Mulled Wine and Fireworks

By Crystal Snowflakes

Summary: Rude cleared his throat again. "As you probably may have realized by now, Yuffie and Reno were not assigned to any project—especially not by the Commissioner. I would like to think that he would think twice about putting the two of them together."

"Have a good evening!" Tifa called over the muffled chatter of the bar as the customer waved and left the warmth of the bar. With a smile on her face, she looked around the room again, her gaze flickering over to the table in the corner. It wasn't a busy night. The bar was mostly empty except for a handful of regulars—and Yuffie and Reno. The two of them sat next to each other with their heads leaned together, talking in hushed voices. Not for the first time that night, she wondered what it was that brought the pair of them together; they tended to butt heads more than anything, and it was a surprise to see them not at each other's throats, for once. Experience told her that whatever it was that drew them together couldn't be good, and that as curious as she was, she should try to stay out of it.

Despite enjoying the mindless chores, her eyes wandered to the clock; there was an hour left until she could close up shop for the day. Marlene and Denzel were with Barret for the week to celebrate the holidays, and she couldn't wait to unwind and relax on the couch after a long day—preferably with a glass of wine as she watched a romantic comedy or two.

As she wiped down the counter, dried the glasses, and stacked them back neatly onto the shelves, Yuffie bounced toward her, flashing her a million-watt smile. Tifa felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and her eyes narrowed warily as she studied the way Yuffie leaned forward with her arms behind her back with that familiar grin plastered on her face, unwavering.

There was something Yuffie wanted; if only she could figure what it was—

"Hey Teef!" Yuffie chirped, her voice overly bright. "Kiddos are gone for a bit, so you're free on Christmas, right?"

Tifa blinked. The question had caught her off guard, because whatever she had expected coming from her, it hadn't been that. Truth was, she had almost expected Yuffie to ask to borrow her materia, or ask to throw a party at the bar, or ask to borrow her pair of gloves for experiments; she hadn't expected her question to be so...mundane.

Yuffie continued to grin, her foot tapping against the floorboards as she waited patiently—or as patiently as Yuffie possibly could—for her to answer.

"Uhm," she finally managed, clearing her throat. "Yeah. The bar's closed. Why?"

"Great!" Yuffie cheered as she bounced on the balls of her feet before she dug through the small satchel against her hip. "I managed to get my hands on these tickets for that new Christmas market held in town, and—"

"So when you said 'managed to get'..." Tifa trailed off, raising an eyebrow, her meaning clear.

Yuffie had the decency to look embarrassed before she laughed sheepishly, holding up a ticket in one hand and waving it around a little. "Fine, fine. You got me. So I didn't manage to actually get my hands on the tickets, but I did manage to snag a few off Reeve's desk, and you know he won't be going to the market anyway cause he's a workaholic. So...no harm done, ya know?"

Tifa found herself smiling back involuntarily at the sight of her friend's bright grin. "No harm," she agreed softly with a shake of her head. It was hard not to feel amused as she watched the energetic ball of energy that was Yuffie bounce around as she pumped her fists in the air.

"Sweet!" she said with a cackle before pressing the ticket into her palm. "I'll meet you there? And you know anyone else who's in town and would like a ticket or something? Is Spikey gonna be in town?"

Tifa paused. A frown pulled at her mouth as she looked away from Yuffie and stared at the front door for a moment before she shook her head. "Cloud isn't going to be back in time for Christmas." Her gaze flickered to the corner table before going back towards her companion, and she hesitated for a fraction of a second before she added, "Have you asked Reno?"

Yuffie hummed, looking thoughtful, before she nodded more to herself than anything. "Didn't think of asking Turkey, but you're right. Maybe he'll wanna come too. Might as well ask Baldy while I'm at it." At the mention of Rude, Tifa felt her cheeks warming. And then Yuffie glanced up at Tifa again with a wink, and for one horrifying moment, she thought Yuffie was able to read her mind. But then Yuffie took a few steps backwards and spun around without another word about Rude, and her fear dissipated.

"Hey Yuffie?"

"Huh?" Yuffie asked, glancing back over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Are you free for wine and romcoms in an hour?" Tifa offered with a smile. With all her time spent between parenting and bartending, it felt like she hadn't spent any time at all in Yuffie the last few weeks, and now that she was free for a bit, well, who knew when they'd have another chance to catch up. Yuffie tended to have a busy schedule too, with her work at the WRO and her duties back in Wutai.

