A/N: Just a quick note that the M rating does come into effect here. Mostly language-mostly.
Chapter 7
Rufus sat up with a curse. His frustration was palpable and accented when he threw a pillow across the room. He almost smirked when he heard a muffled thud followed by the sound of crashing and breaking glass. He had no idea what he broke, but he didn't care.
He threw the covers back and slid his legs over, so he was sitting on the side of his bed. He then ran a hand through his hair as he made another frustrated noise. Why the hell did he dream about that woman again? His thoughts the day before had hardly touched on her at all—not after he got confirmation that Avalanche was willing to work with him. The rest of his day had been spent planning.
Although, he could admit in the quiet and privacy of his own mind that it wasn't just that he had dreamt about her. No, the most recent dream had slid perilously close to crossing a line that had been teasing him from the beginning. Why had she been wearing something so absolutely tantalizing—or rather—distracting? The lavender lingerie had fit every one of her curves and caressed her skin in a way that begged to be touched. Plus, there had not been much to it. Very little of it was not sheer enough for him to see through.
He had been dreaming about his father's office, which wasn't unusual. After his day, he was honestly pleased to see himself behind the desk instead of in front of it. However, all thoughts of his conquest flew from his mind as soon as she appeared—or at least of that conquest. Even when she grabbed him and tried to pull him around, he hadn't fought at first because he had been too distracted by her smooth, long legs. She was shorter than he was, but not by more than a few inches, and the way she was running made the satin slip up dangerously, which had been even worse when she crawled under the desk on her hands and knees. Had he not been trying to concentrate on what she said, the dream might have devolved then and there. And the list went on—the way she clung to him as they fell, the feel of her soft body beneath him, and the feel of her warm skin in his hands.
He made another aggravated noise at his wayward thoughts. He was used to having his mind in order, along with everything else. Why the hell could he not get the feel of her soft dark hair as it brushed his cheek off his mind. That was the last straw. He stood suddenly and headed toward the shower. It didn't matter what time it was, as long as the water was cold. Maybe after he was done, he could go to the shooting range. Decimating a target sounded like the perfect way to get his current frustrations off his mind.
Senna sat up with a gasp then immediately fell back with a groan. Yes, she had been falling in her dream—again. But for once, that wasn't the source of her aggravation. All she could see behind her closed lids was the disappointed look on Rufus's face as she fell away from him and damn her if she couldn't help but wonder if he was disappointed that she was right or that he wasn't able to follow through on his tantalizing threat. The better question was whether or not she was aggravated for the same reason.
She groaned again and tried to ignore the very distinctive ache that had started somewhere below her waist. Damnit, why in the hell did her dreams torment her? Especially with Rufus fucking Shinra of all people. Yes, he was hot as hell, even more so in her dreams because she saw him up close and personal, but he was also morally ambiguous at best.
She thought she had gotten used to him in her dreams since that seemed like all her mind produced recently. She had even given up on trying to figure out why. What did it matter? It wasn't like she could change it just by wishing. Even so, this last dream crossed way over the line. Honestly, despite the deadly situation, there had been a couple of times she was tempted to say the hell with and kiss him if he wasn't going to kiss her. Just the thought of that now that she was awake was enough for her to bury her face in her hands as if that could help her hide from her own twisted mind.
Part of her mind tried to soothe her embarrassment by reminding her it was a dream. Strange things happened in dreams all the time, even of the heated variety. In normal circumstances, she might have accepted that and moved on, but these dreams were different for some reason. There was a lifelike quality to them that she couldn't shake. Yes, there was no doubt it was all in her head, but it didn't feel like it. She had never dreamt so vividly before.
Not even the research she had done on night terrors helped her this time. It had been an adrenaline-inducing situation, to be sure, but after they started falling through the escape hatch, nightmare would be the last thing she described it as.
She grabbed her pillow and covered her whole head as she groaned again. Why did she have to remember the way his skin felt when she grabbed his shirt. Or the things his voice did to her when it was close enough to her ear for her to feel the warmth of his breath.
That was the last straw. She tossed the pillow to the other side of the room, not caring where it landed as she headed toward the shower. Maybe if she spent the next twenty minutes under cold water, she could face the day to come with a modicum of self-respect.
Rufus had utterly demolished half a dozen targets before he felt he was ready to face the day. Luckily, it had been before dawn when he started, so it did not impede his schedule. Although, he did stop when he crossed paths with Tseng on his way to take another shower to clean off the gunpowder residue. His voice was curt when he said, "I will be in meetings with my father all morning. After that, I want you to verify he will be out of his office for the afternoon. If that is still the case, let me know immediately."
