An Unlikely Meeting
Quistis stood at the beach in the starlight. It was a cool summer evening. The stars glittered in the velvety night sky. She loved the solitude and serenity of night.
The stars are so beautiful, Quistis thought. The summer wind blew, making her golden shimmering hair flutter and sway across her face. I wish I could just stay like this forever, with nothing to worry about, she thought sadly. She let out a sigh.
She was feeling very lonely these days. Although she was glad to reclaim her instructor's license, it didn't solve her problem of loneliness. Sure, she had Selphie, Rinoa and the others, but she didn't have that special someone she's been searching for all her life. Selphie had Irvine, Rinoa had Squall... even Zell had someone- Adrian, the girl he met a few months ago at the library.
Quistis didn't envy Rinoa for having Squall. Instead, she was quite happy for them. They enjoyed each other's company so much. It was amazing at how much Squall's demeanor changes whenever Rinoa is around. Quistis smiled at the thought. Yes, they were very lucky to have each other. She wasn't jealous of Rinoa. Quistis regarded Squall with love like that of an older sister. She was so glad that Squall finally had someone to share his true feelings with.
Then she thought of Selphie and Irvine. Quistis laughed softly to herself. They were the most cutest couple. Although they were always bickering about Irvine's flirtatious behavior, both knew that it wasn't very serious. Irvine truly loved Selphie, and in the end, they always ended up laughing over the absurdity of their arguments.
Quistis was thinking about the loud Zell and the extremely quiet Adrian when she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"Quistis?," asked a masculine voice.
Quistis turned around quickly and her smile turned to a look of surprise. "Seifer!"
Seifer was only a few feet away from her. Without coming any closer, he cocked his head sideways and with narrowed eyes, questioned, "What are you doing out here so late?"
Quistis looked at him and observed that he hadn't changed much since two years ago when Ultimecia was defeated. What was he doing here? "I needed to think," Quistis replied.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Quistis smiled and shook her head. Seifer walked towards her and sat beside her. He looked tired and worn out.
"Seifer, what's wrong?," she dared to ask. He didn't seem to be the cocky arrogant teen she remembered him to be.
He sighed. "Everything," he answered. "Life sucks let me tell ya."
Quistis looked at him. "Because?"
Seifer refused to say any more. Instead, he asked, "What were you thinking?"
"About some things after the Ultimecia incident."
"Which was...?"
"How alone I am."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Geez, you have Puberty-boy, Chickenwuss, that pixie girl, and everyone else, and you're calling yourself lonely?"
Quistis remained silent. Seifer mentally hit himself. He sighed. "Why do you say you're lonely?" he asked dully.
"I have no one to share my true feelings with," Quistis replied softly. She felt embarrassed for telling him that. No one knew how alone Quistis felt.
Seifer hesitated. "You mean..."
"What I mean, is that Rinoa has Squall, Selphie has Irvine, Zell has Adrian, and I have no one," Quistis said angrily. "You know what? I don't even know why I'm spilling my guts out to you. We haven't seen each other since the whole Ultimecia deal, so we're practically strangers, and now we're sitting together in the beach under the stars as though we were the best of friends. I have to go." And with that, Quistis turned to leave.
"You aren't the only one to feel that way," Seifer said from behind her. He said it loud enough to pique her curiosity.
"What do you mean?"
"What else do you think I mean?"
"I'm sorry. I was just being insensitive. I didn't know you felt that way too," Quistis apologized. She went closer towards Seifer. "But don't you have Fujin and Raijin?"
"They're my best friends, but they're not what I'm really looking for. I'm still looking for that special someone. I really can't explain."
That special someone. That was the exact phrase Quistis thought to herself just moments before. She sat back down next to him. "I thought you liked Fujin," she said.
"Fujin?!," cried Seifer. "I mean, sure, she's my friend and all, but not like that. You actually think I'll go for someone like that?" Seifer stopped. That was too harsh. If Fujin had known what he said, Fujin would not be too happy about that. Guiltily, he added, "Fujin's a great person, and I really admire her for her strength, but she's not my type, you know?"
Quistis nodded knowingly. She was suddenly very tired. With her eyes half closed, she said, "You know Seifer, you don't seem like that bad of a guy. You actually seem to have a soft spot in you."
"Hey, I think you should go back to your dorm now. You seem pretty worn out," Seifer commented, not wanting to acknowledge what Quistis just said. It made him feel uncomfortable.
"I would if I could. I'm so tired, I can barely get up," Quistis said. Her speech was slurring a little.
"Here," Seifer offered. "Let me help you up." He took her by the waist, brought her arm around his neck and helped her up. They walked back towards the entrance of Garden. The man by the entrance looked at Seifer and Quistis and let them both in, seeing how tired Quistis was. The man nodded at Seifer and let him pass. Seifer took her to the dorms. "Quistis, are you awake?," Seifer asked softly. Quistis was in his arms now, asleep. At his questioning, Quistis immediately woke up, found out what was going on, and embarrassed, she quickly dropped out of his arms.
Quistis cleared her throat and regained her composure. In a cool, even voice, she said, "Thank you. I can go alone from here. I will see you again sometime." She turned around and walked into the dormitory.
As he watched her figure disappear into the shadows, Seifer thought, I will see you tomorrow.
