Chapter dedication: The_Angel_of_the_Lion: Thanks for beta-reading the chapter =)
Chapter 10 - Surprise
Emerald eyes glittered dangerously at the surroundings. The storm had long subsided, giving him the opportunity to track his target. Petals of snowflakes continued to decorate his trench coat. He had adamantly refused to wear anything over his beloved symbol of the cross the color of the blazing setting sun. Seifer could easily adapt to his environment – a trait indebted to his brute and animalistic nature. He was a child of hardships.
Growling at his frustrations, Seifer took out his anger on his current hostage. He yanked on the rope that bound her, causing Quistis to fall unceremoniously on her face. "Hurry up!" he barked at her. Sympathy and guilt tinged at the corners of his consciousness as he knew he was the cause of the woman's distress and current state. Useless feelings were hastily cast aside and he narrowed his eyes at her as he stood towering over the fallen figure.
Flaxen hair was matted with dirt, leaves, and other artifacts of the wilderness. Her clothes were decorated with dried red blood from her earlier injuries. She groaned, but spoke no retort for fear her captor would punish her further. She settled for glaring at the man she had decided she would hate. Hate was such a simple feeling and he was certainly making it easy.
A small chuckle escaped his lips as he saw the defiance in her jaded blue eyes. She would have been just like him if she had been a mercenary. Then remembering himself, he quickly turned back to the path he defined, pulling on the rope as if Quistis had been nothing more than a captured animal. And most of the time, Seifer thought she was. Her weakness and lack of judgment made her inferior to those with power, those with dominance and strength. It was understood in the mercenary community – weakness caused your life to be forfeit. It mimicked those of nature. They were called cruel, heartless, and sometimes not even human. But was it really cruelty that nature made the stronger the more powerful? Or simply the way life was dictated?
***
And so she thought of him. He was simplicity and complexity – a paradox that she knew she would probably never fully understand. He lived with seemingly simple, yet noble ideals – to live without a subtle imprisonment, without a superior while fighting for others to have that basic right. But Squall was also the most complicated person she had known. He had been a mercenary but refused to kill senselessly as his job demanded. She knew he craved affection but he shied away from any sign of emotions.
Rinoa squeezed Squall's hand softly. She smiled to herself as Squall pretended not to notice but felt him involuntarily shiver from the unfamiliar touch. Looking to her surroundings Rinoa could almost describe it as romantic – the fingertips of the sunset that waved its ethereal fingers among the crystal treetops, decorated with icicles that reflected the red-gold fires of light. It was as if the entire area was lit by reflective glass candles. The last spurts of warmth wrapped itself around the two figures as if saying a wistful goodbye with a promise of a next meeting. Deceptively serene, the forest was without a sound. In the stillness, Rinoa thought she understood the rushes of warmth she felt around Squall. She understood her need to decipher Squall, why she needed to be with him, why she thought of running her hands through his precious brown locks, and why determination filled her when she thought of protecting him. The curious feeling that tugged at her heart seemed to nag her now as she tried to put her emotion into words. It was more than affection and Rinoa tagged it as a deep and meaningful friendship. But was that a misnomer?
Squall continued trekking through the snow, ignoring the beautiful setting as his more practical thoughts of escape rationalized themselves in his mind. He had felt Rinoa squeeze his hand gently and the involuntary shiver of comfort that had responded to her touch. It seemed as if even his body was no longer his to control. It yearned for the tantalizing touches she teased him with, her softness as she cuddled to him for protection, and the glances she gave him when she thought he could not see. It was a disconcerting feeling, to want her but not to want the dependency her love would bring. Or was love really a force that bound its victims? And was it really love he was feeling for her or was it a mere closeness in seeking the redemption he needed for failing his parents?
Shaking his thoughts aside just as easily as he cast off the snow falling on him, Squall narrowed his frosty blue eyes and spotted a small clearing among the woods of winter. "We'll stop here," he simply stated without turning around to face Rinoa. He let go of her hand and swiftly headed towards setting up the camp.
