A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: OOC, LANGUAGE, LEMON.
Chapter 6: Perplexity and Clarity
"How was your little date?"
She froze as she heard a low and masculine voice in the dark. She smiled and turned to the source of the voice and was met with a pair of glowing crimson orbs. She blinked, "It wasn't a date. And it went fine."
The man before her walked onward and stepped closer to her, "It better not be." he said, lightly pouting.
She chuckled at that. He was so insecure…
And the funny thing was…he was directing it at Gale! Good heavens! Of all the people…
She took the last step that separated the two of them and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him to her, "Oh Heat…You're my only huggable bear…You know that." she cooed to him softly, wooing him.
She knew that she had succeeded as she felt him shrug his shoulders. Giggling a bit, she tiptoed and cupped his face in her hand, pulling it down towards hers.
He complied.
Their lips then found one another's in the dark.
xxxxx
Gale awoke to a stinging headache. He clutched his head in sheer agony with one of his hands while the other felt for the loudly buzzing alarm clock.
A smashing sound was heard.
That was better.
He then fell back on his bed, having his eyes still tightly shut. As the seconds ticked by and as his thoughts got all the more organized, his memory from the previous night's events finally took shape.
He remembered bumping into Argilla…their time at the tavern…her kiss on his cheek…and her last line to him.
"I like it…"
At that thought, he saw her shining pink eyes within his mind. He suddenly sat up with lightning speed, his eyes wide open.
He frowned, 'So early in the morning…and that's what I'm pondering over…' he thought, scolding himself.
He forced his mind to relinquish his thoughts of her. He had more important things to think of…That, and because he was angry at himself.
He was angry because he didn't like what he was feeling.
He was angry of what he was beginning to feel towards her.
xxxxx
The briefing had commenced and had ended. He had sent the team away for their duties and he was glad that he was going to be amongst his thoughts once more.
"Gale."
Well, scratch that.
Not really.
He stifled a groan as he heard his name passing through her lips. Yes; she had not been sent away…
Although he wanted to.
He didn't dislike her or resent her…but it was just that he found it harder and harder to control and contain himself whenever he was around her.
And the worst part was, he wasn't enjoying it. None of the feelings that she had evoked from him had been pleasurable. All of them were preludes that led nowhere. Like a promising debut of a play…only for it to be thrown into a fiasco by the bungling of an idiot's performance.
Yes. It was definitely like that.
All that he felt towards her was…deprivation. He sighed at that. Like a donkey being led with a carrot-stick, he continued to follow her, hanging on her every word…only to realize in the end that she was a pie that he would never ever get to have a piece of.
And now, she was to remain with him.
It had been Serph's orders. They had been ordered to map out the entirety of Samsara Tunnels and oversee its purification. They had also been ordered to device the filtering scheme for the sparkling yet toxic liquid.
Oh well.
He turned to her, "Argilla. Let's get to work."
xxxxx
The hours had gone by and the two had kept to themselves; they had previously discussed the Samsara Tunnel cartography and that was easy.
The hard part was about the filtering system…
They were halfway done though.
He stole a glance at her and saw her concentrated facial expression. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, her pink eyes blazing in rigidity…and her lips…
They were situated in a quaint pout.
"Gale."
He snapped out of his daze.
"Argilla. What can I do for you?" he asked stoically, only for his facial expression to give way into that of a perplexed and puzzled one.
She chuckled, "You've been looking at me for a whole minute now."
He had?! He had been looking at her for that long a time?! How come he didn't notice!? That wasn't the real question though. The question was: how the heck didn't he notice that she noticed him noticing her?! Damn!
He suppressed a strong blush and said nothing.
"Now, it's me who should be asking you. Is there anything I could do for you?"
He cleared his throat, "No…There's nothing…"
Argilla grinned within. He was bored, wasn't he?
"Gale," she said, standing up.
