White Desire
Chapter 11
The tension level between Cloud and Vincent had been high since the blonde had seen the two dark-haired people together. In spite of Tifa telling him there was nothing between them, he still had his doubts. He hadn't even found the words to talk to her yet. He wasn't angry. At least not with her. He was either angry with himself or with Vincent...or both. Either way, he just wasn't pleased.
Tifa had left early that morning to go to work. It was her first day as Miss Lockhart, Rufus Shin-Ra's secretary, and Cloud was feeling a bit anxious. He'd decided to wait in her room for her return, so that they might talk. He recalled her saying that she had plans sometime after work, but he was still hoping to see her. He hadn't even spoken with the others. As he sat upon her bed, he looked around her room and bit his bottom lip. She was taking her sweet time in getting home. Then again, she was coming all the way from Shin-Ra headquarters. That was no short walk in the park. While he sat there, he wondered if he should have bought her a bouquet of flowers, something to let her know he'd been thinking of her while she was away.
The approaching footsteps could be heard and his heart began to race. When the door opened, a rather weary-looking Tifa stepped in, and she paused for a moment when she saw him. Then a rather relaxed smile appeared across her face. It was the first real smile she'd given in a while. She was relieved to come home to a friendly environment, although her first day at Shin-Ra had been quite good. A hand lifted and she pulled her hair behind her ears. "Hello, Cloud. Have you finally decided to forgive me?" She was referring to the Vincent incident. She didn't really know what to think after that. She did know, that she didn't really want to get involved and she definitely didn't want to see anyone get into a fight, especially over something as trivial as a mere female.
Cloud chuckled and he approached her, reaching out a hand to pull his fingertips through the ends of her hair in an idle fashion. "There's really nothing to forgive. I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm sure I would have known if there was anything between you two anyway." He gave her a playful nudge in the shoulder. It was added reassurance that he was teasing her. "I'm glad you're home. I missed you today." Then he wandered back over to her bed and took a seat, patting the open space to his left. "How was your first day? Did Rufus work you hard?" He tried to imagine what it would be like to work for the man. He was curious as to whether the blonde-haired young man barked out orders or if he'd simply made her a list of things she needed to do.
The brunette took a seat beside him after placing her hard-bound book upon her dresser. Her hands were planted upon her lap and she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Well...it was definitely interesting. Not bad, just interesting." She then pulled her hands back and leaned her body weight against them her gaze finding the wall and dresser before her. "Umm...President Shin-Ra was actually sort of...dare I say it? Nice. I suppose he views people within his company differently than just mere citizens of Edge. I didn't do too much today. He showed me where to file his paper work and stuff like that. It was really just a learning day for me." She gave a small giggle that made Cloud think of a schoolgirl, perhaps even little Marlene. "I'm sorry you waited all day for me."
Her blonde companion shook his head. "No, no. I'm definitely not. I didn't really have anything else to do today, and I can think of nothing else I'd rather do than to wait for you." How he meant that in more than one way. He wondered if she would have known that. Tifa was always more than a little oblivious to anyone, so when she said that Rufus had been nice, Cloud wondered what that could've meant. And not wanting to wait anymore, his curiosity had taken over. "You mentioned having plans today before you left. Where are you going? You don't have to answer, but I was just a little curious."
Tifa pursed her lips at his inquiry, wondering how he managed to forget. Then she looked over at him, the brown hair falling into her eyes. "It's my date with Reno, remember? The one you and the other guys teased me about last night." Her tone ended on a fairly harsh note. No matter how she acted, she was still just a teeny bit annoyed with him for treating her that way. Females had a tendency to be that way, though. When something bad happened, they remembered it for years on end. On the other hand, when good things happened, they typically forgot about it. Perhaps it meant that females preferred to remember the bad things, so they could lord them over other people many years down the road.
Irk. He should have known that. She'd been so angry the night before and he attempted to do anything to compensate for that anger. There was no need to strike up the fire again. He nodded slowly and as his sight met her face, his eyebrows knit together. "You looking forward to it?" That was a fairly idiotic question to ask, and he knew it. So why did he ask? Because he couldn't think of anything else to say. Cloud rose to his feet and began to pace back and forth, contemplating on what he should say. Then he decided that being honest was better than anything else. "Sorry. It was the first thing I could think of. Don't take it seriously. You really don't have to answer that."
The young female shook her head at him, almost in a chiding manner, but then decided it wasn't exactly his fault. He probably felt a little out of place after what had happened the previous night. She agreed with his motives and wandered over to her closet. "Well...I haven't exactly really been on a date before, or whatever this is. President Shin-Ra told me to just be Reno's company for tonight, so I suppose it's not really a date. The thing is, I don't really know what to wear." As she flipped through the assorted outfits that were hung up, she peered over her shoulder at him. "If I were going on a date with you, what would you want me to wear?" It was a good question to ask a guy. Most guys thought alike, right? So if Cloud liked the way she looked in a particular outfit, Reno would too. At least, that would make sense to her.
