Title: Intoxication Part 1/5
Author: Valk
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, sex, deception, politics
Word Count: 15,500
Prompt: Cloud/Tifa, Remedy, "If you are the poison…"
A/N: Hoo, boy… This one turned out to be really, really, really long. My heartfelt thanks to Valentine'sNinja for helping me throughout the entire process! The warnings apply to the whole story, not just this one section.

As you can tell, this is a five-part fic. I wrote it for a prompt on Springkink, so it's posted there and it's all done, so I'll be posting the other parts shortly. Enjoy!

Tifa Lockhart was not a nice girl. She played the games of the heart, and she played them well. She could talk the talk and walk the walk. To this day, no man has been able to resist her charms, falling like putty in her roaming fingers. That wasn't to say she abused their hearts just to watch them get crushed, she just didn't see the point in keeping a relationship when there was no longer any reason to. She may not be the most compassionate woman when it came to break-ups, but it didn't matter anyway. She had things to do and a plan to follow, never mind who got hurt in the process.

She contemplated these thoughts shortly after waking one morning, glancing out the window in front of her at the drab, steel buildings of Midgar. The sun shone brightly into the large bedroom, clueing her into the late hour of roughly eleven. She turned to roll onto her back, causing the tall, dark-haired man to stir beside her before waking. He shot her a grin. "Morning, Tarja."

She returned the smile with a fake one, knowing it could fool anyone. Speaking with an Icicle Inn accent, she said, "Good morning, Zack."

"Damn, girl… That was amazing…"

Damn right it was. She slid out of bed, boasting her shapely body before him as she scavenged for her clothing. Plucking her skintight microscopic skirt from the floor, she slid it past her thighs and pulled the zipper up. He sat up against the headboard and watched as she finished dressing into her embroidered silk top. Leaning over with an enticing bend of the waist, she picked her panties up with her thumb and index finger before tossing them to him and flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. She gave him a wink and turned to the door, cooing over her shoulder, "Goodbye, Zack."

His grin widened. "Yeah. Call me, 'kay?"

"Actually… I don't think that's the best idea. Thank you for the lovely evening." She gave him a flirty waggle of her fingers before turning to the door and walking out.

***

He sat back in his chair, skimming the front page of the classifieds section while sipping his espresso. Setting down his mug, he picked up his bearclaw and took a bite, placing it back on the glass plate in front of him. He heard footsteps approach, followed by the chair across from him pulling out and someone dropping down into it. Glancing over his paper at the new man, he said, "Morning, Zack. Any reason why you're almost an hour late today?"

Zack sighed, running a hand through his messy black mane. "Yeah… Sorry, Cloud. I was, ah, busy this morning…"

Cloud rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee. "Dare I ask?"

His shoulders drooped as he grabbed Cloud's pastry and took a bite. "I was busy having a total hottie tell me I was just a one-night stand."

Cloud pushed his bearclaw towards Zack, suddenly not hungry anymore. "Oh, Goddess… You're sick."

"C'mon, Cloud. Don't you have any compassion?"

"No."

"Cloud…"

"You're disgusting and a bad example to your younger brother. Good thing he knows better than to follow in your footsteps."

"Aw, c'mon, Cloud! I haven't been that bad to you, have I?"

He turned back to the housing ads. "Yes, Zack, you have."

"Geez… And here I thought you'd be happy for me."

"And why would I be?"

"I wasn't on your couch last night, was I?"

"That's no excuse!"

"Whaaat…!?"

"Zack, there's a difference between being responsible, getting a job, and paying for your own place and crashing with the first cute girl who walks through the door."

He dropped his head to the table. "Never mind… You wouldn't get it."

Cloud stood, tucking his paper under his arm. "I'll take that as a blessing."

"Damn it, Cloud! Support your brother now and then!"

He shook his head, saying nothing while trying to let his anger settle down and walked out the door of the café. Zack followed at his heels, grabbing his shoulder. The blond turned with a sigh. "What?"

"C'mon, Cloud! Hear me out and I promise to listen the next time you get laid!"

"Zack, that's disgusting. Whatever happens behind closed doors should stay there."

"Who ever said the door was closed?"

Cloud dropped his head to his palm. "You are sick, Zack."

"Aw, come on, Cloud! You know I'm just kidding!"

"Sometimes I wonder."

"Cloud, you know I'm not-" he paused mid-sentence when a chime came from his brother's pocket.

