a/n: I have to warn you now. If this story interests you in the least, I really have to warn you. I'm the type of ff writer that loses interest in their stories quickly. I don't want to make any false promises and say that I'll finish it. I might say that I will continue it and if I do the time gaps between them might be rather ... wide and can expand over a year. I hope you enjoy this for what it is. That's all.
"If we lived in another world, during another time, do you think we might have fallen in love?"
The husky words tickled her ear, and she couldn't help but wonder who had spoken them. It wasn't as if anyone was around her, or rather, who would be at that time of night? She clutched to the blanket around her, bringing it closer in hopes to get warm. Taking a glance at the clock she decided, she groaned. Maybe it was just a dream and she would forget all about it in the morning.
– x – x – x – x –
In the morning, however, she couldn't seem to forget the voice from early that morning. Instead, it was as if she couldn't get it out of her mind. Even while at work, even while teaching a class. She couldn't help feeling as if she should have known who the voice belonged to.
"Ms. Trepe?"
"Ah."
She had been staring at the blackboard for a few minutes now. Her hand still pressed against it, in the middle of writing. It wasn't like the blonde to space out like that. She could feel the looks of concern her students (not that much younger than her) were giving her. With a light shake of her head, she scanned over her work before continuing with her lecture.
– x – x – x – x –
At lunch the next day, she was no better. In fact, her friends – coworkers, began to point it out.
"Oh? Look at that."
"What is it?"
"Even while hounded by so many students, she still has time to space out like that."
Jab.
"Ow. What! It's true!"
Snapping out of it, she turned to her coworkers with a wry smile and a slight shake of the head. She had heard the entire exchange. There was really something wrong with her lately. She couldn't seem to get that voice, those words, out of her mind. At a distance, a brunette watched her worriedly as she left to her classroom.
– x – x – x – x –
And so it continued. The next week. The next month.
It hadn't even taken her fan club that long to deuce it must have been over a boy ... and that she had been dumped by them. To those who weren't involved, it might have appeared oddly amusing to see them roaming around the school, trying to figure out just who it would have been. Of course, all their fighting ceased once the woman entered the room. If it wasn't for how perceptive she was she might not have even noticed that there fights had been taking place.
Then that letter arrived on her desk.
– x – x – x – x –
Watching the last student leave the classroom, Xu took this as her chance to talk to her privately.
"Oh, Xu, what brings you here?" Quistis had been expecting her visit for some time now. She knew that it wasn't good and had hoped that she hadn't been "spacing out" as often as she used to now. But, with the way Xu held herself before her. The worried look she gave badly hidden with annoyance. She knew that was wrong.
"What has been going on with you?" The same question she'd been asking the blonde every day now. Each time, Quistis had somehow managed to evade the question, by student or by work. This time, Xu had her trapped.
"Hm...?" Quistis looked up at her innocently.
"Quisty."
She sighed and motioned for Xu to come closer. The brunette raised a brow and did so. Just loud enough so Xu could hear, she whispered in her ear, "If we lived in another world, during another time, do you think we might have fallen in love?"
Xu sputtered, moving away from her quickly. She had a feeling that it was about love, but towards her? "I – I –"
"Pffft."
Quistis covered her mouth as she began to laugh. She knew that Xu would act that way. In fact, she hoped so. If only she had a camera to take her picture.
"T – that's not funny." The brunette said, finally regaining her composure, although there was still a hint of red coloring her cheeks. She wagged her finger. "You still haven't told me what's bothering you."
"It's exactly as I've told you."
"B – but?"
"I can't figure out who asked me that." She sighed, as she took a seat at her desk. "I know that I should but ..."
Xu watched her carefully. There were some thing things – a lot actually, that she didn't know about the blonde's past. It was almost like a carefully guarded secret. Eventually, the blonde had explained to her that she simply didn't remember and Xu never brought it up again, even if she knew that there was more to it than that.
"It has something to do with your past, doesn't it?" She eventually asked.
"I suppose so." She replied, sounding rather unsure of herself.
Xu wasn't quite sure if she should push this any further now and decided to change the subject. She scanned the blonde's desk for a topic. "Hm? What's this?" Xu picked up the brown, rather official looking envelope, from the blonde's desk. She looked at Quistis with a small frown. The address was blacked out and all that was left was the name ... written in Chinese. She didn't even know that Quistis could read it.
"I'm not sure. I got it this morning, but I haven't opened it yet." She answered
"I can see that." Xu said dryly. "I meant, do you have a clue who it's from?"
"No." Finished gathering what she needed to bring home, she took the envelope from Xu's hands. "I'll read it when I get home."
"Not in front of me?"
"It could be private, you know."
"Fine. Take your 'private' letter elsewhere."
"I will." She smirked, leaving Xu alone in the classroom.