"Don't worry about me!" Rinoa sarcastically retorted as she rolled her eyes. Unsurprised but slightly miffed, Rinoa folded her arms and began to follow Squall when a steadfast grip tightened around her arms and a sharpened gunblade was held across her throat. Rinoa gasped but did not utter any further cry as the blade came closer to her exposed flesh threateningly.
Luckily Squall had noticed Rinoa not following him and turned around. His gloved hands reached for Lionheart as he saw a figure approaching her but he was too far to reach her first. Still under a black cloak, Squall looked menacing and intimidated most people, but the one holding Rinoa was one of the few exceptions. He stepped towards the blonde haired figure and unsheathed his blade.
"Let her go," Squall growled. Fiery blue sapphire orbs met Seifer's green ones and he began to walk closer.
"Ah ah ah," Seifer clucked at Squall and wagged a finger. "Feel free to test exactly how close you can come before she dies but don't say I didn't warn you." Seifer sized up his opponent and target. "So much for the great Squall Leonhart they talk about back in Balamb. You're so pathetic now, emotional over . . . this." Seifer spat out his last word as he gripped Rinoa's throat with his right hand. He lifted her off the ground with just a hold on her throat. Rinoa attempted to pry his hands off to breathe again. "How could you ever consider living with scum?" Seifer sneered. "I can understand living alone and without orders, but with them? You're a disgrace Leonhart. And to think they said you were anti-social."
Squall remained motionless but blue fire blazed in his eyes. Anger and fear flowed like a steady stream through his veins. He refused to let Rinoa be taken from the living as well.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Seifer paused with an evil glint in his eye as Squall continued to stare with hard eyes back at him. "Not even goodbye?" Seifer mocked and smirked as he saw fear mark the ex-mercenary. Squall leapt with Leonhart in hand towards Rinoa who smiled softly at Squall. She mouthed three words as their eyes met. Don't forget me . . .
"NO!" Squall cried as he covered the last part of the distance, charging towards the pair even as he knew he would be too late.
Seifer slid the blade easily across Rinoa's soft skin. Dark ruby blood spilled from the cut as Seifer released her. She slumped to the ground and crimson liquid began to stain the crystal white snow. Seifer laughed at the pain he saw within Squall. Squall ran towards Seifer who entreated him with an open hand, beckoning him for a duel.
"How long do you think she'll last without a cure?" Seifer taunted as he brought Hyperion in front of him.
Squall roared in anger.
"I'd guess thirty seconds at the most," Seifer sneered as a cruel smile lined his face. "But what a mess she made on my blade," he said pointed to the liquid ruby staining it.
"Shut the fuck up," Squall growled and swung his gunblade downwards as Seifer met it with an upward counterattack. Seifer quickly swiped at Squall's stomach, only to be blocked. Squall's emotions hindered better judgment but his reflexes remained intact. Squall thrust forward but was again thwarted. Frustrated and angry, Squall managed to spin gracefully in a circle, arcing Lionheart up and then down, parrying to both sides of Seifer. Sparks flew from both magnificently crafted weapons as their skills were almost equally matched. Heavy 'tinks' and clashes between the weapons were the only sounds being made. Squall finally managed to pin Seifer with a swift natural spin turn, quickly moving his blade diagonally and pointed at Seifer's throat.
"Care to say goodbye?" Squall demanded as he pulled his blade back to make the final kill.
Seifer brought his hand forward in a spell and cast fire directly at Squall. "Fira!" he shouted. Squall flew backward into a rock and grunted with pain. He managed to look up as Seifer brought Hyperion down in the middle of his forehead. His flesh seared with pain and blood spattered the rock and Squall's marred face. He grabbed his gunblade and in a last spurt of energy and effort sliced upward, creating a mirror image of his wound. Seifer stumbled backwards, obviously not expecting the counter. Seifer groaned before falling unconscious.
Squall crawled towards Rinoa, whose blood had pooled around her. Eyes closed, knees underneath her body in a sitting position, she could have been mistaken for having been asleep if not for the telltale lines of curiously red and specks of silver blood staining everything around her. In her small palm was the snow rose that she must have been holding as Seifer cut her throat. Squall pulled her cold body to him, concentrating and hoping that she would be alright. "Cura," he whispered as a hazy golden light spread from his arms to the tips of his fingers and into Rinoa.