For a second, her eyes lit up. But then Yuffie's attention swivelled towards Reno, and she bit her lips hesitantly, a flicker of apology in her gaze. "Jeez. I would've loved to, but I promised Reeve I'd deal with an issue and he paired me up with the asshole of all people..." she trailed off with remorse.

Tifa waved her hand dismissively, feeling a small pang in her chest for being turned down, but it was understandable; Yuffie was really busy. At least now, it explained why the two of them were whispering conspiratorially together. "It's fine—"

"Tomorrow night though?" Yuffie said quickly before looking away guiltily. "You know Reno. He's just...really annoying."

Yuffie looked conflicted for some reason, as if she didn't want to disappoint Tifa. Her own face softened into an understanding smile. "Of course," Tifa agreed easily, "Tomorrow, then."

Instantly, Yuffie's face brightened, and the tension seemed to leave her shoulders. With a wave, she turned back around and returned to the corner table with a skip in her step. Tifa watched as Yuffie slip another Christmas Market ticket across the table to Reno as her face broke into a mischievous grin that was pure Yuffie. What she didn't expect was the smug smirk on Reno's face when he took it without question and without the slightest hint of hesitation.

So when they finally left together, bantering, but without wanting to rip each other's heads off, Tifa stared after them for a moment before shaking herself out of her stupor. It wasn't any of her business, and she shouldn't care. But the two of them were up to something—she was sure of it.

Reno and Yuffie.

She felt bad for whoever was in their crosshair.

Poor bastard.

Tifa's hair waved in the cold winter breeze as it blew through the city streets. The sounds of the bustling and busyness of the Christmas Market was drowned out by the wind that rushed past her. She heard a small chime of laughter of a child coming from somewhere nearby, and she couldn't stop her lips from curving up. It had only been a week, but she missed living with other people—missed Marlene and Denzel. They would've enjoyed the bright dangling lights and obnoxiously happy tune blared from the speakers.

She pulled her scarf tighter around herself as she stood at the entrance, trying to stave off the chill in the air. Her gaze swept across the crowds of people that were approaching, searching for a familiar head of dark hair that bounced. And then she checked the watch on her wrist again, wondering if she had somehow gotten the time wrong. There were still a couple of minutes until they were supposed to meet, and while Tifa knew that Yuffie tended to cut a little close—especially in terms of punctuality—she wondered if maybe Yuffie got held up. She had been unusually busy.

Still, the crowd just kept growing and growing, getting larger every minute, and Tifa started really wondering if she had somehow got the time mixed up, when her phone buzzed in her bag. Fumbling, she dug it out until she finally found it, and Yuffie's name flashed across the screen.

Tifa let out a breath as she pressed answer and pressed the phone against the side of her face before replying. "Hey. Where are you?"

Yuffie was talking so quickly that Tifa couldn't make out most of what she said, especially with the noise in the background, but when she did catch a few words—and one phrase in particular—Tifa's heart dropped. "Can you say that again?" Tifa asked hesitantly, biting her lip.

There was a pause, and Tifa could hear Yuffie taking a deep breath. When she replied this time, her voice was strained, and guilt bled through her voice. "I'm so sorry, Teef. I really wanted to show up, but asshole here—" Tifa heard Reno's voice cursing in the background before the sound muffled—she suspected Yuffie had covered part of the phone with her hand—and the two of them bickering briefly could be heard, "—messed up, and now we're stuck at work a bit longer."

"I didn't mess up, you little shit!" Reno's voice could be heard in the back.

"Oh. That's okay." Tifa tried not to let her disappointment show too clearly as she forced herself to reply. Truth be told, she really wasn't that upset about the Christmas Market—it had just been a while since she had gone anywhere without catering to the kids. After all, when would she have the time, between taking care of them, working at the bar, and partly working for Cloud's delivery service? "Don't worry about it. I'll just head home and—"

"No!" Yuffie blurted out, voice rising suddenly. "Just hang tight. I asked Rude to go too, and like, he's already on the way there, so can you imagine how awful it'd be if he showed up and no one was there and—"

"But—" Tifa protested weakly.

Yuffie continued, "You've gotta stay! It's bad enough that Turkey here screwed this whole thing up. Plus, we'll join as soon as we're done 'kay? Just view it as a date or something. I know you've always had a thing for him ever since he admitted to having a crush on you all those years ago and—"

"Yuffie!" "Holy shit, brat. D'you ever stop yappin'?"

