White Desire
Chapter 10
"Whaaaat! He hired you as his secretary? His personal secretary!" Cloud didn't seem too thrilled with the news when Tifa handed it over. Once she had returned to Edge, the others bombarded her with questions, the first ones being among as to why she deactivated her glasses and how come they didn't get to see or hear anything. It made the brunette remember that she hadn't informed Rufus of those devices. She felt she probably should the next time that the two spoke. In any case, Cloud's face was one of pure disapproval once she had sat down and explained to him what had happened with the application process. "I really don't think I like the way this is going. He hired you as his personal secretary. What could he be thinking...?"
Tifa shook her head slowly at him. For once she was really meaning to disagree with him. Besides, she never wanted them to find out that she was spying on them while spying on Shin-Ra at the same time. The more she thought about it, though, the more she realised she was in the neutral zone. She got to see both sides of the story and understand them as well. Things really couldn't get any better than that. Perhaps this wouldn't turn out so bad after all. "You told me to go apply. He gave me a job. He told me that Shin-Ra was originally hiring for security jobs, but he didn't want me doing something like that, so he offered the secretary position for it. Besides, weren't you the one who said he wouldn't know who I am? Why are you in such a mess over this?" She pursed her lips together, trying to understand his perspective.
The young blonde nodded slowly. She did have a valid point. He had said that, but it didn't necessarily mean that he meant it. Cloud was nowhere as confident in his plans as he made it sound. In fact, most of the time, he expected his plans to fall through. He felt that if he didn't have high hopes, when bad things happened, it wouldn't bother him as much. And strangely enough, that theory worked. He'd chosen to live his life in such a way for a while now. Talking to Tifa, and spending time with her was the first thing he'd really done with an optimistic attitude. He didn't really consider that it could become his downfall though. "Yeah, I know. Maybe that's why I'm worried. He doesn't know you and therefore, we're leading him on. You've heard of it before. Presidents and their secretaries. There's always a secret affair in there somewhere. He might do something to you, Tifa." That's what it was. He was jealous. This meant that Rufus was going to get to spend much more time with the brunette than he was allowed, and that just wasn't fair at all. Cloud began to question why he ever came up with a plan of that magnitude. He didn't know how long Tifa could keep up the charade. Eventually Rufus would find out who she was and then they would all be sunk.
Cid and Barret began to both speak at the same time, but understanding they were speaking the same language, Barret allowed Cid to continue. "Cloud, nothing can go wrong. Tifa's so close to him that she can find out anything she wants with the company. She's befriending him, so he might very well start leaking out the secrets sometime soon. And when he does...BOOM! We'll be there! We'll kick his ass to the high heavens and Shin-Ra will be done away with for good. You're worrying about nothing." Most of the others felt the same way, even if they wouldn't admit it. Barret and Cid had the same thing going through their minds, but that was probably because they were similar to each other. Vincent had been remotely quiet, and Yuffie had been too, (for once) although that wouldn't last long. Before she could actually speak, though, the middle-aged blonde planted a hand over her mouth to silence her. They could go for a while without hearing her voice. They'd gotten enough of it in Wutai with her endless complaining.
As Cloud began to protest again, Vincent rose from his seating at the table with Tifa and he wandered back and forth. He wasn't contemplating anything, but he'd been listening the entire time. Vincent was often one with few words, but when he spoke, he gave the right ones, or the encouragement, or the idea that was needed. He was...wise beyond his years, perhaps was the best way to describe him. His left arm reached out and he moved the joints in his claw. He hadn't been using it too much lately, and wondered if he should change that and put it into his daily routine. He'd had plans to return to Nibelheim for personal training, but now that things were getting interesting, he had no intentions of going anywhere. "Pardon me, but it seems that Cloud has an interesting issue that I believe should be brought up to reassure the rest of you. Rufus Shin-Ra has not...and probably will not ever be interested in the female gender. I'm not implying that he leans the other way; I am merely stating that he is so focused upon his business and plans that he probably has no desire to look at anyone in such a light. I'm more than reasonably certain that Tifa will have nothing to worry about. He probably sees her as a step stool for some other plans of his." Then he folded his arms over his chest, the red cape flowing around him in a rather graceful manner. "If he were to be interested in someone, it would be Scarlet. Those two are simply made for each other. They're both rather hard-headed and have an avaricious appetite for money that cannot be satisfied. I am positive that Tifa will not be...in any sort of harm in that respect."
