Chapter 7

Chapter 7

By Silver Dolphin

"Looks like your lady is the belle of the ball," Seifer remarked casually as he grabbed a glass of wine off the tray of a passing waitress and joined the SeeD commander by the wall.

That earned him a flat look. "Don't push it, Seifer."

"Me?" The blond returned an artfully innocent look. "You gotta admit it, though – she's attracting a lot of attention from the male guests."

Squall merely gave a disgusted grunt. Seifer's words were making him uncomfortable, partly because they were true. In contrast to the muted pinks, baby blues and creamy yellows the other female guests were wearing, Quistis wore a toga style dress of saffron silk. No jewelry adorned her milky skin, but her rich gold hair, spilling in a cascade down her back, glittered and shone as if sprinkled with a thousand tiny diamonds.

"So when are you going to ask her for a dance?"

"Who says I'm going to?" Squall replied irritably. He gulped down the rest of his wine in disagreeable silence.

"If you're not going to, I'm going to claim her, then. I think you're going to regret this, Squall." The blond tossed him a parting smirk and strode purposefully towards his former instructor.

"So…" Quistis turned away from Selphie as she heard the smooth baritone behind her, to look up into the smirking face of Seifer Almasy. "Would the most beautiful girl here care to dance with the best looking guy?"

Quistis raised her eyebrow. "Just who are you complimenting, Mr. Almasy? You or me?"

Seifer cocked his head and thought for a moment. "Both, I guess."

"You know what they say," Selphie remarked. "He who loves himself is loved by all."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm popular with you women. So?" He swept into a half-bow and extended his hand.

"Well…when you put it that way…" she accepted his hand and followed him out onto the dance floor.

"Looking lovely tonight," he complimented her. And this time it really wasn't just a social comment – she did look beautiful. But then he'd always known that.

"Thank you. It was Selphie's doing."

"You'd better talk to Squall soon," Seifer advised.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"He's in a bad mood, and that's an understatement. Ever since he came back I've hardly been able to get him to speak a complete sentence."

"I wonder why." She forced her voice to sound disinterested.

"Isn't it obvious?" Seifer glanced slyly at her. "He's been pining for affection. I'm an expert on these things."

"His business is his own. I'm not going to be pushy and irritate him."

"You're never pushy. That's the problem."

Quistis shot him a startled look. "Look at it this way, Quistis. You and Rinny had equal chances of getting him. She gained the advantage because she was daring enough to be pushy. You know Squall's never one to take initiative."

"Maybe." She sighed suddenly. "Why are you so concerned about us anyway?"

"Because I care about the welfare of my beloved former instructor and my SeeD commander."

"Right." Quistis rolled her eyes.

"I really do," he appealed winsomely, dark green eyes wide and innocent.

"I think you've just looking for trouble." She told him suspiciously.

"Nobody believes me around here," he mock-sighed, then laughed.

"You're a busybody, Seifer Almasy. If I were still your instructor I'd send you for detention right away."

"It was always your favorite pastime." He smirked. "Nothing else gave you more satisfaction than packing me away in detention class for a couple of hours."

"That's your perception. You did give me quite a headache, you know."

"Well." His head lowered to hers, catching her off guard, and he dropped a soft kiss on the sensitive cleft above her upper lip. It was a nothing-but-fun sort of kiss, but the sensation shocked her to the very core.

"What the –" she jerked back instinctively, and for a moment blinked confusedly at him. "You kissed me!" Inwardly she winced – she was stating the obvious, but…

"My encouragement." He smiled at her, green eyes softening momentarily, losing that sardonic smirk they always carried. "I'd love to stay with you, but the dance's ending, and I have to go look for another dance partner."

"Another?" she asked skeptically. "Every time I turn around I see you with a different girl."

"Of course. I do have a reputation to keep, you know." "He cast a quick look over her shoulder. "Besides, I think someone's coming to claim you."

Squall scowled and turned away from the sight of Quistis in Seifer's arms. He could hardly blame the blond for dancing with her – after all, he himself hadn't approached her all evening. Why shouldn't she dance with him?

He locked eyes with his best friend. Oh, he knew that Seifer was trying to taunt him, to goad him into asking her for a dance. And the worst part of it was that he was reacting the way Seifer wanted him to.

