Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me...however much I may like it to. I own no characters, places etc. etc. so please don't sue me! I'm a nice person :)

Author's Note: Chapter Twenty-Two...PLEASE review as I really enjoy reading your views and they inspire me to get better! It would make me very very happy! Anyway stop reading this and get on with reading the fic! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Stubborn Games and Awaited Choices

Tifa's eyes darted back to the semi-concious red head, as her brow furrowed questioningly, though the hardness shelling his eyes ordered her to behave; for both their sakes.

She slowly drew her attention back to Rufus, whom appeared to be revelling in some kind of amusement.

His gaze was still latched onto hers; as if attempting to follow her train of thought.

A moment of consideration was all she needed to decide upon the best course of action.

"I'd like a word..."

She paused briefly, before completing her response, albeit in a rather disgruntled fashion.

"...please."

The blonde's lips twitched slightly.

"I'm listening."

A testy sigh escaped Tifa's lips as her hands found their way to her hips.

"In private..."

Rufus sighed; his tone heavy with false distress.

"Excuse me Reno, it seems Miss. Lockhart wishes you to be left out of this particular conversation."

He rose slowly, before drifting gracefully towards the door, a small smirk tugging ever so innocently at his lips; just visible to the brunette as he passed her.

She hesitated for a moment before following him out; staying just long enough to steal another glance at Reno, though this time she found herself being completely ignored by him.

What did I do?

Once they were both out in the dulled corridor, and after checking that the pair were suitably alone, the young female allowed her face to contort angrily; her words curled with a snarl.

"Now, what are you doing here?"

Rufus seemed unmoved by her obvious irritation; his calm, smooth exterior remaining perfectly in place.

"I believe I've already answered that question."

Her brow furrowed further as a dissatisfied grunt sounded from her throat.

"You didn't come here to see Reno!"

The President rose a single eyebrow.

"You think very highly of yourself..."

"That's not-...What were you saying to Reno?"

She her narrowed, though her gaze was cast down in thought.

"He looked upset."

The male shrugged lightly.

"We were just having a friendly chat."

Tifa's lips twisted into a darkened smile.

Friendly chat my arse...

For a moment she pondered the idea that he might have been spinning certain untruths; maybe that's why the red head looked so unhappy, and why he'd given her the brush off.

Then again...maybe he just told him the truth...

Either way he had clearly caused some sort of rift, and she was determined not to let it drop.

"Why are you here Rufus?"

The male's left eye twitched; the unauthorised use of his name still playing uncomfortably in his mind.

"I heard you assaulted one of my doctors..."

Tifa's brow wavered in confusion.

Is this his answer, or is he just trying to avoid the question?

Concern soon set in as the realisation that she may well have handed the male another reason to torment her, formed before her.

She observed him for a moment; considering whether an apology was required. Though when she caught a hint of a smirk beginning to form upon his thin, pale lips, she swiftly made to pull herself together.

"He was an idiot...I think you should fire him."

The President's eyes sparked, though he seemed to restrain himself, and instead folded his arms; she found the image likened to that of a protesting child.

"I don't take orders from you."

"It wasn't an order, it was an opinion."

He seemed more than a little baffled by her response, and soon a ghost of a smile echoed in her voice.

"So...you still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"I don't have to tell you anything."

Although his answer had been anticipated, his tone showed some hesitation; her lack of protest with the doctor issue had seemingly taken some effect.

Maybe if I play this game his way...I'll get some answers...

She took a small, but noticeable step forward.

"You don't have to...but I'd like you to."

He considered her for a moment; this soft compliance both being unsettling and intriguing.

Eventually, his body seemed to relax and his head tilted slightly.

"Do you want to go for a walk Miss. Lockhart?"

Is he actually asking me...?

The fact that he hadn't barked an order at her caused Tifa's eyes widened for a moment, but once again she pulled herself together and allowed her brow to furrow.

"It's raining."

A small, soft smirk graced Rufus's lips.

"I know somewhere."

With the hospital being a Shin-Ra facility it was hardly surprising that the President had constructed some private sectors, seeming for personal relaxation and enjoyment. That being said though, his choice of decoration was definitely not what Tifa had expected; in fact it seemed more like something you'd find in a public greenhouse.

The walls were glass, though heavily frosted; no doubt to deter any prying eyes that might dare to try their luck with catching a glimpse at the interior. It was a little like a conservatory; the air was warmer than the natural atmosphere would allow, so she deemed he must have implemented some special climate control system for this room alone, and it wasn't hard to figure out why.

The amount of plants stationed there, and the variety, must have needed constant monitoring, for their care to be successful.

Luckily her current attire didn't allow her to overheat, though she couldn't help but find it amusing that Rufus seemed perfectly content, even though he must have been uncomfortable; his full suit adding more than one layer of material to his fully clothed skin.

