Chapter 8

oOoOo

2 months later…

It was a Saturday morning and Rufus was seated on the front porch. He was wearing layers of jackets because it was very cold outside. He knows Tifa would get mad at him if she found out that he liked sitting outside in the morning and enjoying the cold weather; well it happened already the other day, but he kept cool and even invited her to join him. And she did, even though she did not have any jacket with her. He offered her one of his jackets but she refused.

Now she has the flue and she had to rest.

But it seemed alright for her because she thought that it was a memorable morning, watching the sunrise with Rufus. She never blamed Rufus that she is presently sick.

Rufus, on the other hand, has fully recovered, but he still does not have the go-signal from Cloud on when he could go back to Midgar.

Since Tifa is sick, Rufus felt as if he had to take the responsibility of taking care of her because she took care of him when he was recovering.

On that morning, Tifa was still sound asleep and Vincent was preparing breakfast. Rufus had especially requested him to cook hot soup for Tifa, and while waiting for breakfast and for her to wake up, he just stayed outside, enjoying the cold weather.

For some reason, he sensed that she was already rousing from slumber, so he got up and went back inside to attend to her in their room. In those two months that they had been living in that house, they had become accustomed to sharing a room and a bed. He was always the one to wake up way before she does, and whenever he rouses from sleep, he would find her head resting on his chest and her arm draped over him as if he were a pillow. He never informed anyone else about this unconscious behavior of hers whenever she is asleep, except for his two new best friends: Cloud and Vincent. Both had different reactions. The former surprisingly teased him, which is an unusual reaction from someone so usually quiet and passive, while the latter just smiled quietly at him and asked him how it feels like to wake up in the morning with a beautiful young woman embracing him. Rufus never answered the question but he reflected on it for quite some time.

Upon entering their room, Rufus saw that Tifa was seated on the bed looking drowsy. She looked at him and smiled weakly. "Hello, Rufus." She said softly. Her voice sounded raspy.

He approached her and gently laid her back on the bed. "You shouldn't be up." He said sternly.

She gazed wearily at him. "I got worried. I opened my eyes and you weren't there beside me. I wanted to find you but I'm too weak…" she said softly in a voice almost inaudible for him to hear.

He thought she was delirious because of the fever so he did not say anything to her.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I was outside." He answered as he tucked her in again and wondered if the room's heater is working because he felt could feel the coldness emanating from her. Her face was also ghastly pale and her eyes were watery. He touched her forehead frowned. "You're too cold." He said.

"I am?" she asked wearily.

He nodded. "You stay here, don't move. I'll ask Vincent if he has flu medication." He said before leaving the room.

Tifa closed her eyes.

Rufus arrived at the kitchen and saw Vincent preparing the soup. "Do we have any medications here for flu?" he asked.

Vincent shook his head. "I'm afraid we don't have medicine here." He answered.

Rufus frowned and got his mobile phone, deciding to call Cloud. Unfortunately, no one was answering. "How come he never answers?" he ranted before returning it inside his pocket. "I'll run out to buy some medicines for Tifa." He said.

"Where?" Vincent asked.

Rufus thought for a while. "I can't leave her alone." He realized. He was beginning to have a compulsion that he is the only one should be able to take care of her and not anybody else. He got his mobile phone again and began to call for Tseng, but then he heard a computer-operated voice speaking, "The call cannot be completed. You can only receive incoming calls and text messages for now. Please call the customer service hotline. Thank you."

It was an indication that his cellphone bills weren't paid and were overdue for more than a month already. "Damn. Do you have a mobile phone?" he asked Vincent.

"I'm on prepaid. I have no credits. There's no reloading station here in Kalm." Vincent answered.

Rufus felt gloomy. "I have to go to Midgar to buy medicines then." He said before leaving the kitchen to go back to Tifa. When he saw her asleep, his facial expression softened and he felt some kind of sympathy that he has not felt before towards another person. He carefully approached the bed and as soon as he got beside her, he stooped down and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. He smiled quietly as he observed her. "I'll be back," he said softly before going back to the door, but he stopped when he saw Vincent blocking his way.

"Tell you what, you stay here and take care of her and I'll go to Midgar to buy the medicines." Vincent told Rufus.

Rufus eyed Vincent strangely. "But who's going to cook Tifa's food?" he asked.

Vincent smiled simply at him. "You do it." He said before turning away to leave.

Rufus was dumbfounded. The only times when he could cook was when he was taking home economics classes back in elementary and high school… and he had forgotten the recipes. He took a quick glance at Tifa before rushing to the kitchen to check whether Vincent has finished cooking the soup.

