Chapter 4
oOoOo
By the end of the first semester, Rufus Shinra did not expect to become friends with, of all people, Tifa Lockhart. He blamed it on becoming partners with her on almost all their projects and school activities.
When the sem-break arrived, Rufus had to go home to Midgar and spend the three-week vacation there because his father said so. Before the day he left, he and Tifa met up at the coffee shop where they usually hang out to study and have their discussion about their projects.
"I see." Was all she said when he told her of his plans to go to Midgar for the sem-break.
"And you, you're going back to Nibelheim?" he inquired while reviewing their half-done business plan.
"Er… yes." She answered simply with a smile on her face.
Rufus was quiet for a moment before turning to Sephiroth who was just approaching them. He has been in outside the coffee shop for 10 minutes taking instructions from Vincent Valentine on security measures to be taken during Rufus's travel back to Midgar.
"It turns out that when you return tomorrow, you'll have a welcoming party." Sephiroth revealed.
Rufus frowned, his lips forming a pout. "Blimey." He muttered before looking away.
Tifa smiled softly. "A socialite party, huh?" she asked. Hanging out with Rufus most of the time has made her realize how his whole personality works—his likes and dislikes, what he enjoys doing, the way his mind works. What other people has found so difficult to do has become so much easy for her just because she has won his affection and trust. Yet, she knows that there are still things that she must never ever tell Rufus about herself, although tempted at time, she would be reminded of what she has to do and how she must function around him.
"Your partner here hates those gatherings." Sephiroth pointed out to her.
Rufus just took a deep breath and began to make corrections and additions to what he and Tifa had already started working on ever since the first day of school. "Actually, I find those gatherings amusing now because maybe I can watch people and study their behavior." He told his friend.
"Since when did you start having interests in psycho-analyzing people?" Sephiroth asked as he sat down on the couch next to Rufus's.
Rufus just smirked, not bothering to answer his friend's question. Instead, he turned his attention to Tifa. "Would you like to come along with me to Midgar?" he asked.
Tifa and Sephiroth were both surprised by the inquiry. "Are you serious?" the latter asked in shock.
"I'm not talking to you." Rufus muttered to him even as he kept his eyes on Tifa.
Tifa had forgotten to breathe for a few seconds upon hearing that question and when she did remember to inhale, she did it in a long and careful manner. "…why?" she asked. She could not think a good response.
Rufus grunted, looking away from her and turning back to his laptop. "I just thought I'd take you to Midgar and show you around since you stated that you haven't been there before. Besides, I would like my parents and my other friends to meet you." He said casually.
Sephiroth was fighting the urge to smirk and tease Rufus about asking Tifa to go with him back to Midgar. He just got up and excused himself, saying that he would be buying himself a glass of iced café latté.
Tifa cleared her throat quite uncomfortably. "What for, Rufus?" she asked.
He began to pretend to type something since she could not see what's on the screen anyway. He was beginning to feel restless and was beginning to regret the fact that Sephiroth had left him there to deal with asking her to go with him on his own. "I just thought it would be a splendid idea to show you Midgar and to introduce you to new people who can be future prospects for your business sponsors. Besides, we need to scout locations in all Sectors of Midgar to find the perfect spot where we can build the bar. We have to be as realistic with this business proposal as possible." he reasoned, trying to sound like nothing is bothering him. But he did not wait for an answer anymore; he proceeded, "We'll be leaving tomorrow 7 in the morning. I'll have one of the Turks pick you up from your place by 6:30."
She was surprised by his decision. He did not even wait for her answer. She did not know how to contradict him or to refuse him because somehow, she still wanted to go with him. She could not admit to herself, however, that she had really grown fond of him in those months that they have been together. She did not even expect herself to be friends with someone like him. She always believed that all rich people are too snobby and mean, but she realized that Rufus was different.
Sephiroth returned with his drink.
"Oh there you are, Sephiroth. Tell Jillian that she has to fetch Tifa tomorrow morning at 6:30. She'll be coming with us to Midgar." Rufus instructed.
"Really? Where is she going to stay there if she's going to vacation there with you?" Sephiroth asked.
"Uhm…" Rufus uttered. Sephiroth and Tifa noticed that he hardly ever does that, and when he did, they exchanged discreet glances, realizing that he was suddenly uncomfortable.
Rufus Shinra cleared his throat. "She can stay in the HQ. We have a lot of rooms." He decided.
Tifa just bowed down her head.
"Whatever you say, boss." Sephiroth told him before turning to Tifa. "As for you, shall I inform your parents that you are spending your break with the President's son?" he asked her with a sly smile on his face.
She took a deep breath. "No, I'll inform them myself." She decided.
"My mother will be taking her vacation in Nibelheim if I'm not mistaken. It's in her plans. So you don't have to worry about not being able to see your parents during the break. You'll come with us then." Rufus told her as he began to flip through the pages of a marketing book.
Tifa and Sephiroth exchanged glances. She looked a little disturbed, as if she wanted to say something to him, but he just pursed his lips and frowned at her before turning away. She just bowed down her head.
oOoOo
As soon as Tifa arrived in her condo unit that evening, she went straight to her answering machine to check the messages.
"You have 1 new message. Message 1, received at 3:15pm…" the machine beeped and Tifa braced herself for the message. "Hello, Tifa, this is Vincent." She heard the caller say.
Tifa swallowed hard, frowning slightly.
"I've been informed that you're coming with Rufus here tomorrow. I'd like you to give me a call so that I can give you your instructions." Vincent proceeded.
The machine spoke up again. "End of message."
Tifa switched it off and began to search for her mobile phone inside her bag when she heard it ringing. Upon finding it, she immediately answered it, "Hello?"
"Did you receive my message? I'm surprised you weren't home by 3:15 yet today." Vincent told her.
