No One Knows Like I Do
Chapter 20 – Release of Tension
The changing shades of the leaves signified the commencement of classes once more at Balamb Garden. With the carefree days of summer far behind them, the students of Balamb Garden focused on their SeeD studies once more. Like previous years, a few new students had arrived at the Garden confident in their abilities. Once they soaked up the atmosphere, most minds were changed. They had more of a reason to be intimidated this year; Seifer Almasy was instructing the beginner's Weapons Combat training course.
He, along with Fujin, had taken an intense crash course on the management of classes and the students in the later part of the summer. The exhaustive course involved experienced SeeDs putting their acting skills to use and assume the identity of a trouble student or students. Along with learning class management and simple things such as the grading system, the new SeeDs were taught to deal with traumatic experiences such as a suicidal student or any type of activity that violated school rules. Much to Cid, Xu's and Squall's surprise, Seifer caused little trouble during the training course.
With the intense course behind them, Seifer and Fujin were thrown into the battle of instructing a course. Seifer was delighted when he discovered that he was to instruct a standard combat force. What didn't thrill him was how dim some of the students could be. Fujin, on the other hand, was assigned to instruct a basic Hand-to-Hand Combat. She was confused as to why she was chosen for that field. Zell Dincht had been the previous instructor for the basic and advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat course. She didn't see why Cid felt the need to separate the course. Unbeknownst to her, Squall had recommended her for the course to Cid. He remember that time when Fujin lost her eye a few years ago and reaching into his compassionate side and decided that he would help her redeem herself. In actuality, it was Rinoa who commanded Squall to give Fujin that opportunity. While she and Fujin weren't exactly friends, she felt the need to help her because of their moderate acquaintanceship and mostly because she knew Fujin before the rest of her friends. The act may have been on the borderline of meddling, but when it came to helping someone in need, Rinoa was never quite good at the act of indifference.
Because of the luxury of being a SeeD, the Posse lived in plush quarters. Raijin opted for living in an apartment alone. Honestly, as much as he respected and sometimes feared his boss, Raijin could not stand living with him. To him, Seifer was too much of a slob. Raijin liked to keep the living quarters spotless and Seifer was ruining the process. However, most of his reason for opting to live alone was due to the fact that he wanted to see Seifer and his sister exist in the same space. Maybe it was forcing them together, but Raijin had enough of them beating around the bush. For them to live together was hardly dramatic; before they returned to Garden, the Posse lived from hotel to hotel and in some cases, working at the hotels to pay off the room they rented out. He figured that they should just be out with everything and living together ALONE would speed it up.
Fujin soon found out why it was such a nightmare to live with Seifer.
~*~*~
The couple's new apartment came furnished with the basics. As soon as one walked into the space, they were in the small, but cozy living room. Decorated with a simple gray chenille loveseat and matching easy chair, a simple coffee table and matching end tables, the room had standard Garden wall sconces and the standard blue and orange floor. An extra bonus was a medium sized television set situated in front of the sitting area. Off to the left was a small eat-in kitchen with the basic dining furniture and behind the living room was one bedroom fitted with two twin sized beds and two dressers. To the left of the bedroom was a bathroom complete with bathtub and a separate shower. Through out the apartment, plants were sporadically placed in each room to it up, but they had little effect to the otherwise cold look of the apartment.
While Seifer had absolutely no problem with the décor, Fujin wanted to add a personal touch to it. She disliked the cold feel of the apartment and while she wasn't an interior designer, she wanted *some* kind of personal touch. The only room Seifer was interested in "decorating" was the bedroom.
Taking a break from her first class, Fujin wearily flopped down on the loveseat and switched the TV on. Since the destruction of Sorceress Adel's tomb, satellite waves were free to move to the earth, thus allowing the use of televisions once more. Currently, Fujin didn't appreciate this mainly because there weren't too many things to watch. Disgusted, she flipped to the school's network and stared blankly through the screen recalling the events of her day.
~*~*~
Fujin paced around the Garden's large and airy gymnasium as she waited for her class to arrive. A passing doubt crossed her mind for a mere second. She vaguely wondered how she would manage a class of about 15 students or if they would give her any trouble and other annoying thoughts.
At last a few students started to trickle into the gym, some shocked at the appearance of their instructor. While small in stature, her appearance was intimidating. Fujin stood with her arms crossing in front of her chest, looking authoritative despite wearing a simple gray tank and matching sweatpants. Her eye patch, despite her hatred for it, seemed to add even more authority by making her appear to be experienced in the art of war.
The final warning bell rang signifying the start of class. The new students were still chatting amongst themselves excitedly as Fujin watched in silence. Suddenly she sharply clapped her hands to garner the class' attention.
"Good morning!" She stepped closer to the class and crossed her arms once more. A couple of female students didn't regard Fujin's greeting and kept chatting as if she hadn't said a word. She strode over to the pair, standing behind one of the girls.
"SILENCE!" she barked causing both to practically leap in the air. "I'm speaking," she added more calmly.
"Welcome to basic Hand-to-Hand Combat. I'm Fujin Kazeno and your instructor for this semester. Call me...Miss Kazeno." She cringed at the last part of her sentence in distaste. Cid enforced the rule that all instructors must be addressed by their last names. Fujin preferred to leave the "Miss" off her name, but Xu insisted that it was disrespectful. She continued, "I'm assuming all of you are new unless some of you failed. Do I have any failures in here?" Seeing that no one raised a hand, she nodded. "If you're lying, we'll see. All right, let's get started."
A female student scurried into the gym, hoping to remain unseen. Naturally, she was unsuccessful.
"GREETING," Fujin said evenly. "Just because I have one eye that doesn't mean I can't see you. Come up to the front." The girl nervously walked up to the front and clasped her hands nervously.
"YOU'RE LATE."
"Sorry Miss Fujin!" the girl exclaimed, clearly embarrassed for having the attention turned onto her.
"Drop on the floor and give me 20 push-ups," Fujin commanded coolly. "Then you can join the rest of us."
"Yes ma'am!"
Fujin almost asked the girl how she knew who she was, but then remember her "odd" appearance. Sometimes she wished she could blend in with the rest of her peers. She quickly dismissed the thought and turned her attention to the task at hand.
She silently gestured the class to follow her over to the far side of the gym, which housed training mats. "Everyone remove your shoes. From now on when you step into this gym, have your shoes off." She stepped onto the mat and commanded the class to sit around the mat.
"How many of you think you know anything about hand-to-hand combat?" A few students raised their hands. "I promise you, you don't know as much as you think you do."
"How would you know?" a brash red-haired student challenged. "You a mind reader or something?"
"Yeah! And how come you're being so mean to us?" a random girl asked. "We just got here."
Fujin's stoic face remained unchanged as she answered, "Well, why don't you show me what you know then?" She looked at the girl and said, "If you can't take it, drop out of the class. The drop period isn't over yet."
The red-haired youth rose to his feet with a big confident smile on his face. He easily towered over Fujin and he foolishly thought that he could best her. Immediately, Fujin shook her head in disgust. "Sit down."
