Zell ducked just in time to dodge Rex's punch, and ended up punching Rex in the stomach.
"How dare you hit me back, Dincht?! You have no right!!" Rex said angrily.
"Please stop! Rex please!" Aya pleaded. "Nothing happened. Please don't do this." Aya said as she got in front of Rex.
"Nothing happened? Of course nothing happened because I got here just in time!" Rex said as he moved towards Zell again for another punch.
Rex and Zell where punching each other back and forth. Since both men where equally strong and skilled, it was hard to tell who was getting defeated. As they fought, Aya continually pleaded for them to stop, but they simply ignored her.
"Let's settle this once and for all!" Rex said as he grabbed Zell's shirt collar.
"Fine!! Let's do that!" Zell answered back as he punched Rex in the stomach again.
"Zell, stop this! You don't know what you're doing." Quistis said as she managed to stand between Zell and Rex. "You're probably still drunk from all that champagne you drank earlier. Zell, please stop. Now is not the right time to be settling anything."
Zell's drunk? Aya thought to herself. No, it can't be.
"Quistis!" Zell finally said a few seconds later after remembering that Quistis was playing the role of his girlfriend.
"It's nice of you to finally join us." Rex said to Quistis as he wiped the blood from the cut on his lip. "You wouldn't believe what your boyfriend tried to do."
"Whatever he tried to do, I'm sure that there was no need for you two to fight over it." Quistis said even though she had an idea of what possibly have happened. "Don't you guys know that Balamb Garden officials are inside that ballroom right now. If they find out that you two have been fighting out here, both of you will get kicked out of this garden."
As Quistis said those words, Zell simply looked Aya. She was not looking at him; instead, she was looking at the floor while lost in thought. He knew that he messed things up tonight. He shouldn't have done what he did. Zell knew that he put Aya in a very tough position. He wanted to walk on over to Aya and just reveal everything, but he knew that tonight was definitely not the right time.
"I'd hate to say this to you Quistis, but Zell here tried to kiss Aya."
Quistis was silent. She didn't know how to respond to that. She was playing the role as Zell's girlfriend. Should she act mad? hurt? Or should she just reveal the truth?
Just then, rain began to pour heavily.
"This is not over yet, Zell. I'm not done with you. We will settle this." Rex said as he led Aya back inside. However, before Aya walked back in with him, Aya removed Zell's tuxedo jacket and handed it back over to Zell as she did her best not to look him in the eye. Facing Quistis, Aya said, "I'm sorry." And then she walked over to Rex who was standing in the balcony threshold.
Standing out there in the pouring rain, Zell couldn't believe what just happened. "I screwed things up, didn't I?" he asked Quistis.
Quistis didn't reply. She didn't know what to say to make Zell feel better. "Let's go back in, Zell."
"I...I don't think I should go back in there. I'm sorry, Quistis but I need to be by myself right now." Zell said as he exited through an emergency exit.
"Zell?"
LATER THAT NIGHT OUTSIDE OF AYA'S DORM ROOM
"I'm sorry about tonight, Rex." Aya said softly.
"It's okay, Aya. I don't blame you for anything because I know that it wasn't your fault. I know that you love me and would never do anything like that to hurt me. Don't apologize, Aya. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for overreacting tonight." Rex said. "I'm sorry, Aya."
Rex looked at Aya and saw the distant look on her face. He knew that it could only mean one thing: Aya was thinking about Zell.
"Aya, please don't think about Zell. You heard Quistis say herself that Zell had many glasses of champagne earlier in the evening. Zell was probably so drunk that he mistaken you for her.
"No. It can't be. Zell knew it was me he was out in the balcony with." Aya thought to herself.
"Zell told you many times that he loves someone--that of course being Quistis Trepe. Zell loves Quistis." Rex added. "Forget about what happened tonight. It was a simple case of mistaken identity."
Rex knew as a fact that Zell didn't mistake Aya for Quistis, but he wanted Aya to believe that. Rex knows that Zell and Aya have feelings for each other, but he'd be damned if he let those two get together. Rex loves Aya, and because of that, he will do whatever it takes to keep them apart, even if it means putting doubts in her mind. Rex believes that by making Aya doubt that Zell has feelings for her, she'll eventually forget about him. Zell came close to taking Aya away from him tonight. Rex plans to make sure that it never happens again.
"Goodnight, Aya." Rex said as he kissed her. "Sweet dreams."
Inside her dorm room, Aya tried to recall the memory she shared with Zell out in the balcony. Aya was confident that Zell did not mistake her for Quistis. She believed that Zell was not drunk when he held her in his arms, and he was definitely not drunk when he leaned down and tried to kiss her.
"Could it be possible that I'm just hoping that you weren't drunk?" She asked out loud. "Surely you felt the love between us." With those thoughts, Aya left her dorm room and went to find Zell.
AT THE TRAINING CENTER
For the past two hours, Zell was busy training inside the Training Center to keep his mind off of Aya.
"Meteor Barret!!" Zell yelled as he finished off a couple more grats.
"I knew I'd find you here." Said a voice behind Zell.
Turning around, Zell faced the person talking to him. "Quistis, what are you doing here?"
"To check up on you. I called up your dorm room, but you weren't answering. At first I thought that you probably just didn't want to answer the phone, but then I realized that you weren't the type of guy who would lock himself up in a room. Whenever something is on your mind, I know that you come here to sort them out."
"Hmmm, I've never realized that I'm such an open book." Zell said, looking impressed that Quistis figured that out about him.
"You're not an open book, Zell. It's just that I've known you for a long time."
