What's love got to do with it?
Chapter 15
"Good things come to those who wait, they say patience is a virtue, but all I got is the time it takes me to hurt you."
Squall walked out the door way, turning down a hallway, trying to walk quickly enough to leave Rinoa behind, but he knew this was foolish, she was in his house, in his life how could he escape her. He paused and turned, Rinoa ran into him. She stumbled back, Squall grabbing her shoulders preventing her from falling. She looked up at him a mixer of confusion and shock, why had he stopped so quickly, and why did he stop in general. She shook her head, she could ask him later about it, or not at all they weren't important questions anyway.
"Squall, you cannot avoid me forever, you must speak to me." Rinoa said firmly, Squall was slightly shocked by how well she was controlling herself. Then he saw them, tears welling up in her eyes. He suddenly felt a strong feeling of regret and remorse for her, than it was gone. Squall stepped back, and pointed firmly at her.
"Do not speak ill words at me, Rinoa. Do not turn this upon me, you know that this is your doing, not mine. I came to you, and rejected me, now I shall return the favor. Be gone.." Squall finished nodding slightly, and pointing behind her, issuing her off. Squall didn't actually think she would leave, and of course he was right. She stood there in some definite matter, as if she was standing up to a bully that she had no chance of beating, but the pride was more important than the bruises. Squall gritted his teeth, this wasn't right. He was the husband, he was the man for Christ sakes, and she should listen to him, not defying him. Squall grabbed her arms firmly and shook her.
"Why do you ignore my command?! Why did you do this to me?! Why? I was always faithful, I was always fair to you was I not? Why did you do this Rinoa? Do not come around here, asking for forgiveness when you know I cannot bear to give it to you. How can you ask of me to show a feeling you never showed me? This is irony. I will not forgive you after what you put me through, and now when you come to me, you say a simple word and you believe it will make everything fine once again. Well I apologize it will not, it will never ---" Squall stopped shouting, he was shaking and his throat seemed to just stop working on him. He stood there, his shoulders hunched slightly, trying to control his emotions. She had hurt him. It was as simple as that. He knew she didn't do it on purpose, but she didn't believe him when he told her he had done nothing with Quistis, and that hurt even more than her betrayment. His breathing was rough now and shallow, his face was angled downward, just slightly above Rinoa's face. He closed his eyes tightly, he wouldn't cry here, he couldn't cry here. Crying was a sign of weakness in a man, crying by yourself was fine if no one knew, but in front of your so-called wife, that was suicide. The wife might think of you weak, or easy to be controlled, and right now he wouldn't put it pass Rinoa to do something like that. He opened his eyes, and whipped them quickly, focusing on her again.
"Rinoa..please.. just.." He started but she pressed a finger against his lips.
"Squall you must understand, I have made a grave mistake, and I want to make it up to you. I know how you must feel Squall, but you must understand I didn't know you as well as I know you know. I believed you, but I have too much pride. Now I see the error of my ways, Squall, I beg of you to understand that I never tried to hurt you." Her voice was wavering now, emotion in ever sellable. She placed a hand on Squall's cheek, and Squall placed his hand over hers. He nodded slightly, lowering his head. He was hurt and it guessed it would take a little while to forgive her, but he loved her nevertheless, he paused as this hit him. He loved someone, actually loved him or her. Not like the so-called love he felt for his father, which was neither true nor spoken. He removed her hand from his face and held it in his, stroking it gently, he ignored the shooting pains from it, he could deal with that later.
"You..know I love you correct? I really do Rinoa, trust me.." He said slowly watching her carefully. She paused and nodded not really wanting to say anything. She pressed her forehead against his chest, and he wrapped her arms around her tightly, bring her in. She smiled slightly, she was home.
There are three things that decided to ruin this moment, Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin. Squall saw them immediately, and narrowed his eyes. Seifer was in the lead of the three of them, and he was walking, more like limping over toward the couple with some inner pride. Squall quickly let go of Rinoa, and brought her around. He stepped in front of her, shielding her from them. Squall's eyes never left Seifer's beaten and bruised face though. Seifer soon came to a stop, and placed his hands on his hips, that cocky way he did it, leaning forward a little bit, and leaning his head back.
"So what do we have here, a little reunion, it's bring tears to my eyes." Seifer laughed slightly, along with Fujin and Raijin who decided to laugh, so they wouldn't look stupid. Seifer raised a hand, and shook it mid air, as if swatting a fly away. Raijin and Fujin stopped quickly.
"We have to settle some things I'm afraid Squall, and I have brought them." He gestured to Fujin and Raijin waving his hand around, staring hard at Squall.
