Stuck in Second Gear

Chapter 6

The One With The Wedding Night

Quistis could not believe that she had been bold enough to give Seifer her room number. Never had she been this forward with anyone. Ever. But, it was a wedding, or so she kept telling herself. And try as she might, she could not get their kiss, nor her dream of him out of her head. She spent the remainder of the reception, which was blessedly almost over, chewing on the inside of her lip as she listened to Kiros talk about recent Esthar politics. Even though hearing about Esthar was a welcome distraction, and Kiros was a very nice companion, both in conversation, and plenty easy on the eyes, her mind kept drifting to thinking about what would happen when Seifer came to her room.

If Seifer came to her room.

Hopefully he would come many times.

Good lord, Quistis, get your mind out of the gutter.

Who was she kidding? This was Seifer, of course he was going to come. Wasn't he? He had indicated that he was interested in her. And, it seemed, in more ways than just physically.

And there was certainly physical desire. On both their parts. Of that she was quite certain. She hadn't failed to notice his impressive reaction to her presence the last time she was in his bathtub. And one would have to be a fool to not be physically attracted to Seifer. He looked like a damn model.

His personality, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to deal with.

But with her, he seemed to be trying. More than trying. He was being downright obnoxiously charming. Somehow that made him even more infuriating. And that frustration was fueling a lust deep within Quistis that she could not shake off.

She found that she couldn't stop glancing in his direction. The tux suited him. Of course it did. He had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, not having bothered to the jacket back on, leaving his pecs on brilliant display. She swore Rinoa noticed her glances one time as well, brown eyes narrowed slightly, not in judgement, but rather in recognition. Though, that also could have just been complete fatigue on Rinoa's part.

The wedding had devolved into what happens at all weddings with an open bar. People were drunk, people were dancing, people were hooking up, and no one was leaving. Rinoa and Squall were surreptitiously trying to sneak out after their last dance and enjoy their wedding night. Squall looked ready to kill the next person who stopped them to say goodbye and congratulations. Rinoa looked like her feet were killing her and she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Irvine and Selphie had apparently made up and she was sitting on his lap at some corner table. Laguna and Caraway had their arms around each other at the bar and kept ordering expensive whiskeys, laughing and hugging like they were dear old friends. That was an interesting development.

Zell had his hands full with Rinoa's cousin. Quistis doubted he was going to be able to extract himself from that situation. His head looked like it was about to explode as the woman kept running her hands on his chest and whispering in his ear, pressing her body to his.

The library girl had noticed and looked murderous. Zell hadn't even realized she was there. Which made Quistis glad. Zell was far too good for her, and she was about as interesting as talking to a brick wall. Not that Rinoa's cousin was really an upgrade, but she certainly looked the part. Selphie always said it was nice to "win the break-up" (after the many that she had with Irvine), and Zell seemed to be winning here. The library girl had dumped Zell out of her own insecurity about his success in his T-board and boxing career. What an idiot. Zell was as loyal as they came.

Meanwhile, Rinoa's other cousin, the one from the Heartilly side, with the long straight jet-black hair and high cheekbones, was sloppily making out with Nida in the corner of the ballroom. Nida kept pulling back and glancing in Quistis' direction, as if hoping to see her upset about it. It was messy, gross, and successfully pushed the idea of sex away as the farthest thing from her mind.

That, thankfully, got her through the rest of the reception.

Seifer had to take a minute on the balcony to cool himself down. Quistis had just invited him to her room. Her room. That could only mean one thing, and Seifer would be damned if he disappointed her.

All his gentlemanly intentions flew out the window the second she uttered the word "fifteen". There was only one reason she was inviting him to her room at a wedding. Quistis may have been icy and prickly, but she was far from naïve as to what her invitation implied. Right?

Finally calm, he re-entered the reception and waited his turn to say goodbye to Rinoa, and he supposed, congratulate her. He tried in vain to not keep eyeing up Quistis, and he couldn't be sure, but suspected Rinoa saw what he was doing.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets casually, he waltzed up to the couple, who was clearly trying to get out of the reception. He didn't blame them.

