Here's the next chapter everyone, sorry for the delay!

Do enjoy!


CHAPTER 7: Become one

Snow was falling outside the windows of the library, making the few students who sat inside feel lucky that they were allowed to sit inside during recess.

Shifting her eyes from the outside scenery to her grammar book that was on her desk in front of her, Lenne sighed and ran a hand over her forehead. They had a huge English test tomorrow and she was glad that she had studied this in advance for she couldn't seem to focus for even a second. Her eyes ran over the letters that formed a phrase but from which she didn't catch the essence. She realised that she had gotten to the middle of the page without knowing what she had just read. She groaned in exasperation and threw the book shut.

As the book fell close, a piece of paper was blown away due to the little movement of air that was produced. She grabbed it before it could reach the edge of the table and frowned out of curiosity to the possible content of it. Turning it around in her hand, her eyes went sad as she read what was written on it.

In her own handwriting.

"If love is supposed to be the greatest power of all, if it is meant to last forever, does this mean that those who have been burned by it are to suffer great pain until the end of time?"

"Sentimental bullshit..." she whispered and crumbled the paper into a ball, throwing it into the nearest thrash can. She then stood up and gathered her belongings in her bag, threw her hair back and took the books she had taken out of the library in her arms.

She checked them in and was ready to leave the room when someone pressed a finger on her left shoulder. The brunette turned around and froze as she stared into the deepest colour of blue she had ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat and she cursed herself for showing her feelings so obviously. Had he been in here all the time? If so, why didn't she see him?

Shuyin smiled tenderly at her, feeling sorry for having frightened her and very sorry that things had turned out the way they did... he knew now how she felt and was terribly regretting it with all of his heart. When she had thrown the piece of paper away, it had hit the border of the trash can and fallen to the ground, only she hadn't seen it miss the can. He had picked up after she had left her table and opened it.

"Can we talk?" he hoarsely whispered, pleading with his eyes and his heart starting a frenzied rhythm, anxious to what she might answer. Seeing that she didn't answer back and just looked away from him, he gathered all the courage he had and decided to confront her with what he wanted to say. "I know I've hurt you very badly, Lenne." He whispered and saw her rolling her eyes slowly towards him. "And I'm very sorry. But I'm not going to keep apologizing to you."

Lenne closed her eyes and sighed, she knew what he was going to say, it didn't matter anyways because she didn't want to deal with him anymore. All fine and well that he wanted to talk things out, but that didn't mean that she had to talk too.

For a moment there he had thought that she was going to say something, but she just kept her eyes closed and her lips motionless.

This is harder than I had imagined it to be... I thought I could settle this easily, but... I realise that she has touched me... deeper than she thinks she has...And I too have been burned by love... I'm hurting as I'm standing here...

"I don't know what caused you to run away from me at the very beginning, Lenne." He whispered and saw her raise a sceptic eyebrow. "Ok, beside from me having se...Can we talk in a more private place?"

She looked at him with annoyed eyes for second and then rolled them up to the sky in exasperation.


"I know that things can't be as they were between us anymore..." he whispered as she sat down on a desk.

They had found an empty classroom and Shuyin now sat himself on the teacher's desk, across from her. He tried to smile at her, but couldn't. His heart felt awfully heavy, like it was carrying a burden. She softly chuckled and shook her head, staring out of the window.

"Make this quick, I have class in 15minutes." She harshly whispered, not shifting her eyes to look at him.

"I know; history." He responded, "We share that class, maybe?" He started to get a little bit annoyed too and took a deep sigh to calm himself. Lenne gave him an icy glare and he felt it like a spear of ice piercing through him.

"Talk, Shuyin." She then said, turning her head back to the windows, "But I have no intention to give it care."

The blonde sighed, letting his shoulders hang. It seemed like the more time passed, the more she got unreachable for him. If he was to say what he wanted to say, then it was better to be said right now.

"I just wanted to tell you that I miss you, Lenne... and I know that it maybe doesn't seem that way, but I truly believed that we could've got worked... I still do, but due to the current setting of things, I can't see how..." his voice died out when he saw her fervently shake her head.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she stood up and turned around to face him, "Don't give me this! I don't want to have anything to do with you that doesn't concern school, you got it? I just want to go on with my life and forget that I ever knew you! God..." Lenne looked up to the ceiling and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to roll from her eyes. "Why won't you give me the time to forget..." She hadn't wanted to go so emotional on him and now...

