Quistis Trepe slowly opened her blue eyes. Where was she? What day was it? What time was it? What or who was in her bed? She rolled slowly onto her side. Seifer was lying beside her, sleeping soundly. That answered that question. Now for the other ones. The clock resting on the nightstand answered another and her slowly returning memory revealed the rest.
She was in Timber, undercover with Seifer. She had had the flu. He had tied her up. Squall and Rinoa had been here. Where were they now?
She sat up slowly, still a little dizzy. She hadn't gotten far off the mattress before a hand gently grasped her elbow.
"Lie back down, you're still weak," Seifer's sleepy voice requested behind her. His hand slowly pulled her back down onto the bed and his arm went around her shoulders to keep her from escaping.
Quistis would never admit it aloud, and it was probably just because of the medicine, but she thought Seifer's voice was very sexy when he was just waking up. And falling asleep in his arms wasn't a bad way to spend the night either, she thought to herself as consciousness left her.
Seifer smiled to himself as he felt Quistis' body relax into his as she drifted off to sleep.
The next day dawned cloudy and rainy. The inhabitants of the sleepy town of Timber were all still in bed. It was too dreary a day to be doing anything but lying in bed.
Seifer agreed. He was content to lie in bed all day, only leaving to eat or answer the call of nature.
His 'wife,' however, did not agree. She was restless and bored as she lay in bed. Seifer was no help. He just kept rolling over and placing his pillow over his head. She quickly grew tired of this and snatched it from him. He retaliated by grabbing hers from her side of the bed and swinging it at her.
The pillow war began.
Quistis swung her weapon at his head. It connected and he fell backwards onto his back. She seized the opportunity and lunged on him, bringing the pillow down onto his face. He didn't have enough room to swing his pillow so he dropped it and began tickling her. She laughed and tried to squirm out of the way. He wouldn't let her go so she just began smashing the pillow harder into his face. Sometime during the fighting the seam of the pillow burst and feathers filled the air. Quistis dropped her useless weapon and began to retaliate the tickling. They rolled around the room, tickling and laughing loudly. They finally came to a stop when Quistis managed to get Seifer's back pinned against the wall. Her long fingers didn't let up, just continually poked at his sides. He was squirming and trying to get his hands close enough to her sides to retaliate but she was constantly blocking. At last he settled for tackling her to the ground to get away. They flew backward and he wrapped his arms around her to soften their landing.
She had been sick after all. He didn't want her to hurt herself.
When they landed Quistis' energy seemed to desert her and she collapsed flat on her back, breathing heavily. He was surprised for a moment when she didn't instantly resume their tickle fight and pulled himself up onto his elbows to look down at her. Her eyes were closed and she had started panting for breath.
Seifer's green eyes were filled with worry as he pulled himself to his feet and lifted her into his arms. He carried her to the bed and deposited her gently. He tucked her under the covers and brushed some hair from her face. Their fight had caused the clip to come loose and her long hair was hanging free.
Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him. Seifer found himself blushing under her gaze but he couldn't force himself to look away.
"Thank you Seifer, for taking care of me," Quistis murmured quietly as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her eyes drifted closed again as she lost her struggle to stay awake.
Seifer sat in silent contemplation of the sleeping woman for a long time. What was happening to him? Why did he care so much for her? He knew that she was his friend. They were partners. It was normal for him to care this much. Right?
Was it normal for him to want to keep her safe from harm? Yes. That was part of being friends.
But was it normal to feel so deeply about it? Seifer knew without a doubt that anyone who hurt Quistis would experience suffering at his hands. He would not stand for her being harmed. No one would hurt her while he drew breath. And he would make sure that she didn't harm herself. He would take care of her, whether she wanted him to or not.
His vigil was broken by a sudden knock on the door. He stood and quickly went to answer it.
Squall and Rinoa stood on the other side of the door, holding a large paper bag.
"We brought lunch," Rinoa said with a smile as Seifer let them in.
Seifer nodded his thanks and led the way into the kitchen.
"So, how's Quistis? Feeling any better?" Squall asked as he began to pull the cartons of food out of the bag.
Seifer sat down at the table and started distributing the food.
"She was up for a while earlier but she's sleeping now," he answered as he handed a plate of food to Rinoa.
Squall finished dividing the food and they sat down. The meal progressed in silence as everyone dug into their food.
"So where did you guys go last night?" Seifer asked around a bite of his sandwich.
"We just went out to eat and then back to the hotel after you two fell asleep," Squall answered.
Seifer was about to respond when he heard Quistis stir in the bedroom. Rinoa got to her feet, about to go check on her friend, but Seifer beat her to it. He waved her back to the table as he walked into the bedroom. Squall and Rinoa exchanged glances and a grin broke out on Rinoa's face.
