[fic] 30_nights: Rubato
Prompt: 25 - Release of the Evils
Title: Rubato
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters: Rufus Shinra, Tifa Lockhart, Tseng
Rating: PG
Summary: Wherein one night proves too much to handle.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all of its characters belong to Square-Enix.
Notes: This fic is dedicated to the bestest cousin in the world! This is the moment, Rei~! ♥ Actually, this was based on him ¬.¬ When we were all merry-making and having fun~
Rubato
Tifa had had her share of remarkable events during the last ten or so years of her life. Some were simply amazing, a number were terrifying while others were quite mind-boggling. But a few were terribly, utterly disturbing. Several of them were still etched clearly in her mind, regarded with such importance as they were the turning points of her life. Fond or not, they were her memories.
However, the atrocity--she could not think of any other word to describe it--happening in front of her was neither an important memory nor a turning point in her life. And yet it would clearly carve a place in her mind as it was remarkable and amazing and mind-boggling and disturbing. Clearly disturbing.
She sighed inwardly as she settled her chin on her hand. "Good Lord..."
What did she do to deserve this? She would have to blame Barret or Cid next time they come around for suggesting and insisting such an idea. She'd have to give Vincent a piece of her mind as well for agreeing with them, Yuffie for saying it was a "totally cool and awesome idea, given that it was the two old coots who thought of it", and Cloud for, well, doing or saying nothing to stop them. And herself too. Then again, she wasn't expecting this... situation to happen. She was expecting a peaceful evening, perhaps an enlightening even, not this. With a karaoké machine? No. No one in their right and sane minds would expect such a thing to happen.
"This is the moment!"
Tifa groaned loudly, fighting the urge to slam her head on the counter of the bar. And here she thought that Hell would freeze over first before she'd see Rufus Shinra, the man who had never bled nor cried, holding a mic and belting out at the top of his lungs, drunk. Dead drunk. Yeah, whoever expected such a sight must be a psychic.
"Yeah! You go, Boss!"
Tifa gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists out of frustration. Instead of thinking any more thoughts that might physically hurt her, she merely turned her death glare on the person who had just cheered a.k.a. Reno. Now why wasn't she surprised to see the red-haired Turk, drunk as a pirate, hooting and cat-calling at his equally drunk superior?
From the hyperactive President and drunk Turk, she turned her attention to the others. Elena was pretty much knocked out, slumped on a table, surrounded by a number of bottles. She wasn't sure about Rude, not with his dark glasses on. He could be awake but she couldn't exactly see his eyes. The red tint on his cheeks should tell quite a story already on how drunk he was. The last Turk was probably the other sober person in the bar aside from her. And from the dismayed expression on Tseng's face, it was obvious that he shared the same sentiments as hers.
"I think you should be more concerned about Rufus hurting himself. He's humiliated himself much tonight already."
Tseng looked up and found her standing by his head, holding out a cup of coffee to him. With a murmur of thanks and a brief smile, he took the mug, grateful for its warmth.
"Reno was the one who suggested this get-together," he told her, throwing a dark glare at the red-haired Turk. "But I didn't think that the President would agree."
"Reno must've said something very persuasive then." Tifa nodded in understanding. Then again, knowing the man, even Tifa wouldn't think that Rufus Shinra would drag himself to her bar. Regardless of whatever persuasive, salesman-ish words Reno had used.
Tseng made a small noise of dissent before he took a sip of coffee. "I do apologize for the trouble, Miss Lockhart."
Tifa waved a hand dismissively, shaking her head. "Ah, don't worry about it," she said, her voice reassuring, her sanguine gaze moving once more to the Karaoke king. "I'm having a blast, to say the least."
"I never had imagined that the President would have such a wild side."
To say that it was a wild side would be a complete understatement, Tifa thought flatly, wanting to slap her forehead. It was as if Rufus made a complete 180-degree turn. It was amusing, at the same time exasperating. It was good blackmail material as well, she mused, in case a situation would call for blackmail. Tifa sighed yet again.
Tseng glanced at her from the corner of his eyes as if he could read her thoughts. "You are not catching this on video, are you?"
Tifa shot him a wry smirk. "I'm not suicidal yet, Tseng." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It had been more than an hour and a half since the drunken Shinra had found and tinkered the karaoke machine sitting innocently on one corner of her bar.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be long before he passes out."
Several hours later...
"Good Gaia..."
