30 Kisses And Then Some!

Beta # 12 - 1000 years ago (Protect her by lightmy_time)

2008-07-24T23:02:50Z

Title: Protect Her
Theme: 1000 Years Ago
Author: cutebunny43 / mysweet_time / lightmy_time
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Ichigo and Orihime
Ship: IchiHime
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1462
Disclaimer: The answer to that would have to be a resounding, "NO!"
Warning: Blood...yay...
Summary: There was blood on her clothes, on her hands, it was everywhere.

( "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." )

Theta# 4: Cemetery

2008-07-23T07:51:55Z

Title: A One-Sided Conversation
Author: akinarei
Fandom: Ghost Hunt
Theme: Theta#04: Cemetery
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
Rating: G; Everyone

Found here!

Iota #12: It's Only Forever (Not Long At All by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-07-22T17:59:42Z

Title: Not Long At All
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #12: It's Only Forever
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Everyone

Not Long At All

Quistis set her glasses down on her desk and rubbed her eyes. It was barely nine o’clock, and she already had a headache. Her desk was covered in mountains of paperwork, everything from tests and assignments to grade to requisition forms to fill out. This was not a good way to be spending her birthday. Quistis turned twenty-one today, and no one seemed to remember that. Of course, she had forgotten it was her birthday until she saw the calendar today, but that wasn’t the point.

She sighed and got back to work. Even though her instructor’s license had not been reinstated, Quistis found herself designated as the general substitute for any classes that the instructors didn’t want to teach. There was also the fact that she had ended up helping Squall with much of the administrative work that went with his position as Commander. There was a lot of paperwork, and after nearly three years of doing the paperwork, Quistis was beginning to wonder if she would ever escape it.

Of all of the orphanage gang, she was the only one who was still in limbo after the war. Squall had easily settled into the role of Garden Commander and into his relationship with Rinoa who had decided to stay on at Balamb. The sorceress had been training with Dr. Kadowaki to work as a nurse. Selphie had spent most of the first two years after the war getting Trabia Garden rebuilt, surprisingly enough with Irvine’s help. However, once she had accomplished her goal, Selphie had found that Trabia wasn’t really home anymore, and she and Irvine (now dating seriously) had relocated to Balamb. Even Zell had finally asked the library girl out on a date. He and Hypatia had gotten fairly serious very quickly, and Quistis would not be surprised if they got married before any of the others.

Edea had returned to her orphanage and with the help Seifer, of all people, started taking in children again. Matron frequently visited Balamb, but Quistis had seen very little of Seifer in the past three years. He wasn’t really a very welcome person in Balamb. But Quistis had seen enough of him know that he had grown up quite a bit. She sighed again. This wasn’t getting her paperwork done.

There was hardly a dent in the mountain when the headache struck. Quistis closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Headaches meant she should go eat something. It was far too easy to get caught up in work and forget about meals. Setting aside her pen, Quistis rose from her seat and made her way to the cafeteria. Maybe she could scrounge up a birthday treat of some sort.

A half hour later Quistis was heading back to her office, her mood no better than before. Lunch had not exactly been pleasant. They had been out of everything except for hot dogs, and Quistis had found herself the victim of two people’s clumsiness which had resulted in her having to run back to her quarters to change into clean clothes. The cafeteria had also been out of desserts, and not one person had wished her a happy birthday. She wasn’t sure if she was being petty about that, but it did hurt.

She had almost made it to her office when Selphie came pounding up.

“Quisty! Did you hear? Squall just proposed to Rinoa! Isn’t that wonderful? You have to help me put together an engagement party for them. We’ll have it tonight.”

A sense of weariness settled over her. “Not tonight, Selphie. Please.”

“Why not? Nothing else is going on.”

Quistis smiled tightly. “Talk to me later, Selphie. I really have to get my paperwork done today.”

With that she ducked into the safety of her office. She turned to her desk, and her jaw dropped. The paperwork was completely gone, replaced with a tall crystal vase of peach and cream colored roses, several boxes wrapped in pale blue paper with silver ribbons, and a cupcake frosted to look like a peach rose and baring a single candle.

“Happy Birthday, Quistis.”

Seifer was leaning against the wall. He smirked at her startled expression.

“Seifer?”

“Matron’s stuck at the orphanage with several cases of chicken pox, but she wanted to make sure you got your presents. Most of those are from Matron and Cid, but I got you something too.”

She found herself blinking back tears. “Thank you.”

“Well, blow out your candle. You can’t open your presents until you make your wish.”

Quistis grinned at the reminder of the old orphanage rule and leaned over the desk to blow out the candle. She wished for direction. Taking a seat at her desk, Quistis waved a hand at the other chair in her office. “Have a seat, Seifer, please.”

Carefully peeling away the paper and ribbons, Quistis began opening her gifts. The first proved to be a book, The History of the Centran Sorceresses, and the second a soft blue sundress. The third box contained a new hair clip. The fourth a straw hat and a pair of sandals. The final box was the smallest. It held a delicate cameo hung on a slender gold chain.

She was speechless. It was so beautiful.

“Do you like it?”

She nodded, holding the necklace close. Seeking to change the subject, Quistis asked. “How are things at the orphanage?”

Seifer smiled. “Pretty good. Matron and I could use a few extra hands, but we’re managing okay. Fuujin and Raijin stop by every once in awhile and lend a hand. What about you? That was a monstrous stack of paperwork on your desk. Has the instructor assigned extra homework?”

“I’m not an instructor,” Quistis admitted. “I’m just subbing for three classes right now. The rest is admin work for Squall.”

Seifer frowned. “You work way too hard, Quisty. Do you really want to be doing other people’s paperwork for the rest of your life?”

“What else would I do? They won’t let me transfer to just SeeD missions. According to them, I’m ‘too valuable an asset” for that.” She smiled wry.

“You could do whatever you wanted. You’re probably the smartest person here.”

Shaking her head, Quistis turned the subject back to the orphanage. She and Seifer chatted for nearly a half hour before he rose to his feet.

“I should get back to the boat. I’m picking supplies for Matron, and they should be arriving soon. I’ll be in port until this evening.”

Quistis too rose to her feet and impulsively hugged him. “Thank you for my birthday.”

He dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. “You’re welcome, Quisty.”

After he left, Quistis sighed and began digging up the paperwork Seifer had hidden. She nibbled on the cupcake as she made her way through the reams of paper. She gave another sigh when she finished her treat, tossing the wrapper in the trash.

She could see her entire life spread ahead of her. She would still be here in this little office doing other people’s paperwork. Nothing would change. Quistis bit her lip. She wanted more than that from her life. The young woman carefully drew a single piece of paper from the bottom desk drawer. Her hand was shaking as she signed it, but her signature was clear. She dropped it on the top of the pile of completed paperwork. Gathering up her gifts, Quistis also collected the few personal items that the office held. With that done, she left the office without looking back.

An hour later she was dressed in her new dress complete with hat, sandals, and necklace and carrying two duffle bags. Standing on the edge of the dock where the Silver Sorceress was moored. Seifer was standing up on the deck.

Quistis grinned and called out. “Do you have room for a passenger? There’s this place I know that could use an extra pair of hands, and I hear you’re headed that way.”