Seifer moved quickly to the bedside and took one of Quistis' hands. Her blue eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, unconsciously rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of her hand.
She shook her head quickly before answering, "No spots in my head, so I think I'm doing better."
He smiled at her answer. A genuine smile, not a smirk or a sneer like she normally saw on his face. She looked momentarily surprised at his expression before returning the smile.
She stretched and yawned as she sat up in the bed. His hand was instantly on her lower back to steady her.
"You just take it easy here, I'll go get you some food," he ordered as he released her hand and moved back to the kitchen.
As soon as he got out the door Quistis rolled her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Rinoa and Squall stopped their conversation the second Seifer walked through the door into the kitchen.
"Did she wake up?" Rinoa asked as Seifer came to the table.
He nodded and picked up the plate of food that had been brought for Quistis. Just as he was turning back toward the bedroom Quistis walked into the kitchen. She was pale and walking slowly but she was steady on her feet. Seifer quickly put the food down and bolted to her side.
"What's wrong with you? Why don't you listen to me?" he demanded, scowling at her.
She rolled her eyes again, "Seifer, I'm fine. I can't stay in bed anymore. It's making me crazy."
His arm had wound around her waist as he helped her to the table. Their progress was slow but sure as he stayed beside her. Finally, they got to the table where Squall and Rinoa sat watching them trek across the room.
The second they arrived at the table Seifer pulled the chair out for her and she sat down. He moved her plate so that it was in front of her and went to get her some utensils. She looked tired but determined as he handed her the fork and she started eating. It didn't matter to her that she had been lying in bed sick for days. She wasn't going to be confined any longer.
Once he saw that she was making progress on her food he sat down beside her and resumed eating his own lunch, glancing up at her every few seconds to ensure himself that she was still okay.
By the time she was finished eating he wasn't even bothering to look away. His green eyes stayed locked on her constantly. Quistis glanced up at him occasionally but he never flinched. Rinoa noticed the looks the two were exchanging and smiled to herself. As soon as she was finished she grabbed Squall's hand and pulled him from the kitchen. Squall, who wasn't finished with his meal, was forced to snatch his remaining chicken leg off his plate before he was yanked out of the kitchen.
Quistis finished eating and slowly put down her fork. Seifer's eyes were tracking her every motion, waiting for a sign that she was feeling worse. His hands were unconsciously clenched under the table, waiting for the slightest sign that she needed him.
Quistis, for her part, was tired and achy and wanted to go back to bed and rest. She was determined not to show it, however. She would sit there for the rest of her life before she would get up and accept sympathy.
Seifer, however, knew what she was thinking and anticipated her response. Instead of letting her sit there, stubbornly refusing to move, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her, kicking, into the living room. He deposited her gently on the couch and seated himself next to her. Rinoa, who was seated in Squall's lap, hurriedly separated her lips from his and ended up throwing herself out of the chair Squall was sitting in. She landed hard on the floor with an inelegant thud and a wince. Squall leaned forward in his seat quickly to check on her.
"Hey, you guys," Seifer drawled with a smirk, "We didn't interrupt anything did we?"
Rinoa's face turned scarlet instantly. Squall blushed and reached down to help his girlfriend up. She got to her feet and he pulled her into his lap again. Squall looked nervous, but refrained from acknowledging his feelings in front of Seifer and Quistis. He was getting better but it was still slow going.
Rinoa, surprised that Squall was pulling her back to him, smiled and settled herself back into his lap. Her head rested on his chest and her arms wound themselves around his waist.
Quistis was surprised to see Squall pull Rinoa back to him. Before he met Rinoa he would have pushed whoever was responsible for embarrassing him away and instantly fought with Seifer. She was changing him. It was becoming more apparent every day.
Seifer found himself watching Quistis' face intently. He was praying to Hyne that he didn't see a flash of disappointment cross her face. He hoped desperately that she was not still attracted to Squall, her earlier denial of feelings for Squall not even crossing Seifer's mind. His heart melted gratefully as he watched the pure joy cross over her face.
She wasn't still in love with Squall. She was genuinely happy for her friends. She was sincere about helping Squall and Rinoa with their relationship. She wanted them to be happy together. He had a chance with her.
Wait a minute.
Since when did he, Seifer Almasy, want a chance to be with Quistis Trepe, the bookish instructor that had made his education a living nightmare? He would admit that she was a lot more fun and nicer than he had initially thought, and every male with eyes knew that she was gorgeous. But when, for him, had it gone beyond just acknowledging that beauty and intelligence and personality to actively seeking it out on a daily basis? He knew for a fact that he was becoming used to waking up next to her. Once they were done with this mission things would go back to the way they were before. They would go back to being casual friends. He didn't know if he wanted that. He enjoyed having her to himself like he did on this mission. He didn't want to go back to only seeing her at meals when they went back to Garden.
