A/N: Withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal, withdrawal…
:Sigh:
I'm a frickin' mess…
The only consolation is that… I'm going on vacation tomorrow!
I'm going to be away for about six days, meaning that the next update will be in about a week or so.
Enjoy!
EDIT: The version previously uploaded here was not complete, because I wasn't certain whether it was violating ffnet's NC-17 rule or not. A lot of people have e-mailed or PMed me for this, and since I've come to get to know the site's policies a little better, I've decided the full version should easily make it past the censors, so to speak.
Last chapter summary: A rescue mission gone awry… Quistis is safe, but Ellone has been kidnapped by Galbadians. Meanwhile, Squall deals with the pain of letting yet another beloved person go…
A second chance
By: Sickness in Salvation
Chapter 35: Sway among the fireflies
Squall Leonhart had never felt more alone in his life.
Slouched into one of the numerous seats within a chamber inside Ragnarok, he was rubbing his sore temples, only to realize that this kind of numb pain wouldn't go away that easily.
Sighing, he wondered if he'd just made the biggest mistake of his young life.
His boring, sickeningly organized, gray, dull, disgusting life… Until the sudden change it was subjected to, one fateful night only a few months ago.
If love was a color, then for him in was white. If love was a piece of clothing, then for him it was a short dress. If love was a sound, then for him it was a fit of angelic laughter.
And love had presented itself to him, under the starry veil of the night sky, a chilly breeze blowing against his face, outside in secluded balcony.
It had mended his repeatedly broken heart, brought smile upon his face, brought color into his colorblind life and had filled his dried up body with the juices of emotion.
But he had been too stubborn to accept it. And now he would have to pay for it.
Dearly.
He buried his face into his palm 'I'm such an idiot…' he thought 'But what could I have possible done? It's her life, her decision…'
'Ahh… But you drove her away from you and towards that choice with your cold behavior, didn't you? If you had accepted her from the beginning, then she might have chosen to stay…' spoke a nagging voice in the back of his head. The voice of his inner conscience, tormenting his already troubled beyond relief mind.
The sound of the doors behind him sliding open made him jump up startled.
"Hellooooo? Anyone here?"
Squall sighed deeply. He didn't want to see anyone right now, much less Seifer Almasy…
Half-heartedly, he got up from his seat and saw Seifer with Quistis standing before him. He arched an eyebrow.
"What's that you're wearing?" Squall asked Seifer. The latter rolled his eyes.
"Of all the stupid questions…" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Squall, you're OK!" Quistis exclaimed.
"I don't see why you must feel so excited…" Seifer said, narrowing his eyes at her "And it's an Estharian Air Force Unit uniform, by the way."
Squall was staring at both of them, bewildered.
"I'm guessing I missed a couple of chapters?" he asked, almost wearily.
"Well… A lot of things happened." Quistis said, grinning awkwardly "I was unconscious for a while after the escape pod touched down. When I came to, Ellone told me that Estharian forces were on their way to pick us up. Unfortunately…"
"Galbadia got there first." Seifer finished for her "I was in the Palace with Laguna-"
"Who?" Squall asked, eyes widening.
"Yes, THE Laguna." Seifer said, grinning "He's the President of Esthar, you know…" Squall's eyes had yet to return to normal size "Anyway…" Seifer went on "I was in the Palace. Laguna had asked to meet with me, when he got a call about the pod that crashed. And they also told him about you rushing out to space to save Rinoa. Quite the show-off act if you ask me…"
"I didn't…" Squall said through clenched teeth.
"…but still, it got Rinoa back and safe, so I'm not complaining…" Seifer added. Squall looked away "Then, we gathered some forces and went looking for the pod, but when we arrived the Galbadians were already there. Some sick fuck," Seifer's eyes glinted with malice "Betrayed Esthar and told them about Ellone's whereabouts. That's why they got there first. There was a battle, but they managed to escape with Ellone." Squall sighed 'That's just great… Even more bad news…'
"And then we all came back to get you and Rinoa." Quistis finished up.
"Where is she, by the way?" Seifer asked, looking around.
"Yeah, where's the princess that changed the ever-cautious Squall?" Quistis teased, grinning.
Squall opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when the door slid open again. Zell entered first, soon followed by Irvine and Selphie.
"Squall!" Zell exclaimed, dashing forward to him "S'up, my man?" he asked, playfully slapping him on the back.
Unfortunately, Zell's strength was not something to joke about, meaning that his 'playful' gestures often resulted into casualties. Squall staggered forward.
"I'm good…" he mumbled.
"So glad you're safe!" Selphie squealed. Irvine simply tipped his hat at him and winked.
"Hey, man…" Zell began, rubbing the back of his head "I hate to tell you this now, but we've got major problems down here. Well, here it goes! Some big thing called Lunatic Pandora came out of nowhere. Matron couldn't achieve what she set out to do because of it. Which is ok. Matron's not a sorceress anymore. Matron gave away her power to someone without realizing it." he said, grinning.
Squall's expression darkened 'Yes… To Rinoa…' he thought.
"And, ah…" Zell went on "Oh yeah, the Galbadian military is controlling Lunatic Pandora. They excavated it from the ocean where Esthar sank it years ago. Inside the Lunatic Pandora, there's this thing called a 'Crystal Pillar'. It calls monsters from the moon. The monsters came falling from the moon. Total panic down here." Squall's forehead began to ache "It wasn't just monsters that came falling down. Sorceress Adel came down along with the machine that confined her. I guess the stream of falling monsters engulfed the machine. Lunatic Pandora caught Adel from that stream! Dr. Odine thinks that may have been Galbadia's true intent. Meaning-"
"Zell, that's enough for now." Squall interrupted the blond.
"But Squall!" Zell protested.
"Leave him be for a sec, will ya Wuss?" Seifer piped in "Let him get some rest first. We could all use some…"
"It's not that…" Squall mumbled
"Then what's wrong?" Quistis asked.
"Rinoa is a sorceress now. She received Matron's powers." Squall replied. His words were greeted by a round of gasps "An escort from Esthar came to pick Rinoa up. Rinoa's in Esthar now."
"We have to go get her!" Selphie squealed and ran outside through the doors again, closely followed by Irvine.
"They kidnapped her?" Seifer hissed.
"No." Squall replied, shaking his head in negation "It was Rinoa's decision. She was scared about being a sorceress… Scared of being feared… hated… Scared that no one would want to be around her… She said she couldn't handle that."
