My Shinra Heaven
Part 06
By Jupiter: Seifer's Babe

****
Cloud was close to finding out what went on between Rufus and Tifa.  It was the moment Tifa had dreaded for over three hours when she arrived back here.  She tried her best to avoid any contact near the ex-SOLDIER to reflect her thoughts privately.  However, it appeared that Cloud was very keen to know how Rufus really did treat Tifa.  Why shouldn't he be satisfied from hearing the Shinra President took care of a hostage? Or on a more detailed note, a woman.  Tifa plopped back into her stool huffily, covering half her face behind the long black hair dangling off her shoulder.
"Well? Tell me how he treated you." Cloud crossed his arms over his lower abdomen while he waited for the story to spill.
"It's complicated to say," Tifa complained but shut her wailing tone down when she saw the scepticism flying over Cloud's appearance.  "OK, you're being warned.  I know you won't wanna hear the whole thing."
"I wanna hear it, Tifa.  It's not difficult to tell me.  I'm your friend."
Tifa chortled offensively, "If you were my friend, you would have known a woman needs privacy on some very intimate topics <No offense on the gender contrast>!"
"Intimate?" Cloud repeated the key word.

 He should be able to work out the main story, right? Tifa slapped her face torturously for stupidly spitting out a give-away clue.  Well, Cloud did say he wanted to hear the whole story, didn't he? His mind imagined Rufus and Tifa in many 'intimate' situations.  It wasn't like he wanted to think dirty minded; he wanted to know whether it was possible for them to be together.
"Yeah, intimate.  Think of you and Aeris on a date.  Alone on a table, drinking champagne.  That's intimacy, right?" Tifa angrily spat out the flower girl's name as if it was venomous.  Cloud took aback the rude reference to a dead friend <she didn't mean to be that horrid about Aeris.  She's angry with me is all>.  What made her suddenly go using Aeris as an example?
<Was she jealous of Aeris when she was alive? I'll be damned.  Look, we're going on about Rufus here.  NOT Aeris, Cloud> "You didn't…" Cloud didn't like talking on relationship terms in conversations.

"If you think I slept with Rufus, the answer is NO <not yet anyway>," Tifa murmured, adding a tiny thought, "but I did define intimacy so the only closely intimate thing we did was kiss.  OK?" Cloud's eyeballs popped out as he sat on his stool attentively.  "Oh I forgot, you wanna hear the whole thing.  Well…he kissed me while I was asleep.  At first I assumed it was in my dream then I thought 'it felt too real to be in a dream'.  The only other person in the room was Rufus.  The next morning, I asked him about it and he said he DID kiss me."
"It wasn't a long kiss, was it?" Cloud asked embarrassingly.  Tifa raised her eyebrows shadily at her childhood friend <he's jealous.  Man, I can see it in his eyes>.  Hiding the gleeful face, she continued her experience as a hostage.  On the first night, yeah Tifa admitted it was difficult to get on with Rufus.  He did act as the usual evil bad ass president, which AVALANCHE loathed (which Rufus fans love *cheers*) yet as Tifa started to lose control over her emotions, it somehow took an effect on Rufus.  Apart from feeling attracted to her looks, he showed sympathetic signs towards the hostage.  Tifa sensed he did change when he got to know her while she stayed in his office.
"Tifa?" Cloud interrupted Tifa's daydreaming.
"Sorry.  Uh, there was a second time.  After finding out he kissed me during bedtime, I wanted to know…how it felt again.  You know, the kiss.  So…we uh kissed again.  This time I was awake and feeling it all," Tifa sighed breathlessly when she remembered that moment of private bliss.  Nobody was there to stop her.  It was Tifa's own call.  She controlled what went on for herself and Rufus.  Until Tseng caught them and lost his temper.  Cloud budged his legs uncomfortably while he listened.