What did all this mean?
Before he could think any more about his feelings the doorbell rang. Seifer and Quistis exchanged questioning looks and she shrugged. Squall and Rinoa watched Seifer, waiting for instructions.
"You guys can stay in here, just remember that me and Quis are supposed to be married so don't say anything that might raise their suspicions," Seifer directed as he moved off the couch and towards the front door.
"And our names are Kyle and Morgan," Quistis added.
Seifer opened the door to find a short, red-headed woman standing there, leading a large group of other women.
"Can I help you?" he asked politely.
"We heard Morgan was sick and decided to come and visit. Are you Kyle?" the lead woman asked, extending her hand to shake.
Seifer took her hand with a nod.
"Yeah that's me," he said as he moved out of the doorway.
The pack of women trooped inside the house, Seifer leading the way to the living room. Squall's eyes widened momentarily at the sight of the large crowd and Quistis smothered a groan. Rinoa saw her ill friend's expression and began to giggle.
"Morgan, how come you didn't tell us how handsome your husband was? We would have stayed and visited until he got home from training. You were holding out on us," the lead woman said as the entered the room.
Seifer's back was to the woman so she couldn't see how his face instantly turned scarlet. Quistis could, however, and she smiled fondly up at him. Trying to make it easier for him, she extended her hand to him from her seat on the couch and pulled him down to sit beside her. She intertwined her fingers with his and kissed him affectionately on the cheek.
"I don't like to share," Quistis responded simply, gazing up at Seifer. Seifer lowered his gaze to her and smirked a little. Falling into his role as loving husband he leaned down quickly and gave her a quick peck on her lips. Meaning it just to be a quick kiss, he was shocked when her free hand moved across his chest and found the back of his neck, holding him in the kiss. Her lips pressed a little firmer against his, deepening the kiss slightly. After what seemed like a small eternity to Seifer Quistis pulled back slowly. She didn't meet his eyes but just leaned her head against his chest, breathing hard.
Ignoring the adoring looks the women were giving them and the shocked and amazed looks on Squall and Rinoa's faces, Seifer tilted Quistis' head back up to meet his gaze.
"Are you okay, do you need to go lie back down?" he questioned in a low voice.
Her face was pale and she looked shaken as she nodded. His arms went around her and he lifted her from the couch. He excused himself quickly and carried his 'wife' to their bedroom. Behind him, he heard Rinoa take control of the conversation in the living room.
He deposited her gently into the bed and tucked her in.
"I guess you tried to do too much today," he said as he brushed some hair back from her face.
She nodded, staring at him. He sighed and turned to leave.
"I guess I should get back to our guests," he said reluctantly.
He was almost out the door before her voice stopped him.
"Aren't you angry with me?"
He turned to look at her.
"Angry? Why would I be angry?"
She looked at him, confused.
"I kissed you, remember?"
"I kissed you first," he countered.
She blushed but didn't argue. He returned to the bedside and sat down on the edge. She took his hand and squeezed gently. He smiled down at her and shook his head, ruefully.
"Why did you kiss me?" he asked her gently.
She didn't respond, choosing instead to bury her face in her pillow. He rolled his eyes and rubbed her back gently. She rolled over slowly to face him and took a deep breath before beginning to speak.
"I kissed you…" she paused before continuing, "because I wanted to," she finished in a rush as she ducked back towards her pillow.
Seifer's lungs emptied in a gasp and his green eyes shot wide open. He stared down at her in wonder, stunned.
"And why did you want to?" he asked hesitantly.
Quistis rolled her eyes, face still buried in the pillow. Instead of answering with words she just rolled back onto her back and sat up. Her arms went around his neck and her lips stopped a hair width away from his. She leaned forward slightly and they touched. Her long fingers weaved their way into his hair, tugging him gently towards her. He complied, wrapping his arms around her waist as he deepened the kiss. His lips parted slightly for air and her tongue dove in the gap. He was surprised but pleased at the change and took his cue from her.
When they finally parted her head dropped down onto his chest. She could feel his heart pounding as her temple rested on his torso. She was panting for breath again and he berated himself silently. Why did he let his hormones take over? She was sick. She needed rest, not to be kissed senseless.
Though he thought he had done a fairly good job of kissing her senseless. Her blue eyes were closed and there was a gentle smile on her face.
"So, does that mean that you like me too?" Seifer asked quietly, smirk firmly in place.
Quistis jumped in surprise at his question. Her blonde head came up and she looked him in the eyes. His gaze never wavered. Finally, after minutes of just staring at him, she blinked.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked breathlessly. Her blue eyes never left his face as she waited for his answer.
Seifer took a deep breath to steady himself before he responded. Quistis was staring at him, confused.
