Ch.5: Peaceful Confrontation

"…" Squall awoke to strange surroundings as his eyes fluttered open. His hand immediately flew to the back of his skull, where he felt the tender tissues scream in pain as he gingerly touched them fleetingly with the tips of his gloves. By that time, he knew what happened, but had no idea where he was now.

In front of him sat Angelo, who kept a peaceful eye on him. She did not appear dangerous like she had before, instead lolling out her tongue in a leisurely fashion and simply waiting for him to fully rouse from his forced slumber. As he awoke, she stood up and approached him. Only then did he realize that he was lying sideways on a small mattress, the springs poking him only slightly as he sat up to meet the approaching canine. He held out his hands and stroked her behind the ears… though he didn't like to admit it in front of others, he wasn't an animal hater at heart. He just didn't have the chance to prove that fact, that was all. He seemed to sense that she was friendly this time, not hostile or aggressive.

At first, she whined, not sure if he was going to hurt her as the hands approached her head. She tensed up slightly, expecting to feel the worst; in her mind, she knew she deserved it from him. She'd taken away his friends and his father's town… and yet, she was surprised to feel the gentle scratches and strokes behind her ears. She pushed her head against his hands for a bit, relishing the feeling of warm hands touching her instead of the cold hands she was so used to.

Hmm… say, that feels good… oh! Angelo walked away briefly after a few more scratches to move towards the wooden door that held her and Squall in. Her nails clicked against the wooden floor as she scratched the door, her scrapings taking off chips and flakes of wood. Rinoa… he's awake.

That one name jostled him a bit, until he realized what had truly come to pass. Yes… he had given himself up for the town. And yet… he wondered why. He wasn't the self-sacrificial type, and yet had given up whatever freedom and chance of survival he might have had by saving a town he had no responsibility over and a father he wasn't sure was still alive. He never did have a chance to check the Infirmary, and never had the opportunity to see whether or not his father and friends were still alive. Laguna, Kiros, and Ward… three friends who Squall swore were joined at the hip, one way or another. Where one of them went, so did the other two; whether it was to go drinking in a bar or being dispatched on military missions in another country, they always stuck together. He wasn't quite sure whether to call that a friendship or a grafting.

"So… you're finally awake." The cold, velvety voice shocked him from his thoughts as his azure eyes locked with her dark brown ones. He saw nothing in them… no inner fire, no signs of life or feelings whatsoever. In a way, it reminded him of himself, and how others probably saw him… cold, heartless, and aloof; an image he strived to keep up whenever possible. This was no exception.

"…" He kept silent. Why not? After all, he had nothing to say to the woman, so there was no reason for speech; it was a meaningless waste of time and energy on both their parts. He would have had to think of the words before actually speaking them, while she would have to stay there and listen. Begging for mercy was for the spineless, but he was not about to say 'Kill me!', either. Instead, he sat there, his eyes locked with hers in a seemingly never-ending staring contest. He noticed for the first time that her eyes, though cold, were not hostile or full of hunger or hatred, as he'd thought they'd be.

Angelo's eyes moved quickly between the two figures, her ears quickly moving back to lie against her skull. They both seemed dark, serious, and damn stubborn. With a small whine that she was unable to suppress, she left the room; if she had a tail, it would've been between her legs by now. The tension between predator and prey, captor and captive, and vampire and human was thick, seemingly weighing down like excess baggage to both in the room. As she sped from the room as fast as her paws could carry her, she saw a rather curious individual by the door who insisted on rudely eavesdropping in on their conversation. Her ear had been pressing against the wooden door, with her long brown hair draping down her shoulders and back. Her white tank top and short brown pants showed nothing that indicated how cold it was inside; only her large, leather boots could have possibly kept her warm. Then again, the vampiress could not feel the cold, and therefore could dress as she pleased.

Tifa… that's not going to get you very far. They're not talking at all in there. Stay if you want, but you're bound to be disappointed. Angelo told the brunette as she walked off, choosing instead to curl up in her blanket-covered basket for a short nap. She'd done her share, and scaling rooftops silently while Rinoa was off sneaking into the Infirmary hadn't made it any easier on her, for the vampiress was normally her safety net in case she fell from the shingles. Rather than dwell on the thought, the dog turned around in her bed a few times before simply going to sleep.

Tifa ignored her, though she had a hunch that Angelo had been right. She was a bright dog, and had been in there herself; she'd know. Hoping against the odds, she leaned her head on the door to listen in on their interaction; calling it a conversation was like calling a standing child running. The silence spoke volumes between the two figures as their eye lock continued. After several minutes, Squall was forced to break the contact, looking away from the girl who stood before him. After all… his eyes were still alive, and needed moisture in the form of tears. She did not, and therefore stood still, unblinking, at his antics.

"I do not understand." She said simply, causing Squall to have a slight look of confusion before his expression reverted to normal. Rinoa had definitely caught him off-guard that time; he hadn't expected her to speak for some time, and yet she broke the silence long before he ever planned to. She could not understand why he had not spoken to her, let alone why he tried to stare down one with dead eyes.

"What?" He asked simply. He kept the curiosity out of his voice as he asked her, attempting to make his voice sound perfectly emotionless, as it almost always was. He wondered what made her say that strange statement. What did she not understand? What surprised him most was that she smiled at this… and his face showed it.

"Curiosity… I haven't felt that in a long time from anyone in my presence." She smiled and leaned down, almost face to face with the sitting teen. He was taken aback, leaning back, only to feel his head hit the wall behind him. Her smile reverted to its normal, emotionless expression as she continued to stare at him.

"And now… why are you frightened? I have done nothing to you." Her voice showed a trace of sadness… though she tried to hide it, it was as if she no longer understood what feelings were. Squall felt a sense of connection briefly, recalling how no one understood how he felt, how he was so detached from his emotions. The smile returned, only softer this time.

"Sympathy…? I have done nothing to deserve it." When she felt the waves of shock simply roll off of him, and saw that his face revealed none of it, she kept the smile as she spoke again. "Shocking, yes. I may not be able to read your mind or your face, but emotions tell me everything."

"…how?" He asked. He couldn't believe he was now conversing with a vampire, let alone the one who kidnapped him against his will. He was sort of uneasy knowing that she knew what he felt, and yet… felt somewhat comfortable around her. Not so comfortable as to keep up a civil conversation; just comfortable enough that he wouldn't feel the constant need to get out of the room.

"We vampires…" She said, flinching for a moment at her choice of words. "…we can sense emotions. We can't read minds, so it is our best asset. It is strange to find, though… you seem to be a whirlwind of pent-up emotions. Why do you do so? It will tear your soul apart…"

She's… she's talking to someone! Tifa was genuinely shocked as her ears pressed against the wood. Never in her experience had she heard her speak more than a few words to anyone… even her own kin. And yet… she seemed to be quite open with this one. In fact, she seemed to be talking much more than the captive. Why? What made her…?

"I'll be taking my leave of you. If you ever… Well, if you need…" She sighed before she left. She'd forgotten the phrases long ago… she never used it, so she lost it, so to speak. Tifa gasped as Rinoa's footsteps approached the door, not quite removing the shock as she reemerged from the room.

"What?" Rinoa asked coldly, her eyes again revealing nothing to the other vampiress before she left. Her cape seemed to flow out behind her before she turned down the hall and away from the eavesdropper.

Ah… so that's how it is. Tifa thought, smiling. She tipped her head to the side and giggled for a little bit before realizing something else.

How cute! Rinoa's got herself a crush…!