Chapter 14

Gaia

It had been a week and a half since Cheryl had decided to embarrass herself with her gift to Tseng. Thankfully, she was busy enough that she didn't have to think about it often. Usually, only when Reno called or came by to bug her about it. Though she was thankful he still didn't know what her visit had been about. She found herself smiling at the fact that Tseng refused to tell the annoying red-head. She knew it probably had nothing to do with the fact that if Reno had found out, she would never hear the end of it, but it was still a pleasant surprise that she didn't seem to need to worry.

She was currently working on the next batch of transcriptions when a sharp knock sounded at her door. She called out absently as she finished the line she was working on before she looked up. Her slight irritation turned into a smile when she saw Tseng walk in. "Ah, here for another report?"

Her smile didn't fade, but she did raise a brow in curiosity when he didn't respond right away. He waited until he shut the door and moved to stand in front of her desk before he nodded. "Yes, here is the list of files that I need to have compiled."

She took the paper from him and set it to the side without more than a cursory glance. He had barely moved, and she could tell he had more to say. He didn't hesitate to continue when he noted her attention had not left him. "Also, I had hoped to ask you to accompany me to dinner tonight."

Cheryl immediately felt like someone had hit her upside the head. She blinked a few times as she tried to assimilate his words and still wasn't sure she understood. She held up a hand and gave him a confused look. "Wait, what?"

His face had still not changed expression, but at least he tried to explain. "Please do not misunderstand. I am not asking you on a date. I simply thought it would be a pleasant gesture to show my appreciation for your gift."

She rubbed her temples for a few seconds as she tried to figure out what the hell was really going on. After a few moments, she looked back up and tried not to frown. "The dango were a gift. There is no need for you to repay me."

Tseng nodded once. "I am not asking to repay you. Like I said, I would like to show my appreciation. That is all."

Cheryl's mind was going a mile a minute. She had not had an ulterior motive for giving the dango to Tseng, but she wasn't sure he didn't have one for this. He was a Turk, after all. But what other reason could he possibly have? She was a nobody—a secretary like so many others in this monster corporation.

Finally, she shook her head. Maybe it was just as thanks. It was just dinner. It wasn't like he was asking her back to his place. At least she hoped not. With that thought, she looked up again. "Where did you want to go?"

For the second time ever, she saw a slight smile grace his lips as he responded, "There is a restaurant in sector 8 that serves a dish you might appreciate. Does this mean you agree?"

Cheryl let out a soft sigh as she nodded. "What time should I meet you?"

He stepped back toward the door as he said, "I will meet you downstairs at 17:30. We can walk there from here."

She gave him another nod as he turned to leave. Once he was gone, her mind was still reeling with all her questions, but no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't see a reason why he would lie. All she could think was that she did know he wasn't as cold as he liked to make people believe. She had seen a little of it herself when he had offered to help her, but she also remembered that he had a soft spot he kept hidden too. Perhaps that was all this was. At least she hoped so. She didn't need any trouble.


Cheryl was uncertain how the evening would play out as she shut her computer off that evening, but she still didn't want to be late. Something told her keeping a Turk waiting, even for something personal, would be a bad idea.

It was 17:20 when she finally made her way off the crowded elevator and into the downstairs lobby. Thankfully it only took her a couple of minutes to find Tseng standing near the exit. She was shocked to find a smile coming up naturally when she approached him. Despite her uncertainty, there was a part of her that was pleased he liked her gift enough to want to show his appreciation. Or at least that was what she hoped it really was.

He gestured toward the door and fell into step beside her as they headed outside. "It should only take us twenty minutes to get there."

That really wasn't a long walk, so she gave him a nod as she followed him toward sector 8. Several minutes passed in silence as they walked. Cheryl wanted to at least try to make small talk, but she felt horribly awkward. She wasn't even sure where to begin with the man.

Finally, she couldn't stand the silence any longer and just said the first thing she could think of. "So, how was your day?"