#13: excessive chain (Passing on the Reward, by ammchan)

2008-07-17T20:35:47Z

Title: Passing on the Reward
Author: Amm (SoulSeeker)
Pairing: Yuki Juudai/Tenjoin Asuka (Dub names used.)
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Theme: #13—excessive chain
Rating: For Everyone (PG)
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. I am just playing ‘Barbie’ with them, cause god knows they’re a lot more fun than real Barbies.
Summary: Some things were best kept a secret.

A bright orange sun greeted the students of Duel Academy on a early, manic Monday morning. Normally, they would all be sound asleep; morning seldom existed in the teenagers’ world. However that morning, the campus was abuzz with chatter and excitement.

It was this way every year when Industrial Illusions announced the release of brand new Duel Monsters’ cards. Even Jaden Yuki was awake to obtain a brand new pack of cards for himself—“way before anyone else!” he had told himself. But when they arrived at Dorothy’s card shop, they realized that Jaden would have a hard time believing what he had said.

“Wow.” Alexis gawked, amazed at the amount of students.

“Well, it seems we weren’t the only ones with the brilliant plan to wake up early,” Syrus murmured with widened eyes. “I didn’t even know this many people came to Duel Academy!”

“It looks like…a really, really long chain,” Jaden said in amazement, tracing the long line of people with his finger.

“Or a snake,” Alexis added, imitating Jaden’s motion. “Looks like you won’t be the first after all, Jaden.”

He scratched his head a little, sweating. “I guess not…”

Syrus sighed, holding his head. “Now what do we do? I don’t want to wait out here for hours. It’s way too hot!”

“But if we wait until later, there might not even be any left!” Jaden exclaimed in a disappointed whine.

Alexis shrugged. “Well, it is a Monday,” she reminded them. “They’ve got to go to class eventually.”

The three of them looked onto the crowd with uneasiness. Syrus shook his head, letting another sigh escape his lips. “They sure don’t look like they plan on going to class any time soon,” he muttered.

“Oh, calm down, you hot-heads.” Alexis suddenly came up between the two of them with a smile. “It’s not like this is the only shipment that’ll come in. We’ll have plenty of chances to get some of those new cards.”

“I guess you’re right,” Jaden replied meekly.

“I can’t wait to see them!” Syrus exclaimed. “Remember, Chumley’s been working as an artist for Industrial Illusions for a long time now, so some of these cards could have his artwork on it!”

“Hey, you’re right!” Alexis replied. “That’ll be great to see!”

“Think that picture he drew of you two kissing will make it onto any cards?” Sy asked, grinning.

“Syrus!” Alexis blushed profusely. But before she could protest any longer, Jaden spoke.

“Well, it’ll be lucky if we get to see any of the cards today.” He stared towards the front of the snake-like line. Squinting the right way, he could just barely make out Chazz’s black spiky hair, surrounded by his cronies. “It’s too bad we can’t use a card to magically switch places with Chazz, all the way up there.”

Alexis looked and saw him as well, but seeing the sheer amount of people in between had made it seem utterly hopeless that they would even make it that far. “Well, I say we magically find our way to class, before Crowler has a cow. We’re going to be late if we wait here much longer!” She slowly began to turn around, looking back and forth between her two companions to see if they would follow suit.

“I guess you’re right.” Syrus frowned, but nodded firmly in an attempt to convince himself that they were doing the right thing. “Let’s get going.”

“Aw, c’mon, guys!” Jaden grabbed both of them by the shoulder. “It’s not like we’ll be the only ones late today. Just look at the number of students here! Let’s just stick it out a little longer, huh? What do you say?”

Alexis brushed her dirty blonde hair aside, sighing in disappointment. “You can stay if you want, Jaden, but I’m going to go.”

“Yeah, I’m going to go with her, Jay,” Syrus added. “Don’t stay too long, okay? You know you have issues with Crowler as it is. He’s not going to be happy with you!”

Jaden rolled his eyes. “Please. That old geezer’s never going to be happy with me, even if I did make it to his boring class on time. You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up with ya.”

And so Jaden went ahead into the line, hoping that some of them might disappear for class, much like his friends. Alexis and Syrus made their way over to Crowler’s classroom. They found themselves alone, however. Not even Crowler was there to greet them.

“Gee, you don’t think Crowler was caught up in this whole ‘new cards’ business, too?” Syrus asked, his voice echoing.

Alexis shook her head. “No way. They probably just needed some help with the crowd control. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Let’s just wait here.”

Syrus nodded and they sat in silence for a few moments. A few bursts of conversation here and there, but otherwise they were both relatively patient. Alexis pulled out a book, and Syrus looked through his deck of cards, fantasizing about what kinds of cards he might get. It was then that they heard the door creak. Expecting Crowler, Alexis quickly put her book away, and Syrus put his cards back in his deck.

But it wasn’t him.

“Miss Dorothy?” Alexis looked thoroughly stunned.

“Hey! What’re you doing here?” Syrus smiled, pleasantly surprised.

“Hi there! My, it sure looks lonely in this classroom. Is it only you two?” Dorothy looked around; she looked like she was looking for someone, but if she was, she was sorely disappointed.

“Yeah, it’s just us two,” Syrus replied.

“Mmhmm. Jaden decided to stay behind to try to get that new pack of cards from your shop…we tried to convince him to come to class, and go back later, but…”

Alexis trailed off with a shrug.

“My, that’s really too bad…” Dorothy frowned.

“Say, why aren’t you at your shop? Shouldn’t you be there right now? There were a lot of people!” Syrus suddenly stood up, alarmed.

Alexis nodded, suddenly standing as well. “Yeah, that’s right!”

Dorothy simply laughed. “Oh, no, no, don’t worry about that. I’ve got Crowler and some of my Obelisk Blue students working the shop for me right now. You see…” She paused for a moment. “So many students get carried away every year, skipping class on the day these new cards are released, standing in the obnoxiously long line, and sometimes even fighting…”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Syrus nodded, remembering the crowd from earlier that morning.

“It was pretty rowdy up there,” Alexis commented, and turned to Dorothy. “But isn’t that all the more reason you should be up there right now?”

She shook her head with a wide grin. “Well, you see, the chancellor and I came up with this idea that all the students who actually went to class on time, and didn’t get caught up in all the craziness...should get a reward!”

Syrus’s and Alexis’s eyes both widened, and they looked at each other. “A reward?” Syrus gasped.

“I told Jaden he should’ve come with us,” Alexis grinned, shaking his head.

“Well, he certainly should’ve listened to you,” Dorothy replied. “You see, the reward we decided on is precisely what everyone is going so ga-ga over at the moment.” She pulled out something from her pocket. “We decided that those students who kept their cool would receive a free pack of the new cards that everyone is fighting over!”

“Wow!”

“Amazing!”

They stared at the shiny new pack of cards they each received, and grinned widely. Dorothy smiled as well; she loved to see the students’ face light up when she did this every year.

“Wouldn’t students just find out, though, if you do it every year?” Alexis asked curiously.

“No, no…you see, we ask that the students not to mention it to anyone else, so that the tradition would be kept safe every year,” Dorothy replied. “Er…and, naturally, this applies to you two as well. Some things are best kept a secret, you understand.”

“Guess this means we can’t tell Jaden,” Syrus laughed.

