Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, nor do I own Squaresoft. I only own the storyline.
Authors Note: Chapter 6. Yay. Phew. Enjoy, and please review! I'm in the process of writing Chapter 7 now.
-----------------
Orphan at Heart
-----------------
Written by: Lixia
CHAPTER 6 – The Dark Side of Seifer
Quistis kept herself busy that night by going over what she felt. It was…odd. She didn't know what to think about Squall anymore. He was some guy she'd known and loved, but Seifer was right. When was he ever there for her? She was always there for him. Squall always went to Rinoa and was there for her. Now she had begun to admit that she was falling in love with Seifer. There was something about him that made her heart melt. At first she denied it, as a way to mask her feelings for Squall, but she'd never felt that true sense of belonging as she had felt whenever she was with Seifer. All she felt when she was with Squall was pain and hurt of rejection as well as anxiety. Seifer made her laugh. He knew things. He understood her. Did Squall? She barely had a chance to talk to Squall, what with Rinoa constantly clinging to him. The only question now was…did he feel the same way about her?
Would he tell her he loved her too, if she told him?
* * *
"Grab them and get outta here!" Seifer yelled to Raijin. Same scenario. He and Fujin would remain behind to fight while Raijin ran off with the goods. A dozen guard soldiers surrounded the three of them. "Where's the money Fletcher promised?"
Seifer said nothing. They had found out once the businessman opened up the package that there was no money left inside. There was nothing but a blank piece of paper. Fletcher had used Seifer and his friends as bait to grab the material and run, knowing they valued their lives enough to stay alive.
"Well?"
Seifer didn't bother replying even though the tone was harsher. He wasn't going to stick up for Fletcher and his way of cheating on people. He felt ashamed that he once used to cheat on people in a similar way Fletcher did. He could protect himself as long as he needed, but he was not going to say he was part of Fletcher's men, and promise on behalf of the bastard that he would get some payment.
"Fine. Have it your way." The missile dealer snapped his fingers and the battle began.
Seifer swung his gunblade out in front of him and with a slash across their chests, had three men easily defeated. Raijin on the other hand was having difficulty escaping with a crate under his arm, while trying to protect himself. Fujin came into contact with the soldiers giving Raijin trouble, and with the first sign of escape, Raijin ran. "Meet you guys later!" he yelled. Fujin nodded, forcing her own weapon on one of the soldiers who tried to run after Raijin. The soldier dropped to the floor with a 'thud'.
When all the soldiers were killed or injured badly – Seifer and Fujin showed them no mercy-- the missile dealer remained sitting behind the boxes, looking awfully timid.
"Don't try to run…" Seifer said, almost sinister-like. "I'd say to you to tell your boss something, but…you won't be alive to tell him, would you?"
Without another word, Seifer swiped his gunblade across the man's neck, cutting through skin, flesh and bone, not leaving the man a chance to even whimper.
Fujin couldn't believe what she saw. Seifer, in the heat of the battle had decapitated the man. Seifer turned to look at her, a flame in his eyes that meant serious danger if he was to be dealt with.
"Come on," Seifer said gruffly to Fujin. His expression had drastically softened, and a bead of perspiration ran down his forehead. He lifted his hand to wipe it off, then wiped his gunblade on the man's business suit. Blood continued to spill from where the neck used to be, soon pooling over the floor.
They quickly left the building.
"This better be it…" Seifer muttered under his breath. He had calmed down quite a bit since killing the missile dealer. But suddenly, he felt ashamed. He realized what he had done, and how uncivilized it had been. He had been driven to do it, he knew, but that was no excuse for doing what he did. And he felt ashamed that he had actually …enjoyed giving the man what he deserved. He couldn't possibly make dirty money for Quistis, his newfound friend. Nor could he stand to disappoint her by saying he had killed a man the way he did. It wasn't the first time he had gone on a blood lust like this either.
As they made their way out of the dumpy side of Deling, Seifer watched for any
sign of extra soldiers who may have been called by the missile dealer before
his death. Surprised at the man's lack of knowledge in doing business with the
number one crook in Deling, Seifer and Fujin made it back to their crappy motel
room unscratched.
"Hope Raijin's all right…" Seifer murmured, but loud enough for Fujin to hear.
Fujin nodded but said nothing. She had seen Seifer in his blood-lust mood, since not seeing it for years, and it almost scared her. Seifer sat still, waiting.
"Why do you do it?" a female voice then asked, breaking the silence.
Seifer looked up from his dozed off position, to find the person the voice belonged to. "What? Fu? Did you just…"
"YES." Fujin replied, back to her monosyllables.
"But you…"
"I do, when I have to." Fujin replied.
Yes…it was true. He shouldn't have been so surprised. She'd talked in full sentences before. It wasn't that she couldn't speak sentences; it was that she chose not to. However, it was a long time since he'd heard her talk like a normal person. "What do you mean, 'why do I do it?'"