A loud cackle—Yuffie's—vibrated into her ear and Tifa couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound, despite the tension that had suddenly built up within her stomach. She felt her disappointment slowly drain away as she listened to the sound of Yuffie's laughter, even though her humour had really been at her expense.

"Okay," Yuffie said, after her chuckles died down, though Tifa could still picture her characteristic grin on her face. "I really gotta go, Teef. Turkey's having an aneurysm… I'll call you after we're done?"

Tifa hummed absentmindedly in response, just a little distracted as she placed the phone back into her bag. As if he had been privy to the conversation, Rude's towering figure appeared, weaving through the horde of people and making his way over to her. All she could do was offer him a small wave as he arrived.

"Hey," Tifa greeted with a smile as he raised one hand to return the gesture in kind. Her eyes flickered to the way he was dressed; he looked immaculate as always, with a pair of black jeans and black turtleneck under his black peacoat. She felt an unexpected jolt of appreciation that she never expected to feel when it came to Rude—he really was a handsome man.

Rude looked around, almost as if searching for the other two, before he refocused his attention back on her. "Hello, Tifa," he said quietly, a hint of a smile curving his lips. "No sign of the other two?"

"Yuffie just called." Her hand gestured towards the phone in her bag. "She said she and Reno were held up at work? On a project that Reeve assigned?" she asked, tilting her head in question. It was a long shot, but perhaps Rude would be a little more open to impart some information regarding the job.

"Oh?" An indecipherable look crossed his features for a split moment, too fast for her to interpret, but then he nodded slowly. "I see."

So much for any information.

Still, she couldn't stop the corner of her lips from curling up at the idea of Reno and Yuffie working together without killing each other. "Reeve is brave though, putting the two of them together. I'm surprised they haven't set the entire operation on fire yet."

Rude cleared his throat, and even through the shades, she could see amusement dancing in his eyes. "Reno… He can be professional when he puts his mind to it."

She couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled out of her throat. "Even with Yuffie pushing all his buttons for the hell of it?"

The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a smirk. "A part of me hopes she gives him hell." Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. She knew he had meant it as a joke, but for some reason, warmth spread through her, causing her cheeks to feel a little hot. The feeling only intensified as Rude caught her eye and held out his arm as his other hand motioned towards the entrance. "Shall we?"

She nodded, reaching out as she slipped her hand into his elbow and allowed him to lead her towards the ticket booth. "Let's."

"Lovers' Path...?" Tifa trailed off, a small frown marring her features as she stared at the vouchers in her hands. When she finally reached the booth to show the concession worker hers and Rude's tickets—that Reno had apparently given him—they had been given two vouchers for drinks, two vouchers for carousel rides, and two vouchers to enjoy a 'magical stroll under glittering lights where mistletoes hung about: the Lovers' Path'. "This…"

Rude cleared his throat again, this time awkwardly and most certainly embarrassed, and she turned her head towards him. "As you probably may have realized by now, they were not assigned to any project—especially not by the Commissioner. I would like to think that he would think twice about putting the two of them together."

"That's what I thought," she said, shaking her head, a faint smile crossing her face. "But why would they lie about it?"

"This," Rude said as he motioned between them, but she noticed that he was carefully keeping his stare away from her, "is most likely what they've been working on the past little while."

"This?" she questioned, her brows raising. And that was when she saw it: his cheekbones were flushed red, and even with his darker complexion, he couldn't quite conceal it. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and neck when realization struck. "Oh," she mumbled, her eyes widening.

Unwittingly, her lips stretched wide, and she felt a little bad that she couldn't hide how amused she was at his expense—at their expense. She thought about the way the two of them had been crowding around at the bar, whispering to each other, and for the longest time, she thought it was about work. Shaking her head, a laugh escaped at the thought that Yuffie was willing to put up with Reno to get her and Rude to this very place.

Tifa wiped tears from the corner of her eyes with her fingers. "This is important to them, huh?"

"Hm?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Think about it," she said fondly, still grinning as she nudged him with her elbow. "Both of them were willing to put up with each other for the last few days even though they can't stand being in each other's presence. All so we could show up here together."

"He's got a good heart." Rude nodded, one corner of his mouth curled up. A pause. "Is it acceptable though? This?"

It took her a moment to realize what he meant by 'this'. A twinge of nervousness curled through her stomach because Yuffie was right; she'd been intrigued by him ever since all those years ago. And somehow, despite her never letting Yuffie know, Yuffie had found out anyway. There was something about Rude that struck a chord within her, and maybe tonight was finally the time to figure out what it was about Rude that did just that.