Well he hasn't.

Rufus grunted. "Blimey!" he exclaimed in exasperation before approaching the stove where Vincent had left the boiling soup, letting it simmer. Rufus removed the lid of the pot and the steam went to his face. He moved away. "Ugh." He muttered in annoyance before grabbing a random ladle from the kitchen counter and stirred the soup carefully. He wondered what kind of soup it was, but judging from the ingredients scattered on one area of the long stretch kitchen counters, it was cream of mushroom. "Well this definitely isn't soup from a can." He muttered before sniffing the soup. "How will I know if it's already cooked?" he wondered silently.

oOoOo

Yuffie was on her way to the front door when she heard Tseng calling for her, "Princess,"

She cringed and turned around to face him. He was just coming down the stairs and he was holding his mobile phone. "Where are you going this early?" he asked.

She pouted. "Out. I'm taking a walk." She said.

"And you'll return by 6 in the evening. I'm getting suspicious. Are you employed in a job that is unsuitable for someone like you?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She laughed dryly. "Oh come on! I'm not working elsewhere but 7th Heaven. And I haven't received my paycheck yet," she said sarcastically before leaving.

Tseng frowned.

"I think you should follow her." Cloud suggested as he descended the stairs.

Tseng sighed. "I just received a call from her father. He's worried about her." He said.

"Then go and follow her to see if she's alright!" Cloud urged.

"I can't. She always seems to notice that I'm following her. But anyway, she always goes straight to the bus station. I don't know why though." Tseng explained.

Cloud blinked. "Bus station, huh?" he muttered.

Reno and Elena arrived from the kitchen. "Hey, Cloud, why don't you make the deliveries in the east areas of Edge, while me and Elena do the deliveries for the west areas?" the former suggested.

Cloud looked at them. "No, split up. You do the deliveries for the east, Elena will do the deliveries for the west." He instructed Reno before turning back to Tseng. "I think I'd like to follow our little Princess." He said with a smug look on his face.

oOoOo

Rufus entered the room he had been sharing with Tifa for two months now, carrying a tray of soup, bread, tea and water. She was lying still on the bed with her eyes slightly open and staring wearily at the ceiling.

Seeing her looking so pale and weak made him feel something in the likes of worry, sympathy and sadness—emotions that he has not felt in a long time towards another person. And then there was fear. And where is that fear coming from?

He cautiously approached her, careful not to disturb her, but still, she looked at him with a tired look on her face. He kept a straight face even as he neared her. He never smiled.

Tifa watched as Rufus placed the tray on the bedside table. She noticed his silence and the seriousness of his face, but his blue eyes seemed to be giving away his real emotions to her. She smiled wearily at him. "Are you alright, Rufus?" she asked softly.

He turned to her, his stare turning cold.

But Tifa can read him easily now. She had gotten used to his behavior and he has become predictable to her already in those two months that they had been together. "Something is wrong, isn't it?" she inquired.

He raised his eyebrows slightly at her and smiled grimly. "You have to eat now, Tifa." He said before taking a seat beside her and helping her to sit up.

She noticed how his grip felt against her skin. He seemed to be shaking a little. "You're not telling me something." She pointed out.

He just kept quiet and once she had seated herself properly, he began to spoon-feed the soup to her to make her stop talking.

Tifa noticed his tactic on making her stop talking but she was too sick to try to bust his way of avoiding the issue. But his silence made her feel uncomfortable. She could sense that something was really wrong. She wished she could break the silence, maybe by talking about other things aside from the issue concerning him, to make the tension go away. But her mind was too weary to think of another interest than Rufus.

In 30 minutes, he was able to finish feeding her the soup and placed the empty bowl back onto the tray. "Do you want bread?" he asked her stiffly.

"Where is Vincent?" she asked weakly.

He got the bread and offered it to her, but she shook her head. "I'm full. And Vincent?" she asked him.

He placed the bread on the plate on the tray. "He left for Midgar to buy your medicines." He explained.

She blinked. "So who made the soup?" she asked, her eyes widening a little.

Rufus was quite hesitant to answer, "I did." He bowed down his head as he grabbed the glass of water and offered it to her. "You need to keep yourself hydrated for now while you have the fever." He said with a low voice.

She smiled, pleased with him. She was impressed that Rufus Shinra could cook something as simple as soup for her, and surprisingly, it tasted better than expected. She got the glass of water. "It tasted good, thank you, Rufus." She said softly before drinking carefully.

