A Promising Young SeeD
Chapter 9
You're Mine
It had been a month. A month of sleeping next to Seifer. Zell said nothing, Raijin didn't seem bothered by it. All they did was sleep. Seifer never tried anything further, though the proximity to him made her heart beat in a way that it never did when she slept next to Zell. Seifer seemed completely unaffected. Despite how egotistical and forceful he had been at the beginning of this arrangement, he almost seemed deflated when he came to bed.
It was a strange arrangement, but one that suited both of them just fine. Seifer would wrap his arms around Quistis, bury his face in her hair and that was that. He had changed. Sure, he was still as arrogant as ever, but there was a vulnerability to him. Especially at night, in the dark. Quistis had never thought of Seifer as a sensitive person, but perhaps she had misjudged him.
Some nights, he would talk. Ask her what she remembered from the orphanage now that the GFs were out of her system. She was surprised by just how much she remembered, and how much he had been a constant presence until she had been adopted at ten. He remembered everything, the whole time. Seifer had never used GFs as aggressively as the rest of them, relying mostly on his brute strength, innate chi magic, and skill with the gunblade. His memory had never taken as hard of a hit.
It was part of the reason he had been such a problem when she was an instructor. He was desperate for her to notice him. To remember. None of them took rejection particularly well. Growing up as orphans, then mercenaries, their lives were defined by it. Defined by loneliness and refusal.
Quistis didn't want that anymore. Seifer never did, maybe that's why he was so close to his posse—he needed to replace the Orphanage Gang. His family.
One thing she was sure of, was that somehow, in these nights together, they had formed a bond that was based on implicit trust. Because without it, they had zero chance.
It had been a month without much happening, until one day, after using the gym in Seifer's apartment building, Quistis returned to the penthouse to find one of her dresses laid out on his bed. The dress was shimmery and golden yet expensive looking, with some exquisite hand-beading work. The neckline dipped low with spaghetti straps, and most of it was backless. The skirt went down to midthigh and the entire thing was tight, but not skin-tight. Someone had also tossed jewelry on top. Chandelier diamond earrings and the watch Seifer had dropped in front of her for her birthday.
Seifer's head appeared from the door of the bathroom. "Hop in the shower, we're going out."
"Out?"
"Yup. Dinner and Phantasmagoria. You're ready. Things have calmed down enough after your and Chicken-wuss' little stunts."
She dressed quickly after showering, and Raijin helped her do her hair. He styled it tastefully, adding the small braids and pulling it to one side, freeing one side of her neck and showing her bare back. Soft platinum waves fell over her chest, giving her a small amount of modesty to the low neckline. When she was presented to Seifer, the look on his face could only be described as predatory.
"You look perfect." He took a deep breath and then offered his arm to her in a gentlemanly flourish.
Seifer cleaned up well. Then again, Seifer pretty much looked like a runway model in whatever he was wearing. Tonight, it happened to be a sharp checkered blazer and slacks, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, displaying the impressive swell of his chest.
A quick taxi ride took them to what Quistis understood to be the most exclusive restaurant in all of Esthar, Belhelmel. One of those places with years-long waiting lists.
Seifer kept an arm around her waist, guiding her around to the host stand at the restaurant. It was a swanky establishment that didn't need a bunch of signage. Candlelit tables with pressed white linens, some topiary near the host stand. The kind of place that kept it simple because it didn't have to try too hard.
"Table for two."
Seifer gave a bored wave and expressionless command to the maître d', before pulling Quistis closer to him by the waist and nuzzling his face in her hair, playing the part of a doting lover. She was wearing tall heels and they were almost the same height.
Mechanical. Was all she could think. And kept trying to remind herself that it was a mission and not anything else.
"I'm sorry, sir. We are booked solid for at least the next six months," the host responded in an equally bored and annoyed voice, sounding anything but sorry. He was short and slender, with a fine mustache that likely took him months to grow. Someone high on their own power.
Seifer smirked and released his hold on Quistis to stretch his arms to the side, displaying his size, while tugging up the sleeve of his blazer slightly so the bottom of his tattoo showed. "You sure about that?"
