A/N: Sorry this took me so long – but I'm on holiday. I'm writing this in an apartment in Sevilla, España as we speak (it's a beautiful city btw, if you ever have the chance to come) and having a ball. Anyhoo, here's the chapter. It is basically one big lemon, but its the pillow talk you wanna pay attention to ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

Once alone, Quistis wrapped her arms around Seifer's neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss, taking the aggressive stance for once. As she slipped her tongue into his mouth, she pressed her body the full length of his. Soft curves met hard angular ones, and Seifer quickly met passion with passion, his hands settling on her hips and pulling her even closer. He let himself get lost in her taste and scent for a while; she hadn't showered since Garden had been attacked, and neither had he. As a consequence she still tasted like the espresso she'd downed just to keep herself awake, and smelled slightly like gunpowder and the disinfectant of the Infirmary. It was a surprisingly heady mix, especially coming from Quistis.

As she inhaled the warm and pleasantly male scent coming from him – mostly musk and sweat, which shouldn't have been arousing, but bloody was – Quistis realised that she probably smelled too, and she was certain it wasn't in the same way he did. Not wanting to break the mood, she tried to think silently while still kissing him. Hard when Seifer's hands moved up her back to remove the clip from her hair. Throwing it across the room (and not really caring where it landed), he buried his fingers into the strands of gold, loving how silky it felt when it flowed over her shoulders. He slowed down a little, still tasting and exploring her mouth, but now doing it with much more gentleness, his touch going from crushing to lighter than a breeze.

She felt beautiful under his hands, now no longer faced with searing passion, but instead the prospect of actually making love to him. It was not at all how she'd thought their first time would be; with their argumentative, fiery relationship up to this point, she'd just assumed it would be hard and furious – up against a wall perhaps. Not that she would have been totally adverse to that. But this was what she wanted now. She needed warmth, and the comfort of having his naked skin next to hers. But mostly…she needed a shower.

Stifling a giggle, she broke away from Seifer's lips to explore that delicious corner where his neck and shoulder met, grazing her mouth over the skin there, occasionally nipping with her teeth and revelling in the low grumble in his chest. His coat was still in the office, which she didn't mind, since his arms were on show, but she ran her hands up under his vest, grinning at the twitches of muscle beneath her palms. With a quick tug, the piece of clothing was pulled over his head and let fall to the floor. His trousers swiftly followed, and Quistis backed off slightly with a coquettish smile that was most unlike her to let him kick his boots off while she did the same. Though, much to his annoyance, she was still fully clothed.

However, when she reached up to draw down the zip of her top, Seifer's hands covered hers. "Now, now, Instructor, don't go trying to steal my fun."

She raised an eyebrow and bit her bottom lip. "Your fun?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah. I've been nursing a lot of fantasies about undressing my pretty instructor," he grinned.

"I'm not your instructor anymore," she reminded him softly, her voice coming out more breathy than she meant it to, since it was her turn to have her neck searched and teased.

"Again with the ruining of fantasies," he replied, teeth biting her ear lobe softly while he drew the zip of her top down, then pulled it off completely. There was no more real exploration of his body or hers until they were both bare-skinned, and then Quistis took his hand and led him toward the small bathroom.

Somewhere in between Quistis sucking on a spot just under his ear, and Seifer kissing her so thoroughly that she forgot her name again, the shower got turned on, and they both stumbled into the shower cubicle, Seifer's back hitting the tiles first, then Quistis hitting him under the spray. Steam rose as their fervour did, the mint-scented bodywash not helping as it left swathes of tingling across already sensitised flesh. Quistis went first, taking the sponge in hand and lathering his torso, letting the fingers of one hand toy with his nipples while the other helped the dirt fall of his skin and down the drain. She wasn't moving hurriedly; determined to take this moment out of the real world to learn and map every plane of muscle and sinew that twitched slightly under her touch. Wide blue eyes never left hooded green as she went by contact alone – down the abs to his hips, then, ignoring his still-urgent arousal and drawing a growl of frustration from his lips, along strongly muscled thighs. For her own pleasure, she reached one hand around his back as she descended, coming to rest on that deliciously firm ass that she'd admired even as his instructor. Squeezing gently, she glanced up to give him a wicked smile. Satisfied that he was clean, she stood again, leaning up to kiss him.

Seifer willingly obliged, more than happy to taste her wet, lusciously-pink mouth again and feel her tongue join his in the dance. Eyes closing, she let one hand travel back down again, her moist fingers wrapping around his smooth length and moving up and down firmly, once, twice, three times before Seifer gave up being gentle, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer roughly with a groan of pleasure. He was rewarded with an answering moan from the instructor as painfully aware nipples crushed against the hard wall of his chest, his hardness seeming to brand her lower abdomen with its heat. "Not that I wouldn't love to see how dirty you can get," he growled in her ear, "But you're still the wrong kind of unclean."