"For some back up, you could say. More like a protection you see." Squall glanced at them, as they slowly removed guns from behind their back, each one grinning stupidly . Squall pushed Rinoa gently back further, but Seifer whipped out a gun and pointed it unshackling at Squall.
"Do not rush her away, friend. She is my guest, and she has the honor to see you die." Seifer smirked slightly, as Rinoa stopped moving backward, and clung to Squall's arm.
"TOUCHING." Fujin shouted in her shrill voice, she looked thoughtfully at Seifer, who raised a hand to silence her.
"Touching indeed it's a real shame Rinoa, how pathetic you are. Sir Leonhart was always loyal, always ..loving toward you, and you ignored him and sent him away. Well, I must ask because I cannot contain my absolute loathing for you, how does that feel? Knowing your husband's death, and your own could have been spared, if it wasn't for your sad simple actions. What do they say? Oh yes, simple minded people always love simple minded people, I guess that's true huh? People always said that women are a little thick." Seifer laughed, then stopped quickly. He didn't even have time to raise the gun toward Squall, who was on top of him in a flash of lightning. Seifer stumbled backward, looking shocked and disorientated. Squall grabbed Seifer's wrists quickly and pushed him hard against the wall, then pulled him back out in front of himself just as Fujin and Raijin raised their guns.
" Place them on the floor!" Squall shouted twisting Seifer's gun into his stomach. Seifer groaned loudly, and Raijin stepped forward.
"STOP." Fujin shouted again, keeping her eyes locked with Squalls. No one moved, then Rinoa moved forward.
"Squall.." She whispered, Squall glanced back at her then forward quickly.
"Rinoa leave, now." Squall said quickly, keeping his eyes on Fujin and Raijin, Seifer's gun was smashed in his stomach.
"She cannot leave, do not let her leave!" Seifer shouted loudly, jerking slightly, but Squall pushed his gun deeper into him.
"Keep your mouth shut, if you wish to stay intact." Squall growled, glaring at Raijin and Fujin who had moved slightly forward when Seifer shouted. Rinoa shook her head, tears in her eyes.
" I will not leave you here!" She shouted stomping like a child. Squall turned quickly, glaring at her.
"Rinoa, Leave!!!" He shouted, but in that short couple of seconds, the tide changed. Seifer sensed that Rinoa would rather die than leave him, she was too loyal. So he took those precious couple of seconds, to attack. Seifer smashed his foot down of Squall's, then pushed his body forward. Squall, his face turned never saw it coming. Squall tripped slightly, but regain his balance as Seifer kicked the gun out of his hand. Squall watched the gun slid across the floor toward an open doorway. Seifer punched Squall across the face, then winched holding his hand. Squall jerked his head to the side, then ran a hand across his mouth and looked down. Blood. Squall looked up quickly, then charged at Seifer, throwing his body weight against him. Rinoa stood there hopelessly, as Squall and Seifer rammed up against the wall, paintings falling down to the ground and smashing on impact.
"Leave Rinoa! Leave Damn it!!" Squall shouted as he rammed into the wall, winching and gasping out in pain. This time Rinoa did what she was told, she ran quickly down the hall, and dodged into another hallway, hearing gun shots behind her. She pressed herself quickly against the wall, panting and gasping for breath. She looked around, then glanced down the hallway, shocked at what she saw.
Squall wasn't holding out to well, the fight before had been enough for him, but to continue fighting was foolish and almost cruel on his body. Bleeding freely now, and panting from emotion and exhaustion, Squall glared toward Seifer. The only plus out of this was that Seifer was looking far worse off then himself. When you looked at Seifer, it was hard to tell where the bleeding was actually coming from, his shirt to his socks were covered in blood, not just his but Squall's also. He was panting and heaving even worse then Squall. He gulped running his tongue over a deep cut on his lip. His face was almost unreasonable. Cut and bleeding almost everywhere, he looked like something that had been carved out of wood, but done poorly. Squall glanced at Fujin and Raijin who were staring at Seifer with worried and hopeless eyes, they knew that Seifer did not want them to jump in, but he still needed them for backup. Squall didn't care anymore, he knew what was going on. If somehow he killed Seifer, well hopefully he didn't have to kill Seifer, but nevertheless if he had to choose between a friends, a rival and the women he loved there was no chance for the bastards.
" Seifer, you have done this act to yourself you understand?" Squall started but Seifer cursed loudly.
"Do not act high and mighty Squall, as if you were looking down at us from above and shaking your head feeling sorry for our lack of intelligence . You did this to us, you not I. You should have accepted the terms, you should have let me have her.." Seifer panted stumbling slightly, then recovered himself.
