Don't Play With Fire (Turks FFVII)

XI) Fear

"Kat." I groan, pulling the covers over my head. Rude sighs, tugging at them. "You're going to be late."

"I don't care," I grumble, burying my face in the couch cushions. "Tell Tseng he can screw off."

"No." He pulls the blanket off of me and I curl up with a shudder.

"Why's it so cold?"

"It's not."

Scoffing, I roll onto the floor with a dramatic whine, slowly dragging myself to my feet. I straighten my uniform, awkwardly fidgeting with my tie before looking to Rude for help. He shakes his head, giving it a tug to the right and turning my collar over. With a huff, he heads to the kitchen.

"Gods, please tell me you have coffee."

"No." He opens the fridge and takes out a carton of juice.

"Do you just not eat?" I slump against the counter, rubbing my face. "There's no food in there."

"Rufus."

"Yeah? What about him?"

"I'm surprised he's given you this many chances."

"Really? He just seems a little stuck up," I shrug. "Said he couldn't kill me because Tseng would have his head."

"Tseng can't have his head." Rude tosses the carton back in the fridge and turns to me. "Stop tempting him."

"It's hard," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. "He's such a jerk."

He frowns, staring hard into his glass.

"Why does Tseng care?"

"He doesn't care about me." I jam my hands in my pockets and shrug. "He's doing someone a favor."

"Who?"

"Can't tell you."

"His sister?"

"Well, if you knew, why'd you ask?" I scoff. "Read that somewhere, too."

"Same documents Tseng showed me."

"Of course. Where's your demon rat?"

"Locked in his room."

"His room?"

"Yeah."

"You're not very nice to him."

"Plenty nice when strangers aren't here."

"Strangers," I huff.

Inside the elevator, Reeve greets us with a thin-lipped smile. I nod back, and that's the extent of our interaction. Tseng raises an eyebrow when I walk into his office uninvited.

"Do I even need to ask where I am today?"

"Do you?" He shakes his head. "Rude, Elena, and I will be headed for the mines."

"Avalanche is there already?"

"No, but they will be soon. Someone gave them a ride out to the farm."

"The farm?" I frown.

"I forget you've never left." Slowly, he sets a paper aside, glancing up at his screen. "There's a chocobo farm outside of the marsh blocking the mines."

"And how far away is that?"

"I'd say an hour flight by helicopter at the most."

"Nice. When's Rufus want me?"

"You're already late."

"Oh, joy."

I take the stairs this time, waiting for the guards to let me into Rufus's office. He's scribbling away at some papers, likely the arrangements of shifting the company over to his control. Already working his #$% off, hm? I lean against the wall, arms crossed, as I wait for him to acknowledge me. He signs off on a few more things before looking up.