"What?! I didn't even do anything!"
"It's already obvious that you don't know what you're doing. I challenged you and already you have underestimated me." In an instant, Fujin deftly delivered a sharp right punch to past his face. Instinctively, the boy grabbed her fist and attempted to twist her arm behind her back. Being the craftier of the two, Fujin sharply kneed the boy in his groin causing him to double over in pain. Taking the opening, Fujin swept the boy off his feet causing him to land clumsily on the mat. In one swift motion, she raised her right leg in the air and abruptly brought it down above his chest, her heel mere centimeters above his rib cage. The boy lay in shock at her amazing speed, mouth agape. Satisfied, she lowered her leg and extended a pitying hand to the youth. He shamefully grabbed it and raised himself off the mat.
"Your carelessness could've cost you your life. One of the first rules of this class, never and I mean NEVER underestimate your opponent. Appearance is not what it seems. You should've known this already, but obviously you lack common sense." Expression still as stoic as ever, she turned to the rest of the class and challenged, "Anyone else have something to prove?"
~*~*~
That class felt longer than it should have to Fujin. Teaching just didn't seem to be her forte.
She allowed a small sigh to escape from her lips and then trudged into the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water from the tap. She vaguely observed that a trip to Balamb was in order to stock the fridge. She trudged back into the living room and zoned out in front of the TV once more while taking casual sips of her water.
The sound of a keycard being slipped into the lock caused Fujin took look towards the door in mild interest. Once it opened, there stood Seifer wearing an extremely irritated expression on his face clad in his SeeD uniform. Fujin noted that he still managed to look handsome even though his face was twisted. Seeing him in his uniform caused her to inwardly shiver in delight.
"What's wrong?" Fujin asked. "Let me guess, some idiot kid tried to show off in class, right?" She patted the spot next to her, motioning him to sit.
Seifer strode over to the loveseat and seated himself next to Fujin. She turned sideways, positioning her back on the armrest and turned Seifer's back towards her so she could work the tense muscles in his shoulders. Seifer unzipped the elegant coat and pulled it off, revealing a black t- shirt underneath. As she kneaded his muscles, Seifer closed his eyes and smiled. "You really know how to spoil a guy, Fujin."
"Just one guy. So what happened?"
"Why do I have to teach morons?! They let these new kids in here and they don't have an ounce of common sense. I mean, come on! Instead of wearing about one Puberty Boy, I have to worry about five of 'em!" Seifer immediately tensed up once more, causing the massage to hurt more than help.
"Calm down or this isn't gonna work," she warned. "I got some guy who decided that he could pass class on the first day. He's lucky that I have a conscience. I could've hurt him more than I did."
"Well, no one said it was gonna be easy, eh? But come on, *five* Puberty Boys? That's like having five Squalls!"
"Look at it this way; at least you don't have five Chicken-wusses," she remarked while a smirk.
"Shit, I didn't even think about that. You really know how to put things in perspective, Fuj." Fujin said nothing in response and merely grinned. She continued to massage him in silence, with Seifer's pleased groans in between. After about twenty minutes, Seifer turned to face Fujin causing her to look at him strangely.
"What?" she asked voice full of edge.
Seifer smiled softly and shook his head. "Nothing."
"What?" Fujin demanded once more, with less edge in her voice. She knew she didn't really have to ask what was on his mind; she already knew. There were still times that she still felt herself holding her feelings back. Even though she was honest in telling him her feelings months ago, she had surprised herself by being so honest. She wasn't afraid of Seifer; she was afraid of herself. She didn't like how weak Seifer made her feel, how exposed she was. And yet, at the same time, she craved the vulnerability. A sign to show her how human she really was; not the apathetic being she thought she needed to become.
"You're beautiful Fujin," he declared as if stating the obvious. "You have no idea..." He laid his head onto her lap and looked at her intensely. "No idea at all..."
Fujin adverted her eye to a nearby wall, avoided his stare. "Stop saying that."
"Why? It's true."
"Because..."
"Yeah?"
Fujin bit her lip in response. No matter how much she tried to argue, his answer would always be the same. Besides that, he was allowing her to see his vulnerable side. She knew how difficult it was for someone as proud as Seifer to let anyone see his private side. 'It's not right...if he's not holding back, why should I? I'm constantly fighting these inner demons...getting tired of it. I need to follow my own goddamn advice sometimes.' Fujin closed her eye, trying to shut out the doubts and worries in her mind.
"Just...why? Why do you keep saying how beautiful I am? It's uncomfortable."
"Just how I feel I guess. And you know I don't have a problem in saying so." He sat up and firmly took her face in his hands. "The question is, WHY do you keep avoiding it?" Fujin struggled to turn her head sideways to get out of his grasp. He held her pale, delicate face steadfast. "You're being a hypocrite Fujin. You're the one that told me not to hold anything back. So why are you?"
It took a lot out of Fujin to deny herself of her feelings and it was tiring her out as well. She could feel her emotional walls crumbling once more and she did nothing to stop it. "Sometimes I can't believe you care about me as much as you say. How do I know you're always gonna feel that way? How do I know-"
"You don't know! I don't know about the future either. But you can't look at the future; you have to worry about right now. And I know that right now, YOU'RE the one I love. I don't care about those other girls. I don't care about the ones that throw themselves at me. Right now, all I want is you!" Seifer released her face and took one of her small hands. "When you told me you loved me, I was the happiest I had been in a long time. Sure, lots of other girls claimed to love me. But your words meant a lot to me Fujin. You have always been there for me for as long as I've known you...and you know how long that's been. I realized then that being with those other girls didn't make me feel the same as when I spent time with you."
Seifer smiled as he recalled the events of the past and continued once more. "I never had to explain myself to you 'cause you always knew exactly what to say. That's why it doesn't make sense for you to struggle right now. But, I think I know why."
"Is that so? Tell me then," Fujin challenged defensively.
"It's simple. You're trying to pull back, protect yourself. You know as well as I do that things don't work that way. But you don't have to Fujin. I accept the way you feel 'cause I feel the same way. So...just let *us* be. Okay?"
Fujin absently scratched her neck while she took in his words. 'Why does he have to be so right? I feel like an idiot.' She slightly pursed her lips together, deep in thought. 'I was so eager to tell him how I felt when I thought he didn't even think of me as more than a sister. Now that I have him, I'm running away. So goddamn frustrating... I can't help him understand if I can't even help myself...'
"Fujin?" Seifer broke the silence anxiously. He didn't like it when she spent so much time thinking. "Come on, talk to me. Don't keep things to yourself."
Fujin heaved a sigh. "Well, you're right. I guess I'm just a little scared..."
Seifer smirked arrogantly and huffed, "Well, look at me. Lots fear me, so it's not surprising."
"Shut up moron," Fujin laughed as she tapped him upon his forehead. "I'm serious!"
"I know. But you know I hate it when things get all heavy." Seifer rose to his feet and raised him arms in the air dramatically. "Let's just enjoy ourselves 'cause the world is our oyster! Nothin' can stop us, no way no how!"