He immediately followed her and looked up at her from where he sat with a raised eyebrow, "Where are you going?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "There isn't much to be done right now Gale. You are bored and so am I. So, let's bail." she finished with a grin.
He blinked, and then narrowed his eyes, "Do you have any idea of whom you are speaking with Argilla? Have you forgotten that I lead Muladhara as we speak…? I can have you arrested…"
Here, her grin widened and her green-haired partner leaned back. What was she getting at?
"Oh I haven't forgotten Gale. But I know you won't have me arrested." she said mischievously.
He blinked and continued to stare at her with the same bemused expression, "Oh?"
She nodded and giggled, "Yes. You're the one who said that the key to excellent battle performance was a sound mind and body, right?"
"Yes…" he nodded, trailing off, "I am quite aware of that…But what does it have to do with-"
She outstretched her arms as she twirled herself in front him, "So, that settles it. You and I are neither in the 'correct state of mind and body' to continue working on this crap."
Yes; he had heard her alright…Her words wrung true…But it was something else entirely…He had watched, amazed…as she twirled herself in front of him, being in awe as he saw her body move with utter elegance…and grace…
Granted that it had happened only for but a moment…but for him, it had been a complete rendition of a play…
"Gale?"
He was brought back from his reverie by her voice.
"Er…What?" he asked.
She chuckled, "I asked you what you think! You're spacing out on me!"
Again, he could feel the surging of his blood throughout his system. But he paid it no heed and instead focused on the female in front of him instead.
He shook his head in consideration, "I…I suppose that your theory is feasible…"
She wanted to snort right there. That was his way of saying "Yes you're right. I'm bored and so are you. So, let's ditch this and come back later."
With a giggle, she grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up, "Well, what are we waiting for!?"
Gale opened his mouth to protest but had instead had the wind knocked out of him as he was hastily and haphazardly dragged away from the room.
Well, he supposed that he could use the break anyway.
xxxxx
He blinked; his face calm and unfazed, his eyes steely yet half-lidded. What was he doing again…?
Right.
Taking a load off.
His stomach churned at that.
If he was taking a load off, then why did he feel all the more stressed out?
Right.
It was because of her.
And her presence.
From the corner of his eyes, he stole a glance at her. There she was, sitting beside him, her face directed at the horizon before them, her lips set on a quaint little smile. He frowned; what was he doing there again?
He sighed.
"What's wrong?" a voice asked him, rousing him from his ominous and clearly negative thoughts.
He turned to her and spoke, "What are we doing here?" he asked unfeelingly, finally voicing out his opinion.
She giggled as she met his eyes head on, "What does it look like? We're sitting on a bench. We're at the park and marveling at the sight of the sunset."
He looked at her as if she had grown two heads and raised a curious and disbelieving eyebrow. She giggled again. That was the very definition of the word "clueless" in her opinion.
"Argilla…this is-"
"Isn't a waste of time Gale." she hastily spoke, cutting him off, not wishing to hear any more of his negative comments. They just put a damper on things, she reckoned.
Gale touched his forehead and gave her a confused look, "Argilla, we could be doing something more-"
"Productive, I know." she spoke hastily once more, cutting him off once more.
His jade eyes widened for but a moment before settling back to their original sizes. She had done that not once but twice! And the most amazing thing was that she had used the exact words that he had in mind!
It was two things. One; she was just like him. Great minds thought alike. He internally and involuntarily smiled within at that notion. Two; she knew him quite well enough in order to predict his choice of words. Thus, making her efforts of cutting him off, a result of mere chance and a game of probability and percentage.
He frowned internally at that.
"But Gale, this is a great thing to do." she said with a gentle smile, her voice being laced with nothing but honestly and alluring promise.
And so, he pushed her a bit more, "Why is that exactly? And what is the objective of this…activity?" he asked nonchalantly, crossing his arms.
She giggled and he stiffened; why did she have that effect on him?
