Quistis rolled over in bed, reaching for Seifer. Her hands collided with the night table that resided next to her narrow dorm bed. Wearily, she cracked open her eyes, meeting the red glare of her alarm clock.
Groaning tiredly, she rolled onto her back, her hand sliding across her eyes. She was more than prepared to drop back into dream world. A knock on the door denied her that pleasure.
Sighing, she rolled over and onto her feet. The door slid open at her touch, revealing the smiling face of Selphie. The hyper brunette hugged Quistis quickly, knocking the surprised blonde back into her dorm.
"I'm so glad you're back!" Selphie exclaimed, releasing Quistis without warning, causing her to fall backwards onto her butt. The brunette was quick to help the wincing woman back onto her feet, apologizing the whole time. Quistis was quick to reassure her friend that was she was okay. They were walking towards Quistis' small couch when there was another knock on the door.
Sighing, Quistis turned back to the door, waving Selphie back to the couch. A touch on the keypad had the door sliding open to reveal Seifer holding a tray of food.
"You brought me breakfast?" she asked incredulously, looking into his grinning green eyes. With a flourish Seifer deposited the loaded tray on the small table by the door, pulling Quistis into his arms quickly. He immediately began to pepper her lips with kisses. She held him into a long kiss, her hands moving across his shoulders, fingers delving into his hair. After a long moment she pulled back, smiling up at him.
"I'm glad you shaved that goatee off. It was itchy and made kissing you weird," she said, her fingers sliding across his smooth chin.
Seifer smirked down at her, pulling her tighter against him. "So you think kissing me is weird?" he asked teasingly. She just shook her head, returning his smirk before standing up on her toes to kiss him again.
A loud gasp separated them quickly. Still holding onto each other, they turned their heads to see Selphie standing there, pointing at them in shock, her jaw hanging open.
"You might swallow a bug if your mouth opens much more," Seifer joked. Quistis slapped him on the chest before moving out of his arms towards her friend. She waved her hand in front of Selphie's eyes, trying to get her shocked friend to snap out of it. Gently Quistis pushed Selphie's still pointing arm down to her side. Touching her friend's cheek seemed to snap the stunned girl out of it. Big green eyes blinked slowly, moving to look over at her blonde friend.
"What…?" she asked in a stuttering voice, looking into Quistis' blue eyes questioningly. Sighing, Quistis took hold of Selphie's arm and led her friend back to the couch.
"Sit down. I don't want you to pass out," Quistis ordered gently. Seifer followed behind them, interested in hearing how Quistis was going to explain this.
"Well Selphie," Quistis began, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of her friend. "Seifer and I got a lot closer while we were on the mission. I got sick and he took care of me."
"So, are you, like, together now?" Selphie asked, her eyes traveling from Quistis to Seifer.
Seifer moved from his position by the door and stood behind Quistis, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"I really care about him," Quistis nodded, feeling his fingers squeeze her shoulder gently. She leaned her head back against his abdomen, looking up at him. He winked down at her, a small smile – a genuine smile – on his face.
Selphie jumped to her feet, throwing her arms around the couple, leaving Quistis squished in the middle. Seifer awkwardly patted Selphie on the back, uncomfortable in the embrace.
Selphie pulled back after a moment. "Aww, I'm so happy for you guys," she cooed. Quistis smiled and stood up and hugged her friend.
"Thank you. I'm glad we have your support."
"If you hurt her, I'll kill you," Selphie declared, pointing her finger at Seifer warningly over Quistis' shoulder as they hugged.
Selphie released Quistis and smiled widely as she watched her friend's hand reach for Seifer's automatically.
"You guys are so cute," she squealed excitedly. "I'm gonna go tell Rinoa," she said, running towards the door.
"Oh, she already knows," Quistis spoke up.
Selphie turned around as she stopped. "How long has she known?" she asked with a hurt frown on her normally smiling face.
"She was there when we first kissed. She and Squall just happened to be visiting," Quistis explained, hoping Selphie wasn't offended that they hadn't told her.
"So she can tell me how it happened?" Selphie asked eagerly, her face clearing. Quistis nodded and the hyper brunette bolted out the door. They could hear her yelling for Rinoa as she ran down the hall. Then the door slid closed and the sounds were cut off.
Seifer plopped back on the couch with a sigh, running his hand across his eyes. "I'm glad that's over with."
Quistis smiled as she sat down beside him. "It wasn't that bad. In fact if probably could have been worse."
"Oh really, how so?" he asked, his arm dropping around her shoulders.
"It could have been Zell," she said simply.
"Oh Great Hyne he's going to freak out."
Quistis just nodded and smiled. "Maybe if we tell him while he's eating he won't yell," she mused thoughtfully.
"That might have worked except for the fact that you just let Selphie run out the door."
"Oh dear."
"We might as well eat before the masses show up at the door," Seifer said practically. Her stomach growled in agreement and he helped her up off the couch. He got the tray of food and separated it into portions on the small table that the dorm was outfitted with. They ate in silence for a few moments before Quistis began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Seifer asked, looking around for something that might seem funny.
"You are so much like Squall," she laughed, remembering his reaction to Selphie's hug.
Seifer's green eyes widened and he began choking. Quistis was quick to begin pounding on his back, worried. After a few moments and several hard hits he recovered and looked at her.