"Yes, sir, I did. I'm sorry if I just heard it now. Rufus and I spent the whole afternoon working on our project." She answered with a weak smile on her face.
"Well anyway, I just took the initiative to call you because I still have tons to do here to prepare for his arrival tomorrow. As for you, make sure he doesn't get mobbed by the paparazzi or the media or any other sort of people until you reach HQ. Did anything happen today?" he asked.
Tifa began to recall the events of the day. "Nothing much. He got mobbed by freshmen today, and while on our way to the coffee shop, paparazzi was following. But not to worry though, Mr. Valentine, Sephiroth and I were able to handle the problem." She told him.
"That's nice. But are you aware that you're being discussed in the news already?" he inquired.
Tifa's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'm completely aware of that." she answered. She knew it was bound to happen since she is always seen with Rufus.
"I know it can be annoying, but you have to get used to it." Vincent told her. "Just make sure Rufus doesn't suspect a thing about what you're assigned to do." He said.
"What if he finds out?" she asked with a worried tone. "I'm sure he'll get mad at me because it's going to be like, I betrayed his trust. He wanted only one bodyguard, but he doesn't realize that there are two!" she exclaimed.
"That is why you have to be more careful. You can't risk this. I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Vincent hung up.
Tifa took a deep breath and shuddered as she exhaled before deciding to use the telephone to make a call to Nibelheim.
When somebody answered from the other line, she smiled softly. "Daddy?"
"Tifa! It's a surprise you called." Mr. Lockhart told his daughter.
"Well, yes. Uhm…" Tifa stammered.
"How's Rufus?" her father asked in a chipper manner.
Tifa was surprised by the question. "He's… doing well, really." She answered.
Mr. Lockhart was quiet for a moment before speaking up again, "You don't sound too happy about your job there, Tifa."
Tifa was caught off-guard by the question. "Well… I…" she stammered.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to. Your mother and I can talk to Mrs. Shinra about this…" he began.
"N…no, dad. It's fine. I'm doing well. I… I have to do this for you and mommy…" she lowered her gaze to the ground. "And for Rufus as well…" she was thinking to herself.
"You worry too much about us, Tifa." He pointed out.
Tifa chuckled lightly. "It means I'm a very loving daughter!" she kidded. "No, really, daddy, I'm alright. I can do this. Besides, I have to finish my studies if I want to be able to help you and mommy." She told him reassuringly.
"Well if that's the case… I just hope that you're really happy. But I have to go now because I have to get up early tomorrow to go take the early ship to Midgar. Your mother and I will be at Rufus's welcoming party so I'll just see you tomorrow." He told her.
"That's great!" she said with a cheerful tone. "Anyway, see you tomorrow, daddy." She said before hanging up.
She inhaled sharply and the smile on her face faded away. "… I can do this…" she decided. "Besides, the reason why I agreed to do this bodyguard work is to be able to finally finish my studies in a reputable school and so that the First Lady can help my family…" she thought sadly.
oOoOo
President Shinra was in his office the next day when General Heidegger informed him of his son's arrival from Junon. On his way to the helipad on the rooftop, he saw his wife going ahead of him. "Dear, there you are!" he called out.
Mrs. Shinra turned to her husband with an excited smile on her face. "Oh darling, I'm so thrilled to see our baby boy again!" she said happily.
"You know if he heard you refer to him as a baby, he'll get angry. Now don't go calling him names in front of his girlfriend." President Shinra warned her sternly.
She giggled. "I won't, dear." She said happily as they both went upstairs to the rooftop. They could hear the sound of the helicopter's engine and once they arrived at the rooftop, the chopper has just finished landing.
The whole area was well-guarded with SOLDIERs and Turks.
When Rufus finally got down from the chopper, President Shinra immediately walked up to his son and gave him a hug. "Sonny boy!" he cried out in happiness.
Rufus cringed. Getting hugged by his parents in public makes him feel embarrassed.
"Oh, Rufus, we're so happy you're home!" his mother said, joining in the embrace.
Tifa Lockhart got down from the chopper.
Mrs. Shinra and President Shinra simultaneously turned their attention to the young lady wearing a white sundress with light blue flowers as its print, a blue denim jacket and white heeled sandals. Mrs. Shinra smiled at her. "And what a lovely young lady you are," she said cheerfully.
Tifa blushed by the comment.
Rufus moved away from his parents and stepped backward to Tifa's side. "This is Tifa Lockhart, the girl I've been telling you about. She is my partner in my school projects since we're classmates and we basically have the same schedule." He explained with a sly smile on his face. Tifa could not see his smile because she was looking at the First Lady and the President while smiling brightly at them; however, Sephiroth and the First Couple plus the other Turks surrounding the area could see that Rufus is very proud of her.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Tifa. You don't mind me calling you by your first name, do you?" The President asked, offering a handshake.
Tifa eagerly shook the President's hand. "No, not at all, your Excellency." She said quite shyly. She then turned to the First Lady as the woman embraced her.
"Dearie, I'm so glad to meet you." Mrs. Shinra said cheerfully.
Tifa was stunned by the First Lady's action. "I'm also… glad to meet you too, ma'am." She stammered, feeling embarrassed.
"Alright, mother, that's enough. You're suffocating her." Rufus jokingly told his mother.
Mrs. Shinra laughed lightheartedly. "Oh Rufus, darling. I'm just glad to finally meet your girlfriend." She said sweetly to her son.
Rufus and Tifa's eyes widened upon what the First Lady said.
President Shinra smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "Sonny boy, I'm glad you finally found the right woman for you. She's perfect!" he said proudly.
Rufus regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Er… father, she's… not my girlfriend." He began.
Silence.
"Oh." Mrs. Shinra said softly.
