Tifa had been more than lucky. Vincent's hadn't said a single thing to her on the way home from the headquarters building. Of course the following days did not go as nicely. In fact, Vincent waited a grand total of three days before confronting the brunette (while the others were out) in her bedroom and letting her have a piece of his mind. He didn't even try to hold back, which was something he often did. She had finally crossed the line (although he was really blaming Rufus for all of this happening).
He paced back and forth, the claws upon his prosthetic arm twitching every now and then. What he wouldn't give to rip Rufus into a few pieces here and there. He would never do that, though. He had far too much tact. Besides, that would give Cloud a reason to interrogate him and the brunette, and that he just couldn't handle yet. Oh, yes. He'd wanted chaos, but not this kind. This was the kind of sign that the apocalypse was coming. He was still searching for words to scream at her when he finally turned to the female and shook his head a few times. Then he spoke, "I don't know what you were thinking, and I'm not sure I even want to, that made you possibly believe that what happened those nights ago was going to be…all right." He personally thought she should have asked his permission to get involved with the president. He wasn't being logical to the point to understand at the time that he was indeed, stepping over his boundaries.
"I'm so sorry you don't approve. You can stop acting like a father any time now. I'm not the one who needs a parent or a guardian. If you're looking for someone to protect, you might want to try with Marlene. She's the one with the parent who's unfit to be one." It wasn't that Tifa wasn't fond of Barret. She just felt that one shouldn't have children unless they were ready to be absolutely committed to such a decision. And the poor guy was so busy trying to get revenge that he couldn't be there for the one he was really fighting for. That was probably the reason Tifa didn't have children. Then again, she hadn't quite found a candidate to be the father. Honestly, she didn't think about stuff like that too often.
She could have put that a different way. Of course she was angry. He understood that much, although he didn't want to. The logical reasoning in him said that it was unfair to treat her like a child. And although that was the case, he couldn't understand why she was being so cold on the idea. He did want to protect her. Why couldn't she see that? He raised his arms and enfolded them over his chest as he analysed her for a few minutes. "It still doesn't make it okay, Tifa. How long has this been going on? How many times have you skipped out on your family here to "go to work"?"
The brunette's jaw dropped open with surprise and she shook her head quickly at him. It was about this time that she would have thrown something at him. Fortunately Vincent was aware of this and he had taken away those types of things for his own protection. As she looked around and she failed to find a way to hurt him outside of using her own fists, she narrowed her gaze at him. "How dare you imply that! I work very hard for the money I make! For your information, Rufus hasn't done anything to me. He worries about me. He cares about me! Why do you have such an issue with that? Why is that so hard for you to understand? Why can't you realise that I'm allowed to have things like that happen to me?" She tried not to, but there was a familiar pouting expression that came over her face. He deserved at least that if not more, because he was being so completely heartless and that was extremely hurtful.
He didn't really care too much about what she had done, but it was the fact that it was with the president of that hateful company. If it had been someone else, anyone else (who wasn't involved with Shin-Ra), he couldn't have cared too much (if at all). If he really wanted to, he could go to Cloud with the information and watch the sparks fly. That wasn't something he wanted to see yet. He'd rather made Tifa squirm a little in the wind. "It's not hard for me to believe or understand. Why him, Tifa? Why that man?" He gestured out the window to the familiar Shin-Ra logo. "That man is evil. He has evil written all over him. I don't care if we did work with him before. He's still not good enough for you. Why couldn't you choose someone else? Why are you settling for him?" It was time for him to ask the questions that were important. He wanted the explanation behind her actions. Perhaps it would help him understand her better.
Now again, that was an extremely unfair judgment of Vincent to make. She didn't think Rufus was anywhere as evil as his father. In fact, those two were completely different. Why couldn't he understand that? Then again, he had not been as close to the blonde-haired president as she had been. The time she had spent with him had definitely made a difference. When she had first wandered into the Shin-Ra Company, her first intent was to smack Rufus around a few times. Instead, she had learned the truth behind their actions (especially his) and that changed her entire perspective. It had yet to occur to her that the president could have been lying to her. Perhaps if she had thought about it, she would have thought to have another resource available. After pacing back and forth for a few minutes, Tifa sat down on her bed and planted her hands upon her lap. They were interesting questions, the ones she had heard. She had to admit that much. Then she looked over at him, a few strands of that dark brown hair falling into an eye. "It's…not what it seems. I didn't plan any of this. I don't even really know how it happened."