She wanted to kick herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Even more so when he turned to look at her with a lifted brow. At least he didn't ignore her. "Rather boring, actually. And yours?"

Although, with that answer, she almost wished he had. She wasn't sure if it was the truth or not, but either way, she didn't want to know. What would a Turk consider not boring? Probably something she didn't want to find out about. It took all she had not to groan in embarrassment and answer instead. "Well, I suppose you would consider it boring as well. I spent most of the day transcribing old files into the new server."

One corner of his mouth tilted up at the slight snark he could hear in her tone. Though it was gone again before she turned to face him as he responded, "Perhaps. Paperwork is a daily part of my job, after all, so I cannot complain about the mundane."

"That's true." Cheryl knew her response was tepid at best but was thankful when the conversation dropped afterward. She was glad to let it lie until they arrived. There was no point in forcing anymore awkward conversation.

However, once he opened the door to the tiny restaurant and ushered her in, she immediately turned to him with a grin. "It's ramen! I didn't think I would find that here."

He smirked at her exuberance but didn't respond until after they had been seated. Once the host walked away, he gestured toward the menu. "It isn't exactly ramen, but it is close. Given the nature of your gift, I hoped you might be able to appreciate it."

Cheryl grinned over the top of the menu. "I adore ramen. Not as much as sukiyaki, but that's even harder to come by unless I can find suitable substitutes and make it myself. Or excellent sushi, but no one around here even knew what that was, so I gave up on finding any."

By that point, she had already looked back down and missed the way Tseng's eyes had flashed at each food item she had named off. She was too excited to notice that he had not spoken again until their server arrived. Even then, he only talked long enough to give his order.

Once the server had taken their meal requests, an awkward silence fell once more. It was several minutes before Cheryl got tired of it and decided she had to say something, though she did think about what to say instead of just blurting out the first thing that came to mind. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Tseng must have had the same idea, and they both spoke at once.

Cheryl immediately stopped with an uncomfortable chuckle, but by that time, her mind had caught up with what he had said and realized he hadn't been speaking English. She didn't bother with the apologies and instead said, "What were you saying? That sounded like a different language."

It was several seconds before he shook his head. "It was nothing." When Cheryl's only response was to raise a brow at him in disbelief, he managed a small smile and pointed at the menu. "My apologies, I was only quoting some of the menu items."

What he had said sounded a lot like Japanese, or in this case, it was probably Wutianese. Which actually made sense. She gave him a nod at his explanation and, at his prompting, continued with what she had started to say, "Sorry, I was just going to say that I understand this wasn't prompted by any deep desire of yours to get close to me, but it is extremely awkward for us to sit here and not talk. Would you object to at least some small talk that has nothing to do with work?"

It was only a moment later that he nodded as he responded, "Of course. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, as that was not my intention."

Cheryl wanted to roll her eyes at his formality but kept it to herself as he continued. "Actually, I am glad you are willing to talk about subjects outside of work. I had hoped to get you to talk about the recipe you used for the dango you gave me."

Cheryl could not stop her grin. He really had like them. Coming from someone like him, that was the best praise she could have gotten. She was thrilled to tell him about it. "Honestly, I can't remember where I first saw the recipe. I do know that I had to work with more than one to find the right mix. Finding ingredients that would work was difficult."

He held his tongue as she leaned forward and gave him a conspiratorial wink. "Would you like to know my secret?"

Tseng's only response was to raise a brow as he tilted his head slightly. Cheryl laughed at the look but leaned back and waved off the secretive air. "It's nearly impossible to find rice flour, but I was able to get a coffee grinder for cheap. I make my own using that."

For a split-second, Tseng's expression was utterly stupefied before Cheryl laughed again and tried to reassure him as he got his mask back in place. "Don't worry. It may sound weird, but it isn't. The flour comes out perfect every time. Plus, I've had plenty of practice."

It was a full second before he finally responded. "I suppose that does explain how you were able to make dango in the first place. Most people in Midgar would not even think to make flour from rice."