President Shinra blinked and took a deep breath. "Well then… what is she?" he asked.
"I told you she's my partner in school. We work together with projects." Rufus explained with a frown on his face.
Tifa swallowed hard as she observed the suddenly-glum looks on the First Couple's faces.
President Shinra cleared his throat. "I see…" he said before turning away. "Your party will be tonight at 7 in ballroom A. It's formal." He said as he walked away, going back inside the building.
Mrs. Shinra eyed her husband before turning back to Tifa and Rufus. "Oh forgive him. He's really like that. Such a drama king." She said apologetically before looking warningly at her son.
Rufus wondered why his mother was suddenly eyeing him in that manner, but he just shrugged it off. "Excuse us. We still haven't had our breakfast yet and we would like to go sight-seeing around the City." He told his mother as he took Tifa's hand and led the way inside the building.
"Right now?" Mrs. Shinra asked in awe.
"Yes, mother." He answered sternly.
Mrs. Shinra looked at Tifa before turning to Sephiroth. "Call on Cloud and Zack. The three of you will join them." She told him.
"Yes, ma'am." Sephiroth answered before walking after Rufus and Tifa.
Rufus frowned. He was planning to spend the day with Tifa around Midgar without any bodyguards, and now Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack are going to join him. He felt ticked off. His grip on Tifa's hand tightened. "Let's run." He muttered to her.
She was surprised. "What?" she asked softly.
He led the way, dragging her with him.
Sephiroth's eyes widened. Rufus had always been quick, and he took Sephiroth by surprise by just darting off like that. He was so surprised that he was not even sure whether the young heir took the elevator or the emergency stairs, but when he decided to go with the emergency stairs, he realized that he lost them. "Damn…" he muttered before proceeding to the nearest floor to take the elevator from there to the lobby, thinking that maybe the two already went down there.
oOoOo
Rufus shut and locked his bedroom door as soon as he and Tifa had made it inside.
She was panting hard, trying to catch her breath. "Well, that was uncalled for." She remarked.
He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if it was sudden. I'm just sick of having bodyguards around me all the time." He told her.
"I do believe it's for your own protection, Rufus." She told him sternly.
"And suddenly you're acting like my mother." He pointed out bluntly as he turned to face her. "I promised you I will tour you around the city." He said, stressing the singular pronoun.
Tifa's breathing slowly returned to normal as she stared into his blue eyes. He looked too serious. She smiled slightly. "Whatever you say. You're the boss." She said to him. Then she noticed that he was still holding her hand. She was about to inform him about it but he let go of her already before she could even tell him about it.
"You have sunglasses with you, don't you?" he asked as he went to his dresser and opened one of his drawers to grab his own pair of sunglasses.
Tifa nodded. "Well… yes." She said.
"The key here is not to be recognized by the public." He began as he put on his sunglasses. He faced her and smirked. "How do I look?" he asked proudly.
She chuckled lightly before getting her sunglasses from her bag and put them on. "You still lack something." She told him as she approached him and began to mess up his hair.
"What the bloody hell are you…" Rufus began as he tried to withdraw his head from her hands.
She stopped and smiled victoriously. "Now no one will recognize you." She said.
Rufus touched his hair and turned to the mirror to check it. It was not gelled back anymore. He thought he looked different.
"That should make other people think that it's not Rufus Shinra when you pass by." She said, crossing her arms.
He smiled as he raked his fingers through his bangs. "Well… I could get used to this." He said before taking her hand. "Let's go." He said.
"Wait, there could be hidden cameras in the hallway…" she told him.
"That's why we're going to pass through the hidden stairs." He told her as he led her to his closet.
She was stunned. "You have a hidden staircase?" she asked.
"The master bedroom has one too. It's for emergencies that require the safety of the First Family. This leads to a garage where we can easily use one of the vehicles to escape." He said.
"That sounds complicated." She told him as he opened a door behind his clothes.
"After you," he said, urging her to go first.
oOoOo
Sephiroth saw from the window of the Turk office a black car exiting from the area where the hidden garage is located.
"I knew it." Vincent Valentine remarked.
Sephiroth frowned. "Are we going to follow them, ma'am?" he asked, turning to the First Lady who was standing behind him.
Mrs. Shinra had a confident but serious look on her face. "No need to, Sephiroth. I trust Tifa in her job protecting Rufus." She decided.
oOoOo
Tifa could not help but gape at the sight of tall buildings and wide city streets. "I can't believe I'm actually here in Midgar…" she said with a look of amazement on her face. She and Rufus had taken their sunglasses off upon getting inside the car.
Rufus was quiet, listening to the song on playing from one of the CDs already inside the player of the car he was driving while thinking how lucky he is to find the keys to that car. No one would expect that a Shinra would own such a vehicle because it didn't have the family seal on the bumper and it had bumper stickers on the trunk. It looked like the type of car an ordinary upper-middle class citizen of Midgar would be driving; even the windows weren't darkly tinted to hide the passengers and the driver inside. He had been used to automatic cars, like his convertible in Junon and his other expensive car parked in the main garage of the Shinra HQ in Midgar, but this car that he was driving was manual; yet he refused to let Tifa know that he was having a hard time with the clutch. He still maintained his usual poker-faced look. Tifa, on the other hand was too busy sight-seeing and observing the city life to notice, but at the beginning of the ride from when they departed from the HQ, she noticed that he forgot to step on the clutch when he attempted to shift gears.
"Have you actually seen every single part of Midgar?" she asked curiously.
"My parents don't know, but I have seen the lower Sectors and have been in it." Rufus said.
"But… those are just the lower Sectors." She told him.
"Yes, but the real city in action can be witnessed in those areas… that's why I wonder why nobody bothers to tour those areas, especially the slums." He answered.
