--Through Torrents Of Time--
Author Notes:
One more chapter up! This is the mushy one...
My readers have finally caught up to me in my writing. I have NOT finished the chapter "Burned Salad and Broken Guns" so, from now on it's going to be slow at updating...
Chapter Six is one of the longest chapters ever, and it's also a very important chapter! So, be patient, and I will update as fast as possible.
Magnusanubis, I thank you again for all your encouragement! I wrote this story over a long span of time, so yes, I think it gets better as I write. In answer to your question--Yes. Our resident blonde hottie will make quite a few apperances in the chapter "Burned Salad and Broken Guns". So be patient, and I'll step on it!
Anyway, enjoy Chapter Five: Made Up My Mind
Chapter Five: Made Up My Mind
"Midnight already…" Rufus groaned, rubbing his temples in a circular pattern, "I've been working since sun up and still it's not done!"
Exasperatedly, the vice-president dropped his pen on his desk with a clatter, "We have enough vehicles just to transport Squadrons Four and Five for the next mission. But then again, we need room to bring Storm and her mechanics equipment…" he ran a hand through his hair, "Why must this be SO complicated?"
Thunk
His head hit the desk, scattering a few papers.
You'll never amount to anything…
You're useless!
He drew his head up, covering his face with his hands.
"This is ridiculous…" He paused shortly, "What…what am I living for?"
Despair had gripped him before, but nothing like this. He thought back to the talk he'd had with his father previously…only a few hours ago…
--
Rufus was trembling…he'd been called to his father's office and it was for reasons FAR from getting a promotion.
The shined and polished mahogany double doors stood like skyscrapers towering over him. Just inside was the President's office, his father was in there…Rufus gulped as two guards opened the doors for him.
He wanted to run.
Coward…
Slowly, step by step, he entered the room, attempting to look as nonchalant as he could, but his eyes showed his fear.
President Shinra sat at the other end of the room, hands folded calmly on his desk in front of him. His brown hair was slicked back leaving a severe premise which his blue eyes adopted effortlessly.
"Come here, boy." He said, severing the silence with a phrase.
Rufus came forward.
Another painful soundless moment cursed the room as the President drew a wine glass to his lips and drank of the rich liquid within it. He swished it in his mouth a moment, then set it down.
"Ah…red wine, Mondovi, 1637 what a fine year…" he mused, "Tell me, Rufus, do you know how wine is made?"
Rufus gulped, "N-no sir." He couldn't keep the stutter from his voice.
"Wine is made from grapes. The grapes are harvested, collected, gathered into a large tub and then CRUSHED."
Rufus jumped.
"CRUSHED--"
He jumped again.
"—So only the skins and juices remain. Then locked up for years and years, fermenting until they are ready to drink…"
President Shinra took another sip, "But…come wine gets sour." His hand came down with a force that could have shattered the base of the wine glass he held in it. A twang sound echoed, shattering the silence of the room instead. Some wine sloched over the edge of the glass. Rufus shook.
"Wine gets sour due to poor decisions…No consideration of what is to come…"
There was a deathly silence again. Rufus' skin crawled.
"YOU, boy!" The President yelled, his eyes snapping up to his son, "Are sour wine!"
Rufus' mouth fell open and he felt a painful stab to his heart, "F-Fath--"
"SIR!" The President roared, rising to his feet, throwing his chair over backward with a crash, "Don't EVER call me father, BOY!"
Rufus was silenced.
"That GIRL is a catalyst for trouble!"
"Storm's not--"
"You drag in a drunken tramp from the streets, hire her, pay her, and then hand your heart to her on a silver platter!"
Rufus went pale, "H-how do you know that?"
The President snapped his fingers once, a guard in a black suit and sunglasses stepped forward, and nodded. The guard hit a button on a remote he withdrew from his pocket. A thin screened TV slid down from the ceiling. Rufus gasped at what he saw:
"I'm trying to say that…is that I love you, Storm."
There was a pause.
"You…love me?"
"I-It is irrelevant…I cannot truly--"
"Stop, please, stop it…" Rufus begged through clenched teeth. The President waved his hand dismissively and the guard backed away after pushing the button again. The television retracted back into the ceiling. The room was still, Rufus bit his lip to hold back hot tears of humiliation.
"You choose poorly. You should have known better!"
Rufus said nothing.
"You'll never amount to anything!"
Rufus gulped and winced as the words hit him at full force. A single scalding tear escaped him.
"There are security cameras in EVERY room. Save it to memory, if you even have one. Gah, you're useless!"
'Don't run.' Rufus thought to himself, balling his hands into fists, 'Don't run, don't show him your weakness, don't show him how much you're hurting.' His face went blank, suddenly void of emotion. He found it easy to slip into this shell, this empty avatar he used so often.
It was quiet once more.
"Get out of my sight." The President growled.
Rufus obliged.
--
"I only did what I thought was right…" Rufus sighed, "No, I'm lying to myself…" Rufus straightened up, leaned back in his chair, and considered this for a moment. His conclusion was dizzying, "I followed my heart…"
By chance, his eyes touched briefly on the door the moment a small piece of paper slid underneath it. He blinked at it before getting up to retrieve it.
"Meet me at my workshop now—Storm." He read aloud. Rufus blushed instantaneously, "Now?"
--
A few minutes later Rufus found himself at the door of Storm's Mechanic's Shop. He drew his hand up to knock on the door
'That GIRL is a catalyst for trouble!'
Rufus hesitated, and then stopped completely, "I have to get focused…I have to forget…her…"
He turned to walks away. Behind him he heard the door creak open.
"Rufus?"
It was Storm's voice. Rufus went rigid; maybe he wasn't supposed to forget her. Taking a moment to collect himself, he relaxed and turned to face her, "You…wanted to see me?"
