"You want something to drink?"
Quistis nodded faintly as she sat on the couch in Squall's not-so-modest quarters. Guess being commander has some perks, she thought as she looked around the spacious rooms.
Squall poured her a glass of juice and brought it to her. "I'll be right back," he said, walking into the bedroom. He picked up the phone sitting next to his bed and dialed Rinoa's cell phone.
Three rings later the happy-go-lucky voice of his girlfriend answered on the other end. "Squally!" she exclaimed. "What's up!"
"Um…Well, I have a problem. Where are you?"
"Oh, I…I'm in Balamb. Remember?"
"Yeah, I forgot. Speaking of your little errand, Quistis is here."
"She's there? Why?"
"Well…I ran into her in the hall. She was upset, and I didn't know what to do, so I asked her if she wanted to come back here and talk about it."
"That's so great!" she chirped. "I knew you had it in you."
"Don't be so sure…Now she's here and I don't know what to do."
Rinoa knew it was hard for Squall to admit when he didn't know something, so rather than tease him about his lack of social skills, she racked her brain for the best advice she could give him. "Well…just let her talk. Pay attention to what she says…but don't say too much. Try to keep your foot out of your mouth." She giggled.
Squall sighed. That wasn't much help. "All right. Thanks anyway."
"We'll be back soon, honey, and then Seifer'll be fixin' her right up! So just keep her from getting too depressed in the mean time."
"Bye."
"Bye-bye, sweetie."
When he returned to the living room, Quistis had barely drunk any of the juice, instead staring at the glass and fiddling nervously. She looked up and gave him a wan smile as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"So…Quistis. What's wrong?"
As stilted and uncomfortable as the words sounded, the simple fact that they were coming out of Squall Leonhart's mouth was enough for Quistis. She stared at a point far away on the wall as she began to talk. "We had a fight. Sort of. Hard to have a fight, really, when only one person was talking. I guess I was just stupid. Maybe I rushed him. I'd been thinking I wanted to get serious. I know how guys are, especially SeeDs. They don't ever want to get serious. I don't know why I thought Seifer would be any different. I mean, Hyne! He never even said he loved me." A tiny jewel of a tear slipped down her cheek, but she remained calm.
"When we met again, at Larana's…he seemed like a whole new person. He was there because she took him in after her pushed her out of the way of a car. Imagine that! Seifer Almasy risked his life for someone he didn't even know. He got three cracked ribs and a broken leg for his trouble. His leg had just come out of the cast when I'd come to visit. How was he to know Larana was an old classmate of mine? She left Garden to have a family and a normal life. I found out as soon as he was able to get out of bed he was working, helping people out around town at whatever odd job they needed help with.
"Here was this man that I was supposed to hate, shedding blood and sweat and tears in an effort to gain his redemption, if only with a small group of farmers in a little nowhere village. Each day I was there, I learned something new about him…and I started to notice things I never had before. Then on the fourth day, he took me stargazing on a hilltop he called his. And I fell in love with him."
"Thanks again, Rin," Seifer said as they walked past the great fountain that was the center of Garden. It was just after the last class had let out, and the halls were swarming with students.
"No problem, Seif." Rinoa looked as if she might have said more, but suddenly she was caught up by two squealing girls.
"Rin! We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Yeah, where were you for biology?"
"I had an excused day off."
"Oh, yeah?"
"That must be nice."
"It was." Rinoa glanced around, and realized Seifer had already escaped. I forgot to tell him where to find Quisty. All well, I'm sure he'll find her.
Seifer strolled down the hall to the dorms, a small smile on his lips as he thought about the task in front of him. She sure is going to be surprised.
Just as he managed to repress the inane urge to whistle, he came around the corner and noticed two people hugging just outside a dorm room door. He thought nothing of the occurrence, until he realized the identity of the blonde woman.
And the scarred, grey eyed man.
"Squall," Seifer growled, relishing the effect as Quistis jumped a little, startled by the abrupt sound of his voice. "Quistis. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Quistis turned to look at him, and he noticed her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying. She was tired and emotionally drained, and the accusatory tone in his voice served only to turn her day's torment into anger. "Hugging an old friend," she snapped. "What about you? Running around Balamb today, hmm, dear?"
