~*~*~*~*~this wouldn't fit in the summery thing so i'll put it here. the rating may go up in the chapters to come and no i don't own anything from FF7 blah blah blah or else it wouldn't be a fanfic.~*~*~*~*~

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Rufus woke up the next morning with sun's first rays shining in his eyes. He smiled slightly and began to sit up and stretched. What an odd dream he had, his father shooting his mother like that. He looked around the room and his eye shot open. This wasn't his room, and that wasn't a dream. He started to remember everything, and then remembered Tifa. He smiled at remembering her, she was kind to let him stay with her, she was the only person that ever cared for him other than his mother. He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something move under the sheets. He lifted up the blankets to see Tifa curled up to him slowly opening her eyes. Rufus turned bright red as he remembered what had happened the following night. He told her everything, except who he really was, he couldn't do that, not yet. He also remembered opening up to her, showing her how weak he was.

Tifa sat up slowly and smiled lightly at Rufus. "Did you get a better sleep after your nightmare Rufus?" Tifa asked, carefully choosing her words.

Rufus merely nodded a reply. Tifa stood up and walked out of the room leaving Rufus to his thoughts.

Tifa walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on. She removed her clothing and stepped in. As she stepped in she remembered everything that had happened last night. Everything to Rufus bolting into her arms full of fear, to herself falling asleep in his arms. She wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep before he had, all she remembered was awakening in his arms. Tifa began to wash her hair. She let the suds go down her body and down the drain. She then did the normal things teens girls do in the shower, shave, cleanse and so on. Of course this meant she took a rather long time, like all girls. She finally stepped out and dried herself off. She put her regular clothes on, her white tank top and black shorts. She wrapped a towel around her long dark hair and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Why is girls always take so long in the shower?" Rufus asked. Tifa laughed a bit and playfully threw her towel at him.

"You can go in now if you want, I don't open the bar until 8:00pm. So that give us time to do whatever you want afterwards, if you want to stay of course." Tifa said. Rufus only nodded and walked into the bathroom.

Tifa walked into the bar and made herself some breakfast while she waited for Rufus. She thought for a while why Rufus wouldn't tell her his last name. Maybe he just didn't want to go home? Of course he wouldn't his mother was killed by his father, who'd want to go home to that? Tifa was brought out of her thoughts when she heard someone banging on her door. She got up and rushed to the door, it might bust down from the pressure it was under. Tifa opened the door to see 2 men, obviously from SOLDIER and a man, probably in his 20's with long black hair and a blue suit on. It was a Turk. The man looked her over and smirked, Tifa wanted to be sick.

"Excuse me Miss..?" the Turk said.

"Lockheart." Tifa replied.

"Miss Lockheart, have you seen this young man?" The Turk said holding up a wanted ad. It had Rufus' picture on it, Tifa was shocked. At the bottom it said:

Rufus Shinra

16 years of age

blue eyes and blonde hair

cash reward if brought back unharmed.

Tifa wasn't sure what to do. The Rufus who was currently in her shower was thee Rufus Shinra. She finally knew why he didn't want to tell her his last name. She hated the Shinra company for what they did to her. She'd never forgive them, but Rufus...he was different. He was kind, and nothing at all like what she'd seen in his father. The Turk grew impatient when she just stared in awe at the want ad.

"Well have you seen him or not?!" The Turk yelled at her.

Tifa was snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "No I've never seen him before, I didn't even know President Shinra had a son." Which was true, she had no idea, Rufus was never mentioned before.

The Turk looked rather aggravated, to put it nicely, being kept by this girl from the slums and she hadn't even seen Rufus. The Turk growled low in his throat and then a smirk slowly formed on his lips. He looked behind her totally forgetting about Tifa all together. He pointed to the back door.

"Someone just walked back there, who's that maybe they've seen Rufus." The Turk said.

Tifa bit her lip, she would've gotten away with this too. Damnit! What was she going to do. She had to think of something and think of it fast. "Um...That's my boyfriend, poor guy is blind. He wouldn't know if he saw Rufus or not anyways."

The Turk gave her an aggravated sneer, and then looked her body up and down. Poor bastard, her boyfriend sure is missing out if he can't see her. The Turk looked back up into to Tifa's eyes and saw disgust. She must think he's a pervert, she was half right. The Turk didn't say anything and just walked away. Tifa shut the door and slid down to the floor with a heavy sigh. Thank god he believed her story, then she mentally kicked herself because her story was so stupid. She had had everything planned too, she had wanted to take Rufus shopping for some new clothes, his were too dirty and ripped. But with the Turks after him, he wouldn't be able to go out.

"Why did I help him anyways? His father is slowly killing off the planet, he destroyed my entire life. Everything I ever cared about is gone because of that man and Seph- no I won't think about him. Maybe because I feel sorry for him? Maybe...he had such a horrible experience, he lost his mother to his father...I lost a loved one too. I'll let him stay until he wants to go home. He doesn't have anywhere to go...." Tifa thought.

"Ahem..." Rufus coughed out. Tifa spun around quickly and stood up. This was the first time she noticed how tall he was. He had to be a head taller than her. For the first time she felt intimidated by him. He smiled at her, he obviously didn't know what had happened. Tifa looked into his eyes for a moment to see if he was just putting up a front, she saw nothing but innocence and honesty. She then realized they were only inches from one another. Tifa stepped away blushing.

