Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Crush ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7: Crush

 

It was Saturday noon when Danielle decided to train a bit. There were no classes that day and since most of the students left the Garden, she had the Training Center by herself.

 

Better for her, that way she could rest of hearing all the commentaries they made on her. She wondered why Vandom didn't do something to stop it. Knowing how the guy was, it surprised her he hadn't sent a few guys to the infirmary already. Yes, even the guys spoke badly of her and more than one had tried to see if the rumors were true.

And then were the ones she thought they were her friends. Memei, Kati, Lilly and Nelly only gave her their backs, they barely say hi to her if they crossed paths. Danielle was completely alone.

 

//This really sucks// she kept on thinking every day and she felt more convinced about it.

 

She was now sitting in a rock taking a small break. She had been fighting with some Grats and other new creatures that had been introduce in the place. The only creature she hadn't fought yet was the T-Rexaur; she still didn't felt strong enough to take such challenge. Danielle then decided to keep on training and she got on her feet, but she hadn't walked even five steps when she suddenly tripped and fell. “Crap” she muttered as she got up. But the moment she was totally on her feet, she felt a lot of pain in her left knee and she realized it was bleeding badly when she looked at it.

 

The way she could Danielle reached the rock she had been sitting at and realized she got something stuck on it. Getting all the guts possible since she knew it was going to hurt very much, Danielle pulled whatever that was stuck on her leg.

 

“Fuck it” she muttered again at the strong pain she felt. She looked at the object she had taken out of her knee; it looked like a piece of fang, probably from a T-Rexaur. “No more shorts for training”

 

She then felt something running down her leg and realized her knee was bleeding; the fang must have gotten deep. Danielle cursed herself for not having Cure spells with her, she would have to go to the infirmary and probably get stitches for it.

 

Well, since it seemed that it was going to be a long way, Danielle opted to wash the injury. The way she could she approached to the water and washed the dirt of her injury. Not really caring of it, Danielle ripped a piece of her shirt and tied the strip around her injury, careful not to tight it too much. She made her way back to the rock where she left her katanas when she suddenly heard a sound among the bushes.

 

//Great, just what I needed// she cursed. She really hoped it was an easy monster to defeat. However, luck wasn't on her side as it was actually a Belpat.

 

That was a new creature introduced in the Training Center, probably it had come from the Lunar Cry; their figure was a mixture of snake and lizard. From what she had learnt in class, Belpats had long tentacles with the tip of it was as sharp as blade and they could move fluidly in every territory. The limit of their size was 3 meters long; males had a crown made of horns while females had only one in the center of their heads and the poison of their fangs could kill you twice as a fast as normal poison. They usually fed from the blood of their preys, they could suck them dry alive or after they were dead.

 

This one was a male with his 3 meters long; he opened his mouth in a menacing way, droplets of poison dripping from his fangs and lacing in the ground burning the grass below it. He had smelled the blood of the girl and he had felt hungry.

 

Danielle tried to run to the entrance but the monster moved quickly than her and blocked her way. He tried to bite her, but the girl was faster and she drew one of her blades and slashed across his eyes. Some of the purplish blood of his body splat in her, but that should give her sometime to run away.

 

The pain on her leg was growing by the minute. She then spotted what seemed to be another exit. She was approaching to it when the Belpat jumped in front blocking her way again. That's when she remember the very enhance smelling sense they possessed. The Belpat charged towards her to bite her, thing she realized a bit late, one of the fangs reaching one of her side. Danielle felt the poison starting to burn in her system, but before she could react, the creature had already prison her with his tentacles, the sharp tips digging in her skin. Danielle was trying to get free when she felt pain in her injured side, lots of it.

 

He was sucking her blood alive. The way she could, she reached for her katana and the moment she draw it out, it once again cut in the skin of the monster, who release her at the feel of pain. He pulled away from the human and decided to kill her, there was no way he could enjoy his meal if it kept on hurting him. But just as he was about to give the final blow, a T-Rexaur came out and trapped the Belpat in its jaws. The creature cried in pain and tried to bit the monster that trapped him, but the T-Rexaur closed his jaw chopping the head of his prey.

 

Danielle couldn't celebrate, once the T-Rexaur was over with the Belpat, she would be the next. She tried to sneak away but the T-Rexaur seemed to noticed this and hit her with its tail, sending her away. Danielle fell and hit her forehead with a rock.

 

She felt something warm falling through her eyes. Her fingers got impregnated with blood when she touched the bridge of her nose. She raised her eyes and saw the door was right in front of her; she just had to make it before the T-Rexaur came and get her. She couldn't see very well anymore and the poison was making her weaker by the minute. There was no way she could challenge the monster, not only because of her condition, but she knew her katanas, magic and GF wouldn't be enough to defeat it.

