A/N: *Sigh* Have you ever had one of those days when you just feel so tired, that all you want to do is sleep? Just had one… I like my university school and everything, but today I was so busy that I ate for the first time during the day at 7:30 in the afternoon! At least I've got KoRn's new album to comfort me, hee, hee… ^_~ Any rock fans out there, CHECK it OUT! It's good…
OK, so I see that many of you guessed what the item Quistis will discover is… I'm just being cruel, I know…
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the band 'A Perfect Circle' or the song 'The noose' mentioned briefly in this chapter. I just wanted to pay a tribute to one of the best (maybe even THE best) rock albums of this season, 'Thirteenth Step'.
Chapter 27: Shopping Therapy
The next morning…
Quistis had just gotten out of the bathroom after her morning shower. She was wearing her fluffy blue bathrobe and her wet hair was wrapped inside a white towel. She came into her bedroom and opened her window. The fresh morning air of Balamb revitalized her skin and body as it ran through her lungs. She yawned and stretched mincingly, then looked out of the window to the vast green plains outside. It was Saturday morning, meaning that she had no classes for the day. She could spend her day anyway she wanted to. Suddenly, she heard her cell-phone ring. She sighed, as it always rang for business only; she just wanted a peaceful day, stress-free. Reluctantly, she walked over to the nightstand where her phone was. She picked it up and looked puzzled at the unknown number calling her.
- "Hello?" she said answering it.
- "Surprise…" said an all too familiar male voice.
- "Seifer?" she asked, while a grin spread across her face.
- "The one and only…"
- "Where are you calling from?" she asked.
- "My very own cell-phone… Bought it yesterday. Cid said I'd need one now that I'm a SeeD. I hate those frickin' things, but I guess they're good for something…" he replied.
- "That's great! Now we can talk whenever we want!" said Quistis cheerfully.
- "Heh, heh… Listen, I was thinking… It's a beautiful day, why spoil it by staying inside?" he said.
- "My thoughts exactly… Wanna go somewhere?" she suggested.
- "I had this idea… We still haven't bought any battle gears yet from the day they got ruined. It's high-time we went shopping, don't you think? And then afterwards, we can go grab a bite or something." said Seifer.
- "Hmmm… I like this! When are we going?" she asked.
- "It's… almost 10 o' clock. Wanna meet outside at 10:30?"
- "Sounds good… You get a car OK?"
- "K… See you in a bit kitten."
- "Bye…"
Quistis terminated the call and left the phone back to its place. She quickly started getting ready. She dried her hair off with her blow-drier, then walked over to her wardrobe, to find something to wear. She chose a pair of light blue jeans in knee-length, a white tight sleeveless top that read 'Cute' on the chest with blue letters and a pair of black straight sandals. She decided to let her hair down, but applied just a bit of mousse to make them slightly wavy. She used a bit of light make-up, grabbed her purse and left her room. On her way out, she met many Trepies who tried to pick up a conversation, but she cut them off, saying she was in a hurry. She was almost at the Directory, heading to the Front Gate, when she heard Rinoa calling her.
- "Hey, Quisty!" Quistis froze on place 'Damn… I need an excuse… fast!' she thought.
- "Hey Rinoa…" she said turning around.
- "I almost didn't recognize you! You look great!" said the brunette excitedly.
- "Thanks."
- "Where are you going?"
- "I… I'm meeting an old friend at Balamb to have some coffee and catch up…" said Quistis.
- "Oh good… Do I know her? Or him?" asked Rinoa mischievously.
- "It's a 'she'. And no, you don't. She used to be an Instructor here, but left. She's in Balamb for a couple of days and wanted to see me." replied Quistis, amazed by how quick she'd made that up.
- "Oh, OK. I guess I'll see you at lunch, have a nice day!" said the young sorceress, leaving.
- "You too…" said Quistis, walking towards the Front Gate.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When she got out there, she found a black car waiting outside. She quickly glanced around her to see if anyone was watching, then approached the car. She opened the door and got inside. She found Seifer inside, dressed in a pair of baggy blue jeans and a black T-shirt. He smiled at her and drove off. When they were a 'safe' distance away, he pulled over and stopped the car. He grabbed Quistis and gave her a passionate kiss, which she gladly returned.
- "Hey kitten…" he said when they broke apart, running a finger down her cheek.
- "Hey yourself…" she said smiling.
