Hey! I'm not dead yet! Just busy. But not too much so that I couldn't write this for you Enjoy! — Sh34k4

Kisses Before Death – 9

Yoyo Irvine Zidane Rikku Cloud Kurumi Leon (Squall)

Cloud and Zidane found themselves about two miles from camp, following the still-shocked Irvine. They had tried calling out to him a few times, but soon realized that he was either ignoring them or so lost in thought, he couldn't hear their calls because he continued on without any signs of stopping to reply. They could have left him to his own devices, but fiends were everywhere in this day and age. They couldn't just abandon him to his thoughts and whatever monster decided to attack a vulnerable human in the middle of nowhere.

As they followed from a distance, they talked about the happenings of the past couple minutes and what could possibly be waiting in the future. They had started off where Rikku and Kurumi had left off, talking of Yoyo marrying Leon and how Irvine might just leave the party because he couldn't handle that kind of situation. They then went on to discuss a turn in the pairing, what if Irvine ended up getting Yoyo in the end? They were so busy amusing themselves with wild ideas—well Zidane was being amusing and Cloud, his usual serious self—that they didn't notice Irvine had stopped until they were almost abreast of him.

Leaning downwards, so he could see Irvine's face, Cloud's words momentarily clogged in his throat. Irvine's pain rose off of his body in an almost palpable aura, so much so that Cloud was inclined to put a hand on Irvine's shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. "Hey man, it's not the end of the world yet, you know. She's still available, just a little detour in the path now."

Zidane came up on the other side of Irvine, jostling his body as he threw his arm around his shoulders, "Yeah Irv! Yoyo just started looking at Leon in that light. You were totally working on it first. You just have to stop being so gentle with it and become more aggressive." Irvine's eyes blinked as though he we4re processing the information so they pushed on with their conversation.

"You have to show her your manly side, chicks love a guy who's all man," Zidane told him as he puffed out his chest in example.

"Please, don't," Cloud's eyes rolled as he shook his head in disagreement, "Ladies like the gentlemanly approach. What I suggest is you take her out and show her a good time. One that'll leave her knowing you don't just want to be friends."

Zidane pushed Cloud aside and took control of Irvine's attention. "But you gotta kiss her. If you don't kiss her and make it the best this-is-what-you've-been-missing kiss she's ever had in her life you won't get anywhere. If you kiss her and her socks don't fly off, then it's a lost cause cuz you'll never get laid." Zidane shrugged as though it didn't matter but kept his attention on Irvine all the same.

Irvine was only listening with half an ear, but he couldn't deny that their words held truth. Up until now, he had only been supporting her in any way possible, be it battle or an argument, he had her side. But now that he was taking the time to analyze his feelings, he wondered if it was simply because of his attraction or if it was the fear of losing her that caused him to do so. The fear that, deep down, wondered if she would get tired of the group life and decide to leave them all behind . . .

He had had many urges in the past. He'd wanted to hold her close when she had nightmares of her past. Grab her hand and tell her things would be all right when she worried about things by herself. There had been times when he had seen her beaten and bloody from battle and he had wanted to care for her . . . and had, in a way. He was always there to share a glass of her favorite rum in hopes of lessening the pain she would never complain about.

He knew more of her past than most of the others. Though he wasn't sure of exactly how much she'd deemed to tell the others, he was sure there hadn't been painful stories under the stars as there had been with him. They would lie in the grass or on rocks—he hadn't cared. So long as it had been with her—and stare up at the night sky.

Yoyo would simply stare up at the stars and sometimes talk about the constellations and they would chat. But occasionally, she would talk of her past years, and these were the times he'd yearn for. When she would drop the powerful walls of the assassin and just strip own to the woman who was lonely and starving for humanly contact that resulted in companionship and not death.

Irvine had felt a vice beginning to clamp down on his heart from them—he'd just never thought it would cause him this kind of pain in the long run. Despite the vice, he didn't try to ignore her failings. Yoyo was horribly ignorant of the ways of people. In all the time they had been traveling together, she had never noticed his feelings, never given any sign that she herself was forming feelings for him. No, none for him.

But Leon got acknowledgement.

Irvine's teeth gritted angrily in remembrance. What was it about Leon that he could get a reaction like the one he ha seen back at camp? After all his years of trying . . . all his years of being there, waiting for the right time to step forward and say . . . something! Irvine's fists clenched and his body quivered.

"How the HELL DID I end up liking such an idiot?" Snatching his rifle from Zidane, Irvine let off a few shots on some nearby vegetation. Though they were a bit worried about his sudden outburst, Zidane and Cloud couldn't quite hold in the awe. As angry as he was—and they were pretty certain he was pissed—all the shots hit dead on, leaving large gaps where the bullets had passed through.

"What in the world possessed me when I looked at that Shot and thought, 'She is actually really pretty'? Shot Jeez, she's oblivious, Shot arrogant, Shot deadly, Shot caring, Shot protective, Shot got a great ass, Shot and I liver her. Click Click

Irvine looked down at his rifle and a small smile crept to his lips as he accepted that the truth couldn't be changed. He loved that fool of a girl. This situation he'd found himself in was going to be trying, but he knew he'd have to take control of it. Turning to look at Cloud and Zidane, Irvine's smile spread, "Let's go back," then after a thoughtful pause, he added, "She worries about us, y'know."

Without another word, the three of them turned around and began heading back towards camp. They had been walking for about half a mile, when the ground shifted from under them to reveal a band of child-sized metal scorpions that had obviously been lying in wait for a chance at some foolish travelers. The dust from their ruse flew up into the air and caused a large dust cloud to hide their exact positions and number.

"Well, well, well. Looks too me like we've got some trav-lerzzz." One of them said from the darkness. Snickers and sounds of pinchers snapping excitedly answered and from the noise, the trio knew they were surrounded. And by a good number of the little bastards too, if sound of those pincers was anything to go by.

Back-to-back, Cloud, Zidane, and Irvine prepped their weapons for a fight. They didn't need to talk aloud to know what the plan was. One couldn't fight well surrounded by the enemy that had set up a trap to cover his whereabouts. They were all going to fight their way out of the cloud to better the odds, especially Irvine. A sniper wasn't any good in this kind of situation; he might end up hitting the wrong person. His first order of business would be to get out of the dust cloud and take position on the nearby rocks. From there, he could provide greater support for the two swordsmen on the ground.

Plan ready, the three began to fight their way out of the cloud and into the open night air . . .

Back at Camp

Yoyo, bandaged up and fed, was looking around camp for the guys. Kurumi and Rikku, she had found silently crying, not wanting to talk about the reason. Leon was close to the fire, setting up an area for them to sleep tonight. That was four out of seven accounted for . . . where were those three? She began to worry when a half hour passed and none of them came back.

Gazing off in the direction she just knew he had gone, Yoyo whispered, "Irvie, where are you?"

END

"Yes" I know it's been a LONG time since a release, and for that, "Sorry" I just couldn't think of anything and then Sexe gave me a WONDERFUL idea and my pen just couldn't stop writing! I got home and typed up the entire chapter in one sitting. Hope you enjoyed it, Review and tell me what you think. — Sh34k4