Blissful Ignorance

Disclaimer: see previous chapters

Chapter 4

It was a holiday.

It was her wedding day.

She wanted to run as far and as fast as possible.

"Happy solstice. . ." The sun finished setting and Tifa pretended that she was part of the party. Fireworks would begin in a little while and she would probably be able to watch them from the penthouse that she was currently trapped in. It would have been nice to talk to someone, perhaps gain some comforting words or a sympathetic ear, but all the communication devices had passwords that she certainly did not know. It took her about an hour just to figure out how to turn on the stereo using the complex array of remotes that had their own little kiosk by one spotlessly white couch. The lack of light was becoming a mercy, as she was no longer blinded by the scarily pale rooms.

A shiver ran down her arm and goosebumps formed near where her skin touched the glass of the window. The music that had come on once she had turned on the radio (which she could now not figure out how to turn off) was precise, complex, classical and refined. At first she had thought it was pretty, but it didn't have the life that the folk music she enjoyed exuded. Folk music put her in mind of laughing and dancing while people drank and ate together. This music just made her think of sitting very quietly and listening with no movement or contact with others. Sterile and solitary.

There was no way this was going to work.

Why would anyone in their right mind believe for even a second that she could possibly be in love with him? What was worse is that she was expected to deceive her friends as well, but they knew very well what 'Tifa in love' looked like, since they had personally seen it since they had met she and Cloud, and if not that there was the telling difficulty that if she had been in love then she would have told them.

Tifa turned to look at the dress. It was white and frilly, and somehow managed to look absolutely hateful to her biased eyes. He might have just as well bought a pair of handcuffs and clapped them on each of their wrists. Hell, maybe he still would. Living in this house was nearly as bad as the prison. At least she could touch things in the prison without being afraid to break them or stain them.

If nothing else, she was a pragmatic person and brooding like this wasn't accomplishing anything. A shower would be a good idea. It was cold in here and getting into that dress dirty would probably only compound her unpleasant murmur of discontent that fluttered in her stomach where nervous butterflies should have been by rights.

With no other real option for getting clean, Tifa wandered into the only room in the place that contained a bed and found another door that led to a bathroom. Everything was white or made of glass. Again she briefly doubted Rufus' humanity. A real person living in a place like this was either insane or about to get there. At the very least he was anal retentive. Tifa stripped and got into the shower enclosure, closing the glass door behind her. The water revived her numbed limbs and let her fade away into the luxury of cleanliness that she had not been able to possess while in jail.

Scrubbing at herself with soap, Tifa thought about Vincent and Yuffie. They must be wondering what happened to her and why she hadn't called if she wasn't in jail anymore. How much had they been told? With a smirk that held little actual amusement, she thought that they would be terribly surprised to find out that of all people she ended up becoming a Shinra when everyone (including her) had thought she'd end up a Strife.

Tifa Shinra. It just seemed wrong. Though she wouldn't actually be a Shinra, but rather Mrs. Nova. Mrs. Tifa Nova. She wasn't even sure that Rufus was using Rufus for his first name. Did anyone call him by his first name? What about his friends? Did he even have friends? He must, since even some of the worst villains she had faced had had friends. . .or at least moderately trustworthy colleagues.

She could still back out of this. The thought was tempting, pervasive, and she vigorously attacked her scalp with shampoo as if to wash the thought out. A promise was a promise, and even if her integrity were not at stake, there was the fact that he still held enormous power with which to hurt others and had threatened to use that power. In a way, she was flattered that she warranted such a display of force, but all the same that didn't change the nature of the beast, so to speak.

When had she gotten so much hair? Wet, it fell to the small of her back. Perhaps it was time to cut it. She had kept it long for so much of her life, and it seemed almost like her old life was ending. . .

"Stop that!" She stomped a bare foot onto the ivory colored tile as water washed over her in a small waterfall. With a vicious turn of some knobs, the water ceased its downpour. "You were never this much of a quitter before!" She had meant to yell, but it came out as a whisper. Soft strains of that same technically perfect and somewhat sedate music found her through her trail of open doors. After wrapping her hair up into a towel turban, she threw a second towel around her body and tried not to let any of the warmth get away despite the frigidness of the living space.

Like she did at home, she flopped onto the bed and just enjoyed the afterglow from showering. It would be so nice to go to sleep. The bed looked comfy and maybe when she woke up she wouldn't even be here anymore. What a bad and elaborate dream that would be. Maybe if it was a dream she should look into getting some serious therapy.

