Three › Lessons ‹

"A wha?" Zell asked. "Esper?"

The doctor nodded, expression very much like dazed shock. A look I would imagine on a little boy that had gotten the one present he'd thought to be impossible.

"What's an Esper?" Zell and I voiced together.

Normally I would have thought the fact we kept doing that more than adorable, but with the look on the doctor's face and how apparently… extreme the finding of the crystal seemed to be, I shuffled it aside for a future giggle.

"An Esper is a creature very much like our Guardian Forces. In fact, many speculate that Espers are the original Guardian Forces of our world. Some even theorize that they were originally human, transformed by gods or goddesses as part of a war more than 5 millennia ago. There's no proof, however. Only documents telling of a rather old legend."

"What happened to them?" I asked, voice hushed.

"Some type of conflict killed a great many, few others fleeing to a safer dimension, or so it's hypothesized. Whether this dimension is the same as that of the current Guardian Forces no one knows." Dr. Tahlson swallowed hard and again focused down at the crystal. "Magicite is, as previously said, the remaining life-force of the Esper. The holder can even summon the Esper's essence once every certain number of hours. It's also speculated that the holder of the shard is bestowed the powers of that Esper, although the amount of time needed to learn the ability is unknown."

My stomach slithered to my feet. "You… You have the power of the Esper in that… in that little shard? You don't have to junction to… to do the magic?"

The doctor absently shook his head.

"Shit," Zell hissed, reaching out to take the crystal from the doctor's hands. Dr. Tahlson looked up, but he didn't fight the action. "Sorry, doc. I think I'm gonna hold on to this."

Dr. Tahlson nodded, clearing his throat and rubbing his hands on his legs. "As well you should. You, Zell Dincht, are one of a small collection of people that can be trusted with that power."

"How many of these are out there?" Zell asked, tone a bit sharp.

I blinked, watching Zell as Dr. Tahlson shook his head and confessed, "They were thought to be myths. Legends. Stories thought up by magic abusers."

"How many?" Zell pressed, and I hadn't heard his voice this determined in weeks.

"Maybe… four? Eight? As I said, we don't know."

Zell placed the crystal into my hands before coming around to stand between me and the doctor, leaning his hand on the table. "How do we find the others? Is there something to scan? Some map or riddle you've found? What."

I looked up from the crystal to the rigid determination in Zell's body language. Reaching out to gently lay a hand on his back, I softly soothed, "Zell… It's okay."

He turned, face serious. "It's not okay, Sally. Junctioning is hard enough to control because Guardian Forces can agree to work with whoever they want. But if some hothead jerk-off finds these?" he said intensely, pointing to the crystal. "No. No, it's not okay. We've got to find these. We've got to find them now." He turned back to Dr. Tahlson. "I need you to make a program or something that'll help us find them. Can you do that?"

Dr. Tahlson mutely nodded before he found his voice. "Y-Yes. Of course."

Zell faced me again. "Can you help him?"

I nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to go on deck and call Squall." He turned and left the cabin, absently mumbling "Gotta tell him what's going on. Man, he'll shit bricks…"

I stared after him for a long moment before lowering my gaze to the crystal. Sighing deep, I set it aside and then met the doctor's still-shaken expression. "Well, I guess we get started."

*

"Hey, Sally?"

I looked up from the computer screen the same time Dr. Tahlson did, both focusing to the entry of the galley to see Zell standing a little uncertain in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure." I stood and followed him out of the galley and down the hall to the deck. "What's the matter?"

"I didn't tell him."

"Squall?"

Zell nodded, scratching at his scalp and then rubbing at his neck. "I couldn't. I just couldn't do it. I mean, dude!" Zell looked up, eyes a little wide as he spread his hands out toward me. "He's under a lot of pressure already. He doesn't need to know about this, does he? I mean, not until we find 'em all and put 'em in the Esthar Research Facility for safe-keeping. Right?"

I looked to my watch. It had been almost 45 minutes since he'd come up on deck to supposedly tell Squall about the Esper crystal and everything. My expression softened as I focused again on his concerned face. "Have you been worrying about this the entire time?"

