Disclaimer: I still don't own FF8 or its characters never have and never will.

Chapter 1

Quistis sat in the Quad reading a novel she found lying around in her room to take her mind off Squall and Rinoa. Ever since the end of the Sorceress War the two were inseparable, more like Rinoa had become permanently attached to Squall, Quistis thought bitterly. Quistis always thought Rinoa's childish temper was plain annoying, but she didn't rule out jealousy as a possible cause for bringing out the green-eyed monster in her kind heart.

Ever since Squall and Rinoa had officially become a couple, Quistis had been trying to get over him, but it was hard and each time she saw them together, she felt her heart being slowly torn asunder over and over again, like Prometheus having his liver picked by vultures daily, only to have his liver re-grow the next day for the vultures to feed on again. She constantly reminded herself she would be fine, and she would get over Squall in no time, but every time she saw him, she ended up forcing a sweet smile on her face as her heart cried. There were times she prayed and hope that Squall would do something that would make her angry so she could hate him. Then it would be easier for her to forget about him. As she read her book, she prayed to Hyne to grant her wish to do something that would help her forget about Squall.

"Trepe, sulking alone in the Quad over Puberty boy again I see." Quistis looked up from her book, and saw Seifer Almasy's tall frame standing before her. His arms crossed over his chest, and on his face was his usual condescending smirk. Quistis always had an urge to throw her book at him, but she never did, it just wasn't her way to dealing with trouble.

"Sometimes I wonder why they even let you back in the Garden."

"Let's just say Matron has a little soft spot for me, and I heard you have a little soft spot for me too," he said with a wink.

"If only," Quistis scoffed. She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the book she was reading.

"Like it or not I'm here to stay." Seifer noticed that Quistis was still ignoring him, and he decided to sit down beside her. He started to look over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who was in love with an idiot prince who was in love with another idiot princess…" Seifer started to recite. Quistis slammed her book shut. She was about to get up and leave, but Seifer grabbed on to her arm firmly to prevent her from leaving and continued. "…and the idiot prince and idiot princess lived happily ever after, while the beautiful princess met a dashing…"

"What do you want Seifer?" Quistis asked angrily as she shook her arm free from his grasp.

"What? I just wanted to tell you a story, since you love reading so much." He leaned back on to the bench stretching his lithe body out.

"Oh how kind of you, I thought you were trying to drive me insane!" Quistis's face was starting to fluster from the bane of her existence. Seifer only grin at the reaction he was receiving from her. "Isn't there someone else you can annoy?"

"Yes, there are a lot of people to annoy, but you are by far my favorite victim."

"I'm honored. One day you won't have me to annoy, then you'll be sorry," she threatened. Just as she stood up and was ready to leave. She noticed a short brown-haired woman dressed in yellow running bubbly towards them. Quistis heard Seifer groan in irritation behind her.

"Quisty!" She yelled out. "Did you hear? Did you hear?" She kept repeating even thought she was out of breath from running.

"Take it easy Tilmitt or you'll make yourself pass out." Seifer told the over excited woman.

"What happened?" Quistis inquired.

"Oh! Great great! Wonderful news!" Selphie was now hopping up and down.

"Oh for crying out loud," Seifer muttered. He stood up and held Selphie down by the shoulders, and slowly asked her, "Tell us the news already, because I don't know about Trepe, but you are giving me a headache and I won't hesitate to knock you out."

Surprised by Seifer's grip on her shoulder, Selphie still retained her excitement. Her eyes were still sparkling with glee. "Squall and Rinoa are getting married! I just found out right now!" Seifer let go Selphie as he concentrated on Quistis's face.

As the words came out of Selphie's mouth, Quistis felt that her heart had been ripped out of her chest and stomped on with stiletto heels. Hyne had heard her prayer and she felt numb. Quistis realized that Seifer and Selphie were both watching her, and she some how managed to utter with false joy, "That's great news. I'm so happy for them. I'll have to go and congratulate Rinoa later."

"I know! You know what that means right?" Selphie clasped her hands together like a child. "Party! I love parties. I'm so excited! I got to go I need to go tell Irvine and Zell and everyone else! I'll talk to you later." Before Quistis had time to react to her farewell, in a blink of an eye Selphie was hopping up the stairs and out of sight.

"Trepe are you okay?" Seifer asked after a moment of watching Quistis stand before him in silence.

"Of course I'm fine," She looked him straight in the eye to prove that his assumption of her being hurt by the news to be wrong, but he was right and she just wanted to cry. She tried to blink back the tears as more lies spilt out of her mouth to comfort herself more then deny her pain to Seifer. "Squall and Rinoa are getting married and we should be happy for them."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again.

"Seifer please leave. I'm fine." Quistis knew if he asked her again she would break, and she didn't to be crying in front of anyone, especially Seifer. She lowered her head to break eye contact from him.

"Quistis are you really okay?" He question was genuinely asked, and that only made Quistis feel worse.

"What do you care?" Quistis asked weakly. "Now you have more material to make fun of me with like more spinster jokes or being a potential home wrecker."

Seifer was surprised at Quistis's comments. He knew she was hurt and now she pitied herself.

"Look Trepe I maybe an ass, but I'm not heartless. I know a broken heart when I see one, and you look like yours just broke into a million pieces."

"Well it feels like it," Quistis whispered. Unexpectedly Seifer pulled Quistis into his arms into a comforting hug. Quistis was surprised at the feeling of his strong arms around her. It definitely comforted her, she felt that she could remain in his arms forever, but her new found comfort only lasted for a couple seconds until she heard Seifer whisper in her ear.

"Trepe, you'll be all right."

"Thank you," she managed to return his kindness with a sad smile.

"And one more thing," he added. "If you tell anyone about this, I will put you back on the list." Seifer's comment succeeded in extracting a laugh from the blond woman, and he left the Quad unsure of how to explain his own actions towards Quistis to himself. He decided to simply shrug it off as a moment of weakness.

While Quistis only sat back down onto the bench to collect her thoughts and heart again.

A/N: Okay I finally got my act together I started another fic. I'm sorry this first chapter is so short. I'm driving me self insane by working on four different fics at once. I'll try to update this fic next week. Merry Christmas everyone!