[02]
June, 8th.
Pizza delivery services & private clubs

Polar opposites don't push away
It's the same on the weekends as the rest of the days
And I know I should go but I'll probably stay
And that's all you can do about some things
I'm trying to drink away the part of the day
That I cannot sleep away

(Modest Mouse)

Sephiroth heard the metallic clink of the keys in the lock of his door as he relaxed, sprawled out on his leather sofa, lazily browsing the pages of a sport cars magazine.

Elena Lewis was the only other person in all of Midgar who owned a copy of the keys to his penthouse, so her stepping through the threshold in her formal navy blue suit, without even saying 'hi' or 'mind if I come in', was not unusual.

"You know, they invented intercoms. And even before that, there was always the knocking," he complained, the first of the two to speak. "What if I was with a girl? What if I was naked?"

"Then you'd be a total moron," Elena replied, still not bothering to look at him. "Considering you called me and asked me to bring you pizza just half an hour ago."

He watched as she dropped it on the glass table in the living room, her disdain apparent by the force in which she did so, and her stressed expression. Outside the huge window behind her, the whole neon city of Midgar glowed, the June full moon high in the polluted, greenish black night sky.

"While we're at it—" Elena resumed, finally turning to him now that her hands were free. "Keep well in mind that this is the first and last time you use me as a pizza delivery service. I do work for you, but this" she pointed to the pizza box "is not part of the contract. I'll make sure you have some proper restaurant flyers around, for the next time you're starving."

Sephiroth closed the magazine on his lap, trying to suppress his smirk.

"You know I hate delivered pizza, it tastes like chewing-gum. I just happened to want pizza from the shop around the corner. Unfortunately, they don't do delivery."

"Neither do I."

"Come on, Lena. There is so much you have to be forgiven for, a little favour might speed up the process. By the way, you know that I hate being assaulted by fans. And since it's Saturday night, I imagine the pizza shop must have been very crowded." Sephiroth got up and walked to the glass table.

He could tell she knew what he alluded to — the whole Lockhart thing — by the way she offered no reply, simply bit her at her lower lip instead.

He recalled with a pinch of resentment her switching off her phone for the subsequent 35 hours after dropping that bomb.

He'd had to chase her to her apartment to get her to talk about it. Cursing, screaming, even glass-breaking had ensued, but after a while he had surrendered, accepted, overwhelmed by the money involved. He was going to go through with the whole Hojo film thing. But for now, he wanted to avoid thinking about it as long as possible, and to do that, avoiding crazy fans with questions related to the damn movie was a necessity.

Crazy fans — exactly the kind of people crowding a pizza bistro on Saturday night.

Now that a few days had passed, his relationship with his manager Elena had almost returned to normal, except that he was enjoying playing a bit on her guilt, which included persuading her to act as a pizza delivery service.

"As a matter of fact, it was crowded. I had to wait at least twenty minutes," she replied.

"But you managed to survive nonetheless." Sephiroth continued to tease her while adjusting himself in one of the black polished chairs surrounding the table. "While you were at it, you could have got yourself a pizza too, and have dinner here with me."

"As unbelievable as it may sound to you, I have better things to do than eating take away pizza in the penthouse of a spoiled film star who I have the misfortune to see so many hours a day already," Elena chuckled.

"You're talking nonsense now. There are girls who would give their right arm to be in your shoes."

"Well, in that case, I pity their naivety," Elena replied cooly.

Sephiroth opened the pizza box and examined the food. Then he turned back to her, annoyed.

"I thought I made it clear that I wanted black olives on it, not green."

"Seriously, Seph?" Elena almost burst out laughing. "Do you really think that there is a girl who would like to be here listening to you complaining about which kind of olives is lying on your pizza?"

Before he could reply with another cutting remark, Sephiroth got distracted by his mobile vibrating on the glass table. He took it in one hand while eating the first slice of pizza with the other, and read the incoming text.

*hey man. party at the penthouse tonight too? see you in an hour?*

It was from Zack. He ignored the text at first, remembering the total mess of his dear penthouse after the last Zack-improvised party. But another text followed soon after the first.