"Oh Gale! There is no…'objective' in this sort of thing!" she chirped.
"Then what's the purpose of us being here? This is just being without reason…" he refuted back, his eyes darting at hers intently, challenging her assertion.
She didn't back down and met him head-on, "Gale. There are some things…that you need to do without reason." He opened his mouth to refute her again but she motioned for him to be silent and spoke, "But right now, that isn't what our concern is. This," she said, pointing to the sunset, "is a picturesque scene. It's beautiful…don't you think? It's a fleeting moment within our existence…Don't you see, that by appreciating those around us at that particular moment in time, that time freezes at that single moment? Preserving and etching it forever within our hearts…and minds?"
He gave her a blank look, clearly not understanding her point of view.
She sighed and scooted over closer to him. He suppressed the thumping of his heart as she neared him. Still with that innocent smile on her face, she parted her lips once more, "Just look at the sunset. Please?"
He sighed; he had no choice but to oblige her. He turned his face away from hers and looked at the so-called "beautiful" and "picturesque" scenery and saw nothing but the sun's rays.
"Those are the sun's rays being reflected…What is so special about that?" he asked bluntly; his voice purely monotonous.
She sighed, and came over closer to him, leaning in closer to him, her lips near his ear and whispered, "Just look Gale. See how those rays would slowly shift their positions…so slowly, gently…like a dance. And look at how those gentle yet powerful and striking colors and hues change within each second…Each of those rays and colors that we have watched…aren't the same rays and colors that we have seen a second ago, even if we are speaking of the same rays and colors!"
Okay; she had officially lost him.
She chuckled, "What I mean is, time waits for no one. Everything on this earth, may it be the sun's rays, the flowers, the oceans…you or me…are all fleeting in existence. For example," she said, leaning back, looking at him, their eyes meeting, "I'm not the same Argilla you knew yesterday."
He raised an eyebrow, "But that's impossible. You are exactly the Argilla I've spoken to yesterday and just a few hours prior. What you are assuming isn't empirically possible." he said in a tone of pure absolutism.
"That's where you're wrong Gale." she said with a tight smile, "Technically, I'm still the same Argilla…but not really. Within every moment in time, I change. I'm either a day or a second older than what I used to be. Therefore, I cannot be the same Argilla you saw yesterday."
His green eyes flashed in astonishment.
He…never looked at things in that way before…
She nodded and widened her smile, "What I'm saying…really, is that sometimes, we have to get out of the whole rat-race. Why? Because we're being too preoccupied with that and meeting our deadlines and all that…and we're not even seeing how our life is passing us by…We are aging…and time is moving without us and we didn't even know it." she said with a hint of sadness.
"…"
She sighed once more, "I just wanted to share this with you Gale…because…neither you nor I will experience this particular sunset ever again. Once that sun sets completely, it's gone forever. Even if more sunsets come tomorrow or the next day, it isn't this sunset Gale. It isn't our sunset…"
"Do you…understand?" she asked gently.
"…" What was he supposed to say…? He was…amazed. Never in his life had he ever considered such concepts. Aa…the ephemeral nature of all that was in existence…
He saw now what she said. As he gazed into her eyes deeply, memorizing her oh so carefully, watching her wavy pink locks sway in the breeze gently…Yes; they would never be there again. They would never again experience this, this moment that they were sharing. It was a fragment in time that was destined to be frozen at that moment of existence only.
Those locks of hers would never sway the way they did at that moment…
Never again.
And she…she would never again be as young as she was right at that moment; and neither would he.
And so, answering her question…
He had no choice but to oblige her and tell her the truth.
"I understand."
xxxxx
"You're spending a lot of time with him."
She sighed and cupped his face in her hand, "Heat…It's not like that."
"Then what the fuck is it?!" he thundered, standing up suddenly from his bed, lightly startling her.