"Didn't you try to stop her, Squall?" Quistis asked incredulously.
"It was Rinoa's decision. What right do I have to object?" Squall said, shrugging.
"Oh, stop that! What are you talking about?" Quistis burst out "Why did you go all the way out into space to save Rinoa? To hand her over to Esthar? So that you might never see her again? No, right? Wasn't it because you wanted to be with Rinoa?" she yelled.
Squall looked away, frowning. Why couldn't anyone understand that even though this was tearing him apart, he hadto respect Rinoa's decision?
"Squall…" Quistis went on "You're like a brother to me. And the only reason I'm being harsh to you is to make you understand. You are letting go of the one good thing that ever happened to your life without putting up so much of a fight. Don't make this mistake. Don't be a fool."
"Seriously." Zell agreed.
"Strike fool…" Seifer said, crossing his arms "I was thinking of something more along the lines of fucking retard! How could you let her be harmed, you idiot?" he yelled, advancing on him.
Squall lowered his head to the floor 'An idiot, huh?'
"Maybe I am…" he mumbled.
'What am I doing…?' he suddenly realized 'I may never get to hear Rinoa's voice again…What the hell am I doing? What can I do? …Of course…'
"Well?" Quistis said, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.
"Heading to Esthar, right?" Zell suggested hopefully.
"Pandora… whatever and Sorceress Adel are out of my hands." Squall said "I don't even know where to look for Sis. The only thing I know is Rinoa. The only thing I want to do for sure right now is for Rinoa. We're going to get Rinoa back!"
"Now he fucking wakes up!" Seifer said, exasperated.
Squall rushed towards the doors, only a second before the entire ship shook vigorously. With a shrill gasp, Quistis fell backwards and into Seifer's arms. They both hit the floor with a thud, just like Squall and Zell had done. Quistis turned to look at Seifer, who merely grinned ad held her tighter. Quistis's eyes fell upon the windows behind them.
"Ahh… Excuse me…We're flying?" she uttered.
Everyone slowly got up to their feet and rushed to glance outside as well, only to realize Quistis was right.
"I hope this ain't the case but," Zell said "I can picture Selphie in the pilot seat, and-"
"…Selphie screaming, 'Whoo-hoo, we're flying!'" Quistis added.
"And cowboy standing right next to her…" Seifer grunted.
'Overly excited…' Squall mentally added.
- "Let's go check it out…" Seifer said, running towards the exit.
The double doors of the cockpit split open.
Seifer stepped inside, looking around him apprehensively. Right behind him, so was everyone else.
Their worst fears had just taken form before their very eyes…
"Whoo-hoo! We're flying!" Selphie squealed.
"Selphie's just amazing!" Irvine said proudly, beaming at her.
The auburn-haired girl was sitting in the pilot's seat, apparently controlling the ship, while Irvine was standing above her, admiring her.
"You sure you can fly this?" Squall asked, almost afraid of her answer.
"It just kinda took off!" Selphie replied, giggling "I don't know. It's pretty easy. I think I'll be fine. But there's no guarantee it won't crash!"
Seifer shared a look of utmost panic with Quistis. She knew he wasn't actually fond of flying in the first place, but with Selphie as the pilot… Hyne help his terrified soul…
"Quistis…" he whispered at her "I want to be cremated and my ashes scattered across-"
"Oh, hush!" Quistis said, rolling her eyes "We'll be fine…"
"You know I don't like-"
"Flying. Yes, I do." Quistis replied "Why don't we just go sit down?" she suggested.
"It's a fucking phobia, y'know… It's not like I'm a wuss or something…" he mumbled, while following Quistis towards the seats.
"Never said you were…" Quistis said, chuckling.
Squall approached the pilot's seat.
"Selphie, head for Esthar." he said determinedly "Rinoa's probably at the Sorceress Memorial. We're gonna go rescue her."
"Booyaka!"
Cold…
She felt so cold…
Trapped within an eternal, frozen prison. That was her fate…
Forever…
'Squall…' Rinoa thought 'I'll never see you again…'
'Goodbye…'
"Rinoa, hold on! I'll get you out in a sec!"
Her eyes snapped open.
Had she just heard…? No… No, it couldn't be…
But it was!
Squall! He had come for her!
He was desperately banging against the thick, crystal-like wall of her prison.
Rinoa pressed her palms against the same wall, staring at him wide-eyed.
"What am I supposed to do? Come on!" Squall yelled in exasperation.
She watched as he drew his glowing Lionheart blade out and brought it down to the wires before him with might. The wires split open and fumes began to emit.
Rinoa's prison began to melt away within seconds.
Squall was standing before it, patiently waiting as the fumes began to clear out.
And then he saw her.
Dashing towards him, face full of longing, arms wide open.
She fell into his arms and he held her so tightly, as if he was afraid she might slip away again. She lost herself within his strong arms, never wanting to let go.
But…
She had to…
"Squall, don't!" Rinoa said, pulling away "I'm a sorceress."
"I don't care." he told her firmly.
Rinoa gave him one of her heart-warming smiles, a tear trickling from the corner of her eye. Squall returned the genuine smile and Rinoa buried her face into his embrace once again.
"Rinoa! Squall!" Quistis called.
Both of them wheeled around abruptly towards her. Squall turned and looked at Rinoa again.
"Let's go." he said and she nodded.
They shared a tight hug once again and dashed away towards the entrance, holding hands.
They found Seifer, Irvine and Quistis outside, fending off the Estharian soldiers that had come to take them away. Seifer, who was pointing the ever-so-sharp tip of Hyperion against a soldier's neck, gave Rinoa a quick glance out of the corner of his eye.
"Princess…" he grinned "Long time no see…"
"It's good to be back… I guess…" Rinoa replied, frowning upon looking at the soldiers.
Squall gently pushed her behind him and prepared to take out his own gunblade, whena man wearing Esthar clothing approached them. Without saying a single word, he motioned to the soldiers to let them go. Surprisingly, they immediately stepped aside.
"Thanks, Ward…" Seifer said, winking at him "Come on, go, go, go!" he urged everyone.
"Ward…?" Squall wondered out loud.
"I'll explain later, Pubes! Now skedaddle!" the blond hissed at his co-Commander.
Rinoa stood at the very back of the Ragnarok cockpit, arms folded behind her waist, looking quite shy.
"What's wrong, Rinoa?" Quistis asked, not at all used at Rinoa being quiet and timid.
"I'm just a little… embarrassed." Rinoa admitted, grinning awkwardly.