"Kill the way that you do."
"I…" Seifer didn't know how to explain himself. The feelings of shame returned. "I don't know, Fujin. Maybe it's some darker evil left from the Sorceress War…"
"That's no excuse to do what you did. You…chopped that guy's head off."
"I know…and I didn't know why I did it." Seifer sighed, bringing his hands up to his face. He didn't want Quistis to know he had this blood lust in his personality.
"So…who's this person you're getting money from?" Fujin then asked. She believed Seifer really didn't know why he did what he did.
Seifer looked up, thankful for the change of subject, only to realize this was even harder to answer. "If you really want to know…" Seifer began, but hesitated. If he told her, what would she think? Fujin was already disappointed that he had killed the missile dealer.
Fujin never liked Quistis, and how would it affect the growing friendship he and Quistis shared?
"WELL?" Fujin had gone back to her original speech patterns.
"It's…" Seifer had a feeling he would regret telling her later, but he couldn't keep it from her for long, "Quistis," he said reluctantly.
Fujin's eye widened for a split second, "INSTRUCTOR QUISTIS?" she asked.
"The only…" Seifer said.
"HMM…"
"I know you don't like her, Fu, but …well…I do. I mean, I used to hate her as much as you do, but…after we got to know each other more…" Seifer tried to explain. He had no idea where he was going with it.
"Do you…LOVE HER?" Fujin then asked. It took Seifer by surprise. He stood still, thinking over the words. Four days, he'd spent time with her. Was four days enough to justify love?
"I…"
"FOOL." Fujin spat. Then her hard expression softened. "You do love her. I can see it in your eyes. Maybe you don't know it yet, but…you do. I knew that whoever you were getting money from was something more than just a business ally."
"Is it that obvious?" Seifer asked, exasperated. His denial theories about love suddenly broke down and he was left with the feeling of vulnerability.
"NO."
"No?"
"I can tell. Raijin can't." Fujin stated. "No one else can tell."
"What do I do?" Seifer asked.
"HMM?"
"About Quistis. If I do love her, how do I tell her? What do I do? I've never been through something like this before…" Seifer sounded like an idiot.
Fujin chuckled, a smile creeping to her usually stone-faced lips. "Go to her now, and tell her. Just…say it." She said.
"What about Raijin?" Seifer asked. He didn't want to abandon his two best friends.
"I'll wait for him." Fujin said, waving her hand, "GO."
He thought it over for a moment, and then decided to follow Fujin's advice. "Thanks, Fu," he nodded. He ran out the door and raced to Quistis' hotel. He felt like such an idiot, running about lovesick like some sappy fool from the crappiest romance novel, but the way things were going, he couldn't exactly help it.
Fujin made him realize, even before he did, that he was in love with his former Instructor. It wasn't the fact that she was beautiful that attracted him either. She was smart, calm, and most of all, she was a person. She was someone he could comfort, be comforted by, and not be judged. She had taken the time to know him unlike most of the people he'd met. He just hoped she would feel the same way he did.
* * *
Quistis opened a book she brought from Balamb Garden, ready to read it when a knock came to her door. "There's no room service needed her, thanks!" Quistis shouted, too comfortable to want to leave her chair.
However, the knock continued a second time, breaking Quistis' concentration. She tried to ignore it, staring hard at the inked text on the page, but the person knocking her door remained persistent.
The third knock, then the fourth. Quistis nearly slammed her book down on the coffee table beside her, but instead, lay it carefully upon the smooth forest green surface. She walked to the door, now a bit irritated.
She opened the door, a little wider than what proved safe, and sternly said, "What do you—" but her voice died away as she realized whom it was.
Seifer stood outside her door, breathing hard.
"Seifer? I thought you…"
"Got out early," Seifer lied.
Quistis nodded, "Come in," she said. Seifer said nothing else, but stepped into her room. He felt stupid. No. Worse than stupid. Even when he thought he'd loved Rinoa, he didn't feel like he did now. He felt tongue-tied; he hadn't even rehearsed how he was going to tell her.
"Quis…"
"Yes, Seifer?" Quistis looked at him intently. She looked so happy, yet she was serious…Seifer guessed she knew he had something important to say.
"Hmm…." Seifer tried to make something up to make himself sound less foolish than he felt. Quistis approached him and stood in front of him, as if trying to read his expression, making him feel a little uncomfortable. The heat from her body was making him grow hotter, and he swallowed hard. All he wanted was to kiss those soft pink lips and devour her right on the spot.
"You look distressed," she said, "do you want me to make some tea or something to soothe your nerves? Was it that assignment?"
Seifer shook his head, "No…it's all right. I'm fine. I'll be…" Now or never… a voice in his mind told him.
"Quistis, I have something to tell you…it's…important."
Quistis stopped moving, turning to face Seifer. Her expression was unreadable at the moment. "So tell me…"