Fujin jumped up and shoved him roughly. "You have a serious problem," she giggled. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled loudly. "Hungry..."
"Yeah, me too," Seifer answered pulling on his SeeD jacket. "Let's get something to eat in the Caf 'cause we don't have shit in this apartment."
"On the weekend you should go to Balamb and pick some stuff up then." Fujin sniffed at her tank and made a face. "STINK."
"So go bathe. I'll wait." Seifer plopped down on the sofa and immediately turned to an action movie complete with numerous pointless explosions.
"Don't come in," Fujin warned as she walked into the bedroom, getting ready for her bath.
"You know you want me to Fuj," Seifer purred. "You're just asking for it."
Fujin's face reddened at his tone of voice. She hated how he did that to her. Grinning wickedly, she decided to surprise him. "I am actually, but there's not enough room for us to take a bath together. How 'bout a quick shower instead?" she called from the bedroom.
"A-are you serious?" Seifer balked. "Nah, you're just putting me on."
"No, I mean it," she answered airily, striding into the bathroom. "We missed our chance on vacation. Now that we have an apartment together, well why not? We're just gonna have to keep it down."
"You're shittin' me Fujin."
"Am I?" He barely heard her say over the running shower water.
"I think you are."
"Maybe. But you shouldn't assume."
Seifer bolted into towards the bathroom door and attempted to yank it open. The door refused to budge.
"I don't believe this!" he cried. "You're messing with me! Dammit Fujin, you can't do this to a guy!"
"What's that? I can't really hear you," she chuckled. "Shower's kinda loud."
"Shit Fujin! Why'd you lock the door?!" he pounded on the door relentlessly growing agitated.
"Somethin the matter? Oh...is something going on down there?" she teased referring to his natural male tendencies.
"This isn't fair... How could you do this to a guy? I'm a man Fujin! A man with NEEDS!"
The bathroom quieted as Fujin shut the water off. She wrapped a towel around her body and walked over to the door, opening it slightly. "Stop crying," she scolded jokingly. "I was serious."
Seifer's eyes widened at what she was propositioning. "What?"
"Do I have to repeat myself? I said I was serious." She opened the door wider and looked at him expectantly. "You told me not to hold back, so..."
Smirking at the confident look on Seifer's face, Fujin snickered and quipped, "Calm down, it's only a shower? What did you expect something other than that?"
"Ah...no," Seifer coughed. 'Remember, you're trying not to push her...' he internally warned himself. 'She trust you enough to you take a shower with her...not that *I* gotta problem with that, but still... Well, if she's sure...'
"I don't wanna hear about this later," Seifer warned jokingly. "Don't say I forced you."
"Shut up and get in here already. I'm cold dammit," Fujin groused. She quickly walked to the shower and turned the water on once more. She casually dropped her towel and stepped in. She almost didn't believe how ballsy she had become in such a short while. She concluded that she was tired of holding back from him. From now on she decided to do what she felt...as long as it was reasonable. And a shower was reasonable. Her body would be exposed, battle scars and all. She found herself to be quite strange; she was adamant about covering up the scar on her face, but she was willing to expose her whole body to him. Then again, she never really had a problem with her body in the first place. She was quite proud of the small scars. Most of all, she felt a natural sort of trust. She trusted him as a friend and moreover as a lover.
"Don't worry, I'll keep ya warm," he assured her as he too stepped in the shower.
In the SeeD residential block of Balamb Garden, that afternoon, tensions were released and true feelings explored. The awkwardness of their budding relationship seemed to leave their bodies and drain along with the rain of the shower.
~*~*~
Raijin waited impatiently for his friends at the Cafeteria. He had an idea what was keeping them and the mere thought made him grin broadly, but he was on the verge of starvation. He ended up waiting for another seventeen minutes until they finally showed up. Something was...different. To Raijin it seemed that Fujin was practically glowing. To anyone who knew Fujin casually, she looked just the same as always, some would say she worn an unpleasant look most of the time. Raijin could see past the diamond exterior she tried to maintain and into the soft, feminine side she refused to let through.
As his friends approached him, Raijin grin grew even broader and he greeted them boisterously with outstretched arms.
"About time ya two showed up! I'm on the verge of starvation, ya know and both of ya take your sweet time!" Raijin led them over to their usual table and for once, no one was foolish enough to sit there.
"What're you grinnin' about?" Seifer snarled as he casually sat down and propped his feet on the table.
"Oh, don't worry about it, ya know. No big deal, ya know," Raijin quickly reassured him, but still the grin still remained plastered on his face.
"WHAT?" Fujin asked pointedly. She was sure he knew something and she immediately became defensive.
"Both of ya are practically glowin', ya know? Ohhhhh, what happened?" Raijin asked mischievously as he nudged Seifer. He knew Fujin would remain tight lipped.
"Come on, Raijin," Seifer boasted confidently, "do I need to go into detail? Let's just say that there's more to Fujin than some would think." He tossed a casual wink Fujin's way causing her to blush slightly.
"Shut up," she hissed, shoving him roughly.
"I see, ya know. Gotcha boss." Raijin nodded and nudged Seifer once more.
"She's something else. Not that she wants anybody to know," Seifer joked nudging Raijin back.
"SILENCE!" Fujin barked, suddenly lunging at the pair.
"Whoaaaa! Calm down sis! I was just kiddin', ya know?!" Raijin defended as he narrowly dodged her.
"Take it easy, Fuj. Don't get so embarrassed," Seifer mocked lightly, patting her atop her head.
"IMMATURE. I'm getting something to eat," she huffed and then stormed to the lunch line.
Seifer and Raijin sat in silence as they watched her walk to the line. With a snarl, she quickly turned around, shooting both of them a dirty look. Looking like deer caught in headlights they quickly turned away, laughing all the while.
"Anyway boss, what took ya so long? I was waitin' for a long time, ya know," Raijin prodded.
"Oh, me and Fujin just had a quick shower," Seifer answered casually.
"Ya mean she didn't have a problem with that? Sounds like she's getting' brave, ya know?"
"She's the one who suggested it."
"What?!" Raijin balked. "Who woulda thought, ya know?"
"Yeah, I was kinda surprised and then I wasn't."
"Seifer," Raijin started, his tone having grown more serious, "uh, ya didn't...ya know..."
Seifer clapped a reassuring hand of Raijin's broad shoulder. "No, it's not what you think. It was just a relaxing shower...that's all I can say about that really. I shouldn't have to explain it to you."
"Well, just be careful, ya know," Raijin continued. "I don't want ya hurtin' my sis. 'Cause if ya do...I don't wanna hurt ya, ya know?"
"I gotcha Raij, I gotcha," Seifer sighed removing Raijin's large hand. "Trust me, I won't hurt her."
"Just makin' sure, ya know," Raijin said warily.
"Yeah yeah. Look, I'm hungry so go get us somethin' to eat, all right?" Seifer demanded. "Get a move on."
"Gotcha boss!" Raijin saluted, losing his serious tone and reverting back to his usual obeying one.
