Just to Breathe

~Fujin's Story~

Chapter Six "Posse"

"Wasting time, let the hours role by, doing nothing for the fun; a little taste of the good life.  Whether right or wrong, it makes us want to stay, stay, stay for a while."  --DMB; "Stay (Wasting Time)"

Come morning, my skin was baking in the sun, a stinging pain, yet I did not open my eyes.  The restfulness of my night's dream was slipping away, but I wasn't ready to let go just then.  A cool shadow fell over my face, and at first I thought that it was Raijin trying to protect me from the sun.  However, the silky voice that washed over me did not belong to the image painted on my eyelids.

 "I knew you were sneaking out to see someone, Raijin, I just knew it!"

A prick of fear shivered over my burning skin and my eyes snapped open.  The sun on his back eclipsed him, and for a moment I could only see the black silhouette of a young man.  I scrambled to my knees when I noticed the colossal sword resting on his shoulder in a defiant, yet relaxed pose, and I got a better look. 

It was a gunblade.

"S…Seifer?" The query tumbled off of her tongue before she could stop it. 

The look on his face shifted from amusement, to surprise, to pride.  "So I see Raijin has told you all about me," he lifted his chin regally, carelessly swooping down the gunblade so that he could lean on it, just barely missing my face as she swooshed it.  Beside me, Raijin stirred, opened his eyes.

"Seifer, what're you doin' here, ya know…" he sounded groggy, tired.

"Retrieving you nimrod."  The tone of Seifer's voice slightly reminded me of Mother, criticizing and cruel, but my gaze didn't wander.  I was awe struck by his face.  I admired him as he and Raijin spoke.  The sun glinted off of his blonde hair, shimmering at me like gold.  His eyes were a liquid blue that rippled with dignity and purpose.  His skin was a perfect medium between the bronze of Raijin's and the platinum of mine.  He looked strong, but well toned, not bulky like Raijin.  It was my first glimpse of Heaven, and I found that I could not so much as blink.

I was still kneeling, breathless now, before him when I realized that Raijin had offered me a hand to stand up.  A sudden need to prove my own strength plagued me, and I stood, however shakily, on my own.  Cluelessly, I followed the pair down the road to Balamb.  Instantly, I thought of Ma Dincht. 

"Raijin," he turned his head to look at me, curiously, when I spoke.  I thought very hard about the words I wanted to say, but by speaking quickly, they jumbled up as they exited my mouth.  "With friends Dincht Zell are you?"  Raijin and Seifer both stopped to stare at me, and I was instantly ashamed, not only of my inept sentence, but of how coarse and crude my voice sounded.

"What's wrong with her?" Seifer complained, "Why does she talk like that?" 

Humiliation stabbed through me like a BiteBug's stinger.  I took a deep breath, trying to calm the sudden rage that had sprouted within me.  "I don't know, ya know?  Sometimes she has trouble—″ I kicked him.  I couldn't help myself; I didn't want him to embarrass me anymore than I all ready was.  The instant my foot connected with his shin, though, I regretted the action. 

It didn't faze him physically, but he stared at me with heartache in his eyes that I hat thought impossible.  I nearly turned away and fled, but Raijin grabbed my burning arm and stopped me. 

"Are you okay?" There was sincerity in his voice that turned my body to liquid, and I struggled not to lose my stomach.  He comforted me, "Breathe, ya know?"

I tried to relax, taking long, deep breaths as he'd instructed.  Raijin held me steady a moment longer, and then Seifer stepped up beside us.  "She gonna be okay?"

Raijin looked to me for clearance, and when I nodded, he released me. Seifer turned away with a swooping motion, black trench coat flaring out behind him, leaving me to marvel at his ability to tolerate the blazing heat.  Weakly, I stumbled behind him, and we made our way to Balamb. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seifer set the bait box and rented fishing equipment on the dock, on which I had so often looked out to Dollet.  I made my way to the rickety edge and looked out towards the city.  Behind us, Raijin had stripped to his boxers, and came bounding down the dock. 