They'd been wandering down a set path seemingly marked only by the President's eyes, that entwined through the plant life, and although it was pleasant enough, she couldn't help but wonder why they were there.

Tifa eventually decided to break the silence; mostly out of curiosity rather than any boredom or un-comfortability with the situation.

"So..."

She latched her hands behind her back and pushed herself forward slightly, so as to bring her in line with the male.

"...is there a point to this little excursion?"

"I like plants."

She wasn't sure if she'd heard him right. Not only was his answer rather peculiar, but it didn't seem to be in relation to her question, but rather a thought he'd let slip from his lips subconsciously.

"Excuse me?"

"They were pretty rare when I was a child..."

Well that was certainly true, plants were rather scarce back then; Midgar lived in a constant shadow after all and the planets natural workings had been disrupted to such an extent that it was not so cable of forging such things.

"My Father used to have a collection in his office; they were something of a symbol to express his elevation in power over everyone...everything else."

Tifa's brow arched.

Well that I can believe...

She had no idea why he was telling her this, but she'd learnt to listen when he decided to open up like this.

"Most were just foliage, or ferns that were synthetically grown, though there was a flowering plant, but it never blossomed..."

Aerith...

She couldn't help but automatically link them with the young girl. She had cared for them, tended to them, nurtured them like children. She was the only one. The only one able to create something from the earth because she was connected to it. So how had Rufus's Father managed to acquire one?

Well that's not exactly a stumper...

Tseng was the first name that came to mind; he had basically stalked Aerith for the best part of her life. It wouldn't have been that difficult for him to 'borrow' one whilst he'd been there.

It's no wonder it didn't flower after that...

Tears had formed of their own accord; another thing she couldn't help. Although she had indeed grieved her with more 'success' than Cloud had, the thought of the young flower girl never failed to cause something painful inside her.

She hastily tried to blink away any trace of sadness, as she steadied her tone; though it was remarkable soft.

"Maybe he just wasn't the right person to look after it..."

She quickened her pace slightly; overtaking the male by only a few steps.

Her sudden shift in mood hadn't gone unnoticed by him, but just as Tifa had learnt to listen to him, he had learnt to avoid pushing at a subject that caused her sorrow. Of course when it came to a subject that caused her anger, well he was very much the first to broach it.

Rufus halted in his path, as he stopped to admire something that mildly resembled a lily.

"I thought you'd be in better spirits now that your red head is in recovery."

Her brow furrowed.

'My' redhead?...what's he talking about? And he's not in recovery...if anything, he's worse than ever.

Rufus was growing more impatient and more perplexed with every passing second that his comment went without response.

He took a step forward; moving his gaze from the lily to the brunette.

"Miss Lockhart?"

She crossed her arms in a child-like protest.

"I don't want to talk about Reno."

Ok now it was her turn to lie. Well maybe; she wanted to know what was happening, but Rufus wasn't about to tell her, and she wasn't going to waste her time, only to receive a roll of biting, condescending remarks.

Her response had seemingly surprised the President whom had proceeded to study her with a degree of apprehension and curiosity.

She took the moment to shift the subject matter to something she did wish to talk about.

"About what happened..."

Tifa turned slightly, so as to face him.

"...between us-"

The male viewed her without any immediate reaction, though after a few seconds he tilted his head slightly to the side and smiled with a wisp of amusement.

"What did happen exactly?"

An aggravated sigh made its way from the woman's lips.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Act all..."

She seemed to struggle with her choice of words.

"...stupid!"

Rufus couldn't help but raise his brow. It was so simple, and juvenile that he might have been tempted to find amusement in it, if it hadn't been for the delightfully adorable blush that had formed on her cheeks.

She quickly averted her gaze to the floor.

"Well, it was a mistake."

He took a few steps towards her, as she nodded to herself.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Tifa's head shot up as her body came to realise how close he had gotten. Her eyes flamed; crimson flecks dancing angrily.

"You think you know everything don't you? Well you don't know me!"

"You're not as complicated as you think Miss. Lockhart."

Her eyes narrowed, as he drew a little closer; his gaze intensifying in thought.

"Are you frightened that I might be the only one that understands you?"

He never received a response, as Tifa's fist headed straight for his gut.

She squirmed helplessly beneath him. His weight firmly held her in place; the air between them now densely heated.

Her face contorted with a mixture of anger and frustration; how could she have let this happen? How could have allowed him to cripple her like this?

How did he...?

She should have been able to fight him off, so how had he managed it? He was the weakened party after all; his body should have been easy to remove.

Though, there had been that morning at the bar, where he had overpowered her in the swiftest of movements. And although she had stuck him on occasion, the fact remained that he had managed to dodge quite a few of her earlier attempts at attack.

Her brow furrowed in judgement of her own stupidity.