Meanwhile, Fujin impatiently waited for the long line to move. She held extreme abhorrence for the long wait the lunch line usually presented. The long line usually meant that there would be a shortage of hotdogs pretty soon. Growing more agitated, Fujin folded her arms in front of her chest and shifted her weight impatiently. Behind her, Raijin pushed his way through the line without any objections from other students. Being a part of the Disciplinary Committee always had its perks.
Upon reaching her, Raijin griped, "This line just gets longer and longer, ya know?"
Fujin immediately responded with a swift kick to his shin. Raijin grabbed his shin and hopped up and down in the air in pain.
"OWWWWWWWW! What'd ya do that for, ya know?!"
"MIND BUSINESS." Fujin offered irately, glowering at Raijin.
"Whaaaat?! Seifer didn't tell me nothin', ya know! Honestly, ya know!" Raijin cried, back away from Fujin as much as he could given the crowded line.
"DON'T CARE."
"Fine, FINE, ya know!" Raijin smiled inwardly despite the swelling pain in his shin. As much as Fujin acted like Raijin was such a bother to her, he knew she loved him like a brother. Whether she treated him like a brother or not was debatable to some. Regardless, Raijin was pleased to see Fujin content even if she did try to hide it under anger.
"Hey, Fujin?"
"What is it?"
"You're...really okay with everything now?"
Fujin immediately knew what he was referring to. She nodded. "I'm trying to loosen up a little."
"Well, I told him he'd haveta face me if he does somethin' do hurt ya, ya know."
"It's okay Raijin," she assured him. "I trust him. It'll be fine."
"I guess. I was just thinkin' of how Seifer used to be. Ya know, a womanizer. Sometimes it's kinda hard to believe that he wants to be committed to ya, ya know."
Fujin remained silent allowing her thoughts to take over. 'How is that anyway? I wonder what made him realize that he wants to be with me... No, don't think about that right now. Don't ruin things. Just...forget it.'
Seeing that she was struggling with her thoughts, Raijin broke in with an apology. "Hey, I didn't mean to start somethin', ya know. It was just a thought, ya know."
However it was too late for Raijin to backpedal as Fujin's analytical side kicked into high gear. She just had to know *why* Seifer changed his mind.
~*~*~
The temperate climate of Balamb often produced clear and balmy nights. Sitting atop the bed crossed legged, Fujin gazed at the stars out of the bedroom window. She closed her eyes as a light breeze caressed her face. Smiling slightly, she raised her face into the wind, feeling at home.
"Ready for bed?" Seifer interrupted as he walked into the bedroom. Noticing that Fujin didn't hear him, he walked to her side of the bed and sat next to her. Seeing that she was content, he decided to let her be.
Earlier, the couple had pushed the twin beds together, making them appear to be a queen sized bed. Seifer climbed into the bed and switched off the bedside lamp. The room became awash with moonlight, giving it an ethereal feel. Noticing the change in lighting, Fujin snapped out of her trance and climbed under the covers. She removed her eye patch, setting it down on the bedside end table. She absently scratched the scar, as she did every night when she removed her eye patch. Seifer gently removed her hand and kissed the back.
"You tired?"
"Not really," she lied and accidentally let out a yawn.
"No need to lie," he chuckled.
"I want to ask you something," Fujin said suddenly.
"What is it?"
Fujin absently twirled a strand of her platinum hair around her finger. "I was just wondering how you're able to go from chasing different girls, to just wanting to be with me..."
Seifer propped himself up on his left elbow. "Why?"
"I don't know... I just need to know."
"Why does it matter Fujin? Look, let's just forget about the past and worry about right now, okay?"
"...Okay." She reasoned that it probably wasn't worth knowing his reasons. 'I guess that's how love works. Sometimes there aren't definite answers.'
"I can't answer that myself to tell the truth. That's why I don't want to worry about why. All I'm worried about is working our relationship out."
The couple quieted once more until Fujin chuckled softly. "I just thought of something else."
"What Fujin?" Seifer sighed with feigned impatience.
"You're a different person," she answered, shoving him lightly. "Remember when we were kids? You used to act like I was the most horrible thing you ever saw; yet you would talk to the other girls. I was always jealous...wondering why you avoided me so much. I used to think that if I acted like those girls, then you would notice me."
"I remember that," Seifer snickered. "Back then you were like a sister to me. I couldn't see you as a girlfriend."
"And now you can?"
"Things change." Seifer moved closer and kissed her forehead as proof.
"Oh right. Several months ago I was still as sister to you!"
"That's not true, Fujin."
"Yes it is. You were chasing after those *other* girls. Remember Samantha?"
"Shit, don't remind me," Seifer cringed. "You were so jealous..."
"Fuck off," Fujin sneered, attempting to push him away.
"Seems like I hit a nerve."
"Honestly, I didn't understand what you saw in that girl."
"Think like a guy and maybe you will."
"PIG!"
"Hey, don't get like that! I look at you that way too."
"Shut up," Fujin snapped, face flushed.
Seifer merely snickered. "Ahhh, I love you Fujin. You're so much fun to pick with."
"I'm going to sleep."
"You mad at me or somethin'?"
"No. You make it sound like I get mad easily."
Seifer merely coughed in response.
"Bah. I'm really gonna go to sleep now."
"Not before I get my goodnight kiss."
Fujin sat up and sighed wearily. "Well, if that's what you really want." She roughly grabbed Seifer and casually dipped him over the edge of the bed engaging in a firm kiss that seemed to carry on for an eternity. After a while, she pulled Seifer back up, situated him back in his former position and slipped back under the covers as if nothing happened.
"Goodnight Seifer," she said breezily.
Seifer could do nothing but sit in stunned silence at Fujin's show of affection.
"You're really somethin' else..."
~*~*~
Hiya, folks! Look, it's my 20th chapter! I thank you all for reviewing my story faithfully!
Special Thanks goes to:
Perfect Soldier 01: Thanks for sticking with me! You write beautifully as always. It is hard to believe you're 15... your writing is so mature. Can't wait for the next chapter!
Writer of the Blaze: Okay, now it's your turn to update. I did my job. I don't think I helped you much with the creation of a new character. I suck. Oh well. Thanks for your reviews as always!
Riverwood: My new psychotic reviewer! Remember what I told ya...don't hurt yourself! Enjoy the new chapter!
Wonderful Failure: You really think I'm talented? I don't see myself that way, but sometimes I can be too modest I guess. Thanks for the compliment. I thought about majoring in English, but...ehhhh, I just don't like college at the moment. I hope this break will make me miss it. Thanks for your kind review!
Final Fantasy H: I hope you'll be reading this update when you don't have to rush off to class. Enjoy!
EdwardWongHauPepiluTivriskyIV: Yay, I updated again! Woo hoo!!!
And no...Fujin and Seifer did NOT have sex in the shower. Even if they did, there's no way I could write that and leave it PG-13. No way at all. Oh, and don't forget about Rose. I sure haven't. I hope you hate her. I do.
See ya next update!