"Well, as you can see, I'm fine Quistis. You don't have to stay here. I'm fine." Zell said as he rolled up his shirtsleeves.
"You mean you're still going to stay here. It's 1:30 in the morning, Zell. You really should go back to your room now."
"I'm fine Quistis. I just need more time."
"Zell," Quistis said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "would you like to talk about it?"
"No." Zell answered. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Surely you want to talk..."
"I tried to kiss Aya even though she told me that she's very happy with Rex." Zell said.
Aya walked inside the Training Center and thought she heard Zell's voice. As Aya got closer to where Zell's voice was coming from, she realized that Quistis was there too. Not wanting Zell and Quistis to know that she was there, Aya hid from their view and listened.
"What exactly happened?" Quistis asked.
"Aya and I were out in the balcony talking when all of a sudden a romantic song began to play and I asked Aya to dance with me. We were talking and the next thing I knew, I was leaning down trying to kiss her."
"I see."
"I don't know what came over me. I guess I got caught up in the moment. Maybe it was the champagne I drank earlier in the evening. I don't know. I forgot everything, including you. I'm sorry about tonight, Quistis. I didn't realize what effect my actions would have had on you. If word gets out that I tried to kiss Aya, you'll be branded a fool. I truly am sorry, Quistis. I wasn't thinking. "
"It's okay, Zell. I know that you didn't mean it."
"Did Rex tell anyone about what happened out in the balcony?"
"No. I doubt it. I don't think he wants the whole garden to know that his girlfriend almost kissed another guy."
Zell sighed.
"So what are you planning on doing about Aya?" Quistis asked.
"I guess I'm gonna have to apologize. She's happy with Rex, and I don't want any problems to come between them because of me. I want her to be happy."
Aya heard enough. Zell didn't want to be with her. He wanted her to be happy with Rex. "Rex was right. Tonight was a mistake." Aya thought to herself as she ran out of the Training Center and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Zell, you don't have to apologize to her. You were only doing what you were feeling in your heart. Maybe you should just tell her that you love her and end this whole charade."
"What's the use, Quistis? I'm too late. I love Aya, but Aya doesn't love me. She loves Rex, and that's all that really matters now."
If only Aya stayed in the Training Center for a few more seconds to hear Zell say that he loves her, the heartache that they both felt in their hearts would have ended.
IN AYA'S DORM ROOM
Aya buried her face on her pillows and cried. Her heart ached so much that she even found it hard to breath. When she finally got herself together, Aya sat up and picked up a picture frame on her study table.
In the frame was a picture of her and Zell at Rinaul Coast. A traveling photographer snapped the picture when they weren't looking. In the picture, Aya and Zell were both smiling at each other as they sat on the sand. The wind was softly blowing their hair, and the light orange glow of the setting sun was on their faces.
Aya lightly traced Zell's image on the picture with her fingertip as tears filled her eyes again. "I wish I could go back to when things were simple between us." Aya said softly as she wiped away her tears. "Oh what's the use," Aya sighed. "You don't love me anyway. You love Quistis. I see that clearly now."
AT ZELL'S DORM ROOM
Zell laid on his bed and tried to sleep, but the moment he shared with Aya out in the balcony kept popping up in his mind. Unable to sleep, Zell sat up and stared at a picture of Aya and himself on his study table. He stood up and picked up the frame. It was a picture of Aya and himself that a traveling photographer snapped when they weren't looking.
(FLASHBACK)
"It's been a while since we've been here, huh?" Aya said as she watched the sunset out in the distance.
"Yes, it's been a while." Zell replied.
Zell and Aya used to go to Rinaul Coast every weekend, but ever since Aya started dating Rex, they barely had time to go.
Zell missed the way things used to be. He wished that he could go back in time to when it was just him and Aya. Zell never realized how much she meant to him until she started seeing Rex.
When Zell told Aya to date Rex, Zell never realized that he'd regret saying it later. Zell felt miserable seeing Aya with Rex. At first he thought that it was because he was no longer able to hang out with his friend, but later he realized that it was because he had feelings for her.
Zell could still remember the first time he saw Aya and Rex kiss. He felt an unbearable pain in his heart, and he also felt like punching Rex out. Zell ached so much that he spent hours in the Training Center trying to get rid of the pain he felt in his heart.
As Aya sat next to Zell, he wondered if he should tell her about his feelings. After all, Rex and Aya were not an official couple yet; they were only dating.
"Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?" Aya said as she faced him.
Zell wanted to tell Aya about his feelings but for some reason, he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. "Aya, I uh...nevermind."
"Oh c'mon, Zell?" Aya said. "What do you want to tell me?"
I want to be with you. "Nothing. It's nothing important." Zell told her.
"Are you sure?" Aya asked. "You look troubled."
I'm in love with you. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Oh okay." Aya said as she turned her head to watch the sunset.
"So Aya, are you ready for your trip to Esthar with your library friends tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes, I'm so ready to go." Aya said excitedly. "I can't wait to see what Esthar looks like. I hear it's really beautiful there."
"It is." Zell replied. "I went there with Squall a couple of times during our Ultimecia mission. Esthar is like nothing you've ever seen. It's really quite a place to see. Plus, Mr. Loire-you know, the leader of Esthar who turned out to be Squall's dad, well, he's a really great guy. I'll bring you along the next time I go to Esthar with Squall so you can personally meet him."
"Really Zell? That'd be great." Aya smiled. "You know, I don't think the plane ride to Esthar is full. Why don't you come with us tomorrow?" Aya asked.
