AN: This will probably be the last chapter I write for a while. It's not because I don't want to, but I have a lot of school stuff approaching and this is a huge distraction! I'm enjoying writing it though. I hope you are enjoying reading it. Leave a follow, favorite, or review if you have. I would really appreciate it.
When Rhea returned to the party, she felt as if she were walking in a dream. She had just promised Deimos that she would betray the man who'd helped rebuild her life. Whether it had been a subconscious desire or simply because she'd had a gun pointed in her face, she didn't know. As she slipped past the mingling guests and black-suited servers, she searched her mind for some justification for the endeavor she was about to undertake. She had no idea what Deimos was planning to do with the information she was going to steal, and if it meant she could keep Rufus out of harm's way, perhaps it was in the best interest of all parties. She only hoped Deimos would leave Rufus alone after she completed the task.
Rhea stood dumbly beside the trickling fountain, lost in thought. Her hand rested on the porcelain edge of it, drops of water gently sprinkling her fingertips. She looked at her reflection in the rippling surface. Her face was set with an expression of panic, eyes wide and mouth half-agape. With a vigorous shake of her head, Rhea pushed the thoughts out of her mind, and not a moment too soon. A familiar voice called out to her from not far off.
"Rhea."
She whipped her head around to see Rufus approaching her, separating the crowd as if he were some venerated prophet. He wore a pristine white tuxedo with smooth satin lapels, his shirt, tie, and kerchief all black in contrast. As he walked, Rhea forced a soft smile and let her hand fall away from the fountain. She took one small step to meet him, lifting her hand just a bit. Rufus took it with his own, but did not stop—rather, he moved in and placed a quick, yet affectionate kiss on her cheek. She stiffened up at the gesture—caught a hint of his scent at the corner of his jaw—and returned to smiling as he pulled away.
"I'm glad you could make it," he said, releasing her hand. "You look wonderful." She gave him a polite nod before he moved aside, revealing Reeve standing idly behind him. "You remember Reeve."
"Of course," she said, stepping forward with her hand extended. "How nice to see you again."
Reeve took her hand and placed a quick kiss on the top of it. "Likewise," he said, his voice bright with excitement. "I trust you've been getting along well in your studies?"
Rhea nodded. "Yes sir, quite well," she replied. "I'm grateful for the opportunity."
"And we are honored to give it," Reeve said. "Your mother would be so proud."
Rhea lowered her head, her eyes falling to the velvet clutch she held in her hand. Claire… What would she think of her daughter now? About to forsake the kindness of her mother's successor for the desires of the very gang that had ended her life.
Suddenly, she felt a hand come to rest on the middle of her back. She looked up to see Rufus standing beside her, his dark eyes twinkling. "Yes, she would be," he said softly. Rhea was not reassured.
It wasn't long before people began to approach Rufus and Reeve, shaking hands and conversing about this proposal or that project. Rhea stood back from them to avoid drawing her attention to herself, but Rufus suddenly turned and motioned to her. "May I introduce Rhea Flynnt," he said. Rhea felt her cheeks glow hotly as the eyes of the group fell on her.
One of them, an elderly man with a receding hairline and sallow skin, gave a look of surprise at her name. "Flynnt?" he said. "You mean Claire's daughter?" He went on to say how he was one of the first investors in her work on designing Midgar's infrastructure, and how he greatly respected her work. "But…where have you been all these years?"
Rufus gave her a knowing look before turning to the man. "Rhea found herself on hard times after Claire passed," he explained. "She's now part of our relocation initiative."
"Ah yes," the man continued. "And do you find the program fulfilling?"
Rhea looked at Rufus, his eyes narrowed and lips donning a sly curve.
"Very much so," she said. Her voice had lost the confidence she had worked so hard to instill in it. "I've learned a great deal. It's been a wonderful opportunity."
The elderly man tipped his champagne glass. "Well there you have it," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "A testimonial straight from the source. You know, Rufus, I had my doubts about the funding of such a program, but perhaps there is more to this collaboration than meets the eye."
"Wonderful to hear, Mr. Clarkson," Rufus said brightly. "I may be biased, but I'm quite inclined to agree."
