By RobertDogwood@aol.com
Edited by Vick330
Chapter Seven
The Star Crossed Lovers
Watching Squall quietly leave the doctor's office, and not return to keep her company, Rinoa wondered, Now what was that all about?
Early the next morning, Rinoa was awaken by the noise of activity in her clinic room. Lifting her head slightly off her pillow and glancing around she was amazed to see Squall standing there. He was now appareled in a plaid bath robe and standing behind a wheelchair that he was gripping by the handles. Doctor Kadowaki and the nurse stood nearby, both beaming at her.
"What's going on?" Rinoa asked blearily.
"You're returning to your quarters today, my dear," explained Dr. Kadowaki.
"I mean what's with the wheelchair?" Rinoa inquired.
"Ahem," the doctor cleared her throat.
The nurse quickly said, "It's a new policy of the medical program. All patients will be discharged back to their rooms via a wheelchair. It's just a safety precaution."
"But what about Squall? He's being discharged today, as well and I don't see him in a wheelchair," the young woman pointed out, understanding full well that something highly suspicious was occurring here.
"Well, wouldn't that look silly?" the nurse retorted. "One person in a wheelchair pushing another person in a wheelchair. Or perhaps you're looking forward to participating in a wheelchair race," she added sarcastically.
Dr. Kadowaki cut the nurse off from any further ludicrous explanations, by pointing out that Rinoa was the legitimate patient - Squall had merely needed a few days of rest.
"Oh, alright," Rinoa acquiesced with a barely audible sigh.
She arose from the bed, being careful to keep her hospital gown closed, and sat down in the wheelchair. Squall stepped around and tucked a light blanket over the lower half of her body, to keep her decent during her ride through the Garden.
Before straightening up, the dark-haired man grinned and whispered, "Good morning." Rinoa offered a wink in return.
Saying their goodbyes, Squall wheeled Rinoa out of the clinic, and down the corridor toward the main part of the Garden. Rinoa perceived suddenly in a flash of intuition, what her companion had in mind, and she endorsed the idea wholeheartedly. She had come to understand, in her days of convalescence, that her initial eager blunder was partly responsible for Squall's sexual dysfunction.
She realized now that by her controlling their one night of bliss, she had initially caused him to feel emasculated right from the beginning. Of course, he would have felt uncomfortable in her room - with the pink walls surrounded by her toy stuffed Chocobos, her bed covered with souvenir throw pillows from Deling City, Timber, Dollet and Balamb and her rare, one of a kind, autographed picture of Bahamut dedicated to her, which hung over her bed.
She also realized that if she hadn't been exhausted from her long day, she wouldn't have fallen asleep immediately. And she was positive Squall's encore performance, had she encouraged it, would have been more satisfactory for both of them.
But it wasn't all her fault. How was she to know, or understand, that she needed to wait for him to make the first move? Knowing him the way she did, her man may very well have waited until he received an official order. And she could hardly have led him to his room, for she wasn't even allowed in the men's corridor. She was curious as to how Squall was going to get her into his room.
Squall reached the end of the corridor, and wheeled Rinoa into the main part of the Garden. All of the hectic activity of SeeDs and students, rushing here to there to attend to their duties, suddenly stopped at the sight of her.
The young woman flushed slightly, wondering what was happening, when suddenly everyone present broke into spontaneous applause and cheering. SeeDs, who she only slightly knew or not at all - rushed to shake her hand or to offer a hug.
After a few minutes the excitement began to die down, and Squall took the opportunity to resume pushing her wheelchair.
Rinoa was literally glowing from the positive attention. "So that's what hero worship feels like. I could get used to that," she declared.
"It gets old after awhile," Squall replied.
"Yes, I can see that," Rinoa responded with amusement.
Pushing Rinoa down the corridor that led to the men's dormitory, Squall paused outside the door giving access to his hallway. He stepped around the wheelchair and partially opened the door making a careful scrutiny of the premises to ascertain that the coast was clear. Not observing anyone, Squall stepped back behind the wheelchair and quickly rolled Rinoa down to the door of his room.
Opening the door wide to allow the wheelchair to pass, he returned and rolled his beloved into his room. He then shut and locked the door behind them. Reaching down, he gently pulled his companion to her feet, causing the blanket he had placed on her lap to fall to the floor between them. The dark-haired man enveloped Rinoa in a tender embrace, his long arms pulling her into his body and wrapping around her back, as if finally attempting to keep her safe from harm. Rinoa reciprocated by wrapping her arms around his waist, and resting her head on his shoulder. They remained that way for a long time, without speaking or moving, simply taking comfort in each other's reassuring presence.
The soft sunlight, filtered through the curtains, shone in the room upon the couple. Dust motes, which floated around them, seemed liked falling snow flakes. A kaleidoscope of colors appeared to drift by Rinoa's eyes, as she just let herself go completely, finally feeling whole in Squall's arms.
"I'm sorry about what happened the night of the celebration party, Squall," said the hazel-eyed woman softly, breaking the silence. "I guess we should have taken things slower."
He just held her gently and replied, "It just got to me that it was my first time, and you're so much more experienced, Rinoa."
"What?" the young beauty asked with obvious surprise.
"I know it's immature," he continued, "but I felt somewhat inferior, I guess it's something I have to learn to cope with."
