Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine, is not mine. The games, the characters, they are not mine. The concept of the story is mine, but the elements added that were not originally mine, are definitely not mine. I hope that's enough disclaimer!

Author's Note: Thank you so so much Naya for beta reading! Ah! So glad you like it! Also, this chapter originally happened to be a very very long one that involved one of the major turning points in the story. However, Naya and I agreed that we should probably cut it in half and allow the second half to have its own chapter. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this!

It had been weeks since her birthday, and Tifa still wasn't sure what it was. She understood that good friends danced together, gave each other presents, and watched fireworks sitting next to each other. What she couldn't explain was the almost-kiss, the flimsy beating in her chest, and the funny feeling in her stomach every time she saw Rufus.

"Are you okay?"

Tifa snapped from her thoughts and whisked her attention back at Rufus who was studying her with a guessing gaze. He turned around from the edge of the rooftop, his hands inside his pockets, and she noticed how the moonlight and the soft yellow lights struck sharp shadows along the curves and crooks of his features. That and his attentive eyes were really blue.

Tifa nodded.

"You've been quiet," he said.

"Am I? Gosh, I wasn't really…"

Rufus tilted his head slightly. "Something wrong?"

Tifa shook her head.

"Okay."

"Actually," Tifa began, halting Rufus from turning back to the sky as he stared at her. "I was wondering how long this will last."

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this," Tifa gestured all around her. "This is all temporary. You know that, right?"

"The rooftop meetings?"

"Not just that." Tifa rose from the couch and walked closer to his side. She reached for his gloved hands, examined them in hers, then squeezed them. "Our friendship might be temporary once I start working for you. How I'll see you, how we'll talk. And we're natural enemies— lightning and water. It will all change. I don't know how, but it will. I can tell."

Rufus remained silent and watched her rub the back of his hands with her thumbs. He grinned and the soft chuckle that escaped his throat made her look up and meet his eyes. "I hope it does," he said. "I'd hate to be stuck like this forever."

Tifa's eyes widened. "You do? Aren't you happy like this?"

"No."

Tifa frowned and almost withdrew her hands. Rufus gripped on them and pulled her back.

"I also actually hate the thought of you working for me," he said. "I want you to make your choices freely."

"But I do want to work for you."

"Really?"

Tifa didn't reply. She didn't know what other answer could possibly be there.

"Because I was hoping that you'd work with me instead."

Tifa blinked a few times. "Oh?"

"Only if you want to."

"I don't get what you're saying, Rufus."

Rufus sighed and finally let her go.

"I want things to change for us so we don't have to play by the rules anymore. So we can talk like this anywhere we are. So we can be friends without hiding it. Don't you want that?"

"Of course I do!"

"I think it's enough of a punishment that we can't even—"

Rufus paused right there. And she knew. She knew by the way he grimaced and looked away. When he huffed and turned around because he didn't want her to see what it was doing to him. Because she also hated the fact that they couldn't hold each other.

"Rufus…"

"So, again," he asserted. "No, Tifa. I'm not happy."

Tifa wrapped her arms around herself. "Sorry."

"What for?"

"For this. All of this."

Rufus' lips suddenly curled into a teasing smirk. "Are you happy or are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry!" Tifa pressed defensively. "Now that you put it that way…"

They allowed another silence to lapse between them while their heavy sentiments settled and died. Until all she could hear were the loud chirps of the crickets and the soft blows of the cold evening wind.

"Are you nervous?" Rufus asked, breaking the silence.

"You mean the first day at Junon Academy?"

"Yeah."

Tifa inhaled deeply. "A little," she admitted.

"Don't be. It's just like any other school."

"I won't." Tifa flicked him a smile. "Because you'll be there."

He smiled back. "That's right. I'll be there, too."

Marle was more excited than she was when the day finally came.

She packed Tifa lunch, her first aid kit, and her uniform was ironed and hanging by the hook on her bedroom door. It had delighted her that she was attending a high school not everyone could, and the idea thrilled Marle in a way Tifa couldn't understand. It was an awkward breakfast that morning when Marle drank her coffee while gazing at her, smiling, and Tifa almost expected her to shed a tear.