"I'd love to go but I have a mission to go to the day after tomorrow." Zell said disappointedly.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Aya said, looking disappointed too.
"Uh, speaking of who's going, will Rex be going too?"
"No. He's still out on his mission and he won't be back until next week."
"That's too bad." Zell told her. "Good!!" Zell happily thought to himself.
As they watched the sunset, Zell turned his head once again to look at Aya. A smile touched his face as he remembered all the times she was there for him. "How could I have been so blind?" was the thought that ran through his head. Suddenly, Aya's head turned to face him. Zell smiled, and so did she.
Then there was a flash. "Awww, don't you two make such a lovely couple?" a photographer said to them. "I hope you guys didn't mind me taking your picture. Oh don't worry, I'll send you both a copy."
"Uh, so what brings you to this part of the world, sir?" Zell asked the man.
"The great people and the beautiful scenery. Speaking of beautiful scenery, how long have you two been together?" the photographer asked.
"Uh, we're not a couple, sir." Even though I wish we could be.
"Really? Well, I have a feeling that you two will be. From the way you two look at each other, I say you two are meant to be.
Hearing the photographer say that, Zell and Aya blushed.
ON THEIR WAY BACK TO BALAMB GARDEN
"It sure is a great night for a walk." Aya said as they walked on the road that leads back to Balamb Garden.
"Yup. It definitely is." Zell said as he gazed down at Aya as they walked.
"Zell?"
"Yes, Aya?"
"You will stop by and see me before I leave for my trip tomorrow, right?"
"Of course. You know I'd be there. I want to wish you luck on your trip before you go."
All of a sudden, rain began to pour heavily.
"Oh no! We're going to get soaking wet by the time we get back to the garden." Aya said as she began to run down the road.
"Aya wait!" Zell called out to her. "Here, put this over your head." Zell said as he removed his jacket.
"No, Zell. You'll get wet."
"It's okay. I'll be fine. I don't want you to get sick on your way to your trip tomorrow."
"But Zell..."
"I'll be fine. C'mon, let's run!"
THE NEXT DAY
Aya rang the doorbell for Zell's dorm room.
"Zell?" Aya said worriedly as she continued to ring the doorbell. "I wonder if he's okay." Aya worriedly thought to herself.
Aya waited for Zell after her shift at the library. He told her that he'd meet her there before she and her friends leave. However, a long time passed and Zell was nowhere to be seen.
"We really should go now, Aya. If we don't leave now, we'll miss our ride to Esthar." One of her library friends said.
Aya told them to wait for a few more minutes, but when those minutes passed and there was still no sign of Zell, Aya told her friends to go on ahead. "I'll catch up with you guys later." Aya told them. "I just want to make sure that Zell is okay."
"Zell, are you in there? Please open the door." Aya said over and over again as fear consumed her. "Please let him be okay." Aya prayed to herself.
Suddenly, the door opened and Aya was face-to-face with Zell.
"Zell, are you okay?" Aya asked him as she placed one of her hands on his forehead. "Oh no! Zell, you're burning up!"
"I'm fine." Zell coughed.
"No, you're not." Aya told him as she led him to his bedroom, and asked him to lie down. A few minutes later, Zell fell asleep as Aya sat on his bed and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
When Zell woke up the next morning, he noticed that there was a small towel placed on his forehead. "Hmm, how did this get here?" Zell wondered to himself. Zell sat up and remembered that Aya stopped by yesterday. He was supposed to meet her at the library before she went on her trip, but since he was sick, he was unable to go. "I'll make it up to her when I get back from my mission." Zell promised to himself.
Zell showered, got dressed, and was ready to leave his dorm room when all of a sudden he noticed something move in his living room. Zell was surprised to see Aya sleeping peacefully on his couch.
As Zell knelt down to have a better look at her, he noticed her traveling backpack beside the couch. Zell realized that Aya didn't go on her trip, and instead stayed behind to take care of him. A gentle smile filled Zell's face and his heart warmed as he thought of what she did for him.
"How could I have been so blind?" Zell thought to himself. "She cares for me, and I'm sure that once I tell her about my feelings for her, we'll be together."
Zell wanted to wake Aya up and tell her that he loves her, but she was sleeping so peacefully that Zell just didn't have the heart to wake her up. Zell went to his room and grabbed his blanket. He placed it over Aya and then he brushed aside the loose strands of hair on her face and kissed her forehead.
Zell wished that he could just sit there and watch her sleep, but since he had a mission that morning, he couldn't. Closing the door gently behind him, Zell left his dorm room.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Zell ran to the library as soon as he got back from his mission. He couldn't wait to tell Aya that he loves her and wants to be with her. Taking a small velvet box from his pocket, Zell opened the box and looked at the ring he got her. It was a ring that he saw at a store window as he and the other men from the mission waited for their ride back home.
The ring was a simple gold band with a design of two interlocking hearts engraved on the top, and the words, "We are meant to be" engraved on the inner part of the band. Zell wanted to make the moment he tells Aya that he loves her to be special.
The smile on Zell's face was very apparent. "I can't wait to give this to her." Zell excitedly thought to himself. When he entered the library, he spotted Aya at the checkout counter busy checking out library books for the people in line. Instead of approaching her, Zell decided to hide and surprise her during her break. Sitting at a table far from her view, Zell simply watched her and thought to himself how lucky he was to meet someone like her.
When Aya's break came, Zell started to walk in her direction. However, since she didn't know that he was there, Aya started to walk towards the back of the library where the study area was. She pulled up a chair and sat next to a guy who was reading a book. The guy faced her and gave her a kiss. It was Rex.