"I'm glad to see you're getting ready, but I had hoped to leave for the judge's office as soon as possible. It *is* a holiday after all." Tifa's body shot up from the bed as her hand clutched at the towel that tried to unravel and expose her further to Rufus' bored stare. His eyes flickered to the bathroom and if she didn't know better she saw him flinch as he noted the mess. As she gazed over she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just her clothes on the ground and steam filling the bathroom. Rufus wandered over and flicked a switch in the bathroom that started up a fan. "We'll have a discussion about how everything works after the ceremony. I'm surprised you didn't at least turn up the heat, it's freezing in here."

Tifa stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

* * *

Standing there in her wedding dress, Yuffie and Vincent nearby as the judge went through the ceremony and brought out the contract to sign, Tifa felt herself go into shock. In some ways she hadn't actually seen this happening. Of course she knew it would, but knowing and feeling are different things and all at once the feeling of certainty paralyzed her. There would be no running. Her legs refused to work. She might have just let herself fold gracefully to the ground in a pretend faint to buy some time, if not for the fact that Yuffie looked about ready to attack Rufus at the least provocation. Vincent simply looked stoic, but Tifa got the feeling he was hiding a lot more than she could suspect.

The words were said, somehow sounding confident when her reality was far removed from anything like self assurance. Yuffie and Vincent signed as witnesses and then they stiffened, all of them excluding Rufus, when the judge smilingly said he could kiss the bride. He moved to do so and Tifa backed away quickly and in an involuntary way that was followed by a look of panic as she realized what she did.

"She's just shy. We've kept this a secret so long. . .you understand." Rufus gave a small, dry, and humorless laugh.

"A fine example for you young people, it is too." The judge was a thin man with a large beard that seemed to consume his face. It rather looked like his chin had exploded in hair, and all the words that came out were slightly muffled. "Just as one of the saviors of the planet should be, beautiful and modest. I'm a big fan little lady. Of all of you." He extended his praise to the other two who stood so stiffly.

Rufus took the judge aside and they made idle chitchat about a party the next day, which Tifa would shortly discover was her wedding reception, but at the moment she was too busy finally speaking openly to Yuffie and Vincent.

Only she couldn't really speak openly. And Tifa was an honorable woman, even if the deal had been made with a demon.

"Tifa, we didn't know what happened to ya for days and then out of the blue you're engaged? What's goin' on?" Yuffie cut to the chase, as always speaking her mind.

"The circumstances are unusual. Just know that it was never my intention to deceive you. I'm just glad that, in a way, it's all over." As long as she kept things vague, maybe she wouldn't have to give them particulars.

Vincent looked into her cinnamon eyes intently. She was sure if anyone could see how false her smile was or how forced her words, it would be Vincent, and for a moment she feared she would break down and tell him everything right there.

"Just tell me that this is what you want, Tifa, and we won't ask any more questions. Obviously, you don't want to give us straight answers yet." Yuffie started to protest, but he quieted her with a gentle hand over her mouth, which was one of the few things that could effectively shut her up. "Tell me."

Tifa licked her lips, eyes rolling. She couldn't lie to friends, but as Rufus met her wandering gaze a moment, a coil unwound in her that shored up her will. If she couldn't do this, then she would never be able to pull it off.

"This is what I want. I want to be married to Rufus. . . Nova." She gave a smile and hugged both her friends. "Congratulate me! Admit it; you both thought I'd never get married."

"Not to him, anyway." Yuffie mumbled but both Tifa and Vincent gave her a sharp look and she apologized quickly. Instead, she brought up a different and far more terrifying question. "So, when's the honeymoon?" Tifa nearly broke her tenuous hold on calm.

* * *

". . .and tomorrow I will give you the addresses of the stores I expect you to purchase your clothes from. The sales people will help you, just mention my name and you won't have to think about anything. The reception will go smoothly." He removed his shoes and unbuttoned his suit vest. "I expect you to be a little more enthusiastic, of course, than you were today. Why are you giving me that look, I'm not going to eat you."

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" The bed which had seemed so comfortable to her before now looked like an instrument of torture.

"Obviously, you can't have a separate bed, because then the cleaning staff would know and word would get around that we don't sleep together. I don't even attempt to keep servants from spying, since it makes my enemies feel secure, those fools." He smiled to himself. "Of course I'm also not going to toss you over my shoulder and force you to do anything against your will."