She smiled. "And how did you manage to go there?" she asked.
"Thanks to Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack." He answered.
She raised her eyebrows. "Cloud?" she asked.
"Yes. Why, you know him?" he asked. Then he recalled that his friend Cloud Strife grew up in Nibelheim.
"Sort of. He and his mother moved to Nibelheim from here. He was so young back then, around 4 or 5." She explained, shrugging.
"I see. And he became your childhood sweetheart?" Rufus asked her with a low uninterested tone.
She laughed. "Bloody no, he didn't. We were teased but I didn't exactly like him because he was plain weird. I mean, with that spiky hair and that quiet nature of his. The other boys hated him for it." She recalled.
Rufus looked at her when he had to stop because of the red light, observing the look in her eyes. "Really?" he probed, eyeing her probingly.
Tifa's smile faded, wondering why his defenses were suddenly up.
He looked away from her when he noticed the green light. The car moved forward and they were soon in the highway leading to Sector 7. "Let's start with the lowest Sector first." He told her.
She was quiet for a few moments before taking a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She smiled faintly, keeping her eyes on the road. "He never liked me anyway. I was one of those kids who used to dislike him. Besides, he liked my best friend." She explained.
Now she caught his attention. "Who?" he asked.
"She's from this city, but since her father is a doctor and a scientist for Shinra, there was a time when he was assigned to work in Nibelheim. Their family stayed in the most expensive apartment in my hometown and everyone adored her because she was rich and beautiful. I thought she was one of those stuck-up rich snobs, but I was surprised that I became her only friend when we went to the same school." She said.
He smirked. "Splendid. So you know Aerith." He remarked.
She looked at him in surprise. "You know her?" she asked in awe. Then she laughed. "Oh yes, how could it slip my mind? Of course you'd know her. Her father works for your company, and she's a rich girl. Silly me…" she said, hitting her own head in a playful manner.
"I knew her since childhood. I understand why she became friends with you; she is simply lovable according to witness accounts." He said, being sarcastic with the adjective.
She did not notice the sarcasm and even took it seriously. "She is very nice. I don't know why we became friends… we just clicked, I guess. Like you and I, actually." She said proudly.
Rufus clenched his jaw to prevent himself from smiling. "So we are friends?" he asked.
She eyed him carefully. "Well we are, right? I mean, we've been together for quite sometime… we hang out together and we discuss a lot of things and we have so much in common!" she told him.
"So that's how you generalize people to find out when you can call them friend." He pointed out.
She could sense a debate coming, but she kept calm. "Maybe yes, those are some points. But I'll never know, because for me, it just comes naturally when I feel close to a person." She told him.
"What if you just feel close to the person but the person doesn't feel close to you?" he asked.
She frowned, crossing her arms. "Why? Don't you feel close to me after all we've gone through?" she demanded rather haughtily.
Rufus's eyes widened a little and he hid his sudden embarrassment with a dry laugh. "That's really funny." He said.
Tifa looked away from him, feeling frustrated. "Well fine. If you don't want to be my friend…" she muttered, deciding to just keep her gaze outside the window.
Rufus was quiet for a moment as he slowed down and parked the car by a small building at the Wall Market in Sector 5. "We'll park here and we'll walk around." He decided.
She pouted. She thought it was typical for Rufus not to apologize and explain himself after wronging another person. It was one of the hardest realities she had to accept during the beginning of her relationship with him even as a classmate. She stepped out of the car after putting on her sunglasses.
Rufus put on his own pair of sunglasses before going to Tifa's side and they began to walk together.
She was looking around the area. "Looks like a much commercialized place." She said.
"This is the Wall Market located in Sector 5. Think of anything under the sun, you can buy it here from various stores." He told her.
She looked up for a moment. "Hmm… like snake heads barbecued?" she asked.
"In a Wutaian or a Gongagan restaurant just around here, you'll be able to eat those." He explained.
She made a face. "Gross." She said, cringing.
He smiled slightly upon seeing her crinkle her nose when she cringed.
They continued to walk around Sector 5. Rufus amused himself by observing people and at the same time, observing Tifa's reactions to different things around that are new to her in the city.
The two continued to walk around Sectors 4, 5, 6 and 7, with Rufus acting like a tour guide and explaining various things and situations new to Tifa. As for her, she listened and paid attention carefully to what he told her about each Sector.
It was past noontime when they finished with the three sectors and were walking back to the Wall Market. "Midgar is basically a small city made up of layers… think of a pie with different layers of flavor. Used to be, you can't see the skies in Sector 7. But I made my old man do something about it with the urban development plan I assisted the Head of Urban Development in making. That place also used to house the slums, but our hard work paid off." Rufus explained.
"It is small?" she asked, not being able to notice completely.
"You won't notice how small it is when you're in Sectors 1, 2 and 3. In Sector 4, you can basically see everything from top to bottom." He explained.
"But… there are still some poor people. I've noticed them in Sectors 6 and 7." She said.
"We are doing everything we can to help them. We've already implemented an open-door policy and gave importance to social responsibility. I don't know if it's still our fault that there are some poor people, but I believe that it's also their responsibility to work. Here in Midgar, if you don't work, you don't get paid. If you're lazy, you can't survive here." He told her.
She smiled slightly. "Looks like it." She said before turning to her right to observe the people in stores and in front of their houses, doing their daily routines.
He lowered his gaze to the ground. "When I become President, I'll have more room for improvement around here." He said in a low tone audible enough for only Tifa to hear and understand.
She looked at him again, but she was disappointed that she could not see through his sunglasses covering his eyes.
He had a serious look on his face. "I'll do anything in my power to make the Planet a better place." He told her.
She looked at him curiously, surprised that he was confiding in her. She smiled and looked away. "I'm sure you'd make a great President. But don't pressure yourself too much. There's no such thing as perfection." She said softly.
