Chapter 23
Dreams…
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy and the name Mifune came from Noacat. All OC's are mine.
A/N: I started writing this chapter before I was even half way through chapter 22. I just had an idea I had to put in the story…so here it is.
Dreams…:
Daitona watched in shock as a gut shot went off within their camp and Sephiroth staggered back into her. He had been saying something, but he was silent now. He backed just enough so that when he started to topple backwards Daitona was able to wrap her arms around him and bring him to lay on the ground gentle.
"Sephiroth…" she breathed and looked into his eyes; they were clouded with pain.
He gasped harshly and a steady flow of blood began coming from his mouth. He reached is hand up towards Daitona, but all of a suddenly, he seemed to have the lack of strength. Daitona caught his hand before it fell back down and brought it to her face.
Sephiroth smiled weakly at her. "You know…I never thought…I'd see the day…you cried. I'll…I'll be fine."
Daitona stared gown at him as his breathing became shallower and her heart leapt in fear; in fear of loosing the only one she had ever truly cared for.
"Don't be sad…Daitona…we must all face the end…at some point in our lives. Some…sooner than others…"
He took in a deep shuttering breath, his clouded eyes dimmed then closed all together, and his breath released slowly. Daitona's eyes burned…she knew he had taken his final breath…
****
Daitona sat bolt upright with a sharp scream. She panted for breath then bowed her head into her trembling hands. 'It was just a dream…just a really bed dream.' After thoroughly convincing herself that it truly had been a dream she looked over to the area were Sephiroth had chosen to sleep.
His sleeping bag was there along with all his other things including Masamune, but he was no were in sight. The sleeping bad was rumpled so he had been there for a while. Daitona knew it was still late because the night sky was at its darkest with no moon for light, and the entire camp was quiet, even the camp fires had almost burnt themselves out.
Daitona got out of her warm sleeping bag into the crisp night air; they were nearer to the mountain range now, and things were beginning to cool off. She shivered as her warm skin meet the icy gusts in the breeze.
"Damn, it's cold…now where could Sephiroth be at this time of night?" She stood slowly and looked over the camp once more to be sure there wasn't any movement; there was none that she could pick up. She sighed then silently walked over to Sephiroth's stuff. "He didn't take his boots…maybe he went for a walk?" Daitona almost laughed at the thought. 'Now doesn't that just sound depressing? Taking a walk all alone in the middle of the night? Riiigggttt…so then where could he be?'
She fell silent and strained her ever sense in the quiet night to try and pick up any clue to where her friend had wondered off too. After a few minutes she gave up and scanned the ground. She smiled, 'he may be good at hiding his tracks, but not from me. He's getting sloppy…'
She followed the footprint trail for some time through the dense wood. It lead in the direction of the river but more down stream than she had went the previous day. 'Probably to warmer water, but why would Sephiroth be swimming at this time of night; and why didn't he tell someone where her was going?'
As Daitona pondered this, she wasn't paying too much attention to where she was going until her feet hit something on the sandy ground and she almost fell. She regained her balance by taking another step, but when she took another her balance faltered. She fell on her stomach and ended up with a face full sand; she has successfully made her way onto a small beach next to the stream.
Daitona spit sand from her mouth, and then slowly rolled over into a sitting position. She reached behind her and grabbed what had tripped her twice. There were two of them and she brought them to her lap before examining what they were. They were heavy, about the size of a good-sized rock, smooth…metallic in color…
'This are Sephiroth's shoulder armor…what are they laying out here for…' A sound from the water made Daitona's head snap up and she froze. 'Well…this is certainly and interesting situation that I've gotten myself into this time…' Sephiroth apparently had wondered off to bath and Daitona just happened to stumble upon him.
"Are you all right," Sephiroth asked softly and took a step towards her.
Daitona nearly chocked; she waved her hand frantically in a gesture for him to stop, he did. "I-I'm fine…I just…tripped!" she forced out. "Ahhh…I'm sorry!"
Sephiroth laughed softy. "No worries. Did you need something?" Sephiroth turned his back to her and continued washing at his silver hair.
Daitona stared at him then shook her head. "What?"
Sephiroth snickered and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I asked; did you need something? It's not every night that you track me down like this, you know?"
"Oh…" Daitona had to retrace her thought to figure out 'why' she had come out here. When it came to her she frowned. "I had a bad dream…"
"And it woke you up?"
"Yeah…yeah it did."
Sephiroth leaned his head back in the water to finish rinsing the soap he had put in his hair. "You going to tell me about it or are you just going to sit there and stare at me all night?"
Daitona's cheeks felt warm, even to her and she knew she was blushing. She hadn't realized she had been staring at him…was she? "Well…we were in camp…it wasn't this one but it didn't look too different. Anyways, there was a gunshot…and you staggered back into me. You were bleeding…then…then…" She sighed and shook her head.
