I know it's been a while guys, I'm sorry but I've just started work on another, larger project but hopefully this one should get some well deserved attention soon
Peace, Rie x
Chapter 5
Action
Rinoa slept soundly on the bed in the infirmary. In fact, she slept so soundly that it was hard to believe that she had really been through the trials of the previous day. Willingly, Squall had decided to forgo sleep in order to watch over his angel so he could be certain that nothing at all happened to her.
There she lay, her clothes still badly crumpled and the skin of her neck and lips bright red and bruised after Seifer's ill-treatment of her. Even with the blemishes and the obvious sign of another man's attentions, Squall thought that she looked beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing steady. Ever since he had saved her and carried her to the infirmary, Squall had stayed loyally by Rinoa's side.
Begging on his part excused Squall from classes and he hadn't even left to go and get food – relieving himself was his only distraction from the sleeping angel.
"…Squall." She muttered. His attention was immediately caught but he realised that she was just saying his name in a dream. She's dreaming about me! His heart pumped faster. Resisting the urge to sigh at his childishness, Squall squashed the thought and concentrated on Rinoa's breathing pattern. She slept so soundly. Content at last, Squall settled deeper into the chair for a nap.
The girl lay on the floor, Seifer bearing down upon her. As much as she kicked and screamed, she couldn't get Seifer off of her. Squall was forced to watch – he couldn't move or shout. He felt utterly hopeless, what could he do? Her head turned towards him and her eyes bore into his, both pleading and blaming. He HAD to keep her safe… somehow.
The morning sun blazed through the open window, the sweet aroma of nature floating gently inside. Where was she? Rinoa's head hurt unbearably to move, she must have hit it really badly. Gritting her teeth through the pin, Rinoa sat up and looked around her. The room was pure white, the bed soft and comfortable. Judging by the apparatus in the room, Rinoa knew that she was in some sort of medical station. Looking to her left, Rinoa saw Squall slumped in the chair next to her. He seemed to be halfway between dozing and full sleep, probably because that chair must have been one of the most uncomfortable things to ever sleep in. Sighing appreciatively, Rinoa looked down at herself. She was wearing her normal clothing but each article was ripped and badly creased. Memories of the day before flooded back to her but she pushed them away, not yet ready to face them and understand what they meant.
Looking back at Squall, Rinoa leant forwards to brush a strand of hair off of his forehead. Feeling tingles across her skin at the contact, Rinoa realised that before she did anything more that might wake him that she looked a mess and should therefore fix her image. Rising silently, Rinoa padded to the mirror and saw her hair sticking up in all different angles.
After quickly ruffling the soft strands back into place and using her fingers to brush out the knots, Rinoa got back into her bed and waited for her hero to wake up.
He'd watched as she had carefully tidied her hair, his eyes half closed but plenty of room to see exactly what she was doing. Squall's forehead burnt with the gentleness of her touch and how soft her skin was. He'd woken up as soon as her skin had made contact with his. It had taken al of Squall's discipline and self-control to stay still and pretend that he was asleep.
Now, she was sat back in her bed, watching him closely. It was time to 'wake up', else she'd see him blushing under her gaze and he had to maintain his steely cool. Quickly opening his eyes and stretching his arms, Squall feigned a yawn.
"M-morning." Rinoa breathed, her attention still wholly captivated by him.
"Morning. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine thanks. Have you been there all night?"
"…" He looked away, his face hot.
"Wow. What made you stay?" She asked flirtatiously.
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay when you woke up and…" he made eye contact with her chocolate brown eyes.
"Was it you that saved me, Squall?" Rinoa looked down, her cheeks a furious colour. She had suddenly gone very shy.
"Yes. I had a feeling in my gut that something was wrong and I followed you to make sure that you had returned safely." She looked back up at him again.
"Thank you, Squall." It was Squall's turn to change colour and so he did.