"Yes, of course," she said, slipping one of her hands into the crook of his elbow again before waving the Lovers' Path vouchers at him. "And we definitely shouldn't waste their efforts."

They spent the next half an hour wandering through the path—though Tifa thought it was more of a maze than anything—while carefully avoiding the mistletoes that seemed to be hung on every corner. Other than the tens of thousands of tiny golden lights that strung across the trees and railing and everywhere they looked, giant Christmas light displays—reindeers and snowmen and teddy bears—were scattered all over the place. The lights made the whole world glow with an ethereal hue in contrast to the darkness that surrounded them. As she watched the lights twinkling and glimmering, it almost seemed like she was in a dream; nothing about this place felt like it was real.

Everything was so beautiful.

When they finally reached the end of the path, she couldn't help but stop in her steps to look back at it one last time. One tree in particular towered over everything, and the lights on it seemed so incredibly bright; it stood out amongst everything else around it.

She turned back to face Rude, who was staring down at her with a strange expression—a mixture of fondness and awe, perhaps? With the thoughtful, but apprehensive look on his face, it was almost as if he wanted to say something. But then, he shook his head slightly—probably to get rid of whatever thoughts had been plaguing his mind—and turned back towards the carousel.

Her hold tightened on his arm briefly as she cast him the brightest smile she could muster. "Thanks for coming along for the walk, Rude."

He only grunted in response, but she noticed the hint of pink that dusted across his neck, and she pressed her lips together tighter to keep from laughing. It hadn't been her intention to make him uncomfortable, but maybe Yuffie was right; sometimes, it was fun to tease the people around you a little bit.

And maybe if she kept pushing him hard enough, she'd finally get to know him better.

Tifa let out a laugh as she hopped off the carousel with a graceful landing when it finally stopped. It was the first time she had ever gone on a carousel, and when the platform first started moving, she thought for sure that she would get dizzy. But it had been a magical experience—the beautiful horses, the breathtaking lights, the festive music, the mingling chatter, the giggling children. And it made her wish that she had taken Marlene and Denzel along; they would have enjoyed it. If the market was opened again next year, she'd make sure to bring them.

With her hands behind her back, she smiled up at Rude, whose lips were also curled up. She decided then that she liked it when he was smiling; the expression on his face made her stomach feel warm.

"That was amazing," she said honestly, almost breathless, as they made their way out of the ride. "Did you enjoy it?"

"I did," he admitted. His eyes met hers for a split second before looking away, and he scratched his head. It was unexpected, seeing him make such an endearing gesture; she had always been under the impression that he was the typical strong, stoic man, but seeing him like this made her realise just how much she didn't know about him.

Something must have come over her, because she took one of his hands and squeezed it with both of hers. He looked down at the contact, surprised, but didn't pull away. And then she gave her another smile before releasing his hands and turning around to hide her blush.

"Yuffie said they have really good mulled wine here!" she called over her shoulder as she dug through her bag for the drink vouchers. Her heart beat faster in her chest when she heard Rude chuckle behind her, the deep rumble vibrating through the air.

It took them a while to reach the refreshments kiosk because Tifa kept getting distracted by the different vendors on the way there. There were stalls selling baked goods and pastries, handmade jewelry and accessories, handmade trinkets and ornaments, and she found herself stopping every now and then to look at something or pick something up before continuing. Every vendor they came across had something interesting, and she tried very hard not to buy anything, but she couldn't help it. It had been such a long time since she had gone to shop, and she felt giddy. Rude continued to trail behind her without complaints, and she kept glancing back at him and giving him big smiles.

By the time they finally got their cups of mulled wine in their hands, a couple of paper bags filled with goodies were in her bag. The warmth of the drink relaxed her, and she found herself talking to Rude about herself; things that she hadn't told anyone in ages. It was mostly silly stories from back when she was a child, but he seemed genuinely interested, nodding along in all the right places, sometimes making comments or asking questions.

What surprised her was when he started telling her about himself—stories of when he grew up in the slums, stories of how people used to look at him with contempt, stories of how those people would call him names as he passed by. They were stories she had heard before back when she lived in Sector Seven, but hearing it from Rude, who seemed so strong and confident; it felt like it hit her square in the chest.

They continued to talk as they wandered the market, and she felt lighter than she ever had. Sometimes, she would glance up and catch him watching her with those dark eyes of his, and she would feel her cheeks grow hot. It was strange; she had always thought that he was such an apathetic man, and yet tonight, she had seen him as being nothing more than an open book, speaking openingly to her, talking about himself, showing that he had his own vulnerabilities.

