It's ok to be us chapter 9
A New Candle
"I just don't know what to do Selphie. It's been three weeks since we've... you know..." Rinoa began hesitantly.
"Had sex! Had sex! Rinny you have to get over this! If you can't even say the word sex, you're never going to be less awkward about it. Then there's just no hope for him at all." Selphie interrupted.
"Fine. It's been three weeks since we had sex, and I just don't know what to do. We get along fine, we've learned so much about ourselves as people, and as sorceress and knight. I really thought we were on the same page. But I've barely seen him since! And what's worse than that is when I do see him, it kind of feels like our bond, our special magical connection, has sort of... dimmed. And it was so special Selphie; it breaks my heart to think it might be gone."
"Aw, Rin, don't worry, it just needs to be recharged with a good orgasm!"
"Selphie! Please, I'm trying to be serious." Rinoa cried. She couldn't believe the mouth on her promiscuous little friend.
"I'm being completely serious Rin. I think all you guys need is to have sex again. You said the feeling is strongest when you have sex, so why not use that to strengthen your bond?"
"I guess that makes sense, but how? We've barely kissed for three weeks. He's so busy all the time, coordinating with Trabia during their reconstruction, teaching his classes, organizing and deploying SeeD for missions, I don't think he ever leaves his office, except for his classes." Rinoa said, running her fingers through her hair. She paused. That was a very Squall like mannerism. The thought only made her feel worse. "Sometimes I think I'm not good enough for him. Maybe if I was prettier, or thinner, or more... I don't know, brooding? But I'm not. I wear my feelings on my sleeve and I think he gets bored of me."
"Don't say that! You've got a body to die for! I would love to have your figure! I mean, I like mine, and so does Irvine, but look at yourself! You've got a perfect boob to butt ratio, and your skin really does make me jealous. Trust me; he has eyes only for you. He just needs a little push. Ya know? Something to get him caught up in the moment."
"Like what? How do you get Commander Task-at-Hand distracted? Especially with something he probably isn't totally comfortable with?"
"You just gotta get him really into you, especially your body. Show up at his door in something skimpy. Ooh! We could go shopping for something at Yuna's Classified! Had my eye on something there for myself anyway! Let's go tomorrow!"
"Selphie, I appreciate your enthusiasm, and I'll totally go with you tomorrow-"
"Yes!" The brunette squealed happily.
"-but I'm kind of worried that approach will be too direct. I don't want to scare him off."
"Maybe start with some teasing. You know, loosen your bra strap so it will slide down your shoulder. Wear something a little more low-cut under your duster, so when you take it off he gets a nice view. But don't make it obvious! Let him think he's imagining things."
Rinoa liked her ideas. She would have to talk to Squall soon about the next section of her curriculum, and coordinate with him about the next group of senior cadets and their SeeD exams. She formulated a plan. Just to tease. Tempt. She would not take it any further than he wanted. She would let him lead. And, if all went well, lead he would.
Rinoa said her goodbyes to Selphie, and returned to her room. This could be fun.
Squall ran his fingers through his hair again. This was getting out of hand.
It seemed that none of his friends, except Quistis, had reported in about the status of their classes and the preparation for the field exam. He read the list of instructors he had to track down again.
Kinneas, Dincht, Tilmitt, Heartilly.
It seemed none of them thought of him as their ranking officer. He was essentially their boss, or one of them, and if they thought for one second that they were above the rules-
His office phone rang.
"Commander Leonhart." He answered in his monotone. He hated the damn phone. Usually it was somebody wanting something. Nobody ever thought to help-
"Good evening Commander, this is Instructor Heartilly"
Squall could almost hear the laugh in her voice. She continued:
"I realize that I haven't reported in about my students who are eligible for the field exam. I know you must be busy, but I was wondering if I could make an appointment to come speak with you about it."
"Thank you Rinoa, come by now if you like. I could use a break anyway."
"Excellent. On my way."
"Ok," he said and hung up the phone. At least somebody had some respect. And she wasn't even a SeeD. Whatever. He was glad that she showed the initiative the others seemed to lack.
About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at his door.
"Come in."
Rinoa entered the room and smiled at him. She removed her duster and hung it up on the coat rack by the door.
Something tickled Squall's senses. But he couldn't really tell what it was.
