So here's chapter 4! Miss Squall Leonhart and I wrote it on no sleep, so we hope it is still to your liking. Again, we own nothing but the OC's, blah blah blah. Enjoy!

*Begin Chapter*

"This blows; I can't believe we have to stay after hours to do more paperwork. On a Saturday. Because someone couldn't resist pressing every button on a couple of machines." Skyla glared at Tai, who was grinning sheepishly. Skyla let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, smiling back. She couldn't stay mad at her best friend, even if she tried.

"Well it's not my fault that they looked so interesting! And ya know, Rufus didn't have to make us stay late. Blame him." Tai shrugged her shoulders. Skyla frowned at her co-worker, not pleased at all with the way she just had just talked about her dear President.

"Can you blame him? You reduced almost ALL of the files in Tseng's office to ashes! And now we have to work to replace them. Lucky us." Skyla rolled her eyes, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. She was not looking forward to the rest of this day. At all.

When they finally reached Skyla's office, they parted ways, going to the paperwork they'd put off, as well as the new paperwork that they'd just been given. After what felt like an hour (but was only 10 minutes), Tai popped her head into Skyla's doorway.

"Already bored, huh?" Skyla didn't even bother to look up from her paperwork, as she was actually trying to get something done, for probably the first time in her entire career.

"Yea… Aren't you?" Tai bounced over and sat on the edge of Skyla's desk. "So I say we get outta here and go shopping for gifts, yo." This got Skyla's attention, and she looked up at Tai with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"And outfits for the party. It's semi-formal, remember?" Tai smiled brightly at Skyla's newfound enthusiasm and hopped off the desk, practically skipping to the door with Skyla close behind. They made their way to the elevators, each contemplating what they would wear. Dress or skirt? New skinny jeans or a nice pair of leather pants? The possibilities were endless.

When the elevator doors slid open, Tai took a shaky breath and edged inside. Skyla shook her head, pressing the button for the 2nd floor. Tai automatically traveled to her 'happy place', willing the elevator to travel faster.

As soon as the elevator 'dinged' to signal its arrival and the opening of its doors, Tai bolted out.

"Contain yourself, will you? It really isn't that bad." Skyla said, shaking her head at her friend's antics. She acted so much like a child at times.

"Yea, says you. You don't realize all of the horrible things that could go wrong…. It's so tiny in there… Ugh, I just hate it so much!" Tai shuddered. Just mentioning the closed in, shrinking space… It was almost too much to bear.

Nothing a little shopping couldn't remedy.

"If you say so. At least you didn't plow into someone that time." Skyla replied, smirking at the furious blush flaming across her pal's features. "Chill, Tai, it was a joke."

"Not a very funny one… I wonder where he buys his cologne?..." Tai mumbled to herself, following her friend into the department store. Immediately upon entering, she snapped back into her bubbly mode and began looking around in giddy anticipation.

"So where should we head first? Oh, oh, let's get our clothes first! C'mon, Skyla!" Tai jumped around excitedly, completely in her element. She was the shopping queen. Her wardrobe was more than 5 times the size of Skyla's. It took up Tai's entire walk-in closet AND the 3rd bedroom, which they also had to somehow use as an office.

Skyla was seriously considering signing up her roommate for some type of Shopaholics Anonymous.

"Fine, fine. Lead the way." Skyla trailed behind Tai, half-way listening to her babble on about the choices of attire they had. Skyla's mind was elsewhere, envisioning a certain white suit and the dreamy God-like man who graced it. How he could make something so tacky look so good was still a mystery to her.

A mystery Skyla would love to crack.

Another figure entered her mind with the ramblings of Tai. A certain Turk, to be precise. Silent as the graves he had put many a criminal in, mysterious as the white suit case, completely unfathomable. And damn sexy. Boy, did Skyla love a man in black who was good with his hands….

She had to stop thinking like that.

Skyla rammed into Tai unexpectedly, confused as to why she had stopped. "You were thinking nasty thoughts again, weren't you? I can tell by that look on your face. Tsk tsk. Anywho, we're here!" Tai said, first shaking her finger in Skyla's face, then gesturing wildly about her.

