Chapter 9 Good at Hiding
Seifer ran a hand over his bruised face. "What in the hell was I thinking?"
He got to his feet stiffly and quietly moved over to pick up his shirt. As he knelt down to retrieve it from the floor beside the sleeping girl, he paused.
She looked so peaceful lying there. So beautiful without the stern expression she usually wore around him. Her hair freed from its usual clip flowed across the coat she was using as a pillow and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch it.
Seifer's fingers slid through her golden mane as he closed his eyes for a second. It was as soft as he'd always thought. He couldn't stop himself from leaning in closer to smell the delicate fragrance. He stiffened and quickly pulled away when he heard her sigh.
Seifer froze watching to see if Quistis would wake up. When she didn't he took in a fast breath, grabbed his shirt and moved back to the fire. 'She cant ever know. Ever.' He looked into the fire and a harsh smile crossed his face. But he was so good at hiding behind a sarcastic mask it shouldn't be too hard, he figured.
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The soldiers stood at the edge of the road surveying the damage. Waiting for their commander to come forward with their orders. Lt. Forbes advanced through the men calling out orders as he went. "I want you three," he said pointing at the men "to check out this vehicle, and you two follow me." He moved down the road towards the transport the SeeD's had been using.
After the men under his command had reported to him he made a call to his superior. "Lt. Forbes here, Sir." He listened for a moment before continuing "No Sir. There are two confirmed kills but he's not among them. They appear to have fled into the forest." He listened to the reply. "Yes Sir, we will take care of it right away. Seifer Almasy wont make it out alive." Forbes turned, his cold gray eyes glinting in the dim light as a harsh smile played on his lips. "I understand, Warden Perry."
With that he ended the call and summoned his men over. "We will move out right away. They have" he paused "maybe a day on us, but we know that at least the primary target is injured and that will slow him down." He turned away as the men prepared to move out then stopped "Oh, one more thing. NO witness's."
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Quistis stretched and yawned as she started to wake up. Suddenly she froze. Seifer. She sat up and looked around the cottage. No Seifer. No Seifer anywhere. Just as Quistis began to panic he came in through the door.
Seifer closed the door then stopped. He turned slowly feeling her eyes on him. And there she sat. Disheveled from sleep, looking adorable.
He frowned at that thought. 'Adorable? Get a grip, Almasy. Quistis Trepe does not do adorable!' He shook his head and moved in to the room.
"Morning" he said gruffly running a hand through his damp hair. "Rain's almost stopped," he added limping further into the room.
She had seen his frown when he'd first looked at her. She wondered what he was thinking about. 'The kiss----it had to be the kiss'. She looked over to see him kneeling in front of her pack looking for something.
"Seifer------about last night, I---" Quistis twisted her hands together as she talked. She could feel her cheeks heating up.
Seifer cut her off without looking up "There's nothing to talk about." He reached over and picked up her now dry clothes and turned holding them out to her. "Maybe you should get dressed," he said, his voice growing husky.
Quistis leaned over and snatched the clothes from his outstretched hand. "Thanks."
Seifer said something about giving her privacy and slowly got up to leave.
After Seifer went outside Quistis stood up and stretched then bent down to grab her pants. She paused thinking 'Ok good, we both forget it ever happened. Right? Yeah I can do that. After all it was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything. Besides it's Seifer------with his sarcastic remarks and bad attitude---and thick blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes and strong arms that held-------Whoa you are so not going there.'
She shook her head and pulled her pants on. After fastening them she reached for her shirt and pulled it over the tee shirt she was already wearing.
When Seifer came back into the room Quistis was calmly sitting by the fire preparing something to eat. She looked up at him "I've been thinking" she paused for a moment "that we should move on if you think you're well enough to travel. We don't know if there's anyone following us and I'd just as soon not find out."
Seifer moved toward her and squatted down beside the fire. He still looked pale and tired but he seemed better. Quistis handed him some food and then reached out to feel his forehead. He still felt a little warm.
He jumped slightly when her cool hand made contact with his face then concentrated on the food in his hand instead of looking at her. "Good idea. I really don't want a return visit." He looked up and added sarcastically "It wasn't that good the first time."
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They packed up quickly after making the decision to head out. There was little talk as they were both lost in their own thoughts.
Quistis shivered noticing with the fire out the chill had creped in to claim the room once again. She looked around to make sure they hadn't left anything that would give away the fact that they'd stayed here then stepped over and picked up her weapons belt. Snapping it around her waist, she then secured the gun to her thigh and save the queen at her other hip.
Seifer picked up his weapon looking at it with distaste. "This looks like a toy" he said derisively "Hyne, I wish I had Hyperion."
Quistis glanced over "Yeah, well that toy might save your ass." She did sympathize with him though. Without her save the queen she would feel lost.
Seifer secured his weapon and went over to pick up their coats. He held hers out to her "Ready?"
Quistis grabbed her parka, said thanks then pulled it on. When she was done she noticed Seifer was stiffly trying to get his own coat around his shoulders. She quickly moved over to his side helping him.
He smirked at her "I'll bet in a million years you never thought you'd willingly be helping me."
Quistis busied herself with putting on her gloves. Her cheeks turning pink, she said under her breath "there's a lot of things I never thought I be willingly doing with you."
Seifer heard her mumbling, so he said with a grin "Sorry I didn't catch that."
Quistis looked back at him "Nothing, I said nothing." He laughed seeing her blush then grabbed his own gloves.
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Quistis went out first checking the boundaries of the meadow. When she was satisfied she motioned for Seifer to follow. They made their way into the cover of the trees.
Quistis stopped and turned to look back across the clearing. She would never forget this place.
"Quistis?" Seifer called.
"Coming." Quistis turned with a smile to the tall blonde man watching her.
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Authors Notes: Thank you for the reviews.