"What do you mean I'm like Puberty Boy?" he asked, looking scandalized. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I just meant that you and Squall both respond to emotion in the same way. When Selphie hugged you, you froze. That's the way Squall gets when anyone hugs him," she explained, emphasizing her commander's name.
"And since when have you made it a habit to be hugging Commander Puberty?" he asked, suspicious.
"Oh please, don't give me that. He's my friend. Friends hug each other. Besides, he's with Rinoa. I'm with you. Neither of us wants to change that," she explained heatedly.
Seifer smirked as he looked at her, breathing hard and passionate. "That's a good answer," he said calmly, pulling her into his lap. Their lips were millimeters from touching when another knock was heard on the door. With a frustrated groan Seifer dropped his forehead to hers.
"We're not going to get to be alone. Ever," he sighed.
She suddenly pulled his chin up and kissed him, hard. His hands moved up her sides, holding her face in his palms. Breathing hard, he pulled away as another pounding knock echoed through the dorm.
"Damn them," he growled, sliding out from under Quistis and moving through the dorm quickly toward the door. Quistis was in shock from the passionate kiss and melted into the chair since her knees couldn't hold her.
"What the hell do you want!?!" Seifer demanded angrily as the door slid open. Zell was quick to get in the other man's face.
"What are you doing in Quistis' dorm?" Zell asked angrily, poking his finger in Seifer's chest.
"I'm here to see Quistis obviously," Seifer stated loudly.
"You stay away from her," Zell ordered.
Seifer's fist was in the air before he knew what he was doing. Zell's arm came up to block the hit but was thrown off balance when the blow didn't fall.
Save the Queen was wrapped tightly around Seifer's bicep, stretched tightly back to its mistress' hands.
"Seifer! Zell! Stop it right now!" Quistis ordered. Once Seifer's arm relaxed she released the tension on the whip and hurried over to the pair.
"Zell, what is the meaning of this?" she demanded, cautiously standing between the two seething males.
"Quisty, Selphie just ran into the cafeteria and told Rinoa something about the two of you getting together. Is that true?" the confused martial artist asked.
With a heavy sigh and a glance at Seifer, she nodded.
"But, Quisty, he isn't good enough for you. He was the sorceress' lapdog for crying out loud," Zell objected.
The only thing that held Seifer back was Quistis' hands at his chest.
"Seifer, calm down. Zell, leave," she quickly ordered. When the tattooed fighter didn't move she moved her hands away from the enraged gunblader's body. With a quick lunge Seifer was in the doorway. Zell, having seen the wisdom of retreating, was running down the corridor away from his friend's dorm. After she saw that the angry fighter was leaving, she grabbed Seifer's arm and dragged him back into the dorm.
"Seifer, calm down," she pleaded. The taller blonde was seething, his face aimed firmly toward the ground.
"Look at me," she directed, moving his chin up with her free hand. "You don't believe him, do you?" she asked in horror, seeing the look of utter despair and disdain that was plain in his green eyes. Her fingers dug into his arm as she gasped in shock.
"Seifer Almasy, how could you think that?" she questioned. The ashamed man just shook his head, trying to avoid looking at her. Frustrated, she seized his chin and forced him to look at her. He continued to stubbornly shake his head.
"How could you thing you aren't good enough for me? That's just ridiculous. Don't listen to him," she said, looking into his eyes.
"But Quistis, he's right. I'm just a traitor who's gotten a second chance. I betrayed everyone. What right do I have to come back? I was a sorceress' lapdog; you are everything I'm not. I don't have any right to care about you. What right do I have to ask you to stay with me?" he responded, closing his eyes to escape from her piercing blue gaze.
A slap echoed through the dorm as he finished. His eyes shot open, surprised that she had hit him.
"Seifer Almasy! Never, ever say anything like that ever again. I don't want to hear such lies come out of your mouth ever again," she said fiercely. "Do you understand me?" she asked, looking into his face anxiously.
"But, Quistis," he started to object and she slapped him again.
"No arguments," she commanded. "I'll choose who I want to be with and if Zell or anyone else has a problem with it then they will deal with me," she stated passionately.
"Seifer, I choose to be with you. I know what you did in the past but I also know you. You didn't do those things because you chose to. You were a pawn for a twisted, sick woman. I know that and Zell does too. He just wasn't thinking when he said that," she pleaded with him to understand. "Please believe me," she said, hugging him, her face burying itself in his chest.
With a heavy sigh, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her hair.
"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her, holding her tight to his body. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," he whispered into her ear.
Her arms tightened across his back, trying to assure herself that he was really there, still with her.
"Seifer, I wouldn't be with you if there wasn't something about you that I love," she stated quietly.
"Oh please, you know there is nothing about me that you don't love," he scoffed, trying to get a laugh out of her. Grinning, she pulled back and slapped him lightly on his chest.
"I thing I could do without the cocky attitude," she said with a smirk. He didn't take offense, just grinned back at her before pulling her into a gentle kiss.
AN: I'm so sorry for the wait. I've been getting into the swing of things again at college and add to that the fact that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to write about. But, I think this chapter turned out good and maybe even a little bit funny. And I put some more of their feelings into the end of it...tell me what you think. Oh and I apologize for all the cursing, I just realized that it is more than normal and I hope I don't offend anyone.