AN: Wow, it's been quite a while since I've actually updated this thing.
I'm really sorry, school's been really hard on me. And writer's block has
been plaguing me since forever. Things really aren't that good right now.
But I've decided to try my best and actually put something up here. And the
absence of reviews for the last chapter is most discouraging. I don't wanna
leave this thing hanging, but if there aren't any reviews, I think I'll
hafta. Maybe even take this thing off of ff.net. I dunno, depends on the
number of reviews... Oh, wait, there's a review!!!! Awwww, thanks so much
to Anime-freak-4life!!! You're totally my motivation for this chapter. :D
Oh, just warning you, things get really abrupt here, so just be ready for
sudden plot twists. This is what happens when you put down a story for too
long and completely forget what you originally wanted to write about...
That, and that I really wanted to do some romance for once!
"Are you going to answer the phone?" Quistis asked softly.
"No." Miranda replied, voice hoarse from screaming and crying.
Miranda shrugged Quistis' hand off of her shoulder, sheathed Samurai's Last Wish, and walked briskly away from the dead T-Rexaur, out of the Training Centre. Quistis followed her.
"Why not?"
"I... It brings back too many bad memories."
"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes getting everything out of your system helps. A lot."
Miranda stopped walking and turned around to look carefully at Quistis.
"I know. I know I'm not supposed to ask about your past or anything like that, but you seem to be really upset about it, and maybe you just need to tell someone about all of it. I'm here for you."
Miranda sniffed, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"I want to tell you, Quistis, I really do. But... Oh Quistis, you have no idea how much I want to tell you, but I can't!" Miranda wailed, despair washing over her.
She'd only felt this isolated and alone two times before in her life. One was when she killed Avy, the other when her mother died. And now, a third time, when she realized that there was someone in the world who still cared for her and wanted to help share the burden of her feelings. It hurt her greatly to know that she couldn't share her story, she just couldn't.
"Miranda..."
Quistis took a long stride, stepped up to Miranda, and wrapped her arms around the crying girl. The tears that streamed down Miranda's cheeks soaked into Quistis' shoulder, but she didn't care, all she really did care about was to hold this small, young, shaking girl as close to her as humanly possible, and try to lift the pain away from her.
Finally, after a long moment of silence, Miranda pulled away and gazed up at Quistis. Looking down, Quistis looked long and hard into Miranda's dark eyes, and something in her unconsciously made the decision for her that she'd be willing to risk her life if it meant she could know just what this girl was hiding from her.
"Miranda, I want you to tell me exactly what's going on, exactly what your past is."
Miranda opened her mouth to tell Quistis that she couldn't, but Quistis held up a hand and placed a finger lightly against Miranda's lips, stopping her.
"I know, and frankly, I don't care. I've been through a lot Miranda. I've survived and lived through a lot. The Time Compression. Ultimecia. Getting my Instructor license taken away. Even..."
Quistis' voice cracked.
"Even a period of deep depression. I don't want you to have to go through that darkness Miranda. I've lived through enough already, and if helping you through this and stopping you from going down that road means risking my life, so be it. Miranda, I care about you, but you don't seem to want to let me. You hide all these things away from me, how can I ever possibly have a relationship with you other than Instructor and Cadet? Why don't you open up Miranda? Let me inside those walls!"
And then, in one swift, spontaneous movement, Quistis lifted her finger off of Miranda's lips and gently pressed her lips onto them.
Miranda's eyes shot wide open, but she didn't resist. She knew that Quistis cared for her, but to this extent? It had never occurred to her. (AN: See the abruptness here? But hey, there's finally some romance between the two! Can't complain 'bout that, can ya?) Something was stirring in her, a fluttering feeling in the region of her stomach.
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in Quistis' mind. What the hell was she doing? Why did she even think of doing that? And why was she doing this anyways? What caused this sudden movement? Quistis never even had the chance to think before her lips had somehow lowered themselves onto Miranda's.
Miranda pulled back suddenly, and both her and Quistis stood gasping for air, still in each other's arms.
"What... What was that?" Miranda whispered, when she finally regained her breath.
"That? I thought you knew what a kiss was." Quistis whispered back, grinning softly.