For a brief moment, something like confusion passed through Tseng's gaze, but it was hidden quickly. "Of course, sir. I believe I remember that he had plans to inspect one of Director Scarlet's projects, but I will verify. Is there anything else you would like me to check on?"
Rufus waved the question off with an irritated gesture. He immediately wanted to curse his own lack of control. Why was he showing any emotion? Even though he knew it was obvious, he could not stop the curt tone in his voice as he said, "No. Everything else has already been set in motion. We will know more later."
Tseng gave Rufus a curt bow as he said, "If that is all, then I will report as soon as I have an answer." Rufus didn't bother with a reply as he headed back to his rooms.
It was still mid-morning when Rufus walked out of his last meeting. They had all run relatively smoothly, but that could have been the lack of Heidegger and Hojo. The two had been unable to attend for whatever reason. Something had been mentioned about a traitor, which could have kept the larger man busy, but Rufus hadn't even batted an eyelash at the news. Not that he wasn't aware of what was going on, but only an idiot would show the signs of such. If nothing else, his father had raised him to not be idiotic.
He was pleased to see Tseng waiting in his office when he arrived. The Turk bowed slightly as he said, "Sir, I have confirmed that the president will be out of his office for the next three hours." He only hesitated for a moment before he said, "Was there something there you need me to look for?"
Rufus barely kept from making an aggravated noise before he said, "No. There is something I need to look for."
That seemed to catch Tseng off guard, but he recovered quickly. Though there was a furrow between the man's brows as he asked, "Sir?"
Rufus ignored the look and the unspoken question. Instead, he gestured to the door. "This will not take more than a few minutes. Please follow and make sure I have privacy." For the first time in a long time, Tseng seemed unsure. Still, when Rufus raised one brow, the Turk nodded his acknowledgment before he fell into step behind Rufus.
The walk was short, as Rufus's office was only a few floors below the president's. It was lucky there were no other Turks or infantry around—a habit his father probably needed to rethink. If anyone could sneak into the building, he would be unguarded if they made it as far as the 69th floor. Not that Rufus cared, but it was a fault he would be sure not to repeat.
Tsung stopped before they got off the elevator, and his voice sounded uncharacteristically hesitant as he asked, "Sir, would you like me to adjust the video feed once we are finished?"
Rufus smirked for the first time that day. "No. I will not be doing anything that counts as treason." Tseng didn't look entirely convinced, but he held his silence as he followed Rufus into the massive office and to the equally large desk that dominated the space.
Rufus did not pause when he reached his destination. He had too much dignity to get on his hands and knees to crawl under, but he did sit in the chair. He then leaned forward and felt in the area he could remember Senna looking at. His breath caught when he felt a switch. It was really there.
He pushed away from the desk to inspect the space easier and was not entirely shocked to see the outline of the trap door, now that he knew what he was looking for. He also noticed something written largely next the where the switch was, but it was in shadow and unclear. He pulled out his phone and shone a light under there to see the large letter L. It took a few seconds, but his expression was caught between a grimace and a smirk as the reason clicked.
He was talking under his breath as he said, "No wonder she was so angry at my father."
It had been a long, tedious day for Senna that had not improved much after the dream the night before. She had been snappy and irritable and almost yelled when Natasha suggested that she find someone to help relieve the tension. It was only the fact that she was self-aware enough to know that was actually the root of her problem. That had been one morning that Bob had been of absolutely no help.
She had been almost thankful when she finally fell into bed that night, but her relief went straight back to frustration when she found herself surrounded by frigid blackness. She could already tell that if that was another dream about Rufus, then she would have to watch every one of her words—and actions.
She sighed when light finally flared. It exposed hills around her and a tall building in the distance. Although, for once, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking at. She turned and nearly jumped from her skin when she saw Rufus standing a short distance away with a handful of Turks. And damn if the sight of him didn't immediately do things to her that she would rather ignore.
She sighed as she walked to where he was standing. At least she was pretty sure that the Turks couldn't see her because none of them batted an eye when she stopped next to him and gestured behind her as she said, "Any idea where we are?"
His eyes had not left her from the moment she turned to face him, but his smirk had an edge to it as he said, "I'm surprised you don't know."
Tseng was the one to respond. "Sir? What do I not know?"