- "So… We're going to Balamb?" he asked.
- "I suppose so… D'you think we'll be… recognized?" she asked worriedly.
- "I though of that myself. That's why I got you these." he said handing her a pair of black sunglasses "Good call on letting your hair down. Makes you look different…"
- "Good different or bad different?" she asked, putting her glasses on.
- "Definitely good…" he said giving her a light peck on the lips "Shall we?" he said, putting on a black beret and a pair of glasses as well.
- "Let's go…" said Quistis, chuckling at the sight of him wearing a beret.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The couple walked hand-in-hand along the streets of Balamb. Quistis hated the fact that they had to disguise themselves in order to go out like a normal couple. It's not like they were doing something wrong… Either way, she felt good that no pairs of eyes pierced through them and they were able to take a walk in peace.
- "Wanna try that store over there?" said Seifer lowering his glasses, pointing at a store just a few feet away.
- "Looks good." said Quistis "Let's go inside."
The pair stepped inside the store and immediately, two salesgirls rushed over to them. One of them was a blonde, while the other was a red-haired girl.
- "Hello! I'm Nadia…" said the blonde.
- "…and I'm Teri…" said the red-haired girl.
- "How can we help you?" asked Nadia.
- "We're looking for battle gears." said Quistis "Do you have any?"
- "Are you Balamb Garden students?" asked Teri.
- "Yeah." replied Seifer "Can you show us anything?"
- "Sure. Come over this way…" said Teri, walking over at a stand with battle gears only.
- "Who's gonna try first?" asked Nadia.
- "Ladies first…" said Seifer.
- "OK…" said Teri giggling, going through the outfits "How's this?"
She held out a black leather mini skirt, with a black and white matching tank-top. The ensemble was completed with a chain that hung from one side of the skirt. Seifer's eyebrows arched, a good sign that his eyes had shot wide open. Before he had time to say anything though, Quistis had snatched it and was on her way to the changing room. A couple of minutes later, she came out. Seifer's mouth flung open; the skirt was so short, that it barely covered any skin. It much resembled Selphie's dress length-wise. Quistis' long legs looked amazing in that skirt. The top was really tight and had a cleavage pretty deep. The sleeves were made of fishnet-like fabric.
- "You look great!" exclaimed Teri.
- "Girl, you're gonna daze any monsters before you even hit them once!" said Nadia "What do you think?" she asked, turning over to Seifer.
- "Nice. Add you whip to that and you'll look like a dominatrix…" he said crossing his arms "I don't like it…"
- "You won't be the one wearing it!" said Quistis angrily "Anyway, I don't like it either. Anything else?"
Ten outfits and four big arguments later…
Quistis came out wearing a pair of tight black leather pants. She had tucked them inside the high-heeled black boots she was wearing underneath. The outfit was completed by a tight sleeveless purple vest, with a zipper in front, just like her previous one. A purple leather belt hung diagonally from her waist to her hips, for her whip to be hung upon.
- "Well?" said Quistis, making a turn around herself.
Seifer approached her, arms crossed and began circling her. Quistis put her hands on her hips and tapped one foot on the floor impatiently.
- "I'm listening…" she said raising an eyebrow.
- "The pants are way too tight, the vest is way too unzipped and what about those heels? How on earth are you gonna fight on them?!" he asked.
- "Trust me… I can. Now… do you like it or not?" she asked impatiently.
- "It's OK I guess…" he said shrugging.
- "Thank Hyne!" said Quistis and went back inside to change into her own clothes.
When she came outside, she found Seifer trying on an outfit. The two girls were standing next to him, admiring him.
- "I like this…" he said to Quistis.
He was wearing a pair of black leather pants, a new pair of leather gloves and a plain white, sleeveless T-shirt on top.
- "I'm gonna get the Fire Cross emblazoned in the front in red." he said.
- "It's good…" said Quistis smiling "But where will you get a Fire Cross patch?" she asked.
- "Teri here said she can order it if we give her a sketch. Nadia claims to be good in drawing, so she's gonna draw it for me." replied Seifer.
- "That's all fine, but where is she going to sketch it from?" asked Quistis.
Seifer took off his shirt and turned around, showing the Fire Cross tattoo on his back. The two salesgirls swooned on his bare chest, but when Quistis cleared her throat loudly, they snapped back to reality. Nadia rushed over to get a sketchpad and finished the drawing in five minutes.