"You're a fool! I would never let you have her, and she's not some kind of trophy Seifer, she's a human being. Where do you even come off by telling me who to have and not have. She's just a prize for you, that is all you want her for. Is a prize worth your life?" Squall asked his face hot. Seifer smirked slightly, and removed his hand from his bleeding arm, waving it around. Raijin nodded and pointed the gun at Squall.
"It is worth your life, sir." Seifer laughed as Raijin clicked the safety off. Then suddenly a loud bang was heard, and Raijin had dropped his gun. Squall turned behind him, trying to find out where the noise and what the noise was. Irivine was standing there, Rinoa next to him, and Zell next to her. Irivine tipped his cowboy hat and pointed the gun quickly at Fujin who had dropped her gun and rushed to Raijin's side.
" I would not try anything touching and daring right now.." Irivine smirked slightly as Fujin glared at him. Squall turned back to Seifer smiling slightly.
"You can not fight your own battles can you Leonhart!" Seifer shouted and ran at Squall. Squall quickly met up with him before Irivine could shoot.
"Leave us!" Squall shouted looking toward Irivine and company. Rinoa opened her mouth to protest but Irivine touched her shoulder.
`Come on milady.." He muttered soothingly. Rinoa glared at him, then looked toward Squall, a longing in her eyes.
"Kick his ass!" Zell shouted stepping forward, clenching his fist tightly. Irivine glared at Zell.
`Not in front of the lady, Zell!" He shouted as them slowly walked away. Rinoa moving slower than the two of them, keen on staying and watching. Squall turned his attention to Seifer.
"Mine are gone.." He said sharply, and Seifer agreed, turning his head to Fujin and Raijin.
"Leave us!" He commanded, as Raijin slowly stood, holding his arm, Fujin helping him. Fujin nodded and directed Raijin away. Squall and Seifer, back away from each other, and raised their fists. Seifer winching, but Squall kept his pain silenced. Then it started, Seifer ran at Squall, but Squall stepped to the side, kneeing Seifer hard in the stomach. Seifer gripped his stomach and fell to his knees breathing hard. Squall walked around Seifer, talking all the while.
"You deserve this Seifer, you gave me undesirable amount of pain, lying to me, setting me up, pretending to be my friend.." He finished with a kick hard at Seifer, who groaned lying down on the ground. Squall bent down and grabbed his shirt collar and forced him to stand, then punched him hard across the face.
"You hurt me, your hurt my friends, you hurt Rinoa, and worst of all.. " Squall grabbed Seifer and pulled him closer.
"You hurt someone, who loved you. You pretend to feel something you didn't feel for her, and for this you shall burn in hell." Squall spat in Seifer's face, who moved to whip it away, but instead he punched Squall hard in the stomach. Squall off guard, fell back and onto the ground. Seifer kicked out hard.
"Stop acting like you are my father, like you have the right to judge me! You were just like me before, catching whatever came strolling by. Now you think you are god, because you "love" a girl I have already been with, already did mostly everything with! She's just a tramp, and when she loses her beauty, she will lose your love!" Seifer shouted swinging at Squall, but he moved and kicked Seifer's legs under him. Seifer fell back hard, and groaned. Squall moved toward Seifer, and punched him hard across the face, then raised his fist to do it again.
"NEVER SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT AGAIN!" He shouted, punching him once more, his rage uncontrollable. Seifer kicked Squall off of him, then stood up quickly, drawing something out of his jacket pocket. Squall saw the shimmer of the silver, and knew exactly what it was. Seifer smirked pushing Squall against the floor, and sat on top of his chest, out of range for his legs, and pushing his arms hard against the ground. Seifer smirked slightly.
"Now you really can look down at us, from above, I hope you enjoy the view of your woman being raped, then murder.." He laughed as he raised the knife for the final attack, but a gunshot was heard, and Seifer stopped in mid motion. An expression Squall did not know came over Seifer's face, a mixed between puzzlement and horror. Squall leaned his head to the side and saw Quistis standing in the doorway, Seifer's gun in her hand, the muzzle was smoking. Quistis eyes were wide, and she seemed shocked by her action. She dropped the gun and it clunked loudly against the ground, for the room was silent. Squall looked at Seifer's chest, seeing a small bullet hole through his chest. He placed a finger against it, and saw the blood. Then looked down at Squall, his eyes dazed and clouding.
"I guess, I was wrong.about you being up there.." His eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed onto Squall. It was over, Seifer was dead.