He still kept a straight face even as they finally reached the car. "Now let's have our lunch in Sector1 and from there, we'll walk to Sectors 2 and 3, then we'll go back to Sector 1." He said.
She nodded. "Alright." She said as she opened the door to the front passenger seat and got in. She had been overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the city that she forgot how hungry she was already until Rufus mentioned the word lunch.
oOoOo
The two decided to have lunch in one of the most expensive seafood restaurants at the Sector 1 Commercial Center, the most expensive mall in Midgar. Tifa felt out-of-place in that area; she felt like she was back in their school again in Junon because of the snobby atmosphere she felt upon entering. It was like wherever she and Rufus passed by (even with sunglasses on), they would have to endure constant stares from the upper-class people lounging and shopping.
"Is our disguise still working?" she whispered to Rufus after the waiter had left their table to process their orders.
"I'm not sure, but I do hope it's still working. I can see paparazzi lurking around…" he muttered, trying to look like nothing is wrong.
Tifa discreetly turned to her side and saw cameramen outside the store and also inside, taking pictures of other rich people within the area. "But we're going to have to act like nothing is wrong and that we're not bothered by those. Otherwise, it will be dangerous." She told him.
Rufus just took a deep breath. "So, how do you find Sector 1 so far?" he asked.
"…too… rich. If you know what I mean. I envy you because you're so used to this kind of atmosphere already." She said in amazement.
He smiled slyly as he shook his head. "No, unfortunately, I'm not." He admitted.
She laughed. "Really now? You've been surrounded by wealth all your life and you're not used to these kinds of surroundings?" she asked with a grin.
"I'm more down-to-earth than what people perceive me to be." He answered proudly as he flipped his hair.
She giggled. "Oh really?" she asked sarcastically, meaning to tease him. She has always been amused whenever he flipped his hair. She thought it was cute.
Rufus noticed that she was blushing and wondered why. Yet he did not ask her about it.
Just then, a group of young ladies approached them with a smile on his face. "Uh… excuse me, sir," one of the girls began.
Rufus turned his attention to the girl who asked.
"Are you Rufus Shinra?" she asked.
Rufus looked away. "No." he answered simply, completely changing his accent.
Tifa fought the urge to laugh when he spoke in a weird accent foreign to his own. She just bit her lower lip and looked away.
One of the girls eyed her curiously. "Like, never mind. Rufus doesn't have a girlfriend."
"But you look like him," another girl chimed in to Rufus.
"I just look like him but that doesn't mean that I am him. And how dare you compare me to that ugly bastard. Scoot!" Rufus snapped angrily.
The girls jumped up in surprise because of his temper.
"Like, oh my gawd. What a mean guy." One of the girls said.
"Yeah. Let's go." The girls finally left.
"That was close." Rufus muttered to Tifa, returning his accent to his original one.
She snickered. "That was a good way to disguise yourself. Great accent by the way." She remarked, teasing him.
He smirked, proud of himself. "It's how the people in Costa del Sol speak in English." He told her.
"Costa del Sol?" she asked, amused.
"Don't tell me you haven't been to that lovely place?" he asked, keeping a straight face.
She shook her head. "No. Have you forgotten that I'm not as lucky as you are?" she asked sarcastically.
He laughed. "Not to worry, I'll take you to Costa if you want to." He told her.
She blushed. This time she felt her cheeks getting warmer, "What? No, never you mind. Thank you." She told him.
He frowned. He hated it when people refused his offers. "Why?" he asked.
"It's too much! I mean, you already went through the trouble taking me here in Midgar with you and even bothering to tour me around. I don't even know how to repay you for your time." She said, feeling embarrassed.
He smiled slightly. "Stop thinking of such things. You've never been trouble to me." He said.
Finally, their orders arrived.
They continued to talk about various things that interested them even throughout their lunch. Afterwards, when it was time to pay the bill, Rufus began to flip through his credit cards.
Tifa's eyes widened upon realizing that credit cards have their owner's name on them. "Uhm…" she began, interrupting him.
"Yes?" he asked mindlessly, but his attention was still on his credit cards. He could not make up his mind on which one to use.
Tifa frowned before turning to the waiter. "We'll pay in cash." She told him.
Rufus froze and looked at her. "What?" he asked.
She just kept quiet, hoping that he was reflecting on why she said that.
He breathed in and hid his credit cards again before picking out 2,500 Gil from his wallet, for their orders totaled to 2,400 Gil. He was thankful that he has extra cash. He got up. "Keep the change." He told the waiter before taking Tifa's hand and they both exited quickly.
Still, people stared at them wondering if they are celebrities because they were wearing sunglasses even inside the mall.
"You almost got careless back there." Tifa pointed out to him as they began to walk casually towards the exit of the mall.
Rufus felt his face flushing but he didn't say anything.
Then just as they were about to reach the exit, two children were chasing each other and one of them bumped against Rufus, causing his sunglasses to slip off and fall to the floor.
"Oops, sorry, sir." One of the boys apologized before running off again.
Rufus grunted. "Blimey. The last time I checked, this isn't the playground." He said sarcastically before bending down to pick up his shades, but just as he got it, he froze when he heard someone screaming from somewhere, "Oh my gawd! It's Rufus!"
"Shit!" Rufus muttered before putting his sunglasses back on just as flashes from random cameras began to appear in various places. Fangirls also began to run towards him.
"Come on, no time to linger around here." Tifa said as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him with her.
He wondered how she could run so fast in those heeled sandals… and those weren't ordinary heels; they were stilettos. He took over the lead, knowing that she would not know where to go from the mall's main exit.
