AN

Wow, it's been a while. This one is short, and once again it's more of a build-up chapter than a real Rufus/Tifa moments piece. This one is for the readers who have kept encouraging me to get a chapter out! Thanks guys! I will try to have more to come soon. :)


It was the pure, thickening terror in Tifa's shrill scream that sent Rufus bolting up from the couch despite having been in the midst of deep sleep. Instinctively, his withdrew his gun, all exhaustion and drowsiness disappating as he threw open the door and flung himself outside, pointing the barrel in the direction of the threat.

A snowball flew by his head, narrowly nicking the hair. Tifa's shocked face peered at him from behind the short snow wall she hid behind, her mouth forming a comical "O" mere seconds before the impending ball of snow smacked her in the chest.

Elena's strangled cry of distress precluded her pivoting to grab a handful of snow and shove it in Reno's face. "You idiot! I can't believe you actually hit her!"

"Well dang, I gave her plenty of time to dodge! It wasn't meant to hit her, I swear! Something distracted her!"

Putting one hand to his face, Rufus lowered his gun and strode forward, stepping over the freshly fallen snow to reach Tifa. She was still laying down, looking as if the wind had been knocked clear out of her, and he couldn't help but notice the stark, beautiful contrast of her dark hair against the white blanket beneath her.

"You'll break open your wound like that," he remarked dryly, grimacing as expaseration tinged his voice.

Tifa only blinked up at him from her position, and with Reno and Elena still screaming at each other in the background, Rufus wondered if she was still processing the situation at hand. When her dark eyes trailed down to the gun he was still holding in one hand, he knew he had startled her. Not nearly as much as her shriek had startled him, but still.

Tucking his gun into his jacket, he took her by her good arm and pulled her to her feet as carefully as possible. She wobbled in place for a bit before gaining her ground.

"Did we wake you?" Tifa asked, not noticing the sudden silence as Reno and Elena noticed the new development and ran to hide behind their erected wall of snow.

Trying not to let his face show how ridiculous the question was, Rufus merely wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her back into the building, raising one eyebrow at Rude as he passed. "Your clothes are wet," he remarked instead of responding to her question, purposefully avoiding looking in the direction of her white, now semi see-through shirt.

She seemed to realize what he was saying almost instantly, blushing a bright red and hurrying down the hall to slam a door before he had a chance to say anything else. Clearly in her fun, the brunette hadn't realized.

Having the clarity of mind to provide some forethought, Rufus stepped back outside, Elena's body still hidden from sight. "Elena," he called, and tentatively the blond poked her head up from the pile of snow, clearly relucatant to face his possible wrath.

Instead of saying anything, he simply waved her over with his hand, proceeding back into the building and leaving the door ajar from her. Within a few quick moments, the similarly soggy blond rushed in through the door, exertion from the snowball fight still coloring her cheeks a slight pink.

"Tifa may need help changing," was all he told her, and Elena seemed to realize what he meant because she nodded and hurried down the hallway. Rufus waited to hear her knock on Tifa's door, speaking softly before turning the doorknob and entering.

Once more he made his way outside, snow crunching underfoot as he approaced the mound which still not so efficiently hid a few strands of bright red hair poking up. Rufus came to a stop directly before it, waiting. However, the red strands of hair didn't move, despite the fact that now, as close as he was, the blond could see Reno's hunched over back and knew that the red-head knew he was visible.

"Reno..." Rufus started, his voice displaying his irritation, and the man wondered if it would be too immature of a gesture to smash Reno's face into the snow.

However, he didn't have any time to think of any further action before the hard, compact projectile smashed into him from behind, nearly knocking him to the ground. Instantaneously, Reno sprang up from the ground and began his attack before Rufus even had the chance to throw a betrayed glance over his shoulder at Rude.

Several minutes later, the two dry and warm women stood in the ajar doorway, huddled together smiling at watching the scene unfold before him.

"Do you think we should rescue him about now?" Tifa questioned, her arms crossed and head leaning against the doorframe, wincing with a smile as Rufus got knocked over by another particularly large snowball thrown by Rude.

"Nah," Elena replied, grinning ear-to-ear. "I'm willing to bet the guy's never praticipated in a snow ball fight in his life. It'll be good for the boss."

Tifa resisted the urge to cover her eyes as Rufus continued to get battered, a scowl on his face that at the same time managed to appear baffled. "I'm not so sure I'd call it a snow ball fight so much as an ambush..." Tifa countered, and both girls glanced at each other before laughing softly amongst themselves.

"Let's let them nuke it out and go make some hot chocolate," Elena suggested.

Tifa nodded, gazing towards Rufus one last time. At that moment, his piercing eyes met hers, silently accusing her. She smiled impishly and ducked into the house, pulling the door shut behind her.