"Well, congrats, I guess," he offered lamely. "That's what you're supposed to say at weddings, right?"

"Thanks, Seifer," Rinoa beamed up at him and her infectious smile brought one to his lips.

"I'm not congratulating you, Rin. Talking to Puberty-boy here. No congratulations in marrying him. Hyne knows what the hell you were thinking—"

"Seifer…" Rinoa warned.

"Fine, fine. Congrats, Rinoa. You better treat her well, Commander Assface, or I will hunt you down and kill you," he added, turning to Squall and offering him his hand.

Squall grumbled and took the offered hand, shaking it firmly. "Get in line, then. Caraway told me he was going to sic the entire Galbadian military on me if I so much as 'ever make his darling angel upset'." Squall said the last part with air quotes.

Rinoa giggled and touched Squall's arm affectionately. "Daddy was kidding, Squall."

Caraway wasn't kidding.

Seifer snorted slightly and pulled Rinoa in for a hug. "I am happy for you," he said to her sincerely, his voice quiet so that Squall couldn't overhear. "You could have done a lot worse. Squall will be good to you."

"Thanks, Seifer," she whispered back, leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Anything else you want to tell me? Are you…up to something?"

Seifer pulled back from her, shaking his head, but she reached out to grab his hand and held it as she stared up in his eyes. He could feel her magic buzzing below the surface of her skin, despite the Odine Bangle, reminding him of just how damn powerful she was. It made him squirm. Uncomfortable memories forcing their way into the forefront of his brain.

"You're doing it," he said carefully, trying not to raise his voice. "None of the Sorceress shit."

He knew Rinoa wasn't doing it on purpose, it just sometimes happened when they had skin to skin contact, remnants of him being a Knight. And the fact that she had inherited the magic of his Sorceress. For Rinoa, she was curious, so it was a natural extension of that—but given her powers, she had unintentionally tried to enter his thoughts.

Squall noticed the interaction and watched with guarded interest, reaching out to grasp Rinoa's free hand and give it a squeeze, completely severing any intrusion Rinoa was making in Seifer's head.

It felt like a freezing bucket of ice water splashed on his face, immediate unpleasant refreshment and freedom from the prickling sensation of magic on his brain.

Thank Hyne…

Seifer couldn't think of a worse feeling than having his head entered again by some witch. He loved Rinoa, but he'd had enough of Knighthood to last a lifetime.

Rinoa immediately released Seifer's hand, a guilty look washing over her face. "Of course, you know I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. Just, don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"I won't," he promised, and leaned down to give her one last kiss on the cheek. "I'd say enjoy the honeymoon, but it's with Squall, so…"

A mock salute to Squall and a wink to Rinoa later, he headed to the lobby of the lodge to wait with a good view of the door for his prize to go to her room, and also to clear his head.

After what seemed like hours, Quistis finally entered the lodge, all but running to her room. Seifer grinned like he had struck gold. Someone was apparently just as eager as he was. After waiting for ten more minutes to let Quistis get settled in, he made his way to her room, knocking softly on the door.

On the third knock, she opened it, and thank Hyne she was still wearing that dress.

After quickly refreshing herself, and gratefully discarding her heels, Quistis applied a touchup of makeup before sitting down on the center of her bed. As she waited in the near-dark, the fire crackling in the fireplace giving the room a pleasant glow.

She was just about to give up and call it a night when there was a sharp tap-tap on her door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it.

Quistis was in Seifer's arms before he was even able to shut the door with his foot, her lips pressed firmly against his own. He quickly twisted their bodies, pinning her against the wall. Quistis' eyes had glazed over in passion as she dared to meet his gaze, lips bruised from the force of his kiss. She carded her fingers through his hair as she studied his face. The fire was casting shadows that made it difficult to discern what he was thinking.

Definitely lust. Maybe more?