The host paled and quickly grabbed menus from the desk. "Oh… oh, I'm so sorry. Yes, we have one of the best tabl—please follow me."
They found themselves at a table in an upstairs area, closed off from the rest of the restaurant with private rooms. Clearly meant for only the best clientele.
An attractive waitress appeared from nowhere and offered a complimentary bottle of expensive red wine on the table after pouring them both glasses and muttering something about it being some old Galbadian vintage. After describing the specials, she looked expectantly at them for their orders.
Quistis opened her mouth to speak, but Seifer interrupted her. "I'll have the steak special, also the scallops. She'll have the Belhelmel salad."
He couldn't be serious. Was he having the audacity to order for her? And then only getting her a salad? She was starving.
Upon catching her annoyed look, he smirked. "Know your place here, Q." He then leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I'll share, don't worry. But, look around."
She did. The tables were as private as they could be. Older men in expensive suits sitting with young women who didn't look that different from her. In fact, one of the men looked extremely familiar. She had seen him from the newspaper.
"Is that—"
"The Esthari Prime Minister eating with Kiros Seagill's chief-of-staff? Yeah. Figured you'd recognize them, because you watch that stupid-ass boring channel where all they do is show parliament voting on shit." Seifer stabbed a fork into a piece of steak and surreptitiously handed it to her.
"Those aren't their wives, by the way," he added.
No kidding. The women with them were more than half their age. Not that much older than Quistis herself. Dressed like her. Expensively, dripping with gems.
"Is that… are they involved?" Quistis spoke as she covered her mouth with a napkin, seemingly wiping her lips.
Seifer turned towards her, his nose nuzzling against her neck to make it look like he was kissing her. His voice was soft, it tickled her pleasantly. "I don't know. The drugs are always dead drops. But I have my suspicions they may be involved."
For the most part, dinner was a quiet affair, the two of them sitting next to each other at a booth as Seifer quietly pointed out people in the restaurant, his arm almost always draped over her shoulders. She didn't fail to notice the haughty and unfriendly gazes drifting her way from some of the young escorts in the restaurant. Most of them were with men twice their age, not particularly in shape, though some were okay looking. Quistis got the feeling that in their eyes, Seifer was a hot commodity that she had landed. And that made her the enemy.
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After dinner, it was a longer cab ride to Phantasmagoria, as it was in a different part of town. Seifer remained quiet the entire ride, sitting in his seat next to Quistis. He didn't touch her, or put on an act. Rather, he seemed deep in thought.
Finally they made it to the entrance, one of the bouncer's apparently recognizing the cab company and opening the door on Quistis' side of the car.
Before she could exit, Seifer grabbed her arm. "You better be ready for prime time. No one is going to save you, Quistis."
The upper area that Quistis had tried so hard to enter was a breeze with Seifer. The room practically parted ways for him to walk through. Like magic. Seifer had always had some sort of effect when he walked into a room. Being tall and devastatingly handsome certainly helped. Beyond that, he always had an air about him. A presence. It was what made him so terrifying as the head of the Disciplinary Committee. The air was on overdrive in Phantasmagoria, and Quistis couldn't help but be drawn into it. It was impossible not to be. He reeked of power and confidence. Oozing out pheromones left and right to both sexes. Everyone wanted to either be him, or be with him. Which meant they also all wanted to be her, or have her.
Being in his bubble made her feel invincible.
It was like Rinoa always said…being around Seifer made you feel like you could take on the world.
He was intoxicating.
Seifer grabbed her hand and guided her up the stairs in a chivalrous fashion, knowing her tall heels could her up the steps.
The scantily-clad hostess guided them to what was clearly one of the nicest tables, with a comfortable couch, and a bottle of champagne already sitting on ice waiting for them. A bottle that cost almost what most people paid in rent for a month.
"On the house." The pretty girl smiled at Seifer in anything but an innocent fashion, and he surprisingly leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, as if they had known each other for ages, his free hand placed on her hip, seemingly caressing there.
"Thanks." Quistis couldn't hear him, but could read his lips. At first she was annoyed. Was he flirting with this waitress while he was essentially dragging her in, under the guise of being his girl?
