Title: the job
A/N: I think my descriptions are improving, yay. Or at least, I'm paying attention to writing them more, so still yay!
Summary: It was easy, far too easy, working for the Don. Despite how reviled he was by the community at large, despite the amount of anonymous threats hurled at the narcissistic man, no one was really willing to act on them. Not when the Don ruled over more than half of the underworld.
The problem with that was that it left Cloud with far too much time to think. About Tifa. About their last meeting. About things he really didn't want to dwell on.
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It was oddly silent. Cloud crossed his arms as he stood in the center of an ornate mansion. Over the years, he had worked in and out of the homes of various rich men and women. A common trait to all of them was the constant footsteps of servants, the steady stream of chatter. A building of this size required upkeep, and there was always some work to be done.
There was none of that here. Cloud could count with one hand the number of times he'd seen a butler or maid pass by. He'd seen the Don's hired hands pass through the doors more often. Then again, he wasn't surprised. The Don was a cheap man when it came to anything but himself. It wouldn't be surprising if a skeleton crew was kept to clean only the most-used rooms.
That wasn't the only way this mansion differed. Cloud barely restrained his disgust as he cast an annoyed eye over his surroundings. The marble floor was the only elegant aspect of the building. Tacky decorations hung on the walls, garishly bright tapestries and an overuse of gold drew attention to every corner of the large hall. Everything screamed of money and wealth, as though the mansion had as big a mouth as the Don himself.
The only good thing was that there was nothing to do. While the threats were many, there were few who actually acted on them, and this was the easiest job Cloud ever had, arena battles aside. Even Yuffie, who always needed something to do, was just napping now. Curled up in her cat form, she slept on a plush couch, her black paws twitching to a dream.
It was strange to think that with a few minutes, she could transform from a small cat to a tiny girl. Certainly, it was the way she'd gotten away with burglary over the years. No one would suspect the tiny, stray cat that they took in for the night had looted them of all their belongings the next morning.
Cloud yawned. Even he was getting sleepy now. Not that it was a bad thing, being bored. It was definitely preferable to being shot at. The only problem was that it gave him too much time to think.
And he didn't want to think. Not when all of his thoughts went back to the bar two nights ago. To seeing Tifa through a smoky haze, her soft red eyes wide with surprise, her lips softly parted as she gasped.
Even after all the years since he'd ran away from home, he could still smell smoke, still feel the flame's heat when he looked at her.
She was still as pretty as she used to be. Time hadn't changed that. Her long, glossy black hair had been talk of the town when they were younger. Her eyes were just as kind when she'd stood in front of him, her hands warm as they'd clasped his. There had been a shock through his arm when their skin touched, a familiar sensation he'd thought he'd long lost.
Their relationship had changed. It should have changed. Despite how friendly Tifa had acted, it had been too long. They were strangers now.
She hadn't looked like she wanted that.
He wasn't sure what he thought of that.
What he wanted to think of that.
Actually, Cloud didn't want to think at all.
The front door opened with a creak and Cloud let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as the Don's right-hand man, Leslie, appeared. As usual, he was casually dressed, his dress pants held up by suspenders and his coat nowhere to be seen. His newsboy cap shaded his eyes, leaving him as mysterious as ever. Leslie nodded once upon spotting Cloud and gruffly said, "Got a job coming up."
Cloud tried not to let his relief show. Finally, work. He never thought he'd be so eager to fight. "What?"
There was a soft meow behind him and Cloud glanced over his shoulder as Yuffie stirred. She lifted her head, her tail flopping as she blearily blinked at them. Her nose twitched and she yawned, showing her sharp canines. When she spoke, her high-pitched voice was an odd contrast to her tiny cat body. "Huh?"
"Glad to see you're working for that pay," Leslie sniped, dripping with sarcasm. Despite his words, he didn't seem to actually care. It was hard to read him or his actions. His disdainful attitude made it all too clear that he didn't like his job or his boss, yet he followed every order to the letter with a precision that even the most loyal servant didn't have.
There was a small crack and the next time Cloud turned around, Yuffie had transformed back into the energetic woman he was used to. It was funny; her outfit was similar to Leslie's, right down to the suspenders, but on her it gave a boyish look. She pouted as she walked over. "Hey, that just means we're really good at our job. Nothing bad's happened, right? Everyone's too scared to do something."