"Did I tell you I like that dress?" Seifer leaned in, kissing her again roughly. "I've been thinking about this since…"

He didn't finish, crushing her against the wall again. Quistis moaned at the impact, her nimble hands travelling from his scalp to snake between them, attacking the buttons of his shirt. One of them flew off in the process, but Seifer didn't seem to care.

His lips trailed down her inviting neck as his hand dipped to the hem of her dress. He lifted the supple fabric as he walked his fingers seductively up her smooth thigh. His fingertips were amazingly soft, and she gave encouraging tugs at his shirt, wanting to see his chest. He paused his exploration to quickly shrug it to the ground, before shoving the bottom of her skirt up so his hand could brush along her bare hip.

She hated that he was making her whimper.

Brushing a finger against the side of her panties, he paused, glancing up at her through heavily lidded eyes, his mouth briefly leaving her pulse point.

Was he asking permission?

"Please…" She begged softly. There was no turning back. It's why she gave him the room number, wasn't it?

He silently slipped his fingers beneath the silky fabric, sucking in a sharp breath when he found her more than ready. Greedily, he dove his fingers into her, his thumb working the bundle of nerves at her apex.

Quistis let out a low, guttural moan. Seifer obviously liked what he heard, for he added another finger within her, his lips continuing their assault on her neck.

"Oh Hyne…" She moaned in his ear, nails digging into his scalp as he worked her expertly, his free hand slipping into the neckline of her dress to squeeze a breast.

"That's right…" He rumbled against her throat, increasing the pace of his fingers. "Let go, Quistis."

She didn't want to. But she did. What was she thinking? Doing? Letting Seifer overwhelm her like this?

"Quistis…" He purred in her ear.

She couldn't stop herself. She—she didn't want to stop herself. The feeling of his fingers within her was almost too much to handle. Her knees went weak, and her inner walls clenched around his hand. With a long, breathy moan, she climaxed.

Seifer carefully withdrew from her, wiping his fingers on his pants. She knew he was smirking proudly. She didn't have to look at him to know.

"Fuck, Quistis, that was…" He didn't finish, instead drew in a satisfied deep breath.

She finally dared to glance at him, and could see the lust radiating from him. The honesty in his statement.

The air was heavy, and Quistis realized they were at a breaking point. He was holding back once again, even though he was clearly aching for more of her.

"Are you sure about this?" He was asking her consent. "Because if we keep going, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

Quistis had never been so sure about anything before, just that she wanted to feel all of him. No man had ever made her feel like he just had, and he had barely started. Hell, no man had ever been able to make her…

Her head felt fuzzy from the aftermath, yet she wanted more. She was a little surprised that he was seeking permission; after all, Seifer had always been the take first, ask questions after type. But then again, he also didn't seem like the type of guy who would take advantage of a woman. Even if Seifer was an asshole most of the time, he still had honor.

She reached behind herself to untie the halter of her dress, the material cascading to her waist and revealing her bare breasts. She could see Seifer's throat move as he took a deep gulp, staring at her in the firelight. Unzipping the hidden zipper on the side of the garment, she was able to shimmy it down her hips to pool at her feet, and daintily step out of it.

Finally their lips met again.

Seifer was hard in all the right places. For a moment, Quistis wondered whatever she had ever seen in Squall. He was so timorous, a boy, not a man. Seifer was a man. Quite the man. And apparently, he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. That much was evident from what was pressing against her through the fabric of his slacks.

"Damn…" His voice was husky, and his breath on her ear made her whimper. "You've never been properly fucked before, have you…"

Gods, how true that statement was.

He was fumbling with his belt, and Quistis was nearly crying in frustration for how long it was taking. If he made her wait any longer, she just might tear his pants off herself.

"Don't worry, Quistis…I'll take good care of you," he promised in her ear. His pants dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them, his lips still lingering near her cheek. She could practically feel the arrogant smirk on his face.

Quistis looked down, and she gasped at the sight of him. She knew her mouth must be hanging open, given the conceited glint in his eyes. No wonder he was so cocky all the time. He knew what he looked like. He was even bigger than the thing she had hidden in her bedside drawer at back at Garden, and she had never believed that could fit.