He raised his gaze to her, eyeing her with eyes of wonder. It was the first time he ever received such a compliment regarding something that he is not really adept with. He fought the urge to smile because he thought that it was a big accomplishment to make her happy by doing something that is very unusual for him. "What would you like for lunch?" he asked her. He was beginning to enjoy the idea of cooking for her to please her… and of course, to gain her approval. Besides, isn't it healthy for his self-esteem?

Tifa thought for a while. "I don't know about you but I just want something light. I wouldn't want to upset my stomach and end up vomiting later on if I end up eating too much. You know how sensitive a sick person's stomach is, right?" she asked.

Rufus smiled slightly before pulling out a bell from his pocket and handed it to her. "I'll be doing the chores. Ring if you need anything." He said in a rather commanding tone before picking up the tray and then left the room without saying anything else.

Tifa breathed in, her eyes wide in curiosity. She wondered if she was delirious because of the fever and Rufus is suddenly doing the household chores and taking care of her. "I think I should rest further… maybe things will return to normal once I get well…" she thought to herself as she decided to lie down again.

oOoOo

It was 5 in the afternoon when Cloud Strife returned. Tseng and Rude were the ones who met him by the doorway of Tifa's bar; the two Turks were cleaning the counters, and they noticed the disturbed look on his face.

"You're finally here." Tseng said, dropping the rag on the counter to approach him.

Cloud's frown deepened as he began, "I followed her the whole day and… she's basically with no one."

Silence.

"But she appears like she's talking to someone… although no one is really there. Or maybe there is something wrong with my eyes now…" Cloud continued.

Tseng raised his hand to make him stop talking. "No, no, I don't think there's something wrong with your eyes; because if there is something wrong with your eyes, then maybe you can join me and Reno in seeing an eye doctor." He pointed out.

Cloud took a deep breath. "So I'm not imagining it?" he asked.

Tseng shook his head.

"I'd hate to say this, considering that you two are assigned to watch over her by her father… but maybe she's losing her marbles or something?" Rude suggested.

Cloud was surprised that the usually-quiet Turk said something. "Well actually that's what I've been thinking all the while…" he admitted.

Tseng frowned. "No, that can't be." He said.

"How else can you explain why she's talking to herself?" Cloud pointed out.

Tseng thought for a while before answering, "Uh… imaginary friend?"

Cloud stared glumly at him. "Isn't she too old for imaginary friends?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Are you saying she's retarded?" Tseng narrowed his eyes at Cloud.

Cloud shrugged. "Who knows?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Damn. How are we going to explain this to her father?" Tseng muttered, looking away.

"But I heard a name though… it's Zack." Cloud said.

Tseng looked at him in disbelief. "And her imaginary friend is a man!" he exclaimed.

"Why are you surprised? Maybe she wants a boyfriend but no one likes her so she created an imaginary boyfriend." Cloud suggested.

"That is ridiculous. I don't think she's that desperate to have a boyfriend." Tseng pointed out.

Rude was reflecting on the name of Yuffie's "imaginary" friend. "You said his name is Zack, right?" he asked.

Cloud and Tseng turned to him. "Yeah." The former answered.

"Don't you remember a Zack?" Rude asked.

The two fell silent.

Tseng laughed dryly, "Are you suggesting that…" he shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "God forbid! He's dead!" he exclaimed. "There are a lot of Zacks in the world, anyway." He continued, eyeing Rude with a serious look on his face.

Cloud, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "Y… yeah, Zack is dead…" he stammered.

They were interrupted when Vincent just arrived. The three of them stared at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Cloud asked.

Tseng became suspicious. "Is everything alright in the hacienda?" he asked.

Vincent nodded. "I just came here to get some medicines for Tifa." He said.

"Tifa?" Tseng asked, frowning.

"Apparently, she's ill. Very high fever." Vincent answered.

"And what about Rufus?" Cloud asked.

"He's completely well now. Very healthy, I deem. He's taking care of Tifa while I'm here." Vincent said. "So, does anyone know where she keeps the medicines here?" he asked.

"Not really sure. Maybe it's in the medicine cabinet?" Cloud suggested.

"Where is the medicine cabinet?" Vincent asked.

"Wait, couldn't you just buy medicines?" Tseng asked him.

"Medicines are too expensive. I toured all over Midgar and Edge just looking for pharmacies that sell cheaper medicines, but apparently, there's not a single cheap pharmacy around here nowadays. So I just decided to come back here in hopes that maybe she stored medicines here to treat fever." Vincent explained.