Clearly, he didn't understand. He had been noticing it…the gradual change…that is. Sure, he and Cielo and relinquished their positions on this "Gale operation" and had left it all to Argilla…but as he saw her beginning to change, beginning to spend more and more time with the old man…
He was beginning to have second thoughts.
She had been so preoccupied with him that he couldn't help but think that she was beginning to forget about him…
Argilla sighed.
She should've expected that Heat wouldn't be able to take this whole thing with her and Gale for long.
"I mean, our sentences are over Argilla! Why the fuck are you still hanging on him teaching him this sort of crap!?" he asked, anger written all over his features.
Now, he really wasn't interested in turning Gale into his hip rockstar. What was the point anyway!? Their sentences had ended. And right now, he didn't like the way things were going.
She frowned at him and stood as well, "Look Heat, you and I as well as Cielo had thrown Gale's life into a living hell! It's a limbo for him! And it was because of us! Don't you feel the least bit guilty?! Don't you feel that you have to do something to repair that damage?!"
He felt regretful for but a moment before resuming his livid countenance, "Don't you think that you've helped him enough?" he asked in a low tone, "Why are you getting as close to him as possible?! Why are you treating him as if he were a mental case?! Giving him all those sissy talks?! Just take him to a strip club and pass him a damn whore and then leave damn it!"
She glared at him, "Is that how you look at Gale!? As someone whom you could just blow off and neglect and pass to the next person in line?!"
"Isn't that what you're doing to me?" he asked venomously; glaring daggers at her, clearly outdoing her rendition.
At that, she immediately froze.
He had been right.
She had…been neglecting him lately. Maybe he was right. Maybe she really was spending a lot of time with Gale.
Her eyes relinquished their glare and gazed at him apologetically, "Heat I…I didn't mean to-"
"Save it." he said to her coldly, "I don't want to hear it." he finished as crossed his arms, turning from her.
She bit her lip; now she felt all the more guilty.
Without hesitation, she lunged herself at him, embracing him from behind, her face buried at the small of his back, her arms around his waist tightly, "Heat…I'm sorry…Please, I'll make it up to you. I promise."
She heard nothing but his irritable grunt.
It would take more than this to woo him, she supposed.
"Heat…please…" she whispered huskily, her throat suddenly feeling dry. She abandoned his waist and walked in front of him. He turned his face away, not looking at her. She wanted to giggle at the sight of him.
He was being childish and he knew it.
Humoring him, she let her hand come up to his face, to touch his cheek.
Heat stiffened quite a bit as he felt her warm hand on his cheek. But he didn't falter. He was as statuesque as ever. No way! After neglecting him for so many days, tricks like this won't entice him.
"Heat…"
Okay. That did it.
His name passed through her lips in a throaty purr, laced with need and apology. He knew that he shouldn't turn his face to look at her; but there was a voice in his head, a very alluring one that was pushing him to.
So, finally giving in, his face turned to meet hers and he immediately wished he didn't.
Her eyes were glazed with so much emotion that he didn't have the time to decipher them all before he found himself being kissed by her full and luscious lips.
Seeing his distracted state, she pried his lips apart and ventured within.
Sensing her in his mouth, Heat growled. She wasn't supposed to do that! Commanded by the primordial calling of male machismo, his hands immediately latched themselves on her hips, pulling her roughly against him, meshing her lithe, tiny and weak form against his hard chest, and kissed her roughly.
She whimpered and he didn't care.
He backed her towards the nearest wall and slammed her against it, earning him a yelp of protest from her.
Well, no.
He had humored her enough with the issue about Gale. Now, it was she who must humor him in his desires.
She felt his eager and strong hands tug at her uniform hurriedly, wanting to feast on the flesh that lay hidden within. She obliged him.
His lips had finally left hers and had gone for the succulent flesh of her neck, biting the skin without reserve. And she let him. She closed her eyes and just pulled him closer to her, her arms wrapped around his neck. She moaned his name openly, letting him do whatever it was he wanted.