Rhea stood back and listened as Rufus and Reeve chatted idly for several more minutes with this man called Mr. Clarkson. She hadn't failed to notice that the conversation ended with a shiny pen being pulled from the old man's pocket to fill out a check with several zeros. She watched, confused, as Rufus slid the paper into a gold clip and then into his jacket pocket.
She suddenly realized this ball was probably more than just a Gala to celebrate the planet's restoration. As she looked around, she saw nothing but pure wealth and extravagance. This gathering had doubled as a business venue, and she had been invited as nothing more than a case study for the benefactors to scrutinize.
Her theory was all but confirmed as she spent the rest of the night on Rufus's arm explaining the details of her circumstances. Almost every time, her name was recognized, and almost every time, the conversation ended with the exchange of money. She had become a fund-raising party piece.
Rhea felt slighted by this idea. Though she had fooled herself into thinking she held no special feelings for Rufus, she soon realized it was not all that simple. In fact, she had admired Rufus, even grown to trust him, before Deimos had made his unexpected return. The sudden resurgence of her past made her forget her future, and that Rufus might have a place in it. Now, as she watched the twinkle of the delight in his eye with the addition of another check to his collection, she found herself feeling hurt at the thought that Rufus might not hold her in the same regard.
Rufus noticed her staring as they were left alone again, Reeve having wandered off with a separate group of patrons. He dipped to catch her eyes with his. "Hey," he said softly, moving in close so as to shut out any more intruders. "You alright?" Rhea snapped up at his words and met his gaze. "I'm sorry about all this," he said, his hand tugging nervously at the cuff of his jacket. "And for…last time."
Rhea was surprised to hear the words. Though they had been all but forced from his lips and hidden in a near-whisper, she had not expected him to bring up the incident at all. Why would he when she was there as nothing more than an accessory?
"I know this isn't exactly how you wanted to spend your Saturday evening," he continued. "But Reeve and I really appreciate your help. These benefactors will help cover the cost of the relocation project."
Rhea did not reply. She simply stared into his eyes, which grew ever more concerned in the wake of her silence.
"I hope you can forgive me," he said.
The words felt burdened somehow, as if he were trying to apologize for a lifetime's worth of mistakes. Rhea opened her mouth to reply, but found herself muted by something…Deimos, perhaps. Rufus was making it hard for her to go through with the promise she'd made to her former mentor, her father figure. Every time she tried to alienate herself from Rufus, the coldness in him melted away, and he became the man who had brushed away her tears with a careful touch, the man who had kissed her even though every fiber of his being had told him not to.
"It's alright," she said at last, tilting her head to the side. "Just tell me next time you need me to put on a show."
Rufus broke an unexpected smile, his bright white teeth bared in a way she hadn't seen before. "Come on," he said, extending his hand. "Treat me to a dance."
The music had settled into a soft melody. People around them paired up in ballroom style. "I don't know how," she admitted, though she somehow wasn't embarrassed.
"I'll lead you," he said, reaching out to take her purse. She twitched away at first, but eventually allowed him to take it and slip it into his jacket pocket. He then reached out his hand again and beckoned for her to take it.
After another moment of hesitance, she accepted the invitation and stepped in close to him. With his free hand, he took her arm and placed it on his shoulder, then dropped his own to her waist, fingers wrapping around the sharp edge of her hip. The warmth she had turned away at their last encounter now returned with full force. It flared in her cheeks and over the freckled skin of her chest as he turned her slowly in time with the sweeping violins. This time, however, Rhea rose above it. She knew, at least for the sake of the task at hand, she must remain in control of her emotions.
As the dance progressed, Rhea leaned herself closer to him, cheek beside his, hips touching every other step. She stroked her fingers up the soft satin of his lapels, tucked them beneath the collar of his jacket, grazing the downy hair at the nape of his neck. She felt his skin ripple at her touch. Every so often, her steps would falter, but Rufus always brought her right back in.
"See?" he whispered softly, his breath warm on her cheek. "You're not all that bad."
Rhea fought back a smile, resting her chin on his shoulder. As they moved in slow circles, her eyes trailed over the faces of the other couples. Some of them were giving her odd looks, but strangely, she didn't care. She didn't think Rufus did either.
