Chapter 4: Hard Drinks
Tifa sighed again, blowing back her bangs in irritation and exhaustion. She had known next to nothing about liquor, but after the first two hours, she had picked up some of the tricks that Reno had shown her before getting dragged back into the world of females. She supposed he was all right, a little too forward for her, but all right. Rude was a good man at heart too, she found out, often silently correcting her mistakes with a small cough, pointing them out politely, and Tifa would just smile. He was a good man.
"Need anyway help?" Tifa turned her gaze to see Elena, who was grinning, sweat dribbling down her brow. Elena was one of the waitresses in this chaotic bar, and she was surprisingly friendly, if you got off the subject of Reno. It seemed she had taken it upon herself to keep him in shape, though she had whispered to Tifa in an embarrassed voice that she only did so to catch glimpses of 'Mr. Tseng'. The blonde had colored considerably, and woven her way back into the crowd.
"No, it's all right Elena. Thanks anyway." Tifa grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as the blonde nodded, smiling sheepishly as she turned and walked back into the crowd, a tray in her hands. The party had only begun, with women up on stage, encouraging the uproar with their dancing, the man on the piano playing like on possessed, and a cigarette hanging off his lips as he occasionally smirked. Tifa had grown used to the chaotic crowds, already feeling more at home than she had in a long time. It was like a giant party, and the festivity made even Tifa smile.
"Bar tender, I'll have a hard drink." Tifa blinked, nodding her head as she quickly mixed up a drink Rude had told her was 'hard', flipping some stray strands back away from her face. She turned back, sliding it across the bar front, looking up, and her wine colored eyes widened. Rufus Shinra sat across from her, smirking arrogantly.
"You." She stuttered, lips pulling into a grim line, her teeth already gritted. She had almost forgotten about their unpleasant visit, to put it lightly, and it had come back all too quickly for Tifa's liking.
"Nice to see you too, Ms. Lockheart. Already making yourself at home?" He said with a smirk, flipping back his blonde strands back into his face. Tifa bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with one of the West's most wanted outlaw, not to mention this whole place was crawling with his bandits, so she'd grit her teeth and try and be polite.
"I guess. Rough night?" She asked conversationally, looking around to see if anyone needed a refill or anything. Anything to give her an excuse to leave this man in the dust. The mere thought of conversation between them made her head hurt, though he looked more pleasant then the other gents at the bar, who had been eyeing her the whole night, making her very, very uncomfortable. He raised an elegant eyebrow as the drink paused at his full lips, and Tifa continued to nibble nervously on her bottom lip. She wished he would say something to break the uncomfortable silence, the roar of the crowd long since drowned out.
"I guess you could say that." Rufus said, letting the drink go to his lips, which had once again, pulled into an arrogant smirk, while Tifa blinked, biting her lip with more fervor. Why did she have to notice his lips of all things? He was a bandit for heaven's sake, and she was already engaged, but her eyes kept being drawn back to his face, those eyes that made her shiver from something. She mentally scolded herself, eyes narrowing.
"Kidnapping innocent woman would be rough on me too." Tifa said in an angry voice, though she stiffened, noticing the two dark men's gazes turning to her, narrowing considerably. She bit her lip again, turning her gaze away from them, trying hard not to notice the way their hands had instinctively gone to their guns. It was an all too clear reminder that she could be killed without any mercy, since after all, they were outlaws. She instantly wished she hadn't said anything and had turned away, but to her surprise, Rufus gave a light chuckle.
"Feisty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like that. Rest assured that no innocents have been stolen." Rufus said in amusement, draining the glass in a small gulp, and she blinked, feeling a bit confused. It sounded as if he was mocking her and reassuring her at the same time. This man was certainly something else. She bit her lip again as she noticed his hypnotic gaze on her once again, and she felt color stain her lips. 'Fiesty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like that.' Rang in her ears, and she tried to turn away, though her gaze was still locked with his.
"Then you'll let me go?" Tifa asked almost timidly, drawing Rufus's gaze back up to hers, sapphire eyes locking with wine, sending a chill down her spine. Ice, that's what encased the gems beneath, and it warded her off, wouldn't let her see deep within, his thoughts, and that made her nervous. He merely raised an eyebrow, looking up at her in amusement.
"Maybe in time. Till next we meet, Ms. Lockheart." He swept her slender hand up to his, letting his lips brush gently against it, his eyes never leaving hers, and with a flourish, was gone into the crowd, leaving Tifa blushing behind him. She toyed with the idea that maybe he fancied her a bit, and for a moment considered what any other woman would have done. Swooned, for sure, she thought with a slight smile, a blush still on her cheeks for the rest of the night.
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"What'dya mean kidnapped? Tifa!" Yuffie hollered, forgetting her 'lady-like' behavior, which had been thrown out the window as soon as she had heard of her friend's predicament. Not to mention Cloud had been with her also! Ugh! That man was so infuriating! His fiancée had been kidnapped, and all he could do was sit around calmly? Yuffie was on the verge of throttling the man to oblivion, but calmed herself, breathing heavily. Cloud said nothing, knowing it would only enrage the young woman in front of him. Instead, he waited patiently as the woman ranted and raved. He had already heard a mouthful from Mr. Lockheart, who wasn't as enraged as Yuffie seemed to be, and in fact, had the nerve to ask if he would still get gil from their wedlock.