He did notice that her arm warmers had been abandoned, and now he had a very good view of her skin. Her arms, shoulders, neck, and yes cleavage, were all exposed to his roaming eyes.
"Hey," she said as she walked over to his desk.
"Hey. I just... need your ID number and access code, and then we can go over your class files and get started." He said. Had she caught him staring?
"Okay." She said walking toward him. He had meant for her to tell him and he would enter it himself, but as she approached, he nearly forgot all about that. She put her right arm around his chair, and leaned forward to enter her information with her left hand. God she smelled good. He also had a decent view of her neck and chest as she leaned forward.
He must have been going crazy. He couldn't sense her like he used to. He couldn't tell what she was feeling; only that she was feeling something. He also found that he really wanted to know what it was. He placed his left hand on her right shoulder. She smiled at him, but he couldn't feel with anymore clarity. The same exciting, ambiguous feeling intensified with the contact.
She stood up and looked at the monitor.
"As you can see Commander, I have recommended these eight cadets as eligible for the SeeD exam from my classes. Perhaps you should cross reference these names against the recommendations of the other instructors?"
Squall had noticed that one of her shoulder straps had fallen. He stood up, no longer listening to what she said. Was this some kind of spell? He placed his hand on her arm over the fallen strap, turning her towards him. She gave him a flirtatious little smile again, and he lost himself in her eyes. He ran his hand up to her bare shoulder and marveled at the softness of her skin under his calloused hands. She took a half step forward, pressing her body to his.
Squall lost what control he had left. He kissed her roughly as his other hand slid her other shoulder straps down. As they parted, he picked her up by her waist and sat her on his desk. She replied with a giggle as stacks of paper were knocked to the floor. Their lips met again as he leaned her back until she supported herself with her arms.
His lips began to travel down her neck to her bare shoulders. She reached up with one hand and buried her fingers in his hair. Squall heard her moan and felt her pull his hair gently as he bit down on her shoulder. With one hand he reached behind her, supporting her. He grasped her back tightly, and felt her bra strap beneath his fingers. With one fluid motion, he undid the clasp.
Rinoa leaned forward into him, capturing his lips, and pulling her shoulder straps down and off her arms. She removed the loose undergarment and dropped it behind his desk. This left her chest open and exposed to him.
Squall, for the first time in a while, allowed his hands and lips to roam freely over her flesh. Rinoa would gasp and moan in ecstasy, and held him firmly against her body.
Rinoa was excited. This was exactly what she wanted. The passion and the sensations were overwhelming. She wanted him so bad. Would he have her right here on his desk?
Not today.
There was a knock on the door. Squall pulled back from her in a flash. He didn't look shocked or embarrassed as Rinoa had expected. She wished their bond was as strong as it had been a few weeks ago, but she could still read him pretty well. He looked angry.
"Hold on!" He barked at the door. "Rin, I..."
Rinoa giggled again and pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. She pulled her top up, replaced the straps, and crossed the room to retrieve her duster. After securing it in place, she opened the door. Zell entered.
"Hey Rin, what's up?" Zell asked her.
"Nothing. I was just going over my recommendations for the SeeD exams." She said to him. "Commander, we can talk about the next semester curriculum later, see you soon."
And with that, she left.
"What do you want Zell?" Squall asked. He didn't really mean to take out his anger on Zell, well, maybe a little. But for the first time, he wanted to give in to his desires. And he was pissed off at the interruption.
"What the hell happened in here? Your desk is a mess. And dude, she called you 'Commander.' Did you guys have a fight?" Zell asked him.
"You assume because she shows me respect by using my title that we had a fight? Whatever. Believe what you want; it's not your business. What do you want?" Squall said, picking up the fallen papers.
"Just to go over my recommendations, Commander."
"Have a seat; I'm going to need your ID and access code." He said, sitting down in his chair. It was then he noticed Rinoa's black brassiere, still sitting on the floor behind his desk. Being very careful not to allow Zell to see, he leaned down, picked it up, and spent a split second to feel the soft fabric in his fingers. He pulled out the lower drawer of his desk, placed the item in there, closed it, and sat up, returning his attention to Zell. He had to admit he was in a better mood than a moment ago.
The next day seemed to fly by. Rinoa seemed to be on autopilot through her classes. She couldn't wait to go shopping with Selphie. Now it was only a short drive away. But the question was how to get there. Rinoa certainly didn't want to walk. The Ragnarok would be a bit overkill, and she knew Selphie would want to fly it.