Sephiroth turned to face her once more. "Then what?"
"You…you died right there on the ground. You told me not to me sad. Then I woke up and you weren't in camp…do you do this every night? Sneak out of camp when everyone's sleeping?"
"Not every night, but I need a bath sometimes too, you know?" He took the mass of wet hair and wrung it out thoroughly then flung it back over his shoulder, all the ends sunk back into the cool water. "Hand me my towel?"
Daitona was silent. "Towel?"
"Yes, my towel. It's right beside you. You do want me to cover myself before getting out of the water, don't you?"
Daitona snorted and threw the towel at his face. "You know, you're not even funny!"
"Then why are you so red in the face?" he teased and wiped the water off his face with the dry towel.
Daitona narrowed her eyes till they were slits…then he stood. She yelped in surprise and turned around. She could here him laughing softly. "You are not self-conscious in the least, you know that?"
"Why should I be? I'm not worried what others think of my appearance. Now you, that's a whole other ballgame all together. You wouldn't be caught dead in my situation right now, would you?"
Daitona's head snapped back around as he came onto the beach, thankful to her he had the towel wrapped around his waste. "You got that right!" 'Why am I still here? I should have left the moment I knew he wasn't decent…then again…it's not like this is the first time I've seen him like this…'
Sephiroth stared at her in a bit of surprise.
Daitona finally noticed him looking at her and looked up. "What?"
"…you're sitting on my cloths." He indicated to where she was sitting.
"Oh."
Sephiroth offered his hand to her and she just stared at it as if it where deformed or something. He sighed and reached down, grabbing her arm he pulled her up to her feet. "Why don't you go wait by that tree and I'll walk back to camp with you or we could sit out here and talk? But right now, I'm getting cold and would like to get dressed."
Daitona gave a nod them walked a ways to sit on a patch of grass and waited. 'What's wrong with me…better yet, what's wrong with HIM? Why was he looking at me like…oh gawd!' Daitona cursed herself more out of embarrassment than anything else. 'I forgot, I forgot, I forgot! I can't think such things around him and get away with it. He can read my mind just as easily as I can!'
Something came to rest on her shoulder and as Daitona was about to turn to see what it was a strong arm came around her waste and a shock of damp silver hair came into her sight. "So I can read you mind, no big deal. You can do the same, remember?"
Daitona remained silent; she was trying to keep her mind clear of any other thoughts that might…'Oh dang this is hard. Why does he have to be so close?'
"Because you want me to be. Do you realize how you sounded when you told me I died in your dream? Your voice trembled. Do you fear that a simple gunshot wound will kill me?" Sephiroth asked and made himself more comfortable on the soft grass. He could feel her shake a bit in his arms. "Someone would have to shoot me in the head or in the heart to kill me with a gun Daitona. Do not worry over a simple dream."
Daitona sniffed and bowed her head somewhat. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't act so childish. You're right; it was just a dream, nothing to be worried about. I shouldn't have come out here…"
"It's ok," Sephiroth assured and brought his other arm around her. When Daitona began to speak again he shushed her and deeply inhaled the scent of her hair.
Daitona shuttered involuntarily; then he began nuzzling at her neck and goose bumps spread over her arms and legs. "Seph…" she breathed.
Sephiroth responded by bringing his face away from her neck and kissed her jaw lightly. He wasn't sure what compelled him to hold her like this but it felt right. He gently kissed her cheek then brushed his lips over hers.
He looked at her closely; Daitona wasn't pulling away. Her eyes were half closed and he found the permission he was looking for there. He brushed his lips against hers once more before actually kissing her.
Daitona felt Sephiroth press his lips more firmly to hers and his tongue began to trace her lips, then eventually his teeth begun to nibble at her lower lip. She was tempted to pull away, not sure of what she should be doing. No one had ever kissed her before…well, that wasn't entirely true but that hadn't been by choice.
In a matter of only a few seconds of him starting this kiss she finally parted her lips enough for Sephiroth's tongue to enter her mouth. He tasters her thoroughly, letting his tongue explore her entire mouth and coxing her tongue to play along with his.
All too soon Daitona pulled back gasping for air. "Where…I…" She sighed at not being to think entirely straight anymore so she simply shut her mouth.
Sephiroth smiled warmly at her and kissed her jaw once more. "We should get back to camp. I'll be light out soon and we should both rest a little before we have to break camp and march again."
Daitona didn't trust her voice to speak so she nodded. Sephiroth got to his feet and helped her, and then they walked back to camp hand in hand.
****
-End Chapter 23-
A/N: Well…that was…um, interesting? Not too long of a chapter and it didn't really move the story along but I guess it did move Sephiroth's and Daitona's relationship…well, what relationship they had before this point. Anyways, tell me what you all think.