"Sure." Tifa sounded unconvinced.

"I am no rapist, Miss. . . ." he ran a hand through his hair. "Tifa. Look. This is an arrangement. I am not an evil man, even if I have no illusions about being a good man. Just accept that you must sleep in this bed, but trust my word that I won't touch you unless you consent to it. I'm tired and I don't want to fight you on this."

He looked so normal for a moment, like a man who did too much in his days, and Tifa was willing in that second to give him the benefit of the doubt. She had little choice, really and if she spent every day paranoid she'd probably go bald from stress. "So what should I call you? Do you even go by Rufus? Who are you?"

"I don't think tonight is the night to talk about all of that, if I even choose to tell you at all." He had withdrawn from her again, and she could feel anger radiate from him, making the large white room feel strangely pressurized. "But yes, you can call me Rufus. I don't seem to be able to stop you, really." He took off his tie and worked down the buttons of his shirt. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, sorry." Her face went red, and Tifa withdrew from the room as he continued to undress. She looked out over the city again, quiet and fairly dark after the busy holiday. So many people down there had no idea what she had sacrificed to free them. Gone were the days of complete independence to think and do as she pleased. Gone also were the dreams of finding love in the arms of the man who had once deserted her. Really, she had always expected him to return. It was destiny, right? Maybe not, since she was married to another now, even if it was a sham. She thought at least there would have been love, if she had ever married. The city rocked back and forth as she focused in and out, making the world blur and spin.

A hand fell on her shoulder, and she twisted around, pinning the arm behind its owner with just enough strength to cause pain but not enough to dislocate anything. She blinked and refocused to look in Rufus' smiling face.

"At least I won't have to waste money on a bodyguard, it seems." She let go and he stretched his arm a little to make the pain fade faster. "Though, I expect that you won't do that to me in public." She looked sorry, but didn't vocalize it since her throat was thick from holding back the emotion of the day. "I came to tell you that you can use some of my pajamas tonight, as you don't have any clothes here." Picking up what looked to be an identical set of the dark blue pants and shirt he wore from where he had dropped it after her attack, he held them out and she took them with a nod.

Tifa felt as if the foreignness of all this would never abate. After she had looked at herself in the mirror for nearly half an hour, waiting for the feeling of weirdness to recede, she made her way out of the bathroom and stood before Rufus at the foot of the bed to wait for some sort of signal. He was reading a book and ignoring her.

"What are you waiting for? Just get into bed." He hadn't even looked up from the book. She did as he said and then curled up into a ball as far away as she could possibly get from him. For another stretch of time he ignored her entirely in favor of his book.

She started to get annoyed. Did he have so many other women in his bed that her presence was so unremarkable? A prick of vanity made her feel sullen, even if she recognized that she didn't want him to make any advances. "Are you going to be reading much longer?"

"Three more pages."

"Ok."

She waited on every page turn with more insecure thoughts or half formed sorrows running rampant through her mind. When the light clicked off, she felt her body buzz with nervous energy. Even the jail cell had seemed homier than this place. When Rufus had stopped rustling on his side, she tried to count chocobos to aid herself in sleep. Inevitably, exhaustion won her over and she passed out, but not before she worriedly thought of her bar, her friends, and her by no means certain future.

* * *

Someone's hand was on her arm, shaking her. Sleepily, she started to automatically twist away and up in self defense, but instead found herself face down in the pillow with her own arm pinned to her back somewhat painfully. Memory found her, and she realized she had just attempted to do what she had done to her husband last night.

Husband.

Sigh.

"The same trick won't work on me twice," his tone, usually flat, seemed amused. "Now get up and dress unless you want me to dress you."

"I'm up! I'm up! Now let go!" She yelled into the pillow in an effort to be heard. Tifa turned around upon her release and faced the smirking face of the man she ostensibly would be living her life with. "What time is it? Did I oversleep? Isn't it a holiday?"

"Today, my blushing bride," his voice was heavy with sarcasm "we have our wedding reception. Most of the town notables will be there, even with the short notice I gave them, and I expect you to play your part to perfection. Just remember, you're absolutely thrilled to be married to me."

"Ecstatic. Sure." Tifa ran a hand through her somewhat tangled hair in a halfhearted attempt to get out a few tangles. "I go shopping right?"