"I could get Irvine's truck, or-" Selphie gasped. "You could get the Grand Wolfe!"
"Squall would never lend me his car!"
"I bet he would! Come on! Let's go ask!"
And without another word, Rinoa was dragged to Squall's office. When they arrived, Selphie knocked vigorously, tapping the rhythm of her favorite song.
"Come in Selphie." Squall's voice called from inside. Rinoa couldn't help but laugh that her boyfriend also recognized Selphie's distinctive knock. The two women entered.
"Hiya! Rinoa and I, mainly her, wanted to ask you a favor. Go on." Selphie said, pushing Rinoa in the small of her back. She stumbled forward.
"We, uh," Rinoa began. She looked in his eyes. At a glance, his face was stern, and his brow was furrowed. But as Rinoa studied him, she thought she saw him fighting back a smile, and his eyes sparkled with life and personality. He wasn't as upset as Selphie assumed.
"I was wondering if we could borrow your CNX. We're going shopping, and don't really wanna take the shuttle."
"The Wolfe?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I don't really like letting other people drive my car..."
Rinoa guessed what was coming. She turned and smiled at Selphie, whose face had fallen. Squall opened his desk and withdrew the keys.
"She drives." Squall said, looking at Selphie and pointing at Rinoa. "No speeding, no tickets, and not a scratch."
Selphie jumped up in the air with her typical "woo hoo!" but Rinoa just smiled at him. He tossed the keys in the air, and Rinoa caught them.
"Thank you. Are you free tonight? I kinda want to show you my purchases."
"I think I could make some time tonight. It probably wouldn't be until late, maybe ten o'clock."
"That's fine. I'll stop by your place around then. Thank you again." She said, as she and Selphie turned to leave.
Squall watched them leave. Before Rinoa crossed the threshold of his door, she turned back to him. She mouthed the words 'I love you' and blew him a little kiss. He smiled at her and returned to his paperwork. He would have a hard time focusing on his work.
He sighed. He really needed to focus on this report. He had dispatched several SeeD to Trabia the day before. They were supposed to be collecting monsters to stock the newly renovated Trabia Garden training center. He had made the decision to send lower level SeeD as an opportunity for their advancement. It was risky, as the team at Trabia Garden was only a skeleton crew: competent, but few in numbers. Squall prayed his SeeDs didn't get in over their heads.
"Zell did what?! What an asshole! I'm so going to yell at him when I see him!" Selphie shouted over the blaring music.
"Selphie I'm serious. You can't say anything about it! Squall would be so pissed if he knew that I told you. I can't imagine if Zell knew. Please just keep this between us!" Rinoa said, tuning the music down and shifting into fourth gear.
"Aw fine. At least you know he wants you. You'll so get laid tonight. We'll pick you out something super sexy he will just want to rip off you. And this car is AMAZING! I've never been in a CNX before. Maybe you guys can have sex in here. That heated leather back seat would be pretty awesome."
Rinoa laughed. "Do you really think he'd defile his perfect car with something as messy as sex? I don't think so."
"I'm tellin' ya Rinny, get him caught up in the moment. He will be powerless to resist! Now can we puh-leeze turn this song up? I wanna feel the bass!"
The rest of the ride continued with Selphie singing along at the top of her lungs, and Rinoa contemplating her words. Squall Leonhart could indeed be trapped in the moment. It was just a matter of how.
Three hours later, Squall was in his room. He sat on the bed with his head in his hands. Rinoa would be coming over any minute, and he hadn't received the latest update from his team in Trabia. They were over an hour late. Almost as worrying in his mind was the lack of a distress call. Until he got one, he would have to assume everything was fine.
There was a knock at his door, and he let Rinoa in. She was carrying an unmarked black shopping bag, and while that caught his interest, he was more focused on her. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her hair was windswept.
"You put the top down didn't you?" He asked, sitting on the bed again. She sat next to him, dropping her bag on the floor nearby.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me it was a convertible! That would have been so nice when the sun was still up!"
"You didn't ask."
"Do you want to see what I bought?" She asked, running her hand gently through his hair. He leaned into her touch. "I promise you'll like it."
"Well, yes, I guess. I was actually hoping I could get a massage. Work was insane today, but I'm finally all caught up, except for one team that hasn't reported in."