"You love him, don't you?" He put the high scored question into the air.  Tifa groaned and stood up defensively.  Fighting to conjure a good answer.  <Yes or no? It's either one of them> She rubbed her hand against her forehead.  Everyone was dying to know what her connection was with Rufus.
<I'd say it's true> "Y-y-yes.  I think I love him," Tifa plainly replied without showing absolute shame confessing the truth, "wanna know why, Cloud?"
"What's the reason?" Cloud abided.
"Oh you've forgotten already! I told you he took care of me in the cold.  THINK LOGICALLY.  The trousers.  The breakfast…the wonderful kiss <Whoa, wonderful sounds too happy for me>." Tifa danced around the bar in a silly routine.  Cloud slammed his head into the table, unable to take the truth from his friend.  He wasn't sure if he should go confront the Shinra President again to kill him out of real jealousy.  Cloud didn't have a reputation of being in the woman's department, unlike Rufus.  He knew most female publicans thought the President was such a stud, they would agree with anything Shinra planned on doing.  Even when it included another death-threatening virus created in the labs.
"Cloud, I…I did love you in the past.  Did you notice?" Tifa warmly smiled encouragingly to him.
"Really?" One hundred per cent astonishment flooded Cloud's brain.
Tifa nodded, "Since we were kids.  I was too shy to tell you then.  Aeris came along and you drifted from my fingertips." She immediately cleared her throat to get rid of the old emotion hidden inside for many years.  Cloud wasn't the one Tifa wanted in her life.  A half of Tifa's mind had found that rather amazing because she had finally gotten over her childhood crush and replaced with new flesh.  Someone who respected her more and treated her in awkward situations.

"However, I don't feel the same way about you anymore.  Time has altered into another dimension.  We're great sticking as friends," Tifa explained, holding Cloud's hand in her muscular palm, "As for Aeris, if you love her in your heart, it's fine by me."
"I had no idea how you felt…"
"Don't bother saying you love me to make things better.  Love doesn't develop like that.  Cloud, I was disappointed in you because you didn't care for me the same way as Rufus.  You didn't help me whenever I was ill."
Cloud forced Tifa to look at him <I did help you.  I saved you from Rufus.  Although you may not have liked it>.  Why did the Shinra President have to brainwash her with these crazy ideas?
"Loving him isn't a good idea!" The mercenary shouted and fisted his hands on the table, "he's dangerous, Tifa."
"Not anymore." Tifa pushed Cloud backwards ruthlessly.  She hated this conversation.  It gradually worsened as she and Cloud argued heatedly.  It was appreciative of Cloud to look out for his friend but this thing with Tifa and Rufus was something he didn't want to see all the time.  For example, he wouldn't join the so-called couple in a family styled dinner because of his hatred towards Shinra.  Barrett would act similarly, wouldn't he? Tifa speculated thoughtfully if her relationship with Rufus would mean losing her friends forever.  It was risky.  Cloud and Barrett were the only ones closest to her.  A moment's silence brewed between Tifa and Cloud as they stood opposite each other in the bar.  Neither one begun to argue or disagree about the last comment.  There wasn't a point.  The arguments would resume again.

The bar doors creaked openly in surprise for Tifa and Cloud.  Their minds had been so set on arguing that they forgot early opening hours.  Cloud leaned against the backdoor to supervise the safety.  Tying her hair up, Tifa stood behind the bar bench to prepare the beverages <I don't care what other people say.  Rufus is a great guy whom I feel such love towards.  It's nothing compared to my long-lasting crush on Cloud>.  The drinks ought to take her mind off things.  One chair shrieked against the polished floorboards opposite where Tifa stood, who didn't look up to see who the first customer was.
"Good morning, Miss Lockheart." A black gloved hand waved on the table, in exterior to Tifa's eyes.  Oh guess who? Only one person ever called Tifa by surname.
"Rufus? How did you find me?" Tifa blushed shyly and ignored Cloud's angry staring.
"Seems you're well known in the area," Rufus commented, leaning nearer to Tifa.
"What are you doing here?" She brought up a realer subject in the conversation.
<Duh he wants to take you away to paradise> Cloud impatiently tapped his feet as he stood by the backdoor, watching Rufus flirt publicly.  The mercenary did ask the President to be a good guy while AVALANCHE still lived.  Wasn't Rufus doing just that?