- "All done…" she said showing it to Seifer.
- "It's good…" he said, checking it out thoroughly.
- "Just leave the T-shirt here and when it's made, we'll send it over to you at Balamb Garden. What name should I put it under?" asked Teri.
- "Ahh… Don't worry about it. Just gimme a call on this number when it's here and I'll come pick it up." said Seifer, handing them his cell-phone number on a piece of paper.
- "Very well…" said Nadia taking it "Will that be all?"
- "Hmmm… You wouldn't happen to have any trench coats, would you?" asked Seifer.
- "It's still summer season. Trench coats come somewhere in Fall." replied Teri.
- "Oh well…" he said shrugging "Yes, that's all…"
The pair walked over to the counter and paid for their clothes. They then left the store, thanking the two girls and went on their way.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The black car stopped out of the Garden for Quistis to get down. Seifer lowered the window and rested his hand upon it.
- "Wanna go grab some lunch and come over to my dorm?" he asked, lowering his glasses.
- "I dunno. D'you think it's safe?" asked Quistis.
- "Use the window. I'll help you up…" he said grinning.
- "Alright. I need to take a shower first though." she said.
- "Mmm… We can have one together if you want…" he said raising an eyebrow, smiling mischievously.
- "Not today bunny rabbit…" she replied.
- "*Sigh* Can we please stop saying that? It's giving me a headache every time I hear it…" he said frowning.
- "Fat chance bunny…" she said laughing. She checked around to see if anyone was coming, then leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips "See you in about an hour."
- "Bye kitten…" Seifer said driving off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quistis got to her room, took of her shoes and fell heavy on the bed. She stretched a bit then got up, putting her newly bought outfit and boots inside her closet. She walked over to the bathroom and began undressing. She rested her discarded clothing upon the counter and stepped inside the shower. After ten minutes or so, she came out and wrapped a fluffy white towel around her wet body. She grabbed another and wrapped her hair in it. She walked back inside the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She lightly dried her hair off with the blow drier and began getting dressed. She wore a midi denim skirt with a slit in one side and a white shirt on top, which she tied in a knot in the belly. She caught her damp hair up in a chignon and left her dorm. She walked over to the cafeteria to buy her and Seifer's lunch. She bought four burgers, two packs of fries and two cokes. She also got a few doughnuts and paid. She then noticed her friends calling her from a table and walked over to them. Rinoa, Squall, Irvine and Selphie were sitting there.
- "Hey! Were have you been all morning?" asked Selphie.
- "I was over at Balamb. I was meeting an old friend." Quistis replied.
- "Are you gonna join us now?" asked Irvine.
- "Sorry. I'm having something quick to eat in my dorm and then I'm going to sleep. I'm beat…" said Quistis.
- "That doesn't look like 'something quick' to me…" said Squall, looking at the pretty big paper bag Quistis was carrying.
- "Xu caught up with me on the corridor and asked me to buy her something for lunch." she replied smiling; she had her excuse ready this time…
- "Oh OK…" said Squall.
- "See you later?" asked Rinoa.
- "Sure! Bye guys, enjoy your lunch!" Quistis said leaving.
The two pairs looked at each other puzzled.
- "Am I the only one who gets the impression that Quisty has been avoiding us lately?" asked Selphie hesitantly.
- "Yeah, she's either busy, or tired all the time!" said Rinoa.
- "And she just seems so happy about it!" added Selphie.
- "Geez, listen to you two!" said Irvine, making them both turn around to look at him "She's finally got her job back, she's happy although busy and you're bitchin' about it!" he said exasperated.
- "You're right…" said Selphie "Man, I feel so guilty!" she said feeling embarrassed.
- "Yeah, we're just being mean instead of sharing her happiness…" said Rinoa lowering her head.
- "That's more like it…" said Irvine 'Whew! Close call!' he thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Seifer got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He rubbed a towel on his wet hair and walked inside the bedroom. He opened the first drawer of his nightstand looking for his cigarettes, but something else caught his eye. He picked up the old notebook he found in the drawer and opened it, skimming along the pages. It was his journal. Seifer read some of the entries. The last one was before the mission in Wallace's mansion. Seifer raised an eyebrow while reading some parts of the journal. He frowned then threw it inside the garbage bin next to the table 'I don't need this anymore…' he thought. He walked back to the nightstand and got his cigarettes from inside. He lit one and sat on his bed. Just about when he'd finished it, he heard something hitting his window. He smiled and got up. He opened the window and found Quistis waiting down.