Oh, well. He was bored, anyway, and he was going to have to face her sometime. Cursing himself every step of the way, he crossed the room through the throng of people to where she was standing alone by the huge window. Was it his imagination, or did she look a little melancholy as she watched the couples dance?

There you are, in a darkened room
And you're all alone, looking out the window
Your heart is cold and lost the will to love
Like a broken arrow, here I stand in the shadows

In the shadows
Come to come, come to me

"Dance with me?" he asked, as he came up to her. She blinked a little and focused her eyes on him. He could see the incredulity in those eyes.

"Did I hear you correctly?"

He frowned at her, trying to decide if she was serious or not.

"Yes," he replied somewhat acidly. "I'm only going to ask once."

"Well, then." She took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. "I shouldn't waste my chance, now should I?"


Can't you see that
Nobody wants to be lonely, nobody wants to cry
My body's longing to hold you
So bad it hurts inside
Time is precious and it's slipping away
And I've been waiting for you all of my life
Nobody wants to be lonely
So why why don't you let me love you


Can you hear my voice, do you hear my song
It's a serenade, so your heart can find me,
And suddenly you're flying down the stairs
Into my arms, baby,

Before I start going crazy

Run to me
Run to me

Cause I'm dying...
Nobody wants to be lonely
Nobody wants to cry
My body's longing to hold you
So bad it hurts inside
Time is precious and it's slipping away
And I've been waiting for you all of my life
Nobody wants to be lonely
So why…

She moved closer to him, sliding one hand around his neck, while the other held his shoulder. Her honey colored head leaned against his shoulder.

Squall, body tingling with the intimacy of the contact, rested his head against hers gently. His arms ran slowly, sensually over her sleek blonde hair; down her bare arms, across her slim back, finally to rest over her hand, which had dropped down to his waist.

She raised her head then to stare into his eyes, her own eyes glowing softly, probing into his own. The clear, untainted blue asking a silent question, pleading for an answer.


Why, why don't you let me love you?

Quistis dropped her eyes and clung tight to his neck, as if the warmth his body radiated was the life force that sustained her. He leaned his head against hers once again – the closeness was something he'd thought he'd never feel for a second time, not since Rinoa had left him so suddenly. Quistis was the only other woman he'd ever touched.

The last plangent note died away, and she released him, clearly taking his lack of response as a negative reply.

"Thanks for the dance." She smiled, eyes hiding the disappointment within. He watched her figure recede into the mob of people.


I want to feel you need me
Just like the air you're breathing
Breathing, I need you here in my life

Don't walk away, don't walk away
Don't walk away, don't walk away
No, no, no, no…

Nobody wants to be lonely
Nobody wants to cry...

"Squall Leonhart, you're as drunk as a sailor!" Quistis hissed hours later.

"No, I'm not." His look was sullen.

"Yes, you are." She wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell of alcohol. "That's it – we're leaving. Now."

"Go bosshhh shombody elssse." She fought hard to control her amusement at his drunken speech.

"Like it or not I'm bossing you tonight." She pulled him away from the wall he was leaning against, and he stumbled slightly. "Look – you can't even walk straight. Give me your hand." She slid one arm over her shoulder and clasped her fingers with his other hand, then supported him out the ballroom down the silent hallways.

Squall collapsed down onto his bed once they were at his room, and seemed to fall asleep immediately. Quistis watched him for a few moments, and then, shaking her head slightly, set about removing his jacket and shoes.

She stripped him down to his boxers, which she prudently left alone– there was a fine line between helping him sleep comfortably and raping him outright, after all. She folded his clothes and put them on the chair, then lingered around, reluctant to leave him now that she was in his room.

"Quisty?" He mumbled from the bed, and then half raised himself up on his elbows. His bangs fell across his face, causing her fingers to itch to push it back. "My head hurts."

"Of course it does," she replied calmly, going through his cabinets in search of painkillers. "You drank enough to fill the entire ocean tonight." She shut off the ceiling light and flicked on the desk lamp instead. "Feel better?"

His only response was a muffled groan.

"Nobody told you to guzzle all that wine like water," She told him heartlessly. "This is all your fault, you know."