"Sure." Leslie did not look nor sound impressed.
Yuffie's hackles rose and Cloud grabbed the scruff her neck before she got bite out a scathing reply. There was one thing useful about his partner being part animal; he knew all the tricks to deal with her. "What's the job?" he asked before this could devolve into a one-sided fight.
Leslie cast Yuffie one last annoyed look before sighing. Pushing his silver bangs back, he scratched his ear and said, "There's an election."
"Duh," Yuffie bit out, crossing her arms and scowling. The effect was ruined by how she was still dangling slightly above the ground, the tips of her toes scuffing the floor.
"Yuffie," Cloud warned. They had lost paychecks before because of his partner's temperament.
"There's a presentation for it," Leslie continued, ignoring her outburst. He rested his hand on his hip, his shoulders relaxed. "The bigwigs'll be there. Don's going too, so you'll have to protect him."
"Easy peasy, that's what we're doing already." Yuffie sighed disdainfully and shrugged as though to say that's it?. "We just gotta protect our man."
Cloud rolled his eyes before setting her down. At least she wasn't worked up anymore. "Anything we should be aware of? Any threats?"
"Just the usual." Leslie shrugged. "That's it. It'll be by the Honeybee Inn, if you need to scout the place."
"Honeybee Inn?" Yuffie perked up and bounced on her heels. She turned to Cloud with bright, expectant eyes. "A job's a job, right?"
Cloud didn't fight the groan this time. If she was excited, then he definitely didn't want to find out why.
-x-
It was obvious enough why Yuffie was in a good mood. Cloud didn't even care about such things, living 'under a rock' as Yuffie put it, but even he had heard of Honeybee Inn. A world-famous entertainment center, known for it's cabaret and burlesque shows in the evening and its red-light pleasures in the night.
"The wait list is like, three years long," Yuffie gushed as she skipped down the street, still in high spirits. Even the sun couldn't compare to her mood. If she had wings, he was certain she'd fly.
"We're not watching a show," Cloud warned, trying to bring her back to earth. Fortunately, the streets weren't crowded so she hadn't yet bumped into someone.
"But we'll be there. And there'll be a conference. And…" Yuffie smirked wickedly, turning around and walking backwards. "They're totally going to get a show before they do business. You know how it is." She winked suggestively.
Cloud frowned. She wasn't wrong. "We might not be in the room."
"How else can we protect him?" Yuffie asked, thatching her hands behind her head and humming as she fell into step next to him. "Sounds like a big, important job."
"Nothing'll happen," Cloud pointed out, a headache forming. If she was impossible to contain now, just how bad would she be while watching the show? "A bigwig in a public area? At Honeybee Inn?"
"You never know, there could be a secret assassin or a ninja or something like that." Nothing could bring down Yuffie's high and she started to bounce again as she walked. "We'll have to be very careful and stay with him at all times."
"Even with all the magic here, no one's going to cause any trouble. They'd get caught too fast," Cloud retorted. He wasn't sure why he'd bothered. It was easier to just give in and let her stick to their employer like glue. At least it would be easy money.
"I dunno, people here seem to either love him or hate him." Yuffie pulled out a switchblade from her pocket and flicked it open and close. Nimbly, she flipped it between her fingers. "I heard there's an entire terrorist group after him. Snowball?"
"Avalanche," Cloud corrected. One of them had to be aware of their surroundings and job. If it were left to Yuffie, they'd have died long ago. "We've dealt with worse."
"I didn't say it'd be hard! Just, you know, a little dangerous." Yuffie bumped her shoulder against his arm. "I thought you'd like that. It's way more interesting than fixed arena matches." Her smile grew devious. "Bet they've got better loot too."
Cloud snorted. He should have known that it'd boil down to this. "That's what you really care about."
Yuffie didn't deny it, merely winking at him. "So, what's the plan?"
She had a point. A terrorist group made this more than just a run of the mill mission. He'd heard of them sabotaging Shinra factories, so even the inn wasn't entirely safe. "I need a tune up."
"So we'll see Vincent?" Though Cloud hadn't thought it possible, Yuffie's expression grew even brighter, her eyes lighting up.
He could imagine the exact opposite response from Vincent. "Maybe you shouldn't come."
