Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia or any of its characters...
Final Fantasy Dissidia: Scents & Spices
CHAPTER FOUR
By Traingham
A.N/ Poetically, of course...
Terra Branford lingered near the edge of the smooth crater that she was camping out in with Squall and Prishe, staring out beyond the ruins of a long abandoned castle below, near the base of the crater. Sanctuary was a long ways and the sun was sinking into the horizon at an alarming rate, marking the abrupt end of their travels and the beginning of a long night. After getting a tip from Bartz and Zidane, resident explorers of the warriors of Cosmos, Prishe convinced Squall Leonhart to accompany her to an area near the Crescent Lake where the two explorers reported the sighting of a scarletite deposit waiting to be excavated by some bold risk takers. Squall, seeing an opportunity to hide away from the ever watchful eyes of Aerith Gainsborough, as well as a way of cutting out the moogles scarletite expenses from his weapon remodeling (As well as Lightning's...long story), decided to tag along with the Elvaan warrior on her journey without presenting his usual resistance much to her personal relief. Terra invited herself along, claiming that she would be of great use to their plans, but in Prishe's opinion she did nothing more than watch with bated breath as the muscles in the black lion's back rippled under the exertion of a hard days work.
"We made out well, though, huh?" Prishe asked her excavating partner with a wide grin, patting the lumpy sack of scarletite sitting between her and the man in question. "Really, all that we need now is a beer to end the night."
"I'll take the first shift for night watch." Squall announced with a straight face on a completely unrelated note, getting Prishe's shoulders to sag. "You should get some sleep." He looked to the rim of the crater to see Terra still standing there with her attention drawn somewhere in the distance. "Terra!"
"Hm?" The half esper looked over her shoulder, her blonde hair bouncing lightly when she did. "Curfew?"
"Get some sleep." The black lion told her. "Sanctuary will hold on without us for a night, so stop worrying about the others." His words got through to her, having her drop her hand from its usual place clutched to her chest and drawing her down from the edge. Terra approached her two partners and stopped in front of them with an inquisitive stare. She swiveled her eyes between Prishe and Squall for a moment, allowing her gaze to linger on the empty space to Squall's right side while biting her lip as though the temptation was almost too painful to refuse, but eventually decided upon taking her place beside Prishe, dropping down beside her and sitting up against the inner wall of the crater.
Prishe, apparently not in the mood to close her eyes just yet, continued with her earlier line of thought. "With these materials we're going to have an edge against those flamboyant bastards!" She rubbed her hands together while a sinister laugh rumbled from deep within her stomach. "I can't wait to see our new toys."
"Calm down before you blow out a fuse." Squall told her, with the slightest hint of humor in his voice. "Get to sleep. You're getting the last shift."
"Fine, dammit, but I can't get any sleep on this floor!" She argued, glaring at the rough and uneven earth that stretched out to the other side of the crater. She returned her gaze back to Squall, her eyes zeroing in specifically around his chest area, and rose up from her seat to stand in front of him with her arms crossed.
"What?" The SeeD questioned the look she was directing at him.
"Your lap seems like a better choice." Prishe replied, giving her back to him before lowering her behind onto his lap and laying against his chest. She crossed her hands to grab at the sides of his jacket and pulled it around her, squirming against him all the while to settle herself in. "Yeeaaah, much better."
"Seriously?" The brunette sighed.
"You need to appreciate things like this, you know." The Elvaan told him, looking up at him as he stared down into her eyes. "I've never sat on anyone's lap before, so consider yourself my first."
"I'm honored." Sarcasm, of course, but for some reason she could detect warmth.
"You try too hard." Prishe spoke with a light yawn in her voice. She turned to her side on his lap while she curled her legs, drawing his jacket over herself tightly as she rested the side of her head against his pectorals. "Don't deny yourself the warmth of friends, Squall." she snuggled her head against him. "Even if this does end someday, I want you to have fond memories of us...of me."
"...Whatever." The black lion grumbled to himself in a low voice, too low for her to hear, but she smiled to herself all the same when she felt his right arm wrap around her. "Stop talking and get to sleep."
Prishe grumbled back in her sleep, but it was too low for him to pick up with his ears so he said nothing in response. He turned his head toward Terra to see her curled up like a cat although, even he would have to admit, it looked a little uncomfortable.
"You know..." Squall blinked when the Elvaan's voice reached his ears again, drawing his attention to her. "I could die in your embrace tonight and I'd be too content to complain about it."
...
...
A private smirk made its way across the dark mercenary's lips as he stared out into the falling darkness, and he responded after a long silence. "Then let me be your grave tonight, Prishe." He brought his other hand to rest upon her head, stroking it until he felt her go completely limp in his chest. "I'll wake you in the morning."
It was at that moment that he felt a pressure against the side of his thigh.
"Hm?" He looked down to his left side to find Terra curled up against him, resting the side of her head against his upper thigh. She must have moved over to him while he had his eyes to the stars.
"Sure, I'll wake you too."
END