"Wahoo, ya know!" he yelled as he pushed off of the dock, soared through the air, and smashed into the sea, drenching Seifer and I with water.  Turning swiftly to block my face, I lost my balance.  Frantically waving my arms, I tried to regain it, but started to fall nonetheless.  Just as I began to mentally brace myself for the water, a gloved hand grasped my wrist and yanked me back, away from the edge.  Seifer's body was hard and cold when I fell into him, and he shoved me away before I could notice any soft warmth.  Looking up at him in awe, I saw a hint of annoyance glinting in his eyes as he stared down at the rippling water.  "You oughta be more careful," he barked when Raijin resurfaced. 

"I'm sorry boss, ya know?" he offered, then looked sympathetically at me and mouthed his apologies.  Seifer grunted again and sat on the edge of the dog, legs draping over the side as he baited his hook and cast the line.  I stood there behind him, tall and straight, like a soldier, as Mother had once taught me to do.  I admired Seifer's broad, strong shoulders as sunlight danced upon them, but Raijin's voice brought me out of my trance.  "Why don't you come swimming, ya know?" he called up as he treaded water not so far away.

"You're scarin' all the fish away," Seifer complained, but Raijin simply laughed. 

"Come on, Fujin, ya know?"  When I shook my head silently, he splashed more water up at me.  "The water's nice, ya know?"

"No," I denied him, with a little more force in my voice.  "But thanks."

"It's real fun, ya know?" he called again.  I sense Seifer's annoyance and thought he was stalking away behind me.  Raijin persisted, "Just come in for a little while, ya know?"

I tried to glare at him, hating the embarrassment that plagued me.  "Can't swim," I snapped.

"Can't swim?" Seifer's voice was mocking, much closer behind me then it should have been.  Just as I hung my head in defeat, I felt the jolt of hands on my shoulders, and my body pitched forward.

There wasn't time to scream before I hit the water.  Instantly I tried to claw my way to the surface, but Seifer was still holding onto me, dragging me down with him.  I began to think he was trying to drown me, and just as I stopped my struggle, the image of Mother raced through my mind.  Suddenly he kicked up, pulling my body along with him.  As we broke the surface, I opened my mouth to gasp for air.  I struggled away from Seifer, kicking and paddling to keep my body afloat.  It took me a moment to realize what he had done, and what I was now doing.

A bubble in my chest rose and erupted out of my mouth.  The sound it emitted was oddly beautiful.  I couldn't control myself; I had to laugh!  I was swimming!  I grinned foolishly. 

Paddling in a circle and turning back, I saw that Seifer had removed his jacket, gloves, and shirt before jumping in with me.  He and Raijin were complete opposites, but to me, it didn't matter.  I decided that moment that they were my friends.  I swam back to them, smiling. 

"See, you can swim."  Seifer commented.  "Not bad for a beginner."  His approval meant everything to me. 

We spent a good hour or two swimming at the dock, until our fingers and toes pruned; the fishing was forgotten.  Seifer and Raijin hoisted themselves out of the water, and the two of them together pulled me out.  For a while we laid out on the dock, letting the sun warm and dry us. 

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Seifer asked, "Swimming, I mean."

I smiled softly, my eyes closed as the sun baked me.  "Fun," I answered.  I decided that I couldn't go wrong with my usual one-word sentences.

"She's pretty cool," Raijin butted in, speaking to Seifer.  "I've only known her a few weeks, but it seems that she's one of us already, ya know?" 

"Yeah," Seifer answered.  My heart soared in my chest, and I thought it might escape my ribs.  "We'll all stick together, then.  We'll be a team."

Grinning brightly, I stared up at the blue sky.  We'll stick together, I repeated to myself, we'll be a team.  I'm so happy that I have found friends.  We share a bond, something special.  We'll support each other when we need it.  They'll protect me and I'll learn from them how to one day protect them.  We're a team.  I want to tell them my approval, but how can I sum everything I'm feeling into one word?  "Posse," I couldn't recall where I had learned the word, but it seemed so appropriate at the moment. 

"Yeah," Seifer was smiling too, something that I would later learn was a very rare event.  "A posse."

That moment was the beginning of a very beautiful friendship.