Cloud pulled his expensive cell phone from his pocket and held up a hand towards Zack in a 'just a sec' manner before walking a few feet away and answering it. "Cloud Strife."

The masculine voice on the other end spoke, "It's Kunsel. We've got a bit of a situation at the office. Can you get here?"

"I'm on my way. Give me ten."

"Yes, Sir."

Cloud ended the call and slipped the phone back into his suit jacket before walking back over to Zack. "I have to go. There's a problem at the office and they need me there. Can I trust you to get home on your own?"

"Pft! It's not even noon, Cloud! Why in the hell would I go home?"

"Whatever. I have to go." He turned and started walking before his brother could say anything else and climbed into his car.

***

She walked through the door and kept walking as a large man came around the corner and fell into step beside her. She sighed and stuck a hand in her blonde hair, shifting it back and forth in annoyance. "How was everything while I was gone, Avalanche?"

He grunted in reply. "Jus' fine, Bartender. How're things on your end?"

"Smooth, as always. Did you doubt me?" She stopped at a mirror and pulled her contact lenses out, making her formally blue eyes red again.

"Not at all."

"Good." She started walking again. "There's an event tonight that the target will be attending. It's by invitation only, so…"

"…So you goin'?"

"Of course. Fill First in and give me an I.D. and an invitation. I'll need some back story under the name 'Tifa Lockhart.'"

He gave a sigh. "Anythin' else?"

"A shower. God, I hate being blonde and tan. It's a miracle they make wash-out dye."

***

Cloud marched up to the wide double doors and walked inside, stopping at the front desk and showing an identification card. The secretary moved a touch pad to the top of the desk with a white hand print on it and he set his hand to it. A moment later, a green light blinked and the thick metal doors on the elevator parted. He walked inside and pressed the button for the sixty-ninth floor before swiping his I.D. through the slot as authentication.

The glass cylinder started to move and Cloud took the time to straighten his suit and fix his naturally unruly hair. The doors parted and he stepped off. "Kunsel, what's the pro-"

"Happy birthday, Mr. Secretary!"

He sighed and surveyed the crowd gathered outside his office. "You all know I don't believe in birthday parties in the office. Kunsel, did you call me in seven hours before the gala for that?"

Kunsel shoved his way through the crowd. "Come on, Sir… Have a slice of cake!"

"Kunsel… My office. Now."

Kunsel followed after his boss and closed the door behind him. He looked around the plushy room and remained standing as he spoke, "Sir, there is an actual reason for calling you in early."

"Well?"

"Mr. Highwind had a few choice words for you and I wanted to give you heads up."

"What does the Secretary of Transportation want with the Secretary of Defense?"

"He was very disturbed by the amount of protection you assigned to protect the president tonight. He'll probably be stopping by at some point. Oh, and the Press Secretary will probably be coming by to ask you to attend the gala as her date."

"That's against regulations and Miss Gainsborough knows it." He started sifting through all the pages of paperwork on his desk before looking up and waving a hand. "You're dismissed."

"Sir!" Kunsel turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

***

Climbing out of his car, Cloud walked inside the large restaurant-slash-ballroom reserved for the president's return from Cosmo Canyon and wasted no time in taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He wandered through the crowds, greeting guests with a quick hello.

After about an hour of mingling, the president walked forward for a speech. Cloud sighed and pretended to pay attention as he droned on about his adventures with the lion-like people of Cosmo Canyon and all the things they had taught him. He laughed when the crowd laughed and toasted along with everyone else at the end.

After President ShinRa's speech, Cloud moved through the crowd and continued up to greet him. He saluted on instinct from his military background and spoke, "Sir! Good to see you home, Mr. President."

Rufus turned to greet his Secretary of Defense. "Ah, thank you, Cloud. It's good to be home!"

He nodded his acknowledgement and turned to leave as another member of the Cabinet started talking to the president. Cloud shifted through the crowds, making his way back to the restaurant end of the building in the hopes it would be quieter there. He walked through the doors to find all the lights turned off and sighed at the sweet silence now filling his ears.

Moving through the tables with mako-enhanced efficiency, he found his way to a corner booth and dropped down into it, jumping back to his feet at the sound of a feminine, "Oof!"

He pulled his cell phone out to work as a light and pointed it at the booth to find a young woman sitting there, holding her head. She blinked and looked up at him. "Geez. Can't you be a little more romantic when waking a woman?"

