Disclaimer: They are Squaresoft, I am me, so they are not mine.
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Chapter 13: Learning to forget
He couldn't sleep. Worst than the rejection, the nasty glares of both Seifer and Squall, he felt miserable for the rejection of one of the few pleasures left in his world, the deep dreamless slumber.
Allen used to dream a lot back home, more than three times a night, and he remembered most of them as unpleasing experiences of sharp pain and inhuman figure speaking foreign languages. Later, it had turned into images of Erin raising from her tomb and caressing his skin with rotten, maggots-creeping fingers. She had even kissed him once, full on the lips, and he swore he had tasted the decaying flesh, and even felt pieces of it left in his mouth after she left. That night he had woken up vomiting, and almost got smacked over by an utterly pissed Seifer.
But since he left, not the simplest image came to disturb his sleep. As a result, he slept more than ten hours per night, if no-one forced him to wake up.
They had left the Hotel room two days before, and moved from Deling City to Dollet, where Galbadian law still remained, making it harder for Garden to trace them. Now that Seifer's money was all spent, they were counting on Squall and Quistis' bank accounts to survive, and eventually on Zell's. But right now, it didn't felt right for anyone to use the lunatic man's money, not when he couldn't even remember who Quistis was. The new place was a bit bigger than the hotel room, and they had a fireplace. There was only one bed in the room, a Queen size bed that Quistis used with Zell. Seifer and Squall settled the living room as a bedroom every night, using the twin couches for themselves but forcing the young boy to sleep on the floor on a thin mattress, and between them. Now, although he badly needed to use the bathroom, Allen couldn't dare to move, knowing those soldiers would probably wake up at any noise and grab him.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway separating the two rooms made him hold his breath, until the now familiar silhouette of the tall woman appeared. She has not manifested direct hostility toward him, even after learning that he was indirectly responsible for her losing her memory. She always talked to him with gentleness, if not sympathy. It infuriated Seifer, but it only took one of those scary Instructor Glares to shut the blonde up.
"You aren't sleeping?" Her quiet voice demanded.
"No. I can't."
"Neither me. Come on, let's have a hot chocolate."
"No way, we're keeping him where we can see him." Seifer grumbled from his couch.
"You go back to sleep, Almasy." Quistis scowled in the ex-knight's direction.
"Like he-"
"Sleep."
"Right. Go to hell." Seifer finally grumbled before plucking his head on the pillow and covering it with the blanket. Quistis smiled warmly at him, then motioned to Allen to get up and follow her.
The kitchen was, strangely enough, next to the bedroom rather than next to the living room, yet another of those typical dolletian weird things learned to laugh about. Quistis motioned for him to sit down while she warmed the milk on the tiny oven. Allen felt relaxed, being with the only person around who threated him like who he was-a clueless child-rather than like a criminal.
"How old are you?" Quistis asked while she poured the milk in mugs.
"Thirteen and a half."
"So very young. You really did snatch all those people?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Allen stilled. No-one had ever asked him why. "Because I thought it was right. And no-one ever told me it was wrong."
Quistis smiled warmly. The instructor in her loved the boy, even if the wounded still loathed him.
"It's quite a scar you got there." Her hand caressed the purplish skin on the side of his skull.
"Yeah, I had an accident on a pier. Lost my memory, and it never went back. I can't remember anything from my childhood."
"Not a single bit?"
"No. Mom said it would be back someday.but now I doubt it. She probably lied anyway. As for the rest."
"I have a similar one." Quistis said, and for the first time since she put it on, she pulled the garment off her head. Short, messy hair pointed in all direction, but still couldn't hide the large bulge of crimson flesh, where hair no longer grew. Quistis quickly put back the long piece of cloth on her head.
"For what it's worth, I believe you." Quistis said.
"You don't even know where I'm coming from."
"Neither do you, I'm afraid."
"Yeah." The boy sipped his chocolate.
"Squall and Seifer will eventually forgive you."
"You should be the one angry at me. I made you lose your memories, and that scar is my fault too."
"We won't have this conversation twice. I don't blame you. I blame everyone else. Happy?"
Allen chuckled, the sound unpleasant as always.
"A whole story led me to the train station. What happened is a lot of bad timing as far as I am concerned. Okay?"
"'Kay."
"I'll go back to bed, now. I suggest you do the same, as tomorrow might be as stressful as today was!"
"'Kay."
"Don't worry, for once, okay?"
"'Kay."
Quistis affectingly caressed Allen's bald head, lingering her warm fingers on the scar. Then she got up, took his hand and led him back in the living room. After making sure he was well tucked under the thin blanket, she kissed his cheek and smiled warmly at him. Then she silently left.
Allen let out his breath as soon as the eerie silhouette disappeared from the doorway. His cheeks were flushed, his body tingled with something that felt a lot like happiness, or at least contentment. He knew he would sleep now, and maybe things would be all good when he would wake up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yep, that's it. Over for now. Go read 'Wings of Forgiveness' instead, the chapter is longer *wink wink*
I can't wait to post next chapter. The plot is definitely going to twist. Gosh I love writing *ecstatic smile*
Licks to everyone who reviewed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 13: Learning to forget
He couldn't sleep. Worst than the rejection, the nasty glares of both Seifer and Squall, he felt miserable for the rejection of one of the few pleasures left in his world, the deep dreamless slumber.
