Don't Make Him Cry
Chapter Fifteen - A Kiss
By Sniffles
Dedicated to: Kitty's fic
Notes: Wow... nothing's happening in this one. ^-^ Surprise, surprise. But don't forget Zell-kun. He's up to no good. Story is almost done. *SIGH* I would like to explore it a -lot- more, but I know if I do it'll take MONTHS to finish. ;) So instead I'll finish it before I can think of more ways to torture everyone. ^-^ Feedback is more than welcome. And thank you to everyone who has read this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, FF7 or any of the characters in this fic... except Mr. Spider. ^-^
Don't Make Him Cry
Chapter Fifteen - A Kiss
By Sniffles
15.1
He wasn't sure when it happened, but Seifer had passed out. Rufus shifted his hold and after hesitating for a moment he stopped and bent to pick Seifer up. He had a feeling that if Seifer woke and found himself in Rufus' arms that he would be dead meat, but he couldn't just drag Seifer all the way back to their little camp. Seifer was surprisingly light. /Or maybe I'm stronger than I thought./ Rufus mused, looking down at Seifer's face.
/So beautiful./
"Woo Shinra. Looks like you found yourself a girlfriend finally." Reno said teasingly.
Rufus turned his head to glower at Reno. The red-head's mouth closed with a snap. "Uh.."
"Shut up Turk." Rufus snapped.
Tseng placed a hand on Reno's arm. "But I-" Reno glanced up at Tseng and his apology cut short. With a little sigh he dropped back to walk beside Elena and Rude.
"What happened?" Tseng asked Rufus quietly.
"Jenova was using this.. boy, to awaken Sephiroth." Valentine responded.
Tseng glanced at the dark man, "Using him? How?"
"Sephiroth no longer has a body, only a spirit."
Rufus held Seifer tighter. /We almost lost him. Just a bit longer and Sephiroth would have.../ He cut the thought short. Just thinking about it made him feel ill.
/How did I.. become so attached to him in such a short time?/
"So he wanted Almasy's body." Tseng nodded. He understood now. "But why Almasy?"
Valentine was quiet, but there was something about his silence that made both Tseng and Rufus look at him. "What is it?" Rufus asked sharply after a moment, "What do you know?"
Valentine smiled, a brief, enigmatic smile. "Nothing." He stopped walking. "I see nothing. I hear nothing. I know nothing." He bowed shallowly, almost mockingly, "Mr. President." then he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.
"That guy always gave me the creeps." Reno muttered to Elena.
"Vampire."
Reno looked at her, and he couldn't help but laugh. "What?"
"I heard he's a vampire. He sleeps in coffins and.. stuff." Elena admitted with a little blush.
"Hell, could be. With Hojo's experiments you just never know, do you?"
15.2
/So.. ./
/This is it.../
/He probably does love Seifer. Everyone seems to.../
/Why? I just can't figure it out./
/What does he have that... no. I'm not going to go there./
Irvine sighed and slumped further. He crouched near the floor, his elbows resting on his thighs, his hands dangling between his knees. He just didn't have the energy to move.
/So this is it../
/This is what it feels like to have a broken heart./
15.3
/Alone again./
Seifer lay stiffly on the cold, hard mat. He didn't open his eyes, the darkness was strangely comforting. He knew he was alone. He could feel it. The silence in his head bothered him. The silence around him bothered him more.
He couldn't remember coming here, or who laid him on the mat, but he knew he was in a tent. And it was cold, so he decided it must be later in the evening. He wondered briefly how long he'd been unconscious, but then he dismissed that line of thought. It didn't matter.
Once again he was a knight with no purpose. No country to serve. No queen to protect. He had nothing.
And the glaring silence in his head was mocking him.
The rustling of cloth made him open his eyes. "Oh.. you're awake." Rufus stepped into the tent and let the flap that acted as a door slide shut behind him. He stood awkwardly in the entrance, just watching Seifer.
Seifer met Rufus' gaze levelly. "Why did she choose you?" Rufus asked abruptly.