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Seifer ran a hand over his bruised face. "What in the hell was I thinking?"
He got to his feet stiffly and quietly moved over to pick up his shirt. As he knelt down to retrieve it from the floor beside the sleeping girl, he paused.
She looked so peaceful lying there. So beautiful without the stern expression she usually wore around him. Her hair freed from its usual clip flowed across the coat she was using as a pillow and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch it.
Seifer's fingers slid through her golden mane as he closed his eyes for a second. It was as soft as he'd always thought. He couldn't stop himself from leaning in closer to smell the delicate fragrance. He stiffened and quickly pulled away when he heard her sigh.
Seifer froze watching to see if Quistis would wake up. When she didn't he took in a fast breath, grabbed his shirt and moved back to the fire. 'She cant ever know. Ever.' He looked into the fire and a harsh smile crossed his face. But he was so good at hiding behind a sarcastic mask it shouldn't be too hard, he figured.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The soldiers stood at the edge of the road surveying the damage. Waiting for their commander to come forward with their orders. Lt. Forbes advanced through the men calling out orders as he went. "I want you three," he said pointing at the men "to check out this vehicle, and you two follow me." He moved down the road towards the transport the SeeD's had been using.
After the men under his command had reported to him he made a call to his superior. "Lt. Forbes here, Sir." He listened for a moment before continuing "No Sir. There are two confirmed kills but he's not among them. They appear to have fled into the forest." He listened to the reply. "Yes Sir, we will take care of it right away. Seifer Almasy wont make it out alive." Forbes turned, his cold gray eyes glinting in the dim light as a harsh smile played on his lips. "I understand, Warden Perry."
With that he ended the call and summoned his men over. "We will move out right away. They have" he paused "maybe a day on us, but we know that at least the primary target is injured and that will slow him down." He turned away as the men prepared to move out then stopped "Oh, one more thing. NO witness's."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Quistis stretched and yawned as she started to wake up. Suddenly she froze. Seifer. She sat up and looked around the cottage. No Seifer. No Seifer anywhere. Just as Quistis began to panic he came in through the door.
Seifer closed the door then stopped. He turned slowly feeling her eyes on him. And there she sat. Disheveled from sleep, looking adorable.
He frowned at that thought. 'Adorable? Get a grip, Almasy. Quistis Trepe does not do adorable!' He shook his head and moved in to the room.
"Morning" he said gruffly running a hand through his damp hair. "Rain's almost stopped," he added limping further into the room.
She had seen his frown when he'd first looked at her. She wondered what he was thinking about. 'The kiss----it had to be the kiss'. She looked over to see him kneeling in front of her pack looking for something.
"Seifer------about last night, I---" Quistis twisted her hands together as she talked. She could feel her cheeks heating up.
Seifer cut her off without looking up "There's nothing to talk about." He reached over and picked up her now dry clothes and turned holding them out to her. "Maybe you should get dressed," he said, his voice growing husky.
Quistis leaned over and snatched the clothes from his outstretched hand. "Thanks."
Seifer said something about giving her privacy and slowly got up to leave.
After Seifer went outside Quistis stood up and stretched then bent down to grab her pants. She paused thinking 'Ok good, we both forget it ever happened. Right? Yeah I can do that. After all it was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything. Besides it's Seifer------with his sarcastic remarks and bad attitude---and thick blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes and strong arms that held-------Whoa you are so not going there.'
She shook her head and pulled her pants on. After fastening them she reached for her shirt and pulled it over the tee shirt she was already wearing.
When Seifer came back into the room Quistis was calmly sitting by the fire preparing something to eat. She looked up at him "I've been thinking" she paused for a moment "that we should move on if you think you're well enough to travel. We don't know if there's anyone following us and I'd just as soon not find out."
Seifer moved toward her and squatted down beside the fire. He still looked pale and tired but he seemed better. Quistis handed him some food and then reached out to feel his forehead. He still felt a little warm.
He jumped slightly when her cool hand made contact with his face then concentrated on the food in his hand instead of looking at her. "Good idea. I really don't want a return visit." He looked up and added sarcastically "It wasn't that good the first time."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
They packed up quickly after making the decision to head out. There was little talk as they were both lost in their own thoughts.
Quistis shivered noticing with the fire out the chill had creped in to claim the room once again. She looked around to make sure they hadn't left anything that would give away the fact that they'd stayed here then stepped over and picked up her weapons belt. Snapping it around her waist, she then secured the gun to her thigh and save the queen at her other hip.
Seifer picked up his weapon looking at it with distaste. "This looks like a toy" he said derisively "Hyne, I wish I had Hyperion."
Quistis glanced over "Yeah, well that toy might save your ass." She did sympathize with him though. Without her save the queen she would feel lost.
Seifer secured his weapon and went over to pick up their coats. He held hers out to her "Ready?"
Quistis grabbed her parka, said thanks then pulled it on. When she was done she noticed Seifer was stiffly trying to get his own coat around his shoulders. She quickly moved over to his side helping him.
He smirked at her "I'll bet in a million years you never thought you'd willingly be helping me."
Quistis busied herself with putting on her gloves. Her cheeks turning pink, she said under her breath "there's a lot of things I never thought I be willingly doing with you."
Seifer heard her mumbling, so he said with a grin "Sorry I didn't catch that."
Quistis looked back at him "Nothing, I said nothing." He laughed seeing her blush then grabbed his own gloves.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Quistis went out first checking the boundaries of the meadow. When she was satisfied she motioned for Seifer to follow. They made their way into the cover of the trees.
Quistis stopped and turned to look back across the clearing. She would never forget this place.
"Quistis?" Seifer called.
"Coming." Quistis turned with a smile to the tall blonde man watching her.
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Authors Notes: Thank you for the reviews.
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