There was something about the way that Quistis dressed his wounds with such
tenderness that made Seifer's heart beat faster. And frankly...it scared
him.
He kept his eyes on her, watching everything she did. 'Why does it seem that my blood pressure rises every time she touches me?! Get it together, Almasy! You can't fall for your ex-instructor!' he thought to himself pensively.
'There's just something about her...I dunno...it's just this sudden feeling...' The sound of Quistis's voice shook him out of his trance.
"Seifer, why are you looking at me like that?"
It was then that he noticed she'd finished dressing his wounds.
He shook himself a bit, as his faced turned a dark shade of crimson. "Oh, uh...sorry Quistis."
Quistis couldn't help but blush as well. 'Why was he looking at me like that? He just had this look of...longing in his eyes. Does he...?' She shook her head. 'Yeah right. Like an arrogant jerk like him would ever...no. It's impossible. You're just over-analyzing things as usual, Quistis.'
She looked to the door, then back to him. "Well, since I'm all done here, I guess I'll...just be going."
He looked up at her, slightly disappointed. "Oh...okay. I guess...I'll see you around then."
"..Yeah, I guess so." she turned towards the door. "Well, I hope you get better soon, Seifer." And with that, she left.
He heard the door close behind her. "...Bye."
Quistis's head was drowning in thoughts. 'That moment back there was just way too weird.' She decided to head back to her dorm to get some sleep.
* * *
The sun shown brightly the next morning. Quistis was rudely awoken by the bright rays directly in her eyes. She looked to her bedside alarm clock and groaned. 11:36. She hated getting a late start. She was up, dressed, and showered within half an hour. Her stomach growled in protest to her skipping dinner last night. She figured she'd head down to the cafeteria, and get a late breakfast.
The ex-instructor walked slowly down the halls, her blonde hair up in it's usual style. She made her way to the cafeteria, and grabbed a salad and orange juice. 'Oh well, it'll have to suffice for now.' She walked over to an empty table and sat down to eat her meal, falling into a thoughtful reverie.
'I can't believe this whole thing is still on my mind. Yeah, I probably am just over-analyzing the whole thing. But still...why was he looking at me that way? It's so unlike him. Normally all I ever see in his eyes is contempt. But his eyes were full of longing...or something like that. Wait a minute...so what if he does have feelings for me? I mean, it's not like I return the feelings anyway. I mean, he's arrogant, a jerk, he failed the SeeD Exam numerous times, and he's a total all-around asshole.'
She sighed as she took another bite of her salad. 'But I guess he does have some good points...he's strong, charming, apparently has a nice side, not to mention very handsome...' She almost choked on her salad. 'Oh Hyne, what am I thinking?! It's not like I...no, I don't...no.' She then decided that she couldn't eat anymore, and threw out the remaining contents of her food.
Quistis quickly left the cafeteria. She decided to head to the training center. She could go to the "secret area" and try to think things through.
On her way, she passed by the library, and peeked in to see Zell absolutely pining over Marie while he waited for her to get on her break. She shook her head. Love was such a stupid thing that made people do stupid things. It was a waste of time...right? Not that it mattered. It wasn't like she was in love or anything.
She continued on her journey to the "secret area." Once she got to the training center, she took out her Save The Queen (which she never left her dorm without) and walked in. She ended up having to battle only a few grats and bite bugs before making it to the "secret area."
When she arrived, she was surprised to see there was almost no one there. As a matter of fact, she only saw one person. But it was the one person she'd come here to try to sort out her feelings for. 'What's he doing here?!' she thought to herself. She started to turn around, but the sound of her boots against the tiles was apparently enough to make him turn around.
"Quistis?" he looked mildly surprised. "What are you doing here?"
She turned around and looked at him. "I could ask you the same question."
He smirked. "Well apparently you're a good nurse, cause I only had to stay 'til this morning, and Doc. Kadowaki let me go."
She blushed a bit. "Oh. Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I guess I'll just be going then." she turned to leave, but he grabbed her by the arm.
"Wait. Don't leave." She turned around and faced him, her heart beating way above average.