She remained unmoving as he slumped forward unconscious, shielding her body with his as he gave in to the dizziness. The last thing Squall remembered was hoping that Hyne had heard his plea.
***
Groaning as a massive headache plagued him, Squall sat up and remembered the events of dusk. He quickly moved off of Rinoa and felt for a pulse. Fingers trembled as he slipped his glove off and his heart beat sporadically as he felt fear previously unknown to him. She couldn't be dead.
He let out the breath he had been holding as he felt a faint pulse. The cure spell had been in time. Feeling his own forehead, Squall traced the still fresh cut and winced in pain. "Cura," he stated with perfect concentration. The soldier was a part of him still. The wound closed and healed but he felt the outline of a scar. It was unfortunate magic couldn't solve all problems.
Squall nudged Rinoa. "Wake up," he urged her. No response. She must still be weak. Picking up his gunblade Squall stood on unsteady and numb legs and spotted the Seifer still unconscious. Walking over to his enemy he kneeled down and with efficiency bound Seifer. He couldn't kill him unarmed and defenseless, despite severely injuring Rinoa, but Squall could without a guilty conscious, leave Seifer there to find his way out of his binds. Squall sighed and wondered if his freedom was worth being hunted and putting Rinoa in jeopardy.
Heading back to Rinoa he sheathed his blade and carefully hoisted her onto his back. She'll wake up soon.
Squall continued the long journey towards Trabia, the city where most of the prominent leaders of the anti-mercenary movement were located. After the destruction of Trabia Garden by Gabaldia there were very few mercenaries left. All of them headed towards other gardens in hopes of gaining employment. Loyalties were temporary after all, especially if the employer was gone. The sorceress heading the garden had been killed by the missiles and the female who she had given her powers to was currently unknown. There was a small reward for the capture of the new sorceress but was not a priority. She had been weak.
Light illuminated the forest and Squall spotted the end of it. Trabia was about fifty more miles beyond a dry plain and through a mountainous region. If Squall could find a chocobo the trip would be much shorter but unfortunately he had no greens to lure a chocobo. Hours passed as the ex-mercenary continued to walk through the beginnings of the plains. Rinoa had still not awakened and Squall found himself missing the sounds of her voice.
"Hey Rinoa . . . if you can hear me, it's Squall," he spoke softly to her. "I'm taking us to Trabia where hopefully they can help us." He coughed nervously. "Listen to me, saying words like 'hopefully.' I never thought I'd be the one to say that." The monologue sounded pathetic to Squall but he felt freedom in telling her even the most basic things. She was easy to talk to when awake, but as she lay unconscious she was even easier to talk to.
"I wonder why you told me not to forget you . . . I mean how could you even think I'd ever forget you?" He sighed. "I wish . . . I wish you'd wake up so I could just hear the sounds of your voice. I'd give anything . . . even Lionheart to hear you again." Squall spotted a small tree in the midst of the plains and walked over to it. Sitting down, he gently brought Rinoa to the ground and propped her up against the tree as they faced the setting sun.
"You would have loved this view I think. You were always one for beautiful things." Squall studied his silent companion and brought one knee up to fold his arms upon. He gently ran a gloved hand through a strand of silky black hair, mesmerized by its soft folds despite the weather. "How can you be so fragile yet hold so much power? You know, I . . ." Squall looked away, ashamed of himself "I wanted to kill you at one point that day in the cave. I thought somehow you were responsible for the death of my parents, but then I realized it was misplaced anger."
He let his head roll back into the large trunk of the tree.
"I wonder if you can hear me. You look so serene, just as if you were asleep. But it's not sleep keeping you from me is it?" Squall glanced over at Rinoa. He let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe you're disappointed with me . . . I failed the both of us today. I made a promise a long time ago . . . to never fail protecting someone I lov-." Squall faltered at the word, surprised at himself. His voice dropped to a melancholy whisper as pain passed through the mental blocks he had erected. "I couldn't save my parents. I couldn't save you. I don't deserve you, or anyone. How can you stand failure?"