Good ol' Vincent. He could always be counted upon for such things. Outside of Cloud and Tifa, the others had nodded. It almost seemed that they were a bit too ecstatic for their own good. They'd finally gotten someone into the company that could be trusted and it appeared as though their ultimate goal was so close. As long as nothing bad happened, then things would probably turn out okay. They did, however, need to keep all things in perspective. That meant to expect the unexpected, no matter how difficult that might possibly be.
After a few moments of silence, Cloud finally nodded, giving his consent to the entire ordeal. Tifa could take care of herself anyway. And if she really, really needed it, he knew she'd ask them for help, but that seemed rather unlikely. "Well, I guess that's all that really needed to be discussed then. Oh...and Barret, make sure you fix the glasses and the audio/visual device. Tifa will need those when she goes into work from now on." He looked around to the others. It was going to be a little different once she was away every day. "While Tifa's gone, it's our job to keep the bar running and...my delivery service. So...I'll be taking over for both. If there are any questions, remember to come to me and not to bother Tifa. Any time the phone rings, answer it as 'Strife Delivery Service, your name, and how you can be of service.'" Even in the tough times, he still had to make money.
Barret nodded an affirmative to him, acknowledging the request and he examined both devices that Tifa had given him earlier. As Vincent sat down again, the brunette rose. It seemed that when someone stood up, it was obvious all attention should be on that particular person. "Umm...Cloud, I'm not really sure if it's wise for me to bring stuff like that anymore. There's a possibility that it'll get seen...or heard...or broken, something like that. Shin-Ra's security system has totally tightened up, so it's been really hard just to get in like I'm not someone out to destroy the company. Every time I walk in there, there's a Turk waiting to interrogate me as to why I've come. I've even had to lie to them. I'd rather not arouse any more suspicion." She actually wanted to feel like she was lying less and she thought that without either device, it would certainly seem that way. She looked around to the others for some type of hope or agreement, and so far they appeared blank. Then she remembered the other pressing issue that she had brought up earlier. The others didn't seem concerned about it at all, but she was most definitely not looking forward to it. "And what about Reno...?"
There were some chuckles exchanged between the other guys. It wasn't that they were trying to be mean. They just thought the idea of Tifa going on a date with anyone was faintly humourous. Cloud was the first to speak up. "What about him? He's a Turk. You're going on a date with him. What's there to talk about with him? He is so far from being worth talking about." Then he began to laugh again, perhaps much harder than he had in a while. The mental images he kept feeding himself consisted of Tifa beating Reno to a pulp and that was sadistically entertaining for him.
Obviously that wasn't the right thing to say. Tifa's face was filled with a rather rose hue and she folded her arms over her chest. If she didn't do that much, she'd more than likely reach out to the ignorant blonde and pummel him instead. "That's not funny! Stop laughing!" Her tone was harsher than usual, and it was that clipped sound that made the others quiet down. After all, she was still 'on the floor' so to speak, so she still needed that undivided attention. A cold look was given to the others before she continued. "How can you guys take that so...so...calmly! Cloud, you completely flip out about President Shin-Ra and yet you find it so delicious that I have a price to pay. You are so lucky you don't resemble me because I'd make you go in my place." Then she turned her attention to the main computer and her look hardened. "Sometimes I wonder if you guys appreciate me at all. You're always teasing me and thinking it's funny when I'm forced to do something that I wouldn't ordinarily do. I don't laugh at you guys, so you guys shouldn't treat me this way." She made an angry gesture and then stomped up the stairs. She didn't want to be stopped this time...or disturbed, and if they knew what was good for them, they wouldn't send anyone up.
Well, it was apparent that Cloud was in the dog house, yet again. It seemed that he'd be spending an awful lot of time there at the rate he was going. And even he thought he was beginning to fall out of Tifa's favour...if he'd even been there in the first place. It was strange, but the looks of amusement were spread around, not for Tifa, but for the price Cloud would pay. It wasn't as though his affection for her went unnoticed. They just chose not to say anything about it...until now.
"Cloud, ya really is a dumb ass. Why ya gotta' be hatin' like dat? Tifa ain't done nothin' to ya, and ya gotta' act like a lil' whiny bitch. The fuck is yer problem, foo'!" Barret was beginning to lose his temper again. He'd been doing so well that the others thought he was off the PMS mode, but it looked they were proven wrong yet again. Marlene tapped him upon the arm to get him to quiet down. She was the only one who could ever calm him and prevent the upcoming tirades. And at that moment, everyone in the room was quite thankful for the young girl.
