First Light
By Silver Dolphin
Characters belong to squaresoft...and the usual legal crap. You know.
It was going to be another one of those spectacular sunrises. The sky was shot with silver, the first pale streaks of dawn, and just by looking at the sky Seifer knew that it was going to be one of those picture-perfect mornings that were so rare in Balamb.
His lips quirked. No one would ever have believed that Seifer Almasy was actually able to appreciate the sunrise. But he'd changed a lot since the battle with Ultemicia, he knew that…the arrogant boy who had become the Sorceress's knight would never have been able to become SeeD, much less attain a SeeD rank level A. Would never have become Squall Leonhart's best friend and co-commander of the SeeDs, would never…would never have married his former instructor.
He turned his head away from the window to regard his wife, sleeping so serenely by his side. Or what he could see of his wife, which was one bare, creamy shoulder and a stream of gold silken hair. The rest of her was buried under the covers; pliant curves nestled against his rock-hard frame. He reached out a gentle hand and brushed her hair off her face. He'd kept her awake for quite some time last night; after all, he'd just returned from one of those month-long SeeD missions, and they'd had a lot of catching up to do.
Seifer suppressed the snicker forming at the base of his throat. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever expected himself to marry at such a young age. He had been a notorious charmer back at Balamb Garden; he had had no qualms about having one-night stands with any pretty girl that came along. But no – much to his consternation, he'd found that once he's graduated to become SeeD, he'd already fallen head-over-heels in love with Quistis Trepe.
Bossy Quisty. Why he had fallen in love with her was still a mystery. He had liked his women soft and yielding, something more like Rinoa's type. And Quistis Trepe had been none of those – or so he'd thought. Quistis had been so ready to rebuke him when he misbehaved, had never missed a chance to criticize him.
Underneath that cool, polished exterior a timid child had hidden, as uncertain as she had been assertive. She was a mixture of child and adult, and it was that quality in her that drew him to her. That remarkable intelligence could be easily genuflected by her whims and feelings of the heart. Neither was she like any of the girls her age – she had been aware of the alluring beauty she possessed, and instead of taking advantage of it and flaunting it, she had opted for an intellectual look, attempting to hide that beauty behind a no-nonsense hairstyle and wire-rimmed glasses. But her reserved smiles had wielded more power over him than any other woman's flirtatious enticements.
A lot had happened in the six years following the defeat of Sorceress Ultemicia. He had been re-admitted into Balamb Garden, largely because, he suspected, of his wife. He and Quistis had never spoken of it, but he knew it had been her doing. Who else would have wanted to help him? Amazingly, he and Squall had actually grown closer, becoming mutual best friends. He smirked. Puberty boy had finally grown up and loosened his tight ass a little. Just the other day he'd actually laughed. Talk about miracles happening.
Four months after his graduation he and Quistis had gotten married, on the same night as Squall and Rinoa. He'd been awfully nervous then, he remembered, and had gotten so distracted that he'd almost used his toothbrush to brush his hair. Squall had not been any less jumpy, apparently, judging from the miniscule cuts on his chin, probably the result of trying to shave with shaking hands.
Festivities, festivities… Irvine with his wisecracks, trying to calm the two edgy bridegrooms down, Zell with his huge appetite…the cooks had wondered at the amazing way the hotdogs disappeared from the table not ten minutes after they had been brought in. And Selphie and her video camera…oh, yes. She still had that video of him kissing Quistis in a supposedly concealed crook. He'd have to get it from her someday – not that he minded her having it, really, but his wife probably wouldn't like it if it were accidentally made public. Quistis sometimes had strange reservations.
After their wedding, the two couples had moved to Balamb Town to live a less restricted life. Now their home was a comfortable single storey house overlooking the sea, with two bedrooms – one that he shared with his wife, and the other belonging to their four-year-old daughter, Alexia.
Silently Seifer slipped out of bed and threw a robe over his nakedness. No harm letting his wife sleep a little longer – he'd just go down and make his own coffee for a change. As he stepped into the living room, however, he was greeted by the sight of his daughter curled up in a large armchair by the fireplace.
"You're up late, father," She said, dark blue eyes fixed on his face. Alexia was a precocious child and had started to speak early – a blessing or a curse, he still couldn't decide. She was so much like her mother – intelligent, with the same sweet, yet authoritarian personality and the weakness for kisses.
"It's still early, Alex." He picked her up as she climbed down from the armchair. "Why are you up at this hour?"
"I couldn't sleep. Why do you and mother have to make so much noise at night?"
Seifer blinked. "Ah…"
"Why are you blushing, Father?"
Seifer looked at her innocent little face. Of course his daughter was too young to know the implications of such remarks, but sometimes he couldn't be sure. Especially when she had that mischievous little twinkle in her eye.
"Go take a bath," he said, trying to save some of his dignity.
"Oh bother. I'm just going to get dirty again."
"That's why we have to stay ahead of the dirt, angel. Now scoot."
"No." Alexia twisted her mouth into a stubborn pout.
Seifer kissed her cheek. "Go on." Sighing, the little girl climbed off his lap and trudged desolately to the bathroom Seifer stretched out on the sofa, feeling too lazy to move any further. Forget the coffee, already – that was what he had a wife for, wasn't it?
As if on cue Quistis came out of the bedroom, blonde hair tousled. "Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, as she stifled a yawn.
"Everyone's entitled to sleeping in once in a while. I thought I'd start breakfast for a change."
"What are you doing on the sofa, then?" she asked bemusedly, eyeing his rangy form spread out over the said object.
"I changed my mind after I came out."
"Men!" she rolled her eyes and came to sit by him. Seifer stretched out an arm to pull her in for a morning kiss.
"Mmm." She murmured against his mouth. The temptation to lie down beside him was great, but it would take them both a month to explain if their daughter came into the sitting room and caught them in the act.
Seifer, it appeared, had no such worries. He gently nudged her to join him on the large sofa, hand sliding under her robe, pushing it off her shoulder. Things were just beginning to get exciting when, without warning, Alexia entered the living room and joined her parents on the sofa with a great, whooping leap.
"The birds are singing," she announced with great cheer. Seifer winced as she landed square on his stomach.
"I'm so happy for them," he replied flatly.
"You don't sound happy."
"It could be that my stomach was assaulted early in the morning by a flying child. Since when did you grow wings?"
"Is he always like this in the morning, mother?" Alexia asked Quistis, who laughed and picked her off Seifer's stomach and onto her lap.
"I think it depends on whether he's had his coffee or not, love. I'd better go make some." She eyed her daughter's damp hair, and kissed her forehead lightly. "Brush your hair, Alex."
"Yes, mother." The exuberant little girl exited the room like a blonde whirlwind.
Seifer groaned. "I was never that energetic when I was a kid."
Quistis grinned. "Count yourself lucky she hasn't tried asking for ridiculous things yet."
"Oh?"
"Rinoa's kid…what's her name again – Skye? Just the other day she was asking her father for a pet Grendel."
"What?"
"Apparently she couldn't understand the concept of housebreaking pets."
Seifer groaned again. "Where do kids get these ideas from?"
"Never knew." Quistis dropped a chaste kiss to her husband's mouth to improve his rapidly-fouling mood, and, with a teasing smile at him disappeared into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
- owari –
Okay, this is a pointless little fic, I'm suppose it's kinda lame but I thought since I haven't really seen anyone try a perspective of Quistis and Seifer's married life yet…ya think? Comments, comments…please try and be nice, ne?