Seifer debated over the question for a moment. He knew what Rufus meant. In the brief space of time Sephiroth had tried to enter his mind he'd heard some of Sephiroth's thoughts. He understood now who Jenova was and more importantly, who Sephiroth was.
/Just like me./
/He needed a purpose, and she gave it to him./
"I.." He wanted to tell Rufus. He frowned at that knowledge. /I hardly know him. Why do I want to talk to him about things I never even mentioned to people I do know?/
"I don't know." He said finally.
He could tell by the look on Rufus' face that the blond soldier didn't believe him. But it didn't matter. Rufus wouldn't push the subject.
"It was close." Rufus said quietly as he walked further into the room.
Seifer just nodded. He watched warily as Rufus walked to the cot and kneeled beside it. It was only then that he realized he was lying on Rufus' cot... and he didn't appear to be wearing boots or his jacket. He was now eye level with Rufus and he found that he couldn't meet that intense blue gaze.
"Did I see Ifrit out there? Who summoned him?" Seifer asked when it seemed Rufus was not going to speak.
"We don't know. He just... appeared." Rufus spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on Seifer's face. "Seifer..."
Seifer looked at Rufus, surprised to see longing in those glowing eyes.
"I've never cared about anyone before." Rufus said quietly. Suddenly he leaned down and Seifer could only gasp as he was kissed.
15.4
/She kissed me./ Selphie pressed her fingers against her lips. She could hardly breathe. With a strangled cry of pure joy she started to run to where she'd left Irvine.
Her happiness quickly abated when she saw Irvine slumped on the floor. Her steps slowed and she approached cautiously. "Irvine?"
He stiffened at her voice. For a moment he just sat there. Then his head lifted and a fake smile was plastered on his face. "Hey kiddo." His voice was rough.
"Irvine?" She rushed to his side and kneeled beside him. Anxiously she placed a hand on his shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He shook his head, the smile faltering, "Nothing."
"Irvine." She pressed one hand against his cheek. She gasped at how warm he was.
"You asked me who I was in love with..." He said softly.
She nodded. She didn't dare speak. She didn't want to interrupt him.
"And I said no one...."
She nodded again, giving him time to say what he needed to say.
"Because no one is in love with someone else..."
She sighed. "OH Irvine. I know just how you feel! ... Or I did.."
His eyes finally showed some life at this comment. "Did? You talked to her?"
"Yes." She smiled widely, "It was so wonderful... Irvy... she.. I think she's going to give me a chance."
This time he smiled, for real. "That's great kiddo."
He sat down fully and opened his arms. Without a moments hesitation she flew into his embrace, pressing her cheek against his chest. His arms wrapped around her and she sighed. He always made her feel safe. She trusted him more than anyone in the world and she loved him like a brother. He was hers, and he was hurting. She could 'feel' it.
"This love thing..." Irvine murmured into her hair, "Is a real pain in the ass."
She couldn't help it.
She started to laugh.
But she didn't feel too guilty because he was laughing too.
15.5
"So... what does this mean?" Reno played with his gun, refusing to raise his gaze and meet Tseng's eyes.
Tseng took the gun from Reno and put it aside. He sat beside Reno by the fire and for a moment they just sat together, staring into the flames of the fire. Reno jerked in surprise when Tseng's arm snaked around his waist. He turned his head just in time to see Tseng's face moving closer.
And then he was being thoroughly kissed.
When Tseng finally pulled away Reno was incapable of thought, let alone speech. Tseng couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on the outspoken man's face. "It means, that I love you Vegas."
Reno gasped, his eyes widening at Tseng's confident revelation. "You do?"
"And it means that I'm going to-" Tseng leaned close and whispered the rest in Reno's ear.
He enjoyed watching Reno's cheeks turn pink. He enjoyed the mischevious smile that tilted Reno's cheek after his little suggestion even more. "Oh really?" Reno purred, leaning close to nip at Tseng's bottom lip, "I think we'll have to see about that one Sing sing."
Tseng curled up his lip and playfully snarled, "Don't call me that."
Reno just smiled as he captured Tseng's lips in a kiss.