"Ha!" scoffed Seifer "That's a new one!" he said, earning a glare from Squall.
"Why are you embarrassed?" Zell asked Rinoa.
"I was so set on staying in Esthar." she replied "But then, when you guys rescued me… It made me so happy, and…"
"No need to be embarrassed!" Irvine reassured her.
"Yeah, happy is good!" Selphie called from the pilot's seat.
"And don't act like you weren't expecting it, kiddo…" Seifer said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder "D'you really think we'd leave you high an' dry?"
Seifer's gesture was greeted by glares from both sides. One of them, naturally, came from Squall. The other, from Quistis…
Chuckling, Seifer uncoiled his arm from around Rinoa.
"Sheesh, Pubes…" he addressed Squall "I wasn't gonna steal your Princess away, lover-boy…"
Squall looked away, blushing, making Rinoa giggle. Seifer turned and looked at Quistis, who had crossed her arms and had pursed her lips. When no-one was looking, he sent her a kiss and a wink. Quistis groaned and rolled her eyes, looking away.
"Thanks… everybody." Rinoa finally said.
"Squall, you're awfully quiet. What's up?" Zell asked 'I have a lot on my mind…' Squall thought.
"As an expert Squall observer," Quistis piped in "He's thinking: what do we do now? Blah, blah, blah… If you think and worry too much, everything tends to turn out bad."
"Look who's giving him heat about worrying too much!" Seifer quipped at Quistis, smirking.
Quistis clenched her teeth and glared at Seifer.
"For once in your life," she hissed, indicating 'one' with her index finger "Can't you just drop the sarcasm? Just once! That's aaall I'm asking!"
"Fine, be that way." Seifer said shrugging "But that won't get you on my good side tonight, y'know…" he said, arching both eyebrows playfully.
Blushing from head to toe, Quistis took a deep breath, turning away from Seifer.
"As I was saying…" she resumed, ignoring the muffled sniggers coming from pretty much every direction "Squall. Why don't we just picture a brighter future?" she addressed her former student.
"…Whatever." Squall said, shrugging.
"But seriously, what do we do from here?" Zell asked "I'm not really sure, but… Don't we have to do something about 'Lunatic Pandora' in Esthar? After all, the Galbadians are controlling it."
"It's all under Ultimecia's command…" Squall mumbled.
"Yeah, and that Ultimecia!" Zell exclaimed "We can't let that sorceress from the future mess up our world! Let's go kick her ass! We're SeeDs! We're here to destroy the sorceress, right?" he yelled. At the sound of those words, Rinoa's face fell.
"ZELL!" Squall yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Nice going, Chicken-Wuss…" Seifer sneered, narrowing his eyes at the other blond.
"…S-Sorry…" poor Zell mumbled, looking down to the floor, embarrassed.
"So… where we goin' then?" Irvine asked.
"Listen…" Seifer said, finally deciding to switch to 'serious mode' "It's beginning to get dark outside. We're all strained… I know the matter of Lunatic Pandora and Ultimecia are more than urgent, but they can wait for just one night. We should get some rest first and make our plan first thing tomorrow morning."
"I second that…" Selphie said, letting out a huge yawn "Otherwise I might fall asleep on the controls…" Seifer's eyes widened.
"Anyone else agreeing to that?" he asked, the tone of his voice that of utmost urgency…
"I'm in." Zell said.
"Yup." Irvine agreed.
"Me too." said Quistis.
"Me three…" Rinoa piped in, grinning.
All eyes fell upon Squall. He looked at everyone, then shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever…" he said "But are there any rooms inside the Ragnarok?"
"Oh, nonononono…" Seifer said, shaking his head in negation vigorously "We're NOT sleeping on the frickin' moving widow-maker!"
"HEY!" Selphie protested.
"And where do you suggest we sleep then…?" Squall said, crossing his arms 'Daddy's place…' Seifer thought, but never voiced it.
"Patience, Pubes…" Seifer said, smirking.
Taking out his cell-phone from his pocket, the tall blond fell into thought for a couple of seconds, then dialed a certain number. He brought the phone to his ear and waited for someone to pick up.
"Hey, Laguna… This is Seifer…"
The seven teenagers walked down one of the long hallways of the Esthar Presidential Palace, steadily approaching three figures standing in the very back. All of them were walking casually down the corridor, except for Rinoa who was visiting the glorious Palace for the very first time. Her eyes were wandering around, widened in awe.
Upon getting closer to the three men waiting for them, Squall's eyes snapped open.
"Welcome!" Laguna said warmly, spreading his arms wide. Kiros and Ward were standing by his sides.
"It's Sir Laguna!" Selphie squealed.
"Laguna will do." the President addressed Selphie, smiling, making her blush.
"And…" Laguna's eyes lingered on Squall.
A strange, distant expression crossed his face, as he gave Squall a rare smile. The young Commander narrowed his eyes at him, puzzled.
"…you must be Commander Squall Leonhart." Laguna finally added. Squall saluted him.
"Pleased to meet you, sir." Squall said, although it seemed as if he only half-meant it.
"Well… I already know Seifer and Quistis, briefly, but I didn't get a chance to get acquainted properly with the rest of you…" Laguna went on, still smiling as broadly as ever.
"I'm Selphie Tilmitt!" Selphie piped in enthusiastically.
"Irvine Kinneas." the cowboy said, tipping his hat as usual.
"The name's Zell Dincht!" Zell said vigorously, saluting Laguna as well.
"I'm-" Rinoa began, but was cut off.
"Rinoa?" Laguna asked, smiling at her.
"Yes…" the brunette said, returning he smile "Rinoa Heartilly."
"I see you took the name of your mother…" Laguna said 'There goes that goofy expression again…' Seifer thought.
"You knew my mom?" Rinoa asked, instantly looking a bit glum.
"Erm…" Laguna stuttered "Wh-who didn't?" he asked, grinning.
"I see…" Rinoa replied, nodding.
Right then, Ward made an exasperated gesture with his arms.
"Ward just said:" Kiros piped in "Don't you think we should be showing our guests to their rooms? They must be exhausted by now."
"Tell me about it!" Selphie agreed, yawning widely yet again.
"Of course…" Laguna said, rubbing the back of his head.
Squall's eyes spotted a small group of familiar-looking girls dashing towards them 'Ah, but of course…' he thought 'The radar-wielding maids…'
"You wouldn't happen to have a free room with a view to the city, would you?" Seifer asked Kiros. He distinctly remembered the room he'd stayed only a few hours ago and remembered the breezy balcony accompanying it, with a view straight down to the city of Esthar.
