Chapter Seventeen
Re-acquaintance
Seifer smiled at Quistis. It was a kind smile - the type that Quistis had never seen on him before. She couldn't help herself shivering.
"Do I disgust you?" Seifer asked calmly.
Quistis tried to answer but her throat was dry and no sounds came out. Seifer moved closer to Quistis and touched her face softly. Quistis winced as a sudden spasm of pain seared through her foot. She gritted her teeth and muffled a cry. Seifer watched her face and without a word, picked her up and started walking into the trees.
Quistis put her arms around his neck. Sweat trickled down her face and cried out as her foot hit a tree.
"Sorry." Seifer said. Quistis had never heard him say that before. She looked at his face and he smiled at her again. His smile scared her but in some ways it was strangely comforting.
They reached a cabin, surrounded by trees at the foot of a hill. It was dark inside but Seifer seemed to know his way around. Quistis felt herself being lowered onto something soft. She could hear Seifer scrabbling around in the dark and then a moment later sparks flashed and a candle was lit.
Quistis could see Seifer in the corner lighting more candles, some of which were almost completely burned down. She noticed that all the windows had boards on them and the only furniture in the room was a bed, a table and a chair. There were old boxes lying around with bits of paper hanging out of them and dust everywhere. Quistis sneezed. Seifer continued to light the candles, slowly and delicately. Once they were all lit he brought them over to the bed that he had placed Quistis on.
Neither of them knew what to say. Seifer looked at Quistis' foot, untied her boots and slipped them off. Quistis held back urges to cry out. The pain was so intense. Her right foot had swollen up and was purple. Seifer glared at her foot, thinking hard. He reached into a box under the bed and pulled out a roll of bandage.
"This won't do much and I haven't used magic since..." Seifer trailed off.
Quistis closed her eyes and focused on her foot. Muttering under her breath, she cast a cure spell. The dim room was lit up by green light. The pain in her foot eased and some of the swelling went down but it was still bruised.
When Quistis opened her eyes Seifer was looking at her, watching her. It made Quistis feel uneasy but she couldn't deny that there were still traces of care for Seifer left in her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, using the bed as a support.
"It's better," she said to Seifer, wanting to get out of there as soon as she could, "Thanks Seifer, but I have to go."
She moved to pass him but he put his hand on her arm.
"You can't go yet." he said sternly.
Quistis was annoyed, "Why not?"
"It's dark and there are no more trains until tomorrow. You don't have anywhere else to stay."
"I have a room in Dollet." Quistis lied, feeling trapped.
Seifer pushed her back and she fell on the bed.
"Don't lie to me. You're staying here." He towered over her on the bed. Quistis kicked out with her good foot and hit Seifer in the shin.
"Shit." he shouted. Quistis got up and headed for the door. Seifer jumped up and grabbed her, spinning her around to face him. Quistis felt his hands squeezing her arms and remembered how strong he was.
Before Quistis knew what was happening he had tied her hands together with the bandage. He picked her up again and threw her on the bed, and used the rest of the bandage to tie her legs down. Quistis twisted as Seifer struggled to tie her down.
"Dammit Seifer." She said, relaxing because she knew he had beaten her. Seifer went and sat down in the chair, looking at Quistis.
"Go to sleep." he ordered her.
"What are you doing here?" Quistis asked him, not wanting to go to sleep the way she was with him in the room.
"Cheap rent." he replied, picking up a piece of paper and reading over it.
"I like what you've done with the place." she commented and felt a wave of relief when Seifer smiled too. He stood up and walked over to where she was on the bed.
"I never stopped thinking about you." he said sincerely, "After we broke up I became a full time renegade. Got pretty close to some pretty important people. You could benefit from my help Instructor."
"I don't need anything from you anymore." she replied bitterly. She turned her head away from Seifer to hide the tears that were building up in her eyes.
"I know what you're looking for. I saw the Phoenix Wing once. It was when I worked for Mayor what's-his-name...Gilbert I think."
Quistis' ears pricked up.
"He told me to hide it at the communication tower. Then all these monsters came along - mean bastards. I didn't think it was worth it so I just didn't bother. Heh heh. Serves Gilbert right for not paying me."
Quistis looked at Seifer. He was watching her again. He put his hand on her cheek but she pulled her face away.
"Fine." he said and went back to the table. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the evening and soon went to sleep leaning against a wall.
Quistis pulled at the bandages around her wrists - they were loose. She wiggled her hand and managed to get one free. She struggled with the other bandages holding her to the bed and managed to get one arm free. She reached down onto the floor in search of something to cut herself free with. There was the box that Seifer had pulled the bandages out of and another one. Sifting slowly through the contents of the other box, Quistis touched something warm and soft. She tugged at it to get it free. Suddenly a piercing scream echoed in her ears, her vision faded to white and she passed out.