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he looked down to the deck and nodded.

"Awww," I cried, stepping up to wrap him in a hug. "Sweetie…" I kissed his neck, ignoring the spark. "Of course we don't have to tell him right now. We can just file a report later. Like all the espionage and undercover operatives do. If we told him now, who knows but that someone would find out and use the information against Garden?"

"That's what I was thinking."

I pulled back and held his face in my hands, offering a soft smile into his somewhat serious expression. "Seifer better watch out or you'll have his job."

Zell grinned at that. "I don't want his job. I want Winhill."

I giggled and gave him a gentle kiss. "So do I." And another one. "Now." One more and then I forced myself to pull back. "Why don't you come down and watch us work on the computer. You always make me think better."

But when we arrived at the doorway of the galley, Dr. Tahlson had just finished packing up his computer. He glanced toward us. "I must go and report this to the Foundation. I also need to leave before the satellite passes overhead." He gathered up his case and his computer and then stepped toward us. "I'll finish up the program and contact you as soon as it's functioning."

Zell and I followed the doctor up on deck. "Sure, doc. Gotcha."

He stepped over the side and into his smaller vessel and then looked up once he had set aside his computer. "Thank you for contacting me. I know the Foundation's stringent policies regarding Garden put people off, but.…"

"Don't sweat it, doc. We get it, especially with what we found out today." Zell pointed at the smaller ship. "Give us a holler if anything happens. We'll book ass."

Dr. Tahlson smirked, which made him look even more boyish, and then touched his forehead with a finger. "Zell. Sally. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Zell grinned, gave him the thumbs up while drawing me closer, and then we watched him direct the vessel toward the east. "Nice guy."

I nodded, wrapping my arms around him to give his middle a tight squeeze. "As guys go."

Chuckling, Zell kissed the top of my head and then rubbed at my back. "Let's shove off."

"Shove off?" I asked, meeting his gaze. "We going somewhere?"

"Yeah. Fisherman's Horizon. Remember?" At my confused expression he prompted, "Bikini?"

On cue, I turned red. And I mean whole body, tomato red. "Oh yeah."

Laughing, Zell drew me very close for another tight squeeze. "There's that color again."

I shoved at him, but he didn't let go. "Don't start," I pleaded.

"I know, I know. I won't. Promise." Then he once more kissed my head. "You go weigh anchor and I'll get the heading from the computer."

Nodding, I gave him a hug and then was turned and playfully pushed toward the anchor in the stern of the yacht. He, of course, patted my bottom on the way. Which made me - you guessed it - giggle a protest of "Stop!"

He winked and then made his way to the main helm to get everything set to the right coordinates. Once the anchor was up and I was between him and the large navigation wheel, his hands over mine as we guided the vessel, I was more than content.

Well, for the most part. I still worried that he might be putting on a brave face for me regarding the Esper/magicite/magic discovery, but I wasn't sure what to do about that. I mean, I hadn't ever seen Zell like that, and I would rather hide from the subject than bring it up and try and get him to not stress about it.

I released a deep breath as I rested my head back against him.

"You okay?"

Nodding, I closed my eyes and tried not to think about anything but right then and there. How often did a person find their dreams coming true to this extent? So, that's what I was going to focus on: Us.

What a great word.

Zell wrapped his arm around me to draw me tighter against him, pressing his lips against my temple in one of those long touches that I absolutely adored. What else could I do but rest my hand on his arm and caress it with my thumb? Of course it made me feel all jumpy inside, but it must be a good 'jumpy' because it definitely didn't feel bad. It reminded me how I had felt in Winhill. Or in our apartment. Well, it hadn't been our apartment yet, but you know what I'm talking about.

It was that 'jumpy' and that intensity of feeling inside that made me believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the next step of our relationship lingered just where I could reach. I only had to take the step. It was that step that I was afraid of, though. I didn't know what to expect, what to do, what to say or feel… and that made me stay away from it. That had always been one of my strongest challenges, accepting the unknown and venturing out into it.