"As a matter of act, there is just one-" Kiros began.
"That's mine, alright!" Seifer cut him off, smirking.
Later that night…
Quistis walked down the corridors of the Esthar Presidential Palace. Her coral pajama bottoms -which were adorned by a swarm of white teddy bears- had slipped a bit too low down her waist and now clung from her hipbones graciously. Her white, strapped tank top left her arms uncovered to the chilly night atmosphere and her bare feet made a subtle noise while contacting the cold floor tiles, making her shudder a bit and rub her arms in warmth. Her strawberry blonde locks of hair were now loose and slightly messy, gently stroking her uncovered shoulders. She was trying to remember the right way to one of the numerous kitchens of the Palace. The place was too damn huge… If she hadn't been dying for a drink of water right now, she wouldn't have bothered to leave her warm, lavish room to go wandering around. She suddenly stopped on her tracks and looked around arching an eyebrow. Hadn't she passed through that corridor about two minutes ago? 'Dammit…' she thought and, shaking her head in disbelief, continued to let herself get lost within the complex hallways of the Palace 'I'll probably never be able return to my room at all tonight…' she thought 'Oh well… Wasn't feeling sleepy anyway…'
She had barely completed that thought when she came face to face with a pair of double doors which seemed all too familiar 'Finally!' she said to herself and walked over to the doorway to one of the kitchen rooms. Quistis pushed the doors open and stepped inside, looking a bit surprised. Right in front of the ajar door of the enormous fridge stood Seifer, obviously looking around for something. Upon hearing the doors opening, he turned around –slightly startled, Quistis noticed- to see who had walked inside.
"Quistis…" he said, looking at her in a really weird way.
Quistis arched an eyebrow and looked down at her body, as if searching for some sort of huge mark upon her.
"What? What are you looking at?" she asked.
"Heh… Nice PJ bottoms…" said Seifer grinning.
"I don't wear something as fancy as my uniform in my sleep, you know…" she said sarcastically and walked over to the fridge as well.
"And you're obviously not sleeping…" said Seifer, watching Quistis roam around the fridge.
"I was really thirsty…" said Quistis, grabbing a bottle of cold water from the fridge.
She walked over to one of the counters and opened the cupboard above, looking around inside. She closed it again and opened another one.
"Would you happen to know where the glasses are?" she asked, still searching for one.
"Nope." replied Seifer, drinking some orange juice from the bottle he was now holding.
"Ungh, that's disgusting Seifer!" said Quistis repulsed, turning to look at him "Other people are actually going to drink from that bottle. Can't you drink from a glass like a normal person?"
"No." he replied shrugging "Want some?" he asked, offering the bottle to her.
"No thanks…" said Quistis, pouring water into the glass he had just found in another cupboard.
Seifer studied her from the back as she quenched her thirst drinking one glass of water after the other. He tilted his head to the side and grinned. When she turned around to return the bottle to the fridge, he snapped back to reality and moved aside for her to pass.
"Not to pry or anything," said Seifer crossing his arms in front of his chest "But why couldn't you just drink from the bathroom tap or something, instead of walking all the way over here?" he asked.
Quistis rested the bottle back in place and froze in position. She suddenly felt incredibly stupid for not even thinking about that… But she'd die before she let Seifer rip on her for it.
"Because I'm not the pig you are," she said jokingly, regaining her cool "I drink water from the place I'm supposed to and definitely not from the bottle like some people I know do…" she added, turning around to face him, grabbing the orange juice bottle from his hand "I bet you don't mind drinking from the toilet either…" she finished, putting the bottle back in place and closing the fridge shut.
She walked back to the counter, smirking, placing the used glass into the sink. Seifer slapped a palm on his chest and widened his emerald eyes in mock-shock.
"Oh dear Hyne! Did my former Instructor actually retort a sarcastic comment at me?" he asked, grinning.
Quistis chuckled and watched him slip his hands into the pockets of his black sweatpants, smiling at her smugly.
"Laugh it up, but I know the real reason you're here…" he said arching his eyebrows.
"Although I know I'll regret asking this… Would you mind enlightening me on that?" she asked grinning.
"Oh I dunno…" he began, shrugging, running a hand through his hair –a move he gratuitously pulled when any females were within the vicinity- "You suddenly feel thirsty in the middle of the night and instead of doing the sensible thing and drink from the bathroom, you stroll all the way to the kitchens. Then, you just happen to barge into the one I'm in and not one of the like… millions of others there are in this place…" he added, winking at her.
"Hang on, I think I'm gonna be sick…" she said, holding her stomach.
"Aw, c'mon, Instructor… Drop the act and just admit it: You're smitten by my stunning features…" Seifer said, mockingly swelling up his chest in pride.
Quistis couldn't help but laugh at that. Seifer grinned as well and rested his palms on the counter behind him.
"So… Can't sleep?" he asked. Quistis sighed.
"No… Been trying forever." she replied "You?"
"I'm not really sleepy. I came in here to grab a bite or something… But I'm not hungry anymore…" he said, shrugging.
"Right…" Quistis said, nodding, looking down at her feet.
They were bound to drop the nonchalant façade any moment now and talk about what had happened down at the Esthar desert that evening. Quistis just didn't know how to strike up such a conversation… Taking a deep breath, she looked back up, only to find Seifer staring at her, biting his bottom lip. Quistis raised an eyebrow at that, looking at him questioningly. Before she even had time to ask what he was thinking though, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the door.
"Come on. I wanna show you something…" he said, pushing the door open.
"Seifer, what are you-?" began Quistis, trying hard to keep up with his pace down the hallway.
"You'll see…" he said grinning, and continued to drag her.
Seifer opened the door to his room and walked inside, closely followed by Quistis. He walked over to the big window doors and turned around.
"Remember when I asked for the room with a view to the city?" he asked grinning.
"Vividly." replied Quistis, arching an eyebrow "Why?" she asked.
Seifer didn't reply, just flung the doors open, brushing the curtains away. He motioned to Quistis to look outside. The blonde arched an eyebrow and walked over to the doorway to what appeared to be a balcony. She stepped outside and as soon as she did, her eyes widened and her lips parted in awe.
