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The Risks of Gambling
Summary: [AU] Tifa didn't know she had a gambling problem until she staked her freedom… and lost. [CloudTifa] [ZackAerith]
Chapter 2 – Proposal
Cloud entered the kitchen, fastening his tie to his neck as he noticed Zack buttoning his suit while Aerith attached his tie for him.
"Is she awake yet?" asked Cloud, shifting his gaze to Aerith.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"I doubt she would be, if she was as wasted as you say, Cloud," added Zack. "It's eight in the morning. Hell, I shouldn't be awake right now!"
Aerith smiled at her boyfriend's antics as she patted his suit down. "I'm going to go check on her now," she said, giving Zack a peck on the lips. "Have fun at work, you two."
"Yeah, right," Zack scoffed as Cloud shook his head.
"Keep an eye on her, Aerith," the blonde said as he and Zack left out the door.
"Hey, Cloud," said Zack, standing at his door of friend's office.
Cloud glanced at him before continuing to write down a series of numbers. "What is it?"
"Sephiroth's here."
At the name, Cloud's ears perked. He shifted his gaze from the piles of paper in front of him to the raven-haired man. "Why?"
Zack shrugged. "I don't know, but he wants to talk to us."
Cloud sighed. "What did you do this time, Zack?"
Zack shook his head, waving his hands. "Nothing!" he fired back. He then paused, lifting his face upwards as his expression became thoughtful. "At least, I don't think so…" He shook his head. "Either way, better to not keep him waiting. You know how he gets."
The chair scraped against the floor as Cloud stood, nodding in agreement. He walked over to Zack, walking with him out the door.
Once they approached Sephiroth's office, Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair before he knocked lightly against the door.
"Come in," said the voice.
Both men entered the room, one following the other. Sephiroth turned in his chair, facing the pair.
"Zack, Cloud," he greeted, his low voice flat.
"No need for formalities, Sephiroth," said Zack. "What's this about?"
"Very well, I'll get straight to the point," said the silver-haired man. "As you two know, Shinra not only supplies power and electricity to various areas, it also conducts genetic testing." A thick packet of papers rested on his desk, which he shoved lightly towards Zack and Cloud. "This packet before me explains the Jenova project. I want to acquire the sole rights to it."
Cloud furrowed his eyebrows as he eyed the packet. "What's stopping you?"
"A man, by the name of Gast Faremis. He owns the rights. Many companies desire the Jenova project, and as a result, he's withholding giving the rights away until he feels he can give it to a company he can trust."
"Is this project that exclusive?"
"He found a way to enhance human abilities incredibly through a simple injection of Jenova cells," Sephiroth explained flatly. "You two already have a vague idea of what's that like, with your eyes."
Cloud and Zack glanced at one another, the mako infused in their eyes glowing.
The silver-haired man then turned towards Zack. "Fair, I have no concerns that you will be able to get the job done. But you, Strife," he moved to face Cloud, "you need to make yourself appear social. For starters, never go to an event without a beautiful woman at your side." Sephiroth ignored Cloud's narrowed eyes and continued, "It is of top priority to acquire the Jenova project. If you fail me, Strife, you will be fired."
Zack glared at the chairman. "That's not fair, Sephiroth."
Sephiroth leaned back against his chair coolly. "This is not open for debate, Fair."
"Zack."
Zack glanced at Cloud, reading the look in Cloud's eyes. He frowned, closing his mouth and pointing his gaze towards the floor.
"The job will get done, Sephiroth," Cloud muttered.
Sephiroth nodded as the corner of his mouth quirked up in a grin. "You always did make the right choices, Cloud."
"Yeah," he mumbled before turning on his heel and leaving the room, Zack trailing behind him.
"Man he's a huge pain in the ass," Zack grumbled, releasing an exasperated sigh. Then he glanced at Cloud. "About what Sephiroth said… do you have a game plan on how we're going to get the guy's trust?"
Cloud remained quiet, inadvertently glancing at the Rolex watch on his hand.
"You know," added Zack, "if we're going to start showing up to every party this guy Gast Faremis will be at, you're going to need a date." A wide grin spread across his handsome features as he nudged Cloud playfully. "How about that girl from last night? She looks like a good time, maybe she'll liven you up, make you more open."
As the two entered an elevator, Cloud looked at the raven-haired man. "She was drunken mess when we found her."
Zack shrugged. "Yeah, but she could have been having a bad day." Seeing no change in his friend's expression, Zack placed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. "I say you think about it."
Groggily, brown eyes opened.
Blurred vision immediately met her before it eventually cleared.
Tifa groaned, sitting up slightly before collapsing back onto a bed. Her head was pounding against her skull as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dull the pain.
When she turned on her side, she felt the smooth, satin bed sheets beneath her. Her eyes snapped open. She sat up, ignoring the roaring throbbing pain that followed her sudden movement, and glanced around her surroundings.
Wait… this isn't my room… she thought with a frown.
The room was large and spacious. She noticed she was sleeping on a King sized bed as a velvet red sofa and clear crystal coffee table rested by a fireplace, the chimney decorated with marble. The bed itself had layers of blankets, the top a thick burgundy and the thinner blanket below it a soft white. Beside the bed lay a bedpost as a few frames of landscape artwork hung around the room.