Senna covered her face and tried her best not to laugh at the discrepancy. At least Rufus was more composed. He looked over at Tseng and said, "Standby here. I'll be right back." For a moment, it looked like Tseng would argue, but he only nodded as Rufus grabbed Senna's arm and pulled her far enough away that the others couldn't hear him.
When they stopped, Rufus's gaze traveled over Senna slowly. There was no way she could miss it, and her cheeks heated without her permission. She scowled to try and counter the heat rising in her as he finally smirked and said, "I must say, it is disappointing to see you have gone back to pajamas."
Something warm started to uncurl low in Senna's abdomen at his words. Still, she had already decided that wasn't a direction she wanted these strange dreams to take. They felt way too real. Instead of answering, she gestured back toward the building again as she said, "I figured out this is a reactor, but I'm not sure which one. I don't think Nibelheim because this looks like sandstone and not granite."
Rufus chuckled at her abrupt change of subject, but it didn't take long before he was looking around with a furrowed brow. "This looks like it could be Corel. The reactor there is relatively new."
As soon as those words escaped his lips, Senna's eyes widened. "Oh shit!"
Rufus gave her an incredulous look at the unexpected vulgarity, but she ignored him as she grabbed his arm to ensure he was focusing on her words as she said, "This must be when you came to meet with Avalanche. You can't go into that reactor!"
Rufus froze momentarily before he peeled her fingers off his arm and gave her a cold look. "What makes you believe I would do something so treasonous."
Senna scoffed. "Please, it has already been well established that your father is a grade-A asshole that you want to off so you can get the company. I'm not saying you should avoid the meeting to try and put you on the straight and narrow. I have no desire to drive myself crazy attempting the impossible."
If anything, her words seemed to make him even more skeptical, but she wasn't finished. "I am asking you not to go in there to prevent the loss of countless lives. Fuhito is not in there waiting. The only thing he left for you was a ton of explosives. If you walk into that building, he will blow it sky high."
For the first time since Senna started talking, Rufus paused and gave her an evaluating look as he said, "So, you are trying to save my life?"
Senna made a frustrated noise as she tried to explain. "Not yours. You will be rescued by Turks. Not the ones you brought with you, but the ones your father sends. This is when he finally figures out that you are the traitor and decides to put you under house arrest."
She paused and ran her hand through her hair with exasperation as she continued, "The news that you are trying to kill your father would only cause contention, so they cover up your involvement. Instead, they blame the sabotage on the Corel villagers and raze the whole place—men, women, children, nearly everyone dies. The few that manage to survive are left with nothing but the shell of a village and a field full of graves."
Nearly a minute passed after she finished speaking before Rufus looked her right in the eye and said, "Why should I care that the village is demolished. It isn't my fault they couldn't take care of themselves."
Senna's eyes widened, and she absolutely lost it. She didn't give a damn who the man thought he was as she got right in his face and tried not to yell as she ground out her answer. "Right now, you are proving everyone's point that you are worse than your father. He was ambitious and willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, but he wasn't cold. I don't give a damn how pragmatic you think you're being, but all life deserves a chance. Get over yourself. Besides, saving those lives will not cost you anything. Just walk away, and none of it will happen. Plus, you won't alert your father to how wonderful a son you are. What could you possibly gain by ignoring me?"
Senna had been expecting Rufus to lose his temper, but he only watched her for several moments before he said, "What's to say that you are wrong—that Avalanche is inside waiting for me, and all I need to do to accomplish my goal is to go in there."
Another frustrated noise was pulled from Senna, but she didn't answer right away. Instead, paced as she ran her hands through her hair a few more times as if tugging on the ends could somehow make her brain work better. Finally, she turned back to Rufus with a frown. "First, tell me, when have I been wrong since these dreams started? Ever?"
Rufus's only raised one brow as he said, "There is a first time for everything."
Senna rolled her eyes. She was already over her anger. It had been too much to expect that the man would respond to pleas based on altruism. By the end of it all, he might have learned to regret, but he still looked young. Too young to have gone through everything that changed him yet. Instead, she tried to look at things logically.
Finally, something occurred to her, and she smirked at him as she said, "Fine, we can test if I'm right or wrong. A short delay won't hold back your negotiations, and worst-case scenario, if Fuhito is inside, there is only one exit. You'll be here to greet him if he gets tired of waiting. In the meantime, you can tell your Turks that you have reason to believe you may be in the middle of a double-cross, and they can find the bombs. Viola, you've just been made a hero by saving the reactor, and no one dies. Wouldn't that be good PR?"
