A/N: Warning for Mature sexual content. Of course, if you've read this far, or read any of my longer fics, you won't be surprised or offended :-).

enjoy,

fire mystic

Chapter XIV

"What do you mean, he doesn't kiss?"

"Shhh," Elena hushed her as she sat down at the kitchen table with her, glancing back at her bedroom. "I don't want to wake him up," she whispered. "And yes, that's what he said."

"Huh. Well, I'm pretty sure what we did counts as kissing, so how does your new friend in there explain that?"

"Explain it? You're lucky if we were even having the same conversation! That medication is knocking him out and he was half asleep when he said it. I don't even know if he knew what he was saying!" She may not have been sure, but she kept looking down the hall toward her room. Tifa knew she was nervous about Tseng overhearing her telling what he had said.

"Why were you talking about that anyway?"

"I was just trying to assure him that everything was under control. I didn't even think he would remember it." She focused sharply on her friend. "You're not angry that I told him, are you?"

"No." She sighed. "Yes. No. I don't know. It just feels weird that you told him something about it when I don't even know what it is yet. And now I feel like I have to worry about why Reno would do that when he supposedly doesn't." She let her forehead drop to the table. "God, I'm so confused."

"Maybe you misunderstood? Maybe it was meant as comfort?" It was a stretch, but it was worth throwing out there. Tifa's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

"Do you remember the small detail about me kissing him first? Oh, and then there's that other small detail: People don't use tongue when they're comforting you!" Elena snapped back in her chair, putting her hands over her ears.

"Really? Did I really need to hear that?"

"Yes," Tifa nodded. "You did. And I'll tell you something else: It felt like he had plenty of experience!"

"That good, huh?" Elena gave up the offended act.

"I melted on the spot."

"Does this mean you'll be going back for more?"

If only there were a simple answer to that. Tifa sat back and met Elena's inquisitive eyes, which were sparkling with mischief. The laughter burst out of her when Elena wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I think I have to play this one by ear," she admitted. "I don't know if he'll even give me the time of day after that exit." A solid knock on the door startled them both. "Speak of the devil," Tifa smiled as she got up to let Reno in.

She swung the door open without thinking, trying to convince herself that she would act normally with Reno no matter what and fully realizing that normal would be impossible. In the end, it didn't matter, because she had no idea who the man standing in the hall was.

"Tifa Lockhart?"

"Yes?" She hesitated, partially closing the door so he couldn't see into the apartment. He was a large man, towering over her with muscular bulk to back up his height, and he was reaching into his coat, and her thoughts immediately turned to the idea that he could be reaching for a gun and she should have been much more careful. She only felt slightly silly when he pulled his hand from his breast pocket with a leather wallet in his hand and flashed his identification at her.

"I'm with a group called AVALANCHE. I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time."

She was already pulling back, closing the door. "Thank you, but I'm not interested in anything you're selling."

A large hand stopped the door in mid-swing, and all that muscle held it firmly open.

"I'm not here to sell you anything, Ms. Lockhart. I'm here to discuss your current employment with Shinra."

"My current employment..." she stopped short, confused. She could feel Elena's presence behind her.

"You do work for Shinra. Isn't that correct?"

"Who are you and what do you want?" Elena added a hand to the door along with Tifa's as she asked the necessary question.

He kept his hand firmly on the door. "AVALANCHE is a watch-dog group. We look into certain...discrepancies...within a variety of companies. Shinra is one of those companies. We would appreciate it, Ms. Lockhart, if we could ask you a few questions regarding your employment with Shinra."

Tifa wasn't ignorant to the rumor mill that surrounded Shinra, and she was pretty sure that quite a bit of that reputation was more than rumor, but whatever the reputation, this conversation was entirely inappropriate.

"I don't think that's a very good idea," she said as she put more pressure into closing the door. That met with determined resistance as he pushed back.

"Seriously, Ms. Lockhart, there are things about Shinra that you may not be aware of," he stepped forward, as if to push his way into the apartment. Tifa also took a step, into the frame of the door, making it impossible for him to come further without physically pushing her out of the way.

"I said I'm not interested." She made the words clear in clipped tones, harboring no further discussion.

"It's time for you to leave," Elena observed, stating the obvious. Tifa didn't lose eye contact with the man, who continued to stare intensely at her a moment longer before slowly withdrawing his hand from the door and reaching into his pocket. He came out with a card and held it out to Tifa.

"I hope you change your mind, Ms. Lockhart."

Tifa took the card and stepped back, closing the door in the strangers face.