“Yeah, too bad.” Alexis looked down at her pack of cards, frowning. She sighed, feeling slightly guilty now. Jaden had wanted those cards more than she did! A lot more. So she had an idea…

It was just about then that Dorothy left, and some other kids started to show up. Crowler did too, but, there weren’t quite enough students to hold a lecture, so he just gave boring, tedious busy-work.

“Hey! You’re back!” Syrus suddenly chimed up. Alexis looked up as well.

“Yo!” He had the same goofy smile on his face as always, Alexis noted.

“Did you get some cards?” she asked. Looking at his empty hands, though, Alexis could already guess the answer.

“Not a one,” Jaden replied. “They ran out before I even made it in. Go figure!” He forced a chuckle, scratching his head; he knew he should’ve gone with his friends, but he had to try to get some of those cards!

“Oh, well!” Syrus shrugged, though the smile on his face still showed. He received a weird look from Jaden. Alexis shook her head; she supposed he wasn’t the best actor in the world, nor was Jaden the quickest at noticing things…

“Hey, Jaden, what’s that?” She pointed to his desk, and he turned around, somewhat obediently.

“Hm? Oh, wow!” Jaden’s eyes widened—it was a brand new pack of cards! The very new ones that he’d missed out on getting that morning, conveniently left for him. “Where did these come from? What a miracle!”

Alexis laughed. It was like she could finally understand the satisfaction that came from what Dorothy did every year. Seeing his face light up was certainly a sight to behold…and it was well worth it.

“Well, it seems you got your cards after all.” She smiled, giving him a firm pat on the back.

“Yeah! I wonder who left ’em though…” Jaden rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I wonder...” Syrus smirked, looking over to Alexis. “Gee, do you have any idea, Lex?”

Their eyes wandered over to her expectantly, and lingered. Her eyes widened, as she held her hands up in surrender. “Don’t look at me! Why, I have no idea who your little secret admirer is. Maybe Santa got confused and came early. I don’t know.”

“Oh, really?” Syrus replied with a wink.

Darn it. He’s going to blow my cover!

“Really!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Really!”

Alexis and Syrus both laughed, and it made Jaden look at both of them with suspicious eyes.

“Are you guys…hiding something?”

“No!”

Both voices chimed out at once. Jaden shook his head, deciding that his friends were strange sometimes—and Alexis realized perhaps she wasn’t the best actress in the world either. And luckily for her, Jaden wouldn’t notice that.

A/N: Wow, I can’t believe I made it to number 20! I hope you guys have been having a great summer. I don’t really have much of the inspiration I used to, to update every week like I used to so long ago, but I’m glad some of you still read, and I hope you guys stick with me for 10 more stories.

Thanks for your support!

Iota #28: Contest Winners (She Was the Prize by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-07-15T15:24:40Z

Title: She Was the Prize
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #28: Contest Winners
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Everyone

She Was the Prize

Squall Leonhart was a dead man. His death would be quicker and less painful than Irvine’s, but he was still going to die. She should probably kill Zell while she was at it. He was most likely involved as well. Quistis was absolutely furious. No one had asked her if she wanted to do this, and if they had, she would have refused. She didn’t care if it was for a fundraiser for Balamb Garden. This was humiliating and degrading, and it wasn’t like Rinoa or Selphie or anyone else who had a relationship. And of course, they hadn’t bothered to ask if she was single or not; they had just assumed.

Balamb was sponsoring a Bachelorette Auction to raise funds to create student union. And apparently she was the main attraction. Whoever had the highest bid got a date with her that evening. She wasn’t the only one participating in this thing, but the others had volunteered. Quistis had plans for the evening, but those would have to be canceled. So instead of a pleasant evening out, she would mostly likely be stuck with whichever Trepie managed to put up the most cash for her. It was not the evening she had planned. No, Quistis had been planning on having a romantic dinner with her long time boyfriend (even if her friends and colleagues were still in the dark about him).

So, when she stepped out onto the stage in a ridiculous blue dress to catcalls, she was in a mildly homicidal mood.

“Our last bachelorette of the evening is Instructor Quistis Trepe. Quistis is twenty-two and one of the heroes of the Sorceress War. She was the youngest person to make SeeD in Garden history and has been one of our most famous SeeDs to date. Quistis enjoys reading in her free time and also likes to garden. Shall we start the bidding at fifty gil? Do I see fifty?”

A hand went up. Quistis bit back a sigh. It had started. She did her best to keep a calm façade as her price went up exponentially. Quistis recognized the two men who were the main bidders. One had been a student of hers that had never grown out of his crush on her and had become a major force among the Trepies. The other was an instructor whose advances she had never returned. Neither would make for pleasant company for the rest of the evening.

“Five hundred gil,” a familiar voice rang out.

“Five hundred. Do I hear five hundred and fifty?”

The instructor’s hand shot up.

“Five hundred fifty. Do I hear six hundred?”

The Trepie dropped out, but the new bidder remained. Quistis’ smile was a little more genuine.

“Eight hundred.” The instructor smirked.

“A thousand,” came the counter bid.

“One thousand gil. Do I hear one thousand one hundred? No? One thousand gil it is then. Quistis Trepe goes to the lady in the purple dress.”

Matron smiled up at her. “Come along, Quistis.”

Slightly stunned, Quistis followed Matron to the edge the crowd. She froze when she saw who was waiting for her, but Matron simply took her hand and placed it in Seifer’s.

“I believe that you have something to say to Quistis.”

“Here? Now?” Quistis had never heard Seifer squeak before.

“No time like the present.” Matron beamed.

“Um, Er. Quistis?”

She hadn’t heard him this nervous in ages. “Go ahead, Seifer.”

“Marry me?”

She through her arms around his neck. “Yes!”

Seifer spun her around before kissing her.

Matron smiled widened. “Off with you two. I understand that dinner and a shopping trip is planned.”

Seifer set her back on her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Shall we?”

Ignoring the flabbergasted crowd behind them, the couple headed for the exit. They had celebrating to do.

30kisses #11: gardenia (Secret Flowers - by lillypuff)

2008-07-14T09:43:31Z

Secret Flowers

Author: lillypuff

Characters From: Saiyuki Gaiden

Pairing: Kenren Taisho x Tenpou Gensui (pre-relationship)

Theme: 30Kisses - #11, gardenia

Completed: 14 of 30

Rating: PG/Teen

Warning(s): fluffy in that chibi Goku childlike innocence kind of way, a single curse word

Summary: “Secret flowers?” Kenren repeats, trying to mimic Goku’s comically whispered tone. “Is he not supposed to have them?”

Disclaimer: Saiyuki Gaiden does not belong to me. This is most likely a good thing because nothing related to the plot would ever get done if it did.

Secret Flower...

30kisses: # 01 Look Over Here (Holidays in Konoha by Hyuuga_Princess)

2008-07-08T19:39:10Z

Fandom: Naruto

Author: Kanashimi Angel

Theme: # 01 – Look Over Here!

Pairing: Nara Shikamaru x Sabaku no Temari

Title: Holidays in Konoha

Rating: K+

Summary: “Hey blondie…Are you lost?” “Watch your mouth! I’m the Kazekage’s firstborn daughter!”

Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

The years passing, his brats growing…And now they wanted to go on holidays. Yondaime Kazekage had far more important things in his mind to think of than trying to find out which other village would be proper for his children to go, but he couldn’t help it. Nine times a day, with no particular order, Temari, Kankurou and Gaara would come in his office to ask him. Temari, as the older and “wiser” would come in with papers showing the beaches of the Wave and Fire Country, and texts describing them. Kankurou would come either empty handed or with a broken puppet, saying that he needed special pieces which were nowhere to be found in Suna…And Gaara…his last child, his little monstrous son…Sometimes he came in and sat peacefully on the floor, playing with his teddy bear Temari had bought him at some festival. [LOOK AT A PREVIOUS ENTRY IN MY GAAMATSU "HANABI-FIREWORKS"] Some others he would come in tearful and mumble “I don’t want to live here anymore. Everyone hates me, teases me they’re afraid of me and no kid wants to play with me. I want to leave…” All those times, Yondaime Kazekage really didn’t know what to do.

And then one day, all three of his kids came in, walked up to his desk and raised their heads. Gaara was holding Temari’s left hand and had his teddy bear in his embrace again.

“Dad!” Temari said, trying to fix up a serious tone in her childish voice. “This cannot go on!”

“This? What exactly are you trying to tell me, Temari?” the Kazekage asked, putting down his pen and crossing his fingers in front of his mouth. Behind the gesture his lips had formed a faint smile, curling just a little because he knew he’d laugh out loud if he let himself smile.

“We want to go on holidays! We’ve been telling you so for over a month now and you do nothing!” The way her eyebrows were furrowed above her serious look was really funny. As she spoke, her four buns trembled and shook, until she was finished. “And besides you’ve been telling us that we have to go visit this Konohagakure village! It’s the perfect chance!”

“And for me to get new equipment for my puppets!”

“And for me to get some peace of mind, if I can…”

“And in the end for you too dad! You’re not only the Kazekage, you’re our father too, a man, and you too need a break sometimes! Come on, please? If not for the boys, do it for me! For your only daughter, ne?”

“The seasonal problems of being a parent…Alright then. We’ll go to Konoha. I only hope that this little incident won’t get you to drag me up until Yuki no Kuni for Christmas, alright?”

And so he took them to Konoha. Temari was really proud of herself, had it not been for her speech, they’d probably be spending just another boring summer at Suna.

Every day they’d go play around, meet other kids and then when they returned at the hotel they’d talk about their day to their father.

One of those joyous days, Temari got separated from the other two, and ended up wandering around a small valley, enclosed with a huge fence in which deers were walking, sitting, running around and some of them were feeding on the green grass. The girl stood and watched amazed; she never before had seen deers, and much more, from so close. She was so distracted that she didn’t notice the little boy coming, whistling a song that he seemed to have made up just on that moment.

“Eeeeh?” his sharp eyes spotted Temari clinging to the fence, and he scratched his head. “Don’t remember leaving any girls behind me last night…Oi, blondie!” he yelled waving his hand in front of her eyes. The girl had something that looked like a giant fan tied to her waist, and Shikamaru took a step back.

“What’s this thing on your back, blondie?” he asked, after taking his distance from her.

“Huh? What do you care?” Temari turned and faced a boy, around one or two years younger then her, thin, who was wearing a green kimono with a strange texture. He had his hair tied up in a tail that made his whole head look like a pineapple.

“Just wondering.”

“Hmmf…” the girl turned her back to him and stared at the deers again, leaning over to the fence. “Like a shrimp like you would understand.”

“Blondie…” Shikamaru said, a playful grin on his face, “are you lost?”

“Hmph!” the pineapple kid was right, but Temari’s pride didn’t let her admit the fact. “What if I am?”

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“No.” she pouted.

“You’re black.”

“I’m tanned, you idiot!” pissed as she was, the girl smacked him at the head at once. “You got no right to insult me, shrimp! I’m the Kazekage’s daughter and his firstborn as well!” she said, hands on her hips.

“Oh, that’s why you’re so tanned! You’re from Sunagakure!” teased the pineapple kid.

“Heh heh…” a devilish smile made its appearance on her childish face as she looked at him and pinched his cheek. “What, you think you’re better? You’re as pale as a rotten wall! And you look like a pineapple too! You kiddo!”

“Hey! Get your hands off of me! Just because you’re a Kage’s brat it doesn’t mean that you’ll overuse the fame! Hmph!”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. What’s your name?”

“What do you care?”

“Come on, tell me. I know no one in this place, I need to talk to someone!”

“Talk to the deers.”

“Come on!”

“I’ll give you a kiss if you do.”

“Did I say I want one?”

“Come on! Just tell me your name! It won’t hurt! I’m Temari, by the way.”

“Temari?” Shikamaru said, looking at her. “Okay then, four-buns, I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you my name but you’ll tell me what you’re doing here.”

“Holidays.”

“Huh?”

“I’m on holidays with my dad and brothers. I just got lost today on our stroll.”

“Hmm…I’m Shikamaru.”

“Shika-chan then? Is it a matching joke?”

“To what?”

“Dunno, the deers?”

“Well, my dad’s name is Shikaku, grandpa was Shika, and I think all my ancestors had a name to do with deers…They’re ours, we’re growing them.”

He looked to o cute when he was explaining about his family. Temari blinked, brought her hand toher lips and laughted.

“What?”

“Nothing. Hehe. It’s just that you look too cute.”

“Just a while ago you said I was annoying.”

“I didn’t say it.”

“Not with words, with your eyes.”

“Are you a genious?”

“Dunno. My teacher says so.”

“That’s great, I am too, back in Suna! I was first on the intelligence test they gave out at school!”

“What is an intelligence test?”

“I wish I could remember all the long term…Hey, look at that cloud! Doesn’t it remind you of this fence?”

“Hell yeah! …Ah…The clouds are so nice…” Shikamaru said and laid back, hands under his head, and watched the clouds slowly travel to the sky.

Temari looked at him.

“You like cloud watching? It’s so unfortunate that we never have clouds in Suna. I can only stargaze if I want to look at the sky.”

“Stargazing is okay, isn’t it? Besides in the desert you can’t expect to have clouds, it doesn’t even rain.”

“Yeah, I know…” Temari replied and crossed her hands over her belly. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it.

“Are you hungry? How many hours have you been out here alone?”

“Dunno…Didn’t count them.”

“You want some sakura-mochi? My mom gave me some before I left but I don’t like cherry, so I’d give them to the deers, but…you can have them.”

“Oh…Can I really eat them?”

“Yeah, t’is fine.” Shikamaru said indifferently, looking at the sky. Small red clouds traveled on his face now too.

“You’re so sweet! Thank you, pineapple boy!” Temari said and blew him a kiss on the cheek. Shikamaru looked at her dazed, and she just smiled. He touched the burning spot with his hand and his flushed face went even more red. He watched Temari eat the cherry cakes gracefully; she seemed to really enjoy them.

“D…Do they taste good?” he asked.

“Yes! They’re so good…I haven’t eaten mochi since my mom died! Now that I have grown up, I shall make more on my own!”

“Girly stuff…” he said lazily. “Hey, when you’re done, lay down. You can watch the clouds now that you got a chance.”