Your humble scribe,
Fuu-sama
Chapter 20 – Release of Tension
The changing shades of the leaves signified the commencement of classes once more at Balamb Garden. With the carefree days of summer far behind them, the students of Balamb Garden focused on their SeeD studies once more. Like previous years, a few new students had arrived at the Garden confident in their abilities. Once they soaked up the atmosphere, most minds were changed. They had more of a reason to be intimidated this year; Seifer Almasy was instructing the beginner's Weapons Combat training course.
He, along with Fujin, had taken an intense crash course on the management of classes and the students in the later part of the summer. The exhaustive course involved experienced SeeDs putting their acting skills to use and assume the identity of a trouble student or students. Along with learning class management and simple things such as the grading system, the new SeeDs were taught to deal with traumatic experiences such as a suicidal student or any type of activity that violated school rules. Much to Cid, Xu's and Squall's surprise, Seifer caused little trouble during the training course.
With the intense course behind them, Seifer and Fujin were thrown into the battle of instructing a course. Seifer was delighted when he discovered that he was to instruct a standard combat force. What didn't thrill him was how dim some of the students could be. Fujin, on the other hand, was assigned to instruct a basic Hand-to-Hand Combat. She was confused as to why she was chosen for that field. Zell Dincht had been the previous instructor for the basic and advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat course. She didn't see why Cid felt the need to separate the course. Unbeknownst to her, Squall had recommended her for the course to Cid. He remember that time when Fujin lost her eye a few years ago and reaching into his compassionate side and decided that he would help her redeem herself. In actuality, it was Rinoa who commanded Squall to give Fujin that opportunity. While she and Fujin weren't exactly friends, she felt the need to help her because of their moderate acquaintanceship and mostly because she knew Fujin before the rest of her friends. The act may have been on the borderline of meddling, but when it came to helping someone in need, Rinoa was never quite good at the act of indifference.
Because of the luxury of being a SeeD, the Posse lived in plush quarters. Raijin opted for living in an apartment alone. Honestly, as much as he respected and sometimes feared his boss, Raijin could not stand living with him. To him, Seifer was too much of a slob. Raijin liked to keep the living quarters spotless and Seifer was ruining the process. However, most of his reason for opting to live alone was due to the fact that he wanted to see Seifer and his sister exist in the same space. Maybe it was forcing them together, but Raijin had enough of them beating around the bush. For them to live together was hardly dramatic; before they returned to Garden, the Posse lived from hotel to hotel and in some cases, working at the hotels to pay off the room they rented out. He figured that they should just be out with everything and living together ALONE would speed it up.
Fujin soon found out why it was such a nightmare to live with Seifer.
~*~*~
The couple's new apartment came furnished with the basics. As soon as one walked into the space, they were in the small, but cozy living room. Decorated with a simple gray chenille loveseat and matching easy chair, a simple coffee table and matching end tables, the room had standard Garden wall sconces and the standard blue and orange floor. An extra bonus was a medium sized television set situated in front of the sitting area. Off to the left was a small eat-in kitchen with the basic dining furniture and behind the living room was one bedroom fitted with two twin sized beds and two dressers. To the left of the bedroom was a bathroom complete with bathtub and a separate shower. Through out the apartment, plants were sporadically placed in each room to it up, but they had little effect to the otherwise cold look of the apartment.
While Seifer had absolutely no problem with the décor, Fujin wanted to add a personal touch to it. She disliked the cold feel of the apartment and while she wasn't an interior designer, she wanted *some* kind of personal touch. The only room Seifer was interested in "decorating" was the bedroom.
Taking a break from her first class, Fujin wearily flopped down on the loveseat and switched the TV on. Since the destruction of Sorceress Adel's tomb, satellite waves were free to move to the earth, thus allowing the use of televisions once more. Currently, Fujin didn't appreciate this mainly because there weren't too many things to watch. Disgusted, she flipped to the school's network and stared blankly through the screen recalling the events of her day.
~*~*~
Fujin paced around the Garden's large and airy gymnasium as she waited for her class to arrive. A passing doubt crossed her mind for a mere second. She vaguely wondered how she would manage a class of about 15 students or if they would give her any trouble and other annoying thoughts.
At last a few students started to trickle into the gym, some shocked at the appearance of their instructor. While small in stature, her appearance was intimidating. Fujin stood with her arms crossing in front of her chest, looking authoritative despite wearing a simple gray tank and matching sweatpants. Her eye patch, despite her hatred for it, seemed to add even more authority by making her appear to be experienced in the art of war.
The final warning bell rang signifying the start of class. The new students were still chatting amongst themselves excitedly as Fujin watched in silence. Suddenly she sharply clapped her hands to garner the class' attention.
"Good morning!" She stepped closer to the class and crossed her arms once more. A couple of female students didn't regard Fujin's greeting and kept chatting as if she hadn't said a word. She strode over to the pair, standing behind one of the girls.
"SILENCE!" she barked causing both to practically leap in the air. "I'm speaking," she added more calmly.
"Welcome to basic Hand-to-Hand Combat. I'm Fujin Kazeno and your instructor for this semester. Call me...Miss Kazeno." She cringed at the last part of her sentence in distaste. Cid enforced the rule that all instructors must be addressed by their last names. Fujin preferred to leave the "Miss" off her name, but Xu insisted that it was disrespectful. She continued, "I'm assuming all of you are new unless some of you failed. Do I have any failures in here?" Seeing that no one raised a hand, she nodded. "If you're lying, we'll see. All right, let's get started."
A female student scurried into the gym, hoping to remain unseen. Naturally, she was unsuccessful.
"GREETING," Fujin said evenly. "Just because I have one eye that doesn't mean I can't see you. Come up to the front." The girl nervously walked up to the front and clasped her hands nervously.
"YOU'RE LATE."
"Sorry Miss Fujin!" the girl exclaimed, clearly embarrassed for having the attention turned onto her.
"Drop on the floor and give me 20 push-ups," Fujin commanded coolly. "Then you can join the rest of us."
"Yes ma'am!"
Fujin almost asked the girl how she knew who she was, but then remember her "odd" appearance. Sometimes she wished she could blend in with the rest of her peers. She quickly dismissed the thought and turned her attention to the task at hand.
She silently gestured the class to follow her over to the far side of the gym, which housed training mats. "Everyone remove your shoes. From now on when you step into this gym, have your shoes off." She stepped onto the mat and commanded the class to sit around the mat.
"How many of you think you know anything about hand-to-hand combat?" A few students raised their hands. "I promise you, you don't know as much as you think you do."
"How would you know?" a brash red-haired student challenged. "You a mind reader or something?"
"Yeah! And how come you're being so mean to us?" a random girl asked. "We just got here."
Fujin's stoic face remained unchanged as she answered, "Well, why don't you show me what you know then?" She looked at the girl and said, "If you can't take it, drop out of the class. The drop period isn't over yet."
The red-haired youth rose to his feet with a big confident smile on his face. He easily towered over Fujin and he foolishly thought that he could best her. Immediately, Fujin shook her head in disgust. "Sit down."
