A/N: Sorry I took so long in updating but FF has something funky going on with their updates so I wanted to wait until that was fixed to update. I know the story is a little slow in this chapter but there is much more coming up, never fear. I was thinking about putting a preview of the next chapter at the bottom so if it's there I did if it's not, oh well. Alright, enough of me I command you to read and review!
Sephiroth smiled down at the angry vixen in his arms before mounting the stairs and turning left. Tifa was glaring at the bottom of his chin with a look that could kill but she knew better than to start her thrashing and yelling again; it hadn't even bruised him. Sighing heavily she leaned against his chest slightly and proceeded to fall asleep.
As gently as if she had been a piece of Wedgwood pottery, Sephiroth laid Tifa on his comfortable and spacious bed. He took advantage of her momentary peace to brush the soft bangs out of her eyes and place a soft kiss on her lips. She really was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met.
It was then that Lenne came bustling in and set the tea tray on the small table near the window. Sephiroth's eyebrow arched at the shortened length of her skirt but she pretended not to notice. Sephiroth straightened himself and made a curt nod to her, his eyes never leaving her own. She on the other hand walked right up to him and laid a hand on his chest, a seductive smile playing on her lips. Sephiroth sighed and brushed the hand away. Lenne took a step back and feigned a hurt look. He just shook his head and said in a very annoyed voice,
"Lenne, you are my servant, not lover. I grow weary of your futile attempts to seduce me. I think it's time for you to find employment someplace else. Pack your things and leave by eight tonight."
Sephiroth paused momentarily as Tifa stirred in her sleep. In a slightly quieter voice he said,
"Do I make myself clear?"
Sephiroth had been expecting tears, but when a torrential downpour and screeching filled the bedroom he was slightly taken aback.
"You! You stupid, , beast of a man! [sob] How dare you treat me like this? [sob] After all that I've done for you! After I spent countless hours trying to make you see how much I love you! You're a monster! [sob] Oh why?! Why did I have to fall in love with [sob], with you?"
Tifa had awoken at the first wail and was now staring at a very pissed off Sephiroth. Looking at the way his jaw was set and the hard glint to his eyes made Tifa very glad that anger was directed at someone besides her. At the moment she wouldn't have been surprised if he ripped the hysterical woman's head off.
Lenne had stopped talking and was now on her knees in a crumpled heap crying. Tifa glanced back to Sephiroth to find that his expression had, if possible, grown colder. Now his arm muscles were tense and hands were fists. Tifa, genuinely scared for the girl, laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.
Sephiroth felt her hand touch his shoulder and looked back at her. There she was, sitting up with one hand clutched to her heart and the other gently resting on his shoulder looking every bit like an angel. For her sake he wouldn't smack Lenne across the room, he would just pick her up and throw her out into the hall. He gave Tifa a slight nod of assurance before walking to Lenne's slouched form, throwing her over his shoulder, and dumping her on the floor outside of his door.
Tifa, wide-eyed from the whole scene, jumped slightly as the door slammed shut with a resounding thud. Sephiroth was back to looking pissed and began striding over to the bed. Tifa scrambled back but he was too quick. Before she could so much as scream his lips were pressed against hers mercilessly. Tifa's vision spun wildly as she tried to pry him off but before she knew it she had stopped resisting and was pressing herself to him. The way this man could be so frightening and sexy at the same time was infuriating.
After a moment he lifted his lips from hers and stared into her cinnamon eyes. He couldn't help but feel a swell of manly pride at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. Tifa lifted a trembling hand and touched her lips as if she'd just realized that they were there. Sephiroth smirked and began pressing gentle kisses along her neck. Tifa allowed her head to fall back and let out a low moan. With his arms supporting her, she reached up and tangled her hands in his long silky hair. Never had it been quit like this with Cloud.
Cloud. Tifa's eyes flew open. What on earth was she doing? Her friends would be worried sick about her. Sephiroth must have noticed the change in her because he had stopped kissing her and was looking at her with a smirk on his face.
"Something bothering you?"
Tifa blushed lightly and looked down, big mistake for now she was looking right at his gorgeous chest. Swallowing the urge to run her fingers over that very manly chest she said,
"My friends, they'll be worried about me. Could I...would you let me call them and tell them I'm alright? I know that Barret will be especially worried."
Sephiroth cocked his head to one side as if he were deep in thought before saying lightly,
"Why don't I just set them up in homes here until the creature is caught? In fact, I think that would probably be for the best. He knew a lot about the professor's family life so he might know about your friends. I'll have my flight crew pick them up and..."
"No! I want to go! They're not going to come unless I'm there, trust me."
Sephiroth stared at her for a moment before shrugging and rolling off of her to lie down next to her. He felt her stiffen slightly but once he put his arm around her waist she immediately relaxed. He grinned to himself and pulled her closer to him so that her shoulder was pressed into his chest. It was then he remembered the food and tea.
"Tifa?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you hungry?"