Skyla did a once over of her surroundings. She took in the massive amounts of material, colors, textures, shapes… It was a bit overwhelming. This was exactly why her outfit selection was so much smaller than Tai's. Massive multi-million dollar security system that is virtually fool-proof? Bring it on. The clothing section in a large department store? No, thank you.

Tai, however, was reveling in the massive amount of decisions she had around her. There really was something wrong with that girl, Skyla thought, if she found THIS to be fun. "Yes, I can see that, Tai. And who are you to shake that finger? I know that you are worse than me when it comes to Reno. I swear, sometimes I think you two are just alike…" Skyla smiled at her friend, who, yet again, had pink staining her cheeks.

"Whatever, let's just find some things to try on." Tai plunged into a rack of dresses, hiding her embarrassment amidst all the fabric. Skyla grinned and shook her head, eyeing a pair of leather pants. She has always wanted to own a pair… Even if it's just to say she does…

"Sky! I found a few things I absolutely adore! Grab something and come on, yo!" Tai headed for the dressing rooms, dresses stacked in her arms. This was going to take a while (if not for the rest of eternity). You'd think with the amount of things that Tai owned that she was a compulsive shopper. In all actuality, she wasn't. She deliberately picked every item she owned, no matter how much time it took (hence the worrying about never being able to leave the store). Something about working hard for her money and not wanting to just throw it away, blah blah blah.

Skyla grabbed the leather pants and a tight shirt from a nearby rack and found an empty dressing room.

Tai emerged from her dressing room, wearing one of the dresses she'd picked out. It was a mod-type thing, Skyla supposed, a sort of dark blue with a white collar and peephole in the front. Skyla looked her over once, shaking her head. "It's too straight. It doesn't show off all your womanly wonders."

Tai rolled her eyes. "What are you, my grandma? Jus' say curves like a normal person, will ya?" She turned and retreated to try on another. After sliding into her choice of clothing, Skyla emerged the same time as Tai. They each scanned the other.

"I like that one, it really brings out your eyes." Skyla said thoughtfully.

"I don't, it's itchy. Who the hell makes dresses outta this fabric? Hmm… I don't really like that combo, not for a party like this. It's classy, and that screams 'You picked me up at a bar half drunk. Now take me home and do nasty things to me, yo.' Why don't you let me find ya something?" Tai and Skyla left to strip and slide back into their clothes, going out to search again.

Tai scanned rack after rack, pulling out things that caught her attention. After 15 minutes and around 30 dresses later, Tai yanked Skyla into a dressing room.

"How the hell did you even find so many?" Skyla stared awe-struck at the stack of dresses in Tai's arms. She didn't even know the store had that many. Tai grinned at her before motioning for her to strip.

The two women shared an apartment and had been friends since longer than either could recall, so they had seen each other in their underwear (and less) countless times before. It didn't bother them at all; that's how close they had become, almost like sisters.

Once Skyla was down to her underwear and bra, Tai handed her a dress that she'd picked out just for her. "Here. I saw this and it practically threw itself at me, wanting your body. Naughty thing." Skyla shook her head and slipped into it. She waited for Tai to lace it up, as it had a corset backing.

"What do I do with the rest of the ribbon?" After what had felt like forever, Tai had gotten it all laced. Even though Skyla was used to lacing corsets, Tai wasn't, and there was no way Skyla could've reached to do it herself.

"Just shove it in the hole!"

"But it's so big! And there's so much, yo! How is it supposed to fit into that small hole?"

"Just shove it hard!"

"But what if it rips?"

"At least it'll be in."

"But I don't wanna hurt it!"

"You won't, I promise! Hey, watch the ass! You aren't supposed to be thrusting it in there!"

"Alright, alright! I got it in, yo! Yes!"

"Finally!"

Skyla and Tai exited the dressing room, jumping a bit in surprise when they discovered someone staring at them. Reno stood there, eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar.

"What the hell was goin' on in there, yo?" He asked, staring at them like he already knew what had taken place (or what he WISHED had taken place, to be more accurate).