Because I wanted to, especially with this, that made me even more scared. At least right now I was. That was why I needed this time to work up to it. So I could get used to it. So I could take that step and finally let myself… trust Zell in a different way than I had ever trusted anyone. I didn't want to regret anything, and for some reason any time I 'rushed' into things, there was always a bit of regret. A thought, brief as it was, of 'Could I have done it better/different, this way/that way', etc.

My first night with Zell was not going to have any regrets or questions.

I turned in his arm and surrounded him in a tight embrace, resting my cheek against his chest as I kept my eyes closed and whispered, "I love you, Zell."

Zell drew me even closer and pressed his lips against my hair. "I love you, too, Sally."

Which he proved each and every time he respected me, stepping back even though I knew he wanted to take another step forward. It was no wonder I loved him as much as I did. Even though he messed up, he tried as hard as he could to make it up to me. Just like he gave me room to grow and learn to be less timid than I was before. No one had really ever taken the time before. Well, not outside my family and Marshal. That really meant a lot to me.

"Thank you for… for waiting," I whispered.

Giving my back several tender rubs, he said, "Don't sweat it, kitten. You just take it as you need to. I'm not going anywhere."

I didn't even want to think how much he was having to do to give me my space. Zack had once said that guys thought about sex about once in every 10 seconds. That thought still made me flush and burn, but mostly because I knew I thought about Zell more frequently than that. I just didn't want to admit in which way. At least… not yet.

Zell and I arrived at Fisherman's Horizon not very long after setting out. Then, worrying my lip and tightly squeezing Zell's hand while we disembarked and made our way to the shops near the Mayor's house, I set myself to the task of getting my mind ready to choose, and maybe actually try on some bikinis.

Once Rinoa, Selphie, Janine and I had been looking through some magazines and found some different styles. One or two weren't as bad as I thought they might be. Janine, of course, chose the one that revealed the most (I think they called it a G-string? -.-) Selphie and Rinoa had chosen a couple that seemed to be high-cut shorts on the bottom and then the usual bikini top. I hadn't been able to even consider one.

Now I was going to not only consider one, I had to wear it.

In front of Zell.

…

We found the swim-wear stand a bit too soon, in my opinion. I hadn't completely prepared myself for seeing the little bits of color that seemed … well… so little. But there they were. Hung up around the stand with their strings hanging down and seeming to taunt me with looks of disdain. They had me turning shades of red I hadn't ever considered possible. Not only that, they made me clutch my windbreaker around me.

Zell wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You don't have to wear one, if you don't want to, Sally. Maybe you can just cut up a pair or two of your shorts really high and just wear some of your night tanks?"

I worried my lower lip, unable to look away from the bright colors of the small bits of fabric. "But… But it won't be the same," I reminded in a hushed voice.

"Who says?"

Looking to Zell, I shook my head. "It covers too much. If I'm supposed to get ready for… you know, how can I do that without, well, showing more and more?"

"I know, but geez, Sally. A bikini? Sure it sounds good to me, but this is you. You feel bad enough in your one-piece."

"I've got to at least try. I can't be a wuss."

"You're not a wuss," he defended. "You're modest, which is fine with me. I don't want guys gawking."

That sentiment made me feel wonderful, but it also made me feel even more determined to do this. I smiled. "But it's just going to be the two of us, so I've got no excuse. Well, not really. Especially if I'm serious about… what I planned. I've got to try. Don't I?"

"You don't 'got' to do anything. We'll get to the same place whether you get one or not, what with the dressing in front of each other and wearing your one-piece all the time. So, seriously, you don't gotta do this."

My smile softened. "Zell, every time you say that, it makes me want to even more," I admitted.

He blinked and leaned slightly back. "Wha?"

Giggling, I shook my head and grabbed his hand to pull him toward the stand. "Boys. The simplest things you just don't get."

"Hey. That's not nice," he protested, gathering me into his arms with my back against his chest (his favorite position) to nibble my neck as we continued to teeter toward the stand.

Squealing, giggling, and chuckling the entire time.

Once we were at the stand, Zell didn't let go. Probably because he felt my whole body stiffen at the assortment of string bikinis. There weren't any of the cute 'short' type ones… …uh oh…

"Hey," Zell spoke up, grabbing the attention of one of the tanned girls working the stand. I could only stare at the bikinis in front of me, my mouth dry and my stomach slithering to my feet. "Don't you got any but these string ones?"