He deserved it.
"…Heat!" she squealed as he tore her corset from her, exposing to him her brassiere. She frowned; those uniforms kept on disappearing on her! The staff were beginning to wonder damn it!
She was met with a growl for a response. He left her neck and now their eyes met. Suddenly, all of the words that she had wanted to utter…all of the curses that she had wanted to spurt out had suddenly died. His eyes were on her now, gazing at her intently, daring her to silently challenge him.
She parted her lips to say something but no words came.
She yelped again as he once more crashed his lips against hers, effectively silencing her.
Heat's hands worked on her tiresome uniform, wanting to have her bare against him. She had been neglecting him…hadn't she…? Couldn't she see how much he needed her? Couldn't she see that he needed her more than Gale did her?
Argilla felt her heart thump as she felt herself completely bare…and he as well.
Her poor teddy bear…
He missed her, didn't he…?
Well, she promised that she would make it up to him…and so, she shall.
She sharply breathed as she sucked in the air as she felt him forcibly enter her, but not before having herself hoisted against him, having herself wedged in between him and the wall behind her.
All protests were decimated as she felt nothing but pleasure now within his strong and forceful hands.
Heat groaned at the contact; at the feel of her against him. It had been too long since he had made love to her. His body had been lonely without her; his soul had been kept like a wild animal at solitary confinement, wishing silently to be set free…
His desire had transcended all forms of wishing and hoping and fantasizing and had now been unleashed upon her like a tidal wave, a maelstrom, intent on taking her…intent on making her fulfill his flight of the imagination…
He groaned loudly, muttering her name every now and then, as he closed his eyes, feeling her warmth against his engorged member. He growled as he felt her tight walls clenching against him, boxing him in without any chance of escape.
She could feel sweat forming all over their bodies, trickling down and merging into one pool at the place where their bodies met.
Her eyes dilated in sheer ecstasy as he continued to move within her savagely…primordially…She loved making love to him this way. He was passionate, wasn't he…?
The two could feel their end nearing…
And then, it had come and claimed them.
They yelled each other's name in the heat of the moment, throwing themselves off the cliff of reality and plunged down to the dark abyss of surrealism…of unreality…
Heat grabbed onto her tightly as he felt weakness invading his body, his strength having abandoned his form. He slowly slid down, taking her with him.
Soon, he reached the floor and he lay down, with her on top of him. He felt her rest her head on his chest, hearing her breathing, panting.
"Heat…" he heard her breathe out.
He closed his eyes, "Man…That was overdue." he commented casually. She raised an eyebrow but then suddenly realized what he meant.
The sex was overdue.
She chuckled; he was such a baby…
"I know. I'm sorry…It won't happen again…" she trailed off, chuckling.
He tightened his hold on her, "It better not."
She raised her head from his chest and propped her arms on his chest, looking at him curiously. He scoffed, "You're spending too much time with the old man…" he paused and continued, "You're beginning to forget about me." he whispered, pouting like a ten-year old.
She leaned down and kissed him. A moment later, she pulled away, "Heat…I'm spending time with him because he's my friend. And he is yours too. But that won't come in between you and me. Not in a million years."
He said nothing but grunted.
She giggled at that and rested her face on his chest once more.
He was such a baby.
xxxxx
She grabbed his hand and dragged him all over the streets. Gale yanked his hand back but to no avail. She wouldn't let go.
"Argilla…" he said, raising an eyebrow, "Where are we going?"
She giggled, "To celebrate!"
He frowned, "There's nothing to celebrate. We have just-"
"Completed the design for the new reactor right!? Well, that's huge progress don't you think!?" she asked excitedly, her eyes widening in mischief and mayhem.
"Yes but-"
"So we need to celebrate! It's not everyday that we can calibrate an already working prototype only to discover the flaw of the mechanism's design and thus improve it by changing the mathematical equation to which its principle of operation had been based right?!"
