Disclaimer: Well, you know the routine – I don't own FF8, or any of the characters, locations etc.
Author's note: It's been a very long time since I wrote a fanfic, but I'm finally feeling inspired. This story is a one-shot sort-of-sequel to both Please, Remember Me and Don't You Look At Me Like That, and I suggest that you read those two first, if you haven't already.
And now, on with this story!
Surprise Meeting in Deling
Quistis had been in Deling City for about six months, and had settled into a steady routine. She would rise quite late in the morning, fiddle about with the paper she was writing on her experiences working with GFs, spend the afternoon shopping or researching, come back to the Hotel to change for dinner and have a quick drink in the bar before eating. Somehow, the search for a permanent residence had never really started, and now, half way through her sabbatical, it seemed a bit of a pointless exercise. As a result she had become a familiar figure around the Deling City Hotel.
That evening – the one that would change her life forever – was just like all the others so far. She had spent a useful day in front of her laptop and was feeling very pleased with herself. The paper was finally taking shape, and she might even be able to publish it before the year was up. She walked along the Hotel's corridor, absentmindedly shoving her room key into her bag. As she reached the lift, the doors whispered open to allow another guest to exit the small metal box. Stepping inside, Quistis pushed the button for the ground floor and leaned against the back wall of the lift.
'Damn!' he muttered, as he watched the doors of the lift begin to close. He ran the last few paces and grabbed the edge of one door just before they snapped together. There was a female gasp of surprise from inside the lift and Seifer prepared his best 'apology face', but it dissolved into a mask of pure shock when the lift doors finally gave way to the insistent pressure of his hand.
'Instructor!' he exclaimed, and then mentally kicked himself at the look of pain that flitted briefly across her face. 'Quistis… I… I'm sorry! It's just such a surprise…'
'Hello, Seifer. What have you been doing for the last six months?' replied the blonde woman in front of him, completely ignoring his mumbled apology.
He was tempted to snarl a response, but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, seeing him must have been as much of a surprise to her as to him.
'Just a bit of this and that,' Seifer said, guardedly. 'Will you at least let me buy you a drink?'
She nearly lied and told him she was not going to the bar, that she was meeting someone. But then she gave herself a mental shake. After all, he had tried to apologise for his slip of the tongue, and seeing her must have been a bit of a shock for him, too. And it was so long since she had seen anyone who reminded her of home.
That was the problem with Seifer, though. Seeing him brought back memories of Garden, and memories of Garden brought memories of Squall and Rinoa.
'Penny for them,' whispered Seifer, so close to her ear that she jumped. The doors of the lift opened at that moment, allowing her to recover her poise as she walked out into the foyer of the Hotel.
'I was just wondering which of the Hotel's excellent, and expensive, cocktails to order,' she told him.
He did not even flinch. 'Your wish is my command, Miss Trepe,' was his smooth reply.
She raised one eyebrow, but remained silent as they walked down the carpeted stairs into the bar. They settled into one of the cosy little booths, and waited for someone to take their order. Quistis read the cocktail menu with a fixed expression of total concentration, but in reality she knew exactly what she would have.
'Can I take your order, please?' enquired the pretty red-haired waitress, who had 'Torla' written on the badge pinned to her blouse.
'I'll have a pint of bitter, please,' Seifer replied, flashing the waitress his friendliest smile. If he played his cards right, he could ditch Quistis after a drink or two, find out what time the waitress finished her shift, and enjoy a very interesting evening with her.
Torla blushed slightly, and said, 'Thank you, Sir,' before turning to Quistis. 'And you… Miss…?'
Quistis smiled up at her. 'I'll have a Galbadian Sling, please.'
'So, how long have you been in Deling?' Quistis asked conversationally, breaking his concentration as he watched the waitress moving between the tables.
Frowning at the interruption, Seifer thought for a moment. 'I got in earlier today. What about you?'
'I've been here about six months, now.'
Struck by a sudden thought, Seifer asked, 'Why Deling?'
'There's no better place to hide than a big city,' replied the blonde with a shrug.
'Hide?' he gasped, trying not to laugh. 'I have never thought of you as the type to hide.'
'Sometimes we all need to duck out of sight for a while,' snapped Quistis.
Their drinks arrived just then, covering the awkwardness of the moment, and Quistis was grateful for the interruption. She decided that she would just drink it quickly and make her excuses. Why, oh, why had she ever agreed to go for a drink with Seifer of all people?