“You’re right…” Temari said and, after untying her fan from her waist laid down next to him. It was a magnificent view, the blue sky and the white shapes traveling all alone over their heads. After a while, she realized they were holding hands and smiled. He was talking, showing her the different shapes and naming what they reminded him off, here a horse, there a leaf, a face, a mermaid, a bowl of miso…

“Hey! That looks like a deer!” Temari said suddenly.

“Where?”

“Over there, look!”

“Whoaaa…Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes!”

They spent the rest of the afternoon there, naming the shapes to each other and forgetting all about the time to go home. Temari had forgotten that she was lost; she was having the time of her life and she really wished it could last forever.

30kisses # 12: Look Over Here (Okonomiyaki? by Hyuuga_Princess)

2008-07-08T19:01:41Z

Fandom: Naruto
Author: Kanashimi Angel

Theme: # 12 – In a Good Mood

Pairing: Sabaku no Gaara x Matsuri

Title: Okonomiyaki?

Rating: K+

Summary: “You’re so convincing…Come on, let’s go for lunch. My treat.” He said. “I want okonomiyaki!” the girl said, hands behind her back.

Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

“Stretch.”

Ching!

“Behind you.”

Ching!

“Faster.”

Sweat drop.

“Above.”

“Hyaaaah!”

“Below! Now!”

“You damn!”

Crimson droplets on the sand. Matsuri hit the ground hart, on her knees but not so beaten up like all the previous times. No, not this time. She supported herself on her arms and got up, picking up her jou-hyou. Gaara wasn’t looking at her anymore, but right up to the sky. The sun was right in the middle of it.

“Oooi! Sensei!” Matsuri shouted, catching up her breath. “Can we stop for now? I’m hungry!”

“You do that every day!...”

“Well, I don’t think a person that doesn’t get hungry at this hour exists.”

“…” Somehow, Gaara couldn’t find an answer for that. He just grabbed her forehead and patted her at the back of her head. “You’re so convincing…Let’s go. My treat.” He said, and Matsuri, even though she was exhausted, jumped in the air happily.

“I want okonomiyaki!” she said, hands behind her back.

“Okonomiyaki huh? You’ve got such a commoner’s taste, Matsuri.”

“Okonomiyaki is fine, isn’t it? I am a commoner after all. What did you expect me to like and eat, caviar?”

“Well no, but you could like sukiyaki, onigiri, miso, or at least soba!”

“Hey, just because I don’t want to eat that kind of food outside it doesn’t mean that I don’t like it or I don’t cook it myself at home! I’m just thinking of how much preparation it might take and if you want to know, sukiyaki’s my favorite!”

“I don’t believe it! It’s the most expensive around here; either you make it at home or go eat it out…And takes most time to prepare! You sure you didn’t say it on purpose?” Gaara asked. If his brows were visible, they’d have disappeared in the roots of his hair.

“Of course not. Oh, and If we’re going to have a dessert, I want sakura moichi.”

“…For a girl, you don’t have such a weird taste.”

“And how would you, Gaara-sensei know what girls like?”

“Temari’s my sister. That much is enough.”

“Eeeeh? Isn’t Temari-san more…man-like?”

“Only in the outside, trust me.”

“Hai, hai…Oh, we’re here!” she stopped walking out of the restaurant and got inside. “Ojisan! Table for two!”

“Matsuri-chan, here again? Oh…Kazekage-sama!”

“What?”

“The Kazekage’s among us!”

“Gaara-sama!”

“Kazekage-dono!”

“Hey, hey, calm down! He’s just here to eat, y’ know? Just let the man in peace, you people!” Matsuri yelled and grabbed Gaara’s hand, trotting to their table. She sat down and crossed her arms, mumbling “dame, dame, dame”, shaking her head lightly with her eyes closed.

“…’dono’?” Gaara thought. “Come to think of it, no one has ever addressed me so…”

“Gaara-sensei.” Matsuri shook her palm in front of his face. “Hey, anyone here?”

“Eh, of course yes! You’re so mean!”

“Where were you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You were traveling.”

“Huh?”

“Mentally.”

“I still don’t get you.”

“Oh, forget it. Let’s just eat, ne?”

“Whatever…”

“Here’s your order, Matsuri-chan. As always, no meat but cheese, right?”

“Right Ojisan, thank you!”

“Want me to prepare it for you?”

“No, no, I’ll do it myself!” Matsuri said and spilled the batter mixture on the teppan , after mixing it up in the bowls. Gaara looked at her; her movements as she prepared their meal quickly, almost like a professional. She formed the mix of both bowls to circles like pancakes and watched them as they were getting fried. When they were ready, she removed them from the hotplate and placed one on his plate, and one on hers, and cut them to pieces so that they’d cool off faster.

“Here you go, Gaara-sensei. Is all yours.” She said and begun eating her own piece. “Oh, it’s hot!”

Gaara looked at the eight pieces Matsuri had cut his okonomiyaki into; they didn’t look like anything special, but he picked up his chopsticks and brought one to his mouth.

Wah.

“Eh..! Umai!” he said, surprised and looked at her. “It’s great!”

“Really? Thank you.” She said with a big smile. “If you want, I can cook it myself too.” Matsuri said after swallowing her bite.

“I want.” Gaara replied calmly.

“Eh?” Matsuri blinked.

“I said that I want you to cook this for me sometime.” Gaara said.

“Eh…Yeah, sure, if we got time after the training…Why not?”

“You’re blushing.”

“Ah, that...eh…”

“Could it be…That you haven’t cooked okonomiyaki for someone else before?” Gaara asked.

“…Kinda…But, but, I just want it to be good enough for Gaara-sensei…” Matsuri’s voice faded as she spoke, until her words weren’t audible anymore.

“Matsuri…”

“Y-yes?”

“You don’t have to make it perfect because I’ll be eating it. Cook it as you’d do it for yourself.”

“You…Are you sure you trust my cooking skills, Gaara-sensei?”

“Definitely.”

“Gaara-sensei..”

“Hm?”

“You’ve gotten really close, you know…”

“So?”

“Emm…I…”

“Oh, won’t you ever stop?” Gaara asked.

“I’m sorry?!”

“I said stop…” he answered and embraced her shoulders with his one arm. “Or I will”

“G…Gaa-“

But she couldn’t continue. Gaara leaned over and kissed her, sealing her lips and leaving her no chance to say more. In a second, all her self-control crumbled and all she could think of was what he was doing. She closed her eyes and didn’t even try to think of pulling away; she kissed him back and smiled.

He didn’t even seem to remember where they were.

It was good.

If he had started to forget the presence of other people around him when doing something so personal like this, he was sure getting better.

He’d regain his communicative skills in time.

Matsuri would be there to help him.