"What?! I didn't even do anything!"
"It's already obvious that you don't know what you're doing. I challenged you and already you have underestimated me." In an instant, Fujin deftly delivered a sharp right punch to past his face. Instinctively, the boy grabbed her fist and attempted to twist her arm behind her back. Being the craftier of the two, Fujin sharply kneed the boy in his groin causing him to double over in pain. Taking the opening, Fujin swept the boy off his feet causing him to land clumsily on the mat. In one swift motion, she raised her right leg in the air and abruptly brought it down above his chest, her heel mere centimeters above his rib cage. The boy lay in shock at her amazing speed, mouth agape. Satisfied, she lowered her leg and extended a pitying hand to the youth. He shamefully grabbed it and raised himself off the mat.
"Your carelessness could've cost you your life. One of the first rules of this class, never and I mean NEVER underestimate your opponent. Appearance is not what it seems. You should've known this already, but obviously you lack common sense." Expression still as stoic as ever, she turned to the rest of the class and challenged, "Anyone else have something to prove?"
~*~*~
That class felt longer than it should have to Fujin. Teaching just didn't seem to be her forte.
She allowed a small sigh to escape from her lips and then trudged into the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water from the tap. She vaguely observed that a trip to Balamb was in order to stock the fridge. She trudged back into the living room and zoned out in front of the TV once more while taking casual sips of her water.
The sound of a keycard being slipped into the lock caused Fujin took look towards the door in mild interest. Once it opened, there stood Seifer wearing an extremely irritated expression on his face clad in his SeeD uniform. Fujin noted that he still managed to look handsome even though his face was twisted. Seeing him in his uniform caused her to inwardly shiver in delight.
"What's wrong?" Fujin asked. "Let me guess, some idiot kid tried to show off in class, right?" She patted the spot next to her, motioning him to sit.
Seifer strode over to the loveseat and seated himself next to Fujin. She turned sideways, positioning her back on the armrest and turned Seifer's back towards her so she could work the tense muscles in his shoulders. Seifer unzipped the elegant coat and pulled it off, revealing a black t- shirt underneath. As she kneaded his muscles, Seifer closed his eyes and smiled. "You really know how to spoil a guy, Fujin."
"Just one guy. So what happened?"
"Why do I have to teach morons?! They let these new kids in here and they don't have an ounce of common sense. I mean, come on! Instead of wearing about one Puberty Boy, I have to worry about five of 'em!" Seifer immediately tensed up once more, causing the massage to hurt more than help.
"Calm down or this isn't gonna work," she warned. "I got some guy who decided that he could pass class on the first day. He's lucky that I have a conscience. I could've hurt him more than I did."
"Well, no one said it was gonna be easy, eh? But come on, *five* Puberty Boys? That's like having five Squalls!"
"Look at it this way; at least you don't have five Chicken-wusses," she remarked while a smirk.
"Shit, I didn't even think about that. You really know how to put things in perspective, Fuj." Fujin said nothing in response and merely grinned. She continued to massage him in silence, with Seifer's pleased groans in between. After about twenty minutes, Seifer turned to face Fujin causing her to look at him strangely.
"What?" she asked voice full of edge.
Seifer smiled softly and shook his head. "Nothing."
"What?" Fujin demanded once more, with less edge in her voice. She knew she didn't really have to ask what was on his mind; she already knew. There were still times that she still felt herself holding her feelings back. Even though she was honest in telling him her feelings months ago, she had surprised herself by being so honest. She wasn't afraid of Seifer; she was afraid of herself. She didn't like how weak Seifer made her feel, how exposed she was. And yet, at the same time, she craved the vulnerability. A sign to show her how human she really was; not the apathetic being she thought she needed to become.
"You're beautiful Fujin," he declared as if stating the obvious. "You have no idea..." He laid his head onto her lap and looked at her intensely. "No idea at all..."
Fujin adverted her eye to a nearby wall, avoided his stare. "Stop saying that."
"Why? It's true."
"Because..."
"Yeah?"
Fujin bit her lip in response. No matter how much she tried to argue, his answer would always be the same. Besides that, he was allowing her to see his vulnerable side. She knew how difficult it was for someone as proud as Seifer to let anyone see his private side. 'It's not right...if he's not holding back, why should I? I'm constantly fighting these inner demons...getting tired of it. I need to follow my own goddamn advice sometimes.' Fujin closed her eye, trying to shut out the doubts and worries in her mind.
"Just...why? Why do you keep saying how beautiful I am? It's uncomfortable."
"Just how I feel I guess. And you know I don't have a problem in saying so." He sat up and firmly took her face in his hands. "The question is, WHY do you keep avoiding it?" Fujin struggled to turn her head sideways to get out of his grasp. He held her pale, delicate face steadfast. "You're being a hypocrite Fujin. You're the one that told me not to hold anything back. So why are you?"
It took a lot out of Fujin to deny herself of her feelings and it was tiring her out as well. She could feel her emotional walls crumbling once more and she did nothing to stop it. "Sometimes I can't believe you care about me as much as you say. How do I know you're always gonna feel that way? How do I know-"
"You don't know! I don't know about the future either. But you can't look at the future; you have to worry about right now. And I know that right now, YOU'RE the one I love. I don't care about those other girls. I don't care about the ones that throw themselves at me. Right now, all I want is you!" Seifer released her face and took one of her small hands. "When you told me you loved me, I was the happiest I had been in a long time. Sure, lots of other girls claimed to love me. But your words meant a lot to me Fujin. You have always been there for me for as long as I've known you...and you know how long that's been. I realized then that being with those other girls didn't make me feel the same as when I spent time with you."
Seifer smiled as he recalled the events of the past and continued once more. "I never had to explain myself to you 'cause you always knew exactly what to say. That's why it doesn't make sense for you to struggle right now. But, I think I know why."
"Is that so? Tell me then," Fujin challenged defensively.
"It's simple. You're trying to pull back, protect yourself. You know as well as I do that things don't work that way. But you don't have to Fujin. I accept the way you feel 'cause I feel the same way. So...just let *us* be. Okay?"
Fujin absently scratched her neck while she took in his words. 'Why does he have to be so right? I feel like an idiot.' She slightly pursed her lips together, deep in thought. 'I was so eager to tell him how I felt when I thought he didn't even think of me as more than a sister. Now that I have him, I'm running away. So goddamn frustrating... I can't help him understand if I can't even help myself...'
"Fujin?" Seifer broke the silence anxiously. He didn't like it when she spent so much time thinking. "Come on, talk to me. Don't keep things to yourself."
Fujin heaved a sigh. "Well, you're right. I guess I'm just a little scared..."
Seifer smirked arrogantly and huffed, "Well, look at me. Lots fear me, so it's not surprising."
"Shut up moron," Fujin laughed as she tapped him upon his forehead. "I'm serious!"
"I know. But you know I hate it when things get all heavy." Seifer rose to his feet and raised him arms in the air dramatically. "Let's just enjoy ourselves 'cause the world is our oyster! Nothin' can stop us, no way no how!"