Before her very eyes, lay the striking sight of the city of Esthar at night. All the emerald brightness that graced the buildings during daytime, was now almost extinguished, as only the streetlamps provided light. At night, the glorious, high-tech city lost all its scientific appeal and turned into a marvelous, dreamy sight of what resembled a fairy land. The dim lights of the streets fell upon the glass-like constructions, adorning the atmosphere with an emerald green fluorescence.
It was…
"Magical…" Quistis uttered.
The blonde Instructor stood mesmerized, never removing her gaze from the sight. She rested her palms onto the railing of the balcony and bent over to get an even more panoramic view of the city.
"Oh, wow…" she said fascinated.
Seifer smiled at the sight and moved over to the railing next to her.
"And that's not all…" he said, grinning. Quistis turned and looked at him, eyebrows arched "Look over there…" Seifer told her, pointing to her back.
Quistis turned around eagerly, towards what Seifer was showing her. Upon the walls by the sides of the entrance to the room, deep green branches of ivy climbed and slithered, snake-like. The plant cascaded all the way around the back wall of the Palace, engulfing it graciously in its leafy embrace. But that was not what Seifer had meant to show her.
Quistis's palms immediately moved to her mouth, once she noticed the small, buzzing creatures hovering next to the ivy.
"Fireflies!" she exclaimed in glee.
"Ever since you reminded me in Trabia of that time we went looking for them, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And when I noticed them tonight," Seifer said smiling "I knew you'd like to see them."
"I don't think I've seen any since…" Quistis walked close to them "Since the orphanage years…"
The blonde girl moved tentatively towards the ivy, and extended her index finger towards the gleaming bugs. One of them, buzzed away frightened at first, but then soared around her hand a bit, before landing onto her outstretched finger. Quistis smiled broadly and turned around to Seifer. The tall blond smiled and cocked his head to the side.
For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of… lilies.
...
"Me first, me first!" Selphie squealed, running over to Edea.
The raven-haired woman smiled, as Selphie tilted her little head down, and placed a small crown of lilies on her hair.
"All set." Edea said, smiling.
"Lemme see! Lemme see!" Selphie said eagerly, grabbing the mirror from Ellone's hands, who was grinning broadly.
"I'm next!" Quistis said, hopping in front of her Matron.
Edea placed a crown of lilies of Quistis's loose hair as well. The little blonde rolled her eyes upwards, trying to see what she looked like. Selphie giggled and gave her the mirror. A broad smile appeared on Quistis's face and she gave Matron and Ellone a kiss, running outside.
A loud shriek caught everyone's attention right then, as Irvine came giggling inside the living room, where Ellone, Edea and Selphie were.
"Irvine, who's screaming?" Edea asked worriedly.
"And what happened to your hair, Irvy?" Selphie asked, walking over to him, touching his head which was now 'styled' into a buzz-cut.
"Mr. Cid is giving us all haircuts." Irvine addressed Selphie "And Seifer isn't liking it…" he added, sniggering once again.
Right on cue, a fear-stricken Seifer sprinted out of the bathroom. Towel wrapped around the neckline of his T-Shirt, haphazardly hanging to the side, hair only half-cut. The greatest part of his head was still adorned by three-inched blond locks of hair, however, big chunks were missing in certain spots, where his head was almost shaved. Seconds behind Seifer, ran Cid, holding a shaving machine in his hands. Behind him, an already shaved and somewhat toothless Zell stood, pointing at Seifer, laughing.
"Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Neener, neener, neener!"
Cid looked around the living room, when Seifer disappeared from sight and ran outside. Cid stopped for a second and ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Ellone, Selphie, Irvine and Zell burst out laughing. Squall, who finally emerged from the bathroom, seemed almost in tears for the loss of his silky chestnut hair, only he seemed to be taking it a bit more maturely than Seifer. He walked over to Ellone, arms crossed, lips pursed. Ellone took him into her arms and kissed his almost bald little head. Edea rested a palm on her chest, momentarily feeling sorry about poor little Seifer and looked at Cid.
"Edea, don't start!" Cid warned her "Where did he go?" he asked. The Matron sighed.
"Outside." she replied half-heartedly.
Seifer ran as fast as he could down the stairs, tripping and tumbling down on the way. He winced, rubbing his sore head and back in comfort.
"SEIFER!"
Cid.
Seifer immediately got up and resumed running, before he came out and spotted him. The little blond run as fast as he could, trying to think of a good place to hide, when…
He stopped on his tracks. His thin lips parted. His loose-laced shoes rubbed the ground as he walked forward, mesmerized.
He leaned on his side against a white pillar, staring at the sight before him, sighing.
Little Quisty, within the middle of the flower field, lilies worn in a crown on her long, loose, beautiful blonde hair, barefoot, a pale blue dress hugging her thin form, as she twirled around, sparkling azure eyes gazing at the starlight sky, fireflies swaying around her.
Just like a fairy.
The most beautiful fairy that he could ever imagine would exist. Even more beautiful than those Matron showed them in books of bedtime stories.
Sighing deeper, he titled his head to the side, gazing at her with longing.
Quistis suddenly stopped twirling, having noticed him. She looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. Seifer stood up startled and looked down at his feet, arms folded behind his back.
"Why were you looking at me like that?" Quistis asked. Seifer shrugged.
"Because." he replied, faking nonchalance.
"'Because' is not an answer!" Quistis protested, resting her fists on the sides of her hips.
"I dunno… I just…" Seifer mumbled, blushing. He ran his shoe on the surface of the ground, still looking down at his feet "You…" he hesitated "You looked like a real fairy…"
Quistis seemed taken aback by his answer and blushed. She looked up at him, smiling awkwardly. Seifer returned the smile. She was about to ask him what had happened to his hair, when…
"Gotcha!"
Cid wrapped his strong arms around Seifer's little form, picking him up. Seifer kicked and squirmed and hissed and shrieked like a cat thrown in water.
"NOOOO! I DUN WAN' A HAIRCUT!" he yelled, while Cid laughed and carried him –with difficulty- back inside.
"Cid, you're hurting him! Not so tight!" Matron called, walking outside to the threshold.
"Matron! Help meeeee!" Seifer pleaded, as Cid walked past Edea.
He outstretched his hands, desperately trying to reach his Matron.
"Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Seifer is a scaredy-cat!" Zell taunted, appearing on the doorsteps as Cid carried a wailing Seifer through the doorway.
Quistis ran back towards the house, hearing Seifer's pleading screams, holding her shoes in one hand.
"Cid, be gentle with him!" Edea called.
"Seifer is a scaredy-cat! Seifer is a scaredy-cat!"
"Waaaaahhhh!"
