Stupify

Chapter Two

By Sniffles

I awake to the smell of blood. I hate the smell so much. Slitting my eyes open with a soft groan I sit up and do a quick systems check on my body.

Heart?

Beating?

Check.

Chest?

Sore.

Bleeding?

No.

Besides a few aches and pains I know instinctively that I'm pretty much fine. After patting every part of myself to make sure nothing's bleeding or really hurt, I look around. Kiros is lying in a heap several feet away. I gasp in fear and scramble over to his side as quickly as I can. "Kiros!"

I roll him onto his back and check his pulse, "Kiros! Oh god... oh god no... Kiros!" He's not breathing. He's still.

Ward kneels beside me and presses two fingers against Kiros' neck. He looks at me. Strange. He doesn't speak but I always seem to hear his voice in my head. Especially at moments like these. 'He's okay.' His voice is saying in my head now.

"I dunno' Ward... he doesn't look good." I feel tears lumping in my throat. "He doesn't look good at all."

He smiles. Damn but that's annoying. Hello? I'm freaking out here, the least he could do is 'pretend' to be as worried about Kiros as I am. But no. Don't humor the panicky guy. No ever humors the panicky guy. Especially when that panicky guy i- Kiros jerked, moaning low in his throat and deflecting my thoughts.

"Kiros!" I grab either side of his head with shaking hands. "Kiros!"

"If you're crying when I open my eyes I'll-" He growls, brow furrowing. He can hear the tears in my voice I guess. He knows me better than I know myself.

Or so it seems.

"I'm not crying. Open your eyes." I have to see those beautiful chestnut eyes. I have to know he's really, truly okay. I would die if he wasn't.

He opens his eyes, looking at me and smirking. "You were about to cry." He says softly, before sitting up with a soft hiss.

"Dammit! I thought you were dead for a minute there! You could have 'told' me you were just passed out!"

He smiles, but the smile fades as he surveys the truck parts scattered around us. "A bomb?" He looks at Ward, who nods.

"What the hell is going on?!" I demand sharply, grabbing his arm.

"No time to explain now." He looks at me, an almost sad look on his face, "I'll explain everything when we're somewhere safe but we are NOT safe here. C'mon." He get to his feet and pulls me up along with him.

He's doing it again.

Touching me without me having to intiate the contact.

It makes my heart flutter, that hand lightly clasping my arm.

"You.. You sure you're o-okay?" I stutter, suddenly feeling shy.

He looks at me strangely, before he nods and looks away. "C'mon, let's get you back to Balamb."

I stare as Squall, Zell and the girl Rinoa walk over to us. We've just entered Balamb Garden. It really wasn't too hard to get here, after that bomb in the truck incident we didn't run into anymore trouble. It was a quiet trip... too quiet really. I look closely at the girl. She's a pretty little thing. Smart too from what I've seen. Perfect for Squall. But Squall really doesn't seem too interested in her. At least... that's what it looks like to me.

"He was injured." Squall nodded at me as he stopped before us.

"A bump in the head, it seems to have wiped his memory." Kiros said, a bit carefully.

I looked from Squall to Kiros. Something strange was happening between the two. Something I could feel but couldn't understand. "Didn't wipe my memory. Just... got rid of bits and pieces." I corrected quickly, "I can't seem to remember.. how I got into that battle. What day is it anyway?"

"Thursday." Squall answered, gazing at me with that intense blue gaze of his.

"Thursday?" I repeated, "The last thing I remember doing is..." I look at Kiros. Yeah. Is kissing him. But I can't really tell them that now can I?

Kiros nods, "You've lost three months then." He says softly, looking back to Squall.

Yep. Definately something going on between those two. Squall's friend, Zell, bounces nervously on his heels. He looks impatient and bored. I watch him, fascinated by the energy bubbling beneath the surface of his skin. I could practically see it. Especially if I used my imagination. He was a handsome young man. Certainly not hard to look at. I run my eyes down his lithe body. Enjoying what I can see through the clothes, regretting what I can't.

Ah!

I feel myself blushing. Quickly I look away before my discomfort becomes too apparant. Kiros notices. He stares at me hard. Then shrugs. "I'll take him to his room and fill him in." He told Squall.

"Okay." Squall nodded, "Bring him to the main office in two hours. We have to launch an attack before sunset or they'll take control of Deling."

Kiros nodded and started walking away. "H-hey!" I jogged after him, "Wait for me!"

I feel like a stupid kid running after him, but ah well. What can I do? Can't let him get too ahead of me now can I? "What's the big deal? What attack? Who's trying to take over Deling?"

He glances down at me, looking amused. "A new army appeared. A faction who followed Ultimecia. With her defeat they've gathered together and are attacking random cities."

"Ultimecia? But... Wasn't she controlling all her followers with magic?" I frowned, having a hard time understanding and, or, processing what Kiros was saying. Ultimecia was dead and still she manages to cause trouble? Go figure.

I'm alive and I can't even get laid and yet she somehow manages to command loyalty from the grave.

Women.

No wait... sorceresses.

"Some. Most of them followed her willingly." Kiros stopped walking, nodding at a tall blond man standing near the cafeteria. "Boys like him were brainwashed into following her. Others weren't."

"Isn't that..?"

"Seifer. He returned to the Garden." Kiros nodded, knowing what I meant before I finished my sentence. Damn but I hate that.

There was something almost appealing about the blond bully. Even from here there was something vulnerable about the way he held himself. He looked up, his eyes meeting my gaze. Beautiful eyes. Brilliant in their glory. Kiros' hand on my arm makes me jerk and look at him questioningly.

"You stopped breathing." He said quietly.

"Oh." I gasped, releasing my pent up breath in a long sigh. I got so caught up in that gorgeous gaze that I had forgotten to breathe.

I look away from Seifer, focusing on Kiros. "So.. you gonna' tell me what's going on?"

"When we reach your room, which will happen quicker if we're actually walking."

I resist the urge to stick my tongue out at him and nod. "Lead the way."

As we walk away from the cafeteria I look back one last time.

Blue eyes are still gazing at me.

They clash with my own.

So beautiful.

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