Within seconds, he had ripped her panties off. She should have been upset—they were expensive—but she really didn't care. They could easily be replaced. He leaned forward, his hot breath tickling her neck. He snaked a hand between them, grabbing himself.

She could feel his movements against their bodies as his fingers pumped his shaft. Readying himself. For her. To her. Quistis shuddered. The thought of him pleasuring himself—to her—was almost too much. She bit her lip and listened, the only noises in the room the sound of skin rubbing against skin, and the crackling of the fire.

"You like that?" He growled in her ear, continuing to stroke himself.

"Yes…" Her words were breathy. She could feel the arousal between her legs intensify. If he didn't fuck her soon…

"…then you'll love this…"

Suddenly his fingers were on her most intimate of areas, opening her to allow him access. He slid within her and moaned.

"Holy…Fuck, Quistis…you're so tight…"

She was lost in a sea of lust, unable to control herself. She moaned his name as he pressed further within her. Seifer filled her to the brim, and she raked her fingernails down his back. Begging him to take her. Ravish her.

"More…"

He snorted, arrogant and mischievous, and obeyed.

Quistis saw stars behind her eyes as the most intense pleasure of her life washed over her. Never had a man been able to do that with such a simple movement. He slammed into her against the wall of the hotel room. After a few moments, his hand hooked under one of her knees, lifting her up, her other toe barely touching the floor. He withdrew himself and she missed the feeling. The pressure, the pleasure, the fullness.

She was suddenly floating…no, being carried?

The next thing she knew, she was on the soft bearskin rug of the floor by the fire, Seifer not once stopping in his attention to her. His hand slipped between them and he pressed into her once more, rubbing deliciously slow circles that contrasted with the rough rhythm of his hips.

"Oh...oh gods…don't stop, please don't stop," she kept chanting. Surely, she wasn't going to…but she did, again. She could picture the smug grin on his face as she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted his name.

"You're so fucking loud…" Seifer continued to thrust within her, grunting with his movements. His voice proud. "…Never thought I'd hear you scream my name."

She wrapped her legs around his waist. Pulled at him. Encouraged him to release himself. She wanted to feel him. All of him.

Seifer was feverish. Biting his lower lip. Concentrating. An animalistic moan and he was pulsing within her. He soon collapsed down upon her, sweat dripping down his forehead and dropping onto her collarbone. The comforting heat radiating from his frame. The feeling of his heart hammering against hers.

After a few minutes while she mindlessly traced circles on his back, their breathing finally returned to normal. He lifted himself up on his elbows to stare down at her. Instead of the arrogant smirk she expected, there was a soft smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed her gently, before moving his lips to her neck, then her ear.

"Guess I was right," he whispered into her ear.

There was that arrogance.

But, dammit he was right. This was what she had been missing. If she had known…

Seifer withdrew from her, and then easily scooped her into his arms as if she were weightless, carrying her to the bed and putting her down gently under the covers. He placed another soft kiss to her cheek. "If I'd known it was gonna be like that, I would have tried that ages ago."

She resisted the urge to close her eyes as she watched him carefully picking up discarded clothing from across the room. Sleep overcame her, her last thought being that she would wake up cold and alone. Again.

Zell Dincht was in a good mood. Seifer had been right about what happened at weddings. Zell had spent an…interesting, to say the least, evening with Chantelle. Sure, she had what Seifer would call "crazy eyes", but Seifer also said there was some algorithm or something that made crazy girls worth it.

"Crazy girls can be lots of fun, you just have to hedge your bets and figure out if it's worth the fallout. Because, there's always fallout."

He drew some elaborate curve to demonstrate his point. Zell didn't totally understand at the time, but he thought he did now. Other than seeing her at the bride's brunch that morning, he was free and clear and had managed to have a good time.

What Zell didn't think of was the fact that Chantelle's father, Lord De la Croix, with strong ties to the Galbadian military and government, was also going to be there. And Lord De la Croix would not be very happy with his prized daughter being boinked by an un-titled, uncouth, facially tattooed man who made a career out of beating people up. And Chantelle would be very eager to throw it into Daddy's face.