Re-acquaintance
Seifer smiled at Quistis. It was a kind smile - the type that Quistis had never seen on him before. She couldn't help herself shivering.
"Do I disgust you?" Seifer asked calmly.
Quistis tried to answer but her throat was dry and no sounds came out. Seifer moved closer to Quistis and touched her face softly. Quistis winced as a sudden spasm of pain seared through her foot. She gritted her teeth and muffled a cry. Seifer watched her face and without a word, picked her up and started walking into the trees.
Quistis put her arms around his neck. Sweat trickled down her face and cried out as her foot hit a tree.
"Sorry." Seifer said. Quistis had never heard him say that before. She looked at his face and he smiled at her again. His smile scared her but in some ways it was strangely comforting.
They reached a cabin, surrounded by trees at the foot of a hill. It was dark inside but Seifer seemed to know his way around. Quistis felt herself being lowered onto something soft. She could hear Seifer scrabbling around in the dark and then a moment later sparks flashed and a candle was lit.
Quistis could see Seifer in the corner lighting more candles, some of which were almost completely burned down. She noticed that all the windows had boards on them and the only furniture in the room was a bed, a table and a chair. There were old boxes lying around with bits of paper hanging out of them and dust everywhere. Quistis sneezed. Seifer continued to light the candles, slowly and delicately. Once they were all lit he brought them over to the bed that he had placed Quistis on.
Neither of them knew what to say. Seifer looked at Quistis' foot, untied her boots and slipped them off. Quistis held back urges to cry out. The pain was so intense. Her right foot had swollen up and was purple. Seifer glared at her foot, thinking hard. He reached into a box under the bed and pulled out a roll of bandage.
"This won't do much and I haven't used magic since..." Seifer trailed off.
Quistis closed her eyes and focused on her foot. Muttering under her breath, she cast a cure spell. The dim room was lit up by green light. The pain in her foot eased and some of the swelling went down but it was still bruised.
When Quistis opened her eyes Seifer was looking at her, watching her. It made Quistis feel uneasy but she couldn't deny that there were still traces of care for Seifer left in her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, using the bed as a support.
"It's better," she said to Seifer, wanting to get out of there as soon as she could, "Thanks Seifer, but I have to go."
She moved to pass him but he put his hand on her arm.
"You can't go yet." he said sternly.
Quistis was annoyed, "Why not?"
"It's dark and there are no more trains until tomorrow. You don't have anywhere else to stay."
"I have a room in Dollet." Quistis lied, feeling trapped.
Seifer pushed her back and she fell on the bed.
"Don't lie to me. You're staying here." He towered over her on the bed. Quistis kicked out with her good foot and hit Seifer in the shin.
"Shit." he shouted. Quistis got up and headed for the door. Seifer jumped up and grabbed her, spinning her around to face him. Quistis felt his hands squeezing her arms and remembered how strong he was.
Before Quistis knew what was happening he had tied her hands together with the bandage. He picked her up again and threw her on the bed, and used the rest of the bandage to tie her legs down. Quistis twisted as Seifer struggled to tie her down.
"Dammit Seifer." She said, relaxing because she knew he had beaten her. Seifer went and sat down in the chair, looking at Quistis.
"Go to sleep." he ordered her.
"What are you doing here?" Quistis asked him, not wanting to go to sleep the way she was with him in the room.
"Cheap rent." he replied, picking up a piece of paper and reading over it.
"I like what you've done with the place." she commented and felt a wave of relief when Seifer smiled too. He stood up and walked over to where she was on the bed.
"I never stopped thinking about you." he said sincerely, "After we broke up I became a full time renegade. Got pretty close to some pretty important people. You could benefit from my help Instructor."
"I don't need anything from you anymore." she replied bitterly. She turned her head away from Seifer to hide the tears that were building up in her eyes.
"I know what you're looking for. I saw the Phoenix Wing once. It was when I worked for Mayor what's-his-name...Gilbert I think."
Quistis' ears pricked up.
"He told me to hide it at the communication tower. Then all these monsters came along - mean bastards. I didn't think it was worth it so I just didn't bother. Heh heh. Serves Gilbert right for not paying me."
Quistis looked at Seifer. He was watching her again. He put his hand on her cheek but she pulled her face away.
"Fine." he said and went back to the table. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the evening and soon went to sleep leaning against a wall.
Quistis pulled at the bandages around her wrists - they were loose. She wiggled her hand and managed to get one free. She struggled with the other bandages holding her to the bed and managed to get one arm free. She reached down onto the floor in search of something to cut herself free with. There was the box that Seifer had pulled the bandages out of and another one. Sifting slowly through the contents of the other box, Quistis touched something warm and soft. She tugged at it to get it free. Suddenly a piercing scream echoed in her ears, her vision faded to white and she passed out.