Vincent gave a sigh and began to elaborate on what Barret had been scolding Cloud about. "He just thinks you're treating Tifa a little bit harshly. I'm not saying the rest of us weren't chuckling, but some of us were suppressing our laughter, which is what you probably should have done. I suppose it's a little too late for that, though." He stood up and then raised his right hand to rest upon his hip, a common gesture for him to make. "I think I might go talk to her." Unlike the others, he often took the steps into the unknown, and if someone was going to have an angry Tifa on their hands, he preferred it being him. He could handle such situations in a calm-like fashion and that's what was called for. He could take things with finesse and class...and the others couldn't. As he headed for the stairs, he turned back to the others and rose his hand, waving them a temporary farewell. "I'll let you know when it's safe to send other people up."
When he took his leave of the others, a snort flew out of Cid's mouth and he turned to Cloud. "So...should I start writing Vincent's eulogy or would you like to do that?" He was only teasing, of course. No matter how much they laughed at one another, they never deliberately spited each other. They were a close group of friends, who came together because of a common goal. And although they were allies, they did need to keep an eye on what they said. Every now and then, they could take things a little too far and make people angry, like Tifa. Then again, the lovely brunette had a difficult time not being so serious some of the time, which none of them understood, since she seemed the optimistic of them all.
Cloud shook his head at the other and gave a soft sigh. "No, no. He'll probably be fine. Tifa wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Those two seem to get along fairly well." He saw Marlene begin to speak up and turned his attention to her. "...Yeah? You look like you've got a question, little one?" That was Marlene's nickname. They all called her by that alias. And whether she liked it or not was completely unknown. She never bothered to say anything about it. He rose from his chair and wandered over to her before kneeling down with a smile. "Are you worried about Tifa? She'll be all right. She'd just a little testy right now. All she needs is a good talking to from someone sensible and she'll be back to normal. Either that, or the sooner her date is over with Reno, the better. I didn't know she was so upset about that. I was much more worried about Rufus than that geek wad."
The young pale female shook her head at him. He didn't really know what she was thinking although he often pretended to. That wasn't his fault, though. He had so many other things on his mind, that there was no need to add to them by making him feel bad. She slipped her hands behind her back and gave a small smile. It looked a little more impish than anything, which she knew the others would find cute. "I saw Vincent and Tifa hugging earlier while you guys were in Wutai. I think they like each other."
That was probably the wrong thing to say. The look she'd seen on Cloud's face was one she'd never seen before. She couldn't read anything behind it and it seemed that he was faintly blank. His sea-green eyes looked around to the others and raised an eyebrow as they all shrugged. He didn't really think it was logical. Tifa and Vincent barely knew each other. Sure they'd traveled together, but that was it. In fact, the only time he recalled that they could've been alone together would have been during the trip to Wutai. He shook his head slowly. "...Nothing more than friends, right...?" He didn't want to sound as though he was envious or anything. It was wrong to jump to conclusions, so he had to be careful what he said and thought.
Yuffie pursed her lips and she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I dunno about that, Cloud. Vincent's awfully handsome, and he's so sweet, and sensitive. I mean...he was all in love with Lucrecia and then she totally rejected him because she was in love with Hojo. That totally broke his heart. That's probably why he's so sweet now. He probably has this big hole in his heart and Tifa's gonna' fill it up!" She didn't seem the least bit concerned about how Cloud was feeling. Of course that was common when it came to her. She was typically more worried about getting materia than someone else's feelings. However, even she had a bit of an infatuation for the red-caped man. When Cid smacked in the back of the head, she shrieked and then looked towards Cloud once more and shrugged. "I'm probably spouting off nothing. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure it was nothing."
That's what he thought at first too. After listening to Yuffie, though, Cloud wasn't so sure. Maybe there was something there that he hadn't noticed before. Vincent was sensitive. Vincent was handsome. In fact, he was so handsome, he was pretty. Cloud enfolded his arms over his chest as he sat back down and pressed his back against the support of the chair. There was a bit of tension in the air, but he wanted to pretend that it wasn't there. "Yeah. You're right, Yuf. You were just spouting stuff like you normally do. I know you well enough not to take you seriously anymore. Can only trust you so far to know what you're talking about." He shrugged off the bad feeling and chuckled softly.
