A shade of blue veiled Seifer's room early dawn. The window was opened, fumigating the room with the scent of rain and morning. When the wind picked up slightly, a chill sent shivers up Seifer's spine, causing him to stir in his sleep. Emma opened her eyes and smiled seeing his face mashed up against the pillow. His arm hung over the side of the bed, and his left leg surrounded Emma's waist. His left hand held her hand, gently squeezing it slightly every now and then. Emma pulled him closer to her, causing him to open his eyes. He shut them immediately, not able to adjust immediately to the bright blue tinted room.
"What time is it?" He muffled through the pillow.
"Almost eight thirty." Emma said, brushing hair out of her face.
"When did we go to bed?" He asked again, rubbing his eyes.
"Late." Emma replied.
Seifer grinned and leaned up against Emma, playing with her fingers and brushing them up against his face.
Moments later, a knock came on the door. Seifer groaned and smiled. "I'll be right back." He kissed Emma's lips and stood up, still naked from the night before. Another knock came from the door again. "What?" He called.
"Seifer? Open the door!"
"You don't want me to do that. Trust me."
"Just open the damn door, asshole!" Seifer could hear Zell laughing for a moment, then kicking on his door.
"Zell, jesus!" Seifer flung a towel over his waist and stomped to the door. He flung it open, creating a breeze between Zell and Seifer.
"Woah! Sorry!" Selphie turned around, giggling. Zell pushed his way into Seifer's dorm, Selphie being dragged behind him. Seifer closed the door and leaned up against the door.
"We were told to take you guys out to breakfast." Zell said, opening a cabinet beside him. The two sat at the small café table in Seifer's cramped kitchen.
"Ok." Seifer shrugged and walked into his room.
Emma wrapped the bed sheet around her and reached for some clothes. Seifer threw on a black t-shirt and jeans and walked back out with his shoes and socks.
"Any reason why?" Seifer began slipping on his socks.
"No…really, we want doughnuts, and it's early enough for a fresh batch, but we wanted you guys to come along. Squall and Quistis said they'd meet us up in Dollet later on."
Emma walked out, wearing jeans and a black-sleeved crème colored shirt. She was brushing her hair but stopped to see everyone staring at her. "What happened?"
"Zell's hungry." Seifer said.
Seifer and Zell strolled around Dollet for a while. They had finished their coffee faster than Emma and Selphie, so they left them alone to talk. They passed the Junk Shop and were in the housing districts. It was a cloudy morning, probably meant more rain, Seifer figured. However, people still thrived in the streets. As they were walking, Seifer stopped and looked up at the apartments. He pointed at the middle of one. "Fu and Rai live there…" They continued walking.
"I'm sorry they abandoned you like that, man." Zell said, smoking his cigarette. He looked up and scoffed.
"It happens." Seifer sighed and lit another cigarette up. Zell was quiet for a moment, waiting for Seifer to say something, but he didn't. They walked up by the fountain and stood there for a while. Zell looked into the window of the café and watched Selphie and Emma talking. Every now and then, Selphie would say something to Emma that would make her giggle. This made Zell smile.
"You're different when she's around." Zell said, taking another drag.
"I know. It's killing my bad-boy rep, huh?" Seifer smiled, looking at Zell, who laughed."
"This place brings back memories." Zell muttered, looking around.
"Yep…I'm surprised it's grown so much."
"Do you believe in love?"
"…I dunno."
"Do you love her?" Seifer stopped watching cars and looked over at the window and then back at Zell…again at the café, watching Emma smiling and drinking her coffee. He looked at Zell once more and shook his head. He looked down.
Love. Did Seifer love Emma? Did he ever really wonder about that? Of course he had. But what was the answer? Yes or no?
"…"
"Right." Zell tossed his cigarette butt. "Do you ever say it to her?"
"…No." Seifer sighed.
"Have you ever met Edea Kramer?" Selphie asked Emma, sitting in a Dollet café. Seifer and Zell were looking at the new car down the block.
"Of course." Emma sipped on her coffee, feeling more awake than how she was an hour before.