Rufus was silent in the car on their way to school while she tried her best to keep to herself, especially when she noticed that Rufus wasn't wearing his gloves. She wanted to ask him where they were but she already knew the answer. He didn't wear his gloves because nobody else knew about them.

It all felt all the more uncomfortable the moment the car stopped along the driveway in front of a wide entrance with stone benches and small narrow ponds. The students were… something else— flawless, poised, and reserved. They were so much like Rufus, and maybe almost as beautiful as he was. And they glanced their way when both of them stepped out of the car, a beat longer than she would otherwise normally expect. The boys smirked, the naughty kind or the teasing kind, she couldn't tell, while the girls scanned her with scrutinizing eyes from head to toe. Tifa pressed her lips together and shifted uneasily on her feet.

Rufus silently walked ahead of her, a cue he made up that meant she should follow him behind. They reached another area of more benches and students hanging by a lit vendo machine where he slowed down. He finally turned to her.

"You have your phone with you, right?"

"Yeah."

"If you need anything, send me a text or call me."

"Yeah. I know. But is that even allowed during classes?"

"Yeah." Rufus smirked. "Just don't get caught."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "I won't use it during classes, then."

"Fine." Rufus took a deep breath and lifted his chin. That was another thing she noticed about him, how he never lowered his head in public. Nowhere, but the rooftop. "Also, don't befriend the Wutaian."

"Yes, Rufus."

"I'm serious, Tifa. It'll get us into serious trouble."

"I know, Rufus."

His lips curled into a satisfied grin. "I'll see you later, then."

Tifa nodded. "Right."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Rufus threw her one last look as he was about to turn around before he walked the other way. Tifa licked her upper lip, sighed deeply, then started her own search for her room.

She almost didn't make it.

Despite the directions Rufus briefed her with during one of those nights at the rooftop, the size of the place made it a problematic exploit for her. She was almost tempted to ask one of the students, but she found them too intimidating. The school staff were just as bad, maybe even snobbier than the students themselves. She had to trace her steps back to collect her mind again, recalled ARufus' directions, strictly followed them without any other distractions, until she found it.

The classroom was already full when she arrived. The best seats in the middle have already been taken while the ones at the back were mostly empty. She quickly grabbed the one in the far corner where she could sink into obscurity and be safe from the curious stares. Funny how she looked forward to meeting new friends in a school as illustrious as this one just a few weeks ago. If she only knew what it would be like, how heavy and repellent the air would be for someone like her who didn't belong there. Who never belonged there. Then…

Then what? What was she to do? What was the use? She was there to study anyway, not to leisurely make friends and live up to everyone else's standards. She would make Marle proud. Rufus, too.

"Heya!"

Tifa jumped and almost gasped at her sudden seatmate. Round brown eyes belonging to a petite girl with short black hair were staring back at her. She smiled.

"Mind if I take a seat right next to you?"

The girl settled on the chair before Tifa could reply.

"I… I guess."

"Are you new here, too?" the girl asked.

Tifa nodded.

The girl folded her arms and leaned against her desk to take a closer look at Tifa.

"Huh. You know what, you're pretty."

Tifa gave her an awkward sideway glance. "Uhm, thanks."

"No, really, like you're really pretty."

"Thanks." Tifa smiled awkwardly. "I think you're really pretty, too."

The girl beamed. "I know, right? What's your name?"

"Tifa Lockhart."

"Why's your name gotta be pretty, too? I'm Yuffie Ki—"

"Good morning, everyone," the teacher's voice boomed as she strode in front of them. Everyone rose from their seats, greeted back, and remained stiffly quiet when they started the class.

When the bell finally rang for lunch break, Yuffie promptly grabbed Tifa by the arm and yelled "dibs!" Tifa consciously looked around to watch her classmates' reactions who only paid them a disinterested glance then largely ignored them afterwards. Yuffie playfully looped her arm around hers once they were at the hallway.