"...not really but I wouldn't mind having a drink of tea. Only problem is we'd have to get up to get it and I'm quite comfortable where I am."
Sephiroth chuckled and turned her so that her chest pressed into his own. After a moment he draped a leg over hers, brushed the bangs from her face, and closed his eyes in peaceful rest.
Tifa lay next to Sephiroth with her hands resting against his chest and her legs trapped under his. She was still having problems adjusting to Sephiroth; his mood changed with the wind. Not more than two hours ago she had hated the man a passion and now she was beginning to like him. The sight of those heavenly lips closed firmly in slumber was enough to make her insides melt. Deciding to take a dare she leaned forward slightly and touched her lips to his.
Faster than she could think he had crushed underneath him with his skilled tongue forcing her lips open and his hands wandering over her body. Tifa tried to stop her vision from spiraling out of control but when a man like Sephiroth is kissing you senseless regaining vision isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
However, another knock broke the two apart once again. Sephiroth growled in frustration before saying loudly,
"I'm busy!"
A low chuckle could be heard from the other side of the door. Sephiroth groaned and pressed his forehead against Tifa's collarbone before yelling,
"Reno, there had better be a really good reason for you interrupting or I swear I will have great fun ripping your most precious parts off."
The door burst open and in walked a man in a navy blue suit with his shirt tails hanging out and black sunglasses holding his fire-red hair out of his eyes. He looked vaguely like he was permanently hung-over and smelled slightly like whiskey.
"Keep your pants on Seph, just wanted to say Lenne is gone and Tseng and Rude have found Elena, the bridge broke and she was stranded. So is this her?"
Sephiroth lifted his face from Tifa's neck and shot Reno a death glare. Reno was a great fighter and followed orders without asking questions, but when it came to women the guy was a menace.
"Yes it is; this is my fiancé, Tifa Lockhart."
Reno chuckled and leaned against the door frame. No need to ask if Sephiroth liked the girl, Seph seemed ready to rip his eyes out for just looking at her.
"Shame, she's hott. Well, I'll let you two go back to...whatever it was you were doing. Bye boss!"
At the word 'boss' Reno turned on his heel and walked from the room, shutting the door tightly as he did. Sephiroth looked up to find a very pink Tifa staring at his chest and nervously twitching her fingers. Sephiroth let out a low chuckle and kissed the top of her head. With his chin resting on her head he said softly,
"We should be getting up. I don't have the time to take you on a tour but I could ask Tseng or Rude, I'm sure they would be more than happy to take you around."
Tifa sucked in a gulp of air leaned into him slightly. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, tangling his hands in her velvety hair. In a small voice Tifa responded,
"I'd like that, but will I get to see you soon?"
Tifa felt herself growing pink again.
"I mean, ummmm...I, well..."
Sephiroth smiled into her hair before pulling back and looking into her flushed face.
"I will only be an hour and then I can show you around the outside. Now I have things to do, there is a set of clean clothes in the second wardrobe that should fit you."
Tifa shot him a suspicious look and said sharply,
"How would you know my measurements?"
That cocky smirk appeared on his face once again as he answered,
"My dear Tifa, that black dress you were wearing at your father's funeral showed you off beautifully and I had ample time to study you."
Sephiroth brushed another kiss across her lips before reluctantly leaving her embrace and ambling through the door. Tifa sat there for a moment before letting a sigh escape and rising from the comfortable bed.
His room was spacious and tastefully decorated with sage green paint and walnut wood trim. The carpet was thick and soft under her bare feet as she wandered to the second wardrobe and hesitantly opened it. What she saw made her gasp with delight. Long dresses of white, black, blue and every other color she could think of were found swaying gently from the disturbance.
Tifa picked out a sleeveless long white cotton dress with a slightly full skirt; it was the plainest one she could find. The material felt wonderful against her body and it clung perfectly to her slim figure. She felt like a princess as she gazed at herself in the mirror. After a few moments of staring at herself thoughtfully a knock came at her door along with,
"Miss Lockhart? Are you decent?"
Tifa, embarrassed that she had been staring at herself in the mirror, rushed to the door and opened it. There stood a man who looked to be in his mid thirties wearing a suit similar to Reno's but much tidier. He was about two inches shy of Vincent's towering height and had long black hair and dark eyes. Tifa smiled timidly at him and said,
"Hello."
The man's lips cracked into a small smile and he gave a slight bow before saying politely,
"My name is Tseng. Sephiroth has asked me to show you around the inside of the mansion until he finished with his work. If you'd like we can begin with the third floor."
Tifa nodded shyly before responding,
"That would be nice, thank you."
Next Chapter: We get to see a 'softer' side of Sephy and I'll introduce a character I have in mind for Vincent. Don't worry, I won't do the ultimate cliche and make her a mary sue, I think I'll have her be a native to Nieblehiem or possibly an envoy from Shinra, email me or just leave your thoughts in a review. I could really use your help with a suitable female character for Vincent.
