A/N: Songs for this chapter-first half is Darkside by Alan Walker (ft Au/Ra & Tomine Harket) the second half is Finish What We Started by Jessie Ware.

Chapter 20

Senna didn't bother opening her eyes. She already knew she was back in the waking world, and for once wasn't sure if she was happy about that fact or not. The previous ten minutes might have been nothing but a dream, but her body sure felt otherwise. The heat from Rufus's fingertips still tingled against her skin, and damn it, she was half tempted to get up and see how he felt about continuing—even if it was a splendidly stupid idea.

A frustrated groan escaped as her arm came up to cover her still-closed eyes. What the hell had she been thinking? Getting into bed with Rufus Shinra was not wise, no matter what their history together had been. But that thought wasn't enough to cool her blood.

All her thoughts on the matter were scattered when the door to her room banged open. She sat up in a rush to see Rufus standing in the doorway, giving her a heated look. Her mouth ran dry as he slowly stalked toward her. Was he really about to—

She didn't even have a chance to finish that thought before he knelt on the bed next to her and grabbed her face with both hands. Her first thoughts when his lips captured hers were that he tasted just as good as he had in the dream—spice with a hint of sweetness.

The heat between them returned more potent than before as one of his hands slid from her face, down her shoulder, and then to her waist. The other slipped to tangle in the hair at the nape of her neck. His grip was firm and left her no room to pull away from him as his lips moved from her mouth and along her jaw—not that she had any plans to.

Senna's arms snaked around Rufus's torso as she reveled in his kisses. A random notion about how addictive the feeling could become passed through Senna's mind, but it scattered with all other thoughts as Rufus continued down the side of her neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses.

She was running on instincts and feelings until he moved to lay her back. Even then, no coherent thought penetrated the fog of desire around her brain until she felt the strap of her gown pushed down to reveal the top of one breast. Rufus came perilously close to exposing her completely before she managed to come to her senses. "Wait!"

If Rufus heard her, he ignored the plea. His lips had already moved to plant more kisses along the top of her breast. His other hand grasped the still-covered breast, causing an involuntary moan to spill from Senna as she arched up. The feel of his warmth made thought all but impossible, but she clung to reason by a thread and pushed against his shoulders.

Rufus finally relented and leaned back, but his heated expression did not help. Neither did his husky voice. "I have told you once that you will not be allowed to start something and not finish it."

Oh, dear god. How was she supposed to ignore that look? Or the hand that he hadn't yet moved. A huge part of Senna wanted nothing more than to forget everything and just give in. She had no doubt that it would be an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, it would also likely cause more problems come morning.

Thankfully, his grip on her was lite, and she was able to twist away from him so she could sit up. Her back was to him as she pulled the strap of her gown back up and tried to compose herself enough to speak. "I know. And back when I believed it was nothing more than a dream, I would not have stopped you."

Her breath hitched, and anything else she might have said got caught in a strangled sound when his fingers ghosted across her skin as he pulled her hair to one side, exposing her neck. His lips stopped a hair's-breadth away from her pulse point, and warm breath caused her to shiver as he whispered, "Then why try now? It is obvious that you want me."

Rufus's lips closed the last of the distance as he nipped at her pulse point, causing another involuntary noise to escape Senna's lips. Damn it, why did he have to be so good? Somehow, Senna managed to cling to her resolve as she pulled away from his kisses.

She turned to face him and held up both hands. Her cheeks were flushed, as much from desire as embarrassment at what she was about to say. "I would be lying if I denied that you're right. That doesn't mean this is a good idea. Not right now. Don't you think we have too many unresolved issues?"

Her words finally seemed to get through to him. He sat back with a frown, but it was erased as he leaned forward until her hands rested on his bare chest. Senna had to force her mind not to focus on the way her fingertips tingled and instead focus on his face as he said, "Yes, and I do believe this is one of them."

The makeshift barrier of her raised hands was no deterrent as Rufus leaned closer to kiss her. Instead, her hands splayed against his chest as she nearly lost herself again. Was it the dream, or was she still drunk? Honestly, it was difficult to tell with how lightheaded she felt.

That thought went through in little more than passing. However, it helped her recognize the taste on Rufus's tongue. His hands were on her shoulders, and he had once more dipped his head to pepper kisses down her exposed cleavage, but she managed to pull back enough to speak without sounding too breathy. "Wait, are you drunk?"

He lifted his head but didn't bother with a proper answer. Instead, he nipped at her earlobe before he whispered, "I can handle my liquor better than most."

He finally leaned back enough to look into her eyes. "You are far less accommodating than expected. The only thing I want to hear from you right now is my name."

There was no hesitation before he leaned in for another kiss, and his fingers tangled in the strap of her gown. Every sensation worked to cloud Senna's mind further, but she somehow found the mental fortitude to push back. That time, she got off the bed and walked to the other side of the room. If she expected to think clearly, she couldn't stay within arms reach.