*met some hot girls while drinking a beer, i'll bring them with. they'll love your place. and you.*

He realized he needed to stop Zack before the man rang his doorbell, complete with a drunk girl puking in the elevator. It would not be the first time.

*nah.*

He typed back.

"So tell me," he said, returning to Elena, and the pizza, "what are these better things you've got to do tonight? Staying at home alone because you have no social life and choking down ice cream while crying over a romantic movie?"

Elena shook her head slowly at his defiance.

"That'd be an appealing plan, but I have to go to a charity gala. Representing you, of course."

Sephiroth widened his eyes.

"A charity gala? Dressed that way?" He seemed almost horrified.

Elena, a bit offended at this, caressed her suit.

"There's nothing wrong with my outfit. By the way, it's not a debutante ball. It's just a charity event with an auction."

"And why am I not invited?"

"I did ask you if you wanted to go, three months ago, when we received the invitation. But you turned it down saying that you hate this kind of formal social event." She sounded as if she had been waiting to reproach him since she arrived.

"That I do," Sephiroth admitted. Then he got distracted by another incoming message – Zack again.

*fuckssake you're so boring. meet you later at the Jazz Club then - if you move your ass from your sofa that is.*

He didn't reply to this right away; he might actually consider the option.

"By the way, if you are feeling the sudden urge to come, you're still on time, I guess." Elena tried to persuade him, making her best effort to sound casual. "You know, being seen at a charity event would be good publicity. And for the record, you don't seem so busy for a Saturday night either."

Sephiroth knew she had a point, but he felt he didn't have the psychological strength to cope with an entire night spent acting formal, having to be nice to complete strangers. Given the mood he was in, a night out with Zack sounded far less demanding.

"I suppose I could come. But you would have to change your dress. I have no desire to be photographed with a workhaolic dressed like a man , even at a gala," was his brilliant move to get out of going.

And apparently it worked, because Elena started heading toward the door with a loud snort.

"I guess I'll go alone after all."

"Have fun dilapidating my fortune at the charity auction," Sephiroth recommended.

"Considering how rich you are, I was going for a five-zeroes amount, or something like that," Elena snapped while opening the door, a strange irony in her voice.

"Wow. I am such a good-hearted man, am I not?"

Elena closed the door behind her without further comment.

The thought occurred to Sephiroth that maybe she was not being that sarcastic, after all.

The Heist was a private disco club, accessible by membership only. At least ninety percent of the club's members were show biz people,more or less as famous as Tifa, eliminating her fear of being assaulted by fans.

Not that she hated her fans, of course. She loved them, well aware that she would still be just a random, unknown Nibelheim-born girl without their support. But in the last days, after the news of her new movie reached the masses – although there had not been an official press about it yet – things were becoming a little more demanding.

Apparently, LOVELESS was inspired by a book written by a young female authoress, with a vast, squealing, vampire-lover's female fandom. Even if there was so doubt that Hojo would have his own personal, darker take on the work, the fans couldn't wait for it to come out.

So you will act with Sephiroth? Oh my God don't you think he's hot? Is it true that you hate each other? Is it true that you're dating Reno Sinclair? Oh my God don't you think he's hot?

Those were the most common questions she received. The list of others was long; the absurdities people came up with amazed her.

Is it true that the script requires you to drink real human blood? Is it true that Hojo is filming the movie because he's dating the LOVELESS book authoress even if she's half his age? Is it true that your cat Red XIII has had puppies and you sell them for ten thousand gils?

Most of the time she just replied politely to them as Tseng dragged her to the waiting cars. Sometimes she denied the gossips with hearty laughs. Yet, when it came to denying she and Sephiroth hated each other, the laughs sort of froze on her lips.

