All I have to say for you people who reviewed last chapter and all those
before, wow! I just want to take up some space up here and say thanks,
m'kay, so here I go.
Amy@ngel: Hehe, I'm glad you liked the scene, and I have to agree that I think Rufus is much cuter than Cloud. Period. (
AnimeBunny: Yes, me thinks that Rufus and Tifa is a cute couple too. It's nice to know you like the story. (
generalquistis: Glad you liked my story! Keep up the good Rufus/Tifa fics!
Yuffie-Girl: To answer your question, yes, I have fun writing this story. Tons of evil fun to keep me amused for hours. Thanks for the review!
Zhakeena: Nope, you weren't the only one for Zack/Yuffie. And don't worry about going insane. Everyone is a tinge bit crazy inside, especially me! Hehe, I'm special.
Chaotic Chaos: Thanks again for the idea for Don Corneo! Couldn't have done it without you! Resident Evil you say? Mwhahaha! Maybe I'll check you out sometime. Well, anyway I read Maiden_of_Vincent's story and checked out her bio. She likes my works? Tell her I'm really touched! *sniffles*
Ah-choo: Thanks so much for helping me with the accent! Tons of cookies, tons of cookies! *shovels mountain load towards Ah-choo* Thanks so much for reviewing all of my crap! I'm gonna go cry!
Sunflower-chan: Hehe, yes, Zack/Yuffie, where no author has gone before. Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer! Well, to give a slight hint, Aeris won't end up with any of the guys you mentioned. Hehe, I think I'm going a bit evil with the pairings.
Fire Fly: Oh! You're my best friend I swear! Thanks for reviewing so loyally and helping me with the pairing! I'd hug you, but I think my family would look at me funny if I hugged the screen. Hehe! Oh, I wish Rufus would have kissed Tifa, but ugh! I suck at romance scenes, believe me.
Krisy: Glad you're enjoying the Rufus/Tifa! Love for all! *giggles*
Volk Zyta: Thanks for reviewing all the time! I swear, I love you people! Well, anyway, thanks for the praise, and I'll update as often as possible, but school is such a pain. *curses*
So very long, yes, and I said thanks so many times I think it's boring, but thanks so much to everyone! Peace and love to you all!
Chapter 10: Just Peachy
"Ah can't believe this!" Shera moaned, covering her face with her hands, looking as if she was about to crawl into a hole and die. Tifa blinked, watching Shera with a somewhat confused expression.
"What are you talking about?" Tifa prodded, while Shera continued to bemoan her situation, and Aeris sighed, shaking her head as she turned to Tifa with a slight roll of her green eyes.
"Elena just told 'Captain' of Shera's feelings an' Shera ain't takin' it too kindly." Aeris stated in a somewhat bored voice, Shera letting out another mournful sound, while Tifa raised an eyebrow. All this fuss over something as trivial as that? Shouldn't Shera be happy that she- well, actually Elena, had been able to tell her beloved 'Captain' how she felt? Shouldn't her silent agony be extinguished?
As if sensing Tifa's thoughts, Shera instantly looked up, her eyes welling with tears, as if someone had died.
"What if Captain hates me?" Shera mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest, biting her lip in agony. Aeris just sighed, shaking her head almost disapprovingly as her braid swished across her form.
"So how was the sparrin'?" Aeris asked after a moment, changing the subject through a painfully obvious method, though Tifa instantly jumped at the thought.
"It was okay, I guess, though I don't know what use I was to Rufus, I guess he could have fought Vincent or Tseng, so why choose me?" Tifa inhaled after the long sentence, inwardly cursing her sudden Elena impersonation. At the right time too!
The other two women just gapped at her, until, still shocked, Shera exclaimed softly, "Ya called him Rufus!" Tifa blinked, tilting her head to the side, watching Shera with a somewhat confused expression, though the same look flitted on Aeris's, as if she had committed a horrible crime.
She shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable, as she nibbled on her lip nervously. Why did they call him Sir? Yes, he had saved the town, and had 'ruled' them with fear, but never once had she heard them complain, still respecting and fearing him. He was a couple years younger than Shera and Cid, yet they still called him Sir if he happened to pass by.
It must be so lonely, she concluded, with no one to really understand, distancing themselves from you just because you hid behind the title of 'Sir'. Is that why he had asked her instead of Vincent or Tseng? Surely they would have been a better challenge than her, though she didn't doubt her abilities in the least. She was just a bit rusty, that's all.
"It's just that." Tifa looked up startled as Aeris spoke, twisting her dress nervously, "No one's called him Rufus since his mother died." Tifa nodded, looking back down at her feet.
The lovely Isabelle, she should have known. Rufus's mother. No wonder he was so cold, since she had been practically the same when her mother had passed away. She sighed, shaking her head sadly. Poor Rufus. instantly her head snapped up. Poor? Rufus? Where had that thought come from? He was a rich bandit who could steal whatever he wanted.
"Oh," Tifa said, clearing her throat a bit as her voice sounded a bit raspy, "I see." Aeris nodded, her gaze lingering on her friend's face with concern until Elena burst in, looking extremely happy with herself.
"Ya would never believe what just happened ta me!" Elena squealed, and instantly the tension dissolved in the room as Elena burst out into a bright smile. Even Shera's tears seemed to disappear as Elena happily babbled about Mista Tseng.
It seemed that something had happened between them last night, 'movin' their relationship further' as Elena had put it.
"Okay! All we did was talk!" Elena said with a slight grin, rubbing the back of her head with a slight giggle, while Aeris's face fell, shaking her head with a slight sigh.
"Oh Elena! Ah was so excited for ya! Well, Ah guess Ah still am!" Aeris said, while Elena was already lost, looking out of the window with a dreamy expression on her face, and Aeris sighed again, shaking her head.
"Well, sum things never change." Shera commented, while Tifa grinned, tilting her head to the side as she continued to scrub the counter, trying to rid all the stains that the mugs had made against the wood.
"I think it's romantic." Tifa stated after a moment, sending the two girls bursting into laughter, Elena still lost in her day dream, and it was obvious where her thoughts were. With her beloved 'Mista Tseng'.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ahh, Tseng, Ah can see that look on ya face. C'mon, who's the lucky girl?" Reno grinned, prodding at his 'employer' who had chosen to calmly ignore him, cleaning out his gun. However, his expression was 'softer' than it usually was, and it was noticeable, though he wasn't smiling, he might as well have been
Even Rude looked up from his usual mug of beer, looking at his employer, or at least it looked like it, since the general direction of his sombrero was pointed in that way.
Tseng continued to remain silent, Reno poking and prodding at his employer with a huge grin plastered on his face.
"C'mon boss, Ah ain't gonna tell anybody! 'Cept for Rude, but he'd already know, y'know." Reno said again, while Tseng glanced up at Reno, a sour expression on his face, no longer as soft as it was a moment ago. Usually Reno would back up with that look, but he was more interested on what woman, or maybe girl, had broken through his boss's exterior.
Aeris? Nah, even though she was sugary sweet, she didn't have the chest, but then again, who knew what Tseng wanted. Tseng and his expectations were probably very different anyway.
Shera? No, she had her eye on Cid for the longest time now, and besides, he doubted things would have worked between the two. Too shy anyway, she hadn't told the 'Captain' what she felt for him, and she had been here since forever. Or so it seemed anyway.
He ran through the lists of all possible women, even taking in consideration the old hen that still stayed around the bar, even though she was too wrinkled to do anything correctly and had and aid to help her around. Probably her poor son in law or grandchild. Or great grandchild.
"I don't see how any of this is your business Reno." Tseng said dryly, his voice a bit sharp, though Reno just sent his boss a grin and a wink. He knew his boss hadn't reached his limit yet, and he could push until he was about to explode. Then he could do what he was best at, weasel out of punishment.
