PARTY!
Seifer stood next to his bed in his new SeeD dorm. He was staring down at his new uniform with an implacable expression on his face.
Finally…
He had finally made it into SeeD.
He had accomplished his goal and made it into the most accomplished mercenary force in the world. Now he just had to prove that he could do the job.
He dressed slowly, relishing in the feel of the heavy navy jacket on his shoulders. He looked at himself in the mirror and smirked.
"I was born for this," he declared as he left his dorm.
The ballroom was already full of loud, excited teens by the time Quistis showed up for the party with Rinoa and Selphie.
The other two girls had insisted that Quistis needed to be gorgeous for the party and, to that end, had demanded that she allow them to help her get ready for the dance.
Their efforts were not in vain as Quistis looked radiant in the blue gown she was wearing. It matched her eyes and brought out the blonde of her hair.
As the three girls entered the ballroom their male counterparts were crossing the crowded room towards them.
Irvine and Squall bowed to their girlfriends and offered their hands to lead their girls onto the dance floor.
Zell, with a wide grin, slid to a halt in front of Quistis and offered her his hand.
"May I have this dance instructor?"
"Certainly, Zell," she returned with a gentle smile.
The two moved to the dance floor and joined the waltz.
Seifer entered the ballroom and was immediately jumped on by Fujin and Rajin.
"Ya did it Seifer man, good job, ya know!"
"CONGRATULATIONS"
He grinned at his friends and laughed.
"Ya'll need to have a little more faith. I knew I was gonna pass."
Fujin rolled her eyes and smirked.
Seifer just grinned widely at her, a hint of his old cockiness in his green eyes.
The three friends moved around the outskirts of the room towards the food.
They each got something to eat and went out on the balcony to eat their supper.
When they had finished Rajin and Fujin decided to go dance. Seifer decided to go get something to drink.
He took his glass and leaned against a column, unknowingly mimicking the posture of his rival.
As he stood surveying the dancing couples Selphie ran up to him to congratulate him on his accomplishment.
The two stood and talked quietly for a few moments before they were joined by the rest of the group. Squall didn't say anything but just stuck his hand out to shake Seifer's. Rinoa grinned widely and hugged him before he could jump out of range. Irvine and Zell each shook Seifer's hand and nodded their respect. Quistis hugged him and quickly moved back a few steps.
"Congratulations Seifer. You deserve this."
He smirked.
"Of course I do. I was made for this."
The group rolled their eyes and grinned at his attitude.
"So, what time do you want to go to dinner tomorrow Seifer?" Selphie asked the beaming blonde.
"Um, how about around seven? Is that cool with everyone?"
He received nods from the group and they grinned at each other.
Finally.
A familiar waltz began playing in the background and Squall and Rinoa's eyes met. He took her hand and led her onto the floor. Irvine turned and bowed to Selphie and she giggled as she grabbed his pony tail and dragged him to the dance floor. A nervous brunette walked slowly up to the group and tapped Zell on the shoulder.
Her pigtails were hanging in her face as she quietly asked Zell to dance. He grinned widely and stuck his chest out as he stuck his arm out for her to take. She did so and the pair walked to the dance floor.
The remaining two were locked in an uncomfortable silence as the rest of their friends deserted them.
"So…um, Quistis…do you wanna…um…dance?"
Her blue eyes were cautious as they stared into his green orbs, straining to discover any hint of insincerity or malice towards her. All she found was a genuine desire to dance with her and a subconscious desire for approval in his eyes.
He wanted approval. Her approval. Of him.
He wanted her to like him.
She was stunned at this unconscious revelation. He was eager for her approval of him. He liked her and wanted her to like him.
Still dazed, she nodded her acquiescence to his request for a dance.
The two blondes swept onto the floor. Seifer's arms were tight around her body as the pair quickly found their place in the pattern of the dance.
Quistis' thoughts were confused and jumbled as she thought over the things she had seen in her partner's eyes.
She heard Seifer say something to her but her mind didn't comprehend what the words meant.
"Quis? Is something wrong?" he questioned quietly.
Her eyes snapped back into focus and met his questioning green gaze.
"Huh? Did you say something Seifer?"
He smirked a little at her absent expression and nodded.
"I just asked if something was wrong. You weren't paying much attention."
"Oh, um…I was just thinking."
"Care to share?"
Her face immediately closed back into her normal reserved expression. Her eyes were suspicious and nervous.
"It's nothing important. I just had a thought that surprised me. That's all."
When he saw that he wasn't going to get anything else from her he just nodded in understanding.
They continued to glide around the floor, both lost in thought. The first song came to an end and another began. Neither of the pair noticed, both subtly changed their movements to match the beat and rhythm of the music.
They danced for a long time, through many songs. Their dancing was a change in their relationship. They began to see each other how they were. Quistis discovered that Seifer was a nice person if he wanted to be. Seifer saw that Quistis wasn't the overcritical, stuck up person that he had always thought that she was. She was just worried that others wouldn't like her so she tried her hardest to be perfect and get the others around her to be perfect as well.
By the time the two stopped dancing the rest of the ballroom was empty and only their friends remained in the room.
The music had stopped playing and their friends were sitting at tables on the balcony of the ballroom.
By this time it was one-thirty in the morning. The group said their goodnights and separated to go to their dorms.
As Quistis entered her dorm she realized that she had just spent the entirety of an evening with Seifer Almasy and she had actually enjoyed it. He could be fun to be with. He could be a gentleman. She couldn't believe that they had danced all night without arguing once the whole time.
It was startling to realize that they could actually get along and have fun together. She had always thought that he hated her. She had always disliked him because of it.
The revelation that he might actually like her was a scary one.
AN:Please review!
Next Chapter: Seifer and his friends spend time together and go out to dinner together.