That was not something Tifa wanted to cope with on a Saturday night, which was why she had agreed to come to The Heist. Without the fans, she was able to relax with her second cocktail, sitting in a stylish black sofa with animaliér cushions on the terrace of the club. Dressed in a classic black minidress and high-heeled red sandals, she was doing her best to enjoy the refreshing summer night breeze and the soft lounge jazz music before dancing began later in the evening, though it was obvious that she wasn't.

"Gosh, Tifa. What's the problem with you tonight?"

"Let her finish the second cocktail. Then we'll order her the third, and she'll feel better."

"Yeah but — just look at her face! It's Saturday night, and we're in a cool, exclusive club for heaven's sake!"

The two girls sitting at her same table and arguing about her mood were Marlene Wallace and Jessie Cooper, who Tifa might describe as her best friends. They had been among the first people she had crossed paths with when she first came to Midgar to study at the Drama Academy years ago. All new to the scene, and about the same age, they had bonded rather quickly.

Marlene Wallace, a few years younger than Tifa, in her late teens, was the only daughter of the famous agent and manager Barret Wallace. Barret had worked for many eminent stars, and had a reputation of rude and intimidating manners. Currently, he was the manager of the ascending boy band Avalanche, which was exactly Reno's band. Marlene, having been subjected to the VIP world through her father, had eventually decided to become part of that world herself. A natural beauty, she entered the modeling scene, though against her over-protective father's wishes, something often discussed, and argued over during their girl-only nights.

Jessie Cooper was more of an unusual girl. A year older than Tifa, she took part in glamorous world with them, but with a sort of scorn and detachment, far from overwhelmed by it all. The cute, chestnut-haired girl enjoyed acting, and so that's what she did in her comical leading role as a member of a deranged family in one of the most famous sit-coms on TV. Each time she worked with teen idols, instead of swooning over them, she mocked and made fun of them to Marlene and Tifa.

"Sorry, girls." Tifa took a sip of her cocktail. "It's just that this whole movie thing is getting to me a bit."

"Oh – and by the 'whole movie thing', I gather you're talking about the fact that you'll be working with Sephiroth." Marlene said.

That annoyed Tifa a little, but she knew Marlene meant no harm, she was just gossip-addicted.

Jessie, on the other hand, glared at Marlene. "I thought we agreed we were not supposed to bring up the subject," she snapped.

"I know." Marlene sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's just that—"

"It's okay, Jess." Tifa cut in. "By the way, she's right. That is pretty much the main reason my mood's ruined."

"Why would you care about working with Sephiroth when you've already got Reno, anyway." Marlene wondered.

"Wow – isn't that a great fortune!" Jessie spat sarcastically, repressing a chuckle. Clearly she didn't share Marlene's opinion of Reno Sinclair.

"I am not hooking up with Reno." As soon as Tifa said this, it almost feel like déjà-vu, like she had already said such a thing before. Probably because you have. To loads of people. "We're just friends, so sometimes we hang out together. That's it. Marlene, are you going to believe me, or a stupid gossip magazine?"

"You, of course!" Marlene replied immediately, sounding hurt. "I just think you would be so cute together."

At this, Tifa closed her eyes and finished the remnants of her cocktail in a few gulps. Jessie nearly burst out laughing.

"You're almost sounding like a fangirl, Marlene." She looked at the younger girl sceptically. "If you like red guitar boy so much why don't you give it a try yourself?"

A shy smile appeared on Marlene lips, but her hazel eyes seemed terribly sly under her ash-colored fringe.

"I met Reno more than once. He actually tried to get my phone number, but Daddy threatened to throw him out of the band if he ever came near me," she explained.

Tifa raised her eyebrow. Hearing the word daddy associated to the dark human mountain known as Barret always came with a shock.

"Your father deserve a statue, Sinclair boy is scum. You can do so much better, Marlene." Jessie said. "I don't think a sane man would ever dare to contradict your father, anyway."

"Excuse me, I'm very sorry to interrupt. You're Tifa Lockhart, aren't you?"

All three girls looked up, forgetting their chat for a moment. A beautiful, raven-haired girl had approached their table, and was smiling politely at Tifa. She was taller than Tifa, her hair straighter and shiny. For just a second the stranger glanced at Marlene, and they exchanged a nod. Not very surprisingly looking at her body, Tifa supposed they had met on the catwalk.