"Correct." He walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open as he adjusted his tie. Tifa wondered if he just owned an entire closet full of those three piece charcoal colored suits. How very dull. "The reception will be in my building, you remember where that is right?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Just ask the secretary in the lobby and she'll tell you which floor and all that. Three o'clock. Be half an hour early."

Rufus crossed in front of her, regarding the sleepy and still somewhat stunned Tifa. He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it at her feet. From a different pocket he took out a card and that also landed at her feet against a fold of blanket.

"The addresses of the stores I expect you to visit as well as a card with my personal number on it. Don't let anyone else see it. It's personal for a reason. Call if you have trouble. Buy whatever you like." Rufus dropped a gold credit card to lie with all the rest. She could practically see the gears running in his head, estimating how much she might spend and if that was an acceptable loss. If it wasn't, what would he do? Harvest one of her organs?

"What are you doing until then?"

"Working." He strode out of the room and called behind him. "See you at two thirty, honey." The last word was said derisively and Tifa wished she had something handy to throw at him. Instead, she picked up the cards as the door shut in the front room. The stores were places she had only vaguely heard of. Maybe she would be allowed to wear her own clothes when she reopened the bar, at least, so she'd only need a couple outfits. That is, if he let her continue to run her own bar. He'd have hell to pay if he didn't.

But all of that was far in the future. Right now what was most important was getting some breakfast and getting clothes for this damned reception. How did someone like her act at an official function like this? She had never spent much time in the company of rich people and they seemed to have their own customs and conversational tactics. Bah, the day was already getting too complicated.

Since her own clothes were dirty, and she refused to wear that horrid dress from yesterday, she ended up looking through Rufus' closet for something to wear. Indeed, she was correct that all that he owned was a closet full of charcoal colored suits and white shirts, but lots of different colored ties as well. There were also, towards the back, a couple of tuxedos and in the very furthest back a white trenchcoat and a pair of white pants wrapped together in plastic with a black sleeveless turtleneck shirt. Her curiosity was conquered by her self preservation, so she stayed away from that particular item of clothing. Apparently those dirty clothes would just have to do, even if they looked as poor as she was. Well, at least as poor as she liked seeming.

Tifa was unwilling to brave the intimidating white kitchen-like space and instead opted to take her chances getting food while on the go. As soon as she got back to street level from the building complex the penthouse topped, Tifa made a bee line to Yuffie and Vincent's store. It took a lot of loud negotiating and a flat out bribe for a new pair of boots for Tifa to convince Yuffie to come shopping. Neither of them saw this as a fun outing, but a bizarre chore. A mission was perhaps an even more appropriate title.

When they had grabbed a quick something to eat, they continued to the first place on the list. . . which promptly told them to vacate the premises before they called the police force. Tifa tried to explain that they were not hoodlums, but legitimate customers to no avail. The stuffy woman was firmly telling them that the police would shortly be on their way when Tifa and Yuffie decided to make a run for it.

"Ya know, if shopping were this fun all the time, I'd do it more." It hadn't helped that Yuffie had started cursing the woman out as soon as they had been denied entrance at the beginning of the whole mess.

At the second address Tifa first dropped Rufus' name and showed the credit card to the security camera out front, and the door was quickly unlocked for them. They were held up in a tasteful little waiting room while the store's management called Rufus. Or at least Tifa assumed that that is what they did, because they took the gold card with them only to return quite a bit later with profuse apologies and very white and frightened faces. Obviously, the conversation had been too the point.

Everything was divided by color, and there were not very many pieces of clothing in the entire store. It was very different from the second hand places Tifa frequented and as she asked the price of one pretty skirt she had to suck in her breath and plaster a smile on her face to cover the shock. She made that much money in maybe a week or three at the bar and they expected her to pay that much for one piece of fabric?

Yuffie was far more honest about her shock. "You're kiddin', right? Why would anyone pay that much for a tube of cloth?" The saleslady seemed to hide her disdain rather imperfectly as she answered that the clothes here were by famous designers as well as of the highest quality of material.

Tifa figured that it would be the same no matter where they went so she bought a few outfits. Some skirts, some pants, blouses, a simple dress, shoes, a jacket, and then tried not to think about how she had just blown the equivalent of a year of her income if not more, on fabric and leather. Unfortunately, as Yuffie correctly pointed out as they bundled up packages in their arms, Tifa had not bought anything really really fancy.

