After waking up to find himself tangled up in his sheets once again, Rufus picked up his bedside phone and dialed for his secretary. "Who the fuck is it?!" A tired and angry voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Apologies if I've interrupted your little siesta. Pity, I thought you enjoyed your job..." Rufus loved playing mind games with his secretary, convincing her that her job wasn't secure.
"Oh! Sir, I'm so sorry, I thought it was someone else!"
"Why would someone else be phoning my secretary?" The young president bit his lip to repress laughter as more profuse apologies tumbled down the line. "Anyway, do I have any appointments today?"
"Only three, sir. There's Mr Silversmith at one in the afternoon, Miss Kershaw at six, and you were going to have a meeting with Reno Kiribani this evening about his tampering with Mr Heidegger's food?" Rufus repressed a grin. Normally Reno's antics irritated him, but he had to admit that this latest prank had been very amusing. "Yes... well, thank you. That will be all for now." Rufus put down the phone and pressed one hand back against his mouth as if hiding the smirk on his face, despite the room being devoid of any lifeform save himself.
After taking his bedsheets to the launderette for cleaning, Rufus waited calmly in the reception area for his first visitor of the day, hair and nails perfect after getting a trim from his hairdresser and a manicure in preparation. Beginnings were always so delicate. It was very important to get them correct. "Mr President?" Rufus sighed aloud and turned to face Professor Hojo who was obviously on the verge of jumping up and down in anger.
"Excuse me, Professor, but I am rather busy at the moment."
"So you wouldn't mind if I told everyone about you rooting through a Mr Vincent Valentine's private files?" That caught the young president's attention.
"What do you want, Hojo?"
"I want to know why you're interested in a selfish little prick who was a danger to my research?"
"Professor Hojo, I can do as I please. You, however, cannot. I have done nothing wrong legitimately. You, on the other hand, have conducted unauthorised experiments on a live human individual. I suggest you quieten down, and then we can both forget about what we have seen." Rufus allowed a small smile to creep across his face. "I am not a nice person to cross." The young president watched Hojo visibly shrink in stature before shuffling off, and turned back to the door of the reception, where a limousine had pulled up. "President Rufus Shinra at your service, Mr Silversmith." Perfect smile, perfect handshake. This business matter was definitely back on a smooth course.
After seeing to two of the days meetings, Rufus slumped back in his office seat, resting his two legs on top of the desk and pouring himself a shot of whisky. "Mr President?" A voice screeched from the other end of the intercom, interrupting the relative peace and quiet. "Mr President, we've got a Mr Kiribani here? Says you wanted to speak to him?"
"Send him in." Rufus swung his legs off the desktop to rest on the floor, thankful he only ever got drunk from the legs upwards.
"Hey, boss. If you're wondering about the naked lady pictures in Scarlett's bedroom, I swear, it was Rude's idea." Rufus raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't particularly wondering, but I'm sure I'll remember that helpful information, Reno." The turk muttered curses to himself for letting slip, before shrugging.
"So what do you..." An unpleasant voice cut across their conversation.
"Mr President? Miss Scarlett says she needs to see y..."
"I know, naked women, tell her I'll sort it out." Rufus switched off the intercom. "Apologies for that interruption, Mr Kiribani. Do go on. I'm fascinated." Reno reached behind his neck, scratching its nape nervously.
"Is this about Heidegger?" Rufus clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on the desk.
"Perhaps." Reno nodded to himself, said,
"Listen, boss, Mr President sir, I kinda... I think I was pissed at the time, sir. And Heidegger's kinda been on my back recently, so I guess I... I dunno, it was funny at the time. Sir." Rufus listened intently, allowing only the faintest hint of a smirk to touch his lips.
"Well, in that case, I suggest you apologise to Mr Heidegger, and hope he doesn't attempt to get his own back on you. Dismissed." The turk's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Is that all, sir?"
"Yes. This may amaze you, Reno, but even your superiors can usually appreciate a particularly good prank. Regardless of poor taste. Now go and find Mr Heidegger before I reconsider your punishment."
"Yes sir!" Reno left the office with a grin, and Rufus sighed, shaking his head in amusement before realising the alcohol was making him tired. He had intended to finish off a speech that night for an upcoming dinner-party, but fatigue won out over good intentions, and the clean white bed-sheets beckoned to him temptingly. Though not renowned for giving into temptation, Rufus knew that they were very soft sheets, and the night was rather warm...
'I want you, Rufus Shinra. Take me.' Oh, this is just unfair, you are too beautiful... you look beautiful... smell beautiful... taste beautiful... 'Rufus, please, take me now, please...'
Rufus was really beginning to enjoy sleeping. It didn't improve his mornings much though; it meant no more dreams, and doing his laundry. He wondered how long it would be before the cleaners noticed his sheets were always conspicuously tidy when they came to do their jobs. After pulling on some clothes - white, of course - Rufus looked at the clock and realised he must have been woken up by something other than his natural timing. A knock at the door soon proved him right. "Mr President? Are you awake?" Tseng. Rufus yawned aloud and went to the door, ran a hand backwards through his hair.
"What do you want at this hour?"
"Can I come in?"
"I'll be with you in a second." Rufus stripped his bed and shoved it in the bag he used to carry the sheets, before walking through to his office and greeting Tseng, who was wielding a folded up 'Midgar Express'.
"Mr President? I think you might like to take a look at this. There's a very interesting article about a certain group of terrorists we've been after." Rufus smiled and took the newspaper from Tseng, before saying,
"I'll have a look. You go and keep an eye on Reno. I don't want to have to deal with Heidegger spending an obscene amount of time in the toilets again." Tseng grinned and nodded, closed the door behind him.
Rufus opened the paper and saw what Tseng had been talking about - a picture of the 'AVALANCHE' group fleeing an exploding reactor, and some close-up pictures of several members in the middle pages. Although there were four close-up pictures, only two could be named; 'Tifa Lockheart' and 'Barrett Wallace'. The others were of a young girl in very odd clothing, her weapons suggesting she was a ninja, and the man whose suffering had haunted the young president for several days now. Vincent Valentine. Rufus cut out the picture carefully and shredded the rest of the newspaper, admiring the physique of Vincent and imagining what he would look like without his clothes on. In his bedroom, Rufus could still be whatever he wanted - in the rest of the world he had to play the role of president to appease Shinra and the public. And right now, lying down on top of his sheets, Rufus was being the hormonal teenager he never had the chance to be otherwise. Impossible dreams flew through his mind of taming and seducing the only person who had ever truly threatened him. Maybe, just maybe, he could use his power to get in contact with this beautiful man...