Sensing someone was behind them, Rex and Aya turned around and saw Zell.
"Zell, you're back!" Aya said cheerfully as she stood up to give him a hug. "I thought you won't be back until tomorrow?"
"Well uhh the mission got accomplished early so they decided to bring us home a day earlier than scheduled." Zell replied as he put the small velvet box back in his pocket.
"That's great news, Zell." Aya said just as Rex placed his arm over Aya's shoulders.
"But not as great as what we're about to tell him." Rex cut in to say. "Should we tell him now, Aya?"
Aya smiled at Rex and then faced Zell. "Zell?"
"Yes, Aya?" Zell said as he tried to hide the sadness in his eyes.
"Rex and I decided to go steady."
(END OF FLASHBACK)
THE NEXT DAY
Zell slowly headed towards the library. He had no idea how he was going to explain to Aya his behavior from the night before. A part of him wanted to confess the truth, but the other part of him told him to let go. Aya told him that she was happy with Rex. If Zell confessed his feelings now, he would only be complicating an already complicated situation.
Zell didn't want to lose Aya, but since he realized that there was no hope of them ever becoming more than friends, he was willing to settle for friendship. He wanted Aya to be happy, even if it meant letting her go to be with someone else.
Inside the library, Aya was busy putting the returned books back on the shelves. Her eyes were still puffy from the tears she cried the night before and was tired due to her lack of sleep. She was planning on taking the day off today but quickly changed her mind because she didn't want to stay home and do nothing. Aya felt the need to keep herself busy from thinking about the events from the night before.
The words, "Aya, I'd rather be out here like this with you" constantly ran through her mind. Those words sounded so true, but she knew that they were lies. "You didn't mean those words, Zell." Aya thought to herself. "You love Quistis, not me. You'd rather see me happy with Rex than be with you."
Pain filled her heart as tears began to fill her eyes. "Get a hold of yourself!" a voice in the back of her mind said. "Forget about Zell. He doesn't love you."
Aya knew that the voice was right. She should forget about Zell, but wondered how she was going to do that when they were always around each other. Aya tried to move on many times, but Zell always seemed to say or do things that would make her believe that he loved her. "I need to find a way to forget you." Aya thought to herself.
"Aya?" Zell said from behind.
"Oh hi Zell." Aya said as she turned around to face him.
Neither of them spoke for a moment. The mood was very intense and awkward between them.
"I'm sorry, Zell, but I have to get back to work. Excuse me..." Aya said as she began to pass by Zell.
As Aya passed next to him, Zell grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking further. Aya stopped and looked up at him. Looking down at her, Zell said, "Aya, we need to talk about last night."
"Zell, there's nothing to talk about. Last night was a...mistake." I know that now.
"But there is." Zell said as he let go of her wrist. "Aya, there was no excuse for the way I behaved with you out in the balcony last night. I want to apologize for my behavior. If I caused problems between you and Rex, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I want you to be happy, Aya." Even if it's not with me.
"It's okay, Zell. I don't blame you for anything." I blame my heart for not letting go.
Time passed again without either of them saying a word. Hurt and sadness filled their hearts as they both longed for each other.
"Well, I better let you get back to work then." Zell said with a soft smile on his face.
"Yeah, I guess I should." Aya said as she started to walk away.
"Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?"
"May I ask you a question about last night?" Zell asked while his back was facing her.
"I...I guess."
"Aya, did you want me to kiss you last night?"
Yes!!! "Excuse me?" Aya said surprisingly.
"I've been thinking about last night and well, I couldn't help but remember you not pushing me away when I tried to kiss you." Zell said as he turned around to face her. "Could it be possible that you also..."
"You never learned when to give up, huh Dincht?!!" Rex said as he approached them. Once again, the mood was as tense as the night before. "I'm warning you again. Stay away or else!"
Zell clenched his fists as Rex stood in front of him.
"Rex, please don't." Aya said. Turning to face Zell, she said, "Zell, please go."
Zell left the library annoyed at himself. "Why in the world did I ask her that?" Zell said to himself. Zell's original plan was to simply apologize to Aya about last night. But as he stood in front of her for those few minutes they were silent, the emotions he felt last night came crashing back to him. Zell remembered looking deep into her eyes before he tried to kiss her. The look in her eyes told him that she wanted him, too. "Surely you felt something between us, Aya." Zell said to himself. "Tell me that you felt it, too."
3 DAYS LATER AT THE BRIDGE NEAR THE ELEVATORS ON THE SECOND FLOOR
Zell got off the elevator and walked on over to where Aya was. As he approached her, he watched her looking down below at the first floor as her elbows lightly rested on the railings. She seemed to be lost in thought with that same sad look in her eyes that she had at the Summer Formal Ball.
"Aya?" Zell said with a concerned look on his face.
"Hi, Zell. How did your meeting go?" Aya said with a sad smile.
"It was okay." Zell replied. "Aya, what is this urgent matter that you want to talk to me about? I was so worried that I rushed here right after the meeting."
"Zell," Aya said softly. "I thought long and hard about this, and I'm...I'm hoping that you'll understand why I have to do this. This is not going to be easy for me to do, but I feel that this is the only way."
"Aya," Zell said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "What are you talking about?"
"Zell, you know that your friendship means a lot to me, and you also know that I will never do anything to hurt you." Aya said as she choked on the words. "Please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to do."
"Aya, what's wrong? Why are you talking like this?" Zell asked as fear came over him.
"Zell," Aya said as tears filled her eyes. "I...I think it'd be for the best if we're not friends anymore."