Watching Seifer's hand on the waitress' hip, she saw his fingers slip a small bag in her pocket, wrapped in a large gil-note.
Ah… so that was how it worked.
He stepped back from the girl and winked at her, before settling on the couch next to Quistis. The hostess finally glanced over at Quistis and the smile disappeared from her face, but was quickly replaced with a false one. "You and your group need anything, just let me know."
Quistis tried not to roll her eyes.
Before she could react, she was tugged into Seifer's embrace.
She forgot how damn quick he was. His hands were on either side of her face, cupping her cheeks gently, and his body was insanely close to hers.
"I know you'll take good care of all of us." The statement was directed at the other woman, but Seifer kept his gaze on Quistis. His eyes held a question as he stared at her. And she realized what he was doing. Asking.
His lips pressed against hers in a far gentler way than she ever thought he was capable of. Quistis found herself leaning into the kiss, her hands coming to rest on his chest. He deepened the kiss, and she could taste champagne on his tongue. She had always secretly imagined what really kissing Seifer might be like, but she never imagined it to be like this. She had never kissed anyone like this. This felt intensely intimate. Private.
He pulled back, apparently having made his point and met her eyes once again. She hadn't even realized she had closed them.
Quistis smiled at him. And realized she wouldn't mind if he kissed her like that again. And hoped that it wasn't all an act. Even though everything in his behavior and mannerisms had her feeling like it was.
The hostess was frowning slightly, but accepted whatever message Seifer had just sent.
Seifer's grip on Quistis tightened, and his voice dropped, the tone becoming menacing. But he spoke loudly enough for people around to hear, but also clearly directed at her. "Look at me. You don't talk to anyone. Don't look at anyone. Don't do anything. You're mine, understand?"
Quistis felt a small pit form in her stomach, but she nodded in agreement.
"Come closer…"
As if she could.
"Let me tell you something. No one is ever going to have you the way I do."
She believed him. And she understood exactly how he had risen to the top. When Seifer talked, you believed him. He commanded loyalty from all his workers, and that's what she was now.
She knew he was saying it for the benefit of everyone in the VIP area. He was marking his territory in an unabashedly chauvinistic and controlling way. This speech wasn't for her. It was for all of them. Because they were all listening.
And these types of people were the type that would immediately want her more if they thought they couldn't have her. Setting the trap.
"You're mine," he whispered again, against her lips. This time, his kiss was anything but gentle. Smashing their lips together in something that could only be defined as possessive. It was all tongue and teeth. And it was…
Quistis heart was beating in her chest, her cheeks flushed. This shouldn't make her feel this way, but… whatever spell Seifer wove was drawing her in. It couldn't all just be an act, not the way he was kissing her. Right? Was this the enchantment of the power that drew people in to him? Drew their devotion and loyalty? Like a moth to a flame…
She found that she had wound her arms around him and was kissing him back just as roughly. He dragged the both of them further down onto the couch, and his hand slid down to her thigh, gripping it tightly, fingers slipping under the soft fabric of her dress as he hoisted her leg around his waist. His other hand continued to cradle her face, with a gentleness that belied the roughness of his lips.
She wasn't stopping him. And she knew it wasn't because she was playing make-believe.
She was falling into the abyss.
The hand on her thigh slid up her hip, along her waist, under the curve of her breast, before it settled once against on her neck. He pulled back from the kiss and cast her the cockiest grin she had ever seen.
"You okay?" His question was genuine.
She nodded. "I…that was..."
He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Gotta keep up appearances and all." He kissed her one more time, this one a peck on her lips and spoke quietly to her. "I meant what I said. Just stay put. There are lions all over here."
She hated being told what to do, but also knew that this was a good opportunity to just watch. He was right. She didn't know how it worked in this area. In the place where people looked down on those below. Kings in their tower, observing the peasants under them. And no one would think her to be worth very much, which put her in a very perfect position to watch and learn.
A clearing of the throat interrupted them. "All good, boss?"
Of course Raijin had somehow witnessed that entire display. He had slipped in easily to the VIP area as well. Quistis felt her face burning in embarrassment.