She gave him a smile. "Sounds like you've earned one!"
Squall took off his jacket and shirt and lay flat on his stomach as she began to massage him. Her touch was more electric than it had been at the tournament, but still not what it was a few weeks ago. The night that they had... you know...
He shuddered as he felt her lips caress his ear, then neck, then shoulders and back. He felt his emotions stirring: fear and pain being overridden by lust and passion. He couldn't really tell who was feeling what, but he was beginning to feel it once more.
As if they had communicated telepathically, she rose to her knees and he rolled over. She now straddled his hips, and leaned forward, locking their lips together. Squall grabbed at the hem of her shirt and removed it. Rinoa complied, and then removed her bra herself. Skin met skin as she kissed him again, and Squall could now feel her longing. She had been waiting for him, waiting to have him. He could feel it.
She leaned forward more and brought his lips to her body. Squall complied, and felt her rock her hips against his in pleasure.
Rinoa leaned back, and, never breaking eye contact, unzipped her pants, and guided his hand down her front. She moaned even louder as he teased her.
She undid his belt and pants, and Squall gasped when she touched him. He was beginning to lose himself in her, and was convinced that this time he could finally give her what she had been craving.
Until his phone rang. And not only did it ring, but it was the emergency SOS ringtone. Squall shot her a look of urgency, and she got off of him, nearly naked, looking flustered but concerned. He answered the automated call.
After listening to the prerecorded message, he pressed a few buttons on his phone. When he spoke into his phone, his voice came through the Garden intercom.
"Attention! All Rank A SeeDs are to report for duty at the front gate immediately. Repeat, all Rank A SeeDs are to report to the front gate." He said to the whole building. When he hung up, he looked at his girlfriend. "Remember the team that didn't report in? That was their distress call. It said that it was a code 4-1, meaning the mission failed and they're requesting backup. I have to go, now. I'm so sorry. This isn't how I wanted our night to go, but I don't have a choice. People are in danger right this very minute. I just put in the call for the others, but you are not SeeD. I cannot order you to come. So, Rin, I'm asking, no, begging you to come with me. Together we're stronger."
Before he had even finished speaking, she had gotten dressed. He already knew her answer.
"Just let me get my weapon."
Squall met Rinoa again in the hall on the way to the front gate. When they arrived, they found Quistis, Zell, Irvine, and Selphie waiting. The four of them saluted him, but he just brushed it off.
"Cut that out. Everybody junctioned? Does everyone have a good stock of magic on standby? We are Code 4-1 at Trabia Garden. Primary objective is to locate and secure the three SeeDs from our Garden, as well as the fourteen person skeleton crew. Hopefully our team, if they're still alive, can shed some more light on the situation. Should Trabia Garden need to be evacuated, we will board any and all survivors onto the Ragnarok and extract them back to Balamb. Hopefully we can contain the situation. But we won't know until we get there. Any questions?" Squall hesitated, but nobody else spoke. "Good. I will issue individual assignments upon our arrival. Everybody switch your mobiles to 'radio,' channel one, and let's move. Lives are at stake."
Rinoa couldn't believe how much he had grown. He had once rejected the leadership role, and now he wore the mantle with strength and intelligence. It was no wonder he commanded such respect.
The Ragnarok had been put through its paces. The journey all the way to Trabia took only minutes at top speed. Rinoa followed behind her boyfriend as they disembarked. At a run, Squall took off toward the front gate. Rinoa ran after him, and the others followed behind, single file.
At the front gate, Rinoa spotted a large vehicle with a cage on the back. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the cage was badly damaged, and the door was open and hanging by one hinge. Two bodies were on the ground nearby.
"Oh my God. What in Hyne's name happened?" Rinoa said, putting a hand over her mouth.
Squall was kneeling next to one of the people on the ground. Sparks flew around him as he cast a Curaga spell.
"Quistis, check on Vance. Bavent is still alive, but unconscious. That still leaves Suru unaccounted for. We split into teams. Selphie, I want you on the Ragnarok with the injured; do what you can for them. When you get clearance over the radio, assist us with extraction from the front gate to the ship. Quistis, you're team leader, take Zell and Irvine and determine the status of each of the reconstruction crew, and move them to a secure location if necessary. Rinoa, you're with me. We will search for Suru, and hopefully find out what happened. Report in, everyone, with any progress, changes, or problems."