"How dare you hit me back, Dincht?! You have no right!!" Rex said angrily.
"Please stop! Rex please!" Aya pleaded. "Nothing happened. Please don't do this." Aya said as she got in front of Rex.
"Nothing happened? Of course nothing happened because I got here just in time!" Rex said as he moved towards Zell again for another punch.
Rex and Zell where punching each other back and forth. Since both men where equally strong and skilled, it was hard to tell who was getting defeated. As they fought, Aya continually pleaded for them to stop, but they simply ignored her.
"Let's settle this once and for all!" Rex said as he grabbed Zell's shirt collar.
"Fine!! Let's do that!" Zell answered back as he punched Rex in the stomach again.
"Zell, stop this! You don't know what you're doing." Quistis said as she managed to stand between Zell and Rex. "You're probably still drunk from all that champagne you drank earlier. Zell, please stop. Now is not the right time to be settling anything."
Zell's drunk? Aya thought to herself. No, it can't be.
"Quistis!" Zell finally said a few seconds later after remembering that Quistis was playing the role of his girlfriend.
"It's nice of you to finally join us." Rex said to Quistis as he wiped the blood from the cut on his lip. "You wouldn't believe what your boyfriend tried to do."
"Whatever he tried to do, I'm sure that there was no need for you two to fight over it." Quistis said even though she had an idea of what possibly have happened. "Don't you guys know that Balamb Garden officials are inside that ballroom right now. If they find out that you two have been fighting out here, both of you will get kicked out of this garden."
As Quistis said those words, Zell simply looked Aya. She was not looking at him; instead, she was looking at the floor while lost in thought. He knew that he messed things up tonight. He shouldn't have done what he did. Zell knew that he put Aya in a very tough position. He wanted to walk on over to Aya and just reveal everything, but he knew that tonight was definitely not the right time.
"I'd hate to say this to you Quistis, but Zell here tried to kiss Aya."
Quistis was silent. She didn't know how to respond to that. She was playing the role as Zell's girlfriend. Should she act mad? hurt? Or should she just reveal the truth?
Just then, rain began to pour heavily.
"This is not over yet, Zell. I'm not done with you. We will settle this." Rex said as he led Aya back inside. However, before Aya walked back in with him, Aya removed Zell's tuxedo jacket and handed it back over to Zell as she did her best not to look him in the eye. Facing Quistis, Aya said, "I'm sorry." And then she walked over to Rex who was standing in the balcony threshold.
Standing out there in the pouring rain, Zell couldn't believe what just happened. "I screwed things up, didn't I?" he asked Quistis.
Quistis didn't reply. She didn't know what to say to make Zell feel better. "Let's go back in, Zell."
"I...I don't think I should go back in there. I'm sorry, Quistis but I need to be by myself right now." Zell said as he exited through an emergency exit.
"Zell?"
LATER THAT NIGHT OUTSIDE OF AYA'S DORM ROOM
"I'm sorry about tonight, Rex." Aya said softly.
"It's okay, Aya. I don't blame you for anything because I know that it wasn't your fault. I know that you love me and would never do anything like that to hurt me. Don't apologize, Aya. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for overreacting tonight." Rex said. "I'm sorry, Aya."
Rex looked at Aya and saw the distant look on her face. He knew that it could only mean one thing: Aya was thinking about Zell.
"Aya, please don't think about Zell. You heard Quistis say herself that Zell had many glasses of champagne earlier in the evening. Zell was probably so drunk that he mistaken you for her.
"No. It can't be. Zell knew it was me he was out in the balcony with." Aya thought to herself.
"Zell told you many times that he loves someone--that of course being Quistis Trepe. Zell loves Quistis." Rex added. "Forget about what happened tonight. It was a simple case of mistaken identity."
Rex knew as a fact that Zell didn't mistake Aya for Quistis, but he wanted Aya to believe that. Rex knows that Zell and Aya have feelings for each other, but he'd be damned if he let those two get together. Rex loves Aya, and because of that, he will do whatever it takes to keep them apart, even if it means putting doubts in her mind. Rex believes that by making Aya doubt that Zell has feelings for her, she'll eventually forget about him. Zell came close to taking Aya away from him tonight. Rex plans to make sure that it never happens again.
"Goodnight, Aya." Rex said as he kissed her. "Sweet dreams."
Inside her dorm room, Aya tried to recall the memory she shared with Zell out in the balcony. Aya was confident that Zell did not mistake her for Quistis. She believed that Zell was not drunk when he held her in his arms, and he was definitely not drunk when he leaned down and tried to kiss her.
"Could it be possible that I'm just hoping that you weren't drunk?" She asked out loud. "Surely you felt the love between us." With those thoughts, Aya left her dorm room and went to find Zell.
AT THE TRAINING CENTER
For the past two hours, Zell was busy training inside the Training Center to keep his mind off of Aya.
"Meteor Barret!!" Zell yelled as he finished off a couple more grats.
"I knew I'd find you here." Said a voice behind Zell.
Turning around, Zell faced the person talking to him. "Quistis, what are you doing here?"
"To check up on you. I called up your dorm room, but you weren't answering. At first I thought that you probably just didn't want to answer the phone, but then I realized that you weren't the type of guy who would lock himself up in a room. Whenever something is on your mind, I know that you come here to sort them out."
"Hmmm, I've never realized that I'm such an open book." Zell said, looking impressed that Quistis figured that out about him.
"You're not an open book, Zell. It's just that I've known you for a long time."
