AN: I don't know if any one is reading this, but I'll keep going. This one's kinda of a song fic thingy so here: I do not own any ff8 or songs off of the Kill Bill sound tracks. I'd also like to be random and thank the nice ppl at B&N's starbucks and the makers of apple juice. hehe.
Chapter: four; The long trip and memories first kiss.
The train to Esthar left Balamb later that night. Like the sky awaiting a deadly storm, everyone sat quietly in the car. Peacefully Quistis watched the landcape pass by, while the light rain drizled on the tinted windows. The car was unbeilevible packed. Not only was the orphanage gang going but Xu, Fujin, and Raijin as well. Letting her hot beath dance shadow figures on the window, Quistis sighed. Sitting between the window and Xu was not her idea of a good time. Though Xu and Quistis were close, she would have rather sat with Squall.The endless slow drizle reflected her mood as a mirror. The last few nights with little sleep threatened her heavy lids.
Lazily, Squall sat on the opposing side of Quistis, watching her. Had he always loved her like this, or was she a rebound from Rinoa? Closng his eyes quickly, he turned away from her. Hell. This was hell. He was stuck between Zell and Irvine till they got to the train, and thank Hyne it was only so close. He didn't want to question his feelings for his childhood friend or his past lover. Sure he had heard stories of past lovers and the fights and evil gares passed between them, but he still wouldn't mind being friends with Rinoa. She was nice, right? She wouldn't hate him if he started dating Quistis this close to thier brake-up, right? She was the one who called it off. Squall hung his head, sighing he whished he would just stop thinking for once in his life.
Finally the car rumbled to a stop. Like a school bus full of students on the last day of school, everyone shot off quickly, with the exception of Quistis. She had hung behind do to the fact of her lack of sleep over the past three days had gotten to her. It was now eight fifteen and the train left at eight thirty five. Turning to the gang of Balamb SeeDs Squall handed out the tickets. "The trian leaves in twenty minutes. This time is yours. Eat, rest, go to the train, or see your family, I don't care. Just be on the train before it leaves, ok?" Everbody nodded and slowly walked into the streets in pairs of twos and fours, Zell was the only one who left alone to see his mum. Squall walked away from the group a bit, and waited for everyone to leave. Before Quistis had a chance to excape Squall grabbed her arm and walked her towards the train. He wasn't going to let this time alone with her pass him by.
"Come with?" A simple smile played on his lips as he lead Quistis onto the train. "Can I really say no?" Screwing her face up in disbelief, she tried to remember the last time he showed her this kind of attention. It had to be when he was five and she was six, he had (without a fight) let her be the knight she so desperately wanted to be. Together they played on hourses made of sticks. He wore black and she wore white, though in the end sadly he had shot her down with his toy gunblade and won the fight.(Anyone who can name the song this was based on gets a cookie!) The odd memories of thier childhood together was oddly conforting to her. Everyone who was going to Esthar was in a way her family.
"Tired?" Squall only stopped once they were in one of the SeeD cabins. Crawling onto the lower bunck she sighed. "And what ever gave you the inmerssion?" Her low-ride jeans and long blood red quarder-sleeved shirt played peekaboo with her tatoo. Sitting softly on the bed Squall rubed her back. "I just want to make sure you're ok." Raising an eyesbrow, Quistis twisted herself to look at him, then slowly she took the back of her hand to his head. "The real question isn't 'am I ok.' but are you ok? Did you hit your head the other night at the ball?" Like swatting a fly away, he hit her hand away for his head. "Yeah. I'm fine." Smiling softly she wrapped herself into his lap, taking in his smell. "Night." The soft mumble came form somewhere inside the mass of blond hair in his lap. Sighing, Squall pulled the curtains around the bottom bunk and rested against the wall.The soft smell of roses filled the small bunk and soothed him. Soon he was taken by the wonders of sleep.
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There was the rivers of blood again, flowing stronger than before from somewhere down the ice hall. The small body of a girl came into view, but this time the door was also covered in her blood. Raw from beating the door, her hands and arms were covered with the shiny sticky liquid. Angery cuts on her face and matted hair hid her from view. Squall walked closer, fearing for her. He wanted to help her, no he knew he had to save her. Kneeling behind her, gently he took her hands into his, stopping her from causing more injuries. As if a deer in headlights, she looked into his eyes, letting tears jump onto the ice cold ground. "I'm here." His voice sounded unreal to him, as if it were someone differnt saying it. Her deep cerulean blue eyes burned into his soul.