Seifer leaned back, his arm propped behind her back on the plush couch as they watched their surroundings for a while. She recognized the two women from the restaurant and their dates.
"The Prime Minister is here," Quistis whispered in his ear, trying to hide her shock.
Seifer trained his lips on her neck, peppering it with kisses as he spoke softly to her. Using the kisses as a cover, his hand cradling her face as he did so.
"Yup. Like I said, I have a feeling they might be involved. They are often here."
Quistis was starting to get the feeling that Seifer understood and knew a lot more than he had shared with her. And instead of this night being a reconnaissance mission for the both of them, it was rather him giving her a secret lecture.
It was hard to pay attention to his words with the feel of his lips on her neck, yet Seifer still seemed totally unaffected by the whole thing. He was arrogantly and annoyingly casual.
Pulling back, he retrieved a small bag from the inside pocket of his blazer. It was filled with a green powder that had almost a shimmery quality to it.
There was a mirror laid conveniently on the glass table in front of them, and he poured some of it onto there, dividing out thin straight lines of powder with a key-card. Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he pulled a 1000 gil note from his wallet and rolled it into a straw, offering it to Quistis.
She had never done diamonds this way—she had never seen them used this way. Surely he wasn't thinking she was going to sniff this.
Seifer nodded to the other people in the upstairs area. "It's expected." He hissed against her skin with a seemingly affectionate nuzzle of his nose against her cheek. "Look around."
In fact, the girls from the restaurant were already snorting lines of substances up their noses, given by their dates. Brazenly. There was no way this was legal.
Pulling back abruptly, Seifer leaned down, hovering the gil note over one of the lines and snorting it expertly up his nostril. She raised an eyebrow at him. Seifer had been adamant that he didn't use diamonds after what happened with Fujin.
He thrust the note in her hand and went back to placing his lips on her neck, muttering softly. "It's not diamonds. Diamonds are only for those downstairs. Diamonds are pedestrian shit. This is the elite stuff. And you'll know what it is. You've had it before. You have to trust me."
Did she really have a choice? She didn't do drugs. There was no way she would know what this was. But Seifer said it with such conviction…
And she had come too far to back out now. She was a fly caught in Seifer's web, with the complexity of strands he had woven all across this city still far beyond her understanding. She was part of it now, and there was no easy way out. He had all but warned her of that in the cab before they entered Phantasmagoria.
Trying not to feel too self-conscious or nervous, she followed Seifer's lead. She had to trust him.
There was a chemical-like burn that shot up her nose, and an unpleasant taste settled at the back of her throat. It was immediately followed by a warm sensation that travelled from her core all the way to her fingertips and toes. The feeling wasn't unfamiliar. If anything, it was something she had felt numerous times before. More times than she could count. Relaxed, warm, euphoric. Like all her aches and pains had been taken away.
It was…
But it couldn't be.
Quistis shook her head. "That's not possible," she whispered. Both to herself and Seifer.
Seifer grabbed the rolled note from her hand and placed it on the mirror next to the leftover powder. As if he didn't care if the money or drugs were lost. Grabbing Quistis face in his hands he turned her to look at him, meeting her with a steady gaze. His eyes were sharp and focused. This was the gaze she was used to seeing from him when he was preparing for battle.
"Say it." His voice was far from warm. It was commanding. "Say it out loud."
He was scaring her, because what she wanted to say was… but that would be crazy.
His grip on her face tightened and his voice was now a hiss. "Fucking say it, Quistis."
From far away, it probably looked like an intimate moment between a couple; a controlling man and a kept woman.
"Cure…" The word finally tumbled out of her mouth. And when it did, she knew what the feeling was. "That was a cure spell. But it can't be—that's…"
Seifer's grip on her face relaxed and he released her, but kept his eyes firmly trained on hers. "I've suspected for a while. Chicken wuss all but confirmed it."
"But… how?"
He shook his head and leaned back again on the couch, tugging her towards him. "See the one your new friend is snorting over there? The blue? I think it's Aura. Remember how good that spell could make you feel? Garden kids used to use it before fucking in the secret area. Purple is Sleep. There's one that they slip in drinks to make girls more compliant—I think it's Confuse."