Tifa wasn't sure why, but she knew that the longer she looked at him, the harder she found it to stop smiling. Something inside of her was tugging at her to get closer to him, wanting more of his company—of his kindness. A feeling of pure happiness swelled up inside her and settled into her bones, and she wondered if she would always feel like this around him.

It wasn't until Rude stopped walking beside her that she turned towards him and noticed that they were near the exit of the market. The crowd was still bustling a few steps from where they were, but it was definitely thinning. A feeling of disappointment washed over Tifa when she realized it was the end of the night; she had enjoyed her time so much with Rude that she didn't want it to end.

Tifa brought the cup to her face, intending to drink the last bit of her mulled wine, when someone bumped into her from behind, and her drink spilled onto her hand and all over the front of Rude's peacoat in a split second. Her cup dropped, and it skittered along the ground; she turned to scold the person responsible for bumping into her, only to see a white cape—maybe shawl—flutter around the corner. It couldn't possibly be… could it?

"Crap! I'm so sorry!" Tifa stammered, pulling out a napkin to try to wipe the front of his jacket right away.

Rude stood, his mouth slightly opened as he looked down at his peacoat before looking back at her, shaking his head. And then he snapped out of it enough to stop her frantic hands and bend over to retrieve her cup before dumping it into the garbage. "I think that was a sign," he murmured, amusement in his voice. "I believe the future Empress wants me to walk you home?"

Tifa blinked. Maybe she wasn't crazy and it really was Yuffie's moogle cape that she saw. "But your jacket—"

"Don't worry about it," he cut her off with a shrug. Once again, he offered her his arm, and once again, she slipped her fingers between his arm. "I plan on buying another one tomorrow. I'm sure Reno will have no problem reimbursing me for the expense."

She couldn't help but grin at him. "Good luck."

Rude's body was warm against her side as they trekked back to the bar. The dim city lights flickered above them, and she couldn't help but marvel at how everything seemed—like nothing could ruin it. They spoke quietly about anything and everything that came to mind. It was nice. Easy, even. She didn't have to pry into what he was thinking because he would share his thoughts freely, and that was something that surprised her.

For as long as she had known him, she thought him similar to a lot of the men she knew in her life—Cloud, Vincent, Cid—and that he would never open up or let his guard down. But these last couple of hours, he seemed more honest with her than she ever imagined anyone else being capable of. He was a man of few words, but when they were spoken, they left an impression on her—something that made her feel like she understood him even better. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, her intrigue with him had turned into something else. Sure, they didn't know each other all that well—though she suspected he had a file with all the details of her life—she liked spending time with him.

And, it was hard finding someone that she felt comfortable around—felt safe with.

At that thought, the street lights flickered again. But this time, they didn't turn back on. She didn't realize how dark and empty and quiet the streets were until that very moment. The air suddenly felt heavier, and the silence was deafening. Removing her hand from his arm, she dug through her jacket pocket for her gloves—

But Rude's hand on her arm stopped her. "Wait."

Tifa couldn't stop the huff of surprise from escaping. "You think that's them?"

"Just a hunch," he said, pausing for a moment before continuing his explanation. "It wouldn't be the first time Reno's turned off the power grid for a few city blocks."

Rude really didn't seem at all that concerned, as if this sort of thing happened all the time with Reno. Tifa could understand; she'd had to deal with Yuffie's shenanigans more than once. Deciding not to question it further, she waited, threading her hand back through his arm.

And she wasn't disappointed.

Fireworks exploded across the sky, just a few at a time. They weren't loud or bright enough to cause a huge disturbance, but she felt the vibrations reverberating inside her chest anyway. Her heart swelled as she saw vibrant colours filling up the night sky, and it was breathtaking. The last time she had seen a fireworks display was years ago at the Gold Saucer, before everything—before Meteor, before Geostigma, before... Aerith.

It didn't take long before the final explosions faded, and the vivid lights finally disappeared into the night sky. However, she found that she didn't want to move her eyes away from the sight; she wanted to stay right in that spot and soak up every second of it.

She felt Rude squeeze her arm as she took in a deep breath. "Wow," she let out, amazed.

"Reno's work," he murmured under his breath, as if it were some kind of secret.

Without warning, the street lamps turned back on, and the light almost blinded her. She had to blink a few times to get her vision to adjust to the brightness. And then her lips lifted into a wide smile, and she felt lighter than air. "They were beautiful. Thank him for me."

