CONSEQUENCES

Summary:

"You help me, I help you. This isn't an offer you can refuse, my darling Miss Lockhart."

Upon Old Man's death, it was already expected that Rufus would take over the company. If only it wasn't for the Old Man's damned last will stating that Rufus could only assume presidency after marriage. And so, Rufus Shinra, the heir to the world, needed a wife. His biddable secretary, Tifa Lockhart, was the perfect candidate. Tifa, fresh out of a destructive relationship, is outraged, but he sets her world on fire with the slightest touch. Would they be able to maintain the line separating pretense and reality to the end, or would the line break?

Victoria's Blurb:

Hiiiiiii! Since my baby, The Celebrity and the Pizza Delivery Boy is now almost all grown up – finished, accomplished – I thought I'd go back to another pairing I really enjoy imagining together. If anyone read Consequences back in 2011-2012, I owe you guys an apology for suddenly removing it. But hey, it's back! And I sure hope to heck that you enjoy this as much as you did the first. I've changed some things about the story - I hope you like the changes. Comments are welcome, always. Very much appreciated.

Important!

a. This is set in an Alternate Universe.

b. Tifa is 20 years old and Rufus is 25 years old.

c. Rufus's status in the company is currently de facto.

d. This is going to contain adult language, themes, and suggestions. Some lemon pie, perhaps. Thus, the MA rating. Reader discretion is advised. (OOoooOOOh)

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is property of Square Enix. (Rufus, if I write well, you'll give the franchise to me.)

Rufus: We'll see.

Chapter One – The Planet's Most Eligible Bachelor

Rufus Shinra needed to get married.

As soon as possible.

Irritation thrummed through him as he sat in his vast office. Outside, a thick fog had settled over the city. It had only been a month since the Old Man passed away from a heart attack. Oh, he loved it, of course he did, the Old Man's heart attack had saved him from the burden of orchestrating another assassination. The media went on a frenzy, trying to unearth whatever personal information they could about him, but Tseng was doing a very excellent job at keeping them driveling for any morsel about the man who had inherited the world. Droves of women threw themselves at him willingly, all of them more beautiful and ambitious than the former. However, despite his mutual desire for whatever they offered, he just didn't have the time. How could you fit sex into your schedule when you have at least seventy calls already waiting just after you'd taken your first sip of coffee? Underneath his fingers was a document, the company's budget proposal – approximately 77 billion gil.

He was the most powerful man in the planet now, which meant that he was the one responsible for every single life in his employ, every life that depended on Shin-Ra, which is the world. But did the media really give a damn? No. The only media outlet not dedicated on digging the dirt on him was his company's. Everyone wanted to know him. Everyone wanted to get acquainted with him, because he was the It man. As if, he thought.

But right now, his throne wasn't quite his yet. Yes, he was already called President Rufus – but what the public didn't know was that it wasn't official yet. Thanks to the Old Man's damned will, that explicitly said that he would not be the CEO of Shin-Ra unless he married. Old Man had written: While I am assured that my son will do his best to keep Shin-Ra in its position, I am worried that if I should ever leave the company to his care, he will never find time to produce an heir and continue our lineage. So, I am setting this condition. (However, if I die and he has already married, then you can just skip this part, attorney.) Rufus bet that the devil was having a laugh in hell.

He didn't have time for nonsensical things like love.

The world was in the palm of his hand, wasn't that enough burden?

How? Who?

None of the women he knew were truly wife-material. To be honest he didn't really know a lot of women. He didn't have the inclination, hadn't had the slightest of interest, since his eyes were trained solely to one thing: the Presidency, despite the public's impression.

Deciding that his time was being wasted by his personal turmoil, Rufus trained his eyes down to the papers his secretary had neatly placed on his desk. He was dotting the 'i' in his signature when he stopped. It took a moment before a small smile appeared on his lips. He fished out his PHS and dialed Tseng.

"Tseng," he said softly. "Come to my office. I have something to assign you."

"I've been so worried about you. We haven't talked in so long, Cloud –" Tifa said softly into the phone, eyes downcast to the laptop screen. It had been weeks since Cloud called rung her up, and she felt excited that he had called tonight. He sounded a little bit cheerier than the last time they had spoken. She found herself feeling hopeful.

There was a rumble of white noise. "I'm sorry, Tifa, I have to go… I'll call you later, okay?"

"But," Tifa found herself protesting.

"I'm really sorry I can't talk longer, Tifa, the train's going to be here in a few…" Cloud pleaded.

Then why did you call me in the first place?

"It's alright, Cloud. I'll talk to you soon," she said as calmly as she could.

"Yeah… Stay safe." Click.