Was cocky Seifer Almasy actually nervous? Did that mean that he liked her or that he was just trying to think of a way to let her down easy?
Seifer's heart was pounding in his ears. He couldn't remember being this nervous before in his life. What if she had just been acting? They were undercover. But if she was just acting why had she kissed him again in here? Maybe she really did like him too.
Mustering his courage, he gathered her hands in his and squeezed gently. He glanced up to look into her eyes and decided to go for it.
"Quis, I know this is kind of sudden and all but…" his words were cut off as she jumped on him. He fell backwards onto his back, Quistis pressed against his chest, pressing feverish kisses onto his lips. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist, holding her to him. He caught her lips with his and quickly slipped his tongue in. She moaned into his mouth and he couldn't help but smile against her mouth. He finally broke the kiss, breathing heavily.
"Wow, is that what's gonna happen every time I try and tell you that I'm falling for you?" he asked, smirking the whole time.
She slugged him in the arm, smiling.
"I thought you we're going to tell me that you didn't like me like that," she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him.
He gaped down at her, stunned.
"You think I'm some kind of idiot or something?" he questioned in disbelief. "Why would I pass up someone like you?"
She smiled up at him playfully, "You been doing a pretty good job of it the last few years."
His hand went to his heart, "Ouch that hurts. Besides, you can't tell me that if I had told you that I was falling in love with you a few years ago that you wouldn't have killed me," he responded, grinning.
She nodded with a grin, "Oh definitely. I would never have taken you back then. You needed to be humbled a little more," she said thoughtlessly.
Seifer's grin slid off his face as he was plunged back to the time of his servitude under the sorceress. Quistis winced as his hands tightened around hers and his eyes glazed over as he lost himself in his memories. She managed to get one of her hands free and she gently stroked his face.
"Seifer," she whispered, "Come back to me. She's gone. She can't hurt you anymore." Her hand guided his chin to point his blank, unseeing green eyes to look straight into hers. His gaze never wavered from her but he was unresponsive, dully staring straight at her. She gently slapped her fingers against his cheek, willing him to snap out of it. When that didn't work she slapped him a little bit harder. His eyes snapped back into focus and he inhaled sharply. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm so sorry Seifer. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry," she chanted as she hugged him. His arms went around her and hugged her back.
There was a tentative knock on the door and Seifer pulled out of the hug. Quistis lowered herself back into the bed and pulled the sheets over her body. Seifer answered the door and let Rinoa inside. The caring sorceress went immediately to the bedside and knelt down beside her friend.
"Are you okay? You guys were taking so long we thought something was really wrong."
Quistis smiled gently at her friend and shook her head, "I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy."
Rinoa smirked, "Yeah, kissing Seifer tends to make people dizzy."
Seifer had the decency to blush at his ex-girlfriend's statement and the girls laughed. Quistis stretched her hand out to him and he came back to the bedside and sat on the edge. His thumb began to rub circles on the back of her hand unconsciously.
"Well," Quistis began to explain their actions in the living room, "We have to pretend to be married and…"
Seifer interrupted, "Quis, what happened to your hands?" He was staring at the red marks left on her hands when he had squeezed them. She didn't answer, just tried to tug her hands away from him. He automatically tightened his grip to hold onto them and she winced.
"Did I do this?" he asked her, loosening his hold but not letting go.
Rinoa started, surprised. Her gaze traveled between Quistis and Seifer. She had known Seifer for a long time; she knew he would never hurt Quistis on purpose. Well, she amended mentally, he might have in the past but the new Seifer would cut off his own hand before he hurt Quistis.
Quistis looked into Seifer's eyes and nodded slowly, "You didn't know what you were doing though Seifer. You weren't yourself. I know you would never hurt me on purpose," she stated as he scowled.
"But…" he tried to argue but she was quick to cut him off.
"No buts, you didn't mean to hurt me and that's the end of it," she declared forcefully.
Seifer had been on the receiving end of her determined look enough to know that he had no hope of winning so he settled for kissing each of the red marks on her hands.
Rinoa was watching the exchange with a stunned smile on her face. Quistis noticed Rinoa staring out of the corner of her eye and nudged Seifer with her shoulder. He reluctantly pulled away from her hands but pulled her to rest against his chest.
"Maybe ya'll have something you want to tell me?" Rinoa suggested with a grin at her friends.
AN: lol That's twice they haven't gone sneaking around at night. Maybe someday they will. I don't know yet.
AN2: I apologize profusely for the long delay in updating. This has been written for a while but I have not had internet access for the last two weeks and the one time I had access I was in a friend's dorm room and didn't have the disk with me to post this chapter.
Please review!
Next Chapter:Seifer gets sent on his first mission in the Timber Army. Quistis uses this chance to sneak around the empty base (Finally someone will sneak around!!! YAY for me).