"Aw, c'mon boss! Just tell me an' Ah'll leave ya alone!" Reno complained, giving an extra small whine to emphasize his point, choosing to ignore Tseng's pointed glare. It was always fun to pull on Tseng's strings and test his patients, but then again, he respected his boss. Tseng had a long line of patience, and could go through with any order, just like his brother, and Reno respected that.
Both of the brothers' had gone through a lot of s*** in their lives, yet they were able to keep it together. He had chosen Tseng as something kinda like his father figure, since the man had taken him under his wing, and even though he seemed a bit cold, Reno knew that he really did have a soul, and he had shown that when he had taken Rude and him in.
"It's Elena." There was a slight whipping of heads as both Tseng and Reno turned their gaze to the usually silent man who hadn't uttered a word since the whole ordeal had began.
"What?" Instantly Reno was in a frenzy, whirling all over the place before he stopped at Tseng, his jaw practically hitting the floor. It was no secret that there was a bit of bad blood between the two, and it was a shock to say the least that his father figure and supposedly worst enemy were now. what were they anyway?
Tseng said nothing, his face hardening, though he didn't yell at Rude. He supposed it would have gotten to Reno anyway. Elena wasn't exactly the most closed lipped person, and the ladies would have gladly told Reno anything he desired.
"Elena?" He cried again, just as Vincent walked into the room, his eyebrow arched.
"So it is true then?" Vincent said rather coolly, while Tseng bit back a groan, shaking his head as he applied more force to his temple, where a pounding headache was forming. Great, just great. First Rufus starts to disobey him, sheriff Sephiroth is after Rufus, and now Elena and him, whatever they were supposed to be, were in the open.
Everything in his life was great, just peachy.
~*Author's Notes*~ Blah! I really hated the way this chapter came out, so any constructive criticism would be lovely. Actually, I want some. Reviews are good also. Well, anyway, I guess Tseng seems a bit OOC, but it's AU, right? Well, anyway, please read and review!
Amy@ngel: Hehe, I'm glad you liked the scene, and I have to agree that I think Rufus is much cuter than Cloud. Period. (
AnimeBunny: Yes, me thinks that Rufus and Tifa is a cute couple too. It's nice to know you like the story. (
generalquistis: Glad you liked my story! Keep up the good Rufus/Tifa fics!
Yuffie-Girl: To answer your question, yes, I have fun writing this story. Tons of evil fun to keep me amused for hours. Thanks for the review!
Zhakeena: Nope, you weren't the only one for Zack/Yuffie. And don't worry about going insane. Everyone is a tinge bit crazy inside, especially me! Hehe, I'm special.
Chaotic Chaos: Thanks again for the idea for Don Corneo! Couldn't have done it without you! Resident Evil you say? Mwhahaha! Maybe I'll check you out sometime. Well, anyway I read Maiden_of_Vincent's story and checked out her bio. She likes my works? Tell her I'm really touched! *sniffles*
Ah-choo: Thanks so much for helping me with the accent! Tons of cookies, tons of cookies! *shovels mountain load towards Ah-choo* Thanks so much for reviewing all of my crap! I'm gonna go cry!
Sunflower-chan: Hehe, yes, Zack/Yuffie, where no author has gone before. Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer! Well, to give a slight hint, Aeris won't end up with any of the guys you mentioned. Hehe, I think I'm going a bit evil with the pairings.
Fire Fly: Oh! You're my best friend I swear! Thanks for reviewing so loyally and helping me with the pairing! I'd hug you, but I think my family would look at me funny if I hugged the screen. Hehe! Oh, I wish Rufus would have kissed Tifa, but ugh! I suck at romance scenes, believe me.
