Love Me
By Lady Pyrefly
Author's Note: As with the two preceding one-shots, this story is based on the Dir En Grey song, "Child's Prey." Enjoi!
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"Quistis," Squall said, rather surprised, looking up suddenly from the paperwork that was hell bent on trying to drive him into an early retirement.
Quistis Trepe bit back the resentful words clawing up her throat, and smiled scornfully at the Garden Master in front of her. "I want to quit." The challenge in the blonde woman's voice was just begging for reprimand.
But Squall gave her none. He calmly reached a gloved hand out to the manilla folder that Quistis had slammed on the table to punctuate her last few words. He opened it, stifled a snide comment and rifled through the pages. "Trabia?" he asked, emerging out of the file into his office once again.
"Selphie offered me a job there," Quistis answered, tilting her chin upward, demanding the challenge, the effort.
Again Squall feigned indifference. "It's a ways away," was all he could say, without saying more.
"Yeah." Instructor Trepe turned around to face the doorway. "But they need me more than anyone here does."
Ooh. Even Squall could hear the bitter chunk of ice frozen in Quistis' voice. He felt bad. That snowball was blocking Quisty's heart, blocking what she really wanted to say, to hear. Squall had put that ice crystal there. "Are you sure?" he asked delicately, feeling shooting sensations in his legs as he stood up to walk closer to the ice queen. Maybe Squall had been too long at his desk job.
"Yes." The sparks of four blue flames that appeared in Quistis' eyes was terrifying. "No one needs me around here."
Squall could feel himself breaking. "Quisty--"
But Quistis cut him off. "Don't," she threatened through clenched teeth. "Don't you dare 'Quisty' me. I'm leaving this Garden. Now."
Quistis turned and walked out of the office with sharp steps down the hall. Echoes sounded like gunshots.
Squall, alone in his office, wondered if maybe he was wrong all along, if maybe there was fire in the girl, and ice in himself.
- - -
A taste like fire raged on Quistis' lips as she bit back the tears clogging in her windpipe. She would not cry, not for that man who thought she was a lost kitten. Quistis needed no home.
Two thumps on her door was all she needed. Composing herself, smoothing a stray lock of perfect golden hair behind her ear, Quistis ripped the door open. The taste of fire raged still.
But it was silenced as Squall's lips pressed on hers without warning, and the cool embrace of ice smothered it with comfort.
Quistis would not leave.
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Author's Note: As with Kill Me, the previous one, I soooo did not intend for this to happen. The general idea, maybe, but not the fic as a whole. I kind of like it. What do you think?
One last thing. Julia? I hope you got the symbolism.