He blinked; she had said that in just one breath.
She must really be high on her sugar levels…Hm…perhaps it was time to create reforms pertaining to the victuals at the mess hall as well as the deployed and distributed rations…
"So there!" she said, interrupting his thoughts, "We have to celebrate! Treat ourselves! So, next time, we'll be more inspired to work!"
He blinked, "What?"
He stopped walking, thus forcing her to stop as well.
She sighed, their hands still intertwined, and took a step closer to him, "What now Gale?"
He blinked at her and looked at her blankly, "You said that we need to treat ourselves, meaning, exhibit unreasonable behavior and indulge in unproductive actions, in order to inspire ourselves to perform our duties more effectively thus resulting in optimal efficiency in the future."
"Yea. So?" she asked, still not grasping his point. She was, by now, used to his weird sense of wording.
He touched his forehead with his free hand and nodded, "But we are doing the work we are doing for the sake of survival and the sake of the wellbeing of the people. Isn't that an impetus enough? In my opinion, there isn't a need for this. It's clearly illogical and devoid of reason."
She rolled her eyes, "Gale! Doing stuff for the people and sacrificing is fine! But…" she then looked at him sadly, "Don't forget about yourself too. You are worth something too. You are worth sacrificing for. So…don't carry the entire burden yourself."
His breathing stopped as he heard her. He was…worth sacrificing for…?
She nodded, "Just as you sacrifice and work for the wellbeing of our tribe members, other tribe members sacrifice and work…just for your wellbeing. It's…a give and take relationship Gale. Don't…And…I repeat, don't carry the entire burden by yourself."
He blinked at that, still shocked. Was that true…? If it was…
"Who?" he asked boldly, not with the intention of trapping her, but asking for the sake of pure and genuine curiosity.
She smiled wholeheartedly, "Me."
At that, again, he felt himself tongue-tied.
Argilla saw the expression on his face and there continued, "There's no harm in being happy and letting loose for a while Gale. You're not going to be letting your career be affected anyway! This is just a way for us to…release ourselves and just…have fun!"
For some unknown reason, her words had inspired something within him…And so, his mind considered her proposal more carefully…
"…So, what you mean to say is that this activity that we are to undergo is a form of a positive reinforcement…or perhaps even a reward for the goals that we have achieved, correct?"
"H-huh?" she asked, now having their roles reversed. Now, it was he who didn't make sense.
He touched his forehead once more, his eyes boring into hers intently, hell-bent on making her understand his point of view, "What I mean, is that this, what we are doing is a form of reinforcing our earlier behavior as a form of reward so that the desired behavior, which is our superlative performance may be repeated and perhaps even surpassed."
She looked at him with a sour face. She knew what he was talking about but…Did he always have to put things in medical, psychological technical jargon?
"Never mind." he told her.
She giggled, "Anyway, what I'm saying is that, we just had a major breakthrough! We need a treat! For ourselves!"
"Get it?" she prodded.
He blinked, "I do not comprehend…"
She giggled; there was that infamous line of his again…
"You will Gale. You will."
xxxxx
His jade eyes widened as he entered the premises. It was…
"This is an assault to the senses…" he trailed off, wide-eyed as he surveyed the area around him. There were lights of different hues, flashing in accordance with each other, forming some sort of symbol.
He blinked and blinked once more.
"Nice huh?" his companion asked.
He shook his head, "I…I am being over-stimulated…" he responded, his voice slightly shaking.
She giggled, "No you're not! Over-stimulated? What the heck is that Gale? You sure do come up with weird terms!" she said.
"I…"
She giggled again, "You're just not used to it! Come on!" she said, as she wrapped an arm around his and walked in.
She couldn't help but feel amused at seeing his lost countenance. He was just scared because he didn't know how to react to this sort of thing. After all, he had no experience about it…so, how can he know?