"I wanted to see you again." Rufus quickly winked to Cloud then turned back to the bar hostess, observing her clean the shiny beer glasses with a cloth and fondling her long flowing hair.
Tifa giggled in reply, "Rufus, people could be watching us."
"No-one's even here yet."
"So? It's still embarrassing."
"Yeah, Rufus.  Tifa's working.  Pay for your drink then leave.  As the President, I'm sure you've got many meetings to attend," Cloud jeered as he leaned against the backdoor of the bar.  Tifa shot him a warning look <no need to toy your jealous with me.  You deserve it, Cloud.  I was jealous when Aeris was all over you>.  Tifa's senses craved for Rufus to keep on touching her in front of Cloud - just to show how nice the President really was towards her.  Not only to make him express bitter jealousy. "Someone doesn't appreciate my presence," Rufus whispered to Tifa unsurprisingly, "why don't we go somewhere private?"
"I did say I'm working."
"Cloud can take charge of the bar.  Come on, we can just walk round Midgar together.  The two of  us." The Shinra President formed a 'pretty please' expression.  Tifa turned to the observant Cloud standing in security.  It was a good thing he couldn't hear Rufus whispering.  He would probably lose his cool through an Omnislash if not cautious.  <Hey, I'm a free woman.  It doesn't matter if Cloud's a jealous dog.  There was never any hope for us> Tifa motioned her face back to the smirking appearance of the other blond standing in opposition.  Dropping the shiny beer glass she finished cleaning, Tifa walked round the bar to meet Rufus bodily.  Their bodies pressing against each other strongly.  Their fingers interlocking finely.  <His body is leaner than mine> Tifa swallowed a brief giggle as she embraced Rufus' kiss happily. This was ecstasy.

She detected Cloud's hateful eyes watching her and Rufus while they held themselves together.  He did want to interrupt but decided it wouldn't be the best option.  Tifa would lash out in rage to say 'piss off' to Cloud.  Fortunately, no-one else had come to order drinks at the bar yet.  Hence they wouldn't catch the Shinra President making out publicly with the lovely bar hostess, who was a good fighter.  Many other men did try asking Tifa out.  Of course her answer would end up in a refusal.
"I want Cloud.  Not you." Was what she always thought of saying in the old days.  One of the bedroom doors slammed open suddenly.  Causing Tifa, Rufus and Cloud plenty of dismay.  <Oh damn, I forgot Barrett was sleeping> Cloud thought <uh-oh, what's he gonna say when he spots Rufus? Hopefully he's loaded his gun>.  Predictably, Barrett yawned and opened the door to his bedroom.
"Mornin', Tifa.  Cloud." He waved sleepily to his friends as he marched into the bar, "hey who's the first customer.  Hope he ain't askin' ya out too, Tifa." Rubbing his eyes, Barrett zealously glanced at the tall male standing close to Tifa and quickly raised his gunned arm.  "SHIT, IT'S RUFUS SHINRA.  GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
Cloud naturally reacted as a mercenary<Oh screw this.  He'll shoot Tifa if he doesn't watch it> "BARRETT, DON'T…" He lunged to try and lower Barrett's arm.  However he didn't succeed in time.  Tifa screamed out Rufus' name when she heard the bullets fly <NO!!!!>.

TBC.
*evil laugh* Whoa yeah another cliffhanger.  This fic might be near the end, you know.  I dunno how many more chapters I will write.  Definitely not over 100.  Anyway please review respectively, yeah? I hope the story is making you happy.  It's my best fanfic so far (has the most reviews when compared to my other stories).