Iota #19: The Cat's Out of the Bag (Something New by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-07-08T16:28:00Z

Title: Something New
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #19: The Cat's Out of the Bag
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Everyone

Something New
Quistis watched the dance floor from her seat and let out a relieved sight. It was finally over. She was honestly happy for Squall and Rinoa, and the ceremony was beautiful, but she was really ready for it all to be over. Quistis would be thrilled when the reception was over and the lovebirds were off on their honeymoon and she would finally be done with her responsibilities.
Carefully toeing off the blue peek-toe stilettos that went the pale bridesmaid dresses Rinoa had chose, Quistis flexed her toes. Her feet hurt, and she had been on them most of the day. She was not the maid of honor, but Selphie had ended up relating most of her duties to Quistis. The former instructor had been run ragged over the past six months. And it hadn’t helped that some of the other bridesmaids were old friends of Rinoa, and they didn’t like Quistis. She was simply too serious for them.
“Here. You look like you need this.”
A glass of champagne was placed before her, and Seifer flashed her a grin. He stood out in his light suit against all the men in their formal SeeD uniforms. He had been invited because it was polite. She had been thrilled.
“Thank you.”
He slid into the seat beside her as she sipped at her drink. They had grown closer since the end of the Sorceress War. The two of them had been working with Matron to fix up and reopen the old orphanage. Somewhere along the line, they had also started seeing each other. It had baffled most of Quistis’ friends, but she found herself more than content with dating Seifer.
“So what are the chances of me getting a dance anytime soon?”
“Give me a few more minutes. My feet are killing me.”
And she wanted a chance to compose herself. They had just cut the cake and done the whole bouquet and garter toss. Quistis hadn’t caught the bouquet. To tell the truth, it hadn’t been a priority for her, but the “old maid” comments directed towards her by some hurt. She was only a year older than Rinoa and Selphie after all, and the last time she checked being single wasn’t a crime, not that she was. She just didn’t advertise her relationship that much. Still, the sharp comments hurt, and Quistis was doing her best not to let it show.
Seifer tugged on her hand. “Come on, you can dance barefoot. Let’s have some fun. You deserve it after all the hard work you’ve put into this shindig.”
Quistis sighed a little but let him pull her out onto the dance floor, her shoes left abandoned under the table. Once she was in his arms swaying to the music, she felt much better. She ignored the whispers they were drawing; their relationship was not well known and gossip was inevitable around Garden. Instead, she just focused on the music and Seifer’s arms around her. They swayed to the soft strains of some romantic ballad or another. The song came to an end, but Seifer didn’t release her.
Instead, he sank down to one knee. “Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?”
“Oh yes, Seifer!”
He sprung up, capturing her in his arms again for a kiss. She heard the sporadic applause and the gasps and whispers. Quistis gently pulled away to nuzzle his nose.
“Seifer?”
“Hmm?”
“We’re eloping.”

# 03 – jolt ('Standing Alone' by svana_vrika)

2008-07-07T00:01:31Z

Title: Standing Alone

Author: Daisey svana_vrika

Fandom: Yu-gi-Oh!

Pairing: Seto x Jounouchi

List and Theme: 30kisses #03: Jolt

Rating: Teens

Summary: Sometimes, standing alone isn’t as lonely as one might think.

Disclaimer: The following is written solely for fun, and no infringement is intended. Yu-gi-Oh and the scenarios and characters involved are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi.

Standing Alone

Gamma - #28 infra dignitatem (beneath one's dignity) (Complication by yuusu_ani)

2008-07-03T20:15:22Z

Title of the work: Complication
Author/Artist: yuusu_ani
Pairing:Kuwabara Kazuma/Urameshi Yuusuke
Fandom: Yuu Yuu Hakusho
Theme: #28 ; 28. infra dignitatem (beneath one's dignity)
Disclaimer: All characters from Yuu Yuu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi
Rating: Teens

(A totally fake cut)

Iota #06: It's Not a Diamond (Love's Jewels by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-07-01T17:33:16Z

Title: Love's Jewels
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #06: It's Not a Diamond
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Everyone

Love’s Jewels

Quistis hummed to herself as she made her way back to her quarters. It was shaping up to be a very good day. The young instructor had just finished teaching the last class of the term, and she had a lunch date with her boyfriend in about thirty minutes. That would give her plenty of time to change out of her uniform and meet Seifer at the café in Balamb.

“Instructor Trepe!”

She turned, the interruption not even ruffling her good humor. “Yes?”

The young man stopped before her. Quistis cast about for his name; they’d been on mission together sometime in the last year or so. He was the younger son of a wealthy family. His brothers had gone into politics, and he had chosen a military life. Gavin Kerntfield was his name.

“Instructor, Quistis,” he smiled at her. “Can I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course.”

To her complete surprise, he grabbed her hand, sliding a heavy ring onto her it.

“Quistis Trepe, I love you more than anything. Will you marry me?”

Speech was not coming to her lips. It wasn’t every day that random SeeDs proposed to her after all. What was she supposed to say? Quistis wasn’t about to say yes, but she didn’t want to hurt the man either. Male egos had a tendency to be fragile and causing a scene was not on her agenda today. Gavin seemed to take her silence in stride.

“I can understand that this is something of a shock. You don’t have to answer right this minute. I’ll find you later.”

And with that, he walked away. Quistis stared down at the rock on her finger. A large square diamond, yellow in color, mounted in platinum that was liberally studded with smaller diamonds, it was not something she would have chosen for herself. Slipping it off into her pocket, she resumed her journey back to her room. What on earth was she going to do about this?

Her mood was distracted when she arrived at lunch. The issue of the proposal was bothering her. Still, she managed to push it to the back of her mind as Seifer entertained her with tales of the latest antics from his last mission. For some reason, Squall kept assigning him missions with Zell, and the fallout was always amusing.

“And then Chicken Wuss had both syrup and whipped cream in his hair. I thought he was going to have hysterics right then and there, but he just turned to the girl and asked if they had strawberries as well since it wouldn’t be a proper pancake with out them.” Seifer rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. “I’ve got a question for you, Quisty.”

She tried to rein in her giggles. “Yes?”

His face turned serious. “Well, it sort of comes with a gift.”

Seifer turned her hand over, tucking a little velvet bag into it. Puzzled, Quistis carefully pulled open the drawstrings and shook the bag out into her other hand. Delicate bands of white gold twisted and twined together forming a puzzle that held a single blue moonstone.

“I know it’s not a diamond, but it reminded me of you. Will you marry me, Quistis?”

“I…oh…Seifer.” Her free hand came up to cover her mouth. “Darling, I…can I have a little time?”

Her voice had gotten very small. Seifer just grinned and recaptured her hand, brushing a kiss across its back.

“Of course. I didn’t think the proposal would shock Instructor Trepe speechless though,” he teased.

Quistis kicked him under the table.

It was not quite the lunch she had been planning this morning, and Quistis left it feeling as stunned as she had when she arrived. The answer to Seifer’s question was yes of course. She loved him, and perhaps it was a bit early to jump into marriage as they had only been officially dating for about eight months, but on the other hand, they had never been a convention couple. It was just she felt wrong accepting without taking care of the other proposal. And she still didn’t know what to do about Gavin’s proposal. Quistis wasn’t about to say yes, but she still didn’t know how to turn the man down without causing too much heartbreak. She knew how much rejection could hurt even if it was simply an infatuation.

Hoping that hot water would settle her nerves and help her think, Quistis ran herself a shower. She leaned against the tiled wall letting the hot water and steam wrap around her. Answers were not forthcoming, but she did start to feel better. Twenty minutes later the water was getting cold, and Quistis was considerably mellower. She didn’t quite have a plan of action, but she was getting this taken care of today.

The knock at her door came just as she started toweling her hair dry.

“Just a minute!”

The knocking continued. Quistis sighed, wrapping her towel more tightly around herself. It was probably Selphie about another one of her decorating committees. It was probably graduation this time. Absently, she slipped Seifer’s ring onto her finger, heading for the door.