"So… are you going to sit closer to me or am I going to have to sit on your lap?" Squall gulped and Rinoa laughed freely, it was a sound that Squall enjoyed very much and he sincerely hoped that he could be the cause of further laughter. "Haha! Just kidding." She winked at him. "Unless you want me to sit on your lap."
"I don't mind. You can if you want." Squall looked away, pretending to be more interested in the bushes outside of the window and trying to hide his still heated face and hopeful eyes.
A shuffle of sheets told him that Rinoa was moving. A hand slid gently under his chin, pulling his face back to look at hers. Suddenly, Squall's heart started to beat ten times faster.
"You don't have to be nervous around me, Squall." Couldn't she feel his racing chest or his pulsing veins? "I want you to open up to me, Squall." The urge to stand up and kiss her nearly overwhelmed Squall but he held on.
"Aren't you cold?" He asked, a small plan forming in his mind.
"A bit."
"…come here." Squall indicated for Rinoa to sit on his lap which she happily complied with. Wrapping his strong arms around her frame, Squall stored the knowledge of how good she felt in his arms for later use. He could never allow himself to forget this!
"Mmmm, you're so warm, Squall. I could stay here forever." Rinoa looped one arm over his neck and pressed the other one, alongside her head to his chest. Now she could definitely feel his erratic heartbeat. "Squall… what's wrong?" She looked up, her eyes full of concern. The blood in Squall's heart started pumping into his ears as he realised his body was going to act for him. Squall leant down to capture Rinoa's mouth in his own. She moaned in what seemed like relief and intentionally pulled him closer to her.
Rinoa's tongue brushed against his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Opening his mouth, Squall darted his tongue into her awaiting mouth first, lapping against her tongue which brushed against his playfully.
"Squall…" She moaned into his mouth while he massaged her scalp with one hand and pulled her closer to him by her waist. Rinoa slipped her hands under Squall's arms, pulling him harder on top of her. It just seemed to be a battle of who could pull the other closer until Rinoa pulled her mouth away slightly. "Um… Squall?" He stopped, worrying that he had hurt or worried her.
"Yeah?"
"You're erm, digging into me."
"What…?" Then he realised what she meant: a certain part of his body was reacting to their actions. "Oh…sorry." His face heated. After yesterday, she was surely sickened by the thought of the male sex organ prodding her in any manner but she only smiled back at him.
"Not your fault." She breathed, leaning in to kiss him again. "I trust you, Squall. With all of my heart." Rinoa smiled quickly before ramming her mouth back onto his passionately and Squall returned to the battle eagerly, unaware of the footsteps heading closer to them.
The door opened before either of them had time to react.
"Squall!" Breaking the kiss, Squall looked up, his face flushing red again to see Instructor Trepe standing in the doorway. "Ahem…" she coughed, turning around and putting her back to the pair.
"Uh… Instructor Trepe!" Squall exclaimed; sliding Rinoa off his lap and saluting the instructor's back. Rinoa slid back under her covers, her face beet red and soon hidden under the sheets.
"Headmaster Cid wanted to see you in his office…"
"Thank you, Instructor. I'll go there now." Rinoa looked at Squall, her eyes the only visible part of her face. Fear and dismay were shining in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll come right back and Dr. Kadaowaki has been told not to let Seifer know where you are." He whispered to her encouragingly. The sheets fell away from her face so that he could see her properly.
"…she won't be able to stop him."
"No, but maybe the two big guards outside will be enough of a deterrent." Rinoa's eyebrow raised but she huffed. With one last smile, Squall followed Instructor Trepe outside and he watched Rinoa's expression as the automatic doors closed behind them – she was petrified. Squall's heart cut at him to return and make her feel safe again but visiting Headmaster Cid would achieve a more permanent effect.
Squall nodded at the two SeeD students standing outside the Infirmary's double doors. They both smiled back at him, having followed him when he carried Rinoa to ensure that Seifer didn't try to follow them. Instructor Trepe was the one who broke the silence but she didn't even look over her shoulder as she spoke to him.