Cloud looked up at the ceiling for a while. He realized that he has not heard Aerith's voice in his head for the whole day already and he was beginning to get worried. He looked at Vincent again. "Maybe Marlene or Denzel knows." He answered.

Vincent noticed the uncomfortable look on Cloud's face but he just kept quiet about it and left the bar to look for the children.

oOoOo

Rufus was minding the time on the old grandfather's clock in the hallway leading to the living room. "Where the bloody hell is Vincent and what is taking him so long to come back?" he was wondering in annoyance before walking back into the room he's sharing with Tifa. He stopped by the doorway upon seeing her sleeping soundly with her hands grasping one of his jackets that he left lying around on the bed.

It was 7:30 in the evening already and he had been praying for Vincent to return because he was already having a hard time taking care of Tifa, making sure her temperature doesn't reach 40 degrees Celsius, while at the same time, managing the household. He had been trying to stabilize her temperature by placing a small damp towel on her forehead and replacing it every once in a while whenever the moisture would evaporate from her body heat. He felt so restless and he found himself worrying so much about her that he could not eat well and he could not even think of anything else than taking care of her until she gets well. It was like his priorities had been changed.

He sat on the bed by her side and observed her breathing. He sighed, feeling so bad. He has been trying to avoid feelings of guilt ever since she got sick. "I should've told her to go inside when she decided to join me… damn, it was a cold morning, I should've been more considerate!" he was nagging himself quietly in guilt as he laid himself beside her with a weary look in his eyes. He had been so stressed out the whole day he did not realize how tired he was already, but there was another feeling within him—somehow, he felt invigorated. The experience of having to take care of someone who is sick, attending to her and maintaining a household at the same time—he felt good. As if for the first time, he has found another purpose in life; like he has been self-actualized.

He touched the cloth on her forehead. Still damp. He withdrew his hand from her forehead and let it travel down to her neck, letting the back of his hand feel the side of her neck for her temperature. He smiled faintly. She was not as warm as she was that morning and that afternoon. It was as if her body temperature has returned to normal eventually. Her fever had ceased and he was relieved.

Mindlessly, he moved closer to her and embraced her as he closed his eyes. It was ridiculous, he knew it, but he thought she would die because of the high fever. He has heard of cases wherein people die because of untreated high fever, so he was really worried it would happen to Tifa. He also realized when he started to take care of her, that he felt so drawn to her he could not bear the thought of losing her.

Tifa slowly opened her eyes when she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her and someone breathing against her neck. She squinted, adjusting her vision in the dimness of the room only illuminated by candles since there was no electricity. She wondered what the damp towel was still doing on her forehead when she felt much better already. She removed it.

Rufus sensed that she moved, so he opened his eyes again and saw her holding the damp towel. She put it aside as she grunted, then turning her sleepy gaze to him.

He just stared at her in wonder. "How do you feel now?" he asked.

She wondered if she just imagined seeing him looking at her like he was an innocent little boy. She fought the urge to giggle. She thought he looked cute back there. She smiled softly, "Much better… thank you for taking care of me, Rufus." She said softly. Her voice, though, has not returned to normal yet. It still sounded quite raspy.

He just stared at her.

Her smile faded a little when she noticed the vulnerability in his eyes. Was it just the effect of the candles or could she really see his emotions through his eyes already? She then noticed that he was still embracing her. "Why are you holding me like this?" she asked. It felt awkward for her because no one has ever held her like that before. She could feel her face getting warmer again and she wondered if she was coming up with another episode of fever once again.

His facial expression softened, which surprised her. Would she consider herself lucky for being the first one to see Rufus Shinra looking so vulnerable? "I thought I'd lose you." Was his answer.

She gazed at him, her eyes widening in awe. "…lose me?" she asked, wondering what he meant.

He looked away. He did not know how to really explain himself.

But the look in his eyes gave his thoughts away—Tifa understood completely, much to her surprise too. She recalled what Tseng had narrated to her about Rufus, and then based upon her own reflections on his behavior and his life, she realized that he was just a frightened young man victimized by the wealth and power surrounding him as he was growing up.

Rufus took a deep breath and wished himself enough guts to finally speak up, "I've lost… so much… a lot." He closed his eyes for a moment and frowned a bit before opening his eyes again.

Tifa's eyes widened when she saw his blue eyes glistening in what she realized were tears.

But he did not want to let them fall even as he continued to speak, "…I…"

She faced him as her facial expression softened and she placed her hands on the sides of his face, "Hush, Rufus." She said softly. "It's alright… I understand…" she said, embracing him.