He looked her over, wondering who this woman was. She had long dark hair, dark eyes, and a light blue dress that was short, but still at an appropriate length. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry about, er, sitting on you, but you really shouldn't be alone in the dark."

"Hmph!" Her mouth formed a pout and she crossed her arms. "Well, if I could hear you coming, I would've alerted you to my presence!"

"But didn't you say I woke you up?"

"You got a text from someone named Zack."

His brow creased together as he took in her words. "What?"

"Your phone. You have a text."

"Oh, right." He turned his phone to read it and sighed before thumbing a response and slipping the phone in his pocket. She watched as he took up the seat opposite her and raised his champagne back to his lips.

"So…"

"Hm?"

"What's your name?" She held her hand out across the table. "I'm Tifa."

He accepted the gesture. "Cloud. Cloud Strife."

She gasped. "The Cloud Strife? As in the Secretary of Defense Cloud Strife?"

"Apparently."

"Oh, my God! I can't believe I'm actually talking to a member of the Cabinet!"

"Eh, okay…"

"I studied poli sci in school… You guys are like movie stars to me. I'm sorry, I just…"

"Political sciences, eh? Are you working for someone here?"

"Unfortunately, no. I came here as a guest with a friend who happens to be gainfully employed… He thought I might be able to get a job, but I haven't had much luck yet…"

"Hm. I might be able to help. What sort of credentials do you have?"

"I just earned my Master's degree this past spring. I have a Bachelor's in political sciences, too."

"Where do you specialize?"

"I studied law, too. I'm hoping I'll be able to run as a public official someday."

"Is that so? That's quite the ambition. Do you have any idea how much a campaign costs?"

"I have a friend in accounting, so I have a general idea. I know it's expensive, though. It's going to take a lot of work, but it would be worth it if I could help."

"That's rather admirable. Let me know if I can help."

"You'd do that?! Thank you so much! Oh, I could just hug you right now!"

He held up a hand. "Don't be getting ahead of yourself, now…"

The lights clicked on in the bistro and they both looked up to see one of the waiters walking in. He caught sight of the two of them sitting in the booth and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Secretary! I didn't know anyone was in here!"

He sighed. "Don't worry about it. It's not what you think. Go about your business."

The waiter nodded and walked towards the kitchen, leaving the two alone again. Cloud turned back to Tifa, raising a mental eyebrow at the shade of red her eyes glimmered and the way her silky brown hair fell across her shoulders. "So, tell me… What sort of changes would you bring if you made it into office?"

"Hm, well, I'm still working on my full plan, but I know I want to do something about the homeless. Give them food, get them into shelters, find them jobs… Oh! And the industrial portion! They're causing so much pollution. I'd work on finding new methods of emitting exhaust so it wouldn't hurt the planet so much."

He gave a little smile and leaned forward on the table. "You know, I like your ideas. You'd have my vote."

"Really?! Thank you! I really can't say it enough!"

"What sort of background do you have? Any personal issues you'd want to bring forward?"

"Um, not really. I was born out west-"

"In Wutai?"

"Not that far west. I'm from the mountains on the Western Continent. A little town called Nibelheim."

"Oh, really? Nibelheim, eh?"

"Yeah. I came here for college and haven't left."

"Wait, Tifa? Tifa Lockhart?"

She looked up at him in surprise. "Wha-?"

"You lived right near the water well, right?"

"Um, yeah, but… How do you…?"

"You don't remember me?"

"Um, not really… Oh! You're that Cloud! Oh, my God! I didn't even recognize you!"

He managed a small smile and reached a hand up to prod the tallest spike of his hair. "If I can be honest, I really haven't heard anyone say that to me before."

She giggled. "Yes, I do recall some very pointy hair. I don't know why it didn't cross my mind! I've just been so busy since coming here!"

"I'd imagine so. I only have a Bachelor's, but I was in the military for years."

"Yeah, I know. I read an article about you during school. It never mentioned Nibelheim, though. That, and I remember you leaving the town to become some bigshot SOLDIER. How did that go for you?"

"Well, I'm the Secretary of Defense at the age of twenty-six with only a Bachelor's degree in law. How do you think I did?"

"First Class?"

"First Class by the time I turned eighteen, a mere three years after joining."

"Wow! Impressive!"

"Thanks. It did take a lot of hard work—still does—but it's worth it."

"That's so cool…"

Cloud looked up as the doors to the restaurant opened and people started to file in for dinner. He rolled his eyes and turned to Tifa. "Well, I guess this is goodnight for now."