Seifer's eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"
"Does it matter? Don't avoid the subject, Seifer. What were you doing in Balamb?"
"Am I under house arrest? I can go where I damn well please!"
"Then so can I! And I can hug who I please!"
About this time Rinoa appeared, her heightened senses immediately detecting the anger crackling through the air. She made her way as discreetly as possible to stand by Squall, glaring at the crowd of students that had begun to gather for Seifer and Quistis's very public discussion. The students ignored her glares and continued to watch.
"Oh, and, so what if the huggee just happens to be Commander Iceheart, huh?"
"Yeah, and so what if your companion in Balamb just happens to be the Timber Tramp!"
Squall scowled, and looked as if he might be ready to say something. Rinoa placed a gentle hand on his arm, shaking her head. "She's hurt and upset," she whispered to him. "She doesn't mean it. Just let them have it out."
Squall frowned, but settled back.
"You have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Oh, really? I know that Seifer Almasy is apparently a man with secrets."
"Secrets? You want to talk about secrets? What about this?" Seifer pulled the little bottle of pills from an inside pocket of his trenchcoat and practically flung it at her. Quistis caught it deftly, inspecting the label. "Now, Ms. Trepe, would you like to tell me what the hell that is all about?"
Much to his discomfort, Quistis began to laugh.
"You idiot," she smiled, "is this what that fight was all about? Don't you know anything?"
Seifer's face darkened. "I know that those are anti-depressants…"
"They sure are. But look at my number! SR24? Do you know how long ago it was that I was rank 24? And if that wasn't enough! I-14! You know exactly how long ago it was that I was an Instructor!"
Seifer felt pretty foolish at this particular moment, and it was not an emotion he handled well. So he retorted the only way he knew how. "Whatever," he snapped. "Not like it makes any difference."
Her eyes grew cold and angry again. "No," she replied icily. "I guess it doesn't." She turned to walk away.
Hyne! What are you doing, Almasy!
Screwing up. It is what you're best at, after all.
She deserves better, anyway.
Don't let her walk away!
"I love you," he said softly to her backside. "As midnight loves the moon."
Quistis froze. Her eyes burned, and her throat felt tight. In all this time, never had he said he loved her. Never had she expected or demanded it, and never had she spoken her emotions aloud so as not to make him feel obligated.
Slowly she turned to face him. "A silvery light?"
Seifer smiled, a gentle curve so far removed from the arrogant smirk he had worn for most of his life. "That fills my existence."
"Oh, Seifer…" Quistis fell into him, closing her eyes as he enveloped her, wrapping his heart around her soul even as his arms embraced her body.
Better do this right, Almasy.
After a moment, he pushed her away again. Confusion filled her eyes as he stepped back and fell down on one knee. Pulling the little velvet box from his pocket, he looked up at her.
"Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?"
Quistis stared at him blankly for many long, heartstopping moments. One could have heard a pin drop as the former Instructor simply stood, her mind whirling as she grasped what was happening. Seifer felt fear's icy hand begin to creep across his chest as he waited for her to answer.
C'mon, Quistis!
She doesn't love you, dumbass.
Now you've made a fool of yourself in front of everyone.
Shut up, he told his internal fear coldly. I won't listen to you anymore. She does love me, and I love her, and this is how it is meant to be.
And then she spoke.
A tiny whisper, barely audible, but in the silence that had descended upon the hallway, it rang out like a shot, to pierce the heart of everyone who stood there.
"Yes."
As the ring slipped over her finger, a cheer went up. Quistis blinked, noticing the crowd for the first time. Then she found herself the center of a hurricane of hugging and cheering and congratulating.
And one little sentence that struck fear into her heart and Seifer's as well.
"Hey, Quisty!" Selphie's cheerful voice cut through the crowd. "You're gonna let me help you plan the wedding, right?"
END
Author's Note: Okay, okay, it's finally done. I hate it, but here it is. Hope somebody likes it!