Vincent's eyebrows furrowed as he watched her. She looked more serious and thoughtful now than what she had been lately. He wondered if perhaps he had her figured wrong on some perspective. A soft sigh was given and he nodded to her, beckoning for her to continue. "Please, go on." He wouldn't interrupt her. Even if he was angry with her or annoyed, he wasn't going to be that rude. Not anymore, at least. Besides, it sounded like he was about to get a straight answer out of her. He couldn't really ask for anything more. Maybe she would say something that made his mind tick and understand why she took the path she had.
Why was he so curious? What good would it do him to have such information? Tifa couldn't quite understand what he was getting at. She nodded slowly, however, and her expression grew that miles away look. Even though she gave that impression, she was indeed nowhere but that room for the time being. "I did exactly what Cloud wanted me to. I used my…feminine charm to get an interview with him. Cloud was there. He saw what happened. I nearly gave away our position. The day that you and Cid came to Edge, my interview with Rufus was cut short. He'd been called away from business and told me to come in a week later. And when Cloud and the others were taken captive in Wutai, he contacted me earlier to come in and that was exactly what I did. And that was when I started working for him, I suppose. In return for Cloud's safe exchange along with Barret, Cid, and Yuffie, I was supposed to be working for him." She lifted a hand to the bottom of her chin rather thoughtfully, "It was a pretty vindictive thing for him to do. I was really, really angry at the time." Then she shook her head and gave a soft sigh. "After that, he offered me the job of being his secretary and I didn't really have a choice except to take it. I started officially working for him and learned all about his past and the type of person he is. That's when I really started to like working there. I actually…liked going into Shin-Ra to work. It sounds…funny, doesn't it?"
As though her story couldn't get any stranger. Vincent was beginning to wonder what the point of asking her was. She was repeating herself some here and there, but this time it seemed that the information was less forced and therefore she was becoming a little looser. Surely she'd been grilled with enough information from Rufus. It sounded like he'd done that a lot to her when she came in, until she finally gave in to his requests. "…I remember all of that quite well. The parts I was present for, anyway. So you began to like working for him. I don't understand how anyone could feel that way for the man. Not only did you work for Shin-Ra, but I did as well. I was a Turk, if you remember correctly." That sore subject again. He hated talking about it, but he was trying to make some kind of point.
"I do remember, Vincent, but you worked for Rufus's father. Those two are very different. Although Rufus has similarities with that man, they are most definitely not the same people. Their ideals were quite different then and they're quite different now." The brunette rose to her feet and she gestured towards the red-caped man, "You were an experiment for the Shin-Ra. I was not. I've done these things free of my will, but for your protection as well as the others." Then she lifted a hand to rest upon her hip and gave a gentle sigh before continuing, "When AVALANCHE first began, I found the contract source that was made with Shin-Ra. Rufus Shin-Ra paid our salaries. We were working for him and I didn't even know until he told me. At first I was skeptical, but I found the paper work when I was filing for him. He was helping us save the planet the entire time and we misjudged him. How can I feel any hatred for him now? I just can't."
That blonde-haired young man may have filled his ally's mind with lies, but Vincent wasn't sure what to think. Had Rufus really supplied AVALANCHE's sourcing? He would need to ask Barret about this…or at least whoever was in charge of that part of the former resistance faction. As his gaze washed over her, he could very faintly understand where she was coming from. Tifa was human. Her heart was weak, but it was all right. It was fair for her to be that way. Although she was experienced in the world, there were things she had yet to know and that wasn't her fault. "That really is…something else." It was about all he could say. He could not so easily change his feelings. He was still too vulnerable. Tifa…was an incredibly strong woman. He suddenly wished at that moment that he could be much more like her. That was something he would need to work on.
The door to Tifa's room was quickly thrust open and the younger brunette female burst in. The red ribbon in her hair was bouncing back and forth as she ran past the red-caped man and attached herself to the older sister, "Tifa! I'm glad you're home today!" Marlene sounded absolutely so happy that both adults couldn't resist smiling. That was one of her many powers as a child. She could spread the contented feeling just by laughing or smiling. Her power was an incurable disease.