They kept on running until they managed to reach the streets of Sector 2 and found a dark alley where they could hide. As soon as they settled, they realized the distance that they ran all the way from the mall to that alley. "That was totally uncalled for…" she remarked while trying to catch her breath.
"Indeed." He answered, panting a little. Yet he smiled, "I haven't ran like that outside of Physical Education class." He said lightheartedly.
She chuckled lightly. "Well I'm glad you feel invigorated." She remarked before looking up at the tall buildings to her left and right, causing the darkness in that alley. "Where are we?" she asked.
"It's Sector 2." He explained.
"Oh." She said. "So where are we going now?" she asked.
He began to think. "I don't now…" he answered.
"It's going to be difficult walking around the city now that people have recognized you in that attire…" she told him.
He nodded. "You're right." He muttered, frowning in frustration.
Tifa began to think. "Hmm… I think I know what else we can do…" she said before grabbing Rufus's white blazer and forced him to remove it. "Take it off now." She said rather sternly.
He blushed. "But why?" he demanded.
"You have to. If you don't want to get recognized." She said as she finally got it off of his body. "Now tie it around your waist." She told him.
He just obeyed.
Tifa began to rummage through her bag and found her huge handkerchief. "Oh. Goodie! I brought along the most boyish handkerchief I have!" she said victoriously.
Rufus eyed the blue handkerchief. "Why do you have a manly-looking handkerchief anyway?" he asked.
"It's my father's. I accidentally borrowed it." She explained before spreading it and then folding it again in a triangle. "Take off your sunglasses." She instructed.
He did so. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
She began to wrap the handkerchief around his head like a bandanna covering the whole top of his head and tying it behind his head. Next, she grabbed his sunglasses and placed it on top of his head like a headband. "There you go!" she instructed.
"I feel silly!" he remarked in annoyance.
"You'll feel sillier when rabid fangirls and paparazzi chase you around when you're looking like how you usually look. Be thankful you're wearing a blue polo today underneath that blazer." She told him in a nagging manner, which surprisingly, he did not seem to mind.
Rufus crossed his arms. "And what are you going to do with yourself?" he asked.
She removed her sunglasses, put it back into her bag and then began to tie her hair up in a high ponytail with a rubber band before proceeding to button up her denim jacket. "There you go." She said sweetly before taking a deep breath. "So what do you think?" she asked, turning around.
"How come I look ridiculous and you don't?" he muttered miserably.
She laughed. "Oh don't be ridiculous. It's just a disguise! It's for the purpose of not having the paparazzi and your rabid fans stalking you." She said.
"I just hope your ridiculous plan works." He said. "Now we look like an odd couple! It's like we're portraying a classless man and a high-society woman dating." He muttered.
"Exactly what I had in mind! I'm glad you understand!" she said sweetly before taking his hand. "Now, shall we?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Fine." He said, pulling away from her and hooking his arm with hers instead. "But this is more convincing." He decided.
She smiled, shrugging. "Whatever you say." She said, rolling her eyes as they began to walk out of the alley.
When they reached the streets, Rufus was surprised that they were able to blend in with the rest of the crowd and nobody even bothered to take a second look at them except for a few people curious about their odd combination and his current clothes.
"Blimey. If the paparazzi could recognize me for some unfortunate reason and then they'll take pictures of me, I'd be in the Worst Dressed of the Midgar Fashion Weekly magazine." Rufus muttered to Tifa with a ridiculous smile on his face.
She just giggled. "I can assure you of your safety from the paparazzi, just don't act like your usual self if people question you about your identity." She told him reassuringly with a wink.
"Well just so you know I got A-pluses in my Theater Classes." He told her proudly with a smirk.
"I never knew you're into theater." She said in amazement.
"I took Theater as my electives in high school and even in the university level." He answered simply with a proud smile on his face.
While walking around Sector 2, they continued to discuss about their other interests in school. When they reached Sector 3, Rufus led her to the area where he knew an old abandoned two-storey building was located.
"Here we go. The main reason for taking you here in Sector 3." He began.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, eyeing the building with a ridiculous look on her face.
He eyed her carefully, "This is where we're going to put up your bar." He told her.
Her eyes widened. "But… Rufus, it's just a business proposal!" she reminded him.
He looked away, eyeing the building with a serious look on his face. "I've always been accustomed to having my business proposals a reality. So far no one has turned any of my business proposals down, even my father's clients like them. Are you going to be the first one to reject my idea?" he asked rather haughtily.
She breathed in. She did not really like the way he spoke to her when he said that, but she was having a dilemma in her mind. "Darn. I know I need to make that business a reality so that I can help my mother and father… but I don't want his help with this otherwise, I'd be obliged to repay him someday for even bothering to help someone like me. And what if he finds out that I'm just… not what he thought I am?" she thought silently, feeling so confused. She shrugged at him and smiled weakly, "Well, there will always be a first time for everything!" she answered weakly.
He frowned at her. "Well I can never accept that." he told her bluntly.
She was taken aback.
He looked away and eyed the building again. "I've already devised a plan in my head. Am I just going to throw everything away?" he demanded, feeling frustrated.
Tifa felt her heart sink. She did not mean to crush his ego like that. "Well, it's just a school project, nothing more. I didn't tell you to make it into a reality." She said softly.
"Well if it meant nothing to you, it meant a lot to me." He said before letting her go and walked away.
She was immobile for a moment before realizing that he was already far from her. She ran after him, recalling that she had a duty to do. She stopped running when she was able to catch up and synchronized her walking speed with his. "Alright, I'm sorry for crushing your ego back there. I just don't want you to go into so much trouble for something irrelevant to your family's business." She explained.
He did not respond. Instead, he kept a straight face as they continued to walk. "Where would you like to go next? Would you like me to take you to the Midgar National Museum?" he asked with a sarcastic tone.
