Disclaimer: I do not own FFVIII, and I'm not part of Squaresoft. I'm definitely not Hironobu Sakeguchi either. I wrote this fanfic purely for entertainment purposes, and cuz I love Quistis and Seifer so much! ^^
Authors Note: Chapter 3 is up! Woo! I'm still busily writing, while at the same time, trying to keep my marks up at school. -_-;; Anyway, please, please, please, leave a review when you finish reading!! I'd be forever grateful!
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Orphan at Heart
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Written by: Lixia
CHAPTER 3
The blonde woman looked up and her eyes widened. "Seifer?"
Raijin and Fujin came up behind Seifer, as if they were his body guards.
"The only one. What brings you up here, Trepe?" Seifer asked, his voice back to its usual arrogant self.
Apparently, Quistis didn't like the sudden change. "Almasy, I'm here on a vacation, and I'd prefer not to be called 'Trepe.' I'd like to know what you're doing here in Deling. None of us at Balamb Garden has heard from you. There were rumours about you being dead, too."
Seifer shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets gruffly. "Well, I'm not dead. And I've just been…hanging around," he said. Quistis grabbed her champagne glass and took a sip.
"Well, what have you been up to since…" she trailed off, unsure of how Seifer would react if she had finished her sentence.
"The death of Ultimecia? Yea, we've been just great. Doing stuff. All three of us. How's Puberty boy and chicken-wuss?" he asked, smirking the usual Seifer-smirk.
Quistis took offence to it. "Seifer, I thought by now you would have given up on those silly names. Squall and Zell are both very high-ranked SeeD's now."
"Heh."
"Seifer, we can't stay and chat, ya know?" Raijin said in a low voice. Seifer nodded, almost forgetting the package hidden in his coat.
"We've got to go, Instructor. Perhaps we can talk again some day?"
Quistis nodded, "Whatever. Who knows when we'll met again?"
The three of them left in such a hurry, that Quistis was suspicious as to why, but didn't bother to follow them. It was really strange that she would meet Seifer and his friends here in Deling. Especially since she truly thought they may have died. Either that, or she thought they were living in some small town where they wouldn't be publicized. Yet they were in the biggest city: Deling. It didn't make much sense.
She didn't know what to think of Seifer's re-appearance. Not to mention, his sudden change of attitude, as if he accidentally revealed the face behind the mask.
It boggled her mind. However, Seifer's appearance reassured her of her stay here, because at least she knew somebody, even if she detested him.
By the time Quistis was back in her hotel room, she began to wonder where Seifer lived in the city. She didn't even know why she cared. She remembered how he was always such a trouble-maker back when he was still a student in Balamb Garden. He'd always dared Squall to fight him, and the two of them would always try to beat each other in everything. But Squall never boasted, or showed any outrage. Seifer on the other hand usually taunted him, and boasted whenever he beat his rival.
She never realized how much had gone by over the years, and the Seifer she presently met didn't seem to be any different. By much.
When she settled into bed, Quistis stared at the ceiling humming the song "Eyes on Me" softly. Her own voice seemed but an echo, and then, it too faded as she fell asleep.
When morning came, Seifer awoke to the scent of burning rubber. "What the hell is that?" he cried out, getting to his knees. Raijin groggily awoke beside Seifer, sniffing the air.
Seifer then realized where he was: in an alley-way, where someone was trying to warm their hands by making fire in one of the large trash-cans.
He sighed, leaning against one of the brick walls near him. If working for Ultimecia through lies wasn't hell, this was.
They still hadn't been able to make enough money to get them a decent living place.
***
When Quistis awoke from her comfortable sleep, she grabbed her robe and walked over to her window. She gazed out and wondered where Seifer was in the large city. Why am I always thinking about him? she wondered angrily. He was arrogant, stuck up and a former enemy of Balamb Garden, of her friends, of…her. Yet she still wondered.
Shaking her head, she stepped away from the window, and quickly went to the shower.
Once the hot water soaked her in it's warmth, she could feel herself being rejuvenated, and any thoughts about Seifer disappeared, running down into the drain like the water.
By the time she was ready for breakfast, her usual Quistis-self was back. She grabbed her purse and went down to the restaurant of the Hotel.
After a fulfilling breakfast, Quistis was ready for her first day of vacation to do anything she wanted. She looked out the window and saw the streets, crowded with shops galore. A sudden thought, very un-Quistis-like came to her mind. She would shop 'till she dropped. It was the perfect way to forget her problems she left at home. It was a way to change herself, and remind herself she wasn't going to be Quistis Trepe, Instructor of Balamb Garden, but rather…Quistis Trepe, a woman who previously had too much on her mind. She quickly paid for her breakfast, took her purse, and began her excursion.
By afternoon, Quistis was just about ready to call it a day. She couldn't remember the last time she'd shopped so much—or spent so much money. Wait…that was never. It was true. She had never been on a shopping spree like this before. Sure, she'd gone shopping, but only when Rinoa and Selphie dragged her out of the door. And that usually took some time.
But on her own? Never. She wasn't the typical girly type as Rinoa and Selphie were. Yet here she was, with bags after bags of items under her arms. It almost made her feel gleeful. Much like the way Rinoa and Selphie were after they'd gotten a good deal on a pair of shoes or something.