"Ms. Kisargi, please calm yourself. I already have this situation under control." Cloud said calmly, while Yuffie's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Listen Strife," she hissed, no longer using pleasantries, "if this is another one of your stupid daydreams-!" She started, though was silenced when Cloud cut in, looking up at her with his eyes flashing in annoyance.
"It is taken care of. I have hired a mercenary to bring Tifa back." Cloud stated, while Yuffie gritted her teeth. She couldn't believe this guy! Instead of going after Tifa himself, he was going to let someone else do it for him! What kind of husband was that? She felt her sides crying out in pain, as she had already tried to escape the confides of her corset during her ranting, so she decided to hear him out, and it had better be good. Cloud took a slight breath to continue, eyes flashing at Yuffie. "Zack McCoy came highly recommended, and I have no doubt in his skills." Cloud said semi-confidently, while Yuffie continued to try and think of thoughts other than strangling this man in front of her. How could he be so calm about this? Placing his trust on a man he didn't know?
"Yea, how good is he?" Yuffie snapped, while Cloud got up silently, turning and walking out the door, and Yuffie gritted her teeth, though she followed him. Another black spiky haired man was leaning against the back wall, tapping a gun in disinterest, and when he heard them, opened his startling blue eyes. Yuffie gave a slight gasp, noticing the similarities between the two men.
"Ms. Kisargi doesn't believe in your skills. Could you give her a demonstration?" Cloud asked calmly, while Zack, pushed himself from the wall with a grin.
"Yessir." He smirked, gun instantly whipped from his belt, gun shots expertly breaking beer bottles that were lined up on the fence, a good distance away. He smirked again, blowing smoke from the barrel before letting it sink back into his belt. He turned back to them with a raised eyebrow, a cocky grin pulling his lips up. "Anything else Ah can do for ya'll?" Yuffie was speechless with awe.
~*Author's Notes*~ Hehe! They talked! *blinks* Okay, so maybe the conversation was a bit weak, but I'm working on it! Excuse me if it's not very good southern drawl or Rufus, but I still liked it. *pouts* Well, anyway, I have now introduced Zack! *smiles* I guess I could have made him Sephiroth or something, but. uh, I just made it Zack! *blinks* Ehehe, it was pointed out I blink way too much, so I'll try and cut back on that. *tilts head to the side* Haha. Well, anyway, please read and review.
Tifa sighed again, blowing back her bangs in irritation and exhaustion. She had known next to nothing about liquor, but after the first two hours, she had picked up some of the tricks that Reno had shown her before getting dragged back into the world of females. She supposed he was all right, a little too forward for her, but all right. Rude was a good man at heart too, she found out, often silently correcting her mistakes with a small cough, pointing them out politely, and Tifa would just smile. He was a good man.
"Need anyway help?" Tifa turned her gaze to see Elena, who was grinning, sweat dribbling down her brow. Elena was one of the waitresses in this chaotic bar, and she was surprisingly friendly, if you got off the subject of Reno. It seemed she had taken it upon herself to keep him in shape, though she had whispered to Tifa in an embarrassed voice that she only did so to catch glimpses of 'Mr. Tseng'. The blonde had colored considerably, and woven her way back into the crowd.
"No, it's all right Elena. Thanks anyway." Tifa grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as the blonde nodded, smiling sheepishly as she turned and walked back into the crowd, a tray in her hands. The party had only begun, with women up on stage, encouraging the uproar with their dancing, the man on the piano playing like on possessed, and a cigarette hanging off his lips as he occasionally smirked. Tifa had grown used to the chaotic crowds, already feeling more at home than she had in a long time. It was like a giant party, and the festivity made even Tifa smile.
"Bar tender, I'll have a hard drink." Tifa blinked, nodding her head as she quickly mixed up a drink Rude had told her was 'hard', flipping some stray strands back away from her face. She turned back, sliding it across the bar front, looking up, and her wine colored eyes widened. Rufus Shinra sat across from her, smirking arrogantly.
"You." She stuttered, lips pulling into a grim line, her teeth already gritted. She had almost forgotten about their unpleasant visit, to put it lightly, and it had come back all too quickly for Tifa's liking.
"Nice to see you too, Ms. Lockheart. Already making yourself at home?" He said with a smirk, flipping back his blonde strands back into his face. Tifa bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with one of the West's most wanted outlaw, not to mention this whole place was crawling with his bandits, so she'd grit her teeth and try and be polite.
"I guess. Rough night?" She asked conversationally, looking around to see if anyone needed a refill or anything. Anything to give her an excuse to leave this man in the dust. The mere thought of conversation between them made her head hurt, though he looked more pleasant then the other gents at the bar, who had been eyeing her the whole night, making her very, very uncomfortable. He raised an elegant eyebrow as the drink paused at his full lips, and Tifa continued to nibble nervously on her bottom lip. She wished he would say something to break the uncomfortable silence, the roar of the crowd long since drowned out.