"So what are you usually up to, Tifa?"

Tifa hummed and tilted her head in thought. "Not much. Mostly studying and trying not to get into trouble."

"Pfft, boring. What about your parents?"

Tifa forced a smile and dipped her head. "They're both gone."

Yuffie gasped and placed a hand on her arm. "Oh no. I'm so sorry."

Tifa shrugged. "It's okay. It was a long time ago." They silently took two steps forward. "And yours?"

Yuffie looked up and twisted her lips to a side. "I actually don't know," she replied. "They are largely into materia, though. They have a collection and all, or something like that. Lately, they're onto this big materia. Or was it huge materia? Anyway, something like that."

Tifa tried to give all of her attention to Yuffie as they kept walking, arm in arm, and making their way to the cafeteria while she droned about the treasure hunting she delved into that summer. The overwhelming crowd and lofty air all drowned under Yuffie's gabbling and suddenly, nothing felt intimidating anymore. Suddenly, she was found and she had blended into the crowd despite the repellent air that morning. Tifa took a deep breath and smiled at her new friend when she pulled her towards the long food counter where they picked pork chops and aglio olio for lunch.

"Hey Rufus, isn't that the Kisaragi girl?"

Rufus didn't answer his classmate. He was already staring their way, watching as Tifa laughed with the Wutaian while they carried their trays and perched on their seats. She didn't see him, didn't even lift her eyes from the girl who kept chattering about Gaia knew what.

"And isn't that the girl you came in with?"

Rufus narrowed his eyes, his gaze still on Tifa. "And?"

"Why is she friends with the enemy?"

"Why are you snooping around like it's your business, Don?" Rufus retorted angrily.

The boy held his hands up and pressed his lips down. "Just saying!"

Rufus ignored him and felt him brush past behind him to their usual table. Tifa was still talking to the Wutaian as if she had forgotten the most important rule he gave her. Had she deliberately disregarded him? But to do that was completely unlikely of her. Rufus knew she was a smart girl and there was so much room for doubt. She must have forgotten, or perhaps she simply didn't know.

Was that even possible? Building a rapport with a name she didn't know? Or maybe the Wutaian tricked her somehow. Tickery had always been a part of their trade as thieves. Maybe they were planning on stealing her, too. Maybe they found out about her—

Too much, he scolded himself. Rufus huffed and turned around to his companions. He was reading too much into the situation and there was a big possibility that he might be wrong. He could be wrong.

"So," Don cocked his head towards Tifa's direction and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Who's she?"

Rufus licked his lips, raised his eyebrows, and tilted his head dismissively. "An orphan my father took in."

"Ah. Is she? I never heard the President adopting a daughter."

Rufus frowned. "He didn't adopt a daughter."

Don blinked. "But she lives with you?"

"Your point?"

"She's having lunch with the Wutaian heiress," Don scoffed. "Doesn't she know?"

Rufus paused before he spoke again. "It's possible. Our help looks after her. And the help doesn't know who the Wutaian heiress is."

Another one of their companions snorted. "That makes her a help then."

Rufus squeezed his eyebrows together, felt the burning spark in his fingertips again, and debated if he should turn his head away or break his nose with his fist. What's wrong with being a help? he wanted to challenge. On the other hand, he knew it wouldn't be easy for the smug and the pompous to understand anything he didn't. His little brain could not possibly understand that helps worked hard with honest jobs— none of the boys in the table did. It was not worth the argument, not worth risking the notoriety he worked so hard for. He was a Shinra heir and he had a reputation to uphold. Most of the students followed his lead and looked up to him. They were intimidated by him, a feat he was able to maintain for two long years. All those to ensure that he had everything under his control. And whatever he had was something everyone else also craved for. And was he to allow it all to be crumbled by two nitwits just because they had a narrow understanding of things?

His face relaxed in a few blinks of his eyes and he took a deep breath. "So what if she's a help?"