"If you were going on a date with me, I wouldn't care what you were wearing because it'd end up on my bedroom floor anyway." That was a rather Reno-type response. He chuckled and shook his head at her. He wasn't being serious, of course, but he needed her to know that because it was quite likely she'd smack him for replying that way. "Honestly...? Let me see." At her nod, he looked through her closet. It felt a little strange that he was about to put together an outfit for her. Typically it would be the other way around. Well, there was always a first time for everything. He could probably hold this over her for a few days...or until she found something else to blackmail him with. After a few minutes of searching, he withdrew a scarlet-hued dress. The material was of a velvet feel and as his eyes passed over it, he gave a nod before turning to her and handing over the hanger. "Put this on. I'll wait outside." He dismissed himself without waiting for any feedback.
Is he crazy? My intentions are not to get attention! It's quite the opposite! Doesn't he understand that! She gave a soft sigh as a hand brushed over the dress. A few minutes later, she was looking at herself in the full-body mirror. The dress stopped mid-thigh, which she felt was just a little too short for her. The sleeves were more of a Renaissance style, perhaps something more commonly seen with a sun dress, and because of that, they fell over her shoulders, leaving the newly exposed collarbone in the open. By examining herself, she wondered if it was really her she was looking at. "I...don't think this is going to work out. Maybe I should just tell Reno that." With that stated, she decided to practise for that. "Reno, I understand that we're co-workers now, but...our ideas and morals are just too different. We aren't really compatible as a couple at all, so it would be best for you to find someone different. Perhaps someone in your own league?"
Cloud pushed the door open and when his eyes met her figure, he nearly fell over himself. She looked great! She looked better than great. The entire entourage around her created by the dress was phenomenal. "Now I'm starting to wish that you were going on this date with me. What say you forget Reno and ditch him; stay the night with me instead? I get awfully lonely." His lips turned down into a pouting motion and he edged closer to her, still admiring the way the dress fit her form. "You do look quite nice. Reno won't have any complaints and neither will anyone else who sees you in that." A hand rose and rested upon his hipbone, wondering if he could even say anything more.
Of course he would like it. He was a lecherous guy...at least with her. It seemed only second nature that he would be so fond of something like that. It was probably too late to cancel anyway. If she did, Reno would tell Rufus and then...well...she didn't want to see what happened to her after that. She'd probably lose her job in the company and that extra pay, which was becoming more and more convenient to her. Nope. That couldn't happen. "So it really looks all right?" When she'd gotten an affirmative from him, she nodded and then slipped her hands behind her back. "I wonder if I should be wearing a coat too. It doesn't feel that cold outside to me." Then she began to wander past him in that pair of maroon heels and turned to look at him once she had reached the doorway. "...Ummm...would you give me a ride?"
Upon her arrival to the headquarters, she was greeted by the rather handsome Rufus as opposed to Reno. Apparently the red-haired young man wasn't keen on living up to time's standards. No matter, though. Tifa would just wait for him, and Rufus was bound to make some interesting company, at least for the moment. The two sat down in chairs in the lobby, located near the counter where the brunette was so accustomed to seeing a couple of the Turks situated. There was silence, as though each was examining the conflict and contemplating a solution. And not being very fond of such an environment, Tifa was the one to speak up (which seemed not very uncommon). "Pardon me for asking, President Shin-Ra, but what are you doing here? Your work day has been long over." He probably didn't have anything to go home to. Come to think of it, she knew nothing about Rufus outside of the business. Perhaps now would be a good time to change that.
He remained quiet for a few moments. Making conversation wasn't a strong point of his, although he wouldn't admit it. Even sitting there with Tifa wasn't making that any easier for him. Finally, he knew he had to say something. It wasn't right to make someone think they were being ignored. Not that he really cared or anything. He just didn't want to appear completely heartless. "I do not have the same type of freedom to use my time as you do." His tone was indifferent and he took a few moments to look her over. "...Should you be dressing so nice for him? He is not exactly...dress material." He thought she spent too much time trying to make herself look nice. She looked nice in her regular clothes. She did look...rather beautiful, though. He might say something about it, but he didn't feel it was just the right moment.
Tifa thought he looked so serious. She couldn't resist a soft chuckle. "A-are you worried about me, President Shin-Ra?" It was an awfully sweet gesture. There was a strange glow filling her cheeks and she ducked her head, raising a hand to brush her fingertips over the soft features of her face. The more she thought about what he said, the darker it caused her to turn. She shook her head slowly and then rose to her feet, slipping her hands behind her back. As she wandered back and forth, the faint 'click-clack' could be heard on the linoleum tile beneath her shoes. "If he's not dress material, perhaps you could tell me who is?" She was teasing him, just a little, which was something she wouldn't normally do, but then...she was trying to understand him a bit more.