His bloodshot eyes flickered slightly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Yes, well, now that you're awake, why don't you go sober up in the shower? You reek of alcohol, and frankly, it's not a very pleasant smell."

Squall made no further complaint, but staggered to the adjacent bathroom and closed the door. Moments later the sound of running tap water drifted into the bedroom.

"Finally," Quistis said tartly as he emerged, hair dripping, from the bathroom.

"What?"

"Does it take you over an hour just to bathe every day?"

"You told me to sober up," he protested. "Nobody asked you to wait, anyway. I thought you'd be long gone by now."

"And what happens if, in your drunken state, you drowned yourself in the shower or something?"

"I'll send you a postcard from the netherworld if I do."

Quistis was feeling a little better – that long wait had been worth it. Their light banter was beginning to sound like their past conversations, long ago, before Rinoa had committed suicide.

"…Thanks."

"Huh?" Quistis snapped out of her reverie.

"If you hadn't brought me back here I'd probably still be there, out cold in a puddle of wine."

Quistis burst out laughing at the mental image of the cold, controlled commander lying prostrate in a pool of alcohol. A faint smile flirted with Squall's austere lips.

"I'll take my payment now, then."

"Which would be?" He asked a little warily. She smiled mysteriously as she approached, and he had no inkling of her intentions until her lips were locked with his.

"Quis – mmph!" his startled voice was cut off, and he responded to the urgency in that kiss. His hand came to cradle her head gently, as his mouth tried to consume from her what she was consuming from him. God, it had been so long since he's kissed another this way…

Quistis broke away, gasping slightly. Darn it – if she hadn't needed to come up for air she'd have gone on kissing him forever.

What the hell was she doing? She moved away from the tantalizing warmth of his hand - she hadn't wanted to force herself on him before he'd made his decision.

"What am I to you, Squall?" she lashed out in frustration. "A vessel for you to fill your desires with?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me? You kissed me first!"

"You would have continued if I hadn't stopped it," she accused. "And it would have progressed further, wouldn't it? Next morning I'd have found myself lying next to you, buck naked, having been the most pliant little toy to you the night before!" Her voice soared several octaves.

"What are you yelling at me for?" he retorted, his own voice considerably louder than usual. "It's not my fault you've been in love with me for the past five years - "

"So what?" she snapped back. "That doesn't give you the right to take advantage of that fact and make use of me - "

"I'm not - "

"What about that night in Galbadia, then. You were drunk too, you know – how do I know things wouldn't have turned out the same way tonight?"

"It happened once, Quistis – that doesn't mean it's going to happen again. Quit judging me so quickly – stop being so self-assured for once. You wouldn't know if I'd done it out of love tonight, and not for quick relief, would you?"

In a lightning-quick movement her hand moved to slap him, unconsciously, and he caught it quickly. They stared at each other, throats more than a little sore from all the shouting.

"You've got quick reflexes." Quistis said finally.

"Thank you. I had a very good instructor." She laughed weakly and wrenched her hand from his grip.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it…I just needed to work off some steam."

He ignored her apology. "Marry me?"

She tried to stifle her laughter, but she simply couldn't, and to his chagrin she laughed even harder. "You're proposing to me in a drunken state?"

"It's still valid," he replied in a slightly injured tone.

"Oh, Squall…" there was a kind of aching desire in her voice. "You'll probably regret it in the morning."

"I know what I'm doing. Doesn't this prove to you that I'm not making use of you then?"

She smiled then. "No regrets?"

"No. I promise."

With a kind of half-laugh, half-sob, she threw herself into his arms. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

"You've been waiting for me to propose to you in a drunken condition?"

"You know what I mean." Quistis's gaze was thoughtful. "I don't suppose you'd repeat what you yelled at me just now, would you?"

"That being…?"

"For a SeeD commander you're incredibly dense sometimes…you know that? You said you'd do it out of love tonight…did you mean it?"

"Let me show you…" he murmured. His suggestive expression was so alien that she giggled. "God knows you've waited long enough…can't keep you in suspense any longer, can I?"

Laughter faded to cries and whispers, as the two finally consummated the unspoken love in their hearts.

- End chapter 7 -

Sure was long coming, eh? Sorry, but now that my exams are over, I'll have the last two chapters up soon...