"Sandcastles"
By: Apolena Soleil
A/N:333 Bonjour again. I love making notes before a fic… Why? I dunno. I suppose it makes me feel as if you, the reader, actually care about ME instead of just my story. Or at least you should. I rock your world and you know it. XDD Please read and keep the reviews coming! There's nothing more I love in life then feedback on my work! 3
Disclaimer: I own Seifer on the weekends. Muahahah. Other then that…errr, yeah.
Quistis awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. She touched her fingertips to her forehead…no fever. It had been a dreamless night and she felt as if she was lying on a slab of marble instead of a soft, feathery bed. Her sight was a bit hazy, but she could make out Seifer's form sprawled out on the chair in the corner of the room. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, felt for the cool floor with her toes, and shuffled over to the man she loved.
His face was pensive even in slumber. Quistis smiled softly; it reminded her of the night that they first spent with one another. It was so awkward, but when the sun shone on his features the next morning she knew that they were going to be together for a long time. His thoughts must always drive him crazy… I wonder if the same things that cross his mind linger in mine.
After a moment of contemplation, the woman decided that she would let him sleep awhile longer. Surely, she could get on without him for an hour or two. Seifer needed to rest; he did so much for so little. She decided to make him a cup of coffee and headed for the kitchen.
The windows in the kitchen were wide open, letting the crisp summer air waltz in. Thankfully they didn't live in a city where they would have to be careful about thieves and the like. Most people didn't even know about the home that they shared. Edea and Cid left it to them when they passed away three years ago. Quistis loved it for the fact that it was like their own little paradise… She didn't need to worry about anything else other then what happened in the house and on the beach.
"…Quisty? Hey, g'mornin'!"
Startled, Quistis yelped and clutched the edge of a counter for balance. Zell sat at the kitchen table, winking at his friend. A traditional Dincht grin crossed his lips. He stood and walked over to her.
"Zell Dincht, don't you ever pull a stunt like that again!" She took several deep breaths, attempting to steady herself. The cold sweat came back and she tottered into Zell's arms.
"Whoa, whoa… Relax, Quisty. I'm sorry – I didn't know." Zell led her over to the table and sat her down. "I haven't seen you in a long time! You used to be good with that sort of thing."
"Yes, used to." She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked up at her old friend. "My, Zell… You're almost thirty years old and you still look just like you did ten years ago."
He laughed and went to get Quistis a glass of water. "Yeeeah, I try. It's not easy, though!"
As Zell was standing at the kitchen sink, Seifer came running in. "QUISTIS!" In a fit of rage, he grabbed Zell by the shoulders and whirled him around, ready to attack. "What the hell are…"
"…uh, mornin'." Zell's eyebrows rose slightly as he dropped the cup that was just prepared for Quistis. "Long time no see, Seifer."
"Oh, man…" Seifer let Zell go and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dincht. I just heard Quis and –"
"Nah, I get it!" He nodded. "It's no big deal. Want some water?" Picking up the cup at his feet, Zell chuckled and placed it in Seifer's hands.
Quistis stood and headed over to the men. It had been awhile since they had company; Zell added a sense of cheer that she hadn't been found in months. "So Zell, how have things been? How are the others?"
"Ahh, we're all doing OK, I guess." The man with the spiky hair nodded. "Squall and Rinoa are still busy with Garden, even though they're trying to distance themselves from it and create a family and whatnot. That Nayri has Irvine and Selphie occupied…same old stuff for them. And me? I've just been travelin', taking in the sights of the world… Things I've never been able to do before. Ma died a couple months back, and I couldn't sit around anymore. Life is too short, y'know?"
Seifer looked over at Quistis when Zell made his last statement. She looked to the floor quietly, clasping her hands. He knew that Zell wasn't aware of what was happening and couldn't help what he said, but he still wished that Quistis wasn't around to hear it. Life is too short…
"Zell, can I talk to you for a second?" Seifer motioned towards a door that led to a sun bleached patio. "Quis, we'll be right back."
The two men took their leave and headed to the patio. Zell raised an eyebrow at Seifer's sudden desire to be alone with him. Even now, it seemed odd to that they could be friends when they were enemies for so long. 'Chicken Wuss' was a name that he hadn't heard in years… One day things just shifted and Seifer became astonishingly amicable. What brought about such a change Zell could never fathom. Perhaps it was because he finally (and surprisingly) ditched Raijin and Fujin. However, despite that, he had reason to believe that it was Quistis' doing, whether she knew about her influence or not. …speaking of Quistis, Zell noted the fact that she looked particularly pale and feeble. She used to be so good with surprises, but just before she looked like she woulda passed out…
"What's going on, Seifer?" Zell inquired, shuffling around some sand with his foot. "Anything big?"
Seifer slowly nodded his head and observed Zell's movements; they were constant. He never stood still, even as an adult. "Well, yes. It's really big, and I need to ask a favor of you. It's not for me though… It's for Quisty."
"Quistis? I'll do anything for her!" He gave Seifer an eager thumbs up. "Whaddya want?"
"Zell…" Seifer placed a hand on his shoulder. The cheerful mood seemed to evaporate and soar away in the humid morning air. "Quistis is dying."
"…what?" Zell felt as if he had been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat. His mind went reeling with the news, and for a moment in time he stood uncharacteristically still. "Not Quisty. No…"
"Yes. I'm sorry. No one knows except for us. Quistis never wanted to make it a big deal. She just wanted…to live whatever life she had left in peace." Seifer sighed and peered in through the window to see what she was doing. Her blue eyes were focused on a napkin she had in her hands. "Edea left this house to us and we both thought it fitting to stay here."
Tears threatened to pour forth from Zell's eyes. He loved Quistis dearly and couldn't imagine the thought of losing her. Seifer told him everything so quickly… To say it was a shock would have been an understatement. "I, I…what can I do for you, Seifer? Say the words and I'll be on it."
"Quistis hasn't made it clear, but I know she wants to see everyone one last time. Every day she's been asking me about Rinoa and Squall, or you, or Selphie's and Irvine's little girl… You have to get them here. Please." Seifer paused and took a deep breath. His voice faltered slightly as he spoke again. The sadness ripped at his soul and yet he tried his hardest to hide it. "She's the world to me, Zell… I can't give her more time. All I can do is make whatever she has left meaningful."
"I get it." Zell crossed his arms across his chest and looked out to the sea. "Damn…twenty eight years, Seifer. I can still remember when we were all six and seven years old…"
"Yeah."
There wasn't much else to be said that hadn't already crossed their minds. The lull of the waves surging in brought them back to a place where no one was dying… Quistis was all smiles, as were the boys. It seemed as if the sun shone only for them. Everything was systematic. As children, they would wake up in the morning, Matron would make them breakfast…playtime, then lunch…then they would play some more… A sense of familiarity and joy filled their worlds.
Nothing seemed familiar anymore… The world, to them, was shrouded in an unnatural fear and dread of the future.
A/N: Yeah, I'm trying to keep everything relatively short instead of having these long, boring chapters. It makes it easier for me to write, knowing that I don't have to type out 15 pages of a story on my word processor like I used to. ("Love and Disloyalty," anyone? XDD)