When Rufus stood with a slight frown, she held up one hand and tried to make her voice more commanding than she felt. "Don't come over here. We need to talk before this gets out of hand."

Her actions finally seemed to get through to him, and he stopped with a frown. Senna took a deep breath to try and calm herself further before she said, "Okay, it's obvious neither of us is fully sober. Add that to everything else, and you have to admit this isn't the right time. I'm not saying you don't turn me on, but maybe we should figure out a few things before we jump into bed with each other. Even if it is nothing more than a passing physical attraction, it could be problematic after the moment has passed."

Rufus's frown only deepened, and somehow Senna wasn't sure if she was happy that he didn't try to close the distance or not. When he finally did start moving, she was quick to step back—no need to tempt herself. Despite her wariness, a knot of worry and disappointment filled her stomach when he went straight for the door. Halfway through it, he finally paused but didn't turn to face her.

"Have no fear that there will be a repeat."

The door did not slam behind Rufus as he left, but the quiet click of the latch made Senna jump. There was a finality to it that she had not been expecting. Yes, she had been the one to stop them, and she didn't believe it had been the wrong action. Still, something in the tone of Rufus's voice made dread well up.

Did she just make her situation worse? Maybe. Rufus wasn't the type of man that was used to rejection, and while she had stopped him, she wasn't trying to reject him. She even admitted as much. All she could do was hope that the morning would bring clarity to both of them. Otherwise, she hated to think how much more awkward it could get.

Thinking about the morning made her look at the clock, which only made her groan. It was not even one in the morning, and sleep did not sound possible. How in the hell was she going to be ready by seven?

There was only one thing to do. She was not about to climb back into bed immediately, not with the ghost of Rufus's touch still tingling on her skin. The image of her rumpled sheets as a reminder of what had nearly happened did not help. Sleep would be great, but a cold shower was in order first. Maybe by the time she was done, she wouldn't be tempted to go apologize and see if she could get him to ignore her rejection.

Senna had managed to get a few more hours of sleep—thankfully uninterrupted by any more enticing dreams. That did not mean she was prepared to face the day. Her appearance was flawless as usual, but her mind was still in shambles. She paused at the door. What would she be facing? Only one way to find out, even if part of her didn't want to.

She opened the bedroom door and swallowed a frustrated sigh when she saw Reno watching a man in chef's clothes. Rufus was sitting in one of the chairs reading something. Maybe it was a good thing that they weren't alone? Reno was the only one to look her way as she stepped into the room, so maybe not.

The silence was tense as the chef finished putting everything down. Senna almost felt sorry for him when she noticed his hands shaking. She could sympathize. Having to deal with Rufus could do that to a person. Especially since he still had not spared a single glance in her direction. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the man to finish and leave with Reno.

Once they were both gone, Senna cleared her throat awkwardly. What the hell was she supposed to say? The discomfort from the night before had only intensified. A sense of deja vu caused a shiver down her spine as Rufus ignored her presence.

A strange feeling of hurt crashed over Senna when she reached for the coffee, and Rufus didn't move to acknowledge her in any way. Was he angry about the previous night? Did he regret it? She could grudgingly admit that thought was what hurt the worst. Despite her hand in stopping things and knowing she was right to do so, a small part of her was not at all pleased with the seeming outcome.

Well, it was past, and there was no way to change it, so instead of letting him get to her, she took a sip of her coffee before she broke the silence. "It is nearly 7:00. Did you want to go over the expectations for the day?"

Rufus finally lowered the file he had been reading and looked at Senna intently. His gaze stayed fixed on her face long enough that Senna desperately wanted to look away—even if she couldn't bring herself to do so. Her grip on the cup had become so tight that she thought it might break.

As soon as she considered putting it down, just to be safe, Rufus looked away and started reading again. His voice was calm and even, if a little cold. "I will be leaving soon. One of the Turks will be by later for you. Now that I have multiple options to reach my goal, there is less pressure to rush. I felt it would be better to take this opportunity to get you moved, and have asked the Director of the Turks to assign you an apartment on their floor for the time being."

"I will contact you once I am ready for more information. In the meantime, you should focus on finishing the notes you started. I will have everything investigated as soon as it is provided."

He finally looked back up with that blank expression again. "Oh, and it would be best if you do not try to leave the building. You wouldn't want to give anyone the impression that you are trying to escape."

Senna wasn't sure if she was ecstatic or pissed. There was no way in hell that Rufus's sudden change of plans was a coincidence. It took too much effort to fully conceal her glare, but she managed to keep it to a frown. "I have already told you I am not your enemy. My goal is to make things better for everyone, you included. I would love to have a little more space, but I don't appreciate the implications of this sudden move."

That was as close as Senna was willing to get to asking Rufus about his view of the night before. He was smart enough that she had no doubt he understood.

