The door slams shut behind him before Seifer realizes that he's simply locked Quistis in the room, and now he's out in the hall with a nightmare behind his eyelids, the feeling of brushed cotton lingering between his fingers.
"Almasy. Some of us are trying to sleep here."
"Fuck you," he snaps, not really looking at Irvine because what's the fucking point? He leans against the wall. It's solid, unchanging--he doesn't go tumbling straight through it back into Time Compression or anything, at least.
The door opens again. He shuts his eyes and breathes deep. All he can see is that look on her face, her eyes wide and scared--Hyne, terrified, and he doesn't understand why. Seifer clenches his fists.
"...Quistis? What the hell're you doing?"
"Leave her alone." He can't help the words, can't stop them, can't squash the loathing in the letters. "Leave her."
There's a moment of absolute silence. Irvine's staring at him, a dangerous glint to his gaze. Quistis...he can't see her. He doesn't want to, but he can feel her right next to him, so close and he can't touch her. It's all he wants.
Dammit, he was supposed to die.