"We were pushing the excess ribbon from my corset into the small opening at the bottom. What did you think was going on in there, dumbass? Never mind, I think I have a pretty good idea. Be careful you don't get a nose bleed imagining things that will never in a million years occur. The blood would never come out of your suit." Skyla stalked away to the mirror huffily, considering her reflection.

"Sheesh. I was just askin', yo. Why aren't you playin' dress up, Tai? Isn't that one of your favorite past times?" Reno leaned casually against the rack closest to him, giving Tai a friendly smile.

Tai swallowed nervously and gave Reno a similar smile, albeit a shakier one. "I w-was. Trying on clothes, I-I mean. I was just helping Sky out, so…" Tai motioned uncertainly towards herself, letting an uneasy giggle escape. "Nothing for me, at the moment."

Skyla looked over at her love-struck friend from her place before the mirror. How could Reno be so blind? It was so obvious that Tai was completely head over heels for him. The man was a complete idiot. "Tai, I don't think this is the one." She called towards her friend.

Tai looked over her shoulder. "Well I grabbed another in case that was the deal. It's the black and teal one. When ya see it, you'll know it was meant for ya." Skyla nodded then went to change into said article of apparel. Don't get her wrong; Skyla liked the dress she had on. It was a deep purple, strapless and tutu skirted. Sparkles adorned the bodice, not an overwhelming amount, just enough to bring a bit of attention to the torso.

And while Skyla loved to accentuate the girls, this just wasn't the dress for the party.

Meanwhile, Tai had turned her full attention back to Reno. Somehow, in the brief seconds that had passed when she had spoken to Skyla, he had grown even sexier. His collar was open, as he always wore it, revealing a bit of his ripped chest. Tai would love to see the rest of that chest; unfasten the remaining buttons on his crinkled shirt and slide it off and down the rippling muscles in his arms… Rest her hands against his rock-hard abs…

"Heeeeey, earth to Tai! Did ya even hear a word I said to ya?" Reno chuckled at the startled, then embarrassed, look on Tai's face. "You are a piece of work, I tell ya. Like I was saying, I had just stopped in cuz I forgot to get somethin'. What do I see but that pissy friend of yours, accompanied by a walking pile of clothes. Which I assumed to be you. So I moseyed on over to see what was goin' on, yo. Then I hear the weirdest damn conversation comin' from the dressing rooms. What the hell was I supposed to assume? If you had heard it, you would've thought the same thing, yo!"

Tai smiled at Reno, the first time that day she had managed to do so without blushing. "Prolly the same thing. What did you come here to get?"

Reno shrugged. "Box of condoms. I'm out, yo. So you found somethin' for the party yet? To wear, I mean." Tai shook her head. His condom comment had brought her down, and just when she had gained a tiny bit of confidence around him. It was just what she needed, the reminder that he would rather fuck a bunch of bimbos than be with her.

Reno gave her a reassuring smile, walking aver to pat her shoulder. "Don't worry Tai. You'll find somethin'. Unlike a bunch of other girls, ya don't need much to look amazin'. You always do. I think the harpy is ready for ya now; she's giving me death glares. So see ya later, yo!" Reno turned and sauntered away, and Tai was glad he did.

Because she was the brightest shade of pink she had ever been in her entire life.

Tai somehow made her way over to where Skyla was standing, hand on hip in a new dress. He had said she looked amazing. That she always did. So he did noticed her! Or maybe he had just said it to be nice. No, no. Tai refused to bring herself down. She was going to take it as a compliment. Yes, a compliment, one she had been praying for every night of her life since meeting him.

Up next: Get him to flirt with her.

"This is definitely it." Skyla adjusted her position to check every angle, pleased with the reflection. It was almost as if the dress had been made with her in mind. It was a bandage dress, a bit shorter than knee length and with ample cleavage showing. It showed off enough to get attention, but not too much. It was perfect.

Skyla couldn't help but imagine Rufus' face when he laid eyes on her in that dress. He'd have to take her aside, into his office, lock the door, slip out of his suit, push her against his desk, and…

"Yea, it looks smokin' on you, yo!" Tai was beaming at her, obviously ecstatic that Skyla had actually liked something Tai picked out. Usually, she wouldn't even glance at the things Tai offered up; their styles were just too different. But Tai was catching on to what Skyla wore (after all those years). This was definitely a winner.

