Chapter Three: Back at Home.
I let the beast in too soon, I don't how to live
Without my hand on his throat; I fight him always & still
O darling, it's so sweet, you think you know how crazy
-How crazy I am
You say you don't spook easy, you won't go, but I know
And I pray that you will
-Fast as you can, baby run-free yourself of me
Fast as you can
"Fast as You can"- Fiona Apple
Ceres opened the car door and stepped outside, 'Well,' she thought to herself, 'I'm back...' The Garden stood in front of her, in all of it's glory and beauty. Being back there was like seeing an old friend for the first time in years. But, it also brought back the fear and the memories. Rinoa's face hit her mind. The intense pain and confusion as Irvine's bullet flew into her body, killing her almost instantly. Ceres breath stopped in her throat, and she backed up slowly, accidently bumping into Zell.
"Hey," Zell said, wrapping his arms around the younger female, "It's okay. We're all here with you, nothing bad will happen." But, even with his comforting words, Ceres still couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom that was creeping up on her.
"Hello, welcome back Ceres!" Xu greeted them at the entrance, kissing Irvine. "How are you doing, hon?" "Alright, I suppose," Ceres replied, numbly. "I think I just want to go lie down for a little bit.." Xu nodded in understandment, "I know how you feel, hon, that trip must of taken alot out of you."
Ceres smiled weakly. "Zell, can I take a nap in your bed, until I get my dorm back?" "Of course, you can!" Zell exclaimed, handing Ceres a key. "Just use this, it's the key to my room, 'kay?" Ceres nodded absently.
She started to walk down the hall. "And, hey!" Zell called out, running to catch up with her, "Listen, if you need me for any reason, just call, okay? I'll be there in less than a second." He said it so seriously, that Ceres couldn't help but smile, "Okay, I will." Zell winked at her, and ran back to the others. Ceres sighed, and headed towards Zell's room.
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Ceres tossed and turned, her dreams haunted by nightmares. She was back to where she had just came to Balamb Garden, the first time she had met Zell. "What's your name?" Zell had asked her. "Ceres... Ceres Almasy.." she had replied, slowly, afraid that he would taunt her and hate her because of her relation to Seifer. But, he had only been shocked for a moment, and then had said, "Glad to meet ya!" and Ceres knew everything would be alright.
She turned to run to her room to unpack, like she had in real life, and all of a sudden she heard a soft voice calling her name. She turned around, to see a decayed Rinoa standing behind Zell. "I lost the one that I loved," Rinoa croaked, "Now you must lose the one you love.." She held up her hand, to reveal a small dagger. She grabbed Zell by his hair, and pulled his head back, running the blade across his throat. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ceres screamed, running towards Zell and Rinoa....
Ceres sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding, sweating. She gasped for air. 'I can't breathe..' she thought wildly to herself. 'I'm going to die because I can't breathe!' She grabbed at her throat, and coughed repeatedly, trying desperately to get some oxygen to her lungs.
Two strong arms encircled her. "Shhhhhh..." came a voice she knew all too well, "Calm down, hun. Just take a deep breath, nice and slow, that's it.." Ceres' breathing slowly returned to normal. She turned around and faced Irvine. "Thank you.." she whispered. Irvine merely shrugged and looked at her questioningly, "Nightmares?" Ceres nodded. "You used to have them all the time," Irvine said, looking up at the ceiling, "9 times outta 10 you would wake up in the middle of the night, gasping for air and panicking. But, all I had to do, was wrap my arms around you, and tell you it was going to be alright. Sometimes, it took a long time for you to calm down, and that really scared me.."
Ceres blinked, "Yeah, I 'member." she said slowly. 'Why is he bringing up the past?' she thought to herself, 'our past' a small voice reminded her. She shook her head, and looked at Irvine, raising an eyebrow, "Say, cowboy, where's ya girlfriend at?" Irvine laughed, and shrugged his shoulders, "The hell if I know. Probably teaching a class, scaring the students half to death." Ceres giggled, and leaned on Irvine's shoulder.
Being there with Irvine, like that, was a strange comforting feeling. She remembered how safe she had felt with him. The electricity that had flowed between them when they kissed. The warmth of his body next to hers...
'What am I thinking?' she thought to herself, trying to shake away the feeling. 'That was in the past, now I love Zell...' she told herself, but she still couldn't stop remembering and her mind involuntarily played out a day when a certain cowboy had admitted his undying love for her.
*******************************************************************************************
(Flashback)
Irvine looked at Ceres and mimicked Martine, "You should concentrate more on your work, Mr. Kinneas, and not so much the ladies." he said in a high pitched voice, causing Ceres to smirk at him. "Yeah, that sounds just like him," she said sarcastically, making Irvine smile.
