Possessive

“Mine.”

He thought it was adorable, really, he did.

It started as a whisper under the sheets, a pet name no stranger than the scientific terminology she and Hojo used for each other. She whispered it in stolen moments, when they touched needlessly in the hallway or when their hands caught as he handed her something.

But now she stood over him with the needle. Even though he knew he’d bleed to death shortly without help, any help, he wished desperately he had the strength to pull away.

“Mine.”

She frowned at someone he couldn’t see. The lab went dark.

Pretending

Kain knows it wasn’t her.

At least, the rational part of his mind knows that it wasn’t, couldn’t have been her. He tried to stop it altogether, after the first shock, but looking at her, hearing her, fighting beside her, they all bring it back.

That’s What She Said

Beside the fire, Edge stared up at the stars while Kain faced away, alert for any movement. Behind them, the rest of the party slept.
“Kain?” Edge smiled, enjoying the dragoon’s bare chest outlined in firelight.
“Yes?”
“Do you think Rydia’s… you know. A virgin?”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate. Besides, she must be.”
“Why?”
“She’s been in the Land of the Summons until recently.”
“Well then I sure hope she’s a virgin.”
“…”
“Can you imagine having to follow up Bahamut in bed?”
“Shut up,” Kain murmured, grabbing his hair, “or I’ll have to put something back in your mouth.”

Twin Beds

When Cloud entered the bedroom, Tifa was already in her bed, breathing softly. He lay down in the bed beside hers and shortly was asleep.

It was another twenty minutes before he was dreaming, twisting and murmuring. Tifa opened her eyes and stood beside him.

“Aeris… too far…” he whispered, his voice strained.

Tifa hesitated, but waited less than she had last time. “It’s okay, Cloud,” she said softly, pitching her voice higher.

He relaxed as she slipped an arm around him, and soon she was in the bed beside him.

“Love you, Aeris,” he murmured.

“Love you too, Cloud.”

Generic Mistletoe Fic

“Headmaster!”

“Stop calling me that.” Zell pushed past Squall into the headmaster’s office. Zell dropped a box on his desk, knocking over documents. “Solstice is coming up.”

“Is that my present?” Squall asked, his voice dry.

“Not even close. Decorations. Selphie insisted.”

“Whatever.” Squall ignored him as he worked, refusing to acknowledge the box long enough to move it.

“That’s sufficiently jolly,” Zell finally declared. “Oh! I almost forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Squall asked, regretting it.

Zell pointed up, where mistletoe dangled.

“No.”

“Rinoa’s request,” Zell held up his hands innocently. “But as long as I’m the one who caught you…”

Traces

It seemed too good to be true when the fliers went up underplate: free homes out in the country. He rushed to the cramped apartment he shared with his girlfriend. Too good or not, they had to try.

It was everything Shinra promised and more. They settled in, talked about raising a family.

Then he woke up just before dawn to the smell of fire. He shook her awake and they searched the house, then went outside. Their neighbors were wandering outside too, looking, wondering, but they didn’t see anything burning.

And the wind carried laughter…

Fading

Don’t think about it, Kain told himself. He tried to enjoy Rydia’s attention. She was beautiful, smart, and watching her drive Edge insane always brightened his day.

And yet…

Every time she got close, or smiled with grown-up eyes, he saw her as a crying, mourning child again. Maybe she’d had years in the Land of Summons to let the fire go out, but Kain hadn’t.

When she touched him, he heard Golbez laughing. Maybe, he hoped, if he went along with her, it would fade. He let her hug him, kiss him, and waited for the crying to fade.

This drabble first appeared in Phoenix Down Monthly.

Sibling, Rivalry

Ellone watched the moon over the Garden and wondered how to get her brother back.

She’d watched, worrying over him during her years in hiding, and been crushed when Ultimecia overtook Matron Edea. When she finally found her brother, another sorceress was there.

She knew him better than Rinoa could. She’d spent years with him in the orphanage, when he cried and held her hand tightly. She’d been inside his head, after all.

An idea: fight a sorceress with magic. Show Squall something, make him love her. Her mind unfolded.

Oh yes, Ellone loved her brother. And he’d love her.

This drabble first appeared in Phoenix Down Monthly.

Fairy Tale

I was sweeping dirt and pine needles off the walk when the stranger opened the gate and stepped inside with a flourish.

“Don’t worry, young man, I’ve come for the Sorceress. You’ll be free soon.”

I just stared at him for a minute. “What?”

Letters: Much Too Young

“Don’t be such an old man!”

“Yuffie, I am an old man.”

She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at me. “You don’t look it. I don’t know why you have to act it.”