Untitled

Chapter 4

By Maureen

            "Zell…no," Quistis stated simply.

            "Look, Adan's a nice guy and everything, but I'd really like to room with Amie!"

            Adan blushed furiously at the thought of sleeping in the same room as Quistis.

            "Zell…" Amie started.  She got up, tiptoe, and whispered something, which made him immediately respond,

            "Ok, fine, I'll room with Adan."

            "Thank you," Quistis let out a sigh.  "Ok, meet at my room in 15 minutes, I need to go get Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin."

            Quistis walked across the hotel lobby and tapped the tall man on his shoulders.  He swung around.  "Could you come to room 104 in 15 minutes?"

            "Oh, what's this, Instructor…an invitation?" he smirked.

            "You know what it's about," she sneered.  "And please stop calling me Instructor," she said quietly. 

            An unreadable look flashed across Seifer's face.  Pity?  "Look, we don't want to get involved."

            "You already are involved.  And we can help each other…" she saw the look on his face.  She scowled inwardly and said, "We need your help, ok?"

            "Actually, I'm quite liking it here, what if I don't want to go back?"

            Quistis wanted to punch him for being such a stubborn…idiot!  "The sorceress," she hissed.

            He flinched, like she had used her whip on him.  The two stood in silence, eyes locked, for what seemed like an eternity.  Quitis searched into those beautiful green eyes.  What did he want?

            She broke the silence, "Look, just come to the meeting, ok?  That's all I ask."

            … "Fine."

            Quistis stalked off, leaving Seifer alone to his thoughts.

            What was he getting himself into?  He knew he didn't like it back home, but it was still…home.  Seifer could not understand why those taunting questions just popped out of his mouth.  And calling her "Instructor"…He really hadn't meant to do that.  It's just…he didn't feel comfortable calling her by her name.  Just didn't roll off the tongue right. 

            He hated himself for wanting to stay here.  He knew if he stayed here, the past would be screwed.  Where would the Sorceress' Knight be?  But he couldn't do that…It was his destiny.

            Destiny.  Stupid, stupid thing.  Honor.  Stupid, stupid concept.  But it was all he had. 

"Quistis," he said to himself.  Yuck, still couldn't do it.  He still didn't understand why he would automatically pull up his guard around her.  What was he scared of?  Judgment…

            He shook his head, scattering his thoughts.  He motioned to Fujin and Raijin and headed towards room 104.

Adan sat polishing his swallow while Amie and Zell sat in a little corner, speaking quietly to each other.  Quistis paced the room, and every few seconds, unfastened her whip and brandished it. 

            The door swung open and Seifer came stalking in.  "Ok, let's get the meeting started so I can find a job before dinner."

            Quistis looked at him and noticed that he was avoiding eye contact with her.  "Ok, first off…we need to stick together and settle past conflicts."  She saw Seifer's eyes flicker over.  "We need to find a way a way to get out of this and we have to figure out what to do about Tula…Ultamecia."

            Zell spoke up first.  "Does everyone remember feelin' something go…through their body when they fell into the lake?  Like this bolt of lightning or somethin'?" 

            Everyone nodded slowly.

            "Wait a minute," Amie said.  "Did anyone else see the big black cloud thingy at the bottom of the lake?" 

            "No…"

            "Well, you were the first one to go in, Amie," Adan said.  "So maybe this big black cloud is some sort of time portal."

            "Yeah, what are we gonna do then?  Just go to Oboe Lake and jump in?" Seifer scoffed. 

            "We should ask someone first, ya know?" Raijin contributed.

            "Maybe if we found someone who studied under Dr. Odine…"

            "So…basically, we go to Esthar, find someone who has the expertise and then figure out what to do from there.  Alternative: Jump into Obel Lake, touch the black cloud and see what happens," Quistis summarized.

            "What are we going to do about the sorceress?" Adan asked.

            Seifer quickly said, "We'll figure that out before we go home."

            "Oh, so now you want to go home," Quistis said sarcastically.

            Seifer glared at her.  "What is your fucking problem?"

            "What's your's?" she retaliated. 

            "STOP," Fujin said, not bothering to cover up the annoyance she felt in her voice.

            "So we're not gunna get a job, ya know?"

            "Miss High-and-mighty decreed that we stay together so I guess not," Seifer sent her another scornful grimace.  "Come on, let's go get some dinner."

                        *                                              *                                              *

            Quistis tossed and turned.  She just could not go to sleep.  Counting sheep never worked for her.  Maybe some warm milk…  Quistis made up her mind.  She would go downstairs and steal some milk from the hotel kitchen.  She slowly crept out of bed, careful as to not wake Amie.  She grabbed the key card and put it in the front pocket of her pajamas shirt. 

            The lobby was eerily quiet.  She felt a hand on her shoulder and before she could think, snapped around and found her hands around someone's throat. 

            "Adan!  I'm so sorry!"  She immediately released him and he started gasping for air.

            "That's some grip, you've got there…" Adan managed to choke out.

            "I'm sorry!  It's just…you scared me!"

            "What are you doing here anyways?"

            "I could ask you the same question."