The brunette enwrapped her newly found companion in a warm hug. "Hiiiiii! I'm glad to be home! You are just the person I wanted to spend the day with!" That was pretty much true. She didn't mind talking to Vincent, but Marlene's company would be much more comforting and nicer to have. When the longhaired male got over himself and the following shock from the masquerade banquet, then things might be better, but at the moment, it really sucked. A swift lifting gesture and Tifa swung Marlene through the air affectionately, "So, whaddya wanna do today?"
There was a rather large smile upon the younger's face and she squealed happily, "I wanna talk about you and Mr. Shinra!" Her hands lifted and tugged upon Tifa's bangs, trying to catch her undivided attention. She'd been afraid to ask ever since Vincent had yelled at her that night. The walk home I silence was exactly that: silent. She finally felt it was appropriate to ask. Besides, after all the hard work she had put into trying to get Tifa to pursue the young man, she wanted to hear how it all went.
She should have expected that. Both of the elders should have, actually. Tifa wasn't certain, but she thought she heard Vincent scowl. A glance over to him and she was surprised to see him with a smile. He gave her a nod of approval before mouthing something to her. She was never very good about reading lips, but he must've been saying a farewell, because he decided to leave the two girls in peace. It caused her to chuckle slightly. Of course he wouldn't want to listen in on girl talk. She'd have to tease him about it later. Another rough tug on her hair and she shrieked, turning her attention back to Marlene. "Heeeeey! That hurt!" Th twinge of pain only lasted a couple of moments and then she smiled softly, "So…what do you want to know?" That was probably a bad question to ask, but she didn't have anything else to lose at the moment.
Once she was placed back upon her feet, the younger girl pulled Tifa over to her bed where the two sat down. The look upon Marlene's face was one of such pained curiosity that it was so obvious she had so many questions. The one thing she really wanted to know, though, the one thing she really wanted to ask about… "What was it like when he kissed you? Was it soft? Was it sweet?" She'd heard that kisses tasted like lemons and were as soft as marshmallows. She wanted to know if it was just like that, and who better to ask than her role model?
Was it just her or was Tifa blushing to the roots of her hair? A hand rose to her cheek and she knew that was definitely what was going on. She chuckled when she thought about the fond memories of that night. It seemed so dreamlike, that it might have been too good to be true. She hadn't heard from Rufus since then either. "When Rufus kissed me…" There was a vague smile tugging at her lips, just begging to be worn. Her head ducked a little as the feathered dark hair fell around her face, "…The world just went away. For that moment, I didn't feel anything else except him." When she thought about it, she realised that she'd never been kissed before. How long had it taken for that to set in? Did he know about that? And how did he feel on his side of the spectrum?
Marlene giggled as she listened and she nuzzled the tip of her nose into Tifa's right arm. It sounded so funny to hear her talk about something like that. And the look on her face? It was so completely priceless. She almost looked like she was miles and miles away. And for once…Marlene didn't mind. Tifa had every right to look that way. She'd worked hard to bag that man, and that was exactly the way it was supposed to work. "So it was all magical then? You looked like you melted when you two were supposed to be dancing! And then later on, when we found you, I couldn't really see your face, but you sure sounded cute. I thought Vincent was going to get sick too! You made this cooing sound and he made a funny noise."
The older brunette couldn't believe she was talking to a little girl about something like this. She had always pictured that she would be speaking to Aerith. After all, the older female was always wiser, always the more reliable of the two. Tifa wanted to be just like her, and now…the Ancient was dead. Suddenly, she was gladder than anything that there was a difference between the two. "Is that so…? You and Vincent were so entertained by my special moment with Rufus? I'm glad then. I was entertained too…until Vince decided to come in and yell at me about it. I wish he had at least waited until we were far away from them. It was a little embarrassing…. Well, a lot, actually." She ducked her head and cuddled with her companion. "It doesn't matter now. That moment has passed. Honestly, I don't think anything like that will ever happen again. It was just a once in a lifetime thing, but you know what? I enjoyed it."
"What if you're wrong, Tifa? Maybe it's not just a one-time thing. Maybe President Shinra really likes you! I bet he's thinking about you right now!" Marlene was feeling pretty sure of herself. She'd seen the way Rufus watched them leave. It was that look again, the same as the one he had given when he had released Marlene into Tifa's custody some time ago.
And little did the two girls know just how accurate Marlene's thoughts were. More than likely, they wouldn't find out until later anyway. The sign was sure to come to Tifa soon. All it would take was a little patience on her part. The longer she waited, the greater the surprise would be in the end.
