**Please read + review!**
**
Any lead on the girl?
Nick raked a hand through his sandy hair and puffed exhaustedly. He couldn't understand it. The girl in the photo looked so open, so honest. And her eyes…the eyes that so resembled Melody's. He gazed at the clock on the wall and imagined her beautiful face, the face with such clearness of skin, the brilliance of the eyes, and the sweet curve of the mouth. A breeze ruffled her hair, and she smiled wistfully before disappearing into the filing cabinet. He glanced down at the picture again and thoughtfully reached for the telephone.
Nick was a handsome man in his early thirties. His ashy blonde hair was slightly ridged near his centre parting and fell in choppy bangs across his forehead and eyes. His eyes were a peculiar colour; they changed with the weather. When the sun shone, they were a dusky green. At night, they were blue, ringed with hazel. And when he was upset, and it was cloudy, his eyes would smoke over with a light grey.
He reached for numbers on the keypad, but before he could, the telephone started ringing. He picked it up and his expression immediately changed.
"Sighted? With a tall, blonde man, you say? Boyfriend? Oh. Yes, I understand it isn't much to go on. Where, exactly did you say?"
He reached for a pen, and scribbled down the name of a popular coastal café, many miles away from Balamb.
**
"Stop grumbling. We were lucky. The last car in the last rental place in town." , Seifer gently reminded Quistis. She rolled her eyes and turned towards the window, fascinating in the rolling hills that flashed by. Why was she even doing this? With him, someone who wasn't even involved in this? But now…
Now he was involved in this, right up to his mocking green eyes.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know".
Quistis slammed her hand down on the dashboard. The car swerved slightly. It was dark outside, the road only illuminated by a few flickering road lights.
"Damnit, Seifer! What are you running from? I have my problems, I have my own places to run to! Why can't you tell me the truth? I don't need this! I could be miles from here, finding a new home, on the run, being hunted…avoiding authorities, the sorts of things that panicked, innocent fugitives do! You could be running from whatever you're running from! Either tell me, or get out of this car!"
Seifer turned towards her, his eyes full of an unreadable emotion. "Fine. I'll tell you."
He pulled over at the side of the road and turned towards her, unbuckling his seatbelt.
"After Ultimecia's defeat, I went to live in Fisherman's Horizon. I had decided to make something out of my life. I – I met a guy, a guy called Canon. He was a nice guy, working at the local café. We got to know eachother well.
Over the days, weeks, months, he was growing oppressed, edgy. I often asked him what was wrong, but he could never tell me. Then one day, he called me and asked to meet me at the marina. It was raining. I remember the wind, and the waves. It was so clear. I knew there was something wrong.
I went to the marina and saw – and saw Canon being pushed into a boat with this other guy. He – he had a gun. He was shouting, screaming about some girl, some Megan, Mella, I don't know. I only heard a few words, but I remember him saying; "I asked you to spy on her; not to fall in love with her!" Then the man turned around and saw me, aimed the gun at me. He fired, and hit my arm. He said – "You can't live. I want you too." He told me my name, my address, personal things I thought nobody knew. He told me he'd find me, wherever I went. Then I…"
Quistis looked searchingly into his eyes. "Then?"
"I fainted. That's all I know."
Something changed, so subtly, in Seifer's face. "I'm telling the truth."
Quistis nodded slowly. "Show me your arm."
Seifer rolled up his coat sleeve to show an ugly wound where the bullet pierced his arm. Quistis touched it, tentatively. "I'm sorry". Something small was nagging at the back of her mind. Something…impossible. But –
"What did Canon look like? What – what was he wearing?"
"Tall, dark guy, with those mysterious eyes. He was wearing a trenchcoat, black. I think, at least…Quistis?"
For Quistis had shrunk back in her seat and was staring at Seifer with utter disbelief. "That's him."
"Who?"
"The dead man in my dormitory."
**
"Why are we here?"
"To forget, of course!"
Quistis and Seifer were sitting in an old-fashioned disco bar in the small town of Salgo. Both were tired, both were restless.
"The music will make you feel free!" Insisted Seifer as he drained the last of his fruit punch and dragged Quistis onto the dance floor. "Come on…"
The music was upbeat, with a pulsing bass that ran through Quistis' body. Seifer roughly took her arms and led her in the sexy, wild dance to the music. "Loosen up. Move your hips…" he swayed against her "like this". Quistis could only laugh at Seifer's wild attempts to make her trendier. Why not let go? She had so many troubles, so many unanswered questions. This wasn't the sort of thing you'd expect the heroine to do; find out that there was a terrible link between her, her former student, and a deadly spying trail, and instantly head to the nearest disco to dance the night away with the said former student. But…it did feel good.
Seifer dipped her back in a tango style, and her head span. She swayed her hips and moved her arms, wrapping them around his. The music changed to a pulsing, soft, dance. Quistis started to pull away. The moves to this one were too embarrassing even for her, in her state of intoxication.
"No, come on", Seifer insisted. "It'll be fun. Come on, you old hag."
He gently took her hand and led her back to the dance floor. He had been so rough before, but now he was gentle, as if she was special to him. As if she was an individual. Which she had never been before.
She backed up into his arms and he wrapped them around her waist. His head rested lightly on the top of her hair. He breathed in deeply, and hoped that she wouldn't notice. They swayed gently, their hips moving in time, his fingers moving gently across her arms.
To escape this day
This feeling
I should be holding you
Touching you
"Quistis…don't worry. It's going to be okay."
He sensed she was smiling and gently kissed the top of her head. She was so vulnerable. What was this?
All paths leading different ways
Love's maze is a hatter's mad party-time
One path that the piper plays
You'll wander round for days inside
Cupid never pays…
He swivelled her around so that she was facing him. There was a slight flush in her cheeks, and a sheen on her hair from the tacky disco lights. She smelled faintly of bedclothes in summertime, of cosy furnaces, of empty apartments.
"Seifer…I don't understand…"
"Understanding doesn't matter…"
She smiled slightly, and said something rather random. The words tripped off her tongue, stupidly. "Your scar's fading."
"Scars don't matter either."
His lips brushed against hers, and she trembled slightly. He sensed her tenseness and drew away.
"I'm sorry…"
"No, Seifer, it's not you. I…I just don't know. I'm not ready. I just – I just can't handle it right now…"
The imperceptible light in his eyes flickered. He put his hands on her shoulders and began to sway again , almost mechanically to the music, which was onto its last lines now. Quistis lowered her eyes and let him lead her. The feeling, the tension was gone.
Do I, should I?
Love's maze confuses me so
But I never want to let you go
How can I let you know
That I want you
But can't admit that I love you so?
**
TADA! Okay, please review! And, stupid f..net never seems to put my stuff up, so please review to let me know you can read this!