Rufus woke up with a loud groan, his head pounding and his throat hurting. As if he had been shouting [or rather, singing] himself hoarse the entire night then got hit by a truck. He found himself lying uncomfortably in a room, his white jacket draped on a chair, the first few buttons of his shirt unopened. It was too dark to see anything clearly but the window provided enough light for him to recognize that it was not his room.
"Oh, you're awake. Finally."
A voice greeted him from his side, a voice so familiar to his ears. The lamp on his side was turned on and he found Tifa Lockhart, cross-seated on another bed, looking like someone who had pulled an all nighter. A pale eyebrow rose despite his headache.
"Where... am I?" Somehow, he feared the answer that would come after that.
"You're in my house, lying on my bed," the woman replied flatly, sounding quite exasperated. "You passed out last night. And since Tseng already has his hands full with Reno, I offered to let you sleep for a while. How are you feeling?"
She started busying herself, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and walked over to his side. He watched her intently, wondering what she was going to do next. He found her pick up a white cloth of some sort, lying on one side of his head.
"Do you feel sick? Does your head hurt? Do you want coffee?"
Did he feel sick? Yes. Did his head hurt? Yes. Did he want coffee? He wanted something stronger than coffee. Maybe coffee with aspirin for sweeteners. Or maybe something to forget the events of last night, something to prevent him from remembering it. But he knew it was impossible. Even if he did not remember such events clearly, someone would, on his behalf. He was certain of that.
"Did I do something humiliating last night?" he asked, again fearing the answer that would come.
He observed the mixture of emotions in Lockhart's dark eyes and the obvious amusement in her expression. Oh how he wanted to wipe it off.
"Humiliating wouldn't even be the start of it," she said, her voice light and cheery, as she sat down on the edge of his bed. "But don't worry, only Tseng, Reno and I witnessed it. If Reno would remember it."
Rufus groaned again. Yes, Reno would remember it. "Did I do something humiliating to you last night?"
"Hmm, to me? I don't think so..." She was looking thoughtful for a moment. "Come to think of it, Tseng said that this was Reno's idea. Why did you agree to it in the first place?"
He turned his head to one side, glowering darkly at his innocent jacket on the chair. He was thankful that (1)he was drunk earlier that night and (2)the room was too dimly-lit to see or define any detail whatsoever. At least, Lockhart would not be able to see the rising blush on his cheeks.
"That's none of your business."
Title: Rubato
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters: Rufus Shinra, Tifa Lockhart, Tseng
Rating: PG
Summary: Wherein one night proves too much to handle.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all of its characters belong to Square-Enix.
Notes: This fic is dedicated to the bestest cousin in the world! This is the moment, Rei~! ♥ Actually, this was based on him ¬.¬ When we were all merry-making and having fun~
Rubato
Tifa had had her share of remarkable events during the last ten or so years of her life. Some were simply amazing, a number were terrifying while others were quite mind-boggling. But a few were terribly, utterly disturbing. Several of them were still etched clearly in her mind, regarded with such importance as they were the turning points of her life. Fond or not, they were her memories.
However, the atrocity--she could not think of any other word to describe it--happening in front of her was neither an important memory nor a turning point in her life. And yet it would clearly carve a place in her mind as it was remarkable and amazing and mind-boggling and disturbing. Clearly disturbing.
She sighed inwardly as she settled her chin on her hand. "Good Lord..."
What did she do to deserve this? She would have to blame Barret or Cid next time they come around for suggesting and insisting such an idea. She'd have to give Vincent a piece of her mind as well for agreeing with them, Yuffie for saying it was a "totally cool and awesome idea, given that it was the two old coots who thought of it", and Cloud for, well, doing or saying nothing to stop them. And herself too. Then again, she wasn't expecting this... situation to happen. She was expecting a peaceful evening, perhaps an enlightening even, not this. With a karaoké machine? No. No one in their right and sane minds would expect such a thing to happen.
"This is the moment!"
Tifa groaned loudly, fighting the urge to slam her head on the counter of the bar. And here she thought that Hell would freeze over first before she'd see Rufus Shinra, the man who had never bled nor cried, holding a mic and belting out at the top of his lungs, drunk. Dead drunk. Yeah, whoever expected such a sight must be a psychic.
"Yeah! You go, Boss!"
Tifa gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists out of frustration. Instead of thinking any more thoughts that might physically hurt her, she merely turned her death glare on the person who had just cheered a.k.a. Reno. Now why wasn't she surprised to see the red-haired Turk, drunk as a pirate, hooting and cat-calling at his equally drunk superior?