“Yes?” She yanked open the door to find Seifer and Gavin instead of the expected Selphie. Blushing, Quistis tightened her grip on her towel. “Can I help you?”

Seifer’s gaze had gone immediately to the ring on her finger. Gavin seemed a little more preoccupied with the view.

“Ahem. My face is up here.”

The man flushed and looked away.

“Now, what can I do for you two?”

Seifer’s gaze was still on the ring. Gavin tapped his foot impatiently. “Do you have an answer for me?”

His irritated tone suddenly made Quistis feel much better for what she was about to do to him. Seifer’s eyes narrowed, and she sighed. He was going to be overprotective again. Quistis pointed her finger at him.

“You, inside.” Her finger moved to Gavin. “You, stay there. I’ll be right back.”

She waited until Seifer was inside her room before following him, scooping up the other ring from her dresser. Quistis flashed him a smile. “This will just take a minute.”

Returning to the door, she held out the ring. “This is yours. I can’t accept it. I’m not sure why you asked me, but I can not in good conscience say yes. I barely know you, and I don’t love you. We both deserve more that that.”

Quistis dropped the ring into his hand. Gavin frowned. “But I’m perfect for you. No one else is a better match.”

“There’s more to life than perfection, and I’ve already had the one proposal I want.”

With that, she turned on her heel and shut the door. She leaned back against and met the pair of emerald eyes that were watching her. Quistis smiled. “Hey.”

Seifer captured her left hand. “So this is a yes, then?”

“Yes.”

He kissed her palm. “Good.”

# 15 – perfect blue ('New Beginnings' by Jennie B.)

2008-07-01T04:01:53Z

Title: New Beginnings
Author: Jennie B. (seshats_prodigy)
Pairing: Genjo Sanzo x Cho Hakkai
Fandom: Saiyuki
Theme: #15 – perfect blue
Disclaimer: They don’t belong to me…I’m just abusing them for my entertainment for a while, and will return them in almost the same condition they started in…
Rating: Teen (for language)

New Beginnings

30kisses #05: "ano sa..." (Out of the Rain by mjules and cornerofmadness)

2008-07-01T02:58:22Z

Title: Out of the Rain
Author: m.jules (and cornerofmadness)
Series: Boys Blue #29
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Love, not money.
Prompt: #5 "Ano sa..." ("Hey, you know...")
Author's Notes: Is "Finally! It's done!" an appropriate reaction...?

They ran in from the rainstorm, shaking the drops out of their hair like wet dogs, breathless, laughing and cursing by turn. Well, Maes was laughing; Roy was cursing.

"Fucking rain," he snarled, stripping off his static gloves and tossing the waterlogged accessories onto the table just inside the door of the temporary housing. He was in Central for a couple of weeks until they got the Eastern headquarters ready for him, and he couldn't decide if he wanted to hurry up and move or stay here forever. The housing was shit, but Maes was a fifteen minute walk across town, quicker by cab.

"It always rains in Central in the winter," Maes noted with a wry smile, taking off his glasses and trying to clean off the raindrops with the edge of his jacket. The jacket was soaked, though, and the lenses came away wetter than before.

"Fuck," Roy said again, eloquently. They both knew that Roy's bad mood was caused by more than an inconvenient rainstorm even though Maes could think of little else that could piss Mustang off faster. The rain was just the last straw, the one thing that could make it worse.

Roy was being sent to Eastern just as soon as they had his housing set up, Hawkeye was coming with him -- a mixed blessing, since Roy was glad to have her and guilty that she'd be there because of him -- and, besides all that, Maes was getting married and Roy was having a crisis of conscience.

That, at least, Maes could help with. He was holding on to a piece of news that was the reason he was grinning like an idiot despite feeling like a drowned rat.

He reached out for Roy, big hand hooking behind Mustang's neck, and pulled the man forward. The soft brush of lips was cut short when Roy pushed him back, guilt and panic in his eyes. "Maes," he warned, backpedaling.

"Hey," Maes said, catching him and hauling him in again, using his bigger bulk to hold Roy to him despite the smaller man's struggling. "You know, Gracia said she'd like to watch us do this sometime." Roy stopped flailing so suddenly he nearly knocked them both off balance. His onyx eyes went wide with shock and Maes grinned at his fish-facing. "She said she might even join, especially if Riza was interested as well."

That seemed to get past Roy's stupor and Mustang coughed, almost choking on the news. Maes watched his lover process this information before Roy finally spoke, his voice thin and hoarse with shock.

"Gracia... and Riza?"

Maes shrugged, the casual motion belied by the heat in his eyes. "She said she thinks Riza's pretty."

"Fuck." Roy's body temperature was rising steadily, so much that Maes could feel the man's skin scorching his hands through the wet fabric of his uniform.

"Yeah," Maes agreed, and then they had better uses for their mouths than talking and the rain was forgotten in the wake of their own storm.

Iota #11: What This Means for Us (Big Machine by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-06-24T17:28:18Z

Title: Big Machine
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #11: What This Means for US
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Everyone

Big Machine

She was perched in the window of their hotel room, knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t respond when the door opened and shut or the footsteps across the floor. It was only when Seifer wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her back against him that Quistis reacted. She sighed and turned her face into his stomach.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.” His fingers found their way into her hair. “We could just let it go.”

“We can’t afford to do that.” Her voice was muffled. “It would ruin everything.”

They had been chosen for this mission for a number of reasons. One of the main ones had been the fact that neither of them were in a relationship. Or at least as far as any of the higher ups at Garden were concerned. Of course, they hadn’t bothered to ask either Seifer or Quistis. They had just started exploring a romantic relationship at the time. It honestly hadn’t been a problem for them to go undercover as a couple to gather intelligence for a major mission that was coming up. At least until now.

“Quistis, I won’t force you into this. I can take all the blame.”

She met his eyes. “It’s not you, Seifer, you know that.”

“It’s the situation, I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “If it helps, we can kill Squall when we get back.”

A weak giggle slipped out. “Seifer!”

The two of them were supposed to be infiltrating a mob group as Seath Arrans and Cass Trinnity. They had done pretty well for the last six months too. The way things were going, they would have gathered the last bits of information that Garden needed to plan their attack by the end of the month. And then the mob boss had decided that Seath needed to prove that he was serious about Cass before he could trust him with the final level of information. He had suggested to the two of them just an hour ago that Seath might want to get a move on with a proposal, so they could arrange a wedding before too long. Quistis and Seifer could either get married or forfeit the mission and waste nearly a year’s worth of planning and intelligence gathering.

Seifer pulled her up out of her perch and into his arms. “If we do this, if we go through with this, Quistis, I don’t want you to think it’s only because we have to. I would have asked you for myself in a year or so.”

Quistis wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. “I love you, Seifer.”

He tipped her chin up to kiss her. “I know. It’s mutual, sweetheart.”

She let him hold her a few moments longer, letting his heartbeat sooth her. They would make this work. They loved each other, and that would be enough to get them through this all. Pulling away, she gave him a small smile.

“So, let’s go get married.”