He was stunned for a moment, surprised with her response. He thought that he was good in concealing his emotions and his true personality, so he was surprised with Tifa because she was the first one who seemed to know him very well next to his own mother. He just stared at her for a long time, thinking of the correct response, but he was too caught up in the moment of having her embrace him like that.

They were so close…

And their faces were moving closer to each other…

SLAM.

They heard the front door slam.

"Rufus! I'm back!" they heard Vincent's voice from outside.

Rufus and Tifa felt as if their hearts had stopped beating for a few moments before they regained their composure. But none of them could move.

"Rufus, where are you? Is Tifa alright?" they heard Vincent's voice nearing their room. And the door was left wide open.

Rufus took the initiative to move away from Tifa and he sat up on the bed, combing his fingers through his blonde hair while trying to keep a straight face. Tifa, on the other hand, turned to face the other side. Her eyes were wide in shock, but she also felt a little annoyed due to the interruption of her moment with Rufus.

Vincent finally arrived at their room carrying a paper bag with the medicines in it. He stared at Rufus strangely. "Is she alright?" he asked, referring to Tifa.

Tifa swallowed hard as she forced a smile and carefully sat up, turning to Vincent. "I'm feeling much better now." She said slowly.

They were silent for a few moments before Vincent nodded. "Alright. But… just in case your fever comes back or anyone else here gets sick, I'll be keeping the medicines in one of the kitchen drawers." He said. But he clearly noticed the awkwardness between the two so he suspected that something must have happened while he was away—whatever that is. He smiled calmly at Rufus. "Well I guess you're a good nurse, Rufus. You didn't burn the food, did you?" he asked.

Tifa answered for Rufus, "Oh he was splendid, Vincent! He took care of me very well. And his cooking is great too!" She exclaimed with a pleased smile on his face.

Rufus just kept a straight face, eyeing Vincent glumly.

Vincent wondered if Tifa was being sarcastic, but before he could say anything else, Rufus spoke up, "I wasn't able to cook dinner. There are leftovers from lunch, however. Some seafood pasta in the fridge. I guess I cooked too much for two people."

Vincent blinked, nodding.

"Anyway, you're back so soon?" Rufus asked, getting out of bed and straightening his pants in an effort to remove some of the creases.

"I took the bus." Vincent answered before leaving the room. "I'll have my dinner now." He said as he walked away.

Rufus just stood still by the bed, his back facing Tifa.

She just stared at him, her eyes wide in inquisition. She wanted to ask, "What now?" but she was too embarrassed to even start talking. She just thought that what almost happened between Rufus and herself was somewhat awkward in the sense that it was very unexpected, yet it had been way overdue. She did like him, after all, yet she did not know when to begin to explain to him. He is Rufus Shinra, and no matter what happens, even if he had been stripped off from his riches and wealthy lifestyle, she felt as if there will always be a barrier separating the two of them from each other.

And then Rufus started to walk towards the door.

Her facial expression softened and she felt disheartened all of a sudden before lowering her gaze to the ground. He was going to leave her there… alone. And she thought he was the one fearful that she would leave him; now he's the one leaving her. She clenched her fists. "I knew it…" she thought bitterly to herself.

She heard the door close, then she heard footsteps approaching the bed again. She slowly lifted her gaze to Rufus Shinra who was walking back to her. She slowly inhaled as her eyes widened as she gazed up at him curiously.

He climbed back onto the bed and sat face to face with her with his usual poker-faced expression dominating his whole face. She could not even determine what was on his mind by looking into his eyes because of his sudden seriousness… just like from before. She began to feel afraid of what he was going to say to her, for she feared it would be something negative to ward her off for good.

Yet his right hand reached out to her left cheek and touched it gently, tenderly caressing it. "Where were we before Vincent Valentine arrived?" he asked with a tone that sounded like he was trying to suppress humor.

She blinked. "W…what?" she was too clueless to think.

And he just leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

oOoOo

to be continued.

Author's note: I'm tired, I'm sleepy, it's 12:23am, but my obsessive-compulsion wanted me to finish this chapter before going to bed. Haha. So there. Cheers for Shinra. And it is August 19, 2006 as I'm finishing this chapter… a very happy birthday to Cloud Strife. Yes, the real Cloud Strife. According to the Final Fantasy 7 game manual, his birthday is August 19. Go Leos. Haha. Cheers to one of the best yet most complicated characters ever to have been created by Nomura-san. Hee!