Where am I? she wondered, lifting the covers. She was still in the same clothes as last night. Finding a grandfather clock hanging idly on the wall, her eyes scanned the time. 5:34.
She gasped. I have to open the bar soon! She tossed the covers aside and swung her legs over the bed, searching the ground for her shoes. However, feeling the searing pain welcome her once more, she fell back onto the bed.
She leaned her head upwards slightly when she heard the door creak open.
"Oh, I see you're awake," said a female voice, but it was a kind one, Tifa noticed. She tried to sit up to greet the stranger, but soon felt a soft hand pressed against her shoulder as the covers were placed on her once more.
"No need to move, you must feel awful. Here, drink this."
Tifa accepted the glass, finding the woman's voice soft and comforting. Taking a small sip, she almost immediately she felt her hangover subsiding as her eyes opened in shock.
"Wow, that's amazing!" she exclaimed as she finished the glass. She then shifted her gaze to the woman, instantly meeting brilliant green eyes.
"Yes, I've had my fair share of nursing hangovers," Aerith admitted with a kind smile, taking the glass from Tifa and placing it aside. A faint image of Zack came to mind as she smiled inwardly at the thought. "I know you're probably wondering what you're doing here. Don't worry, you're okay. My name is Aerith Gainsborough and you're in Shinra Mansion."
"Shinra Mansion?" repeated Tifa with a puzzled expression. How did I get here? she added mentally.
Aerith nodded affirmatively. "Your name is Tifa, right?"
The brunette nodded. "That's right, how do you know?"
"Cloud told me."
Cloud? wondered Tifa. That name sounds familiar… At the mention of the name, a flash of spiky blonde hair came to mind.
As Tifa tried to recollect the events of the night before, she frowned when she realized she couldn't piece anything together. Flashes of a man's face, numerous shot glasses, bright casino lights, poker chips and cards came to mind.
Seeing Tifa's expression change to worry, Aerith tilted her head thoughtfully. "Something wrong?"
Tifa glanced at her before staring down in her lap, fisting her hands in the bed sheets. "Well, normally I don't drink so much that I can't remember anything," she mumbled before glancing at Aerith. "Could you tell me what happened last night?"
Aerith smiled reassuringly at her. "Well, I personally wasn't there the whole time, but from what Cloud tells me, he said you were drinking heavily and gambling."
At the revelation, Tifa winced. "Did I…?"
Knowing what she was asking, Aerith shook her head. "No. You're here because you fell asleep at the poker table and I wanted to keep an eye on you and make sure you were all right." Seeing Tifa visibly relax, Aerith smiled. "I think Cloud was keeping an eye on you. He would never admit it, but he did say that when you would get distracted and want to wander off, he would bet higher so it would get your attention and you would stay."
"I see…" Tifa said. "Just so you know, Aerith, I don't normally drink so much. I own my own bar, I know how people get when they are very drunk." Tifa sighed at the sudden memory that she had just recalled. "My boyfriend of two years, Johnny, took me to the restaurant where we had our first date. I thought he was going to propose." She laughed sarcastically. "Let's just say I found out why the waitress kept bringing us complimentary wine."
Aerith shook her head. "I'm sorry. But you don't need to explain yourself, Tifa."
A smile formed on Tifa's lips. "I know, but I just didn't want to start off on the wrong foot. Thank you for taking care of me."
Aerith returned her smile with one of her own. "Don't worry about it. I normally tend to my flower garden in a Church or help Zack with the legal technicalities of his business. It's nice to have a change in your routine every now and then."
"Zack?" asked Tifa with a puzzled expression.
Aerith nodded, "Yes, Zack Fair. You'll meet him—"
Just then a voice called from the entrance of the house. "Yo, Aerith! Where are you?"
"—right now, actually." She smiled as Tifa played with strands of her long brunette hair, feeling embarrassed meeting under the present circumstances. "I'll be right back." Aerith stood from the bed, opening the door, leaving it open as she left the room.
As Tifa stared at her lap, she found herself able to understand most of what the others were talking about.
"Is she awake yet?"
The deep, cool voice sounded familiar to her.
"Yes, she just woke up." A pause. "Are you all right, Cloud?"
"He's just stressed from the latest project Sephiroth gave us."
"Oh? Now what does he want you two to do?"
"Nothing—"
"He wants us to get the rights to some project." Tifa heard the other man snicker. "And he called Cloud antisocial." Another pause. "What? Don't give me that look, Cloud!"
Tifa could hear Aerith's soft laughter.
"Where is she, Aerith?" It was the same cool, collected voice from earlier.
"I put her in the guest room."
"Which room is that?" it was the other voice again. Based on his voice and words alone, he seemed playful, lively and easy going. "You know we have twenty rooms in this huge-ass mansion that we don't even use."
Tifa assumed Aerith must have pointed because she soon heard footsteps approaching the door. She quickly covered herself in the covers, lying down and turning on her side, facing the opposite of the door.
"Are you awake?"