"Forget that you ever loved me?" He softly whispered and took a step closer to her. His heart was anxiously beating in his chest, but he kept closing the distance between them, hoping that she wouldn't run away from him.

She gasped, letting her head fall in her hands and then started to sob, her shoulders slightly shaking. "Go away..." she whimpered, "Oh please, just go..."

He put a hand on her shoulder, "Lenne. I ..." he gulped and looked at her wet cheeks and trembling lips. "I'm having a hard time trying to forget you too... I keep telling myself that it is for the better, that I got what I need now, but... What I truly need is you...You're the reason why my days feel so empty and meaningless... I..."

Here it comes, you know that you should've got said it a long time before and spared her the pain...

Lenne looked up at him and waited. Was he truly going to say it? Was he?

"Lenne... I love you...I kept denying it... kept trying to run from it and caused you so much pain..." his voice faded out as a new load of tears fell from her eyes. At first he thought that they were tears of joy, but the whimpers that came along couldn't possibly be joyful. "Lenne..."

"Can't you see?" she whispered and looked in his beautiful eyes, "We can't work. My world is way too different from yours... and besides you have Y-Yuna..." At her name she moved herself out of his grip and took a step back. "Like I said it before...I'm not like you... I'm not rich or popular... I'm not the type of girl who gives the first guy she meets a...a lap dance..."

"That's not what I want either." He whispered, reaching out for her. "I fell in love with you, not with her."

She took another step back, "But you had sex with her the same day we met. You even treated me like dirt in front of her." Her voice broke from the emotion and she took a deep breath, a hand on her throat to calm herself.

Shuyin let his head hang; it had no use telling her that it had been Rikku for he had had sex with Yuna the day after. "I'm not going to argue about what concerns Yuna, but I did it because I felt hurt. You walked out on me, just like that! Leaving me thinking that you didn't want anything to do with me! It was only when you seemed angry and hurt too that I understood that you did feel the same. I'm sorry, okay? But I do think that it wasn't entirely my fault, Lenne." He took a step closer and rested both of his hands on her shoulders. She let him do this, tired of running away from him and bent her head. "Talk to me, why did you walk out on me like that? Tidus told me something, but I'm not sure I believe him..."


Shuyin nodded and took a deep breath, "I understand now... and I'm sorry for your mother, but you and I are different from your parents... I don't think my mother would have a problem with me marrying a girl who's not from the same social class... Actually this place is the first one where I got confronted with these issues. I never had problems with classes before."

She softly smiled, "Yeah... it's pretty bad around here..." she whispered, now sitting down on her desk again, her feet resting on the teacher's desk.

The blonde sat himself next to her and stroked a strand of hair behind her right ear. "What I don't understand is...umm...you and Tidus? I mean...eh—?"

"I know...it happened last summer... I was on vacation in Kilika and he happened to be there too...At first it was just innocent between us, he didn't seem to care about my social class and I wanted to forget the boundaries that I had premised myself just so I could enjoy this 'summer love'. That was until he started to get a little too frisky for me..." She closed her eyes and looked away. Shuyin frowned and wanted to ask, but she beat him to it. "He wanted me to have a three-some with another guy...he almost forced me to it and I just couldn't stand that so I broke up with him. Big shock for me as I found out that we had classes together."

"You had never met before?" he asked, non-understanding. Lenne shook her head.

"He always had classes in the other department of this school and only got transferred to this one this year."

Shuyin made a face, "Ouch, painful. For him that is..." he smiled at her and she softly smiled back. He hesitantly approached his head to hers and his lips barely touched hers when they heard the bell ring. She moved her head and her cheeks went red from embarrassment.

"I still believe that this isn't a good idea... I'm afraid that Yuna and the others find out... I really don't want to deal with them again..." she whispered, and stood up. Shuyin just looked at her and bit his lips, "If I break up with Yuna now... It will lead her to you... Lenne—"

She shook her head, "It's ok you know... I'm almost used to it..." Even though she tried to hide the pain in her voice, he had heard it and shook his head in return. "No... Really Shuyin... It's better this way...I..."

He approached her and took her in his arms before she could finish her sentence and kissed her. Their lips melted together, electricity flowed through their bodies, the idea of this forbidden love all the more exciting.

Letting her arms run around his waist in an attempt to bring him closer if possible, Lenne felt like she was drowning in him. Helplessly drowning and not wanting to ever resurface. His lips were so soft on hers, his gentle fingers on her face making her slightly tremble and moaning for more.

