Rating: R
Summary: Not the typical FF8 love story featuring Quistis Trepe. Not a Seiftis or Quall.
Pairings are as follows: LL/QT, SL/XL, ZD/OC(kinda), SA/OC, IK/ST, CK/EK
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own FF8 or Squaresoft because if I did, you would have seen all this and a lot more in the game. XD
A/N: I wrote this story a long time ago. Let's all pray I type it up with minimal errors. Whoo! Hahaha on to the story!
"Quistis..." Xu stood in the open door way of her friend's room.
"Hmm?" Quistis, who had been sitting at her desk, turned her attention to her dark haired friend.
"You need to get out. Take a vacation...or go on a date. Or hell, do both! You're being cooped up in the Garden can't be healthy." Xu leaned against the door frame putting most of her weight on her left leg.
The golden blonde haired SeeD sighed. She snorted mentally. 'As if you have room to talk. You're a freaking desk jockey Xu.' She looked back to the notepad on her desk. After picking up a pen, she began to sketch and doodle anything that came to mind. "Xu, I would love to go on a vacation or even go on a date but..."
"But what?" Xu leaned away from the door frame then walked over to Quistis' bed, sitting down quietly. "Are you still lusting over Squall?"
"Quistis looked at Xu like she had three heads and guarded the gates of Hell as a pastime. "Xu Lao! You know that was just a puppy-love-sisterly-screwed-up-maternal-issues-thing!"
Xu blinked. "Uh huh. Well, you must like someone else. I can tell by that dreamy," she paused to sigh dramatically, "look you get in your eyes when you think no one is looking."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ah hah! Quistis Trepe! I know you like I know myself! I can tell you were lying. Who is it? Tell me now. Don't make me guess."
Quistis tried to her smirk. "Fine. But you'll never figure it out." She continued to doodle things of no real importance. "And you only have three guesses."
"Three, huh? Right. I can do this." Xu's brows furrowed in thought, lifting only when she thought she had the answer. "Seifer Almasy!"
Quistis just laughed and shook her head.
"No Seifer... Well, how about Zell?" Xu herself started laughing and shook her own head. "That shouldn't count. Too obvious. He's kinda like a brother. I don't know why I even said that. Okay, um...no Seifer, no Zell, no Irvine. I -know- you don't like him. Too flirtatious and he's with Selphie anyway."
"Come on Xu. You can do it." Smirking, she drew a couple hearts and shaded them in.
"Damn! This is hard." Xu's brows furrowed one last time. "Umm...Nida?"
Quistis quirked a perfectly arched brow. "Well, I've never really thought about him like that. I guess he is pretty cute, though not my type really. Too much of a friend." A wicked grin crossed her lips. Here she was, 21 years old and still talking about crushes with her best friend. "I guess that means you only have one guess left."
"Wait! I know!"
"You do?"
"Yeah! It's me!" Xu laughed at the odd look on her friend's face.
Quistis tried to control her laughter as she spoke. "Oh yeah Xu baby. It's always been you!" The two of them burst in laughter harder than before. Quistis smiling brightly as her cheeks flushed a light pink from the laughter. "I told you that you would never figure it out."
"Fine. No date for you. I'm going to recommend to Squall that you have to go on a vacation for...two months at least!"
"Two months?!" Sighing, Quistis stopped doodling. "When and where?"
"You should leave ASAP. As to where, let me think for a moment." Xu muttered to herself, completely ignoring Quistis' presence. "Deling is the hometown of -her.- So that's out. Timber, well that's just a glorified train station also known as the second home of that bitch in heat..."
"XU!"
"What? Shut up! I'm thinking. Where was I? Dollet is a little backwater town. Fisherman's Horizon is for old people. But might be perfect for you Quisty." She ducked the notepad Quistis had chucked at her while continuing to name possible vacation spots. "Let's see, Balamb is too close to be considered a true vacation. So that only leaves Esthar."
"Esthar?!" Quistis raised both brows. 'Does she know? Has she figured it out?' "Why Esthar?"
"Esthar is umm...clean?" She cleared her throat at the look she was given. "Besides, Mr. Loire has been practically begging for someone from the infamous crew that defeated Ultimecia to visit him. Since we all know that everyone else has a life, you're the best choice."
Smirking and rolling her eyes, Quistis replied cooly. "Fuck you."
Xu's eyes widened. "What?! Quistis said a bad word?! The Island Closest to Hell must have frozen over!" Both girls erupted in to another laughing fit.
"All right. I'll call Laguna first thing tomorrow."
"Today."
"What? Why today?"
"Just so you don't have time to chicken out with work excuses." Xu stood up and adjusted her skirt. "I'm going to tell -Commander- Squall what's going on." She left the blonde's room, pushing the button to close the door on the way out.
Quistis took out her personal phone directory. There weren't many numbers, but that never really bothered her. Anyone she wanted to talk to, lived at the Garden.
She scanned the names, stopping at Loire, Laguna. There were a couple numbers listed under his name. Home, office, and cell. 'Which to call?' She glanced to the clock on her desk. "7:38p.m.," she muttered to herself. "He should be home."
Placing a slender hand on the phone receiver, she hesitated. 'What if he's busy? I don't want to disturb him.' Though she didn't want to seem bothersome, she also didn't want to explain to Xu why she was having a hard time calling the man. Hesitating once again, she picked up the receiver and put it to her ear. Another minute passed before she dialed the number. After three rings, he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi Laguna. It's me, Quistis Trepe–"
"Quistis! How have you been?"
By the sound of his voice, she could tell he was smiling which in turn made her smile. "I'm fine, and you?"
"I'm as well as to be expected."
"Good." She paused for a moment. "Laguna?"
"Yeah?"
"The reason I called is...well...I need to take a vacation and I was hoping I could stay with you for a bit. Of course, if you don't want any visitors I completely understand." She released the breath she did not know she was holding as she heard him chuckle.
"Quistis! Of course you can stay here. You're welcome any time." He paused, then continued. "How long will you be staying?"
"Hmm...about two months unless that's too much trouble."
"Great! That's no trouble at all. That means I'll have company on Christmas."
Quistis laughed. "Yes, that's right." She thought about her stay for a moment. 'Christmas will be in the middle of my vacation.'
Quistis and Laguna talked for at least two more hours. Thought it was mostly Laguna doing the talking. He was telling her about all the fun she would have in Esthar.