Storm grinned, "Yep! Come on in!"
Rufus shook his head and grabbed Storm's wrist yanking her out of the door way. Storm gave him a shocked look as she accidentally tripped and fell against him, his arms unconsciously folding against her. Both blushed.
"What're you--"
"There's a security camera in your shop. You have to break it. Ask someone to come and fix it later on and the staff won't suspect a thing." Rufus interrupted her.
Storm could hear Rufus' heart pounding in her head, She gulped, "A-alright…"
They stood there for a moment. The moment extended…
Rufus was so warm, thought Storm. It felt good to be held like that, her head resting against his chest, the rise and fall as he took nice even breaths.
Storm couldn't feel it, but Rufus was hot. He'd never held Storm when she was conscious, it was incredible what a difference that made. His hands went loose, releasing tension, the felt her silky hair, the gentle curve of her back, her soft skin…he let go.
Storm backed up a step and smiled slightly. Still pink in the face she turned and walked into her ship.
It didn't take her long to locate the camera. As she walked, it didn't move, the guard must have fallen asleep but just in case he wasn't, she approached it from the side. Climbing up on a counter she loosened a screw on the camera. It fell out and into the palm on her hand. The camera pitched forward and she heard something snap. The red light that signaled it was on, fell dark as the camera hung there, Storm smiled.
Tossing the screw up and down in her hand she returned to Rufus, standing outside the shop.
"All clear." She said, showing him the screw.
Rufus nodded and went into Storm's workshop after her.
--
The doors shut behind him. Storm's workshop was dimly lit. One or two bare bulb light hung from the ceiling. Even in the low artificial light, Rufus noticed that the room had been cleaned, parts had been sorted, the nooks and crannies dusted. Storm smiled around at her handiwork.
"Well? Whatcha think?"
Rufus smiled, "You are an efficient and hard worker!" he praised. Suddenly he noticed that Storm was wearing the clothes he'd given her and his smile widened, "I like your outfit."
Storm giggled.
Quickly, Rufus snuck a glance at his watch. It was 2:09 in the morning. He suppressed a yawn but Storm saw it.
"Look, I know it's late, but there's something I have to tell you. I mean…really have to tell you…it's important."
Rufus blinked, "Yes?"
Storm's heart began to pound like a war drum. In an instant she felt like she had the flu. Burning up, and with a parched throat, the phrase just slid out of her mouth, "Rufus, I love you too…"
Rufus blinked again. He almost said, 'What?' out loud, but he didn't. Funny, that wasn't so bad…and yet, suddenly the wonderful revelation came to him like a roaring, rushing wind.
Storm watched him blush and felt herself mirror him. With a gulp she asked uncertainly, "…w-well…? You're…just going to uh…stand there like that? Oh I'm so stupid…"
Rufus snapped back to his senses and shook his head furiously, "No! No, no, you aren't stupid at all!" Rufus' voice fell short as he saw Storm turn away from him.
"Storm, look at me!" he blurted out, sounding more desperate than he meant it to, "Storm, please look at me!"
Storm turned back around slowly, and lifted her navy blue eyes to meet his aqua ones and felt her throat shut off her supply of air.
Rufus reached out and put his hands around Storm's arms, the place just below her shoulders, and felt her tremble. For a moment he just stared at her…she was so beautiful…he felt himself start to shake, he felt like he was on fire, and then he could bear it no longer. He leaned down, closer to her, now forehead to forehead and whispered softly and intimately, "Storm…I love you."
Then, he kissed her.
It was a beautiful kiss, starting small and shakily, uncertainly even. But before long both lovers relaxed and the kiss blossomed, like a flower at daybreak, showing fully just how much they cared. Rufus released his nervous hold on Storm's arms and slowly eased his arms around her waist as she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him ever closer. The kiss lasted a long time, both of them lost in the moment. And when that one ended, Storm pulled Rufus back to her for more.
Storm closed her eyes and let it go. Her emotions ran wild, just enjoying his touch, his presence, everything about him. Her surroundings disappeared, the floor below her dropped out, she felt weightless, and she was floating. Rufus wouldn't let her go; she wouldn't let him stop either. When he pulled back she kept her eyes closed and said in no more of a whisper, "Don't stop…"
Rufus stood speechless, and red in the face. So, he didn't stop, once more, he leaned down, kissing her gently, feeling for the third time everything she had to offer in just one second.
The stars sparkled, the moon shone, and the night drew to a quiet close.
--
Rufus lay awake in bed staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. His lips tingled with the aftertaste of her kiss, her words ringing in his head.
"She loves me…" he said aloud, into the darkness, resting a hand on his bare chest only to feel his heart pounding out of his ribcage, "I still have an adrenaline rush…my heart's pounding so hard…" he heaved a nostalgic sigh, "Oh, she loves me…"
Storm was the most perfect girl he'd ever met. She was incredible in every way! Her hair, her smile, her eyes, her lips…everything had an amazing angelic perfection. What was more was, she saw past his money. Girls before her were never after him, they were after his wealth or his position. There were times when he felt like a walking dollar sign. But Storm loved him, not his money! Rufus sighed, tossing and turning the rest of the night in giddy joy. Only a fool would sleep and waste seconds thinking about a moment such as Storm had given him.
--
Storm slept peacefully, awaiting the dawn of a new day, dreaming wonderful dreams of nothing but that whom she loved…Rufus.
!PREVIEW!
Chapter Six: Burned Salad and Broken Guns
Rufus and Storm FINALLY confessed their feelings for one another. Butwill it beenough? Life comes fast at the new lovers, throwing each into ridiculous situations.Storm gets her first real job and goes offsite and far away from Rufus and ShinRa Inc. What'll happen when she's out roughing it with the SOLDIER Squadrons? Find out in Chapter Six!