 

As she tried to get as fast as possible to the door, Danielle suddenly tripped and then, in the blink of an eye, there was a huge weight above her and she felt being swallowed by the mud below her. She was sure she could her every bone in her body cracking and her lungs being constricted. Even thought this, she screamed as hard as she could. It then was gone, everything in the blink of an eye.

 

Far away she heard another roar. Was it another T-Rexaur? This couldn't be happening; it was a nightmare, a real bad one. She could hear both T-Rexaurs roaring, probably fighting to see who will eat her. Ignoring how she could still move, Danielle crawled towards the door, feeling weaker by the minute, everything was turning blur...

 

She wasn't even sure when she reached what seemed to be a wall and she once again heard footsteps. She looked a shadow approaching to her. //This is the end…// was the last she thought as darkness took her away.

 

*

*

*

 

“…a miracle…”

“…never seen…”

“…be ok?”

 

Danielle heard voices far away, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Everything was so confusing. Her mind suddenly registered two hands crawling up to her ribs.

 

Then pain shot through her body. It was horrible, she wanted to scream to stop it, who was doing this to her and why? Again they pressed her ribs and this time she was able to open her eyes and scream loudly at the same time she felt her body righting.

 

“Whoa, shit!” she was able to hear at the same time. Danielle started to breath harshly as she tried to look around but she couldn't focus, she felt two hands again on her, this time one on her shoulder and the other surrounding her waist.

 

“Hey, take it easy” she heard. She looked at where the voice came from and saw Irvine. The cowboy made her once again lie down in bed; she then realized she was in her own room. “Everything will be ok” he tried to soothe her

“W-what ha-happened?” she panted

“You remember anything?” asked the cowboy and Danielle shook her head

“You had a bad encounter with a Belpat and a T-Rexaur” explained Zell, who had just got on his feet after Danielle pushed him off her “The T-Rexaur step on you. I was trying to place your ribs back in place”

“Ho-how d-did I get he-here?”

 

Both SeeDs looked at each other and then back at Danielle. “Seifer was the one that saved you” said Zell, seeing how Danielle threw her head backwards and closed her eyes at the answer. //Great, now he won't stop teasing about it// she thought

 

“You need a lot of rest; you've been unconscious all day” said Irvine as he got on his feet “Kadowaki unfortunately is not here today, she had to go to town for supplies”

“She might arrive a bit late, so we'll come tomorrow with her so she can make up a checkup on you” and then they walked out.

 

Danielle sighed again, even breathing hurt. She closed her eyes; she couldn't believe she was alive. And Seifer had saved her!

 

She didn't hear the door opening until she felt a hand on her forehead. Danielle opened her eyes at the feel and got startled at the realization of who it was.

 

“I heard you throw the Chicken-wuss when you woke up” was the first thing he said “You always have to hit him whenever you see him”

“What do y-you want?” she replied looking away, speaking in a low voice due to her condition

“Well, that isn't the nicest way to receive the one that saved you from the T-Rexaur”

“I never asked you to be my guardian” she said as she sat up. That's when she noticed that the clothes she had dressed with that morning were resting in a chair. She looked at herself then and saw she was wearing an unfamiliar gray t-shirt, about five times bigger than her.

 

“Your clothes were full of blood and dirt, so I let you borrow that one”

“Get out”

“Excuse me?”

“I said get out!” replied Danielle getting off the bed “I don't want you here! Why the fuck did you saved me? I don't even like you, you hate me-!”

 

Suddenly there was pain; so much she couldn't stand properly. Two powerful arms catch her before she fall, but she tried to pull away from her.

 

“Leave m-me alone”

“You can't even stand”

“I can take care of myself”

“Then why you were almost eaten by those two monsters?”

“I told you to stay on your own way! I don't need you to act hero, you already got what you want...!” she started again, but the pain cut her a second time.

 

“Chicken-wuss couldn't fix your ribs” realized Seifer and he placed Danielle once again in bed. He lifted the shirt but immediately, Danielle tried to put it back in place. She wasn't wearing her shorts and… well, you get the idea.

 

“No…”

“You're wearing hot-pants and I'm still gonna fix your ribs”

“Don't you even dare to touch me” as she tried to struggle

“You won't be able to resist until Kadowaki comes back, I swear it. And it will hurt more if you don't stay still”

“I say no!” insisted Danielle.

 

Seifer knew she wasn't going to like it, but he could only think on a way to have her still. Danielle was horrified when Seifer got above her, knees by her sides that steadied her and his hands on her ribs.

 

Before she could say something, the blond applied pressure on them and she scream again. She felt the need to hold into something, she knew she couldn't really fight Seifer, not in the conditions she was.