"Squall, what do you mean by 'you are so much more experienced'?" she inquired.
"Well, you seem to know so much, and you and Seifer..."
Rinoa wasn't sure if she should be offended or amused. "I just read a lot, and I had sex-ed in school. And for your information, Seifer and I just went out together for a few weeks, we never slept together."
"Oh!" was the dark-haired man's reaction to his blunder.
His shocked expression brought a smile to her lips, and she reassured him, "Squall, nobody has ever made me feel the way you do. Nobody has ever touched me the way you have."
Not finding any more words, she rose on her toes and began to offer small kisses to her beloved. Squall began to return her kisses in earnest, while he dropped his hands and slid them up under her short hospital gown, lightly touching her bare skin.
"Oh, Squall," she moaned, as his soft caresses explored regions which had never before been touched by another.
Rinoa began to lightly probe her lover's mouth with her tongue, while he memorized the contours of her body with his cautious hands. Squall untied the loose sash, at the back of her hospital gown. He pulled it off her soft shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor revealing Rinoa's completely unclothed figure.
Rinoa's breath quickened, when Squall stepped back to drink in every inch and aspect of her beauty with his eyes.
"No, Squall!" Rinoa protested, attempting to cover her surgical scars with her hands.
"What is it?" he gently inquired.
"I - these scars - I'm not pretty anymore," she cried out and began to softly weep.
Squall smiled and pulled her hands down. "No, you're not a pretty girl anymore," he agreed and, she looked at him with hurt in her eyes.
"You have become a beautiful woman instead. And each one of these is a beauty mark." He explained, as he dropped to his knees and lovingly kissed every wound. Rinoa began to squirm, as each one of his caresses caused a luscious tingling inside her body.
Also dropping to her knees, she took Squall's face in her hands and began to passionately kiss him again and again, as if she were attempting to savor his whole being completely.
Reaching down and untying Squall's robe, Rinoa quickly observed he wasn't wearing anything beneath it. She pushed the garment off him and down to the floor, leaving him in the same underdressed condition as she.
As Squall continued to kiss her fervently, Rinoa reached down and looked inquisitively at him. "It's all right, my love." He responded in a whisper, and she softly clutched his erection.
Squall gently embraced her and carefully pulled her down to the carpeted floor beside him. Drawing Rinoa tightly to him, Squall kissed her again and again while continuing to explore every nuance of her beauty with his passionate touch. He slightly changed his position, shifting his attentions from Rinoa's mouth to the silky skin of her neck, and then to her soft breasts, causing his lover to gasp in pure pleasure. Taking a nipple in his mouth, he suckled it tenderly while allowing a finger to gently slip into and explore her inner mysteries.
As he continued, Squall claimed Rinoa's lips again. This time it was with much more abandon, finally giving himself totally to the moment, in a tribute to his love and trust.
He then removed his hand, substituting for it with his fervent lips. His tongue gently explored the nuances of her virginity, until she was writhing on the floor in blissful ecstasty. Rinoa cried out, "Oh, Squall! I do love you so," as she experienced the apex of her climax.
Reaching down and pulling Squall up beside her, Rinoa murmured, slightly blushing all the while, "Oh, Squall, that was such a loving thing to do, but aren't you anxious to make love?"
"The doctor said no love making for at least a month, because of your surgery," he explained.
Rinoa reddened, shocked. "You were discussing our love making with Dr. Kadowaki?!"
"No, of course not," Squall replied. "She volunteered the information with a wink."
"Oh thank Hyne," Rinoa sighed. "I don't want anyone else knowing about our private life. I learned my lesson the hard way."
"So have I," agreed Squall, "But don't worry, I've heard the doctor is known for her discretion."
"You know, Dr. Kadowaki told me a strange thing," Rinoa continued. "She told me I was Star Crossed."
"Star Crossed?" echoed Squall. "What did she mean by that?"
"She said that people who are Star Crossed keep surviving narrow brushes with death their entire lives," Rinoa explained.
"Well, I guess that makes me Star Crossed also," Squall replied with a smile.
"Which would make us the Star Crossed Lovers," Rinoa murmured, cuddling even closer to Squall.
"Oh, you poor thing," Rinoa cooed into Squall's ear. "You're all dressed up with no place to go," she playfully said, while lightly stroking Squall's erection.
"Rinoa! What are you doing?" he exclaimed in surprise.
Looking up at him from his virility, where she had suddenly positioned herself, she smiled and replied, "Turn about is fair play, isn't it?" She then lowered her mouth slowly, softly and lovingly onto him.
A few minutes later, Squall and Rinoa lay in each other's arms, completely relaxed for the first time in months.
"I'll never let you go again," Squall promised.
"You'd better not," Rinoa warned with a mischievous grin, which took away all pretense of seriousness from her admonition, "or I might not save you the next time."
And then she fell silent, for he claimed her lips in a long and deep kiss. An unspoken vow had been sealed, stronger than any words could make it.
Friends, companions, lovers, and Star Crossed in more ways than they could ever fathom.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my very talented editor, Vick330, for who all praise is due for the great amount of time and hard work he put into helping me write as good a story as I possibly could.
Kudos to you, Vick, from the bottom of my heart. Bob.
