Faithless Memories

Spar

Chapter 22

The day after the unexpected visit of the two Firsts was a Friday, so Kris had very little time to worry about what was coming. It also meant that she and Zack hadn't had much time to talk about it further. There was a tenseness between them the few times that Zack brought it up, but Kris reminded herself it was only because he cared. She was just thankful that she was too busy to worry about it much.

When Tuesday morning came. Zack took a few extra minutes before he left to try to convince her to change her mind. She had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes, and she reminded him it was just a spar. He hadn't looked convinced, but he let it drop with a promise that he would see her that afternoon.

It wasn't that she wasn't nervous. After having had a few days to analyze the dinner and all the Commander's actions, she wasn't sure what to think. She couldn't bring herself to believe the man was really flirting with her, even if it seemed that way. He was famous enough that not a lot of what he did was private. From everything she had heard of him, she was as far from the man's tastes as a woman could be. She wasn't a socialite or a Loveless Avenue starlet. Still, it was hard to convince herself that it was just the way he was.

It was made worse by his unusual invitation. It wasn't like he had randomly asked her on a date. The man asked to fight her. It was weird, and she had no idea what to make of it. She was still confused as she finally left for the Shinra Headquarters. To her surprise, though, her confusion and trepidation were mixed with excitement. She hadn't sparred in so long that she was looking forward to it. Even if there was little chance she would do more than make a fool of herself.

When she arrived on the Soldier floor, she was greeted by the sight of Genesis waiting for her. She wasn't sure if she was surprised or not. His smile had her fighting a blush again, and in her efforts to contain it, she barely heard him as he greeted her. She hoped her mumbled response was good enough as she followed him to wherever they would be sparring.

He led her down several hallways before he stopped outside of a set of double doors and turned to her with another smile. "I can take your coat if you would like."

Since it was still early December, the weather had finally dropped into colder temperatures, and Kris had walked to the building, so her coat had been necessary. She was still confused by his behavior, but she didn't see a reason to deny him. She slipped the jacket off and handed it to him before he opened the door.

She didn't notice that he stopped and was staring at her as she entered since her attention was immediately drawn across the room. In a set of small bleachers, there were no less than a dozen men in various blue and burgundy uniforms, with Zack in the front. He was grinning at her as she walked over, but his eyes widened when he caught sight of her grin. It was the one she reserved for telling him off in front of others, and he took an unconscious step back.

When she drew even with him, she dropped her voice to the point that she hoped none of the rest of the Soldiers would be able to hear. "What is this?"

Zack shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head before he gave her a weak grin. "Well, you see, I told a couple of my friends about the match, Luxiere and Kunsel, and a couple of others overheard, and well, I guess they all thought it would be interesting to see."

He had pointed to two others in burgundy while he spoke. They both stood and removed their helmets before they approached. She accepted their greetings with a resigned smile. She didn't fault them, as she was sure this was unusual. She shook her head at her brother's hopeful look. "Fine. Just promise not to laugh too hard when I'm knocked on my ass."

When Zack realized he was off the hook, he grinned at her. "I doubt that will happen, but if it does, I promise not to laugh. At least not right away."