A few seconds passed before Rufus started chuckling, and he lowered his chin in acknowledgment. "If there are indeed bomb, then yes. I am sure my father would have questions about my foreknowledge of the attack, but I would have little issue explaining that I was the one to set up the double-cross to eliminate Avalanche."
Senna wasn't sure if she should be impressed or incensed. In the end, she just sighed as she said, "Well then, are you going to go tell your Turks or not?"
His smirk was still firmly in place as he said, "Stay here."
She crossed her arms and gave him a longsuffering look but didn't argue. She could still hear him chuckling as he walked away. It only took a few minutes before the Turks scattered, and he returned to where she was waiting. Despite her frustrations, she had a smile for him when he stopped next to her. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"
He didn't deign to answer; instead, he focused on the entrance to the reactor. Since that hadn't gotten a reaction from him, Senna sidled next to him and cocked a brow as she asked, "Now what?"
That time, he did look over at her, and she couldn't miss the hint of humor in his eyes as he said, "We wait."
Senna chuckled and gestured around them with a wry smile as she said, "I don't know about you, but for me, this is when the dream usually ends. If it hasn't yet, there must be something else that needs to be addressed. Any ideas?"
His eyes became hooded, and Senna almost took a step back. She wasn't sure what he was planning, but it was obviously something. However, she wasn't given a chance to get far before his hand snapped out and grabbed her. Before she even knew what he was doing, he had closed the distance and had one hand tangled in her hair while the other was on her waist.
His grip wasn't tight enough to hurt, but Senna could tell that it would if she tried to get away. Not that she was in any hurry to do so. The hooded look in his eyes had sparked to something else entirely, and the sight of it made Senna swallow to try and ease the sudden dryness in her throat.
Rufus's smirk was only a few inches from her face, and his voice was low and husky as he said, "I can think of a few unresolved issues. Perhaps now is the perfect time to explore them."
Senna was in the middle of a heated inner battle as she watched his lips. She would absolutely be lying to herself if she tried to claim she wasn't interested in seeing what he had to say. Or actually, what he wouldn't be saying. Not that she was given more than a few seconds to resist. As if she was actually going to do so.
Triumph flashed through his eyes when her only response was to grip the front of his shirt. That seemed to be enough to tell him she wasn't going to argue, and his lips descended to cover hers.
The kiss started out simple, but it was not long before Rufus's hand moved from her waist to the small of her back so he could pull her closer. The feel of his chest pressed against her front was enough to elicit a small moan from Senna, which Rufus was more than happy to take advantage of.
The way he expertly led her into deepening the kiss had her head spinning, and her hands moved to wrap around his shoulders. One of her hands carded her fingers through the hairs at the nape of his neck, while the other cupped the back of his head as if there was more space to erase between them, and she could get even closer.
Much to her surprise, she could. She was standing on her tiptoes, and he moved both arms around her to pull her close enough so that nearly every inch of their fronts were touching. Senna moaned again as the heat from his body seeped through her thin PJs and immediately stoked the tiny fire inside that she had been trying to ignore. It roared into a furnace, and suddenly Rufus wasn't the only one trying to lead the kiss.
Senna lost all thoughts of propriety as she ran one leg up the side of his thigh and smirked when he pulled back with a sound that was suspiciously like a pleased hiss. She wasn't given long to relish her triumph before his hands were roaming and driving her out of her mind. It didn't take him long to find his way under her top, and his fingers left a trail of molten heat behind as they slid across her back and waist.
She had no idea how long they stood there like that, but she was disappointed when he finally pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. The heat she saw in his was matched by the inferno inside her, which was only stoked when he whispered, "That is an excellent start."
Her smirk widened, and she had a quip on the tip of her tongue, but it fell flat when she noticed that he was starting to fade away with the landscape. The only thing she could think was, "Damnit, not now!"
She hadn't realized she had said it aloud, but the scowl on Rufus's face told her otherwise. By then, he must have noticed too. His voice was the only thing that was still clear as she heard him say, "This is not over. Next time, you will finish what you started."
By the time his voice faded away, Senna was surrounded by darkness and enough cold to seep the last of the heat from her skin, but this time she only glared at it as she yelled, "What the hell! Make up your mind." Not that the darkness answered back.
A/N: Well then...lol. So, do you agree with Rufus, was this a good start? I know it was evil to end it there, but I promise I have a good reason. Things are about to get even more interesting in the coming chapters, so I hope you enjoyed this taste of what's possible, if not probable lol. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and cheers!