"But without GFs… how is this possible? How can magic even be in powder form? That makes no sense!"
"I told you that you had no idea what you're doing. Don't you finally get it?"
Quistis realized that she was gripping his thigh with enough force to leave a bruise. "But that means…"
Rinoa and Squall's trips to Esthar. The GFs. Garden's new super weapon. How was it all connected?
"What you just stuck up your nose? A single line is worth about 150 gil on the street. More with the right buyer."
Her grip on his thigh tightened. With an steady supply… that easily could make it the highest paying commodity in all of Esthar.
They really weren't going to make it out of this alive. They were likely taking on the Esthari government. Was Laguna involved? Garden? They had to be. But how much? Who knew who else was in on this? Galbadia?
Despite the fact that her mind was racing like crazy, she finally got it.
Everything that had happened—everything—those fuckers knew. They knew, and they didn't fucking care. Selphie. Fujin. Every last dead-eyed soul whose life had been destroyed. They'd all been sacrificed. For what? Money? Power? Control?
She finally understood Seifer's warning. Their best chance was to hopefully take some of these assholes down with them. And Seifer clearly had a vision.
A kamikaze mission.
And if this was all the time they were going to have left in the world…
She realized she had been sitting very still, grabbing his leg for a while, and finally she turned back to look at him. The familiar jade eyes. The only person other than Zell and Raijin that she could trust right now.
She didn't want to do this alone. She didn't want to feel alone.
She was sick of pretending. It had been months and months of pretending. First in Phantasmagoria, before they had reunited, and now even more. But truth be told, it had been years. Years of pretending at Garden. Pretending to be perfect, to be the prodigy, to be the best SeeD. She didn't want to pretend anymore. She wanted to feel. She wanted…
Grabbing the lapels of his jacket she pulled Seifer towards her, meeting his lips in a sloppy kiss. It must have surprised him, because it took him a moment to respond. He did eventually, easing her hands off his jacket and slipping them around his waist.
They parted, and she pulled back just enough to lean her forehead on his. "If this is it… I want to at least enjoy the end. I want to know what it's like..."
A quiet confession. Maybe it was the drugs. The champagne. The bizarre date. The desperation? She wasn't sure. All she knew is she wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. To be loved by him. Physically at least. She just didn't want to be alone. No one who fought with that much passion could be a bad lover. Quite the opposite.
He would devastate her. He would destroy her.
She was sure of it.
And at this point the consequences no longer mattered. To hell with it. Why not?
Seifer's voice was uncharacteristically hoarse. "Are you sure you know what you're asking me?"
It almost sounded like a warning. She wasn't sure if he was warning her, or himself… but she didn't care.
If this was the end, and they were all going down in flames, then…
They could burn together. Fuck logic. Fuck caution. They had already come this far.
"Yes," Quistis whispered quietly.
His pupils darkened as he took in her answer, almost searching her face for honesty. Apparently, he was pleased with what he saw. He chuckled darkly. "Better hold on tight."
His lips were on hers again. This time the kiss was different. There was no restraint. This was real. This was Seifer kissing her. Not Seifer pretending. Or her pretending, or…
He was relentless, his hands wandering with his lips, his kisses trailing to her ear and lips attaching to her neck as he hitched her legs over his hips so she was practically on his lap. Uncaring that they were in the club. It was dark, they were in a mostly private area, after all. And it fit what they were supposed to be doing anyway for the mission. And then some.
He shifted her again so that she was straddling him, his hands coming to rest on her bottom as his lips found hers once again. Nipping, licking, kissing.
Until they were interrupted once again. "Boss?"
Seifer gently set her down next to him, blocking her while she readjusted her skirt to something presentable.
"Later," he promised in her ear and the sound shot straight to her belly.
He stood and spoke quietly with Raijin.
He would destroy her for sure. She would fall into a chasm so deep it would be impossible to crawl out.
But at least they would fall together. Because there was no one there to catch them—and they were jumping willingly together into this mess.
It was the end. May as well enjoy it.
beta: colobonema 3