"She was the one who told me I was pregnant. She said it was going to be a girl." Selphie spun her cookie around on her plate.
"She told me I'd have a son. He would look like Seifer, but with dark hair. He would look like me, but with bright green eyes."
"Did you have a name?" Selphie asked.
"Yeah—" Emma watched Zell walk in and kiss Selphie. He looked over at Emma and smiled.
"Seifer's outside. He wants to talk to you." He said and sat next to Selphie.
"Is he ok?" Emma asked, standing up.
"Go find out." Zell said coolly, kissing Selphie again.
Emma smiled and walked outside towards Seifer, who leaned up against the same statue he had leaned on nearly five years ago. He saw Emma and stretched his arms out to her. She smiled and reached for him. When she grabbed his hands he pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply. He started to hear rain. When they parted he looked down on her, watching the small beads of rain fall on her delicate face.
Gunshots were heard at the café. Right after that, glass breaking, and right after that, the screams. Emma looked up at Seifer, mouthing Selphie's name.
"SOMEONE'S BEEN SHOT! QUICK GET HELP!" They heard someone scream. Emma and Seifer ran towards the café. Already a crowd of people was there.
"OH GOD! SELPHIE!" Zell screamed. "SOMEBODY GET HELP NOW!"
Seifer shoved everyone out of the way, pushing violently. He found Zell in the middle of the crowd, covered in glass and blood. He found Selphie, staring at him lifelessly. Zell leaned over Selphie screaming. Seifer started feeling ill. He turned to try to find Emma, but was lost in the crowd.
"Seifer!" Emma was lost in the crowd of people. She kept filing through every blonde wearing a black shirt, but they were never Seifer. "SEIFER!"
She felt something sticking into the back of her neck. It was hot. It was the barrel of the gun that shot Selphie.
"You told them everything, didn't you?"
"Oh no." Emma gasped, putting her hands up. During the panic, it seemed no one was watching them.
"Oh Emma…" He took her and drug her out of the crowd and over in an alley. He threw her against the wall. The man took off his mask. It was Cort. "You fucking disappoint me." He hit her with the butt of his gun. She screamed and fell to the ground. Morus appeared out of the alley, he revealed his gun and aimed it at Emma.
"Morus… please…" Emma sobbed.
Morus looked away.
"Who knows…"
Seifer ran towards Emma, reaching for her, only to be pushed back by Fik and Mik. They pulled their guns on Seifer, pressing them into his neck.
"Let her go… LET HER GO!"
"…Maybe you're better off this way."
Seifer reached out for Emma but was
stopped by a blow to the head from behind. It was Emma's father.
"Continue Cort. Make it fast." Evers said, sighing. He pushed
the gun against Seifer's temple. Blood ran down the side of his
face.
"Cort please! No…please…" Emma begged.
Cort aimed his gun at Emma, aiming for her chest.
"You can't just abandon your family for love, stupid girl."
He shot her three times. Seifer froze in motion, watching the bullets fly through Emma's chest and collide into the brick wall. He watched her slam into the back of the wall. It had sounded like glass raking through her lungs as she gasped for air.
He watched the four men take off running, as Emma slid down the back of the wall, leaving a trail of blood.
"Emma…" Seifer looked into her eyes. The once dark blue eyes Seifer would get lost in were rapidly losing their light. He heard footsteps behind him. It was Quistis and Rinoa. He knew they were screaming, but the noises didn't register. He could only hear Emma's ragged breathing and her heart slowly beating. Everything to Seifer sounded muted, garbled.
"S…Seifer…" Emma choked out, blood spilling out of the side of her mouth. Her eyes looked completely alien. Dim, lifeless.
"I…want….ou…to know…" Emma's voice was halting.
"Shh…baby shh…" Seifer softly spoke, his eyes welled up with tears.
"I…Sei…I…" The only thing Seifer could do was hold her. "I… don.. want to…"
"Emma, don't say it." Seifer smiled sadly and kissed her forehead. She started gasping for air. "I know, Emma. Don't be afraid. I'm right here. I won't leave you, I promise."
"Don't go…please."
Time stopped at 10:46 a.m.