Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Feathers in the Meadow ❯ Not a Cold ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N: It's been a while since I've written something so, rather than lose my claim; here is my latest theme update. And, by the way, this isn't following the mini-storyline I had with “Meanings” and “Faith.” Enjoy!

Dedication: To my wonderful, wonderful boyfriend Zach who is sick today...and this made me think of him.

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Not a Cold

Theme #18: “Say Ahh...”

Summary: Men can be such babies when they're sick.

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“I'm not putting that in my mouth.”

“You'll feel better if you do.”

“I'm not going to do it.”

“Squall, quit being so stubborn.”

“Hmph.” Squall turned his head to the side, away from the thermometer and the arsenal of other medicines Rinoa had close at hand. “I'm not sick,” he stated decisively, crossing his arms over his chest, “so I don't need any of this crap.”

Rinoa straightened from being bent at the waist and looked him over. With arms crossed, facing the other way, and the resolutely obstinate glint in his blue eyes, Squall looked more like a small child than the commander of Garden. She let out a light sigh, shaking her head. “Oh really? So you call all this coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and various other icky gunk...what, exactly? Nose nectar?”

He narrowed his eyes at her as she lazily smiled at him when he gave a particularly juicy-sounding snort. “No, I call it a temporary malfunction within my body, which doesn't seem to want to listen to me,” he mumbled to himself, “that is being induced by various other assailants contrary to my natural balance and disposition to be hale.”

“...You're sick,” came Rinoa's simplified reply.

“I am not sick!” returned Squall before giving a loud, deep throated cough. “I just have...enemy operatives in my body... The white blood cells will take care of it, Rinoa.”

“Squall...!” The dark-haired sorceress couldn't resist the temptation any longer to roll her eyes at his juvenile stubbornness and indulged in the action. “You can't solve everything using SeeD logic - using a gunblade!”

“Sure I can.” His gaze met hers. “Watch me.”

Running splayed fingers through her hair, she gave him a withering look. “You're enjoying torturing me this way, aren't you?” A hint of a smile passed over Squall's lips. “I thought so. Now, come on, and let me take your temperature,” she commanded, making a slight lunge at him.

Squall moved his head and the thermometer passed harmlessly by him; nothing was getting into his mouth unwarranted. “Well...that was pointless.”

She glared at him as he continued to sit there on the couch, nonchalant. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” She paced for a minute, toying with various ideas as she tapped the thermometer against her palm. A few minutes later, she glanced over at Squall - he was nodding off.

Rinoa shook her head again until a simply capital idea suddenly presented itself in her head and an impish grin spread over her face. Squall won't even know what hit him... Well, serves him right for not being a good little boy and letting me check his temperature... Her eyes flickered to one of the bottles of medicine Doctor Kadowaki had strongly suggested Squall might take. He's obviously sick so he's going to take his medicine - like it or not.

The unexpected weight and warmth of Rinoa's body dropping onto his pulled Squall straight out of his half-lucid state. He leaned his head back slightly to survey her better. “Um...hello...”

She smiled wickedly at him in return, showing no teeth, but simply draping her arms over his shoulders and clasping her hands behind his neck.

Squall's heart gave a solid thud as Rinoa adjusted her weight, straddling his waist and pushing him back into the large leather armchair with a single delicate hand, following through with her actions. Her eyes drifted closed and Squall could feel the heat from her lips as they grew closer to his. His body grew heavy with anticipation for such a rather sensual kiss that his eyelids fell to half-mast while he leaned up slightly to meet her, knowing he'd be unable to take the suspense that long.

“Hm,” was the lips-half-quirked expostulation as Rinoa's mouth dropped to Squall's.

The kiss started out soft, tender like always, before the growing want of further orifice contact lead to the more intimate kiss - exactly what Rinoa had been hoping for. It only took one quick slip of her tongue and one involuntary swallow on Squall's part before they broke and he gave her the most reproving look he could muster, absolutely indignant.

“That was dirty, Rinoa,” spluttered Squall, jaw nearly hanging open in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes at her as she laughed superiorly at him. “You slipped cherry cough syrup into my mouth during a kiss!”

At his hissing words, Rinoa couldn't help the mental image of a small kitten getting doused in water and voicing its complaints, which didn't help quell her giggling in the slightest. She beamed at him, quite pleased with her own display of subterfuge. “Approach target cautiously, being as inconspicuous as possible... Wasn't it something like that that you said when you explained why you danced so well?” Slipping off his lap, she wiped her palms together before lightly slapping her thighs. “Tell your white blood cells,” she straightened up and gave the SeeD salute, “mission accomplished.”