Squall opeaned his eyes to see Quistis in his lap, sleeping soundly. Smiling softly, he stroked her hair gently and hummed. When he was little Quistis would sing or hum him to sleep. Now his sleeping lioness rested on his stomach taking comfort for him. Slowly his mind started to drift into his memories.
It was a clear bright day. Squall stood outside the orphanage next to Seifer looking out over the sand. Selphie was sitting in the sun making a sand castle, Zell and Irvine were playing with a crab, and Quistis was sitting on the other side of them with a sour face. Seifer looked over at Squall and simply smurked. "Le me have a skwo second skark." Seifer shook his head no. "First to Quisty wins. They get to play her knight." Squall nodded, he was only three and Seifer was four. "One.... Two..." Seifer took off running as fast as he could, leaving Squall behind. "Run Squall!" Quistis was screaming from the other side of the beach, but it was too late. Seifer had jumped over Selphie, kicked the crab which was now attached to Zell's chest, and now had his arm around Quistis.
Quistis glare at him as they walked back to the house. "Ok Squall, now you have to be the black knight, cuse cuse I winned the race." Looking down Squall sighed and mubbled "cheater." Seifer frond, and pushed Squall onto the ground. "Take that back!" The two young boy rolled on the ground fighting. Seifer had managed to rip the head off the stuff lion Quistis had help make Squall for his birthday. "Stop! STOP! Seifer Stop it!" Quistis reached down and pulled at Seifer only to get hit in the mouth with his elbow. Blood came rushing out of her nose as she punched Seifer in the lip. Seifer ran full force into the house to find Matron. "Quisy, are you oks?" Fear ran throught the pint sized Squall as he watched his friend bleed wildly from her nose. Nodding slowly she helped him up and into the house. "You should have been my knight Squall."
Feeling the warmth leave his body Squall looked down to see Quistis sitting against the wall. "You're up baby." Screwing up her face Qusitis rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "When did you start calling me baby?" Rubbing Quistis' leg, he crawled into her lap. She was always conforting to him. "I don't know. I'll stop if it bothers you. Hey do you remember when you got your first bloody nose?" Quistis let the chocolate silk strands run through her fingers as she watched him. "Yeah. You and Seifer were fighting because he cheated. As I tried to pull him off you and he's elbow hit me." Quistis stopped for a bit and looked down at him. "Why do you ask?" The fact that Seifer's first bloodly lip was from Quistis made him smile. "I've been having alot of my memories come back to me. How about you?" Squarming so she could rest flat on her back Qusitis got as close to Squall as she could. "Yeah. Remeber your first kiss?"
Squall thought hard for a bit, but nothing came to his mind. Surely he had kissed someone before Rinoa. His mind swam with the question but no answer was given. "No I don't." Quistis tightened her grip around him and sighed. "I do. I was six. I think it was about two months or so before I left. Matron had taken us to a fair or something and gave us each five tickets. Seifer ran off to play shotting games, Selphie wanted to win a gold fish, Irvine chalanged Seifer and Zell... well Zell wasted his at the petting zoo, when a goat ate his." Quistis giggled at the thought. "Anyways... You and I went to ride some rides. After what felt like hours we went on the big wheel.. It was late and I remember the sun had setted. We were talking about Zell's run in with the goat when you spotted two teenagers makingout in the cart ahead of us. Out of nowhere you thought you would like to try it." A large red stain cover her. "That was my first kiss."
Squall looked down at her and smirked softly at her. "You know, I don't remember that at all, but I'm glad it was with you." Squall tilled his head down and kissed her neck softly. "I love you Quisy." Quistis froze. Those words sent scared and happy feelings through her all at once. Twisting herself so she could look him in the eyes, she looked at him in disbeleif. "You're not just saying that." Shaking his head slowly he pushed the hair out of her face, then ran his thumb across her soft rose lips. "No. I really love you." Quistis kissed his thumb smiling brightly. "I love you too." Bending down she kissed his lips as the train pulled to a halt.
"Welcome to Esthar. Have a nice stay." Slidding off the bed Qusistis looked around the room. Selphie and Irvine were asleep on the top bunk, Zell had a arm around Rinoa bothing just rosing on the sofa, next to the now wide awake Xu, Seifer, Raijin and Fujin. "Better get going." Quistis spoak to no one and everyone as she walked to the door. Seifer's eyes stayed on Quitsis as she left, with Squall close behind.
AN: Ok so this one was kinda a flashback thingy. The next one will be longer. Please any pointers let me know. I'm not out to make Seifer a bad guy. so yeah
Zoe