Cheryl chuckled as she agreed with him, but their orders arrived, so she didn't have a chance to say more. Thankfully, the silence didn't last as long that time. She barely had time to do more than taste the broth before Tseng spoke once more. "I must admit to being curious. I had heard you lost your memories in an accident a couple of months ago. Have you regained them?"

Her spoon froze partway to her mouth at his unexpected question. She barely caught her grimace as she slowly let it back down into the bowl and looked over with a frown. At least she already had a response. "No, not really. Random things have come back, like people's names and places. Things I liked and stuff like that, but nothing that makes any pattern, or anything that could help me understand who I was."

He watched her eyes for a few moments before he nodded. "I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable again."

Cheryl felt her shoulders relax immediately and gave him a grin. "Don't worry about it. I don't know that they will ever come back, but I can't let it bother me. I just take it one day at a time. Though, I will ask if you are going to sit here across from me for the rest of the meal, at least relax to the point that I don't think that I'm eating dinner with my boss. It's weird."

Tseng blinked a few times at her odd reprimand but managed a small smile. "I will do what I can."

Cheryl knew she was probably pushing her luck when she rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help herself. The man sitting across from her wasn't some nobody, but he was the one that had asked her to dinner. He could either learn to deal with her after-hours persona, or he would never speak to her after hours again. The thought made her chuckle. At least he didn't call her on the action as they both started eating again.

The rest of the meal passed with a quiet conversation that mostly consisted of other things the two of them liked to do outside work. Mostly Cheryl, of course, but she had already pushed him enough for one night. At least he had taken her gentle teasing with aplomb—much better than she had expected.

By the time the meal was through, she was surprised that not only had she enjoyed the meal, she had also enjoyed the company. It was already dark when they made their way out, but she stopped in the street and gave him a smile. "Thank you. I had a nice time. I understand what you meant when you said it wasn't exactly ramen, but don't think I didn't like it. I'm sure I'll be back some time."

He gave her a brief nod. "I am glad to hear it." He then paused and looked around. "Would you like me to accompany you home? It is later than I expected it would be."

Tseng was confused to see a blush dust across her cheeks as she shook her head. Though that was far from the first thing that had thrown him that night. He barely caught his frown as she responded.

"Don't worry about it. The train station is just a block over, and my apartment isn't too far from the sector 5 station. Thanks again." She didn't wait for him to object before she turned with a wave and a smile and headed toward the station. He watched her for a moment with a frown.

When he finally turned back toward the main building, his mind was already whirring again. He had found very little in her company records. The only thing that was confirmed was that she had been an orphan, as her only prior address was the orphanage. There was a couple of years gap between when she lived there and when she came to work for Shinra, but that was not unusual for someone from the slums.

He could not do any further digging without moving carefully. More aggressive questions could garner unwanted attention. That was the motivation behind the dinner. He had hoped to get her into a surrounding where something might slip. He had been shocked when it had happened almost immediately, and yet she didn't seem to know more than the food. When he had asked her what type of ramen she preferred in Wutainese, she had genuinely been baffled.

He had a few answers but more questions. Especially with the way she had treated him. His frown lifted as he remembered the way she teased him until he agreed to loosen up. It was unexpected. Had the situation been different, it also would not have been unappreciated. Despite his demeanor, he was not blind. Nor was he as cold as his subordinates thought he was. Sharing a meal and a pleasant conversation with a beautiful woman was not a bad way to pass the evening. Unfortunately, this beautiful woman happened to have too many unanswered questions hanging over her head.

He repressed a sigh at that thought as he straightened his cuffs and tie before he entered the building. His mask was firmly in place as he made his way back to his office. Despite the late hour, he did still have at least one report to finish before he could call it a day.


Earth

Charle, Abby, and Mischa were already well on their way to becoming fast friends. The other two secretaries had already left with apologies after the first round since they had families to get back to, but the three young women that stayed were enjoying themselves immensely.