She shivered with delight at the contrasts that raced over her skin – the coolness of the mint, the heat of him. The smoothness of the lather, the rough texture of his hands – and the way they both slid down her body, hitting all the right spots with the perfect mix of pinching, squeezing, massaging and stroking to make Quistis arch her back against his hands. He gave the same treatment to her hair with gentle fingers kneading her scalp before he moved his hands to her waist, dropping alternate bites and kisses along her shoulders. "You're clean."

She turned in his embrace and wound her around his neck, kissing him again; with no less passion, but slower. Eventually she reached out a hand and blindly pushed the water off, then took Seifer's hand and let him out of the bathroom, forgoing towels. When they got to the bed, she turned them, putting Seifer's back against it. Kissing him again, she pushed gently on his chest. Taking the hint, he sat on the edge of the bed, then lay back, half-propped on pillows, looking up at this goddess with the most incredible bedroom eyes he'd ever seen. Quistis smiled slyly at the look on his face, then moved. She straddled him, one leg on either side of him and her hips against his. She leaned down and caught his mouth again. He kissed her slowly, playing with her tongue, massaging it with his.

She broke away and just looked, memorising every part of his face for a moment. He reached out a hand and stroked the side of her face, doing the same. She leaned forward again and kissed every part of his face; his forehead, eyes, cheeks and his lips, wanting to get him as close as possible. He sat up, and her hands reached out and ran across his shoulders and down his back, pressing his chest to hers. His hands snaked around Quistis's waist and his lips found her neck again. Her smooth legs went around him and she felt his muscles tighten in response to being next to hers. Seifer slid his hands up her back, taking her weight and tilting her backward to bend his head and skim her breasts with his lips, massaging her nipples and tracing their curves with his fingers. She arched her back and moaned in appreciation for what his mouth was doing.

After a few moments of tortuous pleasure, she lifted his head and brushed his lips with the tips of her fingers, then brought her mouth to his, feeling the stiff bulge of his arousal press against the wet heat of her sex. She took him into her slowly, determined to engrain this moment into her memory forever. He seemed to catch her mood, and began measured, sensual thrusts, prolonging the joyful feeling running through them both, pushing her higher into a state of euphoria. She rocked up and down slowly, letting out gentle moans that increased in tone and volume, gradually building up her speed as the intensity spread throughout their interlocked bodies. She was filled with sublime joy, and the movements he made sent jolts electric pleasure to her very core. He raised her face to his again from where it had been buried in his shoulder and held it with one hand, keeping their eyes locked together until she had no choice but to close them in the heat of desire. They came together, moaning with passion into each others' mouths. She bit softly at his lips to stop her voice echoing down the entire corridor, and he responded, pressing her lips to his as the shocks of pleasure subsided a little, leaving only their still-joined, shaking bodies behind.

Rubbing her and down her back slowly, Seifer leaned back, bringing Quistis with him and keeping her close. Both were tired, but neither wanted to sleep right away, instead choosing the relaxation that came with being in the arms of a lover.

It was a while before an actual thought crossed his mind. "Not that I'm complaining…"

Quistis shifted against him slightly, in a vain effort to get more comfortable than she already was. "But…"

"What brought this on?" he asked.

There was a pause before she answered, and glancing at her face, he saw it was creased with a frown. Finally she answered, not wanting to but knowing he had a right to know. "Squall demanded some answers from the other me. About…what happens. And she said you…"

He squeezed her closer. "You already knew what happens to me-"

"Might happen," she interrupted, determination on every line of her face. "I'll be damned if you're getting rid of me that easily."

He grinned and ran a finger down her back, and then over the curve of her rear to the back of her thigh. Just because he could. "Well, I suppose it could be worse." Sobering, he frowned again. "Alright, so you still knew what might happen to me. And we didn't end up here then."

Quistis swallowed, looking very nervous. It chilled him to the bone. "RinoaisthethreatfromthefuturebecauseafteryouSqualldiesandshegoesmad," she blurted.

It took him about five seconds to work out what she'd said, and then his mouth fell open. "She- she goes mad?!"

She nodded. "Yes. Apparently, Squall dies a few weeks after you. Rinoa loses her mind and…kills everyone," she said bleakly. She decided to leave out the part about their unborn child. It was the part she found worst anyway. She'd never considered the idea of herself as a mother. But imagining being given that chance with someone she loved only to have it snatched away forever? It was horrific.

"Hyne." He paused for a moment. "Why would Rinoa go mad? Evidently you lose me and don't go around murdering people."

"Well…" she shrugged. "It's just like what happened to Ultimecia, I suppose."

Her voice had a tinge of sympathy that he didn't understand. "She was evil, Quistis," he said flatly, his voice cold. "Trust me, I'd know."

She frowned. "But…I thought…you really don't know?"

"Know what?" he almost snapped.