Zell figured Quistis would want someone to walk to the brunch with her, since she was the only one attending the wedding alone. He rapped in his tell-tale pattern on her hotel room door.

Some rustling noises sounded from behind the door, along with a hoarse voice. "Um…who is it?"

Oh, he must have woken her up. No matter, he still had the spare keycard to her room from when he had loaded wedding gifts into it for her. Swiping the keycard on the panel, Zell sported a cheery grin as he opened the door.

"Wakey, wakey, Quisty! Figured you'd want to walk with me to brunch."

Quistis was covered with quilts, creating a giant mountain over her. The covers were pulled over her shoulders so that just her head peeked out.

"Uh…oh! Right, brunch," she stammered.

"Man, you must have been cold last night, huh? We are in Trabia, I guess though." Zell whistled, standing in the doorway.

A strange look crossed Quistis' face, and a strangled, low sound caught in her throat. "Ah…yeah. So, I'll meet you, okay?"

"Sure, sounds good. Fifteen minutes?"

"Oka—ahhhhh, I mean, thir—no, an hour? Yes, yes, yes. I'll be right there…in an hour."

Her face was red. Man, she must have been hot under all those blankets. She sounded strained too. Maybe she had too much to drink last night.

Oh well. Continuing whistling his jaunty tune, he left her room, shutting the door behind him.

Quistis threw off the covers and glared at the man whose finger was currently knuckle-deep within her, doing positively sinful things. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Some cookie jar, indeed…

"Oops?" He raised an innocent eyebrow.

Her glare was half-hearted, because frankly, she was surprised and thrilled he had spent the night. He was grinning up at her, a self-righteous look on his face. With a sly smile, he slid another digit inside of her.

"Dammit, Sei—oh gods." Her head fell back against the pillows with a deep moan. "Zell almost…yes…he could have found…oh!"

Seifer removed his fingers, readjusted himself on the bed, and pushed her legs open. He leaned in close, inhaling deeply.

"I've always wondered what you tasted like."

His words rumbled against her core, and that act alone could have made her come undone. Quistis never let men do this to her; it was too vulnerable, too…personal.

But Seifer was, apparently, a relentless lover. Unwittingly, Quistis' hands came to the back of his head and pressed his face closer to her, aching for the release she knew he could expertly provide.

His fingers and tongue worked in tandem—touching, lapping, thrusting. Never had she felt this way before. The pressure in her core was growing exponentially. Every movement he made, bolstered by her own intimate pleasure, made her yelp. She begged him to stop, only to quickly plead for more.

Soon his fingers were a blur, and she was digging her fingernails into his scalp. Forcing him closer. Bucking her hips. She felt herself clench around his hand.

"Holy shit…" she gasped as ecstasy shocked through her body, leaving her shaking with pleasure, and for a moment, she thought she might pass out.

She could actually feel Seifer's satisfied grin against her skin as he placed a few kisses on the insides of her quaking thighs.

Sliding up her body, he trailed kisses along the way from her bellybutton, to her breasts, up her neck, until he was near her mouth. He didn't kiss her, probably aware of where his mouth had just been, but Quistis found she didn't care, and their lips met.

Seifer laced their fingers together, and the next thing she knew, he had sheathed himself within her in one stroke. His movements were languid yet precise as he held her gaze. When she met his steady look, and saw the emotion flickering in his eyes, she realized something. This was an entirely different act than what they had done last night. And whatever it was both thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

Slow and deliberate, they danced intimately. Rocking their hips together, embracing gently. There were no feverish thrusts, no dirty talk or roughness. They both finished quickly, Seifer grunting her name into her ear and squeezing her hand as she moaned, taken by pure rapture.

He didn't roll off her, instead covering her body with his own. His lips kissed her cheeks and the shell of her ear, finding any skin they could. Her hands lazily traced circles on the broad expanse of his muscular back fingers catching on a few scratches, souvenirs she had left in the passion of the night before.