First, they made a trip back to the penthouse to drop off the clothing and Tifa struggled to find the key card that Rufus had given her the day before. Tifa put on one of her new outfits to ensure less trouble at the next store, and indeed they were let in without being contested now that Tifa looked both stylish and wealthy in her skirt, blouse, scarf, and jacket set in royal purple and cream. Even Yuffie was impressed, despite contempt for such useless and flimsy clothing.

"A girl can't do anything practical in that." Yuffie protested.

Tifa struggled into a silver formal gown behind the door of a dressing room. "Maybe so, but I won't be wearing it very often, so that doesn't matter. From what I can tell just by the clothing alone, these society women aren't supposed to be very useful. They're just supposed to look nice, kinda like exotic birds or something." Tifa opened the door. "What do you think?"

"Looks weird. I don't think it suits you, but it doesn't matter. Just buy it and we can get out of here."

"Oh no, if I have to wear this stuff, I'm going to get something I look good in." There was a rustle of fabric. "Hand me the next one." Yuffie tossed over a long black dress with a high slit up on side and a low back with a minimum of ceremony or grace.

"I guess you want to look nice for Nova." Yuffie sounded almost forlorn. Tifa paused a moment, letting the rustle of fabric cease and leaving an uncomfortable silence.

Her eyes were sad in the mirror as she allowed her emotions to show through before she had to put up the act yet again. "Yeah, I want to look nice for Rufus." The slight buzz of unusually feminine happiness that she had gotten from trying on things faded. Instead of dwelling, she changed the subject. "You finish that scarf for Vincent? I know his birthday is in a couple days, right?"

"Aw crap! What with all the stuff that's been goin' on, I totally forgot about it! I had better get cracking tonight if I want to finish it up. . ."

"Not going to come to the reception?"

"It isn't that I don't love ya, Tifa, but I'll only be there long enough to be seen. I don't know if Vince is gonna stay long or not. That's up to him. We won't be there until later anyway." Yuffie sounded apologetic. "Anyway, you better hurry up, it's two fifteen. You told me to warn you when it was getting close to two thirty right?"

"Crap! Here, tell them to wrap up this and this and this!" Tifa tossed the black dress as well as a couple others she had been moderately pleased with over and frantically began to get back into her clothes. At this rate she would still be late, but not by too much.

Even rushing, she only managed to make it to the building by two forty- eight (something she blamed on the heels of the shoes that were far too high for her to move quickly) and the secretary greeted her with a peculiar cheerfulness as soon as she asked for the reception. New clothes had transformed her to everyone, it seemed. Frankly, Tifa was a little disappointed that people would set such store in looks. The elevator ride was silent and disturbing just like the last time, but the doors opened into a warm room that seemed surprisingly welcoming. Various catering people were running around, setting up and taking care of some last minute details. In the middle of the chaos was a blond man who seemed to be answering questions, giving orders, and yet remaining perfectly calm and unaffected all at once. It could only be Rufus. She waited patiently as an endless stream of people came to him. He probably hadn't even noticed she had arrived.

"You're late." It was sudden, especially since he hadn't even turned to look at her.

"Not very. Shopping took longer than I thought it would. Here's your card back." She held it out, and he turned to look at her.

"Keep it, you might need it later." He examined her. "You look very pretty. Are you ready?"

"I remember. Thrilled, right? See my smile?"

"Good job. Be prepared for small physical displays as well. Nothing too shocking, I'm trying to ease you into this after all. But if I put my arm around your shoulder I don't want to be thrown onto the floor."

"I'll try to restrain myself somehow." She said facetiously. Things had seemed to grow calm, and she realized it was three and everyone had taken their stations. The elevator doors opened a moment later.

"Mayor, a pleasure as always. . ." Rufus shook his hand vigorously. "Asher, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Tifa. Tifa, this is Mayor Rine." The large man in front of her with rather piggy features gave her a broad smile and shook her hand.

"My my, what a pretty gal! Your prison photos didn't do you justice. Har har!"

"Asher! Really, you'll break her arm!" A small woman stepped out from behind the mayor, obviously his wife. "Hello, my dear, I'm Mrs. Rine but please call me Indra. Don't mind that bear, he's always like this. Congratulations from us both on the wedding." Poor Rufus had been subjected to the mayor's attention again thereby freeing Tifa from being shaken to pieces.

