Beyond Seven
By: General Quistis (generalquistis@yahoo.com) and Xu (zhakeena@yahoo.com)
Disclaimer: Oh, ya know… it goes a little somethin' like this… we don't own anything but the story plot and our sanities… duh… whatever… -_-
Authors' Notes: This is part of our plan to sow the seeds of the Rufus/Tifa shipping um… whatever! So there!
Chapter Thirteen
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Tifa got inside her house and she was really drenched. She wiped her tears away with the back of her trembling right hand as she headed straight to the kitchen.
Marlene smiled happily at her. "Hi, Tifa! Where have you been?" she asked.
Tifa gestured to the hallway leading to the front door. "Outside. There was someone there." she said before she sat down beside Marlene and sniffed.
The little girl studied Tifa's face. "Are you okay? Have you been crying?" she asked.
Tifa forced a smile and shook her head immediately. "N…no! Why would I be crying anyway? I'm not even sad," she lied.
Marlene looked down. "Where's Dark Nation?" she asked.
Tifa sighed heavily as she poured herself a cup of tea. "I…uh… Rufus arrived and he fetched her. He's in a hurry." She told her.
Marlene giggled.
Tifa turned to her. "What's so funny?" she asked.
Marlene smiled and blushed slightly. "I could've sworn that you like Rufus! Heeheehee!" she said happily.
Tifa blushed and forced a kind smile at her. "What made you say that, Marlene?" she asked.
"I don't know, just a hunch…" she replied.
Tifa shook her head in disbelief.
"And you know what?" Marlene asked.
Tifa looked at Marlene again. "What?" she asked.
Marlene replied naughtily, "I think Rufus likes you too!" she said. Tifa's blush worsened. "Damn… this is not the time to listen to this girl's teasing… you should be in your room crying your eyes out but instead you're listening to this little girl tease your head off…" she scolded herself as she forced a happy smile at Marlene.
***
Rufus had changed to dry clothes after a few moments of arriving home and immediately, he ordered that a bottle of tequila and a wine glass should be delivered to the music room.
When Elena got there and placed everything on the coffee table, she turned to Rufus with a sad look on her face. "Is everything okay, President Rufus?" she asked.
"Don't call me President, Elena." He snapped as he poured himself a glass of tequila.
Elena observed him carefully. "Isn't that very strong stuff?" she asked.
"I know that, that's why I like it," he told her.
"Shouldn't you be using a shot glass instead?" she asked.
He gulped down the contents and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "No." he replied simply before he walked to the piano, feeling a little woozy.
"Stupid Strife… stupid Gainsborough… stupid daddy… stupid everyone… EVERYONE!" he shouted angrily as he pounded on the keys violently.
Elena looked down. "Did Scarlet say something bad to you?" she asked, knowing that Rufus wasn't that used to drinking too much so he gets drunk easily. Asking questions after a glass of tequila should be easier for her.
"Yeah," he replied simply as he stood up again and twirled around to face her with a playful smile on his lips. "She told me that if mommy was still alive, she'd tell me, 'Oh, Ruffy, stay away from that girl, she'll bring about the downfall of ShinRa.'" He mimicked.
"Who's the girl?" Elena asked.
"You know the lovely girl from AVALANCHE?" he asked as he began to drink again.
"Aerith, Yuffie or Tifa?" she asked inquiringly.
"Aerith, Yuffie or Tifa? Hahahahaha! You mention her name beautifully, Elena. Say it again!" he said before he gulped down the contents of the glass and then poured himself another.
"Which one? Aerith, Yuffie or…" Elena trailed off on purpose.
Rufus's eyes grew wide. "TIFA LOCKHEART! For cryin' out loud!" he told her as he searched for old music pieces and got one of the pages of an old music sheet with a blank back. He got a pen from his pocket. He began to hum a tune as he doodled. Then, he began to sing the tune, "So let me come to you, close as I wanna be; close enough for me to feel your heart beating fast. And stay there as I whisper how I love your peaceful eyes on me… but did you ever know that I had mine on you?" he stopped singing and showed Elena the sketch that he made. "This is Tifa." He told her.
