A/N: When I started this fic it was supposed to be a cheesy Christmas story, but somewhere alone the line something went wrong and it turned out to be I have no idea what it is. Still, I hope you wanna read it cause it's interesting. Huge Quistis/Squall warning here, so if that disgusts you or whatever, I suggest you leave right now, to save us both some pain. Hmm, what else hope you're into angels and fantasy and then I'm just gonna say Marry Christmas to all my readers, you're great, hope you'll stay with me in the future and a Happy New Year. May year 2001 be great for everyone!
A/N 2: Miraculous two characters just disappeared. Hope nobody misses them: Rinoa and Irvine.
A Dream For Christmas
Quistis went through the mail that were lying at her desk. Not one single Christmas card. Just a bill, a note about The ultimate way to get good hair. For good.' and a magazine filled with happy stuff about Christmas. Christmas wasn't a happy time for her. It had never been. Of course her friends were great and all, but she had always felt something missing. Perhaps it was just the Christmas spirit, perhaps it was something else. She didn't know, but she tried her best. All the gift were bought and rapped perfectly. A bright shinning star was hanging in the little dorm window and she had even put on some Christmas music.
I get a little lonely
And all I want for Christmas is you
Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas
Nobody ought to beought to be alone on Christmas
Well,' then she thought. make my Christmas wish come true then.' She went through tomorrow's program in her head again. Breakfast with porridge at noon, then Zell had created a Holiday Video Party' with tons of Christmas cartoons and movies. Then, after a quick change, dinner at six before they all went into the ballroom with the gigantic Christmas tree to open the presents which were all waiting under it.
"Same procedure as last year, Madame?" "Same procedure as every year, James."
Yes, it was the Christmas she had known, and loved actually, for years. A knock at the door interrupted her depressive thoughts and she walked over to answer it. It was Selphie.
"Hi!" the brunette greeted her.
"Hi," she answered with a tiny smile.
"What are you doing? Oooooh, I can't wait until tomorrow! This will be my first Balamb Christmas. Is it true you have the greatest Christmas tree? Zell keeps telling me, but they won't allow me to go inside and see. Me! The leader of the Garden Festivals!" she stopped to catch her breath.
Quistis laughed. "Well, I'm just Zell told you about the tree? Well, he never lies to his friends so it must be great. I haven't seen it yet. And if you're not allowed inside, I'm sure it is because he wants to surprise you."
Selphie's eyes widened. "You think so?"
Quistis laughed at her reaction. "Always have. I've not known Zell for a long time, not much longer than you, and I even I can see that he likes you."
"No" The usually sparkly girl looked down and suddenly paid her shoes lots of attention.
"Come on! If you only gave him a little sign in return that you like him too, I'm sure he'd ask you out in a sec!"
"Maybe I will then!" she joked. "What about you Quiz, anyone special in mind this year?" she added, suddenly serious.
"Well" Quistis hesitated. Selphie was a good friend and deserved to know, but if this secret came out... "There's this guy" she didn't get any further because Selphie interrupted.
"Oh, oh, oh. Anyone I know? Is he cute? What's he like? Quistis, you gotta tell me!"
"Well, of course he's cute. He's well, technically he's delicious." Both of the girls laughed at this very unlikely Quistis statement before the blonde girl continued. "And you probably know him and he's gorgeous!" She said the last word with a moan and the girls laughed again.
"Lucky you. So, does Mr. Wonderful know that you like him?"
"God, no! And he'll probably never know either. It's a sad story really. Story of my life."
"Quistis!" Selphie complained before suddenly getting a good idea. "Finish this song for me All I want for Christmas is you and you would be'" Selphie sang.
"Zell Dincht. I know. Now, go, go find him!"
"But but I meant for you to" Selphie didn't get any further because Quistis shoved her out of the room and into the hall.
"I'm sure he's looking for you," Quistis gave her friend a I'm-the-all-knowing-guy(?)-today' look. "Go, Juliet, go. Find your Romeo."
Selphie stared at her. "You're weird. You scare me."
"I'm weird. I scare everyone."
"But Quistis, it's Christmas! And I haven't even bought you a present. I need to know who this guy is. I'll tell Zell on one condition. You come with me and show me this wonder boy of yours." Selphie looked so determent Quistis didn't dare to say no.
"Oh alright then! If we find him, I'll let you know. If not"
" you'll get a teddy bear. Deal. Let's go." Selphie said and grabbed her hand.