"Why did you take the card?" Elena whispered. Tifa shrugged, throwing up her hands.

"I had to do something to get him off the doorstep! Could you believe that? What a wacko!"

"Seriously. Imagine if he had known there was a Turk in my bedroom!"

Their eyes widened as they stared at each other, then, in unison, turned to look down the hall at the door to Elena's bedroom. Tifa knew she hadn't done anything wrong, hadn't jeopardized her job in any way, but what would Tseng think if he were aware of an agent of AVALANCHE showing up at her door asking questions?

It was quiet and still down the hallway. There was no hint of another person in the apartment. Elena leaned close to Tifa without taking her eyes from her bedroom door.

"He's probably still sleeping," she whispered.

"Maybe you should check on him?" Tifa suggested. Elena was already halfway down the hall. They both startled as there was another knock on the door. Tifa put a hand over her heart, trying to calm the racing rhythm, fluttering the other hand at Elena.

"You go on. I got this."

She was more careful this time, checking the peephole before even reaching for the doorknob. She didn't need to see anything more than the shock of red hair. Her heart was off racing again, and she inhaled sharply trying to pull herself together before pulling the door open.

"Come on in. Elena just went to check on him," she offered before Reno asked. He walked by her without making direct eye contact, and she let the relief overrule the disappointment, closing the door and locking it behind him. She was not going to make a big deal out of this, she decided on the spot. If he never gave her the time of day again, so be it. Whatever happened would happen, and whatever did happen, she would not be begging for his attention.

He stuck his head in the bedroom door, and then disappeared into the room and Elena came back out in the hall, closing the door with a shrug. She waited in the hall, and it was only a few minutes before the door opened and Reno reappeared.

"He's a worrier, yo. Make sure he knows everything is under control for the next couple of days." He turned back down the hall before Tifa could distract herself with something else to do.

"There's nothing I can really do for him right now, so I'm gonna head back to work." He pushed a hand through his hair, which was starting to get shaggier on top. "You got your phone, yo?" She reached into her pocket and pulled it out to show it to him.

"I got my phone, yo," she responded, imitating him. His eyebrows shot up and he rewarded her with a lopsided grin as he reached for the door knob.

"If you need anything, call me, yo."

She wanted to ask him how long Tseng would be staying. She wanted to know if he would be checking in later. She wanted to ask him why he had stormed out earlier. She wanted to know why he could be such an ass one minute and be so intense the next. She wanted to know if he would kiss her again. She wanted another kiss, and another, and possibly a whole lot more.

He was gone, the door closed firmly behind him, before Tifa could make sense of everything she wanted.

Elena was reading in her chair, feet propped on the edge of the bed, when Tifa checked in on their guest a few seconds later.

"I think I'm going to run to the store for a few things. Will you be okay without me?"

"I'll be fine. It's not like he's going anywhere." She waved one foot at the man sleeping in her bed. "You go do your thing. You'll be my first call if something happens. Oh, and get some soup for him. We're almost out."

"Soup. Got it. Back in a bit."

The book forgotten in her lap, with one finger holding her place, Elena's gaze fell on the man she was taking care of. This was ridiculous. It wasn't like she needed to entertain him. He was unconscious, after all. There was no reason for her to sit here, completely distracted by the strands of straight, dark hair that stretched across her pillow, or the way his face was drawn and his features slightly pinched as if he were in pain even in his drug-induced sleep. There was no reason to notice how long his fingers were, spread out on his chest, rising and falling with each breath.

She pulled her feet down and propelled herself to her feet in one smooth, swift motion. Her thoughts were wandering into dangerous territory and she needed to get out of this room, away from the cause of her wayward thinking.

"Really," she muttered to herself as she crossed the hall to the bathroom, "you should be ashamed of yourself! He's totally out of it, and you're eyeing him up like a feast."

She tidied up the bathroom, making sure there were fresh towels for their impromptu guest and checking the cabinet for anything else he might need. There was an extra toothbrush that hadn't been opened yet, and a couple of disposable razors if he needed to shave.

As she finished up, Elena realized she had missed her morning shower. Tiptoeing into her room, she grabbed a change of clothes as quickly and quietly as she could, checking once more on Tseng as she left, finding his breathing deep and even in sleep. She left the door to the bathroom open a few inches so she could hear him if he called out, turned on the water in the shower to let it warm, and stepped out of her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. She showered quickly, an ear constantly alert for any sound, and then wrapped her towel around her, securing it above her breasts, and then went through her usual routine of getting dressed. She had one foot balanced on the toilet while smoothing lotion on her leg when the first sound alerted her. It wasn't loud, simply a soft movement that made her look up from what she was doing to find Tseng standing in the doorway observing her, his hand braced against the door frame.

