Chapter 3: Fight for Your Rights
Seifer growled his challenge to Squall who was knocked onto the ground; his gunblade had landed a few feet away in the dusty grass. The SeeD hero pulled himself up and lunged, weaponless, at the armed Seifer. Easily side stepping his exhausted foe's attempt, he walked over to the Lionheart on the ground. He bent and picked it up in a single motion. Squall stood panting and a good ten feet away, dust and sweat making muddy streaks on his face. Seifer sneered; his face was dust free. "So, Mr. Leader, do you want your weapon back or would you rather I dispose of you unarmed?" The dusty man grunted and ran at Seifer, who casually tossed his arch nemesis his glowing blade. Squall stumbled as he caught it but soon regained his balance. "Why are you doing this Squall? You know I can easily wipe you out." The taunting undertone to Seifer's voice drove Squall over the edge and suddenly the light of his Renzokuken flared into life around him. Concentrating on his blade, he screamed, "RENZOKUKEN!" There was a flash and he ran towards Seifer, slashing at his foe mercilessly. He jumped back when he was done with that part. Another flare of energy and he closed his eyes, whispering, "Lion Heart." Light filled his blade again. Seifer was down on one knee panting and using his gunblade for support. "Squall, please." He gasped, seeing the energy reach its peak. He knew what this attack felt like. It hurt like Hell. Squall almost executed the final blow to his powerful Limit Break when a strong, obviously tear-filled voice broke into the fight-induced silence. "STOP!" Seifer lifted his head quickly, locking his eyes onto hers. Quistis stood holding onto the arm of a sobbing Rinoa. Her face was tear streaked but set. She wanted this to end, now. Seifer felt something flutter into his throat. Happiness flooded his pain filled body. Had she been crying for him?
The light around Squall faded as he lowered his blade. Rinoa rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck. His was baffled, exhausted, and happy to see her. Quistis stood there like a statue watching her friend run to her lover. Seifer struggled to stand, using his gunblade for support. He closed his eyes against the pain, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out. Then he felt a gently hand grip his arm, helping him up. He opened his eyes to see Quistis' tear stained face right next to him. She was supporting him on her shoulder. She flashed him a half hearted yet caring nonetheless smile. He felt his face flush from being so close to her, to have her face so irresistibly close to his. Quistis turned her cerulean gaze to Squall and Rinoa. The powder blue angel was clinging onto Squall's arm and he was trying to stomp over to where Quistis was holding onto Seifer. Seifer knew exactly what was going on; his nemesis was jealous that Quistis had moved on, found someone else. A jolt of hope and pride swirled around him as Quistis gently shifted her hold on him so she could yell at Squall more easily. "You're being a fool, Squall. Stop this silly, age old battle with Seifer and get on with your life. There's no reason to fight him anymore; he's not the sorceress' knight anymore, remember? Let it go." Her voice sent a shiver down everyone's spine, including Seifer's. She was sticking up for him like she had always done for Squall. Squall balled his hands into fists, lowering his head so no one could see his face.
When he answered he was so quiet that only Rinoa heard. "I can't just let it go. I care too much about you to see you get hurt by this asshole." Rinoa loosened her grip on his arm, her face paler than usual. Had he just confessed to caring about someone other than her? Pride rushed to her throat to form a knot with her tears. Squall's fists shook with his rage. "I won't let you get hurt, Quisty, you're my Sis." Rinoa burst into jubilant tears, throwing herself at Squall. He buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting to let anyone around him know what he had just said or the fact that he had tears in his eyes.