She clenched her fists, about to answer sarcastically to his last remark, but she stopped herself when she realized that three thugs blocked their way.
"Well, if it isn't a pretty little socialite and her boyfriend with a strange fashion sense here in Sector 3! Tell me kiddies, are you lost?" one of the thugs insulted.
Tifa and Rufus eyed the three, observing that they were armed with knives and explosives and that they were all dressed in black leather clothes.
"Isn't it a wonder that the three of you have the nerve to attempt to attack two socialites in broad daylight in a public place such as Sector 3?" Rufus asked with a sarcastic air to his tone even if his facial expression remained stoic. Tifa nudged him slightly; a warning for him not to provoke the anger of the thugs, otherwise, the two of them could get into serious trouble. But he did not care. "Out of our way. Can't you see we're on a date?" he demanded from the three.
"Aha. Too brave, huh? Trying to score from your girlfriend?" one of the thugs teased.
"But unfortunately, we won't let you pass until you give us some money or let us borrow one of your ATM cards or sumthin'." The other one said.
Rufus was quiet for a while, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his trousers. "No." he said.
Tifa swallowed hard.
Rufus sighed impatiently. "Look, this is cliché… have you guys been watching too much action movies?" he asked airily from the thugs.
"Are you insulting us?" the biggest one of the thugs decided to finally make a move to attack by trying to punch Rufus's face, but he was stopped by Tifa, blocking his fist with the palm of her right hand. The thugs were surprised by her sudden action, so was Rufus.
Tifa kneed the crotch of the thug and while he was crouching in agony, she punched him and kicked him to the ground.
The two other thugs, not taken aback for what she did, decided to attack her, throwing punches and kicks at her. They attacked simultaneously while Tifa tried her best to fight back while avoiding their attacks once in a while.
Rufus just watched calmly, eyeing Tifa with amusement in his blue eyes. The passersby and the other people around the area began to watch the action going on in the middle of the sidewalk.
Rufus saw the biggest of the thugs (the one that Tifa attacked first) finally get up, recovering completely from her kicks and punches. That big man went behind Tifa and grabbed her two hands, twisting them behind her back. She cried out in pain.
The two other thugs stopped attacking her and cheered for their boss.
"Now, young lady, are you going to give us your cash?" the boss demanded from her.
"That is enough," Rufus snapped angrily as he pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed at the boss and immediately fired at his crotch.
The boss yelped in pain, releasing Tifa in the process. She faced him and kicked his chest hard enough to make him fall backward.
A SOLDIER patrol car arrived. Two SOLDIERs got down from the vehicle and went to the scene. "So, what have we here?" one of them asked, eyeing the thugs.
The two other thugs were already beaten up badly by Tifa in the first place that's why they were not able to make another move against her. They just surrendered.
"Oye. These bad people are interrupting my date with my gurl, ya?" Rufus answered, speaking with another accent foreign to his.
Tifa felt amused with him.
The SOLDIER asking questions approached Rufus while the other one arrested the three. "Is that gun even licensed, sir?" he asked, snatching the gun from Rufus's grasp and began to examine it.
Rufus just eyed the SOLDIER with a poker-faced expression on his face. He waited until the SOLDIER made a surprised reaction and looked at him again. Rufus smiled at him and moved closer, murmuring, "Tell you what. Don't say a word to anyone about who I really am and you and your partner are on your way to a salary raise and a possible promotion. Now do me a favor and arrest these hooligans."
The SOLDIER's eyes widened and nodded discreetly.
With that, Rufus moved away, getting his gun again and putting it back inside his pocket before approaching Tifa. He took her hand. "Let's go." He said softly, leading the way back to Sector 2.
She blinked, wondering what he did back there. "They let you go that easily?" she asked in amazement.
He just smiled slyly. "Do you have a gown for tonight's party already?" he asked, not even bothering to answer her question.
"…no," she answered weakly.
"Splendid! Let's buy one for you." He said. Anything to get her mind out of the situation with the thugs.
She felt her face getting pale. "…What?" she asked weakly with a trembling voice.
"You heard me." He told her.
Then, a pink convertible passed by them, slowed down and stopped. The female driver honked at them and pulled off her sunglasses, eyeing them with a cheery smile on her face. "I could spot childhood friends from a mile, you know." She said.
Tifa was surprised upon being able to recognize the brown-haired girl in braids wearing a pink frilly top and a white prairie skirt, while Rufus made an annoyed face. "Aerith!" Tifa exclaimed.
"I can't believe you were able to tell who we are." Rufus said in exasperation.
Aerith giggled. "I always knew you had a bad sense of fashion to begin with because you're always wearing white." She teased.
He clenched his jaw, preventing himself from saying something harsh in return. "Blimey." Was all he could respond, looking away. "And what are you doing in this side of town?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
"I did some charity work in the Sector 6 Church the whole morning. Now I'm on my way back home." She explained. "And what about the two of you? What are you doing in this side of town?" she asked curiously.
Tifa was discreetly looking around, trying to spot spies and the paparazzi. She spotted one hiding behind trashcans. "Can we… discuss this someplace else?" she asked her friend.
Aerith blinked, realizing that she was being followed. "Geez. They never stop." She said. "Hop in." she told the two of them.
Tifa occupied the front passenger seat while Rufus sat at the back.
With that, Aerith stepped on the gas.
Rufus held on tight to his seat and grabbed the seatbelt. Tifa immediately grabbed the seatbelt and buckled up.
"Do you even have a license?" Rufus demanded in annoyance as he buckled up.
"I just graduated from driving school yesterday! Isn't that great?" Aerith answered cheerfully. "So, Tifa, what brought you here to Midgar? And I'm surprised you're hanging out with Rufus, of all people." She proceeded.