How long had he been standing there? She had no idea. Had the noise been accidental? She didn't think so; instinct told her it was intentional to bring her attention to him. Their eyes met and neither flinched from the contact. There was no indication in Tseng's expression that he was in the least embarrassed by his intrusion.

"I apologize," he offered in a soft tenor. "The door was open; I didn't realize you would be in here."

Elena pulled her foot from the toilet to stand straight, one hand making sure the towel was secure. "It's no problem. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't realize you would wake so soon, otherwise I wouldn't have left you to wake alone." She noticed his attention wandering down her body and back up again. By the time their eyes met again, she could feel the heat flooding her body, and knew her pale skin was now a lovely shade of bright pink.

Tseng didn't seem phased by it at all.

"Here, let me help you." She approached him, taking his arm to steady him as she led him into the bathroom so he could lean against the sink counter if he needed. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be right outside. Just call me when you're ready." She was aware of him watching her every step to the door. She pulled the door shut behind her and leaned against it, her hand over her racing heart, his softly spoken thank you resonating in her ears.

Tifa was staring at soup when her phone started to ring. Panicked it might be Elena with an emergency, she was relieved to find out it was actually Mrs. Shinra.

"Hi Mrs. Shinra," she answered. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I am so fortunate to catch you when you are available, Ms. Lockhart!"

It was a good thing she couldn't see Tifa. She wouldn't have wanted that embarrassment to show. She thought this had all be taken care of.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Shinra! I..."

"No, no. Don't explain yourself, Tifa. A Turk asked for your assistance. I don't need to know anything further. It was simply an exclamation of wonder that you are so popular of late, especially with the Turks. Aerith could never seem to get along with any of them. I'm so pleased you were able to work something out."

Work something out? That was a nice way of putting it. If Mrs. Shinra only knew. Really, Tifa only got along with one Turk, and even that relationship was a huge question mark, and the only thing she was sure about with Tseng was that she would never breathe a word about what had happened that had led to her rescue mission with Reno. Not to Mrs. Shinra. Not to anybody.

"I do my best, Mrs. Shinra."

"Of course you do, my dear. Listen, I called for two reasons. First, I need you to retrieve something from my husband's office. He will have it ready for you. You are to handle this personally, no secretaries. Is that understood?"

"Of course, Mrs. Shinra. And the other reason?"

"I need you to prepare for an evening get-together tomorrow evening. Just a small one here at the house, but you need to make sure you have the proper evening attire. A cocktail dress would be fine. Will you be able to handle that?"

"Of course, Mrs. Shinra. I'll take care of that this afternoon. Is there anything else?"

No. That was it for now. Tifa sighed with relief when she hung up the phone, picked a couple of soup options, and set off on her Shinra errand.

As she stepped through the front doors of the Shinra building, Tifa was thinking that except for her "on-call" status, working for Mrs. Shinra wasn't too much trouble. The receptionist asked her to wait while she called up for clearance, and then directed her to the elevator.

There were a few people in the elevator with her, and she waited patiently as they reached their floors and departed, leaving her alone to ride to the top floor by herself, leaning against the back wall and tapping her foot subconsciously to the awful elevator music. There was a soft ding after the elevator settled, and the door slid open.

Their eyes met for a full ten seconds before Reno reached out one arm to keep the door from sliding shut again. In those ten seconds, Tifa made the major decision to say the first thing that had come to her mind when she saw him. One eyebrow went up as she lifted her chin defiantly and let just a bit of suggestion slip into her tone.

"Going down?"

He could have taken it for the cheesy, cliche it was and laughed it off. He could have taken it as too forward and immediately shut down on her. In a way, that's what she expected from him.

What she didn't expect was the smoldering intensity in his eyes as they stepped past each other. It shocked her and thrilled her at the same time, and it was all she could do to meet that intensity with the same bravado with which she had said the words, as if she were issuing a challenge. They maintained eye contact until the doors slid shut, and Tifa slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I can't believe I just did that," she mumbled into her hand, her knees feeling wobbly after her daring behavior. She never imagined it turning into something so serious. And it felt shockingly good.

Pulling herself together, she proceeded down the hall to the reception desk that sat outside Mr. Shinra's office, remembering the young man from her previous visit.

"Tifa Lockhart to see Mr. Shinra," she stated softly.