As the music began a slow decrescendo, Rhea pulled her head back just enough to look at him. He was smiling with a warm glow on his high cheekbones. Her lips parted as if to speak, but her eyes searched his for several moments before any words were formed.
"I need to talk to you," she said at last in a wavering voice.
His smile soon fell away as the music ended and the crowd began a quiet applause. Rufus lowered his hand, hers still clutched in its grasp. The twitch of his fingers showed his concern. "I have to give the closing speech now," he told her, his voice low. "Meet me behind the stage afterward. I'll take you back to the office. We can talk there."
Rhea nodded, and he gave her hand one last squeeze before turning away. A moment later, he appeared on the stage beside Reeve. They both waved in response to enthusiastic applause. Rufus took the podium while Reeve stood back.
"I'd like to thank you all so much for coming," he said, his voice stately and clear. "Your company, conversation, and generous patronage have been an honor and a pleasure to behold. As you return home this evening, remember that today marks the fifth anniversary of Meteorfall; remember how lucky we are to have survived it. It is a shame it has taken such a tragedy to remind us all of our blessings."
Rhea felt his eyes fall on her just then. She met the gaze willingly.
"Success can be found in even the darkest of places. But we must be the ones to turn on the light. Thank you again—on behalf of the Shinra Company, on the behalf of the W.R.O., and on behalf of all of Edge. Goodnight."
With another eruption of applause, Rufus backed away from the podium, following Reeve off the back of the stage. Rhea slipped her way against the flow of people moving for the exit. She made her way around the stage until she saw Rufus standing at its edge. He was shaking hands with Reeve as she approached, and both men turned their eyes on her.
"Rhea," he said. "I'm glad you came by. Thank you again for your assistance this evening. I hope the party wasn't too much of a bore."
Rhea offered him a kind smile. "Of course not." She extended her hand again, and he placed another quick kiss atop it. "It was a pleasure. Thank you again for everything you've done."
He nodded graciously, turning away from them. "Good evening to the both of you."
Rufus watched him being escorted through a path in the woods by two Turks. As he did, Rhea slipped her hand into his own, causing him to turn to her suddenly, surprised. "Are you ready?" she asked.
Just then, Rude appeared alongside a slender Turk with long dark hair. They were coming up the path toward them, and she released his hand quickly. He cleared his throat.
The Turks looked at each other when Rufus announced Rhea would be tagging along, but they said nothing of it. The long-haired Turk led the way down the path with Rude following behind them. When they reached the perimeter of the park, two more Turks pulled open a heavy gate that had been built into the side of it. On the other side sat another blacked-out car, doors soon opened by the Turk in front.
Rufus nudged Rhea forward, and she quickly slid into the back seat of the car. He followed, the doors slamming two more times as the Turks entered the front seat. Rhea became suddenly anxious. She took to smoothing her dress out over her lap, foot tapping wildly on the floor of the car. Rufus took notice and slid his finger over a switch on the door beside him. Slowly, a black metal partition rolled up between the front seat and the back. She saw the Turks exchange another glance before it closed them out completely.
Rufus then turned to her, watched her biting her lip nervously, fingers stretched out over the tops of her knees. "What was it you wanted to talk—"
Rhea pressed herself against him, lips colliding with his, heart pounding against his chest. She placed her arm on the opposite side of him, trapping him between her body, kissing him the way he had kissed her. She felt him shudder beneath her, his body tensing. In a moment, he had reached his hands up and took hold of her face, pulling it back abruptly. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, eyes averted. Rhea reached her hand to his chest, running her fingers up to the warm skin of his neck.
"Rhea, please," he said, looking at her with his hand over his mouth. "Are you sure this is…"
He trailed off as she brought her lips in where her hand rested on the corner of his jaw, kissing it softly. She moved up to his ear, kissed just below it before taking his diamond stud between her teeth and giving it a gentle tug. He inhaled sharply, eyes falling closed. Her hand fell around the ridges of his throat, and she felt the muscles move as he breathed.
Rufus placed his hand over hers and pulled it away. He turned to her, his cheeks several shades redder.