The second bell resounded and he let go of her, feeling like he woke up from a dream. There she stood, her face blushed and her lips swollen en reddened from the passion they had experienced just a moment ago.

"Lenne... you're so beautiful..." He whispered breathlessly. She took the hand that was resting on her face in one of hers and softly kissed his fingertips.

"I love you." The words had come out as a mere whisper, all the held back feelings reflecting themselves in her eyes. "I'm willing to risk it... I'm willing to be with you, whatever it takes..."

He nodded, "But you know that I can't have Yuna chasing after you..."

"Then we will have to be extremely careful."

He kissed her again and caressed the tip of their noses together, his hands resting on each side of her head. "Now that I have you, nothing will take us apart again..."

"Yes, but if we don't hurry, we'll be late for class and that might wake up some suspicions." She chuckled, removing his hands from her face, "And that I'm not willing to risk."

He chuckled back, "I'll come up with an excuse."

"What, with your pitiful acting?" she whispered back.

Ouch touché...


As December entered its second week, the halls of the school got decorated with posters for the Winter Gala that was due to happen in three weeks. Excitement grew among the students as they read that this year a masquerade contest was being held, the winners being crowned to be King and Queen of Winter.

The election wasn't really the most discussed topic among the students, everybody knew that Yuna and her date would win, but what to wear that night. They all knew that showing up wasn't the most important thing, but in what costume to show up. It all got more difficult knowing that there was no theme whatsoever and that the dress code was absolutely open, you just had to be in disguise.

Although the dance was now less than two weeks away, the student council was surprised to see over ¾ of the tickets being sold after the first week.

Shuyin had never seen Yuna so pleased with herself and quite frankly it was starting to annoy him big time.

It was now lunchtime on a freezing Friday, exactly one week before the Gala, and the group (with the exception of Shuyin) was talking about their usual interests being money, designer clothing, their annoying classes or about where they could spent their expensive winter holidays and be able to shop for Von Dutch clothing as well. Or again, in Yuna's case, about the upcoming school event.

"Can you believe that there are less than ten tickets left! Oh my god, I don't believe that any other Student Council President has ever managed to get that much of people interested for a school Gala. That's so cool!" Yuna took a piece of sushi from her plate and put it delicately in her mouth, looking at her friends' faces for their reaction.

Tidus nodded while chewing on his piece of sushi, "Uh huh," he swallowed it and wiped off his mouth, "but then again, the school has never had a President like you, babe."

Yuna smiled him a bright smile cocking her head to side, "Oww that's so sweet, Ty. Thank you."

"Yeah, no other President ever organised the school Gala on a cruise boat, that's like so wild Yunie! You rock!" Rikku said with her high pitched voice, smiling at her cousin. The brunette was totally glowing with pride now as she saw her three friends nod in silent admiration. She loved the attention for she had worked her way to get it. That was the main reason why she had wanted to be President of the school board. Helping people, giving them some good time in school and in return, the respect and admiration of her loyal subjects. All the hard work was worth the total submission she received from those who admired her. And that included not only students, but teachers as well. How else do you think she got to be president of the student board? Yuna always got what she wanted, no one doubted about that. She was raised with every thing her little heart had desired and had never learned what a 'no' was. She had learned to do anything to get to her objectives...And the ones, who opposed her, were to be crushed mercilessly.

She turned her head towards the gorgeous blonde sitting silently next to her, his eyes fixed on his sushi dish.

"You don't like it?" She whispered in his left ear, running a hand under the back of his red pullover, caressing his lower back tenderly. "Do you want me to get something else for you?" She kissed his cheek softly and waited for his answer. For some reason she felt like she really liked Shuyin, not only because of his great looks, but also because he had this tenderness in him that she had never experienced with another man. It wasn't love, far from that, but every time he was near her, her body couldn't help but cry out for him. Longing for him to touch her in a way he only could. They would make a wonderful King and Queen at the gala. That was sure.

His eyes met hers and he smiled softly. "I appreciate you taking care of lunch today, Yuna. You're really wonderful." He forced himself to whisper to her, his gut feeling like it was about to turn itself upside down. "But I've never liked sushi that much and—" He was hushed by her moist lips on his.

Oh, God… hold it in… hold it in…

"It's alright." She then whispered and brushed a strand of his hair out of his slightly green face. She then frowned in concern. "I think you should go to the infirmary too, darling... you don't look so good. I'll go with you."

He nodded and slowly stood up, letting her lead him to the infirmary.