It was just a typical human behavior to be frightened and unsure when met with the face of the unknown and uncertainty.
Gale's behavior was just natural.
That was why she held onto him. She wanted to let him know that she would see him through the thick forests of mystery and the deep oceans of enigma. She wouldn't abandon him in the face of this "monster" before them.
It wasn't even that big a place. Not really. It was just a quaint little place; a bar. Well…not really. It was more like a disco hall. She was guessing that Gale had never been within one and her assumption had been confirmed when she saw his reaction.
Well, this wouldn't kill him.
There was a first time for everything.
'It's never too late! No one is ever too old for anything!'
She suddenly had a vision of eighty-year olds still partying away at the dance floor wearing skimpy clothes. She couldn't help but shudder at that.
'Erm…maybe there are exceptions.' she thought with a sweat-dropped.
A few moments later, they found themselves seated at their own table, having their drinks, listening to the loud music.
She giggled, "So, it's nice huh?" she asked, raising her voice a bit so that he may hear her.
Gale blinked at her, "I do not…comprehend any of this Argilla."
She giggled, "That's because we're not doing anything!" She suddenly stood and he raised a questioning eyebrow, "Where are you going?"
She held out her hand and grinned, "Come on Gale. Let's dance."
He blinked, "What?"
She giggled again, "You heard me! Let's dance!" she chirped cheerfully.
Before he could object, she had grabbed his arm and had dragged him away from their table, hastily leading him to the dance floor where people her age had flocked around, dancing to the beat of the music.
Gale could feel blood rushing up to his head; and more specifically, to his face. There they were, standing in the middle of the sea of people. What was he supposed to do now!?
Dance…?
He…
"Argilla…What…?" he asked; unsure and slightly frightened at his current disposition.
She twirled herself in front of him and swayed her hips rhythmically with the tune and giggled at him as she paused, "Dance Gale! Just let yourself go…! Just dance to the beat!" she told him excitedly, beaming and flashing him her sweetest smiles.
'Easy for…her to say.' he thought as he continued to stand there; totally aloof and totally awkward.
His eyes meandered over to her features as she continued to dance…
It was…
He blushed harder.
She was…enthralling.
Argilla had hoped that by showing him what it was to dance, that he would follow her example. She stopped and held his hand, "Come on Gale! Don't just stand there! Move your body! Dance!"
Gale wanted to shoot her right there and then.
Wasn't it obvious that he couldn't!?
His stomach was churning wildly within him that he felt as if it would have a mind of its own and just leave him by traveling up to his throat before leaving through his lips altogether!
But all the same…
He focused on her again.
Again, as his jade eyes landed on her again, as he watched her dance and watched how her body moved to the beat of the music, how her hips swayed…how her hair seemed to soar and fly in different directions but never looking misplaced…and how that twinkling smile of hers never left her lips…
Once more, he felt stupefied.
He felt the world freeze…
He saw the surroundings fade and become totally obscured…
And then…suddenly, he blinked.
'W-what…where am I?' he asked in utter confusion as he found himself not within the premises of the disco floor…but within the walls of a room.
A room with only darkness surrounding him. He looked around and saw that the crowd had disappeared…and that…
'Where's Argilla…?' he thought.
"I'm here."
He turned and saw her behind him, "Argilla…Where…?"
She shook her head, "Gale…Gale…" she chanted over and over.
"What?" he asked in response. What did she want? And why was she saying his name over and over again…?
"Let's dance…"
At that, his heart skipped at beat and his sight became woozy.
"Gale!!" a female voice shouted, penetrating the thick veil of unconsciousness in his mind.
At that, he opened his eyes, and there, as his sights became focused, he saw his pink-haired comrade.
"Argilla…? What…Where…?"
No good.
Nothing coherent would pass his lips…
She smiled weakly at him, "Gale, you're in your room."
At comprehending her statement, he immediately bolted upright and looked around.