Krisy: Glad you're enjoying the Rufus/Tifa! Love for all! *giggles*
Volk Zyta: Thanks for reviewing all the time! I swear, I love you people! Well, anyway, thanks for the praise, and I'll update as often as possible, but school is such a pain. *curses*
So very long, yes, and I said thanks so many times I think it's boring, but thanks so much to everyone! Peace and love to you all!
Chapter 10: Just Peachy
"Ah can't believe this!" Shera moaned, covering her face with her hands, looking as if she was about to crawl into a hole and die. Tifa blinked, watching Shera with a somewhat confused expression.
"What are you talking about?" Tifa prodded, while Shera continued to bemoan her situation, and Aeris sighed, shaking her head as she turned to Tifa with a slight roll of her green eyes.
"Elena just told 'Captain' of Shera's feelings an' Shera ain't takin' it too kindly." Aeris stated in a somewhat bored voice, Shera letting out another mournful sound, while Tifa raised an eyebrow. All this fuss over something as trivial as that? Shouldn't Shera be happy that she- well, actually Elena, had been able to tell her beloved 'Captain' how she felt? Shouldn't her silent agony be extinguished?
As if sensing Tifa's thoughts, Shera instantly looked up, her eyes welling with tears, as if someone had died.
"What if Captain hates me?" Shera mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest, biting her lip in agony. Aeris just sighed, shaking her head almost disapprovingly as her braid swished across her form.
"So how was the sparrin'?" Aeris asked after a moment, changing the subject through a painfully obvious method, though Tifa instantly jumped at the thought.
"It was okay, I guess, though I don't know what use I was to Rufus, I guess he could have fought Vincent or Tseng, so why choose me?" Tifa inhaled after the long sentence, inwardly cursing her sudden Elena impersonation. At the right time too!
The other two women just gapped at her, until, still shocked, Shera exclaimed softly, "Ya called him Rufus!" Tifa blinked, tilting her head to the side, watching Shera with a somewhat confused expression, though the same look flitted on Aeris's, as if she had committed a horrible crime.
She shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable, as she nibbled on her lip nervously. Why did they call him Sir? Yes, he had saved the town, and had 'ruled' them with fear, but never once had she heard them complain, still respecting and fearing him. He was a couple years younger than Shera and Cid, yet they still called him Sir if he happened to pass by.
It must be so lonely, she concluded, with no one to really understand, distancing themselves from you just because you hid behind the title of 'Sir'. Is that why he had asked her instead of Vincent or Tseng? Surely they would have been a better challenge than her, though she didn't doubt her abilities in the least. She was just a bit rusty, that's all.
"It's just that." Tifa looked up startled as Aeris spoke, twisting her dress nervously, "No one's called him Rufus since his mother died." Tifa nodded, looking back down at her feet.
The lovely Isabelle, she should have known. Rufus's mother. No wonder he was so cold, since she had been practically the same when her mother had passed away. She sighed, shaking her head sadly. Poor Rufus. instantly her head snapped up. Poor? Rufus? Where had that thought come from? He was a rich bandit who could steal whatever he wanted.
"Oh," Tifa said, clearing her throat a bit as her voice sounded a bit raspy, "I see." Aeris nodded, her gaze lingering on her friend's face with concern until Elena burst in, looking extremely happy with herself.
"Ya would never believe what just happened ta me!" Elena squealed, and instantly the tension dissolved in the room as Elena burst out into a bright smile. Even Shera's tears seemed to disappear as Elena happily babbled about Mista Tseng.
It seemed that something had happened between them last night, 'movin' their relationship further' as Elena had put it.
"Okay! All we did was talk!" Elena said with a slight grin, rubbing the back of her head with a slight giggle, while Aeris's face fell, shaking her head with a slight sigh.
"Oh Elena! Ah was so excited for ya! Well, Ah guess Ah still am!" Aeris said, while Elena was already lost, looking out of the window with a dreamy expression on her face, and Aeris sighed again, shaking her head.
"Well, sum things never change." Shera commented, while Tifa grinned, tilting her head to the side as she continued to scrub the counter, trying to rid all the stains that the mugs had made against the wood.