The Matron felt her heart break as she heard little Seifer's screams. Sighing, she turned her head to her side, spotting Quistis.
"Come back inside, Quisty. You shouldn't be out here all by yourself, it's dangerous." she said.
"Comin' Matron!" Quistis said, running back inside the house, sprinting up the few stairs to the doorway.
...
"Seifer?" Quistis spoke, looking at him, puzzled.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him out of his trance. Seifer jolted up, startled.
"Sorry… Just… zoned out a bit."
"O - K…" Quistis said, looking at him suspiciously.
She looked back down to the city, sighing, tilting her head to the side, then looking up to the sky.
"It's amazing…" said Quistis, still gaping at the view, voice almost a whisper.
"Yeah…" agreed Seifer "I could just sit here staring at it all night…"
Quistis turned around and looked at him in disbelief, as he stepped over to the railing, next to her.
"You never stroke me as the romantic type, Seifer…" she said grinning.
"Romance has nothing to do with it…" Seifer said quickly, as if trying to redeem himself for something wrong he'd done "It just calms me down…"
"From what? What's bothering you?" asked Quistis in genuine concern. Seifer paused.
"I was just thinking," Seifer began "I've got so many responsibilities now… When I was a plain mercenary, I just had my missions to care about… And now… I have to be one of the two people who decide about the welfare of the entire student and SeeD population of Garden…At first I didn't take it too seriously, but now that we know what we're up against… knowing that the whole world is at stake…" he said. Quistis looked at him "I know that almost no-one considers me a responsible person, but I've got a lot on my mind… even if I don't show it… I guess I'm like Squall in some ways…" He ceased talking for a few seconds, before frowning mildly "Don't you dare let slip to anyone I told you that…" he threatened. Quistis chuckled. "I don't even know why I'm saying all this to you…" he added.
"Maybe because I'm willing to listen." replied Quistis. Seifer turned and looked at her.
"Yeah… Maybe…" he replied "Quistis…?"
"Yes?"
"What do you think of me? Honestly?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… What do you think of me as a person? Do you like me? Do you just tolerate me? Do you despise me?" he asked.
"Well, what do you think?" Quistis asked rhetorically.
"I dunno… Somewhere in between the last two I guess…" he replied grinning.
"Try somewhere in between the first two…" she said, smiling at him. Seifer looked at her and smiled as well "I mean… You're always arrogant and cocky, you're selfish ninety percent of the time, you annoy the hell out of people… But you've got a good heart. And even though you think you've got confidence in yourself, you don't. You don't give yourself as much credit as you should." she replied. Seifer smiled "What about you? What do you think of me?" she asked.
"Well…" he began "You're always way too serious… And tight-assed." Quistis frowned a bit "I really think you should loosen up more. And you're always complaining about stuff… But you're smart and you're really down-to-earth… And you're nice. You care about people a lot. Hell, you even care about scumbags like me…" he said.
"You're not a scumbag…" said Quistis.
"Yes I am." insisted Seifer.
"Alright, you are." she agreed jokingly.
Both of them paused for a bit, then laughed.
"So… Why aren't you sleeping?" asked Seifer.
"I've got a lot on my mind…" replied Quistis.
"Such as?" he asked.
"I guess," she began "I was just thinking about what Squall did for Rinoa…"
"Oh." Seifer said nonchalantly "He really likes her, doesn't he?" he asked.
"Yeah, I guess. It seems almost funny, but I think he's really in love with her…" said Quistis.
"Rinoa can be a bit…'clingy', but she's nice…" admitted Seifer.
"Do you still have feelings for her?" asked Quistis, scowling in disappointment.
"Nah… I don't even know if I ever did…" said Seifer "I mean, sure, I liked her… She's pretty, she's kind… But something just didn't… fit."
"I see…" said Quistis.
"So… you were saying?" asked Seifer.
"Well, when I saw Squall risk his life for her, I kinda… envied her a bit." she said.
"Why?" asked Seifer, cocking an eyebrow.
"Because I wondered if anyone would ever do the same for me." she said. Seifer frowned "But then," she added "I realized someone already had…" she said, looking at him.
"Who?" he croaked out. For some reason, his throat had gone abnormally dry. Quistis paused for a few seconds.
"You." she replied eventually, turning her gaze back to the sky.
Silence engulfed them for many a minute.
"I guess I did." said Seifer eventually.
Once again, silence…
"Excuse me for a sec…" Seifer said, reentering the main room.
Quistis rested her hands on the railing, sighing… She wondered whether the issue of what had happened that afternoon would ever come up… They'd come close to talking about it only a couple of minutes ago, but Seifer had conveniently excused himself. She really couldn't understand him. He was always one to speak his mind about pretty much everything, not hesitating at the slightest bit and now he'd just… 'run away'. And it aggravated her. Wasn't he interested in her at the very least? His past actions had shown that he was more than plain 'interested', but just when she was about to talk about it openly he left? It aggravated her very much. And it was time she took matters into her own hands.
Pursing her lips, she entered the room as well.
Seifer was nowhere to be seen, but the bathroom door was left ajar and the lights were on. She was more than certain she'd find him inside, trying to buy time to ease out of the conversation 'Not this time…' Quistis thought. Pushing the door wide open, Quistis entered the bathroom.
"Why did you just run away from-?"
She stopped dead in her tracks. Seifer was standing right above the toilet, apparently not pondering about pretty much anything.
"What?" he asked her, completely un-phased.
Covering her eyes with one palm, Quistis made a one-eighty turn on the spot, blushing from head to toe.
"Sorry… I… I thought y-y-you were…" she stuttered, exiting the bathroom.
"You thought I was what?" Seifer asked from inside. Quistis heard the sound of the toilet being flushed.
"Close the door next time, won't you?" she said exasperated, back still turned at him "Have you no shame?"
"I don't usually expect company while I'm peeing, Trepe…" Seifer sneered, walking past her and back towards the balcony.
Quistis glared at his back 'So we're back to 'Trepe' now?' she thought.
"I didn't know you were peeing." Quistis said through gritted teeth, still standing inside the main room.
"Well what the hell did you think I was doing in the frickin' bathroom?" Seifer quipped, turning around to face her from afar.
"I dunno!" Quistis snapped "I thought you were trying to… to…"
"To what?" Seifer asked wearily.
"Forget about it…" Quistis said, turning her gaze away from him and crossing her arms.
"Didn't your mommy," Seifer strode back inside "Ever tell you," He approached her "That it's rude not to finish a sentence?" He asked, standing right in front of her.
