Author's Note: An attempt at ending this story right...  Oops, no, it's cliché instead!  Whee, keeping up that theme for this story. ^_-  Let me know if I should trash it, which I may if I think of something better.  Frankly I just wanted the very last bit of this epilogue, but couldn't think of another way to set it up.  Gomen!

Game Restart

Epilogue

By Sukunami

|SQUALL|

Spreading my arms out wide, the book I had been reading before falling asleep slides from my chest onto the floor with a painfully loud noise for just after waking.  A quick glance around the cabin from the view point of the couch, I notice Seifer hasn't returned yet from outside since he typically ends up staring at me while I sleep.  Standing up, I stretch out my stiff back while taking a deep breath, grinning afterwards at the remaining smell of a pie he decided to bake with the berries we found yesterday.  Only Seifer could make a simple pie an erotic tool.

I walk out the back door towards the dock to find the missing blonde.  Silently I approach the well used area, stopping once he comes into view.  Sitting on the edge of the dock with his back against a post, he looks intently at the darkening lake.  The sun just touching the mountain peaks, an orange tinted light shines on Seifer and reflects off the white sleeveless shirt in a sort of glow.  Like several times before, I'm almost afraid to walk close to him, close enough to touch.  Every time I wonder if this is the instant when Seifer will vanish before my eyes.

Suddenly he straightens and turns to look at me with light green eyes.  A lopsided smile is the only invitation I need to finally approach and stand on the other corner of the small pier from him.

"What are you doing?"

He sneers at me while pointing at the fishing pole.  "Isn't it just a bit obvious?"

"Hnnn, I thought there'd actually be fish involved with fishing."

"Oh, such the comedian.  Really, I'm hurt."  He pouts at me, something that took me months to become immune to.

"Maybe it's the bait."

"Bait?"

I place a hand to my temple.  "Please tell me you have been using bait."

He smiles.  "Of course, dimwit.  Check for yourself if you'd like."

I take the offered pole and reel in the line.  The lake not so deep, it's a short moment before glinting metal is swinging towards me on the fishing line.  "Seifer, there's nothing--"  In an instant breathing becomes a foreign concept when I get a better view of the metal - a golden ring.  "What?"

He stands up behind me, wrapping his bare arms around my body to grasp the swaying ring.  "I know you can't be that dense.  Do you want me on my knees for you that badly?"

I grin.  "No.  You'd just end up ruining this."

He scoffs.  "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

My left hand lifted, he places the water cooled ring onto the fourth finger.  Looking at it closely, I can see a cross lightly etched into the gold, replicating the one he bares on his well worn trench coat.  With a smile I think he's an egotistical bastard to be claiming me like this, as if I was a new land placed under his flag.

"So, feel like taking me along with that ring?"

I frown at being unprepared for this.  "Seifer, would it be... cheap of me to offer this in return?"  I remove my ring of Griever and hold it in my palm in front of us.  "It'd have to be resized if you want it."

"Like hell."  He releases my waist and steps back from me.  Hurt, I turn around to face him, finding him unclasping his necklace.  "I'm not going to chance some idiot messing up that ring knowing how important it is to you.  That is, if you don't mind me wearing it around my neck like this."

After a relieved exhale of breath, I hand the ring out to him.  Seifer smirks at me and strings it on the small necklace.  It looks a bit tight and uncomfortable worn like that, but it should give me the chance to buy him a decent chain for it.  A warm hand goes under my chin to force my gaze from his chest and to sea green eyes.  He presses his lips against mine in a simple, perfect kiss.

"I love you," he whispers with his breath feeding my own.

"Don't leave me."  All these months, and I couldn't bring myself until this moment to plead for something so stupid, so childish, so essential to me.

His eyes open a bit at the sudden words, but soon the corner of his mouth arches up in understanding.  "Never.  Just try to escape from me."

Pleased I place my forehead against his shoulder as he wraps his arms around me in a tight embrace.  The chaste hold doesn't last long between us as he begins to nip at my neck while his hands travel forward to the buttons of my shirt.  He kisses along the skin of my chest as new patches are exposed to the cool evening air.  Within short time, Seifer is on his knees before me after all, his hands massaging my still covered ass.  With heavy lidded eyes, I look out to the dark waters of the lake.  A slight glow of white catches my gaze as a rather large feather flutters to the calm surface.  It floats there for barely the length of one of my shortened breaths before disappearing into the night.

I guess it could have sunken into the water, a feather fallen from one of the numerous birds that must fly in this forest habitat.  But I smile as if knowing better, taking the sign for the blessing that it is.

 

{Owari}

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