Tifa paced back and forth in her room. She was a little more than irritated that she'd been treated as such and really didn't want to talk to anyone else. Her hands were laced together in a tight fashion and she didn't really know what to think or say. She was starting to think again and it was hurting her head. There was so much to debate. She was now working directly beneath Rufus Shin-Ra's orders. She had a future upcoming date with Reno. And she was acting as a spy for both sides of the sphere. It was an interesting lifestyle and she wondered how she was going to handle the pressure for an extended period of time. She was still wandering aimlessly back and forth in thought when she felt the vibration in her shorts. She withdrew the cell phone and flipped it open. "Strife Delivery Service, this is Tifa Lockhart. How may I be of service?" She paused after she heard the voice on the other end and she wandered over to the window as she dropped her tone. "How...did you get my phone number...?" Her eyes passed over the outside environment...although there wasn't much to look at. "Oh...I see. President Shin-Ra gave it to you..."
Through the crack of her door and the frame, Vincent's red eyes were watching her. He was careful to stay absolutely quiet. His hearing was so acute, that he didn't have to strain to hear her. He was interested in the conversation, though. He could have sworn that she had blushed and he was suddenly wishing that he could hear the other voice on the line. His head tilted to the side as he listened to her voice and then his lips slightly parted. She wasn't talking to Rufus because she had mentioned him in the third person and that was fairly irritating when one was being spoken to.
"When...? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Well...tomorrow will be all right. I know, I know. He already told me." Tifa nodded slowly and then gave a gentle sigh. "Yes, yes. I'm sorry. Right. Tomorrow. After work. Okay..." And with that, she shut her phone and held onto it for a few moments. Her frame leaned against the window sill as she found herself attracted to the sun outside. That was the nice thing about living in Edge now. In Midgar, the only people who got to see the sun were the people who lived on the plates. In Edge, everyone could see the sun, even those who lived in the separate sectors.
Vincent took it as his moment to enter. He wasn't going to ask yet. If she wanted to talk to him about it, that was another story. In the case that she didn't, he'd talk to the others about it later on. He pressed her door open the rest of the way and knocked upon the wall. "Tifa...? Is it all right if I talk with you?" His steps were cautious as he approached the lovely young female. The breeze catching her hair made her look more beautiful...if that was even possible. Her gaze looked so wistful and he almost didn't want to disturb her. She looked like a goddess in deep thought. "Tifa."
The brunette turned and looked towards him as a faint rose hue filled her cheeks. "O-oh! Vincent, how long have you been there? Were you...waiting long?" She regained her composure and then became serious again. "I'm sorry. I've been acting so strange lately, haven't I? A lot of very strange things are happening. Until I know what's really going on, I think I'll be a little confused for a while." She laughed and lifted a hand to pull her fingertips through her hair. As her eyes looked over him, she couldn't help but think he looked a little concerned about something. Perhaps he too had things on his mind. "Are you feeling all right? You look a little ill. You need some blood?" A smile cracked over her face and she seemed more like the regular Tifa.
Her companion decided to dismiss that for the time being as he shook his head slowly. "You are unbelievable. Just when I think I know what you're thinking, you completely change on me." He paused and then reached out a hand to take hers, the one within her hair. "It should be the other way around. Are you okay? You've been acting so strange lately. We're all very worried about you." When he felt the warmth from her hands, it seemed a wonder that she was a living creature and he tugged her into his arms with an embrace, much like the one they shared before leaving for Wutai. "You can always rely on us, Tifa. Whatever it is that you're going through, we're here to listen to you. We're here to help you." He wasn't sure how reassuring he sounded, but he really wanted to comfort her. Seeing her in such a serious state made him think of himself, especially all of those years ago, and that was difficult for him.
She hadn't expected him to pull such a move on her, but it seemed a little different than when Cloud had. It was amazing how two same actions could symbolise different feelings. She ducked her head and rested it against his shoulder. Vincent was soft, and gentle. He...seemed very feminine in that respect. "Thank you, Vincent. I can't talk about it yet...but sometime I will. Please try not to worry too much, all right? I don't want to know people are worrying about me or that'll just make things worse." When she felt him nod with reassurance, she gave a small smile and her frame relaxed against his.
Neither had heard or seen the young blonde-haired man in the doorway. Cloud's eyebrows furrowed together. He hadn't been there long enough to hear what they were talking about, so walking in on a sight like that must've been what Marlene had seen earlier. His glance exchanged between the two. "...I'm not sure I should even ask..." He wanted to say more, but he couldn't find the words. Perhaps he was just frustrated. Perhaps he was envious. He was missing something here...and he wanted to know what it was.