Allen used to dream a lot back home, more than three times a night, and he remembered most of them as unpleasing experiences of sharp pain and inhuman figure speaking foreign languages. Later, it had turned into images of Erin raising from her tomb and caressing his skin with rotten, maggots-creeping fingers. She had even kissed him once, full on the lips, and he swore he had tasted the decaying flesh, and even felt pieces of it left in his mouth after she left. That night he had woken up vomiting, and almost got smacked over by an utterly pissed Seifer.
But since he left, not the simplest image came to disturb his sleep. As a result, he slept more than ten hours per night, if no-one forced him to wake up.
They had left the Hotel room two days before, and moved from Deling City to Dollet, where Galbadian law still remained, making it harder for Garden to trace them. Now that Seifer's money was all spent, they were counting on Squall and Quistis' bank accounts to survive, and eventually on Zell's. But right now, it didn't felt right for anyone to use the lunatic man's money, not when he couldn't even remember who Quistis was. The new place was a bit bigger than the hotel room, and they had a fireplace. There was only one bed in the room, a Queen size bed that Quistis used with Zell. Seifer and Squall settled the living room as a bedroom every night, using the twin couches for themselves but forcing the young boy to sleep on the floor on a thin mattress, and between them. Now, although he badly needed to use the bathroom, Allen couldn't dare to move, knowing those soldiers would probably wake up at any noise and grab him.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway separating the two rooms made him hold his breath, until the now familiar silhouette of the tall woman appeared. She has not manifested direct hostility toward him, even after learning that he was indirectly responsible for her losing her memory. She always talked to him with gentleness, if not sympathy. It infuriated Seifer, but it only took one of those scary Instructor Glares to shut the blonde up.
"You aren't sleeping?" Her quiet voice demanded.
"No. I can't."
"Neither me. Come on, let's have a hot chocolate."
"No way, we're keeping him where we can see him." Seifer grumbled from his couch.
"You go back to sleep, Almasy." Quistis scowled in the ex-knight's direction.
"Like he-"
"Sleep."
"Right. Go to hell." Seifer finally grumbled before plucking his head on the pillow and covering it with the blanket. Quistis smiled warmly at him, then motioned to Allen to get up and follow her.
The kitchen was, strangely enough, next to the bedroom rather than next to the living room, yet another of those typical dolletian weird things learned to laugh about. Quistis motioned for him to sit down while she warmed the milk on the tiny oven. Allen felt relaxed, being with the only person around who threated him like who he was-a clueless child-rather than like a criminal.
"How old are you?" Quistis asked while she poured the milk in mugs.
"Thirteen and a half."
"So very young. You really did snatch all those people?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Allen stilled. No-one had ever asked him why. "Because I thought it was right. And no-one ever told me it was wrong."
Quistis smiled warmly. The instructor in her loved the boy, even if the wounded still loathed him.
"It's quite a scar you got there." Her hand caressed the purplish skin on the side of his skull.
"Yeah, I had an accident on a pier. Lost my memory, and it never went back. I can't remember anything from my childhood."
"Not a single bit?"
"No. Mom said it would be back someday.but now I doubt it. She probably lied anyway. As for the rest."
"I have a similar one." Quistis said, and for the first time since she put it on, she pulled the garment off her head. Short, messy hair pointed in all direction, but still couldn't hide the large bulge of crimson flesh, where hair no longer grew. Quistis quickly put back the long piece of cloth on her head.
"For what it's worth, I believe you." Quistis said.
"You don't even know where I'm coming from."
"Neither do you, I'm afraid."
"Yeah." The boy sipped his chocolate.
"Squall and Seifer will eventually forgive you."
"You should be the one angry at me. I made you lose your memories, and that scar is my fault too."
"We won't have this conversation twice. I don't blame you. I blame everyone else. Happy?"
Allen chuckled, the sound unpleasant as always.
"A whole story led me to the train station. What happened is a lot of bad timing as far as I am concerned. Okay?"
"'Kay."
"I'll go back to bed, now. I suggest you do the same, as tomorrow might be as stressful as today was!"
"'Kay."
"Don't worry, for once, okay?"
"'Kay."
Quistis affectingly caressed Allen's bald head, lingering her warm fingers on the scar. Then she got up, took his hand and led him back in the living room. After making sure he was well tucked under the thin blanket, she kissed his cheek and smiled warmly at him. Then she silently left.
Allen let out his breath as soon as the eerie silhouette disappeared from the doorway. His cheeks were flushed, his body tingled with something that felt a lot like happiness, or at least contentment. He knew he would sleep now, and maybe things would be all good when he would wake up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yep, that's it. Over for now. Go read 'Wings of Forgiveness' instead, the chapter is longer *wink wink*
I can't wait to post next chapter. The plot is definitely going to twist. Gosh I love writing *ecstatic smile*
Licks to everyone who reviewed!