The blonde-haired president didn't exactly know what to say. She was...sharp in some ways and not so sharp in others. He should have expected that, though. She was starting to interest him in other ways. And he was seriously starting to regret allowing Reno his way with the lovely young female. "I do not get concerned about anything. You are reading too much into it." He folded his arms over his chest and after watching her for a few moments, he crossed one leg over the other and averted his gaze. He was still thinking of a way to respond to her query. She certainly had guts calling him out like that. No one else had ever approached him in that manner, except Scarlet, but she annoyed him to such a great extent that he wanted nothing to do with her. When words found his tongue again, he turned back to her. "Cloud, perhaps."
She wasn't expecting that. As her eyes met the midnight-blue orbs, she fell silent. What was she supposed to say to that? Here she was, trying to keep Cloud off of her mind and Rufus was trying to keep him there. It probably wasn't intentional though. She shook her head slowly and then chuckled again. "You surprise me with responses like that." She turned back to him and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "...Umm...we're not at work and no one else is here. Why...are you still running this company? Haven't you caused enough problems? Look what happened to Midgar because of you and your father--" She'd started to continue, but he rose his hand to silence her, which was something that seemed to happen a lot.
"Do not call him that." Rufus had never been very close to his father. Most of the time he referred to the deceased one as his 'old man'. In reality, he and his father had been quite different. He'd had many conflicting interests with the former president. The shock on Tifa's face was apparent and he cleared his throat before rising to his feet as well. "Excuse me. I do not believe that such matters include you." He began to walk past her and then paused for just a moment as his eyes met hers again. "I assure you, I am most definitely not like my old man. And...do not dress so nicely for someone like Reno." He would've said more, but he thought she'd at least understand that. A half-hearted wave was given to her, and he left her in the lobby, leaving for his office on the top floor.
Tifa had only been waiting a few minutes more before Reno arrived. The young man dashed through the door and when he saw the brunette beneath the dim light, his eyebrows rose. I just won the jackpot, baby! I'm gonna' be the only Turk who made it with the hot girl from AVALANCHE. Just wait until the other guys hear about this! Her back was to him, which actually made it easier for him to approach. A hand reached out and pulled her into his arms as he dipped her. "You, Tifa Lockhart, are amazingly amazing." A small chuckle was given and he bent his neck to plant his lips against hers.
"H-hey! Get offa' me!" A hand rose and the palm uppercut his nose. When she had freed herself from his grasp, she enfolded her arms over her chest. That seemed such a Reno stunt, that she wasn't completely bothered about it. It made her think that there were similarities between Cloud and the red-haired young man...which probably wasn't a good thing. Of course, she really didn't want anything to do with the Turks anyway. It looked like she didn't have a choice, though, and that was...sufficient. "Really now. That's no way to treat a young lady." She shook her head in a scolding manner to him.
Reno hesitated as he watched her for a few moments and then gave an idle shrug of his shoulders. "What can I say, Tifa? I like the way you're put together. I'd like to think that if someone put the two of us together, we'd make an awesome pair." There was a wink from him and an arrogant grin that Tifa had seen so many times before. Reno really wasn't sure how the others in his group felt, but according to him, they should have all agreed with his statements anyway. He looked around the seemingly desolate lobby. "Wanna' get outta' here? Like, I don't know, go get somethin' to eat or somethin'?" He really wasn't the gentlemanly type, and Tifa was beginning to see that every which way.
What a shame. I dislike that I'm going to be wasting my time with you. In spite of how she was feeling, however, she would still carry out her part of the bargain (an act which was thought most admirable). Besides, things really couldn't get any worse, right? As long as she didn't let Reno drink anything alcoholic, she wouldn't have to put up with his attitude. "That sounds fine. What did you have in mind?" Her hands brushed over her dress and she tilted her head to the side, waiting for some kind of response. She was fairly interested to see how his thought process worked. If she could get in on that, she could probably use it to her advantage later on...not that it was really her intent to do so.