Elena scanned the drawing. It looked good… it looked exactly like Tifa. She was amazed at how talented Rufus could be and felt delighted for Tifa.
Rufus handed her the drawing. "Will you search for my First Lady?" he asked.
"Man, he's worse than Heidegger and Reno combined when drunk…" she thought to herself.
Finally, Rufus went to the piano. "Get out of here," he commanded.
Elena rushed to the door, but before she got out, she smiled at Rufus and said in a very convincing manner, "Your mother was a good woman. I'm sure she'd approve of Miss Lockheart. After all, she'd only want the best for you,"
Rufus stared at the keys uneasily and then he flipped his hair before he started playing and singing, "Millionaire say, 'got a big shot deal' and thrown it all away; but, but I'm not too sure how I'm supposed to feel or what I'm supposed to say; but I'm not, not sure, not too sure how it feels to handle everyday…and I miss you, love…"
He paused for a while but continued with tear-stained eyes and trembling hands. "Make room for the prey coz I'm comin' in with what I wanna say, but it's gonna hurt; and I love the pain; a breeding ground for hate; but, I'm not, not sure, not too sure how it feels to handle everyday like the one that just passed in the crowds of all the people…" He looked straight ahead, seeing the rain pouring down from outside. "Remember today, I've no respect for you; and I miss you, love… and I miss you, love…"
Outside, Elena, Reno and Rude listened to him singing and playing the piano. "That's the song he sang with Tifa in the bar one evening…" Reno told them.
Rude nodded.
Elena smiled secretly.
Finally, Rufus continued. "I love the way you love, but I hate the way I'm supposed to love you back…" He stopped singing when he felt the tears falling from his face.
Was he crying due to the fact that he's been holding back those tears ever since his mother died or was it because of all the disappointments in his life?
He wasn't sure, but he just let himself cry. He smiled bitterly as he sang without accompaniment, "I love the way you love but I hate the way I'm supposed to love you back…"
He looked down and clenched his fists. "Tifa," he whispered.
***
"Gee, thanks for letting me stay over for the night, Tifa! I sure like your house!" Marlene said as she was tucked in bed.
"Yeah, don't mention it, Marlene. I wouldn't want us to go over to your daddy's and get soaked by the rain…" Tifa replied weakly, but she forced a cheery smile.
Marlene sat up. "Are you sure you're all right, Tifa?"
"Yes, I am all right, Marlene, like I told you before. I'm…" Tifa yawned. "a-alright…"
"You're sleepier than I am! Hey, as a change of pace," Marlene said in the best adult way she could say, "Why don't I read you a bedtime story? Then I could play Tifa, and you could play Marlene!!!"
Tifa shook her head. "I don't think so…" she replied before yawning. Her eyes still looked puffy. "I'm sleepy…" she admitted.
"C'mon, just one bedtime story?" Marlene asked.
Tifa sighed heavily as she tucked her in. "Okay… I'll tell the story, okay?" she asked.
"No! I'll tell the story!" Marlene presented cheerfully as she sat up again. Tifa sighed heavily as she plopped down on the bed. "Okay. I'll be the little girl and you'll be the adult." She said.
Marlene giggled. "Okay! Ahem…" she prepared herself before she spoke up again with a happy tone. "Once upon a time there was beautiful girl living in the slums. She met this handsome young uhm… uh… President from the rich people and they fell in-love with each other and they got married and had a happy family and that's the end of the story! Heeheehee!"
Tifa pretended to be asleep so Marlene shook her. "Hey!" she said in annoyance.
Tifa giggled and opened her eyes again. "Hahahaha! I heard your story… but why is it short?" she asked.
"Nah… I'm sleepy now… g'night!" Marlene said before she turned over.
Tifa was stunned for a while, then switched off the lamp light.
"Hey, you know what, Rufus wants me to tell you to dream of him tonight!" Marlene told her.
Tifa blushed. "Dream of him tonight… silly…" she thought miserably.
Later on, she still wasn't able to sleep…