Some Other Time: 'The as-yet Untitled Story of Seifer and Fujin' Reworked

Disclaimer: Much as I'd love to own Fujin, Square do, and I don't. Feelings are mine and in no way represent those of Square or it's affiliates.
Author's Note: If you read my fics, you may have read 'The as yet untitled story of Seifer and Fujin', a very old fic? This is it brought up to standard. Ha ha. I will be writing a sequel, but I hope you like it's new, revamped look. If you enjoy it, please RR and let me know. Flames will be laughed at.

Fujin sat dangling her legs over the edge of Balamb Pier, thinking. If Seifer could be a sorceress' knight without knowing her true self, then why couldn't he feel the same way about her? Maybe it was because deep down, he knew the sorceress was the same Edea who'd been the equivalent of a mother to him. It may have been true that Fujin wasn't the prettiest or most graceful member of the female sex but surely there was something about her that Seifer could love? Just Fujin. Reliable old Fujin, just one of the guys. When Seifer looked at her what did he see? She wondered if he saw a friend, just another member of the D.C. or maybe he felt a little something for her? She knew that she wasn't attractive, she had an eyepatch and ruby red albino eyes for God's sake! That's what the kids had called her at Garden. At least, the more intelligent ones did. 'Albino Eyes', she shook her head, trying to drown out the taunting of her youth. Her silver hair shone in the moonlight and a solitary tear rolled down her cheek.

Fujin sighed and rested her chin on a slender fist. Today had been a really crappy day. She had made an idiot out of herself in front of the man she loved. It just wasn't fair, Rinoa had Squall, Selphie had Irvine, Quistis had Nida and even Zell had his eye on the girl in the library. Everyone was happy except her. Seifer could have any woman he liked; his cocky grin and beautiful blue-green eyes always seemed to attract the most select members of the female population, but he always seemed to be restless. He'd date one woman one week and the next time Fujin saw him he'd have another skinny tart on his arm. It broke her heart to see him following the same trend in women; blonde hair, blue eyes, over-ample bosoms and skinny as a rake. On the other hand was Fujin. Her single ruby eye was only focused on one man; her secret love. Her cropped hair was silver-grey, who knew why? She knew she was ugly, and not even an ugly duckling. She was relatively flat chested, but she was Seifer's preferred size; she wasn't fat. She told herself that she'd look great in a dress; if she was ever to wear a dress that is.

The women Seifer liked to go after would dress up in short shimmery fabrics and plaster themselves in make up. Fujin never wore make up; she didn't see the point in hiding the face that Hyne granted under two feet of foundation. She never wore dresses either, she preferred her trousers and top because she wasn't sure that showing her pale flesh to the whole world was really her cup of tea. Everyone thought that anything that they said about Fujin would just go over her head because she didn't have feelings. Fujin, the cold-hearted bitch. The emotionless albino. They never knew how wrong they were. Fujin looked cold, but she'd built that illusion out of years of practice, is only they'd get to know her; they'd find out that she had a marshmallow soft heart, albeit broken by Seifer Almasy more times than she could count. She never showed her inner feelings; all anyone ever saw of Fujin Kazeno was the ice maiden, the queen bitch, the angry white female. It was true that Fujin couldn't care a damn what anyone said about her, because she really didn't care. She knew she was above all that, and she knew it had been said so many times before, and would be again. It just wasn't worth defending herself. Obviously the sorceress' knight didn't think she was worth defending either.

