(¯`'·.¸(¯`'·. Chapter Five .·'´¯)¸.·'´¯)
(¯`'·. Promises .·'´¯)
The hospital around him was all white. To him the world was as black as the coffee resting in the bottom of his Styrofoam cup. Seifer didn't know how long he had been sitting there in the hard plastic chair. Long enough for the coffee to have gotten stone cold. Long enough for most of the people to have cleared out already. The coffee had only served to remind him of Quistis. Of how every morning at the Garden she had ordered coffee black, and had done the crossword puzzle in the back of the paper.
The countless days he had watched her chew delicately on the end of her pen, thinking. She was everything he had ever wanted, and couldn't have. It was happening all over again. She was unreachable this time, trapped in a marriage of pain and hate. Seifer looked up as a man in a white coat approached him.
"Are you Seifer Almasy?" the man asked his eyes lingering on the identifiable red crosses.
"I think you all ready know the answer to that" Seifer responded fighting the urge to toss he feet up on the table. A smirk of course plastered across his face. The arrogant side of him tended to take over when it came to authority figures.
"You came in with Quistis Billings, correct?" the doctor asked taking a seat across from him. Seifer nodded curtly staring at the clipboard in the man's hand. The doctor took a deep breath before he started in.
"Mrs. Billings is alive, we've managed to stave any eternal bleeding there was" he said. Seifer felt himself breathed for what seemed like the first time since he had been in the hospital. She was alive.
"Did you know that Mrs. Billings was with child" The doctor continued. Seifer's hand curled tighter around the cup.
"No. I didn't" Seifer said his voice tight, breath haggard.
"Unfortunately, her fall down the stairs caused her to miscarriage" the man in the white coat said. Seifer gritted his teeth standing up quickly.
"I think we both know she didn't fall down any stairs. Can I see her now?" Seifer's voice was ice, but there was fire burning in his eyes.
"Yes, she's in room 241" he replied standing up. Seifer turned striding towards the elevator. His coat billowed around him at he stopped short, punching the button with two fingers. He stepped into the elevator, his impatience growing. The second floor was deader then the first; the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead the only noise. He walked along the hall, his footsteps echoing around him. He stopped in front of room 241 and took a deep breath. She was in there, the woman he loved. Seifer stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him. The room was dimly lit. Quistis lay in the only bed in the room a sheet pulled up over her. She was awake her eyes opened only to slits.
"Seifer" she croaked looking up at him. He forced a grin pulling a chair over to the side of her bed. He sat arranging his trench coat around him.
"Hey there" he said.
"I'm so glad you're here" she whispered a small smile lighting up her haggard face. The gray of the sheets made her look even paler then usual. Bruises covered her face.
"I wouldn't be anywhere else," he said leaning over to take her hand. Tears welled a bit in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering.
"I lost my baby" she whispered a sob escaping her lips. Seifer felt his heart clench at her soft words. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her. She sobbed into his chest one of her hands curling into a little fist around his jacket. He leaned back taking her head in both of his hands.
"Listen to me, Quistis" he said. He stared deep in her azure eyes.
"You are not going back to that man" Seifer stated.
"B-But I love him" Quistis stammered. Seifer's heart felt like it was dying at that instant, her words seared across his heart.
"I love you, Quistis. More then any man can ever love you. I've always loved you" he said the words rolling out of his mouth. He couldn't believe he had finally said it. He had finally told her. Her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat.
"Seifer.. I never knew" she whispered. He shook his head sighing.
"I never let you know, I always hid behind my arrogance," he said. Seifer had never been so truthful with her before. Her blue eyes searched his face.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Quistis whispered. He hung his head, shaking it.
"Even if I had told you, would you have noticed me at all?" Seifer asked thinking of the days back at Garden. The only person Quistis' had eyes for back then was Squall.
"You're right, I wouldn't have," she said.
"Why do you let him do this to you?" Seifer asked unable to take his eyes from the bruise marring her face.
"He was drunk, It really was my fault" she whispered.