"I think it's romantic." Tifa stated after a moment, sending the two girls bursting into laughter, Elena still lost in her day dream, and it was obvious where her thoughts were. With her beloved 'Mista Tseng'.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ahh, Tseng, Ah can see that look on ya face. C'mon, who's the lucky girl?" Reno grinned, prodding at his 'employer' who had chosen to calmly ignore him, cleaning out his gun. However, his expression was 'softer' than it usually was, and it was noticeable, though he wasn't smiling, he might as well have been
Even Rude looked up from his usual mug of beer, looking at his employer, or at least it looked like it, since the general direction of his sombrero was pointed in that way.
Tseng continued to remain silent, Reno poking and prodding at his employer with a huge grin plastered on his face.
"C'mon boss, Ah ain't gonna tell anybody! 'Cept for Rude, but he'd already know, y'know." Reno said again, while Tseng glanced up at Reno, a sour expression on his face, no longer as soft as it was a moment ago. Usually Reno would back up with that look, but he was more interested on what woman, or maybe girl, had broken through his boss's exterior.
Aeris? Nah, even though she was sugary sweet, she didn't have the chest, but then again, who knew what Tseng wanted. Tseng and his expectations were probably very different anyway.
Shera? No, she had her eye on Cid for the longest time now, and besides, he doubted things would have worked between the two. Too shy anyway, she hadn't told the 'Captain' what she felt for him, and she had been here since forever. Or so it seemed anyway.
He ran through the lists of all possible women, even taking in consideration the old hen that still stayed around the bar, even though she was too wrinkled to do anything correctly and had and aid to help her around. Probably her poor son in law or grandchild. Or great grandchild.
"I don't see how any of this is your business Reno." Tseng said dryly, his voice a bit sharp, though Reno just sent his boss a grin and a wink. He knew his boss hadn't reached his limit yet, and he could push until he was about to explode. Then he could do what he was best at, weasel out of punishment.
"Aw, c'mon boss! Just tell me an' Ah'll leave ya alone!" Reno complained, giving an extra small whine to emphasize his point, choosing to ignore Tseng's pointed glare. It was always fun to pull on Tseng's strings and test his patients, but then again, he respected his boss. Tseng had a long line of patience, and could go through with any order, just like his brother, and Reno respected that.
Both of the brothers' had gone through a lot of s*** in their lives, yet they were able to keep it together. He had chosen Tseng as something kinda like his father figure, since the man had taken him under his wing, and even though he seemed a bit cold, Reno knew that he really did have a soul, and he had shown that when he had taken Rude and him in.
"It's Elena." There was a slight whipping of heads as both Tseng and Reno turned their gaze to the usually silent man who hadn't uttered a word since the whole ordeal had began.
"What?" Instantly Reno was in a frenzy, whirling all over the place before he stopped at Tseng, his jaw practically hitting the floor. It was no secret that there was a bit of bad blood between the two, and it was a shock to say the least that his father figure and supposedly worst enemy were now. what were they anyway?
Tseng said nothing, his face hardening, though he didn't yell at Rude. He supposed it would have gotten to Reno anyway. Elena wasn't exactly the most closed lipped person, and the ladies would have gladly told Reno anything he desired.
"Elena?" He cried again, just as Vincent walked into the room, his eyebrow arched.
"So it is true then?" Vincent said rather coolly, while Tseng bit back a groan, shaking his head as he applied more force to his temple, where a pounding headache was forming. Great, just great. First Rufus starts to disobey him, sheriff Sephiroth is after Rufus, and now Elena and him, whatever they were supposed to be, were in the open.
Everything in his life was great, just peachy.
~*Author's Notes*~ Blah! I really hated the way this chapter came out, so any constructive criticism would be lovely. Actually, I want some. Reviews are good also. Well, anyway, I guess Tseng seems a bit OOC, but it's AU, right? Well, anyway, please read and review!