A silence settled between them that threatened to stretch until they could decently get away from each other. 'Pull yourself together, Trepe!' Quistis silently berated herself. 'You can at least be polite to him.'
She smiled, and turned towards him, slightly. 'Do you ever see anyone from… home? Garden, I mean.'
Shaking his head, Seifer took a pull at his beer. 'Only Rajin and Fujin. You know we're in business now? Yeah – we offer personal security to anyone who can afford us. Visiting dignitaries, mostly.'
Quistis wondered if he was trying to impress her, but she let him talk on. He was warming to the subject, and becoming more animated – and better company – as a result. Also, it saved her from having to say anything.
'…and next thing you know, Fujin's on her rear end, surrounded by yappy little dogs!'
They both laughed at this image, although Quistis had very little idea what the rest of the anecdote had been about. She was feeling much more relaxed now, probably as a result of the cocktail – no, make that two cocktails – that she had drunk. The empty glass in front of her came as a bit of a shock, and she sipped at the half-full drink in her hand cautiously. Better slow down; she certainly did not want to get drunk in front of Seifer.
Seifer watched her over the top of his third pint. She appeared to be listening to his stories, but it was always hard to tell what was going on in her head. 'Well, enough about me,' he thought. 'Time to chip away at that shell of yours, my pretty.'
'So, how have you been spending your time, here?' he asked.
'I'm on sabbatical,' answered Quistis carefully. 'I just needed to get away from Garden after… after the battle with Ultimecia. So much had happened, and I wanted to try to make sense of it all. I just couldn't do that with… with everyone peering over my shoulder.
'Matron suggested I take some time out, and do a paper on my experiences of working with the GFs. So, that's what I'm doing.'
Her slight hesitancies had not gone unnoticed by Seifer. Whatever her feelings for Squall had been, they had been more than those of an instructor for a student; even he had known that. Seeing the Commander with Rinoa must have been difficult for her, just as it had been for him.
'They make a great couple, though, don't you think?' he asked sardonically.
His question obviously disturbed her equilibrium, because she turned to face him fully for the first time with her mouth open.
'Oh, why skirt around the issue?' demanded Seifer, with a shrug. 'We're both pleased for them, that they're happy together. Doesn't mean we aren't cut up about it.'
He finished his beer in a single swig, aware that she was staring at him. 'Fancy another?' he asked, preparing to raise his hand and call Torla over again.
It was a surprise to hear him speak so plainly, but it was a bit of a relief, too. He really was the only person in the whole world who could even begin to understand. Whether or not he had ever had more than a teenage crush on Rinoa, Quistis knew that they had spent a lot of time together during 'that' summer. Some things took a lot of getting over.
She put out her hand to stop him calling the waitress. 'Let's eat,' she suggested, simply. 'No point in getting off our faces, and becoming all maudlin over the past. We need to find something else to talk about.'
The genuine smile that spread across his face in response made her smile in return. It was always good to make someone else feel better, she told herself. And if that someone was a handsome young man with sparkling eyes, all the better.
They made their way to the restaurant, and sat at a table in the window. Prepared to enjoy both the meal and each other's company, they also found plenty of diversion in watching the crowds flowing past outside. By the time they were drinking their coffee, Quistis felt that she had never laughed so much in her whole life, and Seifer was thinking that this new, relaxed version of his old instructor was a lot of fun to know.
Seifer gallantly refused to allow Quistis to pay for her share of the meal, and, even more gallantly, offered to walk her to her room. At the door, she fumbled for her room key, found it and fitted it into the lock. She paused before turning it, asking, 'Would you like to come in, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.
'Er, yeah… thanks,' Seifer replied, feeling just as uncertain and clumsy.
She laughed, suddenly, breaking the tension. 'Listen to us, mumbling like a pair of teenagers!' she giggled, turning as she spoke.
Before Seifer was quite aware of what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed her, quickly and lightly. There was a moment's stunned silence as they both absorbed what had happened. Then she put one hand up to the back of his head and pulled his lips down to hers, the kiss deepening as they both lost themselves in the moment.
At last, they parted, and Quistis, still holding Seifer's gaze, turned the key in the lock and opened the door to her room, and to her heart.
Author's note: Hope that didn't jump around too much for people to follow. Please take a moment to leave a review – good or bad, all criticism is welcome, as long as it's constructive. As always, I promise to read and review at least one of your stories in return.