"She went mad…because her Knight died. It's why she wanted to initiate Time Compression. It's why…she went after you," she answered, a brief frown crossing her face, unconsciously tightening her hold on him slightly. "It's what happens to Sorceresses," she continued. "When they lose their Knights."

He digested this in silence for a while. A long while. So long that Quistis would have thought he'd fallen asleep were it not for the fact that he was still blinking. "Seifer?"

He sighed, then let out a bitter snort of laughter. "I- She-" He drew in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut, determined to finally get this out. "Her mind was blood and tears," he said in a low, clear voice. "War and…grief at causing it. Singing with the melody set to screams. It was like…being wrapped in cotton wool laced with barbed wire. And the way she looked at me…"

Quistis, wanting to listen to this but not happy about the idea of him belonging to someone else – particularly not a Sorceress, after what she'd just heard – frowned and reminded herself that he was in her bed now, and if things went the way they were supposed to, would one day be hers completely.

"It actually explains a lot," he said. "Torture one minute, then the next telling me she was sorry and that she'd protect me from anything. Everything was extremes," he whispered, voice hoarse with suppressed horror. "Madness…" He nodded. "Yeah. 'Mad' doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Except Rinoa won't compress time to achieve it. She'll just slaughter everyone in this one."

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "So how do we stop it?"

"Obviously we find this 'Shadow Council' and stop it then."

"And…where do we find them?"

Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I have no idea. The only thing we can do is-"

"If you say 'research in the library', I'm strangling you now," he said, in a vague attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

Quistis caught on what he was trying to do, but decided to play along anyway. Dwelling on the darkness of the future would do neither of them any good. "Well, we can always try the taking-Garden-around-every-continent-in-Gaia trick and see how long that takes."

He groaned. "Can you just let me win? Just once?"

"Now you're ruining my fantasies." She paused. "Though my fantasies don't normally include sleeping on damp sheets." They hadn't bothered with towels once they were out of the shower, and the bedclothes were now moist with both water and sweat.

"Well you know the solution to that, don't you?" he asked with a lecherous smirk. Or tried to be lecherous.

He really was too cute to come off as overly-lecherous she thought. Not that she'd be telling him that. "What?" Though judging by that look in his eyes, she knew exactly what.

"Make more heat," he murmured, dropping kisses along her neck.

---

Rinoa came to slowly, muttering slightly as she regained consciousness. Squall, who still hadn't moved, put a hand under her head. "Easy."

"Squall?" she whispered.

"I'm here."

She squinted against the bright lights in the Infirmary, but made out the concerned features of her boyfriend. "Are you alright?" she asked.

One corner of his mouth twitched. She always asked about him first. "I'm fine." It was a lie – he was far from fine, and had spent the last four hours agonising over whether or not to tell her the truth. He still hadn't made up his mind. She had a right to know, but Hyne knew she suffered enough with seeing splinters of the future without knowing she'd be responsible for wiping out the world. That was a burden no one should have to bear, least of all Rinoa. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got hit by a train," she croaked.

"Try a Shadow Warrior," he replied, helping her to sit up and then lean back against the pillow.

"A what?" she asked.

"Explain later. I'll get the doctor." Dropping a kiss on her cheek, he left the room to find Dr Kadowaki. By the time he got back – doctor in tow – he'd decided on what he would tell Rinoa. After Dr Kadowaki had done a quick assessment, she left again, and he spoke. "Future-Quistis managed to get the information from Laguna we needed. The numbers refer to something called the 'Shadow Unit'. They were Sorceress Adel's personal guard, but she turned on them and ordered them killed. They're virtually impossible to kill, and some evidently survived, and swore vengeance. It's they who are responsible for what happens in the future."

She nodded, took a sip of the water he passed her, then frowned. "Wait…Adel is dead. What do they want now?"

He swallowed. What he told her couldn't be a lie, since because of their bond she'd detect it immediately, and demand a straight answer. But over the past few years he'd gotten good at editing the truth. "They want you. They've sworn all Sorceresses are a threat to them, and…"

"They want to kill me," Rinoa said flatly. It wouldn't be the first time she'd encountered people who hated her simply because of what she was, and it wouldn't be the last. It was the only time that the threat had seemed real.

Squall said nothing to negate her conclusion, and only took her hand. "I won't let that happen, Rin, I swear to you."

She smiled and brushed her fingers over the rings at her neck. "I know." She sighed. "So what now?"

"Obviously, we kill the Shadow Unit. Apparently they're under the control of the Shadow Council. We have to find them."

"More library stuff then huh? Oh yay."

---

While Squall, Rinoa, Quistis and Seifer were talking about going to the library again, there was only one person actually there. One reading lamp on. One table occupied. One blonde, heartbroken, world-weary woman, sitting at the desk, and poring over books.

Alone.

---

A/N: Sorry to end on a depressing note, but I liked the contrast between the two of them. It's amazing the difference one person can make, innit?

Review por favor y hasta luego!