The girl behind the counter looked me up and down before sending Zell a bright smile and saying "One sec. I think I've got something in the back."

The girl was blonde and beautiful, of course, wearing a bikini under one of those crocheted tops that showed everything while supposedly being modest. She had more of everything than I did. I flushed even darker, worrying my lip and lowering my gaze to the bikinis. I… I could look good in one of these… right? I swallowed hard.

Zell kissed the back of my head. "Don't look at 'em, Meg. You'll just make yourself sick." Then he covered my eyes with one of his hands, making me giggle so suddenly that I had to giggle even harder.

~whew~

"Here's a few of a different style. They haven't been selling very well, so we put them in back. They're on sale for 60% off if you want to get a couple."

"Seriously? Sweet. Thanks." Then Zell lowered his hand, returning his arm to its duty of surrounding me and holding me close against him. "These aren't so bad. Whatdya think?"

I lifted my hands very hesitantly to tip the box, making it a little easier to get into. "Y-Yeah. They're c-cute." They were just so… so small.

"Hey," Zell called again. The same blonde came. "Can we get some of those swimsuit shirt things? They're kinda see-through but not really?"

"Like this?" she inquired, stepping closer and motioning to her own shirt.

Or whatever it was.

I cringed. I can't fill out a shirt and bikini like that… I don't think I ever would. I was barely a- Well, never mind.

"Nah, nah, nah," Zell said, shaking his head and motioning down the way with a lift of his chin. "Like those ones over there. The ones that are only a little see-through."

The girl made a slight face, Zell probably didn't even notice, and then picked up one of the shirts he'd motioned to. "These?"

"Oooo. That's pretty." It was a subtle pink, and one of those linen shirts that was always so cool and comfortable in the summer.

"Yeah. I thought you'd like that." Zell kissed and nuzzled my cheek a few times, giving me a tighter squeeze before finally meeting the girl's eyes and saying, "Yeah. That'd be great. Thanks."

The girl pressed her lips together before forcing a smile and setting the shirt next to the box and turning away.

"What size are you again?" Zell finally let go to step up to the box and start sifting through the suits. "These look too big." He held up some bikini bottoms. "Duuuuude. Your butt is not this big!"

"Zell!" I scolded, swiping the bottoms from his grasp and tossing them into the box. "Don't you dare do that here!" I pleaded, whispering as I looked frantically around.

"But it isn't! Come on! Check it out!" He pulled the bottoms back out and held them up. "These are huge!"

I once more swiped them from his grasp. "Stop it," I hissed. "They aren't that big. They're only a six. Janine's a six-" I clapped my hand over my mouth.

"Seriously? Huh." He looked down at the box with a somewhat thoughtful expression. "Weird. Here I thought I'd figured out you girls's wacky sizes…" Zell shrugged. "Oh well." He leaned against the stand and picked through the box with only mild interest. "So what're you going to get?"

Sighing deep, I focused again on the box. "I don't know. This one's a nice color, but… I just wish there were some of those ones that looked like shorts."

"There's not much different between the bottoms and your suit, if you think about it. The thing is all the space in between. You know? Your belly button and midriff and stuff."

And he said it so… so… straight-faced. Not a single blush. Not a single stammer. I would have been stuttering until midnight. "…yeah…" I forced out.

"So I guess you could just think of it as- Never mind. That sounds stupid. Here. Get this one. I like you in pink. Oh hey! Check this one out! Balamb blue. You gotta get this one, too."

"Do they have a smaller size?"

"Smaller?" Zell held up the bottoms. "Oh. Yeah. Your butt is smaller than this. Way."

Flushing crimson, I covered my face with my hands. Stop being a wuss, Sally. Geez. It's not a big deal. I took in and released a very deep breath before lowering my hands and whispering, "I need a four."

"Here's one. And it's a four, too. Not like the other pink I like, but it's okay."

See? He doesn't even care.