            Adan smiled shyly.  "I couldn't sleep."

            Quistis regarded him for a moment.  He was a plain guy…brown hair, brown eyes.  He wasn't ugly, in fact, he was pretty cute, but there was something about him that made him seem too much like a boy.  I barely had a childhood, Quistis realized.  Maybe that's why I like him.

            "I couldn't sleep either…"

            "Come on, let's go raid the kitchen.  I make really good hot chocolate."

                        *                                              *                                              *

            "…and so after that, he stopped calling my weapon 'the little birdie'."

            Quistis chuckled helplessly.  The two were sitting in the kitchen enjoying their 4th…no, 5th cup of hot chocolate.  Quistis hadn't even noticed the fact that it was almost 2:30 in the morning. 

            In their conversation, Quistis had discovered that Adan loved his mother more then anything in the world…except maybe his swallow.  He still seemed like a naïve, little boy to Quistis, but he was a nice and fun naïve, little boy. 

            "Whatcha thinkin'," Adan sipped his hot chocolate.

            "Nothing…well, just that…you're different…from what I thought you'd be like."

            "Really?  Well, so are you," Adan replied.

            Quistis gave him a quizzical look.  "Really…how?"

            "Well…promise not to question my judgment?"  Quistis nodded.  "Well, I thought you were like…the Ice Queen type."  He received a confused look from Quistis.  "You know, you don't let anyone get in your way…you look up to no one…the world bows down to you…"

            Quistis surprised Adan with a laugh.  "Actually, that doesn't sound too far off.  I guess I can be like that."  Quistis smiled a silly grin.

            "No, only at first glance.  But I think you're really just…too caring.  You take responsibility for everyone and you don't expect reward.  It's like you want to be everyone's mother…or sister, you want everyone to need you, just like you need their love."

            Quistis stared, wide-eyed at Adan.  He had hit bull's eye.  He had only known her for a few days and he knew her better then the people she grew up with.  "I…" she started to say.

            The kitchen door creaked open.  Quistis saw the blonde hair.

            "Seifer?!" she demanded incredulously.  "What the hell are you doing here?"

            Seifer looked startled for a moment and then regained his composure.  "What are you doing here?  And with him!" 

            Quistis mumbled to herself in frustration.  "Ugh…I asked you first!"

            "I was just looking for a midnight snack, so sorry I interrupted you and lover boy's little meeting."  He turned around and began to retreat.

            "Hey!  Come back here!  I need to explain something to you!"

            Seifer turned around, carrying an annoyed look on his face.  "Look, I don't care if you guys are together or not!"

            "Well, I don't want you to think that we're together, because we're not!"

            Ouch, that stung.  Adan was a little startled by the abrupt change in Quistis' mood.  "Why do you let him get to you?" he blurted out.

            This got Seifer's attention.  So she doesn't act like this all the time?  Only to me?  Seifer hid his confusion with a sneer.  "Oh, I'd love to hear this one, Quistis."

            Quistis was perfectly fuming.  Did he have to say her name like that?  She sat in silence for a while, contemplating.  At last, "Adan, could you please leave?  I need to explain something to Seifer."

            Adan looked from Quistis to Seifer.  He could feel the vibration in the air from the tension between them.  Yeah, he probably didn't want to get involved.  He clumsily rushed out the door.

            "Explain away."

            "You know what your problem is?"

            "Please, enlighten me," Seifer cut in.

            "You are so…defensive!  You act like you're not capable of human emotion and you ridicule those who do!  You can't let anything in and automatically put up these sarcasm shields whenever you're with anyone besides Fujin and Raijin.  And for some reason, you choose to be a complete ass to me in particular and that is what gets to me!  Why do you have to do that?"

             "Because you hate me!" Seifer replied immediately. 

            "What?"

            "Yes!  Lovely instructor!  Don't deny it!"  Quistis flinched at the name.  "Why do you let me get to you?!  Because you hate me!  Everyone-" he hissed, "-hates me."

            Silence.  The air between them hummed. 

            "You think everyone hates you?  Why would they hate you?"

            "Why do you think?!"

            "No one hates you for what you did!  You just think everyone hates you, so you won't let anyone forgive you!"

            "Shut up, just SHUT UP!"

            "No one hates you, Seifer.  I don't hate you!"

            "You're lying," Seifer said quietly.  No, she's not, he knew. 

            Quistis let out a yell of frustration.  "Seifer!  What…will it take for you to put down your…stupid shields!?"  She took a deep breath.  "I don't.  Hate.  You," she said calmly.  "No one.  Hates you."

            Seifer felt his eyes moisten.  Shit. 

            Maybe he wanted everyone to hate him.  So that he could be safe.  From what?  He didn't know.  Was Quistis right?  Why was he like this?  He had always been bitter, but he never knew why…

            Seifer's eyes met Quistis'.  Intense green penetrated crystalline blue.  Before anything else could be said, Seifer mumbled, "I don't care."  And he was gone.

A/N: Currently working on the 5th chapter, be patient and in the meantime, review!  Please?  Oh yes, a little poll:  Should she choose Adan or Seifer?