Fujin jumped up and shoved him roughly. "You have a serious problem," she giggled. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled loudly. "Hungry..."
"Yeah, me too," Seifer answered pulling on his SeeD jacket. "Let's get something to eat in the Caf 'cause we don't have shit in this apartment."
"On the weekend you should go to Balamb and pick some stuff up then." Fujin sniffed at her tank and made a face. "STINK."
"So go bathe. I'll wait." Seifer plopped down on the sofa and immediately turned to an action movie complete with numerous pointless explosions.
"Don't come in," Fujin warned as she walked into the bedroom, getting ready for her bath.
"You know you want me to Fuj," Seifer purred. "You're just asking for it."
Fujin's face reddened at his tone of voice. She hated how he did that to her. Grinning wickedly, she decided to surprise him. "I am actually, but there's not enough room for us to take a bath together. How 'bout a quick shower instead?" she called from the bedroom.
"A-are you serious?" Seifer balked. "Nah, you're just putting me on."
"No, I mean it," she answered airily, striding into the bathroom. "We missed our chance on vacation. Now that we have an apartment together, well why not? We're just gonna have to keep it down."
"You're shittin' me Fujin."
"Am I?" He barely heard her say over the running shower water.
"I think you are."
"Maybe. But you shouldn't assume."
Seifer bolted into towards the bathroom door and attempted to yank it open. The door refused to budge.
"I don't believe this!" he cried. "You're messing with me! Dammit Fujin, you can't do this to a guy!"
"What's that? I can't really hear you," she chuckled. "Shower's kinda loud."
"Shit Fujin! Why'd you lock the door?!" he pounded on the door relentlessly growing agitated.
"Somethin the matter? Oh...is something going on down there?" she teased referring to his natural male tendencies.
"This isn't fair... How could you do this to a guy? I'm a man Fujin! A man with NEEDS!"
The bathroom quieted as Fujin shut the water off. She wrapped a towel around her body and walked over to the door, opening it slightly. "Stop crying," she scolded jokingly. "I was serious."
Seifer's eyes widened at what she was propositioning. "What?"
"Do I have to repeat myself? I said I was serious." She opened the door wider and looked at him expectantly. "You told me not to hold back, so..."
Smirking at the confident look on Seifer's face, Fujin snickered and quipped, "Calm down, it's only a shower? What did you expect something other than that?"
"Ah...no," Seifer coughed. 'Remember, you're trying not to push her...' he internally warned himself. 'She trust you enough to you take a shower with her...not that *I* gotta problem with that, but still... Well, if she's sure...'
"I don't wanna hear about this later," Seifer warned jokingly. "Don't say I forced you."
"Shut up and get in here already. I'm cold dammit," Fujin groused. She quickly walked to the shower and turned the water on once more. She casually dropped her towel and stepped in. She almost didn't believe how ballsy she had become in such a short while. She concluded that she was tired of holding back from him. From now on she decided to do what she felt...as long as it was reasonable. And a shower was reasonable. Her body would be exposed, battle scars and all. She found herself to be quite strange; she was adamant about covering up the scar on her face, but she was willing to expose her whole body to him. Then again, she never really had a problem with her body in the first place. She was quite proud of the small scars. Most of all, she felt a natural sort of trust. She trusted him as a friend and moreover as a lover.
"Don't worry, I'll keep ya warm," he assured her as he too stepped in the shower.
In the SeeD residential block of Balamb Garden, that afternoon, tensions were released and true feelings explored. The awkwardness of their budding relationship seemed to leave their bodies and drain along with the rain of the shower.
~*~*~
Raijin waited impatiently for his friends at the Cafeteria. He had an idea what was keeping them and the mere thought made him grin broadly, but he was on the verge of starvation. He ended up waiting for another seventeen minutes until they finally showed up. Something was...different. To Raijin it seemed that Fujin was practically glowing. To anyone who knew Fujin casually, she looked just the same as always, some would say she worn an unpleasant look most of the time. Raijin could see past the diamond exterior she tried to maintain and into the soft, feminine side she refused to let through.
As his friends approached him, Raijin grin grew even broader and he greeted them boisterously with outstretched arms.
"About time ya two showed up! I'm on the verge of starvation, ya know and both of ya take your sweet time!" Raijin led them over to their usual table and for once, no one was foolish enough to sit there.
"What're you grinnin' about?" Seifer snarled as he casually sat down and propped his feet on the table.
"Oh, don't worry about it, ya know. No big deal, ya know," Raijin quickly reassured him, but still the grin still remained plastered on his face.
"WHAT?" Fujin asked pointedly. She was sure he knew something and she immediately became defensive.
"Both of ya are practically glowin', ya know? Ohhhhh, what happened?" Raijin asked mischievously as he nudged Seifer. He knew Fujin would remain tight lipped.
"Come on, Raijin," Seifer boasted confidently, "do I need to go into detail? Let's just say that there's more to Fujin than some would think." He tossed a casual wink Fujin's way causing her to blush slightly.
"Shut up," she hissed, shoving him roughly.
"I see, ya know. Gotcha boss." Raijin nodded and nudged Seifer once more.
"She's something else. Not that she wants anybody to know," Seifer joked nudging Raijin back.
"SILENCE!" Fujin barked, suddenly lunging at the pair.
"Whoaaaa! Calm down sis! I was just kiddin', ya know?!" Raijin defended as he narrowly dodged her.
"Take it easy, Fuj. Don't get so embarrassed," Seifer mocked lightly, patting her atop her head.
"IMMATURE. I'm getting something to eat," she huffed and then stormed to the lunch line.
Seifer and Raijin sat in silence as they watched her walk to the line. With a snarl, she quickly turned around, shooting both of them a dirty look. Looking like deer caught in headlights they quickly turned away, laughing all the while.
"Anyway boss, what took ya so long? I was waitin' for a long time, ya know," Raijin prodded.
"Oh, me and Fujin just had a quick shower," Seifer answered casually.
"Ya mean she didn't have a problem with that? Sounds like she's getting' brave, ya know?"
"She's the one who suggested it."
"What?!" Raijin balked. "Who woulda thought, ya know?"
"Yeah, I was kinda surprised and then I wasn't."
"Seifer," Raijin started, his tone having grown more serious, "uh, ya didn't...ya know..."
Seifer clapped a reassuring hand of Raijin's broad shoulder. "No, it's not what you think. It was just a relaxing shower...that's all I can say about that really. I shouldn't have to explain it to you."
"Well, just be careful, ya know," Raijin continued. "I don't want ya hurtin' my sis. 'Cause if ya do...I don't wanna hurt ya, ya know?"
"I gotcha Raij, I gotcha," Seifer sighed removing Raijin's large hand. "Trust me, I won't hurt her."
"Just makin' sure, ya know," Raijin said warily.
"Yeah yeah. Look, I'm hungry so go get us somethin' to eat, all right?" Seifer demanded. "Get a move on."
"Gotcha boss!" Raijin saluted, losing his serious tone and reverting back to his usual obeying one.