"Oh dude! They've got one of those Balamb-blue ones in the four… Hold on. You need a bigger top than this, dontcha?"

To my horror, Zell held the bikini top up to my chest, expression thoughtful.

"Yep. Hold on. I think I saw a couple. Yeah. Oh but they're a different color. Does that matter?" He focused an intensely concentrating look on me, not seeming to notice my blank expression that went beyond mortification. Then Zell shrugged and turned back to the box. "Close enough, and at least they're both pink and blue. Maybe you can wear one with one and the other with the other, so it doesn't matter if the color's different because the bottoms are a different color anyway."

And he said it so… casual…

Not noticing my silence, Zell offered forward the two pairs and the shirt, directed them to find a blue one just like it, and then had them bag it up. Then we were heading back toward the dock, Zell chattering about something I didn't really focus on. I think the escapade with the bikinis had sent me over the edge. And now I had to wear them. …oh no- Don't you dare start wussing out, Sally Elizabeth Dincht- I halted, blinking as I only vaguely felt Zell's focus shift to me as he voiced a question.

Oh yeah. I'm married. I looked over to meet Zell's curious and somewhat puzzled expression, brightly smiling when he asked "You okay, kitten?"

I nodded. "Fine." I had the tingles to prove it.

His smile returned. "Okay. You fruited out there for a second, so I wasn't sure if it was the whole bikini thing again." He lifted the bag. "I'll shove these into the closet and then get started on grub. You see if the doc called about the program. I kinda forgot to tell him we were shoving off."

Then we were making plans for the next day, chatting and laughing about stuff like we usually always did. Like friends, with that hint and expectation for something more. Bikini? If I could marry Zell Dincht, I could wear a stupid bikini!

***

The doc had finished the program, but he'd been caught up by some kind of conference call with the Foundation and couldn't make it until late the next morning to help Sally with the install. I didn't really care, gave me more time with her to myself, but I kept getting this itch in the back of my head that I had to talk to Squall and Seifer.

They were going to crap kittens.

Now, as I washed the dishes from dinner before heading to bed, I kept thinking one thing over and over again. What if this's what those Radical bastards in Winhill were looking for? I had to report about the green crystal. Give it one more day, I argued. Just until we can find a couple more. Maybe then we can get some damn answers about how many of these things there are.

I sent a glance to my right and the crystal resting on another dishtowel in the corner, and when I tried to look away it took more effort than I liked. I even had to give my head a shake to clear that itch and tingle I'd felt since coming back from Fisherman's Horizon. As I'd cooked dinner, it had been like someone had been staring at me. Really freaked me out.

It took a lot to freak me out.

"Do you think we'll make it to Mom and Dad's by lunch?" Sally asked, drying the last of the dishes and taking them to the cupboard. "Maybe I should call?"

"Sure. Timber's just a skip away, if we've got a good wind. You should call after breakfast."

"Do you think we should call the doctor to let him know where we're going? I know he said he would call us when he was done with the conference, but still. I feel bad traveling around without letting him know."

I dried my hands after draining and rinsing the sink. "Nah. We've got our own thing going on and he's got his. We'll connect." Absently rubbing my hands together, I glanced again at the crystal before clearing my throat and turning away from it, forcing a smile and then drawing Sally into a hug. "I'm beat. Let's get this 'changing' thing out of the way so we can relax."

Sally flushed. "Okay."

Relax? Are you on something? You're going to be down to your skivvies with Sally and you think you're going to be able to relax?! So I wasn't going to be able to give myself any slack, what did I care? I rubbed at the back of my neck. Don't start that crap, Dincht. If you slip up, it's your ass on the line. You've got to keep it to yourself. Hey. If I could keep it to myself for nine months before marrying her, what was another week?

Sending Sally a glance, I cleared my throat. A week could mean the difference between being crazy and no longer having the best thing that had ever happened to my sorry butt.

I gave her shoulders a jostle as we crossed the hall and entered the master suite. "So you're the boss. How do you want to do this?"

"I have no idea," she admitted in a whisper. "It sounded so easy before, but… Now I don't know. I don't even like changing in front of my cousins, and they're girls."