- "Get the bag first…" said Quistis stretching up, handing Seifer the paper bag.
Seifer bent down and got it. He put it on the table, then walked back to the window. He bent down again, grabbing Quistis' hand, helping her up the window.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Just when Quistis got inside Seifer's dorm through the window, a clicking sound was heard behind the bushes. A pair of people then emerged from them.
- "Gotcha…" said the woman with the golden glasses, smirking.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Seifer pulled Quistis inside his room. He held her tightly onto him from the hips, while she wrapped her hands around his neck and her legs around his waist. Seifer closed the window with one hand, still holding her with the other.
- "Hey there…" he said, giving her a light kiss on the lips.
- "Just out of the shower?" asked Quistis, playing with the wet spikes of his hair.
- "Yep… Too bad you didn't want to join in… Had to entertain myself…" he said smirking.
- "Bet I could have done it better…" she said grinning.
- "You think so?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
- "I know so." she said.
- "OK then… Let's see you prove it…" he said.
He walked over to bed, still holding her and threw her on it, lying on top of her. He looked at her meaningfully and ran a finger down the cleavage of her shirt.
- "The food's gonna get cold…" said Quistis.
- "I don't mind…" he replied huskily.
- "Don't you want to eat now?"
- "We'll need it later…" he said, leaning in kissing her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With your halo slipping down…
Your halo slipping…
With your halo slipping down…
Your halo slipping…
- "What's that we're listening at?" asked Quistis, taking a bite off her burger.
She was wearing her white shirt on top and her underwear only, while Seifer was wearing a pair of black sweatpants. They were sitting on Seifer's bed across each other, with their legs tangled around each other's.
- "'A perfect circle'." replied Seifer eating some fries.
- "I like it… The guy's voice is amazing…" she said.
- "Isn't it?" he said smiling "Maynard James Keenan. He also sings for Tool. He's great…"
- "Yeah… Such soft voice…" said Quistis.
She finished up her lunch, throwing the papers inside the bag. Seifer soon finished as well and threw the paper inside the bag too.
- "I don't know about you, but I'm full…" said Quistis touching her stomach.
- "I'm still hungry…" said Seifer, touching his bottom lip with his thumb, looking at her.
- "Still hungry?! You ate three burgers, fries, a doughnut and drank a coke! How can you still be hungry?!"
- "Who said I was hungry for food?" he said rushing up to her, pinning her down to the bed.
- "What, again?!" asked Quistis grinning. Seifer nodded "We just ate!"
- "Can't think of a better way to burn calories…" he said smirking.
- "Hyne, you really are like a rabbit!" she said.
Seifer moved his nose like a bunny, making Quistis laugh. He smiled, then leaned down to her, biting her neck…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quistis woke up in Seifer's bed, finding his side empty. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the empty room. She stretched a bit, then got out of the covers. Her eye fell on the nightstand, where a note lay. She picked it up and read it.
Sorry to go kitten…
Cid called and said he wanted me to go up to the office.
Call you later.
'Abnormally horny bunny rabbit'
Quistis laughed at the signature of the note. She left it back up on the nightstand, then got up to get dressed. She stumbled a bit while walking, feeling still a bit sleepy. She walked over to chair next to the table, where her clothes lay. Not being careful though, she tripped over the garbage bin, spilling all the contents out. She cursed and bent down to pick them up. An old notebook caught her eye. She picked it up, looking at it curiously. She flipped it open to the first page and saw the word 'Journal' written inside. Her lips upturned into a small mischievous grin. She bit her bottom lip, thinking whether she should open it or not 'I can't read it… It's personal… But then again…' she thought. Finally, curiosity got the better of her and she began skimming along the pages. She found some entries about Seifer's feelings on what was going on while they were still on the last Sorceress war. She read some of them, then flipped over to more recent parts. When she found the pages that had dates of the past couple of months on top, she began reading more thoroughly. After a few entries, her up to now mild features turned into a frown and her face fell…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: I'm 1000% sure that many of you want my head served in a plate now…
ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'LOVE CONQUERS ALL':
OK, so Quis read Seifer's diary… Ouch… That's gotta hurt…
So whaddya think? Will they work things out? How will Quistis react? How will Seifer, when she tells him?