Miranda smiled and replied saucily, "You call that a kiss? What are you, in kindergarten? Afraid of cooties or something?"
Quistis mocked pouted before smiling slyly, and murmured, "No, but I was afraid I'd scare you off with the intensity of what I call a kiss."
With that, she lowered her lips onto Miranda's again, only this time, Miranda could feel something lap across her lips. She opened them, and felt Quistis' tongue slide in and explore the insides of her mouth. Her own tongue flickered up and engaged Quistis' in an epic battle. After what seemed like an eternity, the two broke apart, desperately needy for air. When their lungs finally stopped screaming at them, they both grinned at each other, and Miranda started chuckling.
"Scare me off? You don't see me running, do you?"
"No. But then again, it's not like I've let go of you yet."
Miranda stood still, pondering for a moment, before suddenly bringing her face up close to Quistis'. Their noses brushed against each other, and Miranda tantalizingly licked Quistis' lips, but then pulled away to remain hovering a short distance away, teasing her.
"Don't—Don't tease me." Quistis said breathily.
"Hm. Why not? Seems entertaining to me."
"Oh, is this entertaining for you already? You know I could do *so* much more."
Miranda smiled.
"Quistis, Quistis, Quistis. You're corrupting me. You know that's not good. I'm a really bad girl when I want to be."
A pause between the two. And then,
"I have a whip."
Miranda pulled back completely and gazed up at Quistis, completely shocked, while Quistis' blue eyes twinkled playfully down at her.
"What?!"
"What do you mean what? You knew that was coming."
"No, I didn't!"
"Oh yes you did, you dirty little girl."
"Hey, who're you callin' dirty?! You're the one who's dirty, you sick little pervert!"
"Oh, sick little pervert am I?"
"Yes!"
Quistis made as though to retaliate, but suddenly remembered what was going on before the first kiss.
"Miranda, we're avoiding the subject."
"What subject? The one where you've finally shown how sick and perverted you are?"
"No Miranda. Seriously."
Quistis stepped back and let go of Miranda.
"You have to tell me about your past."
Miranda winced.
"Not now Quistis. Please? We just got to know each other, don't ruin the moment."
Quistis frowned, but fully agreed with Miranda. Finally, sighing, she gave in.
"Fine. But promise me you'll tell me. Soon."
Miranda grinned before saying, "ASAP. Promise."
Quistis smiled back, then asked, "So, what d'you want to do now, hm?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Are you going to answer the phone?" Quistis asked softly.
"No." Miranda replied, voice hoarse from screaming and crying.
Miranda shrugged Quistis' hand off of her shoulder, sheathed Samurai's Last Wish, and walked briskly away from the dead T-Rexaur, out of the Training Centre. Quistis followed her.
"Why not?"
"I... It brings back too many bad memories."
"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes getting everything out of your system helps. A lot."
Miranda stopped walking and turned around to look carefully at Quistis.
"I know. I know I'm not supposed to ask about your past or anything like that, but you seem to be really upset about it, and maybe you just need to tell someone about all of it. I'm here for you."
Miranda sniffed, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
"I want to tell you, Quistis, I really do. But... Oh Quistis, you have no idea how much I want to tell you, but I can't!" Miranda wailed, despair washing over her.
She'd only felt this isolated and alone two times before in her life. One was when she killed Avy, the other when her mother died. And now, a third time, when she realized that there was someone in the world who still cared for her and wanted to help share the burden of her feelings. It hurt her greatly to know that she couldn't share her story, she just couldn't.
"Miranda..."
Quistis took a long stride, stepped up to Miranda, and wrapped her arms around the crying girl. The tears that streamed down Miranda's cheeks soaked into Quistis' shoulder, but she didn't care, all she really did care about was to hold this small, young, shaking girl as close to her as humanly possible, and try to lift the pain away from her.
Finally, after a long moment of silence, Miranda pulled away and gazed up at Quistis. Looking down, Quistis looked long and hard into Miranda's dark eyes, and something in her unconsciously made the decision for her that she'd be willing to risk her life if it meant she could know just what this girl was hiding from her.
