YAY, I am back at last!!! I am soo sorry for not updating in such a long time. I've had absolutely no time to write anything among studying for my midterms and doing this huge project I was involved in through this organization I am. But midterms are over! In, fact I am on Spring Break!!! And you know what that means? Yep, you guessed it! A whole week of working on my story! So, keep checking back for updates because I am planning on making a lot of progress with this story during the week. Sorry this chapter is so short. It took a while to write due to all the emotions I included in it. I hope you like it as much as I do! PLEASE let me know what you think!

Chapter 15

"Fuu?"

No, it couldn't be. She wasn't ready to face him yet, not like that. Seifer… The sound of his voice tore through her like a hurricane, leaving her suddenly out of breath as she gasped softly to fill her lungs with air. His scent permeated her senses, dizzying her, as his burning breath tickled the back of her neck.

"Fujin?" he repeated more forcefully, the metallic note in his voice reverberating in the silence of the evening. It was now or never, and Fujin knew it. Exhaling deeply, she sharply turned around to face him, well aware that his head was only inches away from hers.

"SEIFER," she stated simply, fearlessly raising her eyes to stare into his abyssal pools of jade. Bad Idea, Fujin. Nothing could have prepared her for the look of concern registered in those green depths as his glance fell on the pronounced red scratch on her face.

"Who did this?" he said in a low whisper, his hand instinctively reaching down to the hilt of his gunblade. She wanted to scream at him, to kiss him, to hit him with all her might. Where were you when I needed you, Seifer?!!!! Where WERE you when he did this to me??!! Out screwing that spoiled brat you met two days ago?! Oh, save the concern for Rinoa, Seifer! She stared deeply into his eyes, challenging him to a silent duel, knowing that was the only battle she had a chance of winning with him. She was wrong. He cocked his head to one side, accepting her challenge-her forfeit as he soothingly ran his fingers along the side of her face, feeling her unwittingly lean into his touch. Suddenly, he pulled her closer to him, raising up the sleeve of her shirt to expose a deep welt on her shoulder, his other hand already at her stomach examining the bruised skin. Knowingly, he lifted up her chin to meet his eyes that glowed menacingly with burning anger.

"Who did this to you, Fujin?" he commanded. "I'll kill him." She laughed at the irony.

"He's dead, Seifer. Kona killed him." She smiled at how easily the words slipped out of her mouth, fueled by revenge. Sweet revenge…

"Yes, he would've raped me, Seifer, if it wasn't for Kona. Would've fucked me to his heart's content!" Seifer took a step back, blinded by the fury of the outburst that erupted from her so unexpectedly.

"I'm sorry," was all he could manage. Encouraged by his retreat, she continued, knowing that she could no longer stop the deluge of feelings that exploded from her in one giant wave.

"Did you even bother looking for me or could you think of no one but your new girlfriend?" Suddenly she stopped, leaning against a lamppost for support, her fists clenching and unclenching as she breathed in heavily.

"Do you love her? Rinoa…" she whispered, looking away. In the back of her mind, she wondered if all of this was a dream that she could erase if only she pinched herself long enough to wake up. If only she could take back everything she had said to him tonight. She liked the safety of the other Fujin--the tough, unemotional mask she always wore to hide the turmoil inside of her. She marveled at how easily he reduced her defenses to nothing, leaving her standing in front of him naked and exposed. He chuckled almost inaudibly before answering after what seemed like an eternity of silence. However, when he finally spoke, his voice was serious.

"C'mon now, Fuu. We both know that the question that really bothers you is not if I love Rinoa but if I love you. Isn't that true, Fujin? Answer me. " She looked at him in disbelief, amazed at such audacity. He wouldn't…

"Oh?" The words were caught in her throat. Just by the tone of his voice she knew the answer. Don't kid yourself, Fujin. You've known the answer all along. You never stood a chance. Not now… not ever… Time you stopped torturing yourself. But what about the time when he kissed you back in that cavern? Did that mean nothing to him? Is he really that cruel? She sighed. Only one way to find out. Fight fire with fire. Slowly she reached into her pocket, her fingers circling around the tiny piece of paper on which Kona had scribbled his phone number. Her hand tightened around it in resolve-she wasn't going to give up just yet.

"C'mon, Fuu. Let's go find a place to stay. I bet you anything Raijin's getting pretty antsy waiting for us across the street," he said pointing to the large man leaning onto his long staff by the entrance to a café. "Just promise me you won't run off again like that during the night cuz you never know, Kona might not be there to save your ass that time." He grinned at her annoyance, but said nothing more. That night, an unspoken understanding passed between them not to bring up the events that went on between them for neither was ready to face them.

TO BE CONTINUED