 

Danielle suddenly felt a breath on her face and realized that Seifer had shifted his face to her. Not really understanding such action, Danielle was about to ask about it but the blond pressed her misplaced ribs again. Almost acting by their own, her arms surrounded Seifer's shoulders and she tight her grip at the strong pain that coursed through her body, her knuckles turning white at the pressure she was applying.

 

“Hold on” he whispered as he pressed again. Danielle buried her face in the crook of his neck, his shoulder muffling her sounds of pain as Seifer fixed her ribs. Every time he pressed them, Danielle tightened his hands in his shoulders, but he didn't care of it, it wasn't even painful. He too once got two of his ribs misplaced, so he had an idea of what Danielle was going through, the problem here was that the pain was even more since it was all her ribcage.

 

It then was over. Danielle was still holding at Seifer panting when she no longer felt any more pressure and pain. She still felt, though, his hands on her. She then realized she actually felt the calloused skin of his hands, she never noticed his hands were actually without their gloves. A strange wave remove all the pain from her body, the magic of Cura healed her ribs perfectly this time. She still was holding onto Seifer even after he cast the spell on her, it just seemed to be so right to be held like this. Then came to her image the real awkward situation they were at.

 

Seifer felt how Danielle pulled away from him and rest her head on the pillow with her eyes closed. He just sighed and placed the shirt back to then get off her and walk out of the room.

 

Danielle was thinking about everything that happened. Seifer must have been the shadow that approached to her in the Training Center. But why did he save her? To show the others that he had change. But still, why her?

 

This had to be a dream. Seifer hadn't safe her, she wasn't in her room, he hadn't fixed her ribs and definitively, he didn't sound caring. Danielle tried to contain her tears; it hurt to be alone again. She no longer cared if Seifer had been the one that saved her; she now wished he had stayed with her.

 

She suddenly felt something wet pressing on her body, her eyes opening at the very sudden feeling. She had to admit she was very surprised when she realized it was Seifer cleaning the dirt and dried blood of her body.

 

Seifer realized that the brunette was looking at him confusedly. “I thought you were already asleep” he said continuing with the action. Danielle once again looked away. This definitively had to be a dream.

 

He traveled to her legs; she was ready to feel the pain of her injured knee. Even thought it was a powerful spell, Cura wouldn't have been able to heal such wound easily. But she was surprised when she felt none. Danielle sat immediately and bumped with Seifer's eyes. There was an intense silence as they both looked at each other's eyes, there was something happening in that moment they couldn't explain.

 

“I cast Scan on you for a quick check-up” he said, knowing the reason why she had sat up “I then used Esuna for the poison, but because I didn't have any restore magic, and since I realized Kadowaki wasn't here, I took you to my room to give you some potions”

Again he lifted the shirt and he started to clean her side that had been injured. “I realized it had been a Belpat because of the purple blood on you”

 

He got closer to her to be face to face, still looking at her eyes. Danielle felt totally confused, why was he doing this? And again, she looked away. That single contact hurt; she could see sadness in those eyes when they look at her, the worry, maybe even some love?

 

Two hands cupped her face and made her look back at those emerald eyes. She shuddered at this, why did he insist in seeing her? Tears welled up her eyes and tried her best to contain them; she didn't want to cry, not with Seifer seeing her.

 

“Your eyes are beautiful” said Seifer

“D-don't toy me like t-that” she stuttered

“It's what I think”

 

Two tears run down her cheeks and she felt Seifer's thumbs wiping them. Danielle blushed and tore her eyes from his. She felt pain the moment Seifer pulled his hands away from her. “Why?”

 

Seifer didn't even have to ask what she meant “I couldn't let you die”

“You want something in return” There was a brief silence

“I want you to rest for the moment. Out of that anything else” and he walked towards the door “I'll come tomorrow. Night” and then he walked out.

 

Danielle heard the door locking and then silence. She lay down again and hugged herself; she then started to cry. She should have died in the claws of one of those monsters or be found death in the Training Center. Anything would have been better than be founded and then left.

 

“Don't leave…” she sobbed “Not again… please, stay with me…”

 

*

*

*

 

Seifer was really trying his best to get comfortable in the couch, but it was actually pretty hard. Who had been the one that ordered such uncomfortable things?

 

He couldn't sleep in his bed, not in the bed he had placed Danielle. He still couldn't understand how her scent got impregnated in his sheets so fast and how he was able to sense it even with the dirt and blood on them. It was intoxicating; it made him feel she was by his side. There was no way he would be able to sleep in such state.