"Sorry. Never met my mommy." Quistis skillfully avoided replying.
"It's a figure of speech, Quistis. Now answer my question." Seifer said, folding his arms in front of his chest 'You wanna play, Seifer? Let's play then…' Quistis thought.
"I thought you were trying to avoid continuing the conversation we were having just before." she replied, trying her best at a smirk.
"Oh noooo…" he replied, smirking wickedly 'Dammit! How does he do that?' "I'm not you…" Quistis arched a fair eyebrow.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"I'm not the one chickening out every time something happens between us, Quistis." Seifer replied "That's your part. I don't need to refresh your memory, do I?"
Quistis opened her mouth to speak back, but shut it immediately. There was nothing she could say, really; he was right.
She sighed.
Their gazes remained locked for what seemed like an eternity. No-one spoke. They just shared the darkness and all the pent up emotions hiding behind green and blue eyes.
There is said to be a universal law which states that whenever a couple stare at each other's eyes for too long, not speaking, there are two possibilities of what will ensue. They will either begin arguing, or end up making love.
Strange.
Strange and intriguing… how with some couples… both can happen.
"You know what?" Quistis said eventually "Coming here tonight was a mistake. I'm going back to my room…" she added, turning her heel.
"You're not going anywhere," Seifer said, grabbing her arm, turning her around "Before you answer me this." His eyes were cold and his frown deadly "What more do you want from me?" he asked "What more do you want, huh? You open up to me at the SeeD Ball, I reciprocate and you think I'm trying to grope you." He advanced on her.
"You were trying to grope-" Quistis began to step back.
"I kiss you in Timber-"
"That was just a cover-up. I thought-"
"And you turn against me again."
"I didn't-"
"I risk my fucking neck to save your from G-Garden-"
"I never asked you to-!"
"And you tell me you saved me from Edea because I was your student and you cared about me."
"What did you expect me to-?"
"I kiss you in Garden out in the balcony, again, and you run away saying you weren't sure about how you felt!"
"I really wasn't! I didn't want to give you false-"
"When I was in a coma after the fight with Edea, I hear you talking to me, crying-"
"You could hear me?"
"And when I wake up and want to see you, you get pissed about something so fucking trivial!"
"I was concerned about your health!"
"When things got more serious, and we needed to spilt up, you just kept running away from me-"
"It had nothing to do with you! It was just the fact that I felt the need to-"
"For once, you kiss me in front of everybody and then act as if nothing ever happened!"
"You made me feel uncomfortable in front of everyone!"
"And now today, you're still expecting things from me!"
Quistis's back touched the wall behind her. Seifer's right palm slammed hard against the wall and he leaned down to her.
"What the fuck more do I need to do to show you that I FUCKING WANT YOU?" he yelled at her, furious.
"NOTHING!" Quistis snapped "I know I've been stupid in the past-"
"No fucking shit!"
"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK?" she yelled back at him "I KNOW YOU WANT ME! AND I WANT YOU, TOO!"
Seifer stared at her, breathing heavily. She lowered her head, taking a step closer to him.
"I do…" she almost whispered "So much… So much, it hurts… And I don't know if that scares you but-"
She never finished her sentence, as Seifer cupped her face in his palms and brought his mouth crushing down to hers. Quistis breathed in sharply, eyes wide in surprise. His soft, hungry lips caressed hers in continuous, almost fluid movements, with such tenderness as if he was afraid of breaking her. He heard her let out a moan of longing and practically beg him to deepen the kiss. Shivers ran all over his body and, breathing deeply, he grabbed the back of her head with one palm, fingers burying into golden hair and held her waist with the other, shoving her against the wall.
Quistis gasped as their lips parted momentarily, her back making hard contact with the wall. Seifer's lips descended on hers once again, muffling her gasp. His hands raked through her hair, taking in their scent, as he parted his lips open. Quistis's arms wrapped around his neck, jaw line dropping. Their tongues met and fire raced into her veins and down her spine. She felt more alive than ever. She put up no fight when she found her feet stumbling across the room. She felt the warm lights die out as Seifer absent-mindedly pushed the switch down. Her ankles felt the resistance of the wooden bed behind her and next thing she knew, her back was resting against the soft mattress.
Seifer sensed her long, slender fingers run through his hair as they kissed passionately, heads tilting from side to side. His hands slid down to the sides of her ribcage, feeling her cold skin shiver and writhe under his touch, and Hyne… She let out the sweetest moan of pleasure as their lips remained united in wet heat. Within his consciousness, Seifer's two alter egos battled, each telling him to follow a different path. One, told him to be a gentleman and stop, before things got out of hand, and walk Quistis back to her room. The other, urged him to go on, savor her to the last bit.
Seifer Almasy was never one to listen to the 'little angel Seifer' preaching about benevolence down his ear, though.
He would listen to the 'little devil Seifer' once more…
But something inside him, held him back. Hyne, he didn't want to stop; he wanted all of her. He needed all of her. He yearned to hear his name escape her lips while he discovered all the beautiful curves her body bore. He sighed inwardly.
The least he could do was ask…
Stroking her cheek affectionately with a crooked finger, Seifer slowly withdrew.
"Quistis?" he said.
"Mmm?" Quistis hummed softly, parting her eyelids open, a blissful smile spread across her face.
"Stay for the night …"
His voice held an unspoken plea, his eyes hoped for her consent. And Quistis wasn't willing to refuse his fervent request. Not tonight…
In response, she reached up, her lips getting a hold of the sensitive spot on the crook of his neck, letting her hands wander on his body, gradually heading lower… And lower…
Seifer sucked in a breath and let out a shaky sigh. His mind blurred as Quistis looked at him with longing, allowing him to drown into her beautiful pools of sapphire blue. The only light within the room right now, was provided by the moonlight outside and the small swarm of fireflies zooming in and out from the ajar balcony door. But even in the semi-darkened state of the room, her eyes stood out startlingly. She left him with no choice… Leaning back in, he kissed her swollen lips, eyes only half-closed to look at her expression and engrave it into his memory.
Hands slithered over steadily heating bodies, exploring, gripping, almost tearing pieces clothing off their way, within their desire to feel skin against skin.