He smiled and nodded, picking up the phone and introducing her before leading her to the door and opening it for her and closing it behind her. Nothing like her last trip here.

"Ah, Tifa. Come in, come in." Mr. Shinra stood from behind his desk and circled around, a briefcase in his hand. "I need you to take this to my dear wife. Something for tomorrow evening. would you like to see?"

"Only if you would like to show me, Mr. Shinra." He smiled smugly at her reply.

"I appreciate your discretion, Ms. Lockhart. My wife made an excellent choice in you for an assistant." He busied himself with the lock on the briefcase, flipped the top up and pulled out a deluxe velvet box, setting it on the desk for her to see. "Go ahead. Open it."

Tifa was already ninety percent sure what she would find when she opened the plush box, but the opulence of the gems sparkling back at her took her breath away.

"Oh..." she pulled her hand away. If Mrs. Shinra was going to wear this, Tifa needed to rethink her choices in cocktail dresses.

"Completely over the top, aren't they?" Mr. Shinra prompted. "That's my wife. A simple dinner party, and she has to wear a king's ransom in jewels."

"I don't know," Tifa began, "I'm not sure...are you sure you want me to take these to your wife? Are you sure they'll be safe?"

He chuckled as he closed the box and replaced it in the briefcase. Tifa noticed there were at least two other boxes in the case.

"Of course you'll be safe, Tifa. No one knows what you're carrying. Make sure you take them directly to Mrs. Shinra, though. She can hardly wait to see them." He reset the lock and handed her the case. "I understand you will be there tomorrow evening?" Tifa nodded, gingerly taking possession of the case.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, good. Until tomorrow evening, then."

"Yes, sir. Until tomorrow." She backed half way out of the office as he returned to the chair behind his desk. She still couldn't believe that she was doing this. Didn't they have couriers for this type of delivery? She finally turned, facing her task, and let herself out into the reception area.

She was half way to the elevator when a door opened to her right, and a strong hand wrapped around her upper arm and drew her relentlessly into darkness. Mentally, she fought the shock that was trying to freeze her reflexes as she tried to assess the situation and see what kind of fight she was in for. She became aware of two things. First, it wasn't as dark as she thought at first. There was a source of ambient light in the room. The second was the two hands that were now were turning her in the darkness and pulling her until her back was pressed tightly against a hard body.

"Shhh," his lips were at her ear and his fingers eased on her arms, one hand lowering to claim her free hand in his. "Easy, Lockhart." She recognized his voice the second he shushed her, and her muscles eased as she relaxed into his touch.

He took the case from her fingers and let it drop to the floor. He stepped back, bringing her with him, and she felt the impact through him as his back met a solid surface.

"You know we shouldn't be doing this, yo," he whispered in her ear. She felt his lips brush against the lobe, and then the sharpness of his teeth as he bit into the soft flesh gently before lashing it with his tongue. One arm wrapped high on her waist, supporting her as her knees went weak. Shouldn't be doing this? As if she expected it. Or planned it.

"Then why did you drag me in here?" She barely breathed the words out as his lips barely touched the skin as they mapped a lazy path down her neck.

"You want to leave, yo?" He drew his lips away and dropped his hands, leaving her leaning heavily against him. Leaving her to make her own decision.

Did she want to leave? No. Should she? Probably. This was dangerous, and Tifa knew it, had known it all along. Yes, she had decided to play this by ear, and that primal part of her was screaming for it, but she hadn't expected it to escalate this quickly. Hell, after his storming out, she hadn't expected much of anything more. And now? She had to make a split second decision that she knew would change the dynamics between them permanently.

Holy hell, was she thinking too hard about this. Play it by ear. Play with the bad boy. Take it for what it's worth. Don't expect more than what happens in the moment.

Stop fucking thinking.

Reaching up and back, she sunk her fingers into the thickness of his hair and drew him back to her neck.

"Didn't think so. Not after that invite in the elevator, yo," and he sunk his teeth into the tender flesh where neck met shoulder. His arm came back up around her and held her in place as her body bowed in reaction and a low moan left her throat. He wrapped his other hand delicately around her throat, catching the soft vibration of the moan against his palm.

"Be careful," he mouthed against her skin. "We have to be quiet. Can you do that?" His hand followed the column of her throat, fingers grazing along her collarbone, spreading out across her breast bone, and sliding slowly lower to her breast, cushioning the soft, full flesh while his thumb caressed the already hard nipple through the fabric. Tifa managed to keep her response to a gasp as the heat shot through her. She nodded her head as soon as she could get words out.