"Well, as you can see, I'm fine Quistis. You don't have to stay here. I'm fine." Zell said as he rolled up his shirtsleeves.
"You mean you're still going to stay here. It's 1:30 in the morning, Zell. You really should go back to your room now."
"I'm fine Quistis. I just need more time."
"Zell," Quistis said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "would you like to talk about it?"
"No." Zell answered. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Surely you want to talk..."
"I tried to kiss Aya even though she told me that she's very happy with Rex." Zell said.
Aya walked inside the Training Center and thought she heard Zell's voice. As Aya got closer to where Zell's voice was coming from, she realized that Quistis was there too. Not wanting Zell and Quistis to know that she was there, Aya hid from their view and listened.
"What exactly happened?" Quistis asked.
"Aya and I were out in the balcony talking when all of a sudden a romantic song began to play and I asked Aya to dance with me. We were talking and the next thing I knew, I was leaning down trying to kiss her."
"I see."
"I don't know what came over me. I guess I got caught up in the moment. Maybe it was the champagne I drank earlier in the evening. I don't know. I forgot everything, including you. I'm sorry about tonight, Quistis. I didn't realize what effect my actions would have had on you. If word gets out that I tried to kiss Aya, you'll be branded a fool. I truly am sorry, Quistis. I wasn't thinking. "
"It's okay, Zell. I know that you didn't mean it."
"Did Rex tell anyone about what happened out in the balcony?"
"No. I doubt it. I don't think he wants the whole garden to know that his girlfriend almost kissed another guy."
Zell sighed.
"So what are you planning on doing about Aya?" Quistis asked.
"I guess I'm gonna have to apologize. She's happy with Rex, and I don't want any problems to come between them because of me. I want her to be happy."
Aya heard enough. Zell didn't want to be with her. He wanted her to be happy with Rex. "Rex was right. Tonight was a mistake." Aya thought to herself as she ran out of the Training Center and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Zell, you don't have to apologize to her. You were only doing what you were feeling in your heart. Maybe you should just tell her that you love her and end this whole charade."
"What's the use, Quistis? I'm too late. I love Aya, but Aya doesn't love me. She loves Rex, and that's all that really matters now."
If only Aya stayed in the Training Center for a few more seconds to hear Zell say that he loves her, the heartache that they both felt in their hearts would have ended.
IN AYA'S DORM ROOM
Aya buried her face on her pillows and cried. Her heart ached so much that she even found it hard to breath. When she finally got herself together, Aya sat up and picked up a picture frame on her study table.
In the frame was a picture of her and Zell at Rinaul Coast. A traveling photographer snapped the picture when they weren't looking. In the picture, Aya and Zell were both smiling at each other as they sat on the sand. The wind was softly blowing their hair, and the light orange glow of the setting sun was on their faces.
Aya lightly traced Zell's image on the picture with her fingertip as tears filled her eyes again. "I wish I could go back to when things were simple between us." Aya said softly as she wiped away her tears. "Oh what's the use," Aya sighed. "You don't love me anyway. You love Quistis. I see that clearly now."
AT ZELL'S DORM ROOM
Zell laid on his bed and tried to sleep, but the moment he shared with Aya out in the balcony kept popping up in his mind. Unable to sleep, Zell sat up and stared at a picture of Aya and himself on his study table. He stood up and picked up the frame. It was a picture of Aya and himself that a traveling photographer snapped when they weren't looking.
(FLASHBACK)
"It's been a while since we've been here, huh?" Aya said as she watched the sunset out in the distance.
"Yes, it's been a while." Zell replied.
Zell and Aya used to go to Rinaul Coast every weekend, but ever since Aya started dating Rex, they barely had time to go.
Zell missed the way things used to be. He wished that he could go back in time to when it was just him and Aya. Zell never realized how much she meant to him until she started seeing Rex.
When Zell told Aya to date Rex, Zell never realized that he'd regret saying it later. Zell felt miserable seeing Aya with Rex. At first he thought that it was because he was no longer able to hang out with his friend, but later he realized that it was because he had feelings for her.
Zell could still remember the first time he saw Aya and Rex kiss. He felt an unbearable pain in his heart, and he also felt like punching Rex out. Zell ached so much that he spent hours in the Training Center trying to get rid of the pain he felt in his heart.
As Aya sat next to Zell, he wondered if he should tell her about his feelings. After all, Rex and Aya were not an official couple yet; they were only dating.
"Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?" Aya said as she faced him.
Zell wanted to tell Aya about his feelings but for some reason, he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. "Aya, I uh...nevermind."
"Oh c'mon, Zell?" Aya said. "What do you want to tell me?"
I want to be with you. "Nothing. It's nothing important." Zell told her.
"Are you sure?" Aya asked. "You look troubled."
I'm in love with you. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Oh okay." Aya said as she turned her head to watch the sunset.
"So Aya, are you ready for your trip to Esthar with your library friends tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes, I'm so ready to go." Aya said excitedly. "I can't wait to see what Esthar looks like. I hear it's really beautiful there."
"It is." Zell replied. "I went there with Squall a couple of times during our Ultimecia mission. Esthar is like nothing you've ever seen. It's really quite a place to see. Plus, Mr. Loire-you know, the leader of Esthar who turned out to be Squall's dad, well, he's a really great guy. I'll bring you along the next time I go to Esthar with Squall so you can personally meet him."
"Really Zell? That'd be great." Aya smiled. "You know, I don't think the plane ride to Esthar is full. Why don't you come with us tomorrow?" Aya asked.
"I'd love to go but I have a mission to go to the day after tomorrow." Zell said disappointedly.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Aya said, looking disappointed too.