On her way back to the hotel, she hurriedly went along the semi-crowded streets when she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oh! I'm sorry," Quistis apologized, not once looking at the person. She was too busy making sure nothing fell out of her bags.
"You better be, Instructor," said a deep and arrogant voice. One that could only belong to one very annoying and arrogant man. Seifer.
"What are you doing, bumping into me, when you know I have my hands full! Why, something could have fallen out!" Quistis said, irritated. Her sudden apologetic expression was replaced with one of rage.
"Don't be a bitch Instructor. Is that any way to treat someone you've nearly knocked over, anyway? I could have died, if I fell over and hit my head." Seifer asked, the grin on his face provoking her.
I'd slap him if I didn't have my hands full…Almasy, I would slap you so hard, I'd break that pretty face of yours.
Quistis took a deep breath and ignoring him, looked behind him. "Where's your possé?" she asked.
Seifer shrugged, "We split our separate ways for the afternoon. I don't know where they went, but I was on my way to the hotel to find you."
"Me? Why me?" Quistis asked in confusion, her anger drained from her. Suddenly she saw his smug face.
"Caught you off guard, didn't I?" he smirked.
"Jerk."
Seifer chuckled at his own trick.
"Honestly Seifer…grow up," Quistis snapped, pushing past him.
"Instructor," Seifer crooned after her.
Quistis ignored him, "I'm not going to fall for anymore of his jokes…why I even thought he may have wanted to come to talk to me, I don't know…" she muttered to herself, passing the buildings until she reached her hotel.
Once she was past the hotel entrance and about to get onto the elevator, she nearly dropped her purchases and had a heart attack.
"Seifer! What the hell are you doing here?" She was shocked to find the man in the trench coat standing right in front of her.
"Like I said. Here to find you. I wasn't joking back there, although…I'm sure you took that as a joke. Why would I want to talk to the likes of you, right?" he stated.
Shut up, Almasy… Quistis thought angrily. She didn't answer him.
"I'm serious. Anyway, I need to talk to you about something. You may be my only hope for something important." This time his expression and tone of voice was dead serious. She hoped it wasn't a trick, because she totally fell for it.
Looking at him, she kept her skeptic expression in case Seifer was playing another joke. "And why me? Why not your little gang?"
"Who? Raijin and Fujin?" he laughed, "They can't help me. They're in this with me, first of all." He stopped short, then added, "Of course…I'd prefer we not discuss it here."
Quistis looked behind her and noticed a line of people.
"Hey are you going to get on the elevator or not?" a burly man asked angrily. He shook his fist at her, and a couple of other people behind him had the same look. Quistis smiled sheepishly, pushed Seifer into the small elevator cubicle, loaded herself and her shopping bags with her; a handful of people followed her.
As the elevator made it's several stops for the other visitors staying at the hotel, Quistis felt questions flood into her mind like water.
She took a glance at Seifer, wondering why he was even talking to her. He caught her glance and winked.
Quistis looked away.
When they finally reached their floor, Quistis grumbled about her key. It was in her back pocket of her skirt, and with all her purchases she couldn't quite reach it. Seifer took notice of Quistis' lack of hands to get her key.
"Where is it?" he asked.
"In my back pocket," Quistis replied.
Seifer nodded, then reached for her back pocket. As he neared her buttocks, Quistis turned away from him.
"Relax, Instructor. It's a damn key. I'm not going to rub your ass," he snapped.
Quistis stopped, suddenly realizing it was a bit stupid. "Just hurry up…" Quistis said, exasperated.
Seifer reached for her pocket again, grabbed the key from her pocket, and slid it through the door slot. After a moment, the light turned green, and a 'click' sound was heard. The door opened. Seifer turned the handle, and opened the door for Quistis. She didn't acknowledge his courtesy, but rather walked in and dumped her bags on the one bed in the room.
Seifer followed her in, closed the door behind him, and entered the main part of the room. He took a quick look around, and settled himself in one of the chairs near the window.
"So?" Quistis began, her hands on her hips. Seifer said nothing for a moment. Then, "You're quite the character, Instructor," he said suddenly.
"The what?" Quistis asked, taken by surprise.
"Interesting--" he continued as if he hadn't heard her, "how I used to despise you," he went on. "But then again, you do get bitchy quite often," he smirked.
Typical Seifer. "Are you going to just sit there and insult me, Almasy?" Quistis asked angrily.
"Of course not, Instructor." He said. "How's Puberty Boy?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Firstly, I'm not your Instructor, any longer. Call me Quistis. And Squall is doing fine. He's getting married to Rinoa," she explained. A sinking pain stabbed her heart as she said those words.
Seifer's usual arrogant expression disappeared from his face. "He's what?"
"You heard me," Quistis said, uncertain of why he even gave a damn about Squall. Until she realized he and Rinoa had a history.
"Heh. So Puberty Boy is typing the knot with Timber Owl's Perfect Princess…looks like he's finally growing up.." Seifer said, covering up his previous falter.
Quistis nodded. "But that isn't why you came here to talk to me, is it?"
"No. No it isn't." Seifer sighed. "Quistis…" he began, then looked her in the eye. He seemed to hesitate at first, but then he seemed to muster the courage to ask, "Tell me honestly…what would you do if you had no money?"
What was this all about? Quistis wondered.