Her red-haired companion started to speak and then stopped himself when he heard the familiar ringtone of his phone. A hand rose and he shot a look that was probably considered to be apologetic (he was still smiling, so it was difficult to tell). "'Scuse me for just a moment, Tifa." He turned from her, withdrew his phone and brought the receiver to his ear. "Reno speaking, state your business." He'd seen the number that had shown up, but he wasn't entirely sure what the call would be about. He'd specifically stated that he didn't want to be disturbed unless it was something extremely important. He had been looking forward to his 'date' with Tifa ever since Rufus had mentioned that it was a possibility. Now someone was trying to ruin that for him. When he heard Rude's voice, he groaned. He should've known. "What did I tell you! What did I specifically tell you?" Then he quieted down and his tone grew with disappointment. "...Yeah. I know. Okay. Fine. Yeah, yeah. It's cool. Later, yo." The phone was flipped shut rather harshly and he shoved the device into the front right pocket of his blue jacket. Then he turned back to Tifa and gave another shrug. "Uh...well...apparently there's some type of business thingie goin' on, so I gotta' go take care of it. Sorry 'bout that. I'll see you later, Tifa." He resisted the urge to whine to her and then quickly took his leave.
As she watched him leave, Tifa slipped her hands behind her back again and gave a sigh. Part of her was relieved that he'd been called away, but the other part was a little disappointed herself. She'd strangely been looking forward to the date. Or perhaps it wasn't the date she liked, but rather the company itself. Ever since she'd gotten to return for the press conference, she was interested in getting to know what the real intentions of the company were. And now that she was on her own, it was the perfect time to do so. A few minutes of searching the counter that she'd never been behind and she discovered a flashlight. "Ooh! This will definitely come in handy!" To anyone else it might've sounded strange hearing her act so happy over finding something trivial. After testing it, she was pleased to find that the illumination was quite bright and would be found as useful.
She'd decided to take the stairs, the same as she, Cloud, and Barret had done so long ago. Unlike the big black man, she liked covert operations and maneuvers. Fortunately for her, Cloud's line of thinking was nearly the same as hers. In spite of the preliminary actions they'd taken, they were still caught by the Turks and later taken to Rufus's father who had them imprisoned for their acts against the company. All floors in the original Shin-Ra building above the sixtieth were considered special and required separate card keys. Tifa wasn't too surprised when she found it was the same for this newer company building. Rufus had previously given her a special type of card that would allow her entry into every floor. It was required for the higher-ranked officials to have one.
Around the sixty-seventh floor, Tifa was scouting through the paper work on the mayor's desk. After Midgar had fallen, it seemed that all the citizens were automatically moved over to Edge. The two cities appeared to be completely identical outside of the difference in names. It was probably Rufus's way of attempting to keep the peace. After shuffling through miscellaneous contracts and ideas for the urban development of Edge, the brunette was unable to find anything that could be considered close to 'bad' or something of ill intentions towards the citizens. "But...how can that be? Cloud said that Shin-Ra was planning something. ...That it was just a cover up. There's nothing here that suggests such a thing. What's going on...?" She leaned back and gave a soft sigh. Was she spending all of her time trying to find something that didn't exist?
"Perhaps you should find a source that is reliable." The cold voice broke into her thoughts and when she turned, she was looking into the face of the blonde-haired president of the company. Rufus didn't appear to be angry with her. He was actually a little impressed by how much consideration she put into her actions. He'd been watching her since Reno had arrived on the scene. It was also his doing that caused Rude to call the red-haired young man. "It seems to be a little late for you to still be here." His arms enfolded over his chest as his eyes looked over her. It was a bit drafty in the company. He knew this. Yet she had insisted on coming without a coat. A hand gestured to her outfit. "You must be cold."
He was worried about her? ...Still? She shook her head slowly and regained her composure. "I-I'm sorry, President Shin-Ra. I keep thinking you're up to no good...but I'm just not finding anything to back that up. Maybe...I really have been wrong." She ducked her head, wondering what exactly was right or wrong at this point. Perhaps she had been doing things backwards. She shouldn't have taken on the mission without understanding Shin-Ra's perspective. All of the things she stood for had been the things she ignored, all for the sake of the others. "I suppose I should put in some sort of resignation form. I'll do that tomorrow." She began to wander past him, and when she saw his lips part, she froze. She wouldn't dare leave him while he spoke, but she didn't have the courage to look to his face.
So quickly she had entered his life and now she was considering to leave. Rufus couldn't have that. She was far too interesting to let her go now. He was in too deep (as she probably was) and there were answers to his questions that he knew she had. "That will not be necessary." He wouldn't allow her to resign. She could do anything else she wanted to do, but she could not quit her job. When she had turned back to him to protest, he shook his head at her with disapproval. "...Do not be ridiculous. I will be escorting you back to your...home." He hadn't quite known how to say such things. He couldn't think of a place he referred to as his 'home', so it was a difficult subject for him to understand. He beckoned for her to follow as he began to lead her to the elevator and return her to the lobby. If need be, he'd call Cloud and ask his rival to pick up the young lady. One thing was for sure. Rufus didn't want Tifa coming into work for a few days. She'd need her rest and frankly, so did he.