His narrowed eyes showed her he definitely did. Though the expression was gone almost immediately. The only indication he was bothered was the way he gripped the file slightly tighter. "I believe you may be misconstruing the situation you are in. I have agreed to protect you from any outside dangers, but your continued health is reliant on my goodwill. Do not push your luck. Your appreciation is irrelevant."

It suddenly felt like they were back at square one, and damn it, if that didn't piss Senna off even more. She ignored the way it hurt as she slammed the coffee cup on the small table. A hiss of pain escaped as the hot coffee sloshed over onto her fingers, but she otherwise ignored it as she glowered at Rufus. "Stop the bullshit. You and I both know you are only acting like this because of last night. If you want to pretend it didn't happen, fine. We can agree to believe it was a product of alcohol and sweet memories, but don't you dare act like we haven't made any progress outside the bedroom. You know damn good and well that I have been honest with you. Even if you are more confident about reaching your goal, I have already proven that my information will be invaluable."

After that outburst, Rufus stared at her for several seconds before he leaned forward. Senna watched in confusion as he grabbed a few ice cubes from the bucket holding a carafe of juice and then wrapped them in a napkin. His face was devoid of emotion as he handed the packet to her. "You will blister if you aren't careful. It would be best to run your hand under cold water for several minutes."

Senna took the ice wordlessly and watched as Rufus stood, still not showing any indication that he had even heard her outburst. He looked down at her as he said, "One of the Turks will be here in less than an hour. You do not need to worry about packing, as they will bring the boxes to assist." He didn't say another word before he headed toward the exit.

Once he was gone, Senna stared at the door with wide eyes. What the hell had just happened? It was obvious that he was ignoring the previous night, but perhaps her initial read of the situation had been wrong. If they had really gone back to square one, there was no way he would have allowed her outburst without some sort of threat to try and remind her of the situation.

Well, he had done that at the beginning of the conversation, but there hadn't been his signature steel behind it. Plus, he actually noticed her burn and tried to help. The conflicting actions made no sense to Senna.

The burn on her fingers had started to sting, so she gave up on trying to figure the man out. Instead, she headed to the kitchen to do as suggested and ran her hand under some cold water. She doubted the coffee had been hot enough to cause more than a surface burn, but it did hurt. Perhaps she could find something to treat it with before she left.

As she cooled the wound, she let her mind wander. Despite her conflicting emotions about how things happened, she was pleased that she would have an apartment of her own. That pleasure was dimmed by the location and continued lack of freedom, but it was better than staying in Rufus's apartment. At least now, they could claim plausible deniability if Shinra Sr. asked about the living arrangements again.

After a couple of minutes, she deemed her efforts good enough and headed into the bathroom to see if there was any kind of first aid available. She was grateful to find a small kit with some sort of lidocaine spray. It would work well enough for the moment.

Once that was taken care of, she walked into the closet and eyed everything there with a sigh. Did she even want to bother with taking it all? Part of her wanted to, so she could be prepared for any eventuality. She hated mooching, but there was such a thing as too much pride, and she was in no position to decline any assistance—not yet, anyway.

On the flip side, she momentarily considered leaving the most revealing outfits behind just to make a statement. She grinned for the first time that morning when she thought about how Rufus might react.

Although, she wasn't given long to wonder. A familiar voice called her name from the doorway, and Senna turned to see a grinning Reno and his partner, Rude. The redhead was pushing a cart loaded with flat boxes and tape. He left it in the bedroom as he leaned against the closet doorjamb. "I hear you're gonna be moving to our floor. Does that mean you'll be workin' with us soon?"

Senna let out an exasperated sigh and shrugged as she pushed past him. "Who knows. For now, let's get this over with. I have a feeling I will be expected to get some work done before the end of the day, so I don't have time to waste."

Reno chuckled at her dismissal but didn't keep pushing. Instead, he grabbed a box and started assembling it as he said, "I was told everything in here goes. You want things laid out a certain way; ya gotta let me know."

Rude pushed his glasses up as he chimed in. "Miss Rhodes, we were tasked with getting your belongings safely to your new apartment, so do not worry about things we can handle. However, if you feel there is anything that needs special care, please do not hesitate to ask."

Senna shot Rude a grateful smile. At least one of the two had sense. She grabbed the box Reno had already put together as she said, "If that's the case, you guys handle the closet. I'll pack the stuff in the bathroom."

Reno made an indignant noise as she waltzed off with the box he put together, but she only grinned at him before disappearing into the other room.

A/N: I apologize profusely for the delay. I suppose I should just get used to the fact that I don't have the same kind of time as I used to. The good news is that I have a couple of chapters for other works partially finished as well, so we should see a couple of updates this week. As for the chapter, what did you think of how things turned out for Rufus and Senna? One step forward and twenty back. Well, I suppose that just gives us more story to go through before it's all said and done. I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks for reading, and cheers!