"Uh, speaking of who's going, will Rex be going too?"
"No. He's still out on his mission and he won't be back until next week."
"That's too bad." Zell told her. "Good!!" Zell happily thought to himself.
As they watched the sunset, Zell turned his head once again to look at Aya. A smile touched his face as he remembered all the times she was there for him. "How could I have been so blind?" was the thought that ran through his head. Suddenly, Aya's head turned to face him. Zell smiled, and so did she.
Then there was a flash. "Awww, don't you two make such a lovely couple?" a photographer said to them. "I hope you guys didn't mind me taking your picture. Oh don't worry, I'll send you both a copy."
"Uh, so what brings you to this part of the world, sir?" Zell asked the man.
"The great people and the beautiful scenery. Speaking of beautiful scenery, how long have you two been together?" the photographer asked.
"Uh, we're not a couple, sir." Even though I wish we could be.
"Really? Well, I have a feeling that you two will be. From the way you two look at each other, I say you two are meant to be.
Hearing the photographer say that, Zell and Aya blushed.
ON THEIR WAY BACK TO BALAMB GARDEN
"It sure is a great night for a walk." Aya said as they walked on the road that leads back to Balamb Garden.
"Yup. It definitely is." Zell said as he gazed down at Aya as they walked.
"Zell?"
"Yes, Aya?"
"You will stop by and see me before I leave for my trip tomorrow, right?"
"Of course. You know I'd be there. I want to wish you luck on your trip before you go."
All of a sudden, rain began to pour heavily.
"Oh no! We're going to get soaking wet by the time we get back to the garden." Aya said as she began to run down the road.
"Aya wait!" Zell called out to her. "Here, put this over your head." Zell said as he removed his jacket.
"No, Zell. You'll get wet."
"It's okay. I'll be fine. I don't want you to get sick on your way to your trip tomorrow."
"But Zell..."
"I'll be fine. C'mon, let's run!"
THE NEXT DAY
Aya rang the doorbell for Zell's dorm room.
"Zell?" Aya said worriedly as she continued to ring the doorbell. "I wonder if he's okay." Aya worriedly thought to herself.
Aya waited for Zell after her shift at the library. He told her that he'd meet her there before she and her friends leave. However, a long time passed and Zell was nowhere to be seen.
"We really should go now, Aya. If we don't leave now, we'll miss our ride to Esthar." One of her library friends said.
Aya told them to wait for a few more minutes, but when those minutes passed and there was still no sign of Zell, Aya told her friends to go on ahead. "I'll catch up with you guys later." Aya told them. "I just want to make sure that Zell is okay."
"Zell, are you in there? Please open the door." Aya said over and over again as fear consumed her. "Please let him be okay." Aya prayed to herself.
Suddenly, the door opened and Aya was face-to-face with Zell.
"Zell, are you okay?" Aya asked him as she placed one of her hands on his forehead. "Oh no! Zell, you're burning up!"
"I'm fine." Zell coughed.
"No, you're not." Aya told him as she led him to his bedroom, and asked him to lie down. A few minutes later, Zell fell asleep as Aya sat on his bed and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
When Zell woke up the next morning, he noticed that there was a small towel placed on his forehead. "Hmm, how did this get here?" Zell wondered to himself. Zell sat up and remembered that Aya stopped by yesterday. He was supposed to meet her at the library before she went on her trip, but since he was sick, he was unable to go. "I'll make it up to her when I get back from my mission." Zell promised to himself.
Zell showered, got dressed, and was ready to leave his dorm room when all of a sudden he noticed something move in his living room. Zell was surprised to see Aya sleeping peacefully on his couch.
As Zell knelt down to have a better look at her, he noticed her traveling backpack beside the couch. Zell realized that Aya didn't go on her trip, and instead stayed behind to take care of him. A gentle smile filled Zell's face and his heart warmed as he thought of what she did for him.
"How could I have been so blind?" Zell thought to himself. "She cares for me, and I'm sure that once I tell her about my feelings for her, we'll be together."
Zell wanted to wake Aya up and tell her that he loves her, but she was sleeping so peacefully that Zell just didn't have the heart to wake her up. Zell went to his room and grabbed his blanket. He placed it over Aya and then he brushed aside the loose strands of hair on her face and kissed her forehead.
Zell wished that he could just sit there and watch her sleep, but since he had a mission that morning, he couldn't. Closing the door gently behind him, Zell left his dorm room.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Zell ran to the library as soon as he got back from his mission. He couldn't wait to tell Aya that he loves her and wants to be with her. Taking a small velvet box from his pocket, Zell opened the box and looked at the ring he got her. It was a ring that he saw at a store window as he and the other men from the mission waited for their ride back home.
The ring was a simple gold band with a design of two interlocking hearts engraved on the top, and the words, "We are meant to be" engraved on the inner part of the band. Zell wanted to make the moment he tells Aya that he loves her to be special.
The smile on Zell's face was very apparent. "I can't wait to give this to her." Zell excitedly thought to himself. When he entered the library, he spotted Aya at the checkout counter busy checking out library books for the people in line. Instead of approaching her, Zell decided to hide and surprise her during her break. Sitting at a table far from her view, Zell simply watched her and thought to himself how lucky he was to meet someone like her.
When Aya's break came, Zell started to walk in her direction. However, since she didn't know that he was there, Aya started to walk towards the back of the library where the study area was. She pulled up a chair and sat next to a guy who was reading a book. The guy faced her and gave her a kiss. It was Rex.
