“Don’t rush to find me, Tseng. I’ll handle things on my end,” Rufus remarks smoothly into the cellphone, his voice infuriatingly calm. Nothing in his tone would convey that there was a gorgeous vigilante pressing a gun to his temple, and yet that was precisely the situation Rufus had found himself in today when he left for a meeting in Junon and promptly had his luxury car hijacked.

Your little team had efficiently orchestrated the entire kidnapping. Now, the car was humming along the empty highway, city lights blurring past outside, slowly yielding to empty Midgar roads. His gaze slides sidelong to you, giving you a shameless look. Then, with his lips quirking in amusement, he adds into the receiver, “Actually, take the night off. I insist.”

You promptly click the phone shut and toss it into the cupholder, but Rufus doesn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he relaxes against the leather seat, turning his head just slightly so the cool steel of the gun brushes his hairline. “Tell me,” he starts, letting his eyes trail over you with unguarded appreciation, “can I request you as my ransomer every time, or is this a one-time deal?”