"Squall, Vance is..." Quistis's voice cracked.
Everybody bowed their heads.
"Selphie, I'm leaving these two in your charge. Everybody else move out. We have to move quickly." Squall said, and with a grave look, everybody nodded and moved out.
Squall was moving so fast Rinoa could barely keep up.
"We'll start with the training center, since that's where our team was heading." Squall answered her unvoiced question. "Be on your guard."
Down the corridor was a huge entryway to the training center. Before they had even reached it, they were ambushed by a Blue Dragon.
"Rinoa! Unleash your power!"
Rinoa closed her eyes for just a second, and when she opened them again, Squall noticed her eyes had turned a golden amber color. Did that always happen when she used her sorceress powers?
As her celestial wings unfurled, Squall turned his attention once more to the beast in front of him. He lunged forward, and as he swung his blade, he noticed that it had become studded with spikes of ice. Upon impact, the creature shrieked in pain. Squall chanced a glance at Rinoa and saw her unleashing a devastating magical ice attack Squall had never seen before. It reminded him of Diamond Dust. God she looked beautiful. Majestic. Deadly.
During his moment of admiration, the monster charged and embedded its teeth into Squall's left arm. Squall cried out and from him erupted a fierce explosion of arctic energy, and the monster was blasted back. Without hesitating he raised his blade and brought it down, severing the beasts neck as Rinoa unleashed a series of ice spikes.
The dragon's remains crumpled and fell. Squall's blade returned to normal in his hands, but this... energy he felt did not fade.
"What's happening Rinoa?" He asked, turning to her. She gently landed next to him, and her wings faded. When she looked at him, he saw her eyes were still amber. They widened in shock as she looked at him.
"It looks like we can share more than feelings. Squall, your eyes are silver."
Squall raised his weapon and stared at his darkened reflection on the blade. Although his features were dark, he could clearly see his eyes shine a bright silver, nearly white, color.
"Are you saying that I can use your sorceress powers?" Squall asked, still staring at his reflection.
"It seems that way, at least to some extent. I'm not really sure about this either, but it didn't seem like either of us were using traditional magic. When I used my powers on the field exam before the tournament, I couldn't do any of the things I did just now."
Squall widened his silver eyes at her.
"Oh, shit, Squall, I meant to tell you. Really I did. There was a T-Rexaur and it was just me and the students! I acted on instinct! The students don't know what I am, they only saw part of it and I convinced them it was just advanced magic and-"
"Rin! Calm down. I'm not upset." He said taking her hand as if to show her. She calmed down at his touch. "I probably should be, but you did what was necessary. And I thank you for keeping your students safe. We can talk more about it later, but for now, just stay close to me. Because-"
"Together we're stronger." They said in unison.
And they ran off together into the training center.
Squall used his mobile to radio the others to be on their guard against high level blue dragons, Quistis reported that her team had secured the first four members of the crew, who were unharmed, and Selphie reported no change in Bavent.
When they reached the training center main clearing, Rinoa gasped. As she looked around the snow covered clearing, there must have been one hundred of the Forbidden. Ruthless, skeletal monsters, each wielded a menacing blade in each hand. In the back, a particularly large Forbidden sat atop the shoulders of a massive blue dragon, wearing what appeared to be a crown made of ice upon its bony head.
"Requesting backup in the training center." Squall said into his mobile.
"No can do Commander, we've found the rest of the civilians, and they've been taken hostage. There's so many of them." Quistis replied, her voice betraying her terror, even through the small speaker of Squall's phone.
"Selphie, report to the living quarters ASAP. We'll deal with this ourselves." Squall said.
"Squall, take cover and-"
Squall cut off Quistis as he issued his orders.
"I said we'll be fine. Your priority is their safety. Selphie, you better be on your way and ready for combat. Neutralize the threat and extract the crew to the Ragnarok. Come to the training center when you're finished. That's an order"
"Yes sir." Quistis said.
"Hold on guys I'm coming!" Selphie cried as Squall returned his phone to his pocket. Squall turned and gave Rinoa a little smile.
"You're the best looking girl here. Dance with me?" He said, now with a smirk.
"What? I thought we were taking cover."
"Let me guess, you'll only dance with someone you like-"
"Squall Leonhart, never in a thousand years would I have dreamed you'd twist my words like this. But fine. You danced my dance, now I will dance yours. On the record, this is a terrible idea. But... I'd hate for you to be on the dance floor alone." Rinoa said, laughing at the sheer insanity of what they were about to do.