Food Poisoned. Great...just great… and that at the beginning of the weekend...

He lay now in his bed in his room, watching the ceiling and feeling like he was going to die from the pain his stomach was sending through his body. Every now and then he would manage to stand up and drag himself to the toiled to empty the content, whatever that was, his stomach couldn't hold in. His throat felt raw and sore from the unusual flow of gastric acids that had passed by through it too many times.

What time is it? Has Lenne finished classes yet? I long to see her so badly...she will be worried when she sees that I've missed gym and French today... If only she called...

He had barely finished that thought when a soft knocking was heard coming from his door.

"Master Shuyin?" a soft demure voice whispered at the other side of the door. He sat up in his bed with difficulty and hoped that his voice would be solid enough to answer.

"Y-yes come in, Lynn. What is it?" he whispered, his throat feeling like it was on fire.

A young girl came in and slightly bowed her head towards him. "Your mother has called and said that she would be back late today for she has important business to attend to."

Tell me something I didn't know...

"Alright, thank you Lynn." He whispered and wanted to sink back into his covers. But the maid didn't exit the room. "Something else?" He asked, his eyelids wanting to close themselves out of tiredness.

"Yes, there is a young woman named Lenne here. She says she has come to bring you your homework. Should I let her come up to your room, or do you feel strong enough to meet her in the library?"

His eyes immediately sprung open and quickly sat himself up again. Too quickly... his head was now spinning and he felt nauseous again... "Bring her here in ten minutes; I'd like to fresh myself up a little first."

She bowed again and exited silently.

Lenne... you're here... Thank you...

Ten minutes later he emerged from the bathroom, feeling surprisingly better and looking a lot better too. He had just put on a clean shirt and comfortable pants when a soft knocking was heard coming from his study room. He left his room, closed the door and crossed the study to the entry door. As he opened to door, he caught her watching a painting that was hanging on the wall across his study room door.

"Turner." He whispered, causing her to turn around immediately. "Snowstorm."

"I know, we studied him for history. Why didn't you tell me you had his most famous work? I love this." She whispered and turned herself around to look at it more. "I love how he expresses what he feels through this painting. You can feel the rage but also a strange calm, like he knows that it has no use to be angry for it will go over, given the time." Her voice died out as she saw him standing next to him.

"Like a snowstorm." He then whispered and looked at her. She nodded and looked back at the painting. He continued, "No matter how bad things look, you should always believe that they will get better in time."

Lenne smiled serenely and he could tell that she was thinking about their situation. "I'm glad you came, Lenne."

"I just couldn't give you the pleasure to skip the entire afternoon without doing some work, now could I?" She whispered with a small smile and looked at him worriedly. "What happened? I was worried sick about you when you didn't show up for French. Are you alright?"

He just looked at her and couldn't help but smile. He let a hand caress her left cheek and pulled her closer to him. They held each other tightly like they hadn't seen each other in years. "You have no idea how much better you're making me feel right now."

She smiled against his right shoulder and pressed a kiss in his throat, "I was so worried. I thought she had done something to you or that she had found out about us, I..."

"Calm down... she didn't and she won't. I ate something wrong at lunch that's all." He whispered back, caressing her hair and kissing it repetitively. "Don't worry so much about us... it will be fine. Like the snowstorm?"

She looked up at him, "Like the snowstorm."

He nodded and took her by her hand, "Come, I'll show you into my quarters."

She chuckled, entering his study and closing the door behind her.


"Come to the Gala."

They now where sitting on the edge of his king-size bed and had been discussing school and other things, when he had suddenly blurted that question out. He had asked it because he had known that she hadn't bought herself a ticket yet and he really wanted her to be there and have some fun.

"Shuyin... you know that—" She started and shook her head. He took her hands in his and moved a little closer to her.

"It is a masked Gala; no one will know it is you... only for me... I would like to spend as much as time as possible with you at that dance. You wouldn't want me to hang around Yuna and her friends all night now would you?" He asked, grimacing. She demurely laughed and shook her head. "And I'm sure that Yuna will be too busy with her organisation that night, so I really don't want to be on my own. You should have seen her bragging about how great she was and stuff like that... so please don't do this to me...I'll buy you the ticket?"

Lenne sighed and nodded reluctantly, "But I wouldn't know what to wear..."

"I do." He whispered and stood up, leaving her wondering on his bed. He walked over to his closet and took out a large gift box. "I hope it will fit, I didn't know your exact measurements..."