Sensing someone was behind them, Rex and Aya turned around and saw Zell.
"Zell, you're back!" Aya said cheerfully as she stood up to give him a hug. "I thought you won't be back until tomorrow?"
"Well uhh the mission got accomplished early so they decided to bring us home a day earlier than scheduled." Zell replied as he put the small velvet box back in his pocket.
"That's great news, Zell." Aya said just as Rex placed his arm over Aya's shoulders.
"But not as great as what we're about to tell him." Rex cut in to say. "Should we tell him now, Aya?"
Aya smiled at Rex and then faced Zell. "Zell?"
"Yes, Aya?" Zell said as he tried to hide the sadness in his eyes.
"Rex and I decided to go steady."
(END OF FLASHBACK)
THE NEXT DAY
Zell slowly headed towards the library. He had no idea how he was going to explain to Aya his behavior from the night before. A part of him wanted to confess the truth, but the other part of him told him to let go. Aya told him that she was happy with Rex. If Zell confessed his feelings now, he would only be complicating an already complicated situation.
Zell didn't want to lose Aya, but since he realized that there was no hope of them ever becoming more than friends, he was willing to settle for friendship. He wanted Aya to be happy, even if it meant letting her go to be with someone else.
Inside the library, Aya was busy putting the returned books back on the shelves. Her eyes were still puffy from the tears she cried the night before and was tired due to her lack of sleep. She was planning on taking the day off today but quickly changed her mind because she didn't want to stay home and do nothing. Aya felt the need to keep herself busy from thinking about the events from the night before.
The words, "Aya, I'd rather be out here like this with you" constantly ran through her mind. Those words sounded so true, but she knew that they were lies. "You didn't mean those words, Zell." Aya thought to herself. "You love Quistis, not me. You'd rather see me happy with Rex than be with you."
Pain filled her heart as tears began to fill her eyes. "Get a hold of yourself!" a voice in the back of her mind said. "Forget about Zell. He doesn't love you."
Aya knew that the voice was right. She should forget about Zell, but wondered how she was going to do that when they were always around each other. Aya tried to move on many times, but Zell always seemed to say or do things that would make her believe that he loved her. "I need to find a way to forget you." Aya thought to herself.
"Aya?" Zell said from behind.
"Oh hi Zell." Aya said as she turned around to face him.
Neither of them spoke for a moment. The mood was very intense and awkward between them.
"I'm sorry, Zell, but I have to get back to work. Excuse me..." Aya said as she began to pass by Zell.
As Aya passed next to him, Zell grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking further. Aya stopped and looked up at him. Looking down at her, Zell said, "Aya, we need to talk about last night."
"Zell, there's nothing to talk about. Last night was a...mistake." I know that now.
"But there is." Zell said as he let go of her wrist. "Aya, there was no excuse for the way I behaved with you out in the balcony last night. I want to apologize for my behavior. If I caused problems between you and Rex, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I want you to be happy, Aya." Even if it's not with me.
"It's okay, Zell. I don't blame you for anything." I blame my heart for not letting go.
Time passed again without either of them saying a word. Hurt and sadness filled their hearts as they both longed for each other.
"Well, I better let you get back to work then." Zell said with a soft smile on his face.
"Yeah, I guess I should." Aya said as she started to walk away.
"Aya?"
"Yes, Zell?"
"May I ask you a question about last night?" Zell asked while his back was facing her.
"I...I guess."
"Aya, did you want me to kiss you last night?"
Yes!!! "Excuse me?" Aya said surprisingly.
"I've been thinking about last night and well, I couldn't help but remember you not pushing me away when I tried to kiss you." Zell said as he turned around to face her. "Could it be possible that you also..."
"You never learned when to give up, huh Dincht?!!" Rex said as he approached them. Once again, the mood was as tense as the night before. "I'm warning you again. Stay away or else!"
Zell clenched his fists as Rex stood in front of him.
"Rex, please don't." Aya said. Turning to face Zell, she said, "Zell, please go."
Zell left the library annoyed at himself. "Why in the world did I ask her that?" Zell said to himself. Zell's original plan was to simply apologize to Aya about last night. But as he stood in front of her for those few minutes they were silent, the emotions he felt last night came crashing back to him. Zell remembered looking deep into her eyes before he tried to kiss her. The look in her eyes told him that she wanted him, too. "Surely you felt something between us, Aya." Zell said to himself. "Tell me that you felt it, too."
3 DAYS LATER AT THE BRIDGE NEAR THE ELEVATORS ON THE SECOND FLOOR
Zell got off the elevator and walked on over to where Aya was. As he approached her, he watched her looking down below at the first floor as her elbows lightly rested on the railings. She seemed to be lost in thought with that same sad look in her eyes that she had at the Summer Formal Ball.
"Aya?" Zell said with a concerned look on his face.
"Hi, Zell. How did your meeting go?" Aya said with a sad smile.
"It was okay." Zell replied. "Aya, what is this urgent matter that you want to talk to me about? I was so worried that I rushed here right after the meeting."
"Zell," Aya said softly. "I thought long and hard about this, and I'm...I'm hoping that you'll understand why I have to do this. This is not going to be easy for me to do, but I feel that this is the only way."
"Aya," Zell said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "What are you talking about?"
"Zell, you know that your friendship means a lot to me, and you also know that I will never do anything to hurt you." Aya said as she choked on the words. "Please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to do."
"Aya, what's wrong? Why are you talking like this?" Zell asked as fear came over him.
"Zell," Aya said as tears filled her eyes. "I...I think it'd be for the best if we're not friends anymore."
