Sweetest Sin (Dutch Van Der Linde Fanfic)

♤ 6. ♤

Upon arriving on the top floor, it was thankfully quiet and deserted in the hall as Tifa and Dutch stopped at the door and she breathed out a sigh, sliding the key into the lock, Dutch leaned against the wall

"You seemed tense there, my dear" he noted, Tifa turned the door knob and opened it revealing a semi dark room

"I-Dutch...Why did you do that? I could have paid"

"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't assist my lady?"

H-his lady...?

Tifa shifted her eyes to him as she frowned her brows briefly, realizing what he said was not from her imagination

Why...would he say something like that?

Regardless, Tifa felt her cheeks warm up "W-well...Thank you but...Dutch...you weren't required to do anything"

"I'm aware, but In this case, I felt like it, I suppose" he answered simply

"Mhm, and I guess you didn't want to be at camp either" She wondered as Dutch tilted his head slightly

"Not when I saw you leave"

Tifa fingers fidgeted with the knob and Dutch noticed and he drifted his hand over to hers "Tell me what's wrong, Tifa" he pleaded, seeing she was not being as distant to him as she was outside, his fingers touched her hand gently and Tifa moved it into his palm as she sighed, looking down

"it's...just all thats happening, it's getting too much but...I'm sorry, if I seemed rude to you or tense, earlier...I didn't mean anything. I also didn't like the look that clerk gave you" she said in a softer tone, just in case some nosey individual was around then she moved a bit behind the door to let Dutch into the room, when he passed, she closed the door and locked it

Dutch nodded to what she said as he hung his hat on a wall hook as well as his gun belt, he was relieved she didn't say anything he feared she would say and took off his rings and slid them in his pocket. Tifa watched him as he did so, he stepped over to the big window near the bed, seeing the fog start to build up in the city streets with his back to her, he soon spoke

"And the other part...why were you pushing me away?"

Once again he caught her hesitating

"....like I said I have a lot on my mind"

"and since when did that stop you?" He questioned and Tifa looked down

since I realized my feelings may start to interfere....

"...."

"do you not want to confide in me anymore, Tifa"

Tifa felt a swelling pain in her heart emotionally "it has nothing to do with confiding in you" she whispered

"Then is it our situation with the Pinkertons...or the O'Driscolls"

Tifa had to use that excuse to get away from the subject of her being in love with him...even though she went over it numerous times in her head, she knew she would burst into tears

"Yes...Dutch, this is getting dangerous...and now that we're in Saint Denis...I just-"

"It's no big manner, my dear, the situation we pulled was on the outskirts, in Rhodes, here, we are just two individuals"

Tifa took off her black overcoat leaving just her white blouse and hung it on a hook next to his hat and belt, Dutch was eyeing her reflection in the window as she did that and blinked back to the street below as it started to rain outside