He looked at her and away once more, unable to face even her sleeping figure. "That's why I distanced myself – if I didn't care about anyone, I couldn't fail anyone. And it worked . . . for years. I didn't mind the isolation, the pain of my memories, just as long as I wouldn't fail anyone else. But then when I saw you, I just couldn't distance myself and to this day I don't understand why."
He buried his head in his hands, not noticing Rinoa stirring from her sleep. "I mean yes you're beautiful, even extremely so, but I've seen beautiful women before. You are everything I thought I despised: innocent, social, talkative and carefree. But ironically those were the very things that drew me to you."
Rinoa listened intently, smiling weakly. "And I know I tried to push you away, thinking that it would save you. But now I can't help but be selfish and want you to stay with me. I've never been so happy . . . wanting and dependent of someone in my life." He choked out a laugh. "And I don't even know your last name or even if you feel the same way."
"Heartilly," Rinoa whispered as she raised a hand to Squall's face. He looked up in wide-eye shock and fear as he realized she had heard every feeling, every word he had just uttered.
Rinoa let out a small laugh as Squall's mouth remained opened. "You heard . . . you're awake?!"
She let out a wry smile. "And the answer to the second part of your question . . ." She looked away as a raspberry blush stained her cheeks despite the severe amount of blood loss. "Is yes." She turned to face Squall as he still was in shock. Rinoa closed his jaw and caressed his face, fingering the scar he had recently obtained.
Squall finally managed to register the things she had just told him and the fact she was awake. His gladness overwhelmed him and he brought her to him, crushing her in a fierce yet gentle hug. His gloved hands slid up and down the back of her head as he reveled in the joy that was Rinoa.
Rinoa tentatively wrapped her arms around Squall, feeling her pulse race. After several seconds Squall pulled Rinoa in front of him. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired, and a little weak," she admitted. "And surprisingly not tired of you yet Mr. Leonhart," she teased him.
He mock growled and placed his hands along her ribcage, threatening to tickle her. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Surprisingly?!" he demanded. His heart thumped against his chest in celebration of her. He didn't care if he was out of character. Squall wanted to enjoy her, to show her everything he had been feeling.
"Ok ok," she raised her hands in surrender. "Just a little tired of you then."
Squall thrust his fingers along her ribcage, giving her no mercy as he tickled her.
She giggled and began laughing uncontrollably. "OK OK! You win! You're great company and I'm not surprised!" Squall pulled his hands away. Rinoa smirked. "Just a little on the emotionally distant and cold side is all."
"What?!" Squall playfully growled. In one swift movement he had her pinned to the ground with one of his arms holding both of her hands. The other lay along her ribs, ready to tickle again.
"Well you are!" Rinoa insisted despite her obvious disadvantageous position of bargaining.
Rinoa's eyes met Squall's and everything about their argument was forgotten. Blue eyes pierced her own and she felt lost in eyes of the lone wolf. They were both panting heavily and Rinoa wanted nothing more than Squall to kiss her. His thoughts were lost in her and the gladness of the fact she was alive. His body was his to control but he surprised himself by acting upon his desires. Lowering his lips to hers, Squall tenderly kissed her. Inexperienced only in practice, Squall knew Rinoa was made for him as he was for her. Angelic white wings fluttered from behind Rinoa as her emotions were triggered by her desire for the strong and handsome man kissing her. Their lips caressed each other in a sweet kiss and Squall finally managed to pull away, realizing his actions and the consequences if he didn't stop. He was taking advantage of her weakened state.
Turning away, embarrassed and afraid that he had gone too far, Squall began to pull himself off of the beautiful woman beneath him.
"I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to . . ." he began. "Idiot! You're violating her!" Squall mentally berated himself.
Rinoa shook her head and pulled him down once more. "I'll never ask anything else of you . . . just love me this once."
Squall met her eyes and knew he could do nothing but comply. He wanted her too and realizing he had come so close to losing her caused him to take advantage of the moment. He nodded his consent. He met her lips and found his heaven once more.