"Tifa, do I have to go home? I don't want to leave, I don't want them to find me. Please, let me stay with you," Rufus said. Tifa wasn't sure what to say. She had lied for him, but let him stay with her forever? Is that even what he meant? "Tifa, please. I don't have anywhere to go. If I go back to my father I'll die, maybe not from him but I know I will. I don't think I could stand it...."

"Rufus, of course you can stay." Tifa said. She hadn't meant it to come out like that. She opened her mouth wanting to say something else, but the words came for her. And she knew they were the truth. She saw Rufus' eyes light up and he hugged her. Tifa hugged back, she enjoyed being this close to him, even with him being who he is. He still had no idea she knew either.

"Rufus, let's go out...It's actually nice out. I thought we could get you some better clothing, those seem to be ruined." Tifa said talking about his navy blue pants and black t-shirt. They were really rather dirty and ripped.

"You don't have to pay me Tifa. I can pay for myself, my father is very rich." Rufus said smirking, pulling out a bank card.

"Well let's go now, it'll be busy but I have to open the bar later tonight." Tifa said.

Rufus nodded and he headed out the door. Tifa followed and locked up her bar. She hoped that they wouldn't be noticed.

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Tifa and Rufus were walking together through the streets. Rufus was not used to this at all. Being pushed around, having all these people around him. Spitting, cursing, yelling all around him. It almost made him want to be sick. But Tifa didn't seem to mind, she must be used to this. He felt bad that such a wonderful person like her had to grow up in the Slums, while he grew up with everything he could ever want...except a family.

"Tifa, where are we going anyways? And what Sector is this?" Rufus asked slinking his hands into his pockets.

"It's Sector 7, why do you -" Tifa said when someone completely knocked her over. Tifa growled and looked for who did it.

Rufus bent down to see if she was alright and to help her up but she got up on her own. Tifa scanned around and she saw who did it, he was smirking at her. Almost laughing at her. Rufus looked at the guy, he was really big and had a snake tattoo along his arm and smoke in his mouth. He looked awfully strong and very disgusting. Tifa walked over to the guy and gave him a dirty look.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Tifa yelled at him. Rufus was shocked, was she insane?! She'd be killed! Rufus briskly walked over to her but she held him back. The large man grunted.

"No reason, I just thought it was funny," Tifa glared at him with fire in her eyes. "And what are you gonna do 'bout it baby?"

Tifa growled low in her throat and let out a scream of furry and punched him in the face. Rufus was shocked, but not as much as the large man. Tifa then spin kicked his fat gut, which sent him spinning to the side. She then gave him an upper cut to the jaw and a loud crack was heard. And as a final blow she kicked him square in the balls. The man let a loud groan and slumped to the ground holding himself in pain. Tifa took in a breath and turned to Rufus. No one really seemed to notice but a few, but they didn't care. On the other hand Rufus was shocked out of his mind.

"Let's go ok?" Tifa said as she started to walk. Rufus looked from the man on the ground to Tifa and back at the man. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, the look on his face was utter confusion. She turned back to her and ran to catch up to her.

"Hey wait up! What the hell was that?" Rufus asked finally catching up to her.

"I learned how to fight when I was young that's all." Tifa said.

"That's all? You're amazing! You kicked his ass! He didn't even get a punch in!" Rufus exclaimed.

"Rufus you're going to make a scene." Tifa said blushing at the compliments she was getting.

"And like you didn't!" Rufus yelled.

"Rufus! Ssssshhhhhh!" Tifa said. "Besides we're here."

They walked into the store and looked around, Rufus had never shopped in a place like this. He had never really set foot inside the slums. He looked around, it was an ok store, not dirty or anything but nothing like where he normally got his clothes. He checked around, it was a male and female store.

"Come on let's look for stuff you like ok?" Tifa said.

Rufus nodded and started looking around. Tifa watched at him, he didn't look like he knew what to get. She knew he probably didn't shop in places like this, but it was the best place in Sector 7 to shop for clothes. She had gotten her knee high boots here, she always wore them. Rufus came over to her with a few items of clothing.

"I'm going to try these on ok? What size are you? You should buy something too." Rufus said.

Tifa blushed when he asked what size she was. "Alright, I'll wait. I take mostly smalls, but I'm not buying today. I don't have enough money for this kind of thing. I buy what I need, not just what I want." Tifa said.

"Alright I understand. I'll be back in a few minutes." Rufus said.

Tifa watched him walk away and sat down on a bench waiting for him. They grew up so differently...yet they were so the same. They had both lost so much, he just didn't know she had. Rufus finally came out of the change room. Tifa wasn't paying attention to much until Rufus interrupted her thoughts. "Ahem..." He coughed out.

Tifa looked up at him for a moment and then focused on him, her eyes widened in awe. She began to blush. Now that he was out of those dirty clothes he looked a lot better but what he was wearing also helped. He wore a tight black t-shirt, white long pants, and a long white coat. Tifa was looking for words to say but they wouldn't come out. She just kept staring at him.

"Tifa is this alright? I wasn't sure about the white pants and coat. Does it look ok?" Rufus asked.

Tifa stood up and nodded praying her blush wasn't noticeable. "It's fine Rufus, you look great."

Rufus smiled and walked to the cash. He paid for his things and wore them out of the store carrying his old stuff in a bag. As they walked back to the bar Tifa's hand brushed Rufus' and she blushed and went to move it away but Rufus took hold of her hand. Tifa looked down at his hand and then up at him. He was just looking forward, not really thinking anything of it. Did Rufus like her? Did she like him? She didn't really think to much about it and just kept walking. All she knew was that she felt happy.

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