A small smirk formed across Rude's face as he looked down at her. "He's always had a flair for the dramatic," he said quietly, his voice soft, "but I'm sure he'll be happy to hear you say that."

"I think he's kind of romantic," she mused.

"I'll tell him that, too."

Tifa laughed.

As they drew nearer and nearer to the bar, Tifa began fidgeting with her keys. She wasn't sure if she was ready for the evening to end. The evening had started in an unexpected manner, but she had enjoyed every minute she had spent with Rude.

Sure, it had started with Yuffie and Reno deliberately setting them up on a date, but where did they go on from here? Back to a relationship between a barmaid and a regular customer? She had known that he had liked her once upon a time years ago, but was that still the case? And if so, what then?

It was times like these she wished she had Yuffie's brash personality. Instead, she was so lost in thoughts she almost didn't hear Rude calling her name. They had arrived at the entrance of Seventh Heaven, and he was looking at her curiously through his shades.

"Something wrong?" he asked, cocking his head to the side just slightly.

She looked down, a little embarrassed, as she pulled out the right key out of the bundle. "N-no, no," she murmured with a small smile before casting him a bashful, sidelong glance. "Did you want to come for a drink?"

He paused, and she could tell he wanted to say yes and accept her offer. Instead, he focused his attention on the darkened alley across the street as he shook his head. "I better not," he explained, his head motioning to where he was looking. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Tifa."

It didn't take a genius to figure out why he didn't say 'yes', and if she had to guess, Reno was hiding in that alley, waiting for his partner to leave. Just as Rude turned around, Tifa gathered up her courage—because dammit, she had saved the world more than once and she wasn't going to let her cowardice take over now—and pulled at his jacket sleeve.

Before she could second-guess herself, she stood up on her tip-toes, and her lips brushed against the corner of his mouth. "Merry Christmas," she said softly before pulling away. Her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest and run for its life—

His hand cupped her cheek, his gaze so intent on her that she almost forgot to breathe. But then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his voice a low rumble as he spoke, "Merry Christmas, Tifa."

She beamed up at him as he stepped back, and she felt like a kid again—giddy with happiness. Unlocking the door, she stepped in, whispering a soft 'good night' before locking the door behind her and giving him a small wave.

With a final nod—and a smile—Rude turned around and made his way toward the alleyway.

As soon as he disappeared from sight, Tifa sagged against the door as she held her hands to her chest, her heart fluttering wildly in her ribcage. Warmth spread through her body, as though every nerve in her body had been lit up, and she could feel it coursing through her veins. When she finally pushed herself up and made her way up the stairs, she couldn't stop smiling either.

In fact, she couldn't get him out of her head—the warmth of his body against her sides, the quirk of his lips as he listened, or the gleam in his eyes as he spoke.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, Yuffie, who was sprawled on the couch, watching television, greeted her; Tifa wasn't even surprised at the sight.

"How was it?" Yuffie asked as she chewed, her eyes never once leaving the screen before she threw another kernel of popcorn in her mouth.

"Oh, you know," Tifa spoke, still unable to wipe the smile on her face. "The two of you have been following us all night."

"Nooooooo! Me? I would never!" But then Yuffie's gaze swivelled towards her, and something on Tifa's face must've been telling—maybe it was her smile from ear to ear, or her cheeks that were still bright red, or—

"Wait!" Yuffie screeched as she hopped off the couch, the bowl of popcorn on her lap tossed onto the coffee table. "Did I miss something?!"

"If you admit to following us, maybe I'll tell you the juice details," Tifa answered playfully in a sing-song voice.

Eyes glowing bright, she got into Tifa's face. "Details? Juicy? Teeeeeeeef! You can't possibly do this to me!"

Tifa hummed, stepping past her as she began unwinding her scarf and taking off her jacket, making sure to ignore her. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop her lips from twitching in amusement as Yuffie let out a huff of annoyance before following Tifa into the kitchen.

"Fine, fine, fine! It was us, 'kay? Now spill!"

Tifa gave her a wink. "I don't kiss and tell, you know?"

A choked sound escaped Yuffie's lips, but it only lasted a mere second before her eyes widened comically. "You what?!" she shrieked before a groan of disappointment could be heard. "I can't believe I missed it!"

Author's Notes: I've been meaning to write a RuTi fic for a long time, and this just so happened to pop into my brain. Perfect for the holidays :) Merry Early Christmas & Happy Holidays, everyone!

Completed: November 10, 2021