"I'm not crushing you, am I?" He finally asked, his voice a husky whisper.

"No. This feels good." Comforting, she thought.

"I've never done this before." It was a quiet admission Seifer almost said to himself, as he rolled off her with a satisfied groan, pulling her to his side as he did so.

She wasn't sure what he was referring to, and was too afraid to ask. There were plenty of things she had never done before that had occurred in the last twelve hours.

They had both had one-night stands before, she was pretty certain of that. Was that what this was going to be? Another notch on a post? One night of passion to never be repeated again?

He was lazily running his fingers through her hair, his eyes trained on the ceiling as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"So," Seifer cleared his throat. "Don't girls like you normally require dinner or some shit before banging someone?"

Quistis was momentarily mortified. What must he think of her? That she sleeps with any man who pays her any mind? All he had to do was offer her a date, and she had jumped in bed with him. Was the offer still on the table? When she had heard muffled sounds in the night, she had figured he was slinking out, never to be heard from again. But as she gazed around the room, she realized that all their clothing was neatly hung up in the closet.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that you're the type of woman who probably needs to be bought dinner before she jumps into bed with someone. So I guess I owe you."

She propped herself up on an elbow so she could look down at his face, trying to gauge if he was making fun of her. "What, so I'm a hooker who needs to be paid for sex?"

Seifer ran a hand down his face in frustration, letting out a deep sigh. "Hooker? Never thought I'd hear you say that word. For fuck's sake, Quistis. Are you trying to make this as difficult and awkward as possible? I'm trying to ask you out here."

"Oh…" She didn't even know how to respond to that. She wanted to say yes, but the fact that he had outright said it silenced her.

He smiled at her then. An honest-to-Hyne smile. "Wow, finally found a way to shut you up. Well, two ways, I suppose," he added with a wink.

Quistis flushed at the implication and hid her face in the pillow.

"Can you come to Deling City next weekend? Balamb only has that one restaurant, and I don't feel like dealing with some Trepie…"

He trailed off, saying the obvious unspoken, that they really didn't want their first date to be around a bunch of gossiping Garden brats.

"Yes, the train is only two hours." She had zero desire for this to take place in Balamb either. Not only because of Garden and prying eyes, but also because the last time Seifer had taken her out in Deling City, she had the most fun she'd had in nearly a decade.

"Good. We can hash out the details sometime this week. You can stay at my place, if you need…no pressure, I swear."

Yeah, right. They both knew there was no way this act wasn't going to repeat itself if she was in his apartment again.

That fact did nothing to ease the crimson that had spread from her cheeks all the way down her neck. They had already done the deed, so it seemed silly to stop now, especially with how earth-shatteringly incredible it had been. She couldn't be absolutely sure, but she had a feeling it was the same way for him too.

"That sounds nice," Quistis found herself saying before she could second guess it.

Seifer extracted himself from the bed, and Quistis didn't try to hide the fact that she was watching him as he stretched dramatically and walked over to the closet. He was unashamed of his nudity and clearly putting on a show for her as he slowly dressed.

"I better get going before Chicken-wuss decides to show up again."

"Y-yeah." Quistis wasn't sure how to respond, instead clutching the sheet to her chest protectively.

Now donning his tuxedo sans jacket and tie, he leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'll see you next weekend. Dinner."

It was a statement and a promise at the same time. All his familiar confidence and bravado were back once again.

After he clicked the door shut behind him, Quistis finally let out a deep breath. She could not believe she had just slept with Seifer at Squall and Rinoa's wedding. More than once! She had never ever done anything like this. And no man had ever had her so clearly aching, even needing more. Next weekend could not come soon enough.

She really hoped Seifer felt the same way.

Seifer caught sight of himself in the mirror in the hallway of the hotel and groaned. Last night's clothes, disheveled, hair sticking at odds and ends. Tell-tale signs that he didn't spend the night in his own room. Thankfully, he had enough time to run to his room, clean up, grab his bag, and still make his flight.