Tifa sat still, eyeing the road carefully. "Uh… we're classmates in school… and we're partners in our projects… and he's touring me around Midgar because I haven't been here before." She answered.
"Without bodyguards? I'm surprised your parents let you off like that, Rufus." Aerith remarked in amazement.
"Actually, we just escaped from Shinra. I'm sick of having bodyguards around." He answered, crossing his arms.
Aerith took a quick glance at Tifa and then turned her gaze back onto the road. "It's dangerous, Rufus. Shinra still has a lot of enemies. Are you aware of the number of death threats your father received regarding you?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I'm completely aware of that even if they're not telling me about it." Rufus answered confidently. He hated the way his own parents would underestimate him. They are not aware that he is very capable of finding out information for himself even behind their backs.
"Looks like they underestimated you again, huh?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
Tifa could tell that, obviously, Aerith knows a lot of things going on around in Shinra. She also realized that Aerith knows about her secret duty: to serve as Rufus's bodyguard.
Aerith drove over to Sector 1. "And where shall I drop you two off?" she asked.
"The mall, if you may. I'm buying a gown for Tifa for the party tonight." Rufus answered proudly.
"Oooh. Lucky, lucky girl." Aerith teased her best friend.
Tifa pouted, blushing and frowning slightly. She looked away from Aerith. "Really, Rufus, I don't think it's necessary. It's your welcoming party so I think I'll just stay in my room." She told him.
"But I'm going to introduce you to everyone. I don't care what you say; you're coming with me to the party whether you like it or not." He said sternly.
"Don't be harsh on Tifa, Rufus. She's a very nice girl. Be easy on her. Remember she's new to those sorts of social gatherings." Aerith told him firmly. "And don't worry, Tifa. The key to those gatherings is to hang out with the right crowd." She added to her friend.
"In other words, stay by my side and don't join Aerith and her bratty friend Yuffie." Rufus chimed in, smiling slyly.
Aerith pouted. "Hmf." She grunted.
"Are you going to be there?" Tifa asked with a worried look on her face, looking at Aerith again.
"Of course I'll be there." Aerith answered. "Tell you what, I'll drop you guys off at Shinra now so that you can rest until the party starts. It's pretty dangerous right now to go to the mall. Word went around that you guys were spotted together in the Sector 1 Commercial Center. I'm sure a lot of people are already on the look-out for you in the whole Sector 1 area except in Shinra." She told them.
"Blimey. That really bites…" Tifa muttered.
"As for your gown, I know what your size is so I'll just buy one for you and send it over to Shinra." Aerith told her friend.
"No, we'll look for a gown online and have it shipped here immediately." Rufus said sternly.
Aerith grunted. "Why do you always like to contradict me?" she demanded, feeling offended.
"Because Tifa is my guest, not yours." He snapped.
Tifa felt like shrinking.
Aerith just smirked. "Oooh. You're getting territorial, Rufus. Come on, it's not as if I'm another boy who's trying to woo her away from you!" she teased.
Rufus just kept quiet, not wanting to have a childish argument with Aerith in front of Tifa. He simply hated the way she always had something to answer to his statements no matter how hard he tries to be sarcastic or cruel. So far it's just her and Sephiroth who seems to really know how he thinks and what he would say next, and they always know how to get back at him with a much wittier, more sarcastic and more smart-aleck answer or move… and maybe Tifa too, but he was not yet sure about that. He knows that she is an intelligent person based on his observation when they are working together or even while they are simply conversing about anything that interests them.
For the rest of the trip back to the Shinra HQ, Aerith and Tifa were the only ones talking, catching up with each other's lives. Rufus would get bored everytime Aerith was the one talking, but he caught himself paying attention to what Tifa has to say. When Aerith entered through the main gate of the Shinra HQ, Rufus removed the bandanna from his head and raked his fingers through his hair as if combing it.
She stopped the car by the front lobby door and the guards and SOLDIERs in that area eyed them curiously.
A SOLDIER instantly ran to them and opened the doors for Tifa and Rufus.
"Thank you, Aerith." Tifa said with a weak smile on her face as she got down from the car.
"You're always welcome." Aerith answered before turning her attention to three First Class SOLDIERs approaching them from inside the building.
"There you are!" Sephiroth announced, eyeing Tifa and Rufus.
"Where have you two been?" Zack asked with a worried look. "We thought you got into trouble." He added.
"Stop treating us like we're children who sneaked out from our rooms just to have fun." Rufus snapped impatiently.
"Well that's exactly what you did." Sephiroth told him sternly. "Your father wants to talk to you in his office. Tifa, you're coming with me for a while." He added.
Tifa's eyes widened, wondering if she was in trouble for letting Rufus do as he pleases, but she just stood still, pretending that nothing is wrong.
Rufus grunted before entering the building while being escorted by Zack.
Aerith was looking at the other SOLDIER with Zack and Sephiroth: Cloud Strife. She was smiling at him.
Cloud on the other hand, was too shy to say something to her. All he could do was stare at her, his blue eyes wide in confusion of what to say.
Sephiroth smirked at Cloud, then looked at Aerith. "We'll just see you later at the party." He said.
"Well then, I'd better go now." She answered with a smile before turning to Cloud again, waving goodbye.
Cloud was too shy to make a move that he just stood stiffly in his place and stared wide-eyed at her.
She smiled sweetly at him before driving off.
"Alright, Tifa. Follow me." Sephiroth told Tifa as he led the way inside the building.
Tifa nudged Cloud with her elbow, smiling teasingly at him. "You're still the same loser as ever! Make a move, Strife!" she teased.
He snapped back to his senses and eyed her in annoyance before following after her and Sephiroth.
oOoOo
Author's note: I got keyboard-happy for this chapter so sorry for making it too long. When I checked, it's like 17 pages. Haha.