She sat there, feeling her eyes sting. There was a large lump caught in her throat and the contents of her coffee mug couldn't get rid of it. So she sat there, feeling so embarrassed at herself for getting her hopes up the moment she saw the caller ID. Her ears were still ringing, her skin was still prickling. She didn't want to think badly of Cloud. They've already been dating for three years, after all! She just had to let Cloud deal with his first love's death… right? What was her name again? Aria? Arianne? No, it was Aerith; her apartment had been broken into and she'd been stabbed in the chest once, over a year and a half ago. When the news reached her boyfriend, it was like he had shut down completely. Cloud had skipped their anniversary dinner to drive to Aerith's funeral, and she convinced herself that it was okay. Aerith was his first girlfriend after all, and first love never truly fades. She hated the taste of the words, then and now. When he returned from the funeral, it was as if he no longer saw Tifa.

Her friends all tried to tell her that it wasn't normal. No guy would have ever done what he'd done. They told her that the way he was acting wasn't a good sign. Tifa had put on a brave face and said, "But he's my first love. I can't just leave him!" They frowned and told her that she was insane. None of them understood why she had stayed beside him despite the sudden zone-outs. Cloud needed her. She knew it. So when he announced that he was leaving town to find himself, she didn't jump to conclusions that he was cheating. She kissed him and told him to come back as quickly as he could. Now… well, she sure felt small and stupid.

What were they now, really?

Suddenly, the elevator door slid open and Tseng strode towards her. "President Rufus is expecting me," the Director said without intonation. If he saw the tears in her eyes, he didn't comment, and Tifa was grateful for it. "President, Director Tseng is here." Tifa said to the landline. "Please go in." The man nodded and entered the inner room wordlessly. When she heard the doors close, Tifa dabbed her eyes with tissue, chiding herself for not knowing how to control herself.

"President," Tseng said, stopping in front of Rufus's desk, regarding the other man with coolly masked concern.

Rufus looked up from the papers he was signing and grinned. There was a gleam in the young man's eyes that Tseng could only interpret was glee. Whatever had brought that sheen on the President's eyes, Tseng would gladly reward, serve, whatever. Rufus put down the pen and rose from his desk. "Tseng, I've got the solution to my problem." Rufus stood with his back to the Turk Director, looking at the slow crawl of the traffic below.

Furrowing his brows minutely, the Turk asked, "Is that so, President?"

"Yes," the young President said with a lilt of a chuckle. "I want you to watch over my secretary. Who's available?"

Watch over his secretary? The Director almost frowned at the younger man's answer but did not. "I will have Elena follow her, President. May I know why we're shadowing Miss Lockhart now?"

Rufus turned to face his most trusted employee and smiled. "She's going to be my wife, Tseng."

He blinked. "Does she know about this already?"

The blonde man chuckled. "Of course not."

"I never took you to be so heartless, President," Tseng commented.

Rufus's smile disappeared and was replaced by the serious face he favored. Looking at Rufus now would have triggered goose flesh on anyone, but Tseng had grown accustomed to it already. He merely kept his stance steady and watched the most powerful man in the Planet sit down, sighing. "I can't afford to have a heart. Imagine that." Tseng looked down at Rufus, whose shoulders were now slightly slumped. A rare sight.

"Shall I brief Elena on her assignment, President?" Tseng said discreetly.

The blonde man nodded, "I'll give you twenty minute's head start."

This time, when Tseng left the President's office, he did look closely at Tifa Lockhart.

Tifa was lost in her thoughts, and did not notice the Turk studying her as he left. Didn't even hear him say 'have a good evening, Miss Lockhart'.

Enough was enough – she wasn't taking any more of Cloud's crap. It was Friday night! She won't go home, sit and wait for a call that won't come. No! Determinedly, she rose from her desk, grabbed her handbag. She will paint the town red – if not, then a shade of pink. She could go to a wine bar uptown, see if anyone from work was going… Or she could go to that trendy club she'd heard the interns talking about by the water cooler… Flirt, and have a one night stand with a hot stranger…

Who was she kidding? Tifa knew that she was never going to do any of those things. Didn't know how. Didn't dare. She'd been raised too conservatively to do any of those things she'd just planned spur of the moment… Sighing, she walked over to her boss's office to see if there was anything else he needed. Then she'd go home. Alone.

Like always.

She knocked lightly on Rufus Shinra's door.

"Come in."

The two words he'd all but barked startled her. She'd been his secretary since he'd assumed the role as President, and until now, she still wasn't used to Rufus Shinra. Tifa pushed open the door. "President Shinra? I'll be going home now, unless you need me…?"

Rufus looked up at her from the document he was reading, pen in hand. His icy aquamarine eyes were intense, even from their distance. "Need you?" he repeated, as if considering the question. A thick moment of silence passed before the President gave her a tiny smile and said, "No. You may go." Tifa nodded, still not used to the terse commands, and slipped out of the room quietly.

The girl had been crying while he was in the President's office, Tseng noted.

It was simply unacceptable behavior to let your personal matters get in the way of work. It was unethical. Seeing her watery features made the Turk wonder if his boss had made a proper – no, good decision. If the girl couldn't control her emotions in the office, if she was as emotionally weak as he thought she is, then the President's plans would be hampered. This was something that Tseng could not afford to overlook.

.