"Oh, Cloud! Who's this cutie? Don't tell me you're cheating on me?"

He sighed as a petite woman slid into the booth next to him and wrapped an arm affectionately around his shoulders. "Tifa, this is Aerith Gainsborough, the Press Secretary. She also has a strange thought stuck in her mind that she and I are dating. We're not, though. More of a brother-sister relationship to me."

"I see." Tifa held her hand out toward the woman. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Secretary!"

"The pleasure is mine, er…?"

"Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."

"Nice to meet you, Tifa." She stood up. "Well, I'm off to go find a decent table to eat at."

Cloud looked up at her and caught her arm before she got very far. "Say, Aerith… Aren't you looking to hire a secretary?"

She sighed. "Yes… The last one was found eating paper. I wouldn't have had a problem with it, but he started eating important memos and documents meant for the higher-ups to see. I had to let him go."

"Do you think Tifa could interview? She seems to be rather qualified."

Aerith beamed. "Of course! We'd have to do an extensive background check, jump through the loops of applying and interviewing and all the mess that comes with starting a job in the sixtieth-plus floors of the ShinRa Building. In the mean time, I'd be happy to look at your résumé."

Tifa turned and reached down on the seat next to her. A leather portfolio opened and she came up with a piece of paper. "Here's my résumé! I came here to find a job, so I thought I should come prepared, right?"

She let out a laugh. "I like this girl already! I better go, though. I promised I'd keep the treasurer company during dinner."

I'm liking this girl, too… Cloud thought as he nodded. "Alright. Enjoy your evening."

"Thanks! You, too!"

Tifa waved after her. "Thank you so much! It was really nice to meet you!"

A waiter walked up to their table with a pad and pencil and set a menu down in front of either of them. "What can I get you for this evening, Mr. Secretary? Miss?"

***

When dinner was over, Cloud watched as Tifa slipped her portfolio inside a canvas bag and stood up. He followed suit and extended an arm to her. "Care to dance?"

She grinned and took his arm. "I would love to, Sir."

"No 'Sir.' Just Cloud."

"Alright. Just Cloud."

"Shall we?"

She nodded and walked with him back over to the ballroom, where classic Tuesti pieces played through the elaborate hall. They found an open place on the dancefloor and moved to face each other before shifting to hold hands. She gave him a sheepish grin and whispered, "I'm apologizing for your feet… I've never danced before…"

He cast her a small smile in return. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

They moved to the music and, sure enough, she managed to step on his toes before a minute had passed. She stepped back in alarm, exclaiming, "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry!"

He straightened up and pulled her against him. "That's alright. I've had much worse than a foot on my toes."

"I did give you fair warning."

"I told you, it's okay." He started to move to the music again and tugged her into motion. "What's wrong? It was just one mistake."

"Um, okay… I just… I mean… I just stepped on the toes of the Secretary of Defense…" She gave a weak chuckle. "It's not something to brag about, you know…"

He smiled and pulled her closer as a slower piece started. "Hm, I suppose."

They continued to dance for awhile, chatting a bit about themselves. She let out a yawn and looked around for a clock. Cloud pulled out his phone and checked it before saying, "It's one-fifteen."

"Oh, really? I should probably go home, then… I have an appointment tomorrow…"

He slowly let her go and sighed before calling after her, "Join me for dinner tomorrow?"

She stopped walking and turned to face him, shock clear on her face. "I… Uh, sure… I'd like that."

He opened the phonebook in his cell and glanced at her. "What's your number?"

***

Tifa walked into her apartment and looked around. A dark-haired head poked out around the corner and grinned. "Oy! Bartender! It's you!"

"Is that you, Thief? You got a haircut!"

"Yeah…" The girl grinned again. "I'm going to be starting another mission when I'm done here. Just doing some surveillance work, but I'll be around under the name 'Yuffie' if you need someone to vouch for you."

"Thanks, but I always work alone."

"Geez, don't get all snippety. I was just arranging your new apartment. You've got all new clothes in the closet, food in the kitchen, political-y books stacked everywhere, old campaign posters, all that sort of stuff. I'll be back for the meeting at two tomorrow."

"No, Thief, I'll be going to the HQ. I told the target I had an appointment and I don't trust him to not have me followed or watched. I have to leave to go somewhere that would seem appropriate. Say, does Shooter still have his connections to that garage? I think my car has been making a funny noise…"

"What car?"

"You'll handle that, won't you?"

Let me know what you think! Review, please?

-Valk