His face flushed to a deep scarlet as he quickly let go of her. "I mean, uh...well, you don't have to go just because I'm here. I'm sure there's plenty of room for both of us."
Quistis nodded, and walked to the edge of the balcony. He quickly followed suit, and took his place beside her.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Seifer cocked his head a bit to look at her. "So, what'd you come out here for?"
She responded quickly. "To think."
He nodded. "Yeah...me too."
Quistis thought for a while, and decided that she was sick of being alone. She was sick of having to watch all the couples during lunch, and wishing she could have what they had, no matter what stupid things they did. She was sick of being "the loner."
She had completely forgotten that Seifer was next to her. She looked at him, and realized that he must know what it feels like. She needed somebody to talk to...anybody.
She turned fully to face him. "Seifer, do you ever feel like you're all alone in the world? I mean, even when you're surrounded with people...you just feel like you're all by yourself?"
Seifer hadn't been expecting a totally out-of-the-blue question like this. But sadly, he knew exactly how she felt. He turned to face her, with concern written all over his face. "Quistis, I know exactly how you feel. I wish I didn't, but I've grown up my whole life living in the shadows, even while standing in broad daylight."
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she turned to look back out towards the horizon. "I'm so sick of being alone. My whole life, I've been alone. Sure, I've had my friends and everything, but all the time, I've just felt completely empty inside."
She couldn't believe she'd just spilled her heard out to Seifer, above all people. She'd never told anyone about how she felt before. She normally just put on a cool exterior and went with the flow.
She couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears cascaded freely down Quistis's face as she thought about all her lonely years. It was so hard to think that she'd spent a full eighteen years alone, with no one to really care about her. No one to comfort her when she was sad, to hold her when she was cold. She'd always been, and probably always would be...alone.
Seifer quickly pulled her close to him. "Quistis, please don't cry."
She laid her head on his chest, still unable to hold the tears back. He rubbed her back gently.
Quistis looked up at him, and a gloved finger wiped away her tears.
[Author's Notes]: Two chapters in one day! Woo hoo! lol Review, review, review! ^_^
He kept his eyes on her, watching everything she did. 'Why does it seem that my blood pressure rises every time she touches me?! Get it together, Almasy! You can't fall for your ex-instructor!' he thought to himself pensively.
'There's just something about her...I dunno...it's just this sudden feeling...' The sound of Quistis's voice shook him out of his trance.
"Seifer, why are you looking at me like that?"
It was then that he noticed she'd finished dressing his wounds.
He shook himself a bit, as his faced turned a dark shade of crimson. "Oh, uh...sorry Quistis."
Quistis couldn't help but blush as well. 'Why was he looking at me like that? He just had this look of...longing in his eyes. Does he...?' She shook her head. 'Yeah right. Like an arrogant jerk like him would ever...no. It's impossible. You're just over-analyzing things as usual, Quistis.'
She looked to the door, then back to him. "Well, since I'm all done here, I guess I'll...just be going."
He looked up at her, slightly disappointed. "Oh...okay. I guess...I'll see you around then."
"..Yeah, I guess so." she turned towards the door. "Well, I hope you get better soon, Seifer." And with that, she left.
He heard the door close behind her. "...Bye."
Quistis's head was drowning in thoughts. 'That moment back there was just way too weird.' She decided to head back to her dorm to get some sleep.
* * *
The sun shown brightly the next morning. Quistis was rudely awoken by the bright rays directly in her eyes. She looked to her bedside alarm clock and groaned. 11:36. She hated getting a late start. She was up, dressed, and showered within half an hour. Her stomach growled in protest to her skipping dinner last night. She figured she'd head down to the cafeteria, and get a late breakfast.
The ex-instructor walked slowly down the halls, her blonde hair up in it's usual style. She made her way to the cafeteria, and grabbed a salad and orange juice. 'Oh well, it'll have to suffice for now.' She walked over to an empty table and sat down to eat her meal, falling into a thoughtful reverie.