"NO! Stop making excuses for that man!" Seifer exclaimed standing up, the chair clattering to the tile floor. Quistis cringed back from him, tears springing again in her eyes. Seifer looked down at her, as she whimpered.
"Oh Quistis" he said dropping to his knees beside her. He pulled her to him as she sobbed into his chest.
"I would never, ever hurt you Quistis," he said. She nodded still crying. She looked up at him, eyes full of torment. He pushed a loose hair from her face tucking it behind her ear. She kissed him suddenly, their lips meeting. He melted against her the kiss something he had always dreamed off. He crushed her against his chest never wanting to let her go. She ended the kiss at last her forehead resting against his.
"Seifer" she breathed his name eyes hazy.
"Swear to me Quistis, tomorrow we'll leave this place. We'll leave Deling City forever," he said brushing his lips against hers again. She nodded tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Say it, Quistis. Promise me" he said.
"I won't go back to him" she whispered. He nodded pulling her into his arms again.
"I'll be back in the morning, I need to get back to my place to pack some things" he said standing up. She nodded snuggling deeper into the pillow. He kissed her on the forehead and left the room, glancing behind him as he shut the door. There was a bounce in his step as he left the hospital. Finally he had told her how she felt, and she had kissed him. Grinning he headed home.
The air was misty as he walked to the hospital the next morning. There was a dampness in the air threatening rain. The sidewalks were a darker shade of gray from the moisture. He pulled his collar up high his breath spiraling up into mist. He was whistling a happy tune the world seeming brighter to him then ever before.
He carried a bouquet of red roses freshly bought from the merchant in front of his house. He carried a small suitcase in the other hand. Spending the night packing he had gotten very little sleep. Seifer couldn't have slept if he wanted to. His heart was giddy with the possibility of spending his life with Quistis. Maybe someday she would even be Quistis Almasy. He liked the ring to that.
Striding into the hospital he gave the nurse a friendly smile. Something so unlike him it seemed strange. Happiness had never come easily for Seifer Almasy. He hesitated a moment outside her door taking a few deep breaths. He pushed it slowly open leaving his suitcase in the hallway. His whole world ruptured when he saw the empty tidily made bed. Her purse was gone from where it had been sitting the night before. The roses slid from his hand their delicate petals crushing on the hard floor. Shock tore across his soul, tears threatening to come to his eyes. A nurse walked into the room her shoes squeaking on the floor.
"Mrs. Billings check out this morning, on the arm of her husband" the nurse informed him before leaving the room. Seifer turned slowly still in a daze. His hand involuntarily curled around the hilt of his gunblade.
He ran from the hospital, through the front double glass doors into the pouring rain. He screamed anger at last hitting him. Rain poured down him, soaking him to the bone. Seifer growled and started striding towards the Billing's residence.
"The time has come for Castle Billings to pay for this" Seifer made the promise to the clouds, to the wind, to the rain. A promise to his heart.
"If love is a red dress...hmm...*looks at self in mirror, cringes and adjusts the bust of the dress along with the straps* MAN! This thing is WAY too TIGHT!"
"If love is a red dress...*scratches the back of her head, confused* Guys...I think I'm colorblind!"
"If love is a red dress...why do NONE of these gall-derned things FIT ME!?!?" ---- Brazen Angel
"If love is a red dress, I want Seifer to take it off me!" --- Ifalna
"Hey if love really is a red dress, they better have my size :)" --- Jello Ink
"If love is a red dress...i'd be wearing blue everyday" --- Glacial Phoenix Mystiara
If love was a red dress...screw that. Will it make Seifer notice me? --- Lizziechan
If LoVE wAs a ReD DreSS, tHeN Why aM I weArinG JeaNs? --- Einlanzer
A/N: I think about two chapters left on this give or take? I am so amazed at the number of reviews I've gotten on this story. It is now the second highest review count I have.
So thank you all so much for reading!!! Huggles and Glomps and Snuggdles. (Am I too cute sometimes?) :)
OH! and thanks DalPal for the ~Seifer/Quistis/Irvine~ love triangle suggjestion. I've all ready started working on it. Look for it soon :)