fairly certain that things will seem off in this, maybe characters will seem out of character but this is also an attempt, an experiment if you will. So, thus, constructive crit. is appreciated. Flames aren't really helpful unless I'm roasting marshmellows. Pertinent, it's set post Advent Children.. I might attempt something else later on, but we'll see.

- & -

Rufus Shinra did not wax sentimental … and he most certainly did not vex over a woman.

The very notion was absurd, far fetched and ridiculous. As if he had the time to waste on such silly thoughts. He had a multi-million dollar company to re-build, after all; sins to atone for, money to donate …. So much already on his agenda that he couldn't possibly waste a minute.

That of course explained why the stack of paperwork on his desk was still untouched and why he'd let every phone call for the last two hours go straight to voice mail.

Rufus did not have the time to waste with fleeting thoughts nor did he have the time to pursue in a traditional manner. The blonde man did not have the time to properly romance and woo.

Certainly, he could make time out of the day to do such things but, it wasn't absolutely necessary and it didn't hurt his cause …. He was already assured that he had won her over, so why bother with anything else when they could just look towards the future.

In the beginning he had at least made an attempt at wooing and romancing, not in the conventional sense but at least this time they weren't trying to kill one another… but, his methods had worked.

Just as he knew they would.

A small part of him wanted to believe that she had been his from the beginning anyway, but, she would be quick to argue that. Most likely with her fists and that was not something that Rufus wanted to deal with.

They were both in the mindset that an argument every now and then helped their relationship and well, they'd also found other means to release their pent up aggression…. A rare smile ghosted the blonde man's face; those were rather pleasant means indeed.

But, recalling those means and thinking about her, as pleasant as those things often were; only distracted him from his paperwork which in turn, delayed when he would see her. And he didn't want that happening either.

Of course, it was also a Friday and he could very well give his employees the rest of the day off… he was starting to get a slight headache from being stuck inside all morning with nary a breath of fresh air or sunshine….

Yes, that settled it; he would just give everyone the rest of the day off because of his headache.

Satisfied with his decision, Rufus reached for the phone, pressing a button that connected him to the Turks; he only had to wait a moment before Reno was in the office.

"Boss?"

"Inform everyone that they have the rest of the day off," a pause as he shuffled a few stacks of paper, "but that they'll need to report bright and early on Monday." An eyebrow arched when Reno hesitated, "… and if you could please …"

The flame-haired Turk nodded, "right on it, boss."

"That's all," Rufus said when Reno continued to just stand there, "… or was there something else?"

"Well, sir, it's just…" Reno scratched the back of his neck, wishing that he hadn't drawn the short straw when it came to addressing this particular issue; "maybe you could make Friday's official for half days at the office?"

"And just why would I want to do something like that…"

"Well, sir, this is the fourth straight week." An awkward pause, "and the sixth time in the past two months."

A vein in Rufus' neck seemed to pop slightly, the blonde man shuffling a few more stacks of paper, his eyebrows drawing together a fraction… "…"

Reno coughed, "I'm not one to start rumours or nothing, sir, but…"

"Just get to the point, Reno."

"AfewoftheemployeesthinkthatyourestartingtobecomeweakbecauseofTifa."

Rufus straightened the sleeves of his outer jacket, taking a moment to then flick that annoying piece of hair out of his way; "if that is the case, Reno, which it is not, I will find out and when I do find out; they will remember the definition of weak." Levelling Reno with a look that conveyed his further thoughts on the matter, Rufus pushed his chair back from his desk in a fluid motion; "was there anything else?"

Reno shook his head, "no sir, that'll be all… I'll just go let everyone know that they should be here on Monday, extra early."

Assuring himself that everything was in proper order, Rufus left his office, making sure to lock the door before he left; he didn't trust many of his employees, save for the Turks. And they didn't trust him all the time either, which was what he wanted. He didn't care if they entirely trusted him or not, they just needed to respect him … and they did do that, for the most part. But, from what Reno had recently relayed to him, it seemed that Rufus had some damage control in that department. His relationship with Tifa was not a weakness and she was not a liability, despite what his own employees wanted to believe.

But that could wait until Monday.

Right now, he had a place to go to, a person to see and aggression to release … in that particular order. A smirk gracing his features this time as he got into the waiting car, the driver already knowing where to go, it was early afternoon on a Friday, after all and Rufus, if anything, was a creature of habit…. And from the closed early sign hanging on the door to the bar, it became apparent that Tifa was also a creature of habit. Or she'd just become accustomed to his quirks, not that he had many to begin with… but if she was anticipating his arrival, as he wanted to believe, then there would be no interruptions. No awkward moments against the bar counter or surprise encounters upstairs or rushed and hurried red-faced explanations… just the two of them.

He had his answer when he didn't even need to knock, the door opening and a hand darting out to drag him inside by the collar of his jacket; Rufus not even having the opportunity to speak before a pair of lips were crushed against his in a demanding kiss.

"You're late," she informed him breathily, her hands making short work of the layers of clothing that he wore.

"… I had an important matter to settle," she was making it awfully difficult for him to think about anything else, "but, as you can see, I'm here now."

Her reply was a kiss, Rufus shrugging his jacket off, draping it over one of the nearby tables; the last dry cleaning bill had been quite high thanks to her fervour …. Not that he was going to complain, but that didn't mean he wanted to deal with dirty jackets all the time. And once he had that task accomplished, he turned the tide on her; Rufus liked being in control and he knew that she did as well but this was one time he was not willing to yield …. Despite the front he wanted to put up, he didn't like it when his employees doubted him and even though Tifa was far from an employee; he needed control at that moment. Fortunately for him, she understood what he would not convey verbally.

Talking was overrated anyway, and it wasn't necessary at the moment either; Rufus far more intrigued by the silky undergarments she was wearing.

- fin -