Quistis stood at the beach in the starlight. It was a cool summer evening. The stars glittered in the velvety night sky. She loved the solitude and serenity of night.
The stars are so beautiful, Quistis thought. The summer wind blew, making her golden shimmering hair flutter and sway across her face. I wish I could just stay like this forever, with nothing to worry about, she thought sadly. She let out a sigh.
She was feeling very lonely these days. Although she was glad to reclaim her instructor's license, it didn't solve her problem of loneliness. Sure, she had Selphie, Rinoa and the others, but she didn't have that special someone she's been searching for all her life. Selphie had Irvine, Rinoa had Squall... even Zell had someone- Adrian, the girl he met a few months ago at the library.
Quistis didn't envy Rinoa for having Squall. Instead, she was quite happy for them. They enjoyed each other's company so much. It was amazing at how much Squall's demeanor changes whenever Rinoa is around. Quistis smiled at the thought. Yes, they were very lucky to have each other. She wasn't jealous of Rinoa. Quistis regarded Squall with love like that of an older sister. She was so glad that Squall finally had someone to share his true feelings with.
Then she thought of Selphie and Irvine. Quistis laughed softly to herself. They were the most cutest couple. Although they were always bickering about Irvine's flirtatious behavior, both knew that it wasn't very serious. Irvine truly loved Selphie, and in the end, they always ended up laughing over the absurdity of their arguments.
Quistis was thinking about the loud Zell and the extremely quiet Adrian when she heard a voice coming from behind her.
"Quistis?," asked a masculine voice.
Quistis turned around quickly and her smile turned to a look of surprise. "Seifer!"
Seifer was only a few feet away from her. Without coming any closer, he cocked his head sideways and with narrowed eyes, questioned, "What are you doing out here so late?"
Quistis looked at him and observed that he hadn't changed much since two years ago when Ultimecia was defeated. What was he doing here? "I needed to think," Quistis replied.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Quistis smiled and shook her head. Seifer walked towards her and sat beside her. He looked tired and worn out.
"Seifer, what's wrong?," she dared to ask. He didn't seem to be the cocky arrogant teen she remembered him to be.
He sighed. "Everything," he answered. "Life sucks let me tell ya."
Quistis looked at him. "Because?"
Seifer refused to say any more. Instead, he asked, "What were you thinking?"
"About some things after the Ultimecia incident."
"Which was...?"
"How alone I am."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Geez, you have Puberty-boy, Chickenwuss, that pixie girl, and everyone else, and you're calling yourself lonely?"
Quistis remained silent. Seifer mentally hit himself. He sighed. "Why do you say you're lonely?" he asked dully.
"I have no one to share my true feelings with," Quistis replied softly. She felt embarrassed for telling him that. No one knew how alone Quistis felt.
Seifer hesitated. "You mean..."
"What I mean, is that Rinoa has Squall, Selphie has Irvine, Zell has Adrian, and I have no one," Quistis said angrily. "You know what? I don't even know why I'm spilling my guts out to you. We haven't seen each other since the whole Ultimecia deal, so we're practically strangers, and now we're sitting together in the beach under the stars as though we were the best of friends. I have to go." And with that, Quistis turned to leave.
"You aren't the only one to feel that way," Seifer said from behind her. He said it loud enough to pique her curiosity.
"What do you mean?"
"What else do you think I mean?"
"I'm sorry. I was just being insensitive. I didn't know you felt that way too," Quistis apologized. She went closer towards Seifer. "But don't you have Fujin and Raijin?"
"They're my best friends, but they're not what I'm really looking for. I'm still looking for that special someone. I really can't explain."
That special someone. That was the exact phrase Quistis thought to herself just moments before. She sat back down next to him. "I thought you liked Fujin," she said.
"Fujin?!," cried Seifer. "I mean, sure, she's my friend and all, but not like that. You actually think I'll go for someone like that?" Seifer stopped. That was too harsh. If Fujin had known what he said, Fujin would not be too happy about that. Guiltily, he added, "Fujin's a great person, and I really admire her for her strength, but she's not my type, you know?"
Quistis nodded knowingly. She was suddenly very tired. With her eyes half closed, she said, "You know Seifer, you don't seem like that bad of a guy. You actually seem to have a soft spot in you."
"Hey, I think you should go back to your dorm now. You seem pretty worn out," Seifer commented, not wanting to acknowledge what Quistis just said. It made him feel uncomfortable.
"I would if I could. I'm so tired, I can barely get up," Quistis said. Her speech was slurring a little.
"Here," Seifer offered. "Let me help you up." He took her by the waist, brought her arm around his neck and helped her up. They walked back towards the entrance of Garden. The man by the entrance looked at Seifer and Quistis and let them both in, seeing how tired Quistis was. The man nodded at Seifer and let him pass. Seifer took her to the dorms. "Quistis, are you awake?," Seifer asked softly. Quistis was in his arms now, asleep. At his questioning, Quistis immediately woke up, found out what was going on, and embarrassed, she quickly dropped out of his arms.
Quistis cleared her throat and regained her composure. In a cool, even voice, she said, "Thank you. I can go alone from here. I will see you again sometime." She turned around and walked into the dormitory.
As he watched her figure disappear into the shadows, Seifer thought, I will see you tomorrow.