Meanwhile, Fujin impatiently waited for the long line to move. She held extreme abhorrence for the long wait the lunch line usually presented. The long line usually meant that there would be a shortage of hotdogs pretty soon. Growing more agitated, Fujin folded her arms in front of her chest and shifted her weight impatiently. Behind her, Raijin pushed his way through the line without any objections from other students. Being a part of the Disciplinary Committee always had its perks.
Upon reaching her, Raijin griped, "This line just gets longer and longer, ya know?"
Fujin immediately responded with a swift kick to his shin. Raijin grabbed his shin and hopped up and down in the air in pain.
"OWWWWWWWW! What'd ya do that for, ya know?!"
"MIND BUSINESS." Fujin offered irately, glowering at Raijin.
"Whaaaat?! Seifer didn't tell me nothin', ya know! Honestly, ya know!" Raijin cried, back away from Fujin as much as he could given the crowded line.
"DON'T CARE."
"Fine, FINE, ya know!" Raijin smiled inwardly despite the swelling pain in his shin. As much as Fujin acted like Raijin was such a bother to her, he knew she loved him like a brother. Whether she treated him like a brother or not was debatable to some. Regardless, Raijin was pleased to see Fujin content even if she did try to hide it under anger.
"Hey, Fujin?"
"What is it?"
"You're...really okay with everything now?"
Fujin immediately knew what he was referring to. She nodded. "I'm trying to loosen up a little."
"Well, I told him he'd haveta face me if he does somethin' do hurt ya, ya know."
"It's okay Raijin," she assured him. "I trust him. It'll be fine."
"I guess. I was just thinkin' of how Seifer used to be. Ya know, a womanizer. Sometimes it's kinda hard to believe that he wants to be committed to ya, ya know."
Fujin remained silent allowing her thoughts to take over. 'How is that anyway? I wonder what made him realize that he wants to be with me... No, don't think about that right now. Don't ruin things. Just...forget it.'
Seeing that she was struggling with her thoughts, Raijin broke in with an apology. "Hey, I didn't mean to start somethin', ya know. It was just a thought, ya know."
However it was too late for Raijin to backpedal as Fujin's analytical side kicked into high gear. She just had to know *why* Seifer changed his mind.
~*~*~
The temperate climate of Balamb often produced clear and balmy nights. Sitting atop the bed crossed legged, Fujin gazed at the stars out of the bedroom window. She closed her eyes as a light breeze caressed her face. Smiling slightly, she raised her face into the wind, feeling at home.
"Ready for bed?" Seifer interrupted as he walked into the bedroom. Noticing that Fujin didn't hear him, he walked to her side of the bed and sat next to her. Seeing that she was content, he decided to let her be.
Earlier, the couple had pushed the twin beds together, making them appear to be a queen sized bed. Seifer climbed into the bed and switched off the bedside lamp. The room became awash with moonlight, giving it an ethereal feel. Noticing the change in lighting, Fujin snapped out of her trance and climbed under the covers. She removed her eye patch, setting it down on the bedside end table. She absently scratched the scar, as she did every night when she removed her eye patch. Seifer gently removed her hand and kissed the back.
"You tired?"
"Not really," she lied and accidentally let out a yawn.
"No need to lie," he chuckled.
"I want to ask you something," Fujin said suddenly.
"What is it?"
Fujin absently twirled a strand of her platinum hair around her finger. "I was just wondering how you're able to go from chasing different girls, to just wanting to be with me..."
Seifer propped himself up on his left elbow. "Why?"
"I don't know... I just need to know."
"Why does it matter Fujin? Look, let's just forget about the past and worry about right now, okay?"
"...Okay." She reasoned that it probably wasn't worth knowing his reasons. 'I guess that's how love works. Sometimes there aren't definite answers.'
"I can't answer that myself to tell the truth. That's why I don't want to worry about why. All I'm worried about is working our relationship out."
The couple quieted once more until Fujin chuckled softly. "I just thought of something else."
"What Fujin?" Seifer sighed with feigned impatience.
"You're a different person," she answered, shoving him lightly. "Remember when we were kids? You used to act like I was the most horrible thing you ever saw; yet you would talk to the other girls. I was always jealous...wondering why you avoided me so much. I used to think that if I acted like those girls, then you would notice me."
"I remember that," Seifer snickered. "Back then you were like a sister to me. I couldn't see you as a girlfriend."
"And now you can?"
"Things change." Seifer moved closer and kissed her forehead as proof.
"Oh right. Several months ago I was still as sister to you!"
"That's not true, Fujin."
"Yes it is. You were chasing after those *other* girls. Remember Samantha?"
"Shit, don't remind me," Seifer cringed. "You were so jealous..."
"Fuck off," Fujin sneered, attempting to push him away.
"Seems like I hit a nerve."
"Honestly, I didn't understand what you saw in that girl."
"Think like a guy and maybe you will."
"PIG!"
"Hey, don't get like that! I look at you that way too."
"Shut up," Fujin snapped, face flushed.
Seifer merely snickered. "Ahhh, I love you Fujin. You're so much fun to pick with."
"I'm going to sleep."
"You mad at me or somethin'?"
"No. You make it sound like I get mad easily."
Seifer merely coughed in response.
"Bah. I'm really gonna go to sleep now."
"Not before I get my goodnight kiss."
Fujin sat up and sighed wearily. "Well, if that's what you really want." She roughly grabbed Seifer and casually dipped him over the edge of the bed engaging in a firm kiss that seemed to carry on for an eternity. After a while, she pulled Seifer back up, situated him back in his former position and slipped back under the covers as if nothing happened.
"Goodnight Seifer," she said breezily.
Seifer could do nothing but sit in stunned silence at Fujin's show of affection.
"You're really somethin' else..."
~*~*~
Hiya, folks! Look, it's my 20th chapter! I thank you all for reviewing my story faithfully!
Special Thanks goes to:
Perfect Soldier 01: Thanks for sticking with me! You write beautifully as always. It is hard to believe you're 15... your writing is so mature. Can't wait for the next chapter!
Writer of the Blaze: Okay, now it's your turn to update. I did my job. I don't think I helped you much with the creation of a new character. I suck. Oh well. Thanks for your reviews as always!
Riverwood: My new psychotic reviewer! Remember what I told ya...don't hurt yourself! Enjoy the new chapter!
Wonderful Failure: You really think I'm talented? I don't see myself that way, but sometimes I can be too modest I guess. Thanks for the compliment. I thought about majoring in English, but...ehhhh, I just don't like college at the moment. I hope this break will make me miss it. Thanks for your kind review!
Final Fantasy H: I hope you'll be reading this update when you don't have to rush off to class. Enjoy!
EdwardWongHauPepiluTivriskyIV: Yay, I updated again! Woo hoo!!!
And no...Fujin and Seifer did NOT have sex in the shower. Even if they did, there's no way I could write that and leave it PG-13. No way at all. Oh, and don't forget about Rose. I sure haven't. I hope you hate her. I do.
See ya next update!
Your humble scribe,
Fuu-sama