"Yeah, it's me," Tifa answered, trying to reciprocate her smile. She felt a bit unsure about how to act. She was mostly used to men approaching her, especially at 'The Heist'. And this girl – woman, almost - surely didn't look like one of the possible LOVELESS squealing fans either.

"I knew it!" she sighed in relief. "I promise I won't take up too much of your time. I just wanted to ask – Tseng is your manager, right? Isn't he here tonight?"

Tifa's smile vanished. She stared at the stunning girl, almost gaping, not knowing how to reply.

Now this is something new.

"Yes, he's been my manager for a few years now," she started to explain, her voice tentative. "But tonight he's not here. It's just me and my friends as you can see."

The raven-haired girl made no effort to hide her disappointment — a pout appeared on her perfect cherry-painted lips.

"Oh. I see."

"Why, do you know him?" Tifa asked, sounding a bit more aggressive than she had intended.

"Wow, this is embarrassing." The girl laughed, shaking her head, and running a hand through her silky hair, "No, I don't know him personally. I am sort of a fan, if you want to put it that way. I am from Wutai just as he is. I've been following his bio in the magazines for forever – you know, I just wanted to meet him."

Tifa was still wordless.

Is this really happening, is this what I think it is?

"Tifa, don't you bring along some Tseng autographs to deliver to his fans, if necessary?" Jessie came to her rescue, and her words made Marlene giggle.

The raven-haired woman blushed.

"Thanks, but I'm no collector." Though it was said as just a joke, she refused the offer with a smile. She produced a business card from her jeweled purse instead, and handed it to Tifa. "But you could give this to him, I'd appreciate that very much. Sorry for the bother, and have a nice evening."

Tifa's eyes trailed on her figure classily swinging away on her high heels. Marlene caught the moment and stole the business card from Tifa's apparently frozen fingers.

"Jun Liu," she read out loud. "She's a top model. Wow."

Tifa snapped the business card back from Marlene, to take a look herself.

"So Tseng has fans too, uh?" Jessie seemed to find the whole situation slightly entertaining. "And what a fan."

"Well, why would anyone be surprised?" Marlene asked. "He's hot."

"But usually managers don't have fans. Plus, he's an insufferable stern workaholic." The very moment the words came out her lips, she realized how shallow they sounded. Yet she was not finding the whole episode as funny as her friends did.

"So what?" Marlene sounded exasperated. "Just because he's your manager doesn't mean he can't have a life. You sound a bit possessive sometimes, Teef."

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I agree with Marlene." said Jessie.

A satisfied grin appeared on Marlene's lips.

When Marlene and Jessie took sides together, that definitely meant Tifa was wrong.

They eventually changed the subject while ordering the third round of cocktails. Tifa found herself glancing at the business card every now and then, becoming aware of the fact that she had avoided to tell the Wutainese woman that Tseng was supposed to show up later to pick her up.

Did I avoid telling her on purpose, or did I just forget? The alcohol was not helping her get things straight.

At the end of the third cocktail, while Marlene and Jessie were distracted — the first checking out a guy, the second giving her a thumbs down about him – Tifa took the business card and threw it into the nearest trashcan.

Author'sNote

1. So after so many years you all still manage to make me feel happy to be posting here :) Consider this chapter as a huge THANK YOU to all the people that followed, favourited, read & reviewed my little silly story, I would have dropped it otherwise. Please let me know if you still think the story's worth continuing, I need to know if there are still SephTi fan out there! 2. Thanks to my wonderful beta Savannah Singleton for cutting out all the useless 'almost' of the chapter ;) LOL. And don't forget to check out her profile especially if you're a 'Blue Blood' fan! 3. I'm in love with writing Tifa & Seph & their worhaolic managers ^^ 4. Will anyone help me cast Shera with a funny role? ;) I think I've settled everyone in my mind except from her, for now!

Have a nice day you all!

S.