"Is it him?" Selphie asked for the tenth million time and pointed at Nida. The two girls had been in every classroom, the cafeteria, the training center, even the parking lot, but Quistis had answered Selphie's question with a quick shook on her head.
"Mmm nope!"
"Quistis, we're looked at every guy at the whole school! Is mmm, nope' all you can say? I've found enough cute guys to last a lifetime!"
"I think we've missed three or so. Unfortunately for you my guy is probably one of them."
"Probably!? Probably!?!" Selphie whined. "You're telling me that you lied and that you do actually like Raijin!"
Quistis laughed. "No no, no, no, no, no. I swear by everything I own and ever will own, I'm not in love with Raijin. And no, we haven't seen him today."
Selphie sat down on a bench and Quistis joined her. "Let's see," Selphie started. "Who haven't we seen today there's always Zell, but not even you would" Selphie glared over at Quistis who shook her head energetically. "That leaves us ah! Seifer!"
Quistis opened her mouth in shock. "Me and Seifer? No, no, no, no, no. That is just soooo wrong. Doesn't make any sense at all. I mean, to like Seifer you'd have to be pretty messed up and"
"Alright, alright, forget I mentioned it. Sorry to say this, but this leaves only your best friend Squall."
"Best friend? When did we become best friends?"
"You finish his sentences for him. Now, if that's not connection, nothing is."
Quistis smiled weakly. "You think?"
"Always has. Well, ever since I first saw you though. Sorry to say it, but when I lived at Trabia, you and Squall weren't exactly on my mind."
The blonde girl's smile grew wider. "Can't blame you. You didn't know us."
"My point exactly!"
After a little silence, Selphie turned towards her friends again. "So, is it Squall?"
"Sorry to break the plans I know you've already made, but no."
"No? No you say Quistis, you're impossible!"
"Never said I was anything else," Quistis said mischievously.
"Ooooh," Selphie sighed.
"We didn't see him. Tough luck. We still have one part left of our Pre-Christmassy-Emma-Tour' and I believe the next stop is at ahmm, Zell Dincht?"
"Oh no! Do we have to?" Selphie asked, rather panicky.
"A promise is a promise. Now off we go." Quistis stood up and offered her hand to Selphie.
Selphie took it and let Quistis drag her up. "What about your promise then?"
"We didn't see him. Is that my fault?"
"Guess not I still got a pretty good idea though."
"You did huh?" Quistis ask as the girls walked back to the dorms.
"Did indeed and don't you worry, Ms. Trepe. Detective Tilmitt is on your case!"
"Oh God, can somebody just shot me now?" Quistis asked into the air.
"Well, here's my stop," Selphie said and stopped outside Zell's door. "So long, Quisty."
"Good luck and"
"Yeah?"
"I think you should remove that lipstick from your teeth before knocking at his door."
Selphie stared at her in shock before quickly finding a pocket mirror. After a quick look she realized her teeth were as flawless as they had been when she brushed them earlier that morning.
"Quistis!" she yelled, but the blonde girl was already at the end of the hallway, a wave and a heartily laughter was all Selphie perceived before Zell opened the door with a puzzled look.
Later that evening, Quistis heard a knock at her door, again. She opened it, expecting to see Selphie, but the person standing there was no other than Squall.
"Hi," he whispered. She was just about to ask why he whispered, but then she noticed his shirt, it was covered in blood.
"Oh my Squall, what happened?" she said and took a quick step forward to catch him as he looked like he was going to fall over. At last she was holding him in her arms, but this was not the way she had wanted it to happen. Quistis helped him over to her bed and he moaned at the pain of moving. She kneeled in front of him and looked up to meet his eyes. They were half closed, but she knew he could see her or at least she hoped so.
She took his hand carefully. "Squall, you have to tell me what happened?"
"I" The pain were overwhelming, but he tried again. "It was a gunfight," he tired to remove his jacket. Quistis quickly got up and helped him take it off. The lower part of the white undershirt was drenched in blood. "The bullet went through here," he pointed at a darker spot.
"Why didn't you go to see the doctor instead of me? I can't I can't help you Squall."
"Maybe you can't help me but you can save my soul."
Slowly she let go of his hand and without thinking lifted her hands, which were also bloody by now, up to her face. The tears, only held in by the shock, started to run freely down her face washing her hands in the process.
"What do you mean?" she whispered.
"Be my angel tell me you love me."
After a moment of hesitation, she gathered all of her strength and said the three words she'd always wanted to say, but not like this not this way. "I love you," then she added his full name. "Squall Alexander Leonhart."