"So…who is she and what does she have that nobody else in Garden has?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't try to play thick, Squall. I saw you two all over each other."
"…whatever."
"At least tell me her name."
"…Rinoa."
"Rinoa who?" Squall could see the instructor frown as she turned to ascend the steps to the elevator. It struck quall that he'd never actually asked Rinoa what her last name was. It hadn't really seemed that important.
"…I don't know."
"Jeeze, Squall! You don't even know her last name and you're shoving your tongue down her throat?"
"…" He looked away.
"I thought you were the stoic, silent type – never letting anyone in. You surprise me."
"What I do is none of your business."
"Doesn't stop me worrying, Squall. She's just had something horrible almost happen to her… don't you think you're taking advantage a bit?"
"No." He wasn't going to mention that she was actually his girlfriend; that would just cause more mess.
"You're so callous. Don't blame me if this blows up in your face."
"…whatever." The elevator doors slunk open to reveal the door to Headmaster Cid's waiting room, alongside the door was Xu sitting with one leg crossed over the other.
"Good morning, Instructor Trepe, Squall."
"Xu."
"…Xu." They both saluted her, which she returned after standing.
"Squall, the headmaster is ready to see us."
"…us?"
"Yes, I need to know your side too so I can help him decide on a course of action."
"…okay."
Together, they walked into the headmaster's office. Cid sat behind his desk, his hands clasped and resting on a folder. Stopping several paces away from the desk, as one the subordinates saluted their headmaster.
"At ease." Again, as one, they relaxed their positions. "We all know why you're here. To discuss the events between Squall Leonheart, Seifer Almasy and… Rinoa Heartilly." Heartilly? Why did that last name seem familiar to him? Quistis seemed to choke on the air.
"…Heartilly, sir?"
"Yes, Instructor Trepe and I know what you're thinking – we have yet to call General Caraway and inform him of the situation." What did the general have to do with this? "And we have to take into account the contract between myself and Miss Heartilly. Contract? What was going on? Why hadn't she told him any of this? "Squall, you look confused. Allow me to enlighten you. No doubt you know the famous singer Julia Heartilly, your mother plays her songs all the time." Squall knew what the headmaster was talking about so he nodded for him to continue. "She married General Caraway. Rinoa… is their daughter." Squall's breath caught in his throat. Shit, if the general finds out what Rinoa and I have been doing, I'm dead. "When she arrived here, Rinoa and I made a contract to not tell General Caraway where she was…"
"And what do you get in return?" Squall asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Nothing but a new student, we take in orphans and with the negligence General Caraway treats her, Rinoa is basically an orphan." Cid stood and started to pace in front of his desk. "Now, Squall. I'd like you to talk me through the time you have spent with Miss Heartilly and what you know about her" Squall could see Instructor Trepe stifling her laughter next to him.
"Uh…sir."
"Don't hold yourself back, I need as many details as possible." Squall related the day that he had spent with Rinoa but he emitted anything that showed their relationship – he didn't want information about that getting back to the general to bite him in the ass later. Instructor Trepe didn't butt in to say what she knew either and Squall made a mental note to thank her for her silence…maybe.
"Interesting… and did Zell tell you what he saw?"
"Only briefly. We were too busy trying to get Rinoa somewhere safe, sir." The headmaster nodded.
"I'm afraid we must call Mr Dincht and Miss Heartilly into questioning. Then, we'll bring Mr Almasy in to hear his side." Squall bit his tongue; Cid had to be fair after all. "Do you have anything else to say, Instructor Trepe?"
"No, sir."
"Xu?"
"No, sir."
"Then you are all dismissed."
"SIR!" Someone crashed through the headmaster's doors. It was one of the few SeeD supposed to be guarding Rinoa.
"What is it?"
"Sorceress Edea…she came… and took her."
"Who?"
"Rinoa, sir. We couldn't stop her. Seifer was there too. They were… too… strong." Squall wheeled around, leaving without excusing himself and pounding down the corridors.