Maybe he wasn't as weak as she'd previously believed. She'd been reckless, she'd let her guard down, and now she was defenceless against him.

As if he had been reading her mind, an all-to-knowing smirk appeared upon his thin lips.

"You should never underestimate your opponent, Miss. Lockhart."

The arrogance in his tone was unmasked, and Tifa felt compelled to oppose him, though as she stared back at him, she found herself desperately trying to keep her gaze from wavering.

"You are not my opponent."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Enemy then."

Tifa's voice faltered; that's not what she'd meant.

Was he her enemy? True, at one point they had been on opposite sides, and she had indeed sought to destroy him, but that was a long time ago. Now she just felt like she had to fight him. Like a competition; to see who could hold out the longest. It was all just a game.

The lack of distracting conversation between them only made her more aware of the form straddling her own. Her body was stretched out beneath his own, as her hands remained pinned above her head; though not completely uncomfortably.

As the seconds passed by, the silence continued between them, although he showed no signs of removing himself; leaving her feeling increasingly powerless and exposed beneath him.

A growl of frustration began to form in her throat as she struggled fiercely against her captor, but he didn't budge. In fact he seemed to have grown in confidence, as he removed one of his hands from her gathered wrists, and simply held her down with his left hand; his strength, again surprising her as this slight removal made no difference to the pressure on her body.

"Why do you continue to fight me, Miss Lockhart?"

She averted her gaze, but didn't answer, though not through stubbornness, but rather confusion; his tone had hinted at a double meeting.

Physically or mentally...?

When she returned her attention, she realised that he was staring at her, no not just staring, observing, studying, with such an intensity it felt as though he was trying to overpower her mind as well as her body.

A soft blush prickled upon her cheeks, though she quickly attempted to cover it with anger; only her tone came out a little more nervous that she'd anticipated.

"Get off."

"No."

The smirk had disappeared from his lips; leaving nothing but unadulterated resolve.

"Not until I've claimed my prize."

"What are you-"

Her confusion was quickly remedied as she felt soft, warm lips brushing against her own.

His breath played through his lips, as he parted his own; his right hand slowly drawing up to trail teasing caresses across the sensitive skin of her neck.

The previous attempt had been almost threatening, but this was different; light, testing. Affection.

Maybe that's why she didn't feel the need to resist; because this was different.

Her eyes fluttered closed of their own will, as the gentle sensation lulled her into submission.

If he hadn't lifted himself from her when he did, he might have been treated to an approving moan.

"Are you ready to stop this charade?"

His question had not been expected, but it certainly didn't need explaining. She didn't attempt to feign ignorance as the shiver she expressed from the lingering fingers that were still stroking soft lines upon her neck would have unmasked her act all to easily.

He raised an eyebrow, as a knowing smirk twitched at the corners of his lips; once again seemingly able to read her mind.

"You might even enjoy yourself."

Her brow furrowed softly, whilst her eyes silently pleaded with him.

That's what I'm scared of...

This was her way in. Her way to be worthy.

If she got close to Rufus, she could help Reno?

If she lead him to trust her, she could win this little battle.

She wanted to believe it. She wanted to fool herself into not caring, not wanting, not

She couldn't ignore the raw truth of the matter; this was a dangerous game, and she had already allowed herself to become effected by her own feelings.

Rufus brought her back around to her senses when he brushed a strand of hair from veiling her eyes.

"So Miss Lockhart, what will it be?"

A/N= WOOT! Ok, not a super long chapter here, but that's mostly because this was more of a set up for the next one, and I didn't want to make you wait months and months before I could get it out XD So I decided to split it in two instead!

Oh and Final Fantasy XIII just came out here in the UK! WOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry, I felt I had to express my delight ^_^ so yeah, I've been permanently glued to my PS3...I don't think I can be held accountable for this being delayed when you bring a new FF game into consideration...

Anyway onto the chapter...

Another Tifa pov chapter here...I didn't really intent to focus on her thoughts, but it just happened to fall that way XD Though I'm about 90% sure that the next one will be more of a Rufus focused chapter. And I think it's important to switch between the too, because if anything, this is a character central fic, rather than a plot central one; again I didn't really set out for that path but it just happened to go that way XD.

Like I said before, this chapter was more of a set-up for the following few chapters so hopefully it was interesting enough ^_^ and I couldn't resist having them have another little fight XD We all know my Tifa has a little bit of a temper on her and the idea of her getting beaten by Rufus was just too good to pass up X) Who wouldn't wanna be pinned by the President?

The thing that I said I wanted to write has been indeed pushed back to the next chapter ^_^ I doubt you're in much confusion as to what it is...but still XD tbh it'll probably span over a few chapters with different characters perspectives etc

Hopefully the next update won't take me as long but that might depend on how much FFXIII distracts me...but again, I don't think I can be held accountable for that...if you wanna blame anyone blame the game's creators ^_^