Hearing it was the man with the low voice, Tifa turned around, sitting up as she leaned against the bedpost. Her eyes instantly met with brilliant cerulean ones and familiar spiky blonde hair.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, moving the sofa near the side of the bed as he sat against it. His elbows rested on his arms as he hunched forward.
"Fine," Tifa answered, unsure of the direction where the conversation was heading. "Aerith took very good care of me."
"Good," he answered concisely. "Tifa." Cloud watched her turn to him. "That's your name, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Yes. And you're…?"
"Cloud."
Tifa nodded once more. "Okay." She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Cloud."
She watched him glance at her hand tentatively before moving his arm to meet her grasp.
There it is again, thought Cloud. That sense of familiarity. It dawned on him when he took hold of her hand. It felt like déjà vu, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out from where.
Tifa glanced from his face to their connected hands. He was staring at it intently, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression serious. He hadn't let go of her hand yet.
She gave her hand a gentle tug, and it seemed that broke him out of his trance-like state when he flinched. He let go and she retrieved her hand, absentmindedly holding it with her other hand. He had a firm, tight grip.
She shifted her gaze from her hand to his face, inwardly startled when she found his gaze was already on her. Such a handsome face… she thought idly to herself. But not a friendly one.
"Tifa, do you have any memory from last night?"
The brunette woman blinked, averting her gaze from his as she stared in the corner of the room. She tucked an idle strand of hair behind her ear. "Vaguely, but not really…"
"Do you remember making a bet?"
Her eyes widened at the sudden memory that hit her.
"You know, most men often never have the opportunity to spend time with me," Tifa began. "Normally because I'm very… selective." When she saw Cloud eye her from her head to her toe, her smile widened. "Tell you what. If I lose my hand, you can have me."
The blonde businessman rose an eyebrow at her offer. "You're betting yourself?"
Tifa nodded, her smile confident. "That's right. All of me. You'd have me at your disposal."
"And in return?"
"For my stake, I want your Rolex watch and keys to your Lamborghini," she replied matter-of-factly.
Tifa slapped her face, covering it with her hand. "Oh, god…" she grumbled. She removed her hand, looking at Cloud. "Let me guess. Did I bet myself?"
When he nodded, she felt her heart drop to her stomach.
"I didn't win, did I?" she asked, watching him shake his head no.
Ugh, I wish I could remember what hand I had! she thought to herself. I would never make a bet like that unless I had a sure win…
"So," she began, following a short silence, "is that why you had Aerith take care of me?" When she removed the covers, Cloud noticed she was still wearing the same dress that left little to the imagination. "Lucky for you, Cloud, I was always taught to keep my word." She stood up from the bed, sauntering over to the chair Cloud was sitting in. She fixed herself on his lap, wounding her arms around his neck. She felt him tense beneath her. "Well, Cloud," she whispered in his ear, "how do you want me?"
Cloud placed his hand on her thigh, only to gently move it off of him. "This isn't what I had in mind," he murmured, though he'd be lying had he said it hadn't crossed his 23-year-old mind.
Feeling him shift away from her, Tifa stood up, taking a few steps back to the bed as she crossed her arms and legs. "What is it you had in mind, then?"
After a couple of moments of silence, Cloud stated flatly, "I need you to be my escort."
Tifa arched an eyebrow. "Your escort?"
The blonde nodded. "To accompany me to galas, dinners, parties…" his voice trailed off.
Tifa remained skeptical. "What about Aerith?"
"She's with Zack."
"Why not hire an escort from an escort service?"
"I don't have the patience for those sort of things."
"What makes me any different?"
Cloud shrugged. "You're convenient. And you owe me."
Gee, that's what every girl wants to hear, thought Tifa sarcastically before she began drumming her fingers against her arm. "I never put it in writing."
"True."
"So what if I say no?"
"You can." When he saw her open her mouth to speak once more, Cloud interrupted her. "I wasn't going to ask you this without offering something in return."
This peaked Tifa's curiosity as she lowered her arms to her sides. "Like what?"
Cloud raised the sleeve of his suit slightly, revealing his Rolex watch. "Last night you wanted my watch and keys to my Lamborghini. You can have them."
Tifa crossed her arms once more, shifting her weight on one leg as she arched an eyebrow. "You want to buy me off?"
Cloud shook his head. "Not buy you off. Compensate you." He watched her purse her lips as a silence fell between them. "If my offer isn't good enough, name what you want."
Tifa tilted her head thoughtfully before returning his stare. "My bar needs repairs."
"Done."
"…How long would you need me for?"
"Until the job gets done."
"What about my bar?" She continued when he gave her a questioning look. "I run a bar for my income. Someone has to service my customers."
Cloud shrugged. "I'll hire someone to take care of it when I need you."
Tifa nodded, then pursed her lips. "You don't know anything about me."
"You don't know anything about me, either. I plan to keep it that way." Cloud rose from his seat, shoving a hand in his pocket. "I don't have all day. I need to know if you will help me or not."
"One more thing," added Tifa. "Through the course of my helping you, if I need something, you will give it to me."
"If it's reasonable, then yes."
A smile curved her lips as Tifa stepped forward, extending her hand. "Deal."