"Miranda, I want you to tell me exactly what's going on, exactly what your past is."
Miranda opened her mouth to tell Quistis that she couldn't, but Quistis held up a hand and placed a finger lightly against Miranda's lips, stopping her.
"I know, and frankly, I don't care. I've been through a lot Miranda. I've survived and lived through a lot. The Time Compression. Ultimecia. Getting my Instructor license taken away. Even..."
Quistis' voice cracked.
"Even a period of deep depression. I don't want you to have to go through that darkness Miranda. I've lived through enough already, and if helping you through this and stopping you from going down that road means risking my life, so be it. Miranda, I care about you, but you don't seem to want to let me. You hide all these things away from me, how can I ever possibly have a relationship with you other than Instructor and Cadet? Why don't you open up Miranda? Let me inside those walls!"
And then, in one swift, spontaneous movement, Quistis lifted her finger off of Miranda's lips and gently pressed her lips onto them.
Miranda's eyes shot wide open, but she didn't resist. She knew that Quistis cared for her, but to this extent? It had never occurred to her. (AN: See the abruptness here? But hey, there's finally some romance between the two! Can't complain 'bout that, can ya?) Something was stirring in her, a fluttering feeling in the region of her stomach.
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in Quistis' mind. What the hell was she doing? Why did she even think of doing that? And why was she doing this anyways? What caused this sudden movement? Quistis never even had the chance to think before her lips had somehow lowered themselves onto Miranda's.
Miranda pulled back suddenly, and both her and Quistis stood gasping for air, still in each other's arms.
"What... What was that?" Miranda whispered, when she finally regained her breath.
"That? I thought you knew what a kiss was." Quistis whispered back, grinning softly.
Miranda smiled and replied saucily, "You call that a kiss? What are you, in kindergarten? Afraid of cooties or something?"
Quistis mocked pouted before smiling slyly, and murmured, "No, but I was afraid I'd scare you off with the intensity of what I call a kiss."
With that, she lowered her lips onto Miranda's again, only this time, Miranda could feel something lap across her lips. She opened them, and felt Quistis' tongue slide in and explore the insides of her mouth. Her own tongue flickered up and engaged Quistis' in an epic battle. After what seemed like an eternity, the two broke apart, desperately needy for air. When their lungs finally stopped screaming at them, they both grinned at each other, and Miranda started chuckling.
"Scare me off? You don't see me running, do you?"
"No. But then again, it's not like I've let go of you yet."
Miranda stood still, pondering for a moment, before suddenly bringing her face up close to Quistis'. Their noses brushed against each other, and Miranda tantalizingly licked Quistis' lips, but then pulled away to remain hovering a short distance away, teasing her.
"Don't—Don't tease me." Quistis said breathily.
"Hm. Why not? Seems entertaining to me."
"Oh, is this entertaining for you already? You know I could do *so* much more."
Miranda smiled.
"Quistis, Quistis, Quistis. You're corrupting me. You know that's not good. I'm a really bad girl when I want to be."
A pause between the two. And then,
"I have a whip."
Miranda pulled back completely and gazed up at Quistis, completely shocked, while Quistis' blue eyes twinkled playfully down at her.
"What?!"
"What do you mean what? You knew that was coming."
"No, I didn't!"
"Oh yes you did, you dirty little girl."
"Hey, who're you callin' dirty?! You're the one who's dirty, you sick little pervert!"
"Oh, sick little pervert am I?"
"Yes!"
Quistis made as though to retaliate, but suddenly remembered what was going on before the first kiss.
"Miranda, we're avoiding the subject."
"What subject? The one where you've finally shown how sick and perverted you are?"
"No Miranda. Seriously."
Quistis stepped back and let go of Miranda.
"You have to tell me about your past."
Miranda winced.
"Not now Quistis. Please? We just got to know each other, don't ruin the moment."
Quistis frowned, but fully agreed with Miranda. Finally, sighing, she gave in.
"Fine. But promise me you'll tell me. Soon."
Miranda grinned before saying, "ASAP. Promise."
Quistis smiled back, then asked, "So, what d'you want to do now, hm?"
"Do you really want to know?"