"I'll try."

"Mmmm," he responded, a low vibration in his throat. "You like that, don't you?" His thumb was back, creating more sensation, more heat, and Tifa wanted to beg him for more.

"Don't stop."

"No?" He paused, and she thought she could hear the smile in his voice. He pinched the tightened flesh between his fingers, drawing it out and rolling it gently, making her push her breast into his fingers while her hips shimmied, unable to stay still as the pressure built. "Don't stop what, yo?" His fingers kept up their slow, deliberate dance. Tifa found it harder to keep still. "You want me to keep doing this?" Brush, back and forth, tease, pinch, roll. Oh yes, she wanted him to keep doing that. "Or is there something else you want?" And that hand deserted her, palming the breast as it slid down over his bracing arm and spread out over her belly, caressing left to right, lower with each pass until he rolled his palm over the crest of her mound.

Tifa didn't want to think past the sensations that he was creating, but she was painfully aware of their location, a strange room in the Shinra building, a meeting room, she thought, by the shadow of a long table she could just make out in the dim light that her eyes had now adjusted to. Was the door locked? She didn't know, and part of her wasn't sure she cared, but just how far did he intend to take this? His hands were now on her hips, pressing into her, squeezing her, holding her hips still as his fingers inching the fabric of her skirt up her legs. She could feel the cool air of the office against her thighs and then he was simply holding her hips, flexing his fingers.

"Where do you want my hands now, Tifa?"

She shook her head, sucking her lip between her teeth. No, she couldn't answer him. It was too much, too soon. She wasn't ready to be quite so bold.

"Tell me." His mouth was against her ear again, and he nuzzled her.

"I can't," she managed to whisper.

"No? You want me to stop?" She shook her head, harder this time. He rubbed his face against her hair. "Then...show me."

It was still bold, but it was better than blurting it out, making the demand. Her skin felt tight and impossibly hot as she wrapped her hand around his and guided him where she wanted it, needed it. He let her, followed her lead, let her place it where she wanted it, his fingers curling to press and massage the swollen flesh there.

"Would you like that to be what you suggested?" He rasped. "My mouth? My tongue?"

She rolled her hips at the image, the naughty words spoken so boldly adding exponentially to the fever he was creating, and she felt the deep, quiet chuckle roll through his chest.

"You and me both, Lockhart, but not here, not now." A promise. That's what it sounded like. "For now, nice and easy does it."

He shifted his weight, one booted foot sliding between her feet and pushing her legs apart, opening her up to him, and then he was relentless. Fingers gliding over the thin fabric, just the right pressure, the perfect swirl of motion, his other arm, strong and firm, supporting her, holding her tight against him as she trembled and gasped for breath, biting her lips to keep any sound from escaping.

She could feel him behind her, the long lean muscle of his body cushioning her, flexing with her, the hardness of his cock pressed against her, throbbing. Looking down, she could see herself in the dimness, spread out against him, legs spread to allow him access, her skirt, short to begin with, hiked up and snugly wrapped around her hips, and the paleness of wrist and hand, firm, rhythmic, and a wave of pleasure burst from beneath his fingers and spread through her, seizing her muscles, tingling along her skin, and escaping in a harsh gasp despite her attempts to stay quiet.

He held her, waited for her, his hand absorbing the throbbing pulse he had created, soothing it. He knew the second reality snuck back in as the tension in her body began to change, shifting from lost in pleasure to returning awareness, and he sighed, letting her pull away as she adjusted her skirt and smoothed her clothes.

She turned to face him in the darkened room. She knew her skin was flushed, mostly from pleasure, but there was a bit of embarrassment and she suddenly felt completely unsure of herself. What to say? What to do? How to explain that this wasn't really like her at all, but holy hell had it felt right? How to deal with him if he were simply too smug, too cocky to deal with?

But smug and cocky wasn't what she was found. He was intense, but there was a softness in his eyes as he searched her expression, a softness suggesting more to come. He reached for her, wrapping a hand gently around the back of her neck and drawing her closer. Bypassing her lips, he placed a kiss high up on her cheek and spoke in a soft, low tone, his lips brushing against the skin where he had kissed her.

"I have to go. You can stay in here as long as you need." He stepped away and turned at the same time, reaching for the door. He hesitated a moment and she could see the smile lifting the corner of his mouth as he turned his head to glance back at her. "By the way, there are cameras in the elevators, Lockhart. You might want to be careful what you offer next time," and with a flare of light from the outer hall, he was gone and Tifa was left alone.