'I can't believe this whole thing is still on my mind. Yeah, I probably am just over-analyzing the whole thing. But still...why was he looking at me that way? It's so unlike him. Normally all I ever see in his eyes is contempt. But his eyes were full of longing...or something like that. Wait a minute...so what if he does have feelings for me? I mean, it's not like I return the feelings anyway. I mean, he's arrogant, a jerk, he failed the SeeD Exam numerous times, and he's a total all-around asshole.'
She sighed as she took another bite of her salad. 'But I guess he does have some good points...he's strong, charming, apparently has a nice side, not to mention very handsome...' She almost choked on her salad. 'Oh Hyne, what am I thinking?! It's not like I...no, I don't...no.' She then decided that she couldn't eat anymore, and threw out the remaining contents of her food.
Quistis quickly left the cafeteria. She decided to head to the training center. She could go to the "secret area" and try to think things through.
On her way, she passed by the library, and peeked in to see Zell absolutely pining over Marie while he waited for her to get on her break. She shook her head. Love was such a stupid thing that made people do stupid things. It was a waste of time...right? Not that it mattered. It wasn't like she was in love or anything.
She continued on her journey to the "secret area." Once she got to the training center, she took out her Save The Queen (which she never left her dorm without) and walked in. She ended up having to battle only a few grats and bite bugs before making it to the "secret area."
When she arrived, she was surprised to see there was almost no one there. As a matter of fact, she only saw one person. But it was the one person she'd come here to try to sort out her feelings for. 'What's he doing here?!' she thought to herself. She started to turn around, but the sound of her boots against the tiles was apparently enough to make him turn around.
"Quistis?" he looked mildly surprised. "What are you doing here?"
She turned around and looked at him. "I could ask you the same question."
He smirked. "Well apparently you're a good nurse, cause I only had to stay 'til this morning, and Doc. Kadowaki let me go."
She blushed a bit. "Oh. Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I guess I'll just be going then." she turned to leave, but he grabbed her by the arm.
"Wait. Don't leave." She turned around and faced him, her heart beating way above average.
His face flushed to a deep scarlet as he quickly let go of her. "I mean, uh...well, you don't have to go just because I'm here. I'm sure there's plenty of room for both of us."
Quistis nodded, and walked to the edge of the balcony. He quickly followed suit, and took his place beside her.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Seifer cocked his head a bit to look at her. "So, what'd you come out here for?"
She responded quickly. "To think."
He nodded. "Yeah...me too."
Quistis thought for a while, and decided that she was sick of being alone. She was sick of having to watch all the couples during lunch, and wishing she could have what they had, no matter what stupid things they did. She was sick of being "the loner."
She had completely forgotten that Seifer was next to her. She looked at him, and realized that he must know what it feels like. She needed somebody to talk to...anybody.
She turned fully to face him. "Seifer, do you ever feel like you're all alone in the world? I mean, even when you're surrounded with people...you just feel like you're all by yourself?"
Seifer hadn't been expecting a totally out-of-the-blue question like this. But sadly, he knew exactly how she felt. He turned to face her, with concern written all over his face. "Quistis, I know exactly how you feel. I wish I didn't, but I've grown up my whole life living in the shadows, even while standing in broad daylight."
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she turned to look back out towards the horizon. "I'm so sick of being alone. My whole life, I've been alone. Sure, I've had my friends and everything, but all the time, I've just felt completely empty inside."
She couldn't believe she'd just spilled her heard out to Seifer, above all people. She'd never told anyone about how she felt before. She normally just put on a cool exterior and went with the flow.
She couldn't hold it back anymore. Tears cascaded freely down Quistis's face as she thought about all her lonely years. It was so hard to think that she'd spent a full eighteen years alone, with no one to really care about her. No one to comfort her when she was sad, to hold her when she was cold. She'd always been, and probably always would be...alone.
Seifer quickly pulled her close to him. "Quistis, please don't cry."
She laid her head on his chest, still unable to hold the tears back. He rubbed her back gently.
Quistis looked up at him, and a gloved finger wiped away her tears.
[Author's Notes]: Two chapters in one day! Woo hoo! lol Review, review, review! ^_^