"Hm." I absently rubbed her arm as I stared down at the floor. Then I sent her a smile, which made her timidly smile back at me. "Well, don't sweat it. Like I said before, you've seen me in my swim trunks and my boxers. Nothing to it. In fact, tell ya what. Why don't you sit here," I lowered her onto the bed, my hands on her shoulders, "and just watch me change into my P.J.s-"

"Zell!" she protested, mouth shielded with a hand as her wide brown eyes stared at me, cheeks flushed. "I can't just… I can't just watch!"

"Sure ya can. Doesn't matter to me. We can chat about what you want to do once we get to Timber." And I stripped out of my t-shirt as I said it. She actually twitched, cheeks burning even more red as she lowered her gaze. My expression softened. "Come on, girl. It's okay. Here. I won't even look at you, so I won't even know if you watch or not."

So, I turned around, chucking my t-shirt at the dresser across the room. It landed in the half-open drawer. "Why don't you change while we're at it?"

"You… You won't tell me when you peek?"

"Nope. Not a word."

She stayed quiet for a short bit, likely biting her lip, so I made my way over to the dresser and pulled out the jersey-knit long-pants she'd gotten me for my birthday. They had 'Dincht' in raised stitched letters on the left front leg. Said she'd done it herself. They were comfortable, too. Smirking, I turned away from the dresser without thinking and stopped dead in my tracks, face and ears red.

Now, you've got to remember that this entire day Sally had been in her swimsuit, only having her tank-tee and wrap-around thing on while the doctor was here. The minute we got back from Fisherman's Horizon she'd taken the tank t-shirt and wrap-around skirt thing off, even though I'd said she could leave it on.

So, when she changed, that meant she had to take off her swimsuit.

What does a girl wear under her swimsuit?

Nothing.

I turned sharply back around, my hands fisting my P.J.s as I scrubbed roughly at my scalp and neck. Sure, she'd only been taking down the second strap of her swimsuit, and her back had been to me, but had I ever seen that much skin- Dincht. No.

Clearing my throat, I rubbed and scrubbed at my neck until it stung before trusting myself enough to let go of my now-wrinkled P.J.s and try and change into them from my shorts without falling over. Dincht… You keep your hands to yourself! Too bad I had expected her to be wearing a bra. It definitely hadn't prepared me for the fact she wasn't.

I'd just gone into overload.

Bouncing on one foot as I struggled with my P.J.s, I bounced in just the right way to catch sight of Sally pulling her swimsuit the rest of the way off. I fell over. She really did have pink panties with bunnies!

At the crash of me falling over, I heard Sally gasp. But the rest of my view of her was blocked by the bed. "Zell! Are you okay?" Then she was at my side, a worried expression on her face while wearing nothing but a tank-tee and her panties. Dincht ! No!! Aw man.…

"Yeah, erm…" I kept my gaze on my hands as they worked my toes free of the material. "Sorry. I got my foot caught."

She rested a hand on my arm. "You sure you didn't hurt yourself?"

…oh man… "Um, yeah, erm, I'm fine. Perfect. No sweat. Not a problem." Shut up, Dincht. Shut up. I clenched my jaw to keep from looking at her. But then Sally stood, pulling me up with her. Oh geez…

"It doesn't hurt?"

Don't even think about it! "Nope." I pressed my lips together and quickly wrestled into my t-shirt. Sally… please put on some shorts…

"Okay." And she sounded relieved, giving my arm a brief squeeze before turning and making her way to her side of the bed and the dresser.

I couldn't help it. I peeked as she walked, and immediately wished I hadn't. Dincht, what are you doing?! I cleared my throat and made my way to the bathroom. "Did I leave my Combat King in here?" I asked, heading straight for the sink and splashing cold water on my face.

"No. It's over here. Remember? You put it on the dresser after dinner."

She immediately scrambled into bed, the high-pitched sound of toenails and material on sheets the best sound I'd ever heard in my life. No touch, Dincht! You touch, you die! Although I was beginning to feel vice versa. What the heck was I going to do to keep myself from making love to my wife?!

Tying myself up in the shower stall sounded like a good idea.