He put his arm around her shoulder, and she lied her head on his shoulder. He sighed and shifted, causing Ceres to raise an eyebrow. 'What's he thinking about?' she asked herself. "Ceres..." 'C'mon, Kinneas, just say it.' he thought to himself. "Yes, Irvy?" "Ceres....I..." 'You have to do this.' "Yes?"
He sat up and looked at her, his eyes of love and passion. "Ceres, I love you." Ceres' eyes got big and she sat up, looking at him. She bit her lower lip, and looked away for a second, "......... I love you too, Irvy," she responded, suprising herself. She hadn't even realized that she was in love with Irvine Kinneas, but she was. Head over heels in love with him.
He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Ceres winked at him and he laughed. "You're something pretty special, you know that?" Ceres rolled her eyes, and pushed Irvine down, climbing on top of him, "Oh just shuddap and kiss me." she whispered, and Irvine gladly complied with the request, wrapping his arms tightly around her, kissing her gently on the lips.
'This is the happiest day of my life,' Ceres thought dreamily to herself.
(End of Flashback)
*******************************************************************************************
Ceres shook herself, and blinked several times. 'It was so real, like it was just yesterday,' she thought to herself. She looked over at Irvine, and she saw him just as she saw him four years ago. A handsome angel, who loved her more than anything, and who she would die for. Not thinking, she leaned over and softly kissed him on the lips. A look of suprise cover Irvine's face. "Wha?" he asked, his voice barely about a whisper. "I don't know! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Ceres cried, burying her head in her pillow. "Ceres..." Irvine said, and she looked up at him. He drew his finger, tracing her jawline. He used to do that all the time, and Ceres loved it more than anything. She closed her eyes, lost in his touch. He kissed her lips back, unsure of whether or not to proceed. Ceres was consumed in passion, and forgot to think things through. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down on top of her, allowing his tongue to go past her lips and explore her mouth.
'What am I doing?' she asked herself crazily, but she didn't draw away from Irvine, only kept kissing him, there, in Zell's room, in the safety of her forgotten lover's arms.
~Eep! What the fuck? Is Ceres going to sleep with Irvine?! What about Zell?! Oh my, this does not look good at all! *Giggles* I'll have Chapter Four:Guilty or Innocent coming along a.s.a.p. until then, stay put. ^.~ Love ya, Zell~
I let the beast in too soon, I don't how to live
Without my hand on his throat; I fight him always & still
O darling, it's so sweet, you think you know how crazy
-How crazy I am
You say you don't spook easy, you won't go, but I know
And I pray that you will
-Fast as you can, baby run-free yourself of me
Fast as you can
"Fast as You can"- Fiona Apple
Ceres opened the car door and stepped outside, 'Well,' she thought to herself, 'I'm back...' The Garden stood in front of her, in all of it's glory and beauty. Being back there was like seeing an old friend for the first time in years. But, it also brought back the fear and the memories. Rinoa's face hit her mind. The intense pain and confusion as Irvine's bullet flew into her body, killing her almost instantly. Ceres breath stopped in her throat, and she backed up slowly, accidently bumping into Zell.
"Hey," Zell said, wrapping his arms around the younger female, "It's okay. We're all here with you, nothing bad will happen." But, even with his comforting words, Ceres still couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom that was creeping up on her.
"Hello, welcome back Ceres!" Xu greeted them at the entrance, kissing Irvine. "How are you doing, hon?" "Alright, I suppose," Ceres replied, numbly. "I think I just want to go lie down for a little bit.." Xu nodded in understandment, "I know how you feel, hon, that trip must of taken alot out of you."
Ceres smiled weakly. "Zell, can I take a nap in your bed, until I get my dorm back?" "Of course, you can!" Zell exclaimed, handing Ceres a key. "Just use this, it's the key to my room, 'kay?" Ceres nodded absently.
She started to walk down the hall. "And, hey!" Zell called out, running to catch up with her, "Listen, if you need me for any reason, just call, okay? I'll be there in less than a second." He said it so seriously, that Ceres couldn't help but smile, "Okay, I will." Zell winked at her, and ran back to the others. Ceres sighed, and headed towards Zell's room.
***************************************************************************************
Ceres tossed and turned, her dreams haunted by nightmares. She was back to where she had just came to Balamb Garden, the first time she had met Zell. "What's your name?" Zell had asked her. "Ceres... Ceres Almasy.." she had replied, slowly, afraid that he would taunt her and hate her because of her relation to Seifer. But, he had only been shocked for a moment, and then had said, "Glad to meet ya!" and Ceres knew everything would be alright.