From the hyperactive President and drunk Turk, she turned her attention to the others. Elena was pretty much knocked out, slumped on a table, surrounded by a number of bottles. She wasn't sure about Rude, not with his dark glasses on. He could be awake but she couldn't exactly see his eyes. The red tint on his cheeks should tell quite a story already on how drunk he was. The last Turk was probably the other sober person in the bar aside from her. And from the dismayed expression on Tseng's face, it was obvious that he shared the same sentiments as hers.
"I think you should be more concerned about Rufus hurting himself. He's humiliated himself much tonight already."
Tseng looked up and found her standing by his head, holding out a cup of coffee to him. With a murmur of thanks and a brief smile, he took the mug, grateful for its warmth.
"Reno was the one who suggested this get-together," he told her, throwing a dark glare at the red-haired Turk. "But I didn't think that the President would agree."
"Reno must've said something very persuasive then." Tifa nodded in understanding. Then again, knowing the man, even Tifa wouldn't think that Rufus Shinra would drag himself to her bar. Regardless of whatever persuasive, salesman-ish words Reno had used.
Tseng made a small noise of dissent before he took a sip of coffee. "I do apologize for the trouble, Miss Lockhart."
Tifa waved a hand dismissively, shaking her head. "Ah, don't worry about it," she said, her voice reassuring, her sanguine gaze moving once more to the Karaoke king. "I'm having a blast, to say the least."
"I never had imagined that the President would have such a wild side."
To say that it was a wild side would be a complete understatement, Tifa thought flatly, wanting to slap her forehead. It was as if Rufus made a complete 180-degree turn. It was amusing, at the same time exasperating. It was good blackmail material as well, she mused, in case a situation would call for blackmail. Tifa sighed yet again.
Tseng glanced at her from the corner of his eyes as if he could read her thoughts. "You are not catching this on video, are you?"
Tifa shot him a wry smirk. "I'm not suicidal yet, Tseng." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It had been more than an hour and a half since the drunken Shinra had found and tinkered the karaoke machine sitting innocently on one corner of her bar.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be long before he passes out."
Several hours later...
"Good Gaia..."
Rufus woke up with a loud groan, his head pounding and his throat hurting. As if he had been shouting [or rather, singing] himself hoarse the entire night then got hit by a truck. He found himself lying uncomfortably in a room, his white jacket draped on a chair, the first few buttons of his shirt unopened. It was too dark to see anything clearly but the window provided enough light for him to recognize that it was not his room.
"Oh, you're awake. Finally."
A voice greeted him from his side, a voice so familiar to his ears. The lamp on his side was turned on and he found Tifa Lockhart, cross-seated on another bed, looking like someone who had pulled an all nighter. A pale eyebrow rose despite his headache.
"Where... am I?" Somehow, he feared the answer that would come after that.
"You're in my house, lying on my bed," the woman replied flatly, sounding quite exasperated. "You passed out last night. And since Tseng already has his hands full with Reno, I offered to let you sleep for a while. How are you feeling?"
She started busying herself, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and walked over to his side. He watched her intently, wondering what she was going to do next. He found her pick up a white cloth of some sort, lying on one side of his head.
"Do you feel sick? Does your head hurt? Do you want coffee?"
Did he feel sick? Yes. Did his head hurt? Yes. Did he want coffee? He wanted something stronger than coffee. Maybe coffee with aspirin for sweeteners. Or maybe something to forget the events of last night, something to prevent him from remembering it. But he knew it was impossible. Even if he did not remember such events clearly, someone would, on his behalf. He was certain of that.
"Did I do something humiliating last night?" he asked, again fearing the answer that would come.
He observed the mixture of emotions in Lockhart's dark eyes and the obvious amusement in her expression. Oh how he wanted to wipe it off.
"Humiliating wouldn't even be the start of it," she said, her voice light and cheery, as she sat down on the edge of his bed. "But don't worry, only Tseng, Reno and I witnessed it. If Reno would remember it."
Rufus groaned again. Yes, Reno would remember it. "Did I do something humiliating to you last night?"
"Hmm, to me? I don't think so..." She was looking thoughtful for a moment. "Come to think of it, Tseng said that this was Reno's idea. Why did you agree to it in the first place?"
He turned his head to one side, glowering darkly at his innocent jacket on the chair. He was thankful that (1)he was drunk earlier that night and (2)the room was too dimly-lit to see or define any detail whatsoever. At least, Lockhart would not be able to see the rising blush on his cheeks.
"That's none of your business."