"I guess you could say that." Rufus said, letting the drink go to his lips, which had once again, pulled into an arrogant smirk, while Tifa blinked, biting her lip with more fervor. Why did she have to notice his lips of all things? He was a bandit for heaven's sake, and she was already engaged, but her eyes kept being drawn back to his face, those eyes that made her shiver from something. She mentally scolded herself, eyes narrowing.
"Kidnapping innocent woman would be rough on me too." Tifa said in an angry voice, though she stiffened, noticing the two dark men's gazes turning to her, narrowing considerably. She bit her lip again, turning her gaze away from them, trying hard not to notice the way their hands had instinctively gone to their guns. It was an all too clear reminder that she could be killed without any mercy, since after all, they were outlaws. She instantly wished she hadn't said anything and had turned away, but to her surprise, Rufus gave a light chuckle.
"Feisty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like that. Rest assured that no innocents have been stolen." Rufus said in amusement, draining the glass in a small gulp, and she blinked, feeling a bit confused. It sounded as if he was mocking her and reassuring her at the same time. This man was certainly something else. She bit her lip again as she noticed his hypnotic gaze on her once again, and she felt color stain her lips. 'Fiesty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like that.' Rang in her ears, and she tried to turn away, though her gaze was still locked with his.
"Then you'll let me go?" Tifa asked almost timidly, drawing Rufus's gaze back up to hers, sapphire eyes locking with wine, sending a chill down her spine. Ice, that's what encased the gems beneath, and it warded her off, wouldn't let her see deep within, his thoughts, and that made her nervous. He merely raised an eyebrow, looking up at her in amusement.
"Maybe in time. Till next we meet, Ms. Lockheart." He swept her slender hand up to his, letting his lips brush gently against it, his eyes never leaving hers, and with a flourish, was gone into the crowd, leaving Tifa blushing behind him. She toyed with the idea that maybe he fancied her a bit, and for a moment considered what any other woman would have done. Swooned, for sure, she thought with a slight smile, a blush still on her cheeks for the rest of the night.
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"What'dya mean kidnapped? Tifa!" Yuffie hollered, forgetting her 'lady-like' behavior, which had been thrown out the window as soon as she had heard of her friend's predicament. Not to mention Cloud had been with her also! Ugh! That man was so infuriating! His fiancée had been kidnapped, and all he could do was sit around calmly? Yuffie was on the verge of throttling the man to oblivion, but calmed herself, breathing heavily. Cloud said nothing, knowing it would only enrage the young woman in front of him. Instead, he waited patiently as the woman ranted and raved. He had already heard a mouthful from Mr. Lockheart, who wasn't as enraged as Yuffie seemed to be, and in fact, had the nerve to ask if he would still get gil from their wedlock.
"Ms. Kisargi, please calm yourself. I already have this situation under control." Cloud said calmly, while Yuffie's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Listen Strife," she hissed, no longer using pleasantries, "if this is another one of your stupid daydreams-!" She started, though was silenced when Cloud cut in, looking up at her with his eyes flashing in annoyance.
"It is taken care of. I have hired a mercenary to bring Tifa back." Cloud stated, while Yuffie gritted her teeth. She couldn't believe this guy! Instead of going after Tifa himself, he was going to let someone else do it for him! What kind of husband was that? She felt her sides crying out in pain, as she had already tried to escape the confides of her corset during her ranting, so she decided to hear him out, and it had better be good. Cloud took a slight breath to continue, eyes flashing at Yuffie. "Zack McCoy came highly recommended, and I have no doubt in his skills." Cloud said semi-confidently, while Yuffie continued to try and think of thoughts other than strangling this man in front of her. How could he be so calm about this? Placing his trust on a man he didn't know?
"Yea, how good is he?" Yuffie snapped, while Cloud got up silently, turning and walking out the door, and Yuffie gritted her teeth, though she followed him. Another black spiky haired man was leaning against the back wall, tapping a gun in disinterest, and when he heard them, opened his startling blue eyes. Yuffie gave a slight gasp, noticing the similarities between the two men.
"Ms. Kisargi doesn't believe in your skills. Could you give her a demonstration?" Cloud asked calmly, while Zack, pushed himself from the wall with a grin.
"Yessir." He smirked, gun instantly whipped from his belt, gun shots expertly breaking beer bottles that were lined up on the fence, a good distance away. He smirked again, blowing smoke from the barrel before letting it sink back into his belt. He turned back to them with a raised eyebrow, a cocky grin pulling his lips up. "Anything else Ah can do for ya'll?" Yuffie was speechless with awe.
~*Author's Notes*~ Hehe! They talked! *blinks* Okay, so maybe the conversation was a bit weak, but I'm working on it! Excuse me if it's not very good southern drawl or Rufus, but I still liked it. *pouts* Well, anyway, I have now introduced Zack! *smiles* I guess I could have made him Sephiroth or something, but. uh, I just made it Zack! *blinks* Ehehe, it was pointed out I blink way too much, so I'll try and cut back on that. *tilts head to the side* Haha. Well, anyway, please read and review.