She turned to run to her room to unpack, like she had in real life, and all of a sudden she heard a soft voice calling her name. She turned around, to see a decayed Rinoa standing behind Zell. "I lost the one that I loved," Rinoa croaked, "Now you must lose the one you love.." She held up her hand, to reveal a small dagger. She grabbed Zell by his hair, and pulled his head back, running the blade across his throat. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ceres screamed, running towards Zell and Rinoa....
Ceres sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding, sweating. She gasped for air. 'I can't breathe..' she thought wildly to herself. 'I'm going to die because I can't breathe!' She grabbed at her throat, and coughed repeatedly, trying desperately to get some oxygen to her lungs.
Two strong arms encircled her. "Shhhhhh..." came a voice she knew all too well, "Calm down, hun. Just take a deep breath, nice and slow, that's it.." Ceres' breathing slowly returned to normal. She turned around and faced Irvine. "Thank you.." she whispered. Irvine merely shrugged and looked at her questioningly, "Nightmares?" Ceres nodded. "You used to have them all the time," Irvine said, looking up at the ceiling, "9 times outta 10 you would wake up in the middle of the night, gasping for air and panicking. But, all I had to do, was wrap my arms around you, and tell you it was going to be alright. Sometimes, it took a long time for you to calm down, and that really scared me.."
Ceres blinked, "Yeah, I 'member." she said slowly. 'Why is he bringing up the past?' she thought to herself, 'our past' a small voice reminded her. She shook her head, and looked at Irvine, raising an eyebrow, "Say, cowboy, where's ya girlfriend at?" Irvine laughed, and shrugged his shoulders, "The hell if I know. Probably teaching a class, scaring the students half to death." Ceres giggled, and leaned on Irvine's shoulder.
Being there with Irvine, like that, was a strange comforting feeling. She remembered how safe she had felt with him. The electricity that had flowed between them when they kissed. The warmth of his body next to hers...
'What am I thinking?' she thought to herself, trying to shake away the feeling. 'That was in the past, now I love Zell...' she told herself, but she still couldn't stop remembering and her mind involuntarily played out a day when a certain cowboy had admitted his undying love for her.
*******************************************************************************************
(Flashback)
Irvine looked at Ceres and mimicked Martine, "You should concentrate more on your work, Mr. Kinneas, and not so much the ladies." he said in a high pitched voice, causing Ceres to smirk at him. "Yeah, that sounds just like him," she said sarcastically, making Irvine smile.
He put his arm around her shoulder, and she lied her head on his shoulder. He sighed and shifted, causing Ceres to raise an eyebrow. 'What's he thinking about?' she asked herself. "Ceres..." 'C'mon, Kinneas, just say it.' he thought to himself. "Yes, Irvy?" "Ceres....I..." 'You have to do this.' "Yes?"
He sat up and looked at her, his eyes of love and passion. "Ceres, I love you." Ceres' eyes got big and she sat up, looking at him. She bit her lower lip, and looked away for a second, "......... I love you too, Irvy," she responded, suprising herself. She hadn't even realized that she was in love with Irvine Kinneas, but she was. Head over heels in love with him.
He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Ceres winked at him and he laughed. "You're something pretty special, you know that?" Ceres rolled her eyes, and pushed Irvine down, climbing on top of him, "Oh just shuddap and kiss me." she whispered, and Irvine gladly complied with the request, wrapping his arms tightly around her, kissing her gently on the lips.
'This is the happiest day of my life,' Ceres thought dreamily to herself.
(End of Flashback)
*******************************************************************************************
Ceres shook herself, and blinked several times. 'It was so real, like it was just yesterday,' she thought to herself. She looked over at Irvine, and she saw him just as she saw him four years ago. A handsome angel, who loved her more than anything, and who she would die for. Not thinking, she leaned over and softly kissed him on the lips. A look of suprise cover Irvine's face. "Wha?" he asked, his voice barely about a whisper. "I don't know! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Ceres cried, burying her head in her pillow. "Ceres..." Irvine said, and she looked up at him. He drew his finger, tracing her jawline. He used to do that all the time, and Ceres loved it more than anything. She closed her eyes, lost in his touch. He kissed her lips back, unsure of whether or not to proceed. Ceres was consumed in passion, and forgot to think things through. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down on top of her, allowing his tongue to go past her lips and explore her mouth.
'What am I doing?' she asked herself crazily, but she didn't draw away from Irvine, only kept kissing him, there, in Zell's room, in the safety of her forgotten lover's arms.
~Eep! What the fuck? Is Ceres going to sleep with Irvine?! What about Zell?! Oh my, this does not look good at all! *Giggles* I'll have Chapter Four:Guilty or Innocent coming along a.s.a.p. until then, stay put. ^.~ Love ya, Zell~