Quistis couldn't hear what Squall had said but she knew it had to be something ground shaking because of Rinoa's reaction. From this distance she couldn't tell whether her friend was happy or agonizedly sad. Seifer's almost lifeless body squirmed against hers snapping her attention to him. He was staring at her face and they locked eyes when she turned to him. Something passed between them, like electricity through the clouds it snapped across the space between them and made them both blink. Seifer reached up to wipe some her remaining tears off her face with his gloved hand. Quistis closed her eyes as he touched her, savoring that feeling. She reached up and took his hand in hers holding it like it was some precious object. Then Seifer ignored all his pain and wrapped both of his arms around her. Quistis almost burst into tears but held them back by gripping her hands around Seifer's neck. He sighed in her ear, tightening his hold around her waist. "Quistis, I-" She pulled back and put her finger against his lips. "Shhhhhhh…" He took her fingers and kissed them gently. Quistis leaned closer, looking up into his eternally icy blue eyes. He leaned down and their lips met, connecting their souls, their minds, their bodies. And for that brief moment, they were one, oblivious to all the gawking people around them, to Rinoa's huge smile and Squall's slightly shocked look. Somewhere in the crowd Irvine hooted and Selphie did her "Booyaka!" as loud as she could. Zell was standing closer to the fight than anyone and he smiled slightly, happy for Quistis.
A few weeks later, everything resumed its usual flow and things were normal again. Except for the new addition to the couples list, Seifer Almasy and Quistis Trepe. They were truly the perfect couple, balancing each other even better the Rinoa and Squall. Quistis was the thinking type, always willing to plan ahead and be cautious. Seifer rushed into things head first, letting his emotions control everything he did. Together they were like an unstoppable force, nothing could get in their way. Quistis refused to be like Rinoa, clinging all over Seifer like a second shadow, but she would touch him every chance she got. Seifer was the same, holding her hand for an instant or even placing his hand on the small of her back briefly. These little instances were like heaven for them, a paradise they could only reach together.
Seifer sighed and settled down on the blanket, waiting for Quistis to show up. She was never late and his boyfriend senses were acting up. He was worried sick. Then he felt a like touch brush on top of his head, then a face popped up above him. The grinning face of Quistis. "Hey! Where were you? I've been waiting with this silly picnic thing for hours!" Quistis snorted and sat down next to him. "Right! More like ten minutes. Silly." He wrinkled his nose, one of her favorite things that he did. She giggled and poked said nose. Seifer grinned mischievously and tickle attacked her. Quistis scrabbled to get away, laughing so hard tears poured down her cheeks. "Mercy! Mercy!" She cried between bursts of laughter. Seifer stopped tickling her most ticklish spot, her stomach, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back against him, smiling. "You know what?" He whispered, his breath tickling her ear slightly. "What?" He paused for a minute, almost unsure if it was the right time to talk about what he wanted to talk about. Quistis craned her neck to look up at him. "Seifer?" She didn't want him to go all introverting like Squall on her. He met her gaze. "I kind of always wanted to settle down in Winhill. Ya know, Squall's home village? I always wanted a peaceful life with a wife and maybe some kids. A perfect life." Quistis looked past him and into the sky. "Yeah, that'd be really nice." Seifer pulled her closer whispering so quietly that she had to strain to hear him. "Then come with me, Quisty! Let's go live a perfect life in Winhill. Finally, we won't have to fight anymore." Quistis felt a ball of emotions rush into her throat. She couldn't meet his piercing gaze. All she could do was stare past him and into the sheet of cloudless blue that was the sky. Briefly, she closed her eyes and a stray tear slid down her cheek. Seifer followed its trek until it disappeared of her chin. She lowered her head and turned in his arms. She buried her face in his face, trying to fight her sobs. "Quisty, what's up? Why are you crying?" She looked up at him with a tear-smudged smile. "I'm just finally happy, that's all. I finally have everything I've ever wanted." Seifer knew what that meant. She wanted the same life he did, peaceful and away from all the violence that was their life. He knew he had been able to surpass Squall in his lover's mind and fulfill everything the commander could not. He smiled, fighting his own tears as he leaned down to kiss Quistis. A kiss that would change them both forever, locking them into each other's hearts and minds, closing a pact they made silently. Endless, eternal, always we'll stay together. Whether or not the sun's here tomorrow, we'll be there to light each other's ways.