'Irvine...'
Selphie cringed as she drew back from Seifer, trying to see where he was. Irvine stepped forward from the doorway, eyes narrowed.
"I knew it. I knew when I saw you leaving this morning."
"You saw me?"
Selphie's eyes widened, which Irvine took as a sign of guilt. However, he didn't notice that they weren't wide for long. If he saw her leave, why hadn't he knocked on Seifer's door to find out what was going on?
Unless...
"Were you in your room last night?"
"What does it matter? You weren't in yours."
"It matters! Because if you had, you would have heard..."
"Would have heard what? You moaning his name?"
Selphie gasped, and Seifer glared at Irvine.
"She woke me up from a nightmare, you asshole. If you'd been here with her last night, you would have known that. Or perhaps you were busy… elsewhere…with someone else?"
Irvine froze, while Selphie managed to free herself from Seifer.
"What... What are you saying, Seifer... Irvine would never..."
Even as she spoke the words, the doubt was there, underlying and hesitant. Seifer shook his head, disgusted by the mere sight of Irvine Kinneas.
What a waste.
"Ask him about his phone call. Why Quistis was so upset."
Irvine growled. "That's it, fuckhead."
He stalked towards Seifer, and though Selphie was preoccupied, trying to comprehend what Seifer was heavily implying, she knew what was on Irvine's mind.
"Irvine. Don't..." She started to walk towards him, hands out, supplicating. "Please..."
He stilled as she neared, seeming to reach out to pull her into an embrace.
A small smile even began to tug his lips upwards, and she smiled in return, not caring what was going on, knowing they could work it out... She just needed to get them apart, and as she dragged her gaze from Seifer, so beautiful in all his righteous anger, she barely caught the sight of the back of Irvine's hand, so close…too close…
She fell to the right, instinctually covering her face, tasting copper on her tongue when his blow landed forcefully to the side of her cheek. All she could see was the tight smile on Irvine's lips as he drew his hand back. Her ears were ringing and her lip was beginning to swell where she'd bitten it. The pain, as much of a surprise as the sudden rush of blood to her cheek, exploded across her cheekbone and behind her eyes and she observed the room from a very odd angle. He'd…Irvine had…hit her.
And then the low, angry growl that could only have come from Seifer was reverberating in her head and she pressed her hands to her temple to block out the sudden amplified noise. She'd sustained worse in battle, true, but this had been totally unexpected and Selphie knew that she was going to come away from this with more than just a bruise on her cheek because she could feel, at that very moment, when Seifer was charging Irvine with more fury than she'd seen in a long while, her heart crack and shatter into a million pieces.
Irvine didn't love her.
She blinked, shook her head slightly to clear her muddled thoughts and was assailed with the vision of Seifer Almasy, rage darkening his golden features and transforming his masculine beauty into something terrible and formidable.
Irvine took a step back, to retreat or to steady himself, Selphie couldn't be sure, but it didn't really matter. Seifer was too quick. And he was half out of his mind with rage. She'd never seen him like this…ever. When Seifer got angry he did so with careful, practiced arrogance, as though he knew he wouldn't be challenged and therefore had nothing to worry about. This, though, this was different. She could tell he wasn't thinking and she suddenly froze in fear for Irvine. He had no idea what he'd brought upon himself.
She called to him, weakly, the pain in her head preventing her from truly raising her voice to get his attention.
"Seifer…no…"
Seifer had grabbed Irvine by the lapels on his jacket and lifted him effortlessly, lifting him until his feet cleared the floor. The muscles in his arms bunched and gathered, but he showed no other outward sign of exerting himself. He shook Irvine until he resembled a rag doll, his long hair tangling about his face, his hat knocked aside. Irvine grasped Seifer's arms instinctively, but it did him no good. Seifer was snarling in anger and the words that were coming from his mouth didn't bear repeating. Selphie cringed. This was the real Seifer Almasy. This angry, defiant young man who acted as his emotions bade him. The ability to reason escaping him, as she'd thought him beyond.
She tried again.
"Seifer, don't…don't hurt him."
She reached for him, one hand out, as she began to get to her feet again. Seifer spun about, slamming Irvine into the wall behind him, once, twice, until Irvine ceased struggling and his head lolled against his shoulder, momentarily dazed. It was only then that Seifer released him, letting him slide down the wall to crumple at his feet. Seifer didn't move away, simply stood over him, contempt twisting his expression, and despite her tentative fear of him, Selphie found herself responding to his primal display. There was no pretense with him. He was true to himself above all else, and in so doing, had been true to her.
He turned slowly, to lock his gaze on hers and just as suddenly as it had appeared, his anger faded and his expression softened, genuinely concerned.
He reached for her, murmured her name, glanced back at Irvine, who was attempting to get himself together and paused for one moment. He lowered himself to one knee before Irvine, grabbed a fistful of his long auburn ponytail and forced him up until they were eye to eye.
"You will never touch her again. You will never speak her name again. You no longer have that right."
And then he released him, letting him fall back as he may, to catch himself or not - he didn't particularly care. His anger was dissipated and his innate sense of justice had been somewhat appeased.
He rose to his feet again, covered the distance that separated him from Selphie and reached out, so very hesitantly and brushed his fingertips over the rapidly blooming bruise that marred her skin. A brief flicker of anger appeared in the jade depths of his eyes before he shuttered them again and in one smooth motion, he leaned to sweep Selphie up into his arms, cradling her like a small child. The look on his face was another she'd never seen before although she welcomed it.
He was…magnificent.
"Seifer…"
It came out as a whisper, though she hadn't intended it to be so. He shook his head, silencing her.
"Shhh. I'll get some ice for your cheek. You need to rest. We'll talk later."
His tone was final, it brooked no argument, gentle as it was and she found herself responding, without question. It was nice to relinquish control to someone she trusted.
Trusted. She did trust Seifer. He'd earned it.
She turned her face into the soft folds of his shirt and closed her eyes. She'd think about Irvine later. Right now, she just wanted to shut the world out and let Seifer take care of her. For once, she was going to let someone else take control. And who better?
Irvine placed a hand on his knee, trying to force himself up. All he could see was the retreating form of Almasy, Selphie's arms around his neck. He scowled the fear he'd felt just a few moments ago turning into something deeper, darker. A rage filled his heart, not anger at himself - oh no. Selphie had brought this upon herself by allowing him in, and then continuing to protect him, though they were almost promised to each other. She wasn't supposed to care about anyone as much as she cared for him.
"You'll pay for this, Almasy. Mark my words."
He hissed, more so to himself then aloud, though he'd like to think the slight pause in Almasy's stride was he hearing his threat. No, not a threat, a promise.
---
Disclaimers:
I don't own anyone. ;_; Once again, many many many HUGE thanks to the wonderful Pixie. For loan of her Seifer and her talent.