Lenne's mouth opened itself slowly and she stood up too. "Shuyin... you didn't..." She shook her head, approaching him.

He smiled brightly at her and handed her the box, "Open it."

She bit her lip, sat back down and opened the box.

Neatly folded in the box lay the most gorgeous dress Lenne had ever seen in her life. She took it out carefully and gasped, let it fall back down in the packaging and stood back up to hug to blonde tightly. "It's so beautiful, Shuyin! Oh my god..."

"Go try it on in the bathroom." He softly whispered and let go of her. She nodded and took her gift with her too the bathroom.

As she stepped out in her outfit, he stood up from his seat to look at her and his breath caught in his throat.

The dress was a perfect fit.

It existed out of a moonlight blue corset incrusted with tiny little shiny material that reflected the light with every move she made. The corset had a slight push-up effect, making her cleavage more filled. The other part of the dress was made out of different layers of wavy moonlight blue transparent fabric that formed a short tail behind her. Her legs were visible from her knees at the front of her dress showing the calves-enlacing, moonlight blue with little diamonds high heeled sandals he had gotten her to fit with the outfit. Out of the corset came a set of transparent light-blue glittering elfin wings. At the base of her throat was a silver necklace with a big heart shaped, light blue diamond as pendant. On her head she wore a little silver crown, embellished with little white diamonds. Her hair was hanging freely on her back now, but when she would go to the gala, it would be best to put it up a little.

She walked up to him with a shy smile and stretched out her arms to him, palms down. "Shuyin... I cannot accept this... it's too much...!"

Shuyin stood up and took her hands in his, shaking his head. "I want you to have it... so you know how much I want you to be present at the dance. I want you to shine like the queen you truly are...to just let go of the everyday torments and be a queen just for one night. My fairytale queen..." he softly whispered, his lips barely grazing against hers. "You're so beautiful, Lenne."

Lenne could only look in his deep blue eyes, fighting the urge to shed her tears. This was too good to be true... this boy, no, young man cared so much for her he was willing to spent a little fortune on her? Never had she had anyone to do that for her... never had she ever dreamt of feeling this way for a man from the other social class, to feel so loved by him, to mean so much. She shook her head and lowered her head, "You're too good to be true." She whispered, eyes closed.

"You're the one who's too good to be true... you've changed me... I know now that I would never, ever want to hurt you, nor make you worried over me. You are precious to me, you know that? And no matter what the future holds for us, we'll get through it together. Because you and I, we belong together."

Lenne snuggled herself in his embrace, feeling truly blessed to have him. If only they didn't have to do all of this in secret...

"I think that I'll break up with Yuna soon..." he whispered against her hair, "She is kind of to blame for my illness."

Lenne's head shot up from his chest, "Are you serious! Oh my god! What'd she do?"

"She brought sushi for me at lunch. I can't stand that. But she didn't know." He whispered back, "I really thought I was going to die from the smell of it and from her constant babbling about the gala..."

The brunette giggled and rested her head back against his chest, "I think you should carefully plan the way you're going to announce it to her. She mustn't get too suspicious about us..."

"Of course... I'll do that..." he whispered back, kissing her hair. "But for now..." he whispered and reached the zipper of her corset at the back of the dress, "Would my queen make me the honour of showing me her most gracious curves?"

He hadn't thought of going any further out of respect for her, but her next words, made him shiver all over.

She reached behind her as well and coaxed him to unzip her. "It would be my greatest pleasure to grant you that wish." She softly whispered and felt the dress slip passed her hips.

As the dress fell to a heap around her shoed ankles, she stepped out of it and walked around him, sitting herself on his bed. Moving herself to the centre, she beckoned him to move closer. It almost didn't come up to her that this was her first time with him. When he just kept staring at her she realised it and laid herself down, waiting for him to join her. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"Shuyin, I want to give you this... And not just because of what you gave me, but because you are right. I belong to you..."

Shuyin gulped and took a deep breath. Never had he seen a girl who both shone strength and tenderness at the same time... it truly took his breath away..."And I belong to you, Lenne." He whispered and approached her. As he made his way up her body, casually dropping tender kisses, Lenne bit her lips to keep the moans of anticipation escape her mouth. All that mattered was that they were here.

Together.

This was their moment, two souls that were about to melt into one.


The main reason for me to not update this story is for the lack of intrest I've received so far for it... It is hard to put your heart into something and get but little response or none for it. I have other stories published here and I will give them more attention for the time being. I thank those who do read AND review, too bad that those people are but few.

-BDP-