365 Hours with Rufus Shinra (FFVII: Rufus x OC)

pr. Hello, would you, kindly, f*ck off?

HE HATED to be there. God, he hated it more than he remembered himself hating anything else. There was the sound of glasses landing on tables and counters, accompanied by the loud chattering of people, talking, and drinking, and having a laugh. The sound of champagne bottles, popping open and being served to the guests of the Shinra Family that had gathered in the Presidential Residence at the very centre of Midgar. There were women in fancy, colourful dresses and expensive jewellery around their necks, their wrists, their ears. Even the President's son was there even though he loathed to be.

Thirty years. There had already been thirty whole years since the construction of Midgar. Thirty years of sucking the lifeblood of their very Planet. Rufus couldn't complain. He'd never complain when it came to money, but, perhaps, that too was one of the many things that he despised about his dear father. Greed. He wanted to leave. He had far more important things to attend to than his father's insignificant balls and nugatory guests. He couldn't care less for the anniversary of a cursed company, that was killing the Planet and that everybody was applauding for.

But, instead, he just sipped on his ridiculously expensive champagne and stared down at his dear father while he talked, and joked, and entertained their repulsive guests. All of Shinra's executives were old, just like his father. Uncle Palmer would never miss the chance of indulging himself with the free goods of their buffet. Reeve, and Heidegger, and Scarlett were too scattered around the ground floor talking to people. The jazz band played the jazzy blues and he tried to keep most of his attention on the music. It was certainly more important than that chatter that came from all these people.

Rufus stared down at the numerous people from the second floor. There were buffets, and waiters and waitresses on the second floor too, but the guests were lesser than the ones downstairs. He'd be escaping their eyes for now. Tseng was standing no further away. His hands trapped behind his back, assigned his protection, whilst Reno, Rude and Elena were scattered around the house, on guard duty. Rufus's fingers tapped, and tapped, and tapped on the wooden banister of the upper floor. God, he hated being there.

But then something caught his attention and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and stop the incessant tapping of his fingers on the wooden banister. She was dressed in red. A dark crimson. Everybody's attention fell on her the moment she entered and he wouldn't be surprised. Most of her back was exposed, not to mention that large V that let out half her cleavage, and that large slit on her dress that exposed more and more of her thigh while she walked.

"Oh shit," Reno's voice came from behind, as the young Turk hurried over the edge of the upper floor's balcony. His eyes widened in alarm, pinning on the attractive woman. His fingers dug into wooden banister as he cringed and gritted his teeth in embarrassment.

"I see she caught your attention," Rufus raised an eyebrow, and Reno tensed up immediately as he turned to his boss and cleared his throat.

"N- No, sir! She's uh..." he rubbed his nape nervously, "...she's my sister," Reno choked out as his hand reached for his napkin, pulling it with his fingers and unbuttoning another button of his shirt. Suddenly the temperature seemed to have increased dramatically. Nervous he was indeed. "Uh... s-sir-?"

"Permission to go downstairs, granted," Rufus pointed his chin at the young Turk before he nodded.

"T- Thank you, sir!" Reno hurriedly ran downstairs, regretting immediately telling her to come to this ball in the first place.

The bartender looked cute as he shook the metropolitan that she had just ordered. She rested her chin on top of her palm as she settled on a bench on the bar. She let the split of her dress fall wide open exposing her entire left leg, but she didn't give a fuck if people stared at her. And when she heard her name coming from a familiar voice behind her, she rolled her eyes. She didn't even have to turn at the man.