Skyla had crashed back to reality, just when her daydream was getting good and hot too. She smiled innocently, since Tai was looking at her suspiciously, and went back to the dressing room. "I'm definitely getting the other dress, too. It'll be for something different though. So, what are you getting? Have you decided? Or will you just go 'a la naturale'?"

Tai sauntered in after her friend, overjoyed that Skyla was going to be buying not one, but two of the dresses she'd picked out. "I'm not sure yet, yo. I'll try on a few more." Skyla shimmied out of the dress while Tai shimmied into one. When Skyla turned to her friend, her eyes lit up.

"Why are ya lookin' at me like that?" Tai shot her friend a look then emerged from the dressing room to gaze at her reflection. This was it. The dress. It was a little black dress (or LBD for short). And it was freakin' gorgeous. It was one shoulder, created from pure silk, and stopped halfway down her thigh. Not only did it make her look taller (quite the feat) but it slimmed her while still accentuating her curves.

And she knew just the shoes she would wear with it…

"You have to get it, Tai." Skyla watched as Tai scanned herself repeatedly. Absolutely everything about the dress was perfect. The way it hugged her skin was bound to get Reno's attention. He wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her (or his hands). At least, that's what Skyla hoped; Tai so desperately needed a break when it came to that jerk.

"I plan to, yo!" Tai retreated back into the dressing room, not bothering to return any off the countless dresses she'd brought in to their proper place. She waltzed out with her dress in hand, heading for the other side of the store. "Let's get our gifts for boss man now!"

The pair made their way to the opposite side of the store, where the electronics were housed. Skyla had, apparently, thought of the PERFECT gift to give her beloved. They stopped before the digital picture frames, scanning the models for the right one.

"This. This is the one. Not only does it have the most features and is made from the best technology, but it is also the most expensive. Which means that I care enough about him to blow some of the cash he paid me with right back on him!" Skyla grabbed the box, nodding her approval. She turned to Tai. "So what are you getting him?"

Tai shrugged. "Dunno. Does it really matter? I guess… A toaster? There were some nice ones towards the front of the store." Skyla stared as Tai started off in the direction she had just mentioned. She was kidding. She had to be, right? Who gives someone a toaster for their birthday?

Skyla wondered, for the billionth time in her life, whether Tai had multiple personalities. It was completely feasible.

Skyla caught up with Tai, giving her a disbelieving look. "Are you really going to give Rufus, your boss, the one who signs your paychecks, a toaster?"

Tai nodded, not bothering to look at Skyla as she picked up a box containing a cherry red toaster. "Yea, why not? He likes toast, right? I think I may have seen him eat a bagel or two. This is the prettiest one, so I'm gonna get it. Alrighty, let's go check out!"

Skyla smacked her face with the palm of her head. "You're buying it because it's pretty? Aren't you even going to look at the information they provided on the box?"

"Nope. Now will ya come along, please? I wanna get back in the office before Tseng gets that stick out of his ass and decides to check on us!" Skyla sighed and followed behind Tai, placing her items at the register.

*fast forward to the end of the work day*

"4 straight hours of non-stop work, and I STILL haven't even gotten halfway through all of the new paperwork you created for us. I totally owe you one, Tai." Skyla said bitterly as they exited the ShinRa building.

"Sor-rey! It was an accident. Sheesh, forgive and forget!" Tai grumbled as the made their way through the parking garage.

The two of them got in/on their vehicles and made their way to home-sweet-home. As they cut the engines, they gathered the bags that sheltered their new goods, and climbed the steps to their apartment. As they approached, they saw something odd sitting at the door: a bouquet of flowers. Bright red, pink, and white roses in an high-end looking crystal vase, just casually placed at the entrance.

"Who's it from, yo?" Tai glanced down curiously while Skyla bent to look.

"To Skyla, from…your secret admirer…?" Skyla looked at Tai uncertainly, skimming her mind of who would send her something like this, but coming up short.

Who could it be?

*End Chapter*

So that was our longest chapter yet! Tell us what you thought in your reviews! :)