His lips did a little smile, she knew that that smile would take the rest of his earthly strength. His body fell backward, exhausted by the pain. She bent over his face, carefully stroking his wild hair away from his eyes.
"Love you my angel" his eyes closed shut and his rapid breathing stopped. The last thing he felt was a tear hitting his forehead.
"No no nooooo!" the blonde beauty twisted and turned in her bed, while mumbling words that didn't make sense to anyone. "Not yet not like this You"
Suddenly she was wide awake. After a quick look around in the dark room she placed both hands on her chins. "'re not dead," she whispered, finishing the sentence from her dream. It was Christmas Eve, and she had never felt worse in her life.
Rather groggy she went down to the ballroom where all her friends greeted her a Marry Christmas and she found a seat along the enormous table, next to Selphie and Zell who were holding hands, so she guessed last night had gone as planned. The one person she couldn't locate was Squall.
"Where's Squall?" she whispered to Selphie.
"Oh, isn't he here? Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere Oh Quisty, I can't thank you enough! Thank you for making me do that, knocking on his door I mean, these past twelve hours has been like a dream!"
Quistis tried a weak smile. It felt fake and wrong. "I'm glad it worked out for you guys."
"Don't look now, but Mr. Wonderful's here," Selphie said with a quick nod backwards. Quistis slowly turned. Selphie was right, there he was and he truly looked wonderful.
"Should I?" Quistis didn't even have time to finish the question before Selphie pushed her so hard, she had to get off the chair or she would have fallen to the floor. With left no choice, Quistis walked over to him. He was standing just inside the doorway looking out of the huge window, like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Hi," she said softly.
He looked at her, slightly surprised. "Hey Quistis."
"Marry Christmas."
"I wonder."
"Why?"
"Just because it's December 24th, does that mean all of our problems go away?"
"Guess not."
They stood still for a while, before Squall gave her a look and started walking towards the huge window he had been looking at. Quistis hoped it meant that he wanted her to follow him so she did.
"No snow," he stated after a short pause.
"No Christmas spirit," she answered.
He smiled his little half smile which she loved so much. "So it's not just me?"
"I never understood Christmas," she admitted.
"Me neither."
"I had this weird dream tonight" she started. He didn't make a move, didn't even look at her. She hoped that meant he wanted to hear the rest of her story. "Somebody I care about died. Right in front of my eyes."
He still didn't make a move.
"When did you tell me your middle name is Alexander?" she asked, hoping for a reaction, any at all.
"I didn't," he said quietly. "I've never told anyone."
Both of them went quiet after this statement. Finally Quistis broke it. "You know in the olden days, they believed the world is built on illusions. That all we see is based on what the soul remembers from the dream world the real world."
"But we're here now."
"Maybe."
"Caught in a prison of dreams"
"We could do worse."
The silence that followed was deafening. They heard laughter from the table, only the gigantic Christmas tree separated them from the rest of the school.
"Why Alexander?" she finally asked.
"My mom I've been told I was born in the middle of a storm. A loud gust of wind terrified everyone in the room, but Raine she kept cool, that's when she decided Squall after the wind Alexander after her favorite Guardian Force."
"That's beautiful."
"No, that's sentimental, my Quistis, who lives in a world of dreams."
"Sometimes dreams can be more real that reality."
"But reality's real."
"Who's to say that dreams are not?"
"Then maybe I did die"
Quistis turned quickly and stared at him. "I never said"
"You didn't have to. Just like I didn't have to tell you my name. We knew."
"We see what we dream reality is nothing more than a memory. And I I remember you. My soul remembers you."
"We share the same dream. Always have."
"My dream is you," the blonde girl no, angel, whispered.
"And mine is you. Merry Christmas, angel."
Finally he took her into his arms and held her close, she would have met his eyes if it weren't for that they were filled with tears. Of happiness this time. But still he tilted her head carefully up and looked into a face he had always known, but never remembered.
"In spite of what you think I didn't forget" he let her go for a second and reach down into his pocket and pulled out a little silver box. "to buy you a present." He looked tenderly at her while she opened it and took out a shinning ring. A crystal-clear stone shone at them. Squall placed it where it belonged, at her finger and embraced her.
"When does the dream end?" he whispered into her hair.
She took some time before answering. "Usually when the angel falls," she said at last.
"I won't let you fall," he said before his lips met hers.
Outside it started to snow.
At the end I wanna stand at the beginning with you