2. Valentine's Surprise.
Quistis smiled at the boy in front of her. He had introduced himself as Scott, Trepie number seventy-seven. He shakingly handed her a poem he wrote and dashed off. She didn't even get to thank him. Six poems, fifteen boxes of chocolate, twenty or so flowers, four balloons, eight stuffed animals, countless cards, and an assortment of other gifts took up her desk and most of the space around it. It had been a steady stream of students in and out. This made up Quistis' Valentine's Day.
Now it wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, nor that she wasn't flattered, but she barely knew the students who gave her these gifts. As much as Quistis was sure they put a lot of feeling into it, she didn't have as much feeling receiving it. She usually ended up giving most of her stuff to the diciplinary committee, but that wasn't an option this year. They weren't here.
She sighed slightly as she heard heavy footsteps approach her desk. She glanced at the poem Scott had given her. Perhaps if the student thought she was busy they would go away. She was already going to have to make several trips from classroom to her room.
"Trepie's showering you in gifts still, I see."
She looked up sharply at the familiarity of the rough voice. Amused turquoise eyes and a smirk that hadn't changed in the past year and a half greeted her. She blinked rapidly, thinking that she might be hallucinating.
"I'm real Trepe, get over it."
"Well, you haven't changed, have you?"
"You'd be surprised." He pulled a chair from the corner of the room in front of her desk and sat himself in it.
Quistis changed the direction of conversation, "So, what are you doing here? Last I heard you were on trial for your crimes."
"Yeah, I was. But Matron was on my side, finally argued that I was just a puppet of the sorceress. That I didn't understand what I was doing."
"Is that true?"
"What do you think?" He gave her a contemptuous look.
She shivered slightly. She knew that what Seifer did was a mix of both. Sorceress manipulation and his own free will. He was a troubled teen. She had never taken the time to notice before though.
Seeing that look on her face, Seifer continued, "Then Matron convinced Cid to let me have second chance here. I'm sort of, like, on parole."
"Matron...?"
"Yeah, you know Edea, the previous sorceress."
Quistis rolled her eyes, "I know who you're talking about. I was wondering why you..."
"Why I called her 'Matron'?" she nodded, "Well I suppose it's because she's like my mom. She's just always been there." Seifer shook his head at the sentiments.
Quistis was giving him a thoughtful look. Now that she thought about it, he wasn't too different from how Squall used to be. He just had a different way of going about his life. It shined a whole new light on the inner workings of Seifer Almasy to her.
Fidgeting at the sudden shift of mood Seifer pulled a paper from the pocket of his ratty trench coat. It was his original reason for being there. He was supposed to have her sign a paper saying she understood the grounds of his return and would agree to teach him again.
"Here." He shoved it at her.
Quistis scanned over it quickly before signing her name. "Welcome to my class then, Mr. Almasy. I'll expect you to behave and follow the rules." She smiled at him.
"Uh... Sure. Whatever." He was a bit surprised at her random change from suspicious hostility, to friendly teacher woman.
"Dismissed Almasy."
Seifer took his paper shoving it back in his pocket. He stood up and began to walk out. He stopped then as he felt a small box there. It was a box of those candy hearts with the messages on them. He had picked it up for Edea as a gift. He pulled it out and studied it for a moment before turning around and tossing it on Quistis' desk.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Instructor."
Quistis watched him saunter out with a look of shock on her face. It was just a box of candy, but it was the best present she received all day.
END 2
Quistis smiled at the boy in front of her. He had introduced himself as Scott, Trepie number seventy-seven. He shakingly handed her a poem he wrote and dashed off. She didn't even get to thank him. Six poems, fifteen boxes of chocolate, twenty or so flowers, four balloons, eight stuffed animals, countless cards, and an assortment of other gifts took up her desk and most of the space around it. It had been a steady stream of students in and out. This made up Quistis' Valentine's Day.
Now it wasn't that she didn't appreciate it, nor that she wasn't flattered, but she barely knew the students who gave her these gifts. As much as Quistis was sure they put a lot of feeling into it, she didn't have as much feeling receiving it. She usually ended up giving most of her stuff to the diciplinary committee, but that wasn't an option this year. They weren't here.
She sighed slightly as she heard heavy footsteps approach her desk. She glanced at the poem Scott had given her. Perhaps if the student thought she was busy they would go away. She was already going to have to make several trips from classroom to her room.
"Trepie's showering you in gifts still, I see."
She looked up sharply at the familiarity of the rough voice. Amused turquoise eyes and a smirk that hadn't changed in the past year and a half greeted her. She blinked rapidly, thinking that she might be hallucinating.
"I'm real Trepe, get over it."
"Well, you haven't changed, have you?"
"You'd be surprised." He pulled a chair from the corner of the room in front of her desk and sat himself in it.
Quistis changed the direction of conversation, "So, what are you doing here? Last I heard you were on trial for your crimes."
"Yeah, I was. But Matron was on my side, finally argued that I was just a puppet of the sorceress. That I didn't understand what I was doing."
"Is that true?"
"What do you think?" He gave her a contemptuous look.
She shivered slightly. She knew that what Seifer did was a mix of both. Sorceress manipulation and his own free will. He was a troubled teen. She had never taken the time to notice before though.
Seeing that look on her face, Seifer continued, "Then Matron convinced Cid to let me have second chance here. I'm sort of, like, on parole."
"Matron...?"
"Yeah, you know Edea, the previous sorceress."
Quistis rolled her eyes, "I know who you're talking about. I was wondering why you..."
"Why I called her 'Matron'?" she nodded, "Well I suppose it's because she's like my mom. She's just always been there." Seifer shook his head at the sentiments.
Quistis was giving him a thoughtful look. Now that she thought about it, he wasn't too different from how Squall used to be. He just had a different way of going about his life. It shined a whole new light on the inner workings of Seifer Almasy to her.
Fidgeting at the sudden shift of mood Seifer pulled a paper from the pocket of his ratty trench coat. It was his original reason for being there. He was supposed to have her sign a paper saying she understood the grounds of his return and would agree to teach him again.
"Here." He shoved it at her.
Quistis scanned over it quickly before signing her name. "Welcome to my class then, Mr. Almasy. I'll expect you to behave and follow the rules." She smiled at him.
"Uh... Sure. Whatever." He was a bit surprised at her random change from suspicious hostility, to friendly teacher woman.
"Dismissed Almasy."
Seifer took his paper shoving it back in his pocket. He stood up and began to walk out. He stopped then as he felt a small box there. It was a box of those candy hearts with the messages on them. He had picked it up for Edea as a gift. He pulled it out and studied it for a moment before turning around and tossing it on Quistis' desk.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Instructor."
Quistis watched him saunter out with a look of shock on her face. It was just a box of candy, but it was the best present she received all day.
END 2