"Rhea," he said, his voice suddenly grave. "Don't you think we should talk about this first?"
She scoffed and pulled her hand out of his grasp. "You know Rufus? You talk too much. You just love to hear the sound of your own voice. I bet you talk during sex, too. You practice your speeches and recite your daily schedule. When are you going to just do something?"
Rhea was shocked at the slew of words that had just spilled from her mouth. Though her sudden enthusiasm was only half-sincere, she hadn't imagined herself ever speaking to him so aggressively. It was Deimos—his task was turning her into a different person, someone she barely recognized.
"I'm just worried," Rufus said finally. "I'm afraid of what this could do to our reputations. I mean, if Reno were to ever find out—"
"He won't find out," she interrupted. She heaved a sigh to calm herself. "After that kiss, I thought you wanted me." She paused, her arms wrapping around herself self-consciously. "Well, now you have me. Are you just going to turn me away?"
Rufus sat in silence for several long moments, his eyes moving across her as if he were trying to find some flaw, some imperfection that would tell him this was just a dream. All he saw was her soft, honey skin, the curve of her hip as it lay twisted toward him, the wisp of hair that had fallen down over her half-exposed shoulder. None of these things could ever be imperfect. He slowly reached out, took her arm and pulled it away from her body until he was against her again, lips enclosing hers.
If he had looked any closer, he would have seen the hint of doubt hiding in the glow of her amber eyes. It had been whispered into her by someone else, but it was still there, bidding her onward in spite of her true desires.
Their moment came to an abrupt end as the car came to a stop. Rufus pulled away and Rhea straightened dress, checking her makeup in the reflection of the tinted windows before the door swung open. She took the Turk's hand as it was extended to her, slipping out into the dark parking garage. Rufus followed, his hand wrapping around her waist as he led the way to the elevator nearby. They entered, leaving both Turks standing at ease behind them.
As soon as the elevator doors slid closed, their hands again found one another again. Rhea had removed his jacket and loosened his tie, her hands tugging his shirt untucked. Rufus kissed her with fervor as she did so, tensing up as her cold fingertips found the skin of his sides. He lifted her and pressed her against the curved glass of the elevator, moving his lips to her neck. Her eyes opened long enough to catch the floor numbers speeding by. "Rufus," she whispered. "We're almost there."
The doors soon slid open. He let her down and leaned to pick up his jacket before taking her hand and leading her down the warmly-lit hall. They burst into his office, Rufus pulling her into the first door to the left. It gave way to a large bedroom, darkened and still with only moonlight pouring in from the window beside them. She let her eyes roam around it as Rufus closed and locked the door. He came up behind her, slid his hands around her waist and kissed her neck softly. She smiled and turned to face him, pulling his silk tie off completely and throwing it to the ground without a care. She then slid her fingers through each of the buttons of his shirt, her eyes never leaving his as she did so.
Rhea gently brushed the shirt from his shoulders, the flat of her palms stoking over them and down his surprisingly muscular back. His shoulder blades rose ever so slightly as he shifted his arms to wrap around her waist. Rufus pulled her closer to him, hips touching hers, her hands coming back to run down the front of him. His chest was cut with tough sinew, but her movements hesitated as she felt an irregularity among them. Pulling away not more than an inch, she let her eyes fall to his side—there, etched across his abdomen like a claw mark, lay a dark, grayish scar. It was wide as well as long, wrapping around the front of his stomach. It looked like a crack in the planet's crust, deep in the center and rising on either side. She touched it with wonder and felt him flinch.
Rhea's eyes returned to his, searching them briefly. "What is this…?" she asked.
He forced a small smile. "Geostigma," he whispered.
Rhea returned her hand to the scar, tracing it softly with two fingers. Rufus tensed beneath her touch, afraid it might disgust her. Far from it—she was entranced by it. "It's beautiful."
Rufus raised his hand and lifted her chin upward. He moved to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing across the sharp mark across her cheekbone. "Not as beautiful as yours."
As Rhea looked into his eyes, lit by half-light, glowing like lapis, all thoughts of her true intentions melted away. In that moment, she believed she might truly be in love with him, with everything about him—even the scars he chose to hide from her.