Iota #29: Whatever You Want; Your Wish Is My Command (As You Wish by Kitsune Moonstar)

2008-06-17T17:01:53Z

Title: As You Wish
Author: kitsunemoonstar
Pairing: Seifer Almasy x Quistis Trepe
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Theme: Iota #29: Whatever You Want; Your Wish Is My Command
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters.
Rating: For Teens

As You Wish

“Go to hell, Squall.” Quistis turned on her heel.

“But Quistis--”

She spun back around. “I. Don’t. Care. I have spent the last two weeks giving and grading tests with barely time to get something to eat. Before that I went on six back to back missions without even a full day of down time between any of them. I am grateful that Garden is doing so well, and we have such an influx of work and students, but if I don’t get a break, I am going to consider blowing up Garden. Leave me alone. Get some one else to do the work for a change.”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond to that, stalking down the hall. Quistis was at the end of her rope. She needed downtime badly, and her last two requests for vacation had been denied. She was exhausted, worn out, and not going to take it any more. She couldn’t even remember the last time had done something for fun. She slumped against the door to her quarters, realizing that she had forgotten her key in her office.

“Hyne, get me the hell out of here before I kill someone.”

Her door slid open, and a pair of warm hands settled themselves at the base of her neck and began to knead her tense muscles. “That could be arranged, you know.”

Quistis nearly jumped out of her skin. “Seifer! What are you doing in my room?”

“We were supposed to meet for lunch. You remember, the second meal of the day?”

She groaned. “Right. And then Squall dumped another mountain of paperwork on me plus a set of inter-Garden meetings, and I lost it.”

“So, vacation? Warm sand, soothing waves, drinks with umbrellas?”

“That sounds lovely, but I can’t get any vacation time approved.” She nearly moaned as his hands found a bad knot.

“We could run off and get married,” he suggested. “There’s an automatic clause for a honeymoon after a SeeD’s wedding in our contracts, and nothing about informing Garden in advance of a wedding. Besides, no one can complain if you’re on your honeymoon.”

“Was that a proposal?”

He nuzzled her neck. “If you like. You were the one who said she didn’t want to deal with the fuss of getting married. This way we avoid all that.”

Shifting so she could see his face, Quistis considered this. “I take it you have some place in mind for a honeymoon?”

Seifer smiled. “There’s this little stretch of beach on the coast of Centra that comes complete with a bungalow and a hammock. Best of all, the only radio is the one on the boat.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Just say the word, and I’ll take you any where you want.”

Thirty minutes later, they were on board the sailboat Seifer had spent his first year’s pay as a SeeD on, the open ocean ahead of them.

Quistis leaned back into his arms, letting the wind rearrange her hair. “Let’s get out of here before someone notices we’re gone.”

Seifer kissed the top of her head.

“As you wish.”

Alpha #7: reality is a dream, #23: serial (Nightmare by Winter)

2008-06-15T21:40:03Z

Title: Nightmare
Author: winterwing3000/Winter
Pairing: Rin x Sesshomaru
Fandom: Inuyasha
Theme: Alpha/Concrete - #7 (reality is a dream) & #23 (serial)
Disclaimers: Don't own 'em, don't sue.
Rating: T for mild horror.

The feral gleam of his golden eyes caused her to flinch. She struggled in futile against the bindings chaining her to the stone wall behind her. In his hand, he held a bucket filled with a mixture of concrete powder and water.

Her heart raced as tears appeared in her fearful brown eyes. With her mouth gag, she could only make choked muffled pleas as she shook her head beseechingly. She felt her breathing quicken as her pupils dilated.

She saw the corner of his lips curl into a maniacal grin as he lifted the bucket. The sharpened triangular trowel glinted in the shadowy yellow work light that came from somewhere behind the plastic screens hanging from the ceiling. Her screeches increased and she tugged harder at the black duck tape.

The pointed tip inched steadily closer to her face. She closed her eyes and cried, cringing as the cold metal pressed against her cheek. No, no! Her mind screamed. She didn’t want to die! Not yet! Not like this!

The tip traced a line down her chin and across her throat. Her loud sobs were stifled as her knees shook. She didn’t want to be like them!

The cemented mannequins of women—tall, short, skinny, fat, long hair, short hair—with their arms and legs positioned to the mad artist’s desire. As horrifying beautiful, even serene, the models were arranged; they all shared the common expression upon their faces.

Blank eyes wide with terror and their lips parted in a silent scream.

“Shhh!” the man crooned as he cupped her face with a pale white hand. His cold lips skimmed her cheek and he trailed up to her ear with his tongue. “You’re going to be beautiful… Like the others… No…”

Her eyes snapped open as she felt his chilling breath upon her face. He angled the trowel at her heart and prepared to plunge it into her chest.

His eyes were flashing with insanity and her eyes focused on his lips as they hoarsely whispered their last words to her.

“Much more beautiful than the others.”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

A raw scream of pure terror ripped from her throat. She felt her body bolt upright as it trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat matted her skin.

The door to her room slammed open and the hallway light glowed behind them. She glanced at the doorway with unfocused eyes. Her sisters stood there with frightened expressions and rushed to her bedside.

“Rin! Are you okay?” Kagome asked as she clambered onto the mattress. She brushed back her younger sister’s bangs, wiping away the perspiration with her sleeve. Sango turned on the lamp beside her bed with a concerned look. She placed a hand on her cold one. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Rin panted, holding her sister’s offered hand close. Kagome smoothed her brown bed ruffled hair. “It’s alright. It was just a dream.”

“N-Not dream,” the scared girl croaked. “N-Nightmare.” She pointed to the book next to her lamp. “S-Stone mann-nequin ki-killer.”

“Oh Rin,” Sango shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. “I told you not to read books like those before bed! You know what happens yet you never listen.”

“Well, hopefully she’s learned her lesson now.” Kagome pressed Rin back to her pillows and pulled up her sheets. “Even I was scared from the way she screamed.”

Rin whimpered and buried herself deeper into her blankets. “Sorry Kagome, Sango.” Sango turned off the lamp.

“Goodnight Rin.” they both said as they closed the door.

Releasing a shuddering breath, she closed her eyes and willed herself to forget the recent nightmare. Just as the void of sleep drew her in, a pointed metal tip pressed against her throat and jerked.

She felt herself gurgle as an unmistakable voice reached her ears hauntingly followed by a bone chilling laugh.

“Much more beautiful…”

Darkness.

Waking Dreams

2008-06-13T01:06:58Z

Title: Waking Dreams
Author: akinarei
Fandom: Ghost Hunt
Pairing: Lin Koujo x Taniyama Mai
Theme: Theta #1: Waking Dreams
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt. Trust me, I wish I did.
Rating: PG/Teen

Found here!

30kisses #13: Excessive Chain (Getting to Know You - by lillypuff)

2008-06-12T22:48:23Z

Getting to Know You

Author: lillypuff

Characters From: Saiyuki Gaiden

Pairing: Kenren Taisho x Tenpou Gensui

Theme: 30Kisses - #13, excessive chain

Completed: 13 of 30

Rating: Teen/PG

Warning(s): m/m implications, a curse word or two, nothing major

Summary: “I have a hard time believing you are as bad as the reputation that proceeds you.”

Disclaimer: Saiyuki Gaiden doesn’t belong to me. This is most likely a good thing because nothing -- with the exception of man-sex -- would ever get done if it did.

Getting to Know You...

Crossposted in the usual places.