Title: The Masque, Chapter 2
Fandom: FF8
Pairing: Quisfer
Rating: PG
Note: Due to popular demand, I have written another chapter. And I'll write another one to conclude this whole mess after I've gotten some sleep. FF and characters belong to Squaresoft. This has been beta'd by 'finding beauty'; who is around here somewhere.
The night became a glowing blur, as the former instructor reentered the Grand Ballroom. There were unmasked faces all around, as students and faculty finally revealed themselves to their clueless partners. She could hear fits of laughter, and cries of disappoint from several parts of the dance floor, one section in particular obviously being Selphie giggling at the grief-stricken Zell.
But her attention was quickly deterred when she caught sight of an end of a cape disappearing through a crowd of squealing girls. One of them had managed to rip away his hat, to confirm that blond head of hair she'd seen out on the balcony.
Confounded as to whether or not to follow, she just sort of glanced around in hopes of finding answers in the velvet drapes. None came.
C'mon, Trepe. When's the next time some guy's going to burst out of nowhere to kiss you? Besides, it's not like it's Squall or anything. Unless, he's dyed his hair in the past twenty-four hours …
Mentally scolding herself, she forced her legs to move, and went in pursuit of the unknown assailant. She had to know, if only to protect the well being of her reputation.
Leaving the buzz of the room for the cool silence of the corridor, Quistis barely caught the masked man turn a corner. Lifting the hems of her dress so as not to destroy its newly sewn edges, she quickened her pace to a jog, praying she didn't roll her ankles and fall on her face like a complete klutz.
Hearing his distant footsteps become louder, she assumed she was catching up to him and sped up even more.
He's heading for the elevator … Why? Rushing the stairs towards the opening elevator doors, she called out, "Wait!"
He didn't. The door began closing, but years of training had taught Quistis how to maneuver around closing doors. She slipped through the crack with no major injuries, and a slight catch on the train of her dress.
Recovering from her brief run, she struggled to turn in the cramped car to look at the only passenger beside her – it was Irvine. She should've known. At dangled from his arms were a pair of seniors dressed up as matching peacocks.
"Irvine Kinneas!" Scowling, Quistis reached out with a hand and smacked him upside the head.
As soon as his head was smacked, Irvine snapped his attention away from the girls and focused in on his assaulter, "Wha – Quistis!" Giving her a once over, he lifted a brow, "… I'm impressed."
"You moron. I can't believe you had the nerve to come out to that balcony."
Seeming quite pleased with himself, he offered his smuggest reply, "The ladies were beckoning … how could I resist?"
Narrowing her eyes in irritation, she inquired, "What ladies? The only people out there were us."
Confused, Irvine responded with a question of his own, "… Us? Sorry to burst your bubble, Quistis, but you weren't out there from my recollection. It was just me, Jiang, and her pretty little sister Li." At this point, the two girls in his arms giggled and buried their faces in his shoulders.
She released a sigh of relief. It wasn't Irvine who'd kissed her out there. It was someone else, "Sorry, I just thought …"
"Thought what?" Sly smirk painted on his face, Irvine leaned in towards the distressed blond, hoping to get a reward out of all this trouble she'd put him through.
Blinking out of it, Quistis gave the sharpshooter a seething expression as the elevator came to a stop on the top floor, "Never mind. Try not to hurt any feelings, won't you?" As the doors pried open, she stepped off onto the catwalk circling the center of the Garden, and headed towards the other side, in hopes of clearing her head of the entire matter.
Stopping in the middle of the glass pathway, she rested her elbows on the silver railing and lifted her gaze towards the open ceiling. It was well past midnight by the angle of the moon, and it sounded as though students were starting up their own parties outside of the ballroom.
Lowering her blue hues towards the ant-like figures several hundred feet below; she took another sigh in an attempt to calm herself. It's not big deal, after all. It was just some guy, probably drunk off the moment. Maybe a Trepie, seeing an opportunity and taking it in her moment of vulnerability. But, then, why did she still feel so empty? As if she were trying to light a candle without a match. Or read without a light. The darkness shrouded the answers to her questions.
Straightening off the railing, she started for the exit, when a gloved hand happened to catch her elbow. Startled, she grabbed onto the railing and snapped around to see who'd come after her. Her first reaction was to pull away, but once she'd recognized the light-blond hair, and finely pressed uniform, she stopped.
Her expression softened as she slowly became aware of what was happening, and she relaxed as he gently coaxed her away from the door leading into the stairwell. He spoke his first words to her since the night had begun, "You looked beautiful staring up at the stars … I didn't want to scare you."
Brows furrowing, Quistis struggled to identify the voice, but failed. Reaching out with a delicate hand, she went for his mask, "Let me see your face."
The thought of knowing who this was made her head race – this could finally be it for her. This could be the one thing she'd been missing her entire life. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when the masked man jerked away to prevent her from removing his disguise, "No." He reached up with his free hand and gently took hers in his, "Not yet."
A wave of frustration overcame her, but she forced herself to calm down, instead basking in his warm presence. This was the only moment in her life that she felt even mildly wanted.
Falling into his protective embrace, Quistis stared out through the large glass windows surrounding them.
How this night could get any more exhilarating was beyond her … She wanted to stay like this forever.