That evening there had been a ball, just an ordinary pre spring-break ball, like every year, but Fujin had decided that this was the perfect opportunity for her to tell Seifer how she felt. She had bought herself a dress that she was sure Seifer would like in nearby Balamb town; it was dark blue with pale lilac beading around the neckline. It was also very short and she had to fight the urge to stay in her room. She'd also bought some new shoes because her terminally muddy steel toe-capped boots wouldn't have looked right. They were high heeled and killing her feet as she walked into the ballroom. She managed a brief smile as her fellow students turned to stare as ugly duckling Fujin tried desperately to become a full-fledged swan. She saw Seifer leaning against the wall and her heart leapt. He was dressed just as usual but he was alone, which was a very unfamiliar sight, especially at a ball. She walked over to him, concentrating hard on not falling over in these stupid, stupid shoes. Silently she cursed the fashion world, pretty girls and anyone who could walk in these things without having to grit their teeth and concentrate. She stopped just in front of him and said,

"SEIFER? DATELESS?".

"Oh. Hey Fuuj. You look different. The actually female look is good on you", he told her, with a sly grin plastered on his god-like face.

Fujin didn't know whether to take this as a compliment or not but she persevered anyway with a simple request,

"DANCE?"

"No. You'd probably step on my feet and then kick me if I got out of step", he shrugged and looked around the room. He'd broken her heart again. She felt about five inches high, and with a shake of her head, she bade him goodbye.

"CORRECT. GOODBYE. HAVE FUN",

She ran from the room, blinking back hot angry tears, and only stopped when Raijin halted her.

"Hey Fu! You look nice ya know. What's wrong", he asked.

"NOTHING. SEIFER, IDIOT", she told him. Fujin turned to look at her idol and saw the aforementioned Seifer embracing yet another blonde rake.

"Oh. Wanna dance ya know?", Raijin asked, trying to cheer his lifelong friend up.

"NO, THANKYOU. LEAVING NOW", the broken hearted would-be debutante sighed and walked out of the room, pausing briefly to kick the wall, realizing that without toe-capped boots this was a stupid idea. Almost as stupid as thinking Seifer would change his mind about her if she wore a dress. Hobbling away, trying to ignore the pain in her toes and her chest, she made her way out of the Garden toward Balamb.

Now she was sat on the pier, shoes next to her, trying to decide whether to throw them into the sea or not. A tear was working it's way slowly down her cheek, and angrily she rubbed it away with the back of her lissome hand. She sighed heavily again and bowed her head, feeling like the kind of woman she had come to despise. Footsteps sounded on the creaky wooden pier and she scowled. How dare someone come and interrupt her melancholy. She'd give them a piece of her mind, make no mistake. Without turning around, she said,

"GO AWAY. COMPANY, UNNECESSARY".

Someone sat down beside her anyway. She turned her head, hatred in her eyes and opened her mouth to speak.

"I DON'T…", she started.

The person beside her was Seifer Almasy, lifelong friend and secret love. He took one of her hands in his. Angrily she pulled away and folded her arms.

"Fuuj, I'm sorry. I really hurt your feelings didn't I?".

Fujin shook her head.

"Don't lie. I know when you're upset. I didn't even like her if that's any consolation.", he looked her straight in the eye.

Fujin lowered her voice from her customary yell and hissed,

"Oh yes, a great consolation. I hate you Seifer Almasy", she turned away from him so he wouldn't see her cry. His aqua eyes opened wide in shock and he looked genuinely hurt.

"Fujin", he started, turning her head back to face him. "There's only one woman I've ever loved", he said softly.

"Edea? Rinoa? Quistis? I don't care any more", she spat, her solitary eye narrowed in rage.

"Fujin! Not Edea, or Rinoa, or Quistis. You. You're the only woman I've ever loved. I can't apologize enough for what I said back there. I just wanted to be sure you liked me too. Now I am. How about that dance?", Seifer finished, smiling.

"SEIFER? YOU, you mean it?" she whispered, her heart attempting to betray her angry head.

"Of course Fuuj. Ever since we were little I've loved you. I'm serious", he said, getting up.

"Really?", she asked huskily, allowing her love to pull her to her feet.

"Yes Fujin. Really", he answered, pulling her to him in a hug. She looked at the floor and pulled away from him.

"Some other time", she replied, turning on her heel, leaving her shoes and the man she loved alone on the pier.