"She looks like a temperamental one, too. I don't see how you get so lucky, my lad. If you want my advice, bed both well and frequently. Get her to pop a few kids out and things will settle down." Obviously, his wife had given up trying to restrain her husband long ago as she just rolled her eyes and patted Tifa's shoulder. "Of course, it didn't work for me, did it dear?" His wife looked over with patient amusement.

Rufus broke in, "At the moment, I don't think there are any foreseeable troubles like that, right? Honey?" His arm went around her shoulders. Raise the curtain and start the show.

"Of course not. . .dear." The mayor and his wife beamed at them.

* * *

Things had been going surprisingly well. Most of the people had not been as open and socially incorrect as the mayor and his wife, but then most people would not be able to get away with it like the mayor did so 'charmingly'. A few catty women had practically attacked her with their greetings and she supposed these were some of the women that Rufus had spoken of wanting to avoid earlier. Far more people had wanted to hear the story about how she had helped save the planet, being a legend in her own time and all. This proved to be what made the evening difficult as the story involved a lot of Cloud. Gladly, she let Yuffie tell the story as soon as she and Vincent arrived after work. Yuffie, despite her appearance, did have noble connections as well as being famous for her deeds and soon she was practically holding court while regaling people with anecdotes. Tifa slipped away and got some punch, sipping it quietly and thinking about how tough it was to act happy all the time when what you really felt like was a pile of chocobo droppings.

"Tired already?"

"Gah!" Tifa nearly spilled red liquid all over her nice expensive new clothes. "You scared me near to death!"

Rufus glided over to sit down beside her. "I just wanted to say that you're doing a good job. I saw Katerina DeGraugh corner you for a moment back there and I have no idea how you escaped without getting scratched."

"If you mean that beautiful but overly made up woman who looked as if she'd like to take an axe to my neck, then yes, I deserve all the praise I can get." Said woman had broadly hinted that the reason Tifa and Rufus had married so suddenly was because Tifa had gotten herself knocked up. "When she brought up how very 'shotgun wedding' the whole thing was I suggested she hold her tongue unless she wanted to see a fully loaded one pointed at her head. And that was one of the nicer things I said to that bitch."

Rufus' looked gratified by the information. "She was talking about you with her cronies. I do think you've made your first mortal enemy."

"Oh don't exaggerate. She isn't the first." Tifa allowed herself to laugh a little from the stress of it all. "Even though I run a bar, and it can get hectic, I don't remember feeling this crushed. How can you live in a world like this?" He shrugged, looking out at the many groups of people talking. Yuffie's group all began roaring with laughter while Yuffie herself could be seen as a flash of hair as she punctuated some story with little jumps.

"I don't know sometimes." He looked over at Tifa, who seemed to be far away in her own mind. The smile died from him and the icy wall returned. "Don't worry, we can go home and you can stop pretending soon. You'll open up your bar again tomorrow and all this will just be an unpleasant memory."

"I didn't say that. Why must you be so nasty?" Tifa felt anger color her drawn features.

Just at their best moment, with each looking venomously at the other, the mayor walked over and loudly announced that he had to be going. This drew stares which of course obliged Rufus and Tifa to convert their sneers into smiles.

"Let's see something nice from you two before we leave. None of us got to see the wedding, so just give us a kiss. That's the best part anyway. We can all pretend like we were there." A healthy portion of the room was looking their way now, including Yuffie and her gaggle. The mayor had a big, loud mouth and Tifa wished she could just gag him and make everyone happier.

Rufus seemed to hesitate a moment. It was considerate of him, Tifa thought, though maybe he worried more about her reacting badly than her feeling badly about such a public performance when the two of them hadn't done more than touch the other's arm, really.

"Why of course," Tifa found herself saying in a loud and overly happy voice. Pulling him down by the lapels of his suit jacket, she pulled Rufus in for a kiss, solidly pressing her lips against his. At first he seemed reluctant but then she felt arms wrap around her and soft suction as he pulled at her lips a little.

All in all, the kiss was. . . surprising.

The mayor cleared his throat in a theatrical manner and clapped them both on the shoulder as they broke away and stared with some measure of shock at one another.

"Almost makes me wish I was young again, right Indra?"

"Sure, dear, whatever you say. Congratulations again you two."

Tifa and Rufus pushed away from one another somewhat quickly and continued to talk to guests as people began to make their excuses and things wound down. Even though she went through the motions, all that was on Tifa's mind was that fact that she had just kissed Rufus Shinra and she had liked it.

And that their good chemistry alarmed her more than any threat he had used on her.