Argilla bit her lip as she looked at his lost countenance. Granted that his eyes were as cold and steely as they always were…but there was just something in him that she knew to be lost.
And that was what he was at that moment.
He was lost.
She sighed, "You…you fainted at the bar. So, I decided to bring you home."
He…what? He fainted? That couldn't be right!
He immediately turned to her direction, "I fainted?" he asked in sheer incredulity. She nodded in response, "Yes…" she suddenly cast her face down and he didn't know why.
She was sighing…and her cheeks drooped slightly.
At that moment, he felt his body move without the commands of his mind…His hand suddenly moved over to her face…and then, a moment later, his hand rested upon the soft skin of her chin and cheek. He slowly tilted her face upwards, "Argilla…" he said, breathing out her name.
At his touch, something awoke within the pink-haired woman. She had been touched on her face countless of times…but it never felt that way…At least…
'Never…except when Heat touches me…'
She suddenly gasped at her own realization and she instead followed the persuasive tug of Gale's hand and there…she was met face to face and eye to eye with their jade-eyed comrade, "Gale…" she said, breathing out his name the way he did hers.
She didn't know why but as they locked gazes, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat…
But why was that so…?
'Gale is a comrade…A comrade…' she said to her mind over and over…
'She's a comrade…A comrade…' he screamed within his mind over and over…
At that moment, again, as their eyes met, communicating…passing on to the other those silent and encrypted messages…those messages that only their souls could decipher…the world seemed to freeze once more…
He didn't know how long they had gone on that way but he was thankful to the gods that they had not abandoned him as his mind had finally resumed control of his being and his recalcitrant body and spoke, "Argilla…What happened? What's wrong?" he asked, finally regaining his stoic countenance…and finally eliminating the innocent yet electrical physical contact in between them as he removed his hand from her face.
She blinked; what…was that just now…?
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?" he asked again.
She shook her head, finally gathering her thoughts, "Oh um…I…" Yes; at the event of her gathering her thoughts, she immediately felt melancholy once more, "Gale, I'm sorry."
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Sorry…? What for?"
She looked at him with a drooping face, "I shouldn't have forced you to go there…I…I know that you've never really been in one of those…and I was just forcing you to…"
"That's not the case here Argilla." he stated calmly, cutting her off.
"H-huh?" she asked, confused, her eyes peering intently into his jade orbs.
He touched his forehead and spoke, "Argilla, the fault is mine and not yours."
She blinked, "No…It's mine…I was the one who brought you there and…"
"And I was the one who allowed myself to be brought to such a venue." he told her nonchalantly, once more cutting her off.
"But I-"
"But nothing." he said, "I brought this upon myself. If I really was uninterested in procuring entrance to such an…establishment, then…I wouldn't have allowed you to bring me there in the first place."
She blinked. Oh. That was how he saw it…?
Gale was unfeeling, yes. He knew that his personality or his behavior, for that matter, was almost most of the time incomprehensible to others the way others' personalities and behaviors were incomprehensible to him…However, that did not mean that he was blind, deaf and dumb to them.
Just because he didn't know why a person was sad didn't mean that he knew not that that person was sad. No; whatever the reason was, a person who was sad was a person who was sad.
And right now, he knew that his comrade…was indeed, in such an ill feeling.
And so, he draped a hand on her shoulder, "Argilla, please do not worry about me or blame yourself for this." he said as he peered deeply into her eyes, "Moreover, I should thank you for a…stimulation-filled evening."
Argilla blinked, "H-huh?" she asked, stammering.
He was…he wasn't upset…?
He shook his head, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have dreamed of going in there. And for that effort, I thank you."
She smiled, "You're welcome Gale."
And at that smile…he knew that a part of him that he had sworn didn't exist, flicker with life. At that moment as he bore witness to that smile, he knew that he had lost.
She had imbedded the seed of the unknown within his cold heart.
And now he had feared that it had…blossomed.
xxxxx