Don's eyes widened as the rest of them chuckled loudly, no doubt in mockery of her. He wasn't too surprised, but the realization of what he might have possibly done befell on him. Rufus shook his head and instinctively glanced up at her table. The Wutaian was engrossed in scrolling something on her phone screen and Tifa slid her eyes towards him when she took notice of his attention, smiled, then waved. She remained smiling even when he didn't wave back and stiffly returned to his lunch.

He could no longer hear the chatter on his table and he especially couldn't care where they stirred the conversation as his thoughts slowly filled with regret. And as he replayed his own tactlessness in his mind, it had suddenly decayed into self-loathing when one thing dawned on him— that he bailed on her and marred her raw and vulnerable reputation to save his own.

Tifa was standing by the benches, her eyes on the ground and her hair draped in a bundle over a shoulder and almost concealing half of her face, waiting for Rufus. Yuffie had gone ahead fifteen minutes ago, putting a regrettable end on her rather jubilant day and had herself retreating again to her self-doubt. Yuffie had been the highlight and high note of her time at the school, and she had decided that she would have been lonely, miserable, and hopeless if Yuffie hadn't shown up. And now that she wasn't around anymore, Tifa could feel the heavy and belittling air again.

"Tifa."

She rounded on her heels and met Rufus' offhand look which rebuffed her smile.

"Hey. Ready to go home?"

He sighed audibly. "I need to tell you something first."

Tifa blinked a few times and leaned forward, awaiting his answer.

Rufus rolled his eyes, looked away and shook his head. "I thought I told you to stay away from the Wutaian."

Tifa blinked again. "Yeah, I know. And I haven't even met—"

She froze. Her eyes widened. It had just only hit her, the realization that she hadn't caught Yuffie's whole name. She didn't tell her where her home was, either. She had been her only company that day and there was no mistaking whom Rufus was referring to. She cursed herself and buried her face in her hands.

Rufus sighed again and glanced around the quad. Most of the students were already heading to the lobby, meeting their chauffeurs and getting into their vehicles, while some idled around the benches with their own cliques.

Tifa lifted her eyes and shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Rufus. I didn't know…"

"It's alright. You didn't know."

"I really didn't."

"Be careful next time," he bidded coldly. "And stay away from her."

Tifa bit her lip and nodded then followed him silently when he pivoted on his heels and strode towards their car. As with that morning, the ride home was quiet though the silence was more difficult to bear now that she knew how much Rufus could be irate at her. She walked straight to Marle's quarters when they arrived, too afraid to glance back at Rufus who might still be displeased.

And he could only watch as she walked away, waiting for her to look over her shoulder at him so she could see him looking at her. But she didn't.

She still avoided his eyes the next morning when they rode together in the car to school, her gaze always elsewhere and never landing on him. When they arrived, they stood stiffly at the lobby side by side as they watched the car leave. Even then, the silence was overbearing.

"I didn't get a proper goodnight last night," he began just when Tifa was about to turn around and walk further into the campus, gently jabbing for her attention.

She slid her fingers along the straps of her backpack then finally turned her eyes up. His head was slightly tilted to her direction, gaze focused on her, and a smirk drawn across his lips.

"I thought you were still mad at me."

"I never was."

Tifa bit her lip and lowered her head again.

"You know why I'm particular about this, right?"

"Because your father will be mad."

Rufus shook his head. "No. Not just that." He leaned his head forward, trying to catch her eyes again. And when she looked up, he continued. "These Wutaians are up against Shinra, and they are crooked as they come. We are not sure how much they know about the magic we have, but if they get their hands on you, they can and will use you against us."

Tifa nodded. She understood. He had already told her about it, how anyone could force her into turning against Shinra. Then they would wind up as enemies and fight each other whether or not they liked it.

"It was an honest mistake," she admitted.

"I know. And it's fine. But you have to be careful."

"Understood."

Rufus chuckled. "Don't be like that."

Tifa furrowed her brows. "Like what?"