"Hey!" Yuffie protested, weakly punching his arm. "I need supplies too." She paused before adding, her expression grim, "Seriously."
It was amazing how easily she could lie. Even while pleading innocently. Was it worth losing his best weapons' supplier in exchange for Yuffie not annoying him till the end of time if he refused?
There were no winners in his choices. Cloud sighed. "Don't bug him."
"Never," Yuffie replied, her hand on her chest as though she were offended.
He could already feel Vincent's glare. Cloud sighed again. "It wouldn't hurt to get some info too. We'll need to prepare."
"Cloud?"
At the familiar voice, Cloud froze. Slowly, he looked in front of him to find Tifa several meters down, her expression as surprised as he felt. In her hands were two large, brown paper bags, her groceries peeking out from the top. Her red eyes widened for a moment before relaxing.
"Oh."
If she heard his soft mutter, she didn't let it show. Smiling brightly, she hurried toward him. "I didn't think I'd see you so soon."
"Me neither," Cloud mumbled, avoiding her gaze. An acrid smell hit his nose, as though there were a fire burning right there. Despite the way his stomach roiled and turned, he couldn't look away from her entirely. Some invisible force glued him there, pulling hm closer even as he wanted to push away.
"We didn't really get to catch up last time. Not properly." Tifa shifted her weight from foot to the other and shook her head slightly as a stray hair fell forward. "Are you off work or…"
It was an open offer he didn't—couldn't—accept. "I'm on duty," he replied curtly, suppressing a flinch when her smile dropped a notch. It was the response he was expecting. It was the response he was aiming for.
He still didn't—couldn't—walk away.
Yuffie glanced back and forth between them eagerly. Even without her cat ears or tail, it was obvious what she thought. Before Cloud could stop her, she held out her hand, injecting herself into the conversation. "Hiya! I'm Yuffie."
Tifa stared at the hand, surprised, before chuckling. Shifting her bags into one hand, she firmly clasped Yuffie's hand. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself sooner. I'm Tifa."
"Tifa, huh?" Yuffie had a Cheshire grin. "Soooo, how'd you meet?"
"Huh?" Taken aback, Tifa glanced at Cloud quickly. He shrugged slightly—that was just how Yuffie was. Straight forward to a fault, ignoring all social norms regardless of the impression it gave. Clearing her throat, Tifa replied, "We were neighbors as kids."
"Ohhh, childhood friends." There was nothing innocent about Yuffie's smirk.
Ignoring the insinuation, Tifa politely asked, "And you are?"
"His partner. Work partner," Yuffie clarified pointlessly. She leaned closer to Tifa and stage-whispered, her eyes meeting Cloud's. "If you have any blackmail on him, I'm willing to trade for it."
"What?" Tifa laughed awkwardly as she straightened up. When Yuffie merely looked at her expectantly, she stepped back. "Oh. You're serious. Um."
"We need to leave," Cloud interrupted, forcing himself to move. If this conversation went any further…well, it was just another thing he didn't know how to handle.
"Whaaaat?" Yuffie complained, crossing her arms and huffing. "We're just getting to the good part. You just don't want me to know your secrets."
She wasn't wrong. Cloud nodded curtly to Tifa and brushed past her, forcing the conversation to end.
"Hey! I wasn't done!" Yuffie stomped a foot and pouted. When Cloud didn't turn around, she sighed and deflated. "Fineee. See ya, Tifa."
After patting Tifa on the arm, Yuffie jogged after Cloud. When she was close enough, she jabbed him in the shoulder. "So."
He grunted, walking even faster.
That wasn't enough to stop her. Yuffie elbowed him. "Come on, so what's the deal there? No way you're just friends."
Cloud forced his expression to remain carefully blank. "We're not friends."
"That's what I was—" Catching on quick, Yuffie let out an incredulous shout. "You can't be serious!"
"We just knew each other once." Cloud continued.
"Uh-huh." Yuffie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "And you just have a friendly face people can't ignore."
"It's nothing," Cloud insisted with a growl. If he didn't nip this in the bud now, she'd never let it go.
Despite himself, he glanced over his shoulder. Tifa had turned around already, her long hair swinging behind her as she walked.
It was a sight he was acutely familiar with.
"It's nothing," he repeated.
It had to be nothing.