Quistis slid her palms underneath Seifer's grey T-shirt, stroking the defined muscles of his chest and stomach underneath. Her fingers tugged the hem of his T-shirt upwards. Seifer freed one arm and rid himself of his garment, tossing it haphazardly to the side. Quistis kissed the now exposed area of his upper chest, taking in the faint smell of his perfume. Feeling the need to familiarize with her smell, Seifer's fingers toyed with the straps of her white top, pulling it down just enough to crush his lips against her collarbone. The combination of vanilla and natural scent made him want to devour her alive.
And he intended to.
Her top soon joined his discarded T-Shirt onto the floor. Seifer pressed his head against her bare skin, dragging his nose and lips against the curve between the soft mounds on her chest. She sighed. A heavenly sigh that echoed inside the walls of his mind and caused warmth to pool within his groin.
She could bring him to his knees and command him like a puppet with another sigh like that. And he feared that if she realized how he felt, she would.
He didn't give a damn.
All he wanted right now, was this.
Letting out a feral growl, his lips encased hers into a kiss once again, palms greedily snaking to her chest, feeling, grasping. Her moves were no more delicate than his. Little, if none, experience didn't leave much room for grace. Even his own somewhat more skilled movements had drowned away within his lust to finally touch and feel her in such an intimate way.
Quistis's coral pajama bottoms were next to lay forgotten onto the floor, and Seifer grasped her bare thighs, crushing his pelvis against hers. He whispered her name in a serpentine hiss, as her lips traced the skin of his neck, kissing, sucking, biting. Freeing his hands, he removed the black sweatpants which had been begging to be taken off ages ago, kicking them away, grabbing her waist and kissing her collarbone.
Reaching up, he sealed her lips with yet another kiss. While their tongues engaged into a wild dance inside their mouths, he slid one hand low. Very low. Quistis's gasp choked within the kiss and her head fell back, chest arching up to him, when he reached under the waistband of her underwear. She slid her eyelids shut, eyes rolling back into their sockets while she relished the moment, wishing it would never end. Her fingernails grazed roughly against his bare back as she felt a wave of pleasure overtake her. His teeth bit into her lip from the hot pain, a hiss escaping his mouth.
Pain and pleasure, mixed within a desperate, passionate clash of emotions.
And she was about to experience both as well.
The last garment on her body was soon removed by Seifer's fingers, leaving her completely nude, uncovered. But not a hint of embarrassment reached her cheeks. She wanted this. She'd craved for this for too long. She couldn't think. She didn't want to think. She only wanted to feel.
To feel this.
Seifer's lips were on her neck, nibbling on soft, porcelain skin like there was no tomorrow. Her growing impatience drove her to reach down and peel the black boxers off his body, needing to feel him as exposed as she was. Needing to see him as exposed as she was.
The last piece of clothing hit the floor, onto the heap next to them and Seifer pulled back.
And there they were. Two completely naked bodies, ready to come together in passion and primal craving. Every single inch of bare skin on his body that was touching hers was stinging in heat, while the rest burned in equal desire. The little silvery-blue moonlight that had managed to make its way inside the room was cast upon her, reflecting upon the curves of a body that no artist, even the most graced one, could ever sculpt. So smooth… So beautiful…
And she was going to be his.
Right there, right then.
With one move, he grasped her thighs, aiding her to cross her legs behind his waist. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for a final hint of reassurance which he thankfully found, and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.
Quistis closed her eyes and sighed. Her arms engulfed his chest, resting on his back, as she fretfully waited to feel him inside her. To feel something within her, apart from solitude for a change.
But nothing could have prepared her for what came next.
A surge of emotions rushed within her, foreign, strange, fiery. And painful.
It was almost too much to take.
Her back arched and her head fell back, a sharp, shrill gasp escaping her lips. Blue eyes filled with newly formed tears as the last barrier between them shattered. Seifer withdrew his head from the crook of her neck, concern reflected in his emerald gaze. He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her forehead, ceasing all other activities for the moment.
"I'm sorry… I never meant to-" he began whispering to her.
"Don't stop…" came her shaky voice "…Please."
Torn between worry and lust, Seifer shut her lips with a kiss, eventually deciding to yield into her wish. Not to mention his own…
She was in pain. But the heated strokes within her were filling her with warmth and pleasure to the core, pushing every negative feeling away. She didn't care if she hurt. She couldn't let him stop now that her insides were on fire, begging for the feeling of him inside her. She wanted him to know at last how the look in his eyes melted her, how his every touch made her shiver, how his deep voice intoxicated her, how the feel of his body against hers drove her to sweet madness. And as her fingers raked through his short spikes of blond hair, stroking his cheek against hers, she begged him to show her with actions what they've been struggling to say with meager words for so long.
And he did.
He lost himself within her, as they moved together, slick bodies sliding onto one another eel-like, calling out each other's names like they'd never truly spoken them before. For the first time in his life, Seifer felt that he had everything he ever wanted right underneath him, right into him arms. And Quistis just kept worshipping his body like he did hers, in the most cherished and fervent way possible. She was like a drug to him, he realized; he needed her, he wouldn't be complete without her anymore.
His fairy. With long blonde hair sprawled onto her bare shoulders. With dreamy cerulean eyes, gazing at the fireflies hovering above and around them. Gazing at him.
And she'd come to him, Hyne. She'd come to him tonight, without any remorse for her actions, without any hesitation to give herself to him and let him make her his…
Within the heat that engulfed them both, Seifer placed his eyes upon her, the beautiful woman beneath him, who was whispering to him reverently, through trembling, full lips, bringing his arousal to plateaus he never thought possible.
And his heart as well.
Which was what surprised and thrilled him the most.
Their foreheads rested against each other as they shifted, and Quistis opened her eyes wide in astonishment when he came undone above her, with a faint sigh of her name.
He slid out slowly and fell heavy upon her, his breath sallow. Their chests pressed on one another and their hearts kept battling on which of the two was beating faster. They remained still for a while, both trying to comprehend what had just happened. It had been so abrupt, so desperate, that time had shrunk to nothing but a flash of longing and all that was left was the fresh memory of utmost intimacy between them.
Rolling over to the side, overcome with exhaustion, Seifer engulfed Quistis's trembling form in his arms, while she nuzzled her head in the crook of his sweaty neck.
She sighed in bliss. A content smile appeared on her face as she closed her eyes, kissing his damp chest. She never believed she'd be able to feel so complete, like she did right now.
Strange feeling this… wholeness. But oh-so-very-filling and beautiful…
Seifer felt his strength fading away and was only able to mutter one sentence before he fell asleep.
"I thought I'd never watch you sway among fireflies again…"
A/N: Till next time!
ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':
The aftermath…