Squall pulled her into a kiss, and Rinoa's wings erupted from her back once more. When they broke apart, gold eyes met silver. After the briefest of hesitations, Squall tightened his hold on his weapon and sprinted towards the monstrous horde.
Their movements were fluid. Their strikes, deadly. Their power, absolute. Their minds, synchronized.
They were surrounded. Squall cut down his opponents with God-like speed and precision, while Rinoa unleashed fire and restoration spells from the sky down onto their undead enemies.
They must have killed dozens, but they were becoming overwhelmed.
Squall would take a blade to the back, and Rinoa would cure him almost instantly. This time however, right as the blade slashed down his front, he was hit by a Zombie spell. Rinoa felt the status change, but it was too late. The Curaga spell she had already cast hit him, and he dropped to his knees. Rinoa felt it too, and she was knocked from the sky. She hit the ground hard. Squall stood and fought his way over to her. He gathered her in his arms and sprinted through the holes in the crowd until they were no longer surrounded. They would have barely a moment to rest, but their backs were to the wall.
She was unconscious. Without a word, Squall dipped into his own magic supply, curing her, ridding himself of his status ailment, and curing himself. He knew she was in no danger of dying from her current injuries, but she was still out cold. If he couldn't get them out of this...
He laid her down gently and unsheathed his weapon once more, taking a defensive stance between her and the Forbidden that still kept their distance.
"I love you, Rin." He said as the Forbidden leader on his dragon pushed through to the front to face him.
Instinct took over as his body flooded with energy. A silver flame engulfed his body as black lightning shot from his extended arm. It shot forward, and rebounded, until it had struck each and every monster that stood before him. Each monster was suddenly engulfed in a similar white flame, but unlike Squall, they were being consumed by it.
Out of nowhere, a ball of white flame appeared in the middle of the horde. It had the same black electricity coursing through it. Without warning, it exploded, sending a wave of energy in every direction, incinerating the entire rabble, including their leader and his dragon, all at once. Their remains littered the snow covered training center ground.
Squall looked over his left shoulder and saw Rinoa, standing in the exact stance he was. She too had her left arm extended, and was engulfed in silver flames. Her angelic wings were extended to their full glory, and her eyes were a bright gold. She looked magnificent, powerful, and, there was no other word for it, sexy.
He didn't even care that they were both covered in dirt, mud, blood, and melted snow. When their eyes met, he had never wanted her more.
The silver flames disappeared, and her wings faded. He turned to face her and she moved into his waiting arms. Their lips met hungrily, and their tongues began a loving dance. When they parted for air, silver eyes met gold.
"Has anybody ever told you how sexy you look with silver eyes?" She asked him, breathing heavily.
"I don't think so," Squall laughed. "But, Rinoa, remember when you said I could have you whenever I wanted? I... I want you right now. Right here."
"God, yes! Please!" Rinoa pleaded. Her fingers grabbed his neck and a handful of his dark brown hair, pulling him into another kiss.
His lips trailed down her throat. She moaned.
Her hands found their way to his pants, and she undid his belt. When her hand slipped inside his pants, he gasped and bit down on her neck.
Her shirt was around her shoulders. Her bra was unclasped. His hands and lips lovingly massaged her skin.
She tightened her hold on him slightly, and began to move at a faster tempo.
He reached for her pants, wishing she had worn her usual attire. It would be easier to remove.
Oh well.
"Squall? Rinny? Where are you guys?" Selphie called from around the corner.
"Let's ditch them, just for a little while." Squall whispered, continuing his teasing. She laughed and pushed him gently off of her, removing her hand.
"Over here!" Rinoa called, smiling at her knight. They stepped away and fixed their clothing back into place.
When they looked back at each other, brown eyes met blue, and Rinoa smiled at him again, with more than a little regret at the need to stop.
Author's note: I will be brief, as this chapter is over 5000 words.
Are you frustrated yet? Several of these "almost sex" situations are based on events between my significant other and I. The line "Let's ditch them, just for a little while" is actually a direct quote.
As always, please read and review. Special thank you to Bebedora, chesnutsy, and LaylaEvercrest for your multiple reviews! People like y'all are the reason I'm continuing this story.
All the best
-Noble Falcon