But, unfortunately, that wasn't an option.

Withholding a groan, I dried my face and tried to figure out how I was going to control myself. Just don't look at her. Yeah. That'll work… Um… Not look at her? Big deal! She always smelled better than my favorite dessert! This is not going to work…

"Hey, Sally?" I asked, hesitantly looking up to see that she had the covers up to her waist and wore her sport bra under her tank-tee. Thank Hyne…

"Hm?" she prompted, smiling while looking through the Combat King.

I nearly ran forward right then and there. No! "I totally spaced my workout, so I'm going to go take some laps around. I'll be back in, like, 30 minutes or so." You really think that's going to be enough? Hey. I could always hope.

"Can I come?" she asked, setting the magazine aside.

…aw crap… "Um… well…" You can't tell her why you need to go alone, can you?! "I, erm, well…" geez… "I don't think that would be a good idea."

She looked about to ask 'Why not?' when she suddenly paled and then flushed and then paled and lowered her gaze to softly say, "Oh."

Great going, jerk-off!! But did I risk stepping over there when she probably smelled better than better? Um… no. "Sally… Aw man… Sally, please don't look like that. I… It's okay. Just one of those things I've had to do a hundred times-"

She twitched and covered her face with her hands.

DINCHT! YOU ASS-WIPE! I hurried forward, saying "Aw, Sally. Don't cry. I didn't mean it like that," as I scrambled up onto the bed until I was directly across from her. "Come on, girl. Please don't cry." And I was afraid to touch her. I mean, if I touched her… there was no way it would stop there.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I didn't mean… I… I wish…"

Don't! I fisted my hands. "I know, Sally, but seriously. It's okay. I just need some space so I don't do something stupid, that's all. Don't sweat it."

"B-B-But…"

Screw not touching her! I drew her into a tight embrace. "Geez, Sally, it's okay. You need time to get ready and I'm trying to give it to you, that's all."

"B-B-But it's s-s-so hard on y-y-y-you…" she sobbed, gripping my shirt.

"I don't give a chocobo's butt about hard or whatever, kitten. It's all you, and if that means getting up in the middle of the night and swimming around the yacht a couple times, then that's what I'm going to do."

And it was the weirdest thing in the world to hold her, hear her sobbing, and feel the control actually get easier. It was like, man, her tears were the cure for my overload. I had always hated seeing her cry. It was like a dagger, you know what I'm saying?

"Come on, Sally. Kitten, please." But she kept crying, sniffling and doing the hiccup thing that always made me feel like slime the same time it made her sound… well… adorable? Don't ask me what the hell I'm talking about. "Dude, you're wreckin' me here. Stop crying…"

But she didn't stop crying until, like, at least an hour later. I'd stopped trying to figure out what to say and just held her. A couple times she apologized, but I nipped that in the bud right quick. There was nothing for her to apologize for just because she didn't want me to jump her the first night out. I mean, geez.

When her crying was more of a sniff, I pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks before kissing her forehead and then coaxing her under the covers, me scrambling in beside her to once more draw her close. Sally… I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better, girl. But what did a spazoid like me – who had no problems with thinking about, well, you know – have to say about anything like this?

"Go to sleep, kitten. Tomorrow'll make everything look better."

She nodded against me, wrapping her arms tight around me as she whispered, "I so love you," in a choked voice.

"I love you, too. Now go to sleep. I can swim tomorrow." Yeah, like I was going to leave her when she was a crying mess!

"I'm really trying," she whispered. "I really, really am."

"Sally…" I rubbed her back. "Stop trying so hard, kitten. It'll come when you're ready. Really. Just take it as it goes, okay?"

She nodded again. "…okay…"

"Okay. Now go to sleep."

Sally took in and released a deep breath, nodding once more as she tightened her arms briefly around me. Her hold loosened after barely any time and all, and her breathing deepened into that steady rhythm I'd listened to for hours the previous evening. In fact, it sounded even better the second time around.

"…Sally Elizabeth Dincht…" Sally whispered, and then she giggled.

I smirked, stroking her back as I stared up at the ceiling thinking Rock. On. Dincht.