Mischa was nearly in tears; she was laughing so hard at the story Abby had just told. "I had no idea people like that would just walk in. Do they really not care?"

Abby rolled her eyes dramatically. "Let me tell you. It's not just the ones that come in either. Last week this guy stops outside the window. I think he's just gonna straighten his tie and move on, right? Nope. The next thing I know, he starts picking his nose. Really going after it, ya know?"

Mischa had just started to take a drink, and it took all she had not to spit it back out again. She choked in the process, and Charle had to pat her back to help her clear it. All three women were laughing when Mischa finally found her voice. "You're kidding, right?"

Abby shook her head as she took a swig of her own beer. "I wish."

Before Mischa could ask for more details, they were interrupted by a masculine voice. "Cheryl, can I talk to you."

All three women looked over in confusion that immediately turned to frowns when they saw Lance standing there. His expression was just shy of stormy, and he was pointedly ignoring the other two women. Charle felt a shiver go down her spine at the look he was giving her and unconsciously leaned away from him as she answered, "Lance, I apologize, but as you can see, I'm out with my friends."

He reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled lightly. "This won't take long."

Her eyes grew wide as she stumbled from her stool. Luckily he was able to right her before she fell. Both Mischa and Abby were on their feet as well, but Charle motioned for them to stay back as she turned a glare to Lance. "Look, I don't know what you were expecting, but I am not your property. Even if we were dating, which we are not, this would be unacceptable behavior. You can't just yank me around if you don't get your way."

He didn't immediately drop her arm, but he did give her an apologetic look after he pulled her a short distance away. He lowered his voice as he looked over her shoulder at the two women still glaring at them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you around like that, but I was worried about you. I saw that woman so close to you and had to step in."

Charle's back stiffened as she took a step back. Something in his expression when he said that was dark and made her uncomfortable. She frowned at him when she asked, "Why are you even here?"

His expression cleared when he focused back on her. "I was walking by when I saw you through the window. I'm sorry for butting in, but I want to make sure you know that woman was the one that hit on you before. She has an ulterior motive for being around you."

Charle couldn't believe her ears. She blinked a few times as she watched the way he looked back again. He was clearly disgusted by the idea, and not just by the idea of a rival. The sight of it caused her anger to spike. Her voice was raised as she said, "I don't even know how you know that, but whatever happens between me and anyone else is none of your business."

His eyes jerked back to her, and his jaw clenched. His hand shot out, and he grasped her arm in a bruising grip. "What is that supposed to mean? You can't really—"

He was cut off by the sound of Mischa's voice. "Is there a problem here?"

Lance glared over at the other woman. "Stay out of this."

Charle yanked her arm from his grip and took a step back as she glared at him. "No, Lance was just leaving."

Abby had come up on the other side of Mischa and had given her an unbelieving look as she said, "You sure? I can have the barman call the cops."

Lance huffed at them all but ignored the other women as he looked at Charle. "I'm leaving; just remember what I said."

Charle's expression turned ice-cold. "No. You should remember what I said. My life is none of your business. Stay out of it." It looked like he had more to say, but by that point, the man behind the bar had started to make his way over. Lance gave them all once last glare before he stormed out.

As soon as he was gone, Charle turned to the other two with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about that."

Abby wrapped her arm through both the other two women's and dragged them back to the table. "Don't worry about it. You shouldn't let that jackass get to you."

Charle chuckled weakly at her friend's efforts and tried to get back into the mood. Unfortunately, the last round was muted, and all three women ended up leaving earlier than anticipated. At least they had all agreed to do it again the following week. There was no point in letting a little distraction keep them down.

A/N: Hello all! Yes, I know it's been a minute, but as I've said on my other stuff I am working hard at getting what can be updated whenever I have free time. None of my stuff is abandoned, I'm just crazy busy and probably will be through at least March. Anyway, I hope this is enough to tide you all over until I can update again. Thanks for reading and cheers!