 

“Why?” he could still hear her saying

“I couldn't let you die”

 

Even he ignored the correct answer. He was in Training Center when he heard a T-Rexaur roaring near the Secret Area. Then there was a scream, the scream of a girl. Seifer ran as fast as he could, luckily no monsters got in his way. He might have once been called the Sorceress's Knight, but he didn't want to feel responsible for the death of others, not anymore. He then heard a second roar, from what he had learnt, T-Rexaurs were loners.

 

He was expecting to fight two T-Rexaurs, but he only found one fighting against a dragon of its same size, sort of similar to him. It didn't take him long to realize that it was Danielle's GF, maybe it had summoned himself to save his mistress. Seifer ran towards the battle and at this action, the GF disappeared to junction back into Danielle.

 

The blond easily defeated the T-Rexaur. He then made his way to the Secret Area and found Danielle just falling unconscious. She looked really bad injured and Seifer cursed himself for finishing his restore magic. There were, however, some purple spots on her. It then clicked him she had encounter a Belpat; there was no other way she could have get stained with its blood.

 

He cast Scan to see her conditions, realizing she was very weak and poisoned. Luckily, he did possessed Esuna and cast it on the girl; that would keep her going for a little longer, hopefully until the make it to the infirmary. Seifer took off his trenchcoat and wrapped the girl on it to then take her carefully in arms, even though when he knew he shouldn't move her, but she needed medical attention ASAP.

 

He luckily didn't have any encounters with any other creatures of the place, but luck wasn't exactly on his side when he made it to the infirmary and realized that Kadowaki wasn't there. His last option was to give her potions to heal her and the only place where he could get them quickly, was his room. He had been very careful when he had to type the code of his dorm, and once he was able to get inside, he placed Danielle on the bed after taking off the trenchcoat.

 

Seifer once again cast Scan on her and felt horrified when he read she was still poisoned. He then noticed that the fabric of the tank top she was wearing had caught it and her injury absorbed it. He first got his vials and then, not even thinking, Seifer peeled the shirt off her and gave her two High-Potions, sure that it will heal the wound a bit. And again, he cast Esuna to dispel the poison on her.

 

He was about just to give her another High-potion that will help her with internal injuries, but the moment he lifted her to give her the potion, Danielle seemed to flinch at the movement; that's when he noticed the conditions of her ribs.

 

//How the fuck are you alive?// he thought when he realized what was wrong. He now had to take the shorts right so he could fix them properly, otherwise, the hem will be bothering him in such work.

 

//Come on, Seifer, what's gonna be different about her? You know about female anatomy// he thought, feeling embarrassed of the situation. It hadn't been embarrassing when he had take her tank-top off, because 1, he wasn't really thinking of it and 2, she was wearing a sport top below.

 

//Please, let be she's using underwear// he hoped as he undid the button and then he pulled them off. “Thanks” he whispered when he realized she was effectively wearing something below, hot pants. Well, he then would ask her about that.

He was just about to fix her ribs when they knock at his door. “You're shitting me” he muttered and then he went to see whom it was. He first opted to dress Danielle in one of his shirts, just in case. Half naked girls in male's dorms weren't exactly celebrated situations.

 

It was Zell along with Irvine, Selphie and Quistis. The moment he opened the door, he surprised everybody when they saw some bloodstains on him and the surprise was even bigger when he confessed to whom the blood belong to.

 

While Quistis and Selphie went back to the infirmary to see if the doctor was back, Zell and Irvine accompanied Seifer to take Danielle to her own room and avoid him a possible detention, even if he had the girl in his room to cure her. During the way, he told them what had happened in the Training Center, what he thought and what he had seen. Both girls then came back and informed that Kadowaki hadn't come back yet.

 

Night fell, they had been keeping guard to see if Danielle woke up or the doctor came back, but none of them happened. They hadn't fixed her ribs thinking Kadowaki would be back soon, but then they realized how painful seemed to be to breathe; they agreed something had to be done.

 

Quistis suggested Zell for such job so Seifer could go and rest, he was more than sure that she did noticed his worry for the girl. Irvine decided to stay just in case the fighter needed help and so, Quistis, Selphie and Seifer walked out. The two girls had just left and Seifer was about to do the same when they heard Danielle screaming.

 

Seifer could still remember the look in her eyes. He became aware how addictive they were, how they had been able to enchant him and he had fall for it. Those eyes had made him feel something in the heart; that feeling that hurts deeply but at the same time feels so good. He had that feeling every time he looked at those eyes, those eyes that were like Shiva's ice; fragile, yet so deadly in a certain way.

 

And now he realized the feeling came too with her scent. He was even able to perceive the smell in the collar of his trenchcoat, in the sheets of his bed, in his pillow; sweet with a little touch of spice. He wouldn't be able to sleep in his bed with such scent. He couldn't sleep with the feeling she was close to her.