"Like—"

He was suddenly interrupted by a gasp from her. She was staring at the space behind Rufus with widened eyes then breathed "Cloud?"

Rufus looked over his shoulder a split second before Tifa ran past him and glanced around the buzzing students. She sprinted further in, so Rufus tailed after her.

"Tifa," he called sternly.

Tifa almost made a turn to a corridor but stopped on her tracks and then her shoulders dropped. Pale skin, spiky yellow hair, height that wasn't far from hers— everything checked out with what she remembered of Cloud. It was completely possible that she might not have known what he presently looked like after all those years, but she could still remember him as clear as day. It was him she saw not too long ago walking among the wave of the students. Right?

But she could always be wrong. All she saw was his left profile.

"Tifa, what is it?" Rufus asked behind her.

"I…" She took a deep breath. "I think I saw Cloud."

Rufus frowned. "You might have been mistaken. If Cloud is here, we would have known."

Tifa whirled to him. "Would you tell me if he is?"

Rufus gazed at her for a moment and swallowed. He didn't want to, but he would. "Yes."

"Oh." She dipped her head. "It must have been my imagination, then."

"You should head to your class instead of looking for your imaginary friend."

"He's not!" she spat defensively.

"He isn't. But he's not here, either."

Tifa took another look at the corridor. "Yeah. He isn't." She sighed heavily and turned to Rufus with an apologizing and melancholic look. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

When she was gone, he surveyed the students in the corridor once more. Blondes and bright yellow hair are not an uncommon trait among them, and anyone with the same hair color could be easily mistaken as someone else. Yes, that had to be it. She might have spotted someone who merely looked like Cloud from what she could remember of him. But the way she ran past him, the way she looked disappointed upon learning that he wasn't around, was telling of something more than longing or missing someone. But why, he wondered, if he was there standing right by her instead?

Yuffie was already sitting on her usual chair, her bag on Tifa's to save it for her, and waving excitedly as she entered. Tifa greeted back with a brief smile as she approached her chair while Yuffie lifted off her bag.

"So! I was thinking about what you said yesterday, the one about your hands getting dry. You said you live with Shinra's help, and you help the help, right? We gotta save those hands and moisturize because, hey, you haven't held a boy's hand yet and you gotta do it with soft skin." Yuffie paused and tilted her head curiously. "Hey. You listening?"

Tifa was smiling sadly as she listened to Yuffie drabble on. And it might be the last chance she had before she could move on finding other friends in the school. She didn't know how to tell her, how it was all a mistake on her part because her lack of curiosity made her miss out on the most important thing she and Rufus agreed on, a very strict and tight promise she made.

"Listen, Yuffie?" Tifa pressed her lips together and shifted on her seat so she was fully facing her. "I don't want you to be mad at me. Please, don't be mad at me for asking this, but… Are you a Kisaragi?"

Yuffie promptly nodded. "Yeah. Why would I be mad?"

"And you've always known I live with Shinra."

Yuffie nodded again. "Uh huh."

Tifa inhaled deeply. "Since you're a major member of the Wutai's leaders and I'm being sponsored by Shinra…"

Yuffie's lips pressed together in a slight grimace and her brow creased in the middle. "Are you saying we can't be friends?"

Tifa parted her lips and lowered her head.

"Look, my family doesn't even give a lick about what I do, okay? I don't even care about what they do. They never involved me in whatever they are up to, and they don't care that I don't care! I don't even care about Shinra!"

Tifa could feel her lips trembling so she looked away. A friendship like hers was a rarity, especially in a place like Junon Academy. She didn't want to lose Yuffie, but… "But I made a promise," she whispered.

Behind her, Yuffie pouted, crossed her arms against her chest, and looked away. Tifa thought she had transferred to a seat elsewhere, but she was more surprised at how Yuffie stayed where she was, albeit actively avoiding her the whole time. Tifa, on the other hand, had been trying with all her might to avert her focus from the ice between them and to concentrate on the lessons instead. It had been the slowest, most frigid four hours of her life that stretched into the day.