Then, a blond ball of energy barreled into him.

"Watch it, Chicken-wuss!"

Zell looked him up and down and whistled lowly. "Damn, man, caught you in your walk of shame, huh?"

Seifer smirked. "Shame? I have no shame in what I did."

Zell resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Me neither, man."

"You didn't…" Seifer paled slightly. Zell was in way over his head with Rinoa's cousin. Seifer had only pawned her off on Zell, thinking Zell would cluelessly rebuff her advances, as he did with every other woman that came onto him.

Zell held up his hands defensively. "You said that's what everyone does at weddings! That it was part of the fun. And it would help me get over the library girl. You were all, 'it's a destination wedding, Chicken-wuss! Everyone else does it! It's a little wedding fun, that's all!'"

"Yeah. You do that with someone you're never going to see again! Some rando who lives in Winhill or one of Rinoa's old Timber resistance buddies. Not Rinoa's cousin who you're going to see this morning! And I'm pretty sure her dad is the premier of the Galbadian Council of Elders…"

"Maybe I want to see her again?"

Seifer pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dincht…"

"I mean…maybe not. I really think she's kind of, uh…"

"Clingy?"

Zell sighed. "Yeah. But, I mean, wedding weekend is over later today, so it's done, right, dude?"

"Doesn't she live in Deling City?"

"Yeah, but dude, Deling is huge and she probably lives on the rich side of town."

Seifer sighed. Poor naïve Chicken-wuss. He was absolutely screwed. Seifer had a vision of a future Zell calling him and complaining that the girl had set all his clothes on fire.

"And, she knows what gym you train at. I'm guessing you told her."

"Well, yeah, man, but…"

Seifer clapped Zell on the shoulder and let out a bellowing laugh. "Well, good luck, Chicken-wuss, you're gonna need it. I tried to warn you."

"W—wait! Aren't you going to brunch? I need a buffer!"

"Sorry, Chicken-wuss! Gotta catch the early flight out. Have fun with all that!"

Quistis managed a brief shower and showed up to brunch with damp hair. She hoped that everyone would just assume she was hungover. It certainly seemed like over seventy percent of the table were.

Rinoa didn't look too good herself. She was nursing a Bloody Vascaroon, stirring it absently with the celery stick and looked haggard and exhausted.

Irvine was within ear shot, going on and on about the many couples he heard "getting it on" in the hotel, noting that everyone seemed to get laid at the wedding.

Rinoa's cousin was all over Zell, making a point of sitting next to her father, whose eyebrow was twitching. She kept loudly proclaiming that Zell was 'the best she'd ever had' and that they were going to fall in love. Oh boy. Zell was in big trouble.

As for Quistis, she just hoped her face wasn't bright red. Maybe she could play it off like she was embarrassed by half the other people at the table.

"At least someone got laid on my wedding night." Rinoa grumbled, taking a sip of her drink.

"Wh-what?" Quistis paled. Was she oozing the fact that she had just had mind-blowing sex last night? And this morning, for that matter?

Rinoa gestured with the celery, pointing it at people accusingly. "Seems like everyone else got laid except me. Daddy and Laguna got wasted and Squall and I had to babysit them all night."

"Oh…oh." Quistis felt guilt for having abandoned the reception. She should have been the one babysitting. Not Rinoa. But the guilt was quickly replaced when memories of the night before kept creeping into the edge of her brain. Along with the fact that it was very likely to be repeated the next weekend. Assuming Seifer was being honest about the date. And she had no reason to think he had been misleading her. Since he had re-entered her life, he had been completely honest with her. Refreshingly so…minus dodging the whole secret friendship with Zell thing.

Right?

Her phone beeped, and while Quistis knew it was rude, she surreptitiously glanced at it under the table, opening a text message.

Try not to miss me too much at brunch.

This week could not be over fast enough.

Thank you to my beta colobonema, and also to Bebedora who got me out of my smut rut (TM). I really didn't originally intend for all this smut. Sorry, not sorry.